A Rafael Interlewd

When Rafael had first begun, ah, ravishing his lovely fiancée, the realization of the presence of her maid Sadako in the room—never mind in the bedroom, in the bed!—had been terrifying. Then, as the situation continued to garner no reaction from his fiancé beyond her very lovely moans, holding him tightly, and telling him to 'take her harder', all while he remained unkilled in his sleep, unharmed and uncastrated, the terror had progressed to being afraid, to being merely nerve-wracking, then just concerning. After that conversation they'd had in the bathroom in the middle of the night, the feeling caused by the maid's presence had progressed to being confusing, bemusing (which is like confusing but isn't as bad. No, it doesn't have anything to do with amusement), embarrassing, exasperating, mildly noteworthy, and finally simply into something to be expected, because he couldn't anything about it anyway and Maria didn't even seem to notice, much less regard it as an issue.

Then, because he wasn't Maria and couldn't simply take another woman's presence as a given when he came together with his fiancée, he had then continued on being self-conscious, then conscious of Sadako, then aroused, then guilty, then guiltily aroused. It wasn't often, because Maria was there and she usually had his full attention, but sometimes when he lay back, spent and trying to catch his breath as the woman he loved lay against his side, he'd catch a glimpse of the maid on the other side of her.

It wasn't that she was a hindrance or interfering. On the contrary, her presence was… very convenient, for lack of a better term. When they stepped into the bed room and Maria began manhandling him, her hands roaming all over in a way that made her seem like she had ten limbs, by the time they reached the bed, stumbling together in a heated embrace, it had been turned down, the cover cleared, letting them slide right on the smooth, sheets. Their clothes came off smoothly, easily, without awkward moments with buttons and belts and all the throwing knives Maria carried on her person as someone—neither of them—took the time and care to help divest them of all their garments. The one time Rafael had ended up lying on top of Maria's leather half-cape and it had ended up sticking to him was not an experience he cared to repeat. Maybe Maria missed it, seeming to take it all for granted, but from the time's he'd be watchful and fearing for his life, Rafael was perfectly aware of how the maid's presence helped their activities be… smoother.

He also wasn't blind to the little… nibbles… that the maid partook in while he and Maria were in the middle of their… meal. The little touches in unobtrusive areas as the maid ate alone while they dined together, catching scraps that fell off the plate the two of them shared… At first, he had felt awkward. Then he'd felt guilty. Then, as time went on, and he noticed how she would use those scraps to add garnish to their own meal instead of devouring it herself… he found himself thinking it was unfair. While he tried to be a thoughtful lover and fiancée, in truth he didn't need to be. He only had to be there for Maria, ready to catch her when she threw herself at him. Sadako anticipated not just Maria's needs, but his own as well, moving smoothly and quickly to prevent the small inconveniences that, while they would not necessarily ruin the meal, would certainly make partaking of it just that less enjoyable in the moment.

Rafael was sure the maid didn't do it for his sake. She had made it clear her concern was that Maria, the woman that she also loved, was happy, and he was a means by which happiness was bestowed upon Maria. Sadako had no intention to take Maria for herself, or to keep Rafael away from her. The maid's only concern was Maria's happiness and, in the cause of that happiness, pleasure. It was a perspective Rafael himself could be sympathetic with in spirit, and for much the same reasons. Maria had saved them both, and they both loved her for it. Even though the part of him that had seen the near-cutthroat competition over Katarina Claes still feared to let his guard down around her, the part of him that had shared the story of his past with her, the part that would not, could not blame the Ashina woman for falling in love with Maria for the same reasons he himself had… thought what the maid had to endure was unfair.

If he had been in her position, seeing the woman he loved be intimate with someone else, while he was in the room and ignored… Rafael knew he wouldn't have acted like Sadako. The fact she did, and did so every day and night…

Rafael thought she deserved better.

And so, that night, as he and Maria lay next to each other on the bed they shared, both of them wearing Maria's preferred sleepwear as they caught their breath, Rafael felt the touch of a damp cloth wiping him with perverse fastidiousness. The cloth maneuvered delicately around the drooping pile of paperwork that he and Maria had both been working on, probably making it a bit more tidy and straightening it slightly. At his side, he knew that Maria had already managed to recover her stamina and was only remaining cuddled at his side to let him rest…

"Maria…" he said gently, and her head perked up eagerly. "Could you turn over?"

Her eyes widened and she smiled eagerly. "Oh… you wish to hold hands like beasts, then? Or perhaps… you will finally descend into the dark depths of Astraea's valley?"

The pile of paperwork grew, and Rafael had to remind himself he was still tired, no matter how perversely attractive the notion seemed now, after she had suggested it so often. "I'm still tired," he sighed truthfully. "Can we just cuddle for now?"

