Blaine’s head snaps up from where it had been resting on his knees. He’d been expecting to hear Sebastian’s cries at some point, but not this soon, and certainly not sounding like that.

Angry.

He bolts to his feet and presses against the door, leaning his ear to the wood, straining to hear.

“--little bitch--”

He hears the familiar smack of a hand hitting a cheek, and he acts impulsively.

He knocks on the door.

He hears a faint growl before Sebastian calls out, “What is it?”

“Is everything all right, Master?”

There’s a shuffle of movement and then the door opens, revealing Sebastian before him, hunched over and wiping an arm with a damp towel.

“And what the hell are you doing?” Sebastian snaps, tossing the towel aside before Blaine can inspect it. “You of all people know I’m not to be disturbed--”

“I’m sorry, Master,” Blaine says immediately, bowing his head low and speaking as gently as possible, quickly inventing a story that Sebastian would believe. “I thought I forgot something in the dining room, so I returned after guiding Kurt here and and I heard you shout as I was passing. I felt it was my duty to make sure all was well before retiring myself.”

Sebastian huffs and turns away, the invitation to come in implicit in the fact that he didn’t slam the door in Blaine’s face. Blaine follows in and shuts the door behind him, waiting for instruction while he quickly takes in the scene.

Kurt lies half-propped on the ground, looking as though he’d rolled off the bed. He’s holding his cheek in one hand and wiping his mouth with the other, his eyes clenched shut against tears and possibly the reality of the situation before him. There’s what looks to be vomit on the edge of the bed and smeared on Kurt’s bare side.

“I’m going to clean up,” Sebastian says, stalking past Blaine with a look of disgust on his face. “Clean him up, get him ready--I’ll be out shortly and I’ll expect him prepared for me by then.”

With that, he slams the bathroom door behind him, and Blaine is left alone with Kurt.

“What happened?” Blaine asks gently, stepping forward and kneeling next to Kurt. He pulls Kurt’s hand away from his cheek and inspects it--it’s a sharp red, and there’s a swelling that Blaine is sure means that a bruise will form. Sebastian won’t be pleased at the marring of one of his possessions, even if he did it himself. Kurt will take the blame for it, and while Sebastian would avoid marking Kurt again and bringing down his value, there are ways to hurt someone that don’t show.

“He--he was...touching me,” Kurt struggles out, his body trembling. “And--and I asked him to stop, but he wouldn’t and I--I was feeling sick, but he wouldn’t stop and--”

Kurt shudders, and Blaine nods and hushes him.

“You were sick on him, and he hit you?” Blaine finishes. Kurt nods. “Okay. Why were you sick?”

“He was touching me!” Kurt bursts out. “He puts his fingers on my--my--”

He looks ill again, and Blaine blinks for a moment, reorienting himself.

“Kurt, do you...how much do you know about sex?”

Kurt grimaces and shakes his head.

“I don’t,” he spits. “I just...I like romance. Broadway musicals, where the touch of the fingertips is as sexy as it gets, and...and that was not the kind of fingertip touching I was thinking of when I imagined my first time.”

Kurt’s eyes swim with tears. Blaine looks down at him sadly, hating what he has to do.

“Kurt, Sebastian wants me to get you ready for him,” he explains. “That means a whole lot more than fingertips. He’s going to want to...penetrate you, with his--”

“I do know what sex is,” Kurt interrupts, looking mortified. “I just...just don’t want to do it. I don’t want to think about it. It can’t...I just--”

“Shh,” Blaine soothes, running his hands over Kurt’s arms. “Let’s get you cleaned up, and we’ll talk about it, okay? I have to go into the bathroom--can you pull anything off the bed that got soiled?”

Kurt nods shakily and stands with Blaine, looking down at himself, nauseated. Blaine smiles at him and leaves him there, slipping into the bathroom as quietly as possible while Sebastian continues to shower, wetting a washcloth and pouring a little cup of mouthwash for Kurt. The shower turns off just as he’s slipping out, so he hurries over to Kurt, who has piled the dirty bedsheets by the door.

