Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience. Story codes: M/M spank Visit from an Angel Sam sat at his kitchen table pouring himself another large glass of vodka, his third that night. He flicked through the photo album and tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked at the pictures of himself and Martin. They had been together for over ten years, married for almost nine of them, when Martin died in a car accident almost three months ago. This was Sam's daily routine since the funeral, drinking vodka and looking at photos until sleep eventually overcame him. He turned the pages until he found the photos taken the night they met. It was at a fetish party. As soon as he set eyes on him, Martin had asked if he could spank him and Sam agreed without hesitation. There was a definite spark between them and from this moment they were inseparable. They spent most of the evening in a private room, playing and also getting to know each other. They had both been big players in the scene until now, but no one else got close to them that night. Neither of them played with anyone else at that party, or ever again. During the following months they spent much time together and found they were compatible in every possible way, especially their spanking desires. Within months they were living together and soon making wedding plans. Sam had always loved being spanked, but he'd never gone in for the total domination thing that others seemed to crave. He hadn't been looking for a 24/7 partner and he didn't understand corner time or punishment spankings. But he soon found himself exploring all of these with Martin and discovered he loved it all. He trusted Martin more than he'd ever trusted anyone in his life and submitted himself totally, allowing Martin to try anything new. Sam discovered he loved the cane most, an implement he had always feared in the past. He fulfilled all his fantasies and would try anything Martin wanted. They had many an enjoyable play session with him wearing an old school uniform, pretending he was a badly behaved boy in Victorian times. They also explored the effect of ginger inserted into a naughty young man's bottom, and found this made him hornier than ever. They had a very enjoyable sex life, especially after he'd been spanked. Sam loved play spankings, but he also discovered that, although not enjoyable at all, he needed punishment spankings. On the rare occasions he disappointed Martin or made him cross, he felt really bad. Martin had given him so much and Sam hated to disappoint him with bad behaviour. Sam was prone to sulking, especially when he didn't get his own way, and he'd had some major tantrums over the years. Martin hated swearing and when Sam got into a particularly bad mood he'd swear at him deliberately. He always felt guilty afterwards and couldn't wait for Martin to take his briefs down and punish him. He hated the actual punishments, and he'd often cry before Martin even laid a hand on him, but he did need them. The relief he felt after a punishment spanking, as he sobbed his heart out in Martin's arms, was incomparable. Nothing eased his guilt as quickly and made him feel loved again. Not that Martin ever stopped loving him, but Sam didn't feel worthy of that love when he'd behaved badly. Sam still didn't like the terms Dom and Sub, he preferred to say that Martin was his Sir and he himself was Martin's naughty boy or his spankee. They didn't live solely for spanking, but it was a big part of their lives and they'd never been happier. Snapping back to the present, Sam wiped his tears off the album page and reached for his drink. He drained it quickly and poured another. He and Martin had been blissfully happy and he felt lost without him. Some days he didn't see any point in carrying on. He was on long-term compassionate leave from work but had no intention of ever going back. He rarely even got dressed these days. He'd pushed away all his friends and family and now he was totally alone. He poured another drink and realised he'd reached the bottom of the bottle. He silently cursed. The shops would be closed now. Maybe that was a good thing. He didn't normally drink quite this much, but tonight he was feeling worse than usual, his grief almost as bad as the day he found out Martin was gone. He got up and walked to the cupboard. He knew he didn't have another bottle, but maybe if he checked he might find something hidden away that he'd forgotten about. It was obvious he had no more alcohol but he still searched through the cupboards. What he did find was a bottle of paracetamol. He shook his head and put them down, closing the cupboard door. Covering his face with his hands he started to sob. He wanted to be with Martin so much, maybe this was the only way. He opened the cupboard and took the bottle of tablets, then walked back to the table. Taking the lid off the bottle, he poured them onto the table. He counted 30 tablets. That should be more than enough. His tears dripped onto the table as he pushed the tablets around, counting them into groups of 10, then dividing them into groups of five. Counting five tablets into his hand, he was startled by a voice behind him. He turned and saw a man sitting on his settee. He stood up