#i was honestly enjoying it like it felt like it was fan service done out of care and love

[biandanxious18]

i just finished good omens season 2 and honestly i feel betrayed. i was really enjoying it but after the last episode or so i think i have never before seen such cheapening of characters and plots and themes and just. everything really.

i feel mocked and laughed at as an spectator. i feel like everything i cherished, everything that was meaningful about this story was thrown away in a way that says i was a fool for ever wanting it, ever caring about it. in a way that says “isn’t this what you wanted? have it your way! it sucks!”

[p4ranormaluv]

ive been wondering .. which enha member wants someone inexperienced and which want someone experienced? and like, if they want someone experienced would they want to take care or her or to ruin her? or if they wanted someone experienced would they want like a brat to tame or her to top them? IDK IF THIS MAKES SENSE

ENHA: EXPERIENCED VS INEXPERIENCED . ݁₊ ♱

pairing) hyung line x f!reader contents) smut, piv, org.asm control, edgi.ng, creampie, brat taming?, a little degrada.tion in hee’s, praise, overstim, switch!jake xp, squirting, corruption/innocence kink

heeseung)

experienced; based on concert/fan service clips + him saying he likes sexy over cute + my hunch that he prefers slightly older women/girls his age, i’d say experienced. nothing turns him on more than if you’re confident and know what you’re doing— even if you’re more experienced than him, he would enjoy that because you can teach him ‘new things’ ;). he’ll also really enjoy when you get a little bratty. heeseung likes when his partner knows how to be playful, he finds the sultry teasing really sexy.

dominate you / dominate him; i think heeseung’s a switch with a dom lean, so he usually prefers to be the one in control— but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t enjoy watching you test the limits, just so he can put you back in your place everytime.

“naughty— fucking— girl.” heeseung growls, punctuating every word with another merciless thrust into your aching pussy, yet to have cum as your boyfriend keeps denying you of release. “talked big shit and now you can’t even take it?” heeseung smirks, tone deep as he tries to hide how he’s losing his own breath from how long he’s been edging you, filling your sopping pussy up with his cum again and again. “that’s what baby gets when she’s a brat. you understand that now?”

jay)

inexperienced; honestly i think he’d like both, but if i had to say, it would be inexperienced. i think jay likes to feel like the main caretaker in your relationship and that translates into the bedroom too. he’d find it really cute and endearing if you didn’t know how to do something or were a little awkward. he really gets off on explaining to you how to do things, holding your hand if you get nervous and treating you like a princess.

care for you / ruin you; as i said, jay loves to make you feel loved and cared for. praising you in a sweet tone— practically baby talking you, caressing over your body in loving touches as you squirm in embarrassment and pleasure at what he’s doing to you? he’ll go crazy. (honestly i think simply praising you and watching you feel good is enough to make him cum untouched, but maybe we’ll talk about that another time.)

“you okay, sweetie?” jay asks once he’s fit all of himself inside your pussy. he can feel you clenching around him with need, and he hasn’t even done anything yet.

“yes, m’good. please— please move.” you beg quietly, already so turned on as jay hovers over you, looking down at you like you’re an angel— despite the very impure position you’re in, legs bent and pushed to your chest as you take his cock. jay starts pushing in and out of you just right, his hands moving just as expertly over your perked nipples. he groans out at your cute little sounds and how your body is already quivering. “fuck, it’s— it’s never felt this good before, jay. you feel so good.”

“shit, princess. don’t talk to me like that unless you want me to go ahead and cum inside of you.”

jake)

experienced; he wouldn’t mind if you were inexperienced but he’s just so horny and that can lead to him being impatient. i also think it would just make him feel really comfortable and freeing to be with an experienced woman. he’d get really turned on by how well you know what you like and how fast you can get to know his body and what he likes too.

dominate you / dominate him; i’m on my switch!jake agenda again 🤪. he loves fucking you hard and making you cry out in pleasure, withering and gushing around his cock just as much as he loves to be on his knees begging for you.

“hah— y/n, b—baby, please! oh my god, please don’t stop fucking me!” jake whimpers and moans as he’s laid down, you on top of him and bouncing on his dick like it’s a toy— like there isn’t a boy attached to hit being pounded into the mattress with each movement.

it doesn’t take long until your both reaching your climaxes, you moving to lay beside jake and catch your breath. but the man has other plans as he flips himself over top of you and plunges his cock inside of your warm walls again. “jake? b— baby, fuck! m’sensitive.”

“one more, love. can you give me one more? god, just can’t get enough of this fuckin’ pussy, baby.”

sunghoon)

inexperienced; similar to jay, he really gets off on your lack of experience. hoon definitely has an innocence/corruption kink. and if you’re looking up at him with your trusting yet slightly nervous eyes, waiting for him to take control of the situation and your body— letting him call all the shots— holy fuck, he might bust right there.

care for you / ruin you; he’ll never do anything you don’t want or rush you of course, but with your permission he will not hesitate to absolutely wreck you. he’ll literally go crazy at the opportunity to go where no one has gone before with you, make you react in ways you never thought you could.

“hoonie, hoonie! i— something’s happening,” you struggle to explain, a foreign sensation taking over your body as your pussy builds with pressure, sunghoon continuing to fuck his impossibly huge cock into your little body. “you gonna cum for me again? i know you got it in you, baby. my slutty little angel.”

“no, no!” you cry, trying and failing to push sunghoon away as the pressure finally becomes to much and the dam breaks, squirting all over sunghoon dick and pelvis.

“holy shit…” he marvels, watching how your shaking orgasm hasn’t even ended yet as he stills, watching how it covers himself and the sheets. you almost choke on your own saliva when sunghoon starts fucking you again— even harder this time. “hoonie, can’t.”

“oh you can and you will, angel. gonna make you squirt until your pussy is drained dry.”

[sourpatchys]

•Pretty Boy•

You weren't sure when and you weren't sure how— but you were definitely falling for the blue eyed archer.

You'd been with the group since the beginning, doing your best to survive with them, but completely unsure on how to interact with them.

Even before, you weren't much of a people person, always enjoying your alone time just a little too much.

But somehow, you're alone time wasn't so lonely anymore— and you couldn't say you minded.

You started taking watch with Daryl as a way to get away from the chaos in the prison. One person was better than several— that's what you told yourself.

But now— looking over and seeing his unkept hair flutter just a bit in the wind— you weren't so sure.

It was cold, the hot Georgia heat plummeted at night, the humidity storing itself away for a few hours, waiting for its chance to strike once more.

He was wearing a god awful poncho, and you'd told him as such when you'd sat down together an hour prior.

"I'm not lookin' to win a fashion show anytime soon."

You couldn't even argue. But the absurdity of it all did make you laugh just a little.

The silence you had between you was comfortable, no one was talking because neither of you needed too— completely content.

It was somewhat of a routine at this point.

You'd crack a joke about what he was wearing, maybe about how long his hair was getting, (it was curling out by his ears making him look like a fox) or he'd do the same to you— and then you'd just sit, and watch.

Sometimes you'd fall asleep, the cool air and the breeze reminding you of your old box fan that never had a days rest.

When that happened you somehow always woke up back in your cell.

You never brought it up, Daryl didn't seem to want to talk about it, and you didn't want your curiosity to stop it from happening.

It was like a fun little adventure, a piece of the old world you got to keep with you. Why would you ever want it to stop?

A particularly cold gust of wind blew into you, and while it wasn't as harsh as the cold from last winter, it still made you shiver.

"Cold?"

You almost didn't hear him, his voice was so soft.

"Yeah, I guess I should've brought my own ugly poncho."

He scoffed at you, a faint line of a smile on the corner of his lips.

You had expected that to be it, a little light hearted banter to keep the mood up.

But Daryl apparently had other ideas.

He sat up straight, pulling off his crossbow— shaking out of the poncho in question.

Within seconds he had it draped around your shoulders, a content look on his face that told you he felt like he'd done a wonderful service.

"Ya can have this one for now."

Reaching your hands up, you wrapped the fabric closer into your body— the faint smell of, what could only be described as *Daryl* wasping into your nostrils.

You supposed it wasn't your least favorite smell.

"Thank you."

He hummed, turning away from you again— pulling his bow into his lap.

You stared at him, without the extra layer you could see him fully. The build up of grime on his arms, the rise and fall of his chest.

It was as if you were seeing him for the first time.

It was a stupid notion to make, you'd  seen him plenty, hell— you'd known the man for probably over a year at this point.

But something about seeing him in the night sky had you unable to turn away.

He's beautiful

"What er' you lookin at." He griped, glancing your way with something not far off from irritation.

It definitely wasn't a question. But you answered anyways.

"You."

He leaned back on his hands, turning his head towards you, staring you in the eyes. Like he was looking for something.

"Why?"

It was a question this time— and it took you a moment to process. His voice was soft, much softer than you'd ever heard it before.

His walls weren't up right now.

"Because I think you're pretty."

You saw a look of— bewilderment? Crossed his face. A look that said— "what the fuck are you talking about".

It honestly made you giggle.

"I ain't pretty."

That got a real laugh out of you. Which seemed to only confuse him more.

"I think you are." You said, in between soft chuckles.

Scoffing he turned away, but you could see the wheels in his head turning, trying to figure out what to say next— or if he should say anything at all.

Seeing Daryl Dixon speechless was something you'd pride yourself on for years to come— you were sure of it.

You were feeling quite brave tonight— and maybe a bit mischievous. So you leaned into his space, placing one of your hands on his shoulders to keep your balance as you shuffled to your knees to face him.

"I can prove it"

He tensed under your touch, as if you were made of fire and he was afraid to get burnt.

He didn't say anything, just looking at you— that same wonderstruck look in his eyes. His walls still hadn't been build back up— he was allowing himself to be vulnerable.

Just for you it seemed.

Bringing your other hand to his cheek, you felt him flinch slightly.

Suddenly he knew what you were about to do.

And suddenly he realized— he didn't want to stop you.

Leaning down, you bright your lips to his. They were chapped— but they still had an underlying softness you hadn't expected.

It was just a peck, and you were satisfied with how it went down, leaning back on your heels to look at him.

"See—" you started, a slight chuckle already forming.

He looked at you, the last bit of his walls breaking down entirely at the look in your eyes.

"I only kiss pretty boys."

[skam-in-every-language]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a show extends a villainous character's arc simply because they enjoy working with the actor or because the actor has such a huge fan base. Especially when it's clear their storyline should have been over but is just being stretched out in a way that doesn't serve the story and is clearly just fan service. With that said I honestly think that Alice did such a fantastic job with Ben's character. I was unsure how I would feel about his presence in season 2, but it was so well done and done in a way that felt needed.

With Sebastians exit from the show confirmed, I applaud Alice for staying true to the story regarless of how much she loves working with the actor. I'm honestly more than happy with how they ended his arc, it served the story and not just the Sebastian fans. I also love that he didn't get a redemption arc, that Charlie didn't forgive him and his actions were not glossed over and excused because he was struggling with coming out and unable to be himself. If anything Nick showed us that you can struggle without being an awful human being and treating others like dirt. Ben was an example of how sometimes people are just awful because that's who they are regardless of the circumstances.

[being-of-rain]

Lots of my spoilery thoughts on The Power of the Doctor! It was jam packed episode so there was a lot of things to have opinions on!

Overall, it was fun! A big action-packed blockbuster filled with cameos and fan-service, and that’s the most I was hoping for really! For me it was easily better than all of Thirteen’s season finales, and both of Sacha Dhawan’s other appearances as the Master. It feels like the plot held together better than usual too, mostly because basically all the nonsensical parts of the plot can be explained as ‘The Master did it for fun and laughs,’ which is entirely believable with this incarnation. I’ve always enjoyed Chibnall’s fun runarounds (eg. Dinosaurs on a Spaceship) more than any other Doctor Who eps he’s tried, and that fits with this ep, which really feels like a celebration. That makes sense since it’s the centenary special, something that I kept forgetting about after I had something else to call it because I just don’t care about the BBC itself jslkjsdfj.

Honestly, when I first heard the rumours that the Doctor was regenerating into David Tennant at the end I was like ‘I wouldn’t like that if it happened’- but because the rest of the ep felt like a cameo-filled madcap celebration, it actually didn’t feel out of place at all! I disagree with people who say the scene undercut Whittaker leaving (because to me it felt more at home than most other post-regeneration scenes do in their eps) or Gatwa arriving (because if he gets more than a 30 second filler scene in the coming special, it’ll be technically more of an introduction than any other new Doctor). But I can understand people not liking it from the point of view of Tennant just being brought back for the PR, or that he’s going to attract all the worst kind of fans. I’m just lucky that I have an easy time ignoring those type of people I guess.

