"Thank you, have a great day!" The cashier at the mall handed Gus his card back with a large smile.

Her cheerfulness was infectious; Gus smiled back as he grabbed their last official purchase before college. "Thanks, we will."

He turned away from her quickly, not wanting to see if her expression changed at the inclusion of his slave. He held the purchase out to admire it. The cloth basket was large enough for several types of snacks, it was collapsible for easy packing, and -the best part- it had zippered pockets for Shawn to store things he didn't want Gus to see. They were small, but Gus was planning on giving Shawn a drawer too in their new room.

Gus handed it over to Shawn. "We'll buy snacks for it once we've unpacked, there's a convenience store just a few blocks from the dorm."

"Thanks," Shawn said softly as he took the basket and added it to the other bags hanging from his wrist. He'd seemed even more relaxed than the last time they'd gone shopping, but clearly he still had his limits. "I would have been fine without it…"

"And you'll be even better with it," Gus answered firmly. "Don't worry, I'm not going broke anytime soon."

Really, Shawn hadn't needed much. Half of the bags they were carrying were small things for both of them, like a travel chess board and a binder for their DVDs. And a hook for the leash, because Shawn had argued against the trash can idea.

Which was a shame; the idea of throwing the leash away over and over again still had its appeal.

"You know, if there was anything else you wanted, I'd be happy to get it for you," Gus offered as he let his nose guide him towards a heavenly smell. They needed a celebration snack.

"You've bought me anything I could need."

"Which is why I said 'want', not 'need'." He couldn't push it, but at the very least he could plant the idea that Shawn deserved more than just the bare minimum for life. "Do pretzels sound good?"

"Do birds fly?" Shawn asked back with a small smile.

Which meant yes, of course, but Gus couldn't let it slide. "Depends on the bird, there's some that can't."

Shawn's smile grew bigger, like he'd expected that response. "Yes, pretzels sound good."

"Good, because ostriches are weird."

"You're weird." Shawn's mouth clicked shut and he cringed back. "Sor-"

"Thank you," Gus interrupted the apology. He added a swagger to his step and thumbed his nose for good measure. "That's exactly what I was going for."

It took Shawn a few seconds to process before he relaxed again and gave his head a slight shake. "You know what other birds are weird? Blue Footed Boobies."

Gus snickered. "Great Tits are up there too."

"Well, yeah, it's what makes them great."

Gus felt his smile grow. Things were looking up.

"Guster!"

Gus froze at the yell, instantly recognizing the voice. Why'd he have to jinx himself?

"Burton Guster, it is you!"

Like a monster emerging from a swamp, the boy who'd ruined Gus' grade school years came into view. Jimmy had barely changed from that time. His face still had a perpetual scowl on it, his hands were still clenched into fists, and his glare still made Gus' whole existence lock up. And, apparently, he hadn't grown an inch since eighth grade.

"Heya, Barfbeetle, didja miss me?" Jimmy grinned up at him and punched Gus' arm. From the outside, it looked almost friendly. From the inside, Gus had to stop himself from showing weakness and grabbing the soon-to-be-bruised spot.

The hit was useful, at least, for snapping him out of his shocked daze. "J-Jimmy. Hi."

Damnit.

"Four years, and all he can say is 'Hi'," Jimmy snarked up to a hot blonde who'd followed him over.

That wasn't all Gus had to say. He'd planned for this, he'd even written a script for this very moment. Now he just had to remember it... "I heard th-that you flunked out of Highschool. Couldn't get anyone else to do your homework for you?"

That had sounded a lot cooler in his head…

"Pfft, I don't need no school. Not like some eggheaded losers." Jimmy surged forward, and Gus flinched back. Jimmy smirked at the reaction. "I got a girl" –he wrapped his arm around the blonde and pulled her to his side, his eyes gravitating sideways to the cleavage right in front of him– "and I got a job. What do you got?"

Gus had plenty more than that. He just had to figure out what they were. And make his words work right again. He was supposed to be better than this! He'd decided years ago to stop letting bullies win.

"That's what I thought." Jimmy's eyes bored through Gus before shifting to look behind him. "Looks like all you got is a measly slave." He looked up and told the blonde,"Don't worry, babe. I've got ten of them."

