The afternoon sun filtered through the half-drawn curtains of Manya's rented apartment, casting a warm, golden glow over the modest living room. It was a quiet Saturday, the kind where the city outside hummed with distant traffic but inside felt suspended in time. Akshat pushed open the door after a light knock, stepping in with the faint scent of antiseptic still clinging to his skin from changing his bandages earlier. His broad shoulders filled the doorway, and he wore a simple gray t-shirt that hugged his V-shaped torso, paired with black joggers. The shallow cuts from training ached dully, but he ignored them as best he could.
"Hey," he called out, closing the door behind him with a soft click. "I came as soon as I could after your call. Everything okay?"
Manya emerged from the small kitchen area, wiping her hands on a dish towel. She was dressed casually in a loose tank top and shorts, her long hair cascading over one shoulder. Vanya followed right behind her, wearing an oversized hoodie that swallowed her frame, looking a bit more reserved but with a determined spark in her eyes.
"Akshat, thanks for coming," Manya said, her voice steady but carrying an undercurrent of something heavier. She gestured toward the couch. "Sit. We've got tea ready. This… isn't a quick chat."
Akshat raised an eyebrow but nodded, dropping onto the couch with a slight wince as his muscles protested. He leaned back, spreading his legs a bit in that natural, masculine way, and looked between the two women as they settled on the opposite side—close to each other, their knees touching. The air already felt thick, like they'd rehearsed this moment.
Vanya poured him a cup of steaming ginger tea from the tray on the coffee table, her hands trembling just a little. "Here. You look like you need it after whatever training you've been doing."
He took the cup, murmuring a thanks, and sipped slowly. The silence stretched for a few awkward seconds before he set it down. "Alright, spill it. You sounded serious on the phone, Manya. What's this big favor?"
Manya exchanged a quick glance with Vanya, then took a deep breath. Her usual bold personality shone through, but there was an awkward flush creeping up her neck. "Okay, straight up. Vanya and I… we're together. Like, dating. Lesbians. We've been seeing each other for a while now."
Akshat blinked, processing. He wasn't entirely shocked—there had been hints in how they interacted—but hearing it outright made him shift uncomfortably on the couch. "Wait, seriously? You two are… a couple?"
Vanya nodded, reaching out to hold Manya's hand openly now. "Yes. It started after that night you saved me, Akshat. Manya was there for me when everything felt broken. She's been my rock. We didn't plan it, but… it happened. We love each other."
Manya squeezed Vanya's hand, her voice gaining boldness despite the slight hesitation in her eyes. "It's not like we hid it from you on purpose. Things have been chaotic. But yeah, we're exclusive with each other. Well… mostly."
Akshat ran a hand through his hair, letting out a low chuckle that didn't quite hide his awkwardness. "Damn. Okay. That explains some of the vibes I picked up. I'm not judging or anything. You both seem happy. But what does this have to do with me? Why the urgent call?"
Vanya leaned forward, her expression turning vulnerable yet resolute. She bit her lip for a moment before speaking, her words careful like she was navigating a minefield. "Because I want a baby, Akshat. Your baby. And Manya's willing to carry it."
The room went dead quiet except for the faint tick of a wall clock. Akshat stared at them, his tea forgotten. He straightened up, his powerful frame tensing visibly. "Hold on. A baby? Mine? What the hell are you talking about?"
Manya jumped in, her tone direct but laced with emotion. "Vanya can't get pregnant. Uterus issues—from the trauma she went through before you helped her. Doctors confirmed it. Her body just… can't carry one. It's permanent. But I'm healthy. I can. And we've talked about this for days now. We don't want some anonymous donor or random guy. We want it to be you."
Vanya's eyes glistened as she continued, her voice soft but passionate. "You saved my life, Akshat. More than once. You've been watching over us even when I didn't know it. Blood is thicker than water, right? I want a child who carries your strength, your protectiveness. Manya feels the same way. She likes you too—in her own way. It wouldn't just be mine or hers. It'd be ours. A family of three."
Akshat stood up abruptly, pacing a few steps toward the window. The afternoon light highlighted the tension in his jaw. "This is insane. You're both young—twenty-four, right? And I'm only twenty-two. I'm not ready for fatherhood. My life is a goddamn mess right now. Training with Kurana, fights, blood… I can't drag a kid into that. And you two are already together. Why involve me like this?"
He turned back, his voice firm but awkward, like he was trying not to hurt their feelings. "Look, I care about you both. I'd do a lot for you. But this? Getting someone pregnant? That's not a favor. That's life-changing. Permanent. I'm not looking for a relationship here. With anyone."
