Those Pesky Laser Pointers

This is is the closest thing to fanfiction I’ve ever written and I’m simultaneously delighted and mortified to be publishing it. It’s just a drabble, but I hope you enjoy it!

“No one even knew it was me!”

“I don’t. care. You are the Vice President. You know better.”

“It was funny!”

“It was juvenile.”

“You just don’t like that you aren’t the only funny person in the White House.”

“And you can just spend some time in the corner thinking about your behavior when we get to my office.”

“Good thing we’re headed to the Oval Office,” the VP said smugly.

The President stopped abruptly, and there was sudden quiet as the ever-present security surrounding them stopped as well. “You’re right,” he said as he leveled a glare as his mischievous best friend, “we’ll skip the corner.”

“Wait, I didn’t mean that!” he said, scrambling with the rest of their entourage to catch up as the president began walking briskly again. A few of the guards glanced in his direction; usually the two men were able to have private conversations even amid the chaos, as long as they spoke in low voices. The expressions of the Secret Service would have been curious as they reached the Oval Office had they not been been trained to keep their feelings off their faces.

The President opened the door, keeping his hand on the handle as it swung inward, inviting his Vice President to walk ahead and into the empty office. A frown firmly in place, the VP did so, albeit hesitantly. The first of the team guarding the men began to step forward, but the president stopped her with his free hand and said simply, “We need a few minutes.”

She nodded, stepping back and assuming standard position outside the door as it closed, as did the rest of the team. It was generally frowned upon to leave the POTUS and VPOTUS alone within any room, even for a moment, but it had been established early on in this administration that these “talks” between the President and Vice President were going to happen from time to time. Like her partner, who flanked the other side of the door, she kept her face impassive as they heard the muffled sound of the president’s voice. They knew what sounds would come next, though they would never discuss it. When you were part of the Secret Service, it came with the territory.

~  ~  ~

Several minutes later, the doors opened again, and the two guards at the entrance moved deftly inside, taking up their positions silently. They avoided the eyes of the Vice President, which they knew would be red and watery. They always were after this sort of meeting. They also pretended not to notice that he was avoiding sitting, even on the softest straight back chair, or that the the president reached to touch the other man’s arm without even thinking about it on his way back to the desk.

The lead guard felt an unbidden grin tug at her face and she schooled her features. Nothing to smile about here. Just a secret to keep for her beloved President and VP.

Power Exchange

“Ben, come on babe! We were supposed to be on the road ten minutes ago.”

“I’m coming!”

~ ~ ~

“Honey, we’re going to miss our flight. I told you to eat before we left.”

“I wasn’t hungry earlier! It’ll just take a minute to order.”

~ ~ ~

“Benjamin, put the phone away. They have already asked you twice.”

“It doesn’t matter, Oliver. My one phone is not going to be the reason our flight crashes.”

Oliver leaned in very close to Ben, who sat by the window in their row of three. “No, it won’t be. Because it will be turned off and stowed in the seat back pocket in the next thirty seconds.” Ben glared at his boyfriend, a frown on his face that looked distinctly pouty, but Oliver continued talking in the same low controlled voice, “You have used up the very end of my patience, little boy. Your behavior from this moment until we land better be close to perfect, or the first thing I’m going to ask your brother is if I can borrow his hairbrush.”

Ben squirmed in his seat, glancing around the cabin conspicuously as he stowed his phone, but no one was paying attention to him besides Oliver. He crossed his arms and slouched in his seat, pulling his hoody lower over his head and across his eyes, all under the watchful glare of his disapproving boyfriend.

~ ~ ~

They made it to Danny and Emma’s without incident, much to Oliver’s surprise and relief. Ben’s efforts to sulk had lead to an accidental nap, which seemed to have improved his mood. It was a fun reunion for the brothers, who only saw each other a few times a year, and their respective partners got along like old friends.

The next morning, however, Ben’s bad attitude was back in full force. He was cranky about getting up for breakfast, so Oliver let him sleep; then he was mad that he had missed it. He stomped around the kitchen, looking for cereal and complaining loudly. He shut a cabinet door with particular ferocity, the bang echoing loudly through the house. Ben’s shoulders hunched and he froze, not wanting to turn around as he heard two doors swing open. He slowly peeked over his shoulder, then turned to see his boyfriend standing with his arms crossed in the guest room door, leveling a glare in his direction. Ben pushed his back against the counter and glanced upstairs, where Danny stood in his own bedroom door in a similarly intimidating position. “Sorry,” Ben mumbled. “Accident.”

Danny’s arms uncrossed as his hands found their ways to his hips and he repeated back, “Accident?” Ben looked up at him, attempting to look contrite, and watched his big brother hesitate uncharacteristically. Dan glanced at Oliver’s equally rigid figure, then gave Ben a look that made the younger man blush and look down. “No more accidents, please,” he said in a deceptively casual voice before turning around and shutting his bedroom door behind him.

