#I actually cried when they took Colin.

[barren-heart]

The Hidden Love Story of What We Do in the Shadows: How The Internet Fell in Love with Harvey Guillen’s Guillermo de la Cruz

I think it’s fair to call this show what it is: a comedy.

The actors have said it’s themselves: the show is 50% improv, 50% script. A lot of what we see is a brilliant collaboration of talent, writing, and the actors saying the funniest thing they can say about something in that moment.

According to Harvey Guillen, some scenes would last 30 minutes each if they didn’t cut it down. That improv is what makes the show what is it: the funniest show on television.

What’s interesting about this little Shit and Fart show (affectionate), is the heart of it all: Guillermo.

Originally the show was looking for an older man to play Nandor’s familiar. The character had worked for his master for 20 years, not 10 as we see in the pilot episode.

Harvey got an audition randomly. At a wine and cheese night of a friend’s, he was invited to audition for the part. It was random, but also, it was fate.

Let me explain.

Harvey Guillen auditioning for the role of Guillermo

(I actually have the full audition tape of Harvey’s if anyone’s interested.) Link below!

Harvey didn’t “fit the part” (Harvey’s words) whatsoever of this character and decided to dress himself to look older, putting on what he calls his Harry Potter glasses and parted his hair down the middle.

The Guillermo we see in the pilot was all Harvey’s idea of what that character should be and the costuming department just ran with it. It’s also fun to point out that to those who don’t know, Harvey created Guillermo’s last name even before he knew he’d play the show’s Vampire Slayer.

I mention this because I don’t think they (showrunner, producers,etc) expected Guillermo to become such a fan favorite. Which kinda explains why his character is the punching bag of season one and why it somewhat changes as seasons go by.

I mean, we don’t even see Guillermo in this season one poster (we don’t see Colin Robinson, either. But I feel like I could write an entirely other post about that character and why I think he’s genuinely the best and most consistently written character on the show. But I won’t right now).

I think they expected Guillermo to be a one-note side kick, which is fine. Many of Harvey’s previous roles were nearly background characters (think Benedict Pickwick in The Magicians).

But, Harvey’s take on the character coupled with his talent at being both comedic and dramatic really shined through. And I think that’s where you start to see that maybe they could do more with him than just being the funny guy in the background.

I also think that’s why you start to see some threading of a more serious plot when it comes to Guillermo’s storyline because of Harvey’s range.

Who would’ve known a funny bit like being a Van Helsing descent in a house full of vampires would get you compelling scenes like the familiar fight The Night Market, Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires, and the Nandor and Guillermo fight in The Portrait?

Harvey mentioned having to train for these and wanted to do his own stunts! And he does them well!

Did they imagine Guillermo being such a badass in the pilot? Probably not. But he is and people took to it. The serious fight scenes (even with bits of comedy filtered in) really stand out in their own as excellent action scenes.

Along with badass scenes, Harvey delivered compelling emotional scenes like Guillermo’s coming out (which Harvey actually cried in as well as other cast and crew, and they had to edit it to not make it too serious), the scene he left Nandor for Celeste, and many scenes in S5’s Exit Interview.

I also think they didn’t anticipate his chemistry with Kayvan Novak. It’s brought up a lot in interviews with them and everyone can tell that they genuinely are really good friends in real life, which makes acting together on screen that much better.

(Funny enough, he was supposed to do a chemistry read with Kayvan before shooting and wasn’t able to meet him until they were on set for the pilot. )

I think in some ways, even though the show wanted it to be a funny Gaston and Lefou type relationship, Kayvan and Harvey had undeniable chemistry you couldn’t deny.

And I think that began to grow with their character’s evolving relationship. From master and servant to friends to sometimes the show and network alluding to them being in a romance (Guillermo’s drunk love confession, Marwa liking what Nandor likes, the Network making videos about shipping Nandermo).

And even Paul Simms (the one who is being grilled for That’s His Boss quote), also said “Guillermo and Nandor is the greatest love story in modern television.”

So yeah, I think originally they started the show with the intention that it was supposed to be similar to the movie that shares its name. The Nandor/Guillermo drama of Shadows the TV show would be so out of place in the movie. The whole Guillermo vampire arc, if it was movie inspired, would not be as dramatic as they have made it in the show.

Looking back to the pilot, I can see that they really tried to make it as close to the source material as possible. But I think it took off in a direction that even the creators didn’t imagine it would go. Just a silly little comedy show about silly little vampires. And don’t get me wrong, it still definitely is.

But the show has evolved. And for better or worse, Nandor and Guillermo’s relationship will be one of the most compelling things about the show and I’m curious where they are going to take it now.

