Chapter 2

“Leo?” He found himself looking into Abbey’s concerned brown eyes the moment he opened the door.

“What are you doing here? You should be with him,” Leo growled tersely, letting her in anyway.

“I was worried about you. I saw the expression on your face when you left earlier and you sounded so formal and distant on the phone when you called,” Abbey told him, following him into the room. “Jed’s asleep anyway – I gave him a shot and I left him with Charlie. He shouldn’t wake for several hours – he won’t even know I’ve been gone.”

“He needs you,” Leo snapped, wanting her to leave so he could drink himself into oblivion.

“He needs you too,” she said softly. “Leo? What happened? What…oh!” Leo turned and realized that she had seen the bottle on the table. “Leo,” she said again, reaching out to touch his shoulder. “Please – don’t drink. Promise me you won’t drink. Not about this. Please.”

“I don’t know that I can make that promise,” Leo told her grimly.

“Leo…”

“I love him, Abbey and I could have hurt him tonight – I mean, seriously hurt him.”

“You couldn’t have known. It isn’t your fault. He didn’t tell me either! He didn’t tell anyone. You know what he’s like – he hates to admit he even has this disease, let alone actually be ill.”

“You don’t understand.” Leo shook his head. “He didn’t just hide it – he went out of his way to distract me so I wouldn’t notice. If I hadn’t seen – right at the last minute…” He shook his head, shuddering again. “I can’t trust him any more, Abbey, and it’s all about trust. What we do on Friday night – what he trusts me to do…I have to be able to trust him too, Abbey. It works both ways.”

“Then you need to tell him that,” she said firmly. “When he gets better. You need to tell him, Leo – and make him hear.”

“He never likes being wrong.” Leo shook his head.

“No,” Abbey agreed, putting an arm around his shoulders and rubbing gently. “But he always accepts he’s wrong if you tell him. Always. He’s needed to impress you all his life, Leo and that’s never going to change. I can tell him he’s wrong and we’ll have a huge fight about it. You tell him and he listens. He always does.”

“I’m not sure I can do this any more,” Leo said, sitting down in the armchair, and gazing up at her in despair. Her eyes flashed in alarm.

“Leo, please…he needs you. I need you.” She gave a tearful little shake of her head. “We both need you. You know I’ve never been jealous of your place in his life. I know he loves you – he always has. I know he loves me too and I know that you and I both want what’s best for him. Don’t make any decisions tonight, Leo. Give it time – give him time to apologise, to make things right again. He’s devastated that he let you down – I could see it in his eyes. Please…”

“I don’t know.” Leo shook his head. “I’m not sure what *can* make this right, Abbey.”

“Leo – you’ve always been there for him. I don’t believe – not for a second – that this has changed that. You’re hurt and you’re angry and that’s fine. You have every right to be, but you and I both know you won’t give up on him.”

Leo considered that for a moment, and then gave a little laugh and shook his head wryly. “Yeah,” he muttered.

“There’s no universe I can even imagine where Leo McGarry isn’t Jed Bartlet’s closest friend and advisor, where he isn’t always there, at Jed’s side, where Jed isn’t leaning on him, needing him – in so many different ways.” She smiled at him, clearly relieved that she seemed to be getting through.

“I’m not bailing on him, Abbey,” Leo sighed. “It’s just that when we began this arrangement I never expected to feel like this. Maybe I was naïve – yeah, it was highly unconventional,” He shot her another wry grin, “but it worked – and not just for him. I like the way it makes me feel when he surrenders everything to me. I never knew I’d like it so much but I do. I guess the way I’m feeling right now is the downside of it. I’ll figure it out. I just need some time and space.”

“Okay.” Abbey bent and kissed his head. “Take whatever time and space you need.” She straightened and walked towards the door. “You won’t drink will you, Leo?” She asked.

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I hope not.”

“Want me to take the bottle?” She asked. He thought about it, and then shook his head.

“No. I need to figure this one out for myself. I’ll see you, Abbey.”

She shot him one last, worried glance, and the nodded, as if realizing this was down to him and him alone. “Okay. Get some sleep, Leo. You’re a good friend – to us both.” And then she was gone.

Leo sat and gazed at the bottle for a long time. What was it he’d said once, when Margaret had been worrying that news of his divorce coming through would prompt him to fall off the wagon? “I’m an alcoholic. I don’t need an excuse to drink,” he’d said – and wasn’t he just using Jed as an excuse right now to do something he wanted to do every single day of his life? He was an alcoholic – he might not have touched a drop of alcohol in years but that didn’t change the fact that he was an alcoholic. Yes, he’d had a bad day, but using Jed to justify drinking again was just cowardly, and he wasn’t going to let himself or anyone else down by doing it.

Leo grabbed the bottle and opened it, then strode into the bathroom and emptied the contents down the sink. He could smell the whisky, and wanted it so badly it was all he could do to allow the amber liquid to trickle away from him, but then the bottle was empty, and he felt a little spark of satisfaction deep inside. He returned to the bedroom, feeling as empty as the bottle, and lay on the bed with a sigh. He thought of Jed, wanting what Leo gave him on Friday nights so badly that he would lie and dissemble in order that they could have those precious few hours alone together, wrapped up in each other’s arms. It wasn’t just about the spanking – it was hardly even about that, Leo thought sometimes. It was about Jed finding a retreat, away from the pressures of being president, for just a few hours a week. It was about Jed connecting back to himself and finding a way to relax, and it was about Leo being happy to help him do just that. Yes, Jed had been wrong, but not because he’d deliberately set out to hurt Leo – he’d only wanted Leo’s company and undivided attention so much that he’d do just about anything to get it. Leo could empathise with that – Friday nights were the highlight of his week too. No, Leo understood why Jed had behaved the way had; the question was – where did they go from here? Leo wasn’t sure he knew the best way to handle something of this magnitude. There had been a very real breach of trust between them, and he had to make Jed see that – but how? And how did they make it right again? Leo didn’t have any answers to that question, and at some point he fell into a deep, troubled sleep.

The first thing Leo did the following morning was get an update on the president’s physical condition. A tired Abbey told him that Jed was doing fine – he was still sick, and would be for a few days, but she had every hope that this episode of his illness would follow the same pattern as previous attacks, leaving him fatigued but essentially fine.

“He keeps asking for you, Leo,” she told him. “As soon as he woke up. I didn’t have to tell him anything – he knows he screwed up with you last night – big time – and he’s desperate to make amends for that. Will you be visiting?” She couldn’t keep the hopeful note out of her voice and Leo struggled for a moment with their expectations of him and his own need for some space in which to work this out in his head.

