Dare

by Matthias Williamson

Dear Author,
Guy #1 on left

“What is he DOING?! Just coz I’m the only gay guy on the team doesn’t mean I want just ANYONE slobbering over me. Please. I have standards.”

Guy #2:

“I know it was a dare, but I couldn’t help myself. I can’t get him out of my head. He’s just so damn… edible. I’ve never wanted to touch another guy. Ever. I think I’m going mad.”

Photo Description:
One man is licking another man’s face. The one being licked does not look like he approves.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love’s Landscapes" 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.

This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

Genres: M M Romance, Contemporary, Romance, Short Stories, College, Sports, Gay

41 pages, ebook

First published August 8, 2014

Reviews

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, gritty and poignant.

I actually liked this way more than I expected. The LA vibe at the start helped suck me in along with gems like this:

He also wrote on the top of our hands, “Don’t Worry UR ON DRUGS!”

Aahhh... the joys and utter fucking stupidity of youth. Brilliant. This is way more natural than romantic, but I gotta say both Theo and Wyatt were interesting guys. I'd hangout with them. So, no rainbows and unicorns, but if you're looking for dudes being dudes and young and stupid and fumbling around figuring shit out--Bing. Might be more of a 3.5 stars, but I really liked that they seemed like guys.

Anyway, made me snort and laugh.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Not at all what I was expecting, though I wasn't sure what I actually expected. *shrugs*

The beginning was rough and things happened I wasn't prepared for, but it's my own fault for not reading the warnings... read them folks. Just so you are self aware.

Bottom line, I liked Wyatt (ack! My son's name in a story!) and Theo.

I liked the difference in Theo with his sexuality, it was a fresh take on it and done well.
I felt bad for Wyatt and the shit he endured but felt he handled it appropriately and with maturity.

That end? It fit the story and I hope they have many more times to share with one another.

[JJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel a little bad that my 1 star review is the first one, but I'm going to be honest. I thought it was poorly written with bland, unlikable characters who had zero chemistry. I didn't enjoy any part of this story.

[Jeanne 'Divinae' · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a story about an asexual who finally meets someone who turns his crank. He just isn’t sure how to act. So, he plays a prank or two on him. He hopes that Wyatt, the guy in question, will notice him. He does, but not in a positive manner. He tries to apologize but it doesn’t go well. He hopes he will finally figure it out and make Wyatt his.

I am not sure if I liked this style of writing. It may be because the author was trying to fit a lot of ‘background’ in the beginning. It was confusing at parts and hard to sort through. It could have flowed more smoothly, in my opinion. It did have a decent plot though. It did end a bit abruptly and it was left open-ended. Would like to see more...

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply a fantastic story. The characters are real people, the situations are real situations, and the story is well-told. This is not a simple romance; in fact it's anything but simple. Issues of identity are part and parcel of what the two main characters struggle with, and realistically.

I want to see more of these characters and know what happens after - which, for me, is an indicator that the writer did well.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was ok. Theo pissed me off severely with how he acted. I don't know if I would be as quick to forgive as Wyatt. I think they got together too fast.

[Dee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A not entirely certain 3 stars. It was a tough one to rate.

I'm not entirely sure if I liked this or not. So much happened in such a short space I feel a bit confused, especially as it was well-written, it was just a bit muddled on the plotting. From the inclusion of sexual abuse Wyatt's rape while on drugs, his clear belief that sex was a trade (wanting to repay Cal with a blow job), his stepmother's compliance in his having sexual relationships with her colleagues (I assume considerably older than him...though later there's mention of him being 23 like Theo so why he was in high school I don't know, nor why he would need to be removed from a club or party due to being underage nor need a fake ID - I thought the oldest consent in USA was 21 anyway? I assumed we might be going for a more serious storyline but the blase attitude to peer bullying (admittedly not in the same league as sexual assault but still) was slightly odd. Then there was the asexual Theo, with his hazing teammates...I don't know what to make of him other than was he a dumb jock or not? I didn't get him at all. His history was pretty fucked up too. Then we got the sudden HEA - Wyatt is fine to leave his manslut ways behind and stick with someone who's shown nothing but contempt to him, however misguided. I was just bewildered. I feel like it needed to be a lot longer and more fleshed out to do justice because the descriptions etc were great, it was all just too much together at this length and in such oddly disjointed segments. I don't know.

[K]

Contemporary short story
Theo and Wyatt are from two very different backgrounds, but both end up at Berkley, and on the Rugby team. Theo always believed he was asexual until he saw Wyatt, who is gay. Wyatt chose Rugby as his compulsory sports credit required to graduate, and some of the others on the team have been hazing him, with this having a distinctly homophobic feel to it - their coach seems to know what's going on, but despite being gay himself does nothing to stop them. One night at a club Wyatt is picked up by a man that Theo recognises as having raped him the year before (which is detailed in the set up at the start of the story), and rescues him. Taking him back to the dorm and after sleeping in the spare bed, the next day they end up in bed together. This one didn't really work for me.

