#juli x bryce

[nvyah]

"How could she sit there and laugh and look so beautiful" -Bryce Loski

have u ever fell in love with a movie..?

coz i have!!!

#flipped #juli baker #bryce loski #juli x bryce #flipped movie #movie #movies #90s movies #love #enemy to lovers #true love #books #bookstagram #book to read #relatable memes #fresh memes #tumblr memes #funny memes #dank memes #funny #funny tweets #relatable tweets #that's me #meme

[flippedfics]

Flipped Fanfiction

Chapter two

Return to chapter one

JULI BAKER POV

I can't believe Mrs. Smith did this.

It's unbelievable. Unbelievable.

So far, I had done a pretty good job of ignoring Bryce Loski. A rather great job, I would say. Until this damn project came along and ruined everything.

Annoyed, I lean back in my chair, trying to control my frown as I stare at the book in front of me. I am in the library, sitting at a table near the window. It is a comfortable place, and quiet enough to work. I like it here.

Too bad I won't be alone.

As if listening to my thoughts, I hear footsteps approaching, hurrying across the marble floor. I don't turn around. Instead, I pretend to concentrate on reading the book. I keep my head down, even as he sits down in front of me and settles on the chair.

I can notice his fearful gaze on me, even though I do not face him. This irritates me deeply. I want to scream at him to get out of here, to scream at him to stop looking at me and leave me alone. But of course I don't do that.

“Um... hi”, Bryce says, looking somewhat shy.

I look at him only for a moment, forcing my face to show the coldest expression I'm capable of.

“Hi.”

Then I go back to concentrating on my reading. But it is hard to pay attention to the text with Bryce's presence, fidgeting on the bench, clearing his throat, and demonstrating that he is here every two seconds. As much as I try to ignore it, it is unavoidable. As if every instinct in my body, every fiber of my being, warns me of this constant threat. A silent vibration in my brain: Bryce Loski, Bryce Loski, Bryce Loski.

I will not stand for this.

Desperate, I grab the book in front of me and practically throw it at Bryce, on the table surface. He is startled, pulling away minimally and looking at the object with confusion.

“Read it starting on page 5. It's the content we have to study for the project”, I announce, firmly and nonchalantly. “I'll... be right back.”

Before he can answer, I duck out of his way and make my way as quickly as possible between the shelves, the comfortable smell of books calming my nerves. Once I'm far enough away, I stop walking and try to control my breathing.

Damn, damn, damn. How am I going to do this without having a seizure?

I stand here for a few seconds, the past events returning to my mind. Bryce standing by the lockers. The letter I made shaking in my hands. Everyone laughing around me. Laughing at me.

I push the memory away as fast as it came. I close my eyes, forcing myself to stop thinking about it. Then I open them again and return to where Bryce is.

He seems to be reading the contents of the book, but looks at me as soon as he sees me return. I ignore him, returning to my seat and grabbing the nearest pen. With precision, I begin to jot down the planning ideas I have had for the project on a sheet of paper. Then I will make a copy and give it to Bryce. That way he will know about everything we have to do, without the need for a conversation.

Fortunately, he doesn't disturb me while I'm writing, nor does he ask questions. So I continue with the notes, and only stop when I finish them. Satisfied, I look at what I have written and get up again, walking to the nearest printer.

When I return to the desk, Bryce is staring at me. Staring. It bothers me, that familiar feeling wanting to show itself again. Desperate, I throw the extra sheet of paper on the table and grab my backpack.

“Here is the plan I made," I say. “Read it all and start your part.”

I'm turning and running away from the situation, my backpack over my shoulder, when a warm hand takes my wrist, inviting me to stop. I recognize the touch. Bryce.

“Juli, wait”. His voice sounds a bit desperate.

My mind goes silent. Everything in my body seems to paralyze. Against my will, I turn to him.

Bryce's eyes, those almond eyes that I used to love so much, display a unique concern, as if crying out for an explanation. A look that I'm sure would make everyone give in to his desires. A look that is dangerous and mean and cruel.

“Juli, please...”, Bryce speaks again, in that melodious voice that only he possesses. “Forgive me. I'm really sorry for what happened that day.”

No, you're not sorry, I think about shouting at him. You're never was.

The hurt comes back over me, and I take a deep breath; forcing myself to keep my posture in front of him.

“Let me go, Bryce”, I say with difficulty, my voice breaking. “I have to go.”

When I make mention of leaving, he moves closer, holding me tighter.

“Juli, please.”

His eyes shine so brightly that I almost believe that his regret is real. I almost believe that he is really concerned, that he is really sorry for what happened that day.

Almost.

I disengage myself from his touch.

“See you, Bryce", I muttle, turning and running away.

But this time, Bryce doesn't stop me.

last update: november 3th, 2022.

#flipped #flipped au #flipped movie #juli baker and bryce loski #bryce and juli #juli and bryce #juli #juli baker #Bryce Loski #Bryce Loski and Juli Baker #Juli x Bryce #Bryce #story #Fanfiction #fanfic #au social media #au social media Flipped

[interstellarians]

“How could she sit there, laugh, and look beautiful!?!”

I would just like to clarify none of these characters are mine. This is just purely a work of fan fiction which is based off from the Book and the Movie called “Flipped”. 

Pairings: Bryce Loski x Julie Baker

A very Small One-shot of the aftermath where Bryce Loski is recalling the moment of his interactions earlier with Julie Baker in the School's Basket Boy's auction. He noticed he has been feeling something for her the entire time.

[Time skip: Let's say their final moment in the movie/book where they finally made amends silently with each other occurred a few weeks later after their nearly first kissing scene incident. A few days had passed already since that commotion happened, while he is giving Julie some space, he finally has come to an understanding of what he has felt.]

If you had read the book or watched the movie, then you’ll understand this concept.

Third Person POV:

Bryce sat there on the window overlooking the house across the road, perplexed on Julie Baker’s charisma. To Bryce she was nothing more than an amiable and stupid person simultaneously, but why is she starting to be a conundrum in his life? Why is Bryce now having a hard time reading into her and figuring out who Julie Baker really is? 

Julie Baker, who is none other than his loquacious neighbor whose hands are always scuzzy with dirt from tendering that big, old, stupid Sycamore tree. A tree which she claimed was a gift from God, a tree that symbolized her and her father’s effervescent appreciation of the beauty of art and nature, and a tree that reminded Bryce of a moment when she garrulously protested against the town officials, full of rancor, from cutting it down. That is Julie Baker, a complex of different emotions, an admirable and stubborn girl next door, with varying levels of pertinacity depending on her mood for the day.

 All of these thoughts plagued his mind of how his neighbor could be adroit, having a multitude of talents one might say and still be annoying at the same time. “How could she sit there, laugh, and look so beautiful!?!”. Bryce Loski was already losing his mind.

#flipped #julie baker #bryce loski #bryce x julie #young love #flipped movie #flipped 2010 #this is my first tumblr post #teenagers #secretly pining for each other #cupid do be targeting them

[liaromancewriter]

Underneath the Tree

Premise: Cassie is in the mood to spread some Christmas cheer and her loved ones are happy to help.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine). Feat. Sienna Trinh, OH Gang, Max Valentine (OC) Rating/Category: Teen. Fluff. Warnings: Brief references to minor character deaths and grief Words: 2.8K

A/N: This is for the Nonny who requested a Christmas in July fic. It’s a story that I originally wanted to write last December, but couldn’t find the inspiration to start. Now I did. It’s set during the Book 2 timeline and events referenced in this pic fic.

Cassie Valentine could feel frustration rising as she scanned the selection of trees in the farm outside of Boston proper. They had been here for almost an hour now and she had rejected most of the offerings. Too skinny, too tall, too short, too je ne sais quoi.

This was the Roomies’ first Christmas tree and nothing short of perfection would do. Aurora had borrowed decorations from her aunt; Kyra had sent a box of candy canes; Elijah’s parents had couriered over customized Christmas ornaments, one for each of them.

Now all they needed was a tree to match the vision in her head. She didn’t remember it being this hard before when she and Jack would buy one for their apartment.

“I swear to god, scout,” Max grumbled after she completed another circle of the section that they were in. “If you don’t pick a tree in the next five minutes, I’m leaving you here to make your own way back.”

Cassie shot her twin brother an arched look and then sniffed before turning her back on him and hunching her shoulders.

“Nice try,” he scoffed. “That didn’t work when we were kids, and it doesn’t work now. Just ‘cause you can’t see me doesn’t mean I’m not here.”

Giving him the cold shoulder, she continued to ignore him and walked over to check out a group of six-feet tall Douglas firs in the far corner.

“You know there’s no such thing as a perfect Christmas tree, right?” he continued talking in a whiny tone, determined to annoy her as only a brother could. “They all look the same and are just going to end up in a wood recycling shed at the end of the season, blown to smithereens.”

Cassie’s shocked gasp was as loud as it was dramatic. She swiveled to face him with accusation in her eyes and placed her hands on either side of the nearest tree as if covering a child’s ears.

“Don’t listen to the mean man,” she crooned to the tree. “You’re going to tree heaven where you can play with your friends and eat all the mulch you want.”

Recognizing how ridiculous she looked and sounded, Cassie burst out laughing, hugging the tree. Grinning, Max shook his ahead before he too was bent over with laughter.

“You’re such a jerk,” she said, swallowing her laughter when they started to attract weird looks from the other tree shoppers.

He just smiled, unoffended. “It’s frigging cold, sis. Can you please, pretty please with a cherry on top, pick a tree already so we can get out of here?”

Cassie made a face but didn’t argue. She stared at the tree she’d been hugging, tapping her gloved index finger against her lips, green eyes narrowing in consideration. The longer she looked at it the more she could visualize it in the corner of the living room in their apartment.

“This one,” she said definitively. “Final answer.”

Max went to get the owner and twenty minutes later they had the tree covered in burlap and tied to the top of the SUV. By the time they got back on the highway, Cassie had the volume cranked up and was belting out Christmas songs at the top of her lungs, much to her brother’s dismay.

They got lucky with parking as another vehicle pulled out right in front of her building. They climbed out of the car and Max stepped on to the running board to untie the tree.

“Here, let me help.” Farley walked down the steps, leaving the building entrance propped open. “I’ve been keeping an eye out for you ever since Sienna texted to say you were on your way back.”

With Farley’s help, they managed to get the tree down in no time at all and up the steps of the building. When the elevator doors slid open on their floor, Cassie walked ahead to unlock the apartment door, stepping aside as the men carried the tree inside and set it against the kitchen wall.

“It’s lovely,” said Sienna excitedly, clapping her hands together.

“It’s covered in burlap, Si,” Max snorted, rolling his eyes. “You can’t even tell what it looks like yet.”

Sienna’s brown eyes snapped in annoyance and she very studiously ignored him. Instead, she turned to hand Farley a paper bag and a to-go cup. “Thank you, Farley! You’re the best. If you run out of cookies, I’ll have plenty more later today.”

Farley stammered out a thanks and blushed as he often did when Sienna turned on the charm. Soon, it was just the three of them and Max took the scissors Sienna handed him to cut away the burlap.

“It’s beautiful!” cried Sienna, throwing a defiant, steely-eyed gaze at Max as the full tree came into view.

Cassie agreed and shared a look with Sienna. “And I know just the place for it.”

They directed Max this way and that, changing their minds several times just for the heck of it, both still smarting over his wisecracks earlier. He must have guessed this was their way of getting back at him and wisely kept his mouth shut, doing whatever they asked without complaint until they felt that he’d been punished enough.

“What’d you do to piss off the dolphins, Valentine?” called out Jackie with a smirk. She was leaning against the kitchen counter, a coffee mug in her hand, watching him work.

Before Max could fire back a retort, Elijah wheeled himself into the living room. “Cool tree.”

The doorbell rang then and soon the apartment was full of people and Christmas music was blasting from the Bluetooth speakers on the coffee table. Of the Roomies, Aurora was still missing, but she’d texted to say she was on her way back.

Rafael handed Sienna a tin full of his grandmother’s brigadeiros while Bryce and Keiki set their contribution down on the dining table, a Chocolate Haupia Cream Pie from a Hawaiian bakery they’d discovered in Charlestown. 

Cassie lined a platter with the macarons she’d baked yesterday, grabbed two bottles of red wine from the kitchen counter and carried both items to the table.

Max had parked himself on the couch and was scrolling through his phone when Sienna sat down next to him. He looked over as she put a plate of his favorite cookies on the coffee table in front of him and handed him a mug of hot cocoa with extra whipped cream and marshmallows by way of apology. 

She felt bad about how she had given him a hard time about the tree when he’d been so generous about getting it for them in the first place.

Cassie knew she hadn’t been fair either and wrapped her arms around his shoulders from behind, leaning down to kiss his cheek. “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” he smiled at both of them before biting into a cookie and closing his eyes as the flavors exploded on his tongue. “Hmm. Consider yourselves paid in full.”

Soon after, everyone gathered around the tree and planned how they would approach the tree trimming. Bryce and Jackie bickered over whether the tinsel went first or last, each convinced the other was wrong, while Cassie negotiated a compromise.

Raf and Elijah riffled through the motley collection of decorations, putting aside what they could use. Aurora walked in a few minutes later, holding a nondescript box in her hands which turned out to be a mish mash of ornaments and tangled fairy lights.

Sienna was back in the kitchen, showing Keiki how to decorate the sugar cookies she’d baked earlier. Max leaned over the kitchen island to steal cookies, laughing when Sienna slapped his hand away with a severe look. He retaliated by dipping his finger in a bowl of whipped cream and smearing it on the tip of her nose and then her cheeks.

Cassie glanced over when she heard Sienna yelp, a vague disquiet spreading as she observed the quiet intimacy between her brother and her bestie; how they leaned towards each other, teasing and laughing, and the ease with which Sienna smashed a hand full of whipped cream all over his face.

She knew they were friends but for the first time she wondered if that was all.

When Aurora called her over to help with untangling the lights, she put the thought away to revisit later.

The mood in the apartment was loud and cheerful as everyone got into decorating the tree with gusto while munching on cookies and snacks, crumbs falling on the floor to be swept away later along with the debris from the tree trimming.

The tree was almost fully decorated with only the tinsel and lights left when they decided to take a break. They descended on the dining table like conquering heroes, helping themselves to thick sandwiches, pasta salad, chocolate-covered fruits and marshmallows, Santa and reindeer shaped cookies, and other tasty offerings.

Cassie speared the last of the chocolate-covered strawberries off Max’s plate, smirking when he protested, and tried to hide her reaction when Sienna gave him one from her plate. But her twin knew her too well and he glanced over, quirking one eyebrow to ask if she was okay. She nodded and turned away when Keiki asked her if she could try the wine, just to see what it tasted like.

Cassie didn’t see the harm, telling a horrified Bryce it was perfectly acceptable in Europe and should be fine here too. Enthusiastic at first about being treated like a grown-up, Keiki quickly turned her nose in disgust at the smell and almost spit out the sip she’d taken before bravely swallowing it down with a shudder.

“So, I guess I don’t have to worry you’re going to raid the liquor cabinet,” teased Bryce as Keiki chugged down water to get rid of the taste.

“You don’t have a liquor cabinet,” the teenager retorted in that snarky way Cassie found endearing and she gave her a one-armed hug.

Half an hour later, they assembled in front of the tree again. Max reached for his messenger bag and took out a small flat box.

“I brought something for all of you,” he said, flipping the box open to reveal two small red bells with golden stamps, each with a trailing, red ribbon. “To hang on the tree, if you’re open to it.”

Sienna and the others look confused, but Cassie met Max’s gaze, tears gathering in her eyes as she recognized the meaning behind the bells.

“Bells, like the ones in It’s a Wonderful Life? According to the movie, every time a bell rings, an angel gets their wings,” Raf said, taking one out of the box with a wide smile. “That was…” he stopped, sadness shading his face before he swallowed and continued. “Danny loved that movie. I remember he would watch it every holiday season with his family.”

Max nodded. “A friend of mine lost his father a couple of years ago and he told me about a tradition his family started at Christmas,” he said, taking the second bell out of the box and handing it to Sienna. “The idea is to close your eyes and listen to the ringing of the bells; their melody will remind you of all the good memories you have about the person you lost. I thought that you could hang them as ornaments on the tree, and ring them in remembrance of Danny and Bobby whenever you pass by the tree.”

Sienna continued to stare down at the bell in her hand, tears streaming unheeded down her cheeks. Cassie wrapped one arm around her and hugged her close. Eventually, Sienna pulled out of her embrace and resolutely stepped towards the tree. She looped the ribbon at the top of the bell around a branch and shook it lightly so that the twinkling melody of the bells rang out.

