Because I Love You
Written by: Ael Rhiana
Warning: This story contains disciplinary spanking. Please don't read if such subject matter will offend you.
Ael, after waking up on the wrong side of the bed, mood further deteriorating after a tiff with Tomalak and then with Bochra, decides to take herself out for the afternoon, a reckless decision placing her in a bit of hot water.
…
Who knew that one lousy, horrible and good for nothing morning could lead to such a wonderful afternoon of bliss and ignorant pleasure?
Ael was quickly becoming aware that anything was possible. Currently, she was having a grand time, feelings of sassy boisterousness bubbling in her chest, leaving her mouth whenever she dared speak. Dramatically tipping back her head Ael tipped the shot glass forward, dispensing a dark amber liquid into her mouth that burned like an inferno yet made her feel even more pleasant than before. Ael shuddered at the warmness and then grinned a bit too idiotically; tapping the shot glass on the bar top to single a refill was warranted.
A shot much stronger than the last, this time, brilliant red, settled into her glass. Yes, this was sure to make the worries of the morning, of that lousy tiff with Tomalak, dissolve even further into nothingness.
"Air and Fire; that man is terminally pigheaded," mumbled Ael beneath her breath, giggling stupidly before quickly downing the shot. "Course, I suppose I have the same problem. Still, he yelled at me." And then she turned toward a stocky male who was now standing to her right, leaning against the bar. A taller man was to her left, but Ael didn't notice. "And then Bochra had to have a say, can you believe that?"
Without waiting for an answer the glass was again tapped on the bar top, the sharp-faced woman behind the bar hesitating before filling the glass again. This time, the drink looked like liquid fire.
"Make it last," said the woman, her gaze making it clear that she would pour the small human woman not a single drop more.
Ael's bottom lip momentarily pushed out in a pout, and she seemed content, now, to play with her glass rather than dispatch the drink inside of it.
And then the man to her left, the one whom she hadn't noticed, spoke, "How many has she had?"
"By my count?" said his companion, "fourteen."
Fingers curling around her glass Ael giggled, almost a bit too loudly and began to attract the attention of the other patrons, what few of them there were. The giggles ceased, and she knocked back the shot of liquid, unashamedly wincing at the fierceness of its bite.
"What the hell was that?" said Ael more to the glass than anyone else. "It's like swallowing a volcano."
"It's called Fire Fall for a reason," said the bartender, this time refusing to fill Ael's glass with anything at all.
"The girl can certainly hold her drink," said the stocky Romulan.
"Oh, you should have seen me a year ago," slurred Ael. "I could barely hold half a glass of ale and now…look at me." Drooping against the bar top, a suave smile that dropped a touch in the corners, appeared on Ael's face. "And I'll have you know," she said, dramatically waving a finger, "that I'm more than a mere girl."
"So it would seem," said the man, noticing an intricate bracelet peeking out from beneath her sleeve. The bracelet was fashioned from the finest of metals and encrusted with glistening jewels in various green hues. Only when Ael's hand flopped down did the bracelet pop fully into view, another joining it, as beautiful as the first.
"Two commitment bracelets," said the man almost a little too quietly, daring to reach out and touch one of the intricately pieced together symbols of love and devotion that encircled her arm. Ael allowed the contact for less than a second.
"That's right," said Ael attempting to get the bartender to take pity on her with one more shot.
"You're officially cut off," said the woman. "You're barely upright and with how much you've ingested," the woman shook her head, "you should be dead."
"I can handle it," insisted Ael, stepping away from the bar to prove just how sure-footed she was and nearly crumpling to the floor instead.
"I believe it's handling you," said the woman, the taller of the two men managing to catch Ael before she fell. "Go home and sober up."
"But I'm the soberest person here!" Ael exclaimed.
"Tell me another one."
"Fine," she grumbled, the grumbles turning into out of control giggles when she landed on the bar room floor, moments after jerking her arm away from the one who was helping her stay on her feet. After managing to pick herself up off of the floor, Ael staggered out of the bar and towards the flitter that she had borrowed to get to this place. Not that Tomalak even knew she had borrowed his craft.
And then there was the fact that Ael didn't exactly know how to pilot a flitter, and it was evident to anyone who looked at the way the craft was currently "parked": Nose down and against a tree was the way that Ael found Tomalak's flitter.
"I park goodly," she said to herself, giggling when she replayed her speech over in her head. Ael could barely believe how silly she sounded. And then Ael proceeded to half climb, half crawl into the pilot's chair, her hands shaking so hard that she couldn't even begin to fasten the restraints around her body. Ael attempted to start the craft and felt a harsh jolt as the flitter jumped forward and further into the tree, and then it was still, refusing to start.
