This story begins in London in the summer of 1982. London and England were very different places then. Homosexuality had been off the lawbooks a scant fifteen years; no longer a crime punishable by two years' hard labor or compulsory hormone treatment, but not exactly widely accepted outside its own circles either. The Falklands War had just ended and the situation in Northern Ireland was steadily worsening under the iron-fisted leadership of that old hag Thatcher, while the infrastructure was falling apart and ugly labor disputes were looming on the horizon. Punk was, if not dead and buried, at least fatally wounded, and there was nothing much left for the youth of Britain safe dole queues and discontent.
It is against this backdrop that the slightly neurotic Rob, who has a first class degree in philosophy from one of the more prestigious colleges at the University of London but is doing time pumping beer in an East End pub, is seduced by his new flatmate Quinn after a night of drunken carousing and, after the initial panic wears off, starts to think that maybe, just maybe, his complete lack of success with girls, might be explained by his homosexuality.
For a visual picture of the London this story is set in, I highly recommend the film My Beautiful Laundrette, which I still count as one of the most profound and accurate portrayals of what it meant to be young, skint and gay in London in the early 80s.
If you like my writing, check out my mainstream(ish) literary novel, which is available from the publisher or online retailers/bookstores.
Beginnings
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story
Summary: July 1982 - Rob Simmons acquires a new flatmate and wakes up with said flatmate in his bed after a night of heavy drinking.
Coming Out
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story
Summary: July 1982 - It was only a matter of time until third flatmate Nicky had to be told just exactly what is going on with Rob and Quinn...
Interlude One
Rating: R
Label: Scene
Summary: August 1982 - A little pillow talk.
Commitment
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story, k, b
Summary: November 1982 - Quinn asks Rob for a commitment of sorts.
Interlude Two
Rating: R
Label: Scene
Summary: December 1982 - Rob and Quinn disagree about all sorts of music-related issues.
Stumbling Stones
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story, D/s
Summary: February 1983 - Rob does something bad and Quinn leaves.
Leaving from Quinn's POV - A Missing Scene
Rating: PG-13
Label: Scene
Summary: February 1983 - Leaving from Quinn's point of view.
In Regent's Park - Quinn's POV - A Missing Scene
Rating: PG-13
Label: Scene
Summary: March 1983 - A discussion in Regent's Park from Quinn's point of view.
Interlude Three
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story, D/s, k, b, S
Summary: April 1983 - Rob and Quinn go to a party.
Interlude Four
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story, D/s, b
Summary: April 1983 - Rob and Quinn go to a concert.
Home Improvements
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story, k, b, S
Summary: May 1983 - Rob asks Nicky to help him with some home improvements.
Interlude Five
Rating: NC-17
Label: Scene
Summary: June 1983 - Rob sulks.
Up the Creek
Rating: NC-17
Label: Novella, n/c, k, b, T
Summary: July 1983 - Things fall apart, Nicky gets a girlfriend, and Rob and Quinn reevaluate their relationship.
Interlude Six
Rating: R
Label: Scene
Summary: September 1983 - Never play Truth or Dare with a girl...
Interlude Seven
Rating: PG-13
Label: Scene, h/c
Summary: January 1984 - The end of a very bad day.
Interlude Eight
Rating: R
Label: Scene
Summary: April 1984 - An evening in.
Interlude Nine
Rating: NC-17
Label: Scene, PWP
Summary: August 1984 - London during a heat wave.
Minding Tina
Rating: NC-17
Label: Short Story
Summary: February 1985 - Rob volunteers for godfatherly duties and Quinn doesn't like it one bit.
Coda
Rating: PG-13
Label: Short Story
Summary: July 2002 - Mairi and Tina kidnap Rob for a surprise outing.