She turned towards Max and gave him a watery smile. “Thank you, Max. This was a very thoughtful gesture.”

He nodded solemnly, placing his hand atop hers and giving it a comforting squeeze.

One by one, the friends moved in, locking arms together and bowing their heads in memory of the friends and patients they had lost this year.

Determined to not let the evening end on a sad note, Cassie hip checked Jackie. “Are those tears in your eyes, Varma? Wow. Who knew Fuck It Varma was so sentimental over Christmas?”

Offended at the implication that she was soft, Jackie’s eyes snapped together as she shoved Cassie away. “Bite me, Valentine.”

“Girl on Girl action. Cool!” quipped Bryce making Aurora laugh and Keiki groan in embarrassment.

Suddenly the chirpy melody of “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” rang out from the speakers and Max sighed dramatically when Cassie jumped in excitement and glanced his way.

“No way, sis.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “You’re on your own.”

She pouted and reached for Sienna’s hand instead, both of them getting into the bouncy rhythm, giggling and laughing the whole time as they crashed into Aurora before pulling her into their impromptu dance routine.

Once again the mood was jovial and merry and they finished decorating the tree with lights and tinsel until all that remained was the star.

They were debating, quite heatedly at times, which of them was tall enough to take on that feat or barring that strong enough to lift one of them when the doorbell rang. Leaving the friends to figure it out, Max went to check who was at door.

“Ethan!” Max stepped aside to let the other man in. “Cassie said you were going to be in Providence today with your dad.”

“I was,” said Ethan, unwrapping the scarf from around his neck before pulling off the thick winter coat as they stood facing each other in the hallway. “I told your sister I’d try to drop by if I could get away early.”

Ethan heard the raised voices and lifted an eyebrow. “Are they having fun or fighting?”

“Honestly, with this lot it seems to be a bit of both,” confessed Max with a grin.

Cassie stopped mid-sentence as soon as Ethan walked into view and then she was rushing towards him to launch herself into his arms, inhaling his unique scent. “Hi, you made it!”

He nodded and leaned down to brush his lips across hers. “You said it was important to you, right?”

“Yes, it was,” she smiled. “Your timing is impeccable as always, Dr. Ramsey. We need a really tall man.” She leaned back in his embrace, running her eyes over his body. “And I would say you qualify.”

Taking his hand, she led him back to the group who, well used to him being in Cassie’s life by now, nodded and called out greetings. Cassie handed him a red and gold star and when he looked at the glittery object in confusion, Sienna took pity on him.

“It goes at the top of the tree,” she pointed to where the ornament went.

Following her direction, Ethan stepped forward, trying not to upset the various ornaments hanging off branches, and raised his arm to place the star at the top of the tree.

“Amazing. He didn’t even have to stretch on his toes,” Bryce mused, clapping Ethan on the back, a bit too hard so that he almost fell into tree. Luckily Max pulled him back in time, otherwise Ethan would have likely faced some very angry residents.

“Let’s light this baby up,” exclaimed Cassie, clapping her hands together when Elijah flipped the switch for the fairy lights.

Everyone gazed up at the beautifully, and whimsically, decorated tree brightening up the apartment with holiday cheer. Phones came out to capture this memory, but otherwise they basked in the glow of the lights and each other’s company. 

Bryce hugged Keiki to his side while Rafael placed one hand on his shoulder in solidarity. Aurora, Elijah and Jackie held hands, connected as one unit.

Cassie leaned back against Ethan and he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing the side of her head before resting his chin on top of her sunny, blonde hair.

Sienna looped her arm through Max’s and they exchanged soft smiles. She mouthed ‘thank you’ and he nodded in acknowledgment. She leaned her head against his upper arm and watched the flickering lights as the bells twinkled lightly in the distance.

Cassie looked around the room at everyone she loved contentment such as she hadn’t felt in weeks rose to the surface. Despite everything that had happened this year, they were going to be okay. She was going to be okay. She had friends, she had family. She was blessed.

All Fics & Edits: @potionsprefect @trappedinfanfiction @bex-la-get @mysticalgalaxysstuff @genevievemd @choicesaddict5 @jerzwriter @rookiemartin @schnitzelbutterfingers @vi-writes-stuff @coffeeheartaddict2 @quixoticdreamer16 @dorisz @zahrachoices @lucy-268 @a-crepusculo @jamespotterthefirst @ofmischiefandmedicine @headoverheelsforramsey @takemyopenheart @gryffindordaughterofathena @queencarb @crazy-loca-blog @natureblooms24​

Ethan & Cassie only: @custaroonie @lady-calypso

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics​

#ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #sienna trinh #bryce lahela #jackie varma #open heart #open heart choices #playchoices #playchoices fanfics #open heart fanfics #open heart fanfiction #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #ethan ramsey x cassie valentine #sienna trinh x max valentine #christmas in july

[starlightxsvt]

Beautiful Liar | part of the Treacherous Tales Series

pairing ➳ dk x fem!reader

genre ➳ mafia au, dark romance? angst, smut.

wc ➳ 16.8k

synopsis ➳ you have old scores to settle and he's a pretty pawn in your game. but one must remember obsession leads to destruction.

warnings ➳ violence, mentions of mafia, murder, kidnapping & suicide, stalking, breaking and entering, manipulation, gambling, mention of rape, protected sex, teasing, male oral.

playlist ➳ beautiful liar- monsta x, vigilante shit- taylor swift, part goddess part gangster- madalen duke, horns-bryce fox, don't blame me- taylor swift, no body no crime- taylor swift, the hills- the weekend.

"I need him."

Your words dissipate into the cool air inside the car as your gaze remains focused out your window, trained on one certain man.

"What do you need me to do?" Changkyun immediately asks with violence underlying in his tone. You click your tongue in disapproval, not letting your eyes stray from your pretty prey. "You won't be doing anything this time. He is mine."

The man sitting in the driver's seat next to you only grunts in reply.

Through the passenger side window, you keep observing him, as the man smiles and talks to some students before taking his leave, walking inside another building as he disappears from your sight, making you sigh.

"Okay. You actually do need to do something."

"What?"

"Get me his schedule."

-

Theatre and drama were never your thing. Yet, here you sit, in Professor Lee's class as he talks about the history of theatre.

While the lecture itself is boring and definitely not worth the trouble you went through to sneak into his class as you are not a student, the man himself is pleasing to listen to and look at.

There is something boyish and innocent about him and as you watch him give the lecture, his voice so sweet and soothing that it is almost impossible to believe that he is related to the Lee family.

The two-hour lecture is surprisingly quick to pass by as you sit at the very back of the classroom, watching him carefully. With the clock striking 2 pm, the lecture finishes and students clear out of the classroom, leaving you behind who sits immobile in her place.

That manages to capture Professor Lee's attention. He takes off his reading glasses and tilts his head to look at you, blinking as if he's trying to remember you from somewhere.

With an amused smile playing on your lips, you stand up from your seat and strut to the podium slowly.

"Good afternoon, Professor." You greet, holding out a hand. He takes a look at your face and then your hand before softly shaking it. "Good afternoon. I don't think you are a student of mine."

Up close, the man looks dashing. Perfect sharp features; prominent cheekbones and a sharp nose, soft plump lips on his slightly tanned skin. Covered up to the neck with a white turtleneck underneath a black cashmere suit, he looks far from what he truly is.

So innocent, so deceitful.

You grin. "You are absolutely correct, Professor Lee. I am not."

He looks amused as well, raising a brow with the expectation that you are going to explain yourself.

"I am just a fan, you could say."

"Oh really?"

"Yes. I came across your presentation at the Royal Opera House this July. I have been a fan ever since."

"Well...I am pleased to hear that. I hope I have managed to inspire you in some way."

"Oh, you have. Plenty." You can't refrain from a grin.

"I am glad then." He pauses for a beat as he takes a look at his watch. "You'll have to excuse me now. I have a meeting soon."

"Of course. I just wanted to say hi. Have a nice day." You take a step back.

The man nods, giving you a small smile as he starts walking out of the classroom, his shoes clicking on the floor. He looks gorgeous even from behind, the afternoon sun streaming from the windows in the hallway casting around him in an angelic glow.

Just as he is about to fully exit the classroom, he stops and turns his head. "I didn't get your name, though. Where are you from?"

You can't help but smile diabolically. "From the wrong side of the tracks, professor."

-

Professor Lee has a pretty house, made up of a rustic brick structure and well furnished black tiles for the roof, a perfect blend of modern and old. The wooden fence around the perimeter of the house is not hard for you to cross as you make your way through his yard, careful not to step anywhere that would leave a trace.

The perfect time to break into his place is now, midday, as he is currently busy teaching a class. Changkyun is keeping an eye on him, camped outside the university, ready to inform you if his position changes as you take your time combing through his house.

The front of his house has a CCTV camera, which is precisely why you broke in through the back. Carefully crossing the yard, you tiptoe along the side of the house and turn right where there is a window. Making sure that you are in a blind spot, you pry the window open after a small struggle and gingerly make your way in like a sneaky cat.

His house is beautiful, exactly fitting his image. The floors are made of dark wood as well as most of the furniture; a dark yet soothing vibe emanating from his abode. The window you used to get in leaves you in a small hallway and after looking around a little, you get a general sense of direction.

Straight from the hallway, there is his bedroom which is where you head first. You are somewhat disappointed when you find it so sterile. The room, composed of a queen sized bed, a dresser and a closet is pristine. Everything is neat, not a hair out of place as if no one lives here. There is no decoration, no trace of personalization like a picture or a painting which you find odd because you expected something that would indicate his ties to his dear family.

Not letting the disappointment get to you, you walk out of the bedroom, heading for the closed door on the left; twisting the knob, you open the door to find his study and a smile spreads on your lips.

It's a fairly large room, the walls on both sides surrounded by large mahogany shelves containing books about art, literature and others. You carefully step in, heading straight for the large desk in the middle.

To your utter disappointment, it doesn't contain any schedule or indication about the life of crime that he comes from. There is not a single sign that would tell anyone that he is the younger brother of the notorious ruler of District 1.

Instead, aside from his computer on the desk, there are only a few books related to theatre on one side and a few lecture sheets on the other. It is so unexpected that you are stunned to silence, standing in the middle of the room, almost starting to think that you came to the wrong house.

Changkyun's sudden voice from the bluetooth disrupts your thoughts. "___, he is leaving early. He just got in his car. I'm following him. You have about 15 minutes to get out of there."

"Fine," you mutter.

There is still enough time. But by the looks of this, you could have all the time in the world and still not find anything that would tell you he's one of the heirs to District 1.

Grunting you lean down and start checking the drawers only to find nothing; no secret meeting location, nothing that you can use to blackmail him or anything that will lead you to the main culprit, his brother.

Sighing, you stand up straight and look around the room. Maybe he is being extra cautious and doesn't keep any evidence here. Maybe he has a secret hideout for his life of crime.

The idea, however, doesn't make sense because you have been stalking him and the only place he frequents is the university.

It's odd.

It almost feels like he doesn't have any connection with District 1.

No, no. That doesn't make any sense.

"___, you have 10 minutes!"

"I know, I know!" You snap, annoyed.

Walking over to the bookshelves you gently drag your fingers over the spine of each book, hoping maybe one of them would be the key to opening a secret room behind the shelves.

Nothing like that happens.

Accepting your defeat, you come out of the house but not before placing a bug underneath the table in his study with the hopes of getting some information by spying on him. Crossing the fence, you take special care to make sure you didn't leave behind any trace of entry before finally exiting the perimeter of the house.

Once safely out of the range of his house, you stand on the opposite side of the road and watch Professor Lee pull up a few minutes later. Changkyun's car follows him half a minute later as he drives straight to where you are standing, before coming to a stop in front of you.

You tug open the door and get in on the passenger side.

"Why the long face? Find nothing?"

"Shut up."

-

A change of plans is the only way.

Your second plan is to court him which isn't really a problem given the man is as pretty as a doll and toying with him would be absolute fun. With the decision set, you begin phase two of your operation, stalking him.

Well, you were stalking him before too but now, you start to follow every single footsteps of him, quite literally.

You follow him everywhere, discreetly, of course, getting to know his schedule as precisely as possible before striking.

His routine is rather bland, he wakes up, goes to work, then goes to the gym and then comes back home. It is something you find odd, once again. No matter from which angle you consider, the equation does not add up. Still, you try to make the best of whatever little ammunition you have at hand and pretend to bump into him randomly.

Like, one sunny afternoon you pretend to wait for someone in the parking lot of his university right when he is to leave for the day. Surprisingly, he's the first one to approach you, as he gently grabs your attention. "Hey. We uh, met the other day."

"Oh, hello, Professor Lee. Glad you remembered. One of your biggest fans."

"Have you enrolled here?"

"Ah, I wish. I'm here to...meet a friend's daughter."

"I see. What's her department?"

You blink, not expecting that question but recover quickly. "You ask too many questions professor. Let me ask you one instead. Can I have your number?"

You see the tips of his ears go red.

So adorable.

He blinks, taken aback as he searches for the right words. "Well, uh, why?"

"Why? You're hot and intelligent. I want to go out with you."

"Well, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why?"

"Just because." He replies, almost unsure, looking at you as if you are a bizarre creature.

You take a step towards him, an amused smile on your face from his reaction. Leaning close to him, you slowly fix the lapels of his jacket. Perplexed, he looks at the motion of your hands before moving his gaze to your face.

"Please, professor? One date is all I ask." You give him puppy eyes.

There is a sharp inhale as his pupils widen just a little bit while you gaze into his eyes, unblinking. The proximity is intense, you can smell his perfume, feel his breath on your skin and from the way he keeps looking at you, there is an urge to kiss him building within you.

Just when you are sure you can sneak in a kiss, he breaks the moment by taking a step back, out of your reach. Clearing his throat, he says. "I can't. I have a girlfriend."

Liar.

Not waiting for your reply, he opens the door to his car and gets in. As his engine fires up with a hum, you walk near the vehicle and lean in to look at him through the half open window. "Don't lie professor. You don't have a girlfriend."

He looks at you silently for a moment, his hands resting on the steering wheel. "This is why I won't go out with you."

You are confused.

"You seem to know too much about me and I don't like that."

With that, he pulls out of the parking lot, leaving behind a trail of smoke and your baffled self.

It's fine.

You know you are on the right track. He is definitely attracted to you so it is not over yet. In fact, it is only the beginning.

This is going to be so much fun.

-

For the next week, you make it your mission to pop up in front of Seokmin while he is out and about. You first pretend to run into him at his favourite coffee shop, acting delighted when he notices you. He seems wary upon seeing you and since it was only the first day of your mission, you let him off easy, saying that this is fate telling that you two are meant to be.

The next time you pretend to run into him again at the car park of the university, once again announcing that you are waiting for your friend's daughter. He keeps the conversation short, simply by nodding and getting into his car rather hurriedly. You, however, don't forget to throw him a compliment, looking as innocent and genuine as possible; like an innocent young girl who has been rejected by her desired man and now longs for him from afar.

That seems to work a bit.

The lesser you speak and the more innocent your attitude becomes, the longer your encounters last. Seokmin would start initiating the conversation and then ask formal questions as if to keep the conversation going or maybe, to test you and see what your true intentions are.

Either way, you don't fall for that.

Instead, you act detached, like a damsel who failed to capture the eye of the man she loves.

Finally, one morning, when you are walking out of the coffee shop, he stops you on your way by extending his hand to touch your elbow softly. You have to hide your smile before turning around.

"You know, I never got to see the girl." He says.

"Which girl?"

"Your friend's daughter. The one you come to the university for."

Ah.

"Oh, you didn't?" You blink innocently. He looks at you for a beat, before giving you a knowing smile. "You know, I think we both know that that's a lie."

You avert your gaze, acting like you did not hear him.

"As much as you seem to be enjoying this, I need you to stop following me around." He says, voice soft but firm and you know it's a command.

It's a shame you don't take commands well.

Tilting your neck to a side, you pop a muscle before giving out a loud exhale, composing yourself. "Have a nice day, Mr Professor."

You walk away.

-

You were getting tired of playing around. The man may be attracted to you but you are coming to a realization that it will not be enough for him to give him. He is cautious and given who he really is, he will never let a woman like you get close to him, no matter how much he may like you.

"I told you, we should have just kidnapped him. His brother would show up immediately." Changkyun complains out loud. The two of you have been sitting in your study for the past hour, trying to come up with a plan.

"You know I don't work like that. It's too easy. And too risky."