quickly, dropping the tablets, and asked how he got there. He was absolutely terrified but the man spoke softly and calmly and made him feel at ease. He told him that Martin had sent him to look after him because he couldn't come himself. Sam started to cry and angrily asked the man to leave, but he kept on talking, very calmly, never raising his voice, despite the fact that Sam was shouting at him. Eventually Sam stopped, feeling totally drained of energy, and began to listen. The man said Martin was worried about Sam, especially his drinking and pushing away everyone who cared about him. He wanted to help but couldn't visit himself, it wasn't allowed. Sam frowned and walked across the room. He sat down beside the stranger and touched his hand. He felt real. He quickly pulled his hand away and asked if he was a ghost. The man shook his head and laughed. He held his hand out to Sam who reluctantly shook it, as the man introduced himself as Andrew Scott. He told him he was killed five years ago and he now had his wings and could visit those struggling to cope with the loss of a loved one. He told him he'd been working with Martin, helping with his training, but it isn't permitted for him to visit him, it would be too traumatic. Sam stood up and turned away, blinking several times before turning back to the settee. Andrew was still there. He thought his mind was playing tricks on him but he was intrigued by this strange man. He asked Andrew if he'd really said he was an angel and Andrew nodded. Sam then got very abusive, he believed this man was mocking him and he told him so. He said he was no angel, they didn't exist. He didn't know Martin and he wanted him out of his house immediately. Andrew smiled and said Martin told him he would react in this way. He told him to go upstairs and look in Martin's bedside table, in the top drawer, right at the back. He'd find a small box. It was his Christmas present, but as Martin died a few days before Christmas he didn't get to give it to him. Sam hesitated for a moment, not wanting to leave this man alone in his living room, not even wanting him in his house. He eventually went upstairs, hoping he would be gone when he returned and that would prove he'd simply had too much to drink and was imagining things. He looked in his drawer and was shocked to find a small red box with a gold bow on top. He lifted the lid and began to cry. He'd asked for an eternity ring and shortly before Martin's death they'd looked at rings. He'd fallen in love with a thin gold band with a row of five diamonds. He said they'd look again at a later date and choose one for their anniversary in a few months time. What Sam didn't realise was that Martin had gone back later that day and bought the ring as a Christmas present for him. He took it out of the box. It was more beautiful than he remembered and he slipped it onto his finger. It fitted perfectly. He smiled as he remembered how good Martin was with gifts. Whatever he bought him always fitted perfectly, and he always loved everything Martin got for him. The voice behind him startled him. He hadn't heard Andrew come upstairs. In fact he'd almost forgotten he was there. He instinctively threw himself into Andrew's arms and sobbed. He still couldn't quite believe what was happening. He still believed Andrew was a figment of his imagination. He cried for a long time and Andrew held him close, stroking his hair and rocking him in his arms. When he eventually calmed down he was embarrassed and pulled away from him. "What the hell did you do, how did we get down here?" He looked around, startled. They were back in the living room. "I carried you." Sam glared at him, hands on his hips. "The hell you did, we were upstairs and we did not come down." Smiling he replied: "I did carry you, just not in the way you're used to. Surely that's further proof I am your guardian angel?" Andrew laughed, trying to lighten the situation, but Sam started to shout and swear at him, slapping him hard across the face. He didn't react to the slap. Instead he stood up and took Sam firmly by the wrist. Forcing Sam to look at him, he said Martin told him he may encounter some problems with him and told him exactly what to do if he turned into a brat. In a flash they were back in his bedroom. "Will you stop doing that, if you want to take me upstairs then walk me there ... in fact you have no right to bring me upstairs. Take me down again now." Sam was screaming now, a mixture of fear, confusion and too much alcohol. Andrew ignored him and sat down on the edge of the bed, pulling him across his knees with no effort at all. He then raised Sam's dressing gown, Sam screamed loudly and kicked his legs, embarrassed that his bare bottom was now on full view to the stranger. "Let me up now or I'll kill you bastard." Andrew laughed. "Sorry sweetheart, someone beat you to that." Sam screamed in frustration and kicked his legs harder. "Let me go!" Andrew responded with a smack to his right cheek, followed by an equally stinging smack to his left. Sam squealed in shock. He'd forgotten how much a spanking could hurt, but he couldn't ever remember one that hurt quite this much, especially not just with someone's hand. He momentarily considered apologising and promising to