Kurt's relationship to Christmas was ambiguous at best, but when he noticed Blaine's genuine love for the holiday, he kept his inner Grinch firmly to himself and gamely sang along to Christmas songs and baked cookies together with Blaine. Despite himself, after a while he found himself increasingly looking forward to it.
Kurt's Christmas present was well received, and to see Blaine's excitement made Kurt look forward to their trip to Paris even more. Then, Blaine placed a large envelope in his lap.
"I have until next week to confirm," he said, sounding a little insecure. "So, if you don't like it..."
"May I see what it is first?" Kurt asked gently, and when Blaine nodded, he opened the envelope.
Inside were papers and photos, and it took a while of looking through them for Kurt to see that they were a layout, a map, a preliminary tenancy agreement, and photos of an apartment.
"Are you...are you giving me an apartment?" Kurt asked stupidly, and realization dawned only when he heard Blaine chuckle.
"Actually, I got us an apartment," Blaine said. "I mean, I didn't buy it or anything. I just made a preliminary deposit, but -"
He didn't get further because Kurt kissed him enthusiastically.
"Tell me about it," he said excitedly and sat closer to Blaine so they could look at the photos together.
"Um...it's about equal distance to both our places of work, so your way'd be a little longer than now, but still okay, I think. The rent is...less than that of both our places put together. It's a loft thing, so there aren't really any walls except for the bathroom, but I figured that neither of us has a lot of people stay the night, so it wouldn't matter...oh! It used to be a music studio, so it's soundproof, and the owner said we would be allowed to redecorate any way we want."
"It sounds perfect," Kurt said, looking once more over all the facts he got from the papers. It wasn't, not quite—he had lived in a loft before, and he knew what walls were good for, but he could work around that. The rent was a little bit higher than he would have liked, but it was within their budget, and overall, the apartment looked bright and spacious and inviting. Most of all, though, he was so happy that Blaine wanted to move in with him that the actual where of it didn't matter quite so much.
"Thank you," he said. "I can't even tell you how much this means to me. Thank you so much for trusting me enough to do this."
They spent New Year's Eve at a party at Defiance, which was in so far more innocent than the Hallowe'en party as Doms were not required to share their subs. Kurt made it known that he did not share Blaine, but otherwise did not demand he stay at his side the whole night. He had known most of the Doms here for years and knew they wouldn't hit on a sub without his master's permission.
They watched a sounding demonstration, which Kurt guessed they wouldn't be trying any time soon, because it made Blaine squirm and try to hide his face in Kurt's shoulder until Kurt decided to divert him, directed him to his knees and made him blow him.
Later, there was a shibari demonstration, which had them both watch in awe at the sheer beauty of it as well as the look of absolute serenity on the bound sub's face, but Kurt had to admit he was probably too impatient for something as intricate as that.
There was food, and music and dancing, and at midnight, Kurt pulled Blaine close and kissed him for a long time.
"I love you," he whispered, not sure if Blaine would be able to hear him over the music. He had said it before today, as they were getting ready for the party, but it could bear repeating.
Blaine smiled against his lips; obviously, he had heard his words.
"I love you too," he said, kissed him quickly once again and wandered off to go and talk to Chandler, letting Kurt deal with those who wanted to wish him well for the new year.
Eventually, Kurt found himself next to Elliot, and they went and sat down at the bar.
"I've been wanting to talk to you," Kurt said. "I need a...no, actually, I need three favors."
"Well, this is a great start!" Elliot said, rolling his eyes. "A happy new year to you, too!"
"Ha, ha," Kurt said. "I need you to get me an invitation to Le Feu."
"Etienne's club? Sure, should be able to get it to you...well, it's tomorrow now, actually. But -" he hesitated, then gestured at Blaine, who was sitting at a table with Chandler and a few others. "Do you think he's up to it?"
"I don't see why not."
"Well, Parisians take their BDSM very seriously. They play hard there. And from what I've heard, Etienne's retired, and since his nephew has taken over, it's...standards are not the same anymore. That's why I can get the invitation to you so quickly - it's much easier to get one now. It's still high protocol and everything, but as far as I know, you can't be so sure about all the Doms meeting the standards."
Kurt nodded. "I think we'll try it out nevertheless. I've no intention of leaving Blaine alone with another Dom, so there's nothing to fear there, and if the club still works the same way, I think it should be fun. And if something goes wrong...well, we'll just leave, no harm done. It's in Paris - I have no reputation to uphold there."
"Well, if you're sure you know what you're doing...So what are the other two favors?"
