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As a general rule, TK did not sleepover after random hookups or during relationships. He also maintained the notoriety for falling asleep with the TV on or looking at his phone. Not even Alex had known the issue and TK was planning on living a life where no one ever knew. His dad knew, of course, and he was sure his mom did too (his parents still talked, often about him), but he tended not to ask questions or start conversations about him being 26 and still afraid of the dark.
But now it was after midnight and TK’s Uber cancelled for the second time while he waited on Carlos’s couch. He was prepared to start walking the five miles back to his dad’s place, but Carlos came up and wrapped his arms around him.
“Why don’t you just stay the night?” Carlos asked.
“Nah,” TK said. “I’ll just order another.”
“Come on,” Carlos wheedled. “It’ll be nice. In the morning I’ll make breakfast and drive you home.”
TK knew it would look weird if he kept saying no and he liked Carlos enough that he really wanted to stay. He just also very much did not want to stay here in the dark and have Carlos find out that despite being a grown man with a pretty badass job, he was also terrified a monster would get him in the dark.
“If I’m staying,” TK said slowly, “we don’t have to sleep.”
“Easy. I’m not sure I have it in me for round three. C’mon.”
TK let Carlos tug on his hand, guiding him back up the stairs and to the bed again. Going up there to sleep was a much different experience than going up there for every other reason he could think of and he wanted to shy away again, but he wouldn’t. Worst case, he realized with a flush, was that he could always call Owen to come get him just like he’d done at every sleepover as a kid. It was adorable when he was six. Now it was just lame.
One side of the bed was less used and TK curled up on it, pulling his phone out and staring absentmindedly at videos with subtitles and no sound. He’d pulled it out before Carlos had had a chance to turn out the light and was glad that he had because it became abundantly clear that once his phone screen was turned off, the room would be in total darkness.
“TK, put the phone away, baby. It’s too bright.”
TK shook his head a little, his phone up in one hand while he tore a hangnail off between his teeth. “I’ll turn the brightness down.”
“No,” Carlos said. “Turn it off. It’s time to sleep, TK.”
“Sorry, I’ll go downstairs if it’s disturbing you. I can call another Uber. I’m just not that tired.”
Considering his half-lidded eyes, this was a lie and Carlos both knew it and wouldn’t let it slide. He sat up on his half of the bed and reached for the bedside lamp.
“What’s going on?”
TK hated the relief that flooded through him as the room was bathed in a warm glow once again.
“Nothing,” TK said. “I’m just not tired.”
“Bullshit. You were practically falling asleep downstairs waiting for your car. Tell me why you won’t put your phone down.”
“It’s nothing. I’m just scrolling until I fall asleep.”
“Looking at the screen is just going to keep you up longer. You need to put it away because we don’t need a grumpy TK in the morning.”
“I’m not going to and I’ll be fine in the morning.”
Carlos regarded him and sighed. He pushed the blanket off of him and kicked his legs back over the side of the bed, planting his feet firmly on the floor.
“Come here, please,” Carlos said.
“No,” TK whined, shaking his head at what he knew Carlos was insinuating.
“Baby boy, I’m hearing a bunch of no’s from you and you’re not practicing healthy habits. If you wanted a bedtime spanking, you could’ve just asked.”
TK squirmed, shaking his head again. “I don’t want one.”
“Then maybe it’ll be effective in getting you to listen to me. Come here, Tyler.”
TK whined as he came over, losing his phone momentarily in the blankets as he scrambled over to Carlos, who leaned back to pluck it from where it fell. He weighed the phone in his hand for a moment and then tucked it in his own nightstand. Once that was taken care of, Carlos took TK’s hands and pulled him between his legs.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” Carlos asked.
“No!”
“That’s fine. Maybe after we warm your bottom a little you’ll be willing to talk.”
Carlos guided TK down and over his lap, then gently pulled his pants down to mid-thigh. An hour ago, he’d been staring at this ass under different circumstances, but Carlos was more than happy to give this behind everything and anything it needed. He brought his hand down quickly, watching as TK’s skin immediately pinked up and smiled slight as TK yelped and whined.
“Carlos, no! I don’t want this! Let’s just go to bed.”
“You had the chance to put the phone down and go to bed,” Carlos reminded him. “You didn’t take it.”
