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Waiting for Clark

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Dear Author,
My friends and I love cosplay, and this year we’re going all out for our city’s con. Yup, we’re going to go as members of the Justice League. I’m going as Batman, but I can’t figure out who’s going as a Superman. My friends are being a little cagey. What’s going on? How did I go from not knowing who Superman is to making out with the guy?

Photo Description:
In a cartoon drawing, Batman and Superman are locked in an embrace, kissing. Superman is taller and clutching Batman to him. Batman has more muscles and has visible tattoos on his arms. Superman has broader shoulders and dark hair. Batman is stretching up to meet him and has one foot kicked behind him. Behind them is a graffiti-covered wall, and Superman’s rainbow-lined cape swirls around them. The prompter specified that the picture is two men in cosplay costumes at a Comic Con convention.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" 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.

77 pages, ebook

First published June 7, 2015

56 people are currently reading
668 people want to read

About the author

Annabeth Albert

110 books3,754 followers
Frequent tweeter, professional grammar nerd, and obsessive reader, Annabeth Albert is also a Pacific Northwest romance writer in a variety of subgenres.

Emotionally complex, sexy, and funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. In between searching out dark heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two toddlers.

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5 stars
396 (26%)
4 stars
662 (44%)
3 stars
370 (24%)
2 stars
51 (3%)
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12 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 298 reviews
Profile Image for ~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semi-colons~✡~.
3,578 reviews1,117 followers
June 10, 2015
~4.5~

And this, my friends, is why Annabeth Albert has become one of my auto-read authors.

What a FUN & CREATIVE interpretation of the prompt!



Waiting for Clark is one SWEET, SEXY story about estranged best friends reconnecting after half a decade apart.

He tasted like the memory of all my favorite things. Sunshine. Coffee. Laughter. Cinnamon. Clark. Mainly that. He tasted like Clark and that made him automatically my favorite flavor on earth.

Bruce Bryce and Clark, dressed up as Batman and Superman respectively, meet again during a comic convention.



Bryce has hardened his heart against the man who broke it in college, but Clark wants nothing more than to get back their easy, close friendship and hopefully something more.

The tattoos totally fit who he was, and I wanted to spend hours tracing them with my tongue. All man. All mine.

This is such a light, ADORABLE read told in alternating first-person POVs. You can't help but smile and cheer for these slightly geeky superheros.

I loved the banter, the slow burn, the sexy shower scene, the couch cuddles, and the awkward perfection that was the epilogue.

Being fearless is overrated.

"Maybe being scared is the only solution,"
I said at last. "Sometimes you just have to don the cape and ... fly."

Profile Image for Dalia.
280 reviews96 followers
February 8, 2017
Enjoyable and adorable geeky read. I totally love the photo prompt of Superman and Batman kissing!



2nd read: 22-06-2016
Profile Image for Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp.
792 reviews1,933 followers
March 4, 2023
|| 2.5 stars ||

This was cute, but very simple. It’s a short and geeky second-chance romance that doesn’t have a lot of depth due to its length, but does have a sweet premise.
For a novella I think this was executed pretty well, but I didn’t really feel a connection to the characters or the story.

Bryce was honestly even a little annoying to me, and I got a bit sick of him being grumpy and evasive.
Clark was a rather bland character, but overall he was pretty okay.
I do wish it would have been Bryce who was trying to convince Clark to give them another shot instead of the other way around, but oh well.

I thought their friendship was well-established, but I wasn’t totally sold on the romance. Especially after there had been so many years where they did not see or speak to each other.
Their reunion was a little angsty, but not overly so, and they had a moderate amount of chemistry/tension between them. They were both pining pretty heavily for the other person, which should have been something I loved more, but somehow didn’t.

All in all, I think this whole thing was decent, but it was nothing great. I’m having neutral feelings towards it.
Profile Image for .Lili. .
1,275 reviews276 followers
June 15, 2015


What a great little treat this was!!!

