Archive of Our Own

Jim Chee doesn’t get jealous; he gets even (with himself, at least). He’s never bought into the concept that he’s owed anything from the women he’s seeing. Or not seeing, in Bernadette Manuelito’s case.

Doesn’t make seeing her dance with Ivan Muños any easier, though. He’s a good dancer, which makes it worse, watching him twirl her around the small makeshift dance floor, her smiling so open at him, with her pretty pink dress and curly hair.

He downs his shot of whiskey, grimacing at the taste, and makes his way onto the dance floor. “Can I cut in?” he asks, tapping Bern on the shoulder.

Bern turns towards him, meets his eyes, him in that dark blue suit with his blue and gold floral tie. Hair’s not so slicked back though, less product in it tonight. Didn’t expect him to actually make a move, though she’s been feeling his eyes on her the entire time she’s been dancing with Ivan. “Sure,” she says, stepping out of Ivan’s arms.

”Hey, don’t I get a say?” Ivan says, shaking his head. What is with this Jim guy?

”I’ll dance with you again later,” Bern says, shooting him a smile before turning her back to him, putting her hands on Jim’s shoulders.

Jim puts his hands on her waist, rubs the fabric of her pretty pink dress (feels like cotton, not that fancy but she looks good in pink, looks good with her curly hair and that red lipstick. Wish she hadn’t walked into the bar with Ivan). “You look beautiful, Bernadette,” he murmurs, just tipsy enough to not hold his tongue, even though he should. She smells good, like some type of flower, but he can’t place which one. Lavender, maybe?

She feels her cheeks flush, looks at the freckle under his left eye. “So do you. Your Pat Boone suit is growing on me,” she teases, partly to see how he’ll react to her calling him beautiful. It’s a good litmus test, she’s found.

He grins at her as they sway to the music, and she wraps her arms around his neck, rests her chin into his shoulder, next to his ear. “I knew you’d like it eventually,” he says softly into her ear. “I think I look very beautiful in it,” he whispers, low enough so only she can hear. Wants to ask her to leave with him. Juke box is playing this, this song he’s heard in passing before, about missing your woman, but not possessing her.

She closes her eyes, breathes in his scent and whatever cologne he’s wearing is nice. Smells like…like the desert in monsoon season, a mix of wet earth and wildflowers, she thinks. Reminds her of home. He’s still rubbing circles on her waist, and she leans into him a little more, feels his breath on her neck. She doesn’t want to go back to dancing with Ivan. He’s a better dancer; he’d twirled her around before pulling her in close, whereas so far her and Jim are just swaying to some Bob Dylan song. Reminds her of the last time they’d been this close. She can still feel his lips on hers, his tongue in her mouth if she really pictures it.

”Come home with me,” he murmurs into her ear, can’t hold it back anymore. He says it again, in Diné this time, feels her stiffen in his arms.

She pulls back, meets his eyes. “I’m trying to build a life here,” she reminds him, but doesn’t move out of his arms.

He nods, bites back “Inside of a snake pit?”; doesn’t want to ruin this. Opens his mouth, closes it. “Garza at yours, tonight?”

She shakes her head, unsure of where he’s going with this.

”Can I come home with you, then? Please? Oh I’d be so good to you Bern, please,” he murmurs.

Her eyebrows shoot up, not expecting him to be so forward in public. Finds herself nodding, leading him out of the bar, not letting go of his hand.

He leads her to his car, and she opens her own car door, unfortunately. He’d wanted to at least try to be romantic. He slides into the driver’s seat, and she directs him to Garza’s house.

She kisses him hard as soon as they cross the threshold, pushing him against the closed door. Feels his hands run up her back, holding her to him as she slips her tongue in his mouth when he moans, and he tastes like bad whiskey (she thinks it’s whiskey; been a while since she’s had any).

He never wants to stop kissing her, even with the door knob digging into his back, his buttoned suit jacket starting to be uncomfortable. Wishes he hadn’t worn his tie, now. Feels like it’s strangling him. He breaks the kiss, looks at her, with her pretty curls, pretty brown eyes. Her lipstick’s smeared on her mouth now, probably smeared on his too.

He’s got her lipstick all over his mouth, and she bursts out laughing, snorting through her nose and she tries not to let that embarrass her. “Here, let me,” she gets out, grabbing Jim’s pocket square out of his pocket, wiping his mouth off. It’s pretty, his handkerchief, a satin blue floral material that matches his tie.

He stays still as she wipes his mouth, and he can’t help feeling a little proud he’d made her laugh, kind of. “You have some…” he murmurs, taking the handkerchief from her when she’s finished, cleans the lipstick off her mouth.

She smiles at him when he drops his hand from her face, backs up a little bit. Leans against the wall next to him, pulls her boots and socks off, sees him removing his shoes out of the corner of her eye. He doesn’t try looking up her dress when she yanks her boots off in a very awkward fashion.