“Abbey – I have 101 things to deal with this morning with him being out of action – not least a meeting with the senior staff to discuss how we handle the press briefing. It’s not…” He took a deep breath and continued. “It’s not that I don’t care about him – I just haven’t figured this out yet and I need to have figured it out before I see him.”

“I understand. I’ll tell him that,” she said wearily.

Leo wasn’t entirely sure how he got through the morning, let alone the next few days. His head was pounding and he found it hard to keep his temper with the senior staff who went round and round on the issue of how to treat the president’s relapse and what they should say to the press until he thought he would yell at them. It wasn’t helped by the fact that he still had no idea how to deal with Jed on a personal level. He knew his friend had to be hurting because of Leo’s refusal to visit him, but Leo shied away from that. He just didn’t know what to say to Jed right now, and he didn’t want to end up saying the wrong thing so he preferred to stay silent. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have enough to do in Jed’s absence anyway, so it was easier to let the time slip by and stay in the office than to take that short walk up to the Residence that he was dreading.

Leo still hadn’t come to a decision by Monday morning – and when they needed Jed’s signature on some official documents, it was Josh he sent up to the Residence with them. Josh returned half an hour later, with a concerned look in his eyes. He handed Leo the signed documents and Leo dismissed him with a curt “thank you”. When Leo looked up a couple of minutes later, he found Josh still standing there, his dark eyes radiating his unease.

“You’re still here,” Leo commented unnecessarily.

“Yeah. I…Leo…have you been to see him?”

Leo glanced down at the documents he was sifting through, ignoring Josh’s comment.

“Leo…” Josh began.

“No I haven’t. What do you want from me?” Leo growled, still not taking his eyes off the documents.

“He doesn’t look so good,” Josh said softly.

“Well he wouldn’t. He’s got MS and he just had an episode a few nights ago.”

“Not that – sure, he looks ill, but that’s not what I meant when I said he wasn’t looking good. You know the way he gets when something’s eating him up inside and he doesn’t know what to do about it? He looks like that. Leo – what’s going on?”

“It’s none of your business,” Leo told him sharply. “You know I won’t discuss what happens privately between me and the president…”

“So something *did* happen?” Josh questioned. Leo sighed and leaned back in his chair, removing his glasses wearily.

“Josh, drop it,” he said.

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out at least some of it,” Josh murmured. “I know you were seeing him on Friday evening and I know that’s when he was taken ill.”

“Josh!” Leo growled warningly. Josh flinched, but continued all the same.

“Leo – you have to go and see him. I’ve never seen him looking like this before. Usually he’s so confident and full of himself, but now he’s subdued and he has this absent look in his eyes. He looks kind of like a beaten puppy…”

Leo flinched and clenched his fists hard. Josh stopped and blinked, as realization sank in.

“Leo…you can’t be blaming yourself for this,” he said softly.

“I’m not. I’m blaming him,” Leo snapped back. “Josh, I told you to leave this.”

“I know. I ignored you.” Josh gave him a wry smile. “Leo, this isn’t like you. You normally manage everything – you just seem to know how to handle everything. You don’t…” He stopped short. Leo glanced up at him.

“Oh by all means continue,” he said with a weary wave of his hand. “I’m sure you want to.”

“You don’t usually avoid things,” Josh finished. “I’ve never known you avoid anything. It’s just not you. You always have a strategy or a solution. You’re always the one we rely on to have the answers or at least to nag us until we come up with them.” He gave another wry grin.

Leo sighed, and shook his head but Josh was hitting on all his raw nerves. Leo knew he needed to talk this through with someone and there really wasn’t anyone else he could discuss this with. “Josh, if you deceived me about something incredibly important – not something you’d done here, but something about the relationship we have on Friday nights – what would you expect me to do about it?” He asked, trying to keep the question as general as possible.

Josh gazed at him steadily for a moment, clearly understanding Leo’s current dilemma.

“Leo, you know what I’d expect,” he said.

“Spell it out for me,” Leo replied, glancing at his office doors to make sure they were shut and he was alone with his deputy.

“Leo – firstly, I’m way too scared of you on Friday nights to deceive you about anything, but if I did…and I’m having trouble even imagining that, then well…I don’t know what you’d actually do but I know what I’d be worried you’d do and I know what I’d hope you’d do.”

Leo frowned at his deputy, who seemed to have side-stepped the question. “Typical politician’s answer,” he muttered grumpily. “Elaborate please, Josh.”

“Well, I’d be worried you’d end it – worried that I’d pushed you too far and you wanted shot of me – but that might just be me. He’s nowhere near as neurotic as I am.” Josh gave a self-deprecating grin and Leo gave a wry shake of his head. No, Jed wasn’t anywhere near as neurotic as Josh, but that didn’t mean he was invulnerable – only Leo knew how much Jed sometimes took things to heart because Jed didn’t share that side of his personality with anyone but Leo and Abbey.

“And what would you hope I’d do?” He asked, not sure that he wanted to know the answer.

“Punish me,” Josh replied. “I mean, really punish me – so it counted and I knew I’d been forgiven. Not for fun – not for the thrill or the turn on, but for absolution.”

“You know, sometimes I have trouble understanding that concept,” Leo sighed. “How do you manage to compartmentalize punishment in that way? I’m not wired like you and him.”

“You understand it – you always seem to get it. You seem to know when we really need to be punished and when we just need to play at it. When it’s fun and when it’s for real. It’s almost like it’s an instinct with you. You’ve always understood it, Leo. You’ve always understood *us* – me as well as him and we’re wired differently to each other too. You know I find it a turn on and you also know that sometimes it’s more than that – sometimes I just want to be punished – it’s kind of like I’m being absolved or forgiven or something and then I feel much happier after.”

“Yes.” Leo considered that thoughtfully. Josh and Jed had very different needs and while it seemed almost illogical to Leo, the truth was that you could spank Josh as part of an erotic game and spank him as a punishment for a misdeed and those 2 spankings would feel very different to him, even if they were essentially the same in terms of force applied and number of strokes given. Part of that was the ritual surrounding it of course and how Leo conducted that ritual, and part of it was Josh’s own mental response. Jed was different though. He never found any eroticism in being spanked. He hated it and made no secret of that fact…and yet he had the same need for absolution and forgiveness that Josh had – and, when he had done absolutely nothing he needed to atone for at all, spanking somehow brought him back down and connected him with himself, making him able to relax and settle inside his own skin. Leo knew what Josh was saying to him, and shook his head. “I’m not sure I can do it,” he murmured.

