Part Six

Pairing: Reed/William
Category: Hurt/comfort
Implements: Hand
Type: slash
Warnings: none
Series: Navigating the World and Relationships

Part 6


"This is stupid!" William snarled. "According to Chase and Jason, this is
supposed to make me feel safe! Well, it's not! I feel stupid."

Reed grabbed the laptop before it hit the floor as William pushed it away, and
stalked toward the door. Reed calmly put his hand on the door to stop William
from opening it and storming out.

"I'm sure it was tough for them at the beginning too. But stomping off is not
going to help," Reed took hold of William's arm to turn him around.

They had decided after talking with Jason and Chase to sit down just the two of
them, and choose how they would like their own relationship to be. So far, they
had gotten to the point of sitting down and then the snarling started.

"Come on, let's sit back down and you can tell me calmly, please, why you feel
stupid," Reed said. "We haven't even started."

"Just make up some rules and I'll follow them. I don't want to have to talk
about it."

"No, William, that's not how this is going to work. The only way is if we both
talk and agree," Reed said firmly.

"Well, then if you don't think it's going to work, fine! Let's forget about it."

"William," Reed said, starting to run out of patience. "That's not what I said.
I said the only way it will work is for us to talk together. This is not about
setting rules and punishment. It's about helping our relationship grow and to
help you feel more comfortable talking to me instead of growling at me and
stomping off. I think that's avoidance; what do you think?"

Reed watched William think that through. He loved the way William tilted his
head just a little when he was thinking or engrossed in something, he always
wanted to kiss him. Oh, what the hell, he thought, and kissed him.

"Get off," William chuckled. "You said you wanted me to thin; now let me think. 
Yeah, I guess it is avoiding. Usually people just let me go. You never do.
Why?"

"Because I love you. I don't like to see you upset. I want to help you when you
start snarling and growling. We have already decided we don't want a bunch of
rules. Just areas of concern, so open your laptop and bring up a Word document.
I think we have our first area."
Reed watched as William started his laptop, put one earphone in and opened a
document. He smiled as he watched William put a header on the page; Reed and
William's Life. He had to lean over and kiss him again.

"Are you that horny? Should we go in the bedroom, or do you want to finish
this?" William teased Reed.

"It's you, I can't keep my lips away from you," Reed teased back. "But let's do
this, I think it's important; I think you are important."

"Yeah, ok. So, we have avoiding. How many do you think we'll have?"

"As many as we need. Let's talk about what avoiding looks like. Type these
down under avoiding. Snarling."

"I don't snarl. I talk in a gruff, manly voice. But, ok, snarling."

Once William had calmed down, they were able to talk about how their discipline
relationship would look. William had looked sheepish when Reed brought up
attitude.

"Yes, I do get an attitude sometimes," William admitted to Reed. "I don't know
why."

"Because no one ever called you on it, but I will. Put it in the document. Under
attitude I think you need to put tone of voice." Reed said. "We agreed that bad
language isn't a concern but you often have a tone of voice that leaves much to
be desired."

"How can I change my tone? That's stupid," William exclaimed.

"I am talking about that, right there. You have a nasty tone in your voice. Say
what you just said, but without the tone. Talk nicely to me." Reed said.

"I don't think my tone is a pro-, oh, I get it. You mean the way I talk,"
William said.

"Exactly. Not the words you use, necessarily but the way you say them," Reed
agreed. "Ok, I can think of only one more area. Plain, old common sense."

"Common sense? You think I don't have any common sense?" William sounded hurt.

"I think you do have common sense, I just think you don't always use it. Like
crossing at an unsafe intersection, or leaving the coffee pot on when you leave
for work," Reed explained. "Things, that with a little thought beforehand, can
keep you safe."

"Oh, ok. So, we have three areas. I think that's enough," William said.
"Avoiding, attitude, and common sense."

"I think that about covers everything," Reed agreed.

"So, you'll punish me if I break one of these rules. How?" William asked.

"Yes, there will be consequences if you push any of these boundaries," Reed
said. "You may have to write lines on your computer or stand in the corner."

"Reed, I'm blind! How on earth could standing in the corner do anything? I can't
see the paint work!"

"You don't have to see the paint. The corner is a good place to stand still and
reflect," Reed said.

"That's stupid!"

"Well, I think, now is a good time to show you just how effective the corner can
be when you have an attitude." Reed took William by the arm and led him to a
corner he had cleared for just this purpose.

