Dugout Discipline for Bad Decisions

Carmela came against her mouth, thighs shaking around Nati’s shoulders. Nati kept her touch steady until Carmela pushed weakly at her shoulder.

“Okay,” Carmela said. “Okay. Come here.”

Nati climbed beside her. Carmela pulled her close and kissed her, tasting herself on Nati’s mouth.

“My turn,” Carmela said.

“You don’t have to.”

“I know.” Carmela sat up. “Do you want me to?”

Nati looked at her. “Yes.”

“What do you want?”

“Your mouth. Your fingers.”

“One or two?”

“Start with one.”

Carmela smiled once. “Bossy.”

“You like bossy.”

“I like you asking.”

Carmela undressed Nati with the same care Nati had used. Every question came first. Every answer came clear. When Nati lay back, Carmela kissed down her stomach, then spread her thighs.

“Can I?” Carmela said.

“Yes.”

Carmela put her mouth on Nati and worked her clit with slow, sure pressure. Nati gripped the sheet in one fist.

“Good?” Carmela said.

“Yes. Keep going.”

“Finger?”

“Yes.”

Carmela slid one finger inside her. Nati lifted her hips.

“More?”

“Yes. Two.”

Carmela added a second finger and kept her mouth on Nati. Nati’s hand reached for Carmela’s shoulder.

“Right there,” Nati said. “Don’t change.”

Carmela did not change. She kept the same pace until Nati came hard, calling Carmela’s name into the pillow.

Afterward, Carmela lay against her side with one arm over Nati’s waist.

“You okay?” Carmela said.

“Very okay.”

“Me too.”

Nati reached for the water bottle on her nightstand and handed it over. Carmela drank, then passed it back.

“Can I record a note?” Nati said.

Carmela studied her for a second. “You can. I want to hear it.”

Nati picked up her phone and started a new memo.

“Post-practice note,” she said. “Carmela Sison chose tonight. She gave clear terms, and I accepted them. She told me to lead. That means I ask. It does not mean I decide for her. We both said yes. If anything changes, we talk before I make a recording.”

Carmela’s hand settled over Nati’s wrist.

Nati looked at her, then continued.

“Slugger is the woman who hits hard and tells me when I’m playing scared.”

Carmela considered that.

“That one,” she said, “you can keep.”

Nati stopped the recording.

Carmela took the phone from her and set it facedown on the nightstand.

“Come back to bed, Captain,” she said.

Nati did.

Carmela knew Nati was holding back in the fifth inning because Nati stopped calling her Slugger.

The semifinal sat tied at two. A runner stood on second. One out. Carmela waited at third with her glove open while the batter chopped a hard grounder toward short.

Nati had the runner dead.

Usually, she would have shouted for Carmela to cut across the base path. Usually, she would have made the runner freeze, then fired the ball wherever it could do the most damage.

This time, Nati threw to first.

“Out,” Rosita called.

The runner reached third.

Carmela looked at Nati. “Home was open.”

“I saw,” Nati said.

“Then why didn’t you call it?”

“Get ready for the next batter.”

Carmela’s mouth tightened. There it was. Captain Pangan, hiding behind softball again.

The next batter hit a fly ball to left. The runner tagged. Carmela took the relay and fired home too late.

Metro Foxes went up three to two.

Rosita walked toward the mound during the next break. “We’re still in this,” she said. “Nobody starts a fight until after we win.”

Carmela looked past her at Nati. “Tell that to Captain.”

Nati adjusted her cap. “Play ball.”

The Queens tied it in the sixth when Liza hit a double down the line. In the seventh, Carmela came up with Rosita on first and nobody out. Nati stood in the dugout with her arms crossed.

No call came.

Carmela took the first pitch low. The second came inside. She turned on it and sent it past third, hard enough that Rosita made it home before the left fielder reached the ball.

The Queens held the lead for three more outs.

When Liza caught the final pop fly, Rosita threw both hands up. The dugout erupted around them. Carmela hugged teammates, accepted a slap to the shoulder from Rosita, then turned toward Nati.

Nati stood near shortstop with her glove hanging from one hand.

“You scared?” Carmela said.

Nati looked at her. “Not here.”

“Fine,” Carmela said. “At home.”

The drive back felt worse than the loss would have. Nati kept both hands tight on the wheel. Carmela watched the city pass outside the window and counted every time Nati almost said something.