“You have to,” Josh replied. “Leo, you have to. If you don’t he’ll never forgive himself. You don’t understand how good you are at this. You understand me in a way nobody ever has before – he does too, because he’s coming from a similar place, but you understand without being wired like us – you just seem to know what we need on an almost instinctive level. I’m really grateful for that and I’ll bet he is too. We’re lucky to have you… please don’t give up on him – on either of us.”

“You don’t understand,” Leo murmured in an anguished tone, finally letting the barriers down and revealing the source of his current dilemma, giving Josh a glimpse into the secrets of his soul – secrets that he usually kept very closely guarded. “Josh…I didn’t get it right on Friday. I got it wrong. I got it very wrong. Supposing that happens again? I’m not sure I can trust myself to do this properly.”

Josh swallowed hard and the muscles in his jaw tightened. He leaned forward and looked his boss directly in the eye. “Leo, I’m going to tell you what you’d say to me if I came at you with this: This is your responsibility and it isn’t one you can evade or drop because you’ve lost your nerve. There *is* nobody else. There’s just you, and you’ve always been strong enough to make the hard choices, to follow through on the decisions that nobody wants to take responsibility for, and to lead him where he needs to go, however hard he – and you – find it. That’s what you are, Leo. That’s *who* you are – and that’s who we need you to be.”

Leo gazed at Josh for a long time, trying to find any flaw in the young man’s argument – any weakness at all – but there was none. It was hard advice, but it was what he had needed to hear right now – and Josh was right; it was precisely what he would have said to himself if he wasn’t going through this crisis of confidence. The weight of his responsibility settled around his shoulders once more, but it felt comfortable and familiar. It anchored him in place and gave him the steadiness to push the uncertainties of the past few days aside.

“Okay.” He nodded firmly. “I think it’s time I paid the president a visit.” Josh smiled and walked towards the door. “Josh – thank you,” Leo said softly. “When all this is over you’ve earned yourself a big reward – of the non-punitive kind,” he added, with a smile. Josh smiled back so broadly that his dimples almost took over his entire face. Leo gave him a nod, and then got up and left his office to make the short walk up to the Residence.

Jed was sitting up in bed when Charlie showed Leo into the room. Leo didn’t miss the spark of total relief that flashed through Jed’s eyes when he saw him; relief combined with chagrin and regret.

“Leo – I’m glad you came,” Jed said brightly, but his expression gave away his anxiety. “Leo…” He waited until Leo sat down and then leaned towards him and touched Leo’s arm. “I’m very sorry,” he said with so much sincerity that Leo had to swallow hard to keep hold of his emotions. Jed wasn’t someone who found it easy to apologise, and he hated admitting he was wrong, so this was a big deal for him. Add to that the fact that he was president of the United States and didn’t technically have to apologise to anyone if he didn’t feel like it, and that made the apology even more touching.

“How are you feeling?” Leo asked gently, gazing at his friend, taking in every single line of pain etched on his face, and the chalky white colour of his skin.

“Much better now than I was.” Jed smiled at Leo meaningfully, and Leo couldn’t do anything but smile back, the inference of the words not lost on him.

“You look like crap,” Leo commented helpfully.

“Yeah. Abbey keeps saying that. Hell, even Charlie says that and I feel he should lie when he’s asked.”

“I’ll tell him. He clearly didn’t read that part of the job description,” Leo replied. Jed gave a delighted little laugh, and leaned back against his pillows, looking much more relaxed.

“Oh god I’ve missed you, Leo,” he said in a heartfelt tone. “Nobody else makes me laugh like you do.”

“Me too.” Leo smiled.

“Josh came up with some stuff for me to sign. I didn’t read it – my eyes hurt too much and I figured that if you’d okayed it then I was fine with it too.”

“Yeah.” Leo shrugged, and sat there, just gazing at his friend. It felt good to be sitting here talking with Jed again – it might only have been a couple of days, but their estrangement and the knowledge that they were on bad terms had been eating at him. It wasn’t good for either of them to have this kind of issue hanging over them, Leo decided, and he made a mental resolution to never let it happen again, whatever the circumstances. They’d disagreed on some fundamental work issues and still managed to keep their friendship intact despite some pretty heated arguments, and while this was profoundly different, Leo knew they weren’t in any serious trouble. Jed didn’t know that though – as Leo could tell by the look on his friend’s face. Josh was right – Jed had that look he always had when something was eating at him from the inside out.

“It’s okay,” Leo said suddenly.

“What?” Jed gazed at him, his expression puzzled.

“I just wanted you to know that it’s okay.” Leo smiled at him. “I needed some time to figure out how to deal with your lying ass, but now I’ve figured it out I thought I should tell you that it’s okay.”

“Ouch.” Jed made a face. “I’ll apologise again, Leo. I wasn’t thinking clearly or I’d never have…”

“Jed, I said it’s okay,” Leo told him softly. “You’ve already apologized and as for thinking clearly – well, you were thinking clearly enough to come up with that plan to distract me from noticing how ill you were, and you were very careful not to let me touch you in case I figured out you had a fever either, so I’d say you were thinking pretty clearly. However I’ll give you some brownie points for your illness clouding your judgment.”

“Okay.” Jed nodded, clearly happy with that, but the anxiety hadn’t gone from his eyes. “What happens now, Leo?” He asked.

“Now you concentrate on getting well again,” Leo told him. They were alone in the bedroom, and he leaned forward and gently caressed Jed’s hair, smoothing it back from his forehead. At least Jed didn’t have a fever any more, although his skin was still a little clammy to the touch. “You gave me quite a scare there, Jed,” Leo murmured softly.

“I gave myself one too. I didn’t realize how bad it was,” Jed shrugged. Then he looked up at Leo again, his eyes radiating guilt along with the anxiety now. “Leo – Abbey told me she went to visit you and…”

“I threw it down the sink,” Leo interrupted him. “You didn’t drive me back to drink, Jed. You may be the most powerful man in the world but you’re not *that* powerful.”

Jed grinned at him and gave a sigh of relief. “Thank god. I was lying here thinking that maybe you…” He trailed off and shrugged. “I’m just relieved. Leo, you side-stepped my question; what happens next – after I’m better I mean?”