Reed could tell by William's posture that the corner was indeed effective.
William, at first, was rigid. His shoulders tight and up almost to his ears.
Slowly, Reed watched William relax and seeing the clock tick for five minutes
asked, "Can you talk to me civilly?"

"Yes," William said, turning away from the corner.

"Normally, I will tell you when you can come out, but I know you got the point
of this," Reed said.

"Ok, yeah, I get the point of the corner. You can't really help but to think
about why you're standing there, can you?" William asked.

"See you did get it," Reed said.

"Ok, so standing in the corner, writing lines, what else?"

"I think you are trying to ask me if I will spank you. The answer to that is
yes. I don't think we can live in a discipline relationship without corporal
punishment," Reed said.

"What would make you spank me?"

"If we keep going over the same thing and lines or the corner isn't helping, I
would spank you. We would talk about it. Also, if you put yourself in danger. 
Anytime you put yourself in danger I will spank you." Reed told William.

"How?" William asked. "I've never been spanked before. How will you spank me?"

"Well, first we would talk about why you are being spanked, then I will take
your pants down and put you across my knees," Reed said.

"What! No! I don't want you to take my pants down!" William exclaimed.

"William, I want to see what my hand is doing to your backside. I can't tell
that without taking your pants down. And I think it is more effective that
way."

"Jason can't see what he is doing to Chase's backside!"

"No but I'll bet that Chase is spanked on the bare," Reed said. "Just like the
corner, it's more effective."

"We don't need to try it out," William assured Reed.

"Just don't do anything to put yourself in danger, and you won't have to worry
about it," Reed said. "Are we good? Do we have an agreement?"

"Yes, I think we need to seal the agreement," William said.

"Like with a handshake?" Reed laughed.

"I think we need more than a handshake!" William said suggestively. Reed took
the suggestion and took William to his bed.


Reed was sitting at his favorite Italian café eating lunch. The client he had
been working with this Saturday morning had been an old client who had just
needed to learn a new route to the store as sidewalk construction had blocked
his familiar route. Reed had decided to enjoy the bright sunshine and eat
outside. He wondered where William and Chase had gone to eat lunch. They were
becoming friends, and Reed wanted to cultivate the relationship. Chase could
help William understand the new dynamics in their relationship in a way that
Reed couldn't, from the perspective of the brat.

Reed thought back on the past week. William had pushed some of the boundaries,
not enough to be spanked but just enough to see if Reed was serious and would
follow through with the consequences. William had written lines once, stating
that he would call if he was going to be late. And he had stood in the corner
again when he had been snarling and growling about Reed showing him the new
route he had just shown his client this morning. All in all things were going
good, Reed thought.

Reed smiled as he saw Chase walking towards the restaurant. They must have
decided to eat lunch here, so that they too could enjoy the nice weather. Reed
turned to see if he could spy his partner then felt the terror and anger rise as
he saw his brat.

William walked straight across the street! He had not gone to the intersection
but had chosen the quicker route of crossing at the middle of the street. Right
where the car had hit him some months previously.

This is it, Reed thought. He has been so curious about spankings. Well, he was
going to soon find out what a good spanking felt like.

"William," Reed said, as the two brats walked near his table. "As soon, as you
are through with your lunch, I will walk home with you. I think we have
something we need to discuss."


"Shit, what'd you do?" Reed heard Chase ask William in a whisper.

Reed felt himself relax slightly as he thought that Chase couldn't be quiet even
if he came down with a case of laryngitis.

"What? Why do you think I did something?" William asked.

"Reed said discuss. You know what that means, don't you?" Chase asked. Reed was
sure that Chase would tell William what exactly the euphemism stood for.

"Talk. We are going to talk about something," William said.

Reed watched as Chase leaned closer to William, then saw William straighten up
quickly. Yep, Chase just told him that discuss also meant spank. Reed ate his
lunch and watched as the two brats ate their own lunch. His brat seemed to be
trying to set the world's record on the slowest lunch ever eaten, but Reed saw
Chase lean back over and say to William, "Man, just go on over to him. It's so
much worse when you put it off. Believe me, I've been there."

"I don't want to be spanked," Reed thought to himself that William was just as
quiet as Chase, as he heard him whisper.

"Well, duh, no one wants to be spanked," Chase said. "But if you know you are
going to get it, just go and get it over with. So, is this the first time?"

