He logs onto a specialty website with Sebastian’s information and browses--it caters to masters and farms that have slaves in need of training, so there are plenty of options for what Blaine needs. He scrolls through everything half-heartedly--he won’t really need much, but he selects a few things anyway, not even bothering to look at the price.

He’s not particularly looking forward to what he’s going to have to do, especially today. It will be Kurt’s introduction, and he’s sure Kurt won’t take it very well after his reactions last night. There is nothing romantic about letting a man in power use his body like a toy. And Kurt wants romance.

It would be easier if Kurt could have someone to love aside from Sebastian. But first, he doesn’t know if Sebastian will favor him enough to become jealous or not yet, and second, there’s just nobody for Kurt to fall in love with. Nick and Jeff are together already, and Jesse and Hunter aren’t going to be interested in the least, for various reasons, foremost of which is that they both prefer women to greater or lesser degrees. And while sometimes one of the house slaves or guards can catch the eye of a bed slave, Blaine’s sure there’s nobody suitable currently in the household, though that could change at any moment.

That would leave Blaine. And Blaine couldn’t take advantage of young, sweet Kurt like that. He’s the only person Kurt has to trust, and on top of that he’s eight years older. He’s Kurt’s mentor. He can’t be anything more than that. He doesn’t even know if he can risk it, not after the last time he let himself open up like that.

And there it is again. His memories of Jeremiah just seem to keep surfacing. Last night, with Chandler’s dismissal over his careless dalliance, and today, with Sebastian’s strange and sudden request for an affirmation of Blaine’s love, no matter how false it was...it just dredges up things that Blaine wishes he could keep buried.

But he can still hear it in his head.

“Do you love me, Blaine?”

Jeremiah’s face, shifting in Blaine’s peripherals, because he refuses to look over and see the pain he’s about to cause.

“Yes, Master.”

“Do you love anyone else?”

Deep breath. His first successful lie, followed closely by his second.

“No, Master.”

He brushes away the flashes as best he can. He had loved Jeremiah, in his way--they’d been young and foolish and had found comfort in one another--but it had only lasted a month, and Blaine could barely remember his face, now. He hadn’t even seen it, that last day--he couldn’t stomach seeing the betrayal he knew would be there.

He glances at the time and starts--it’s getting far too late. He quickly finishes up his shopping, opting for the overnight delivery rather than bothering to send out one of the house slaves to pick it up from the local store when he doesn’t plan on using any of it till at least tomorrow in any case.

He hurries through the house, finally bursting into the harem’s common room later than he thinks he’s ever returned.

“Long morning?” Jeff asks, raising an eyebrow and giving him a smirk. Blaine sighs and nods.

“Yeah,” he says. “Sebastian had some extra stuff for me to do.”

“Oh, we heard,” Jesse pipes up. “Last night and this morning. Don’t tell me Sebastian’s making you his favorite again--not with the ever-lower drooping of your aging balls.”

“I don’t know, I think his balls are still pretty perky,” Nick counters playfully. Jeff and Hunter snicker as Blaine waves them off.

“Enough about my balls, please,” he says. “Jeff, Sebastian wants you in the main hall just before lunch.”

“Okay. Anything special?” he asks.

“He wants you fully prepped,” Blaine says, and Jeff rolls his eyes. “Nick, I trust you’ll make sure he’s all ready for me?”

“Sure thing, boss,” Nick says with a sly grin, winking at Jeff.

“Thank you,” Blaine says wryly. “I know it’s a burden for you. But anyway...”

He looks over and notices Kurt sitting in a chair, one long, jean-clad leg crossed over the other. He looks much better than he did last night.

“Did everyone meet our newest member?”

“We did,” Hunter says. “We like him.”

Blaine doesn’t bother to hide his surprise. Hunter doesn’t like anybody.

“Oh, you should’ve seen it,” Jeff cuts in, snickering. “He put Jesse in his place--”

“I’m sorry, I must have had electroshock therapy,” Jesse interrupts, “because I don’t seem to recall that.”

“You must be blocking out the trauma,” Hunter deadpans. “I, for one, will forever cherish the look of utter dismay in your eyes as the newbie gave you sound smackdown.”

