Chapter 6

As I climbed out of bed I stretched my arms wide, releasing a huge yawn as my back muscles rippled, biceps tensing as I rubbed my eyes as they adjusted to the dim light of mine and Ashley's bedroom. Turning back to the bed I looked at Ash sleeping angelically, blonde hair messily spread around him on his pillow, his peaceful face breathing in and out softly, his lips begging to be kissed. I avoided the temptation, knowing that we both had a very busy day ahead of us and that Ash would need his rest for what was to come. Walking over to the curtains I pulled them open slightly and stuck my head through the gap to check on the weather outside. It was only early but the skies were blue with barely a cloud to be seen, the sun on its daily journey upwards to the apex of the sky. Today was the big one, three years of waiting and I already knew that it would be a day that I would remember for the rest of my life.

Grabbing my boxers and a t-shirt from the floor where they had been discarded the night before, I pulled them on before quietly making my way out of the bedroom, ensuring that my lover's slumber wasn't disturbed. Making my way into the bathroom I took care of my morning needs, finishing by brushing my teeth and making my way into the living room of the flat. We had been lucky that we had been able to keep the same place for all three of our years of study but the landlord had seemed very happy with us as tenants and was more than willing to extend the term of our agreement whenever the tenancy had come up. Flipping on the kettle I waited quietly, scrolling through social media on my phone as it slowly rumbled into life and boiled the water, pouring myself a strong mug of coffee to get my day rolling in the right way.

Taking a seat on the sofa I took a deep breath, looking around the room that myself and Ash had spent countless hours in during our time at University. Every piece of furniture, each decoration or trinket brought back some form of memory and I allowed myself to happily wallow in this sea of warm moments as I slowly slipped my still piping hot cup of joe, steam billowing up into the air before dissipating. My peaceful tranquility was suddenly disturbed by the sound of my mobile phone ringing and I scrambled to grab it from the coffee table as quickly as I could so that it wouldn't wake Ashley.

“Hello?” I whispered as I answered the call.

“Good morning baby!” Mum responded in a chirpy, happy voice. She had always been a morning person, up at the crack of dawn and usually having completed a whole list of tasks before Bruce had even climbed out of bed.

“Morning Mum,” I replied as I took another swig of my coffee. “How is the hotel?”

“Oh not too bad thanks, Dad had a bit of trouble sleeping but he managed to drift off eventually.”

“That's good then,” I replied, “Ash is still asleep so you should probably give us an hour or two before you come over,” I explained.

“Okay sweetie, that's fine, me and Neil will go and get some breakfast and then head over to your place at around eleven, how does that sound?”

“Perfect,” I answered, “I'll make sure he's awake and decent.”

Mum laughed in response, “Okay sweetie, love you, see you later!” she said warmly before ending the call.

Mum and Dad were in town for our graduation, years of hard work finally paying off as myself and Ash would don our caps and gowns, walk across the stage and collect our diplomas, all with our loved ones looking on. It made me smile just thinking about it.

Our last year of studies had been difficult, especially the exam period with both myself and Ash studying virtually every hour of the day and night that was given to us. The day before his final exam Ash had been sitting at the dining room table, books and papers spread everywhere as he desperately crammed his brain with as much information as possible. I knew he would be fine, my other half was incredibly clever, but also incredibly anxious and so by the time the night rolled around Ash was almost literally pulling his hair out with stress. As I sat on the sofa quietly watching the football Ash spoke up frustratedly.

“There's no way I'm passing this exam,” he commiserated, face contorted with nerves as he wrung his hands together, on the verge of having a full on breakdown.

By this point in the relationship I knew exactly what my lover needed, standing up from the sofa silently and walking over to the table, standing by my sensitive boyfriend's side. “Get the lube and then come back here,” I instructed firmly, Ash looking up at me for a second as if waiting for his orders to be confirmed. “Now,” I added, in a deep rumbling voice, causing Ash to scramble out of his chair and sprint towards the bedroom. I could hear him throwing doors open and scrabbling around in the bedside table to find the bottle that he needed. Within a few seconds he was back and I had taken advantage of the time by myself to move a chair from the end of the table and push Ash’s work to the side to make room for what I had in mind.

“Here it is Daddy,” Ash said softly, voice already turning more feminine as he slipped into the more submissive side of his personality, knowing full well what was about to happen to him, or at least having a good idea.

“Good boy,” I said softly, stroking his hair before roughly grabbing a handful on his golden locks, tugging on them and making Ash grunt with pain tinted pleasure as he looked up into his master's eyes. “Naked,” I ordered.

Ashley immediately stripped out of his comfy study clothes, dropping them to the floor and standing before me in just his cute lacey red panties. His smooth, soft, curvy and hairless body looked delectable and I started to harden in my joggers immediately, licking my lips and growling hungrily at my prey. Ash looked on nervously, cheeks flushing red as he melted under my intense gaze.

Despite having been together for years at that point there was just something in the way that Bruce looked at Ash during the throes of lust that made his entire body tingle as butterflies danced in his stomach. He just couldn't resist his best friend and lover when the mood struck and he revelled in being able to serve him whenever he was called upon, his little cock already throbbing with need beneath his panties as he wondered what was to come.

Ash’ beautiful eyelashes fluttered cutely at me, playing up his role of the sweet little submissive femboy that was about to be given the best kind of stress relief by his daddy.

Grabbing him by the hips, I positioned Ashley at the head of the table, grabbing his head and using his considerable size advantage to bend him over, face pressing against the hard wooden surface. At times of intense stress nothing calmed Ash down like being dominated. Slipping into the subby part of his brain and letting someone else take total control of him always made any worries melt away and he knew how lucky he was to have a partner that understood what he needed at moments like this. As Ash felt the sensation of cool lube being poured into his hole and spread around by Bruce's digits he shivered as goosebumps raised up on his skin, knowing that he would be waking up sore for his exam the next morning. He already knew that it would be more than worth the discomfort though, seconds dragging by as he waited to be given what he needed.

Ash moaned softly as he felt the familiar sensation of Bruce's thick cock pressing against his hole, bracing himself by grabbing the edges of the table and gritting his teeth as he waited for the sweet feeling of being spread open by the man he loved. Years of practice combined with the lubricant allowed me to thrust balls deep inside Ash in one fluid motion, causing the blonde cutie to whine and whimper with a mixture of pain and pleasure. “Oh fuck,” he moaned as I pounded into him like a piece of meat, grabbing a fistful of his hair and pulling on it, raining down hard spanks on Ash's peachy white arse and leaving it covered in red handprints. Despite me moving Ash's materials out of the way, his thrashing around while being fucked caused him to knock over his books and papers, sending them crashing to the floor. A short leg on the table caused it to bang into the ground with every stroke of my throbbing, swollen cock, adding a repetitive banging to the symphony of sounds filling the room. The orchestra was completed with the slapping of balls against flesh, the **** whines and moans of a good little slut and my manly growls as I enjoyed playing with my favourite toy.

Ash’ cock was hard and pressed against the table, giving him even more pleasure as he was fucked relentlessly, his eyes streaming, mouth agape as he gasped for air, hoping that this would go on forever as his mind switched off to just focus on the pleasure and feeling of being used as an object by the man he loved.

“D…daddy…,” he moaned between hard, unrelenting thrusts.

“Yes, my good little cock slut?” I asked firmly as I rained down more smacks on my pet's peachy little bum.

“Pl… please can I cum?” He asked pathetically, making me smile, my job almost done.

“Are you going to pass your exam?” I asked in a tone that made it clear there was only one correct answer.

“Y… yes D… daddy,” Ash said, barely above a whisper in between strangled moans.

“I CAN'T HEAR YOU!” I shouted while pulling on Ash's hair, forcing his torso upwards, back curving as he was repeatedly impaled on his lover's cock.

“YES DADDY, I’LL PASS MY EXAM! PLEASE…, PLEASE!” he begged.