“Sebastian will be out soon,” Blaine says, handing over the mouthwash and immediately starting to clean up Kurt’s side with the washcloth. “We have to hurry. Have you ever...fingered yourself?”

Kurt shakes his head, his lips tightening, and Blaine can tell this isn’t going to go well. Sebastian’s going to force him, and he can just imagine all the light in Kurt’s eyes fading away into nothingness.

He just looks so terrified. He looks broken and scared and so, so sweet and beautiful. Blaine can’t stand seeing this poor, innocent boy thrown down and...and raped. He can’t see the hope and the innocence and the joy completely abandon Kurt. He can’t allow it.

But Sebastian will be out soon.

“Okay,” Blaine says, coming up with a plan. “I need you to do exactly as I say, all right? Can you do that for me?”

“Will I have to--”

“You won’t have to sleep with Sebastian tonight, Kurt,” Blaine says urgently, “as long as you do what I say. Can you do that?”

Kurt nods. Blaine grabs him by the shoulders and leads him away from the door and over to the end of the bed. He pushes Kurt down till he’s kneeling, and gently bends his head so that it’s bowed against his chest.

“I need you to stay here, and stay silent. If Sebastian addresses you, do not react--I’ll take care of it for you. Okay? Can you do that, Kurt? Can you stay here quietly?”

Kurt nods, looking between Blaine and the bathroom door.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m...I’m going to get you out of this, for now,” Blaine says. “For as long as I can.”

He stands up and faces the bathroom door just as it opens, his head bowed obsequiously.

“What’s going on? Why isn’t he prepared?”

“Master, I would like to request permission to speak freely for a moment.”

Sebastian narrows his eyes for a moment, but he finally nods, smiling and raising his eyebrows.

“Very well,” he says. “This should be good. What do you have to say, Blaine?”

“Master, this boy is tremendously valuable,” Blaine begins, speaking slowly and picking out his words carefully. “I believe that in time, and with training, he could be one of your greatest assets. However, as he is, he’s useless to you--he’s terribly innocent, and while I know the appeal of that, I worry that any reckless use of it might lower his value and the pleasure my Master takes in him.”

Sebastian studies Blaine carefully for a long moment.

“And what would you suggest we do, then?”

Blaine inhales deeply. They aren’t free yet, but Sebastian is listening.

“I can train him, Master,” Blaine says. “Much like a slave would be trained on a farm. He’ll remain a virgin, but I can educate him, teach him the basics so that he can better serve you in the future, without the regrettable reaction that he had this time.”

“And why should I care how he reacts?” Sebastian asks. Blaine lets out his breath--Sebastian wants to keep talking. They have a bigger chance with every question asked.

“As I said before, Master, he could be enormously valuable. Should he be forced, however, I’m afraid he won’t perform as well for you, and might become timid and unusable. If you allow me to train him, he can retain the innocence that attracts you while still learning what you like and how to please you.”

“And should I accept this, what would I do tonight, Blaine?” Sebastian walks forward and, with a single finger, tips Blaine’s chin up. “The other boys will already be in bed, I believe.”

“Yes, Master,” Blaine responds. “I’m sure that one of them would be most willing--”

“No, let them have their beauty sleep,” Sebastian cuts in. He smiles at Blaine sweetly and leans in, kissing him. Blaine kisses back with all his skill, drawing a quiet moan out of his Master’s mouth.

“So pretty,” Sebastian says, pulling back. “And smart, as well. I knew there was a reason I kept you after you reached your peak age, Blaine. All right. I’ll allow you to train the boy. You’ll be provided with funds for any equipment you might need, and you’ll make regular reports on his progress. In the meantime--”

He strokes Blaine’s cheek and leans in to lay a light kiss on his jaw, pushing him sideways until he’s standing at the end of the bed, his knees bumping the mattress.

“--you will take his place.”

Blaine remains still, sensing more from his Master. Sebastian walks past him and over to Kurt, who he pulls up by his elbow, guiding him over to the door and pushing him back into a kneeling position, facing the bed.

