Kurt had awaited his meeting with Elliot with some degree of apprehension, though he couldn't have explained why. Up to now, however, everything had been quite pleasurable. They had had a fine dinner, during which they talked about everyday topics. Kurt had really enjoyed Elliot's company – they were friends, after all, though that was easy to forget sometimes because in the club hierarchy, Kurt was effectively Elliot's subordinate.

After dinner, Kurt took one last sip from his wine and resigned to the unspoken, but no less clear agreement that now, they would get to the real reasons he was here for. He decided he might as well start.

"So you are taking care of Chandler now?" he asked, carefully to not betray any feelings he might have about it before he was aware of the circumstances. "Are you...in a claim?"

"No," Elliot replied. "We have a temporary contract that practically says I take the role of his Dom until someone better shows up. He...doesn't feel that way about me, as I'm sure you know."

"So you...do what? You don't have to tell me, obviously, I'm not sure I want to know the details, anyway."

"No, we just...basically, I flog him when he needs it. Just like I did when he was with you, only now I do the aftercare, too."

Kurt took a moment to process that. He wasn't jealous, but he didn't like the reminder that he hadn't been able to satisfy Chandler in that area. And the arrangement sounded very practical, good for Chandler, but less so for Elliot.

"So what do you get out of it?" he asked.

Elliot shrugged, looking slightly uncomfortable. "I get to take care of him."

"Elliot, are you...Oh my God, you're in love with him! But...if it's no real claim...you know that this goes against everything you always tell us, don't you?"

"I always tell you that a good Dom looks first after his sub, second after himself. That's exactly what I'm doing right now."

"No, you're not looking out for yourself at all! Elliot, you'll get hurt, this is not healthy..."

"I told you it's nothing permanent. I can handle it, Kurt, don't worry. Anyway, enough of me."

Kurt arched an eyebrow at the sudden change of topic, but decided to let it go. There was nothing he could do anyway except urging Elliot to take care of his own heart. Besides, Elliot was already continuing.

"Congratulations on confirming your contract, and thanks for sending me a copy. So how are things?"

"Things are...fine," Kurt said, aware that things were not really fine. He also didn't need to see Elliot's doubtful expression to know that he hadn't been convincing.

"Things with me and Blaine are fine," he amended. "But I've felt...weird, lately. I haven't been able to really Dominate Blaine, not as I should. And I've had a...small freakout. Damn you, why can I hold my tongue with everyone else on the planet, but not with you?"

"You have to talk to someone, I'm just the most obvious choice," Elliot said, then looked at Kurt expectantly. He looked like he wanted to be taking notes, and Kurt began to feel like on a therapist's couch. He knew Elliot would ask if he didn't, so he continued talking, toying with his glass and not looking at Elliot.

"Um, Blaine had brought up...sharing. And when I considered it...I mean I'd have expected some possessiveness, perhaps even jealousy at the idea, but I couldn't handle it at all. Like, I'd have collared him that very moment, or forbidden him to ever speak to another Dom again. It was weird, and I don't know why I reacted like that. And I grew insecure, and...I screwed up."

"How did he react?" Elliot asked.

Kurt laughed bitterly. "He called me Master. For the first time, completely out of the blue."

"Well, that's good. When you faltered, he reinforced your Dominance instead of challenging you. There must be a devotion in him for you that's unusual for a relationship as short as yours."

"He's not alone in that, you know," Kurt said, though the words were hard to say. "Elliot, I...I think I'm in love with him."

Elliot smiled brightly. "That's good."

"It is?" It hadn't felt like it. Kurt suspected that these feelings were the reason for the fact that he felt out of his game lately, and he didn't know what to do about that.

"Of course. If you're in love, you can set everything right."

The simple statement surprised Kurt. "Aw, Elliot, are you a romantic?" he teased. "Chains and hearts, whips and rose petals?"

"Exactly. Just don't tell anyone. But, seriously, you have to get to the bottom of this, Kurt. I know you like to think that you have a deeper connection to him, something that goes beyond the D/s thing, and if you're in love already, then that's probably true. But at the end of the day, he's with you because he is your sub. He needs you to Dominate him. So, do you have any idea where your sudden loss of confidence comes from?"

Kurt hadn't thought of much else the last few days, so he had at least an inkling. "I think it's because I'm afraid that in a few years, you're going to have to take care of Blaine."

Elliot looked dumbfounded. "What?"

"Just...I'm afraid I won't be able to be what he needs. Like with Chandler."

Elliot sighed and pushed back his chair. "Alright," he said, rising. "Take off your shirt and stand in the corner, face to the wall."

"You're not serious." Kurt remained seated, not quite believing what he had just heard, but Elliot just looked at him, completely used to being obeyed and expecting it even from another Dom. Eventually and still not knowing why he did it, Kurt rose and went to the only free corner of the room, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked.

He stood in the corner, trying very hard to keep his control and just let this happen. It had been some years since he had last submitted to anyone, but he knew that, deep inside him, there was a part of him that needed this. A small part, and hidden, but it was there.

Still, he stood with his fists clenched by his side, and a big part of him just wanted to say, "Fuck you," and leave. But Elliot knew him well, and if he thought that this was necessary, it probably was. God knew he needed help; he didn't know how to sort this out himself. So he stood, back ramrod straight, and waited for whatever it was to start.

