Hey guys :). So, this is my first Niff story. The views in this story are not ones I agree with. I am making things against African Americans basically like the things they say in textbooks, very blunt and short. They are not meant to be hurtful at all. If anything disturbs you, please message me and I will change it.

I got this idea from the book Copper Sun by Sharon M. Draper. It's an AWESOME book, so go read it! There will be no relations to the book though.

Anyways, I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

Nick woke up to the loud call of the rooster. Light flooded in from the window, making him squint and shield his eyes from the morning sun. The brunette smiled as he realized what today was. Today was his 18th birthday. Today he would be treated like a man.

Getting up from his small bed, he threw on his regular tan breeches that were pulled up high to his waist, past his hips. He tucked in his white linen shirt into his breeches, then slipping into his black double breasted waistcoat. Pulling on his brown Pale Rider boots over his breeches, he studied himself in the glass of his window, his reflection faint but still visible. He smiled to himself. Nodding to himself in approval, he strolled down the wooden steps to the dining room, where his mother sat eating her breakfast daintily. A thin black woman peeked through the thick curtain that blocked the kitchen from the dining room. As soon as she saw the brunette boy, she eyed his new outfit, nodding slightly in approval. He smiled back discreetly so his mother did not see. His mother did not want him interacting with the slaves, other than giving orders or disciplining them. He loved his mother dearly, but absolutely hated her rules.

"Good morning, Nicholas," the formal feminine voice greeted. Nick's head snapped around to see his mother.

"Good morning, Mother," he greeted back, his greeting more enthusiastic as hers. Walking over to the older woman, he kissed her lightly on the cheek. "You're looking beautiful, as always." The woman smiled.

"Thank you, Nicholas. You're becoming such a gentleman," she complimented, still using the extremely formal voice. Nick smiled at the compliment. Compliments from Madam Duval were few and far between.

"Thank you, Mother," Nick thanked, slightly bowing his head before moving to his seat at the other end of the long dining table. The black woman that had been in the kitchen minutes before set a plate carefully in front of him, flashing a wide grin at him before heading back into the kitchen as quickly as she had come. Nick immediately dug into his meal of salted venison and corn, trying his best to eat as nicely as he could, which was hard since he was absolutely starving.

"Your father has gotten you a present. He will be coming by with it at high noon," his mother said out of the blue. Nick nodded, looking back at her.

"Okay, thank you Mother," he replied, getting up and walking over to kiss her on the cheek once more. He left his plate on the table (which he thought was quite rude, but his mother insisted to let the slaves handle it), which was soon whisked away. Walking out the large front doors, he headed to the slaves quarters, which was a long walk from the main house.

Taking the dust path past the corn fields, he let his mind wander, taking in the gorgeous blue sky above him. The slaves on the plantation teased him with the name 'Dreamboy', since he liked to day dream a lot. That was the best they could come up with, since they were uneducated. All the English they knew was taught by Nick himself or one of the elder slaves who had been traded many times throughout their lives. Once reaching the quarters, he walked past the first three shacks that were poor excuses to even be called shacks before reaching the fourth. Knocking the moldy wooden door that was about to fall off the hinges, he waited until it was opened by a short dark skinned woman. She smiled up at the boy before gesturing for him to come in.

"Thomas is in the first bed. He's been waitin' to see ya," the plump woman whispered before glancing over to the bed where a large man laid, his arms and legs falling over the edges of the bed. Walking over to the large boy, Nick gasped at the horrible state he was in.

His breathing was heavy and labored, his face dripping with sweat. A pained look was spread across his face while he slept, his lips slightly parted and eyes clenched shut. Nick winced at the sight of him before turning back to the woman.

"Do you know what he has, Sarah?" he asked her, holding back a sob. Sarah shook her head with a sad look on her face, looking downward at her feet. Nick turned back to the sick boy, who had just opened his eyes. Nick gave him a weak smile, which the boy returned with difficulty.

"Hello, Thomas," Nick greeted softly, sitting down on the small stool beside his bed. Thomas shifted slowly to sit up in the bed.

"Now don't get all fancy on me, Nick," he said weakly, giving him a small smile. Nick returned it.

"How've you been feeling?" The other boy gave him a look.

"What does it look like, Nick? I feel like I'm frolickin' through daisies," the sick boy said sarcastically. Nick chuckled at the boy's comment. He still had his sense of humor, at least.

"Well, happy birthday," Nick said cheerily, getting up from the stool. Thomas nodded.

"Same to you, Dreamboy," Thomas replied, giving him a friendly smile as Nick walked out the door with a small wave.

