Gay Erotic Stories

Three months flew by, and out of the blue, a letter arrived from the lawyers. Michael opened it with little concern. He had been told right at the start that the law moved slowly, and not to expect much to happen in a short time. As he read, his brow furrowed with confusion, and then his face lit up: The company had admitted responsibility, terminated Ken’s employment, and were offering him a full public apology and a very generous out of court settlement, which the solicitors recommended he accept. He was over the moon. He rang Jeff to let him know the good news, and almost as soon as he finished, Tim rang to say he had received a similar letter. That night, the three of them got together to celebrate, and Jeff added even more sweetening news. He had been onto the manager of the company, and their apology would be aired as a follow up item at the end of Jeff’s show the next week. The following day, Jeff and Michael celebrated again, by fulfilling another of their shared dreams. Together they went back to the piercing salon, and had their remaining nipples set through with matching silver. The amazing increase in sensitivity for both of them after the first time, and the incredible pleasure they shared with tugging and teasing each other’s tits, was more than enough to convince them they would be delighted with the results, and the news of Michael’s settlement was just the excuse they had been looking for to ‘finish themselves off’. About a month after receiving his money, Michael sat his first term examinations. He nervously awaited the results, even though he had felt quietly confident after the tests were over. When he collected his ‘report card’ it was all good news. He had scored well inside the top ten percentile in all subjects. He called Jeff’s number at the office. “Mr. Shaw’s phone,” said Suzie’s voice. “Hi there, beautiful,” teased Michael down the line. “Hi Michael,” she said, always feeling brighter when he rang. “He’s in a meeting at the moment. Is it urgent?” “Not too urgent,” he answered. “I was just ringing to tell him I got my results from school.” “Oh, Michael, how did you do?” she asked quickly. “Straight ‘A’s!” “They don’t give ‘A’s anymore!” she rebuked him jokingly. “Close enough,” he laughed back. “Just tell him to ring me when he can, and let him know I think I’ve earned a reward!” “And what did you have in mind?” The tone of her voice was evil, and he grinned to himself. “I’m sure he’ll come up with something! He’s very resourceful, you know. And positively athletic at times!” he threw in at the last. She pretended shock. “Oh, Michael, you are awful,” she drew out the last word, before chuckling. “I’ll let him know.” When Jeff got home that evening, he had a huge grin on his face. Michael met him at the door and embraced him fully, throwing his arms around Jeff’s body and hugging him in a long hold. “So what do you think of my news?” he demanded petulantly, acting the schoolboy. “Nothing less than I expected!” Jeff declared solemnly, then grinned again. “Congratulations, my man. It’s wonderful. I knew you could do it.” Michael beamed, his chest swollen with pride. “At this rate, I should be ready to sit my School Certificate at the end of the year, and from there, well who knows.” “I’m so proud of you, Michael, truly I am.” “So do I get a special reward?” “Oh yeah,” Jeff smirked evilly, licking his lips as he did, and Michael matched his look, running a finger down his side and across the front of his jeans. “But before we get too carried away, I have some news of my own,” Jeff announced. “Oh, yeah?” Michael said casually, but his face belied his pretended lack of curiosity. When Jeff refused to say anymore, Michael burst out at him. “Come on, handsome, spill the beans!” Jeff grinned again, unable to contain himself any longer. “I had a call from the producer of the show today. We’ve been nominated for an award, in the ‘Best Current Affairs or News’ section, for the story on your sacking!” “Oh wow!” said Michael, unable to believe what he was hearing. The awards were very prestigious, and the ceremony was broadcast live every year. Just being nominated was a huge honour in itself, and he was so happy for Jeff. “We’ll have to tell Tim.” “Better than that,” said Jeff, still beaming. “I want Tim sitting at our table for the presentation night. We’ll get the full red-carpet treatment for the whole night.” Michael kissed his man again, holding him tight. “Now,” said Jeff trying to become serious, “I think we should celebrate. I’ve arranged to have tomorrow off, and I think you and I should lock ourselves in the cave, and screw ourselves into exhaustion for 24 hours solid!” Michael chuckled mischievously. “No argument from me, boy!” he hissed, as he took Jeff’s hand and led him down the stairs toward their basement playground. Once