And, here's the rest of it! I admit I may have had too much fun writing Ashe acting like a brat…

Just like always, I can't focus on one thing at a time, so my next story is already in the works. I'm returning to the pre-timeskip era with the next one.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy!

***UPDATE!*** I received some constructive criticism on this story in a comment from one of my lovely guest readers, who felt that it was unfair for Dimitri to go through all of this and not even apologize to Ashe for neglecting him in the first place. I agreed, so I have updated the ending to hopefully make it a little more satisfying.

Thank you to my Guest reader who pointed this out, as well as everyone else who has read and commented on my stories!

The early afternoon sun streamed through the windows of the war room, fueling the relaxed atmosphere that had settled over the large space. The council was over, and the proposed plan from their leaders filled everyone with a sense of tentative hope that relieved some of the tension that had been building over the past weeks. Lighthearted conversation and easy laughter murmered amongst those who tarried in the war room, savoring the much-needed moment of relief.

After exchanging a few pleasant words with his comrades, Dimitri pulled back from the group and cast his gaze across the room. He still had one more thing to take care of today.

He spotted Ashe lingering on the edge of the room, not engaged in any conversation but seeming reluctant to leave the friendly gathering. As he made his way across the room, the boy's distracted fidgeting and downward gaze sent a jolt of guilt through Dimitri's chest. Yes, he had neglected his young man for far too long.

"Ashe, come here," he called out in a calm, steady tone.

Ashe's head popped up and he cast a startled look towards Dimitri, then hesitated a moment before slowly walking over to him. His eyes didn't quite meet Dimitri's as he looked up at him.

"...Yes sir?"

"You were quiet during the discussion. Something else on your mind today?" Dimitri questioned in a casual tone, but he kept a careful eye on Ashe's reactions.

Ashe glanced downward and shuffled his feet as he mumbled, "Um, no, not really..."

"Mmm, is that right?" Dimitri raised a brow and tilted his head back slightly at the feeble response, clearly less than convinced.

Squirming under his leader's appraising gaze, Ashe remained silent and waited for the older man to speak again. His stomach was bunching and flopping about wildly inside of him as a strange mixture of emotions swirled through his head. He felt completely off balance.

Dimitri easily read the turmoil in every line of his young man's body; Ashe had never been very good at concealing his emotions. As he continued to speak, Dimitri chose his words very intentionally while keeping his tone relaxed and casual, carefully tracking Ashe's response.

"Actually, it seems you've been distracted quite a lot recently," he allowed a small disapproving frown to touch his brow, "Many of the tasks that were assigned to you have not been getting done properly."

Ashe shifted and chewed nervously on his lip, refusing to look up at Dimitri. He mumbled out almost indiscernably, "I... I don't know what you mean..."

"I believe I meant exactly what I said, Ashe," Dimitri's tone took on a flinty edge, "And I want you to look at me while I'm talking to you."

Ashe huffed and flicked his eyes up to meet Dimitri's for only a brief moment before shifting them off to stare past his head.

"Ashe, I said look at me," Dimitri crossed his arms over his chest, "And stop avoiding the topic. I don't appreciate you neglecting your duties, young man."

"I'm not!" Ashe's eyes flashed momentarily, a defensive streak in his voice, "I've done everything you've asked me to!"

The others were beginning to notice the interaction between the two men, and conversations surrounding them slowly died off. Dimitri noticed the shift in energy, but kept his attention fixed on the boy in front of him.

"Watch your tone," he kept his voice level and continued as if Ashe had not said anything, "If you can't keep up with your responsibilities, perhaps you need a little less leisure time? Perhaps all the time you spend in the library is keeping you from focusing on your duties?"

Ashe's eyes widened, "That's not fair!"

"I don't think leaving your work for others to finish is very fair."

He knew he was purposely provoking the young man, and maybe it was a bit unfair, but it had been clear since the beginning that Ashe was already on the brink of explosion. Dimitri was simply giving him a little prod to speed up the process so he could respond appropriately and give the boy the attention he had been lacking for so long.

With this in mind, he chose his next words to reference the previous day's confrontation, which he was sure was still burning fresh in Ashe's thoughts, "I've also heard from some of the others that you have been rather difficult to work with lately: refusing to do simple, routine tasks and shouting at people when they try to help you."

That was it. The anger that had been stewing in the back of Ashe's mind since the night before surged to the surface, acting as the final blow in the long stream of confused emotions that had been pounding against his mind all month. Ashe finally snapped.

"They weren't helping me!" He clenched his fists at his side and yelled, "I was fine, they just wouldn't leave me alone! I don't need them to tell me what to do!"

"Ashe..." Dimitri drew the name out slightly, his tone filled with a warning he fully expected to go unheeded. Now that he had opened the floodgates, he had no doubt that his young man's subconscious need for attention would take over his good sense, and he would continue to act out until he got what he craved.

He was right: Ashe continued without lowering his voice, even giving his foot a little stomp in the style of a true tantrum, "I'm tired of being treated like I don't know what I'm doing! They have no right to tell me what to do! They don't even- Ah!"

