Keep my heart captive, set me free

by The Queen of Rose

D/s AU - Kurt Hummel had always dreamed of a fairy-tale bond, a perfect, kind and caring Dom. Blaine Anderson had always dreamed of someone who stands out from the boring crowd, someone real, and pure. When their worlds collide, will either of them get what they had dreamed of?

4. Reassured

Okay guys, Sunday is here which means the new chapter is here as well :)

Now like every week we would like to thank you all for your amazing support and care you showed for this story; it means the world to us and makes us write faster and easier and with more enthusiasm.

We would also like to address a constructive criticism someone left us that we really thought about and decided we would like to give an explanation of the issues mentioned. Seeing how it was an anonymous review we can't answer it privately so we're going to do it here.

The person reviewing commented on two things (and she or he did it in a very polite and respectful way so for those of you reading and disagreeing please show the same):

1. How we are overdoing the poverty of the lower caste and making it feel unrealistic...we have thought about this and went through our own chapters and as much as we can see where this is coming from, the world we have created is not realistic. The gap between two social layers is much too great to be considered "normal" or "realistic" and we have made it that way with a purpose that will be revealed later in the story.

2. How Blaine should have jumped in right away and explained his intentions to Kurt, instead of leaving him to be afraid and doubtful thus making us writing his inner thoughts in circles and repeating the same things multiple times. Yes we agree. It would have made things easier and faster. However we don't want them coming together right away, we want to respect the natural psychological cycle of a human mind in shock. Kurt wouldn't have listened to Blaine had he tried talking rationally to him at that particular moment. He was scared, confused and he wanted to go home. We also want to emphasise that this relationship will be built on trust and that takes a while to build, so whatever Blaine tells him, he would still have reservations in some respects and it wouldn't necessarily quell all of his fears quite so easily. Also we felt like it was Blaine's place to bring all these issues up with Kurt and not someone else. It is after all their relationship and these issues are personal to them.
Blaine did the, in our opinion, right thing by waiting it out until his mind was in the right place to explain.

We hope this chapter fixes that part of the "problem" for you and we hope you let us know if you have anything else to add. We always welcome honest opinions because they help us write better.

Now enjoy the story :)

---

Anderson Residence

The night he had could hardly be called restful.

In fact Blaine doubted he'd ever had such a poor nights sleep in his life… if it could even be called that. After all there wasn't much sleeping to speak of. He'd slunk into the guest room after leaving Kurt, forcing himself every step like he was a magnet pushing against the same pole- it kept trying to push him back to where he came from.

He did his best to ignore his instincts though.

The ones that were roaring in anger at the distance he was willingly putting between him and his newly claimed sub. They were supposed to be beginning to nurture a bond between them but Kurt didn't even want to acknowledge it.

It hurt him, a knife to the chest would have been more pleasant in comparison, but he wouldn't force Kurt and so he closed the door behind him and stripped off to crawl into the unfamiliar bed on his stomach, face pressed into his pillow to absorb the growls and shouts of frustration he let out into it. He would have preferred to box the excess emotion out of himself but screaming it out was kind of cathartic as a substitute, if more pointless.

The hours dragged in slow motion from that point onwards and Blaine was hyperaware of any tiny noise in the large house. Found himself straining his ears uselessly for any sound of his sub across the hall, skin buzzing with the need to race across the hall, burst through the door and curl around the lithe body in his own bed. Under his sheets. In his clothes, worn or not.

He groaned in agony at the thought and fought off his more physical reaction as his heating blood rushed south, having no patience to deal with it. Hell he didn't want to deal with it at all. There was only one person he wanted dealing with it and there was no way that was happening anytime soon.

He sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt for already objectifying his sub.

It was just so difficultwhen Kurt looked like… well like Kurt.

He flipped onto his back again throwing one of the heavy pillows off the side of the bed as he tried to get comfortable. But everything in here seemed too hot, or too cold. Hard or soft… just uncomfortable when he thought about the bed he could be sharing with the most beautiful man he'd ever laid eyes on.

It wasn't just sexual desire that was keeping him up either. It was all these unanswered questions between them. The assumptions and the fear that was creating this void that kept them apart.

Kurt truly looked at him like Blaine would actually try to hurt him and it was pure torment when what he wanted to give Kurt was the exact opposite. He just wanted to care for him. Be there. Look after him… love him.

He swallowed thickly over the thought feeling his heart pound in his chest as he stared unseeing at the ceiling.

He reran the night's events through his minds eye.

He remembered placing Kurt down in that plush red armchair backstage and trying to do anything to get him to respond. He remembered how numb and lost Kurt looked. How crushed and heartbroken he was as he curled into himself mumbling to himself under his breath eyes filled with tears that wouldn't spill just yet. The Dom remembered finding the vest Mae had mentioned and Kurt had murmured about hysterically and draping the soft material around his shoulders and Kurt had looked at him…he'd looked at him for the first, but not last time, with haunted frightened eyes and Blaine wanted to sink onto his knees in despair as he begged Kurt not to be scared of him.

And then Burt Hummel had arrived. Had whisked Kurt so effortlessly into his arms and petted and cooed and soothed him and Blaine was a mixture of seething jealous envy and pained longing, the latter emotion only increasing to eclipse all else when he caught snippets of the father and sons conversation. Kurt begging to go home. Saying that he didn't want him.

Blaine felt like he'd been punched repeatedly in the stomach. Hit with a thousand tonnes as he listened and watched as Kurt cried his heart out all because he didn't want Blaine. In all honesty nothing had ever hurt more than that moment and it didn't leave, didn't lessen, only continued to grow and fester in his chest as the moments passed.

It made him want to destroy things as the Dominant in him refused to accept Kurt's denial. It had already chosen and claimed Kurt so in that part of his mind there was no disputing. But it seemed like everyone was against him including Kurt and through the haze all he saw was his father holding him back at the outskirts as much as possible. His mother reasoning with Burt but not including him in something so important. Burt himself blocking Blaine from even approaching the sub that was his.

'Sir' flashed through his mind said in that high, angelic voice and Blaine had tried not to react outwardly to the address though it did things to him. Set his blood on fire and sent a rush of adrenaline coursing through his veins.

Kurt wasn't ready.

It was clear in the hesitant almost forced tone he used to accompany the word. It was clear in the shy closed off way he kept his body language. It was clear in the stutters and halts in speech. The constant checking and double-checking even the simplest of things to make sure Blaine wouldn't get mad at him. Punish him.

It made Blaine want to tear his own hair out especially in that one moment… that split second where Kurt had called out to him in a voice that had seemed for the first time like Kurt's own. It had a subtle confidence, like Kurt hadn't thought about what he was saying before it left his mouth for once, and Blaine had turned around trying not to get his hopes up feeling a faint tug in his chest. He did anyway and they were dashed of course when Kurt retreated once more behind his walls.

The night time hours drifted by one by one and Blaine managed to doze off a few times despite his racing thoughts only to wake up forcefully soon after, eyes always lighting on the door, ears pricked for any noise of distress from Kurt's direction. He'd always slump back down with a huge sigh when nothing but still silence greeted him and run weary hands over his face and through his hair, pulling at the still gelled strands painfully.

This feeling sorry for himself was exhausting and he felt a spark deep inside that was fighting to make itself known. He tried to isolate it, but he was forever being sucked into sadness and hopelessness. He pushed harder and suddenly felt the barely there tug he'd felt before he'd left Kurt and soft warmth settled over him and made his muscles relax into jelly.

It took a few moments but he eventually recognised what this was.

Their bond. New and tiny as it was. Just a start, a link between them but it was still there. Still tangible. Still something Blaine could grasp onto and say with certainty that Kurt was his in some small way. He'd felt it before when Kurt had put himself out there, maybe given in to a submissive instinct? He didn't want to hope again.

He turned onto his left side and tucked his hands under his head furrowing his brow and closing his eyes as he concentrated on the feeling, letting it sooth and reassure him only partly. Because after all, bonds and claims could be broken.

---

Kurt was laying on his right side, curled up with his legs tucked to his chest, hands in loose fists resting against his parted mouth as he stared fixedly at the door to Blaine's room.

He'd managed to sleep for a few hours, his body simply shutting down on him as soon as his head hit the pillow, but after the required rest Kurt had gasped awake disoriented and scared out of his mind as he tried to place where he was in the early hours of the following morning. The huge dark room was a yawning space around him, threatening to engulf him and he'd pulled the cover over his head and burrowed into the sheets faintly picking up a trace of Blaine's scent on the pillow and ashamedly pressing his nose into it for comfort.

This was all so strange.

The feel of soft fabric soothing his skin instead of irritating it for once. The soft duck down pillows and comfortable mattress on the monster sized bed. Kurt had never known the like of it and instead of luxuriating it kind of put him on edge.

He didn't want to get used to this.