inside their cave Michael wasted no time in gearing himself and his slave boy in the hottest leather wear they owned, reveling in the growing sense of power and strength he felt with each additional item of apparel. He loved the way that he and Jeff transformed themselves, taking on their hidden personas, liberating their buried desire as they immersed themselves in the erotic delights of their special place, and leaving all their inhibitions behind them as they closed the leather padded doorway to their room. Tonight Michael felt the surge of power as Jeff became his submissive sex toy even more arousing than usual. Acting on his feelings, he directed Jeff to the slave bench, and had his boy lie into the padded leather covering as it had been configured by them earlier for the best advantage. Michael quickly restrained Jeff by fixing his wrists and ankles into leathered, padded cuffs and fastening the cuffs to metal rings set in the framework of the bench. Jeff’s hooded face was pressed into a space much like those on massage tables, a crosspiece supporting his shoulders while another flat section ran under his abdomen. Jeff’s chest was left exposed, as was his pelvis, his knees pushed forward and bent so that his arse was also vulnerable and accessible. Michael leaned under the bench, and hung small metal weights by clips from each of Jeff’s ringed tits, flicking at them as he did and eliciting moans of delight from his boy as the swaying objects pulled and jerked at the sensitive nipples. Jeff’s cock and balls were safely encased in gleaming black hide and his legs wrapped in the same dark leather as his chaps gripped around his muscles, his bare arse exposed and framed by the beautiful sheaths of polished blackness. Michael knelt behind him, on the spongy flooring of black leather that covered their cave. Tingling with anticipation, Michael fixed two nipple clamps connected by a length of silver chain to the piercings in his own chest, and moaned quietly as the dangling metal swung slightly, tugging gently at his sensitive, erect nubs. Jeff’s rounded butt cheeks were parted, the crack between them pointing to the twitching pink target of muscle which Michael enjoyed playing with so much. Shivering slightly, not from cold but from the rush of anticipation and arousal he always felt at being able to mate with his lover as they did, Michael greased a solid black dildo shaped in the perfect likeness of an erect cock, complete with glans and slit, veins and testicles. As he ran his fingers up and down the length of the toy, he looked to the dark straps of leather crisscrossing Jeff’s wide shoulders and strong back. He drank in the sight of the tight leather chaps gripping at Jeff’s legs, and slowly slid the head of the artificial prick up and down the crack of Jeff’s arse. As his partner uttered a quiet sigh of rising need, Michael pressed the head of the toy to Jeff’s hole and gradually worked it from side to side, pushing and pulling until Jeff relaxed and pushed back and the solid rubber toy slid inside him. A moan of pain and pleasure escaped Jeff as the rounded head opened him, and he trembled as Michael pressed the length of the toy through his sphincter and into his rectum. Jeff was already in a high state of arousal, bound and cuffed to the slave bench by his master, and the penetration of his body by the full long-shafted dildo stimulated him even further. He felt the length of it sink into him, and felt the rubber testicles press into his skin as Michael wielded it like a finely tuned instrument, probing and twisting into Jeff’s innards, exploring his depths and raking across his prostate, causing involuntary shudders which then in turn made the weights dangling from his chest jerk and shake, pulling at his sensitive erect nipples. A chain reaction of ecstasy had begun and Michael kept it going as he toyed with his lover’s restrained body. Michael watched Jeff writhe, and heard his groans of delight, smiling with lusty excitement at the reaction of his man. This control he could have over Jeff was so erotic, and his cock pressed against the restraining leather of the black codpiece covering him. As he observed Jeff squirming with pleasure, Michael felt his own need increase, and he wrenched the toy from his lover’s arse, standing to unsnap the codpiece restraining his meat, and then squatting over Jeff’s prostrate form and replacing the tube of rubber with his living throbbing manflesh. He plunged his cock into Jeff’s gut, lifted and thrust again, slamming himself down and in, riding his man, his boy, like a rodeo star, humping at the bound leathered body below him as he hunched into his fucking motion and filled Jeff’s cavity with himself. He pounded at the compliant, accommodating flesh of his slave for some time, until he felt the rising passion