Nick and Gavin: Bed

"But I don't want to go," Nick whimpered softly, knowing it made no difference what he wanted and feeling only the tiniest bit comforted by it. At least it was consistent, he figured. It sucked, but it never wavered. Gavin was in control. Period.

He'd been late three days in a row now. The first day had been chance and he'd been let off with a lecture, the second Gavin had spanked him and today, the third time, he'd just suffered through another spanking. Now, Gavin had said, it was time for bed.

"There is no discussion being had here, Nicky," Gavin's voice was firm, but gentle. He hugged Nick close to him, holding him with one arm, laying the other hand lightly on his lover's red, bare bottom.

"But," Nick sniffed and relaxed into the embrace. "But it's only 7:00. We only just ate dinner. I wanted to watch TV..." his voice trailed off. It was useless.

"Don't argue," Gavin pulled back and rubbed tears off Nick's cheeks with his thumbs. He gave him a sympathetic smile. "Be home straight from work tomorrow, hm? I don't want to go through this again."

Nick nodded.

"Good boy," Gavin smiled wider and pulled Nick's head to his lips, kissing his forehead soundly before turning him toward the stairs. "Now go to bed."

"I have to?" Nick's shoulders slumped in resignation.

Gavin's eyebrows raised. "Did I not make my point clear? Do we honestly need to go through that again? So soon? I'm in charge. That's what we agreed on, that's the way it is. I won't hesitate to reinforce it. Regardless of how much the last one hurt."

"No! No, I mean... no." Nick sighed and nodded. He rubbed fiercely at his pink, watery eyes and sniffed.
"You coming too?"

"In a little bit, sweetheart. I have things I need to do first. Now, go." He smacked Nick's bottom lightly in motivation, propelling him toward the stairs.

"Ow, ow.." he went quickly, still whimpering tearfully.

A few moments later water running and the general sounds of Nick readying himself for bed were heard from the bedroom and bathroom.

Gavin smiled and shook his head tiredly. "Be in bed in fifteen minutes!" he called up the stairs.

"Uh-huh!" Nick called back, his speech obscured by the toothbrush dangling in his mouth.

It wasn't fair, it really wasn't. Gavin got to go out and have fun, he got to do things after work. Okay, so he always told Nick ahead of time, at least 24 hours, but wasn't there something to be said for spontaneity? Anything?

Not to Gavin.

He sighed again and spit into the sink, rinsing his mouth with cold water. He cocked at himself in the mirror for a moment. His eyes were red and puffy from crying. It had been a hard spanking as spankings in their house went. Gavin had held him on the couch afterward for at least twenty minutes while he sobbed and cuddled and calmed down. He forced himself not to smile, even just a little bit. His bottom still hurt, a lot. And he wasn't happy, he was annoyed, right? Right? Right. It wasn't fair. But a yawn overtook him and he scowled.

It was too early for bed.

He thought about calling this down the stairs in a last ditch effort to get his sentence reduced, but thought better of it. He stung enough already and it would probably take a couple days to die down as it was.

He did, on the other hand, risk whining about something similar.

"Come to bed?" he asked, as forlornly and quietly as he could while staying upstairs and still making himself heard.

"What punishment would that be, young man?" Gavin asked, in response, from somewhere downstairs. "My coming to bed and holding you until you fall asleep?"

Nick knew it was a rhetorical question and chewed his lip, thinking.

"If I have to tell you one more time to go to bed, Nicholas Alan Clark, it will hurt."

That was all that had to be said before the pattering of bare feet was heard on the hardwood upstairs and then the loud creaking of the bed as Nick threw himself on top of it. Consequently, a shriek resounded as, apparently, he'd landed wrong and the bed had come in contact with his sore bottom.

Gavin smiled and returned to grading papers.

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It was finally dark when he entered the bedroom. The curtains were open, as well as the windows, letting in the cool summer night air. Moonlight streaked across the pale sheets and over Nick's slender form, sprawled all over both sides of the bed. Predictably, he was lying sweet and still on his stomach. He was bare but for a pair of black boxer briefs and had kicked off all the covers, most of them ending up on the floor.

Warmth welled in Gavin's chest at the quiet sight of his normally bouncy, chattering counterpart. He enjoyed watching Nick sleep, seeing him silent and vulnerable.

He slid out of his clothes and into a pair of cotton pajama bottoms before climbing onto the bed and gently shaking Nick.

"Move over, kiddo, just a bit. Atta boy..."

Nick scooted slowly, groggily, toward the other side of the bed, mumbling incoherently.

"Shh..." Gavin whispered, pulling him up close again once he'd settled back against a pillow. He rested Nick's head on his own chest, stroking his hair. "Go back to sleep."

"Gav.." Nick raised one eyelid halfway.

Gavin looked down at him in the dim moonlight.

"Sorry I've been such a.. a pain lately."

"Shh," Gavin rubbed circles around Nick's bare back, soothing him. "It's over now. I know you're sorry."

Nick smiled, sleepily and nuzzled closer. "Love you," he mumbled before drifting back off again.

"Love you too." Gavin kissed his hair and let himself sink into the bed, exhausted.