Alex looked at the alarm clock on the nightstand. It was nearly six and he had been napping all day. Turning over to get up, he momentarily forgot about the pains in his ass. "Owww," he moaned quietly as he stood up all the way. He had upset Rick this time – worse than normal. Still feeling groggy, he rubbed his eyes and looked around the room for his jeans.
"Good, you're up," Rick's deep voice spoke softly. Alex turned around and saw the love of his life standing at the door. Rick was about 6'3", had dark blonde hair that was styled in a business-style. His blue eyes were normally very deep, but always turned to ice when he got angry. With his huge muscles and unexplainable strength, Alex had no doubt about why everyone finds themselves compelled to obey him. Contrasted to Rick, Alex was short – about 5'5". He had light blonde hair and green eyes – and he wasn't scrawny, just not strong compared to his lover either. And there was no doubt that their difference in looks made it obvious to everyone that Rick was disciplinarian in the relationship.
"I couldn't sleep anymore," Alex whispered, looking down as his eyes started to water again. Rick saw this and immediately went to him, wrapping his huge arms around him in a deep hug.
"You okay, Sunshine?" Rick asked.
Seeing this as a chance to gain sympathy, Alex shook his head and let a few tears squeeze from his eyes. He shook his head and looked away. "No, I hurt everywhere. Not just my a- butt."
"You've lived through much more, you can live through a simple paddling," Rick scolded. Alex pouted more as Rick started to head for the door. "I made spaghetti for dinner and I'd like you to join me."
"Okay," Alex agreed, knowing that he wasn't offering, he was ordering.
Realizing the dreaded moment had come, Rick stopped Alex in the hall on the way to the kitchen and looked at him in the eyes. "Alex, as part of your punishment, you will be staying home tonight."
"What? Please, Rick, please don't! The gang's going to the movies tonight!" Alex cried. The one thing he loved most.... was going to the movies. And, better than that – spending the time with the gang. "The gang" was a group of 3 other couples that all lived the same way as Rick and Alex. The disciplinarians in the group.... Rick and his friends.... had all gone to college together and were the same age, 34. Alex and the other guys were between the ages of 23 and 27, Alex being the youngest at 23.
"I know," Rick said as he sighed softly, "but I can't stand the thought of you with a cigarette hanging from your lips. It was disgusting and I'm teaching you to never do it again."
"I only did it because I was stressed!" Alex cried.
"Alex, when you're stressed, you need to come talk to me, not hurt your body." Rick started heading towards the kitchen again, Alex whining behind him. He felt bad for having to make Alex stay home, but it was the only way he'd learn.
The dinner was a quiet one. Not a word was spoken and Alex liked it that way. He enjoyed the peace and quiet because it meant he wouldn't get into trouble for losing his temper. The first noise that sounded through the house was the banging on the front door. Rick glared towards it and stood up, annoyed someone would knock that loud.
When he swung open the front door, Corey was standing there with a smile. Rick's glare made him change the smile immediately.
"I, uh.... wanted to come see Alex before the movie," he whispered.
"And, you were knocking that hard because....?" Rick glared down at him. Corey was the companion of Rick's dearest friend, Erik, and Rick adored Corey as much as Corey respected him, but he also never hesitated to discipline him if he needed it and Erik wasn't around. It was an unspoken rule with the gang. All disciplinarians had permission to punish the other guys if they needed it.
"I'm sorry. I was just really anxious to see Alex," Corey looked genuinely sorry. His dark black hair fell to his forehead as he looked down.
"Don't ever knock that hard again. Alex is in the kitchen. You have 2 minutes," Rick ordered as Corey scurried off to find Alex.
"Hey, Al, I wanted to know if you were bringing enough money to...." Corey stopped the moment he saw Alex's red eyes. "Oh no, what'd you do now?" he whispered. Alex shook his head and looked away.
"Rick caught me smoking the cigarette Jon gave me," Alex whined. Corey bit his lip.
"Does that mean....?" Corey started.
"Yup. 'Fraid so. Rick won't let me go to the movies now," Alex almost cried as he said it. Corey's shoulders dropped – not hiding his disgust.
"Noooo, come on! That isn't fair!" Corey cried. He wanted his best friend to go more than anything. Rick came into the kitchen.
"What's the problem?" he barked. Corey stopped whining and looked at him angrily.
"You have no right to stop him from coming with!" he shouted before he could stop himself.
"I have no right? I HAVE NO RIGHT?" Rick shouted at him. Corey knew he was in trouble. "What do you mean I have no right?"
"I.... I.... Rick, I'm...." Corey knew he had blown it big time. Rick shook his head and grabbed Corey's arm tightly in his right hand, shoving him into the living room. Before Corey knew what happened, he was standing, facing the living room corner.
"Stay right there and don't even THINK about turning around until I say!" Rick ordered. Corey felt a few tears burning his eyes but stayed right where he was told to. He knew Rick was going to call Erik now. He knew he was in trouble.
Rick immediately grabbed the cordless and went out onto the front porch. He dialed Erik's cell number and waited patiently for him to pick up.
"Yeah?" Erik's voice asked on the other line.
"Is that any way to answer the phone?" Rick asked as Erik chuckled.
"Sorry. Why'd you call?" Erik questioned.
"Come over here and get Corey before I kick his ass," Rick ordered. Erik stopped laughing.
"Uh-oh, what'd he do?" Erik then got an earful on what his boy had said. "Oh, sorry, buddy. I'm on my way to a meeting and it starts in four minutes. I really can't come over there."
