Under the Bed 2 (or Gotcha!)

Connor hid under the bed, a precocious smile playing on his lips as he heard Mark make his way up the stairs.  Mark had called his name a couple times, sounding concerned, but Connor had remained silent, needing to keep quiet to play his little prank. 

All he could see was Mark’s stocking feet and the bottom of his jeans as his partner came into their bedroom, but that was all Connor needed.  He waited patiently for his opportunity, stifling a snicker as Mark sat on the edge of their bed, the mattress over top of Connor lowering slightly.  The older man’s feet were in reach and Connor waited just until he knew Mark was settled before doing a fast and sudden grab at his partner’s ankles.

The yell was better than he had hoped for and he laughed out loud from his place under the bed.

“Connor?!” Mark asked breathlessly and with no small amount of irritation.

Connor was too amused to notice the tone and poked his head out.  “Gotcha!” he laughed.

“Gotcha?!  GOTCHA?!” Mark responded, flabbergasted. 

In another moment Connor found himself being grabbed and hauled up from under the bed.  That action was quickly followed by the crack of several hard swats on his backside.

“You scared the life out of me!” Mark said angrily as he turned Connor to face him.

The younger man hadn’t been expecting his partner’s anger, and it both made him sorry and defensive.

“I’m sorry!  It was just a joke, Mark!  You didn’t have to spank me for it!”

Mark took a noticeable breath, trying to calm down.  That’s when Connor noticed that his usually calm and dependable husband and Top was actually shaking.

“Mark?  I’m sorry…really,” he repeated more sincerely this time.  “It was just a prank.  Are you ok?”

Mark managed a nod as he sat on their bed and pulled Connor down next to him.  “I will be, but buddy…please…consider some things before you plan something like that again.  I thought you were an intruder!”

Connor’s face was regretful.  “I never meant for you to think that.  I was sure you’d know it was me.”

“Maybe I would have if you hadn’t left the front door unlocked and there wasn’t a strange car parked behind our house.”

Connor’s eyes widened.  He hadn’t realized that he’d forgotten to lock their small home’s front door, and the car in the back was his friend Mitch’s.  Connor had told him he could park it there and do some work on it that weekend, but that discussion had happened after Mark had left for work that morning.  He explained that to Mark and in return was pulled into a hug.  Although much calmer, Connor could still feel his husband’s harder than normal heartbeat as he was held against his chest.

“Are you ok?” he had to ask again.

“I am.  I promise, but whatever put that idea in your head?” Mark had to ask.

“Well, we fell off the bed the other night and I saw all the clutter that was under it.  So I decided to clean it all out, and then I remembered hiding under my sister’s bed and scaring her like I did to you, so it seemed like a hilarious idea to do it again,” Mark explained with a rather rushed tone that was followed by an expression of sheepish amusement.  “You yelled louder than she ever did.”

Mark swatted the younger man’s hip lightly.  “Want me to make you yell louder than me?  Scaring the daylights out of your Top and then making fun of him for it seems like a spanking offense to me.”

“Maaarrrkkk,” Connor whined.  “No, it’s not!  And you already spanked me!”

“That was nothing.  Go on now.  Go get the paddle.”

Connor looked aghast.  “Mark!  No…that’s not fair!  I…I…”

He was cut off when Mark made an abrupt move and put him on his back, pinning him to the mattress as the larger man’s weight rested purposefully against him.

“Gotcha!” Mark told him.