Helping A Friend

Co-written By: Myst and LJ




Kadyn wandered aimlessly around the stuffy store, mindlessly picking up odd articles only to put them down seconds later. He wasn’t terribly impressed with the place as it was far from clean or organized in the manner he was used to. Thank goodness it wasn’t a business he or his partner made a habit of frequenting. He was about to share his feelings of boredom when Vincent turned and smiled at him.

“Okay, sweetheart, I’ve got what I came for. I can’t believe that after searching for months online and in numerous musty book stores that specialize in antique first-additions, I finally found this treasure hidden away here in an out-of-the-way pawn shop. I’ll just pay for it and then we can go somewhere for dinner. It’s my treat for you being so patient.” Vincent wormed his way through the maze of shelving with Kadyn following closely behind him.

It was while they were standing by the cash register that Kadyn spied an article that looked very familiar. Stepping closer to get a better look, he recognized it as an appliance that had been stolen not that long ago from the home of two men they were good friends with.

“Psst,” he hissed in order to get his partner’s attention. “That espresso machine belongs to Zack and Rene,” he whispered, pointing at the shelf behind the proprietor. “We gotta get it back,” he insisted barely loud enough for Vincent to hear.

“Hush, Kadyn. We’ll talk it over later.” Vincent turned back to the business at hand and accepted his purchase. He frowned slightly, not caring for the look the shop owner was directing at Kadyn.

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting in a booth of one of their favourite restaurants and patiently waiting for their order to be filled. Kadyn was still trying rather keenly to convince his partner the item he saw most certainly belonged to Zack and Rene.

“There is no way you can be so positive, Kadyn,” Vincent insisted once again, glancing up at the waitress as she placed their meals on the table. He smiled and nodded his thanks before re-focusing his attention on the man sitting across from him. “It will be up to either Zack or Rene, or both of them, to identify it and inform the police should it prove to be theirs. You do realize that you’d be accusing the pawn shop owner of being in possession of stolen goods, which is illegal in and of itself, don’t you?”

“Well, he looked dishonest to me. Wouldn’t be surprised to find out he was the leader of a ring of thieves. I sorta felt like I was being spied on when we were in that shop. Might have even been one of his gang,” Kadyn mused as he cut into his steak. He took a bite and chewed it thoughtfully. Then he leaned forward and covertly whispered, “In fact, you know who he reminds me of? The guy in Oliver Twist: Fagin, the pick-pocket trainer. Except I kind of imagined Fagin looking something like a weasel while the pawn shop guy was a big slob.” Kadyn shuddered as he remembered the three-day’s worth of whiskers, the disgustingly dirty teeth, the light reflecting off a large bald spot on the top the man’s head and what greasy hair there was, tied back in a ponytail. “His collar and cuffs looked like they’d been put through a shredder, the neckline of his wife-beater undershirt seemed to be competing with his teeth as to which was more yellow, and I don’t think his face has come in contact with a razor blade in at least a couple of days. But I bet both Fagin and the pawn shop owner have shifty eyes half hidden under thick eyebrows.”

Vincent was secretly pleased that his young partner remembered a character in the book they had been reading. Kadyn could never be accused of being an avid reader; his interest leaning towards computer games. It was during the younger man’s recovery from the attack he had suffered this past winter that had led to Vincent reading the classic to him. Presently they were working their way through some of Dickens’ popular works.

“I don’t know, Vince, but if it was me I’d be questioning how he came to be in possession of that book you bought.” Kadyn emphasized his comment by stabbing the air with his fork.

“First off, my good man, you shouldn’t be judging people merely by their appearance. Secondly, you shouldn’t be hinting at them being involved in criminal activities. Thirdly, I am not at all interested in this train of thought going any further, understand?” Vincent bit back the smile that threatened at the disgruntled glower he received from his somewhat put-out companion.

So it ended up being Vincent’s decision to inform Zack and Rene of Kadyn’s suspicions and let them decide the best way to handle the situation. True to his word, he called their friends that very evening.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Rene and Kadyn met up for coffee a couple of days later. They had a habit of meeting like this as often as possible to break up their work week. Today, only one subject was on their minds; the espresso machine. Both wanted to check it out and see if it really was the one stolen from Zack’s and Rene’s home.

