Asking For It

by Aly

“No.”

It was said with such defiance, and such a bratty, petulant foot stomp, that Laurel was surprised with herself. And out of nowhere, she knew – it had been a simple enough request, one that she normally would have complied with, no questions. In fact, she normally loved helping her partner in the kitchen. It was one of her favourite times of the day.

Laurel watched as Emily’s hands, which had been chopping a red bell pepper at the counter, stilled. She saw the other woman’s shoulders heave with a sigh before she set her knife down and turned. Some of her bravado faltered, then, as she knew she had said the magic word – magic, of course, in the form of Trouble with a capital T. Emily wiped her hands on a dish cloth, tucked some of her dark brown hair behind her ear, and set her hands firmly on her hips. One eyebrow was arched, and her lips were pursed. When she spoke, her voice was low, and calm, but had a firm edge that Laurel knew all too well.

“Excuse me?” Emily asked, her hazel eyes boring into Laurel’s grey-blue ones, fixing her with a no-nonsense stare.

Feeling a hot blush creep up her neck and settle in her cheeks, Laurel averted her eyes, looking anywhere but at Emily’s stern face.

“I – I said no,” replied Laurel, her voice losing a bit of its confidence, though she did not back down.

Emily sighed again. “Laurel, you can either set the table, like I asked, or you can eat dinner standing up. You have two choices, young lady. What’s it going to be?”

The younger woman shuffled her feet, feeling anxious, knowing her girlfriend’s threat was far from empty. Part of her was angry with herself – she knew that it would be simpler to just ask Emily for the release she was craving, but she couldn’t bring herself to even say the word on a good day, let alone embarrass herself enough to request it. At this point in their relationship, after the 3 years they had been together, Laurel should have been comfortable enough with herself and her needs – they had talked about it before, and Emily had spanked her soundly as a punishment for doing just this – but alas, she always resorted to bratting her way into a spanking. She knew it, and she knew Emily knew it, too. She was pushing buttons on purpose tonight, and it seemed Emily was having none of it.

“I don’t want to set the table,” Laurel whined, her eyebrows furrowing and her pink lips settling in a pout.

“Fine,” Emily stated simply, turning the burners on the stove to the ‘off’ position and wiping her hands once more. “Go to the bedroom and park yourself in the corner. I’ll be in to deal with you shortly.”

Laurel opened her mouth to protest – she had a reluctant, bratty image to uphold, after all – but one glance at Emily’s face told her that Toppy girlfriend was not in the mood to be pushed any further. Without further ado, she turned on her heel, scuffing her socked feet on the hardwood floors as she padded her way to their bedroom. She opened the door and slipped inside, walking to the corner across from the bedroom door and putting her nose and toes in the crease between the two walls.

Already, Laurel was feeling a bit better – more settled, more centered. A new, bubbling anxiety at what was to come had replaced the gnawing, bitter feeling that had been there all week. The two women had been busy – too busy to spend any real quality time together, too busy to exchange more than a chaste goodnight kiss as they collapsed into bed at night after long, equally difficult days at work. And Laurel knew that it was this distance, this lack of connection, that had her itching for some special attention from Emily. Unfortunately, she was too stubborn to voice her concerns to her partner. Instead, she had become increasingly pouty and childish, attempting to badger Emily into paying some kind of attention to her, whether it be good or bad.

Standing in the corner always made her especially contemplative – she knew it was most of the reason Emily made her stand there, aside from it being just embarrassing enough to put her in the right frame of mind for a spanking – and her racing thoughts got the better of her. She was frustrated with herself for behaving in such a foolish, juvenile manner. She knew that being busy was a normal part of life, and that Emily loved her just as much this week as she did any other week. However, she couldn’t help that she was feeling just a little abandoned, a little neglected. Suddenly, hot tears began to sting her eyes, and she fought hard to blink them back, but the traitorous moisture spilled out and down her cheeks, falling off her chin as she stared at her feet.

By the time she heard the soft footsteps of her lover enter the room, her body was shaking in quiet, barely contained sobs of frustration and embarrassment.

