It's Wednesday afternoon. I'm on the train back to London. The last week has been relatively uneventful. I ran with Jake from my place last Friday, from his place on Monday, and from mine again this morning.

Afterwards, we had sex every time, which definitely spiced things up, so I'm not complaining. I'm not criticising Jake either; after all, that's exactly how I used to be. Right about now, he'll be having another threesome with Aidy and Franny. I had an open invitation, but I decided to pass.

Over the weekend, I spent quite a bit of time with Dad, chatting about this and that, and helping him in the garden. It may seem weird, but I think we're closer now than we've ever been.

Scott 's been in touch every day. On Saturday, they lost 2 – 1 to Manchester United in New York. Scott played the second half and scored Greswall's equalising goal, only for them to concede another late on.

Last night, they won 3 – 1 against DC United, with Scott getting another assist. Strangely though, it seems that he didn't enjoy either match. Apparently, the humidity in both New York and Washington was off the scale. He isn't used to playing in those conditions and found it really difficult.

They're on their way home now. They were due to fly out of Washington at eleven o'clock local time. That's four o'clock here in the UK, so they should have taken off by now. It's a five-hour flight, so it'll be pretty late when they get back. It doesn't matter. I need to be there to give Scott the best welcome I can.

I'm back at the flat. It's ten past nine. They should have landed by now. Allow half an hour for them to get through passport control and customs, maybe forty minutes for the team coach to get back to the training ground, and another fifteen minutes for Scott to drive back here. If everything goes to plan, he'll arrive at about half past ten.

The frustrating part is that right now he'll be surrounded by his team mates, so if there are any hold-ups, he probably won't even text me. Oh, well, it is what it is. That doesn't mean I have to like it.

Of course, after almost two weeks without him, I'm super-horny. I'd love him to come striding in, pull down my shorts and my tangas, and fuck me senseless. The thing is that I'm not at all sure he'll be up for it.

Although he's had quite a short day, I know from the texts he's sent that this has been a demanding trip. I'll just have to see how he is and play it accordingly. In a strange way, I look forward to situations like this. I can just forget about me and what I want. My focus is totally on supporting Scott the best way I can.

At twenty-five past ten, I hear the door open. I immediately get up off the sofa. A moment later, Scott appears in the lounge. He looks worn out.

"Hi babe! " I greet, smiling warmly and giving him a gentle hug. "You look tired! Would you like a cup of tea?"

I disappear into the kitchen, reappearing a couple of minutes later to hand him a mug of hot, steaming tea. After collecting one for myself, I sit down next to him.

"Very much so. All the guys were feeling it. It wasn't just me. Seattle was great. It was warm, of course, but it wasn't oppressive. After that, it was like trying to play football in a Turkish bath. It was horrible! Then there was all the travelling we had to do. I'm so glad to be home!"

"No, we've got tomorrow off to recover from the jetlag. We're not back in till ten o'clock on Friday, and we won't be doing a whole lot then. We'll be training Saturday though. Then we've got a friendly match on Sunday, but I'm not sure yet if I'll be needed for that."

"Yeah, I guess; one goal and two assists, plus some other useful stuff. I seem to be developing a really good understanding with Kevin, the team captain. He plays as an attacking midfield player. He's a great guy! He scored both the goals that I got assists for."

"If I'm taking the ball along the left wing, their central defenders automatically try to close down our two strikers. But they can't be everywhere. Kevin's got this knack of ghosting in from midfield, rather like Paul Scholes used to do for Man United. I don't even need to look up. I just know where he's going to be."

"Yeah! For me, it's the one really positive thing that's come out of this tour. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but at this stage it looks like I'll be in the starting eleven for our opening Premier League game."

"That's so cool! Tell me more about Seattle. It seems you had a really good time there."

"Yeah, that was a wonderful experience! Seattle's in the Pacific North West, and because the climate there is so much more suitable, lots of people play, male and female of course, because women's football is huge in the States. So, they were really keen to see a top Premier League team. Their stadium holds 35,000 people, which is way more than any of the other MLS teams, and we filled it. Of course, it wasn't like a normal game. Afterwards, lots of their fans wanted autographs and selfies, especially the kids. I've not experienced that before. We were like ambassadors for the game. I guess because I set up Kevin for our first goal, I was one of the players they targeted. I was there for ages! Tiring, of course, but it was so worth it!"

