Walter smiled as he went into the kitchen and got a wine glass down
from the rack. He poured himself a glass of Chardonnay and sipped
it with a sigh of pleasure. Now all he needed was a good hot shower
and a change of clothes, and they would be off to Georgetown, to
that intimate little steak place they all loved so much.
Candlelight, burnished wood, the rich heavy draperies shutting out
all thoughts of the outside world...Walter sipped again and closed
his eyes. A slab of Black Angus grilled to perfection, Fox and
Alex, dressed in their finest, enjoying a wonderful evening
together, just the three of them, and peace and quiet...
CRASH!
Walter jumped, sloshing wine over the side of his glass.
"What the hell?!?" he spluttered. He hastily put his glass down on
the counter and hurried into the living room.
CRASH!
Another bone-rattling crash from upstairs. Walter stood slack-jawed
as bits of plaster rained down from the ceiling and the picture of
his mother fell off the wall and disappeared behind the sofa.
Walter turned toward the staircase just as a series of bumps and
thumps sounded, followed by what sounded like yelling.
Walter took the stairs two at a time.
He followed the sounds to the master bedroom and then to the en
suite bathroom. He hit the door running but what he saw made him
stop in his tracks, frozen in place as his eyes tried to process
what they were seeing.
The bathroom was in shambles.
The door to the medicine cabinet hung crazily from one hinge.
Assorted bottles of cough syrup, disposable razors, cotton swabs and
pill bottles littered the vanity. Walter's pot of ivy, which had
sat on a small shelf above the toilet, now lay on the floor, the
ceramic pot broken and surrounded by potting soil. The shelf lay
beside it, upside down, the bottles and tubes of lotions and creams
it had also held scattered around it.
And in the middle of all of this, stark naked, were Fox and Alex.
Shouting, cursing and growling at one another, rolling on the floor,
each obviously intent on doing the other serious bodily harm.
Walter gaped in astonishment. They had seemed to be bickering a lot
lately, but this was the first time things had escalated to the
point of an actual fight. Walter stood, momentarily distracted by
the sight of two sets of bare, delectable buttocks, flexing and
writhing as his lovers tussled on the tile floor. Walter shook
himself out of his reverie. His jaw clenched and his temples began
to pound. So much for the romantic evening he had planned. He took
a step forward.
Then the smell hit him.
Walter staggered back, his eyes watering. It smelled like someone
had lobbed a hand grenade into the men's toiletries department at
Macy's. He stood back a little from the doorway and gasped for air.
He scanned the room, quickly finding the source. There, lying on
the bathroom floor, just inches from where his naked lovers were
grimly fighting one another, lay the bottle of Dolce and Gabbana
cologne he had given Fox for his birthday. Broken. The green glass
bottle was in pieces, surrounded by a pool of yellowish liquid.
Walter took a deep breath and headed into the fray.
Fox had Alex on his stomach, one hand full of dark hair, trying to
rub his face into the bathmat.
"You did it on purpose, you Rat!" he yelled. "And I'm going to hear
you admit it!"
Alex managed a deft maneuver and threw Fox off him, quickly leaping
atop the sprawling man.
"I told you it was an accident! I am so sick of your pouting! If
you hadn't grabbed me it never would have happened!"
Furious, Alex felt around beside him and came up with a handful of
damp potting soil. He grinned.
"Don't you DARE!" Fox yelled, trying to twist out of Alex's grip.
"What's the matter, Foxy?" Alex taunted. "Scared of a little dirt?"
Fox managed to hit Alex's hand, making him drop most of the soil.
Alex growled and they began to wrestle again.
The two loud whacks sounded like gunshots in the small room.
"OWW!" Fox and Alex yelled in unison. They looked up, their jaws
dropping and their eyes widening in horror as they realized the mess
they had, literally and figuratively, gotten themselves in.
Walter stood, hands on hips, his rumpled shirt and loosened tie in
no way detracting from the image of a stern and very angry AD intent
on pounding some sense into two very bare bottoms. Walter looked at
the bottoms in question as their owners scrambled to their feet.
