A/N: So here is another story in my little series for The New Normal. I suggest reading one of the other two before this one. I love playing with these characters, even if I'm hardly ever satisfied with the writing. I had a review on the last story that suggested I write something on the proposal of bringing in spanking to Bryan and David's relationship and maybe Bryan's first punishment. That's sort of what this is. Thanks for the idea, rosered33! I hope you like it. Sorry if it sounds rushed, I did my best.

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Ryan Murphy and Allison Adler.

First Time for Everything

It happened three weeks after they'd moved all of their things into the house. ("It's just the temporary house," Bryan constantly pointed out. "A year, maybe a year and a half tops, while we build.")

It had started off so exciting; stressful, but exciting. Shopping for their nice but moderate house, making plans for the bigger one they wanted to have built, deciding what they wanted to take from their respective apartments. It all felt incredibly domestic, and that thrilled them both.

And then, before they signed the lease and started hiring moving companies, they had the talk. Bryan, fueled by a nice sized glass of wine, had built up enough courage to sit David down and tell him what he needed. David, to Bryan's surprise, was more open to the idea of introducing discipline into their relationship than he had expected. He told him that it'd be an adjustment, but that he'd be more than willing to try.

So the two had spent the night talking. They talked about what Bryan's needs were, what he was comfortable with and what David was comfortable with. They talked about rules and consequences, and had ended up falling asleep together on the couch, wine glasses on the coffee table, and the laptop open to extensive internet research.

And it was that long night of conversation that had led to what happened three weeks into living in their temporary house.

Bryan was starting to feel pressure at work. Deadlines were being set, writers weren't agreeing, casting was becoming complicated and it seemed to all fall onto his shoulders. His nightly glass of wine had turned into three and his attitude was becoming more and more deplorable.

David had tried to be understanding and supportive. But mostly, he was reluctant to put their new agreement into motion. He was nervous that he'd do something wrong, worried that his boyfriend would realize it wasn't what he needed and then would end up resenting him. It was these worries that had him being lenient. But there was a breaking point, a line that needed to be crossed, and Bryan found it one night after two glasses of wine and a rude comment to David after he'd, gently, tried to confront him about about it.

"Okay, Bryan, it's time you and I had a talk." David said, surprising himself with how stern he sounded. He took the glass from his boyfriend's hand and led him to the couch, Bryan protesting all the way there.

"I am an adult, David." He said once he'd been seated. "I know my limitations, and a little extra wine isn't going to kill me."

"This is about more than your drinking." David replied, trying to keep his voice firm and even. He didn't want this to escalate into a fight. He wanted to take control, the control Bryan had given him. "This is about the rules you and I set up just a few weeks ago, and your blatant disregard for them."

"I haven't... broken any rules," Bryan said, shifting a bit on the couch and avoiding David's eyes. David took note of this change, thinking that maybe they were going to get somewhere with this.

"You and I both know that's not true, Bry." He reached out and gently lifted Bryan's face so he could look at him. "You wanted this. You told me this is what you needed. Someone who loves you enough to take control and reign you in. Someone to hold you accountable for your behavior. Someone to provide discipline and guidance. Someone to help you when you feel guilty about something you've done wrong." He paused, letting his words sink in. "Is that still what you want, Bry? What you need?"

Bryan took a deep breath before really meeting David's eyes for the first time since they'd started this conversation. He felt a strange sense of relief and safety as he looked at the man he loved and thought about everything he'd just said. He deflated and nodded in answer to his question. Yes, this is what he needed and he almost felt overwhelmed by the fact that his boyfriend was willing to do this for him.

David couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips when he saw Bryan nod. He, too, felt relieved. Relieved that he seemed to be doing this right, relieved that Bryan was giving him his trust and submission to his new role of authority.

David leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss, hoping to convey approval and comfort in the act, before letting go of his chin and preparing himself to be stern once more.

"Okay then. Let's talk about what you've done wrong." David said. "Why don't you tell me what rule you've broken."

Bryan squirmed a bit, already feeling chastised just by the tone of David's voice. "Well... I haven't been very respectful. To you or... to anyone, really." He cleared his throat before continuing. "I've been rude and short and that's something we agreed was unacceptable."

David nodded his approval. "When I wanted to talk to you about maybe cutting down on the alcohol consumption, I spoke to you respectfully. I didn't raise my voice, I didn't accuse or attack you. There was absolutely no reason for you to snap at me the way you did. You've been like this all week, and frankly, I'm tired of it."

Bryan looked down, starting to feel guilty about his behavior. "I know... it's just... work has been..."

"I understand you've been a little stressed lately," David cut in. "And I've tried to be lenient and understanding, but there's only so far you can push me." Bryan nodded, keeping his head down and starting to wring his hands a bit.

David reached over and took them in his, giving them a gentle squeeze. When he spoke next, his voice was much softer. "It's going to be okay, Bry. I'm going to take care of it." Bryan looked up at this, his eyes shining with tears he didn't want to let fall.

"I know," he said quietly. "I trust you."

David pulled his boyfriend into a tight hug when he heard the emotion in his voice, and Bryan eagerly accepted the comfort. David knew that this was going to be an emotionally charged experience, so he didn't rush Bryan out of the embrace. He decided taking things slowly was probably a good idea. After all, this first punishment would set the tone for this new aspect of their relationship. He wanted to make sure he did it right, and that his boyfriend was taking everything okay.