I'm guessing that part of what made it 'so worth it' was the number of cute boys he got to meet, but I'm not going there. He'd have been totally professional, just like he always is.

Shortly after eleven, we go to bed. We snuggle up, our lips meeting in a beautiful, sensuous kiss. Although Scott's as affectionate as he always is, it's clear he's not up for doing anything energetic. He isn't even going to take charge. That's cool. This is my chance to step up.

After a few minutes, I snake around. Resting my head on his stomach, I go down on him, sucking him purposefully.

I already knew that. When he's away, his opportunities for getting himself off are very limited. He certainly wouldn't have had anyone to do this for him! Very gradually, I build it up, going down deeper and deeper until I'm taking his cock right down my throat.

"Ohhhh! " Scott groans, his breathing harsh and ragged. "Ohh, I'm going to cum!"

A moment later, his hot, creamy load starts flooding into my mouth. I eagerly gulp it down, slurping and swallowing until I've taken every last drop. After carefully letting him go, I snuggle up again.

When I wake up, I check the time. It's five to seven. With Scott still dead to the world, it's far too early to think about getting up. Snuggling up again, I go back to sleep.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" he greets. "It seems like I wasn't the only one who was tired!"

"Actually, I woke up a bit earlier," I inform him, "but you were still totally out of it, so I went back to sleep."

"I guess it's time to think about starting our day. There's no rush though! How are you feeling this morning?"

After we've both had a piss and a wash, we get back into bed. Things are much the same as they were last night. His dick tells me that he's very horny, but the rest of him clearly doesn't feel like doing a whole lot.

It's a disappointment. I'm desperate to have him inside me. But why not? He doesn't have to do the work. We've actually done it that way a couple of times, when we've been involved in foursomes. This time, it'll just be the two of us, but that doesn't matter.

After a short while, I snake around and go down on him, much as I did last night, but this time I suck him slower, and use lots of tongue to get him really wet. After taking the K-Y from the bedside cabinet, I squeeze some onto my fingers, slathering it all over his rampant cock.

Finally, with Scott smiling up at me, I kneel astride his chest, carefully lowering myself onto him. Almost two weeks since he was last inside me, and not having prepared myself at all, it does sting a little as it goes in. But the pain disappears almost instantly, to be replaced by a wonderful, warm, full feeling, my bum coming to rest on his pubic bone. After taking a moment to steady myself, I begin to ride him.

I don't respond. It feels amazing to me too. After the length of time I've had to wait, I'm hot for it. Instinctively, I ride him harder. Having not cum last night, there's no way I'm going to last long now, especially with all the stimulation I'm getting. Suddenly, I buck uncontrollably, my cock jerking and pulsing between Scott's fingers. As my teen spunk spurts all over his face and chest, my starfish goes into spasm around his rampant prong.

"Oh, babe!" he groans, pressing down on my thighs as his hot cream shoots over and over into my bum. " Ohhhh!! "

"That was fantastic!" he says at last. "You're a genius! Now we both need a shower!"

Once we've got ourselves cleaned up, we return to bed for snuggle and a chat. With the whole day ahead of us, and nothing urgent to do, breakfast can wait.

"So did you get up to anything interesting while I was away?" Scott asks, looking right into my eyes.

"I saw Jake a few times," I say. " Anthony 's in the south of France and Jon's on holiday with his family, so Jake was at something of a loose end. I was happy to help him out."

"You could say that. Mind you, we did go running first, just in case anyone asked. Then we did it. For a sixteen-year old, he's got an amazing little arse! The first time, we were at my place. He got me to fuck him in the bath, with the shower running. That was wild!"

"I was just about to tell you about that," I say, grinning. "When I got home, I arranged to go running with Jake. Then I called Aidy; asked him if he'd like to join us, but he said he was busy, so I left it. Well, last Wednesday morning, Jake and I went running from his place. Afterwards, we had sex. I had him lying face-down with a pillow under his hips, yeah? He loved it!"

