Don’t

Summary: Set during Dune Part Two. Paul's overconfidence has caused him to take dangerous chances. Almost everyone around him expects that kind of behaviour...except for one person
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for Dune Part Two (2024); AU; references to violence and canonical character death
Pairing: Chani Kynes/Paul Atreides
Author's Note: I have some very mixed feelings about Dune Part Two, as it has changed a lot from the source material. However, the scene where Paul drinks the Water of Life and Chani slaps him after he wakes up resonated a lot with me, so...here we are. Hope you enjoy!

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Paul stared after Chani as she stalked away from him, his cheek stinging from where she'd slapped him. He couldn't honestly say that he was surprised. Drinking the Water of Life had opened him up to so many different things. He could see every path ahead of him. He could see his past, present and future. Not only that, but he could see the past, present and future of all those around him.

And he knew the full story of his own heritage now.

Paul pulled his gaze away from Chani's retreating figure and focused instead on his mother. She'd known that his path would end up here, drinking the Water of Life to awaken his full abilities. And his unborn sister shared their mother's knowledge, and perhaps even more than that. Jessica didn't say anything, but Paul could tell she was happy. She was satisfied. Because, of course, she'd always known he'd have no choice but to come here. No matter how much he'd fought against it and resisted it, he'd been forced towards this point.

And he knew exactly what his mother would tell him now. She'd tell him to ignore Chani's obvious upset and discomfort. She'd tell him that what they were doing here was far more important than the happiness of one person. And he knew she'd tell him that he had to worry more about the alliance he'd make; about the princess he had to wed to secure his future and that of Arrakis.

He knew he had to focus on all of that, and yet.... The way Chani had looked at him, like he'd wounded something deep inside her, had hurt something deep inside him as well. She didn't know what forging ahead on this path would cost him. It was necessary, but that didn't mean he wanted to do it. He hadn't wanted to drink the Water of Life, but he'd been left with no choice.

How could he make Chani see that?

Looking away from his mother, Paul pushed himself up slowly. His body felt weak...drained. He didn't know how long he'd been unconscious for, as all time had lost meaning while he'd explored past, present and future. And none of the paths ahead of him showed this confrontation ending without conflict.

But even so, he had to try.

As Paul stepped outside, his body relaxed. It was as if the desert was home to him, even more so than Caladan had been. He was used to the heat, to the sand, to the spice in the air. It permeated every part of his being; and he knew he would never be able to live without the spice, even if he left Arrakis behind.

Chani hadn't gone far. He could see her, staring at the vast desert sand that surrounded them. Was she trying to picture the world of Caladan Paul had described to her, with the water that covered so much of the planet and was so plentiful, it poured from the skies? He didn't know what she was thinking, but he thought he had a good idea of what she was feeling.

He could see many different potential outcomes from this conversation and none of them would be good. However, if he left without reaching out to her at all, the outcome of inaction would be so much worse than any he could foresee right now.

He knew she would feel his approach, as he walked towards her. He might have adapted well to Arrakis, but Chani had spent her entire life here. She could hear and feel even the slightest disturbance in the sand around her.

"She should never have forced me to help you." Chani spoke without turning round; without looking at him.

He swallowed hard, looking at her back, and tried to speak in a gentle, teasing tone...hoping to calm the fire of her temper. "I'm sure you would have left me to the consequences of my own folly."

"I will not be manipulated or controlled. Not by you, not by our Reverend Mother, not by Stilgar." She finally turned to face him, eyes dark and flashing. "I am not a tool to be used to further your own ends."

"I have never considered you a tool or someone to be used," he protested. "I know you don't believe in the prophecy; that you don't believe in the same things Stilgar and the rest of the Fremen do. But don't you think I'm what they need? They need the prophecy to be real. And even if I try to deny it, all they do is believe in me even more."

"To what end?" She stalked towards him. "This path you're forcing us down will end in bloodshed. I don't have to drink the Water of Life to know that."

"I drank the Water of Life. And I can see the future. I can see all the paths ahead of us. And I promise, Chani. I will keep Arrakis safe. I will keep the Fremen safe."

"I don't believe you."

He could take several paths from this point. Most of them ended with Chani leaving; walking away from him. Maybe not right now, but ultimately, that was how it would end. How his path would end. He'd gain the ultimate power, but lose the only person he wanted to share it all with.

Unless he walked down a different, less clear path. With that thought in mind, with that goal in mind, he asked, "How can I make you believe me?"

She stared into his eyes for several long moments before demanding, "Don't ever force me to do something against my will again. That means your mother too. If you use that power on me, I will leave you."

Despite knowing the path this would bring him down, despite knowing that the alternative was nearly unthinkable, he felt a stab of pain go through him. "I won't. She won't either. You don't need to leave," he whispered. You don't need to leave me. He didn't say the words out loud, but they were there in the air between them. He loved Chani. He'd seen her long before even coming to Arrakis, and he'd loved her before he'd ever met her.

But if he tried to tell her that, she'd only see it as him trying to manipulate her. And even if she thought he was only using his words and not the Voice, she'd still see it as him trying to force her into something against her will.

She continued to stare at him, looking into his eyes; looking into his very soul, it felt like. Finally, she said, "You knew drinking the Water of Life was dangerous."

"I didn't have a choice." His response was weak, at best. She was right. He'd known how dangerous it was. He'd seen how his mother had reacted to it. He might have believed he could transform the poison inside his body into harmless liquid, just like his mother had done, but he hadn't known for sure he'd be safe.

He'd just known that he didn't have any choice at the time.