“Every time I feel the urge to call for him, you will take his place until he is ready,” Sebastian says, stepping behind Blaine and pressing against him. His cock rests hard against the small of Blaine’s back, and a hand come up and around his chest, grabbing his chin and turning it to look at Kurt. “And my guess is that training him won’t be a quick, painless affair. I mean...you only have a few hours a day to spare, between continuing your duties as my personal slave and the head of my harem. You’ll have to resume the duties of a full-time bed slave and train him on top of that. Is keeping the value of my property that important to you?”

Blaine’s stomach sinks at the implications--he doesn’t miss being Sebastian’s regular plaything, and he’ll have to sacrifice much of what makes his day pleasant in order to find the time to teach Kurt.

But Sebastian had turned his head to Kurt. And he couldn’t help but see Kurt kneeling at the door, small and young and unspoilt.

“Yes, Master. My only wish is to please you.”

Sebastian hums and releases his chin.

“Mr. Hummel,” he calls wryly, and Kurt looks up, eyes wide. “Watch closely. Blaine here is taking your place, so I suggest you study well, because you will be expected to resume your duties as soon as Blaine deems you ready.”

Blaine feels a hand stroke his ass briefly before Sebastian’s voice says, “Show him how it’s done, killer. Strip.”

Blaine removes his clothes methodically, folding them carefully before he sets them aside, careful of the expensive clothing his Master provides. When he is naked, he stands waiting and ready to obey Sebastian’s every command, making it easy on himself, and hopefully showing Kurt that it doesn’t have to be scary. Hell, if he can manage to enjoy himself, he could even show Kurt that it can be pleasurable for the slave as well. Hopefully Sebastian doesn’t do anything that prevents it.

“Good boy,” Sebastian murmurs with a hint of affection. If there’s anybody in the world Sebastian is capable of feeling anything for, it would be Blaine--someone he had grown up with and spent more time with than anyone else. Blaine knows him best, and has always been loyal and obedient. “Bend over for me.”

Blaine spreads his legs to a comfortable width and bends forward, pressing his front onto the bed, folding his arms and resting the side of his head on them, his face toward Kurt.

A rush of arousal flows through Blaine when he sees how Kurt is watching him, eyes clouded and dark as they nervously rove over Blaine’s body.

“That’s right,” Sebastian says from behind him, and Blaine feels a trickle of cool lubricant drip onto his ass, sliding down his crack and to his balls. Sebastian rubs through it with long fingers, deftly stroking his entrance before slipping one of them inside.

It doesn’t take long for Sebastian to prep him. He relaxes and bears down on the intrusion, pushing back and feigning eagerness until his body starts responding, at which point it becomes a bit more real. After all, it’s been a long time since he was touched in this way, having only pleasured Sebastian with his mouth the past few times he’s been called in. And Sebastian, while a selfish lover, does know what he’s doing and takes delight in his slaves corroborating his skill with their enthusiasm, though they don’t always get to finish.

“So pretty, fucking yourself like that,” Sebastian says, pulling his fingers out. “But I think you’ll like this better.”

Blaine feels the blunt pressure of Sebastian’s cock pressing against him, and he pushes back, opening for Sebastian and allowing him to slide in without pause.

“Ooooh, yes.” Sebastian pets Blaine’s back before gripping both of Blaine’s hips, adjusting his stance for a moment before pulling back. “Still so tight, sweetheart. So good for me. You gonna take my cock, baby?”

Blaine nods, moaning and rocking his hips back for Sebastian’s benefit, putting on the show he knows is expected of him, the show that could make a difference in how Kurt could come to take his enslavement.

“That’s right,” Sebastian says, slamming back in. Blaine gasps and relaxes again after the unexpected jolt, making his body go as limp as possible, letting Sebastian use him as hard as he likes.

Kurt’s eyes remain on him, drawing lines from Blaine’s face to where Sebastian is fucking in and out of him. He looks torn, confused, but when Blaine lets out a whimper, he blushes deeply, and Blaine wonders if he’s ever even watched porn. This might be the first time he’s ever even seen sex in action.