She walks into the living room, hears him following her and she turns around, stops, waits till he walks up to her. “Bedroom is this way,” she murmurs, grabbing onto his suit jacket, pulling him past those beaded curtains she hates (she’s half-tempted to step on a strand on purpose, break it). Pushes him against the wall again, kisses him gently, not like earlier. He deepens the kiss immediately, and his hands on her back reminds her of their first kiss. She slides her hands up his body, rests them on his broad shoulders and fuck she can’t wait to get this suit off him.

Her hands are in his hair, running through it, playing with the hair at the back of his neck. He’s not used to women pressing him against walls, kissing him senseless like this. Not that he’s complaining. She’s so close, and he pulls her a little closer, till every part of her is touching him.

She breaks the kiss when she needs air, rests her forehead against his. Tries not to think of how he’s leaving for home tomorrow, and she’s staying here. His eyes are closed, and he looks very peaceful. Feels his warm breath on her face. She presses into his body a bit more, can feel him hard against her thigh, and he groans, opens his eyes.

”Do you still want this?” he asks, hoping desperately that she does.

She chuckles, pulls her head back. “Yeah Chee, I do,”

A sharp intake of breath happens instinctively, and he can’t bring himself to smile. “Call me Jim tonight, please. That’s all I’m going to ask of you, I promise,”

She nods; she’d noticed how he’d looked at her when she’d introduced him to Ivan as “Jim”. Makes sense, feels right, to call him that. “Okay, Jim,” she murmurs, kissing him again. Slides her hands down to his arms, pulls him down the hall towards her bedroom.

As soon as they cross the threshold of her bedroom, close the door, the mood shifts. It’s almost shy, now, and Jim can’t bring himself to meet her eyes.

They’re not touching each other anymore, and that simply won’t do. Bern brushes his hair out of his face, slides her hands down and unbuttons his jacket. He meets her eyes as she pulls it off his shoulders.

He watches her put it on a hanger, hang it up in her closet. He waits until she’s looking at him to loosen his tie, pull it up off his shirt collar and she takes it from him, stuffs it in a pocket of his suit jacket with his lipstick-stained handkerchief.

She walks up to him, starts unbuttoning his shirt. Untucks it from his pants, unbuttons the sleeves carefully. Peels it off his shoulders for him, and fuck he has nice arms. He’s still wearing that traditional Diné silver chain around his neck, some chest hair poking up above his undershirt. He’s got his tádídíín hanging from a leather cord around his neck. She reaches out, lifts it up over his head. Means a lot, that he’s still wearing it, that she rubbed off on him like that.

He feels his neck heat up when she carefully removes his tádídíín, watches her hang it up on a hanger along with his shirt, put it in her closet. She walks back to him, and her back is to the bed. He notices the bouquet of flowers on her nightstand, probably from Ivan. Ignores them, focuses his gaze back on her. “Can I…” he trails off, focusing his gaze on the buttons down the front of her dress.

”Go ahead,” she murmurs, shivering a little as he starts to unbutton her dress, and she’s wishing she hadn’t worn her slip tonight; just one more layer to take off.

As he slowly reveals her white, lace-trimmed slip, he notices the hickeys trailing down an inch or so below her collarbone, disappearing underneath her slip, and her matching bra underneath it. “Are you and Ivan a couple?” he asks, unbuttoning the last button, resting his hand on the tie at her waist.

She meets his eyes, doesn’t see any judgement in them. Good. “No. It’s just physical, he wants more than that but I…” She trails off, relieved when he unties the tie at her waist. “Do you have anyone?”

He shakes his head, pulls her dress down off her shoulders, tugs it down past her ass where it falls to the ground, pooling around her feet, and he carefully slides the straps of her slip off her shoulders, tugging that down until it joins her dress on the floor (the slip’s lace hem stops mid-thigh, and she really is beautiful in it). The neckline of her bra stops at the bottom of her sternum, and the hickeys trail down her chest. Her lacy white underwear matches her slip and bra. Decides to ignore that she probably wore this whole set for Ivan.

She raises her eyebrows, tilts his chin up from staring at her bra to meet his eyes. “Really? No one? It’s been six months,”

”I know how long it’s been, Bernadette,” he murmurs, leans in and kisses her again.

She pulls back before he deepens it, grabs the hem of his undershirt, pulls it up off his torso and damn. She rests her hand on his chest, rubs his chest hair a little. Kisses him, wrapping her left arm around his neck, trails her right hand down his torso and fuck, he’s fit, in that works-outdoors, chops-his-own-wood way. Not overly built. Very, very beautiful. Good kisser. Feels his hands running up her back, his watch band scratching her skin, stopping at her bra hook.

He unhooks her bra, tongue still in her mouth. Feels her hand reach his belt, undo it one-handed.

