Summary: Stephen makes an important discovery. Adam and Nyxianna have a talk, which leads to introducing Hulk to her avatar. Fighting leads to . . . much more mature negotiations.

Notes: Please send some prayers and healing thoughts Autumn_Froste's way because she's been sick. Any errors or problems here are all mine, mine, mine! (Tell me if you spot one and I'll fix it!) Hey, it's a Hulk-sized chapter for your enjoyment. Yes, we earn the mature rating, but maybe not in the way you thought we might. You're welcome! I'm really interested in what you think of the characters.

Chapter 54: Warriors and Thieves

Dr. Stephen Strange, the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth, was studying a lilac sprig in a bud vase. He had just dispersed a time spell and closed the Eye of Agamotto after watching the clusters of pale lavender blooms flower, fade, wither, and be replaced several times over as the sprig itself rooted and filled up the vase.

He pushed himself away from the table and stood up before he restlessly started to pace the wooden floors of his Sanctum's Library. When he'd arrived back home inside his corporal form from his visit with the brothers Banner, he'd been pleasantly surprised his "samples" had successfully made the journey with him. He'd fully expected the rock and flower sprig Adam had given him to discorporate or at least be significantly degraded and quickly collapse, but here he was staring at them on his worktable, and they were as stable as if they'd come from his own atrium or greenhouse. In fact, the rock had remained unchanged even after two century's worth of years passing under the Eye's spell. The sprig was begging to be planted in soil, but he wasn't sure he had the nerve to do it without a much closer examination of the plant cutting he'd seen Adam create hardly an hour ago between the palms of his hands.

The good news was that both objects obeyed the same laws of physics as normal reality, so they were not inherently dangerous or unpredictable. The perplexing part was what to tell Adam because Stephen was certain he now had enough evidence to confirm Adam's "mental space" was a true reality, a bona fide dimension and not just an abstract non-corporal place in his brother's head. The more the sorcerer considered this discovery, the more he wanted to examine Adam himself. Granted, Adam Banner was an anomaly if he'd ever seen one, but Stephen had categorized him as a spirit of intellect, something akin to a ghost, lingering in his brother's cells and inhabiting a corner of the genius's mind unless he was needed to manifest and be the will and intellect for the Hulk. Strange had considered him a symbiont rather than a parasite because Adam appeared to take nothing from Bruce as far as any of them could tell, but Bruce had absorbed at least part of his twin's cells in utero, and those cells were the anchor if not the home for Adam's presence. Just like Bruce, he should have died but through some adaptation he'd survived.

Strange had a sudden thought, so he quit pacing and turned on his heel before searching one of his shelves of newer tomes. "Ah, here it is," he murmured aloud as he pulled a volume off the shelf. "I've been wanting to read Physical Cosmology and Dimensional Inflation in Applied Constructions for a bit, so now might be a good time for a skim," Stephen decided and sat down in a nearby armchair to read.

((o))

"So that's why your aunt chose you to train as her regent instead of your brothers?" Adam asked as he trailed a bare foot in the clear cool lake and smiled at Nyxianna. They were still sitting on the sizeable flat rock with a little distance between them, but they both had become more and more relaxed with each other. She was a good storyteller, and he was enjoying her company. She nodded her fair-haired head in agreement and continued as her family narrative neared the present.

"Correct, neither of the twins were adept at diplomacy without a weapon in their hands," she said matter-of-factly. "They weren't happy at first, but it wasn't long until they saw it was difficult work that didn't suite their abilities. Within a few days, both supported the decision. They chose the full military path and that has worked out for everyone. It's a decade later and they're good generals and that's been invaluable. We were in exile from Nix for less than half of one of your Earth years, but it helped unite us as a family and as citizens." Adam noted the look of defiance in her eyes and the set of her jaw. He wasn't sure what he liked more, her boldness and energy or the subtle humor and affection she had for her family and people. He noted she made a conscious effort to relax her muscles after getting a bit worked up and took a deep breath. "Enough about 'Nyxianna' and old family squabbles and politics. She's a ruler and a politician. I'm just 'Anna."

Adam smiled and finally extended his hand to her. "I'm pleased to meet you, 'Anna. I'm just Adam." It had taken them over an hour and a half to finally get to this point, but he did feel like he had a basic grasp of her background and her mindset now. From here forward he hoped to know her as an individual better.

She leaned over and shook his right hand with hers. She had a firm grip and he noticed that her hand was callused while the nails were cut short and perfectly shaped. "My, you have warm hands," she said as she hung on for an extra second, obviously getting some sort of information from the physical contact. Raven's warning flitted through his mind, but he instantly dismissed it as superstitious propaganda. "Tell me about your family, Adam. I know you have a brother, but you're not entirely like him," she observed.

"Yes, that's Bruce. We're actually twins, too, but I'm fairly unique in some fundamental respects." Adam knew what he was about to say would either end this pleasant little tea party or take them over another threshold as they got to know each other. "I don't have a proper body because it apparently died in utero. My brother absorbed some of it and my consciousness survived. I thought I was just part of him at first, but eventually I realized I was separate. I decided my purpose was to help him as much as I could." Adam paused to see if 'Anna was ready to make a swift exit or put him in a straightjacket; instead, she nodded encouragingly for him to go on.

"He, uh, we had a pretty rough childhood. Our father worked as a government scientist and contractor. He was a nuclear physicist who designed weapons, so it's no surprise he was exposed to some dangerous levels of radiation. When Bruce started building and making things no child should be intelligent enough to do, our father saw that as monstrous rather than gifted and rejected him. Our father was a violent man, and he killed our mother in front of us when she tried to leave him. We were eight."

"I am so sorry Adam," 'Anna said, looking horrified. "This sort of brutality cannot be the norm in your society."

"No, it certainly isn't. He was eventually imprisoned, and he died there. Our Aunt Susan raised Bruce until he left for school. He became a physicist, too, and eventually worked on a project that was meant to help people survive radiation poisoning, but he was pressured to produce results, and there was an accident that exposed him to lethal levels of gamma radiation. We're not completely sure how it happened, but I was able to shield Bruce and keep him physically together. Unfortunately, the price was he forgot me and when his adrenaline and heart rate spiked, it triggered a physical change in him."

"The green ogre?" she asked. "I've been told he's the one who taught the Lord of Lies some manners."

