Sold To The Dun Boy • Joshler SHORT STORY

3

Tyler woke up to ice cold water being splashed over his body. He jolted awake, trying to grasp at anything,  trying to breathe before he passed out. He looked up at the same man from before with wide eyes, his cheeks burning red.

"I told you, you need a shower. Can't be stinking up my sheets," he said. Tyler just nodded, looking down, he was still in the same underwear. The man was no longer in the clad shoes, or the blazer and shirt do up. Instead he was in a pair or sweats that hung low on his hips, and a zip-up jacket that was halfway zipped, showing off the top part of his chest.

The shoulders of the jacket were kind of wet, due to the droplets of water running from his dark almost black hair. He looked over at Tyler, "Well don't just stand there, hop in. I think you know how to work the handles."

Tyler nodded. As he stood in the tub, he began working the knobs. "C'mon boy, get out of those things." He pointed to the underwear and Tyler whimpered as the man's watchful gaze was on him. With shaky hands he began pulling the boxers off, turning around slowly so that by the time they were down his thighs, his back was turned to him.

He heard a hum behind him and shivered at the thought of the man still watching him. "I'm gonna get you some clothes. When you're finished, come downstairs and sit at the table, breakfast will be ready." After that, the door to the bathroom was opened and then closed. Tyler felt the cold water run through his toes.

He began tinkering with the knobs until the water was almost boiling hot and turning to take his shower.

+.+

It took a bit. But Tyler managed the guts to walk out of the room he seemed to have slept in before, due to the light red spot on the pillow from when they probably hit his head too hard. The house wasn't huge, it suburban, like a family home. Had an upstairs that included four rooms, down stairs it had the sitting room, kitchen back patio sunroom, it was almost perfect.

He walked to the dining room, sitting on the other end of the table from the man. The food wasn't ready, his fingers passing fully against the wooden table. "W- What's your name?" Tyler asked quietly to fill the air. "I heard them call you D- Dun, but.."

"It's Josh."

"Josh." Tyler nodded, whispering the name, testing it on his tongue.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Okay smart ass, you know what I mean." Josh bit back, setting his hands flat down on the table to get a better look at Tyler.

"M'names Tyler." He replied quietly. Josh nodded. Satisfied he got the answer out.

"Well. Tyler, how do you like your coffee."

"Two sugars, two milks."

Josh nodded, knowing that the woman heard his answer and was fixing it right away. He clasped his hands and set it under his chin, looking at Tyler. "Tyler I have a question."

"Hit me."

The older man just smirked for a second before looking away and coughing. He looked back at the younger, "How often did you, you know, work under your dad?"

"Since I turned eighteen," Tyler spoke as he continued running his finger on the table. "He said it was to help him make it faster so nothing bad happened to him. But after a couple weeks, he left me to do it. I would only go in at night, except for Sunday nights. But whenever I didn't work I would get really sick, it got bad sometimes. My dad started worrying, and then put me on an everyday schedule."

"So you're addicted?"

"To what?"

"Oh don't give me that bullshit, Tyler," Josh spoke as if it were obvious. "The reason you got sick before was that you must have been going through withdrawal."

"It doesn't happen in a matter of seconds," Tyler spoke sassily under his breath. "I'm fine now, maybe I'm not addicted, maybe I'm perfectly fine and the mask worked."

Josh only shrugged. "You're eyes were blown last night Tyler. Maybe I am wrong, but after breakfast, you will be put on bed rest." Tyler went to intervene but Josh cut him off first. "This is my home, and you better be glad I'm letting your dad off with some leverage, selling off his only son. You will do as I say because I know what is beat, do you understand?"

Tyler nodded his head, he looked up as he watched the ladies come from the kitchen and start settings coffee and plates of food in front of him. The pancakes, eggs, and bacon looked like how his momma made it, and his stomach growled. So he dug in, stuffing down every bit.

"You are a person. Not a pig," Josh said as he finished the food in his mouth.

Tyler looked up at him. "Pigs are pretty intelligent." And for the first time, Tyler saw Josh smile, and it made something flutter in his stomach.