#cheats June's Journey

[yvesbuprofen]

why is the plot of this facebook mom game about cheating, they're pissing me off

[a-d-nox]

aphrodite (1388) persona chart observations (part 2)

welcome to my mini valentine's series on the goddess of love and beauty - this month 4 observations will be released regarding the aphrodite persona chart! all observations are in reference solely to aphrodite persona charts. these observations are completely hypothetical. they are based on my (the those closest to me's) experiences with each aspect/ placement! please don't take everything i say as predestined, astrology is possible outcomes not guaranteed ones. this is just a starting place for when examining singular objects in an entire galaxy (these are not the only asteroids in affect for you). take what resonates and leave what doesn't!

♀ venus negatively aspecting anchises (1173) people tend to not flirt well? like its always over the top or not obvious at all

♀ venus-aphrodite (1388) people are very dominant in a room - they appear to be very comfortable in their skin, wear the perfect clothes for them, and tend to be confident in their skills surrounding charming others

♀ earth and fire mars people may be dominants, while air and water mars people are submissive; switches may have the mixture of these (see degree and sign)

♀ mars positively aspecting moon may indicate liking feminine qualities in a partner or liking a partner who is sensitive towards you and your needs

♀ mars-pluto people have REALLY high sex drives.

♀ people who can destroy a reputition with drama or gossip tend to have mars-mc or mars-pluto aspects

♀ mars-nn people with positive aspects may find they hook up with a lot of people, while negative aspects do not; they could be on a life journey to learn about levels of intimacy

♀ mars negatively aspecting poseidon (4341 / h47) people could lack authority/dominance in a relationship

♀ air and water jupiters are more likely to question their self-worth; especially, if aspecting the ruler of and/or being in the 8h and/or 12h

♀ water jupiters (this includes those with water degrees or aspects to the moon) tend to be the tate langdon of the chart group: "i would never let anybody or anything hurt you... i've never felt that way about anyone..."; your loyalty and promises run very deep into your person

♀ you may have great legs if you have sagittarius (9°, 21°) or capricorn (10°, 22º) jupiter

♀ jupiter-uranus people may experience fluctuations in their weight

♀ saturn negatively aspecting the moon may indicate feeling insecure over breast size; you could have been bullied for being "flat"

♀ people with saturn negatively aspecting the moon and/or venus tend to be the first ones who are ridiculed for betraying other feminines (could be through cheating, bullying, turning their back on them, not protecting them when they see injustice (i think of those social experiments where a guy takes a picture up a girl's skirt and then everyone around her just stands there without saying anything having seen the whole thing go down OR like serena joy holding down june in handmaid's tale), etc); the positive aspects tend to be the advocates and allies for women rights and justice

♀ saturn negatively aspecting venus and/or pluto could indicate shyness or insecurity over your yoni - i feel like these people are either like olivia from sex education where they think their yoni is ugly and/or they may be the type to cry / get stressed at the gynecologist's office because they feel ashamed or vulnerable in their chair

♀ saturn with negative aspects to mars, venus, and/or pluto may be in denial of their sexual preferences especially that of who their partner is or isn't (aka their character)

♀ saturn-neptune people tend to be comfortable naked, but i feel like there is slight over-awareness of clothing like a "does this look right on me?" type moments or "damn i should have worn a bra, i feel like everyone is looking at me" type deals

♀ saturn-pluto people either aren't satisfied with their sex life or they are rather kinky... or both

♀ saturn-aphrodite (1388) people may struggle with loving themselves or finding qualities they admire about themselves

♀ uranus-mc people are mass manipulators that can "brainwash" whole societies (steve jobs had a quintile between these two planets and now everyone is compelled to own his products - donald trump also has a quintile)

♀ uranus-hestia (46) people are often traditionalists who are opposed to divorce

♀ uranus-psyche (16) people could have some really twisted relationships in which no one knows who manipulated who

♀ pluto-poseidon (4341 / h47) people tend to be extremely lustful

♀ scorpio-influenced (8°, 20º) and/or neptune-pluto people can be super seductive and possibly are in the adult film industry

♀ cancer (4°, 16°, 28º) vertex and/or moon-vertex may indicate relationships with feminines or becoming a better person when emotional intimacy occurs in your relationships

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[thevillainswhore]

Anywhere Away With You

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x F!Reader; other pairings but I don’t want to spoil anything!

Word Count: Over 11.5k

Summary: Old ghosts from your past threaten to disturb the peace you’ve made with your new life. Will temptation steer you away?

Warnings: Smut (‘daddy’ kink, finger-ing, mentions of oral, p in v, n-ipple play, derogatory names), flashbacks, angst, (Bucky is a warning here), emotional cheating? (I want to say this to cover all grounds)

A/N: unbeta’d, dividers by saradika

I’m sorry in advance for how long this piece is - I got an idea and literally ran with it, my head wouldn’t let me stop 🤣 hope you enjoy!

Romania - June 2019

The cool Romanian night air weaved through Bucky’s shoulder length hair as he walked the cobbled streets. He was glad he grew it out. A good change from his usual style. He felt free, more than he ever had before in his life and he was glad Steve pushed him to take this break before having to become the newly appointed CEO of his father’s company.

Peaceful. That’s how he would describe his time away. Traveling, sightseeing, learning new cultures. Bucky was extremely appreciative to have been able to experience the things he had and it was a journey he would never forget.

But seeing you, a total stranger on your own, dancing to your heart's content to a cheesy pop song across the road in a karaoke bar is an image that would be imprinted in his mind and heart forever. Your flowy silk red dress flawlessly wrapped around your curves and your gorgeous smile coated with crimson made Bucky feel like a teenage boy with a crush for the very first time.

So, it was by no means of his own when his feet walked themselves up to your carefree self, grabbed your hand to spin your body into his and dipped you, the words flowing out of his mouth as he introduced himself, “hello kisa, my name’s James and it would be my pleasure if I could dance with you tonight.”

He wasn’t sure why he gave you his real name, but it felt right in the moment and the feeling of being his authentic self out there had him divulging in all truths. In all honesty he didn’t know what had gotten into him, he wasn’t a seize the day kind of man, and definitely did not spontaneously introduce himself to strangers and ask to dance with them on the regular. But magic surrounded you that he was victim to and your ethereal glow called to him. It was a token he couldn’t pass up as his blue eyes pleaded with you to take a chance on him.

He wouldn’t have blamed you had you smacked him across his face and told him to get lost. Yet, he was pleasantly surprised at the full blown grin that split your face as you replied, “okay then James… show me what you’ve got.”

Not that he knew it then, but that moment had changed the course of his life forever. The six months he spent with you in Romania in your tiny little one bed apartment were some of the happiest moments he could remember. Details skip his mind when he tries to think of how you created an immeasurable connection in such little time.

He only remembers two parts of life: before you and after you.

It was a whirlwind romance. Had anyone known the story of the two of you, they’d have said you were crazy. Bucky didn’t see it like that though, you both may have been impulsive and reckless to trust a complete stranger, but there was an unknown force pulling the two of you together that made you click. As if you’d been waiting for each other all this time.

Even the small things mattered, like waking up with your head snuggled into his large chest. Your cute grumpy face from being woken up too early as he nestled his face into the crook of your neck, his stubble tickling you. Cooking breakfast together and having food fights with the flour and eggs only to fall into the shower, where Bucky would tease at least two orgasms out of you with his thick fingers before fucking you against the screen door as you screamed his name.

It was bliss.

He learned that you were a journalist, who’s traveled across the world to write about your adventures from country to country. He learned that you had a best friend who encouraged you to expand your horizons and that’s the reason you were in Romania. He learned what you’re passionate about. Your hobbies, your fears, your dreams. He also got to learn that you’re a little freak in bed.

Not that he minded.

The serenity that those six months with you allowed him set the pathway for Bucky to truly find fulfillment in your presence and be the best version of himself when he was with you. It’s how he knew he was falling down the rabbit hole to deeper feelings. He dared to say he had already fallen in love with you.

And it was with that realisation that he created the downfall of the two of you. He knew you loved him, you’d told him so a month into your relationship and he wished he could’ve said it back every time. But he couldn’t comprehend the feeling of having something so precious in the palm of his hands. Didn’t want the responsibility of breaking your heart from his own foolishness in the long run. You never minded, always giving to never expect anything back in return.

You were too good for him. Too beautiful inside and out for him to be worthy of you.

That’s why he had to leave.

No note. No goodbye. Nothing. Just his rucksack packed with all his belongings on his shoulders as he took one last look at your sleeping form. Desperate to take in as much of you as he could before he deprived himself of your essence for the rest of his days to come.

New York - Present

“Helloo? Nat, is she okay? She's been like this for a while- oh! There you are sweetie, you zoned out on us again!” Wanda chuckles as your vision comes back into focus from your daydream.

You let out a weak laugh, “sorry Wands, my heads all over the place.”

It’s convincing enough, you think. The stress of upcoming events a good excuse to explain how far away your mind really is. Wanda is a great friend, truly so supportive and loving, but she doesn’t understand the ins and outs of your situation, hasn’t known you long enough to know the complexities that torment your memories.

Nat however does.

“Wanda, why don’t you go see how the caterers are getting on?”

Being the sweetheart she is, she agrees straight away, “yes! I can do that for you, I’ll be right back lovelies!” Natasha waits until she hears the door click shut and spins to set her eyes on you.

She chooses her words carefully. “You know sweets… you’ve been a little off-“

“I’m good, Romanoff”, you interrupt her firmly and then grimace in regret for snapping at her. It wasn’t her fault you were so fragile at the minute. Softening your tone, you try again, “I’m okay, I promise. Don’t worry about me, yeah? I’m good.”

Nat doesn’t look convinced, but you haven’t got the energy to go down that road and she knows it’s not the time to push you further. She can read you like an open book - one of the only people who can. Unaffordable to you right now though, not when you’ve got to paint the happy smile back onto your face to see through the night. It’s routine for you now.

Smoothing down your white sundress in the mirror, you ignore your best friend’s sympathetic gaze and turn around to walk out of the door.

Being away from home for so long has had its downfalls for Bucky. Although he needed these past couple of years to recharge and come back with a screwed on head to run his company as the CEO, he’s missed out on a lot. His best friend’s engagement being the main example.

He sees the love in Steve’s eyes. The pure happiness that radiates from his full being. It was hard to come back home and witness the dramatic change from the once bachelor, who was never interested in settling down, to hearing he had actually proposed to a woman. It stunned him, completely threw him for a loop, especially since Steve hadn’t mentioned anything over the phone while he had been away.

Nevertheless he was ecstatic for him, he knew what it felt like to completely fall head over heels for someone who makes life so much brighter. Someone who totally turns your world upside down in the most amazing way.

Too bad he lost that.

“Bucky, I can’t wait for you to meet her, honestly she’s so beautiful and kind and you’re gonna love her, I promise.” Steve blabbers on about his fiancé and Bucky can’t help but feel a stab of jealousy.

It should have been him engaged by now. It should have been him planning his wedding to the love of his life and annoying everyone else around him with his continuous declarations of love.

All he can do is hope Steve doesn’t notice his fake smile as he claps his hand onto his back and jokes, “well pal, you’re whipped now - can’t wait to see the woman who’s locked an old brute like you down.”

Luckily, Steve doesn’t notice the melancholy that takes over Bucky’s face, too absorbed into his own world of excitement to bother about anything else. He didn’t want anyone to see anyway, so he took in the guests and the decorations surrounding Steve’s beautiful garden of his home as they all waited for the woman who held Steve’s heart.

The click of your heels echoing through the hallways has the anxiety bubbling up further in your throat. Palms sweaty and knees wobbly. It wasn’t unusual to feel like this at big events you attended, but there was something in the air that had your nerves on edge, a sense of doom teasing you that there was something different about tonight.

Chatter and music from the party got louder the closer you got to the garden patio doors and your breaths were coming in faster. Nat caught up to you and spotted your struggle, coming to your aid and holding your arms.

“Hey, honey, breathe for me, there we go, deep breaths.”

You followed the rise and fall of Natasha’s chest to calm yourself down. Nerves were normal for you, yes, but you’d never felt like this abnormal before. Eventually, your breathing regulated and Nat bristles as you start laughing hysterically.

“God, what the fuck is wrong with me? I’m fine. Everything’s fine.”

Nat’s emerald eyes that hold so much sorrow for you bare deep into your soul. This was the woman who had been there for your worst moments, the times where you broke down in despair from heartbreak. Your best friend. She knew what was wrong, you knew that she knew what was wrong, but it was a promise made that stopped either of you from bringing up the elephant in the room. Your whole world would come crashing down and you were not ready for that outcome.

So with a heavy heart for you and a smile that was keeping you together, she murmured lightly, “c’mon you, we’ve got a show to run.”

Everyone turns around in unison to see the double doors from the decking open up to the guest of the hour walking through. Timid smile on her face as claps and whistles applaud her.

“There she is! Hi baby, come over here.”

Pride shines through Steve’s eyes as he holds his hand out for his fiancée to take hold of to help her step down the stairs. Cheers and wolf whistles from the crowd at the happy couple continue as Steve pulls her into his side and places a loving kiss on her forehead.

Bucky doesn’t pay attention to the commotion, lingering towards the back of all the guests as he looks into the general direction of where his best friend is. He can’t see Steve’s wife-to-be yet, but judging by the look on his face, he’s totally smitten with her, lovedrunk in his own little bubble of joy. Bad friend he may be, but Bucky just can’t stomach pretending to be happy for him whilst he’s stewing in his own misery of his fuckups.

Although, his quiet brooding doesn't last very long when he hears his name being called.

“Buck? Bucky, where are ya punk, you’ve gotta meet my girl! Hang on one second babe, I’ll find him, you’re gonna love him.”

Steve leaves his fiancée’s side in his quest to find his best friend, eager for the two most important people in his life to finally meet.

It takes everything in Bucky to not grimace when Steve spots him.

“There you are Buck, I’ve been looking all over for you! C’mon, I’ve gotta introduce the two of you.”

Reluctantly, Bucky follows his best friend as they approach a woman wearing a white sundress, back turned to them as she’s talking quietly to a redhead. The thrill on Steve’s face as they get closer increases tenfold as if it physically pained him to be away from his fiancée and as they stop just behind her, Steve places his hand on her waist and whispers loud enough into the curve of her neck for Bucky to hear.

“Baby, this is Bucky, my best friend and boss, who I’ve wanted you to meet for a long time.”

It’s almost like a scene from a movie, the way her hair fans out as she spins around, the skirt of her dress billowing in slow motion as her sweet perfume tickles his nose. But, he recognises that scent… recognises that candy like smell that’s buried deep into his mind-

The shatter of glass silences the whole party as all eyes dart to the scene of commotion. Bucky’s mouth gaping open and body stiff as stone when he finally sets his eyes on Steve’s bride to be.

You.

You are Steve’s fiancée.

“Jesus Buck, what’s a matter with you? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” Steve’s chuckle laced with a hint of concern snaps you out of your reverie as he waves over cleaners to sort out the mess - shock leaving you almost paralysed as you take in the sight of the man, who still haunts your dreams, you haven’t seen since the night before he left all those years ago.

James hardly looks any different to how he did back in Romania. The long brunette hair - though now tied back into a bun - you used to run your nails through. His open blue shirt with a white vest underneath, reminding you of how you used to smooth your hands over his big, strong arms just to get a feel of him. And that gold chain resting against his chest donned with gold rings on his thick fingers that have your mind still going hazy with need.

“James, oh fuck James, yes, right there!”

“Yeah? You like that, kisa? You like how deep my cock feels in you?”

“Yes, baby yes! please, please don’t stop.”

“Then tell me, who’s fuckin’ you this good, hm?”

James gripped your throat and tightened his fingers to slightly cut off your oxygen, rendering you speechless with drool dripping down your chin.

“I fuckin’ said, tell me who’s makin’ you feel this good.”

“Y-you are, James!”

“Oh c’mon kisa, you know that’s not what I mean.” His chain swung back and forth above your face with each thrust he made. “I know you’re a cockdrunk little slut for me, but you’re not stupid. I’ll ask you one more time, and if you don’t tell me who the fuck is makin’ you moan like a whore, then I promise I’ll stop right now and leave you begging.”

