A Guest for Christmas

Title: A Guest For Christmas

Genre: Slash yes, no sex

Couple: William & Austin no discipline between these guys so far, Johnny is the one to get his butt toasted.

Summary: A major change comes to pass. How much will this disrupt things between William and Austin?

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Johnny, the Neighbours’ Punk – Part 3

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A Guest For Christmas

“Deck the halls with bought of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la ‘tis the season to be…”

I tried to keep myself from tossing the pillow at his cheerful face, but it was no use, it flew through the air and he caught it just in time, darting at me like a hawk with the pillow lifted. I pulled the blanket over my head and he pulled it off me and smacked my unsheltered behind, telling me that ‘I’d better behave ‘cause Santa was watching me’. I twisted around and tickled him until he laughed so hard he fell down on the floor.

It was the day before Christmas Eve and we were both acting like overexcited children. This would be a good Christmas; our first alone together.

Anyway, when he had got himself of off the floor we went down to the kitchen to fix breakfast for ourselves and we had great fun doing it, too. I don’t know what it is, but Christmas always makes me feel like a boy, and – especially with Austin around – a naughty boy at that. We had almost reached the point where tossing the eggs at him was becoming irresistible, when – out of the blue – I decided to go fetch the paper, which otherwise Austin always did. He has this thing about reading it first – childish really. I went out in the hall with Timmy right behind me.

“Later, boy,” I vouched, then closed the door and sauntered down the steps, whistling ‘Jingle Bells’ as loud as I could. I picked up the paper as I looked out at the bright morning and marvelled at the sight of the park glimmering with frost. I turned around to go back inside, still whistling cheerfully to myself.

“Good morning!” someone shouted from the street behind me and I turned around.

“Well, what on earth are you doing here? I thought you’d gone to Hastings over Christmas,” I said and eyed Johnny from head to toe – he looked like he’d been sleeping on the street, “or at least that was what Mrs. Jones said.”

“I didn’t know if they’d left yet, but thought I could take my chances.”

“What?”

“Oh, I haven’t been home in awhile, but I figured they’d be gone by now, so I could sneak in and get some stuff,” he said and shrugged. “Some money if I’m lucky.”

“Sounds immoral!” I stated.

“Of my own, silly, they’d know it was me,” he smiled and went up the steps to their door. “Great seeing you again!”

“Johnny…” I started and he turned a beaming face toward me again. “Er, let us know if you need anything, son.”

“I will, thanks!”

I went inside and Austin stuck his head out of the kitchen.

“What kept you?” he asked.

“Oh, nothing,” I smiled and put my arms around him. I kissed his ear which made him chuckle and then buried my nose in his neck.

“My, my, this might lead to something interesting,” he said and his hand found my thigh and moved up over my hip.

“After breakfast,” I stated and let him go.

“You’re such a tease.”

We drove each other completely insane with hints and ‘casual’ caresses all through breakfast and finally he couldn’t take it. He put down the fork while getting up slowly and then he began unbuttoning his shirt. I watched him come closer, but didn’t move.

“Upstairs now!” he hissed. “Or would you prefer it right here?” I never had the time to answer him because the doorbell rang. I started up, but he put a hand on my shoulder – the bell sounded again and I removed his hand ever so gently.

“I’ll be right back,” I promised and went to answer the door. To my surprise it was Johnny, who gave me a tilted smile and eyed me with amusement.

“Catch you at a bad time?” he asked and I realised the little bastard had very keen eyes – or the bulge in my trousers were more obvious than I thought.

“Rather,” I said irritated while moving back a step behind the door and trying not to blush.

“Sorry,” he said not sounding it at all, but still looking a tad embarrassed.

“Never mind, is anything wrong, son?”

“Well, kinda, I’m really hungry and there’s nothing in the house, and I bet Adam found out where I kept my money, ‘cause there’s non left,” he looked so miserable I couldn’t possibly leave him out in the cold – hungry and alone such as he was.

“All right, come on in awhile then,” I said – I could see Austin’s face even before entering the kitchen. Like I’d thought he was far from thrilled. “This is Johnny, our neighbour you know, love,” I said in a pleasant tone.