build toward a peak. Pulling out and lifting himself away, Michael cooled his urges and resisted the temptation to continue driving himself into his man until he came. Jeff gasped as the dildo was taken away, then shook with joy as the heated poker of Michael’s sex was inserted into his clenching hole. He bucked and clamped under Michael’s rough, powerful fucking, driven to rising need as he sensed the strident thrusting of his mate increase. And then it stopped, and he moaned again from unsatisfied lust. He heard his master move behind him, and then felt the cool metal of an inhaler being carefully inserted into his nostril. He knew what it contained, as they had discerned some time ago that this was the easiest way for Jeff to be able to draw at the amyl when he wished while his limbs were restrained. He also guessed at what was coming because of Michael providing him with the means to toke on the drug. And he was not disappointed. Very soon, he felt the smooth pointed shape of another latex toy being nudged against his body. His muscles resisted of their own accord as he tried to relax, and felt Michael slowly inserting the nose of their favourite black butt plug into his ring. Making himself push back, and open himself around the ever-widening cone, Jeff felt another thrill of anticipation run through his system. He grimaced at the growing discomfort and sniffed at the inhaler as his body was opened slowly but irresistibly by Michael’s penetration of his sphincter with the plug. Michael bent low, his face only inches from Jeff’s opening as he manipulated the black toy slowly into his man. He heard Jeff breathe in against the inhaler full of amyl, and smiled in satisfaction as Jeff’s body visibly relaxed, accepting the flange of the toy more easily. Bit by bit he pressed on, watching as more of the black plug was taken into his boy’s hole, and the ring of muscle stretched wider and wider around the thickest part of the butt filler. Jeff sniffed again at the amyl, and seconds later his body pulled again as the plug opened him completely, and suddenly his arse swallowed the bulk of it, his anus closing rapidly and tightly around the narrow core as the base was sucked in and held fast against Jeff’s skin. Michael grinned widely, his hand straying to his own cock, which he had re-covered with the cod, squeezing himself through his leather covering. He was always amazed and excited at the way Jeff’s body could open so far, and then close around the toys he used, stuffed with the bulk of the rubber and visibly trembling with the pleasure of being filled. Now Michael stood again, over his slave, feeling a sense of ownership of the beautiful man strapped to the metal table. Taking the soft leather whip from its shelf, he lay it along Jeff’s back, drawing it slowly across the tingling skin. As Jeff let out a quiet groan of delight, Michael lifted the whip and let it fall on his ‘boy’, gently but firmly. Again, and then again, he repeated the strokes. The whip made a soft whoosh, and a quiet whump as it flicked through the air and struck Jeff’s skin. By agreement between them Michael ensured that there was very little force used, and the tail of the toy, as it slapped against Jeff’s body, caused no pain, but merely a tingling sensation wherever it landed. The whip was not for causing hurt or punishment, but it was an extremely powerful symbol for each of them, a tangible reminder of the role of dominance and submission they played, and enjoyed so much. Putting aside the whip, Michael left the plug still embedded in Jeff’s arse, and reached to release the cuffs which held his man in place on the slave bench. Helping Jeff to stand, he swung him around and kissed him hard, as Michael’s hands ran over Jeff’s body, and Jeff greedily groped at the leathered form of his master. Jeff’s fingers found and played with the bulging tube of hide encased flesh at Michael’s groin, and massaged the heavy orbs below it as Michael slid his palm across the firm melons of Jeff’s arse, then reached lower and jiggled at the base of the plug protruding from his slave. Jeff groaned as he did, and Michael grinned evilly, pushing his lover slowly backward toward their favourite piece of equipment – the fantastic black platform of leather and hanging silver chains of their sling. As Michael liberated him from the slave bench and helped him to his feet, Jeff groaned with the sensations still washing through him. The full thickness of the black rubber plug filled his rectum and his arse squeezed and clenched around it. The feeling of being thoroughly stuffed, of being plugged by the toy was an erotic mix of submission and pleasure, as whenever Michael gripped or moved the bung, Jeff’s innards were shaken and his nerves raced with the bolts of sensuality which shot through him. His master had him stand, then