TLR Chapter 94

Even though Brendon had been feeling better for several days, Tristan still insisted that he do the driving on their way to Stonemill Monday night. He'd planned a surprise and was looking forward to the expression on Bren's face.  

Brendon sat back and relaxed as they drove the distance to Stonemill. Tris had told Bren he had something special planned to celebrate his recovery and was looking forward to this night out. 

As they drove, Tristan regaled Brendon with jokes and stories from work during the time that he'd been under the weather.  "...and then he said, 'Oh! I thought you said Mr. Peanut!' "

"And then Spencer says, 'What's the difference?' "

Brendon shook his head and laughed heartily. "Mr. Peanut, hmm? I can't believe those boys. Wonder what Victor thought?"

"He was thrown off guard and swallowed his coffee wrong. We spent the next few minutes pounding him on the back to get him breathing again." Tris giggled.  "After that, he brought Spence into the back room and the two of them had a little chat about appropriate work place conversation.  Spence was a little red in the face when they came back but he was grinning ear to ear. I'd have loved to have been a fly on the wall for that discussion."

Brendon shook his head. "I don't think so, you'd have been as red as he was and in more than one place."

Tristan grinned and blushed.  He felt a slight tingling going through his body that had little to do with the vibration of the car.  He self-consciously brushed the hair off of his forehead and signaled to take a left.  "Almost there," he said.  "You have to close your eyes now."

Bren indulged Tristan and closed his eyes. "All right, they're closed," he said a big smile on his face.

Tristan parked the car, went around to the passenger side and led Brendon out. Guiding him carefully, and grateful for Brendon's complete trust, he led him toward their destination.

Brendon could tell that they were in a crowded, well lighted area but continued to keep his eyes closed until Tristan gave him the ok to open them.

"Now," Tris said, a grin evident in his tone.

Brendon's amber eyes widened behind the sunglasses he always wore when off the resort, and then he smiled widely. "Dinner theater! And Cabaret of all things!" He hugged Tris tight. "This is a wonderful surprise." He grinned from ear to ear.

Tristan couldn't help but return the grin, pleased that he'd made Brendon happy, and hugged his lover back.  He released the hug and with a slight bow, motioned his partner toward the doors in an 'after you' gesture.

Brendon preceded Tristan into the dinner theater. They were met by the maître d, who smiled and asked, "Do you have reservations gentlemen?"

Tristan smiled, a little nervously and said, "Yes sir. Under the name Kane-Reinhart, for 7:30." 

He could feel his face flush.  What if Brendon was upset that he'd made the reservations in both their names... like a married couple.  He just hoped that Bren would chew him out after dinner rather than in front of everyone at the theater.

Brendon quirked an eyebrow at Tris's answer but didn't say anything. He just smiled as the man threaded his way through the crowd to show them to a table right near the stage where they had a good view of everything. "Your waiter will be with you in a few moments." He left them with menus. A young man came and poured water into their glasses and left a small dish with lemon wedges in case they wanted lemon in their water.

Tristan squeezed a little lemon into his water and stirred in a spoonful of sugar, sipping to see if he'd gotten it just right.  He then reached for one of the menus that had been left on the end of the table.

Brendon took the other menu and also put some lemon in his water, but left out the sugar quirking an eyebrow at Tristan. "Don't you think sugar in your water defeats the purpose of drinking water?" he asked.

Tris blushed a little and replied, "I like it sweet, like lemonade.  They have a great strawberry lemonade here, by the way," he continued, trying to get the topic off of himself.  "Real strawberries, not just flavored."

He stirred his water, grateful that Brendon didn't seem to be upset about the use of both of their names for the reservation, and added a little more lemon.

Brendon shook his head. "Well, it's nothin' new, but I would have thought you'd have changed that habit by now," he teased gently. "Strawberry lemonade hmm...sounds good too, but I believe I'm in the mood for somethin' a little stronger." The waiter came to their table. "Do you gentlemen need more time to order?"

Brendon asked, "Do you have a drink menu?"

The waiter nodded and handed Brendon the drink list. "We have good wines as well sir, and Miller's Light, Budweiser Light, Blue Moon and Coors on tap."

