Love Comes

Love Comes By Adam Stewart

Blake sat sipping his beer and despite it being a Friday night he was feeling down in the dumps. He was now thirty five and had still not found the man of his dreams despite trying hard. He went to clubs and used Grindr but all the guys he picked up just wanted casual sex and no more. He was fed up with one night stands and yearned to be in a loving relationship with a guy he could wake up with each morning and do things together. He lived in Wapping which was now a smart place to live in east London and owned a two bed apartment in a converted warehouse. He'd bought it when prices were low so had done well since he certainly wouldn't have been able to afford one now. He was a nurse in a sexual health clinic and loved his job. He liked meeting people and caring for them but he wanted more.

He was an only child and his parents had divorced when he was eighteen just after he'd moved to London. Darren, his father, had come out as being gay and now lived in Manchester with Robin, his boyfriend. Needless to say they all got on very well and often visited each other. His mother lived in Cheshire and although she'd accepted the fact that both her husband and her son were gay, they didn't ever meet up but they did keep in contact every so often.

As Blake continued drinking with all these thoughts in his mind, he looked across the bar and noticed a guy looking at him. They smiled weakly at each other and both supped their beers but Blake had a feeling something was wrong since the guy was looking very glum. He was of mixed race and Blake felt there was something about him that turned him on so he sat up more interested. They smiled again so Blake slowly made his way round to where he was sitting.

"Hi, I'm Blake; you look really depressed, is something wrong?"

Damian introduced himself and shook Blake's hand. The mere touch caused Blake's body to react which he found most unusual. Damian nodded and Blake noticed tears in his eyes. He placed a hand on Damian's shoulder and held it there to comfort him.

"It's my family; they're trying to force me into a marriage which in no way do I want" Damian explained with pain in his voice.

"Shit that must be terrible, I'm so sorry; would you like to talk about it; I'm a good listener."

Damian looked at Blake for a moment and then nodded. He felt so alone so having someone to talk to would perhaps help.

"Have you eaten this evening?" Blake asked. Damian shook his head. It was the last thing on his mind. "If you're interested I know a small restaurant near here which is quiet and we can talk if you want; it's up to you."

Again Damian thought about it. What he didn't want was to be picked up since he too was fed up with one night stands. "Yeah I'd like that but can I clarify one thing before we do?"

Blake nodded wondering what Damian was going to say.

"I'm not in the mood for a pick up; to be honest I'm fed up with being picked up by guys for a quick fuck and then being dumped."

Blake smiled. "Same here so why don't we agree to just eat and talk and afterwards we can decide if we want to meet again with no strings attached since I too am fed up with one night stands."

Damian smiled for the first time and it melted Blake's heart. The guy not only had a gorgeous body on him but that smile was the most perfect he'd seen for a long time and he wanted to get to know more about the guy. They finished off their beers and made their way to the small restaurant Blake had suggested. There were a few customers but they were offered a table in a corner away from them which was perfect.

Having ordered their food, which was simple but always very enjoyable and at a reasonable price, Blake sat back and listened to Damian's story. He explained that his father was originally from Pakistan but his mother was English. They lived in Birmingham which was where Damian was born and brought up. His father and his uncles on his father's side were trying to force Damian into a marriage with some girl he hardly knew. So far he'd not come out to his family as being gay although he had a strong feeling that his mother suspected.

"Would she accept that?" Blake asked. Damian nodded and said she probably would but she knew, as he did, that his father and his uncles would go ballistic. "And what would happen if they did know?" he asked.

"Fuck knows; my father would probably ban me from the family forever. To be honest that wouldn't bother me when it comes to him and his homophobic brothers but I love my mum and we get on well together.

"Would your father ban you from seeing or having contact with her?"

"More than likely; he's a complete bastard and controls her whole life; fuck knows why she puts up with it but she does and there's nothing I could do to change that."

Blake reached across and held Damian's hand which was resting on the table. He felt so sorry for the guy and wondered how or whether he could help in any way.

"It makes you wonder why a woman marries a man like that" Blake commented.

"In her case that's quite clear; my father got her pregnant and told her parents that he was marrying her. She had no choice since her parents were poor so couldn't support her and she knew she'd never manage to bring up a child on her own. So, I'm the bastard son but he's a bastard of a father. To be honest I hate him and I hate my two uncles who are just as bad."

"I'm so sorry but if your mum really loves you she'd find a way to keep in touch with you; women can be very determined when they want to be."

Damian smiled. He had a feeling his mum would but could he put her through that? They continued talking through their meal and for a good hour afterwards. Customers came and went and Blake ordered rounds of coffee and another bottle of wine to keep them going. Damian felt so at ease with Blake that he just let himself flow telling him all about his childhood and his experiences since moving to London. Blake learnt that Damian lived in Shoreditch, was a hospital administrator and like him he was looking for true love; the problem was that his father had other ideas. The more Blake found out about Damian, the more he realised they had so much in common. He also fancied him like crazy.

Finally they decided it was time to leave so they made their way to the nearest tube station to make their connection onto the London Overground which would take Damian to Shoreditch High Street and Blake onto Wapping. As they waited for their train, Blake asked "So, how do you feel, would you like to meet up again?"

"Yes, definitely" Damian replied, suddenly realising he'd been a bit too quick off the mark but he liked Blake and certainly wanted to explore things further. After a pause he asked "Are you doing anything tomorrow?" Blake shook his head so Damian asked if he'd like to meet up for lunch. "I'm a hopeless cook but there's a nice pub near me which does good bar food." Blake said that sounded perfect so Damian gave him his address and agreed he'd be over around twelve thirty.

When they reached Damian's stop they said goodbye and he thanked Blake for being such a good listener. "Hope I didn't bend your ear too much but it was great to just talk to someone."

"Any time" Blake grinned and patted Damian's arm. Damian smiled back and Blake again felt his whole body react. The guy was just gorgeous. As the train moved off, Blake watched Damian walk along the platform to the exit. Once out of the station he couldn't get his image out of his mind. In fact he still had it when he finally reached home and looked forward to seeing Damian again. Fortunately his clinic didn't open at weekends so he always had them to do his chores but on this Saturday they'd have to wait.

He stripped off and got ready for bed and as he climbed beneath the covers he was excited in more ways than one which was most unusual these days. He always slept in the buff and wondered whether Damian did too as he casually rubbed himself. The whole while he had an image of Damian's beautiful sleek body in his mind and the more he thought about it, slowly stripping him off in his mind, the harder he became. The problem was he didn't want to reach a climax and spoil the image so eventually he just held himself and slowly slipped off to sleep.

The following morning Damian woke up feeling a lot happier than he had done for several weeks despite the knowledge in the back of his mind that at some point he had to confront his father. But for the moment he wanted to enjoy his time with Blake. He really liked him and couldn't wait to see him again.

On the dot of twelve thirty his door intercom rang. He saw Blake on the fuzzy screen and buzzed him in. "First floor" he shouted into the intercom as he pressed the buzzer to open the door. He immediately wondered whether he should have met Blake downstairs but he wanted to greet him in his own flat rather than in public. He just hoped Blake didn't think he was being too forward by inviting him up in view of what they'd both said the previous evening. "Not interested in casual sex or a one off" he reminded himself.

"Hi, you're looking brighter this morning" Blake said as he walked along the corridor towards Damian who was standing at his open front door.

"Yeah, I am; think it must be the result of our talk last night, or more to the point you listening to me going on and on."

"Don't be so hard on yourself" Blake said and gave Damian a brief hug which caused a shudder of excitement through his body.

"Well, just being able to talk things through with someone was a great help so thanks."

"You're welcome; told you I was good listener."

"I bet your patients love you; you have such a way of making people feel wanted."

"I do my best" Blake grinned as he followed Damian into the one bedroom flat. It wasn't as large as his but nice all the same. It had a small kitchen and a decent sized bathroom plus a good sized living room. It didn't have a terrace like his but the aspect was good and it was light and airy. "This is nice" he commented and wondered whether to slip off his jacket.

"The pub is only five minutes away so do you want to go straight there or have a drink here?"

"Why don't we go straight there and decide what to do after we've had lunch. Damian nodded and grabbed his jacket.

As Damian had said, the pub served very nice bar food and they both opted for a steak and ale pie with chips plus a pint of beer. This time Damian asked Blake questions about his parents and his childhood. The more he heard the more he envied Blake since his family life had been so different to his.

"Why did your dad marry do you think?" Damian asked somewhat intrigued at the idea of having a gay dad.

"He knew he was gay as a teenager but you have to remember that homosexuality was illegal in those days so he knew he couldn't come out. Instead he got married having found a girl he thought he could live with but he's since told me that once I was conceived, which was in their first year of marriage, they just lived together and never had sex again.

"Wow, and your mother accepted that?"

Damian nodded but he'd never raised the matter with his mother so he didn't really know what she thought. "My dad made the decision that once I was born he'd keep the family unit together although he had relationships with guys but once I'd left the nest he dropped the bombshell and they divorced. By then he'd met Robin so my dad moved in with him in Manchester."

"What's Robin like?"

"He's a lovely guy, I really like him and we all get on really well."

"What about your mother, do you still see her?"

"I think we've met twice within the last eighteen years but we speak on the phone about once a year."

"Wow, don't you get on with her?"

"Not that well; although she accepted me being gay she seems to blame my dad for it; I've told her you're born the way you are so to that extent it is his genes that have made me gay but not the way he brought me up."

"And what about him, how did she react when he told her?"

"I don't think she was that surprised but if she knew about the guys he'd fucked whilst they were married she might not be so happy" Blake laughed.

"So he's told you, has he?"

"Oh yeah, we've exchanged experiences over the years although he and Robin are very much in love and now in a monogamous relationship from what they've told me."

Damian thought for a moment and then asked "If you found the right man would you want that?"

"Probably" Blake replied and nearly added "and I think I've found him".

They enjoyed their lunch and were just drinking their second beer when Damian's phone buzzed. He looked at it and groaned. "It's a text from one of my uncles". He opened it and sank back into his depressed state. Despite feeling much better having talked things through with Blake the text put him back to square one. He looked at Blake with tears in his eyes and passed the phone over. Blake read the text.

"Your father went to great lengths to find you a beautiful bride yet you walked out leaving her sitting there without saying a word. You are a disgrace to your mother and father and to the rest of your family. You have brought shame on all of us. We all thought you'd quickly realise the error of your ways and feel ashamed yet so far you have not apologised to your father about your disrespectful behaviour. Your family are ashamed of you."

Blake looked stunned at Damian. "Who the fuck do they think they are? Don't they know we're living in the twenty first century and parents don't decide who their son or daughter marries?"

Damian shrugged his shoulders. "Now you can see what I'm up against."

Despite Damian's shrug, Blake could see he was very upset. "Would you like me to come home with you so we can discuss this?" Damian said he would so they paid the bill and walked back to his flat.

"What are you going to do?" Blake asked once they were back at Damian's flat and sitting together on the sofa.

"Fuck knows; probably marry her and hope that she divorces me once she finds out she's married to a poof" Damian replied despondently. He was tired of fighting and would take the easy option.

Blake was shocked and took hold of Damian's hands. "You mustn't do that Damian. If this girl is so weak that she's prepared to be forced into marrying someone she doesn't know or love then why should she divorce you at a later stage; besides from what you've said about your family I doubt they'd agree; once married you're married for life; isn't that what you said?"

Damian nodded as tears started to fall down his cheeks. "What the fuck do I do then?"

Blake gently squeezed Damian's hands to try and comfort him. "Did you say your mother had a sister?"

"Yeah, Betty; her husband died from cancer a few years ago and she lives in Solihull; she hates my father; calls him a stupid bully" Damian smiled. He liked Betty and got on well with her. Blake asked whether Betty had any idea that Damian was gay since he felt his mother had suspicions. "Yeah, fairly sure she does although she's never actually said anything."

"Is your mother able to visit her without your father?" Damian nodded so Blake suggested that he call Betty and see if she'd invite Damian's mother over to her home so that he could discuss something with the pair of them. "But I suggest you ask Betty not to mention the fact that you're going to be there just in case your mother tells your father. Make him think it's just the two sisters meeting up."

Damian thought for a moment and decided that was a good idea. He knew that Betty would go along with that knowing her views about his father.

"And if you want, I'd be more than happy to accompany you but it's your choice" Blake added.

"Would you really; are you sure you want to get involved?"

"Would you like moral support?" Damian nodded vigorously. He certainly would like that; he liked Blake, in fact he liked him very much. "In that case I'd be very happy to accompany you."

"But what am I going to tell them when we meet?" Damian asked.

"The truth; it's time you were honest with your mother; you need to tell her that you can't marry this girl because you're gay since it would be unfair on the girl and if your father and the rest of the family can't accept that then it's their problem and not yours. You're fairly sure that your mother knows so it won't be a surprise to her and if it is and she reacts like your father then she clearly doesn't love you as much as you think so you've lost nothing but if she reacts the way I think she will then the love between you will be strengthened."

Damian knew that was the right thing to do but until he'd met Blake he didn't have the guts to be honest about his sexuality. Suddenly he wrapped his arms round Blake and kissed him on the lips. It was only a light kiss but it told Blake that he felt the same way about him as he felt about Damian. "Thanks" Damian said as he buried his head on Blake's shoulder. For a few moments they just held each other in silence with Blake lightly patting Damian's back to comfort him.

"It would have to be a weekday" Damian suddenly said "My father never allows my mother to go out on her own at weekends when he's home."

The more Blake heard about this man the more he despised him but he was Damian's father so didn't say what he thought. "Not a problem; I can always get a day off; Tuesday would be the best day for me, how about you?" Damian said he could get leave any day since he was the manager so he grabbed his mobile out of his pocket and made the call. He briefly told Betty what had happened but it seemed his mother had already spoken to her so she knew all about it. She then made her views known saying that his father was a bully and he had no right to decide who his son married. Damian asked if she could invite his mother over so he could discuss things with them and she said she was more than happy to do that.

"Would you mind if I brought a friend with me?" he added having asked her not to tell his mother that he would be there.

"Of course you can; what's his name?"

"Blake" Damian replied and suddenly realised she'd automatically assumed it was a man. Did that tell him something? Perhaps it did.

Betty had said she'd make contact with his mother immediately and get back to Damian. Meanwhile he made a pot of coffee and they talked about Damian's job as a hospital administrator. He'd originally trained as a nurse but decided he preferred the administration side of things and had progressed to departmental manager level in charge of the clinical services department. He too seldom had to work at weekends unless there was an emergency.

"Do you enjoy the work?" Blake asked. Damian said he did and found his short experience as a nurse useful which made the nursing staff respect him more.

"I love my work" Blake said. "Every night when I go home I feel I've made a difference to someone's life and it makes me feel good."

"I imagine you're good at the job" Damian smiled. "You listen to people and make them feel wanted."

"I do my best" Blake grinned and patted Damian's knee. The touch made Damian's body tingle with excitement. Normally he'd have progressed things to a sexual level by now but Blake was different. He not only found him sexually attractive since he had a slim lean body and clearly looked after himself, but he had a lovely personality and for a moment he imagined living with him. His phone rang which brought him out of his thoughts. It was Betty.

"All arranged; she's coming on Tuesday and I've told her there's something I'd like to discuss with her so she has no idea that you are coming with your friend; I suggest you guys get here by eleven if you can so we can have a chat before she arrives at twelve. Is that okay?"

"Thanks Betty, that's perfect and thanks for being so accommodating." Betty giggled and told him she'd do anything for her favourite nephew even though he was her one and only nephew.

"Are you sure you can get Tuesday off?" he asked Blake once the call had ended.

"Yeah, sure; my manager owes me a favour because I sat in for him at a weekend conference the other week when he couldn't attend."

Damian leant forward and gave Blake another light kiss on the lips to thank him. Blake was so tempted to take him into his arms and make it a passionate kiss but decided not to do so just yet. He'd see how things were between them once Tuesday was over since he had a feeling this was just the beginning of Damian's problems with his family.

"So you think I should be totally honest with my mum and Betty and tell them I'm gay." Blake said he certainly would if he was in the same situation. "And then what?"

"Depends on how your mum takes it but from what you've said I reckon both her and Betty will be fully behind you. If they are then you tell your father what he can do with his bride."

"You do realise that once that happens I'll be banished from the family."

"Provided your mum supports you and still wants to keep in touch, would that upset you?" Damian had to admit it didn't but the mere fact of doing it frightened him.

"The guy has been such a bastard to me all my life" he added, "probably because he never wanted me". Blake agreed and had come across similar situations when a child was born out of wedlock. "Perhaps I should have it out with him and tell him he should have kept his dick under control" Damian grinned. "In fact I wonder if my uncles know the truth; knowing my father I doubt he told them at the time."

They spent the rest of the day chatting and going through how Damian would tell his mum. One thing he was certain of was that he wanted Blake to be present when he did so and Blake said he was happy to tell her that he too was gay. After they'd parted, Damian couldn't believe they'd only met just twenty four hours before. It felt as if he'd known Blake for much longer and he liked the feeling.

On Sunday, Blake invited Damian round to his flat in Wapping for lunch since he wanted to make sure he didn't have second thoughts about the Tuesday meeting. Damian was in awe once inside and realised it was double the size of his, if not more. He loved the openness of it and the balcony which accommodated two sun loungers and a small table. It was west facing so caught the afternoon sun and on warm evenings was a wonderful place to relax with a drink. Although not on the riverside where flats cost an exorbitant sum, it did have a limited view of the river between the buildings. Damian loved it and wished he'd been able to afford something similar. Instead he'd had to rent since his father had told him very clearly that he wasn't going to stump up the necessary deposit to buy like Blake had done.