Each of his boys now bore a perfect red handprint on one formerly
unblemished buttock.
Fox and Alex stood before him, their eyes looking in any direction
but his, biting their lips and shuffling from foot to foot. Each
was tempted to sneak a hand back to rub but they were in enough
trouble already.
Walter's voice was calm and terrible.
"Would either of you," he paused and glared meaningfully at each of
the two miscreants, "like to tell me just what the hell is going
on?"
Two sets of eyes studied the tile floor.
"NOW!" Walter roared. Fox and Alex jumped, then began talking at
once, their voices rising and mingling into an unintelligible din
that made Skinner want to put his hands over his ears.
"That's enough," he snapped. "Fox, start talking. Alex, I'll hear
your side in a minute."
Alex pouted, as much as he dared. Fox glanced fearfully at Walter
and then began to tell his story.
"We were getting ready for dinner, Walter. Alex had taken a shower
and I was about to take mine, when I came in and," he paused,
glaring accusingly at Alex, "I found him using MY Dolce and Gabbana
cologne!"
Fox's eyes flashed as he relived the story of the outrage he had
been obliged to suffer.
"It's the cologne you gave me for my birthday," he sniffed. "He
knows it's special to me, and it's two hundred dollars a bottle! He
didn't even ask me first, he just took it!"
"I just wanted a couple of drops!" Alex yelled. "I didn't think
you'd mind! We always share everything!"
"Alex..." Walter said warningly. Alex flushed and looked down,
biting his tongue.
"That's not the point," Fox said icily. "You know it's my favorite.
You know it's special, because Walter gave it to me for my
birthday. You should have asked."
Fox looked back up at Walter, his eyes brimming with tears.
"And when I came in and found him stealing my cologne, he threw the
bottle on the floor and broke it!"
Walter looked at Alex with surprise. That didn't sound like his Rat
at all.
Alex could not keep silent. Tears of anger and frustration sprang
to his own eyes as he pointed at Fox with a shaking finger.
"It's not true, Walter!" he shouted. "Fox grabbed my arm and I
dropped the bottle! I didn't mean to! I didn't!"
Fox glared at Alex.
"You're jealous. Jealous of me and jealous that Walter gave me the
cologne I wanted even though it was so expensive. You're always
jealous." Fox felt the anger rising in him and knew he was about to
go too far, but he just couldn't stop the hurtful words before they
made it out of his mouth.
"Once a thief, always a thief! You always want what I have!
Doesn't that explain why you're here?"
Alex gasped and went white. His face seemed to clamp shut and he
turned and ran from the room.
Walter looked at Fox, aghast.
"Fox..."
Fox blushed furiously and looked down, unable to believe what he had
just done. He was too ashamed to look at Walter, but too angry to
apologize.
Walter grasped Fox firmly by the shoulder.
"Downstairs, now, and find your corner. I'm going after him. I'll
be down in a few minutes and if I find you doing anything except
pressing your nose against the wall then your butt and my belt are
going to have a serious discussion."
Fox paled and rushed from the room. Walter took another look around
at the mess Fox and Alex had made of their lovely bathroom and shook
his head sadly. He turned on the overhead fan and closed the door,
hoping it would help clear the smell of the powerful cologne out.
The mess would just have to wait. He had another, more important
mess to clean up.
Walter found Alex in the bedroom. He took one look at his Rat and
felt cold all over. Just that morning those green eyes had sparkled
at him across the breakfast table, every glance saying "I love you".
Now those eyes were flat and without hope. Tears ran silently down
Alex's face as he quickly stuffed clothing into his knapsack, not
even looking at the crumpled shirts and underwear he was grabbing
from the bureau drawers. He had taken time to throw on a pair of
jeans and a T-shirt, apparently not noticing that the T-shirt was on
inside-out.
"Alex," Walter said softly. "Alex, stop."