Any thoughts of following Zack’s directives not to go unaccompanied to the pawn shop, and Vincent’s strongly worded suggestion that Kadyn stay out of it, were swiftly discarded. The more they talked about the theft and all the resulting turmoil it had caused, the easier it became to convince each other to make a trip to Kelowna that afternoon to retrieve the stolen item. They didn’t let the fact that the pawn shop was on the seedier side of town, deter them.

Having already gotten a good look at the pawn shop’s proprietor, Kadyn was a little unsure about seeing the man again. However, he quickly got caught up in his friend’s ambitious plans to get back what belonged to him.

Kadyn led the way into the small dingy-looking shop. He knew his friend was fed up with being a victim to the people who had broken into their home and stolen their things. Now it was time to stand up and reclaim what belonged to them.

“That’s it on the shelf behind the counter.” Kadyn pointed to the machine once they were inside. Then he stepped back to let his friend examine the appliance and ask questions.

Rene walked up to the counter and looked carefully at the machine in question. He knew right away it was theirs. The scorch mark on the front of the stainless steel finish was very distinctive.

The proprietor came over at the sight of potential customers. He was a scruffy-looking older man who smelled of cigarettes and beer. “Can I help ya?”

“Yes, I’m here about that espresso machine,” Rene replied.

The man smiled through crooked yellow teeth, causing Kadyn to grimace in distaste. “That’s a beauty, ain’t it? New in the stores they sell for nearly two grand, but I can letcha have this one for only five hundred.”

“Where did you get it?” Rene demanded to know.

Kadyn was surprised to see the man suddenly looked defensive. “It was sold to me by the rightful owner,” the shopkeeper insisted.

“I’m afraid that’s not true. I’m the rightful owner of that machine and it was stolen from our home in a burglary last month.” Rene was equally unrelenting.

“You’re mistaken, mister. There’s lotsa machines out there that look like this one. Now if you’re not interested in purchasing anything, I suggest you leave.”

“I’m not buying my own property back,” Rene replied. “I know this is my machine. I recognise that scorch mark on the front and if you turn it around, you’ll find the plug has been replaced with a bright yellow one as the wiring had broken in the original.”

Kadyn had been looking from one man to the other and following the conversation closely. “He’s telling you the truth. I know ‘cause I’ve seen that exact espresso machine at his house many times,” he gallantly defended his friend.

The man warily looked at the back of the machine and saw the yellow plug. “That don’t mean nothing. I’ll bet lotsa them got replaced. Now you boys best get outta here before I call the cops on ya.”

“I’m calling them myself,” Rene retorted as he pulled out his cell phone. “I think they’d like to know that you buy stolen merchandise here.”

“You go for it, Rene!” Kadyn encouraged. Gone was any nervousness he had felt about coming here. He daringly stood his ground as the adrenaline began to rush through him.

Kadyn would never know what possessed him to do what he did next, but when the shop owner stepped out from behind the counter as if to challenge Rene, he rushed over and grabbed the item they had come after. “Come on, Rene! I got it! Let’s get out of here!” With that, he headed out the door as fast as he could, hoping the weight of the machine wouldn’t slow him down.

Kadyn’s sudden snatching of the espresso machine had Rene pausing just long enough for the shop owner to grab his arm.

“Hey! You thieving little bastard, get back here!” the old man yelled.

Somehow, Rene managed to wrench his arm from the man’s grasp and tear out the door at a run after his friend. Both young men were thankful for the older man being obese and slow. Both glanced back over their shoulders as they raced down the sidewalk. The man was standing outside of the pawn shop, shaking his fist at them as they ran for the car. Rene pulled his keys from his pocket and hit the remote entry to allow Kadyn to climb inside with the machine in his arms.

Kadyn was never so glad to hear a car door being unlocked. He hastily climbed into the passenger’s seat, puffing from both the exertion of running while carrying the unexpected weight and the fear pounding through his veins.

He breathed a sigh of relief when Rene jumped into the driver’s side and started the car up, pulling away from the curb. A blast of a horn told him that his friend had cut someone off in his haste, but fortunately hadn’t caused a collision.

“Oh my God, Kadyn, I can’t believe you did that!” Rene exclaimed. He was both panting and laughing with the exhilaration of getting away with his beloved espresso machine.

“I can hardly believe it myself,” Kadyn breathlessly muttered as he gazed wide-eyed at the machine on his lap. “Ah, do you think this means we stole something, even though it really belongs to you?”

“I don’t know. I mean it was stolen from us. Zack and I are the rightful owners. That guy would have hidden it away once we called the cops cause he knew damn well it was stolen merchandise. I’d like to know if he has anything else of ours. But I’m not going to worry about it. I’m just going to feel good that we got back at least one of the things that were taken from us.”

