My back cracked as I stretched over the coffee table. I’d gone for a late run then tried to make up for the closed gym with a few push-ups and squats in the cramped living room. Anything to stay active through the lockdown really.

“You done stinking up the place?” a voice teased behind me.

I jerked around. Lucy stood there in a towel, wringing the last beads of water from her hair. Steam curled out from the bathroom, her slight silhouette standing out against its dimmed light.

“Look who’s talking.” I wiped the sweat off my brow to play off getting startled. “I have to pop the window after you hog the TV for your yoga.”

This got me a bright smile.

COVID wrecked most things and forced us into each other’s lives. We went from distant roommates to fast friends. Turned out Lucy was a pretty wholesome girl. 

Well. Wholesome if you ignored the steady stream of guys she used to bring home before the pandemic.

And her new side gig on OnlyFans.

“Left some hot water for you,” she offered, walking past me.

I glanced away. The towel sat higher than she’d probably be comfortable with. 

“Dinner’s in the oven,” I said, right as she slid into her bedroom.

Leftovers. But who was counting?

“Good.” Lucy’s head peeked out of her doorframe, wet strands of unevenly dyed hair clinging to her neck. “Clean up. I’ll set plates out and pick a movie.”

I groaned. It was my night to pick. Still, I stepped into the bathroom, its misty air smelling like her shampoo.

===

Leftovers had no business tasting that good. Just reheated pasta, thrown in the oven in a Pyrex dish with a splash of milk and grated Emmental sprinkled on top. Maybe it was just the movie. Little Miss Sunshine was way better than I remembered. Or maybe it was the company.

Lucy’s teeth crunched through the gratin beside me. I glanced over, smiling before I could stop myself.

“Look at you,” she said, laughing, covering her mouth mid-chew. “Will, in a good mood for once.”

I rolled my eyes, focusing back on the TV.

“Lockdown’s getting on my nerves,” I grumbled.

“Yeah, join the club. You’re not the only one who got furloughed.”

“At least your lab will still exist when this ends. Pretty sure my company’s toast.”

I caught myself before mentioning her OnlyFans. No point in killing the mood of a good night.

Lucy set her empty plate aside and sank deeper into the couch. She half disappeared in her oversized hoodie, with only her bare legs sticking out as she rested her fuzzy socks on the glass top of the coffee table.

She sighed and took a long pull from her beer.

“Are you doing okay? With rent, I mean,” she asked in a flat voice, eyes on the screen.

Yet another topic I didn’t want to think about tonight.

I slouched and groaned.

“I’m seriously dipping into my savings. Another month of this and I’ll have to move back in with my parents.”

She chuckled, still not looking at me.

“Same. Except moving back isn’t an option for me…”

Lucy pulled her knees up and tucked her face against them. For a second, she didn’t look like her usual confident self. Smaller. Was she about to cry?

Instead, she shifted, sitting with her back against the armrest. Her gaze finally met mine.

“Listen, I’ve got something really awkward to ask.”

“I…” That was all I managed before she cut me off.

“No, just listen, please. I’ve got a chance to make some decent money. It could help with rent, but I’d need to shoot a video with you…”

I froze. My brain scrambled for words under the weight of her gray eyes.

What finally came out was the dumbest thing possible.

“For your OnlyFans?”

She laughed, but it came out tired. 

“Yeah of course dumbass.” A grin crept across her face. “So are you willing to at least hear me out?”

“You know I’m not like you,” I blurted, already hating where I was going. “With sex and everything…”

Lucy’s burgeoning smile instantly disappeared.

“God. Can’t believe I actually asked you.”

She got up stiffly.

“I’m off to bed.”

It took the harsh sound of her bedroom door snapping shut for me to realize I was now alone on the couch, with the movie Lucy picked for us not even halfway through.

===

Needless to say, I didn’t sleep much after that conversation. I rolled around for hours, my head refusing to quiet down.

Mostly, I just felt like an asshole. Lucy had opened up, and I’d managed to call her a slut in all but name.

Something else stuck. I was curious about her offer, a little thrilled even.

Maybe it was boredom. Maybe desperation. Or maybe I just wanted to know what could possibly make her that bashful.

Come morning, I was stealing sideways glances at her across the table in our tiny, sunlit kitchen.

My ex hated the idea of me living with a girl as attractive as Lucy. Back then, I didn’t think much of it. Lucy was clean, polite, quiet, and I was in a happy relationship. By the time that ended, I’d sat through enough awkward breakfasts with her one-night stands for any attraction to fade into something else. An ick maybe. 

Munching on cereal, she caught me looking and pulled me out of my head.

“What?” she croaked.

“I’m sorry about last night. I was an asshole.”

I felt oddly proud of how quickly I got that out.