Sebastian doesn’t go easy on him. The sounds of slapping skin fill the room, and Blaine can feel the ripple in his muscles that rise up his body with every thrust, his ass bouncing with the impact. But he grips the bed and breathes deep, subtly angling himself until Sebastian’s cock rubs against his prostate. It sends a spark through him, and he arches his back, moaning loud. Sebastian grunts in response, his movements harder pushing Blaine hard into the bed, his cock rubbing on the silky fabric of the bare mattress. Blaine pants and spreads wider, taking it, heat building in him as he watches Kurt watch him.

He’s been fucked in front of others before, but they’ve never looked at him like Kurt is looking at him now, like he wants to be bashful, but he’s too curious to tear away. It’s...heady, feeling like he’s the first person Kurt has ever responded to.

And that’s what’s happening. Blaine looks down at Kurt’s lap briefly, where his arms are awkwardly hiding his nakedness. Unless he’s very much mistaken, Kurt is hard.

“Master, I’m going to come,” Blaine chokes out, fingers scrabbling, toes digging into the soft carpet as his legs flex, pushing himself back onto Sebastian’s cock, chasing his release.

“Yes,” Sebastian growls, reaching forward and grabbing Blaine’s shoulders, lifting his torso and jerking into him hard. “Come on my cock, baby.”

Blaine lets Sebastian think that it’s his words that send him over the edge, crying out and spilling all over his stomach and the mattress below him. But it was really caused by the tiny whine that fell out of Kurt’s mouth as his body bowed and strained toward orgasm.

Blaine just hopes Sebastian didn’t hear it. There’s no telling how he’d react if he decided it meant Kurt wasn’t nearly as scared of sex as it had seemed before.

They’re lucky, it seems. Sebastian doesn’t react at all--he just leans forward and sinks his teeth into Blaine’s shoulder as his hips stutter in their rhythm. Blaine recognizes the heat and the pulsing of Sebastian’s cock inside him, and squeezes down gently, feeling the vibrations of Sebastian’s dying moans in his shoulder.

After a long moment, filled with deep draws of breath, Sebastian pulls out, leaving Blaine empty and aching. He pats Blaine’s ass with a chuckle before pulling Blaine up, tilting Blaine’s head toward him to capture his mouth in a messy kiss.

“You’ve still got it, babe,” he says, and Blaine smiles at Sebastian, knowing what high praise it is. Sebastian smirks back and bites his shoulder again, making Blaine jump. “I’m going to wipe up. Go find a house slave to clean up here. You’re both dismissed for the night. Blaine, I’ll expect you in the morning. Just you.”

Blaine bows his head in acquiescence, silently dreading the fact that he’ll have to be up earlier than usual to fulfill two sets of duties. The moment Sebastian’s gone, Blaine grabs his clothes and pulls them on, wincing a little at the sting, but hurrying so that he can wash up and get some sleep.

“Come on,” Blaine says, looking around for a moment before spotting Kurt’s discarded robe on the other side of the bed. He grabs it and holds it out for Kurt, who rises and quickly grabs it, throwing it around himself with a blush. Blaine very deliberately keeps his eyes averted. “Time for bed.”

Once he’s sure Kurt is covered, Blaine raises his eyes and smiles at Kurt, as kindly and as warmly as possible. He knows how awkward it can be, being a slave when you aren’t raised to the lifestyle--he saw it with both Nick and Jeff, the blushing and the aversion and the shyness. But it all goes away eventually, and the boys are often naked in front of each other. Blaine’s usually the first one they become comfortable with; it’s hard to be shy around someone who helps finger you open.

Kurt will learn. Blaine sort of cherishes the way Kurt’s cheeks flame up--it’s endearing. He’s hoping he’ll continue to see it for at least a little longer.

He guides Kurt down the hall, only stopping briefly to instruct a house slave to tend to Sebastian’s bedroom. Thankfully, the boys’ quarters are only a short distance away, almost visible from Sebastian’s door, and they arrive quicker than Kurt apparently expects.

“Oh,” he says, and Blaine can’t help but find the little exclamation adorable. “We’re here. Okay.”

Blaine chuckles and opens the door, holding up a finger to his lips and whispering to Kurt, “Try to keep it down, now. The others will probably be asleep.”