That booted your brain back into gear.

“D-daddy!”, you stuttered, all but forcing your lust drunk mind to say it so he didn’t stop, “Daddy’s fucking me so good!”

“Good girl, good fuckin’ girl. That wasn’t so hard now was it?”

His condescending words only brought you closer to the edge, the coldness from the rings adorning his fingers added to your pleasure as he stroked your clit in a figure of eight.

The bastard knew you had a thing for his jewelry.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you felt your climax approaching, legs trembling in the crevices of his arms as his cock repeatedly hit your g-spot.

James brought his lips to your ear and you could feel the salacious grin that split his face as he reveled in your filthy moans and whimpers. He knew you were close.

“I know you’re desperate to let go baby, so show Daddy how good he’s making that pretty pussy feel, Kisa.”

His final words had you screaming.

“Cum for me.”

A shiver racks through your body as you force the memory as far away as you can, eyes unwilling to lose contact with him as you cravingly soak in what you haven’t seen in so long. James’ stare is pathetically zoned in on you too, the rest of the party a blur in the background.

Reprimanding yourself for getting lost in his aura, you snap your head away from his direction, watching the cleaners sweep away the glass and mop up the spilled champagne, listening to Steve’s apologies for the inconvenience.

You look around to the rest of the guests and find all attention on your predicament, paranoia filling your mind that everyone knows the history between the two of you. Sneaking a peek at James and seeing his gaze still focused on you doesn’t help your situation in the slightest.

Luckily, Steve’s voice cuts through the tension he’s unaware exists as he turns back to you.

“As I was saying baby, this is Bucky. We’ve known each other since we were kids and he had to save my ass from all those back alley fights - now we work together. He may be my boss, but he’s still a punk.”

Guilt hits you like a truck as Steve talks about his best friend with so much fondness. The sickness that you’ve felt since the beginning of the day rising up your throat as you fight to stop the tears welling up. You couldn’t have known the two of them knew each other, Steve talking about a ‘Bucky’ you’d never met, having no alignment with your ‘James’. But the nagging feeling that this is all your fault drills into your brain.

Looking toward your fiancé and plastering what you hope is an honest smile on your face, you clear your throat and pray your voice doesn’t break, “oh yes, I remember you saying honey!”

Knowing you have to sell a lie, you turn to James and hope that your pleasantries don’t come across as fake as your smile, “Stevie here’s told me all about you. It’s really nice to finally meet you, Bucky.”

The tightening of his fist doesn’t go unnoticed by you at the mention of his apparent real name. It could also be your pretend act of not knowing each other, but he lost the privilege to know you the day he left you and you didn’t care for his discomfort right now.

“Stevie, I’m just gonna go sort out some last minute details with Natty and I’ll catch up with you later.” The excuse to high tail it out of this nightmare seems to go down well with your soon-to-be Husband as he hooks his arm around your waist and gives you a loving kiss as a farewell.

“Don’t be too long, babe. I’ll miss you.”

You’re not sure if the low growl you hear is a figment of your imagination or not, but you ignore it as you squeeze Steve’s hand and take off to find where Nat had run off to, keeping your head down to avoid any temptation of catching a last look at old strangers.

Spotting Nat laughing with Wanda and a handsome dark-skinned man, you dart into her direction and hook your arm with her to drag her away, “sorry guys, I just need to talk with Nat about- something. I’ll bring her right back!”

You don’t even give her a chance to end the conversation as you haul ass towards the side of the house, not missing a step as you feel yourself breaking.

“Hey! Babe-, Sweets, what’s going on?-“

“In a minute, Natasha.”

“Where are you takin-“

“In a minute.”

Natasha stays quiet as you round the corner to a hidden alcove, private enough for your mental breakdown to unleash.

You let go of her arm as you pace up and down the small path, muttering to yourself as you hold your head in your hands. Your best friend tries to be patient as you attempt to gather the strength to tell her what the hell just happened, but she’s too worried for you to stay silent.

“Honey, what the hell is going on?”

Standing stock still, you look up to the sky and release a shaky breath.

“It’s him, Nat.”

Not clueing in to what you mean, she asks, “what?”.

“He’s here.”

“Who?-“

“Him.”

Putting together what you mean by your words, her head whips into your direction and her eyes bulge out of her head.

“No-, honey no. Are you su-?”

“I’m not fucking stupid, Nat. Of course I’m sure! I just saw him.”

“I’m gonna let you off speaking to me like that this once.”

Defeated, you crouch down onto the ground and hold your hand over your mouth, muffled sobs spilling out for Nat to hear. She rushes to your side and brings you into her embrace, tilting your head to lean against her shoulder as she comforts you.

“Shit. Everything’s gonna be okay Sweets, I promise. We’ll figure something out.”

You’re not quite sure you believe her this time.

It had been a week since your episode at the engagement party. After Nat has assured you to not worry over anything yet (big fucking understatement), you got your act together and calmed yourself down - arriving back at the party with no tears in sight with Steve soon at your side, unknowing to your distress. The rest of the night went smoothly, chit chat with the guests and announcements of how happy everyone was for the two of you easing your anxiety to whether people had caught on or not.

And if you could feel eyes on you throughout the whole night? You told yourself you were imagining it.

Steve hadn’t sensed anything was wrong with you this week that had passed. A true blessing in disguise really. You had no idea how you could even begin to tell him that you knew ‘Bucky’. So your decision to keep it a secret was the best way to go about this, you concluded. You’re marrying Steve. Steve. And James was part of your past that you were not revisiting. That was that.

The ding of the elevator lets you know you’ve reached Steve’s floor at his work. Wanting to drop off some lunch for him since he told you he was working late tonight, you prepared his favourite meal and thought he’d appreciate you bringing it over. He always loved you surprising him at work, especially since he’d taken over command and had a lot on his plate while his boss had been away traveling.

You guess the clues had been in front of you all along.

Walking up to Steves’s office door, navigating your way through the eeriness of the darkness of the building, you knock. Concerned at the lack of answer, you try again, rapping your knuckles against the wood in your own signature style to let him know it’s you who’s knocking - yet to no avail, silence again.

You’re about to take your phone out of your bag to text your fiancé and ask where he is, when you feel a looming presence behind you, hairs on the back of your neck standing up in alarm.

“Steve’s not here.”

Seems like you can’t escape your past after all.

Whipping your head round to the deep gravelly voice you haven’t heard in so long, you see James. You’d recognise his voice anywhere. Eyes wide open and heart beating out of your chest as all you can do is stare into them steel blue eyes you used to get lost in all the time.

Home.

Shaking your head to stop the locked away thoughts from taking root at the forefront of your mind, you attempt to speak, to say something.

“Oh.”

‘Oh’? What the fuck is that?

Bucky speaks up again, “He stepped out for a last minute meeting with one of our partners.”

Taking a deep breath to cool your nerves, you attempt to speak again. This was your fiancés best friend, nothing more. You can do this.

“Um, okay, yeah that’s fine.”

Yeah, so much better.

You nod dumbly, head continuously bobbing up and down as you look anywhere but at him.

Turns out you can absolutely not ‘do this’ - the depths of his intense gaze zeroed in on you, shaking your confidence and leaving you making a quick exit to avoid the awkwardness.

“I’ll just- leave it on his desk, I guess. Could you tell him I stopped by? Thank you. Bye.”

Before you can even take your first step to leave, he interrupts you.

“So, you’re marrying him?”

Your surprise at his gall to bring up the elephant in the room has you reeling back, stopping you in your tracks. But the anger that stems from within at his audacity to even mention it soon takes over and allows your facade to entirely switch in a moment of braveness.

“We’re not doing this.”

“You’re breaking my heart, kisa.” Bucky’s whisper, just loud enough for you to hear through the abandoned top floor of his building, cracks away at another piece of your heart.

You swallow the lump in your throat but your voice still comes out trembling, “Don’t fucking call me that.”

The tight white dress shirt bulging over his large chest and black trousers fitted snug against his crotch didn’t do you any favours either - hands tucked into his pockets practically screaming at you to look at the veins of his forearms.

Fuck.

You take deep breaths and decide you need to get out of this dangerous situation, pushing yourself to walk by him, you’re startled as he holds out his arm to hold you still by your waist.

The shuddering sigh you let out is louder than you expect it to be. Glistening moonlight cascading over the two of you in the darkness of the office. You haven’t felt his touch in over three years and all you want to do is fall into his arms and never let him go. It had been too long since you felt the gentleness of his touch, the feel of his thumb rubbing circles onto your bare skin underneath your shirt, transporting your mind back to lazy mornings tangled in the sheets.

“Bucky! Stop it, you're tickling me!”

The scrape of his teeth against your neck had you squirming in his grasp, the sweat from your morning escapades gathering between your bare skin.

“God, I fuckin’ love how sensitive you are for me baby girl.”

“I can’t go another round Bucky, you're insatiable.”

“You sure about that, kotehok? Because I know for a fact that your little pussy is pulsing for my big cock.”

You're a prisoner to watch as he grinds against you, kissing down towards your tits that you know he’s a sucker for. “Fuck.”

“I also know that if I were to suck those pretty nipples into my mouth, you’d be putty in my hands. A cute little mess pleading for me to fill you up.”

He always knew what he was doing, pushing you to your limits. But he knew you could handle it.

“That’s not fair baby, you know how bad that gets me.”

He ran his tongue over your stiff peaks as you keened, sucking each nipple before his plump lips trailed down your belly to stop above your mound, dying to eat your pussy like a man starved.

“And you know how crazy I am for you, so sit back and relax while I get a taste of you baby. You can take it, you’re my good girl.”

Shit.

You rip yourself away from his grasp and back away as he reaches out for you again.

“Kisa-“

“I said, don’t.”

The demand in your tone has Bucky pulling his arm back to his side and hanging his head.

Not bearing to look at him, you walk away, missing your old flame deflate at the consequence of his own mistakes.

The next couple of days go by fast for you, distracting yourself with last minute wedding plans to keep your mind focused. Not wandering. You hadn’t seen Steve much, only briefly in the mornings before he had to leave for work and hardly getting to see him later in the day due to him tying up loose ends before the wedding.

It was another relief in all honesty. Your emotions have been going haywire ever since you found out Bucky was back and you weren't sure how you could hold yourself around Steve.

Again, the wrongfulness of your actions has your gut churning. You hadn’t cheated. But it wasn’t exactly fair to keep your fiancé in the dark like this. Steve hadn’t done anything wrong - he’d been nothing but loyal to you and treated you like you deserved throughout your relationship. He had never abandoned you, never left you wondering what must be so wrong with you to not be good enough staying for. So, why was your mind so conflicted?

You’re torn out of your inner conflict when you feel a dent in the bed.

“Steve?”

“Yeah baby, it’s just me.”

His sweet tone and pure happiness to see you has that nauseating feeling coming back.

“I was able to get off work early today. Finished handing over everything to Bucky so he can get started with the company.”

Yeah, you didn’t think it could get much worse, the mention of him having bile rise in your throat. Deciding to torment yourself even further, you poke the bear.

“Oh good, good. How is everything? Been nice having him back?”

“Sweetheart, you have no idea. I missed him so much while he was away. We were two peas in a pod, y’know? Always causing trouble together.”

Your eyes start to sting and you thank every god out there that it’s dark enough in the room for Steve not being able to see.

“He also mentioned you dropped by work the other night, sorry I missed you honey. One of our partners needed to speak about something to do with the increasing costs, but you don’t wanna hear about that, I’m just glad to be home with you now.”

It takes everything in you not to start crying. The fact that Bucky had mentioned you has your mind spiraling - something Steve notices when you don’t say anything.

“Honey? Everything okay?”

Hastily moving into his side and snuggling up to him, you think fast to try and eradicate the negative trail this could go down, hugging him tight and willing yourself to chill out.

“Yeah of course, sorry Stevie. Just been stressed lately and I’ve missed you, that’s all.”

With the way he wraps an arm around you and pulls you tighter into his body, he seems content enough with your reasoning. His hand smoothing down your side and hiking your leg over his waist, a move you had gotten so familiar with and now feels so foreign.

“Shit, I’ve missed you so fuckin’ much too, sweetheart. How about I make it up to you, hm?”

This you can do. You can take your mind away from your worries and indulge in everything Steve for one night.

So as he rolls over you to lay you fully onto your back and starts to kiss down your neck, you cup the back of his head to bring him closer and avoid closing your eyes to prevent anyone else sneaking in your thoughts, basking in his soft touch and eagerness to please.

You can do this for him.

The dinner party Steve had arranged a couple of weeks before the big day consisted of inviting close friends to celebrate and enjoy an evening together with good food and drinks to let loose.

Dread was all you could feel.

You hadn’t spoken to Bucky since he cornered you at the office and any events that you both were attending, you made sure to stay clear from him. The risk of bumping into him again too great to let down your guard.

However, that idea was out the window as soon as you found out you were seated next to him at the dinner table.

Pulling Steve aside to casually question the seating arrangements had set your nerves alight for what felt like the thousandth time.

“Steve, sweetie... H-how come you’re not sat next to Bucky? Wouldn’t that make more sense?”

He sighs as everyone else takes their place at the table and puts his hands over your cheeks, thumb rubbing your pouty lips. “I thought it’d be a fun idea to seat people next to someone they don’t really talk to, y’know let everyone get to know each other more. It makes all the games I’ve planned more fun.”

Steve looks over your worried expression and continues to try and put you at ease. “I know Buck’s a bit grumpy and he doesn’t talk much, but will you try and talk to him tonight? It would mean the world to me if you two got along, honey. Besides, he’s probably just missing his time across the world, someone like you will bring him right out of his shell.”

You can say that again.

Not wanting to make this harder for Steve, you smile and nod to which he pecks your lips and thanks you profusely for the effort you're making.

You already know Bucky is sitting down, looking over to see his chestnut locks tucked behind his ears with a hair tie on his wrist next to his gold bracelet. So with a final pep talk to yourself to get you through this dinner, you drag yourself to your seat and carefully sit down as quietly as possible to not draw attention to yourself.

Impossible when you can literally feel his eyes burning a hole through the side of your head.

Natasha’s subtle tapping on the empty plate across the table has you looking up at her, a raised eyebrow code for the two of you to ask if you’re going to be okay. The small nod you send back her way placates her for the time being.

You wouldn’t believe yourself either.

The gulp of wine you chug down does little to settle you, already grabbing the bottle to pour yourself another glass when you feel the timber of a low chuckle close to your ear.

“You always did like wine a little too much.”

You choke on air at the unexpected inside joke, the dark-skinned man you’d come to learn as Sam in the seat on your other side, patting your back to help you through your coughing fit. Throwing him a look of thankfulness as your cheeks flush hot in embarrassment, you sit forward in your seat again and grit your teeth to stop yourself from smacking Bucky across the face.

“Nervous, baby?”

Keeping your eyes straight forward is a task, but you refuse to play Bucky��s games. His sudden bravado throws you off your duty of keeping cool.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Your angry whisper only results in his growing amusement - that stupid smirk on his face you've seen many times in his moments of mischief.

Taking a look around the table, you see everyone in conversation with each other, unaware of yours and Bucky’s back and forth.

“Gotta get your attention somehow, baby girl, you ignored me the last time.”

You don’t give into his whims, his charm and sweet names threatening to derail your psyche when you’re not even halfway through the night. Instead you turn and start up a conversation with Sam, an old friend of Steve - and Bucky unfortunately -, to take your mind away from the arrogance your other way.

Little did you know this was just the start of it.

The next hour or so goes by more smoothly than the beginning of the night and you’re proud of yourself for managing to actually have some fun. That may very well be because you actively chose not to look in Bucky’s direction or give him a slither of your attention, but you’re still happy with yourself nonetheless.

Your newfound peace is disturbed when Wanda - the enthusiastic, innocent soul you have to remember you love - suggests an icebreaker game that has you, yet again, choking on air.

“Suck and blow! So, the rules are you have to pass this card to each other using only your mouth. If anyone drops it, they have to take a shot! Oh, this is gonna be so much fun!”

Jesus fucking Christ, you couldn’t catch a break.

The nervous look you send Steve literally begs him to raise concern, to say anything that will get you out of this nightmare. But being the perfect angel he is, he just sends a wink your way and shouts over the table “don’t worry sweetheart, I know you only have eyes for me.”