“Laurel?” Emily asked softly, coming to stand behind her tearful girlfriend in the corner. Laurel sensed her presence, but dared not turn around until she was told to do so, suddenly feeling submissive and incredibly sorry for herself and the position she had landed herself in. “Turn around, love.”

Laurel did as she was told, her eyes darting from the floor, to Emily’s concerned face, and back again. Her chin quivered as she took a couple of deep, ragged breaths, trying to compose herself. Emily took one step closer, and Laurel broke, gasping for breath as she flung herself at her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around Emily’s neck, sobbing into her shoulder. Emily took Laurel in her arms, holding her tightly, her hand rubbing soothing circles on the younger woman’s back as she rocked gently back and forth.

“What in the world is going on?” Emily asked softly, once Laurel had stopped sobbing quite so violently. She put her hands on Laurel’s shoulders, and held her at arm’s length, peering at her with searching, warm eyes.

“I – I…I’m – I’m so-sorry,” Laurel hiccupped, sniffling pathetically and wiping at her cheeks with the backs of her hands. She took her bottom lip between her teeth, chewing on it nervously.

“Sorry for what? For refusing to set the table? My love, I don’t appreciate your attitude, but it’s certainly nothing to be hysterical about –“

“N-no, not that,” said Laurel. Emily raised an eyebrow, and the younger woman quickly amended, “yes, for that, but not just that – I mean…” she sighed heavily, unable to find the right words to express herself. She pouted and scuffed her toe on the floor.

“I think you and I need to have a chat, hmm?” Emily inquired, taking Laurel’s hand and leading her to the bed. She settled herself on the soft white duvet, and pulled Laurel down next to her, angling her body so she was facing her brat. “What’s going on, love?”

Laurel, still sniffling, scooted herself closer to Emily, tucking one leg underneath her and leaning against her girlfriend. She sighed as Emily laced an arm around her shoulders, her hand absently running up and down Laurel’s arm in a comforting, familiar way.

“I’ve been acting out,” she finally breathed, playing with the hem of her oversized grey t-shirt.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” Emily said, her voice laced with playful sarcasm.

Pouting again, Laurel sat up and looked directly into the older woman’s eyes, which were studying her intently. “Don’t tease,” she whined half-heartedly.

“Okay, okay,” Emily surrendered. “I had noticed. Care to tell me why?”

“Well, we’ve both been so busy, and I, um, I just…I guess I’ve been feeling…” she trailed off, ever uncomfortable with putting her extreme self-awareness into words.

Emily’s hand moved from her arm to the side of Laurel’s hip, and gave her bottom a couple of gentle, but warning, pats.

Laurel chewed on her lip again, then continued. “I’ve been feeling kind of neglected,” she finally admitted, burying her head in the crook of Emily’s neck.

“Oh, sweetheart,” cooed Emily, pulling away and taking Laurel’s chin between her forefinger and thumb. She tilted the younger woman’s face so they were eye to eye, stroking the side of her chin with a thumb, and Laurel looked around for a few seconds before finally settling her gaze on Emily. “It’s been a busy week, and we’ve hardly had any time for each other.”

“Mhm,” Laurel hummed, moving to turn her head away, but Emily held fast to her chin. Her stomach churned nervously as she watched the gentle expression on her lover’s face harden into something a little sterner.

“But, I believe you and I have had this discussion before, have we not?” It was a rhetorical question, but Laurel nodded in response anyway. “And did we not make it very clear that you are supposed to tell me when you’re feeling this way, instead of acting like a child and pushing me until you’re in trouble?”

Again, Laurel nodded.

“So, tonight, when I asked you to set the table, and you refused – you were acting out, looking for attention, instead of just telling me that you were upset?”

Another nod.

“And you intentionally pushed my buttons in the hopes of getting in trouble?”

Laurel frowned. “Yes. Well, I guess. I don’t know. I don’t want to be in trouble, I just…I don’t know,” she finished lamely, wrinkling her nose in frustration.

This time, it was Emily who nodded. “I understand. I know it’s hard to articulate, but I think you just wanted some of my attention, and knew exactly how to get it, good or bad. Am I right?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Laurel answered quietly, feeling rather like a naughty five-year-old. “I’m sorry. I know I should have just told you that I was missing you, but it felt stupid – you weren’t gone anywhere, and I hate being so needy. It’s not your fault we were both really busy all week. I feel stupid.”