You have a bad habit. You always end up getting emotionally involved in every case you encounter. This one should not be an exception. In fact, this is the best place to get emotional because his brother hurt you by hurting your family. It is only fair you do the same to him now. And along the way, you get to tease a pretty man like Professor Lee. It is a win-win situation for you, almost.

In your world, betrayal is the sweetest revenge. If you can betray Professor Lee after earning his trust, that will be the sweetest revenge.

"I don't give up so easily, you know," you whisper, planning your next move.

-

"No teacher needs that much muscles, professor!" Your voice echoes through the empty gym at night.

Dokyeom whips his head around, dropping the dumbbell that was in his hand, eyes wide at your sudden voice. "You! How did you get in here!" You don't appreciate his accusatory tone.

"I come to this gym as well." You shrug, strolling towards him with your hands behind your back before plopping down next to him on a bench. He gives you an exasperated look. "Really?"

"Mhmm." You smile.

"Liar. What do you want? I told you to stay away from me."

You shrug. " Mhmm, can't do that professor. I miss you."

His lips thin, a sign that he is clearly not amused by your antics but it's a shame. You find all of this way too amusing.

You find him amusing.

"I know you are after something else. I am not stupid, ___." He turns to face you properly, his eyes carefully watching you.

A soft smirk plays on your lips. Of course, he is not stupid. Heir to the Lee family, he is the farthest thing from stupid.

"Did you have someone look into me, professor?" You ask nonchalantly.

"Look into you? What is that supposed to mean?" He asks, leaning closer to you.

You're treading in dangerous territory. You cannot give yourself in so quickly.

"I mean a smart, famous man like you has a lovesick stalker. I'm sure you had a detective or someone take a look into me, no?"

More like an intelligence member of the mafia. Maybe even his dear brother.

"So you are admitting that you are a stalker?"

"Oh, not just any, though. A lovesick stalker." You blink innocently at him.

He remains silent making you wonder if he is buying your words.

"Since you are asking me what I want, I assume you asked around and couldn't find anything, then?" You tilt your head, tone playful as you continue the conversation. You are not going to leave today until you are successful.

After a moment, he admits. "Yes. You run on the wrong side of the tracks, that is all I could find."

You chuckle. "There is nothing else to find, professor. I'm just a bad girl infatuated with you and your words and your passion for art."

"You? I am not buying that."

"Me? What is that supposed to mean?" You feel a little offended. "Can a girl not be a gangster and love theatre? Not every one of us gets to chase our dreams, you know."

You see his eyes soften as he remains silent, pondering your words. You watch him, carefully leaning closer to him before dragging a manicured finger over his bicep flirtily.

"What do you want?" His voice comes out breathy this time, those deep pools of chocolate in his eyes boring into you and oh god, do you love your name on his lips.

It would be even better to hear him say that in bed.

"A date with you, professor." You whisper, inching your face closer to him, your lips a mere few inches away from his and you don't miss the way his gaze drops to them before coming back up to your eyes.

"And if I say no?" He swallows. You pout, snaking a hand over his chest, feeling the strong muscles beneath your palm, pleased that he lets you touch him. "Why would you say no, professor? I am really good in bed, you know."

He watches you quietly once again and you hate how you cannot tell what is going on inside his head. Is he falling for your words or is he simply piecing things together and trying to uncover you? There is a slight flush on his cheeks but you don't know if it's because of you or his workout.

His hand comes to grab your wrist, breaking your train of thought as he takes your hand off his chest and places it on your lap.

"Tell me something you have never told anyone before."

"What?" You are perplexed.

"Tell me something, anything, a secret, a wish, that you have never told anyone before. Then, I will go on a date with you." He replies.

Wait, what?

You blink, absolutely baffled at his words as he sits in silence, looking at you expectantly. His gaze is sombre and sincere, like he really wants to know you and for the first time in forever, your heart skips a beat, making you feel out of place and vulnerable. Quickly, you break eye contact with him and stare at your boots as you think of a reply.

"Don't think of making up a lie. I can tell, you know." He adds.

A soft sigh escapes your lips as you internally roll your eyes at him. "I...I have this urge to leave everything behind and just go to an island. Or a place near the sea and spend the rest of my life there, where nobody knows me, where my past doesn't haunt me."

A long silence follows after your words and you cannot make yourself look at him, afraid of what you will find in his eyes, afraid of how they would make you feel and at the same time hating that these thoughts are bothering you.

"I am free this weekend." He murmurs standing up. You look up, surprised, excited. He puts on his hoodie, acting like he did not just agree to a date with you. As he starts walking out of the gym, completely ignoring your presence, you yell. "I'll text you!"

He turns around to look at you as if to ask how you have his number but simply gives you an exasperated look which you reply with a cheeky smile.

"I'm only free after noon." He declares, continuing on his path.

"No problem, professor." You grin.

-

You agree on an evening library date which is not really an ideal date for you but because of the facade you are holding up, you agree. The library is situated near his campus, an old architectural piece, with dimmed yellow lights and gold details and large windows, radiating a little bit of a gothic energy. He chose the library because of your (fake)interest in theatre, saying that the library would be the best place to discuss these things and you agreed because other than that, it is also not crowded and you can have his full attention.

Dokyeom hand picks a few books on the topic with pure enthusiasm as you follow him around, nodding to whatever he is saying. For the most part, you observe him, watching him with rapt attention, the details of his face, the change of his expressions as he talks, the movement of his hands—

And you have to admit, he has very pretty hands; long and bony, perfect to suck on.

Shaking your head at the ridiculous thought, you follow him to a private study room.

He pulls a chair and helps you sit down, making you smile at his manners. Once he is sat, he turns to you and asks. "Okay, then. What would you like to talk about today? Let's start with plays. What is your favourite play?"

"I don't know, what is yours?" You ask, blinking innocently at him as you rest your chin on your palm. He frowns. "What do you mean you don't know?"

"My favourite play is whatever your favourite play is." You reply sweetly, making him throw an exasperated look at you.

"Is this how you are going to be?"

"Deeply infatuated with you? Yes, professor."

Shaking his head, he opens a book, murmuring something under his breath but you see the soft hint of a smile playing on his lips, making you smile as well.

This should be easy.

Your date goes smoothly, with him discussing his favourite plays, playwrights and whatnot and you nodding along and watching him, throwing in some pointless questions here and there to appear interested. All the while in the back of your mind, you keep planning your next move. Seokmin isn't a stupid man and you know deep down, he sees through your pretence but seeing how he is still entertaining you means that you have captured his interest. And you have to use this to your benefit.

Fate seems to be on your side as on the way back home, Dokyeom suddenly asks if you are free for dinner.

You have to work very hard to mask the huge grin of satisfaction on your face when you say yes. Your response pleases him, visible from his reaction as he excitedly turns the car around and selects a restaurant.

Dokyeom goes all out for dinner, as you are guided to a private dining room upon entering the restaurant. You have to say that his effort impresses you. And of course, it solidifies your belief that he is falling for you. Smiling, you strut behind him.

He pulls out your chair for you, helping you sit down before ordering some appetizers and wine for you to get started.

"I'm a bit surprised you agreed to come." He speaks after a small pause.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing. I- I just had a thought that you were not serious about me. It almost felt like you lost a bet. I had the impression that you were just playing with me and wasting my time the last few weeks but I'm surprised you pulled through."

You only give him a smile in reply.

"You know, I believe you are one of two things. A weirdo who wants to bed a professor just for fun or, someone with a hidden intention, playing the long game."

"Aren't you smart, professor?" You grin condescendingly, resting your cheek on your palm.

"I know you are bad news, yet..." He pauses for a beat, sighing at himself. "Yet for the past week, I could not stop thinking about you. I'm in deep trouble, no?"

"You are," You smile. "In the sweetest trouble, I promise you."

He scoffs, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Let's order the main course, shall we?"

The dinner begins with casual small talk as he tells you about his work and you listen, asking casual questions here and there. When you are taking your second serving of the alfredo pasta, he asks. "Tell me about yourself. Why do you do what you do?"

"Come again?" Your movements halt as you look at him.

"Your... profession." He seems to not find his words. "Killing people, threatening them, weapon business, fraud... whatever you do."

"Hm, I do a little bit of all of that but," you set your utensils down, looking up. "Interesting question, professor."

"Is it like a family business?"

Your eyes fly to his, looking for a sign in them of whether he knows your background or not. For a moment you tense up and hold your breath but his face remains the same, looking at you curiously as he sips his wine.

"No, not really." You reply before finishing your glass of wine. "Parents died early. They knew a few people who were in this business and I got involved."

"What business is it exactly?"

"Aren't you curious, professor?"

He shrugs, looking at you in silence, waiting for you to continue. You sigh, dropping your cutlery down and leaning back into the chair.

"My father was in the weapons business. After he passed away things were messy for a bit and I realized dealing with weapons was not my strong forte. Now I'm in the loaning business and I also do contract killing."

Dokyeom's eyes widen significantly and you can't help but laugh at his reaction. He is acting like he hasn't heard something like this before, living in the world that he lives in.

He looks around before lowering his voice and asking. "So you are like a thug that lends people money with high interest?"

"Yep."

"And you beat them up if they fail to return the money on time?''

"Precisely," you grin.

"And what was that about contract killing? What are you? A hitman?"

"You can say that. But I have clients of various ranges. I kill for politicians, for local gangs and even for civilians."

"For civilians?" He hisses.

"Yes, professor." You take a sip of your wine, swirling the bitter liquid around in your mouth. "Three months ago, the news of a young girl getting raped by a senator's son broke out. I'm sure you have heard of that. The girl was only seventeen and the guy came to her birthday party without any invitation, caused a ruckus and raped her that night because she refused to drink with him. The mother of that girl ran around tirelessly for help while she recovered at the hospital. Everyone she went to, told her to drop the charges for her own good. For one, it would take months, even years to complete the investigation and during that time they'd only get harassed, and two, they could never win the case."

"One day, the mother came to see me. I don't know how she found me and I didn't ask. She offered me her entire life savings and begged me for justice for her daughter. I didn't accept her money but I promised her I would avenge her daughter."

"Then...the death of that senator's son, you were behind it?" Seokmin whispers.

"Yes. I castrated him and then slit that bastard's throat."

"And the incident of the senator that came on the news, were you behind that as well?"

"Yes. He was equally at fault. He let his son go astray and then covered up his crimes. He did not deserve to speak another word so I cut his tongue. Fun, no?'

He doesn't reply to you but falls into a deep state of thought as you continue your dinner.

"Did I scare you, professor?" You ask, seeing him so silent.

He blinks a few times, coming out of his reverie. "No."

"Hm, doesn't sound like that."

Once more, you are met with silence as he watches you from the opposite side of the table, the look in his eyes serious, almost as if he is scrutinizing you. You start to grow uncomfortable under his stare, slightly worried that he might piece two and two together and see through you.

Surprising you, he says, "Looks like I misjudged you, ___. I shouldn't have. I apologize."

"What?"

"Not all actions can be boxed into black and white. What you did may be illegal but it was necessary and right. It won't undo everything that the girl went through, but it still makes the whole thing a bit fair."

For probably the first time in your life, you find yourself speechless. You open your mouth to reply but you realize that you are incapable of forming a reply to what he said. So, you just sit in silence, mirroring him.

"I don't know your past and I don't know what your struggles are but you are a good person, ___.''

Your throat has dried up by now as a weird sensation starts settling in your heart. It is uncomfortable and your appetite is ruined.

The man can probably sense your discomfort because he lets out a soft chuckle and leans back into his seat. "I just thought you should know that. I was not trying to woo you or anything."

You swallow a lump in your throat and force a smile. "Let's order dessert, shall we?''

Soon after that, you finish dinner and Dokyeom offers to give you a ride home and you accept it but only after a little internal debate.

Your own attitude baffles you. Why are you hesitating to let him drop you home? Is it because you have started feeling weird things under his company and now you want to avoid them?

No, that's outrageous. You are just tired from a long day of playing pretend.

The drive to your house is silent as you actively avoid having any conversation with him by facing the window and closing your eyes, your arms crossed as you pretend to go to sleep.

A good amount of driving later, you reach your house and tap in the code number for the main gate to open.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?'' You ask upon noticing his reaction; wide eye and mouth slightly open as he drives into your compound, coming to a stop in front of the steps that lead to your main entrance.

The house resembles a haunted mansion in many ways. It is at least a hundred years old, huge but empty, creepers growing around the black tiles, surrounded by dead trees and an abandoned garden. This is where you used to live with your family a long time ago and after your father's death, you left, letting that house collect dust. It is only recently that you started living here after you formed your plan to take the Lee family down.

"She is." He agrees with a nod before undoing his seatbelt. Before you can do that and open your door, he rounds the car and holds the door open for you.

The chilly night air hits your skin as you step out of the car. Dokyeom's gaze travels past you, marvelling at your home.

"Would you like to come in?" You surprise yourself by asking. He immediately nods with a sheepish grin. "I would love to see the interior."

"Well, it is a mess and full of dust but come along," You lead the way as he follows you closely. Holding the door open, you let him step in.

The door opens to a large space in front of a staircase leading upstairs. This area used to be for sitting, and now it is barren of anything. There is a large floor to ceiling window by the staircase, pouring the moonlight inside the space which is dimly lit by an antique chandelier.

"I see you didn't renovate." Dokyeon comments as he walks around, eyes scanning the space in wonder.

"Moved in recently."

"Hm, I like the style. If you end up renovating, I'd say don't change it too much." He advises. Humming, you start climbing the stairs. "My bedroom and the dining are upstairs. Wanna take a look?''

"Sure," he enthusiastically trails behind you as you come upstairs and show him the dining first and then the second bedroom before leading him to your bedroom.

"And here is my room," you hold open the door for him as he walks past you, the same look of wonder constant on his face.

"Wow," he walks straight to the open balcony, the night breeze flowing in strong, making the curtains dance. You slowly follow him, "I know right."

"I almost want to live here. Do you want to trade places with me?'' There's a boyish charm in his eyes and a genuine hint of glee in his voice as he looks at you with a smile.

"No thanks." You cannot help a small smile yourself.

A silence settles, a comfortable one in fact as you watch the view by his side in the cool night air.

"I had a good time today," he confesses, voice soft. You try hard not to acknowledge the funny feeling that spreads inside you upon hearing his words. Softly, you say. "Me too."

Your gaze moves to him and you find him looking at you, the look in his eyes is something you are unfamiliar with. Something that threatens to make your heart skip a beat, and make you forget what you are set out to do.

While you are lost in your thoughts, Dokyeom seems to have moved closer to you. His gaze has deepened and his face is suddenly mere inches away from you, taking you by surprise.

"Can I kiss you?" He whispers.

Fuck it. Part of your mission is to get him to bed, no? You will have to do it sooner or later.

You press your lips to his and fireworks go inside your head. It feels right, his lips moving against yours as you grab his jacket to pull him closer. By the time you two separate, you are breathless, your mind hazy. Dokyeom keeps looking at you like you are the most magnificent thing on this planet, his hand softly caressing your cheeks as your fingertips dance on his neck.

"Should I stay the night?"

There is a cheer of satisfaction within you. You let out a soft hum of acknowledgement which immediately brings his hands to your shoulders.

His lips are the epitome of temptation, your hooded gaze trained on it, stuck in a trance of pure desire. His fingers brush over your back in tantalising touches as he drops your coat from your shoulders, his eyes never straying from yours. Your hands move in a rhythm as you unbutton his blazer and reach for the hem of his turtleneck, helping him to get rid of it with a tug while simultaneously moving back inside your room and towards your bed, discarding the clothes messily on the floor.

His body is like an ancient Greek sculpture, lean and toned and you don't hide the hunger in your gaze. In silence, you push him towards the bed as he drops down to the mattress while you peel off your top along with your bra and then reach for the pants. Once you are left only in your panties, you strut towards him, a small smile on your lips because of the way he keeps looking at you, full of desire and burning passion.

Your hands move seductively as you take off his pants along with his boxers, making sure your nails scrape his thigh. With the fabrics gone, you see his cock for the first time, and my god is he blessed.

"What do you think? Will it please you?" He asks, making you smirk.

"Lie back professor," you order, standing up as he moves back into the bed, half lying against the headboard. You climb on the bed on all fours, positioning yourself on top of him. Leaning down, your lips tease him as your noses brush together softly. You whisper. "Let me give you a time you will never forget."

Something flashes in his eyes for a brief moment which you don't get to observe because his lips crash into yours, ensuing a fierce kiss. You moan into the kiss as his hands come to cup your neck and jaw, his lips pressed against yours relentlessly.

