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Etho doesn't know what to think when Gem hustles him into a corner of the cabin and drops to her knees.
His first thought when she’d shown up at his door had been that she was finally about to break the alliance, that she wanted to kill him. But now —
She works at his belt like she's been staring at it long enough to know exactly how to get it unbuckled, and Etho lets himself lean against the wall behind.
“Gem,” he tries, and her gaze darts up to him before dropping back down to where she finally gets his pants open.
She tugs sharply, everything about her actions tinged with something he’d never have the courage to say aloud — desperation.
“I’ve bought us ten minutes,” she tells him, yanking his pants and underwear down, just enough to expose him, and Etho finds himself pressing a hand to her shoulder.
“Gem,” he says again.
He has no idea how she’s distracted the others, but her hair is flyaway, her eyes bright with excitement, and he wonders if he pulled her close whether she’d smell like gunpowder.
He’s soft when she gets her mouth on him, but not for long.
She works at him the way she’s learned over weeks of stolen moments, and Etho knows he doesn’t stand a chance.
He moves his hand, touching the side of her neck, up further to cup her jaw, feeling how it shifts as she takes him deeper.
She feels wild, untameable, the way he likes her, and she holds his gaze as she bobs her head, taking him apart with a tongue that’s definitely not as sharp as it is whenever she speaks. She’s softer in every way when they’re together like this. Like the time when she rode him in his bedroom at the lighthouse, or the time she managed to sneak her way into the hot tub and let him fuck her over the side of it.
But she’s always the same Gem — making sure he knows he’s at her mercy.
She grazes him with her teeth, the edges of her mouth pulling up in an unmistakable smile, and he feels himself twitch.
It’s easy for him to slide his hand backward, fingers curling into her hair tightly enough to be retaliation, and she smiles again, pushing far enough forward that he hits the softness of her throat.
A groan slips out of him before he can stop it and she seems encouraged by the sound, redoubling her efforts to take him apart.
Her cheeks are almost the same pretty pink as her mouth and Etho thinks she’d probably pull her sword on him if he told her how beautiful she is when she’s on her knees like that.
He’s caught up in looking at her when there’s the sound of footsteps on the porch of the cabin, which means there’s not enough time to do anything but watch in horror as the front door opens.
If it was Scar, Etho might have half a hope of being able to convince him Gem was just helping fix his clothes. If it was Scott, they could apologize and maybe encourage his discretion with a bribe.
But worse than either of those, it’s Bdubs.
Bdubs sees them the second he walks in — of course he does. The man never misses a thing.
His expression morphs from neutrality to outright surprise, then to something so restrained, so forced that Etho barely recognizes him.
“Oh,” Bdubs says, which is exactly when Gem realizes they’re not alone, because she pulls off of Etho’s cock with an inhale, head turning to look. “I see how it is.”
Etho’s face burns with shame and he can see the flush of Bdubs’ own — the one that gives away that as much as Bdubs may pretend to be unaffected, he isn’t.
“Oh,” Gem says in response, using the same kind of inflection. “It’s just you.”
Etho can’t help but stare down at her in shock, because if she cares, her expression and tone don’t show it.
“Just you,” Bdubs echoes carefully, and Etho goes back to staring at him instead. His voice is dangerous, but Gem won’t know that. She hasn’t spent enough time with him. Not the way Etho has.
Etho tries to shift, to angle his body away from where Bdubs can see, but Gem moves one hand, gripping the base of his cock, holding him steady.
Etho lets out a breath, trying to ignore that he jerks against her fingers, an involuntary response to being forced still.
He tightens his grip on her hair, trying to silently beg her not to respond, but Gem only ever does exactly what she wants.
“Are you jealous that I got to him first?” she asks, and Etho sees the precise moment Bdubs forces himself not to react.
“Are you sure that’s true?” he asks, tipping his head just enough to be a question in itself.
Gem’s playing with fire, but Etho has the distinct impression he’s the one that will be burned.
He glances down at her, stomach jolting when she doesn’t miss a beat.
She’s staring straight at Bdubs when she leans forward, opening her mouth to let a string of saliva drip directly onto Etho’s cock. Her hand strokes along him, smoothing the wetness across his skin, and Etho finds himself bucking forward, unbidden.
“Which do you think is worse?” she asks, hand still moving, like it’s second nature. “A world where you lie about sleeping with your best friend? Or one where you did sleep with him first, but now he’s decided to trade you in for a younger model?”