"This is beautiful" he commented as Blake showed him round. In fact he was almost drooling over it. "It must have cost a lot knowing this area." Blake explained that he'd bought it ten years ago when prices were affordable and when his uncle had died he'd inherited a lump sum which provided a decent deposit. As such his mortgage was very manageable and a lot cheaper than rent. "Lucky you; even if my uncles shuffled off this earth I doubt they'd leave me anything."

Blake chuckled, "Yeah, from what you've told me I doubt they would and once they know the truth they'll be sticking pins into a wax effigy of you".

Damian laughed, "Yeah I bet they will but I'll be doing the same; they're all bastards and I hate them." Blake was sorry for him and could fully understand his feelings. Why families had to be so horrible to each other never ceased to amaze him.

"I've made a pasta dish for lunch so hope you like pasta" Blake smiled.

"Yeah, I eat most things" he replied as he sat and watched Blake preparing the meal. The kitchen was modern and seemed to have all the necessary gadgets. It was also very light and a shaft of sun shone down on Blake as he worked. He admired Blake's lean body which was clothed in a tight fitting pair of jeans and a similarly tight fitting shirt. His sleeves were rolled partly up his arm as he worked and he clearly knew what he was doing.

"This is delicious" Damian commented once they'd sat down at the dining table and he'd had a taste. "I'm hopeless at cooking; nothing comes out as it should so I rely on readymade meals; not the best I know but I'd starve otherwise." Blake laughed and felt like saying he'd be more than happy teaching Damian some cooking techniques but left the topic to hang before moving on to another.

"What was your father like when you were growing up?" he asked Damian as they ate.

"I always had the feeling he disliked me; he never did things with me like most dads and was forever telling me off irrespective of whether it was justified. In the end I kept clear of him and amused myself. When he wasn't around I'd spend time with my mother in the kitchen, not that I learnt much from her since if my father had found out she'd have been in trouble. He seems to think that a woman's place is in the kitchen to keep him fed and watered. If I had my way I'd make sure he choked on his food and would probably poison him."

Blake was taken aback at Damian's ferocity but could understand his feelings towards a man who had shown no love.

"What was your dad like?" Damian asked wanting to change the subject away from his family. Blake smiled thinking back to the wonderful times he and his dad had enjoyed during his growing up.

"He was a great dad; loving, caring and everything you could want although he could be firm when needed. I remember when I was a young lad and had done something very naughty he put me over his knee and spanked me. Damian laughed. His father had constantly shouted at him without an ounce of love.

"What made you go into nursing?"

"My mother was a nurse so it was in my blood I presume. I never thought of anything else but nursing. My dad tried to persuade me otherwise since he knew it was not that well paid often with long hours but it was what I wanted to do. He was a sales manager and was good at his job. Now he and Robin run their own business buying and selling electrical equipment."

"And an only child" Damian commented.

"Yeah, I think one session of sex with a woman was enough for my dad" Blake laughed. "And your parents only had you."

"Yep, I think having seen me my father decided one was enough" Damian chuckled although he had a feeling that his mother didn't want more children by him. He also knew they slept in separate beds.

When he arrived at work on the Monday, Blake arranged the day off with his manager. As expected there was no problem and he said it was for family reasons. He convinced himself that was true even though it was not his family. That evening he called Damian just to make sure he was still okay. He could tell he was nervous but bolstered him up with a chat. He was tempted to go round to him but didn't trust himself so decided against the idea.

Blake decided to drive to Solihull since going by train involved travelling to Birmingham New Street and then taking a train back to Solihull from Moor Street. Provided the M40 was clear he decided it would take no longer than two and half hours so there was little in it. Apart from that he enjoyed driving the Volvo which he'd treated himself to just on a year ago.

On the Tuesday morning he collected Damian from his flat soon after eight so as to give themselves plenty of time. Damian was waiting for him so once he'd rung the door intercom he came straight down since he knew parking was difficult outside his block. Having climbed in the car, he leant over and gave Blake a quick kiss. "I really appreciate this" he said as he fastened his seatbelt.

"No problem" Blake grinned and set off.

The journey went well so they had more than enough time to reach Betty's house by eleven. As soon as they'd walked through the front door she took Damian into her arms and hugged him. Blake watched on and was pleased to see that Damian had at least one member of his family who loved him. She then turned her attention to Blake and shook his hand warmly. "So, how long have you two known each other?" she asked with a cheeky grin. Damian looked at Blake not too sure what to say.

"Not that long" Blake replied for him, "and when he told me about his father and what he expected of him, I suggested he have a meeting with his mother so here we are."

"Well I'm glad you did because that man is a bully and a complete idiot; I know he's your father Damian but from what I've seen and heard he's never shown any love towards you or treated you like a son."

Damian nodded. She was certainly right on that account. She then invited them into the small living room where she'd already got a pot of coffee waiting for them. Once that had been poured and they were sitting down, Damian looked at Blake and then at Betty. "There's something I need to tell you before mum arrives; I'm going to tell her too but I'd like you to know first."

Betty sat up and looked at Damian expectantly. "I have a shrewd idea what it is but please go ahead; whatever you say I'll not mind." This made Damian relax so he duly announced that the reason why he couldn't possibly marry this girl his father had found for him, even assuming he'd wanted to marry a girl he didn't know or love, was that he was gay. Betty smiled. "Thank you Damian for telling me at last because I've known that for these past ten years or more and your mother has the same feeling so it won't be a surprise to her."

"How do you think she will take it once she knows for sure?" Blake asked.

"Knowing my sister it won't bother her in the slightest; all she wants is for you to be happy and she knows that forcing you into marriage is not the right thing but as you well know your father is a bully and won't listen to anyone, including his wife. God knows why she agreed to marry him but that's another story as you well know Damian."

Damian sat back feeling relieved. At least the two people he loved supported him. "Thanks, that is very reassuring" he managed to say.

Betty then looked at Blake and asked "Do I take it you're gay too?" Blake said he was and that his father was gay as well which caused a raised eyebrow from Betty. "I take my hat off to you guys because I can't imagine it's easy despite it being more acceptable these days. As we well know there are still many bigots around including your father Damian."

The other two smiled and thanked her as they drank their coffee. "So I take it you're going to tell your father why you can't marry this girl."

"That's the plan" Damian grinned "but I'm expecting to be banished from the family for good".

Betty laughed. "I don't imagine that bothers you; besides, you know there's always a welcome here and you can see you mother here whenever you want to." Damian nodded and felt tears running down his face. He wasn't sure if they were tears of joy or relief but either way he did feel relieved. All he now had to do was break the news to his mother.

Just gone twelve, Damian's mother arrived and the two sisters kissed and hugged each other in the hallway.

"Is everything alright?" Damian's mother asked somewhat concerned. Betty smiled and assured her that everything was fine but there was someone who wanted to see her. As she walked into the living room and saw her son she gasped before rushing up to him to give him a hug. "I've been so worried about you; I was going to call you but your father forbade me to do so."

"It's okay mum, I know what he's like; I want to tell you something but first I'd like to introduce my friend Blake."

"Hello Mrs Khan, it's good to see you" Blake said as he held out his hand. She shook it as she glanced at her son. "We're sorry to suddenly appear like this Mrs Khan but as Damian has said, he needs to tell you something rather important."

"Please, call me Maureen" Mrs Khan said as she sat down feeling somewhat confused but happy at the same time.

Damian then gave her his news as he'd done to Betty earlier. Maureen just sat there and listened. "So as you see mum, in no way can I marry this girl that father has found for me since it would be unfair on her; I'd never love her, in fact I'd grow to hate her and that wouldn't be good for either of us."

His mother moved forward and took hold of his hand. "I fully understand Damian and to be honest it's not much of a surprise to me, in fact Betty and I have often said we thought you were gay; all I want is for you to be happy."

"And in case you're wondering Maureen, yes Blake is gay too and he has a gay father so being gay is not the end of the world as you can see; what's more he's a nurse" she added smiling.

The conversation then moved on to how Damian would tell his father. She explained that she'd tried to tell him on numerous occasions that he was acting unreasonably but from what she could tell there'd been some financial agreement between him and the girl's family just to make things worse.

"Bloody disgusting if you ask me" Betty exclaimed, "That kind of thing should be banned; it's the 21st Century for god's sake, not the dark ages."

"I agree" Maureen replied, "but you know what he's like."

"I'm sorry Maureen but I fail to understand why you continue to live with that man; I've told you many times that you're more than welcome to live with me here."

"You know how violent he can become so I'd not want to put you at risk."

Blake was shocked to hear that and looked at Damian. "Did you know he was violent towards your mother?"

"I know he's a bully but not violent; has he ever struck you mum?" She shook her head but it was not the total truth since recently he'd got worse and had lashed out on a couple of occasions but nothing serious.

Eventually it was decided that Damian would write a letter to his father and tell him very clearly that he had no intention of marrying this girl and in any event he was gay so it would be unfair on her.

"You know he will banish you from the family don't you" his mother said. Damian nodded but he was past caring now that he knew his sexuality had been accepted by his mother.

Betty had prepared lunch for all of them so they sat down and had a pleasant time together. Maureen wanted to know all about Blake, his work as a nurse, where he lived and how long he and Damian had known each other. Damian was pleased to just sit back and listen. The more he did so, the more he realised he'd fallen for Blake in a big way. The question was, did Blake feel the same way about him?

Mid afternoon, Blake and Damian made their leave and thanked Betty once again for arranging the get together. Since Maureen also had to leave so she was back in time for when her husband returned from work, they drove her to the station. The journey only took her around fifteen minutes but she knew from past experience that she had to be back before he arrived. Before they parted, she kissed Blake and her son and whispered to Blake "Look after him for me". Blake assured her he would.

"Thanks" Damian said once they were on their way home.

Blake smiled, "For what?" he asked although he knew what Damian meant.

"For coming and being there for me"

"From what I saw I don't think your problem lies with either of them."

"Even so, it was good to have the moral support and I much appreciate it."

"You're welcome" Blake replied and gave Damian's knee a pat. Damian wanted him to keep it there but held back letting Blake take it away. Besides, he was driving so shouldn't distract him.

When they arrived back at Damian's flat they looked at each other. Both wanted to continue seeing each other but neither wanted to be the first to say anything.

"Fancy joining me for something to eat?" Damian finally asked to break the impasse, "I am just about able to do something like scrambled eggs or whatever you'd like." Blake chuckled and said he'd love that so they found a parking spot for the car and walked back to Damian's flat. Once there they set to and Blake made scrambled egg for them both. As they ate, Damian talked about the wording of the letter to his father.

"Want a hand?" Blake asked. Damian gave a big sigh and said he would so as soon as they'd finished their meal he opened up his laptop and started writing. The problem was he had no real idea how to start so in the end Blake took over. He wrote:

"Father, I am writing this letter to explain why I walked out of the meeting on Friday when you took it upon yourself to arrange a bride for me to marry without my agreement.

First of all I would like to remind you that we live in the 21st Century in a democratic society. Whether you accept it or not, gone are the days when a parent dictates to his son or daughter who he should marry. These days marriage should be between two people who love each other and it is normal for a couple to know each other before they agree to get married. Therefore your charade on Friday was not only stupid but disrespectful towards me and the girl concerned. I've never met her before and therefore have no knowledge of her but in no way would I ever accept being dictated to despite your bullying tactics over the years towards me and my mother.

Secondly, I objected most strongly to the text I received from my uncle since my future happiness is nothing to do with them. To be told that I was disrespectful and have brought shame on the family is farcical when it is your actions that caused me to react the way I did.

Thirdly, I will never marry a woman as I've known since I was in my early teens that I'm gay. I know you won't accept this and probably can't even understand it since you've never bothered to try and understand me or show any love towards me. In fact I've always had the feeling that you hate me and would have been more than happy had you not got my mother pregnant before you pressurised her into marrying you but only you are to blame for what you did. It is you that brought shame on the family thirty two years ago but I doubt your brothers know the truth. Perhaps it is time for them to know what you did.

So, perhaps you could inform the girl who was to be forced upon me that I will not and have no wish to marry her, whatever arrangement you may have made with her family.

The chances of us meeting again are slim as I have no wish to do so since you've never been a father to me so you'll be no loss. However, be aware that I will be keeping a watchful eye on you regarding your treatment of my mother."

Damian read the text through twice before giving his reaction. "Wow, its strong stuff but I love it. God he's going to go ballistic when he reads that."

"Are you sure about the last sentence?" Blake asked.

"Absolutely, he needs to be told that if he lays a finger on her I'll be on his back although I doubt even he would do anything that stupid. He knows she has many friends nearby who keep an eye on her despite his bullying. If I know anything about him he'll want to keep this in the family; he's too proud to risk anything getting out."

Damian printed off the letter and signed his name at the bottom. No love or best wishes, just `Damian'. He then sealed it in an envelope and put a first class stamp on it.

"Perhaps you could post it on your way home; would you mind?" he asked Blake.

"Sure you don't want to think about the wording overnight?"

"Nope, if I do I shall get cold feet and I have no intention of backing off now; not after what you've done for me. I really am grateful for your support and advice; you know that don't you?"

Blake smiled and gave Damian a light kiss on the lips. He did know that and he also knew that he'd fallen in love with this gorgeous guy but wasn't sure whether this was the time to tell him. Instead they hugged and kissed some more but the kisses became more intense than before.

"You will keep in touch won't you" Damian said as they once again kissed on the doorstep.

"If you want me to" Blake grinned.

"Are you joking? Of course I do; I've never met anyone quite like you before and I want more of you."

Blake raised his eyebrows with a big wide grin. "In that case I'll be in touch but give me a call if anything happens or you need me."

"I will, I can promise you that" Damian grinned as he watched Blake walk down the corridor.

As soon as Blake arrived home on the Wednesday evening he called Damian to see how he was. Apart from that he wanted to hear his voice again. Damian said he'd heard nothing as yet so his letter had probably not arrived that morning.

"No doubt the balloon will rise once he receives it" he chuckled although Blake sensed nervousness in his tone. They talked about their day's activities at work and things in general before ending the call. Both were happy to hear each other's news and had a sense of excitement as they did so.

On the Thursday evening when Blake phoned, he immediately sensed a change in Damian's voice. "I take it he's received it."

"Yeah this morning; mum called me at work and said that he went ballistic calling me everything under the sun and said I was disgusting and no longer a son of his. He even told her that it was all her fault and that she'd made me gay when I was growing up. She laughed in his face and told him he was ignorant if he thought that you choose to be gay or are made gay by upbringing but he wouldn't accept that you are born that way. Needless to say he's banished me from ever visiting them or being in contact again and told mum that she mustn't do so either. She told him she would do what she wanted whatever he said and if he forced her to do as he instructed, she'd divorce him and tell the neighbourhood why. That shut him up apparently but I don't trust the man."

"Well, it's what you expected isn't it"

Damian agreed and added that his father had immediately called his uncles round and when they read the letter they wanted to know what was meant about what his father had done. His mother spilt the beans and showed them their marriage certificate which was dated just six months before Damian was born. Because they'd not come to England until after the marriage his father had always lied about the date he'd married so they were not too pleased with him.

"So, the proverbial shit has hit the fan" Damian laughed.

"And you, how are you feeling now it's out in the open?"

"Much more relaxed; I don't care a shit that he doesn't want anything more to do with me because I feel the same way about him. All I want is to remain in contact with mum which I can do through Betty.

"Is there anything else your father can do to make life difficult for you?"

"Who knows but to be honest I'm past caring about him."

Blake asked if Damian wanted him to go round but he said he was fine and looked forward to them getting together on the Friday evening. They'd agreed they'd meet up for a drink and have a bite to eat together. What happened after that remained to be seen.

On the Friday evening Blake went round to Damian's flat on his way home from work. He was still wearing his nurse's uniform of black trousers and a white tunic. He'd taken casual clothes so asked Damian if he could change. He led Blake into the bedroom and watched him strip off down to his underwear. He couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful body before him. Blake had smooth unblemished skin and a packet that filled out his sexy briefs to the maximum. Blake looked up and noticed Damian looking at him. They both grinned but said nothing.

"So, what's the plan?" Blake asked once he'd packed away his work clothes.

"How about going out for a bite to eat and then popping in for a drink somewhere afterwards? Or we could come back here" he added rather hoping that Blake might opt for that option.

Blake nodded and smiled. He certainly had feelings for Damian but felt he wanted to know him better before they embarked on anything physical, assuming that was what Damian had in mind if they came back to his flat afterwards.

They opted for a Chinese restaurant that Damian recommended. It wasn't Blake's first choice from a culinary point of few but he was happy to go along with it. He'd have preferred an Indian and was rather surprised that Damian hadn't suggested that but perhaps another time.

The food was good and Blake enjoyed it more than he'd reckoned. When they were done, Damian looked Blake in the eyes. "Thanks once again for all you did on Tuesday; I really am relieved it's all over; at least I hope it is" he added still expecting his father or one of his uncles to do something. He'd called his mother during the day knowing that his father would be at work and she seemed okay although she'd told his father that she no longer wanted him to sleep in her room so had moved him into the spare room. Damian had silently chuckled and imagined what his father would have said about that. He was pleased that at last she was standing up to him even though life was not going to be that easy for her from now on.

"So, what would you like to do?" Damian asked once they were outside on the street.

"Would you mind if we just went to a local bar for a drink or two; I'm feeling tired so don't want to have a late night out."

"Sure" Damian replied albeit slightly saddened but Blake had already invited him to his apartment for dinner the following evening after which they'd go to a gay bar in Limehouse so he wasn't too disappointed.

The bar they went to wasn't gay but there was plenty of eye candy to secretly observe so they enjoyed themselves.

After two beers, they walked back to Damian's flat so that Blake could collect his bag before making his way home. Once inside the front door they kissed and hugged each other tight. It was more passionate than previous kisses so both felt a thrill of excitement run through their bodies.

