Lucía

They had all the time in the world. There was no pressure between them. They walked down the almost deserted streets, sometimes holding hands. They stopped at each traffic light. Every stop meant a chance to turn back. But she didn't want that.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Why do you keep asking me that? I'm not a child that needs protection. I'm a grown-up woman."

"You don't strike me as the type who would do this."

"Neither do you. Look, if you don't want-" He pushed her gently against a wall and held his face close to hers. He could still smell her perfume and he wondered if the rest of her body would feel the same way. He took her face in his hands and kissed her softly.

"You won't shut me up like that," she laughed. He groaned and kissed her more intensely and repeatedly this time, alternating between quick kisses and the occasional longer one.

"I can tell you're nervous," he said, their foreheads touching. "That's why I keep asking if you're having second thoughts. I could walk you home right now." He nuzzled her. "Just say the word."

"I've never done anything. That's why I'm nervous," she blurted out.

He blinked and stepped back. "You…?" She nodded quickly and looked away, blushing slightly.

"Perhaps you're right," she sighed. "I'd be wasting your time anyway. I feel so stupid now; what must you think of me?" She hid her face in her hands.

He embraced her, holding her body close to his. "I want to be with you," he whispered in her ear. He kissed her earlobe and moved down to her neck, kissing it gently. She shivered. He pulled away. "Are you cold?" he asked softly. She shook her head and he smiled. "So… Shall we?"

They walked down the corridor. Her heart was beating fast. "No pressure," he'd said. All right, she thought. Nothing I don't want to do. Sounds easy enough.

They entered the room. It was spacious, with a nice television set and a sofa. Her eyes immediately went to the bed, but she quickly looked away, hoping he hadn't noticed. He patted the back of the sofa, inviting her to sit, and offered her something to drink. She refused.

"I'm not giving you any alcohol, don't worry. Coffee, juice, whatever you want," he said kindly.

She shook her head. As he poured himself some water, she thought of how ridiculous she was being. She'd said she was an adult, and there she was, acting like a bashful child. She took a look at his back. Now that she was close to him, she saw it was broader than it looked. His T-shirt wasn't too tight, but it still revealed his muscular arms. His hips were the right size for the rest of the body.

He could feel her watching him, but he was avoiding looking at her. He was trying to make her feel comfortable. He really had no expectations. She made him feel fine; talking, dancing, kissing – he felt as if he was at home. He left the glass on a shelf and walked up to where she was still standing. He leaned against the back of the sofa and held her hands, drawing her towards him.

"I like being barefoot," he suddenly said.

"What?" she smiled. "Barefoot?"

"Yes. Today, dancing. It's very comfortable, actually."

"You can take off your shoes now," she said. "If you feel more comfortable."

He did so. "And when we were in the garden, that time… It was a tempting offer, feeling the grass under my feet. But it would have looked strange, at least for a man."

"Perhaps you're right," she smiled again, aware that he was pulling her towards him very gently.

"You women can get away with anything. You give us a smile," he said, brushing her lips with his thumb, "and we're willing to do anything for you." He kissed her smiling lips slowly. She had closed her eyes and was now returning the kiss, one of her hands over his chest as if she was about to stop him, but the other hand was gripping his T-shirt around the waist, as if she wanted to remove it. Leto stroked her lower lip with the tip of his tongue and she parted her lips with bated breath, nuzzling him.

He put a hand over the back of her head, gently pushing her against him, and the other hand rested on her waist, mimicking her grip on his. He gave her a deep kiss that took her by surprise, but it wasn't unpleasant at all. She touched his tongue with hers, at first timidly, but then it swirled around his, and when he was withdrawing it, her lips sucked on its tip. It was his turn to be surprised. He placed his hands on her hips and now that they were so close, she felt that he was aroused. She tugged at his T-shirt in a reflex, and he swiftly took it off. She looked at his chest. Perfectly marked. She saw three old scars across his stomach. She ran a finger over them, curiously, but his eyes told her that he didn't want to talk about that. His skin was smooth, and his smell was soft and warm. She kissed down his neck and ran her hands over his chest as he smelled the jasmine scent of her hair and moved his hands over her hips, sometimes drawing circles, sometimes digging his fingers across the back. She moved even closer to him, holding his face and kissing him, hoping that he felt her want as well. He responded by looking for the zipper of her skirt and pulling it down with his eager fingers, nibbling on her lips.

Her skirt slid down her hips and fell to the floor. He rubbed his hands against the outer side of her thighs, moving them slowly towards the back. Her fingers found the buckle of his belt and tried to unclasp it, but failed. He quickly helped her while still kissing her, fearful that she'd feel frustrated or decided to stop. But his fear was unfounded. She undid the button of his jeans and carefully slid her hand inside them, touching him gently. He was definitely caught by surprise, but then he understood that she was doing it that way to avoid hurting him as she pulled down the zipper. He pushed her back a little so that he'd have space to remove his trousers completely, and she noticed he was wearing black trunks.