She breaks the kiss, looks at him. No going back after they do this, right? “You still want this, Jim?” she murmurs against his mouth. Still want her, knowing she’s fucking another man? Might continue to fuck him, once Jim leaves for home.

Oh, it’s almost cruel, her asking him this while rubbing his happy trail, not straying past his pants or boxers but fuck, he wants her to. “I’ll always want you, Bernadette,” he answers, keeping eye contact with her. “I don’t care who you’ve been with, who you’ll be with after this,”

He’s serious. Shit. Jim Chee, the man you are. She pulls back, lets go of him, and he tugs her bra off her shoulders, tosses it onto the floor.

She’s got hickeys covering her breasts; dark love-bites on both of her brown nipples, another underneath her left breast. ’Muños didn’t leave me much room, huh’ he thinks, eyes lingering on the hickeys at the top of her breasts. Fuck, they’re beautiful, look even lovelier with the hickeys, just wishes he’d been the man to give them to her. Drags his gaze back up to her face when he realizes he’s been staring, cheeks flushing. “You’re so pretty, Bern,” he murmurs, reaching a hand up, sliding it into her pretty hair.

She feels her face flush, leans into his touch. “Ahéhee’,” she murmurs, kisses him again. Unbuttons and unzips his pants, slides her hand into his pants. Still wants her after seeing another man’s marks on her body; weird. Keeps her hand above his boxers, runs it over his hard cock, smiling when he moans into her mouth.

He breaks the kiss, and she pulls his pants down past his ass till they fall to the ground. He steps out of them, watches her step out of her dress and slip.

She grabs onto his shoulders, twirls them around so his back is to the bed now. Backs him up until his knees hit the side of the bed. She lets go of him, pulls her covers back cause it’s not her duvet, and technically she’s not allowed to bring men back here.

Jim smiles, watching her pull the covers back cause of course she’s the type of woman to want to fuck under the covers. Very endearing.

Bern grabs the condoms from her side table drawer, leaves the strip on top of the folder Jim had given her, next to Ivan’s flowers. Turns on her bedside lamp. Straightens, looks at him, almost daring him to have a problem with her having condoms in her room but he just unfastens his watch, placing it next to the condoms on her table, works the ring off his right hand, places it next to the watch.

Bern puts her hands on his shoulders, pushes him down on the bed. Straddles his lap, feels his hands go up her back. “You mean that? When you said you’ll always want me?” she asks softly, meeting his eyes.

He nods, takes a breath. “I haven’t stopped thinking about you since you left, about how we left things, about what I should have said,” he murmurs, feels tears prickling in his eyes.

She takes a hand off the back of his neck, caresses his cheek. “Yeah? What should you have said, Jim?” she asks softly, simultaneously wanting and not wanting to know the answer.

’Ayóó ánííníshní’ he thinks, knows he can’t say that yet. Not tonight, when he has to leave her tomorrow. Wants to have her for real when he tells her, when he doesn’t have to leave her in the morning. “Stay. We could be good together, you and me,” he says instead, softly, voice barely above a whisper. Knows she hears him, with how her eyes get all soft.

“Diigis,” she murmurs fondly, kisses him gently. Slips her tongue in his mouth, starts grinding on him, and he’s hard underneath her. Oh, she’s wet enough she doesn’t need him to touch her but she wants him to.

Jim runs his hands down to her waist, slips his fingers into the sides of her underwear. Feels her lift her hips up off him, and he tugs them down her ass.

She groans, breaking the kiss and making herself get off his lap, tugs her underwear the rest of the way off, watches him quickly dispose of his boxers and okay, Mr. Chee. He’s a decent size, uncircumcised which is a bit surprising. Wonders if his mother had him at home. “Can I touch you?” she asks, pulling her gaze up to meet his eyes.

He nods, spreads his legs a little wider and moans when she wraps her hand around him, stroking him slowly. Feels like slimmer version of his own, and he’s careful not to look long or he’ll come too fast. “Can I touch you?” he moans, itching to. Thinks he sees wetness in her pubes, close to her cunt. If she spread her legs a bit more he’s sure he’d see her clit poking up.

”Yes,” she says, takes her hand off him cause she can’t make him come on the floor. Doesn’t want the mess. Maybe later tonight she’ll take him in her mouth. She straddles his lap again, keeping enough space between their bodies that he can fit his hand down between them. If it’s a messy orgasm she won’t come completely on his dick, at least.

Okay, he can do this. He keeps his right hand on her back, steadying her on his lap, reaches his left down between their bodies, and fuck, she’s dripping. He’s barely touched her tonight, and she’s so wet for him. Her clit’s poking up, hard and feels big enough to suck on, and she moans really pretty when he rubs his thumb over it. “How many fingers do you like, baby?” he asks, watching her face as he touches her, mouth falling open, eyes shut, leaning her head back a little. Her hands tighten on his shoulders.