"Oops…"
A mixture of giggles and slurred speed continued to trickle out of Ael who finally resigned to slumping back in the pilot's chair, idly flicking the suddenly non-functioning ignition switch, up and down. The sound of an approaching ground car with a distinctly familiar hum of the engine managing to bring Ael's thoughts back into focus if only for the barest of seconds.
For a moment Ael's eyes widened, her skin paling as if in fright. Less than six seconds later, Ael giggled, resuming her new, fascinating habit of flicking the non-functioning ignition switch.
The sleek vehicle slid to a quiet stop, the engine humming idly for several moments while the man inside appraised the situation through darkly tinted windows. Less than a minute was needed for the car's occupant, one of Ael's husband's to be, Tomalak, to decide how to proceed regarding the situation, the decision nothing Ael was going to be terribly fond of in the moment.
Ael didn't even turn when she heard the car door open or when she heard the sound of Tomalak's shoes crunching on the graveled path. Only when Tomalak had closed the gap to two feet of distance between them did she turn, staring at her husband-to-be through a foggy gaze.
This time, she had no giggles to spill. The countenance her husband wore spoke of his displeasure, the quiet, almost eerie sort that often left the one under its gaze feeling unsettled, questioning their actions. Without a word, Ael watched Tomalak's gaze move from her to the flitter, back to her, back to the flitter. Stepping over to the craft Tomalak reached down and passed his hand over the scarred paneling, frowning when he peeked into the cabin and saw the ignition switch up yet the craft's thrusters, inert; it was likely to be impossible even to get the craft home again.
At last, his eyes laden with irritation came to rest on her face. Tomalak stepped back, folding his arms tightly across his chest and fixed Ael with a stare that said, simply, "Explain".
There was only silence. Ael was no longer interested in giggling or playing with the ignition switch; she began to wish the ground would open up and swallow both her and the flitter down whole.
"Would you care to explain what has happened here?" Ael lifted her shoulders; there was so little she could say in response to Tomalak's current displeasure. "It would appear that you are attempting to pilot a craft you are sorely unfamiliar with, at least from a pilot's perspective. You don't even possess a pilot's license," said Tomalak. "Oh, and you're exceptionally drunk; let us not forget that crucial detail."
Ael attempted to speak, her words sloshing against one another, jarring painfully together, slurring when they fell awkwardly from her tongue.
"You have no business being in the pilot's seat," said Tomalak, reaching in to help Ael from the craft, the young woman slumping against him for support, mumbling almost incoherently. "You can barely speak a single sentence; your words are excessively slurring; just listen to your voice."
"Voice?" Ael suddenly said a touch too loudly, her eyes widening, forcing an expression of alertness. "I have one of those!"
"If only the gift of proper speech weren't eluding you at the moment," said Tomalak, walking Ael around the flitter and to the waiting ground car.
"Bu-but the flutter!" Ael protested, attempting to turn back towards the damaged craft.
"You have never flown a flitter before," said Tomalak, grimacing when his eyes touched back along the blemished paneling. "At least, not before today; you may have ruined this one. I'm honestly astounded that you managed to get it off the ground and down the shoreline not to mention landing it, if you can call it that, without killing yourself or someone else."
Ael's bottom lip pushed out in a momentary pout, gaze flicking to the flitter and then back to Tomalak, finally seeming to notice his expression. "You're upset," she said.
"That is putting it mildly," Tomalak assured her. "It is upsetting enough that you could have killed yourself or even another while attempting to fly the flitter in even a sober state, but trying to pilot it in a drunken stupor? That was beyond reckless, Ael, even for you."
"I'm okay, Toma," said Ael more quietly than she'd been.
"That's debatable." The ground car was reached, the door to the back compartment opened. When Tomalak spoke again, his voice was an octave lower than normal, carrying a sterner edge. "Inside," he said. Now."
Even in her drunken haze, Ael knew, deep down that she had best not protest again. With one, final glance at Tomalak, Ael slipped into the waiting car, scooting along the backseat until she was nearest the opposite door. A feeling of nervous dread washed over her when Tomalak slid in beside her, the door closing behind him.
"You are in a good deal of trouble with me, Ael," he said after a moment.
"I'm all right," said Ael, softer still.
"Are you aware how fortunate you are that you can say such words?" he asked. A different sort of upset was now present in his speech, one that bordered on loss. "Ael, you could have gotten yourself killed." Quickly, he raised his hand, to silence Ael before she could respond. "I am well-aware you didn't, and for that I am thankful. However, the fact remains that you made an incredibly dangerous decision, one that could have resulted in the loss of life."