Chani looked away for a few moments, a considering look on her face. Finally, she seemed to come to a decision and nodded, almost to herself. "I don't believe you're the Lisan al Gaib, but my people do. They believe you're the one who will save us. Who will change the face of Arrakis. That means you have a responsibility to keep yourself alive. It means you can't do something dangerous that could get yourself killed."

"I'm not intending to..." he started.

She shook her head. "You've changed. I don't believe it's for the better. Perhaps I have no influence over you, but surely my people do. Surely you care what Stilgar believes."

"Chani." He reached out to take her hand, a stab of relief going through him when she didn't pull away. "You do have influence over me," he whispered. "I love you." I have always loved you.

She turned her hand over and held onto his. She kept looking into his eyes and said, quietly, "If I have influence over you, then you need to answer for the dangerous actions you took. If you love me, then what I think of your actions must mean something. And I think your actions deserve punishment."

He looked down at their entwined hands, feeling heat rise in his cheeks. Seeing what was about to happen was very different to experiencing what was about to happen. He gently squeezed her hand and asked, softly, "Can we go somewhere a little more private?" He didn't want the Fremen to see what was about to happen. And he certainly didn't want his mother to see what was about to happen.

She looked into his eyes for a few long moments and then she gently squeezed his hand. Still holding onto him, she turned and began leading him towards the tent he'd set up, to give them at least a little bit of privacy. It wasn't much, but he knew it would do for what she intended.

The tent was small...cramped. It was nothing like what he'd been used to as a Duke's son, growing up in comfort and luxury. Of course, he wasn't just a Duke's son any longer. Now, he was Paul Muad'dib Atreides. He was the only son of Duke Leto Atreides. And Arrakis was his home. The Fremen were his people.

He wasn't the same man he'd been when he left Caladan.

Once they were inside the tent, Chani closed it up and then sat down on the sand. She was still holding Paul's hand, and it only took a gentle tug for him to sit down next to her. For a few moments, they sat there in silence, just holding hands, silence having fallen between them.

It was Paul who broke the silence. "I know you aren't happy with my actions. I didn't intend to hurt you. I never wanted to do that." He didn't try telling her that he never intended to do something dangerous. She'd see that for the lie it was. But what he said was true. He'd never meant to hurt her.

She nodded slowly, looking down at their clasped hands. "I believe you. But it doesn't change what you did. It doesn't change that you acted dangerously, that you could have been killed. And what would happen to my people then?" She was quiet for a few more seconds, as if deciding how she was going to handle what happened next, and then nodded. She gripped his hand a bit tighter as she stretched her legs out in front of her. Then, using the grip on his hand, she tugged him into position over her lap.

Paul's breath came out in a tiny gasp as he found himself in place. He might have known it was going to happen, but that knowledge didn't make the position he was in any easier. He shifted position slightly, trying to get as comfortable as it was possible to be, and whispered, "I am really sorry."

She didn't respond with words. She let go of his hand and instead moved her hand to his trousers. Hooking her fingers in the waistband, she eased them down over his legs, clear off his backside. She followed the trousers with his underwear, leaving his bottom bare and vulnerable.

Breathing in deeply, Paul waited, trying to keep his body relaxed and pliant. Despite knowing what was coming, when the first stinging smack landed on his bare right cheek, he couldn't help but tense his whole body up.

Chani quickly followed that first smack with a second, matching one to his opposite cheek. She didn't waste any time, continuing to smack firmly, covering every inch of bare skin from the crest of his backside down to mid-thigh.

It wasn't the worst pain Paul had felt in his life. It wasn't even the first time he'd been physically punished. In the past, his father had used corporal punishment. It hadn't been often, but it had never been intimate like this. It had always been positioned over the desk, with clothing in place, and his father had always used a strap, rather than his hand.

The intimacy of this position was almost more than he could take. He submitted to her, submitted to Chani, because the alternative was unthinkable. But he'd never expected to feel this vulnerable and out of control when he'd chosen to follow this path.

For the next few moments, the only sounds in the tent were flesh striking flesh, and Paul's quiet gasps and soft groans when a particularly sensitive spot was swatted. When she swatted the tops of his thighs, he couldn't stop himself jerking his legs; almost, but not quite, kicking them. It felt like Arrakis' sun was burning him, but that its rays were only directed at his bottom. He might have been able to get through the punishment with his dignity intact...and then Chani started talking.

"You have a responsibility to the Fremen. They all believe in you. They believe in the prophecy that claims you're their saviour. How can you fulfil that when you risk your life so carelessly?" She continued to swat as she spoke, using the smacks as an emphasis for her words. "You are too arrogant."

He began to squirm as the heat in his backside grew more intense. His eyes filled with moisture, even though he knew crying was only giving away his body's moisture that he couldn't afford to lose.

"I do love you, Paul Muad'dib Atreides." She was still smacking, but it was nearly impossible to discern where each individual smack fell, as his entire backside felt like it was on fire. "I love you, but I will not allow you to control me. I will not allow you to manipulate me as you do the rest of those around me. And if you love me as you say, you will never attempt to do those things."

"I won't." His voice broke as the tears began to fall. He turned his head so that she would see; so she could see how much she was affecting him. "I won't. I promise." He forced the words out before releasing the sob that was so close to the surface.

She paused and reached out, touching his damp cheek. She looked into his eyes, deeply, as if searching for the truth he held within himself. Finally, she nodded. "I will hold you to that promise."

"Will you forgive me?" he whispered, allowing himself the barest hint of hope.

For the first time since he'd woken after taking the Water of Life, a tiny smile touched her lips. She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, cupping his face in her hand. 

He closed his eyes and moved enough so that he could wrap his arms around her. He pressed into the kiss, allowing himself to take warmth and comfort from her closeness.

He knew he would have precious little of that in the days to come.

The End