"Hello, Mrs. Smythe?" Kurt asked, sitting down at the kitchen table. It was the day after Blaine and Sebastian had started at McKinley's submissive division and Kurt was only just now gathering up the courage to call their parents. Logically, he knew he had to. Emotionally, he wasn't prepared. Sebastian and Blaine had been through so much hell and all Kurt wanted to do was shield them from any pain they could possibly receive, even if it came from the people who were supposed to take care of them.
Kurt and Sebastian had had a long talk. He knew bits and pieces about the way Sebastian was raised, including how his mother felt about subs and their place in society, and he needed to be perfectly aware of what his sub wanted from this phone call. The last thing he wanted to do was to harm him in any way. Sebastian was fragile, even if it was hard for him to admit it, and Kurt would do anything to protect him. Sebastian, who was still under the impression that he didn't deserve any sort of opinion, didn't really know what he wanted. They talked some more and finally came to the conclusion that Kurt would call and see what happened before they made any decisions.
"That would be me," Kurt heard from over the phone.
"May I ask who I have the pleasure of speaking to?" Sebastian's Mother said. Kurt glanced over at the clock, checking to make sure he still had plenty of time. Kurt had sent Blaine and Sebastian upstairs to watch a movie while he made a few calls, he didn't want them to hear the conversation that was about to take place in case it went down hill.
"My name is Kurt Hummel," he said, closing his eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He wasn't equipped to deal with this, he had no idea what he was doing, and yet, he needed to. It was his obligation as a Dom. "I'm sure you recognized my name, I'm your son's Dom."
The line was quiet for a long time before Sebastian's mom spoke up. "Aw, I see. I suppose you've come in to contact with my son for whatever reason. I'm sure he'll be easy to control, I spent years teaching him how subs were to be treated and then I sent him to Dalton.. Is he still at Dalton?"
Kurt sighed. "No, he's not. I've withdrawn him from the Academy and taken him home with me, where I will continue his training. I just thought you and his Dad had the right to know."
"His Father really doesn't have the right to anything but that's beside the point." Kurt's hands clenched as he tried to control his anger. Her blatant disregard of her husband's rights angered him more than anything, and he couldn't imagine what it was like for Sebastian to witness so much animosity at a young age. "I've invested thousands of dollars into his training at Dalton in hopes that he'd learn his rightful place, the fact that you've taken him out before he even had the chance to complete his training saddens me. I've known the headmaster for years and he knows what he's doing. It's a shame you haven't taken an advantage of that opportunity. If it's money you need, that's not a problem. I mean, I could pay for the training, but like I said, I've invested thousands of dollars into that... kid and I don't really think I need to give you anything. But, if it'll help a young Dom make the right decision, I will be happy to oblige."
"I don't want your money," Kurt said, unable to contain the bitterness in his voice. She talked about her submissive husband and son as if they were second class citizens, knowing that Kurt would be surprised if he didn't have a twisted viewpoint on the way subs should be treated. "I'm able to support him, I just thought you should know your son was in good hands."
"I'm sure he is." Kurt could tell just from the tone of her voice she didn't believe it for a second, and that made him even more angry. His entire life he'd been underestimated. Before he got his mark, he knew he was going to be a Dom, but everyone thought he would be a sub. It only got worse once he enrolled at Dalton. He was told he was too feminine, too caring, too emotional to be a proper Dom, not to mention the fact he was considered a prissy little fag (sorry for the use of that word) by most people, especially the jocks. But he was determined to prove them wrong, more determined than he had ever been, and prove them wrong he did. People wrongly underestimated him on a daily basis, and the idea that Sebastian's Mother didn't think he could be a "proper" Dom, infuriated him. "But I would suggest you sending him back to Dalton. They are experts in the field of training subs, and I can tell by your voice you're not very old."
"Dalton are experts in brainwashing people into believing they are less than human," Kurt growled. "Their training tactics are nearly medieval and I wouldn't dare enroll anyone in that hellhole. Those subs deserve happiness just as much as you and me, and the idea of enrolling your son makes me sick. I will not be sending him back. I'm very capable of training him myself, despite how old you think I am, and am trying to be the bigger person here. Your son, despite what you may believe, is in desperate need of parental figures in his life. He's been robbed of so much, and all I want to do is provide him with what he needs to thrive into the person I know he could become. He's not even seventeen yet. I was hoping you'd allow me to speak with your husband so I can relay the same message."
"My husband," Sebastian's mother spoke, voice dripping venom, "is under lock down, and I don't think he needs to know about his son. Not now, maybe not ever. He's your responsibility now, don't bother contacting me again, and certainly don't even think about contacting my husband. It's taken me this long to get him to stop crying every night, he doesn't need any sort of setbacks. He needs to move on with his life, not dwell on the life of his slave of a son. Good day, Mr. Hummel."