What with all the cameos and returning characters, I was surprised to see that most of them got substantial things to do! Chibnall or someone else must have taken note of how bad that issue got in The Vanquishers. I’ve seen people say that the Cybermen attacking UNIT plot wasn’t necessary, but it made sense to me, and was positively vital compared to a lot of the plots in the last third of Flux. Though I can’t believe Dan got written out 10 minutes in, presumably to help avoid the problem of too many characters?? Can’t think of any other coherent reason to do that. He’s hasn’t done much or had much plot his entire time as companion and this was the funniest possible way to have him leave. I laughed when I started a rewatch and saw John Bishop get one of the top billings in the opening titles.

The only person who really badly fell victim to the unnecessary character syndrome was Vinder, who also had the least reason to be anywhere near this episode. He’s one of my favourite minor characters from the era so I was happy to see him, but literally the only thing he does is threaten to shoot the Master because he isn’t the Doctor’s companion so he’s allowed to. The most hilarious thing is that this is the one and only Thirteen episode that the Doctor explicitly gives a companion permission to use a gun, for exactly the reason Vinder uses it. And Yaz was right there. No one tell Vinder, he’ll be crushed. In any case, Vinder also gave Thirteen an excuse to put a welding goggles on, so he’s excused.

I was sad that Bel only got the smallest possible reference, since she was such an important part of Vinder’s character in Flux and I love her too. And even more so with Ryan Sinclair (who’s still probably my favourite of Thirteen’s companions)! Felt so weird that he was missing while all of Thirteen’s other companions were there- I hope it was because his actor couldn’t/didn’t want to, because if I found out Chibnall arbitrarily just didn’t want to include him I’ll be mad. Grace O’Brien didn’t get a reference either, which wasn’t strictly necessary but did irritate my liking of bookends in a series, considering she was such a huge part of Thirteen’s first episode.

But I did love who did return. Graham and the Martin Doctor got the biggest cheers from my brother and I while watching the episode, I was so hoping they would make an appearance. Shame that it was an AI Doctor rather than the real thing, but it was still an absolute joy to see her appear for what I assume was the most amount of time since her first episode (which is still a massive highlight of Thirteen’s era).

When the AI Doctors turned up I did worry it was going to be The Vanquishers all over again, but they worked really well as simple plot propellant and fan service with Tegan and Ace rather than completely overshadowing everyone. Weirdly the Five and Tegan conversation touched me a lot more than the Seven and Ace conversation, even though the latter is a relationship that means more to me (although Seven referring to Ace as his child was so touching). It was maybe because of the episode aggressively ignoring all EU (surprisingly even the SJA retcon of Ace running a charity, which doesn’t get a mention), which I saw coming and didn’t really bother me, but still made the Ace and Doctor relationship a bit less meaningful to me when they have SO much more history in whichever branch of the EU you want to accept. Also so many authors seem determined to say that Seven and Ace left on bad terms huh. I think they liked each other actually, and Ace went to Gallifrey with good memories.

The plot itself of the episode was great fun! Can’t wait to see all the Game of Rassilon fans to say that their podcast did it first, which is very fair jsdlkjf. So much of the plot seemed to be solely devoted to the Master getting to dance to the song Rasputin while dressed as Rasputin, and it was 100% worth it. Sacha Dhawan is just as fun as I could have hoped in this episode, and honestly steals the show. Him becoming the Doctor was a wonderful plan fit for a final episode like this, was executed very well, and given so much delicious flavour by the Master’s line “don’t let me go back to being me.” Plus I saw someone point out that it’s basically just the Master’s plan from the TV movie, which I’m always here for. And the “dress for the occasion” reference was icing on the cake. (Although here’s a nittiest of nitpicks: the Master described forced regeneration as “the ultimate sanction for breaking our laws,” when it clearly wasn’t. When they did it to the Doctor, it was after the Doctor bargained them down, and in the same episode they straight up erase some dudes’ timelines.)

Unfortunately the final showdown and mortal wounding of the Thirteenth Doctor was one of the episode’s weakest scenes imo with lots of missed potential. The quaranx is a generic mcguffin depicted as an unremarkable CGI light ball, and could’ve been so much more. Sounds like a lot of people including me drew a link between its child form and the Timeless Child- why didn’t it stay in its child form later to reinforce that link, which was a heck of a lot more visually striking anyway. The Doctor telling the creature to destroy the cyber-moon, something it could’ve done all along, could’ve been so much better framed as the Doctor convincing a child to embrace their power or fight their fear. And the Master suddenly taking control of the random laser beam wasn’t built up to either, which feels like something that should’ve been established considering the Doctor dying is rather an important part of the episode. Think of the Doctor being mortally wounded because she wouldn’t give up trying to save a little girl, even though she knew the risks.

Anyway, a touching end to Thirteen’s Doctor. I can’t honestly say I was moved to tears by her departure; I always felt like Jodie Whittaker could’ve done more with better scripts, and the fact that she was avoiding confiding things in Yaz this episode shows she didn’t too much over her lifetime (I laughed Tegan being faced with that awkward repression, because her Doctor was exactly the same). Although Yaz and the Doctor being so upbeat and hopeful at the end felt like a great pay-off to all this Doctor’s talk of hope for the future, and probably added to the reason I wasn’t so sad myself. I’m similarly touched but not awfully upset over Yaz leaving, sorry jskldfj (her showing off her firearm training sure is one way to end her run of avoiding any police discourse during the late 2010s/early 2020s, thanks Dr Who). But it was emotional to see them both agree that it’s time for Yaz to leave, because continuing just wouldn’t be the same for either of them. It’s nice that all of Thirteen’s companions have left because the time is right, after the RTD and Moffat eras seeming to think that the only possible exit was tragedy.

Anything else? Obviously, seeing all the past Doctors was a real treat, and Seven and Eight bickering made everything worth it. Like I said, the episode felt like a celebration, and the next episode being part of the 60th anniversary makes it feel like the celebrations just keep going! Only thing I have to be bitter about is that the 50th anniversary was an emotional tale about restoring Gallifrey, and now we’re going into the 60th with it destroyed again (still easily the worst story decision in Thirteen’s era). And it’s a shame to wait a whole year for more Doctor Who, but I’m really hoping that after that the waits between seasons will become more regular.

[mermaidsirennikita]

to be honest, i rlly enjoyed the menu but my biggest issue was with anya taylor joy. i just didn’t find her believable at ALL and it felt like she was playing dress up the whole time, especially when she had scenes with ralph fiennes’s character. he was ACTING and she was just… doing her job i guess?

Yeah, everyone I've discussed it with has had similar complaints, even a couple of people who are more ambivalent about Anya. I had like a whole murder board going on about why she was cast lol, but things to note:

--Emma Stone was originally cast in this role, and I think that while Emma would've been better (I'm not a big fan of hers, but I think she would've been better) she still... was a type that Anya basically fits now that Emma has aged out of it. Ingenue, white, elfin, one of the current It Girls. They basically transferred what they wanted from Emma over to Anya, down to the red hair.

--Anya is not believable to me in a lot of "types", but the type I find least believable is Anya as A Woman of the People. Like, I don't know, maybe that's partially my bias coming in, but that's who you cast to represent the service industry workers? I don't know man.

--But then it's like "oh, so you buy Ralph Fiennes in that sense?". Well, not exactly; his character by the time we meet him is completely above it all and disconnected with his former self, which is part of the point. But yeah, I do buy that he is at that point because Ralph Fiennes is a very good actor and was giving? Honestly? One of the best performances of his career in that movie. Every time he was in a scene with Anya, it felt just... painfully forced. For her to be there. Because I could literally see like... 10+ expressions going across his face in a MINUTE, giving me so much without the dialogue (and I'm not even someone who's seen allll of his work lmao, I'm not a Dedicated Ralph Expert) and she was just. Normal. Flat.

--Same with Nick Hoult. Nick Hoult is, imo, a criminally underrated actor, and HIS big scene with Ralph? Fabulous. The back and forth, the way they were both giving those micro expressions and the contrasting energy and the tension? So good. The "Tyler's Bullshit" scene was my favorite moment of the movie because of the ACTING. And Anya just. Wasn't great?

--Everyone in this movie was really doing a great job and going for it, tbh. Leguizamo and Aimee Carrero did a lot with their characters' relationship with a little screen time, Janet McTeer was HILARIOUS, Judith Light was killing me, Hong Chau was INCREDIBLE!!! Another huge moment for the movie was her delivery of "tortillas", I can't. I just felt like Anya was there to be there.

I mean, Aimee Carrero could've done that role. Elle Fanning could've done that role and had more of a witty repartee with Nick. One of my friends pointed out Camila Mendes (and honestly, her dry sarcasm in Do Revenge would've been perfect for this). There were lot of girls who I think would've done a better job. I feel like Margot was supposed to be a starkly sardonic character, and instead she just came off as forced.

[sssn-neptune-vasilias]

Hey, you don't need to reply to this, but I just wanted to see how you were doing, given the recent news.

Long post I guess because I started typing and couldn't shut the fuck up I guess.

TL;DR Honestly, I'm sad, and I'm tired, and I'm frustrated.

I've been a fan of RoosterTeeth since my friend Mark put me on to RvB in like... 2005? I've been a fan of AH since Michael's Impossible Game RageQuit in... 2011??? RT First was the first subscription service I've ever paid for- before my PS+, before fucking anything- the second I got my credit card in 2013. I've been a RWBY fan from when the Red Trailer first aired at the end of RvB season 10 in 2012. I've been a RT/AH fan for most of my fucking life

I've referred to Kdin as "fugz" because I just thought that was her screenname at the time. Finding out what that name meant to her at the time genuinely makes me want to vomit.

I'm still processing. Shit is still coming out. The fan is still being assaulted, let alone hit.

I remember getting into RT almost two decades ago because they were just a small indie company making silly videogame videos and they genuinely felt like a family. And I know that's fucking silly to think but I was in middle school and impressionable and that was genuinely the image that they put to the public, so why wouldn't I want to believe it? I remember watching RT expand and grow and the RvB crew get even bigger and not just being voices making Halo characters move anymore but faces playing games together. I remember Gavin, Michael and Ray get involved. I donated for LazerTeam. I've watched hundreds of streams. I've watched probably thousands of hours of RT/AH content in my life.

I thought the stuff Micah spoke about would be the worsts things got, but now we're getting everything Kdin's talking about and it's so fucking upsetting and disheartening. And I'm glad she still thinks the CRWBY are good people but like... at this point does it even matter?

I've known RT/AH have been circling the drain for a while now. It's been really fucking obvious to me at least, and I'm p sure I've made a bunch of comments about it over the years. Everything I love about RT has been in a downward spiral. Michael hasn't done RageQuit in years. Gavin and Michael don't do PlayPals anymore. RvB had two abysmal seasons back to back, gen:LOCK season 2 was such an obvious attempt to put a bad taste in everyone's mouth so we'd stop talking about the show so they could cancel it without anyone missing it. RWBY shot the goodwill it'd gathered for having a solid 2 seasons in 6 and 7 (after having an absolutely garbage seasons 4 and 5) in the back of the head with Penny and Ironwood's entire characterization. I'm not at all excited about this stupid JL/RWBY crossover, and I don't think it's gonna make enough money or new RWBY fans to even break even, let alone make much of a profit. WB just dissolved fucking Cartoon Network Studios there's no fucking shot RT survive this.

As far as RWBY goes... I don't know. And at this point, I'm finding it hard to care. RWBY's been one of my favorite shows for a really long time but I kinda just wanna tear away from it so I don't have to deal with the pain of it eventually getting cancelled. I think over 90% of my current friend groups I've made because of RT/AH content. Some of my best and oldest friends I've met because or RWBY or RvB or what have you. I'm glad after all this time I finally got to go to an RTX and meet my friends and cosplay and enjoy myself. But right now... kinda wishing I wasn't an RT fan. Kinda wanting to cancel my First subscription. Kinda wanting to just be done with RWBY and everything else.

Idk, maybe I'll rebrand as a BNHA blog I guess

[bl-smiles]

My first ever fanfic and honestly don’t know how I got here

This is a re-upload from w@ttp@d

—————-————————————————————————

The inspo: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRw5YAUT/

Veronica was ecstatic for this upcoming evening. She and her friends were planning to hit up this club that they'd been eyeing for months. Or at least her friends had, she, on the other hand, knew of this club because she was big fan of MCSeven and has been for a while. She would stop by every Friday night, and stand in the back just to watch him take control of the crowd. She had an eye for him, but she didn't know he had one for her either.

While the girls were getting dressed for the club, it was easy to tell that Veronica's friends didn't quite understand the crowd aesthetic or at least they didn't understand what Seven liked but she did. As they all got dressed in their revealing clothes, Veronica kept her outfit sexy but revealing. She made sure her outfit matched her nails. They were clear with a butterfly detail on her ring finger, so she made sure her dress was white with the slightest hint of accent butterflies throughout the dress. Her friends were confused by her choice of fashion but she was confident in her appeal.

After a few hours, the girls made sure to line up outside of the club fairly early, so they could be at the front. They were all excited but Veronica made sure to keep her cool once they all made it inside.