There was no doubt left: something was about to happen. Ael could see it on Tomalak's face, in his posture, the way he was, now, moving closer to her on the seat.
"What're you going to do?" she asked. A large number of butterflies were content to flitter-flutter around in her middle, a mild understanding taking hold yet not quite firmly affixing.
A deep sigh. "I'm going to show you exactly how much you mean to me."
Final realization kicked Ael straight in the gut, the "butterflies" now swarming around in greater numbers when Tomalak reached over, gently took her by the arm, and pulled her across his lap, one hand at her waist, the other lifting the skirt of her dress.
"I'm sorry, Toma," she said, tears already in her eyes.
You will be, he thought. "Actions have consequence, Ael," he said, lowering her undergarments to mid-thigh. "I will not tolerate you endangering yourself. At our bonding ceremony, I swore to love and protect you, and if this is the way I currently have to show my love, protecting your life against future hazardous decisions, then so be it."
No more needed to be said, the first swat catching Ael by surprise, as it had the first, even the second time she had ever found herself upended over Tomalak's knees. Most of the lecture out of the way, Tomalak settled down to business, falling into a firm, methodical rhythm that began to coax tears into Ael's eyes.
Ael's rear was quickly taking on a rosy blush under the sting of Tomalak's palm, sniffles soon turned to whimpering, and then to quiet sobbing. Only when her thoughts dramatically shifted, Ael wondering if this incident, on top of the one from earlier in the day, a fight that had been her fault, would cause Tomalak to walk away from her did more tears fall. To think that he might go away from her; it was more painful than anything she could imagine, far more painful than the current flame being lit on her blushing bottom.
When she broached the question – would he truly walk away, meekly, sorrowfully between sobs, Tomalak was so startled that the rhythm of the punishment, faltered.
"Of course not," Tomalak responded. "What did I say to you not long ago, during an especially trying time? I made a vow that I would never leave you, Ael, not for anything in this world or any other."
"B-but after this," began Ael weakly, regretfully, "h-how could…?"
"There were poor decisions made today, Ael, but that does not mean I care for or love you any less. You know me far better than that; if I didn't love you, I would not be taking the time to correct you. I love you, Ael, deeply so; I want you to think twice before ever engaging in such recklessness again. There is never a time when I want your life to be in jeopardy. Had you been injured or worse …"
The note of genuine grief in Tomalak's tone brought forth a new round of tears from Ael, the first apology for her actions slipping out between the sobs.
Even though Ael currently looked and sounded so pitiful, Tomalak knew he must finish what was started, gently capturing Ael's hand when she reached back, entwining his fingers with hers and squeezing reassuringly, letting her know that she was loved, providing a dose of comfort as the severity of the punishment increased.
Squeezing her eyes closed against the harder swats, Ael bore what she knew was needed, thankful beyond reason that Tomalak still loved her, sorry that she had ever doubted it.
After half a minute had passed by, the swats to Ael's rear began to slow, Tomalak asking, calmly, "This situation is never going to repeat itself, now, is it?"
"No, Toma," Ael promised tearfully, squeezing his hand tight.
"I am pleased to hear that, Ael." After a few more memorable swats, it was over. Ael's clothing was righted and she was helped to sit upright, Tomalak cupping her face in his hands with a gentle touch, thumbs brushing away the tears on her cheeks.
"Forgive me?" Ael asked, reaching up to lay a hand against his.
"Always, Ael," said Tomalak, Ael leaning into his arms and closing her eyes, secure and contented in the warmth of his arms as they held her close.
After the embrace had broken, Ael gazed up into Tomalak's eyes, one more apologizing for her behavior and for worrying him by taking a craft she could only fly by guesswork. "I won't do anything as stupid as today, again," she promised. A partial smile worked its way to the surface when she added, "My bottom probably would prefer I didn't, either."
Tomalak couldn't help but chuckle at the attempt at humor, agreeing that it would be in her backside's best interest if its owner could only behave herself, though she knew that if she ever did anything this foolhardy again, she would be right back over Tomalak's knee, staring at the ground while he painted her bottom rosy red.
"Come," said Tomalak, getting out of the back of the car, Ael following just behind, "let us make our way home so I can show you, in another way just how much I love you."
Sealing the spoken words with a kiss, Ael slipped into the passenger seat of the ground car, Tomalak into the driver's seat, closing her eyes against the contentment that was now rushing up to engulf her
She couldn't wait to get home to the lovely, lavender-kissed waters of the Apnex Sea.