“Good boy. CUM FOR ME! NOW!” I shouted forcefully, pleased with how well behaved he had been and looking forward to my own climax once my sweet little boy had been satiated.

By this point Ash was a well trained sub, familiar with a series of commands that he would respond to without thinking, but of course, being ordered to cum was the most powerful of them all. The second that the words registered in his brain he went stiff, small cock tensing as his tip peeked out of the top of his pretty underwear, balls twitching as he shot cum across the table. Despite him climaxing, I had no intention of stopping, continuing to fuck his arse with gusto until every single drop of cum, nerves and anxiety were expelled from his body. He was whining like a wounded animal as his punished hole continued to be pounded, finally getting some relief when I pulled my member out of his opening and started shooting thick, virile ropes of cum all over his jiggly arse and lower back. By the time we were both finished Ash had to cling onto the table to keep himself upright, legs still shaking from the power of his climax. I wrapped my arms around Ashleys waist, softly and sensually kissing his back as I whispered, “good boy,” “you did good,” “I'm proud of you,” and more words of affirmation as we recovered from our impromptu, but much needed, lovemaking.

Eventually Ash managed to speak croakily as he felt Bruce’s cum slowly cooling on his skin “take me to bed please Bruce,” he begged, all the energy fucked out of him by the man he loved.

I did exactly as I was asked, scooping Ashley up in my broad arms and princess carrying him to the bedroom where he was gently laid down on the sheets. After a trip to the bathroom, I cleaned up my cute little Femboy with a towel before turning his attention to my own cleanliness and climbing into bed. We cuddled and kissed until we both fell asleep, all of Ash's pre-exam anxiety gone thanks to the power of a damn good fucking.

I smiled softly to myself as I finished reminiscing, downing the dregs of my mug before going to make another coffee. I checked the time while I waited for the kettle, reasoning that I would give Ash another hour of rest and then wake him up. That should give him plenty of time to get showered and dressed before Mum and Dad would arrive, even with his extensive morning beauty routine. They had planned to go for a nice meal together as a family before attending the ceremony later in the day and my stomach growled as I thought about the juicy steak I would be tucking into in just a couple of hours' time. Radigans was my favourite restaurant in the area, but it was very expensive meaning that me and Ash could only afford to go on special occasions like birthdays, anniversaries and valentine's day. Pippa and Neil had offered to pay this time as part of the boys graduation present, which was something we had both gladly accepted.

I spent my time alone enjoying my mug of coffee and catching up on a few videos online. It was going to be a busy, stressful and intense day so I wanted to enjoy my alone time as much as I could before all.if the chaos began. When the time came I turned the television off and made my way back into the bedroom, climbing into bed and gently pulling Ash into my broad, strong arms. “Wake up baby boy,” I whispered softly into his ear, gently rousing Ash from his slumber, his eyes fluttering open and a wide smile spreading across his face as he looked up at me.

“Mmm, morning baby,” he said sweetly as he stretched and yawned beneath my large frame, “what time is it?”

“Almost ten,” I explained as I leaned down to kiss Ash's cheek softly, “Mum and Dad should be here in about an hour.”

“Probably too late for breakfast then,” Ash said a little glumly as he rubbed sleepy dust from his eyes.

“Probably, but you won't be complaining when you're tucking into Radigan's famous lasagne and garlic bread!”

“I might get something else this time!” Ash protested, a little upset at being accused of being so predictable.

“Ha, fat chance of that!” I replied with a laugh. Ash responded by pushing out his bottom lip and crossing his arms in mock outrage, looking like a stroppy toddler rather than a man in his twenties. i was quick to respond by grabbing his waist and tickling him without mercy, causing Ash to squirm and wriggle beneath me on the bed as he laughed hysterically.

“B…, Bruce, ha ha ha, stop… please!” Ash eventually begged, finally surrendering to my vicious onslaught of tickles.

“What did you say?” I asked, feigning that I hadn't heard my boyfriend so we could continue this game for a little while longer.

“Stop, stop, please!” Ash spluttered in between giggles as I finally yielded, instead pulling Ash into my arms and covering him in kisses as we laid in bed together.

“It's going to be your fault if I'm not ready when Neil and Pippa arrive you know,” Ash said in a sassy tone.

“That's fine, I'll take the blame,” I replied confidently, flashing Ash a look that made him absolutely melt. Our eyes met and for a moment sparks flew between us, like they always did. “It's a shame we have to get ready,” I whispered suggestively, wiggling my eyebrows at him.

“Why Daddy, did you want to do something to your good boy?” Ash asked as he slowly bit his lip as he imagined Bruce ravaging his body in the way only he could.

“I guess that will have to wait,” I replied, leaning in to give Ashley a gentle kiss, “now go and hop in the shower, I'll be with you shortly.”

Ash' heart always sang when Bruce took charge like this and as much as he wanted to stay in bed with his lover, he would get so much more gratification by doing what he was told. He almost jumped out of bed, grabbing a couple of things he'd need before making his way to the bathroom.

I allowed myself to enjoy the comfort of his bed for a minute before heading back into the kitchen to make Ash a cup of coffee for when he was finished in the bathroom. With the day they had ahead, he would need the extra energy. Once the drink was prepared I stripped out of my boxers and t-shirt, leaving them in a pile on the living room floor before making my way into the bathroom to join my significant other. Setting down Ashley's steaming hot cup of coffee on the sink, I took a moment to leer at Ashley's naked form through the steamed up glass of the shower wall. The opaque view somehow made things more erotic, leaving the cute boys' fully naked form as somewhat of a mystery to any onlooker, although of course by this point, I knew Ash’ body almost better than his own.

“Are you going to stand out there perving over me all day or are you going to come and join me?” Ash asked from inside the shower, “I need you to come and clean my back baby,” he added teasingly, making me wish we had the time to make love before my parents would arrive for the day. Without responding I opened the shower door and stepped inside. Ash was facing towards the shower head, his back facing me and so I stepped closer to him, taking the petite boy in my arms and kissing his neck softly as I felt his wet skin against my own. As much as we wanted to fool around, we were on a tight schedule so we just focused on actually getting each other clean rather than any sexy shenanigans. I grabbed a loofah from where it hung on the taps, covered it in bodywash and soaped Ash up from head to toe before taking the shower head and gently washing the suds off his body. After massaging some shampoo into his long locks, this too was washed away and Ashley made his way out of the shower to dry off and go and get ready. I still needed to take care of his own ablutions and so remained in the shower, Ash continuing to tease me as he went. “Don’t leave me waiting too long Daddy!” he cooed girlishly as he left, making my wet soapy member throb as it dangled between my thick, muscular thighs.

He knew exactly what he was doing, building the tension up so that he could reap the rewards when my lust and desire inevitably overflowed. It was a game we had played countless times before, but I was more than happy to go along with the dance again. Pushing away the naughty thoughts from my mind I focused on getting myself clean, wrapping myself in a towel once I was finished. Upon returning to the bedroom I found Ash sitting in front of the white dressing table mirror, hair wrapped up in a towel with another wrapped around his svelte waist. His smooth, soft, still damp skin looked so inviting and I once again found myself resisting the urge to manhandle him onto the bed so that I could have his way with him.

We got ready for the arrival of Mum and Dad together, dressing myself in casual jeans and a t-shirt while Ash applied his make-up and picked up an outfit of his own, asking for my input as he assembled his ensemble. He’d gotten more confident embracing his more feminine traits when leaving the home and now regularly wore skirts and tights along with a selection of cute tops when we ventured out and I was immensely proud of him for how much he had grown in our time together. Today he had chosen a little crop top with one of his favourite anime characters on it along with a knee length white pleated skirt and a pair of long white knee length socks, finished off with a simple pair of black pumps. The character on his shirt was a magical girl who had to go on a mission to find cards she accidentally released into the world alongside a cute little animal sidekick and it was one of Ashley’s very favourite shows to watch. It was almost like a comfort blanket to him and whenever I caught him booting the series up on the television or laptop I knew that my boyfriend was in need of some extra attention, either because he was stressed, tired, sad, or a combination of all three.