“I’m sure by smackdown you mean a pathetic attempt to--”

“Okay, okay,” Blaine calls out, stopping the ensuing argument in its tracks. “Obviously there was a...disagreement earlier. Anything I need to be concerned about?”

“Not at all,” Kurt says, surprising Blaine again. He seems perfectly at ease, a clear counterpoint to the terrified, sobbing boy that Blaine had seen last night. This Kurt is cool, collected. “Jesse just expressed an opinion about me that I was happy to correct for him. End of story.”

The way Jesse’s eyes narrow at Kurt make Blaine uneasy, but he shrugs and drops the matter.

“All right, then that’s it,” he says. “Jeff, go get ready. Nick, help him. Everyone else...until dinner.”

Blaine immediately ambles over to Kurt, looking him up and down, intrigued.

“Dare I ask?” he says playfully. Kurt gives him a satisfied smirk.

“Apparently, somebody was under the impression that I am limp-wristed and pasty-faced, and likely to have my back broken by Sebastian before the month is out. I informed him otherwise.”

Blaine’s eyebrows rise. He is impressed.

“Well, I’m glad you were able to stand up to him,” he says. “I did tell him to lay off you, but I should have warned you anyway--obviously he didn’t listen. Jesse just likes to get people riled up.”

“Charming,” Kurt comments, and Blaine laughs.

“How did you sleep?”

Kurt looks bashful.

“Surprisingly well,” he replies. “Despite the unfortunate way it happened, I was exhausted enough to sleep pretty soundly.”

“And how are you doing otherwise?”

Kurt’s mouth thins like he finds the question vaguely distasteful, and he looks up and off to the side like he’s studying something in the distance, his throat working like he’s swallowing.

“Nick explained...how things go around here,” he says, after a long moment of silence. “He and Jeff have been...nicer than I could have hoped. And I didn’t want to wait till you got back to hear everything. It felt best just to...get it over with.”

“And what do you think of it?” Blaine asks carefully.

Kurt swallows a few more times and seems to consider. Blaine waits patiently, quietly studying the slopes of Kurt’s face, the pattern of his skin--and he’ll have to make sure his skin heals well, because he can see the traces of bruising beneath some lightly applied makeup on Kurt’s face.

“Well, I’m not thrilled,” Kurt bursts out, startling Blaine a little. “But...it’s not like I have a choice, is it?”

Blaine grimaces at the deadened look on Kurt’s face as he says it. If there is anything Blaine wants to accomplish in befriending and training Kurt, it’s making sure he never loses the spark that let him snap back at a man like Sebastian when he was at his most vulnerable. He wants to see that light in Kurt’s eyes for as long as he can.

“Did Nick tell you about the custom wardrobe?” Blaine asks, wildly clutching at the one thing that he remembers had caused the least bit of enthusiasm. And sure enough, Kurt’s eyes light up--just a little bit, but just enough.

“He forgot to mention that part,” Kurt says, a little hook on the end of the statement. Blaine grins.

“Well, I’ll have to make sure Sebastian approves it, but if you have any ideas I’m more than willing to listen to your suggestions,” Blaine says. “We’re given a monthly budget for the five of us, but for the most part there’s plenty left over. We have...well, it’s not really a uniform. But we have guidelines. I can go over it with you and I’m pretty sure one of us can grab your measurements sometime. Maybe after lunch.”

“When can we eat?” Kurt asks, and Blaine laughs.

“Well, pretty much whenever we want,” he says. “We have access to the kitchens whenever we want for snacks. Meals are right after Sebastian’s, which you’ll get to know. Just work off what you eat--Sebastian has rules about physique. There’s a side yard and a gym with a pool beyond that. I can show you around if you want.”

“Okay,” Kurt says. He doesn’t rise, though. He looks at Blaine plaintively. “Does it...does this get easier? I know you don’t know yourself, but you’ve been here a while--”

“It does,” Blaine assures, patting Kurt’s knee. “I think I said it before, but...there are a lot of perks. And honestly, Sebastian isn’t too bad when you’re used to him and know how to keep him happy. And I mean...you’re clothed, and fed, and you can do pretty much anything you want--”

“--except leave.”