He leads Kurt into the main area, the common room. �It’s a big room--a larger, more luxurious version of what Blaine’s seen on TV to be a normal living room. There are seven doors around the walls: one to their left, which leads to the bathhouse; three ahead and two to their right for the boys’ bedrooms; and one in the corner between, leading to the biggest bedroom, Blaine’s own. There are couches and chairs, comfortable and cushy, surrounding a large television. There’s a piano, and upon looking at it, Kurt breaks into a smile--the first one Blaine’s seen.

“Do you play?” Blaine asks quietly.

Kurt shrugs. “A little. I like to sing, though. I used to sing in my high school’s Glee club, before I was...”

His face shuts down, and Blaine quickly nods.

“I sing, too,” he says, trying to get the conversation back on track. “Maybe you could duet with me sometime.”

Kurt’s smile half-returns, and he nods shyly.

“I’ll show you your room,” Blaine says, nodding to a door just to the left of his, on the wall ahead of them. “You’ll be right next to me, so if you need anything, just knock on that corner door. If I’m in, I leave it open just a crack, so don’t hesitate to come to me, okay?”

Kurt nods. Blaine opens the door to Kurt’s bedroom, pleased to see that the house slaves had set everything up as he’d instructed.

“This is all yours,” he whispers, and Kurt’s eyebrows raise. It’s not a bad sized room. It has a big, comfortable bed with beautifully soft sheets, a couple bedside tables, a dresser, and a desk in one corner. Blaine will have to find out if Kurt has any other pastimes besides singing, so he can pick something up to fill that desk for Kurt’s enjoyment.

“Settle in,” Blaine says. “There should be some backup clothes in the dresser that will fit you--if they don’t, just let me know and we’ll figure something out. But don’t worry--once we’ve got your measurements I’m sure Sebastian will send out for some custom clothes for you. He does with all his boys.”

“Custom clothes?” Kurt asks, his voice filled with wonder. Blaine smiles and nods.

“Yep.” Blaine looks around. “Well, that’s it for tonight, I think. You’ve probably had a long day.”

Kurt snorts. Blaine laughs.

“In any case,” he continues, “I have to go wash up and get into bed myself. Remember--I’m right here if you need me, okay?”

Blaine turns and leaves the room with a friendly pat to Kurt’s shoulder, perfectly ready to stop thinking and give himself up to warm water and then a warm bed. But before he’s halfway to the bathhouse, Kurt stops him.

“Wait,” he says, catching Blaine up. “Um...would it be okay if I--I mean, I know you’re going in first, but I wondered if I could--”

“Do you want to use the bathhouse?” Blaine asks. Kurt nods. Blaine smiles again and nods toward the door. “Come on, I’ve got something to show you.”

He leads Kurt into the bathhouse, stopping to let Kurt take it all in. Predictably, he gasps--it really is a beautiful room, and a huge luxury for the boys. The bath isn’t exactly a tub--it’s more like a miniature swimming pool, an eight-by-eight foot rectangle sunk into the ground, filled with warm, fragrant water. There are a few shower stalls along one wall for quick cleanup either as a replacement for or before the bath, but for Blaine nothing compares to sinking into the warm water and letting the tension and aches of the day seep away from him.

He goes to the shelves on one wall and grabs a couple of fluffy towels, laying them on a padded bench near the bath. He turns to Kurt and tilts his head.

“Would you like to join me?” He motions to the bath. “There’s room enough for both of us. And I promise no funny business from me,” he adds, when Kurt shifts nervously. “Sometimes it’s just nice to relax with someone else. And you should probably get used to being naked around others--it’s going to happen, especially around me. If you want to strip and slip in, I’m going to shower off a little before I get in so I don’t have to sit in my own filth.”

He turns and begins stripping unselfconsciously, ten years of being naked relatively often numbing him to the concept of modesty. He throws his clothes into the hamper next to the shelves and walks over to the showers, stepping into one and turning on the faucet, cool water coursing over him for just a moment before it warms.

He hums as he scrubs the sweat and come off of him quickly and washes the product from his hair. He doesn’t often let others see him without it--his hair frizzes up if he doesn’t use something to keep the curls soft and glossy--but it will be a big step for Kurt to trust him. He has to do everything in his power to show Kurt that he should, and trusting Kurt first is a good way to do it.