I guess this turned into a bit of an Harvey Guillen appreciation post and honestly, why not? Look at that adorable face.

[greynatomy]

The Letter

Scarlett Johansson x Fem!Reader

i cried while writing and every time i reread it to edit. idk if it’s actually sad or i’m just very emotional. happy bday to me, let’s be emotional together.

this is the second part to Dear Scarlett…

hope you enjoy and tell me what you think

-grey

———

“Dear Scarlett,

Hey! It’s been a while. Probably forgot about me, so in case that’s true, it’s Yn.

You probably have so many questions, hopefully this letter answers most of them.

The very last treatment we did worked. It worked and we just tested way too early to find out. I figured out a about a month after you left. I didn’t tell you because we were officially divorced.

About nine months went by, I welcomed Arlo Prince Johansson into the world.

I gave him the last name Johansson because I wanted us all to have the same name. I’m sorry for keeping your surname, I couldn’t bring myself to change it.

This is where it gets crazy.

Two months before Arlo was born, I started getting extreme pains on my side. Thought it was from being pregnant, but it wasn’t. When it didn’t go away, I went to the hospital and they found tumors that were rapidly spreading to my other organs.

It was liver cancer. Advanced-stage. No cure.

I wanted to reach out to you right when I found out, but I see how happy you are now with Colin and I didn’t want to ruin and get in the way of that.

I also knew my time with Arlo was cut short so I became selfish and kept him to myself. It was just us two, and my lawyer.

You’re probably asking why I had a lawyer even after the divorce, well it’s because I had to start planning for his future before I left.

In the bag that he came with, you’ll see a some folders. Inside are all the pictures I took of him, of us. Birth certificate, DNA test, of course, in case you have any doubts. There’s also a couple CDs, SD cards, flash drives in there too.

The SD cards have more photos, the CDs have some videos I took for the major parts of his life like birthdays or his wedding, especially the birth, stuff like that. And the flash drives has some songs.

I know that I was never successful in my music or production, but I recorded some songs that I made for Arlo. Lullabies that I won’t be able to sing to him anymore. There’s also a couple original songs that I wrote through this rollercoaster of a journey.

I think I covered everything. You’re on the birth certificate if you were wondering so when I die, you’ll have full custody.

I know you’ll be an amazing mother to Arlo because of how well you raised Rose.

I love you. I never stopped. All I wanted was for you to be happy and I am glad that you have that with Colin. This is an official goodbye from me. Make sure Arlo doesn’t forget me, please.

With all my love,

Yn Johansson”

“Oh my god.” Scarlett broke down, crying.

Taglist:

@mmmmokdok @ladyqueenxoxo @soulflame29 @natsxwife @sonicqaulan @scarlettsnat @mrsromanoff @nattyswhore @tashakink @aphrcdtes @hottestwhore @vivs46 @wifeofnatasharomanoff

[lovelyo]

You Can’t Spell Polin Without Colin

Let me be clear. This ain’t a Colin appreciation post. Colin is an entitled, selfish dweeb but even I can see from his POV.

And somehow the Polin fans who swear up and down they love him can’t.

“Colin is a bitch boy”

“Colin stayed mad at Penelope for too long”

“Where’s supportive husband Colin? Where’s Colin ‘My Wife’ Bridgerton?”

“He just needs to forgive her already, get over it!”

This is gonna be a long one.

“Colin is a bitch boy”

That’s a perfect way to invalidate a man’s feelings. Let’s rage about misogyny but talk shit about guys who has feelings 😒. How is he a bitch boy for being upset at someone he loves for lying to him for years, even before they came intimate and when they were just friends.

He was open and transparent with Penelope every step of the way, bared his heart to her, was vulnerable with her and was happy to see that what he wanted was right there in front of him… only for him to find out she’s LW, the person who has been dunking on him and his family, LW whom he loathed. He cried ffs when he found out. The reason that hurt the most wasn’t that she was LW, it’s that she lied to him. She didn't spare a thought that he needed to know about such secrecy i.e, not giving a shit about his feelings. It mirrored exactly what Marina did. (On top of that, he realized that it was her that sent Marina to her doom) She didn’t reciprocate that same vulnerability he did for her and by the end of the season, still chose LW over him and he just had to sit there and take it.

You wanna talk about men not giving a shit about women’s feelings but it’s alright for women to do the same for men in the name of “girlbossing” 🤢

Colin in 2 weeks simmered down about the hurt Penelope has caused him while it took Penelope several months to get over one comment he said about her, which isn’t even detrimental because COLIN DOESN’T OWE PENELOPE A GODDAMN THING! You can’t get mad at someone who doesn’t want to date you. Who do you think you are to even believe you have a claim to someone like they’re a possession. She ghosted him for months over this while he had and did get over lies, shame, and betrayal in, again, a small amount of time. Who’s the bigger whiny bitch?