"Then he asked me if I'd like to stay for lunch. Well, I'd finished the drawings for Bill, and I didn't have anything else to do, so I said yes. Afterwards, we just sort of sat around. Well, I started getting this really weird vibe. It was like we were waiting for something, but I didn't know what. Then the doorbell rang. Jake went to answer it. When he came back, he'd got Aidy and Franny with him."

"He was staying at Aidy's place. They were working on some of Franny's clarinet pieces. They talked about it when we went to the gig at Newton Valley."

"Oh right! I must have missed that bit. I guess that explains why Aidy said he was busy. So what happened?"

"Well, it seems that the idea was for us to have a foursome. But I pointed out that you and I had agreed that we wouldn't go with anyone who's under-age, which Franny is, even though he doesn't look it. Jake and Franny tried to talk me round, but I totally wasn't having it. So basically, I left them to it."

"Oh, Jake just said it'd be fun. Then Franny told me that I was overreacting. He said there was no way it could come back to bite us on the bum, and as long as I told you, you'd be fine with it. I didn't like that, to be honest. I don't think it's his place to tell me what you'll be okay with. So I told him that this wasn't how it worked, and as I couldn't ask you, I was going to stick to our agreement. He shut up after that."

"Wow!" Scott says, drawing me closer. "I love it! You're going to need that sort of bottle when you get to university!"

"He hadn't met Jake before. You can imagine his reaction. He was almost drooling!"

"Yeah! They all messed around for a bit, then Jake got spit-roasted, Aidy in front, Franny behind."

"I haven't seen Franny naked since, . . . you know. He was pretty big then. Apparently, he's even bigger now, like the same length as Jon, but thicker. Jake told me that his bum was sore for the next 24 hours!"

"And next Thursday you've got a friendly match in Spain, the same day that I get my A-level results."

"Actually, as I was going to go home anyway, I think it's worked out pretty well. When are you flying out?"

Following a leisurely breakfast, we drive to Epping Forest. It's a glorious summer's day, ideal for being out in the countryside. Scott parks the car near the pub where we had lunch the last time we came here.

We head along a broad track through the trees. With the dappled sunlight and quiet birdsong, it's idyllic. Right at this moment, I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be.

What would make it truly perfect would be for Scott and I to be walking along holding hands. Although it seems like there's nobody anywhere near, that would be a risk, one that neither of us would be prepared to take. I know it's stupid, but that's the way it is. We return to the car just after twelve.

Making our way into the pub, we pick a table and check the menu. It's very appetising .

"Why don't we make this our main meal?" I suggest. "Then we can just do a salad or something this evening."

After a most enjoyable lunch, we drive back to the flat. Almost as soon as we arrive, Scott gets a call. As he wanders into the kitchen to take it, I flop down in the lounge. Barely a minute later, he reappears.

"You know you're going home to meet up with your mates the day you get your A-level results?" he queries. "When were you planning to come back?"

"That was Bill," he says. " He's been talking to Steve, the electrician. They're looking to make a start on the rewire late next week. He initially said Thursday, but that's not going to work because neither of us will be here. I was wondering; would you be able to come back, like Thursday teatime, so you can let him in on Friday morning?"

"Thanks babe! It'll really help. It'll mean the place will be ready for Bill's crew to start work on Monday morning. There is one thing though. You'll have to get up very early. They want to get in at eight."

"It's okay! " I put on the deepest voice I can manage. " A man 's gotta do what a man' s gotta do! "

He leads me into the bedroom. A couple of minutes later, we're lying on the bed, stark naked, just being us.

"Oh, I've got a very special person to thank for that," he purrs, nuzzling my ear.

Okay, I know how this goes. Scott does not disappoint. Less than half an hour later, I'm lying face-down, a pillow under my hips, my legs spread apart. Scott's right on top of me, his musky aroma filling my nostrils, his heart thumping against my back, his beautiful cock giving my arse a serious pounding. It's perfect; intensely physical without being the least bit rough. It's everything I could have asked for. As far as I'm concerned, you can't do it better than this.

