“Say it,” Blair said, delicately tracing Tim’s chest with a gloved finger, “Say it or you won’t get another smack.”

Tim bucked his hips involuntarily, the soft cloth of his tie tightening around his wrists as he tried once again to pull free. “Please, mistress,” he panted, “I need this. You know I mean it. Just let me…”

“Uh-uh,” she said with a smirk, “You know the rules, Tim. You want relief, you have to beg for it. Now are you going to say it or aren’t you?”

Tim swallowed and gave in. “I’m your pathetic little slave, mistress. Do whatever you will with me. Just…be gentle, I beg you.”

“Good boy.” Blair purred, before rearing her hand back and slapping him hard against the thigh. Tim groaned his relief, and she laughed throatily, spreading his legs and nestling herself between them. “Now then, I appear to have you completely at my mercy. What shall I do now…?”

Tim casually brought his knee forward, gently scraping it against the leather top she was wearing, smiling his satisfaction when he was able to feel her erect nipple through the fabric; she was just as aroused by this as he was. He started rubbing his knee in circles against her breast, while forcing his upper body to squirm, hoping Blair wouldn’t catch on to what he was doing.

No such luck; Blair grabbed onto his knee and pushed him away from her. “Naughty boy, Tim,” she said with a knowing smile, “You know that’s not allowed until I’ve untied your wrists. For such a blatant violation of the rules, you’re going to have to be punished.”

Tim’s heart sank a little. “Is that necessary, mistress? You know how I get at this point in the night. Can’t you forgive my transgression?”

She shook her head and reached forward to untie him. “Maybe if you hadn’t balked at begging for it, or tried to dictate where you wanted me to hit you. You’re not the one in charge here, Tim. I am, and if you need to be reminded of that on occasion, so be it. Now get dressed and go stand under the window. If you’re not there in three minutes, I’ll escalate it to the dusty rag.”

Tim sighed, rubbing his wrists, and reached for the t-shirt and sweatpants Blair had put beside the bed “Just in case”. Dressing quickly, he left her room and jogged down the stairs, counting down in his head until he reached the patch of lawn right underneath her window. As he did so, he saw the window open, and spotted the outline of Blair’s head. “How long do I need to be here?” he called up.

“Until you’re too breathless to talk back,” Blair answered, “I’ll tell you when to stop. Now get going.”

Tim sighed and looked around, considering his options. The little red flowers certainly would get him breathless quickly, but they’d also leave him weak and unable to fully enjoy himself. The weird yellow sprigs smelled terrible, but they got the job done at a more reasonable pace. And the white flowers did nothing unless he stuck them directly up his nose, and he didn’t feel he’d deserved that much punishment. It seemed like he only had one option.

With a grimace, he pulled one of the plants (he wasn’t sure if they were flowers so much as clumps of pollen) towards him and gave it a firm shake, simultaneously putting his nose to it and breathing in. A stale, musty scent filled his nose, and he coughed and took a few steps back. Still, the damage had been done, and he could feel his body reacting to the massive dose of pollen he’d just inhaled. His eyes closed involuntarily, his breath caught, and then…

“Hresshhh! Eshhh! Keshhh!”

He put the back of his hand to his nose, perhaps in a subconscious attempt to keep from breathing in any more pollen. Not that it would do any good; he’d learned from experience that this particular pollen got everywhere, no matter what precautions he might try to take. Even as he thought it, his nose prickled again, and he bent double with the force of the sneeze. “Hashhh!”

“Bless you,” Blair called from overhead, “Not a bad start. But I’m going to need a good fit from you before I’m willing to let you back up here.”

Tim sniffed lightly and considered his options. He needed to get this over with quickly, before either of them lost their arousal. He was still loathe to use the red or white flowers, so really, his only option was absolutely surrounding himself in the stuff. Exhaling carefully, he set to work.

