Title: Coming Around Again
Author: bnomiko
Rating: NC-17
Pairing(s): Trevor x Alucard, Trevor x Sypha x Alucard, Richter x Alucard, Alucard x Maria, minor Soma + Mina
Spoilers: post S4 animation + "best endings" for the referenced games
Disclaimer: "Coming Around Again" is performed and recorded by Carly Simon. Castlevania is the creation and property of Konami. Castlevania (animated series) is the creation and property of Netflix. This is a not-for-profit fanwork and I do not own any of these characters.
Summary: During the events of Grimoire of Souls, Alucard learns that Elgos' catalogues are not the only way to bring back those loved and lost from the distant past. An immortal heart, an eidetic memory, vows of love and friendship, can call forth beloved, brave souls all the same. But once crisis is averted, what happens to those same heroes who have been forgotten even by the annuls of history? A reunion tale combining aspects of various game canons including Symphony of the Night, Aria of Sorrow, Grimoire of Souls, Judgment, plus the original Castlevania animation. May include some minor referencing of other games / source material. Trevor, Sypha and Alucard's relationship based off "Under the Milky Way," my post S4 animation canon based series, but this story can be read as a standalone. Maria and Richter based off Symphony of the Night and Nocturne of Recollection.
Archived at: http://www.phenixsol.com/Miko/FF/

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Coming Around Again

Intermission: Alucard x Maria

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It was perhaps too much to expect to resolve things with Richter in a single night. Adrian tried not to take it to heart; their relationship had been poorly defined for far too long so it made sense that it would take quite a bit of time to reevaluate and reconsider what they meant to each other. Hopefully not years, though... one thing that had come with age and wisdom was the understanding that just because he had eternity, that didn't mean each and every moment wasn't valuable. He'd been too naïve with Trevor and Sypha, too deeply sunk in grief with Maria and Richter, that he'd wasted precious weeks and months moping about the mistakes of the past or daydreaming of an impossible future to simply live in the present.

Keeping that in mind, Adrian did his best to clear his thoughts of both work and personal drama before he joined Maria the following night in the second bedroom that was currently hers to use. Thursday and Friday nights were all hers; although he was still acclimating to the whole scheduling thing, they'd all agreed to giving it a shot, so he'd do his part as well. Shutting the door behind him meant shutting out the rest of the world, at least for the rest of the night.

Maria was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands folded in her lap and a slight smile on her face, though there was a hint of tension in her shoulders and uncertainty in her eyes. That wasn't okay. Was she worried that Adrian would compare her to Sypha or Trevor? Was she thinking about Richter, if he and Adrian had been intimate the night before?

"Is everything all right?" the dhampir asked gently as he sat down next to her: close enough that he could feel her warmth teasing at his side, but with enough of a gap to remain respectful if she wanted to talk, first.

"Oh. Yes. It's just... well, it's been a while, hasn't it?" She tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, but otherwise didn't move any closer or further away.

He nodded slowly. "It has." Even without looking, he could tell she still hadn't quite relaxed. "We don't have to do anything tonight if you don't want to. Or, we can go as far as you wish, and no further," Adrian reassured her. She'd vacillated between nervousness and excitement her first time too; in many ways, it was like that all over again, wasn't it?

Realization dawned on her face. "Ohhh... no, I'm not worried about that at all! You were always so considerate and careful. It's just..." she trailed off, biting down on her lip.

"... Just...?"

Maria suddenly sprung to her feet, then spun to face Adrian. Her face was tinted a rosy pink and she could barely maintain eye contact. Her hands scrabbled at the tie to her robe, finally opening and sliding it off to reveal an apple green satin chemise with gold lace cups. She fought the urge to fold her arms over her chest; she'd never worn anything so obviously seductive before! But it wasn't like Adrian hadn't seen her fully bared many times, so she chided herself, there was no reason to be shy. But somehow she felt even more exposed with her nipples pressing against the sheer triangles of lace, hardening under her lover's bright golden gaze.

