Another Shrub Bites the Dust
Author: Nelson, September 2003
Pairings: Zach and Nelson – M/M
Warning: Watch out for wooden spoons. They sting like a bitch when applied properly to a bare backside.
Zach shifted miserably from foot to foot in the corner, nervously anticipating hearing those dreaded words, “Come here, Zach”, uttered from his lover. His temper had been simmering all day from the moment Nelson so unceremoniously dragged him from the bed to do his least favorite chore in the world – yard work. It was bad enough being made to get up at 8:00 on a Saturday, but to add to the insult by insisting Zach work in the yard was just more than he could take.
He was fairly certain he had been standing in the corner at least a year when the words he hated to hear echoed off the kitchen walls.
“Come here to me, Zachary,” Nelson said from somewhere behind him. Zach turned slowly from the corner after he swallowed his stomach, settling it back in his body where it belonged instead of in his throat. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or not to see Nelson standing and not sitting in the kitchen chair. A Nelson standing was a Nelson ready to lecture and not get straight to the work at hand. Shit. More waiting.
Zach’s traitorous feet started moving and his unwilling body was led along with them to the chair Nelson had pulled out for Zach. Zach knew he wouldn’t be sitting there long and would shortly have to give up his chair for Nelson to take a seat there himself. He absolutely hated being spanked in the kitchen. Being spanked anywhere wasn’t good, but in the kitchen, Nelson had an arsenal of implements close at hand that Zach wanted to stay far away from unless he was cooking. The paddle was on top of the fridge and there was the damn wooden spoon he hated almost as much. Occasionally, he had felt the sting of a spatula against his ass.
Before he could stop the progress his feet were making, they had gotten him all the way across the kitchen to stand in front of his not-so-happy lover. Nelson pointed to the kitchen chair for Zach to have a seat, and it wasn’t lost on Zach that it was already pulled away from the table. Nelson wouldn’t have to do anything but switch places with Zach when he was ready to begin. No, Zach’s soon-to-be-flailing feet wouldn’t be connecting with the table, judging by where the chair was strategically placed. Zach tried to still his stomach again as he took a seat in the designated chair.
Nelson started the lecture with a question. “What were you thinking, Zachary?”
Zach wiggled against the glare from his partner and struggled to answer. The best he could come up with was his classic response when he had no good one. “I don’t know.”
“That’s not an appropriate answer to the question, young man. You obviously had something on your mind when you mowed down that bush. I’d like to hear what it was.”
How does a guy say, “I didn’t want to weed-eat around it anymore” without it sounding bad? Zach struggled with several responses and none of them sounded at all good to his mind’s ears. “Um, I never liked that bush.”
“Is that right? Funny, you’ve never mentioned that to me before. How long has that bush been offensive to you?”
Shit. It was never good when Nelson turned sarcastic during a lecture. At least, Zach didn’t feel like he had to answer those smart-assed questions. He could generally get by with a blush and pitiful look in response, which was what he used at the moment.
Nelson said, “What you HAVE mentioned to me before is how much you hate to help in the yard. My guess is that the bush suffered because you were mad. What do you think, Zach? Am I on to something here?”
Zach’s face went even darker red when his partner unveiled the truth behind his actions. Zach gave him the same classic response he had tried unsuccessfully earlier, not knowing what else to say. “I don’t know.”
“You’ve been stomping and huffing since I pulled you from bed this morning. What happened outside was a result of your being unhappy at having to help me today.”
“Well, there was NO reason I had to get up so early! The yard would have been here all day long and it doesn’t take that long to do!” Zach said in his own defense.
“It’s supposed to be hot today, Zachary. As much as you love working outside, do you really think you would have enjoyed it more by sleeping in and having to do it in the heat?”
“We could have done it after the sun went down,” Zach said.
“I said we were doing it this morning and that’s all you needed to know. I wanted it done and behind us so we could enjoy the evening.”
“But, I HATE it! I can’t help that I do!” Zach complained.
