Chapter 29

December 13, 2012

Kurt had a lovely evening all to himself. When Burt descended the stairs together with Blaine, who looked rather uneasy, they all made dinner and afterwards he went upstairs, not without a fearful 'won't you join us for football' from Blaine. He said he was in no mood for the game and went to his room to start the bath. While the bathtub was being filled up, he found several scented candles and placed them around the bathroom for a better calming effect. In the end the room looked rather romantic and it was lit just right for reading.

Before getting into the bath the boy worried for a moment how things were going on downstairs but the moment the water touched his pale body, all worries went away and he let himself sink in the calmness around him. For the first half an hour he got lost in his daydreams and when his fantasy ended with him and Blaine living happily ever after, he grabbed the latest issue of Vogue and started reading from where he had left off the last time he had time to read for pleasure. After numerous articles he lost the count of time and it was the best feeling ever to finally let go. Nothing existed anymore.

He was brought back from his thoughts by the knock on his bedroom door. "Kurt?" he heard Blaine's soft voice.

"I'm in the bathroom," he shouted and heard the door of his room open. It wasn't until Blaine entered the bathroom seconds later that Kurt realised that it may have sounded as an invitation to come in.

"Oh," Blaine gasped and watched Kurt drop the magazine in the process of covering himself up even though the layer of bubbles was still thick enough. "I'm sorry!" he hurried to apologise and turned around with eyes closed.

Kurt, who had been close to panicking, took a few deep breaths to relax. "It's okay. You didn't know I was naked," he said with his cheeks flaming red and inwardly he thanked his romantic side for lighting up the room with candles that made it hard to distinguish the colour of his face.

"No, I... um... shouldn't have come in," the boy said and Kurt could bet he was equally as red as he was.

"Uh, that's fine. Did you want anything?" the teen asked, his both hands hovering over his most intimate parts just in case.

"Not really. I mean, the game just ended and I wanted to ask if you wanted me to do anything for you," Blaine explained.

Kurt frowned a little. It didn't feel like he was in the bath for that long. "No, I'm okay. How was the game?" he asked no matter how weird it felt to converse with the other boy while his hands were touching his cock.

"It was... let's just say I wished you had been there with us," Blaine let out a nervous laugh.

"That bad?"

"It wasn't... it wasn't bad, just a bit weird," the slave shrugged. "And your dad can be very loud."

"He is very passionate about football so he tends to scream at the screen," Kurt said, remembering all the times his dad had startled him when something happened in a game. "I'm sorry if that scared you. I'll tell him to control himself next time."

"It's okay, don't worry about me. It's great that your dad is passionate about something so he shouldn't control himself just because of me. Or anyone, really."

"How about next time I'll sit with you to make sure you don't feel uncomfortable?" Kurt offered.

"Th– that might help," Blaine stuttered and Kurt found his bashfulness adorable. "So, I guess I'll be going now."

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," Kurt laughed. "Oh, if you want anything to do you can bring your duvet and the pillow to my room. And then do whatever you want."

"Thanks, Kurt," Blaine said and left.

The sensation in the bottom of his belly left Kurt wondering if he wasn't an exhibitionist after all.

***

After he was done with the bath, Kurt put on his pyjamas and went over his moisturising routine, which had been forgotten for the last few days. By the time he finished the bathtub was empty, only his magazine lying on the bottom. He grabbed it and went into his room to find Blaine reading a book in the bed.

"All decent now," Kurt joked.

"I– I didn't see anything, in case you were wondering," Blaine said with the cutest blush.

"I have good products," the boy responded referring to the bubbles. "You can go take a bath or a shower now."

"Thanks but I took a shower in the morning."

"Alright. I'll go throw this away," Kurt said gesturing towards the dripping magazine.

Trying not to drop too much water Kurt made his way into the kitchen where their big trash bin was. After he threw Vogue away, he went into the living room where his dad was watching some movie.