As soon as he’s done he steps right out of the shower stall and heads over to the bath. Kurt is already in, facing away from Blaine, his hair dripping as though he’d dunked himself under the water. He’s running his fingers through the water and drifting along, apparently just enjoying the feeling of being in a warm, sweet-smelling environment.

Blaine smiles warmly as he steps down into the water himself, catching Kurt’s eye when the boy turns around at the sound of the water splashing around him. Kurt gives him a half-smile back, his eyes falling down Blaine’s body quickly before he blushes and turns back around.

“Sorry,” he squeaks, and Blaine laughs a little.

“Kurt, it’s okay to look at me,” he says. “I’m sure it won’t be the last time.”

Kurt’s shoulders tense, but after a moment he turns around. Blaine wades across the chest-deep water, running his hands over the surface as he approaches the edge.

“How are you feeling?” Blaine asks, reaching the wall of the bath and turning to face Kurt, leaning an arm along the cool tile. “Any better?”

Kurt keeps his eyes trained on the water, so Blaine tilts his head, trying to push himself into Kurt’s line of vision. It works--Kurt looks up at him, but his face is cold, and Blaine draws back a little at its force.

“Well, two nights ago I got home from visiting my comatose father in the hospital and was kidnapped by a slave dealer,” he says, his voice beginning low and tight, but growing higher and louder with every word. “I was tied up and thrown into the back of a van with a bunch of other boys who told me that I was finally going to New York, just like I’d always dreamed--except I wasn’t going to take Broadway by storm like I planned. I was going to be sold as a slave. And today I was stripped naked, inspected, and...and poked and prodded and probed. Then I was chained and brought before a man who informed me that I belonged to him, who then attempted to rape me. But thankfully I threw up on him, so instead I got to witness my new owner brutally...bang the only person who’s been nice to me this whole time. Someone who’s going to have to train me to have sex with someone I don’t want, someone who’s temporarily taking my place as a--a living sex doll. And who is now acting like it’s totally normal and a bath should make everything better.”

Kurt’s mouth draws into a thin line as he finishes, his eyes filled with unshed tears as he stares Blaine down, his increasingly frantic diatribe cut off abruptly before he breaths in and demands angrily, “How should I be feeling?”

Blaine reaches out to put a comforting hand on Kurt’s shoulder, but Kurt flinches back, sending harsh little ripples through the water. Blaine drops his hand and shakes his head in sympathy.

“I know that this is hard,” he says. “I’m sorry that it happened to you. I’m sorry that your father is in the hospital. I’m sorry that you were kidnapped and treated badly. I’m sorry that you were touched when you didn’t want to be, and I’m sorry you had to watch Sebastian...have his way with me. I’m sure this has all been confusing and painful for you. I know that a bath isn’t going to fix anything, but there’s no reason you can’t enjoy this. Let yourself have the good in the situation? It’ll help in the long run.”

“I don’t want to be in this situation at all,” Kurt protests, a little petulant. Blaine grimaces.

“I know,” he says, “and if I could help you out of it, I would. But the fact of the matter is that you’re a slave now. Sebastian’s slave dealers bought you from somebody. Who was taking care of you while your father was in the hospital?”

“Nobody,” Kurt replies. “My dad was the only family I had. I took care of myself.”

Blaine frowns.

“Were there any outstanding medical bills?”

Kurt shakes his head. “Insurance was taking care of most of it. Anything left over was taken out of savings.”

“How did you have money for food?”

“My father owns a garage,” Kurt explains. “I went in a few times to take care of paperwork and finances. Thankfully the guys who work there kept coming in and kept the place open despite my father’s absence, so there was money coming in.”

Blaine’s confusion must be all over his face, because Kurt gives him a questioning look. The truth of the matter is that it’s against the law for slave dealers to just...kidnap people. They’d be doing it all the time, otherwise. The government has clear rules against most kinds of kidnap; they’re only allowed to take someone if they are a minor sold by a parent or guardian, or if they are in enough debt without collateral or payment, in which case the money from the sale goes to the creditor. Otherwise, someone can sell themselves in hopes of money and a better life, or slaves are farmed. But people can’t just be taken--not legally.