After a couple of minutes, Bryan pulled out of the hug, feeling ready to move forward. He wiped at the few tears that had slipped out and waited quietly for what David would do next.

"Now," David spoke after he was certain Bryan was ready. "Do you agree that you deserve to be punished? Answer me out loud please."

"Yes, David," Bryan answered, voice only faltering a little bit as he spoke.

"Okay, then let's get on with it." He motioned for Bryan to stand up, and when he was obeyed, he reached out to unbutton his boyfriend's jeans and push them down to his knees. After that was out of the way, he pulled on Bryan's hand, awkwardly working with the taller man to get him into a comfortable position over his lap. Once they were settled, he rested one hand on his boyfriend's back and then hesitated, battling insecurities about how he didn't know what he was doing. He'd obviously never been in this position before, and was terrified that he would mess it up somehow.

But thinking about Bryan's words from earlier – I trust you – forced him to swallow his nerves and continue with what needed to be done.

Bryan, for his part, was feeling his anxiety spike as the silence stretched on. He was almost overwhelmingly relieved when David finally spoke, asking him to reiterate why he was being punished. And once David heard and was satisfied with his answer, it started.

David lifted his hand, drawing on everything he'd read when they'd done their research about administering this type of punishment, and let it fall with a moderate swat to Bryan's backside. His boyfriend jumped slightly but otherwise had no other reaction. David continued at this level of intensity for a few more swats but when it became apparent that he wasn't really making an impression, he took a breath and started bringing his hand down harder and faster.

Soon, David found a rhythm, spanking hard all across his boyfriend's upturned backside. When he heard Bryan start to let out little gasps, his body squirming a bit over his lap, he decided to start speaking.

"I hope you know that I take this arrangement seriously," he raised his voice just enough to be heard over the sounds of the spanking. "I love you and I want to give you want you need. Which means I am not going to tolerate your misbehavior."

Bryan let out a soft whimper, his butt slowly going from stinging to burning. "Yes, David," he gasped out, squeezing his eyes shut to try and keep himself from crying.

David felt the tension in his boyfriend's body and paused, knowing he was probably trying to keep everything bottled in. Acting on instinct, David tugged down his boxers, feeling like he needed to break through some kind of barrier.

Bryan let out a quiet breath at the moment of reprieve only to have it replaced by an audible groan as David started bringing his hand down on his now bare backside.

"You are going to start thinking about how to be respectful to not only myself, but other people around you," David lectured, watching as the bottom under his hand turned from pink to red. "Your actions and words have consequences. Do you understand that?"

Bryan could only nod, feeling his body shake slightly with the effort to keep his emotions under control. His backside was burning and his stomach was clenched with the guilt he felt over his behavior. He was nearing his breaking point and David could tell.

He put an arm around Bryan's waist and pulled his body closer to him as it twisted to avoid his hand. Paying close attention to his boyfriend's reactions, his quivering back and shuddering breaths, David suddenly brought his hand down lower, soundly spanking Bryan's sit spots until finally he let go. He let his body slump down over David's lap, tears streaming down his cheeks as he gasped out broken apologies.

Once he saw that Bryan had given in to the punishment, David stopped and gently rubbed at his back as he cried hard into his hands. After a moment, David helped him up off his lap and onto the couch beside him. And though he felt like Bryan needed this, an emotional release, he couldn't help but worry he'd gone too far as he held his sobbing boyfriend in his arms. It was only when Bryan's cries had died down to sniffles and he whispered an emotion filled "thank you," did David feel like he'd done right by the man he loved.

After a moment, Bryan pulled out of the embrace long enough to kick off his jeans and pull up his boxers. After that was taken care of, he tucked his legs underneath him and leaned against David's shoulder, his breathing finally evening out. David put an arm around Bryan and pulled him close, placing a kiss on top of his head.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"More than okay," Bryan answered. "I mean, that was... unpleasant. But I..." he shook his head. "I don't know if I can explain it to you. I just feel better. And I'm sorry, for snapping at you."

"It's okay, babe," David said, rubbing his arm soothingly. They sat together in a comfortable silence, thinking about everything that had just transpired.

"So... this was... big, wasn't it?" Bryan asked after a while.

David pulled away to look at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I mean, it's like any first in a relationship," he said. "It's important. It... I don't know... sets the tone."

David smiled a bit at how Bryan was unknowingly echoing his own thoughts from earlier. "I see what you mean. It is kind of important." He paused. "Was it... I mean, what do you think about this particular... first?"

"It's like I said," Bryan replied. "It wasn't fun, but it's what I needed. You really... it helped, David. And I appreciate what you're doing for me and I love you and I think that's all that needs to be said." He didn't really want to talk about this anymore, especially when he was still processing just why this was something that already seemed to work so well for him.

David didn't push him. As long as Bryan was okay, he didn't feel the need to. "I love you too," he said in reply, giving him a kiss. "Now, why don't we eat some dinner – with a couple glasses of water – and you can vent to me all you want about how much work sucks right now."

Bryan rolled his eyes but couldn't help but smile a little. "Sounds good," he said, getting up and grabbing a pillow off the couch, intending to sit on it as they ate. David laughed at the action and got up to follow. Everything felt lighter now that it was over. At least a week's worth of tension was gone and he felt reassured that everything was going to be okay. Moving in was a good decision, and the start of a new chapter in their relationship was just beginning.

"What are you waiting for slowpoke?" Bryan called, already taking out leftovers to heat up in the microwave. David smiled lovingly and made his way into the kitchen.

THE END