Work Text:
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Half Termly Report: Michaelmas 1, 1993 |
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Name and Form |
Novak, Michael (Form VI Alpha) |
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Merits |
34 |
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Demerits |
5 |
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Detentions |
0 |
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Referrals to Housemaster |
0 |
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Referrals to Headmaster |
0 |
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Half Termly Report: Michaelmas 1, 1993 |
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Name and Form |
Novak, Gabriel (Form V Beta) |
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Merits |
22 |
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Demerits |
59 |
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Detentions |
6 |
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Referrals to Housemaster |
9 |
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Referrals to Headmaster |
1 |
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Half Termly Report: Michaelmas 1, 1993 |
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Name and Form |
Novak, Castiel (Form III Alpha) |
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Merits |
51 |
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Demerits |
17 |
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Detentions |
0 |
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Referrals to Housemaster |
0 |
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Referrals to Headmaster |
0 |
Dr Benjamin Novak was glad to be home. It had been a long flight, an unsatisfactory conference and some quite frankly appalling coffee. He had missed his loving wife, his luxurious walk-in shower and his Italian-made percolator with its freshly ground Colombian Roast. And he had missed the return of his three boys for their half term break. He was looking forward to catching up with them whilst they were home from boarding school.
Silently, he pushed his front door open and listened for any signs of life. There was a faint electronic beeping coming from upstairs, and he assumed the boys were in the snug playing one of their computer games on that Snuz thing they had got for Christmas one year. Snuz? Snaz? Snez? He couldn’t remember which, not that it mattered. Fenella was in charge of that sort of thing.
Speaking of Fenella, he could hear her melodious voice singing along to a song on the radio. She must be in her studio, daubing paint on some canvas or mushing some clay or something. Benjamin knew that Fenella’s art was highly regarded, that critics and customers alike clamoured for it (and paid handsomely for it) – but to him it was incomprehensible. It didn’t look like anything as far as he could see, and therefore he didn’t understand it. But he loved his wife and so would pretend for her sake and feign enthusiasm and delight. He had preferred it when she was going through her angel phase when they had first met and married – at least her winged sculptures and feathered canvasses had been recognisable.
He glanced at the post on the hall table, and spotted the familiar envelope from his boys’ school. Ah – half termly behaviour reports. He was going to need more coffee. Picking up the envelope, he went in search of his wife.
He found her humming away in her studio off the conservatory, and he crept up behind her in an attempt to surprise her.
‘Don’t you dare!’
He laughed, as she turned around and smiled at him.
‘How did you know?’ He wrapped his arms around her slight frame and kissed her.
‘I have three sons. I know all.’ Her eyes twinkled merrily as he kissed her again.
‘I missed you.’ He wiped at a smudge of paint on her cheek and she batted at his hand, ducking her head in a way that was reminiscent of one of the boys when they had been small.
‘How was your conference?’
He groaned. ‘Long. Dull. Unsatisfying. And with terrible coffee.’
Fen laughed. ‘Let’s get you a decent cup then, Mr Coffee-Snob.’
He grinned, following her as she led him back towards the kitchen. ‘That’s Doctor Coffee-Snob to you, Mrs Novak.’
She rolled her eyes good-naturedly as she fixed his drink, and he made an almost pornographic noise when he took the first satisfying sip. He sighed contentedly, enjoying the moment. It was good to be home. He would go and greet his boys soon, but he would luxuriate in the peaceful company of just his wife for a moment longer.
He glanced at the small pile of post that he had casually tossed on the counter, and began to rifle through it. He found the envelope from the school and held it up to his wife’s inspection. It had been opened so he knew she had already seen it.
‘So, does the school have anything interesting to report?’
Fenella calmly took a sip from her tea. ‘As expected, Michael and Castiel have been doing very well. Nothing much to report. Castiel has a few more demerits than usual, but not too many. It’s a long term and you know what that place is like. Demerits for the smallest thing. Besides, he got far more merits than demerits.’
Benjamin waited, and then cleared his throat pointedly. She was always trying to avoid talking about their mischievous middle child. Anyone would think he was her favourite, even although she adored all three of her boys equally. He frowned a little as she took another nonchalant sip.
‘Do I want to know about Gabriel?’
She sighed.
‘He’s not had the greatest term. See for yourself.’