"Thanks for a nice evening" Blake said as he picked up his bag, "and see you tomorrow about six".

"Yeah, look forward to it; mind how you go and be good" Damian replied with a smile across his face. Blake was so tempted to drop his bag and pull the guy into his arms but he'd told himself he wanted to take things slowly since he needed to be sure they were right for each other. Not that he had any doubts they weren't but his sensible side told him that was the right thing to do.

Damian watched Blake walk down the hallway and with each step enjoyed the sight of the nicely formed butt in Blake's tight jeans. When he finally closed the front door he felt himself. He was already hard so stripped off and pleasured himself as he stood in front of his full length mirror in the bedroom. Perhaps things would progress further the next day; he so hoped so.

Blake meanwhile was thinking about what he'd like Damian do to him once he had him in bed. So far they'd not talked about sexual preferences or who did what so it was unknown territory but whatever Damian wanted, he'd oblige since the mere thought of having his naked body beside him sent him into sexual ecstasy.

The following morning Blake woke with a raging erection, not that it was unusual but this one was particularly so. He looked at the empty space beside him and tried to imagine Damian lying there. He moved a hand across and stroked the sheet as if he was caressing Damian's naked form. The more he did so, the harder he became. He also knew that pre-cum was already dribbling onto the sheet which meant a change of bed linen but he was past caring. Instead he massaged himself until he was satisfied, letting the result of his excitement shoot onto the sheet.

Eventually he climbed out of bed and dragged the soiled sheet with him. Having done so, he decided to go the whole way and changed all the linen. There was always the hope that Damian might stay the night after they'd returned from The Old Ship so having fresh linen on the bed was not such a waste even though he'd only changed it a few days earlier.

He spent the day doing the chores as he often did on a Saturday morning. He cleaned the apartment throughout and then went shopping. He'd decided to do roast chicken with roast potatoes and broccoli followed by a dessert he'd choose from the local supermarket. He enjoyed cooking so never minded doing so, whether he was entertaining or it was just for him.

He'd only just got everything ready for the meal when Damian rang the door intercom. He pressed the button and told him to take the lift to the fourth floor. Having done so he remembered that Damian had been before so knew the way but it was an automatic response. Soon Damian was walking through his front door looking as gorgeous as ever. They hugged and kissed and each felt excitement run through their body. Damian passed over two bottles of wine which Blake accepted saying he shouldn't have.

"Just a thank you gift" he smiled which sent more shivers of sexual excitement through Blake.

"Dump your jacket on the chair and come through" Blake said as he took the two bottles into the kitchen and placed them in the fridge.

"Mm, whatever is cooking smells nice" Damian said as he walked into the kitchen.

"Roast chicken with roast potatoes and broccoli plus the trimmings" Blake giggled.

"Wow, I love roast chicken; never do that for myself; in fact the last time I did try and roast a chicken for some friends it ended up burnt to a frazzle."

"It strikes me you could do with some cookery lessons" Blake laughed, "Perhaps I should give you some".

"Yeah, bring it on" Damian chuckled but not for the reasons Blake had in mind.

"The meal should be ready in about twenty minutes so how about a drink beforehand; what would you like; have got most things; I'm having a Manhattan." Damian said he'd love one of those so Blake set to and prepared them. "Bottoms up" he grinned once he'd given Damian his and sat down beside him on the one and only sofa.

"To us" Damian smiled hoping against hope that things would progress further before the evening was out.

"Is there any more news from Birmingham?"

"Nope, although no doubt wax effigies of me are being prepared" Damian laughed.

"Well, as long as they replicate your gorgeous body that's okay."

"Mm I suspect they'll be more like the devil."

When the meal was ready, Damian watched Blake carve the chicken and dish up. Even the way he did mundane things turned him on and he was tempted to go up behind him and grab him round the waist. Once everything was ready they placed the dishes onto the dining table and sat down to eat. The evening light was fading but the view out of the window was still good to look at. Damian could see why Blake loved living there. It was so much nicer than his place but he'd never be able to afford anything much better in London.

Once they'd finished their meal Damian insisted on helping clear up. At least he could do the washing up although most things went in the dishwasher, which was an appliance he didn't have. Blake did let him wash up the roasting pan so he set to with the pan cleaner until it was sparkling.

Finally it was time to go to The Old Ship in Limehouse. It was a small gay bar that had been around for many years and Blake rather liked it. By the time they arrived it was busy since a cabaret act was due on later. Damian bought two beers and squeezed his way through the throng of guys to where Blake had found a spot to stand. It didn't take long for guys to be chatting Damian up which amused Blake. After all he was good looking and a new face was always quickly spotted by the regulars.

"That young guy over there is rather delicious" Damian whispered into Blake's ear, "I wouldn't mind having him beneath the sheets."

Blake smiled and looked at the young guy, who he had to admit was very sexy but his mind was on Damian and not on others around. Damian on the other hand seemed more interested in the talent on show as he drank his beer.

When they'd both emptied their glasses, Blake went to buy two more pints. As he made his way back through the crowd, several guys stopped to say hello. He'd had casual sex with two or three but none had been interested in anything more. When he finally reached Damian he found him chatting up the guy he'd been drooling over earlier. He was pleasant enough although he soon made it clear he was with his boyfriend but Blake did wonder whether given half the chance, Damian would have gone back with him or at least arranged to meet since so far they'd not done more than drink and eat together. As he looked at Damian he wondered whether he was the one for him despite having a good buzz inside him every time they met or talked over the phone. Was Damian really interested in him or was it that he was a lot more sociable in such situations since when they were alone he had a strong feeling that he was very interested.

Eventually the cabaret commenced so their attention was on that. When the two beers were finished, Damian offered to go to the bar again. This time Blake opted for a whisky since he found two pints enough in one evening. He watched Damian push his way through the crowd and noticed several guys looking at him and no doubt enjoying his body rubbing against theirs as he did so. When he returned he had Blake's whisky and another pint of beer for himself. He felt relaxed and was intent on enjoying himself to free his mind from his father. When his beer was finished, Blake offered to get him another although he began to wonder where he put it all. He too opted for a whisky so Blake bought one for him having decided he'd had enough. Gone were the days when he drank too much in bars so now always controlled his intake but he could tell that Damian was determined to either celebrate or drown his sorrows but wasn't sure which.

Finally the cabaret ended and the bar began to clear. It was almost midnight which was when the bar closed so they made their way home. Once outside, Blake could tell that Damian was inebriated and had to take his arm.

"Think I may have drunk too much" he giggled as he stumbled along. Blake decided he was too over the top to make his way home to Shoreditch so suggested he came back to his place. Not that he wanted to take advantage of Damian but felt that was the safest thing to do. Damian accepted that decision without dissent so they walked to where they could catch a bus to Wapping. From there it was only a five minute walk to Blake's apartment.

When they arrived, Damian was still unsteady on his feet despite the night air and the walk from the bus. He ended up draping his arm round Blake and pressing his body up close. Blake wasn't too sure whether this was deliberate or not but he certainly didn't object. Once inside the apartment, Blake helped him out of his jacket. "Sorry, don't normally get". He tried to say the word inebriated' but couldn't and said drunk' instead. "Wanted to get that bastard out of my head" he added. Blake could understand that and held him in his arms which did nothing to dampen the reaction of his own body.

"Do you want to sleep with me or in the spare room?" Blake asked as casually as he could.

"With you" Damian grinned "unless you don't want me to".

Blake said he was more than happy for him to share his bed so guided him into his bedroom where he helped him undress since he was still unsteady on his feet. Once down to his briefs, Blake admired Damian's body and felt his own react. The guy was just beautiful.

"Need a pee" Damian giggled and made his way into the en-suite somewhat unsteadily. Whilst he was doing that, Blake quickly stripped off and hoped his erection would subside before Damian returned. Hearing the sound of urine gushing into the pan didn't help since it caused him to have a mental image of the organ in question but by the time Damian did reappear, his was softening. He rushed in to do the same and when he reappeared, Damian was sitting on the end of the bed wondering which side to climb in. He looked at Blake's naked body and despite his inebriated condition felt it react down below. "Do you sleep in the buff?"

Blake said he always had done but Damian could do as he wished. He normally wore a pair of boxer shorts but was happy to do likewise so immediately stripped off his briefs and released his organ that was now showing definite signs of excitement. Blake hurriedly climbed beneath the covers to hide his which was reacting at the sight. Seeing that Blake climbed in on the right, he did so on the left. Once in, they wrapped their arms around each other pressing their naked bodies together. They could both feel their erections rubbing against one another but neither said anything or touched them.

"I'm sorry, I don't normally get pissed" Damian said now that he was feeling more like himself.

"It's okay, you're allowed to once in a while" Blake chuckled.

Their mouths came together and kissed. It quickly became passionate with tongues eager to explore. They both enjoyed the feeling of being together and both were happy that it had finally happened.

When Blake woke the following morning with his usual erection, he looked across at the other side of the bed. A grin spread across his face when he saw Damian lying there. "Perhaps at last love has come" he told himself and gently rubbed a hand over Damian's naked torso. Apart from kissing when they went to bed, nothing else had happened since Damian was in no fit state and Blake was tired so they were soon both fast asleep.

Seeing that Damian was still asleep, he crept out of bed and walked naked into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. He generally always had a cup before having his shower so it was his usual routine. He found it helped him wake up for the day ahead even at weekends.

When he carried the two mugs into the bedroom, Damian was awake.

"Mm, now that is a beautiful sight" Damian chuckled as he admired Blake's naked form.

"Thought you might like a cup of tea" Blake grinned as he placed it on the side table beside him. He then climbed back into bed and took Damian into his arms to give him a good morning kiss. This was something else he'd always dreamt of doing once he'd found the right man to share his life with. "Did you sleep well?"

"Yeah, like a log but I need a pee" Damian giggled and climbed out of bed. Blake's eyes followed the perfect brown butt into the en-suite and listened once again to the gush of pee flowing into the bowl. He smiled and hugged himself just to make sure it was real. The return view was just as enjoyable as he watched Damian's large brown organ flapping up and down as he walked. He couldn't wait to feel that inside him.

"So, what would you like to do today?" Blake asked once they'd both drunk their tea.

"Enjoy being with you" Damian smiled and felt down to feel the organ between Blake's legs. Having a warm hand encase it soon made it react but this time Blake let it grow until he was fully erect. "That feels nice" Damian groaned as he gently stroked it. Blake felt for Damian's and as he'd expected it too was now hard. He silently gasped since it was huge but he'd taken bigger so had no fears.

After a while, Damian moved their heads together for a kiss which as before became very passionate. It lasted for a good minute or so before he pulled away and looked into Blake's hazel eyes.

"What do you like doing with a guy; sexually speaking?"

Blake thought for a moment wondering if he wanted to go that next step but he knew in his heart that he did so he replied "I'm normally passive but have been active on occasions; how about you?"

Damian grinned. "Perfect, because I normally top although I don't mind taking it occasionally but to be honest I much prefer being active."

"The perfect match then" Blake giggled "but I only practice safe sex".

"Of course" Damian exclaimed somewhat hurt that Blake would think otherwise before remembering he worked as a nurse in a sexual health clinic. "I imagine you see it all when it comes to sexual diseases."

Blake nodded. He certainly did and he witnessed the effects such diseases had on guys. "At least I always have plenty of condoms at the ready" he chuckled.

That seemed to be the sign for Damian to become serious so he disappeared down the bed and serviced Blake with his mouth for a while. Blake certainly didn't object since he loved the feel of hot lips round his organ so let Damian do what he wanted to do. Eventually he reappeared looking somewhat pleased with himself and grinned.

"Do you want me to, you know?" Damian asked having positioned himself on top of Blake.

He grinned and nodded. If he was honest he couldn't wait.

Once Damian was inside Blake he looked into his eyes. He loved watching a guy's reaction and this was no exception. Blake's eyes showed sheer pleasure which pleased him no end.

"Thanks, that was beautiful" Blake said once the lovemaking was over. He now had no doubt that Damian was the right guy.

Damian leaned forward and gave him a brief kiss. "I love you so much."

Blake's heart missed a beat. It was what he'd been waiting to hear for such a long time. "I love you too" he replied, "So are we in a proper relationship?"

"It's what I want if you do."

Blake nodded and pulled the gorgeous guy who was still straddling him into another passionate kiss. When it finally ended they smiled at each other. "I've been waiting for a guy like you for so long."

"Same here" Damian replied with tears of joy in his eyes.

After breakfast they decided to go for a walk. Blake was pleased to note that Damian liked walking every bit as much as he did so they walked along the river, past the Tower of London through to the old Billingsgate Market. Damian had never done that walk before so enjoyed it. As they did so they talked about their jobs, their early childhood and how they discovered their sexuality. As Blake talked about how he'd told his parents he was gay, Damian fell silent. He was so envious and for a moment he cursed his father and his uncles for that matter since they were just as homophobic.

Blake suddenly sensed his change in mood. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah"

Blake stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gone on so much about my family; I know it's hard for you."

"It's okay; in fact it's good to hear that not everybody is like my fucking father."

"Your mum accepts you for what you are" Blake replied. Damian nodded but Blake could see he was still feeling sad. He pulled him into his arms and kissed him lightly on the lips. A middle aged couple were walking by at the time and smiled. Blake wasn't bothered who saw them. In fact he wanted to shout from the rooftops that he'd at last found love and the most beautiful guy in the world. Damian grinned and glanced to see who was going by.

"I love you so much" he whispered.

After lunch they decided to watch a film. They realised that they both liked science fiction films so Damian chose one of Blake's Star Wars DVDs. He had the complete set so they decided to watch the first one in the series. As they sat side by side, Blake felt his life was complete. It even flashed through his mind whether or not he'd suggest they live together but decided that was probably taking things too far too quickly. They'd not known each other that long and had only just expressed their love for each other.

On the Monday morning, Blake woke and immediately looked over to the vacant side of the bed. He was already missing having Damian's naked body beside him. He attended to his morning erection and as he did so he imagined it was Damian servicing him. By the time he arrived at work he was feeling on top of the world and ready for another busy day at the clinic. Several colleagues commented on how happy he looked and he just grinned. One in particular, who Blake knew was gay, grinned at him. "If I'm not mistaken you've either had a brilliant weekend with some guy you've picked up or you're in love".

"The latter" Blake chuckled.

"Lucky you; I'm so pleased for you."

The day brought its usual array of patients to deal with but one in particular stuck in Blake's mind. One of his team had asked for a second opinion on a young guy who was twenty two. His name was Eric and he was particularly good looking. He'd originally attended the clinic because of a discharge from his penis and this had been diagnosed as Chlamydia. Although the treatment he'd been subscribed was clearing it up, he was losing weight and looking very anaemic.

"Hi Eric, I'm Blake the nurse in charge"

Eric looked at him and smiled weakly. Blake reviewed the notes and asked Eric the list of usual questions about his sex life.

"Have you had unprotected sex with anyone?"

Eric shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He had and he knew it was wrong but things got out of hand with the guy he'd met at a gay sauna several months before. He guessed that was how he'd picked up the Chlamydia. Blake took hold of Eric's hand and gently squeezed it. "It's okay, it happens and we certainly don't make any judgement on your sexual activity but it's useful to know when trying to help someone.

"Is something wrong with me?" Eric asked sadly.

"The good news is that the Chlamydia is responding well to the treatment you're on but we think there may be another problem. Have you had an HIV test recently?"

Eric again shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew he should have regular tests but he had a thing about having a blood test. In fact he hated the sight of blood. He eventually shook his head realising that Blake was only trying to help him.

"We'd like to do one if you're willing just to be sure; is that okay?" Blake asked as he looked into Eric's beautiful brown eyes.

Suddenly Eric put his head into his hands and cried. For a moment Blake and the other nurse just looked at him wondering why. "I can't stand the sight of blood or having a blood test" he eventually said with tears still running down his face.

"It's okay" Blake said and put his arms round Eric to comfort him. "You're not the first guy to tell me that but we can get round it."

"I've tried looking away but I can't, I just have to watch and then I freak out" Eric wailed.

Blake took hold of Eric's arm and gently moved his sleeve up to look at his veins. They were not that prominent but he'd done so many blood tests that he was considered to be the best in the clinic so was always the person called for whenever other nurses had a problem.

"What if we blindfold you and I promise not to hurt you; in fact you'll hardly know what I'm doing" Blake smiled.

"This guy is the best when it comes to taking blood" the other nurse told Eric although whether that was any consolation to him Blake wasn't sure.

"It is important we take one" Blake told Eric after he'd calmed down.

"Have I got HIV then?"

"I'm not going to lie to you Eric, there's always a possibility when you've had unprotected sex but until we do the test we won't know and if you are positive then we need to give you treatment. HIV is no longer the death sentence it used to be but it does need treatment."

Eric trusted Blake so eventually he agreed. Blake got him lying on the examination couch since he certainly didn't want Eric passing out on him whilst taking blood. He suggested that Eric listen to some music on his phone which he decided was a good idea to take his mind off what was going to happen. Blake then fitted a blindfold so he couldn't see what was happening. He prepared Eric's arm and said "Sharp prick" to warn him when the needle was about to go in although he doubted Eric heard that since he had the music up loud. The other nurse watched Blake's efficiency at finding the vein and filling the phials.

When he'd finished and put the phials out of view, he removed the needle and held a swab over the point of insertion for a moment before placing a small round plaster to cover it.

"Will it hurt?" Eric asked. Blake smiled and told him it was all done. Eric immediately removed the blindfold and looked at his arm. On seeing the plaster he looked at Blake somewhat nonplussed.

"I told you he was the best" the other nurse chuckled.

"Yep, all done so you can get up now" Blake told Eric. He immediately did so and grinned at Blake.