“--except leave,” Blaine finishes. “But it’s not a bad life.”

“Who are you trying to convince?” Kurt snaps weakly, but his face drains the moment he says it. “I’m...just...forget I said that?”

“It’s okay,” Blaine says. “I know this is hard. And I honestly can’t imagine how scared you are. But I promised I would do everything I could to make it easier for you, and I will.”

Kurt smiles wanly and nods.

“Thank you.”

“Come on,” Blaine says, rising from his seat and nodding to the door. “I’ll show you around.”

“And then?”

Blaine sighs.

“And then we’ll grab lunch,” he says. “And...we can talk, if you want. Or we can do...whatever you want. Sing, play the piano. The boys have some video games we can steal. There are books and movies and TV shows. Whatever you want, really. And if what you want isn’t here, I’ll do my best to get it for you.”

“And then?”

Blaine knows what Kurt wants. And honesty might be the best policy.

“And then tomorrow your training equipment will come in,” he answers truthfully. “And I’ll have to tell you how to use it and how it will apply to serving our Master.”

“So I have today left.”

“Don’t--think of it like a death sentence, Kurt,” Blaine pleads. “It would break my heart to see you like that.”

“You barely know me.”

“Well, then, let’s fix that,” Blaine says. “I’ll show you around, and we’ll get to know each other. Okay?”

The way Kurt looks at him is a little too intense, but Blaine just stares back earnestly, warmly. Finally, Kurt nods.

“Okay.”

“I hope he’s okay,” he says at one point. They’re in the kitchen, picking away at some bruschetta with mozzarella and some tomato salad Blaine’s pretty sure is still good.

Blaine swallows his mouthful and debates saying anything to Kurt, who doesn’t seem to have any knowledge of how the slave trade works. Would it distress him? Maybe. But Blaine finally decides to just say it. Kurt’s tough--he’s proven that, and he deserves at least this little peace of mind, even if he’ll figure out at some point what it really means.

“They would have found and notified you if anything happened,” Blaine explains. “You said you’re his only family left? And you’re his next of kin?”

Kurt nods, eyeing Blaine suspiciously.

“Well, they’re legally obligated to inform you as soon as possible in the event of a death,” Blaine continues. “And there are records of where you are. Whoever sold you has papers, and so does Sebastian.”

“You mean there’s a record of who sold me?”

Blaine takes a deep breath.

“Yes,” he replies. He waits for the connection, wondering if this was wise.

“I’m guessing that there’s no chance of me seeing who it was, is there?” Kurt asks, his voice dry. Blaine shakes his head. “Too bad. I would have loved to have given them a piece of my mind.”

Blaine waits again, carefully nibbling at his lunch, but the thought seems to have ended there. Kurt doesn’t realize that he is probably here illegally. But he deserves to know, to act on it.

Though...there’s nothing stopping Blaine from pursuing it without Kurt’s knowledge. After all, he has to find out what he can do at all first--and Kurt can’t afford to be distracted from his duties, not when he’s already having enough trouble with the concept of them.

“Well, anything you’d like to do now?” Blaine asks, finishing off his food and brushing the crumbs from his hands.

Kurt looks startled to be asked, his mouth rather full, one of his cheeks poking out and a few crumbs falling from his lips. Blaine grins at him, unable to resist how adorable he looks with his face stuffed with food. Kurt chews and swallows rather bashfully, wiping his mouth as delicately as possible with a mortified look on his face.

“Well, I’d like to forget that ever happened,” he quips, and Blaine chuckles.

“Forgotten.”

“Thank you,” he says. “Well...could we...is there a way we could get my measurements? And...talk over clothes? I mean, I don’t know the rules, and I don’t have any pencils or paper, but we could just figure out a general outline and go over it more later--”

“Jeff has pencils and paper,” Blaine interrupts. “He likes to draw. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind sharing until we can get you your own set.”

“Wow,” Kurt says, half-smiling. “We’ll have to make you a list.”

