"i just get too embarrassed to be romantic," rain said, her head naturally turning away as adrianus moved closer. "like, it's just... it's like instinct... i just get nervous, and i can't do anything..."

"it makes you sound like a prey animal," he murmured softly near her ear, which she'd unintentionally turned toward him.

"well, like, i really feel like one sometimes..."

"it's cute..."

it was only making her heart pound harder. "it's just not really romantic, like, feeling like an animal that's about to get eaten..."

"it isn't?" he laughed quietly. "but it's a common theme in romance... making that sort of comparison... and it's common to say that you like someone so much that you could just eat them, too, isn't it?"

"i guess so," she muttered. "it's too literal with me, though..."

"i don't mind..." he held her a bit more tightly, leaning even closer, even as she squirmed. "i would eat you."

before she could respond, she felt his warm tongue dragging along her ear, his lips pressing and sucking against the lobe.

she shuddered. "you- you can't just do that..."

"i can feel your heartbeat..." he murmured. "it's fast right now..."

"you really are like some kind of animal that's trying to eat me..."

"well, it's just instinct," he said slowly. "the same way that your reactions are..."

she squirmed again, his tone seeping into her like a kind of venom.

"you're using the hypno voice," she mumbled.

"oh, am i?" he teased. "is it making you feel a bit helpless? is it making you freeze up?"

she wasn't sure she could take it, when she was already so wound up. it wasn't just that it was kind of overwhelming, it was the feeling that he was laser focused on overwhelming her... going right for all of her weaknesses.

at this point, she was trembling.

as he held her, he rubbed his thumb against her affectionately. every little romantic gesture just felt weird in this context. he was into it... he loved her like this...

as creepy as it felt, she really liked it.

"it makes you feel so sensitive, doesn't it?" he continued in that slow, quiet voice. "so aware of every little touch... every little movement... every breath... prey animals have to be sensitive to those kinds of things... don't they?"

she was twitching less and less the more he spoke, but it just meant all of that energy and tension was stuck inside of her.

"but, you know, i'm sensitive to those things, too," he said softly. "every little movement of your body... every little sign of nervousness... every weakness you show. so that i can adjust my position... so i can make sure you don't escape... so i can gradually render you more still and helpless in my arms... so that i can make you mine. so that i can eat you... taste you... feel you on my tongue... in my mouth..."

his lips brushed against her skin, against her neck, delicately kissing and licking it. it was so gentle and restrained, even while he talked about it like predation, but that just made it more overwhelming. she felt paralyzed by the warm tingles running through her body.

"is it getting more difficult to move?" he was still talking in such a warm, intimate, affectionate voice. "are you starting to go limp? i can feel your body becoming more still..."

"i am..." she squeaked. "it's so weird, you barely even said anything about that..."

"it's just instinct, isn't it? but that's alright... it feels so nice... feeling you start to go limp in my arms..."

he planted more kisses along her skin.

she really was getting more limp. she wasn't trying to, the energy just felt like it was leaving her. her muscles were giving up, her mind was getting fuzzy, and as the relaxation started to run through her, all the tension and nervousness was starting to melt into some kind of romantic and lovey feeling.

which shouldn't have been that weird, really. she liked him. this was just a silly game they were playing. but the romantic feelings mixed with the feeling of being prey, into a new, confusing sensation.

"that's it," he cooed. "so vulnerable... just giving in... it's all you can do... you already know i've got you... and i'm not letting go."

it was really sweet and comforting, somehow.

"mm... just hold still and let me eat you up..."

he still wasn't rough, but his licks traveled farther along her body, his kissing and light sucking feeling hungrier. sometimes his teeth grazed her skin, with little nibbles and careful bites.

she responded with little moans and weak twitches, which he always reacted to, cooing soft praise and kissing her throat, pressing her even closer against him.

"you're just so cute," he murmured. "i can't resist it."

"i... i can't resist it either," she said quietly. "i can't resist you..."

"does it feel nice?"

"it feels really good..."

"oh, even though you're prey? even though you're being eaten?"

"it just feels good..."

another soft kiss. "that's good... giving yourself up, just for me..."

he pushed her back, locking her legs in his, pinning her down with his weight as his hands wandered.

"that's good," she whispered, wanting to give some kind of indication that she liked it, that she wanted more.

"you really aren't much of a nervous prey animal at all, are you?" he purred. "you're not fighting it..."

"well, i was squirming earlier, but..."

"oh, that's right," he said softly. "it must have been my voice..."

"it's like a venom..."

"it makes your head so fuzzy, doesn't it? it makes you want to be my prey... so you hold nice and still... and make it easy for me. you just melt in my mouth..."

he tilted her chin to face him, kissing her on the lips, as his hips slowly rocked against hers.

"it... it is kind of romantic..." she mumbled between kisses.

"that's right..." he whispered. "you're giving yourself up to me..."

she laughed a little. "well, like, saying it like that makes it sound scary, but..."

"oh, i know. it's not really like that... but it's alright to pretend... you can just let yourself be my prey right now..."

her body started to go limp again, her mind being flooded with a fuzzy, tingly pleasure. every part of her felt helpless. every part of her felt loved.