nudged him slowly so that he stepped back in the direction of the sling. He marvelled that he could feel so choked up, yet so good, and still be able to walk normally with the huge mass holding him open and clogging his passageway. And he was backing onto the sling! He and Michael had come to make a lot of use of that piece of equipment over the last months, and Jeff’s cock twitched as his arse flexed again at the plug, the anticipation building. Jeff lifted himself a fraction to settle his butt on the edge of the leather, and slowly lay back into the comforting embrace of the hanging support. He thrilled to the sensation repeated each time of having the dark hide mold itself to his body and take his weight, becoming a cocoon of leathered sexuality. Gripping at the chains behind his head, he lifted his legs, and his boots slid into the loops of hide that would keep his feet elevated and his limbs spread. Relaxing again, his white arse, framed by the shining black of his chaps and jock, was once more opened and exposed as his flexing hole, still plugged with the thick black rubber, was offered up to his master’s pleasure, ready to be filled, fucked or played with at Michael’s whim. The very thought excited Jeff again as he surrendered his body to the control and domination of the man he loved. That man, Michael, now moved in behind him and Jeff felt the surge of pleasure as Michael gripped and jiggled the base of the toy protruding from his arse. Twitches of sensation erupted in his sphincter and arousal stretched the bulging leather covering his cock as he felt and heard the squelching of his gut pushed around by the bulk of the toy sunk into him. Michael handed him a bottle of amyl to replace the discarded inhaler, and he took a long breath as his lover began to pull slowly but firmly at the plug. Jeff waited for the first wave of racing blood to pound through his system, then began to relax his anus and push back as he toked again on the small dark bottle. When the rush increased, every cell in his body alive with sensitivity, his sphincter muscles relaxed as Michael pulled harder at the base of the plug and Jeff’s hole opened to the irresistible force of the main flange. There was some discomfort, even a little pain, but it was nothing compared to the thrilling eroticism of being stretched to his limit and then slowly closing again around the longer nose of the plug as his master withdrew it from him. There was no opportunity for Jeff to recover or to feel emptied as the plug was removed. Immediately, Michael pressed another hard latex shape at his ravaged hole and Jeff’s aroused body willingly accepted it. The smaller object was easily swallowed by his arse and drawn into his rectum as Jeff moaned again with anticipation and delight. Michael was pressing a set of anal balls to his rear. Six spheres, each four centimetres in diameter, connected by thin string, which trailed from the last ball to a loop, the whole combination completely encased in black latex. The first of the balls was already within him, the rest hanging from his body and held in Michael’s hand. As Michael jiggled the string to encourage Jeff’s sphincter, he fed the next ball into place, holding it against the muscle and pressing firmly. The second and third orbs disappeared inside Jeff’s gut as he felt the growing fullness of the objects rolling around inside him. Michael watched in fascinated arousal, finding the sight incredibly erotic, as he allowed Jeff to accept and await the next round lump. He nudged the black ball against his slave boy’s twitching bud, saw the initial resistance and sudden relaxation as Jeff’s ring of muscle opened the inch and a half needed to allow the sphere entry, then quickly close again. The fifth of the balls took longer, as Jeff felt himself filled again, his anal cavity beginning to protest at the insertion of the toys. He willed himself to take it as Michael pressed the orb against his pucker, and gasped as the round object joined its mates inside him. The final ball was still dangling from his arse, and Michael took the trailing loop of black latex behind it, lifted Jeff’s pouch away from his throbbing prick, and fed his long cock and aching nuts through the hole in the cord before replacing the leather thong. Now the toy could not be lost within him, and he had the added stimulation that any movement by his tool would cause a corresponding tugging at the balls inside his arse, and vice versa. As Michael began to press the final orb to his skin, Jeff took another deep whiff of amyl, and with the effect of the drug sending ecstatic shivers through him, the last ball was suddenly swallowed by his greedy arse, and Michael leaned back to survey the erotic scene as Jeff groaned with complete fulfillment. Now that his boy was plugged again, Michael felt the