“Then I’ll assume you have a lot of demands?” Blaine asks, mockingly stern.

Kurt raises an eyebrow and puts a hand on one cocked hip.

“Oh, you don’t even know the half of it,” he  says, with all the attitude of a cocky sixteen-year-old. Blaine’s not even sure if it’s a joke or not. “Let’s go, this is gonna take a while.”

By the way Kurt flounces out, he’s less and less sure.

He decides not to mention it until the time comes for Kurt to actually don one. It might be easier by then.

Blaine heads to dinner with an entire folder in hand, full of Kurt’s designs and requests and notes that he took throughout the day on things Kurt might like. And while he’s a kind person and has always treated his fellow slaves as well as possible, it doesn’t occur to him that he’s going much further than ever before for Kurt until Sebastian eyes the folder with a cocked eyebrow.

“What is that?” he asks, sprawling himself out on the couch and motioning to a waiting house slave to bring in his food.

“It’s...it’s a file for your new slave, Master,” Blaine explains. “I thought you’d be interested in some things about him, and I compiled it here. There’s also a few requests for additions to our comfort, should you wish to provide them.”

“Let me see,” Sebastian says, holding his hand out.

He looks everything over as he eats. Blaine continues to nibble at the food as it enters, wishing he didn’t have to take part in this formality--the cooks were so well-paid and -treated that they are unfailingly loyal to Sebastian, and they test everything in the kitchens anyway. But it’s tradition to have a slave sample before the master.

Still. It doesn't make pâté de foie gras taste any better to Blaine.

Finally, when the meal’s over (and thankfully Blaine is allowed to sip Sebastian’s wine as well, to wash away the taste), Sebastian turns to Blaine, setting the folder down on the couch between them.

“I don’t see a problem with getting any of this,” he says. “I’ll go over it in more detail tonight, and if I decide to approve everything, I’ll let you know in the morning and you can hand it over to Trent.”

Blaine bows his head in thanks and smiles. He likes Trent; he is Sebastian’s clerk, the one who handles paperwork and requests and such.

“Come here.”

Blaine looks up and sees Sebastian looking at him expectantly. He slides along the floor until he kneels next to the far arm of the couch, where Sebastian is resting his head.

“I saw the order statement for your training equipment. You plan on starting with the boy tomorrow?”

Blaine can hear the hook. Sebastian will want to keep him if he isn’t working toward getting Kurt to him. He thinks quickly.

“I was planning on starting tonight, Master,” Blaine says. “From what I’ve learned the boy is woefully uneducated, so I was hoping to discuss it with him tonight.”

“Sex ed 101?”

Blaine chuckles. “Something like that, yes, Master.”

Sebastian smiles and strokes Blaine’s cheek. Blaine leans into it automatically.

“I want to know how often the boy touches himself,” Sebastian says suddenly. “Could you find that out for me, Blaine?”

Blaine blinks for a minute. That’s not going to be fun. But he nods anyway.

“Yes, Master, I’m sure I could.”

“Good.”

He leans in, brushing his lips against Blaine’s tenderly. Blaine parts his lips in invitation, and Sebastian takes it, licking along their seam. But before he can really lean into the kiss, he pulls back.

“Send me Hunter tonight,” he orders, sitting up abruptly. Blaine swallows and shakes his head a little, adjusting as quickly as he can to the change in manner. “And I’ll take Jesse in the morning. You’re dismissed.”

And then he’s gone.

“Blaine!” Nick calls. “Join us!”

Blaine grins.

“Maybe in a bit,” he says. “Still have to get the lucky boy Sebastian chose ready for tonight.”

“Who is it?”

“Hunter,” he says. “Where is he?”

“In his room,” Jesse drawls, not looking away from his own reflection. “Probably pining over that stray cat Sebastian still doesn’t know about.”

Blaine grimaces. Sebastian hates cats, but Hunter’s been encouraging this one’s frequent visits to the boys’ yard.

“Well, he’s got the chance to put Sebastian in a good enough mood to bring it up,” he says. “And then you get the chance to change his mind again, Jesse. He wants you in the morning.”

