The alarm woke Blaine the next morning at five o'clock. It was still dark outside and probably would be for a few more hours. He blinked lethargically at the ceiling for a few seconds and then threw his arm over his head, burying his face in the crook of his elbow. The alarm kept shrieking loudly, gaining frequency every second that it was ignored. An unexpected yawn attacked him and he lifted his arm and held the back of his hand over his open mouth, instinctively closing his eyes. He wiped the escaping tear that fell from his watery eyes as a result of his yawn. Sitting up slowly, he had to convince his body and mind that it was awake.

Kurt grumbled from beside him and pulled the blankets over his head, curling back up in the warmth created by their bodies. Blaine turned to look, chuckling softly when he saw a hand shoot out of the blanket and slap the snooze button on the alarm clock more times than was necessary. As soon as its cries had been silenced, the hand retreated back inside the blankets. The bed shifted slightly as Kurt curled up into a ball, burying his face into the pillow.

"Sir," Blaine whispered, nudging Kurt shaped lump. Kurt made an irritated noise halfway between a groan and a growl in response. He'd never been a morning person and advised anyone not to speak to or expect an interaction from him until after nine o'clock when he'd had his morning coffee.

"Sir, wake up. You have to get ready for work."

Blaine, against his better judgment, prodded Kurt again. Without warning Kurt reached out and smacked the hand that he'd used to poke him with, making Blaine yelp in surprise. Kurt ignored his cry, continuing to doze peacefully.

Assuming that Kurt's morning routine was just as extensive as his nightly one, Blaine knew he would need the time to get ready so he wasn't late for work. Blaine also needed that time to shower and gel his curls down. He supposed he could get ready by himself and let Kurt have another fifteen minutes of sleep but Blaine didn't know if Kurt would appreciate the gesture or not. He would probably be ten times grumpier when he realized that he didn't have as much time to get ready as he usually did because Blaine didn't take the initiative and get him up.

Blaine didn't know what to do.

If he attempted to prod him one more time, Kurt was liable to lash out at him again. He didn't think that Kurt had meant to hurt him when he slapped his hand. The slap had the strength of a playful smack on his shoulder between friends. But all the same, he could go without.

His cock was slowly awakening, although compared to yesterday it was nothing special. He absently scratched his half-hard erection, pausing as that manly action gave him a brilliant idea.

Blaine smiled, knowing what would make Kurt want to wake up.

Ducking under the covers, Blaine crawled over to Kurt's side of the bed. His legs were curled up against his stomach in a quasi fetal position. Under his gentle guidance, he maneuvered Kurt so he was lying flat on his back and grabbed a hold of Kurt's knees. With little resistance, he pulled them down as well. Kurt was still snoozing, lost somewhere between sleeping and consciousness which made him very pliant and susceptible to suggestion.

Moving so he was kneeling over Kurt's lower half, he peeled his pants down over his limp cock bent over his thigh and wrapped his lips around the head. He paid special attention to the slit on the top, flicking his tongue over the sensitive nerves there and then moved to the underside of his shaft, licking a long stripe from base to tip.

Blaine was rewarded when Kurt stirred, eyes cracking open as his growing arousal succeeded to wake him up from his slumber. But it wasn't enough for either of them. Blaine opened his mouth and swallowed the head of Kurt's erection.

Kurt gasped at the moist heat enveloping him, eyes opening at a wave of unexpected pleasure. All trace of sleep gone, he threaded his fingers through Blaine's hair and held on tightly, arching up into Blaine's mouth as he encouraged him to take him deeper. His hips rocked back and forth shallowly, keeping those lips firmly sealed around his cock. Blaine didn't need any further suggestion, taking Kurt the rest of his way into his mouth. Blaine did his best to hold on, relaxing his throat as Kurt slid deeper and deeper.

Blaine had always been confident in his ability to give head. It was one of his greatest talents. Thought most of his previous Dom's didn't waste time taking advantage of his skill, simply plowing his mouth when they felt like getting their cock's wet.

But Kurt seemed to enjoy it, which made Blaine feel positive that he was doing something right. He had to be. Kurt was making all these little mewling noises, his body trembling in pleasure. It was the first time he's seen anyone so enraptured by what he was doing, giving him confidence in his own abilities as a lover for the first time. He bathed Kurt's cock with saliva, sucking heartily. To Kurt it seemed like Blaine was trying to suck his juices out of him, slowly raising his head and then lowering it when he got to the crown.

Wrapping his legs around Blaine's head, he held him down impaled on Kurt's cock. Blaine's mouth felt like heaven and he wanted to draw out his orgasm for as long as possible. But Blaine was making it hard for him to concentrate, focusing on giving him as much pleasure as he could. Blaine trailed his fingers over his perineum, noting the resulting tremble that touching such a sensitive place created for future use. Blaine cupped Kurt's sac, gently tugging on the fuzzy pouch.

He felt Kurt's thighs shake and his toes curl at the base of his neck. They were all massive indicators that Kurt was about to cum, he was learning.

"Blaine!" Kurt erupted, shooting up into Blaine's mouth. Blaine swallowed every drop eagerly, doing his best to not let any excess drip from his mouth. He wasn't going to waste the opportunity to taste Kurt, knowing that he wouldn't have another one until tonight, or so he hoped. Kurt hadn't said what his plans were and he didn't want to assume.

Kurt panted as he unwrapped he legs from around Blaine and pushed him off when his cock became oversensitive. Blaine sat up, licking his lips happily.

"Fuck, if that's how I wake up every morning, I'll be the happiest person in the world." Kurt uttered without thinking about it. He turned over to look at the clock and groaned. It was definitely time to get up or they really would be late.

"It was good?" Blaine asked in shock. No one had ever paid attention before, much less told him.

"Good? Blaine, that was fucking amazing. I mean, you've always been good but that was…" He trailed off, looking up at Blaine, "When did you become such an expert cocksucker?" he asked teasingly.

Despite the redness in his cheeks, Blaine was insanely happy to hear that.

Kurt glanced down at the tent in Blaine's pants and then back up into Blaine's hazel eyes. He wasn't surprised that he was aroused but they didn't have time to play anymore. They had already used up a half an hour of their time needed to get ready.

"Go get in the shower. You may jack off but hurry. I need to take a shower too." Kurt told him. He shucked his pants off the rest of the way and stood up, walking over to his closet to pick out his clothes for the day.

Blaine let out a torturous whine, his eyes following Kurt's every move. He hadn't moved from his spot on the bed, wanting Kurt to come back to him. At Kurt's curious look, he opened his mouth to explain.

"We could always shower together. It would save water." He said timidly. Blaine was still getting used to asking for what he wanted but discovered that it was a lot easier the second time around then it was the first.

He was still plenty nervous, not wanting Kurt to think that he was doing this for his own selfish purpose. No, his intention of showering together wasn't because he wanted Kurt satisfy his needs. His erection had taken a backseat in his mind and until Kurt had mentioned it, had completely forgotten that it was there. He wanted to be close to Kurt and showering with someone was an intimate act. Almost as intimate as sex itself.

