CHAPTER FOUR:
It made her feel guilty, sometimes, still wearing the pearls. She could forget when they made love, forget that there was a world outside of them, but sitting in the small dining room, waiting while he and Skoochy were out looting an old grocery store…
It had been just as stupid as it was thoughtful, as it was sweet as it was unnecessary, and if anything happened to him because of her, indirectly or not, she'd…
She took a deep breath. She would not go down that road, not when they had so much life ahead of them. A life they could share together. Even if they never settled down, stayed on the road forever, that was fine. As long as they had lots of time to drive together.
If he wouldn't keep adding to the risks he took just to spoil her. A new notebook here, a feather quill pen there. They were thoughtful and beautiful, but each time she grew more annoyed, and he grew more frustrated they weren't making her happy after the effort he put in for getting them for her. But couldn't he see how complicated it was making things?
It was so simple when they'd first hit the road together. Why couldn't it stay that way? Maybe Skoochy was right, and she'd become a liability to him?
She nearly jumped in her seat when she heard the door open, and Skoochy triumphantly tossed a large bag of groceries towards Ryu, who caught it before it spilled on the floor.
"Even paid for half of it," Skoochy crowed, taking out a cigarette. "Snooty bastard won't even know what hit 'im."
Kai wrapped his arms around Jinora from behind, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he placed a small box in her lap. "Saw you eyein' that stationary set the other day so I—"
She relaxed into him, sighing. "I don't want it, Kai," she said tiredly.
He stiffened. "I paid for it—"
"I don't want it," she repeated, louder this time. Skoochy and Ryu both looked up in surprise, but she ignored them, standing up to face him. The stationary box clattered onto the floor. "It's too much to carry all of these things with us all the time, when we'll have to move on, and we'll have to move on sooner because you keep getting all of these things. It's too much."
Kai blinked, and his expression fell. "I—I'm sorry, I just wanted to—"
"Steal whatever else you want, just stop making me a liability! If something happened because you were trying to 'spoil' me again, I—" Her words caught in her throat. She quickly turned and strode out of the kitchen, her arms folded tightly over her chest.
She headed up the stairs to their bedroom, flopping down on their unmade bed and curling on herself. She was still wearing the blasted pearls. She should have torn them off, thrown them onto the floor, but… She clutched them tighter, holding them against her heart.
She hadn't even realized that he saw her looking at that stationary set; it'd had stars on it, and it had made her think of Rohan. Stupid Kai and his stupid, sweet, considerate, idiotic—
"Jin?" There was a knock at the door; she hadn't even realized she'd closed it. "Can I come in?"
Jinora sniffled. "Come in," she said weakly, and Kai opened the door slowly, poking his head in first. For the first time, his face fell when he saw her.
"Oh baby," he mumbled, going over to her and lying down next to her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her to him. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "I didn't mean to make you upset, I just thought the stationary would be a good gift, you could use it to write letters to your family, since your little brother likes stars, right?"
God, he'd remembered that too.
"I don't want you stealing for me anymore," Jinora said, trying to sound firm. "I mean it. Or even buying me things—we can give each other gifts during holidays and birthdays and anniversaries but that's it, you can't keep bringing home something for me every week. Especially when I'm not buying you anything."
"Is that what's bothering you?" he asked. "That you're not giving me anything? Because you give me more than—"
"No. It's not that… or at least not mostly that. I just don't want you sticking your neck out like that, okay?" She ran a hand along the side of his throat. "Not for me. Otherwise, Skoochy'll be right and I can't have that."
"Skoochy?" Kai blinked. "Right about what?"
"He said—he just wanted to make sure I was in this for the long haul," she said, an indignant feeling growing in her gut as she moved into a proper sitting position. "That I wouldn't chicken out just 'cause your kind of life ain't easy."
Kai's brow furrowed as he mirrored her actions. "He did what?"