”Mmm…depends on how big your hand is. For your little hands…two’ll work,” she moans, keeping her eyes closed. Can feel him looking at her, realizes too late that the “little hands” comment sounds like an insult. And then he slips his fingers inside her and she can’t think. Makes herself open her eyes, and he’s just looking at her, pupils all blown out. Stroking her g-spot deep inside her with the pads of his fingertips, and fuck the stretch of his fingers is too good. “Jim, baby, you’re good, you’re so good,” she moans, kisses him hard.

He moans, and she slips her tongue in his mouth, rocking her hips on his fingers and he rubs her hard clit with his palm. She clenches around his fingers, her cum spilling out into his lap, coating his hand, and fuck, he comes when her cum lands on his dick, moans into her mouth.

She pulls her lips off his, shaking, and he’s still fucking her with his fingers. Fuck, her pubes feel drenched, his palm rubbing circles on her still-hard, sensitive clit. Fingers still buried inside her, stroking her g-spot and the eye contact is real nice. Moves her hands to the back of his neck, plays with his hair, only breaking eye contact when he makes her come again, moans his name.

She’s beautiful when she comes, moaning his name, head leaning back. Loves feeling her come on his fingers, and she comes a lot, doesn’t she? Wonders if she comes this much with Ivan. Bed feels soaked underneath them with a mix of their cum, it’s a bit uncomfortable but he’s not going to tell her that.

Oh, he gives her another and she’ll be too tired to ride him. “J-Jim, stop now,” she gets out, and as soon as she says “Stop,” his fingers are out of her cunt and in his mouth. Her mouth falls open a little, at that. Didn’t think he’s that kind of man, fuck.

He tries not to blush as she stares at him cleaning off his hand. She tastes good, and he’s pretty sure he gets a bit of his cum in his mouth too. He pulls his fingers out of his mouth once they’re clean enough, smiles at her. “So, you enjoy yourself?”

She laughs, shaking her head. “You are impossible,” she says, smiling at him. She gets off his lap, and when did he come? “Want me to suck you off to get you hard again?” she offers, nodding at his dick.

He raises his eyebrows, nods dumbly. Watches her get on her knees, and fuck, he really didn’t expect this tonight.

”Don’t grab my hair, okay? Maybe next time you can, but not tonight,” she warns, tying her hair back, pushing down her embarrassment at admitting that she’d be into going down on him more than once. “And don’t…you wouldn’t, I know you wouldn’t, but don’t disrespect me. You call me by my name if you want to moan something, or a sweet pet-name if you want.” Thankfully his cum, whenever he’d had his orgasm, had landed on her sheets and not the carpet.

”Okay,” he says, resting his hands on his knees, smart enough not to comment on what she’d said about a next time.

She nods, fixes her gaze on his dick. Still pretty nice-looking, flaccid and all. ’Really, Bern? You’re that into him? For fuck’s sake’ she admonishes herself, wrapping her hand around the base. “Wait, um, when’d you get tested? You clean? I use condoms with Ivan so I’m okay,”

Well he never wanted to know that. “Um, when I got shot last year, last hookup was before that. I’m clean,” he says, blushing.

She nods. Still can’t believe there’s been no one for him in six months. Doesn’t know what to make of that. Leans forward, licks his dick and it’s weird, licking a flaccid dick, especially when she tastes her cum on it, feels her face flush at the realization. Gets less flaccid as she keeps spitting on it though, so that’s helpful, and she makes sure to lick until she can’t taste herself anymore. He tastes clean, when she takes him in her mouth. Stretches her mouth out real nice, not enough to feel like she’s choking, enough to feel good in her mouth. Turns her on, getting him hard with her mouth.

Fuck, she’s good at this. She’s so pretty, with her curly hair, pretty hand wrapped around his cock, half-jerking him off as she uses her mouth on him, feels her tongue licking the underside of him slowly. “Fuck, baby you’re perfect, you’re so perfect beautiful,” he moans, can’t stop watching her. Remembers that this is supposed to be a getting-him-hard blowjob, not a getting-him-off blowjob. Reaches down, taps her on the shoulder. “I’m good now Bern,” he gets out, and fuck how is her taking her mouth off his cock so hot?

”I’m perfect, huh?” she teases, wiping the spit off her chin with the back of her hand; fuck she needs him inside her now. She pulls her hair loose, wrapping the hair-band around her wrist. Takes his hand when he offers it, nice of him to pull her up. She straddles his lap again, kisses him softly.

He smiles at her when she pulls back, running his hands up her back. “Yeah, you are,” he murmurs, fuck she’s got beautiful eyes.