"Yes, the Hulk. The transformation puts me in control, but at the beginning it was so painful I could barely function, even after I was used to it. We were at war in Bruce's head for almost a decade before Bruce finally remembered me again. Stephen Strange who was just here helped. It's been about nine months since we've made peace. Now, Bruce is going to marry Natasha, and they're going to have a child." He thought about mentioning his role in this, but decided against it. "Well, anyway, now you can see how peculiar my circumstances are. For all practical purposes, I'm trapped here except when I'm temporarily the Big Guy. Some prospect for a lover I've turned out to be. I'm sorry, 'Anna." He thought she'd be diplomatic about it, but he was pretty sure she'd lose interest in him now. At least it had been a nice conversation.

"Do you think your condition is chronic?" she asked with an eyebrow cocked.

"Yes, I have no corporeal body of my own. Bruce has brought up building me a synthetic one, but that's going to take time." The look she gave him was hard to read. He wasn't sure if maybe she was going to go for the restraints or was she actually going to laugh at him?

"Then what do you call this?" she asked as she quickly punched him in the upper right arm before he could react.

"Owwwch! What was that . . . ?" he sputtered in shock.

"Look at your arm, Love," she said.

To his surprise, it really did hurt. Not like a transformation, but like Thor had given him more than the usual love tap. He pulled the arm of his t-shirt up and saw that his upper arm was red and beginning to swell a bit. He could feel the contusion beneath the skin thickening as the activated blood platelets released their clotting agent and started the process that would be marked by a deep bruise. As Hulk it wouldn't take that long to heal, but as himself it . . . it had never happened before. He looked up and 'Anna was grinning at him impishly like she'd just pushed his reset button: Boop!

"How did you do this?" he asked in complete puzzlement.

"All I did was hit you. You've been doing the real work yourself, apparently for a long time." His logical mind was putting the facts into line, but emotionally he was ready to overload. This could not be true! She decided to slow things down. "You're going to have a bruise. That's how it works when you have a corporal body. It will hurt, but the swelling will go down, and the mark will heal up in a few days," 'Anna said. "Would you rather I hit you in that handsome face? I think not!" She emphasized her point by firmly patting his cheek with her open hand. The solid sound and feel of flesh on flesh reverberated through him.

"No, you know what I mean," he said. "This has never happened before. It can't happen. Not here. Not to me . . ."

"No can'ts. No nevers. You didn't want to brag about what you did for your brother, yet you find it hard to believe you could have healed or remade your own body over time. You engineered both processes here in your space, and what you've accomplished is real in every sense." He still looked like he wasn't processing it. "Don't tell me you've surprised yourself, Adam Hulk Banner. You're not the only one in your family with gifts."

"But this would mean I'm physically REAL. Do you know what this means?" He was getting close to an emotional overload.

She leaned over and grabbed the front of his t-shirt in her right fist, pulling him close. "It means we can do this." Adam instinctively caught on to her move in time, and he angled his head so their lips met comfortably. He braced with his right hand so the momentum didn't make him fall on top of her. By God, she was strong! 'Anna's lips were full and soft as they moved over his. He slipped his left arm around her waist and pulled her close as he opened his mouth to her. She smelled of sweet wood smoke and old fashion roses and spices he didn't know the names for yet. She eagerly darted her tongue past his lips and teeth and then drew back to playfully nip at his lower lip. They both giggled, and he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her on top of him. He was hungry for her kisses, practically starved, and she didn't hold back. His mind was still reeling, but parts of him were ecstatic. He'd felt his body respond with arousal before, yet those times were faint echoes compared to what he was feeling for her now. He wanted her. He wanted to roll her over and find out what she looked like without the robes. He wanted to touch her in so many places and so many ways with his actual mouth and fingers and . . . Yet, he pulled back. Bruce's plea to slow down and find out what she wanted and why kept him from going further. Their kissing slowed and they simply breathed together then came the pleasant realization that their hearts were in sync. He'd been afraid he might lose the ability to connect in this way if he were corporal. "I want you, 'Anna, but I need time to take this in. I'm not at all sure how it happened. I'm not even sure how everything works."

She shifted off Adam and lay on the rock beside him, propped on her side. "I understand, Adam. Take some time and get to know this new body of yours. I can only imagine what a shock it is, especially while you're away from home." She rested her right hand on his chest. "Your brother gives good advice; you should follow it. I'm not going to lie to you. Bruce is right about my situation—I need an heir to provide stability. I can't choose an Asguardian paramour because that will give them an excuse to annex and reoccupy us when we are already too much under their thumb. I have no interest in the Badoon or any of the races of Sakaar, red, gray, or otherwise for the same reasons. The Skrulls and Kree are just as bad. The idea of mating with blood relatives repulses me and, thank Oshtur, most of them, too!"

They both looked at each other and laughed at her joke. Adam shifted to his side, so he could face her and they could talk. "Tell me, 'Anna, are you a telepath? You've been picking information out of my head since we met."

"Sorry, I'm not used to being around someone who is so 'open'. I can hear what you're thinking near the surface. You're also very unguarded when you want to communicate, so you're pretty easy to read."

He nodded. He wasn't around people enough to have good filters for what came out of his mouth, much less what came bubbling up that was never said. "Remind me not to play poker with you," he noted wryly.

"I could work with you on that if you like," she said. "The readability, not whatever 'poker' is. That you'd have to teach me."

"It's a card game on which you gamble. Bruce has used it as a way to raise money a few times. He says it doesn't feel like honest work, but he always won and moved on before he caught anyone's attention. Too much security at casinos and such to do it for long. He always gave himself a shave and a haircut right after we left, too."

"We have gamboling on Nix, so I think I understand why he'd do that," she said with a raised eyebrow.

"So how do I get a better grasp on my 'readability'?"

"Number one, you work on the poker face."

"You did it again."

"I know. I can't help it. However, I'm not going to apologize because I need your vocabulary to explain things. Think of your face as a mask, a façade to protect you by filtering what others see. Don't look completely blank like that. It draws too much attention, too. What you want to do is control what you show."

"Okay, this is what Natasha does, but she goes a lot further and makes complete personas."

"As a spy, that would have to be second nature for her, yes. You won't need as big of a facial vocabulary as she does, but study the ones suitable for pleasantries. Once you have that mastered, you work on a mental firewall."

"Do diversions count?"

"Yes, they can be very effective. Thinking mantras or other repeated words and ideas work."

"Imagery?"

"Yes, of course . . . Oh, you're a quick learner. So you play a musical instrument—the piano, and you sing . . . What do you mean by 'blue'?"

"It means sad. It can mean other things, but in this case the singer would rather be sad missing his love than be happy with another person."

She studied him as he imagined playing and singing for her. What had she found on this distant world? Something rare and beautiful, and he was breaking her heart already. Was he going to be the key to the future or her complete undoing?