Alex didn't respond. He bit his lip and pulled another drawer open,
unable to stifle a sob as he began grabbing handfuls of socks and
shoving them in with the shirts and boxers.
Walter sat on the edge of the bed.
"Alex," he said again. "What are you doing? Where are you going?"
Alex shrugged, trying not to cry.
"I don't know, Walter. He...you heard him. I'm just in the way.
I'm just someone trying to take what's his. He doesn't...doesn't
want me..."
Alex broke down and sobbed helplessly, his knapsack in his hand,
hurting and unsure of what to do. He was angry at Fox, it was true,
but what Fox had said had cut him to the heart. He stood in front
of Walter, shaking, miserable with the fear of leaving. Terrified
of staying and facing what seemed to be Fox's hatred of him. The
pain in Alex's eyes made Walter's chest tighten a little. He looked
into those eyes, held them with his steady gaze. Held out his arms.
"Alex," he whispered. Alex dropped the knapsack and hurled himself
into Walter's arms. He buried his face in Walter's chest and cried
as though his heart would break.
"I don't want to go, I don't want to go..." he said over and over,
between sobs. Walter held him, making soothing noises, rubbed his
back.
"I know, Rat," he said quietly. "I know."
At length, Alex's tears subsided. Walter sat Alex beside him on the
bed, wiped away his tears. Alex looked down, picked at the
comforter with one hand.
"Alex," Walter said gently but firmly. "You do know that Fox didn't
mean what he said, don't you?"
Alex shrugged a little, his chin trembling a little.
"I'd like to. But...he said it, Walter. What if that's how he
really feels?"
Walter took Alex's chin in his hand, cupping it and feeling the
trembling subside. He brought Alex's face up, looked into his eyes.
"Alex," he began. "You two had a fight. A bad one. It's probably
fair to say you both said some things you didn't mean. Isn't it?"
Alex nodded guiltily.
"Now," Walter continued. "Nothing has happened that can't be fixed.
You're both upset right now. But we will work through this. After
all that's happened in the past, everything we've overcome, I don't
think we're going to let a broken bottle of cologne ruin everything,
are we?"
Alex smiled a little. He looked up at Walter hopefully.
"I...I guess you're right. But Fox is still so mad. And I..." he
hesitated.
"Yes?" Walter prompted.
Alex felt himself pouting and couldn't help it.
"Well...he was wrong," he said at last. "I...I guess I'm still mad
too."
Walter laughed and kissed Alex.
"I know. I know you both think you were right and the other was
wrong. But as I said," Walter paused and gave Alex a meaningful
look, "we're going to get to the bottom of it. Right?"
Alex gulped and nodded.
Walter stood.
"Now," he said, pointing toward the bedroom door. "Get those
clothes off and get downstairs. Find your corner and do some
serious thinking about your behavior this evening. Fox is already
there and he had better be doing the same thing. Make no mistake,
Alex," he said, his tone growing slightly more gentle. "I love you.
With all my heart. You and Fox both. But you both behaved
appallingly tonight and you will both be punished. Is that
understood?"
Alex quickly began undressing. He swallowed hard.
"Yes, sir," he said softly.
"Good," Walter said, mentally wiping his brow. He watched as his
skittish young lover finished taking off his clothes and left the
room, his footfalls sounding on the stairs. Walter looked at Alex's
forgotten knapsack, lying on the floor next to the bed, and sighed.
Another narrow escape. He was worried that one day Alex really
would leave, that his fragile security would be irrevocably broken
and he would be gone forever. Walter forced that thought from his
mind. He thought about what awaited him over the rest of the
evening and wondered if it was worth going into that bathroom again
for the antacid. He started for the stairs, musing disappointedly
on the restaurant and the splendid meal they would now miss. He
hoped there was some chicken salad left in the fridge. He would
consider his lovers' punishment while they ate. He paused in the
hallway and went back for the antacid.
