AN: Yikes! That was a long wait between chapters! Sorry about that. I can't promise it won't happen again, but I'll try to do better. Meanwhile, have an extra-long chapter to make up for it. :)

Kurt leaned back on his elbows and lifted his face to the sky, sighing contentedly as the gentle rays of the sun warmed his skin. He and the other ponies were only granted scheduled, short amounts of time out in the courtyard. A small garden area behind the Pantone building. It wasn't much, nowhere to run or really move, but at least out here they saw the sun! It had been raining the last few days and their outdoors time had been curtailed so to be outside now with sun on his skin and bird song filling the air. It was like heaven.

"Kurt?"

Kurt's eyes were closed but he smiled as Blaine approached him, he'd knew that gentle voice.

"Mmmm. Hi Blaine." Kurt kept his eyes closed and his face turned upwards, "You can't be here to fetch me already, I know our assigned outdoors time can't be over yet."

Blaine didn't answer, but Kurt heard him shuffling his feet.

Kurt sighed and blinked his eyes open looking up at Blaine standing over him, the sun behind his head making his curls look golden. "You are here to fetch me."

"I'm sorry."

"I still have… what? Thirty minutes left?"

Blaine nodded, "I know, but you've been requested."

Kurt furrowed his brows not liking the sound of that.

"Um… Mr. Osiris wants to see you."

Kurt's heart rate spiked. He hadn't seen Mr. Osiris once since his interview. Being requested by him now? That couldn't be good.

"Am I in trouble?" Kurt asked quickly moving to stand.

Blaine reached out a hand to help him up. "I don't know. I tried asking around to see what it was about, but no one knows anything." Blaine seemed like he was nervous but trying to hide it as he helped pull Kurt to his feet. Again, not a good sign.

"Okay…." Kurt brushed off the seat of his pants to make sure there wasn't any grass stuck to him. "He couldn't have waited thirty minutes?"

"Sorry." Blaine repeated.

"Blaine, it isn't your fault. I guess the only thing I can do is go." Kurt said trying to project confidence. He had no reason to be frightened of Mr. Osiris he knew he hadn't done anything outside of Pantone guidelines.

Blaine nodded and led him back inside. Several of the other ponies looked his direction, Wes shot him a quizzically look, but all Kurt could do was shrug. He knew little more than they did.

"What does Mr. Osiris usually need to talk to ponies for?" Kurt asked as they entered the building and Blaine walked him down a long hallway.

"It could be many things. A question about your contract, or a special request from a client. If you'd been having trouble with your clients or another pony I'd think it was about that, but things have been fairly smooth sailing for you lately." Blaine stopped and looked at him. "Haven't they?"

"Yes." Kurt nodded, "Even things with Sebastian have been pretty easy recently. He just sneers at me and talks about me like I'm not there, and honestly I've put up with worse."

Blaine nodded and continued walking.

"Should I be worried?"

"I don't think so. Maybe he is just checking in on you?" Blaine said, his brows furrowed like he was trying to figure this out as well.

"Does that sound like something he'd do?"

"No…" They paused outside a door with a number pad, much like the one that lead to the shadows' area, and Blaine punched in the code before opening the door. "But I have heard that he likes you."

"Still? I haven't even seen him since I started working here." Kurt's heart was still beating a little fast, and he had to concentrate on not letting his voice pitch up an octave and give away his nerves.

"He keeps an eye on the records of the ponies he likes." Blaine said with a serious expression, "That's the rumor around the staff areas at least. He gets reports on all the important things happening at Pantone – not just the Carousel Room – but people say he asks for information on you in particular."

Kurt felt a chill go down his spine, he wasn't sure why the thought of Mr. Osiris keeping tabs on him was so disconcerting.

"Is that… normal?" Kurt asked as they walked down a hallway Kurt recognized from the first time he was here.

"I mean… you aren't the first. There have been other ponies who are um…" Blaine's cheeks flushed a bit and he looked away from Kurt, "Who are his type."

Kurt's face twisted in disgust, he didn't like that. "So he keeps tabs on me? Reads up on what I've been doing with clients?"

Blaine nodded.

Kurt grimaced. "Yeah… that's a little creepy."

They stopped in front of the door to Mr. Osiris' office, Kurt just stood there looking at it, his stomach doing somersaults.

"I'm going to be right here, Kurt."

Kurt turned to look at Blaine who was looking back with a small smile on his lips and a softness in his eyes.

"I will literally be right outside of this door, okay?"

"Thank you." Kurt said, he wished Blaine could go in with him, but knowing he'd be close was a comfort.