"I need to show you something, Adam Banner. I'm going to be as honest as I'm able. May I?" She held out her right hand, and he let her touch his left temple and stroke down his forehead with her thumb. She was giving him cultural information. He saw the people of Nix whom she served living in extended families with parents, grandparents, and siblings in sprawling households. His heart warmed, but then she showed him the long line of rulers and regents who were champions and defenders who led the planet and all of them, whether male or female, were expected to produce an heir, yet, remain devoted solely to the state and their position of leadership. Not a one had an official mate. Some didn't even take on the role of parent for their children. Adam felt 'Anna's sorrow. She hadn't wanted to tell him this—not yet, but she couldn't bring herself not to inform him as they were being drawn closer.

Adam shook his head. "No. No," he found himself saying to her out of a shared sense of loss. "I don't know what I want, but . . . Please tell me what you want, 'Anna."

"I don't know anymore, Adam. I know what my duties are, but I want more. I know I want to raise my child, but I look at you, I listen to your thoughts, and I want to see if there could be more between us. I was going to ask if you'd be willing to act as what you'd call a donor, but I'm not sure now."

He sat up and wrapped his arms around his knees. "Why are we moving so fast? I'm pretty impulsive, but I get the feeling you're not, 'Anna. I appreciate that you're laying your cards out on the table, but why choose me in particular? I can't be the only male between here and Nix with acceptable genes."

She pursed her lips and considered how best to explain herself. "The number three has a strong significance in my culture as do other symbols and certain energies. I've touched minds with you several times now and our bodies have touched, so I know that we're compatible in spirit and mind. Our dragons have met. Our true selves are here now. I think our third forms will be compatible, too. You've seen a version of mine."

"With the horns, shining eyes, sharp teeth, and overwhelming feeling of dread? Yes, we've met," he said with his lopsided smile.

"You've not even seen her full stature with all her charms," she replied with good humor. "That's the Goddess whom people flee or fall down and worship, but not you, Adam."

"I was pretty awestruck," he said truthfully.

"But you weren't afraid of her."

"Well, when you're also a monster, and he has you're back, it's not such a brave thing to stand your ground."

She sat up and crossed her legs as she faced him. "Adam, my dear, you deflect too much. That was no minor spell—it has sent legions of warriors running in panic and terror, and I'm being rather modest. She's part of me, but she's very demanding of suitors because she is the aspect of me that is the Goddess. When my aunt died, the Goddess chose me as her vessel. She is the champion and protector of all Nix. If our avatars are compatible, it's culturally and spiritually significant to my people. It would mean political stability and give me a mandate to lead them without bowing down to outsiders."

He nodded with understanding. That was a good reason for her to pursue him—he might be her magic trifecta for a mate. "You think a goddess would get along with me as Hulk?" he asked with an amused smile.

"Bring him out and we'll know," she challenged him. "I can't guarantee what will happen because I'm only marginally present when the Goddess takes over, but from what I have heard from others and learned from you, your ogre self stands a better chance of impressing her than I've found before. We won't know unless you're will to give it a try."

"I'm not sure I can even manifest the form now," he said. "The rules may have completely changed."

She smiled, "Look inside. See if you can feel him."

Adam closed his eyes. Now that he knew he had a body, he could feel more and more differences. When he inhabited Bruce's body, there was always an insulated, fuzzy feeling around the edges. Now he recognized a new preciseness and sharpness of detail to what he felt. The gloves and gauntlets were off, and he sensed the Gamma slept inside him, angry and resentful as ever, but tired out from the transformation and the energies he was syphoning off to keep his own fatigue at bay. He realized that like Bruce he could now make use of the Liminal state, and that possibility excited him. Was Bruce now free of the Gamma? Adam just didn't know. What he was certain of was that transitioning was still going to hurt. In fact, he expected transforming was going to hurt a lot now, but he was willing to give it a try. He knew his eyes were starting to glow when he opened them. "I've found him. Are you sure about this, 'Anna?"

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine," she said with a wink. "If they are compatible and don't kill each other, we'll make plans from there."

Adam nodded in agreement, "If they're willing." He stood up and quickly pulled off his shirt and jeans. He was glad he'd thought of wearing the uniform pants prototype instead of boxers, but he could see their revealing tightness had the potential to get embarrassing. Adam jumped down off the rock and walked to the nearby stretch of sand where Tony sometimes strung up the volleyball net at the real lake. He turned around to find 'Anna had stripped down to what might pass for undergarments on Nix. It looked more like a wrestling singlet with a bare midriff than anything else he could recall, and it was the same deep blue as her outer robes. She finished pulling her hair back into a ponytail and lithely jumped down and followed him. 'Anna was grinning as she stepped close to him. Adam was average height. He was guessing 5' 10", but he was fairly sure 'Anna was almost the same height as Natasha, maybe 5' 2" at the most. The other thing the two women had in common was both had muscles and were in excellent shape. Natasha's lighter frame didn't flaunt her strength, but 'Anna's shoulders were broad and her arms and calves looked like she could wrestle him to the ground without breaking a sweat. Adam had no misconceptions about his own body's fitness. It was all new and strange territory for him.

"I should warn you, Nyxianna can be very aggressive, much more than what you saw before when I was mostly in charge. She's fought off two suitors who were much larger than her and intimidated a lot more than that. Oh, and whatever you do, don't call her 'Nyxie' unless you really want to piss her off."

Adam snorted, "Family nickname?"

"Yes, my brothers' idea. It works really well, too, if that's the desired effect."

"Is she an entirely separate person from you?"

"I'm in control up to a point, but she's autonomous from me and she will take over during a fight. I have some influence, but you'll be dealing with her."

"Good to know. I've been under acceptable control for at least nine months, but pain and anger can really mess up my judgment. If I'm not in control, be sure to call him Hulk."

"Okay, let's see your ogre, Adam."

He sat down in the sand cross-legged and centered himself by concentrating on his physical core. If he was intellect and the dragon was spirit, then Hulk had to be the body while they all three were connected through the heart. Since he had the choice now, he chose to transform slowly for maximum control. The fire kindled in his spine and the long bones before he sensed it in his blood. He felt it pump further through him with each heartbeat. Cells exploded and reformed into structures larger and different. The cell clusters that once were all that were left of his physical body took on their new roles as muscles, bones, and nerves, pulling on something dark to complete the process. The Gamma stirred as it gave up more energy for the progression, but it resettled comfortably back to its own dreams like a mastiff on a hearthrug. Adam could feel the fire in his blood intensify, and he arched his back as the ripping, tearing, and rebuilding overrode his normal defenses, and he felt his control slip as the process surged ahead to completion. He gasped, sucking in lungs full of air. Everything hurt and burned. At some point he'd pitched forward on the sand and caught his weight on his forearms. There was an irritating buzz like cicadas in his head, and he shook it, trying to get it to clear. In a moment, the noise subsided, and he opened his eyes to look up and try to focus.