Didn't want to learn to be accustomed and then have it all ripped from him when Blaine decided he was done with his little 'experimental phase'. He shivered when he pictured the curly haired Dom, the air under the thick cover getting stifling now as he poked his head out for a fresh breathe only to find that there was no escaping the scent that five minutes ago was so enticing.

He didn't want to get used to that either.

Get used to Blaine and his adorably curly hair and gorgeous gold tinged eyes and then have him laugh and thrust him aside like he was utterly disposable and it was hard because Blaine hadn't yet laid a threatening hand on him. Hadn't issued a threat. Hadn't administered a punishment. Hadn't forced himself on him. He was just so… nice.

Kurt found himself jittery, waiting for the other shoe to drop and unable to do anything to prevent it.

He was faced with a choice.

Continue to wallow and cry at the unfairness of life or get on and make the best of it like his dad had told him. He could get along couldn't he? He was a survivor and he could survive this for however long its shelf life was and all he had to do was guard his heart. Fortify it, something in him warned.

The best he could hope for from Blaine was that he treated him with respect at least. Understood the word no especially when it came down to more…intimate matters. He blushed in mortification feeling unease twist his stomach into knots.

Perhaps that was wishful thinking.

'I'm not a monster'

The words sang through his mind and had him chewing at his lips almost harshly. The Dom had sounded so sad when uttering that and Kurt had rushed to dispel the notion, but in reality a part of him really had painted him the devil. The man who ruined his life. The man who would hurt and humiliate and degrade him.

He was knocked out of his own head when he heard the faint sound of footsteps and gasped slamming his eyes shut to at least feign sleep if it was Blaine coming to check on him. His heart was thrumming wildly and he tried to keep his breathing even but it was useless. Please don't come in. Please don't come in, he begged silently. He couldn't face him yet. He just couldn't.

He sighed audibly when a door opened and closed and the footsteps continued on and away from the door, after pausing for a moment that had Kurt feeling sick to his stomach, towards the staircase.

He lay there for a few more minutes trying to calm down when a thought struck.

What was he supposed to do now?

He assumed Blaine was heading to breakfast but was he supposed to join him? The fact that he hadn't gotten Kurt didn't seem to point that way but he couldn't be sure. Would he be mad if he did join? Would he be mad that he didn't?

He sat up slowly feeling lost and anxious as he glanced around the room not really taking in any of it as his mind raced.

He had no clues as to what Blaine wanted from him and guessing seemed like a bad idea. If he got it wrong it could lead to horrible repercussions for him and so he decided to just stay there. He could always feign exhaustion right? Blaine had told him to get up when he felt rested and ready so he could technically stay here right? It wouldn't be a lie exactly because Kurt was far from rested after all.

But what if Blaine came storming up here?

He drew his knees up toes twitching nervously as he kept staring towards the door in indecision.

A knock on the door had his heart stopping in his chest. He stared wide eyed at the dark mahogany when the soft rap came again making Kurt clutch the sheet under him in shaky fingers.

"Kurt?"

That soft timbre wasn't Blaine.

"Kurt, are you up?"

The young sub couldn't find his voice and a few moments later the door pushed inwards and Blaine's father walked in, mussed and dressed in his pyjamas still with a dark blue robe wrapped around him, his initials embroidered into the breast pocket and slippers.

He was entirely nonthreatening and something in Kurt relaxed if only slightly at the sight of him.

"H-hi," he attempted a smile in the older man's direction but even he could feel how forced and artificial it looked.

He eyed the older sub as he carefully approached the bed and with a questioning tilt of the head sat gingerly on the edge of the mattress, fixing his robe around himself to keep him warm.

"Did you sleep well?" Jared asked pleasantly and Kurt tried buying more time with picking the soft fabric of his pyjamas with his thumbnail as he contemplated what to say.

He did sleep well those few hours his mind allowed him too, so saying yes wouldn't be a lie.

On the other hand the second he woke up he got caught in a whirl of fear so paralyzing he felt exhausted almost right away.

However, the man in front of him eyed him with so much care and consideration that he just didn't have the heart to burden him with his own discomfort.

"Yes, thank you." he offered a simple answer hoping that Jared didn't expect an elaborate one, but it seemed the man was quite pleased with it since he just smiled and patted his foot, lying next to him under the blankets.

"That's good to hear. Now, I know you won't ask but I'm sure you're wondering what I'm doing here?" he winked at Kurt and the young sub tried to cover up the curiosity out of risk of seeming rude, but the truth was he was rather confused as to why Blaine's father came to his room.

"No I…um…well…" he tried to answer in the most polite manner but he got himself all tangled up and Jared chuckled at how cute and young he looked like that; sleep flushed and confused.

"It's okay, son. No need to explain. There's nothing wrong with being curious." Jared smiled kindly and looked around the room trying to find traces of his son but realizing pretty soon he didn't sleep there. "Anyway the reason I came here is because I remember my first morning after my claiming. I was in this new house, with all these unfamiliar people and I had zero idea what was expected of me. I ended up gracefully locking myself into Dana's bathroom for four hours having a panic attack. She's said there'll come the day we'll all laugh at it. For her that day came about three hours after they got me out. I still don't find it particularly funny."

Kurt surprised himself by letting out a soft chuckle and chancing a look up at the kind man he realized he felt pretty comfortable around despite his situation and knowing the man less than a day.

There was just something about him that made him feel lighter than he actually was in that moment.

"How did you get used to it?" he dared to ask, desperate to know how that young, confused sub went from panicking hard enough to lock himself away, to this confident, self affirmed sub who seemed to love his life and his family.

Jared eyed him for a minute knowing full well what he was asking.

How did he get used to the fact that he was away from everything and everyone he knew, that he belonged to an unfamiliar person, that he had no idea what to do or what that other person wanted him to do.

"There's no universal formula. The best advice I can give you is to not think too far ahead. Just take one moment at a time, day by day. And soon, you'll find yourself doing it by instinct. It's a good feeling," Jared said and Kurt mulled it over in his head for a second.

It felt like it could be nice.

Knowing someone, no not someone, Blaine, so well that he could just exist next to him without the need to rethink every single move he made.

Maybe if he tried he could get there someday; maybe not today, or tomorrow, or even in a years time...but someday?

"So what's my first moment?" he asked shyly glancing up at the older sub who grinned at him happily.

"Breakfast!" he exclaimed and Kurt lifted an eyebrow up in question.

"I…I'm not dressed…" he tried to weasel his way out but Jared knew all the tricks a sub could use.

"Saturdays are pyjama days. Even Dana rolls around in hers, though she accessorizes so I'm not convinced that counts." He threw an exasperated look at Kurt who rewarded him with a genuine smile, no matter how small, that meant the world to Jared.

He smiled back and stuck his hand out.

"Come on, I'm kind of starving," he said as he pulled Kurt out of the room, down the stairs and towards the sound of hushed voices and cutlery clinks.

---

Blaine woke up at the break of dawn, unable to fall back asleep and finally decided to get up and make breakfast for his family himself that morning.

As Saturdays are pyjama days he got located a pair of sweats and a plain white top getting ready for the day in the bathroom and just threw a robe over his sleeping attire before walking out of his room.

Padding across the hallway he had to literally fight with his own body to stop himself from peeking into Kurt's room to take just one look at his angelic face; a few hours away from him seemed so painfully long and lonely.

Instead, knowing it could scare him, he settled for trailing soft fingertips over his bedroom door pretending to caress the soft skin of his sub.

Satisfying a tiny portion of his craving he walked downstairs to the kitchen and bustled around toasting the bread and scrambling eggs. He was never big on cooking but making breakfast was always something he liked and felt like it soothed his nerves.

"Nervous?" came a soft voice from behind him and he jumped up, startled at the sudden disturbance of his inner turmoil. He turned around to see his mom, dressed in her pink and black pyjamas with a matching pair of slippers and a pink hair band, standing next to him pointing at the stove. "You only cook when you're nervous."

He looked at her, pain evident in his eyes and his inner struggle taking place in the nervous flicks of his fingers, the gentle downwards curl of his lips and a deep crease between his eyebrows.

"Mom…" he choked back a sob and held her gaze long enough to make her heart break at the sight of him, so small and vulnerable."Have I messed up so badly?"

The thoughts and feelings that had been swirling in his mind so incessantly rose up to take him at the sight of his mothers concerned face, make him falter and question. It was such a foreign occurrence for him he wasn't quite sure how to handle it and it almost unmanned him as he tried to express it.

She could see the silent plea in his eyes to make it better, to reassure him that he had the right to do what he had done if it felt right to him.

She trusted her son more than anyone else in the world, apart, maybe, for her husband and eldest son. And she tried, all her life to receive the same trust from him by always being honest with him.

"Honey I'm not gonna lie. Did you make a mess? Yes you did. Will it be hard to fight the evil tongues and the press? Yes. But do I think you made the wrong choice? No…absolutely not. He's stunning, and exactly what you need," she said taking in the gorgeous smile that blossomed on his face after her words, but to her surprise it was quickly replaced by a deep frown.