[AnnaBirmingham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my prompt, so I was very curious to see what story would come out of it.

It was like nothing I have read before - very gritty and certainly pulled no punches. The beginning was hard to read and I found parts somewhat disturbing, but I'm ultimately pretty un-shockable and it didn't put me off! it was well written with some great imagery and I grew to like the boys. So pleased they got their happy ending :)

Thanks to Matthias for picking up my prompt and running with it!

[Meep]

Drug taking teenagers, the tone is probably apt, but it's just not a fic for me.

The pace felt too fast, I wasn't sure if the non-con scene was meant to be titilating, I didn't like the characters and I didn't like the mention of 9/11.

Only got to the end of the first pov.

It's free, but not for me.

[Wency · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit, I don't like the beginning but once Theo was introduced, I started to like the book. I did enjoy reading this but it's kind of so fast paced. I'd like to slowly know more of the characters. But this is a nice read nonetheless.

[cmbookdiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

The LA Hollywood scene is not my thing but once Wyatt started at school it was smooth sailing .I loved Wyatt and Theo and would love to read more from them.Thanks for the read Matthias.

[GlamLawyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would give that one 1 star but because I really appreciate the afford and the energy the author invested into that story I'll round it up. I love the event and I am sad I'm not able to rate this one higher.
This story was all over the place. And then there is this weird 'watersports' tag which was totally NOT what I would have expected.
Wyatt seems like a spoiled and careless young man when we meet him. Which isn't anything bad at his age. His life is full of party, drugs and sex. On the other hand he is also a dancer and very ambitious.
His life comes to a halt when he wakes up after a party with a naked stranger in a hotel room. His friends are there too, all passed out. The stranger wakes up and rapes Wyatt orally while his friends are right there. The scene is sort of explicit but it's written without a real emotion and that shocked me. Maybe it was what the author wanted. Right after the rapist comes he uses Wyatt to urinate. Directly into his throat. -this is that watersports tag I'd say. That's the moment Wyatt's friends wake up and help him. But they all just leave. There's no police. There's no real talk. Just a few tears. which: what????? Well Wyatt meets the rapist later again, twice actually, and has some sort of revenge. But not really.
I thought that whole rape issue was handled in a weird way.
Then there's homophobia while Wyatt plays for a rugby team. He gets the whole homophobic treatment. And all right under the nose of his coach who happens to be openly gay. what???
The sort of love story is totally not believable. there's no chemistry between the MCs. Everything is weird and in the end everything happens too fast.
So we have rape, homophobia, bullying, GFY and a guy who is asexual and feels lust for the first time in his life. All interesting issues and full of plot ideas. But it's just too much for a story.

Kudos for having an asexual character.

[Elizabetta · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

In Dare one of the MCs struggles with his asexuality-- which you hardly ever read about in gay erotica/porn. This shortie shows that there is some hope, at least for Theo.

Something about the free-spirited Wyatt, a fellow rugby teammate at UC Berkeley, catches Theo’s eye and gets his work out shorts tight. Well, that gets Theo’s attention, he hasn’t felt any stirrings for anyone, male or female, like, ever. So, it’s Theo acting on a dare that brings the two together.

There is a graphic assault scene and a serial rapist is on the loose. Wyatt gets himself into one difficult situation after another… he seems pretty clueless… or just, very young.

The author follows the same formula with the other LL event story, Falling for You: the protags get together pretty late in the plotting and just as things get started, the story ends. I hope next time we can get more of the romance developing earlier on with more connection between the main characters.

[melek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was not what i was expecting how the story would go from the start it started off heavy but then it eased down, There are issue on touching subjects so be warned.

Wyatts is care free gets himself in a situation no one would want to be in his friends rescue him. and then some more no idea if he will eva learn but hope it does try.

Then we have Theo asexual who doesn't really care to have sex or be with anyone but that until wyatts turns up. I wish i could have more after what happen between these to it was the beginning then to end.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the characters, and their world and hope I get the chance to read the story again and/or to read more within the series.

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

[Pamela Su · Rating 4 out of 5]

A strange love story that appealed to me.

I was confused at first though. I couldn't figure out who was who but eventually I got it. There are rough moments in this story that would be uncomfortable for some readers to read. The story also moves rather quickly so it is difficult to follow at times.

Still, I really liked this story. The weirdness of the story charmed me.

[Sandra]

Offered for FREE from the M/M Romance Group's Love's Landscapes event. Thank you too all the amazing authors who participated!

Tagged as "watersports"?!? I dunno about that...

[Melanie~~]

[NOTE: I rate most writing event stories (free reads) 4 or 5 stars because of my appreciation of the author's participation and gift.]

[Silkeeeeeereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, cotton candy read.

[Brian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too many horrible things going on... Vandalism, homophobia, rape, etc. Could not get past it.

[Verity · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come

[Lillian Francis]

Heed the warnings.