It had been a week since their conversation about Blaine's contract. And while Kurt hadn't found out any more about how Blaine ended up at Pantone or how much longer he'd be here Blaine had started opening up.

He knew Blaine's parents were divorced, that he had a brother he didn't like to talk about, and that his mother, Mae, was a Filipino immigrant who loved to play the piano and watch British crime dramas. When Blaine talked about his mom his whole face lit up. When Blaine's whole face lit up Kurt's heart always skipped a beat.

Blaine also listened to Kurt talk about his dad and step-mom, about his dreams of being on the stage and his acceptance to NYADA. Kurt felt closer to him than ever, like he was truly getting to know the real Blaine, not just his shadow Blaine. So having Blaine promise to stay close… it meant a lot.

Kurt lifted a hand and knocked on the door.

He heard a voice call out. "Come in!"

Blaine squeezed his arm and Kurt smiled at him before opening the door and walking in.

The office was as Kurt remembered, big faux window covered with curtains, bookshelves on the walls, large photo prints of barely dressed young men (though those seem to have been rotated to new shots) and a large marble desk. It was funny, the first time Kurt had been here this room seemed grand and intimidating, now it just felt… showy and overdone. Like the imitation of something daunting.

Mr. Osiris looked up from the laptop on his desk and smiled that boyish grin Kurt remembered from their first meeting. "Kurt! It is so nice to see you. Please have a seat, can I offer you a beverage?"

"No. Thank you." Kurt said as he sat.

Mr. Osiris continued to smile, his eyes roaming down Kurt's body unashamedly, "Well, I can see the dietitians and trainers have been doing their jobs well. You were lovely when you first interviewed, but you seem practically sculpted from marble now."

Kurt smiled back, "Thank you." He was use to complements from men at this point, and they were often lewd or suggestive, this wasn't even that. Even if Mr. Osiris expression made his words a little less innocent. Besides, Kurt knew the flowered short sleeved button-up he was wearing showed off his toned arms particularly well.

"How have things been going for you so far? You've been here…" He looked down at a folder on his desk, "Nearly two months now?"

"Kurt nodded, "Fifty-four days to be exact."

Mr. Osiris chuckled at that. "And everything is going well for you?"

"Yes," Kurt nodded. He hated it here, but everything was going as expected at least.

"Good, good. You have very high ratings from your clients. And you seem to be well liked by the other ponies."

Maybe this meeting was some kind of performance review? If so, it seemed to be going well.

"They are a good group of guys."

"And Sebastian?"

Kurt swallowed deeply and tried to hide the nervousness that welled up in his stomach. Was he here because Sebastian had complained about him?

"He's… fine." Kurt answered, not knowing what to say. He'd heard that Mr. Osiris and Sebastian didn't like each other, but Kurt wasn't going to bad mouth his manger to the boss, that couldn't end well for him.

Mr. Osiris' smile grew. He was actually a rather good looking man, or would be if he wasn't so… smarmy.

"I see." He rested his elbows on the desktop and leaned forward, "I heard from Sebastian that he made a request of you recently and you said no?"

"I…" It took Kurt a moment to realize what Mr. Osiris was talking about. Shit, was that what this was about? "He asked if I would pose for a photoshoot, I declined."

That wasn't exactly what happened. Kurt had been sitting in Marley's styling chair when Sebastian had walked up and barked out that he'd booked a photoshoot for Kurt, though he had no idea why anyone would pay money for a picture of him. Kurt had been surprised to say the least. Not by Sebastian's jibes, but that he would act like the photoshoot was something Kurt had no choice in. Sebastian hadn't been happy when Kurt said no, he'd let it go though. He had to, Kurt wasn't contractedly obligated to do a photoshoot.

"Is that so? It takes a lot of balls to flat out refuse a request of a superior in a place like this."

Kurt bit his tongue just in time to stop himself from saying that there was nothing superior about Sebastian Smtyhe.

"Perhaps you'd reconsider, if I asked you personally?"

Kurt's heart dropped to his stomach and he had to force his body language relax so that hopefully Mr. Osiris wouldn't see how nervous this conversation was making him. "Why would you want me too?" Kurt asked trying to sound casual, "I'm sure there are many young attractive men who'd love to make some extra cash modeling."

"Yes," Mr. Osiris eyes twinkled, "But we've had some special request from your clients asking for photos. And I have to be honest, you'd look lovely on my walls." He gestured to the black and white photos on display around them. Kurt glanced at one of a man that couldn't have been any older than him turned slightly away from the camera, his ass on full display and a silk sheet he was gripping in his hand flowing down to just cover his cock. Mr. Osiris wanted a picture like that of Kurt to leer at every day?

