It started quite by accident.

The Baron considered himself a very patient man, but then he was also a man who was used to getting his way. Servants obeyed him or they added to the contribution of his precious gathering of vitae, that was all there was to it. Everyone worked for him, but few had ever worked with him on equal ground. But Daniel was a guest in his house, someone he was protecting for now. You couldn't order a guest around like a lackey, now could you? But soon enough he had to teach the naïve Englishman something about what must be done, and it was there that the irritation had begun.

Daniel wasn't a stupid man, he was actually quite intelligent. But sleep deprived and more than a little paranoid, at times he came off as rather dense. As it turns out, he was also quite gullible. That worked perfectly for Alexander's goals, but in the meantime it also cost the Baron a lot of grief. Daniel often showed his impatience, revealing his ability to mess up even some of the most simple of tasks just because he was in a hurry. The first few mistakes were a given, but there was only so much patience you could have! Alexander had begun to wonder just how Daniel's professors had handled him in school.

Out of options other than verbally scolding the Englishman, Alexander had no choice. He had to resort to more… physical tactics. The next mistake that was made would draw out a predictable "Oh, sorry Alexander! I'll be more careful next time!" from Daniel, only that this time he didn't get past 'sorry' before a loud smack would resound throughout the small alchemy room. Alexander's hand had come down harshly right on the underside of the left cheek of Daniel's supple backside. The Englishman had been so flustered that he had spilled the potion that they were working on, blushing and sputtering apologies in incomplete sentences. Alexander took pleasure in watching that bright red face and those darting eyes as Daniel fought to clean the mess as quickly as he could this time, nearly going out of his way not to make eye contact. A most curious reaction. Alexander wanted to explore it, but the working table was quite messy now, covered in the spilled liquids. Glancing around, his gaze stopping on his desk.

"Come over here for a moment Daniel." Alexander demanded as he crossed over to the desk.

"J-just one moment, I've almost got this…"

"Now." Alexander snapped, and Daniel seemed a little startled. All the bottles setting up now, he stopped mopping at the mess with a rag as he had been and hurried over to stand beside the Baron. He was rubbing his damp hands off on his pants and doing his best to ignore the fact that his face was still burning.

"What is it-?" Daniel was cut off by the grip of a strong hand on his shoulder. Alexander's fingers curled into the fabric there, pulling the Englishman forward only to push him to bend face down over the desk once he was close enough. His cheek pressed against the hard wood as his palms did, but he didn't try and push up just yet. "Alex—ow!" Daniel nearly yelped when a second slap was given, this time to the other cheek. His heart leapt into his throat, and he was glad his hair had fallen over his face a bit. "Th-this is highly…!" Slap! Another yelp and a jolt of that slender body, Daniel's hands curling into fists. Smack! Alexander's swats were hard enough to cause quite a sting, even through his clothing!

"I've grown tired of," Smack, smack, "Your near constant mistakes!" Smack, smack, smack! Daniel squirmed against the desk, beyond humiliated right now. SMACK! A particularly hard swat provoked a yelp and a low whine of pain from the Englishman. "Stay still." Alexander demanded, and Daniel could only nod his head. He had no idea how to respond to this! If this was any other person he would have stood right up and demanded not to be treated in this manner, like… like an errant child! Even if he had made mistakes, there were other ways to handle things! But this was Alexander, the Baron! This man was his mentor and his protector.

"I-I said I was sorry…!" He protested, but Alexander only gave a tsk of his tongue.

"Yes, yes, you've said it a hundred times Daniel. But you don't seem to be learning from your mistakes. The only clear answer for me is to give you a consequence; a punishment." That very word caused a twist from deep in Daniel's gut, where he knew no feeling like that belonged! His lips parted and he took in a sharp breath, but when the words failed to come he nearly panicked, glancing over his shoulder to Alexander in protest.

"S-surely you don't mean like this?" He managed to stammer out. Alexander raised one pale eyebrow.

"You find this inappropriate? Your actions have been childish at best. Your questions grate on my nerves with their simplicity, your impatience when performing even the most simple of tasks leads to failure, and last of all I have a right to punish the occupants of my household however I please, do I not?" The Baron scolded. Daniel's expression was stricken, but that feeling in his gut was back again. He'd had professors and various other superiors become strict with him before, but to be honest he got away with most of it, and it never advanced this far! Not since primary school! With a heavy swallow, he only gave a slow nod. You could even say he was shocked into submission for the moment. "Good." Alexander bent down to reach around and undo Daniel's pants. Daniel's heart leapt into his throat again.

"D-do you have to—?" SLAP! Another hard swat landed on the Englishman's backside, and he gave a small jump, clicking his jaw shut.

"Do you see what I mean, Daniel? You're terribly hard to teach. Perhaps you will learn your lesson this time." Alexander scolded as he finished undoing Daniel's pants. Once they were undone, he tugged them from those hips and pushed them down in one smooth movement. Daniel gasped as the cool air rushed to chill his newly bared skin, and he gave a small writhe of discomfort. He was hiding his face in his arms on the desk now, heart hammering hard in his chest and blood rushing in his ears. Alexander's palm came to rest against one pale cheek of that supple bottom, and Daniel jumped in surprise at the unexpected touch. A low whine was emitted from his throat as Alexander rubbed slowly, as if appraising it.

"J-just get on with it…p-please." Daniel added quickly, as soon as he had felt that hand stop. Anything to get this over with faster! There was something about this entire situation that bothered him, and it wasn't just the normal humiliation that one might expect to feel when bent over a desk and expecting a spanking! He didn't want to think about it. He wanted the pain to start so that he didn't have to!