*Friends to lovers ✔
*Second chance romance ✔
*Steamy ✔
*Low angst, feel good story ✔
*Humor ✔
*Great characters!!! ✔

Can't gush enough! This is freebie from the M/M Romance group but I would've happily paid for it. I can't wait for more books from Annabeth Albert. 5 Stars!!!





Profile Image for Alvin.
394 reviews104 followers
July 14, 2015

I love free reads, and for those who didn't know, I have been reading Superman & Batman fanfics. I love the "World's Finest" getting it on! Le sigh.

That's why I'm expecting to love this...............................


AND I DID! :D

Fluffy, yearnful, nerdy, awesomesauce.

Just don't get too much annoyed by the stubbornness of Bryce and Clark. You'll live.

4 STARS!


Download link:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

PS:
We should have hot gay MAINSTREAM superheroes. I hope one who has the guts create them.
Profile Image for Sara .
1,541 reviews154 followers
June 9, 2015
I am in love. So in love with this story and I have the stupidest grin on my face from it.

This read like a romantic comedy movie, which is one of my most favorite genres where I curl up hugging my pillow and fall in love with the characters and cheer them on while I gush, cringe and swoon over their romance. GAH!

The author NAILED the prompt. NAILED IT and that picture, the scene with the picture was full swoon worthy that I looked like one of those girl birds from the Looney Tunes cartoons where they swoon when the Frank Sinatra-esque bird sings. You know, the Swooner Crooner... goodness. Just yeah.

This was everything I love about romance. Second chances, friends to lovers, unrequited love that really was what both wanted... I can't even form a full thought because my head is full of these boys. So full of Bryce and Clark and all that they are to one another. All of it, from the friendship, to the longing, to the dirty talk and beyond.

ALL. OF. IT.

This Story! Just read it!

I am going to go stalk the authors backlist now because this, her story telling, is what I need.
Profile Image for Ann.
1,452 reviews135 followers
June 14, 2015
Oh story, I love you! This sweet tale spoke to all the geekery that I love without overdoing it and taking away from the reconnection between the two MC's.

Man, I really can't wait for Comic Con this year. I'm totally going to be looking for these two the whole time I'm there.
Profile Image for Tara♥ .
1,697 reviews111 followers
March 15, 2016
I now have an overwhelming desire to go on a Batman/Superman fan fic binge.

"I'd wanted to know what he tasted like for years now, but in that instant I realized I'd known all along: he tasted like the memory of all my favorite things."



This was very sweet, really clever and rather hawt. Bryce made me want to punch him a few times but he was afraid of losing more people he loved so I guess he can be forgiven, I just think that his reasoning for falling out with Clarke was flawed and unfair but it all works out so can't really complain.

This is so worth reading and if you are a Batman or Superman fan then it's a must read.

Great fun and a free read as part of 'Love is an Open Road' so what's not to love?
Profile Image for Ele.
1,319 reviews40 followers
June 9, 2015
*4.5 stars*

YES! Annabeth Albert picks up a prompt with a cartoon picture of Batman and Superman kissing. It's bound to be awsome, right?

This is a story for second chances. Bryce and Clark, or Batman and Superman (<-------see what she did there?), were college roommates and best friends. They always had amazing chemistry but acted on it only once and shared a kiss. But Clark had just gotten an amazing scholarship and had to leave, so things between them ended on a bad note, along with the friendship.

Now, years later Clark is back, dresssed as Superman for the comic con where Bryce and his partners promote their bussiness.

There is slow burn that leads to an explosive first-time sex scene, an admition of love that will make you all misty eyed and an epilogue with a funny but swoon worthy HEA.



There is also a Superman with a rainbow cape, a hot tatooed Batman and all kinds of Superheroes.

You might want to smack Bryce's head upside down at some point. Please be patient with him. He has reasons for being afraid to let his guard down.

Overall, a great light and steamy story. Recommended!
Profile Image for ☆ Todd.
1,442 reviews1,583 followers
July 1, 2015
I only have time for a quick and dirty review this time, sorry.

This book was a lot of fun for a quick 77 page read.

And, as part of the Love is an Open Road 2015 series, also a free one.

The characters were extremely-well developed and the few sexy scenes were pretty hot.