"How beautiful," Adrian murmured, drinking in the sight: flushed skin, plush lips and long legs, with more curves than the Mediterranean coastline. He stood and stepped forward to lightly place his hands on the sides of her waist, his thumbs stroking small circles into the fabric. Sypha and Richter both preferred practical clothing - sleepwear included - and Trevor favored not wearing anything at all to bed. So Maria was the only one who would've thought of dressing up, for his eyes only.

She did her best to not squirm at his praise - and touch. "Yoko helped me pick it out."

"I'll have to thank her. It suits you well," he complimented, watching the slight rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed, though he was already thinking of buying her something fancier, since he loved gifting nice things to his partners. Perhaps a slip in bias cut silk satin, as the drape would do wonderful things for her curves and a more luxurious fabric would feel even nicer against her body. Maybe in soft celadon since the shade would suit her lightly tanned skin so well, or an elegant deep emerald, with beading on the straps and décolletage for sparkle.

She shifted closer, pressing herself against him, and every thought he had about outfitting her flew off like little birds. His arms wrapped themselves around her back; his hands stroked themselves through her hair. She returned his embrace, squeezing tightly, knowing he could take it.

Their lips met. They kissed - mindful, unhurried smooches - then held each other for a minute, their bodies refamiliarizing themselves with the feel of one another, then Adrian pulled his hands back to begin rubbing at her shoulders. "Are you chilly?" he asked, feeling a small, checked shiver.

She was, a little, but she shook her head anyhow. "No. Because you're here."

He hummed, then hooked a thumb under one thin strap. "May I?"

Maria nodded almost automatically, having already anticipated the question. Adrian had always been a stickler for asking for permission before doing anything, even when it was obvious what she was hoping for. But she had no complaints - better a gentleman than a brute.

He smiled at her eagerness and slowly slid the straps off her shoulders, leaving the lace barely clinging to her chest. Dropping his head, he brushed a kiss over the slight indent left behind by the strap, then turned his chin to place another kiss against her neck.

Maria couldn't quite hold in a gasp at the sensation of his mouth on her throat. Unsurprisingly he had a keen interest in her pulse points and the blood vessels leading to and fro, though he'd never attempted to bite nor even asked about doing such a thing. Despite knowing that, there was still something thrilling about it - a human's natural instinct warning of danger warring with her desire - every time his breath flitted across her throat.

She turned her chin to nuzzle against the side of his head, breathing her kisses into gilded strands. At the same time, her hands rose on their own and settled against the muscular breadth of his chest. Her fingers teased at the buttons of Adrian's pajama top.

His hand gently came to rest on hers. "You may," he said, his voice a low rumble against her cheek as he placed more kisses there.

One by one, she smoothly began undoing the buttons, revealing cool alabaster skin and the faint diagonal slice that was the only blemish on an otherwise flawless chest.

Each of their fingertips explored surfaces both familiar and long forgotten. Adrian stroked his hands up and down the summoner's arms, then stretched his fingers out, fanning them over her shoulder blades and back; in turn, Maria rubbed figure eights up over his chest and ribs, before once again wrapping her arms around his back. With a little tug, she managed to get him to shift his weight enough to indicate where she wanted to go, and so he followed, toppling them both onto the bed.

He pivoted slightly so when they landed, Maria landed on top of him, pillowed against his chest. She crossed her arms under her chin and looked up, her head tilting slightly. "So now that I have you all to myself, can I ask you something? About Richter?"

He had been fingering the curls around her face; his other hand had made it to the small of her back. The mention of the other man's name got him to immediately stop. "Are you sure you want to be talking about your brother right now?"

Her nose scrunched up. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best time, but it wasn't like they'd really gotten going yet - Adrian usually took a while to "warm up" - so might as well say what she wanted to say. "You have no idea how hard it is to get some private time with you nowadays."

