Date: Mon, 09 Oct 2006 14:22:13 +1000 From: Iain Robertson Subject: After Nick and Noah Note for webmaster:: I'm guessing that the best 'category' for this story is 'authoritarian'. Could you also please list it under my name in the prolific authors section. Thanks, Iain. ******************* Copyright for this story belongs to and remains with the author. I don't have any major objection to my work being re-distributed, but ASK FIRST!!! This is a gay adult story with the consequent language and images. If homosexuality and/or sexually explicit themes offend you then do not continue. If these are illegal in your area, then you have my sympathy, but you proceed at your own risk. This is a work of fiction, and as such the characters are not bound by the usual dictates of modern society. Unsafe sexual practices can be undertaken with impunity only in the world of fantasy. In reality, it is your obligation and your right to play safely, sanely and healthily. I hope you enjoy my work, and if you have any comments, or ideas that may inspire new work, please feel free to contact me -- all emails will be answered to the best of my ability. Iainlthr@hotmail.com. After Nick and Noah Chapter 1 Nick and Noah were an unlikely couple. Both were slender but muscled in build, but that was about the only physical thing they had in common. Nick was lucky to stand 5'6" in thick socks, while Noah often had to duck his 6'2" frame under low doorways and hanging ornaments. Noah was the embodiment of ancient Viking stock, his impossibly thin waist the base of a `V' of flesh and muscle that widened with an expanse of chest defined by chiselled pecs, to incredible shoulders topped by a long angular face and blond hair, cut short. Apart from his head, the only other part of his body to bear any hair at all was his groin -- a light dusting of blond pubic bush. The remainder of his trim body was smooth as silk. His companion, boyfriend, partner -- choose your favourite euphemism for mate -- was the reincarnation of his Greek ancestors. Nick's short frame was blessed with a luxuriant coat of dark fur from the base of his neck, across his chest and over his sculpted six-pack abs, thickening even more at his groin, and continuing down his short but powerful legs. Even his square jaw was never free of the shadow of stubble, no matter how closely he attempted to shave. Nick's explosive Mediterranean temperament belied a heart of gold, and was perfectly offset by Noah's cool detached manner, no matter how much pressure he was under. To the casual observer, Nick and Noah lived a mundane, peaceful and happy existence as a quiet gay couple in a quiet gay neighbourhood in Sydney. But there was one thing they shared which very few others knew: They each found a tremendous excitement, an erotic thrill, in leather. Bright, shining, skin-tight black leather. They had discovered their shared and secret desire almost by accident one day when they had mistakenly walked into the middle of a Leather Pride street fair. That afternoon, Nick had commented to Noah about how sexy he thought some of the men there had looked in their leather gear, and Noah had revealed, almost guiltily, that he harboured a secret fantasy which involved chaps and a harness, boots and a sling. Once the ice had been broken, the couple had discussed this inner longing they both seemed to hold. To their amazement and delight, Nick and Noah discovered that the look, the smell and the feel of glistening black hide was a powerful aphrodisiac. And they had certainly had some adventures. Apart from their love of leather, Nick and Noah had gotten involved in a murder investigation some time back, when they were asked to help try to find a friend who had gone missing mysteriously. Eventually they had discovered that the friend, Jim, was also into leather, and had been seeing someone known as Geoff. By the end of that experience, Geoff had been killed; a drag queen called Lena Gainstme, and a cop by the name of Roarty, were in gaol for his murder; another friend, Michael, was devastated because he had been in love with Lena, and Jim was slowly re-building his life. They had tried their best to return to the quiet normalcy of life before that whole affair, but word had spread through the community that Nick and Noah had been able to solve the crime when the police had been too slow. And still they managed to keep their secret sex life quiet from all but the closest of friends. Jim was one of the few who knew of their preferences, and shared them. It was July, and the weather was freezing. Neither Nick nor his partner liked the winter very much, and often joked about fleeing the cold for somewhere