Okay for *someone* unleashing their gruff inner bottom.

The Comic Con scenes were okay for me, but my favorite part was Clark's confession of love.
“That’s the sex talking—”
Uhhh, no, it wasn't. : )

4.25 solid *volcano-scene* stars.
Profile Image for ♣ Irish Smurfétté ♣.
715 reviews163 followers
June 18, 2015
He smelled different. Not the aggressive, mountain-scented soap he'd favored in college, but something more expensive - a subtle herb-laced scent that tickled my nose and made me want to nuzzle him all over to find its origin. Hair product? Bodywash? I was game for a full-body scan.

I mean, come awwwwwn! You simply cannot go wrong with this.

This has a lovely cadence to it, a rhythm that skips and then ambles, all the time keeping pace. A few hiccups, a couple of skips in the record were all that I found in the way of interruption.

I've said it before and I'll say it again: in order to write a good short story/novella, you've got to know your characters, your objective, and have confidence or be fantastic at faking it when it comes to structuring your story. Win win win in this winner, yo.

I liked toweling him off as much as I liked washing him. I'd never known a guy so in need of pampering - or so resistant to it.

There's a load of heart in this. Some stupidity and bravery. Definitely some maturity and... not so much. There's definitely humor and fun.

Bonus points for "Frak." Oh, yeah!!

I like that both Clark and Bryce were established in their lives, having direction, making their attempt at trying again all the more difficult and real.

*stage whispers* and it's hawt.

Well done!

One more favorite:

Clark was the scrap of driftwood keeping me from drowning. Or maybe he was the undertow that was going to do me in, but either way, I was powerless to move.

I'm not fucking kidding, my heart was all goddamned a-flutter at the end.
Profile Image for Trisha Harrington.
Author 3 books144 followers
June 10, 2015
This was amazing!

I was expecting a cute story that I would love, but I didn't know I would love it this much. It's going straight onto my favorites list.

Bryce and Clark were friends in college. But one kiss changed everything and things haven't been the same since. Bryce hardened his heart against Clark. But Clark, after five years apart, wants his friend back and for them to maybe become more.

The tattoos totally fit who he was, and I wanted to spend hours tracing them with my tongue. All man. All mine.


These two are adorable and sweet together. They were also a little awkward, in a really sweet, adorable way. The history between them strengthened the chemistry between them and I loved the little bits of jealousy between both.

The ending was perfection. It left me with a huge grin on my face!

He tugged me to standing, then stood himself, kissing me soundly. Gradually the kiss morphed from something celebratory to something hotter, more primal, and I had a feeling breakfast was rapidly cooling, but couldn’t summon up the energy to care. I had a future to worry about.
Profile Image for Renée.
1,175 reviews413 followers
July 5, 2020
Now this was my favorite of the LOR stories so far this year. It's the one I've enjoyed reading the most by far! There was another that came close, but didn't have near the character development that this one did.

Ms. Albert is just awesome. How she managed to get so creative with the picture, complete the amount of character development she did, and tie together the best friends to strangers to lovers story in so few pages.....

I bow down to her. This was the cutest prompt and picture. And Bryce/Clark (even their last names were similar to the superheroes). Everything was perfectly executed.

I would kill to have this as a full length. I have to give 5 stars to packing so much punch into less than 100 pages. She was already an auto-buy for me. She just continues to prove it.
Profile Image for Argona.
170 reviews298 followers
December 4, 2015
I enjoyed reading this story so much that I can’t bring myself to give it anything less than 5 stars. It’s not an epic story with a complicated plot or something like that. It’s just a short, sweet and adorable story and I had a lot of fun reading it. I was hooked from the very first page and I think Superhero fans would enjoy this story the most. What made this story so perfect and fun for me was the similarities Bryce and Clark had to the actual Batman and Superman. Bryce is dark and grumpy on the outside and very kind, vulnerable and even insecure on the inside and he hides this so well that none of his relationships really work since no one really knows the real him. Well, no one other than Clark, his best friend. Clark is charming, friendly, outgoing and knows what he wants and goes for it. He is not the actual Superman so understandably, he has his own issues and fears which makes him a great character. Did I mention that there is a Nerd Army? XD

Anyway, this was a very nice and heart-warming “friends to lovers” story with low angst and a happy ending. Thanks to this story, I can no longer watch "Batman vs Superman" movies without grinning from ear to ear!XD Highly recommended to Superhero fans!
Profile Image for Ami.
6,240 reviews489 followers
June 15, 2015
4.5 stars

Friends-To-Lovers. Reunited (and a touch of "the one who got away") theme. Mutual Pining. NERD ARMY!!