“Colin stayed mad at Penelope for too long”

Staying mad for too long? He didn’t stay mad long enough! Please contextualize. This man has been in scheming scandals with the Featherington family since season 1 lol. People are forgetting the trauma that he got from the pregnancy scandal, mainly the embarrassment from it being exposed by LW and having the whole ton know his business, which is humiliating as fuck and made him look like a fool(this is why I keep telling you ding dongs to stop saying LW saved the Bridgertons, she did not!) He had to null the engagement with the diamond of the season.

The start of his hatred for LW started from season 1. Colin told Penelope that she should’ve told him to his face about the pregnancy.

“Aschually 🤓☝️, she did try.”

Actually, she did not.

She tried to hint that Marina was still in love with a soldier, not “hey, the misses you trying to spit game at is preggo.” So his friend, knowing this info, instead of telling him the proper information privately to his face as a fricking friend should, printed out his business.

And let’s play devil’s advocate. Ok, Pen told Colin about the pregnancy and Colin didn’t listen. In the same season, we saw Violet do damage control and spinning the rumor windmill to help her daughter get the fuck away from Berbrooke. Penelope knows how supportive and protective the Bridgertons are with each other and also knows how much they like her since she’s friends with Eloise and Colin. Violet would’ve definitely listened, told Colin, and stirred something up to aid the situation.

But nah.

So that happened plus before that scandal came out, LW mocked Daphne for her lack of suitors and said Marina was incomparable, not Daphne. And then the Eloise scandal, all because of LW. Three Bridgertons struck. Even Season 3, LW talked shit about Colin being fake, so Penelope embarrassed him in front of the ton twice. And of course, she had an excuse, “I just wanted the old Colin back!” So you embarrassing him in front of the ton was gonna make him sweet and kind again? 😬

The woman he loves belittled him twice and clearly stands by it 'cause she’s not giving up LW, just not writing it under anonymity. 'So imma acknowledge that I hurt you, the person I love, but I’m not gonna do anything to fix it, but I want you to still support and love me, regardless of what I do,' is essentially what she's saying.

What utter shit, and then we got Pen stans/Polin fans: “Stfu Colin, your angst is ruining my fantasy ship, go kiss, finger, and fuck Penelope already.”

Oh Christ. It’s like whoever doesn’t cater to Penelope deserves the noose.

“Where’s supportive husband Colin? Where’s Colin ‘My Wife’ Bridgerton?”

Where’s supportive wife Penelope? Where’s Penelope ‘I Love You’ Bridgerton? She has declared her love but hasn't really shown it throughout season 3. Show > Tell. Action > Words. With the lies told to him from past to current, this guy undoubtedly has trust issues. How can he believe her? We the viewers saw Pen Hilton pining after Colin through season 1 & 2, but Colin himself doesn't know that she liked him before then. He even said that he thought she wouldn't feel the same about him as he did about her. So when the feeling is finally mutual, Penelope just doesn't do much. It's like she tells him, "I love you" just so he can shut his fucking piehole.

We've seen, despite Colin being upset, him still loving her, wanting her and working through the pain so he can look at Penelope and not immediately think of LW.

"B-B-But, uh, the entrapment comment was too harsh!"

First off, you people act like you have never said mean things to someone out of anger during a fight.

Second, like how you guys say LW is harsh but tells the truth(which is a complete lie, but nothing surprises me anymore with this fandom) that comment was harsh, but he told the truth. She did trap him. While he did ruin her previous proposal, he did chase down her carriage, but right after he proposed, she blabbed to the whole ton the next morning about the engagement(this showed how much the Bridgertons are morons, but I digress). If anything happened, it’d be hard for him to back out without everyone knowing and questioning his honor. It’d be his second time cutting off an engagement and it’d be his 3rd time being humiliated.

He asked if she wanted to be intimate, she immediately said yes. Eloise told her to tell him even before they had sex, but she didn't. Penelope knew Colin hated LW but still agreed to sex before she told him. She didn't even tell him, he had to found out tailing her carriage! So screw you freaks, that comment was well needed for her ass. As said before, Colin has been duped by the Featherington family so him lashing out and saying that is him telling her, 'Prove to me you're not like Marina." (She isn't. She's worse).

"Book!Colin was more supportive!"

