CHAPTER 21

“I’m in love with Blaine.”

Burt Hummel sighed and set down his cup of coffee. “I know.”

 “You do?” Kurt’s eyebrows shot halfway up his forehead.

“You two are not as subtle as you think you are.”

“And you’re not… mad?”

“Why, because you two have feelings for each other?” Kurt’s dad looked at him levelly. “I would only be mad if you were taking advantage of Blaine or disrespecting him in any way. Are you?”

Kurt scoffed. “Of course not.”

“Are you sure? You aren’t pressuring him into anything, are you?”

“Dad!”

“What? I did just find you two in bed together.”

“Only because Blaine knocked on my door in the middle of the night and asked for permission to stay so he wasn’t alone. I couldn’t have him sleep on the floor, come on.”

“Oh.” His dad looked relieved. “So you’re not… you know–”

Kurt’s eyes widened. “No! Oh my god, Dad, who do you think I am?”

“A teenager?”

“We’ve only kissed a few times since Valentine’s Day – and not even last night. I can’t believe you thought we were having sex! I would never pressure him, and I…” He blushed, but pushed through. “I am not nearly ready for that myself.”

“Alright, I was just making sure.” Burt picked up his coffee cup and took a sip.

Kurt huffed.

His dad put the cup down again with a sigh. “But I gotta admit, I’m not thrilled about you two.”

Kurt nodded. “I know it’s not ideal, considering the world we live in. But Dad, I can’t help it. And you know of happy relationships between slaves and free people. Just look at Cooper and Sara.”

“Cooper and Sara are older than you and Blaine. And they met just two years before Cooper gained his freedom; they didn’t have ten years of hiding their relationship to look forward to. And even then, Sara’s family pretty much disowned her when she announced they were getting married.”

“You aren’t going to disown me though, are you?”

His dad looked at him wearily. “Come on, Kurt. Of course not. But you have to realize, it will make you unpopular in certain circles, sometimes extremely so. It can put both you and Blaine in danger if you act as a couple in public. Even just rumors about it may cause you problems at school, or affect your future career. You’ve got to be aware of all that. And that’s before taking Blaine into consideration.”

“What do you mean?” Kurt frowned.

“Well, how sure are you of your heart? You’re eighteen, it’s your first love, how certain are you that it will last?” The words were blunt, but Burt’s face was kind. “Because there’s much more at stake here than if you were dating a free boy, Kurt. Like it or not, Blaine belongs to you. If things go south, he will still belong to you. What do you do then? Do you sell him, or give him away, because you can no longer stand to be close to him?” His dad paused to let it sink in. “You don’t only hold his heart in the palm of your hand. You hold his whole life. You must be sure you can handle it no matter what, because otherwise you can hurt him more than any of his previous owners did. If you’re not sure, don’t start this relationship. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

Kurt nodded solemnly. “Thanks, Dad.” He stared at his untouched coffee for a moment, and then pushed it away. “Would you mind if I went back to my room? I don’t want him to wake up alone.”

“Sure. Just… don’t make that a habit, okay? And think about what I said.”

“I will. I promise.”

Blaine was still out cold when Kurt crept back into his room and slid under the covers.  Kurt didn’t try to hold him again, unwilling to risk waking him up when Blaine desperately needed sleep. Instead, he lay there wide awake, watching Blaine’s beautiful, relaxed face and enjoying the moment. They wouldn’t get many mornings like this anytime soon.

How sure are you of your heart? His dad’s words echoed in his head. The short answer was more than he’d ever been about anything before. Yes, Blaine was his first love, and there were no guarantees, simply because life didn’t come with any, but Kurt knew that he would never, ever knowingly hurt Blaine. No matter what.

By his side, Blaine whimpered quietly, his body tensing under the covers. All appearances of peacefulness were gone in an instant as his breathing quickened into panicky gasps and his face screwed up as if in pain. Kurt put a gentle hand on his wrist.

“Blaine. Blaine, it’s okay,” he murmured in a soothing tone. “Wake up, honey.”

Blaine startled awake, his eyes wide and scared.

“Kurt,” he breathed out, relief washing over his face as he slumped into Kurt’s waiting arms. “So I’m really back.”

