[Completed] "Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one; stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit answered to, in a strongest conjuration..." Charles Dickens "So... will you be my home?"

In search of distraction, Aster, a prickly young mage with barely controlled power, and Nash, a packless werewolf, find themselves in the same MMORPG. Aster's not much for chatting, but Nash doesn't mind-he's just grateful for the help fighting spiders in an area he's underleveled for. Neither expects their connection to extend beyond the game, but fate intervenes when Aster finds himself stranded one night. With no other options, he reluctantly reaches out to Nash for a ride. As Nash arrives to help, both are stunned to realise they've met before.

Slater was 30 years old when he was mistakenly turned into a vampire, and while learning how to use his new powers, he develops a romantic interest in his drunken 400 year old master, Langston Newbury. Unfortunately, the vampire refuses to reciprocate his feelings, stating that their age gap is far too big. Things get even more uncomfortable when Langston starts trying to set him up with monsters his own age. --- Slater is usually level headed, but can be immature and impulsive at times. Langston can be charismatic but likes to hide his feelings behind a bottle. Shenanigans ensue!

Camilo Carter is The Doctor of East Hadena, one of the deadliest serial killers the city has ever seen. He's excellent at what he does, with no signs of getting caught any time soon. He thinks he has it all figured out, sees himself as almost bulletproof. He's never slipped up, never come remotely close. Camilo is untouchable. That is, until the really hot lead investigator of his case moves in across the hall. ~ "Perfect," he tells me, tone low. My heart practically stops beating in my chest. "I meant you're perfect." Decari doesn't know. He has no idea how untrue that is, how far off. He doesn't know, and he can't know. He can't ever fucking find out! He just can't, and I'm terrified that if I let this continue any longer... I'll get too comfortable. Too secure. I can never allow myself to doubt his loyalty to the law. If I'm to give in, I need to promise myself that. I take a step forward, and we're so close like this that I can feel the heat of his body. I finally move my gaze up to his eyes, which look a lot darker like this. He is entirely focused on me, and I don't think he even realizes he does it, but his hand drops from my face and finds its way to my hip a moment later. The world seems to disappear as I look into his eyes, deciding to warn him one last time. "You'll change your mind." [WATTYS 2025 WINNER] ~ [WARNINGS: smut, gore, some heavy topics like torture and sexual assault, morally grey characters (the usual)(I mean it's a book about a serial killer..)]

HR-19SS | Sammy Walcott is the loner boy. The boy with scars and bruises. The quiet lacrosse boy. Sammy doesn't have a problem being alone and everybody has come to know and respect this. That's until Elijah Gracia comes back to town. Being alone isn't possible anymore. Copyright © CriticallyIntense

Goat sucker. Overgrown lizard. Monster. Miguel is all too familiar with the many names humans have for chupacabras. As a member of a struggling pack, he knows how unfair the world can be to his kind. With their scaly bodies, sharp claws, and flesh-melting venom, it's no wonder humans fear them. After Miguel protects a human from his pack leader at the only restaurant that caters to chupacabras, his life takes a turn for the strange when he is offered a job as a chef. Adapting to the culinary chaos soon becomes the least of Miguel's worries as he finds himself falling for Alejandro, an outspoken chef who treats him with more compassion than even his own kind. But what human would ever love a chupacabra? With the restaurant struggling to stay afloat, inter-species tensions flaring, and Alejandro's ex serving as a constant reminder of what he can never be, will Miguel be able to take the heat, or will he be forced out of the kitchen? Cover by @ShyGuySamurai

[ONC2024] Everyone can read minds except for Ethan Langdon. And Ethan Langdon has the dumbest (and cutest!) thoughts Lukas Hoffmann has ever heard. ____ Part one complete. Part two updating every Friday until completion (but already fully complete on my Kofi!) ____ Lukas Hoffman's life in Brambleburg is about as boring as you'd expect for a town where everyone can read minds. He's used to his routine of dusting the LPs at the record store where he works and helping out his grandma around the house. Nothing in Brambleburg changes. No one in Brambleburg changes. Until Ethan Langdon stumbles in with the soggy remnants of a paper map, asking for the quickest route to Berlin. Ethan, it turns out, doesn't have telepathy, and as aggravatingly inane as his thoughts are, Lukas hasn't felt the excitement of meeting a stranger since.... well, ever. And the more Lukas listens, the more he starts enjoying Ethan's cute thoughts about life, the universe, and Lukas's dimples. ____ Might bring to mind: "Cherry Magic" but set in a fictive European town where everyone except the love interest can read minds. ____ Written for the Open Novella Contest 2024 using prompts 8, 75, 82, and 85. 8. You start singing along to a movie soundtrack late at night forgetting that your window is open. Someone from the outside starts singing with you. 75. You awake in the middle of the night to a voice saying loudly "May the force be with you..." 82. You wake up on a seemingly ordinary day to discover that your thoughts are not private. There is someone else in your head with you. 85. "If you do that again, I'll throw you out that freaking window. What are you doing?" "Checking how high the drop is to see if it's worth it."

"We have been friends for years!!!! For YEARS!!!!! We grew up together!!! You should know me better than anyone!!! Why you don't believe me!!! Why you choose to believe someone over me!!!" I shouted at him while crying. I hear sounds of shattering and I can see the shattered pieces of my heart on the ground in front of me. I know I have to pick them up but I don't have any strength left in me. This is the man I'm in love with most of my life. This is the man I love more than my life. This is the man who hurts me the most. I gather up my last remaining pride and walk away from him.

Reed Walker had a rough time growing up. One thing he always had was his best friend. Through thick and thin, they dealt with everything side by side. From his abusive father, to changing his whole life. Before they're mating ceremony things heat up, and a silly kiss turns into so much more. Felix Casey is a goofy, lovey kid. His best friend- besides Reed is his mom. He lost his dad young and he clung to his best friend. Wherever Reed goes, Felix is there. As long as he had Reed, he'd get through anything.

Everything in Jules Hatcher's life is going well: he has a girlfriend, a job and pretty decent grades. That is until he (literally) stumbles into Hunter Adams, the bad boy and player that everyone knows. Soon Hunter has managed to turn Jules' entire world upside down- and make him discover a side of himself, that Jules never knew of. And it all started with that damn hoodie. Trigger warning: this story includes depictions of homophobia and mentions of suicide.