He’s sweet, looking at her all soft like this. She’s looking forward to him holding her tonight, after sex. Waking up in his arms, if he doesn’t leave before she wakes up. “You okay with me being on top?” she asks, stroking his hair. So soft tonight, feels nice under her hands.

”Yeah, always,” he murmurs, goes to kiss her again but she turns her head at the last second, so he gets her cheek instead.

She smiles when he kisses her cheek as she rips a condom off the sleeve. Gets off his lap, watches him get into bed, lean his back against her headboard with her pillows. She straddles his thighs, hands him the condom. “This okay?”

”Yeah, this’ll work,” he says, tearing it open, hissing a bit as he slides it on.

She nods, moves up so she’s straddling his hips, rests her hands on his chest, and he positions himself at her cunt, sweet of him. She moans as she sinks down on him, and it doesn’t hurt when he’s all the way inside her. ’Probably under 6 inches’ she thinks, blushing at even thinking about this while she’s fucking him. Fuck, he feels so nice, just that right amount of stretch to not feel like too much.

He can’t think, fuck she feels so good, looks so beautiful, slowly rocking her hips up and down. Doesn’t even mind the hickeys on her pretty breasts. “You’re so pretty, beautiful,” he moans, pulling his gaze up to her face from her breasts.

She bursts out laughing, shaking her head. “Did you just call me pretty and beautiful at the same time?” she says, feels his hands rest on her thighs.

”Mmm, no, I called you pretty, beautiful’s your nickname,” he clarifies, eyes closing briefly when she clenches herself around him; thinks she did that on purpose. Not coming yet, it’d be a river if she was.

”It is? Since when?” she teases him, lifting herself up slowly, moaning high when she drops back down, fuck he feels so good. Keeps rubbing her thighs, looking at her really soft.

”Tonight, if you like it,” he moans, meets her eyes. “Can I touch your breasts, beautiful?” he gets out, realizes he’s barely paid her body any attention tonight and that’s a crime.

”You don’t have to ask, baby,” she moans, touched that he does. It’s sweet, that he asks permission even when she’s fucking him like this, making him moan all pretty. “You can, though,”

He wastes no time cupping her breasts in his hands, running his thumbs over her hard brown nipples and they really look beautiful with the hickeys. He’s careful, knows the hickeys are probably tender, look pretty fresh.

Oh, he’s unbelievably gentle with her, rubbing her nipples with the pads of his fingers, gently kneading her breasts in his hands. Makes her moan, how gently he’s touching her. Takes a hand off his chest, rubs her clit as she rides him and oh, oh that’s what she needed.

He moans, watching her rub her clit. He trails his gaze up to meet her eyes, and she locks eyes with him as she comes, pulling him over the edge with her and he runs his hand up to the back of her neck, pulls her mouth to his.

He kisses her mid-orgasm like he’s starving for it. He’s still kneading her breast gently, not even squeezing during his orgasm and fuck he’s such a good man. Kind of man she’d want to marry, build a life with. She breaks the kiss after her orgasm, rests her head in the crook of his shoulder. Feels his hand leave her breast, stroke her back.

She’s panting into his ear, feels the sweat on her back, her pretty hair is in his face a little but he’d never complain about that. “You okay, beautiful?” he murmurs, hears her give a tired laugh into his ear.

”Mmm, yeah…” she murmurs, presses a kiss to the side of his neck, tastes the sweat on his skin, and she means for it to be a soft one, but his little moan at her lips on his neck, a little thrust up inside her with his hips makes her moan. Runs her teeth over it lightly, sucks on the skin hard enough to leave a mark and he’s moaning, gripping her back, slowly rocking up inside her and it’s just on the edge of “too much” post-orgasm to feel good.

She’s giving him a hickey. Feels nice, her mouth on his neck, marking him. Too soon she’s pulling her head back, meeting his eyes.

”You want to fuck me again, you’ll need another condom,” she murmurs, getting off him, slumps beside him on the bed. “Bathroom is down the hall. Wrap the condom up so Garza doesn’t see; I’m not allowed to have men here,” she says, closing her eyes.

”Why?” he asks, taking the condom off, tying it up.

”Hmm, don’t know. House rule: you want to fuck, go to his place or a motel,” she murmurs. Feels the bed dip, hears the door open as he leaves.

He comes back a few minutes later, slides into bed with her. “Do you want to have sex again?” he asks, watching her open her eyes, prop herself up against the pillows at his question.

”Hmmm…I could be persuaded…” she teases, smiling at him. “I gotta go to the bathroom first, though,”

”I’ll wait,” he says, watching her get out of bed, leave the room. He’s used to waiting.

She carefully closes the bedroom door when she comes back out of habit more than necessity; Garza doesn’t like a lot of noise at night. She can’t help her smile when she sees him laying naked in her bed, and she slides in next to him.

So…” he murmurs, pecking her on the lips. “Can that persuasion be going down on you?”