Strolling back from the bathroom, I feel totally at peace. I've got the most wonderful partner who means the world to me. I know that there will be tough challenges ahead, but as long as we're together, we can overcome them. I enter the bedroom.

Over the next hour, we chat casually about our hopes and plans for the future. For me, it's relatively simple. My top priority is my architecture course, closely followed by giving Scott as much support as I can. In addition to that, I plan to develop a new circle of friends at university, and to continue my running. That's going to be my life for the next three years.

For Scott, things are far less certain. Apart from his contract with Greswall, which will expire at the same time that I finish my degree, he cannot take anything for granted. All he can do is to work hard and keep trying to improve as a player.

Other things are largely outside his control. At present, the set-up at Greswall suits him very well, but things can change. A new manager with very different ideas might be brought in. It's impossible to predict what the outcome of that might be.

Scott has committed himself to staying in London until I've finished my degree, and so as long as things remain broadly as they are, he'd like to stay with Greswall at least until then.

Once I've got my degree, I'll need to obtain my professional qualification. To do that, I'll have to work in an architect's office for at least a year. Some guys take a year off in between, to go travelling, and experience architecture in different parts of the world. It sounds a nice idea, but for us, I don't see how it would work. Scott and I are a partnership. Where he goes, I go.

Longer term, Scott wants to win trophies and to establish himself in the England team, just as any good player would. Whether he'll be able to achieve those things with Greswall remains to be seen. My guess is that it'll be Christmas 2014 before we start to get a picture of where the future might take us.

"Hi Ian! " he says brightly. "I understand that you're going to be opening up for the electricians next Friday and Saturday?"

"Great! The reason I called was that I've been going through the list of all the fixtures you've specified. I was a bit concerned about the bathroom fittings. The ones you've specified are very nice, but they're very expensive! I could get ones that look almost the same for less than half the price. Are you sure these are what you want?"

"I think so," I say guardedly. "I went to the place where they make them. I thought they looked really special."

"That's alright! Given the amount Scott's spending, a few hundred quid isn't going to make that much difference. I just thought I'd check!"

We end the call. I can now focus on my main task for today, which is to order the lounge suite. After doing a fair amount of research, both online and in person, I've decided to use a bespoke manufacturer who offers a range that I think will suit the flat perfectly. I'll select the particular pieces that we want, and specify the colour and covering material. The thing is that if we want it delivered in time to move in at the end of the month, I'll need to order it today.

Once I've done that, I can start picking out the other stuff we're going to need. There' s quite a list. It 's a big flat, and apart from some of the smaller kitchen equipment, we're going to need everything. Scott's given me a debit card on his account so that I can pay for it all. I just have to keep an account of what I've spent, which I would anyway. After making sure that I've got everything I need, I'm on my way.

For professional footballers, pre-season is definitely weird. Things happen at all sorts of odd times, which makes getting into a routine almost impossible. I'll be glad when the season starts properly and I know where I'm up to. Meanwhile, I just have to get on with it.

On Sunday afternoon, Scott plays the last thirty minutes of their friendly match and scores another goal, contributing to a 3 – 1 win. Against a team that's expected to be up at the top of the Championship, that' s encouraging.

It's Monday morning, and I need to get back to buying stuff for the flat. The priorities are things like curtains and blinds that we'll have to have made. I haven't done anything for the past two days. At weekends, shops like that are totally manic. By contrast, during the week, they're very quiet, especially in the mornings.

Inevitably, the fact that I look about fourteen does cause issues. On Friday morning, the guy in the store where I was ordering the lounge suite seemed very suspicious. It's understandable. Fortunately, I'd taken the precaution of taking along my driving licence and my passport, which reassured him that everything was above board. After that, he couldn't have been more helpful.

"On Wednesday, I'm coming home for 24 hours. We get our A-level results on Thursday, and I've arranged to meet my friends at school. Scott's away Wednesday and Thursday because his new club is playing a friendly match in Spain. I just wondered if you were doing anything Wednesday afternoon."

"Jon 's back from holiday, so he and Aidy are coming to mine. You can join us if you want."

"No. He said he'd be staying with this other guy he works with, something to do with this jazz group he's in. "

"Well, thanks anyway! I'll text you when I'm on the train so you know what time I'll be arriving. And don't tell Jon and Aidy that I'm going to be there. Let's make it a surprise!"