He plucked a tiny sprig of the plant off the bush and started waving it around his face, watching as small puffs of pollen rose into the air and then immediately made a beeline for his face. Closing his eyes, he deliberately breathed in, coughing again in an attempt to spit out the stale smell that now seemed to fill both his nose and mouth. The moment his nose started itching, he moved on to phase two.

Tim focused all his attention on the itch, mentally willing it to grow larger. He tried to visualize the grains of pollen in the air, sticking to his hair and leaving a yellow dust on his skin and clothes. Even more importantly, he envisioned the pollen that had entered his nose, brushing against the already sensitive sides, piling up on each other and getting stuck deep in the back of his nose, desperate to be pushed out. And there was only one way for that to happen.

His mental exercises were clearly working, because his nose twitched violently and he could feel his body tensing up in preparation. “Heh…hihh…hahhh…” It was close, but he needed that little push to send him over the edge.

Just before instinct took over, he brought the sprig to his face and took a shaky breath, getting one last blast of pollen directly from the source. It was exactly the excuse his body had been waiting for.

“HASHHHH!” Tim dropped the plant and cupped his hands over his face, trying to keep any more pollen from entering. He was able to draw one shallow breath before the sneezes started up again. “Hishh! Ishh! Kshh! Kchht!”

He thought he could hear Blair’s voice overhead, but he was sneezing too much to be sure. “Ichh! Chh! Hat-chh!”

“All right!” Blair called down, half-shouting to be heard, “Punishment’s over! Come upstairs before you damage something!”

Shoulders dropping in relief, Tim put a hand to the wall and maneuvered his way back towards the front door, still sneezing too much to be able to see where he was going. “Kchh! Tchh! Heh…Heshh!”

Getting inside and out of the worst of the pollen allowed Tim to finally open his eyes, though it was impossible to keep them from watering. Taking a breath through his mouth, he climbed up the stairs, feeling his legs shake faintly. All the sneezing had taken more out of him than he’d thought. He hoped it wasn’t enough to spoil the evening.

Blair had her door open and was watching him approach. “How are you feeling?”

Tim considered. His arousal had abated for the moment, but the spirit was still willing. Considering how Blair operated, it wouldn’t take long to get back to their previous situation. However, he was still coated in a generous dose of pollen, and him sneezing through the session wouldn’t be good for either of them. Not to mention that it might exhaust him still further. Which would Blair be more displeased by, a delayed start or a less than stellar scene?

Taking the gamble, Tim pulled out the middle safeword. “M…Mishh!…Moisture.”

“Ok,” Blair said, pointing to the bathroom across the hall, “I don’t think there’s anyone in there at the moment. Strip down and get in the shower. I’ll wriggle out of these and come help you scrub the allergens out of your hair.”

“Yes, mistress. Thank you, mistress,” Tim said, inclining his head respectfully before backing away towards the bathroom. As soon as Blair had closed the door, he turned around and crossed the hallway in three strides, eager to get under the hot water as soon as possible.

Fortunately, Blair had been correct that there was no one else in the bathroom. Tim quickly hopped in the shower, pulled off his clothes (well aware that it would send more pollen into the air, but he valued speed over caution at the moment), and turned the knob on the shower to as hot as he could stand. He sneezed once as the combination of pollen and water hit his face, but he could already feel the steam dissipating the worst of it. “Iktchh!”

He stood under the water for a minute or so, breathing in carefully, feeling the worst of the itch dissipate. There was still a faint, nagging tickle, but he was sure it would be gone by the time the shower was over. Especially if Blair was there to help.

Even as he thought it, he heard the bathroom door open and close, and Blair’s eye peeked through the shower curtain. “Good, you waited. On your knees, and I’ll lather you up.”

Tim obligingly put his hands on the wall and slid down until his knees touched the shower floor. He heard the rustle and clink of the shower curtain, and then felt Blair’s legs brush against his back. “Goodness, you went all out, didn’t you?” she said, her fingers carding through his hair, “I can still see bits of yellow on your hair. If you’d kept that up for much longer, you’d have turned blonde.”

