Best Laid Plans (Garnet Run 2)

“You don’t like the idea of someone seeing you experience pleasure.”

Charlie examined the blanket closely.

“I guess not.”

“But you like to watch other people experience pleasure.”

“You.”

“What?”

“I like to watch you.”

Rye paused, then nodded.

“Okay,” he said softly.

He kissed Charlie’s shoulder. Then he turned his back again.

“Okay, me spanking you.”

Charlie choked.

“What?”

“Me, spanking you.”

“I...why would you...how did you get to...what?”

“Picture it, Charlie. You, with your bare ass up, and me, spanking you.”

The image fell into Charlie’s head. His first instinct was to dismiss it. But something about it...

“I don’t get it,” was all he could make himself say.

“Okay,” Rye said, and turned back around.

Charlie frowned.

“Why did you ask me about that?”

“Because I wondered about it.”

“What’d you wonder?”

“Some people love being spanked. And more.”

“I know that. I just...why did you think about it for me?”

“You don’t want to be seen while you receive pleasure. I wondered how you’d feel about it while receiving pain.”

“Oh. Do you...like that?”

Charlie’s head was spinning.

“This isn’t about me.”

“Well, can it be? Or am I the only one who has to answer embarrassing questions?”

“I didn’t mean for them to be embarrassing. I was trying to be neutral.”

“You were,” Charlie grudgingly admitted. “It’s not you, I know.”

“You can ask me all those same questions and more if you want. I’ll tell you whatever you’d like to know.”

Charlie wanted to take a shower. Alone.

“Maybe later.”

“Okay,” Rye said.

* * *

Charlie couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Spanking.

And he didn’t understand why. But over and over for the next two days, he kept coming back to it.

He went to the store, he worked on the Crow Lane house, he cooked dinner, he ate dinner that Rye cooked, they watched TV. And he couldn’t stop picturing it.

Last night, he dreamt that Rye spanked him with a 2x4 they were using to frame in a wall. It was utterly unrealistic, Rye wielding it like a baseball bat, but still Charlie woke sweating with the feeling like he had a secret.

He was distracted all day, and when he saw Rye holding an actual 2x4 for a customer, he turned on his heel and shut himself in the office.

He couldn’t even tell if it was that he liked the idea or he was just hung up on it.

What is wrong with me?

Rye’s voice instantly answered, Nothing’s wrong with you. Normal doesn’t exist. Fuck expectations.

When Charlie got home from work, he didn’t even greet the cats as he usually did, just tore through the house until he found Rye sweeping up wood shavings in the woodshop.

“What did you do to me?” Charlie accused.

“Um. Huh? When?”

Charlie’s breathing was shallow and his heart pounded.

“When you...you said all those things! You said...”

He ran a hand through his hair, desperate not to say the word.

Rye narrowed his eyes and leaned the broom against the lathe. He approached Charlie slowly and put his hands on Charlie’s shoulders. Charlie looked at the floor and Rye let him.

“Is this about spanking?”

Charlie’s head jerked up.

“How did you know?”

Rye shrugged one shoulder.

“Just did.” Charlie was vibrating with energy. Anger? Fear? He couldn’t quite tell. “C’mere.”

Rye towed him out of the woodshop and into his bedroom. He pushed Charlie to sit on the edge of the bed, then sat on the other side, facing away.

“Tell me what you’re thinking.”

Charlie dropped his face in his hands.

“I don’t know.”

“Okay. Tell me how you’re feeling.”

“Mad,” Charlie snarled.

“How come?”

“Because you made me think about this shit that I don’t understand, and I—I—don’t know why I can’t stop thinking about it.”

Rye was quiet for a while, like he was waiting for more, but there wasn’t any more. Charlie didn’t know anything more.

“Sometimes we want stuff and we don’t know why we want it,” Rye said matter-of-factly. “Isn’t it okay to just want something?”

“I don’t want it.”

“Okay. Isn’t it okay to just be intrigued by something and not know why?”

“No,” Charlie snapped. Instantly he was embarrassed, because obviously that wasn’t true.

“Okay,” Rye laughed. “Who knew you were such a grump when you’re the slightest bit out of your element. I’ll have to ask Simon if Jack is this way,” he mused.

“What? Ask Simon?”

“Oh, we text now. Anyway. Charlie. You’re thinking about something that struck some kind of chord with you. That’s fine. What’s your angst?”

Charlie slumped.

“I don’t know.”

But he did know.

“I shouldn’t be interested in that. Why would I be? And I know what you’re gonna say. There is no shouldn’t be. But we can’t all be from Seattle, okay?”

Rye snorted.

“Okay, sure, yes, you know, Seattle: den of universal spanking.”

He giggled. Then arms came around Charlie’s shoulders from behind.

“Your angst is adorable and totally unnecessary,” he said. “You want to try spanking? I’ll gladly spank the fuck out of you. Or ya know, just a little spank you. You wanna never talk about it again, no problem. You’re the only one who has a problem. So maybe, like...deal with it. I’m gonna go make dinner.”