Rising Steam – Hadrian & Alessa (Mature) (Patreon)

His shirt has a stain on it.

Hadrian looks down at it with an inconsolable expression. How did it happen? It’s impossible; when it was dry, he folded it and stored it safely in his bag. It couldn't have stained itself; fabric doesn't have bodily functions.

… right?

Hadrian's brows furrow, and now he looks at the shirt with different eyes. It couldn't move itself... could it? But what other explanation was there?

"What has you moping about?" Alessa's cold voice cuts through his thoughts.

He looks up and sees her staring with her arms folded over her chest. "It has a stain on it," he says despondently, lifting the shirt for her to see. "My shirt."

Alessa's lips thin in what Hadrian has come to recognize as her fighting back a smile. "'Tis no wonder it is stained. Almost all your possessions are."

"That's a lie!"

She shrugs.

Hadrian closes his fist around the shirt, grabs a bar of blue and white soap, and gets up to his feet. "Thanks as always, Alessa," he gruffs, taking long strides towards the other side of camp.

"'Tis my pleasure," she replies when he walks past her. He's not looking directly, but Hadrian sees her smirk. His fist closes a bit more tightly.

He'll just wash it again. They're still camped by the river crossing the planes of Aragón, it's not like he doesn't have time. The river is mostly made of rapids, but here at the bottom of this gentle hill, it deviates to the side and flattens out in a calm, shallow-water lagoon. When you found it, after a fortnight on the road, all three of you breathed a sigh of relief.

You could bathe. And wash your filthy clothes.

Hadrian leaves the camp and starts climbing the hill. He subconsciously looks around for you, but Hadrian can't see you anywhere. His steps slow for half a heartbeat... but Hadrian decides you're probably feeding Billy. He'll meet you after he washes his shirt.

With that prospect in mind, Hadrian's mood lifts just a bit, and he easily conquers the hill. The lagoon spreads below, its still surface reflecting the midday sun in an almost perfect mirror. Hadrian pauses, breathes in, and is with a smile that he climbs down the rest of the way.

Ahead, the river's current sings a familiar song into the air, tickling his ears as Hadrian discards his boots and rolls up the ends of his pants. The water is cool – not shocking cold, but nowhere near warm either. It takes a bit to get used to the temperature, but once you do, it's the type of water you can lounge in for an hour.

His feet immediately protest when Hadrian takes the first few steps inside. He ignores them to crouch down, the soap in one hand, his shirt in the other. He plunges the shirt, soaking it, then lifts it and—

"Hmmm."

Singing. Someone hums nearby, and as Hadrian snaps his head up, he instantly recognizes it. The soap drops and the shirt is left forgotten as slowly, Hadrian straightens up.

"Hmmm. Roun' and roun' the sun chases the moon," your voice keeps going, the sound low and reverberating in the form of hums.

The lagoon has a jutting rock on the right side, and while it isn't too big, it protects from the eyes of anyone coming from the way of the camp. You all used it as the spot to bathe in, just in case anyone would come to interrupt.

"Roun' and roun' the moon runs away."

Hadrian thought you had all bathed already, but it's your voice. He'd recognize it anywhere. How could he not? With slow, careful steps, he starts to approach the rock. It's shaped like a javelin, almost, flying in perpetuity to cut the waters. It's jet black, the top drying under the sun while the bottom is soaked in the river.

"Runs forever away."

Hadrian rounds the sharp corner and sees the small hidden nook behind the rock. Earth is closer to the shore here, so water plants and deep green moss litter the shallow end while a deeper pool than the rest of the lagoon fills the rest. A tree has its heavy, dropping branches shooting out over the water, and a blue feathered bird is perched on the furthest one, little head tilting from side to side.

Hadrian pays this no mind.

You stand in the middle of the pool. Water rises past your waist to play with the end of your ribs, and you spread your arms in the river, swaying them from side to side in a lazy dance.

The sun shines brightly from above, and your wet hair soaks in its rays. It makes your head shine like a halo and your skin sparkle in hundreds of little lights.

*if Romanus is female

Your breasts stand proud above the water, and droplets fall along the lines of your neck to gather in little pools on the hallow of your collarbones.

*if Male

Your chest is well above the water, and droplets fall along the lines of your shoulders to drip down your arms.

-

Your eyes are half-lidded, and your rosy lips spread in a peaceful smile. "Roun' and roun'," you sing to your feathered friend. "Roun' and roun' the sun chases, and the moon flees."