"I can feel how it hurts," she said, standing back about 10 yards.

"Like a . . . It's really not pleasant," Adam rumbled. He stayed on his knees, but he leaned back to get a better look at her. Rather than showing fear or horror or pity, she grinned with excitement to see his other self in the flesh.

As 'Anna stepped forward, her eyes flashed blue fire and she grew taller and broader and her muscles swelled. Ivory like horns sprouted from her forehead and curled into circles before turning dark. She smiled and her teeth had grown sharp. The glow in her eyes subsided, but they were a good bit darker than before. Adam stood up. He was close to Hulk's normal height of just below nine feet, and Nyxianna barely tilted her head up to look him in the eyes. He thought she was still beautiful in this form, but if anything 'Anna had understated the waves of aggression and power that emanated from her. He had to admit that part of him found that extremely attractive, especially while in this body, but he was relatively certain she'd rather fight him right now than kiss him. Sure enough, as he dusted the sand off his forearms, she sneered at him, "This is the boy who beat that runt Loki Laufeyson?"

"With one hand and after killing three Chitauri behemoths and their wretched warriors," he said without trying to sound overly arrogant about it.

She still snorted her disapproval, but she didn't argue the point. "I see she's picked another pretty toy to court me, but you're no primping lothario. Fight me and we'll see if the third time will be enough for her to give up on this idiocy or if you are my match, the 'three in one' foretold."

Great, he was up against some prophecy about which he still had almost zero knowledge. "Hand to hand then. No weapons. No magic."

"Keep your hands away from the tender parts," she sneered.

He nodded his head in agreement, and she rammed him in the chest with her horned head. Having sparred with Natasha and Logan, he half expected that surprise move and pivoted back with his right leg to deflect some of the impact of the blow. He used her momentum to give her a shove in the back with his left hand as she came around. It wasn't a pretty move, but it made her miss her grappling hold meant to grab him around the waist.

Adam decided to use his weight and momentum as she lunged and came down with his left shoulder into her back. The spray of sand she wildly backhanded in his direction hit him harmlessly across the ribs, but she was able to get her arms and knees underneath her to brace herself as his shoulder skidded off her, and he rolled past her onto the sand. Nyxianna pounced as his face met the soft ground, but he'd managed to get his hands under him and pulled her own bridging technique on her. She rode him like a wrestler and tried reaching around underneath his arms and grabbing behind his head to put him in what Natasha had told him was a full Nelson submission hold. He was not enjoying being "goddess handled." Two could certainly play a bit dirty. Adam arched his back and slammed his head backward into her jaw. He pushed her hands away, so she couldn't get a better grip on him. Yet, she managed to lock her arms around his waist and put her weight and legs into throwing him over on his back. When that didn't work from either side, she started to go after his ankles and knees.

At that point, he'd had about enough of wallowing in the sand, so Adam broke her hold and stood up, turning as he rose so he faced her. She tried to rush him and grapple him once more, but he was looking for that move, too. "Time to get cleaned up, Dearest," he said as he grabbed her around the shoulders and launched them both into the lake. They landed about chest deep in the cool water, and she came up mad and sputtering. Adam laughed, which in hindsight he realized was not the appropriate thing to do. Nyxianna growled at him and closed the distance between them with a leaping Captain America-style move that was meant to connect with his jaw in a roundhouse punch. Adam partially blocked it, but she still snapped his head to the side. The woman landed several rabbit punches that didn't do much for his ribs or his air intake. Ticked off as he was getting, Adam stuck to blocking and counter punching as she kept up a barrage of blows. He really wanted to stay under control in this situation without calling on his anger because he didn't want to hurt her, just impress upon her he was capable and prove he was stronger of course. As tough and skilled as she was, he had no doubt he could outlast her.

The not-so-nice voice at the back of his head suggested he should probably just deck her or use the concussive finger snap to take her down, but he didn't want to leave any doubt in her mind that he'd beaten her conclusively and deserved her respect. She finally went for a big left hook, and he caught her by the wrist and spun her around so her back was to him. Adam wrapped his arms across her chest, pinning her to him. It was a dance move Natasha had taught Bruce, but he wasn't about to tell this beautiful force of nature that. He strode several steps deeper into the water as she struggled, doing her best to break his nose with her head or unsportingly wrack him with a foot or knee, until the water was up to her chin. "Have you had enough?" he asked. Her answer was a growl and an attempt to bite his arm. "Very well, my sweet Lady, don't hesitate to tell me when you are ready to quit," he told her and stepped off the rock ledge and into the deep blue-green hole he knew was in front of them.

His strategy was simple: he knew he didn't need to breathe, but he was pretty sure she did since he'd tied them into the physics of this reality. Adam fully expected her to try and fake him out since that seemed to fit the tone of her playbook. He counted as their dense bodies sank, and they reached the bottom at ten. He jumped and kicked, so they were launched out of the water and landed back in the shallows. It was quite dramatic what with the splash and backwash. He had to give her credit when she tried one more good kick at his crotch just as they landed. Fortunately, momentum was in his balls' favor, and he gave her a good hard squeeze just to let her know that wasn't going to work.

"Hey, that was fun!" he enthused. "Let's do it again, my sweet. You want to do it again, right?" That's when she wretched up the water. If that was a fake-out, it was a damn fine one. "Okay, I'm going to assume that your silence on this point is an admission I have won, and you're going to quit trying to emasculate me or make me sing soprano." She gave no response except to go more limp. He felt her breathing, but he thought it was better to check. He leapt to the shore and laid her on the soft grass, which grew in that spot. He felt the pulse in her neck and it was strong. He gently rolled her onto her side, and she finally coughed again and more water came up. "Earth and water don't mix that well, huh?" he asked quietly as he leaned back on his heels. Without thinking about it, he was stroking her back, encouraging her to recover. He didn't even realize he was doing it till she opened her eyes and gave him a "What the fuck are you doing?" look. He took his hand away and shrugged apologetically.

"Two out of three?" she whispered hoarsely and half grinned at him through her wet, loosened hair.

He stroked his chin. "I'm going to say NOPE! No callbacks or do-overs either," he told her. "And no touching me below the waist again unless it's in a loving way because, Lady, you cheat something awful."

"I said no hands and I didn't use hands," Nyxianna said indignantly. She sat up without letting him help. She stared at her hands, adjusting to the fact that he'd bested her. She'd never been beaten, so it was a bitter pill to force down. "I suppose now you'll want your boon," she stated sullenly.

"Uh, I had no idea that was part of the deal. Is it something of my choice?" he asked for clarity's sake.