Ash was just applying the finishing touches to his eye shadow when the flat's intercom started ringing, signalling the arrival of their parents, biological for me and surrogate for Ash. I knew that it would be a tough day for Ashley, even though he wouldn’t let on that he was struggling. Despite my personal reservations, ever since the day that Ash finally confronted his Mum she had actually stayed away from him and neither of us even knew where she was at this point.

Ash was all the better for it and the gaping wound that she had inflicted was gradually healing, but there was no denying he still went through a great deal of pain, especially at times like this when family should be around to show support and love. He was deceptively resilient, built up over a lifetime of disappointments and it was one of the many reasons that I was proud of Ash every single day, for continuing to move forwards despite everything life had thrown at him. I had apparently gotten lost in my thoughts, finally snapping out of it as I registered the sound of Ash’ voice.

“Hello? Earth to Bruce? Can you get the door?” he asked, gesturing towards his face, “I’m not presentable yet,” he explained with a small smile, probably wondering what I had been thinking about to make me so zoned out.

“Oh yeah, sorry sweetie,” I replied, “I was miles away, I'll go get it.”

I made my way out of the bedroom and over to the intercom, lifting the handset, greeting my parents, buzzing them up and unlocking the flat's door in anticipation of their arrival. A minute or so later there was a knock at the door and I shouted “come in!” as I was busy checking my backpack one final time to ensure I'd packed everything needed for the big day to come. I didn’t even have a chance to turn around, hearing footsteps rapidly approaching before Mum grabbed me, spinning me around to give me a big, loving hug, the type only a mother could provide, the kind that makes you feel instantly safe and warm, almost regressing to how I was as a babe, swaddled in her arms.

“Hello there my baby boy!” Mum cooed, holding my face in her hands, eyes beaming with pride. “I can’t believe that you’re graduating today! It feels like just yesterday that I was at the hospital pushing you out, isn’t that right Neil?” she asked, turning to look over her shoulder.

“Right as always sweetheart,” he added, coming over to rustle my hair while he was still trapped in Mum’s bear hug of love, “we’re very proud of you son,” he said, voice faltering a little as his emotions rose up before quickly being brought under control.

“Thanks guys,” I replied warmly, squeezing Mum tight and smiling back at Dad appreciatively. “Ash should be out in a minute, he’s just getting ready,” I explained, but just as I finished speaking the living room door opened and Ash stepped through, looking absolutely adorable in his cute little outfit and subtle feminine makeup. I honestly wanted to ravage him right there and then, flashing him a look that made it clear I was having extremely impure thoughts, making his cheeks blush a soft pink.

“My ears are burning Bruce, are you talking about me again?” he joked as he took my burning gaze in stride and walked across the room to give Dad a hug, welcoming him into our home.

“You know I struggle keeping your name out of my mouth baby,” I replied jokingly as I watched the two most important men in his life greeting each other, warming my heart.

The moment Neil and Ash’ embrace finished Mum jumped in to give him a cuddle of her own, virtually pushing Dad aside as she kissed him on the forehead and complimented him on his makeup which even I had to admit looked impeccable despite the limited time he had to get ready. She checked her watch for the time before speaking, “we better get going if we want to get to Radigan’s on time,” she suggested, “our reservation is at twelve and we still need to get there and find somewhere to park,” she added, eyes furrowing a little with concern.

“Don’t worry Mum,” I said quickly, “We’re are all ready to go, just let us grab our bags.” The ceremony wouldn’t be taking place until mid-afternoon and so we had elected to bring our cap, gown and everything else we would need with them to dinner. There was a changing room at the Universities sports hall where the graduation ceremony was due to take place and so we could both get changed there, rather than having to go around dressed in our special ceremonial garb all day, which would look silly anywhere outside of a graduation ceremony. After we had grabbed our bags, our little makeshift family made our way downstairs, all climbing into Dad’s car and starting the journey across town to the restaurant. As Dad drove, we all chatted casually about what myself and Ash had been up to during our last couple of weeks on Campus, Mum and Dad telling us all about the latest developments at home and in no time at all we were parking the car a couple of streets away from the restaurant as my stomach rumbled in anticipation of the feast to come.

As we climbed out of the car, Ash came to my side, sliding his soft little hand into mine. A couple of people walking past gave Ash some strange looks, but we had gotten used to it over the past couple of years. It really bothered Ash at first, but he had slowly come to terms with it thanks to support from myself and the rest of his friends. He was clearly feeling self conscious, looking down at his choice of attire and then at the outfits of the rest of the group. Myself, Neil and Pippa were all dressed in smart casual and it seemed that Ash had only just realised that his outfit was much more casual leaning than their choice of clothes, shoulders slumping as he started to feel increasingly anxious. I could tell what he was thinking and so gave his hand a little squeeze. “Don’t worry baby,” I said softly, Dad overhearing my comment and turning to look at them.

“What’s wrong lads?” he asked in a concerned voice, eyebrows raised. Ash clammed up and so I had to speak for him.

“Ash is just worried that he’s underdressed and that someone might say something,” I explained.

“Ah, I see,” Neil replied, turning to his wife before continuing, “well don’t you worry about that Ashley, if anyone says anything, they’ll have me to deal with, okay?”

Ash smiled wide, standing up straight, reinvigorated by the support of his found family. “He’s right sweetheart,” Mum added, “you’re a part of this family, we’ve got your back!”

“Thank you both,” Ash said softly as he smiled at them both, “you’re always so nice to me!”

With Ash’ fears put to rest the four of us made our way inside the restaurant, Mum giving the reservation information to the hostess before we were shown to our seats. As the restaurant had only just opened for lunch it wasn’t too busy, although it slowly filled up with people over time, several of whom were also in town for the graduation. We all ordered our food and drinks, settling in for what was sure to be an excellent meal as the happy hubbub of people around us filled the air with a natural, comfortable ambience.

Our little makeshift family had agreed that we would travel back home the day after graduation, with myself and Ash staying in our childhood home until we figured out what we would be doing next. When I had broached the idea with Mum, I'd been nervous, worried they had gotten used to having an empty nest after I’d been away from home for three years, but I couldn't have been more wrong. She had agreed with great gusto and enthusiasm, insisting that we could stay for as long as they needed to, despite me telling her that we would look for work and our own place to live once we were back and properly settled. As much as I loved Mum and Dad, we had gotten accustomed to having our own space, able to do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, so while I was glad we had somewhere to go, it was going to be quite the adjustment.

“So then lads, any developments on the job front?” Dad asked as he lifted a hefty chunk of rare steak up to his mouth, licking his lips with glee as he anticipated his first taste of the delicious morsel of meat.

“Erm, not really,” I responded between chews of my own piece of tender, juicy meat, covering my mouth so as to not be completely uncouth.

“Yeah, I've had a bit of a look to see what's out there job wise, but we agreed it would be best to wait until we’re back home before we look properly,” Ash explained.

I had finished chewing, swallowing my food and doing my best to enjoy the flavour of the exquisite piece of meat before swallowing and speaking. “I'm lucky, thanks to COVID a lot of programming jobs are remote now so I can apply for positions all over the planet without needing to go into an office,” I explained.

“Yeah,” Ash added excitedly, “so we've said that Bruce will try and find work first and once that's sorted then I can look for something more local.”

“We really don't want to be separated,” I explained, reaching out to take Ashley's hand, “that's our main priority, making sure we stay together.”

“You two are too adorable!” Mum virtually squealed with delight as she set her cutlery down on her plate. “You remind me of myself and Neil when we were dating. Remember honey?” she asked, turning to him with a wide smile and a glimmer of nostalgia in her eyes.

“I certainly do,” Neil replied after taking a swig of his **** free beer, “If I'd have chosen differently I'd probably be a millionaire by now!” he teased, making Me and Mum laugh as Ashley looked on with a confused expression.