Leo gazed at his friend steadily. “I’ll punish you,” he said, his hand still caressing Jed’s hair. He could feel Jed tremble slightly under his touch and stroked insistently, waiting for Jed’s response.

“I thought you would,” he murmured finally. “I deserve it.”

“Yes you do. Jed – I’m only going to say this once because I don’t want us *ever* to have this conversation again; you will be honest with me in future. I mean that. You can’t get away with lying to me. You can’t *ever* get away with that. If there’s something I should know then you tell me. I don’t care what it is, and I don’t care what the consequences might be – you tell me or you can bet that the consequences will be far worse than anything you can envisage. I’m not dicking around on this. What you did the other night was a breach of trust, Jed.”

Jed gazed at him with a puzzled expression. It was clear that while he understood how serious it was that he’d lied, he didn’t understand where Leo was going with the breach of trust thing.

“Jed – if I turned up drunk on a Friday night and didn’t tell you, how would you feel about that?” Leo asked.

“You wouldn’t do that, Leo,” Jed replied confidently.

“Supposing I had a bad day and took some pills to get through it?” Leo pressed. “How would you feel if I turned up and didn’t tell you that?”

“That’s different,” Jed protested.

“How?” Leo pressed.

“Because… you’re the one who gets to do all the in charge stuff, Leo,” Jed hissed, in a slightly agonized whisper. “If you showed up drunk or stoned it’d obviously be pretty serious.”

“Why? Because I could go too far and end up really hurting you? And if you deceive me about something vitally important, like your health for example, doesn’t the same thing hold true? I could hurt you because I don’t know you’re ill. I could unwittingly make things worse. How is that different, Jed?”

Jed thought about it for a moment and then nodded. “Okay, Leo. I see where you’re coming from on this now but if I got hurt then it’d be my own fault not yours – that’s how it’s different. My health is my own responsibility – not yours.”

“Not really.” Leo shook his head. “When we’re in a session one of the things that happens is that you give up responsibility to me – that’s part of what it’s about, and it’s what you need to happen so that you can relax and wind down. And I’m not just talking about responsibility for your job but for yourself – and that includes your health.”

Jed considered that for a long time, and then he sighed and ran a hand over his unshaven jaw.

“Okay, Leo. I’m on the same page now. I know I was beyond stupid – Abbey has been drumming that into me and even leaving you out of the equation I’m already in her bad books for not telling her about how I was feeling earlier so if the MS doesn’t get me, you and she between you will.” Jed gave a tired smile. “Seriously – it was a dumbass thing to do. I’d never risk losing what we have, Leo, however weird, freaky and downright unconventional it is.” Jed gave another smile. “Sometimes I think Lincoln would be turning in his grave if he knew what we do under this roof, and then I remember some of the former incumbents of this residence and their predilections and I figure I’m just following in a noble tradition.”

Leo laughed out loud at that, pulled Jed towards him, and deposited a kiss on his friend’s forehead. Jed came, willingly, and placed his hands on Leo’s shoulders, holding on tightly.

“I really did miss you,” he whispered. Leo held him for a few minutes, enjoying the sheer solidity of this man’s body pressed against his own, and then, finally, he released him, and pushed him back against the pillows. Jed gazed at him, a trusting, if slightly wary expression in his eyes.

“So…when you said you were going to punish me…” he began nervously.

“It’ll be bad,” Leo told him. Jed thought about this for a moment and then nodded.

“Yeah. It has to be,” he sighed. “When?”

“Not until you’re better – and I mean entirely better and not just recuperating. I’ll speak to Abbey before I do anything but this will be long and arduous so you have to be up to it physically.” Mentally, Leo was in no doubt that it would be what Jed needed, but he didn’t want to take any chances with his friend’s health.

“Do you have something particular in mind?” Jed asked, peeping out at Leo from under his eyelashes in a way he only did when he knew he was in very big trouble indeed.

“Yes I do – but I don’t want you worrying about it. I want you to get better. We’ll deal with the other thing together, the way we always do, and you’ll get through it. It won’t be anything more than you can handle, but it won’t be less than you deserve.”

“I wish that was a comforting thought,” Jed sighed. “Will you tell me what you have planned?”

Leo thought about that for a moment, and then decided that it would do Jed no good at all to fret about the unknown – he’d be better off knowing what to expect.

“I’ll see you every morning for a week in the Blue Bedroom. I’ll come up to the Residence before work as I usually do anyway, and we’ll spend half an hour or so working our way through all the implements we’ve acquired over the past couple of years – one a day. At the end of the week you’ll take a morning punishment on Friday and then we’ll meet again in the evening as usual. You’ll take one last punishment and then, hopefully, we’ll be back to normal.” Leo smiled. Jed looked less thrilled but he swallowed down hard and nodded.

“Sounds exactly like you said it would be,” he murmured. “Long and arduous.”

“Do you have any complaints?” Leo asked dangerously.

“No,” Jed said hastily. “Leo this is in your hands – you run this particular show as you’ve made very clear to me on many occasions. I’ll do whatever you think is necessary.”

“One more thing, Jed,” Leo said softly. “You come to these sessions prepared for punishment. I don’t want to hear any complaining or stalling tactics.” He gave a wry smile – he normally enjoyed Jed’s perpetual dance of avoidance but he felt it necessary to mark this out as something different. “This will be punishment, plain and simple. It won’t be like a normal session – this will be different.”

Jed looked at him with a wide-eyed expression but Leo had the impression that his lover was comforted by what he’d been told, even if he was both apprehensive and scared too. Leo had no doubt whatsoever that Jed would take his punishment with the minimum of fuss – it would be a matter of pride for him.

“I understand,” Jed said quietly. “I won’t let you down, Leo. I’m sorry I did before.”

“You didn’t let me down – you screwed up but I don’t think you’ve ever let me down,” Leo said, getting up and gazing down on his friend’s bowed head, loving him even more in this moment than he’d ever done. Leo reached out and put a finger under Jed’s chin, then tipped his friend’s face up towards him and bestowed a long, deep, loving kiss on Jed’s mouth. Jed opened up sweetly, willingly, as he always did, craving the physical contact and needing the reassurance of knowing that Leo had forgiven him.

“Now, I have a country to run while you’re lazing around in bed,” Leo teased cheerfully when he released his lover. “Get better soon.” He ran his hand through Jed’s hair affectionately.

“Yeah, because now I have a real incentive,” Jed replied, making a face. Leo laughed out loud and then turned and left the room, chuckling as he went.