She took a few steps back to take a good look at his body, because she couldn't believe how attractive and fit it was. She stumbled and fell on the bed and he smiled. Before she could stand up, however, he knelt in front of her and removed her shoes, running his fingers up her calves and her thighs. She swallowed hard and took him by the hand. He sat next to her and kissed her gently down her neck, sucking softly on her skin and placing a hand over her knees, moving his fingers up her inner thigh so slowly, so gently. A little moan escaped from her lips and he smiled.

She laid her back on the bed and he lay beside her, resting the weight of his body on his left arm. He was kissing her tenderly, but his right hand was teasing her, running his fingertips up her left arm, following the curve of her neck, down the space between her breasts. As he slid his tongue inside her mouth, his thumb found the nipple on her left breast and fondled it. His tongue and thumb moved in exactly the same way, sending shivers up her spine. She ran her hands up the sides of his chest, all the way to his right hand, and moved his hand over her breast. He smiled and gently squeezed her breast as he kissed down her neck, feeling her chest going up and down slightly faster now. He moved his hand under her top, his fingertips caressing her stomach, reaching her breast over her bra. She pulled her shirt up and he helped her take it off, revealing a black bra with a clasp in the shape of a silvery rose between her breasts. His eyes found hers, inquiringly. She gave a little nod and covered her eyes, an embarrassed smile on her lips. He felt warm inside. She was so sweet, so shy.

His fingers unclasped the bra. She gasped quietly. He removed it, exposing her breasts. He cupped the left one and kissed it silently, his lips touching it as if it was the most delicate thing is the world. When his mouth reached the nipple, he realized she was looking at him.

"Should I stop?" he whispered. She shook her head. His lips surrounded the nipple and he teased it lightly with the tip of his tongue. She arched her back slightly and let out a soft moan. He gave her a gentle nibble and moved on to the other breast. This time his teeth tugged gently at the other nipple, and he saw her biting on her lower lip. He returned to her mouth and kissed her hungrily, glad to see that she was enjoying herself.

He stopped for a moment and looked at her. Her softly blushed cheeks, her hair sprawled on his bed, her luscious lips. He didn't know how much longer he'd stand the pressure that had been building up in his trunks. As if she had read his mind, her hand moved down his stomach, playing with the elastic band of his underwear. He took her hand and placed it over the spot she was timidly aiming at. Her eyes looked into his, and then closed when she leaned forward for a kiss. Her fingers had found their way round his shaft and they were now pressing it. Her thumb found the tip of it and stroked it, making him moan with desire. His right hand found its way down and rubbed the mound between her legs over the fabric of her underwear. She was wet already, and that drove him crazy. He separated from her and pulled down her panties. She gasped as his fingers slid over the area without entering it. He sighed and kissed his way down her stomach, drawing circles around the navel with his tongue. She moaned and lifted her hips, causing his fingers to slide a bit further into her. He groaned and looked up to her face.

"I'm not gonna lie," he said. "I want to be inside you."

She stared at him for a few seconds, and then she asked, "Do you have…?"

He quickly reached out for the drawers of the bedside table. There were some condoms there. He took them out and looked at her. She nodded. He sat and pulled down his underwear. He'd been ready for some time now. When he'd finished putting on the condom, he turned to her. "I've… read that it's less painful for women to be on top, if it's their first… you know."

She smiled at him. He was so sweet, caring about her. She shook her head and lay on her back, inviting him to be on top instead. He didn't keep her waiting for long. He placed himself between her parted legs and his right hand caressed her thighs and her stomach. He slid into her slowly, giving her time to process the sensation. She bit her lips, containing her moan. He moved out and in again, putting a smile on her lips. He reached for her mouth and kissed her. Her hips soon found and met his rhythm, and after a while, she felt him shake. He bit her on the neck as he climaxed, and she kissed his shoulder. He kissed her softly, whispering her name time and again…

… She covered herself with her cloak. He pretended to be asleep, so that the pain of seeing her go wouldn't be as strong as usual. If he'd known that would be the last time he saw her alive, he wouldn't have let her go away…

Leto woke up, startled. They both had dozed off. Lucía sat up quickly. "I have to go back home," she said, looking for her underwear. He held her by the wrist. His heart was beating fast. "Please stay," he said. He sounded distressed. She knelt on the bed beside him. "I can't do that, I'm sorry." There was something in his eyes that drew her towards him; a sense of desperate longing. He kissed her greedily, awakening a desire in her that she'd never felt possible. "I can't sleep here," she whispered, "but maybe there's something else we can do before I leave," she smiled naughtily as she sat astride his lap.

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Title: a song by Joan Manuel Serrat. There are some lines in the song that allude to the situation described here. My favourite lines are "There's nothing more loved than what I lost" and "Your memories are sweeter every day, oblivion only took half of them." Even though Leto is not an amenta, something has awakened his memories of her.