Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 7

novels are published at MLR Press.
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OFFICE POLITICS
    by Elizabeth Lister

    The two young men lean in, eyes closed and mouths slightly open. The dark haired boy stands just a few inches shorter than the other but moves in first, his head tilted just so in order to capture the blond man's mouth in a tender kiss.

    Dear Author,
    I've known Mikhos for years, we work together as security agents at a university, but during a student protest someone shouted that security always targeted gay students. The comment hurt, I am gay & out at work, what I wasn't expecting was for Mikhos to yell back "Oh do we really?" then pull me to him & kiss the stuffing out of me in front of the students, teachers, our coworkers... & his girlfriend, who happened to be bringing him lunch at the time. I don't know what happens after... I'm still looking for my socks that got knocked off during his kiss.
    Sincerely,
    Owen

    genre: contemporary
    tags: doctor/patient role play; friends-to-lovers; security guards; out for you; improvised dildo; sweet
    word count: 6,429
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    OFFICE POLITICS
    by Elizabeth Lister
    Yesterday's protest knocked us for a loop. Me especially. Not that we didn't deal with protests on an almost weekly basis here at the U of A. But this one hit close to home. The students were protesting the lack of support for a Gay/Straight Alliance group at the University. One such group existed, but they were so often being hit with roadblocks or stalling tactics by the administration that it was a constant struggle to get any event going or properly advertised.
    As part of the University Security Team, Mikhos and I were charged with protecting the campus and ensuring that the protest didn't get out of hand. So, even though I stood behind everything about which they were protesting, I had to represent the administration. My job was crucial to my well-being. I couldn't afford to switch sides and sacrifice a good salaried position with benefits.
    Mikhos understood how conflicted I felt yesterday. We'd worked at this job together for almost a year now. He knew I was gay. Hell, everyone at work knew it. I wasn't exactly inconspicuous. I often acted loud and flamboyant. He seemed to like it when I huffed off in a queenly rage over an underdone bagel in the cafeteria. I liked to make him laugh. Sometimes I purposely overdid it just to hear that musical sound. You could say I had a bit of a crush. Sometimes I caught him looking at me in a way I didn't really understand, and some part of me reacted. But he was off limits - straight, had a girlfriend, in every way the All American Boy. I wasn't about to get my heart crushed going after a lost cause.
    So I made the best of our friendship. I took what I could get, and I took it gladly. So many straight men acted standoffish or intimidated around obviously gay men. Not Mikhos. He liked me for who I was.
    But, yesterday, something changed in our relationship. While we policed the protest, some kid accused University Security (us) of always targeting gay students. I bit my tongue to keep quiet, figuring silence to be the best response.
    But Mikhos yelled back "Oh, do we really?". Before I could even process that , he pulled me to him and kissed the stuffing out of me in front of the students, teachers, our coworkers... and his girlfriend, who happened to be bringing him lunch at the time. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. To say I'd become slightly aroused would be another one. To say I wouldn't be reliving that moment for the next ten years would be bullshit.
    He totally ignored me for the remainder of the protest. I stood there, my mind a whirling mess, my hard-on obvious in my security uniform, and my hormones awash with confusion. We managed to get through it. Then Mikhos gave me a hasty "Later" and took off, his face red with shame, embarrassment or whatever.
    Later that afternoon, as I approached our small office to collect my things for the journey home, I heard voices arguing: A man's voice and a woman's - Mikhos and his girlfriend, Claire. I stopped dead, listening.
    "It's not like you gave him a peck on the lips, Mikhos. That was a full on kiss. I can't remember the last time you kissed me like that."
    There was a long, silent pause.
    "So, what's going on? Is there something you've been keeping from me?"
    "Claire, it's complicated."