The Whole Week

Summary: Walter decides on a new way of dealing with Ray’s misbehaviour
Warning(s): Spanking; spoilers for the whole movie; AU
Pairing: Walter Crow Horse/Ray Levoi
Authors: Cat2000 and Badgirlcarly

###

After having finally dragged Ray out of bed (not quite complete with kicking and screaming, though no reaction would have surprised him), Walter was quickly pulling on his clothes. "If you get dressed quick enough, we can grab something to eat on the way," he offered, partly as a peace offering and partly because, no matter how late they were, he'd still take care of his husband.

"Fine," Ray said flatly. If he'd had three full hours of sleep, it was a miracle. A particularly tough case, three days of doubles, and now, the state audit. He'd considered calling in sick, but then, that was tough when you lived with your boss.

Walter paused, but the flat tone wasn't entirely disrespectful and he decided to give Ray a pass on that one. Still, he gave him a warning look. "Do you need me to grab your clothes?" he asked, his own tone fairly calm and even. Neither of them had got much sleep the night before; and he wasn't looking forward to the state audit anymore than Ray was.

Ray missed the look. "I've been dressing myself for a while, now."

Walter snorted softly. "Then why aren't you doing it now?" Under other circumstances, he would have appreciated the view. But they were late. He sat on the edge of the bed to pull his boots on.

Ray frowned. He sat down on the bed next to Walter, then let himself fall backwards into the soft bedding. God, that felt good.

"I quit," Ray said. "Consider this my notice."

Taking his time to reply, Walter finished putting his boots on and then looked at his husband. "No. You're not." He spoke firmly, reaching out and closing his fingers around Ray's upper arm in an almost vice-like grip. "Get dressed. Unless you want to leave here with a sore backside and eyes red from crying," he warned.

Ray allowed Walter to pull him up onto his feet. There was a little voice in his head telling him to just get dressed and get going, and he ignored it, yanking his arm from Walter's grip and saying, "You're a real pill this morning."

Walter stepped forward, grasped Ray's arm again and turned him to one side, delivering a firm smack to his backside. "If you want a full trip over my knee, you're going the right way about it," he warned. "I won't tell you again."

Ray yelped and glared, but he went to the closet and got dressed.

Waiting for Ray to finish dressing, Walter quickly headed to the door, glancing at the time to make sure he could still get some food into his husband, even if they couldn't enjoy a leisurely breakfast at home.

Ray pulled on his jacket and followed Walter out to the car. They were half a mile down the road when Ray cursed.

"I forgot the evidence logs," he said. He'd brought home the paperwork last night and finished it at the kitchen table where, apparently, he'd left it. "I can't give the case to the US attorney without it."

Walter sighed, but turned the car around and began driving back. "In and out to grab the logs," he said. "We'll talk about this later."

Ray frowned. Talking about it later usually meant a discussion where Ray was bare assed over Walter's knee. He mumbled, "Yes, sir," and was quick in the house and back to the car, the logs in hand.

Waiting just long enough for Ray to buckle himself in, Walter began to drive in the direction of the precinct once more.

***

Nine hours later, on the drive back to the house, Ray started to squirm, remembering the conversation they had coming. The day had been long and tedious, and Ray realized that he hadn't exactly been a ray of sunshine all day. He felt guilt cramp his gut. Walter absolutely loathed the state audits more than anybody, and instead of being helpful and supportive, Ray had been unable to ignore his exhaustion and frustration and ended up being just another thing Walter had to deal with.

They were almost home. Ray looked at his feet. "I wasn't a very good partner today, and I'm sorry."

Walter sighed and let his hand rest on Ray's knee, squeezing gently. "I know you're tired, Ray. I am too. But I haven't been taking it out on you all day." His voice was serious, almost carrying a stern note in it.

Ray felt a nervous flush burn over his cheeks.

"I know," he said, voice small. "You deserve better support than I gave you today."

Pulling up outside the house, Walter turned off the engine and then turned to look at his husband. "I doubt we're in a fit state to deal with this tonight, so we're going to try out a new way of dealing with your misbehaviour."

Ray swallowed nervously. He did not like the sound of that. "What do you mean?"

"I'm not going to spank you now," Walter said. "Instead, we're going to keep a note of everything you do this week that would earn you a trip over my knee. And at the end of the week? It's time to pay up."

Ray's mouth worked wordlessly for a moment, his oral tic. "Walter, I … I guess I don't have a say in this, do I?"

"No," Walter replied, his voice firm. "And for right now, we're going inside, eating and then it's straight to bed."

Ray felt his shoulders slump.

"Yes, sir," he said meekly.

"Good." The praise was given in a slightly gentler tone as Walter got out of the car, waiting for Ray to join him before he strode into the house.

***

For the rest of the week, there was a sheet of lined legal paper hanging on the fridge, and every night, Walter would write down Ray's misbehaviours for the day. Ray watched the list growing with a mounting feeling of dread, although a couple times he felt guilty and actually added to the list himself.