Benjamin caught himself halfway through a sigh of relief before he remembered another pair of eyes were still watching him. “Sorry, Ollie,” he said sheepishly.

“I’m going to show you what sorry looks like if you keep it up” Oliver said sternly, keeping his gaze leveled at his boyfriend. When it became apparent that he was going to have to fix his meal with an audience, Ben turned slowly and opened the next cabinet door, very gently, finding the cereal and continuing his task. He was embarrassed to be overseen but grateful to have his boyfriend. On a good day with just Danny, Ben would be parked in a corner right now. On a bad day…

Ben squirmed a little at the thought, trying to pass it off as getting comfortable as he sat at the kitchen table. He relaxed a bit as he heard Oliver’s retreating footsteps, and he knew he was finally alone.

~ ~ ~

It could have ended there, but of course it didn’t. They had a lazy day, a nice dinner, and part of a fun round of mini-golf. Ben’s bad mood began to creep back in the further along the course they got, and as he began to lose. He made comments that were less funny and more snide, and his body language was aggressive as he took his shots across green felt fields full of miniature windmills and into the mouths of plaster alligators. He and Oliver were ahead of Emma and Danny, and the mood of the group was definitely taking a hit. Things came to a head at hole 17. They had caught up to the family ahead of them, and in his impatience, Ben had shot while one of their members was cutting across the green to catch up with her parents. His ball ricocheted off her foot, a product of bad timing that should have resulted in an agreeable do-over. Instead, Ben raised his small golf club up and rammed it back into the ground, hard, as he swore.

Oliver’s mouth dropped open and his eyebrows shot up; he quickly spun toward the other group and was grateful that the girl had simply apologized when the ball hit her foot and kept walking. The rest of them either didn’t hear or were politely ignoring the outburst. When he turned back around, it was to see Danny walking forward, eyes laser focused on his little brother. Though for a second he was sure that Dan was going to start wailing on Ben right there, Oliver was grateful things did not play out that way. He was already embarrassed enough at his boyfriend’s tantrum.

“Wait, Danny!” came Ben’s panicked voice. He was clearly worried about the same thing. Dan took his brother’s club and handed it and his own to Oliver without looking over. His attention was still completely on Ben, which was not something most people ever wanted to happen. He still didn’t speak as he grabbed the younger man’s right bicep with his own left hand and practically marched the boy off the course and toward the parking lot. Oliver shook his head and sighed, bending down to retrieve Ben’s ball. He and Emma exchanged awkward glances. She looked worried, and he guessed she was right to do so. All evidence suggested that Dan was going to tear Ben a new one as soon as they got home, and Oliver couldn’t blame him. He sighed again as he and Emma walked toward the hut to return their equipment. He should have just spanked his boyfriend at the airport.

~ ~ ~

The ride home was painfully silent. Emma and Oliver had approached the car slowly; they could see the silhouette of Dan in the front seat turned around, talking to the shadowy figure that was Ben, slumped in the back seat with his arms crossed, his entire body pushed back against the door. Suddenly shape one turned back around and the car came to life. Emma and Oliver hurried the last few steps, since it appeared the lecture was over, and loaded into the car. Oliver was a little worried about Ben, but his worry turned quickly back into aggravation. He thought the younger man might need some comfort or reassurance, but no, Benjamin’s face was once again defiant and pouty, and he refused to look anywhere besides out the window. Fine, he thought, be that way and see if I don’t spank you again before bed tonight.

Ben barely waited until the car was stopped before jumping out, not quite slamming his door and snatching the hidden key on the front porch and storming into the house, all while the three in the car watched. Emma made a small worried sound, and Danny moved his review mirror to look at Oliver as he spoke. “Are you going to sort him out?” he said bluntly.

Oliver stammered at first. The question caught him off-guard, but Dan watched the confusion turn to resolution as he answered. “I… well. Yeah, I think I will.” And then he unbuckled his seatbelt, got out the car and walked purposefully into the house.

Danny reached over and put a hand on Emma’s thigh and squeezed gently. “You okay?” he asked. She put her hand over his and returned the squeeze as she said with a small shrug and uncharacteristic nonchalance, “It’s about time.” Danny smiled, and they headed into the house.

~ ~ ~

Oliver wasted no time once he had made a decision. Whatever patience he’d possessed was long gone, and he felt empowered by Danny to do what he should have done days ago. He found Ben in the small bathroom attached to their room, drying his freshly washed face over the sink, clad only in dark red boxer-briefs as he prepared for bed. When he brought the towel down, he was startled to make eye contact in the mirror with Oliver, who had moved into the room quietly and now stood behind his boyfriend with his arms crossed. Ben’s mouth dropped open and he watched in horror as Oliver’s arms unfolded and he reached over, taking Ben’s bicep and pulling him toward the bed.

