XVIII

Issei slipped his left arm around her middle back and gently combed the fingers of his right hand through her hair.

"You knew, Akeno, that you were going to be punished for lying to me. I told you as much this morning didn't I?" he asked gently.

I forgot! He felt her nod against his chest.

"Then it shouldn't come as a surprise that we aren't finished yet." He continued straightforwardly.

"I-I've learned my…my lesson, Master." Sniffle. "Ple-please…have mercy!" she whispered in response.

Issei stopped stroking her back and sternly replied. "Now, Akeno-chan. Did getting spanked for lying count as punishment for what you put Koneko and myself through?"

She shook her head sniffling.

"And do you think what you did is worthy of punishment?"

Akeno turned her head slowly toward Koneko. Her junior had tensed. She was watching her intently. My response here is important to her… regardless of what happens after. She realized. If I say, 'no.' is there any chance he might just forgive me? Her lips curled in disgust. Koneko won't forgive me if I won't acknowledge what I did to her was wrong… She fought with herself. Are the rules of a session in play? I've been acting like they are, but—if he thinks I'm lying… She shuddered. If he doesn't think I'm lying, he might be disappointed in me. He might punish me for failing to see the error of my ways…It doesn't matter; I'm guilty. I've had it with these games.

"Akeno!" Issei called when she remained silent for over a minute.

"Y-yes, Issei-s-sama?" She asked pulled from her thoughts.

"Do you think you deserve to be punished for what you did?" he asked exasperated.

She breathed in and out quickly several times.

"Y-yes…y-yes, sir." She managed to squeak out taking the plunge.

Issei's gaze passed to Koneko who had noticeably relaxed in response to Akeno's answer. "Why?" he asked returning to rubbing her back.

That's obvious! Why is he asking these pointless questions! If it's just to convince me, he already ha— It's for Koneko… He's giving me a chance to lay out for her exactly what I think I deserve to be punished for. He must have figured out too that she doesn't know it wasn't an accident. He's giving me one more chance. She took a breath. Thank you, Issei.

"Because…because I betrayed my friends." She sighed. "Because I let my selfishness and jealousy and… and fear push me to hurt people I care about."

Koneko's tail twitched back and forth, her ears lowered slightly. Akeno's words were hitting a little too close to home. It's the same thing I did.

"Because I purposely misled someone who respected me, kn-knowing full well the consequences would be possibly more than one destroyed friendship… and maybe really painful too." Akeno extricated herself from Issei. She scooched off of his lap ignoring the pain it caused, stepped out of her pajama pants, and approached a wide-eyed Koneko.

Her steps slowed as the distance closed. Akeno gracefully dropped to her knees so she would be about Koneko's height. "Koneko-chan, I don't think I will be able to make up for this. I told you before, I didn't expect you to forgive me, but I left out the main reason." She paused letting the silence hang. "I hurt you on purpose. I pushed you to ruin the relationship you were starting to form with Issei on the probability that it would also ruin his relationship with Rias. With the two of you out of the way, I could probably seduce him."

Koneko's ears stood straight; her tail violently curled and uncurled. Her eyes filled with explosive anger. I knew this… I knew… why does it feel like such a punch in the stomach? I kept thinking she would deny it. No… the one person I trusted with my problems…not you, Akeno.

Issei was on the verge of intervening, but waited quietly to see if they could settle this between them. Good. No more half-truths. Everything out in the open at last. Good girl. Please try to understand Koneko-chan! She caught herself in the trap she set for you…

"You—!" She hissed. "You—!" An angry growl this time. "You…" A defeated yowl. "…never even cared what happened to me or Rias… did you?"

Akeno closed her eyes in shame.

"I thought that you and me, and me and Rias, and me and Issei would all be on good terms. I…I knew Rias would forgive you in time, even if she found out what you said wasn't true. She loves you dearly." She sighed again. Explaining the depth of her depravity made her feel lower than dirt. "I guessed as well that with time Issei would forgive you too. He… he has that kind of strength. Rias would eventually come around and forgive Issei though perhaps she would keep him at arm's length. By the time all of you and Issei patched things up, he and I would be together with no competition…" She trailed off.

