River and the Bug

Content warnings: Mental Health/Anxiety/Depression — Mild Sexual Content/Inuendo  River Rivers Riverson can fly, dodge fighter jets, and spot the time on a cockpit display from miles away—but none of that helps when his own mind turns against him. Living between Oregon and Colorado, River is deeply in love with Morgan: a super-strong, deeply kind man with a stable life, a steady job, and a confidence River both admires and fears he can never match. When Morgan asks River to move in with him and focus on his writing, River says yes—then immediately begins to unravel. Set in a world where superheroes are commonplace, newsrooms are collapsing, and everyone knows everyone else’s business, River and the Bug follows a short but pivotal stretch of River’s life: quitting his job, proposing to the man he loves, spiraling under the weight of imposter syndrome and mental health struggles, and confronting the cruel inner voice—the “bug”—that tells him he is a burden destined to be left behind. Through absurd humor, affectionate banter, loyal friends, beer-soaked heart-to-hearts, and the slow work of learning to communicate, River and Morgan navigate what it actually means to be a team. Love doesn’t cure depression—but it does make room for honesty, support, therapy, and growth. Funny, tender, chaotic, and sincere, River and the Bug is a queer romantic comedy about living with mental illness, choosing vulnerability, and learning that being loved doesn’t require you to earn your place. River and the Bug is the first short story in a three-part series called River and Friends.