Author's note: Spanking, tickling, groping, etc. in this chapter. Run ... now. I won't pay for your therapy.

Chapter VI: Innuendos

The moment I had dreaded had finally come upon me. I heard Nefarious' dismayed reaction when he had discovered the broken timepiece in his study. He continued to call my name.

"N. Gin, where are you? Come out this instant!"

I knew it was only going to get worse as time went by. I never should have hid at all. It was the damn clock I should've put out of sight.

But it was too late.

I was terrified, and my fear only grew worse for the next half hour.

Although I was cleverly hidden (or so I had thought) behind a statue in a corner, my heart sank as I heard Nefarious the dragon walk near the entrance to the parlor.

Go away. please go away, I begged.

He hesitated, and looked like he was about to move on. But then he began to sniff the air.

Oh, God, he can smell me!

Nefarious sniffed an invisible trail along the floor like a bloodhound, coming closer and closer. I held my breath.

"There you are!" he exclaimed, pushing the statue aside, and taking on his human form.

"Where the hell have you been, N. Gin?" he gripped my shoulders, "You must tell me what happened!"

"I ... n-nothing!" I uttered.

"Then you're all right?" he looked me up and down. I nodded.

"Good Jesus, man, you gave me a fright! I say, why did you hide? Why did you not answer me? For God's sake, Gin, I've been searching for you for a good half an hour!"

I started giggling. I really didn't mean to. Absolutely nothing about this was humorous, but it seemed that I had caught a case of the nervous giggles.

"Damnit, N. Gin! What has gotten into you? I thought you weren't going to cause anymore trouble after last night."

I erupted into an uncontrollable fit, giggling like a hyena.

"Stop that laughing! You think this is funny?" he slapped my cheek. I was silent.

"Now, tell me why one of my clocks is smashed, and why I had to search for you for over 30 minutes."

"I don't know!" I replied, rubbing my cheek. Filled with shame, I looked down at my feet.

Nefarious sighed, "N. Gin, I've done so much for you. The least you could do is be honest with me. You hide so much from me. And, I'm sorry, but since you won't tell me what happened, I shall have to punish you."

"No!" I cried, trying to run away. But he was very strong. His grip on my arms was inescapable.

"Gin, you're acting like a child. Therefore I have no choice but to treat you like one. I don't want to hurt you but --"

"Then let me go!" I shouted, twisting and squirming in his grip.

"Please, Gin, don't make this any more difficult for me," Nefarious grunted, holding me down on the floor, over his knees. I wouldn't stop struggling, though, and it was hard for him to both hold me down and strip my trousers off.

"Don't t-touch me!" I growled, as he removed my underpants.

"Hold ... still!" he commanded, delivering a single smack to my bare behind.

"I hate you! You're no different from your bastard great-grandfather! I hope you rot in hell!" I cried.

Nefarious said nothing at first, but his disturbance at my outburst showed in the way that he spanked me with his free hand as hard as he could.

I felt his fingers fumbling around my pants, which where bunched up around my ankles. Delicately, he slipped off my own belt and gave it a warning snap that made me jump.

"You ... shall pay ... for that little remark." His voice was a low hiss. It was as cold as ice and filled me with dread.

If I hadn't believed before that this incarnation was directly connected to N. Tropy, I sure as hell did now.

I could hear the loud crack of leather hitting skin before I felt the sting. My eyes filled with tears and I forced myself to bite down onto my sleeve so that I wouldn't scream.

Then the metal of the buckle accidentally struck my bottom with such force that I could feel it hitting a bone. It felt so hard and painful -- like the tuning fork.

Arching my back, I let out a loud scream, and then began pleading with him.

"N. Tropy! Don't break me like I broke your clock! It was an accident! I'm sorry!" I wailed.

The punishment had ended abruptly. Nefarious released me. He set me down softly, onto the floor. When he finally spoke, I could hear the guilt in his shaky voice.

"Oh ... N. Gin ... my darling little ... y-you're hurt so bad. I ... what have I done?"

I buried my head in my arms and sobbed. Laying half naked on the floor, I was humiliated, frightened, and in a lot of pain. I just wanted to go home.

"Gin?" he called very softly, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me."

I tried to lift myself up, but I was too weak. I had overexerted myself during my attempts to struggle free. Nefarious scooped me up in his arms and held me against his chest.

"There, there," he soothed, caressing my back. "No more hitting. No more yelling. It's all right, little one," he kissed my head as he whispered to me, "I should have known it was just an accident, but ... I was so frightened. I couldn't find you anywhere, and I was afraid something had happened to you. Then I just ... lost control. I'm supposed to be protecting you, but just look at how I treated you." His voice choked up a little bit.