Tim wasn’t sure if she expected him to answer or not. Fortunately, the reference to the pollen caused the tickle in his nose to spike, and he sneezed by way of response. “Krshh!”

“Sneeze it out, Tim,” Blair said, one knee deliberately rolling between his shoulderblades as she started popping open bottles, “I think you’ve been punished enough. No need to hold back this time.”

“Thank you, mistress.” Tim murmured, relieved that she had decided to keep the punishment fairly simple this time. He tried not to break the rules, he really did, but sometimes he just couldn’t help himself. Why some people claimed the punishment side of BDSM was actually pleasurable, he’d never know. Other than when he and Blair were play-acting, he couldn’t see the fun in it.

Blair’s hands were in his hair again, rubbing something thick into his curls. He closed his eyes to keep the shampoo out, enjoying the sensation. She wasn’t pulling or tugging unnecessarily, aware that right now, they were mostly in a neutral space. No, that part would come later, once they’d moved on to the sex proper.

There was a companionable silence for a few minutes, the only sounds the running of the water and Tim’s occasional sneeze. Then, as Blair tilted his head upwards to get the shampoo out of his hair, she said;

“What have we learned, Tim?”

“That I need to remember my place, Mistress.” Tim said, as well as he could through the mouthful of water he ingested.

“Which means what?” she prompted, pushing his head down.

Tim spat out the water. “I am not to talk back to you unless you give me permission. I am not to touch you unless you give me permission. And I am to follow your orders for as long as we’re in the scene.”

“Good boy,” Blair purred, running her hands through his hair one last time, “I’d say you’ve mostly learned your lesson. But I want to make sure it’s been driven home. Tell me the consequences if you violate those rules. Maybe if they’re fresh in your mind, you’ll be less likely to break them.”

Tim grimaced at the thought, feeling that stab of guilt he always got whenever he’d disappointed his mistress. “Depending on how harsh the violation, I’m to surround myself with one of my allergens. I must either stand out in a pollen filled area, cover my nose with a dusty cloth for a few minutes, or inhale an allergen and hold the sneezes back for as long as possible.”

“Very good,” Blair said, her smile evident in her voice, “In fact, I believe a little reward is in order…”

And she knelt down beside him, her breast pressing up against the small of his back, as she ran a soapy cloth over his shoulder and neck, trying to scrub off any lingering remnants of pollen. Tim arched his back, panting a little, feeling the stirrings of arousal once more. He knew he’d made the right choice; Blair always knew how to get rid of his lingering shame over being punished.

As she tilted his head up once more to scrub under his chin, he caught the scent of her soap, something exotic and fruity. It smelled lovely, but it wasn’t helping his nose at the moment. “Knxt!” He stifled, not wanting to get water up his nose.

“Bless you,” Blair said, taking the washcloth away and carefully running her fingers over his adam’s apple, “How’s your nose?”

“It’s fine, mostly,” he answered, “As long as I don’t inhale any more pollen, it shouldn’t cause any more problems tonight.”

“Mmm,” She murmured, moving her hand down to trace his collarbone, “And that depends on if you’re willing to be good or not.”

“I’ll be good, mistress,” Tim promised her, “I won’t move a muscle unless you tell me to.”

“Shall I hold you to that?” she teased, her finger now circling his left nipple, “Because one twitch could lead me to bring out the dust rag for breaking your promise.”

Tim tensed immediately. “I’m sorry, Mistress. I don’t think I’m capable of following the orders quite that closely.”

“And I wouldn’t ask you to,” she reassured him, scrubbing at his shoulder, “I know it’s hard to lie still in the heat of passion. I won’t begrudge you a few involuntary spasms. All I ask is that you follow the basic rules.”

“You have my word on that, mistress.” Tim promised her.

“Good. Now, I think I’ve gotten rid of the pollen. Stand up and rinse yourself off. I’ll dry off and take your clothes out of here so they don’t bother you. When I get back, shut the water off.”