The lights were dim and the room was already sweaty, but nothing could stop the mesmerized look on Veronica's face after the third song of Seven's set list. She was enthralled and he noticed. He was used to girls coming just for his fan service so he was use to the stares and the wanting glares, but this was the first time he felt hot. He wanted her and he was going to have her, but he had to make his move subtle and unassuming. He made his rounds through the crowd, and when he got to her, he grabbed her hand to have her rub his chest...

She didn't know what took over her but it was already too late, she'd grabbed his necklace and she was pulling him close. He was shocked and she could see it in his eyes, but he wasn't disgusted. He removed her hand from his necklace with a lip bite that made her warm with excitement and want. Once her hand was down, she realized what she had done and turned to her friends. Some were baffled others had a knowing smirk but neither could have predicted those events happening.

The night went on Seven carried out his set list stealing glances at Veronica from time to time. And Veronica enjoyed her time after the wave of embarrassment passed. She was vibing and enjoying the performance Seven and the other dancers were putting on. Before they knew it, it was 2am and the club was closing. This is why Veronica usually liked to stay in the back, so she could be the first one out but now she had to wait for the rush of people to leave.

Seven saw this as an opportunity. He'd watched her before and every time the set would end, he would go to find her but she'd already be out of the door. He asked someone from the back to help pack up the rest of his equipment while he ran to catch up to Veronica. He lightly tapped her shoulder and spun around with a look of bewilderment and confusion but as she saw his face she was calm and little nervous. Her friends were giddily watching as he pulled her to the side. He asked for her name. She responded "Veronica Harold." He spoke to her softly asking what she's doing after this and if she'd like to grab a drink with him. She nervously looked at her friends who gave her the okay to go ahead and have fun.

So they left the club together heading to get a drink at a late night bar. There they got to know more about each other. Like how Seven prefers being called seven over his real name, their interest, and their likes and dislikes. As the conversation developed, Veronica became more comfortable and with comfort she became more touchy grabbing his forearms and playing with his necklace. She was aware of her actions but it didn't stop the fascination she had with his neck and the jewelry that hung from it. She wanted to taste the metal and see how cool it was on her tongue in comparison to hands.

He saw her leaning forward towards his neck confused but intrigued by her actions. He held back all sounds he wanted to elicit when her tongue met his neck, and he stopped her just before it went on too long. She was confused, even embarrassed with her actions but he reassured her by taking her hand. He paid for their drinks and they went back to his place. Before you know it, there were hands everywhere and moans and gasps filling the room. Veronica had her head tilted back in pure bliss as Seven kissed and devoured every inch of her body. Never had she felt like this and never had she thought she could. She was use to the quick and unsatisfying events of sex, but Seven had her head spinning and her body relaxed yet tense in all the right places.

His hands were roaming all over her body and lewd sounds filled the atmosphere. He watched her with lust and infatuation as she controlled the tempo intensity of the situation. She leaned to kiss at his necklace again. Biting and sucking on the skin with the hint of a metallic taste to it. She pulled on his necklace so he could meet her lips halfway as their bodies continued to collide with one another. His hips tightened giving her the sign that he was close and just as her hands went to grab his arms, she was undone.

Seven took care of her after their intense moment of passion. He made sure she was cleaned up and properly hydrated and just as they were drifting off he wondered if these events were only for the night or would he be able to have her again in the future.

[collecting-stories]

i agree with what you said about jiara and jj this season of OBX.

spoilers below!!

honestly the whole vibe was off to me this season. something just wasn’t right about it. The pogues being separated for the majority of the season was one of the problems. i feel like their was rarely a scene where they ALL worked together. And some of the chemistry was off too, i hope it wasn’t real life drama that bled into the show to cause this.

John B’s dad was a whole other issue. john b was off with his dad a lot. Also john b keeping secrets from the pogues was so not him. Also the whole Topper storyline was a bit icky to me and a bit unnecessary. I really don’t feel like that was in Sarah’s character to do that. they either had no idea what to do with Topper or because of the maddie and chase breakup, they needed a storyline where the two could be separated for a bit.

To me, OBX is all about friendship you know? “our mission this summer is to have a good time all the time.” The pogues working together and their banter is honestly what makes the show as great as it is. I felt like that element was missing this season.

Idk maybe i need to rewatch it but i wasn’t left fixating (#adhdprobs) on it like i normally do when new seasons of my comfort shows come out.

I feel like the writers pay more attention to what they think fans want to see (Jiara) than they do to telling an actual good story. Like I’m all for fan service when it’s done right (Psych is a brilliant example of this) but I just feel like Jiara has been so forced I can feel it. Like i cringe whenever they’re in a scene together cause, like you said, the vibe is way off.

I don’t wanna speculate about their real lives but I can’t imagine that Madelyn and Chase aren’t able to be professional with each other. I will say, compared to everyone else on this show, Madelyn is definitely the most talented of the lot. (Followed closely by Drew Starkey and Jonathan Daviss) I used to think Rudy was really but the last two seasons I feel like they’re giving him shitty scripts to work with and just reducing his character to nothing. There have been a couple times this season where JJ has kind of brought back that feeling I had about him in s1 but I feel like it’s always overshadowed by Kiara and her feelings. All of his scenes are for her benefit and I really feel like he’s lost the equal footing I felt like he had in s1.

I agree that I don’t like this Big John/John B side quest…I didn’t need Big John to come back for me to know that he was a crappy father and if anything he’s just proven to be the biggest villain out there.

I genuinely enjoyed Topper in the heist scenes with them, I thought he was really funny but I do definitely agree that they kind of shoved him in there because they didn’t know what to do with his character but didn’t want to write him out. (I honestly felt that way about Barry too…)

And yeah, totally agree with your point about the show being based on friendship. I loved s1, it was a comfort show for me in 2020, I watched it like five times. It truly got me through some really rough shit that year. But this season just feels so far removed from that. I felt like each character was important and had a solid story for the most part (I’ll still argue that Kiara and Sarah could have been written better from the beginning) but this season and last season to an extent just feel like they don’t know quite what to do with their storyline.

I have a whole note on my phone of like, internal (external if you live with me lol) commentary I’ve had watching the show.

[ghostedtea]

alright, finished the second p3 movie like three days ago and i think i've finally had enough time to marinate on it that i can now write my thoughts down

first, that intro. i was definetly not expecting the intro to throw us into that scene like that. i had seen the yukari lovers arcana scene on youtube before, but i hadn't realized it was literally the opening lol. it was fine, pretty funny, but it was also fairly discombobulating to be thrown into it cold.

the junpei mind control scene was cringe-inducing and kinda unnecessary in my opinion. like, give my girl yukari a break okay?? i know she's the bod standard **girl** character in these movies but chill w/ the fan service okay? the fight scene was really good though, loved the collateral damage there.

second, beach stuff. honestly, i was not in the mood for the beach flirting shenanigans after that intro, also i wasn't sure if the transphobic scene that they got rid of in reload was in the movie, so i admittedly skipped past most of it until we got to aigis.

i can definitely see that they were leaning into aikoto w/ this movie, given makoto's reaction to her and the fact that aigis interrupted the shuyuka scene. potentially controversial opinion here as a shuyuka enjoyer, but i didn't mind it actually.

i consider makoto yuki (movie protagonist) to be a very different character from minato arisato (reload protagonist). i really like the aikoto romantic dynamic in the movies. i think makoto's whole thing about being afraid of attachments and losing the people close to him works well w/ aigis. i also hope that because of this shift towards aikoto, they'll leave my girl yukari alone fanservice wise going forward.

third, ken and shinjiro. i enjoyed the changes made to their dynamic and how there was a sense of betrayal from ken to shinji. in the game it felt a lot less complex and more dull, but here it's given the attention it needed to be impactful.

that plotline also works in tandum w/ makoto's fears about SEES disbanding and leaving him w/ nothing.

that said, it definetly threw me off when the timeline of events were so different from the game. which leads me to...

fourth, chidori. i...was not expecting the chidori and junpei stuff to be sidelined this much in this movie. chronologically, the jundori stuff happens before the ken and shinjiro stuff and i don't really like how they handled it.

i don't think it would have thrown things off that badly if they'd done the ken and shinjiro plotline in the third movie instead while dedicating the second to the jundori plotline. we barely got to see her, which is sad because i feel like junpei's arc about needing SEES to feel special could have worked REALLY well alongside makoto's similar feelings.

starting the third movie, i can see that their starting to flesh out the jundori plotiline but still. i would have preferred it in the second movie.

final thought, the art and animation stayed fairly consistent w/ the first so it's still alright.

[shxtodxroki]

Match-Up Exchange

These are some match-ups done for @jetblackw1ngs as part of a match-up exchange we agreed to! Hi hi, I finally got your match-ups all finished up! I really hope you enjoy both of these, I really appreciated both your patience through this exchange and also how kind you were :> I had a lot of fun writing this, and you’re welcome to pop back over to this blog any time if you have a request or wanna chat/be friends! Also apologies in advance for any spelling/grammar errors I missed!

For Haikyuu, I’d Match You With:

Koshi Sugawara! :D

Reasoning:

I honestly really struggled with this match at first, there were several good options in my head but none of them felt perfect until I thought about Suga. But he’s a perfect match for all of the things you look for in a partner, his love languages I feel would align very well with yours, and I think he’d just really like you as a person in general!

Headcanons About Your Relationship:

- To start off, Suga would definitely find you absolutely beautiful :> I think he’s an especially big fan of your freckles and beauty marks, they’re his favorite place to press kisses on and sometimes if you lay in his lap, he likes to try and count your freckles because he just finds them so cute

- He also loves your attitude, he finds your confidence so admirable. He knows exactly how wonderful you are, and it makes him so happy that you know that too, and that you don’t take shit from anyone or worry too much about the opinions of others. He’s definitely the type of boyfriend who would hype you up and tell you how awesome you are regularly

- But he’s also the type to enjoy some playful teasing! He loves your sarcasm and can easily give it right back, but it’s always playful and light. He just loves how comfortable the two of you are together, your dynamic is so playful and loving <3

- I think he’d also find it super endearing how you like to draw on him. He may occasionally whine about it when teasing you, but in reality I’m sure he loves showing up to practice sporting your beautiful drawings and bragging to all of his teammates about how his wonderful girlfriend drew them :] He literally takes any chance to show you off, he’s so proud to be yours

- And when he’s not being playful, I think he’s definitely an acts of service kind of boyfriend. Suga often grabs you a cup of boba or a pack of mochi if he’s out and about, and he loves just doing small things for you like making lunches for you with all of your favorite fruits and foods :> But he usually steers clear of vegetables because he knows you don’t like them!

- He absolutely loves your taste in media too! I feel like Suga would be an absolute sucker for rom-coms, he seems like the type to get super invested in them and is always criticizing the main character’s decisions lol. And he loves watching kids movies like Kung Fu Panda with you too! It’s a nice, relaxing way for him to unwind with you after a long day of practice, and he loves seeing the smile on your face whenever you get to share your favorite movies with him

- He also loves your random facts. He finds it to be such an endearing habit whenever you randomly sprout off a fact he never would have even thought to look up himself, and after being together with you for some time, I feel like he’d find himself in the habit of randomly sharing the same facts you tell to him with all of his teammates when it’s one he finds particularly interesting

- He’s definitely the kind of guy who’s comfortable bot with rambling and chatter and with silence depending on the mood, and he’s happy to each get time on your own as well as together. He loves spending time with you, and he cherishes the time you two get together like nothing else. But he also appreciates that you’re someone who wants time to yourself/with your friends, and honestly, he thinks it’s a really healthy balance to have in your relationship. He doesn’t expect to be attached to your hip 24/7, he just enjoys and makes the most of the time you two do spend together

- And he’s also a great partner when it comes to respecting your boundaries, admitting his faults and taking accountability when he’s upset you. He’s very big on communication, and when you tell him that something he’s done makes you upset or unhappy, he’s more than willing to accept that and change his behavior. You mean more to him than anyone else and he’d never want to make you uncomfortable, so he’s more than happy to adapt to and respect your needs <3

Second Choice:

Honestly I had several people in mind when I first thought of your match-up, but once I thought of Suga, all of the other options just didn’t feel quite perfect in comparison. I do think that bot Iwaizumi and Akaashi could have also been good matches for you, as they would both meet most if not all of your needs in a partner, I just felt tha overall Suga would match your energy perfectly and was the best fit as a partner for you :>

Song For Your Relationship:

Would You Be So Kind by Dodie <3

For JJK, I’d Match You With:

Suguru Geto! :D

Reasoning:

Honestly, as soon as I read your description of yourself I felt like Suguru would be the perfect match for you. I think you’re the kind of person who would quickly catch his attention, and he meets everything you need from a partner to a t. I just think the two of you would mesh perfectly together in all honesty!