Something about Kurt’s story doesn’t make sense. But Blaine doesn’t know enough, and questioning Kurt right now might only give him false hope. If Kurt was taken illegally, it will take time to figure that out and open a case--in the meantime, he’ll still be expected to be a slave. His body and his life are still the property of Sebastian until proven otherwise. The best thing will be to put this aside for now and make preparing Kurt for his role the priority.

“Well, it doesn’t matter now,” Blaine says instead. “What matters is that I can only protect you for so long. Sebastian is willing to wait for now, but it won’t last forever. Eventually, he will expect you to serve him.”

“And he...he’ll do to me what he did to you tonight.”

Blaine nods.

“Something like that, yes,” Blaine admits. “But I promise it’s not as bad as it probably looked. Did you see that I was able to enjoy it?”

“I don’t think I could do that,” Kurt says, looking disgusted. “It...I don’t want that. I want to give myself to someone I love, not...not that.”

Blaine nods.

“I understand that feeling,” he says. “It was scary for me, too, at first.”

“Were you kidnapped, too?”

“No,” Blaine says. “I was farmed. But that didn’t stop me from wanting romance. I had it, too, once.”

“When?”

“Oh, several years ago, now.”

“While you were here?”

“While I was here.” Blaine shrugs. “It’s possible. You just have a really limited selection.”

He chooses not to mention how the romance ended. Not now.

“What about Sebastian?” Kurt asks. “Did your...your boyfriend...how did you handle that?”

Blaine considers for a moment.

“Well, we were both slaves,” he says. “We both had to serve our Master. It’s just a job, in the end. I mean, we had to let Sebastian use our bodies for pleasure, and yeah, we took pleasure in it, too, when we could--it makes it a lot easier to bear. But when you’re a slave, it’s not your body that’s important. We cared about each other, and the rest didn’t matter.”

“And is he...is he still here?” Kurt asks shyly, hesitantly, and Blaine’s not sure if there’s more to the question than curiosity. He lets it pass and shakes his head.

“No, he was...he was sold a long time ago,” he replies. “But if you want proof that it’s possible, you should talk to Nick and Jeff sometime. They’re both slaves here, and they’ve been together since Jeff came a couple of months ago. And they were both sold in a manner similar to your own, so I’m sure they’ll be happy to talk to you and help you adjust better than I can. After all, I was prepared for this my whole life.”

“And...now you’ll be preparing me,” Kurt says, his voice hopeless. Blaine reaches out again, but this time Kurt lets Blaine connect with him, a hand on a shoulder as Blaine moves closer in the water.

“I’m afraid so,” Blaine says. “I won’t lie to you and tell you it will be easy. I’m sure it’ll be embarrassing for both of us at times, and it might be scary. But I promise that this life isn’t that bad once you get used to it. And you will--I’ll do my best to make it as easy as possible for you.”

Kurt bites his lip and nods resignedly, looking on the edge of tears again. Blaine opens his arms and looks at Kurt questioningly, half-smiling and raising his eyebrows. Kurt laughs like he can’t help it and gives an affected sigh before moving into Blaine, allowing himself to be held and burying his face in Blaine’s shoulder.

“Thank you for...for being so nice to me,” Kurt mumbles. Blaine smiles and gives Kurt’s head a quick kiss.

“Of course,” he replies, not really knowing what else to say. “Now come on. I don’t know about you, but I’m pruning.”

Kurt laughs and pulls back, wiping his eyes quickly. Blaine nods to the side of the bath and steps out, his skin prickling against the cool air as he emerges from the water, the warmth trickling away quickly. He grabs one of the towels and wraps it around his waist before turning and handing Kurt another. Kurt is standing on the edge of the tiles, nervously hunched over and covering himself with his hands, so Blaine makes sure to exaggerate tilting his head up, making Kurt laugh again as he grabs the towel and covers himself a little more effectively.

“All right,” Blaine says. “Let’s go. You’ve got a warm bed waiting for you, and all the time you want to sleep in tomorrow.”

