Everyone can read minds except for Ethan Langdon. And Ethan Langdon has the dumbest (and cutest!) thoughts Lukas Hoffmann has ever heard. ____ 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. ____ Cover by @mygoodbones ____ 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."

Simon has discovered that his boyfriend of a year is cheating on him. Heartbroken, he heads to the bar, unaware that this evening will change his life since his new friends won't have any part of his grief. Instead, they introduce him to the concept of the 5 Steps to Cheat the Cheater.

235,000 + words | ManxMan | - Historical Fiction - Strong SEXUAL Content | PREQUEL to 'The Master Collection' - can be read as a stand alone Returning home after the death of his elder brother, Reynold Deighton is given the responsibility of taking over the family business. He crafts unique furnishings for the local nobility of the area. When a most peculiar man named Lord Victor Ramsey makes the City of Banemount his new home, Reynold is requested to work for the lonely lord. They're both on the road to overcoming the darkest moments of their pasts, but find quick comfort and one another as time continues to heal their wounds. However, with the shadows of their pasts lurking ever so near, each of them will need to overcome their hardships. But at least they won't have to do such alone. | This story is also connected to the universe where The Master Collection series took place, providing a backstory on the founder of the bar known as Reynold's Parlor that made a frequent appearance in the initial series.

The one rule Daniel has for himself? Don't date your boss. And it's the one rule he can't help but break. They say never meet your heroes, but Daniel has to. He's hired as a personal assistant, tasked with turning around the life of the man he'd admired since his college years-bestselling author Oliver Carlson. And he's nothing like Daniel pictured him, dressing in baggy cartoon T-shirts, with facial hair overwhelming his features and a messy home that resembles a frat house. But what Daniel doesn't know is how well his new boss can clean up... and how smoking hot he really is, underneath the oversized shirts and overgrown beard. There's more to Oliver than hidden six-pack abs and gorgeous eyes. What other secrets will Daniel unlock, all while trying desperately not to break his one and only rule?

Alex has been set up on a blind date for a company event night by Caspar - his caring, but highly unpredictable friend. The man that shows up at his door turns out to be someone, or rather - something -, Alex could have never expected. Can he get past the awkward situation he's been put in and enjoy himself? Alex is not so sure... Giving in to Adam's advances, Alex finds himself in a very strange yet, physically, very satisfying situation. As time progresses, so does the relationship between the two unlikely lovers. But will the fine balance between sex and romance stay the way it is? Or will it all fall into ruin because of their resistance to fall for each other? (This story was originally posted as a fanfic but has been edited by the author to an original story. This is the second, non-fandom version.)

[ boyxboy ] Noah Summerville is broken when his long forgotten uncle comes to his rescue and takes him to a small town of Alaska in a search of a new life. Then he sees Dylan McKenna with his man bun, thick thighs and intense stare. There is something about this man that makes him think coming to Alaska wasn't such a bad idea after all. However, Noah's demons follow him even as far as the coldest, darkest wilderness. He can't keep up, he's slipping and Dylan is right there in the middle of it all. Dylan McKenna has a motto: never commit and never fall in love. He revels in his solitude... Until a gorgeous, young man ends up as his new employee. He's trying really hard to keep things professional but the draw he feels for him goes beyond mild interest. Soon enough priorities shift, shields come down and truths get exposed. They might survive the harsh winter in Alaska. But will that be enough? Started: May 2024 Finished: December 2024

Came here to die, only to be saved. One encounter on the rooftop and he's hooked, leaving Adrian constantly thinking about him. Like an open wound left unattended, his affection slowly festered into an obsession.

[WATTY'S 2024 SHORTLIST] Seventeen-year-old, popular Athlete, Ontario Hackman struggles with identity, and the fact he may be facing something deeper-rooted than the surface, and when fellow gay boy, Nathaniel Ericson comes along, out and about, with his rainbow bracelets, and his shameless crush on the Popular Athlete, and begins experiencing torment at the hands of his peers, Ontario realizes just how much easier it is to stay hidden. But everyone knows, What's done in the dark will always come to the light - In the gilded halls of his high school, seventeen-year-old Ontario Hackman is the epitome of perfection-a star athlete, a charismatic leader, and the heartthrob of every party. But beneath the surface of his flawless facade lies a turmoil of uncertainty and hidden desires. When Nathaniel Ericson, openly gay and unapologetically himself, arrives with rainbow bracelets and an unabashed crush on Ontario, it sets off a chain reaction that shatters the delicate balance of Ontario's carefully curated life. As Nathaniel faces relentless bullying at the hands of his peers, Ontario is forced to confront the shadowed corners of his own identity. The conflict between staying hidden in the comfort of his popularity and embracing his true self becomes a battleground for Ontario's soul. As their worlds collide and intertwine, Ontario and Nathaniel must navigate the tumultuous waters of love, acceptance, and self-discovery. [Word count: 45k) #1 in mentallyunstable out of 3.97k (July 4th, 2024, 10:39 AM)

What haunts Sam Hughes? ("The Multitudes Within Me" is the sequel to "The Sound of Ice.")