Leo was sitting in his office when Abbey burst in a few hours later. She ran straight up to him, enveloped him in a hug, and bestowed a heartfelt kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you!” she said. “Thank you, Leo.”

“What did I do?” He took off his glasses and looked at her, a bemused expression on his face.

“He’s been sleeping – and he looks so much better. That’s some miracle cure you have there, Leo McGarry.”

“Yeah, one visit from me and people fall asleep.” Leo grinned at her. “Seriously – he’s looking better?”

“Yes – much more like himself; and he’s started arguing with me about what he can eat and when he can get out of bed so I know he must be feeling better too.” She grinned broadly. “I don’t know what you said but whatever it was it worked.”

“I promised him a long, hard punishment,” Leo told her with a shrug. “But if that made him feel better who am I to argue?”

“I doubt it was the prospect of that,” Abbey told him. “So much as relief –given that the only alternative to you punishing him would be you suspending that side of your friendship altogether, I’m guessing that he’d take the punishment any day. He loves you, Leo, you know that.”

“Yeah.” Leo nodded. He *did* know that but it was nice to hear it all the same. “Abbey, I need you to tell me when he’s better – and I mean really better. I won’t do a thing before then.”

“I will.” She nodded. “Thanks again, Leo.”

Jed’s recovery continued apace after that. He was back behind his desk within a week, although both Leo and Abbey kept a concerned eye on him to make sure he didn’t overdo things too early on. He leaned on Leo a lot during that first week back at work. He got tired easily, and sometimes his eyes hurt too much to read so Leo would sit with him late into the evening reading out the documents he needed to study. Leo enjoyed those evenings and he knew Jed did too. Jed would sit on the sofa in the Oval Office, his eyes closed, concentrating on Leo’s low, gravelly voice while Leo sat on a chair, reading slowly. They always kept their relationship strictly businesslike in the office but that didn’t stop Leo from occasionally getting up and bringing the president a cup of coffee or a glass of water, and brushing his lover’s shoulder gently with his hand as he did so. He knew they both liked the physical contact – and while their Friday night sessions were in abeyance they needed these little touches. Jed in particular thrived on physical demonstrations of affection, and after what had happened between them he needed Leo’s reassurance that everything was okay.

Leo left it another 2 weeks, needing to be absolutely sure that Jed was fully recovered. He usually had breakfast with the president before work in any case – Abbey wasn’t a morning person and Leo and Jed had long since fallen into a routine of meeting up to discuss the day’s schedule before walking to the office together. Jed had been nervous for the past two Mondays, waiting to see whether today would be the day that Leo began his punishment regime, and on each occasion he had given an almost audible sigh of relief when Leo finished his breakfast and then suggested they head to the office rather than take a trip to the Blue Bedroom. On this occasion though, Jed was quieter than usual – and he pushed his breakfast around his plate aimlessly.

“Is anything wrong, sir?” Leo asked softly, as he watched Jed gaze absently at his newspaper, clearly not taking in a single word he was reading.

“No – yes…Leo, is today the day?” Jed asked. Leo looked at him for a long moment and then nodded gravely.

“Yes it is,” he said quietly.

Jed took a deep breath but he looked relieved. “Thank god. I thought it’d never come and the waiting was driving me insane.” He exhaled a loud sigh and managed to shoot a little grin in Leo’s direction. “I’m ready, Leo. Any time you are,” he said.

“Okay.” Leo nodded. “Then let’s go.” He got up and they walked up to the Blue Bedroom together, side by side. Leo made conversation as they went but he could tell by Jed’s monosyllabic answers that his friend’s mind was on the event ahead. This was new territory for them – Leo had never performed a punishment that was so personal or so serious since the initial whipping that had started this side of their relationship, and he knew Jed was nervous – not because he feared being punished but because he was desperately worried that he might let Leo down. Leo didn’t have any such concerns; he knew that wouldn’t happen.

Leo closed the door of the Blue Bedroom behind them and took off his jacket. Jed stood in the centre of the room, looking calm if a little uncertain.

“You okay?” Leo put his hands on Jed’s shoulders and gazed into his friend’s deep blue eyes for a long moment. Jed nodded.

“I’m fine, sir,” he said softly. Leo smiled and drew away. He opened his briefcase and drew out four padded leather cuffs with attachments. Jed looked at them in surprise.

“I didn’t think we needed this kind of stuff,” Leo explained, “but then, when I had to untie you quickly when you were ill, I realized that there’s no particular virtue in just using ties and belts. I’d rather have something I can release with a flick of my fingers.” He handed one of the cuffs to Jed who fingered it thoughtfully.

“It’s lined with something really soft,” Jed said in surprise.

“Of course.” Leo nodded. “Nothing but the best for you.” He gave a little grin which Jed didn’t quite manage to return. “I’m giving you the option as to whether you wear them today and for the rest of the week. You already know that this will be a severe punishment and you might find it hard to stay in position; I can tie you if you want.” He didn’t add that he’d prefer not to. He was of the opinion that Jed should take his punishments in the spirit in which they were intended – so while it might be harder for him to hold position and take what was coming to him, Leo wanted Jed to undertake to do so of his own volition and not because he was tied. Jed seemed to understand that, because he gave a little shake of his head.

“It’s thoughtful of you sir, but no. I won’t need them today,” he said firmly.

Leo smiled inwardly – he knew that he had been right; Jed wouldn’t let him down.

“Where do you want me, sir?” Jed asked in that same quiet tone. “Over the chair?”

“No.” Leo had to stop himself from shuddering at the memory of Jed, tied to that chair, sweat beading his forehead as he swayed with fever. “Take off your pants and brace yourself against the wall.”

Leo turned away and went over to the trunk at the foot of the bed. He removed a flat leather strap and then turned back to find that Jed had not only neatly folded his pants and left them over the chair but he was also already in position. This was such a difference from the normal routine they went through that Leo had to take a moment to come to terms with it. He had told Jed that this was what he had expected of him, and he hadn’t for a moment thought his friend would challenge him on that, but even so, there was something so very beautiful about Jed’s unquestioning obedience and desire to make amends that he felt a little choked. He returned to Jed’s side and placed his hand on his friend’s back. It felt strange seeing Jed only half-undressed like this; usually he ordered him to undress completely before they began, but this was just going to be punishment – there wouldn’t be any recreation afterwards, more was the pity, Leo thought to himself, hoping that he’d be able to get through the week with as much dignity and acceptance as Jed was displaying right now. This was going to be tough on both of them and he was longing for Friday already.