“Spectacular,” Jesse says.

“So go prep Hunter,” Nick suggests, “and then come back and join us. We just got in a few minutes ago.”

Kurt smiles and nods at Blaine, and he’s struck with an idea.

“Actually, I was hoping I could steal Kurt for this,” he says. He looks down at Kurt, who looks surprised. “It might help just to see what the proper procedure is. It’ll only take a few minutes anyway.”

Kurt nods a little shakily and heads for the edge of the bath. When he reaches it, he pauses, and Blaine watches his face as he struggles for a moment before hauling himself out, naked and fully on display to the other boys.

Blaine can barely control the dropping of his jaw, especially when Jeff wolf-whistles and Kurt’s only reaction is to blush a little bit as he grabs his towel and ties it around his waist before heading to the cubbies and donning a robe.

“Ready,” he says, his voice fake-bright. Blaine just smiles encouragingly, knowing that was a big step for him.

“Right this way.”

He leads Kurt to Hunter’s room--the furthest along the right wall of the common room--and knocks on the door, slipping in at a call from Hunter.

“I’m the meat tonight?” he asks casually. Blaine nods.

“Afraid so. Here to prep. Do you mind if Kurt watches? Just to get him prepared for--”

“Go ahead,” Hunter interrupts. “You might as well demonstrate on the best there is. Better he sees how it’s done properly rather than on someone like Jesse.”

He’s a little too cooperative for his normal demeanor, but Blaine doesn’t question. He just goes to Hunter’s bedside table and pulls out his bottle of lube and a latex glove as Hunter takes off his clothes and bends over the bed, presenting himself.

“I do this for all the boys to make it easier and quicker,” Blaine says. “And because it’s the most effective. Sebastian doesn’t like to waste time with prepping often, and it’s my job to make sure no one can get injured. Nick and Jeff do it for each other now that they’re a couple, but Jesse and Hunter can’t get out of it.”

“And neither will you,” Hunter says with a smirk. Blaine frowns at him. That’s more like Hunter.

“Eventually,” Blaine says, completely missing the curious look Hunter throws his way as he turns to Kurt. “But it’s simple. Four fingers, to make it as easy as possible. Plenty of lube. It doesn’t usually take more than a few minutes because we’re all used to it, but it can take a while when you first start. For now, though, just watch.”

He slicks up his gloved fingers and gets to work, keeping a steadying hand on Hunter’s back as he pushes in the first. Hunter takes it easily, relaxing automatically. It’s old hat to Hunter--he’s been here for six years, since he was thirteen and Blaine was eighteen.

“And you’re...okay with someone just...” Kurt pauses, gesticulating wildly and shaking his head. “Diving on in there?”

Hunter raises an eyebrow at him, barely even flinching as Blaine slips in a second finger and works them around.

“It’s my job,” Hunter says seriously. “And trust me, putting up with Blaine’s fingers up my ass a few times a week is infinitely more acceptable than being badly prepped and having to sit on an ice pack with a bunch of gauze between my cheeks.”

“That happens?” Kurt asks, his face white at the implications.

“Sure does,” Hunter confirms, smirking in a way that makes Blaine nervous. He switches to three fingers and wishes he could push sharply in warning, but he can’t risk any damage or discomfort. “I’ve seen more than one boy fight prep or try to do it himself. Sebastian can always tell when they’re too tight, and he makes a point of teaching them a lesson. I’ve seen Blaine here mopping up more than one mess.”

Kurt looks over at Blaine, who just shrugs, pulling a face. It is true, after all.

Kurt just nods, looking faintly ill. Blaine pushes in four fingers, and it’s the only time Hunter really reacts--he grunts, taking a deep, hissing breath. But that’s it--he takes it like a champ and soon Blaine’s thrusting his fingers in and out with relative ease.

“I think you’re set,” Blaine says, slowly removing his fingers and discarding the glove. He glances at the time. “It’s late enough to head down if you want. You won’t need a plug that way.”

“Thank god,” Hunter says. He pulls on his briefs and saunters out with a brief wave. “Close the door behind you when you go.”