Koneko stared at her as though she were a stranger. Her eyes gilded with tears failing to hide the raw hurt within them. She swallowed to prevent herself from choking on the lump in her throat. Is this… is this the pain Issei felt when he watched me betray him?

"I-I'll always care—"

"Stop!" Koneko ordered desperately. "Tell me how I'm supposed to believe that?" She demanded angrily. "How can you expect me to believe anything you say?" she asked her voice squeaking half-way through.

"I… can't…" Akeno returned lamely. "I don't dare. All I can do…" She bowed her face to the floor and continued in a quiet, miserable tone, "…is tell you…tell you and pray that someday you believe me."

Rage flooded Koneko's heart. She purposely sabotaged my friendship with Issei, with Rias. She didn't care that it might destroy our friendship as well. At least I thought I was being truthful… she did this knowingly! This could have gone so much worse. Issei-sama… he's a saint. She glanced at him for a moment. He talked to Rias and straightened out the damage I did. He agreed to let Akeno redeem herself and punished her this morning. He forgave me and fixed our relationship and only at the cost of me admitting my mistake and accepting the consequences…and now, he's giving Akeno a chance to redeem herself to me too. She paused slowly, reaching out and resting her hand on Akeno's bowed head.

This is the moment… the same moment Issei and I shared. It's my decision to rebuild our friendship or forever tear it to pieces. She shared a knowing look with Issei who was tensely waiting for her response. He can sense that she and I are standing on the precipice just like he and I were.

Akeno jerked slightly as a hand landed on her head. Will she slap me? Slam my head into the carpet? What's going through her mind?

"I can't trust you." Koneko said simply. "But… right now... I choose to believe you."

Akeno looked up startled. "R-really?" she asked a bit pathetically Koneko thought.

Koneko nodded. "I am choosing to believe that you are sorry for what you did. I have not decided if I can believe you ever cared about me really after all this. But…I see the evidence of you caring right now." She paused meeting Akeno's eyes solemnly, "…if you have even a shred of respect for me, you will follow my advice this time and accept your punishment. Not just for my sake, but for yours too."

Akeno stared at the floor. She's right. How could I try to back out now? Well, now she knows everything. The least I can do is try to make up for it a little bit. She stood up, turned her back to Koneko and deliberately walked back to Issei's side.

He smiled gently at her and whispered, "Good girl."

Akeno flashed a smile but quickly bit her lip realizing what was to come. She started to lower herself back onto Issei's lap, but he blocked her with his forearm. Confused, she raised her eyebrow looking Issei in the eye.

Oh no… he wants me over the bed? Is it the belt again! Oh god! I don't know if I can take it!

"O-over the bedside…?" She asked in a tiny voice.

Issei shook his head again.

Now she really was confused. "Master?"

Issei stood beside her resting his hand on her shoulder.

"I want you to lie down on your back on the bed as if you were going to sleep." He explained pointing to the middle of the bed.

Akeno still didn't understand, but thought it better to obey. She crawled onto the bed to the center, rolled over on her back and lay flat wincing slightly as her rear contacted the comforter. She looked to Issei for approval before resting her head on his pillow. He nodded his assent. She laid back staring up at the ceiling, waiting for her next order.

"Keep your eyes on the ceiling until I tell you otherwise."

"Yes, sir."

"Koneko-chan, please bring me what we acquired earlier from the desk drawer."

Akeno's curiosity and dread screamed at her to just take a quick look, but she stayed strong. Picking out a spot of mild water damage on the ceiling and memorizing every millimeter of it.

She heard the soft patter of Koneko's sock-covered feet. Akeno's anxiety bubbled in her stomach. The sound of the drawer opening just feet away echoed like a crash of thunder. There was a little clatter and then the drawer glided closed. Her fear grew stronger as she listened to Issei thanking her and the sound of Koneko returning to her chair. What… what could it be? He knows this is driving me crazy! It's so cruel to not let me look!

"Let's get that shirt out of the way, Akeno. And you may not look away from the ceiling." He reminded her.