Finally, at the weekend (and, not uncoincidentally, their day off), Walter was ready to deal with the contents of the list. First, though, he made them both breakfast, sitting at the kitchen table with his husband, their mood more relaxed now that the audit was finished. Well, more relaxed on Walter's part, at least.

Under the table, Ray's leg shook. He tried to eat, but his stomach was doing somersaults. Walter hadn't told him anything more about what was going to happen now that the bill came due. But the length of the list suggested he wasn't going to let Ray off easy.

Walter, noticing the tension prevalent in his husband, reached out to grasp Ray's hand. "I know you're dreading this, but it isn't the first time you've had your ass tanned by me," he pointed out. "You've got through it the other times. You'll get through it this time."

Ray relaxed a little. He felt stronger with Walter's hand in his. "Yes, sir."

"Eat up," Walter directed, squeezing his hand.

Ray ate as much as he could, and then helped Walter with the dishes. Then he stood there, barely a foot between them, and tried to swallow his nerves. "Is it that time?"

Walter nodded and wrapped his arm around Ray's waist, drawing him into the main room and snagging the list on the way. He sat on the couch, drawing his husband down next to him. "Do you have anything you want to say?"

Ray took in a deep breath, released it slowly. "I'm sorry for everything I did this week that made your life harder. I'm going to be better, because I love you and I want to be as good to you as you are to me."

Placing his hand on Ray's cheek, rubbing gently, Walter spoke in a gentle tone. "I know you're sorry. I know you'll do better. But we're going to deal with the actions you did take this week." He let his hand move to his husband's thigh; squeezed it gently. "Go and get me the paddle."

Ray winced, then nodded. "Yes, sir."

He went to fetch the paddle from the bottom drawer of Walter's beside table. God, it felt heavier every time he picked it up. Head hanging, he brought the paddle back out to the main room, then gingerly handed it to his husband.

Taking the paddle, Walter gently patted one knee. "Over you go," he directed.

Ray swallowed thickly, then lowered himself across Walter's lap.

As soon as Ray was in position, Walter tugged his jeans and underwear down, lowering both to just below his knees. He put the paddle to one side and began to smack firmly with his hand.

Ray lost his breath the first time Walter smacked him, and it took him a while to find it again. He tried to breathe and he tried to be still as the stinging slaps started to warm up his bottom, to make it sore and tender.

Walter smacked steadily, not putting his full strength behind his hand, but ensuring that each one would be felt. He could see as Ray's bottom began to turn pink; could feel as the skin began warming under the smacks.

Ray grabbed onto the couch cushion, fisting it in both hands. Every inch of his bottom and the tops of his thighs was beginning to feel like it was afflicted with the world's worst sunburn: raw, burning hot, and stingingly painful. He tried not to squirm, and he succeeded except for the occasional wiggle. By now, he was huffing out little gasps of air every time Walter smacked him, and he knew he'd start moaning soon.

Walter continued the smacks with his hand, covering Ray's whole bottom and thighs until they were a uniform darker pink in colour and his own palm was beginning to sting. Then, he reached out and picked up the paddle. Rubbed it for a moment or two against his husband's bottom.

Ray felt the heavy blade of the paddle rub against his raw ass and whimpered.

"Walter, please—"

"You deserve this punishment, Ray." Walter's voice was stern. "I love you, but you've been acting out all week. Even when you haven't been downright disrespectful to me."

Ray drew in a harsh breath. He felt tears well in his eyes. "You're right. I'm sorry, hasanni. I love you, and I'm sorry."

"I know you are. And I love you. And when this is over, you won't need to feel sorry or guilty anymore," Walter promised. He began to smack the paddle firmly against Ray's backside, following the same pattern he'd taken with his hand.

Ray started to cry, not because of the more painful smacks from the paddle, but because all he had to do was endure this, and then he'd be forgiven. The spanking hurt. The spankings always hurt. But being forgiven was worth the pain.

It wasn't easy to continue a punishment once the tears had started, but Walter firmly believed in seeing things through to the end. So he continued to smack firmly with the paddle, making sure no part of Ray's bottom and thighs were left untouched.

Ray's backside was on fire. It ached and burned and stung all at once, and Ray just lay limp and took it, even as every slap of the paddle tore a moan from his throat, even as the tears washed his face.

One more round of the paddle and Walter stopped. He rubbed Ray's back, speaking soft, reassuring words to him.

Ray closed his eyes, and focused on the feel of his husband's gentle hands on his back, focused on the soft, sweet words in English and Lakota. The punishment for a week's worth of bad behavior had been painful. He wasn't going to be able to sit comfortably for at least a few days. But it didn't matter.

"You forgive me?" he asked softly.

"Always," Walter promised. "I love you. My Ray. You're good for me now."

Ray sat up in Walter's lap, wincing as the movement stretched his sore skin and bunched his sore muscles. He cuddled against his husband, his partner, his love.

"I love you, too."

The End