From the moment I saw the prompt photo (and the author who snagged it), this was one of the prompts that I was excited about. And it delivered to my expectation and so much more. I love friends-to-lovers stories. LOVE THEM! They have better chance to make me feel happy compared to enemies-to-lovers theme. Albert did a very great job in this one.

Bryce and Clark reunited again after several years, and after one kiss and Clark going away for university sort of kept them apart. I totally loved their characters -- grumpy Bryce and logical Clark. I loved that Clark didn't easily back down when it came to confronting Bryce (even if he needed pointers). Albert wrote the scene from the prompt photo perfectly. And all of these all equal to me with mushy love-tears in my eyes and stupid happy grin on my face.



"Waiting for Clark" is definitely my favorite DRitC 2015 story so far (Day 9) and cemented Annabeth Albert as one of my go-to authors.
Profile Image for * A Reader Obsessed *.
2,691 reviews576 followers
June 14, 2017
4.5 Stars

This resonated with me something fierce.

Best friends Clark and Bryce have pretty much loved each other from the start, but they had their own reasons or excuses for not taking that next step to make themselves truly happy. One fateful night they kiss and in order to save their friendship, they stop - only to lose each other anyways to circumstance that separates them for 5 years.

I loved this pure and simple.

Clark returns and they circle and dance, deflect and avoid - afraid to really show true vulnerability. Loved the angst. Loved the longing and the fears. Loved how perfectly perfect these two were for each other - how they knew each other's likes and dislikes, how they found their annoying habits endearing, how they knew every neurosis and secret.

The intimate friendship they've only had with one another forces them to give in because they just can't resist anymore - and when they do, there's fireworks and fabulousness.

Again, for some reason this just did it for me. More please.
Profile Image for Jennifer☠Pher☠.
2,970 reviews273 followers
June 19, 2015
“Sometimes you just have to don the cape and pray you fly.” Clark laughed, a lot of relief tingeing his voice. “But I think it’s easier when you have a partner.”

Boys and girls, stop what you are doing and read this. This is just such a great book and truly it needs to be read right now. I freaking loved it, so very much.

Thanks to all the Group members who provided awesome prompts with lovely pictures, the authors for writing free stories based on those prompts for all of us to read for free and the M/M Romance Group for all their hard work in putting this years Don’t Read in the Closet event, Love is an Open Road, together.
Profile Image for Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read**.
1,481 reviews810 followers
December 10, 2018

***4.5 Stars***

Yes! Yes! Yes! Annabeth Albert gave me all the friends to lovers feels that I love about this trope. The pining, the fear of ruining the friendship, the shared history, the undeniable chemistry. I got it all!

Absolutely loved this!!

And here's the picture that inspired it all ♥ ♥ ♥





Profile Image for Iman (hiatus).
726 reviews260 followers
July 19, 2022
4.75 ⭐️

batman and superman cosplay, second chance at love, hot tension, reunion, friends to lovers romance. yummy!

this book made me giggle like craazyy!
i love how simple but almost full to the feels this book made me feel. the “batman”, Bryce and the “superman”, Clark (how ironic their names right?) were bestfriends and roommates in college, had a little history, meet up again after five years. sounds sooo good but still, it was a surprise that i loved this <3 everything was told so briefly, but manage to cover the details, and the backstory perfectly! you can’t do that for most of short books and i adore that so much!! :3

the realisations of getting to know someone again especially when you think you know them from the past, but they’ve changed, and then all of those shared sexy glances, and the denying…. aaaaaaahhh yeah, this book has THAT! and the way they describe each other!!! and damn! the cuteness and hotness holy shittt 😩❤️ and when i thought the cute scene would be done, IT JUST KEPT GOINGGGG!!! idk what’s going on with my mood lately, but this def do it for me 😭❤️

