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Alfred F. Jones only managed to find the Christmas party because he could hear it. He’d driven past the building about four times already, and was now very unfashionably late. It wasn’t until he braved the biting winter night air to roll down his window and ask a passing pedestrian for directions that he heard it. There was shouting and raucous ( Read more... )

Part 1: Paddle Your Own Canoe

Arthur heard the humming before anything else.

He was sitting on the top of a stone seawall when it happened, looking out at the choppy grey waters of Bideford Bay as the summer sunshine just managed to light up the clouds that hid it from view, making them appear a little less dark overhead.

His legs were crossed, elbow ( Read more... )

The Last Kiss Goodnight

England had been gone for a whole year that time.

“The maids will even tell you, England! I waited so patiently!”

“Only because you didn’t have a choice,” England laughed, ruffling the head of hair that now reached almost to his chin. He ignored the wave of sadness that America was now so big - he didn’t really a choice there, ( Read more... )

Fire vs. Fire

Alfred awoke to Arthur nagging at him, the older boy already up and dressed and bustling noisily about the room. Alfred groaned and rolled over in the scratchy sheets of the hostel bed.

“There’s no point getting up. This place is so boring,” he whined, caring very little for how childish he sounded. “When is your stupid contest over so ( Read more... )

Alfred’s Special Relationship

Alfred had a meaningful friendship with Arthur. It was hard to really qualify it with adjectives that didn’t make it sound too gay. ‘Meaningful’ was probably the safest bet, Arthur decided.

Not that he would have much of an issue having a gay sounding relationship with Alfred, if Alfred wanted one. A deep relationship, ( Read more... )

Their First Bikes

Arthur moved onto Alfred’s street in 1952, when Arthur was 12 and Alfred was 10.

Arthur had not wanted to leave England. Still war-weary, and torn through every seam and street and household, he wanted to be there to help his homeland get better. It was his duty as an Englishman to revive, just as it had been ( Read more... )

In the Prefects’ Bathroom

Alfred endured three long, cold, gruelling hours of training in the bitter winter night. It would have been bad enough just to have to be outside, but to be flying around high up in air, where the cold wind and rain drops gnawed freely with razor sharp teeth at his cheeks and nose and forehead and fingers, it ( Read more... )

Sex and the Village

Arthur Kirkland was a little appalled when he saw people passing out free condoms in the Olympic Village. What was this - freshers’ week at university?

But he was even more appalled when it kept on happening, day after day: a never ending flow of free contraceptives, encouraging the downright debauchery he saw and ( Read more... )