When Blaine finally reached the waiting area and had to wait for his trainer to allow him into the arena, he was fuming. Every muscle in his body was tense, and he gritted his teeth; refraining from just finding that other guy and strangle him to death. Blaine never really saw himself as violent - he was a gladiator because he couldn’t be anything else. He didn’t enjoy killing. But after all this time, maybe the killing part of it all was growing on him. Especially if it was involving someone who was after his Kurt.

He almost snapped at the lady coming into the room, but he quickly composed himself. It wouldn’t do him any good to let his anger out on an innocent woman. Even if she had let him pace the room for almost an hour before deciding that she had time for him. It wasn’t like she was actually supposed to do anything. She was just supposed to walk around him, stir his arousal, maybe make him growl and tell her he wanted her as his price.

But he didn’t. The only one Blaine wanted was Kurt.

But even if he won this game he knew he’d never actually get to touch Kurt again. Not if he could make it work. But his jealousy and possessiveness was growing, and he really just needed the world to see that he already had Kurt, and Kurt had him and they didn’t need anyone else.

“Do you need anything before the fight?” The woman finally purred after circling Blaine like some kind of animal.

“No thank you.” He felt neither hunger nor thirst. She nodded and turned around. Blaine gritted his teeth. He knew what he had to do. Even if it meant never seeing Kurt again.

“Excuse me, Madam, wait a second!” He called after her.

xxx

Blaine hadn’t thought about what would happen if he lost the fight.

But as he felt the sword dig into his shoulder, he wondered why he hadn’t given it more thought.

His opponent was strong. And fast on his feet. It was like he didn’t even get distracted by the way his own long hair swept into his face. It was greasy and dark blonde. His eyes were bloodshot and an odd shade of grey. His mouth was pulled up at the corners; in a horrifying grin that sent chills down Blaine’s back.

Blaine threw himself to the left; avoiding another killing strike. This man wasn’t just in this for his Master. He was in it for the blood; Blaine saw it clearly when he looked into those glazed eyes.

Blaine gritted his teeth and swung his own sword down hard; hitting the other man on the arm with the flat side of his sword. Blaine didn’t fight with the sharp side; he knew how much damage it could do.

But when the other man slashed Blaine’s shirt - and the outer skin of his stomach - open, the curly haired man saw red. This violent, bloodthirsty guy wanted to touch Kurt. Blaine would never let that happen. Not as long as he had two strong legs to work under him.

Which really wasn’t for long, if the other fighter got any say in it. He swung his sword furiously around; trying to hit Blaine anywhere, with no technique at all. Blaine dodged and ran and circled the other man. What was he supposed to do? He knew what. But if he attacked that sick bastard, he wouldn’t stop his sword before it slit over-

Blaine shuddered. He never thought about stuff like that. It wasn’t him. But then he cast a quick glance up to where the king was seated. Behind him stood Kurt among the other slaves; looking at him with big, tear-filled eyes.

Suddenly he remembered why he was doing this. He wasn’t doing this for some price. He wasn’t doing it to safe his own life; he wasn’t doing it for the money. He was doing this for Kurt. For sweet, innocent Kurt, who stepped closer to the edge and stared down at him with trembling lips.

He was doing this for the man he loved.

With that thought in his head, Blaine gritted his teeth and surged forward; sword pointing towards the other man’s stomach.

xxx
When he lifted his heavy head after striking the final blow Blaine saw the Madam poke Kurt on the shoulder. The brunette turned and sent him the most breathtaking smile, before following the woman. Blaine sighed in relief.

They’d held onto their promise.

Kurt was to be set free.

And yet he still found himself struggling to keep the tears at bay. He couldn’t cry in the arena. Not in front of all these people. And he really shouldn’t be crying in the first place; he got what he wanted, didn’t he? Kurt was free. He never had to be forced to do anything against his will again.
But that also meant that he’d leave the arena and the King’s rooms. It meant that Kurt wouldn’t come see Blaine anymore after today. It meant that they wouldn’t see each other again. Ever.
He forced down a sob and quickly walked past the guards that were there to pick up the dead - or at least almost dead - body.

xxx

That afternoon they made love again.

