ORION GRAVES has always been on top. A straight-A, high honors student. Top of his class on the path to valedictorian and an Ivy League school. Until suddenly, that all changes. Orion was outed as transgender at his old school, and became victim to relentless harassment. Not to mention that in June of his junior year, his mother lost her battle with cancer. Now, he must move in with his father-whom he hasn't seen since his parent's divorce when he was 8. Moving all the way from Red, California to Lakeview, Maine, he has to start from the very beginning. But, as he starts his senior year in a brand-new school he's quick to learn that it's not going to be easy to get back on top, nor keep his head down and stay under the radar like old times. Because there's Caleb. CALEB MITCHELL, the star child of Lakeview. Honored for being so well-rounded he probably shouldn't get too close to a hill. Not only that, but he's nice. And funny. And surprisingly good-looking. And Orion's new best friend. But Caleb's lost someone too, and is struggling just as much; this perfect kid suddenly not so perfect anymore. He's got his own demons, and pressures, and a heavy depression holding him back. And yet, through these shared struggles, their friendship somehow manages to blossom into something so much more sacred. ---------- Cover and story by me, @devenwrites Official Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2XONF7xeRhcFwDBWpbxmsB?si=7s4Whhq-RlewQIiya3UwQw

Eighteen year old Sasha isn't ready to live independently, but his parents didn't give him any choice. Too anxious and unsure of himself to really live, he sits alone in his tiny apartment and tries to stay distracted. He stays quiet, hoping to go unnoticed by the world. Next door, Cooper shares an apartment just as small with his two roommates. He knows his friends love him, but he's loud and impulsive and easily distracted, and sometimes he feels like a burden. He thinks the apartment next to theirs is empty, until one day he hears a sound from next door...

Nox is dying. Marked by a curse no one understands, his once-vibrant birthmark fades with each passing day; an unspoken sentence counting down to his end. Alone on a desolate hillside, exhausted and broken, he clings to the last pieces of his fading life: a letter to his family, a worn sword, and a heart heavy with regret. Then, without warning, a stranger appears. Tall, dark, and silent, the man's arrival is both a mystery and a lifeline. There is something in his sharp, guarded gaze; a flicker of something deeper beneath the surface of his hardened exterior. In the face of death, what begins as wary dependence slowly shifts into something more powerful, an unspoken bond that neither of them expected but both desperately need. In the shadow of a fading curse and the weight of a broken past, Nox and the stranger find themselves drawn together by something neither dared to name. As life grows fleeting, their connection becomes a chance at salvation, not just of the body, but of the heart. Sometimes, love arrives when all seems lost.

Ethan Calaway has spent his entire life hopelessly in love with his best friend, Noah Anderson. Due to unfortunate complications, his love for Noah's ocean eyes has been locked away from the world- especially from Kurtis Anderson. Fast forward to many years later when Ethan receives an invitation to Mr. Anderson's memorial. Old memories, past love, and most definitely pain resurfaces when Ethan returns to his hometown.

"Sooner or later, you'll fall for me, too." Theodore bursts into laughter. "I don't know where your confidence is coming from." Jacob chuckles and says, "I just know." And then it catches Theodore off guard when Jacob adds, "We should be making out right now." Theodore swallows and looks him in the eye. "We should." "And I should be undressing you at this very moment," he continues, "We could stay up all night with our hands on each other and just... forget everything." ****** Meet Jacob and Theodore, the polar opposites within a tight-knit circle of the most esteemed members of society. Jacob, reserved and hard to read, isn't exactly Theodore's biggest fan-unlike everyone else, who's head over heels for the golden boy. However, as they navigate their way through law school, they trip over a connection that sparks a lowkey romance, catching both of them by surprise. Content warning: Physical assault, homophobia, mental health, strong language, sexual content Started: September 21, 2023 Ended: January 9, 2024 Revised: June 1, 2025 - June 28, 2025