"Fine. Then I am kicking his ass," Rick told him.
"Okay, let him know he's got some coming from me when I get home. Can you keep him there until after my meeting?" Erik asked.
"Of course. So, he isn't going to the movies with the others than either?" Rick felt bad for Corey that he couldn't go to, but Erik's voice sounded as if Corey was going to be grounded for the rest of his life. He hung up and went back into the living room.
"Please don't punish me, Rick," Corey begged when he felt Rick's presence behind him.
"Young man, when you're in trouble, you are to call me Sir!" Rick shouted as his hand fell hard onto Corey's right cheek. Corey's hands immediately started to rub the pain out.... until Rick smacked his hand for it. "When I smack you, you are to let it BURN!" Rick hated being so strict, but he knew it was best.
"Go upstairs and get the paddle from my bedroom," Rick ordered. Everyone knew where the paddle was. It was memorabilia for the guys since it had been Rick's frat paddle in college. Erik, Steve, and Scott all remember it well since they had been in the same fraternity. Steve had introduced Rick to Alex, his younger brother on the same day Rick had initiated Steve into the frat by laying into his ass with the same paddle. It was now his prized possession.
Corey ran upstairs and retrieved the paddle, hurrying to return it to Rick as quickly as possible. Keeping him waiting was signing a death contract. When he came back into the living room, he saw Rick sitting on the couch. Corey handed him the paddle and stood before him obediently. He felt like a little boy as Rick unbuckled his belt for him, lowering his jeans and boxers to his knees. Blushing furiously, Corey bent over Rick's knee and waited.
Rick knew that Corey was sorry, but now he was going to teach him why. Raising the paddle, Rick swung hard onto the center of Corey's cheeks. CRACK! Not missing a beat, he swung again. CRACK CRACK CRACK. The paddle was hard to use with Corey over his knee, but Rick knew that part of Corey's punishment had to be the little boy feelings that a young man got when his bottom was upturned over a man's knee. CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK.
"Owwwwwww pleeeeeeeeeease stoooooooop!" Corey cried. Alex could hear Corey's crying and of course, the cracks of the paddle from the kitchen, where he sat – scared. He winced at each crack and knew that Corey was going to be feeling just as sorry as Alex was earlier.
CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK "Don't you EVER," CRACK CRACK CRACK "tell me what I'm allowed to do!" CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK "EVER," CRACK CRACK CRACK Rick lectured as he paddled Corey with much of his strength. "A little boy is NOT supposed to order MAN around!"
"Soooooooorryyyyyyyyy," Corey cried as loud as he could. "I promise I'll be gooooooood! Owwww! Pleeeeeease stoooop!" CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK CRACK
"Get back in that corner NOW!" Rick shouted as he dropped the paddle. Corey stood up and went to face the corner as Rick picked up the paddle and put it on the coffee table. Standing up, Rick went back to the kitchen and saw Alex with his face in his hands. He sighed softly and went over to him, ruffling his hair gently.
"It looks as if Corey's going to be missing the movie now too," Rick told him. There was another knock at the door and Rick immediately went to answer it.
"Can I pull up my pants before you open that?" Corey cried out between sobs. Rick laughed.
"It's probably just Steve. I was expecting him at the time. And, it's not the like entire gang hasn't seen you get punished before," he told him. Corey cried harder, making Rick feel bad. "Alright, alright, fine. You can pull them up, but I'm adding another 3 minutes onto the time you're standing there." Corey gratefully pulled them up.
Sure enough, it was Steve standing at the door.
"Hey, Muscles," Steve greeted Rick with the nickname everyone knew him as. "How's it going with my little bro?"
"You could ask Alex that question and he'd probably disagree, but I love the little brat," Rick told him as Steve came in and closed the door behind him. Steve was always fond of Rick and was delighted that Rick started dating his younger brother a few years back. "Whoa, I must have come at a bad time," Steve laughed as he saw Corey standing in the corner.
"Nope," Rick assured him. "Corey likes to look at the paint."
"Steve!" Alex cried as he ran into the living room and hugged his big brother. Rick watched with warmth as the 2 brothers hugged tightly for a few seconds before pulling away.
"Oh, I needed to talk to you about something," Rick told Steve. "Actually, I think Alex can tell you."
"Tell me what?" Steve questioned his little brother. "What's going on?"
Alex lowered his head, hating that he was being forced to rat on his friend, but knew Steve needed to know. "I got punished earlier today.... for smoking."
"You were WHAT?" Steve asked, getting angrier by the second. Alex knew that stopping Steve's anger was like an ant trying to stop a bulldozer.
"That's not all," Rick told him. "Alex, how did you get the cigarette?"
Alex looked down again. "Jon gave it to me."
"JON GAVE YOU A CIGARETTE?" Steve's voice rose immediately. "HOW'D HE GET ONE?" Alex shrugged. Steve grabbed his cell and started dialing his house immediately. Alex knew he had gotten one of his friends in trouble.... and felt awful. Steve went into the kitchen to hide his conversation, but Alex could hear him yelling into the phone anyway.
"You are to STAY HOME until I get there! When I get home, you had BETTER BE IN THE CORNER! Don't worry about getting THE BRUSH FROM THE BATHROOM because I would much prefer using MY BELT ON YOU!" Steve shouted as he hung the phone up. Rick laughed softly.
"What's so funny?" Alex asked him.
"Well, Sunshine, it looks like the night of the gang going to the movies together has turned into a single date for Scott and Marc," Rick told him, amused that it had gone from 8 people down to 2 in a matter of 1 hour.