It wasn’t anything like the first time. It wasn’t rushed, it wasn’t rough. It was feather light touches and whispered words. It was slow movements and sweet kisses.

Kurt helped Blaine wash the blood off and even cleaned his wounds gently. It was such an intimate act that Blaine felt like crying. He couldn’t though. He knew for sure that if he told Kurt about his plan, the other boy would get mad. Yell at him. Tell him it wasn’t okay. Tell him to come with him. But Blaine couldn’t. He didn’t have any power. He only had his savings; and there simply wasn’t enough money for both of them.

He had considered waiting. Wait till he had money enough to buy them both free. But after what Kurt had said the day before, he just couldn’t. He knew that the blond gladiator wouldn’t be the only one who wanted Kurt. At least this way the brunette would be safe.
They had slowly brought each other to the edge this time. Building and building until there was nothing left to do but to let go.

When he climaxed this time Blaine couldn’t hold the words in.

”Kurt, god, I- god, I love you, I love you!”

Kurt had looked up at him with his big blue eyes; shining with tears again. But this time the tears weren’t of fright or of sadness. It was happy tears.

“I love you too,” he whispered.

And that’s when Blaine was sure his heart broke.

xxx

“Bye Kurt,” Blaine whispered a few hours later and forced a small smile on his face.

“Bye,” Kurt said with that breathtaking smile he saved for Blaine only. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said as he walked out of the room.

“Yea,” the curly haired man mumbled and waved.

When the younger boy was gone, Blaine threw himself on the bed and cried till his lungs felt sore and he couldn’t get any more tears out. Even after that he kept sobbing into the sheets.

xxx

He tried. He really did. He still won every one of his battles, every game they put him in. But Blaine still felt miserable. It just wasn’t the same without Kurt there. He had gotten so used to having the brunette with him, that he couldn’t even hide his sorrow when he wasn’t near him anymore.

Of course people started to notice the change in Blaine. It wasn’t much, but it was there. His master had to yell at him more; his focus just wasn’t there. His training partners got way more hits in than normally. And Wes… Well. Wes may be a gladiator, but he wasn’t dumb. He could see the way his friend’s shoulders slumped more and more for each day, week, month that went by. Blaine was miserable.

Wes asked him about it one night, three months later. What could he do? Was there anything Blaine needed? But the curly haired man had just shrugged and faked a smile.

“I’m fine,” he’d said and went to bed. But after that the nightmares came. And Wes was the only one there to comfort the shorter man.

xxx

It started out as little whimpers. Wes soon learned to wake up just from those and stop the process early. But the first times he didn’t notice before Blaine was screaming and withering in his sheets.

The first time the guards had come; beaten Blaine until he woke up with tears streaming down his face. They’d kept beating him even after he woke up. He’d disturbed their game, they’d said and even got a few kicks in. Wes had been mortified. The second night he got Blaine up before the guards reached him, but it didn’t help the nightmares.

When the whimpers grew to full-out mumbling words, Wes knew what was coming. Soon after Blaine would start to roll back and forth and his mumbling would become little gasps and coughs and then he’d start screaming, as if someone was beating him with burning sticks.

Of course Wes tried to ask, but after a hearing Blaine repeat himself (“I’m fine, it’s just nightmares.”) two weeks in a row, he stopped asking. Blaine seemed to appreciate it.

But the nightmares became a daily - or rather nigtly - thing for them. Wes stopped asking questions, but he still held Blaine in his arms as if he was a scared little kid. He might as well have been.

xxx

Blaine didn’t like talking about the nightmares. He didn’t like talking about anything anymore, really. The only one he talked to was Wes, and their conversations weren’t really anything deep. Blaine liked it this way. The first few times Wes had tried to get information out of him had ended pretty badly.

“Is it that girl from the castle, Blaine? Did she dump your sorry ass?” The other man had joked, but his laughter had died in his throat when Blaine’s eyes had grown to twice their normal size and he’d just fallen to the ground; sobbing.

