A very sweet short story.

Nell Iris has been at the top of my list for MM short stories for quite a while now. While His Steady Heart didn’t hit me quite as powerfully as some of her others, I still liked it a lot. It’s a really sweet story with a slow burn that leads to fade-to-black intimacy between the two main characters.

Buck is a big bear of a man so most people assume he wants to take control in the bedroom. What he really wants is someone to love and care for; not someone to control. Pippin is 16 years younger than Buck but he grew up much faster than any kid should have to.

Buck can’t stand to see Pippin sitting out in the cold while his mother “entertains” her gentlemen friends so he invites him to come in and use his couch. As the months go by their friendship looks like it’s heading towards more but then life outside forces try to change everything.

Buck is such a gentle soul and a natural care-giver. Pippin is fiercely independent and doesn’t want charity. These two are so sweet together. While a short story doesn’t allow for a lot of character development, Nell Iris is a master at giving us enough details in few words so that you still feel like you know Buck and Pippin.

I loved the epilogue – like the rest of the story it’s short and concise but we find out how they are getting on farther on down the road.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***