Stories

PT#84 (posted by aditus)
In order to avoid the pesky marriage-soon-trigger, Ash doesn’t date, officially. Amid plotting the most outrageous excuses to tell his family, he is greeted with a splash of the past.

The world appraised each the moment they were born. While Walter Samson IV stands to inherit his family’s empire, Teyshawn Jones fights every day for a slim chance at a future. Neither can afford to stray from the narrow path before them, yet what each truly wants is the freedom to walk side-by-side.

Note: This story begins four-and-a-half years after Kept Boy to Made Man and seven months after Souris lands in Chicago. While it is not necessary, it is recommended you read those stories first as an introduction to the Land of Lincoln and many returning characters.

Tim, an honor student from Los Gatos, grapples with heartbreak and self-reflection after being ghosted by Thet, a closeted blue-collar guy from South St. Louis. As Tim wrestles with anger and confusion, a dinner with his grandmother leads to a powerful coming-out moment. Their heartfelt exchange helps Tim process past trauma with his father and recognize the secrecy and pain others around him carry. When he later spots Thet out with a girl, he sees through the act—and instead of lashing out, reaches out with unexpected compassion, hoping Thet will one day accept who he is.

For Tony Scott coming home, five years since he left Thompsonville, to chase his dreams, is daunting. Five years since he has seen the only place he could call home, the only people he has been able to call family, and the only man he has ever loved!
If he is to find happiness he knows he must face the mistakes of his past and face those left behind.
What will he find there? Will the town have changed, or will it still be that sleepy seaside haven he had grown to love? Will he be welcomed back, or will he be shunned? All he can do is step off that bus and knock on that door. Only then will he know if he really is in a good place!

After a long period of emotional distance and self-reflection, Jim, a middle-aged man recovering from a divorce, is learning how to navigate life and fatherhood. When he meets Jon, a younger, confident man with whom he shares a mutual interest in fitness and running, Jim feels a spark he hasn’t felt in years. What begins as a casual friendship soon develops into something more, but Jim’s hesitations and fears about his age, his past, and his responsibilities as a father complicate his emotions.

Stephen Zamora has been picked on by his peers since his first day of school almost eight years ago. School starts again in about five weeks. Stephen is not looking forward to it. A new school, in a new town. A fresh start. A whole new set of tormentors await him. And one boy who will make his life bearable again.

Jonah Kildare moves to New York after losing both of his parents in a tragic accident. Now living with his father’s brother and his family, he has to find his way in a new place, with new people and experiences.

Gael’s life takes an unexpected turn when he’s forced into a situation beyond his control. But things take a darker twist as an obsessed lover and haunting memories from his past resurface, threatening to destroy everything. Faced with a future he never imagined, Gael must decide: is he ready to let go of the past and embrace his new life, or will it continue to hold him captive?

Adam Connelly married young, determined to be the man everyone expected—husband, father, straight—while quietly denying his true self. After a painful divorce and estrangement from his children, he’s left to confront a life built on repression and regret. When a sharp-witted gay elder named Charlie offers him a place to heal, Adam begins to rediscover who he really is. As their bond deepens and Charlie’s health fades, Adam must decide whether to retreat into grief or step into the life waiting for him. Eden Revisited is a story of chosen family, queer resilience, and the long journey home to oneself.

Elliot Kestle leads a dreary existence. From taking care of his sick mother, to working all the time, he can't seem to catch a break. But when a mysterious stranger crashes into his fragile world, he finds out that not all is what it seems...