Kurt found Elliot at the main bar, talking to a few other regulars, most of them Doms who had their subs quietly sitting or kneeling beside them. Kurt marched up to Elliot and punched him in the chest – softly, because although he might be a Dom, around here, Elliot was the Dom and also Kurt's mentor, and he didn't need corner time or a spanking to be reminded of it.

"This is all your fault," he said, sat down and ordered a whiskey sour because he really needed one right now.

Elliot looked confused.

"I'm sorry, I was sure you'd be a good match. Did something go wrong? Do I have a mess to clear up upstairs?"

"Please, what do you take me for? He's sleeping, all cared for and tucked in. The mess is me."

Elliot signaled the bartender to pour him another drink.

"So what happened?"

"I – he's just so – I just want to take care of him. I kissed him, Elliot. I gave him my private phone number and told him to call if he wanted to meet again. I want to meet him again,"

Elliot let out a low whistle. "I thought you would fit, but I'll admit I didn't anticipate this. You, playing with the same sub twice? That hasn't happened since...well, before Chandler, anyway."

Kurt sighed. "I know. He was just so...he couldn't let go, you know, at first? But when he finally did, he was so beautiful. He submitted perfectly on the outside, but I know there's more there, that there's so much more of him that waits to be woken. And I want to be the one who does it."

He sipped on his drink. "He dislikes safewords, and he has no real idea about his own limits. He will be hurt, Elliot. I think he has already been hurt. There is a scar on his shoulder that looks like it could be from knife play gone wrong, and his trust issues are up the wall. I think he's been abused."

Elliot nodded, but declined Kurt's demand to tell him more. "You know I can't do that, my friend. He is a client, it's part of his contract, it's confidential. But," he added when Kurt wanted to protest, "Maybe you want to talk to his last Dom. He is not bound by a contract anymore, he might tell you more. He's not the one who – you know. They're not together anymore, obviously, but they parted on good terms."

"Who is he? Do I know him? Does he know me?"

Elliot laughed. "Everyone knows you, Kurt. But no, I don't think you know him, You might have seen him around once or twice, but he doesn't come often anymore. I fear I'll soon lose his business. But you're in luck today. He sits over there."

He pointed at a thin, tall man who sat alone at the end of the bar, no sub at his side, an untouched drink before him.

"Excuse me for a minute," Kurt said to Elliot, downed his drink and walked up top the other man.

"Hello, I'm Kurt," he introduced himself, then got right to the point. "I was wondering if you would discuss Blaine with me."

The other man grinned. "Not beating around the bush, are we? I'm Sebastian. I heard you were playing with Blaine today. How did it go?" His skepticism was evident, and Kurt sensed that he still felt protective of Blaine.

"It went fine, mostly. But I'm aware that there are some...issues."

Sebastian nodded. "Look, I wouldn't discuss Blaine's business with just anyone. But you have quite a reputation around here, and I figure you wouldn't ask if you didn't have any interest in Blaine besides a one-time scene. So I guess you want to know why we're not together anymore?"

When Kurt nodded, he continued.

"When we got together, we both didn't really know what we wanted. Blaine had quit the lifestyle for a while, I was new to it altogether, had just finished training. For a time, we tiptoed around each other, neither expecting a lot, both of us quite content for the time being. We did a few scenes, nothing elaborate, but...I was too inexperienced, I didn't challenge him, didn't push him enough. So he started acting out on me, and I promised him punishment. We met at my home. I had bought a cage. He seemed anxious about it, was reluctant to be locked in, but he didn't tell me why, and he didn't safeword. So I locked him in, and after some time in which he was calm, if not relaxed, I had to go to the bathroom. I told him I wasn't leaving, I'd be back. I wasn't gone for five minutes, but when I came back, he was in a complete panic. I let him out at once, wanted to comfort him, but he just screamed at me and wanted to leave."

Kurt clenched his teeth. This was no Dom he was training, not his responsibility. So he wouldn't call him out on leaving a sub in bondage, on not doing his job. But he wanted to.

Sebastian took a sip of his drink and sighed, then continued.

"Look, I was just inexperienced, okay? I learned a lot since then, I wouldn't do it again. No need to shoot daggers at me. Anyway, I let him go. I didn't know what else to do. He called me a few days later and we talked. He explained some things to me, no particulars, but apparently his former Dom was a drunk and locked him in a cage and then just forgot about him, I don't know for how long. We tried playing a few times afterwards, but I was too afraid to hurt him again and he didn't really trust me. So we decided to end it."

Kurt nodded. "Something else I should know? He's not...a pain slut, is he?"

"No, he isn't. I mean, he likes the flogger or the crop well enough, he'll even take the bullwhip, but you won't get better results if you hit him longer or harder."

Kurt nodded, relieved. He didn't think he could do that again, not even for Blaine.