"And you need to stop spoiling me because I am in it for the long haul, and when you keep gettin' me things, either by risking your neck stealing or spending your own money, it's like—like you think that too, you keep trying to keep me around with things I don't need—"
"That's not what I'm doing! Babe, maybe I just like spoiling you because I like making you happy—"
"I don't need those things to be happy, and I won't be happy if you're extending a job just to get me something and in those few minutes someone happens to catch you—"
"I can take care of myself—"
"So can I, so stop trying to pretend we have all this money to burn and waste on me when we don't—"
"Jin, what did Skoochy say to ya?"
"Just about how it might hurt you if I'm not in it for the long haul, which I told him was ridiculous—and it doesn't matter, anyway, because you're the one being ridiculous."
"Me?"
"You think I'm being ridiculous?" she said incredulously.
"You started cryin' over stationary, so I might say yeah, you are—"
"It's not ridiculous, it's—" she sighed, clasping her hands together. "Look, neither of us have any doubts about where we're headed and where we want to go, right, so we got nothing to worry about right? You don't need to buy me extra things an' then I won't be annoyed by it, 'cause we don't have any doubts." Her eyes flickered up to his. "You don't have any doubts, do you?" The slight frown that tugged at his mouth told her everything she needed to know, and she gasped, glaring at him. "You do?"
"Not about my end of the bargain," said Kai quickly. "But you—this can't have been the life you pictured for yourself."
"It isn't, and I don't care because it's the life I want! What do I need to do to prove that to you?"
"You could start by not getting annoyed with me when I get you something—"
"It's not about the gifts! It's about your safety, God, Kai—did you ever even expect me to say yes when you asked me to come with you? Or was it just an empty offer and when I said yes you figured you could get a pretty thing to fuck out of it—"
"That's what you think you are? A quick—You think I would spend so much time and energy in pleasin' you just for a quick fuck? You really think I'm that much of an asshole?"
"When you keep acting like you need to get me things to keep me around—"
"Then go if you're so fed up with it!"
Her eyes burned. "You want me to go?"
His eyes widened. "No, no, that came out wrong—" Kai took her hands as if terrified she'd slip away.
Her throat tightened. "Then what do you want from me? Because we can't keep doing this if you don't even trust me to stay—"
He took her hands, frantically kissing her fingers. "I'm so sorry, I don't want you to go—you're one of the only good things that's ever happened to me and they usually don't stick around—"
Jinora sniffled. "Well this one is, so you better get used to it."
"I just… right now, we are in a good spot financially. Better than we have been in a while. So while it lasts… cause it might go dry for a really long time. We might not be able to get each other anything for any occasion. So I just… I'm sorry. I never wanted to worry you. I just wanted to show how much I care, 'cause I know if you were with any other fella stuff like this wouldn't never be an issue, but it is with me, and… I want to give you whatever normalcy I can."
Her eyes softened. "I don't need normal, baby. I need you."
"Even if my hands are empty?"
She managed a smile, lacing their fingers together. "They don't look empty to me."
"Not when they're holding you, they're not." He kissed her fingers again.
"I'm sorry for losing my temper," she said. "I was keeping it bottled up, and then it came spilling out, an' you didn't deserve that… especially not what I said about you not making an honest offer to me." She sniffled. "You're the most honest man I've ever known."
"I'm glad you trust an old crook," he said. "An' I'll do better to trust you, I just—sometimes I wake up in the morning, and I look at you, and I think, what did I do to deserve you, and I can never come up with any answer."
"I think I can give you one."
The corner of his mouth lifted. "Yeah?"
"You stop to draw me instead of sleeping with me right away just because you want to remember it. You remember everything I tell you, even when I don't remember right away. You always make sure I like what we have to eat, even if I can't eat meat like the rest of you, and you have to keep getting more food because vegetables go bad. And you always make sure I'm taken care of." She cupped his cheek, stroking it gently. "You deserve me because you're you, and I'll take as long as I need to to make sure you know that."