"Blaine and I are moving in together, around the start of February. I need you and maybe Chandler to help carry stuff."
"I'm the first to admit that I don't understand much of fashion, but I was under the impression that your label was fairly successful. Has that changed, or is there another reason you can't afford the services of movers?"
"I can afford them, and I will. I'm talking of the furniture and the equipment of the playroom. I'd much rather hear your comments on what things I lack than listen to confused questions or judgmental remarks."
Elliot sighed, resigned to his fate. "So, moving in together, are you? That's a big step."
Kurt scoffed. "Please, Chandler's lived with you since day one."
"Yes, but...well, he has his own room."
"I bet that's a remnant from before you actually got your act together and collared him. You're just as much in love with Chandler as I am with Blaine, stop trying to deny it. I bet Chandler only sleeps in his room when he's being punished, if at all. "
"You have to admit that with Chandler, that's fairly often."
Kurt laughed. "Okay, that's probably true. But, yes. We're moving to a loft. Meaning no walls, meaning no playroom. That's where the third favor comes in."
"You're welcome here any time, Kurt, you know that."
"Thanks, but I didn't mean that. I meant...well, I'll try to get Blaine to let me do the decorating, and I'd like some help making some discreet...changes."
…...
Blaine never would have thought that getting through customs fast would distress him. But as he sat in the plane, touching his bare neck, he wished not for the first time that he'd taken the beeps, the "Please take off your necklace", the awkward questions, the delay over taking the collar off.
Kurt took his hand and squeezed it. "It will go back on," he said. "As soon as we're home, it's the first thing that will happen, I promise."
Blaine nodded. He knew that Kurt had liked taking the collar off just as little as he had, if the hickeys that now adorned his neck were any indication.
"It's just weird. I've grown accustomed to feeling it when I breathe, or when I swallow, and now that there's nothing, it's..." He shrugged. He felt naked, vulnerable somehow, as if the collar had offered some sort of protection that now had been taken away.
"You know I love you, right? You're mine. A collar or no collar doesn't change that."
Blaine nodded again and felt a little better.
He had planned to mostly sleep on the flight if he could, but as it turned out, Kurt had other plans.
"Red."
The word was still alarming to him, somehow, and Blaine couldn't help but look at Kurt to see if everything was okay. But Kurt's gaze was firmly down on his pen and paper, only meeting his eyes when he failed to answer.
It was just another word, then.
"Um...rouge."
Kurt had been quizzing him on and off on the plane to Paris, and slowly Blaine began to wonder why. He understood it could useful to know a few French words and phrases before they landed, as the only one he knew, "Voulez-vous coucher avec moi?" wasn't one he intended to use - at least not with an actual French person.
But the things he thought about learning were more among the lines of "Can you show me the way to the train station?" or "Where are the restrooms, please?"
The things Kurt made him learn instead sounded like things he might say during a scene, especially since Kurt put special emphasis on the colors. Vert. Jaune. Rouge. He wondered if Kurt wanted to do some role playing in French. Because sorry, but that was so not going to happen.
And then, every time he forgot or mispronounced a word, Kurt made a mark on a piece of paper. He could imagine what that was for, and at the beginning he had wondered if he should perhaps make a few mistakes more than strictly necessary, but now the paper looked so full that he was beginning to fear not to be able to sit on the flight back.
Kurt chuckled as he saw him looking on the paper.
"You've guessed right, there is a spanking in your near future," he said, voice low so he would not be overheard. "I thought it would make learning words a little more fun."
"But why am I learning all these words, Sir?" Blaine asked, shifting a little as part of him got really interested in the idea of a spanking.
"To expand your horizon, of course. And for another reason, which I'm not telling you yet."
Blaine spent a little time guessing, and then, finally, found the only possible solution.
"You're taking me to a club."
"Damn," Kurt said. "Yes, I'm taking you to a club. And it's a little special, and maybe I'm too cautious, but I want you to be able to tell people to leave you alone, so."
"And all the colors?"
"These are part of the way this club works - which I will explain to you before we go there. But now, I think, we should try to sleep a little."
"Now you are telling me to sleep?" Blaine whispered. "After you got me really...excited and a little bit anxious about visiting a club and - well, very excited about the spanking?"
Kurt laughed. "Yes, sweetheart. Think about it. If we sleep now, we won't have to sleep as soon as we get there - which means you'll get your spanking much earlier."
That was a compelling argument. Blaine put his head on Kurt's shoulder and closed his eyes, and when Kurt continued talking, he thought for a while and then said, risking another mark on the paper,
"Hush. Laisse-moi coucher."