“Yes, mistress.” Tim said, rising to his feet as she slipped out. Lifting his arms over his head, he turned in a slow circle, allowing the water to hit every inch of him. The irritation in his nose was gone, but the soft touches she’d given him had made him sensitive in…other areas. As much as he wanted to do something about it, he certainly knew better than to do anything without Blair’s permission, especially after the conversation they’d just had. Best to just let the anticipation build.

When the door creaked open again, he waited just long enough to hear Blair murmur “Ocean.” before turning the water off. Orders or no orders, it wouldn’t do to scandalize one of the other ladies on this floor. Blair knew it too, because she didn’t comment on the short pause. Instead, she shoved a towel through the shower curtain. “Dry off. Carefully.”

Tim obeyed, though he gave only a cursory swipe at his legs, not wanting to risk triggering an orgasm by touching himself in the right (or in this case, wrong) way. “Finished.” He said.

“There’s a bathrobe on the hook. Put it on and get out, quickly. I’ll meet you in the hall.”

Tim groped around until he found the thin green robe Blair had bought specially for their scenes. Wrapping it around himself just enough to protect his modesty, he darted out of the shower and bathroom, hoping he wouldn’t see anyone in the hall.

Only Blair was there, wrapped in her pink silk bathrobe. “Come on then, let’s get back to my room. We’ve been lucky so far, but the R.A. will throw a fit if she pokes her head out and realizes what’s going on.”

“Didn’t you say you can hear her and her boyfriend even through a closed door and a pillow over your head?”

“R.A. privilege, apparently,” Blair snorted, taking his wrist and guiding him back to her room, “Not that she can ban us from having guys over, but she hates the idea of anyone having more fun than her.”

Tim grinned. “Then we’ll have to double our pleasure, just to spite her.”

“I knew there was a reason I liked you,” Blair laughed, opening the door and pushing him inside, “Though it does mean you get a bit mouthy when we’re having a scene.”

“That’s what the punishments are for, aren’t they?”

“I guess so. Now, speaking of that mouth of yours, shut it and get back on the bed.”

Tim obeyed her, returning to the position he’d been in before the punishment had started. Blair picked up his tie and bound his wrists to the plank of wood she’d jammed behind her bed. Once she was sure the knots were tight enough, she picked up the red bandanna, considered it for a moment, then set it aside. “We’ll swap one for the other. Got to keep our activities muffled for the R.A.’s sake, after all.”

Tim nodded, figuring she didn’t want him speaking right now. She grinned at him, fiddling with her belt. “Now then, we’ll pick up where we left off. Well, almost.”

“Almost?” Tim repeated, despite himself, “What do you mean, almost?”

She threw off the robe and crawled onto the bed beside him. “I don’t think it’s worth putting on my clothes again, do you?”

“Hey…” Kim’s hand was on his shoulder, and her voice was soft, “Look at me.”

Tim did so hesitantly. She wasn’t smiling, but her eyes were tender. “Let’s warm you up.” she said, kissing his forehead before quickly moving to her closet and pulling out a spare blanket. Sitting next to him, she draped it over his shoulders and tucked it around his arms, before rubbing his back in slow circles. Tim pulled the blanket close, closing his eyes again. He was afraid of saying anything, in fear of his voice cracking. Best to focus on regulating his breathing and getting the shivering under control.

After a minute or so, Kim spoke up. “Tim, let’s get this out there, right now. I’m not blaming you for anything.”

Tim lifted his head a little. She’d promised that she’d always be honest with him, and he had no reason to doubt her. But after all this…

Kim curled her fingers around his shoulder. “I’m guessing the reason you didn’t say anything was because you were trying to push through your mental block, right? Just nod if that’s true.”

Tim nodded, feeling a tightness in his throat and behind his eyes. Damn it, he wasn’t going to cry. Not until they’d hashed this out.