be good, anything to get him up from this position, but instead he kicked him hard in the leg. Andrew laughed and delivered another two hard smacks to his bottom. Sam squealed again and swore at him. Sighing deeply Andrew held him firmly in position and began a hard and fast spanking, all over his bottom and down the backs of his thighs. Sam fought hard to escape but it was impossible. He kicked his legs hard, screamed and squirmed around as much as he possibly could, but it did nothing to ease the building sting in his bottom, and it certainly didn't help him to escape from Andrew's vice-like grip. He was desperate to rub the sting away and reached back, but his hand was immediately grabbed and held firmly against his back. Sam was determined not to cry and continued with his futile efforts to escape. Eventually exhausted he gave up fighting and concentrated on holding back his tears. Andrew would not make him cry, that much was certain. Andrew delivered another six smacks then stopped. Gently rubbing Sam's bottom he asked if he was ready to apologise yet. He shook his head and sighed as he was bombarded with foul language and threats. Martin had said Sam was prone to tantrums, but Andrew had seriously underestimated how much trouble he would actually be. "I'm sorry young boy, but you've brought this on yourself." Andrew continued him spanking, but this time with a wooden paddle. Sam screamed and struggled, twisting his body and kicking his legs in his continued attempts to get away from him. He kept spanking him at a steady pace, never once breaking his rhythm. The smacks were hard and Sam's bottom, which was already bright pink from his hand spanking, quickly reddened more and more. Andrew started to lecture him. At first Sam wasn't really listening, he was too busy trying to break free, but Andrew's words eventually started to get through and Sam calmed down. His eyes filled up and despite his best efforts to hold them back, his tears started to drip onto the carpet. Within seconds he was sobbing pitifully. Andrew kept talking to him, but eased off a little on the strength of his smacks. He told him that Martin loved him and didn't want him to waste his life, and he certainly didn't want him to take his own life just to be with him again. He had so much to live for. He had his memories of him and they would never go away. He also had friends and family who wanted to help him through this and Martin couldn't bear to see him pushing everyone away. Andrew put the paddle down and continued to spank Sam with his hand, but much gentler now, trying to settle him down before letting him stand up. He continued talking to him until Sam finally said he was sorry and asked him to please stop. Andrew immediately stopped spanking him and lifted him up. He held his arms out and Sam gratefully threw himself into Andrew's embrace, wrapping his legs around his waist. Andrew smiled. He was quite unprepared for this reaction. Having expected another slap around the face, he'd been mentally prepared to spank him yet again. Instead he held him tightly in his arms until his sobbing had stopped and then he gently rubbed his very hot and red bottom. He stood up and Sam clung tightly to him, his arms around his neck and his legs still wrapped around his waist. Andrew carried him around to the side of the bed, pulled back the covers and lay him down, as he prised Sam's legs and arms off himself. He kissed Sam's tears away and asked if he was feeling better. Sam nodded. He'd always struggled to understand why a spanking made him feel better, especially a hard spanking that made him cry so much, but it never failed to take away his guilt. Hours of talking could never make him feel the way that a hard and well deserved punishment did. He reached for Andrew's hand and asked him to stay with him. But Andrew said he couldn't. Sam asked him to lie down with him for a while and he reluctantly agreed. He laughed when Sam pulled his hand under the covers and tried to put it between his legs. He'd been forewarned that despite his hating punishment spankings, Sam always ended up very horny afterwards. Andrew removed his hand, kissed him on the cheek and said it was time for him to go. "Goodnight Sam, take care." He stepped away and Sam reached out for him. "Please, wait!" Andrew knelt down beside the bed so his face was close to Sam's. He waited patiently as Sam struggled to find the words. Eventually he blurted out: "I'm sorry, I wouldn't have taken them, the tablets I mean. I was just so sad, I really am sorry ... I'm sorry you had to spank me, I'm sorry I used bad language, I'm sorry I kicked you..." Sobbing again, he added: "Please don't hate me." Andrew smiled and pulled him close to him. "I don't hate you and more importantly, neither does Martin, and he never will. He loves you, and that's why he sent me to help you." Pulling away from him, he wiped away Sam's tears and smiled. "So am I forgiven?" Smiling brightly, Andrew nodded. "Of course you are." He knew forgiveness was a big thing for Sam. Martin said when he felt bad about something and knew he deserved to be punished, he always fought him, but eventually he'd give up and let his tears come and allow him to punish him. He always felt better afterwards when he