Blaine tosses the lube in Hunter’s drawer and checks the supply--he’s still good, so he just lets it go and leads Kurt out, shutting the door behind them. Here they pause, both a little awkward--Blaine because he knows he’s going to have to broach a difficult subject, and Kurt probably because he doesn’t know what to do now.

Blaine decides to take the initiative.

“Why don’t we go back to the boys?” he suggests. “We’ll hang out with them for a while before bed.”

Kurt nods, so they head back to the bathhouse.

Soon enough, both of them are sitting in the warm water with Nick and Jeff. Jesse is nowhere to be found.

“So you get training, huh?” Nick says at one point. There’s no malice in his tone, but Blaine’s still a little uncomfortable with what everyone will think of Kurt’s special treatment. “Sebastian must like you.”

Kurt looks at Blaine for a moment, saying, “Doesn’t...everyone get training, at some point?”

“Not the purchases,” Nick replies. “We get what you’d call on-the-job training, generally speaking. We learn as we go.”

“Oh,” Kurt says. “Well...I just--I--”

“It’s okay, Kurt,” Blaine cut in. “They know how it goes.” He turns to Nick. “Kurt’s purchase was...particularly rough. And when Sebastian tried to touch him, he reacted...badly.”

“What does that mean?” Jeff asks.

“I threw up on him,” Kurt offers, his face tight until Jeff bursts out laughing.

“Oh my god.  Is that why you have that bruise on your face? You’re lucky he didn’t kill you!”

“He probably would have,” Kurt says, “but--”

“--but he decided to save his money,” Blaine interrupts. “Kurt is worth quite a bit--”

“--I’ll bet he is--”

“--so he ordered that I train him. Speaking of which,” he says, smiling at Kurt. “I think you and I should finish up here and head to your room to talk. Okay?”

Kurt nods, his eyes full of questions. But they can wait. Blaine bids Jeff and Nick goodnight, knowing full well they’re just waiting for the bathhouse to clear out before making private use of it, and heads to his room, getting fully dressed in his pajama pants and a t-shirt. He doesn’t want to make Kurt at all uncomfortable for what he has to do.

A few minutes later, he knocks on Kurt’s door.

“Come in!”

Kurt’s just pulling down a shirt when Blaine walks in. He sits down on the edge of the bed and waits as Blaine heads to the desk and sits himself in the chair there. He takes a breath--he has orders to start training Kurt, and to find out how he masturbates for Sebastian. Conveniently, he can do both at once.

How to convince Kurt isn’t a matter of convenience at all.

“How are you feeling?” he starts, a little lamely. Kurt raises an eyebrow at him and Blaine half-shrugs, a silent request to just go with it.

Kurt sighs and nods for a moment, his mouth tight.

“I suppose...” He trails off, but then he looks Blaine right in the eye. “It’s not ideal. But I think I can manage.”

He sounds so resigned, so defeated. Blaine’s heart feels like it beats off time for a moment, and the pain of it seeps into his blood.

Hopefully his idea works.

“I need to start training you tonight,” he admits. Kurt tenses up at this, his posture suddenly perfect, his eyes cold.

“What are you going to do to me?”

Blaine shakes his head.

“Nothing.”

Kurt eyes him incredulously. Blaine smiles.

“Would you lie back for me?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Please,” Blaine pleads. “Please don’t...don’t make it like that. I know how unpleasant this is, Kurt, and I don’t want to do this either. I’m doing the best I can here.”

Kurt looks up at him for a long moment before he seems to slump. But he complies, lying back against his pillows, his legs stretching before him.

“Thank you,” Blaine says, slipping to the ground from his computer chair. “Now, I’m just going to sit down here, and I’ll be facing away, so don’t feel ashamed.”

“Why? What’s going--”

“Just...wait,” Blaine says. “Please just...listen to me. I’ll walk you through it.”

Kurt stays silent. Blaine settles down with his back resting against the bed, elbows resting on his drawn-up knees. He stares at the wall and evens out his breathing.

“Kurt, do you ever touch yourself?”

There’s a telling lack of movement above him that he chooses to ignore for the time being.