“You are. You’re home, safe.” Blaine felt so small in his embrace; so vulnerable. Kurt never wanted to let go. But already Blaine was pulling away with an embarrassed expression.

“I’m sorry I woke you last night. I should go back to my room.”

Kurt caught his hand before he could slip out of bed. “You don’t have to go.”

“But… Kurt, what if anyone notices I’m here?”

“My dad knows you slept here. I talked to him when you were asleep.” Kurt reached to stroke his knuckles down Blaine’s cheek, still covered with dark hair. It was longer than he’d ever let it grow since November, and softer than Kurt thought it would be. He smiled at the tickle of it and looked back up into Blaine’s worried eyes, not trying to dial down the affection he felt. “I told him that I’m in love with you. He warned me it won’t be easy, if we want to be together, but he accepted it. So you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. You can stay here with me a little longer.”

Blaine’s eyebrows rose sharply. “Really?” he asked in a small voice, so hopeful, as if this was too good to be true, which was exactly how Kurt felt, too.

“Really. I could hold you, and we could sleep some more, maybe? It’s still early.”

“Oh, please, yes.”

Kurt grinned. “Can I be the big spoon?”

“The what?”

“Just… turn around? I’ll show you.”

 “Oh,” Blaine sighed happily when Kurt hugged him from behind, careful not to press too hard against the bruises on his back, and wound his arm around Blaine’s tiny waist, resting his palm over his heart. Blaine melted against his front. “Oh, I love it. It’s like you’re all around me. It feels like I’m yours.”

Kurt kissed his hair. “You are, my sweet boy. And I’m yours, too. Now sleep. You need to rest.”

He could happily wake up like this every day, Kurt decided some time later, as he drifted slowly towards consciousness. He wasn’t sure what stirred him awake, but Blaine was still a warm, precious weight in his arms, so Kurt took care not to move, eager to bask in this perfect moment of intimacy a little longer.

Then the slightest little roll of Blaine’s hips made him gasp and open his eyes.

Oh. So that was what woke him. He inched his hips – and his very unwelcome erection – back, his face burning.

“Kurt?” Blaine whispered, sounding very much awake and more than a little awed. “You’re hard.”

Kurt’s cheeks grew even hotter. “I know. Sorry about that.”

Blaine turned his head to look at him. “No, but I could help you with that. My hands are useless right now, but I’ve been told I’m very good with my mouth.”

Kurt had to close his eyes and breathe for a moment, his cock throbbing in the confines of his briefs. Even when he could finally speak, his voice still came out breathless. “Sweetie, you’re not a sex slave anymore, remember? You don’t have to–”

“I know. But… I think I would like that. With you.”

Kurt swallowed a whimper and, with a heroic effort of will, moved farther away from the unbearable temptation of Blaine’s body.

“No, honey,” he said softly. “Not yet. Not like this.” He put his hand on Blaine’s cheek and Blaine turned to face him. Kurt brushed the lightest of kisses over his healing lips. “It’s very, very tempting, and I am so attracted to you, but I’m not ready for that. And I want it to be special, when we decide to be intimate. Special for both of us.”

Blaine frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I want to touch you, too, one day. Make you feel good. When we decide it’s time.” Blaine’s eyes widened and Kurt kissed him gently one more time. “But not yet, okay?”

“Okay.” It was no more than a whisper.

“But I want to ask you something now.” Kurt took Blaine’s hand. “And I need you to answer honestly. If you have even the slightest doubts, take your time to think about it. You don’t have to answer now, or even today. Take however long you need, or we can talk about it if you want, anything. There’s no rush.” He paused to take a shaky breath.

Blaine squeezed his hand. “Kurt? You’re making me nervous.”

“Oh, no, honey. It’s just that I am nervous, because… well, I just wanted to ask if we could be boyfriends.”

In the silence that followed, Kurt could hear his own heart pounding for the interminable seconds as Blaine stared at him with his lips parted.

“Like Nick and Jeff?” Blaine whispered eventually.

“Yes.” Then Kurt remembered Jeff’s words about their sex life and hurried to add, “Except, slowly.”

The smile started in the corners of Blaine’s lips and quickly spread to his entire face until he was beaming at Kurt. “Yes! Yes, I’d like that very much.”