"I... concede on that point," he sighed. "And I've been preoccupied with work and thinking about the upcoming move I suppose; that doesn't help. But you can always ask me to go for a walk if you wish to talk. Or the soundproofing in these units is really quite good. I assure you; even I can barely hear conversation from room to room once the doors are closed."

"Oh... okay." She waited a beat, then said again, "So... about Richter..."

Adrian fought back a sigh. He'd just argued with him the night before. He still wasn't sure how Richter felt and didn't think he wanted to be revisiting it right now. "Must we?"

She considered dropping it... but she had to know. She hadn't stopped thinking about it since the conversation she'd had with Richter at the start of the week. "Richter seemed to think you were just living together. Is that how you saw it too?"

Adrian huffed. "Of course not. But in his defense..."

"He doesn't need your defense."

He blinked at her quick retort, visibly wilting as he backed off. "I am sorry. It must've been shocking to learn about it."

She tilted her head the other direction. There was no good way to describe it, that moment she realized she was back amongst the living more than two hundred years after she took her last breath, while simultaneously learning that her lover and her adopted brother ended up together after her passing. But the expected shock had come and gone surprisingly fast, maybe because there was nothing "natural" about the life she was currently living. In a way it was like she'd learned about their relationship like it was a commonly accepted fact, no different than the sun rising and setting each day. It just felt... normal?

"Please. No more evasion - just put my mind at ease. Did you love him?"

His lips tightened on their own, as it to stop the words from escaping. Love was something he felt he'd always struggled with: insatiable and all consuming, like a raging fire or an incoming tide. It wanted to burst outward like an explosion or collapse inward until there was only rubble and ruin. Was it part of his very nature? Maybe, like his father, he felt things too deeply, too intensely, to put into words. It was why he always avoided talking about it directly, choosing instead to focus all his efforts on tending to and indulging those he cared about, his affection almost smothering at times.

Maybe she was worried that he was now spread too thin? But love wasn't something finite, like a pie with so many slices; it could expand to encompass everyone that touched your heart. Still, even he understood that the whole situation was just awkward, especially now that they were all living together, his relationships all twisting together like a knot of snakes despite the fact that each was distinct and separate.

Nevertheless... she'd asked, so he'd answer. "I did. I do. But... I only told him plainly for the first time last night."

Maria slapped his chest. It stung less than her rebuke. "Idiots! You're both idiots. I thought Trevor was difficult, but at least he openly says what he thinks."

"I thought... it'd be easier if Richter came to the realization himself. He wouldn't believe it otherwise. I told myself to be satisfied even if it was one sided as long as he continued staying by my side."

"Why? Were you really okay with that?"

He paused, then shook his head slightly. No, no he wasn't, but after failing Maria so badly, he really didn't deserve to ask for more.

"Don't say that. You didn't fail me," she said, and Adrian realized he must've said that last part out loud.

He sighed, thinking he needed to explain. "I should have refused your kindness. I was not in the right headspace to be in a relationship. But you were sweet and patient - and incredibly persistent! - and I seem to be weak to that." He chuckled ruefully. Just as he'd seen Trevor in Richter, Sypha's fire was just as present in her great-granddaughter. Clearly, he had a type...

"Maybe it's because I aged so quickly as a child, and then completely stopped - by the time I was ten or eleven I was physically an adult - that I have trouble understanding how time flows for humans. Or... it's not that I don't understand. I just don't feel the urgency to, how does it go, 'live life to its fullest,'" he mused. "Time both passes by too slowly, and too quickly, all at once. I can't ever really grasp it. One breath can feel like it lasts a lifetime. In another, decades might pass. My children grew up and my spouses grew old; I remained the same."

His eyes slowly traced over Maria's face as she stared back: attentive but silent, letting him say what he needed to say. It didn't escape his notice that she'd come back exactly as she was just past the edge of adulthood, vibrant and beautiful and in the prime of her life, just as she was when she'd ensnared his heart and pulled him into her orbit.