It's Wednesday morning, shortly after ten, and I'm on the train going home. I'm looking forward to this afternoon; I'm horny already.

The last two days have gone well. I was able to deal with all the major items, including curtains and blinds, the beds, the dining suite – a really nice rectangular table with six chairs – and a couple of smaller pieces. They're all booked to be delivered on Wednesday August 29th, the day before we're due to move in. We still need to buy a few more things, but I've got plenty of time to deal with those.

After texting Jake to let him know that the train is running on time, I settle back to enjoy the journey. We arrive just before half past twelve. Picking up my bag, I leave the train. After making my way out of the station, I head towards Jake's place.

It's really warm now, the sun beating down. It's ideal weather to be dressed in shorts and a polo shirt. I won't wear these clothes tomorrow though. After we've collected our results, we'll be going to the pub. Being dressed as I am now makes me look even younger than I do anyway. That's not what I want.

After turning off Birmingham Road, I make my way across the northern end of Alexandra Square. Reaching the maisonette, I ring the bell. A moment later, Jake, dressed in shorts and a running vest, opens the door.

"Great to see you!" he says, smiling as he ushers me inside. " Come in! " he leads the way upstairs. "Jon and Aidy said they'll be here about two."

"Looking forward to getting your exam results?" Jake asks, flopping down on one of the armchairs.

"I don't know what you're worried about," he says, grinning. "You're going to be fine!"

"I hope so. There's a hell of a lot riding on it. All the plans that Scott and I have made depend on me getting the grades that UCL asked for. I am pretty confident, but I can't take it for granted."

"If you don't get the grades you need, there'll be lots of other disappointed guys. It's not going to happen!"

"I hope you're right!" I pause for a moment. "This afternoon," I ask quietly. "When we get down to the serious business, I take it that you'll pair up with Jon and I'll be with Aidy?"

"Yeah! I've only fucked Aidy once. D'you remember the afternoon when Jon had a dental appointment? You, me and Aidy came back here and did that chain-fuck thing?"

Of course, what I really want is a close-up view of Jon fucking Jake's cute little arse, but I'm not going to say that; it wouldn't be polite.

"Okay, " Jake says, getting to his feet. "Come through to the kitchen. I'll make us some lunch."

"How d'you think your GCSE exams went?" I ask. "I never really got chance to ask you."

"Pretty well," he responds. "Much better than I was expecting a year ago. That's down to you and Anthony. I'd got totally lost. I was so miserable! I knew stuff was getting away from me, but I'd no idea what to do about it. Then you guys stepped up and got me back on track; helped me to believe in myself. I'll never forget that."

"It's really nice of you to say that," I say, choking back the tears . "But you still had to do the work. We couldn't do it for you."

Just at that moment, the doorbell rings. Jake hurries downstairs to answer it. He returns a few seconds later, accompanied by Jon and Aidy.

"Hey, man!" Jon says, a broad grin spreading across his face. "I didn't know you were going to be here!"

"We get our results tomorrow, so I'd arranged to meet my friends at school. I'd have probably come back first thing in the morning, but as luck would have it, Scott's away for a couple of days. They're playing a friendly out in Spain, so I decided to come back today. I called Jake about it on Monday and he told me you'd be here. We decided to keep it as a surprise."

"No chance! Man, I got so horny, knowing that Aidy and Jake were stuck at home."

I've no idea if he knows what Aidy was getting up to in his absence, but if he doesn't, I'm certainly not going to tell him.

"I hope so," I say, smiling. "It could the last chance I'll have to do anything like this. Once Scott and I are actually living together, and I start at uni, that'll be it."

As soon as Jake's closed the curtains, we start to undress. As none of us is wearing much, in under a minute, we're all naked. Jon's cock is magnificent. Although he's really slim, his penis definitely isn't. It 's a real beauty. In other circumstances, I'd love him to fuck me. But we are where we are, and that simply can't happen.

We begin by seating ourselves at the corners of a square, with me diagonally opposite to Aidy, Jake to my left and Jon to my right.