"I doubt that we'd save any water." Kurt giggled and walked over to him. Cupping both his cheeks, he leaned down and pressed their lips together. Blaine responded eargerly, opening to mouth when a probing tongue sought entrance. Kurt moaned when he tasted himself in Blaine's mouth and removed his plundering tongue. It was too tempting.

"I don't think I could keep my hands off you," He admitted, "And we don't have the time. Maybe tomorrow we'll take one together."

Kurt turned away again, this time for good and Blaine sighed somewhat petulantly. He stood up from the bed but he hesitated walking anywhere. He knew that today marked the day that he gained his walking privileges back but at the same time, felt a natural instinct to make sure that Kurt was ok with it.

"May I walk, sir?" He asked. Kurt looked back in surprise.

"Of course. I told you that your punishment was only going to last the day. It wouldn't be very logical to make you crawl all day at work. Although I'm not going to lie, that would be very hot."

Kurt meant it to be teasing but that image alone was almost enough to make him hard again. And god if that didn't make him feel like a horny teenager, getting excited at every little thing.

Blaine shivered, his cock twitching in agreement. He thought about all his co-workers staring at him as he crawled around the office, acting like an infant that didn't know how to walk. In his imagination, some of them were even laughing discreetly at him. He moaned, clutching his crotch through his pajama bottoms.

Kurt stared at him in fascination. Just when he thought he was starting to figure Blaine out, the man threw him a curve ball. He grinned wickedly, wishing that he could take another day off work. He had a feeling that Blaine had many layers to him. But sadly, it would have to wait for another day. Adrianna would kill him if he skipped out again and Gavin had freaked out yesterday when he'd called to have him reschedule all his appointments. He was going to have fun peeling back all his layers and in the process, figuring out what else made Blaine squirm.

Blaine took a step towards the bathroom, faltering for a second when Kurt called out his name.

"The towels are in the closet next to the bathroom in the hall. When you're done, dry off and come sit on the bed. I have a present for you." He said mysteriously and then disappeared into his walk-in closet.

After a quick detour to grab a towel, Blaine took the quickest shower of his life, not bothering to scrub his body as thoroughly as he usually did. Since Kurt had bathed him the day before, he didn't think that it would be a problem. Halfway through his shower he thought of jacking off but by that time, his cock had gone soft. He was simply too excited to be aroused.

Five minutes later he turned off the water, practically bouncing as he used one of the fluffiest towels in the world to dry off with. He left it hanging on the towel rack when he was done and walked out of the steamy bathroom, instantly shivering as the cold bedroom air assaulted his pinkish skin. He could hear Kurt rummaging around in another room so he sat down on the bed like he was told and waited for him to return.

Kurt didn't keep him waiting for long. A couple minutes after he'd sat down, Kurt sauntered into the room with a box in his hands. Blaine had to remind himself to keep still.

"Spread your legs." Kurt ordered, not looking at him. He was concentrated on reading the back of the box.

"I bought this yesterday while I was out. It's already put together because I had to measure you to make sure it would fit right." Kurt said as he opened the box and pulled out a plastic chastity device. It was larger than your average one with long vertical air holes on the shaft of the device so you could keep it clean and a piss slit at the bottom that allowed for urination. It was curved downwards forcing the cock inside of it to stay in that position and the rings around the base cinched tightly, not allowing the wearer to sustain an erection.

Kurt walked over and grabbed the lube they'd sat on the nightstand yesterday and then kneeled in front of Blaine. He squirted some onto his palm and shut the cap of the tube with a sharp snap.

"Think of something unpleasant for a moment. This will be difficult to get on if you're aroused." Kurt told him and quickly slathered lubricant on Blaine's flaccid cock. Blaine tried his best to remain soft, thinking of the biggest pair of women's breasts he could imagine. He closed his eyes, struggling not to feel Kurt's soft hands rubbing the lube over the head and up his shaft. Instead he tried to imagine himself caressing the bouncy cleavage.

Boobs, he just had to remind himself.

Once Kurt was satisfied that he was properly lubed he slid the plastic case around his penis, pulling it up so the bottom ring wrapped around his scrotum. Using the guiding pins, he inserted the top part of the ring and Blaine felt the cold plastic cinch tightly around his genitals. He smoothed away any loose skin to avoid pinching and locked it all up with a small metal padlock.

"There." Kurt smiled triumphantly and stood. The key he used to lock him up with was on a chain necklace and Kurt slipped it over his head, letting it bounce on his flat chest.

"How does that feel? Are you in any pain?" Kurt asked and his eyes told Blaine that he would be in so much trouble if he lied to him about this. Pain meant that Kurt had put in on wrong and if he had, Kurt had an obligation to fix it. Otherwise, the device could do some real damage.

Blaine shook his head honestly. He could feel where the plastic touched his skin but other than the weight of the device, everything felt good. There was no pain at all.

Kurt nodded, excepting his answer as the truth, "Good. There's a bag in the living room with all your stuff in it. Do whatever you need to in the other bathroom. I'm going to go take a shower and get ready."

Kurt walked away without explaining why he was wearing the chastity but Blaine wasn't worried about it. He looked down at his encased penis, running his hands over it experimentally. There were no Points of Intrigue on this model, which were little spikes that would dig into your skin if you got aroused. They were most often used as training devices that helped the sub learn how to control when he was aroused. Some Dom's liked it when their subs were aroused only when they said it was allowed. Blaine didn't know Kurt's purpose but he wasn't scared of whatever Kurt had in store for him. On the contrary, he couldn't wait to find out, almost bursting with impatience.

Blaine retrieved his bag and carried it to the other bathroom, pulling out his toothbrush and bottle of toothpaste. As he squirted the minty paste onto the bristles, he heard the water flowing through the pipes from the other bathroom, signaling that Kurt had started his shower. He ran his brush under the water for a second and then stuck it in his mouth, scrubbing his front and bottom incisors before moving back to get his molars.

He paused brushing when he heard music drift through the wall and turned around, more a little confused. He hadn't noticed an iPod dock or stereo in the bathroom when he'd taken a shower but that was easily explainable. Kurt could have stashed the device underneath the counter or somewhere out of sight for storage. He recognized the lyrics easily, smiling when he realized that the person singing was not the sultry Latin tones that the song was normally sung with. It was in the wrong key, with an almost feminine lilt to the pitch.

"If you feel like leaving. I'm not going to make you stay. But soon you'll be finding. You can run. You can hide but you can't escape my love."

It was the first time he'd heard Kurt sing. And if he wasn't already in love with him now, listening to him sing would have signed the deal. He hated using the word angel to describe Kurt, since it seem too cliché but it was true. Not only was he beautiful but his voice was stunning. Being a countertenor, he was able to sing low enough to pull off the deeper notes of the song while still able to hit the higher ones at the end. He sure wasn't Enrique Eglasus, but his twist to one of his favorite love songs was just as amazing as the original.