"You see the trouble now: I always thought that I would have time to deepen our relationship at my own pace. But human lives are short, and some burn brighter and flame out even more quickly than others. I wasted years... the entirety of your precious youth. And in the end I could do nothing while you wasted away," he spat, reiterating his earlier disgust with himself for having failed her. "As far as Richter... You would think then, that I would've finally learned. But I hadn't. I always hoped that one day, he'd understand... but I simply floated along and let things be, afraid to rock the boat. I thought, if I simply waited long enough..."

Maria chewed on that, and then eased herself back down onto the dhampir's chest. Adrian didn't understand that what upset her was Richter's behavior, not whatever wrongs the blond felt he'd committed against her hundreds of years ago. "I can't say I fully understand what you went through, but I know you must have loved Sypha and Trevor very much, and they, you. I know you missed them terribly. So I was fine with going along with your pace. You were trying to find a reason to live - and love - once again, and I was proud to be the catalyst for that. Even if our years together were not long, I was happy being with you. I never regretted choosing you, not for a moment. You gave me a new sense of purpose, too."

"You could've had more, with someone else. A husband; a family, to pass on your skills and your name..."

"Or things could've been worse. Maybe I would've ended up with some brute or a complete bore. And I likely would've fallen ill no matter what."

Adrian frowned at that. While he doubted someone as strong-willed as Maria would've ever ended up with an unsuitable partner, she was unfortunately correct about the latter. They simply didn't have the technology or knowledge at the time to deal with a threat like cancer.

"I loved you. I know you loved me too. Because you aren't the kind of man who could be with someone half-heartedly. If you love someone, then you love them with everything you can muster. You will always give them everything you have. It doesn't matter that you rarely find the right occasion to say it."

He could only nod, out of words and already feeling too exposed, confirming what she'd said.

"I suppose then, I already had my answer. Of course you loved Richter; you wouldn't have been with him otherwise." Her mouth twitched up in one corner. "I even argued that point with him, so I don't know why I felt the need to ask, now."

"I don't mind. You were worried for me. And for Richter. And even I know how it seems when I ended up with him so soon after you passed... but I swear to you, I was faithful, Maria."

She smiled in reassurance. "That, I have no doubt. Even when we first met, I always felt that I could trust you, despite the fact that you weren't human."

"Thank you for believing in me. I don't deserve you, Maria."

"Good thing I don't agree," she said confidently as she braced her legs on either side of him and rose up. She tossed her head, sending blonde waves tumbling over her shoulders, taking down one of the thin lace cups with them. "Now then, where were we?"

He stared at her wordlessly, his mouth dry. This wasn't the demure young lady who'd shyly knocked on his bedroom door one chilly night in Jova, nor the one who'd blushed fiercely as she revealed what was under her robe just minutes ago. But, he couldn't say he minded...

Maria frowned slightly as he simply continued staring in silence. "This kind of thing doesn't suit me, does it?" she sighed, deflating a little.

"I... do not dislike being ordered around," the dhampir admitted in a near whisper.

"Oh? Oh..." she murmured as it sunk in. She reflexively clapped her hands over her cheeks, feeling them heat up. Even if Adrian didn't mind, it felt much too forward propositioning him like that, lover or no.

He reached up for her, easing her back down to rest on top of him, his hands carding through her hair. "Only ever be yourself," Adrian said, smiling at the cute display he'd just been treated to. "It puts me at ease as well."

"Yes, well... er... can I just start over?"

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head as she buried her face against him in embarrassment, all bravado gone. "Would you like me to continue?"

She made a muffled sound of acknowledgement, so he held onto her and rolled them onto their sides before letting her go to begin teasing at the edge of the lace, finally drawing the remaining bit of fabric down to bare her chest completely.

He hadn't exaggerated when he'd said he preferred it when his lovers took the lead. But certainly he wasn't opposed to doing so himself when needed. Maria had always had a wide range of reactions to intimate touches: one moment excited and the next shy, urging him on like a temptress then hiding under the covers, blushing. It was delightful seeing what little response he could tease out of her next.