She rolled her eyes and went back to surfing on her phone and ignoring the conversation.

And Gus felt his stomach sink to the floor. He'd forgotten he wasn't alone. God, he was so pathetic. To be acting like this in front of Shawn of all people… He clenched the leash tighter and forced himself to act. "Good catchup. We were just leaving. So…"

He took a step sideways to go around them when Jimmy grabbed his arm. "What's the rush? We have plenty of time to find a trashcan and see if you still fit."

Gus wrenched his arm away, but before he could slow his racing thoughts enough to answer, another voice chimed in from behind him. "Does your job know you do drugs?"

Jimmy's menacing smile froze as he looked over at Shawn. "What?"

"Your job. Drugs. You. Did you tell them that you ate too many muffins, or did you just have your girl pee in a cup for you?" Shawn asked evenly. The blonde suddenly seemed more interested in the conversation, and Gus looked back in shock. Shawn was standing at attention, but his eyes were staring straight at Jimmy.

"You are going to talk to me?" Jimmy took a step forward in warning.

Shawn tilted his head and sounded almost curious as he asked, "Or was it not the blonde? Did you get the brunette to do it instead? She'd do all sorts of things for you…"

The blonde gasped at his words before finally breaking her silence. "I knew it! You and Sophia, all of this time! You promised me that she was just a trainer!"

Jimmy's face turned panicked, and he spun around to defend himself. "Veronica, baby, you know you're the only gal for me. She's nothing; she's just teaching me how to ride hors-"

"I bet she is," she spat out before slapping him across the face.

Jimmy stared after her as she strutted off, looking like he'd just discovered how geldings were made. His shock only lasted for a second before he spun around to glare at Shawn. "You son of a bitch!"

He rushed forward while pulling his fist back, and Gus acted with only one thought ringing through his mind: He wouldn't let Shawn be hurt by another bully.

He stepped between them, crowding into Jimmy's space without any thought of the fist ready to fly. "Back off."

Jimmy bared his teeth and glared at him, but it didn't have the same effect when he was having to crane his neck up to keep eye contact. Gus glared back and widened his stance, ready to take whatever was thrown at him. He wasn't letting his problems become Shawn's problems.

To his surprise, Jimmy's expression changed as the stand-off continued, a flicker of uncertainty tempering the anger. He rocked up onto his toes and pulled his fist back again, but the posturing was as translucent as wet tissue paper. Gus stood his ground, and the punch never flew.

"You're lucky I gotta catch up to my girl," Jimmy said eventually as he dropped his fist and stepped back. "You better watch yourself, Guster. If you're such a dillhole that you even need a slave to stand up for you…" He let the insult hang in the air as he jogged off after the blonde.

Gus' heart pounded and his hands started to shake as they unclenched. He'd just stood up to Jimmy Nickles. And hadn't died.

And Shawn had seen the whole thing.

Victory turned to shame as Gus stayed rooted in place. Shawn had stayed strong through everything that had been thrown at him; what gave Gus the right to be so affected by one school bully?

"Are you ok?" Shawn asked.

Damnit, damnit, damnit.

Gus pasted on a smile and turned around. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be? Sorry about-"

"Did you know Val Kilmer tried to sabotage his audition for Top Gun?" Shawn interrupted the apology.

Gus' jaw dropped at the ridiculous distraction. "What?"

"Yeah, his agent made him go." Shawn shrugged as he seemed to fight to keep his eyes up. "I just thought it was funny."

"It… is." Gus tentatively agreed. The conversation died as fast as it had come, but Shawn's message was clear. Gus shouldn't apologize. It probably wasn't the master-thing to do. But it was what Shawn wanted, so Gus would listen to him.

What was he supposed to say instead? What would normal-Gus say? "You know it's really not fair. The cheater down the block has three ladies, he has two… and I can't even get one!"

"He actually has none now." A smile started to grow on Shawn's face as he unclasped his hands. "He didn't have another girl."

"Wait, really?" Gus stared. "You made that up?"

"Everyone knows a brunette."