"How was the game?" he asked when the man looked at him expectantly.

"It was great, very interesting," the man nodded excitedly. "The Buckeyes won and it was by far their best game this season."

"That's not exactly what I was asking..."

"Oh, you mean Blaine? He was great as well. He made a few comments and he looked pretty much at ease so I think it went well," the man said proudly.

"Um, dad, I think your head was too far in the game," Kurt grimaced. "Blaine said it was weird and you were loud."

"I... Well, I did pay a lot of attention at the game because that's how games should be watched. I didn't want him to feel like I was treating him differently just because he's a slave," Burt said, not sure anymore if his approach was the right one.

"I know you meant well but I think we should be more careful around him," Kurt said, knowing that both of them had to do better even if Blaine was already more comfortable with him. "Oh, and before I forget, do you think we could get a new mattress for Blaine's room? He said it was uncomfortable because it's too soft. I don't want him hurting his back or sleeping on the ground, which he had been doing so far."

"He was sleeping–" Burt began but left the question unfinished, just a sigh getting out of his mouth. "Okay, I'll go look for one after work tomorrow. I'll measure the old one later. When is Blaine going to bed? I won't want to wake him up."

Suddenly Kurt felt nervous. "I kind of let him sleep with me?" he stated in a questioning manner.

"That's fine," Burt didn't even bat an eye. "By the way, you are going to school on Monday. Blaine will be fine by himself I think."

"I know, that's what I was planning anyway. Blaine is better physically and I think he's getting more comfortable around the house. He should be okay."

"I'm sure he will," Burt said, darting his eyes to the screen where some explosions were happening.

"And that's my cue to leave," Kurt laughed. "Goodnight, dad."

"Night, buddy," the man said and Kurt left.

When he entered his room he found Blaine already out cold with the book on his chest, obviously having fallen asleep while reading. With a fond smile Kurt put the book on the nightstand and properly covered the boy's body, making sure he would be warm at night. Afterwards he switched the light off and climbed into the bed next to the other boy, only under his own duvet. Even with the nap he had taken earlier, the sleep came soon and Kurt drifted off to the dreamland.

***

December 14, 2012

Kurt was woken up by a sharp pain in his shin. He jolted awake and looked around to see what was happening. The room was dark and he couldn't make out anything. The only disturbance in his room was the trashing coming from beside him. His brain finally caught up and he remembered going to sleep with Blaine next to him. The boy was obviously having a nightmare.

Just like he had done plenty of times already, Kurt shook the boy's shoulder gently. "Blaine, wake up," he said hoarsely. "Come on, wake up."

With some more shaking Blaine gasped and his eyes opened up.

"Blaine, it's me, Kurt," the teen said, aware that it would take a few moments for the other boy to recognise his surroundings. "You were having a nightmare."

"Kurt?" the slave boy mumbled looking towards where the voice was coming from.

"Yup, it's me," Kurt said. "You are safe here with me."

"Am I?" he asked sleepily.

"Of course," Kurt assured him.

"Okay," Blaine managed a small smile and his arm wrapped around Kurt's waist. "Safe," he uttered and seconds later his breathing evened out as the boy fell asleep.

Kurt settled his head back onto the pillow and gathered Blaine a bit more comfortably in his arms. That's how they both fell asleep and how they woke up later that morning.

Blaine was the first to wake up that morning. He opened his eyes lazily and saw Kurt's relaxed face in front of him. He didn't know how they ended up in this position but they were kind of half hugging with their bodies as close as two duvets allowed them. For the first time in a long time he felt calm after waking up.

Careful not to wake up the other boy, Blaine tightened his grip on Kurt's body and revelled in the feeling of closeness. This was what he had missed most from his former life as a free person. He used to be touchy-feely with his friends, who always went to him when in need for a good hug. He enjoyed the warmth of another body and the connection two people shared through a single gentle touch. He was so deprived of it that not even two duvets separating them could lessen the pleasure. He closed his eyes, ready to stay like this until Kurt woke up and inevitably pulled away.