”Yeah, sounds nice…don’t give me hickeys on my breasts though. Still a little tender there,” she warns. “If it’s covered by my uniform it’s fair game,”

”Okay,” he murmurs, pecks her on the lips again, straddles her carefully. “This okay? I’ll get off you,” he says, kicking himself for not asking before straddling her.

Oh, this is real nice. Feels his flaccid dick laying on her cunt, makes her a little dizzy. “No, no you’re fine, baby,” she assures him, reaching up and caressing his cheek. He’s sweet, how worried he is about her comfort.

He nods, kisses her gently on the lips, and he still can’t believe this is real. Works his way down her jaw, loving her little snort-laugh when he kisses just underneath it.

He keeps kissing her through her laughter, and when he presses his first kiss onto the hickey Ivan gave her on the top of her breast, she can’t help freezing a little. She’s not a slut, is she? Fucking two men within hours of each other. Jim really, honestly doesn’t seem to mind, which is wild to her.

He feels her hands start carding through his hair as he gently kisses her breast, carefully fondling the other one with his left hand (doesn’t trust himself to be able to be as careful with his right).

She closes her eyes, moaning softly as he works his way over her breast, pressing down on his head when he wraps his lips around her nipple. It’s still very tender from Ivan’s rough hickeys this morning, and Jim’s gentle with her, running his tongue over it, not even trying to suck. It’s weird, him straddling her, moving down her body as he kisses her breast. He’s good with his hand, gently rubbing and squeezing, not enough to hurt with the hickeys. “Hmmm, Jim?”

He lifts his head, a string of saliva connecting her nipple to his mouth for a second before it breaks when he murmurs “Yeah?”

”You keep touching me like this, you’re gonna put me to sleep. Move on, honey,” and fuck, she keeps accidentally insulting him. Doesn’t know how to apologize for that, cause it’s true; his touch and kisses on her breasts are so relaxing. Feels safe just nodding off with him still kissing her.

”Okay,” he murmurs, smiling at her calling him “honey”. Kisses her sternum gently, moves down to her stomach, and she doesn’t have any hickeys here… “Can I give you hickeys on your stomach?”

She can’t help laughing at that; who gives hickeys on her stomach? “If you want,” she gets out through peals of snorting laughter, and she’s being so mean to him, laughing at him, calling his hands small. Deserves better than that. “S-sorry for laughing,” she gets out once she calms down, keeps stroking his hair.

”It’s okay,” he murmurs, leaning into her touch. “You have a pretty laugh, I love hearing it,” he says, meeting her eyes.

She blushes, smiling at him. “Well good, cause my stomach might be ticklish. If you can’t do it while I’m laughing you can leave hickeys on my thighs,”

Jim raises his eyebrows at that; does Ivan not eat her out, or not give her hickeys on her thighs? He’s selfishly hoping it’s both. “Okay,” he says, presses a kiss to her stomach.

She bursts into laughter when he tries sucking a hickey above her navel, and that’s the end of trying to give her stomach hickeys.

He waits till she stops laughing to press a kiss just underneath her navel, keeps pressing feather-light kisses down her hips. He’s between her thighs now, and there’s no hickeys there. He looks up, meeting her eyes. “How do you like this?”

She keeps running her hands though his hair, thinks about it. Ivan’s very talented with his fingers and his dick, less so with his tongue. Makes up for it in enthusiasm, but it’s not so bad that she wants to give him pointers. Save that work for his future wife. “I want to see your baseline, before I tell you how I like it,” she says, and his brown eyes are so beautiful.

Okay, he likes a challenge. “You said hickeys on your thighs are okay?” he confirms, relieved when she nods yes. He takes a risk, hooks her legs up over his shoulders without asking.

Oh, he’s already gonna be better than Ivan, if legs over the shoulders are what he normally does. She moans when he starts sucking hickeys into her inner thighs, breaks eye contact with him, even though it’s nice, how he wants to keep looking at her.

He runs his tongue along the crease in her thigh, gets some of her pubes in his mouth and tries to discretely pick them off his tongue, running his fingers over her clit clumsily with his right hand. She’s gasping real softly, eyes closed and head leaned back, and thankfully she doesn’t notice. Goes back to giving her hickeys on her inner thighs, and she’s pressing down on his head, pulling him up to her cunt by his hair and he’s not about to refuse the lady, is he?

She moans, meets his eyes again as he slips his tongue inside her and oh, he’s good at this. He’s rubbing her clit with his fingers, little bit too fast to enjoy it and she tugs his hair, pulls his head up. “Slow your fingers down a little, baby,” she moans, and he gives a little nod, slips his tongue back inside her and slows down his fingers, and fuck she loves a man who’ll listen to her without hesitation.