At the apartment, Nati carried both gear bags into the kitchen.

“I’ll shower,” she said.

“No,” Carmela said.

Nati stopped.

Carmela dropped her glove on the table. “You threw that play away because you were afraid to tell me where to go.”

“It was one play.”

“It was the whole game. You kept giving me room when I didn’t ask for it.”

Nati set the bags down. “I’m trying not to make everything about us.”

“You think treating me like a stranger fixes that?”

“I think I want too much.” Nati looked at the counter. “I think I start wanting more, and then I ruin the apartment. I ruin the team. I ruin breakfast and laundry and every stupid Tuesday night.”

Carmela stepped closer. “You don’t get to decide that alone.”

“I don’t want you to wake up one day and hate living here.”

“I will hate living here if you keep retreating every time I tell you I want you.”

Nati’s jaw worked. “Carmela.”

“No. You listen.” Carmela planted one hand on the counter beside Nati’s hip. “I live here too. I play on this team too. I get to choose what I can risk.”

Nati looked at her then. “What do you want?”

Carmela let the question sit for a second.

“I want to go to your room,” she said. “I want to use the strap you keep in your drawer.”

Nati went still.

“You have one,” Carmela said. “I saw the box when I helped you find your old tax papers.”

“I bought it before Tuesday.”

“I figured.”

“I never planned to pressure you.”

“I know.” Carmela touched Nati’s wrist. “Do you want it tonight?”

Nati covered Carmela’s hand with hers. “Yes.”

“Say what you want.”

“I want you to take me with it.” Nati’s face went hot. “I want you to start slow. I want to tell you when I want more.”

“And if you say stop?”

“You stop.”

“If I say stop?”

“I stop.”

Carmela squeezed her hand. “Good. Take me to bed, Captain.”

Nati led her down the hall, but Carmela took over once the bedroom door shut.

“Sit,” Carmela said.

Nati sat on the edge of the bed.

Carmela stood between her knees and pulled off Nati’s shirt. She kissed Nati until the tight line of her mouth gave way. Nati’s hands settled at Carmela’s waist.

“Can I touch you?” Nati said.

“Yes. Under my shirt.”

Nati pushed the fabric up, palms moving over Carmela’s stomach and ribs. Carmela kissed her again, then stepped back.

“Take your shorts off,” Carmela said.

Nati obeyed. Her underwear followed. Carmela looked at her for a long second.

“On your back,” Carmela said.

Nati lay down. Carmela climbed onto the bed beside her and kissed down her chest, then lower. Nati spread her legs before Carmela asked.

“Can I use my mouth?” Carmela said.

“Yes.”

Carmela put her mouth on Nati and took her time. Nati’s hand closed around the sheet. Carmela kept her attention on Nati’s clit, steady and close, until Nati’s hips started moving against her face.

“Finger?” Carmela said.

“One.”

“Can I?”

“Yes.”

Carmela slid one finger inside her. Nati let out Carmela’s name and held her shoulders.

“More?” Carmela said.

“Not yet. Stay there.”

Carmela stayed. She worked her mouth and hand together until Nati’s legs shook.

“Captain,” Carmela said. “Tell me.”

“Two fingers.”

Carmela added the second. Nati came with Carmela’s mouth still on her, hips lifting hard from the bed. Carmela kept touching her until Nati pushed at her arm.

“Okay,” Nati said. “Okay. I want the strap.”

Carmela sat back. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I want you.”

Nati opened the drawer beside the bed and handed Carmela the harness and the silicone cock. Carmela fitted it into place, then reached for the bottle of lube.

“Tell me if you need me to stop,” Carmela said.

“I will.”

Carmela spread lube over the toy, then between Nati’s thighs. She pressed the tip against Nati’s entrance.

“Can I put it in?”

“Yes.”

Carmela eased in slowly. Nati’s face tightened.

“Stop?” Carmela said.

“No. Stay. Just stay.”

Carmela held still until Nati’s body eased around her.

“More,” Nati said.

Carmela pushed deeper.

Nati grabbed Carmela’s hips. “More.”

Carmela moved again, slow at first. Nati opened wider beneath her.

“Faster,” Nati said. “Please. Fuck me.”

Carmela set a hard rhythm. The harness pressed against her pelvis with every thrust. She reached down and rubbed Nati’s clit, matching her hand to the pace of her hips.