His rant was cut short when Dimitri's fingers clamped onto his ear and twisted, stinging his eyes with tears at the sharp pain.

"Don't raise your voice to me, young man," Dimitri raised a brow and used his grip on Ashe's ear to tilt the boy's head up to look at him, "Let's you and I discuss this elsewhere."

He turned and pulled Ashe along beside him, heading for the door. Ashe's limbs stiffened, but the sharp pain in his ear kept him from pulling away, and he stumbled reluctantly alongside his king.

"Ow, h-hey!" His petulant complaint lacked any real force; more of a whine than an objection.

As Dimitri hauled his pouting young man out the door, the whole room seemed to breath a sigh of relief. Few of them had failed to notice the uncharacteristically bad behavior Ashe had been displaying lately, and seeing his king finally dealing with him brought about the feeling that things were returning at last to a sense of equilibrium.

Little grunts and huffs continued to communicate Ashe's displeasure with his situation as he was dragged through the halls, but Dimitri payed these subtle protests no mind. Keeping a firm grip on the boy's ear, he strode through the monastery at a steady pace that kept Ashe trotting along beside.

The door to Dimitri's room marked the end of the humiliating journey, and Ashe winced at the heavy thump it made as it closed behind them, trapping him in the room with his angry king. When his ear was released, he stumbled backwards a step and stared up at Dimitri with wide eyes. Much of his defiance had already deflated, but there was still a restlessness in his stance that indicated the confused melee of emotions twisting his stomach into knots. Some strange amalgamation of nervousness, shame, anger, and a slew of other unidentified emotions still swirled in his mind, making it difficult to think straight. He simply stared at the older man and waited for him to speak.

Dimitri leaned back against the edge of the desk and crossed his arms, fixing a contemplative gaze on his young charge as he addressed him, "Why don't you tell me what's been going on, young man?"

Finding Dimitri's piercing eyes too intrusive, Ashe quickly dropped his own gaze to the floor before mumbling, "Didn't we just have a whole meeting to talk about what's been going on?"

"Ashe, don't play dumb. You know what I mean."

Ashe didn't respond. His hands fidgeted at his sides as he shifted his weight back and forth between his legs, unable to stay still.

Dimitri sighed, shaking his head, "Very well then, let's address that attitude of yours first."

Before Ashe had a chance to respond, Dimitri swept him up, walked the few steps to the bed, and sat on the edge while plopping him down over his knee.

"Hey!" Ashe squirmed and protested with no real conviction.

Unhindered by his charge's half-hearted struggling, Dimitri easily held Ashe in place while pulling his trousers down to his knees. He rubbed his hand slowly across the boy's exposed skin, watching his response.

Ashe inhaled a shaky breath before groaning out a long, sulky sigh. The familiar vulnerability of his position brought a soft flush to his face, and he gave one last lackluster push against Dimitri's restraining hand before collapsing with a huff into a sullen pout, head resting on his crossed arms.

The next moment, his head popped back up with a yelp as Dimitri landed a sharp smack against his bared ass. Another stinging swat quickly followed before the hand returned to rubbing his now-smarting skin.

"You seemed a bit distracted when we talked before. Do I have your attention yet?" Dimitri questioned in a casual tone, patting Ashe's bottom as he spoke.

The only response was a little whine.

Shaking his head, Dimitri sighed and whacked the sulking young man again, "It seems not. I asked you a question, Ashe."

"Ahh… y-yes sir…"

"Yes what?"

Ashe squirmed as Dimitri's hand squeezed his ass, "Yes you-you have my attention…"

"Good," Dimitri stroked his hand across the boy's back and gave his bottom another swat, "Then let's discuss your behavior, young man. Why don't we start with your little tantrum this afternoon, hmm?"

He drawled the words in a low voice, clearly in no hurry. He had already ensured there were no other obligations pressing on him that afternoon, and he fully intended to take his time in giving Ashe the attention he had been asking for.

"It wasn't… it wasn't a-a tantrum…" Ashe complained, his voice fading to a mumble at the last humiliating word. A yelp flew from his mouth as two hard smacks landed just under the curve of his backside.

"No?" The hint of a smirk crept into Dimitri's tone as he questioned, "And what else would you call your little fit of yelling and pouting and stomping about?"

"I… I was just… upset…"

"That much was clear. And when you throw a fit because you're upset, it's called a tantrum."

Ashe tucked his head down with a mortified whimper, unable to refute his king's conclusion. The next swat flooded his eyes with tears.

Dimitri could feel the tension beginning to drain from Ashe's body as his show of resistance melted slowly away. Patting the boys reddening skin once again, he continued softly, "You know better than to carry on like that, Ashe. And you know what to expect when you act a brat."

This statement concluded with a sharp slap to the middle of Ashe's bottom, making him suck in a little gasp.

"Y-Yes sir!"