“I know who he is, what is he doing here?” There is never very much beating about the bush with Austin; he wants something said he says it and that’s that.

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later,” I said and put a cup of tea in front of him. “Here have some tea, son.” He nodded and brought the cup to his lips and blew on it while I made him a toast with jam, which he thrust into his wide opened mouth and swallowed practically without chewing. Then he looked imploringly at me for more.

“Can I have a word with you?” Austin looked hard at me.

“Just a minute,” I promised and handed Johnny another slice of toast and patted him on the shoulder. He reeked from wearing the same clothes for weeks and I decided he needed a bath.

“Well?!” Austin demanded when he had me alone.

“What’s the matter?” I asked.

“Well, how, for instance, do you know that brat, and what’s your relationship with him?”

“He’s not a brat!” I began defensively. “And what do you mean by relationship?”

“Fine, misunderstood teenager, then,” Austin sighed while glaring grimly at me, “still, you seem to have known him for quite awhile, I just want to know how you know him.”

“Since when do I have to account for all my acquaintances to you?” I hissed and then I flinched, amazed at my own words; he simply looked right through me with one eyebrow raised. “Well, you know what I mean,” I muttered.

“No, not really,” he snapped. “I thought you said they had gone away.”

“They have, but he’s been afraid to go home for awhile, that stepfather of his beats him up!”

“Oh, please don’t tell me you believe what that little bastard is telling you!” Austin scolded in a voice not louder than a whisper.

“Yes I do and you didn’t see the welts he had on his buttocks when I saw him last…” the look of shock on Austin’s face made me realise what I had just said and – I had to grant – it didn’t sound at all innocent.

“What are you talking about?” he asked suspiciously.

“Nothing, nothing at all. That didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. Let’s just drop it, all right?” – as if he’d ever let anything go.

“I want a reasonable explanation for all this, and I want it now!” he ordered and I began feeling increasingly uncomfortable. I didn’t know what to say or how to get out of this mess I had got myself into. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt Austin and I felt I was on the very brink of doing so right no. I also knew that the longer I waited with telling him the truth the less likely it was that he would at all believe me when I did.

“If you fucked him, just bloody well tell me so!” he demanded and even though I’d been expecting the question I couldn’t drive myself to answering it. He kept looking tensely at me until I forced my head to shift from side to side, and when I had finally started I shook my head faster as if I had loosened it from some invisible bonds.

“No!” I said pitifully, “please don’t ever think that of me again.” I felt a tear run down my face, but didn’t wipe it away and then another fell.

“Oh, don’t! You know I hate it when you do that,” Austin complained and his features softened. He reached out a hand to stroke it away. “You are so manipulative, William. I don’t know whether you do it on purpose or not.” He glanced at me and I watched his face alter from irritable to tender. He stroked my hair out of my face then bent forward and kissed me on the cheek. “All right.” I’ve never known anyone who can put so much meaning into ‘all right’ as Austin can.

As we walked back into the kitchen I wondered just how much of our conversation Johnny had heard; still, his appearance didn’t reveal anything. While we were talking he had made himself another toast – possibly several, by the look of the crumbs on the table – and looked quite comfortable where he sat.

“Hope you don’t mind, I’m starving,” he said with his mouth full – he looked like a hamster.

“Are you staying at home for awhile?” I asked him. He swallowed and looked away.

“I wasn’t being completely honest with you,” he said and I received a very wearied look from Austin. “Not that I lied or anything, it’s just that they didn’t exactly expect me back it seems, ‘cause they’ve got rid of my stuff – clothes and all.”

“I take it your parents had reasons not to expect you home, did they?” Austin said and gave Johnny the same look he usually gives me when he’s fed up with my nagging or lamentation, the look that makes you feel like he really doesn’t want to have anything to do with you.

“Well, I did sorta leave a note telling them I wouldn’t be, but what parents believe that, huh?” Johnny was clearly used to flirting, because his whole body emitted a well developed charm – no, don’t get me wrong, it had nothing to do with sex, just with winning sympathy. He didn’t quite succeed, but Austin did allow for an ironic smile.