“Oh, I'm sorry sweetie, you don't know that story do you?” Mum asked, Ashley just shaking his head in response, eyes wide as he waited to hear his surrogate mothers tale.

“So when me and Neil were young and had only been dating for a few months he got a job offer down in London…,” she started before Neil jumped in.

“A friend of mine was working at an investment company, making tens of thousands of pounds a month. His boss owed him a favour and despite me knowing nothing about finance, my friend said if I took the offer he could teach me everything I'd need to know in a couple of weeks and that I’d be rich in no time.”

“Your father was quite tempted by the offer,” Mum added.

“Well of course, he was offering money, women, parties and unending luxury in one of the finest cities in the world,” he explained with a little sparkle in his eyes, “that would tempt anyone!”

“So, why didn't you take the job?” Ash asked, suspecting he already knew the answer but wanting to hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

“This wonderful, beautiful, kind and absolutely perfect woman,” Neil said, turning to take Pippa's hand, squeezing it lovingly and staring into her eyes. “I was in love, totally smitten. No amount of money in the world would have kept me away from her,” he explained with a happy smile. Neil was far from an emotional man, but tears were welling up in his eyes as he turned back to the boys to give them some sage wisdom from a trusted elder.

“Bruce, Ashley,” he started, “I know that when you guys told me that you were an item I had some, let's say, mixed feelings about it.” I cast my mind back to sitting on the sofa in our living room, coming out to Mum and Dad and how he had disappeared to the pub, unsure how to deal with his emotions at finding out his son was dating another boy. From the look on Ashley's face, it seemed like he was recollecting the same thing. “But after seeing you both together over the past two plus years, I can confidently say that you're a perfect couple.” We both smiled wide as I turned to look at Ashley, the gift that we were currently being given meaning far more than any fancy meal ever could.

“The best advice I can give you is to remember that you're a team and to never let anything get between you. Not money, work, other people, hell, not even us! If you can do that I can promise you that you'll have a long, happy life together with absolutely no regrets.”

Silence hung in the air for a moment as everyone processed his words, surprised at his candour but equally impressed by it. Before any of them could speak, Mum grabbed him by his shirt, turning him to face her and pulling him in for a kiss. It seemed she was quite pleased with her hubby for being so emotionally open and supportive and despite the dozens of people around them, she didn't mind showing it. Feeling a little awkward, I turned to Ash and we grinned at each other, part amused and part endeared by their show of affection. I hoped that one day we felt comfortable enough to share our own PDA in a place like this, although that might take a little more time.

Once they had finished their kiss, I thanked dad for his words as did Ash, who sounded especially earnest before silence once again fell, all of us unsure of what to say next after something so profound.

“We’ll have to have a separate chat about how you intend to give me and Pippa some grandchildren in the future though,” Dad quipped, making everyone burst into laughter and causing several of the other restaurant patrons to turn and look at us, not that any of us even remotely cared.

“Oh honey,” Mum chuckled, “you almost made it a full five minutes of being serious!”

Dad guffawed in response, wrapping his arms around her, “you didn't fall for me because I was serious though, did you?” he asked as he kissed Mum's neck. It was like watching a couple of lovestruck teenagers rather than a married couple of twenty plus years and I hoped that myself and Ashley would still be so in love when we get to their age.

The rest of the meal was relatively uneventful, the four of us chatting away and eating happily together for the first time in a long while.

Ashley had always thought that Bruce felt like home, but those feelings were intensified even further when he was with his surrogate parents too. He often wondered how he would have survived without them, intending to pay them back for their kindness by any means necessary. Being a loving partner to their son was probably the easiest way for him to do this and he felt amazing knowing that Neil had now fully accepted them as a couple, even encouraging them to have a long and happy relationship together.

By the time we had finished their main courses, three quarters of the table were completely stuffed, Ashley even leaving behind some of his lasagne and garlic bread as he couldn't manage another bite.

Dad on the other hand was reaching for the dessert menu. “The cheesecake sounds nice,” he mused to himself as he perused the options available to him.

“You can't be serious Neil?” Mum asked in an exasperated, although good-natured tone, “We only had breakfast a couple of hours ago.”

“Well I'm hungry and unless you want me running off for snacks during the ceremony you should stop complaining,” he teased, sticking his tongue out at her like an infant.

Mum turned to me and Ashley, rolling her eyes dramatically. “I swear he doesn't have a stomach, just a black hole he throws food into,” she joked. “Did you know that on our first date he had three burgers, and fries, AND a milkshake? I was sitting there nibbling on my food, trying to be demure and cute and then there was your father wolfing down his meal like he'd never been fed!”

“Jesus, that's a lot of food Neil,” Ashley commented.

“Yeah well, I needed the extra energy for when we got back to my place,” Neil joked, making me recoil a little at the thought of my parents being intimate together.

“Dad!” I protested, making Pippa and Neil laugh at their son's discomfort just before the waitress arrived, cleaning away the plates and taking Neil's dessert order. It didn't take long for his second course to arrive and he virtually inhaled it as the rest of us looked on. Once Dad had finished his second course we all finished the dregs of our drinks and made our way back to the car, feeling significantly fuller than we had on arrival. We didn't have much time left until the ceremony was due to start and so we drove over to the sports hall together, anticipation and nerves growing as we got closer to the venue.

Once inside the building, we said goodbye to Mum and Dad and they each gave us warm hugs and wished us luck as they made their way upstairs and to their seats, looking down onto the sports halls floor where hundreds of chairs were laid out, all ready to be occupied by the new graduates.

Myself and Ashley made our way to the male changing rooms, getting ready to put on our long black gowns and signature graduation caps which had been hired from a local business that specialised in graduation garb. We couldn't help but eye up each other's mostly naked bodies as we stripped out of our clothes, that morning's sexual tension still hanging thick in the air between us. We each shook off the desire to leap on each other and instead focused on getting dressed in these unfamiliar clothes. Once we had both our outfits on we laughed hysterically at each other as we were dressed so strangely compared to how we would normally look, Ash twirling on the spot to show off the long gown as I just looked on with love and desire sparkling in my eyes.

Leaving our bags safely locked in the changing rooms lockers we made their way out into the sports hall, hand in hand, finding our allocated seats and looking around the throng of fellow students for our friends and coursemates, waving to them when we spotted them. We managed to spot Dad and Mum sitting above us, waving at them and smiling enthusiastically before the university's Chancellor made his way onto the specially constructed stage to begin proceedings. He spoke at length about his pride in the student body before him, encouraging them all to go out into the world and use their knowledge for good, to help society prosper and be better than it had been before. It was a rousing speech that he had taken years to hone and he was applauded loudly by both the students and the assembled families watching on when he had finished.

The time had finally come with students called up to the stage one at a time in alphabetical order to receive their diploma, shaking the Chancellor's hand and posing for a quick picture before leaving the stage. There were hundreds of students to get through and it was an efficient, well oiled process, not taking long for Ashley's name to be called. Rising from his chair, he made his way to the stairs, almost tripping on the first step before catching himself, regaining his composure and striding across the stage to get his diploma. Myself, Pippa and Neil all whooped and hollered their approval along with our friends and coursemates scattered around the room. He blushed slightly as he posed for a picture, his family (myself included) all pulling out their phones to snap pictures to go along with the ones taken by the official event photographer.

Returning to his seat, he hugged me tightly, “can you believe I almost fell?” he asked, “that would have been so embarrassing!” he said with relief as we both chuckled together at the near miss.

As the afternoon inched closer and closer towards the early evening, student after student made their way to the stage until finally it was my name that was being called, catching me off guard as I had been deep in conversation with Ashley. I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before standing up, straightening out my gown and making my own trip towards the Chancellor to accept what I had been working for three years to accomplish. After shaking the Chancellors hand and taking the rolled up sheet of paper from him, I posed confidently on the stage for the cameras, even throwing in a curled bicep pose to show off my muscles before leaving the stage, Ashley, Mum and Dad chuckling at my silly antics, making me smile as I carefully made my way down the stage’s steps.