That puts me sucking Jake, while Jon sucks me. Not only is this very enjoyable, it's easy too. I can take the whole of Jake's prick without it going into my throat. Mmmmm! Delicious! And the sensations that Jon's giving me are exquisite.

This is more challenging. While I love having my dick in Jake's mouth, sucking Jon requires my full concentration. Very gradually I work my way further and further down until the head of his cock is right down my throat, my nose pushing into his jet-black pubes.

After another round of sucking each other, we split into pairs, Jake with Jon, me with Aidy. Parking ourselves on the sofa, Aidy and I get down to some serious making out, something we haven't done before. I love it! Not only is he wonderfully sensuous and affectionate, with a sexual history even longer than mine, he's a very accomplished performer, making me hornier by the second. Finally, we move to Jake's bedroom.

Jake passes me a tube of K-Y, and I begin to get Aidy prepared. After spending a couple of minutes licking him out, I work some of the slimy gel into his starfish. It doesn't require much effort. I'm guessing that Jon's been giving him plenty since his return from holiday.

I get into position, lying on my back, my head down at the foot of the bed. Turning to face me, Aidy kneels astride my chest. Reaching back, he takes hold of my prick before carefully lowering himself onto it. Once my cockhead is probing his starfish, he pushes down, allowing my penis to slide smoothly into his warm, velvety tunnel.

Jake is standing at the foot of the bed, his knees on either side of my head. Bending at the waist, he leans over until his forearms are resting on the mattress, his boy-parts now directly above my face.

Immediately, Jon moves in behind him, guiding his well-lubed cock onto Jake's rosebud. I watch, mesmerised, as the seventeen-year old's large prong steadily disappears into his younger friend's bum, finally coming to rest with Jake's anal ring stretched obscenely around Jon's plus-sized dick.

Needing no further instruction, Aidy begins to ride my cock, simultaneously driving his prick into Jake's mouth. Directly above me, Jon withdraws four or five inches before thrusting his glistening penis back into Jake's bum.

Within a few seconds, he's fucking the lad remorselessly. I'm spellbound. Everything about it is perfect: Jon's big cock and large, low hanging balls in sharp contrast with Jake's cute little arse and tight boy-hole. It has to be the hottest, sexiest thing I'll ever see.

On it goes. After all the action he's been getting recently, the sensations that Aidy is giving me, though extremely pleasurable, are not nearly as intense as I've experienced previously. He's getting me there, but it's not going to be quick. Jon's also taking longer than he usually does. I'm guessing that he must have fucked Aidy earlier on. I don't care; the whole experience is extraordinary!

Well over five minutes have passed, and finally, I feel myself getting close. Instinctively, I reach up and begin to wank Jake's penis. Within a few seconds, he shudders from head to toe. A moment later, his prick comes to life in my hand, spraying little jets of boy-juice over my chest and stomach.

Holding Jake 's head, he cums in the sixteen-year old's mouth, his starfish going into spasm around my cock. It's the final link in the chain. Pressing down on Aidy's thighs, I shoot my teen spunk deep inside him.

It takes maybe half a minute for us to recover our composure to the point where we're able to pull apart. We are out of it!

"Fuck!" Jon gasps. "When I walked in here, I sensed we were in for something special. I never expected anything like that! That was wild!"

He's not wrong. Whenever I've had sex before, although we might have spent quite a while building up to it, the endgame has never lasted more than a couple of minutes. Not only did this last way longer, the visuals that accompanied it were unbelievable. ' Wild ' doesn't even come close!

It's nearly midnight, and I'm in bed, struggling to get to sleep. In part, it's down to the sense of anticipation about tomorrow, but that's not the whole story. In my mind's eye, I see pin-sharp images of Jon's big cock pistoning relentlessly in and out of Jake's cute little arse. Even if I never do anything like that again, I don't think I'll ever forget it.

It's Thursday morning. I get up at quarter to eight, just before Mum goes to work. I have a shower, dress in my smart casual clothes, and eat my breakfast. By this point, it's twenty-five past eight, and I've got nothing to do but wait. Oh, there are all sorts of things I could do, but there's no point. I wouldn't be able to concentrate.