Benjamin sighed as he pulled out the thin perforated printer paper from the envelopes. He smiled as he skimmed Michael’s print-out, and beamed when he saw the number of merits his youngest child had earned. He resolved to have a quiet word with Castiel to find out why he had more demerits than usual, check there was nothing more sinister than the boy’s natural scattiness going on, but, overall, he was very proud of him.
He took another sip of his coffee before picking up Gabriel’s print-out, and scowled as he scanned the page. 59 demerits – more than double the other two put together. 6 detentions – he did the mental maths and realised that Gabriel had spent every Saturday afternoon that term in detention. He sighed. 9 referrals to Mr Singer, his Head of House. Well, that probably explained the detentions.
It was the last line that made him furrow his brow the most. Gabriel had been sent to the Headmaster’s office. He frowned and looked up at his wife.
‘Do you know why Gabriel was sent to see Mr Morgan?’
She sighed. ‘No, not one of the boys mentioned it in their letters. And I didn’t want to spoil their first night back by asking about it.’
He nodded slowly, mind whirring as he considered the possible reasons. Then he stood up.
‘I guess now is as good a time as any. I’ll go and talk to him.’
Fenella bit her lip, but didn’t argue. She knew not to intervene with him disciplining the boys when they needed it. Instead, she stood and wrapped her arms around him and whispered ‘Don’t be too hard on him.’
He smiled sadly. ‘You make me out to be such an ogre. That boy deserves a hiding and that’s exactly what he will get. He needs to learn to behave.’
At that moment, the back door opened. Michael came in, tired and sweaty from a run. His face lit up at the sight of his father and he flung himself into the welcoming arms.
‘Dad! You’re back! I’m so glad, I missed you.’
Benjamin hugged his eldest warmly, enjoying the moment of closeness before his son remembered he was 18 and became self-conscious.
‘Hey, Michael. I missed you too. Have you seen your brothers?’
‘I think they’re upstairs, playing on the SNES with Dean – that’s Cas’s roommate, remember? He’s staying for half term?’
Benjamin smiled. ‘Yes, I remember.’ He hadn’t, and Fenella smiled knowingly at him. That changed his plans somewhat – he didn’t want to embarrass Gabriel in front of a guest by going upstairs and hauling him out of the snug.
‘Michael. Do me a favour – could you send Gabriel down? I’ll be in my study.’
Michael’s eyes flicked to the paperwork on the counter, noticing the distinctive perforated print-outs for the first time. He grimaced.
‘Oh. Yeah, Ok. I’ll go and get him for you.’
‘Thanks son.’
__________________________________________________________________________________
‘Gabe? Dad’s back. He wants to see you in his study.’
Gabriel was playing Street fighter II on the SNES, and trying not to let Dean beat him, when Michael came into the room. He looked up and then swore as Dean took advantage of his lapse in concentration.
‘Sorry, Michael – what did you say?’
‘Dad’s back. He wants you in his study.’
Michael’s eyes were sympathetic, and Gabe scowled when he realised what that meant. Dad had read his half termly behaviour report. Reluctantly, he put the controller down and got to his feet.
‘Ugh. Great. Wish me luck.’
Cas laughed from where he was curled up on the sofa and jokingly saluted Gabe. ‘You brought it on yourself, Gabe.’ He scolded playfully, and Gabe frowned. There was no need for that, especially in front of company. He glared at his younger brother, as Michael patted him on the shoulder.
‘God speed, baby bro’ Michael teased gently, eyes soft and affectionate as he squeezed his shoulder.
Gabe sighed and headed downstairs to his father’s study, the scene of many a confrontation between father and son. The door was ajar and he knocked and then poked his head through the gap.
‘Hey Dad. You wanted to see me, sir?’
‘Gabriel. Hello son, good to see you back. Come in, come and give your old man a hug, huh? I’m sorry I missed your return last night.’
Dad wrapped him in a bear hug and kissed the top of his head affectionately. Gabe hugged him back tightly. He had missed his Dad too, he always missed his parents when he was at school however much he pretended that he didn’t mind being sent away.
‘Sit down, come and tell me how you’re getting on at school.’
Gabe rolled his eyes. Gee, his Dad wasn’t exactly subtle, was he?
‘I know you’ve got my report. Why don’t you ask what you really want to, huh?’
Dad’s expression hardened, and Gabe shrank slightly from the flinty gaze.
‘Alright. Take a seat and let’s talk about your report.’