Adrian lightly cupped her breasts with both hands, enjoying how round they were, how soft, like a perfect panna cotta, molding to his touch. She murmured encouragement under her breath, urging him to squeeze and stroke, the little mewls turning into gasps as he thumbed over her nipples, enticing the buds to blossom under his loving care. His lips sought hers, appreciating their fullness, the warmth of her breath as she exhaled into gap between them once they parted.

Cheeks red, she realized that even though she was half exposed, her lover's pajama top was still partially buttoned. Lashes fluttering, Maria lowered her hands and undid the remaining two buttons, and pushed open his shirt.

Adrian truly was as flawlessly handsome as she remembered, like white marble chiseled by a master sculptor. She trailed curious fingertips over his abdominals and his muscles twitched under her touch. Continuing to move downward, she stroked the twin indentations leading down the front of his pants, and with a confirming nod from her boyfriend, slid her fingers down into his waistband, just enough to barely brush against the base of his gradually firming member.

He inhaled, his face coloring and his body warming up closer to normal human temperatures as desire warred for control of his thoughts. With a few quick jerks he shrugged himself out of his dark gray pajama shirt, then began carefully tugging Maria's chemise off before tossing that too somewhere further down the bed.

To his delight she was wearing a matching gold lace string bikini. Teasing at the thin straps he mused, "I think I'd be happy to buy out an entire lingerie store for you."

"You... It's only for you," she huffed, wiggling like she was trying to worm her way out of even that scant scrap of fabric.

His eyes brightened as he obliged, leaving her exposed to his appreciative gaze as he drank in the sight of her body before she shifted yet again.

"It's not fair if I can't look at you too," she scolded before yanking his pants down with determination, as far as she could reach.

Of course there were no fancy undergarments underneath; he'd always gone without. But his pale skin, luminous like moonstone, and the flex and stretch of his muscles beneath as he twisted and moved his legs to finish the job she'd started, was a far more indulgent sight than any silk or lace. Maria wasn't even aware that she'd moaned at the view until Adrian caught her chin and tiled it upwards, until his mouth was on hers again, cutting the sound short.

His other hand glided over her hips, her waist; he thumbed at her navel before letting his fingertips trail over the neatly trimmed golden curls at the base of her thighs. Her legs opened slightly, then pinched closed, in reflex.

"Maria," he whispered, as she opened up for him again. He stroked carefully past the swell of her mons, easing her into relaxing for him.

Obligingly she slid one leg up over his, tilting her hips further towards him. Her own hands began fondling at the hotter flesh that was starting to poke her in her midsection, feeling it pulse and swell to even greater girth and stiffness at her ministrations.

He hissed, a low, drawn out sound, like water hitting hot metal, drawing a slightly rueful smile from Maria. She'd been frightened the first time he'd done that, having heard it one too many times while fighting monsters and fiends in the night; she hadn't expected to hear it, of all places, in her bed, from the man she'd grown to care so much about. But rather than be upset he'd instead been apologetic, for having failed to control his natural reactions. She'd been far more contrite upon hearing that - after all, she'd thought she'd accepted everything about him, but it turned out, there was so much more to learn. He shouldn't have had to hold back or pretend to be someone he wasn't.

Now, the memory was precious to her. How understanding and patient he'd been even after her insult; how careful he'd been, not wanting her to regret her decision. That consideration was what convinced her that she'd made the right choice in spending that first night with him, and many more thereafter.

"Adrian," she murmured, so happy to be calling him by his birth name, which he entrusted to so few. Her hands began working in progressively longer strokes over his shaft. His eyes flicked down to meet hers, his irises shrunken down to golden rings around the dark expanse of his pupils. His skin flushed pink as blood rushed to the surface, just as a human's would with exertion, but with more noticeable effect due to how pale he normally was. His lips parted as he panted shallowly, the tips of his fangs flashing white in the recesses of his mouth.