“Gem,” Etho grits out, because that’s not fair to any of them, but Bdubs takes two unsteady steps forward, the front door slamming shut behind him.
Etho can tell he’s aching for a fight, but there’s no way he’d win against Gem. Etho knows both of them too well.
“Which is it, Etho?” she asks, turning her attention back to him, and he understands why.
She wants to see if he’ll try to lie for Bdubs’ sake.
He could — it wouldn’t be the first time he’s lied to her — but he glances at Bdubs and thinks it might be a mercy to tell the truth.
“You’re not the first,” he admits, Bdubs’ gaze snapping to him, looking betrayed, but he doesn’t try to argue.
“I’m glad we solved that mystery,” Gem says, and Etho swallows, chest feeling tighter.
“But you’re not the younger model.”
“I’m not,” she agrees, which is unexpected, until she continues with, “I just like seeing Bdubs angry.”
Bdubs bristles, but doesn’t take the bait, watching them silently, even as Gem leans forward to let the tip of Etho’s cock slip back into her mouth.
She swirls her tongue around where he can’t stop himself from leaking, before she pulls back.
“Did he give you this?” she asks Etho, but looks back over her shoulder at Bdubs, who takes yet another step closer.
“Better than you ever could,” Bdubs fires back, and that makes Gem smile.
“Well,” she says, “you can either stand there and watch, or you can get down here and help.”
“Gem,” Etho says, aghast.
He’s not —
Gem may not have been the first, but it had been years ago, what feels like another lifetime ago. Bdubs hasn’t touched him that way for long enough for Etho to forget how it feels.
“You think I won’t?” Bdubs asks, and Bdubs spends his whole life bluffing, but now Gem’s putting him to the test.
Gem tips her head — the same way Bdubs had earlier — and Etho’s never seen anything like it. They're two forces to reckon with.
His cock jerks in her hold again and she squeezes him gently as though she knows exactly how much he likes it.
Gem isn’t a replacement for Bdubs in any way, but it feels a little like he’s being shown a few of his own proclivities. A tendency of his to gravitate toward those who are hot blooded, loyal to a fault, who know how to wreck him without a word.
Bdubs takes the last few remaining steps forward, fire in his eyes and determination in his stance.
“Move over,” he says, sinking to his knees, and Etho’s breath catches, but he can’t look away.
Gem shifts just enough to let Bdubs in, and Bdubs spares Etho just the briefest look — one that has heat pooling low in Etho’s stomach — before he brushes Gem’s hand away and replaces it with his own.
He slips his mouth around Etho and eases down to the base in one smooth movement, and the noise Etho lets out is embarrassingly loud.
He remembers everything. He remembers how Bdubs felt all those years ago, how easily he used to pull Etho apart, how wicked his tongue was.
He hasn’t changed a bit.
Etho’s head thuds against the wall behind and his fingers find their way into Bdubs’ hair, gripping tightly.
Bdubs works at him with more experience than Gem, but only because he’s had a headstart learning what Etho likes.
He swallows thickly, trying to bite back all the noises that threaten to slip out, but he's still panting for breath through his mask.
Bdubs’ free hand rubs at Etho’s thigh, grounding him, keeping him focused, but Etho finds himself glancing down, just to see Gem’s reaction.
Her eyes are wide and bright, and it looks as though she’s getting everything she’s ever wanted, as though everything’s gone to plan for her.
Her gaze is focused on Bdubs’ mouth, the way he manages to take Etho’s whole length, and she wets her lips with a quick swipe of her tongue.
As though sensing Etho’s attention on her, she looks up, mouth curving into a smile.
“Is he better than me?” she asks, fueling the flames, and Etho’s gaze darts over to watch the way Bdubs’ eyes start to water when he deep throats Etho and holds himself there.
He’s showing off, Etho realizes, but not for Etho.
Etho already knows what he can do. This is specifically for Gem.
Etho tightens his grip on Bdubs’ hair, shifting forward and making Bdubs gag, though Bdubs still doesn’t try to pull away.
“I said to help, not finish him off,” Gem complains, grabbing Bdubs by the back of his shirt and tugging, and Bdubs goes easily, pulling off of Etho with a heavy breath.
He coughs lightly and Etho cups the back of his head, thumb rubbing behind his ear, but Bdubs recovers quickly.
“Worried?” Bdubs asks Gem, voice raw, and Etho watches how her gaze jumps down to his reddened mouth and back up again.