No. Absolutely not happening.

"Well…" Kurt licked his lips and cleared his dry throat before looking back at Mr. Osiris, "I'm very flattered, thank you. But I still have to say no."

The smile slipped from Mr. Osiris' face. "Really?"

"Yes."

"You know you'll be paid for it. It would mean getting out of here all that sooner, and I have to say the way you are making money now you're on track to be here closer to eight months than the six months you were hoping for."

That news was discouraging to say the least and Kurt had to take a moment to compose himself before he could speak. He knew eight months was a possibility, but god, that sounded like forever. "Why is that?" Kurt spoke up, "You said my clients like me."

"They do, very much. But you have very… let's say… tame clients. Easy ones for the most part. They may make life here less strenuous, but they also don't pay as much."

"Right." Kurt nodded and thought about the one truly difficult client he'd had, Mr. Schue. Would having more nights like that be worth getting out of here two months earlier? The thought was making his stomach hurt.

"So you see, I'm doing you a favor offering you this modeling gig."

Kurt thought about it a moment, it would be a quick easy way to make some money towards his contract but still… "No." Kurt sat up straight in his chair and tried to convey his determination. "Thank you very much Mr. Osiris, but it isn't in my contract and I going to have to turn down the offer."

"Why?" Mr. Osiris' voice had grown cold. His boyish smile long vanished.

"I… pictures last." Kurt aid deciding the only way to answer was with the truth, "When I'm done with my contract I don't want anything of me… left here. And I certainly don't want them in the homes of my clients to look at and… and…"

"Jack off to?" Mr. Osiris supplied, again glancing down Kurt's body.

"Exactly." Kurt said shifting in his chair uncomfortably, "So again, thank you, but no thank you." Kurt was impressed with himself – his voice hadn't wavered at all.

Though his confidence wavered a little as he saw the look on Mr. Osiris' face.

His expression grew dark as he leaned forward, "You think you're better than this life don't you? That you're above us here at Pantone?" His voice was steel, "That you'll leave and forget about your time here. You honestly see yourself as better than me, your clients, the other ponies?"

Kurt clenched his jaw, "I don't think I'm better than the other ponies." He said boldly and by the slight twitch of Mr. Osiris' eye he knew he'd caught the heavily implied insult. Kurt shouldn't be antagonizing this man. He was powerful and held Kurt's future in his hands. Still he had never been able to back down from a bully.

There was along tense moment when Kurt was ready for anything. Yelling, swearing, maybe violence. But soon Mr. Osiris' face shifted back to a smile, even if Kurt could now see the cracks behind it.

"You are so lucky you've had such easy clients so far."

Kurt cleared his throat again, a nervous impulse, "Well, they pick me, I don't pick them."

"Is that what you think?" Mr. Osiris's grinned and not even his Timothy Olyphant-esque good looks could hide the sinister nature of it. "You don't think I have staff serving them drinks, and stroking their egos, and whispering in their ears from the moment they walk in this place? You know it was Sebastian who directed William Schuester towards you."

Kurt's chest hurt his heart was beating so fast, yes, he'd known that about Sebastian.

"Smythe was out of line that evening," Mr. Osiris continued his voice laced with anger, "I'm the one who has been directing clients to you." He slowly stood for his chair, eyes locked on Kurt like he was pray and his lips twisted in anger, "I may not be there in the room, or meet each of these men, but whose words do you think are being whispered to them? Who do you think writes the script and keep the wheels of this place turning?"

Kurt didn't think he needed to answer, it was a rhetorical question, he wasn't sure he'd be able to force out an answer anyway. Mr. Osiris was leaning over his desk with the palms of is hands pressed against the top. He eyes looked a little wild and his constant smile made him seem unhinged. "I've been your guardian angel, boy! I doubt you want those whispers to blow against you. You think Schuester is the worst of them? I can send villains you can even imagine your way." His tone was low and menacing and his threat abundantly clear.

"I…" Kurt's voice finally betrayed him, come coming out hoarse. He didn't know what to say.

Mr. Osiris sat back down slowly, his smile looking a little more normal. The thunderous anger rippling off him subsiding in an instant, which in itself was disturbing, "So I can expect you to do the photoshoot? I'll set it up for Thursday."

He pulled his laptop up and started scroll though as if booking it right then.

Kurt could feel his hands start to shake, but he forced his words out. "No."

Mr. Osiris looked up.

"No, thank you. No photoshoot." Kurt refusal was clear, even as his voice shook.

