Youngbin Lee has been the target of school bullying for long enough, and it has started to chip away his last bit of confidence. But during a fateful meeting with Alex Hill, one of the most notorious and unruly students, Youngbin is offered help; Alex could protect him from bullies tormenting him, if Youngbin returned a favour. And just like that, the two enter a fake dating deal. But the unlikely pair begins to harmonise better than expected, and the closer their set dating deadline is approaching, the more complications arise. ***** mlm/bxb, fake dating, slowburn, fluff and angst, pining, friends to lovers, self discovery, two dumbasses and the disaster that is falling in love, or pretending to do so. ***** 🥈Epiphany Awards (in LGBTQ+) 🥇💎Phoenix Awards (in Romance) 🥈Petal Pages Mini Awards (in Best Prologue) 🥉Rose Gold Awards 2025 (in Best Prologue) ***** Started Writing: February 2023 Started Posting: September 2023 Completed: August 2025 Word Count: 226,516 ***** cover: drawn by me

When Alistair Melek gave his life to the sea, a various degree of things changed. For starters, his love for bloodshed was exemplified. Bolder. He was drawn to the clash of a sword, blood spiling below to floorboards, like a moth drawn to a flame. And this love was damned to spread through his crew as some treacherous disease, claiming any and all who joined. But he knew this was the price he'd pay. The price for the sea itself. So when his crew completes another standard loot and pillage from a merchant ship, he allows his men a bit of fun. He liked to give them an audience, rounding up those who didn't fall victim to the blade during battle, and forcing them to beg for their lives. To prove how much they really wanted to live. Alistair had ruled the sea for some years now. Killed thousands, maybe tens of thousands. Destroyed hundreds, maybe thousands of vessels. And yet, each feeble human was all the same. There was not one man he threatened that didn't beg for their lives with all they had in them when faced with the wrong end of the sword. Each feeble human was always the same. Or so he thought. And yet, he also thought that this would be one standard job. A treat for his men after a night of good work. But this particular survivor, the one with long white hair and dead looking eyes... He wasn't a merchant. He couldn't have been. More important, there was no hesitancy when Alistair asked the fairly built man whether he wanted to live, and the man replied with a simple no.

Content to live in his superstar twin's shadow, Evan Reed never expected to join the volleyball team-or fall for his brother's best friend. But one accidental collision sets off a whirlwind of spikes, secrets, and unexpected feelings that just might pull him into the spotlight for good. *** Evan has spent his entire life living in the shadow of his twin brother and volleyball prodigy, Ethan Reed. And to be honest? He likes it there. No expectations, no pressure, just quiet. That is, until one day he trips and falls into a boy, and subsequently triggers a highly dramatic series of events that starts with him reluctantly joining the volleyball team, and ends with him dating his brother's best friend. (And unfortunately, after all of it, he's still on the volleyball team.) *** NOW COMPLETED