“Yeah, you were,” she sighed, then tilted her head with a tired smile. “But I was too. Shouldn’t have dropped the offer on you like that.”

I nodded, and we went back to eating in silence for a while.

Every life has a few turning points that weigh more than they should. Little choices that make you feel like a giant for a second before they change everything.

One of mine happened at that tiny table, a few minutes later, with my mouth full of soggy Coco Pops. 

“Actually,” I started, spraying half-chewed cereal everywhere.

Lucy burst out laughing while I reached for a napkin.

“What were you saying?” she asked when I was done cleaning up, her soft tone helping me find my nerve back.

“I was thinking maybe we could talk about your idea.”

Her eyes widened. “Really?”

“Yeah. Money’s money,” I said, feeling my face heat up. “Might be worth hearing you out.”

“That’s great! We could pool whatever we make toward rent. Make it easier on both of us.”

“Huh, sure, but I was more worried about the actual video.”

She smacked her forehead. “Right, duh. Come on, I’ll just show you at my desk. Easier than explaining it.”

As we left our breakfast on the table, I realized I’d barely been in Lucy’s room since we moved in. This had always felt like a safe and easy-to-enforce boundary. 

The bed took up most of the space, a tiny desk crammed between its foot and the wall. Nerdy decor covered every surface, like a random soldering iron between two half-finished gundams. And of course, the fairy lights above the headboard, mandatory in every woman’s bedroom since college.

For some reason, I felt comfortable right away. Like the room’s cozy warmth dulled its busy layout.

Lucy dropped into her desk chair and booted up her towering PC without waiting for me. I sat on the edge of the bed behind her, close enough to catch the faint scent of her minty bodywash. 

Uh, she’d showered before I got up? I scooted a little further away until I felt less creepy.

“There,” Lucy called cheerfully, pointing at the screen.

I followed the direction of her finger, throat going dry at the idea of seeing her OnlyFans. Obviously, I had never tried looking it up before.

Instead, it was a YouTube channel.

“QuietPixel?” I read aloud, not sure what I was looking at.

But when I checked out the first video thumbnails, things finally clicked. Lucy’s face, wearing heavy e-girl eyeliner, was smiling back at me over a darkened background. The titles scrolled down the page: keyboard typing, whispered countdown, nail tapping.

This was the kind of stuff my ex would watch on repeat.

I looked back at the real Lucy, blushing beside me.

“Okay,” she said quickly, half-grimacing. “I’ve never shown this to anyone, so don’t make fun of me.”

“Yeah, because this is the embarrassing part of your online presence.” I shook my head. “Fifty thousand subscribers? Damn. How long have you been doing this?”

“A few years.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “I used to watch a lot of ASMR in college. Helped me study or sleep. One night I just decided to try it myself…”

“I don’t get it. Wouldn’t this make you enough money?”

Lucy snorted. “I wish. Channel’s demonetized. I use it as a funnel to my OF. It’s the only way to get traffic there, and it’s still not much.”

She leaned back in her chair, voice steady again. Funny how this innocent-looking channel embarrassed her more than selling nudes. Or whatever she was doing with her private content.

“That’s where you come in,” she continued. “I have a subscriber who’s been following me for years. He’s offered to be… generous, for a very specific kind of video”

“And?” I asked, swallowing my anxiety.

Lucy hesitated, eyes flicking to mine like she might change her mind. Her fingers tapped once against her thigh.

“He wants a normal ASMR video,” she finally said. “Only I’d be using a cock instead of a prop.”

I wasn’t sure what I’d expected from this whole thing, but her bluntness still caught me off guard. She didn’t lose her composure, keeping her gaze on mine. For a second, her button nose and mocking lips were all I could see.

Then my survival instinct kicked in. What if my friends found out? My job? God. My parents?

Lucy’s smile grew wider. “Before you turn me down, he’s offering two hundred euros.”

Oh come on. This price was so unfair. High enough that there was almost no way to say no, it would take care of a solid chunk of this month’s rent. Too low to make my loss of dignity feel earned... Or provide cover for my very real excitement at the prospect.

“I don’t want my face in it,” I said, trying to sound indignant and almost pulling it off.

“You’re the best,” Lucy squealed, throwing her arms around my neck for a quick hug.

===

“Come on in!” Lucy’s muffled voice called when I knocked.

I squared my shoulders in the rapidly darkening living room before pushing her bedroom door open.

We’d agreed to film in the evening. While I’d spent the day pacing around, too nervous to do anything, she’d clearly gotten to work.

A dark cloth hung from the ceiling, forming a uniform backdrop across the far side of her bed. On the opposite end, she fussed with a tripod, a fancy camera mounted on top. A cheap-looking Amazon ring light cast a pale glow across the improvised studio. 

“Showered?” Lucy asked over her shoulder, hitting me with another surprise.

