Discretionary Love

February’s story release is brought to you by @bottomstripper, Len Slatest, Marieta Calvanico, Adelaide Whist, Becky Tudor, @mareejaeger, Earl Smith, Mike Hall, Finn Kobler, @aondoanaabraham, @LedueRichard, Kaitlin Milliken-Flohr, @ShonMapp (½) discretionarylove.com

Hey yall, Twenty four new stories are scheduled for March’s story release on April 3rd. Please check your inboxes. Subs for April’s story release open tomorrow. 🤞

We have gotten some responses out. March’s story release will be available on April 3rd. If we do not get to you today, expect to hear from us by tomorrow.

Hey yall, Check your inboxes this weekend. Decisions will be going out for March’s story release. 🤍

I’m drowning in the softness of her. She tastes like my chapstick and smells faintly of roses. She probes her tongue against my lip. I want to pull it in, feel the heat bloom between my legs. "Like Nothing Matters"—Brooke Xu discretionarylove.com/like-nothing-m…

sometimes i imagine the blueness of this ocean matches my insides bursting with languid teals and muted desire i want so much to love you in our ocean but (lately) i sense it’s only mine "we’re swimming"— Olivia Backal-Balik discretionarylove.com/were-swimming/

and, I could hear my hands, chanting like children jumping over a spinning rope, telling me to explore every possibility of you "Satellites and Stars"— VA Wiswell discretionarylove.com/satellites-and…

“What was tonight about? Was I being used to make her ex jealous?” “I don’t know. Maybe David was dating me to make Denise jealous. Love is strange.” “I suppose, if you call that love...” "Life is a Box of Chocolates"— @mikewilsonauth1 discretionarylove.com/life-is-a-box-…

Her face registers first confusion and then obstinate recognition. Her cheeks burn as she peers around me. “It’s over,” I said. “He’s dead.” I turn my back on her and walk away. "Long Ago on Tuesday Night"— @HKNovielli discretionarylove.com/long-ago-on-tu…

A woman friend wields the camera now, as he crouches behind his son, gently arresting the boy’s arms, the two of them bound together forever in the camera’s flashing light. "Father Love"—Ralph Dranow discretionarylove.com/father-love/

visiting like ancestors, or heart water / our oneness is washed / our separateness: cloaking us as we sleep / & under morning, my love will seed / nurse the little breaths that a life makes / warmer “tha gaol na chuan”—Eartha Davis discretionarylove.com/tha-gaol-na-ch…

...too little of light and water—the shades were drawn—and vases knew nothing of windowsills. In other words, we were starved; affection’s ribs were showing. You, a cigarette at lunch, and me a voyeuristic stare. "Noir"—Mark Katrinak discretionarylove.com/noir/

A bottle of whisky broke. We heard the sound like the explosion of destiny together. We fell in love. The wall clock showed us 0:00 a.m. You began to smoke. I also began to smoke. We fell in love. "The Monochromatic Bar"— @yuunnnn77 discretionarylove.com/the-monochroma…

The tragedy: love is not a person, transmissible and inexact as weather, black grapes dangling lush with sweet juice you cannot see the vine: outside the window love waits while you pull him closer "Lamps on Nightstands"— Brandon Shane discretionarylove.com/lamps-on-night…

She could feel the distance in everything they said – and didn’t say. She could have done more for her mother, been a better daughter, lived closer, visited more frequently, lived differently. "Two Eulogies"— Earl Smith discretionarylove.com/two-eulogies/

my voice wants to say ‘i love you’ and my body is reacting instinctually, drawn to the heat of your touch skin and bones collide, slick your blood staining my chest in prayer & longing "calling/wanting/needing/begging/holding/loving you"—Isabella Suarez discretionarylove.com/calling-wantin…

I didn’t plan a prophecy when I first saw you. Just wanted the whole world to feel your warmth. I spent years folding clay into something like a soul, But your sparks made shape from mud. "Love Letter from Prometheus to Fire"— Finn Kobler discretionarylove.com/love-letter-fr…

Love is learning which wounds are sacred and which can be touched. It is choosing not to win a fight because winning would cost the future. "What We Call Love"— @AondoanaAbraham discretionarylove.com/what-we-call-l…

her legs fall away, without question there’s no power between us only want and will, pleasure and need. we chase each other’s little deaths, not our own "Surrender"— @ShonMapp discretionarylove.com/surrender/

Every word came with the wrong tone. We had the luxury of blame and digging up quarrels. But couldn’t afford to forgive and forget why argument crawls into us. "Bone of Contention"— Ebuka Stephen discretionarylove.com/bone-of-conten…

But the night is cold, so I need to protect my warmth, keep it to myself. The bonfires on the beach were never meant to last. I pour a cold bucket over this beach bonfire and walk off, warming up already. "Bonfires on the Beach"— A.S. Winters discretionarylove.com/bonfires-on-th…