Artist/Author: rosesofred
Title: Snakes
Fandom: Prodigal Son
Summary: So this is for episode 2 when Malcolm goes into the warehouse instead of staying put like Gil tells him to
Notes & Warnings: spanking
Gil was a patient man. At least he thought so, but today he’d been so close to losing his temper. What was his son thinking, going in when he told him to stay put? Because of the boy’s disobedience he almost got himself killed, had come this close to knocking on death’s door. Arroyo took a deep breath, hand on the doorknob to Malcolm’s hospital room. He knew in his heart what he had to do, but he really hadn’t been expecting to do this so soon after the last time. Didn’t the boy ever learn from his mistakes? Opening the door slowly, Gil took a step in, posture confident and commanding.
“Gil! I’m actually just about to leave,” Malcolm commented. He sat on the edge of the bed, feet hanging off the end the way they did when he was a little boy. It wasn’t much different, if Arroyo was being honest with himself. When he looked at Malcolm all he could see was that scared little boy, a young rebellious child that needed guidance and love.
Clearing his throat, Gil crossed his arms with authority, schooling his features to present as one of a disappointed parent. “You disobeyed me.”
Laughing, Malcolm hunched over, relaxed. He wasn’t taking this seriously at all. “I’m not a child, Gil.”
“You sure do act like one.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? I was just-”
“No what you were just doing was not listening to clear orders to stay put, Bright. You almost got yourself killed.”
“So,” the consultant spat out without thinking.
“So? Is that what you think, that your life holds so little meaning?”
Malcolm looked down now, less confident than he was a moment ago. “I don’t know.”
“When are you going to start listening to me and stop being so reckless? Because if you keep this up, I won’t have a choice but to fire you.”
“No, Gil please.” Big blue eyes stared at him now, a look of shame written across his face. At least the boy wasn’t being so arrogant now. “I’m good at my job.”
“But not at following orders. I can’t have my team going off on their own adventures, getting themselves killed.”
“So what are you going to do?” Malcolm squirmed under the man’s gaze now, a faint idea of what might happen, though he hoped he was wrong. Gil couldn’t mean to spank him again, could he? That was just a one time thing, a freak incident. No way could he-
“I’m going to spank you.”
“Gil no!” Malcolm shot off the bed, standing up tall to face him. “You can’t, not here!”
“Relax, we’re not doing it here. I’m going to take you home and you’re going to do as you’re told, do I make myself perfectly clear?”
“I’m not doing that,” Malcolm’s gaze became sharp, his stance more rebellious.
“Oh I think you are. Because if you don’t, I have no qualms about pulling you over my knee wherever we are. You want the whole hospital to know you’ve been naughty? Fine by me.”
Bright blushed at being referred to as ‘naughty’, he hated the word. But he couldn’t tell if his mentor was bluffing or not, if he really would follow through with the threat. “You wouldn’t.”
Taking a step closer, the older man’s presence was looming, intimidating. “I would. Don’t challenge me on this, Malcolm. Do as you’re told for once.”
Bright turned around, walking to the other side of the room to burn off some anger. He glanced back at the lieutenant, trying to gage his sincerity. Finally, he walked back and held himself tall, cocky and arrogant like an overconfident teenager. “No.”
“No?” Gil’s eyebrows raised at the flat rudeness of it but he set his jaw, realizing what he would have to do next. “Fine.” He grabbed Malcolm by the arm, dragging him back towards the bed, a firm hold on the struggling man. He stopped in front of the mattress, sitting down on the edge and holding Bright to stand in between his open legs. “You want to try again, or do I need to put you over my knee right here?”
Trying to tug away but failing miserably, Malcolm’s eyes grew wide with fear at the prospect of being spanked in a hospital. “No! No no, please I change my mind.”
“Good choice,” Gil commented, releasing the boy from his hold. Bright backed up, not stopping until he hit the window. Standing up, Arroyo walked to the door, holding it open for his son. “Lets go.”
The car ride back was tense and uncomfortable but Gil paid no mind to it. If his son wanted to pout and sulk about being punished that was fine by him, but he wasn’t getting out of it. When they got to Bright’s apartment Arroyo had to practically drag him out of the passenger seat, a strong hand clamped on his shoulder to guide him. They got inside, though every step became more of a challenge with Malcolm trying to pull away or run to safety. “Gil can’t you give me some other form of punishment?” the consultant plead once they were in the loft.
“I don’t think so,” Arroyo answered with finality.
“But I’m a grown man! You can’t- you just can’t!”
Gil moved them both to the couch, a tight hold on the rebellious boy as he sat down. “Maybe you should learn to listen and I wouldn’t have to.”
“That’s not fair!” Malcolm’s lips quivered, his big blue eyes pleading for mercy that wouldn’t come.
“I think it is fair. You disobey me, you get spanked. Seems fair to me.” Gil used both arms to grab Malcolm and pull him down as the man struggled, landing with a soft grunt over his adopted father’s knee.
“No!” Malcolm fought, trying to push himself up off the man’s lap but found he was securely trapped under his mentor’s strong arms.
