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Later that night in their hotel room, Nelson came out of the bathroom to see Zach sitting on the edge of the bed already clad in his pajamas. He looked at Nelson disapprovingly and patted his hand to his thigh. "I think we need to deal with how you behaved today. Don't you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Nelson asked from the doorway, and Zach grinned devilishly.

"You heard me," he said, to quote his very own Top.

"I thought I warned you that you wouldn't want to talk about anyone 'getting it' tonight."

"None of that was my fault," Zach said with eyes innocent and wide.

"It certainly was," Nelson countered. "You should have told me Ben was locked in that room." He folded his arms and looked at his lover sitting on the bed.

"YOU said you didn't want to hear it," Zach pointed out. "That was YOU, Dr. Goodbody. I was TRYING to do like you said. You always say that's what you want."

"I'd advise you to watch your mouth. You've already spouted off and disobeyed me enough today that you'll be tasting some hotel soap in a minute. Don't make it any worse."

Zach squelched indignantly, "Why?!"

"If you have to ask that question," Nelson said calmly, "then you also need some time to think about it: about how many times you disobeyed me today, how you left Ben locked in that room, how much you pushed… You were being insolent, plain and simple."

Zach looked away uncomfortably, clearly not happy with the turn of the tables. "Sorry," he mumbled. "You made me mad."

"Did I, now?" Nelson asked.

"Yes, you did. I wanted to take pictures and I wasn't hurting anyone." He was beginning to think that pointing out Nelson's faults had not been his most brilliant idea.

"I told you to stay with the group, didn't I?"

"But, I couldn't get pictures while I was with the group!" Zach explained. "People kept getting in my way."

Nelson shook his head. "No, Zach. Wanting your own way is not enough to excuse you for disobeying me. Never has been and it isn't today."

Zach grasped for a better excuse, trying to keep from getting more than a lecture. "Come on, Nelson. Don't be a killjoy. It's vacation!"

Nelson surveyed him from across the hotel room and said, "That's right it's vacation. Does that mean you don't have to do what I tell you? That you only need to behave like I expect you to when we're on a normal schedule at home?"

"Um…," Zach replied. His heart started to thump as he realized Nelson wasn't quite ready to let the events of the day be shrugged off.

"An answer is what I'm looking for here, Zachary."

Knowing the answer Nelson expected, but not the one Zach wanted to give, Zach hedged a bit more. "I was just having a good time. I only wanted to get pictures. I wasn't going to get lost. I didn't get lost. It would have been a waste not to get them while we were there just because of some stupid rule the guide had."

Zach knew he had misspoken as soon as Nelson's countenance changed from one of mild interest to definite surprise. "Do you think the rule was equally as stupid when coming from me?" Nelson asked.

"I didn't say YOU, Nelson…" Zach tried unsuccessfully. "I was talking about the tour guide."

"I could care less about the tour guide. What I care about," Nelson said as he walked over to Zach, "is what you do about things that *I* tell you to do." He crossed the short distance in their room as he spoke, and held his hand out as he reached Zach.

"Nelson!" Zach complained. "Why?!"

"Get up," Nelson said. Zach hesitated then slipped his hand into Nelson's outstretched one. Thankful that Nelson didn't take a seat in Zach's place, Zach walked with him to a corner in the room. Nelson said, "I want you to stand here and think about 'why". See if you can't come up with 'why' I'm not happy with your behavior today."

"But, I don't KNOW why!" Zach said turning his back to the corner. "I don't think I did anything that should have made you so mad."

"I think you do know why, and that's exactly what I want you to think about. Turn around," Nelson said. When Zach decided to try one more protest rather than turn around, Nelson spun him to the corner by his upper arm. "I'll help you get started," Nelson said as his hand landed solidly against Zach's shorts. "One reason you're here is for not doing like you are told, and you're still doing it."

Zach glared at the corner, angry that he should be in trouble for something so trivial. All he had been doing was taking pictures! He gathered his arguments and used his time in the corner to memorize them. He folded his arms in defiance, and Nelson didn't miss it. He said, "Hands by your side, Zach."

"Now, I can't fold my arms either?" Zach asked.