A sniper to the head would be more comfortable than this.

It’s burning torture as you watch the start of the game, the card beginning with Wanda as it’s sucked from her grasp by another friend of Steve’s. It goes down the line one by one and all you can do is sit and watch as it gets closer to Bucky.

You wish you could slow time down as Bucky sucks the card into his mouth, the turn of his head towards you signaling your turn in the game. If you react too slowly, everyone around you is going to get suspicious, react too quickly and you come across as too eager.

And those cerulean eyes that pin you down with a look you know all too well, don’t help your cause one bit.

Bracing yourself with a hand on the table and a hand on the back of your chair, your knuckles turn white as the death grip keeps you stable when you slowly lean forward. Your ears start to ring and the fact that Bucky hasn’t taken his eyes off you once makes your palms sweaty.

Pursing your lips, you close your eyes as you suction the card from his mouth and successfully take it in your grasp, applauding yourself internally at how smooth the transition went without you freaking out - too much.

Only for it all to come crashing down when a firm, calloused hand squeezes the meat of your thigh and has you releasing a gasp of air, eyes shooting open as the shock of the unexpected touch has the card leaving your mouth, fluttering downwards to land on the floor beside your feet.

The lack of distance between yours and Bucky’s open mouths has your head spinning, taking you back to those public rendezvous against a wall of a club bathroom and panting into each other's mouths as you scream praises to each other.

“Open that slutty mouth, now.”

James’ hand flew up to your jaw to pry your mouth open when you took too long to obey his orders. Leg hiked over his wait as he was two fingers deep in your cunt.

The wetness that landed on your tongue had you moaning louder when you realised that James had spat into your mouth, pussy fluttering around his thick fingers as his eyes darken.

“You want everyone to know how good Daddy’s fingers are making you feel, baby girl? Sure sounds like it.” His dirty grin only made more of your juices leak over him.

“Yes Daddy! Don’t wan’ you to stop, feels soo good.”

The slur in your voice had his cock harden against your leg, and you were sure you were going to pass out as he assured you. “Oh don’t worry, pretty baby. We’re about to see if you can take another one of Daddy’s fingers.”

And by the look on Bucky’s face, he knows all too well exactly what you’re thinking.

The boos and hollers of everyone else snap you back to reality, adjusting your stance and clearing your throat to blend in with the rest of them. Shouts of “loser” and chants of “shot” taking precedence over the wetness of your panties and the throbbing of your pussy that makes your thighs rub together.

You ignore Bucky’s stare, ignore everything else that threatens to consume you as you take the shot to forget about everything just for a short while. You can’t deal with it right now.

As the cheering dies down, you stand up and make your way to the bathroom, declaring that you’ll be right back after relieving yourself, which gains some laughter.

You’re too out of sight to see Bucky half assing an excuse to follow right after you. You also don’t see the look that crosses Steve’s face as he watches the two of you leave.

Bucky hears the telltale clicking off your heels, your announcement of heading to the bathroom a lie as he walks past it and up the stairs to find you leaning against the balcony railing on the roof, looking out at the stars. 

You know he’s there by the sound of the lock clicking shut, the defeat at avoiding this exact situation evident in your sigh. 

He gently walks to your side, almost afraid to scare you off like a baby deer and simply waits for you to start speaking.

“So, I guess this is where we talk.”

The laugh he lets out at your statement has you reluctantly smiling, unable not to love the crinkles that appear by his eyes. 

“I think it's overdue, don't you think?”

“I guess.” You pause as you try to think of what to say. “When did you get back home?”

“Not long ago, about 3 months. You?”

“Came home a couple of weeks after I knew you weren’t coming back.”

Heavy silence falls between the two of you. 

“Can I ask how you met Steve?”

You knew the question was coming, “Natasha introduced us.” You shrug and answer vaguely.

“Ah, the best friend. I remember you mentioning her.”

As you continue to stare out into the night, Bucky decides to carry on. “Do you remember when we used to climb up the stairs to rooftops like this back in Romania? We’d lay all those blankets down and I’d tell you all about the different constellations in the sky. You already knew all of them - always my smart baby girl - but you still let me go on about them because you loved hearing me talk about it.”

You can’t bare to think about the memories that come rushing in at his recollection. The ones that hold a special place in your heart - conversations of getting to know each other, the details of your life you were so willing to give up to him as he slow danced with you in the refrigerator light of your tiny kitchen. Too much for you to comprehend right now as you begin to go walk back inside. 

“Hey no-“ he reaches out to grab your arm to try and get you to listen to him. 

“Please don’t touch me”.  Tears race down your cheeks as you gather the strength to speak your mind. “You left. Do you know how long I waited for you to get in touch with me? How long I stayed in that apartment, thinking you’d be back?” You laugh, “silly me for thinking I was special enough for you to stay.”

“It wasn’t like that-“

“What was it then, Bucky? Because I didn’t get one phone call from you. Not even a text message to tell me you were okay. You ghosted me - abandoned me and then I see you again after all these years.” 

Bitterness takes over Bucky as he blurts out, “yeah, I see you’re really hurt - marrying someone else.”

You’re speechless at his audacity, sputtering to fire back at him, “what does it even matter to you anyway? You didn’t even love me, Bucky!” 

“Stop calling me that!” He deflects.

You ignore him. “What is this? What are you doing? Trying to claim me back as some fucking prize or something?”

“N-no, no! Of course not!”

“Then what, Bucky?!”

He finally snaps and tells the truth. “I want you back!”

All you can do is blink at him as he struggles to find what he wants to say. 

“Do you know how miserable I’ve been without you? How long the days were without you beside me, kisa? I know I ran baby, i know I fucked up. But I was scared, I didn’t want you to look back in a couple of years and wonder what you’ve been doing, wasting time with someone like me. I know better now though, I know how I feel.”

He pauses and gulps. 

“I do. I love you.”

The three words you had been dying to hear, but ever so patiently waited for back then cut your heart into pieces. What you would have given to be on the receiving end of his love when it mattered. But you’ve got a fiancé to think about, a wedding not long away to seal your fate to a man who thinks the world of you and shows it.

“Yeah?” You gulp and turn to walk away, mumbling over your shoulder, “well it’s too late for that now, Bucky.”

You’d love to say that you had been channeling your energy into Steve and proving how much he meant to you ever since your rooftop meeting with Bucky. You wanted to solidify how good you had it already, how you didn’t need to reminisce on memories with someone who lost you when you were perfectly happy with Steve.

But he hadn’t been around a lot lately and you started to grow worried when you had hardly spoken to him when you had a wedding coming up. So to see him leaned over his desk, hair disheveled and tie loose had you a little stunned - never had you once seen Steve in this state.

You cautiously walk towards him and fiddle with your fingers not knowing how to approach him. You keep a small distance and prepare to soothe him. 

“Is everything okay Stevie?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” 

His blunt statement with his gruff voice has you growing nervous, he hasn’t ever spoken to you like this. “W-what? I don’t know what you mean-“

“You know exactly what I mean.”

Steve doesn’t stop there. It makes your stomach drop, in fact, to see him turn around and notice his bloodshot eyes that look like he hasn’t gotten a wink of sleep recently, preparing for things to change.

“How do you really know Bucky?”

Your blood runs cold. The thought of Steve knowing the past between you and his best friend has you starting to shake. 

“S-steve, what are you t-talking about? He’s your best friend-“

“Tell me the truth.” His sternness in the raise of his voice has you stop talking immediately. “Y’know I thought it was a little weird at our engagement party when he couldn’t take his eyes off you, like he already knew you, but I let it go, it was easily something I could pass off. Then I heard he bumped into you at work, no biggie either, I wasn’t concerned. At least not until I see for myself how skittish you were over some stupid game. The longing looks he sent your way when you weren’t looking. So I went into my camera feed at work and boy, was I surprised to hear what he had to say, never mind the way he touched you.”

The tears can’t help but escape and you know there’s no getting out of this now.   

“So I’ll repeat myself, honey. Tell me the truth.”

And you do. You tell him every last detail of how you first met James. The karaoke bar in Romania. The six months you spent together in your apartment. How you fell in love with him. You also spill all your regrets. How you didn’t know how to tell Steve. How you never expected to see James again, never mind see him again as your fiancés best friend. You pour your heart out to the man who’s done nothing but love you unconditionally and you plead how sorry you are for everything. 

You see him process all the information once you finish. How he internalises the history between his soon-to-be wife and best friend he’s known since childhood. You know it’s not looking good for you. 

“Have you cheated?”

You're a bit taken back by his question but nevertheless answer straight away. “No! God, no Stevie, I swear.”

“Do you still want to marry me?”

“Yes. More than anything.” Again, you respond.

“Do you still love him?”

The pause in your response is enough of an answer for Steve and you fully expect him to call the wedding off, declare that he doesn’t want anything to do with you again. You wouldn’t blame him, you know all of this isn’t fair to him.

 

So the shock that runs through you when he takes both of your hands and kisses them multiple times is palpable, murmuring into them, “do you still love me?”

You do love Steve. You’re so grateful for everything he's done for you, for all the care and happiness he’s brought you. You don’t hesitate to answer him this time. 

“Of course I do.”

The smile that graces his face is award winning, the exact one that hooked you in when Natasha told you he was worth it - to give him a chance to make you whole again. 

“Okay. I can work with that.”

Everything hurts. Your dismissal of Bucky’s feelings, your ignorance to his attempts to just talk to you. He supposes it’s karma biting his ass for being so stupid. 

If he could go back in time and stay with you, in your one bedroom cosy little home away from his responsibilities as CEO and his fate of seeing you belong to someone else, he would - in a heartbeat. 

Bucky thinks back to your conversation on the roof, when he blurted out he loves you. He regrets telling you like that, but the desperation for you to be back in his arms, back where you were supposed to be was at an all time high. He was running out of options. It wasn’t that he didn’t love you, because he really did, he just knew it shouldn’t have been said that way.

He should have grabbed you by your face and kissed you senseless back when you were together as he poured declarations of love into your soul. Looked into your eyes and whispered how lucky he was to have you as you lay underneath the Romanian stars. He was a fool. 

Steve was the deserving man, he thinks, watching him dance with his friends and blabber, even drunk, how in love with you he was. Bucky can’t help but clench his fists at the thought of Steve getting to hold you, kiss you, pleasure you. He’s never held resentment towards his best friend, but right now he was a jealous man. 

It drills home how bad of a friend he is to Steve though, Bucky may have had you first but he knows that doesn’t mean a thing when Steve was the one who picked up the pieces, unknowingly, of the ruins in your trust. Either way, it doesn’t deter the possessiveness and need Bucky feels over you. 

He shouldn’t be thinking like this at his best friend's bachelor party.

And speak of the devil, the drunken mess plops onto the seat next to Bucky with a dreamy look on his face. 

“Buck! James, why the hell aren’t you out there tearing up the floor with us?” There’s no slur in Steve’s words, but he does get very weird when he’s been drinking.

And Bucky doesn’t like the use of his first name coming out of someone else’s mouth other than yours. 

“Sorry Steve, just ain’t feeling it tonight, but don’t worry. I’ll be here watching you make a dick outta yourself.”

The bowl of laughter that bellows out of Steve has Bucky laughing for the first time in a while, the rivalry present in his mind disappearing to share a genuine moment with his best friend since childhood. It felt good.

“Yeah, I guess I am. I’m having a good time though, getting married to the woman of my dreams soon enough. What’s there not to be happy about, eh?”

That shuts down the ease found between the two of them. A grunt of acknowledgment from Bucky all he can offer in the souring of his mood.

Steve carries on, nonchalantly, as he swirls his drink. “It’s funny, y’know. Our taste in women. Who’d have thought that the woman id marry would be the one you were fucking whilst you were off on your travels.”

Alarm bells start ringing in Bucky’s head as he slowly turns his head in Steve’s direction, the lump in his throat hard to swallow - Steve knows. 

“Listen Steve, nothing happened-“

“Oh I know. Nothing’s happened while we’ve been together… doesn’t mean you don’t want to. I’ve seen the way you look at her. Don’t blame you to be honest.”

His collected composure throws Bucky off completely, the unease rattling him from the casual way he speaks of you. Bucky isn’t prepared for the dark tone that encases Steve as he goes on, however. 

“But just so you know, she’s marrying me. She chose me. You left her.” 

That pisses Bucky off. He knows all too well what he’s done, berated himself night and day for his mistake. He also knows you. You’re content with your situation - there’s no denying that. 

But, you could be happier. Bucky could be the reason you wake up every single day, loving life and looking forward to your future.

Not marrying someone out of regret.

He doesn’t say that though, let’s Steve have his moment and decides that if this is the end of their friendship, he’ll do it respectfully. 

So as Steve looks over to Bucky, daggers in his eyes for the man that got the girl first, he decides to leave him to himself and go home. Things hadn’t really been the same with Steve since Bucky had gotten back - a piece of his heart with you wherever you were. And then he saw you in your little white dress that reminded him of home and he knew his relationship with Steve couldn’t go back to what it was. 

“See ya round, pal.” 

He’ll miss Steve, truthfully. The little guy he protected from bullies twice the size of him. He knew they couldn’t come back from this though, in love with the same woman and unwilling to let her go. So he tips his head to his best friend, downs his drink and walks out the bar.

He wasn’t going to give up on you without a fight. 

Suffocating. 

The hairspray that clogged the air. Makeup scattered over the side tables. Your wedding dress that you could faintly hear your bridesmaids gush over. 

It was all white noise to you.

You loved this dress - adored it whenever you got to try it on at regular fittings. There may have been a twinge in your gut every time, but you always forced that feeling down. Aside from that, you appreciated how well the dress fit you and how stunning it makes you look.

All you wanted to do now was rip it off.

There was no more countdown to your wedding day. It’s happening today. Now. Whether you’re ready or not. 

Mind fogged over, you don’t hear Wanda’s fingers clicking in front of your face. “Sweetie, you there? You keep zoning out again.” 

It’s only a touch to the shoulder that brings you back out of your head, a perfectly manicured red nail seen from the corner of your eye to let you know it’s Natasha. 

“She’s just fine, our girl’s just busy thinking about how Steve’s going to rip this dress off later on.” The mixture of squeals of laughter and prudish whines from your bridal party have you grateful for Nat’s ability to deflect with ease.

“Why don’t we give the bride some space for a little bit, yeah? All you bitches are giving me a headache, never mind her.”

As you see the last flutter of a dress walk out the door from the reflection of the mirror, you turn to your best friend, the one person you don’t have to pretend with.

“How do I look, Natty?” The crack in your voice gives away your vulnerability, there’s no hiding with her anyway. 

“You know you look beautiful, babe.” A noncommittal hum from you is all she receives as you turn back around to continue looking over yourself.

She brings her face next to yours, giving you her most reassuring eyes and a hug that has fixed you multiple times. But you’re most grateful for the murmur in your ear for only you to hear. “I’m here for you, whatever you want to do, you know that right?” 

You do know that. Your maid of honour who would burn down the world to make your heart whole again. So you owe her the knowledge that you’re gonna be alright, that you’re okay with what’s gonna happen. 

“Maybe I should get married to you Romanoff, I think we’d make a killer couple.” The landing of your joke goes down well with her, the doom of your fate on the back burner for now.

And as she walks out the door to give you a couple of minutes to yourself, she throws a wink your way, speaking over her shoulder, “give me a time and place and I’ll be there, sweetheart.”

Why the hell did this church have to be so big? 

Trying to be stealthy and quiet in a church full of guests roaming around wasn't the easiest task Bucky had ever dealt with. A bridesmaid or a groomsman lurking around a corner had him almost shit himself a couple of times, but he had a plan set in motion and he wasn’t going to be easily deterred.  

The clock was ticking, and Bucky had to get to you, there was no time to waste.

Steve’s fault really because Bucky has full confidence you wouldn’t have picked somewhere like this to get married. A scenic forest setting or even a shotgun wedding much more your style - it gives him an extra push to find you. 

“You really doing this?” 

The voice of his old friend Sam stops Bucky in his tracks as he turns around and releases the door knob he was about to turn. It also doesn’t slip his mind that Sam is stationed outside of a specific door. No doubt another order of Steve. 

At least the search for you is over.

