bargaining chip
Summary - Visiting the merchant to pick up some ammo, a new arrangement has to be put in place when you find your money coming up short. (3.2k)
(tw's for: bargain sex, semi-public sex, masks, table sex, mutual orgasm, dirty talk, unsafe sex, mild groping)
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Surveying the wide expanse of available goods, your hands tease along the deep pockets of your skirt as your wandering eyes seek out the one thing which you have actually travelled all the way to the outskirts of the village for.
Although you cannot see his face from this position, you can feel the stare of the merchant as he watches you peruse the goods of his stall. His height seems greater than it actually is due to the thick, loaded pack which sits flush against his back – the obvious weight of it giving you a moments pause as you wonder how the hell he is strong enough to keep upright with that pulling on his shoulders. His dark navy coat covers most of his frame, the shape of it bulky and unnatural due to the swathes of wares which he has secreted away within the many pockets which make up the interior lining.
A long hood hides away the upper half of his face while a familiar embroidered cloth covers the lower half. The purple design of the cloth feels vaguely recognisable but the way in which it wraps around his head makes discerning the white pattern which is so neatly embroidered across the fabric difficult. Gloves covering his hand, the only part of the merchant’s body which is visible is the small strip of skin which surround his eyes and even that is mostly shrouded in shadow, making it difficult to even tell what colour his eyes are from this distance.
Who he was, no one in the village knew. Papa simply shrugged when asked about him, declaring that he was a merchant who had lived on the outskirts of the village for many years now – providing goods to those with the money or valuables to barter for them. The other women in the village whispered about him, one having caught a glance at his uncovered hands once and noting how smooth they looked. Another, Daniela, swore to God himself that she had seen his face one day after quietly arriving to pick up her brother’s shotgun which the merchant had been paid to fix.
She said he was handsome; older, rugged in a very distinct way, but her short glance had been quickly stopped by his quick fixing of his face coverings once more. Either way, the merchant was a mystery and there was no denying the intrigue which surrounds him as you finally glance up to meet his gaze.
“Welcome.” His voice greets you warmly, a showman-like roguishness sitting in the word. “Got some rare things on sale for such a lovely buyer.”
Swallowing down the compliment with a soft blush, you remind yourself that this is how he treats all of his customers.
“Papa needs more ammo for his handgun.” You explain, glancing between him and the weapons on show. “There are strange beasts lurking at the edge of the forest and he’s worried they’ll take what’s ours. He asked me to buy a box.”
Indicating the single box of handgun ammo on show with a crooked finger, you dip your other hand into your skirt as you pull free the money you’d stashed there earlier, “2000, yes?”
“3000.” The merchant replies immediately, his tone still warm but slightly firmer in its certainty.
Your smile dropping from your face in an instant, it’s replaced with a momentary crestfallen look which only holds a little bit of anger as you narrow your eyes and stare into the shadows of his face.
“It’s always been 2000.”
“Stock is harder to come by these days and prices have changed.” Waving a hand around the wide empty space which surrounds his stall, his set-up far away from the village, the merchant has the gall to at least sound a little apologetic as he repeats your own words back to you. “Lots of strange beasts about and business is good. Prices have went up.”
Stuck with what you have, the family budget already pressed at best, a furious disappointment flares in your chest as you stash the money back within your pocket and stick your chin out as you refuse to look away from his unseen face.
“Will you sell me half of the box? At 1500?”
“I don’t sell halves, pretty lady. This ain't a charity.”
“Well,” the word snaps from you like a whip as you point an accusatory finger at the unyielding merchant, “what a rotten set-up this is. You are turning away good money for simple goods and I hope the worst for your business if you stay so greedy.”
Twisting on your heel as your vicious words soothe the anger in your chest, you have barely taken a few steps away from the merchant’s stall when his voice calls out to you from behind – his single word loud and steady as you hear the slight jostle of his overloaded coat.
“Wait.”
You turn back, hope daring to spark within your chest as you march back up to the edge of the stall and fold your arms across your chest in a visible show of annoyance.
The merchant tilts his head at you slightly.
“How’s about a kiss?”
The question so unexpected that your entire body jerks in place, your mind flails for something smart to say even as fire burns in your face and your arms fall back to your sides dumbly.
“How dare you! You rude- you-”
“Ain’t nothing free.” The merchant explains simply, his hands gripping at the wooden edge of his stock table with a gentle pressure as he leans towards you slightly. “2000 and a kiss to make up the rest. Fair’s fair.”
Mouth agape, you can tell he’s not kidding and you stand there like a marionette for a moment before something solid locks into your chest and you steel your spine against his obvious teasing.
“Okay.”
Moving quickly so as to not give yourself any time to question your own choices as a thrill of anxiety coils deep within your gut, you walk to the side of the merchant’s stall and slip in the small space which sits at the side of the table to allow you to move to the other side of the exposed goods. Now stood within the merchant’s tent, the tremble in your hands is impossible to hide as you clasp them over your skirt and stare at the merchant.