Walter passed through the living room, noting approvingly that both
Fox and Alex were doing as he had instructed. The red handprints on
their lovely bottoms were fading now, but Walter intended to mark
them and mark them well when the time came. He stopped on his way
to the kitchen and regarded the two naked combatants, slumped
miserably in their corners.
"I don't want to hear a word out of either of you," he said sternly.
"I think it goes without saying that dinner out tonight is
cancelled. I am going to fix dinner for us all, soup and
sandwiches. You will remain in your corners, thinking about what
you did, until I return."
Walter went into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. He
took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He replaced his glasses
and went to the freezer, taking down a large container of homemade
broccoli and cheese soup his mother had sent home with him on his
last visit. He quickly and efficiently set the table, stirred the
rapidly thawing soup. A short time later, Walter went back into the
living room. He sat down heavily on the sofa.
"Come here, you two," he said, not unkindly. Slowly, Fox and Alex
came to stand before him, their hands behind their backs, not
looking at each other.
Walter regarded them silently. After a few minutes, they began to
fidget nervously.
"I am absolutely horrified at your behavior tonight," Walter finally
said. Alex winced. Fox bit his lip. Walter eyed them both sternly
and continued.
"I came home tonight, after a long and stressful week at the office,
looking forward to taking the two of you out for a beautiful dinner
at our favorite place, and what do I find? Do I find my two
gorgeous lovers dressed and waiting for me? Happy to be together?
Happy to have this lovely night, the three of us? No."
Fox and Alex looked more miserable with every word.
"What I find is, my lovers, on the floor, INTENT ON BEATING THE SHIT
OUT OF EACH OTHER!" Walter roared, banging his fist on the arm of
the sofa. Alex and Fox jumped.
"I'm sorry, Walter," Fox said quickly. "But he broke my cologne
bottle on purpose!"
Alex stared at him in amazement.
"I did NOT!" he yelled. "He grabbed me! He accused me of stealing!
We always share everything! He's just acting like a spoiled brat!"
Fox whirled on Alex.
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
"Am not!"
"ENOUGH!" Walter roared. "Stop it, the both of you!"
Fox and Alex closed their mouths and lowered their eyes, their
bottoms clenching involuntarily. Walter only raised his voice when
he was truly upset.
Walter stood and waited for their eyes to rise and meet his.
"Now, I've had just about enough of this. You've been bickering and
sniping at each other a lot lately and I don't know what the problem
is but I guarantee you, it's going to stop. I think you've lost
sight of just what's really important around here. You've lost
sight of each other."
Fox and Alex looked at one another uncomfortably. Walter folded his
arms and eyed them evenly.
"You two need to learn a lesson about just how important you are to
one another. For the rest of this weekend, you will not leave this
house. You will not speak to one another. You will not, under any
circumstances, touch one another. Each infraction is worth six
strokes of the cane. Am I understood, Fox?"
Fox studied his feet.
"Yes, sir," he mumbled softly. He risked a glare at Alex. Alex
glared back. Shouldn't be too hard to go a whole weekend without
talking to him, they each thought. Walter cleared his throat.
"Alex?"
Alex looked at Walter.
"Yes, sir."
"Good," Walter said. "And one more thing, boys. You will remain
naked for the duration. Now, into the kitchen. Dinner is ready."
Dinner was a silent and tense affair. Walter was beginning to feel
as though he were punishing himself as well. He missed the banter,
the hands touching across the table, the sly games of footsie under
it. He sighed and took a bite of his sandwich. They had to learn.
Fox and Alex stared at their plates as they ate, occasionally
looking up to shoot an accusing glare at the other. Walter caught
each of them casting nervous looks at the rattan cane that he had
placed in the center of the table as a reminder.
After dinner, Walter led his naked lovers back into the living room
and parked them in their corners.
"I'm going to clean up the kitchen. I'm leaving the door open and I
don't want to hear any talking."
Two dark heads nodded, two noses found their marks on the wall.
