Coffee Break

Summary:  Next in the Second Chances series. Two people learn not to lie to their family member. Written for the Pick N Mix challenge on Spanking_World over on Livejournal. These are the prompt words: cherry, soap, burning
Warning(s):  Contains spanking, spoilers up to and including season three of the Flash, AU, mouth soaping, some mentions of violence; references to scratches and abrasions

###

Barry and Cisco hadn't planned to get caught up in a fight between two metas when they'd gone out for coffee. It had just happened. And it was over so quickly, neither of them thought to call any of the other team members to let them know what was occurring. Even with it being unexpected and neither of them being prepared (or wearing their suits), they'd managed to subdue both metas in question for CCPD to pick up on charges of disturbing the peace and endangering nearby civilians. They had returned to Star Labs and Cisco had disappeared to do who knew what. Barry was trying to sneak by the main hub so he could clean up some wounds before anyone noticed.

Wells had been working on an experiment when he heard his nephew enter the labs. Since he needed to ask for Barry's help, he left his office. "Ah, Barry...." He paused and then frowned as he noticed the stiff way the younger man was walking. The professional scientist immediately melted away to the worried uncle. "What happened?"

"What?" Barry looked up, like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "Oh... nothing. Cisco and I just got back from grabbing a coffee, that's all." He smiled at his uncle, planning to go to the restroom to wash up. He'd just got a few scratches. Nothing to worry about with his speed healing.

"You've been hurt." Wells stepped nearer to Barry. "Do you really think I can't tell? I see you all the time. I know how you move when you're completely healthy and uninjured."

Barry blinked at that. "Uh... it's nothing, really... just a few scratches. I was going to wash them off in the restroom. I didn't want to worry you for nothing..." he said hesitantly, already sensing he should have just fessed up immediately when Well's asked what was wrong.

"Come into my office. I've got a first aid kit in there." Wells' voice was stern, and he turned to head back in that direction, expecting Barry to follow.

Barry opened his mouth to say he didn't need to, only to be staring at the open door to his uncle's office. Sighing, head lowered, and shoulders slumped, he followed.

Wells retrieved the first aid kit and then turned to look at Barry. "Take your clothes off," he directed.

Barry blinked. "But... it's only a few scratches on my back..." he said hesitantly, not meaning to whine, but whining all the same.

"Barry, you are in enough trouble for lying to me already," Wells said. "Don't add to it by arguing with me."

Barry's mouth snapped closed and he swallowed hard. "Yessir. Sorry, uncle Harry..." he whispered, immediately falling into family mode.

"Take your clothes off," Wells directed again.

Blinking rapidly in an attempt not to begin crying- he hated when his family was upset with him and it was obvious that Harry was upset- Barry quickly made sure the door to Well's office was firmly shut, then began removing his clothing, folding it neatly and putting it on the nearest table.

As soon as Barry was naked, Wells moved over and began checking the scratches. Even if that's all they were, he wanted to make sure they were healing at the pace they should be and hadn't got any dirt in that could cause infection.

Barry held still, not moving an inch as his uncle inspected him. He knew he was in trouble and didn't want to add to it. And it wasn't like his uncle hadn't seen him naked before. He'd been in this position too many times to count, as far as he was concerned.

Wells took his time, making sure each scratch was clean and treated, because even if they would heal fast, he wasn't going to neglect them. Finally, though, he was finished.

Barry cleared his throat uncertainly. "T... thank you, Uncle Harry..." he whispered. "C... can I get dressed now?" he asked hopefully, but not expecting a positive answer.

"No." Wells put the first aid box away and then, with a hand on Barry's shoulder, guided the younger man to the chair. Taking a seat, he drew Barry across his lap. "You're going to tell me what happened."

Barry whimpered at the position but didn't fight it. He'd been expecting it pretty much since Wells had told him not to argue. "Cisco and I went to get coffee..." He reiterated what he'd already told his uncle when first coming in.

"Those scratches aren't a result of you just getting coffee." Wells didn't immediately begin spanking, but he did give Barry's backside a firm pat in warning.

"No, sir!" Barry quickly said. "That's just the beginning... we were going to get coffee... while we were there, two metas started fighting with each other. Before we had time to call anyone for backup, since we didn't have our suits or anything, we somehow got drawn into the fight..." Barry winced.

