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Beta-readers: lyingxiscariot (FFnet), FangirlingFanatic (FFnet), and stulti.
Summary: Blaine Anderson is a prostitute whose client is murdered before his eyes. He is thrown into witness protection together with Special Agent Kurt Hummel, whose job is to keep him safe. But, with nosy neighbours and a notorious crime family snapping at their heels, it's not that easy. Especially when feelings get involved.
Warnings: Dub/con, alcohol use, minor OMC death, mention of child abuse, mention of domestic violence, mention of various kinks
Pairings: Kurt/Blaine, Sugar/Artie, Quinn/Puck, Cooper/OFC
Length: 65k; 16 parts altogether
Updates: Weekly on Mondays
Chapter notes: Early update because I won't have time tomorrow. In this chapter we travel 3 months back in time and then the story goes chronologically. We also see a little of Blaine with a client and murder takes place in this one, so bare that in mind
CHAPTER I: OF LOVERS AND MURDERERS
Three months ago…
Bang.
Blaine Anderson startled awake. For a moment he felt disorientated before taking a look around. He was in his bedroom and something had woken him up. He was too tired to care.
Bang.
"I know you're in there! Open the damn door!" someone was shouting, loudly enough for everyone in the building to hear.
He recognised the voice. "Shit," he cursed in a whisper and jumped out of bed, hurrying to get to the person who so desperately wanted to see him.
Before opening the door, he plastered on his most charming smile and one by one unlocked both locks. While still opening the door, he said cheerfully, "Mr. Jenkins, hi, good to see you."
The old man in front of him looked him up and down, clearly insulted by his appearance. "Where is my money, Andrew?" he demanded instantly, his wrinkles deepening as he frowned.
Blaine narrowed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, hoping that he wasn't overdoing his act. "Money? Is it time for rent already?"
"Do you have money or not?"
"Um, yeah, I have, actually. Give me a sec," he said, closing the door.
He had some money saved, so he dug under the mattress and took several bills out. He checked his other hiding place but, as expected, found nothing.
When the door opened again, his landlord looked even angrier. "I don't have the whole day," he mumbled, crossing his arms tightly over his chest.
Yeah, 'cause watching TV is so important, Blaine thought, but instead of voicing it, he extended the bills for the man to count. "Here you go. It covers June."
The man looked at the money and then back at his tenant. "I'm collecting rent for September," he said, unimpressed.
"Wow, is it almost September? Time really flies, doesn't it?" Blaine laughed lightly.
"I'm sick and tired of you. You have until this evening or you are out on the street," the man spat.
"No no no, please, I'm doing what I can. You know I was robbed last month and it's difficult to get back on my feet. Just give me more time, I can–"
Mr. Jenkins raised his hand to signal to him to stop talking. "I've been too nice to you. Pay or get out," he said and turned on his heel, but not before snatching the cash out of Blaine's hand.
Before closing the door, Blaine didn't miss a pleased smirk on his next door neighbour's face as she walked into her apartment after pretending to have had trouble unlocking her door. She just so happened to overpower the lock as soon as his conversation with the landlord was over.
Back in the apartment, Blaine collapsed on his unmade bed and covered his face, trying to think. He already owed the man for three months and he couldn't think of a way to make so much money in one day. When thoughts about selling organs on a black market crossed his mind, he knew it was time to distract himself by doing something else. Showering sounded like a good idea.
Leaving his dirty boxer-briefs on the floor, Blaine made his way into the bathroom that was just a few steps away from the bedroom. There were some advantages to renting a tiny apartment after all.
One look at the mirror on the cabinet door was enough to tell why the landlord had looked so disgusted upon seeing him. Aside from reddened eyes and swollen eyelids that could easily be fixed with some tea bags and ice water, there was some serious bruising on his neck that would not go unnoticed without concealer. A quick look into the cabinet reminded Blaine that he had inconveniently run out of it a few days prior. With a sigh, he closed the cabinet door and climbed into the bathtub. Cold water would make him feel more awake, and then he could think more clearly. At least that's what he hoped for.
When he turned the water on, nothing came out of the showerhead. He thumped the pipe in disgust. A few drops appeared, and then, with a coughing sound, brownish water started pouring down on him, as if he needed more bad luck. Blaine wrinkled his nose, but didn't move away. He needed to clean up as well as he could, and if the pipes were acting up once again, there wouldn't be any clean water for several hours. He had to do what he had to do with the resources he had. On the bright side, this time there was no unpleasant smell accompanying the dirty water.
