Know When To Stop

Summary: Follows Changing The Future. The Protagonist returns to Neil, who’s worried about what the future is now going to hold for them
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the entire movie Tenet; AU; references to violence; sexual situations between two men
Pairing: The Protagonist/Neil

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He tried not to wake Neil as he slipped into bed with the other man, but his partner stirred, rolled over to pin him in place with his head on the Protagonist’s chest and mumbled, “I knew you were going to see Kat.”

“I didn’t see her.” He wrapped an arm around Neil’s body; kissed the top of his head. “Just stopped her from being a loose end to tie up.”

“Just like us.” Neil raised his head and pressed a kiss to the Protagonist’s chin, then another one to his mouth. “You’ve still got other loose ends to tie up,” he continued, finding a new place to kiss between each word.

The Protagonist tangled his fingers in Neil’s hair, pulling the other man up so he could press a deep kiss to his partner’s lips. “What kind of loose ends?” he asked, stroking his fingers down Neil’s spine and pressing his knuckles against the base of it.

Neil’s groan was low and drawn out and he arched his back into the touch. “I’m talking about us,” he murmured. “You’re going to need to find me. Recruit me.”

“No.”

Neil frowned, pulling back enough to look into his eyes. “No?” he repeated. “What do you mean, no? We have to make sure everything plays out the way it’s supposed to. Otherwise I might disappear.”

“You told me that what’s happened has happened,” the Protagonist answered. “And I didn’t let you die. I changed that. I don’t think I need to run around chasing loose ends to tie up.”

“You could end up destroying the world if you won’t go and recruit me when you need to.” Neil propped himself up on his elbows, looking down at the Protagonist. “I let you have your own way with changing my own fate. But I can’t stand by and let you potentially mess up by insisting on staying with me. I’m still alive.”

“I thought I was the one who founded Tenet.”

“Yes, but out of the two of us, I’m the one with the most experience,” Neil replied. “I’ve been doing this longer than you.”

“I’m not going to argue with you about this,” the Protagonist stated. “We saved the world. Going back in time isn’t going to change that. There’s only one algorithm. And we’ve hidden the pieces where no one will ever find them.”

“Never say never.” Neil rolled over onto his back and sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “You could go back and forth,” he offered. “See me in both time periods. That’s a compromise, isn’t it?”

The Protagonist reached over and rolled Neil onto his stomach. He ran a hand down the other man’s back; patted his bottom firmly. “I’ve already told you no. I’m not going to argue with you about this, Neil.”

“You’re not going to spank me for disagreeing with you.”

“No,” the Protagonist agreed. “But I’ll spank you for pushing at me after I’ve already made my decision. You agreed to let me be in charge of you.”

“I never said the words.”

“When you thought I couldn’t trust you, you handed me your own belt to tan you with,” the Protagonist stated. “And after I did, you kissed me. From those two actions, I believe I can infer what our relationship was like from your perspective. You let me be in charge of you in your past and my future. And that includes letting me make the ultimate decision. You can disagree all that you like, but at the end of the day, it’s my decision.”

“But I just don’t want to risk the world ending and another bomb going off,” Neil protested.

The Protagonist lifted his hand and brought it down firmly at the crest of Neil’s bottom, leaving behind a pink handprint. He then rubbed Neil’s lower back, speaking in a low, stern voice. “That’s enough. I’ve told you my decision and you need to accept it.”

“I wish I could,” Neil muttered. “But I’m not going to be able to stop arguing with you. You might as well give me a full spanking now, otherwise I’ll just irritate you to the point you’ll need to do it anyway.” His smile was self-deprecating.

The Protagonist looked into Neil’s eyes, studying his face, and then nodded. He thought he understood. Neil needed to feel that the choice wasn’t his. He needed to have it taken out of his hands.

The Protagonist sat up, letting his back rest against the headboard. As soon as he was settled in position, Neil moved into position, settling over his lap and shuffling a little until his bottom was the highest point of his body, his hips resting on the Protagonist’s thigh.

They were both naked and it felt more intimate to be fully exposed to Neil just like he was. The Protagonist ran his hand down Neil’s back, squeezing the tense skin gently, then delivered a firm smack that left a matching handprint on the opposite side of Neil’s bottom to the previous.

A quiet gasp was the only response Neil gave. He kept his body still and relaxed, though, as the Protagonist began to swat firmly, working his way down to the other man’s thighs. He wrapped his arm around Neil’s waist, tugging his partner in tight against his stomach, and covered every inch of Neil’s bottom in the stinging swats, from the crest down to mid-thigh and everywhere in between.

Neil didn’t try to hold back his reactions. He squirmed and let out quiet whimpers and nearly soundless gasps whenever the Protagonist’s hand landed on a particularly sensitive spot, or a spot that had already received attention several times.

Neil’s bottom was turning pink and growing warm. The Protagonist could feel and see the effects of the spanking every time he brought his hand down. He let his hand come to a halt and began to gently rub his partner’s bottom. “You’re taking too much on yourself, Neil. I guess it can’t have been easy to meet up with me when I had no idea who you were or what we meant to each other. I figure we should have had a conversation about this long before now, but I guess it’s better late than never.”

Neil took in a deep breath and reached his hand back, taking hold of the Protagonist’s. “You’re in charge of me,” he whispered, his voice quiet but certain. “I forgot that, but I shouldn’t have. It’s not like you’re different to the man I know. You like the same things. Act in the same way.” He dropped his head as he whispered, “I wish I could be like you and have faith that everything will turn out for the best. But that’s not me. I’m too used to trying to make sure everything turns out the way it’s supposed to.”

“You let me stop you from dying.”

Neil gave a half-laugh. “Because you spanked me into submission.”

“I’m in charge of you.” The Protagonist continued rubbing Neil’s bottom as he spoke. “So I spank you, punish you, when you do something wrong. I take charge and make all of the main decisions regarding us. I’ll take on board what you think and feel, but if you continue arguing with me, you’ll get spanked for disrespecting me.” He gently squeezed low down on the other man’s thigh as he continued, “If you do something that’ll put you in danger, you get spanked. If you lie to me, you get spanked. Any questions?”

“Can I kiss you?”

Startled, the Protagonist laughed. “You can kiss me any time, Neil. No need to ask for permission.”

“I figured I should check whether you’ve finished spanking me now or not.” Neil pushed himself up slowly and settled himself on the Protagonist’s lap. He reached out and cupped his face in his hands, pressing a sweet, gentle kiss to his lips.

The Protagonist slid his hands down Neil’s spine, his member stirring and taking an interest in what was going on.

Neil pulled back and smiled. “Would you like me to help with this?” He reached down and closed his fingers around the Protagonist’s member.

“Of course.” He stroked the side of Neil’s face; kissed him tenderly. “I love you.”

Something moved in Neil’s face. His eyes filled with moisture. Then, he threw his arms around the Protagonist and held on tight. “I love you too.”

Holding onto his partner, the Protagonist wondered just what about the confession had made Neil tear up.

The End