Paul walked in from the main house as the two of them broke into shouts of laughter. He raised his eyebrows at them and shook his head. “Do you two never run out of things to talk about?” He came over and placed a hand on Zay’s waist, then kissed the upturned lips waiting for his.
Then he turned to Suzy. “You better get a move on Suzy. I’ll take care of the waffles and Bunny can fill in for you for the pastries. Steve is waiting ... rather impatiently?” He leaned across and ruffled his sister’s hair. Then he bent and kissed her on the cheek. “All right now, honey?”
Suzy smiled up at Paul and nodded her head. “Yeah,” she said softly, then turned her face into Paul’s hand and kissed him on the palm. “Thanks Paul.”
*Bunny*
Zay frowned a bit. He didn't like Bunny.
"Don't I get a kiss Suzy? And where did you go off to this morning Paul? You were mad last night and then when I woke up this morning you weren't here." Zay tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but he couldn't help it. Not having things settled between them yet left him feeling, well, unsettled.
Paul ignored the question but he kept his hand firmly around Zay’s waist. After he had shooed Suzy out he turned to his errant lover.
“And now, I have you all to myself,” He looked at the waffle ingredients and said. “Breakfast will have to wait this morning. I have something I want to show you. Come with me.”
Little alarm bells tingled in Zay's brain. Code red. Something I want to show you? Come with me? Those two sentences alone were innocent enough, when combined together like that though they made Zay's butt twitch. Maybe feeling unsettled wasn't such a bad thing. All he said was 'Ok, I'm not that hungry anyway."
Paul led the way to the office, holding tightly to Zay’s hand. He glanced down at Zay’s bare feet and tutted. “Bare feet again, Zay?” The tone made Zay flush.
*Yep. Definitely code red*
"I was in a hurry?" Zay didn't understand Paul's insistence that he put on shoes or slippers anyway. Just because he got that splinter that ONE time from the hardwood floors. It was a pretty awesome splinter though.
Paul gently pushed Zay into the office and indicated the sofa. “Come sit down, darling.”
Zay sat. This had all the earmarks of one of those 'serious' talks, and seeing how they usually ended, he was more than happy to sit while he could still do so in comfort.
“Do you remember our conversation last night, babe?”
*Shit.*
"Uhm, we had a couple of them. One was about my not making curfew. The other was really short 'cause it was late and you were tired. The one where you said I should be in a lot of trouble. Should be. We went to bed with nothing settled and so I didn't sleep very well and you weren't there this morning when I woke up and I needed you to be and I'm sorry if I sound whiny but I'm upset."
Paul took Zay’s hand and kept it comfortingly in his. He knew Zay was probably feeling nervous and unsettled and he didn’t want him upset any further. He listened patiently for Zay to stop rambling and then, still retaining Zay’s hand in his, he spoke. “I know we didn’t settle things last night. I am sorry but it was much too late and you were already asleep, and there was no way I would rouse you from sleep to talk about this.”
Zay nodded, and then yawned to show Paul he hadn't slept much anyway.
“And I know too this would be troubling you when you woke up, which is why I went out early so that I could be back as fast as possible. I asked you to think about how much trouble you should be in with me. Did you do so?”
"Sorta. I'd start feeling panicky and I'd stop. I think I kinda went way over the line. Like across the border into another country."
“I can always tell when you and Suzy are cooking up something; your body language betrays you Zay. I can always tell when you are covering up and you know how I feel about that, don’t you?”
"Covering something up is the same as lying about it." Paul had once made him write that 500 times, and that AFTER he'd been paddled. And he'd had to sit on a hard chair, no cushion.
“I asked you to stay out of Suzy’s coils because I knew it would get messy between them, and you certainly didn’t need to be right in the middle of it. Why didn’t you do as I asked?”
"It's kinda hard to say no to your sister." Zay couldn't help it; he grinned.
Paul looked at him sternly. “Zay, this is no laughing matter. It concerned someone’s well-being, this time being Suzy’s and Steve’s. You shouldn’t have meddled, especially after I told you not to.”
Zay squirmed. "I thought I could help, and I only meddled a little bit."