"You… You just…" Gus huffed a laugh at his wonderful, insane fr- slave. "You're a genius. I hope you know that."

A genius who'd been beat down so many times and was still willing to take another hit because Gus couldn't handle his own crap.

Shawn looked like he was about to say something before stopping himself with a small headshake. He seemed to fight with himself before tentatively saying, "Thanks."

There was definitely a slave-ism in there, one that Gus wasn't going to give a foothold to. "You're welcome, and I mean it. Still want pretzels?"

Shawn relaxed and nodded. "Yeah. Can… Are we getting cheese?"

"Of course we're getting cheese." Gus walked towards the food shop. "There isn't any other way to eat them."

He was going to buy Shawn the biggest pretzel there was, and enough cheese to dunk every piece twice and still have leftovers. He deserved everything he could ever want.

It was their last Saturday before school started, and Gus' parents were acting suspicious. Sure, they were eating breakfast like normal, and there was small talk about what they were going to do this week… but everything was off. Like they were just biding their time until they could corner him unawares.

It was almost a relief when his father stood up after the meal and said, "Once you're done, come to the living room. Your mother and I have something to discuss with you."

Gus eyed him up in suspicion. "Am I in trouble?"

"Nope," his father answered cheerfully. "Just some last minute things to figure out before you leave."

Gus traded a glance with Shawn, who gave him an encouraging smile before standing up to start cleaning. Gus took a calming breath and finished his last few bites before taking his plate to the sink. "Wish me luck…"

"Good luck," Shawn answered as he held up a soapy thumbs up.

Gus' parents were already situated on the couch, and he took his expected spot on the chair closest to them. He sat at the very edge and folded his hands in his lap. "So… What's this about?"

His parents exchanged a look, and his mother nodded for his father to go first. "Son, you're about to start a new part of your life. You're going to learn a lot, you're going to grow a lot, and you're going to be responsible for your own decisions. It's a big moment."

"I'm not leaving for two more days," Gus pointed out.

"A Big moment," his dad repeated with a wide smile. "We just wanted to let you know that if you need anything, we're always just a phone call away. So, make sure you have fun."

"But don't forget your studies," his mother added.

"And get new experiences."

"But not in the shady places."

"And go to all of your classes."

"But not if you're sick."

"And maybe meet a nice girl."

"But don't take her to your room."

"And don't let your education get in the way of your learning."

His mother frowned and asked what Gus was thinking. "What does that even mean?"

"It means" –his father put his hand over hers– "we're proud of you and we want you to live your best life."

The sentiment was touching, but was their vision of Gus' best life the same as his? He smiled and started to stand up. "Thanks. So, if that's all-"

"Now!" his mother interrupted him. "Let's talk a few small details."

Gus sighed and sat back down.

His mother ticked the items off on her fingers. "Nan sent you a care package; make sure to visit her before you leave. Marge is bringing a cake to church to celebrate; be polite and at least have a piece. We think it'd be best if Shawn stayed with us while you're at school. And the move-in day will be terribly busy; we'd best get an early start."

"Wait, what?" Gus stared at his mother; she couldn't be serious.

"It'll only get busier the later we go," she explained. "We could get up an hour earlier and-"

"No. The part about Shawn." Exactly how hard of a concept was it, that Shawn wasn't theirs?

"We think it would be better for Shawn if he was left here," his mother answered in an even voice. "College is a new environment, it's busy, and he'd be stuck in your room most of the time."

"Remember what we said about slaves?" his father added, almost like they were following a script. "They're only happy when they have something to do. There's just not that much to do in a dorm room. How will he fill his time or find fulfillment while you're learning and meeting new people?"

"We know that your little friendship is important to you, but what happens when you're always rushing to your room after class? When all of your free time is spent playing with-" his mother corrected herself off at a warning tap from her husband. "-is spent hanging out with Shawn? We can be a safe place for him to be taken care of, and you can come home to visit with him when you have time."

The blood pounding in Gus' ears blocked out anything else they might say. Did they seriously think he'd let this fly? "Shawn stays with me." He met his mother's eyes, making sure she'd hear the hidden warning. "That's not up for debate."