"How did you get drawn into the fight?" Wells asked. "Why didn't you use your cell phone, at the very least?"

"I... Cisco and I tried to calm the situation down by talking to the combatants. They didn't want to talk..." Barry said, a bit sheepishly.

"So, while you were talking, one of you could have called me or one of the others," Wells said. "You have me and Joe on speed dial. You could have also focused on getting other people out and leaving the metahumans to battle it out amongst themselves rather than getting involved personally."

"We didn't expect to get drawn into the fight. By the time we realized we should have done one of the other options, they'd already turned on us and we had to contain them..." Barry swallowed. "As soon as we had them subdued, we called CCPD, so we didn't think there was any need to bother you or Joe, because it had been handled by then and no civilians or public property were hurt and I just had some scratches that I figured I'd wash in the restroom and there was no need to worry you...."

"I could tell you were injured the moment I saw how you were walking," Wells said. "You shouldn't have lied to me. And you certainly shouldn't have decided to hide what had happened." He lifted his hand, bringing it down firmly.

"Ow!" Barry hissed, "I... you're right, sir. I'm sorry! I should have told you immediately when we got back, not hidden things or lied..." He whimpered. He knew better, after all. Why he'd thought it was a good idea was beyond him now.

"I'm glad that you understand why you shouldn't have lied or hidden it from me." Wells settled quickly into a pattern of swats, delivering three smacks on top of each other before moving onto the next spot. "But I still need to hold you accountable."

Barry whimpered softly. "Yessir..." he said, in a tiny voice. As much as he hated being in this position, he knew if Wells had just let his behavior go without consequences, it would have felt ten times worse. Still. It didn't take him long to begin squirming, as Wells' swats were hard enough and frequent enough to overcome his natural healing factor and begin to hurt.

"As soon as things started going wrong for you and for Cisco, you should have hit speed dial and let me or Joe know what was going on." Wells swatted down to Barry's thighs and then started over from the top. "You need to keep us in the loop."

"I... I know. I didn't think of it till everything was over and by then, I figured it was too late to matter..." Barry admitted.

"It's always going to matter." Wells began a third circuit of swats, going a bit harder and faster. "But you also shouldn't have lied to me when I asked you specifically what was going on."

Barry couldn't help himself.  He began squirming and whimpering. "I know I shouldn't have..." He sobbed softly. "I don't know why I did...."

Wells tightened his hold on Barry. "I know those scratches will heal, but they didn't need to occur in the first place. There was no reason for you to be hurt."

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Barry began to sob quietly.

Wells gentled the swats a little, able to see that Barry's backside was reddening; getting close to cherry. "I know you are, my nephew. And even though you're being punished, I do forgive you."

Barry let out another sob at the words, slumping over his uncle's lap. He knew he deserved to be punished, but knowing he was forgiven helped him give in and accept it.

Wells moved his hand a bit lower, focusing a flurry of swats to Barry's sit spots and thighs before he stopped and rested his hand low down on his nephew's back.

"Need ta not lie... need ta not hide things... need ta keep you informed..." Barry cried repentantly. Even with his healing factor, his bottom was burning.

"Exactly." Wells rubbed Barry's back gently. "And we're going to deal with the lying in a few minutes."

Barry continued to cry, not attempting to change his uncle's mind. All that mattered now was being forgiven and making sure his uncle still trusted him. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "Need you to tr... trust me... br...  broke your trust!" He started sobbing again, even though his bottom wasn't burning- wasn't even stinging much by this point- any longer.

"We'll get past it," Wells promised. He left Barry in place over his knee a bit longer, rubbing the younger man's lower back, and then helped his nephew to stand and dress once more.

Barry sniffled, wiping at his eyes furtively. He didn’t move from where his uncle put him, waiting on his uncle’s instructions.

Wrapping his arm around Barry's shoulders, Wells guided his nephew from his office and in the direction of the bathroom.

Barry sniffled a bit more and whimpered as he realized where they were going but didn't argue or pull away.

Inside the bathroom, Wells tightened his hold on his nephew as he led Barry over to the sink. "You shouldn't have lied to me." His voice was low, but still filled with care and affection. "I'm going to wash your mouth out with soap to help you remember next time."

"Yessir..." Barry said in a sorrowful voice, soft and submissively repentant.