“But if you have doubts–”

“I don’t. I would love to be your boyfriend.”

Kurt let out a relieved breath. “Thank you. Of course, we’ll have to be careful outside but here…” he broke off and pressed a soft kiss to Blaine’s lips, “We’re safe here.”

Blaine whined when Kurt pulled away, tilting his head for more, but all Kurt allowed himself was another quick peck.

“We better wait a few days until your lip heals,” he said, rubbing his nose against Blaine’s, Eskimo style. “I don’t want to make this split open again. But I promise to kiss you as much as you want then.”

It was shocking how normal this day felt; as if the past week hadn’t happened at all. Blaine was hardly leaving Kurt’s side – even when Kurt studied for the tests he’d missed during his absence, Blaine sat curled up in the armchair with a book, pretending to read while mostly just watching Kurt with an adoring expression. Kurt couldn’t stop glancing at him with a smile.

After lunch, Blaine asked him for help with shaving – his hands were still bandaged and stiff, and so Kurt sat him down on the stool and carefully worked the razor until Blaine’s face was smooth and soft again. The intimacy of the process felt even more striking now that they were boyfriends. He still couldn’t even think the word without his heart speeding up.

It was time to tell his family.

Except his dad must have talked to Carole and Finn already, because they didn’t even blink when Kurt wrapped his arm around Blaine’s waist as they settled to watch a movie that afternoon. Only his dad’s eyebrows twitched up in a wordless question, and Kurt nodded, a silent yes, I’m sure. The answering nod was both an acknowledgment and, Kurt felt, a reminder of the responsibility he was taking upon himself. Then Burt turned back to the TV.

Blaine fell asleep with his head on Kurt’s shoulder ten minutes into the movie. Kurt shifted carefully to tuck him comfortably into his arms and spent the next hour and a half relishing the closeness, his heart full to the brim with the joy of having Blaine back, safe and whole and his.

Of course, hoping that everything would be easy and seamless was unrealistic.

“All right, boys,” Kurt’s dad said as soon as they sat down to dinner that night, looking between Kurt and Blaine. “Let’s set up the rules. No unauthorized sleepovers, and if you’re in a bedroom together, the door stays open, understood?”

Blaine, still looking sleepy just a minute ago, snapped to wide-eyed attention. “Yes, sir.”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “Okay.”

“Don’t make that face, Kurt, you know it’s the same for Finn and Rachel. And you and I are going to have another talk later, too. As soon as I gather some…” He rubbed his balding head, “materials.”

Kurt frowned, but then the understanding dawned and his jaw dropped. “You mean…? No. No way, we’re not talking about that.”

“Believe me, buddy, I’m not looking forward to it either.”

Kurt gulped.

But even the prospect of a sex talk with his dad couldn’t dampen the bliss of spending the evening stretched out on his bed with Blaine, with the door wide open, holding hands as they each read their own book and traded gentle kisses in between pages. And nothing was better than being able to go into Blaine’s room before bed to kiss him goodnight.

Kurt was back in his room and getting ready to go to bed himself when Finn knocked on his door. He came in with a hesitant expression, carefully closing the door behind him.

“Listen, do you want me to cover for you now, when you and Blaine want to… you know? Sleep together or stuff?” Finn whispered conspiratorially. He looked uneasy, and yet plowed bravely on. “Because I can. Just tell me when.”

Kurt felt strangely moved. “I think we’ll be fine. I’m not going to do anything that needs covering; not yet anyway. But thank you for the thought. If you need anything with Rachel, of course…” he broke off.

Finn shrugged. “Thanks but… Rachel’s not very… open to that.”

They both nodded their acknowledgment, equally uncomfortable with the topic, dropping it with relief. What needed to be said had been said.

“Okay, just wanted to let you know that, you know. I have your back.” Finn shifted his weight and reached for the doorknob. “G’night.”

“Thank you, Finn. That means a lot. Goodnight.”

The most difficult part of being in a relationship proved to be hiding it from the world. Now that they were allowed to be openly together at home, it was exceedingly hard for Kurt to remember not to reach for Blaine’s hand when they were walking outside, not to allow himself all the little affections that had become natural for them. But most of all, it was nearly impossible to look at and talk to Blaine as a slave now.