Kim ran her fingers along his jaw. “I can see why you’d do that. Hell, there are plenty of situations in the real world where that is the right thing to do. And I’m not faulting you for thinking that was the way to do it. It’s just…a little bit of discomfort is fine during a scene. But your ‘punishment’ instinct was clearly overriding everything else. Maybe you would have felt better and gotten into it again when we started having sex and I had set the feather aside for good, but that wasn’t a chance I wanted to take. You shouldn’t have to feel miserable just for my sake. Do you see what I’m saying?”

Tim nodded again. It did make sense. The guilt hadn’t disappeared, but he was feeling a little better. Kim draped her arms over his shoulders and rested her head on his back. “I apologize in advance for this coming out sounding like it’s all about me, but rest assured, I don’t mean it that way. The reason I stopped the scene is because I hate seeing you in pain. That is, in pain and not enjoying it. I don’t want that. I want you to be enjoying things just as much as I am. And if you’re trying to fight off your mental block, you’re going to be distracted at best. Am I making any sense here?”

“I think so,” Tim said weakly, “You did it to make sure I was ok.”

“Exactly. You didn’t do anything wrong. Believe me when I say that.”

Tim swallowed. “I want to. It’s just…” his voice cracked, and he shut his mouth, gritting his teeth to keep from breaking down completely.

“Shh, shhh…” Kim shifted positions so that he was now leaning on her, “Just take it slow. I’m here if you need anything.”

Tim took slow, deep breaths, allowing them to shudder but trying not to actually cry. Kim just rubbed his back and arms, helping to warm him up but otherwise leaving him be to pull himself together at his own pace. He was grateful for the silence and the chance for his mind to process everything that had just happened. He still felt guilty, but once he’d pulled out of the sub drop, he’d probably be all right. It was just getting to that point that was the hard part.

When the shaking had finally subsided and he felt composed enough to push away from her, Kim took his hand and squeezed it gently. “All right, you’ve had a rough day. I’ll let you dictate what we do for the rest of the evening. Cuddling, home cooked meal, bad tv…sky’s the limit.”

“I appreciate that.” He hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I know we ended the scene, and won’t be trying again tonight. But…could I have my hands tied together, at least? It would help me feel more secure.”

She nodded and gave him a soft kiss. “I think we can arrange that.”

In the end, they ordered Thai takeout and wound up on the sofa, watching an old comedy film, Tim’s hands bound in front of him while Kim fed him whenever he nuzzled her neck. The combination of food in his stomach and having something in front of him to distract him was what finally pulled him out of his funk, and by the time the credits rolled, he felt like he was capable of facing the world again. Kim had noticed it, too, because her smile was relaxed as she reached out to untie him. “Do you want to stay over, or would you rather be on your way?”

“I’ll stay. Maybe we’ll be able to pull off a quickie in the morning.”

He’d meant it jokingly, but Kim tilted her head, considering him. “Not that I’m opposed to that, but we’re going to have to lay down a rule.”

“What rule?” Tim said, already suspecting the basic gist of it.

“We’re suspending all thoughts of working sneezing into our scenes for a while. I won’t ask, and you won’t offer. When we’re together, we’ll focus on what else we have available. In the meantime, we’ll both try to think of ways to get through your mental block. Only when one of us thinks we’ve come up with something will we try again. Agreed?”

“Agreed.” Tim said. It seemed fair, though he wasn’t sure what he could do on his end. He had no idea what all was out there that could make him sneeze.

“Good. Now then, do you want the spare room, or do you want me there?”

“And why wouldn’t I want you there?” Tim teased, “I like having something nice to look at in the mornings.”

“Always the charmer,” Kim smirked, waving him towards her bedroom, “Your pajamas are in the spare room. I’m going to take a shower before bed.”

“Can’t I join you? I think my temperature’s still a little low after all that ice.”

Her smirk got a little wider. “Oh, all right. But be careful where you’re putting the soap.”