When you realise he is about to press you down into the bed, you break the kiss and inhale deeply. "Mhmm, no, professor. Let me take care of you first." You throw a wink at him and move down, your lips softly dragging against his skin, down his abdomen before reaching his half hard cock.

You take him in your hands, rubbing the base of his dick at a slow pace and watch his face raptly for reactions. As he grows hard against your hand, you lean down and take him into your mouth with one big swallow that makes Dokyem grunt out loud.

"Fuck!"

You smile as you continue your ministrations, moving your mouth up and down against his length while his body grows tense beneath you. Your tongue laps around his entire length, tasting him, teasing him as his breaths become shorter and shorter.

"Fuck, I'm gonna come soon."

His words work as a motivation for you as you increase your pace, swiping your tongue over his leaking tip before he finally explodes inside your mouth with a throaty groan.

You swallow every drop of him, a few trailing down the corner of your lips and you make a show of licking it with unwavering eye contact. Dokyeom lies flat on his back, panting harshly, hooded eyes watching you in an intense stare.

"Good, professor?" You grin, licking your index finger.

Exhaling loudly, he tugs you by your arm. "Come here!" Pinning you underneath his body, he kisses you, his tongue prodding into your mouth, tasting himself. You don't hold yourself back either, kissing him with equal passion until you forget where you end and he begins.

His lips meet your neck, kissing and sucking softly before trailing down to play with your sensitive nipples. As your whines grow in pitch and you grow restless, trying to break free from his grip and take over, he sits over your thighs, spreading his legs on both sides and resting on his knees.

"Do you have a condom?" He asks.

"Multiple," you reply, reaching for the bedside drawer.

As he puts the rubber on, you take the moment to appreciate his figure, his beautiful face, his bed-messy hair, his toned chest and abdomen and of course, his monster of a cock.

"You are one fine man, professor." You find yourself saying. You hate how you genuinely mean it.

"You are not too bad yourself." He flashes a grin before aligning himself with your pussy. As you take a deep inhale, he pushes in, making your body rise as you grip the sheets tightly in reply to the intrusion.

"Fuck, you're so tight."

Your response is to squeeze him tighter as you wrap your legs around his ass, pushing his body closer to yours. Delirious with pleasure, you start chasing his hips right away in a desperate rhythm of your own.

"Harder," you tempt, slinging your arms around his neck to pull him close. His breath fans your face, the slight perspiration on his temples clearly visible in this distance. In the yellowish hue of the room, his skin glows, giving him the appearance of a god, his messy hair tying everything together.

Dokyeom takes you up for the challenge as he increases his pace, making your head fall back as you let out a deep moan from the pits of your belly. He hits the perfect spot every time, driving you wild, bringing you deliciously close to the edge.

"Fuck, I need to come," you pant, hands reaching between your legs to touch your clit. Dokyeom, however, stops you by grabbing your both wrists and pinning them on top of your head, a cocky smirk on your face as he leans into your ear and whispers. "Say please first."

"Never," you immediately reply.

"Then you don't get to come."

"You asshole!" You hiss, trying to writhe free from his grasp but every time you move, his dick goes deeper inside you, amplifying the pleasure that makes you shudder.

"Come on sweetheart. You know you want to come."

"Ugh, no," you grunt, squeezing your eyes shut in a futile attempt to tone done your need for release."

"It's just one tiny word," the devil keeps whispering in your ear, continuing his ruthless thrusts as you teeter on the verge of begging.

"Fuck! Okay, okay!" You yell. "Please!"

"Hm, that didn't sound nice." The bastard complains, making you furious.

"I swear to god—" He interrupts you with a fierce kiss, pushing his tongue so deep inside your mouth that you forget to breathe. Letting go of your hands, his fingers move down, trailing along your skin before reaching between your legs and flicking your clit. That action is enough as you come, fireworks going off inside your body as you twist to a side, your toes curling in pleasure. Dokyeom's body shudders on top of yours as he comes, continuing to kiss your mouth, your chin and your jaw.

Soon, a silence settles in the air as his body rests on top of yours. You don't find it in you to push him off so you let him be, comfortable in his warmth and embrace as you close your eyes, soon to be overtaken by sleep.

-

Days bleed into weeks that turn into a month as you start dating Seokmin. He grows fonder of you each passing day, the look in his eyes and his actions mirroring what he holds for you in his heart. He starts accepting your obsessive tendencies along with your profession, which pleases you immensely. You have your enemy where you want and things seem to be going your way.

Except one thing.

After you started dating Dokyeom, you have stayed over at his place only a few times. Of course, you made use of those times, snooping through his house in hopes of finding something that would lead you to his brother or at the very least, tell you of his ties to the mafia family of District 1. You never found a single thing. When you asked him about his family, he replied that he is an only child whose parents passed away because of a car crash.

A lie, of course.

Your plan is in motion but at the same time, you feel stuck. You have Dokyeom in the palm of your hand, you just need to get to his brother for everything to come together. You had dramatic plans for a reunion but at this stage, that looks quite impossible.

Maybe you should have just kidnapped him.

-

One weekend he invites you to his house for dinner as a celebration of him securing a contract with one of the biggest publishers in the country for his next book.

You put on your nicest dress and your fanciest heels for the occasion, your lips painted red as you strut to his front door with a bouquet of flowers.

Dokyeom opens the door looking a little more gorgeous than other days; his black hair brushed back sleekly, and wearing a cream coloured Ralph Lauren sweater with black pants. Tying the look together is his steel framed glasses which he looks fantastic with and which you adore seeing him wearing.

Whenever he wears those glasses you two end up having the most mind blowing sex.

Dokyeom remains rooted in his spot as he watches you, his eyes moving over your full frame with a look of appreciation and desire. You flash a grin, "Good evening, professor."

He blinks before smiling, "Good evening, ___. You look absolutely stunning."

"Thought I should dress up to celebrate you." You shrug. "May I come in?" You smile teasingly and he lets you in with a flustered laugh.

"Dinner is cooking in the oven. I will set the table up," he supplies as he helps you to take off your coat once you are inside. "Would you like some wine?''

"Sure," You follow him to the kitchen which has a soft aroma of the chicken roast, making your stomach rumble slightly. One of the many delights of dating Dokyeom has been his exceptional culinary skills. You watch as he pours wine into two glasses before offering you one, "The chicken will be done in ten minutes. Make yourself at home."

"Thanks," you receive the glass from him and stroll around the house, looking at his decoration, in the back of your mind thinking if any one of these plain items hides the key to his other identity. A phone call echos in the kitchen and you realize Dokyeom is getting a call. He accepts it with an apology directed at you before going to the porch to speak.

In the meantime, you sneak into his study. It is not even sneaking in, to be honest, because he has given you full access to every inch of his house and in fact, encouraged you to visit his study and take a look at his little library. You found it odd at first because his transparency shows that he has nothing to hide and as days pass by and you come up with no leads, a sinking feeling has started appearing in your belly. Not to mention that the bug you put underneath his desk has picked up nothing of importance, no conversation or phone call about District 1 or his mafia family.

Maybe you have made a huge mistake. Maybe he is some random innocent guy who just looks like the youngest son of Lee family and has fallen to your prey.

Still, you step inside his study with the hope of finding something new. Like every other time, your fingers comb through the shelves of his library before moving towards his desk, shuffling through the papers carefully to not disturb the arrangement. You also peek beneath the desk to make sure the recorder is still there and active before going through his drawers. It has become a routine check at this point, your fingers moving through his stuff in experienced movements as you hold your breath in anticipation of finding a lead.

It goes futile, of course.

With a defeated sigh you stand up to find Dokyeom standing at the entrance of his study with a completely foreign look on his face.

Shit.

A gasp of surprise and terror leaves your mouth as your eyes meet his and for several moments, a gut-wrenching feeling wreaks havoc within you. You hate how you feel, guilty like a criminal or even worse, a person breaking the trust they were given and getting caught red handed by the person who trusted them the most.

"What are you doing?'' His tone is flat and cold, something you are hearing for the first time. It takes a second for your brain to start functioning properly. "Just looking around, professor. You know I get snoopy sometimes." You tilt your head to the side, giving him a coy smile.

Dokyeom gives no reaction. He takes a few, slow steps towards you, his footsteps matching the beat of your heart as he comes to a stand in front of the table.

Then, his hand reaches below, searching for something beneath the table before coming back up with the bug in his hand.

Ah, fuck.

"What is this?" He asks.

"A bug? Who would do that to you, professor?" You ask innocently.

He keeps staring at you, the look of disappointment growing permanent on his face as you realize you are caught for good.

Fuck it, you had to reveal yourself one way or the other anyway.

With a loud exhale, you ask, "When did you find out?"

"Last week," he replies, tone clipped. "I was baffled when I found it. Nobody visited my place in the last few weeks except you. Stupidly, I told myself it cannot be you so someone must have broken in. I looked through the CCTV footage but I found nothing there was well." He blows out a long breath, shaking his head dejectedly, "I still prayed it wouldn't be you but the reality says otherwise, ___."

Hmm, it does.

"It was me," you announce, plopping down on his chair behind the desk while he watches you unamusedly. "And you are right. Someone did break in. That was me as well." You flash him an evil grin.

Whatever colour that was left on his face drains out as he keeps staring at you, unblinking, for a long period. You return his stare with one of your own, except you are curious to see his next reaction. There is also a feeling of dread somewhere within you but you decide to ignore it.

Dokyeom's palms come to rest on the table as he hangs his head low, remaining motionless. Finally, when he looks up, the look in his eyes has completely changed and his jaw is tight, giving you the first glimpse into the mafia heir that he really is.

You watch as he reaches for the scissors in the stationary holder sitting on his desk, and rounds the table before coming to stand right next to you, holding the tip of the scissors right against your neck as he leans down and hisses. "Should I slit your throat right here or should I hear you out?"

You must admit that you find this look on him very attractive.

You cannot help the grin, "Finally, you are acting like the youngest heir of District 1, professor. I like it."

His eyes widen slightly as the scissors move just a bit away from your skin. "What do you want?"

"To tell you that, I have to tell you a long story." Your smile drips with venom as you stand up and walk over to the sitting area. "Sit down. It's a long story." You say, motioning towards the sofa in front of you. He isn't enthusiastic but he follows your direction, sitting down in front of you, the scissors still in his hand.

You lean back into the cushions throwing one leg over the other as you look him in the eye.

"Once upon a time, six years ago actually, there was a man who used to deal weapons. His general clients were not high profile but one day he got orders from the mafia family of District 1. They had some issues with their regular supplier so they chose that man for a quick supply."

"The man had two daughters. One who was 18 at that time and another who was 16. Their mother passed away a couple of years ago and their father was always busy with either work or gambling so the sisters only had each other. The older sister took very good care of the younger one, making sure she was happy and protected all the time."

"Then one night, the mafia barged through the door, surrounding their house with armed men. The eldest and the youngest son of the Lee family also came. They dragged the father and the older daughter outside on the porch where they killed him with a clean shot in the head. Then they grabbed the older daughter and dragged her into their car, making her disappear forever."

"Meanwhile, the younger daughter watched all this from far away as the father's right hand man told her to remain hidden to save herself. After some digging around, it was found out that District 1 went to war with the Russians and they lost that war while also losing the head of the family, the father of the two brothers, Lee Jihoon and..." you pause before looking him dead in the eye and whispering, "Lee Seokmin."

Thick silence stretches in the air.

Dokyeom keeps looking at you, his fingers intertwined under his chin. "So, all this was a grand plan of yours to what, fool me? Betray me after making a joke out of me?" He asks. making you chuckle.

"You were only the beginning of my plan. I wanted to mess with you, of course, but I thought I would find out about your brother's whereabouts through dating you. I initially had a fun plan that I would show up uninvited in one of his business deals and ruin it, damage his reputation for good. However, that plan failed because I found no information about him or your family from you. You really hide that part of you well, no Professor?"

He remains silent.

"Now that my initial plan has failed, I think I will have to kidnap you, hm? Ask your brother for ransom. He would have no choice but to show up then."

Your words make Dokyeom scoff as he shakes his head, the corners of his lips turned up as if you have said the funniest thing ever. You don't like his reaction.

"You want to see my brother? I will arrange that."

"What?" You must have heard wrong. "What game are you playing now?"

"I'm not playing any game."

"Then why?" You narrow your eyes on him, your hand reaching to your back pocket to pull out the switchblade if necessary.

He looks at you for a long moment before letting out a breath. "I am impressed, that's all. I have to acknowledge your talent, no? Also, you deserve to know the truth." He looks you in the eye. "The real truth. Not some bullshit your father's right hand man made up."

"Don't you fucking tell me what is the truth and what is the lie, you murderer!" You seethe, clenching your fists.

You should just gut him right here.

Once again, he just smiles. "I will text you when he is available for the meeting. However, it will be one on one. If you bring someone else, he will not show up."

"I could still kidnap you."

"You are welcome to try but I guarantee you, that plan is going to fail. You are a smart woman. I'm giving you a good option. Just take it." He stands up.

"Well if you think that I alone am not a threat to your brother then you are mistaken. I can make his blood spill if I want to," You stand up and take a menacing step towards him. "If you find your dear brother dead after the meeting, don't blame me, hm?''

You don't wait for a reply as you turn on your heel and march out of the room. On your way out you find the dinner served on the table, the chicken cut nicely into pieces along with vegetables. Picking up a fork, you stab a few pieces of chicken, shove them into your mouth and then take a sip of the wine.

As always, his food tastes great.

With your coat slung over your shoulder, you pull open the door and yell behind you, "Thanks for the dinner, professor!"

You slam the door loudly behind you.

-

Lee Jihoon agrees to have a meeting with you one day later. Initially, you wanted Changkyun to drive you there but Dokyeom sent a text saying that he would pick you up because outside vehicles are not allowed entry into Jihoon's compound. Reluctantly, you agreed and after an absolute silent drive later, you reach the mansion of the mafia family of District 1.

The compound is stunning and heavily guarded, with checkposts and watch towers set at certain distances as well as multiple security screenings that you have to pass through. Once Dokyeom passes the final gate, the gorgeous mansion comes into view. Just upon entry, there is a large compound surrounding a giant water fountain in the middle of neatly trimmed rows of trees. Dokyeom stops the car at a small parking space near the front yard where the meeting will take place.

As the car comes to a stop you notice a small table and garden chairs set up underneath a large umbrella that is surrounded by multiple guards— the place of your meeting. With a deep breath, you step out of the car, along with Dokyeom who comes out of the driver's side door. Surprising you, he leans against the car with his arms crossed and starts looking around.

"You are not coming?''

"No."

You are perplexed but don't ask any further questions, busy with the task ahead of you. Tilting your head side to side, you pop your neck before marching towards the garden. Spotting you, one of the guards speaks into his comm. Throwing a mock smile at him, you drag a chair out and sit down, waiting for him to arrive. Out of curiosity, you turn your head behind to see Dokyeom in the same spot, staring off into the distance.

Weird.

A maid comes to serve two cups of tea before hurrying away and soon after, the man arrives.

Dressed in full black, Lee Jihoon steps out of the mansion and walks towards you, closely followed by two bodyguards, his body language is relaxed as he pulls out the chair in front of you and sits down. Taking off his shades, he looks at you, his eye contact calm yet unwavering along with something very powerful and dark brimming underneath as you come face to face with the man behind all your misery.

"Good morning, ___. My brother informed me about our interesting past." He speaks, his tone light, his facial expression laced with amusement as if he is catching up with an old friend.

"Then you know why I am here." You cut to the chase, trying to keep your tone as even as possible. Just hearing his voice irks you to your core.

"Remind me again." He hums, wiping his shades with a piece of cloth.

This motherfucking bastard.

"You killed my father! You kidnapped my sister! What—" You inhale deeply. "What did you do to her!" You hiss, unable to keep your voice from raising as your hands form fists, violent rage bubbling within you. There is a knife hidden underneath your bra and you consider pulling it out and stabbing him.

You can be quick but it wouldn't cause enough damage.

Besides, you need to know if your sister is alive.

"I see you are furious and I understand that feeling." Jihoon begins, throwing one leg on top of another as he links his hands together, leaning back to sit comfortably.

You hate how nonchalant he is about all this.

"Since I'm in a good mood today and my younger brother has asked for a favour after a very long time, I'll answer your questions. Let's begin with your father's death, shall we? My family had a deal with your father. He was to provide us with weapons and artilleries for a year because our usual supplier got murdered earlier that year and we chose him as a temporary replacement. In November of that year, a war broke out between us and the Russians. We went to war with those weapons. Guess what happened?"

You remain silent, staring at him in rage.