The wash-up didn't take long, even though Blaine took extra time washing his thinning hair. One of the girls from the corner that he frequented had sworn that massaging the scalp strengthened the roots and kept hair from falling out excessively. And while Blaine wasn't quick to believe her, it was either this or costly vitamins, so he decided to give it a try.
In the bedroom, Blaine stood naked in front of a tall wall mirror and took in the damage. It wasn't as bad as he had thought. Apart from the hand size marks on his neck, he had several bruises on his hips and a bite mark around his left nipple, but the rest of his body was in a reasonably good condition. He had been getting a little underweight in recent months, but people still found him attractive, so it hadn't caused any problems for him. At least not yet.
Next on his list was the concealer hunt. And he knew just the right person who could help him. It wasn't a friend. But, it was the next best thing.
The girl, Kitty, lived downstairs, so Blaine went to the familiar apartment, but refrained from knocking. Moans coming from inside stopped him. He waited silently by the door for a couple more minutes before a very happy man left. Only then did he knock.
The door opened immediately and the girl appeared in her skimpy outfit. "Missed me alrea–" she began purring before recognising Blaine. "Oh hey, midget, thought my client came back for more," the girl said. She didn't wait for response and spoke again as soon as she noticed the marks on his neck. "Oh, look at you, someone got pretty rough last night, huh?" she asked with a teasing smile, which did a poor job at masking the empathy in her voice.
"More like last night and this morning," Blaine rolled his eyes and leaned on the door frame for support.
"Ouch," Kitty scrunched up her nose in disgust and frowned. "I hate breathplay. I prefer my lungs full and properly functioning."
"Not like I had a choice. The client paid quite well," Blaine shrugged. "I came here to ask for a favour. I'm out of concealer. Could you lend me some, please?"
"Well, I don't know if you deserve it…" Kitty said slowly, as if she was considering the request.
"Fuck, Kitty, I'm not in a mood for this shit. I'm already having a bad day," Blaine said angrily. He hadn't planned to do so, but once he started talking, he no longer had control over his voice.
Kitty's eyes widened and she raised her hands in mock defence. "Geez, sorry for joking," she said, and disappeared into her apartment. Moments later she came back with said item and after Blaine muttered a thank you, she asked, "What crawled up your ass and died?"
Blaine sighed heavily. "Mr. Jerkings kicked me out. Well, he will, because there is no way I can make a few months' worth of rent until this evening. This is bullshit…"
"Damn, whatcha gonna do?"
"I'll figure something out, as always. Maybe it's for the best. If he lets me off the hook I won't need to worry about this debt. And I'll just rent another deluxe apartment in this prestigious neighbourhood," Blaine forced a laugh.
"You could proposition him. Whenever I'm late with rent, a blowjob always helps keep him satisfied until I can pay," Kitty offered, imitating a blowjob with her tongue.
"Do you think I haven't tried? I even offered to let him fuck me, but he is not into the whole, quote, "sick perversion". So yeah, he isn't really an "a hole is a hole" kind of man," Blaine said. While he was a little disappointed he couldn't use his talents to postpone the payment, he was more relieved he didn't need to go through that.
"You do have the necklaces the rich creepo gave you. They are probably worth something," Kitty suggested.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about the jewellery that was hidden in the special box under his work gear. It had crossed his mind before, but he couldn't bring himself to part with the necklaces. In some twisted way, they made Blaine feel special, even cared for. This man didn't just fuck him and kick him out; he took his time to select a small gift for him every time they met up. Sometimes, after a particularly draining night, Blaine would wear one of them to bed, pretending it was a gift from his boyfriend whom he would see the following day. The comfort those little pieces of jewellery provided him meant more than some quick cash.
"I'm saving them for when things get really bad. Now they are just mediocre," Blaine said, toying with the concealer in his hands, the label suddenly becoming the most interesting thing in the world.
"Suit yourself. I need to go get ready for another client," Kitty said with a yawn. "You can keep the concealer; there is very little left anyway."
"Thanks. Have fun…" Blaine said their usual goodbye whenever one of them was going to work.
"Sure. And do something to your eyes," the girl said before shutting the door.
Blaine got back to his apartment just in time to hear his old phone ring. He raced to the nightstand and saw the name on the screen.
John Travis
"Shit, shit, shit," Blaine cursed before picking up. "Andrew speaking."
"Good afternoon, Andrew, this is Mr. Travis' maid speaking," a female voice said. "You were expected to arrive five minutes ago. I would like to check if you are going to make it today at all?"
"Yes, I'm on my way already. Traffic is awful today," he lied. "I'll be there soon."