“You mean--”

“I mean,” Blaine corroborates, nodding. “Well?”

It’s barely audible, but Blaine hears a faint, “Yes.”

“How often?”

There’s a sound of rustling as Kurt fidgets.

“Not...not really often,” he says. “I don’t...I don’t like to do it. It’s just...I mean, of course it feels good, but I always feel weird afterward, like I was doing something wrong--”

“Did your father ever talk to you about...about any of this?” Blaine asks disbelievingly. When Kurt had gotten around to talking about his father earlier, he’d talked about him like he was a saint, and Blaine can’t imagine the picture Kurt had painted including sex shaming, but it had to come from somewhere.

“Not really,” Kurt replies. “I mean...I don’t think he’d know how to talk to me about it. He completely accepted me being gay, but I’m not sure he understood it very well.”

The way Kurt says gay sets something off in Blaine’s mind.

“Were you...was that why you were bullied, Kurt? For your sexuality?”

Blaine hasn’t ever experienced homophobia himself, being in a world that treats sexuality like it doesn’t matter, but he knows it exists, and Kurt had mentioned having a hard time at school in passing.

“Of course,” he says flippantly. “The neanderthals at my school teased anyone who wasn’t...them. Who showed the least bit of uniqueness or originality.”

“Well, I can tell you that your days of being teased for that are long over,” Blaine says. “And I’m hoping that you’ll learn that masturbating isn’t wrong--it’s healthy, and it can be really enjoyable.”

“That’s what I’m going to do tonight, isn’t it?” Kurt asks. “You’re going to make me touch myself.”

“Pretty much,” Blaine says. It feels callous to say, but it’s the truth; they’ve been over the fact that neither want it. “It’s a good place to start. Now...let’s stop talking about unpleasant things. That’s not going to help anything. Close your eyes for me.”

He gives Kurt a minute to comply, allowing for enough time for Kurt to roll his eyes first before continuing.

“Now touch yourself. Not just...there. Start up high, like at your neck. And just...feel your skin.”

He quiets, listening hard. He can hear little sounds of Kurt moving--the slide of his shirt against his skin, the little shifts of the bed beneath him, the sound of his breath changing just a little bit.

“You know,” he says, on a whim, “you have really great skin, Kurt.”

“I--I do?”

Blaine smiles. “Yeah, you do. From what I’ve felt, it’s...it’s smooth. And it’s so pale, it’s just...it’s beautiful.”

“Well, I take care of it.”

“It shows. How does it feel now?”

Kurt inhales sharply.

“It...it feels good,” Kurt says, a little uncertainly. “I mean, it’s...it is smooth. And warm.”

“Do you like the way your fingers feel?”

“Yes.”

Kurt’s voice has gone so, so quiet. Blaine wonders how sensitive Kurt is.

“Move your hands lower. Touch your chest, and your stomach. Explore...see what feels good.”

“Should I--” Kurt clears his throat. “Should I take off my shirt?”

“That’s a good idea,” Blaine agrees. There’s a rustle and then Kurt’s shirt lands on the floor next to him.

“Okay,” Kurt breathes. “What now?”

“Like I said,” Blaine says softly, “just...explore. Find out what feels good.”

And then Blaine waits. He waits, and he waits, and the entire time he thinks he can hear the faint sound of Kurt’s fingers on his skin. Or maybe he’s just imagining it--either way, he has a very clear picture in his head of Kurt laid out, hands running over his body, his eyes closed, his mouth just a little open to pull in more breath, his fingers touching his collarbone and his nipples and his ribs, drifting down his stomach lightly, pulling at the little bit of hair trailing down into his briefs, goosebumps rippling over his delicate skin in the wake of the oh-so-faint contact as he slides lower and lower--

“Are you hard?” Blaine whispers.

Kurt whines just a little bit, a quiet uh-huh drifting down to Blaine’s ears. Blaine shifts a little bit, adjusting himself discreetly. God, he should not be aroused by this, he lives in sex, he’s seen dozens of men touching themselves, and some of them were even for him--he should not be affected like this.

“Take off your briefs.”

But he is affected.

“There’s lube in your drawer. Put some in your hand, and touch yourself.”

