When Blaine got home an hour later, both Mercedes and Sam were out. He didn't like how quiet the apartment was when they were gone; it just felt lonely. It could be hard to study with Sam around because he always wanted to talk or play video games, but the house felt empty without him. Maybe I should start studying in a library or coffee shop or something. It's not Kurt, but at least I'd be around other human beings. He thought about his penchant for sugary baked goods and decided maybe coffee shops might be a little dicey right now for his weight loss goals. He sighed and turned on some music, figuring that would help. He settled in his room to start his homework. He had a paper to write about Bertolt Brecht that had been looming large. After he'd typed a couple paragraphs, he got a message on Skype.

Hey, call me.

He smiled, grateful for an excuse not to think about Bertolt Brecht for a moment. He opened Skype and dialed Rachel. The video came up on his screen and he saw that she was in her bathrobe with her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"Winding down already?"

"Yeah I wanted to touch base with you about the plans for Artie's birthday—but I had such an intense rehearsal, I'm beat. All I wanted to do was get home and take a hot bath. Probably going to hit the sack within the hour."

Blaine nodded. "I wish I could do that," he sighed. "I have so much homework tonight."

"That theatre history class is brutal huh?"

Blaine nodded. "I haven't had this much homework for a class since Dalton, maybe not even then."

"Well, I don't want to keep you too long then, lest Kurt accuse me of being a bad influence when you should be studying." Rachel smirked.

Blaine rolled his eyes. "Yeah I guess you have a point there. We'd both get in trouble then. Although I'd probably feel worse about getting you in trouble than I did about getting punished myself."

Rachel smiled. "You're so sweet."
"Well, it's true. Although it's maybe only half for sweet reasons. I'd feel guilty about getting you in trouble, but I'd also probably feel bad because I'd figure you'd hold it against me."

Rachel laughed. "I guess that makes sense. But you worry too much about me being mad at you."

Blaine sighed, smiling. "Yeah that's more or less what Kurt said to me today."

"You were talking about me?"

"S-sort of." Blaine rubbed the back of his neck with his hand shyly. "I was kind of… in some hot water earlier today."

"Oh my God, did you get a spanking at NYADA?"

"What?! No!" Blaine blurted, horrified. "Why would you even think that?"
"Kurt has been threatening me with that for a year."

"Are you serious? He couldn't— There's people everywhere there."

Rachel nodded. "He always says the practice rooms are easy to reserve and they're soundproof, so…"

"Oh. Well, I guess that… makes more sense. I thought you meant like… in the middle of the student commons or something. I mean, I don't think he'd really that, though," he said, uncertain. "He just says it to keep you honest."

Rachel shrugged. "Me either. But I'll admit that the idea of it even being an outside possibility has made me… a little more careful about staying in line at school."

"Well then I guess even it's just a threat it sort of… serves his purpose."

"Sorry, I just assumed you got a spanking because you said you were in hot water—I thought you meant you did something you're not supposed to do. And I knew you haven't had time to have been anywhere but school today."

"Well I did do something wrong, I guess. But I didn't get a spanking, although… maybe I kind of should have?" Blaine offered, uncertain.

Rachel was intrigued. "Really? What did you do?"

Blaine fidgeted. "You know how I've been using that app to track my exercise?"

Rachel squinted, vaguely remembering hearing something about it. "Yeah?"

"Well, I'd linked him to my account so he could see my workouts and kind of keep me accountable about it."

Rachel nodded. "That's actually pretty smart. Way less excuse to blow it off that way."

Blaine smiled uneasily. "Yeah that's what I'd been thinking when I did it. And I—really meant to keep up with it."

"So you got scolded for missing a workout?"

"Well, yeah, but more for um, sort of lying about it. In the app, I mean. Like there were a couple times I kind of skipped a workout but put it in the app that I did."

"Ah, and Kurt figured it out?"

Blaine neck felt hot. It was hard to talk about. "…Yeah. He um, considered it lying to him."

Rachel smiled sympathetically. "That sucks. He let it go without any punishment though?"

Blaine shrugged. "He just made me do an extra workout today and let me off with a warning."

Rachel nodded. "Sounds like you dodged a bullet."