“No,” she insists, which Etho’s almost certain is a lie.
“So what’s your big plan for sharing? You take the front, I take the back?”
It’s clear he means it to be sarcastic, a scathing commentary of what he thinks about Gem’s idea, but Etho twitches at the thought.
Both of them pause, glancing up at him before at each other, and Gem grins broadly.
“I think he likes that idea,” she says, and Etho’s glad his mask covers the majority of the flush on his face. “But I was thinking we meet in the middle.”
“Meet in the middle,” Bdubs repeats, sounding dubious.
“You won’t like it, but he will.”
Etho gets an uneasy feeling inside, especially when Gem reaches out toward Bdubs.
“Don’t,” Bdubs warns, but Gem still catches him by the jaw.
“I’m not gonna hurt you,” she says, but there’s still something sharp to her tone and Etho just has to hope she’s not lying. “Just remember this is for him.”
Gem leans forward, and for one life-changing moment, Etho thinks Gem’s going to kiss Bdubs. But then she angles Etho’s cock between them and he understands completely.
He lets out a shuddering breath and knows he isn’t going to last long when they pin him between their mouths, Bdubs’ expression shifting when he realizes.
He knows why he'll hate it, but Etho will love it.
It may be a technicality, but they're kissing.
Gem has to angle her face, just so, her nose pressing against Bdubs’ cheek, like it would if Etho wasn't there between them.
Their mouths are the same kind of hot and wet, but he can feel how Gem is smaller, how her tongue is a little more enthusiastic along the side of his cock.
Bdubs hesitates for only a moment, clearly not wanting to be outshone by Gem, but then he's kissing back, making Etho buck between them.
He sets one hand on Bdubs’ shoulder, the other cupping the back of Gem’s head, and it feels unfair when their tongues meet, swirling around the tip of him.
Gem’s definitely more eager, pushing further into Bdubs’ space to kiss him, even as Etho slips out of their reach, and Bdubs grunts, clearly in protest. Without Etho between them, it means they’re just kissing, there’s no illusion of separation.
Gem makes a soft noise, something that echoes around in Etho’s mind, and she pulls back, tongue darting out. There’s blood on her lip, a gift from Bdubs, who smiles sharply at her.
But all Etho can think about is Bdubs drawing more sounds out of her.
Gem doesn’t hold back. She grabs at Bdubs, pulling him back in for another kiss, and he fists the front of her shirt as though needing to fight.
Etho stares, watching the aggressive way Bdubs kisses her, how he keeps tugging at her bottom lip with his teeth, making the cut there worse. But he doesn’t stop kissing her back, and Gem keeps making noises in response.
“Bdubs,” he warns, wanting him to be careful, taking his hand off Gem to grip his cock, stroking gently, but wanting nothing more than to get their attention back on him.
But they’re too caught up in each other, and Bdubs doesn’t get gentler, but Gem meets him, beat for beat, like it’s nothing.
Etho thumbs at the tip of his cock where he’s still wet from their mixed spit, and when he grunts, Gem finally seems to remember he’s also there.
She pulls away from Bdubs, face flushed and eyes darting around as though remembering herself, and Bdubs has a mouth that’s red — maybe from Gem’s blood or maybe from Gem biting him in return.
“This is for him,” Bdubs echoes her earlier words, and when he leans forward to get his mouth back on Etho’s cock, he doesn’t seem to care that Etho’s fingers are in the way. He licks at them too, staring at Gem, as though daring her to continue.
But Gem isn’t deterred.
She shifts, tongue hot and quick against where Etho’s leaking, and Etho feels nauseated with how much he wants it when their mouths meet around him again.
He can feel the competitiveness in their movements, and there’s something about the way they keep staring at each other that sends warmth through Etho’s hips.
He touches himself gently, stroking the base of his cock as they lick around the tip of him, and Etho knows he’s not going to last.
“Gem,” he says, because she’s the one who got them into this. They wouldn’t have been caught by Bdubs if she hadn’t started it.
But Etho’s not sure he regrets anything.
He tilts his head back, staring at the ceiling of the cabin as an all too familiar feeling hits.
“Please,” he begs, the only thing he can get out before he comes.
He looks back down as it happens, needing to watch, and the first spurt of come glistens across Bdubs’ cheek, catching in his stubble. The second spurt disappears into Gem's mouth as she closes her lips around him, easing Bdubs out of the way.