Headcanons About Your Relationship:

- Honestly I feel like you and Suguru are similar in a lot of ways, he loves how you’re not afraid to openly be yourself and share your thoughts and how perceptive you can be. He’s definitely respected you a lot ever since he first met you, the similarities between the two of you were honestly what drew him to you and made him so attracted to you from the very beginning

- He also finds you beautiful, though, of course. I think he’d love your piercings, and he enjoys having someone to go look for jewelry with even if you guys don’t wear the exact same kind. And I feel like he’d be a complete sucker for your curly hair as well, he thinks it’s so so beautiful 

- I also think he would love your taste in movies! He would definitely be a big fan of Edward Scissorhands, he’s a lover of Tim Burton in general so he’d be happy to watch that movie over and over with you or play it in the background as the two of you spend time together. He loves thrillers in general too, though I do think he’d enjoy a good romantic comedy as well as long as he can get invested in the plot

- Arcade dates are some of his all-time favorite dates to take you on! He loves competing against you and teasing one another on the two-player games, but when you’re playing on your own and you’re not opponents he loves cheering you on lol (And he feels a small rush of pride if you do the same to him when he’s playing) He enjoys taking you to amusement parks too, loves cheesy things like kissing on the ferris wheel and will easily win you a prize at one of the games if you want him to <3

- He’s the kind of boyfriend who’s happy to kill/dispose of bugs for you when you spot them. He may occasionally tease you about it, but he doesn’t mind bugs at all no matter how big or gross they are, so he quickly becomes your de-facto bug killer

- And Suguru would be very good at showing you love in the ways you crave the most. He’s always doing small things to help you out or make you smile, half of the time you don’t even notice when he’s done something for you because he doesn’t mention it. He doesn’t do things for praise, he just likes to make your life easier and make you feel seen and loved <3 

- He’s also very good at finding a balance of independence and connection in your relationship. He enjoys having time for both of you to enjoy on your own or with your own groups of friends, but he also makes sure you two get plenty of time together despite his busy schedule. And he loves small displays of affection whenever the two of you are out together, he’s always holding your hand just as a small way of showing you off especially when you’re around his friends

- He finds your habit of drawing on him so cute, and when he’s stressed, the feeling of your pen running along his skin honestly helps calm him down and pull him away from the stressed and overwhelmed thoughts flowing through his mind. And he enjoys a more alternative aesthetic anyways, so he enjoys the look of the “tattoos” you leave on him and likes to show him off when he gets the chance

Second Choice:

This one I honestly didn’t struggle with nearly as much, Geto felt like he met all of your needs and wants in a partner perfectly. If I were to consider another character, maybe I’d pick either Yuji or Nanami. Both feel like they meet the majority of your qualifications for a partner, but Suguru just felt perfect in practically every aspect and I think he’s definitely the best match for you overall!

Song For Your Relationship:

It's You by Ali Gatie <3

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

I watched Ghostbusters Afterlife (2021)

Yes, I grew up on the original Ghostbusters films. No I didn't see the Paul Fiege Ghostbusters movie. Not because of the lady cast, the previews just never thrilled me. I may watch it someday.

The Daughter and Grandchildren of former Ghostbuster, Egon Spangler, inherit his farmhouse and find he died still fighting the Sumerian God Gozer.

Maybe you didn't grow up in the 1980's and 1990's. Maybe your parents aren't cool and didn't like Ghostbusters and never showed it to you. I'm sad for you, but for the rest of us, the Ghostbusters movies (and the cartoon show) are nostalgia on film. The blend of comedy, spooky horror, special effects and working class ghost hunting are forever etched in our brains. We can quote lines like preachers can quote scripture. We'd give a decade of our lives to own a proton pack. So, when trying to revitalize that franchise, fans can get pretty testy. The all female reboot brought out the worst of the fandom. Showing that incels sometimes like cool shit too, and can make any fanbase look like trash.

I'm very happy that this direct sequel didn't do a full 180° and try and please the incels and women haters. The choice to make the lead a smart young girl, was almost a slap in the face to every silly anti-women post on Facebook. This decision is part of what Ghostbusters Afterlife gets right.

The movie is directed by Jason Reitman, the son of Director Ivan Reitman, who helmed the original Ghostbusters. Jason has directed several good movies, some I like and some I'm lukewarm about. Here, he puts everything into continuing the Ghostbusters legacy, while celebrating the kid in all of us who grew up on the original films. The idea of literally putting kids in the place of the Ghostbusters and sending them on a Spielberg-esque small town adventure was the perfect way to make a sequel. Not replacing the old characters, but allowing these kids to dig into the lore of the Ghostbusters and their original film villain.

The movie looks good, is paced nicely, has solid humor and I really enjoyed the story. Yes, there's a lot of fan service and nostalgia bait. And, while I'm honestly here for that in a lot of ways, the nostalgia is also used to create a new story that's worth my while.

I also appreciate that a lot was done in practical effects. The practical Demon Dogs I'm especially grateful for.

And, I don't think I'm spoiling anything when I say that the old cast gets their small moment, without fully overtaking the story and I think the film as a whole is a nice remembrance of actor and writer Harold Ramis.

While not perfect, and maybe even a bit clunky, Ghostbusters Afterlife actually made me really happy. It feels almost like the condensed first season of a Ghostbusters television show, but thank Gozer it wasn't a television show, because I wouldn't have wanted to watch it.

They're making a sequel, which is probably unnecessary, but we'll see if it's any good. This sort of felt like a nice way to give the fans something and bring the Ghostbusters full circle on its own.

Happy enough with this. And, in this day and age of reboots and sequels, me being Happy Enough is high praise.

[icyviv]

Anime I watched in Winter 2023

I haven’t ever done anything like this before, but I figured “Why not?”. I enjoy writing. So, my thoughts on the anime I watched in Winter 2023!

Loooong Post Ahead!

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel The Northern War

I will start with the show I was most excited for heading into the season. During 2022, I picked up the Cold Steel games, and was in the middle of III(3) when this was announced. Which was awesome, as this event (The Northern War) was heavily referenced, but never explored. So I went into the show quite optimistically. 

Unfortunately, while the first episode, and even the second were quite good, the show ended up falling quite flat, personally. And I think that was because of a few key problems.

First, the show was focused on characters created specifically for the show. A group of mercenaries. While they are characterized well, and feel fine, they are completely new. When this show came out, Cold Steel as a series had been finished for a number of years, so I get that trying to fit this in might be odd. But Cold Steel is focused on Class VII, or more specifically, Rean Schwarzer. While Rean is in the show, and we get cameos from other members of Class VII, it feels very forced. 

Second, the show did not know its audience. The Legend of Heroes is a moderately large series at this point, with currently 9 games available in English, with the 10th capstone game coming later this year. And that does not include the early series games that are not in the canon of the Trails series, as well as the sequel series that has had 2 games released in Japan. So, getting an anime at this point is kind of weird. Especially focused around an event that is not covered in the games. Which brings me to my point. Who was this show for? I should be sitting right in the target audience, but this show felt like it was trying too hard to be accessible for someone unfamiliar with the series. At the same time, it used the political intrigue the series does well, but the intrigue is very hard to follow without a background in the series. 

So, overall, this series was a pretty big miss. Which sucks, because I love the Trails games.

The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady

This series was pretty high on the list as well. It is a yuri, and I tend to bias towards those greatly, but overall, I think it did very well.

It is an isekai, which have absolutely flooded the anime market, but that was expected given the popularity of the genre calling for a certain publisher in Japan to blanket ban future submissions in the genre. Which is hilarious and sad, really.

Back to MagiRevo. The pacing and flow of the series does very well, balancing high action with the political intrigue of running a country. Especially given that the political intrigue is the A plot, regardless of how much Anis tries to avoid it.

I would totally recommend this one, mostly because its really nice to see a show where love wins sometimes. And I don’t mean that in a specifically yuri way. Or maybe I do.

The Iceblade Sorcerer Shall Rule the World

Honestly? Honestly? Isekai trash without the Isekai. 

Main character OP as fuck? Check.

Bunch of girls randomly in love with him? Check.

School setting? Not technically necessary, but check.

Really buff dudes and a solid brotherly bond? Che… wait a second…

This show surprised me, if only a little bit. Definitely not enough to redeem it. But still. 

The main character actually makes a male friend! And they bond over being buff as hell! And join a club full of really buff dudes! I appreciate the attempt at fan service in the other direction, even if it fell a bit flat. But the male friendship was a nice touch. I just wish it had explored it a bit better.

So, overall, meh.

Tomo-chan is a Girl!

Wow, this show was fun. The dynamic between the two main characters for this romantic comedy was delightful. This show could have very easily devolved into something misogynistic, but I think it walked that line very well. Some will definitely disagree, but this is the internet, so whatever.

Jun’s struggle is shown super well. His issue is not with Tomo being stronger with him. His issue is not with Tomo being a girl. His issue is with what a relationship with her would mean, and how that would change them together. Which is actually a super interesting way to address what a relationship of “boyfriend-girlfriend” is. His entire struggle boils down to “if I date Tomo, will we still get to compete?” The idea of an irregular relationship like that seems impossible to him. But, eventually, he figures it out. Which is great. Good for them.

A fun romantic comedy. Totally worth watching.

Onichan wa Oshimai (Onimai: I am now your sister)

I personally really liked this one. A lot of people will have issues with this show. For that reason, I can’t recommend it for someone who looks for issues in media. Cause it has more than a few.

Obviously, the show is filled with Transgender themes and experiences. Specifically, the villainization of trans women in “female spaces”. 

Trans girls, you will probably like this show. TERFs, fuck off.

Trigun Stampede

Oooo, this one is spicy. 

Hot Take, fantastic show.

Hotter take, the 3DCG was really good and I think made the show better then it would have been in 2D.

I read somewhere that the director said the this was “not a reboot, not a retelling, merely another Trigun story of two brothers.” (I am really paraphrasing). And I think that really helps with the show. 

As someone who has not sat through the original Trigun, I went into this show only vaguely knowing who Vash the Stampede was. Yellow hair, red coat, gun. 

What this show did really well was the emotional storytelling of Vash. Throughout the first episode, I felt something… off about Vash. Which was weird to me, because I didn’t know the character. But throughout the rest of the show, you really begin to feel his sadness. This giant weight he carries. That his smile is so, so fragile. And I adore it. 

I loved it. Someone who dislikes 3DCG will hate it. Pretty straightforward.

The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague

Yes! Office romance and not high school romance! I will take it!

Also, a fun show. Typical slow burn romance. If you like that kind of thing, this should be right up your alley.

Sugar Apple Fairytale

A fantasy tale involving Fairies that are enslaved by humans. Has a large chunk of tsundere romance, and both characters involved are Tsun, so that is always fun. 

While the main plot is focused on the “Will they, won’t they”, I do think it makes a few good explorations into love in a slave society. When you hold someone’s life in your hands against their will, can you really expect them to love you?

A good time, and I will be watching part 2 in the summer.

The Angel Next Door Spoils Me Rotten

More romance! High school this time, but that's okay.

I really liked this one. Immensely. It felt really nice. 

I think the main conflict of the series is focused on removing your preconceived notions of others and just talking to them. Which is great! In theory.

  Of course, things are never that easy. Even once you have talked about something hard, it doesn’t mean that the future will be any easier. Every tough conversation is tough for a reason, and there can be safety in silence. In just letting the status quo be. The status quo can be scary.

I mean, there is also the wish fulfillment of having a really cute girl cook food for you. Like, I can get why people might just assume its that and nothing deeper. 

But I don’t think those people have ever cooked something delicious for someone else. It is a truly wonderful feeling to see a boy’s face light up in joy at something yummy. 

A lovely romance. Totally worth a watch if you want something sweet.

Saving 80,000 Gold in Another World for My Retirement

I… really don’t know how I finished this show. 

Its mediocre at best. The story is WEAK. The animation is basic. The characters are quite boring.

I think I just kept watching because I was hoping for the obvious to be addressed? And it wasn’t? 

The obvious is… When will the main character receive consequences for her brazen and kind of stupid actions? And the answer is… never?

Very bland and boring isekai.

I mean hell. They never even address why the fuck she fell off a cliff in the first place? Like, what? Moving on.

Reborn to Master the Blade: From Hero-King to Extraordinary Squire

Another mid Isekai that… wait… it’s not an isekai?

A fairly mid show following the genre that sprouted because of the above mentioned isekai ban. “Character already in a fantasy world gets reincarnated with op powers” An attempt was made at least. I guess.

Not ridiculously fanservicey. Definitely has a fair bit though. Some fun fights. Interesting world building that is probably explored much better in the source material (I hope). 

A miss. 

In/Spectre 2

I quite enjoyed this series when the first came out, so I was pleasantly surprised to see more of it. 

This Sherlockian series following mythological creatures of Japanese folklore is quite fun. If you like weird mysteries, I would recommend In/Spectre. Its a bit crass at times, though I believe that to be a choice by the author to offset the perceived upper class nature of the main character Kotoko. 

Worth a watch

Shows I did not finish (with one caveat)

The Misfit of Demon Academy: This show actually had its broadcast canceled due to “Covid Issues.” It will resume in June I believe, so I will finish it then.