tropical, up north on the Reef. The only good thing about the time of year was that it did tend to lure them into their dungeon beneath the house, to play out their fantasies more often in gleaming leather, where they could happily work up a sweat in lusty congress. And that was exactly what they were doing this cool evening. Below their quiet, ordinary looking home, the two men were enjoying the delights of their dark but warm cellar, illuminated only by the flickering glow of candles around the room. Shadows danced across the walls, attuned to the slow, grinding dance of lust performed by two figures dressed in shining black leather and glistening chrome. Nick stood with his powerful legs spread apart, boots firmly planted on the floor as his black chaps glowered in the flickering light, emphasising every movement, every muscle wrapped in skin tight hide. His bare arse emerged from the dark leather, firm round globes of flesh straining and taut. Across his back wide bands of black, spotted with small steel studs, encased his torso where the narrow `V' of his waist widened to square shoulders. Topping his head, a gleaming leather police cap was pushed forward to almost cover his face. To either side of his short but manly frame, the dull links of chains ascended into the darkness above him, and before him, those same chains attached to and supported a wide leather platform -- a sling; upon which his partner, Noah, lay back, booted feet lifted to level with Nick's shoulders and held by stirrups. Noah's knees were bent, his legs spread, and the white of his rear contrasted deeply with the black leather he also wore, punctuated by the soft pink of his anus which puckered and twitched where it was exposed to the air, and to Nick's admiring gaze. His testicles stuck out, pushed away from his body by a ball strap wound around the top of his scrotum, and made more obvious by the chrome cockring surrounding both his nuts and the base of his long thin cock, which was fully erect and leaking tiny droplets of clear pre-cum. The harness he wore was more elaborate than Nick's as it criss-crossed his chest and abs, with a strap which connected his cockring to his nipples. Over his face a hood of soft kid leather covered his forehead and ears, slits for his eyes open to reveal deep blue irises above a mouth full and wet. His hands were back by his shoulders, cuffed by the wrists to the chains which held up the head of the sling in which he lay. Both men were fully erect, their excitement obvious as Nick's rampant prong aimed itself at Noah's hole, and Noah's throbbing cock strained back against his belly. Nick leaned forward, a dollop of lubricant on his fingers, and smeared the viscous liquid around and into the twitching hole of his slave. Noah's response was a low groan of anticipation as his arse was opened by Nick's fingers, readying itself to accept the coming onslaught. "What do you want, boy?" Nick growled in a whisper full of lust. "Fuck me, please Sir," came the hissed reply. "I need to be filled and pounded. Fuck that arse and fuck it hard, please Sir." Nick grinned an evil look as he readied himself. "Then that's what you'll get!" he said, placing the head of his cock against Noah's waiting anus. He inched forward, slowly pulling the sling and it's human cargo onto his manhood, prying apart Noah's body as his cockhead entered the other man. With a soft gasp of pleasure, Noah accepted the invasion, clenching his sphincter around the mushroom cap of Nick's cock as it filled him, drawing his lover into him. Once inside his man, Nick slowed, allowing Noah to adjust, and reached up to take the chains of the sling in his hands. The only point of contact between them was where Nick's thick cock disappeared into Noah's clenching arse. As Noah's body relaxed around the throbbing pole, Nick growled again. "Okay, boy, this is what you asked for!" With that he pulled hard at the chains, dragging Noah and the sling back fast onto his fiery poker. The force of his tugging impaled the other man's body onto him and his cock rammed deep into the wet cavern, forcing Noah's innards aside as it probed far into his lover. Noah gasped, then moaned with the combination of pleasure and pain as he was skewered onto Nick, his breath knocked from him before he sucked air into his lungs again. "Oh fuck, yess!!" he hissed. Nick needed no more encouragement. He thrust himself forward, using the pendulum motion of the sling to bury himself deeply into Noah, then back out until only the large rounded head of his cock remained gripped in Noah's arse before driving deep into his mate once again. Long powerful strokes rapidly increased in tempo as the hursuit