Kai's eyes were shining. "That's more than one reason, sweetheart," he said, and Jinora chuckled softly.
"Well there you go. Now we can start a list." She kissed him softly, letting out a quiet hum when he deepened it, her mouth parting easily under his as she hooked her hands into the collar of his shirt. She tugged him on top of her, grinning against his mouth as his hands slid up beneath her shirt.
"I'm sorry baby," he murmured against her mouth.
"I'm sorry too," she whispered back, in between fervent kisses, and started working on undoing his belt, and then his pants, and his hands left her stomach and started pushing up her skirt, pulling down her panties as he kissed her neck. She was breathless, squirming against him, and dripping between her legs as he ran his hands up her thighs, now that her skirt was hiked up around her hips.
For the first time since their first time, he paused. "Do you want—"
Clearly her hastily made comment had gotten stuck in his head, and she kissed him deeply. "Yes," she said, her voice nearly breaking because she wanted him so badly, emotionally, physically, in every way she could have him. And now that they had survived their first fight, she was more sure than ever that they could overcome whatever came their way.
Kai was slow at first, but kissed her back, his hands slow and careful on her skin, waiting for her to pull away. She held him closer, pressing her body harder against his. "I want you," she murmured over and over against his lips, until he grew more confident, touching her more roughly, desperately, the way that she craved for him to. She quickly undid the buttons of his shirt as he pushed her skirt up higher, blindly seeking out the band of her underwear.
"Baby," he murmured, and she kissed him harder, pushing his shirt off his shoulders. She ran her hands down his chest, feeling his muscles shift beneath her palm as he tugged down her underwear.
"Please," she managed, a whine building in her throat. There was a burning ache between her legs. "I need you, Kai." The ache only grew as he pulled her underwear down all the way, dropping it over the side of the bed as he slowly descended between her legs.
She let out a shaky breath as he ran his tongue along her slick entrance, his hands firm on her thighs to keep her in place. His tongue swirled around her clit, pushing down on it as it swelled, and she moaned softly, trying to push her hips up closer to his face. But his grip on her thighs were firm, even as she strained against it, and she swore it only made her more wet as he hummed against her entrance in appreciation, her clit throbbing, soft and swollen against the flat side of his tongue.
"Kai," she managed breathlessly, and then she was lost for words as his tongue plunged between her soft, dripping folds, slipping along her tight, trembling walls. Her back arched off the bed as her hips attempted to buck up into his face, and she shuddered with every slow stroke and hard lash of his tongue, curling in and out. "Ah—" Her breathing grew ragged as he brought his thumb to her clit, gently rubbing it as his tongue swirled up and down, and she let out low, strangled moans. "Baby—" her lips fumbled over the simple word, pleasure making her brain flicker in and out of subliminal thought.
His tongue and hand guided her almost gracefully over the edge, as a hoarse moan escaped her lips, her hands scrambling for purchase in the bedsheets as she came. He lapped up her release noisily, letting out grunts and moans of approval.
She was still trembling when he finally rose from between her legs, and all she could manage was, "I need you inside me."
He didn't disappoint, his mouth crashing onto hers. She could taste herself on his mouth as he pushed his pants and boxers down, rubbing his throbbing cock between her legs. Her thighs clamped down on his hips, and he slid into her fast and hard, barely giving her a chance to catch her breath as he began thrusting into her.
Her hands gripped his shoulders, as Jinora shivered and moaned under him, her nails digging into his skin as he pressed his mouth to her ear. "You like that baby?" he panted, his voice hoarse enough on its own to send shivers of pleasure down her spine.
"Yes," she panted, barely able to get the words out through a thick moan. "Don't stop—"
"And what if I do?" he asked, his voice dripping with lust and amusement in equal measures. He paused, and she almost whimpered.