Gabe sat down on the couch with a sigh and his father picked up the print-out that was lying there on his desk.
‘So, 22 Merits and 59 demerits? Shall we start there? Or how about the fact that you seem to have been in detention every single week this term? Or shall we go straight to the big one and you tell me why you were sent to see Mr Morgan?’
Gabe chewed the inside of his cheek nervously, but met his father’s stern gaze bravely.
‘It’s not like I can remember every single reason I got a demerit. They give them out for practically breathing wrong at school, you know.’ He smirked, hiding his nerves.
‘Gabriel.’ Dad gave a warning growl.
‘Ok, Ok. You don’t want to know about the demerits then.’
‘Gabriel Novak! Stop avoiding the question and tell me what you did.’
Gabe winced, and tried not to think about the strap that his father kept in his desk drawer. If it had been for anything else, he would probably have got away with just a spanking. But when Michael had been paddled for smoking last year, Dad had given him one hell of a whipping and had promised all three of his boys that if any of them were ever caught smoking again he would wear them out. Damn it. Gabe felt tears prickle at the bridge of his nose and he took a deep breath. He didn’t want to, but he knew he would have to tell the truth.
‘I was caught smoking.’ He practically whispered.
Dad stilled, eyes narrowing to slits.
‘What did you say?’
Gabe lifted his chin from his chest and repeated the incriminating words. His stomach flipped at the furious look on his Dad’s face, and he flinched as his father slammed his fist down on his desk. For a moment, there was silence, and then Dad spoke.
‘You will stay here while I go and calm down because I can’t believe that another one of my boys is a smoker. You know how I feel about that. Especially with our family history of lung cancer. You stupid, stupid boy.’ Gabe shuddered at his father’s expression, and suddenly felt very small. Dad took a deep breath to calm himself, before speaking again. ‘While I’m gone, you’re writing lines. I will follow the school rules and behave myself at all times. As many as you can while I take a walk. I’ll deal with the rest of your punishment when I’ve calmed down. I’m too angry to whip you right now.’
Gabe gulped and watched as his father stalked out of the study. For a moment, he didn’t move. He really really didn’t want a whipping. He hadn’t felt Dad’s strap before, but Michael had described it in vivid detail last year. He said it was far worse than the hairbrush that Gabriel was more familiar with. Unwanted tears prickled in his eyes and he brushed them away in frustration. From what Michael had told him, he would be crying soon enough.
Mentally shaking himself, he went over to Dad’s desk. His father wouldn’t be very happy with him if he didn’t make an attempt at the lines he had set. He opened a few drawers, searching for some paper and a pen – and then hurriedly slammed shut one of the drawers when he saw the contents. He took a deep breath, and then curiosity got the better of him. He opened the drawer again and lifted out the strap from within. Passed to their father from their grandfather when Michael had first turned 13, it was much feared but rarely used in the Novak household. Only Michael had felt it so far. Dad tended to spank with his hand or with their mom’s hairbrush. That was bad enough. Gabe examined the strip of leather more closely, grimacing in distaste as he felt the weight of it. Yeah, he could see why Michael had complained bitterly about it. Gabe briefly considered hiding it, but he wasn’t suicidal. He swallowed anxiously, and shoved the horrid thing out of sight back in the drawer where it lived. Time to write some lines. Grabbing a pen, he started scribbling.
__________________________________________________________________________________
It was about three quarters of an hour later when Dad came back and wordlessly held out his hand for the lines. Gabe got to his feet and handed the sheets over, shaking out the ache in his hand. Dad hummed approvingly as he scanned the pages.
‘Good job, son. Thank you for co-operating. Sit down. We need to talk.’
Gabe’s eyebrows lifted in surprise. Clearly Dad had calmed down considerably.
‘You’re still getting a hiding. But I’m now calm enough to discuss it with you first.’
Gabe sighed. ‘Yessir.’ He sat down on the sofa. To his surprise, Dad sat down right next to him.
‘So, smoking? Was it a one off?’
Reluctantly, Gabe shook his head.
‘I can’t hear your head rattle, son.’ Dad chided, gently.
‘No sir.’
‘So you smoke regularly then?’
‘Yessir.’
Dad sighed. ‘When did you start?’
Gabe looked at his feet. ‘When I was 14.’
‘That long? Oh, Gabriel.’ The sadness and disappointment in Dad’s voice was palpable. ‘How many a day?’