Nelson, while a patient man, had his limits and they had been reached. Zach heard Nelson's approach and immediately had second thoughts as to the appropriateness of his comment. He dropped his arms quickly and said, "I'm sorry. Nelson, my arms are down, now." Too late, he found himself being taken by one of the offending arms to the sofa behind him. "Wait!" he said in a panic as Nelson took a seat. Zach tried to fend Nelson's hands off from his fly even as his zipper was lowered.

Nelson turned Zach over his knees in a flash and Zach felt his shorts leave his backside followed by his boxers. "You've been pushing for this all day," Nelson said. He leaned up while holding his squirming lover over his lap, and turned the television on, increasing the volume.

"I haven't!" Zach protested even as he heard the volume go up on the television.

"You have," Nelson disagreed. "You don't want to think in the corner, so we'll see if you do a better job here." He delivered a few swats to Zach's behind and Zach grabbed at Nelson's ankle, gripping at it for balance.

"I can think in the corner! I can!" Zach said as he felt the sting from Nelson's hand.

"I know you can," Nelson said after a pause. "The problem is, you chose not to. How's your head? Clearer now?"

Crystal. "Yes! I'm sorry!" Zach said.

"For what, exactly?" Nelson asked calmly.

"I'm sorry I crossed my arms, sorry I only took pictures, sorry I ruined your day!" Zach rambled.

Nelson wasn't impressed. He started swatting Zach's behind again, hoping to get his attention before a full-blown spanking was needed. He paused after a brief round of swats and said, "Ruining my day was not the problem. Would you like to try again? I'd suggest you keep the smart aleck comments under wraps."

Zach took notice of the stinging warning in his backside, and realizing he didn't want it to get worse, swallowed hard and tried a better answer. "Okay," he said, breathing hard. "I… I disobeyed you. I did it over and over."

"Are you done?" Nelson asked, raising his hand away from Zach's butt in case the answer was wrong.

"Wait! Let me think a second!" Zach said, knowing if he missed something, Nelson would "remind" him. He was so helpful.

"Yes?" Nelson asked conversationally.

"Um…" Zach said trying to buy time. He hoped that if he were uttering SOMEthing, it would keep Nelson's hand from launching into active duty. "I… I um…"

Nelson recognized the stall for what it was, and said, "I'll take your hesitation to mean you need more time to think. We can continue this for as long as you want to," then started swatting again.

Zach blinked hard trying to keep the tears that were beginning to form in his eyes from over-spilling his lids. A lump was knotting in his throat, too, making him feel that familiar tightening that told him he was going to lose it soon.

His hand flew back to cover his butt, but Nelson caught it with his left hand, and deftly kept it out of the way. "Nelson!" Zach squeaked, just as Nelson was stopping again.

Nelson said, "Let me remind you of where we are." Across your lap, Zach thought, but wasn't about to say it.

"You've really only come up with one thing so far: you disobeyed me. Have you thought of anything else?"

"I said 'taking pictures'!" Zach said.

"That falls under disobeying me. And, it's actually the fact that you left the group to take pictures. What else?"

Zach's voice cracked and he said, "I was smart aleck to you? Is that one of the things?"

"Yes, that makes two of the issues," Nelson said. "But my concern is not so much what you said, but the attitude you said it with. Do you understand me?"

Zach seemed to remember Nelson saying something earlier about insolence. He said, "Yes, sir. I'm sorry."

"There's more," Nelson said. "One more big thing. Can you think of what that might be?"

Zach gulped and said tearfully, "I CAN'T think like this!"

"Oh, I think you're doing much better here than you were doing in the corner," Nelson said. He started swatting again, and it didn't take long for Zach to figure out the other thing Nelson was waiting to hear.

He started saying, "Stop! I know what it is!" Nelson swatted a few more times, even as Zach blurted out, "I didn't tell you about Ben!"

Nelson stopped and said, "Do you think it was respectful to me to not tell me because you were having a mini-tantrum? Or at all considerate of Ben to let him stay locked in there just to get back at me?"