Her lips tightened, but she gave him a small nod of understanding. "In that case, I want-" his father's hand tapped her again. She sighed and started over. "We would like it, then, if we could at least borrow Shawn for when clients are over. He'll get a good meal, your father will make a good impression, and we'll bring him back to you the next morning." She smiled sweetly. "Or you could come with him and we could have a lovely family weekend."

Gus gritted teeth. ''Lovely' wasn't the word he'd use.

God, he wanted to yell at them so bad. Even after all of this time, they still wanted the same exact things instead of learning to be better. But they had given in and agreed to let Shawn stay with him without a fight. Was one crappy night a month something he could realistically fight after that? And he could come home too and make sure it was as un-crappy as possible, and it gave his mother enough of what she wanted so she wouldn't be tempted to sell Shawn…

His father's lips twitched up, and Gus saw the trap he'd fallen into. They'd asked for more than they'd thought they'd get… And damn, it really was effective. But two could play at that game.

"Fine," he answered calmly. "But Shawn gets to do it without orders from you. Actually, we would like you both to be taken off of his collar, period."

His mother gasped, but his father just gave him a calculating look. "What would stop him from causing a ruckus without orders?"

"By your logic, he'll be itching to have jobs to do. You'll be 'fulfilling' him," Gus shot back. "Why would he fight that?"

His father grinned proudly even though his voice stayed serious. "If he causes any trouble, you'll be the one responsible."

"Bill!" his mother argued.

He didn't look away from Gus as he answered, "The boy's gotta take responsibility sometime, Winnie. We can't protect him forever."

"I accept," Gus answered immediately.

"That also means you'll have to be the one to discipline him and order him to behave if he does act out."

"I know."

His father nodded. "Then I guess we'll have to get up even earlier on Monday, if we're going to be taking care of the collar controls too."

It would be really nice if the blood rushing in his ears would quiet down enough to fully process what had just been said to him. His idea had worked? He was really going to be the only one in charge of Shawn? "Y-yeah. I guess so."

His mother sniffed as her lips trembled. "Our baby boy is getting all grown up."

"I'm eighteen…" Gus defended himself automatically, still on a high from actually winning a fight for once.

"I know," she agreed as her eyes started to fill. She fanned herself as she stood up. "Goodness, I need to make a pie. You should… make sure you're packed. And don't forget your underwear."

"Oh my god, Mom!" Gus threw his hands into the air and stood up. Going to his room did sound like a good idea.

He heard his mother's voice from the kitchen when he reached the stairs. "Go and take your break now, I'll have more dishes when you come back down."

Gus' steps were light as he led Shawn to his room. He had good news to share.

"You overheard all of it?"

It really shouldn't be a surprise, but it would have been so nice to see Shawn's face when he learned he'd have two fewer owners.

"Sorry…" Shawn mixed up the Rubik's cube that he'd grabbed before sitting on the bed. "I can pretend like I didn't hear if you want to tell me anyways."

"Thanks, but it's just not the same." Gus sighed. "Well, any questions, thoughts, concerns…?"

Shawn spun the whole cube in his hands. "It's ok, if you have to order me to behave. I know you don't like it, but slaves need-"

Gus cleared his throat loudly.

Shawn frowned before reluctantly amending the phrase. "It's hard, being good without orders."

It was messed up, it shouldn't be a thing, but it was also important that Shawn had been able to say it. Gus thought hard before coming up with a compromise. "What if we talk about it the day before we come back home. And you can decide what orders will help."

"... I'd be ordering myself?" Shawn asked, looking like he was testing the words and finding them distasteful.

"Basically, yeah," Gus agreed. He'd make the orders if that was what Shawn needed, but from where he was sitting it seemed like an ideal solution. He grinned and pointed out, "It's better than Mom or Dad being able to do it."

Shawn's disquiet expression softened with a small smile. "I… didn't actually think they'd go for that."

"Me, either," Gus admitted. "I guess you really did get on Mom's good side with the photos."

Shawn nodded, his hands working the Rubik's cube, one side slowly turning a solid color before dissolving back to chaos. Gus waited him out, recognizing the look when Shawn was fighting his slave instincts to not say something.