"The weapons stopped working. The guns would either jam or misfire. Hundreds of my men died and we lost that war. Your father sold us weapons that were crap. They were a batch of second grade weapons that he had lying around." Jihoon pauses for a second before resting his arms on the table and leaning closer to you. "You know why he did that?''

"Because he had gambled away the initial deposit we gave him. That led to an argument with his manufacturer who said the deal would be on hold. He could neither get the weapons nor cancel the deal with us so like a fucking coward, he sold us those shitty weapons."

"You are lying." You hiss.

"I was hoping you would say that. You see, I don't care whether you believe me or not, ___. You asked for the truth and here it is."

Bullshit.

Lee Jihoon is the master of manipulation, there is no way he is being honest right now.

"Then where is my sister? What did you do with her?"

His eyes darken at your words.

"She is alive. That is all you need to know." His tone is clipped.

You are immediately on your feet, the chair scraping backwards by your sudden motion. "Where is she, you fucking son of a bitch!" You bang your fists on the table, ready to jump on him. His bodyguard starts to come to you but Jihoon raises his hand as a signal for him to stand back.

"Sit down, ___." He remains unbothered. "Wherever she is, she is safe and well."

"Like I believe a word that comes out of your mouth! If she is really alive why won't you tell me!" You scream.

"Because your sister told me not to."

The ground slips away from your feet as your heart starts galloping. "What— what you talking about, you fucking liar!"

Jihoon gets up and walks towards you, fixes the chair back in its place and forces you to sit down by grabbing your shoulders.

"Look, ___. I am doing you the favour of explaining everything which I never do for anyone else. You can either act civil and stop calling me names or I have you escorted out right now." He threatens in your ear, his body leaning against the garden table. Your hands form tight fists in your lap as it takes everything within you to hold yourself back from punching him.

He says, "A word of advice for you, don't believe everything you see. Your sister has her demons that she had been hiding for a long time. She had them when we took her and she still has them. When she overcomes all of them, she will come find you."

You are stunned to silence.

"I- I don't believe you. You are making all this up." Your brain is scrambling, trying to fit the pieces together that you seem to have missed.

"Alright then. I'll contact your sister and tell her to write you a letter, maybe even attach some pictures. How about that?"

You remain silent.

Jihoon sighs and sits back down on the chair, before reaching for his phone inside his jacket. Swiping through the device, he finds what he is looking for before turning the screen towards you.

A gasp escapes you as your hands come to cover your mouth. It is a picture of your sister. You recognize her immediately despite the change in her features throughout the years. She sits by a window, a very subtle smile on her lips as she looks at the camera.

You could look at that picture forever but Jihoon takes the phone away, putting it inside his pocket as you blink away the tears from your eyes.

"You are all murderers. You ruined our lives." You whisper, your head hanging low as you stare at the green grass below your feet suddenly overcome with a feeling of helplessness.

Has she really been alive all this time? Has she been well?

"We never said we weren't. Our world abides by some rules and your father was well aware of those rules. His greed got the best of him and in a perfect world, his family wouldn't have suffered for his crime but in our world, that is the rule."

Tears brim in your eyes as you are overwhelmed with distraught.

"Thousands of people in district one had to die for your father's greed. It is only fair that he died. We didn't even make it painful and that is something our men were not blessed with." His tone becomes dark by the end.

"If you still don't believe me, I will mail you some of the investigation reports on that case. But this is as far as I'll entertain you, ___ and this is the last time I wish to see you in my premises unless I call you." Jihoon stands up, putting his hands in his pockets as you keep glaring holes into the ground.

"One final piece of advice, if you aren't serious about my brother, leave him." His words make you look up at him. "Me and Seokmin don't talk to each other anymore but for you, he contacted me after years, leaving behind his pride. He seems to have serious feelings about you. If you don't feel that way about him, leave. You got what you wanted."

Did you? Did you really get what you wanted?

"Goodbye." He puts on his shades and strides out of the garden, his bodyguards trailing after him as you are left alone with your thoughts and the tea which has now gone cold.

You get back into Dokyeom's car in silence. The man does not ask any questions or acknowledge you, mutely starting the car almost as if you are not even here.

You sit still, stuck in a trance as Jihoon's words replay in your mind over and over again. Now, you truly do not know what is the truth and what is the lie as you spiral into a dark pit of hopelessness. Could it truly be that Changkyun and his father lied to you? But why would they do that? Why would Jihoon lie to you either? He has no reason to. He is not afraid of anyone and he has no benefit from lying to you.

Your mind starts to numb from the continuous onslaught of thoughts. When you finally take a break from them and focus on your surroundings, you realize the car has come to a stop. It is parked on a small cliff that overlooks a mountain range far away. Seokmin looks at you expectantly, almost as if he is waiting for you to step out of the car. Without much thought, you do that and he follows you as you both silently tread towards a small bridge nearby. Resting against it, you take in the view for a few minutes, the man next to you doing the same.

"I heard you don't speak to your brother anymore." You decide to speak. It caught you off guard when Jihoon first mentioned it but you have been too preoccupied with other worries to address it. It is making sense to you now as to why you could not find anything at his house.

After a moment, his soft voice floats through the silence. "I used to be really close with my brother. I looked up to him ever since I was a child. In a world as grim as ours, he was a source of hope and a shelter for me." He breathes, his eyes focused ahead, clouded with memories. "It was a given that he was going to be the next don since he was the oldest but he always told me that I'd be a better leader, that I should be prepared to take over if anything were to happen to him. Sometimes, it felt as if he trusted me more than he trusted himself and I didn't want to let him down."

Seokmin comes to a pause as his gaze shifts from staring straight ahead to coming lower and lower, finally stopping at his shoes. With his head hanging low and a dejected posture, he whispers. "Everything changed after that war. Our father died along with so many of our men. The bloodshed was too much for me. I tried to suck it in by telling myself that I will overcome this. I will get used to it but the thing was, I didn't want to. I didn't want to get used to the violence, to the bloodshed, to that life and finally, after killing your father and taking away your sister, I gave up."

There is a heavy pause in the air. Your breath is trapped in your lungs as you watch him, waiting eagerly for his next words, urging him to continue while failing to find your voice.

"That night, I told hyung I was going to leave. I was going to denounce everything. My title, my inheritance, everything. My final gesture of loyalty and love for him was to aid him in killing the man that caused all the mess but my brother...He was...livid. He punched me, yelled at me and finally begged me not to leave. When I still said no he looked at me for a long moment." His breath shudders as he pauses shortly.

"I remember it so vividly. His face went completely blank as he ordered his men to escort me out, not even saying goodbye or looking back. That night I left and I never saw him again until...today. To the members of District 1, it was like the Lee family expanding their territory by having me step into the world of art under a new name. You also thought the same but now, you know the truth."

His eyes finally move as he shifts his position, leaning against the edge of the rail to look at you.

"Our world isn't fair, ___ and you cannot judge our actions based on the laws of the normal world. I do not like bloodshed or violence but I've realised that sometimes it is necessary to keep the balance. Killing your father was such a moment and—" he pauses, his brows furrowing as he looks at you desperately, almost like he's in pain as he searches for the right words.

"I do not regret it. I regret a lot of things but do not regret his death. I'm sorry that you lost your father and I'm sorry that you had a tough life. More than anything else, I'm sorry that you harboured all these negative feelings inside you only to realise that the truth was something else entirely. I'm sorry it had to be like this, ___."

You swallow, blinking to hold back tears. His eyes shine, mirroring yours as you both stare at each other in silence. You want to scream, yell at the top of your lungs that he is lying but you know that if you open your mouth, only sobs will come out. So you opt for watching Seokmin in silence as a gust of cool breeze flows by, messing your hair while you pray that it takes away your despair along with it.

"I'm going to leave you alone now. I'm sure you need some time to process everything. I just wanted to say my part." He whispers, slowly taking steps away. He pauses for a beat on his way to see if you say anything but you keep staring at the sky as if hypnotised. As his footsteps get farther away and the car's engine roars to life, your tears fall, cascading down your cheeks in endless streams.

-

Sleep doesn't come easily to you that night. With the rise of the sun, you get some shut eye before waking up and lying in your bed for hours, sinking deep into the hollow in your chest that feels like it's devouring you whole. Beside you, your phone rings multiple times with Changkyun's calls but you ignore them, not prepared to face him, not prepared to confront your best friend that he has been lying to you. When the growls of your stomach finally grow too loud for you to tolerate, you get up to eat something.

Inside your large house, you float around like a ghost, the emptiness and coldness of the structure mirroring how you feel on the inside. Your brain is too broken to think yet thoughts overflow, numbing you.

As you eat some cereal you finally decide to check your phone and you see Changkyun's message.

I dropped by your house this morning. You didn't open and you are not picking up.

Come to the seaport when you see this. We need to talk.

Your first reaction is to put your phone face down, ignoring the text. But as time ticks by and you see the afternoon sun going lower and lower in the sky, you change your mind. You need to talk to him. You deserve to know the truth from his mouth. Besides, the sooner you get this over with the better.

Maybe it's finally time to retire to a city by the beach, you think to yourself as you drive to the seaport.

-

The wind is high and the sun is about to disappear beneath the horizon when you reach the port. Parking your car, you walk along the edge of the platform, letting the cold her blow into your face as you watch the ships nearby get loaded with containers. As you stop to watch the sunset, you soon hear footsteps behind you and years of familiarity let you know it's Changkyun.

Sure enough, a few seconds later he comes to stand next to you.

"I have been trying to reach you all morning."

"Hm."

Your response probably comes unexpected to him as he shifts his position, turning to look at you, eyes intensely boring into you.

A gust of a particularly strong wind flows, disrupting your hair, covering your face with a few strands, almost as if shielding you from his scrutiny.

"Well?" He prods. You remain silent, staring ahead, racking your brain for the right words to start this conversation.

"___, what did that murderer say?" He asks again, his pitch rising.

"Not what I expected to hear." You give in with a sigh, turning your head to look at him in the eye. Changkyun's eyes widen just a fraction, a look of alarm settling on his face.

"I think we were not completely innocent, either." There's a coldness in your voice but he misses it, hissing. "What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

You tell him how the meeting with Jihoon went before posing the million dollar question. "Is that really the truth, Changkyun?"

With every word leaving your lips, you see his expression change, going from disbelief to betrayal to anger and then, to guilt.

A silence falls as you wait and watch him, holding your breath as his head hangs low, his hair covering his face as he stares at the ground. The remnants of your hope fade away with every passing second.

"Tell me the truth, Kyun! Did my father really gamble away the money?" Your voice is a desperate plea.

"So what if he did!" He scowls at you.

Your whole body freezes as your fears get confirmed. It takes a good moment for you to speak. "Why did you and your father lie to me? You said he was completely innocent, that he did nothing wrong yet got murdered by Ji—"

"For revenge! I lied so that we could take revenge!"

"Revenge for what!" You cry, frustrated. "You and I know very well what the rules are in this world. You would not spare me either if I did to you what my father did!"

"They took your sister, ___. God knows what they did—"

"She's alive." You whisper.

Changkyun's eyes widen, his mouth opening to say something yet failing to do so. He brushes a frustrated hand through his hair, exhaling loudly as he processes the information.

"What is the plan now?" He asks, his voice muted, looking at the ground.

"What do you mean what's the plan!" You cry. "Did you not hear me? There is no plan, Kyun. This is as far as I can go!"

"You do not mean that, ___!" His voice booms, eyes wide with rage. "They killed your father, ruined his empire, ruined every one of our fucking lives! They have your sister locked away for fucks sake!"

You say the words you never thought you would. "My father did not have an empire. What he had was a gambling addiction and a business built on a house of cards." Your voice grows meek, eyes shining with tears of pain and exhaustion. "As for my sister," you take in a deep breath. "Jihoon said he would make her write me a letter. He said she has reasons for hiding but she is safe. I have decided to trust his words for now."

"You—" Changkyun looks at you, baffled. "You are a fucking coward, ___! What about the work we put on all these years? What about us? What about my father? Who's going to avenge him!"

You sigh, rubbing your forehead. Blinking back tears, you try to compose yourself by taking in a deep breath. "I had a harsh wake up call that made me realize that all these years you were lying to me and using me to quench your bloodthirst. Who's going to avenge your father? Maybe you, if you are crazy but not me. His addiction led him astray and he committed suicide. What is there to avenge?"

"___! He ended up like that because the Lees killed your father and ruined our business!" He's like a madman as he steps closer to you, yelling. You yell back, "Just stop it, Changkyun! What do you want me to do, huh? March into Jihoon's house and start firing? Do you know the levels of security that place has? Whatever men we have, he has ten times more and I do not want my team to walk into a suicide mission without any cause. And most importantly, I will not jeopardise the safety of my sister! Jihoon knows her whereabouts and I need him if I want to see my sister again!"

"You... you—" Changkyun has turned red with fury as his words fail him.

You do not like how this conversation is going and your exhaustion makes you take a step back.

"We were carrying their sins with us but I have realised, we don't need to. Our parents...they made their decisions and paid the price for it. Let it end with them, please. I don't want to drag this any more. I am tired, Kyun." You whisper, praying the words to reach him.

Years of hunting and planning the destruction of one man has left you tired to your bones along with a general disdain for the world you have been living in. You were alone all along, chasing a ghost.

It is time to stop.

"No. You are not tired. You are a coward. A brainwashed coward." Changkyun sneers, venom dripping from his eyes.

"If that's what you would like to believe, then so be it." You conclude, not finding the energy to argue with him anymore. Your indifference irks him as he scowls at you, his hands clenched into fists.

You announce. "I am going to retire. You can take over from here on but I suggest you look into doing something new. Our business—"

"Don't you fucking dare give me advice!" His voice booms as he charges towards you. In the blink of an eye, he grabs you by the collars, livid. "Don't utter a single fucking word, you traitor! You fucking liar! You got some dick and decided to switch sides huh!" He seethes, gripping your collars tight and violently shaking you. The headache you already had intensifies but that isn't the thing that's hurting you.

His words hurt. Despite his lies, you considered him your best friend for the past six years. And maybe it's the attachment or the nostalgia of all these years that prevents you from fighting back.

You are done.

You have done enough fighting for a lifetime.

Mean words roll off Changkyun's tongue as he pushes you to the ground in a fit of rage, throwing his legs over your torso as he wraps his arms around your neck.

The next moment there is a click of a gun and you manage to peek over Changkyun's shoulder to find Seokmin standing behind him, pointing a revolver at the back of his head.

Your breath catches in your throat.

What the hell is he doing here?

Changkyun's grip on your throat loosens when he feels the presence behind him as he attempts to turn around. However, Seokmin presses the nozzle of the gun harder into his head, hissing. "Let her go. Now."

"Changkyun, please. Stop." You whisper, finally finding your voice. You do not like the look in Seokmin's eyes, something you've never seen before, something lethal and untamed and paired with the gun in his hand, you do not trust what he might do.

"Speak of the devil." Changkyun scoffs, looking at you, still holding a steady grip on your neck. "The boyfriend is here to save the day."

"Let. Her. Go." Seokmin repeats.

Changkyun looks torn, fury blazing in his eyes while also being aware of the gun being pointed at his head. With a frustrated grunt, he loosens his grip on your throat and you use that fraction of a second to tackle him by grabbing his arms and pinning him to the ground as you come on top. "Stop it, Kyun." Your plea is a whisper that is met with eyes full of wrath.

The next second Seokmin abruptly tugs you behind by your arm as he takes a step forward, becoming a barrier between you and Changkyun. The gun is still in his hand, pointing towards your friend.

"Seokmin put the gun down. It's fine." You try to step forward and pry the weapon out of his hand but he doesn't let you, holding you behind protectively with an arm outstretched.

"You may trust him, but I don't," Seokmin replies, eyes fiercely trained on Changkyun who has sat up. His eyes are equally furious with an underlying hint of challenge, as if he's daring Seokmin to shoot.

And he just might.

"For fucks sake, both of you! Enough!" You holler, clutching onto Seokmin to drag him further away from Changkyun who slowly stands up and brushes the dust off of him before looking at you with a deathly stare. Seokmin's grip on your arm tightens, the gun still in his hand but not pointed at him now.

You can almost physically feel the air thicken with tension.

"Don't try to contact me, ___. If I see your face ever again, there will be a bullet hole between your eyes." Changkyun grits out, sparing one last look of scorn at you before marching away.

With the kaleidoscope of colours of the dusk sky, you watch your best friend of years walk away, experiencing heartbreak and a weird relief at the same time.

Silence settles with the sun dipping below the horizon. Seokmin let's go of you, putting some distance between your bodies. Your eyes meet his as you exchange a silent look full of turbulent emotions.

Emotions you can't quite name yet feel overwhelmed with.

