"Oh honey." Kurt breathed, so disappointed and empathetic at the same time. He hugged Rachel's laptop, wishing he had somehow anticipated this and locked it up in the trunk by his bed.
"Sorry." Rachel whimpered, unable to look Kurt in the eye.
Kurt sighed. It went without saying that she would have to be punished. She had deliberately defied him. He had taken away her phone and internet privileges to protect her from the internet commenters- not so much as a punishment, but because it was what was best for her. Rachel knew she was expected to comply with a direct order. He was kicking himself for not securing the phone and laptop better, but he shouldn't have had to. She knew she was grounded from the internet, and what the consequences were for sneaking around. Just last month he had told Blaine he'd lost internet privileges for a week because his theatre history grade was slipping and he wanted him to focus his free time on studying for the next quiz rather than social media. He came out of the shower and caught his fiancé on the couch, sneaking a look at some Star Wars fanfiction. He had turned Blaine over his knee for a good old fashioned spanking right then in front of Rachel for that.
Still, knowing she deserved it, and that she knew it, too—didn't make the prospect of punishing her anymore pleasant. Kurt sighed, grabbing a handful of the many newspaper articles all over her bed, without a word. He took them and the laptop back to his bedroom, placing them on his desk to be put away later. He then returned to Rachel's bedroom, grabbing the last of the newspaper clippings and ignoring the sniffling as Rachel's tears started. He felt sorry for her, wishing he could just hug her and tell her it was going to be okay. But they had long ago agreed that he needed to be strong if she needed discipline, because, just like Blaine, she never did well with mixed messages. And anyway, if Blaine found out he'd let this one go, he'd probably never hear the end of how unfair it was.
Kurt had begun punishing Blaine in high school, as needed. Rachel had found out, quite by accident, walking in on them one day when Blaine was over Kurt's knee doing penance for his fight with Sam in the choir room. Blaine had been mortified, but once the secret was out, Kurt actually felt it helped. He told Blaine that now if he misbehaved around Rachel he might get spanked in front of her. Blaine's eyes had widened, but he didn't safeword. It only happened twice, and Kurt felt that knowing that threat was real made Blaine think twice about certain behaviors. Later, Kurt and Rachel moved in together in New York, and his punishments for Blaine had to get more creative because so often they had to happen over Skype. It was after Kurt and Blaine had broken up that Rachel had gotten up the courage to ask Kurt if he could do for her what he had always done for Blaine. Kurt had been surprised, but, after some thought, decided he would do it. He loved Rachel and wanted the best for her. Of course he would take care of her anyway she needed. When Kurt and Blaine got back together they had to tell him. Kurt was afraid Blaine would be mad, Rachel was embarrassed but also afraid to lose the discipline she had found so helpful. It was a huge relief that Blaine didn't freak out, and actually seemed to feel a stronger connection to Rachel once it was all out in the open. It was sort of nice not to be the only one, he'd said. He got that there wasn't a sexual component to the relationship with her the way it was with him, so he said he didn't feel the need to be jealous.
Kurt shook his head, trying to refocus away from those memories to the situation at hand. He forced his voice to become stern. "Young lady, you know better."
Rachel sniffled loudly, resigned. "Y-ee-s sir." She had been expecting this scolding from the second she'd been caught.
Kurt pulled the cover from over her lap. "Then I think you know what needs to happen."
Rachel slithered out of her bed obediently, wiping at the tears coming down her cheek. She was so defeated by all the criticism in those articles, and now this. She just wanted to crawl back under her covers and hide away.
Kurt took a moment to put an empathetic hand on her shoulder. "Honey. I'm going to help you through this."
Rachel nodded, unable to talk.
Kurt sat on the edge of the bed. Best to get this part over with.