I took my seat next to Ashley, holding his hand and waiting for the ceremony to be finished, both of us looking forward to the party that had been organised for later in the evening as we chatted and looked at the highly sought after documents that showed what we had accomplished during our respective studies. I couldn’t resist whispering into Ashley’s ear that I should have gotten my name on his diploma too after all the times I had given him my own form of ‘special stress relief’ over the past three years. Ash giggled girlishly before reminding me of all the times he’d dropped to his knees or bent over for me and in the end we agreed that we were probably even when it came to ‘helping’ each other out in our own special way.

Once the final degree had been handed out the Chancellor thanked everyone for coming and invited everyone down the street to the large nightclub that had been booked for the graduation after-party. The student body shouted and cheered with excitement at the prospect of their final night of higher education debauchery, tossing their caps high in the air before they all came tumbling down, dozens of camera’s flashes going off to capture the important moment.

Myself and Ashley slowly made our way out of the sports hall, surrounded by throngs of our peers before we reached the large open lobby of the building. Ash was the first one to spot our parents and Pippa ran over to give him a massive hug as soon as she saw us. Dad gave me a hug and punched me in the arm affectionately before we switched places. Mum was almost shaking with excitement and happiness as I held her and I rubbed her back soothingly as she told us how proud she was of us both. Once she finally released me her face was the image of motherly pride and a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks as she held her babies, one she had birthed and one she had taken in out of the goodness of her heart.

“Okay momma bear,” Dad said softly as he walked over to us, “let the cubs go before you crush them to ****.” Mum shot him a playfully defiant look and gave us one final squeeze before reaching into her pocket for a tissue to dab at her eyes.

“You're just both so grown up and I'm so proud of you both,” she explained, “I can't believe how far you've both come!” Dad put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close, partially to stop her from lunging at the two of us for another cuddle.

“Come on then boys, go and get changed and then you can show us the way to this club, I need a drink and something to eat!” Neil said cheerily as he gestured in the direction of the changing rooms as if he was in a rush to leave, which made us all chuckle at him. We did as we were told, making our way inside and finding that the locker room was relatively empty, most students seemingly having already gotten changed or deciding to stay in their ceremonial dress.

I’d been holding back my arousal all day and as soon as I watched Ashley peel off his gown, exposing his tight little body and cute panties, blood rushed to my penis and I realised I couldn’t hold myself back any longer. Grabbing him by his waist, I pushed him towards the shower cubicles at the back of the locker rooms which were of course completely empty and far enough away from the handful of students getting changed that we can have some fun in relative safety. The look in Ashley’s eyes told me that he needed this just as badly as I do, a glimmer of naughtiness in his eyes that made me double down on my decision to finally claim what I needed.

Still wearing just his panties, I pushed Ashley down onto the tiled floor of the shower as he positioned himself on his knees, a position he had assumed countless times and one that he still revelled in. His eyes went wide and he licked his plump lips as I pulled up my gown, slipping my throbbing cock through the hole in my boxers as a drop of pre-cum fell to the floor below. “We’ll have to be quick,” I whispered hurriedly, “Mum and Dad are waiting.”

My words just seemed to turn Ashley on more, quickly taking my cock in his hand and shoving it into his mouth, letting his saliva lubricate my thick shaft as I gripped the back of his head and moaned with pleasure. His own little cock was swollen in his panties and he gently stroked himself with two of his fingers as he pleasured me, head bobbing up and down as he moaned with a mouth full of dick. Even with the locker room being almost empty, we still had to be careful, Ashley’s moans were thankfully easily muffled, but I was finding it increasingly hard to keep quiet as my perfect little cock slut expertly pleasured me with his mouth. My member was repeatedly engulfed by his throat, squeezing and massaging me from within, tongue sliding from between his soft lips so that he could lick my balls as he took me deep. It felt so good I had to reach out to grab the pipes next to me to stay on my feet, knees shaking as I felt my orgasm building and threatening to be unleashed at any moment.

Reaching down, I tilted Ashley’s face up to look at me and as soon as our eyes met, he knew it was time. He released my cock, strands of spit dangling from his mouth and dripping down his chin as he pumped me with his fist, head sucking my sensitive tip, tongue flicking against my frenulum, driving me wild with euphoric pleasure. “F…fuck…” I moaned as I felt my climax hit me, the first shot of my hot, virile seed painting the back of Ashley’s mouth, making his eyes roll back as he wallowed in his favourite sensation, swallowing Daddy’s cum.

I slumped backwards against the wall, penis slipping from Ash’ grasp as the final shots of my nectar coated his sweet face. As I opened my eyes, my entire body shaking, I watched my beloved using his fingers to scrape up every drop of my seed and placing it in his mouth so he could swallow every drop, a look of sheer ecstasy and content on his face. When he was finished he looked up at me with a huge smile, getting up so he could press his body to mine, my strong arms wrapping around him as we pressed our lips together in a passionate embrace. My cock slowly deflated as the haze of eroticism lifted and I remembered where we were and that our parents were presumably still waiting outside for us.

“Shit, we better go,” I said hurriedly, tucking myself back into my underpants and walking out of the shower cubicles to find the nearest sink and mirror. My face was flushed red, sweat on my brow, so I quickly ran the tap and splashed some water on my face. I turned to see Ashley next to me, doing the same, ensuring there was no trace of our debauchery on his adorable visage and we shared a brief moment staring into each other's eyes before we rushed back to the lockers to finish getting changed.

We were both like a whirlwind as we got dressed, pulling on our clothes at mach speed as the handful of other students who were still hanging around the lockers gave us glances and wry smiles. Apparently I hadn’t been as quiet as I had hoped, but I didn’t really care, although I couldn’t help but notice a blush appearing on Ash’ cheeks as he tied up his shoes while sat down on one of the long wooden benches in the centre of the rows upon rows of metal lockers.

When we finally emerged, Dad looked mildly annoyed, Mum checking her watch as the lobby was now largely empty, most people having made their way outside into the warm summer air. As we approached they both looked up at us suspiciously.

“You two took your time,” Dad chastised with a cheeky wink, “run into some difficulty did you?”

Ashley couldn’t look at him, staring at the ground as his face got even redder, making it blatantly obvious that we hadn’t just been getting changed in there. Mum slapped Dad on the arm before giving us both a kind smile, “stop teasing them Neil! We were young once too, remember?” she asked with a toothy grin, making Dad reach out and grab her by the hips, kissing her neck repeatedly as she jokingly protested.

I probably should have been a little grossed out at their confession that they had potentially also enjoyed some public depravity when they were younger, but instead I was just grateful that they had distracted themselves from our prolonged absence. I cleared my throat with a cough, breaking them out of their reverie and speaking up, “shall we head over to the club then?” I asked, “we can put our bags in the car and then walk over?”

“That sounds good to me son,” Dad replied as he took Mum's hand and turned towards the large glass doors through which sunlight was still streaming. Myself and Ashley followed behind them, a little timidly, making our way outside into the fresh air, an extremely welcome light breeze cooling me off as we walked together. It was a warm summer's evening, with the pavement bustling with students and parents talking, taking pictures and making their way towards the after-party where we were also headed. Once we had made it to the main street I led the way, the rest of our group following behind me amongst the throng of happy people all heading to the same destination for a night of celebratory fun.

The club was fortunately only a couple of minutes walk away from the sports hall, meaning it would only be a leisurely walk until we arrived. We walked into the massive nightclub venue, moving through the crowds of people in the lobby before entering the function room on the ground floor in which hot and cold food was being served. On the upper floors were two spacious rooms dedicated to music, drinking and dancing. One room played the ‘classics’ from the seventies all the way up to the twenty tens whereas the other room played music that had been released more recently and that was still featured in the UK charts and on the radio. It was a popular spot with students due to its cheap drinks, proximity to the campus and regular student offers and events.

