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When shy former track runner Emery strikes a deal with charismatic athlete Beckett, they each have a goal: to help the other impress their crush. But as courtship slowly turns to jealousy, the two are left to confront their feelings as they fight to win each other's hearts instead.Season 1 of Crushed Hearts***All that Emery Theiss wants is to become an English professor, knowing his ADHD medication means his days of running sprints are over. But when the track team star, Beckett Delroy, unceremoniously hits him with a football, Emery's bad luck changes gears.Beckett needs Emery's advice to help his crush warm up to him, and Emery could use Beckett's confidence to win over his best friend and secure his future. But while coming to an agreement is easy, Beckett is the track rival who broke Emery's coveted record, and he can't stop himself from flirting, even with Emery. The charmingly annoying teasing, however, reveals Beckett has a softer side. The more time he spends with Beckett, the less important impressing his crush becomes. Faced with the possibility of losing his chance at his future, will Emery chase love or settle for certainty to ensure his heart isn't crushed?***Cover Design by Louise De Ramos…

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Stubbornly agreeing to play goaltender for his rival team, Morgan is forced to be puck buddies with his irritating new captain, the player who left him with an injury. He doesn't expect to fall for the one person he'd rather keep hating.🏒🏒🏒Morgan Raleigh could have been a legendary golden boy goalie, but returning from an extended career hiatus leaves him so desperate to prove himself in hockey again that he agrees to play for his former rivals, where Scott Brooks, the infuriatingly cocky player who injured him, is his captain. After a messy breakup, Scott has no choice but to share a room with Morgan, who he blames for the bad press that ruined his relationship. As petty as it may be, the only way he can possibly spend a year pretending to play nice with his rival is through passionate arguments, competitions behind the scenes... and casual hookups where Morgan pretends his goal is the pain relief, and Scott tells himself he only needs the release.But the longer they spend as teammates, the more Morgan's fun side opens up Scott's emotional walls, and the more Morgan questions his sexuality. With the past heavy between them, Morgan must reconcile his desire to return to his old team with his confusing feelings for the person who destroyed him the most.Content Warning:Brief portrayals of paranoia and mental illness (OCD) and addiction behaviour as well as discussions of religious trauma. Please use discretion while reading.…

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Seeking an escape from his overbearing mother, Evan McKenna fills his free time with hockey practice and extracurricular activities, counting down the days until he graduates. Hoping to keep a routine, and after being diagnosed with severe anxiety, Peter Delacroix hides behind the front desk of his father's quiet hotel. When his best friend starts an astronomy club to help him socialize, nobody expects Evan McKenna to walk through the door. As Evan struggles with acceptance and his ever-changing plans for the future, Peter slowly forms a bond with his club members and attempts to reconcile with his past. With the astronomy club's preparation for a meteor shower and an eclipse on the horizon, Evan and Peter have two hundred days to make sense of their hectic lives before parting ways forever.Content Warning:Descriptions of abuse, alcoholism, and homophobia as well as discussions of mental health and sexuality. Please use discretion while reading.Cover by @lantea-…

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An egotistical supervillain, thrown back in time by her sidekick, must work with her past self--and her ex-girlfriend-turned-superhero, in order to find her way home.☆Rory Lennox, also known as the supervillain Ridge, always gets what she wants. At least until her loyal sidekick goes rogue, throwing her back to her university years using the time machine she invented. When her path crosses with her past self, she finds past-Rory is willing to believe time travel exists, but not that she would ever become a villain. To make matters worse, Accha Coderia, Rory's superhero-rival and ex-girlfriend, is trapped in the past too. As the two are forced to work together to fix the machine, unresolved tensions rise between them, daring to re-ignite a flame they have both been trying to ignore. In order to get home, Rory must ensure the past plays out exactly as it happened the first time, which means reliving the events leading to her descent into villainy. Rory might be doomed, but maybe... just maybe... her past is exactly what she needs.Content Warning:Brief mention of suicide. Please use discretion.Cover by @-MilaSteele…