Greek fucked deeper and harder into his Viking slave, the wet heat of Noah's body encasing his manhood contrasting with the cool air of their dungeon on his outward pushes. Short, sharp breaths escaped Noah's lips as he ached with the pleasure of the thick Mediterranean prong thundering into him and filling him completely. His hungry hole swallowed all that his master gave and wanted more as Nick's cock plumbed the depths of his bowel and pistoned in and out of his sphincter. He gripped at that glorious fleshy pole with his arse, trembling as the swing of the leather platform upon which he lay drove him ever harder and faster onto his man's thick, long sword. He closed his eyes, drinking in the sensations relayed to his brain by his nerves. His arse was being plundered in the most incredibly satisfying and arousing way. The leather chaps gripping his legs, the wide straps of hide across his chest and shoulders, and the soft, encompassing hood covering his head excited him intensely. He could feel the leather, and that feeling intensified his lust a hundredfold. An aroma filled the very air -- the scent of pure, masculine sex. The musk of sweaty fucking mixed with the incredible earthiness of cowhide and the tang of candlewax to permeate the room, lifting Noah's arousal to new heights. Impulsively, he hissed into the space above him, "Oh yes, Sir, fuck me, Sir. Use me for your toy, Master!" The pleading continued, fast and soft as he begged for more, interspersed with renewed gasps of delight when Nick lowered his hands from the chains and pinched at Noah's nipples, tweaking and pulling at each and sending jolts of electric pleasure through his chest. Responding in kind, Nick gave voice to his desires. "Yeah, take that cock, slave! Feel that big prick fucking your tight arse. You like that, don't you, boy? You like having that pole shoved up your hot hole?" His questions were punctuated by groans of delight as he humped again and again into Noah. "Yes, Sir, I love it, Sir. I need it, Sir," came the gurgled reply. Nick's vision was filled with the incredible sight of his slave boy lover spread wide before him, white skin interlaced with shining leather; long, strong legs encased in gleaming blackness and lifted so that Noah's booted feet were level with Nick's shoulders. He looked down to where they were connected, tingling with passion at the amazing picture of his own cock disappearing into the pink flesh of his lover, then re-appearing all glistening and hard, before being buried once more. The supporting chains clanked softly in accompaniment to the `slurp, smack, slurp' as his prong pulled away from the suctioning cavern of Noah's rectum, then slammed back again so hard that his flesh and his balls slapped against his boy's rounded butt. Without warning, Nick withdrew himself completely, backing away from the sling and his slave. A strangled plea escaped Noah's mouth, a single "Sir?", which Nick ignored. Turning on his heel, he stepped over to the shelves lining one wall and selected a toy -- a long black dildo. The fake penis was not quite as thick as Nick's own living prong, but at least three centimetres longer. With an evil grin he moved back to the centre of the room, his slimy, drooling manhood pointing the way. He held up the latex prick for Noah to see, and noted the smile of anticipation on his lover's lips as he began to coat the thing with lubricant, still aloft so his boy knew exactly what he was doing. "You want this, boy?" he demanded. "Yes, Sir!" came the almost silent answer. "I didn't hear you, slave." "Yes, Sir, I want that please," Noah muttered more loudly. "Use it on me, Sir. Use me!" he hissed. Nick grinned again, and placed the head of the dildo against his slave's puckering sphincter. Pausing for a moment until Noah nodded his head slightly, Nick then pushed the toy into his man, using all his strength to ram it deep into Noah's gut. Another gasp of delight, and he began to pull and push the dildo in and out at speed, fucking Noah on the toy as his own cock twitched and throbbed with excitement. A few minutes of thrusting, and Nick whipped the long latex dong from Noah's arse, replacing it instantly with his fully erect flesh, and fucking the man on the sling with hard, powerful drives. Again he pulled out, ramming the dildo back in his place. Over and over again, he alternated between filling Noah's body with himself, and spiking it onto the black, glistening toy, growing more and more aroused, and knowing that Noah was the same. The whispered obscenities from his lover increased in volume and need, and Nick knew that Noah was close to his peak. With the dildo once again riding through Noah's