~WATTYS SHORTLIST 2025~ Hunter Dannings was a young CEO who had given up on love. But when he met River Conyers, a single dad and bar owner, his life began to change. Being around River gave him hope, and being around his daughter, Melodie, let Hunter imagine creating the family he's always wanted. But River doesn't let people in easily. And falling for him puts Hunter at risk for more heartbreak than he's ever known. ----- "Thanks for bringing me home." "It's no problem," Hunter shrugged, crossing his arms against the bitter Toronto cold. "You did the same for me." "Yeah," River started in, but paused, fingers tightening around the doorknob. "Maybe I should return the favor." In two large steps, River stepped in front of Hunter. His breath left his lips in small clouds as he stared determinedly at Hunter's mouth. Hunter's body was confused. After battling the oncoming winter chill for so long, it was strange to suddenly have River in front of him, warming his skin from proximity alone. Fingertips tinged pink by the cold reached up, grabbing Hunter's jacket and using the fabric to pull the taller man down. "You were gone for so long and never reached out," River croaked, fists tightening around the fabric of Hunter's coat. "Never sent me a text or gave me a call." "I'm sorry." "Are you?" River's whispered words warmed Hunter's lips, teasing him with the promise of more. "Then prove it." __________________________________ Highest Rankings: #1 mxm/malexmale/manxman #1 gayness/unlimitedpride #1 parent/singleparent #1 nosmut #3 gay #3 lgbtlove/lgbtlovestory #4 gaylove #5 fallinginlove #7 bxblove #16 wattpride #35 lgbt #64 bxb #96 boyxboy #99 single-parent #136 lgbtq #200 BL Date Started: 02/02/2024 Date Completed: 10/4/2024

After his nervous breakdown culminates in a shocking assault, pop superstar Laurie Hayes must partner with a genius producer in a final bid to salvage his spiraling career. *** Three years after becoming an overnight global sensation, musician Laurie Hayes stands on a cliff's edge at the top of the world. Dominating headlines with inventive scandals and refusing to release new songs for his label, the spotlight on his future has started to dim. Desperate to clean up his image and deliver new music to the masses, his managers have pushed him into the path of James Kato, whose strict and stubborn methods have presented an insurmountable challenge. Brooding recluse James has devoted his life to staying in control. Now, he's been tasked with an impossible mission: getting Laurie Hayes to finish an album in eight months, without triggering another fit of frustration-induced rage. Charged with keeping Laurie in line, he begins to untangle the mess of secrets driving the singer's erratic behavior and unpredictable lifestyle. Forced to work as a team, only one question remains. Can James keep Laurie on top of that unsteady cliff, or will the two end up plunging over its edge together? *** Can be read as a standalone.

When shy bartender Elliot is approached by a handsome stranger on a park bench at midnight, their unlikely attraction unravels everything they know about themselves, and the crime-ridden city around them. *** Elliot Taylor is running out of places to hide. Trapped between a ruthless father, a dead-end job, and a future that feels just out of reach, he spends his nights on park benches clinging to one goal: get into college and get out for good. What he doesn't plan on is Noah Black. Vice President of the Stray Dogs Motorcycle Club. Infamous. Observant. Relentless. Far too charming for a man with a reputation for violence, and determined to pry into wounds Elliot would rather pretend don't exist. Through chance encounters and sleepless nights, the two can't seem to avoid each other. But Noah's life comes with complications: a motorcycle club under pressure, threats closing in, and loyalties that crumble when tested. As Elliot drifts deeper into Noah's current, he cannot help but realize how dangerously close he's falling -- even as deadly secrets threaten to unravel everything they've fought so hard for. Soon, Elliot must face a choice: keep chasing the life he's always dreamed of, or confront the truths that could shatter everything he knows... including his past, his heart, and the man who refuses to let him go.

"Remember this - don't fuck up my life more than you already have, pretty boy. You're gonna regret it." Even while knowing that he felt nothing towards me other than hatred, that was the first time I really acknowledged the small things about Blake Brooks, something I never thought about before. His face was like a drug I couldn't get enough of. -- Theo Wright is a quiet, and intelligent nerd, who's academically oriented. He comes from a family with a prestigious and wealthy background. He's usually left alone, ignored, and overlooked, but not at his new High School. Not at Redsen High. With his parents firing half of the town's shop owners to make room for more chain restaurants and stores, the town of Redcliff is enraged at the Wrights' actions. Especially Blake Brooks, a popular and obnoxious jock, who just so happens to live next to the Wright mansion, and coincidentally, goes to the same school as Theo. When Blake finds out the news about his parents' unjustified unemployment, he's angry and provoked. And what better way to get back at the Wrights', than to find his way into their business secrets? But to achieve this, he first needs to find his way into Theo Wright's heart. (COMPLETE) tropes - bxb, enemies to lovers, vengeance, temporary unrequited love, revenge, high school, polar opposites, bet, slowburn copyright @asphericity and @ventricosity