Brendon nodded. "Thank you and yes, we'll need a few more minutes."

The waiter nodded and left the table to wait on another one.

Tristan looked with a trace of longing at the drink menu. He knew he wasn't supposed to drink while taking his meds, plus he was the driver for the night, but he still wished for a good whiskey sour, or a bottle of Corona.  He took a sip of his water and looked at the stage and then at his watch before glancing at the menu and deciding on a nice, juicy steak.

Brendon also perused the menu and decided on a Sirloin steak with steak fries sautéed squash mix and mushrooms. He saw Tris looking at the drink menu and put it aside under the menu out of sight of the younger man.

When the waiter returned, Brendon said, "I hear you make a killer strawberry lemonade. I believe I'll have one of those." He then gave the rest of his order, ordering his steak medium rare.

"You don't have to do that, Bren," Tristan said with a little smile.  "I have no plans to drink tonight.  This is your night I don't want you feeling self-conscious.  Order whatever you like."

Brendon said, "I like strawberry lemonade." He smiled and winked at Tristan.

Tristan smiled back gratefully and they chatted amiably while they waited for their dinners.  

The lights flickered, catching their attention, and a soothing voice came over the speakers, "Ladies and gentlemen, please turn off all cellular devices. The show is about to begin. Thank you."

Brendon grinned and pulled out his cell phone and turned it completely off. He didn't want to be disturbed during the production anyway. He smiled at Tris as their order arrived.

Tristan followed suit and put his phone in his jacket pocket.  The two men were soon immersed in the show. Brendon had to remind Tris several times to eat his food and not just watch, which made Tris blush partly from embarrassment and partly from pleasure that Brendon could show his love and caring with such a small thing.

During intermission, the waiter came to take their dessert order.  "We have several different pies and cakes, pudding, ice cream, or any combination of the above," he said with a smile as he handed them the menu.

 "This Hot Chocolate Chocolate Cake looks great," Tris replied, his mouth watering just looking at the picture. "With a glass of cold milk? If that's possible?" he asked hopefully.

Brendon smiled. “A piece of pecan pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream sounds good to me and yes, a cold glass of milk for me as well. It will top off the dessert just right.”

The waiter smiled, writing down their orders. “This will be up in a few minutes. I hope you continue to enjoy the show.”

Brendon smiled as their desserts were brought. He cut a small piece of his pecan pie and made sure there was a dollop of ice cream on it and held it out to Tris to taste with a grin.

Tris took the treat and hummed appreciatively.  He then took a spoonful of the chocolate cake which was covered in warm chocolate syrup and whipped cream and held it out to his partner. He couldn't resist.  As he bent forward to give the utensil to his man, he swiped a finger through the whipped cream and dabbed a bit on the end of Bren's nose.

Brendon laughed and tried to lick it off with his tongue, but being unsuccessful said, "You're goin' to have to lick it off now."

Without a second thought, Tristan leaned across the small table and licked Brendon from his chin to his forehead with an evil grin on his face. He doubted that Bren had actually expected him to go ahead and do it.  He looked into the amber eyes and then kissed the tip of his nose, making sure to remove any remaining stickiness.  "There," he said matter of factly as he sat back down, "all gone."

Brendon's amber eyes first showed shock, then merriment. "Good, I'd hate to have to go around with whipped cream on my nose." He offered Tris another bite of his dessert, purposely hitting his nose with the ice cream. "Oops," he said innocently.  "I guess I have poor aim," he teased.

Tristan, a wide grin on his face as he demurely wiped off the ice cream, leaned toward Brendon again, whispering in his ear, making suggestions as to what they could smear on each other back at his place.  "I have plenty of ice cream to go 'round," he said, nibbling on his lover's earlobe. "And I have excellent aim."

Brendon chuckled low and waggled his eyebrows. "I'm glad, one of us has to."

"What say we blow this popsicle stand and continue this at my place?" Tris said quietly, giving Bren's earlobe another little nip.

Brendon shook his head. "I'd like to see the rest of the show, after all it is my favorite."

"Fine, I'll take an IOU.  Payable with interest when we get back to the resort." Tris smiled. It made him immensely happy that Brendon was having such a good time.