“Come on Malcolm, you know better. You know to follow my orders, to keep yourself safe.” There was only aggressive silence, if silence could be aggressive. “Now you have to face the consequences.” Gil raised his hand, landing it with a resounding thwack that echoed in the room. Malcolm cried out, surprising the older man. He’d expected his son to stay quiet for awhile until it became unbearable but if he needed to make noise this time, that was fine too.
He slapped the boy’s backside again but found his jacket was getting in the way. Lifting it up and back, Gil secured it against the man’s back with ease. He landed another slap, this time louder than before as there was nothing in the way. The lieutenant found a steady rhythm, smacking one spot four or five times before moving to a new spot, making Malcolm yelp in pain each time. He sure was loud this time, but Gil figured it was just his nerves acting up. He had been through a lot in the past day, so the older man decided to go easy on him. Poor kid was probably exhausted as it was.
“Please,” the boy whined. He twisted his hips back and forth, trying in vain to avoid the hand coming down without pause.
“You’ve earned this,” the mentor answered grimly.
“Let me go, its enough!” Malcolm struggled and fought for control, trying to pull himself out of his mentor’s grasp. He managed to move forward on the couch, out of the line of fire, but Gil simply grabbed him by the belt loop and tugged him back over his knee.
“You’re not getting out of this city boy,” Arroyo sighed. He started landing blows to the young man’s sit spots now, making him struggle twice as hard and kick his legs. Malcolm’s panic began to rise again, as no amount of effort was helping him escape. He really didn’t want to be spanked, didn’t feel he deserved it, and the situation was wearing him thin.
“I don’t deserve this!” Bright flew his hands back to cover his backside, giving pause to Gil’s onslaught. The older man simply grabbed his hands, restraining them against his back.
“I think you do, and you know it.” Arroyo grabbed ahold of Malcolm’s slacks, tugging them down as the boy bucked his hips. “Keep fighting me and your underwear comes down too.” Either Malcolm didn’t hear him or he simply didn’t care, but he continued to twist his body, throwing himself back and kicking his legs like a raging child. Sighing to himself, Gil grabbed the waistband of his son’s boxers, pulling them down in one swift move. Malcolm let out a loud groan of embarrassment, his body going stiff at being exposed. “You want to tell me why you’re here?”
Bright was silent, his posture angry and attitude rebellious. Gil resumed the spanking, hand landing over and over again on the reddening skin. It was slowly becoming darker the longer he went on and Arroyo almost worried it wasn’t working until Malcolm let out a sob. “I’m sorry!”
Sighing with relief, Gil slowed his hand, the slaps lighter now and not as meaningful. “What are you sorry for?”
Choking on a cry, Malcolm lowered his head in defeat, tears streaming down his face. “For not listening,” he answered.
“And?”
“I don’t know!”
“You can do it,” Gil reassured. “I know you know.”
Malcolm let out a cry, legs beginning to kick again in a fight to get away. “Can’t you stop? I can’t-can’t think!”
“I don’t think so.”
The consultant liked to think he had a high tolerance for pain but something about being pinned over his mentor’s lap and spanked like a naughty child just broke him. Even worse, being exposed and reduced to tears had him so distraught he couldn’t think. His mind raced, trying to think of what his surrogate father wanted but it kept coming up blank. He could feel the fire in his backside getting more intense and it seemed to be the only thing he could focus on. Not thinking, not listening, that’s what Arroyo was mad about, right? Snakes, that was bad. Bad snakes. Not being careful. That was it!
“Being reckless!” Malcolm practically shouted.
“Good,” the older man agreed. He was barely spanking the boy at this point but his son didn’t seem to notice. “Why is that bad?”
Giving a heart wrenching cry of anguish, Bright let out his pent up frustration. “I don’t- I don’t know!”
Gil stopped for a moment, rubbing a hand over the red skin. “What do you think I would say?”
“That its s-stupid,” Malcolm answered, his voice wet. He really was having a hard day, the dark circles under his eyes were proof enough. “You care about me.” He sniffled as the pain began to die down. “Have to listen, I’m part of the team.”
That was good enough, Gil thought. “There you go. I knew you could figure it out.”
“Mean,” Malcolm mumbled. Arroyo smirked but landed a quick slap to the boy’s backside, making him jerk forward with a yelp.
“I’m mean?”
“No!’ Bright lied.
Gil let go of his wrists, allowing the young man to bring them forward near his head. “You know I care about you, city boy.”
“I know,” Malcolm sniveled. He wiped at his eyes, no doubt embarrassed about having been seen crying. “Can I get up now?”
“If you’re ready,” the older man answered. He patted his son on the back reassuringly, hoping he hadn’t been too hard on him. Being careful not to make him cry again, Arroyo moved the man’s clothes back into place so he wasn’t as exposed. Malcolm pushed himself up, eyes puffy and face wet. He looked no more than 11 years old, that same little boy Gil met all those years ago. The lieutenant stood up, pulling the young man into his arms for a hug. “Be more careful next time.”
“And listen, I know,” Malcolm added, returning the hug. He rested his head on the man’s shoulder, glad for the comfort. As much as he hated being punished, being hugged at the end made him feel so much better. If only he could stay there forever, safe in his mentor’s arms, knowing he was forgiven.