All he wants to do is follow his own orders.

“Take your time. Stroke yourself slowly, use your other hand to play with your thighs and your balls. Touch...touch your hole, just a little bit. Try different grips. Feel...everything.”

Kurt starts whimpering, high and breathy, and Blaine aches, so hard in his own pants. He closes his eyes and imagines Kurt, touching himself not two feet away, feeling himself in a way he never has before, worshipping himself where before he’d treated the pleasure of his body as this perfunctory thing, this problem to get rid of. He might have touched himself before, but Blaine is sure he’s never felt anything like this, and he has to sit here and listen and imagine how Kurt feels. And part of him wonders--is Kurt getting off on his voice?

He can’t resist it. He has to be a part of this somehow, even if he can’t touch.

“Imagine something pleasurable,” Blaine orders. “Imagine someone else touching you, their hands on your body.”

Kurt gasps. Blaine bites his lip and palms his lap before going on.

“Imagine them covering you, leaning down into your arms and making you feel good,” he continues. “Imagine them kissing you--”

“I’ve never been kissed.”

Blaine’s eyes fly open.

“I don’t know what that would feel like,” Kurt says, sounding frantic. “I...I can imagine, but...but I don’t really know. I’ve never been kissed.”

“Keep touching yourself.”

Blaine doesn’t know what to blame. Maybe he shouldn’t have taken such a hands-on approach (though not nearly as hands-on as his imagination clearly wants). Maybe all the blood in his groin had come straight from his head. For whatever reason, he moves to the head of the bed, still sitting, still facing away.

“Would you like to know what it feels like?”

Kurt moans, high and long.

“Yes,” he pants. “Please, Blaine--”

Blaine turns around, kneeling up. He doesn’t look down, he can’t look down, but he can see how Kurt’s shoulders are working, and the sweat beading along his neck and forehead, he can see how desperate Kurt is, how his eyes plead as he looks over at Blaine, flushed and so, so close.

Blaine leans in and kisses him, gentle and sweet. Their lips slot together, and Kurt all but sobs, surging up and capturing Blaine’s top lip between his own. Blaine lets Kurt lead, sneaking one hand up to hold Kurt’s cheek.

And then Kurt cries into his mouth, his body tensing, and he’s coming. Blaine carefully keeps his eyes closed and doesn’t move, letting Kurt have this moment, and then letting him kiss Blaine again as he comes down, so, so softly.

“Thank you,” Kurt says quietly. “For...for that.”

Blaine smiles and stands, turning back around to the wall.

“There should be some wipes in the drawer, too, if you’d like to clean up.”

Kurt doesn’t move.

“I...” He sighs deeply. “I want you to...know how much it means to me. That...my first kiss was with you, and not with Sebastian.”

Blaine doesn’t really know what to say.

“I mean,” Kurt goes on, “I know I’ll have to kiss him eventually. But...it was nice to...have this, for myself. I know you just did it so I’d know what it feels like, but thank you anyway.”

Blaine closes his mouth against the urge to tell Kurt the truth, and nods again.

“Of course,” he says. “I’ll let you clean up and get to sleep.”

He heads to the door, keeping his back to Kurt as much as he can. When he reaches the door, Kurt calls out to him.

Blaine turns. Kurt is still naked, but he’s sitting on the edge of the bed, his shirt retrieved and piled in his lap. He looks up at Blaine with those wide blue eyes and smiles.

“Good night,” he says.

Blaine smiles back tremulously.

“Good night, Kurt.”

When he gets back to his own room, he barely falls down on the bed before he’s got a hand in his pants, jerking himself quickly, already embarrassingly close. And all it takes to push him over is the memory of Kurt’s lips on his own, and the image of maybe letting Kurt do it again, letting him slip his tongue into Blaine’s mouth, and sucking on it--

He comes with Kurt’s name on his lips.

It takes a long time to recover, but when he does he cleans up as quickly as possible, feeling ashamed. The last thing he should be doing is masturbating to the thought of Kurt--innocent, young, not his Kurt. He shouldn’t be thinking about Kurt at all.