The One that Got Away by T.C. Blue
This is a very nice novella, pretty simple in the story, but really romantic. It's the classical friend with benefits starting point: Jim and Michael are roommates, Michael was just dumped by his selfish boyfriend and he is grieving; Jim doesn't like to see him in that way and decides to do a bit of comfort work: taking him out, giving him a bit of self-esteem and in the end, ending in bed with him. Jim doesn't plan this last turn, but truth be told, it's not something that he doesn't like.
Till that moment Jim was the full-mode party boy, 3 nights a week out clubbing, more or less a new boy every week; Michael was instead more the couch, good movie and cuddling type. Even in body they are different and in their character type: Jim tall, big and broad shoulders, Michael the nerdy type, lithe and skinny, big nose and glasses. When Jim first met Michael, he saw what everyone else sees, an average guy who you wouldn't turn to look on the street; but Michael is the man you get used to, that insinuates himself in your heart and takes possession of it. And this is exactly what happened to Jim: when Michael was thinking to commit with his former boyfriend, Jim was jealous, he thought that the reason was that he didn't judge the ex enough good for his best friend, but the real reason was that he wanted to be at his place. And when Michael is again on the market for a relationship, Jim snatches him away with the excuse of comforting him, but really trying to stake his claim. Problem is that Jim is not clear with his feelings, and even if sex is great, Michael has still big trouble to understand why an handsome and popular man like Jim wants to be with an average guy like him.
In a way, to fully believe in their love, Michael has to test himself with other people, it's not enough that Jim tells him he is perfect as he's, he has to have the same confirmation from other people, who are not his best friend. But fortunately this is a romance, and the happily ever after is at the horizon. And in the meantime, you have also a lot of nice sex between Michael and Jim, with Michael that proves that the old motto, big nose big c... is not only a myth. I like also the setting, almost all played in Jim and Michael's building apartment, with them moving up and down from their home to that of their lesbian couple friends, to the neighborhood clubs and little shops, it gives an intimate feeling to all the story.
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