One of his fingers slipped past her outer lips, sliding along a surface already damp and throbbing with desire.

"Mmm. Ahh," she groaned, pressing closer to him, her nipples rubbing against his torso in search of some friction.

He kissed her again with some urgency, his tongue teasing the tip of hers until she granted him entry into her mouth. She was so preoccupied in having her breath stolen that she was barely aware of being rolled again, this time onto her back, until his weight bore down on her.

"Maria," he managed again once they parted, his voice a husky rasp. He looked down as she parted her legs in invitation, as her hands now moved up to cup his jaw, fingertips tracing over the border of his mouth.

"My beloved," she whispered.

He smiled, a quick flash of teeth, then shifted down, mouthing over the line of her throat, over the swell of a breast, then began sucking and rolling his tongue around one pert nipple, then the other. Her thighs clenched around his, her hips bucking up. One of her hands tangled in his mane as she gasped, scrabbling for a handhold. She went from tugging at it one moment, to catching herself doing it and almost releasing it, to scrunching it between her fingers once again as waves of desire began pulsing through her body.

After a couple of minutes he eased off, letting them both catch their breath. When she finally released her hold on him, he moved further down, trailing his tongue between her mounds, then skipped all the way down to the nexus of her thighs, which he easily lifted and held apart with his hands as she dazedly stared up at him, her lips as swollen and wet as she was between her legs.

The sight and smell of her, open and aroused, made his cock jump, a little more fluid leaking out in anticipation. Still, he took things as slow as he could, gently kissing his way up the inside of her right thigh, both mouth and fingers leaving momentary impressions on the soft flesh as they passed, before he moved to wriggle between her folds and pleasure her pearl with little strokes of his tongue.

She couldn't help but thrust up into his mouth as he explored every cranny in the area, nibbling at the lobes with careful nips, tasting her essence with quick darts of his tongue, the heat and the rush of blood on all sides nearly overwhelming his senses as he buried himself in her treasure vault.

Adrian finally pulled back with a sharp gasp, having almost forgotten to breathe, not that he was sure what would've happened if that was the case. Regardless, his tongue had gone slightly slack from overwork; Maria had to be lightheaded too by this point, having been held up at a downward angle for a good few minutes. He swallowed, slowly setting her down to give them both a break, then grunted as he suddenly became aware of how much his dick was throbbing. She must've sensed his need as well, because her shapely legs wrapped around his waist and tried to pull him forward.

"Please," she begged, desire overriding shyness.

He exhaled harshly. His stomach muscles tightened, his lower half shifting forward on its own until the tip of his erection was just gliding over her parted petals, like a brush on canvas. A low, sustained purr vibrated in his chest as he leaned down, his long hair draping over one shoulder like a curtain to pool over and around her torso, trapping her in a thin gilded web.

She moaned, pressing up to welcome him, willing prey to his intent.

His head bowed as he carefully began pushing in, finally completing their reunion after nearly two and a quarter centuries apart.

Maria cried out softly as she took him in; it was almost too hard and too much at first, then her flesh remembered how to give way so the pressure wasn't so insistent, so it wasn't overwhelming. So that it felt like she was molding herself around him and that he was yielding to her as well, warming up like wax. She took in deep breaths, steadying herself, then looked up at him.

Adrian met her gaze with half-lidded eyes, irises flickering gold like candlelight. It took him a moment to formulate the words he wanted to say. "Are you all right?" His voice was so low that rather than hearing it, she almost felt the words rumble through his chest instead.

"Ah - yes. I am." She reached up to wrap her arms around his torso. "Adrian... I'm so happy."

His lips twitched up as he lowered himself down further, half lying on top of her. His forehead touched hers. For a moment they stayed like that, just breathing in tandem, then the dhampir finally began to move, starting with slow, shallow thrusts.

