GENRE: Gay Spicy Romance (MMM)
LENGTH: 39,075 words
RATING:

Liam, Bart, and Evan have been best friends since all of them met in college. Though Liam is straight, he makes an effort to take out his two friends to all the gay bars in their city. Liam acts as the matchmaker for many of his gay friends, but he has not made the connection between Evan and Bart. At least, not yet.

Evan and Bart find themselves drawn towards one another through their shared love of punk music and video games, but unable to make a move. Evan, a former drunk who is still working on getting his life together, fears his own weakness in the face of alcohol and the pressures of his family. Bart, a runaway from his home state of Utah and his Mormon family, still struggles with what he is allowed to believe.

After Liam breaks up with Sarah, his best friends Bart and Evan meet at his apartment for a night of conciliatory drinking. When they arrive to find Liam's place empty and messier than ever, the two of them are forced to wait until their friend shows up. Through a series of flashbacks and heartfelt conversations, Bart and Evan learn that they have waited long enough for one another. By the end of the night, Liam, Evan, and Bart all hope for their broken hearts to be mended, but it may take more effort than usual.

EXCERPT:
Note: may contain sexually explicit scenes of a homoerotic nature.

“So what do we do?” Evan asked, turning and looking at the kitchen. Liam had helped them both out with so much in their lives that without him by their sides, even shrugging felt like a heavy weight.

“You ever been in love like that?” Bart asked after a moment.

“Like Liam?”

“No, well yes,” Bart said, rewording his question. He seemed to look up at the light that was too dim, and then back down as he formed his words. “You do know that every story is a love story, right?”

“But only some of them amount to Harlequin Blaze,” Evan said with a smile.

“No, I mean that every single person wants something, even if it’s only a drink of water. I think someone like Vonnegut said that and he wrote science fiction. All that matters is love; it’s all that drives a person forward.”

“What about the Bible? The story of Adam and Eve is actually about shame, isn’t it?”

“Sure, but look at the love that came from that. Cast out, and I’ll follow. I mean, we make fun of all of this. Liam even told me once that all love was a joke.”

Evan bit his lip, but didn’t say anything.

“We make so much fun of it, and yet, it’s all anyone’s ever known. Forget the Lennon quotes or the stuff from Bob Marley. It’s clichés because we all understand it. That’s important, right? I mean, we should respect that.”

“I do,” Evan said, growing uncomfortable. I just ...”

“Don’t want to get hurt. Neither of us do. No one does.”

“Yeah, put that on a dating profile or wear it on your sleeve into a club and see how it goes. It’s not exactly for me.”

Evan unconsciously touched the center of his chest, where his St. Valentine necklace bounced against his hurried breaths. He blushed with the metal against his skin as the realization came over him.

“So when I ask if you’ve ever been in love,” Bart said again, rewording his original question. He took a step forward. “I guess I mean if you’ve ever loved someone like that, where you’ll tear yourself in two for the person?”

Evan bit his lip. He looked away. “I like to think I have been.”

“I like to think I am,” Bart said. He swallowed.

“You’re not talking about God or something, are you?”

“No,” Bart said. A pause, a baited breath. “I’m only looking at you.”