I still remember the first time I really talked to the guy. Grade seven. Tall and thin with a geeky side, I was the bullies’ favourite victim. And then came Ryan Beaulieu, grade nine hotshot to the rescue. Last time I was ever bullied.
New layout, new colours, new ways of doing things. Some details still needs tweaking, but I am somewhat satisfied. On another front, I have a story in the Love’s Landscape Event. It’ll be out sometime in July, and until then, I will be posting one or two small quote a day. I will keep you
Darcy woke up disoriented from his dream. He turned in the fluffy bed, reaching for Link, but hugged the second pillow instead. He moaned and closed his eyes, but the images of his dream were gone from his mind.
He rose in his naked glory and took a cold shower. What had he been thinking? He should’ve listened when his father said the cruise was a bad idea. All that testosterone and naked skin had gone straight to Darcy’s little brain. He couldn’t see a couple without thinking it should be Link and him, holding hands and kissing under the Hawaiian sunset. He pushed the thought from his mind. The idea had been to help Link get over his ex, not for Darcy to indulge in a decade-old fantasy.
When he came back from the shower, he noticed he’d received a text from Link telling him he’d be at the cooking class. Good. That would give him an hour or two to gather his thoughts. He put on his speedo and tied the rainbow beach towel around his waist.
The pool wasn’t empty by any means, but the attendance was nothing like it’d been with the heat yesterday. He noticed all the eyes on him as he spread his towel on the ground. Maybe he should also use this cruise to get over Link. He dived into the pool. When Darcy emerged from the water, he crossed gazes with another swimmer. Normally, he wouldn’t have given it any thought. Instead, he kept the eye contact a second more than necessary and glanced over the guy’s body. Anticipation rose inside him as he made a step toward him. His heart pounded, and he tried to imagine what it would be like to kiss those full lips, the feel of the man’s hard body against his. But then Link came to mind, and the spell was broken. Darcy dived back into the water and emerged farther away.
“Hey, Darcy.”
He turned to see Graham. They’d met on his first day. A tanned, blond man stood with his arms around Graham.
“Hey, great to see you again.”
“You remember Matt?” Now Graham said his name, Darcy recognized him as the one Graham bid on at the bachelor auction.
They exchanged some pleasantries, and eventually, Matt kissed Graham before leaving the pool to lie in the long chairs on the side.
“I can’t believe I could’ve passed on Matt. I’m glad that other guy beat my first bid.”
“Lucky you.” Darcy didn’t mean to let the pinch of resentment show in his voice.
“You didn’t get into the right boat if you wanted to find love, straight boy.”
Graham didn’t believe him, but who did, nowadays? All of his father’s jokes about how Link and Darcy were like an old couple, and his teasing about how Darcy better not came back from the trip married to Link, spoke volumes for his father’s beliefs. And then there was the issue of every girlfriend he had breaking up with some version of “You’re in love with Link, deal with it”.
Darcy snorted. “Yeah, I guess.”
“Well, I suppose true love could be one bisexual girl away.”
True love always brought images of Link.
“I doubt it.” The corner of his lips turned up in a sad smile. “I’ve had my chances. Now it’s too late.”
“Oh, come on”—Graham bumped their shoulders together—“don’t be such a pessimist.”
Darcy gave him a real smile this time, and Graham seemed satisfied.
“So, tell me, what’s so bad that it can’t be fixed? You cheated on her or something?”
“No, nothing like that. I… Have you ever waited to do something because you weren’t ready, but when you were, it’d been so long you couldn’t do anything about it?”
“Hmm, hmm.” Graham grabbed a noodle and leaned on it.
“You know what? I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to me rant about my coming out issues.”
Graham stopped Darcy. “Are you? Okay, stupid question. Of course you are. I don’t know one straight guy willing to suffer through a two-week Pride cruise.”
“You can’t tell anyone.” Darcy’s heart beat against his chest. Link can’t know.
“Hey, we all went through it. If there’s one place you should be able to find a good and discreet ear, it’s on the Queen Bee. I won’t tell a soul if you don’t want me to, but look around, no one will judge you.”
“I’m not ready yet.” It would change Link and Darcy’s relationship forever.
“Let’s go someplace more private then.”
Graham reached for the stairs while Darcy pushed himself above the edge with the ease of a swimmer. Graham whispered something to Matt, and Darcy got his towel to dry himself.
Was he really going to tell another soul about his feelings for Link? Fear paralyzed him as Graham and Matt kissed. For a second, he saw himself lying on the chair, being kissed by Link. A couple walking hand-in-hand around the edge of the pool distracted Darcy, but again, all he saw was the imaginary version of Link and Darcy—together.
He closed his eyes. Something had to give before he became any crazier. And right then, before he followed Graham, Darcy made himself a promise. Before the end of the cruise, he’d find the courage to tell Link everything.
And it would start by telling Graham.
Tomorrow starting at 7AM EST,the fictional cruise ship The Queen Bee will be ready for departure. You will meet the Queen Bee passengers through flash fiction, and have a chance to chat with the authors. For my part, I’ll be until 10AM, and then again from 6PM to 8-9PM. We will be giving out an
My little Shrubbery,I know nothing I say can erase the mistakes I did with you or mend our relationship, but if you read these words, it means that I have passed away. I’m sorry I don’t have the bravery to get this letter to you in person, or the bravery to write the words I’m dying to tell you. I hope you live a full life with a good man, maybe even children of your own. I know you’ll be a better father that I ever was, and I’m prou your mother would be proud of you.Your father.