Of course he was; LW didn't hurt him, his family, or anyone else. LW wasn't vicious like she is in the show. When Book!Colin found out about LW, him and Penelope were still friends, they weren't engaged, they didn't have sex; Book!Colin didn't hate LW. He was just jelly that Penelope made a legacy own her and he was there still purposeless at age 33(something the show tried to emulate but fell flat in a pile of horse shit). The situation in the show is way worse than what it was in the book. Book!Colin would hate Show!Penelope.

Where was Penelope's support when she saw that he was emotionally damaged by the LW reveal? Where were her attempts to mend the drift when she saw that he wouldn't sleep with her in their marital bed? Where was the comfort when she saw him lying on the couch, mentally worn out? She just passed by him and even suggested leaving in separate carriages. She did not support him when he was at his lowest, his own wife. Now if the show showed Penelope trying to talk to Colin and comfort him and he responded, "Give me more time.”, then fine.

But that didn't happen. He had to be the one to fix the relationship when she was the reason he was depressed. He never considered giving up on her, clearly with him still marrying her and sleeping on the couch they screwed on right outside their room door where he could’ve slept in another room in that huge ass house. He wanted her to try and reconcile but Penelope gave him nothing.

But he’s being too sulky and not supportive enough though Penelope ain’t returning the favor.

We get drowned with LW drama with the Polin fans admonishing Colin for not being a proper pet to Penelope.

Isn't this show named Bridgerton? What in the fresh hell?

He chose her over his own pride, pain and emotions. Penelope didn't do the same but people want to act like Colin isn't supportive or barely supported her, when in a relationship, it goes both ways. His purpose shouldn't be to prop up Penelope but that's what the show limits him to, F his feelings, f his mental health, girlboss Penelope deserves her man and her HEA as if he's a reward or a consolation prize, not a person deeply hurt by someone he thought he knew.

“He just needs to forgive her already, get over it!”

Y'all are trash for this. After all what Penelope has done to him, you want him to get over it so quick so you can have more cringe romantic scenes and soulless sex scenes. It took Eloise a year to forgive Penelope(and it happened in the dumbest fashion, but that's another can of worms). Just because they're together doesn't mean a speedy recovery. Actually it's worse 'cause they are together. He even told Eloise that she’s lucky she’s never been in love; it hurt that much.

The fact he chose to stay is already a big step of him getting over it, but that’s not enough it seems. You want him to get over the hurt she did to him, the lies, the loss of his own agency ‘cause like it or not, Colin still wanted to marry Marina even after knowing the truth but Penelope took away his decision to ensure his availability for her. She embarrassed his family a good number of times. But hey, get over it Colin.

He’s second when it comes to Penelope. He asked this beotch to give up the gossip column, a thing that caused him and others pain throughout the years, to be with him, forget the past and start their new life together. Nope, she chose her career. LW is power and she still wants that manipulative power so take the L from your wife Colin. Her ego won the day, not their love; Penelope is Colin’s first. LW is Penelope’s first, get over it Colin. It’s harsh af knowing you’ll never be first in the heart of the woman that you love.

If anyone needs to get over anything, it’s Penelope. She should’ve been got over Colin’s comment, now stew in her own shit for months; she’s not entitled to his feelings. She should’ve gotten over the damn gossip column that does more harm than good ‘cause if she’s such a great writer, then explore other avenues of writing. You’re already established, it’ll be nothing of you for your works to become popular since the ton already knows you’re a great writer.

The damage for Colin is deep but he must get over it to be the cushion for Penelope, for him to be in the shadows so Penelope can take all the shine ‘cause “feminism woo hoo!” She’s a career woman and Colin’s purpose is just to love Penelope and nothing more.

Penelope, Penelope, Penelope, it’s all about Penelope.

Their relationship shouldn't be imbalanced like it is. The ship is called POLIN. Colin is just as important as Penelope, but the show and even the fans don’t treat it as such. He’s turned to some irrelevant sidekick who’s an accessory for Penelope and his purpose: well of course it is Penelope.

The show made him publish his journals at the end to be like “see look, he does have a purpose of his own!”, though we rarely saw a lead up to that. It’s addressed once, the LW drama comes in, that part of him is buried until the final episode where it’s framed that his anger was jealousy all along, not him having a vendetta against LW for harming him and his loved ones.

Bullshit on top of bullshit.

Yeah, maybe he should’ve went up there and stood with her when she was giving her god awful speech, but his ‘If my only purpose in life is to love a woman as great as you’ toxic feminism speech would’ve just dulled it. Plus, I don’t think people know how abusive that speech is.

They should’ve stood together, Queen deus ex machina gives her pardon, and then he gives her a speech about how the wound is still there but he knows it’ll heal, to be honest with each other going forward, to put the past to rest and continue on into the future, hand in hand as Mr and Mrs. Bridgerton. Cringe, but at least love is the focus. Him being the man behind the woman instead of the man beside the woman undermined their love story and undermined the ridiculous feminism narrative too, sacrificing the equality aspect of both of it.