"Baby don't you dare—"
He pressed his smirk to the corner of her jaw. "And what are you going to do to convince me?"
"Anything," she gasped, clinging to him. "Anything you want."
Kai kissed her jaw, and then thrusted into her, hard and deep and fast, sliding out slightly only to ram himself back in against her already sensitive walls. "I want to hear you beg," he growled into her ear. "I want you to beg me for permission to come again. Tell me how much you love the way I fuck you."
Jinora took her face in his hands, holding him close. "I love it more than anything baby. I love how—mm, yes—how hard you are inside me, how hard you fuck me—your cock always hits just the right spot inside me, and it drives me crazy, I love it so damn much—"
He hummed against her throat, nipping at her skin. "That's my baby."
"I want you to come inside me," she managed, her voice heavy. "I want you dripping between my legs—"
She let out a quiet moan as he did just that, his release spilling inside her. Her inner thighs were soaked with the overflow, him buried deep inside her, and they rode out his high together, him thrusting far more softly into her than before. Panting, he grabbed at her breasts, kneading them to help work her into her high as he forced his hips to move, knowing she was close and would come for him, deliciously sweet and hot, any second, and then—
She arched into him again, shuddering as her orgasm came and receded far more quickly, as it was her second one of the night. She was trembling as he held her close, and she raked her fingers through his hair. She never wanted him to stop touching her.
"You okay?" he murmured into her skin. She nodded faintly.
"Thank you."
"Thank you, baby." He pressed a faint smile to her cheek. "Have I told you that you're the most amazing person I've ever met?"
"Better hope you never meet someone more amazing, then," she teased lightly. She let out a contented hum as he kissed the tip of her nose.
"Mm, not possible."
"I never want to fight again," she mumbled after a long silence, comfortably nestled in his arms. "God it was so awful getting mad at you."
"Do you want me to return the stationary?" he asked quietly.
She shook her head. "No. You did buy it, and it's probably the most practical thing you've gotten me so far. But nothing until Christmas, okay?"
"Okay. I'll give you nothing but myself… and some of my cigarettes."
She smiled. "That's fair."
"Good." He pressed another kiss to the tip of her nose. "I really am so happy I've got you, you know that, right? That was the main reason I kept trying to spoil you, not just to keep you around."
"I know. But you spoil me enough with how right you treat me, and that's all I need." She cupped his cheek, stroking her thumb over his skin. "This may not have been the life I pictured for myself, but that's okay. It's even better."
He smiled widely, holding back a laugh as she yawned. "Wanna sleep in tomorrow, baby? We'll have to be getting back on the road soon."
"As long as I get to wake up next to you," she said with a dreamy sigh, content as he laid them down on their sides and pulled out of her, gathering her up in his strong, warm arms.
If she could spend every night for the rest of her life nestled in his arms, she figured she'd be just fine.
###
It was a chilly day when Kai fit the last spare tire into the trunk, and they headed out onto the road again. Jinora felt sore, squirming slightly in the passenger seat, as she had taken him up on his offer on a day of love making on the day they could sleep in, and it wasn't that she regretted it—oh no—but it had been rather intense. And if anything heightened the soreness in her hips, it was the thought of sitting in a car for the next seven hours.
Kai pressed a kiss to her cheek as he got in the car. "If you want to lie down in the backseat, Jin, you're more than welcome to," he told her, sensing her discomfort. He was a little sensitive himself, but figured the situation was worse for her.
"It's alright, I'll be asleep in a few hours anyway," she said with a small smile. "The only place I'd rather be than here is in your lap."
"Soon enough, baby," he grinned, turning the key in ignition. "Skoochy and Ryu are pulling off a job, but we're going straight to the next safe house, and we'll have it all to ourselves for a few days."
"And you can spend those days making me even more sore?" she asked with a coy smile.
Kai hooked a finger under her chin. "If you want me to, baby, then of course I can."