“Okay. I’m going to warm you up and then we’ll get started,” Leo said, swinging the strap against Jed’s buttocks. Jed didn’t flinch – he remained in position as Leo began and didn’t break it when, after five minutes or so, Leo stepped up the pace to deliver a proper spanking. Leo didn’t go easy on his friend – he knew that Jed would know if he did that for a start, and he also felt that Jed deserved this as much as he needed it. He had to make sure that what had happened a few weeks previously never happened again; Jed meant far too much to Leo for him to allow his friend to take stupid risks with his health. Leo delivered a hard strapping and Jed’s backside was painted red by the time he had finished. The whole event felt strangely surreal to Leo – it was a completely different ritual to the ones they normally conducted in this room and at first he wasn’t sure what was so unnerving about it and then it suddenly occurred to him – Jed had remained completely silent. Usually Jed roared out his emotions during a spanking, but on this occasion he was quiet. Leo wasn’t sure whether this was a good sign or not – he hoped Jed wasn’t simply holding back, or, worse, that he was somehow associating this punishment with those that his father had meted out to him so regularly when he was a kid. Leo thought he had gone a long way to healing those memories over the past couple of years and he hoped he hadn’t misjudged the current situation.

“Okay. That’s day one over. You can break position.” Leo watched as Jed eased himself gingerly away from the wall. His friend’s face was set into a look of deep contemplation and that, also, was unusual.

“Thank you, sir,” Jed said in that same low, quiet tone. Leo couldn’t help himself – he knew that Jed had to be penitent, but he preferred his sub when he was rowdy and argumentative. Yes, Jed’s usual behaviour was inappropriate for the current circumstances but Leo desperately wanted to make sure that his lover was okay so he stepped forward, took Jed’s face in his hands, and kissed him lovingly on the mouth. Jed came as willingly as ever, but there was something passive and subdued about him all the same. Leo kissed him for all he was worth and then released him. Jed gazed at him through his eyelashes, almost shyly. “Thank you,” he said again. “But you’re being too kind to me, sir.” A moment later he gave a little yelp as Leo slapped his already sore ass hard with his hand.

“Who’s in charge here, Josiah?” Leo asked sternly.

“You, sir,” Jed replied with a trace of a smile.

“Then shut up and accept whatever I want to give out – whether it’s painful or pleasurable,” Leo told him.

“Yes, sir.”

“Josiah…” Leo hesitated but then decided to say it anyway as it had been bothering him. “You do know that you can yell and scream and holler all you like during your punishment don’t you?” He said. “That hasn’t changed. If you need to then just go right ahead.”

“Thank you, sir. I know,” Jed replied. “Can I get dressed now, sir?”

“Sure.” Leo nodded, wondering what was behind Jed’s silence. It had clearly been a choice he’d made, and Leo didn’t want to interfere with that, but he hoped it was working for Jed.

Jed pulled on his pants and then took a trip to the bathroom to splash water on his face and run a comb through his hair before returning, ready to face the day. Leo fell into step beside him and Jed reached out to open the door, holding it open for Leo. Once they left the Blue Bedroom, their ranks would be reversed, but right now Jed was making it clear who was in charge by giving Leo the deference he deserved. Leo smiled his thanks and walked through the door with his sub following on behind. The moment they stepped outside Jed returned, almost effortlessly, to full presidential mode and they walked to the office engrossed in conversation about the day ahead and the challenges it would bring. It was a strange shift, Leo thought to himself, but somehow they managed to pull it off without any difficulty at all.

Leo kept a more watchful eye than usual on Jed for the entire week. He noticed that Jed was quieter than normal in the office but he performed his duties with his usual flair and enthusiasm. He still remained silent during the morning punishments and he continued to refuse the cuffs, although Leo offered them every day. He knew that it had to be harder for Jed as each day passed and the punishments accumulated without a chance for the soreness to fade, but Jed never once complained or asked for leniency and Leo knew better than to show him any; Jed needed to know he had been well punished – it was essential to his psyche, and Leo was adept at giving Jed exactly what he needed. Towards the end of the week, Leo noticed that Jed conducted his meetings standing up whenever possible – and this afforded him some small moments of amusement during the day but Jed was never anything less than utterly dignified, despite the potentially humiliating circumstances, and Leo’s heart swelled with pride for him.

The manner in which Jed took his week of punishments went a long way to restoring Leo’s confidence both in himself and in the discipline side of their relationship. Jed was absolutely resolute in taking whatever Leo meted out to him but Leo was still concerned about his friend’s silence during punishment. By Friday morning, Leo was glad it was nearly over – he wasn’t sure what Jed thought of their morning ritual, but it was beginning to grate on him. He enjoyed the sensual post-spanking closeness he got from his relationship with Jed far more than the actual spanking per se, and he felt just as deprived of that as he was sure Jed did. Leo decided that this was his own punishment for not noticing Jed’s illness earlier – he was usually so adept at reading Jed’s moods and understanding his friend’s complex psyche and unspoken needs that he had ignored the alarm bells that had been going off in his mind about Jed’s behaviour that night. So, Leo delivered every single punishment that week with the same sense of stoicism that Jed showed. Going through this cold, hard, clinical exercise in chastisement seemed to be the only way for them both to achieve any sense of absolution.

Leo brought out the heavy black paddle on Friday morning, and turned back to find Jed watching him, a rueful expression in his eyes.

“I figured the only two implements you hadn’t used yet were that thing and the cane,” Jed sighed. “I wondered which one would get an outing this morning.”

“Just saving the worst ’til last,” Leo replied with a shrug. They both knew that Jed was scared of the cane and they both knew why as well. Leo hadn’t used it since that time in Manchester – he had decided to keep it for an occasion where he needed something particularly heavy duty that would have an effect not just physically but also mentally on his unruly but much beloved sub. The cane certainly fit that category and Leo had always known he’d need to make it the culmination of the week’s punishments.

