“Blaine.”

James doesn’t sound angry, not exactly, but his voice is firm. Blaine reluctantly tears his gaze away from the world below him.

“Yes, sir?”

“I know that a plane isn’t something that you’re used to, but I need you to focus for a few minutes, all right?”

Blaine can feel himself blushing. “Ok. I’m sorry.”

James nods, looking pleased. “Right. So as I mentioned before, this is a private plane. Just us, the attendant and the pilots, so please feel free to make yourself comfortable. You can walk around if you need to stretch your legs, the bathroom is right through that door and you can sleep in that area if you’re tired.”

Blaine looks around, eyes landing on everything that James has just pointed out. This airplane is nicer than his house and nearly as big, and he finds himself once again lost in the wonderment of it all.

“You can watch films here,” James is saying, indicating the screen in front of Blaine. “There are quite a few to choose from. Or there’s plenty of material to read if that’s your choice.”

Blaine nods, trying desperately to take it all in.

“This plane is going to be your home for the next twenty-four hours, so I’ll say it again – I want you to make yourself comfortable, Blaine.”

“I will, thank you, sir.”

“And this,” James says, reaching inside his large briefcase and pulling out a small book. “This is a guide to our country. It will give an overview of things: our government, our customs . . . things that you’ll want to know.”

Blaine takes it in his hands, flipping it open absently.

“You have plenty of time to read it,” James says kindly, as if he understands how overwhelmed Blaine is. “You don’t have to do it now.”

Blaine tucks it next to him on the seat. “I’ll look at it later,” he says, even though it’s the last thing he wants to do. He doesn’t want to know anything about this new country. He wants to have as little to do with this as possible until he’s absolutely forced to.

“Will we get fed?” he asks, motivated by the sudden aching emptiness in his stomach. He hadn’t had much of an appetite this morning and he finds that not eating is catching up to him now.

James chuckles. “Yes. They’ll be bringing us our first meal here very shortly, I’m sure.”

Blaine blushes hotly, feeling stupid for even asking. That is until James reaches across the small expanse separating them and pats him on the knee. “You won’t have to worry about food ever again, Blaine.”

Blaine bites back on his answer, something about preferring to starve and be his own person than be well fed and a slave. But he and James are about to spend a lot of time together and he doesn’t want to antagonize him.

“Would you like to learn a little bit about your mate?” James asks, drawing his hand away.

“Yes. I’d like to know more than his name before I meet him.”

James chuckles again and before pulling a picture from his briefcase and handing it to Blaine. Blaine takes it, staring down at the face that stares back at him. He makes a quick assessment, noting that while Dave is not his usual type or preference, he is at least good-looking. He looks tall and strong, his brown hair short and his eyes small and pinched. He’s unsmiling in the picture, making him appear either angry or upset. Or maybe, Blaine thinks with a sigh, he’s just projecting.

“His name is David Karofsky,” James says. “He’s only twenty-four and already a highly decorated soldier in the King’s army. He’s also cousin to the King. Both of these things earn him living space in the palace.”

“Is that where I’ll be? In the palace?”

“Yes.”

Blaine sets the picture in his lap as his fingers begin to worry at the hem of his shirt. “I won’t . . . I won’t know how to act. I won’t know what to say.”

“You’ll be fine, Blaine. You’re smart and you adapt quickly. You’ll be fine.”

“Maybe . . . I don’t know.”

“Your mate is stable, well-off monetarily and has the highest of connections. You’ll be fine.”

Blaine stares down at the picture. At the stranger’s face, the man he is supposed to have children with. After a moment he looks back up and whispers, “Is he nice?”

James breaks eye contact, just for a brief moment before his gaze once again finds Blaine’s. “I . . . well I guess I don’t know.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blaine eats and makes it halfway through one film before exhaustion overtakes him. He sleeps for a long time, though he doesn’t sleep well; unfamiliar surroundings and anxiety don’t allow for it.

He spends the rest of the time reading, watching films or staring out the window. James is mostly quiet, kept busy with his phone and computer, but he always answers when Blaine has a question.

When the pilot tells them over the intercom to prepare for landing, Blaine’s heart begins to race. They can’t be here already; it’s too soon, he needs more time.

James tells him to relax and soon enough they are landing, the airplane touching down smoothly on the runway. Blaine stares out the window the entire time, unseeing. He’s too lost in his head, in the panic that he suddenly can’t control.

The plane stops moving and their flight attendant comes out to tell them that they can now leave the aircraft.

Blaine undoes his seatbelt and stands but finds that he can’t make himself move any further. He’s trying, he really is, but he can’t seem to place one foot in front of the other.

James comes to stand in front of him and says, “You’ll be fine.”

“You don’t know that. You don’t even know me,” Blaine says, voice heated and desperate.

James grips Blaine’s shoulders firmly. “You’re right, I don’t really know you, but I know enough. I have faith in you, Blaine. I have faith in your strength. I know that you will be fine.”

Blaine’s instinct is to twist away and deny James’ words, but he pushes down on that and, taking a deep breath, tries to steady himself. He has to. He has no choice. He can’t stay here forever and he’s fairly sure that James isn’t going to tell the pilot to turn the aircraft around.

“What if he’s not nice?” he whispers.

“Dave Karofsky is a good man.”

It’s not an answer to his question but Blaine nods anyway and takes in another deep, shaky breath. “Will I ever see you again?” he asks, surprising himself with how badly he wants the answer to be yes. James is the only one he knows in this country and he hates the thought of losing that bit of comfort.

James seems to be anticipating the question. He drops his hands from Blaine’s shoulders and offers a smile. “It’s very possible, Blaine. It’s very possible.”

A few minutes later, they are on the tarmac, walking toward a car waiting a safe distance away. Blaine is holding his suitcase and James is walking behind him, a hand on his shoulder as if to guide him.

There is a man standing next to the car, and the closer they get to it, the more Blaine can see that it is his mate. Dave.

Too soon they’re standing in front of Dave, and James and Dave are talking. Blaine doesn’t pay attention to what’s being said. He can’t make himself focus on the exchange of words, too busy staring at the man before him. He can’t believe that this is real, that this is happening. Three days ago his life had been normal, he’d been normal. Three days ago he’d been a normal teenage boy who’d been in one failed relationship and who’d managed to kiss two boys and one girl in his entire life.

Now he belongs to this man, this stranger. He is property now, here in this country only to breed.

“Dave, this is Blaine,” James is saying, scooting Blaine forward.

Dave doesn’t even bother shaking Blaine’s hand. He takes his arm and pulls him close, smiling appreciatively. “You’re even prettier than you are in your pictures.”

“Um . . . thank you?” he says, unsure of the proper response.

“No, let’s thank James for helping pick you. Looks like he found the right guy.”

“You’re welcome, Dave. I hope the union is fruitful,” James says.

“Well, come on,” Dave says, pulling Blaine forward toward the car. “We have quite a ways to drive. And I think we’re already missing our own party.”

“Party?” Blaine asks.

“Well yeah, I have a lot to celebrate, don’t I?” Dave says, grinning. “I mean, look at you. I gotta show you off a little.”

And then he’s pulling Blaine into the car, so quickly that Blaine barely has time to look back and mouth “goodbye” to James.

Dave sits behind the wheel of the car, starting it before turning to Blaine in the passenger seat. “Ready?”

He doesn’t even bother waiting for a response, moving the car forward as one hand lands on Blaine’s thigh, the grip hard and possessive.