Her smile widened as he pecked her briefly on the lips. "Looks like I have more to look forward to after this drive, then." She leaned back in her seat as Kai started the car, his right hand resting on top of hers after he'd pulled out of the driveway.
Skoochy and Ryu's green car veered away at the closest main road, while theirs trundled down a dirty, lone path that ran in between large stretches of fields and farmland. Jinora's eyelids grew heavy as she watched the passing fields through the window. She hummed softly as she felt Kai's thumb stroking the back of her hand, the radio playing faintly.
When she woke up they were parked along an empty stretch, the sun shining like a blinding light in her eyes. They were coming up to a small roadside diner with blinking lights advertising cool drinks, and the car was stuffy even with the windows rolled down.
"You want anything doll?" Kai asked, reaching for his keys and turning off the ignition.
She tried to think of the last time she'd eaten when her stomach growled, and Kai let out a soft chuckle. "Burgers and shakes? You can have the extra meat."
"And fries, then?" he suggested, and she nodded.
"We can both go get them," she said. "Give us a chance to stretch our legs and go to the bathroom."
"Alright." He got out of the car, then helped her out of her side, locking the car securely before they walked into the diner, their joined hands swinging gently between them.
The burger place was as hot as the car, beads of perspiration running down the drinks they ordered. Cold fuzzy orange soda, the biggest bag of fries and two burgers (Jinora's had extra pickles, and she gave the extra patty to him). Kai carried all over to the car, and Jinora took her time getting his keys out of his back pocket, squeezing his ass, before opening the car door for him to put their food down. He glanced at her with a grin.
"Hungry for something else already?"
Jinora shot him a sly smile, pinching a fry between her teeth. "After we're done eating, city boy."
They both ate quickly, Kai allowing Jinora to take more of the fries since he had extra meat anyway, and when she kissed him, her mouth tasted like salt and orange soda. She tugged him into the back seat, his weight clumsily settling over hers as her fingers curled into the collar of his shirt.
Kai undid the back clasp of her dress, letting the straps slip down her shoulders. "Don't you wanna ride me baby?" he asked huskily.
She let him flip them so she was on top. "Only if you fuck me just as hard."
"No problem, babe." He pawed at the thin material of her underwear, tugging down at the straps as she hastily unbuckled his belt, and then the zipper of his pants. She pushed his pants and boxers down to his knees, grasping at soft cotton of his shirt as her panties were stretched between her legs, pulled to her mid-thigh. She spread her hands over his chest.
"Kai," she leaned down and pressed her mouth to his jaw. "Baby I need you." She let out a soft groan when he ran his fingers along her entrance, his fingertips warm and growing wet with the heat growing between her legs. He slipped a finger inside, curling it into her sweet spot.
"How much, baby?" he murmured into her ear. "How much do you need me?"
"So damn much," she breathed, moaning sharply as he slipped another finger in, dragging it along her sensitivities. She rolled her hips into his hand, pushing him in deeper as her breathing turned ragged.
Kai pumped his fingers in and out, watching the redness colour her cheeks, her mouth slightly ajar and letting out little moans as he pleasured her. "That's it baby." His free hand brushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ears as she rocked onto his hand. He cupped one of her flushed cheeks, stroking his thumb over it. "You're so beautiful."
She let out a soft whimper, her breath warm on his lips. "I want you inside me," she managed breathlessly, pushing her hips harder into his hand.
Kai nodded, withdrawing his fingers from inside her, and kissing them before laying his hand on her waist, pulling her closer. She rubbed herself along his throbbing length, coating him in her wet heat as she nipped at the corner of his mouth, moaning quietly into his skin.
He reached down and positioned his shaft so the tip was pressing in between her dripping folds, and she let out a soft whimper before sinking onto him. She sat up and rolled her hips into his, letting out a hiss of pleasure as she did it again. Kai cupped one side of her face, the other grabbing at her ass and pulling her closer as they moved in tandem.
