Friday Fictioneers – The First Time

Every week, Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (thank you, Rochelle!) hosts a flash fiction challenge, to write a complete story, based on a photoprompt, with a beginning, middle and end, in 100 words or less. Post it on your blog, and include the Photoprompt and Inlinkz (the blue frog) on your page. Link your story URL. Then the fun starts as you read other peoples’ stories and comment on them!

FF - The First Time 180425

PHOTO PROMPT © Jan Wayne Fields

The First Time

Gerald marvelled at how strong Peter’s legs were, how supple, how beautiful, as he followed him up the steep path.

At the top, he gazed over the plain and exclaimed, “Great view!”

“Even better wi’ a beer. Get t’ bottles out, lad.”

Gerald smiled at him. Trust Peter to be thinking of beer!

They sat down, side by side, almost touching, and opened the bottles. Yeasty bubbles tickled Gerald’s nose as he drank. The warm sun caressed his skin.

His hand crept onto Peter’s. Peter looked earnestly at him. Suddenly, their hearts sang.

For the first time, they kissed.

72 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers – The First Time”

    • Dear Rochelle
      Thank you for reading and commenting. I don’t often write about tenderness – perhaps it’s not dramatic enough! – but it’s nice to indulge once in a while.
      Shalom
      Penny

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    • Dear Susan
      Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m glad you enjoyed the story; the idea came very spontaneously from the prompt (not always the case, I find!)
      With best wishes
      Penny

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    • Dear Dale
      Thank you for reading and commenting.
      I’m glad the romantic aspect came across strongly for you. I don’t specify historical fiction as the genre, so the reader can decide for herself when it’s set, but I was imagining late sixties/early seventies when being gay was much less acceptable. It was a real effort – a real adventure too – for Peter and Gerald to acknowledge their feelings for each other.
      With very best wishes
      Penny

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    • Dear evergreenmeadows
      Thank you for reading and commenting. It was one of those moments when time slows almost to a standstill, and suddenly everything is clear – and marvellous.
      With best wishes
      Penny

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    • Dear Jilly
      Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m glad you were pleased it was a love story – and that the yeasty bubbles caught your imagination!
      With very best wishes
      Penny

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  19. Such a beautiful moment, made me smile. The beginning leaves no doubts about Gerald’s hopes, but we can’t be sure about the outcome until the end. Their hearts sang is such a nice way to phrase it.

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    • Dear Subroto
      Thank you for reading and commenting.
      No, beer goggles weren’t clouding their judgement. Gerald and Peter were in love, and at last found the courage to admit it to each other.
      With best wishes
      Penny

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  26. Dear Fatima
    Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m really pleased you liked the way the emotions developed through the story. Yes, we both wrote about love, and indeed about a moment of romantic love as a transcendent experience. Must be something about our response to mountain tops!
    With very best wishes
    Penny

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    • Dear Bjorn
      Thank you for reading and commenting. I’m delighted you liked my love story. Sharing a beer is sometimes a way of expressing emotion while concealing it; in this case It was nice that Peter was brave enough to respond to Gerald’s affection.
      With very best wishes
      Penny

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    • Dear Mike
      Thank you for reading and for your very complimentary comment. The key to packing a lot into 100 words is to make words do double duty. For example, ‘The warm sun caressed his skin’. ‘Warm’ refers to emotional intensity as well as the temperature. ‘Caressed’ refers to the thoughts in Gerald’s mind as well as being a nice way to describe how the sun felt.
      With very best wishes
      Penny

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