Odie

@Summerabbacat, and you know what? they don't taste like chicken, either, ha! I just looked and you can buy vegan marshmallows (typically marshmallow is made with gelatin). [See below, also.] As always, thanks for your comments. Aaron's antipathy to 'Jimmy' is from Carl's (previous) usage of it to infantilize and mock him. When Steve uses it, it is endearing and reflects their special relationship. Aaron has compartmentalized his life, certainly. Many go by different names based on relationship status, yours truly included. Since most people call me 'Odie,' when I hear 'Onan' I know it's likely a sales call or I'm in trouble! I purposely left the Marie issue vague. It's almost as if a clever author were setting up another story arc, right?

Yes, @Summerabbacat and @Mattyboy, I was referring to Peeps, the Easter basket classic confection, but wasn't sure if I could (or should) use a trade name when advocating an unauthorized usage of the product. Plenty of vids on Youtube about it, but they seem to 'wave them at lower power and less time than is my family's preference... : D Odie

Wow, to have the door opened by Steve at twelve years old. Brian was a spittin' image! Hold their pictures together and you wouldn't be able to tell which is which. Except one picture would be a glossy physical print in a frame or in an album and the other would be digital on an electronic device of some type. When Sandi called Saturday morning and said she was having Sunday dinner for the family at one it wasn't really an invitation; it was a notification. His attendance was assumed.

It was SO strange, standing on the front porch of the house he grew up in (instead of the stoop at the kitchen) and ringing the doorbell (instead of just taking off boots and walking in). But Aaron's odd feeling was dispelled as soon as Suzanna opened the door. "Oh hi, Melissa! Is your Mommy or Daddy home?" "I'm not Melissa! I'm Suzanna!" "Oh no, that's not possible! Suzanna is only this tall!" while marking a line at his knee with his hand. "No! I'm Suzanna!" "Suza

Thank you commenting, @Summerabbacat Carl may have done one decent thing, but he is still an arsehole. <== I made some improvements in the next chapter because of this, thanks. OMG this meal almost made me throw up. <== you know, in kind of a backhanded way, you're complimenting my verisimilitude, if not my heritage. LOL!

"JIMMY!" Steve almost hopped over the receptionist's desk to get to him and the piece of paper that was in his hand went flying. "JAMES AARON LARSEN YOU GIVE ME A HUG!" And he gave Aaron a bear hug that Aaron rated almost to be of Brad quality! Aaron was saying "STEVE, it's so good to see you!" while thinking "I'd walk into fire for this guy. Look how happy he is to see me!" "When she said 'Mr. Larsen is here' I thought it was Carl coming for the check! And I see you instead! Wha

As cogent a description of grief I've had the privilege to read in a long while. And it's within a well-written and well-constructed narrative. Congratulations, @ChromedOutCortex. I know from your story notes there will be more chapters, and like others have stated I look forward to reading them. But I appreciate how this chapter is functionally self-contained and could stand on its own. One man is damaged, but he has found the correct guide to healing. That in itself is a beautiful story.

YOU BET I'll be watching Groundhog Day! It's an annual rite in this house. My parents had a VHS copy and watched it every year, but by the time I was 8 only after I was in bed on the 2nd because I asked too many metaphysical questions. Not that they or I knew anything about metaphysics, but I agree I was a pest. In my 20s I had it on DVD so I could watch it whenever I wanted and without commercial breaks. And now a digital copy, for the same reasons. And watch that DVD more than once a year I did, particularly on cold, snowy Chicagoland winter days, and in any season when the ennui of wage slavery began to weigh me down. Now that I'm no longer a wage slave (thank you, D.) or stuck in a Chicagoland winterland (again, thank you, D.) the digital copy doesn't get as much use; typically just once on Feb 02, maybe another time during the year. But the lesson Phil Connors taught me on DVD is no less important in the digital age: the value of your life increases exponentially even when you add value to it only geometrically. Help people. Study Italian. Take up an instrument. Read and create on GA. Fall in love (D! I owe you so fucking much! Love you, man!). Odie

@chris191070 Thank you! (Impressive rank!) @Kileoli Thank you for the "warm" welcome! @BendtedWreath Thanks! And here's to us, cheers. The range of members in this community, by writing style, interests, as well as age is awesome. @CassieQThanks. And great tag line, mofo. : )

Thanks so much! Will do...

Hello, I joined Gay Authors on Dec 27, 2025, but am only now checking out all the nooks and crannies of the site. My name is Onan, but everyone calls me Odie, and that is my username here. I'm inexperienced at social media, so if I commit some faux pas, feel free to let me know. I'll be 38 in a month but have only had 9 birthdays. I've really enjoyed my time on GA and am glad to have discovered the site. Thank you all!

@FanLitThank you for your input, I appreciate the thought you put into it. And it's already made me think, too. When I was writing The Fall, M1 (the inspiration muse) was powering me along like always. When I got to the last 25%, M2 (the editor muse, carries a bow and arrows) told me it was going all wrong, where it went wrong, and why. She was right. Even M1 agreed. And that chapter was modified and improved for it. After listening to Aaron in Sunday, even M1 wants to hear Carl talk in Carl's voice (and to a lesser extent, Steve talk in Steve's voice). So I'm going to go with that, but M2 has already added her proviso: just dialog and action, no internal thoughts or reflections. That way the story is still A&B's, and nobody else's. If that compromise doesn't work out, back to the conference table with the Muses. (I have a third muse, M3. She sucks me dry. And not in a good way.) Onan ps, I want to tell you all how fun it was to push caps lock down for Brad in Brad Love. 'Bout time, Brad!

GA Readers, thank you so much for reacting to this story. I'm glad I'm able to create something others enjoy. @FanLit, thanks for your words about Aaron and Brad complementing each other. To me, that's a major component of love. @VBlew, I LOLed at your heavy lifting comment. The three chapters in this arc took a lot out of me, I'm glad it's appreciated. @Ticklishboy30, IKR! Me too. It's what makes me want to continue. @Summerabbacat, The editor in me told me "You need to read that second paragraph again and you'd better be paying attention to it." Thank you for pointing out a challenge this author faces in the next arc. And to everyone else who has reacted and commented throughout, THANK YOU! I know where these stories have to go next (Iowa) but the author in me is telling me the architecture has to be different, and I want to GA Readers' advice before I start. The stories so far have just been Aaron and Brad talking and reacting to each other. Even when others are involved (Carl, Steve, Moms and Dads, friends, coworkers, neighbors) they've always been presented through the viewpoint, remembrances, and interpretations of A&B. In Iowa, the characters need to speak for themselves. Is that a mistake? Let me know what you think. Odie

Thanks for reading and reacting, it is appreciated. Odie

Brad got up and slowly circled around Aaron. He bent over and kissed him on his whorl, straightened, and put his left hand on the nape of his neck for several seconds. He walked by his chair, grabbed his coffee mug, and headed down the hallway. Aaron composed himself but remained seated. He breathed in, and let out an even larger exhale. In this house, weekend meals were on his chore list, so he started thinking about lunch, because breakfast time had passed and they had missed it. Aaro