"Very well, if you're so eager for it." Alexander seemed to mock him. Daniel opened his mouth again, but that hand rose up. Smack! It struck the right cheek hard, and Daniel jolted again. Alexander kept his fingers together when he swatted, and they hit the sensitive underside of it as his palm got the middle. Good form, he might otherwise compliment—if it wasn't his backside being tanned! Smack, smack! Two more heavy slaps and Daniel gasped quietly. Alexander switched to the left side, giving three more heavy-handed blows. Smack, smack, smack! Everything echoed off of the stone walls, making the smacks of flesh seem even louder than they already were. It made Daniel unable to ignore them. He tried to focus on the pain as Alexander moved back to the right cheek, hitting spots he had gotten to previously.

"Nn, hn, ngh!" He couldn't help but give small grunts of pain as they were already approaching twelve. Strangely, his body wasn't responding as if in pain… Daniel was starting to panic, breath hitching, hands closed into sweaty fists. As for Alexander, he was experiencing something rather similar from the other side… He had started out being honestly irritated at the naïve and impatient Englishman. But with each hard smack he watched those pale cheeks give a little bounce, their color blushing a deeper pink with each swat. It was with one particularly harsh smack that Daniel's voice slipped into a much lower moan than he had ever meant to give. "Oooh!" Both men froze suddenly; Daniel covering his mouth with a gasp as Alexander turned his eyes away from that blushing bottom and up to the Englishman's face.

"…I could be wrong, Daniel, which I very rarely am, but it seems to me that you are… enjoying your punishment." Alexander accused, one eyebrow raised. Daniel shook his head, mumbling muffled denials from under his hand. Smack!

"Mmmh!"

"Really?" Smack, smack! Daniel's body gave a small jolt with each new swat, gasping into his hand. Alexander reached up with his left hand, long fingers tangling into that long brown hair and yanking it back. Daniel's back arched, head falling back as he was forced to uncover his mouth with a cry of pain. "I really hate lying, Daniel." Smack-smack-smack! Those blows were quick and hard, and those once pink cheeks were now turning a nice red color. "I won't tolerate it." Smack-smack-smack!

"O-ow! Ah, p-please—Alex—ouh!"

"Admit it."

"A-admit wha—OW!" Daniel's voice was wavering, and his eyes were filling with tears. It had little to do with actual pain however, but from the humiliation… and the guilt. Daniel was writhing against the desk, but Alexander kept him right where he wanted him by use of that grip in his hair.

"Admit that you enjoy being punished!" Smack-smack-smack! Those stinging swats were mounting to a very painful level. How was Alexander's hand withstanding it?

"I… I can't!"

"Admit it or I'll stop!" That got a gasp from the Englishman, more in shock of the emotion that passed through him than anything else. All he had to do was stay quiet and Alexander would stop. Simply keep his mouth closed and this would all be over. So why did he want to badly to speak?

"I… I need it!" Daniel sobbed, and as miserable as he was, his body was nearly at the peak of pleasure. He'd fought it for as long as he could, but he could no longer deny the throbbing erection that was pressed against the side of the desk. Alexander kept his promise, and those painful swats continued to fall on his now quite red bottom.

"You need what?"

"T-to be—ouh—p-punished! Ha, to be-nnh, s-spanked by… by you! Oh God f-forgive me, I-I love it!" It was a dream that Daniel had been fighting. A 'nightmare', he had always called it. They were sometimes even worse than the dreams of the Shadow. In these nightmares he would watch himself debase himself in front of men of status or respect. Old teachers, professors—he'd dreamed of Professor Herbert too! He'd blamed that incident with the parasol for those dreams…

"Good boy," Alexander praised, and there was a faint smile on his lips. Because I do believe I enjoy this too, he added silently to himself. But those swats stopped suddenly, and Daniel gave a low groan of displeasure. "Quiet." The Baron demanded, reaching for his pants. They weren't easy to undo with one hand, but he managed somehow, freeing his own straining erection in no time. He didn't have to hide it now, not with Daniel's little confession. He released Daniel's hair only to shove that shirt up higher, so that he could see from the Englishman's lower back to the backs of his knees.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Daniel worried suddenly, but he was stopped from glancing over his shoulder by a harsh command.

"Eyes forward! Don't speak. I told you, I'm going to teach you a lesson. The difference between a punishment and pleasure." Alexander explained as calmly as he could. His amber eyes had settled on the center of his vision, those two glowing red cheeks. Oh but he wouldn't go quite that far just yet. This was a punishment, and guilt-ridden or not, Daniel would enjoy that far too much. Instead Alexander wrapped his still red-hot hand around his own erection, stroking himself swiftly. Daniel lay as still as he could, fighting not to breathe in order to decipher what was being done. As soon as it became apparent just what the Baron was doing behind him, he felt…

Humiliated, disgraced, insulted, and… flattered. Alexander had enjoyed himself as well? He found Daniel's body appealing enough to…? The Baron gave a low, short groan of pleasure, and Daniel was shocked to feel a hot, wet substance splash across his burning, well-abused backside. Somehow that substance burned him even more than his throbbing backside. And worst of all, it made his arousal ache even more! What was wrong with him! Alexander adjusted his pants, standing up straight again.

"Well then Daniel, I suggest you get things cleaned up here." He said calmly, having regained his composure rather quickly. Daniel finally glanced over his shoulder in shock. He was still hard! The smile that Alexander had said that he knew just what that protest was going to be even before he said it. "Didn't I tell you Daniel? This was a punishment. If you want a reward, you're going to have to be a good boy from now on. Do you understand?" Daniel had reached his wits end for tonight. If a punishment had felt this good… what did a reward hold for him? Swallowing thickly, he nodded his head.

"Y-yes, Alexander."