But Elliot only asked a question.

"You realize that this is a self-fulfilling prophecy, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I'm not stupid."

"Ah-ah-ah. Respect, Kurt," Elliot said, and suddenly Kurt felt a crop touch him between the shoulder blades that Elliot had produced from God knew where; Kurt hadn't seen it anywhere when he entered the room. It only touched him, though, there was no pain. A warning.

"Sorry, sir," he said through clenched teeth, managing to keep the sarcasm to a minimum.

"Good boy. Now explain it to me."

Kurt exhaled. "If I'm constantly afraid of not giving Blaine what he needs, it makes me insecure, so I'm not able to Dominate him, so I'm not giving him what he needs. Sir."

"Very good. And what are you going to do about it?"

Kurt looked over his shoulder to Elliot. "Stop patronizing me. If I knew what to do, I wouldn't have a problem. But I know that this here is certainly not going to help me Dominate anyone!"

"Face to the wall," Elliot said and flicked the crop once against Kurt's back.

"Ow! Fuck you!" Kurt yelled and flinched when the crop struck a second time. He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

"I don't know what to do about it. I wish I did."

"So answer me some questions. Has Blaine ever given you any signs that he was unhappy with your relationship?"

Kurt leaned his forehead against the wall. "No."

"Has he hesitated about signing your final contract last weekend?"

"No."

"Has he not, as you told me on the phone, added something to the contract he has been afraid of for a long time?"

"Yes."

"Were there times when you felt you haven't treated him the way you should?"

"Yes."

"And has he left you yet?"

"No."

"So why are you insecure?"

Kurt snorted. "Because Chandler has scarred me for life?" He felt the crop again, a slight touch that, for some reason, reassured him. "Because I'm in love with Blaine and terrified that he'll leave me."

"Okay. Turn around." Elliot lifted up his shirt from the back of the chair with the tip of the crop and handed it to him. "You can get dressed and sit down again."

Surprisingly, Kurt felt calm as he sat down, and grateful. The ritual, although he had been on the wrong side of it, had made him realize something: he was being irrational. There was no reason for him to be afraid Blaine would leave him, and the only thing that was threatening their relationship was exactly that fear.

"Thank you, Elliot," he said. "I don't like to admit it, but that actually helped."

"You and Chandler just didn't fit, Kurt," Elliot said, accepting his thanks with a slight nod. "That's your fault as little as it is his, and there's no reason to think it should be the same with Blaine."

Kurt nodded. "Now you don't happen to have an idea how I can get over this?"

Elliot grinned. "I do, actually."

When Elliot had outlined his suggestion, Kurt nodded slowly. "I'll think about it. It might work, but to be honest, I'm not completely sure it's the right thing for us. Thank you, though."

"Talk it over with Blaine, see what he thinks," Elliot suggested. "It doesn't have to be some kind of surprise for him, nor something you just demand without talking first or explaining why."

"I'll do that." Kurt took a sip from the drink an obliging staff-sub had provided, then grinned. "You should have become a psychologist."

"Well, I did a few courses in college, but Defiance proved to be more lucrative."

"You did psychology in college, really? You never told me. But no wonder you never took any of our shit."

"It was before I knew you. And we were so busy later with all the drama, and the band,..."

"...and the yoga retreat." Kurt added, and they laughed. They reminisced a little, and when Kurt left soon after, it was with the feeling of an evening well spent.

On Friday, Kurt left work early so that he was home well before Blaine arrived. He cooked dinner, which he hoped Blaine would see as the apology it was, and later led him into a candle-lit playroom. He told him to stand still and slowly undressed him, unwrapping him between kisses like the gift he felt he was, and then laid him out on the bed, spreading him wide and binding his hand and feet with silk scarves. They talked little and only in whispers, and Kurt slowly and gently kissed every inch of Blaine's body, worshiping him but ignoring his cock until Blaine strained against his bonds and panted. The candles tempted Kurt; there were combinations of hot wax and Blaine's body he really wanted to try out, but not today. Today wasn't about pain or even Domination, it was about love. It was a declaration of the feelings he not yet dared to put into words.

He got Blaine ready with warmed oil instead of ordinary lube, and then pushed into him slowly, making him feel every inch, and staying that way a long minute without moving. Then he fucked him slowly, drawing it out as long as he could, every now and then pausing to kiss Blaine's mouth or his sweat-slick neck and listening to his little whines and moans. After a long time, he put his hand on Blaine's cock and sped up his thrusts. When they came, it wasn't earth-shattering or mind-blowing, but comfortable, familiar and incredibly good.

Afterwards, when Kurt had removed the scarves from Blaine's wrists and ankles and cleaned them up, he bluntly started the conversation they had to have.

"So you know I've been having some problems lately."

Thankfully, Blaine didn't try to deny anything, but just looked at him with so much trust that Kurt couldn't help but feel everything was going to be okay.

"I'm aware, Sir, though I must say there wasn't anything to see about it today." Blaine gave him a sleepy, content smile, and Kurt had to smile back. They had had a beautiful evening, and Kurt was tempted to just leave it at that, but he knew that ignoring the problem wouldn't solve anything.

"I talked to Elliot, and he had an idea."