Myself and Ash had visited the club many times before and gotten up to all sorts of drunken antics, including one occasion where Ash had been so **** to get his hands on me that he'd pulled me into one of the toilet stalls. My eyes misted over as I remembered him sucking me to completion as people used the restroom, washed their hands and talked all around us. It was the first time we had done something in public, having been scared of even holding hands or kissing around other people when we first came out to our friends and fellow students. We had been surprised to find out afterwards that we had both gotten a massive kick out of it, discovering a previously unknown kink that we both shared. We talked about it at length and had agreed that what we had done was pretty risky and that we could have ended up in real trouble if we were caught. Despite how much we had both enjoyed ourselves, we ultimately agreed to leave this kind of public play for another time in the future.

We had ended up returning to the club just a week later and despite our best intentions the combination of booze, young love and desire resulted in us being back in the toilet stall once again, although this time it had been me that initiated things. As I watched his body move on the dance floor, I was overcome with lust, grabbing Ash by the hand and virtually dragging him towards the mens toilets. Within a matter of seconds Ashley was bracing himself against the cubicles door, skirt and panties around his ankles as I slowly fucked him from behind. I had to cover my good little femboys mouth as I used his tight little arse, knowing full well that Ash would be unable to stay quiet while being filled so perfectly by my cock. It had turned into something of a regular habit for us and I couldn’t even count how many times we had ravaged each other just feet away from where they were currently standing during our three years of higher education. It seemed both of us were having the same thought as we glanced towards the toilet doors and then at each other, the petite blonde I had fallen so madly in love with blushing as he remembered our naughty antics. I found myself wishing we could recreate those moments of public, dangerous intimacy one last time before we left for home in the mornign, but we’d already crossed a line back in the locker room and it would be best not to try that again, especially with the possibility that my Dad could walk into the toilets at the same time we were in there!

There were various pretty young ladies wandering around with glass flutes of champagne, offering them to the guests as they entered the function room, the smell of food wafting through the air and immediately grabbing Dad’s attention. We gladly accepted the free drinks and toasted together before we started to look around the room, enjoying the electric energy in the air and admiring the various outfits and faces spread around the space.

“Ashleyyyyyy!” A voice yelled from across the room, causing us all to turn in the direction of the excited cry. It was Ash’ best friend, Nancy, who was barreling across the room at speed, grabbing my boyfriend in a tight hug and kissing him on the cheek as they babbled about the graduation and the party at speeds I could barely comprehend. My friend Tom joined us soon after as Mum and Dad stood together, looking on a little awkwardly. “Come on, let's go dance!” Nancy said excitedly, pulling Ashley towards the doors to the function room and the stairs that led upstairs. I’d spotted some of my other gym buddies and so myself and Tom went over to speak to them, leaving Mum and Dad alone in the sea of strange faces that surrounded them.

“Should we go and find the boys, or leave them to it?” Pippa asked as she turned to her husband, feeling a little unsure of this new place that she wasn’t familiar with.

“Nah, let the boys go off and have their fun without their stuffy old parents,” Neil replied jokingly, “besides, it looks like those are bacon sarnies over there, let's go grab some, I’m starving!” Pippa rolled her eyes but followed closely behind him to inspect the various food offerings and hopefully temporarily fill up her seemingly always ravenous husband.

Deep in the crowd of bodies, Ash was being dragged up the stairs to the dance floor by Nancy. I watched on from below, standing with Tom, giving my boyfriend a quick smile when he turned to look over his shoulder at me. As soon as the beautiful, petite, blonde haired boy who had stolen my heart disappeared from view, the smile on my face vanished, taken over by a much more serious look. It was time to spring into action and prepare for the real reason that today was going to be so important.

My heart was racing in his chest, blood rushing in my ears and adrenaline coursing through my veins as I turned to Tom, placing a hand on his arm and speaking with a sense of urgency. “You remember the plan?” I asked.

“Don't worry buddy. We all know the plan by heart, we’ve got your back,” Tom replied with a confident smile before giving me a quick hug and disappearing through the crowd of people and out into the street to proceed with his own personal mission.

I pulled out my phone and opened up the secret group chat I had set up weeks earlier, punching out a quick message to get my plan underway.

‘We’re on. Operation Ash is underway. I'll see you all at seven. Thanks again for doing this for us, I love you all very much xxx.’

Having satisfied Neil’s appetite and returned to the lobby, Pippa and Neil's phones pinged and they took out their respective handsets. After reading the message they scanned around the room to try and spot their son before he would disappear into the evening to execute the plan they had been a part of since day one. “There he is!” Dad exclaimed, pointing Me out as I pushed his way through the crowd and towards the doors of the venue. With no regard for the people around him Dad sprinted towards me and grabbed my shoulder and I spun around to face him.

“Make it quick Dad, I don't have much time,” I explained, checking the time on my phone screen, I was already behind schedule. HIt was a very tight window that I had to make sure that everything was perfect and I couldn’t afford any mistakes at this point, especially after all the time and effort I’d already invested.

“I know you don’t, son. I just wanted to check that you’re sure about this?”

I took in a deep breath and closed my eyes, allowing myself a second to relax before the frantic chaos that was to come. “I'm positive. I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”

“I’m glad to hear that son,” Dad replied with a tear welling up in the corner of his eye. “Well then, good luck. I'm proud of you lad, now get going, me and your Mother will see you later.” I nodded at my father and without another word turned back towards the street, exiting through the large nightclub doors and power walking towards my destination, a sense of pure determination tinged with anxiety rising in my chest as I made my journey. This was it, what all the planning, secrets and anticipation had built up to. Game time.

Sometime later, back at the nightclub Ashley made his way back down the stairs and into the lobby, glad of the fresh air funneling into the room via the regular opening and closing of the venue's doors. He had spent over an hour dancing and drinking with his bestie and despite the fact he was in good cardiovascular shape thanks to all his time in the gym with Bruce, he was pretty sweaty by this point, face flushed red as Nancy followed him down to the lobby.

“Damn, that was so much fun!” Nancy said excitedly as they reached the bottom of the staircase, “Thanks for hanging out with me for so long, I just know I'm going to really miss you once I go home, so I wanted to make the most of our last night together!” she explained. The two had become incredibly close over the past couple of years, confiding in each other and supporting each other in their toughest moments. Nancy probably knew more about Ash and Bruce’s relationship than anyone else and Ash trusted her implicitly. There were many things about University life that Ash was going to miss dearly, Nancy was definitely at the top of that list and even the thought of being separated from her brought a sense of sadness bubbling up inside him as he reached out to pull her into a tight embrace.

“I'm going to miss you too honey, but you can come and visit us whenever you want” Ashley replied, “promise that you’ll come over as soon as we have our own place?” he asked, eyes pleading.

“Of course I will Ashley, I’ll be straight on that train and heading your way with a bottle of Prosecco to celebrate your new home!” she replied as they both giggled happily together.

Ash's focus turned to scanning round the room as he looked for his family and especially Bruce. He’d missed his big, strong partner and was excited to see him, even though they’d only been separated for a little while. “I wonder where Bruce is,” he mused as he continued to look around the room, unable to spot his boyfriend or their parents.

“I know, I'll text him and ask where he is!” Nancy suggested pulling out her phone and tapping out a message, although she didn’t actually send it, instead feigning the motion and quickly closing the draft. “Oh, that was quick,” she replied as she pretended a response had come through and that she was reading it on the phone screen. “He said he's just out the back of the club catching his breath with Tom and Darren, do you want to go and find him?” she asked.

“Yeah, let's,” Ashley replied happily, “he better not be smoking again though, that Darren is a bad influence on him!”

“Oh come on!” Nancy said as they linked arms and walked outside together, “we've all done silly things when we've had a few drinks, a couple of cigarettes is hardly the end of the world!”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” Ashley replied, “nobody's perfect I guess, but Bruce is about as close as it gets.”