Blaine spit into the sink and rooted around in the bag for his mouth wash. After rinsing his mouth out with the scorching liquid, he looked up at his reflection. He rubbed his jaw, feeling the prickly sensation of a few days of scruff growing in. Kurt hadn't packed his razor but he figured he could go one more day without shaving. It wasn't going to kill him.

Kurt's singing caught his attention again and he laughed out loud when the song changed to S&M, wondering if Kurt knew he could hear him.

"Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it. Sex in the air, I don't care, I love the smell of it. Sticks and Stones may break my bones. But chains and whips excite me."

And wasn't that the truth. Blaine quietly listened to Kurt sing, complimenting him on his choice in music. It ranged from the Beatles to Lady Gaga. He never sang the whole song, just popular verses and when he had finished, moved onto another.

Blaine hoped that someday Kurt would sing for him. And that he could return the favor. He could think of numerous duets that would compliment both of their voices.

Half an hour later Kurt emerged from the bedroom, freshly showered and dressed in a grey and blue pinstriped suit with a vest and dress shirt underneath. His matching navy blue bow tie went well with the color scheme he'd chosen. He had a white dove pinned to his lapel, bringing a flare of creativity to his otherwise stunning outfit.

This morning he was wearing his contacts, no sign of the glasses he wore yesterday and his face was still a bit red from his moisturizing routine. His hair was styled professionally, with just enough hair spray to be noticeable.

Blaine had finished ten minutes earlier, his hair neatly gelled into his normal helmet. His own two piece grey business suit was slightly wrinkled from being folded in his bag all night but it went well with his red and gold tie. By comparison, his outfit was far less amazing than Kurt's but he honestly wasn't surprised.

He caught himself staring at Kurt's attire. Half of him was strangely jealous of his bow tie. He would have rather worn one of those but his father was a stickler for rules and only allowed his employees to wear formal long ties. The other half of him was drooling. Kurt looked sexy enough to eat.

"See something you like?" Kurt teased him as he passed Blaine, heading for the kitchen. Blaine, deciding that he wanted to be useful, had put on the coffee while Kurt had been changing. Both of them could smell it roasting and Kurt couldn't wait for a cup. He reached into the cupboard over the counter and pulled down two square-shaped ceramic coffee mugs.

Blaine nodded, staring blatantly at Kurt. He felt pressure around his chastity and gasped as his cock tried and failed to harden in its prison. Seeing the pinched look on Blaine's face, Kurt pulled the coffee pot off and poured them each a cup.

"Go sit down in the dining room. I have some explaining to do." He said and grabbed both their mugs, following him out.

Once seated, Kurt took a sip of his and curiously looked over at Blaine.

"I didn't even ask you how you take yours. I drink my coffee black first thing in the morning to give me the caffeine burst and I just assumed you did too. I'm out of creamer but I have some milk and some sugar if you want it." He said and Blaine nodded.

"I would like some." He said shyly. Blaine normally took his with a pitcher full of creamer and four pounds of sugar. He couldn't stand the taste of black coffee, hating the bitterness that stained his tongue. It made everything he ate for the next hour taste sour.

After retrieving the items, Kurt resumed his seat. They finished their coffee before Kurt started explaining, talking about other random subjects. Blaine finally had a chance to ask Kurt about the singing. Kurt blushed when he realized that someone had heard him, half apologizing when he told him that he wasn't aware that the walls were that thin. He apparently hadn't been singing that loud. Kurt wouldn't promise him that he'd sing in front of him but he didn't say no either.

When they were both done, Kurt had Blaine drop their mugs in the sink, telling him they could wash them out later. They needed to discuss certain things before they left and they wouldn't have time to do both.

"I want you to know that you can call me at any time today. But only if you really need me. Don't call me just to talk. If you're scared or hurt after talking with your dad then I want you to call me. Do you understand?" Kurt told him seriously. He would have liked to talk to Blaine all day but knew that they both had work that needed to be done. Work always came before play. That didn't change just because of their feelings for each other.

Blaine nodded in understanding. As much as he hated to admit it, Kurt would be a huge distraction. He wouldn't be able to get anything done.

"Now, I put that chastity on you to remind you of me today. You belong me, Blaine. Not your father, not that job. Me. So when you start to forget that, I want you to think of that hard plastic around your cock and balls. Think of how no matter what you do, or what you think of, you can't get hard. And I'm the only one with a key to it." Kurt continued. He pulled the key out from under his clothes to make a point.

Blaine gulped. Kurt's eyes had grown hard, forcing him to stare within their icy depths. He was spellbound by their power and there was nothing he could do to stop it. So he nodded again, feeling more pressure on his chastity and whined, fidgeting when Kurt walked over and kissed him deeply. He slipped a hand into Blaine's jacket and pinched a nipple through his shirt, making him scrabble for a hand hold as pleasure built up inside him with no outlet.

"Rest assured that I'll be thinking of you too." Kurt said, putting his hand on his chest where he could feel the key against his skin. He stepped away abruptly, busying himself by going through his mental checklist of everything he needed to do today. His face was flushed but he wouldn't stop long enough for Blaine to tell if he was aroused or not.

Kurt grabbed his labtop case from the table and picked up his keys from the small dish by the door. He'd stopped by his office yesterday on the way back from Blaine's apartment to grab it so he could get some work done.

"Time to go or we'll be late." He told Blaine, who was still recovering from lustful Kurt's attack. He stood and wobbled towards the door, adjusting his tie as he went. The chastity brushed against the sensitive flesh of the inside of his legs every time he took a step and the weight on his genitals would serve as a reminder of its presence all day long, no matter what he was doing. In a way it represented that Kurt was always there for him, even when he couldn't be with him every second of the day. Normally he wouldn't need it, knowing that he was Kurt's naturally but it would be nice to have a physical reminder when he faced his father.

He asked where the nearest subway station was and Kurt smacked him upside that head. "I'm driving you, stupid." He said and Blaine smiled sheepishly. Kurt had already done so much for him and he hadn't wanted to burden Kurt for a ride. But Kurt wasn't having any of it and ordered him into the car.

Blaine, like a good portion of the citizens of New York, didn't own a car and depended on public transportation to get him where he needed to go. It wasn't a perfect system but it suited him. Driving the treacherous streets of New York was too daunting for him. But Kurt seemed perfectly in his element. He weaved in and out of cars and j-walking pedestrians like a pro, ignoring all the taxi's drivers flipping him off as he drove passed them, rolling his eyes at every horn and derogatory remark yelled over the smog.

Blaine tried to distract him from the chaos by turning on the radio. While listening to a popular station Blaine belted out the lyrics he knew, trying to get Kurt to sing along with him. He was relentless about getting him to cave in about the singing. He had no doubt that their voices would sound amazing together. Plus, it was something they had in common, something they could share together. Blaine didn't know why Kurt wouldn't want to take advantage of that.