Manya rose too, stepping closer but stopping short to give him space. There was boldness in how she held his gaze, mixed with a shy awkwardness as she fidgeted with the hem of her tank top. "We're not asking you to be in a relationship, Akshat. Not like boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. We know your world is dangerous. We get it. But think about it—this could be something good. A piece of normal in all the chaos."
Vanya joined her, standing side by side. Her smaller frame contrasted with Manya's, but her words carried quiet intensity. "We've discussed every angle. How we'd raise the child together. Financially, we're stable—Manya's job, my savings. You could be involved as much or as little as you want. But we want your blood. Your genes. And… honestly? We both feel drawn to you. Physically too."
Akshat crossed his arms over his chest, his muscular build making the gesture look imposing. He shook his head, rejecting the idea at first. "No. Absolutely not. I'm flattered, I guess, but this sounds like a recipe for complications. You two are lesbians, dating each other. Adding me into the mix for a baby? What if feelings get messy? What if the kid asks questions later?"
The discussion deepened as they sat back down, the afternoon stretching longer. Manya poured more tea, her movements deliberate to ease the tension. "We've thought about the messiness. It won't be easy, but we're adults. We can set boundaries. And yeah, we're lesbians—but that doesn't mean we're blind to you. You're attractive. Strong. Safe, in a weird way."
Vanya nodded, her cheeks flushing with a mix of boldness and embarrassment. "I've seen how you look at us sometimes. And we've talked about it. Fantasized, even. Not just the baby part. We want a threesome too. With you. To make this feel… connected. Intimate. Not cold and clinical like some doctor's office."
Akshat's eyes widened slightly, and he shifted again, clearly uncomfortable yet intrigued despite himself. "A threesome? You're serious right now? In the middle of talking about getting pregnant?"
Manya laughed softly, the sound awkward but genuine. "Yeah, it sounds wild saying it out loud. But why not? We're all here. We trust you. I'd carry the baby, but we could all be part of the process. No strings beyond that. You said you don't want a relationship—we respect that. But we could be friends. Close friends. With benefits when it feels right."
He rubbed his face with both hands, exhaling heavily. "This is a lot to dump on me in one afternoon. I came here thinking maybe you needed help with money or protection or something. Not… breeding plans and threesomes."
The conversation went back and forth for nearly an hour. Vanya explained the medical details again—the scans, the doctor's prognosis about her uterus being too damaged from past events. She spoke with raw honesty, tears welling up at one point as she described wanting to experience motherhood indirectly through Manya. Manya backed her up boldly, sharing how she'd always imagined having kids someday but never with a man until Akshat entered their lives. She admitted the awkward flutter in her stomach whenever she thought about him, blending it with her deep love for Vanya.
Akshat listened, interjecting with practical concerns: his unstable lifestyle, the risks from Kurana's upcoming favor, emotional fallout. He kept rejecting the full package at first. "I'm not boyfriend material. Don't expect me to play house."
But the women persisted with a mix of emotional appeals and straightforward logic. Vanya's quiet determination chipped away at his resistance, while Manya's bold frankness made the ideas feel less taboo. "We're not forcing anything," Manya said at one point, her hand brushing his knee lightly in a seductive but non-committal way. "Just… consider it. Us. Together tonight, talking more. Maybe starting something physical to see how it feels. No commitments."
Akshat finally leaned back, his expression a battle of reluctance and reluctant acceptance. The seduction had started subtly—Vanya's lingering touches on his arm, Manya's intense eye contact and the way she leaned forward, her tank top dipping just enough to tease. It was awkward, charged with real emotions: fear of the unknown, budding desire, deep care.
"Fine," he said eventually, his voice low and measured. "I won't promise a relationship. Not with either of you. If we do this—threesome, baby, whatever—I'm just fucking you. As friends. Nothing more. No dating, no expectations beyond that. You good with that?"
Manya and Vanya shared a look, a silent agreement passing between them. Vanya nodded first, a small smile breaking through her nervousness. "We are. Friends with… benefits. And if a child comes, we'll handle the rest."
Manya's boldness returned fully as she placed a hand on his thigh, squeezing gently. "Then let's keep talking. Make sure we're all on the same page before anything happens."
The afternoon light shifted, growing softer as they delved deeper into details—how often, protection until ready, how to navigate jealousy, what the future might look like without labels. Akshat remained guarded but engaged, the awkwardness lingering in his pauses while their combined persistence and honest emotions slowly bridged the gap.
____
By the time the moon up higher. The foundation was set already. Akshat was on their bed having his forearm on his head still thinking of the evening exercise he gets with the two of them.