Once again, the lights flickered, and the voice announced that the play would be continuing in five minutes.  Tristan grinned at Brendon and winked. 'Later,' he mouthed.

Brendon smiled at Tristan. When the last act was over and the cast came out for their final bows they clapped until their hands were sore. The lights came up and Brendon stood smiling at Tristan. He put his arm around his shoulder as they headed for Tris's car. "Thank you for the most enjoyable night I've had in a long time...it was because of you of course," he said, his amber eyes reflecting happiness and a smile on his handsome face. He had slipped the sunglasses back on again even though it was dark.

Tristan gallantly opened Brendon's door for him, gesturing him in before firmly closing it. As he went behind the car to get to his own door he pumped his fist and made a barely audible noise of happiness before getting himself together, sliding into the driver's seat and buckling up. He grinned at Brendon and started the car, turned on the radio and they headed for home. Tristan very much looking forward to a little play time of their own.

Once they were on their way, Brendon pushed the sunglasses up on his head and began to fish his cell phone out of his pocket to check his messages. He accidentally dropped it and it slipped between the seats. "Dang!" he said.

Brendon reached down until he felt his phone. As he pulled it up he pulled up a piece of creased paper with it. He set the paper on the console. As he powered up his phone and the back light came on he noticed out of the corner of his eye that the paper was yellow and had the logo of the state of Maine on it. He realized it was a traffic ticket. He glanced at it and his eyes widened. "Tristan Devon Kane, when did this happen?" He held up the ticket.

Tristan took his eyes off the road for a moment to see what it was that his lover was talking about. His eyes widened just a bit and he could swear that his stomach dropped down into his pelvic region before he got himself back under control and trained his gaze on the road once more.  He reached out with his right hand so that Bren could hand him the ticket.  "It's nothing, really. I completely forgot about it til just now.  Don't worry about it. It's nothing, really," he said casually, despite the fact that his heart was beating so fast that he was willing to bet that it would get back to the resort before them.

Brendon frowned. "Don't worry about it? You will drive us to my place. You will get on line immediately and pay this ticket. It's due by tomorrow and it's for $632? Did you know that you have eight points on your license? Four more and you'll lose your license! You're goin' to sign up for the defensive driving course and get these points erased from your record," Brendon said sternly, keeping hold of the ticket.

Tris sighed.  "It's really not that big a deal, Bren. I'll go online and pay it, like you said, but I don't need to take a driving course. The Sheriff was really cool about everything and all he said was to pay more attention to my surroundings. He didn't say anything about any courses."  He reached once again for the ticket with a little more force, catching it by one corner and trying to yank it out of his lover's hand.

Brendon pulled the ticket out of Tris's hand and out of his reach. "No matter what the Sheriff said...you will take the course. If you don't, one more infraction and your license could be suspended. Your car insurance will skyrocket as well." The older man frowned at the younger one.

The young man wouldn't admit it but he was becoming increasingly worried.  ‘No one had said anything about losing his license or taking driving courses or... what the heck were points? Was he already too late to do any of these things?’ he wondered.  Without realizing it at first, his muscles tightened and he felt himself feeling equal parts angry and anxious.  His foot pressed down on the gas pedal a little more and his hands clenched the steering wheel as he stared unblinking at the road.

Brendon reached out and touched Tris's arm. "Slow down...in fact, pull over."

Tristan clenched his jaw and continued staring at the road as it unraveled before them.  "I'm fine. Everything is fine," he muttered stepping on the gas just a little more. The speedometer needle teetered somewhere between 65 and 70 miles an hour.  

Brendon said sternly, "Little boy, you are not fine and I want you to pull over right now."

Something in Brendon's tone cut its way through the fog that Tristan felt himself falling in to. He took deep breaths in an attempt to get his heart rate under control. He loosened his grip on the steering wheel and eased his foot off the gas pedal, keeping himself together long enough to remember to signal that he was pulling over.  The car coasted another twenty-five feet or more before Tris finally stopped it altogether.