“Listen.” Santana grabbed Kurt’s arm and unceremoniously marched him aside from the picnic table where Blaine, Brittany and Sam were currently having a great time talking and laughing over their lunch, under Mercedes’ amused eye. “You’ve got to be more careful. I get it, he’s lovely, but tone down the heart eyes. That old guy over there looks about ready to tear you a new one.”

Kurt looked around, frowning. Sure enough, a sour-faced bald man in an ill-fitting suit was staring at him with a furious look. Kurt shrugged.

“I’m not doing anything.”

“That’s what you think. You’re treating him like a boyfriend.”

“I haven’t even touched him!”

Santana rolled her eyes. “You’re treating him like a secret boyfriend that you’re trying very hard not to touch. Stop that. You’ll get us all in trouble.”

Kurt sighed. “Okay.” He scuffed the toe of his shoe against the signpost they were standing by. “Is it that obvious?” he asked after a moment. He’d told Mercedes and Jeff within the week since Blaine and he had become boyfriends, but he hadn’t been planning to tell anyone else. He’d even made Finn swear not to reveal his secret to anyone – especially not Rachel.

“Duh.” Santana scoffed, her expression softening as she looked towards the table where Brittany was practically dancing in her seat. “I get it, believe me. I do. Your secret is safe with me. But you have to be more careful. Your boy is better at playing his role than you are.”

Kurt looked at Blaine, flushed and effervescent with joy and so, so beautiful, and forced his face into a neutral expression. “I know. He’s amazing, isn’t he?”

Santana just rolled her eyes.

It was the first week of May, rain was drumming against Kurt’s bedroom window, and they had fifteen more minutes before anyone else would be home. They had already spent the better part of an hour making out, but it wasn’t nearly enough. Not when Kurt had Blaine shirtless on his bed for the first time – all that smooth skin, Blaine’s muscles trembling sublimely with pleasure, the flush of arousal spreading over his face and down his chest as he panted and moaned softly under Kurt’s caresses.

It was so easy to get lost in Blaine’s stunned, unrestrained reactions, so easy to want to give him everything – more touches, more kisses, more attention, everything that he’d never had before. And Kurt had only just finished mapping Blaine’s bare arms and torso with reverent hands. He needed a few more hours to get his lips thoroughly acquainted with every inch of that golden skin above Blaine’s waist.

They didn’t have hours, and there was so much Kurt still wanted to do.

He mouthed at the nearest patch of naked skin, which happened to be the crook of Blaine’s neck. Blaine whimpered breathlessly and arched into him, seeking more contact. Within the last month they had perfected a position where Kurt was on top – the way Blaine seemed to prefer – but with his hips safely to the side, to avoid temptation or embarrassment. Now, as Kurt ducked down and shyly brushed the tip of his tongue over one pebbled nipple, Blaine moaned and suddenly pressed into him, frantic, his hips twisting in a desperate search for friction. The hard bulge of what could only be Blaine’s cock dug into Kurt’s hip, making him gasp.

Everything slowed down then, the urgency pushed into the background for a moment as Kurt stared at the picture of perfect abandon underneath him: lips kissed red, eyes darkened and hazy with want, every move, every line of Blaine’s body showing desire, bliss, pleading for more. How many times in his years as a slave had Blaine been allowed to have this?

Slowly, deliberately, Kurt moved his hips so that he was fully on top of Blaine, and muffled a groan against his shoulder. The pressure on his aching erection made the heat coil tight in his balls, already so close.

“Okay?” he managed, and Blaine nodded fervently.

“Yes. Yes, Kurt, please, ohyes–” Blaine’s moan broke off into a shocked gasp as Kurt rocked down into him, once, twice–

And then Blaine’s cock was pulsing against his, his mouth open in a silent cry and hands grasping for purchase against the shirt on Kurt’s back. It hardly took anything for Kurt to follow, one more press and all he could do was cry out into Blaine’s shoulder and come, holding onto him for dear life and shaking with the intensity of it.

The clear-headed realization of what they’d just done came as soon as Kurt caught his breath. His face was hidden in Blaine’s neck, and he was almost afraid to look up, not sure what reaction to expect. He’d thought their first time would be different – planned and special and– okay, it did feel special, but it was supposed to be planned.