"Yes, but most males want some sort of sexual favor when they've bested a female."

"What? No, let's just put that choice off the table for now. I'll think about it. I mean, I don't expect that from you."

"You don't want me then?!" she huffed with a puzzled look, unsure what to make of his response.

"To the contrary . . ." he sat down a bit warily beside her, "may I offer you a gift?" She looked at him skeptically. "I want to do this for you. Please trust me."

"All right, I'm trusting you. Just remember I can still throw you quite a long way, son of Earth."

He gave her as reassuring of a smile as he could in this form and shifted his position so he was sitting by her feet. This usually worked for Bruce, so maybe it would work for him. "Let me see your right foot first." She still looked highly skeptical, but set her foot in his hands. He gently stroked down her bronze calf to her heel and tenderly kneaded it, pressing on the pressure points before he shifted to her instep. He'd "watched" Bruce do this for Natasha enough to have a pretty good idea how to please a person. It was nice to interact with someone he could touch without fearing his casual contact would hurt her, too. It was also enjoyable to touch her in a way that was meant to make her feel good. He doubted anyone had touched her very often in this beautiful zaftig form because she was so fierce and strong and intimidating. She was indeed a wrathful goddess. None of that put him off because he understood it. He didn't see her as a monster, but he knew that was her function on the battlefield among other violent "monsters." He wondered, Could a monster woo a monster? He thought it might be worth his while to try.

Adam watched Nyxianna as she'd finally began to relax and lean back on her elbows. He could feel the tension in her letting up bit by bit. He wondered if anyone had dared to be this close to her. Thor and Natasha and very occasionally Clint and Tony were the only adults who touched him in his Hulk form if one didn't count the crowds today who had high-fived him and wanted to pat his arm or slap him on the back. It was hard to remember, but he thought Betty had touched him while thinking he was Bruce. He was sure Bruce would have touched him as Hulk if that had been possible, but his brother had the advantage of knowing Adam's other and younger selves and later so did Natasha and Lila. He had a feeling things would be different now with a corporal form of his own, but it was important to him that people he cared for had made the effort even without knowing who he really was.

Adam knew he was doing something right when Nyxianna finally quit holding back and groaned with pleasure. "By the Gorgon's Gilded Girdle, don't stop my handsome . . ." Her hair had come loose and fell in pale ringlets both in front and behind her horns. She only grew more beautiful in his eyes as he studied her.

He worked through each toe and the ball of her foot before he switched to her left foot and thoroughly massaged it as well. She sighed, "I've never received a better gift, especially from an opponent."

"I'm not done," he said, stroking her knee and thigh. "May I continue?"

"What do you plan on doing?"

"First, I want to remove your wet clothes and admire how beautiful a strong, stubborn woman can be. Then, I want to give you as much pleasure as I can."

"All right. You're certainly direct. I would like to see how pleasing you are to my eyes as well."

"Fair enough." They were both adults, and she deserved to see what she was getting. Adam knew his form wasn't easy on the eyes, but he was impressively big. He nodded and rose to his feet, smiling as he slid the tight, almost dry pants down over his hips. "Shrinkage" wasn't a problem since he still ran warm, but a much smaller Bruce was usually the one dealing with getting in and out of the damn pants. "Sorry, I'm not very graceful," Adam said as he pulled his over-sized feet free, one after the other, before he tossed the pants deftly onto the top of the boulder where their other clothes were. Admittedly, it felt good to be free and unconstrained. He briefly touched and checked himself, having to remind himself that he was now flesh and blood, which left him wondering what that meant on a practical level.

"I enjoy a show," Nyxianna said, feeling a little less on edge herself. She stood up and admired him from head to foot, walking around him to appreciate different angles. He bit his lower lip; it was his turn to feel a little self-conscious. She licked her lips, "You're graceful enough for me, you big, green muscular . . . appealing . . . hunk of . . . good-looking . . . did I say you have a lot of muscles?" she tried to articulate as she stepped very close, inhaling deeply. "You smell like herbs and fruit. Salt, maybe?" She skimmed her hands across his chest then down his stomach, but she didn't go lower. "Native Nixians have very little body hair. They look like small, bare-chested boys compared to you, Hulk Banner." He smiled at that, but he didn't correct her. "You please my eyes. You please my nose. You please my hands." She touched his upper arm where the bruise 'Anna had made earlier was completely gone.

"I'd like to please more of you," he intoned.

"Then please my lips," she said and leaned in to kiss him. He met her mouth with his and was surprised at how eagerly she tested him, tasting and teasing. Adam drew her into his arms. He soon realized her horns were gone as he supported the back of her neck with his left hand. His tongue probed her mouth carefully as he remembered how sharp her teeth had looked, but he didn't find a problem. She pulled back and chuckled a bit. "You please my lips and my mouth. What parts of me will you make happy next, my lover?" His heart leapt, had he won her over?

"I won't know until I unwrap you," he teased before he picked her up by the waist and set her on the nearest flat-topped boulder, about waist high for him. She laughed and stood up and unfastened her garment at the sides before shrugging out of the top. He breathed in sharply with appreciation as her breasts came free. They were round and golden orbs with dark pink nipples standing erect. Oh, he had plans to please them. She caught him staring hungrily and smiled, "Not just yet." She stepped closer to the edge. "I could use some help pulling these off."

He reached up and carefully pulled down the waistband over her hips. He kissed her stomach with its hard abs and the softer curve of her hip. His hands caressed her ample backside and held her close. "You smell like wood smoke and roses, but I'm not sure what the spicy undertone is?" He pulled her garment down until she could step out of it. He wanted to burry his face in her pale-haired mound, but he looked up, wanting her permission first. She smiled down at him and ran her fingers through his dark curly hair, caressing his brow and temples.

"You please me very much. If I asked you to please me carnally, would you do it?"

My, she'd gotten direct. "I would, but not to make children."

"If you choose to be 'Anna's paramour, you'll have to take me and the dragon at least once first."

"I don't think that will be a problem. I'm not so sure about the dragon, but I intend to be your lover if you want me. Making children in this form is risky at best. Part of what makes me Hulk may prevent having healthy offspring."

She nodded, "I'm not designed to attract anyone, yet you think you could love me?"

That was the real question. "I already want you. I admire you. I lust after you. I'd need to get to know you better to love you in the deeper sense of the emotion. You deserve that kind of love. I don't want to neglect you."

"I'm not the primary form. I'm just a part of 'Anna, a tool, a weapon to be used, no more or less."