“Never been more sure about anything in my life, Sam.” And he hasn’t. Call him selfish, but he has to speak to you one last time to tell you how he feels. For you to see that he can’t let you go so easily. 

“And you love her?” Sam may be Steve’s friend as well as Bucky’s, however, the two of them have always gotten each other. Sam knew Bucky wouldn’t go to all this trouble for some random girl. 

Bucky doesn’t hesitate to answer his question. “More than you could ever know.” 

The crack in Sam’s steel armour, crossed arms and a wide stance becomes noticeable first by the subtle shake of his head. What he’s about to do isn’t great, but he also sees the longing in your eyes, the spark that brings you to life in the presence of Bucky. Steve doesn’t do that for you. 

“Shit.” Sam rubs a hand down his face and steps to the side. “Okay. You’ve got five minutes tops, that’s the best I can do.” And Bucky couldn’t be anymore grateful for his friend, a tip of his head to Sam to show his appreciation. 

“Five minutes is all I need.”

You’re sitting by the window when you hear the old wooden door creak open. Expecting Nat to check in with you for a final time before the big event, you don’t bother turning around.

“Don’t worry Nat, I’m good. I’ll be out in a sec.”

“You sure about that?”

Your reaction is similar to the first time you heard his deep tone after so long back at the office - head whipping round in shock to see James in a black suit with his hair pulled back. 

Why does he have to look so damn good? 

Standing up, you lift the skirt of your dress and stomp over to him. “Bucky? What the hell are you doing here?!”

He can’t even process your anger at seeing him before your wedding, stunned to silence at the beauty you radiate - you’re so beautiful it hurts.

“Holy shit, you look gorgeous.”

Affected by his response, shyness takes over you as you stutter - speechless in his presence yet again. 

“I had to see you, kisa.” The pet name reserved for you tugs at the ache already there in your heart. 

“James- Bucky, you can’t be here, I’m about to marry Steve.” 

“Don’t.”

You have an idea as to what he means, but you have to ask just to be sure, “don’t what?”

“Don’t marry him.” The way Bucky says it as if it’s so simple astounds you.

“You’ve gotta be kidd-“

He interrupts you before you can finish. “Please, just- hear me out for a second, please?” 

So you stay silent, a tiny piece of you wanting to hear what he has to say.

Bucky straightens the lapels of his jacket and prepares himself for the most important speech of his life. “In five years time, are you gonna look back and have no regrets? Can you tell me truthfully that if you marry Steve, you’re not gonna be wondering what else could’ve happened?”

Tremors start to rack through your body at his questions you don’t want to think about, too scared to really think about answers. Even so, Bucky carries on. 

“I know you love him, baby. But are you in love with him?”

You have to stop his rambling before he says something you can’t hear right now. “Buck-“

“Because I’m in love with you.” He interrupts you. “I’m so fuckin’ gone for you baby girl that I’m here begging you not to marry him.”

Tears threaten to ruin your makeup that took hours to perfect. 

“Runaway with me.”

It’s the last straw that breaks your resolve as you begin to sniffle.  

“We can go back to Romania and start over, or travel together, I don’t care as long as you’re with me.”

You finally speak, “you h-have a business to r-run, Bucky.”

“You think any of that matters to me when I can have you?”

He places his hands on your arms and rubs his palms up and down, giving you the comfort your body is screaming at you for but your mind battles against.  

“I know I left you before and I’m so fuckin’ sorry for breaking your heart. But I swear I’ll be better for you this time.”

Sliding his hands up to cup your cheeks, he leans forward and places a kiss on your cheek, so close to your mouth that you can feel his breath against your skin. Bucky puts his forehead against yours and whispers his last line that he prays will win you over. 

“I love you, kisa… take one more chance on me.”

“Ready, honey?”

As you stand at the double doors waiting to walk down the aisle, your mind races. Too overwhelmed to speak and only able to give Nat a firm nod in acceptance. 

“Let’s get this show on the road then.”

It’s hardly noticeable to you that the double doors open to reveal the altar, the aisle looking so much shorter than you hoped it to be.  

You couldn’t answer Bucky, head scrambled by his dump of love on you and his pleading for you to run away with him that you had to walk away from him. How could you just leave with the person who left you? 

But how could you live without him if you marry Steve?  

You don’t even realise you’re halfway down the aisle as you deathgrip Nat’s arm to the point of bruising - lack of expression on her face apart from a warm smile to not let anyone notice your spiraling. 

And then before you know it, you’re at the altar next to your fiancé and soon enough husband in just a couple of minutes.

The false bravado you showcase impresses yourself when you see no one is batting an eye at your downfall. You think you hear the priest begin the ceremony and go on with the usual spiel of vows and promises. Yet, It just feels like you’re underwater and you’re slowly sinking with no way to the surface. 

Somehow though, you manage to hear the subtle click of a side door towards the back, even through the jumbled mess of your mind. 

It’s like your mind actively seeks out the man who’s had a piece of your heart since you met him. James. The one who literally had you at ‘hello’. 

You remember how you felt as he caught you into a dip, the karaoke bar neon lights casting a luminescent glow over his features and those steel grey eyes breaking through your defenses.

Home.

So the cold panic that rushes over you as he sends one last tender smile your way, his crows feet sending your heart into overdrive, is instant. You don’t miss the single tear he lets escape and the bow of his head as he turns around and walks out of the church doors. 

No. 

Looking back towards Steve, you know he saw Bucky and the war going on inside your head by his forlorn expression. 

Steve. 

He deserves so much better than you. His kindness and patience with you proceeds anything you were worthy of. Them ocean blue eyes begging you not to go even after all he’s put up with. 

But they never were your blue. 

You drop his hands and back away, the rejection of his pleas hitting home as he knows what’s coming next. Sliding the sparkling engagement ring from your finger and placing it into his palm, you peck his cheek and whisper your apologies. 

“I’m so sorry, Steve.”

You hate having to do this to him. You hate that you can’t give up a crucial part of your past to be in the present with him. But he deserved someone that could love him with their entire being, not you who could only give the smallest offering. 

It was time to start being honest with yourself - starting with following your heart and going after who you really want. 

The grin on your face at your epiphany is unstoppable, as you kick off your shoes, rip off your veil and grab the skirts of your dress. 

Then, you run. 

You ignore the gasps of outrage from all the guests, you don’t see the smirk on Nat’s face and Wanda smacking Nat’s arm out of shock as you finally give in to your true desires. You just keep on running.  

The church doors burst open and you race down the steps to see Bucky ducking his head to get in his mustang and starting the smooth engine to drive off. 

Shit. 

“JAMES!” 

He doesn’t hear your cries over the rumble of his car, and you push yourself to run faster. You have to catch up to him. 

“JAMES WAIT!”

Just as Bucky puts his foot down to accelerate, he hears the passenger door to his mustang whip open and his head snaps over - only to see his beautiful angel sitting in the passenger seat staring nervously into his eyes. 

“No fuckin’ way.”

 

His breathlessness makes you giggle as you nod your head in excitement, the way his face lights up at the sight of you and that gorgeous smile on his face has your stomach fluttering. 

This is what love should feel like. 

“Fuck, you actually did it, baby.”

“Nervous were we?”

Bucky lets out a huff of breath at your jab and shakes his head with fondness, unable to believe he’s really got his girl back. 

Not wasting a minute more, he pulls you in by the back of your head and kisses you with wild abandon, his tongue teasing its way in to dance with yours. You’ve missed him more than you were willing to admit - pouring all of your yearning over the years into the kiss. He pulls back when you both run out of oxygen and stares into your eyes as if this is all a dream. Bucky has you laughing once more as he pinches the skin of his arm just to double check. 

“So, where are we going, kisa?” Bucky waits for your response as he shifts the mustang into gear, car moving forward as he gets ready to prove how much you truly mean to him.

You lean your head back on the head rest and close your eyes, mind clear for the first time in a long while as the tires turf up the gravel and speed off.

The upturn of your lips has the spark you thought was gone inside you reigniting. And you know now this is where you’re supposed to be. 

“Anywhere as long as it’s with you, James.”

A/N: if you got this far, thank you so much for reading! I really enjoyed writing this one and there’s also potential for a second part should I feel there’s enough interest - I never learn 🤣

[leveloneandup]

Christen Press Is Determined to Reimagine the Way Female Athletes Are Seen

For two-time World Cup winner Christen Press, who made her debut in the U.S. Women’s National Team in 2013, it’s no surprise that women’s sports have been having their moment—both before and throughout these Paris Summer Olympics.

Press, along with her teammate and partner Tobin Heath, have bet big on the public’s love of women’s sports. The duo launched their podcast, The Re-Cap Show, during the 2023 Women’s World Cup—the highest attended in history. It wasn’t their first foray into entrepreneurship in the women’s sports space; they are co-CEOs of Re-Inc, a global community for sports fans and changemakers, which launched ahead of the 2019 World Cup. The Re-Cap Show has amassed a dedicated online fan base, with video clips circulated among Re-Inc's 49,000 YouTube subscribers and 123,000-strong Instagram following.

On The Re-Cap Show, the duo bring fans behind the scenes of professional women’s soccer, both at the international level and in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). They debrief games with high-profile guests such as defender Ali Krieger, previous national team head coach Jill Ellis, current national team captain at the Olympics Lindsey Horan, and Angel City FC co-founder Kara Nortman. Press and Heath also break down and share their own perspectives on buzzy topics like scandals in the NWSL, what it’s like to date your teammate, and the recent cheating saga with the Canadian team.

Press and Heath launched Season 3 of the podcast in June, just in time to document the national soccer team’s journey at the Paris Summer Olympics. For Press—who returned to the pitch for Angel City FC on Thursday for the first time in over two years, after four surgeries to repair her torn ACL—it's up to women’s media to meet this moment and capitalize on it.

TIME delved into the Olympics, The Re-Cap Show, and why this moment in women’s sports is so important during a video interview with Press.

TIME: The momentum for women’s sports right now is immense. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese enjoyed record-breaking performances in the NCAA last year, and the WNBA opened their 2024 season with their highest attendance in 26 years. This is also the first Olympics with gender parity. How is all of this impacting the way you cover the Paris Olympics with The Re-Cap Show?

Press: You're spot-on that women's sports are having insane momentum right now. For us, all the attention has really increased our mission to reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports. We started our show during the World Cup because we’re women soccer players, and that's when we committed to turning on a spotlight [and] never turning it off.

But the Olympics is this huge opportunity to inspire and reveal what's already there: lots of leagues, athletes, and players that are doing their job all-year round, but they get to be at the highest stage this summer. From a business perspective, [it’s about] bringing those supporters, fans, and community members into the women's sports world, which is the most inclusive, diverse, and interesting community that uses sport as a vehicle for change.

Take us back to creating Re-Inc with your teammates Tobin Heath, Megan Rapinoe, and Meghan Klingenberg. How far have you all come since then?

We started Re-Inc in 2019 with a single T-shirt before we went to the World Cup and it said “Liberté, Égalité, Défendez.” It was a play on the French motto [“Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité”] as we had headed to France, so we switched the word “fraternity” to “defend” because as the U.S. Women's National Team, we were defending our title, but we were also defending the principles of liberty and equality.

But since then, it’s grown into a community. Watching women play sports is an act of revolution. Not so long ago, women were not allowed to play sports, and until recently, we were not paid to play sports or paid very well. And so I think as women's sports get heightened, it is just the living and breathing symbol of progress in society that women can rise and be stars on the court and on the field. With launching our media division, we saw how the coverage was failing to represent the lifestyle and culture of us, and it was just a copy and paste from the men's side. The broadcast and the commentary was so off-putting that it was spoiling the sport for us. No one knew how to talk about gal culture.

What kinds of commentary were you used to hearing while you were playing with the U.S. Women’s National Team?

Sometimes, when I'm watching people commentate, I feel like they’re a kindergarten teacher explaining the basics of soccer with the assumption that the person who's watching has no idea what they’re watching.

I think there's a lot that needs to be improved. Also, when it comes to addressing social issues and the institutional prejudice that happens within sports, especially how we talk about Black athletes… The media should make sure you're seeing this vision of a woman athlete in a way that can be a badass—not self-conscious, but laughing loud and really proud of her success. So I think all of those lifestyle and social issues are baked into the game.

And then obviously, as the game grows, we're going to have more expertise and fundamental knowledge and that will just make the broadcast so much better. Part of why the Olympics is so great is because you get the best—the best commentators, the best camera angles—and that's another reason why people will fall in love with all the sports, since it's not, you know, just an iPhone shot of the last 50 meters of a race.

Your former teammate Kelley O’Hara is working with Just Women's Sports. Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird are bringing back their podcast, A Touch More, and your former teammate Sam Mewis is also hosting her own show, The Women’s Game. Why do you think this is the moment where so many female athletes are working in media?

I haven't heard of another market that people are talking about that is successful right now, other than AI and women's sports. I feel very proud to have started this business five years ago and kind of be positioned as ready for the moment as opposed to reacting to the moment. As athletes, we're all inspiring each other and the businesses that are cropping up are inspired by a desire for all of us to raise the game and continue to have an impact. I'm very proud to be about it, to be a part of it, and to be alongside pioneering women. I think the competition is healthy, and it's necessary. It pushes us and I love that.

Many people view women’s sports as a sacred, safe space—something you talk a lot about on your podcast. Is there any fear that as the women’s game becomes more popular and more fans join, that other energies will enter into the space?

I always say the air gets thinner at the top. I think women's sports is a very diverse, inclusive space. And I actually know that members of the community feel very protective of the space. We have our membership community and our members often speak about protecting the space. There will always be challenges as it gets more mainstream.

That’s why I love doing our show: every week, we're talking about the challenges. We’re talking about how the women's sports community feels about someone's bigoted comment or someone who misrepresented them. And it's a two-way dialogue. I think that's really essential to maintain the integrity.

I remember when the social media scandal with midfielder Korbin Albert—who’s currently on the Olympic roster—came out earlier this year. You and Tobin went straight into talking about it. I think a lot of fans were curious to hear from you about it.

It was hard to talk about that, because we were afraid of someone just clipping a tiny piece of the conversation and, like, missing all the nuance and kind of misconstruing our language, but we thought it was important enough to do it anyway. Nuance is something that's consistently missing from the echo chambers.

What are you hoping the Olympics brings to the world of women’s sports?

Kara Nortman, who is the co-founder of Angel City, always tells a story that she was at the 2015 Women’s World Cup, and was completely moved and inspired by us winning. Then, she came home to try to watch us play, and couldn’t find any games, and she couldn't find jerseys. That’s why she started a women's soccer team. I think that story is so beautiful, because it really emulates what's so special at the Olympics.

I think there's a huge opportunity to uplift sports—even the sports that aren't as popular as women's soccer—and for people to go home and become lifelong fans.