Wells reached out and picked up the bar of soap. "Open your mouth," he directed.

Tears trickled down Barry's face and the look he gave his uncle was pure misery, but he obeyed, opening his mouth wide so Wells could rub the soap over his tongue.

Wells did just that, still holding onto his nephew with a tight, firm grip, rubbing his hand over Barry's arm.

Barry closed his eyes tight and did his best not to swallow. All he wanted was for this whole mess to be over so he could crawl into his uncle's arms and feel forgiven.

Wells didn't linger too long with the soap, believing that Barry was sorry and would think twice before lying again. He squeezed his nephew's arm and then let him over to the sink so he could rinse.

Barry gratefully rinsed for as long as Wells allowed. When his uncle indicated he'd done enough, he dried his mouth on his sleeve, then twisted around and threw his arms around the older man, holding on tightly.

Wells hugged Barry back just as tightly. "I've forgiven you," he said gently. "The punishment is over."

Barry just clung to his uncle tightly, conveying exactly how affected he was by his uncle's disappointment in his actions; how important Wells was to him.

Wells hugged Barry tightly to himself. "I forgive you," he reiterated. "I still love you. You're still my nephew."

"I love you too, sir... so much..." Barry whispered, pressing closer and tighter and nuzzling against Wells' shoulder.

Wells hugged Barry tightly, perfectly content to hold onto his nephew for as long as Barry wanted and needed. It settled something inside him to hug Barry so close.

***

After parting ways with Barry, Cisco had determined that the easiest way to clean up was a shower, but he'd rather do that in the comfort of his own home, so he vibed himself back to his and Wells' apartment. It quickly became evident to him he'd got more than a few scratches. He could have taken care of them himself, but not as thoroughly or effectively as if he had help, so after he'd completely cleaned the grime off himself, he picked up the comms to contact his father. "Hey, dad? You able to come home and help me with something?" he worded carefully, not wanting anyone listening in to worry. It was bad enough his father would worry when he saw the scratches and abrasions.

***

"Of course." Wells spoke into the comm, giving Barry another tight hug and brushing a kiss over his forehead. "I've got to head home and see your cousin. I suspect this also has something to do with what happened today." He couldn't help but worry, but his son didn't sound like he was in agonising pain.

"I could flash you there," Barry offered. "Cisco could vibe you back later to get your car."

"Thank you. That would be helpful," Wells responded.

Smiling, Barry waited until Wells had everything, he needed to take with him, then took hold of his uncle and sped him to his apartment. "I'll see you tomorrow, uncle Harry..." He gave the older man another tight hug and a kiss on the cheek, then sped off.

Cisco was waiting in the bedroom for his father. He hadn't bothered getting dressed, knowing his father would insist on checking him over completely. He kept a towel loosely wrapped around his hips, but he expected that would be gone soon as well.

Harry waited until his nephew had disappeared and then immediately headed to the bedroom. Opening the door and stepping inside, he could see immediately that Cisco had scratches and abrasions covering his body. He quickly retrieved the first aid kit and then directed, "Take the towel off, son."

Cisco immediately obeyed. When it came to his father, he didn't expect privacy and had lost what modesty he had.

Wells immediately began treating Cisco's scratches and abrasions, his eyes narrow with worry. "Barry told me what happened."

"I'm glad he did. I wasn't sure he would and then when I told you, it would be all kinds of awkward between us. It was really stupid. We step out to see what the fuss was and before we even have a chance to realize it, we're part of the fuss. I was going to tell you immediately after I cleaned up at the labs, but I was too dirty to see anything because one of the jerks threw me into a mud puddle, so I decided a full on shower would be better and figured if I was going to end up naked anyway, I could just call you from home...." Cisco paused as he realized, "...And I should have told you and asked you if I could go first... dang it! I'm sorry, dad. I really wasn't trying to hide anything!" He pouted at the thought he had given his father reason to think he'd hide his actions or the scratches after returning.

Wells continued to treat his son's injuries, using the contact to reassure himself that his son was safe. "I need you to be okay, Cisco." His voice was quiet, but no less emotional because of that. "This Earth? It's my home. Because of you. Because this is where my son is."