“Well I hope Vincent sees it that way too,” Kadyn mused with a shrug of his shoulders. “It’s too late to second guess myself now. No sir! It’s time to bask in the thrill of our success.” Kadyn was never one to fret over things. He always lived for the moment.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kadyn checked the clock on the kitchen wall for about the hundredth time. He groaned when he saw the hands had hardly moved since the last time he looked.

It wasn’t that Vincent was late, as the man was never late; it was just that time was dragging as it always did when you’re anxious to share some great news with someone. And did Kadyn have a story to impart or what!

Hearing the car pulling into the driveway, Kadyn ran to the window and stood bouncing on the balls of his feet as he watched Vincent get out and walk to the house. Then it was a rush to the back door, almost tripping over Bandit in his excitement to greet the one he’d been waiting for.

Vincent walked up the veranda steps, happy to be home. Although it had been a good day at the store, he missed that Kadyn hadn’t dropped in, even just to say ‘hi’ during lunch, like he did most work days.

Just as he reached the back door, it swung open and a second later, Kadyn was in his arms. “Hey Kadyn, I’m glad to see you too.” Vincent smiled as he gave his partner a quick kiss. “I take it you missed me as much as I missed you today.”

Kadyn tightened his arms in a very enthusiastic hug and stepped back, leaving Vincent slightly breathless. “Have I got a tale to tell you during supper, Vincent,” he announced before turning and rushing back into the kitchen. “Everything’s ready: warmed over stew, fresh rolls from the bakery, butter and V-8 juice.” He hurriedly filled their bowls and placed them on the table, then took his seat and waited expectantly for his partner to sit down.

Vincent sat down wondering what could have happened to so excite his partner. “Ahh, this smells wonderful!” His glance took in some of his favorite foods. “Well, tell me what happened. Did you get free advertising for the pottery store? Did Bandit finally stay when you told him to? Spill the beans,” he added with a chuckle.

Kadyn’s lopsided grin widened even more. “Nope, wrong on both counts. And I’ll have you know that my dog is doing so much better since attending those obedience classes you forced on us. Right, Bandit?” He snuck a piece of meat to his pet, hoping Vincent wouldn’t notice. Turning his full attention back to the man sitting across from him, he jubilantly made his announcement. “Remember that espresso machine we saw at the pawn shop the other day? Well it belonged to Zack and Rene just like I said it did, and today Rene and I went and got it back!” His young face just beamed with pride in what he considered an amazing accomplishment. It still hadn’t hit him yet as to what kind of danger he and his friend had put themselves in.

“Bandit doesn’t need your food,” Vincent reminded Kadyn with a grin, knowing it would take a while before his partner would stop feeding his pet at the table, even with Vincent reminding him.

Hearing Kadyn say that he and Renee got the espresso machine back made a frown appear on his face. “I thought we’d agreed to let Zack and Rene handle that. What do you mean the two of you got it back? And,” he added, “I want details.”

“That’s all for now, buddy. The man has spoken.” Kadyn reached down and patted his dog’s head. He watched with amusement as Bandit slowly made his way across the room, dropped down on the large doggie bed in the corner, stretched out with a yawn and immediately fell asleep. Finishing up what was in his bowl, he stood up and announced, “I’ll fill you is as soon as I get seconds, Vince.” He walked over to the stove, ladled two more scoops of warming stew into his dish and returned to his seat.

“Okay then; Zack and Rene are handling things. It’s just that Zack wasn’t available to go to Kelowna for a couple of days and Rene wanted to go right away. Zack had said he didn’t want Rene going alone, so I went with him,” Kadyn began explaining between bites. “Sure enough, as soon as Rene saw the espresso machine, he knew beyond a doubt it was theirs. The shopkeeper started telling us where he got the machine, but we all knew it was a load of crap. When Rene called him on it, he got real nasty and tried to kick us out. He went after Rene and I took advantage of him being occupied by grabbing the stolen item and running out of the store with it. The guy tried to chase us but he was too slow. We were able to get in Rene’s car and take off without anything bad happening. The espresso machine is now back where it belongs in Zack’s and Rene’s kitchen. Neat, eh?”

“Neat?” Vincent questioned in disbelief. “No, it was not neat! It was dangerous! Either of you or both of you could have been hurt. You said the shop owner got nasty and then chased you. You put yourself and Rene in danger. What if the shop owner had pulled out a gun?”