[chinzhilla]

most popular vs favorite gifsets of 2024

tagged by the love of my life jay @kantpattanawat to do this fun little retrospective. it's cool to go through each month and reminisce on what shows were airing at the time, how insane they made me, and what i created as a result!

january most popular: yeowoon in ep 4 because he cried on the track field after myungha was nice to him and none of us ever recovered Favorite: phayatharn x first light. there are some things i would change about it now and my vision was hampered by tumblr's size limit but i still love this set

february most popular: myungha being infatuated with yeowoon. the lfls era was really something 🥹 favorite: i am gonna cheat and do two here because phayatharn x fly to you (flash warning) is one of my favorite lyric sets i've ever made but i also had soooo much fun with my little passion project abcs of love set

march most popular: latte appreciation post 🐶🩵 favorite: tharn blorbo bleebus set. up there for favorites ever, another one that was a lot of fun

april most popular: thk pilot trailer. one of my favorite fandom moments ever was that trailer drop kasjdfjk favorite: same as above. we are entering my giffing dry spell so there won't be much to choose from, especially super creative sets, for the next three months

may most popular: chainpun (mostly pun) reacting to tanfang's romance journey favorite: babe's big sparkly anime eyes 💖

june most popular: word of honor episode 10. no i never finished this rewatch. check back with me in 3 to 5 business years. favorite: i suppose it has to be the only other gifset i made in june - ryuzen flashbacks

july most popular: pun making up for lost time. we deserved so much more of them than we got but this moment will always be legendary favorite: was shocked kitsune!vee didn't take the top spot this month but he has top spot in my heart. one of the scenes of all time and i really like the coloring i landed on here

august most popular: cringefail tyme. as it should be. favorite: definitely ray x trust me mate (flash warning). the second gif is one of my favorites i've ever made

september most popular: akkayan face kisses. warms the heart. favorite: 4 minutes ep 8. i think it's one of my prettiest episode sets. love the gif of bible with the neon wings especially

october most popular: jackjoke being in love in front of everybody's salad favorite: jackjoke and the almost-confession. true to form i ignored the dialogue and just giffed them staring at and being soft for each other and i still get warm fuzzies looking at this set

november most popular: jackjoke and the confession of the year favorite: i'm doing three this time because this is my post and i make the rules. #1 is akk(ayan) x beginner's guide to destroying the moon (flash warning). this set ended up being less than the sum of its parts but i really like some of the components, like the shifting letters in the first gif and the the text illuminated by akk's lighter. #2 is jackjoke evil parallels because sets like this are very darkly fun for me to make and nothing fuels me like the 'sick and twisted' tags i get. and #3 is the sign rainbow because it's the first rainbow set i've made and i really like the way it turned out.

december most popular: style tormenting fadel in the kitchen. one of my better colorings i think favorite: gotta be ray x black box warning (flash warning). another set that was just fucking fun to make, the ideas just flowed so easily. and i love how it turned out. also honorable mention to this hope moment that changed my life. not many people felt the same way apparently but this set has a million notes. to me

and that's that! not tagging anyone cause i think most people have done something like this already if they wanted to (and also i'm slightly hungover and after all that i simply cannot be bothered. love you all though <3). that said though if you haven't, and you want to, please use this as an excuse! and tag me if you want!!

happy new year beloveds i wish you all a joyous 2025 💖

[reasoningdaily]

11 everyday words and phrases that have racist and offensive backgrounds

Chances are, you’ve used at least one of these in casual conversation without knowing its problematic past. By Dylan Lyons June 10, 2020

It can be a jarring experience to learn a common word or phrase you’ve been using for years is actually kind of racist or sexist or homophobic. The harder you look, the more language you’ll find with problematic roots. While English certainly has its fair share of racist words and phrases, it also has a baffling number of synonyms and alternative ways of saying something. Fortunately, that makes it pretty easy to swap out the word or phrase you’ve been saying for a more innocuous one.

This list comprises a handful of historically racist words and phrases with sinister origins, but we found these to be some of the most commonly used, and in some cases most surprising, examples. For each entry, we’ve included alternative words or phrases you can swap them out with.

11 Common Racist Words And Phrases

1. Gypped/Jipped

Meaning: defrauded, swindled, cheated

Origin: “Gypped” (sometimes spelled “jipped”) comes from the word “Gypsy,” which is a derogatory name for the Romani people (also known as the Roma). The Roma originated in northern India and migrated around the world, particularly in Europe, over the course of the last 1,500 years. They’ve faced a lot of persecution and discrimination throughout history, including baseless accusations of theft and child abduction. A stereotype arose that the Roma were thieves, which led to the use of the term “gypped.”

What to say instead: ripped off, cheated

2. Off The Reservation

Meaning: to deviate from what is expected or customary

Origin: In the 1800s, the federal government forcibly removed Native Americans from their land and sent them to live in designated reservations. The phrase “off the reservation” was used in government correspondence to report on whether Native Americans were complying with orders to stay within their designated living areas. Over time, it came to be used to describe anyone acting outside of what is expected, particularly in political situations.

What to say instead: “went rogue”

3. Sold Down The River

Meaning: betrayed

Origin: As far as racist words and phrases go, this one is pretty obvious when you think about it. It’s a reference to slaves being literally sold down the river (the Mississippi or the Ohio rivers, specifically) from a slave-trading marketplace to another shore, where they would then be transported to a plantation.

What to say instead: betrayed, thrown under the bus

4. Peanut Gallery

Meaning: a group of people who criticize or heckle someone about insignificant things

Origin: In the 19th-century Vaudeville era, the peanut gallery was the cheapest section of seats (with the worst view). Peanuts were sold at these shows, and sometimes people seated in the cheaper seats would throw peanuts at unpopular performers. Often, the peanut gallery was largely occupied by Black theatergoers. If the term isn’t racist, it’s classist at the very least, suggesting those who sat in the cheapest section were ill-informed and gave unwarranted criticism. And Vaudeville itself certainly had some racist elements — it developed from minstrel shows and often featured caricatures of Black people portrayed by white actors in blackface.

What to say instead: hecklers

5. Spirit Animal

Meaning: an animal, person or object you identify strongly with

Origin: Using “spirit animal” to refer to something you love or identify with is a form of cultural appropriation that cheapens its true meaning. Some Native American tribes believe in “spirit animals” or “totems,” which are spirits that guide and protect them on a journey or in their life in general. Now, many people who are not Native American and usually know nothing about this spiritual tradition call various people, animals and objects their “spirit animals,” often as determined by an online quiz or a general interest.

What to say instead: Patronus (from Harry Potter), familiar (from European folklore)

6. Uppity

Meaning: arrogant, self-important

Origin: While technically its origin was pretty neutral — its first known usage was in the collection of Black American folktales (featuring the well-known Br’er Rabbit) Uncle Remus in 1880 — over the years, “uppity�� has become a racist term. White Southerners used “uppity” throughout modern history to describe Black people who violated their expectations of deference, or who they viewed as “not knowing their place.” In these situations, “uppity” was usually followed by the n-word. Even recently, conservative critics have referred to President Obama and Michelle Obama as “uppity.”

What to say instead: arrogant, conceited

7. Hip Hip Hooray!

Meaning: a congratulatory cheer

Origin: The history of this term is a bit muddled, but it’s thought to have derived from the anti-Semitic chant “Hep hep!”. This was a rallying cry to attack Jewish people in and around the German Confederacy in 1819, during what came to be known as the “Hep-Hep riots.” At some point, “hep hep” became “hip hip,” and “hooray” was added to the end.

What to say instead: “Hooray!” (only the “hip hip” part is problematic), “Yay!”

8. Eenie Meenie Miney Mo

Meaning: children’s rhyme, often used to make a “random” selection

Origin: While its earliest origins are unclear, this rhyme was well-known in the days of slavery in the United States. You’re probably familiar with the version that goes, “Eenie meenie miney mo / Catch a tiger by the toe,” but in a previous version of the song, the n-word was used instead of “tiger.” It’s thought that this was sung to describe what slave owners would do if they caught a runaway.

What to say instead: Flip a coin. Ask a friend. Just make a decision without singing.

9. Long Time, No See

Meaning: I haven’t seen you in a while

Origin: There are two credible theories about where this phrase originated, and both could very well be true. One is that members of the British and American Navies picked up the phrase in their encounters with Chinese people, speaking pidgin English. The other theory says “long time, no see” came from Native Americans speaking English, as chronicled in some old Western novels. Either way, the phrase can be seen as mimicking non-native English speakers’ attempts to speak English. The same goes for another common racist phrase: “No can do.”

What to say instead: “It’s been a while,” “I haven’t seen you in ages!”

10. Grandfathered In

Meaning: when people or companies are allowed to continue following an existing set of rules, even after new rules are put in place

Origin: Even after the 15th Amendment was passed in 1870, giving Black American men the right to vote, a number of states instituted poll taxes and literacy tests to make voting more difficult for Black people. This was a way around an outright ban on Black voting, which had become illegal. But several states passed a law, known as “the grandfather clause,” saying that if you could vote before the 15th Amendment was passed or were the lineal descendant of a voter, you didn’t have to take the tests or pay the poll tax. In other words, if you were white, you were “grandfathered in” to being allowed to vote.

What to say instead: exempted, excused, legacied in

11. Moron

Meaning: a stupid person

Origin: This word was originally coined by eugenicist and psychologist Henry H. Goddard, who used it to describe people he categorized as having low intelligence and behavioral deviance. Eugenics had to do with creating humans with “desirable” characteristics through breeding and preventing those with “undesirable” traits from reproducing. Goddard made it his mission to ensure “feeble-minded morons” did not immigrate to the United States, sending his staff to assess the “intelligence” of people coming into Ellis Island in the early 20th century. About 40 percent of Hungarian, Italian and Jewish immigrants were classified as “morons” and deported in 1913.

What to say instead: fool, doofus, nitwit

[teamthunderdome]

TEAM THUNDERDOME.

TWO TEAMS ENTER. TUMBLR VOTES. ONE TEAM LEAVES. TRIAL BY COMBAT. TO THE DEATH. VICTORY OR SOVNGARDE.

The Rules:

Fights will occur over the course of ONE WEEK, quarter 1 begins JUNE 1ST, 2024 at 12:00 AM MIDNIGHT EDT (UTC-04:00).

Multiple fights happen across one week.

ONLY 3 to 4 team members per team. 2 is too few, 5 is almost cheating. If a team has more than 4 members, some will have to wait in the stands (looking at you, Scooby-Doo and Tally Hall).

Tumblr poll will determine the winner of an individual fight via emotional support and gracious cookie donations.

Majority Wins. Whether or not a team would canonically win or lose the fight does not matter, only the number of votes.

Single Elimination.

Outside of the rules listed above, anything goes. Reblog a fight to get your friends on your side.

Propaganda is fair game. If you know perhaps a little too much about one of the teams and want to explain why your team should win, please submit an in-depth propaganda post to the blog homepage.

Spread the word! Your favorite might win! (Or not! I just run this thing!)

Lasko Wind Machine

All 64 Teams Competing (In random order - will NOT reflect the final bracket):

Team WINCHESTER (Sam, Dean, Castiel, Crowley)

Team FORTRESS (Heavy, Medic, Engineer, Soldier)

Team AIONIOS (Noah, Lanz, Eunie, Riku)

Team GONDOR (Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, Gandalf)

Team TWILIGHT (Jacob, Edward, Bella)

Team STAR WARS (Han, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca)

Team NARUTO (Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura)

Team SHREK (Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Puss In Boots) (As portrayed at the end of Shrek 2)

Team OF LIGHT (Jonathan Harker, Jack Seward, Quincey Morris, Abraham Van Helsing)

Team PERSONA (Makoto Yuki, Kotone Shiomi, Yu Narukami, Ren Mamamiya)

Team HOMESTUCK (John, Jade, Rose, Dave)

Team MUSKETEERS (Athos, Porthos, Aramis, D'Artagnan)

Team HERCULES (Hercules, Iolaus, Salmoneus, Autolycus) (The Legendary Journeys, Hercules as portrayed by Kevin Sorbo)

Team PUYO PUYO (Ringo, Arle, Amitie, Lemres)

Team BAKUGO (Bakugo, Mina, Denki, Eijirou)

Team WIGGLES (Jeff, Anthony, Murray, Greg) (as originally formed)

Team GRYFFINDOR (Harry, Ron, Hermione)

Team COOL RUNNINGS (Derice Bannock, Junior Bevil, Sanka Coffie, Yul Brenner)

Team AEGIS (Rex, Pyra, Mythra) (all other party members excluded due to Blades and their pesky "friendships" binding them to their users)

Team RHYTHM THIEF (Raphael, Fondue, Marie, Charlie) (what a cute doggy :3)

Team MYSTERY INC (Fred, Shaggy, Velma, Daphne) (sorry no pets allowed)

Team DEKU (Izuku, Tsuyu, Ochako, Shouto)

Team KRISPIES (Snap, Crackle, Pop)

Team ELITE BEAT (Agent Spin, Agent J, Agent Chieftain, Agent Starr)

Team JIGSAW (Kramer, Young, Hoffman, Gordon)

Team UMIZOOMI (Milli, Geo, Bot)

Team TRIFORCE (Link, Zelda, Groose) (Skyward Sword variants)

Team LAYTON (Layton, Luke, Emmy) (Pre-Azran Legacy)

Team SONIC (Sonic, Knuckles, Tails)

Team ASKR (Alfonse, Anna, Sharena)

Team TARDIS (The Doctor, Amy, Rory, River)

Team WOOHP (Sam, Alex, Clover)

Team KEYBLADE (Sora, Donald, Goofy)

Team 1908 THOMAS FLYER (Montague Roberts, George Schuster, Hans Hendrik Hansen, George MacAdam)

Team BIONIS (Shulk, Reyn, Dunban, Sharla)

Team DARK (Shadow, Rouge, Omega) (Ultimate Life Form status tenuous)

Team OOO (Finn, Jake, Princess Bubblegum, BMO)

Team TALLY HALL (Rob, Zubin, Andrew, Joe) (Ross excluded - he's just a drummer)

Team DOODLEBOPS (Deedee, Rooney, Moe)

Team SCIENCE (Gordon, Tommy, Bubby, Dr. Coomer)

Team POWERPUFF (Blossom, Buttercup, Bubbles)

Team INCONCEIVABLE (Inigo, Fezzik, Vizzini)

Team METROCITY (Megamind, Metro Man, Roxanne, Minion)

Team WONDER PETS (Linny, Tuck, Ming Ming)

Team REGULAR (Mordecai, Rigby, Muscle Man, Skips)

Team PILLAR MEN (Santana, Wham, ACDC, Kars) (Ultimate Life Form status tenuous)

Team BEATLES (John, Paul, George, Ringo)

Team SMILING FRIENDS (Pim, Charlie, Glep, Alan)

Team ROTTEN (Robbie, Tobby, Bobby, Flobby) (Ultimate Life Form status confirmed)

Team KRUSTY KRAB (SpongeBob, Patrick, Squidward, Mr. Krabs)

Team VOCALOID (Hatsune Miku, Kagamine Len, Kagamine Rin)

Team GARFIELD (Garfield, Jon, Odie, Liz)

Team POOH (Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, Christopher Robin)

Team AVALANCHE (Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret)

Team LOONEY (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Michael Jordan)

Team GHOSTS (Blinky, Pinky, Inky, Clyde) (freshly dead)

Team ROCKMAN (Rock, Roll, Blues, Bass)

Team MARIO (Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi)

Team WRIGHT (Phoenix, Apollo, Athena, Trucy) (as seen in Dual Destinies)

Team SHERLOCK (Sherlock, John, Mycroft) (Brigandorf Crimplesnart's depiction of Sherlock)

Team MASH (Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce, BJ Hunnicutt, Charles Emerson Winchester III)

Team RWBY (Ruby, Weiss, Yang, Blake)

Team CHANNEL 5 (Ulala, Space Michael, Jaguar, Pudding)

Team FANBOY (Fanboy, Chum Chum, Kyle)

GOOD LUCK!!!

(you're gonna need it)

[teddyeyeseddie]

So Now What

Wednesday In a Cafe

older!steve X reader X older!eddie (no cheating, no steddie)

masterlist

Warnings: college student steve, a drunken kiss, alcohol consumption, a bad date, someone orders for someone else in a controlling way, eddie and steve are both 30 reader is 20”

(a/n: me having three series going at once? I AM SICK! n e ways thank you @lofaewrites for being my lovely beta, love you forever honey!!)

The crisp October air sent a small chill up your spine. The leaves fall down, settling on the sidewalk before you crunch over them on your way to Mr. Munson's house. You hoisted the pumpkin you were carrying up onto your hip as you approached the front door, knocking softly. 

The door quickly opens up, Eddie smiling down at you, the toddler on his hip matching her father. 

“Mr. Munson…” You offer politely, smiling up at him as the pumpkin almost slips through your fingers. 

“Oh, here,” He goes to grab the pumpkin by the stem but you are quick to pull back from him.

“You’re gonna ruin it.” You state bluntly. 

He chuckles, opening the door farther, forcing you to pass under his arm. 

You carefully place the pumpkin on the table, smiling at the fall themed art adorning the man’s fridge.

“You don’t know how happy I am that you're back from school. These other sitters just can't handle Caden.” he sighs as he places Lily down onto the ground. She's giggling as she walks to you, extending her arms upwards in hopes to be picked up.  

You really loved the little Munson family. Eddie, a younger single father of two, found you through some old clients whose kids no longer needed a sitter. He was desperate, his promotion at the docks swamping him with work.