"He hates me!" he stated petulantly, flipping the eggs in the pan viciously as if they were somehow responsible for all the misery in his life.

"He doesn't hate you, Blaine. He's scared, and confused. But he'll come around, with your help. And mine and dad's of course." She smiled at him gently when he sighed and thanked her, pecking his cheek and walking to the table to help setting it.

"Speaking of dad where is he?" he asked bringing the eggs over to the table and setting them down.

"He's having a little chat with Kurt before he brings him down for breakfast," she informed him calmly and Blaine felt a rush of worry hit him from the inside.

"What? Why?"

"Because he knows what it feels like to be claimed and uprooted from everything you knew. He can offer some perspective. Now settle down and eat." She eyed him sternly and he pouted at her command, sitting down and piling food on his plate, all the while glaring at the door as if trying to force them to bring Kurt down faster.

"Have you called, Cooper?" She asked after the silence stretched too long for her taste and Blaine nodded lightly.

"Yeah I rang him last night before bed. He said he always knew I was an attention whore and that this doesn't surprise him at all. And then he hung up. I don't know where you went wrong with him," he tried to ease the both of their moods by joking and his mom punched him in the arm playfully both as a thank you and a, "stop talking about your brother like that," warning.

Finally, after ten excruciating minutes, his dad walked in, Kurt trailing behind him carefully and whispering a soft, "Good morning," before sitting down at the table.

If he was confused, or scared or worried, he never showed it as he took a tiny bit of toast and butter and started munching on it, eyes downcast and shoulders hunched as he stared in front of himself, trying to present himself as calm and collected as they ate in silence.

Blaine nearly groaned when his mother stood up and looked at his father sweetly, using her Dom voice to invite him to accompany her to a share holder's meeting. Blaine looked to her incredulously.

She didn't have a meeting. She wasn't even a share holder. She was officially ridiculous.

But he knew why she did it and he couldn't help but smile a little in her direction when she gave him an encouraging nod and a wink before taking Jared's hand and walking out of the room, Jared shaking his head softly as he followed her, the morning's paper under his arm and a spare bit of toast in his free hand.

Blaine turned his head to Kurt who went practically catatonic the minute the two of them found themselves alone and for the millionth time he wanted to scream in agony.

He had claimed a sub over twelve hours ago and he still hadn't held him in his arms properly, he slept so far away from him he could've been on another planet and those otherworldly eyes glanced at him only three pathetic times over the table always skittering away and he was losing his mind.

He wanted him close, on his lap, in his arms, curled around him and naked and happy and relaxed and right now the young man in front of him was anything but and Blaine felt so lost. Drowning in a pool of indecision he had never experienced before. He was a confident Dom, always had been but Kurt had this power to make him fall completely undone with just a look.

He lowered his toast back onto his plate feeling his appetite go with his nervousness and took his time to really look at the sub in front of him, heartbroken when he saw that same fear and weariness in every move he made.

The was a tiny piece of toast on his plate with a dot of butter on it and half a cup of tea he'd been sipping on since he'd sat down.

Thinking back he couldn't recall Kurt eating anything else and he frowned because the boy skipped dinner last night, knowing he hadn't touched the meal he'd brought up and as far as he knew he didn't have anything to eat at the hotel in all the chaos.

Watching him poke at his breakfast, lips tight and fingers shaking, his thin frame curled in as if he were expecting an attack made Blaine's blood boil, fingers clenching at the table edge and for a second he felt scared because he'd never felt that protective over someone, he'd never had the insistent want to turn over the world for just one smile.

And Kurt woke up every dominant trait Blaine possessed just by sitting there. It was maddening.

"Aren't you hungry?" he finally broke the silence and Kurt startled a bit, not expecting a sound other than knives scraping the toast and glass cups clinking against the table.

He looked at his own plate frowning at the question because he was eating. There was toast on his plate and it had butter on it which made Kurt quite happy when he saw it since they didn't see much of that in Lima.

He also had tea with sugar in his cup and when he tasted it first he could swear there was a hint of cinnamon in it and he felt like he was being treated to a feast. His palette didn't know what to do with itself and it was feat not to moan over every sip.

But Blaine's question made no sense to him.

"I…I am…why?" he breathed out, pointing to his plate in confusion. Every interaction with Blaine felt like playing a game he didn't know the rules to.

"You just had half a cup of tea and one piece of toast so I thought you weren't hungry," Blaine shrugged, offering his explanation awkwardly.

Kurt stared at him for a moment, not knowing what he meant or what his angle was before his eyes took in the state of Blaine's plate with three pieces of toast loaded with strawberry jam, a scoop of scrambled eggs, a few pieces of bacon and a cup of coffee next to a tall glass of orange juice.

Blaine thought his own breakfast was small and Kurt realized, once again, how different their worlds really were, how different their perceptions on what was 'a lot' they had.

He felt a blush settling high on his cheeks even though he knew there was nothing about his life in Lima he should be ashamed of. His parents were honest, hard working people and they provided for their family the best they could without crossing the line to the "dark side" to make more money and getting themselves in trouble. And if being honest came with a price of seeing sugar in his tea as a luxury, Kurt was more than willing to pay that price.

And Blaine needed to understand that.

"Oh...well um…this is…this is what I'm used to…it's enough," he said and met his Dom's gaze steadily for the first time, as if Blaine questioning his habits was an attack on his life and he felt the need to defend it even though, somewhere deep down, he knew that's not why Blaine asked. It was always in the back of his mind however. The fear and suspicion that Blaine was just trying to get him to slip up somehow. Prove he wasn't good enough.

"Are you sure? It's not really that much," Blaine tried again, not quite able to believe that those few bites he took were enough of a breakfast for a…something year old boy; god he didn't even know how old he was!

They needed to talk and they needed to do it fast.

Kurt eyed his plate one more time, contemplating how to answer his Dom without prompting even more questions he didn't have the answer to.

Rationally he knew Blaine wasn't the one to blame for the poverty he lived in, but he couldn't help but feel a sting of bitterness at how easily Blaine left his food half eaten on his plate while people in Lima felt blessed if they earned enough money to buy a few strips of bacon every few months.

"It's more than I had back home, so I'm good," he announced and it must have been the firmness in his voice that made Blaine give a small nod even through the deep frown and his lips pressed thin with the effort to stop himself from going on with their current topic.

If what Kurt had on his plate now was more than he had at home than it was no wonder he was so thin. That amount of food wasn't enough for a toddler let alone a grown person, and right there Blaine swore to himself that keeping Kurt healthy would be one of his first "tasks" as his Dom should their impending conversation go well.

And Blaine hoped with everything he was it would.

He found Kurt ridiculously attractive right now, thin or not. But he could only imagine what he'd be like when there was more of him. When he was glowing with health? Stunning probably didn't even come close. This sub was an earth bound angel; there were no doubts in his mind.

He snapped himself back forcefully to the present.

"Okay just, feel free to either tell me or just take it yourself if you need anything at all okay? I want you to be comfortable living here," he assured softly. Kurt stared at him for a long moment after that, his head cocked to the side adorably and eyes flicking over the features of Blaine's face as if looking for a reason not to trust his words. It stung of course but Blaine held firm under the scrutiny hoping to god Kurt would find something there to put him at ease.

Why was Blaine trying so hard to make himself look like he cared? To make their bond look real when it wasn't?

It confused him so much that his mind span and he lost control of his own mouth for a moment causing him to say something he'd thought a million times over but never would speak aloud if he was in his right mind.

"Why are you being so nice?"

As soon as those words fell from his lips he clapped a hand over his mouth and his eyes widened in terror as he stared at Blaine, body trembling and tears pooling threatening to fall again. "I…I'm s-sorry I didn't m-mean…"

He tried desperately to rectify the slip, panic rising to choke the words in his throat but Blaine just held his hands up, despair clearly written all over his face.

"You did mean it," he started but a soft sob cut him off.

"Sir I didn't…I'm sorry…" he cried out, a million horrible scenarios flashing through his brain and Blaine stood up, slowly as to not scare him, and walked around the long table to where he was sitting, crouching down in front of him and with a gentle warning in his eyes prying his hand away from his lips again.

"It's Blaine. And you don't need to be sorry. I won't lie. It hurts to know that you consider me such a vile person but I do understand," he murmured standing up and offering his hand to Kurt knowing full well that he would most likely be rejected again and bracing himself internally for it. "Let's sit in the living room and talk. I think we have a lot to discuss."

For the first time he laced the suggestion with just a hint of commanding, too little for Kurt's mind to catch on to him, but enough for his body to accept it with gratitude and relax just a tiny bit, allowing Kurt to look up and link their hands hesitantly, soft skin brushing fleetingly at first against his feather light. Tapered fingers curled around his palm and Blaine returned the soft pressure with a firmer one, unable to help himself as his heart raced as he looked down at the contrast of their skin tones.