At that Adam's heart broke for her. He held her close around the hips, stroking her lower back. "I understand, but you deserve to be happy, too." She looked down at him doubtfully. That helped him make up his mind. "Come with me," he said with a grin and picked her up, adjusting to swing her around into a bridal carry that both surprised her and made her throw her head back and laugh. "Hang on." Tony's property had originally had a modest cabin, but leave it to Stark to riff on the rustic with a modern lodge. Bruce had taken the time during their visit to walk the grounds and the interiors to give Adam plenty of material to make the construct, but the buildings hadn't been the focus of his work until now as he concentrated on finishing in a few moments what he had roughed out in his head months before.

He leapt to the driveway just in front of the building and set her down. "Sorry, it just occurred to me this is something I should share with you."

"A family house?" she guessed while looking at the large three-story structure of natural and high-tech materials.

"It's a lodge, so it's for family and guests. This is modeled after one my friend built, but I've modified it. Let me show you." He took her hand and led her in through the double doors and into the open area into which all the rooms converged. The master suit was to the right, so it had the best views of the lake. He'd modified it so everything was in a large scale. When he pushed the suite's double doors open, there was plenty of room to walk in. The hot tub was practically a swimming pool and the bed was made out of the same reinforced materials as Bruce and Natasha's but was large enough for a small orgy. There were no Tony-esque mirrors on the ceiling because most of it and the far wall were made of glass and transparent alloys. There were plants both inside and out to complete the illusion there were no walls and they were outside.

Nyxianna turned around and admired the room. "This is a beautiful space."

"A beautiful space with a beautiful woman in it," he said earnestly. She turned to him and smiled, wanting to believe him and go against decades of conditioning that her sole purpose and function was as a weapon, the wrathful avatar of the Goddess. He took her hand and kissed it, "I still want to please you. Let me."

"You said anything short of . . ."

"We're not making a child, but I'm willing to try things I haven't done before."

"You've never done this . . . never made love?"

"No, but I'm pretty certain how it works."

She laughed quietly, "Then we're in about the same position."

"Good, then we can explore this together."

"I take it you have some way of preventing a conception."

"He stepped to the side of the bed and pulled out a drawer in the nightstand. "Tony made these to test out the materials and equipment. The added bonus was to give my brother a hard time, but they should work." He picked up a box and opened it, handing her one of the individually wrapped condoms.

She read the package. "'Anna is just learning your written script. What is a 'zh-zuccheeni'?"

"It's a green somewhat phallus-shaped vegetable. Tony thought it was funny to tease Bruce when he found out Natasha and he were interested in each other. Tony is a good friend, but sometimes he doesn't know when to stop."

"He sounds disturbingly like my brothers. He's not a very good judge of produce though," she added, giving Adam an appraising look and conspiratorial wink. He snorted in good-humored agreement. She opened the packet, "A barrier method. 'Anna says we have something similar on Nix."

"Keep that within reach, but let's take our time getting there. Friday, Cool Jazz to Soul Mix One, please." As the instrumental music started, he took her hand and kissed it again before looping his arm over her head to turn her so her back was to his front. They both giggled nervously and he wrapped his arms around her, caressing her breasts and nibbling at her neck. She molded herself to his front and pressed her shapely backside into his thighs and hips in rhythm with the music. "You are so beautiful and your strength and tenacity are an aphrodisiac," he whispered into her ear. His breathing was getting ragged.

She reached back above her shoulder to run her fingers through his dark hair, "Don't be afraid to use your teeth, Lover."

He nibbled and teased at her ear before moving down her neck and nipping delicately at the skin above her artery, making sure her physiology was the same as a human's before he bit into the muscle at the base of her bronze neck. She gasped and arched her back. Her pale hair fell over his shoulder as she turned her head. He slipped his hands down to her thighs and stroked the insides, pulling her closer. His penis had been thickening and growing hard, and he pressed it into her lower back, and she ground her lovely ass into him. He released his hold on her neck and switched his attentions to the other side. Their groans harmonized with each other and the deep tones of the bass on the jazz track. She chuckled, "I like our music."

He rumbled his approval and moved his right hand to her mound with its pale, silky hair. He kneaded it like he had her breasts before, easing a finger in past the damp lips, making gentle circles around her prominent clit. She jumped and shuddered, "Oh, Love!" She was so wet her fluids were running around his fingers. He finally turned her neck loose and planted one last kiss.

"Let's move this to the bed," he suggested. They separated and she climbed backwards onto the crisp white sheets. "Not too far, Lover. I want to taste you." He stroked himself and adjusted so his foreskin was comfortable before he bent down on his knees in front of the bed and pulled her close to the edge. He smiled up at her. She was flushed with excitement and glowed pink beneath her dark golden skin. She chewed her full lower lip; he noted both her lips were now quite red. He rubbed his face against her inner thigh, "How are you doing?"

"You please me very much. Let's keep going."

He lifted her legs over his shoulders and she quickly caught on. Adam wasn't certain how sensitive her inner thighs might be or if she'd bruise, but his brother often daydreamed about marking Natasha there and going on to "pleasing" her with his mouth and fingers. That was usually Adam's signal to let Bruce have his thoughts to himself, but he had experienced enough vicariously that he didn't feel like a complete novice. He lightly gnawed and sucked as he went higher and higher on her thighs, alternating from side to side. He finally bit deep enough to work the muscle on her right side and she arched her back, "Yes, Hulk, yes!" He gently eased his right thumb into her, a bit surprised at how tight she was till he realized her hymen was still intact. Oh, wow! He asked her, "How do you want me to do this? I can use my fingers to ease you open or be as gentle as I can entering you so it tears. Either way, it's probably going to hurt a bit."

She made up her mind, "Use you fingers. I want to get on with this."

He nodded and grabbed the box of wipes from the nightstand since there might be blood. He kept stroking her thighs and kissing them as he inserted first one then two fingers. She was still very slick, so he gently worked her opening, only penetrating about an inch before he located the "maidenhead." He widened his fingers' spread and kept gently penetrating a little deeper, stretching the barrier bit by bit. "Do it!" she told him. He thrust deeper and felt the tissue tear. She breathed in sharply, "Yes!" She seemed glad just to have it over with.

There was only a small bit of bright red blood to clean up. "Better?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm ready for you now."

