Ink and Brine
Emily stared at the wrist tattoo while the ink gun hummed on the counter next to her.
Matter-of-fact stories
Matter-of-fact stories, from quick reads to long series. Most matter-of-fact stories here sit in fetish and romance. Reads run 14 to 24 minutes. Writers to know: Tawny Grammar, Keeper of Ember and Phrase of Olive. Readers usually start with “Drum Room Touch” and “Witness at the Customs Shed”. Ranked by how many readers finish them. Some are free to read in full; the rest open with a free preview.
Get new matter-of-fact stories the day they are published.
Matter-of-fact stories, ranked by readers
21 22 The Ham Radio
I lost my wallet somewhere between the car park and the chippy, which is the sort of thing you do when you're fifty-two and your sister…
23 Night Shift Privilege
The clock on the break room wall said 11:40 when Burt finished mopping the treatment room floor.
24 The Last Motion
The first time Tessa asked me to write down what I wanted, we were sitting on the floor of my living room eating pad thai out of the…
25 The Pleasure Pact
Marisa Kruger was thirty-four years old, and she had spent eleven of those years being the most trustworthy woman in Bracken-Hollow.
26 Donation Hour
Todd had been sitting in the community hall for forty minutes and he was pretty sure his soul had left his body somewhere around minute…
27 Pit Stop Pass
My name is Gregg, I'm fifty-two years old, and I've been married to Mary for twenty-two years.
28 Counterfeit Ledger
*This one came from a daydream about ledgers and lies, and how easily we trust a stamp and a signature.
29 Voir Dire Redux
*This story came from watching how a shared experience, like jury duty, can turn two strangers into allies before they ever touch.
30 Trucking with the Sky Thing
Thirty-one years I been driving freight.
31 The Back Fence
The townhouse was cheap and I knew why the second I signed the lease.
32 The Thirty-Ninth
The office at Bell's Automotive smelled like coffee and brake dust, which is not a combination I'd recommend to anybody.
33 Last Call at the Karaoke Bar
Leah was thirty-five the winter the snow came early, and she still counted herself lucky every Thursday when she walked out of her studio…
34 Maid in Barcelona
I woke up before he did, which surprised me, because in my experience men who sleep over always wake first and start making noise in the…
35 The Guillotine Game Over
Barry shut down the shake-out belt on Separation 3 at 11:30 in the morning.
36 Shift Change Rules
The generator was already humming when I pushed through the back door of the clinic at eleven, my flashlight in one hand and my keys in my…
37 The Lifeguard Bet
My name is Collin Parson, I'm twenty-eight, and I've been lifeguarding at the Merritt Falls municipal pool for six summers now.
38 Needle and Flame
Desiree closed the shop at six and stayed till eight anyway.
39 The Closed Shutter
The taxi dropped Cody Lopez at the end of the red dirt road because the driver refused to go any further.
40 The Dormancy Bet
I turned fifty-five in March.
Matter-of-fact, by genre
Matter-of-fact fetishMatter-of-fact romanceMatter-of-fact erotic couplingsMatter-of-fact erotic horrorMatter-of-fact crossdressingMatter-of-fact nonhumanMatter-of-fact group sexMatter-of-fact toys & masturbationMatter-of-fact humor & satireMatter-of-fact exhibitionist & voyeurMatter-of-fact lesbian sexMatter-of-fact transgenderMatter-of-fact gay maleMatter-of-fact bdsmMatter-of-fact sci-fi & fantasyMatter-of-fact interracial loveMatter-of-fact matureMatter-of-fact loving wivesMatter-of-fact first timeBy length
10 to 30 minutesBest matter-of-fact stories of 2026Writers known for it
Tawny Grammar, Keeper of Ember, Phrase of Olive, Delta Corner
Related tags
Questions
What makes a story matter-of-fact?
Matter-of-fact stories, from quick reads to long series.
Can I read them for free?
Some stories are free to read in full, with no account. The rest open with a free preview; members read everything.
How long are matter-of-fact stories?
Most matter-of-fact stories take 14 to 24 minutes, and the average is 19. Sort by shortest to start small, or follow a series to get each part as it lands.