Kurt was willingly touching him and it was intoxicating.

They walked over to the living room, Blaine leading him gently and sat them on the plush sofa. Keeping himself at bay Blaine sat as far away from Kurt as he could manage while still holding his hand, desperate for even the tiniest of contacts, physically unable to give it up, as he watched the sub fight with himself on the inside contemplating what to do.

To say Kurt was a mess would be an understatement.

He had managed to hurt Blaine again even though he didn't mean to and now Blaine wanted them to talk. It didn't help his frayed nerves.

Maybe he'd messed up enough to be sent home?

A small tinge of hope woke up inside of him but he almost gasped in shock when it was squashed down by regret so heavy it almost glued him to his place. How was that possible? No, no, no, he denied firmly almost shaking his head as he trembled. He swallowed past the lump of ice cold fear lodged in his windpipe. Was it possible? Would he…

Would he actually be sorry if Blaine decided he didn't want him after all?

Could it be that he'd come to peace with belonging to him so quickly he already dreaded the thought of going home?

No.

That was just his body talking, ridden by hormones and desperate need, Kurt argued with himself and he wasn't going to turn into one of those desperate subs he so disdained. He wasn't going to throw away every principal because of money and a too handsome face accompanied with too strong Dominant pheromones.

His heart knew better and his mind knew better.

If Blaine decided to send him home he'll be okay with that.

"I'm not sending you home," an almost amused voice that was just a little strained with something he couldn't quite place snapped him from his mind and he gapped at Blaine stupidly wondering if his Dom was able to read minds.

"Wh…how?" he blinked at him and Blaine smiled lightly.

"You argued with yourself out loud. I didn't get much of it but that last thing came out a bit louder," he explained and Kurt blushed in shame.

"Oh…" he said cleverly and Blaine chuckled next to him, but his laugh held a heavy note in it.

"Kurt…we have a lot to talk about but first thing's first. I want you to know, now and forever, that you can say anything you want to me. No matter how hurt, or angry I get your wellbeing will always be my top priority and you will never, ever be punished for speaking your mind. Okay?" he asked seriously and Kurt stared at him dumbstruck and confused.

Was that possible? He didn't want to let himself hope but Blaine seemed so… honest. But with every sentence out of his mouth he was contradicting a thousand fears and conclusions Kurt had drawn up for the man. He sat in shock trying to assimilate.

Was that how it really worked?

He could speak his mind without fear of consequences like an equal. It seemed too much but if Blaine said so then maybe? He couldn't find a reason why he would lie unless he wanted to purposely trick Kurt into punishments.

The thought didn't exactly sit right anymore and wasn't that astonishing.

"Okay…" he whispered a little dazed, at last realizing there was nothing else he could say and realizing it was the right choice when Blaine beamed at him.

Kurt stared stupidly at him blinded by the radiance of it.

"Good. Now…first of all I'd like to know more about you and I'd like you to know more about me so how about you tell me a few things about yourself?" he asked eagerly scooting a little further towards him and squeezing the hand Kurt hadn't realised was still cupped over his almost burning now he focused on the area their skin met. He blushed as he looked down at them then frowned as a thought struck; shouldn't they be discussing…sex stuff and…stuff.

He mentally hit himself but he couldn't help it. He'd never been comfortable with… that. Thinking or doing.

"Kurt?" Blaine prompted gently and Kurt snapped his eyes back up.

"Sorry…you just s-surprised me with that…I don't…I don't really know what to say," he stammered and Blaine smiled a bit trailing his fingers in tiny patterns over and around his more prominent wrist bone.

"Just the basics about who you are, your family, friends, hobbies…the usual, first date stuff," he joked and despite himself Kurt bit his lip and a small laugh made it past filling the air and rendering Blaine speechless.

"This is a first date?" he asked shyly and Blaine shrugged feeling the fingers under his palm twitching nervously.

"Sure, why not? I mean I wanna take you out on a real date soon but for now, this will do," he winked laying it on full tilt and Kurt blushed. Actually blushed this perfect shade of pink that climbed high on those lovely cheekbones and Blaine felt like singing from the rooftops.

"You don't have to do that," his sub whispered ducking his head self consciously, long eyelashes casting shadows over perfect skin.

Blaine shifted closer still leaning forwards to try and recapture Kurt's gaze."I want to. Now tell me…who is Kurt Hummel?" he asked in a cheeky voice and Kurt felt a little piece of him come back as he lifted his head and rolled his eyes at his Dom.

Blaine was a little taken aback before sheer relief and pleasure flooded him. This is what he wanted to see. Kurt unabashed. A reaction that wasn't fuelled by fear, but was simply Kurt. And so what if his little sub had a little bit of a diva in him? He loved that. It pointed to him having ambition and goals and a sassiness that Blaine couldn't wait to witness knowing it would be sexy as hell.

With every passing moment Blaine was falling further and further under Kurt's spell and the sub had no idea he was doing anything at all.

"He…he's an eighteen year old sub from Lima, Ohio, he lives with his dad and stepmom, his stepbrother recently moved out to live with his Dom…um…my best friends are Jeff and Mercedes…" he trailed off not really knowing what to say. How did you sum up your life to someone?

It's not like he lived an overly exciting life anyway.

"Do you have any hobbies? Something you like to do in your free time?" Blaine asked fascinated by the sound of his voice without the timid stutter and shyness.

He was mesmerizing.

"Reading…and clothes I guess," he shrugged eyes darting down to the plain cotton tee Blaine had pulled on and the pair of grey sweats against his will.

"Clothes?" Blaine quirked an eyebrow at him.

"I like fashion. Designing and making the clothes if I manage to get some fabric," Kurt answered truthfully offering up a tiny part of himself and Blaine tried lightening the mood even more by gapping at him.

"You've been silently judging my outfit all this time weren't you?" and his wounded tone made Kurt giggle against his will once again. Blaine was truly charming once he got started and Kurt was having a hard time staying objective about this.

"Maybe…" he said a playful tone creeping into his voice without his permission.

"Sneaky little thing aren't we? I'll have to watch out what I wear from now on," he chuckled glancing down at his plain attire before looking up again. "What do your parents do?"

Kurt hit him with a, "Really?" stare because seriously, he was from Lima…his parents, along with everyone else in that town, were professionally unemployed.

"It's Lima. Not a lot of options. My dad is a handy man. He goes around town and fixes stuff for people, and Carole, my stepmom is a nurse, when the hospital can afford to have one," he shrugged sounding pretty much resigned and Blaine felt chills running down his spine.

Was it really that bad?

Could it really be that he was so wrapped in his cosy little bubble that he had no idea people had no jobs and no money or food? He felt like kicking his own ass.

He made a mental note to look into that, scared of bringing it up now when they were talking so nicely and Kurt was actually relaxed in his presence for once. No tense shoulders, no curled in posture, he was simply elegant lines.

"Okay…what were your plans for the future?" he asked at last and flinched at Kurt's cynical smile.

"Again it's, Lima. People don't have plans there. You have crazy dreams to keep you warm at night and a reality to wake up to. My plan was to finish high school without being forced into something I didn't want and then spend the rest of my life trying to help my family survive. That's it," he said bitterly and Blaine regretted asking.

'…without being forced into something I didn't want…'

It made him go cold.

But he refused to see it as the same thing. It wasn't the same thing. Blaine had claimed Kurt properly and had more than honourable intentions. He wasn't a Dom looking for a quick fix and a fuck.

Kurt didn't think that did he?

There was no accusation in it but Blaine felt paranoid. Pushing it aside he tried to concentrate.

"Okay, I get that. What about now?" he asked staring those eyes dead on and Kurt's anger deflated into confusion.

"What do you mean?" he frowned brow drawing low and Blaine shrugged lightly.

"Well you live here, with me and as stuck up as I might sound…you have options now. So is there something you'd want to do?" he asked fighting to keep his tone careful and not stress the first bit too strongly.

"You'd let me work?" Kurt gasped and Blaine felt another stab pierce his stomach at his words.

He stood up feeling a wave of nervous energy, anger and hurt wash over him as he paced in front of the couch where Kurt now cuddled closer to the edge ready to bolt, obviously disturbed by his sudden outburst.

"What exactly did you hear about me, and my family to make you ask that, to make you hate us so much?" he asked in a broken desperate voice that cracked and Kurt's heart broke because he knew he caused him pain again. The sub in him was whining, pressuring him to do something to fix it fast, but Kurt had to take a moment.

Hate?

Did he hate Blaine?

Despite everything… no he didn't. He may not trust this man completely but he had given him no reason to hate him. He hadn't done anything any other unbonded Dom hadn't done to an unbonded sub before and really, Kurt could tell Blaine was trying. He was trying so hard, laying himself so open it had taken Kurt aback. Made him question every preconceived idea he had about Blaine.