“I know you hate it and you can’t help that. What you can help is acting out inappropriately when you have to work in the yard. Can’t you?”
And there it was - the kiss of death question with not a good response in sight. Answering “no” would obviously be a lie and could be construed as smart aleck. “Yes” was an admission that his actions were within his control and he did something he had no business doing. Either answer would end Zach bottom-up over Nelson’s lap.
“I’m waiting for an answer, Zachary,” Nelson said, rudely interrupting Zach’s thoughts. He had his hands on his hips in a familiar pose Zach referred to as his “lecture pose”. Zach’s chin dipped down and his eyes glanced around the floor trying to find something other than Nelson to focus on. Nelson stepped over and placed his index finger under Zach’s chin, raising it to meet his eyes. “Answer me, young man.”
Zach barely nodded his head. Nelson said, “Answer me, Zach. I want to hear you say it.”
Damn it! It always felt more like a true admission of guilt when he had to voice the response rather than just give a simple shake or nod of the head. Zach tried to swallow the lump in his throat so he could speak, then whispered, “Yes, sir. I’m sorry…”
“I’m sorry isn’t enough, young man. I am sick and tired of having to deal with your attitude about the yard. How many times do I have to spank you for it before you quit pushing about it?”
“I don’t know! I just don’t like it!” Zach said.
“Do you think I enjoy it? It has to be done. You need to do your share outside just like you do inside. It’s not so bad when we share it. We can get it done faster. Plus, this is your house, too, and you need to help keep it in shape. Do you think you shouldn’t help me just because you don’t like to do it?”
“No, sir! But, since we both hate it, WHY don’t we get someone else to do it?!”
“I’m not even going to get into that with you today. We’ve been over it time and again,” Nelson said while making his way across the kitchen. “Just like we’ve been over your attitude about the yard time and again.”
Zach’s acrobatic stomach was doing somersaults as he watched Nelson approach the utensil container where a multitude of multi-task spoons and spatulas were kept. Nelson selected a hefty wooden spoon and came back over to Zach with the spoon in one hand and the other stretched out to Zach. Zach’s chin was quivering involuntarily as he placed his hand in Nelson’s and was pulled to his feet. Nelson adjusted his pants, taking a seat in Zach’s place on the hard kitchen chair and laid the spoon on the table behind him.
“You’re going to learn one of these times, Zachary Adam,” Nelson was saying as he started to work at Zach’s fly. “You’re going to learn to help me outside without complaint and without mowing down the landscaping.” Nelson’s practiced hands slipped Zach’s pants down his legs then hooked his fingers inside the waistband of Zach’s underwear. They were quickly lowered to meet his pants and his bottom felt cool with the air in the kitchen against him. Zach began to whimper when Nelson took his hand again to guide him across his knees.
Zach couldn’t help pulling away from Nelson any more than he could help chafing at yard work. “I didn’t mean to! Please don’t spank me, Nelson…I’m sorry.”
Nelson’s grip increased in strength and he pulled Zach back to him. Zach’s feet were pulled forward, decreasing the two-step space he had put between him and Nelson. He shuffled back to his lover against his downed pants and underwear finding himself quickly across Nelson’s lap. His heart raced as he faced the floor and his feet lifted off the linoleum.
“You did so mean to do it. Mowing down landscaping doesn’t typically happen by accident,” Nelson said.
Nelson’s left arm circled Zach’s waist and held him firmly in place against his strong stomach muscles. He slipped the tail of Zach’s t-shirt out of the way and reached back for the spoon.
“Why are you getting spanked, Zachary?” Nelson asked.
“You KNOW why! Why do you have to always ask that now?!” Zach complained to the floor in spite of himself. He hated being grilled period, but the summary he had to give just before his butt was assaulted always further unnerved him.
Nelson responded with the first lick of the spoon. “Answer me, young man.”
“OW! Don’t, Nelson!” Zach cried out with the swat.
The spoon fell again. “Why are you getting spanked, Zachary Adam? I’d suggest you answer me.”