The seconds tick slowly past. After waiting for what feels like forever, we finally get to half past nine. I've still not received anything. It's purgatory. I pace around the house, willing the time away.

Suddenly, I hear the sound I've been waiting for, my phone bleeping to notify me of an incoming email. Seeing it's from school, I quickly open it up. Having scanned through it, I read it again to make sure that I haven't made a mistake. I haven't. It reads:

Ian David Haskell; A-Level Results

Art & Design Double Award: A*

Mathematics: A*

History: A

History of Art B

The sense of relief is overwhelming. I've actually exceeded UCL's requirements by two points. I have to be happy with that! I'd always reckoned I could get an A for history, but getting an A* for maths is a real bonus! After we did the exams, I was confident I'd done well. Even so, I hadn't expected to do that well!

Over the next few minutes, I fire off text messages to Mum, Dad, Scott, Claire and Franny, giving them my actual results. I also circulate an email to the younger members of the distance running squad – the guys I won't be seeing later on – to let them know that I've got the grades I need to start my architecture course at UCL, thanking them for their support, and wishing them all the best for the future.

It's only then that the reality hits me. This really is it. All the things I've planned for and worked towards are actually going to happen. To spell it out, I won't be going to university as an ordinary student the way that most of my friends will.

I could have been. I think back to Easter last year, when Scott and I almost split up. If we actually had, I'd probably still be going to uni – either UCL or somewhere else – as just an ordinary student, like my friends will be doing.

But I didn't. Scott and I got back together and decided to pursue our dream. As a result, I'll be going to uni, not as an ordinary student, but as the gay partner of a professional footballer, and that will present challenges all of its own. And nobody can possibly prepare me for it, because, as far as we know, nobody else has ever done it .

All I know is that it's not going to be easy. On the positive side, we have both sets of parents firmly behind us. That's hugely important. The real issue is that we're stepping into the unknown, and as such, we're likely to run into problems that we could not have anticipated. If we want to make it work, we'll need to tread very carefully.

Having received replies and congratulations from several of the people I contacted, I set off for school. I arrive shortly before eleven to find many of my friends already there.

The place is buzzing! It seems that the results are quite possibly the best that the school's ever produced. Not only have all the guys who were expected to get top grades actually done so, many of those who were expected to do 'fairly well' have actually done better than that. I'm delighted for them.

It doesn't include everyone, of course. Andrew Sherratt, a friend from our days at junior school together, has not excelled himself. With two grade C's and a grade D, he'll probably find a place somewhere, but it won't be a top university.

Andrew and I had a major falling out back when we were in Year 9, and I haven't had much to do with him since, so I've no idea what went wrong. By contrast, our other friend from those times, Mark Welford, who fell out with me at the same time, has done very well. With a grade A and two grade B's, Mark will be off to Liverpool to study chemistry.

As Mr Carter is speaking individually to everyone who's come in, I line up outside his office. After a few minutes, it's my turn. I step inside.

"Good morning, Ian!" Mr Carter says brightly, looking like the cat that swallowed the cream. " I'd first like to congratulate you on your results. You've done yourself and the school proud. I'd also like to thank you for your contribution to the life of the school, which was outstanding." He extends his hand. "It only remains for me to wish you all the best for the future!"

I leave his office. As far as the formalities go, that's it. The place is still buzzing. I spot Dean, who's also done very well.

"No, Mum and Dad finally decided I was old enough to stay here on my own without destroying the house. Are you coming to the pub?"

Looking around the main reception area, I see Mr Lenham. He's clearly very pleased. He's not actually turning cartwheels, of course, but he looks as though he'd like to be. I go across to him.

"What pleases me most," he confides, still bubbling with enthusiasm, "Is that so many of our top sports performers have done so well: yourself, Matthew, Tim, Patrick, Simon, Dean and several of the girls. Maybe we can finally kill off this ridiculous idea that students who excel at sports don't do so well at their studies!"

"I think he's here somewhere. I saw him around fifteen minutes ago. He'd come in to look through the results. He's probably in the maths department."

I head to the mathematics area. I find Mr Hawkes putting up posters in his classroom.