"No…Blaine no…I don't…god I don't hate you." He raked a hand through his hair and realized that being honest and placing himself on the line like Blaine had done countless times already was the only way to mend what he had broken. "I'm just…" he closed his eyes and took a deep breathe. "I'm scared."

Blaine stared at him for a few long moments before breaking down and stalking over to sit next to him again only closer than ever. Close enough that Kurt could count every fleck of gold in his eyes and could feel the heat radiating from him.

"Why are you so scared?" he whispered, silently praying for Kurt to answer him honestly so he can start making him believe something else; the truth for a change.

Kurt thought about what to say for a while, trying to put the pieces together in his head in order to figure out how to explain himself but they were all misshapen and jagged full of holes and missing parts.

He thought back to his parents and their bond. The root of everything. He remembered how perfect they were together. How in love and then he thought about his time at McKinley. The throwing themselves around. The hopelessness and desperation that clung to all of them.

"Where I come from, people can't afford to bond properly. And…I think that they became the way they are as a protective mechanism. It's easier to believe you don't want something than to want it and know you'll never have it. They s-sleep around and look for a hormonal fix wherever they can get it, and the few who decide to be monogamous are ridiculed and taunted because of it." He paused to push the insults that rose out of his head. "Hearing about the way rich people live and how they treat their bonds only made them more determined to live the way they live. They figured if people with permanent bonds can keep subs on the side and do whatever they want to them then they should be able to do the same thing to their temporary ones?" Kurt explained in a rushed voice not quite sure he was making sense.

And judging by Blaine's confused look he wasn't.

"I do understand that but what does it have to do with you being scared now?" he asked and Kurt lowered his head, feeling embarrassed that Blaine would find out just how inexperienced he was. Maybe he'd find him inadequate as a sub? The thought didn't sit right all of a sudden and Kurt didn't want to think on why.

"I'm one of those few people who…who's never done…a-any of it w-with someone because I believed in…love I guess, or something equally romantic. I knew I'd never have that but I was okay because without the prospect of a formal claim they can't force me to be their sub. But now…" he trailed off looking away and sighing deeply and Blaine looked at him with all the patience he could muster.

"Now, what?" he asked gently.

"Now you claimed me and I'm scared of being treated exactly the way I never wanted to be. And I can't say no to you," he whispered and Blaine felt a single tear finally break past his iron control and slip down his cheek.

"How do you think I'll treat you?" he asked thickly and Kurt shrugged one shoulder timidly picking at his nails nervously.

"You won't let me see my family and friends," he started and Blaine shook his head.

"I wouldn't dream of keeping you away from them."

"I won't go to school anymore."

"Dalton is only five minutes away from my home and they have college classes there if you want a university degree in something."

"Will I be allowed to work?"

"Whatever and wherever you want."

"Will you punish me?" he asked in a broken voice and Blaine felt a tug in his heart at his words, so small and scared, but he had to be honest.

"I probably will at some point. But never before discussing it with you, so you'd know why you're being punished, never to hurt you or humiliate you and never for something we didn't previously establish as a rule. Kurt, you aren't my slave, and I didn't claim you to satisfy my need to torture someone," he said, his voice pleading and sad but he couldn't regret the turn of the conversation really. Not when they were finally getting the heart of the problem.

"Why did you?" Kurt asked, lifting his eyes up in question.

"Why did I claim you?" he repeated incredulously.

"I thought you didn't want to bond. That's what it said in-"

"The newspapers," Blaine finished for him, his tone exasperated and laced with silent fury and he ran a harsh hand through his still half gelled curls. "I know. I never bonded because I never wanted any of the subs they threw my way. It always felt like they were mass producing them somewhere and making them all exactly the same. Trained to do ridiculous things that are completely pointless, trained to turn everything you say into an innuendo supposedly to make you think they're attractive and sexy. I hate it. And then you came along and I just…" He stopped and looked deep into his subs eyes, sincerity burning in his own. "Kurt, you're so beautiful and so unique and there's something about your submissiveness that feels so natural and free and when I saw you there and felt the pull towards you…I couldn't let you go. I'm sorry I scared you, and I'm sorry if you hate being claimed and being here and me but please just…just give me a chance. Just a few weeks and…and if by that time you still want to go then I'll…I'll let you," he finished with a gasp not really sure what possessed him to promise something like that.

Something that was hypothetically possible but never spoken of or done before.

The Dominant in him screamed.

NO! Mine. Claimed. My sub.

He tried desperately to push it back hoping his struggle wasn't so obvious as to scare Kurt further with the sheer depth and intensity of what he felt for him. But Kurt was sitting there, looking so devastatingly gorgeous but still wary of him and he knew that he'd never be able to live with those eyes so sad because of him.

"H-How?" Kurt asked in a shocked whisper because he was claimed. He couldn't go home unless somebody proved there was something wrong with how Blaine was treating him.

"You know that to complete the second step of our bonding, you need to ask for something right?" Blaine asked almost reluctant but forcing the words out and Kurt nodded knowing the three types of things he was allowed to request from his Dom in order to see if he could provide for him.

"I know," he said slowly trying to guess where this was going.

"Well…you can ask for me to promise to let you go if you're not comfortable with me after, say a month," Blaine suggested and there was something clawing at his heart as he spoke those words, bleeding inside of him as he forced them out just to make his beautiful sub see how much he wanted to make him happy.

Don't leave me. Please.

Kurt gasped in shock, felling his mind spin and his fingers shake.

He could go home after a month, go back to his family and friends and his old job and live the way he was used to living. He could do it because Blaine said he could and…

And then his heart froze for a second because this man in front of him, this Dom who's every step was followed and commented on, he was willing to allow the press and the rest of the world to rip him apart just to make sure he's happy.

"You really mean that?" Kurt asked like some great epiphany was dawning on him and Blaine felt his hands shake.

God he didn't want to lose him.

"Yes…I do," he said swallowing around a lump in his throat but meaning it despite the devastation he knew it would cause him.

"And the rest of the things you said?" Kurt pushed some more because everything felt surreal to him at that moment.

"What things?" Blaine asked not really sure what he was referring to.

"About not…w-wanting other subs and me being…w-what you said…" he couldn't bring himself to repeat what Blaine had said about him. His cheeks coloured and he trembled, electricity chasing down his spine when he felt gentle fingers under his chin lifting his head up to meet warm golden eyes.

"I meant every word I said. If you'll have me…I'll never want another sub Kurt," he said softly and Kurt wanted to trust him so badly his whole body shook with the desire.

He was his Dom, his balance.

Why couldn't he relax and just let him take care of him instead of letting his fears get the best of him? But he did it anyway, thinking of how inexperienced he was and how uneducated he let himself be with his decision not to take the sex ed classes because he felt they made the act of physical bonding sound filthy and cheap.

He didn't know how to please a Dom, or to make him interested in being with him like that. He didn't know the higher society rules or social niceties. He didn't want Blaine making a commitment that would leave him unsatisfied and regretful that he claimed him over all the other willing subs.

God! When had this turned into thinking like this? Had he really been so foolish as to let his guard down after all? Let this beautiful Dom sneak his way past his defences? He thought about it and decided that no. He hadn't snuck anywhere. Blaine was utterly disarming and had been up front with everything, Kurt was the one that had let him in and now he was taking hold as he feared he would. Nestling deep into a place Kurt felt he could never fully pull out anymore.

The thought terrified him and he whimpered in his throat inaudibly.

"What if…w-what if I don't know how to…um…y'know…" he asked blushing fire red and looking away in shame feeling his skin tingle when he heard Blaine chuckling lightly.

"God you worry about everything don't you?" he asked gently and Kurt gave him a scared nod staring at his feet as if they were the most interesting pieces of art ever.

Blaine eyed him for a moment, preparing to do something for the first time and hoping he didn't scare him.

Taking a deep breath he allowed the dam he placed in front of his dominant hormones to fall as he let the commanding tone weave into his voice, giving his sub the first order.

"Kurt, look at me," he growled lightly and Kurt felt his body snap to attention at the rough sound that could so easily become an addiction. Compliance weaved into his cells and obedience began to flood out of his pores and Kurt gasped at the feeling, never having experienced something so intensely intimate. His stomach took flight with the thrum of his heart as Kurt fought against that pleasing feeling in his body, but there was no helping his reaction. It wasn't even a choice at this point as his mind dazed over in a cloud of submission. He turned his eyes up and met Blaine's look timidly, not knowing what prompted this shift in his Dom's mood but the sub in him positively enraptured by it.

"Whatever you're insecure or worried about, just let it go. I don't expect anything from you. If you feel like you're ready to try…that with me, or you decide to stay with me and we reach that step in our bonding I want you to know that whatever you do will be good enough for me. As long as you're comfortable," Blaine told him smoother now, letting the dominance bleed out of his voice and grabbing hold of Kurt's hand and doing his best to keep his stupid, traitorous body at bay.