Once the vehicle had come to a halt Brendon nodded, unsnapped the other man’s seat belt and then pulled Tris toward him and landed a sharp swat on his hip. "When I tell you to do something for our safety I expect you to do it immediately," he scolded sternly. "Gettin' another ticket isn't going to help things. Tell me what's goin' through that head of yours," he added a bit more gently.

"I just forgot about it, that's all," Tris replied, glaring at the steering wheel. "At the time I had more important things on my mind. And after that... well, I started planning this evening just for you... and now you're mad at me."

Brendon said, "I'm only upset that you lost sight of your priorities. I love you Tris, but I don't want you neglectin' your needs for me. Tonight, was great, but what will you do if your drivin' privileges get suspended? It's important that you take care of yourself. I would have been happy with just a movie... spendin' time with you is all I really need," the older man said softly.

Tristan's face relaxed a bit. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly before turning to look at Brendon.  "I'll pay the fine, and I'll take the course if you want me to. I want to spend as much time with you as I can, too.  You mean everything to me, and your health is important to me," he stressed.  "I'd eventually get my license back. But if anything had happened to you because I wasn't fast enough getting back to you... we only just got back together... I can't lose you." He knew that he wasn't saying things right and hoped that Brendon would understand things from his point of view.

Brendon pulled Tris to him and hugged him tight. "I understand, but if somethin' had happened to you because you were in a hurry to help me I couldn't bear that either," he told the younger man gently.

Tris sighed and laid his head against Brendon's chest.  "That's kinda what the Sheriff said too," he admitted.  "I'm sorry, Bren.  At the time, all I could think of was getting you that medicine as fast as possible.  I really had no idea how fast I was going until he pulled me over... and as for the ticket, it must have fallen between the seats when I took the bags out of the front seat and I just didn't think of it again after that.  I'll try to be more mindful in the future."

Brendon looked at his lover for a long time. He said quietly, "You put yourself in danger as well as others by not bein' mindful. When we get back I intend to remind you of how much I love you and how much you mean to me," the older man informed the younger with a hint of sternness.

Tris swallowed a large lump in his throat. He knew that he and Bren had agreed to be together again, and Tris had agreed to a discipline relationship between them, but now that the reality of it was so close, he found he wasn't so keen on it as he had been.  He'd never suspected that things would ever get this far between them.  Giving a short nod, he refastened his seat belt and checked for oncoming traffic, then pulled out onto the highway. "So, the fact that it was all done for you means nothing?" he asked quietly.

Brendon shook his head. "It means a whole lot to me Tris, but the thought of losin' you because of carelessness upsets me. If you really think I'm bein' unfair, or decide a discipline relationship isn't for us I can respect that and we can go back to what we had before. Remember it's you that has the say so as to whether this is what you want. It's up to me to determine when discipline is needed and we agreed to how and what we do in certain situations."

The young man remained quiet during the rest of the drive, guilt and remorse weighing heavily on his heart. When he'd pulled into his parking space and put on the parking break, he looked upward at Brendon and blushed.  "I'm just worried about what you think is fair," he admitted.

The older man said quietly, "We did agree a sound spanking was in order for puttin' yourself in danger. After this we can re-negotiate that if it doesn't work for you."

"I know," Tris replied quietly. "I mean... I... what are you going to use... on me?" he asked nervously.

Bren said quietly, "What did we agree on in cases of puttin' yourself in danger?"

"I... I really don't remember now, Bren," Tris replied nervously, licking his lip and then biting it, hard.  "I know we agreed on a DP, but I'm not sure we ever went into any great detail about the... way... we were going to handle it."

Brendon nodded. "Why don't we go inside and talk more about it? I'd like to know what's been done before when you were in a discipline relationship and what seemed to work best for you." Brendon opened the door to the car taking the ticket with him along with his cell phone.

They entered the bungalow and Bren led Tris to the sofa. He pulled him down next to him.

Tris sat on the sofa and put his head in his hands, not looking at Brendon.

Brendon leaned over and gently removed the younger man’s hands then turned Tris's head toward him. "Talk to me. I can't read your mind."