He feels her squeeze around his tongue with her first orgasm, moaning his name over and over and it’s such a turn-on, her calling him “Jim” when she’s coming. Swallows her cum as it runs into his mouth, drips down his chin. Slips his tongue out, replaces it with his fingers, still a little cramped from fucking her earlier but he’ll deal with that later. She’s still keeping eye contact with him. He likes that.

She jerks against his mouth, moaning loud when he wraps his lips around her clit, starts running his tongue over it as he’s fucking her with his fingers, buried all the way inside her. When he was fucking her with them earlier, it struck her how his fingers inside her felt so similar to her own when she’s fucking herself, but fuck, this isn’t something she can do to herself. He’s still keeping his eyes locked on hers, and she pulls him closer with her legs. “Baby, oh baby you are so good, you’re so good Jim,” she moans, and the constant eye contact brings on another orgasm as he keeps flicking his tongue on her clit, tapping her g-spot with his fingers.

She tugs his mouth up when he’s just starting to get into the groove of it, sure if he keeps going like this he can wring orgasm after orgasm out of her. Pulls his fingers out, feels her clench around them as he does and he sticks them in his mouth, cleans them off to hide his grin.

”S-stop looking so pleased with yourself,” she pants, dropping her legs from his shoulders, biting back a moan at him cleaning off his fingers cause surely he got enough of her when he was eating her out.

”Hmm, no, I think I earned that,” he teases, moving up to lay beside her, moaning into her mouth when she kisses him without hesitation, slipping her tongue in his mouth.

She’s always liked kissing a man after he’s gone down on her, especially when he’s done it as well as Jim has. She pulls back after a minute or so when she needs air, and his chin is wet with her cum. Runs her tongue over his nice square jaw, cleans him off and he laughs under her mouth.

Oh she’s cute, cleaning his face off like that. “Aw, thanks baby,” he murmurs, kisses her quickly. “Did I persuade you enough? Cause I’m happy to keep persuading you, if you need that,” he says, grinning at her.

She rolls her eyes, smiles back at him. “No, I’m persuaded. Do you need me to touch you?”

”No, I’m good,” he says, grabbing a condom off the strip on her bedside table, rolls it on.

”What, did you get turned on going down on me? You’re on top this time,” she says, laying back into the pillows, adjusting one under her hips, spreading her legs.

He straddles her hips, situates himself on top of her so he’s not crushing her. “Yeah, I did,” he murmurs, kissing her softly. Keeps his hands out of her hair, even though he really wants to touch it.

Mmm, feels so good, him on top of her. She reaches down between them, positions him at her cunt, slips her arms underneath his armpits. He’s still kissing her when he thrusts inside her, and she gasps into his mouth. ’Stupid, you’ve literally already fucked him tonight’ she thinks, running her hands up and down his back.

He pulls his lips off hers when he’s all the way inside her, meets her eyes as he starts moving. Feels her nails start to dig into his back, and he moans when she bucks her hips up to meet him.

Fuck, he’s real good with rhythm, slowly moving in and out of her, and she drags a hand up to his hair, pulls his mouth down on hers. Slips her tongue into his mouth, moans when he keeps up that slow, steady rhythm, even grinds up against her clit when he’s all the way inside her. Yeah, she’s going to marry this man.

He moans into her mouth, feels her nails digging into his back whenever he thrusts inside her and does that mean she likes it? He pulls his lips off hers, panting. “Y-you having a good time, Bern?”

She chuckles. “Diigis. Can’t you tell?” she moans, bucking her hips up. “You having a good time?” she teases, smiling up at him.

Oh he never wants her to stop smiling at him like this, all open and vulnerable. “You know I am, baby,” he murmurs, starts kissing her neck.

”No hickeys!”

”I won’t, don’t worry,” he murmurs against her neck, near her ear. “Okay if I go a little harder, Bern? Want my hand on your clit?” he asks, feels her starting to clench around him and hopefully she’s close.

”Yeah, go as hard as you want. Slow, hard circles on my clit too, please,” she moans, and he’s not giving her any hickeys on her neck. Digs her nails into his back when he starts fucking her a little harder, reaching his hand down between them and rubbing her clit slowly, nice amount of pressure.

He moans against her neck as she comes around him, lets himself come with her. Pants against her neck, pressing little kisses at any spot he can reach. Feels her hands rubbing up and down his back, and it hurts from how hard she’d scratched him.

”Mmm…that was so perfect, baby,” she moans, and fuck, her scratches feel deep. She runs a hand up to his hair, pulls his lips off her neck, meets his eyes. “Did I hurt your back when I scratched you?”

”Little bit. Don’t mind it at all, Bern,” he assures her, holding onto the condom as he gets off her. Takes it off, ties it off.