Hadrian's struck. He stops walking, stops thinking, stops being. He only has enough of a self to admire you.

You laugh when the bird cocks its head again, and then you close a hand around your nose and dip your head backward into the water. When you rise again, water cascades down your hair, the crystalline sound ringing in his eardrums.

And snapping him out of his stupor.

Hadrian swallows in dry and makes up his mind. He takes a step closer. His legs drag the water in front of him, making a splash that has you jolting and swirling around.

Your eyes fall on him as Hadrian takes another step, and he watches as your expression morphs from shock to recognition, to... confusion.

*if Female

"Hadrian?" you ask, instinctively lifting your hands to hide your breasts. Hadrian would laugh at the gesture — at this point, he knows them as intimately as the back of his hands — but he doesn't. He finds he can't laugh now.

*if Male

"Hadrian?" you ask, instinctively turning your hips to shield your crotch. Hadrian would hide at the gesture — at this point, he knows your member as intimately as the back of his hands — but he doesn't. He finds he can't laugh now.

-

He takes yet another dragging step closer. The water rises up to his waist. "What're you doing here?" you ask.

"My shirt," Hadrian croaks. "It was stained."

You blink and look at his chest. He's not wearing a shirt. "Uh..." Hadrian finally gets to you. "Hadrian, I think you— hmm!"

He grabs your face and clashes his lips against yours. You gasp, but he's relentless, lips chasing yours as devotedly as the sun tries to touch the moon. He feels your hands flailing around before they finally settle on his hair, and now your lips part, and your tongue meets him, and Hadrian's not on earth anymore.

He's soaring up above.

You're naked, so he wastes no time. His big hands go down your neck, massage your shoulders, and drag down your arms. He then circles your waist, and grabs two handfuls of your ass, squeezing the flesh greedily against him. "Oh my," you breathe out, but whatever you were going to say next is swallowed by his fervent kiss. He cannot stop kissing you.

*if Romanus is female

His hands move upwards again, exploring the wet planes of your stomach, tickling the ridges of your ribs and finally, they hold the weight of your breasts. You moan, back arching and head falling back, and Hadrian would rather have your lips, but he latches onto your neck as a second choice. He sucks, bites, kisses, lavishes your skin, all the while kneading your breasts. The river sings, the water chills, and his loins are on fire.

*if Romanus is male

One hand moves upwards again, exploding the wet planes of your stomach, fingers tickling the ridges of your abs, until finally, it grabs your chest. You moan, back arching and head falling back, and Hadrian would rather have your lips, but he latches onto your neck as a second choice. He sucks, kisses, and lavishes your skin, all the while pinching your nipple and groping your buttocks. The river sings, the water chills, and his loins are on fire.

-

"Ha— Hadrian," you're barely able to say amidst his attack. Your nails dig into his shoulders, trying to get him to listen. "Hadrian what is - ah!" He sucks a nipple into his mouth. "Hadrian, what is going on with you?"

He sweeps his tongue over it, delighting in your shiver before he lets it go with a plop and looks up at you. Your face is flushed, your lips swollen, and Hadrian could look at you for an eternity. "I want you," he says, speaking the honest truth. "I— Lord, I need you."

Your lips part, and you stare... but then, thankfully, miraculously, you nod yes.

Hadrian wastes no time. Straightening up, he grabs you by the back of both thighs and hauls you up into his arms. "Ah!" you gasp in surprise as he drags his legs furiously towards the rock. It's hard to walk in the water, but Hadrian would learn to fly if he had to. "Hadrian!"

He settles you down on a nook in the rock. "Sorry," he mumbles, even though he isn't, and leans in to kiss you again. This time, he keeps it sweet. He kisses you languidly, carefully, as his hands brush down your body once more to rest on your inner thighs. He kisses you as he massages them, and then Hadrian leans back to look into your eyes. "You are..."

Hadrian falls to his knees, the water rising up to his chest, and looks up at you as if you're a saint prompted at an altar. "Heavenly touched," he mumbles sacrileges as his hands sprawl on your tights. The soft skin wields to his touch, your legs parting before him like the gates of the land he was promised.

*if Romanus is female

Hadrian inhales, and when he leans in to taste you, blasphemies explode behind his eyelids for not even the divine could ever outdo this. It couldn't outdo you. Your soft whines and sighs fill his ears, and your legs tremble, but Hadrian keeps a firm grip, locking your thighs in place so you can't back away.