Predictably, Shawn let out a huff as the cube fell motionless in his hands. He looked up to meet Gus' eyes and asked, "Why didn't you correct your mother?"

"Correct her on what?" Gus asked in confusion. What hadn't he fought her on?

"She said that our 'little friendship' was important to you. But you don't want us to be friends." Shawn's voice grew more intense as he x-rayed Gus' face. "So, why didn't you correct her?"

And Gus' mind went blank. It followed his rules, Shawn was the one bringing it up. But it was too soon, he wasn't ready, he hadn't thought it'd actually happen, what was he supposed to say now? "I-It's not that I don't want us to be friends."

He was doing this? Fuck, he was doing this.

Gus took a deep breath and focused on the list he'd written over a month ago. "Friendship needs a bunch of stuff, and some of it is impossible with me having all of the control. It's more that we shouldn't be friends. For now, anyway. It just… didn't seem like something Mom would understand, so I focused on the other stuff."

Shawn's eyes didn't stop their relentless gaze. "What does friendship need?"

It was unnerving to be stared at for that long. "Lots of stuff. Being equals, being able to help each other, being able to set boundaries or say no to each other. Trust, patience, being able to say when the other's wrong…"

"Why?" Shawn asked, his expression turning bemused.

"What do you mean, 'Why'? It's what friendship needs," Gus defended himself.

"Friends are… they're friends. Why would you need a list for that?"

"Because things get a bit more complicated when you literally own the person you want to be friends with, Shawn," Gus snapped back. Why couldn't Shawn see the dilemma in front of them?

"Slave, not a person," Shawn corrected mildly.

Gus pointed at him. "That is not the point, and you know it."

Shawn tried to hide a smile, which was so wrong after saying something like that. "Why are you ok with being a weird master, but not being a weird friend?"

"I… uh…" Gus' brain overloaded again. They weren't the same thing, right? Both of them were because he wanted to respect Shawn. Except Shawn seemed to be ok with the whole friend thing, and was he actually overthinking this too much? But he had reasons. Good reasons, that made all sorts of sense.

"You've broken all sorts of rules already," Shawn pointed out, like he could hear Gus' thoughts. Which, honestly, his thoughts were so loud he might actually be transmitting them.

And he had broken rules, hadn't he. Master rules, slave rules, family rules, even law rules. Were his own rules really that infalible? He'd never had someone around like Shawn before. Someone who'd stand up to bullies for him, or teach him how to do new things, or show him a new way to look at things, or did something crazy with him. He'd never felt so accepted or seen by anyone else or…

Oh.

Oh.

Gus could see it in Shawn's eyes that he knew it too. He still had to ask, "... How long have we been friends?"

Shawn's face lit up with a smile. "Not sure. Somewhere between three days and a month."

"Yeah, that tracks," Gus said faintly. The room felt like it was spinning, but he wasn't dizzy. So much thinking, so much planning, all for something that was already right in front of him. "I'm such an idiot."

"Not usually," Shawn tried to console him. "And if it makes you feel better, I only figured it out a few days ago."

"Huh." Gus looked around, the future suddenly seeming bigger and full of possibility. "Now what?"

Now…" Shawn hummed thoughtfully. "Now, we make sure you remember to pack your underwear."

Gus couldn't help it, he burst into a fit of giggles. Shawn only lasted a second before joining him. The world outside sucked. But in their room, at this moment, everything was perfect.

That night, Gus danced.

He felt weightless as his feet made music and his body told a story. Practiced movements flowed like his muscles had a mind of their own, and the vibrations from his feet resonated with his pulse, reminding him with every beat just how alive he was.

The heat from the stage lights embraced him, the sound of the music surrounded him, and every perfectly-time tap added to the euphoria rushing through his veins. He finished a combo that let him face the audience again, and he looked past the bright haze of the lights and the faint faces of his family. He looked towards the back, where he knew another set of eyes were watching him.

His performance smile grew and he spun, keeping his eyes locked on that spot for as long as possible before using the momentum from the turn to snap his head around in a well-practiced move.

His eyes found the spot again, and the pure joy of the moment guided his feet through the most complicated combo of the song. It didn't matter who else was watching; he knew who he was dancing for.