"I will let Mr Travis know," the girl said and hung up.
"Shit, shit, shit," Blaine repeated his mantra.
The short conversation made his heart beat like crazy. There was no time for the concealer and definitely not for the tea bag procedure for his eyes. At least he was dressed and could leave right away. As much as he hated John Travis, he couldn't afford losing him. After all, he was one of the best paying regulars
John Travis was a successful businessman in his early forties. They had met at the library he funded and Blaine often visited. He'd been reading a booklet about New York when he felt someone looking over his shoulder. Blaine was about to tell this someone off, but the bright smile that was directed at him made him forget why he was angry in the first place.
One coffee and a proposition later, Blaine's naïve romantic hopes were shattered and the deal was made. They agreed to meet up once a fortnight at the same time for a couple hours. The man didn't give him any other details and Blaine was definitely not ready for the strange instructions over the phone made by his maid. The first time with Travis had been the most uncanny experience and Blaine had considered never going back to him, but two weeks later he was short on money as always, so he ignored the sick feeling in his stomach and went back.
It helped that the man was rather handsome. At first Blaine even felt attracted to him, but not after his discoveries. While gallant and highly intelligent, John Travis was sick in his mind. That was the only explanation Blaine could come up with. Every time with him left Blaine humiliated to a point where he couldn't look in a mirror and often ignored the world the next day in his need to emotionally, and sometimes physically, recover.
There was no getting used to their meet-ups. Every time was a different kind of surprise as well as mental torture. Whether it was a water enema to make him look pregnant, or a pig tail plug, there was no way to get ready for what was coming. Not when the client loved the element of surprise.
He hoped that the man would leave him in one piece this time, because whether he was mentally prepared or not, he would have to go looking for a new place to live. Being exhausted, however, was a small issue compared to his financial situation. Even with all his savings and the payment from Travis, he wasn't sure he could afford to pay a deposit together with the first month's rent.
As Blaine left the apartment building, breaking news from the local radio station drifted out of a first-floor window and caught his ear.
"…now for the local crime news. Yesterday, a group of kayakers found a male body in the Chicago River. The corpse was identified as Terry Brown, a person well-known by CPD. He had been arrested for drug dealing and battery twice. Prime theory is suicide since the body shows no signs of violence, but further investigation will tell more.
"Onto the brighter stories. Today is the last…"
Distracted, he nearly bumped into an old lady from his floor who greeted him with a smile. "Hello, Andrew boy."
"Hi, Mrs Mullen. Bye, Mrs Mullen," he shouted, and broke into a run. He felt bad for not chatting with the lonely lady, but couldn't spare time.
When he reached Travis' mansion fifteen minutes later, he was out of breath from running, and sweating like a pig. The maid looked at him, unimpressed, but let him in without a word. Blaine thanked her and went straight to the guest room where he was expected to change into the clothes chosen by his client.
When he entered the guest room, he was surprised to find Travis sitting in an armchair with the usual glass of whiskey in his hand, his suit as impeccable as always. Blaine wanted nothing more than to ask why the man was there, especially when he was looking so intently at him, but he didn't. His dark eyes showed him just how angry the man was under his calm exterior.
"Just ignore me, darling," Travis said, taking a small sip of his drink. "I want to watch you getting ready. Nothing out of ordinary, do things the way you would do them if I wasn't here. And just so you know, you lost your safe-word privileges by being late."
Blaine nodded curtly, fear settling in his stomach. He was afraid of what the man's words and tone meant, but he had to go through with this. He just had to.
On the bed he found several items. There was a bright red sleeveless dress. He took it and measured it to himself to find that it was just above his knees. Nearby, he saw a shining blonde wig. It was his fifth time with Travis and this fantasy of his hadn't changed. He wondered what his name was going to be this time. And most of all, what this girl's backstory would be. Last time Maia was a nymphomaniac. With itching powder between his ass cheeks and his hands tied tightly behind his back, the only way to scratch himself was by rubbing himself on various objects, supporting Travis' story that Maia was a sex addict.
Blaine was close to tears when he saw a cock plug next to the wig. It was short and luckily not too thick, but Blaine had experience with cock plugs before, and it never went well. It was uncomfortable, painful even, and left his cock sensitive for several days afterwards. He didn't want a repeat of that.
He didn't mind the cock ring that sat next to the plug.
Ignoring the silver pieces, Blaine got out of his clothes and put them neatly on a dresser, feeling Travis' eyes on him the whole time. Even after years of selling his body, Blaine still couldn't get used to hungry stares. He felt more vulnerable than when he had someone using him.