The tale of outcasts: This show had some promise, and I quite enjoyed its first half. Very Ancient Magus Bride vibes. Unfortunately, I SUPER lost interest in the final arc. The introduced villain basically said “I am going to do bad things because I am bored.” Which is fine. Depending on the character. It did not do it for me.

The Reincarnation of the Strongest Exorcist in Another World: I am surprised I made it as far as I did in this show. But overall more boring OP Isekai stuff without much variance.

And I think that does it! That covers the shows I watched in the 2023 Winter season, barring stuff that was not part of the season. This was fun, and I might do it again for spring! There are a few good shows I am looking forward to, like GWitch Part 2, Tonikawa Part 2, and Ancient Magus Bride Part 2. 

If you got this far, holy crap, thanks! Unless you are looking for a TL;DR.

TL;DR 

Anime good. World hard and cold. Titty soft and warm.

[therideisfarfromover]

Right, I'm dropping some HSMTMTS opinions, because honestly, looking through the tag, I feel like i'm watching a different show to some of you???

For context, I have loved Rina since 1x05, but I also properly hopped on the Portwell bandwagon in s2, and genuinely enjoy both ships as written. In fact, other than Ricky/Lily, there are v few canon relationships on this show that I haven't enjoyed at some point.

Anyway, a few thoughts on the love triangle that I may get shot for, but oh well.

1) Gina is not emotionally cheating on EJ. Like yeah, her and Ricky have got their friendship back, and the nature of their friendship can come across as flirty, but Gina rn is fully invested in her relationship with EJ. Her and Ricky being close (especially given he was her first friend in Salt Lake) isn't a crime. Even in WDYKAL, she is fully in character to piss off EJ. She is not suddenly over EJ and back into Ricky.

2) Ricky is not trying to get in the way of Portwell. Yeah, he was being a bit of a dick with that comment about EJ stealing Gina because we all know that's not true. But other than that, he has respected their relationship. He had no intentions of telling Gina that these feelings have resurfaced for him, evident from the fact he swears Carlos to secrecy and is devastated when Channing catches it on camera. And he also makes a point of asking "did it show?", demonstrating that he is trying to keep his feelings under wraps. He allowed Gina to talk about EJ without getting defensive, he even answered EJ's question of why Gina was mad at him without a sarcastic comment. Saying Ricky is purposely getting in the way of PW is character assassination for no good reason. The boy has feelings, yeah, but he hasn't acted on them and the narrative has shown nothing to suggest he would while Gina is with EJ.

3) EJ is being a bit of a tool this season, but honestly, I don't think this is the wasted character development y'all think it is. I don't know about all of your own lives, but something I've found in mine is that growth is very rarely linear. Yes, EJ learnt and grew a lot in s2, and there are times it feels he has forgotten that in s3. But also, he is an incredible stressed 18 year old: flaring up in the form of your former self isn't bad writing, that's just what happens when you're a kid going through shit. I am not worried about what they're doing with EJ at all, and I think by the end of the season, he will have developed in a way that is in line with what the writers did for him last season.

4) I completely agree that they should have slowed their horses when it came to reintroducing the triangle dynamic. Especially because it does feel like PW only got a few eps without drama. But also, this is a teen drama, that's kind of how it works? Also, based on the current writing (and I know I'm in the minority here), I genuinely still think PW will be together at the end of this season. Or at the v least, they won't break up until right at the end, and it won't have anything to do with Ricky.

5) I genuinely don't think the Rina storyline is fan service. Maybe WDYKAL was a *little* bit but I loved every second so I'm not complaining. Tim has said right from the start that Rina was born out of them seeing Josh and Sofia's chemistry in 1x05, and the team feeling that they needed to write towards that. And so they did. Similarly, I feel that the PW stuff in season 2 was so great because it felt that the writers saw something v natural between these characters, and just wrote towards it in a way that felt organic with the story. Given how much of a mess 2b was, I still think Portwell is one of the best written parts of it. However , in s2, there was only closure for Rina on Gina's side, so to say it was a 'done storyline' when we've actually never seen Ricky's POV, isn't fair either? Like idk, there are plenty of things I would have done differently when it comes to the love triangle, but also I don't think that any of their dynamic this season has felt out of pocket, like it all seems to follow the tone and prev writing?

Anyway, long controversial venting over. Please don't come for me xoxo

[outsideratheart]

When in New York (Kelley O’ Hara x reader)

Part 2

You had just finished post game media following your game against New York Liberty. You weren’t a huge fan of doing media but it made it easier considering Seattle had won. 

You leave the conference room with Stewie who you had been doing the interview with.

“You seeing your family tonight” You shake your head.

“What about you?” She nods hers.

She bumps her shoulder into yours “Two New Yorkers beat New York in New York. Sounds like something to celebrate to me” She says and maybe she had a point.

You both walk into the locker room, some players have already left and some were still packing up.

“Y/N? Megan texted saying that her and a couple other teammates are at your parents restaurant and asked if we wanted to meet up with them” Sue asks.

Very few people knew about the family restaurant, you wanted to keep it a secret so that it could stay authentic. Your family was Italian and the restaurant was like a little piece of Italy in New York. The only people that knew where your Storm teammates and Megan, the honorary team mom.

You look at sue and she is giving you the look. After signing for the team she had taken you under her wing meaning that the two of you had got quite close.

“Ok, ok. No need to give me that look” You says.

After a quick shower and a change of clothes you leave the area, luckily for you the restaurant is only a few blocks away so you and Sue opted to walk saying that I would be your cool down / recovery.

“You said teammates” you says putting air-quotes around the word teammates “who’s there?” You ask.

“Alex and Kelley” she says which instantly bring a smile to your face.

“I thought that would cheer you up”

“Shut up”

You had a crush on Kelley, both Sue and Megan knew it. You met her last year when to US were playing in Seattle and Megan had invited you to a game. There was something about the defender that you really liked. You wasn’t if it was the fact that on the pitch she is a beast and off she is teddy but always had fun when you were with her.

You both enter the restaurant being greeted by your mom as soon as you come through the door.

“Mrs L/N nice to see you again” Sue says.

“Sue I have told you before, you can call me Maria” You mom says as she hugs you and sue makes her way to your friends.

“buon gioco dolce ragazza” (good game sweet girl) she tells you.

“grazie mamma” you reply kissing her cheek.

Meanwhile sue heads towards to table of soccer players.

She waves at everyone getting a mixture of hi’s and hello’s 

“Hi babe” She says kissing her girlfriend on the cheek. 

“Hi” Megan replies. “Where Y/N?” She asks noticing that you wasn’t behind sue.

“She’s in here somewhere” Sue says. She knew that you would probably been saying hi to your dad in the kitchen but she couldn’t tell them that.

“See Kel, you have a few more moments to get your crush in check” Alex jokes with her friend.

“Shut up!” Kelley replies.

“Hi guys” you say as to approach the table.

You notice Kelley staring at you so you take the opportunity to tease her.

“Like what you see?” You say making the defender blush.

“Have you ordered food yet?” You ask.

“No we were waiting for you. We know we are having though” Alex tells you as she hands you a menu.

“Thanks but I don’t need it” You say handing the menu to Sue who shakes her head letting you know she doesn’t need it either.

“You already know what you’re having?” Kelley asks.

“Not exactly” Sue says which confuses the others.

Looking around the restaurant you catch the attention of one of the waiters.

You let him know you are ready to order. 

Each of the women tell him what they want and then it is your’s and sue’s turn.

You look at sue and she nods her head.

“dì a gianni che avremo quello che consiglia” (tell gianni we will have what he recommends) Sue says 

“Certo” The waiter says.

You look at Sue and smile in approval.

“You getting very good, maybe time for a trip” You say.

“You speak Italian?” Kelley asks Sue.

“Y/N does and she has been teaching me for the past couple of years”

“Who is Gianni?” Alex asks.

“He is the chef here” You explain.

You start talking about the storm game when you mom bring across a bottle of limoncello hand you the bottle and 5 shot glasses.

“Grazie” You say

You pour everyone a glass and hand them out. 

“You get table service here?” Kelley asks.

“No, I asked for it when I came in” You reply.

You raise you class and everyone copies.

“Here to us. We change the game and provide hope for the next generation of female athletes” You say and everyone takes a sip except Kelley who shots it.

“You sip it Kel. If not you’ll be on the floor an hour” Megan says.

“You would know” you tease causing you and the forward to laugh.

“I will pour you another but this here” you say pointing to the bottle “is the real stuff, not something you find in a liquor store. It comes straight from a vineyard in Italy where this restaurant makes it’s wine” 

“You know a lot about this restaurant, the chef’s name and now where it makes it’d alcohol” Alex questions.

“What can I say, I have been coming here since I was a baby” you explain.

“that’s one way to put it” sue says under her breath, no quiet enough though as you send her a glare.

You look at Kelley as she takes a sip.

“Tastes better doesn’t it” She nods her head.

Your food arrives and you all say how nice it looks and smells. 

“Oh.my.god” Kelley says between mouthfuls.

“I agree, this is incredible. Megan how did you find this place? Alex asks.

“Y/N” Megan replies and Alex nods remembering that you said you came here when I was younger.

Conversation is small and simple as you all focus on your food.

You thank the waiter telling him the the food was delicious as he clears the table.

“Y/N can I ask you a question” Kelley asks.

“Only if I can ask you one?” 

“Why Italian and are you fluent” She asks

“I’m Italian so I had to learn in order to talk to family in Sicily”

“Prove it. Tell me something in Italian?” 

“quando ci siamo conosciuti pensavo fossi la persona più bella del mondo”

“Sounds very romantic” Alex says.

“What does it mean?” Kelley asks.

“it means ‘when we met I thought you were the most beautiful person in the world’” You tell her making sure to look her in the eyes when you say it.

Kelley is at a loss for words, what is she suppose to say to that. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable” You say slowly regretting what you said, not that you didn’t mean because you did.

“I’ll go get us some more drinks” you says excusing yourself from the table.

“Kelley” Alex says trying to get her friends attention.

“Does she say that kind of thing to everyone?” Kelley asks sue.

She shakes her head “She isn’t that type of person Kelley”

“You should tell her how you feel” Megan suggests.

Kelley shakes her head “what if she doesn’t feel the same way”

“You honestly think that after hearing what she just said” Alex says not believing her friends blindness.

You walk back to the table with two bottles of red wine.

“Dessert wine anyone?” You say trying to avoid the awkwardness. “trust me, this will be the best you tasted”

“It’s what they make in Italy right?” Alex says, you nod pouring her a glass.

Out of all the woman at the table to knew that Alex was the one that drank wine. You wait eagerly to see If she likes it. 

“Nice right”

Alex nods her head.

You all sip on your wine talking about everything and anything, for a moment you forget that you are all major athletes and it just feels like a group of friends catching up.

Once you are done Alex gets the attention of the waiter for the bill but he tells them that it has been settled.

She looks around the table confused but notices that Megan and Sue and looking directly at you.

“Y/N” 

“What? We don’t do this very often. Let me treat my friends”

“Thank you” Alex and Kelley say at the same time.

You are just about to leave when your mom comes to the table.

“Did you all enjoy your meal?” She asks. 

“It was incredible, I cannot wait to come back” Kelley says.

“I agree, I will definitely come back whenever we are in New York” Alex says.

“I’ll see you two soon ok” she says putting an arm around Sue and Megan. She had met them numerous times when she came to Seattle but her comment stumped the other two.

“Of course, next time your in Seattle you have to show me how to make your lasagne, I always eat the ones you make Y/N” Megan looks at you when you realises what she said.

It looks like your secret was about to get two new keepers.

“Alex, Kelley” your mom says now directed her attention to the other two soccer players “Any friends of my daughters are always welcome here”

“Wait, your daughter?” Kelley says looking at you confused.

“Meet my mom Maria” you say.

“This makes more sense. It is why you know so much about this restaurant” Alex says.

You nod your head.

You all make sure your way our of the restaurant. You had learned that Megan, Alex and Kelley were all staying in the same hotel as you and sue so you walked back together. Sue, Megan and Alex walk ahead leaving you and Kelley alone.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable earlier, it’s just that whenever I am near you I feel this connection and thought maybe you felt it too. I wouldn’t have said what I said if I didn't” you say

“I wasn’t uncomfortable, you caught me of guard. Nobody has every said something like that to me, definitely not in Italian” Kelley explains.

“I find that hard to believe, I mean look at you, you are beautiful” You say.

Kelley blushes again which you find adorable “ You were right before. I feel the connection too but I never did anything about it because we live so far away from each other”

“Can’t we just let ourself be happy even it it’s only a short period of time. We focus so much on the bigger picture that we don’t see what is right in front of us” You tell her.

“What do you have in mind?” She asks and you smile, you had wanted to do this for a quite a while.

“When do you leave New York?”

“Not until the day after tomorrow” 

“Perfect! Have breakfast with me?”

“I would love to” she replies.

Kelley stops walking “for the record, I find you very beautiful too”

You smile holding you hand out and she takes it.

You walk back to the hotel hand in hand, not talking just making the most of each others company whilst you can.