Blaine made a face, uncomfortable. "Are you mad I didn't get… punished more?"

Rachel looked at Blaine quizzically. "Why would I be mad?"

"I told him that if you found out you might say he hadn't been as strict with me as he'd probably be with you in the same circumstance."

Rachel laughed. "Well I probably wouldn't be going out of my way to give him the means to monitor my every workout in the first place. Although he probably could ask one of our friends from NYADA if I was blowing off my yoga class, so I guess I practically feel like I've got the same… oversight on that front."

"Well you're trying to stay in shape for your opening night. You asked him to do some… monitoring for you."

"Yeah it's fair, but that doesn't mean I don't get to complain about it." Rachel grinned.

Blaine giggled. "Okay."

"I don't know why you think I'd care how badly you got punished for something though."

"I just… I was there that last time you got caught lying about chores in the loft."

Rachel shuddered. "I was an idiot that day."

"He spanked you with your hairbrush."

"Believe me, I remember."

"I know this is kind of different, but since he said he considered it lying and all… I just would feel bad if you thought I was getting… preferential treatment."

"Blaine. This is your first offense, right? You haven't misrepresented your workouts in this app before now?"
"W-well no. I just got the app a little over a week ago—"

"Of course he's not going to go overboard the first time you screw up with something. He's firm about rule-following but he's gotta keep something in reserve in case you mess up more later."

Blaine thought this was an odd way of looking at things. "You saying he went easy on me today because he knows I'll mess up worse sometime in the future?"
Rachel laughed. "Well, I'm rooting for you so I hope not, but odds are good you're not going to be perfect every day. If it's not something completely outrageous, he's going to make a judgment call and give you the benefit of the doubt."

"You've put a lot of thought into this."

"Trying to avoid getting a sore backside encouraged me to learn his patterns," Rachel admitted.

Blaine chuckled. "Well I'm glad you're not resentful about it. I wasn't even going to tell you. I asked Kurt not to mention it."

Rachel shook her head. "We both know the last time he spanked me with the hairbrush it was probably the fourth time he'd said something to me about chores since you first got to New York. I didn't like it, but I can't say I didn't kinda deserve it."

"As I recall you put up a pretty passionate defense about it that night," Blaine teased.

Rachel shrugged. "Well, in the moment, I can't be held responsible for what I say. I'll admit if I did something wrong after, but I hate that hairbrush."

Blaine made a face. "It does look painful. I've never had it, but I'm pretty sure it's even worse than the spoon."

Rachel was thoughtful. "Hmm. Maybe. It's wider and maybe a little heavier? But the once or twice I've seen him swat you with a spoon it looked like it left a pretty good sting."

Blaine looked down, bashful. "It leaves an impression," he conceded.

"I bet."

"I try to avoid it wherever possible."

Rachel nodded. "Yeah somehow whenever I get spanked with the hairbrush just getting a little spanking with his hand seems like nothing. At least until I'm over his knee about to get one."

Blaine sighed. "Maybe someday we'll both mature enough not to warrant any discipline?"

Rachel shrugged. "Maybe."

"It's good to know you're not—comparing."

"I can't say I don't notice, but mostly he's pretty good. I could maybe argue that I think I get punished more often than you, but if I'm honest I'd say that's because I'm not as much of a goody two shoes as you."

"Hey!"

"I mean that with love, of course."

Blaine rubbed his belly. "My whole core is pretty sore. Even if I didn't go over his knee, I'll definitely think twice about being less than honest in the app now."

Rachel nodded. "He always finds a way to make his point and keep tabs on us."

"Speaking of which he'll kill me if I bomb this paper, so I probably should get back to work."

"Oh yes, so Artie's birthday is Thursday but the plan is to do something special for Monday night dinner. Mercedes and I are working on food so you boys are in charge of coming up with a present. No socks! Something thoughtful!"

Blaine giggled. "Well then Kurt's the one you need to talk to there. Sam and I are pretty hopeless at that game."

"Well I'm going to tell Kurt I told you to start brainstorming, so you know he'll be having a 'discussion' with you if you drop the ball." Rachel smirked.

"Hey! Low blow."

"No excuses. Talk to Sam and come up with a list" Rachel barked.

Blaine sighed. "Yes ma'am."