"Let's see, what else...he's a natural submissive, but he won't give you anything but the basics on his own. You need to take everything. He's a perfectionist, he has ridiculously high expectations of himself, and sometimes he'll get angry if he thinks you cut him too much slack. He's honest, he'll tell you about any breach of rule he thinks he needs to be punished for, but he'll also tell you if he thinks a punishment is unjustified. He is happiest in complete submission, but you will have to fight him to get him there."

Sebastian thought for a moment, then shook his head. "I think that's it. Blaine Anderson 101."

He put a hand against his mouth. "Shit."

Kurt chuckled. "It's okay. He has my phone number, I think he'd be okay with me having his last name."

Sebastian smiled back, a little weakly, and rose. "I have to go. But, Kurt? Treat him well. He's a good sub. A good man."

"I will, I promise."

Kurt spent the next week buried in work. The fashion label he had started soon after college was small, but successful enough to make him more money than he'd thought realistic, but it was a lot of work. He didn't have to to find excuses to stay in long after hours, there was always something to do, but he was aware that he was doing it mostly to distract himself from thoughts about Blaine and from wondering if he was going to call him.

Of course, the call came on Thursday morning when he was in a meeting and couldn't answer, but he reached Blaine when he was able to call back two hours later. Blaine was oddly formal on the phone, but Kurt figured that he was at work, whatever he did. They agreed to meet at Defiance the same evening. Kurt would have liked a little more time to prepare, but it was Blaine's only free evening this week. So another simple scene would have to do.

Kurt arrived at the club a little early because he went there directly from work. He was still in his work clothes, too, though he had left his jacket at the door and rolled up his shirt sleeves. At the bar, he ordered an iced water, then sat down to wait for Blaine.

"Kurt."

That wasn't Blaine, but he knew the voice. He clenched his teeth to keep from swearing. Talk about bad timing. He stood and turned.

"Chandler. How are you?"

"Better now." Chandler looked into his eyes once, a challenge. Then he sank down on his knees.

"Sir." He grabbed Kurt's hands and pressed a kiss on each wrist, then nuzzled his thigh and indiscreetly mouthed at his cock before rising and whispering in his ear,

"Call me. I need to hear everything."

Kurt turned and saw Blaine, who had clearly witnessed the whole display. He didn't look angry, but curious, a little jealous and most definitely not pleased. Great. Chandler was obviously in need of a spanking, but that wasn't his job anymore. He called out to the other Doms in the room, only half joking,

"Could someone please put that boy on a leash? Literally?"

He walked to Blaine, who had sat down at their reserved table in the corner. They wouldn't eat together today; because their meeting today was so short notice, Kurt didn't have too much time available. Still, he wanted a more neutral place than one of the playrooms upstairs to talk to Blaine, now even more than before.

"Blaine. Thank you for calling me. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thanks, Kurt. But I would like to ask a question. Who was that man?"

"Chandler. He's a regular here, I'm actually surprised you don't know him. He was also mine for a long time."

Blaine rolled his eyes. "I figured. It was rather obvious. He's very possessive, for a sub."

"We may not be in a contract, but I don't suffer disrespect gladly, towards me or any of my friends."

Blaine looked down. "I'm sorry, Sir. I did not mean to be disrespectful."

"If it eases your mind, Chandler and I don't play anymore."

"Thank you, Sir. It does indeed relieve me. I don't like to share."

"You are very possessive too, for a sub."

They talked for a whole more about nothing in particular, but Kurt kept one eye on the clock. Eventually, he said,

"I don't like to interrupt, but unfortunately, we are on a bit of a schedule. I have an early meeting tomorrow morning and would like to leave by eleven. So, if you want to play, I suggest we go upstairs now. If you want to talk, we should meet next week at a more...neutral place."

Blaine stood eagerly. "Upstairs, please, Sir."

In their room, Kurt ordered Blaine to strip and kneel. He himself kept his clothes on and watched Blaine closely. When Blaine knelt before him, he smiled and opened his pants.

"When we last met, you got off and I didn't. I think now I should get to come first, don't you?

Suck me, nice and slow. If we still have time afterwards, maybe you will come, too."

Kurt groaned when Blaine's lips closed around his cock. There was something about this, a sub on his knees before him trying his best to please him, that for him surpassed any ordinary blowjob, even if the sub should be inexperienced and have no idea how to suck cock. And Blaine cerrtainly knew what he was doing. He took his time like Kurt had requested, slowly but enthusiastically caressing his balls with his hand before he took one of them in his mouth, sucking gently. He teased for a while, but when Kurt was starting to get impatient, he finally dragged his tongue over the length of his cock and then around the head. When Blaine deepthroated him and swallowed around him, Kurt wished he had done this lying down or at least leaned against the wall, because his knees were starting to give out, and he grabbed Blaine's hair, for support as well as to keep his head exactly where it was. Blaine moaned around him, and it was almost enough to make Kurt come.

"Close...oh god. You're so...oh, so good, so good."

Blaine kept him at the edge for a little longer and then, with a last swirl of his tongue, sent him over.