[fanficimagery]

When Enough is Enough pt. II

Imagine being let down one too many times by your best friend, only to end up making some new ones in the process.

Words: 8.5K Author’s Note: Okay so some of you asked to only be added to part 2 of this while others asked to be added everything Bucky.. and a few others weren’t exactly clear. So if you want to be tagged in any future Bucky related imagines please let me know so I can get your blog name written down on my list.

Tags:  @aya-fay @70s-chic @sipsteacasually @kaitlyn2907 @scarlettwitch99 @thingsforimagination  @mimilh @felicityofbakerstreet @eternalharry @eliwinchester99 @intothesoul​ @wintershadowkat  @b1sexualtonystark  @meredeph @miszswan

The Sunday before you are to return to work, you sleep in until nine in the morning. Your thoughts are immediately on Bucky's impending arrival and you couldn't help the butterflies that took flight in your stomach. He's a friend, just as all the others are, but you couldn't help but notice just how attractive this new friend of yours is. But not only does his attractiveness draw you in, his easy-going teasing and protectiveness does too. However, Bucky Barnes is still a man trying to find his footing in this world after all that's been done to him and finally getting his name cleared, and if he finds comfort with you then you're going to try your best and be the friend he needs.

So since you're not dressing to impress, you dress in your favorite lazy outfit after your shower- leggings, sports bra, a faded sleeveless band tee with the arm holes having been cut down to around your ribs, and a pair of socks. Damp hair gets gathered up into a messy bun and you walk around your apartment to pick up some things you had unknowingly left out.

You've skipped breakfast, so when there's a knock on your door and you open up to find Bucky standing there, you groan in relief. He raises both hands with paper bags hanging from each. "I come bearing sushi. Wanda let it slip how much you love it."

"Yesss." You step back, quickly taking in his own comfort outfit of sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt under an opened jacket. "Did you bring plenty of wasabi? And you can just kick off your shoes anywhere."

"Of course." He hands you the bags so he can kick off his shoes and strip out of his jacket before hanging it up. You don't know why, but seeing him in a short sleeve shirt makes you happy, knowing full well he was weird about his metal arm being out in the open. "And plenty of dipping sauce as well. Wanda was more than happy to give me advice."

"Wanda, huh?" You chuckle, leading the way to your kitchen. "You actually told her where'd you be?"

"Apparently I looked very pensive this morning. She asked and I figured she was a better confidant than Steve or Sam who would have made a big deal about us hanging out."

"True." Setting the bags down, you let him empty them while you head to the fridge. "Beer?"

"Yeah."

Grabbing him a beer and yourself a can of Cola, you return to the table and your eyes widen at the sight of all the sushi. "Damn, Barnes. That's a lot of sushi."

"Don't act like you won't eat half of it."

You laugh as you take a seat, handing him his beer and pulling a few trays to your side of the table. You take a container of wasabi and dipping sauce for yourself, and grab a pair of chopsticks to start digging in.

You moan in delight at your first taste, happily shimmying in your seat before taking another. Eventually, you ask, "So what are you going to do when I'm back at work and I can't keep you entertained by getting shitfaced?"

Bucky grins around his mouthful of food before chasing it down with a swig of his beer. "We actually got a mission comin' up so I'll be leavin' around mid-week."

"Well that sucks." You sigh. "Now who am I going to send random pictures to when I have downtime at work?"

He grins. "You can still send them to me. I just won't get back to you until after the mission's complete."

"Yeah, yeah."

The two of you continue to eat- Bucky dodging Steve's texts about where he is and when he's coming back, and you sending the middle finger emoji over and over to Wanda who keeps wondering how your date is going. Then once most of the sushi is gone and Bucky puts what little is left into the fridge, the two of you head to the living room. You immediately flop onto the couch as Bucky takes the plush recliner, only for you to hear him moving the chair into its reclined position seconds later.

"Oh. I definitely need to get one of these."

You laugh as he snuggles down and you pick up the remote to bring up your streaming services. "Anything you've been meaning to watch?"

"Not really. Just show me your favorites."

You start off with some humor by playing the Goonies. It's a movie that no matter how many times you've seen it, it always seems to make you laugh. And it seems Bucky is not immune either when they make Chunk to the truffle shuffle. Titanic plays afterwards, but only after making sure Bucky found it somewhat interesting after reading the movie summary to him. He is interested from beginning to end and doesn't even laugh at you when you shed a few tears for the old married couple who opt to stay in their bed as the room floods.

When a break is needed, you head off towards the bathroom as Bucky finishes off the leftover sushi. Both of you check your phones and read each other the missed text messages from Steve and his worrying behavior.

"Wanna tell Steve to fuck off via video message?" Bucky takes a moment to think on it before he grins and nods. "Excellent. Sit in the recliner. I'm gonna crawl up all in your business. That okay?"

"Yeah."

As Bucky gets comfortable in the recliner, you sit on the armrest before sliding down sideways onto his lap. You bring up the camera app on your phone and switch it to video, sliding your right arm behind Bucky's neck while holding your left arm out to capture the two of you on the screen. "Ready?"

"Sure, doll."

You chuckle quietly and then smirk mischievously as Bucky relaxes his expression into his best resting bitch face. After you hit record, you say, "Hey Rogers, stop being a little bitch and sending us text after text. I'm tryin' to fuck your best friend here." Bucky's expression cracks as he barks out a laugh and you turn to face him while grinning. You share a laugh with him before facing the camera once more. "Only joking, but seriously stop buggin' us. I promise to send him back in one piece."

As you prepare to send the text to Steve, Bucky says, "You're terrible."

"Whatever. Admit it, you adore me."

"Occasionally."

You huff another laugh as the video message finally sends. You and Bucky both watch as the delivered status turns to read, and then those three little dots appear as Steve starts typing his reply.

"Tell Bucky to wrap it before he taps it." You burst out laughing at Steve's text, Bucky's rumbling laughter only fueling yours even more. "God I hate your best friend sometimes." And before you climb off Bucky's lap, because honestly you were getting a little too comfortable, you send Steve a few middle finger emojis before deciding on a third movie to watch.

The third movie you choose is one that never fails to make you laugh- Bridesmaids. You had a moment of hesitancy because of the sex scenes, but you figured they were ridiculous enough that it wouldn't be awkward. Thankfully you're correct and you get the added bonus of hearing Bucky's laughter again during Megan's scenes, especially when they get food poisoning and are all fighting for the bathroom.

You and Bucky take yet another break after the film, just stretching and finding something to drink.

"So what's the verdict, Barnes? Are you enjoying the films?"

He grins. "Your taste is all over the place, huh? That last one we watched was raunchy."

"But hilarious! You need to watch the Hangover trilogy, but you definitely need to watch that with Steve and then watch him squirm at the pictures that roll with the credits."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Jurassic Park holds his attention and he can't help but comment how stupid one has to be to replicate dinosaur DNA and then open up a park with live dinosaurs. You laugh, but don't bother commenting. You'll tell him later there are more movies involved, with yet another idiotic man who felt he could get the park up and running once more.

It's getting dark, but it's still a little too early for dinner. One more movie and then you'll order or go out and pick something up.

"So this last one for the day is a movie that's directed more towards the female viewers, but you did ask for my favorite films and Practical Magic is my absolute favorite."

"Well put it on, doll."

As you press play on Practical Magic, you quickly grab a throw blanket and snuggle in. Instead of watching Bucky, you watch the film and mumble certain quotes to yourself. The magic scenes always bring a soft smile to your face just as Gary's confession to Sally of I wished for you too breaks your heart, and Sally and Gillian's heartfelt sister moment makes you cry.

Afterwards, Bucky hums in thought. "So that's your favorite?"

"Absolutely." You tell him. He's watching you curiously and you grin. "If I show you something, you promise not to laugh?"

"I'll try."

"Whatever. That's good enough for me." Standing up, you walk towards him and kneel, and tell him to pull your shirt sideways by the armhole next to your left arm. There on the back of your left shoulder and forever etched into your skin is a salt shaker, a rosemary plant, a lavender plant, and a heart. You then rattle off one of your favorite quotes to him. "Always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can."

Bucky chuckles as you get up, retaking your spot on the sofa. "You really are a fan of the movie."

You nod. "As a little girl, I was fascinated by magic. I thought I'd grow out of it, but I only grew more fond of it. And then I found Practical Magic and it had a bit of everything I adored."

"So what's the one scene that just gets you every time?"

"Ugh. You're making me choose?!" You feign being distraught and he grins. As you think about it, you keep coming back to two scenes in particular. "So there's two," you tell him, "and I'm not choosing between them." Bucky nods, awaiting your answer. "Gillian's possession. When Sally calls together the other mothers who were mean to her in order to make a temporary coven to save her sister, and Gillian begs Sally to just let her ghost ex have her."

Bucky hums. "That was a bit sad, doll. I saw you shedding a few tears over that."

"Mhm. And the other scene is when Sally comes clean to Gary and admits that she did a spell as a child to call forth her perfect love thinking it wouldn't exist, only it did. When Gary tells Sally that he wished for her too, it just breaks my fuckin' heart."

"Let me guess, you were one of the girls who cast her own spell after seeing that scene." You stay quiet for a moment and the second you feel your face heat, Bucky laughs. "What did you wish for?"

You groan quietly. "If I tell you, you can't laugh!" He only smiles in response and you know he won't drop it until you tell him. "Fine. So even though I knew it would never work, I gathered the weirdest objects and wished for a significant other with dark hair and colored eyes. He had to be protective and funny and love me for me. Simple."

For some reason you can't seem to meet Bucky's gaze then and you feel awkward the longer the silence stretches on.

"So dinner?" He asks.

"Oh god, yes please. Pizza and wings?"

"Sounds good."

You have the nearby pizza place on speed dial, so after finding out Bucky's preferences you make the call and place the order. It's going to be about a thirty minute wait, so you fill the time sending Steve pic after pic of Bucky who's none the wiser as he scrolls through his own phone and adding the most asinine comments to each picture. Steve thinks it's absolutely hilarious.

Then when the pizza and wings arrive, you beat Bucky to the door and thrust several bills at the delivery boy. He's more than happy with his tip and you hurriedly wave him off before shutting the door. You laugh at Bucky's disgruntled expression and then place everything on the table while gathering a beer for both you and him.

"Don't let me have more than two," you tell him while handing him his own bottle of beer.

Bucky agrees and the two of you dig into your own personal pizzas and boxes of wings once you're situated around the table. As you're eating, Bucky asks about what other movies you hold near and dear. You fill him in on a few others and he hesitantly puts it out there that he'd be up for another movie marathon when you both have a day off. You agree that that's doable.

Halfway through dinner, as you and Bucky are chuckling over the thought of making Steve sit through Bridesmaids, there's a sound of glass breaking from your living room and a muffled curse. The two of you immediately cease making any type of noise and Bucky is up with a gun in hand.

"Where the hell did that come from?! You hiss.

The telltale sound of a window then sliding shut can be heard.

"Shut up and get behind me."

The authority in his voice makes you freeze and your heart flutter at the same time, and you have to mentally scold yourself before you quickly do as he says. You follow Bucky towards the living, ready to duck at the ready, only to sigh and roll your eyes when you see who it is.

Bucky stands tall and lowers his gun. "Parker." You can practically hear the annoyance in his voice.

"Mr. Barnes?" Peeking around his shoulder, you raise your eyebrow at your best friend who's been too busy for you and is now frowning at Bucky. When he catches sight of you, he asks, "What's going on?"

"Uh, well we were having dinner until we thought someone was breaking in."

"Alone?!"

Your brow furrows at Peter's incredulousness, only for him to realize you're not impressed with his tone. You raise an eyebrow at him and cross your arms over your chest. "Did you need something?"

"Oh, um, yeah." He shifts from foot to foot, gesturing to his face where there's a scrape on his cheekbone. "My ribs took a beating too. Can you patch me up?"

"Sure." You sigh. "Why not."

Before you can leave to go to the bathroom to get the supplies you need, Bucky says, "I'll just get out of your way then."

You stop and face him. "What? But we haven't even finished our food. It won't take me long."

"It's fine, doll." He grins when he realizes you're trying to get him to stay. "You gotta hit the hay early anyway. We'll talk soon."

You hold his gaze for a moment longer, sighing when he won't budge. "Well at least take your food with you. No use in it going to waste."

Bucky nods and heads back to the kitchen, collecting his food. You watch him and then follow him to the door, holding his food while he bends over to lace up his boots. Once he retakes his food and you open the door, he thanks you for the time away from the tower and disappears down the hall.

Shutting the door and then heading back into the living room, you tell Peter to get back into his regular clothes so you can get to his ribs while you go gather your medical supplies.

Meeting Peter back in the living room and setting everything down on the coffee table, he says, "So you and Bucky-"

"Don't." You pick up the peroxide bottle and soak a cotton ball in it. "Bucky and I are friends."