“You guys can’t just haul me around whenever you feel like it!” Ben yelled, resisting, but despite their relatively similar body types, his efforts were no use on the short walk. In no time, Oliver was perched on the edge of the bed, one foot propped on the wooden frame that held the mattress, elevating the knee over which he deposited his bratty boyfriend. Ben struggled the entire time, which was new for Oliver but didn’t slow him down. He had spanked his boyfriend a few times now, but only playfully or for something Ben himself felt guilty over. Now he was beginning to see that his boyfriend needed this physical reassurance even when the big stuff was taken care of. Well, thought Oliver as he ran an appreciative hand across the fabric of Benjamin’s underwear, I think I am up to the task.

He lifted his hand and began the spanking, bringing it down forcibly enough to rocket Ben’s body forward, even as he redoubled his efforts to rise. “Let me up!” he screeched.

“This is happening whether you make a big production of it or not, little boy. But Danny and Emma are plenty aware of your situation without the yelling.”

His words had the desired effect. He glanced down to see a tremendous blush rising on Ben’s face, and he was much less vocal as swats continued to reign down on his still wiggly behind. Oliver wasn’t holding back, perturbed as he was by the constantly ignored warnings and continued naughty behavior from his boyfriend since the beginning of their trip. Several minutes passed with just the steady sound of one young man’s hand landing rhythmically on the other’s bottom, accompanied by the occasional grunts and shifting of blankets as Ben continued to struggle quietly.

Almost to the moment, it occurred to Oliver that his arm was wearing out much earlier than he wanted, and there was a knock at the door. Two sharp raps echoed and both boys paused, Ben craning his neck awkwardly to look, his eyes wide. Oliver said “come in,” knowing it could only be one of two people. Ben groaned; it was Danny, carrying his hairbrush and handing it wordlessly to Oliver, who nodded his thanks.

Ben was too busy burying his face in his arms to watch Danny leave. Oliver rested his newly acquired implement on the red boxer briefs; the thin fabric did little to prevent the heat emanating from his boyfriend’s backside. He began to speak.

“It must be very embarrassing to have your brother see you getting your backside spanked by your boyfriend.” The remark caused a low moan from Ben, who was suddenly feeling very small. “Today, Benjamin, I was embarrassed. I was embarrassed by your behavior at mini-golf. I was embarrassed by your poor attitude on the way home. Especially because I know, and Danny and Emma know, what a charming and fun person you usually are.”

Oliver could feel Ben’s body tensing, and suspected that his boyfriend’s resistance wasn’t totally out of his system. Not wanting to give him a chance to get worked up again, Oliver picked up the brush, then hooked his thumbs under the elastic of Ben’s underwear and pulled them down. Ben did start to wiggle immediately, accompanied by an indignant “Oliver!”

Oliver began spanking again, and the sound of the wooden hairbrush on bare skin echoed in the room. “I think that’s enough talking, little boy. You know how unacceptable this attitude of yours has been and the behavior that came with it. Now we are at the consequences stage, and you have earned yourself a nice long spanking, so that’s what you’re going to get.”

“Ollieee…” came a pitiful response, and Oliver felt confident that the wiggles and kicks were almost involuntary now. He was going to have to invest in a hairbrush soon.

“You don’t need a hairbrush! I’ll be good!” said Ben. Oops, thought Oliver. Didn’t mean to say that out loud. He began to wrap up the spanking, concentrating on Ben’s sit-spots, making sure his entire bottom was a uniform shade of red, not much different than the underwear dangling around Ben’s knees. He slowed, then stopped, setting the hairbrush down and running his hand up and down his boyfriend’s back and bottom, inspecting and comforting at the same time. Eventually he pulled the young man up, reassuring him with forehead kisses and gentle touches, then guiding him to bed.

As he climbed into bed himself, Oliver felt strangely satisfied. He felt very confident that the next two days would be pleasant, and he liked knowing that he had take care of his partner. He pulled Ben close, smiling as they both drifted off to sleep.

~ ~ ~

The trip did finish well. Despite some initial protesting, Ben had returned his brother’s hairbrush with an apology for his behavior. He got off with barely any lecturing, for which he was grateful. He had always recognized his brother’s quiet alpha status, his ability to find what motivated people and use it to bring out their best. He was starting to see, too, that Danny had no stake in who handled the consequences or encouragements he thought necessary, at least for the people for whom he felt responsible. He just wanted them taken care of.

On the return flight, Oliver smiled and Benjamin scowled as they made their way through security. The oak hairbrush was tucked innocently into a side pocket of Oliver’s carry-on backpack, an unexpected souvenir. They went through without incident, and were soon homeward bound.

~ ~ ~

Back at home, Danny was straightening their room as Emma stripped the bed in the guest room. She was just tugging the fitted sheet off the far corner of the bed when she heard a call from upstairs.