"Yeah, I mean, I have stood in the corner and stuff," Reed could see the blush
on William face as he admitted to the consequences he'd already faced. "But not
this, you know, being spanked."

"The first time is always the hardest. Hell, what am I saying? It's always
hard, but you know it works," Chase said. "After a spanking it will be a month
or two before I do it again."

Reed had to cough to cover his laugh. The spanking was supposed to stop the
behavior, not delay it a couple of months. He would have to make sure William
understood that.

"Do you know what you did that he wants to discuss with you?" Chase asked. Reed
leaned closer wanting to hear what his brat had to say.

"Yes," William replied softly.

That was all Reed needed to hear. He stood and walked the three steps to their
table.

"I think you're done, let's go," He told William. "Chase, we'll talk to you
later."

"Good luck, William," Chase said, as he paid his part of the tab, and left.


The walk back to the apartment was silent except for the tap the cane made on
the sidewalk. Reed knew that William was nervous but he wanted them to be in the
privacy of his apartment before he talked about the upcoming punishment.

"William, tell me how you put yourself in danger," Reed asked, once they were
inside his apartment.

"I crossed at the middle instead of going to the intersection," William said.
"But I was safe! I listened! It's Saturday, there is no traffic downtown on
Saturday."

"William, you were hit by a car in that exact same place! Yes, there is traffic
on Saturday. Maybe not as much as during the week but there is traffic. The road
blocks they have up for the construction also block your hearing. You wouldn't
be able to hear a car coming from the south side!" Reed exclaimed.

"But nothing happened," William said.

"This time nothing happened but it's dangerous to cross there. What did we
decide would happen if you put yourself in danger?" Reed asked.

"You'd spank me," William said softly.

"And that's exactly what's going to happen." Reed said. As he sat on the couch,
he gently pulled William forward. He thought that he would be nervous this first
time, but he wasn't. He instinctively knew that this was the right thing to do.
"You will walk to a safe intersection," Reed said, as he undid the fastenings on
William's pants. "Even if it takes a half an hour longer," Reed pushed the pants
to William's knees, and then led his unresisting brat across his lap.

"Do you understand?" He asked William.

"Yes, sir," He was startled but not unhappy with William's sir. He pulled
William's boxers down and laid his hand on the white bottom. He lifted his hand
and brought it down swiftly. He wrapped his other hand around William's waist as
he felt William jump from the swat. Reed didn't feel the need to lecture his
brat; he wanted William to feel his displeasure and concentrate on that,to not
have to think about answering questions his first time across Reed's lap. Reed
also wanted to concentrate on William's body language.

"Ow, ok, Reed. I get it," William said breathlessly.

"Not yet, but you will," Reed said as he continued to bring his palm down. He
didn't know if William would cry, but he did know that the spanking hadn't yet
got through to his brat.

"I do, I do," William cried out.

Reed kept the spanking up and then felt as well as saw William's body fully
relax. Reed knew that William had finally accepted this spanking. Reed laid
four hard swats to the area where thigh met his bottom. William jerked with each
swat.

"I think I've made my point about crossing where it's safe," Reed said. He then
felt an overwhelming need to just hold and comfort William. He helped William
stand and adjusted his clothing.

"Come here, sit on my lap," he said.

"What? No," William said with tears in his voice.

"William, I want to comfort you when you are hurt, even if I am the one who has
caused that hurt. No especially if I am the one to cause the hurt," Reed said
and pulled him on his lap.

"Ow," William said wiggling to get his sore bottom between Reed's legs. "I'd
been wondering how a spanking would feel," William whispered softly.

"And?" Reed questioned.

"I don't like it; it hurt," William said as he snuggled into Reed's shoulder.

"Then, keep yourself safe, and I won't have to spank. It really is up to you,"
Reed told him.

"But's different than I thought, too," William said.

"How?" Reed was concerned. William hadn't overly struggled, and he had seemed to
accept the punishment. Maybe I'm reading him wrong, Reed thought.

"I thought you would be mad, and scream at me," William said.

"I wasn't happy when I saw you crossing that street. But, William, I won't spank
you when I'm mad or angry. The spanking is suppose to teach you not to put
yourself in danger, not to appease me," Reed explained.

"Well, I've learned! I won't put myself in danger ever again!" William said.

Until the next time, Reed thought as he continued to snuggle and comfort his
brat. He was amazed at how smoothly they had both got through this. The action
felt normal, not strange at all. He knew that this was just the beginning but
felt confident that this was the best for both of them.

TBC