From his corner, Fox coughed, to draw Alex's attention. He glanced
nervously toward the kitchen door. Walter hadn't said they couldn't
cough, had he? Alex looked warily at Fox. Fox shot him a hard look,
pointed his finger at him.
"YOUR fault," he mouthed.
Alex scowled and held up his hand. He used a different finger.
Walter came into the room, wiping his hands on the dishcloth.
"Do you two need some help understanding what's expected of you
while you're in your corners?"
Two dark heads shook emphatically.
"Good."
Walter led them back into the now spotless kitchen and seated them
both at the kitchen table. He had to use all of his strength not to
smile at the twin looks of revulsion on their faces when they saw
the new legal pads and pens laid out for them.
Walter left the kitchen door open again. He paused before going
back into the living room.
"All right. Fox, you will be writing 'I will learn to treat Alex
with love, consideration and respect. I am lucky to have him in my
heart and in my life' one thousand times. Alex, you will do the
same, substituting Fox's name for your own. I want it neat and I
want it legible and I want you both to think about every single word
you write. I'm going to clean up the living room."
He placed the cane back on the table. "I want two hundred and fifty
out of each of you before bed. And you know what happens if I hear
a word out of either of you."
Walter went into the living room and got the carpet sweeper to clean
up the plaster that had been knocked down from the ceiling. He
fished behind the sofa for his mother's picture and hung it up
again, glad the glass had survived intact.
In the kitchen, Alex and Fox stared at one another for a long
moment. Finally, Alex bit his lip and picked up his pen. Fox picked
up his as well and they both began to write, occasionally stealing a
look at the other's paper, to see who had written more.
Walter stood in the bedroom, with Alex and Fox in front of him.
They had finished their two hundred and fifty lines in a dead heat,
and had spent another hour silently cleaning up the bathroom under
Walter's watchful eye.
"Now," Walter said. "Bedtime. Alex on the right, Fox on the left,
and I will be in the middle. There will be no talking and no
touching. I suggest you both stay well to your own sides of the bed
because if you touch even accidentally, you will be punished."
Walter got into bed first, followed by Alex. Fox stood, his eyes
inexorably drawn to Alex's naked body as he got into bed beside
Walter. Fox felt his cock begin to fill. Walter gave him a warning
look.
"In bed, Fox. Now."
Fox quickly climbed on the other side of Walter, unaware of the
green eyes that watched him as he did. Alex lay on his back, closed
his eyes. Fox had such a beautiful ass, even more beautiful in
motion. The way the muscles moved under the skin when he walked,
the way they flexed when he bent to lift the edge of the comforter.
Walter leaned up on his elbow and kissed them each on the mouth.
"I love you both," he said. "Good night."
Saturday was Hell. Walter had them up early and marched them
downstairs, still naked. Breakfast was eaten in silence, the
dreaded cane ringed round with cereal bowls and juice glasses.
After breakfast came an hour of corner time. Then Alex was put to
work cleaning the downstairs while Fox was sent upstairs. Walter
read the newspaper, noting the dejected slump of Alex's shoulders as
he ran the vaccuum cleaner, the unhappy look in Fox's eyes when he
came downstairs for glass cleaner and paper towels.
Lunch was sandwiches and leftover soup. After lunch, another hour
of corner time, followed by cleaning and organizing the basement.
Then they were back at the kitchen table to write lines until
dinner. Walter stayed in the kitchen with them, sitting at the
table, balancing his checkbook. The only sound in the room was the
scratching of pen on paper. Walter hid his smile as he caught hazel
eyes looking longingly at Alex. Right on schedule, Walter thought.
His satisfaction grew as green eyes lifted to watch Fox hungrily, as
twin gazes of misery and wanting met and held one another. Walter
cleared his throat. They started guiltily and got back to writing,
stealing the occasional look at one another.
