After another trip in the car’s trunk, Blaine arrives at the sub house. This time he gets a better look at his surroundings, and realizes he is in fact at the staff entrance, like he predicted yesterday.

Blaine trails behind Hunter as he follows him through the door and down a couple of corridors. Blaine is grateful Hunter has forgone the leash this time, feeling less like an animal when he doesn’t have to wear it. When they arrive at Hunter’s office, Blaine is directed to the corner he was tied to the last time, the large radiator seeming to mock him from the tight corner. He goes there without complaint however, sitting cross legged. He isn’t as squashed as the last time, sitting slightly forwards of the corner thanks to not having the restriction of a leash.

“That’s not how you sit is it?” Hunter questions accusingly. Blaine shifts to his knees, sitting back onto his heels. Blaine sees Hunter nodding at him from the corner of his vision, before firing up the desktop computer.

Blaine hears it slowly come to life, a waking up sound tinkling. He fidgets slightly, preparing for several hours as still as a statue.

And several hours do pass. Occasionally Hunter will leave the room for short stints of time, before arriving back at his desk and continuing doing whatever it is he is doing, but still Blaine is left ignored in the corner. Every time Hunter does leave, he takes the opportunity to stand up and wiggle around a little, before quickly sitting back down to avoid being caught. However it is not enough, his legs eventually going past the point of pain and becoming numb to the sensation. Blaine is concerned about it, worrying it may cause permanent damage to his legs, however Hunter doesn’t seem bothered by it and he is not yet desperate enough to ask.

Hunter looks at his watch before clearing his throat, gaining Blaine’s attention. Blaine lifts his head, eyes still lowered, acknowledging he heard the command.

“Head to the kitchen and fetch me my lunch.” Blaine starts to rise. “And pick up something for yourself while you are there as well.” Blaine swiftly leaves with a small nod of understanding.

However, as soon as he leaves the room, he starts to panic. He doesn’t know where he is in relation to the cafeteria, and isn’t brave enough to turn back and ask. But he also isn’t sure if there are places he isn’t allowed within the institute, and doesn’t want to get caught unknowingly out of bounds.

He walks cautiously, not really having a choice in the matter. He hoped he would start to recognize where he was, but all the corridors look almost identical to one another. Sure, they are different lengths and have different doors coming off of them all, but they are all the small pale bluish-grey with no decorations to identify them by.

Going round the next corner, he does finally gather his bearings and works out where he is, although it’s not where he wants to be. The corridor is filled with rooms to each side with the cells where they are all kept overnight. Usually, he always arrives at this corridor from the other end, coming to his group’s cell first. He decides, although knowing he is tight for time and probably going to get in trouble if he is found, to walk slowly down the length of the corridor while peeking into each cell out of curiosity.

The first few he reaches are more like a bedroom than he could have expected. Each room has an ordinary door and is filled with two beds on opposing walls, and a bedside table next to each, a door splitting them – which he assumes leads to a washroom like in his. He counts six of these rooms, three on each side of the aisle. The next room he comes to is a group room, much larger than the twin rooms he has just walked past, however the room is still outfitted with beds.

As he continues on, the rooms get worse. The beds start getting smaller and dirtier, then becoming simple mattresses on the floor. Three rooms like this are then followed by three rooms with larger mattresses but half as many. Next are two rooms with only blankets littering the floor. Finally, he reaches the last two rooms, both on the same side of the corridor, identical to each other – the cages he is currently in.

Well, he reasons, at least the accommodation will get better. He assumes as their stay at the sub house continues, they move down the corridor to increasingly better rooms.

Happy he now knows where he is, he quickly hurries to the cafeteria to make up for lost time.

When he arrives, Blaine is glad to see there is no one else around other than those in the kitchen. He makes his way over to the small cut-out in the wall between the two rooms, where there is normally trays of food waiting for the subs to arrive. Instead, this time he is greeted by a guard.

“You shouldn’t be here,” the guard states.

“Hunt- Master sent me.” Ignoring his slight slipup, the guard looks to Blaine’s collar. He reaches out and grabs both tags hanging loosely, reading them before removing his hand with a surrendering grunt.

“What did he send you for?” Blaine doesn’t really understand what it is he saw that supports his claim, but isn’t going to be the one to raise that question.

“Umm,” Blaine hesitates, the gaze of the guard intimidating him. “His lunch, and something for me too, Sir?” The guard simply nods in response, turning around and making his way through the kitchen.

