Dealing With It Now

Summary: When Tobias finally acquires his human morph back, Jake decides to make sure that next time, Tobias will think before risking being trapped inside a morph
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for most of the first half of the book series; references to violence
Author’s Note: I don’t often write in first person and this is the first time, I think, I’m writing in first person from the spanker’s point of view. I’d be interested in knowing how well it works

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Everyone else left the barn after the meeting was over. Everyone who had been there, that was. Ax preferred not to attend unless it was absolutely necessary, so it was just Marco, Rachel and Cassie who left in the end.

I looked at Tobias, still perched in place wearing his red-tailed hawk form. I knew why he hadn’t taken on his human form. For Tobias, the hawk was now his form. Just like mine was my human body I’d been born in. Just like Ax’s was his Andalite form.

<Do you want to talk to me?> Tobias asked me directly, fixing me with his intense, fierce stare.

“Am I that obvious?” I glanced around and lowered my voice. Last thing I wanted was for Cassie’s mom or dad to come into the barn and hear me talking to a red-tailed hawk who wasn’t even in a cage. The worst case scenario, they would reveal themselves to be Controllers and immediately suspect Tobias to be an Andalite. “You mind morphing to human? I need to have a serious discussion with you.”

<That sounds ominous.> Tobias hopped down from his perch and began to morph.

I looked away as he changed to his human form and when I looked back, he gave me a slightly self-conscious grin. “Still not used to being in this body again. I…wish I could always see as well as I can when I’m a hawk.”

“Yeah, I know.” I allowed myself to think about being a peregrine falcon. It wasn’t just about the eyesight, of course. Just being able to fly is so cool. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put how it feels into words. Just…it’s so freeing. So incredible.

I was getting distracted. And it wasn’t exactly warm in here. And Tobias only had two hours as a human. “Come on. I think we should have this conversation outside.” I walked out of the barn, heading round the back so that I could walk into the woods, aware of Tobias behind me but not glancing back at him.

After about ten minutes of walking and once we were far enough away from the barn so as not to be overheard easily, Tobias asked, “Are we going on a mission?”

“No.” I’d reached my destination: a fallen tree log. I gazed at it for a moment and then turned to face Tobias. “Back when all of this started, you all accepted me as your leader. I can’t say I wanted it, but it was your decision. The decision you all made.” I paused, not sure how to continue. How to put into words exactly what I wanted to say. I looked into Tobias’ eyes. It was easier, now that he was a human. Now that he looked like a human. Even if he’d never be a true human again.

“Yeah.” Tobias shrugged. “Just like I told you then. You’re the one who’s good at all this stuff.”

“But you disobeyed my instructions,” I said. “When we attacked the Yeerk pool for the very first time. You weren’t supposed to be morphed that early on. If you hadn’t been…you wouldn’t have been trapped.” I hesitated, but Tobias just stared at me. It was impossible to read his face. “I can’t risk you doing that again, Tobias. Do you understand? We’re in enough danger as it is, without you risking getting trapped inside a morph.”

“Jake, that….” Tobias paused. He looked into my eyes. Swallowed visibly and then whispered, “That was a long time ago.”

“And you only acquired the morphing ability again very recently,” I replied. “I need to be sure that you’ll follow my directions next time. If I’m your leader, if you’re accepting me as your leader, then you need to trust that I’ll make the best decisions I can. You need to work with me, not against me.”

Tobias finally dropped his gaze and breathed in, slow and deep. When he looked up again, his face was as determined as I’d ever seen it. “What do you want me to do?”

“I’m going to sit down on this tree log and you’re going to lay across my lap,” I stated. “And then I’m going to spank you, until I think you’ve learned your lesson and won’t do it again.” I walked over to the log and I sat down, letting my knees spread slightly apart, and waited.

If it had been Marco, he would have made some sarcastic comment. Rachel would never agree to this. Ax wouldn’t understand…and Cassie? Well, my feelings for Cassie were far too complicated to go into that.

But Tobias wasn’t any of the others. He was Tobias. And he didn’t argue. He didn’t storm away. He didn’t make some sarcastic comment. No. Instead, he walked to my side and bent slowly at the waist, lowering himself across my lap. He shuffled forward until his bottom was settled between my thighs and his hands and feet were resting on the ground either side.

The morphing shorts were tight enough that I figured I didn’t need to tug them down to make an impression. I let one hand rest on Tobias’ lower back and then lifted my other hand, bringing it down firmly on his right buttock.

I don’t know what I’d been expecting, but I was surprised at how loud the smack sounded; like a gunshot. And believe me, I know what that sounds like. I’ve been shot at more times than I care to count.

Tobias was still, only having let out a quiet gasp at the smack. I took a deep breath, braced myself and delivered another smack, this time to the opposite buttock.

“Ouch,” Tobias gasped out. “That hurt way more than I thought it would.”

There wasn’t much I could say to that. So I didn’t speak. Instead, I settled into a rhythm of smacks, working my way over Tobias’ whole bottom, from the crest down to mid-thigh, which wasn’t covered by the shorts.

It didn’t take long before the skin I could see turned a light pink and then a deeper shade. And Tobias was wriggling and squirming over my lap, letting out soft cries and whimpers every time my hand connected with specific spots.

“Jake, Jake, I get it, okay?” Tobias threw his hand back to cover his backside. “I’ll be more careful next time! I promise.”

I paused, but only enough to move his hand out of the way so I could resume the spanking. I abandoned my methodical approach to smack in random spots all over Tobias’ bottom and thighs, making sure it was impossible for him to predict where my hand would fall next.

Tobias squirmed and wriggled, letting out tiny cries and groans. “Jake, please. I’m sorry!” he burst out.

The exposed skin was now a dark pink, nearly red in colour. My hand was stinging, too and I rested my palm low down on his thigh. When I spoke, I interjected a stern note into my voice, one that I only had experience with from hearing in the past. “What are you going to do next time, Tobias? What’s going to happen the next time I give you an order?”

“I’ll do what you say!” Tobias promised, his voice hitching. “I won’t disobey you again.” He slumped, limp, across my lap and I could hear him beginning to sob.

“I’m glad to hear it.” I rubbed Tobias’ back for a few moments and then helped him to stand up. “And I won’t hesitate to do this again next time. You understand me?”

Tobias nodded, wiped at his eyes and then reached back and rubbed at his bottom. “I guess this is what it feels like to have a brother.”

“Yeah. We’re family, Tobias. Don’t forget that.” I stood up and squeezed his shoulder, flashing him a smile even as I tried not to think about my brother…my big brother, who wouldn’t have hesitated to do exactly what I’d just done if he didn’t have a Yeerk in his head and if he knew about all of the dangerous stunts I’d pulled.

I couldn’t imagine wishing for a trip over my big brother’s knee…but I’d take the pain and emotional breakdown if it meant I could have Tom back.

The End