Shawn's master danced.

It wasn't like it was a surprise that Gus was good; when he put his mind to something, nothing could stand in his way. But Shawn hadn't expected just how good he was. Gus had always practiced behind closed doors and downplayed his skills.

Now, it was on full display. Gus' graceful movements seemed effortless as each one seamlessly tied into the next. The rhythm from his feet was always changing, always complimenting the music and combining the visuals and sounds into one all-encompassing performance. But none of that could compare to the sheer confidence he showed on stage.

It was a side of Gus that Shawn had seen hints of, but it had never been so blatantly shown.

Gus spun quickly, the smooth movement making it seem like his face never moved away from the crowd. The spins stopped suddenly with a quick kick, and Gus' eyes unerringly found Shawn's again. If anyone in the audience looked back, they'd see a kneeling slave with his eyes locked on the stage and an awed smile stretching across his face in a very un-slave-like way. And Shawn didn't give a damn.

He wasn't going to miss a second of this.

The song gained energy, building through a final triumphant chorus. Gus' movements followed its prompting. The flairs grew flashier as the taps sped up, the individual clicks rolling together into a crescendo that ended with a final stomp and a victorious pose.

Applause filled the small theatre along with several whoops. Shawn didn't dare join in, but he kept his eyes locked with Gus' for as long as he could before the bodies of the crowd obscured his view. He looked around one last time before returning to his proper slave position. More and more members of the audience stood as they clapped, and Shawn smiled for his friend as he bowed his head.

Gus had earned his standing ovation.

Shawn shrugged out of the backpack hanging from his shoulders, depositing it gently next to the stack of boxes that he'd carried into the dorm room. It was his last trip, and he was barely winded. The last three months had been good for his health.

Mrs. Guster's voice fretted behind him. "Now, remember that Freshmen orientation is tomorrow. And make sure to introduce yourself to your RA. And try to make friends. And don't stay up too late…"

Gus groaned, cutting off his mother's list. "Mom, I'm fine. You've told me all of this at least three times."

Shawn moved to the foot of the bed and stood at attention; it was the closest he could get to a corner with Gus' pile of suitcases and boxes taking up the space.

"I just want to make sure you're ok. You are ok, right? Do you want to go home? You could still commute…"

"We've already bought everything, I am not commuting," Gus said firmly. His voice softened as he gave his mother a hug. "I'll be fine, I promise. And I'll call you tonight, alright?"

Mrs. Guster sniffed as she hugged him back. "Every night. Six o'clock sharp."

"Every night, six o'clock, for a week," Gus quickly bargained.

"Winnie, it's time to go," Mr. Guster cut in before they could schedule out calls for the rest of the year.

She gave Gus an extra squeeze before finally stepping away. Towards Shawn. Her finger poked him into his chest as she ordered, "You will take care of my boy. I will hear about it if you cause any trouble."

"Yes, Ma'am." His collar wouldn't enforce her orders anymore, but she was still plenty intimidating on her own.

"Good." She looked around, her hands twitching like they wanted to hold a rolling pin. "I'm good. Burton, are you sure you don't need anything else?"

"We're good, Mom. I promise."

"Ok, ok… Good luck with the start of classes, we'll see you in three weeks, and we love you."

"I love you guys too." Gus' hand reached for the knob of the open door. "I'll see you in three weeks."

Mrs. Guster nodded, not moving as she kept looking around. "Did you remember to pack-"

"Winnie!"

"Mom!"

She huffed and finally walked through the door. "Oh, fine, I'm going, I'm going…"

Gus closed the door on his parents and slouched against it. "I thought they'd never leave…"

Shawn snickered and let his hands drop to his side. "But what if you'd forgotten to pack your favorite pajamas?"

"Ugh. Don't give her ideas." Gus looked around the room that would be their home for the next 9 months and the weight of the moment settled over them. It was just the two of them now. Gus let out a breath and said, "So. College."

"Yep," Shawn agreed quietly.

"Lots of changes."

"So many."

"We're probably going to mess a bunch of stuff up."

"Definitely."

"... You good?"

Shawn smiled, finally understanding why Gus always asked that. "Yeah, I'm good. You?"

