Angie 1: Falling asleep (M/F story)

"Hello, you must be Wayne," the short, young brunette standing on my doorstep said as she held out her hand. "I'm Angie." She was wearing cutoff jeans and an old t-shirt.

"Nice to meet you." I shook her hand and stepped aside to let her enter. "Need a hand with that backpack?"

"Nah, but thanks for the offer," she said. "I'm travelling lightly. I'm only spending one night here, remember?"

Angie was the younger sister of Dylan, a good friend I had met in college a few years before. A week ago, he'd called me and asked if his sister could borrow my guest bedroom for a night, which I of course agreed to. She had a college interview here tomorrow morning, but it was too early for the trains, she didn't have a licence, and she didn't want to spend money on a hotel room if she could avoid it. He'd told her that he had a reliable buddy with a clean guest bedroom, and she'd thought it was an excellent idea.

I showed her where she would be spending the night. Neither of us had eaten dinner, so I ordered a pizza, and we ate it on the couch, watching TV and chatting for a while. Angie looked nervous, but it seemed like that was worry about her interview and not something I'd done. Eventually, she bid me goodnight and went to bed. I didn't have to get up early, so I decided to watch a movie, though I obviously turned the sound down so that I wouldn't disturb her.

The movie was almost over when I suddenly heard a door creaking and noticed that she was peeking out at me. When she realized that I was looking back at her, she slammed the door shut. A few minutes passed, and I heard the door open again. This time, I kept my eyes on the screen. Soon the door creaked shut. This repeated itself a few times, before she finally opened the door and came towards me. "Wayne?"

I looked up. Her long hair, which had been tied up, now cascaded down her shoulders, and she was wearing a pair of pyjamas that hugged her curves very nicely. "What is it?" I asked, managing to look her in the eyes.

"I… I can't sleep," she told me. "Too worried about tomorrow."

"I'm sorry to hear that," I responded. "Anything I can do to help?" I considered offering to warm some milk or something, but I didn't want her to think I was treating her as a child – though admittedly, she was technically still a teenager.

She bit her lip, fidgeting. "You know I live with my brother, right?" I nodded; I'd been aware of that fact. "Did… did you know that he punishes me?"

"… The subject has never come up," I replied, wondering where this was going.

"He… whenever he's disappointed in me, he puts me over his knee and spanks me." Her face was now bright red and she glanced aside, no longer able to look me in the eye. My eyes widened; I had a hard time imagining this woman being disciplined like that, especially by the laid-back guy I went to college with. These things didn't happen, did they? I was also wondering why in the world she was telling me about it. Most girls would probably have died rather than tell some guy she'd just met that she was spanked like a child by her brother.

I said nothing, and eventually, she continued. "It's awful, it's humiliating, it's painful… but it's also… " She swallowed a lump in her throat. "It makes me feel safe. Particularly when he hugs me afterwards and tells me I'm forgiven. I also sleep like a rock afterwards. Being spanked makes you really, really tired." She stared at her feet. "A few times, when I can't fall asleep, I've even ASKED him to spank me. It's stupid, but it really works." She took a deep breath, and I could see her tremble slightly. "But… well… he's not here…"

The champion and the cleric 2: Diplomacy (M/F story)

Nathaniel tried his hardest to keep his face neutral and resist the urge to sigh. Being the prophesized Chosen One and champion of the Valley of Mirth had many advantages over his former life as a poor farmer, but there were downsides as well. Today, he was meeting with Bartholomew Blackstone, leader of the Merchant's Guild. They were hoping to forge an alliance against the Baron, but the man had a mercenary nature and an unpleasant disposition. Laenarisa was there to help, but unfortunately, she wasn't being particularly helpful today.

"I don't believe you realize that people are dying," she snapped at the smirking merchant.

Blackstone shrugged. "That is unfortunate, but it's their own fault for not securing supplies before launching their uprising. You cannot expect the members of my organization to make a hasty decision just because some peasants were impatient."

"Mister Blackheart, you cannot –"

His smile disappeared, and he scowled. "It's BlackSTONE, little cleric. Mister BlackSTONE. It's not the first time you've made that mistake, and I'm starting to suspect it is intentional. I suggest you watch your words more carefully, or this interview could have some unpleasant consequences."

Deciding that he needed to act before Laenarisa could dig the hole deeper, Nathaniel took a step forward. "We are very sorry for the mistake, Mister Blackstone. Believe me when I say that it was entirely unintentional, and we meant no disrespect, I assure you." He made a small bow, then placed his arm around Laenarisa's shoulders. "Now, I need to have a little discussion with my companion, so if you will excuse us for a few minutes? Thank you." He turned around, steering Laenarisa towards the stairs.

"Let go of me!" she hissed.

"We are going to find a quiet, isolated spot for a little talk," he told her, still holding her firmly and moving rapidly.

