The Doubles Partner – Part 2: Match Point
Gay Stories·EN·2 min read·Published 2026-11-07, updated 2026-11-07·Part 2 of 2
The club final went to a tiebreak.
It was dusk on a warm Saturday, and the floodlights were on. A crowd had gathered on the terrace: members in white, children on the fence, someone's elderly aunt with a thermos of tea. The score stood at six-all in the third. The court gleamed under the lights.
Ethan crouched at the net, heart hammering. Behind him, Kiran bounced the ball, once, twice.
"Ready?" called Kiran.
"Ready."
The serve was perfect. It kicked off the line, whistled past the returner, and Ethan, anticipating the angle, stepped across and punched a volley into the open court. The ball bounced twice. The umpire raised an arm.
"Game, set, match."
The terrace exploded. Ethan flung his racket in the air. Kiran threw both arms round him from behind, lifting him clean off the ground, and they spun, laughing, in the lights.
Afterwards, the crowd drifted away, towards the clubhouse bar. The court emptied. The lights buzzed softly. Moths circled the glare. Ethan and Kiran stayed on the baseline, rackets forgotten, trophy glinting on the umpire's chair.
"We won," said Ethan.
"We did."
"You were extraordinary."
"We were extraordinary."
They looked at each other. Ethan was out of breath. Kiran's hair was damp, his eyes bright.
"Can I ask you something?" said Kiran.
"Yes."
"May I kiss you? I've been waiting since the first backhand."
"Yes," said Ethan, laughing. "And if you say stop, you must play mixed doubles with me for life."
"That is a lifetime commitment."
"I know. I've thought it through."
Kiran kissed him, sweaty and sweet, a hand rising to cup Ethan's cheek. Ethan kissed him back, warm and wholehearted, his racket clattering to the court. The floodlights hummed. A late bird sang somewhere in the dark.
When they parted, both of them were smiling.
"Green?" asked Ethan.
"Green," said Kiran. "Very green."
They've won the club title four years running. They've lost an argument, once, about whose turn it was to carry the trophy.
More gay romance stories: Morning Run · Night Telescope · The Tailor's Apprentice
You finished “The Doubles Partner”
If you liked this one, these are the closest matches.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Climbing Wall
Jordi has climbed with Elias every Thursday for a year, and trusts him with his life. When the gym closes early, they take the rope to the sea cliffs instead.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Art Restorer
Rhys, a Welsh conservator on loan to a Madrid museum, works late among the paintings. Pablo, the night guard, leaves a coffee at his easel every evening and says nothing.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Barista's Number
A phone number is written under a coffee cup lid in Portland. Sam, who wrote it, is shy and funny, and Rafa, who found it, is not sure he should call.
More stories you might like
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Climbing Wall
Jordi has climbed with Elias every Thursday for a year, and trusts him with his life. When the gym closes early, they take the rope to the sea cliffs instead.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Art Restorer
Rhys, a Welsh conservator on loan to a Madrid museum, works late among the paintings. Pablo, the night guard, leaves a coffee at his easel every evening and says nothing.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Barista's Number
A phone number is written under a coffee cup lid in Portland. Sam, who wrote it, is shy and funny, and Rafa, who found it, is not sure he should call.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Night Courier
Antoine, a bike courier, delivers a late parcel to a bakery in Lyon at three in the morning. Kwame, the night baker, answers the door floury and smiling.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
The Bike Workshop
Omar moves to Amsterdam and buys a battered bike. Jasper, the mechanic at the corner workshop, fixes it free and says he will charge in conversation instead.
Gay Stories · 2 parts
Bike Repair
Rik's bike gets a flat tyre on a rainy Amsterdam canal bridge. Dani, a bike mechanic with grease on his hands, stops to help and refuses to leave.