"I haven't sung since college, Blaine." Kurt finally explained after Blaine's third unsuccessful attempt, "The showerhead is all that listens to me anymore and I'm out of practice. I'm sure I sound horrible."

Blaine balked at Kurt's flimsy excuse.

"You sound amazing, Kurt." He argued adamantly. "You're one of those naturally gifted singers that doesn't need practice to make them perfect."

Kurt rolled his eyes and brushed him off.

They arrived at Blaine's office building five minutes later and Kurt pulled up the curb. He put the car in park and turned to look at Blaine in the passenger's seat.

"I have an assignment for you today. If you're too busy to do it while you work, do it on your lunch break," Kurt paused waiting for Blaine acknowledge his order. Once he had it, he continued, "I want you to write down all you previous Dom's and I want you to detail what type of scenes you've participated in. I will do the same. Alright?"

Blaine nodded, knowing the drill. They were sort of doing things backwards, since most traded resumes before playing but didn't mind. He wasn't offended by Kurt's demand to know who he'd played with before. Instead he was comforted by it. It was something he was used to.

He started to get out and was startled when Kurt grabbed his arm.

"You get off at five?" Kurt asked him.

"Yes?"

"Good. I'll pick you up after. Meet me here out front." Kurt said, his tone broaching no argument. Blaine didn't have one, smiling widely. He couldn't wait for the end of the day.

"Also, try and get this Saturday off. I made an appointment with my physician." Blaine remembered Kurt saying something a week ago about getting him tested. He was a little worried about it, truth be told.

"It's standard for all my subs to get tested. Don't worry. I'm not singling you out for anything." Kurt assured him. Blaine nodded, trying not to show that he was still worried about it. He was clean but his last test had been two months ago. And even though he knew that he hadn't had sex since before Kurt, logically he should still be clean. But he didn't want to face Kurt's disappointed face if the test came back positive for anything.

Kurt, seeing the distress on his sub's face, leaned in to kiss it away. Blaine melted at Kurt's gentle but dominating touch. He pulled Blaine closer to him, ignoring the small gasp he made when the glove box dug into his side.

"I'll see you tonight." Kurt pulled away slightly, still leaning close enough to breath the same air as Blaine.

Blaine shivered at the promise those words held and hurriedly got out of the car before he could convince himself that leaving would be the stupidest decision ever. He heard Kurt put the car back into drive and pull away from the curb but Blaine kept his eyes on the building in front of him.

It towered above the ground with ten floors of offices. All of them belonged to his father but not all of them were the law office. Only the top three, house that particular business venture. The others were rented out to other prosperous businesses his father deemed worthy enough to share space with.

He took a deep breath before starting towards the revolving glass doors, pulling his ID out of his wallet that the security team would have to swipe to gain entry. Only the best for his father.

He was unaware of the steely eyes that watched him from the top floor.

Kurt made it to work with only a few minutes to spare. He'd had to back track from dropping Blaine off but he wasn't going to let Blaine take the subway. Who knows what diseases he could have gotten down there?

Adrianna intercepted him before he even reached his office. Anyone could hear her coming since she always wore some form of pumps, the heels sharp enough to stab someone with. Today, she wore her black Gucci stilettos and they made an ominous clacking sound as she walked across the marble floors.

A lesser man would have run at the sound of them.

At forty-five, Adrianna Tanner was a formidable woman with the reputation of a shark. Most everyone feared her just as much as they respected her. But Kurt had never felt intimidated by her. The second they met, Kurt had seen past her hard exterior and into her soul. She was a kind woman, hardened from trying to survive in a man's world. Being one of the few successful businesswomen who had her hands dipped in just about every corner of the stock market was hard and demanding work. Before the crash of 08, she had invested well and was able to keep her head above water. Now, her stocks were flourishing.

She and her brother had started this magazine as a way to keep in touch but only a year after they'd published their first article, Sloan Tanner died of a massive heart attack. Her first instinct, clouded by her grief, had been to sell the magazine right after his funeral but a note accompanied with her brothers will had asked her to keep it. His fondest dream was to see this magazine thrive and his death was not going to stop that.

It was soon after that she'd met Kurt and recruited him as an assistant editor. Judging by his work, she knew that he was a very capable young man and she needed the help to get her magazine out of the gutter. Sales had plummeted and they were on the verge of bankrupsy. Plucking Kurt from her biggest competitor had been her wisest decision. Not just because of his stunning credentials but for who he was as a person. The thing that had impressed her most was that he didn't bow down to her, had a sharp tongue and fire that burned in his eyes. It was what this magazine had lost. Constantly, she told him that he reminded her of a younger and less gay version of her brother.

Kurt sighed and kept walking, ignoring her approaching heels. She no doubt expected this of him and followed him to his office.

"How was your day off?" she asked him once he'd sat down at his desk, setting his laptop down on the top of it.

Looking up at her, Kurt smiled. Anyone else would have thought she sounded snide but Kurt knew better. She was just annoyed that Kurt had ditched out on a board meeting, leaving her alone to explain to the investors why they'd had a drop in sales in the last three months. Kurt's idea of focusing less on a female perspective and trying to appeal to a male (not just gay) audience had been a risky venture but she trusted Kurt implicitly and had let him do it. He'd anticipated the drop in sales in the first couple months but claimed that once people saw that the magazine wasn't losing integrity but expanding its audience base, they would start buying the magazine again. For once he was trying substance instead of flair.

"Splendid. I really needed a relaxing day off." Kurt said, ignoring the obvious jibe.

"I can see that. You look positively radiant." Adrianna graced him with a rare smile. Most of the interns they accepted thought that the relationship between the two of them was an odd one. Adrianna let him get away with too much, often treating him more like family than an employee. But the truth was that they had bonded over their use of expensive moisturizer. It was because of this that she had very little wrinkles even though she was nearing fifty.

She folded her arms over her burgundy dress, looking amused at the sight of him. Her gold bracelet caught the overhead light and sent a beam towards the floor. Looking up, Kurt caught sight of matching earrings. With her hair pinned in an intricate weave with decretive Japanese chopsticks, she was the picture of elegance.

"He looks like he just had sex." Another voice interrupted. Another woman stood in the doorway, grinning madly at him. She was almost the complete opposite of Adrianna in every way. Her dirty blonde, curly hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, half her curls leaking out of it. Wearing a simple grey feminine business suit and a pale pink blouse that was a little on the frumpy side, she mastered a blend between casual and professional. Adrianna made a tsking sound when she saw her, but refrained from saying anything knowing that it wouldn't have mattered. Darcie rarely cared about what other people thought of her.