“Laurel Elizabeth, you know how I feel about you talking about yourself like that,” Emily said sternly, her eyes narrowing. “You are not needy, and you are not stupid. You just love being loved, and we haven’t had nearly enough of that this week. I missed you, too, you know.”

“Yeah, but you’re so much more well-adjusted than I am. I don’t see you throwing temper tantrums for attention,” Laurel said dejectedly.

“Nor will you ever,” replied Emily firmly. “That’s just not how I do things. That’s why I’m the one who gives the spankings, and you’re the one who gets them, right?”

“Right.” Wrinkling her nose again, Laurel fidgeted nervously on the bed, knowing exactly what was coming.

“And speaking of spankings –“ Laurel sighed internally, having anticipated Emily’s next words, “- I think we better finish this conversation with you over my lap.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Emily took Laurel by the arm once more and gently pulled her to standing. She hooked her thumbs in the elastic waistband of the girl’s lilac-coloured pajama shorts, pulling them down to mid-thigh, and then guided her girlfriend over her lap. Laurel adjusted herself so that her chest and arms were supported by the bed on one side, her legs on the other, with her panty-covered bottom slightly raised over Emily’s thighs. She rested her head in the crook of her arms, her cheek touching the cool material of the bedspread, and sighed. She knew the rest of the “conversation” was not going to be pleasant for her or her backside, but as much as she didn’t want a spanking, she needed one. She needed to be reset, to feel connected to Emily again in only the way a thorough bottom-warming could achieve, and she knew that she needed to be punished for breaking one of the couple’s most sacred rules.

“Now, young lady,” came Emily’s stern voice from above her, her hand moving softly over Laurel’s soft pink panties, gently massaging the plump, pale cheeks that she would soon be turning a fiery red, “if it’s attention you want, it’s attention you’ll get.”

And with that, the first, firm spank landed on Laurel’s right cheek. She gasped, as surprised with the sting as she always was. No matter how many spankings Emily had given her, the first smack always took her breath away. That woman had a palm of steel, she was sure.

The smacks came quickly, and they were just hard enough to leave a deep sting in their wake. Emily was wasting no time, peppering Laurel’s bottom with solid smacks from the tops of her cheeks, right down to the tops of her thighs. The experienced Top paid particular attention to the tender sit spots, right where Laurel’s bottom met her thighs, and the spanks that landed there were particularly stingy and painful.

“Acting out,” Emily began to lecture, as Laurel cried out in response to a very well-placed smack that covered both cheeks at once, “is no way to ask for attention. If you are feeling abandoned, or neglected, you tell me. You’re a big girl, and bratting and pouting are unacceptable behaviours when there are serious feelings involved.”

Just when Laurel thought that the spanks couldn’t get any harder, they did. Emily did not stop swatting her burning bottom as she lectured, and Laurel did her very best to listen, though it was difficult to concentrate on anything but the fire Emily was lighting in her backside.

“You pushed me to my limit tonight, and there is no excuse for being disrespectful,” Emily scolded. “There is also no excuse for keeping things from me – honesty is extremely important in this relationship. Just because things are uncomfortable to talk about does not mean that you should not talk to me about them, especially when you are hurting. Do you understand?”

“Y-yes ma’am, I understand,” Laurel squeaked, feeling the tears burn the backs of her eyes again – equal parts pain and remorse. She knew how much Emily hated it when Laurel kept things from her – it was as good as lying, and she knew it. “I’m s-s-sorry!”

“You will be, little one,” was Emily’s reply, and the barrage of spanks stopped as she slipped her fingers into the waistband of Laurel’s panties.

“N-no, please, Em,” Laurel cried, tears now flowing freely down her face.

“Laurel,” came Emily’s growled warning, and Laurel hiccupped a sob as she lifted her hips and allowed Emily to pull her panties down to meet her shorts.

“I’m sorry,” Laurel sobbed again, wiggling around on Emily’s lap in a useless attempt to rid her bottom of some of the stinging heat.