I’m just ranting at this point but anyway, this ain’t the Penelope show. Give Colin some fucking grace like you do your Mary Sue.

[my-own-walker]

On The Other Line - Epilogue

note: sorry this took so fucking long i literally forgot about it lmao. many thanks to the anon that reminded me.

summary: the happy happy ending, marital bliss and such

warnings: none, just like fluffy stuff

+++

The vanity mirror in front of me lit up my face unforgivingly. I sat staring at my reflection, all too critical of the person staring back at me. Sighing, I picked up my moisturizer and got to work. An attempt to not feel so gross.

It had been years since Colin and I made the promise to each other to be together. 6, actually. 6 years ago to the day.

The date held a certain significance to both of us. Exactly two years after Colin's plea for us to give things a try behind the library, we got married. It was a small ceremony in the Easttown Fire Hall, the cheapest venue. The reception began as soon as we said our 'I do's.' We cleared out the makeshift 'altar' and it became our dance floor.

Small, yes, but also beautiful. I wore a vintage gown. A yellowing babydoll fit floor-length dress with deteriorating lace detailing and sheer fabric sleeves. It was my grandmother's. Colin had only proposed a few months prior. He was so excited to marry me, we rushed the whole ceremony. Looking back, I wouldn't have it any other way.

He wore a deep blue suit. He stood so stiffly at the altar it was as if he was in the police academy again. He cried as he said his vows. We danced all night in mutual bliss, surrounded by our closest family and friends. My Uncle Nick cried, too, when he made his speech, harkening back to the night we first met in his bar. It made him happy to take ownership of the beginning of our relationship like that.

Our first dance was to 'Waterloo Sunset,' by The Kinks. I didn't want anything sappy. Colin cried regardless.

Our tradition became going on a date every year on our anniversary as if we were only first dating again. We owned a house together, yet he'd still show up at the front door and ring the bell, flowers in hand like he was picking me up for our first date. He'd go visit his mom for the afternoon and get ready there, all so he could make things seem authentic. I loved how fresh it made things feel.

Only this year, I actually had butterflies. Not first date jitters, of course. No, this year I had a secret. One I was going to tell Colin about at dinner, or whenever it felt natural, I guess. Putting the brush down, finally satisfied with my work, I opened the bedroom closet to see a dress with a note attached to it.

'I saw this and thought of you. I can't wait to see you tonight. Love, Colin.'

I giggled to myself at his terrible handwriting. I unpinned the paper and brought it to the box I kept all of Colin's handwritten notes in. The dress was a precious brown floral mini-dress with a ruched chest and a white Peter Pan collar. There were puff sleeves and a tie in the back. It was exactly something I'd wear. My heart swelled when I noticed the price tag on the sleeve (the actual price hastily scribbled over by Colin) and saw it was from my favorite vintage store in town.

I slipped it on, softly praying it would fit, and to my surprise, it zipped up with no issue. A wave of nerves and nausea hit me. I doubled over slightly, scared I'd ruin the dress, trying to let it pass.

The doorbell rang so I forced myself to straighten up, slip on some shoes, and meet my 'date' at the door. I turned the knob and saw Colin standing on the step, wearing a brown shirt that matched the color of my dress perfectly under a suit jacket. His tie was knotted pristinely, signaling to me that it was his mother's handiwork. He had a bunch of daisies in his hand, my favorite type of flower.

'Holy shit,' he breathed, drinking me in.

'Oh shut up,' I giggled, feeling shy like I was a teenager all over again.

'That thing looks fuckin' awesome on you,' he grinned. 'I did a good job.'

'Ever the humble man, Zabel,' I quipped.

'Well, Mrs. Zabel, shall we?' he suggested, extending his hand to guide me out of the door. We walked arm-in-arm to the car, daisies now in my hand. He was sure to open the door for me demonstratively, further playing up the chivalry.

The restaurant he picked this year was a pretty good distance from home. I wasn't surprised to see it was an Italian place when we arrived. His favorite. The meal went well. It was a place we'd never tried before but we both ended up loving it.

Shortly before the dessert menus came, Colin produced a small box from his jacket pocket along with a handwritten letter.

'Colin, you didn't have to do that,' I whined.

'Uh-huh, yes I did,' he smirked. 'I don't wanna hear none of that shit, you're my wife and I want to spoil you.' He slid the box over the table to me and gestured with his hand for me to open it. I looked down and weighed the object in my hands.