“Emma, have you seen my hairbrush?”

With Big Brother’s Approval

Ben couldn’t stay still.  He sat on the couch.  He stood up again.  He sat on the loveseat.  He stood up again.  He sat at the dining room table.  He almost stood up again.  He heard keys in the door.  He froze.

Oliver walked in, oblivious to his boyfriend’s severe case of jitters.  He walked over to kiss Ben on the cheek, then headed straight for the fridge.  “Hey, babe.  How was your day?” he said, pulling a bottle of water out and going to join Ben at the table.  He finally looked at his boyfriend’s face as he sat down, and immediately his own face reflected concern.  “Hey hey, what’s wrong?”

“I did something really dumb, Ollie.”  Oliver’s eyebrows knit together.  Ben only ever called him “Ollie” when he felt scared or guilty.  “What’d you do, honey?”

“I forgot about a big project.  Like, really big.  For microeconomics.  It counts for a lot.  I don’t know how I forgot.  It just slipped my mind.”

Oliver, at 24, had graduated not long ago.  He gave his 22 year old boyfriend an appraising look, then asked “Was it in your planner?”

Benjamin bit his lip, glancing up and back down. “No.”  Oliver rolled his eyes in frustration- this had been an ongoing point of contention- then said, “Okay, well did you talk to your professor after class?”

Again Ben could barely bring himself to glance upward before he replied with another quiet “no.”  Oliver sighed, then said “okay, well have you called Dan?  He’ll tell you what to do.  He can’t fix it, but he can tell you the best way to approach your professor.”

Ben’s usually tan complexion visibly paled.  “I cannot tell Danny.”

Oliver’s eyebrows shot up at that.  “Your brother is a professor.  You are absolutely going to call him and see what he has to say.”

“I can’t, Ollie!” Ben cried, looking up.  “He’ll murder me.”

Oliver rolled his eyes again.  “You’re being dramatic.”

“You don’t know him.  He’d probably show up here after a phone call like that.”  Ben’s lip was between his teeth again, and Oliver watched as the young man shifted uncomfortably in his chair.  He’d noticed this before, other times when Ben felt guilty, or even occasionally when he was actually on the phone with Danny, though Oliver could never hear what was being said on the other end of the line.  Oliver had never met Ben’s older brother, but he’d heard plenty about him and “met” him through video chat.  His curiosity made him push.

“Let’s say Dan does catch a red-eye.  Let’s say he shows up tomorrow morning.  Then what?”

Ben shifted again and stared at the floor.  “Just nothing.  Forget it.”

Oliver wasn’t dumb; he had his suspicions.  He reached over and tilted Ben’s face up, forcing him to make eye contact.  “I will not.  What would Danny do, Benjamin?”

A pout began to take over Ben’s expression as he pulled his face away, staring silently off toward the living room, refusing to speak.  Oliver moved his hands to his boyfriend’s knees, deciding to take Ben’s silence as affirmation and making the leap.  “I know what I would do if my little sister called me, young man.”

Ben crossed his arms over his chest, risking a quick look at his boyfriend’s face before glaring defiantly back away.  It wasn’t that he’d never heard a note of authority in Oliver’s voice before, but this wasn’t a note- it was the whole damn orchestra.  His stomach was in knots as Oliver continued.  “What I would do, and what I have done, is make sure she had a hard time sitting comfortably for the next evening or two.  I would give her a solid reminder about why we have rules- for instance, why I made you buy a planner- as well as a good incentive to pay attention to them next time.  And I think,” and he turned Ben’s face toward him again, “that your big brother would do the same for you.  Am I right?” he asked, not unkindly.

Ben left his face in Oliver’s hand but his eyes were downcast as he whined, “Ollie…”

“Am I right?” he asked, more firmly.

Ben took a deep breath and then nodded, turning his wide blue eyes up to meet Oliver’s dark black ones.  Oliver nodded his head slowly and thoughtfully, reminding Ben so much of his brother that he automatically rolled his eyes.  That was a mistake.  Oliver’s eyebrows shot up immediately and Ben could practically see him make a decision.  Too late, he tried to stop the clear path they were on.  “Ollie don’t!  I’ll call Danny!  I’ll ask him what to do!”

Oliver, in the meantime, stood and moved his chair a bit away from the dining room table.  “Oh you’ll call Dan, alright.  You’ll call him as soon as I’ve finished giving you your spanking.”  Ben cringed at the word, but Oliver seemed unfazed as he held out his hand, palm up.  His boyfriend looked up, desperation written all over his face, but Oliver kept his expression expectant and after a minute, Ben reached out and gave him his hand.  Oliver held him for a beat, making sure that the pride he felt at his boyfriend’s acceptance was written on his own face, then gently tugged him up.  He took a seat, and though Ben seemed ready to dive across his lap, he stopped him.  “I don’t think so, sweetheart,” he said, guiding the younger man by his hips until he was standing in front of the chair.  Oliver began to undo the button on his boyfriend’s shorts, and soon they were in a puddle on the floor, one which Ben compliantly stepped out of, his cheeks blazing with embarrassment but his actions resigned.