Akeno flushed, she cursed herself for not wearing a bra. Obediently, she crossed her arms gripping the hem of her shirt and arched her back off the bed pulling the shirt tail up passed her stomach. She paused a moment snatching her last few seconds of dignity. Then, she blew out a breath and pulled it over the abundant curve of her chest and lifted her head slipping the shirt over it before tossing it beside her on the bed. Her breasts jiggled as they slipped from her shirt then flattened slightly against her chest. Soft, pink nipples rapidly hardening in the cool air peaked out at Issei.

Her hands raced to her chest, but a disapproving throat-clearing sound from Issei stopped her. She slowly let her arms fall to her side fully exposing herself again.

Why am I so embarrassed? He's seen me before. All of me. And I've bathed with Koneko lots of times too even teased her by comparing our breasts. So why…? But lying here naked… I feel so…exposed and vulnerable.

Issei sat down on the bed beside her. It took everything she had to overcome the overwhelming desire to look at him. She gripped the comforter to prevent herself from covering up.

"Bend your knees." Issei ordered. "And pull them up to your chest."

No! Akeno screamed mentally. If I do that… e-everything will be exposed! She let out a small groan but didn't move.

"Now, Akeno!" Issei demanded sternly.

"I-it's too embarrassing! Please a-anything… a-any other way…" she pleaded.

"I don't recall asking for your opinion." He replied dangerously.

A loud crack echoed across the room. Issei's hand pressed firmly into the side of her right thigh, where he had slapped it. Akeno's eyes were squeezed shut in pain.

"…Only your obedience." He finished. "Embarrassment is part of the punishment. Perhaps now you'll understand a little of the humiliation you put your friend through, hmm?"

"Y-yes, sir."

Whimpering, Akeno bent her knees and tucked them up against her chest. She folded her forearms across the backs of them to hold them in place. Her rear jutted outward, her thighs parted no matter how tightly she tried to squeeze them together revealing in full the secret petals of her sex. Her body trembled as she felt both Issei's and Koneko's eyes penetrate her innocence.

Koneko listened stoically to the soft sobbing that Issei's normal ears couldn't pick up. Her boosted nekomata hearing could hear the stifled sounds, as much as she felt the vibrations of her trembling in the air. She watched her senior's humiliation not with glee, but with a sordid sense of justice.

Her cheeks colored as she realized, Issei must have seen… seen everything of mine too when he spanked me without the kitties! I know I lost control and kicked my feet…She turned crimson. He must have…Her anger toward Akeno rekindled initiating a sort of 'it's only fair' reaction.

"Akeno-chan, I'll begin your punishment now." Issei began as he got up from the bed standing to her left. Once I have started you may look away from the ceiling." He paused for a moment.

"For selfishly turning your friends against each other, and for purposely misleading Koneko. For completely failing to understand the chaos and heartache you could have caused, not to mention the broken friendships…I have decided you will need a very severe punishment. One that you will never forget so that you will never even think about doing something so utterly irresponsible and despicable again."

Koneko could see the pin pricks in Akeno's eyes. She was on the verge of tears, not from fear, but her guilt was overwhelming her soul. Issei's scolding had her feeling utterly worthless. All of this had been to make her alone seem worthy of his desire and respect. But not only had she lost his trust, but Koneko's too. If this will win me back some of that…Akeno thought, so be it.

"I'm sorry…" She said with all the sincerity she could muster. Then, "I-I'm ready."

A whirring sound cut through the air like a blade at lightning speed. A quiet thwack quickly followed.

"Ow!" a surprised, high-pitched cry.

Akeno looked down from the ceiling in time to see the long slender switch rear back and whistle forward. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut just before it bit into her tender cheeks again.

"Ah-ha-how!" she squealed even higher and louder each syllable dropping an octave.

Two thin red lines of fire crisscrossed over the apex of her bottom. She wiggled her bottom back and forth trying to lessen the sharp sting. She sniffled softly and squinted her eyes watching Issei's arm wind up for the next slash.

The switch swished through the air whipping across her lower cheeks snapping harshly and bouncing off the soft rosy skin.

"OWWwwwWWww!" her voice slid up and down through the tail end of the cry.

Enough warm up. Issei decided cracking the switch across her cheeks from top to bottom in a flurry of scathing blows allowing her no recovery between.

Akeno's piercing cries came quickly each overlapping the previous with greater urgency and in a higher key until they all began to trail with a quick sob between intervals. Owww-sniff-oww-sob-Ow-sob-OW-sob-OW!