"But-" Kurt started, only to hear the dial tone go dead. He let out a frustrated groan, slamming the phone down on the wooden table. He really wanted to be able to reconnect Sebastian with his Dad, but it seemed his Mother was hell bent on keeping them apart, for whatever perverted reason she seemed to have. Tonight, when he told Sebastian the truth about what had just happened, he knew his heart was going to break, and that killed him.
He was about to pick up the phone and call Sebastian's mother back when he decided against it. "Pick your battles, Kurt," he said to himself, breathing deeply to calm himself down. He would gain nothing from redialing her number and causing a ruckus. He loved Sebastian, and something told him that starting a blood feud with his Mother wasn't the best idea, for either one of them.
He glanced down at Blaine's paperwork he had received from Dalton. Maybe he would have better luck with Blaine's parents, even though he knew little about them. When he had talked to Blaine about calling his parents, the boy had been indifferent to the idea. It was hard for Kurt to determine what Blaine really wanted, but he would surely try to keep his conversation neutral, not wanting to mess up their relationship. He was about to punch in the numbers to dial his home phone number when his phone rang. "Hello?" he answered, not immediately recognizing the number.
"Kurt," came the voice over the phone, and Kurt immediately recognized it as the jeweler he had hired to create his subs "collars." He was a decent man who specialized in creating unique collars and Kurt had liked him from the moment they met. He'd tried three other jeweler's before he found Shawn, wanting to make sure he felt comfortable with him before trusting him with the creation of his subs collars. Kurt had drawn up his designs a few days after the boys had arrived, and taken them to him the second they were done. Shawn had loved the designs and agreed to make them for him. "The bracelets are done."
"Perfect," Kurt said, standing up to gather his things. He could hardly get ready in time, his entire body thrumming with nervous energy. "I'll get Blaine and Sebastian and head on over if that's okay with you."
"I'll be happy to meet them." Kurt smiled and hung up his phone, grabbing his keys and wallet before calling to his boys.
"Where exactly are we going, Sir?" Blaine asked from his seat in the passenger side of Kurt's car. Unfamiliar territory passed by as the three of them rode into town. They may have already been in town for a week but Blaine still struggled to remember where everything was. Kurt had only told him and Sebastian that he had a surprise for them, refusing to tell them anymore.
"I told you," Kurt said with a small smile, "it's a surprise."
Blaine laughed slightly, glancing back at Sebastian. He was still a little wary when it came to showing any sort of emotion and letting his guard down, characteristics that Blaine knew he gained from growing up in the household that he did. "You okay, Seb?" he asked softly.
Sebastian nodded, smiling back at Blaine. "'Course I am."
"Of course you are," Blaine said, turning back to look out the window. They drove in silence for a few minutes before the car came to a stop. Kurt pulled into a small store parking lot, parking the car, and turned off the ignition. "We're here."
"Where exactly is here?" Blaine asked, glancing up at the store front window. The sign read Jewelry From Above but he wasn't sure what they were doing here.
"You'll see, come on," Kurt said, stepping out of the car. Blaine soon followed, shutting the car door before walking towards the front of the car, waiting for further instructions. Sebastian was slow going out of the car, and Blaine was about to step towards him to help him out a little, but Kurt beat him to it. Blaine watched as Kurt took Sebastian's hand, carefully leading him out of the car.
"Come on Sebastian, I promise, I won't let anything happen to you." Sebastian stared at Kurt for a few moments before he nodded, squeezing his Doms' hand.
Blaine walked over to him and gripped his hand, smiling. "Come on Seb," he said, following Kurt into the Jewelry store. A bell over the door tinkled as the three of them walked in. The store was small but well organized and very warm. The store was decorated simply, but it did its job. The black display case towards the back of the room was filled with different forms of jewelry, all the way from tiny earrings to intricate collars. The walls were lined with shelves of display cases, all showing different types of jewelry. Blaine could tell by just looking, most of the pieces of jewelry were handmade.
Kurt walked up to the counter while Sebastian and Blaine stood behind him, heads bowed slightly and hands clasped behind their back. No matter how many times Kurt preached to them about how he didn't care about formalities or what other people thought, there was no way Sebastian and Blaine were going to dishonor his image by behaving inappropriately in a public setting; they were taught better than that.
"Hello, Shawn," Kurt said, stepping up towards the man standing behind the counter, extending his hand to shake.
"Kurt," Shawn said. He bent down, rummaging under the counter for a second before he stood up again, two identical boxes in his hands. Blaine couldn't tell what was in them, but he had a good idea of what it was going to be. "I have to say, these identical pieces are probably some of my best work. Your design was very intricate and beautiful, without them they wouldn't have turned out as well as they did."
