This was the result of what started out as a fifteen-minute word challenge, but ended up going much longer than that. The challenge word is stated at the end of the fic. Contains spanking.

Late for Punishment (Prince of Tennis)

By Haruka (email: haruka at ymail dot com)

Ryoma rolled over in bed, feeling warm and comfortable. His cat, Karupin, was snuggled next to him and neither one felt inclined to move anytime soon.

A knock came at his door followed by his father, Nanjiroh's, irritating voice, "Hey, boy, you know you're about to be late for morning practice?"

"Go 'way," Ryoma mumbled. "The alarm hasn't even gone off yet."

Nanjiroh chuckled. "Yes, it did. You turned it off."

"Huh?" Ryoma picked up his alarm clock and checked the time. "AHHHH!" He threw himself out of bed in a panic. "Why didn't you TELL me?!"

"I just did!" Nanjiroh said gleefully. "Oh, and didn't you say that your captain warned you that you'd be in big trouble if you were late again?"

'Big' didn't even begin to cover it. Ryoma dressed in record time and flew out of the house, remembering the exact warning he'd received from Tezuka-buchou.

"Echizen, this incessant lateness will not be tolerated further," the serious-faced fourteen-year-old had said sternly. "The next time it happens, I'm going to spank you."

Ryoma's eyes had grown huge. "Buchou!"

"Don't even ask if I mean it," Tezuka warned. "I've already checked with Ryuzaki-sensei and she has no objections. Consider this your fair warning."

How could he say that was fair? Ryoma wondered. Just thinking about it made his face heat up. He didn't want to add his backside to that, as well.

He arrived at school and saw the other Regulars already involved in their practice. He tried to sneak around the side, out of Tezuka's line of sight.

"Echizen, locker room," he commanded without turning around.

Ryoma wilted, then tried to pull himself together. After all, maybe Tezuka had forgotten about his threat. If not, he'd lie his face off.

Once the two of them were alone in the locker room, Ryoma started talking first, "I know I'm late, but –"

"Yes, you're late," Tezuka agreed, folding his arms. "And what did I tell you would happen if you were late again?"

This wasn't going well. "But I have a really good excuse!" Ryoma tried. "I was on my way here, but there was a car accident right when I was about to cross the street, and since I was a witness, they asked me to give a statement, and –"

Tezuka was shaking his head. "Your father called to tell me when you'd left the house. Just in case I was worried, he said."

Yeah, right. Ryoma thought venomously. Thanks, Oyaji.

Tezuka sat down on the bench. "Come here, Echizen."

Reluctantly, his heart pounding, Ryoma approached. "Buchou, you really can't intend to – ack!" his words were cut off as Tezuka suddenly bent him over his lap. He barely had time to notice that his hat had fallen off before he felt the first painful whack to his backside.

"OUCH! Hey, that hurts!" he cried, struggling. Tezuka held him firmly and applied another whack.

"OW! Buchou!" Ryoma squirmed futilely. "This isn't right! You can't – OWWW!" The third caught him in mid-tirade and tears of frustration well in his eyes.

Tezuka walloped him twice more and Ryoma bit back any further outcries in case the team outside heard him. He rubbed his backside with both hands, pouting at Tezuka as they both stood up.

"It was only five this time. Next time – should you be so foolish as to HAVE a next time – it will be ten."

"Yes, buchou," Ryoma mumbled.

Tezuka picked up the fallen hat and plopped it onto Ryoma's head, giving it an affectionate rub as he did so. "Let's get back to practice," he said and headed outside.

Ryoma followed him, but stopped at the doorway when he saw that all the other Regulars were standing out there in a semi-circle like they'd been eavesdropping. Their varying expressions were a mixture of sympathy, embarrassment, and … could that be envy? Nah, Ryoma thought dismissively.

Tezuka glowered at the lot of them. "Since you were all so nosy and no doubt know what happened, be advised that any one of you could be next if you should decide to be late OR listen in on private matters again. Fifty laps, now!"

They took off at a run and Ryoma went after them.

"Hey, Ochibi!" Eiji asked as they jogged. "What was it like, having Tezuka give you a spanking like that?"

"What do you think?!" Ryoma snapped, red-faced. "It hurt!"

"That's all?" Fuji inquired from Ryoma's other side. "It wasn't … you know … kind of fun?"

Ryoma's face burned a deeper crimson. "My senpai-tachi are crazy!"

"Not really." Momoshiro laughed. "We can't help it if we have a sexy buchou, can we?"

"Fssshuuu!" Kaidoh retorted. "You shouldn't talk that way about a senpai!"

"Oh, Mamushi, you feel the same way, you just won't admit it!" Momoshiro replied, then added mischievously, "Or maybe you'd rather Inui-senpai spanked you instead?"

Kaidoh looked about to pounce on his classmate, but Inui put a hand on his shoulder to quiet him, then looked at Ryoma. "We're just teasing you, Echizen. Don't worry too much about it."

"That's right," Oishi said with a smile and Kawamura agreed.

Easy for THEM to say, Ryoma mused. Now that they'd put the thought into his head, he had to admit that after the initial shock and pain, a small part of him kind of liked having Tezuka-buchou punish him like that. It was embarrassing to think so, but it was the truth.

And they were all jealous because of it.

"Yeah, well, eat your hearts out," he said loftily and preceded to outdistance them in the laps while hearing their various joking exclamations over his arrogance.

As he passed where Tezuka stood, he gave him a wry look. "You may have opened a can of worms, buchou. Watch and see how many of your Regulars are 'accidentally-on-purposely' late from now on!"

(Two-word challenges – Giving and Painful)

(2005)

Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi.

This fic is not to be re-posted.