"Gorgeous," Travis whispered, pinching Blaine's ass as he passed by.
With trembling hands, Blaine picked up the plug and took a deep breath.
"Faster!" the man shouted, and a shattering sound rang through the room. When Blaine dared to look, he saw little pieces of glass covering the ground.
He didn't have to be told twice. Soon his cock was plugged and firmly tied.
"Dress up. I'll be waiting for you upstairs… Alison," Travis said and walked out of the room, closing the door.
Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling between his legs, Blaine picked up the dress and put it on. It was rather tight, but he knew he wouldn't be wearing it for long so it didn't matter. He then picked up the wig and put it on expertly. After several sessions with Travis, Blaine already had a hang on it.
When all was done, Blaine looked at himself in the mirror and grimaced. He had once played a woman in an all-boys school play, but he could have never thought, back in the day, that he would be wearing dresses and wigs for a middle-aged man's pleasure. Apparently everything could be bought, even his dignity.
He left the room, feeling as if he was going to his own execution. On the way to Travis' room, he came face to face with the maid. Blaine lowered his head in shame and walked passed her quickly. He didn't look up until he reached the man's bedroom. He knocked and moments later the door was opened for him.
"Ah, Alison, darling, I'm so glad you could make it. Come in," Travis smiled deviously at him.
And then it began. Whips, paddles, crops, nipple clamps, shock wands, just to name a few torture devices. He had never cried so much during a session with a client before. It was a life-time lesson – don't ever be late for anything.
"I don't often curse, especially not in front of other people, but damn. I must say I had quite an enjoyable experience," Travis said when he was finally untying Blaine's wrists from the bedpost. "Ah, the ropes were tied too tightly, my apologies. I hope it didn't bring you discomfort."
Blaine shook his head weakly. His body felt heavy, but he couldn't focus on anything except for his backside, which was pulsing in waves of hot pain. He felt pins and needles in his hands as his circulation was restored.
"Stay here; I'll be right back," the man ordered, and left, but soon came back. Blaine whimpered when he felt something cold being applied to his hurting body. "This shall help with the pain. I must admit I went overboard with the whip. Again, I apologise for my behaviour. I could not stop myself as soon as I caught a sight of your reddening skin. You are a masterwork, darling."
Blaine whimpered as his client continued massaging his lower body. Whatever was used on him was giving him a cooling sensation, but the rough skin of Travis' palms intensified the pain. He tried going to his happy place again, but as soon as a harsh slap landed on one of his ass cheeks, he couldn't help but stay in reality. He lost count at nine.
"Alright," Travis straightened up after a while. "That was a great workout, thank you."
"It was my pleasure," Blaine whispered hoarsely. He knew it would please the client.
The man lit up a cigarette and blew the smoke out at him. "So, how is school going on?" he asked conversationally, as if he hadn't just brought him immense pain.
"I'm working on it," Blaine said weakly.
"That's good… And what are your plans for New York? Still planning on moving sometime soon?"
"Yes. Just need to save some money first," Blaine said. Every time they were together, Travis would ask the same thing, and Blaine's answer never changed. He didn't know why he bothered asking by now.
"Someone as talented as you should have no problem with that. If you charge everyone as much as you charge me, you should be rich by now," he laughed. Blaine didn't think eighty bucks were too much for what he had to endure. "I'm sure you are wise enough to put away some of the money you earn?"
"I do," Blaine answered simply, knowing by now it was no use trying to explain that sometimes he could hardly survive on what he made, let alone save money.
"That's good," the man said. Cigarette ash drifted down onto Blaine's body. "I didn't become a successful businessman by spending everything I earned. Of course, it might be difficult for such a slut like you to comprehend… I mean, understand it."
"I understand," Blaine responded before even thinking.
"Don't you talk back at me, you slut!" the man growled. He took a calming breath and smiled at him. "Hm… I have a gift for you. I know it's yet another necklace, but you are probably the only person I know who will appreciate them."
Travis took a blue jewellery box out of the nightstand and gave it to Blaine, who got onto his elbows and opened it right away, well aware of how much the man liked being praised for his good taste. The box revealed a necklace made of a large green stone with green flecks, hanging on a thin chain. Blaine turned it over to see a metal back, to which the stone must have been glued.
"It's lovely. Thank you," he said gratefully. Even if it wasn't the most beautiful necklace he had received from the man, he appreciated the gesture.
"This one is my favourite. I absolutely adore bloodstones. It goes nicely with the brass chain, don't you think? Quite exquisite. I got it custom made for you," he said.