Blaine knew he was weak. But he couldn’t help it. He missed him. He was aching. But he knew he had to at try to keep up his act. He’d gotten Kurt his freedom back. He shouldn’t think about what could’ve happened with the brunette. The mere thought of him not being safe… it left Blaine heartbroken. So he didn’t think about it.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t dream about it though.

The first dream had been the worst. He’d seen Kurt, right there, within his reach, but suddenly the Brunette fell over. Blaine wanted to help him up, he really did, but some kind of force was keeping him glued to the spot. He soon found out that the force was roped and chains; the once he saw daily in the arena. He’d looked in front of him, only to see Kurt being approached by three men, hidden by the shadow. Blaine’s blood had run cold. The men were after Kurt; his Kurt. And he couldn’t do anything about it.

He’d watched the men hit him, kick him, kiss him, rape him.

It was almost a blessing to be woken up by the beating. He’d rather take a beating than having to go back to sleep; back to his awful dreams.

It weren’t always the men that haunted his dreams. It could also be the fact that Kurt was out there, free. He could be with any man or woman he desired. What if he’d forgotten about Blaine? Or worse, what if he hadn’t? What if it had been his plan all along?

Blaine almost threw up at his own thoughts. This was Kurt. Not some other selfish person. So he’d spend that day training until he bled; as a punishment to himself. How could he think about Kurt like that? The least he could do was keep his thoughts of the brunette clean.

xxx

It took Blaine four months to stop crying every night. He still had the nightmares, but with Wes’ help he avoided any more beatings.

It took him six months to start eating normally again. Yet again it was Wes that helped him. “You need your strength, Blaine,” he’d said and Blaine had nodded. He needed his strength.

It took him nine months to stop counting. Every day was like fighting a war all by himself. And reminding himself how long it had been since he’d seen Kurt didn’t help.

It took him ten months to feel numb. He ate, he fought, he slept - most nights. There were nightmares, but he had stopped screaming. He bit the pain back. What did it help to wake up screaming every night? He’d also stopped blaming his sadness on Kurt. He’d helped him out. He’d freed the love of his life. He shouldn’t be sad; he should be happy. Or at least content.

Blaine wasn’t happy, he wasn’t content. But he had accepted that this was his fate. He’d helped Kurt, and he would never regret it. He could only hope the brunette had found himself a decent lifestyle.

No, Blaine wasn’t happy. But he hoped Kurt was. Wherever he was.

xxx

Winning felt just as empty as it always did. The movement of the swords, the loud cheering, the sweat and blood. There were no blue eyes, no soft hair and no pale arms to wrap themselves around his exhausted body. The only thing Blaine felt like doing, when he dragged himself out of the arena after letting his sword crash down on his opponent, was to find a quiet place and sleep.

But of course he wasn't allowed even that much of a choice. He was called upon by the Madam. He gritted his teeth and tried not to growl his answer. He hated that woman and he had no idea why. Maybe it was because she tried to pry other boys on him after Kurt was gone, or maybe it was the fact that she always talked like she was better than everybody.

He was so caught up in his own thoughts that he almost didn't hear what she wanted. He had followed her into a big, but dark room.

”I'm sorry, what?” Blaine asked; trying to keep a polite tone.

”There is a young gentleman that has set his sight on you, Gladiator,” the woman said as a matter of factly, but still with a sneer in her voice. Blaine felt a spark of pain in his chest. The only one he'd want to belong to was long gone, and he was never coming back.

”I don't-” Blaine started but was rudely interrupted.

”You don't really have a say in this. This man wants you and the king has given his content.” Blaine gulped. If the king had agreed, the stranger must've paid a lot to get him. Anger suddenly flared in his body.

”I am not for sale!” He growled.

”Aw, c'mon Blaine,” sounded an angelic voice. Blaine turned around in shock. It couldn't be... ”Everyone has a price,” Kurt said as he stepped out of the shadows.