“A little bit?” Paul asked, arching his eyebrows. “I hardly think so, from the looks of the photos. To stop you from hurtling further into affairs that did not concern you, I grounded you. Told you to be home on time, and what did you do?”
Zay squirmed a bit more. "I missed my curfew time."
“That’s right. You did and that is not acceptable.” Paul watched Zay’s head dip and he continued. “OK, I sent you to bed as a punishment. A punishment, Zay. You know what that means don’t you? You go to bed, and you stay in bed. What did you do instead? You sneaked out the minute my back was turned.”
"Not the very minute. I did stay there a whole hour." Zay noted Paul did not look impressed.
“Very funny.” Paul’s voice was dry. “So, do you now have a clearer inclination of how much trouble you are in with me, darling?”
"A heap of it. But Suzy was really upset and she asked me to help. I had to give her the photos and then I was going right back to bed. Honest."
“I know, I understand sweetheart. You love Suzy and you want to help her. I appreciate that. But nothing gives you the right to defy my orders and to cover things up between us. I do not like being lied to and I won’t tolerate it.”
"I'm sorry."
Paul stood up and walked over to his desk. He took up a long, slim package and brought it over to Zay. Sliding the velvety cloth down, he took out a rattan cane. Paul placed it carefully on the sofa next to Zay.
“I thought it was about time we got this and I went out early to Richard’s place. He had a spare.”
Then he turned to Suzy. “You better get a move on Suzy. I’ll take care of the waffles and Bunny can fill in for you for the pastries. Steve is waiting ... rather impatiently?” He leaned across and ruffled his sister’s hair. Then he bent and kissed her on the cheek. “All right now, honey?”
Suzy smiled up at Paul and nodded her head. “Yeah,” she said softly, then turned her face into Paul’s hand and kissed him on the palm. “Thanks Paul.”
*Bunny*
Zay frowned a bit. He didn't like Bunny.
"Don't I get a kiss Suzy? And where did you go off to this morning Paul? You were mad last night and then when I woke up this morning you weren't here." Zay tried to keep the whine out of his voice, but he couldn't help it. Not having things settled between them yet left him feeling, well, unsettled.
Paul ignored the question but he kept his hand firmly around Zay’s waist. After he had shooed Suzy out he turned to his errant lover.
“And now, I have you all to myself,” He looked at the waffle ingredients and said. “Breakfast will have to wait this morning. I have something I want to show you. Come with me.”
Little alarm bells tingled in Zay's brain. Code red. Something I want to show you? Come with me? Those two sentences alone were innocent enough, when combined together like that though they made Zay's butt twitch. Maybe feeling unsettled wasn't such a bad thing. All he said was 'Ok, I'm not that hungry anyway."
Paul led the way to the office, holding tightly to Zay’s hand. He glanced down at Zay’s bare feet and tutted. “Bare feet again, Zay?” The tone made Zay flush.
*Yep. Definitely code red*
"I was in a hurry?" Zay didn't understand Paul's insistence that he put on shoes or slippers anyway. Just because he got that splinter that ONE time from the hardwood floors. It was a pretty awesome splinter though.
Paul gently pushed Zay into the office and indicated the sofa. “Come sit down, darling.”
Zay sat. This had all the earmarks of one of those 'serious' talks, and seeing how they usually ended, he was more than happy to sit while he could still do so in comfort.
“Do you remember our conversation last night, babe?”
*Shit.*
"Uhm, we had a couple of them. One was about my not making curfew. The other was really short 'cause it was late and you were tired. The one where you said I should be in a lot of trouble. Should be. We went to bed with nothing settled and so I didn't sleep very well and you weren't there this morning when I woke up and I needed you to be and I'm sorry if I sound whiny but I'm upset."
Paul took Zay’s hand and kept it comfortingly in his. He knew Zay was probably feeling nervous and unsettled and he didn’t want him upset any further. He listened patiently for Zay to stop rambling and then, still retaining Zay’s hand in his, he spoke. “I know we didn’t settle things last night. I am sorry but it was much too late and you were already asleep, and there was no way I would rouse you from sleep to talk about this.”
Zay nodded, and then yawned to show Paul he hadn't slept much anyway.