He devours you, pulling waves of pleasure out of you. He feels your hands on his hair, tugging and pulling, feels your nails on his shoulders and neck. Hears your pleas, your moans, your shouts and demands. He doesn't stop. You come in wave after wave, and he drinks you in again and again. And only when you slump back on the rock, your bare chest rising and falling as your slackened lips struggle to drink in the air, does Hadrian rise to loom over you.

*if male

Hadrian inhales, and when he envelops you with his palm to guide you into his mouth, blasphemies explode behind his eyelids for not even the divine could ever outdo this. It couldn't outdo you. Your soft grunts and sighs fill his ears, and your legs tremble, but Hadrian keeps a firm grip, locking your thighs so you can't back away.

He swallows you as far he can go, pulling pleasure out of you. One of his hands leaves your thigh, and now you moan louder when he carefully encircles your hole, stretching you, preparing you as you taught him to do so many moons ago. Hadrian hears your pleas, your moans, your shouts, and your demands, but he doesn't stop. You're shaking in his arms, warning him of the approaching fall, but Hadrian only intensifies his efforts. And only when you come with a grunt and slump back on the rock, does Hadrian rise to loom over you.

-

"Love," he says, leaning in to kiss you. His lips and chin are drenched with you, and Hadrian makes sure you taste it. He plunges his tongue inside your mouth, kissing you deeply. You loop your tired arms around his neck, groggily kissing him back as Hadrian grabs one of your knees to hitch it on his hip. "I can't stop here."

You have your eyes closed, a blissful look on your face, and while Hadrian would normally love it, he can't now. "Hey?" he says, as a plea, as a prayer. "Hey, look at me."

Your eyes are dazed, but he waits as slowly as you focus on him. You blink once, twice. And then your raspy voice rings out. "Yes, Hadrian?" you ask, hand lifting to cup his jaw.

Hadrian turns his head to kiss your palm. "Can I?" he mumbles. He's so hard, it's painful. His grip on your knee tightens, and he presses just a bit closer.

You smile up at him as your other hand tugs at his drenched pants and undoes the laces. He springs free with a hiss. "You better," you say, pulling his face down.

Hadrian goes willingly, succumbing to your kiss. He lets you explore him, as he lines himself on your entrance. "Ah," you gasp when he presses against you.

"Father in Heaven," he prays, before he thrusts in, and heat envelops him, and Hadrian loses all sense of thought.

Two become one, for the time being, splashing in the shallows of a quiet pool. The midday sun continues on, forever chasing its former lover.

- - -

Alessa walks down the hall with quiet, careful steps.

She knows not what she seeks, but she could not stay within her room. She bathed and brushed her hair and sat on the bed and...

She rounds a corner, lengthening her stride. Noise comes from the common room below, bouncing up the wooden walls to graze against her nerves. The multitude of doors she rushes by aren't quiet either — here she catches the muffled sounds of feet walking on carpet, and there she hears the end of a heated argument.

Alessa knows not what she seeks, so she lets her feet guide the way. She would tell herself she surveys the inn, being new and unfamiliar, but Alessa doesn't feel like lying to herself. She pays no attention to the structure of the halls or the darkened spaces behind tacky statues. She walks because, inside her room, she felt restless. She could not stand still, waiting like a fool. She needed to... She wants to...

Alessa stops walking.

In front of her is a door like many others in the Leaping Lion, but unlike all the others, it bars the way into your room. Why have my feet taken me here? The thought comes unbridled, and Alessa immediately frowns at it. 'Twas an accident, of course. A coincidence. She thought of you in her room, and she happened to walk past your door. It means nothing; it matters not.

With a nod to no one, Alessa turns on her heels and starts to walk towards the stairs to the common room. She shall wait for you and Hadrian there. She will not speak of what happened just now. She will—

Splash.

Alessa freezes.

Splash. Splash.

She slowly turns her head to look at your door over her shoulder. Her furrowed brows furrow even further at the noises she hears coming from it. It sounds like... trashing?

Alessa's eyes narrow as a concern prickles her skin. Just as slowly, just as quietly, she stalks towards your door. Her hearing is strained, and she can listen to so many sounds, but all she focuses on are the ones coming from behind your door. More splashing. It stands to reason you are bathing, but Alessa does not like the sounds of it. It sounds too...

Her hand hovers over the doorknob when a thought strikes her.

Are you... Perhaps you have company?