"I expect you think me a wimp."

Blake patted him on the shoulder and said he wasn't the only person who didn't like the sight of blood.

"But in future always have safe sex."

"Don't worry, I will although I've not had any for weeks; just not felt like it."

Blake noted the comment which added to his assessment but the blood test would soon tell. He told Eric they'd be in touch in a few days to discuss the result. Eric went off feeling worried knowing that he'd put himself at risk.

Over the next few days, Blake and Damian either talked over the phone or met up for a drink and they were both upbeat. On the Friday, Damian called Blake whilst he was at work. Although phones had to be either off or on silent whilst on duty, Blake felt his buzz in his pocket to say he'd missed a call. When he was able to do so, he saw Damian had called and knew something must be wrong since they'd both agreed not to call during working hours. During his break he returned the call and immediately knew Damian was very upset.

"The bastard has pressurised my landlord into giving me notice to quit."

Blake assumed he was talking about his father and asked how he could put pressure on a landlord in London. Damian explained that his father had introduced him to the landlord when he moved to London but had not realised he was that close a friend.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" Damian wailed.

Blake said he couldn't talk there and then but would come over to see Damian that evening.

When Blake arrived, Damian fell into his arms with tears running down his face.

"I just knew the bastard would do something but I never dreamt he'd stoop this low. He knows how difficult it is to get affordable rental accommodation in London."

Blake hugged and kissed him for a few moments until he'd calmed down.

"We'll sort something out, don't worry; in the meantime I've brought a takeaway for us to eat whilst we talk. Damian smiled and looked into the bag Blake was holding. It was Tandoori Chicken which was one of his favourites. He gave Blake another hug and a kiss. He loved this guy so much.

They dished up their meal and sat down to eat. Blake had also bought some bottles of Cobra to go with it which went down well.

"So, have you any ideas what you want to do about finding somewhere else to live?" Blake asked once he was tucking into his meal. Damian looked at him and shrugged his shoulders. Blake was quickly finding out that whenever Damian was not sure what to do that was his reaction. He loved him and wanted to help in the same way he'd done when he'd gone with him to see Betty and his mother to announce he was gay. He thought for a moment considering what he was about to say. He knew their relationship was in its early stages and anything could happen but he was sure they both loved each other.

"You could always move in with me if you wanted."

Damian stopped eating and looked at him. His heart was beating with excitement. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, why not; we could share living expenses and if for any reason it doesn't work out and we get on each other's nerves you can look for somewhere on your own.

"I doubt we'd get on each other's nerves" Damian laughed, "I love you Blake, you know that".

"And I love you so it seems an obvious solution."

Damian jumped up and moved to where Blake was sitting. He wrapped his arms round him and hugged him tight whilst kissing him. "You really are the kindest man on the planet and I love you so much."

"That's settled then" Blake chuckled before asking what notice the landlord had given Damian.

"A month" he replied having sat down to finish his meal.

"And what notice do you have to give him if you terminate the tenancy?"

Damian pondered for a moment and then remembered that his father had made the arrangements at the time.

"So you've never signed a tenancy agreement?"

Damian shook his head. For that matter he'd never set eyes on one. At the time he was so thankful to get away from home that he just came to London and moved in. Blake grinned.

"What?"

"If you've never personally signed a tenancy agreement then you're not subject to any notice so you could leave immediately and not pay for the rest of the month. If your father signed the agreement and that stated one month's notice then he'd have to pay the landlord otherwise the landlord will be out of pocket by one month.

"You are brilliant; I love it; either way one of them is stuffed and to be honest I hope it's the bastard because the landlord has always been very nice."

They discussed how long it would take Damian to pack up and he reckoned he could do so easily within a day since it only involved his personal items as the flat had come fully furnished apart from a small TV and DVD player. As soon as they'd finished their meal and cleared it away, they set to and started packing. They'd need some boxes for books and small items but Blake said he'd pick some up from the local supermarket the following morning. He'd drive the car over and they'd pack everything into that. With a bit of luck it would only take one journey. Damian only had one suitcase so that was packed and it was agreed Blake would take it with him on the train that evening and bring it back empty with one of his the following morning. By late evening they'd got everything in piles ready to be packed into boxes or into suitcases.

The living room looked like a jumble sale by the time Blake left but it meant they'd be able to return the keys to the agent by lunchtime the following morning. After Blake had left, which had been preceded by more hugs and passionate kisses during which Damian thanked him profusely, Damian sat down at his laptop and wrote a letter to the landlord telling him that since he was so easily persuaded by his bully of a father, he'd vacated the flat with immediate effect and would not be paying rent beyond that date. "I suggest you obtain any monies owing to you from my father" he added.

When Blake got home, he hastily cleared part of the wardrobe in the main bedroom since he'd assumed Damian would sleep with him. They'd not actually discussed that but having seen what happened when he did stay the night, it seemed a foregone conclusion; at least he hoped it was. Fortunately there was sufficient space in the spare room cupboard to take the items he'd removed. He also cleared part of the bookcase in the living room to take some of Damian's books. He wanted him to feel he was welcome; which of course he was despite it all happening much sooner than either had imagined.

It was nearly midnight by the time both went to bed in their respective flats. Blake looked over to the empty side of his bed and grinned. He couldn't wait to have his lover by his side. Damian hugged himself overjoyed that he was moving in with Blake. Before he finally climbed into bed he stripped off the boxer shorts he'd automatically put on and ripped them in two. "Shan't need these in future" he grinned as he threw them in the rubbish bag. "And fuck you father although you've done me a favour" he laughed out loud as he climbed into bed.

The following morning they both woke up with erections but there wasn't time to service those since they both had lots to do. They both showered and as they did so they imagined showering together in future. Blake's shower was just about large enough to accommodate two and they both thought it would be fun even though they'd probably have to get up earlier to allow time for any fun and games that might occur!

As soon as he'd had breakfast, Blake drove round to the nearest supermarket to get some boxes. He knew the staff well so they were more than happy to oblige. He'd emptied Damian's suitcase and laid the clothes on the bed in readiness for him to hang how and where he wanted. He'd also put one of his own in the car so they'd have plenty of room for packing.

Damian meanwhile had risen early and given the bathroom a good clean followed by the kitchen. Once everything had been packed, he could run the vacuum round the other rooms. By the time Blake arrived, he was ready to pack. Whilst Damian packed the remainder of his clothes, Blake packed up books and knickknacks. By mid morning the packing was complete and everything was placed in the hallway ready to be taken down to the car. Whilst Damian did his vacuuming, Blake packed boxes into the boot of his car.

"Right, just these two suitcases and electrical items" Damian grinned. Whilst Blake took each item onto the landing, Damian had one last look round just to make sure he'd got everything. He'd enjoyed his time here and in one way was sorry to leave but he knew he had a new life ahead of him with his lover. "Go fuck yourself you bastard" he muttered as he closed the front door behind him and carried the last remaining items downstairs.

The car was packed to the hilt by the time they'd finished but at least they'd managed everything in one go. On their way to Wapping they dropped Damian's letter with the keys into the landlord's office. It was closed so he'd get that surprise on the Monday morning.

When Damian saw how much Blake had prepared for him he was overwhelmed. Tears of joy fell down his face and he pulled Blake into a hug. "Thank you so much; I shall love you always" he added before giving Blake a big kiss. He then added with a big grin, "And I shall make it up to you later".

It didn't take long to get Damian's things unpacked and into his new home. When they'd finished it hardly looked as if he'd just moved in. Blake's apartment was plenty large enough for the two of them and he knew he was going to enjoy sharing it with Damian.

After lunch they went for a walk and enjoyed the spring sunshine. This time they walked toward Canary Wharf and watched boats go by as they made their way along the river. Damian knew instinctively he was going to enjoy living there, not only because he'd be with his lover but also because of the river.

When they returned, they looked at each other and grinned. Both knew what the other was thinking so without saying anything they walked into the bedroom where they slowly and seductively undressed each other. Once naked with their excitement showing for all to see, they climbed on the bed and made passionate love. It was perfect and sealed the start of their new life together.

On the Sunday, Damian called Betty to tell her that he was now living with Blake. He knew he couldn't contact his mother over a weekend as his father would be around, so he asked her to make contact and give his mum the news. Betty was disgusted at what his father had done but was delighted to hear that he'd moved in with Blake and they were now a proper couple.

On the Monday Damian's mum called. She was furious with her husband about him getting Damian thrown out of his home. She'd had a row with him during which he'd struck her when she'd told him he was beneath contempt. She immediately packed a bag and told him she was moving out and filing for a divorce. "And I shall let the world know why" she added.

"To be honest he's done me a favour" Damian told her having got over the shock that his father had struck her.

"That's not the point son; he's a bully and he's going to pay for what he's done. Besides, it's not the first time he's hit me. You know what he's like when he's angry."

"Where will you go?"

"I'm moving in with Betty. She's here now helping me pack my things. He seems to have forgotten that the house was bought in my name because at that time he wasn't a British citizen, so he'll not have a roof over his head once I've sold it. I've instructed my solicitor so it's all in hand."

"I'm sorry mum; it's my fault this has happened"

"Don't be daft lad, of course it's not. Things would have blown up at some point in any event."

Damian told her he was proud of the way she was standing up to him and would be there if she needed him.

"I know my love but you settle into your new life with Blake; he's a lovely guy and I'm proud of you."

The words caused tears to form in Damian's eyes. He loved his mum so much.

When Blake arrived at work, one of the doctors had a word with him. He said Eric was due in that morning to be told the result of the blood tests. He was supposed to have come the previous week but had cancelled the appointment. Blake wasn't sure if the reason given was valid or whether he couldn't face being told the result.

"I'd like you present when I give him the bad news; he's going to be on his own and seems to trust you and I have a feeling he may need a lot of support once we tell him."

Blake said he was happy to be present and give whatever support Eric needed.

"I suspect he'll need counselling in due course and since you're a qualified counsellor you're the obvious choice if you can fit him in."

"Yeah, sure" Blake nodded although how he'd be able to do so in amongst his other work he wasn't sure but he wanted to help Eric in every way he could. He'd trained as a counsellor soon after completing his nursing training but only used his skills every so often.

Eric arrived at eleven and when he saw Blake his eyes lit up although Blake could tell he was nervous. Once seated with Blake alongside him, the doctor explained that his blood results had now been received; not that he needed telling but it broke the ice. Eric looked at Blake and then at the doctor hoping and praying the news was going to be good.

"The good news is that the Chlamydia is responding to treatment. The bad news is that I'm afraid you've tested positive with the HIV virus." The doctor paused and waited for Eric's reaction. There was none. All Eric did was sit there as if he'd been struck dumb. He said nothing and did nothing. Blake put a hand on his and squeezed it gently. Eric looked at him and the tears started running down his face.

"It's not the end of the world" Blake said gently, "but you will need to go on medication". Eric nodded but Blake could sense he wasn't really taking it in. The doctor went on to say that Eric's CD4 count was very low and his viral load was very high so immediate treatment was necessary.

"And if I don't?" Eric whispered."Your immune system is not strong enough to resist other infections so you'd become ill and your body wouldn't be able to fight them off" Blake explained.

"So I'd die"

"Basically, yes, you would eventually after a lot of suffering but you don't want that do you?" Blake replied. Eric looked at him and shook his head as more tears ran down his face. "You can get through this Eric with our help; you just need to take the drugs and be strong."

Eric nodded and smiled weakly at Blake. He liked Blake and trusted him. He'd never trusted doctors so would listen to what Blake said rather than the doctor. Seeing that Blake had Eric's trust, the doctor asked him to take Eric into another room and explain what happened next. He'd already decided what drug to prescribe so gave Blake the prescription and the labels for the next set of drug tests he'd need in a month's time.

"Let's go and have a chat Eric" Blake said as he led him out. Eric meekly followed Blake into a small room nearby. When they'd sat down Blake gently smiled at Eric who was looking very dejected. There was something about the young man that attracted him which was unusual since he was normally very professional when dealing with patients and kept them out of his personal feelings however attractive they were. "You will get through this you know and you can always come and talk to me if you're worried or feeling down."

Eric looked at Blake and smiled weakly. "Thanks; you're very kind."

Blake then went through what happened next and the importance of taking his drugs each day. He explained that for a while he'd need to visit the clinic on a monthly basis until his CD4 and viral load had improved. "Are you able to do that or will you have a problem getting time off work?"

Eric explained that he was a self employed painter and decorator and organised his own time so he'd be able to attend the clinic. "Will you be here when I come?"

Blake smiled. He had a feeling that Eric fancied him which was probably not a good idea but since he fancied him he was happy to make sure he was the nurse who dealt with him. "We can arrange appointments so that I take your bloods but the doctor will need to see you once the results are in and I shan't always be able to accompany you during those sessions but Dr Knowles is very nice and will be gentle with you." At least this made Eric grin and he felt he could cope with the clinic visits.

"Does my GP doctor have to know?"

Blake explained it was always a good idea to tell the GP since the HIV drugs could affect other drugs that might be prescribed. Eric thought for a moment and then looked up.

"I don't want my mother to find out."

"How is she likely to; do you still live at home?"

Eric shook his head and said he had his own bedsit but his mother used the same doctor and had known him for years. "She's a nosey bastard and wasn't too happy about me being gay, so once she hears this she'll go mad."

Blake assured him that doctors had to respect patient confidentiality so he'd not discuss Eric's details with her in the same way that he'd not discuss his mother's with him without her approval.

"I guarantee she'll find out; someone at the surgery will make a comment, it's happened before. Then she'll nag me until I tell her."

Blake took hold of Eric's hand and held it for a moment. He could tell he was genuinely concerned.

"What about your father; what does he think about you being gay?"

For a moment, Eric said nothing and Blake could tell he'd hit a raw nerve. He then noticed tears weeping from his eyes.

"He had an accident at work when I was eighteen and died; I loved him, much more than I love my mother; he understood me but she doesn't; she's always nagging me about getting married despite me saying I'm gay and I don't want to marry a woman but she just goes on and on; once she knows I'm HIV positive she'll never give me a moment's peace."

Blake stood up and gently lifted Eric by his hand. Blake put his arms round Eric and gave him a hug. Suddenly the floodgates opened and Eric was crying his eyes out. The more he cried, the more Blake held him tight and the more he did that the more he found he was attracted to him. "For heaven's sake" he told himself "you've got the man of your dreams" but for some reason this young man was pulling his heart strings and he couldn't understand why.

"I'm really sorry" he eventually managed to say as he caressed Eric's back. Slowly Eric calmed down and then looked into Blake's eyes.

"It's okay; it's just that I miss him so much at times and I know he'd be there for me and get me through this."

Blake questioned Eric on what other family he had but it seemed he had none. He was an only son and had no other relatives apart from an aunt on his mother's side. He wanted to do all he could for him but he knew he had to be professional. He'd never before become so attached to a patient so had to tread carefully.

"Well, I'm here for you and I promise you will get through this so if you are feeling low you just give me a call." Blake then gave Eric his business card and suggested he change doctors so he was using a different practice to his mother. Eric agreed and said he'd do that. He then took him along to see the pharmacist who went through the drugs that had been prescribed. By the time Eric left, he was looking and feeling a lot better. The problem was that Blake couldn't get him out of his mind and kept imagining what he'd be like in bed.

When Blake got home, Damian pulled him into a big hug as usual and gave him a kiss.

"How was your day?" Damian asked cheerfully. Blake mentioned Eric although not by name. "Poor guy; being positive is bad enough but having to cope with it on your own must be difficult. However, I'm sure you'll be able to comfort him" he added with a big grin.

"I do my best" Blake chuckled not daring to say that Eric had really turned him on.

"Yeah, I bet you do" Damian giggled.

"What are you suggesting?" Blake laughed.

"Well, if I was in that situation I wouldn't object to being nursed by a good looking sexy guy such as you."

"So you think I'm good looking and sexy do you?" Blake laughed.

"You fucking well know I do and if you want I'll prove it to you" Damian grinned as he pulled Blake into another hug and moved his hand down to the area he knew he'd find what he was looking for.

"You could always join me in the shower" Blake giggled as he moved his hand down to feel Damian's excited state.

Neither needed any further encouragement so within seconds they were both stripped off and in the shower showing how much they loved each other.

"My dad would like us to visit him" Blake commented once they were having their meal, which as usual he'd cooked after they'd enjoyed themselves in the shower. "He's dying to meet you" he added with a grin. He also wanted to show off his new boyfriend although he didn't actually say that. Damian said he'd love to meet Darren and his partner Robin. Blake had told him so much about them that he felt he'd known them for years. After they'd finished their meal, Blake phoned his dad and arranged to visit for a weekend in three weeks.

Over the next two weeks they attended their respective jobs and each night exchanged what they'd done during the day. The Friday evening had become their night for going out to a bar and sometimes onto a club depending on how they were feeling. Their love for each other blossomed and neither could ever imagine not being together. Damian still felt bitter over the way his father had treated him but at least his mother was now happy living with Betty and they spoke at least once a week.

Blake preferred to travel by train to Manchester where his dad lived so they made their way to Euston on the Friday evening after they'd both finished work. The journey took just over two hours so they arrived by half seven. Once Darren had given his son a big hug and a kiss he turned to Damian.

"So, you're the gorgeous guy my son is raving over" Darren grinned. Damian found himself being given a big warm hug and immediately felt at ease. Why his own father couldn't accept him like this was beyond him but of course Blake's dad was gay. Standing behind him he noticed another good looking guy much the same age as Darren. "And this is my gorgeous Robin" Darren grinned.

"Hi Damian, it's good to meet you; wow Blake, you didn't tell us he was this good looking" Robin grinned as he took the opportunity to hug and kiss Damian who could now feel his face burning.