I looked up at him, gazing through the strands of hair that had fallen in front of my eyes disapprovingly, knowing he spent all too much on an insignificant 4th wedding anniversary. I opened the tiny black velvet box to reveal a pair of dainty gold dangly earrings. One a sun, one a moon, each one possessing both of our birthstones.

'These are beautiful, my gosh,' I breathed, getting all choked up. 'I didn't get you anything nearly as nice!'

'You didn't have to get me anything, gorgeous,' he replied with a smile.

I took the earrings out of the box and put them on, then took a moment to admire how they looked on me using my phone's camera. I grabbed the letter off the table and slipped it into my purse for safekeeping.

'If I read that here I'll probably cry so embarrassingly we'll never be allowed back,' I laughed. 'Now my gift to you.' My stomach lurched at the thought. I couldn't exactly pin down why it made me so nervous to tell him my secret.

Colin took the card out of my hand and opened it. It was a regular anniversary card, but I made a very intentional writing error.

'The 3 of us have an amazing year ahead?' Colin read aloud.

'Mm-hmm,' I nodded, smirking.

'Who's the third?' he laughed, trying to make fun of my mistake. I didn't reply. I just sat there smiling until I saw the look of understanding wash over his face. 'No...'

'Yes,' I grinned.

'You're pregnant?!' he exclaimed, as calmly as he could, given we were in a public setting. I nodded. 'How long have you known?' His words came out in a breathy whisper. Tears brimmed in his eyes. He couldn't contain his smile.

'Just a couple of weeks. I figured it could wait until today.'

He sprung out of his seat and came over to the other side of the table, taking me by my hands to pull me to my feet.

'We're gonna have a baby,' he declared as he wrapped me in a tight embrace. 'I'm gonna be a dad.'

He pulled away, holding me at arm's length, looking at me with sparkling joy in his deep brown eyes. I had never seen a smile so big on his face. I was at a loss for words. His utter delight with the news told me everything I needed to know about our future.

+++

The happy ending Colin deserved :') I'm literally so sorry I forgot about this story idk what happened lmao. Thanks again to the anon that reminded me and thanks to all of you for your continued patience!

[bridgertonbabe]

Are birthday crown/ hats a thing in the Bridgerton Household?

If so how is Sophie’s first birthday and getting her first crown from the Bridgerton’s after ABC rescue her from the witch bitch…?

Oh yes they're still very much a birthday tradition in the Bridgerton household, carried on from Grandpa Ledger.

During Sophie's first year at Hogwarts she doesn't actually mention to her brand new friends when her birthday is, not wanting to cause any fuss and seeing no point in telling them, and besides it was going to be one the best birthdays in recent memory regardless since she wouldn't have to be spending it with Araminta or Rosamund.

Her 12th birthday was going well as it coincided with the school day which had all of her favourite lessons and during breakfast and lunch she treated herself to bigger plates of food to mark the occasion - but then suddenly a school owl unexpectedly arrived in the middle of the lunch hour presenting her with an envelope. When her friends asked her what it was she shrugged it off and went to stuff it in her bag when a second owl landed in front of them; this time with a big parcel and a letter addressed to Phillip. When Colin and Michael turned their attentions to him, Phillip equally tried to dismiss the late arrival of his post. However Colin wasn't accepting the excuse and snatched the envelope from him and upon opening it he was shocked by what he found.

"A birthday card?!" he blinked incredulously at Phillip. "It's your birthday today?!"

Sophie looked to Phillip in disbelief as she realised her fellow Ravenclaw had also never disclosed the date of his birthday.

"Well... yeah." Phillip nodded shyly.

"Merlin's Beard, Phil! Why the hell wouldn't you mention it to us before now?!" Colin cried out.

A gasp then drew the group's attention to Michael, and Sophie's eyes widened when she spotted the opened envelope in his hand - the envelope which she had only just hastily stuffed into her bag.

"Hang on - it's your birthday too?!" Michael gaped at her.

"WHAT?!" Colin spluttered.

Sophie's mouth hovered open as she looked from the aghast expressions of Colin and Michael, and then glanced to the surprised look on Phillip's face before she gave a little nod.

"What the hell?!" Colin exclaimed. "You guys do know you're meant to share stuff like this with us, right? Birthdays are meant to be a celebration; why would you hide it away?!"

"It's no big deal." Phillip shrugged at the same time Sophie uttered; "I didn't want to cause a fuss."

Colin and Michael shared incredulous looks with one another, stunned with their best friends self-effacing answers.

"Well it is a big deal and we will cause a fuss!" Colin declared as he got to his feet.

"Yeah!" Michael cheered before the pair ran off.