“Will you behave if we let you stay with us for a few days?” I asked him and ignored the shocked glare Austin sent my way. Johnny looked at me and a smile lit up his face.

“You’d let me stay here?” he asked sceptically.

“A few days, Will! Until his parents come back!” Austin hissed, still glaring at me.

“All right, until they get back! And you better behave! Now get upstairs and run a bath for yourself, why don’t you?” I suggested.

“A bath?” his expression was priceless.

“Yes, a bath, water, soap and all that, if you remember?” I couldn’t help being sarcastic. “It’s upstairs to your left.”

“Well, whatever you say, sir,” he bowed exceedingly courteously and tried to keep a straight face, but then, before he left, he looked at us and said calmly: “I promise not to be a bother.”

“I sincerely hope you know what you’re doing, because I do not have a clue what’s going on inside your head,” Austin said when the bathroom door shut upstairs. I never did answer – perhaps because I didn’t either.

It was around noon the next day when I was decorating the tree that things began sliding out of hand. Johnny had, up till then, tried to be on his best behaviour, but he did have his limits. I was listening to Christmas songs on the CD and walked around Timmy, who was exhausted since Johnny had taken it upon himself to get my rather round spaniel into shape. He had indeed become quite chubby lately, like somebody else I knew, though I would never admit it if somebody – say Austin – suggested it.

“I didn’t tell you, you could use that!” Bellowed Austin from upstairs and I almost dropped the glittering ball in my hand.

“I didn’t touch anything but the stupid game!” Johnny answered, seriously annoyed.

“You should’ve asked!”

“I said I only… NO! What the hell are you doing? I had almost beat my score!”

“Get out of here!”

“I didn’t touch anything!”

Johnny thundered down the stairs and went straight towards the door. I had learnt, in the weeks his family had lived next door, that that was his solution to every trouble; run out the door and slam it shut with all his might – preferably in someone’s face.

“Johnny, wait, come in here and help me with the tree!” I ordered and he turned around tossing a glare upstairs and then decided to do as I asked. He muttered something not quite audible and I looked questioningly at him. He hung a small angel on a branch.

“He really is a bloody bastard!” he said turned away from me, “I wouldn’t stand living with him.”

“I wouldn’t say that again if I were you!” I said, determined to prove I had more patience than Austin did. “And to be perfectly honest, you don’t have to.”

“He’s still a bloody bastard!” Johnny stated as he leaned over and took the box of tinsel.

“No, the bottom of that…” the tinsel lay in a heap on the floor and in less than a wink of an eye Timmy was all over it –suddenly not at all tired, “…is broken,” I finished pointlessly.

“I noticed,” Johnny said and began gathering the tinsel, getting into a small fight with Timmy that turned into a wilder chase around the room.

“Let him be, Johnny. He’ll tire of it soon enough!” I said and went into the kitchen to fetch the new bag of tinsel I’d bought just in case.

CRASH!!!

That didn’t sound good. I came back into the living-room at the same time as Austin came down the stairs.

“What was that?” he asked me and I shrugged.

Looking over at Johnny I felt the blood drain from my face – Austin’s Chinese vase, the one worth a small fortune, in pieces on the carpet.

“This was really thin,” Johnny said nonchalantly while picking up the bits and pieces of it that remained. “I didn’t think anything could break falling on your thick carpet. Well you shouldn’t have had it on that wobbly table…” for the first time he looked up at us where we stood frozen at the doorway. He smiled nervously. “Are you mad? Sorry. I didn’t mean to tip it over, it just… happened.”

“Do you… have any idea… how much that cost?” Austin hissed between his teeth.

“This… I dunno, ten quid?” Johnny shrugged.

“Not bloody likely!” Austin hollered.

“It was an accident, dammit!” Johnny felt cornered, I could tell from the way he backed up against the ‘wobbly’ table. “I didn’t mean to break the bloody thing!”

“Well you did and I’m fed up with you!,” Austin shouted furiously.