Blake chuckled as he retrieved his lover from Robin's embrace and put his own arm round him as he followed his father into the living room.

"I thought we'd go out to eat tonight so once you guys have had freshened up we'll hit the town" Darren explained. The other two said that sounded a great idea so Blake led Damian into the spare room where he knew they'd be sleeping. As they went, his dad gave the thumbs up sign behind Damian's back to indicate he approved. Not that Blake needed his dad's approval but it was nice all the same.

"Your dad's nice" Damian whispered once inside the room, "and Robin is too".

"Dad likes you too and he thinks you're hot" Blake chuckled. Damian rather liked the idea of being approved by a father figure and so wished his own could have been the same.

After they'd had a very enjoyable meal, which Darren insisted on paying for, they went to a gay bar in Canal Street. There was still one where older guys could assemble and enjoy each other's company. As soon as they went in several guys came up to say hello. Blake knew that his dad was very popular and had lots of gay friends. He was so happy for him. Robin just stood and smiled not saying much as usual but he was a genuine guy and Blake knew he loved his dad dearly.

The two younger guys attracted a lot of attention much to Darren's amusement. He knew his son was very attractive and never minded showing him off but on this occasion he had a double whammy since Damian was equally as hot. One guy in particular, who was in his forties, took great delight in chatting up the two guys. He took every opportunity to touch the younger guys, including their butts which caused both of them to get excited for some reason.

"I think Tom is wetting himself over you two" Darren chuckled when Tom disappeared to the men's room for a few moments, "You're both in there if you're interested."

It wasn't the first time Blake's father had tried to pair him off with some guy who'd shown interest and had he been on his own he might have been interested but he was with his partner. Instead, Blake looked at his father with mock surprise.

"What; aren't you guys into threesomes?"

Blake shrugged his shoulders. He knew he'd agreed with Damian that their relationship would be monogamous but sometimes he wondered whether having fun with another guy would spice things up.

Darren grinned having picked up on what Blake was indicating. "I see, young love is it; you've adopted the monogamous policy have you; I can't blame you; I think I would too with this gorgeous guy" Darren said as he put an arm round Damian's waist and hugged him tight. Damian was still not used to having a parental figure speak like this yet alone touch him in the way Darren did and his face went hot again.

"Dad, you're embarrassing Damian" Blake chuckled.

"I'm sure Damian enjoys the attention don't you" Darren giggled and rubbed a hand over Damian's backside in a very salacious manner. Damian just grinned rather enjoying the attention despite not being used to a parent talking like this.

Just then Tom appeared and seeing Darren's arm round Damian immediately stood beside Blake to do the same. "Missed me?" he giggled as he gave Blake's butt cheek a squeeze. Blake just grinned and said nothing. He liked Tom and knew what he was after but knew nothing could happen. He loved Damian and loved living with him but he did miss casual sex despite thinking he no longer wanted that. As these thoughts went through his mind, Tom whispered into Blake's ear "How I'd love to strip you naked and have some fun with you".

"I have a partner" Blake whispered with a big grin.

"I'm up for a threesome" Tom replied.

"Don't think Damian's into that but if you're ever in London give me a call" Blake replied. Quite why he said that he had no idea but the next thing he felt was Tom's card being secreted into his pocket. Blake glanced over to Damian who was now deep in conversation with Darren. Having told Tom he could call him if in London, he felt he was obliged to give him his number so he pulled out one of his cards which he'd printed off some while ago for such purposes and palmed it to Tom.

"Thanks, I shall certainly give you a call; I do occasionally have to visit London on business."

Blake smiled and thought no more about it; little did he know then that the time would come when he'd be meeting up with Tom.

"That was a beautiful meal" Damian said after they'd eaten the following evening, "I can see where Blake gets his culinary skills from."

Darren grinned and lightly kissed the back of Damian's neck as he cleared away his plate. "Thank you and I'm glad to hear he looks after you."

"He certainly does which is just as well since I'm hopeless at cooking" Damian grinned.

"Well, we can't all be good at everything but I'm sure you satisfy him in other ways" Darren grinned and glanced over Damian's shoulder at Blake.

"He sure does" Blake replied with an equally big grin.

Seeing that Damian was feeling somewhat embarrassed, Robin chipped in. "For heaven's sake Darren, you're embarrassing Damian."

"Oh I'm sure I'm not; he's a man who enjoys sex with men and men like us love talking about it don't we Damian" Darren replied more as a statement than a question.

"Of course" Damian replied glancing at Blake to see his reaction, "It's just that I'm not used to a parent talking like this; my father would have a fit if he heard this kind of conversation."

"Ah, I take it he's not keen on having a gay son" Robin said.

"That's putting it mildly" Blake replied and said what Damian's father had done. The two guys were horrified and Darren put his arms round Damian and kissed him again on the back of the neck.

"I'm so sorry Damian, I had no idea; that must be very difficult to handle."

Damian nodded and placed his hand on Darren's which was round his waist. It felt comforting and he tried to imagine it was his father's. He looked at Blake who just smiled.

"Well, all I can say is the man's a complete idiot for giving up on such a beautiful son as you but you're very welcome to be part of our family."

"Thanks, that's nice to know" Damian managed to reply as he wiped away a tear from his eye.

"Now, you two love birds go and sit down whilst Robin and I clear up, and Blake, give your gorgeous boyfriend a big kiss; coffee will be arriving shortly."

Blake looked at Damian and grinned. He knew there was no point arguing with his father so did as he was told. Once in the sitting room he pulled Damian into a passionate kiss. Soon their tongues were deep inside each other and their bodies were showing excitement.

"I love you" Blake whispered in between kisses and gave his lover a feel.

"Love you too" Damian replied enjoying the feel of Blake's hand.

The kiss went on for ages and it was only when they heard Robin say "Carry on guys, don't bother about me" that they paused and looked up. Robin grinned having seen the bulge each guy was showing as he placed the coffee cups down on the low table beside them.

By the time Darren appeared, they'd sat down as if nothing untoward had taken place but Robin had told him what he'd seen so Darren grinned.

"As Blake knows, we never mind seeing guys loving each other so you just give him a big hug and a kiss whenever you feel like it Damian; nobody in this house is going to complain or shout at you."

Damian smiled and placed a hand on Blake's leg. Blake placed his over it and squeezed it tight. They then watched Darren and Robin sit on the sofa opposite them and give each other a kiss before Robin served the coffee. Damian felt at home and he loved the feeling it gave him.

Damian was sad when they had to leave on the Sunday to go back home. He'd so enjoyed his time in Manchester and hoped there'd be many more occasions when they could visit again.

Once home, Blake pulled Damian into a passionate kiss and a hug. No words were necessary because they both knew they loved each other and both knew what they wanted to do to show each other how much. They stripped off and climbed into bed. Within seconds they were all over each other and spent the next hour having the most beautiful sex imaginable. Life was perfect, or so they thought.

Eric reacted well to treatment and within six months his CD4 and viral load had greatly improved. In fact his viral load was undetectable which pleased him no end although he knew he'd have to continue taking the drugs for the rest of his life. His visits to the clinic had now been changed to once every three months which was good but he missed seeing Blake. He'd formed a bond with him and he had a feeling Blake felt the same.

He was now visiting for one of his blood tests in readiness for his next appointment with the doctor. As usual Blake took the blood knowing how much Eric hated going through the process but each time he'd wear the blindfold and Blake would efficiently insert the needle without him hardly realising.

"Okay, all done" Blake said once he'd made sure the phials of blood were well hidden. Eric removed his blindfold and grinned.

"Thanks; you've been such a good friend throughout the past few months; I'm not sure I'd have got through it all without you."

Blake was touched and took hold of Eric's hands. He still had feelings for the guy despite doing his best to treat him just as a patient in the same way he dealt with other guys irrespective of how attractive they were. But with Eric, it was different for some reason. He told himself each time that if he'd not met Damian then he'd probably have taken things further however unprofessional that may have been. If he was honest with himself he secretly loved the guy but he knew he loved Damian and would do nothing to upset that.

"I said you'd get through this didn't I" Blake smiled whilst still holding Eric's hands.

"Yeah, but I know I couldn't have done so without you; I'm really grateful."

"Just doing my job" Blake smiled.

"Yeah I know but if there's anything I can do to show my appreciation I'd like to do so."

For a moment Blake wondered whether Eric was coming on to him.

"As you know, I'm a painter and decorator so if you ever want any decoration done I'd be happy to do it for you."

Blake smiled. "Thanks, as a matter of fact I was thinking it's time I had my apartment redecorated, would you be interested in giving me a quote."

Eric's face lit up, "Yeah of course but I don't want payment, I'm happy to do it for nothing."

Blake squeezed Eric's hands and smiled. "I know you would but I wouldn't feel comfortable not paying when it's your livelihood."

"Okay, but I'd insist on giving you a discount"

"Agreed" Blake grinned and patted Eric's legs. He then gave him his mobile number and told him to call one evening and arrange to come over. Eric beamed and took the number. He rather hoped that things might progress beyond just painting but decided he'd play that one by ear.

Once Eric had left, Blake suddenly thought whether or not it was a good idea. He wondered whether it would be seen as unprofessional by employing a patient so decided to speak to his manager.

His manager listened to Blake's account of Eric, how he'd had to support him throughout and about the counselling he'd given soon after his diagnosis. Having heard the whole story the manager said he couldn't see any problem provided it was a commercial transaction since Eric would be providing his normal service. Blake didn't mention that Eric had offered a discount and fancied him like mad!

Eric called Blake that evening because he didn't want him to change his mind so it was agreed that he'd go over the following day after Blake had got home from work. Blake also decided not to tell Damian who Eric was so as not to complicate things. Fortunately he didn't question Blake on how he'd come across Eric and Blake had suggested to Eric that he didn't mention that he knew him from the clinic.

On the dot of seven the door intercom rang and Blake rushed to answer it. He decided to meet Eric by the lift out of sight from Damian who was busy clearing away the dirty dishes from their meal.

"Hi, thanks for coming" Blake smiled as soon as Eric appeared.

"Thanks for inviting me" Eric beamed as he felt his whole body tingle with excitement. Blake held out his hand and Eric shook it. As he did so, both their bodies moved forward. Within seconds they were giving each other a hug and a kiss on the cheek. It seemed the natural thing to do between two gay guys but there was an underlying significance for both of them.

Blake led him into the apartment and Damian appeared. "This is Damian, my boyfriend" Blake said as he introduced Eric. The two guys shook hands each admiring the other. Eric hadn't thought to ask if Blake had a boyfriend and for a moment felt disappointment but soon realised he was here to do a job despite his feelings.

Blake showed Eric around and as he measured each room he admired the professional way Eric performed his task. Blake decided to have the whole apartment redecorated and he knew he had to clear his mind of his carnal thoughts so tried to think of the job in hand. The problem was, that involved Eric and began to wonder whether he'd made a mistake by inviting him to do the job. He knew Eric's charges would be well below anyone else since he was self employed and below the VAT threshold plus the fact that he'd promised to give him a discount. He couldn't really afford to pay a lot for the job and he didn't relish the thought of doing it himself even with Damian's assistance.

When he'd finished measuring up he said he'd go home, work out the cost and email it to Blake. Just then Damian appeared with a pot of coffee and invited Eric to stay for one. He too had been hooked by Eric and wanted to keep him there as long as possible so he could continue to admire his beautiful sylphlike body. The guy was just beautiful and his brown eyes sparkled.

"Oh, thanks" Eric replied glancing at Blake to see if he approved.

"Yeah, please do" Blake said and indicated for Eric to sit down in a chair whilst he and Damian sat on the sofa.

As they drank their coffee, Damian asked Eric how he'd got into painting and decorating. Eric explained that his dad had been one and had worked for a large building company before he had his accident. It seemed a staging he'd been working on had collapsed and he'd died instantly. "That's why I decided to be self employed and choose what jobs I was prepared to do; the company my dad worked for didn't care a bugger about safety and he paid the price. On the whole there's sufficient work around to keep me employed so I'm happy enough; will never be rich but who cares" he laughed, "provided you enjoy your work that's the main thing."

Damian said he agreed and Blake did too. "We're both in the health service so there's not much money in that" he laughed. Blake glanced at Eric who just nodded without saying anything.

"Wow, he's hot" Damian exclaimed once Eric had left to go home. Blake smiled but said nothing. He was still wondering whether it was such a good idea to employ Eric but somehow he knew he would despite what might happen.

As predicted Eric's quote was well within the price Blake could afford even after having told him that the maximum discount he'd accept was ten percent in place of the twenty five that Eric had first offered. At least nobody could accuse him of using his position to his advantage since ten percent was quite usual. Since Eric didn't have another major job on at present, it was agreed he'd start the following Monday. Blake also had a thing about leaving workmen alone in the apartment. Not that he didn't trust Eric but he much preferred one of them being present whilst the work was being done. Fortunately Blake had holiday due so was able to take the first week off. Eric had said the job would go into two weeks since he never liked to rush things. "I'm a fussy poof who likes everything to be perfect" he laughed when he made the arrangements with Blake. Since Blake couldn't take two weeks, Damian said he'd cover the second week.

It was decided that Eric would decorate the living room first since that was the largest area so on the Sunday, Blake and Damian spent the day clearing as much out as they could. Most things went into the spare bedroom and what wouldn't fit in there would be covered with dust sheets.

At eight thirty on the Monday morning, Eric arrived to commence work. He'd had the paint delivered the previous week and brought over his collapsible step ladder plus some of his work tools. Since he didn't have the luxury of a van he had to take everything by public transport which meant using two buses to get from where he lived in Clapton.

"Hi" he said breezily as he walked from the lift towards Blake who was waiting for him at the front door.

"Hi" Blake replied feeling his whole body react to the sight of Eric. Once inside they embraced giving each other a light kiss on the cheek. Blake had a feeling it was far more intimate than the last time they met but perhaps it was his mind going into overdrive. He knew he wanted this guy but also knew he was forbidden fruit.

"Wow, you guys have been busy" Eric remarked when he saw the almost empty living room.

"We thought it would make things easier for you" Blake replied as he gazed at Eric's butt that was showing nicely in a pair of skin tight jeans.

"Well, I'd better get on; where can I dump my things and change into my overalls?"

Blake suggested he use the spare room. "It's a bit full in here but I expect you can manage" he commented as he showed Eric inside. As Eric's hot body brushed past his he again felt his tingle all over. "For fuck's sake" he told himself, "calm down".

For once, the summer weather was actually acting like summer so already the temperature outside was rising. He'd also noticed that Blake was wearing a sexy pair of shorts with an open neck shirt which showed off his body to perfection and the tuft of dark chest hair peeking out the open neck had not gone unnoticed by Eric. Normally he slipped his bib and brace overalls over his T shirt and jeans but since it was hot he decided to strip down to his scanty underwear and just wear the overalls. At the back of his mind he also hoped it might turn Blake on but he was still not sure whether Blake was interested enough to do anything. The signs were positive but he knew Blake liked to keep his private life apart from business. The question was which category this job came under!

When Blake saw Eric's work attire his heart thumped. The guy's naked torso which was only covered with the bib part of the overalls was pure heaven. His skin was perfect like everything else about him and Blake's mind went into overdrive.

"Right, I'll leave you to it" Blake managed to say. "If you need anything just holler" he added and walked into the kitchen to make an apple crumble for that night's meal.

Eric first covered the floor and the items of furniture with the dust sheets he'd brought with him and got down to work. He'd estimated it would take five days to complete this room but seeing how clear it was he might get it done sooner. At least that would give him time to try and woo Blake since he was sure he was up for it.

When Blake had finished his cooking chores, he decided to sit out on the balcony and enjoy the sunshine. He prepared two cold drinks of lemon squash and carried them into the living room. Eric was busy working with his back to him and for a moment Blake just gazed at his gorgeous body. He really was divine and he felt a bulge form inside his shorts.

"Thought you might like a cold drink" he commented as he made his way towards the open door onto the balcony. Eric stopped what he was doing and looked round.

"Ah, thanks, could do with that" he grinned and walked over to where Blake was standing with his drink.

"If you want a break you're welcome to sit out here for a moment."

Eric nodded and followed Blake out onto the balcony. They sat down and for a moment just enjoyed the warmth of the sunshine whilst they sipped their drinks.

"This is rather nice; I could get used to this" Eric chuckled and glanced at Blake's naked thigh which was now nicely on show as he relaxed on his sun lounger.

"I take it you don't have such a facility where you live."

"Fuck no; all I have is a bedsit with a tiny bathroom and an even smaller kitchen but I manage."

"How long have you lived there?"

"Just on three years; once my dad died I couldn't bear living at home any longer so I made the move."

"Do you have a boyfriend?" Blake suddenly blurted. Why he asked he didn't know but for some reason he needed to know.

"I was going out with a guy who I really liked and thought was a good friend but once he heard I was positive he made a hasty retreat."

"I'm sorry; people do that sometimes but I feel if they're not prepared to give support when the chips are down then they're not the right person for you."

Eric nodded. "Yeah, you're right; the guy was a wanker so I'm better off without him."

Blake glanced at Eric and smiled. He really did like the guy and couldn't get him out of his mind which was worrying because he knew he loved Damian. Whilst Eric finished off his glass of lemonade his eyes roamed up and down his body. He then noticed that he could see naked flesh through the side of Eric's overalls which presumably gave access to the pocket of his jeans beneath. It was then that he realised that Eric had no jeans on beneath his overalls and his mind started racing. The problem was that his body reacted as well so he soon had a definite bulge showing in his crotch. He casually covered it with the magazine he was reading and looked away.

"Well, I'd better get on otherwise the job will never be done" Eric chuckled. "Thanks for the drink."

"Just let me know if you want another" Blake replied, "I'll make a sandwich for us at lunchtime".