"How did you find me?" Your soft inquiry breaks the silence. He removes his gaze from you and looks at the ground. "Went to your place this afternoon. As I was pulling up I saw your car leave and I just...followed you."

"Why?"

"I... don't know. My gut told me I should." He replies calmly.

You sigh as another beat of silence fills the air. The sky is now fully dark, spread wide with different shades of purple. The wind has gotten significantly colder and you feel like if you stay out too long, it will settle into your bones.

Like the echoing coldness in your heart.

"You should not have interrupted. I was dealing with him."

Seokmin frowns. "Dealing with him? By lying still and letting him choke you?"

"Like I said—"

"Forget that,'' Seokmin interrupts you with a huff. "I went to your place because I had to tell you something." You look at him inquisitively as he fishes out something from the breast pocket of his trench coat.

Extending his hand towards yours, he pushes something into your palm.

A ticket.

"What is this?" You find yourself asking.

"Remember how you said you wanted to go to a place by the sea." He begins, his voice soft like his gaze. "Well, this is it. Now that everything is over, you can go and live by the beach. This cruise leaves tomorrow afternoon. It'll take a few days to reach Barcelona."

You look at the little piece of paper in your hand, letting his words wash over you.

"Think of this as an apology for everything. For what me and my family put you through." He adds when you don't reply.

"I see." Your voice is almost inaudible.

Seokmin says nothing for a few moments, as if waiting for you to speak but when you don't, he continues. "I am going as well. To Barcelona, I mean."

You move his gaze to him and blink inquisitively.

"I felt like taking a break after everything. I haven't been on a vacation for a very long time. I, too, wanted to see the ocean. When I got tickets, I thought I'd get one for you. We don't have to go together or see each other if you decide to go, that is..." He trails off.

You gaze at him for a while, memorising his features. Swallowing a sudden lump in your throat, you force a smile and give him a shaky nod.

"Well, then. I'll get going." He takes a few steps back, rubbing his palms together.

"Bye."

"If you don't come tomorrow, this is goodbye, no?" He asks as he continues to take small steps away from you, still facing you.

"I guess so." You reply. He stops and takes a long look at you before saying. "It was really nice knowing you, ___. Despite our history, despite the short time, I don't regret meeting you and... loving you." The last two words fade into a whisper, making you doubt if he even said them.

You don't get a chance to reply. You don't even get a chance to wholly process his words before he gives a wave, a small smile on his face before jogging away.

You stay rooted to your spot.

I don't regret meeting you and loving you.

-

The sun is shining stronger than any other afternoon when you step out of the taxi with nothing but a small bag pack on your shoulders. Receiving the boarding pass, you walk into the deck which is now empty because the ship is set to leave in just five minutes.

It is not fully empty, however, because one person stands, looking anxious, his eyes skirting around wildly.

When his eyes land on you, a smile of relief seems to appear on his face, triggering the corners of your lips to rise slightly as well. In silence, you walk to him.

"You came." His voice sounds glad but also as if he is trying to school his excitement.

"Did not want to waste a free ticket." You shrug, looking away.

Seokmin nods. "Right. Well, you are just on time."

"I know." There's a pause for a second as he looks like he wants to say something. A staff gives out the final boarding call which makes you continue your way into the cruise, followed by Seokmin.

Once you are boarded, you walk towards the front of the vessel, glad that it is not too crowded. The whistle of the cruise booming in the air signals the start of its journey as the sunlight and the warm breeze kiss your face.

"I'm glad you decided to come," Seokmin says, making you turn around to look at him. In the soft glow of the sun and the wind playing with his hair, he looks breathtaking.

After a moment, you whisper. "Me too."

Giving you a nod and a friendly smile, he walks away with his suitcase into the upper deck and out of sight while you stand and watch him go, the sun warming your skin.

-

1 month later

The evening air has a slight chill, not uncomfortable but just pleasant. You walk barefoot on the sand, hands crossed over your chest as your feet carry you down the edge of the ocean with practised ease. Around you, people enjoy the beach after a hectic day, children playing around laughing, parents taking videos, friends flying kites, couples walking hand in hand. The sound of the waves crashing to the shore along with the remnants of orange hues in the sky sets up a wonderful atmosphere, which, after almost a month, you have become used to but certainly not bored of.

You have never felt so much at peace.

This getaway was truly what you needed as you learned to spend time by yourself, alone with your thoughts, isolated from the world yet watching it pass by. It has been a palliative experience so far. You came to terms with your life, your past, your actions and your feelings for a certain individual.

Just one day into your getaway, a letter was brought to your room by a hotel staff and upon opening it, you realised Jihoon kept his promise.

It was a handwritten letter from your sister, along with a picture of her, sitting next to a large painting that she created. She looks different, not how you remember her, a different glow on her face that you did not remember because she was almost always melancholic.

You now feel a little guilty because you never asked her why.

Dear ____.

It has been a long while, no? I am sorry for being out of touch. It is unforgivable, I know but I finally found the courage to write to you after you came to visit Jihoon. When we were first separated something was chasing me that made me want to run away from everything. I put off connecting to you for your own good when I heard you were living with Changkyun and his father and just like that, years had passed. I occasionally looked into your whereabouts and I knew you were doing fine but I never found it in me to get rid of the guilt and just write to you.

I tried hard not to show it but life was not so kind to me before the last six years and getting taken away from our dad was probably the best thing for me.

It is a story for another day and there are still demons that I need to defeat. After that I will come to see you and ask for forgiveness. Until then, live well and rest easy knowing that I have been doing better for the past few years.

Your sister.

Reading the letter was bittersweet, the first emotion invoked within you was hurt and longing as you shed a few tears seeing your sister's picture, mused about the old days and wondered what she went through all by herself.

Initially, you had thought of writing back a reply but you decided against it because the words you wish to utter can not be confined within a paper. Instead, you sent out a prayer to the universe, hoping you would get to meet her sometime soon.

From a distance, someone calls out your name, calling your attention back to the present and you turn instinctively to find Seokmin jogging towards you through the sand, two cones of ice creams in his hands. A smile appears on your lips as you take a few steps towards him, reaching your arms out. Wrapping him in a soft hug, you plant a sweet kiss on his lips before taking an ice cream from his hand and reaching for the other as well.

"Both of these are for me right?"

The poor man looks conflicted. "Well, uhm, no but if you want you can have them."

You snort a burst of laughter. "You can have it, Min. Maybe save a bite for me."

Hand in hand, you two walk a little closer to the shore and sit down, letting the flow of the waves occasionally touch your feet.

Your relationship with Seokmin developed surprisingly but quickly after coming to Barcelona. Initially, you did not expect anything, too overridden with the guilt of your tricks and the history of your families to make any attempt to talk to him. Two weeks went by as you did not see each other, except for occasionally bumping into each other at the beach or the hotel lobby because as fate would have it, you two shared the same hotel. It was hard and uncomfortable, pretending not to see him when you ran into him and it would make you wonder if he felt the same.

It all changed one night when you were returning to the hotel after dinner and some drinks. Tipsy and wobbly, you focused extra hard to not bump into anyone as you made your way into the lobby of the hotel.

And there you bumped into him, quite literally.

"Hey there, easy," The man's hands hold your shoulders to stop you from falling on your ass. You look up and find Seokmin. Thinking that you are seeing things, you blink two more times before coming to terms with the fact that it was indeed Seokmin in front of you.

"Someone had a lot to drink," He says as you try to regain your balance. "Can you go to your room by yourself? Should I come with you?"

With a huff, you push him away, trying to appear independent as you take wobbly steps. Seokmin decides to escort you, as he follows closely behind all the way, one hand outstretched, ready to catch you in case you fall.

When you reach your room, Seokmin assists you in unlocking the door. Once the job is done successfully, you pause in the entryway to look back at him. He stands there, somewhat awkward and you consider whether to shut the door on his face or ask him to come in. Neither of them sounds like a good idea but still, you kick the door to open it a little wider and murmur as you walk in, "Come in, if you want."

You don't look behind as you head for the small fridge to retrieve a water bottle and chug it down. Seokmin steps in, a bit hesitant, closing the door behind him. You take a seat on the edge of your bed as Seokmin gingerly sits down on the couch placed in front.

A small moment of silence passes by as you two observe each other. He is dressed in running gear and judging from the pristine condition of his hair, you assume that he was on his way for a late night jog.

"We keep bumping into each other," Seokmin tries to break the silence. You nod, "Must be fate." You are not quite sure if you said those words genuinely or sarcastically. Seokmin does not reply, probably thinking that you are being sarcastic.

You find yourself asking, "How have you been?"

"Good."

"How long do you plan to stay here?"

"A couple more weeks maybe."

"Are you having fun?''

"Yes."

"Am I making you uncomfortable?"

He takes a moment before replying, "Not really. I'm more worried if I am making you uncomfortable."

"Hm," you hum and with that, the conversation dies down. You have a lot to say on your mind but your mind is not in its top condition right now as you have had a few drinks, which makes it a bit harder to arrange your thoughts and address them accordingly.

"I should get going, I suppose," Seokmin says, rubbing his palms on his thighs.

"Wait," the words slip out of your mouth in urgency and you are not even sure why you are telling him so.

The man blinks at you.

"I—" You don't know what you wish to say. "I guess I just wanted to say...I'm sorry."

Seokmin appears a little surprised hearing you say that as he sits up straighter. You huff out a long breath, looking down at the empty water bottle in your hand. "What I'm trying to say is that...I am sorry that I played with your feelings. I- I am sorry for using you. You are a nice person, professor."

You calling him by his old title makes him smile as he says. "I just realized I missed you calling me by that name."

"Professor?"

"Yes, ___?"

A small smile appears on your face as well as you bite your lip to stifle it.

"___?" Seokmin's soft voice makes you look at him. He looks unsure but also hopeful. "Hypothetically, if I told you that I still miss you and that I still long for you, what would you say?"

"Your breath stalls as you watch him, wide eyed. There is a sudden lump in your throat that makes it impossible for you to speak. You are scared you might start crying if you do so. Still, you breathe, "Hypothetically, I would say that I feel the same too.''

"And would it be a lie this time, my beautiful liar?"

You swallow as you watch him take slow steps towards you. When he stands right in front of you, his hands gently cup your cheeks, carefully tilting your head upwards so that you can meet his eyes. They shine with emotions unsaid, just like yours and the look on his face makes your heart soar, makes you forget everything, makes you want to be selfish.

"No," you whisper.

You get to see the slightest tilt of his lips to a smile as he leans down and presses his lips to yours, softly at first before you eagerly chase his lips and he reciprocates, moving the hair away from your face and holding your neck with one hand and stroking your cheek with the other.

The kiss is full of passion but also slow and sweet, an addictive combination that tells you that you are done for. With another kiss on your forehead, Seokmin lets go, stepping away from you.

"Will I see you tomorrow morning or will you declare this as a drunk mistake and start hiding from me?" He asks cheekily.

You can't help a smile. "I will expect you to pick me up at 9 am sharp. We will have breakfast together."

You will take it slow this time.

"Whatever you wish," He flashes his beautiful smile, heading for the door. As he is about to close it behind him, he turns his head around. "Goodnight, ___. Sweet dreams."

"Goodnight, Seokmin."

-

Fast forward a couple of weeks later, you two moved out of the hotel and instead rented a small villa near the coast for an indefinite amount of time. You have no plans of going back home but you know that Seokmin's nature of work will require him to leave sometimes which you are fine with.

"So, I got an invitation to a seminar in London." Seokmins words jolt you out of the thoughts running in your head. "I don't think they are going to accept a no." He adds sadly.

"You don't have to say no." You reply. "Just go and attend it. Share your expertise with the world."

"Mhmm," he hums, looking at you in a contemplating gaze. "Would you consider coming with me?"

You blink. "Well..."

"It's a one-day seminar. We can stay a couple of days more and look around the city. It would be fun, I think."

You consider his words. It would be fun, actually.

You have no reason to hold yourself back from having new experiences now. You have punished yourself enough.

"It's a good idea." You reply with a soft smile that makes your boyfriend grin as he puts his arm around your shoulder, gently pulling your body closer to him. You let your head fall on his shoulder as you watch the sky grow dark.

No more lies now, it's just peace.

Your story that began with lies painted in red will end in red too, but this time the red will paint love.

A/N: Thanks for reading it till the end! I would like to apologize for the delay as this was supposed to be posted two weeks earlier but yk, life happened. The other two stories of this series are in the making but the next story will not be out before May. Also, I am planning on making a standalone for Jihoon's story which will not exactly be a part of this series but it's in the same timeline. It will be posted after all the stories of this series are completed. Anyways, stay safe and toodles!

Also, please leave a comment and reblog! It really motivates me to create more!

© startlightxsvt 2024 | All Rights Reserved. Do not copy, repost, translate, adapt, or repurpose any of my works.

#seventeen #seventeen smut #dk smut #seokmin smut #dokyeom smut #seventeen imagines #svt imagines #seventeen scenarios #seventeen fluff #dk imagines #dokyeom imagines #lee seokmin #svt fluff #svt angst #seventeen angst #mingyu imagines #seventeen x reader

[sjmcrackshipmonth]

SJM Crackship Month July 2023

1. All crackships are welcome. They can be from Crescent City, ACOTAR, or TOG, and we welcome cross series crackships as well, like Bryce x Azriel, Nesta x Manon, etc.

2. Please don't be rude to others. This is supposed to be fun and we will not welcome any hate!

3. How much you participate is optional. Please don't feel like you need to do every single day!

4. Art, Edits, Fics, all are welcome!

5. Please use the hashtags #/sjmcrackshipmonth #/sjmcrackshipmonth23 and tag the blog if you wish to be featured on the page that way we're not missing anyone!

6. No reposting other's work unless you've been given express permission to do so

I can't wait to see what people come up with and I hope everyone has a great time!

#sjmcrackshipmonth #sjmcrackshipmonth23 #Casslain #Neris #Feyzriel #Gwynlain #Jassa #Targwyn #Bryceriel #sjm #sjm crackships #ACOTAR #Crescent City #TOG #A Court of Thorns and Roses #Throne of Glass #sjm crackship #acotar crackship #acotar crackships

[dandelion-astoria]

𝐔𝐑𝐋 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄

Очень внезапно, но спасибо @vikomdynasty

Сложный какой-то челлендж 😀, особенно учитывая какой у меня длинный ник) Позволю себе некоторые песни на русском, потому что в последнее время слушаю из чаще)

Суть челленджа: вы берете свой ник и указываете вашу любимую песню под каждую букву ника. Название песни должно начинаться с буквы вашего ника.

Сильно постараюсь найти столько песен)) D - Девочка и Море - polnalyubvi A - Astronomical - Svrcina N - Не покидай меня никогда, море - polnalyubvi D - Destroyer - MONSTA X E - Eternal Flame - Atom Music Audio feat Alexa Ray L - Lovely - Lauren Babic & Seraphim I - Ирландия - Марко Поло O - Облачный атлас - Марко Поло N - Not Alone - Mitchell Broom feat Julie Seechuk A - Aquarium - #GUN S - Старая башня - Марко Поло T - Труп невесты - Green Apelsin, Trespass - MONSTA X (я не смогла выбрать что-то одно) O - Okey Dokey - Zico & Mino R - Rodeo - MONSTA X I - Innocence - Cannon Division feat. Soren Bryce A - Авалон - Марко Поло

Было непросто)) Я как всегда выполняю челленджи спустя сто лет, поэтому передаю просто тем, кто не против в нем поучаствовать)

#челлендж

[choicesficwriterscreations]

Open Heart FotW - July 23-29, 2023

✒️= Fanfic | 📱= Text Fics/Edits | 🎨= Fanart Ⓜ️ = Mature Content 18+ | 🔥 = Explicit/NSFW 18+

BRYCE LAHELA

Losing Game (1/4) ✒️Ⓜ️| Bryce Lahela x F!OC - @peonierose

A Sweet Surprise ✒️| Bryce Lahela x F!OC - @storyofmychoices

ETHAN RAMSEY

Karma is a... Barbie Premiere (2/2) ✒️| TEthan Ramsey x F!OC?, Tobais Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Last Shift ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter

One Night Stand ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @takeharryandgo

Sweet Start ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jerzwriter

War of Emotion ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x Harper Emery - @coffeeheartaddict2

What Could Have Been (Series) | Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @liaromancewriter Chapter 3: Move On. Begin Anew ✒️

Whatever You Want ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x M!MC - @peonyblossom

Wonderstruck (2/3) ✒️| Ethan Ramsey x F!MC - @jamespotterthefirst

TOBIAS CARRICK

Casey's 32nd Birthday 📱| Tobias Carrick x F!MC - @jerzwriter

Karma is a... Barbie Premiere (2/2) ✒️| Tobias Carrick x F!MC, Ethan Ramsey x F!OC? - @jerzwriter

MULTIPLE/VARIOUS PAIRINGS

Mixed Signals (Series) | Multiple Pairings - @alj4890 Chapter 1 ✒️

CFTW FotW Main List

#open heart #open heart choices #choices open heart #open heart fanfic #cfwc fics of the week #choices fic writers creations #playchoices #playchoices fanfic #bryce lahela #ethan ramsey #tobias carrick

[lilyoffandoms]

2023 Choices Fic Recap

Saw @aallotarenunelma list of 2023 fics and thought it was such a cool idea so I had to steal it. Here are all the fics/drabbles I wrote for the Choices fandom this past year (excluding drabbles I sent as asks).