Gus grinned back. "Couldn't be better."

The two friends traded a fist bump before turning to unpack the boxes.

(3 months ago)

Shawn's knees burned as the heat from the pier sank deep into his bones, radiating outward through his skin. Sweat ran along the edge of the leather strapped to his face and down his back, stinging in the welts and sores hidden under his dark shirt. He tried to soak in as much as he could; who knew when he'd be outside again.

The vendor was taking care of another sale, giving Shawn a chance to take in more of the world. He quickly glanced up and back down, using his memory to check the snapshot of time he'd been able to take.

Not many people were this deep into the discount slave area. The man talking to the vendor worked for a factory. An older man walking past was looking for new blood to keep the streets clean. A blonde ignoring a leering vendor was looking for a male on the younger side.

Did any of that actually matter? They were masters, he was a slave. They were all the same.

His legs itched, the feeling spiking deep into his skin with the overwhelming urge to scratch the stings. He stayed still; a slave didn't fidget. He glanced up again for a distraction and jolted when he saw the blonde looking right at him. She shook her curls out of her face to look closer, and a large grin split her face. Shawn quickly looked back down again. Anyone who smiled like that at a slave was someone to avoid.

But that didn't matter, not really. She was just a master.

That didn't stop his shoulder muscles from relaxing slightly when he saw she'd moved on the next time he glanced up. A new person was in view now, a dark-skinned teenager who looked like he was fighting a queasy stomach. What did he want?

The teen didn't seem to be looking for anything in particular, just wandering, but he clearly didn't like what he saw. He was probably the type of master who'd punish a slave just for existing.

Except he didn't seem the type.

At Shawn's next look, the teen had moved closer and was staring right at him. Shawn snapped his eyes down as he swallowed reflexively against the gag that kept pulling people's attention. A slave shouldn't be noticed. The spikes dug further into his tongue at the movement, and his mouth slowly filled with blood that he'd have to swallow down again.

Footsteps approached him, and Shawn tried to make himself invisible. His moment of safety was over. The vendor sat back down, his hand immediately reaching out to run through Shawn's hair. Shawn kept himself still, smothering his small voice before it could cause trouble.

The hand suddenly yanked his hair tight, and the other hand followed it, running under Shawn's shirt and caressing his chest where his surgery scar was. It set his teeth on edge, but it didn't hurt. Not like his back or legs. It didn't matter.

His temporary master whispered in his ear. "Only a few more hours. Then I'll be able to take you home, and I will ruin you."

After all of this time, the words still sent a bolt of fear through him. He'd barely survived his last master. Even if he somehow managed to wake up tomorrow as himself, how many more days until he didn't? Maybe it would be easier if he stopped fighting the inevitable.

The vendor's hand started to move lower when a voice made it pause.

"I want to buy him."

It was the teen. He didn't look queasy anymore.

The hand went away as the vendor sneered, "Sorry, kid. But we don't sell to minors."

"I'm eighteen, and I want to buy that slave."

The people bartered over Shawn's head, and he had a strange realization as the teen pulled a fast one over the vendor. He should want the vendor to win; he already knew how to make that master happy. Masters were just masters. But he was hoping the teen would win…

It didn't make sense.

A card was swiped, a cheerful notification played, and cold fear overrode the heat from the sun. Shawn had a new master now.

Pain erupted across his back as he was yanked to the ground, and his small voice used that distraction to remind him of a promise he'd made years ago. The last promise he'd made as a person.

"Say hello to your new master."

No matter what the future held, he had to survive.

A/N: We did it! The slowburn is done! I believe we are about halfway through the fic, though I may be a bit off. Anyone who's read my stuff before knows that I pretty much always guess wrong on how long a fic will be, hah. I'll be taking a short month-long hiatus before starting the college arc so I can move into my new place without worrying about update schedules.

The next chapter will be posted Aug 23rd (CST). It's a shorter interlude chapter with a few answers about Shawn's past.

If anyone wants off of the story train, this is probably your best stop. Thanks so much for reading this far! If you're sticking around with me to see how college goes, I'm excited to have you! Thank you everyone for making this story such a blast to write.