I’d caught a glimpse of her in full e-girl makeup in her YouTube thumbnails, but seeing it in person was something else.

Winged eyeliner. Giant eyelashes. Aggressively bright lipstick. Contoured cheeks.

“Uh, yeah,” I stammered.

“Not used to seeing me like this, huh?” She was grinning, almost annoyingly proud of her effect. “Got the belt too?”

I nodded and lifted my shirt to show the metallic buckle secured around my waist, still not sure why she’d wanted it.

“Perfect,” she said, pointing to a clear spot in the mess of wires covering her bed. “C’mere.”

Gingerly, I climbed up and crawled to the center of the mattress. Lucy patted my thigh, motioning for me to lift my hips, then slid a pillow underneath. Propped up like that, it was hard to ignore what this was all about.

She switched off the room’s main light and turned on the fairy lights above my head. The warmer glow, combined with the ring light’s pale halo, created an intimate little island.

The noise of fabric rustling against skin was my only indication of what Lucy was now doing in the darkness. When she reappeared, her usual hoodie was off, replaced by a tiny black top.

“Comfy?” she asked softly, joining me on the bed.

I was, I really was. The mattress let me sink just enough, the sheets smooth under my palms. They smelled clean, freshly laundered, but carried a softer scent I could only imagine came from her skin.

Every one of her movements created faint dips in the bedding. She knelt close to me, with the backdrop behind her.

“As much as possible, considering…”

She chuckled, eyes darting to mine. “I know what you mean. I’m freaking out. We should’ve had a drink first.”

The edge of a pink push-up bra was visible as Lucy bent over me to nudge the laptop out of the shot.

“So we’ve got the feedback here,” she said, pointing at the screen. 

I exhaled in relief: the camera was focused on my crotch, yes, but it cut off in the middle of my chest and right above my knee, leaving me entirely anonymous.

Lucy’s head filled the top half of the frame, though. No hiding that. And the angle, whether on purpose or not, made it hard to look anywhere but her cleavage.

“Aren’t you worried?” I asked, nodding at the display. “Showing your face like that. Could get you in trouble with the lab.”

“I’m the only woman in the entire embedded department.” She rolled her eyes. “They couldn’t fire me in a million years. Besides, nobody cares what I do in my own free time.”

She looked at my face for a second before going back to her more practical voice.

“The mic is here.” She held out a plastic orb-thing, setting it between her knees, against the pillow under my hips. “It’s pretty sensitive, so don’t fart or anything. Any questions?”

“Well…” I snorted. “Could you walk me through your plan?”

“Sorry.” She shook her head. “I’m so focused I forgot you can’t read my mind. I’m going to rub my hands on your shirt, your pants, make some nice sounds. That’s why I asked you to wear the belt. After that I’ll improvise. All I know is that I have to end up playing with your cock.”

“And by that you mean…”

“Yes, a handjob.” She smiled down at me. “Try to relax and enjoy. I’m told I’m pretty good at it.”

I had to look away, afraid I’d either burst out laughing or wince a little too hard at her words.

“Okay! I’m starting now!”

She clapped her hands above the microphone, and right as she did, her entire demeanor shifted.

“Hello guys,” she half-whispered to the camera. “It’s QuietPixel, and this week I have some fun new triggers to explore with you.”

Lucy placed one hand on my stomach, the other above my knee, and leaned some of her weight onto me.

“As you can see, I managed to secure a lovely subject for us to try some new things with.” 

It felt like I’d vanished as she addressed the imaginary audience. But right on cue, she shot me a stealthy little wink before she began rubbing her hands in slow circles over my clothes.

“Hmm… Listen to those nice fabric sounds.” She closed her eyes and lifted her shoulders from pleasure.

It did work on me, though. I could feel tingles beginning to form in the back of my head. Though that was probably more from the pretty girl promising to jerk me off rather than the rustling noises.

“There’s also this shiny belt buckle. Works great for tapping.”

She pulled my T-shirt off the belt and slowly ran her painted nails along the flat metal surface, tapping them one after another. Every once in a while, she’d break rhythm, only to start again in a new pattern. 

I kept looking at her face, fascinated by the way she focused on her task, her tongue surreptitiously peeking out between her lips.

“How about some relaxing skin-to-skin?”

Lucy’s hands drifted under the hem of my T-shirt, tracing light paths on my bare skin. My stomach jolted from the unexpected contact, and I suppressed a pathetic yelp.

She chuckled and bent closer to the microphone, lowering her voice to whisper.

“Guys I think our subject is loving this. I’m not sure the camera will pick it up, but his belly is covered in goosebumps. Here. Let me show you.”

With a tug, she pulled the fabric, exposing my stomach.

“Would you look at that, hiding abs from us this whole time. Who would’ve guessed?”