He’s watching you back and you can feel a vague surprise rolling from his silent figure, almost as though he had not anticipated you taking him up on the offer. It passes quickly though and he exhales deeply as he shrugs his shoulders and drops the backpack which towers over his back to the floor gently. Now unencumbered, his movements feel somehow smoother as he takes a step towards you and holds out a gloved hand.
Accepting it, you find yourself turned in place so that your back is facing out of the stall and the merchant is able to stand before you while keeping a firm eye on his precious stock. Anticipation dances across your skin, a sense of naughtiness that you are doing something that you absolutely should not only adding to the tension which makes your heart beat wildly within your chest.
This close, there is no way of avoiding the merchant’s gaze and you stare openly into his eyes, selfishly stealing the opportunity which has been denied to so many. A hot sense of danger laces down your spine, forcing a shudder, as you take in the orange hue of his eyes – a colour which you have never seen before in another human. It’s more like a cat than anything else, the orange almost appearing to split into little shards of yellow and blue towards the outer part of the irises.
“Your eyes!” You exclaim, unable to stop yourself as you gasp. “They’re strange, but beautiful.”
The merchant stiffens at the appraisal, his eyes widening just a fraction before narrowing back into something more playful as he tightens his hand around your waist and dips his head close to your left ear.
“Close your eyes.”
Shivering at the soft demand, you slam your eyes shut as fresh disappointment rolls through you that you won’t get a good look at his face. However, that disappointment is quick to dissolve as chapped lips press against your own and you gasp at the heat of the mouth which immediately seems determined to devour you with surprising hunger.
The rough press of stubble grinds into your lips and chin, a feeling which sparks a bristling heat in the skin there as you gasp at the unfamiliar sensation. Using the gasp as permission, the merchant brings a hand up to the back of your head, pinning you in place as he presses his body further into your own and kisses you with surprising grace.
Pulling back in a daze, you are almost immediately sobered up by the feel of the merchants tented groin where it presses into your hip. Almost dizzy with arousal, you keep your eyes closed as you adjust your leg carefully to press it between his legs and feel as his entire body stills at the deliberate move.
“That’s some kiss. I wonder what I could get for more than just a kiss?” You try to sound seductive, like the girls who so easily pull men across the village but the question comes as more of a squeak than anything else and you cringe behind closed eyes.
His laughter is so loud, brash, and sudden that it startles you in place as the merchant taps your eyes in a wordless instruction to open them. Doing so, you are disappointed to see that he has replaced his face coverings but his orange eyes are gleaming with arousal as they crinkle at the corners in an obvious smile.
“Well, that depends on what you have to sell, pretty lady.”
“Only what you see here, sir. I’m a simple woman.” Your underwear already feeling damp against your skin, you rub your thighs together and try to sound more certain. “No tricks.”
“It’s an easy bargain then.” The merchant replies after a moment, staring at you with a thoughtful hum. “Let's do some proper business then, eh! You'll get some bang for your buck, I guarantee it."
He moves with a suspicious speed, his coat flaring around his calves as he tucks the majority of the bulk behind his body and grabs at your hips – pushing you backwards until your body collides with something solid.
Ass pressing against the edge of his stall table, your fingers make quick work of his fly as you pull his cock free of its confines. You can feel that he’s already half-hard as you wrap your hand around his length but you have to glance down to confirm what your hands can feel and you inhale sharply at the sight of him.
While not particularly long, his cock is thick, wickedly thick, and your fingers are barely able to touch as they wrap around the sheer girth of him.
“Oh, wow.”
“Quite the ladykiller, eh? Not too late to back out.”
“I can handle it.” You nod, your cunt clenching with anticipation at taking something so deliciously thick. “Are you…clean?”
“Clean enough,” he pauses, “no diseases if that’s what ya mean?”
You grunt as he lifts you easily, the sudden show of strength making your stomach clench while he deposits your ass gently on the edge of his table. His body presses into your own immediately, his hands slipping past you to clear a decent patch of space for your body to lay on without having the discomfort of sharp metal and small ammo boxes digging into your skin.
Unable to believe the turn of events as you extend your neck and take in the deserted space to the front of the stall, a sudden anxiety flits into your thoughts as you tilt your head back up at the merchant as he strokes his gloved hand along his cock – prepping himself to full hardness.
“Can you close the cover of the tent?” You ask, fingers hiking up the end of your skirt to pull it high to your stomach, exposing your lower half and the damp underwear which covers your sex.
“No.” The merchant replies with a short laugh. “Why? You frightened someone will catch us?”
“Well,” that being your exact issue you raise a brow at him, “yes.”
“You married?”
“No.”
“Then no issues, eh.” As if that put an end to the whole argument, the merchant took the opportunity to snatch your panties to the side, not even bothering to take them off, before lining his cock up with your hole. The size of him forces a steadying breath from your throat as you try to relax as much as possible and you’re thankful for the moment he takes to run his cock along your slit, coating himself in your arousal for an easier entry.