“But it WAS an accident!” Johnny tried to match the fury in Austin’s eyes, but failing, of course. He was afraid now. I still stood silent, looking from one to the other without finding any words to stop what I feared would happen.

“Come here!” Austin muttered fiercely.

“Oh, the fuck I will… not when you’re looking at me like that!” Johnny said trying to act tough but at the same time giving me a pleading glance.

“I said COME HERE!!” Austin roared and it shook me as much as Johnny.

“Not bloody likely!” he answered angrily with Austin’s own words and then adding: “you bloody bastard!” His ‘pleasant’ language couldn’t possibly dig him deeper in than his tone of voice.

Austin advanced on the scowling Johnny and he looked set on strangling him.

“Austin…” my voice faded.

“Don’t meddle!” he snapped.

“Calm down, love,” I stepped between them holding up a hand to Austin. “Let me…”

“Sod off!”

“You’re too angry, you’ll half kill him. Let me deal with him!” I pleaded looking sternly into Austin’s eyes and he gave me a mocking smirk.

“Right, and what will you do, send him to bed without supper? I don’t think so!”

“I’m not afraid of him!” Johnny mumbled behind me; his voice seemed miles away.

“I’ll deal with him, Austin, trust me, he’ll learn his lesson.”

Finally Austin seemed to give in and he turned around and sat down in the sofa.

“Do what you want!” he said.

“Let’s go upstairs, young man!” I told Johnny, who followed me silently when I touched his shoulder.

I closed the door behind us and told Johnny to sit down, which he did after a moment. He looked at me and his eyes were clearing up. I nodded at him and he relaxed.

“For a minute I thought he was going to…” he bit his lip when he realised I wasn’t happier than Austin was.

“You told me, you PROMISED me that you wouldn’t be a bother! Then what do you call this?” He looked at the painting with water-lilies on the wall. “LOOK AT ME!”

“I’m sorry,” he said. “It’s just the way I am.”

“No, it’s not! This isn’t the Johnny I recall. Yes, that Johnny was a handful, but this, this… I haven’t even got words for it and that awful language.” I sat down next to him.

“Are you going to throw me out?” he asked meekly.

“I don’t know what Austin thinks, but I have no intention of throwing a sixteen-year-old out on the street. I am going to do what Austin had in mind, though.”

“No! You mustn’t… You won’t! Not with the damned belt!” he shook his head and put up his hands to affirm his words.

“I’ll deal with in our usual way, Johnny, a bare bottom spanking, but this time I’ll use something more than my hand,” I said and with that I rose and told him to stand in the corner until I came back. To my surprise he obeyed without arguing – he merely looked ruefully at me as he went.

I didn’t plan on using a belt – it’d be against my principles – but an old fashioned slipper would be just what he needed. I tried to find the ones Austin had bought that hadn’t fit him, but they seemed to have disappeared. So I went downstairs. Austin gave me a grim eye to tell me I was not going to get him in a good mood again today.

“Where are your slippers?” I said.

“Slippers? What slippers are you talking about?” he said churlish.

“The black ones, the ones that were to tight around the toes.”

“Timmy took one – I think – and the other… I used it as a doorstop in the guestroom.”

I sighed and went towards the stairs – he would never change – why not put them in the closet like I always did with my things?

“But what do you need it for?” he called after me, suddenly curious.

“It’s harder than my hand!” I declared – a puzzled silence followed and then: “Oh…”

Johnny was leaning against the wall when I came back looking out of the guestroom window. I put my hands on my hips and glared at him until he looked up.

“Corner!” he hid a smile and turned around. So he thought this was funny, well he wouldn’t for long. I bent down and picked up the black slipper that lay behind the door. I supposed that Johnny had kicked it in there last night. “Come here, Johnny.” It was rather pleasing seeing him whiten at the sight of the slipper in my hand.

“That’s not fair,” he resisted and shook his head. “I’ve said it was an accident.”

“True, accidents happen, and though that vase was an antique, I couldn’t care less that you broke it, but the way you acted towards Austin was appalling and intolerable. You didn’t have to use you’re entire vocabulary of curses.”

“Do you have to?” he whispered.