She tried to wriggle free, but it turned out that a farmer used to handling spades and axes was a little stronger than a cleric that rarely lifted anything heavier than a book or a quill. "I don't think this is –"

"I didn't ask you what you thought, I told you what was going to happen," he said quietly, his tone making it clear that his decision was final.

Soon, they were in a remote storeroom. He made sure the door was locked and that no one could interrupt them before he turned to her. "Are you proud of your behaviour so far?" he asked her sternly.

She folded her arms in front of her chest, huffing. "That man is a greedy, heartless exploiter!"

"Of course he is – he's the leader of the Merchant's Guild. It's not a position often filled by philanthropists. However, we could really use his help, so you are going to lose the attitude and start being nice to him."

"I don't have an attitude!" she snapped, glaring.

Nathaniel sighed. "Is that so? I shouldn't be surprised. Do you need a spanking right now, or can it wait until we get back to our room?"

She gaped. "A spanking? Here!? Now?" She glanced around at the stuffy storeroom. "You wouldn't dare!"

The champion and the cleric (M/F story)

Nathaniel still found it hard to grasp just how much his life had changed. A few months ago, he'd been a young farmer trying to eke out a living on the outskirts of civilization. Now, he was being hailed as a champion, and many believed he was the Chosen One that would free the Valley of Mirth from the clutches of the evil Baron.

For the last month or so, he had been travelling in the company of Laenarisa, a Cleric who had offered to be his guide and advisor. The young woman had the services of the Temple at her disposal and was a well-read scholar, but she was quiet and rarely spoke. They'd just had an unpleasant encounter with some bandits, and while Nathaniel had managed to overcome them, she'd suggested that they should lay low in a small village for a few weeks and rest.

When they found a suitable village, Laenarisa decided to buy supplies and see if she could find some better maps of the area, and asked Nathaniel to hire rooms at the inn for them. He was now sitting in the inn's common room, sipping a mug of ale while he waited for her to return.

"Excuse me? You're new here, aren't you? I'd remember seeing you before," a sweet voice said. He glanced up to see a slim, attractive girl with blonde hair, wearing a simple cotton dress. She smiled. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

He smiled back at her. "I would be delighted if you did. Can I get you a drink? I'm Nathaniel."

"Thank you. I'm Thea."

She sat down next to him, and they started chatting. Nathaniel gave her his most roguish grin as she giggled at one of his lamer jokes; the day was turning out to be quite delightful, and it was a long time since he'd enjoyed himself so much.

"I've procured the maps, Nathaniel. Are you busy?" a voice said tersely. He looked up to see Laenarisa standing nearby, her eyes cold as she looked at him.

"Hello, Lenna" he said, smiling up at her. "Was there anything else worth seeing in the village? Thea, this is Laenarisa, a Cleric who travels with me. Laenarisa, this is –"

"Yes, well, I'm sure the young lady has some livestock she should be looking after, so we shouldn't detain her any longer," Laenarisa commented frostily. "Good day, Thea."

Casting a glance at Nathaniel, Thea rose and hurriedly left the table. Nathaniel studied Laenarisa as she sat down. "What's wrong with you today, Lenna? You didn't have to be rude."

"You are a very important person, Nathaniel. You cannot waste time on frivolities, or chatting to every peasant who walks past," she replied in a voice suddenly devoid of emotion. She waved a hand at the barmaid to order a drink.

"I thought we were here to relax and enjoy ourselves?" he said sceptically. "Doesn't sound like we're going to be busy, and I can think of few ways of spending my time that are more enjoyable than flirting with a cute girl."

She scowled at him. "Cute? Her? You really think so? No, Champion. A man like you deserves…" She glanced away, staring at the wall. "Someone better." She tried to hide it, but it was clear she was hurt.

As Nathaniel looked at her, a lot of things suddenly began to make sense to him. He could have kicked himself. "I'm so sorry, Lenna. I never realized how you felt. Believe me, I would not have flirted with her if I had known. I didn't mean to hurt you, and I'm sorry." He knew that she was intelligent, kind, and attractive, but her stiffness and reserved nature had previously prevented him from viewing her as a romantic potential.

Laenarisa blushed, glaring at him. "Don't be absurd, Nathaniel! I'm a pure, virtuous Cleric," she scoffed. "I do not have those kinds of emotions. I'm only travelling with you for the benefit of all mankind."

He grinned; there was something about the look on her face that suggested that, despite her words, he'd struck closer to the mark than she was comfortable with. He inched closer to her. She didn't shy away from him, but her face grew even redder, and the hand that held her cup was trembling slightly. "You're cute when you blush. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"I am neither blushing nor cute," she insisted. She glared at him, her face now almost scarlet.

He tutted. "That's a lie. A Cleric shouldn't lie, should she? How naughty. Maybe I should spank you."