This finally settles after a while. His work slowed down, his co-workers finally giving him the respect he deserved and needed to do his job.  His kids stopped asking where Mommy was when Eddie was finally able to tell them she wasn’t coming back. He even bought himself a new car despite his heart being attached to his old rickety van. 

She was everything Eddie Munson wanted in the world. She was spontaneous, bubbly, and so outgoing. They traveled across the United States when they graduated highschool, using his van for their journey. They continued to travel until one day when Eddie was 22. They were somewhere in California, Kim coming out of a gas station bathroom. Her skin was white, her palms clammy as she carefully reached out her hand to Eddie’s. The words still ring in Eddie’s ears everytime he pumps gas. 

“Ed, I’m pregnant,” She says, the tears in her eyes falling as she looks up at Eddie. He’d just gotten back in the car, sweat beading at his neck from the blistering summer heat. 

“You’re what?” he questions, hands beginning to shake as he reaches towards the test that is in Kim’s other hand. 

His whole world changed that day, Kim turned into a mother and he loved every second of watching her become the best one he’s ever seen. They settle down in a small town on the coast in California. Eddie began working at the docks to bring in a steady income for their growing family while Kim found work at the town’s library. 

Three turned to four and four to three the day Lily was brought into the world. It left Eddie cold for a long time. He didn’t understand how his little family could get torn apart so easily. He mourned her, drinking more as he pawned his kids off on his Uncle for days at a time. Bender after Bender leaving him void of will. 

He finally woke up one day, calling Uncle Wayne, crying and begging him for help.

Wayne helped, Eddie finally got better, his mourning now just a dull ache in his heart. The kids came home, happy to see their father smiling. 

In the time that Wayne helped Eddie back onto his feet, Eddie had found you through some friends and hired you practically on the spot.

June and July passed quickly, Caden and Lily fell in love with you. You loved the job so much that you always offered to watch the kids when you were home from break. 

So, here you are for your 2nd fall break in a row, all of the other sophomores down the coast for fall break.

“So what did you need me here at 4 in the afternoon for? Your date isn’t until 7…” You question as you begin to grab a soda from his fridge. 

“Lovely I haven’t been on a date since Kim. I have no idea what I'm doing. What do I wear?”

You laugh at his obvious flustered demeanor, he rolls his eyes at you before grabbing your arm that’s not holding Lily and dragging you to his room. Since Kim’s passing the house has become more Eddie. You imagine his old childhood room was probably covered in posters and odds and ends. His house has framed concert posters on the walls and the random movie memorabilia scattered about. 

His bedroom is no different. There are more posters adorning the walls, pictures and polaroids tucked into random places. It’s endearing and makes you smile at the progress he has made since you first met him. 

He pulls shirt after shirt out of the closet, deaming each one “not good enough”. He throws his head back in frustration as he takes a seat next to you and Lily on the bed. He looks down at her and pouts. 

“What’s daddy gonna do, Lils? What do I wear?” he questions as he pokes at the girl’s belly causing her to laugh. 

You get off the bed, walking into his closet and rifling through his shirts. 

“Here, this one. Wear your black jeans and the boots I got you for Christmas last year. Black on Black on Black, just how you like it,” 

He gets up from his place on the bed, walking into the bathroom and quickly changing. He walks out with a small pep in his step. He twirls dramatically, you and Lily giggling loudly as he turns his back to you and looks over his shoulder. 

You leave Eddie to get ready. He comes down moments later in the outfit you picked out. You're pretty sure it would make any girl swoon.

The four of you spend the extra time Eddie has before his date watching TV. Eddie checks his watch and smiles, he throws you a twenty dollar bill and yells something about pizza before strutting out the door and to his truck. 

You wait up for him, your feet curled up on the couch, a blanket covering your body as you watch one of your favorite Halloween movies. 

The front door opens much earlier than you expected, Eddie coming in, his hair pulled up high on his head, little pieces pulled down framing his face. 

You smile brightly at him but it quickly falls when you see the look on his face. He looks defeated, the bags in his eyes heavy as he makes his way to the fridge, pulling out a beer. He cracks it open before he approaches the couch and plops down. 

“That bad, huh?” you question as he takes a swig of his beer. His eyebrows raise as he does so, he pulls the bottle back from his lips, sucking in air between his teeth before speaking. 

“That's the understatement of the century,” he says with a sigh. 

“Wanna talk about it?” you question, turning your body to face Eddie, your elbow resting on the back of the couch. He turns to face you also, his body mirroring the position you're in. 

“First of all, she hates metal. Second, she doesn’t want kids and third, she chews with her mouth open!” he shouts, his exasperated nature causing you to chuckle. 

“She was so rude to the waitress, and she tried to order for me.” 

“She sounds awful,” you say, laughing again as Eddie gets up to retrieve another beer. 

“She was,” he states, “You want some wine? I bought you some to have while you’re here as long as you dont rat me out to your parents for giving a 20 year old wine,” he asks as he walks to the kitchen.

You giggle again, nodding your head as he turns around to look at you. 

The two of you pass through beers and wine quickly. The bottle now left between you as you pass it back and forth. 

“You know anyone would be lucky to have you,” you say quietly, “I think you’re pretty cool..” 

Eddie cocks his head to the side, smiling at you.

“You think?”

“I know so..” 

Eddie’s eyes flash to your lips, smiling softly as he thinks about how they’d feel to kiss. In a moment of drunken courage, Eddie leans forward and catches your lips in a kiss. You lean into it at first but quickly pull away when you realize you’re kissing your boss.   

“I-I gotta go,” you mumble as you get up and start your journey home. 

“Wait- Lovely I’m sorry,” he says as he walks towards you, his arm sneaks around your own as his eyes beg you to accept his apology. 

“It’s ok, I gotta go. My parents are probably worrying,” You slip on your shoes, grabbing your bag and heading out the door. 

You turn around one last time.

“Bye Eddie,” 

Halloween comes in a hurry, Eddie sending you pictures of the pumpkin you had given Caden, all carved and ready for the night. You were back at school now, fall break coming and going. You had managed to avoid Eddie for the remaining days of break, a hard feat since he was only two blocks away from your parents. 

You ignore the text from Eddie, focusing on the piece of literature before you. You’re nose deep in the book when a presence before you pulls you out of your luul. 

“Hey um, are you in Professor Allen’s literature class?” you smile up at the man, cocking your head to the side. 

“Yeah, her 3000 levels.” the man’s face lights up as he takes a seat across from you. 

“I thought I had recognized you, I uh- sit up in the front,” he replies as he pulls out a book. 

You finally take time to really look at the man, the way his sweater brings out the color of his eyes, the way his hair lays perfectly atop his head, the stubble adorning his face making his jaw more prominent. He’s not old but he’s definitely not your age. 

“I was hoping you could help me with something?” he says. 

“Of course,” 

“I don’t quite understand what’s happening with Don Quixote here..” he says, a smile on his face.

You spend several hours walking through the book with the man, his questions challenging you and making you further dive into the book. 

“So do you understand?” You ask the man. He nods his head before collecting his things. 

“Yeah, I got it now. Thank you so much for all your help.. I really appreciate it.” He picks nervously at the strap of his backpack.

“Yeah no problem! I’m sorry though I didn’t catch your name..” you say as you collect your own things. 

“Steve. Harrington.” he cracks a goofy smile as he extends his hand to you. 

“Y/N Y/L/N,” you respond, clasping his hand in your own and giving it a firm shake. 

“I’ll see you around?” you question. He nods his head and smiles at you once more before leaving the library and heading for the parking lot. 

You and Steve fall into an easy friendship, constantly together in the library discussing Professor Allen’s homework. You make it to the end of the night, the two of you holed up in a study room on the second floor of the library. It’s nearing 12am when you both decide to call it quits. You’re packing up quietly when Steve’s voice breaks the silence. 

“Do you uh- wanna come over for a drink?” he questions, his hand scratching at the nape of his neck. You burn bright at his request, slinging your backpack over your shoulder. 

“M’ only twenty,” you reply shyly, he cocks his head to the side and chuckles.

“Well I figured you weren’t quite my age, m’ old and boring,”

“You aren’t.. What are you 25?” you question. Steve laughs and opens the door to the study room for you.

“Try 30 sweetheart,” he replies with a grimace on his face. 

“S’ ok,” you shrug,”chicks dig older guys,” 

Steve raises his eyebrows as the two of you walk past campus security on the first floor, he waves a small goodnight to them before he passes through the entrance of the library behind you.

“They do huh?”

You nod, smiling back at him. He catches up beside you and the two of you make your way to the parking lot.

“My car is uh- this way,” Steve mumbles and shoves his thumb to the right. 

“Steve, I don't drive. I'm following you because I think you promised me a drink at your place,”

He smiles down at you, offering a small bow allowing you to walk in front of him in the direction of his car. 

[aneurinallday]

Three Welsh Romances

Owain and the Lady of the Fountain

Owain leaves his wife behind to go on an adventure. Feeling neglected, she forbids him to return. He wins back her love with the help of a lion.

Geraint and Enid

Due to a misunderstanding, Geraint believes that Enid has cheated on him, and commands her not to speak to him during their journey. But she proves her fidelity by breaking her silence to save his life.

Peredur and Angharad

Wanting to impress Angharad Golden-Hand, Peredur takes a vow of silence until he wins her affections. She falls in love with him after witnessing his prowess.

(originally posted June 17 2024)

[andydrysdalerogers]

Sliding Into Home ~ Finale

Pairing: MLB!Frank Adler x Abigail Hernandez (OFC)

Synopsis:

After a trade from Boston to Los Angeles, first baseman Frank Adler would seem to have it all. Money, women, an amazing niece, yes Frank should have it all. Except for one thing. One thing that left after a mistake five years ago. Los Angeles should be the chance to start over. Except she is supposed to be in Boston. Not his new medical director.

* A Frank Adler AU x Major League Baseball Story**

Warning: ANGST (i can't stress this enough), second chances, cheating, S~M~U~T!!, slow burn, drug use, abandonment issues, betrayal, domestic violence (i may have missed some), flashbacks

Dividers by me!

A/N: So this is it folks! This is the end. There isn't anymore. I hate to say goodbye but maybe we will revisit in one shots!

Thank you for following me on this journey!

Also, there is a spotify playlist for this one. Click here!

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: Oh Captain, My Captain!

Sliding Into Home Master List Main Masterlist

Four Years Later... 

The playoffs this year have been exhausting. Frank was used to it but now, he had one more reason to be home.  The world series would start next week for the Dodgers.  It was their second bid in four years and Frank felt like this was their time.  Johnny was pitching better than ever and the team that Dave and Todd had put together was golden.   

As he drove home in his beloved Camero, he thought back on how he ended up here.  

The trial for Mike Weiss was long and exhaustive. Mike faught to the bitter end, continuing to claim that he only kidnapped Mary to speak to her, get to know her, since Frank and Abby had forbade him from coming close to his family.  The law was on their side, as Diane provided testimoney of Mike’s obsession in destroying the Adlers from way back to when Frank and Abby first started their relationship.  It had been a 20 year obsession that had catipulted him delusions.  

Unfortunately, Mike never saw a day of his sentence.  Frank was disappointed in how Mike ended up taking his own life from an accidental overdose after finding out the guilty verdict. They had given him one week to set up his affairs. Frank didn’t want the man to die but Mike couldn’t live with the idea of going in sober and clean.  The “friend” that found him said he wanted one more party before he went inside.  Was it accidental?  No one will ever really know beside the man who had been Frank’s best friend for 15 years.  

Diane was a better story.  After staying for for treatment for a year, Diane was sober and in her right mind.  She had visited with Frank and Mary once, before moving to Maine with her boyfriend.  She told Frank that she would never contest custody and hoped to maintain an “auntie” sort of relationship with Mary.  Abby couldn’t bring herself to face her again.  She had gotten her answers and forgave her former friend.  But she set down the law: her future children would not have a relationship with their aunt. Frank respected her decision. 

Bobby Fuller was banned by the league after their investigation into him found his drug use and his collaboration in helping Mike.  At the insistence of Frank, the district attorney did not press charges against him. Frank decided losing his passion, his career was punishment enough.  they never spoke again.  

A year after the loss of the world Series, Johnny decided to propose to Katie, at Christmas, on Dodger Field.  Frank had been right that he would propose, all be it, a year later than he thought.  But Katie had a surprise for him after she said yes.  She was pregnant, with twins.  Sam and David Storm joined the family at the beginning of June the following year.  

Susie had made an honest man out of Marco in the summer after the first world series.  They bought a house in the same neighborhood as Frank and Abby.  Susie was honored after her discovery of a new star in the sky.  Marco still worked as security for the Adlers, especially after Abby decided to resign as medical director for the Dodgers.  She went to take over as  Chief of Staff at USC.  The hours changed so security for the children had to be updated as well.  

Scott and Steve married after dating for three years.  Frank stood as his best man and signed their marriage certificate.  Luckily, the Adler property had a small house in the back that Scott turned into a home for them.  Scott stayed on as the nanny, not wanting to separate from his godchildren.  Steve was so understanding and was happy to be honored as the kid’s second godfather.  

Frank smiled as he drove down the familiar street.  The leaves were starting to turn and the air in California finally started to have a chill in the mornings.  He was looking forward to an early morning coffee with his Cricket on the balcony before the kids woke up.  Mary was still working on her science project, a fully functioning telescope from scratch.  The now 14-year-old was in college level science, a brain box just like her mothers.  Susie loved having a prodigy to work with.  She still went to a normal school but twice a week, Susie would take her to her college classes as her guardian and professor.  

Turning into the driveway, Frank groaned at the toys all over the yard. “Dammit Mary,” he muttered.  She had just a few responsibilities at the house, and one was to make sure all of the toys were put away for the night.  He looked at his watch.  It was just past eight.  He grabbed his bag and headed into the house.  

“Hello, hello!” He called out.  

“Daddy!!” 

A streak of dark curls rushed at him.  He crouched down and caught three-year-old Lorelei in his arms.  

“Hi princess,”he said as he hugged and kissed his daughter.  

“Daddy, you were ever and ever,” she pouted.  

“I know princess, but I’ll be home for a few days.  Uncle Johnny and Auntie Katie are coming over tomorrow.”  

“Yay!!!” She hung on to his neck as he stood up to see his Mary walking over. “Hey Nugget.”  

“Hey dad!” Mary hugged him hard. “That was an awesome play yesterday.”  

“Thanks.  But you’re in trouble.” Mary looked at him confused. “The toys?”  

“Oh, cr-,” she stopped, “crazy,” she said, looking at her sister. “I’ll take care of it right now.”  She darted out the door, Dodger on her heels after getting a pat from Frank.  

“Hey Frankie.”  

Frank turned to see his girl, his Cricket walking over to him, holding their eight-week-old son, Anthony, in her arms.  “Hi Cricket.”  He put Rory down and took his son in his arms. “Hey little man.” He kissed his forehead and was rewarded with a sleepy yawn and a blink of his ocean blues.  “He’s bigger.”  

“Went for his checkup yesterday,” Abby said. “He’s at 12 pounds now, growing like a weed.”  

Anthony had been born four weeks early and was just under six pounds when he was born, but healthy.  He had an appetite like his dad, which Abby complained about at the 3 AM feedings.  

“I’ve missed you guys.” Frank pulled Abby close and kissed her softly.  

“We missed you.”  Abby took his hand and guided him to the counter. “I thought you would be earlier, and I made dinner.”  

“Sorry baby, the flight got delayed on the tarmac and I had no signal.” Frank sighed.  “Whatcha make?” 

“Lasagna.” Frank groaned as Abby's lasagna was second to none. Abby smiled. “I’ll cut you a piece.”  

“You’re the best Cricket.  I should marry you.”  

“Already did Frankie. Best decision ever.”  

“Without a doubt.” 

Later that night, as the house settled for the night, Abby laid Tony in his bassinet. She smoothed his blanket before kissing him goodnight.  Frank leaned over and kissed him as well.  “Sweet dreams, pal. Love you son.”  

Abby could never get over how sweet it was to watch Frank with all his kids. He helped with Mary’s homework, read stories to Rory and cuddled with Tony when Abby wanted to take a shower.  This man, this man that she met 20 years ago, was everything she ever dreamed of.  As they climbed into bed, Abby lay on Frank’s chest.  “You’re thinking really loud, Cricket.  What’s on your mind?” 