"Wow, I'm really being spoilt" Eric giggled as he made his way inside but not before looking at the bulge in Blake's crotch which became visible when Blake went back to reading his magazine.

Once inside, Eric chuckled to himself. He knew Blake was interested; all he now had to do was find a way to take things further.

"So, how did the gorgeous Eric get on today?" Damian asked as soon as he arrived home from work. Blake shrugged and suggested he see for himself once they'd kissed each other. Damian did so and was impressed with the progress.

At prompt eight thirty the following morning Eric arrived again to continue the job. Once again he and Blake hugged and kissed before he slipped into the spare bedroom to change. The weather was again warm so he decided to strip down to his briefs before slipping on his overalls. He was just about to put them on when he stopped. "Yeah, let's go for it" he told himself and promptly removed his briefs. He then slipped his overalls on over his naked body and adjusted himself. It felt odd but he decided he rather enjoyed the feeling of having his tackle flopping about.

Blake was hovering in the living room when he appeared ready for work. The two looked at one other scanning each other's body up and down. Blake noticed a slight bulge at the front of Eric's overalls which he'd not noticed the day before but thought nothing of it as he made his way out onto the balcony to sunbathe. Having a gorgeous guy busy working away whilst he sunbathed was pure heaven and his body certainly approved.

Mid morning he again prepared two cold drinks for them to have on the balcony. Eric quickly accepted the invitation and relaxed on the sun lounger whilst he drank his. This time Blake had made sure the loungers were at an angle to each other so he could admire Eric's beautiful body. He could again see the naked flesh through the side opening of his overalls and yet again it caused a reaction inside his own shorts which didn't go unnoticed by Eric. As he gazed at it he casually adjusted himself because he too was getting hard. When he'd finished his drink he stood up and gave Blake plenty of time to see the hard organ pushing out the flimsy overalls. Their eyes met and they each smiled without saying anything. When Eric had gone back inside, Blake cupped his bulge and held it for a moment. "I'm fucking mad" he told himself but he knew he wanted this gorgeous guy even though he knew he loved Damian with all his heart. He began to regret telling his lover he wanted a monogamous relationship because he now realised that as much as he loved Damian, he needed more.

At lunchtime Blake made some sandwiches and they ate them on the balcony whilst enjoying the sunshine. Because of the heat, Eric had unfastened the bib of his overalls so was now showing off a naked torso which did nothing to quell Blake's interest. He had beautiful smooth skin which looked so sexy.

When they'd finished eating, Blake collected up the empty plates and took them into the kitchen. Eric picked up the glasses and followed him. He placed the glasses by the sink and watched Blake put the plates into the dishwasher. When he'd done that, Blake stood with his hands on the work surface and his back to Eric. His mind was in turmoil and he didn't know what to do.

"Are you okay?" Eric asked and moved up behind him. Blake's heart was racing. He turned and found Eric standing right in front of him. Their faces were within inches of one another and for a moment both just looked into each other's eyes. It was Eric who broke the spell and gently moved his face nearer to Blake's. Without hesitation Blake grabbed the back of Eric's head and kissed him on the lips.

It soon became passionate and both felt their bodies react accordingly. Tongues probed and hands explored. As they did so Blake realised that Eric was naked beneath his overalls. The feel of his long hard organ caused his own to jump to attention so that too was now causing a bulge in his shorts. Eric quickly unfastened them and as they dropped round Blake's ankles he thrust a hand inside his briefs. Blake gasped as the hot hand surrounded his tool. Using his other hand, Eric unfastened his overalls so they too dropped round his ankles. He was now standing stark naked so Blake had full access to the two gorgeous butt cheeks. As he caressed them with one hand he used the other to grasp the hot organ which seemed to get larger with each squeeze. He so wanted to feel that inside him but Damian's face kept coming into his mind. He knew what he was doing was wrong but his body was taking over his mind.

Eric had now released Blake's rampant organ and was feeling his firm buttocks with both hands.

"You are gorgeous" he murmured between kisses.

"So are you" Blake replied before pressing their mouths together like two teenagers on their first sexual experience.

"Can I fuck you?" Eric muttered as he went in for another deep kiss.

"Mm" Blake replied not wanting to stop the kiss.

Having heard the reply, Eric's heart missed a beat. He stopped kissing, held Blake's head in his hands and looked him straight in the eyes. "Are you sure about this? I don't want to do anything to upset your relationship with Damian."

Blake just looked into Eric's beautiful brown eyes. He so wanted this guy despite knowing he was being unfaithful to the guy he loved with all his heart.

"Yes, provided it's solely sex and nothing else because I love Damian; he's the guy I've chosen to live with and I don't want to do anything to upset him so promise me you won't say anything or give any hint that this has happened."

"Of course not; I love and respect you too much Blake to do anything to hurt you or Damian."

Blake nodded as he took in what Eric had said. He believed him and since his body still wanted the physical contact he allowed it to continue. Without saying anything he opened a nearby cupboard and pulled out a packet of condoms and some lube.

"Now that's what I call being prepared" Eric chuckled as he took the condom and slipped it on his rampant organ. Blake turned to face the worktop and bent over to offer himself.

"Ah yes, that feels beautiful" he groaned as Eric filled him up. He always enjoyed sex with Damian but this was just beautiful. Eric was a gentle lover and took his time. As he did so, he massaged Blake until both of them were satisfied.

As if nothing had happened between them, Eric pulled up his overalls, thanked Blake with a kiss and returned to his work. Blake smiled as he got dressed. He knew he'd gone beyond an unspoken line in his relationship with Damian but he still loved the guy every bit as much as before.

When Damian returned home that evening he found a happy and smiling Blake waiting to welcome him home. He'd hardly had time to get in through the door before Blake was kissing and hugging him.

"Wow, this is nice" he giggled, "Having a gorgeous decorator here makes you even sexier than usual". Blake said nothing but instead started undressing his lover as they made their way into their bedroom. Once there it didn't take long for them both to get naked and make love.

By the Friday morning, Eric had finished the living room. Each lunch time they had sex as they'd done on the Tuesday. For Blake he convinced himself that it was purely to satisfy his sexual needs but for Eric it meant a lot more. He'd fallen in love with Blake even though he knew nothing would come of his desires apart from having sex but he was prepared to live with that. Even the guy he'd thought he loved before he dumped him had not given him the same feelings as Blake gave him so he was more than happy.

After they'd had sex on the Friday, Eric helped Blake clean the living room and get the furniture back in. Once done, Blake put his arm round Eric's shoulder and admired his handiwork.

"Thanks, it looks great"

Eric had a warm feeling in his heart. He liked praise but this was special. He casually caressed Blake's backside as they stood there and wondered whether they'd have more sex since he knew that the following week it would be Damian at home as Blake had to go back to work.

When Damian arrived home he rushed in to see Eric's handiwork. Seeing the room back to normal he gasped as he admired the fresh look.

"It's brilliant; he's done a great job; can't wait to see the rest of the apartment done."

Blake placed his arm round Damian's shoulder and hugged him close. He still felt slightly uneasy about what he'd done with Eric but told himself it was purely sex and nothing more. He knew he loved the guy standing beside him and always would. As Damian admired the room he enjoyed the feel of Blake's hand caressing his buttocks. It always turned him on and this was no exception. He turned, took his lover into his arms and kissed him passionately feeling down below as he did so. Having felt the reaction he was having on Blake he stopped kissing and told him to wait there for a moment. He rushed into the bedroom, stripped off and grabbed the bottle of lube.

"Wow" Blake grinned when he saw the naked body walk back in showing off his obvious excitement. He then let Damian strip him off and bend him over the back of the sofa.

"Thought we should christen our newly decorated room" Damian giggled as he lubricated Blake in readiness for what he was about to do.

It felt wonderful as always but Blake also had visions of Eric as Damian performed. Not that it made the sex any less enjoyable, in fact if he was truthful, it enhanced it and he looked forward to having some more with his new sex buddy. Quite when or where that would be he had no idea but he hoped it would happen sometime.

Since it was Friday they decided to go out for a meal that evening and then onto a gay bar in Soho. Both enjoyed themselves no end and decided to go onto a club. They were both sexually charged and soon mixed with other guys as they danced or stood drinking. One guy in particular seemed to take an interest in them and both were happy to let him do so. As they danced together they fumbled and bodies reacted which caused yet more fumbling in amongst the crowded dance floor. Everyone was enjoying themselves and they did too so they let their hair down and allowed the guy to have his fun.

When it was time to go it was obvious he was hoping to invite them back to his place but they politely declined and kissed which involved tongues down each other's throat. By the time they got home they were once again sexually charged so they stripped off and fell into bed. Yet again it was beautiful love making and by the time they settled down for the night they were both very satisfied.

Blake had agreed with Eric that he'd do the main bedroom next which he reckoned would only take three days to complete so on the Sunday Blake and Damian cleared that room of everything, including the bed.

On the Monday morning Eric arrived at eight thirty as usual but felt slightly sad that it would not be Blake who'd be welcoming him. When Damian opened the door he silently gasped. The warm weather had continued and Damian had decided to make the most of it whilst he was at home so had changed into a pair of very brief beach shorts which showed off his attributes to the full. The effect certainly didn't go unnoticed by Eric who enjoyed the view.

Having checked with Damian that he could leave his clothes in the spare room again, he stripped off down to his briefs. He was just about to put on his overalls but for some reason decided to do what he'd done for the past four days so removed his briefs and wore his overalls with nothing on beneath. Seeing how sexy Damian had looked, he also decided to start without the bib of his overalls so when he walked into the living room he too was showing off his naked torso.

"Wow, that's nice" Damian exclaimed when he saw the vision of loveliness. He'd often fantasised over Eric since he'd first met him but had not said anything to Blake. He loved Blake and didn't want to do anything that might give him the feeling that he didn't but he ached to have sex with Eric.

Eric just grinned and confirmed that the main bedroom was next on the list.

"Yeah sure, the room has been cleared ready for you" Damian said as he led Eric into the main bedroom with a hand casually fondling his buttocks. Eric noted the touch and smiled. "Perhaps this week is not going to be so boring after all" he told himself.

Around mid morning Damian announced that he'd made two cool drinks and invited Eric to join him on the balcony. It was obvious that Blake had mentioned what he'd done and Eric began to wonder what else he'd told him but Blake had made it abundantly clear that what had happened between them was to be kept that way. Damian lazed back on his sun lounger and casually stroked the bulge inside his beach shorts. It was blatantly obvious that he was coming onto Eric. The question was, should Eric respond in view of what he'd done with Blake. Apart from that he loved Blake even though he knew that love was not reciprocated but Damian was hot so he decided perhaps he could enjoy sex with him in the same way.

Eric took hold of his drink and leant back on his lounger casually stroking his crotch to encourage the organ to grow. Damian noticed the action and smiled. "Yes, he's interested" he told himself and felt himself again.

By the time they'd finished their drinks they were both showing obvious signs of interest but Eric said he must get on and left Damian feeling himself. Even so, for the rest of the morning he remained sexually charged and looked forward to lunchtime.

"I've made a sandwich" Damian announced at lunchtime.

"Thanks; I'm being spoilt" Eric grinned as he followed Damien admiring his firm buttocks as he did so.

"Thought it easier to eat at the table" he commented as he indicated for Damian to sit down.

For a few moments they ate their sandwiches in silence. Damian was trying to decide how he could encourage Eric to have sex with him. He knew he'd agreed with Blake they'd be monogamous but this guy was too good an opportunity to let pass by. Besides, it was only sex whereas he loved Blake.

Every so often Damian looked up and smiled at Eric. The sexual charge between them was high and he knew Eric was certainly up for it. When they'd finished eating, Damian cleared away the empty plates whilst Eric finished off the beer he'd been offered. He didn't normally drink alcohol when working but decided that one beer wouldn't do any harm. It also helped him relax and he had a feeling he'd need to do so if Damian's intentions were anything to go by.

When Damian returned he stood behind Eric and wrapped his arms round him. "God you're so sexy" he whispered into Eric's ear. Seeing that Eric made no move to stop the action he moved a hand down into Eric's crotch. He was not disappointed since the organ he felt was now fully erect. "Mm, that feels nice" Damian muttered as he slipped his other hand beneath the waist of Eric's overalls to have a feel of the nakedness beneath. For a moment he was surprised to find that Eric had nothing on apart from the overalls. He chuckled and knew that the guy was definitely up for some action so he suggested he stand up. Eric did so and they moved up close. He let Damian lead the way and felt him unfasten his overalls. They fell round his ankles and felt Damian's hot hand take hold of his tool. He gasped rather enjoying the feeling. He then slipped Damian's shorts down his legs so he could have a feel of the large organ that was straining to get out.

"Wow, that's some cock" Eric gasped as he wrapped his hand round it.

Damian chuckled and told Eric that it was all his if he wanted it. Eric was versatile so never minded being passive. He had a feeling that Damian was the dominant partner in his relationship with Blake and for some reason that pleased him since it meant he'd be the one being used and it would not spoil his sex with Blake, assuming more did take place at some point.

"Yeah, why not" Eric replied and let Damian lead him to the back of the sofa. He obediently bent over and waited for Damian to do what he wanted. He smiled as he realised that Damian was fully prepared with condom and lube at the ready. Within seconds he felt the full length of Damian inside him and it felt good. Not as good as his sex with Blake but good all the same since he never minded taking it.

When Damian had satisfied his own needs he pulled out and told Eric to turn round. As he leant against the back of the sofa he watched the good looking guy go down on his knees and suck him off.

"Fuck, that was good" Damian exclaimed once he'd brought Eric to a satisfactory conclusion. "I hope we can do that again."

Eric said he hoped so too but it would be best if they kept this to themselves.

"Fuck yes; I don't want Blake finding out; I do love him you know; I love him very much."

"I know you do and he loves you too so we don't want to upset that do we" Eric smiled as he gave Damian a final kiss before getting back to work.

For the rest of the afternoon he had a wonderful feeling inside him. He always enjoyed taking it every bit as much as being the active partner.

When Blake arrived home he took Damian into his arms and gave him a hug and a kiss as usual.

"So how's the gorgeous Eric got on?" he asked once he'd done so. Damian quickly looked away and muttered what Eric had done in the bedroom. Blake smiled to himself knowing that something had taken place between them. Was he upset? He wasn't sure but he knew he couldn't say anything in view of what he'd done with Eric. As long as it was just sex then he wasn't bothered but he'd keep a close eye on things.

That evening, Eric phoned Blake to say that over the next three days there was a bus strike and although he'd be able to get there the following morning he was worried about getting home and back again the following day.

"If you wanted we could always put you up here or I could drive you home and collect you again in the morning."

Eric said he couldn't possibly put Blake to the bother of driving him back and forth so accepted the invitation to stay over. In any event, he rather looked forward to spending an evening with both guys. When Blake came off the phone and told Damian he looked at him somewhat amazed.

"Where's he going to sleep; we're using the spare room and he's painting our room."

Blake had thought that one through and said they'd put their mattress down on the floor in the living room at one end so Eric could sleep on that.

"Ah" Damian grinned and looked forward to having Eric staying over for a few days.

Since the mattress was taking up space in the room they were using they decided to move it in before they went to bed. Having moved some furniture around they fitted it into a corner at one end by the window.

The following morning when Eric arrived, Damian was once again wearing his tight fitting beach shorts despite the weather not being quite as sunny as the previous days. They hugged and kissed like old friends and Damian showed him into the living room.

"Your bed sir" Damian chuckled indicating the bed in the corner.

"Thanks so much for putting me up; I couldn't possibly put Blake to the bother of driving me back and forth."

"You're more than welcome so dump your things over there."

Eric dumped the small bag that contained his overnight things, not that he had much since he never wore anything in bed, but he'd brought a change of underwear for the next three days. He then stripped off down to his briefs and wondered whether or not to remove those too. As he briefly pondered the point his question was answered by Damian moving up behind him and putting his arms round his waist.

"I hope these too are coming off so you're naked beneath your overalls."

Eric giggled and let Damian remove the item whilst having a good feel as he did so. By the time he'd put his overalls on he was already showing signs of sexual interest but he had a job to do so put it out of his mind for the time being.

After they'd finished their sandwich at lunchtime, Damian led Eric over to the mattress in the corner.

"Shall we try this out?" he grinned. Eric nodded and stripped off his overalls. He watched Damian remove his shorts and saw he was already hard. Without saying anything, he went down on his hands and knees and offered himself. He knew exactly what Damian wanted to do and he was happy to oblige.

Once Damian had booted up he plunged into Eric. It was rough sex and Eric rather enjoyed it since that was all it was. Damian wasn't in love with Eric. All he wanted was to have his wicked way with this Adonis even though he knew he was cheating on Blake. Little did he know that he'd done the same the week before!

Once it was over, Damian gave Eric a hard smack across his butt. He then reached round and massaged him to a satisfactory conclusion.

"Yeah, that was beautiful; you enjoyed that didn't you" Damian giggled. Eric grinned as he got dressed back into his overalls. He had work to do and he wanted to get the main bedroom well on the way to being finished by the end of the day.

By the time Blake arrived home from work, Eric had showered and was sitting with Damian in the living room as if nothing untoward had happened between them. Eric watched the two guys hug and kiss and he felt envious. He'd so love to find a lover to share his life with and he'd have loved that person to be Blake but he knew that was not likely to happen.

Blake then moved over to Eric and gave him a brief kiss on the lips. Damian watched on but didn't think it unusual since he'd seen Blake give gay friends a kiss like that before.

"So, how have we got on today?" Blake asked Eric who immediately stood up to take him into the room he'd been working on whilst Damian took the shopping that Blake had brought in with him into the kitchen to unpack.

"I should have this finished by mid morning tomorrow so can start on the spare room and the hallway."

