Rites of Passage

Pairing: Reed/William Jason/Chase

Implements: paddle

Series: Navigating the World and Relationships

Chase watched as William's fingers flew over the keyboard. He knew that William was trying to tie up loose ends so he could start his new position at the bank, but it was Saturday; a Saturday that Chase had off work. Jason was out with Reed; they were helping a new student who was blind learn the bus routes and the campus.

"I'm bored," Chase said, kicking at William's chair. "Let's do something."

"I am doing something. Aren't you taking a couple of classes now? Don't you have homework?" William asked.

"I'm taking one class, just to see how college and I get along. And no, I don't have any homework; that's why Jason said I could come over."

"Chase, I need to get this done! I only have a month to get everything done before the conference."

"God, you're such an over achiever! You have a month, and you want to waste this beautiful Saturday! I thought Reed would be putting a stop to you working all these hours." Chase knew that Reed had been limiting the amount of work William did at home. Reed had told Jason that William still needed to have time to work at home but not the hours he used to spend working. Chase couldn't imagine having a job where you wanted to work more hours than you were scheduled.

The class he was taking now was really interesting but he didn't know how it would help him get a job. Jason had left one of the college class bulletins on the table, and Chase had been thumbing through it more because he was bored then actually interested. Then, this class seemed to jump out at him, Global Cultures. In the brochure, it described the course as learning about different cultures and how social inequalities are shaped within a culture. The social inequalities seemed to burn into Chase's mind. That evening he had asked Jason about the class. Jason had told him it was a freshman level class, an introduction to anthropology. Jason hadn't pushed Chase to try the class, but Chase knew that Jason wanted him to get a better education. Jason had kept dropping hints about the class and had casually mentioned several times that domestic partners received the same discounted tuition as married spouses. Chase had finally decided to go ahead and try it. He'd figured he could always drop it if it was terrible. Chase really was enjoying this class. Right now they were discussing rites of passages in different cultures.

"Can I ask you something?" Chase asked William.

"Do NOT ask me if I've been spanked lately," William responded.

"Oh, have you?" Chase couldn't help but tease William.

"No," William said shortly.

"Oh, I think you have, but that's not what I wanted to ask. In my class, we are talking about rites of passage. The professor said that even here in the U.S. we have them, but they are not ceremonial like they are in other cultures."

"Yes, I agree with him. I think I took a class similar to the one you're taking."

"Well, he said if someone didn't get to go through the rite that the person often felt left out of something important. Here in the U.S. teenage boys go through a rite of passage with driving and cars. Do you feel left out? Did it bother you when the guys your age was talking about cars and getting their permits and you couldn't?" Chase rushed out. He didn't want to hurt William, but he really was curious.

"No, it didn't. At that time, I was too busy trying to get out from my parents' protectiveness. I didn't have a lot of friends. I just missed that part of high school; I was trying to learn the bus routes to the university. That was my road to independence."

"Do you miss it now?" Chase asked. "Don't you wonder what it's like to drive?"

"No, Chase, I don't. It's not something I'll ever be able do, so why would I wonder about it?"

"I would. I'd want to know what I was missing," Chase said, getting an idea. "Would you drive if you got the chance?"

"I'll never get the chance. All I have is light perception; no state would ever let me have a driver's license."

"But if you got the chance to drive a car, would you?" Chase persisted.

"Chase, I'm not going to get the chance. So, let's drop it, OK?"

"You know, Reed and Jason walked to the bus stop. Reed's car is here, and the keys are on the table by the door. I have a driver's license."

"You have a driver's license; I don't."

"But if I drove us out to the country a little bit, we could find a deserted road, and you could drive," Chase said, giving voice to his thoughts.

"You're crazy! I can't drive Reed's car," William exclaimed.

"Come on, aren't you curious? Don't you want to try it just once?"

"I don't know the first thing about driving a car. How would I know if I was even on the road?"

"How do you know you're on the sidewalk? The cane feels different, right? Well, the car would feel different if you were going off the road. There are cuts in the road to tell you when you're going on the shoulder. Come on, this could be your rite of passage. You would feel more a part of the American culture. I have to write a paper on rites of passage, you'd be doing me a favor. You could tell me how you feel now that you have gone through a typical American rite." Chase said, really liking the idea more and more.

"Do you know a place? A road that doesn't have any traffic on it? I don't want to wreck into someone."

"I know just the place. Come on." Chase jumped up, grabbed the keys and headed out the door. He didn't want to give William the chance to back out. He was helping William through a rite of passage that other people have gone through. He was learning from this class and putting what he learned to good use.