Concern turns into something else. Her nails grasp the doorknob as her lips curl in indignation. That pretty maid. She has seen her admiring you. Alessa was not surprised — many fools desire you, she has gotten used to it — but she would not think you would welcome such a... such…

Better company than yours, Alessa?

Alessa turns the handle.

Warm orange glow emanates from the fireplace, pushing away the shadows to gently rest on the side of a great bathtub. It looks similar to the one in her room, but in an instant of a second, Alessa sees the clawed feet that mark it different. The bed is cold and empty, the windows dark, and within the bathtub, Alessa sees you.

Alone.

In all the years to come, Alessa will never admit to the wave of relief that fills her, but it is strong enough to almost overwhelm her. You are alone, and she is caught in the sight.

*if Romanus is male

She can see the strong lines of your arms and the powerful spread of your shoulders. Your hair is drenched, and droplets fall down your brow to soak in the stubble surrounding your jaw.

You bend a leg, your knee coming out of the water surface, and part of a powerful thigh accompanies it. You rest your head on the back of the tub, and Alessa can just see that your eyes are closed, and your mouth is slightly parted. Your neck is extended, and she wonders how it would feel to press her lips to the Adam's apple rising from it. Vapor rises from the bath, making you seem like a mirage.

Your arms dangle over the rim of the tub, dripping water to the floor, and as you breathe, your chest rises up and down, pecks hard and inviting. She knows she could use them to sustain her whole weight, and the thought has her core sparkling to life.

You are alone, and safe, and—

*if Romanus is female

She can see the side of your breasts, just the tiniest teasing of a gentle curve, and the heat in her cheeks burns so brightly that it almost makes her chest cave in. Your long, beautiful hair is drenched, cascading down one shoulder like a waterfall.

You bend a leg, your knee coming out of the water surface, and part of your thigh accompanies it. You have your head resting on the back of the tub, and Alessa can just see that your eyes are closed, and your lips are slightly parted. Your neck extends, so long, and she wonders how it would feel to press her lips to it. To taste the delicate skin with her tongue. Vapor rises from the bath, making you seem like a mirage.

Your arms dangle over the rim of the tub, dripping water to the floor and as you breathe, your chest rises down and...

Up.

The barest glimpse of your nipples. Alessa's core sparks. You are alone, and safe, and—

-

She spies on you like a creepy, repulsive crawler from the filthiest bottom of the slums.

Relief turns to immense shame. What am I doing? If she saw someone behaving as she does, she would not ask questions: she would attack them. She would press her blade to their necks and tell them to make quick amends with their God.

Alessa snaps her head down, eyes furious on her feet, and starts to close the door as quietly as she can. Vile. Appalling. Disgust burns her tongue, made worse because she knows the image is forever burned to her brain. She will think of it, and recall it, and a part of her, an awful part, is not sorry she opened this door.

There's only a narrow crack left to close. Alessa slows down, turning the knob all the way to make sure it makes no noise. A narrow slit is all that's left of your room, and she isn't looking, but Alessa is suddenly aware that your head is above the surface no more.

For the third time, Alessa freezes.

Her hand stays on the handle, but something tells her to wait, and when intuition speaks, Alessa listens. She waits, blue eyes on your tub where you are nowhere to be seen.

A second.

You do not immerge.

Two seconds.

Alessa opens the door wider.

Three seconds.

She steps into the room. "Are you well?" she calls, but there's no answer. Dread bubbles up her stomach. Alessa takes a step closer. She cannot see into the tub yet, but she sees the whole surface now. You're completely immersed. "I— Answer me."

Silence.

"Answer me, or I shall drag you out of that tub."

Nothing.

Alessa wastes not a second more. She sprints forward, heart hammering, boots slamming—

"Ahh!" You break the surface with a scream. Water cascades down the tub as you cling to the side, coughing up a river. Your shoulders shake as if the temperature suddenly dropped a thousand degrees, and your hair clings to your forehead. "Fu- fuck."

Alessa reaches for you, nails sharp as they grab onto your upper arms and pull you back on the tub. "What were you thinking?" she hisses, hands coming up to cup your jawline, keeping your head well above the water. "Were you attempting to drown yourself, you fool? What purpose—"

But she snaps her mouth closed when you lift your eyes to hers. They are wet, and she would bet her life 'tis not freshwater that moist them — this one has salt.

"Alessa," you whisper. "What is wrong with me?"

'Tis not a question. It's a plea.