There was silence in the room so thick you could carve it and Kurt could hear his heart drumming in his ears. But then Mr. Osiris blinked, smiled, and let out a laugh. "Very well. It is up to you. It isn't required by your contract." He stood from the table and gestured to the door. "I won't take up any more of your day."

He was so pleasant suddenly that Kurt felt like he had whiplash. He stood and followed Mr. Osiris, but not too closely, worried this was some kind of trick or trap.

"I look forward to seeing how this decision works out for you." He said as he opened the door.

With that Kurt was quickly ushered out the office. He stood in the hallway, door closed behind him as his whole body started to tremble.

"Kurt." Blaine was by his side in an instant, "What's wrong? What happened?"

"I… I just…" He felt like he was going to throw up. What had he just done?

He felt Blaine hold his elbow and start directing him down the hall.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Blaine was looking him over as if there was some injury he was missing.

"No. Nothing like that."

"Kurt? You're white as a sheet."

They entered the Carousal section of Pantone again and Kurt stopped, leaning against the wall, his legs a little shaky as he turned to Blaine. "I think I just made an enemy of the god of the underworld."

"What?" Blaine looked truly concerned. When Kurt didn't responded Blaine just lead him by the arm to his quarters. Kurt plopped down on his bed feeling stunned and was glad when Blaine sat down beside him.

"Start from the beginning, what happened with Mr. Osiris?"

"When I first came here… when I interviewed for the job I asked… I asked if Mr. Osiris' name was like the Egyptian god of death. He said, no it was the god of the underworld."

"Okay…" Blaine trailed off.

Kurt couldn't make eye contact, he was just replaying that manic furious look on Mr. Osiris' face and his promise that there were villains worse than Mr. Schue. "And now I've made him angry."

"Kurt." Blaine scooted closer, and reached out to hold Kurt's hands. "Orsee is just a man. Not a god."

Kurt had been starting off at nothing but he focused on Blaine now. "I know, of course I now that. But if Pantone is the underworld Mr. Osiris certainty sees himself as a god here. He has the upper hand. He has all the power."

Blaine waited, worriedly searching Kurt's face.

Kurt took a deep breath. "He wanted me to do a photoshoot like... you know the ones hanging up everywhere. I said no. Repeatedly. He... he threatened me."

"Threatened you how?" Blaine's voice had an angry edge to it.

"He said Mr. Schue wasn't as bad as they got and that he was the one who decided which clients chose me."

"Mr. Osiris decides what clients you get?"

Kurt nodded, his stomach flipping over, "I can't do it. I can have night after night of other Mr. Schues… or … or worse."

"Kurt, listen to me," Blaine's hands moved up Kurt's arms to cup the back of his neck as he brought their faces close together, "Mr. Osiris is not a god. He isn't even the top guy here at Pantone. He has a whole board to answer to. He won't do anything against your contract. He can't."

"My contract allows a lot." Kurt said, though he hadn't know about the board. Mr. Osiris had told him he was the head of Pantone on their first meeting.

"Yes," Blaine nodded, but still sounded calm, "But going out of his way to hurt an employee that is making Pantone good money will not go in his favor. He may have given you the impression he can do whatever he wants, but he can't."

Kurt closed his eyes and took a deep breath – that assurance was comforting. Kurt had let himself panic for a moment, maybe seeing Mr. Osiris as something more powerful than he really was.

Blaine gently rubbed his fingers against the nape of Kurt's neck as Kurt calmed down. God that felt good. People were always touching him here, Marley at the salon, doing his hair and makeup, her employees keeping him waxed and shaved, Ms. July correcting his posture, Sebastian pinching at his stomach fat, and of course the clients touching him in any way they pleased. But this… this… Blaine's hands on him, his fingers softly smoothing over his skin….

It was like when Blaine had put the cover-up on him after Mr. Schue had bruised him, it was so soft, so sweet, not demanding, not prodding, not sexual. Just… kind. Comforting. Reassuring.

Kurt sighed and leaned his forehead against Blaine's and lifted his arms to loop around Blaine's shoulders. Blaine moved an arm to Kurt's back and pulled him in, the other hand still curling in the hair at the back of Kurt neck as Kurt moved to tuck his face against Blaine's shoulder. Neither of them spoke for a moment, Kurt just let Blaine hold him. He hadn't felt this safe or whole or calm since the day he signed the contract with Pantone.

"How do you do that?" Kurt asked softly after a while.

"Mmmm?" Blaine was still stroking Kurt's neck and back as he asked quietly. "Do what?"