God it turned him on so much.

How innocent he was, how natural it came and how untrained and raw his submissiveness was. Blaine just knew it would make Kurt oh so very responsive when they got to that step in their relationship. How he would probably gasp and shake and whine and arch to everything he did to him because of that wonderful lack of experience. The Dom in Blaine howled in approval at that. Kurt was utterly pure. Untouched in body and mind and that Blaine got to teach him? Got to be his first everything? And, fuck, how deep his first subspace will be when he finally lets Blaine take him there? He tried not to pant, tried to force down the erection that was threatening to tent the front of his sweats feeling overheated and worked up by only the thought.

Kurt shuddered with the force of Blaine's words, not quite able to believe he was so amazing to him. It felt like a dream. Unreal and hazy. It was like every word he said made Kurt's fears want to evaporate from his body and for the first time since he was claimed he felt a thread of what he was sure those subs in the romantic stories he liked so much felt.

Like he never wanted to leave.

He shook himself mentally knowing he was getting caught up in the emotion and the compliments no one had ever paid him before. No one had wanted to call Kurt his properly. No one had ever told him was beautiful except from his mother before she died. He was so confused right now and there was just so much he needed to take in. Information he needed to asses and opinions and perceptions he needed to re-evaluate as well as his jumbled mess of emotions.

"What you said about my Gift?" he started quietly and felt the moment Blaine stiffened next to him.

"I meant it…if you're not happy here after a month I promise I'll…. I'll let you go if that's what you want," he finished sounding like it took everything out of him to say it again.

"I…. Can I think about it?" Kurt asked and Blaine sighed out shakily feeling like this was just a suspense of a sentence, but relieved at the same time because Kurt was at least giving them a chance. Hope blossomed in his chest. Before this conversation he was sure Kurt would have jumped at the offer with both hands, but a sort of tentative truce and understanding had been reached here and Blaine was determined to win Kurt over if it was last thing he did.

"You can take all the time you need," he assured. Silently he added, but you'll want to stay with me, Kurt. I promise.

Kurt eyed him for a moment, as if trying to convince himself to question something more, to find something that would make him hate the Dom because the warm feeling creeping up his spine and making him tremble was not something he was ready to let take over him so quickly. He was sinking fast however, quicksand under his feet and all the struggling seemed to be making it worse; made him sink faster and deeper.

It was terrifying.

Blaine was so close, so strong and caring next to him and Kurt found himself wanting to let go of his fear and trust him, just for a while...just to see what it felt like to really belong to someone, to be good enough for someone to want you like that. Such traitorous thoughts, but the submissive in him spurred them on, the mark on his neck tingling as Blaine edged closer, testing the limits of their new found truce.

He allowed Blaine to tentatively wrap an arm around his shoulders and another around his waist, always slow, always careful with him and then he was being pulled closer. Kurt hitched a breathe knowing that the last time he had been this close to Blaine the Dom had lips at his neck branding words of ownership into his skin. He closed his eyes as a shiver travelled the length of his spine and let his body loosen, let himself give into it just this once. Blaine snuggled him into his side gently and felt a warm palm coaxing his face into the Dom's neck to breathe him in and help him relax. Kurt got one lungful and felt himself pressing closer instinctually, practically crawling into Blaine's lap as it assaulted his senses.

Blaine felt shivers race through him at the feeling of his timid, but oh so painfully beautiful and tempting sub curl up into him like that; like he trusted him, like he wanted him back.

He was perfectly aware of the fact that it would take time and patience and gentleness to get Kurt to the place where he, himself, already was but he was willing to do his best and show the young sub that he truly belonged with him. He was determined to start making him comfortable and happy as soon as possible so he bit his lip as he considered his options, trying to ignore the affect Kurt was having on him.

Focus, Blaine, he scolded himself as the subs nose brushed teasingly, unknowingly, over his pounding pulse point.

What would make Kurt happy? What would he like to do? What would he like to have? He frowned deep in thought, glancing down at his sub who was resting, peaceful for the first time, in his arms.

His eyes fell on the soft fabric of his pyjamas...Clothes!

Kurt liked clothes so maybe he'll feel better if he had his clothes with him?

And his clothes were still in Lima where his father lived so going there to pick them up would be the perfect solution since Kurt would get to see his family and get some of his things to make himself feel more at home at the Anderson house at the same time.

"We should get dressed," Blaine started, trying to find a way to make his suggestion without looking like he was trying to buy Kurt's affection in any way. He wanted to show Kurt he was genuine and yes, he wanted to spoil him rotten of course, shower him in gifts, but this was about building trust. He wanted to show Kurt he was true to his word. That he didn't want to steal Kurt away from his family and mistreat him.

Kurt pulled away slightly and Blaine arched his neck back to see his sub frown suddenly, picking at his pyjama pants with an awkward hunch of his shoulders and a quiet mumble that Blaine didn't understand one word of, but it sounded so adorable he had to fight his urge to chuckle at the cutie in front of him.

"I didn't understand a word of what you just said. Do you mind repeating it?" he asked in a gently teasing tone and Kurt glared at him weakly before lowering his eyes onto the palms tightly clasped on his lap.

"I don't have any of my clothes here...do you um...do you think it'd be okay if I washed the clothes I had on last night?" he asked feeling a faint blush colouring his cheeks and he chanced a glance up to find Blaine smiling at him softly.

"I actually had a better idea," he broached with a smile and Kurt cocked his head to the side in silent question wondering what he was talking about.

"Um...okay...what is it?" he asked and Blaine stood up, pulling Kurt by the hand towards the hall that held the stairs leading to the second floor.

"How about, we both get dressed and head out to Lima to get some of your things and spend some time with your family?" he asked, faking nonchalance as his heart hammered in his chest in anxiety when Kurt froze in place, hands going limp against his sides, eyes wide and lower lip trembling in the effort to keep the tears from falling.

"Y-you...you'd do that...for me?" he breathed out on an escaped sob and Blaine climbed a step up to stand next to him wrapping an arm around his fragile shoulders, feeling more confident with initiating contact between them.

"I'd do anything to make you smile," he admitted, sincerity lacing his words in a pattern so beautiful that Kurt lost a battle against himself and placed his arms timidly around Blaine's neck.

"Thank you," he exhaled into the crook of the Dom's neck and Blaine gave him a soft squeeze before pulling back reluctantly.

"Any time. Now...go get dressed and I'll meet you here in twenty minutes. You can take whatever you like from my closet if you don't want to wear the same clothes two days in a row," Blaine rattled off, trying to say what he wanted before Kurt all but skipped into his room, throwing the first carefree word in his direction; a loud, "OKAY" before the door slammed into his grinning face.

Maybe they could have their forever after all.

If he did everything right, if he always made him that happy...maybe he'd get to keep him.

Shuffling into his spare bedroom, Blaine threw on the first thing in sight, a pair of dark jeans and a gray, v-neck t-shirt under a darker gray blazer. He slipped his bare feet into a pair of polished black loafers and checked himself in the mirror, realizing belatedly that his hair had gone crazy but he had no time to tame it so he just shrugged feeling secretly sorry for all the people who had to see him with his Medusa hairdo on a daily basis.

Pocketing his phone and his car keys Blaine decided to let his parents know what he'd planned for the afternoon so after assuring Kurt was still getting ready he set off to find them, walking around the house until he spotted them curled up in a rocking chair and watching a silly sit-com on the TV in one of the smaller living rooms.

"Hey guys. I wanted to let you know that I'll be taking Kurt to Lima today. He wants to get some of his things and see his family," he said shuffling on his feet under their curious looks.

"I think that's a great idea. Seeing them will be proof that you won't keep them away from him and bringing his things here will make him feel more at home," Jared nodded smiling at his son, pride etched into every pore of his face and Blaine knew he did the right thing.

Dana nodded at him with a soft smile colouring her own face as she stood up and wrapped her arms around her son. "I always thought you'll make a great Dom someday. I'm glad to see you're proving me right." She kissed his cheek and stood up straight when an awkward entrance caught her eye.

"Um...Blaine..." Kurt called out and Blaine jumped in his mother's arms turning towards that melodic voice calling out his name, making him wish he could listen to him forever…his breath caught in his throat.

Standing there bashfully, dressed in one of Blaine's black cable knit sweaters, some dark wash jeans tucked into the same scuffed boots from yesterday, was Kurt. The sweater was a little too big so it dipped lower on his shoulders showcasing that elegant length of neck and delectable collarbones Blaine had the immediate urge to mark up and the colour contrast with Kurt's perfect porcelain skin tone was striking. He tried to ignore the way his jeans hugged Kurt's legs like a second skin. Tried to ignore that Kurt was dressed in his clothes. His. Covered in his scent. He swallowed hard.

"Blaine, honey." He felt his mother poke him with her elbow pulling him out of his staring.

