[BOYS' LOVE] As tall as a building. As cold as ice. As breathtaking as flowers. As fiery as a volcano. We may know what it looks like, but we are oblivious to what it seems to be. ⋆౨ৎ⋅˚₊‧⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅‧₊˚ ⋅୨ৎ⋆ Growing up, Beniel Florus Matrinidad was always close to the beauty of Aphrodite. Despite his beauty and the countless men who made their move to him, he didn't entertain any of them. He may look innocent, but he knows how to handle himself, especially men. His only goal, when he and his friends transferred to a new university for their final year, was to graduate. Build a house for him and his grandmother. Have a stable job and live a happy life. Not until he met his roommate, Ashton Rize Tecson, a fiery, tall, basketball player from Summit Peak University known for his frigid aura. He doesn't talk much. He doesn't smile that much. In short, Ashton is the ultimate opposite of Beniel's type; the least Beniel could do is not fall for him. But he did. Were the looks and intimacy enough for love to bloom, or was love more than just what we see and feel? Were the sayings proved that having a crush on someone was just a phase? What happens when two opposites collide? What could go wrong when you place something where it simply doesn't belong? Like water on fire, or a flower in a volcano.

𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗜𝗕 𝘅 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗽𝗮𝗱 [BOYS' LOVE] (REVISED: 2025 VERSION) Coffees and pancakes. Teas and waffles. Two people crossed that created ditto but with dissonance. ⋆౨ৎ⋅˚₊‧⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅‧₊˚ ⋅୨ৎ⋆ They say life is about compatibility. When you are paired with someone who matches your personality and follows the same routine as you, that's how connection and, eventually, love bloom. As per Zern Josh Villarama and Victorino Caiden Flynn, it was the opposite. They could replace the definition of ditto. But despite that, they could not get along. Because Caiden hates gays and Zern proudly lists himself on Caiden's hate list. Their hatred for each other grew like a wildfire, because aside from being neighbors in their university's dormitories, they keep seeing each other everywhere. No matter where they go, fate leads them to the same place at the same time. Can enemies, torn by hate, be drawn happily together in the end? Is it possible for two people who despise each other to fall in love despite the odds? How can they fix the dissonance, when their similarities only fuel their hatred? Can two souls, so alike yet torn apart by bitterness, ever find harmony and turn their conflict into something beautiful, something worth fighting for?

To transform her family's life from rags to riches, Cari is determined to focus on her studies and set the idea of love aside. But upon meeting the mysterious Ross, she knew things will never be the same again. Will Cari be able to tame the fiery beast in him--or let herself burn from the heat? ___ Possessing both beauty and brains, Carmilla Rina Dela Pente is dearly called 'Aphrodite' by her best friends. Despite being a head-turner, Cari has no intention to entertain suitors because she has strict goals set up- to fulfill her family's dreams. One soccer game unexpectedly changes her life, ultimately drawing her to the cold and handsome Ross. For the first time in their lives, both Cari and Ross experienced the bliss of falling in love. But with their feelings growing stronger, Cari soon discovers that their love comes with a price- one that may cost her not only her special love ones, but even more. Disclaimer: This story is written in Taglish. Start: May 12, 2020 End: July 18, 2020

Born in a strict and ambitious family, Syerana cannot handle the pressure that her family gives. As her family tries to control every decision she makes, including her dream to be a flight attendant. Instead of following what her heart wants her to become, she then took the path of being an investigator. With her walking to the path, she does not want in the first place, little did she know that it will also be the path that will draw her to Seig. Being with her first love made her feel different emotions, and experience a lot of things. But as she continues communicating with Seig will make her deal with consequences. The consequences she doesn't even want to face. But then she found out that what scares her most is the only way for her to live with the truth. Start: December 18, 2020 End: July 23, 2021

an epistolary (#1: Riley Validivia)

Sydney James Wantirano is a woman of contrasts. With a fiery, untamable spirit and unyielding principles, she commands respect and admiration. Yet, behind this formidable exterior lies a tender heart that remains devoted to her parents, despite their harsh treatment and the absence of familial love. Her efforts to honor and make them proud are both a testament to her resilience and a source of hidden pain. Everything changes one fateful night when Sydney meets Xarius-a charming, effervescent man who shatters her rigid world. His presence awakens something in her that she never knew she was missing. For the first time, Sydney feels truly at home, valued, and loved-experiences she thought were forever beyond her reach. The irony of finding solace in someone so different from herself only deepens the impact of their connection. But such profound change comes at a cost. Sydney is faced with an impossible choice: between embracing the happiness Xarius offers and fulfilling her obligations to those who have always been her burden. Torn between two conflicting paths, she must decide whether to pay the price for her newfound joy or abandon it to maintain her old responsibilities. Will Sydney find a way to navigate these treacherous waters, or will she escape into the safety of the familiar, leaving behind the twisted wildlands of her heart? Started: July 18, 2020 End: December 17, 2020