Peter manages to keep his mouth shut as you clean the scrape on his cheek and place a small bandage on it. Then when you've checked his ribs and tell him he just needs to ice them, he mumbles, "Friends who apparently lick each other." You snort and think nothing of his sullen tone, but when you look at his face you see he's actually being quite serious. There's no chuckle or boyish grin and for a moment you're absolutely floored at his attitude. "I don't think I'm comfortable with Bucky being alone with you in your apartment."

"Are you- are you kidding me?" You huff and take a step back from him. When Peter just continues to frown, you shake your head at him. "First of all, I'm an adult woman who can make her own decisions."

"I know, but-"

"I'm not finished!" You snap. Peter's eyes widen, but he smartly ceases talking. "I am allowed to have friends whether you like them or not. We have a pact, Petey, and since I'm still abiding by it I would hope that you would too."

"Yeah, but that's for significant others!"

"Significant others or friends, it doesn't matter. And you should be grateful I've kept my mouth shut when it comes to you and Leslie because let me tell you, I've been biting my tongue a lot these past few weeks. Bucky and the others have stepped up since you've abandoned me, so you have absolutely no room to tell me that you're uncomfortable with him or any of them being around me."

"Leslie isn't that bad and I have not abandoned you." You snort, but don't bother opening that can of worms even further. He finally gets annoyed with your quietness. "I'm here, aren't I?"

"You're here because you needed a bandage. Tell me, Peter, where are you going after here? Where are you going after making five minutes of small talk and calling it a night?" He opens his mouth and then snaps it shut, shrugs, and you shake your head at him once more in disappointment. "Exactly. Just go, Peter. I'm so over this conversation right now and I have work in the morning."

"Wait, but we promised we'd never leave a conversation where we were still annoyed with each other!"

"And we also promised we'd never judge who the other decided to spend time with, but here we are." He frowns at you. "Go to your girlfriend, Peter. We'll talk again in another few days or weeks or whenever. I don't care right now."

Peter stands there, gaping, before he pulls himself together and makes his way back towards the window he had crawled through. He glances at you one last time, but you merely keep staring until his mask encompasses his head once more and he lifts the window before taking his leave.

As the window shuts behind him, you sag in on yourself and your breathing stutters in your chest as your eyes fill with tears. You've never been this angry at Peter and the fact that he thinks it's okay to ignore you until he needs something and then has an opinion about who you hang out with was just too much for you to let slide.

You quickly gather everything from your coffee table and return it to its rightful place in your bathroom, and throw away the trash. Your appetite is long gone, so you put up what's left of your food and then head to your room to gather some clothes so you can shower and get into bed.

By the time you've crawled into bed, you're still a bit annoyed. So grabbing your phone, you pull up your text messages and click on Bucky's thread.

To Bucky: Well that was a shit show. I don't think I've ever made Petey leave my apartment while we were still angry with each other.

From Bucky: I'm sorry, doll. Anything I can do?

To Bucky: If he gives you attitude, get a non-serum individual to punch him. You, Steve, and probably Nat will send him flying into the wall.

From Bucky: If I remember..

To Bucky: Well I mean if you forget, I won't complain. I'll probably laugh when he comes crying to me.

From Bucky: You're a terrible human being.

To Bucky: Whatever. You adore me just the way I am. And now I should get some shut eye. I'll talk to you soon. Night, Sarge.

From Bucky: Night, sweetheart.

For the next couple of weeks, you keep yourself busy with work. Bucky and a few others do go on a mission as he said they would, so you keep your texts to a minimum of three each day- a good morning, a random story from that day, and a good night. They're gone for four days and in those four days you've not heard from Peter. The only reason you know he's not completely done with you is the fact he likes your posts that you put up on social media.

But since you're not currently speaking to your best friend and are too exhausted to hang out with anyone else, you're in a bit of a funk and completely caught off guard one evening when the patient a police officer brings in smacks you right across the face. You had been trying to insert an IV into his arm when he completely lost his shit, and then you were hit so hard that you were strewn across the gurney behind you. And in your vulnerable position, a fistful of your hair had been grabbed and yanked right before the police officer had intervened and pulled the patient off of you.

You had been given a bit of time to ice your cheek before you had to get back to work, but your face and scalp were hurting you the entire time.

On your way home, however, you're surprised to receive a call from Pepper. You're heading towards your apartment complex when she invites you to dinner there at the tower since Darcy is finally back in town, and you hate to do it, but you're not exactly up to be around such a rowdy bunch. So you apologize to Pepper and ask her to apologize to Darcy for you, and take a rain check. Immediately she knows something is wrong, but you only tell her you had a rough night at work and all you want is a hot shower and to crawl into bed. She hesitates but wishes you well, and the call ends moments later.

When you get home, you waste no time in locking the door behind you and heading straight for your bathroom. You strip down and take the hottest shower your body is capable of handling, and let yourself relax in the steam-filled room. Afterwards, as you're drying off, you gently dry your hair since your scalp is still sensitive and then get dressed in some of your comfort clothes.

Then heading out into the kitchen, you find some leftovers in your fridge and heat those up, tiredly sitting at your kitchen table and digging in. Just as you're done with your food and heading towards the living room, someone pounds on your apartment door. You sigh, hoping they go away, and have only plopped down onto the sofa when a familiar gruff voice speaks through the wood.

You quietly groan as Bucky tells you he knows you're there and you get up to open the door for him. He's on the verge of knocking again when you swing the door open. "Hey. Pepper said-" He trails off as he takes in your appearance, expression going slack before his jaw clenches in anger. "Who?"

You shake your head, gesturing him inside as you turn around and walk towards your sofa. You hear your door click shut before the footsteps follow you. "Work got a little hectic. No need to hunt down anyone, Barnes. I'm fine."

"Half your face is bruised, doll. You are not fine."

"It's all part of my job." You shrug and plop down onto the sofa once more. Pulling a blanket over your lap, you stare up at your friend. "There will always be a drunk and disorderly patient. I was just lucky he didn't do more damage."

Bucky frowns, but he doesn't push you on it. Instead, he walks over and sits next to you, angling his body towards yours when gentle fingers grasp your chin to angle your face more towards him. "What exactly happened?" He asks as his eyes dart over every inch of your face.

"Some petty criminal did some damage to his head in the back of a patrol car. Police officer brought him in and he seemed pretty docile up until I jabbed him with the IV. He got the drop on me. It happens." Gentle fingers brush along your cheekbone and you flinch. Tears sting your eyes as you sniffle. "I'm fine."

"Just because you keep sayin' that doesn't mean it's true."

Your bottom lip wobbles at his words and you lose the battle with keeping the tears at bay. The moment they fall, Bucky pulls you into a hug and you cry into his shoulder. "Dammit," you mumble. "See what you started!"

Bucky chuckles and he holds you a few moments longer, rubbing a hand up and your back to offer a semblance of comfort. When he lets you go, you fall back against the sofa cushions and wipe the tears away with your blanket. "So what are we watching?" He asks while settling in next to you and draping an arm behind your head.

"Shouldn't you go back to the tower and have dinner with the rest of them? I'm-"

"If you say you're fine one more time, I will drag you back to the tower and let Steve motherhen you."

You sigh. "Low blow, Buckaroo."

"And for that horrendous nickname, you've lost the privilege of choosing what we're going to watch."

You laugh and don't bother arguing with him about it as he leans across you to snag up the remote. When he settles back down and you snuggle into his side, you huff a small laugh when he settles on TLC which is showing 90 Day Fiancé.

"Why this show?" You ask.

"Because it blows my mind that some people are so oblivious and can't see that their chosen partner is only in it for the green card."

As you let his reasoning sink in, you can't help but giggle as you picture Bucky sitting in his own apartment and bad mouthing the TV because he didn't like the decisions the people were making in their love life. You watch along with him, cringing at the more obvious couples that are only headed for future divorce and smiling when one of the couples is actually in it for love.

You manage to almost watch a complete two hour episode when there's a knock on your door, but you're too comfortable to get up and answer it.

"You get it," you say as you nudge Bucky.

He nudges you back. "It's your apartment."

"Yeah, but I don't feel like getting up."

"You could have at least come up with a better excuse."

You grin, finally taking your eyes off the screen and glancing up at Bucky. "M'too tired. Brain's not working fast enough." He continues to give you a deadpan stare until you jut out your bottom lip. "Please?"

The second Bucky's lips twitch, you know you've won. He huffs and roughly pushes himself up off the sofa as if answering the door is a hardship, and you go back to watching TV. At least until you hear a familiar voice stammer, "Uh, h-hey Mr. Barnes. Is Y/N home?"

Your gaze snaps towards the door where Peter is standing out in the hallway, hands in his pockets as he sheepishly stares at Bucky. The man in question turns and raises an eyebrow at you as if saying what do I do and you give him a terse nod to let him know it's okay. Bucky steps aside and Peter readily walks in.

"I should be getting back to the tower," Bucky suddenly says. "You kids have fun."

This time it's your turn to give him a deadpan stare and he smirks right before slipping his boots back on. Then as soon as they're laced up, he's walking out the door and shutting it behind him. Peter, who hadn't stopped staring at the intimidating man, finally turns to look at you. And when he does, his eyes widen.

"What happened to your face?!"

You sigh. "I'm fine. Just had a little incident at work."

"And Mr. Barnes was what? Comforting you?"

"First of all, can you stop calling him Mr. Barnes? You two avenge together and what not. I'm pretty sure that means you're on a first name basis." Peter grins as he takes a seat on the recliner near you, shrugging. "And Bucky was here because when I turned down dinner at the tower, Pepper figured something was wrong. Bucky took it upon himself to check in."

"So are you two like a thing or something?" He wonders.

"We're just.. friends," you say. "For some unknown reason we clicked and we're comfortable in each other's company."

For a moment Peter doesn't say anything, nor will he meet your gaze, but then he's looking at you and sighing. "I'm sorry." You blink at him, surprised to hear the apology. "I shouldn't have freaked out that one night. Who you are friends with and who you decide to date is your business."

You finally smile, even though it's rather small. "Thank you. And don't get me wrong, I know you meant well, but you should have dropped it and just trusted my judgment."

"Yeah. I know," he mumbles.

"Soo.. are we good?" You ask.

"Yeah."

"Good. I was getting tired of you liking my posts and not commenting on them."

Peter snorts. A moment of silence passes and then he says, "So you'll be glad to know that Leslie and I aren't together anymore. I broke it off earlier tonight."

You wince. "Sorry."

"Nah. Don't be. She was totally using me for access to the tower." You're torn between being smug about being right and being sad for your friend who just ended his relationship. "I only realized it earlier when she got upset because Mr. Rogers posted a picture of you and Mr. Barnes together, and she had a few choice words to say about it."

"What? Steve posted a picture of us?" You quickly pull out your phone, checking social media for any notifications. There are none, but as you get on Instagram you check Steve's page and sure enough there's a new pic that shows Bucky staring fondly at you as you laugh at something on your phone. "That little shit didn't tag us!"

As your thumbs move furiously to give Steve a piece of your mind and to comment how adorable you and Bucky look, Peter can't help but say, "You're attracted to him."

Your texting falters and you quickly glance at your friend to gauge his reaction, but when he just looks amused, you shrug. "I mean have you seen him? How could I not be attracted to him?"

"Does he know?"

"I have a feeling he does. Asshole likes to fluster me every now and then."

"Well if it makes you feel any better, I'm pretty sure he likes you back." You snort and go back to finishing up the comment on Steve's post. "I'm serious. When we stopped talking, he threatened me. He was pissed that I made you cry and said I was lucky. He's actually really scary when you're on his bad side."

It takes a moment for his words to sink in and when they do you can feel your ears heating up, followed by your cheeks. Peter starts to laugh and you groan in embarrassment. "Why is this so weird? Dating should be easy!"

"Well he is an Avenger.."

"I don't care about that! He's just- he's really, really hot. It's intimidating."

"Wait, what?" Peter huffs. "So you're intimidated by his hotness and not because he's a super-soldier with a metal arm?"

"Well yeah."

Expression melting into one of confusion, your friend eventually shakes his head at you. "You're on your own with that. Good luck."

You hadn't realized how much everyone had known about your and Peter's brief falling out until the two of you were laughing together once again at the tower. It seemed like everyone had sagged in relief now that the two of you were poking fun at one another once more, and you had to apologize for apparently making it awkward for them.

And now that your best friend knew of your crush on a certain super-soldier, there was lots of teasing material. Of course you kept him in line when you could, but there was no stopping the force of Peter, Wanda, and Darcy combined.

It's a random Tuesday night when you've driven over to the Tower, Bucky having called you over for dinner with a few friends. You had the day off so you didn't mind heading on over, but as the elevator doors slide open after having ridden up to the communal floor, you yelp in surprise as the small gathered crows that shout, "Happy birthday!", at you.

Steve, Wanda, Sam, and Peter pop confetti poppers as you step out of the elevator, eyes wide as you glance between each of them. "My birthday is not until tomorrow!" You hiss.

"But you work tomorrow." Wanda frowns.