"I don't know what works," The younger man admitted, finally looking up to meet Brendon's beautiful, caring eyes.  "See... Lars, the one who first brought the idea up... he used to backhand me sometimes. I know that TLR doesn't condone that... I know now that it's considered abuse.  He liked to use his belt and he was too good at using it. Sometimes he would use a what he called a paddle... it was really more like a 2x4 and... and... I'm afraid. I told him I didn't want him to use those things and he threw me out. I don't ever want to have those used on me again. I know... in my heart... that you won't abuse me, but this not knowing what you will do... scares me."

Brendon's amber eyes darkened at the description of the abuse. "You said the last relationship you had seemed better. What did the two of you do in that one?" 

"He was more laid back. Used his hand more than anything else. He had a long fuse and... well... I admit I tested him on how long more than once, but he wanted me to be a submissive, and... well... the things he wanted me to do... I just wasn't comfortable with and I told him no. He seemed OK with it but then he moved out to California and he said he'd send for me. I never heard from him again.  If..." Tristan stammered, "if I don't... I mean... I..." he trailed off, unwilling or unable to tell Brendon his worst fear... that of being abandoned again.

Brendon shook his head. "I won't let you go again. I already told you that, Tris. If a discipline life style isn't for you then we can go back to the way we used to be. I personally think it works for us, but like I've also said before you have the power in this relationship, not me. I'd suggest we use the hairbrush to make my point with you about takin' care of yourself and your safety." Brendon told the younger man.

Tristan released a pent-up breath.  Knowing that Brendon wasn't going to leave him if he said no, knowing that Brendon was taking his feelings into account before doing anything... and mostly, Brendon's assertion that what, if anything, was done, Tristan had the final say.  He'd never been spanked with a hairbrush before, but he knew, while it would hurt, it wouldn't be anything like the belt or the 2x4.

"Ok," he finally said quietly. "I trust you. When... when do you want to..."

Brendon said quietly, "Let me get my laptop and let's take care of the ticket and enrollin' you in the defensive driver’s course first, then we'll see to the discipline because afterward I doubt very much you'll want to do anythin' else but cuddle with me."

Heartened by Brendon's words, Tris sat beside his lover and did as he'd been told.  Later, he looked at Bren, uncertain as to how to proceed and hoping that his Top would take the initiative.

The promise of cuddle time afterward relaxed him considerably.  Lars had never cuddled, and Rich, his second, would refuse affection as punishment. He knew now that Bren wouldn't do those things.

Once Tris had completed the ticket payment and signing up for the driving course Brendon shut down the computer. He took his lover by the hand. "Let's go into the bedroom. Do you have your evening meds with you? I know it's late for them and as soon as we're through I want you to take them."

Tristan blushed and shook his head.  "I left them home. I figured I'd be driving and... well, I was hoping for a different outcome for tonight," he admitted ruefully, "so I didn't take them with me."

Brendon frowned slightly. "Let's go to your place then. I don't want you goin' without your meds." He landed a hard swat to the young man's backside. "Next time make sure you take them with you when we go out. You never know when you'll need them," he scolded sternly.

"I'm sorry, Bren," Tris replied, rubbing the spot where his boyfriend had swatted him.  Instead of feeling upset or angry, he felt relieved as they walked back to his place.  He took the small pill case that he normally carried with him, when he remembered, off of the kitchen table and showed it to Brendon.  "I had them ready, I just forgot," he admitted sheepishly.

Bren said, "Well I'll just add a little extra to help remind you and the next time you forget you'll get another taste of the hairbrush if that's agreeable with you?"

Without thinking it through, Tristan replied, "I've never tasted a hairbrush.  I can't imagine the plastic ones taste very good, and the wooden ones could leave splinters between my teeth."

Brendon couldn't help but smile. "Well it's your bottom that'll be feelin' it and I'm sure there won't be any splinters."

Tristan flushed and grinned despite himself, then he sobered and said, "I... I guess I'm ready, Bren. How... how do you want to... I mean... where... dang!" he continued, giving himself a head slap for not being able to articulate better under pressure,  "I'm ready."

Brendon said softly, “Let’s do this in the bedroom. Come with me." He held out his hand to the younger man.

Tris did as he'd been told and followed Brendon into the bedroom. Once inside, he went into the adjoining bathroom and got himself a glass of water and a wet washcloth.  He knew from past experience that he'd need both afterward.

