Kurt and Blaine enjoy their fast-paced lifestyles, but they relish quiet evenings in, when they can get them. Inside their loft, Kurt has his place – an ebony leather Barcalounger (a gift from his father that he swore up and down he didn't want, but which he can't live without), set on the edge of a Persian-inspired throw rug he found at a farmer's market when he first moved to New York. He sits there when he reads, usually around sunset, when the last of the natural light fades, and catches up on back issues of OUT and Harper's Bazaar, or Good Omens (which Chandler recommended) on his Kindle. Blaine sits at Kurt's feet, leaning against his leg, going over a score he started writing in college, which he fiddles with in his spare time, fine tuning it on the chance he ever finds the means to get it performed.

Kurt has an elaborate scene planned for the two of them tonight, and he can't wait to get it started. But these moments of rest and reflection don't come around as often as he'd like. So, he's not going to rush. He's going to savor it while it lasts.

Kurt senses a mood change between them before he even moves, so attuned to one another, Kurt feels Blaine tense the second he thinks of getting up to get to started.

“What is it, pet?” Kurt asks, putting a hand on Blaine's head and relaxing back in his chair.

He expects Blaine to tell him that he's nervous, maybe that he's scared, but instead, Blaine presents himself to Kurt, humbles his body, bowing low to the floor at the feet of his Dom. He turns to rest his forehead above Kurt's foot, his hands above his head, wrists together in case Kurt wants to bind them.

Kurt is startled by this unexpected display. Startled and concerned.

Whatever Blaine is about to tell Kurt, he thinks it's going to get him punished.

“I…I don't want to do the scene tonight, Sir,” he confesses.

Kurt looks at Blaine, in complete but apologetic submission, trembling slightly. He looks so delicious this way, so positively perfect for stripping naked and flogging, but Kurt doesn't. He won't. Not after his request.

“You know I've been planning this scene for a while,” Kurt says.

“Yes, Sir,” Blaine answers sadly.

“And you know that I've been looking forward to it.”

“Yes, Sir” – Blaine's head bows farther with the weight of his guilt heaping on him – “I know.”

“You said that you were looking forward to this scene, too,” Kurt points out.

“Yes, Sir. I was, Sir.”

Kurt leans forward in his chair, threads fingers into Blaine's curls, and tugs.

“Can you at least enlighten me as to why you don't want to do the scene, pet?”

He feels the tremors in Blaine's body grow stronger, and his sub mumbles an answer – or he whimpers.

“I…I changed my mind, Sir,” Blaine says in a voice that won't stay still. “I'm okay doing the scene. Really.”

Kurt sighs, blowing out a breath of frustration that ruffles Blaine's curls.

“Blaine, you don't want to do the scene,” Kurt says decisively, using his sub's name to add reassurance. “So that's a spanking tomorrow for lying to me.”

“Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir. I” – Kurt massages Blaine's scalp with his fingertips, and Blaine's tense shoulders begin to droop – “I just didn't want you to be mad.”

“I'm not mad, pet,” Kurt says. “I'm disappointed. But not at you. Obviously, I haven't made a few things clear.”

He hears Blaine sniffle, watches him fidget his feet uncomfortably. What did Kurt miss? In the time they'd been together, what hadn't he explained? What hadn't they agreed on that brought them to this? He can't remember the last time Blaine turned down a scene. Kurt knows there's been other times. One of the very first things Kurt told Blaine when they made up their contract was that refusal is always an option. But Blaine is such a trooper, so open to experience and adventure, Kurt takes for granted that Blaine has veto power, he just chooses not to use it.

“Blaine, this relationship, it's about you and me,” Kurt continues. “It's either both of us, or neither of us. It has to work for me as Dom, and you as sub, or it doesn't work at all. I thought you understood that.”

“I do, Sir. It's just sometimes” – Blaine hiccups – “I start thinking about…well, the way things were…you know…and I get flashbacks…”

“Ah,” Kurt says, privately bitter that he gets to pay for someone else's sins. “I get it.”

Blaine wasn't exactly waiting on a block of ice for Kurt to come along. He experimented, mostly when he was too young to know better, and it didn't always turn out well. One time in particular turned into a disaster. Blaine has told Kurt everything about his life before them, every gruesome, painful detail as Kurt demanded full disclosure if he was going to create a safe environment for Blaine. Blaine has worked hard with Kurt to get over his past, but some things still lingered.

Seeing Blaine like this makes Kurt's vindictive nature rear up, longing to find the bastard that hurt his Blaine so Kurt can hurt him back, and make everything right in his sub's world again.

“I'll tell you what, pet,” Kurt says, “we'll put this off for now, and tonight, we'll keep things low-key. You make dinner, I'll find us a movie, and we'll picnic out on the living room floor. How does that sound?”

Kurt puts a hand underneath Blaine's chin and lifts his head.

“That sounds perfect, Sir,” Blaine says, eyes slightly red, tears on his cheeks. “Thank you.”

“But tomorrow,” Kurt says in a firm voice, “before your spanking, we talk about this more. Do you understand?”

“I do, Sir. Thank you, Sir. Thank you for guiding me.” Blaine bends his head and kisses Kurt's feet, but Kurt takes Blaine by the upper arms and forces him up, looking him in the eye.

“Blaine,” Kurt says, kissing him lightly on the lips, “that's what I'm here for.”