"Thank you, Shawn," Kurt said, gesturing Blaine and Sebastian forward. "Boys, I'd like to show you something." Kurt picked up the boxes and handed each of them one.
Blaine opened the box and couldn't help the gasp that slipped out. Inside was an intricate silver cuff, about the width of two fingers. The surface was smooth, with tiny details swirling along the surface. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry he had ever seen, and Blaine couldn't believe Kurt would be willing to give him something so valuable.
The inside of the cuff was lined with silk, something that Blaine knew would be concealed once he put it on, in order to protect his skin from chafing. In the middle of the inside was a small golden plate with an engraving that read Kurt's name and contact information. Legally, it had to be there, no matter how much Kurt despised the idea. It was the information that made the bracelet act as their collar, without it people would just look to it as a new fashion statement and Kurt could get in a lot of trouble for not collaring his subs.
Not many people chose a bracelet as an alternative to a collar, they usually wanted something flashier, and they certainly didn't keep contact information hidden. The idea that Kurt was willing to collar them with something a little less conventional made him realize just how lucky he was to have someone like him as his Dom. He wasn't about openly staking his claim to his property like some Doms were, all he wanted was to be able to provide his subs with something they needed.
Blaine glanced over at Sebastian's box, only to see that he had an identical bracelet to his. Sebastian's face was a mix of emotions: shock, fear, disbelief, pride. Blaine knew that what Sebastian craved more than anything else was affectionate attention. He'd received hardly any when he was growing up and received the wrong kind at Dalton Academy. Blaine had tried so hard to be what he needed, but the truth is, Sebastian needed a proper Dom. Someone who was going to love and cherish him above all else, and this simple gesture showed that feeling beyond belief.
"I don't- I don't know what to say," Blaine stuttered out, looking up at Kurt in disbelief. "It's… it's beautiful, why would you give me something like this?"
"Because you deserve it," Kurt said with a smile. "Both of you deserve it. It's a symbol of my love for you. It stands for your obedience to me and the gratitude I have that you're willing to give it to me. It also shows that I belong to you as much as you belong to me. That I will love, protect, and cherish you until the day I die. Something that is supposed to stand for so much, should be as beautiful as the subs wearing them."
Blaine watched as Kurt took a step towards him, reaching out for the bracelet. "This right here," he said, pointing to a small hinge that connected the two ends of the bracelet together, "is a lock, even though it is well hidden. It'll prevent the bracelet from being removed without a key. Right here," he said, pointing to an even smaller section of the bracelet, "is a tiny button that when pushed with a needle, will unlock the bracelet in case of emergencies. I designed these specifically to provide as much comfort and security as I possibly could. After everything you two have been through, you definitely deserve as much."
Blaine dropped to his knees in front of Kurt, followed closely by Sebastian, both of them nearly speechless. "Sir, this is… I don't even know how to describe what this is."
Kurt smiled and took Blaine's wrist in his, stroking his smooth skin, inked with the name of his Dom. Kurt pressed his lips against his skin, causing a shudder to move through him. His wrist began to tingle and burn with pleasurable sense, the bond that Kurt and Blaine shared recognizing the fact that it was about to be officially recognized in the form of a collar.
"This marks you as mine," he said, placing the bracelet over his mark, "and me as yours." Kurt closed the bracelet, making sure that the two pieces locked together perfectly, before withdrawing his hands. He then moved on to Sebastian, repeating the same process he had just done with Blaine. Once Sebastian's bracelet was locked into place, Blaine felt a shiver roll through his entire body, one that he knew Kurt and Sebastian felt too. "How's it feel?"
"Unexplainable," Blaine and Sebastian said at the exact same time.
Kurt smiled and helped Blaine and Sebastian join hands. He then closed his eyes and rested his forehead against their joined fists. "You boys are more important to me than anything, and I would do anything to make sure that you two know how much you mean to me. I hope, I sincerely hope, that you realize that I'm trying. The two of you have had a shitty early life, and an even shittier time at Dalton. You deserve so much and more, and the least I can do is make sure that you feel as safe and secure as possible. These bracelets," Kurt said, running his fingers over the cold silver, "symbolize that and so much more."
The room was quiet, Shawn had retreated to the back room to give them more privacy, for a minute before Sebastian spoke up. "Thank… thank you, Sir. I don't know how I could ever repay you."
"You don't need to repay me, Sebastian, you owe me nothing," he said, reaching up to run his fingers through his hair. "This is my duty to you and Blaine, a duty that will never need your gratitude."
Sebastian couldn't speak so he just pressed his face against Kurt's neck, wrapping his arms around his body. Blaine followed suit soon after, finally, for the first time in forever, feeling like he had found his home.