‘Da-ad’.
‘How many, Gabriel?’
‘Five or six.’
Dad sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose wearily.
‘I can’t believe this. How many times have I warned you boys about the dangers of cigarettes? You are literally shortening your life with every single one you smoke.’
Gabe hugged his knees miserably. ‘I know, Dad. I’m really sorry.
‘So am I.’ Dad put an arm around his shoulders, pulling him against his side. ‘How about you tell me why you started?’
Gabe chewed his lip.
‘It was really dumb. I was just trying to fit in. Lots of boys smoke at school, Dad.’
‘And do many of them have an Oncologist for a father? Or have a strong family history of lung cancer, hmm?’
Gabe scowled. ‘No.’ Moodily, he nudged at the carpet with the toe of his sneaker, drawing abstract whorls in the pile and trying not to look at his father’s disappointed expression. Somehow, that was worse than the anger.
‘I didn’t mean to end up doing it regularly. It’s just…I found it calmed me down when things got too much, you know?’
‘If things were too much, you should have talked to your mother or I. Or even Michael.’
Gabe huffed. ‘You don’t understand what it’s like there, Dad. You never boarded. There’s pressure 24/7. Academic, peer – you get it from all sides all day long and you’re expected to just get on with things, obey and succeed.’
‘I see.’ Dad held him closer for a moment. ‘I still don’t understand why you didn’t talk to me.’
‘Because you wouldn’t understand. All you say is how lucky I am to go to such a prestigious place with such wonderful opportunities.’
‘Yes, and it is and you do.’
‘But you sent me away, Dad.’
‘For your own good, Gabe. You’re lucky to have such a chance at life. It wasn’t so easy for me.’
Gabe threw up his hands in despair. And his parents wondered why he didn’t talk to them and hid his problems from them.
‘You are quitting smoking right now. When we are done here, you will bring me all the cigarettes you have and I will sort you some Nicorette to help. Tomorrow, you’re coming with me on my visit to the hospice.’
‘Da-ad’. Gabe hated the hospice. It creeped him out and he cried himself to sleep every single time they visited Dad’s patients at holidays. His parents were big on the voluntary work.
‘Don’t argue with me. You’re going. I’ve a couple of terminal lung cancer patients I want you to meet.’
‘You can’t just parade your dying patients in front of me to scare me straight you know. I’m sure that’s unethical.’ He grumbled.
Dad laughed. ‘I’ll do whatever it takes. Besides, I’m not going to announce why you’re there. You can just go and chat to them and cheer them up a bit. Some of them don’t have any family to visit them. Think of it as a form of community service.’
Gabe sighed. ‘Fine. I’ll make nice.’
‘Good boy. Shall we get your punishment over with then?’
Gabe pouted. ‘I’m too old for a spanking, Dad. I’m practically 17.’
Dad snorted with amusement. ‘You were 16 in August. That was only two months ago. And I’ll tan your hide no matter how old you think you are if you need it.’
Gabe groaned.
‘Besides, Michael was 17 when he was caught smoking last year and he wasn’t too old for it then, was he? Stand up please.’
Gabe hesitated, and then reluctantly got to his feet. He watched as his father shifted to the centre of the sofa.
‘I’m going to give you a spanking and then finish up with your age with the strap. You still want to maintain that you’re basically 17?’ Dad raised an acerbic eyebrow and Gabe hastily shook his head.
‘No sir, I’m still 16.’
His father huffed an amused laugh. ‘That’s what I thought. Right then, jeans and shorts down and over my knee.’
‘C’mon, Dad. What am I, five?’ Gabe whined.
‘No, you are my sixteen year old son who has lied to me, endangered his health and got sent to the Headmaster. My sixteen year old son who is in enough trouble as it is and who had better not make it any worse. Jeans, shorts, NOW.’
Gabe muttered to himself as he dropped his pants and underwear. He blushed bright red as his Dad took hold of his wrist and tugged him down across his lap. It was a horribly familiar position for Gabriel, fingers and toes brushing the carpet as he was held ass up over his Dad’s knee, and it never failed to make him feel small and vulnerable. He took a deep breath and screwed his eyes shut. Perhaps if he pretended it wasn’t happening, he wouldn’t feel so humiliated.
