If One Dream Should Fall and Break

by Angel Martinez

Dear Author,
These boys were best friends growing up and then 5 years ago they got separated when one of them moved away. They've just unexpectedly reunited in this small town diner somewhere in the Northeast. Based on this picture it looks like their accidental meeting is turning into something more than just childhood best friends running into each other later in life.

Please give these cute boys a happy ever after ending.

Photo Description: Two young men face each other and kiss gently in the booth of a teal-colored diner. In front of the sunlit, white venetian blinds, the dirty blonde's right hand and the raven-haired youth's left hand cross to hold each other at the neck, thumbs caressing cheeks.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Hot Summer Days" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

Read the story here or find it in Don't Read in the Closet, Volume 2.
__________
Genre: science fiction
Tags: gay m/m, reunited, interspecies, in the closet, friends to lovers
Word Count: 9,446

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Friends To Lovers, LGBT, Gay, Science Fiction, Short Stories

24 pages, ebook

First published July 12, 2011

About the author

Angel Martinez currently lives part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware and full time inside her head. She has one husband, one son, two cats, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.

Angel's alter ego writes the all-ages science fiction - Sandra Stixrude.

Reviews

[Marte - Thunderella · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3 reunited stars ***

An okay story about long lost friends/lovers, if not totally believable. Mal disappeared for five years and suddenly everything is lovey-dovey?! Cool paranormal elements, though.
And why did Mal insist on Jeremy coming out to his mother before coming with Mal? Coming out should be up to Jeremy and not as a stipulation for coming with Mal.

I had one highlighted sentence from this story:

-------------------------
The pillars of their erections rubbed together with such aching friction, Jeremy's spinning brain expected to see sparks.
------------------------

I highly doubt your brain is spinning there, Jeremy. Metaphorically your thoughts might spin or you head might spin, but your brain? Uhm... no. 
Oh, and I totally googled: "pillars of erection". 'Cause you know, duh... ;)

Didn't expect to get a good laugh out of it! HAHAHA! 
(SFW, btw ;) lol)


http://www.theregister.co.uk/2015/01/07/twenty_years_on_hubble_revisits_the_pillars_of_creation/



----------------------------------------------

A short story in the collection "Don't Read in the Closet, Volume Two" from the MM Romance Group Hot Summer Event 2011.

Click HERE for the story online or  HERE to download the whole collection for your reading device.

Picture and prompt:


Dear Author, 

These boys were best friends growing up and then 5 years ago they got separated when one of them moved away. They've just unexpectedly reunited in this small town diner somewhere in the Northeast. Based on this picture it looks like their accidental meeting is turning into something more than just childhood best friends running into each other later in life. 



Please give these cute boys a happy ever after ending. 

Thanks, 

Jordan 

Genre: Science Fiction 

Tags: reunited, interspecies, in the closet, friends to lovers

[Britta ★ Nachteule ★ · Rating 2 out of 5]

***Read as part of the free Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Two anthology. Story #20***

Nope, this didn't do for me.

The paranormal element was kind of unnecessary.

I didn't get why the characters act like they do the most of the time.

The writing was ok though.

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little story from the Hot Summer Days event on GR, featuring Jeremy who is still extremely peeved that his best friend (and boyfriend) Mal disappeared 5 years ago without a word. When Malachi returns...completely unexpectedly and explains what happened then and what is happening now, a rather surprising revelation is made. 3.5 stars.

[Heather C]

Hmm. I could not get into this. Didn't really understand what was going on so I didn't see the point in finishing.

[Bubbles Hunty Honest & Direct Opinions · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think my expectations made me like this less maybe, but with tags “friends-to-lovers” and “reunited” I was expecting some sexual tension and getting to know each other again.

first Mal shows up after vanishing for five years no goodbye note no emails or phone call. Mal left the day after they had sex, for the first time. Oh well then five years later mal is back there is a quick I’m a good alien with a never ending battle with the evil aliens to protect the sheep humans. Blah blah Jeremy admits he hasn’t been with anyone since Mal. Mal says he was with random guys for quickie hookups.

Then Jeremy thinks ”The saner part of him found a warm chunk of satisfaction in the fact that Mal had used these men and tossed them aside, candy wrappers in the wind. No keepers. Not even a short fling. Good.” apparently he forgot Mal fucked him and left him like a candy bar wrapper five years ago. Doesn’t matter five years of sorrow later all is instantly forgiven and some not sexy sex happens…

Then big surprise J wakes up and Mal is once again gone. J cries for a while. Mal comes back again says he went for breakfast. Blah blah. Less than 24 hours together and most of that was spent sleeping they agree to move in together with mal’s dad. So what wasn’t safe before is now apparently safe.

The scifi didn’t seem to fit into the story IMO and was just an excuse for the separation and to make some, IMO not funny Dick Cheney jokes.