Here is to another beautiful year of trying to write writing and sharing! May your new year find you with all the time, all the motivation, and all the words to write all the stories your heart contains!!

January

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

February Kiss (Tyril x Maiele)

ID Drabble (Cas x Saini) for aallotarenunelma

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

LoA Drabble (Gabe x Lex)

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele + family)

TPA Drabble (Rowan x Elliot)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

Pick Your Poison (Arthur/Artura x Guinevere, Lancelot x Guinevere)

Regret (Arthur x Guinevere, Lancelot x Guinevere)

Blades Drabble (Mal x Daenarya, Tyril x Maiele)

Guinevere Drabble (Lancelot x Guinevere)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

Blades Drabble (Mal x Daenarya + boys) for storyofmychoices

Guinevere Drabble (Lancelot x Guinevere)

February

OPH Drabble (Tobias x Casey, Bryce x Olivia, Ethan x Merida)

TRR Drabble (Hana x Eclipsa) for noesapphic

Nightbound Drabble (Nik x Alex) for ladylamrian

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

OPH Drabble (Bryce x Jensen) for mydemonsdrivealimo

Nightbound Drabble (Nik x Alex) for ladylamrian

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

March

Doctor, Doctor (Bryce x Kyrie)

RCD Drabble (Thomas x Alex) for storyofmychoices

OPH Drabble (Bryce x Olivia) for storyofmychoices

Blades Drabble (Maiele & Daenarya)

Blades Drabble (Mal x Daenarya) for storyofmychoices Blades Poem (Mal x Daenarya) for storyofmychoices

RCD Drabble (Thomas x Alex) for storyofmychoices

April

WtD Drabble (Troy x Saeed)

most of the month was spent on a personal project

“Does not the human decorum suggest you sit opposite side the table?” he laughed merrily.

“But I do so like my own skin too much to risk being at the disadvantage of having my back to the door,” she smiled a knowing smile at him.

“Then you must be the one to protect our skins both for I will do as decorum requires and not draw ourselves undue attention.” Teigran looked them both over and her lips quirked into a smile again. “Your point is understood,” he laughed. “Less noticeable than an elf and a dwarf sitting to sup in a human town.”

May

spent this month working on a personal project

"Tell me the secrets you require,” he leaned in to whisper.

His face was bright and flushed from the warm room, and she expected, a bit from the excitement of a mission and the promise of more.

June

spent this month on the same personal project

Sleep came fitfully that night. The memories of her coming to the surface. Always so kind. Always so demanding. Even in childhood.

She tried to bring those memories to the surface in hopes that she would speak to her again in dreams and give her more to go on. It was in vain, Teirgan knew this, but she needed more to go on.

July

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele, Mal x Daenarya)

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele, Mal x Daenarya)

August

11 Drabbles (multiple pairings & books) for the participants of the August Challenge)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

ID Drabble (Kalen & Saini)

September

CoP AU Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel)

Blades Drabble (Maiele & Daenarya)

WtD Drabble (Troy x Saeed)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Sofia) with trappedinfanfiction’s MC

OPH Drabble (Bryce x Olivia, Tobias x Casey, Ethan x Merida)

October

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele)

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele)

Nightbound Drabble (Nik x Alex) for ladylamrian

Blades Drabble (Maiele & gang)

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele, Mal x Daenarya)

Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele, Mal x Daenarya, Daenarya x Maiele, Mal x Tyril)

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel, Luke x Ruby)

Blades Drabble (Maiele & OC) for storyofmychoices

WtD Drabble (Troy x Saeed)

Blades Drabble (Nia x Astra) for stars-are-within-me

CoP Drabble (Trystan x MC) for stars-are-within-me

November

Mal x Daenarya for storyofmychoices

Tobias x Casey for jerzwriter

Aerin x Raine for oh-so-youre-a-nerd

Thomas x Jackie for peonyblossom

Blades Drabble (Aerin x MC) for oh-so-youre-a-nerd and baldwinboy5ive

Blades Drabble (Aerin x Raine) for oh-so-you’re-a-nerd

December

CoP Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel) and Blades Drabble (Tyril x Maiele)

CoP & LoA Crossover Drabble (Trystan x Gabriel, Aislinn x Lex x Gabe)

#my 2023 masterlist #my masterlist

[lovealexhunt]

2023: ☆ January ☆ February-April ☆ May-June ☆ July ☆ August

Thomas Hunt x Alex Spencer  [HollywoodU]  [Red Carpet Diaries]

Coffee + Dinosaurs:  Alex has a coffee fueled idea. (We should all be worried 😉)

Bryce Lahela x Olivia Hadley[Open Heart]

Tides of Change: With the news of the spreading wildfires on the picturesque island he grew up on, Bryce knows he can't sit by and do nothing.

Pages of Emotion: Olivia and Bryce enjoy a quiet evening of reading on the porch of their new house.

Mystery Unlocked: Ethan keeps skipping out on their Escape the Room group date nights, so they bring the mystery to him. feat: Tobias x Casey, Ethan x Merida

Mal Volari x Daenarya [Blades of Light and Shadow]

Restless Shadows: Daenarya puts on a brave face during the day, but alone at night, she's haunted by her grief.

Chosen by Light: Mal has some questions for Daenarya after seeing her use Light magic.

A Royal Portrait: Daenarya and Maiele pose for a royal portrait, while Tyril and Mal discuss their partners. feat: Tyril x Maiele

The Cutest Goof: Daenarya has some thoughts on Mal's new armor.

Trystan Thorne x Lilah Rose [Crimes of Passion]

Between Coffee & Cases: an unexpected day: Lilah is pouring over the clues they've uncovered, looking for the missing piece, when Trystan surprises her with a special offer.

Thomas Hunt with a Camera Chibi

Alex Hunt minimalist art

Mal x Daenarya Masquerade Art

A Royal Portrait: Daenarya + Maiele

Mal + Daenarya chibi icons/headshots

Mal x Daenarya New Armor Featured by ChoicesGame

Unicorn Wishes and Mermaid Kisses: Bryce, Olivia, and Keiki Ice Cream Art

Seaside Serenity: Bryce and Olivia at the Beach

Asks

Lilah Rose Birthday Asks

Trystan x Lilah Drabble Gift

Thomas x Alex during the Writer's Strike

Ethan x Ellie AU

Random Things

Alex Hunt masterlist

Alex Hunt Character Page/Biography

Alex Hunt Summer Character Challenge

Don't stop, be leaving

My Personal Fave Fics

Lilah Rose Fashion

#bryce lahela #thomas hunt #mal volari #trystan thorne #lovealexhunt #storyofmychoices #theartoflovingthomashunt #red carpet diaries #open heart #blades of light and shadow #crimes of passion #choices cop #blades of light and shadow 2 #choices blades #choices bolas

[openheartfanfics]

Newly Added Fics

July 15 - 21, 2023  

🎭 Angst  |  🦚 Angsty Fluff  |  🛸 AU  |  ☁ Fluff  |  ♥ NSFW  |  📚 Series  |  📷 Edit  |  📱 TextFic  |  Ⓜ Mature

BRYCE X F!MC

Can I Have this Dance? - @storyofmychoices ☁

Some dances last a few minutes, others a lifetime, but every so often, there's one that lasts forever.

ETHAN X F!MC

Moving On - @jerzwriter 🎭

When Ethan left for a WHO mission without saying a word to Casey, then returned with a "reset" in mind, he told her that he wanted her to move on. Now that she has, he's not taking it too well. [Broke up; With Someone Else]

My Best Friend's Wedding: Rumor Has It - @jamespotterthefirst ☁

A childhood friend realizes he's the love of her life. The problem is he's about to marry someone else.

Relaxation - @potionsprefect 📷

Being heavily pregnant means Victoria needs to be spoilt every now and then. [Domestic; Pregnancy]

Total Surrender - @liaromancewriter ♥

After following Cassie’s command to the letter, Ethan is determined to collect his reward. [Oral Happenings]

Trip North - @potionsprefect 🦚

Luke and Lily get to know Ethan Hudson. [Domestic; Family]

What Could Have Been - @liaromancewriter 📚🎭

[extended: wip] When Ethan breaks his promise, Cassie is forced to accept they’re not inevitable after all.

CH 2: Facing the Consequences.

When life gets in the way - @coffeeheartaddict2 ☁

Casey received some unexpected news that expedites some plans. [Domestic; Pregnancy]

Wonderstruck - @jamespotterthefirst 📚🛸

[mini: wip] As a hopeful med student, she sneaks into a masquerade-themed gala hoping to meet one of the greatest minds of her time. However, fate has different plans.

Part 1

ETHAN X M!MC

Taken Care Of - @peonyblossom ☁

When Ethan finds Sydney completely wasted at Donahue's, Ethan takes him home and takes care of him. [Donahue's; Drunk]

LOVE TRIANGLE

Anytime I Want - @cariantha 🦚

A rewrite of the final scenes from the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Rafael Aveiro x F!MC; Ethan Ramsey x F!MC

Mixed Signals - @alj4890 📚

[mini: wip] Dr. Tobias Carrick x F!MC. Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC. Dr. Bryce Lahela x F!MC. Set after the poison attack.

Prologue

Who are you? - @coffeeheartaddict2 ♥

Ethan reconnects with an old flame at an event for his book. Upon his return to Edenbrook he takes things further with Harper. Feat. Ethan Ramsey x Harper Emery, Ethan Ramsey F!OC Estelle Campion

PLATONIC/THE GANG

Coffee Time - @liaromancewriter 📱

Cassie and the gang plan a coffee heist.

TOBIAS X F!MC

I'll Have What She's Having - @jerzwriter 📚🛸

[mini: wip] Tobias & Casey are good friends and two doctors working at neighboring hospitals.

Part 1

Life's a Beach - @jerzwriter 📷

Tobias and Casey are on a beach vacation.

_

SUBMIT OPEN HEART FICS & WRITERS HERE

#open heart #open heart choices #open heart fanfics #open heart fanfiction #playchoices #choices fanfics #choices fanfiction #bryce lahela #bryce lahela x mc #ethan ramsey #ethan ramsey x mc #harper emery #tobias carrick #tobias carrick x mc #newly added fics

[harrisonarchive]

George Harrison feat. tea in 1964 and 1967; photos by Harry Benson, Leslie Bryce, NY Daily News Archive, S.W. Jacobsen/Liverpool Echo/Mirrorpix.

Q: “Do you like tea?” George Harrison: “Of course! Doesn’t everybody?” - Teen Screen Magazine, 1964

“I don’t think I can make it unless I have a cup of tea.” - George Harrison, during the “Paperback Writer” recording session, reported in KRLA Beat, 16 July 1966

“Well, they give you lukewarm water and a crummy looking tea bag. And you know, you’ve got to try to make that into a cup of tea.” - George Harrison (in response to a reporter asking how he drinks his tea), press conference, Boston, 12 September 1964

“Just a cup of tea together? To get the four people together and just put them in a room and have tea and satellite it all over the world and charge $20 each to watch it. We could make a fortune. What we could do is just sit there. ‘Well, John, what have you been doing?’ ‘Well, Ringo, I think...’ But that would be just as difficult because everybody’s left home and they’re living their own lives.” - George Harrison (on a possible Beatles reunion), Los Angeles press conference, 1979

“I remember one time, at an airport, I was starting to worry whether we would get to the gate on time but George just smiled and said he wanted a cup of tea. ‘OK,’ I fretted, ‘but I don’t think we have time.’ ‘There’s always time for a cup of tea,’ he said.” - Sir Jackie Stewart, Winning Is Not Enough (2007) (x)

#George Harrison #quote #quotes about George #quotes by George #George and tea #1960s #et al #Jackie Stewart #The Beatles #fits queue like a glove

[choicesjuly2023challenge]

Week 1 Masterlist

Crimes of Passion

4th of July Fun - m!Trystan Thorne x f!MC (Lilah Rose) - @storyofmychoices

"...and you have me" - m!Trystan Thorne x f!MC (Carolina Rose) - @jerzwriter

Open Heart

Anchored in Love - Bryce Lahela x f!OC (Olivia Hadley) - @storyofmychoices

Sadie's Self Care Sunday #32: Flowers - f!MC (Sadie Oakley) - @peonyblossom

Sweet Stuff - Tobias Carrick x f!MC (Casey MacTavish) - @jerzwriter

The Warmth of Love - Bryce Lahela x f!OC (Olivia Hadley) - @storyofmychoices

The Royal Romance

The Blue Honey Cafe, Chapter 5: Moonlight Rendezvous - f!MC (Riley Brooks - @bebepac

Wake the Dead

The Princess + The Dragon - Troy Hassan x f!MC (Astraea Callen) - @storyofmychoices

Crossovers

Crimes of Passion/Hot Couture

you'll find me on my tallest tiptoes, spinning in my highest heels, love, shining just for you - Marco Di Vincenzo x f!MC (Analise Moore); Marguerite Thorne x f!OC (Charlie) - @peonyblossom

#masterlist #open heart #crimes of passion #the royal romance #wake the dead #hot couture #peonyblossom #storyofmychoices #jerzwriter #bebepac

[honoka-marierose]

We've been waiting with bated breath for some official news on Marvel's Fantastic Four movie for a long time. The wait, though, is finally over, as the comic book giant has dropped some massive news about its hotly-anticipated film.

First up, the biggest reveal of the lot: the Fantastic Four movie's official cast. Making the announcement on its social media channels – including X/Twitter – Marvel confirmed that Pedro Pascal (The Last of Us), Vanessa Kirby (Napoleon), Joseph Quinn (Stranger Things), and Ebon Moss-Bachrach (The Bear) have officially signed on to play Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Sue Storm/The Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, and Ben Grimm/The Thing.

But wait, there's more… Marvel also revealed that the movie will now fly into theaters on July 25, 2025. That was the date previously held by Marvel Phase 5 film Thunderbolts, whose latest release delay is sure to bump it out of that lineup of movies and Disney Plus shows and into Marvel Phase 6.

The movie also has a new title: it's now called The Fantastic 4, which is a two-fold marketing plot from Marvel Studios. For one, it's a nostalgic call-back to the title of the iconic superhero group's first-ever comic book – The Fantastic Four #1, which was released in November 1961. Perhaps more importantly, though, The Fantastic 4 title differentiates it from the superhero team's previous big-screen outings – those being 2005's Fantastic Four and its 2015 reboot namesake.

Lastly, The Fantastic 4's first piece of official artwork has been unveiled by Marvel (see the X post above). The Disney subsidiary revealed the film's new name and release date alongside said artwork, which is certainly giving off the retro-futuristic vibes that the supergroup are renowned for. Marvel's Fantastic Four poster also teases when the movie might be set, too.

The end of a drawn-out, rumor-filled era

The Fantastic Four casting rumor mill can finally rest (Image credit: Marvel Comics)

It's about time we learned official details about The Fantastic 4. Ever since the superhero movie was first announced in July 2019, there's been no end to the speculation about who'll play the iconic quartet. Indeed, the rumor mill has been in overdrive for at least 18 months, with a number of big-name stars reportedly holding talks with Marvel.

In January 2022 we first reported that Marvel was ready to cast the lead roles in its Fantastic Four film, only for the comic book giant to, well, not do so. Since then, Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard batted away suggestions she would play The Invisible Woman, Star Wars alumnus Adam Driver was linked with playing the group's legendary villain Doctor Doom and Richards, and the likes of Margot Robbie, Paul Mescal, and Dev Patel were reportedly tapped for various roles.

In January 2022 we first reported that Marvel was ready to cast the lead roles in its Fantastic Four film, only for the comic book giant to, well, not do so. Since then, Jurassic World star Bryce Dallas Howard batted away suggestions she would play The Invisible Woman, Star Wars alumnus Adam Driver was linked with playing the group's legendary villain Doctor Doom and Richards, and the likes of Margot Robbie, Paul Mescal, and Dev Patel were reportedly tapped for various roles.