But then Blaine kissed his temple and sighed happily, and Kurt leaned up on his elbows to look into his honey-bright, smiling eyes.

“Hi.”

“Hi.” Blaine beamed at him. He looked happy, sated and a little dazed. “That was amazing. Better than I ever thought.”

Kurt frowned. “It wasn’t your first orgasm, was it?”

“No, it happened a few times before. But never with someone else, and it never felt so good. I’m all tingly.” He laughed softly, reaching to cup Kurt’s face.

Kurt kissed his lips, just once. “Me too. Thank you for this.”

Blaine looked at him shyly. “So… is this what it’s going to be like when we have sex?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m allowed to have pleasure, too?”

“Oh honey, of course you are! Sex should always feel good for both people participating. So if anything we do is not good for you, I want you to tell me, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Promise?” Kurt kissed the tip of Blaine’s nose, and Blaine laughed.

“I promise.”

The beeping of the alarm set for five minutes before his dad’s return broke the blissful bubble. Kurt sat up, his heart accelerating again, but for entirely different reasons.

“Oh shhh–. We need to change.” Wincing, he crossed to his dresser to grab two pairs of underwear. There was no time for Blaine to get his own from downstairs. “Here, go to my bathroom and put these on. Drop yours into my hamper and I’ll do laundry later. I will change here.”

Blaine hurried to the bathroom, spurred on by the panic in Kurt’s voice. They had to make themselves presentable, and if Kurt wasn’t mistaken, there were at least a few hickeys to take care of… He scrambled to kick off his pants, reaching for the tissues.

They were in the kitchen, starting dinner, when Burt came home fifteen minutes later, thankfully held back by something at the garage. Kurt only hoped he wouldn’t inquire about the scarf tied artistically around Blaine’s neck.

But a minute later, any thoughts of hickeys flew right out of his head.

“Kurt? You’ve got mail.” His dad put a large, thick envelope with the New York University logo on the counter. His smile was huge and excited, but Kurt just froze. By his side, Blaine glanced at him curiously, then went back to peeling carrots, humming happily.

“Oh,” Kurt stuttered. “Um. Could you put it in my room? I’ll look through it later.”

He turned back to the cutting board. From the corner of his eye, he could see his dad’s expression cloud for a moment as he looked between him and Blaine. Then he nodded with a forced smile.

“Sure.” He left the kitchen, nonchalantly holding the letter with Kurt’s future inside like it wasn’t a bomb ready to rip apart the happiness they’d been building together for the last month.

Kurt slid up to his room later that night, when Blaine was busy helping Carole with the dishes. He ripped the envelope open and scanned the contents. Congratulations, you’ve been accepted!! A purple folder with brochures. Information about financial aid and dorms.

He’d gotten in. He would be moving to New York this summer, to study fashion design at his dream school. His life would finally – really, truly – begin.

Kurt knew he should feel ecstatic. Instead, he just felt numb.

“So are you in or what?” His dad’s voice sounded from the doorway.

“I… I am. I got accepted.” Kurt looked up at him, cold spreading through his chest. “I’m going to New York.”

“So why do you look like somebody died? Sounds like a reason to celebrate to me.”

Kurt shook his head, frantic. “No. No Dad, not yet, please. Don’t tell them yet.”

His dad sighed heavily. “It’s about Blaine, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“You want to take him with you.” It wasn’t even a question.

Kurt hung his head. “I can’t imagine leaving him behind.”

Burt came in and sat heavily on the edge of the bed by Kurt’s side. “You know we can’t afford that.”

“I know.” Kurt passed him the page he was holding. “See the price for the ‘slave premium’ dorm room? That’s basically just a single with an added cot for the slave. And there’s no financial aid for slave accommodation.”

His dad whistled. “That’s almost twice as much as a bed in a shared room.”

“I guess most people who can afford to own slaves in college don’t really have to worry about money.”

“Kurt… I wish I could help you with that, I really do. But you know you’re gonna have to work to help support yourself, and if you add Blaine…”

“He could work too, though. Right?”