She sighed, her fingertips pressing into his back as she clung to him for purchase as he gradually lengthened his strokes. Their bodies warmed up from the friction; their breathing became uneven as they started to pant for breath. The summoner tightened the grip her legs had on her lover, claiming him as he staked his claim in her as well.

When it felt like Adrian couldn't possibly go any deeper, he paused, once again piecing together his words, then whispered, "Roll over, please," before pulling out, drawing a tiny inadvertent whimper from Maria.

Despite the momentary disappointment of parting, she was quick to comply. Being taken from behind was her favorite position, and her boyfriend was always very happy to let her set the pace for a spell.

Once she was on her hands and knees, legs slightly spread, he grasped her hips and entered her again in a smooth stroke, an easy task as she was so well lubricated from their mutual excitement. Once he was in he let go so she could begin moving as she pleased, and so she did, rocking back and forth, leisurely at first as if to feel every vein and ridge and pulse in his erection, then picking up speed a little, her slick passage riding over his rod like a bullet train on rails. Her scattered cries grew louder and more consistent as she tightened around him in intervals, her breasts swinging pendulously beneath her. Her thighs slapped against his like the percussive beat of a bongo.

Just when she was starting to feel a tremor in her arms from fatigue, his hands returned to the sides of her waist, steadying her as he took over once more. He'd enjoyed the show - the way her body writhed before him - and the sensations - a wet vacuum sucking him into a maelstrom of pleasure - but Adrian had held back long enough.

With renewed vigor he pounded into her, reeling her in as she instinctively scrabbled at the sheets. He was close; Maria's own tentative hold on her inhibitions edged him on. With her frantic heartbeat pounding in his ears like a strong drumbeat, her wails clawing at his throat, her muscles contracting and rippling under his skin as if her reactions were his own, he went rigid, then let out a sharp grunt as he began pumping his load into her in uneven spurts.

Maria's cries joined her lover's as Adrian reached his crescendo, before slowing down as his body spent itself. But he wasn't going to leave her unfulfilled. After slipping his now limp manhood out of her, he urged her to pull her legs in closer and raise her hips up more, before dipping down to begin lapping at her swelling clit. He moaned, tasting a little of his own bitter essence mingling with her nectar, and it sent jolts of excitement shooting up her spine.

If it wasn't for his strong hands holding her in place she might've wriggled loose due the thrumming between her legs, vibrating like a plucked guitar string. He didn't push his advantage any further than that though, knowing that she, like himself, preferred to be eased into climax instead of driven into it.

Her head dropped to the mattress, partially muffling her mewls of pleasure as she began arching her spine slightly to better offer herself to his ministrations. Lust stirred, unfolding from within; heat gathered in her belly, then moved further down, winding and unwinding like the coils of a snake. Her thighs quivered as her hips gave one last twist as she came, hitching cries escaping her throat, as Adrian's tongue and lips dutifully accompanied her to the heights of ecstasy before letting her down slowly.

He quickly wiped off his face then pulled her into his arms and held her as she wound down from her high, one hand lazily petting her hair while her gradually slowing breaths beat against his chest like puffs of steam.

Maria would've been satisfied just staying like that, warm in his embrace as they drifted off for the night. But she remembered how insistent he was in cleaning up after. "Want to take a shower?" she asked, her voice a little muffled from her position.

"Maybe. In a bit." A moment's pause, then he added, "For now, let's just stay like this."

A muted giggle floated up from under his chin; a slight rubbing sensation indicated Maria was nodding. "Okay."

Adrian closed his eyes, drowsing slightly. Outside, the modern world continued to pass in megabits per second. It didn't matter what was going on at work, or even in the rest of the apartment. For tonight, for now, the world was just him and Maria, and he was satisfied with that.

* * *

Author's Notes:

- ... Is this my first straight lemon??

- I did think about moving the "Hey, so can we talk about my brother?" conversation elsewhere, but it was too funny leaving it where it was.

- Thanks to Nenya85 for beta work. Reviews are appreciated!

July 9, 2026