Jason MH

I hope you do continue and complete "First Night". I'm not a fan of everything being unicorns and glitter, so I'm enjoying the darker edge and where the story's going. Since I first read the original on another site, I was thrilled to see it here and in an expanded form. Thank you for sharing it and here's a preemptive thank you for continuing to its conclusion!

Ignoring the stories for now, I absolutely LOVE the cover photo. Did you take the picture yourself or did you commission it from another photographer? Because, as a published photographer myself, I'd love to know who took the image so we can talk shop. Using such a stunning image can't have come easy; licensing photos is the same as licensing written works, so I'm thrilled to see good photography used for good writing.

"Come on, Darren, you have to admit that was a pretty awesome catch." "Yeah, it was okay." "Okay? That was way more than okay. That was some fancy footwork you did out there." Darren blushed, ducked his head, shrugged. He couldn't stop his eyes from glancing across the apartment at Brody when he said, "It's just football, Jeff." "Just football?" James mocked. "This is Texas. There's no such thing as just football." Jeff, another wide receiver, gave Darren a friendly smack on

Sitting in their English AP class, Trish leaned toward Lynette and whispered, "You know, if Brody and Jace really don't want to go to prom, they should still do something fun." "I totally agree." "Maybe we should make some suggestions." "Such as?" "Clubbing!" Lynette frowned. "But we do that all the time. And it's not very romantic when you're being crushed in a crowd." "You're right. Bad idea." "What about the lake?" "Which lake?" "Does it matter? Oh, forget

Like all children with Asperger syndrome, Zack and Zane Langstrom didn't relate to people very well, if at all, but not for lack of trying. As a general rule, the fifteen-year-old identical twins liked people and were in fact gregarious; they just had no ability to react properly to social interactions, often overwhelming people with their rapid, erudite, pedantic speech and narrowly fixated interests, all without comprehending the verbal and non-verbal cues coming from other parties. Which of c

"Boys, dinner!" Jayne Anne yelled up the stairs to the garage apartment where Brody and Jace spent so much of their time when they were at the house. As she turned back to the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of the knowing smirk on her fifteen-year-old daughter's face before the expression vanished. Jayne Anne didn't know if Jenny knew about the boys, but Brody and his sister had always been close. If her mother's intuition was worth its name, she'd guess Jenny knew more than her parents did.

Trish watched Brody and Jace enter the cafeteria together and shook her head. She just couldn't understand how other people didn't see what was so obvious to her. Well, most other people didn't see it. Brody's sister Jenny knew, but they were so close that they had no secrets from each other. And Trish thought Jace's sister Lara knew, or suspected, or something. As for the twins, Zane and Zack, Jace's brothers, it was hard to tell what they might or might not know because they were slightly auti

Jace lay with his head propped up on one arm as he lightly caressed his boyfriend's bare chest. He couldn't take his eyes off the beautiful body resting peacefully beside him. Brody's olive skin glowed with verve and vitality. He had a handsomely sculpted chest covered with well-trimmed black hair. His dark erect nipples were the size of quarters. Though broad of chest and shoulders, he didn't look too big or too square, just perfectly proportioned. His abs were hairless and defined without look

"Good morning, Mrs. Windham." "Good morning, Dr. Lareaux." "What brings you and Brody in this fine morning?" "Well... I know he's not quite two yet, but he seems to sleep more than he should." "Your mileage may vary on how much a child his age sleeps. There's no definitive rule about these things." "Oh, I'm sure you're right. It's just..." "Yes?" "Even when he's awake, he seems... well... I suppose he seems lethargic." "I see. Let me take a look at the little tyke

Brody and Jace have been inseparable best friends since the first day of kindergarten. By the time they reached high school, they were boyfriends hiding their love from pretty much everybody. They're full of hope and plans for a future together when graduation's just a few months distant. But lying about a weekend away leads to both families discovering their secret. All the choices that led them to that moment are complicated by a flurry of heat-of-the-moment choices made by both sets of parents. In the end, Brody and Jace make a few more choices that may just alter the future for everybody.