ring of muscle, Nick dropped to one knee, scrabbling around on the floor with his free hand until he found what he was looking for. His fingers closed around the small dark bottle of amyl, and he stood again, reefing the toy away and slamming his cock hard into his slave's ravaged arse. He rested the fake dong on Noah's stomach, and opened the bottle, leaning forward to hold it under his man's nose. Noah nodded, and drew several deep breaths of the pungent aroma before his head fell back onto the leather again. Nick lifted the bottle to his own face and sniffed long at it -- once, twice, three times. Quickly replacing the lid and dropping the amyl onto the sling beside Noah's body, he felt the wash of shuddering sensation as the stuff took effect. Noah began to call out louder, swinging himself back onto Nick's cock and humping against it in growing ecstasy. Responding, Nick fucked his mate with greater force, greater lust than ever. The dildo remained in full view, and Nick grabbed at it, but instead of removing himself, he pressed the head of the toy against the puckering muscle where his cock pierced Noah's body. "Oh, fuck yeah, do it, Sir!" Noah urged when he realised what this new prodding was. Slowing his momentum a little, Nick worked the black latex down and alongside his prick, gradually forcing Noah's sphincter to open further, until it accepted the double penetration. In went the prong, sliding against Nick's cock. Deeper he pushed it as Noah cursed and muttered, all the while begging for more. Fully inserted, the dildo lined up along Nick's manhood, and he resumed the fucking motion, pounding his boy again and revelling in the feeling of another cock sharing that tight, wet hole with him. Noah's eyes opened, and rolled back in his head as the indescribable pleasure of being double fucked wracked his body. Nick watched in ecstatic fascination as his white cock and the black dildo simultaneously penetrated Noah's stretched hole. For the most of fleeting of moments, he wondered what it would be like if that were another man's cock instead of just a toy, and then the thought disappeared as Noah screamed out a strangled warning, and succumbed to his orgasm. With his slave's body spasming around him, clenching hard at the toy and his cock, and a fountain of cum shooting up and along Noah's stomach, Nick could hold back no longer. With a final, powerful thrust he jammed himself as far into Noah's body as he could, and felt the heady loss of control which signalled climax as his nuts emptied their precious load into his lover's body. He had no idea how long he remained there, shooting his essence into Noah, but eventually the dreamlike state of his peak eased, and he began to breath again. Carefully removing the dildo from Noah, he leaned forward, lifting his man's face until they kissed: a long passionate expression of thanks and satisfaction. Slowly, reluctantly, he withdrew himself and stood back on unsteady feet, grasping the chains with one hand as he helped Noah rise from the sling with the other. As one, they collapsed into each other, arms around sweaty bodies, before sinking to the soft flooring and rolling together in spent lust. ***** An hour had passed, and the pair had cleaned themselves up and stripped away their beloved leathers. They were only now recovering from the heady glow of sated need, relaxing on a sofa with the fire burning brightly and their dog, Indiana, stretched out right on the hearth. The jangle of the telephone brought a wordless curse of annoyance from Nick as he glanced at the clock. It was only early, though, and Noah smiled as he got up to answer it. "At least they didn't disturb us half an hour ago!" he winked at his boyfriend. "Half an hour ago, we would have ignored it," muttered Nick, but his smile also grew as he remembered what they were doing half an hour earlier. "Hello?" said Noah into the phone. "Yes, that's us ... Noah speaking ... yes, I know Jim." There was a lengthy silence then as Noah listened to the caller, while Nick lay there mildly curious. Jim had become a very good friend, probably their closest, since all of the trouble was over last year. Happily, he had recently found someone new, and was building a relationship with him now. "Listen," Noah broke in to the conversation Nick couldn't hear. "I think you've got the wrong idea altogether. We don't do that kind of thing all the time. Jim's situation was unusual, a `one-off' and ..." He stopped again, trying to speak but obviously being talked over. Nick began to get concerned. " ... No, ..." Noah began to protest, then more jabbering from the phone before finally he shrugged. "Okay then, but I really don't