Seconds later, Ben was across Oliver’s lap, feeling his boyfriend readjust his position to his satisfaction.  Oliver smoothed the cloth of Ben’s blue checkered boxers, then wrapped an arm around his boyfriend’s lanky frame.  He rested his right hand on the boy’s backside, just for a moment, as he contemplated his next move.  This felt right.  He’d always had a dominant streak, and it was something that worked well in their relationship.  Spanking and discipline seemed the next logical addition, at least to him.  He knew Ben agreed, or he wouldn’t be here now.  Benjamin wasn’t weak-willed by any stretch of the imagination.  He wanted this, too.

No, the real question in Oliver’s mind was not whether this was okay, but how to go about it.  He thought briefly about Dan, wondering if he should do his best to imitate the disciplinary experiences Ben had had so far.  He just as quickly discarded the idea.  They would figure the details out later, but trying to imitate Danny would just be setting himself up for failure.  Oliver hadn’t been exaggerating when he’d mentioned his little sister… sisters, actually.  He had two, both younger, and while their parents were attentive and present in their lives, they had also allowed their children to get away with anything and everything.  Oliver had the fortune (though he wouldn’t have called it that at the time) of experiencing firm guidance at the hands of his grandparents, immigrants who were as strict as they were loving.  They had passed away before his sisters were old enough to remember them.

But he remembered their lessons well, and assuming responsibility for his little sisters’ discipline had come as naturally as… well… as naturally as having his boyfriend across his lap now.  As that realization landed, he let go of the last of his hesitations.  He lifted his right hand and brought it forcefully down on Ben’s boxer-clad backside.  He did so again.  He quickly found himself getting into the familiar rhythm of spanking, alternating cheeks and thoroughly warming up his boyfriend’s bottom before pausing to gently tug his underwear down below his knees.  He was pleased at Ben’s compliance, and paused to rub his back and freshly bared rear end.  A moment later, though, he hugged his boyfriend’s body close and resumed spanking him, this time accompanying his swats with a lecture.

“We have talked about writing everything down, Ben.  Everything.  You have a million things going on, and it would be ridiculous to expect you to remember every project and date.  But that is why we got you a planner.  That is why I got you a planner, actually.  Which I expect you to use.  Because mistakes like this?  They are 100% avoidable.  So I expect you to avoid them.  Is that clear?”

Ben had begun to grunt and wiggle, particularly when Oliver used harder swats to emphasize some of the points he was making.  “Yes sir!” he said, sucking in his breath, struggling to keep his hands out of the way.  Just as his left foot kicked out, the spanking stopped.  Ben felt Oliver’s hand run up and down his back, and wondered if it was over.  His breath came out in a low moan when a second later he heard “Stand up for a minute, little one.”  He blushed hard at the moniker, standing and immediately covering himself as he felt his underwear drop from their perch on his knees to the floor.

Oliver walked into the kitchen, shuffled briefly through one of the drawers, and returned with a thick wooden spoon which made Ben immediately begin chewing his lower lip again.  He didn’t argue, though.  As sore as his bottom already was, he knew he’d earned more than a hand spanking for this.  Oliver had gone out of his way to help keep him organized, and Benjamin had ignored his advice one too many times.  He lay quickly back across his boyfriend’s lap when asked to do so.  He felt the smooth wood resting on his hot backside and then the sharp sting of it coming down, immediately resuming the same rhythm that Oliver’s hand had been in.

Ben’s feet kicked and little yelps escaped from his mouth, though he tried to stay still.  Danny tended to use implements to drive a point home at the end of a spanking, using the wood to make sure a lesson stuck around for a day or two.  Oliver wasn’t putting all of his strength behind these swats but they were so stingy and so fast that Ben couldn’t think about anything except how much it hurt.

He was breathing heavily when the spanking finally stopped, and gratefully clambered onto his boyfriend’s lap when he felt himself being tugged up.  Danny offered him plenty of comfort after a spanking, but he found himself reacting differently in the arms of his boyfriend.  He clung to him, arms wrapped around his neck and face buried in his shoulder as Oliver held him tightly in their awkward spot on the dining room chair.  A few minutes later, Ben unwound himself and looked expectantly into his boyfriend’s face, waiting for his next command.  Oliver reached a hand behind Ben’s neck and pulled him forward, kissing him, then slid his hand down to pat the boy’s bottom gently.  “Time for you to make a phone call, cariño.”