“I don’t...do I have a...a schedule?” Kurt asks, whispering as they enter the common room again.

“Not exactly,” Blaine replies. “Not yet, anyway. For the most part, the boys are free until they’re summoned. I get the orders at the beginning of the day, and I let the boys know who Sebastian wants, where he wants them, and what time they’re expected to be there. But you don’t have to worry about that now--I’ll explain later. Now,” he says firmly, stopping in front of Kurt’s door, “bedtime. I’m sure you’re tired.”

Kurt gives Blaine that half-smile again, and nods, saying, “I am pretty tired.”

“Then get some sleep,” Blaine says. “I’ll be back later in the morning tomorrow, and I’ll see you then, okay?”

Kurt nods again. Blaine grins at him.

“Have a good night, Kurt.”

“You too.”

Kurt goes into his room quietly, and Blaine waits until he hears the door latch before slipping into his own room, drying off quickly before he pulls on a soft pair of pajama pants--they’re not really necessary, for modesty or warmth or anything else, but they feel good and make him feel...a little more like what he imagines normal is like.

He slips into bed after setting his alarm for half an hour earlier than he usually wakes up, and shuts off the lamp on his bedside table, drowning himself in darkness. He settles back on the pillow, shuffling until he finds a familiar, comfortable position. He closes his eyes, and tries to drift off despite the press of a million thoughts trying to zoom around his head like a swarm of flies half-caught on flypaper. The buzz might not be mobile, but it’s still there, and it’s distracting.

He takes a deep breath, hoping to try some relaxation techniques, but his body aches; a faint sting shooting up his spine when he puts weight on his back, a reminder of Sebastian’s use of him. He goes over the night in his mind, any hopes of sleep slipping away from him as the bitter tang of self-reproach settles in him. He knows that serving Sebastian is his duty, and that finding ways to enjoy it makes life so much easier. Everyone does it, even Hunter, and he’d introduced himself as “not even remotely bi-curious.” But Blaine always hates himself for it afterward, for giving in; it’s been this way since--

A sound cuts through the silence, and his eyes instantly fly open, his ears trying to train on the sound.

It’s coming from Kurt’s room. The walls aren’t thin, and generally speaking they have a measure of privacy within their own space, but Blaine’s bed is right against the wall he and Kurt share, and, as he realizes by pressing his ear against the wall, Kurt isn’t particularly quiet.

He’s crying, his sobs loud and heartbreaking.

Blaine slips out of bed. He’s sure Nick and Jeff are in Nick’s room at the end of the line, leaving Jeff’s room--the other one that borders Kurt’s--empty. So he’s sure he’s the only one who can hear Kurt, and he just can’t lie in bed listening to him suffer alone like that.

He knocks on Kurt’s door lightly, but he’s sure Kurt can’t hear it beneath his own voice, so Blaine opens the door and peeks his head in.

“Kurt?”

Kurt is curled up in his bed, dressed in a tight t-shirt and briefs, his arms clutched around his stomach, his face buried in his pillow. At the sound of Blaine’s voice, he looks up, but another paroxysm of grief overtakes him and he breaks into heavier sobs, his face clenching against the tears that are slipping freely from his eyes.

“Oh, Kurt,” Blaine says. He shuts the door behind him and walks across the room to sit on the bed next to Kurt, laying a hand on his shoulder.

Kurt closes in on himself, his voice hoarse and broken as he wails quietly. He’s not a pretty crier--his face is red and scrunched up and nose is clearly runny--but Blaine doesn’t care in the least. He brushes Kurt’s hair from his forehead before shifting around and laying behind Kurt, moving to draw him into his arms.

Kurt turns around and immediately buries himself in Blaine’s shoulder, sobbing freely and clinging to Blaine like he’s a buoy in choppy waters. But soon enough Kurt’s sobs quiet, and his body stills, his breath evening out. And finally, his body relaxes entirely, folded in close to Blaine.

By that time, Blaine’s own eyes are heavy, his limbs well used to holding a warm body, and it’s...nice. Comforting. Soon he’s asleep, all thoughts of Sebastian left back in his own room.