think we can help. What about tomorrow? ... Oh, yes, I guess so ... well in an hour then. Give me the address ..." He scribbled quickly before saying a few words of good-bye, and hung up. "What was all that about?" Nick asked suspiciously. "It was a friend of Jim's, someone called Joe. He wants us to try to help him find his boyfriend." "What!" Nick almost shouted. Noah shrugged resignedly. "I told him that wasn't what we did, but he said Jim told him how much we had helped when Jim went missing. He says he's been to the police and they won't help; that he's desperate. I said we'd at least go over and talk to him about it." Nick exploded. "For god's sake, Noah, you're too ... I don't know, too nice! You should have just told him to forget it and hung up!" "Maybe, but he just sounded so lost. He said Jim told him the same thing I had, but he was completely out of ideas for what else to try." Noah shook his head, looking thoughtful. "I can't help but think that if anything happened to you, I would try anything I could to get you back," he said. Nick's look of thunder eased a little. His temper was always quick to ignite, but fortunately quick to subside as well. "Okay, Mother Theresa, we'll go and see this latest project of yours," he relented. Noah grinned. "I knew you would. You always will help, even when you pretend you won't. We're to meet him at his house in an hour." **** It didn't take the two long to locate Joe's home in Redfern, and they found themselves in a tasteful, but very normal looking home as Joe offered drinks, beckoning them in and showing them to the living room. "Thanks for coming, guys, I really appreciate it," he began. Nick cut him off. "I really don't think we can help," he said forcefully. "That business with Jim was something we got caught up in almost by accident. We didn't set out to solve any crime, and we're not going looking for it again." Joe looked crestfallen, and Noah tried to make some peace. "Joe, honestly, this sort of thing is best handled by the police," he said soothingly. "I know it seems like they don't do anything, but they have the resources, and they're often working away quietly so you don't even know they're doing it." "But I've been to the cops," Joe protested. "Again and again. I went to them the next morning when Richard didn't come home, and I've been back every day since. They just keep fobbing me off. One of them even said to my face that it was just a lover's tiff, and that once he calmed down he'd be back again." "Is that so far from possible?" Nick asked gruffly. "Maybe that's exactly what he's doing?" "No, no," Joe shook his head vehemently. "We've been together more than six years now, and we've fought plenty of times. He's walked out before, but never stayed away all night. He always comes home after a few hours. But it's been almost a week, and I haven't heard from him. I've called all our friends, and nobody's seen him." Noah looked pityingly at the other man. "That does sound unusual, then," he said. "So just what did happen when he left?" Joe's face reddened into a severe blush. "We had an argument. A big one. He yelled at me, and I yelled back. I thought he was going to hit me, but instead he just turned away and stormed out, slammed the door behind him." "What was the argument about? Something you've fought about in the past?" Noah asked. The red in Joe's cheeks deepened even more. "No, not really," he said softly. "Um, guys, one of the reasons that I called you was because Jim said I could count on your ... discretion?" "Go on," Nick said evenly, his curiosity piqued. "Well, it's just that Richard and I ..." he hesitated, looking first to Noah, then to Nick, before lowering his eyes, and going on in a rush of breath. " ... we're into a bit of leather, a bit of S and M role playing, you see. We don't make a big thing of it, and don't tell many people about it. Jim knows because, well, we knew him before all that trouble last year, and afterwards he told us about it, and about his getting into leather, and so we, umm, sort of `came out' to him, told him we were into it as well." He finished just as quickly, the look on his face almost guilty. "Did Jim tell you we were into leather, too?" asked Noah, to an astonished look from Nick. Joe's face showed clearly that he hadn't. "No," he said quickly. "He just said that you knew about him, and that you were okay with that, that it didn't stop you from doing everything you could to help!" "I thought so. But I also guessed that it would help you to feel better about telling us if you knew about us. It's not that we make it generally known, but then that's not because we're ashamed of it either. We just feel that