It wasn't even ten minutes later when the boy started to stir in his grip and when he opened his eyes he saw two blue eyes staring at him. Blaine could pinpoint the exact moment when the sleepy fog was lifted from Kurt's mind and he fully woke up. The worry appeared on his face and before Blaine could say anything, he pulled away.

"Morning," Kurt said and yawned widely, covering his mouth with his right hand. "I'm sorry for this."

"This?" Blaine asked confused.

"Cuddling?" Kurt offered. "Though it's not entirely my fault," he laughed.

Blaine rubbed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"You had a nightmare and this kind of happened," the teen explained and got out of the bed to stretch his muscles. "Why didn't you tell me you had troubles sleeping?"

"It's just some bad dreams, it's nothing serious," Blaine brushed it off, humiliated that Kurt found out his secret. He didn't know what he had been thinking when he had asked Kurt to sleep with him. "Is there anything you want me to do today?"

"Actually, there is something..." Kurt said thoughtfully. "You mentioned that you enjoy studying so I thought maybe you would like to study with me? A friend of mine, Mike, is also a slave and his girlfriend Tina studies with him. They do homework together and all."

A slave friend? Who had a girlfriend? Blaine felt as if his head was about to explode.

"So, what do you think?" Kurt asked when he stayed silent for too long.

"Yeah, I'd love to study with you," he finally said. "I'm not sure how far behind I am though..."

"I'll help you," Kurt said with a smile. "But first we need to get ready for the day," he said and went to the bathroom.

The mention of Mike didn't leave Blaine's mind for a long time. He wondered about him while taking a shower and while Kurt helped him with his fading bruises and the wound around his wrist. He was distracted while eating breakfast and later while watching Friends with Kurt. He didn't even see what was happening on the show until the other boy pointed it out to him.

"What are you thinking so hard about? You have been out of it the whole morning," he said with a smile, trying not to sound accusatory, and stopped the episode.

"I'm sorry," he said blushing after being caught. "Tell me about your friend. Mike."

Kurt looked surprised but didn't question his request. "Well, when I said 'friend' I actually meant an 'acquaintance' since I only met him once and talked to him on a phone a couple of times. I met him when Noah came over with his friends. Tina is one of my classmates and she is sort of a friend of Noah's. Her parents bought Mike when his parents died. They used to be friends so they wanted to take care of him. In the end Mike and Tina fell in love and they are now dating."

"Oh," was all Blaine said.

"He is also the one who suggested the rules," Kurt continued. "He said you might have been scared of not knowing what we were expecting from you and that rules might give you some sort of routine or something. Since it helped I kind of think of him more as a friend now."

Blaine nodded lost in his thoughts. It was a foreign concept for him. A slave, who was friends with his owner's classmates, who was dating his owner and from the sound of it, seemed happy. In some sense their stories were similar and deep down he hoped he would end up as happy as the other slave, even though his logical side told him not to hope.

"Would you want to talk to him?" Kurt's voice brought him back to reality. He looked at him confused. "I could give you my phone and you two could text, maybe? I would have to ask him first. And when you finish you could delete the conversation so I wouldn't be able to read it."

"I–" he hurried to say something and got lost at what to say. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to talk to him. "Okay."

"Great," Kurt said and started typing something in his phone. After he was done he pressed play on the remote control. "Let's wait for his response."

A new message came soon and Kurt sent out another one. When he got the second message, he offered his phone to Blaine. "Here. If you don't know how to use it you can ask me," he said and focused on the episode, leaving Blaine his space, which he was grateful for.

When the slave looked at the screen he saw the messages that Kurt exchanged with Mike.

Kurt: Hey, Mike. Remember my friend I told you about? He'd like to text you if it's okay.

Mike: Sure thing! You can give him my number.

Kurt: He doesn't have his own phone, I'll give him mine. Whatever you two talk about, it's confidential, you can't even tell me, okay?