He grinned at her then rubbed his face against her mound, breathing in her perfume of spiced smoke and roses and now a warm musk. He slipped his hands under her sweet ass and squeezed as he pulled her close. She was trembling. He gently parted her nether lips with his fingers and kissed her with his lips then flicked her exposed clit with his warm tongue. Nyxianna jumped then thrust her hips to meet him, wanting more. Ah, she was like a warm tender orchid in bloom, and he wanted to fill all his senses up with her. Adam kissed her up and down her opening. Nyxianna writhed under his mouth, and Adam continued to kiss her folds and then swirl his tongue around her swollen clit. He licked the edge of her vagina before inserting two fingers and stroking the sides, opening her wider. "Oh, yes!" she whimpered. He sped up his rhythm, flicking her clitoris and vibrating his tongue as he rocked his fingers in and out, stroking high and deep. She cried out and shuddered, grabbing his hair. "Oh, sweet Lover!" She bucked as she came, squeezing down tight on his fingers like a mouth sucking them. Now, this was definitely a species difference, he noted as he consulted borrowed memories. She let go of his hair and lay back on the bed panting hard. She was so beautiful.

Adam also leaned back and enjoyed watching her flush dark under her golden skin. His fingers were still held tight inside her, so he pushed deeper and stroked the underside of her pubic bone. She arched her back and choked out a cry, tightening down more. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be in pain, but he was still concerned. Adam was a little afraid to remove his hand, so he carefully rose from his knees and lay down beside her. He looked at her with concern. "I'm okay," she assured him as her breathing slowed down. Nyxianna rolled over with him and threw her leg around his hip to help keep their connection intact. Her expression and demeanor had finally grown calm and relaxed with afterglow. Her hands explored his body, touching, massaging his shoulders and chest, following the trail of dark hair as far down his stomach as she could get. Then she kissed his throat, working her way up to his ears, which she nibbled and teased with her tongue. That made Adam squirm, and they both chuckled as she stroked his face with her fingertips. "Your eyes are the same in both your forms, such a beautiful shade of green, Lover."

"Really, not brown?" Adam asked with a raised eyebrow as she ruffled her fingers through his hair.

"No, they glowed at first, but now they're like green gems with rims of dark gray at the very edge."

"Hmm, that's new, but it's my first time being Hulk solo without Bruce's presence. He has dark brown eyes. That's one of the more obvious differences between us. When I'm his Hulk, my eyes are brown."

She fingered the growing beard stubble along his jaw and chin. "So you were born like a ghost without a real body except here in this place."

"Apparently, until now. The only time I could manifest in reality was as Hulk, so having a corporal form may mean a pretty big change. Bruce is going to be shocked."

"What will you do?"

"I don't know yet," he said honestly. "It depends on the consequences to Bruce and Hulk. My first impulse is to come find you, but I may still not be able to live apart from my twin. We'll have to see."

"I can't live apart from 'Anna. I'm her sword arm. I'm the Goddess, but I have my duty and my limits. This body will always be shared, but she's the part of me in charge."

"I know. I do understand package deals." He brought up his free hand to brush her hair back behind her ear and touch her face. "I'm just so happy to know you're someone I can love, Nyxianna."

"You can love us in all forms?"

"Yes, I think I can. It's going to take time to know for certain, but I'm willing to try it with you."

She pulled him close and kissed him. Her vaginal muscles finally relaxed and turned his hand loose. He noticed how her fluids had thickened and added to the tightness of the seal. Yet, now her juices seemed to be flowing once again. "Is this how it normally works for Nixian females? The way you clamp down when you orgasm, I mean."

"Doesn't it work the same way with Earth females?"

"Not quite. I don't have firsthand experience, but I know the coupling ends sooner," he explained.

"But that cuts short the time for touching," she protested.

"I think there's still as much cuddling as partners want."

"I hope so." Now that she could get to him, she reached down past his stomach and stroked his partially erect cock, while he rubbed against her thigh, thrusting his hips. "Ah, you still want to fuck me, you gorgeous green warrior?"

"Yes, I very much want to fuck you, my beautiful woman from across the stars."

Nyxianna nuzzled his cheek and kissed him before she sat up and retrieved the wipes for his hand and the condom. "I want to be on top," she told him, so he grinned and moved up to the middle of the bed and lay on his back. He stroked himself, pulling the foreskin back. He wasn't used to this since Bruce was circumcised, but it didn't seem to be much of a problem, especially after easing her through the loss of her maidenhead. How hard could it be?

She pulled out the condom and placed the tip over the dark head of his engorged manhood. His cock jerked with sensitivity, and she drew back, afraid she'd hurt him. "It's okay. The tip is just really sensitive. Keep touching me, please. You feel so good," he told her. She smiled and stroked his shaft lightly at first and then more firmly as he rocked his hips with her rhythm. He was leaking precome, so she worked it down his length before she unrolled the condom. He was quite impressive when fully aroused.

"I've wanted 'Anna to find a male like you. It's incredibly exciting that I get to break you in, too," she said with a coy smile.

"I may not last very long, but I'm all yours," he told her with a grin.

"I understand it gets better and better with practice," she teased.

"I've heard that, too." Well, he knew from Bruce's thoughts on the matter that it was true for him.

"I am a disciplined person."

"I'm a very goal-driven one, and I can be taught," he said. "Perhaps you should start now." Nyxianna was a very willing teacher and also very athletic. She lightly straddled his hips, rubbing her soft wet vulva along his swollen shaft. He wanted so badly to thrust, but he waited as she positioned herself. She looked so beautiful above him with the trees and the sky framing her pale hair that almost floated around her beautiful strong-featured face. He groaned with pleasure as the head of his cock entered her, and she settled onto his shaft, taking in as much of him as possible. She groaned too as she gradually worked him up and down, sliding oh so slowly on his thick shaft. She was so exquisitely tight. He began to work with her, thrusting deeper into her untried virginal spaces, loosening and stimulating muscles she may never have worked before. He held onto her hips and arched his back, thrusting into her as deeply as he dared.

"Oh, Hulk. My Hulk . . ." she repeated like a mantra. He could feel her pulsing on his cock, and her color was starting to darken again. His own skin was starting to prickle and his focus narrowed to bodily sensations. His balls had drawn up tight, and he felt absolutely achingly full. He was going to fill her up when he came, condom or not. There was a low humming vibration that seemed to come from both of them as the opening bars of Leonard Cohan's "Halleluiah" played over the sound system. He slid his right hand to her front and massaged her silken mound before he slipped his thumb in to work her clit. She was so slick for him. He stroked her nub in a circular motion, and Nyxianna jumped and spasmed, muscles grabbing hard at his cock along its full length.

Now I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Everything slowed and he focused on the release he couldn't deny himself much longer. Hallelujah . . . Hallelujah . . . There was a roar escaping from his throat that started deep in his chest and down in his gut and a bass chord resolving the hum at his core. She cried out and her body pulled at him and he gave, how he gave, as he orgasmed. It wasn't just one spasm and done either. She also pulled energy from him and combined it with hers before it washed back into him. His whole body jolted with pleasure and warmth, which he shared back with her. Her muscles rhythmically contracted on his shaft and he released again, sending another wave of shared energy washing back and forth between them. He was enough in the present to catch her shoulders as she rocked forward onto him. He settled her gently on his chest and kissed the top of her pale head. They were both still shaking as the last verse played over the sound system.