“Aww, that's sweet,” Nancy replied as they rounded the corner of the main street, heading into the back alley where Bruce was supposedly located. There was a nondescript black car with tinted windows and a personalized number plate halfway down the alley, but it looked otherwise empty except for a couple of large industrial bins. “Where the hell is he?” Ash mused as they walked past the car, Nancy unlinking her arm from his and doing her best to feign confusion.

“I don’t know, he should be here,” she replied, taking a step back from her best friend as she prepared for what was about to happen.

In an instant Ash was grabbed from behind, multiple hands seizing him in a vice-like grip, holding him in place and making sure he couldn’t flee. A hand covered his eyes and a length of tape was placed over his mouth to stop him from screaming. He could feel the bodies of his assailants, they were all clearly strong and much larger than him and Ashley felt entirely helpless as he was manhandled by these strangers. His hands were bound and something was thrown over his head to stop him from seeing.

Once he had been secured and rendered unable to defend himself he was dragged towards the car, kicking and screaming against the gaffer tape holding his lips in place. He tried his best to fight, imagining Bruce encouraging him to be strong and not go easily, but there was nothing he could do and he was quickly bundled into the boot of the vehicle. He was absolutely terrified, breathing heavily, heart pounding in his chest, body shaking with fear.

The boot was slammed shut and he was left alone with only the sounds of his shaky breaths and gentle whimpers. He heard the car doors open and multiple people climbing inside before the engine roared into life and it started moving down the alleyway.

Ash racked his brain, trying to figure out what was going on, was he being kidnapped and about to be shipped off into a sex trafficking ring? Was this some kind of attack based on his sexuality and relationship with Bruce or was it just some kind of bizarre graduation day prank by his friends? He couldn't imagine Nancy tricking him and betraying his trust like this, but his mind spun with infinite possibilities as his breathing got heavier and heavier, a panic attack on the verge of setting in as the car continued to move towards an unknown destination.

Thankfully his mysterious abductors weren't driving for long before the car pulled to a stop, the occupants getting out and opening the boot and reaching out to remove him. Despite not being able to see what was going on, Ash still recoiled in fear from their touch as he continued to try and fight, wondering if he would be able to somehow get loose and run away. There was only one problem with this plan, he couldn’t see and he had no idea where he was, so where exactly would he run to?

He didn’t have any more time to think about it as he was pulled out of the car by large, strong, male hands as he dreaded what would come next. Was he about to be beaten up, sold or possibly even ****? The idea terrified him to his very core, his beloved Bruce's face coming to mind as he wished that his lover would come and save him from whatever was going on. Just as it seemed that Ash was about to have a full blown panic attack, suddenly there came a calming voice, like an oasis in the middle of a desert stumbled upon by a man on the verge of **** by dehydration.

“You're okay Ash, you're safe, I promise you. Just come with me and everything will be okay,” Nancy said soothingly.

She had always been a good friend and despite Ashley having learnt to be less trusting in nature after cutting off his mother, something deep within him told him that he could still depend on her, even in such a scary situation. His heart stopped pounding in his chest quite so hard and he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm himself as the kidnappers seemed to allow him a moment to get composed. Even if this was some kind of trick by Nancy, being in a panicked state wouldn't help him to get out of it and so he once again pictured Bruce's face in his mind, imagining his voice telling him to take long, deep breaths like he had done so many times before when Ashley had been on the verge of breaking down.

Nancy liked her arm with Ash’ before speaking to her fellow conspirators, “it's okay guys, I'll walk him in, you go ahead and make sure everything is ready.” They didn’t respond but Ash could hear the men's footsteps getting more and more distant and it was only once they were out of earshot that Nancy started walking forwards slowly, being careful to make sure he wouldn’t trip on their journey. Was their willingness to follow her orders an indication that Nancy was the ringleader, the one that had put all of this into motion? Doubt built inside Ashley, but something deep down still told him that he could trust her, despite all the read flags that were going off in his head.

“I wish I could tell you what's going on sweetheart, but I can't,” she explained as they walked, remorse dripping from each word. “I promise you though, on our friendship, on my life even, that you're going to love it and in future we’ll just look back on this night and laugh.” Ash sighed with relief, feeling a little reassured by her words, hoping that she was right and that his instinct to trust her wouldn’t lead him astray.

Nancy gently asked Ash to stop walking so that she could push open a door, the two of them entering some kind of building, the wind and sound of passing traffic falling away and leaving them in virtual silence as Ash heard the door close behind them. It felt like the walk was never ending and Ash wondered if this was what criminals being led to the gallows had felt like back in the day. At least they could see what was going on and knew what was happening, he thought to himself. After being carefully led up some steps Nancy guided him to a specific spot, gently rubbing his back to try and keep him calm as they completed the last leg of his journey. “You just stand there Ash,” she said softly, “I'm going to take the hood and tape off now, okay?” She asked, Ashley only nodding in response. The fear building inside him reached a crescendo, this was the moment of truth and he had no idea what was about to happen to him. He grit his teeth, ready to face whatever was to come.

Nancy delicately removed the tape from his wrists and then his mouth. It hurt, but Ashley withstood the pain as he did his best to remain in control. He was tempted to scream, but if he was truly in danger, it was likely that the men that had dragged him here would be close by and punishment would be swiftm despite everything, he decided to trust Nancy.

“You're safe Ash, I promise,” she whispered to him softly before gripping the bottom of the material covering his face. In one swift motion the pillow case that had been obscuring his vision was pulled from his head and he was instantly blinded by a spotlight shining directly into his face. He recoiled from it and raised his hand to protect his vision. As he slowly adjusted to the light after being submerged in darkness for so long, he looked around the space, trying to work out where he was and once he did, he could hardly believe his eyes.

He was back in the sports hall, standing on the same stage where he had accepted his degree just a couple of hours earlier. Most of the chairs had been removed, but the front two rows remained and sitting in them were Neil, Pippa, Tom, Darren and all of his and Bruce's other friends from University. The room had been decorated with fairy lights which stretched from one side of the room to the other, criss-crossing and giving things a magical touch and casting the room in a dim glow. The stage had been adorned with dozens of bouquets of flowers as well as large wooden letters on each side of him, an A and a B. While he was still recovering from the shock and confusion he turned to see three students carrying acoustic guitars stepping onto the stage to his left, smiling at Ash and standing in place, as if waiting for their cue.

“Stay there Ash,” Nancy instructed, “I need to go and sit with the others, but he'll be here soon,” she explained cryptically, making Ash even more puzzled.

Still unsure of himself, Ash looked over to Pippa and Neil who both gave him reassuring smiles and thumbs up to let him know everything was okay. He felt himself starting to relax a little now that he was no longer bound and surrounded by people he trusted, but his heart was still pounding in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he did his best to focus on his breathing. He waited for a few seconds before the spotlight slowly started moving away from him, going down the aisle and between the chairs. The floor now had a red carpet stretching along it with flower petals along each side and the spotlight continued to move until it reached the entrance to the hall. The spotlight held steady once it reached the doors to the room revealing a figure that Ashley knew very well. It was Bruce.

As I stood in the aisle looking at Ashley for the first time since he had headed upstairs in the nightclub a couple of hours earlier, I realised that I had never been so goddamn anxious in my entire life. Waiting in the changing room had been horrible, time dragging as I smiled nervously at my own reflection, making sure that my hair was meticulously combed and preened so that there wasn't a single strand out of place. I had chosen to wear a pristine black tuxedo with a white shirt and matching black tie along with a pair of cufflinks given to me by Dad for the occasion. They were a family heirloom and as soon as Dad had found out what I was planning, he insisted on me using them, secretly giving them to me during our last visit home a couple of months earlier.

I’d actually stood in the door of the locker room as Ashley and Nancy had entered the building, watching their slow walk as his boyfriend's bestie gave him a reassuring nod to let him know that everything was going to plan. Ash looked so scared, slightly shaking as he walked and I felt a tinge of guilt if I wondered if I had done the right thing. I told myself to stay calm and remember that it would all be worth it once Ashley saw the big reveal. After waiting for my cue I had stepped into the sports hall, taking a deep breath and getting myself prepared for the biggest moment of my life.