Mike: I wasn't planning to haha

Blaine looked at the messages, a warm feeling settling in his chest. With every action Kurt proved to care for him. He just hoped it wasn't an act.

Blaine: Hi, my name is Blaine. I'm sorry for bothering you but Kurt told me a little about you and I wanted to talk to you. I'm not even sure about what...

Mike: That's fine, I love making new friends. You could tell me a little about yourself if you want. That's always a good start.

Blaine: I'm 18, been a slave for over 3 years. I've lived with 2 families and now I live with Kurt.

Mike: Do you like living with Kurt and his dad? A friend of mine knows him and he said 'Papa Hummel is the awesomest adult ever'. His words, not mine.

Blaine: Was it Puck?

Mike: You know Puck? Yeah, it was him. So how about your living arrangements? I won't tell Kurt, don't worry.

Blaine: It was hard at first but Kurt is great. It's hard to trust him but he seems to be trying hard to make me feel at home. It's scary...

Mike: What scares you?

Blaine: Betrayal. Whenever I trusted someone, they hurt me. I really want to trust him but I don't know how...

Mike: Did Kurt tell you that my parents' friends bought me? When I saw who my owners were, I felt like I was dying. I mean, how could they do that to me? Buy me to boss me around when I grew up playing with their daughter... And then worse, I was a gift to her – Tina. I didn't realise that they bought me to save me and it took me some time to learn to trust them again. My only advice – give Kurt some time. His dad too.

Blaine: That's even more difficult. Mr Hummel is a big man and plain scary. He's nice with me but still...

Mike: Have you been hurt by many men? You don't have to answer.

Blaine: Two men Mr Hummel's age... I guess that's my issue?

Mike: That's probably the reason why you find it so hard to trust the man. What helped you with Kurt? I assume you two are doing better than before.

Blaine: We yelled at each other and then cried. I don't see that happening with his dad though.

Mike: But still it was openness, right?

Blaine: I guess. I kind of got to see his perspective. It made him look more like a human than a master.

Mike: Do you think you would be able to see Mr Hummel's perspective somehow? Maybe ask him or Kurt what that man is going through?

Blaine: I'm not sure...

Mike: That's fine. Try to think of it then. It always helps to try to see yourself in someone else's shoes.

Blaine: That's true... Can I ask something?

Mike: Sure!

Blaine: Is it weird to be dating your owner? I mean, you belong to her, she can order you to do stuff...

Mike: I love her more than anything in this world. I also trust her entirely so it's not weird at all. It's also kind of cool because we live together so I see her every day. Not every guy can say the same!

Blaine: It's inspiring to hear a story like yours. Gives me hope.

Mike: Hope keeps us alive. Having hope is never a bad thing.

Blaine: Risky though. I should go back to Kurt. Thank you for chatting with me. It was nice to talk to someone who understands. Kurt tries but it's not the same.

Mike: I know. He looks like a decent guy, give him a chance. And whenever you want to talk to me just ask Kurt, I'm sure he will lend you his phone. I liked talking to you!

Blaine: Thank you again. Have a nice day.

Mike: You too!

Blaine stared at the last message with a smile. He didn't know why, maybe it was because of the messaging or maybe because he didn't know this guy, but it was just too easy to open up to him. People always said it was easier to talk to someone you hadn't met before and it was totally different to text when no eye contact was involved. It also helped that the other boy was a slave too. Overall he was happy he took Kurt's offer and was already looking forward to talking to Mike again, especially since he seemed to be a pretty wise guy, who could help him a lot.

"I'm done, thank you," Blaine said and extended the phone to Kurt.

"No problem. To delete the conversation just press–"

"No," he shook his head. "I trust you not to read it."

The spark in Kurt's eyes was enough for him to know he made the right decision. The boy took his phone back with a smile.

"Thank you," he said and Blaine knew he wasn't thanking him for the phone.