Ben let his face fall into a pout, and Oliver couldn’t help but to let himself be delighted in it.  He found this side of Ben so charming and sweet that he almost regretted not having discovered it earlier.  He smiled, but made to stand, which forced his boyfriend up as well.  He watched the younger man pick up his boxers and slip them on, grinning even more broadly at the grimace on the poor boy’s face.  He went into the kitchen with the spoon, intending to wash it.  He cocked his head as he changed his mind, decided instead to place it in their bedroom.  He had a feeling this would not be the last time it would be repurposed.

After pulling his underwear up, Ben made his way into the living room, seeking the comfort of their big white couch.  He pulled a floral cushion onto his lap, then fiddled with his phone until he heard Oliver re-enter the living room.  He couldn’t help glancing up one last pleading time, but Oliver just raised his eyebrows expectantly.  Ben sighed and hit the video call button on his phone.  He tried not to look unhappy when his brother answered after just a few seconds, smiling from behind his office desk.  “Hey kiddo!  What’s up?  How are you?”

Ben smiled back; he couldn’t help it.  He loved his brother.  “I’m great!  Things are good.  Really good,” he said, before hearing the distinct sound of his boyfriend clearing his throat across the room.  He gulped and frowned, then said hesitantly, “well mostly good.”  He could see the concern wash over his brother’s face as Dan stopped shuffling papers and gave Ben his full attention.  “Hey, what’s going on?  Are you okay?”  Ben’s face went an even deeper shade of red as he stammered, “I’m fine.  Oliver’s fine.  I just… I have this little… not little… I have this thing at school…”

When he finally got through his explanation, his brother was eyeing him sternly.  He had to resist the urge to move his face away from the screen.  He could see Danny working himself up into full lecture mode, and he looked desperately over at Oliver, who looked back unsympathetically.  He didn’t want to be in trouble twice!  His boyfriend merely pointed at the phone in his hand.  Ben rolled his eyes, then remembered that he was face to face with Daniel, whose eyes looked ready to bulge out of his head. “No!  Danny no, I wasn’t rolling my eyes at you!!!” he nearly yelled.  “Oliver’s just…” and he groaned in frustration.  He made his eyes wide and tried to convey everything he wanted Dan to know in a look, but his big brother just stared back, waiting for an explanation.

Benjamin spared a quick glare in his boyfriend’s direction; Oliver was flat out grinning, amused by his boyfriend’s squirming.  Ben took a deep breath and then said quietly to the camera, “I already got in trouble.”

“You what?  At school?”

“Noooo… at home.  With Oliver.”  Ben didn’t know how he got the words out; he had never been so embarrassed in his life.  Danny scrutinized him a moment, then understanding dawned on his face.  “Ohhh, I see.  Oliver spanked you?” he asked, as if he were asking about a trip to the grocery store.  Benjamin nodded, then mumbled “yessir” when it became apparent that Dan wanted a verbal affirmation.  His brother nodded at this information, then said shortly, “good.”

From his spot in the love seat nearby, Oliver let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding.  He was glad to hear the approval in Daniel’s voice.  He liked the man, a lot, and knew how much his boyfriend adored him.  He was also pleased to hear Dan move on immediately to advice and potential solutions to Oliver’s school issues.  No more scolding or fussing.  He felt very validated.  As the conversation wrapped up some thirty minutes later, the boys having moved on to other topics, Ben summoned him over with an open arm to say hello, having seemingly forgotten about any awkwardness from earlier.  Oliver hadn’t, though he tried his best to be nonchalant as he sat on the couch next to his boyfriend and smiled at Danny.

Daniel gave him an appraising look through, one so brief that he wouldn’t have caught it if he wasn’t looking.  Then a nod- Ben was right, the man nodded at everything- and a smile, and the conversation continued as normal.  Oliver relaxed into his boyfriend’s embrace, happy to be exactly where he was.

What Not to Say (in front of Danny)

Danny put both hands on the table and leaned in toward them. “Unless you’re looking for a pair of sore backsides before supper, I suggest you quiet down and let me get this finished. I’m not going to ask again.” He turned back towards the office/spare bedroom as Emma’s eyes rounded and she felt her face grow warm. Danny had never given any hints about that part of their relationship in front of anyone, no matter what was going on in their home! And in front of his brother! What would he think if he knew… she risked a quick glance sideways at her new companion. Ben seemed to be as flustered as her was, his cheeks a bright pink and his eyes fixed blankly on the table. Danny had threatened both of them. Did Danny still…?

No way. Emma knew that Dan and his younger brother were really close, and she’d heard her boyfriend get on to him a few times over the telephone about school work and other little things, but nothing to imply that he still… And besides, Ben was twenty-two… of course, she was twenty-two it didn’t stopped Danny from busting her tail whenever he felt like it.