“A gun? Shit, we never thought about a gun!” Kadyn replied, his eyes widening. “You really think there’s a chance he had a gun?”

“I don’t know, but it was a possibility. I can’t believe you did that, and after we’d agreed to leave this to Zack and Rene. You purposely ignored what we’d decided and put yourself in danger.” Vincent ran his hands through his hair. “You know how I feel about clear cut disobedience. You knew better.” The older man got up and tugged Kadyn to his feet. “Wait for me in the study.”

“But Vince….” Kadyn cut himself off in mid-sentence when he clued in to the look on his Top’s face. He side-stepped the swat headed his way and shuffled down the hall, relying on Vincent to put Bandit outside. Although he hadn’t been given instructions to so, he figured it might help his situation if he was standing in the corner when Vincent got there.

He nervously waited in his self-designated spot, thumping his sock covered foot against the wall. He didn’t think he should be trouble as he had only been helping a friend. But he accepted that it was not his call to make; it was Vincent’s.

Vincent watched Kadyn leave the kitchen and took a deep breath. He could barely imagine the risks those two Brats had taken to get back an espresso maker. As he walked into the study a few minutes later, it was all he could do not to smile at the slightly dejected picture Kadyn presented. “Come here, babe,” he summoned, opening his arms.

The younger man turned around and saw the love in his partner’s eyes. Running over, he threw his arms around Vincent’s neck and hid his face against the older man’s broad chest. “I’m sorry, Vince. Guess I should have thought it through a bit before jumping in over my head, because we really were lucky to get away as easily as we did.” Kadyn’s voice was low and full of regret.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Vincent murmured comfortingly as he stroked Kadyn’s hair. “You’re both safe and that is what matters. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.” They stayed entwined in each other’s arms for a few minutes until Vincent felt Kadyn relax. “You all right now?” he softly inquired. Getting a nod in reply, Vincent gently untangled himself and asked, “Why am I going to spank you?”

“Because you told me to stay out of it and I disobeyed.” Kadyn sadly admitted with his head down to hide the tears that were beginning to form.

“That’s right. I’m not doing it because I’m angry, as I’m not; or even because you made a wrong decision.” Vincent spoke sympathetically but firmly. “But clear cut disobedience is something I will always spank for.”

Kadyn reluctantly nodded his understanding as he watched his Top take a seat on the leather sofa. Then he slowly unfastened his jeans, pulling them and his boxers down to mid-thigh. Without saying a word, he lowered himself over the older man’s lap and reached for a throw pillow.

Not waiting any longer Vincent began to spank, not stopping until he felt Kadyn’s surrender. He immediately gathered Kadyn into his arms, telling him how much he was loved and that everything was all right.

“That hurt more than any other time, Vincent,” Kadyn complained through his tears as he clung to the older man and sobbed into his shoulder. It had been an unusually harsher spanking than in the past, resulting in his jeans and boxers having been kicked off his legs to where they were presently lying on the carpet nearby. It took several minutes for him to calm enough to mutter his concerns for his friend. “I wonder if Rene’s also in trouble,” he mumbled, wiping his face on the front of his t-shirt.

“I’m sure the answer is ‘yes’ if he and Zack are in a relationship similar to ours,” Vincent mused as he gently rubbed his Brat’s back.

“He is,” Kadyn stated, feeling sorry for his pal. He sighed deeply and nestled further into his Top’s embrace. The sniffles and hitches finally slowed to a stop as he slipped into a post-spanking haze.

“Do you want to start a batch of chocolate chip cookies and I’ll tidy up from supper?” Vincent thought for once he’d ask the inevitable question before Kadyn did.

“Hmm, not yet.” Kadyn wasn’t ready to pick up the olive branch just yet. “My bum hurts too much to pull up my pants and I guess baking semi-nude wouldn’t be allowed, huh?”

“Nope, but a t-shirt, socks and boxers would be acceptable,” Vincent grinned at the idea of his Brat stirring ingredients while naked from the waist down.

“Okay, I can handle that much.” Kadyn stretched upward and planted a light kiss on the older man’s chin. “Thanks for taking care of things for me, Vince. We’re square now, right?” he asked, needing the reassurance as he always did after these sessions.

“Yes, everything is fine,” Vincent lovingly assured him. “Go ahead and clean up, then start your cookies,” he added, with an encouraging pat on Kadyn’s hip.

The End