it's something between us personally. We don't quite fit into the scene, so we keep it to ourselves, and a few very select friends." "But what does it have to do with the fight?" butted in Nick, still recovering from his surprise that Noah would reveal their `secret' to a stranger. "That was kinda what the fight was about," said Joe, more confidently now. "We fought because I suggested we try something, and Richard went crazy at the thought of it." "What did you suggest?" Nick said, his gaze squarely on Joe's face. "That we try a `threesome'!" Joe gasped out, his head dropping as his body shook with the effort of the confession. Noah gripped Nick's arm with his left hand, but reached his right hand out and draped it over Joe's shoulder. "Come on, Joe," he said, sympathetically, "Tell us all the details. If we are even going to have any chance of helping, we have to know exactly what happened." "Then you will help?" Joe looked up, suddenly hopeful. "I didn't say that. I still don't know if we can. But if we can, then we will. Tell us the story." Joe shrugged again, searching for his words. "I guess you need a bit of background..." He stopped again, remaining silent, obviously still struggling with the enormity of confessing the secret details of his sex life to these two men. "I swear we won't judge or even comment, Joe," Nick said at last. "I know how hard it must be -- I don't know that I could tell someone I'd only just met all the intimate details of what Noah and I get up to, but try, please?" Noah nodded approvingly at his man, and spoke gently to Joe. "Yes, come on Joe. Let it out. What you and Richard do in private is between you. If it works for you, then it must be okay, and that's all you need to remember." Joe finally looked up, and seemed to reach a decision. Slowly at first, then with more confidence, he began to speak. "Richard and I get right into a role playing scene of a Master and a slave. He is always the Master, and I'm his slave." He stopped, looking at Nick and Noah, and finding no disapproval or condemnation in their eyes, he went on. "It's always the same. I never had any desire to do anything else, and neither did he. We went the whole way I guess -- handcuffs, dildoes, paddles, rope, a bit of punishment -- but nothing serious, nothing that would do permanent damage, and I always consented to it. In fact, I wanted it, badly. We even have a dungeon set up in the basement below the house -- sling, restraints, St Andrew's cross, the whole bit." He stopped again, muttering quietly, "Damn, it's not easy to say this to you, to anyone!" Nick raised his eyebrows in a question to Noah, who simply nodded. "Well, since, we're doing confessions, Joe, I'll tell you that Noah and I have a dungeon at home as well. And we play the same kind of roles. I am Noah's `Master' and he is my slave. And I suspect we have just as much, umm, `equipment', as you guys. So you see, it's okay. Now what happened the night he left?" Joe's look of surprise grew into a grateful smile as he looked and found confirmation on Noah's face. "Well, like I said, it was always the same. And I mean always. I felt like we were getting ... stale. No, that's not right. Predictable! That's better. There didn't seem to be quite the spark that we used to have. It was almost as though we're having sex like clockwork. I've been thinking about it for a while, but I hadn't told Richard how I felt until last weekend." He went quiet for a minute, but the boys let him gather his thoughts. Once again, he took up the story. "We had just finished a `session' in the dungeon. I felt, even more than usual, that we were on auto-pilot or something. So I asked him if he'd like to try something different sometime. He seemed to be interested, so I said I'd been wondering what it would be like if we brought someone else into our playing -- tried a threesome. That was when he just exploded!" "What did he say?" asked Noah softly. "He yelled at me. Told me that I was being ridiculous. Told me that I didn't know when to leave well enough alone. He asked me if I didn't love him anymore, and when I swore that I did, he said that if we were in love, then we couldn't possibly share our life with someone else. I tried to explain that I was just talking about sex, not love, but he wouldn't listen. I told him that I love him, and nobody else. I told him that I was just trying to find a way to give some more spice to our sex life, to expand our fantasies a little bit." Joe looked as though he were about to break down, but he bit his lip and went on. "He began to scream at me, saying that I couldn't see the difference between games and real life, that what we did in the dungeon