When he finally paused, she was crying like a child, a collage of long low wails. Hot tears were flooding her cheeks; her face screwed up in a grimace of pain.

After several moments, her wails softened to short, quick breaths with eyes closed.

Koneko watched breathlessly as Issei sat on the bed in front of Akeno and leaned passed her pulling his second pillow from beside her head. He slipped his palm under the tippy top of her raised cheeks and tapped them lightly twice. Akeno understood tilting herself a bit further on her back shifting her weight to lift her hips.

"Good girl." Issei praised her as he slipped the second pillow under them. He tapped her outer thigh lightly and she obediently lowered her hips onto the pillow.

My butt is pointing more upward now. She noted sure only that it couldn't be for a pleasant reason. She opened her eyes and through her thighs saw Issei lying on his side perpendicular to her. His left elbow was bent, his palm supporting his head. The evil switch was swishing back and forth in his other hand lazily.

She gulped her eyes following every twist and turn of its tip. Forcing her gaze away from the instrument of her agony, she turned to his face. He had a small smile she noted frowning. Not happiness or vengeance…Lust! She realized all at once. She followed his eyes between her thighs. With her hips propped up, and his head resting casually in his hand her vulva was perfectly eye-level and he was drinking in the view.

Akeno's face burned a deeper crimson than her rear. She couldn't help becoming aroused as sounds and sights from their last intimate encounter flashed across her memory as his words echoed: "Are you against me enjoying your body even if it is during your punishment?" Followed by her hesitant, flustered response: "N…no…"

She glanced guiltily at Koneko who didn't seem the least bit disturbed. Maybe it only feels like he's been staring at me for minutes. Maybe he actually just laid down a second ago… She turned back just as the switch swiped downward spiking viciously from the top of her right thigh all the way down to her upper bottom.

"Ow—ow—ow!" She yelped in surprised dropping her right hand from her knee to trace the new vertical line with a feather's touch.

Just as her fingertip reached the end of the line, Issei planted two powerful strokes on her left thigh in the same manner.

"No! Ow—sob—ahhhh" She howled, bringing both hands down to the new marks.

"Akeno!" Issei warned sternly.

"I-I'm sorrrrry!" She pleaded in response. "It hurts…it hurts!" she cried pitifully

"Of course," Issei acknowledged. He turned to Koneko as Akeno's legs dropped onto the bed. "Koneko-chan, I need your assistance please."

"Oh!" Koneko jumped out of her chair startled. She landed easily on her feet and approached the bedside looking at him questioningly.

"Poor little Akeno-chan here can't control herself. Would you kindly stand behind the bed and restrain her hands?"

"No!" Akeno replied quickly. "That's not nec—No!"

Before she had finished the sentence Koneko had slipped behind the bed leaned over Akeno, and took hold of each wrist in one of her hands. She gently but firmly pulled her arms above her head laying them flat on the bed. When Akeno tried to pull back Koneko increased her grip and leaned forward using her weight to lock her wrists in place.

Akeno strained, but had no leverage against Koneko's weight. She sobbed helplessly. Issei shifted his weight and stood to his feet. He walked around the end of the bed and knelt down on it beside her. He hooked his forearm under her calves and pulled her legs back up over her head holding them in place against his shoulder.

Akeno's sobbing grew stronger. She wiggled half-heartedly in every direction but found between the two of them she was fully restrained. Worse now, her legs were held together and Issei was blocking her view to the side so she couldn't see what was happening.

"Ow! Oh! Ow—how—how!" She squalled as the switch lashed her helpless hiny. "No!" "Please!" "PLEASE!" "Ow! No—no—no…" she begged as the onslaught continued. Issei angled the whippy switch back and forth across both cheeks in an alternating downward pattern. He listened to her urgent increasingly desperate cries and surveyed the angry scarlet lines crissing and crossing all over her rear. She was about done. She can't take much more. Poor thing, the pain must be horrible.

"Koneko-chan?" He called over Akeno's childish wails. "You can let her go, come here, please. I think she'll keep her hands where they belong."