"Hmm what?" he jumped a bit and Dana chuckled at her son whose sub was obviously driving him crazy.

"You're drooling. And Kurt is waiting for you to go," she said in an aside with an amused smile and he snapped out of his haze casting an apologetic glance to everyone around him before clearing his throat to regain some sort of composure before taking Kurt's hand and guiding him out.

"You look amazing," he whispered and Kurt blushed a deep red as he walked next to him, nodding in thanks and lowering his eyes to the floor. Blaine opened the door smiling a little at his subs modesty when a bright flash almost blinded him.

He raised his free hand up to shield his eyes, pulling Kurt instinctually behind him as a roar of sound and bright flashes went off in front of him. It was like a bomb exploding. Unexpected and destructive.

"Blaine!"

"Dom Anderson!"

"Kurt Hummel! Look over here!"

Blaine clenched his jaw as the media descended on him for the thousandth time. No respect for his privacy, like it was their right to pry into every facet of his life. He should have expected this really. Only this time it wasn't just him they were affecting. He had someone else to worry about now and this wasn't acceptable. They shouldn't have even been able to make it to the front door seeing as the property was gated, but a look down he drive showed that it hadn't been. Of all the days.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked in a small frightened voice from behind him only solidifying his thought pattern.

He squeezed his subs hand reassuringly and glanced through the throngs of pushing reporters towards his car. It wasn't that far of a distance…

"Stay close to me," he ordered gently and Kurt nodded a little frantically almost immediately plastering himself to Blaine's back.

"If you could step back, you're trespassing and we'd like for you to leave," he tried for diplomatic as he stepped out. They seemed to converge tighter around them.

"Does this mean you're no longer seeing Miss Nicola McNab?" One asked thrusting a microphone closer.

"What about Liam Knightly?" A different one added jostling for position.

"Kurt, what's Blaine like in bed?"

Kurt gasped and flinched away from the balding man trying to grab at him, feeling like he was drowning. Feeling like walls were closing in around him even though they were outside. The claustrophobia got worse as the questions got nastier, more invasive and the steady clicks from cameras were a steady boom, boom, boom in time with his heart.

"Blaine, is it true you only claimed him because he was an easier conquest?"

"Is this all a publicity stunt?"

Kurt felt tears sting his eyes as the words struck home and played tauntingly with all his insecurities.

"What? No!" Blaine hissed in the direction of the interviewer. "All of you need to leave. Now!"

Unfortunately Kurt guessed that most of the reporters were Doms because even though they flinched at the power in his voice they ignored the command obviously used to it in their profession and pressed in on them forcing them back towards the house.

"Blaine," Kurt whispered again. He wanted to go back inside. He needed to go back inside. His legs were shaking and his heart felt like it was about to race out of his chest. He wasn't prepared for this…how could he be?

The Dom turned and looked at him and before Kurt knew it he was being wrapped in strong arms and lead back inside. The door slammed behind them and Kurt shook against Blaine, hearing the shouts from outside even still. Hateful, hurtful things spilling from their silver tongues.

"I'm sorry," Blaine whispered to him, cupping the back of his head, so close to his mark that he quivered. "I'm so sorry, Kurt. I didn't even think."

Kurt swallowed, trying to regain control of himself once more. "I-I'm okay. I just… can we not do that again?"

Blaine laughed, but it held no humour. "Not if I can help it. Promise."

Kurt nodded against his shoulder. "So I take it we're not going to see my dad?" he asked in a sad voice that resonated in Blaine chest. He hated it.

He searched his mind.

"How about we phone him? Invite your family over?"

Kurt pulled his head back and looked with wide eyes. "Really?"

Blaine smiled at him. "Sure. I can get a driver to pick them up and they can bring some of your things over. I'd love to spend some time with them and I know you miss them and were excited to see them again."

A smile began to spread across Kurt's lips and he ducked his head, laying it tentatively on Blaine's shoulder once more of his own free will. "Thank you."

---

Kurt had clung to Burt as soon as he stepped through the door and hadn't really let go since.

Blaine tried not to let it affect him. After their talk the Dom was feeling optimistic about showing Kurt how great he knew they could be together. How well Blaine would look after him. So blowing it all by snarling and dragging Kurt to his side possessively, while he'd admit deep down was tempting, wasn't particularly worth it. Yes he wanted to be the first one Kurt came to when he was feeling out of his depth and overwhelmed. Yes he wanted to coo and reassure his sub with every fibre of his being. But Kurt wasn't ready for that and so he clamped down on his control and allowed it. It helped that the other Doms and subs in the room weren't judging in the slightest with the way they looked at the interaction, like most others would have. In fact they looked pleased and admiring as he let Kurt get the comfort he couldn't give him yet without protest.

They moved into the dining room after that, away from the circus that could still faintly be heard outside the doors and he watched Burt and Carole take in the space with growing discomfort though they handled themselves exceptionally, Carole taking her cues from Burt's strong and steady presence.

Blaine respected that man more and more with each passing second and was especially grateful when he bent down to Kurt's ear to whisper something that had Kurt cautiously making his way around the long table to Blaine's side.

The young Dom held the chair out for his sub and he watched in fascination as a pretty blush stole its way across his cheeks as he lowered with an adorably mouthed, 'thank you'.

It made him beam inside, even that small little thing because Kurt appreciated it. Didn't expect it as his right like most everyone he knew and it was so, so refreshing. Like a cool breeze on a summer's day.

Dana and Jared began bringing in the various dishes and pots, steam curling from some and filling the air with pleasant smells that made his mouth water and stomach pang. He hadn't eaten properly since the claiming last night having virtually no appetite whilst under the stress of all the uncertainty and sadness but things were brighter now. Kurt was a warm presence at his right casting shy glances at him from under his lashes and quickly diverting when Blaine tried to make eye contact. His mother and father were beaming happily at him, excited and overjoyed for him. And Kurt's family were across from him, nothing but supportive by the looks of things though he felt their expectations heavily on his shoulders.

Once it was all laid out and everyone seated, Dana clapped her hands. "Dig in everyone, we'll just ignore the vultures circling outside shall we?"

"Hard to when you're the carcass they want to pick apart," Blaine joked trying to lighten the mood but felt Kurt tense beside him. Subtly he shifted his body closer, sliding his hand closer to the one Kurt had wrapped around his glass so that their knuckles barely grazed. The sub didn't notice, too preoccupied in his own thoughts but Blaine smiled secretly when he saw his shoulders relaxing somewhat.

"They're certainly something else, I'll give you that," Burt grunted and Blaine looked up to see that the man hadn't missed the exchange and was eyeing his son as if to really make sure he was okay.

Carole cleared her throat and looked around at the food a little wide eyed. "Well this is certainly lovely Mrs. Anderson, thank you for inviting us."

"You haven't tasted it yet," Jared muttered under his breath playfully and Dana smacked him on the arm with her own teasing scowl as the rest of the table laughed.

"Ignore him. I am a master in the kitchen," she declared nose in the air. "And call me Dana, please. I have enough of the formalities at work."

Carole smiled her acceptance and they all began to dig in, the Hummels serving themselves noticeably smaller portions than the Andersons though no one commented. Blaine's mind flashed back to the conversation this morning and he made sure to remember to mention it to his mother.

Teasing aside the pasta was done to perfection and there were noises of appreciation scattered throughout. Blaine was on a different mission however.

"Have you ever tried garlic ciabatta?" he asked Kurt in an aside, as Burt and Jared discussed sports and Dana enquired about Carole's job as a nurse, gesturing to the bowl in the centre of the table.

Kurt shook his head; eyes curious as Blaine plucked a few slices out and popped them on a side plate. He tore a piece off and held it out for him.

"You'll love it I promise."

Kurt took it between his fingers and eyed it speculatively before nibbling on it daintily. He hummed and it was music to Blaine ears. He grinned as Kurt popped the rest into his mouth and pulled over the plate for him, determined to get him to eat even if it was deviously.

"Tastes even better in the sauce," he commented taking a piece himself and doing just that to try and be casual.

Kurt followed his suggestion seemingly without even thinking about it and he was revelling when his attention was drawn.

"So Blaine, what exactly is it that you do? I've heard a lot but I've been informed by a reliable source that things aren't always true what you read in the papers," Burt said across the table.

Blaine shifted at the mention of his highly exaggerated, often completely fabricated lifestyle. He saw the offer for what it was however. "Well I'm still at Dalton Academy studying, but I do actually have my own business of sorts."

Burt raised a brow. "What kind of business?"

"I own a recording studio."

"You do?" Kurt asked from next to him and Blaine sighed softly at hearing his voice again, especially audibly intrigued in something to do with him.

He turned and smiled. "Yeah. Music's always just spoken to me, so it made sense. It was my eighteenth birthday present," he admitted sheepishly.

Kurt gaped. "You got a recording studio as a birthday present?"

"More of a coming of age," Jared corrected and three sets of eyes looked to him in confusion.