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When Essa sees their villainous future, they use the prophecy as a ploy to defeat their three brothers and force each one into a better work-life balance.Their first so-called battle restarts an old tradition for family dinner, leading Essa to bond with their brothers, all while struggling to balance their guilt and their alter-ego, Muse, whose name comes with a reputation of its own.****Written for the Open Novella Contest 2024 (ONC), using prompt 87.Cover by @Nicoismysenpai…

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Burnt-out influencer Wynne Mayfield gave up on her social media dream five years ago. But a new sponsorship deal might be her second chance, even if it means returning to the island she has tried to escape.When she crosses paths with her former best friend, Sienna, Wynne can no longer avoid her. With only twenty days before the sponsorship deadline, Wynne plans to drown her feelings for Sienna--but the more their history resurfaces, the more the two find they understand each other better than before.****Written for the Open Novella Contest 2025 (ONC), using prompts 110 and 120.Cover by @-MilaSteele…

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Kacie Janacek dreams of having superpowers like her two fathers, the legendary superhero Almighty Orion and the evil henchman Onyx Spark.After the media captures a photo of Orion saving Kacie from the clutches of a fight, she slowly becomes famous as the rumoured child of a superhero. But her newfound fame isn't everything it seems to be. Kacie feels trapped--with no way to defend herself, how could she possibly be a heroine?As a villain rises to power, and Kacie's father finds his research stolen, she is forced to make a choice to put on a mask and fight, even if it means leaving the safety of normalcy behind. Kacie has idealistic expectations of being a superhero, but a powerless heroine might be Astral City's only hope. Cover by @lantea-…

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Riley Comeau has terrible luck. Lightbulbs shatter in his presence, stoves catch on fire (more so than usual) and microwaves explode. He doesn't have superpowers--at least, that's what everyone tells him.When an old acquaintance unexpectedly invites Riley to join a fraternity with three other guys, he expects a little chaos.What he doesn't expect is to witness a superhero emerging for the first time in Astral City, nor does he expect to have to take matters into his own hands. But life with a secret identity might give him the boost he needs to finish his research for university, while slowly bringing him closer to the one hero who Riley can't seem to resist.Cover by @lantea-…

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Kacie Janacek's dream of becoming a hero has finally come true, but instead of feeling satisfied, she's more uncertain about her future than ever before.The media reporters follow Kacie's every move, forcing her into the spotlight. Between balancing her birth mother causing trouble, and her senior year becoming overwhelming... Kacie should feel free, but she only feels left out. What exactly does it mean to be a hero?When Kacie's school announces a trip to Crystal City, the famous city of heroes, it sounds like the perfect time for Kacie and Jax to take a break.But Kacie has a mission--she is responsible for locating the elusive light manipulator, Kaleidoscope, who mysteriously disappeared years ago. After all, Kaleidoscope could hold the key to defeating Phantom Shadow, once and for all... that is, if Kacie can find them. Kacie might be a powerless hero, but she must find it within herself to rise before Astral City falls. || This is the sequel to Starlight. It cannot be read as a standalone. Please read that book first. ||Cover by @lantea-…

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❝When the clock stops ticking, and the only lights remaining are the stars above our heads, humanity will not surrender peacefully.❞The unpredictable course of a rogue satellite will destroy Nina Hawthorne's city in two weeks. Depressed, she attempts to find somebody more worthy of saving than herself.Cover by @randompeephere…

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On a road trip to Ciranne Harbour, the nameless partner of Nadia Pierce (secretly the superhero named Sunshine) and best friend to Deon Lancaster, (not-so-secretly the supervillain Trick) conceals a highly important weapon, the Blade of Heart. Although they don't know what that is, they're stuck with it until they reach their destination at a place they used to call home.****An entry to Short Dreams 2021, using prompt #36.…

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Ideas. Half-formed stories. Includes photos taken by me.Cover by @graphicallykiara…