His dad sighed and put down the accommodation brochure. “I know of a few businesses that pay their slaves like we do, but they’re all here in Ohio. I don’t know anyone in New York, and they don’t exactly advertise this kind of thing. Maybe you can find a place for him to work once you’re there, and he can join you in a few months? I can put him in the garage until then, so he can save some money and get trained.”

“But... how can I tell him I’m leaving him behind? No, I’ve got to find a way.” Kurt’s voice broke slightly.

“I can ask around, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you.” His dad squeezed his shoulder.

“Maybe… maybe you could talk to Jeff’s mom? She manages a restaurant chain that spreads over several states, maybe she knows someone? Heard about something?” He paused and bit his lip. “Jeff and Nick are in the same situation we are.”

Burt sighed. “Okay. Get me her number, I’ll see what I can do. And in the meantime… you really don’t want to tell anyone?”

“Not yet. Please.”

“Okay.” He stood up and walked to the door, but turned back to Kurt before opening it. “But I’m not letting you give up on college if this doesn’t work out. We’ll try what we can, I promise, but if there’s no way to take Blaine with you, you’re gonna have to go alone.”

Kurt nodded through the stinging in his eyes. “I know.”

The three days until his dad’s meeting with Jeff’s mom had Kurt on edge. He alternately hoped for the best and expected the worst. From Jeff’s text messages he knew that his mom didn’t have any contacts in New York herself, but she was searching through the grapevine of carefully selected friends and acquaintances to gather information.

On the day of the meeting, Kurt and Blaine had three hours to themselves in the empty house. Normally, they would use the opportunity to steal some rare moments of intimacy, but that afternoon, even the urgency of Blaine’s perfect lips and his hands sneaking shyly under Kurt’s shirt didn’t work. Kurt just wanted to hold him – as close as possible, for as long as he was allowed. The possibility that in a few short hours he would have to tell Blaine that he was leaving for New York without him was looming dark and heavy.

Blaine didn’t miss his dampened mood, but after the second time Kurt answered his gentle inquiries with kisses instead of words, he didn’t ask anymore. As the afternoon ticked by though, he grew quiet, clinging to Kurt as if he knew he could be ripped away from him.

Finally, the car door slammed shut in the driveway. Kurt was up in an instant, Blaine following him out of the room.

Kurt’s dad didn’t say anything about the visit as he entered the house, but he smiled at Kurt with a tiny nod of his head, and it felt like an immense weight falling off Kurt’s chest. He hugged Blaine right there in the living room and picked him up, twirling him around before kissing him soundly on the lips.

“Oh, I love you so much.”

Blaine looked at him, utterly confused. “I love you too.”

It wasn’t until after dinner that night that Kurt had a chance to ask his dad about all the crucial details. Carole had asked Blaine to help her with changing the sheets in all the bedrooms – Kurt suspected she knew very well what was going on – while Kurt sat down in the kitchen with his dad, cups of tea in hand, to talk.

“She’s a really nice lady, that Alice,” his dad said. “Really helpful, too, especially for a kid she’d never even met.”

Kurt nodded. “We always seem to visit when she’s out.”

“You better fix that now and go thank her personally. She moved heaven and earth to find the place, and I think it will be good.”

Kurt forced his restless foot to stop bouncing and immediately started tapping his finger against the tabletop. “Tell me.”

“Okay, so there’s a diner. Funny thing is, it’s right on Broadway, and it’s kinda famous among the theater crowd. Blaine can start there as soon as you get to New York. Right now they need kitchen help, but if he proves himself, he can become a waiter with time.”

“And they free their slaves, like we do?”

“Most of them, yeah. They mostly buy mistreated entertainment and domestic slaves, and set them free within five to eight years, depending on position. But sometimes they also hire slaves whose owners want to help them gain their freedom. Blaine will be an exception because he’ll be earning his keep working there, not his freedom. They weren’t too happy about that.” Burt made a face and sipped his tea. “I had to spend twenty minutes on the phone with the owner, assuring him that you’re not going to abuse that, taking the money for yourself. He only really believed me when I told him all about our own business.”

 Kurt nodded. “So he cares about his employees. That’s good.”