Brendon quirked an eyebrow at Tris's actions. "I would have done that for you when we were finished," he said quietly.

"I... I'm sorry. I'm just used to getting it for myself... the others... well, they weren't big on taking care of me afterward," he admitted.

Brendon went over and took the items out of his boy's hands and set them aside on the nightstand. "You're with me now and I'll take care of you...I promise I'll always take care of you." He pulled the young man into a tight hug.

Tris returned the hug, pressing his face into the front of Brendon's shirt.  "Thank you," he whispered.

"You're welcome," the older man said as he cuddled Tris for a while.

"I like this," Tris murmured. "Can't we just do this all night? I promise I'll do better." He didn't expect Bren to change his mind, and in a way, he didn't want him to, but as was his way he needed to test the waters and find the boundaries.

Brendon chuckled low in his throat. "I'd like nothin' better, but we have somethin' to take care of little boy." Brendon reluctantly released Tris. "Go get your hairbrush," he said seating himself on the edge in the middle of the bed.

The younger man sighed, partly in relief and partly from resignation, and went to do as he'd been told.  His hairbrush was plastic and despite what he was in for he couldn't help but to wonder if the handle would break before Brendon was done.  He rather hoped it would, thereby shortening what would no doubt be an unpleasant experience.  He returned and handed the brush to his lover, awaiting his next words.

Brendon took the implement and put it aside. "My mother spanked me with a hairbrush when I was a youngster and I can tell you from experience it packs a fierce sting and an ache that lasts into the next day. Not unbearable, but enough to remind me I got spanked and what for and it was quite a while before she had to use it on my backside again," he told Tristan.

Tris blushed and a small smile touched his lips despite the seriousness of the situation. "I have a hard time thinking of you getting spanked," he admitted, "but it obviously did you good. I... I'm ready."

Brendon nodded. "It did." He looked at Tristan and asked, "Tristan Devon Kane, tell me why you're goin' over my lap."

Tristan sighed. "I was speeding and nearly caused an accident, thereby putting myself and others in danger. I forgot about the ticket and could have lost my license. Because I got upset while I was driving and sped up instead of pulling over like you told me. Because I didn't take my seizure meds with me or take them on time..." he hesitated, unsure if he'd missed something, and waited for a prompt.

Brendon nodded. "That about covers things, but not takin' your medication on time isn't one of them. Just not havin' them with you."

"I'll try to remember to take them with me from now on," Tristan promised.  "I usually do remember, but sometimes I get... I dunno... distracted."

Brendon nodded. "And I'll work at reminding you as well. Sounds like you need other reminders besides the one I put on your phone for you."

"Should I take them now? Before... before you... I mean..." Tris stammered.

Brendon shook his head. "No, not until we're finished here." He then said quietly, "I want you to take down your underpants and jeans."

Tris's eyes widened and his breathing quickened slightly.  Pushing back memories of Lars he did as he was told with trembling hands, pushing his clothing down to his knees and self-consciously covering his privates, even though it was nothing that Brendon hadn't seen before.

Brendon said softly, "I love you and I'm not going to hurt you in a bad way Tris, I know it's different... it is for both of us." He put both hands on his boy's shoulders and looked him in the eyes showing how much he loved him.

Tris took a deep breath and let it out slowly, then nodded that he was ready.  He waited for Bren to retake his seat on the bed and then placed himself over his knees without being told.  He entwined his fingers together and placed his forehead on the resultant fist. Things would happen in Brendon's time, and he was in no rush to get started.

Brendon gently stood Tristan back up. "I want to help you over my lap. I don't expect you to place yourself there," he said gently. "I need for you to relax some, my little baker."

Brendon took Tristan by the wrist and guided him over his lap. He adjusted him to where he felt comfortable. He said softly, "No reachin' back. You can hold onto my leg if you need to. No bitin' yourself or holdin' back. You can yelp, cry or whatever else you need to, kick, wriggle, I'll have you. Once I begin I won't stop until I know the lesson has been learned," Brendon told the younger man.

Tris nodded and released the breath he didn't realize he'd been holding but once again entwined his fingers as he'd been taught to keep himself from reaching back.  "I'm ready, Bren," he said softly.