Maria, umbasa, didn't sigh to his face, but instead she smiled indulgently. "Of course, my dear Rafael." She rolled over to show him her back as Sadako smoothly slipped back so that Maria wouldn't roll over her. Maria backed up against him, her skin warm against his front, pressing invitingly. Rafael slipped an arm under her, resting his hand over her stomach and holding her close. She was slippery with sweat as he kissed the back of her neck, and her felt her shuddering against him. With his other hand, Rafael reached down and began to hold her hand.

In his arms, Maria let out a breath, and Rafael felt her hold his hand tightly as he continued.

"Open your hand," he murmured into her ear, and Maria complied as Sadako curled up next to her. As Rafael continued holding her hand, his free hand nudged Sadako to get her attention. He had to do it twice more since she seemed to think he wanted her to move. Only on the third time did her head shift and the shadows under her curtain of hair moved to point in his general direction. He made sure she could see the hand he had nudged her with, then pointed.

The curtain of hair tilted slightly, but Sadako didn't move, though it did open up the part in her hair enough he could just barely see a confused eye. Feeling self-conscious, he pointed again and stuck out his tongue.

She looked even more bemused, but stuck out her tongue at him, what little he could see of her expression telling him she was doing it childishly.

For a moment, he wondered if he really needed to be fair.

His other hand still holding Maria's hand and keeping Maria occupied with soft sighs and repetitions of his name, Rafael pointed again, stuck out his tongue and licked Maria's ear. Maria jerked with a surprised exclamation, shivering in her arms. "Rafael!" she giggled.

Sadako stared at him, then looked at where he was pointing. Slowly, hesitantly, she crawled there. Sadako glanced up towards him, and he nodded subtly, letting go of Maria's hand.

Sadako's head bobbed in what seemed a nervous gesture, but she leaned forward, and there was something strangely funny about how she had to use her hands to deliberately part her hair, revealing the pale triangle of her mouth, nose and chin. Those lips parted as her hair spread in a curtain.

Rafael felt the sudden twitch that ran through Maria's body against the front of his hip as Sadako began to hold Maria's hand, and Maria's sighs and moans began to get louder. He lay there, holding Maria as Sadako held her hand, the maid's free hand resting on his and helping make it easier for Maria to hold hands as he stroked Maria's stomach, resisting the urge to submit his increasing paperwork for her perusal. Maria's cries rose and reached a peak, and then got lower and lower in the way of all peaks as she shivered against him, her lungs panting as she relaxed from the strenuous hand holding. He adjusted his hold on her, pulling her up so the their heads were more even—

Rafael jerked as he felt a cold hand holding his hand. His hand twitched as a hot breath blew on it and held his hand gently. A mewling sound rose from his throat as his hand was held very firmly. In his arms, Maria began sigh and moan again as her hand was also held.

He… was used to this, to a degree, but this time it was completely different. Until now, such holding his hand and checking of his papers had been brief, if thorough, before it was passed on so that Maria could hold his hand. This time, however, his hand continued to be held! His hand became very sweat and wet, and he had to repress a groan. Rafael founded himself holding Maria's tightly to himself as Sadako's continued holding his hand…

He grit his teeth together as a groan escaped him. Sadako continued to hold his hand, and he felt her holding his fingers tightly. Only when he his grip was completely limp did she release him, and he shivered again as he felt lips kiss his fingers…

A hand held his again, holding him gently as Maria's sighs and moans began to grow louder again…

The next morning, when Rafael Walt woke up from a pleasant sleep, he found that in his sleep he had not been turned into a monstrous, vile worm, but instead had his fiancée sleeping in his arms. His confused but generally warm and fuzzy feelings about this were instantly kicked off a cliff by a bald man with a spear and shield as he remembered the night before, and it was only many mornings of being glad to wake up at all that prevented him from making any sudden moves as he slowly took note of his surroundings. Sadako was sleeping in her usual position on Maria's other side, the woman's arm draped over Maria's stomach, her hand resting on Rafael's hip, which was lower than its usual resting place, but nothing really strange.

Rafael remained where he was, trying—unsuccessfully—to convince himself that the last thing he remembered was just some sort of dream. W-why had that happened? He'd only suggested that Sadako…shake hands with Maria, not anything else… he hadn't…

The very thought made his palm sweaty, not that it ever needed much reason to do so in the mornings, and it pressed against Maria…

He felt her shift, her palm rubbing him between her fingers as her hand shifted and came to rest on his own. "Good morning, Rafael," she greeted him, her voice warm and sleepy and already lustful. "Hold hands with me?"

… well, he could think about this later, it's not like it was urgent or anything…