Chapter nine

Kurt looked at the clock. He had a strange feeling in his stomach that something was wrong. He looked back at his sketch for a new jacket and deftly drew a few lines to change the collar. Then, like a lightening bolt it struck him. He rushed out of his room and slammed Blaine's door open. Blaine who was sat up on his bed jumped up, the surprise on his face quickly disappeared.

"Are you okay?" Kurt asked breathlessly.

"Yes."

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing's the matter." Blaine said.

"But it's ten o'clock."

Blaine looked up at the clock on his wall.

"Yes."

"You didn't come to my room."

"I thought you didn't want me to come to your room anymore."

Kurt stared at Blaine. Had he actually got through to him? Had he made a breakthrough? Would Blaine start opening up now? Did he really see himself as human again?" As Kurt stared at him he noticed that there was something hard in Blaine's eyes.

"You told me that my body was my own."

"It is your own. You don't have to behave like a slave, we don't see you that way."

"So I guess I'll just sit here and rot instead."

"What?" Kurt was a little shocked by the bite in Blaine's voice that he had never heard before.

"I said I guess I'll just sit here and rot because I have no dreams and no life. I have nothing to live for, nothing to reach for."

Kurt sat down on Blaine's bed. He was foolish to think that things would be fixed now, it was going to be a long journey.

"What do you want to do with your life?"

Blaine looked down his face twisted into an angry frown.

"When you first arrived my father and I discussed you starting to train at the garage. Did you go to school?"

Blaine nodded.

"How much?"

"I'm not illiterate if that's what you're getting at."

"I'm not and quit being angry with me I am the one trying to help you right now. Accept that you need help."

Blaine sighed and looked up at Kurt, his deep sad eyes made Kurt's heart beat a little faster.

"I'm sorry Kurt. I'm just angry, it's not at you."

"That's okay, you have every right to be angry. I'd be angry too in your situation. Still, I'm glad that you're angry, it tells me you're confident enogth to show me your emotions. I'm glad you didn't come to my room and I'm glad you're calling me Kurt."

Blaine blushed slightly and his mouth relaxed just the slightest amount.

"Now, I was going to ask where you would be in your schooling so that I could tutor you a little or get you the books so you can at least read them, that's if you want."

"I do." Blaine nodded. "I ended half way through my Junior year."

"Okay, what are your favorite lessons?"

"Music, Literature and Geometry."

Kurt smiled, music was his favorite so that meant they had something in common and he took literature to mean that Blaine had actually appreciated all those books and then Geometry told him that Blaine must be pretty smart. It seemed that everything that Blaine was willing to tell him let him a little more into Blaine's world and showed him Blaine was like before the slave trade got him. He wished he could just ask him all those questions that had been in his mind for months but he knew he couldn't push him just as he was staring to open up.

"Okay." Kurt smiled.

"So.." Blaine said slowly. "The garage?"

"Yeah, what do you think?"

"It's something to do."

"I know it might not be what you dreamed of doing but the other guys won't know that you're a slave so you'll have somebody to talk to. You'll get to be doing something and learning something new and you'll get a little bit of money for yourself so you can pick out things you actually want."

"Your Dad would pay me?" Blaine seemed so surprised by the idea that Kurt had to let out a little chuckle.

"Yeah, he's not going to make you work for free, it won't be much to start with but it should get you some new clothes or books or whatever you want."

Blaine's eyes seemed to grow distant as if he was thinking really hard.

"Belongings." He whispered.

Kurt knew it was time to leave him alone.

"Well, I'll leave you to think about it." He said. He felt a little sad as he left Blaine's bedroom, he really just wanted to go back there and sit with him and ask him about the book he was reading or what kind of music he liked. But he knew it was time to leave even if he didn't want to.
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"Blaine sit down and eat will ya."

Blaine turned around from where he was starting to wash up the stuff he had used to make breakfast. He looked confused.

"You don't have time to do that and eat, if you're going to come to the shop for a few hours this morning then you need a decent breakfast."

Blaine gave the tiniest little smile and it warmed Kurt's heart. He looked over to his Dad and mouthed 'thank you'.
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"Kurt! Come over here."

Kurt looked around surprised,he had only just stepped through the door from school and his Dad was shouting like he had some brilliant news. Kurt dropped his bag and hurried out of his heeled boots then ran into the front room. He was shocked to see his Dad just sat on the couch with a bottle of beer watching a football match. He was even more surprised to see Blaine sat on the other side of the couch bottle of beer also in his hand.

"Uh.. Dad, you know Blaine's underage right?"

"I know, it's a half can. We're celebrating, when the game ends we're going to go to Breadsticks. Can you dig something out for Blaine that covers up the tattoo's?"

"Yeah, but what are we celebrating?"

"The best new trainee I've ever had." Burt said smiling over at Blaine.

Blaine didn't seem to know how to take the compliment, it must have been a while since he had received any.

"Didn't need to be told what any of the tools were, got straight to changing tires without needing any help, he did a window change with me and he even did my inventory."

Kurt looked over at Blaine, he knew he was smiling from ear to ear but he couldn't help it. He shook his head.

"I am just so proud of you Blaine."

Blaine's lips twitched and then he was smiling a proper wide smile with those reddish lips and perfect white teeth. It made his eyes gleam, it made him look younger and it made Kurt's heart soar.

'He's beautiful.' Kurt thought to himself.
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The leather whip bit into Blaine's flesh once more. With the stinging and the breath-taking force of it there was also the coolness of the blood running down the remains of his heated skin. A part of his mind was completely separated to the pain, he could feel it but he could hold it back. He looked up at his hands tied with thick ropes above his head. He hated the site, it reminded him of the man in the basement.

"Not a flinch." He heard the trainer say behind him.

There was a crack in the air warning him just before the next hit landed. He wondered briefly what his back would look like nowadays but he pushed the thought away, he didn't want to know.

"You're right, not a sound. He's ready for sale, the boss will be disappointed, he's one of his favorites."

"He'll have another favorite next week."

"I don't know, this one was hard to break."

"They all break at some point."