Acceptance was gradually overtaking Ashe's demeanor. The uncharacteristic defiance that had been born from his feelings of neglect faded into quiet submission as he received the attention he had been lacking from his king. His body relaxed into the familiar position as the confused fog of emotions dissipated. Despite the sting that was building in his backside, a tiny relieved sigh escaped his mouth as tears began to trickle down his cheeks, and he laid his head back down on his arms to await the rest of his discipline.

Seeing that the boy had settled into submission, Dimitri adjusted his hold and let the spanking fall into a very slow but persistent cadence, his hand still resting or rubbing against Ashe's smarting ass in between swats.

"Today wasn't the first time your behavior got out of hand, little one," he kept his voice low, but clear and firm enough to leave no doubt as to his authority, "The attitude and disrespect you have shown to me and other members of this company is completely unacceptable, and it stops right now, Ashe. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" Ashe cried as two hard smacks caught the sensitive skin at the tops of his thighs. His legs kicked slightly in an involuntary response to the sharp sting, but he no longer fought against the firm hand holding him down.

"No more arguing or refusing your responsibilities, and certainly no more of that attitude, yes?"

"Yes sir!"

"Good; you're doing much better, Ashe," Dimitri crooned without pausing the slow rhythm of swats. He was by no means hitting the boy with his full strength, but he made sure there was enough bite in each slap to get his point across, "The next time you raise your voice to me like that, I'll take the strap to you. Understood?"

Ashe squirmed and whimpered, "Y-yes sir…'M sorry…"

"What are you sorry for, young man?"

"For- for yelling and being… Ah! and being dis-disrespectful," his voice shook as he stumbled through his tearful reply, fading to a very quiet murmur as he continued, "And… and 'm sorry for acting like… like a brat…"

A little smile tugged Dimitri's mouth at Ashe's whimpered apology, and he squeezed the boy's sore ass before giving him one more swat, "Hmm, no more tantrums then, yes?"

"Ah! Yes sir!"

"Good boy," Dimitri soothed, rubbing Ashe's hot, reddened skin. He felt the young man melt under his hand and knew it was enough. All traces of defiance were gone.

Ashe continued to cry with quiet sobs as he let Dimitri's hand ease any remaining tension from his body. The gentle rubbing calmed a little of the sting in his ass, but he knew he would still be feeling the spanking for a while. At that moment, he didn't care. Soft words of comfort murmured over him while strong fingers stroked slowly through his hair, and he completely surrendered himself to the soothing sensations. For the first time in several weeks, he felt completely secure.

As he continued to soothe the crying young man over his knee, Dimitri felt Ashe curl up against him, leaning into the comfort of his king's caress. The simple comfort-seeking gesture prodded at Dimitri's heart, and he murmured softly, "Ashe, I owe you an apology as well."

Ashe stilled immediately, waiting in silence to see what his king would say next.

"I know I have not been around much lately, and have not been very… approachable when I am. I allowed the stress to make me distant and irritable, and I am sorry for that. I should not have left you feeling so neglected," he felt Ashe's breath catch, and ran his hand slowly down the boy's back as he concluded, "I promise you that moving forward, I will do better at prioritizing our time together, and you will have my attention more often."

The breath in Ashe's throat seeped out as a long, slow sob. The tears that had begun to slow sprang forth again in full force and he cried, not for the pain, but for the relief of his leader's words.

"Shh, it's alright, little one; I've got you," Dimitri crooned, stroking the back of Ashe's head. He smiled as the young man leaned into the touch, soaking in the comfort like a balm for his attention-starved mind.

Without stopping his steady stream of reassurances, he gently removed the boy's boots and pulled his trousers all the way off before slipping an arm under his torso and pulling him up to face him.

For the first time all day, Ashe held Dimitri's steady gaze, despite the tears that still trickled from his eyes. Any sense of uncertainty or embarrassment had been chased away by his king's strong hand, and he found solace in Dimitri's familiar deep blue eyes. His internal balance finally restored, he once again felt completely at ease with the older man.

Dimitri brushed his hand back through Ashe's hair with a little smile, "Ah, there's the sweet little boy I know."

Ashe half-closed his eyes as he leaned his head into the soft gesture, then collapsed against Dimitri's chest with a contented sigh. He felt strong arms encircle him, one hand stroking the back of his head as he was held in a tight embrace. Burying his face in Dimitri's shirt, he let his body go limp and his eyelids droop low over his eyes. Any doubts as to his position with his king were long gone, and he sank gratefully into the warm, heavy feeling that enveloped him.

With words no longer seeming necessary, Dimitri simply held the young man and rocked slowly back and forth. Gradually, he felt the rise and fall of the boy's chest grow slower as he faded towards sleep. He allowed himself a small sigh of relief. The sleepy boy collapsed against his chest did indeed seem to be back to himself, having abandoned the uncharacteristic attention-seeking behaviors. The gentle green eyes that had stared back at him a moment ago were free from the hurt and confusion that had filled them earlier in the day, and the way Ashe clung to him even as he drifted into sleep brought a warm feeling to Dimitri's chest.

Running his hand slowly down Ashe's back, he made a silent vow to never allow his young man to feel so neglected again.