Chase drove through the town and turned off the interstate to an area he knew didn't have much traffic. He used to hitchhike out to this area with some of his not so savory friends. It was a good place to smoke a joint, deserted and out in the open, so the fresh air could blow away some the smoke. He put the car in park.

"Scoot over into the driver's seat," Chase said as he got into the car on the passenger side."Ok, now the pedal on the right is the gas; it makes the car go. The pedal on the left is the brake; it stops the car,"

"I know that! Everyone knows that!" William said.

"Well, I'm teaching you, and I don't want to leave anything out. Don't get snippy. So, put your foot on the gas pedal and press down. Whoa!" Chase said as the car surged forward. "Ouch. Don't stomp the brake! You about gave me whiplash."

"I didn't realize they were so touchy," William said.

"Just push down a little. Slowly, slowly. Now you're going about fifteen miles an hour, push a little more, but you're going to have to turn to the left soon. Wait, wait, now start turning," Chase was finding it more difficult to teach William how to drive than he'd thought.

"Hey, I'm driving. This isn't hard. I thought it was something really complicated."

Chase saw the huge grin on William face. He'd known this would be good for William. Chase told William how to turn on the blinkers to make a turn and then grinned himself as William made a turn onto an old dirt road.

"You can push down on the gas and really feel the power and speed," Chase said and then laughed as the car surged forward.

The hours flew by as Chase and William drove up and down old dirt roads, making turns and reversing. Chase laughed as William put the car in reverse, and the car surged backwards with William facing the front.

"You're suppose to turn around when you're going backwards," Chase gasped out between laughs.

"Why? I can't see whichever way I'm facing!" William laughed back.

Chase finally noticed the sun starting to set and decided that they needed to get back. "We need to be getting back. I'll drive us home. I don't think you are ready for the interstate just yet."

Chase parked Reed's car in the parking garage feeling a sense of accomplishment. He had taught William how to drive. He couldn't wait to tell Jason, and he knew William couldn't wait to tell Reed that he had actually driven a car. Chase and William walked into the apartment with huge grins on their faces.

"Where have you two been?" Jason demanded as soon as they walked in the door.

"I taught William how to drive!" Chase said excitedly.

"What? How? Where? Chase, I don't even know what to ask you," Jason said.

"William, you drove? My car?" Reed asked.

"Yes, Chase taught me!"

"Do you have an idea of how dangerous that was?" Reed demanded.

"No, we were careful. We went out to the country and just drove on deserted roads. It was OK, I was very safe about it. It was for my paper, for my college class," Chase said.

"What does your class have to do with this? You let a blind man drive! What were you thinking?" Jason demanded.

Chase started to think he was in big trouble. Jason was looming like he did when he was unhappy with him, and Jason's voice had dropped in pitch. This wasn't a good sign.

"We were talking about my class and rites of passage and how driving is a rite of passage for teenage guys," Chase hurriedly explained.

"Chase, blind people have their own rites of passage. The first drop off lesson, where they ride a bus route by themselves for the first time; that is their rite of passage," Reed explained.

"Oh, William didn't tell me that," Chase said.

"You didn't ask! You just started in about how driving is this big thing for teenage boys," William declared hotly.

"How was I supposed to know you had your own rite?" Chase asked just as hotly.

"You didn't-" William started but was interrupted.

"Neither one of you thought," Jason said. "But I am going to help Chase remember to think things through. Reed, I apologize for my brat taking your car and putting your brat in danger. I'm sure he will apologize for himself once I get him home and help him to remember to think before acting," Jason said, gripping his cane with one hand and Chase's arm with the other. "We'll be leaving now as we have things to discuss in private."

"Yes, William and I have a few things to discuss also. Thanks for your help showing Layne around the campus," Reed said.

The walk to the bus stop and the bus ride was made in silence as Chase felt the grip of Jason's hand on his arm. As they made their way home, Chase started to think of all the things that could have happened but didn't. He also felt tears start to well in his eyes as they walked into their own apartment. He had thought he was doing such a good thing.

"Fine, I'll quit school!" Chase said to Jason as soon as they were in the apartment.

"Chase, don't start with the dramatics now. Why would taking a blind man out to drive cause you to quit school?" Jason asked.

"It was because of school that I got the idea. I'm supposed to write a paper on rites of passages in the U.S. I just wanted William to experience driving, like most boys, then I could write about how he felt afterwards."

"I'm beginning to understand what you were thinking and why. But Chase, tell me did you really think it through? Did you think of the repercussions? You put yourself, William, and any other drivers on that road at risk of injury and possibly death," Jason said.