Ben looked up, catching her eye, and they both looked quickly away. As the silence grew deafening, Ben grabbed a pen and scrawled on the margin of Emma’s magazine. “Does Danny…?” She nodded slowly, took the pen, and wrote “you?” Ben nodded solemnly, took back the pen and smiled a little as he wrote “he’s got hands like canoe oars!” Emma barely suppressed her giggle, which grew as Ben began to draw a portrait of his brother, complete with paddled hands and an ass’s head. Soon they were cutting up again. Ben had come to visit them in California for the first time since Dan and Emma had moved in together; he was in his last year of school in Atlanta, where he was getting degree in graphic design. Ben and Emma had hit it off immediately, teasing each other and laughing as if they were long lost siblings themselves.

Danny’s threat was forgotten as Ben began to tickle Emma and she screeched and began hurling anything within her grasp toward her attacker. It was forgotten, that is, until they heard the scrape of the office chair. They were immediately quiet, too little too late, of course, as Dan appeared in the doorway. He leaned against the framed, surveying their guilty faces as they sneaked glances his way. “Come here.”

Slowly they both scooted away from the table and shuffled his direction, stopping in front of him with their eyes on their shoes and their hands behind their backs. “Ben,” and his brother’s head snapped up, “take this,” and Dan handed over his debit card, “and Emma,” now her eyes on him, too, “take these,” and he handed her the car keys, “and go get a pizza.” He fought to keep his face firm as he watched their slow smiles start and their bodies relax. “And if you’re not gone the better part of an hour, you’ll both sleep on your stomachs tonight!” he said with mock severity. They didn’t need to be asked twice, making it out the door in record time as Dan turned back towards the desk and his unfinished stack of papers to grade.

***

That evening found them in the local pub, sitting round a small table close the a little stage where local musicians played the usual classic rock covers. After two pitchers of beer between them, Ben and Emma where shouting requests and singing along, Danny laughing as he sipped his second mugful, having been designated the driver before hand. Danny laughing, that is, until Emma noticed an ex-classmate of hers and decided to point her out to Ben, who immediately proceeded to give his critiques on everything from the girl’s dangerously high heels to the beefy boyfriend she had on her arm. Drunk and giggly, Ben began a running commentary on the patrons of the bar, Emma egging him on as he got louder and louder and ignored every warning signal Danny sent their way. Ben finally snapped something about a woman sitting at the table to the right, loud enough that they all turned his direction as he slurred his catty remarks about the lady’s blouse being see-through. Danny was up in a heartbeat, apologizing to the woman and her bigger-than-average husband, glaring at his brother and girlfriend and their sloppy unapologetic grins and berating himself for not dragging them out five minutes earlier.

“It wasn’t a big deal, Danny, and besides, it was a slutty shirt,” Emma said as they trekked down the street towards the car a few blocks away. Danny took a deep breath kept walking, ready for the pair of them to be sober so he could make clear exactly what he thought of their impromptu “What Not to Wear” mock-up. Ben was stumbling behind Emma, his face a bit pale as the last couple drinks entered his system. Emma began to mumble again, and Danny turned sharply, her nearly running into him, and brought his face very close to hers. “Emma Grace, I am three seconds from–”

And that’s when Ben stumbled over and released the contents of his stomach on the sidewalk at their feet.

***

Emma’s eyes opened abruptly and she was awake, although she remained very still until she realized that the other side of the bed was cold; Danny must be awake and moving. She relaxed a moment, physically at least. It really wasn’t a good sign. She tended to be an early riser, while Dan was a big fan of sleeping in on Saturdays… her watch said it was just now eight, and they hadn’t even left the bar until almost 3… and if Danny was already up… oh boy. This was bad. This was very bad.

She saw a big glass of orange juice and a pair of Advil sitting on the night stand beside her, but she told herself that they didn’t look appealing and stubbornly closed her eyes again. Thirty minutes later she was still trying desperately to fall back asleep when Danny came back in the bedroom. “I know you’re awake,” he said from somewhere above her, “and I don’t know why that juice is untouched.” She remained perfectly still. “Ben should be awake by the time you’re out of the shower. I’ll see you in the living room.” As he shut the door, she groaned inwardly and began to sit up…***

In the guest bedroom, Ben woke with a mild headache and an unexplained sense of doom. Unexplained until he took in his surroundings, the corner desk and the flowery curtains: Danny’s guest room. “Shit,” he mumbled, turning to find the glass of juice he knew would be sitting on the night stand. He vaguely remembered downing several glasses of water and a couple Advil before being put to bed. Ohhh, a little voice inside his head whispered, last night wasn’t just a regular night of drinking with Danny putting you to bed… big brother was mad. Just how mad, Ben couldn’t remember– he could barely remember getting home last night– but he had an uneasy feeling that maybe he had something to do with it.

***

Emma walked timidly towards the couch where Ben sat, looking miserable in his loose plaid pajama pants, eyes puffy from the drinking and hair still mussed. Dan wasn’t in the room, but she guessed he wouldn’t be long in coming. Sure enough, he walked in carrying a chair from the kitchen a few seconds later and planted himself across from the 22 year-olds.