Darcie Jennings was one of two junior editors that Kurt had hired. She was a graphic design major who worked well with computers and art so she managed the photographers, models, and plot space. Whereas Calvin Ritter, a fellow journalist and literature major, worked better with the written word. He delegated over the journalists who wrote all the articles. Between the three of them, with Kurt overseeing everything and coordinating with all the fashion designers, they worked hard to print a new publication every month. It was grueling but rewarding work.

"Must we be so crude, Darcie?" Adrianna asked sounding entirely too regal to be genuine. Though Kurt knew it to be the truth. It was the way she'd been raised.

"How would you put it?" Darcie asked, "'Positively radiant' could just mean that he stuffed his jacket with Christmas lights."

Adrianna let out an aggravated sigh, rubbing the bridge between her eyes. Kurt chuckled, drawing both their attention.

"So spill," Darcie demanded as she leaned up against his desk, folding her arms around the plastic folder in her arms.

"If you must know, "Kurt said entirely too eager to gossip, "I did meet someone. His name is Blaine. And he stayed over at my apartment the last two nights."

"Is he hot?" Darcie asked bluntly. She was his at-work bestie, his partner in crime, his evil sidekick, and someone who he felt completely comfortable sharing his personal life with.

Everyone at Mystique knew that Kurt Hummel was gay. Most people knew he was gay after meeting him but Kurt was naturally a private person and not many people knew the intimate details about his personal life besides what was rumored. Darcie was the only one who knew that Kurt was a Dom in an alternative lifestyle.

"Smoking." Kurt replied with a mischievous grin. Darcie giggled, shaking her head and looking up, he saw that Adrianna also had a smile on her face. He'd been in a guy dry spell for too long now and both of them knew it.

"Blaine. What a handsome name. I dated a Blaine back in college. He was an architect."She sighed whimsically at what they both guessed were good memories before shaking herself out of it.

"I am truly happy that you've found someone but I have to run now. I have one of those pesky meetings that you seem to come up with any excuse to get out of. I just came by to tell you that I need you to meet with the lawyers today at three." She continued. It wasn't an invitation. It was an order. Part of him balked at the thought of someone else ordering him around but another part of him, the stronger part, reminded him that like it or not, she was his boss and had the right to order him around at work.

"Why?" Kurt frowned. He hadn't heard of anything going on that would need a lawyer.

"Do you remember Donna Lonng, one of the journalists that Mr. Ritter was forced to let go last month? The one that has your signature of approval on it?" Adrianna asked with one of her neatly waxed eyebrows raised in question.

"Yes. She was having sex with one of the members of the janitorial staff in the dressing room, resulting in the damage of four of our outfits for last month's release and costing us thousands of dollars in the process." Kurt replied. He remembered her all too well. It had taken two burly security guards to get her escorted from the building, kicking and screaming like a child. Calvin had mailed all her personal belongings to her the next day, eager to be rid of her. The janitor had accepted his termination much more quietly, just happy that they hadn't filed a law suit against him.

"She is attempting to sue us. Her lawyer sent me the paperwork." She smiled widely, "Apparently she claims that we terminated her unlawfully and is demanding not only her job back but a quarter of a million dollars in compensation for her ill treatment." Adrianna looked amused by the suggestion. She hadn't been in the office at the time but Kurt had kept her up to speed on the whole thing.

"Her conduct warranted her termination." Kurt stated, baffled. It was astounding how much of an effort this woman was going to, especially because it was her own foolish actions that had put her in this position.

"Yes and we have the proof to back it up. The meeting shouldn't take more than an hour. All you have to do is bring the security tapes and show the lawyers. They will do the rest. Also, will you remind Beckman that Miss Lonng damaged our property and was never asked to pay for what she ruined. Since she has brought this whole ordeal up again, I don't see why we shouldn't move towards suing her for payment for our losses." She replied.

"Why wasn't I notified about this before now?" Kurt asked curiously. He might have been upset about the late notice if it weren't for the fact that he wanted this over and done with sooner rather than later. He sort of hoped that Adrianna was just playing a nasty prank on him for missing out on the board meeting but he doubted that she'd go to this much trouble. Plus, Darcie and Calvin would have to be in on it as well and he sincerely doubted that they would side against him.

"The papers were delivered to me yesterday. And since you were out, I didn't think it was important enough to call you on your day off." She said shrugging. Kurt laughed. If Donna had been in the room to hear it, she would have been properly scandalized at the insult Adrianna had just treated her to.

"It is very much appreciated." Kurt said. Adrianna walked over and kissed him on the cheek.

"I will call you later if I need you for anything." She said and turned around to walk out.

Kurt had a sudden inspiration.

"Hey, are you busy for lunch today? There's something personal I'd like to talk to you about." he asked stopping her before she could leave.

Adrianna came from old money, much like Blaine's father. They were cut from the same cloth, both having grown up and lived in a world where wealth and power ruled over everything. People from that world liked to keep track of one another, though Kurt doubted that any of them were really friends. Anderson and Tanner were two of the most influential names in New York. Kurt had known that before starting his relationship with Blaine, though he'd never had the displeasure of dealing with the man personally.

There was a good chance that Adrianna knew Blaine's father personally.

Adrianna turned to face him, "I was going to sit and dine with my ex-husband but I can reschedule. His next business venture is of no interest to me."

Kurt smiled, the grin stretching to meet his eyes. "Excellent. Gustavo's at one?"

She gave him one last nod before leaving, the clicking of her pumps growing distant with every step away from them.

Darcie, who'd remained quiet up until now, let out a long whistle. "I remember Donna. She was the one who kept hitting on Calvin, subtly of course. He was so grateful that she finally gave him a reason to fire her."

"I know the feeling. She's been a complete pain in my ass since we hired her." Kurt muttered. He unfortunately knew this from personal experience. Before realizing that he was gay, she'd tried her hand at hitting on him. Being the reputable gold-digger-in-the-search-of-her-next-husband that she was, love didn't factor into any of her relationships, only money and power. She was a lot like the people from Adrianna's world. The only difference was that they had money, Donna didn't.

He was the first on her list of eligible bachelors. As the highest male authority in the company, he was the smartest candidate. Not only did he hold a great job but he could also one day acquire the social standing that she desired. But once she realized that she had absolutely no chance with him and her continued advances would only endanger her job, she'd moved on to smaller fish. Calvin had been her next conquest but she has even less luck with him since he'd been in a long term engagement with his high school sweetheart and wasn't the type to cheat (Kurt wouldn't have hired him if he was). Why she stooped to a janitor (a married one at that) he'd never understand but it wasn't something that kept him up at night. Despite knowing that she was going to be trouble, he gave her the benefit of the doubt and chalked it up to harmless flirting. Now he knew differently.

He looked up at Darcie standing next to his chair.

"Did you need me for something or did you just want to gossip?" he asked her. His mornings were never this exciting and he sure hoped that it stayed that way. Kurt needed more coffee. His caffeine burst from this morning was wearing off and he could feel the bitch inside him gearing up to break loose.