All in all, the sheer number of Fantastic Four movie cast rumors sent Marvel fans into a tailspin, and led director Matt Shakman to ask fans to ignore the growing speculation about who would feature.

Things, though, continued to escalate. Per an unlikely source, Marvel was said to have officially cast Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic in early February – the apparent confirmation coming three months after Pascal was reportedly tapped to star in the Marvel film. Shakman appeared to reveal that this was the case on Instagram before deleting the post 24 hours later once the unveiling gained traction.

Vanessa Kirby seemed set to play Storm, too, with the Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning actor coyly telling TechRadar it "would be an honor" to portray The Invisible Woman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Ebon Moss-Bachrach was similarly skittish when asked about his likely involvement in January.

Thankfully, Marvel has put an end to all the long-running speculation, and finally put us all out of our misery – and by misery, we mean made us all the more excited for The Fantastic 4. July 2025 can't come soon enough.

#marvel #marvel studios #marvel cinematic universe #mcu #fantastic four #reed richards #sue storm #johnny storm #ben grimm #mr fantastic #the invisible woman #the human torch #the thing #pedro pascal #vanessa kirby #joseph quinn #ebon moss bachrach #marvel comics

[jerzwriter]

July - Sept: 43 Fics Written - 10 CoP, 32 OH, 1 WTD (More stats below break)

July 2023

CRIMES OF PASSION

A Celebration

"...and you have me."

Breathe Again

Objections (Short Series) [Canon Rewrite] Part 1: A Twist of Fate Part 2: Demands, Obligations & Loyalty Part 3: Reunited?

OPEN HEART

Ethan x Casey (past)

Moving On

Ethan x Kaycee

As Planned

Hot Idea

Tobias x Casey

That's the tea, T. [Feat: Bryce, Ethan]

Sweet Stuff [Feat: Ethan]

Crushed

I'll Have What She's Having [AU]

Karma is a Barbie Premiere [Feat: Ethan x F!OC]

Moving On - @jerzwriter [Ethan x Casey - past]

Casey x Jessica (F!OC)

High Score 🏳️‍🌈

August 2023:

CRIMES OF PASSION

A Moment in Time

That's a Bet

Take Me Out 🎨by @/artbyainna (IG)

OPEN HEART

Ethan x Kaycee

I do. Me too. 🎨 by @/artbyainna (IG)

Tobias x Casey

All in the Past (Series - Completed) [Tobias x F!OC, Casey x M!OC] Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3

A New Chapter

High Seas (1/2) [Feat: Ethan]

Is This Magic? (Version 1) 📱

That's One Word [Feat: Bryce x Jensen] Jensen belongs to @mydemonsdrivealimo

When Husbands Become Prey 2 -[Feat: Ethan x Merida, Bryce x Olivia] Merida belongs to @lilyoffandoms Olivia belongs to @storyofmychoices

OH Friends

War & Peace Leftovers [Bryce, Jackie, OH Gang]

WAKE THE DEAD

With a care in the world. [Eli x Zoe]

September 2023:

CRIMES OF PASSION

A Moment in Time (AU - Series) Part 2: Trystan's POV (2/3)

OPEN HEART

Ethan x Kaycee

Celebrate [Feat: Tobias]

What's Cooking?

Tobias x Casey

Predictable [AU] [Feat: Ethan x Celia] Celia belongs to @trappedinfanfiction

Movie Night - by @jerzwriter and @mydemonsdrivealimo [Feat: Bryce x Jensen] 🎨 by @/artbyainna (IG)

By Chance... (AU-Series) - @jerzwriter [Tobias x Casey] Part 2: The Morning After Ⓜ️

Her Secret Weapon Ⓜ️🔥

High Seas (2/2) [Feat: Ethan]

The Great Outdoors

Tobias, Ethan

Recovery

Produce-ing a Laugh

Bryce, Casey (Tobias, kind of)

Know it All 🦄 [Bryce & Casey - platonic, feat: Tobias]

Casey x Jessica (F!OC)

A Quick Study 🦄 - @jerzwriter [Casey x Jess F!OC]

43 Fics

15 July / 15 August / 13 September

10 Crimes of Passion/ 32 Open Heart / 1 Wake the Dead

1 AU

16 Tobias x Casey / 10 Trystan x Carolina / 5 Ethan x Kaycee 3 Tobias x F!OC & Casey X M!OC / 2 Casey x Jess / 2 OH Friends / 2 Ethan, Tobias / 1 Eli x Zoe 1 Ethan x Casey - past / 1 Bryce, Casey

Guest Stars!

1 Bryce x Olivia (@storyofmychoices) 3 Jensen Valentine (@mydemonsdrivealimo) 1 Celia Moore (@trappedinfanfiction)

2 Commissions

1 Ethan x Kaycee 1 Tobias x Casey, Bryce x Jensen

#2023 Writing Summary #Jerzwriter 2023 Writing Summary #Playchoices Fanfic #Playchoices Fanart #Playchoices #crimes of passion #open heart #wake the dead #ethan ramsey #tobias carrick #trystan thorne #ethan x kayce #tobias x casey #trystan x casey #eli x zoe

[gemtvusa]

Upcoming Movies In 2024: What new movies are going to come out in 2024?

In 2024, a diverse array of movies is set to be released, spanning various genres. Here are some of the highlights: - April 2024: Key releases include "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire," "Challengers," "The First Omen," an untitled monsters film, and "Someone Like You"​​. - May 2024: Anticipated movies include "Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes," "The Garfield Movie," "Deadpool 3," "If," and "Furiosa"​​. - June 2024: Major releases are "Inside Out 2," "The Watchers," "Bad Boys 4," "Horizon: An American Saga," and "A Quiet Place: Day One"​​. - July 2024: Big titles are "Captain America: Brave New World," "Twisters," "Despicable Me 4," "Venom 3," and "Mufasa: The Lion King"​​. - August 2024: Look out for "Alien: Romulus," "Kraven the Hunter," "Borderlands," "Speak No Evil," and "Harold and the Purple Crayon"​​. - September 2024: "Transformers One" and "Beetlejuice 2" are set to release​​. - October 2024: "Joker: Folie à Deux," "Smile 2," and "Terrifier 3" are among the key releases​​. - November 2024: The month will see releases like "Wicked," "The Amateur," "Gladiator 2," "Alto Knights," and an untitled Sony and Marvel Universe film​​. This lineup suggests an exciting year for cinema, offering a mix of sequels, new adaptations, and original content across a range of genres.

Upcoming movies in 2024 new movie release dates netflix

The movie lineup for 2024 promises an exciting array of films across various genres. While the schedule is packed with anticipated Marvel and DC superhero movies, there's also a notable surge in horror films. However, the offerings extend beyond just superhero adventures and horror stories. The 2024 movie calendar is rich and diverse, catering to a wide range of cinematic tastes and preferences. From action-packed blockbusters to unique indie films, there's something for everyone in the upcoming year.

JANUARY 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

January 2024 is set to kick off with an exciting mix of movie releases: - Night Swim - Starring: Kerry Condon, Wyatt Russell - Release Date: January 5, 2024 - The Beekeeper - Rating: R - Starring: Jason Statham, Josh Hutcherson - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - The Book of Clarence - Starring: Lakeith Stanfield, Benedict Cumberbatch - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - Lift (Netflix Release) - Rating: PG-13 - Starring: Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - Mean Girls - Starring: Angourie Rice, Auli’i Cravalho - Release Date: January 12, 2024 - Distant - Rating: PG-13 - Starring: Anthony Ramos, Naomi Scott - Release Date: January 19, 2024 - The Tiger’s Apprentice (Paramount+ Release) - Starring: Michelle Yeoh, Sandra Oh - Release Date: January 19, 2024 - The Underdoggs - Starring: Snoop Dogg, Tika Sumpter - Release Date: January 26, 2024 This lineup offers a variety of genres, from action and comedy to drama, appealing to a wide range of audiences.

FEBRUARY 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

February 2024 will see the release of several notable movies: - Argylle (Theatrical Release) - Starring: Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard - Release Date: February 2, 2024 - Imaginary - Starring: Betty Buckley, Brooklyn Majors - Release Date: February 2, 2024 - It Ends With Us - Starring: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni - Release Date: February 9, 2024 - Lisa Frankenstein - Starring: Kathryn Newton, Cole Sprouse - Release Date: February 9, 2024 - Untitled Dirty Dancing Project - Release Date: February 9, 2024 - Bob Marley: One Love - Starring: Kingsley Ben-Adir, Lashanna Lynch - Release Date: February 14, 2024 - Madame Web - Starring: Dakota Johnson, Sydney Sweeney - Release Date: February 14, 2024 - What About Love - Starring: Sharon Stone, Andy Garcia - Release Date: February 14, 2024 - Lights Out - Starring: Frank Grillo, Scott Adkins - Release Date: February 16, 2024 - Drive-Away Dolls - Rating: R - Starring: Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon - Release Date: February 23, 2024 - Ordinary Angels - Rating: PG - Starring: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson - Release Date: February 23, 2024 This month features a mix of genres, including action, drama, and biopics, headlined by films such as "Madame Web" and "Bob Marley: One Love."

MARCH 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

March 2024 is set to be an exciting month for movie releases, including some highly anticipated titles: - Dune: Part Two - Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya - Release Date: March 1, 2024 - The Fall Guy - Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt - Release Date: March 1, 2024 - Kung Fu Panda 4 - Starring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie - Release Date: March 8, 2024 - Rayman's Big Movie - Release Date: March 8, 2024 - Mickey 17 - Starring: Robert Pattinson, Toni Collette - Release Date: March 29, 2024 - Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire - Starring: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon - Release Date: March 29, 2024 This month will feature a variety of genres, from the epic continuation of "Dune" to the animated fun of "Kung Fu Panda 4," and the new installment in the "Ghostbusters" franchise.

APRIL 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

April 2024 will see the release of several notable movies, including a new chapter in the saga of iconic monsters: - Untitled M. Night Shyamalan Project - Release Date: April 5, 2024 - Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire - Starring: Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall - Release Date: April 12, 2024 - Challengers - Rating: R - Starring: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor - Release Date: April 26, 2024 - Unsung Hero - Starring: Joel Smallbone, Daisy Betts - Release Date: April 26, 2024 This lineup includes a mix of genres and promises some highly anticipated entertainment, particularly with the continuation of the Godzilla and Kong saga.

MAY 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

May 2024 is set to be a thrilling month for movie releases, featuring a mix of action, comedy, and adventure: - Deadpool 3 - Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman - Release Date: May 3, 2024 - My Ex-Friend’s Wedding - Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Ariana DeBose - Release Date: May 10, 2024 - Imaginary Friends - Starring: Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Matt Damon - Release Date: May 17, 2024 - Furiosa - Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Chris Hemsworth - Release Date: May 24, 2024 - Garfield - Starring: Chris Pratt, Hannah Waddingham - Release Date: May 24, 2024 - Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes - Starring: Owen Teague, Freya Allen - Release Date: May 24, 2024 This lineup includes highly anticipated titles like "Deadpool 3" and "Furiosa," promising a diverse and exciting cinematic experience.

JUNE 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

June 2024 promises an exciting array of movie releases across various genres: - Ballerina - Starring: Ana de Armas, Keanu Reeves - Release Date: June 7, 2024 - The Watchers - Starring: Dakota Fanning - Release Date: June 7, 2024 - Bad Boys 4 - Starring: Will Smith, Martin Lawrence - Release Date: June 14, 2024 - Inside Out 2 - Starring: Amy Poehler, Lewis Black - Release Date: June 14, 2024 - A Quiet Place: Day One - Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn - Release Date: June 28, 2024 - Horizon: An American Saga - Starring: Kevin Costner, Jena Malone - Release Date: June 28, 2024 - Horrorscope - Starring: Jacob Batalon, Alana Boden - Release Date: June 28, 2024 From the action-packed "Ballerina" to the emotional journey in "Inside Out 2," and the thrilling continuation of "A Quiet Place," June 2024 has something for every movie enthusiast.

JULY 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

July 2024 is set to feature some exciting movie releases: - Despicable Me 4 - Starring: Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig - Release Date: July 3, 2024 - Mufasa: The Lion King - Starring: Aaron Pierre, Seth Rogen - Release Date: July 5, 2024 - Twisters - Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Glen Powell - Release Date: July 19, 2024 - Captain America: Brave New World - Starring: Anthony Mackie, Harrison Ford - Release Date: July 26, 2024 This month will see Anthony Mackie's debut as Captain America in a feature film, alongside the continuation of popular franchises like "Despicable Me" and "The Lion King."

AUGUST 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

August 2024 will bring a variety of new movies: - Harold and the Purple Crayon - Starring: Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel - Release Date: August 2, 2024 - Trap - Starring: Rolando Davila-Beltran - Release Date: August 2, 2024 - Borderlands - Starring: Ariana Greenblatt, Jamie Lee Curtis - Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Flint Strong - Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Olunike Adeliyi - Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Speak No Evil - Starring: James McAvoy, Mackenzie Davis - Release Date: August 9, 2024 - Alien: Romulus - Starring: Isabela Merced, Cailee Spaeny - Release Date: August 16, 2024 - Horizon: An American Saga - Chapter 2 - Starring: Kevin Costner, Isabelle Fuhrman - Release Date: August 16, 2024 - Kraven The Hunter - Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe - Release Date: August 30, 2024 This lineup includes a range from family-friendly adventures to thrilling action and horror.

SEPTEMBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

September 2024 will feature two highly anticipated movie releases: - Beetlejuice 2 - Starring: Michael Keaton, Jenna Ortega - Release Date: September 6, 2024 - Transformers One - Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth - Release Date: September 13, 2024 This month is marked by the return of iconic franchises with the sequel to "Beetlejuice" and a new animated feature in the "Transformers" series.

OCTOBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

October 2024 will see the release of some thrilling and possibly terrifying movies, just in time for Halloween: - Joker: Folie á Deux - Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga - Release Date: October 4, 2024 - Smile 2 - Release Date: October 18, 2024 - Terrifier 3 - Starring: David Howard Thornton - Release Date: October 25, 2024 This month will be marked by the DC musical sequel "Joker: Folie á Deux" and the slasher sequel "Terrifier 3," among other releases.

NOVEMBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

November 2024 will feature several high-profile movie releases, including a much-anticipated adaptation of a Broadway musical: - The Amateur - Starring: Rami Malek, Rachel Brosnahan - Release Date: November 8, 2024 - Untitled Venom Sequel - Starring: Tom Hardy, Juno Temple - Release Date: November 8, 2024 - Alto Knights - Starring: Robert De Niro, Debra Messing - Release Date: November 14, 2024 - Gladiator 2 - Starring: Pedro Pascal, Denzel Washington - Release Date: November 22, 2024 - Wicked: Part One - Starring: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande - Release Date: November 27, 2024 This month promises a diverse range of films, from the big-screen adaptation of "Wicked" to the sequel of "Gladiator" and the latest installment in the "Venom" series.

DECEMBER 2024 MOVIE RELEASES

December 2024 is set to end the year with several big movie releases: - Karate Kid - Release Date: December 13, 2024 - The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim - Starring: Brian Cox, Miranda Otto - Release Date: December 13, 2024 - Thunderbolts - Starring: Harrison Ford, Florence Pugh - Release Date: December 20, 2024 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - Starring: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz - Release Date: December 20, 2024 - Untitled Fourth Jordan Peele Film - Release Date: December 25, 2024 This month will see a range of films from a new "Karate Kid" to the expansion of the Marvel Universe with "Thunderbolts," and the return of "Sonic the Hedgehog." In 2024, several eagerly awaited movies are expected, though their exact release dates are yet to be announced: - Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley (Netflix Release) - Starring: Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold - Damsel (Netflix Release) - Starring: Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett - El Muerto - A Family Affair (Netflix Release) - Starring: Joey King, Nicole Kidman - Here - Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright - Janet Planet - Starring: Julianne Nicholson, Zoe Ziegler - MaXXXine - Starring: Mia Goth, Halsey - Problemista - Rating: R - Starring: Julio Torres, Tilda Swinton - Spaceman (Netflix Release) - Starring: Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan - Spellbound (Apple TV+ Release) - Starring: Rachel Zegler - Spider-Man: Beyond The Spider-Verse - Starring: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld - They Listen - Starring: Katherine Waterston, Riki Lindhome - Tuesday - Starring: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lola Petticrew These titles, spanning various genres and featuring an array of notable stars, are part of what makes 2024 an exciting year for movies. Read the full article