Tantalizing Tuesday: Devin, Mikal, and Moon...that first step.

“Okay, that’s enough, both of you,” Devin snapped. “I’m glad to see the real issue coming out here, and it has nothing to do with music.”

“It’s no concern of yours,” Mikal said, feeling like he was spinning out of control with no clue which way this situation was supposed to turn out. Was Moon right? In a lot of ways, yeah, but there had to be a way to stop feeling so raw and pissed off. “Moon and I should go; we’ve wasted enough of your time. Since this doesn’t have fuck all to do with the music anymore, you can consider your debt to Linus fulfilled.”

“That’s where I know you from!” Moon said, slowly turning to face Devin, hands sliding off Mikal’s shirt too fast for him to stop them. He was slipping away from Mikal too, moving from straddling his thighs to hobbling on that wounded ankle, sleep pants so loose and baggy on him Mikal could see the top curve of one pale cheek.

“Wasn’t sure if you remembered me, considering you always hid beneath the front porch and pulled the vines closed like curtains whenever the band visited. Don’t know why, we’d have played with you. Always thought Linus was bragging when he talked about how good you were. Okay and let’s face it, those were some not-so sober years so damn near anything he said sounded bigger than it probably was.”

“Wait….” Mikal said. “How old are you?”

When Devin flipped him off, the mood in the room lightened a bit. “Old enough that either of you screaming daddy wouldn’t exactly be wrong.”

Moon gasped, freezing for a moment, a shiver tearing through his body. Mikal could see the goosebumps rising on Moon’s arms and this time it wasn’t from the cold. His shoulders heaved a little deeper, and Moon had to physically hug himself to keep from hurling himself at Devin, Mikal could see it in the way he carried himself.

Moon must not have trusted himself either. The word embodied what he wanted from someone, the same something Mikal could never be. It wasn’t in his nature. Not when he wanted that too. The word had sent a quiver down his spine, drawing him forward to cross the room as well, shoulder pressed to Moon’s shoulder as they stared down at Devin in his chair.

“I see,” Devin murmured, holding one hand out to each of them. They took them and found themselves tucked against Devin’s sides, one of them on each knee, their heads on Devin’s shoulders.

Fuck, Mikal realized then what a jealous fool he was for not seeing him and Moon as the mirror images of one another, which was exactly what they were, a package deal. Moon had seen it long before Mikal could, but then how had that led him to Derrick, who couldn’t be what either of them needed?

Even as Devin cuddled them and let them slowly match their breathing to his, he kept thinking about that one niggling little detail, and how persistent he’d been.

It took a caravan of jealousy-fueled images before it dawned on him. If they were mirrors for each other, then it was possible Devin had a mirror too. His thoughts were drawn to Derrick, and the same fierce protectiveness, patience, and encouragement Devin had been showing him. It had been there all along, he’d just been too stubborn to see it.

Coming home was supposed to be the end of something, until Mikal barreled into his life….and he wasn’t alone.

For Devin McKay, music has been his lover, his drug, and his best friend for as long as he can remember, but there was always something he denied himself while he pursued it. Now that his band has broken up and he’s returned to his hometown of Stoney Brook, he’s settled into a new, somewhat drunken routine, while he tries to get accustomed to this new phase in his life. The last thing he expected was an old friend to send a troubled young musician his way.

Mikal needs help, or rather, his best friend, Moon, needs help getting over the blinding bouts of stage fright that have been plaguing him for the last year. He’ll do anything to get to the root of Moon’s issues, even follow along with the unorthodox methods Devin prescribes for them. After all, Devin was a success in the industry, while Mikal and Moon have been struggling to get a foot in the door.

They aren’t the only ones struggling. Moon’s longtime friend with benefits, Derrick, spends most days rudderless and pretending to be okay. There are things he needs that Moon tries desperately to give him, but Moon has needs too. All their pieces have jagged edges, but with a little twisting and turning, and a lot of songs, they might discover a way they can all fit. 

 AABS MM Series Announcement:

 ＳＥＲＩＥＳ ＡＮＮＯＵＣＥＭＥＮＴ

I am pleased to announce that I am a participating author in the next round of All American Boy Series, a shared world collective of books coming this April.

Each book is a standalone written in a connected series and all will be available on Kindle Unlimited.

SERIES DESCRIPTION:

Ahoy, mates!

Welcome to Stoney Brook, Maine, a quaint New England town filled with hot lobstermen, entertaining establishments, and the annual summer Tall Ships Festival where you may get swept away in the sea of love.

Come aboard and fly your LGBTQIA+ flag to find love as tourist season is in full bloom in this small, coastal fishing town.

The All American Boy Series is proud to deliver brand new gay romance books by 9 authors in a shared world experience. All books are standalone but may include cross-over in characters or scenes.

Join us now and be in the know when this series releases in April 2022.