E K Stokes

@Talo Segura, @chris191070, @drsawzall, I admit I'm not very good with happy ever after endings, love is probably not tapping on everybody's door, or at least not if you're undecided about looking for it or maybe changing yourself, your direction. I hope everyone grows, growing up is kind of inevitable, so I would look on the positive side and count on Rókus finding someone, and Tomas too...

Interesting point of view, but do you think any twenty year old thinks about where they will be when they are forty or fifty? In any event, life is often led by circumstances not always foreseen. Of course, and has choices to make, although perhaps not everything is within his control.

While Rókus was out with Elias, Tomas had chosen to spend his Friday night partnered with Laren. They met at the club, danced under the strobing lights, and drank cocktails, the tension between them a familiar, intoxicating force. They soon left the noise behind, heading back to Laren’s apartment. Once inside, the mood shifted to one of dark anticipation. They each popped a pill Laren provided, and as the euphoria began to bloom, Laren fixed Tomas with an intense stare. "I have a gift and a

@drsawzall says the same, but to whom was Tomas a disappointment?

This link https://artsandculture.google.com/story/lgbtq-club-culture/AAVxK14iAwOEGA gives a good insight into the attraction of LGBTQ club culture.

Rókus arrived at the club early that next Friday night, the familiar pulse of the music already comforting. He settled at the bar and was greeted by the usual friendly smile from Carl. He ordered his drink, the sweet cocktail with the little rainbow umbrella—a nod to his first, disastrous night. As Carl set the drink down, he gave a subtle nod toward the far end of the bar. "There's someone looking a little lonely," Carl smiled. Rókus turned and saw Elias. The nurse, his good Samaritan

The week dragged on with the new, comfortable rhythm of work and shared lunch breaks. Rókus and Tomas were inseparable during the day, deepening their bond. But on Friday, as they packed up their tools, Tomas posed the question that had been hanging between them like a cloud. "Are you going to the club tonight?" Tomas asked, his tone casual. Rókus knew exactly what the question implied. Did Tomas mean they were going to have their new 'usual night out,' which now meant hooking up with

Thank you @VBlew and @andy cannon for your kind comments, much appreciated.

Rókus woke slowly, savouring the comforting warmth of the body next to him. Tomas was still sleeping, and for a long moment, Rókus simply stared. He took in the sight of his ruffled, unkempt hair, the lean line of his shoulder, the delicate curve of his back, and his slim hips. The duvet had slipped halfway down the bed, lying just across Tomas's hips, and Rókus couldn't resist pulling it down a little lower to reveal his small, enticing bottom. The sight of the firm, round curves had an immedia

Thank you @drsawzall, I am very pleased that you engaged with the story, as an author I tend towards gritty reality rather than escapism, but I think, hope, there is room for both. I also appreciate your feedback, it's important for me to know what readers think and how they receive the story, because I strive for a balance, there's always love, even if sometimes you don't think so, in the darkest hours.

Thank you so much @chris191070 for your reactions and comments throughout the story, I really appreciate your active feedback.

Very good question, I'm not sure I know the answer, but things will become clear. Hopefully!

Jacob left his door open and that's where we found ourseleves, all the pieces on the chequered board of his game. He was the master who wore the crown, the King who moved one step at a time. That night, the conversation was a blur like a television turned on with something flickering on the screen, but it didn't register in my head. The closeness Jude and I had shared, the strange, vulnerable intimacy, was gone. My mind was replaying events. Damien on his knees in the bathroom, the sad, vac

The week at work passed in a haze of unspoken tension. Rókus and Tomas were like two magnets with the same polarity, repelling each other with a silent awkwardness. Rókus would catch Tomas’ eye across the garden, a fleeting glance filled with an unreadable mix of emotions, and then quickly look away, the guilt a heavy stone in his stomach. He ached to talk to him, to apologise for the night's events, to explain that he had never intended for any of that to happen. Finally, on Friday afterno

OMG Gloria Gaynor blasting out at the disco... "At first I was afraid, I was petrified..."