Author's Note: I wrote these couple of fics a while back and I thought I'd put them together with my other fics on as I was starting to lose track.

Warning: This TOP/BRAT fic contains spanking.

Anon prompt from collarkink . com

'Several times in last weeks episode, Hughes touched Neal in a gentle way... and gave him a very stern look in a couple of others - one where Neal looked positively penitent (in his office). Id love to see a fic where Hughes/Neal are Top/Brat and a good spanking occurs after his behaviour in the last episode (with lots of pleading by Neal, which Hughes finds adorable :)'

Under Every Circumstance

6:30 Where are you!

Neal studied the text message on his Blackberry. What the? Crap? He checked the alarm clock on his bedside table, not that he needed confirmation. It was indeed six thirty. Damn.

He grabbed a short sleeve maroon coloured polo shirt. It was the first piece of clothing he put his hands on. Perhaps he should have chosen something warmer but there wasn't time. He slipped on his loafers, grabbed the house keys and bolted for the door. Six thirty one. Damn!

Luckily he didn't have to travel far, only about a dozen city blocks from June's house to where Reece Hughes had an apartment. Unfortunately for Neal though, those twelve blocks gave the young man way too much time to think. What possible excuse could he come up with this time? Were there any he hadn't tried out already? Maybe this time, his justifications would be accepted; after all, it had been one hell of a crazy day…

Neal heard Reece before he saw him, "Three guards from the transfer bus are in custody. We've confirmed that Keller paid off two of them and the driver." Neal stepped through the front office door with Diana. "Lang was paid a ransom…CAFFREY, BARRIGAN!" The insides of Neal's stomach dropped as he stared into the eyes of one very angry Reece Hughes. The young con would have been more than happy to turn on his heels and head back out at that point but he got the two finger point ensuring he wouldn't be headed any where but… "My office!"

Neal's emotions where riding a rollercoaster as he listened to Reece tell both of them off and it wasn't a ride he was enjoying. "We told you to go home and," Diana got a finger stabbed in her direction, "you were to take him there."

Neal made a mental note to somehow make it up to the young female agent but for now, "Sir, I know that but…"

"But you made an exchange, exactly what we said we don't do." True enough, Neal thought, but at the same time, he'd been perfectly clear in stating his own opinion at the time.

"Sir, in his defense, no one knows Keller better than Neal, had we interceded in anyway he thought they would have killed Peter."

"I'll deal with you later." And there it was. Neal didn't need clarification. While to Diana, it would have sounded like Reece had been talking to her, the young man knew all to well, those few words were for his ears entirely. How many times had he heard that same phrase since he'd agreed to letting Reece take him under his wing? 'I'll deal with you later.' The words rang in his ears.

…And as Neal began to pick up his pace towards his Top's apartment, he knew exactly how Reece Hughes planned to 'deal with him!'

Neal stood outside the brownstone, catching his breath. Six fifty-five. Surely that wasn't too bad? What's twenty-five minutes between friends? Who was he kidding? His Top was a stickler for punctuality! Maybe he could claim he miss heard the order, after all there'd been lots of noise in the office bull-pen around that time…

"I'm out." Peter's voice through the speaker phone was music to their ears. Loud cheers intermingled with sighs of relief spread instantaneously throughout the room.

"Hang tight Peter we're on our way." Neal couldn't remember a time he'd seen Reece so happy at work. For sure he wanted Reece to wrap him up into a loving embrace but that wasn't 'appropriate' at the Bureau. Instead, Neal was almost as delighted to have the older man clamp a firm hand on his shoulder followed by a rare 'at work' back slap. Neal was reveling in the moment when out of nowhere he plainly heard Reece whisper the words 'six thirty' into his ear.

…Yeah. He'd heard the order. Loud and clear. The young con looked at his watch. Six fifty-six. Damn.