This story was inspired by the Kyle character. Strange, huh? Yeah, I know. Honestly, though, many moons ago I met a neighborhood boy who was fifteen, attractive, unusually mature, and clearly—even if he didn't know it yet—sexually confused. The real Kyle developed a huge crush on me which lasted years before his family moved to another state. No, I never responded to that crush despite his increasing attempts to engage me both emotionally and sexually. A few years ago I had one of those rand

February 5, 2019 For fuck's sake! I felt so nervous I thought I might fly apart at any minute. To make matters worse, Greg could tell. I could see it in his expressions and in his eyes. But I kept trying to chill, really I did. I kept trying to calm the fuck down before I preemptively ruined a good plan. That's the curse of being as close as the two of us: secrets were laughable myths because we were always in each other's head. It was nearly impossible to hide anything. And even if we s

@spyke - Would it make you wonder more if I admit I entertained that idea while writing the ending? Well, I suppose we'll have to wait and see. @mfa607 - Eagerly awaiting a chapter is the best compliment you could have given me. Thank you! @Rndmrunner - I hate predictable stories and I love stories that keep me guessing. I'm guilty of casting doubt on this relationship in a few comments, though I was only pointing out the doubt already written into the narrative. For me anyway, the most enjoyable tale is one that gives me every reason to hope for one thing while giving me every reason to doubt it can happen. As long as the drama is believable, that is (forced or counterfeit drama is unrealistic and tedious, something I can't stand). @Marty - You're very welcome! And thank you for reading! GA has rules about how often something can be posted by a single author, so I'm limited in that respect. I'm also limited by available time; I live and work on our family ranch, so I tend to stay pretty busy with what little spare time I have filled with reading and writing (I don't watch TV and rarely watch movies). Since I've always written for myself instead of an audience, I've been unsure how often I should post, but I figured most people would probably be like me: Give it to me now! So I've tried to keep the updates coming as often as possible. Thank you all for your feedback and support! You've made me realize my decades of writing mean I probably have a few things here and there that others might enjoy, and you've made it more than worthwhile to share. I really appreciate you folks more than you know!

February 10, 2017 I squeezed his hand as I gave him a reassuring look, then we both returned our gazes to our therapist as Nate said, "We've discussed this in depth. We're confident in our decision." After exhaling a cloud of smoke, Uncle Farid glanced between us, from one to the other, his gaze considering and serious. Finally he smiled and shook his head. "Both of you remain mired in the aftermath of Richard's handiwork, though Greg's somewhat further along since meeting Kyle last

February 6, 2017 He slid out of me slowly, the fires dwindling, the embers cooling, the heat dissipating. When at last he was no longer inside me, I only knew our joining had ended by the exquisite emptiness I felt. His gentle movement was full of so much care, so much affection, and I knew by the reappearance of that keen void within and the softness of his extraction that Nate would always be the only one, the only man capable of overcoming the panic that otherwise gripped me at the very t

February 6, 2001 Detective Weston chewed his cigar with gritted teeth. The madder he got the more he chewed, and the more he chewed the faster the cigar disappeared. He'd throw the occasional angry glance at District Attorney Landers, though it wasn't Landers that put a burr under his saddle. It was the damned FBI and their jurisdiction crap. "Don't worry," Landers said, not the least bit flustered as he slapped a roll of papers against his open palm. "This is bullshit!" Weston growl

Thanks, @spyke! And I love that GIF. No, no dream here. That's a nasty trick to play on readers, at least in most cases (IMHO, of course). The final interlude is next, then the chapter after that picks up where this left off--with Nate and Greg still on the couch. That's when you'll get answers, like what did Nate want to know and why did this happen (aside from the obvious, I mean) and what difference does it make under the circumstances (if any).

February 4, 2017 Something kith and kin to anguished resignation gripped me, and in response lethargy settled in, a weariness of soul and mind and heart that, coupled with the hurt, left me barren and fatigued. Jaded. That's it. I feel jaded, just worn down and beaten and careworn with life. This must be what a haggard heart feels like, as though the death of hope is a toxin, spreading from its source and killing everything in its path. Yeah, that's it. A part of me died this morning