Damn! Damn! Zach’s breath quickened both with his nerves and the sting on his rear end. “Because I was mad about the yard and ran over the bush with the mower!” he screeched.
“Are we going to have to do this again anytime soon?” Nelson asked.
“NO, sir! I swear! Please don’t do it this time either!”
“I don’t think so, Zachary.” Nelson began to bring that damn spoon down against Zach’s bottom, which began to squirm with the swats. Zach could feel the sting from the little head of the heavy spoon blossoming over every inch of his ass. Nelson worked it with finesse making sure no area of Zach’s backside was left without having equal attention from him and the spoon. Zach’s protests turned to tears and he was soon crying for all he was worth. His tearful voice sang with the smacks from the spoon, both being magnified against the kitchen walls. Zach’s pleas turned to simple tears and he cried in one long wail pausing only to breathe. By the time Nelson laid the spoon down, Zach’s entire bottom was on fire from the top of his crack to the start of his thighs.
He lay across Nelson’s lap trying hard to breathe and ignore the ache in his throat from his fierce crying. He could feel Nelson’s hand under his shirt against his bare back stroking gently. “It’s okay. It’s over now,” he could hear Nelson saying. Nelson helped him to his feet as the wailing died down and he was merely crying. Taking his hand, Nelson led Zach back to the corner where he started, his pants still puddled around his ankles.
As Nelson retreated from the kitchen, Zach cried against the wall and felt not only the physical pain but also the emotional pain from having disappointed his lover. His bottom would start to feel better before his heart did. He wasn’t sure how long Nelson left him there and he didn’t care. He just wanted Nelson to forgive him and make it all better.
Knowing the assurance his partner needed after a spanking, Nelson slipped his arms around Zach’s waist from behind and kissed his head. Zach quickly turned from the corner and pasted himself to Nelson, hugging him tightly.
“I’m…I’m… sorrrryyyy!” he cried through his hiccups.
“It’s all right, sweet pea. We’ve dealt with it now,” Nelson said gently while stroking Zach’s back.
“I just can’t heelllppp iiiittt…” Zach said against Nelson’s shoulder.
“I know, but you can help what you do, even if you don’t like mowing. We all have to do things we don’t like, sweetie.”
Zach nodded his head against his lover and Nelson pulled him back to see his face, running gentle fingers across his cheeks to wipe away the tears. “Let me help you get your pants up, sweet pea.”
Having re-dressed Zach, Nelson took his hand once again and led him to the big chair in the living room. Pulling Zach into his lap, he put his arms around his brat and stroked his back and hair calming him considerably. Zach was sniffing against him and Nelson pulled a tissue from the box on the end table nearby. He handed the tissue to Zach who tried to get his face and nose cleaned up. Nelson tried not to grimace when Zach handed him the wet tissue when he was done.
“Are you mad at me?” Zach said into Nelson’s neck.
“What do you think, sweetie?” Nelson said while planting a kiss against Zach’s head.
“I don’t want you to be mad.”
Nelson lifted Zach’s tear-streaked face and looked directly into his eyes. “Do I look mad?”
Zach’s eyes dropped and he shook his head, “No, but…”
“Not ‘but’. Just ‘no’,” Nelson said. “I’m not mad, sweet pea. We’ve dealt with what you’ve done and it’s behind us. All right?”
Zach looked uncertain, and paused before nodding his head. Seeing him answer in the affirmative, Nelson placed his hand against the side of Zach’s head and guided it back onto his shoulder. Hugging him tightly, Nelson said, “We’ll go shopping later and get a replacement shrub.”
Even with a fresh throbbing bottom, Zach scowled. “Do we have to?”
“Yes, we do, young man,” Nelson said smiling. “But, I’ll tell you what.”
“What?”
“I’ll let YOU pick it out. At least that way, you shouldn’t be tempted to mow it over.”
Zach sniffed and couldn’t help but allow a weary smile to touch his lips. “Gee, thanks.”
Nelson chuckled softly and squeezed Zach again before saying, “You’re very welcome.”
End.