"I didn't think about that, I just thought what a great paper it would be. No one else would have a paper like mine. I'm so stupid. I shouldn't be taking this class."

"Chase, I mean it, stop with the dramatics. You are not stupid. You just don't always think things through. That's one of the things we have been working on, isn't it?"

"Yeah, but I'm so stupid, I didn't even know blind people had their own rites," Chase continued to put himself down.

"Chase, stop."

Chase stopped, he knew that tone coming from his top's voice. That was the line that he did not want to cross.

"You are not stupid. If I hear that from you again, I'll wash your mouth out. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Chase said, he did not want to taste soap tonight.

"You will learn about the rites of passage for blind people because you will write your paper on that. I can give you some good reference sites that are on line, and I'm sure Reed has some books on the subject." Jason said.

"I can't use William and driving today?"

"No, this is part of your education and punishment. How blind people have their own rites of passage." Jason said. "But that will wait until tomorrow. Let's go on in the spare room, and you can get the paddle for me."

Chase hated that he had to get the paddle. Jason said that it was an act of consent for Chase to get the paddle and bring it to him. Oh, he understood it, but it still made him feel like he was tying his own noose.

Chase walked straight to the bedside table that where kept the paddle and got it out. Jason looked blurry to him as tears were already gathering in his eyes.

"I really hate the paddle, Jason," he said, hoping to get a reprieve.

"I really hate you putting yourself in danger, Chase. I need you to keep yourself safe. If paddling you will help you remember to think before you place yourself in danger, I'll use it, even though you hate it."

Chase stopped at Jason's side and felt Jason's hands on his pants. Chase stood there with tears just starting to slide down his cheeks as Jason pulled his pants and boxers down. Jason took the paddle from his brat's hand and helped Chase over his thighs.

"Chase, you and William were lucky today. William could have crashed and you both would have been lying out there hurt with nobody around for miles. I love you and want to keep you safe. You have to think before you act." With that said Chase felt Jason's palm slap down on his bare behind. Chase was glad Jason didn't lecture him. The swats Jason was laying down on his bottom were hard, and Chase wouldn't have been able to listen. That hand just kept on raining down, igniting a burn in his bottom that he didn't think would ever be extinguished. Then the hand stopped.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Chase cried.

"I know, but I'm still going to use the paddle. That's our rule, has been our rule for a long time. You put yourself in danger; you get the paddle," Jason said.

Chase heard the apology in Jason's voice. He knew Jason didn't like to paddle him. He also knew that if he didn't get the paddle for something like this he would push and push until he pushed Jason into using it.

He cried out with the first splat of the paddle and with each one after. Jason's left arm tighten around his waist as Chase rocked from side to side trying keep that paddle from striking on an already sore area. When the paddle found new areas on his thighs, he knew it was almost over; Jason always finished with a few swats to each thigh.

The paddling over, Chase collapsed, sobbing over Jason's lap.

"Come here, you. Let me hold you. You can cry all you want but let me hold you."

Chase hated the paddle but he couldn't help but love the man who wielded it. Jason always held and rocked him, never telling him to quit crying. Chase curled up on Jason's lap, his sore, hot bottom between Jason's thighs. He felt Jason take his pants that were tangled by his ankles off. Chase snuggled closer, taking comfort inside the safety of Jason's arms. Jason would hold him until the tears stopped. He always did; he was always here. Jason's arms circling Chase's body as Chase cried.

"I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to put anyone in danger," Chase said softly when the tears had slowed down enough to speak.

"I know. You aren't ever malicious nor do you ever mean to cause anyone harm," Jason assured him. "I just need you to think things through. Chase, I would be lost without you."

"I don't know why you bother. Jason, I'm never going to be like you," Chase said. He sometimes really didn't know why Jason put up with him.

"I don't want you to be like me. I love you; your spirit, how you look at things. I like how we are together. I'm sure I'll still be taking you across my lap when you're old and grey. You will never let life get boring for me," Jason said. "You keep me young. No one but you would ever think to teach a blind man to drive."

"Never again," Chase promised. "But he wasn't that bad of a driver."

"Never again," Jason said, and kissed him.

"Maybe William went through another rite of passage tonight," Chase said.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe he got the paddle for the first time," Chase said. "I bet that's not a rite he wants to go through, but the professor did say that many rites were painful."

"You can ask him when you call to apologize to Reed tomorrow," Jason said.

"I will," Chase promised, and then nuzzled closer into Jason's arms. He hated getting paddled, but he loved the way Jason made him feel. He would be lost too, without Jason.

The End