"Wow, you must have worked really hard today" Blake commented as he looked at Eric's handiwork. "It all looks beautiful" he beamed and pulled Eric into an embrace. "In fact as beautiful as you" he whispered as he gave Eric a passionate kiss. Eric noticed it was far more passionate than previously and began to wonder that perhaps Blake had feelings for him. He so hoped so.

"You're making me hard" Eric giggled.

"Mm, shame I can't do something with it" Blake chuckled "Perhaps some other time".

"Just say when" Eric whispered as he felt Blake and realised that he too was hard.

Blake went into the other room to strip off before having a shower. Eric returned to the living room and sat down. A few minutes later he noticed a stark naked Blake walk into the bathroom to have his shower.

After their meal they spent a pleasant evening chatting and listening to music. Eric's tastes were similar to Blake's so he selected something from his collection of CDs. Blake watched the chemistry between Damian and Eric and couldn't quite decide if they'd had sex or not. If they had, Eric was not showing any sign of having done so despite Damian's obvious interest in him although knowing Damian he knew he often showed interest in guys as attractive as Eric. Every so often, he saw Eric look at him and he was sure he could see love in his eyes. The guy was beautiful in more ways than one and his own heart was thumping at the thought of spending more time alone with him.

When it was time to go to bed they kissed each other. Eric stripped off and walked to the bathroom. He'd thought of wearing his briefs but decided to go naked. As he reached the hallway, Damian was coming out, also naked. They grinned at each other before going their separate ways.

Once back in the living room, he heard someone in the kitchen. He paused and Blake appeared with a glass of water. He was stark naked and Eric was sure he had signs of an erection. Blake beckoned for him to join him in the kitchen. Eric quickly did so making sure that the living room door was firmly closed. Once there, they embraced and kissed passionately.

"It's good to feel your naked body up against mine" Blake whispered.

"And yours" Eric muttered in between kisses.

They caressed and felt each other and Eric even slipped a finger inside of Blake.

"Oh yes, I'd so love to feel you inside me but we can't risk it I'm afraid" Blake groaned.

"We can meet up after I've finished the work here can't we" Eric said hopefully.

"Of course my love"

Eric gave a sigh of relief. He also noticed that Blake had used the love word but whether that really meant anything he wasn't sure. The main thing was that he wanted to continue their relationship however one sided that might be.

By mid morning on the Wednesday, Eric had finished the main bedroom so Damian helped him move the furniture back in and clear the spare room. Since he'd be staying over again for the next two nights, they moved the mattress of the spare bed into the living room. This room was smaller and wouldn't take as long so he'd already started his preparation by lunchtime.

The weather had turned warm again so Damian had moved the two sun loungers from the balcony into the living room by the window. He and Blake had found that if they lay naked inside they couldn't be seen by prying eyes from across the way, not that it bothered either of them to be seen naked but they didn't want to upset the neighbours.

"Thought we'd strip off and enjoy the sun whilst we eat our lunch" Damian chuckled once Eric had joined him. Eric was up for that so stripped naked along with Damian. Eric smiled when he saw that Damian was already showing excitement so guessed what that meant once they'd finished eating. He'd also placed the two loungers close together so that he could reach across and fondle Eric's organ. It soon reacted to the attention so by the time they'd finished, they were ready for action. Without saying anything, Eric moved to the mattress and went down on all fours. He buried his head in the pillow and waited for Damian to thrust his organ inside him. As before, it was inserted with little fineness but he didn't object. In fact he preferred it this way since it made him feel used whereas with Blake they made love.

It didn't take long for Damian to reach his climax and as before he then satisfied Eric with his hand. Once done, Eric got dressed and continued his work.

When Blake arrived home, Eric was having a shower. He'd worked longer so as to make sure he finished the job on the Friday. Having kissed Damian and left him setting the table for their meal, Blake went to find Eric. He guessed he was in the shower so walked into the bathroom to find him. He'd just finished so was standing with water dripping from his naked body.

"Mm, that's a nice welcome home" he giggled as he closed the door and took Eric's wet naked body into his arms. Eric certainly didn't mind and immediately started unbuttoning Blake's shirt and then his trousers. It didn't take long for Blake to be naked so that their naked bodies could press against each other.

They kissed for what seemed like several minutes but in fact were just a few seconds. Even so, Eric enjoyed the moment despite it being short.

"I'd better go before Damian catches us" Blake said once the kiss had ended so he grabbed his clothes and ran across to the main bedroom where he dumped them on the bed. Eric briefly hugged himself so happy that Blake clearly loved him and wanted him. The problem was that Damian would always be keeping them truly apart.

Blake had his shower in the en-suite and satisfied his aching cock in the process. As he did so he imagined it was with Eric. Once the sexual high was over he felt sadness overcome him. He loved Damian but he also loved Eric and he knew he couldn't openly love both of them at the same time.

On the Thursday after Blake had left for work, Damian stripped naked. It was the last day he was going to be home with Damian since he'd been called into the office for an urgent meeting on the Friday so Blake had said he'd take a day off instead. As such, he wanted to make the most of his day with the Adonis so when Eric was stripped off in readiness for donning his overalls he moved up behind him.

"How about we do without these today" he giggled grabbing hold of the overalls and tossing them to one side.

"You want me to work naked?" Eric grinned.

"Yeah, why not; I'm going to stay naked so we can enjoy looking at each other whilst you work.

"You're fucking mad" Eric laughed, "but okay if that's what you want provided you don't disturb my work because I've got to get this job finished by tomorrow".

"You'll do it easily from what I can see" Damian laughed and grabbed hold of Eric's cock. "If you keep this hard I won't bother you until lunchtime when I'll fuck you senseless again."

Eric grinned; he wasn't sure he could do that but was willing to try.

"You'd better get me hard then before I start" he laughed so Damian knelt down and took the limp organ into his mouth. It didn't take long to be fully erect and he let Eric start work.

Every so often, Damian would give him another suck so as to keep him hard. Whilst Eric worked, he lay on the floor and massaged himself every so often to keep his up. For some bizarre reason, Eric found it erotic seeing Damian lying there with an erection whilst he worked so he found he needed little encouragement to remain the same. When it was lunchtime, Damian quickly made a sandwich and they ate that whilst laying on the mattress in the living room. As soon as they'd finished, Damian instructed Eric to get on all fours so he could service his butt. As before, it was rough sex but Eric had got used to it now so didn't object.

They spent the afternoon the same as the morning with both organs flying high whilst Eric worked. By the time he decided to pack up for the day he'd almost finished the spare room and was well advanced with the hallway. "Perhaps I should always work in the nude" he chuckled to himself whilst he showered.

Blake was impressed with the progress when he got home and gave Eric a big kiss and an embrace to show his approval. He asked Damian to put the meat pie he'd planned for that night's meal into the oven and to do some potatoes. Damian had at last learnt to do basic culinary items so he was happy to run off to the kitchen to perform his duties. Blake beckoned Eric into the bedroom and chatted whilst he stripped off for his shower.

"So, how have you got on with Damian during the past few days?"

Eric looked at him not too sure how to reply. "Okay"

"Only okay?" Blake giggled as he took Eric into his arms. Eric's body immediately reacted and he leaned into the hug caressing Blake's naked backside. "I'd have thought he'd have taken every opportunity to get inside your pants" Blake grinned. "I don't mind if he has since I wouldn't blame him."

Eric again looked at Blake not sure what to say but his face gave him away.

"It was only sex; I don't love him like I love you but he made it pretty clear that he wanted to fuck me from day one."

Blake chuckled, "Yeah, that sounds like Damian; he loves being the dominant partner so you like it both ways do you?"

"To be honest I much prefer making love with you; as I say, it was just sex with him and pretty rough at that but I could have said no I suppose."

"I don't mind Eric but since he's said nothing I suggest we keep this to ourselves along with what we've done."

"Can I ask you a question?" Eric asked as Blake walked into the en-suite to have his shower. Blake nodded wondering what it would be but he had a pretty good idea.

"I've been very honest with you Blake and said that I love you although I realise you love Damian and as you said last week he's the guy you've chosen to be your partner and to live with but do you have any feelings for me apart from just enjoying the sex."

Blake took him into his arms and looked into his eyes. "Yes I do and that's my problem; I love both of you and if it was possible I'd have both of you living here but we both know that wouldn't work."

"So you want to continue our relationship after I've finished the job here"

"Yes, if that's what you'd like"

"Stupid question; of course I do but I promise I'll do nothing to let Damian find out or upset your relationship with him."

"You're a wonderful understanding guy and I love you for that; I just wish we'd met before I'd met Damian, not that I regret doing so but I get the feeling we'd make the perfect couple."

"I'm sure we would but I'm happy to continue with the way things are as long as I know you love me."

"I do and I'll make sure that we have every moment possible to show our love for each other."

"Thanks" Eric replied and pulled Blake into a passionate kiss. He was so happy.

For the rest of the evening Blake kept thinking about what he'd said to Eric. He did love him every bit as much as he loved Damian and he knew it would make things difficult for him, Eric and probably Damian in the end but he'd said it now and there was no taking it back even if he'd wanted to do so.

Damian meanwhile seemed a happy bunny and was chirpy all evening. Fortunately he didn't notice the glances Blake and Eric were giving each other.

Eric knew he'd finish the job by the Friday lunchtime so as soon as Damian had left for work he set to leaving Blake to clear away the breakfast dishes. As he finished off in the spare bedroom he chuckled to himself remembering what Damian had got him do the previous day. Damian had also asked the previous day whether they could continue having sex every so often once the job was over. Eric wasn't that keen on the idea but wanted to keep Damian happy in view of his illicit affair with Blake so he told Damian to text him when he wanted. Quite how Damian would organise it he had no idea but that was his affair. At least Blake knew what had gone on and he'd make sure that he continued to do so. He loved Blake and had no intention of doing anything behind his back from now on.

"All done" Eric beamed when Blake announced that lunch was ready.

"Wow, brilliant" he exclaimed and looked at the spare room and the hallway to inspect the work. Having done so, he took Eric into his arms and kissed him. "It all looks wonderful, thank you so much and don't forget to let me have your bill."

Eric grinned knowing that Blake would insist on paying for the job despite what had happened between them. He then wrapped his arms round Blake's strong firm body and kissed him passionately. This one did last for a good minute or so since they were on their own. By the time they pulled out of it they were both hard.

"Let's have lunch, then you can help me move the furniture back into the spare room; once we've done that I'll drive you home with all your gear."

Eric was about to protest but knew it was pointless doing so. Besides, he wanted to be with Blake for as long as possible. Whilst they ate, Blake said he and Damian were planning to go to a gay club that evening and asked Eric if he'd like to join them. "We're members of the Nudity Dance Club in Vauxhall so if you don't mind showing off your bits to all and sundry you're welcome to join us as our guest."

"So every guy is buck naked?" Eric asked excitedly.

"Yep, all the guys dance totally naked and have fun."

Eric rather liked the idea of that and said he'd love to join them, especially since it meant he'd have a genuine opportunity to admire Blake in the buff. Blake explained that it started at ten and went on till four in the morning if they wanted to stay that long so said they'd eat at home, shower and then leave soon after nine. Eric said he'd heard of such clubs but had never been to one so looked forward to it.

Once the spare bedroom and hallway had been vacuumed and returned to normal, they loaded Eric's work gear into Blake's car and made their way to his home in Clapton. Despite being small as Eric had said, it was neat and tidy and looked cosy. There was a large cupboard in the small hallway in which he kept all his gear so that was off loaded into there.

"I need a shower; do you want to go back and I'll get the bus over later or wait?"

Blake had every intention of waiting to drive him back and pulled him into a hug. "I'm in no hurry so I can watch you shower" he giggled. Eric beamed and suggested he join him since the shower cubicle was large enough for two with a pinch. Blake was up for that in more ways than one so within minutes they were both naked and soaping each other in the shower. Once done, they climbed out and dried off. Both knew what would then happen so Eric led Blake by the hand over to the bed where they made beautiful love. This time it was love making and not just sex. Having kissed and caressed each other Blake turned over and let Eric take him.

It felt wonderful and every bit as good as when he and Damian made love. Instead of his usual feeling of guilt when they'd finished, his whole body glowed with satisfaction and he decided there and then that he could love two guys at the same time.

As they lay back enjoying the afterglow, Blake held Eric's hand. "I waited for such a long time for love to come along and once it does, I find I love two guys.

" Just like a bus; you wait ages for one and then two come along" Eric chuckled.

Blake rolled on top of Eric and gazed into his eyes. "I really do love you and somehow I'll make it work with both you and Damian provided you're patient."

Eric pulled him into a kiss and then held his head just a few inches from his so their eyes were staring at each other. "I've never loved anyone like you so I'm more than happy even if it means I have to share you. As you told me several months ago when we first met, we will get through this together, that I'm sure of."

Blake felt tears of joy fill his eyes and moved in for another kiss. He suddenly realised that he loved this guy so much and nothing would tear them apart.

When Damian heard that Eric was joining them for the club that evening his heart jumped with joy. The thought of seeing Eric dancing around in the buff caused him to go hard which didn't go unnoticed by Blake although he said nothing. Blake cooked them a meal which as usual was delicious. It was poached salmon with salad followed by a key lime pie he'd made. Eric insisted on helping whilst Damian played a game on his laptop. Eric also liked cooking but his limited facilities meant he couldn't do much so Blake was more than happy for him to assist. It also meant they could be with each other and touch every so often knowing that Damian was engrossed in his game in the living room.

Once the meal was over, Damian cleared everything away as usual leaving Eric and Blake to relax on the sofa. Around eight they decided it was time to shower and get ready for going out so whilst Blake and Damian showered together in the en-suite, Eric used the bathroom. By the time everyone was ready they were sexually excited and couldn't wait to get to the club.

Their usual routine was to use two buses which generally took about an hour. The first bus was only a minute's walk away and the next was another short walk from where that dropped them. Being a warm evening it was enjoyable. The first bus arrived within a few minutes and they found three seats together at the back of the bus. Damian loved sitting by the window and Blake sat in the middle so he had Eric close up beside him. Every so often he felt Eric's leg pressing against his which he reciprocated without Damian being any the wiser.

The next bus came almost as soon as they reached the stop so they were lucky and once again they were able to sit together. Eric's heart was thumping with excitement as they got nearer. He had no idea what such an event was like but just the thought of it excited him. Blake had told him earlier that it wasn't unusual for guys to go around with erections so not to worry if he had one too but he wasn't sure whether he wanted that to happen or not.

Finally they reached the venue and Blake paid the entry fee for all three of them. They made their way to the changing room and Eric's heart skipped a beat when he saw several guys standing around stark naked. Everybody wore a pair of trainers which were mandatory but apart from that everyone was naked.

They made their way into the main club area and Damian went to get drinks for them leaving Eric and Blake to one side.

"How do you feel?" Blake grinned.

"Yeah, brilliant"

Having checked that Damian was hidden in the crowd at the bar, Blake pulled Eric into a passionate kiss. Tongues were soon delving into each other's mouth and hands were exploring their naked bodies. Needless to say, certain organs were reacting to the excitement but neither was bothered. Blake then noticed that Damian was making his way back through the crowd at the bar with their three drinks so he pulled out of the embrace. Eric was quick to realise so moved to one side and waited for Damian to reach them.

"Here we are guys" Damian grinned. "So, how do you like being stark bollock naked in public Eric?" he asked with a flirtatious grin.

"Brilliant; can't think why I've not been before; it's great to feel so free and relaxed."

"Sure is provided you don't mind the attention that invariably happens."

"And Damian gets plenty of that" Blake laughed.

"You can talk; I seem to remember last time you had a guy draped all over you most of the time."

Blake grinned. He too could remember the guy whose name was Lee and he wondered if he'd be there tonight. He was a sexy looking guy although not the kind of person he'd want to have a relationship with but Lee was good fun.

When they'd finished their drinks they moved onto the crowded dance floor and moved with the flow. Naked bodies kept brushing against one another which added to the enjoyment. Every so often they'd feel a hand exploring certain parts of their anatomy but nobody cared. Blake did manage to have a feel of Eric and Damian every so often and they did the same to each other so everybody was happy.

The evening was a mix of drinking and dancing which all three enjoyed. Every so often one of them would have to visit the men's room for a pee and it was time for Blake to do just that.

"I need a pee so back in a moment" he told the other two who he'd noticed were dancing together although he had the feeling that Eric was just going along with it to keep Damian happy. Damian nodded and took advantage of Blake's absence by pulling Eric up close and personal so he could feel his nakedness more intimately. He reached down and grabbed hold of Eric's appendage which soon reacted whilst at the same time pulling him in for a kiss. It was needy rather than passionate but Eric let him have his way.

Blake emptied his bladder at the trough which provided no privacy so that everyone could have a good look at each other and he'd just finished when two arms suddenly wrapped round his waist.

"How's my gorgeous Blake tonight?" the voice said.

"Hi Lee" Blake replied without turning round since he recognised the voice and the intimate action immediately. This was the guy he'd met before and who had taken a liking to him.

Blake then found himself being led by the hand out of the toilet area and down a corridor where it was quiet. For a moment he thought about saying he wasn't interested but he knew Lee wouldn't take that for an answer so he let him continue.

"Was rather hoping you'd be here tonight so I could have a good feel of you" Lee chuckled. "Are you with your sexy boyfriend again?"

Blake nodded as he felt down to feel Lee's erection since his own was now firmly in Lee's hand.

"God, you're so sexy; I'd love to give you a long hard fuck; how about it?"

"Sorry Lee, not going to happen but you can suck me off if you like."

Lee decided to accept the offer and immediately went down on his haunches to take Blake into his mouth. As he sucked he massaged his own thick organ which Blake decided would bring tears to the eyes if that ever impaled him. To be fair, Lee was good and brought Blake to a climax with great care and precision so that they both shot their load at the same time.