Brendon rubbed the young man's back a bit and made sure he had snugged him up as close to his stomach as he could. He patted the bare rump in front of him in warning before landing the first hearty smack to the center of the upturned bottom.

Tris jumped and hissed but forced himself to stay still, once again holding his breath in anticipation of the next one.

Bren gave Tris another smack and followed it by another one to the center of each mound. "Relax Tris...it's all right," he encouraged.

Tristan made an effort to relax, considering his position and what was happening to his backside. He pressed his forehead onto his clenched hands and took a breath.  "Sorry," he said quietly. He knew that Brendon was taking it easy on him to start and he appreciated the gesture.

Brendon said softly, "No need to apologize and please unclench your hands." He landed a few more sharp stinging smacks to his bottom to emphasize his request.

Tris splayed his hands on the bed, nails digging into the fabric of the bedspread as he jumped and gasped again. He made a conscious effort to relax but it was becoming harder and harder as the sting began to build.

Brendon continued to heat Tristan's mounds and then tipped him forward a bit so he could access the under curves and sit spots.

It wasn't until Tristan felt himself being shifted that he began to wriggle and squirm, still clutching the bed spread, he could feel tears beginning to fall, and his nose was becoming stuffed up.  He let out a soft keening cry and grabbed Brendon's pant leg. He wanted to beg Bren to stop, but all that came out of his mouth was a long, in-drawn hiss.

Once Brendon warmed Tristan's entire sitting area he paused to pick up the brush. He rubbed his back a little and placed the cool plastic implement upon the burning flesh. "Puttin' yourself in danger is unacceptable for any reason, my love...I couldn't continue without you this time." He snapped the brush down quickly on one burning under curve and the other in quick succession, snapping his wrist to provide more sting than anything else.

Tristan nearly levitated off of Bren's lap, but his lover had a firm grip on him and he didn't get far. A cry escaped his lips and that was all it took to break the dam on his emotions.  He could feel the anxiety and guilt being washed away by his tears, and he gave himself up to it.

Brendon scolded, "Not takin' care of your needs hurts me as well as you. It hurts our relationship and I love you too much for that to happen anymore." He continued to smack the under curves with the snapping action and then smacked each sit spot.

"I'm sorry Bren! Please stop. Please? I'll do better, I swear."

Brendon, although his heart ached for what he was doing he didn't relent yet. "Makin' sure you have your meds with you at all times is important to us as well Tris and I'm goin' to make sure you remember that." He smacked the sit spots several times to drive his point home.

"Aaahh! I un-understand, Bren! I'll work harder to remember, I promise!" Tris cried, his voice sounding unnaturally high even to himself. He took another breath and instead of letting it out slowly as he'd planned, it came out as another cry as Brendon landed more smacks to his backside.

Hearing the cries Brendon gave Tris several more smacks driving home the lesson and stopped, putting the brush aside and rubbing the younger man's back.

Tristan began to relax under Brendon's ministrations and his breathing slowly returned to something akin to normal.  The sting remained but that too, once he began to breathe normally, became more tolerable.  He laid his head down on the bed and felt his eyes closing against his will.

Brendon eased Tristan up into his arms and reached over to the nightstand for the young man's medications and the water glass. "Here Tris, take these," he said softly.

Tris balanced on his hip and took the pills and then the water. His eyes felt hot and grainy and he closed them to ease the discomfort. He rested his head against Bren's shoulder.  "I'm sorry," he said sleepily.

Bren said, "No need to be sorry. I promised I'd take care of you." He reached over and took the cool damp cloth and wiped Tris's face with it and laid it over his eyes for a moment, then pushed tissues into his hand and said, "Blow your nose."

Not caring that he sounded, as he'd been told, like a fog horn when he blew his nose, Tris did as his lover asked, laughing a little as he realized that yes, he really did. Now that the guilt was gone, he could find the humor in things again, including his own little oddities.

He crumpled the used tissue in his hand and wrapped his arms around his lover, laying his cheek against Brendon's broad chest, relaxing into the loving, caring arms encircling him.  He didn't care that his backside was still red hot, or that his pants were entangled on his sneakers.