After dinner, while Walter cleaned up after their meal of broiled
chicken and salad, Fox and Alex found themselves again in their
corners. Alex looked over at Fox, his beautiful lover, so graceful,
so precious, and felt his eyes fill with tears of shame. Fox heard
Alex sniffle and looked at him, felt his own face grow hot as he
remembered the hateful words he'd spat at his beautiful Alex. Alex
looked down, the tears threatening to spill over his lush dark
lashes. Fox blinked back tears, wishing he could hold Alex just for
a moment.
Alex raised his head and looked at Fox. Green eyes met hazel and
each knew what the other was thinking. Alex trembled with the
desire to touch Fox's soft skin, to bury his face in that thick
sweet-smelling hair, to feel their hearts beating close to each
other. To press against him. To murmur his love, to shout it,
again and again. Fox's hands itched to reach out for Alex, to
draw him into his embrace, to show him how much he loved him, how
much he treasured him. To make him safe in his arms, to keep him
there, to take him, and be taken by him. Fox shivered, suddenly
cold. The thought of Alex leaving, really leaving, made him feel
sick. He had almost driven Alex away with his temper, with his
jealousy and his angry words. What would it be like, to never hold
Alex close again? To never touch that smooth skin again, to never
see those gorgeous eyes roll back in pleasure, to never make him
make those husky, desperate sounds he made when he came? To never
hear him say "I love you, Fox" again? Fox made a small sound in the
back of his throat.
Alex looked at Fox, the picture of abject misery. He wished he had
never picked up the bottle of cologne. Deep inside, he had thought
that Fox might not like him using it, at least not without asking
first, but something had made him use it anyway. He knew the
cologne was a special gift to Fox from Walter, and part of him, the
part that still felt like an outsider, like an interloper, no matter
how hard Fox and Walter tried to make him understand that he was
loved, that he was there to stay, wanted to take it, wear it, be a
part of it. Have the scent of Walter's love on him, too. Alex
silently berated himself. Stupid! You know Walter loves you. You
have bottle after bottle of cologne. You could have used any one of
them and saved all this trouble. Alex looked at Fox again,
apologizing with his eyes. Fox's eyes answered back, with all of
his heart. Without realizing it, each took a hesitant step toward
the other.
The sound of Walter clearing his throat was very loud in the quiet
room. Fox and Alex froze, tearing their eyes away from one another
to look at Walter.
"Have you boys forgotten the rules and the consequences for breaking
them?" Walter asked. Alex and Fox were torn. Walter felt his heart
swell as he saw them there, so beautiful, wanting one another so
much. He saw them hesitate, saw them bite their lips sadly. They
wanted to obey. But in their eyes he saw them weighing the price.
Six strokes of the cane for a moment in each other's arms. Walter
felt torn as well. He wanted nothing more than to see those forlorn
eyes happy again, to see his lovers as they were meant to be, full
of love and pleasure and passion. But they needed to learn. Had
the lesson he had been trying so hard to teach truly gotten through?
Almost as if they could read his mind, Fox and Alex broke from their
reverie and rushed to him. They stood close together, as close as
they dared, but still did not touch.
"Please, Walter," Fox begged, his voice cracking. "No more. Please
let us touch, please let us talk to each other. We've learned our
lesson, we're sorry. I swear nothing like this will ever happen
again."
Alex sought Walter's eyes and spoke, his voice trembling.
"Please," he said, wringing his hands nervously. "Please, Walter.
I know it's supposed to be the whole weekend, but—" he swallowed
hard, "please, we've learned. We won't fight anymore, we're sorry."
Walter considered them thoughtfully.
"You're really sorry?" he asked.
The younger men both nodded frantically.
"Yes, Walter, we are, we're really sorry," said Fox.
"Really sorry," Alex echoed sincerely.
Walter waited a moment, then smiled. He looked at them with all the
kindness and love in his heart.
"Don't you think you're telling the wrong person?" he asked. They
looked at him, their expressions hopeful but unsure. He nodded at
them and their shouts of happiness rang out as they found themselves
wrapped in each other's arms. Fox held Alex tightly, almost as if
he wanted to climb inside his skin. Alex clung to him, whispering
his remorse into Fox's chestnut brown hair.