strength of the bond between them pull at him, the loop from the balls buried within Jeff’s arse tugging tightly at the root of his manhood. He stood over his slave and leaned back, lifting his face to take in the view reflected back from the ceiling mirror, drinking in the sight of the quivering, leather bound body and his thick cock swelled and pressed against the codpiece he wore. Jeff looked upwards also to see his master looking down at him, visor still pulled low, eyes hidden, black hide belts around his chiselled torso and the inviting bulge of black leather pushing out from between powerful black clad legs. Impulsively, he reached back and caressed the tube of manmeat held but not hidden by the shining blackness, squeezing at the solid log. Jeff ached with desire, wanting that rod of flesh inside him. Michael sensed the need in his lover, and felt a corresponding desire within himself. He unsnapped the cod, freeing his cock, which sprang out at rigid attention. Placing his hands around his groin, and jutting his hips forward, Michael hissed at the hood of leather below him. “You want this, boy? Want it inside that arse of yours? You have to have it, don’t you? You need it now, I can see.” “Yes, sir,” Michael responded, pleading in his voice. “I have to have it, have to be fucked by you, now, sir!” Stepping back into Jeff’s rear, Michael lowered his aching prong to the target of his mate’s hole. He nudged his cockhead against the muscle and slowly pressed inwards. The trailing string from the anal balls was an irritant against the sensitive skin of his mushroom cap, but he ignored it as he felt Jeff’s sphincter open to his invasion. Jeff drew again at the amyl, and Michael felt the heated response as his boy’s arse relaxed to accept him. With the resistance gone, Michael entered his man, slid his cock into the warm wet bowel and pushed forward. The solid shapes of the anal balls bounced and caught at his prick, rubbing and massaging it as he continued his penetration. The sensations that assaulted his weapon were indescribable as the firm hardness of the balls contrasted with the soft squelching tissue of Jeff’s gut. Jeff was almost delirious with ecstatic pleasure. He was totally filled, his bowel protesting the stretching as Michael’s hot poker jabbed into him, pushing the balls around and causing them to rub and roll within him. That in turn dragged at the loop of cord, which exited his hole alongside Michael’s cockshaft, and tugged hard against Jeff’s own prick and his rolling nuts. And then Michael began to hump at him, into him. Jabbing his fleshy sword between the spheres and into Jeff’s gut. With every thrust a new series of passionate bolts assailed Jeff’s nerves. Michael was enraptured by the feeling surrounding his prick. He was excited by the thought of fucking Jeff’s arse while it was filled with the balls, and the incredible heat of Jeff’s body around him as the firm shapes of the spheres rubbed and ground against him was amazing. He slammed himself at the sling, thumped his long meat deep into Jeff and trembled, pounded again and again, harder and deeper, faster and more fiercely into the muscled, leathered body enveloping his cock. They gasped and hissed as they fucked each other hard; a raw, rough mating which humped and thundered onward as each of the men took incredible pleasure from their coupling, and gave himself to his partner. The passion intense and immediate, they grunted and writhed, joined in the most intimate and animalistic masculine union as they sweated and twitched in lustful abandon. He was close to his peak, and he knew it, but Michael did not want to cum yet. He saw that Jeff too was near the edge, and with a huge effort of willpower, Michael suddenly pulled away, his moist cock slurping from Jeff’s arse with a squelching vacuum of withdrawal. As Jeff looked up suddenly in surprise, Michael dropped to his knees and caught hold of the end of the cord connecting the balls. Gripping it firmly, he pulled, and pulled fast. One after the other, the black spheres popped from Jeff’s hole, ripped from his body as the man in the sling gasped and groaned loudly at this new sensation. And then Michael was on his feet again. He reached to the gleaming leather triangle of Jeff’s groin, and lifted the pouch of hide out and away from his lover’s cock, hitching it below his testicles. Lifting and leaning, Michael lay his still rampant, wet member against the searing heat of Jeff’s rod, and gripped both of their masculinities in his one hand, pumping hard at them locked together. Jeff ached with the quickly growing flames of passion, feeling his ultimate release approaching. He looked up at the leather man who had gripped his cock and meshed it with the spear of flesh just now ripped from his bowel. He saw the glint of silver, the metal chain