Sophie then had the chance to read her card, genuinely curious to know who it was from seeing as she hadn't expected anyone to acknowledge it. Much to her surprise she discovered it was from Posy and she wondered how her muggle stepsister had managed to get the card delivered via owl. It only took a glance towards the head table where the teachers sat, where she caught the eye of Professor Danbury who raised a goblet with a knowing smile on her face to provide Sophie with enough of an idea of how the delivery came to be.

"Who's your card from?" Phillip asked, drawing her attention away from the head table of the Great Hall.

"My stepsister, Posy."

"What about your stepmother?"

Sophie quickly shook her head. "It's not really her thing." she replied in a quiet tone. "What about you? Who's your card from?"

"My mum." Phillip replied with a soft smile. "She always gets me magnolia-scented cards." he said and gave the card a gentle flap and a second later Sophie got a waft of the sweet floral fragrance. "We always have picnics, just me and her, under the magnolia trees back home."

"That sounds really lovely." Sophie smiled sweetly.

He nodded with a fond faraway look in his eyes before he turned to her. "Happy birthday, by the way."

"Happy birthday to you too." she smirked

"So, I guess that makes us birthday twins?"

The smile on her face stretched even bigger at the recognition that her and Phillip's connection now had another layer to it, her heart warming at the thought that their shared birthday meant that they were always destined to be best friends.

"I can't think of anybody else I'd rather share my birthday with than you." Sophie said, affectionately bumping shoulders with him before the pair of them burst into giggles.

Meanwhile with Michael following after him, Colin had hurtled out into the courtyard where he found his elder brothers hanging out and he breathlessly tried telling them about an emergency. When Anthony and Benedict got him to calm down and explain things in less of a rush, they were both taken aback to hear that not one but two of Colin's best friends had failed to mention it was their birthday.

"Why didn't they say?" Anthony frowned.

"Dunno! They said they didn't want to cause a fuss or anything!" Colin threw his hands up in disbelief.

Benedict's heart panged with sympathy, feeling bad that neither Phillip nor Sophie seemed accustomed to celebrating their birthdays with any fanfare whatsoever.

"What are we meant to do? Even if I wrote to mum and dad and asked them to send something it wouldn't get here until tomorrow!" Colin huffed.

"I could write to mine since they're closer by." Michael put forward. "I'm sure mum would be able to get her hands on some tins of shortbread to send by this evening at the very least?"

"Yes! Do that!" Colin nodded agreeably and immediately Michael began rummaging through his bag to grab a quill and parchment. "And we can make cards during History of Magic - but what else are we going to do?" he whined.

"You could go to the kitchens and ask the house elves if they could make a cake for them?" Anthony suggested. "Offer them an old T-shirt or something you're happy to part ways with and they'd definitely be happy to do it for you."

"That's good, that's good." Colin nodded along. "Gah, I just wish I could give them birthday crowns like Grandpa makes us."

"Well why don't you make some yourself?" Benedict pointed out.

Colin pulled a face back at him. "I don't know how to make birthday crowns!"

"What's with the confused look?" Benedict laughed. "They're easy enough to make."

"But I've never made one before!" Colin continued. "And besides I won't have time considering I've got to find a house elf to barter with and make cards as well!"

Anthony and Benedict exchanged a look and rolled their eyes at Colin's ridiculousness. However, they both knew Colin just wanted to do his best to celebrate his best friends' birthday as best as he could and they supposed it was a lot to put together in such a short space of time.

"Alright, how about this; I'll find something else for you to give them as presents and Ben will make the birthday crowns for you." Anthony offered.

"Really?" Colin's eyes lit up. "You'd do that for us?"

"Of course." Benedict nodded. "Sophie and Phil deserve to have a good birthday."

And so while Michael scampered off to the Owlery, Colin sped away to the kitchens, and Anthony made a start on figuring out what else to give the birthday boy and girl, Benedict began making the beloved Bridgerton birthday crowns for the pair.

Benedict's efforts continued into his lessons though fortunately Divination was a doss that he could carry on making the crowns in without interruption. Finally he was able to finish them up in Charms class, and he even got advice from Professor Danbury about a charm he could implement that would change the colour of the crowns depending on the moods of their wearers.

At dinner Sophie and Phillip were just about to dig into their meal when they were startled by Michael and the Bridgerton brothers singing them happy birthday. Cards were then distributed to both of them (with Anthony and Benedict managing to make their own cards as well to give to the birthday pair), the deliciously appetizing chocolate cake was presented to them by Colin, and Michael gave them tins of shortbread and also gifted them a knitted scarf each which he said was from his mum (Helen Stirling had knitted them for her son ahead of the cold Scottish winter but upon his panicked letter to her at lunch she sent the two she had already made knowing she could easily whip up another one for her son). Anthony then gave them a bouquet of flowers each (which he had managed to nick from the greenhouse behind the Herbology professor's back) and then he and Benedict proceeded to adorn the pair with the birthday crowns. The crowns both turned light pink to match the identical blush on the Sophie and Phillip's faces, both of them in shock at the lengths their new friends had gone to in celebrating their birthdays.