“That he does. He knows about your relationship, mind you, and will likely be keeping an eye on you to be sure you don’t mistreat Blaine. He pays well, too, so Blaine’s wage should be enough to cover the additional expense of his accommodation and food, with a little left over. But–”

“But?”

“He won’t be able to save the money this way. He won’t have the fund that would let him gain freedom in five or even ten years. You have to be aware of that – both of you. You have to tell him before he makes his decision.”

Kurt frowned. “I know but… at least we’ll be together, right?”

“Not officially. In everyone’s eye’s, he’ll be just a slave. Without the option of freedom, you may never be able to change that.”

Kurt took a shaky breath. “I think… I mean, it’s obviously his decision, but I think we can worry about that later. So much can change in the next ten years, and as soon as I can afford it, I’m going to set up the freedom fund for him myself anyway. But for now, being together has to be enough.”

His dad nodded. “I just want you both to know what you’re getting into. Okay, do you want to go talk to him so that we can finally celebrate tomorrow?”

Kurt pushed away his barely-touched tea. “Yes, I’d better do that. Can we close the door? Not to do anything… you know. Just–”

“I know. Sure, go ahead.”

Before he left to look for Blaine, Kurt stepped around the table and hugged his dad tight. “I love you, you know?”

“I love you too, kiddo. Now go, talk to Blaine. Tell Finn to help Carole instead.”

Cross-legged on Blaine’s bed, just the two of them, alone and undisturbed, Kurt took Blaine’s hands, stroking his thumbs over his knuckles.

“Blaine, I want to talk to you about something important,” he started.

Blaine nodded, his wide eyes concerned.

“I got accepted into college. Starting in August, I will be studying in New York.” Kurt could actually see Blaine’s heart breaking right on his face, and he hurried to add, “I was hoping you could go with me.”

“What do I have to do?” Blaine whispered, holding onto his hands like a lifeline. “I’ll do anything, just tell me.”

“Well, we’re both going to have to work in New York. Are you okay with that?”

Blaine nodded.“Of course. Will you… want me to service other people?” he asked, a tiny little frown between his brows, and Kurt sputtered.

“What? No! No Blaine, of course not. You would be working in a kitchen, in a restaurant. Maybe with time, you would help with serving food, too. Is this something you could do?”

Blaine’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Of course I can, I love helping in the kitchen. Oh, it would be so good to work again, to help. I will do my very best, I promise!” He beamed at Kurt, then his expression grew serious. “But will I get to see you at all?”

Kurt frowned, confused, then realized: all his life, Blaine had always worked where he lived. He reached to cup Blaine’s smooth cheek. “Of course you will, honey. We’ll be living together. We will only have one small room, but it will be just the two of us.”

Blaine’s eyebrows shot up. “I’ll live in a room with you? All the time?”

Kurt smiled. “Yes. You will wake up next to me every morning if you want to, and fall asleep with me every night, and I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time together in between, too. Is that okay with you?”

“Yes!” Blaine laughed wetly, a squeaky little sound that made Kurt’s heart expand. “I can’t believe I’ll be allowed to be so close to you!”

“Well, you’ll have your own bed, too, if you prefer that.” Blaine looked at him as if he was talking crazy, and Kurt smiled and squeezed his hand. “But… Blaine, this is important, and you have to know this before making your decision: New York is expensive, so we won’t be able to save money to set you free. Not yet, anyway. If you stay here instead, work at the garage… you’ll be free in ten years. But if you go to New York with me, it may take longer. Maybe much longer.”

Blaine shook his head. “I don’t care. I don’t want freedom. I just want to be with you.”

“Don’t you want to think about it first? It’s a big decision – new place, big new city, new responsibilities. We’ll both be busy, we won’t have much space, you won’t know anyone there at first… I need you to be sure. I want you to be happy.”

“I am sure. I am yours, my place is with you, always. Wherever you go.” The calm certainty in Blaine’s eyes was everything Kurt needed. “Are you sure you want to take me?”

“Absolutely.”

Blaine bounced and climbed into his lap, kissing Kurt with such enthusiasm they fell over to the bed, holding onto each other with matching grins.

“So… we’re going to New York?” Blaine asked giddily.

Kurt laughed, joy bubbling out of him. “Oh my god, we’re going to New York!”