"I'm sorry, Fox, I'm so sorry. I should have asked. I knew you
wouldn't like it. I'm so sorry for everything."
"Shhh," Fox murmured, stroking Alex's hair. "No, baby, I'm the one
who should be sorry. I'm the one who grabbed you, who acted like a
jerk and had a temper tantrum over nothing. You're worth more than
all the expensive cologne in the world."
Alex made a choking sound and looked up at Fox, tear-tracks on his
face.
"I didn't break it on purpose, Fox, please believe me. I swear I—"
"Shhh," said Fox again, kissing Alex's neck. "I know, I know you
didn't. It was my fault, it was all my fault. Those...those things
I said to you...God, Alex, I'm so sorry..."
Fox began to cry, his sobs muffled against Alex's chest.
"It's okay, Fox," Alex soothed, his voice shaking with emotion. "I
know you didn't mean it. We both said things we didn't mean. I'm
sorry too, for everything. I love you, Fox."
Fox raised his face, the tears shining on his cheeks.
"I love you, too," he whispered. Strong arms surrounded them both.
"I love you both," Walter whispered, tears standing in his kind
brown eyes. "More than anything. Enough to make you see how much
you need each other. How much we all need each other."
Fox looked at Walter, his eyes full of remorse.
"This has been awful for you too," he whispered. Walter nodded.
"I'm sorry," Fox said softly.
"Me too," Alex added. "We love you, Walter."
"More than life," Fox whispered.
They stood like that for a little while, just holding each other, no
one wanting to let go. Finally, Walter took off his glasses and
wiped his eyes, gave them each another long, loving bear hug.
"I'm proud of you both," he said, his eyes shining. "You realize
now how important you are, to each other and to me." Walter's tone
changed to one full of genuine regret. He looked at his boys, and
knew he would be doing them a disservice not to follow through, not
to make sure they understood the consequences of their behavior.
"I hope you both realize that this little exercise was not a
punishment. The lines, not allowing you to touch or talk to one
another, it was to get you to see how much you need one another.
How much we all need each other. There is still the matter of your
little scrap upstairs."
Fox and Alex gulped and nodded.
"You still have to be punished for fighting."
Alex gulped.
"Will...will we get the cane?"
Walter's heart melted as he saw them both standing there, heads
bowed, dreading the cane but willing to accept it if that was what
he deemed fair.
"No," he said softly. "No cane. Just my hand will do nicely."
Walter sat down on the sofa.
"Alex, you first."
Alex lowered himself down over Walter's lap, resting his head on the
sofa cushion.
"Fox?" he said quietly. "I can't see you."
Fox quickly moved into Alex's line of sight, kneeling down beside
the sofa.
Alex raised his head to look back at Walter.
"Please, can he hold my hand?"
"Of course," Walter said. He waited until Fox had Alex's hand in a
firm grip. He felt Alex settle and then he began.
"Alex, what is this punishment for?"
"For fighting," Alex replied softly. "For fighting with Fox and for
yelling and cursing at him, and for threatening to throw potting
soil on him, and for using his cologne without asking."
"All right, Alex," Walter said, raising his hand reluctantly. He
hated to have to redden the pretty white bottom that lay across his
lap but he knew it had to be done. Alex and Fox both needed
closure, to feel they had been properly punished. Walter never
wanted to come home to another scene like that again. Anger and
resentment had been so much a part of their past. He was determined
to make sure it had no place in their future.
Walter brought his hand down sharply, drawing a hiss of pain from
Alex. Walter spanked him steadily, making sure not to neglect the
tops of his thighs, and quickly turned the entire area a vivid red.
Alex was sobbing by the time the last ten spanks rained down.
"I'm sorry! Ow, Walter, I'm sorry! I swear!"
Walter shushed him and pulled him into his arms, motioning to Fox to
come and sit beside them on the sofa. Together they held Alex,
dried his tears, kissed him gently.
"I'm sorry," Alex choked again.