was sobbing in his arms with a very sore bottom, but he always needed to know that Martin didn't hate him and he was forgiven, it seemed to be the most important thing to him. It never ceased to amaze Martin how he changed from sobbing uncontrollably and being desperately unhappy to smiling and being blissfully happy in a matter of seconds, once he heard those words of forgiveness. Andrew kissed him gently, said goodnight and was gone. Sam was soundly asleep the second Andrew left the room. Sam woke up the next morning feeling bright and refreshed. He sat for a while trying to remember his dreams. He thought he'd maybe been dreaming of Martin, of how he used to spank him. But for once this didn't make him feel sad, it made him feel happy. But he had the strangest feeling in his bottom, he actually felt like he had been spanked. He laughed, got out of bed, got washed and went downstairs. Frowning at the empty vodka bottle and the tablets on the table, he tidied up the mess and put everything in the bin. He certainly didn't need this kind of rubbish any more. He sat down at the table, wincing as his bottom made contact with the hard wooden seat, and started to slowly piece together the events of the previous night. He felt very foolish as he remembered how close he came to ending it all. He remembered Andrew and the reason why he was feeling sore. He reached back and rubbed his bottom. Had he really been here or was his mind - and body - playing tricks on him? He certainly felt like he'd been spanked. He went back upstairs to the bedroom, turned his back to his full length mirror, lifted his dressing gown and gasped loudly. His bottom and thighs were showing definite signs of a very hard spanking. He glanced towards the bedside table and saw the paddle. Looking again at his bottom he wondered had he perhaps done it to himself. A voice behind him broke him from his thoughts and he turned around. Andrew was standing there with a smile on his face. "I'm sorry I had to be so hard on you, but you were so naughty." Sam ran towards him and threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much." Andrew nodded. "That's OK, glad to be of help. How's your bottom this morning?" Pouting, Sam reached behind him and rubbed his bottom. "It hurts." Andrew smiled. "Well deserved spankings are supposed to hurt, young lad." Sam's eyes widened. He looked back and Andrew was now gone. Standing before him, in his place, was Martin. "Martin!" He took a step back, excited but afraid. "I'm sorry, please don't be frightened, Sam. I needed to see you, make sure you're OK." Sam's eyes filled with tears. Holding his hands out to him, Martin reached out and squeezed them gently. They kissed and held each other. He asked Sam to turn around. Caressing his bottom, he chuckled. "Looks like you still haven't learned when to keep your mouth shut." Sam turned quickly to face him, giggling and intending to come back with some cheeky reply, but he could barely believe Martin was here. He was, for the first time ever, lost for words. Martin smiled at him as his tears started to roll down his cheeks. Holding out his arms to him he said they didn't have long. Andrew might well lose his wings for allowing him to come to him. It was totally against the rules. Smiling Sam stepped forward and touched Martin's face, running his fingers through his short dark hair, smiling as his stubble scratched his fingers. "I see there's a shortage of razors in heaven too," he teased. He leaned forward and kissed his lips gently, feeling those strong arms that he loved so much holding him tight. Martin stepped back and held his face in his hands. "I'm sorry, sweetheart, it's time to go. I love you. Be strong." Blinking back tears, Sam smiled. "I love you too. I'll never forget you. And I promise I'll be good." Grinning, Martin told him not to make promises he could never keep. They laughed as he began to fade away, as he was once again taken from him. But this time it didn't hurt quite so much. "I hope you like your ring." He'd forgotten about his eternity ring. That was one part of last night he hadn't yet remembered. Looking down he saw it sparkling on his finger. "I absolutely love it, thank you." As he looked back, Martin had gone. Sam turned away, confused. Half of him wanted to cry with sorrow, the other half of him wanted to sing with joy. A sharp smack on his bottom jolted him out of his thoughts. He turned to see Andrew standing behind him. "I'm sorry you couldn't have any longer with him, I shouldn't even have let you have that. I'll probably be in big trouble but never mind, it was for a good cause." "Thank you so much, I hope you haven't got yourself into too much trouble on my account, but I really appreciate what you did." Kissing him on the cheek, he said he was ready for him to leave him now. Andrew nodded, patted him on the bottom and smiled. "Try to keep yourself out of trouble, and be safe." With that he was gone. Sam raised his hand, looked at his beautiful ring and kissed it. Martin would always be with him and he would make him proud of him. With a smile on his face and a spring in his step, he set out to begin his new life, starting with getting dressed, getting back to work and rebuilding bridges with friends and family.