“And I know too this would be troubling you when you woke up, which is why I went out early so that I could be back as fast as possible. I asked you to think about how much trouble you should be in with me. Did you do so?”
"Sorta. I'd start feeling panicky and I'd stop. I think I kinda went way over the line. Like across the border into another country."
“I can always tell when you and Suzy are cooking up something; your body language betrays you Zay. I can always tell when you are covering up and you know how I feel about that, don’t you?”
"Covering something up is the same as lying about it." Paul had once made him write that 500 times, and that AFTER he'd been paddled. And he'd had to sit on a hard chair, no cushion.
“I asked you to stay out of Suzy’s coils because I knew it would get messy between them, and you certainly didn’t need to be right in the middle of it. Why didn’t you do as I asked?”
"It's kinda hard to say no to your sister." Zay couldn't help it; he grinned.
Paul looked at him sternly. “Zay, this is no laughing matter. It concerned someone’s well-being, this time being Suzy’s and Steve’s. You shouldn’t have meddled, especially after I told you not to.”
Zay squirmed. "I thought I could help, and I only meddled a little bit."
“A little bit?” Paul asked, arching his eyebrows. “I hardly think so, from the looks of the photos. To stop you from hurtling further into affairs that did not concern you, I grounded you. Told you to be home on time, and what did you do?”
Zay squirmed a bit more. "I missed my curfew time."
“That’s right. You did and that is not acceptable.” Paul watched Zay’s head dip and he continued. “OK, I sent you to bed as a punishment. A punishment, Zay. You know what that means don’t you? You go to bed, and you stay in bed. What did you do instead? You sneaked out the minute my back was turned.”
"Not the very minute. I did stay there a whole hour." Zay noted Paul did not look impressed.
“Very funny.” Paul’s voice was dry. “So, do you now have a clearer inclination of how much trouble you are in with me, darling?”
"A heap of it. But Suzy was really upset and she asked me to help. I had to give her the photos and then I was going right back to bed. Honest."
“I know, I understand sweetheart. You love Suzy and you want to help her. I appreciate that. But nothing gives you the right to defy my orders and to cover things up between us. I do not like being lied to and I won’t tolerate it.”
"I'm sorry."
Paul stood up and walked over to his desk. He took up a long, slim package and brought it over to Zay. Sliding the velvety cloth down, he took out a rattan cane. Paul placed it carefully on the sofa next to Zay.
“I thought it was about time we got this and I went out early to Richard’s place. He had a spare.”
Zay's initial curiosity rapidly dissolved into absolute panic. He seriously considered a bolt for the door. He shook his head vigorously and his eyes started to tear up. "No way Paul. Please no."
Paul could see the panic in Zay’s eyes and he quickly pulled him close and hugged him. “Shh ... calm down. I am not going to cane you, Zay! Shh ... here, come here!”
It took a moment or two before Paul's statement to register. Then Zay's brain picked up on the not going to cane, and he hugged Paul back and took a shaky breath. "Not going to cane, good," he sniffled.
“The cane is here as a reminder to you. For now, only a reminder. I am however going to spank you for what you have done, and this time its with the strap. No cane, only the strap. OK?”
Zay nodded. He'd never thought he'd be happy to hear he was gonna be strapped.
“But remember this, sweetheart, you will get a taste of the cane if you continue to disregard my direct orders and plunge into things without thought or sanity. This time, everything turned out well. Be thankful for that but it could have been very ugly if Suzy had jumped to all the wrong conclusions. Do you understand what I am saying, darling?”
"By taste, I don't guess you mean I get to lick it, do you." Zay snuggled a bit against Paul and sighed. "I understand and even comprehend." He shivered a bit. "I don't mean to stir things up, it just happens."
Paul grunted as he got up and pulled Zay up with him. “Not good enough, brat! I am not letting you get away with it by just saying it happens. You have control over yourself and your actions.”
Zay was gonna comment that no he didn't have control and that was what he needed Paul for, otherwise he'd be running amok nude in the streets, but all he said was "I love you."
“I love you too. Now come on upstairs and then afterwards, we can have some waffles for breakfast.”
T H E E N D