“Any reason I shouldn’t wear the two of you out?”

Protests, blaming their actions on the alcohol, died in Emma’s throat. She’s learned early on in their relationship Danny’s feelings about that old excuse. “If you’re old enough to drink, you’re old enough to know your limits.” She shook her head miserably alongside Ben.

“Right then,” and his damned decisive nod, “Emma, you’re up first.” She walked to his side, put her hands to her waist band and looked at him pleadingly as she glanced at his brother on the couch. He’d never so much as threatened a spanking in front of anyone else, and now she was about to be on the receiving end with an audience. Her stomach tightened and a lump rose in her throats as he simply raised his eyebrows at her and gave a small unsympathetic shrug of his shoulders. With shaking hands she dropped her pajama bottoms. As she was trying to work up the nerve to take down her white panties, Danny took hold of wrist and pulled her across his lap. She barely had time for to be thankful before the first smack landed solidly on her backside. She managed a stoic thirty seconds of his rapid spanks before the squirming began; another minute and her hand shot back of its own accord. Danny snatched it up quickly and pinned it to the small of her back without breaking his rhythm. He paused after another moment, observing the pink blush escaping the outer edges of her underwear. He grabbed the top, pulling them down to the top of her thighs, ignoring Emma’s mumbled “Oh, nonononono…” and the tensing of her body as his hand came down, leaving a flicker of white before descending again. Emma’s legs began to kick as her tongue tripped over apologies, not exactly asking him to stop (she knew he wouldn’t until he was good and ready) but offering everything she could by way of penance. Finally the spanking slowed as he began to talk. “Why am I unhappy with you, Emma?”

“Because I was rude and- and mean” came her choked reply.

“And who is responsible for your behavior?” he asked, still spanking her very dark pink bottom.

“I am!”

“Even when you’re drinking?”

“Yes siiiir!” she cried, feeling ashamed. Daniel briefly increased the force behind his swats, making Emma shriek, before slowing and finally stopping.

Emma cried quietly as she lay limply across his knees. He rubbed her back for a moment, listening to her ragged breath and letting his simple question rest. He eased her to her feet, kissing her hand tenderly and giving her a gentle nudge back toward the couch where Ben sat, looking paler now than he had last night. He had a blank look on his face, eyes on the ceiling, evidence of his failed attempt to tune out the spanking of his semi-sister-in-law. Danny called his name sharply, and Ben moved quickly to his brother’s side, not nearly as hesitant about dropping his shorts as Emma had been. Of course, he’d been on the receiving end of Dan’s discipline more times than he cared to remember, including several times right in front of (and often alongside) his friends and playmates growing up. Before the spanking even started Ben grabbed the lower rung of the kitchen chair, gripping it tightly, knowing he would struggle to keep them there. And so the spanking began, Danny’s rapid slaps turning his little brother’s backside a bright pink before whisking down his briefs and turning the skin a deeper shade of red. As with Emma, he stopped after a minute and rested his arms on Ben’s back for a moment, except he didn’t move his brother’s shorts back up. Not yet. “Benjamin, I hope you’re learning more at school than how to judge your peers. I know- or I hope, anyway- that you were raised to be a much better person than you showed yourself to be last night.” Ben mumbled his yessir, tears forming in his eyes. “Emma, go get the hairbrush.” At that Ben began to squirm fiercely, making protests until Danny tightened his grip around the young man’s waist and delivered half a dozen stinging slaps to his upper thighs. Emma hadn’t moved, except to open her mouth in disbelief. “Listen here, young lady. You had no problem pushing Ben last night to your amusement. You contributed to his behavior. You may contribute to his punishment.”

With a look of horror Emma rose and fetched the round oak hairbrush from its place in their bedroom. She forced herself to bring it back, motivated with the fear that she might make things worse for Ben if she didn’t do as she was told. Danny tapped it lightly on Ben’s red rear end before bringing it forcefully down twelve slow and solid times, Ben bucking and Emma wincing with each loud smack. Finally Danny allowed Ben up and back on the couch, running a hand through his brother’s hair affectionately before standing up and carrying the chair back to the kitchen, returning a moment later and offering a hand each to the two on the couch. “Back to bed, kids. You still only got about 5 hours of sleep.” They allowed themselves to be tugged up, and Danny pulled Benjamin right into a hug; he held his little brother tightly for a minute before sending him back toward the guest room and turning his attention to Emma. As much as Emma hated spankings and as much as she tried to talk herself into a good sulk afterward toward her brute of a boyfriend, she never could. Instead she became clingy, wanting to mold herself to Danny for hours after the punishment. He kissed her head, then walked back to the bedroom, where she spooned against him and squeezed his fingers in her own until they both fell asleep.