Kurt lifted his head to look Blaine in the face, but didn't move out of his arms. "Calm me down like that. I thought I was going to have a panic attack."

"I didn't do anything. You just needed someone there for you. I'm the lucky person who got that job."

"No." Kurt shook his head, "It's more than that. I trust you. In a place where it's hard to trust."

"I'm glad you do."

"You've helped other ponies before me, right?"

Blaine nodded.

"Was it like this with them?" Kurt didn't need to explain what he meant by like this as he sat on the bed pressed against Blaine, their faces a breath away.

"I… I've always tried to go out of my way to make the ponies I help feel taken care of. In the past I haven't talked to them as much as we talk. And… no." Blaine blushed a little, "It hasn't been like… this."

"Why am I different?"

Blaine furrowed his brow as if putting a lot of thought into his answer, "Well, for one thing from day one you've been wonderful to me. Seen me as a person, tried to get me to talk and… then of course there is the fact that you're just so… kind. To me. To the other staff, to the other ponies. Shadows see it all you know, people don't pay us much mind but we're around. We know. And it made me… I guess I feel protective of you. Not that you can't stand up for yourself. You did just tell me you said no to Mr. Osiris, repeatedly. I don't think you need me to protect you, but I do like to make you feel… I don't know. Not alone?"

"That is exactly how you make me feel." Kurt smiled and bumped their foreheads together, "Thank you for that."

They stayed like that a little longer, Kurt feeling warm and cared for in Blaine's embrace, until Kurt pulled back just a bit. "Things are about to get harder for me though, aren't they? Even if Mr. Osiris isn't as powerful as he likes people to think, if Sebastian can send certain clients my way, Mr. Osiris certainly can."

Blaine worked his jaw for a moment, looking upset. "Yes. It may get more difficult for a little while."

"You think I should have just agreed to the pictures, don't you?"

"No." Blaine shook his head, "Not if it was important to you not to."

"It is very important to me."

"Then you did the right thing. The hard thing, but the right thing."

Kurt nodded. "And now what do I do?"

"Just… be strong. There are rules set in place for your protection. After all, your well-being matters to Pantone."

"Only because I'm a dollar sign to them."

"Yes," Blaine sighed regretfully, "But that makes you important."

"The first night I was here I saw whip marks on David's back." Kurt's throat felt tight thinking about it. Over the past weeks he'd tried to put that image out of his mind.

Blaine's face looked pained, "There are some high ranking clients who get away with a little more… but… the Carousel has limits."

"Right. Right." Kurt nodded. "I guess worrying about it now won't help anything."

"Kurt, no matter what happens, I'm here. I'll be here."

Kurt smiled and leaned in to place a quick peck on Blaine's cheek. Kurt wasn't usually this tactile in the real world, but something about Blaine made Kurt's walls tumble down. The rosy blush to Blaine's cheeks at the kiss made Kurt happy to have his walls down. "Thank you, Blaine."

Blaine just shyly nodded and Kurt found he really did feel less afraid.

For now at least.

That evening Sebastian didn't say a word to him as Kurt and the other ponies got ready. There was one long look that made Kurt think Sebastian knew something was up, but he didn't say a thing. Kurt was wearing tight black boxer briefs this evening with a little navy blue eyeliner as his makeup, and his hair styled to perfection, Marley was good at that. He waited behind the glad with the other ponies and felt nervous and jittery as his number was called and Blaine walked him to the room where his client would be waiting.

"I don't happen to have a regular booked tonight do I?"

"No." Blaine said quietly looking at his tablet, "Someone new. New to the Carousel, not just to you. So I don't really have any information on him."

Kurt nodded as they stopped outside the door. "Okay." He throat felt scratchy.

"I'm sorry, I wish I was more help." Blaine eyes were wide and regretful.

"You're wonderful, Blaine. I'll see you in a little while?"

Blaine reached out a hand the squeeze one of Kurt's, "You know I'll be right here."

Kurt nodded, took a deep breath and walked into the room.

The lights were low and the room smelt like someone had been smoking a cigar. A man stood from a chair in the corner, dressed in an expensive suit. He was younger than many of Kurt's clients, probably in his early forties. He didn't say a word to Kurt has he walked to a polished wooden box placed on a side table, he lifted the lid and then turned the box towards Kurt.

Inside were leather wrist cuffs, a dark leather choker, a coil of black nylon rope, a blindfold, a few shiny metal objects… clamps of some kind? And a glossy black silicone dildo the size of which made Kurt's knees feel weak.

Kurt swallowed deeply and looked up at his client.

"Let's get these on you." He said with a grin.