Emily patted her bottom softly. “I know, love, but we’re only just getting started. That was for being such a brat this evening. This is for keeping things from me, and intentionally pushing my buttons instead of telling me what was wrong. I hope next time you think about lying –“

“I didn’t lie!” Laurel choked out, turning around to look at Emily over her shoulder. Emily’s eyebrows were almost in her hairline, and her expression clearly said, ‘Really, you want to push me?’ Laurel immediately regretting arguing. A hard smack on her bare bottom, followed by three more in quick succession, made her bury her face in the duvet again. “Sorry!!!”

“Lying by omission is as good as a down-right lie. You know how I feel about that, Laur. We have had many a ‘discussion’ about that very thing, have we not?”

Laurel pouted, but squeaked out a “yes, ma’am”. Emily was a real stickler about honesty. Laurel knew she had really messed up this time. It was bad enough she had kept her feelings all bottled up, let alone being such a terror all week.

“So, the next time you think about lying, I want you to remember this spanking and think twice, little one.”

Emily finished spanking Laurel in silence. Lying over her girlfriend’s lap, Laurel heard nothing but the smack of skin against skin, and couldn’t decide what was worse – the scolding, or the quiet. Her girlfriend’s hard hand really lit Laurel’s bottom on fire, leaving no inch of skin un-smacked. By the time Emily’s hand came to rest on Laurel’s lower back, the younger woman had cried herself hoarse with “I’m sorry”, “I’ll be a good girl,” and “I’ll never lie again, I promise”, finally just lying still over Emily’s lap with tears streaming down her cheeks and sobs wracking her body. Normally, it would take a lot more than just Emily’s hand to make Laurel cry that hard, but the remorse and guilt she felt spurred her tears on until she didn’t think she had any more to cry.

“Okay, love,” Emily said gently, rubbing her hand softly over Laurel’s cherry-red cheeks, “it’s all over. All done. All is forgiven.”

It took Laurel a few moments to compose herself enough to slide herself off Emily’s lap and onto the floor, where she sat gingerly back on her heels and rested her head on her girlfriend’s knee. For a while, she just let Emily weave her fingers through her now-damp, curly brown hair while she sniffled and hiccupped and breathed as deeply as she could to calm herself. Then, she dried her eyes with her fists, and stood with a still-quivering lower lip.

“I’m sorry, Emily,” she said sincerely, locking eyes with her girlfriend, hoping with her whole heart that Emily believed her.

“I know, my love. You’re forgiven. Next time, just talk to me, okay?”

“Okay,” Laurel nodded, and let Emily pull her into a tight hug, lowering herself onto Emily’s lap. Laurel hissed when her bottom came in contact with the fabric of Emily’s yoga pants, but she settled herself against her girlfriend’s chest and let the hands that had just chastised her so thoroughly rub her back and stroke her hair until she was content and sleepy and calm once more.

“Feel better?” Emily murmured against Laurel’s hair as she rocked gently side to side.

“Yeah,” Laurel affirmed, feeling forgiven, and cared for, and attended to, and very, very loved. Even though her bottom was burning, and her nose was stuffy, and her face was hot from crying, she felt reset, and knew she had gotten what she needed. All felt right in the world once more.

“Good, because you’ve still got a table to set,” Emily said with a smile, and pressed a kiss to Laurel’s temple.

Laurel grinned mischievously. “No,” she said, mock-defiance in her voice.

“Ooh, girl, you better not push it,” Emily threatened, landing a firm smack on Laurel’s hot backside.

“Ow! Just kidding, babe,” she purred, wrapping her arms around Emily’s neck and kissing her sweetly on the lips.

“You’d better be, because I can grab the hairbrush and really do a number on that cute little butt of yours. You know, I think I went a little too easy on you…”

“No, no! Definitely not too easy!” Laurel squealed, hopping up and pulling her panties and shorts back up – gingerly – over her burning bottom. “I’m going, see!” She flew from the bedroom with a grin over her shoulder, just narrowly avoiding the smack Emily aimed at her retreating backside. Without another word, she set the table for two, and convinced Emily, with a few well-placed kisses and cuddles, to let her sit on a cushion to eat her dinner. After all, she didn’t really want to eat dinner standing up.