Which Bdubs doesn't seem to appreciate, because he gets his fingers in her hair and tugs hard enough to pull her off of Etho's cock. Instead, Bdubs takes her place, finishing him off with his own mouth, his tongue dragging along the underside of him as easy as anything.
Etho lets out a breath when Bdubs looks up at him from under his eyelashes. He looks perfect, and he knows Etho well enough to pull off exactly when Etho starts to get too sensitive.
When Gem tries to edge forward, Bdubs presses a hand to her collarbone to hold her back.
“He’s done,” Bdubs tells her, and Gem opens her mouth, clearly ready to argue, until she looks up and Etho finds the strength to nod.
He’s done.
She sits back on her heels and Etho’s legs — trembling now — refuse to hold him up any longer. Carefully, he tucks himself away and pulls his pants up, using the wall at his back to sink down to the floor beside them.
When he stretches his legs out, he becomes a line in the sand between Bdubs and Gem, and while Bdubs watches him, Gem watches Bdubs.
She takes them both by surprise when she reaches for Bdubs again, and without Etho as an excuse between them, he seems even more suspicious of her touch. But Gem leans forward, her hand tight on Bdubs’ jaw as she turns his face and then licks across his cheek, lapping up Etho’s come.
Etho can hear the rasp of her tongue against Bdubs’ stubble, and when she turns Bdubs’ head just enough to kiss him again, Etho’s almost certain she’s spitting the mess into his mouth. Bdubs makes a rough noise in response and Gem pulls back with a smile on her face as though she’s got the last laugh.
But Bdubs swallows without hesitation and Etho feels his cock give a valiant twitch, even though he’s almost completely soft now.
“You’re not as good as you think you are,” Bdubs says, gaze fixed on Gem, but Gem’s smile only widens.
“No, I am,” she promises. “But the jealousy isn’t a good look for you.”
Bdubs’ brows go high, not keeping the surprise off his face, maybe part of his act, because he grabs at her with one hand.
She bats at him, clearly not trusting whatever it is he wants to do in retaliation, but when he tugs, she loses balance and drops to one hip with a grunt.
“What — ” she starts, but Bdubs drags her closer, strong enough to manhandle her onto her back.
“Etho, hold her,” he says, and Etho gets the strong suspicion they’ll both be sent back to spawn if he does. Gem won’t let them get away with it.
But Etho spreads his legs, which means Bdubs can shove Gem between them, her shoulders hitting Etho’s chest hard enough to make him exhale, and he thinks himself lucky that she doesn’t accidentally headbutt him in the face.
His hands automatically find her waist, holding her close, and he breathes in the scent of her hair, even as she grunts and shifts, adjusting to the new position pressed back up against him.
Etho’s more than a little interested when Bdubs reaches for the fastenings of Gem’s overalls.
“You’re not going to fuck me to make a point,” Gem tells him, bringing one leg up as though about to kick him away, but Bdubs grabs her ankle, gripping tight enough that Gem makes a quiet noise of pain.
“Of course I’m not going to,” he fires back, finally letting her go, but even Etho can’t figure out what Bdubs is planning. “I’m gonna show you that there’s nothing for me to be jealous of. I have plenty of my own talent.”
Maybe it’s sheer curiosity, but Gem doesn’t fight back when Bdubs goes to undress her again.
He gets her overalls down, undoing a couple of the buttons at her hips to be able to tug them down and show off her pastel pink underwear.
“Etho, give me your hand,” Bdubs orders, and Etho’s never been good at saying no to Bdubs — has never really wanted to, if he’s honest.
He gives it readily, but is still no closer to figuring out what Bdubs is going to do.
Bdubs adjusts his hand, straightening Etho’s index and middle fingers before guiding them down inside Gem’s underwear.
Gem bucks against the touch, letting out a breath, but she doesn’t look away from Bdubs.
“Didn’t want to get your hand dirty?” she asks, though her voice is too breathless to hold much heat.
She’s wet against Etho’s fingers — wetter than he thought she’d be — and Bdubs presses just hard enough for the tips of Etho’s fingers to slip inside her. But he doesn’t keep them there. He drags them back out, grinding them against her clit instead.
“Etho’s fingers are softer,” Bdubs says, and Etho knows it’s a lie the second he says it. He’s exactly petty enough to not want Gem’s wetness on his fingers. “You’ll come faster.”