"Yes sir. I just wanted to thank you for all the help you gave me. Any time I was struggling with something, you always took the time to explain it to me."

"Well, thank you very much. But what really made the difference was the way you dealt with not fully understanding the work. Most students' attitude was 'It's okay; I'll sort it out later.' Yours was always 'This is not okay; I need to sort it out now.' That's what got you the A* grade."

He's right of course. That's exactly what I did. I just hadn't realised that he'd have picked up on it.

"Thanks, sir," I mutter, my cheeks burning. "I just knew that I couldn't afford to let anything slip."

"Don 't be embarrassed," he says gently. "You did what you needed to do. It's been a pleasure working with you."

As I return to reception, I reflect that Mr Hawkes obviously understood me much better than I thought he did. I was very lucky to have been taught by someone like him.

At quarter to twelve, 'the gang' has assembled, and we make our way out of school for possibly the last time. Every one of us has got the results we needed to be admitted onto our chosen course, so it's no surprise that we're all very happy and feeling positive about the future.

The good thing is that nobody's getting ahead of themselves. I guess we're all sensible enough to recognise the truth of what Mr Carter told us two years ago: "All you've done is to get your foot onto the next rung of the ladder."

When we arrive at the pub, there are so many of us, we have to divide ourselves between two tables. I find myself with Roz, Ed, Jo and Tim. Because there's a pillar close to our table, we're sitting in a sort of horseshoe, with me and one end and Tim at the other.

Ed is one of those who did much better than even he expected. Understandably, he's as high as a kite.

"It certainly wasn't looking like this twelve months ago," he admits. "I had totally lost it. This is all down to Roz getting me back on track!"

"How are you going to manage without her?" I ask, aware that while Roz will be at Goldsmiths in south London, he'll be sixty miles away in Norwich.

"Yeah!" Ed confirms. "It's weird. I feel like a total idiot for the way I behaved last year, but in a way, I'm glad it happened. It was like I needed to go through it. I know I won't make those mistakes again. Like everyone else, I'll get one chance at this. I'm not going to fuck it up!"

I understand perfectly. He's just mirrored what Robbie told me about falling under Max's spell. It was an experience he needed to go through.

"Scott 's bought a flat for us to live in," I explain quietly. "He got it cheap because it needs a lot of work. Well, I've designed the refurb. I'll now be spending the next three weeks project-managing it."

"No problem! You've got my number. Once you've got settled in, give me a call. You can come over for dinner. We'd love to see you!"

"Sure! Just take the train to London Bridge, then the Northern Line to Kings Cross St Pancras. I can meet you there. It's a few minutes' walk. "

After a most enjoyable afternoon, it's time for me to return to London. Mum wanted me to stay for dinner and go back afterwards, but I turned her down. First of all, she'd have made a fuss, which I really don't want. More important, I'd have been quite late getting back to Southgate, and although the area seems safe enough, I'd rather not take a chance, especially as I need to get up really early tomorrow.

Reaching London just after seven, I stop for dinner at The Skinners' Arms before taking the Piccadilly Line back to Southgate. As planned, it's still daylight when I arrive. I walk briskly the short distance to the flat, let myself in, and prepare myself for what I'm sure will be a boring couple of hours.

Although I'm aching to see Scott, I know I'll have to be patient. After a few minutes channel-surfing, I settle on another of those police-reality shows. If nothing else, it passes the time.

Congrats on your results! I knew you'd do it! Great match this evening. We won 3 – 1. I got an assist for our first goal and scored the second. See you tomorrow afternoon. Love you lots! S.

I'm elated. It sounds like Scott had a really good game, and that makes me feel much better, like I'm finally able to relax. Even so, tomorrow afternoon can't come soon enough.

Half an hour later, I set my alarm for quarter past six and go to bed. After everything that's happened over the past two days, sleep doesn't come easily. All too soon, I'm rock hard, and once again, my visual imagination is providing me with close-up pictures of Jon's big cock giving Jake's fuckable little arse a serious pounding. In a way, that's scary. When I'm in bed alone, will these images keep coming back to haunt me?

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Juggling the Pieces

by Pink Panther

Chapter 40

August 2012

Ian David Haskell; A-Level Results