Justin smirked as he thought about his new idea, his new plan to get Josh to come to his house. It wasn’t like he needed a great excuse or anything because he was after all his slave, if Justin said he needed to come over Josh should come without question but he still needed a reason for Josh to come. He couldn’t just invite him over and say; I just want to hang out with you, I want your company. No he needed something for him to do, a reason for him to come over and then they could hang out together, that way Josh wouldn’t get suspicious. He looked at all the books and notes, folders that were piled on his desk, his agenda laying next to it. He hadn’t done a single homework assignment the past week but it was all with reason. Josh would come over tomorrow…

Saturday afternoon and Justin smiled as the doorbell rang. He went to get the door already knowing who he would find on the other side of it.

“Hey” he greeted nonchalantly, as always.

“Hi” Josh returned as he slowly stepped inside when Justin opened the door a little wider and stepped aside to let him in. Justin watched how Josh shrugged out of his jacket and hung it neatly on a coat hanger.

“Let’s go upstairs” Justin suggested, knowing Josh would follow anyway. As expected he did, when they reached Justin’s room Josh was only a few feet behind him. Josh slowly followed Justin inside.

“So… why did you need me to come over?” he asked a bit uncertain, a little nervous and also not at all knowing he wanted to know why he had to be here. Justin had left him alone for a few days after he’d had mowed the lawn but it didn’t last long. That Friday Justin had asked him to come over once again and Josh had simply nodded, changing his plans again.

I just want to hang out with you, Justin’s mind answered but his mouth formed other words.

“I got a few assignments that need to be done and well I don’t really feel like doing them” Josh’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“You mean you want me to do your homework?”

“Well yeah” Justin thought about it then only one answer came to mind; Josh was right.

Josh sighed.

“Which one?” Josh asked, very reluctant about fulfilling this task. It had only been a few days since he’d mowed the lawn and now he was back at Justin’s house, another job awaiting him.

“It’s all on my desk” Justin pointed towards his books and agenda. Josh almost dragged himself over to the designated place and bend over the agenda, seeing the same assignments he still had to do himself. Great, he’d have to do them twice.

“Paper and notebook are on your left, the textbooks are on your right and a pen; right in front of you” he smirked, a toothy grin. Josh growled inwardly but dropped himself in the chair, starting on the first assignment the one he liked best; science. Noticing how Justin dropped himself on the bed, his hands folded behind his head, watching him and doing nothing.

Justin got up and stretched, three hours later and Josh was still furiously writing, doing Justin’s homework. Justin was tired from watching him, he wasn’t tired of it, far from it, it was just a little tiring, laying down doing nothing teased his sleep senses only Josh kept him awake. He stalked towards him.

“How far are you?” Justin asked as he looked on over his shoulder. Josh didn’t reply, he’d just found the answer to question number five.

“How long is this gonna take?” he asked impatiently.

“I not only need to do your homework but I need to do it within a time frame?” Josh countered, stilling his writing and half turning in Justin’s direction.

“No” Justin huffed.

“Just a question” he said innocently. Josh sighed.

“I need about 30 more minutes”

The answer seemed to satisfy Justin, at least he beamed happily as he sat back on the bed, upright now and continued to watch Josh as he finished doing his work.

“Done” Josh said relieved, throwing down the pen and closing the text- and notebooks. Justin jumped up.

“Great! Thanks” he said enthusiastically. He had to admit having a slave had its benefits but that really wasn’t what he liked about it, it was who the slave was that he liked.

“Yeah” Josh mumbled.

“Hey you hungry?” Justin asked spontaneously, although it really wasn’t.

“A little” Josh answered before thinking.

“You want to get something to eat?”

“What now?”

“Yeah, let’s go to the mall, I’ll buy you diner”

“Um… I don’t know” Josh hesitated, he didn’t really want to go but it wasn’t about what he wanted. Justin was in charge and he seemed to know that too. His gaze said it all but Josh found a slight bit of insecurity in it.

“Fine” Josh shrugged before he got up, going out in front of Justin out the door. Justin followed with a satisfied smile, grabbing his wallet on the way.