“You deserve it!” I declared and he looked at his feet. When he looked up again his eyes were filled with tears, but he appeared to have made his mind up.

“I don’t know why I keep pleading with you, it’s just no use,” he said and wiped the tears, which apparently annoyed him, out of his eyes. “Across your lap?”

“Let’s have you bend over that desk instead; I think I might reach better,” I suggested, looking at the desk by the left wall.

“You’re not taking it easy, are you?” he said half-heartedly and I shook my head, looking as stern as I possibly could. I was not taking it easy and I was not going to let him get away with this kind of behaviour even if his stay with us was only for a few days.

“I really thought you liked me,” he protested all of a sudden.

“I would never tolerate that anyone, no matter how much I liked him, or her, spoke to my boyfriend in the way you did, and that’s that. Now, bend over the desk,” I pointed at it with the slipper.

He finally yielded and bent over. There is always a rush of feeling going through me whenever I have someone completely in my power, and particularly if it’s for a spanking. I took a deep breath and placed myself on his left side. If you’ve ever seen a teenager bent over a walnut desk in tight cotton trousers, you wouldn’t blame me for the bulge in my own. I ordered myself sternly to think of something else, but I knew I wouldn’t obey.

“Well, get on with it!” Johnny gasped.

“When you’ve pulled those down,” I patted his behind. I couldn’t be sure of what he said, but I did hear the words ‘cruel’ and ‘unusual’. With the trousers around his ankles and underpants about his knees he bent back over and I moved him up so that he stood on his toes. “Now, don’t move!”

“How am I suppose to stay… OUCH!! That bloody hurt!” he yelled when I took him by surprise.

“Did it? Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to do that,” I said sarcastically. I gave him the opportunity to prepare for the next whack, but he still winced hard and cried out. The sound was almost shocking, a sharp smack followed by his intake of breath and load shout. I wasn’t at all surprised when, after five minutes the door opened ever so quietly and a rather concerned Austin showed himself. I gave him a nod in acknowledgement, but went right on with my business. First he looked bewildered, not to say shocked, but after awhile when I tossed a glance towards him he seemed curious.

“You should try to aim lower,” he offered; Johnny howled and stood straight up, eyes bloodshot and face flushed.

“No! Johnny, get back down, son!”

“No more, you mustn’t! Not with him here!” Johnny exclaimed while sobbing like a baby.

“Take a few more and I’ll let you off! Go on!” I reasoned calmly.

“I can’t!” he wasn’t looking at me, or at Austin for that matter and he tried desperately to cover his bare bum, but without much use, the warm red glow, was as evident to both Austin and me as the tears on his face.

“Don’t be a baby,” Austin said and folded his arms. “It was my damned vase, so I think I’m entitled to see you be properly punished.”

“Oh, God!” Johnny sobbed and then he gasped and whined for another couple of minutes before he gave up and rested his chest on the sturdy desk.

After a mere six in addition to the ones he had had already, I stopped, not having the heart to continue listening to his despairing wails.

“There, shall we leave it at that, then?” I said and helped Johnny up, he fell down on his belly on the bed sobbing hysterically. I realised that he was in exceptional pain and stroke his hair to comfort him. “Austin, would you…”

“Some lotion? Right,” he smiled, “and do you want some water, son.” Johnny moved and groaned in a way that could be taken as a yes, or, if you were a cynic, a ‘go to hell.’

“You’ll be all right, son, don’t cry,” I whispered and sat down beside him. “I don’t think I know quite how strong I am.”

“Neither do I, or I’d be more careful,” he blubbered and looked at me with glittering eyes – he wasn’t completely despondent, then, after all.

“Have you done that before?” Austin whispered in my ear when we lay side by side in our bed; he sounded sleepy, but inquisitive.

“Once or twice.”

“And never told me?” he reproved.

“It wasn’t any of your business, love,” I yawned.

“Whatever happened to that rule about honesty you put up,” he put both arms around me and snuggled up beside me.

“Oh, who cares, you never follow it!” I kissed him.

“Well, so spank me!” he teased.

I might just take him up on that.