"Every Anderson on their eighteenth birthday begins to get more involved in the family business, but Blaine was never one for office desks or board meetings," the sub smiled at his son. "We didn't want to force him into anything that would make him unhappy."

"But music made him very happy," Dana continued. "Couldn't keep the damn singing menace off the furniture when he was younger… a habit he keeps to this day-"

"Mom!" Blaine scowled feeling the need to blush.

She laughed. "Anyway, we noticed and bought the space for him to set it up, handed it over and let him run it as he saw fit. No bailing out if it went horribly. No subsidising if he didn't break even."

"Big responsibility," Burt allowed.

They nodded.

"So how is it going?" the man asked Blaine who smiled somewhat proudly but couldn't help it. He'd put everything into that place.

"Yeah. It's still early days for it yet, small scale stuff but I want to give it the time it deserves and I can't do that while I'm still studying. But we keep above water and my friends help out." He turned hesitantly to Kurt. "I could show you it if you'd like?"

Kurt hitched a breath visibly. "Really?"

Blaine smiled. "Of course. I want you to see it."

"That'll be great, Kurt loves to sing," Carole beamed and Kurt ducked his head as more than one interested stare came his way.

This was not something he had wanted to share with them. Singing was something his mother and him had in common and she was the first and the only person, aside from his dad later on, to ever tell him he had a lovely voice.

He tried out for the school's glee club but was ridiculed and mocked for his high voice. It didn't hurt that they were insulting him but the thought of them insulting something that his mom said was beautiful made him determined to keep his singing inside his own home and protect the memory of her.

So he never sang in front of people. He dared to sing to Jeff once and his friend said he liked it and that he should do it more often but he kept it hidden for so long he wasn't really sure how to let it out again.

"You can sing?"

Blaine couldn't believe how Kurt could have gone unclaimed for all this time. The boy was an angel… he probably sung like one as well with a voice like that.

"I...I can carry a tune. Nothing award winning." He shrugged turning back to his meal and poking his dad in the knee with his toes when he saw him taking a breath to counter his statement and avoiding Blaine's questioning look, knowing somehow that this wasn't the last time they'd speak of his singing.

Burt scowled at him but relented, switching the subject back to safer topics like school and Blaine's plans for his future after Dalton.

"So I'm guessing you're in school for business then?" Burt asked around a tentative bite.

He wasn't completely full in a long while and he wanted to remain as dignified as possible in the face of so much food on the table, so he took small portions and even smaller bites. Besides, he knew his stomach wasn't completely up to digesting such large portions.

"As a minor yes. Music is my major. Even though I own a studio and it's something that I can see myself doing I'd be the happiest if some days something of my own could come out of that studio. But that's a dream and this business is like a safety net. I have to be able to provide for my future family." He smiled, bashfully looking at Kurt, and Burt admired his maturity and the consciousness he had to assure he gave his family everything they needed.

His respect for the young man grew with every single word he said and with every glance towards his son his heartbeat settled more and more into a comfortable thud, making him aware of the fact that his son will be happy here with this remarkable young Dom who went out of his way to prove them wrong and to make him happy.

And as he watched Kurt blush and shy away but still smile at his Dom's attempts to get him to take a bite of their chocolate croissants from his fingers, he knew deep down that his sadness over losing his son will settle easier now that he saw the potential and the drive Blaine had to make them work.

A relaxed smile settled on his face and he squeezed Carole's hand as they accepted an offer of a glass of wine from Dana and settled into the living room to chat amicably.

Kurt watched his new family meld with his old one effortlessly and he had to admit that the Andersons held none of the alleged snobbism and rudeness.

They were down to earth, funny, interesting and genuinely interested in their lives without sounding condescending or disgusted at the way they lived and the way their clothes stood out, worn against the glow of the rich furniture.

Cuddled onto a soft sofa Kurt allowed himself to finally relax as he leaned against Blaine who wrapped a tentative arm around his shoulders, keeping him close.

"Thank you," Kurt said quietly, lifting his head from Blaine's shoulder to look him in the eye, as his ears caught the sound of Jared choking on his wine as he listened to the story of a drunk man who came to Burt to fix his spaceship after breaking down in the middle of drawing crop circles. Kurt's heart swelled with joy at the sight of them getting along so well.

"What for?" Blaine asked, lifting his hand carefully and with a question in his eyes as he pushed the lock of hair back from the subs forehead.

"Letting them come here. Being...being graceful about the fact that they are not like you," he said quietly, and Blaine frowned.

"They are like us. They live and breathe and love just like we do. Money doesn't make a person. Your dad is one of the most amazing men I have had the honour to meet and nothing would make me more proud than being able to call him family. So there's no need to thank me or my parents," Blaine said and Kurt nodded gently, cuddling back into his side and letting the laughter wash over him.

All too soon the pleasant afternoon light turned into chilly dusk and then morphed into a dark evening, the autumn breeze finding it's way inside underneath the doorframes and windows and the Hummel's stood up to catch the last evening bus to Lima, greeting each other at the door.

"Thank you for the lovely evening Dana." Burt extended his hand to the woman first, Dom to Dom as customary, before turning to Jared. "And you too Jared. We had a great time."

"We hope this will be the first of many," Dana said kissing Carole's cheeks and giving her a brief hug.

"We do too." Burt said with a soft smile before turning to look at his son's new Dom, "Blaine may I have a word with you?"

"Of course." Blaine jumped, doing his best to ignore Kurt's stunned expression as the two of them made their way to the narrow hallway, his mind spinning with dread and wonder.

"This won't take long son, and you don't need to look so terrified," Burt chuckled and Blaine let out a nervous sounding laugh in response.

"Oh...um okay..." he said in confusion, eyebrows drawing together.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry for misjudging you. I let my opinion of you be based on what the media had to say and I was horrified when you claimed my son. Now I don't want to go as far as saying that I'm happy with this just yet but there's this feeling in my gut that tells me you'll be good to him; that you'll be good together. Don't let me down, okay kid? I'm trusting you with the most precious thing I have," he said and Blaine felt his eyes mist with tears as he looked at the remarkable Dom he could only wish to be like.

"Sir, I promise I will do everything that's in my power to make him happy. I...swear it on everything I care about," Blaine breathed out and Burt nodded, clamping a broad palm on his shoulder once.

"Good. And it's Burt kid. Not sir." He smiled turning around and joining his wife at the door where he held his son long and tight promising him they would see each other soon and for once Kurt believed that because the Andersons seemed honest in their promises to let him stay close to his family.

A couple of hugs later saw Burt and Carole approaching the fence and the moment of pure joy and hope suddenly shattered under the onslaught of hundreds of flashes and cameras shoved in their faces, questions thrown their way defiling every aspect of their life and making Burt livid.

"Can you tell us what sexual skills have you taught your son to make him interesting to an Anderson heir?"

"Mr. Hummel is it true you arranged this claiming with the Andersons to secure more money?"

"Is it true that you sold your son?"

And it was that last question that caused a vicious snarl rip itself from Burt's lips and were it not for Carole and Dana rushing to calm things down he would have pummelled that sorry ass to the ground.

Mind reeling and fists clenching furiously he was escorted to the car that Dana called in to take them home and he went reluctantly, his mind still compelling him to go back and defend what was his even when they were long gone from the Anderson home, cruising towards Lima.

Back at the Andersons Kurt was sitting numbly in the chair he and Blaine shared so happily just a few moments ago but now, tears were streaming down his face and his heart was breaking.

He leaned into his Dom heavily, fighting to find that feeling of home and safety within his arms as he carded fingers through his hair and hummed soothingly.

"I can't believe they said that. I...h-how can they be so mean?" he sniffled and Blaine held him tighter.

"I don't think they're mean. They just want something big for their magazines. It' a job. It's easier to think of it like that," Blaine shrugged and Kurt blinked, fighting against that logic because he felt the burning need to hate them all for insulting his father like that.

He knew that it was just the beginning and that he was the shiny new toy they got to tear apart to see what's on the inside and it terrified him.

"They aren't going away are they?" he asked quietly and Blaine sighed heavily.

"In time they'll leave us alone. Until then, how would you feel about going somewhere? Getting away from the circus surrounding us and just being together, getting to know each other better?" he asked and Kurt contemplated the idea for a moment.

As much as it felt scary to go somewhere alone with Blaine it sounded like a good idea to give them a real chance away from all the spectacle they raised.

"Where would we go?" he asked with a gentle frown and Blaine shrugged.

"Wherever strikes our fancy," he said and Kurt smiled gently.

"What about school?" he asked, the idea already growing on him.

"Dalton has a policy of allowing newly bonded couples time away to get used to it. Say the word and I'll file for it," Blaine said and Kurt bit his lip for a second before lifting his eyes up and nodding.

Blaine beamed at him, his eyes lighting up like fire.

"We'll set it up on Monday then."

---

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