But this Bryce had grown into himself. The tattoos totally fit who he was, and I wanted to spend hours tracing them with my tongue. All man. All mine.


the MCs are amazing too! despite both of them being grumpy with each other most of the time, i could tell the difference between their personalities. and their push and pull was there and it was overall a wholesome experience. i am so amazed that a short book could make me feel this way <3

“Sometimes you just have to don the cape and pray you fly.” Clark laughed, a lot of relief tingeing his voice. “But I think it’s easier when you have a partner.”
Profile Image for Laura.
1,520 reviews253 followers
February 16, 2016

Superhero capes swishing in the wind, friends, games, love and more!

Former roommates and best friends, Clark and Bryce, are united after five long years to battle the forces and crowds at the local Comic Con. Oh—reunited in costume too! :D Batman and Superman! These guys were friends that longed for more back in the day. Will they get a second chance at love now? Tension and chemistry push and pull at Clark and Bryce creating fun banter and ooh-la-la sexiness. Throw in a Red Dwarf shout out of love and cuddling and you’ve got yourself a sweet, sexy dose of geeky fun!

Why the 3 stars then? For me, Ms. Albert tried to squeeze too much in a short story.

Favorite Line: ”He rewarded me with a moan that might have been pulled from the depths of Mordor.” :)

A sweet read by Annabeth Albert. I adored her Status Update world. Check this one out—it’s free!



Profile Image for Justin.
600 reviews153 followers
June 16, 2015
Loved the prompt but I was not sure that this type of story would appeal to me. WRONG! It was fantastic!

I'll admit, In the beginning I wasn't a fan of Bryce. Then it was Clark that was ticking me off. But by the end the author not only made me care about both MCs, she also made me want an HEA for them. All of this plus SMOKING HOT S.E.X. in just 77 pages!

Also, thank you to the author for not giving us unnecessary angst. I was preparing to be pissed off when Bryce left on the motorcycle. I just knew this would follow the predictable path that so many other books have, an accident then the professions of love in a hospital. I was so, SO happy to be wrong. This one did not go that route and instead had a unique resolution that pushed this to the 5 star category for me. Bravo, Ms Albert!!

Thank you to the author for a wonderful story and a HUGE thank you to all of the volunteers who make this event so AMAZING!!
Profile Image for Katrina Passick Lumsden.
1,782 reviews12.9k followers
November 6, 2015
Bravo to Annabeth Albert, this is one of the sweetest romances I've ever read. Two best friends reuniting and dealing with the hurt caused by their parting five years previous. I loved the nerdiness, I loved each character's unique quirks, I loved the emotional barriers that Bryce and Clark had to overcome to get their HEA. The revelation scene at the end is one of the best I've ever read. The only drawback to this story is that it isn't longer.

P.S. This is free on Amazon right now.
Profile Image for BevS.
2,853 reviews2 followers
January 23, 2016

This was cute, liked it a lot, and Clark had my permission to smack Bryce upside the head several times, but as far as cosplay and Comic-Con stories are concerned, nothing can live up to Bad Idea (Itch #1) by Damon Suede for me I'm afraid. 4 stars, and many thanks Annabeth for the freebie.
Profile Image for Lori.
Author 2 books100 followers
June 13, 2015
I adored this, all of it - from the prompt to the cover to the beautiful story. A must read for fans of friends to lovers!
Profile Image for Kristan.
379 reviews41 followers
June 8, 2015
Oh. My. God.

description

I think I'm in love. Because this story? This story has everything I love. I'm a sucker for best friends to lovers; add in two sexy guys; one with tats, a second chance, and geeks?! I'm gone.

description

Bryce and Clark were best friends and college roommates for years, secretly pining for the other but never having the courage to say anything. Until one fateful night when they kiss and everything goes to pot. Clark would be leaving within a month, and starting a relationship wasn't in the cards.