Lucy smiled, far too at ease with how red I was getting. She toyed with the hair below my stomach, rolling the coarse strands between her fingers until she reached the elastic of my underwear.

“And from what I can feel, something else is hiding down there.”

By then, her voice was downright devilish, and I was praying to just disappear. I dug my hands into the mattress, gripping the sheets.

She leaned in and blew a cool breath just below my belly button, following the trail her fingers had traced. My squirming made her giggle.

“This is my first time doing ASMR on someone else. I hope you can tell how much fun I’m having.”

I nodded without thinking, as if any of this was actually directed at me. She rewarded me with her biggest smile yet and a soft rub of my belly, as if to apologize for torturing me.

“I should stop playing with my food. Let’s unwrap what we’re all here for.”

Slowly, drawing out every possible noise, she undid my belt. It took everything in me not to move my arms. Lucy’s gentle touches were the only thing keeping me still.

She made even the sound of my zipper seem calm, almost elegant, rather than some cheap porno effect. My eyes stayed on her face, waiting for her to look back, to share a wink or something. But she kept her focus on my underwear as she pulled my pants apart.

My breath caught when she hooked a finger under the elastic. I didn’t let it out until the cool air hit my crotch, mesmerized by Lucy’s intensity, not daring to look down.

I almost heard myself spring loose. This time, she met my eyes, smiling, before leaning close to the mic.

“Guys, it’s a really nice cock,” she gushed, barely maintaining her whispered tone.

The dumb surge of pride almost made it all worth it. Then Lucy’s hands came to rest around the base of my shaft, and my last remaining doubts were swept away.

Her palms were so soft and warm as they glided up my length, one after the other. 

“Almost two hands!”

My head fell back on the mattress, both in shame and pleasure. Her quiet chuckle turned into a laugh.

“I think I forgot the lube,” she said. “Oh well. Nothing a little spit-painting can’t fix.”

Her words took a second to sink in. I narrowly caught her, mouth open, dragging her tongue across her palm in an exaggerated lick for the camera.

The heat of her saliva sliding along my length felt more intimate, more forbidden, than her bare skin had.

For a while, she kept a rhythm, gripping the base before pulling her hand all the way up, the other following right behind, before letting go of the head. Like she was working a knot loose. Her touch stayed light, clearly meant to draw the moment out, not finish me.

I sought her gaze, desperately trying to get her attention. She pouted, her expression softening.

“Alright,” she whispered. “I think I’ve tortured my handsome subject long enough.” 

Lucy pressed her left palm on my lower belly, caressing me, while her right hand gripped me hard. Just like that, she was actually jerking me off. 

I bit my lip to keep from groaning. Even if I hadn’t, I very much doubted I’d be heard over the loud squelching noises of her hand working me to an orgasm. 

She rubbed the pad of her thumb over my opening, squeezing me a little tighter, twisting a little rougher with every back and forth.

Right as I felt myself tipping over, she clamped both hands around the head, stroking it frantically without ever crossing into over-stimulation. 

In almost total silence, I came with her fingers surrounding me, collecting my release between them. A single drop still escaped, flying through her knuckles to land neatly on the corner of her chin.

Lucy let me breathe through my orgasm, loosening her grip, before letting my softening cock tumble back on my belly.

“Well, guys.” Her fingers were laced together to keep my mess from dripping. “I hope you enjoyed this foray into something a little different. I’ll let our lovely subject rest, and I’ll see you all very soon!”

The singsong words faded, and QuietPixel turned back into Lucy.

She leaned over me, tapped a key on the laptop with her elbow, and the camera light went dark. I looked at her through half-lidded eyes. After a sleepless night and a day spent second-guessing myself, I was content to sink into a groggy post-orgasm haze.

Lucy turned toward me, holding her soiled hands up like a surgeon avoiding contamination. I would’ve laughed if I still had a brain.

“So? Wasn’t too bad, right? Gave me a big ol’ load.” She flipped her hands, showing me her palm, covered in my cum.

“Yeah,” I grunted, too busy processing it all to say anything clever. “How come you kept saying guys. I thought this video was for a particular pervert.”

Lucy raised an eyebrow.

“Will, seriously? That’s the part you focused on?” She shook her head. “ But you’re right, the video is for a particular pervert. A pervert who’s very precise about his fantasies. He wanted a totally normal ASMR video… just with a cock in it.”

“Makes sense, I guess…” The bed felt so soft under me. It smelled so nice.

“Aww, look at you,” she cooed. “You look real comfy. I bet you’re a big cuddler after sex.”

“Shut up,” I mumbled, unable to stop smiling.

“Why don’t you finish your nap in here? I need to edit the video. Could use the company.”

“Sure,” I said as she slipped off the bed.

“I’ll be just a sec,” she shot over her shoulder.

I was out cold before she made it back from washing her hands.