The quiet whirr of the lock and the brush of the door against the carpet signalled to Shane that his boy had finally made it back from wherever he had been hiding out. He remained determinedly engrossed in his reading until Dean cleared his throat and announced his arrival.

"Hey."

Shane closed his book, slowly and deliberately, setting it on the coffee table before he looked up. Dean stood just inside the doorway, bags still in hand, that same challenging attitude vibrating under his skin, almost visible to Shane's knowledgeable eye. The eye which Dean was actively squirming to avoid.

This had to stop. His baby boy was holding on to something that was making him unsettled and anxious, that was making him act out like this. He'd been distracted for the past week, since the Smackdown team had invaded Raw. Shane had wondered if it was the anticipation of the Shield reunion spot. The prospect of being a talking point of a pay per view, of being the talking point of a pay per view had never bothered Dean before, but any time he teamed up with his former stablemates, it was always a huge deal with the fans, and all three men were conscious of the burden of their expectations.

Nothing had changed afterwards though, and his behaviour tonight had been the final straw.

To anyone else, Dean's antics would have seemed like nothing more than another stellar Ambrose performance, that he had taken a seed of an idea from creative and allowed it to bloom, making it his own.

He knew different.

He had felt the none too gentle shoves and nudges during the opening segment, he had caught the flash of challenge in Dean's eyes as he had showed him the door, he had held back the urge to shudder when that slice of unscriptedly wet and sticky pizza had landed in his hand.

He had been the one left waiting at the arena when Dean vanished without a word at the show's end, he had been the one sitting alone in their hotel room waiting for him to return.

And now here he was, his little prince.

Dean shucked off his boots and threw them in the vague direction of the wardrobe, hurriedly scurrying over and setting them inside neatly when Shane cocked an eyebrow. He opened his lips to speak, but thinking better off it dropped his head to escape Shane's gaze. Eyes fixed on the carpet, he slunk past the bed, grabbing the pyjamas Shane had left out for him and disappeared into the bathroom.

Shane bit back the disappointment of his sweet boy denying him the opportunity to look after him. He sighed deeply and picked up his book again, trying to lose himself in his reading until the sounds of running water ceased and a soft, clean, pyjama clad Dean reappeared in the bedroom.

He watched from his spot on the chair as Dean crossed the room and carefully placed his discarded clothes on top of his case, hovering once his hands were empty, seeming unsure what to do with himself. Figuring there was no time like the present, Shane decided his course of action.

"Come here, baby boy."

Shane held his arms open to Dean, settling on his hips when he slotted between his spread knees.

"What's going on? Who's this grouchy baby…where's my sweet boy gone?"

His question was answered with a disinterested shrug. Shane took a deep breath, his expression becoming stern.

"Fine. If you won't talk to me then you can listen to what I have to say. You've been very naughty, baby boy…pushing at me, testing my patience, shutting me out. Let's not forget how rough you were tonight…you know how sore Daddy has been since Sunday…or your vanishing act either. Very naughty. And you know what happens to naughty boys don't you?"

Dean shrugged once more and made an indistinct mumbling sound.

"Naughty boys get spanked."

The barely hidden haste with which Dean folded himself across his Daddy's lap was telling.

He remained sullenly silent as Shane laid his left hand across his back, while his right swept in lazy circles over his pyjama clad bottom, the gentle friction of the motion warning his skin. Shane felt the tiny tremor of anticipation travel through his baby boy as he hooked a finger under the waistband of his sleep pants and eased them slowly down, exposing the firm pale mounds of his backside.

"Remember you've got your special word if you need to stop, sweetheart."

Shane's voice was soft and low, as if he was speaking to a shy puppy.

"I think twenty is enough for this time…"

His hand made contact with his baby boy's cheek, the unmistakable sound echoing through the room. Dean flinched at the impact.

"Talk to Daddy, sweet boy. Tell me why you've earned a spanking."

Dean's voice wavered at each strike.

"I...I wasn't a good team player! I helped Seth and R...Roman instead of AJ!"

"That was work. I won't ever get cross with you about work...think about why I would be upset with my baby boy…"

"I pushed you hard...on...on purpose."

"And what else?"

"I licked the pizza."

The pace of Shane's swats was rhythmic and even, switching off from buttock to buttock, each cheek growing warm to the touch and rosy to the eye. His own aches and pains weren't making this easy, even though the he smacks he was delivering were by no means heavy handed, however the softening of his little prince's body, of most of his little prince's body as he received the attention he needed made it worth the discomfort.

"Is there anything more?"

"I ran away tonight after the show and didn't tell you where I was going…and…and...and…"

"...and you didn't talk to me about what was making you sad."

Shane's hand stilled with his last smack.

"You can always talk to Daddy, no matter how silly you think it is, or how busy you think Daddy is. I will always listen to my little prince."

With a gentle touch, he guided Dean to his feet.

"Corner time, baby boy...until you're ready to tell me what had you acting out."

Dean moved to pull his pants up.

"No no, they stay where they are."

Eyes downcast, but shoulders loose and relaxed, Dean shuffled towards the corner his Daddy had indicated, his gait awkward in a futile attempt to keep his pyjama pants up. The room was warm, warm enough that Shane had no worries of himself or his little prince catching a chill, but the shiver that ran through him when he looked across the room and caught sight of his baby boy, cheeks flaming red, pyjama pants crumpled around his ankles had nothing to do with the temperature.

He never particularly enjoyed this part of their regime, his first instinct being to scoop Dean up in his arms and comfort him once the spanking was administered, however he knew that his sweet boy needed the breathing space to process whatever it was that had led to his needing Daddy's hand. He was consoled by the fact that it never lasted long and by the fact that it gave him a moment to gather his own emotions and to prepare for what would come next.

