Worse Than Strangers - the playlist

For those interested, I have made a playlist of songs which inspired me while writing this story, and you can find it here

Emmerdale Big Bang 2019 // Art Post

Worse Than Strangers a Persuasion AU by @escapingreality51

As a young businessman, Robert Sugden meets and falls in love with Aaron Dingle, a young, passionate rugby-hopeful. However, when Aaron wants to make their relationship public, Robert freaks out and breaks up with him. Robert has been buried in his work and his family life for the past five years, focusing all his energy on work after never truly recovering from his loss. When Aaron returns to Emmerdale unexpectedly he is a changed man; rich, famous, and he has not forgiven Robert for what happened. Will Robert and Aaron find each other again with five years and so much pain between them?

Worse Than Strangers

artwork by @zippywafflebuns​ can be found here

He stands in the empty house and breathes in the silence. The usual noise-filled office and milling about of employees is gone, replaced by empty cupboards bereft of all personal effects. It is a shell of a house devoid of life, floor and walls and ceiling but nothing more. Robert stands in it, breathes it in. A tiny part of him feels this is the punishment he deserves; to stand in the ruins of their home and know it is his fault, know it lays squarely on his shoulders. So he keeps his feet planted on the floor, eyes drifting over the furniture and curtains that he so painstakingly picked to match the wallpaper, and he watches as the sunlight illuminates every spec of dust floating through the air. 

“Coming, Robert?” Rakesh’s voice echoes through the empty rooms. Rakesh promised to get him through today and Robert is grateful for his presence, despite knowing what it means. What he has to let go of. 

“Do I need to sign anything else?” His voice sounds surer than he imagined it would. 

Rakesh’s footsteps are audible long before he finally comes into view, vest too tight over his expansive chest and an arguably too expensive shirt underneath. Despite his fashion sense, Robert still sees the intelligence in his features that made Robert hire him all those years ago as his lawyer. 

“No, I’ve got everything here,” he says. He taps his suitcase and gives Robert a sad smile. “I’m sorry it has come to this.” 

Robert forces a smile and holds out his hand, a final farewell to a company well-built. Rakesh looks at it and takes it, giving Robert a firm handshake. Their eyes meet and Rakesh, despite being a self-serving ruthless bastard, looks almost genuinely sad. Robert lets go and their hands fall to their sides. 

“Let me know what the estate agents say,” Robert says. Rakesh nods.

Rated M, 27.8k words, angst and fluff, mutual pining

a huge thank you to my amazing artist, @zippywafflebuns​ and to my brilliant beta, @spamela-hamderson​, this fic would not have happend without either of you

Emmerdale Big Bang- Run Over

Robert Sugden has reached a high point in his life. Born rich beyond his wildest dreams, owns a successful business, engaged to a beautiful woman, everything is just perfect for him, and yet something is just off. What he doesn’t expect is for his life to take a turn for the worse and with a car accident and just a few words from a certain handyman, his life turns upside down. 

“I can’t believe he doesn’t remember me. Everything’s gonna be OK. Now…. I am your husband. My name is Aaron Dingle.”

This is my first time writing fic and it was really fun to do. I always hoped that I could just read an AU of one of my favorite movies, the original Overboard movie, but in the end, I ended up writing it. While this work is still in progress, I plan to finish it. 

A big thanks to @peoplediedrobert for doing the gif set for this fic! They are an amazing creator and their work speaks for itself. The quality of their gif making is beautiful to look at and the creativity behind the edits give them a whole new meaning. 

Also, a huge thanks to @emmerdalebigbang for organizing this collaboration event. It’s always so much fun to see what people in the fandom create and to have someone make it easy for creators to get together and make their works easily accessible is truly awesome!

Read on AO3

Gif set  by  @peoplediedrobert

Emmerdale Big Bang Round 3: Run Over by @robronsnuggles

Emmerdale Big Bang | Heaven is a Place on Earth by @sugdingles

Emmerdale Big Bang | Heaven is a Place on Earth by @sugdingles​

Emmerdale Big Bang - Heaven is a Place on Earth 

Artwork by the wonderful @memorieswarm​ is here and here

Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck on a ferris wheel. One minute I’m on top of the world, then the next I’m at rock bottom.

For the most part, I’m you typical 19 year old boy. I have a less than normal family, spend my weekends watching footie and drinking more than I can handle, and can’t wait to finally escape this damn collage.

But I have one huge secret.

Nobody knows I’m bisexual.

Sometimes I wonder if I really am all alone in this, or if there’s others out there who feel the same, trying to get by being half of the whole they know they could be.

Red.

Or: a Love, Simon AU with a twist.

fic: love, aaron 

artwork: gifset by @dingleminyard​

summary: 

Sometimes I feel like I’m stuck on a Ferris wheel. One minute I’m on top of the world, then the next I’m at rock bottom. 

For the most part, I’m you typical 19 year old boy. I have a less than normal family, spend my weekends watching footie and drinking more than I can handle, and can’t wait to finally escape this damn collage. 

But I have one huge secret. 

Nobody knows I’m Bisexual.

Sometimes I wonder if I really am all alone in this, or if there’s others out there who feel the same, trying to get by being half of the whole they know they could be.

Red.