"Mhm." Your eyes then narrow, glancing behind them at the streamers and balloons hanging from the ceiling. "And how'd you guys even know?"

Everyone glances at Peter and he takes a step back when your gaze slides to him. He chuckles sheepishly. "I might have hid your birthday cupcake here and Steve found it."

"Petey," you groan. "Why couldn't you just hide it at aunt May's like usual? You know I dislike birthday celebrations."

"You don't dislike them. You just dislike all the attention being on you."

"Whatever. Where's Barnes? He's the one who lured me here under false pretenses. I got a bone to pick with him too."

Everyone turns around and Bucky's head appears from around the corner. He smirks and you glare at him. "Not false pretenses. We are having dinner," he says. "It just so happens to be a birthday dinner. And it's running a little bit late, so until the food gets here you get to open presents."

"You guys all suck."

Peter and Wanda each take a hand and drag you further into the room, heading towards the kitchen. Bucky fully steps out from behind the wall and you aim a kick at his shin as you're walking by. He laughs as he easily dodges it and then you're standing by the kitchen island that's been cleared of everything other than birthday presents.

You huff a small laugh and shake your head fondly at them. "I love you guys, but you do know you didn't have to get me anything, right?"

"Shut up and open the presents," Bucky says.

"Open mine first," Sam says, reaching into the small pile and pulling out a white envelope. "Unlike the others, I was literally told within the last thirty minutes we were doing this so yeah. It's not the best present, but I think you'll enjoy it."

You smile at Sam as you open it, chuckling at the plain birthday card and his brief personal message written inside. But it's what else that's inside that makes you meet Sam's gaze once more, smiling fondly at him. "Thank you. I can't get enough of bubble tea and I'm sure I can do some damage with this gift card."

"You're welcome."

"Mine next." Peter reaches in for a medium-sized box and hands it over to you. "I know you're not a fan of presents, so I got you something I actually knew you'd enjoy."

Raising an eyebrow at him, you pull the lid off of the box. Then glancing down, you snort before pulling out a bottle of Patron Silver Tequila. "I knew we were best friends for a reason."

Steve groans. "Please drink responsibly."

"Please. Responsible is my middle name, Rogers." Everyone snorts and instead of trying to remain serious and feign offense, you end up laughing. "Sam and Buck are good babysitters. You have nothing to worry about."

"That's to be determined," he says. "Here. Open mine. I honestly had no idea what to get you, but Peter assured me you'd enjoy this."

Putting the bottle of tequila back in its box, you accept Steve's gift. Pulling off the ribbon, you can't help but laugh when you see what's inside. "Cards Against Humanity." Peter cheers. "We're playing this the next time I have off," you say, grinning at Steve.

"What is Cards Against Humanity?" He wonders. "I just picked it up and boxed it."

"It's possibly one of the most confusing card games or raunchy card games you'll ever play," Sam says. "I, for one, am looking forward to it."

"Thank you, Steve. I seriously can't wait to play it."

"You're welcome."

Wanda claps her hands. "Mine and Darcy's next. She ordered online and I had to pick it up earlier. But, um, I'm not sure you want to open it up in front of everyone."

"Oh god. Don't tell me it's a vibrator."

Sam laughs out loud as both Peter and Steve start blushing. Bucky looks rather amused and intrigued as Wanda slides two boxes over to you. She shakes her head, giggling. "Not quite."

For a brief moment you're relieved, but then her answer sinks in and you're hesitant all over again. You groan. "Is yours safer? I feel like it is. Which one is it?"

Wanda only smirks as she pushes her box towards you. You open it, marvel at its contents, and then put the lid back on much to the boys' displeasure. Trying to keep a straight face, you look at Wanda. "How many sets did you get?"

"There's four. All in colors that will look amazing against your skin tone."

"Thank you. I'll send you pictures when I wear them."

"Yes please! Natasha wants to know how they fit as well. She was the one who suggested them."

"I'll send them to the ladies group chat then."

"Well that's not fair," Sam complains. "First for not showing us what's inside the box and then you guys have a ladies only group chat. I wanna be in the ladies only group chat."

"But then that defeats the purpose of it being a ladies only group chat," you muse.

"Come on," Peter then whines. "What was the present?"

Your gaze slides to Peter, but instead of outright saying what it is, you say, "Think back to that one Halloween night where you wouldn't let me out of the dorm until I switched costumes."

It takes him only a minute to understand and when he does, he snorts. "That wasn't a costume! That was lingerie."

"Whoa, what?" Sam exclaims, grinning.

"Lingerie can be worn as a costume?" Steve wonders.

"I was actually a Victoria's Secret Angel, complete with the most amazing set of wings, and Petey forbade me from leaving the room. It was a sad, sad night."

"As much as I wanna get into that," Sam says, "I wanna know what Barnes got you more."

You chuckle and glance at Bucky, smile faltering when you see him tense. But then he seems to shake himself out of it and offers you a grin. "Open the bigger one first."

Wanda clears away the other presents as Bucky slides his two towards you. You feel giddy as you grab the bigger box, untying the black silk ribbons and lifting the lid. There's tissue paper you open up and you gasp, happily giggling. "You didn't?!"

"Well you did say it was your favorite movie, sweetheart."

"Yes!" You glance up, beaming at Bucky, and your heart swells at his own smile being directed at you. "I really, really love this. I can't wait to hang it up."

"What is it?" Peter wonders, trying to peer across the island.

"It's a quote from Practical Magic," you say and Peter huffs a laugh, knowing full well your love for that movie. You carefully pick it up and turn it around so everyone can see it as you read it off by heart. "Always throw spilt salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can."

"Aw," Wanda coos. "That's adorable."

"I made Bucky watch this movie a while back," you say. "I need to show it to you one of these days."

"I'm looking forward to it," she says.

With nothing else to say, you place it back in its box and set it aside in favor for the second box. It's a little smaller, but you're excited for it nonetheless. Untying the ribbon and lifting the lid, you immediately laugh at the white petals scattered atop the tissue paper.

"Barnes, you smooth sonuvabitch," Sam mutters.

Steve and Peter laugh, but you're so focused on the notecard that's under some of the petals. Lifting it up, you read the note to yourself because immediately you know it's personal. My better half has to be funny, get along with my friends, won't judge me for my past, and has decent taste in movies.

Heart fluttering, you bite the corner of your lip when it feels like you're smiling way too much.

"Well what does Prince Charming have to say?" Sam asks.

"That's none of your business." You close the note and then tuck into your back pocket, chuckling when Sam and Wanda complain. When you meet Bucky's gaze, you immediately flush and mentally curse yourself when you see him smirk in return.

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, you center yourself and then part the tissue paper. You look at the second portrait and gasp after you read it.

"What? What is it?" Peter wonders.

This second portrait is of a hand drawn bowl with a tipped over salt shaker, a small bundle of lavender, a small bundle of rosemary, and a heart beneath it. Above the bowl is a swirl of flower petals and inside the swirl of petals, in very pretty cursive writing, are the words I wished for you too.

Did he just- did he confess his own feelings by using a Practical Magic quote? Or was this just you overthinking his present? You glance to meet Bucky's gaze and at his gauging expression your eyes fill with tears.

"What did you do, Barnes?!" Sam scolds him. "You made the poor girl cry at her own birthday celebration!"

But Bucky isn't paying him any attention, instead he's solely focused on you. You set the present aside and walk around the kitchen island on shaky legs, and Bucky readily reaches for your waist as you grab his face and pull him down into a kiss.

You can't believe you're kissing Bucky, but then he squeezes your waist and returns the kiss, and you know you made the right choice.

Someone gasps, but then the following words let you know exactly who it is. "Darcy is going to be so angry she missed this." Wanda. That is Wanda.

"What the hell is going on?" Sam wonders. "What type of present can cause this type of reaction?"

You smile against Bucky's mouth, pressing a chaste kiss to the corner of his mouth before falling flat on your feet after having been on the tips of your toes in order to reach his mouth.

"It's my favorite quote from my favorite movie," you say. You turn around to address your friends, but Bucky doesn't let you go far. He wraps one arm around your waist and tugs you back so you're resting against his chest and tucked beneath his chin. "It's a movie about witches," you explain. "These two little girls are being raised by their aunts and they see them performing love spells for a local woman. Basically, one of the young girls refuses to fall in love after witnessing a love spell gone wrong and she does her own spell to call forward a love that would be impossible to find- a man who's favorite shape would be a star and who had one green eye, one blue. Years down the road, the sisters accidentally murder a man."

Sam snorts. "How the hell does one accidentally murder someone?"

"Shush." Wanda admonishes him. "I want to hear the story behind the gift."

You and Bucky chuckle, and you continue to explain. "Anyway, they send in an US Marshall to investigate the disappearance and the one who had done the love spell at a young age starts to fall for this man. She ends up telling him about the murder, but he doesn't quite believe her. Then they're on the verge of hooking up when she gets a good look at his eyes- one green eye, one blue."

"Oh my god. That's so cute!" Wanda says.

"It gets cuter. And sadder," you say. "So she explains to this man about her family, the murder, and how she can't be with him because he's only attracted to her because of a love spell she did when she was just a little girl. At first he's skeptical about this spell bringing him to her, but then he ends up believing her. And as he's walking away from her, he stops to tell her I wished for you too."

"So you made out with Barnes because of that?" Sam shakes his head, chuckling. "Wow."

"It's fuckin' adorable. Stop ruining the moment, Samuel!" Bucky laughs at your words and pulls you closer to him.

"So while I'm happy for Buck," Steve says, "I'm still really curious about what Darcy's gift is."

Peter nods. "Same."

Wanda giggles, but says nothing as she grabs the box and slides it over to you. You groan because you know it can be nothing good, but you still open it since everyone is watching and waiting. As soon as you part the tissue paper and read the box, alongside taking in the picture on the box, your face flames as you shove the lid back on. Wanda cackles.

"I hate her."

"She said to give the remote to-"

"Don't!" You cut Wanda off, blushing even further. "I know who she means to have control of that."

"They- they make underwear that does that?" Bucky muses and you die a little on the inside in embarrassment. You elbow him as he starts to laugh behind you.

Sam instantly knows what the gift is now and starts to laugh, but Steve and Peter apparently need some help.

"Lewis got you vibrating panties, didn't she?"

"Oh my god, Sam, if you don't shut up I'm gonna punch you in the throat."

Steve is torn between laughing and trying not to make you even more uncomfortable, but his amusement wins out. "Given Y/N's flustered state, I'm assuming Darcy wants Bucky to have the remote."

"I mean this seems like it could make for an interesting night."

Everyone laughs at Bucky's sudden interest in the box you're doing your damnedest to keep shut, but luckily Peter steps in. "As much I love watching Y/N squirm, can we get ready to eat? I'm starving."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go wait downstairs for it, kid."

Sam and Peter head for the elevator to take them down to the lobby, and you turn around in Bucky's hold. "Help me take this stuff to my car so I don't have to do it later?"

"Sure thing, doll." He grins. But instead of stepping away, he pushes you further into the kitchen island. You smile as he cages you in and then huff a laugh when he reaches for the box behind you. "So exactly how long do we have to be dating before we can test these out?"

You slowly lean upward so your lips brush his as you say, "I'd say very, very soon if you would put your ass into gear and help me move these presents like I asked."

Bucky laughs and presses a quick kiss to your lips. "Then let's get to it."

The telltale sound of a phone's camera goes off and you turn your face towards the sound. Wanda is beaming, her phone pointed towards you and Bucky. "Darcy wanted evidence I wasn't lying. She's going to be so happy."

Bucky turns his face to look at her then, his cheek brushing against yours where he's yet to back off from you. "Tell Lewis I said thanks for the present. I'll give her my review of them in a few weeks."

Wanda's eyes widen and you immediately blurt, "Don't you dare!" But she's already texting and you know the group chat full of ladies is going to be full of messages that you'll have to reply to later. Quietly groaning, you slap your hands against Bucky's waist and push him back. Looking up at him, you shake your head but the corner of your lips turn up in amusement. "You're terrible. I would threaten to withhold sex, but I've been looking forward to that for a while. I'd just be punishing us both."

"Just tell me when and where, sweetheart, and I'll be there."

"Oh no. You guys are going to be that couple," Steve complains.

And without missing a beat, you face him and say, "Fuck off, Rogers!" Bucky snorts.

"You're cranky when you haven't gotten laid."

You gasp as Bucky bursts out laughing right in your ear, but he quickly catches you as you try to lunge for his best friend. "You know what, I was going to be discreet when banging your best friend, but now I'm going to tell you all the filthy things Bucky likes to do just to annoy you. I will go into excruciating detail about the look and taste of his dick!"

Steve blanches as it's Wanda's turn to burst out laughing. "You've done it now, Steve."

And as Steve looks to Bucky for help, he merely shrugs. "You brought this on yourself, Stevie. Hope you enjoy the play by plays."

Relaxing in Bucky's hold and moving so you're hip to hip with him, you slide your arm behind his waist and hook your thumb into the belt loop of his jeans. "We're going to have so much fun."