The compass that guides - Ateez spanking stories

the curious case of the missing cane (hongjoong & mingi)

TW: references to and talk about abuse

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Mingi was knelt beside Seonghwa's bed, when Hongjoong went upstairs. He was sitting hunched over on himself, but he straightened with a jerk when he saw Hongjoong and pushed his balled fists higher above his head.

"You can lower your arms, Min."

The younger obeyed immediately, relief showing on his face for a moment before the nervousness returned in full force.

Hongjoong seated himself on his own bed, studying Mingi for a few moments before he spoke. "Do you know what you did wrong?"

Mingi gave a prompt nod. "Yes, hyung. I overworked. And I didn't eat this morning. Lied to you when you asked me if I'd eaten. I'm-I'm sorry."

He almost tripped over his words as he spoke, and Hongjoong eyed him rather worriedly. The kid was clearly anxious about the punishment to come, and Hongjoong half wished that he hadn't left him quite that long to stew before coming up to deal with him. Mingi hadn't been exactly cooperative when Hongjoong had confronted him with the evidence of his misdeeds (the untouched bowl of soup stashed in the fridge, the way too many hours logged on the studio computer) and Hongjoong had hoped that leaving him to kneel for a while might put him in a better frame of mind for correction. But it seemed that the wait had maybe been a little too long.

Catching Mingi's anxious eyes, Hongjoong gave him a soothing look.

"I'm glad you're admitting your mistakes, Mingi-yah. You know the rules. This deserves a spanking."

Mingi nodded, biting his lip as he looked down at his lap.

Hongjoong stood up and went to the wardrobe. He didn't miss the way that Mingi flinched a little, hunching further into himself.

The instruments of torture, as Wooyoung liked to call them, were kept in the back corner of the closet that he and Seonghwa shared. There were only two, really - an antique hairbrush courtesy of Hongjoong's own mother and a stick that Seonghwa had procured early in their rookie days after a particularly nasty fight that had somehow involved the entirety of the 99-line and Hongjoong himself to boot. Certainly not one of his proudest moments as leader.

Mingi's actions today, while certainly deserving of a good hard spanking, didn't quite warrant the stick. That thing was ruthless. Hongjoong picked up the hairbrush.

It was only when he straightened again, with it in his hands, that he realised that the stick was not in its usual spot.

He bent down again, pushing Seonghwa's winter jacket out of the way to get a better look.

There was no sign of the stick.

Puzzled, Hongjoong peered into the closet for a few moments more. Of course, the stick wasn't always in that spot. But he was certain that he'd put it back, some months ago after an unpleasant discussion with San. That was the last time that the stick had been used, to his knowledge.

With a nasty suspicion forming, Hongjoong strode over to the door.

"Seonghwa!"

"Yeah?" came the answering shout form the lower floor. "What's that?"

Hongjoong went out into the hallway. Seonghwa appeared at the bottom of the steps, holding a knife and half an onion. He was clearly in the middle of making dinner.

"Did you put the stick somewhere?"

Seonghwa frowned. "No...it's not in the closet?"

"No."