"So tight and wet baby," he murmured appreciatively, in the trembling space between their mouths. She grabbed his face and kissed him desperately, pushing her hips harder into his as he pulled her harder onto his cock. "Mm, that's it."
She pressed one more wet, searing kiss to his mouth, before leaning back so that her hips were angled against his on a slant, and he wrapped his arms tight around her waist, pushing into her as she braced herself against his legs. The sweat on her body shone in the pink sunlight, illuminating the curve of her collarbone and the swell of her breasts. Kai thrusted into her as she bucked her hips into his, and they watched as they pleasured each other, bodies locked closely together. Their remaining clothes were damp with sweat, sticky skin pressing against the hot leather of the backseat.
"Kai—" Jinora gasped as she arched against him, and he held her close as she fell apart, and he took her hand and kissed her ring finger. Her body stayed clenched around his for several long moments, her body trembling as her climax ebbed.
Kai pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth. "That's it baby. Good girl."
"Your turn," she managed, pushing her hips into his. He flipped them over so she was on her back and he was on top, and he plowed into her with a renewed vigour, his mouth pressed to her throat so he could feel her gasp and moan. Her thighs were pushed up near his hips, quivering against his hands, as he thrusted into her until he came. She let out a shuddering breath, sighing softly as she felt his release overflow onto her inner thighs.
He let her thighs drop to rest properly along his hips and the backseat, running his hands along her inner thigh and feeling the wet warmth of their joint release, before anchoring his hands on her hips. "Three days of this once we reach the safehouse," he murmured, and Jinora let out a quiet hum.
"What, you'll be too busy at night?"
"Nights were supposed to be included in that," he murmured, wrinkling his nose at her.
She smiled. "Then maybe you should mean what you say."
"Alright." He kissed her cheek. "I think I love you."
Her heart skipped a beat. "Say that again," she said softly.
"I love you, Jin."
She turned her head slightly to press her mouth to his, sucking lightly on his bottom lip. "I love you too."
She could have stayed forever like that, kissing him in the musky heat of their car, when he slowly pulled away, his lips lingering. "Wanna get some sleep, baby? Just a few more hours of driving tomorrow."
"If you'll stay here with me."
He grinned. "Always."
They both fell asleep cramped and warm, and she slept as soundly as if they were in a king sized bed with silk sheets.
###
The safehouse was more of a thin barn with running water, with creaky floors and narrow rooms, and a dingy kitchen. There was an outhouse nearby, and big windows on the upper floor, luckily with two bedrooms.
"It ain't much, but we'll get it feeling like home in no time," Kai reassured her. She turned to him with a smile.
"Well, you're already here."
Kai grinned, kissing her cheek as they both carried their bags up, and chose the smaller bedroom. The blankets were moth eaten, but it was getting rather warm, anyway, so Jinora figured they would be just fine. There was a dresser, although one of the drawers was jammed shut, and she knew from Kai's advice it was smart to always keep some clothes in your bag anyway, in case you needed to make a quick getaway.
"Any reason you picked the smaller bedroom?" Jinora asked him. "Beyond being generous to Ryu and Skoochy?" Surely they would appreciate having a bit more space.
Kai pulled her close to him. "I never want to be too far away from you, baby."
Jinora giggled softly, cupping his cheeks as she kissed him. Kai pulled away for a moment, procuring a small box from his bag, and she realized as he fiddled with the knobs with one hand that it was a portable radio. Smooth standards crackled through the speakers, and he offered her his hand.
Jinora laughed as she took his hand, and he pulled her flush to her chest, his hand on her waist like a gentleman as they gently swayed along to the music. He gently twirled her around, his smile growing as she let out a giggle, before pulling her back to him.
"You really are a smooth dancer," she praised.
"Only because I have such a lovely partner."
Jinora's eyes sparkled with laughter, and not for the first time, Kai wanted to spend the rest of his life making her smile like that.