I hiccupped. Nefarious chuckled sweetly.

"Oh. Let me take a look at you. I can help ease your pain. Afterall, 'twas my own doing."

Nefarious put me on the exam table, with a soft pillow under my hips.

My posterior throbbed with pain and I could feel the heat emanating from it.

"This will help cool your skin," he said, producing an ice cube with his powers and showing it to me. I would have settled for a topical analgesic cream, but the ice felt very good; as if putting a burned hand in cool water.

The ice melted and dripped down my cleft.

"Oh, dear, you're so hot and wet," he remarked, taking a small towel. I swallowed hard as he blotted my skin off. As he parted my buttocks slightly, I squeezed my anus shut. As I did so, it made an embarassing, wet squelching sound.

"Wha ... what did you have for breakfast?" I asked, trying to get my mind off of the sudden arousal I felt.

"Well, let's see. I wasn't that hungry, so I settled for a plump, little snow bunny," he recalled, massaging me gently.

"That feels ... g-good," I sighed. I didn't mean to encourage the awkward behavior, but his touch was so relaxing. Nefarious didn't know any better, anyway.

No, but I do. I should ask him to stop.

"Good, good! I'm massaging you here to help prevent any bruising that you may have starting." As he rubbed the softest part of my bottom -- that place just above the thighs -- I shifted a little. The sensation of his cool, gentle fingers kneading and fondling my sensitive area caused me to have a familiar tingle in my lower belly.

"Oh? Did I touch a tender spot, Gin?"

I squeaked. My cheeks flushed as pink as my behind, and my member twitched and stiffened, much to my severe embarassment.

"I apologize for that. For tenderizing you, I mean." He patted me.

I cleared my throat.

"Hold on. I think you're bleeding a bit. Is that where the metal struck you? Here, I'll clean you up."

I expected him to wipe me with a cloth once again, but I whimpered when I realized he was using his tongue to clean me.

"Ah! Wh-what are you ...?"

"Relax, Gin. Now, don't be alarmed. My saliva will help the blood coagulate, and keep your cut nice and clean to fight the risk of infection."

I trembled as his hot, wet tongue glided over my behind. I got goosebumps all over my body.

He paused, "Are you feeling ticklish again?"

"Uh huh," I said, feeling my excited organ throb against the pillow.

Oh, it tickles very much, thank you. Just not where you think it does.

"I'm sorry, Gin," he apologized again. I could hear him licking his lips. He wiped the last drop away and licked his finger clean.

"How does it taste?" I asked. He seemed a bit suprised.

"Wh-what? Oh. Hmm. Well, it's ... very good. Actually, I find it quite succulent. So rich and savory. More delicious than any animal I've tasted before. I -- N. Gin?"

"Please stop," I said, gripping my hair and tugging on it. "You're making me uncomfortable."

Nefarious came around to the other end and put my hands down. He stroked my head and looked at me with his gentle, green eyes.

"I suppose my appeal for human flesh would be due to the curse that I carry. But worry not, for I could never eat you (no matter how delicious you may seem). Men hunt animals for food as well, but most would never even think of eating their own beloved pets."

"Am I just livestock to you?" I frowned.

"Oh, no, no, no," he cupped a hand under my chin, "That's not what I meant, silly. What I meant ... is that I love you. Very, very much. And I could never dine on -- or even harm -- a human being. Humans are people, just like we dragons are. We both give as much love as possible, and kill as little as possible."

Nefarious was truly more naive than I had initially thought. Humans murdered every day from where I came from. Humans that were no different from his great-grandfather Nefarious.

But then again, I considered such beings "inhuman". They weren't people at all. They were monsters.

I suddenly felt a stab of guilt, thinking of how I had called Nefarious a monster earlier. He was anything but that. He was one of the most gentle people I had ever met on two legs (or four).

"You ... love me?" I asked, blinking slowly.

"Yes, I do, N. Gin. You're the first friend I've ever had in my lifetime. And although we shall soon part ways, I will always love you."

Nefarious embraced me. He kissed each of my wet cheeks, then my forehead, then my lips. My eyes widened, and I could feel my pulse quicken.

"N. Gin, you look pale. Are you feeling all right?" He felt my forehead.

My mouth felt very dry.

"I think I need to go rest for a while." I uttered, and Nefarious nodded.

I stood up, pulled my pants back up, and covered the bulge in the front of my pants with my jacket. I planned to head to the guest den.

"Oh, Gin?"

I turned to look back at him. Nefarious was stroking the piece of leather, looking a bit shameful.

"You left your belt."

"Hold on to it for me, will you?," I told him, "My pants feel a bit too tight today."

+End of Chapter VI+