was just a game to me. He said that I needed to realise that what we fantasised about we could never actually do in reality. He muttered something about how, if I wasn't careful, I would ruin everything. That was when I began to be afraid, because he went very quiet, something he doesn't usually do. The look in his eyes -- I just can't describe it. Then he swung around and pulled on a jacket and loose jeans, gave me another horrible look, and stormed out. Bloody hell, he was still wearing his leathers -- harness, chaps, the whole works under those clothes when he left! What if he's had an accident? What if someone finds him, and finds what he's wearing underneath? Fuck knows what they would think; what they would do!" "I'm sure if anyone had found him hurt or unconscious they would have just called an ambulance, and no doubt you would have heard about it by now," Noah said reassuringly. "What we need to do is think about where he might have gone, try to imagine just how angry he would be." "That's the funny thing," Joe added. "How do you mean," asked Nick. "I was just so shocked at his reaction, I don't understand ..." "Well, I think having your lover tell you that he wants to bring a third party into your sexual games, even if it is just for a `bit of spice', would probably upset most people!" Nick declared, a little sarcastically, and ignoring Noah's disapproving glance. "Maybe so," Joe agreed, gaining a little fire in his own voice. "But when it's been part of our patter for so long, I would have thought suggesting it for real wouldn't be quite so threatening." "What?" Nick's face was a study in surprise. "When we're together, when we're playing, Richard often tells me how he's going to find another slave to keep me company, how he intends to set up a `harem'. I go along with it, because it turns me on too, I guess." He went red again, but only quickly, overcoming his self-consciousness now. "We talk about it often, imagining that he has several slaves, that I have to serve him, and serve the other slaves as well. When we pretend, I'm like the number one slave, but that means that I have to be the most submissive as well. It's all just words, just talk while we fuck. But it's hot. I thought he would at least talk about the possibility of trying it, instead of getting so angry." "That is interesting," said Noah thoughtfully. "You're sure you have no idea where he might have gone to? Is there anyone else who he may want to talk to about what happened?" "No," answered Joe emphatically. "Jim is the only one, apart from you guys now, who knows anything about our fantasising, and our leather. We only told him because he told us about what happened ... you know?" "Yes, we know," said Nick dryly. "And you've heard nothing since?" Noah pressed. "No phone calls, no messages, no emails?" "Uh, no, nothing at all," Joe said, although he looked uncertain. "What is it?" Noah asked, picking up on his hesitation. "You mentioned email," Joe said. "I am afraid I must be one of the last people on the planet to have to admit this, but I am totally computer illiterate. I wouldn't know how to get an email if there was one." "Then what's this?" Nick said, pointing at a laptop computer sitting closed on a sideboard. "Richard's! He's the computer junky in the family. I don't even know how to turn the thing on. Richard does all our finances and stuff on that thing. I know he's got an email address because he gets people to send stuff to us. But I wouldn't know what it is. He shows me things on there from time to time, or prints them out, but that's all I know. I work in a manual labour position, out of doors, so I don't have any use for a computer at work, and I've never had any desire to use one at home." Noah looked thoughtful. "Maybe there's something on there that might help. Would you mind if we had a look?" "Go ahead, if you think you can get it to work. Like I said, it's like some space gadget to me!" Joe replied. Before they could even try, the doorbell rang. Joe checked the spy hole, and swore softly. "It's Tony, a friend of ours. He's been coming around to make sure I'm okay since Richard left. Don't mention the leather stuff to him, please?" he begged. "Your secret's safe with us," Nick declared. Joe opened the door and invited Tony inside, quickly introducing him to Nick and Noah, explaining that they were friends of Jim who had said they would try to help find Richard since the cops weren't doing anything. Tony's eyebrows raised a little, but he smiled warmly. "Great!" he said. "The more help the better. I still think Richard will be home when he calms down, although it has been a lot longer than usual!" "So you know about