Once out the door, Nick broke into tears. He couldn't lose his best friend. They were born on the same day, they grew up playing together before his mother turned evil and decided that they weren't allowed to see each other, banishing Sarah and Thomas to the quarters on the other end of the plantation when they were in the house prior. But that hadn't stopped them from seeing each other almost every day, talking and walking around the fields secretly when Thomas was supposed to be working, but since there was no one to watch over the slave while they worked, they could get away with it once in a while. Nick loved Thomas like the brother he never had.

Wiping the tears away before they could be seen by anyone else, he looked up at the sky, realizing it was almost time for his father to arrive. Walking quickly back to the house, he could see his father coming down the dirt road towards the plantation in his carriage, driven by his servant, Clarence, who was dressed in his usual fancy attire. Nick started running towards the house as fast as he could, since his father couldn't stand for him to be late.

He reached the front steps just as the carriage pulled into the iron gates, which would have saved him a scolding from both his mother and his father. Sighing in relief, he stood up straight and proper as the carriage pulled up at the front of the house. Stopping the cart, Clarence jumped from his seat and galloped to the side door, opening it and then stepping to the side, his head slightly bowed.

Out came his father wearing his usual dark blue double breasted frockcoat over gray trousers, a top hat balanced on top of his head. Stepping down from the carriage, he smiled widely at his wife.

"Eleanor, you are looking beautiful as always, darling," he greeted her, walking up the mighty steps of the house to her, taking her hand and lightly kissing the top of it. The brunette woman smiled shyly, a small blush spreading across her pale cheeks.

"Oh, David, you don't need to say that," she replied, hiding her smile with her free hand. His father gave her a wide grin before turning towards his son.

"Nicholas, I have a present for your 18th birthday, son," he said enthusiastically, turning towards Clarence, who had already started opening the compartment in the back of the carriage. After the dark-skinned man had dragged him out of the back of the carriage, a lanky white man stumbled out, almost landing flat on his face before Clarence caught him, pulling him to his feet. He pulled the white man up the steps to in front of the Duval's, having the light-skinned man stand in front of them before backing away, bowing his head slightly once more. Nick's father nodded curtly to slave before turing back to his son.

"Nicholas, this is your new servant. Jeffrey will be serving you until he turns 21, in which then he will have paid his parents' debt and will be free to live as a citizen in the colonies. Until then, he will serve to anything you desire." David Duval smiled slightly to Nick, who was still in shock of what he was receiving as a birthday present. "Since you are now a man, your mother and I thought a good present would be your own servant. Enjoy."

Nick nodded slightly. "Thank you, father," he said quietly, glancing at the older Duval and motioning for Jeffrey to follow him. The boy hesitantly followed through the large doors of the house and up the stairs to Nick's room.

Once into Nick's room, Nick faced his birthday present, studying him carefully.

Unusually bright blonde hair hung over his eyes which were looking at the ground. His skin was pale and his skin hung tightly to his bones. Nick swore he could point out every bone on the boy's body, he was so skinny. His limbs were long and lanky, yet still put together. Ratty clothes hung loosely from the blonde's body, making him look smaller than he actually was. Nick cleared his throat.

"Speak," he said in an authoritative tone that surprised him. The blonde's eyes looked up slightly to meet Nick's gaze.

"Please don't hurt me," the blonde whispered, quickly glancing back to the ground. Jeff knew he shouldn't have said that. Saying that almost guaranteed a whipping for him if this Nicholas was anything like his previous owners. Being a white servant seemed to not have any effect on how he was treated. A moment of silence drifted by before Nick took a step closer. Jeff cringed, expecting the worst.

"I won't hurt you, Jeffrey," Nick coaxed, taking another step closer. "In fact, I didn't even want you." The brunette chuckled lightly. Jeff looked up from his gaze fixed on the floor, his hazel eyes meeting Nick's warm brown ones. They held the gaze for a few moments before Jeff smiled slightly and averted his gaze back to the ground.

"Thank you. And call me Jeff." Nick smiled, happy that the blonde was starting to relax.

"Call me Nick, then," Nick responded. Jeff nodded slightly. Nick smirked before adding, "And that's an order," with a wink.

Like it? Hate it? Anything you want to change?

Please leave a review if you can! Thanks!

*****NOTE***** I will not be updating from June 25 to July 15, since I will be in Europe (France, Italy and Greece). IF I have internet access, I will maybe respond to some reviews, but that's it. I won't be able to update at all. Just so you know I'mm not dead ;)