He moved quickly round the room, grabbing a chilled bottle of apple juice and some cookies from the mini bar and leaving them on the nightstand next to a bottle of lotion, before turning down the sheets and piling the pillows in a comfortable heap against the headboard. Satisfied, he sat back against the soft pile, legs stretched out in front, and waited.

Not for long.

Dean's voice was small and if his Daddy hadn't been listening out for it he might have missed it.

"You had your arms round AJ...brushed me away...you like him more than me…"

As the realisation of what Dean meant dawned on Shane, he beckoned his precious baby boy to him.

"Oh my sweet little prince, is that what's caused all this? Come here, come let Daddy hold you."

Without a moment's hesitation, or a pause to pick up his pyjama pants, Dean shot across the room to the safe haven of his Daddy's embrace, long bare legs draping across Shane's lap as he buried his face against his shirtless chest.

"My darling, darling boy, you're the only one for me, remember that. I am nice to AJ because of work, and because we were on the same team, but he's not my baby boy. You are. Only you."

He kissed Dean gently on the forehead and hugged him even closer.

"If you ever feel like I'm not giving you enough attention, you let me know...I'm your Daddy, it's my job to let you know everyday how special and perfect you are...and how much I love you."

Dean nodded his head, his expression solemn and serious. Shane decided it was time to lighten the mood. He uncapped the juice and passed it to his little prince to take a gulp, holding it again for him while he tucked into one of the cookies, waiting patiently until he asked for it back to drain the last of the small bottle. Patting the mattress with one hand, Shane reached for the lotion with the other.

"Lie over my legs, sweetheart, let me rub some nice lotion on your butt. Make those owies all better with my magic fingers."

He waved his hands like a magician, making his baby boy laugh and blush, the rosy flush of his upper cheeks a perfect match for the rosy glow of his lower. Allowing his feet to dangle over the edge of the mattress, Dean lay down as his Daddy asked, his bare cock resting on Daddy's clothed thigh. He jerked a little at the first touch of the cool lotion to his warm skin, soon relaxing into the sensation as Shane's hands smoothed it into his skin.

Shane's touch was gentle, his fingers carefully soothing the ache his palms had caused, his fingers carefully dipping lower with each sweeping motion, dipping into the cleft between Dean's cheeks. He could feel Dean's shaft start to stiffen against his thigh, just as Dean began to feel his growing hardness at his hip.

"Mmmm...feels nice, Daddy…"

Dean drew his far leg up a fraction, just enough to expose his dusky hole, pressing back against his Daddy's fingers as they dipped into that valley once more. Slick from the lotion, they traced around Dean's rim, teasing and petting before pressing against his entrance. A whine of complaint fell from Dean's lips when suddenly they vanished.

"It's ok, baby boy. I'm just getting the lube. It'll feel so much better...see?"

Daddy's cool, slippery digit reappeared at Dean's hole, slipping inside entrance with ease. He rocked forward against Shane's thigh and back against his Daddy's hand as he plunged his finger in and out of his hot channel, soon adding a second and then a third. As Shane worked his baby boy open, he could feel the twin damp spots on his sleep pants growing, his own and the spot on his thigh where his little prince was grinding against him.

"Daddy, I need you."

Dean's words snapped Shane out of the lust filled haze he had fallen into. He drew his hand free from his boy's hole and began to rearrange himself into position, shoving his sleep pants down just enough to free his stiffened dick.

"On your back for me, baby boy, I want to kiss that gorgeous face."

Scrambling to do his Daddy's bidding, Dean found himself suddenly folded in two as Shane grasped his ankles and brought them to rest on his broad shoulders. Simultaneous sighs escaped them both as Shane lined himself and sank into his sweet boy's ass in one smooth thrust, leaning in to devour Dean's lips in a fiery kiss as he allowed him a moment to become accustomed to the sensation.

Slowed he pulled back, cockhead dragging over his baby boy's prostate, hips snapping forward driving back in just at the moment when it felt as though his dick was about to spring free. Each motion was matched with growled possessive words of praise, for which Dean's only response was moans of pleasure.

"Daddy's sweet boy...my little prince...my only precious love...so handsome and smart...Daddy is so proud of you...I love you…"

"Da...aaad...ddy!"

"You going to cum for Daddy, sweet boy? That's it...let me see you touch yourself...such a good boy. Work that pretty cock for Daddy."

Dean wrapped his fist around his dick and did as Daddy asked, jerking his cock with a rhythm matching Daddy's pounding of his ass. As his own orgasm approached Shane's passion roughened voice, gave his baby boy the encouragement he needed.

"Let go, baby boy...let it all go. Daddy's here...Daddy has you…"

With a cry, Dean came, his seed shooting over his chest, spilling over the soft sleep shirt he still wore. The delicious clenching of his body around his cock drew Shane's orgasm from him, his release marking his little prince deep inside. Sated, he slumped on top of his baby boy, lips meeting in a tender kiss before he fell to the side.

They lay together in silence, only their still heavy breathing disturbing the peace in the room until Shane felt the mattress start to quiver as Dean's huffing breath gradually morphed into a joyful chuckle. His heart soared at the sound.

"Music to my ears...but what's so funny, baby boy?"

Dean rolled over, tucking himself into Shane's side and gestured vaguely at their surroundings.

"Look, Daddy...we're the wrong way round."

Shane peered around, delighting in his little prince's delight as he realised that they were indeed the wrong way round on the bed, feet resting on the mound of pillows, heads where their feet should be.

"That we are, baby boy."

Determined to ignore the lateness of the hour, and the mess that lay smeared between them, at least for a little while longer, Shane cuddled Dean close, thankful and relieved to have his happy, lighthearted and loving baby boy back by his side.