Mostly the scifi part lacked development really like we get told this is what happens but its not really detailed because Mac can’t explain it because he doesn’t understand it…

I would over look that but there was no feelings in this story it was too short and they didn’t even spend any time getting to know each other again, we (the reader) didn’t get to know them at all

[Arthur · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jeremy and Malachi (Mal) were couple before, until one day Mal just left Jeremy alone in their small town. One day, out of blue, Mal came back. It turns out, he's an alien, and his disappearance had something to do with some alien invasion. Now, he asks Jeremy to be with him. Will they be reunited?

I usually like childhood-friends-turn-lovers story. This plot, however, doesn't do much to me. It feels like from an old science fiction movie from the 1950s, or an episode of Friends where Joey was in a play. Remember? When he, too, is an alien and has to embark his space ship?. Also, there are too many explanation from Mal, too little showing the story itself.

[Wendy❤Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, totally didn't see that storyline coming from that picture. Loved the uniqueness of it!!! I also loved the humor sprinkled in the story, such as:

“I mean, you can tell, if you know what to look for. They have flat, cold eyes. Their facial expressions are never quite…right.”

Jeremy mulled this over. “So Dick Cheney’s one? And maybe Donald Trump?”

LOL at that section:) As for the wings? Oh, my! I've developed a new fetish. Everything about the wings was amazingly hot! Thank you so much for an awesome story!!!

[CAS · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok.. I confess, I was on the fence with the alien tag.. BUT I really love this picture and now I love this story as well as Jeremy and Mal. The wings really did me in. :)

“You ever show them your wings?” The deep, possessive growl in his voice shocked him, but he didn’t apologize for it.
“Hell, no.”
“Good.” He shoved the shirt off Mal’s shoulders and got his arms out of the sleeves in a rough yank. “Let’s have the wings back.”

Yes, lets! :)

[Rachel Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very original, interesting concept and I loved Jeremy and Mal!

Loved this little exchange:
“Responsible aliens. Got it.”

“Yes, well, Spiderman doesn’t have a monopoly on responsibility.”

And I loved the wings and how they formed.

Very original ideas, hot story, I really loved it!

[SueM · Rating 4 out of 5]

So totally didn't see aliens being in this story, but it worked! I loved the Ankles & Techies and loved the original way of shapeshifting! :) Thank you for writing this story Angel. (I had to snicker at the angel reference when I connected it to who the author was...)

[Sadonna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Highly imaginative, creative short story that could expand into a full length novel. Includes lost love, reunions, surprises and more.

[Regencyfan93 · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story was okay, I was put off by the author bio, that this pen name is for erotic fiction. I found this story less erotic than stories which claim only romance and not eroticism.

I didn't see the point of an interspecies romance. It didn't seem important to the story that one character was another species.

[Silvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story lost me when I got the stereotypical negative political vibe. Too bad, just as I was starting to enjoy it but trudged through.

[ds321 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was OK. Mostly love Angel Martinez’s books and stories. This one wasn’t the best.

[Kendra T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute short story about lovers who were separated for 5 years until the one who left comes back. I thought the story itself was great and the characters were relatable. I wish there had been a bit of discussion about why he came back at that exact time. What drove him back after so long (or made him wait as long as he did). I get it was after his mom died but that happened a year and a half prior. Angel writes sci-fi really well. Despite it not being my favorite genre, she writes it so believable and descriptive enough that it doesn't feel foreign.

[Tuğçe Gökırmak · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am glad it was a short one,i didn't actually felt like it was Sci-fi, it was mainly a short romantic and quite the cheesy story. The characters were pretty flat and shallow which many short stories' main problem. The only thing i enjoyed was J's inner voice and struggles which died pretty easily. The alien thing felt really forced and very very unrealistic with no real world creation beneath the story. Everything fell into pieces easily and smoothly, and a very easy HEA.

[Trish · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

this was a pretty good short story. the writing was good, minus a few typos.... the mc's were very likable.

as sci-fi is not really my type of reading, i really appreciated this story was more character driven than world building, however, i think the author has a pretty good premise.

[Miriki · Rating 3 out of 5]

“If one dream should fall and break into a thousand pieces, don’t be afraid to pick one of those pieces up and begin again.”

Very creative, but the reunion was happening too fast IMO. It'd have been better if the story were longer.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don't Read in the Closet: Volume Two

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again

[Anja · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Charlie Richards · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute short story...

[Cerulean · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 to 3.75 stars

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was sweet. I liked the guys and the sci-fi aspect was interesting but the forming of his wings was just too weird. Nice HEA.

[Lila Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice paranormal twist. Really good background building.

[Shelby · Rating 4 out of 5]

***Review Coming Soon***

[GlamLawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that one! I liked the world the author created around the friends/lovers. Very hot too. With wings-sex. Just saying.
But also lovely characters :)

[Kath · Rating 2 out of 5]

it's not that i don't like it but it wasn't what i expected... it felt like something was missing for some reason. what exactly it is i don't know. but it fell like its incomplete...