"There is naught," Alessa finds herself speaking. She cares not for the naked state of your body, she only cares about you. "There is naught wrong with you. You are alright."

She doesn't understand, but she doesn't need to — now's not the time for explanations. Alessa feels you shivering, even as she feels the warmth of the bathwater. You grab her arms with both your hands and close your eyes, and Alessa knows not what to do, so she simply stays still. She holds her breath, and holds you, and allows you to hold onto her.

She knows not how much time has passed. She cares not. Her knees are stiff from being in the same position, and her back aches from her neck to the tale end, but Alessa cares not. You're breathing calmly now, and when she feels your grip loosening, she eases her own.

Finally, you open your eyes. Alessa cannot see any of the fear from before. "Alessa," you say her name again. "I don't know what to say."

She lets go of your face, but you still hold onto her arms. A part of her wonders what to do with her hands. "There is no need for words," she says. She can see water droplets in your eyelashes.

You smile then, and what a sad smile it is. "There's a need for some words," you refute. Your thumb sweeps over her pulse point, and her stomach does a summersault. "Thank you. I owe you that much."

"You owe me nothing."

Your smile turns warmer, as do Alessa's cheeks. You are so close, and she will not look, but the water hides so little. "I should let you finish bathing in peace," Alessa suddenly says, and she despises how the words came out like a shrill. "Do not submerge yourself again. Your hair is adequately clean."

But when she tries to pull back, you don't let her. "Don't go," you whisper, and before Alessa can make sense of the words, you pull her in, and your lips touch hers, and Alessa can do no more than obey.

The kiss is tentative and oh-so-sweet. You part before she had the chance to kiss you back. "Can you stay?" you ask.

Alessa hadn't realized she had closed her eyes, but she opens them now to peer at your face. Her cheeks are fire, her stomach in twists, and she could never say no. "I can," Alessa says, and you open your mouth to say something, but she cares not to hear it. She told you: there is no need for words.

So, Alessa leans in and kisses you. Her hands sink into your damp hair, her tongue seeks your lower lip, and she rises on her knees to get as close to you as she can. You help her. She inhales sharply when you grab her waist to haul her over the tub. Water splashes all over, drenching her boots, but she cares not, for your tongue meets hers, and a warm pressure builds in her core.

"God's nails," you murmur when you part for air. Alessa kisses down your neck, tasting the soap on your skin. Her hands explore your shoulders and back. "God's nails, Alessa."

She kisses your collarbone and moves down, but Alessa halts when your hands drag from her belly to her sides, to stop at the bottom of her breasts. Your fingers tease the underside, and then you cup her fully, and she arches into you with a moan.

*if Romanus is male

She feels you under her, your hardness pressing on her crotch over her pants. The fabric is all wet, so it's thinner, and she can feel the heat. Alessa grinds against it, and she swallows your grunt greedily. You kiss passionately, wet and loud, as you knead her breasts and pinch her nipples. Alessa cannot think. She doesn't want to. She only wants you.

*if Romanus is female

It may seem mad, but she feels you. She feels your heat near hers, radiating into her crotch over her pants. Alessa grinds against it and swallows your grunt greedily. You kiss passionately, wet and loud, as you knead her breasts and pinch her nipples. Alessa cannot think. She doesn't want to. She only wants you.

-

"Your damn shirt," you mumble, teeth on her jaw, as you let go of her breasts to grab her shirt.

Alessa lifts her arms so you can throw it over her head. She reaches for you again, but you stop her with a hand on her breastbone.

A pause.

"What?" Alessa challenges, but you just stare at her. She's bare before you for the first time, and your scrutiny suddenly makes her shy. "Have you something witty to say? Do I fall short of your expectations?”

Your eyes drag from her breasts to her face, and you smile again. Alessa decides then that she likes that smile the most. "You're beautiful.”

She has no words.

"Hush," Alessa says and pulls you close again. You envelop her within your embrace, her naked chest pressed into yours, your faces inches from each other. "Hush, you darling fool."

And you do. You kiss her, and she kisses you, your hands moving lower to her burning core.

*if male

As Alessa sheds her clothes and discards her boots, as she mounts you, taking you inside her with your lips on her neck and your hands on her hips, you don't say another word.

There is no need for them.

*if female

As Alessa sheds her clothes and discards her boots, as she settles against you, two fingers diving into your depths with your lips on her neck and your hands on her core, you don't say another word.

There is no need for them.