His father wasted no time at all, bringing his hand down sharply across Gabriel’s buttocks with a resounding crack. Gabriel gasped. These were no love pats. His father had a strong arm and a hard hand, and Gabriel squirmed at the relentless onslaught.
‘Settle down.’ His father punctuated the instruction with two painful slaps to Gabriel’s thighs. Gabe bit down the smart retort that was on the tip of his tongue. He had learned over the years that this was not the time to smart off, no matter how tempting it was. It always ended with his ass smarting even more than the comment.
Dad was reddening his backside at random, making it very difficult for Gabriel to try to zone out from the punishment. Knowing his father, that was probably deliberate. He was a sneaky bastard like that. Tears prickled in Gabriel’s eyes as the stinging heat built, causing the boy to wriggle and clench his fists and jaw in a fruitless attempt to maintain his dignity. He would not cry, he would not. Not at such a childish punishment. He was sixteen years old for god’s sake. He would not cry over a spanking. No, absolutely not.
Gabriel’s stoicism lasted until the moment that his father adjusted him over his knee and attacked the area where his ass met his thighs. Thunderous smacks in that sensitive area brought tears to his eyes and he broke down and cried. His father finished up with five more painful whacks, and then rubbed Gabe’s back comfortingly.
‘It’s alright son, take the time you need and then we will finish up.’
Gabe practically wailed at the thought of being strapped on his already sore bottom.
‘Da-ad. Please. Please don’t. I’m sorry.’
‘I know you are. The spanking was for getting into trouble at school and your appalling behaviour report. The strap is for the smoking.’
Gabe cried harder, and his father gently guided him up to a standing position.
‘Take some deep breaths and calm yourself. It’ll be all over and done with and then you’ll be forgiven.’
Gabe wiped at his eyes with his sleeve, though tears still continued to flow. His father stood up and squeezed the back of his neck.
‘Let’s get this done. When you’re ready, bend over the back of the couch.’
‘C’mon Dad. Please? Mr Morgan already paddled me for smoking.’
‘Gabriel Novak, do not test me on this.’
Gabriel saw the resolute look in his father’s eyes and knew there was no point in arguing further. He scrubbed furiously at his wet face, drew a shaky breath, and then bent himself over the back of the couch. He could hear his father opening the desk drawer and then walking over to stand behind him.
‘Alright son, 16 licks and it’ll be done. Hold tight for me.’
Gabe couldn’t stop the whine from escaping when his Dad brought the strap down on his already smarting ass and a thin line of stinging pain burned across his backside. Jesus, that hurt. Michael had been right – it was awful. He yelped as a second burning stripe came down, and his eyes began to leak fresh tears. He’d never felt anything like it. Even Mr Morgan’s heavy school paddle didn’t sting quite like this. He gritted his teeth as the third lick fell, and he closed his eyes to try to distance himself from the pain. A fourth lick brought him up onto his toes and he clenched his fists against the desire to straighten up and beg his Dad to stop.
By the tenth lick, Gabriel was openly sobbing as he lay over the back of the couch. It honestly felt as if his Dad had whipped the skin clean off. His entire backside was throbbing and stinging and Gabriel wailed as his father continued to whip him methodically, slowly laying lick after lick down on his punished rear end. He howled as the sixteenth stripe landed, extra hard and right where he sat so he would feel it for days. Dimly, he was aware of his father dropping the strap on top of his desk and guiding him back up to stand and pulling up his pants.
Gabe clung to his Dad, sobbing and shuddering into the man’s familiar smelling shirt, and allowed himself to be comforted.
‘It’s alright my love, you’re ok. It’s all over. You’re forgiven. I love you. You’re alright, you’re ok. Shh, sweetheart, it’s all over. Slate’s clean now, baby. All’s forgiven.’
Dad wrapped his arms tightly around him and rocked him gently, kissing his hair and whispering soothing endearments. Gabe cried and sniffled and leaned into his Dad’s gentle caresses, enjoying the feeling that he had been forgiven. Dad produced a handkerchief from somewhere, and Gabe wiped his eyes and blew his nose gratefully.
Dad continued to hold him close until Gabe had stopped crying, and then pressed a final kiss to the top of his head.
‘C’mon then, son. Let’s go and wash your face and then we can get rid of your cigarettes.’
Gabe sighed and wiped his eyes.
‘Yes sir.’
Dad squeezed his shoulder affectionately, and then led him out of the study.