When Ashleys eyes met mine, he brought his hands up to his mouth in a mixture of both shock and delight as everything I had been planning was finally revealed. After taking a deep breath, I stepped forwards as the three guitarists from the Universities musical society started to play a soft, lilting tune which I knew Ash would instantly recognise. It was a ballad by mine and Ash's favourite band, a song about overcoming odds, being proud of yourself and finding the love you deserve. It had become our song, one we listened to regularly, that we had made love to and that Ash had once joked should be the first dance at our wedding. While he hadn't known it at the time, I had stored away that comment for exactly this moment and as I saw tears welling up in my beloved's eyes, I knew I had chosen well

It looked like the reality of what was happening was starting to sink in and as I walked up the aisle, resisting the urge to run into Ashley's arms, fat, round tears started to roll down his cheeks. Despite the waterworks, it looked like the fear and concern that he had been experiencing was washed away, making me smile with relief. Time seemed to slow as I got closer and closer to Ashley with each step of my perfectly polished black shoes as I continued to focus on keeping my breathing steady and remembering the words I needed to say.

“Go on son!” Dad shouted from his seat as I passed the end of their aisle of seats. I turned to give him an appreciative look while Mum whispered at him to shut up, making me chuckle. Pausing for a moment, I turned back towards the reason I was here, the reason I'm the man I am today and the reason for almost everything good in my life.

As I started climbing the four steps that led up to the stage my legs suddenly felt like they were encased in iron, heavy and cumbersome, each step feeling like it took all of my energy. It was finally here, the big moment I had been preparing for. My mind flashed back to all the planning, the secret messages, taking every moment I had alone to read the little speech I had planned in the mirror. Everything had gone perfectly so far, but now it was all up to me. As I finally made it onto the stage I approached Ashley, reaching out to take his shaky hands as the musicians stopped their tune with a melodic flourish, smiling and nodding to me as they let me take centre stage.

“Hi baby, are you okay?” I whispered quietly with a great amount of concern in my face, Ash only nodding frantically in response as he stared deep into my eyes, seemingly unable to speak due to being so overwhelmed with emotion. I could feel how sweaty his palms were and he was still trembling slightly, but the smile on his face showed that despite how much of a rollercoaster he had been on since entering that back alley behind the club, he was doing okay.

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I racked my brain, doing my best to remember how my little speech had started and praying that I wouldn’t forget at such a crucial moment. It had taken a lot of work to get all of this to come together, roping in friends, family and the University itself in order to pull off my vision for a perfect moment for me and my beloved. I would forever be indebted to them for all of their help, but right now I needed to focus on Ash as he looked at me expectantly, hope and excitement glimmering in his eyes.

“Ashley,” I started, relieved that the words were coming to me and that I wouldn’t have to come up with something on the fly. “We met when we were only five years old and instantly we became the best of friends. It was like we were destined to meet each other, like there was some unseen cosmic thread linking us. Over the years we grew closer, sharing our passions, hopes, dreams and even a bed when it was necessary.” I said with a little chuckle, which Ash returned. “Other people didn't understand us, they thought we were weird, strange, they called us freaks, bombarded us with homophobic slurs, but it never bothered us as long as we were together. I watched you grow from a scared, broken little boy into the incredible, sensitive, beautiful, creative man that you are today and that has been the greatest pleasure of my life.”

Ashley stood still as a statue, scarcely breathing as he hung on every single word. His eyes were glittering with both love and disbelief. Was this really happening? Was Bruce doing what he thought he was doing?

“I'm so glad that we decided to come to the same University because if we hadn't lived in that flat together, we might have never realised that we were destined to be more than just friends. Ash, you complete me, mind, body and soul. You make every day better, the sunset is more awesome and inspiring when you are there and even the mundane things like going shopping, or cleaning, or exercising become so magical and special with you around. I never want anyone else but you, I never want to be anywhere else but by your side, I want to be your soulmate, your partner, your confidant and the person you can always rely on for the rest of our lives.” I gulped hard. I was out of words and that meant that it was time for the moment of truth.

With shaky hands I slowly got down on one knee and reached into the inner pocket of my suit jacket, pulling out a small black box that I had been hiding from Ashley for the past couple of months. Ashley had nearly found it on one occasion, rummaging under the bed to try and find a skirt of his that he wanted to wear on one of our dates. I’d had to convince him to go and shower and that I would find it for him, breathing a sigh of relief when he agreed. I’d put the ring box right next to the garment in question and if he had continued to search for it, he could easily have ended up pulling it out and ruining the whole surprise. I made sure that the box was in the correct orientation as I looked up at Ash. He had covered his mouth with his hands as realization was written on his face. If he had thought he knew where this was going before, there was no denying it now and the tears were already flowing down his soft pink cheeks.

“Ashley Paul Callihan, will you make me the happiest man in the world? Will you marry me?” I asked, voice wavering as I popped open the ring box to show a beautiful gold band with their initials engraved on the inside. A single tear spilled from the corner of my eye as I waited for the answer to the most important question I had ever asked with baited breath and sweaty hands.

Ash was frozen in place for what felt like forever, unmoving, face not giving away what he was thinking and whether he would say yes or no. Mum, Dad, Nancy, Tom, Darren and the rest of our friends looked on anxiously, praying that this would have the happy ending they had been hoping for after all their hard work.

Suddenly Ash dropped his hands from his mouth, letting out a scream of delight and making everyone jump with shock, collapsing to his knees in front of me and reaching out to grab my hands. “Of course I'll marry you,” he said between tears, “yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes!” he sobbed happily.

The room erupted into applause and cheers of joy as everyone in attendance stood on their feet, plenty of tears being shed as the tenderness of our love radiated out through everyone in attendance, warming their hearts and souls. Mum held her husband close to her, reminded of her own proposal many years earlier and she couldn't be happier or prouder to see her baby boy following in his father's footsteps. Even Day was moved, a couple of stray tears rolling down his cheeks as he thought about the baby boy Bruce had once been and how much he had grown up.

Back on the stage Ash lunged forwards, wrapping his arms around me and covering my lips and face in kisses as the happiness in his heart spilled out uncontrollably. When he finally released his grasp on me he looked down at the ring, still in its box, safely nestled in my hand, causing another flood of tears starting to flow as I removed the band and slid it delicately onto his finger. I was relieved to see that it fit perfectly and we both smiled at each other, pressing our foreheads together and closing our eyes as we breathed in the moment so we could solidify it in our minds forever.

The room had fallen into a respectful silence as we held each other. “You okay?” I asked quietly/

“Never better,” Ash responded with a smile and a quick kiss which sent sparks firing through my body as I realised that now I’d be able to kiss him whenever I wanted until the day I died.

We stood up together on the stage, all eyes in the room on us as I said proudly, “ladies and gentlemen, introducing you all to my fiancée, the future Ashley Johnson!” Another rapturous round of applause went up and the musicians set off a trio of confetti cannons, showering us in scraps of glittering gold, making the moment even more magical. Everyone in the crowd got up from their seats and made their way up to the stage, waiting their turn to hug the happy couple and wish us the best as the room was filled with excited chatter.

Despite the amount of people that surrounded us, myself and Ashley could hardly keep our eyes off each other, knowing that our love would now last for the rest of our lives and that no-one could ever come between us. All the work and stress had been worth it, I had pulled off an exquisite proposal and now I could say that my femboy best friend would soon not only just be my fiancée but my boywife too. It was the happiest day of my life and one that none of us would forget for a very, very long time.

The celebrations lasted long into the night with Ashley happily showing his ring to everyone he came across while I was congratulated on the enormous success of my proposal. We drank and danced together late into the night, completely wrapped up in our love for each other, surrounded by family and friends. Most people experience very few perfect days in their lives, but for me and Ash, this was just the first of many more to come, standing side by side, bonded forever by our impossible love.