"A little of both." She grinned. "I have the list of models I'm considering for next month's release. I thought you might want to help me look them over."

"Ooooh!" Kurt said reaching out excitedly, "Gimme Gimme."

She pushed the file she'd been holding into his hands.

"They're all in there. Want to look at the male ones first?" she asked with a smirk and pulled up a chair.

"Do I?" Kurt asked sarcastically. It was one of the perks of the job. They started down the list, separating each of the photographs into three piles. One was for yes: we'll use this one and no: but we'll keep you in mind for a future issue. The third was a pile for the ones who were of no use to them whatsoever. There was a surprising amount of them.

"So is Blaine… you know." Darcie elbowed him and mock whispered, "Obedient?"

Kurt chuckled, "Very."

"God, I wish I was more adventurous in my sex life. I tried some of that stuff with Chris but I can safely say that's not his cup of tea. Mine either really, even though I did get a kick out of tying him up." she said.

Chris was her husband of four years and from the stories that Darcie had told him, very receptive to the idea of Kurt's suggestions to spice up their sex life. Not that he ever knew where Darcie had come up with them.

"And that's ok." Kurt said, "It's definitely not for everyone."

"So?" Darcie asked, eyebrow raised in expectation.

"So….? What?" Kurt was genuinely confused.

"I want details. Spill!" she said excitedly.

"He woke me a blowjob this morning." Kurt shrugged. He might have been more embarrassed if this was the first time that Darcie had made him go into graphic detail about his sex life.

Darcie stuck out her tongue, making an exaggerated spitting sound. "Boring. I've done that loads of times. I want something juicy."

"I don't know what to tell you. We're in the early stages of our relationship." Kurt recounted. Yesterday had been very laid back but Kurt didn't want to proceed to anything heavier without knowing about Blaine's experience.

Darcie just sighed and shook her head in disappointment. "Well I guess you can make up for it tonight? Do you have anything planned to do to him after work?"

"Yes but nothing like what you're thinking of. We're going to swap resumes and talk more about the scenes he's participated in." Kurt told her.

"Resumes?" Darcie said, confused.

"You know, kind of like the ones you make for interviewing for a job. Except instead of past work experience it would be a detail of past Dom's and scenes participated in." Kurt explained, expecting Darcie's next reaction. It was the same every time.

"Let me get this straight, you guys can just go up to one another and demand a list of everyone you've ever had sex with and everything you've done?" she asked. At Kurt's nod, she continued, "If anyone ever came up and demanded that from me, I would slap them and dump their asses faster than they could spit." She sounded awed by this knowledge.

Kurt nodded, "It's actually a smart precaution, not just for his safety but for mine. Because of our lifestyle, it's important to know what experience the other person has. Like if one of you is interested in being flogged but the other person has never flogged anyone before, you probably shouldn't get together. Or at the very least flog until you've taken the measures to learn how to do it correctly. It's smart to know what you're getting into so you both can enjoy the scene properly."Kurt patiently explained.

"Damn." Darcie muttered, shaking her head.

"What about this one?" Kurt asked, pushing a photograph of a man towards her. He was wearing nothing but a pair of faded blue jeans with the knees cut out, exposing his chiseled pectoral and abdominal muscles. His skin had a nice sun-kissed glaze, more Californian then New Yorker, and looked soft to the touch. He had rather feminine features with curved cheek bones and oval shaped pale blue eyes that gave him the impression of a baby-faced angel. Put wings on him and he probably would have had people falling at his feet, claiming he was part of the supposed second coming.

"He looks fuckable." Darcie added her two cents. She rooted around his personal info sent with the photo, searching for his name. "Warrick Camden, I'm putting you on my Christmas list."

"I meant for the Vassar account? I don't know if I want to go too butch." Kurt shook his head wryly, a grin playing on his lips. Emilio Vassar was virtually unknown. Six years out of school and he had yet to land a break in the cut throat fashion world. Kurt had scraped him up from the bottom of the barrel but had given him the chance to shine because he showed real talent. Having been living off noodles and water, Vassar was eternally grateful that Kurt had found a sample of his work and hired him to do a small collection piece. This was to be his debut screening.

"I guess. But doesn't Vassar do shirts? His abs are too yummy to cover up." Darcie objected. Kurt was about to interrupt when a man came strutting around the corner, wearing a hideously cheap suit and a flowery tie. He was carrying a handful of papers and large cup of coffee. Poor taste he could forgive but he was growing tired of the growing cockiness.

"Oooh look, the puppy is here. Finally some entertainment," Darcie clapped her hands together manically, sounded amused as she watched the gangly looking man approach through the glass wall of Kurt's office.

"He's twenty minutes late." Kurt frowned looking at the time, "That's not like him."

The puppy in question was Gavin Noble. He was Kurt's very capable assistant that had been working for him a little over a year. And until today, he had never been late.

"Mr. Hummel." Gavin greeted him courteously. He was never outwardly disrespectful but Kurt heard through the grapevine that he wasn't the nicest person to work with. He couldn't really say anything because no one had made a formal complaint.

Gavin set the coffee on Kurt's desk but anything after that was lost in a caffeine frenzy. Kurt zeroed in on the cup like it was his favorite pair of leather boots and scooped it up with both hands, guzzling it down without a second thought.

"You're late." Darcie said in Kurt's absence. She knew what happened when Kurt got his second cup of the day.

Gavin nodded, barely able to hide his sour expression in Kurt's presence. Darcie and Gavin were like oil and water. They didn't mix or like each other. But Gavin was the only assistant that could actually do his job and didn't get insulted when Kurt threw things at him in frustration when deadlines were approaching.

Both of them were aware that Darcie didn't have the authority to fire him but he still tried to tone it down around her, knowing how close she and Kurt were. He had his reasons for keeping this job and all of them included the beautiful man sitting at his desk, eyeing the empty coffee cup in front of him with mopey eyes.

He was the finest creature to ever walk this earth and he had vowed the day he got this job that one day, Kurt Hummel would be fucking him over his desk. No matter how long it took, one day, Kurt would see him as more than an assistant.

"After I picked up the coffee, I hit traffic. There was a pileup on Jefferson and Barkley" Gavin said, "I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Kurt couldn't be too mad at him. He had a legitimate excuse and this was his first offense. The crash couldn't have been a lie either since he'd heard about it on the radio on his way from dropping off Blaine.

"Alright. Did I get any calls yesterday while I was out?" Gavin nodded and gave Kurt a piece of paper from his pile. It was a list of messages and phone numbers that he needed to reply to. The list was abnormally long, making his sigh.

"I'm gone one day and the whole place falls apart." Kurt bemoaned, setting the list back down.

Gavin smiled at him. "I'm supposed to remind you that you have a meeting at noon with Mr. Vassar. It was supposed to be yesterday but we rescheduled because of your absence."

"What did you tell him?" Kurt asked curiously. He hadn't given Gavin any instruction, only told him to take care of it. He was interested in hearing how his assistant had fared.