”K-Kurt!” He choked out and almost fell into Kurt's outstretched arms. He had grown the past months. He was slightly taller than Blaine now. His cheeks were more hollow, his body still slender but with more muscles. He looked more like a man, than the shy boy from almost a year ago.

”Hi,” the brunette said and ran his hand through the curly locks. He pressed a kiss to Blaine's forehead and then turned his attention slightly to the woman still standing with a hard expression on her face.

”You may leave,” he said coldly to her and she hurried out of the room.

Blaine turned his head to look at Kurt's face; never letting go of his body.

”You're here,” he whispered as tears sprung into his eyes. ”You're really here.”

”I'm here Blaine,” Kurt soothed and held Blaine closer. ”I'm back.”

”I missed you,” Blaine choked and finally let the tears escape his eyes. ”God, I missed you so much.”

”I missed you too,” Kurt mumbled and placed a hesitant kiss at the corner of Blaine's mouth. But he didn't need to worry about Blaine's feelings having changed and he learned that quickly as the dark haired man tightened his grip on Kurt's arms and crashed their lips together. Oh god, Blaine thought as he moved his mouth in perfect sync with Kurt's, how he'd missed this. And it seemed like Kurt had too, for not a long time went by before the brunette was clawing at Blaine's clothing; touching every piece of skin he could reach.

When his hand brushed over one of Blaine's resent wounds, Blaine made a noise in the back of his throat and pulled back.

”I look awful,” he mumbled and took a tiny step back. He'd forgotten all about how sweaty and bloody he was when he'd first seen Kurt, but now he really needed to clean up, because... Kurt looked fantastic. His clothing was expensive looking and he was clean and tall and oh god what was Blaine thinking? He was a gladiator, a weapon, a mere slave to entertain people. He couldn't be with Kurt when the other man clearly had found himself a new life.

”You look tired.” Was Kurt's only answer.

”I am.” Blaine wasn't going to lie. He was exhausted. Too many emotions running through his body at one time. ”I'm- I mean I should probably, um, go shower.”

”You can't wait until we get home?” Kurt asked. He really wanted to leave this place. It held so many bad memories.

”What?” Blaine shrieked. Surely Kurt couldn't mean..?

”It's as the Mad- that woman told you, Blaine. I bought you free.”

”You bought me?”

”Oh my God, this must sound so horrible to you, but please believe me when I say I didn't mean this as a-”

”But why would you do that? Why would you buy me?”

”Why would I- Are you seriously that obvious Blaine? I love you, that's why. I came back as soon as I could, but my father-”

”Your what?” Blaine was sure Kurt had said his father was sick; maybe even dead.

”My father. I found him again when I was freed, Blaine. And he really didn't want me to go back here, but when I told him what you'd done for me- oh my god Blaine, why did you even do that? You cast your freedom aside for me.” Kurt had a hard time trying to finish one sentence before another came out. There was just so much he wanted to tell Blaine, to show him.

”The reason is pretty similar to your own,” Blaine mumbled.

”How do you mean?” Kurt didn't dare hope for it. He'd tried telling himself that Blaine's feelings could've changed, but that didn't help him much when he was standing in front of the love of his life.

”I already told you, didn't I? I love you.”

”Oh Blaine.” Kurt pressed his lips to Blaine's again for a brief moment.

”It's been so long,” Blaine muttered.

”Eleven months, three weeks and two days. Almost a year,” Kurt said.

”You counted.”

”You didn't?”

”I stopped after nine months. Hurt too much.”

”Blaine I'm so sorry. I would've come for you sooner, I swear, but with my father and everything I couldn't. And I didn't have the money to save you.” Blaine just nodded at Kurt’s explanation. He really didn’t care right now. He had Kurt in front of him, that was enough.

Kurt reached out his hand to the other man with a small, but hopeful smile.

“Will you accompany me home?” He asked. “Please Blaine. I want to get you out of here.”

Again Blaine only nodded. He didn’t trust his voice. But he trusted Kurt, so he gently took his hand and followed him out through the doors he would no longer have to walk through every day.