Abby chewed her lip for a moment before asking, “Are you happy Frankie?” 

“The happiest I’ve ever been.  Why do you ask?” 

“I dunno.  Lots of changes.” 

Frank sat up and pulled his wife onto his lap.  “Cricket, winning you back, having our family, it's like beating the throw and sliding into home.  It’s a high that I am so happy I get to live with you.”  

Abby melted at his sweet words. “I love you so much Frankie.”  

“And I love you, Cricket forever and ever.” He kissed her softly.  “Need some help getting to sleep?” He smirked.  

“Always.” Abby giggled as Frank flipped her onto her back, pulled the blanket over them and they sighed.  

THE END 

Taglist

@patzammit

@texmexdarling

@slutforchrisjamalevans

@firephotogrl74

@before-we-get-started

@tinkerbelle67

@bunnyforhim

@peaceinourtime82

[cup-half-full-of-anxiety]

Neon Hearts - Chapter One

This is just a teaser to see if anyone would be interested. I've had this story rolling around in my head for a while and now I am giving it a go.

Eddie Munson x Oc Reader Story Summary: In 1996, Hollywood's "it girl," Lettie, moves in next door to rockstar Eddie Munson. After discovering her cheating ex, Lettie finds solace in Eddie's unexpected kindness. As their bond deepens, they navigate fame, love, and personal demons, discovering unexpected connections and a shared journey of healing. Warning: Infidelity, emotional abuse, toxic relationships, trauma, drinking, smoking. No use of y/n. Warning will be chapter-to-chapter based.

Chapter One - The Meet

June 15, 1996 The air crackled with tension as Lettie stood in the dimly lit living room, her fists clenched at her sides as she confronted her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, Craig. The weight of his betrayal hung heavy in the air, a bitter taste lingering on her tongue as she struggled to contain the storm of emotions raging within her. "You lying bastard!" she spat, her voice laced with venom as she glared at him with tear-filled eyes. "How could you do this to me?" Craig's expression remained infuriatingly calm, his handsome features twisted into a smirk of indifference as he shrugged nonchalantly. "It was just a mistake, babe," he replied, his voice dripping with insincerity.  "You know I love you. It won't happen again." But Lettie wasn't buying it—not for a second. She had heard the whispers, seen the knowing glances exchanged between his friends and even some of her own. And now, confronted with the undeniable truth, she refused to let him gaslight her into believing his lies anymore.  He had already made her look like a fool.

"You expect me to believe that?" she scoffed, her voice rising in disbelief. "You've been cheating on me for nine months, Craig! With multiple women!" His smirk faltered for a moment, replaced by a flash of irritation as he took a step forward, invading her personal space with a menacing glare. "So what if I did?" he shot back, his tone turning vulgar as he lashed out with cutting words. "You're gonna leave me? And what? Find someone else who will put up with your shit" He was towering over her now. "Who even wants a broken person like you, huh? You'll burn out and become a nobody D-list actress that everyone will forget!" “Fuck you!”  Bathed in the soft glow of his porch lights, Eddie's attention had been pulled from the guitar in his hand to his neighbor, whom he still had yet to meet since returning from tour. He couldn’t hear much of the conversation, just a few words here and there spoken loudly in anger in what he could only assume was her kitchen if her layout was any similar to his own home. He listened as her voice rose, as she confronted the man before her. Eddie’s guitar was long forgotten on the bench next to him. "I'd rather be a nobody and alone than be with someone like you!" she spat, her voice trembling with anger as she seized a nearby vase of flowers—flowers he ironically sent her just the other day with a note professing his love, hurling it across the room with a resounding crash that echoed through the very open windows. Eddie jumped from his spot at the sound. “Get the fuck out!” Her voice carried once more, her fury palpable. “I don’t want to see you-” her voice cut off as Eddie watched the man whose back was to him; Craig cautiously approached the woman, hands raised like he was approaching a timid wild animal. He couldn’t hear what the man was saying but it was clear it did the opposite of whatever Craig was hoping for. He watched as the woman took a step back and slapped the man clean across the face, the echo almost as loud as the shattering glass. She followed it up by pulling what Eddie assumed was a ring off her finger and throwing it at him. “I said GET OUT!”  Eddie couldn’t help but keep watching, Normally, he was the one confronted by a raging woman, accusing him of infidelity. It was a strange relief to be on the outside looking in for once. “Go back to whatever slut you’re fucking this week!” Eddie winced at the revelation, that detail not having reached his ears on the breeze. Perhaps Craig deserved that slap. He lost sight of them as they moved through the house, a few moments later he heard a “Go!” followed by a door slam. Not long after, a screeching car could be heard speeding away before his neighbor reappeared in his line of sight.  He lit a cigarette, observing her staring at the spot where the vase had landed. He briefly considered offering to help clean up the mess but hesitated, not wanting her to realize he had overheard their tumultuous encounter. Instead, he turned back to his quiet night. His guitar beckoned him away from the window, diverting his attention from the somewhat voyeuristic act of watching his neighbor tidy up the debris.

Just a teaser so please let me know what you think!

[domquixotedospobresblog]

Whenever I hear certain songs I remember something from the past, the music seems to trigger the brain, people we don't even remember come to mind, it doesn't even have to be something specific to us, the other day listening to Making Love I remembered Helena who at work next to me was humming to a love that was over, the tears didn't roll, because the little one was strong, but my eyes were definitely welling up, these striking songs give a refined beauty to relationships, even at the end, when listening to Bryan Adams I remember my beloved who had an affair with my best friend, no we weren't together and she didn't cheat on me, it was a platonic love, this was the song they chose as the couple's song, each lyric, each chord, each chorus brings relief to the heart, after the music stops a kind of pain comes back, like an emptiness, the musical journey brought the memories back very vividly, the end of it is as if a door were closing, songs from June festivals bring me childhood memories, where everything was blue, a paradise, it was just running with friends I needed it to be happy, I even start singing the national anthem when I hear a band playing, I remember the good times when respect was visible, everyone with their hands on their chest, lined up and in silence, while the flag went up fluttering, the waltz reminds me of the most important things, weddings, graduations and debutante parties, I loved it, there were so many beautiful girls with their elegant dresses, I always went out with one afterwards for an extension of the party, but without guests, it was just us now, after the older ones left, the songs have a lot of meaning in our lives, if they didn't exist it would be a silent solitude, even amidst the festive noise of the crowds, life is more beautiful to be heard by its soundtrack.

Jonas r Cezar

[azizefan]

Just my thoughts on Manifest ending

(Spoilers ahead)

I feel cheated by them taking the ‘full circle’ route and taking the passengers back to 2013 the day the plane was supposed to come back. I get that,

1. The passengers were in another dimension and traveled between the 2 dimensions through the ‘glow’ and what not.

2. In light time travel super fast but that was crazy to think that the passengers went through all the 5+ years or is it 10+ years just in a matter of hours that it takes a plane to get from Jamaica to NYC.

3. It is a sci-fi series so not everything will be explained or make sense.

But

1. I was invested and felt very much a part of the passengers journey, their fight and struggles to get to that death date and then that win/triumph of them actually beating the death date was taken away by them making it that “beating the death date” was changing the dimensions and starting all over again.

2. I’m still very much confused as to how the passengers move forward now and how they will handle dates like when the plane came back in 2018 or yeah, the death date in June 2024. And how will they handle the ‘gift’ they got of knowing what the future holds for them. And how come some passengers remember the other dimension and Cal doesn’t or those passengers who had died in the other dimension and are back alive in this dimension. So yes, there are still a lot of unanswered questions as I could go on and on with the list of questions.

3. I don’t know if that ending was the creator trying to rally for a spin-off or a movie but that wasn’t cool to end the series like that. And if someone, right now, asked if I wanted a spin-off or a movie, I would say hell no!  I wouldn’t trust that they wouldn’t do what they did with them making me feel as if I wasted my time routing for, crying with, and feeling every emotion imaginable to get the passengers to the next day after the death date.

4. I feel so much like how I felt when I watched the last episode of ‘Lost’. I guess I’ll never learn!.

[danortizdigital]

Creative Review 06

Here's a quick look back at the Creative happenings and hot topics of the week.

#CreativeReview is a one-stop cheat sheet of everything that happened this week in the digital media world - it's a weekly summary for creatives, written by creatives and it’s a free/quick read with no registration and we won't add you to some annoying list that's impossible to unsubscribe to promise.

Trailer Beat

Apple TV+; June 28

Idris Elba, Archie Punjabi

Told in real-time, Hijack is a tense thriller that follows the journey of a hijacked plane as it makes its way to London over a seven-hour flight, and as authorities on the ground scramble for answers.

Sony Pictures, In theaters June 23

Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Feldman, Matthew Broderick

Maddie (Lawrence) thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to "date" their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be more of a challenge than she expected, and time is running out. She has one summer to make him a man or lose it all.

Warner Bros. Pictures, In theaters December 25

Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Halle Bailey, H.E.R., Fantasia Barrino

A remake of the classic film showcasing the extraordinary sisterhood of three women who share one unbreakable bond in “The Color Purple.” This new take on the beloved classic is directed by Blitz Bazawule (“Black Is King,” “The Burial of Kojo”) and produced by Oprah Winfrey, Steven Spielberg, Scott Sanders, and Quincy Jones.

Social Media Tips & Resources

Brandy Johnson breaks down some helpful social media tips this week:

How to Find your target audience and enhance your social media strategy on Instagram

Understanding Instagram's Algorithm for Beginners

Instagram's algorithm is pivotal in determining what content users see on their feeds. It constantly evolves to provide a personalized and engaging experience for individuals.

👉Here's an analysis of Instagram's algorithm and its key components:

✅Engagement: The algorithm prioritizes content that generates high levels of engagement, such as likes, comments, saves, and shares.

✅Relevance: It analyzes post engagement, search history, and user interactions to understand preferences and deliver personalized content.

✅Relationships: The algorithm prioritizes content from accounts that a user frequently engages with, including posts from friends, family, and accounts they interact with regularly.

✅Recency: Instagram aims to provide users with the most recent posts to keep them up to date with the latest content.

✅Usage: The algorithm considers how often a user opens the app, the duration of their sessions, and the types of content they engage with.

✅Following: The algorithm considers the accounts users follow and their content. If a user follows accounts with similar content themes, Instagram is more likely to show them related posts.

✅Explore Page: The Explore page, powered by the algorithm, offers personalized recommendations to users based on their interests and interactions. It showcases content from accounts that users may not follow but align with their preferences.

Here are a few key takeaways:

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Creative Showcase

Abu Dhabi: One Summer Isn't Enough

As the Emirate states recover from a COVID-influenced downturn in tourism, it’s intriguing to see how Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is positioning the UAE’s capital city.

DCT is achieving this positioning through its “One Summer Isn’t Enough” campaign. The seasonal campaign has launched across 12 markets under the Experience Abu Dhabi destination brand, with a series of vibrant and light-hearted spots that showcase Abu Dhabi as the best place to experience summer highlighting a diverse range of indoor experiences, unmissable events, and unbeatable summer offers, and the emirate’s wide range of indoor attractions will ensure that visitors stay cool and comfortable.

Liquid Death: Recycled Plastic Surgery Center

Ozempic Queen or Buccal Fat Removal? Regardless of how you identify, Liquid Death is clearly playing into the beauty trends of the moment by focusing their latest campaign on plastic recycling, or rather, Plastic Surgery Recycling in a new spot starring Whitney Cummings.

Most recycling facilities send our plastic to landfills or oceans because it’s not actually profitable to recycle. So what should we do with all of this plastic trash? Introducing the Liquid Death Recycled Plastic Surgery Center. A revolutionary new approach to useless plastic garbage.

Learn more at: http://liquiddeath.com/plasticsurgery

McDonald’s “Sí Pica o No Pica”

McDonald’s is asking Gen Z fans “Sí Pica o No Pica” with its newest Spicy Menu campaign helmed by Colombian American director Victoria Rivera and produced by SLMBR PRTY in collaboration with Alma.

Rivera’s approach captured the candid opinions and reactions of a diverse cast of Gen Z friends as they try out the McSpicy sandwiches and Chicken McNuggets® in various environments.

The free-flowing conversations among the friends provide honest and unscripted reactions to the level of spiciness, with ad-libs in Spanglish polling their friends for their opinions on the spice level.

Goody: A different sauce for every artist صلصة غير لكل فنان

In food brand Goody’s latest campaign, pasta is their canvas, in which consumers can express themselves to come out with a masterpiece/painting.

Goody will accompany passionate foodies with a rich range of pasta sauces to help them shine, and add a sprinkle to their Artistic masterpieces, each carrying an artistic story of their own.

Don’t Eat the Homies: Nature is a runway

Birkman Agency took the concept of an ordinary runway and flipped it on its head to promote the athletic brand, Don’t Eat the Homies, by embracing the wild and untamed beauty of the great outdoors. Birkman & team hit the trails armed with a treadmill, models ready to strut their stuff, and a whole lot of 80s spirit.

Heineken Champions Cup Final Arrivals Billboard

Heineken helped a Leinster superfan send a message to Stade Rochelais ahead of the Heineken Champions Cup Final in Dublin.

Heineken believes the bigger the rivalry, the better the rugby. That’s never been truer than this weekend as Leinster Rugby took on reigning champions Stade Rochelais in the final of the Heineken® Champions Cup in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin.

After losing to La Rochelle in the final last year, Leinster will be doing everything in their power to get the win and secure their fifth Heineken Cup. And so will their fans, it seems.

Heineken Ireland made superfan Colin Fennessy’s dream come true by helping him paint his cheeky message to La Rochelle Head Coach Ronan O’Gara (or ROG as he’s known locally) at scale in Ballyboughal Airfield, located right next to Dublin airport.

“Never too late to turn the plane around, ROG!” is big enough to be read from 30,000 ft and will be visible to all planes flying into Dublin on the La Rochelle flight path this weekend.

The message from Colin was picked up as part of Heineken’s Love Rivalry campaign where fans were invited to send cheeky voice messages to the opposing team on match day.

The mammoth message measures 15M X 10M and was created with *eco-friendly paint. The message is designed to be the first thing rugby fans see on their approach to Dublin City.

LeBron James x Taco Bell: Taco Tuesday

The trademark on the phrase “Taco Tuesday” is really burning Taco Bell and LeBron James’ burritos. Now, the two have joined forces to combat the interdict on the use of the moniker in marketing material.

In a new ad, LeBron James laments being bleeped in a candid vertical video where he shouts, “It’s Taco Tuesday!” as he continues to be bleeped throughout the ad—but he’s grateful Taco Bell is doing something about it.

[niigata-division]

ARB Birthday Special: Ayumu Hayami

~~ June 29th ~~

“The most crucial thing for us is to conserve lives.”

Login Lines:

“Ah! Hey there! I’m glad to see you’re doing alright. …Hm? What’s this for?”

“A gift? Why would…. Oh, right! My birthday is today, isn’t it? Hahaha! Well, thanks for reminding me it would be terrible if I forgot my own birthday.”  

Voice Lines:

“Well, it seems like I managed to hit 40. It's been a long journey getting here, and while there have bumps in the road, I don’t regret the life I’ve chosen. That I believe is worth celebrating.” 

“It’s so nice out today. Perhaps I should take Sara out for a birthday picnic. Just the two of us. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to spend time with her like that. She’ll be ecstatic when I tell her.” 

“The Niigata Paramedics threw me a surprise party today. I know I should’ve seen it coming, but it still makes me happy that they went out of their way to throw me a party. Even now, I still can’t believe how highly they regard me.”

“The audacity of that woman calling me today of all days. Was it not enough that she broke my heart all those years ago? No. It’s never enough for that woman. There’s too much greed in her heart for her to be satisfied. *takes a deep breath* I can forgive her for the cheating. No matter how much it hurts.  However, the one thing I'll never forgive her for is abandoning Sara.”

“Sei! Even on my birthday, not one for smiling, aren’t you? Come on, one smile, and I’ll consider it my gift for the year. Haha! Fine, fine, I'll get you to smile one day, Sei. You didn’t have to give me anything, Seiji. Your friendship over the years has been gift enough. *lifts hands up* Alright, alright, hand it over then.” 