"It's all right, Alex," Walter whispered, knowing how important it
was for Alex to understand he was truly forgiven. "It's all over
now. Fox loves you and I love you. You've been punished and it's
over."
"I love you, Alex," Fox whispered. "Will you hold my hand, while
Walter spanks me?"
Alex nodded, rubbed away the tears.
"I love you," he said again. "Love you both."
Alex knelt by the sofa, holding Fox's hand, biting his lip at the
sight of Walter's big hard hand poised over Fox's vulnerable bottom.
"What is this spanking for, Fox?" Walter asked.
Fox swallowed hard.
"For f-fighting with Alex. For throwing a temper tantrum over a
bottle of cologne and for grabbing him and making him drop it, and
for the...the awful things I s-said..." he trailed off, his throat
too tight for him to speak. Alex stroked his hair, whispered to him.
Fox smiled a little and continued. "For the things I said, the
hurtful and mean things I said to Alex. For cursing and yelling."
Walter nodded approvingly.
"All right, Fox. Alex got twenty-five but I'm giving you thirty for
the things you said to Alex. That was totally out of line and I
know you understand that."
"Yes, sir," Fox whispered.
"Let's get this over with," Walter said quietly. Fox gritted his
teeth and took his spanking quietly, trying not to kick and yell.
By the twentieth swat he was doing both.
"OW! Ow, Walter, please! I'm sorry! I won't ever do it again! I
promise!"
Walter stroked Fox's hair for a moment before placing his arm back
across the younger man's waist.
"I know, Fox," he said. "Only ten more."
Walter made the last ten count. By the time the last whack blazed
across Fox's bottom, Alex and Fox were both sobbing.
Walter drew them into his arms again, showering them with kisses,
soft murmurings of love.
"It's all right, Fox. You're forgiven. It's over and you're
forgiven."
Alex and Fox clung to Walter, kissed him, loved him.
"I love you, Walter," Fox choked, resting his head on Walter's
chest.
"I love you, too," Alex said softly. "Thank you for loving us."
They stayed there, just touching, no words except the occasional
soft whisper, for quite some time. Then, Walter looked at his
lovers fondly.
"Bedtime, I think. Tomorrow you'll get dressed and clean out the
garage, and finish those thousand lines."
Fox pouted.
"But you said the punishment was over," he said plaintively.
"It is. But the garage does need cleaning out and it will do you
good to complete a project together. And I did say a thousand lines
and you've only done eight hundred and twenty and Alex has only done
eight hundred and forty-four. So, you will finish those, and clean
out the garage. But for now," he grinned and paused to nip at a
ready earlobe, "let's not let all this bare skin go to waste."
He chased them up the stairs. They raced ahead of him, their peals
of laughter ringing off the walls, their sore bottoms the last thing
on their minds.
They lay in bed in a tangle of long limbs, content in the damp and
rumpled sheets.
"What happens after we clean out the garage tomorrow?" asked Alex
hopefully. "Could we...I mean...maybe we could have that dinner
out?"
Walter thought for a moment.
"I'd like that," he said. "But we have to do something else first."
Fox and Alex groaned, obviously dreading what was coming next. What
other chores would they have to do? Would there be more lines?
Walter laughed.
"We're going shopping for cologne. Dolce and Gabbana. I'm buying a
bottle for each of you."
He felt his lovers snuggle closer. Fox's sleepy voice drifted up to
him from somewhere in the vicinity of Alex's thighs.
"That's okay, Walter. One bottle's all we need. We can share."
The Scent of Battle
by Lorelei
Walter Skinner put his key in the front door, already feeling twenty
pounds lighter. It was Friday evening. He had a whole weekend
ahead of him. Time to forget about work, about Kersh, about budgets
and briefs and memos. He hung up his coat, stowed it and his
briefcase in the hall closet, took off his jacket and loosened his
tie, whistling a jaunty little tune. Another long hard week was
over and now all he wanted was to have a glass of wine and then take
his boys out to dinner.