Jed nodded, and turned to brace himself against the wall. Leo winced a little as he surveyed his lover’s ass – 4 days of morning spankings had taken their toll – but, while he had no wish to pile yet more discomfort on Jed, he knew that he had no choice but to do just that. He went through his usual warm up and then swung the paddle as hard as he usually did – Jed would know if he went easy on him and that would be disastrous for both of them. Jed needed forgiveness and it needed to be hard won or he would reject it – and ultimately end up beating himself up in a way that was self destructive and far more painful than any damage Leo could inflict with the paddle. The paddle was a hard implement though, and within a few minutes Leo could hear Jed’s breath coming in little panting gasps. He eased off the pace but not the force of the blows, and then something happened that took him by surprise; Jed began to make familiar little mewling sounds in the back of his throat. They were the sounds he usually made when he was being spanked, but sounds that had been noticeably absent all week. Leo continued what he was doing and a few seconds later the mewling turned into harsh, gasping bellows. Jed growled out his frustration and his pain – frustration with his illness, and the pain of the rift his actions had created with his lover and best friend. Leo understood his friend’s need to express himself in these deep, roaring shouts and he didn’t let up for a second: he wanted Jed to get all the catharsis he needed from this experience. He was so relieved to hear them though – usually Jed only got this vocal when he had reached a place in his head where he needed to be – it was almost like a process he needed to go through, to come to terms with his emotions and to accept that he’d atoned for any wrongs done. Now Leo understood why this moment had been all week in coming – he could never underestimate Jed’s need to be hard on himself, and he guessed that until this point, no matter how hard the week’s spankings had been, Jed hadn’t reached that place in his head where he felt he’d suffered enough to truly be forgiven.

Leo continued with the punishment while Jed yelled himself out. It seemed to go on for a very long time but then he figured that Jed needed it to after what had happened between them. Finally he brought the spanking to a close and took a step back. Jed still stood, braced against the wall, his dark hair soaked with sweat, his breathing coming in hard gasps. He looked like he’d gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson, but Leo was adept at reading his friend’s body language and he saw also that Jed’s shoulders were more relaxed and less hunched than they’d been at any point in the past few weeks. There was a dreamy quality to Jed’s eyes, and, wherever he was in his mind, he had, finally, made peace with himself.

“Hey. We’re done.” Leo put a hand on his friend’s shoulder and Jed turned, his entire body shaking, and buried his face in Leo’s chest. Leo held him, rocking him gently for several minutes, his fingers tracing soothing patterns on Jed’s back. Then, finally, regretfully, he pushed his lover away. Now he wanted nothing more than to stay here and make love to his friend, to comfort and claim him as he always did after this kind of spanking, but it was already late and they had a schedule to stick to.

“We need to get to work; and you need to splash some water on your face,” he reminded Jed. The president nodded absently, still looking utterly lost in the moment, and he walked, a little unsteadily, towards the en suite bathroom. Leo packed the paddle back into the trunk and shouldered himself into his jacket, waiting for Jed to return. He wished they could fast forward through the next few hours so that they could return here once more, and pick up their relationship where they had left off a few weeks ago, but they both had work to do. Jed exited the bathroom a few minutes later looking refreshed, if still slightly out of it. Leo hoped the president would be able to perform his duties but Jed made a huge effort to visibly pull himself together and, when they left the room, he was back in presidential mode once more.

The day passed slowly, but Leo had plans for the evening and he decided to bring both his own and the president’s day to a close earlier than usual – they’d both earned that he thought. On the dot of 6pm, he knocked on the door of the Oval Office and stepped inside to find Jed finishing a phone call. He was standing up – Leo doubted the president had sat down the entire day – and he beckoned Leo into the room with a smile.

“You nearly done?” Leo asked when Jed put the phone down.

“Well, I was going to read through the Drummond report and then…” Jed trailed off and glanced at his Chief of Staff keenly. “It can wait. I’m done,” he said.

“Good – then why don’t we pick up where we left off a few weeks ago?” Leo suggested. Jed nodded, a little smile curving the corners of his mouth. “Go to the Blue Bedroom,” Leo said, “Get undressed, lie on the bed on a pillow and wait for me to come up and finish this off.”

“Okay.” Jed nodded, grabbing his jacket and shouldering himself into it.

“And, sir,” Leo stopped him as he put his hand on the door. “Make sure you stay put this time. If I get up there to find you gone then so help me god…” He trailed off meaningfully and Jed gave a little laugh.

“Oh trust me, Leo, that’s not gonna happen,” he replied. “My ass is sore enough thank you – I’m not going to go out of my way to make it even worse – or to make you mad at me all over again. I don’t think I could bear that.”

Leo gave a little grin. “Good. Then I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

Leo spent the next half an hour twiddling his thumbs. He didn’t really have anything he needed to do – it just felt important to him somehow that they revisited this particular scenario and got it right this time. He left his office exactly 30 minutes later after telling Margaret that he and the president were not to be disturbed unless it was a matter of national security, and made the short walk to the Blue Bedroom. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the guards outside the door – not that he had seriously expected Jed to have absconded but all the same, he was relieved anyway. He stepped inside the bedroom, closed the door behind him — and found Jed lying on the bed naked, as ordered, a pillow under his body so that his ass was raised in the air.

“Thank god,” Jed said as Leo stepped into the room. “I mean, I know we’ve made it clear nobody is to come in here but I couldn’t help worrying the entire time that someone would. This would be a really embarrassing position to be found in you know – sir,” he added hastily.

Leo chuckled. “It’s a shame you don’t like it because I find it very appealing,” he grinned, gazing at Jed’s naked, stretched out body like a hungry man contemplating a feast.

He crossed over to the trunk, opened it, and removed the cane, aware all the time of Jed’s wary eyes following his every movement. He knew Jed was scared of the cane at the best of times, and after a whole week of spankings now most definitely was *not* the best of times to contemplate a caning. However, Leo had already decided how this evening would proceed so he walked over to the bed, swinging the cane experimentally through the air as he did so, aware that Jed’s eyes were flashing with their usual uneasy reaction to the implement.

“You ready?” He asked, coming to a halt beside the bed and resting the cane on his friend’s backside.

“Yes, sir,” Jed said in a grim but determined tone. He held on tightly to the pillow he was hugging and closed his eyes. Leo let his gaze linger, just enjoying the view – it had been a few weeks since he had seen his lover in all his naked glory and he always enjoyed the sight; Jed had a broad back and a neatly sturdy and compact body. His skin was a deep golden tone and was stretched tautly over his convulsively clenching muscles. “Relax,” Leo said, tapping Jed’s ass lightly with the cane.

“That’s easy for you to say, sir,” Jed replied and Leo was relieved to see a hint of his mouthy sub, Josiah, returning.