TK whined and kicked out again as Carlos kept bring his hand down. They’d been doing this for awhile, since right about the time they realized that whatever this was would be more regular than casual, but it didn’t mean that TK liked having his backside painted red. And Carlos never went easy. It was like his hand was built to perfectly smack across his sit spots and the tops of his thighs.
“Tell me why you wouldn’t put the phone down.”
TK shook his head out, crying out as Carlos kept up the momentum. He was lifted slightly to give a better angle to his under curve and tears streamed down his face. It didn’t matter now why his phone was put down because by the time Carlos finished with him, his backside would be lit up enough to illuminate the darkness.
“Come on. You just need to tell me what’s going on and I’ll stop.”
“Stop now!” TK whined. “I just wanted to play on my phone, Carlos! That’s it!”
“Do you need your mouth washed out, too?”
“Carlos!”
“You know how to get me to stop. Either tell me what’s going on our safeword. Those are your options.”
TK started to sob, going limp over Carlos’s knees, but he kept shaking his head, gasping and whining. “I can’t!””
“Can’t what?” Carlos asked, hovering his hand over TK’s rear.”
“I can’t sleep!” TK cried. “I’m sorry! It’s dark, it’s too dark! I need the light!”
At once, Carlos stopped spanking him and had TK flipped up the other way so he was sitting in Carlos’s lap, crying into his shoulder like a scared little boy. Carlos murmured softly, pushing a hand under TK’s shirt to rub gentle circles on his back. TK shook, entirely too embarrassed with his crying and his admission.
“Baby, are you afraid of the dark?” Carlos cooed softly, managing not to seem patronizing. TK whined and pressed his face further into Carlos’s neck the way he’d done a dozen of times by now despite wanting to get up and run away. He couldn’t bring himself to do that though and Carlos just held him tighter. “It’s okay.”
Carlos held him for a little while longer and then gently transitioned him to lying on the bed flat on his tummy, telling him he’d be right back with some water. TK didn’t listen and got up from the bed, following him down to the kitchen and wrapping his arms around himself.
“Here,” Carlos said, handing him a mineral water. “Drink this. Slow sips, TK.”
TK took the bottle and started to drink slowly, scrubbing at his face with his other hand. He couldn’t manage to look Carlos dead in the eye.
“So, do you always just play on your phone until you fall asleep?”
“No,” TK mumbled. “Not at home.”
“What do you do at home?”
TK thought of the little nightlight he kept in his underwear drawer and how every night he’d take it out and plug it in the outlet nearest his bed with a flush. On the nights when the light would burn out – because they only ever burned out before bedtime – he would clamber into bed with Owen, feeling entirely too pathetic as his daddy would scratch at his scalp and murmur reassuring words to him until he slept. The next day, a new nightlight would appear in his underwear drawer without TK having to buy one himself.
“Nightlight,” TK mumbled, his face matching his bottom cheeks.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Carlos said softly.
“It’s embarrassing!” TK whined. “I’m too old. I didn’t want you to ever know.”
“Everybody’s got their thing.”
“Yeah, but nothing as embarrassing as being afraid of the dark at my age.”
“Hey,” Carlos said. He leaned forward and kissed TK’s forehead gently. “Don’t be embarrassed. Is this why you haven’t slept over before?”
TK shrugged and took another drink of mineral water before pushing the bottle away, rubbing at his face again. He was so tired.
“Baby,” Carlos crooned.
“Not a baby,” TK scowled lightly, the word hitting a little too close to home.
“You’re my baby,” Carlos said, kissing his forehead again. “Come on, I can fix this.”
“What, you magically have some nightlight you can plug in for your loser boyfriend.”
“Keep talking like that and you’re going to get another spanking for not being kind to yourself,” Carlos warned. “You’re not a loser, Tyler.”
“Sure,” TK snorted. “I’m just a twenty-six year old afraid of monsters in the dark.”
“It’s sensible to be afraid of the dark,” Carlos said. He went in the bathroom and grabbed a nightlight he kept in there and then took TK’s hand, leading him back up the stairs and plugged the light in next to the bed, a warm glow illuminating TK’s side of the bed. “Is that better?”
TK nodded miserably, letting Carlos push him down into the sheets and he curled up on himself, looking at the light. He felt Carlos climb into bed next to him, arms wrapping around him and pulling him tight.
“You sure you don’t want me to go?” TK said.
“I want you to close your eyes and get some sleep,” Carlos murmured. “I’ll protect you, TK.”