Gem grunts, as though doubting that Bdubs would ever know what could make her come, but Etho can feel her against his body, can feel the way she shifts, rocking against his fingers, already chasing the high.
Bdubs is rubbing her just right, the way Etho has done maybe a half dozen times since the alliance started and this thing blossomed between them.
“How's that?” Bdubs asks, gaze heavy on her. “Worst you've ever had?”
It's clear he's waiting for Gem to try lying, or maybe for Gem to tell the truth.
“Pretty close,” Gem tells him, but she’s so soft and wet around Etho’s fingers when Bdubs eases them back inside her.
“Uh huh,” Bdubs agrees, and he pushes Etho’s fingers as deep as they’ll go. “Curl them, Etho.”
Etho follows orders without complaint, and Gem arches into the touch, making another noise that gives away how much she’s enjoying things, and Bdubs exhales like he knows.
“You thought I couldn’t?” Bdubs continues, moving Etho’s hands faster, fucking her as much as he can with her underwear stretched tight against their hands.
But he doesn’t try to undress her further — maybe thinks it would be too real if he did.
“I never said that,” Gem pants, and Bdubs’ movements turn more aggressive.
“But you were thinking it.”
Gem doesn’t try to dispute it, and Bdubs makes a low noise, like he’s right, he’s always right.
“I'm the one that's gonna make you come,” he tells her, and Gem bucks her hips, shifting her right leg over Etho's, opening herself up more.
“It’s Etho’s hand,” she grits out. “He gets the credit.”
Etho fully expects the frown that hits Bdubs’ face, the way his fingers falter, leaving Etho to move without him.
He’s not expecting the way Bdubs immediately changes course.
Without warning, Bdubs shifts his hand, one of his fingers fitting alongside Etho’s and pressing into Gem as though it’s not a big deal.
Gem lets out a moan that has Etho wishing he could get hard again, and the expression on Bdubs’ face turns smug.
Wordlessly, Gem reaches down, and her fingers aren’t long enough to curl around both of their wrists, but she clutches at them with a tight grip.
Etho makes sure his hand nudges against her clit, feeling the way she tenses against his body, her head tipping back to rest on his shoulder.
She’s silent as she comes — something Etho quickly learned about her — one foot stretching out and hitting Bdubs, who seems fascinated by her pleasure as she falls apart.
“Well, that’s one way to shut her up,” he says, pulling his hand away, even though she’s mid-orgasm. “Stay quiet a little longer for me.”
Gem makes a noise of complaint, but Etho keeps his fingers tucked inside her, easing her through the rest of her pleasure, watching as Bdubs spits into his palm and slides his hand down the front of his pants.
He doesn’t have much room to work with his pants as tight as they are, but it doesn’t seem to matter.
Gem’s still squeezing around his knuckles when Bdubs’ breath catches, his gaze darting between them as he shudders, coming.
Etho stares at where he can see Bdubs’ hand still moving, and Gem finally reaches down to get Etho to pull his fingers out.
“Nice stamina,” Gem says, but Bdubs shuts his eyes, not falling for the trap, and Gem sags against Etho, her thumb rubbing back and forth across his wrist.
The silence that falls over them isn’t as oppressive as Etho expects it to be, but then Bdubs drags his hand out of his pants and wipes his messy fingers across the leg of Gem’s overalls.
Gem kicks out at him with a noise of disgust.
“I should’ve kept my mouth shut,” she says and Bdubs lets out a bark of laughter.
“Ain’t that the truth,” he retorts. “I always have exactly as much stamina as the situation calls for.”
But Gem shifts, her foot shoving at him again.
“No, I shouldn’t have told you to meet me here.”
Etho pauses, leaning to the side enough to look at her expression.
“What?” he asks, but Gem doesn’t bother meeting his gaze.
“She’s not subtle,” Bdubs says, grabbing her foot and shoving it away. “Meet me at the cabin in ten minutes.”
His voice is oddly high, maybe an impression of Gem, who scoffs.
“That’s not what I sound like,” she argues, but doesn’t refute the fact that she’d said it, that she’d apparently planned for them to get caught. “It worked out for all of us.”
And despite everything, Etho supposes she might be right.
But then Bdubs grunts.
“This doesn’t mean I’m sharing,” he declares, and Gem shifts as though she might be about to lean forward and physically fight him.
With a hand on her hip, Etho holds her back and lets out a heavy breath.
It might actually be the death of them all.