suspended between Michael’s pierced tits, and reached for it, tugging firmly at the connecting steel. Michael’s nipples were pulled out from his chest, distended and aching as bolts of pleasure shot through his body. The sensational eroticism of the pressure on his nipples caused him to flail even harder at the conjoined cocks in his hand, and Jeff’s eyes rolled in their leather slits as Michael felt the imminent explosion within his gut. Jeff shuddered as Michael’s palm enveloped his cock, and he pulled at the metal skewering Michael’s tits. He could not hold back from the brink much longer, and tried to gasp a warning to his man that he was about to cum. The warning never made it to his lips. Instead, Jeff felt a searing heat as large globs of white-hot cum erupted from Michael’s prick and splattered against his chest. Surrendering to his own explosion, Jeff matched his partner as a long string of jizz flew from his cock to spray over his abdomen and across the first streamer of Michael’s ejaculate. Michael continued to pump at both of them, and they shot together, wad after wad of manjuice leaping into the air and falling back onto Jeff’s body, large sprays of cream landing on his abs and chest, and flying up even to his neck and chin, and onto the leather hood covering his head. Slowly the thunderous rapture of their joint orgasm passed, and the twitching spasms rocking both bodies died away. Michael reached for his lover, and lifted him from the sling as they stood together mashing against each other and smearing their essence across both torsos. Exhausted, they almost fell onto the leather covered mattress against the back wall, and there they lay together holding each other close and kissing in a long and tender embrace. Jeff lifted away and rolled Michael onto his back, leaning forward to lick at his man’s body, and drink up the cocktail of cum clinging there. Michael grinned with delight, and swung himself around so that they were both licking at each other, tasting their combined outpourings. And then they were kneeling, facing each other and kissing again as the juice of their union was exchanged between lips and teeth, mouth and tongue. Sated at last, they lay back again, surrounded by leather and the exotic incense of male sex. “Holy shit!” exclaimed Jeff with a vengeance. “Oh yeah,” smiled Michael, still looking straight up as his arm fell across Jeff’s body. “I don’t care how your show does at the awards – that was one hell of an Oscar-winning performance!” They laughed again, snuggled close to each other and luxuriated in the warmth of post-coital recovery. ***************** The time until the big night of the awards dragged out as the anticipation built. But eventually it arrived, and Jeff and Michael were joined at the house by Tim, and his new friend Jared. They had met a month or so before, and were the picture of fresh young love, and Jeff and Michael happily helped them out wherever and whenever they could. Jeff had arranged for a stretch limousine to collect them from the house and drive them to the ceremony. All week, he had been acting strangely excited, and Michael wondered at his mood. Michael put it down to the upcoming awards, but still he wasn’t sure – there seemed to be something more on Jeff’s mind. The four men chatted easily as they were driven into the city, when suddenly Michael realised that they would be exiting the limo in front of the hall, with hundreds of spectators, and photographers all around. “Jeff,” he said urgently, “Have you forgotten – when we get there, you’ll be walking in with us, and no ‘date’. The gossip columns will tear you to shreds.” Jeff grinned wickedly. “I don’t care. I’m not going to hide you away in the background anymore. I love you, and you’re the only one I want by my side tonight!” Michael was torn. He was filled with a warm glow at his lover’s words, but fearful of the effect that any public outing would have on Jeff’s reputation. The car pulled up to a roped off walkway surrounded by hundreds of people with cameras flashing everywhere. Tim, Jared and Michael stepped out nervously onto the swath of red carpet and into the controlled chaos under the spotlights. Faces turned expectantly to them, then began to drift away until Jeff appeared. Suddenly a hum went through the assembled crowd, and flashlights popped like fireworks. Jeff took it all in his stride, slowly wandering up the carpet to the door, stopping to chat and smile, shake hands and have his photo taken, while the others edged ahead uncertainly. “Jeff Shaw, Jeff Shaw,” voices whispered loudly all around them. Once inside, they were shown to a large table close to the stage where several people were already seated. Jeff introduced Tim and his partner Jared to Suzie, Nick and their partners, and a number of others at the table, and then he