Blaine wonders what he should be doing, he feels odd just standing there and watching the guard follow out his request. He looks down, picking his nails in wait.

The guard doesn’t take very long, placing a tray on the counter in front of Blaine. He looks at it, and sees a steaming plate of some fancy dish he couldn’t name, covered under a clear insulating dome. Next to it is a much smaller dish – well, same sized plate but much less food – of some kind of lumpy soup like concoction. There is no guessing as to which one is his and which one is Hunter’s.

“Thank you, Sir.” But before Blaine can lift the tray, the guard calls out.

“Let me grab you the drinks before you go,” the guard informs, Blaine feeling stupid for not realizing there was more to come.

The man returns with a travel mug with steam escaping through the lid, and a bottle of water. Again, no points for guessing who’s is who’s. With the now complete tray, Blaine carefully makes his way back out from the canteen. He considers which way to go for a moment before deciding to go back through the cells. He is sure there must be a quicker route, but reasons that at least he knows some of the way, and can make fairly good guesses of the rest, rather than setting out on a completely unknown course.

As he heads out from the cafeteria however, he almost walks into Jacob. They both stop abruptly.

“Blaine!” Jacob explains, looking him up and down. Upon sight of the cock cage he cringes slightly, but seeming Blaine is relatively unharmed he beams. “I was so worried about you babe, everyone was!” Jacob steps in to hug Blaine, but he ‘accidently’ moves the tray, blocking Jacob from being able to. He doesn’t want to be seen like this, being Hunter’s personal slave. “Oops, sorry,” Jacob apologizes, thinking it was his fault. “What has he made you do? I hope you’re alright! When do you come back to us? I’m meant to be heading to get my back checked, but I have time to talk,” Jacob asks, throwing loads of questions at Blaine.

“I’ve gotta go,” he responds instead, manoeuvring the tray around Jacob’s body and continuing out the canteen. He doesn’t want to talk to Jacob; he doesn’t want to be seen by anyone during his punishment. It’s bad enough he earned a punishment without having everyone see exactly what it is. At least once the week with Hunter is over, and the humiliating cage removed, things can go back to normal. Well... normal for a sub at least.

He hurries his way back past the cells, then goes a little slower the rest of the way, not truly knowing where he should be going. He has been gone from Hunter for longer than he thinks he should have, and wants to get back as quick as he can. He probably could have got away with looking at the cells on the way, but having to stop for Jacob may have pushed it.

Finally he reaches the door to Hunter’s office, managing to find his way back without getting lost once. He stands outside, debating whether he is expected to knock or not. Deciding it is probably safer to knock and not need to than walk in and having meant to knock, he adjusts the position of the tray so he can balance it on his left arm, and knocks with his right.

“Come in,” he hears the call shortly after. He opens the door gently, shutting it behind him before approaching Hunter.

“You didn’t have to knock pet!” He chortles. “While you are mine, unless told otherwise, you can assume you are allowed near me as long as you stay quiet. Come kneel next to me.”

“Sorry Master,” he apologizes, though not completely sure what for. He goes to kneel next to Hunter, who takes the tray off him before he starts to lower himself.

“Good boy,” he praises, running his fingers between Blaine’s curls. “I am very surprised you were back so fast! Answer me honestly,” he grips Blaine’s hair in warning, “Did you know the way or did you just guess?”

“A bit of both Master? I didn’t think you would want me to disturb you and ask, but once I got going I managed to work out were to go.” Hunter hums in acknowledgement, thinking. He doesn’t comment, Blaine left wondering if it’s what he should have done, but assumes if it was drastically wrong he would have been told.

“Eat up,” Hunter orders as he hands Blaine his plate. Blaine looks at the dish, wondering how on earth he is expected to eat the liquid covered lumps without making a mess in Hunter’s office. If he was in the cafeteria with the others, he simply would have picked it up with his fingers, licking them clean once finished, but he somehow thinks Hunter would expect something more graceful and less messy. What, he doesn’t know.

“What’s wrong slut?” Hunter sighs, slightly aggravated. Blaine debates not answering, not thinking Hunter would want to hear his concerns, but he can’t ignore a direct question.

“I don’t want to make a mess, but I don’t know how to eat this without.”

“Pass it here,” he commands, Blaine reluctantly doing so. He hopes it doesn’t mean he has lost his lunch. However, Hunter rummages in his top desk draw, pulling out a fork. Blaine partly wonders why Hunter would casually have cutlery in his draw, but is more interested in being able to eat without using his fingers for the first time in ages.