“I’ve been needing a new one. My current one is a little banged up. Come on, Seiji, not all of us are meant to drink tea. Hey, I like the bitterness going down my throat. What can I say? *snorts* Like the tea you drink isn’t just straight-up leaf juice, Seiji. Okay, I'll let it go, but we’re coming back to it later.”

“Lyall! I’m glad to see you’re doing alright. You’re not overworking yourself, aren’t you? I’m glad to hear that, Lyall, but don’t sweat it. It’s my job to make sure everyone is doing alright. I don’t bite, Lyall. I'm sure your gift is great.”  

“You made these, Lyall? I’m impressed. They smell pretty good, too. Something wrong? *pauses* Listen to me, Lyall. As long as the gift came from within your heart, you could get me a piece of gum, and I’d still be grateful. So, no more beating yourself up, you hear me?”

“Sara love! There you are! Hahaha! Thanks, sweetie. You did? That means a lot to me. Alright, let’s see what you got.”

“Oh honey, it’s lovely. You did such a good job making it. Did she now? I love it, sweetie. Hahaha! What did I do to deserve someone like you in my life, Sara?”

Seiji Lines:

“Happy Birthday, Ayumu. *snorts* You, of all people, should know that smiling isn’t my forte. Don’t hold your breath on that Ayumu. Now, since you aren’t getting a smile from me, I figured I'd give you this instead. Those long years of friendship should tell you that I’m giving you a gift anyway, Ayumu. *smirks* Happy birthday, old friend.” 

“Given that you work the graveyard shift most nights, I thought you’d appreciate a new traveler mug to drink that bitter liquid you call coffee out of it. You drink that shit black Ayumu. I don't know how you stomach it. Oh no, I am not getting into another argument with you right now over what's better, coffee or tea.”

Lyall Lines:

“Happy Birthday, Ayumu-san. I’m doing as well as I can, but I’m amazed that even on your birthday, you care more about others than yourself. Still, you could afford to be more selfish, but I suppose you wouldn’t be you if that was the case. Anyway it’s not much Ayumu-san, but I wanted to give you something for your birthday. I hope you like it.”  

“It’s a candle that I made myself. I used lavender and citrus as the main scents. Lavender to relieve stress and citrus to brighten up your mood. *sighs* I feel like it's not enough. You saved my life years ago. I should get you something better than homemade candles for your birthday. Ayumu-san…you’re a better person than most of the world. Thank you for that.” 

Bonus! Sara Lines:

“Happy Birthday, Daddy! I made you something! I hope you like it! Here!” 

“It’s a bracelet! Auntie Nora helped me! Do you like it? Yay! Happy birthday, Daddy! Love you!”

[forensicated]

02x09 - Loan Shark

TW: Unauthorised money lending, stereotypical talk about travelers and suicide discussion/depiction circa mid 1980's time of writing/filming.

A large amount of rubble has been dumped in the street by a fly-tipper. The lady demands that Taffy deal with it - now! - Taffy snarkily suggests she hand him a dustpan and brush. One of the council road sweepers has spotted the fly sweeper but he's now in the hospital after being hit by the truck involved.

A woman, Mrs Taylor, reports that her neighbour has been moving heavy furniture at all hours, playing loud music and 'has been sick on my windows'. She reports that the lady "is not 'riff-raff', her husband was a hospital administrator after all", but she's now taken to drink.

A shoplifter, Sharon, played by Michelle 'Cindy Beale' Collins. was stopped by a security guard after slipping a few bits of shopping in her bag without paying before leaving. Jim tries to encourage the security guard to let it slide because the loss is less than £2 and food for her children but she won't hear of it. Sharon protests she hasn't got any money and Jim tells her to say that to the Sergeant when she's being processed.

An adorable little dog has been brought into the front office after the teens who found him couldn't read his name tag. It appears that it's in either Russian or Polish as far as Pete can work out.

Ted asks Bob to to get his relief to keep an eye out for some car thieves and reports CID is so quiet, Roy is looking through holiday brochures. "I'm afraid he's going to ask me to go with him!"

Jim tries to help Sharon calm her toddler who has been screaming for the entire journey. "It's just like home." She sighs, looking around the room. "No sodding furniture."

Charles reports to Bob that there has been a report of an epidemic of commercial flytipping south of the river which has started to spread to Sun Hill. He's had a report from the resident that Taffy dealt with that she didn't see the funny side of his dustpan comment. He isn't taking it further but wants him to remind the troops to remain courteous. He then asks if Bob has any ideas about bringing some colour to the station. Bob is utterly lost so Charles hands him a copy of his 'Swedish report' memo. Flummoxed, Bob suggests that June is a dab hand at flower arranging. Unfortunately when asked it turns out that June knows nothing about flowers.

Bob processes Sharon and asks if she's getting the relevant benefits and if her ex is involved. She says all he did was send a Boots voucher at Christmas. Bob asks where her child allowance book is and she confesses - eventually - that she borrowed £100 and that 'a man' has taken her child allowance book away incase she tried to cheat him. Bob thinks it through and realises, given where Sharon lives, it must be Peg 'Aunty Peg' Miller and her son Bob, the not-so-friendly local loan shark. Sharon insists she's not a waster and that she'll support her kids no matter what, clamming up. Bob asks if a caution can be authorised for Sharon as it's all down to reduced circumstances and a loan shark having taken her benefits. Thankfully it's allowed.

Mrs Taylor, who reported her neighbour earlier has returned with a mirror she says she found hanging in the hallway of their flats with a message written on it in lipstick saying. 'I can't John, I can't." the named man is her husband who, Taylor tells Bob, has passed away.

In the pub, Bob and Roy discuss Peg Miller and her son. Roy is surprised to hear of the son because he sent him down for a long stretch but he's out again and is causing trouble on the estates. He tells him about Sharon and Roy says to nick him but Sharon won't press charges. He says he's passed it on to the DHSS (DWP now) but Roy says they're more interested in the easy win of OAP's earning beer money than loan sharks and won't do anything. Bob thinks about it, especially knowing that Auntie Peg will have been playing on all the vulnerable residents on the estate. He agrees to work with Roy to stop her and her son. He says he'll put Jim on it and they laugh that he'll probably lecture them on philosophy and the meaning of life whilst Miller is kicking his head in.

In the briefing, Bob tells Uniform that the fly typing has escalated and that they've not only had one man run over but another who confronted them had a spade wrapped round his head. Then, to eyerolls, he reminds them about deportment when dealing with members of the public. "That is manners in Welsh, Edwards."

Jim speaks to Bob about the loan shark business. Bob recommends that he doesn't actually mention the words 'loan shark' and to speak to the caretaker on the estate to see if he's heard anything about what's been going on.

Roy has sent down a gift for Bob. "Apparently they're very popular in Sweden."

The relief are very confused by it...

Jim approaches the Hardie Estate, the first I've heard mentioned in the first couple of series that remains in the later ones!

The caretaker isn't available but the Community Center's manager turns up with her toddler daughter moments later. "I just wanted to know if everything's OK..." Jim starts. "On here? You've got to be joking." she drawls, seeing right through him. "What's up?" Jim admits he needs some information and immediately brings up illegal money lending despite Bob telling him not to. It works out however as the manager tells him that most of the people on the estate are in poverty and they can't get credit elsewhere so they have to use illegal money lenders. The local one is Peg Miller who pretends to be on their side and tells them she knows how hard it is at the start of their 'relationship'. They borrow £100 and pay it back £10 a week over 13 weeks. It doesn't seem hard or problematic at the start - even with £30 interest being paid. However, the trick is that Peg doesn't the loan paid off so suggests that she keeps topping it up and loaning more and more for various reasons until it's completely unaffordable. For every thousand pound she lays out, she has £100 coming back in every single week just in interest. She takes their benefit books as insurance and uses intimidation by her son and humiliation if people don't pay. The manager has heard all sorts from the simple being shouted at in shops by Peggy through to being branded, pushed down concrete stairs, their windows broken and furniture stolen. The manager doesn't know of anyone who would speak out against them though.

Mrs Taylor is back to report that her neighbour had a man over who was "not her class at all, when her husband was alive anyway" and that they'd been banging around upstairs and shouting all night. At the same time, a caller reports another illegal fly tipping blocking their culdesac with a dog run over and residents threatened.

Taffy has left his radio in the car whilst he visits a demolition site. The foreman insists his boys would not drop illegally and that they use a legal site that is 5 miles away to unload their wagons.

Jim goes to speak to Sharon at her part-time job in the laundrette. He asks if she's had any trouble or if there have been any signs of breaks in. Sharon is defensive and upset at the interference and tells him that she doesn't know what he's talking about. Jim tells her the agreement Peggy made is unenforceable and she doesn't have to pay it back. If she attended the station he promises that he would help her know her rights. Sharon points out that she has to still live on the estate with her children and that people are already talking about her after seeing the police around her. She's never been in trouble before and she has to protect her children and wants him to get off her back and - if he really wants to help - to go see her husband who is refusing to pay maintenance for their children.

Jim and Bob speak to Roy about the money lending on the estate. Jim thinks it's horrific that the sick, disabled, elderly and poor are forced to go to money lenders to get cash because no one else will help. Some estates have started credit unions in Scotland to fight back. "Socially minded.." Bob smiles at Roy after dismissing Jim. "He's right this time though...." Roy sighs. "For a change..." Roy thinks it's about time he has a word with Auntie Peg.

Bob radios June to request her to visit Mrs Taylor who has rung in sounding hysterical. When June gets there, Taylor's neighbours are comforting her and promising her her husband will arrive soon. Another neighbour takes June inside and shows her that blood is dripping from Mrs Taylor's ceiling from the flat above. June hurries upstairs with the woman as a witness to her breaking in to find that the woman has seemingly committed suicide on the living room floor.

Roy and Ted enter a posh wine bar with Roy looking very uncomfortable. After ordering their drinks - scotch of course - they make their way over to the owner... Peggy 'Auntie Peg' Miller. Peg claims she's just an old fashioned tally girl who lives to look after people and, if she'd moved away when things took an upturn for her club, "who would have got the kiddies their clothes for going back to school, ey?" She doesn't want to let people down. Roy tells her that he's heard she's holding on to benefit books as security. She looks to Ted. "I thought this was friendly?". "As long as it's friendly there's some young tarts on the estate spreading rumours." She says, claiming that she only does good and can't stop people mouthing off but she holds no rumours. She says her son Bob doesn't want any more trouble after being in prison and that it really is a deterrent. Roy tells her he's going to ask the DHSS to run some inquiries about some of the people receiving benefits on the Hardie estate to make sure that it really is going to them "Don't make me laugh, Mr Galloway!" She smirks before, unmoved, Roy walks out. She shouts after him that it's her who has to look after "the poor devils that the DHSS can't be bothered with!"

Pete and Taffy sit in a panda opposite the demolition site. Pete says he reckons that it will be gypsies that are fly-tipping after being paid to get rid of it by the foremen of building/demolition sites.

Mike and June have a look around the flat to see if there's any cvlue why Mrs Taylor's neighbour would have committed suicide, other than the obvious. Dashers holds up a coronation cup and asks where June was. June calls him a cheeky bugger and says she was barely a gleam in her mother's eye. (Trudie would have been almost exactly 18m if it helps you work out June's canon age.) They've found an exercise book of 'Dear John' type stuff and that it's creepy. He says that getting married is a waste of time. June says that it works for some people. "... Didn't work for [the victim]." Dashers says crassly.

Viv reports that Peg's son, 'Freezer Bob' (Played by Duncan Preston) is removing furniture forcibly from the home of an elderly man. Freezer Bob insists everything is under control and it's a personal matter. The man insists that it's his property and he has no right to take it. Freezer Bob says it's an ongoing longstanding agreement between "me and Pop Curtis." A woman on the estate - the manager of the community center - tells Curtis to tell the police what is really going on. Freezer Bob ignores her at first before threatening her and telling her to keep her nose out of it. He insists the property belongs to him. "You got an order?" Pete asks. "A possession order." Without it he has no proof of what he's saying. Curtis snaps at him to put his property back in his kitchen. Pete's not taking any messing so Freezer Bob tells his mate to put it all back and that he'll 'Get his money, Pop!' "When I've got it, cock!" Curtis growls back. Freezer Bob stalks off to go place bets at the races.

Another uncredited extra appearance by Graham Cole as Tony Stamp

The community center manager comes into the station to speak to CID. She, Mrs Hall, tells Roy that she's not scared of the Millers as she has a husband, a father and 2 big brothers on standby to have her back. God love her, she's 5ft nothing with a mouth bigger than she is tall. Everyone needs someone like her! She asks Roy to check up with Sharon because she's really not managing. Roy gets Mike to take her statement and arranges to go with Ted to deal with not-so-sweet-Aunt Peg. Roy is adorable when he says goodbye to Mrs Hall's daughter after thanking her for her help.

Mrs Taylor asks June if she really does have to attend the inquest for her neighbour's suicide. June tells her that she does and then she asks about how she gets her ceiling and carpet cleaned.

Bob's report into the fly-tipping does not make good reading for Charles. There have been 5 more drops, the road sweeper in hospital, the dog that died and a garden wall has been demolished by the truck. It seems to come down to 2 Welsh men who had a dodgy registration. Charles wonders if they're disillusioned miners up to 'get their own back' and suggests Bob check the Merthyr computer with their descriptions. The foremen of the sites won't help because they're still getting rid of their rubbish for cheaper than the official places without the effort of transporting it.

A driver is stopped with a broken tail light and poor tread. He offers to give the police information about the Welsh fly-tippers if they let them go. Given that it's Pete... they do! The driver tells them the pubs that they frequent.

Harriet Thorpe guest starts as 'Tarty Woman' who complains about Roy and Ted seeming to jump the queue when going to see Peggy.

The officers ignore her and ring the doorbell. 'Tarty Woman' tells them there's no one home and they'll tell her that the police called. A neighbour has Sharon in her flat with her when Mike arrives. He identifies himself to the neighbour as police and says they've heard about threats made against Sharon. The neighbour says he's too late and Sharon shouts, from inside, for her to shut up and not tell him. Sharon appears holding her toddler and tells him she's got her child allowance book returned, but her arm is scalded red and she has a tea towel wrapped round it. Freezer Bob has made a visit... Mike apologises and takes her down to casualty to have it checked out. He reports it to Roy and Ted and tells them that he's already asked - she won't inform on them.

The boys watch Peggy make her house to house calls. "All that cash and no one touches her..." "They wouldn't dare. Would you?" Peggy stands outside 'Irene's' house and shouts and makes a scene in front of the neighbours before threatening to send her son around. Ted and Roy have seen enough and they march over to the house, asking Peggy where her son is and what he's done to Sharon. "He's gone too far this time." "Don't believe her, she's a lying little whore." They're adding conspiracy to her charges but Ted promises he'll pretend not to have heard it if she tells them where Freezer Bob is. Threatened with a spell in prison, Peggy tells them that he's at the races and where to find him. "I'll see you later." Ted growls.

The barman of a local pub calls the station, he has a lorry in his car park threatening to drop 20 tonnes of rubble. Pete and Taffy are sent over in the car and Yorkie attends on foot. The truck starts to drop the load as the landlord offers the two men £20 not to. Taffy and Pete make it in time. Taffy goes for the driver who tries to kick him in the face and then rip his head off whilst Pete tackles the oppo who tries to twat him with a spade repeatedly. Taffy clings on as both fall out of the cab but Yorkie makes it in time to grab the man and drag him off Taffy. The landlord then snaps that the boys have made a right mess of it (!!!!) That's thanks for you! "I've got a complaint winging its way in son, your feet won't touch the ground!" he threatens Bob who arrived to see what happened.

Roy and Ted enter the pub and spot Freezer Bob indulging in some illegal gambling. They approach him and arrest him for what he's done to Sharon. None of the men he's shouting to for alibi's step up for him. Not very popular is he!

Pop Curtis tells Jim that Freezer Bob is not very bright and keeps messing up hence getting arrested. He claims that Peggy is twice the man that her son is. She once pulled his false teeth straight out of his mouth once he missed a payment. He won't give a statement because if he does it won't solve anything. There's "Pal Joey" and "Lily Friend." who are nearby who are also illegal money lenders. "Debt doesn't go away, son." he tells Jim.