"That you were sorry but you had some urgent personal business to take care of. He didn't inquire any further." Gavin assured him. He knew how much Kurt hated lying to his clients but tact was the key.

"Good." Kurt was mildly impressed. "What of everyone else?"

"I repeated the same excuse. Mrs. Tanner was particularly hard to get around but I managed." Gavin replied smugly. Kurt would have never hired him if he wasn't able to do such a simple task.

"Do I have anything at three today?" Kurt asked with an amused smile. Gavin set the rest of his papers down and pulled out his blackberry, using the buttons to scroll down Kurt's itinerary for today.

"Nope, you're wide open." He replied.

"Good." Kurt nodded, "Mark down an appointment for Beckman Kline. I have to run over there and discuss some legalities."

"Isn't Mrs. Tanner the one who deals with the lawyers?" Gavin asked curiously.

"Yes, well she's passed the responsibility onto me this time. She's supposed to have sent you some papers." Kurt sounded about as happy as a bear with his leg caught in a trap.

"I'll check my desk. I haven't gotten to it this morning." Gavin replied as he tucked his phone back into his suit pocket.

"Go do that please." Kurt dismissed, "Unless you have something else for me?"

"No, sir." Gavin said and ducked out, heading for his desk.

"I can't believe you put up with that ass." Darcie bit out, nose turned up. "Assistants should be a little less pompous and more compliant."

"It works both ways I guess. He puts up with me and you know how bitchy I get when the deadline is looming. The one I had before him ran out crying." Kurt said.

"I guess if he's a necessary evil. I just can't wait until he finds out about Blaine." Darcie chuckled darkly, "That boy wants you bad. He couldn't be any more obvious. And I'm going to enjoy the moment all his hopes and dreams are crushed."

"Well, I'm taken and even if I wasn't I don't mix business and pleasure. And no one is going to find out about Blaine. Not yet at least." Kurt stared her down.

"Why?" Darcie asked, baffled. Kurt had excellent taste, so she could assume that Blaine was as 'smoking' as he described. Why would you want to hide that?

"It's a long and complicated story. But since I know you won't except that as my answer, I'll give you an abbreviated version. Blaine has some daddy issues that I need to nip in the bud."

"Daddy issues? Like some sort of sex play?" Darcie asked. Her mind was almost always in the gutter. She was a lot like Savannah but a lot less crass. Kurt suspected that they would be great friends if they ever met.

"No." Kurt shook his head, "Like the man who gave him half his chromosomes. His dad has controlled him his entire life and I need to break him of his submission towards him. I won't have him split between me and his father."

"I just…" He made a noise of exasperation, "I don't know how to help him. His father isn't going to let him go that easily, despite how much he loathes his son, he needs to control him. And Blaine just lets him. He doesn't fight back and is scared of defying him. And when I push, it sends him into a panic. It makes it even harder that Blaine works for his father."

"Why don't you just order him to quit his job? He has to do what you say right?"

"It's not that simple. I can order him to quit his job, knowing that I would be doing it in his best interest, but that's not going to solve the problem. In the future, if their paths ever crossed again, he'd fall into the same trap. Blaine needs to want to stand up to his father. It doesn't take a genius to see that he hates his job and would be grateful if his father fired him but it's not my place." Kurt replied. He'd thought about that. But in the end decided it wasn't an viable option and moved on from it.

"Well maybe that's how you can help him. Encourage him to stand up to his dad and give him the strength he needs. Tell him that you can't be his Dom if he is submissive to someone else." She replied.

Kurt shook his head adamantly, "I can't do that. It would unravel all the hard work I've been doing. His mother left him with as much abandonment issues as I have. Blaine is terrified that I will leave him and I'm just now getting him to believe that I'm not going anywhere. If I give him an ultimatum like that, even if I have no intention of going through with it, he'll believe it is real and would be crushed. Not to mention that he'd lose all trust in me."

"You're right." Darcie said, looking convinced.

"Can you be more specific?" It was always nice to hear that but he wasn't sure if this was a situation he wanted to be right in.

"This is complicated and I only have the abridged version."

Kurt sighed, "Tell me about it."

Darcie jumped up suddenly, her hands going to her waist. "I'm buzzing."

Kurt's face contorted into a look of disgust, "TMI"

Ignoring him, she pulled her phone out of pants pocket and flipped it open. She still lived in a primeval world before smart phones.

"It's my assistant. Apparently I'm needed down in design." She rolled her eyes, "You'll let me know what you think about the models?"

Kurt waved her off. "Get out of here. I'll take care of it."

She didn't bother saying goodbye, walking out of his office at a brisk pace. It was hardly necessary since he doubted she could stay away for long.

Finally having his office to himself for the first time since he'd arrived this morning, he leaned back against his chair and listened to the wonderful silence. It wasn't perfect. He could hear the muffled noise outside his office of his employees hard at work but it was as close to perfect he was going to get this time of day.

His own phone beeped only minutes after she left, alerting him to an incoming text message. With a swipe he unlocked his iphone, tapping the envelope icon to bring up the new message.

Kev: Drew wnts 2 c ur boy. Tht ok?

It took a few minutes for Kurt to understand, translating his chopped up text-speak into English with the best of his abilities. At the end of it, he grimaced and heavily rolled his eyes. He hated text speak. But no matter how hard he tried to convince him how stupid he sounded, Kevin stubbornly refused to change insisting it was easier. He'd been using it for years but Kurt was adamant that no amount of practice was going to make understanding it easier. Taping the screen, he responded.

Kurt: Why?

A new message came seconds later.

Kev: U knw why. Drews goin crz worrin abt him.

Kurt furrowed his eyebrows. He had an idea of what was making Andrew worry. Coming from similar circumstances, Andrew had sensed a kindred spirit within Blaine, even if their experiences weren't exactly the same. He often forgot how perceptive the boy was since he was always so withdrawn.

Kevin had done the right thing by asking him first. It was considered discourteous to order a claimed sub around and often led to many fights between two territorial Doms. And allowing Andrew, another sub, to go hang out with Blaine without his Dom's consent was undermining Kurt's authority.

Kurt was hesitant to deny Blaine this friendship. Not only because Kevin was his good friend, but because it could be good for Blaine. If anyone could get him to see some sense with his father, Andrew probably could.

He pulled up an empty message box and he sent one to Blaine asking what time he usually went to lunch. He got an instant reply, informing him that he went at twelve-thirty. He sent him another message, ordering him be in the lobby at that time and to wait there. He didn't tell him anything else.

After that was done, he sent a message to Kevin.

Kurt: Alright. Send him over at noon. I'm sure Blaine could use the company today. His office on the right corner of Lafayette and Bleecker Street. He's allowed an hour lunch and will be waiting in the lobby. A word of caution, don't let Andrew go any further past the lobby in case he runs into Blaine's father. He won't react well around him, if you know what I mean.