Every years, the M/M Romance group on Goodreads organize this event where they’ll publish hundreds of free stories which are later packaged in anthologies. Stories are written base on Dear Author prompts sent by lovers of M/M Romance around the world. I’ve sent mine, and it should appear on the group after March 4th. At
I’ve been asked if I could be any paranormal/supernatural creature, what would I be and why? I’m answering the question at Crystals Many Reviews Leave a comment on the website, and have your name in the hat for a free e-book giveaway.
On the top of his mountain, hands busy carving an intricate wooden sword, the God of War watched. He watched as Stone looked for Cresus, and he watched as Cresus escaped the wrath of Byrne, and all of the men sent after him. And by his life, the God of War hoped to achieve the most magical magic of all, a magic that disappeared at his lover’s death. Centuries it had been, but for the God of War, it felt like yesterday everything was perfect. The world was still the one they created together, before only war and misery was left. The God of War couldn’t get his lover back, but even if only for a moment, he could revive his lover’s legacy; there would be hope. Hope of a better future, where once again, pain and happiness would walk hand in hand in the world below. The God of War laid the sword in display on a bed of fir needles and disappeared in a clap of thunder.
Dark purple smoke rose from the fir needles, trapping the sword in its magic, until the sword glowed pastel pink and absorbed the darkness around itself. And as the smoke disappeared and the glow faded, there lay the sword, reflecting the sun toward where the God of War had left.
Down below, as Cresus hung at the edge of the drop, ready to die for the secret he meant to keep, revelation came upon him. He smiled, and let go of the wall.
Stone and his men saw Cresus fall, but they knew better than to let Fate take care of their problems. As long as they did not have a body, they would not stop their search for Cresus, the man to kill them all. Byrne would not accept anything less than the man’s head on a plate, and by the God of War, Stone and his troops were going to get it. They searched every corner of the land, but never found his body.
On their shame did Byrne feast on the bodies of his men, exiling Stone with the knowledge his failure had cost the life of his men, and cost their families to suffer in shame over their death. Stone followed the tracks to the city of Millstone, where the local ironmaster told him tales of a sword, lost in the Millstone Mountain, that could kill anything. So then Stone went and found the sword.
And for years did Stone look for Cresus, making it his mission to kill the un-killable, and to restore the honour of his men. When a note was left at a tavern asking for him, Stone faced Cresus at the top of Millstone’s Hill, ready for his enemy’s demise. And as his sword pierced the garden of roses ornament of Cresus’ chest plate, the most incredible thing happened— the sword broke, shards of wood flying around as Cresus’ metal armour shattered into a million rose petals.
And as an unsuspected love flew between them, an ironmaster in his Millstone’s shop breathed out for the last time, ready to join his lover in death, content to see the balance between war and love restored, and the birth of new Gods.
Check out the wedbrief website where you’ll find summaries and links, or jump right to the author website.
William reached outside the sleeve of his winter coat and watched as a unique flake fell upon his hand, a white star that melted as soon as it landed, and left the smallest water dot as a proof it ever existed. William’s lashes stuck together as he closed his eyes in an attempt to stop the tears from drowning him in his sorrow. He tightened the top of his coat around the scarf when the sob, starting in his stomach, caught in his throat before escaping his lips as laughter. Suddenly, he couldn’t stop that macabre sound from breaking the silence of the evening. He turned his back from the stranger who appeared at the corner of the road, willing his body to stop shaking. He had just enough pride left in him not to want anyone to see him like this.
The stranger continued on his way, a vague blue spot in the dark, smaller and smaller as he went. The sobbing and the laughing calmed down, but the frozen path of tears on his cheek refused to let go. A young child, using the heat of his hands to trace a circle on the window, smiled at him. William waved at the child, but he couldn’t smile back. The pain of it adding to the weight on his shoulder. He turned his back to the child, and walked away in the cold December.
William didn’t know how much longer he walked in the night. He did so until the twenty-four hour diner appeared on his road, barely standing, yet the only building in kilometers. Its owner was a warm and welcoming woman so unlike the outside world, and for the duration of a twenty cent meal, William almost felt at home. Until her husband came to the front, and the subtle yet tender look they give each other only reminded William of the lost.
“Don’t you like it?” the husband asked.
William looked at his boiled potato and ham, but the hunger had gone. He had a love like this, once. A love that would travel time and space, but an impossible love nevertheless. A love that no one understood. And he’d pushed Joseph to seek marriage with a proper woman, one who’d give him children, and a life away from sin, away from William.
He pushed the plate away as the door behind him opened. He didn’t turn, didn’t look to see who it was. It couldn’t be anyone he wanted to see.
“There’s something I can do for you, Hon?” the woman asked, and for a moment, there was no answer.
Then the newcomer said, “I already got all I can want.”
William’s heart skipped a beat. He turned, knocking the coffee down on the table, the dark liquid soaking the pale fabric. Once again, tears filled his eyes, escaping in a moment of pure joy. Even though it meant the winter would be harsher and longer than any winter had ever been, Joseph had chosen him, and that alone would be the yellow Winter Aconite piercing the heavy snow to announce the Spring.
Check out the wedbrief website where you’ll find summaries and links, or jump right to the author website.
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MC Houle