Bern grimaces at how wet her sheet feels underneath her, and shit, there’s no dry spot left, is there? She sits up, watches him sit up, swing his legs over the side and shit, his back has three long, deep scratch marks, starting to raise up in his skin and they look painful. She reaches her hand out, runs her hand over them and he winces. “Liar! You’re bleeding! Bring the first aid kit in when you come back from the bathroom, it’s behind the medicine cabinet,” she instructs.

”It’s really not that bad,” he says, but when he disposes of the condom he grabs the first aid kit. Stops by the kitchen, fills two glasses with water and brings those in with the first aid kit.

”Here,” he says, handing her the glass of water. He sits down, puts the first aid kit on the bed, downs his water.

Bern drinks her water, sets it down on one of the coasters on her bedside table, waits till he does the same to open the first aid kit. “This’ll sting a little,” she warns, getting out the alcohol wipes.

”I swear I’m–ow! Fuck, Bern!” he hisses, and okay, if it stung that bad maybe she’s not exaggerating.

“Told you it would hurt, don’t be a baby,” she says, tsk-tsking at him and rolling her eyes, smiling a bit. She gets the bandage out of the first aid kit, puts it on the spots in the middle of her scratches where she broke skin. “I’m sorry I scratched you so hard,” she murmurs, smoothing the bandage down gently.

“I don’t mind, Bern. It’s nothing you got to apologize for,” he assures her. He waits until she locks the first aid kit back up and sets it on the floor before he turns the bedside lamp off, lays back down on the damp sheets.

”I’ll be right back, I gotta…” she gestures towards the bathroom, and gets back into bed with him when she returns, laying her head on his shoulder, throwing her leg over his, pulling the dry top sheet up over them. Feels him stroke her back, realizes he hasn’t touched her hair since she’d given him that half-blowjob. “You can touch my hair if you want, baby,” she murmurs, smiling at how quick he starts stroking her hair, less curly now, after all they’d done together.

”So…how’d I do?”

She rests her chin on his shoulder, looks at him. “With what?” she asks, teasing him.

He gives her a look, shaking his head. “Being on top. You did amazing, you know that, how’d I do?”

She blushes at the compliment, rubs his chest hair a little. “Really good, I had a great time,”

’Was I better than Ivan?’ he thinks, stopping himself from asking. Doesn’t want to know either way. “Good,” he murmurs, kissing her hair, near the scar she got in that car accident.

She hums, lowers her gaze to that chain around his neck. “Is it okay if…if I keep seeing Ivan? Sleeping with him, going on dates?”

He stiffens, stops stroking her hair. Thinks about it. They’re not together. Not fair to try this for real as a long distance relationship. “Yeah, course. Just…promise me you won’t marry him? Or if you do, don’t tell me until you’re married,” he gets out, feeling his chest get tight at the thought. Really hopes she won’t marry that man.

”Marry him? I’m not going to marry him!” she assures him, shaking her head at the absurdity of that request. “He’s just someone I’m having fun with. It’s not serious, don’t worry,”

”Okay, good,” he murmurs, closing his eyes. Feels real late.

”Promise you won’t leave without telling me? I have an alarm set, we could pray out back together at sunrise,” she asks, closing her eyes, laying her head back down on his shoulder.

”Promise,” he murmurs, stroking her hair.

In the morning, they wake up with Bern’s alarm, get dressed together in her room, Jim in his suit and Bern in her uniform. Bern leads him out back to the garden where she always prays, and they pray together with the sunrise, sprinkling corn pollen on the ground, then their scalps. Gives her a sense of home.

”Well, I guess I should head out,” Jim says as he sits in her kitchen, sipping on the coffee she’d made them. Her roommate isn’t back yet.

Bern hums, nodding. “I have to go to work soon,” she says, looking at her watch. “I’ll walk you out,”

As they’re walking out of the house, Garza’s walking up, raising her eyebrows at Bernie cause this man is not Ivan Muños. She knows he’s from Bern’s Rez, didn’t know they were close like that, going off the fresh hickey on his neck. “I’ll see you at work, Bernie?” she says in greeting, raising an eyebrow at her.

”Yeah, see you Eleanda,” Bern says, shooting her a quick smile as she walks Jim to his car. Maybe she can play it off as he slept on the couch.

Jim unlocks his Camino, turns to her before he opens the door. She’s got her hair tied back in a bun for work, that Border Patrol cap on. Looks better in the NTP uniform. “Call me anytime, okay?”

”I will,” she says, leaning in and pecking him on the lips, pulling away before he can deepen it. Won’t be able to hold her tears in if the kiss is more than that. “Drive safe, don’t make an 8 hour drive 6 hours, okay?”

”Hey, that was only to get to you. I’m fine taking the long way when I’m leaving,” he says, taking his shades off his shirt collar, putting them on. Forces himself to open the door, climb in, drive away from her. Manages to keep the tears in only cause he has to make it back in one piece to find Shorty’s son.

Bern ends up crying in her car before she drives into work.