turned and put his arm lightly on Michael’s lower back “Suzie, you know Michael, and Nick has met him before …” Nick smiled, holding out his hand. “…but the rest of you won’t know him except as the star of the show we’re nominated for, so I’d like to introduce you properly. Everyone, this is Michael Simpson, my boyfriend.” With that, he and Michael sat down. Suzie grinned widely, and reached for Michael’s hand, squeezing it reassuringly. Nick’s look of surprise slowly turned into a smile. “Well,” he said, “that explains a lot of things!” Then with real sincerity and feeling, he shook Michael’s hand, and laughed. “Congratulations, both of you.” He turned to Jeff with a look of pretended indignation. “If I’m calculating right, then you two have known each other for at least six months…” “We’ve been going out for almost seven,” Jeff interjected. “Okay, seven months. Suzie obviously knew about it, so why have you waited so long to tell the rest of us?” Jeff grimaced a guilty smile. “I guess I was just waiting for the right moment,” he offered lamely. The rest of the evening passed quickly, as they were treated to a lavish meal, plenty of drinks, and entertainment between the announcements of the various awards. Finally, the category for Jeff’s nomination was called. “In the category of ‘Best Current Affairs or News Article’, the nominees are …” Each of the nominated programmes were named and the particular stories summarised. When Jeff’s turn came, snippets of footage of Michael and Tim sitting quietly, Jeff interviewing Ken, and then Ken raging and throwing things around, were flashed onto a huge screen behind the announcer. “And the winner is …” a hush descended over the room. “ … Jeff Shaw, for ‘Out of Work’!” Thunderous applause erupted and Jeff broke into a huge grin. Hands reached out to congratulate him, Suzie kissed him and he beamed as he put his hand on Michael’s arm and squeezed tightly. Michael smiled up at him, bursting with pride. As Jeff took the stage, standing at a podium and holding the award statuette in front of him, the room became quiet again. He cleared his throat and leaned to the microphone. “This is tremendous. Thank you to all my team for making a great show.” He paused, as if reaching a decision, and went on. “This award has my name on it, but it really belongs to everyone who has ever been harassed or discriminated against simply because of their race, religion or sexual preference.” More applause rang out, and he waited for it to die again. “What someone is or does in private should have no bearing whatsoever on how they are treated in their employment. All that matters is how well they do their job. I would like to offer a special thanks and congratulations to the brave and proud men who featured in this story, Tim Vickers…” again a wave of applause rolled around, as Jeff spoke more loudly into the microphone, “ … and Michael Simpson, my partner, whom I love with all my heart!” Michael’s jaw dropped open, and tears welled in his eyes as Jeff looked directly at him from the stage. A communal gasp went up from the crowd, before clapping started sporadically, then spread around the room. Soon it became a thunderous applause and Michael was amazed to see that the gathered celebrities were giving a standing ovation – to Jeff, and to him! ********************* After a very late night of partying across town, Jeff and Michael slept until almost noon. When they finally surfaced they made their way onto the terrace to sit and watch the view. Phillip arrived with coffee and juice. “You seem to have made the headlines, Mr. Jeffrey,” he commented, placing the day’s newspapers on the table. ‘Jeff Shaw Gay’ and ‘TV Man Gets Up And Out’ screamed the headlines. The two lovers eagerly read the stories, Jeff seemingly amazed that something like this could make the front page. “Well, you did choose a very public way to do it!” Michael chuckled. Pleasantly surprising was the fact that the majority of comment wasn’t critical, or judgmental of him, and several items actually praised him for his courage and his being ‘an inspiration to other gay men’. Michael kissed him softly. “I’m so proud of you,” he said. “I just hope you don’t come to regret going public.” Jeff laughed. “And what are they going to do? They can hardly fire me, can they?” Michael grinned, and picked up one page that had caught his eye. The column was headed in large print ‘JEFF SHAW COMES OUT ON TOP’. Michael showed it to Jeff with a wicked grin. “If only they knew the whole story!” he said in a leering tone. Michael and Jeff collapsed in laughter for several minutes, before lying back in each other’s arms as the first day of their new life opened before them. And there was a definite scent of leather in the air. The End Comments, complaints or compliments? Contact me at iainlthr@hotmail.com