"Mm, you really are tasty; thanks" Lee grinned once he'd stood up again and given Blake another hard kiss. "Must go, I'm with my boyfriend tonight and if he sees me with you he'll go berserk; he's a very jealous type which is why I generally come on my own" Lee added as he made a hasty retreat. Blake chuckled as he made his way back to the dance floor to find the two men in his life.

After that night, Eric frequently came over for a meal and sometimes they'd go to a gay bar or a club afterwards. Whenever he did, he generally stayed over for the night and on some occasions for the whole weekend. As the months went by, Damian frequently sent him a text to arrange to meet at Eric's bedsit for a quick fuck before coming home and on each occasion he'd tell Blake that he'd been held up at a meeting or had to stay late for some other reason. After each fuck, Eric would text Blake to inform him since he wanted to be totally open with his lover.

Eric and Blake also frequently met up and Blake used similar excuses but his visits were much longer since they made love and wanted it to last as long as possible. If Blake had an extra day's leave due to him for some reason or other, he'd arrange to spend the day with Eric who'd also take the day off from whatever job he was doing at the time. They'd spend most of the day in bed making love but Damian never suspected anything. It seemed therefore that both were happy. Damian was getting extra sex which he found he needed and Blake was able to maintain two relationships.

Some six months after Eric had come into their lives, Blake received a call from Tom who was the guy he and Damian had met in Manchester.

"Hi, how's my sexy Blake doing?" Tom chortled.

Blake said he was fine and asked how Tom was doing. He explained that he was in London for a few days and wondered if they could meet up. He added that Damian was welcome to come but Blake had the distinct feeling that was an afterthought. As it happened, the only evening they could both manage was a day when Damian had said he'd be late home from work due to an evening meeting. Blake assumed he was going over to Eric but on checking with him he found out that their sessions of casual sex had come to a halt some weeks before which rather surprised him since there'd been several occasions during the past week or so when Damian had said he'd be late. Eric was pleased that Damian no longer wished to continue but Blake was intrigued.

A day before their meeting, Blake casually mentioned that he was meeting up with Tom for a drink. Damian immediately reminded him about his meeting so would probably be late home. Still there was no flicker of anything untoward so Blake assumed it was genuine. He therefore decided to take up Tom's invitation to join him for a meal but what he didn't know was that a new guy called Dillon had joined Damian's team at work and they'd fallen in love.

Tom had told Blake to meet him at the hotel he was staying at. On arrival he reported to the reception who called Tom. He was told to go up to room 232 which Blake thought odd since he'd assumed they'd be eating either at the hotel or somewhere nearby. He took the lift to the second floor and found his way along to the room. He knocked on the door and waited. It opened and Tom's face appeared round the door.

"Hi Blake, come on in."

Blake did so and was surprised to see Tom in his bathrobe.

"Sorry, have I arrived too early?"

"Not a bit" Tom grinned, "perfect timing; I'm all ready for you."

Blake knew immediately that Tom's intentions involved sex but he decided to go along with things.

"Hope you don't mind but I arranged for a cold buffet to be delivered to my room so we can eat in a relaxed atmosphere and have some fun together if you're up for that."

Blake nodded with a smile. He liked Tom; he had a nice personality and he had a slim well toned body.

"So, why don't we make you more comfortable and have a shower."

Blake was happy to do that since he'd come straight from work and was still wearing his nursing uniform so Tom immediately started unbuttoning Blake's tunic before slipping it off him. As he did so he unfastened his robe to let it fall open. Blake noticed he was already aroused and the sight of Tom's big long thick cock made his own twitch with excitement. Blake decided to let Tom do all the work so watched him unfasten his trousers and pull them off with the rest of his clothes.

"Mm, nice" Tom swooned once Blake was fully naked and showing off a nice erection. He slipped off his bathrobe and pulled Blake into a kiss. It was not passionate like the kisses Eric gave him. Instead it was a sexually aroused attack during which Tom forced his tongue into Blake's mouth.

"Yeah, I knew you'd be good to have some fun with" Tom said as he went down on his knees and took Blake's cock into his mouth. He took the full length easily and sucked just enough to keep Blake aroused. He just stood and enjoyed the sensation but all the while he was thinking of Eric. Every so often his thought about Damian and what he was up to. He was convinced he was having sex with some other guy but the question was with whom.

Suddenly, Tom stood up and led Blake into the bathroom. They showered together and Blake let Tom soap his naked body all over and give him a good fingering.

"You've got a beautiful body and an even more beautiful arse; I'm so going to enjoy fucking that later; I assume you do take it."

Blake nodded and for a moment rather enjoyed the thought of having Tom's big organ inside him. He reached down and massaged it which Tom clearly enjoyed by his reaction. He again attacked Blake's mouth with his tongue as Blake massaged and he fingered.

Tom then announced it was time they ate so with towels wrapped round their waist they sat and ate the cold buffet that had been brought up prior to Blake's arrival. It was nothing special but was pleasant enough and Tom had opened a rather nice bottle of white wine to wash it down. By the time he decided it was time for some fun, they'd demolished the bottle and Blake was feeling pleasantly relaxed which was just as well considering the size of Tom's appendage.

Tom told Blake to lay flat on his back and positioned himself over his head so that Blake could suck his cock whilst he sucked Blake's. Again it was a pleasurable experience and Tom knew precisely how far to go so he'd not reach his climax. Blake made a mental note of the position since he had a feeling Eric would like to do this. He'd soon realised that Damian was not adventurous when it came to sex so knew there was no point in trying it out with him.

When Tom decided to move things on, he told Blake to kneel at the foot of the bed so he could take him from behind whilst standing. Tom first prepared Blake for the invasion so by the time the large organ impaled him he was nicely opened up. Even so, once fully inside him it stretched him to the limit but he quickly adjusted and enjoyed the sensation it gave him. Tom took his time and kept the action going for quite a while before Blake was aware of him reaching his climax. Once done, Tom reached round and massaged Blake off until he too was satisfied.

"That was fucking brilliant" Tom exclaimed, "I hope we can do that again sometime". Blake nodded as he collected his clothes to go home.

He and Damian arrived at much the same time. Blake asked how the meeting had gone and Damian muttered something whilst looking somewhat uncomfortable. Blake knew he was lying but decided to let it pass for the time being. He never even asked how Blake's meeting with Tom had gone so he said nothing.

Several weeks later Blake, Damian and Eric went to a club in Vauxhall. They'd had an enjoyable time together and were walking towards the bus stop when the attack happened.

"Fucking queers" two guys jeered as they past them in the semi darkness of the street. The three decided to ignore them and walk on but one of the guys deliberately bumped into Blake as he passed by.

"Mind how you go you fucking queer."

Blake felt his arm being grabbed so he stopped. "What's your problem mate?" he asked as politely as he could.

"You, you fucking queer."

Suddenly the guy punched Blake in the stomach and he doubled over. Then another punch hit him on his side. Eric rushed over to grab the guy who pushed him away. By this time more guys from the club had appeared and one of them was on his phone calling the police. The guy who'd punched Blake started to run off and the second guy started to follow but Damian decided he wasn't going to let him get away and grabbed him. The guy didn't know that Damian was a black belt at judo, so after a brief wrestle had him on the ground in an arm lock.

"Joe, help me" he yelled but Joe had no intention of going back to rescue his mate. He already had a police record for a similar attack and wanted to be out of there once he'd heard someone call the police.

It was at this point that Eric saw blood seeping through Blake's shirt at the side. Nobody had realised the guy had used a short knife to stab him in the side. Eric shouted for someone to call an ambulance whilst he wrapped his arms round the guy he loved and placed a tissue over the wounded area. Someone else moved over and offered some more so between them they managed to stem the flow. Damian was too far away to know what had happened and was still holding his captive on the ground. It was also much later that Eric realised he'd seen blood but had not panicked like he normally did.

Within minutes the sound of sirens were heard and an ambulance arrived soon to be followed by the police. The captive was handcuffed and led away whilst Damian and Eric explained what had occurred. Damian also told the police that the guy who'd attacked Blake was called Joe. Later the police arrested him and he was charged with assault along with his mate.

Still Damian hadn't realised that Blake was badly injured and watched Eric climb in the ambulance. He ran over to it and Eric shouted out what had happened. Damian was shocked and knew it should have been him with Blake but by the time his mind got into gear, the doors of the ambulance had been closed and it was moving off. He asked the police which hospital they would be taking him and they told him. He ran off to find the nearest taxi to go there.

When he arrived and had finally found Blake and Eric, he was told that Blake had been lucky and the wound was not too deep. Eric's quick thinking had also stopped him from losing a lot of blood. Damian looked at Blake as he lay on the bed and then at Eric. He saw the love in Eric's eyes and knew immediately that Eric was madly in love with Blake.

It was several hours later when Blake was eventually released from the hospital. His wound had been dressed and he'd been told to see his own doctor on the Monday to have it re-dressed. Eric rang for a taxi and they waited for it to arrive. He and Damian then helped Blake into it and they took him home. Eric never asked if he could stay over, he just did since in no way was he going to leave his lover until he was sure he was okay. Damian accepted the situation and said nothing. His mind was in turmoil. He loved Blake but he loved Dillon even more and was not sure how he could tell Blake that despite loving him, he really wanted to live with Dillon.

Eric stayed over until the Monday morning. Damian said he had to go to work because of meetings so Eric accompanied Blake to the doctor to have his wound re-dressed. When they got back home Eric sat beside Blake on the sofa and took hold of his hands.

"I can't live without you Blake and for a moment whilst you were in my arms on the pavement I thought I was going to lose you."

Blake smiled and pulled Eric into a kiss despite his side hurting him.

"I'm a tough guy; it will take a lot more than that to kill me off" he giggled.

"May be but I was out of my mind with worry and Damian didn't seem to be the slightest bit concerned; I couldn't understand it."

"I think I can" Blake replied with sorrow in his eyes. He then told Eric what he suspected and he'd decided to have it out with him. "I love him but if he wants to be with someone else then I'm not going to stand in his way."

Eric's heart raced since if Damian wasn't around then he and Blake could be proper lovers but now was not the time to say that so instead he said how sorry he was to hear the news.

"Thank you for looking after me" Blake smiled "and if this fucking wound didn't hurt so much I'd take you to bed to show you how much I love you but for the moment sex is out of the question" he added with a chuckle.

Eric wrapped his arms round Blake's neck and pulled him into a passionate kiss. He so loved this guy. When the kiss finally ended, Blake giggled.

"Now you've given me a hard on."

Eric grinned and asked if he could do something about it. Blake nodded and told Eric to help him into the bedroom. Once there he told Eric to undress him and help him on the bed. He could have done it himself but he wanted to play the wounded soldier so as to have Eric do everything. Eric grinned and gently removed Blake's clothes until he was buck naked. Once on the bed, Blake told Eric to strip off too. As expected, he was also aroused. Blake then told him how to position himself over his head so he could suck his cock whilst Eric sucked his. Eric gingerly climbed across him so as not to knock his wound and offered his erection to Blake who greedily took hold of it and started to suck. He then bent down and took Blake's into his mouth. They went slowly so as not to cause Blake any pain but it felt good for both of them. Eventually both were satisfied having drunk each other's seed.

"That was brilliant" Eric exclaimed once he was lying beside Blake. They kissed and held each other and Blake imagined doing this every night. He'd made his mind up, he was going to speak to Damian at the earliest opportunity.

That opportunity arose sooner than Blake had imagined it would since just two nights later Blake heard Damian's phone ping indicating a text had arrived. Damian opened the text and hastily replied.

"I've got another fucking meeting tomorrow evening so will be late home" Damian said as he avoided looking at Blake.

"What's this one about?" Blake asked casually.

"More about the re-organisation" Damian hastily replied. Blake had heard about a re-organisation taking place at Damian's hospital but he'd been told by people he knew that it didn't affect Damian's department so he was fairly certain that he was lying.

He'd never before looked at Damian's phone having always taken the view that it was his property so was private in the same way as his was but when Damian popped into the bathroom for a pee a while later, he quickly looked at the text. "Are you free tomorrow evening after work?" it said and ended "Love you lots, Dillon".

By the time Damian returned, the phone was sitting where he'd left it and Blake was reading a book. In fact he wasn't reading but instead wondering how to tackle Damian. In the end he decided to wait until Damian returned the following evening from his tryst with Dillon. What he did do the next day was to speak to someone he knew at Damian's hospital to find out whether or not there was a meeting on that evening about the re-organisation. As suspected, he was told no such meeting was taking place since things were a long way off being decided by the senior staff.

On his way home, Blake called in to see Eric and told him what he'd found out.

"I'm so sorry Blake; I know how much you love Damian."

"Yeah well, clearly he doesn't feel the same way so there's no point in continuing a one sided relationship."

"Even so, I'm not so sure I'd be as calm about it as you."

"At least I've got you my love and you do realise this means we can be together once Damian has gone."

Eric gasped. "Do you mean that; are you sure Damian will leave you?"

"I shall tell him there's no point in living a lie so he'll have no choice. He can move in with this guy Dillon whoever he is."

Eric couldn't believe what he was hearing. His heart was racing. Would he at last be able to love the guy he adored as his boyfriend without keeping his feelings hidden from everyone?

"Anyhow, let's see what happens; I'll call you once we've spoken."

With that, Blake left although he was tempted to stay and show how much he loved Eric but decided he needed his mind clear to deal with Damian when he returned home.

Blake heard the front door open and geared himself up for what was about to take place.

"Hi" Damian called out trying to be as normal as possible. He'd had a marvellous evening with Dillon which had ended in fantastic sex. Dillon loved being fucked and could never get enough of Damian.

"How was the meeting?" Blake asked as soon as he walked in and before they had their usual kiss. Damian stopped not expecting to be asked that question quite so soon.

"Um, yeah fine" he replied as he moved up to Blake to kiss him on the lips. Once the kiss had ended, Blake took hold of Damian's hand and indicated for him to sit down. Blake had made sure he was sitting on the chair so Damian took a seat on the sofa.

"We need to talk Damian"

Damian looked at him somewhat taken aback. "What about?"

"Us and you in particular" Blake replied calmly despite his heart racing. Damian looked at him questioningly although he knew in his heart what Blake meant.

"So, who is this guy you're seeing; I know it's not Eric who I happen to know you fucked for several weeks after he'd finished the decorating here."

Damian was unnerved by the blunt way that Blake had approached the subject.

"Come on, I know you're seeing someone; I've known for some time; if you no longer love me then just say so; there's no point in living a lie; far better to be with the guy you really love; I take it you do love this guy."

Damian nodded as tears ran down his face. "I'm so sorry Blake; you've been so good to me and I do love you but I met this guy and we immediately fell in love with each other."

"So who is he and what's his name?"

"Dillon, he's a lovely twenty three year old black guy from Trinidad and we just gel; there's something about him that makes me feel alive and we really love each other."

"Where did you meet him?"

"At work; he joined my department several months ago and as soon as we met we both knew there was something between us but it took a while before anything happened. I really am sorry Blake."

"I fully understand Damian and I'd rather you be honest about it than continue to hide it. Do you want to move in with him?"

Damian nodded. "If you don't mind; what will you do; I know Eric thinks the world of you; would you consider having a relationship with him."

Blake thought for a moment before answering. "Yes, he does love me and to be honest I love him; in fact I love him every bit as much as I loved you so yes, we will get together so it seems both us will come out of this okay."

Damian gave an audible sigh of relief. He really was relieved that Blake had taken it so well.

"I meant what I said Blake, I really am grateful for all you've done for me and I still love you."

"But not as much as Dillon" Blake grinned.

"No" Damian smiled.

They kissed and discussed the practicalities of Damian moving out. Fortunately he had no stake in Blake's property so all he had to do was move his personal items out. He went into the spare room and called Dillon to tell him the news. He shrieked with delight and couldn't wait to have Damian move in so they agreed he'd hire a car and drive over on the Saturday which was just two days away. In the meantime, Blake called Eric and gave him the news. He too was equally delighted so Blake told him to start packing because he'd be over on Saturday afternoon to collect him and his things.

"One out one in" he chuckled to himself when he'd finished the call.

On the Saturday morning Dillon arrived and Blake had to agree, the guy was delicious. They shook hands and Dillon thanked Blake for being so understanding.

"Just make sure you look after him; I still have feelings for him and don't want to see him hurt."

"I will, I promise; we really do love each other very much."

"I can see you do and I wish you both all the best for the future."

"Thanks and you" Dillon smiled and went off to find Damian who was busy getting his things into the hallway.

Before they parted, Damian hugged and kissed Blake telling him to keep in touch. Since Dillon lived in Enfield it was unlikely their paths would cross and he doubted Damian would keep going to the gay clubs they'd gone to with each other.

Once the pair had gone, Blake called Eric to say he was on his way. Eric said he was already packed up and had given the landlord notice to quit his bedsit. Within a few minutes of Blake arriving they'd packed his car with Eric's possessions and not long after that they were packed away in their new home. As soon as they'd finished and sorted things out, Blake pulled Eric into his arms.

"I love you so much and I want to welcome you into your new home with a bottle of wine followed by a wonderful session of sex; how does that sound?"

"Fucking beautiful" Eric grinned and grabbed hold of Blake's crotch. As expected he was already hard so looked forward to servicing that later. Tell me, are you always a bottom?"

"No, I enjoy being a top just as much but Damian always wanted to top so I let him; how about you?"

"I love being fucked as much as doing it so you're more than welcome to try this out on me" Eric grinned.

"You're on" Blake laughed as he opened the bottle of wine and poured out two generous glasses.

Once they'd drunk those they took the remainder of the bottle to bed and made love. Blake had never been so happy and nor had Eric. At last it seemed love had come for good.