the fight, and that this isn't the first time?" Nick asked in surprise. Tony blushed a little, and nodded. "I guess it's not the sort of thing you want broadcast," he said as he put his arm protectively around Joe's shoulders. "But I've known these two for quite a while, and I've seen them argue before as well. That's part of being a good friend, I suppose. But Richard has always come home after a few hours whenever it's happened before. We're both worried, aren't we mate?" he said gently to Joe, who simply nodded agreement. "Do you have any idea where we might start looking for Richard then?" Noah asked. Tony shook his head slowly, thoughtfully. "Nope. We've called everyone we can think of, and Joe's been to the cops. But no-one's seen him since last Sunday night." "Joe," said Noah with some resignation. "We'll do what we can, but I have to tell you that I can't see how we can help." "But you'll try?" Joe asked, desperation returning to his voice. "Jim said if anyone could find him, you could." Nick managed a wry smile. "I think Jim is vastly overestimating our abilities." "Do you have some photos of Richard that we could take?" Noah asked. "It might help to know what he looked like." "Sure," answered Joe, hurriedly digging out several pictures of Richard alone, or the two of them together. "You can use these." "I still don't know what we can do that you haven't already tried," Noah said, the doubt in his voice obvious. "At least take this thing and see if that helps," Joe said, picking up the laptop and offering it to Noah. "Hey, Joe, are you sure?" Tony spoke suddenly. "No offence, guys, but there's a lot of personal information on that computer. Richard does all of their banking and budgeting on that." "Unh, yeah, I'm sure they can be trusted," Joe said, his face flushing again. Nick winked at him knowingly, but fortunately Tony's back was to him, so he didn't see the signal. "I swear, we'll only look for any clues as to where he might have gone," Noah promised. "We won't go into your financial stuff, and we won't change anything. We swear all of your secrets will stay secret. It will be all the same as always, when Richard comes back!" Thanks, guys," Joe grinned weakly. "I think that's about all we can do tonight," Nick opined. "Come on, Noah, I think we need to get some rest before we get started on trying to find Richard." "Yep," his partner agreed. "Joe, try to get some sleep. We'll talk to you again tomorrow, okay?" "Thanks, guys, again," Joe answered. He got up to show them out, but Tony stopped him. "Stay there, Joe," he said firmly. "I'll show them out for you." Joe nodded, and Tony led the others to the front door. "So are you guys professionals at this?" he asked curiously. "No, nothing like that," replied Nick. "We've just been involved in something similar once before," Noah continued. "I still don't think we can help, but Joe seems like a nice guy, and I guess it's like a favour for a friend." "Oh, okay." Tony seemed surprised. "Still, anything to help ease Joe's mind. He is really stressed out about this, and I hate seeing him so upset." "He's lucky to have someone like you to look out for him, with Richard doing a disappearing act," Nick noted. "Oh, I suppose," Tony said, almost off-handedly. "I care a great deal for Joe. For both of them," he added hurriedly. "I just think that Richard can probably look after himself better than Joe can." Something about the way he spoke rang alarm bells for the boys. "What does that mean?" asked Nick quickly. Tony looked around, back to where Joe was sitting in the lounge, out of earshot. "Guys," he whispered, "I don't know if it helps, or even if it's relevant, but I have a sneaking suspicion that Richard may have been `playing around' a bit." "Do you have any proof, any evidence?" asked Noah softly but urgently. "No, none at all. Just a suspicion. And I haven't mentioned it to Joe. He's already upset enough without that. Please don't tell him I said it. Please don't even mention it unless you actually come up with some proof that that's what is going on, okay?" "Okay," agreed Noah. "Thanks," said Tony. "If I can help, just let me know." He pressed a small business type card into Noah's hand with his address and phone number on it. "I just want what's best for Joe!" To be continued ... This story is a fantasy, it is not real and only happened in my imagination. YOU MUST REMEMBER that in the real world, you can DIE from having unsafe sex. It is your right and your duty to make sure that condoms are always used, whether you are giving or receiving. It doesn't matter how good looking or how ugly he is, and it doesn't matter whether you are top or bottom, USE A CONDOM!