The head of his cock breaches you with a hard nudge and you gasp at the delicious burn which follows it; his girth bullying its way inside as you adjust your hips and squeeze around him involuntarily while your body adjusts to the sudden stretch. The merchant gives you a moment to acclimatise, one hand leaving your hips to reach up and grope at your left tit through the fabric of your loose blouse, and the added sensation makes you groan as you push back on him to swallow another inch.
Delighted by the enthusiasm, a low almost mirthful noise slips free of the merchant as he fucks into you with a steady rhythm – slow, certain strokes which force you to feel every inch of him as he keeps you pinned in place with his other hand. Every thrust drags a discomforting pleasure from you and it doesn’t take long for your breath to be coming quick and fast as you lay there and allow him to have his way with you.
“Well, look at you.” The merchant huffs, his voice slightly lower than before and roughened by lust. “A thing of beauty. All spread out across my table like the finest wares. I wonder what price I would get for you.”
As covered as he is, you do miss the feeling of skin-on-skin but there’s something deliciously cool about the gloved hand which drops to drag its thumb across your clit – the sensation making you whine as your own hand pulls from the table and wraps around the hand which circles your waist.
“Oh god, do that again.”
Compliant even as his thrusting hips never stutter in their steady, punishing rhythm, the merchant obliges as he rubs small circles around your clit in such a way that the pressure of his touch is maddening as it quickly builds the tension within your groin.
“I like a customer who knows what they want. You tell me, pretty lady, and I’ll see to it. Just like handling a gun, gotta give things the care they deserve.”
Skirting the edge of oblivion, you gasp out some kind of warning but it proves for nothing as a particularly wicked snap of his hips forces his cock to drag along that sweet spot within your walls which makes spots dance before your eyes and your reach your release with a desperate cry. Cunt clenching around him so tightly that you have to imagine it’s borderline uncomfortable, your fingernails dig into his gloved wrist as you ride your orgasm out on his thick cock.
The added stimulation from your fluttering cunt seems enough to push the merchant over his own edge and his huffing breaths grow more erratic as a deep, primal noise slips free of his lips and his grip of your waist tightens to the point of pain. Deep within your walls, the heat of his arousal burns your already sensitive cunt and you whimper at the added sensation as it only drags out the small aftershocks of your own release.
The sound of nearby birds chirping in the only noise to interrupt as you both take a solid moment to catch your collective breath. You have to imagine that this isn’t something the merchant just does for everyone who approaches his table and the sense of something special having occurred sits light in your chest – this secret one which you will never share with the other ladies.
Gathering his wits, the merchant pulls free with a surprising speed but his actions are still surprisingly gentle as he squeezes your thigh gently, tucks his soiled cock away, and dips his other hand towards his bulky jacket. Producing a small handkerchief from somewhere within his many pockets, he takes a moment to wipe at the mess between your thighs before handing you the piece of cloth to clean up whatever you can feel he’s missed. Taken aback by the thoughtful gesture, you make short work of the clean up before pulling your skirt back down and smoothing the front of it to hide all evidence from prying eyes.
Standing once more, a post-coital awkwardness falls over you as you realise that the usual pillow talk and sweet nothings of affection were probably not on the cards in this situation. Thankfully, the merchant takes stock of the situation as you stand there in pleasant discomfort and he quickly leans past you to grab the final box of handgun ammo from his stall.
Passing it to you with one hand, his other hand dips back into one of the many pockets of his jacket before pulling free something small. “Ammo as promised, and this,” he shows you the small metal object within his opened palm, “is a laser sight for that family handgun of yours. Make the old man waste less bullets, eh.”
“Oh.” Not actually expecting anything extra outside of the agreed ammo, you give him a thankful nod as you drop both objects deep within your skirt pocket. “Thank you for this.”
“And this,” the merchant continues and you can feel his grin behind the face covering, “is something for you.” He subtly slips something small and hard into your palm and you look down at it with a gasp as your eyes widen at the small, pinkish oval jewel which glitters against your skin. “A pretty trinket for a pretty lady.”
“I can’t afford this.” You splutter, the handgun ammo feeling heavy in your pocket as you gaze between the gem and the merchant.
“No charge.” He holds a hand up, his orange eyes flashing deep within their hood. “Not for such a little spinel. Not today.”
“Thank you.” The words are genuine, the same feeling of delight at being shown such special treatment making your cheeks flush once more and you slowly make your way through the small gap to return to the front of the stall. Giving him a final nod, you turn on your heel and begin the short trek back to the main village, your mind whirling with thoughts which are better left sorted through when you are in a more familiar setting.
“Feel free to stop on by whenever.” The merchant calls after you as you begin to walk away. “Be a shame to live the rest of your life wondering ‘what if’—am I right?”
Ignoring the slight smugness in his tone, you offer him a gentle wave of your hand as you make a mental note to stop at the closest bathroom before fully returning home to clean up the residual mess of such a curious, pleasant arrangement.