Now, five years later, Clark is back home, and in full Superman regalia to help out the Nerd Army (a group of friends), and Batman (Bryce), with their booth at Comic Con. The attraction between the two is still there and made even stronger by the desire to get to know all the changes that have shaped them the past few years. But things are never that simple, and to Bryce it feels like a giant chasm between what they once shared and what they are now.

That's not to say they don't hook up, and it's not sexy as hell when they do.

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To Bryce there's no changing the inevitable outcome; Clark will leave him and his heart will be broken. If only they'd talked years ago, or been more upfront in the here and now, right?

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description

It takes one hell of an amazing pep talk from a friend and some really beautiful realizations for these two to finally get their act together. And when they do, their epilogue is perfection.

I just loved this story to bits. The writing, the characters, everything just clicked for me. The best afternoon read, and so highly recommended.

Thank you to the author for their time and participation in the Love is an Open Road event.
Profile Image for Ula'ndi Hart.
987 reviews15 followers
January 9, 2017
Overall book rating: 4.2
Audio Book: N/A
Book Cover: 2




Now who wouldn't like this? Grumpy Batman and a sexy Man of Steel. Not much to say then is there? Thank you Annabeth Albert! ;-)
You made me smile.
Profile Image for Natasha.
547 reviews249 followers
June 23, 2015
2.5 rounded up for freenesss!

Thanks to the author for participating in the event. :)

I think if this story would've been YA and had the sexy stuff taken out, it might've been more effective. To me. These characters felt very young, and their actions and misunderstandings over the course of 5 years was a little melodramatic.
Some of the banter was quite cute, though, while other bits felt a little forced due to the random pop-ups of unrelated geek knowledge for any reason other than a geek knowledge reference to prove these boys were, in fact, geeks. But props to the author for seemingly getting all the geeky references correct. :)
Some of the slang/lingo seemed a little out of date. I'm not sure. It's not like I'm a cool kid but I am in the same age group and demographic for these characters. I'm a 26 year old geek and I don't talk the way these kids talk. I don't ever say "oh, he's so yummy" or things like "wow, cool tat!" (Do people say 'tat' in real life? Serious question. Maybe it's a Canadian thing) I might actually laugh at my friends if they said things like that.so I guess the dialogue was a part, to me, that felt a bit wrong.

These are small nitpickings. When it comes down to it: cute story, pretty cute characters, well-written, and very nice. It was a nice read.

Will try this author again in the future. This was probably just not the right genre for me. :)
Profile Image for Meep.
2,170 reviews229 followers
June 12, 2015
Thanks to the author for participating and offering this freebie. Regardless of rating that's appreciated.

There's a lot to love in this story - The Nerd Army, muscley big shouldered guys in super-hero costumes, a great sense of friendship. Really wanted to like it but unfortunately I must be broken - apply caffiene and reboot now!

Alternative povs meant the story got drawn out more than need be, I got bored and gave up at about 60% no longer able to keep the pov characters straight in my head.

They've been friends a long time, are both in love with the other, have not let things develop for reasons and are together now but reasons and there was a big fancy house, a fancy job, and no doubt some super-powered brainy kids in their future.

I wasn't feeling what held them back and all the collectibles which likely make for pin-ball-nerd-heaven took away believability. Too much the dream, if that makes any sense.

WARNING - This is also the second story (in sequence) I've read in this event where a parent's death is referenced - it's not a focus, but isn't tagged and could trigger.
Profile Image for ~Kristin~.
1,371 reviews140 followers
September 21, 2015
4.5
I absolutely loved this edition in the love is an open road series. I am a fan of this author and all her adorably geeky yet decidedly hot guys, and this one is my favorite! The characters and background story reminded me of one of my favorite show, the Big Bang Theory, and the clever and unique way she was able to craft this story from the picture description blew me away. Usually when I read stories in this kind of series I feel like I need just a little more, don't get me wrong I really enjoy the short snippets of time we get, but this time I felt like I was given a complete view into these two characters. Bryce and Clark were just about perfection.
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