“Do you expect me to get you diner?” Josh asked as he noticed Justin staring at him for a little too long. Justin had taken him to the mall and they were seated in one of the booths of this particular fast food joint.

“No” Justin simply shook his head.

“What do you want for diner?” Justin asked friendly, getting up, getting ready to get it. Josh looked at him pondering the question.

“Burger, fries, large coke” he told him, still thinking it was weird Justin would get this for him, not to mention pay; it looked like a date.

“Kay” Justin smiled before turning to the counter, ordering their diner.

Josh watched him go before staring at his back thinking how weird this was. Justin could be very kind but Josh couldn’t help but think it was a trap. Maybe it was unfair but he wasn’t going to give him the benefit of the doubt, he was this guy’s slave for God’s sake. It never hurt anybody to be careful so he wouldn’t get in any more trouble. Josh still eyed Justin’s back, watching how he stepped forward a little when the person in front of him left with their order. He didn’t understand why Justin had asked him to get something to eat. He didn’t understand how he could be Justin’s slave while at the same time Justin invited him to get something to eat, to watch TV together. Who would take their slave out to diner? Why would Justin want to hang out with him anyway?

“Here you go” Justin smiled as he set the tray in the middle of the table. Josh snapped out of his thoughts, eyeing the food before eyeing Justin.

“Thanks” Josh mumbled, starting on the fries. Justin smiled at him, Josh barely returned it before ducking his head, avoiding eye contact. They were both silent for a little while, pretending to be busy eating but Josh didn’t know what to say, didn’t even know if he wanted to talk and Justin didn’t know how to start. He wanted to get to know Josh and this would be a good time as any but he suddenly seemed to have lost the ability to communicate. He wondered what he should start with, he eyed Josh and ate his fries slowly, trying to think of something to open a conversation with.

“So… what do you like to do?” Justin asked finally after finishing his fries, eyeing him as he took the first bite of his hamburger. He hoped it wasn’t too personal or that Josh wouldn’t get angry, he hoped they could just talk.

“What do you care?” he asked suspiciously, popping another French fry into his mouth.

“I’m just curious” Justin told him innocently, however this time the innocence was sincere.

“Right” Josh snorted.

“What?” Justin questioned. Josh shook his head.

“Forget it”

“No what?” Justin insisted, he couldn’t stand it when people said forget it, it made him so curious about what they’d been meaning to say. Josh eyed him.

“Why would you even care?” he asked finally.

“About what?”

“About what I like to do” he said in a funny voice, mimicking Justin.

“I’m just asking, I’m not going to use it against you” Justin said, emphasis on the second part of his sentence, making them sound preposterous, forgetting the fact he was already using information against him.

“Wouldn’t be the first time” Josh countered, not forgetting that fact.

“Just chill okay, you don’t need to get all defensive on me, geez, just wanted to talk” Justin told him, realizing he’d forgot about that fact but a little angry Josh wouldn’t.

Josh sighed. “Fine” he conceded.

“If you want to talk that bad, you tell me what you like to do besides pestering me” Josh turned the question around. He wasn’t comfortable answering and if Justin wanted to talk; he should start. He couldn’t stop himself from adding the last part but Justin seemed to ignore it as he answered.

“Fine, I like to play basketball” Josh rolled his eyes.

“Something I don’t already know” Justin sighed.

“Alright well I play guitar” he revealed, somewhat shyly. This was indeed new, not a lot of people knew this.

“You do?” Josh asked. Justin nodded.

“Yes, your turn. What do you like to do?”

“I like to… paint” he revealed bashfully.

“You do?” Justin asked, amazed. He finally learned something new about his crush and he would have thought it to be dorky if someone said they painted but now that Josh did it he thought it was special and cute.

“Yeah” Josh returned with a duh tone of voice, he’d just said that.

“Cool” Justin said sincerely, eyeing him. Josh halted in mid bite, staring Justin right in the eye, seeing the sincerity and he ducked his head slowly. Justin smiled, hoping that one day he would be Josh’s inspiration for his painting and if he was really lucky; the person Josh would be painting.