Thank you both for your comments! I really appreciate the feedback. @Marty: I know it was emotional, but I'm glad the point was made about Nate's condition. As for resolving the issue in a short amount of space, hopefully you'll be satisfied with my solution. (I always fall back on pi, a fundamentally small number that describes a rather complex relationship, which helps me understand that very big problems don't require very big solutions when a very good small solution will do just fine.) Hopefully you'll be satisfied by how all this falls into place; if not, though, I'm equally hopeful that you'll tell me so I can learn from my mistake. @SHDWriter: I'm always true to my characters. That's rule number one for creating a believable tale. I never force my characters to do something or be something that doesn't logically follow from everything that's come before, even if what's come before isn't always obvious or clear. There are no magic bullets in real life, thus I abhor and avoid deus ex machina in literature (it's dishonest and lacks realism). I'd rather tell a sad tale than force sad characters to be happy! And in this case, I already put these characters through hell, so I was pretty adamant about finding a way to give them a happy ending; I just had to make it real and consistent. I'm counting on you folks to let me know if I fail in that endeavor.

Thank you for your comments! @mfa607: Agreed! This chapter was a bit of an emotional roller coaster. @damejintymcginty: The HEA is indeed coming, and it starts in the very next chapter. But ... @Sweetlion: You're absolutely correct. Richard's tinkering with the boys' minds left Greg living in denial and Nate living in fear. Greg's made a lot of progress since he met Kyle, but Nate's issue only recently came to light. It'll take more than a night of dancing and kissing to break through the wall, though I give Greg kudos because he came oh so very close.

February 3, 2017 By half past eight the party had blossomed into a crowd of at least a thousand people, some dancing, some dining, some lounging, some browsing the various displays, many fellowshipping, most drinking a social lubricant of one kind or another. With Nate's fingers still threaded with mine, I walked with him and Kyle and the rest of my VIP group to the small stage. That's where I left them nursing their drinks so I could grab the microphone and join the DJ on the dais. I bu

February 3, 2017 "Are you avoiding looking at me?" His cheeks flaming crimson, his eyes continued meandering about the room, deftly avoiding where I stood. "No, man," Kyle mumbled. "I can't count the number of times you saw me in nothing but a towel at the gym. Why are you being weird all of a sudden?" Basketball Boy waved a hand in my general direction and expelled a disgusted breath. "Fuck, dude," I chuckled. "Did you become a prude in Florida?" Casting a stern gaze at

But what about the two times they had sex? Greg mentioned it already, said it was meaningless, said it was silly experimentation. He said it proved Nate was straight, albeit adaptable if he set his mind to it. He said it proved neither of them could see the other as anything different than a best friend who was more family than friend. I wonder about that ...

January 20, 2017 Uncle Farid had prepared us, at least insofar as we could be prepared, by telling us to act normal, don't circle like sharks, try to direct the discussion toward Nate's feelings about Greg, be observant, be conversational rather than confrontational, don't pounce but don't be afraid of tough love, see what happens. For me, however, he had different instructions: be a catalyst and a comfort, but otherwise don't participate since we'd already seen how Nate reacted when I p

@CaJu: In the parking garage scene, Nate didn't even whisper those words, but instead breathed them out silently. That means Greg's not sure he heard them correctly; in fact, he's pretty sure he didn't. But as you can guess, he didn't mishear them. In the next chapter, he--and you--will learn precisely what they mean, and that'll steer Greg to an epiphany that leads directly to the events of his birthday bash. @Fae Briona: Egads! I hate it when that happens. I didn't think about prohibitions against Farid treating family until I posted this chapter, at which point it was too late to go back and alter everything that came before this. Like so much of what I write, I didn't write this for an audience but instead I wrote it to get it out of my head lest it percolate there ad nauseam. Hopefully that'll teach me to do more research in the future so as to avoid such mistakes. I agree about being understanding of Greg's motivations. Like so many, I suspect, I've dealt with unrequited love; it's never easy. As will become clear shortly after Greg's birthday bash, Farid had his reasons for being stern with his nephew, reasons beyond knowing Greg was acting within the framework of a heightened emotional state (which is always the worst time to make big decisions). @FanLit: I wholeheartedly agree! Even when the odds are against it, I've never believed hope withers and dies except under the most egregious circumstances--basically when irrefutable evidence kills it (and even then, we humans tend to err on the side of wishful thinking). But for Greg's character, with what he's been through and what he thinks he's facing, it's not so easy to believe hope lasts forever. Maybe he'll learn otherwise? Time will tell ...