“Just try – it’s an order,” Leo said, smiling to himself. Leo tapped his lover several more times, warming him up thoroughly, and then paused. “Okay, Josiah. Prepare yourself,” he warned, and then he brought down the cane hard on the president’s ass. Jed gave a little holler of sheer pain, but he was so engrossed in the proceedings that he didn’t even notice when Leo walked back to the trunk, threw the cane back inside, and closed it again. Realisation only began to sink in when Leo returned to the bed, sat down beside his lover and reached out a hand to stroke Jed’s hair affectionately.

“We’re done?” Jed looked up at him in surprise. “That’s it? Just one with the cane?”

“Yeah. We’re done,” Leo grinned. “We were pretty much done this morning I think. This evening was just about winding it up. Besides, you can’t seriously expect me to stand around looking at you lying here naked without wanting to move things on to something much more, uh, *recreational*.”

Jed’s look of surprise turned into a grin as Leo began stroking his skin softly. He gave a little moan as Leo’s fingers trailed seductively over his body but something was clearly bothering him and he reached out and took hold of Leo’s hand, stopping the caresses.

“Are you sure we’re done?” He asked. “Really sure, Leo? I can take more if you think I deserve it – if it’ll make things right betw…”

“Ssh.” Leo stopped Jed’s anxious babbling with a firm kiss on his lover’s lips. “We’re definitely done,” he said, burying his hands on Jed’s hair and then going back in for another kiss. Jed melted against him, as passive and compliant as he always was during their Friday night sessions. Somehow he’d managed to return to that place in his mind that he’d reached that morning, and it had only taken a little nudge – the ploy of keeping him waiting on edge for half an hour plus all the build up with the cane – to take him back mentally to where he had been after the morning’s punishment session. Now Leo felt a sense of total relief washing through him as he wrapped his arms around Jed and plundered his lover’s mouth thoroughly. This little blip in their relationship was well and truly behind them now – they’d both gone the extra mile in trying to repair it and Leo knew it was over and done with – and they could get back to their usual satisfying relationship.

For such an active, dynamic man, Jed was always amazingly submissive in the bedroom – he liked being stroked, soothed and made love to, and as all those things were pretty much Leo’s favourite pastimes he felt like the cat who’d got the cream right now. He kissed Jed several times and each time drowned in the sensation of Jed opening up underneath him, allowing him in to explore and claim him. Finally, regretfully, Leo pulled back, wanting to get even closer to his sub.

“Undress me, Josiah,” he ordered in a purring tone and Jed didn’t need telling twice. He positively leapt on Leo and removed his clothing in record time, and, when he was done, Leo slid down on the bed beside him, took Jed in his arms, and began the entirely pleasurable task of becoming reacquainted with the president’s body once more. He turned his lover this way and that, examining and exploring him. He nuzzled at the spot at the back of Jed’s head where his hair met the nape of his neck, inhaling that always intoxicating Jed scent that he enjoyed so much, then worked his way across the broad expanse of golden skin, kissing and nuzzling as he went. He licked gently at Jed’s reddened ass, mindful of the fact that it had to be sore after the week’s punishments and then turned his lover onto his back and held Jed’s arms above his head while he kissed him again. Jed was pliant in his arms, going wherever Leo placed him, accepting every single caress with an arched back or a mewl of pleasure. It was always a total joy making love to Jed – he always abandoned himself so completely when he was in the right mindset, and he enjoyed Leo’s attentions so much. Leo let his mouth trail over Jed’s body, lingering on his nipples and the side of his neck, sucking and nibbling, going slowly, languorously, taking his time. Tonight was their reward for the sheer unpleasantness of the past few weeks and they had started early, giving them plenty of time to rest and recover before starting in again. Leo intended to make Jed see how very much he loved him before the night was over.

He had another purpose in mind too – this was a way of reconnecting Jed with the pleasure his body could experience after the pain first of his illness and then of the week’s punishments. He wanted Jed to remember that he was entitled to this bone meltingly tender sex and the most exquisite sensations that Leo could visit on his eager, willing body. Now Leo was in his element, burning a trail of kisses all over Jed’s torso, his hands everywhere, stroking and kneading and tweaking until Jed began whimpering with need. Leo took the hint and prepared Jed slowly, taking his lover to the edge of ecstasy and back again before finally putting him out of his misery and entering him with one smooth thrust. Still Leo kept the pace deliberately slow – he didn’t want this moment of re-connection to be hurried or rushed – he wanted to savour it like the feast it was. He looked down into Jed’s eyes and smiled at his friend, who was gazing back at him with an expression almost of shock on his face, as if he had forgotten just how good this could be – or just how much he had stood to lose by his behaviour a few weeks previously.

“Let it go,” Leo whispered to him. “You’ve been punished. Let it go.” Jed’s expression cleared and he nodded, his hands stroking Leo’s back as Leo rocked to and fro inside him, barely moving, just inching their two bodies back and forth. Leo dipped his head and wiped the last traces of uncertainty from Jed’s eyes with a long, lingering, loving kiss. He loved being this close to Jed, buried deep inside him, able to taste the slightly salty tang of his skin and to lose himself in the musky scent of the man. He took Jed slowly, skillfully and utterly willingly to climax and then they both lay there, bodies still entangled and limbs entwined.

Leo thought that Jed had never looked more attractive than he did like this, naked and sprawled beneath him, utterly uninhibited. This evening’s activities had at last managed to shift those terrible images of Jed bending over the armchair with sweat beading his forehead, or lying in his bed, his face deathly pale, his eyes shadowed with pain and his skin clammy. Leo reached out and stroked Jed’s face affectionately.

“I’m glad you’re well now,” he murmured.

“I’m fine.” Jed smiled up at him. “In fact I’m better than fine. I feel like a million dollars right now. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so relaxed and just plain taken care of in all my life.” He grinned and stretched beneath Leo like a cat.

“That’s good,” Leo grinned. “Because in a moment we’re going to start all over again.”

“No complaints here.” Jed grinned back at him. Leo moved sideways and took Jed in his arms and they both lay there gazing at the ceiling, wrapped up in each other, exhausted by recent events but happy with the way they’d been resolved.

“Leo…” Jed began and then he stopped.

“Mmm?” Leo replied lazily, squeezing Jed to encourage him to continue.

“Are we okay now?” Jed asked. “I mean, I know I screwed up but we dealt with it didn’t we and it won’t happen again – so we’re okay now aren’t we?”

Leo smiled and rolled Jed over to face him – it was rare that anybody got to see Jed’s more vulnerable side but he knew he had just witnessed it. “Oh yeah,” he murmured, tracing his fingers over that beloved face. “We’re okay now – we are, most definitely, okay.”

The End