"I... I know, daddy..." Cisco found himself responding to the tone in a more childish way, trying to reassure his father by giving him that bit more control over him. "S'why I asked you to come home soon as I was clean enough. Knew you'd want to make sure I was..." His voice was small and a little uncertain. "Am... am I in trouble for leaving without permission?" He winced as he sounded more childish.

Finished treating every scratch and abrasion, Wells straightened and grasped his son's arm. Gently turning Cisco to one side, he delivered a stinging swat to his bare backside. "I need to know when something happens, son." He delivered another pair of stinging swats.

His bottom was bare and still slightly damp from his shower, even if he wasn't wet, so the sting of the swats was slightly amplified, along with the sound of open palm meeting flesh. Cisco couldn't help but yelp with each one, tears springing to his eyes. "I'm sorry! I... I should have told you before I showered..." He whimpered but didn't try and pull away. Instead, he shifted closer to his father and arched his back slightly, so his butt made a better target. He didn't know if he'd earned a full-on spanking or not, but he was going to cooperate. He hated hearing that tone in his father's voice.

"You should have called me as soon as possible." Wells delivered another pair of stinging swats, wrapping his arm firmly around Cisco's waist. "As soon as the fight's over. I'm the first person you call when something happens. Because I'm your dad."

Cisco let out two more tiny yelps with the swats before asking, with slowly dawning understanding, "I...  I should have called you soon as possible when I knew I was in a meta-fight? I... if not before it happened, then as soon as I had the chance?"

"Exactly right, son." Wells delivered another pair of swats and then paused to begin rubbing low down on his son's back. "You call me as soon as possible."

"I'm sorry, daddy," Cisco said, in the tiniest, guilt-filled voice imaginable. "I didn't think to do that and I'm sorry..." He sniffled, the tears pooling in his eyes breaking free and sliding down his face. He pressed closer to his father, nearly snuggling, as he stuck his bottom out that slight bit more, completely submitting to whatever his father decided he deserved.

Wells wrapped his arms tightly around Cisco, drawing his son into a tight embrace. "I love you so much. I can't lose you. You're so ingrained in my life now."

Cisco let his own arms wrap around his father tightly and snuggled as he quietly cried. It hadn't really hurt physically; the sting was over almost before it began. But he hated putting that tone of worried fear into his father's voice. "Is... are you gonna spank me?" he found himself asking, feeling very guilty and like the worst son ever.

"I don't think it's necessary unless you feel so guilty, you need to go over my knee." Wells hugged his son tighter. "You know why not calling me was wrong and you did confess without me needing to ask you about it."

"I don't know, daddy..." Cisco sniffled. "Don't wanna spanking, but I feel really guilty...."

"I'm not going to spank you again," Wells decided. "But what's going to happen is that, until the end of this week, you're grounded. You'll be staying close to me."

Cisco swallowed, relaxing at hearing the 'punishment' and snuggling. "So, you can see me and know I'm okay? And we can be together more?" He sniffled and gave his father a tiny smile. "I like that idea."

"So do I," Wells answered. "I want to keep you close. To make sure you're safe. And, yes, to spend time with you."

"I love you, daddy. And I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you..." Cisco said seriously, pressing close and tight.

"I know you are. I know you didn't." Wells kissed his head. "I forgive you, son. I still love you."

"Do you need me to take you back to pick up your car?" Cisco finally asked, after several minutes of just snuggling close. "I can go through with you and drive back with you and maybe we can pick up dinner?"

"That sounds like a good idea to me," Wells agreed. "If your cousin's free tonight, we could bring him back to eat with us."

Cisco nodded. "We can ask. I'm pretty sure he said something about him and Iris having a family dinner with Joe, Cecile, Wally and the baby...."

"Even if tonight might not be feasible, we can always invite him some other time." Wells hugged Cisco a bit more tightly and then began to lead him through to the bedroom, so he could dress his son.

"That sounds good," Cisco agreed, following obediently and then letting his father dress him. Yes, it made him feel like a little kid, but it also made him feel loved and cared for. He'd give up autonomy to feel that way.

Wells dressed Cisco and then wrapped his arm a bit more firmly around his son's shoulders. "I'm ready when you are, son."

Giving Wells a big grin, then leaning into the older man and kissing him on the cheek, Cisco opened a portal back to the labs, then took his father's hand and stepped through. It was going to be a good night.

The End