Blaine tried to ignore the pain and focused on his gift. "Why would you do that for me?"
"Like I've said, I thought you might appreciate them."
"I do, really, but–"
"Shh, do not think too much. Put it on for me."
Blaine nodded. He couldn't argue. He didn't want Travis to think he was ungrateful and take the gift away. One day that necklace might be the only thing between starving and a hot meal. He put it on and Travis took the box away.
"Do you have anything scheduled after our session?" Travis asked.
"No."
The answer satisfied the man. "Wonderful. I'd love to go for round two if that's okay with you? After all, it's our last time together."
"Last one?" Blaine couldn't hide his surprise and disappointment. Travis always seemed to be satisfied by his services.
Travis laughed at his reaction. "What's wrong, got upset? I should have known. Sad you are losing an opportunity to get fucked, so hungry for it... I shouldn't even have to pay you, I'm sure you would put out for me for free."
"I wouldn't–"
The man rolled his eyes and stood up. "I'll pay you. I wouldn't want you going crazy on me. Go to the bathroom and freshen up. I'll be back with money in a moment."
After Travis left Blaine sighed in relief. He took several moments to compose himself, his momentary fear of not getting paid overwhelming him.
He pushed himself up and flinched after pain from his backside coursed through his whole body. In the bathroom, Blaine freed himself from the restraints. The ring went off easily, but the tip of his cock had started swelling a little due to the plug staying in for too long at an uncomfortable angle. Finally, though, there was nothing on or inside his body.
Blaine looked in the mirror to find that his eyes looked even worse than before. Having no other means of fixing his looks, Blaine splashed some water onto his face. While he waited for it to dry, he heard someone's steps in the room. He didn't want to face Travis just yet, so he stayed in his spot, waiting for the man to come get him. He didn't.
In the mirror, his eyes caught a movement from the other room, and Blaine saw a young stranger, close to his age. He hoped Travis didn't want a threesome; he hated being involved with more than one person. He could usually anticipate what someone would do if there were only two of them, but add someone else into the mix and he no longer knew what would happen. A bored person could find many ways to entertain themselves while his fuckhole was not available.
Another thought crossed his mind – this was probably his replacement. Travis had gotten tired of him and switched to a taller, more handsome guy. It explained why the man didn't want to see him anymore. Blaine didn't know how to feel about it. Sure, he was losing a rich client, but the idea of not seeing him ever again made him happy. He wondered if he should warn the poor guy about Travis' kinks.
He didn't have a chance though.
"What are you doing here?" Blaine heard Travis' raised voice.
Blaine frowned. Travis was clearly annoyed by the guy's presence. He looked at the pair, confused.
"Oh, John, hi. Long time no see," the man said with a cold smile. "How have you been?"
"What are you doing here?" Travis asked, and walked into Blaine's line of sight. He was surprised to see the man suddenly so pale.
"I was in the neighbourhood, thought I would pay a visit. I've heard you have something I might be interested in…" the man's smile and dark eyes sent chills through Blaine's body. "You've got yourself some company?" he asked, looking around at the messy room.
"I had some company. The maid hasn't had time to clean up yet."
"I see…" the man nodded thoughtfully. "So, that thing I should be interested in… Where is it?"
Travis didn't move.
The man looked at him with disappointment. "Listen, John, I really have no time for this. I know you have that recording and if you don't give it to me… well, you saw exactly what happened to Terry. He also tested my patience."
"Oh, yeah, okay, now I know what you are talking about," Travis laughed nervously. "It's right here."
Blaine watched as his client walked somewhere out of the mirror's reach, and after some rustle he was back with a single disc case. He handed it to the man.
"Are there more copies?" the guy asked, opening the case.
"No. It's the only copy, I promise."
"You told anyone about this?"
"No, I swear. And I won't tell anyone. It's not like I have any proof anyway, right?" he laughed uneasily.
The man smiled. "Right. Thank you for your cooperation."
"Anything for a business partner," Travis said, relief vivid in his posture. "What would you say to a glass of wine? I have sent my maid to get me a bottle of–"
"I'd love to, but I have more important things to do," the stranger said, and moments later he was holding a gun pointed at Travis. Blaine clasped his hand over his mouth. "I'm sorry it has to end this way. My dad always appreciated your friendship."
"What? No, it doesn't have to end… I won't tell anyone, I swear! You can trust me," Travis pleaded, frantically looking around for an escape.
"Goodbye, John," the man said calmly, aiming at his heart.
Blaine held his breath.
Bang.
AN: It would be delightful to hear yours thoughts on this chapter/story :)