Kev: I wil let 'em knw. Thanxs :)

Kurt set his phone on his desk, staring off into space. Getting Blaine out from under his father's thumb was his first priority. It was for his sanity as much as it was Blaine's. Seeing Blaine, subservient to someone else made his hackles rise.

He'd always had a problem sharing his toys. Even as early as preschool, he'd gotten phone calls home about this to his parents, forever being branded as the kid who wouldn't let anyone else touch his power rangers in the sandbox. But it was different now that he was older. He couldn't just walk up to Blaine's father and shove him to the ground when someone tried to take his things. Well… he could. But that would just lead to him getting arrested. He was just going to have to be patient.

Kurt tapped his fingers against his desk in irritation.

He'd never been very good at that either. He let out a loud sigh and picked up the folder full of models, trying to distract himself with work. He just hoped that Adrianna could tell him something that he could use against him.

Blaine's day had gone surprisingly well. He'd decided in the elevator this morning that he wasn't going to seek his father out. He was going to wait for the man to come to him. It was taking the coward's path, leading towards avoiding confrontation but Blaine had never considered himself a particularly brave person.

He had no doubt that father wasn't going to take what happened yesterday without some sort of retribution, and knowing his father it wasn't going to be very pleasant. Yet, he couldn't find it in himself to regret his actions. He cherished the time he spent with Kurt. Yesterday had been the best day in his lift, even if he spent most of it sleeping soundly in his Sir's bed.

Upon arriving at his desk, he'd expected a summons from his father but was surprised when two hours of silence had gone by without a word. Once upon a time, he'd thought that his father's disregard would be a good thing. But he couldn't deny that the continued silence was making him nervous. Because of it he jumpy for most of the morning, swearing that when the phones stopped ringing and conversations died away, he could feel the shadow of his father looming over him.

This paranoia was making it hard to get any work done. Clinton Stafford, one of the few associates that actually liked him, had stopped by his cubicle this morning and handed him a pile of cases that needed some research done on them. But with his distracted thoughts, he'd barely managed to get halfway through the first one. Stafford had not been happy when he'd stopped by for a status report twenty minutes ago.

That had been before he'd gotten the text from Kurt. And now he was even more distracted, thinking of what Kurt had planned for him. Was he coming to take him to lunch? He hadn't said anything in the car this morning before he dropped him off.

Kurt hadn't left him any further instructions beyond waiting for him down in the lobby at twelve-thirty, his designated lunch hour. He hadn't even technically said that he would be taking him out. Maybe he wasn't coming and just wanted him to go down to see if he would? But that didn't make sense. Kurt had been the one to tell him not to contact him as to not get distracted. Wouldn't that be doing exact opposite of what he'd told him this morning?

He jumped, startled when a wad of crumpled up paper hit him upside the head. Soft chuckles from behind him made him look over at the obvious culprit. Amy Larson, his cubicle neighbor, was six years his senior with pretty straight blonde hair and an hour glass figure that most women would kill for. Her patented forest green eyes shone in mirth and her wide smile was open enough to show her white teeth.

"You seem distracted today." She said, shaking her head at him.

"I'm fine." Blaine said, flashing her a bright smile.

Giving him her best annoyed expression, she lobbed another wad of paper at him.

"Don't give me that bullshit. You may be able to fake your way through the day with all these other putzes but not me. I have four kids. I'm the queen of bullshit." She said.

Blaine sighed. "It's nothing. I just have a lot on my mind."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "You called in sick yesterday, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "I didn't feel too well. Slept for most the day." He didn't have to lie there.

"How'd the old man feel about that?" Amy was one of the most skilled paralegals that Blaine had ever met. She was smart enough to be a lawyer, certainly smarter than some of the smucks that paraded around this office but she never had the money. Amy came from a poor family and married right out of high school when she discovered she was pregnant with her first child. Ten years and three kids later, she'd found out that her cheating asshole husband had left her a large debt at the races to be paid off. Blaine always told her that it was never too late to go back but she took being a mother seriously.

"No one else is going to raise my kids. That's my job." She always told him. Overworked and underpaid, she made do, taking night classes to get a good job so he could support her family.

She was more intuitive than people gave her credit for, which made her damn good at her job. Not that many people appreciated her for it. She'd sensed from day one that he wasn't the spoiled rich kid living on his daddy's dime and namesake that most people thought he was. She also wasn't cowed by his father, gathering that everything was not alright between the two of them.

"He wasn't happy." That was an understatement, "But he hasn't said anything to meabout it." Yet.

Amy snorted, leaning on the divider that separated their desks.

"I'll be he threw a temper tantrum." She said. He looked around nervously, expecting his father to pop out around the corner and hear them.

"Oh, stop looking like a sheep awaiting slaughter. I don't care what that man overhears." Amy stated boldly.

"You don't care about your job? What about your family?" he asked, nervously.

"Pish posh. I can get a job anywhere. Believe it or not, there are better places to work the Anderson & Kline. I only took this job because it's not a far walk from my kid's school so they can hang out with Rick in the lounge."

They all knew better than to make a ruckus around here and usually just sat and quietly did their homework. When they were finished, the two boys would get out there portable game players and quietly play while the eldest, entertained the younger one. Rick was one of the security guards that his father employed. He hadn't the courage to tell her but he was sweet on Amy. She hadn't realized it yet but all her kids loved Rick and were secretly coaching him to ask her out. When he was not on the clock, he would entertain himself by running around with the kids, tiring them out for Amy to take home and put to bed.

"You underestimate my father. He could make it so you couldn't get a job anywhere in the legal field." He said, knowing how much she truly enjoyed working as a paralegal.

"I think you overestimate him." Amy said, "He's not a god."

Blaine shook his head. All his life, George Anderson had always been an unstoppable force. No one stood up to him and left without getting scathed. He was worried that Amy wasn't taking him seriously.

"He might as well be." Blaine muttered, turning away from her. Amy was about to reply when another associate stopped by her desk, asking her about some papers that she was supposed to get for him.

"I sent in the request forms but they haven't gotten back to me yet." She replied. Blaine took this opportunity to get back to his own work. Not only did he have to finish these cases but he also had to do his assignment for Kurt. He didn't know if he had time at lunch anymore.

Twelve-thirty approached quicker than he expected and too soon, he was taking the elevator down to the lobby. Rick waved as he left and Blaine smiled at him in return.

Kurt wasn't there when arrived so he sat down on of the uncomfortable leather chairs, tapping his feet nervously. He glanced at his clock at five after the appropriate time, biting his lip as nerves overtook his body.

"Blaine." He looked up at the sound of his name, expecting to see Kurt standing in front of him. His eyes widened at the sight of a familiar but unexpected person. His curly red hair was combed and pinned back with a large yellow beret and he was wearing simple jeans, a red polo and a worn black jacket to keep him warm.

"Andrew?"

"Surprise!" The small man said happily, his brown eyes sparkling.