I did my best, it wasn't much
I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch
I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you
And even though it all went wrong
I'll stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah . . .

"Great Mother, we would have made warriors with this coupling," she said with a groan that ended in a sigh. "Hallelujah, indeed."

He let out a rumbling chuckle, "If the condom broke, we still might."

"Do you think it broke?" she asked, raising her head to see his face.

"I think it's fine. We were pretty energetic, but not really that rough."

"Did 'Anna explain delayed cycles and suspended conception to you?"

"No, she didn't. Please enlighten me."

"Our race has better control over the timing of pregnancies and births than yours probably does. My body can store your sperm or a fertilized egg for months before letting them implant and the pregnancy to move forward. Some females can use the same sperm deposit for multiple pregnancies by holding back fertilized eggs."

"That's impressive," he said, still processing the implications. "I'm not sure human sperm could survive that long." What he didn't say was that he really wasn't strictly human. It astounded him that one coupling could make a sizable family (or a small army). His mind spun with questions and speculation about what conditions brought about this adaptation and the implications for his possible actions.

"My point is," she said, tilting her head to look up at him, "even if the condom did break, I wouldn't necessarily have to get pregnant."

"Oh, okay, now I think I understand. You have your own built-in method of emergency contraception?"

"Yes, but it's not always reliable, so it's not a practical first choice, just a safety net."

"Well, we'll know soon enough." He stroked her back, enjoying the weight of her body on him. If this encounter was like the one earlier, her vaginal muscles wouldn't turn loose of him for a while. "What do you call the exchange of energies back and forth when we came?"

"It has a few different names: the surge, the fire, or glomatu is the old name, 'the glow we share'."

"Glomatu, that sounds pleasant. I think I like that. Does it happen every time?"

"No, we were really in sync to reach it. We have poetry that's devoted to it and the afterglow, which is what we're experiencing now. Would you like to hear some?"

"Yes, I would. I'm your captive audience."

She slow-motion play punched him in the nose, "Hush, this is serious. I'm not a poetry interpreter, but this is a popular modern one." She took a deep breath.

Our bodies are one with the fire.
You look at me with the clarity
Water brings to the parched earth.
We make fire that needs no air.

He smiled and she ran her fingers through his chest hair. "They tend to be short like that. Some of them don't make a lot of sense, but many of them are about fertility."

The glow passes between us
While our inner desires burn.
As we couple, do not cry, Lover.
You carry our joy inside.

"They sound a bit like haiku crossed with love notes," he decided. "So lovers write or recite them for each other?"

"Yes, most of them aren't even written down, but there are books of them lovers read to each other while they are joined like this. Do you know something similar?" she asked him. "I'd like to hear some of your culture's verse."

"How did I know you were going to ask that? Let me see . . ." He rubbed a hand over his jaw and lips for a moment before he remembered most of a poem Bruce had memorized to impress Betty long ago. "This isn't complete, but it's the best parts from a Lord Byron poem."

She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

Adam lightly brushed the side of Nyxianna's face with his forefinger and traced her features as he continued on with what he remembered.

And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,
So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,
The smiles that win, the tints that glow,
But tell of days in goodness spent,
A mind at peace with all below,
A heart whose love is innocent!

"Sorry, I'm not eloquent enough to remember it all or come up with one on the spot, but you are beautiful and strong and all I could want in a lover." He could see that she blushed at that.

"It was lovely, thank you. That was more than I could memorize all together. Do you write yourself?"

"No, not with any real skill. I do enjoy reading poetry and listening to it though." He swallowed, "I hope you know I meant what I said. I find you desirable and worthy of poetry."

Nyxianna shook her head bemusedly, "You're here in this moment. You've made me happy, Adam Hulk Banner. That's all I can ask. Don't say anymore because it's just going to be harder."

He couldn't argue with that because his heart was already growing heavy with the awareness their time here was almost over. He felt her vaginal muscles finally relax and they separated. Before she could get up, he carefully rolled them both over so she was on her back and he was on his right side and they could face each other. "Listen, Nyxianna, I'm not very good, but let me try."

We are of the soil and the rock.
Our strength is not only in our shoulders and our backs,
It's in our will and in our hearts.
Mine syncs with yours and I claim you for my own.

"That was beautiful, but why are you doing this, Lover?" She was caught between embracing him for the poetry and wanting to knock some sense into his head.

"I warned you I was goal-oriented," he said hesitantly. "I . . . I want to see you happy. Now you suddenly seem miserable. Did I do something wrong? I don't want to leave you like this."

"Look, I'm all right, dear Adam. You've done nothing wrong. We don't need any resolution here. This isn't an ending and it doesn't need to be all smiling and happy or solemn and complete. It just is. We've made love, it was beautiful, and we'll always have that to share." She stroked his cheek. "The good news is we'll get along. We'll make good partners when and if it happens. But neither of us is free. We can't just do what we want."

"You're right," he acknowledged. "We have lives that don't give us that option. It may not always be that way. All I'm asking is don't shut down. Please don't shut me out."

"I'm not. I won't. You know where you can find me, Hulk. I'm part of 'Anna even when she's the one in control. Please be kind. Don't blame her for the situation."

"I'll do my best. Please don't leave. Not yet, Nyxianna."

She reached up and placed both strong, capable hands on the sides of his face as he leaned over her. To his surprise, she was grinning conspiratorially. "We're both warriors and thieves. We've won and stolen each other's hearts and left our virginity behind. That makes this beyond special. We'll always be each other's first. Now it's time for you to go plan out our future with 'Anna. I know you won't forget me, and I certainly won't forget you, Adam Hulk Banner." Before he could object or tell her he liked her couplets or the dozen other stupid things popping into his head, she pulled him into a kiss, which he chose to just enjoy and not fight. He felt the hum at his core, and they both felt the moment their hearts synced. Adam finally relaxed. Now he knew for certain he could find her again.

End Notes: Some really important developments for Adam here on both the personal and physical levels. He's fought off adulthood for years because of his limited circumstances, but on some level he's been working to overcome or remove those limits, and he's achieved success without knowing it. What happens when the old limits that framed a person's world are gone? How does this affect one's relationships? Does autonomy come at too high of a price? Lots to think about.

Well, should he or shouldn't he? Tell Adam not to do something and it's practically a guarantee. Does the boy ever learn?

Questions, comments, and conversations please!

Next time, back to our main reality . . .