Koneko released Akeno's wrists and scampered over to Issei's side. Akeno's hands flew to her face and she continued bawling into them. Issei and Koneko's eyes met. There was something in Koneko's that Issei understood. Akeno's was being punished and severely for what she did to Koneko. But it wasn't quite the same… It was easy for me to forgive Koneko earlier…and Akeno too, because I punished them myself. It was more intimate, more personal… Will Koneko be able to get passed this by just watching?

He shook his head. Koneko frowned. Issei smiled slightly at her confusion. He took a deep breath and held the switch out to her.

Koneko froze for a moment eyes wide in surprise. She shook her head and stepped back crossing her arms, palms facing him in an X. She's scared. Good. That means she still cares about Akeno. This won't take long.

As Koneko's arms dropped to her side he smiled sympathetically and offered her the switch again. She shook her head again, but read something important in Issei's eyes. It was as though he were trying to explain to her this was necessary without using words. Her headshaking slowed until she stopped. Her eyes flicked from the switch to Issei's eyes twice. He nodded encouraging her.

Koneko's heart raced. She reached a trembling hand out surreally placing her palm on top of Issei's the switch between them. Issei pressed it into her hand and closed her fingers around it.

The moment she curled her fingers around its smooth thin surface, she realized it felt right. Her trembling stopped. Her heart still raced, and her stomach fluttered, but she felt powerful feelings of vindication, justice, and a desire to wipe the slate clean for both Akeno and herself. With this, she could satisfy her anger, her embarrassment… wipe it all away. With this, she could erase Akeno's betrayal… and maybe everything could be good again.

Issei watched Koneko's eyes reading her emotions as they flickered rapid-fire through her mind. He carefully assessed her movements ready to intervene if she couldn't handle it. Part of him felt this was foolhardy, it could be disastrous. Another part understood how Koneko felt. He decided to trust her in hopes this would put everything to rest. She's a good girl. It'll be okay. He repeated to himself.

Koneko moved into position. She let her emotions bubble up inside her mixing and swelling. Issei did this no problem. He was able to punish me and her. It's just mental. I can do it too. Her grip on the switch increased; her tail twitched restlessly up and down.

She cocked her hand back determination burning in her eyes and swung the switch with nearly her full strength her emotions surging through the physical motion. The lithe implement scored with vicious impact in a nearly perfectly horizontal line across the center of both cheeks.

Akeno shrieked in response: an awful, piercingly shrill cry of agony.

Koneko was so startled by the intensity of Akeno's cry that she dropped the switch. A long raised welt stood contrasting sharply with the bright red stripes behind it.

Remorse flooded her. What did I do? Issei didn't hit her that hard! He didn't hit me that hard! She was already spanked before this! Her heart ached. I hurt her! All thoughts of betrayal and anger and revenge vanished so quickly and thoroughly it was as though they had never existed.

Tears sparkled in her eyes. She climbed onto the bed, leaned down, and mewing plaintively began to gently and repeatedly lick the welt as a cat would a wound.

As Akeno recovered from the stroke, she felt something warm, rough, and a little wet on the site of the hardest spank she had received yet. She wiped a pool of tears from her eyes and tried to see what was happening. Issei sighing in relief, gently shifted her calves and using both hands opened her legs slightly so she could see between them. Akeno was shocked to see a tearful Koneko attempting to soothe the pain away with her tongue. It was so adorable she wanted to laugh. She realized from Issei and Koneko's position, that only Koneko could have taken the swing.

Their eyes met. Akeno saw nothing but sorrow, love, and care in her friend's golden pupils. Koneko through her tears read sincere warmth in Akeno's soft violet eyes.

"It—sob—it's okay…K-koneko-ch-chan…" She struggled to control her breathing and crying to calm Koneko. "I-I'm okay."

Koneko looked down at the angry weal she had left on Akeno's skin and back into Akeno's eyes as a tear trailed down her cheek.

She shuffled back as Issei slowly lowered Akeno's legs onto the bed amid soft grunts of pain from the well-punished girl. Issei stepped back as Koneko scrambled off the bed to Akeno's side. She nearly dove onto Akeno as she threw her arms around the older girl's neck and buried her face in her soft breasts sobbing into her chest.

Akeno draped her arms around the little catgirl and consoled her rubbing her back and repeating that she was okay over and over amid her own tears.