Or: a Love, Simon AU with a twist. 

snippet: 

It’s bitingly cold out, the dark water by the stream is tinted silver from the moon, and Aaron feels a few breaths away from crawling out of his skin. He’s bundled up in a coat and a beanie, chin tucked into his neck in attempt to radiate a slight warmth. 

Reluctantly, he checks the time again, jaw clenching tightly. 9:52. His body is rattling with little shivers as he speeds up his walk, he supposes he should be the first to reach the cricket pavilion, considering. The village hall glows in the backdrop, like a fuzzy bulb masked by dust, a lens out of focus. Everything feels out of focus.  

Back home, Chas thinks he’s tucked under his covers, pillows bunched up beneath the blankets on the off chance she decides to pop in to check on him. She’ll have his head if she finds out he’s snuck out, again. 

He’s alone when he reaches the pavilion. No life in sight. Good. He flicks aimlessly through his texts as he waits, pausing over Vic’s name. He thinks about reaching out for a second, calling her and pleading with her to come and be his bodyguard, or his wing-man, or his escape if he needs one. But instead he opts for just letting her know he’s still alive, and pockets his phone. 

Suddenly he hears the soft patter of footsteps, and freezes, hands dug deep in his pockets, entire body rocketed with a sudden pulse of nerves so fire-hot it makes his cold veins burn, makes his hands go sweaty and shaky. The footsteps come closer, and he holds his breath, closes his eyes.

He’s either about to get mugged, or Red is standing behind him.

He can’t make himself turn around.

The weight behind him shifts, the telltale sounds of feet crushing against the fallen leaves, and then the ground beside Aaron is rustling, and he can feel the presence of a body so close as Red rounds to stand beside him. He still has his eyes clenched shut, head ducked, and when a gentle hand lands on his arm, squeezing, he lets out a soft, shaky breath, and finally looks over.

“What-,” Aaron says, startled, the word half-formed through his opening and closing mouth.

“Hi,” Robert says tentatively. 

Shit. 

keep reading.. 

You Only Live Twice by @robertssvgden​

You Only Live Twice by @robertssvgden​ (emmerdale big bang round 3)

You Only Live Twice - Emmerdale Big Bang Round #3

You Only Live Twice by @robertssvgden /anythingbutplatonic 

Artwork by the lovely Heidi @miss-bookworm​​ who made an incredible gifset that is so beautiful, I cried when I saw it and really sums up the themes of the story in a way that I just love. Thank you for all your hard work and patience in bringing this story to life in such a lovely piece!

Summary: Robert Sugden is Agent 007, living a life of luxury as MI5′s most prestigious and coveted agent. But when his increasingly reckless behaviour threatens to put his job and his title - not to mention his life - at risk, Madame Secretary is forced to assign him a new assistant to help him toe the line. But Aaron Dingle is unlike anyone Robert has ever worked with before, and the threat he poses to his place at the top of Her Majesty’s Government might just be the one thing that ends up keeping both his feet on solid ground. James Bond/Bond Girl AU.

Note: This is a WIP, so chapters will be posted weekly! Same day, same time.

 I’d like to put a huge thanks in here to @dingletragedy, @littlelooneyluna, @luststricken, and anyone else who has kept me encouraged and persuaded me to keep going, and to @miss-bookworm who was not only my artist but who also had kind words when I was struggling and painstakingly read every word as I was writing them. 

Snippet:  “Ahem.” 

The sound of someone clearing their throat loudly made him look up from his moody stare at the wood grain of his desk.

And he came face-to-face with a strange man, standing in the middle of his office. He had his thumbs hooked into the pockets of neat dark trousers that emphasized the strong muscles of his calves, and a well-cut suit jacket drew Robert’s attention to the line of broad shoulders that tapered to a narrow waist and hips. Above the impressively-tailored clothes was a handsome, slightly rough-looking face, a clean jawline shaped by a dark beard below thick eyebrows and piercing blue eyes that were currently glaring right at him.

Something dipped in the pit of his stomach, hot and primal, on a base level instinct; recoiling from it, it was immediately replaced with a kind of nausea that he swallowed down as he shifted in his desk chair and forced his tongue to come unstuck from the roof of his mouth, only for the first words to come out of it to be, “Who the hell are you?”

The stranger smirked, his lips curling up at the edges in a wry half-smile. “I’m Aaron, sir. Aaron Dingle. Mrs Sugden hired me to be your new assistant.”

Robert jumped up from his chair in shock, knocking a pot of pens sideways; a cry of “You’ve got to be joking!” bursting from his lips.

Aaron rolled his eyes, raising an eyebrow in amusement. “Expectin’ some glam bird in heels and lipstick, were ya?” He looked down at himself, throwing his arms wide. “Sorry to disappoint. I’m useless at runnin’ in heels.”

[TO BE CONTINUED…]

Emmerdale Big Bang Round 3

Secrets Kept, Secrets Told by @raelee514​     (AO3 LINK)

Emmerdale Big Bang Round 3

Secrets Kept, Secrets Told – AO3 Link

Summary:  Robert and Aaron have always had a connection.

Emmerdale Big Bang Round 3

Aftershocks Chapter 3

Robert being minorly famous is such a fun idea. I know I’d write about him if I worked for Buzzfeed! This was @rustandruin‘s amazing and hilarious idea. Giggle at it with me!