"No! I'm really sorry," Zach said, beginning to sniffle a little. He knew if he didn't get the answers right, things were going to turn extremely ugly in the near future. His butt was stinging plenty, but so far, he was able to manage. Much more though…

"I won't have you being disrespectful to me or others, Zachary. Ever. Is that clear?" Nelson asked. He kept his right palm plastered against Zach's backside as a gentle reminder that it was there in case he got any bright ideas that would land him in further trouble.

"It's clear," Zach gulped. "I'm sorry. And, I'll apologize to Ben, too. I will!"

"Yes, you will. I wish you had thought enough about his feelings to do that without me having to talk to you about it, but I'm glad you came to the conclusion even if I had to help you reach it." Nelson spanked him a couple more times to make sure Zach got the picture before he let him out of his position. "Okay," Nelson said. "Pull up your pants and come with me to the bathroom."

Zach pushed himself up and said, "But, you spanked me already!"

Nelson cocked an eyebrow at Zach and said, "No, I didn't. Would you like me to?"

Knowing he had actually been let off easy compared to what he could have gotten, Zach said, "No, sir."

"Good. Let's go get your mouth washed out like I promised you," he said while standing up. Zach slipped his pants back into place before Nelson got the idea he was going to disobey again, and decide Zach needed more "thinking" time across his knees. Soap was bad enough, but he knew it could get a lot worse. He mutely followed Nelson to the bathroom and took what he had coming without further argument.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Zach was semi-comfortably propped against the pillows after plugging up his camera for a re-charge. The soap and mini-spanking were behind them, and Zach was more than happy to get back to more pleasant vacation interests. He switched the camera over to the view mode and was flipping through his pictures when Nelson piled in the bed beside him.

"Checking out the orbs again?" Nelson asked, slipping over to see what Zach was looking at.

"Yeah," Zach said, stopping on the séance room picture. "I can't believe we interacted with a ghost."

"I'm still trying to decide if I believe that or not."

Zach looked at Nelson skeptically. "You know it's true," he said. Nelson sighed and looked at the camera with Zach, studying the unearthly shape at the doorway of the séance room.

"I guess," he conceded.

Zach handed him the camera and said, "I need something to drink."

Nelson grabbed his arm even as Zach was getting up. "You mean you need to rinse some more, don't you?"

Zach rolled his eyes. "Well, that, too. Thanks a lot."

"I don't think so," Nelson said. "I'll get you some water… to drink… if that's what you want."

Zach slumped against the pillows again and said, "Never mind," while trying to ignore the residual bitterness left on his tongue.

Nelson looked at him, satisfied his first assumption had been right, and said, "That's what I thought."

Zach picked up the camera again and flipped to the next picture. "You know, as much as I wanted to see a ghost, it kind of creeps me out. I probably won't be able to sleep. Between a stinging rear and this soapy aftertaste, and ghosts about."

"I won't do anything about your stinging rear and soap," Nelson said, cuddling up to his partner, "but I'll keep the goblins away from you. No one's getting you except for me."

"Hrmph!" Zach griped. "You won't be able to protect me from HER. She's already mad at you."

Nelson smiled and kissed Zach's cheek. "I think I can convince her that you were the reason I kept getting in trouble today. And, I'll assure her we've taken care of that. Haven't we?"

Zach glanced at his partner sideways. "Yeah, you took care of it. You were mean to me," he said pitifully. "It was worse than this morning."

"Ever the drama queen. It wasn't as bad as it could have been and you know it. Either this morning OR this afternoon."

"It was bad enough. Believe me," Zach said.

"Zach…"

"Well it was," Zach grumbled.

"Quit whining about it," Nelson said. "You had more than one warning today."

Zach turned the camera off and laid it on the bedside table, and then turned off the light. "All I know," Zach said, "is if SHE shows up again, I'm telling her on you."

He snuggled against Nelson, who wrapped Zach tight in his arms. Nelson said, "I'm sure you will. I'm not afraid of her."

Zach said, "I'm glad you're not. If she does come to visit, I hope she leaves ghostly handwelts on YOUR butt for a change."

Nelson laughed and patted Zach's behind under the sheets. "The only person who will be leaving any handwelts around here will be me."

Zach sighed and snuggled closer to his partner. He drifted off to sleep, knowing that Nelson had his back, and though he might not always like it, his butt.

End