But Blaine has no such luck. Instead, Hunter stabs one of the lumps in the dish, and holds the fork out for Blaine to eat off of. Abandoning any pride he has remaining, Blaine reaches up with his mouth and tentatively takes the bite. Leaning back into his heals, he watches Hunter’s hand as he returns the fork to the plate, depositing it gently leaning against the side before picking up his own fork and starting on his meal.

After several mouthfuls of his own meal, Hunter once again picks up Blaine’s fork, stabbing another of the chicken tasting lumps and passing it down to Blaine. Less nervously this time, Blaine takes the mouthful of the fork, sitting back down to chew it. Again, Hunter goes back to his own meal before feeding Blaine a little of his.

With this system, Hunter finishes eating when Blaine is approximately half way through his. Hunter puts the tray on the floor, out of the way, but leaves Blaine’s at the edge of his desk.

Periodically, Hunter pauses in his work to give Blaine a bite. Blaine wishes he had just used his fingers in the first place; a little bit of mess would have been preferable to eating literally out of Hunter’s hands.

As Blaine takes his last mouthful of food, there is a knock at the door. Hunter places both dishes on the tray, removing the two drinks, and passes it to Blaine.

“Go return this,” he orders Blaine, before turning to address the person behind the door. “Come in.”

Blaine makes it to the kitchen and back with no trouble, no other subs about. He wonders what the time is, confused as to why the cafeteria was empty upon both visits. Reasoning Hunter would eat his lunch mid-day, Blaine wonders if they purposely don’t feed them at the time they expect, further disorientating them from ‘ordinary’ life.

When he reaches Hunter’s office, he pauses for a moment. He thinks it is likely the guard who knocked is still in there, but Hunter did say he didn’t need to knock. He decides to go with what his gut is telling him, and opens the door.

He was correct in assuming the guard would still be there, but apart from a quick glance from Hunter neither acknowledge his presence. Quietly, he shuts the door and scurries into the corner he is starting to consider his. He studies the female guard, one he has not seen before. Her pink dyed hair is beyond it’s prime, long black roots showing, and several tattoos littering almost all of her visible skin, minus her face.

He listens in to the conversation, trying to pick up what they are talking about. He soon realizes the guard is asking for ‘special privileges’ regarding a sub. He doesn’t understand what that means, but since it may be about someone he knows, he resolves to try and infer what it is.

“I am not going to grant you that,” Hunter responds, as relaxed as ever.

“Why not?” The guard argues.

“Why should you get priority over her? Even I can’t swing getting that for myself with him.” Hunter argues, pointing at Blaine. Blaine doesn’t like this chat anymore, not now that he is being brought into it.

“Firstly, everyone pretty much knows it is yours. Secondly, I’m only asking to fuck it, not buy it!” The guard spits.

“Firstly, I have no formal claim over him, only my position of power over the rest of you. Secondly, you know you can pay for her at the next auctions for a taste.”

“But I work here, I should get some bonus of discounted rates or first pick or something.”

“No.”

“But-“

“No.”

“Why do you even want it though? I thought you weren’t even remotely bi-curious?”

“I’m not. But a sub is pretty much genderless. And a sub’s hole is a sub’s hole.” The guard huffs in response. Hunter continues talking, ignoring the guards reaction. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”

“What do you mean anything else, you didn’t help me with the first thing!”

“So that’s a no? Ok, we are done here. And you will be suspended for a month.” Hunter pauses, looking at his calendar unnecessarily. “What a shame, that puts you out for the next auction. Looks like you wont be able to get her until she is sold for good.”

“What!? But that’s not fair!”

“Oh well. Make sure you take anything you need from your locker. Suspensions include being banned from the site completely.” The guard huffs, but doesn’t argue any more. Instead, she storms out. Hunter doesn’t seem to be effected by the action, and resumes managing accounts on the computer.

Blaine doesn’t understand what just happened. For some reason the guard wanted a girl, but Hunter said no, and then when she argued, Hunter just kicked her out. Blaine contemplating must have been evident on his face, as Hunter stops what he is doing to ask.

“What’s wrong pet?”

“I... I don’t understand Master?” Blaine responds, surprised Hunter asked.

“Good thing you don’t need to then.” Blaine drops his head. “I’ve never liked her,” Hunter mutters under his breath, confusing Blaine further. Blaine doesn’t really know how to respond, so opts not to say anything. He drops his head and returns to his previous position, settling in to survive several more hours of nothingness.