They thanked them all profusely and when Sophie received a hug from Benedict, it went completely unnoticed by the Bridgertons how her mood-influenced crown turned a deep pink to reflect the newly turned 12 year old's blossoming crush.

[silverhallow]

May I respectfully request a drabble of drunk, then hungover Michael and Phillip?

I have no idea if this is any good as my muse is being a prick… but here I hope you enjoy it

It hadn’t meant to get out of hand like it did.

It had been a while since Phillip and Michael had seen one another and they’d planned just a few quiet drinks whilst their wives were with the children…

That was what they had planned…

But it went slightly wayward after Michael got out the bottle of Whiskey and then totally out of hand when the second bottle came out… neither were in control of what was going on anymore.

The two men were the closest in age out of the male Spouses. Phillip and Sophie were the same age but with Simon being 10 years older than them, they were just 3 years apart but both in the same boat so had bonded from the off.

They had inherited titles they never expected to get. Phillip had been the second son and Michael the cousin…

But both… had had the responsibility thrust upon them and it was down to them to deal with it all and found the other man to be quite sympathetic to their plight.

Out of all the Bridgerton’s and Spouses, both had other’s that they got on better with. Phillip with Sophie, Michael with Colin, both of whom were incidentally the same age as them but if made to choose their second, they would always choose one another but it was rare that they’d have time with just the two of them.

Sophie and Benedict had written to say that 6 year old Violet had a little bit of a fever so they were going to have to miss dinner and Colin and Penelope were in London visiting her mother with their brood so it had just been the two couples and after dinner, Eloise and Francesca had taken one year old Fred and John to bed and a few month old Janet was napping on her mother’s bosom when they’d retired to Phillip’s study.

It had started jovially enough, as most of the reunions with a fellow Bridgerton spouse did…

Talking about the insane things their wives had been getting up to, what their children were doing and how they were holding up and then sharing the news of what was going on with the other spouses.

Not that Phillip was a fan of gossiping, he reasoned that this wasn’t gossip, it was family news and therefore was acceptable.

He’d just finished filling Michael in about Lottie’s latest plans where she’d posted her mother’s flute and father’s trumpet along with Miles to William and Violet in Wiltshire and begged for them to throw them in the lake so their parents would never find it, when Michael had broken out the whiskey.

“I’d planned to share this with the rest but it’s just us… Benedict won’t mind that much if we drink some of it without him after last time…”

“He might but Sophie will be pleased. It took him 4 days to shake that last whiskey hangover… Vivi cried thinking her papa had actually died…” Phillip said with a chuckle.

“Well then we are saving his marriage by drinking it without him…” Michael had said before pouring them both a glass and launching into a tirade about one of his tenants and how he’d had to leave Francesca in charge of sorting it whilst she was pregnant as he’d taken poorly with his malaria.

Their conversation flowed easily with the whiskey, Phillip had told him about the twins and Charlie joining forces to get their own back on Alex and how it had ended in a lot of tears because Will, Penny and Vivi had gotten caught in the flour storm and Mrs Crabtree had scolded them so hard that even Oliver had cried.

And it had taken the three of them four hours to clean up the mess that they had made and then they got a lecture from Benedict and Sophie which had made them all feel even worse.

It was nearly midnight when they’d finished the first and suggested one more as a nightcap before they headed to bed…

But it didn’t end up being one more. Michael had slipped on his chair and sent the paper ball he was playing with into the air and it had landed in Phillip’s drink and Michael had cheered and said that Phillip then had to drink the entire drink in one…

And it turned into a competition.

They may not be actual bridgerton’s but they’d spent enough time around them that they had both caught the competitive gene…

And it turned into a game. Their glasses on the end of Phillip’s desk, tossing paper balls into the drink…

Until they’d passed out on the floor neither unable to stand.

Neither of them remembered their wives poking their heads in to enquire if they were coming to bed in the middle of the paper ball game, when they’d yelled something incoherent…

And had no idea that they were going to make them pay the following morning…

The sun had barely come up when the door to the office flew open with a very loud bang and Eloise and Francesca stood there over the as they looked up at them, bleary eyed and looking very pale and in need of a chamber pot to throw up in.

“Seen as you two couldn’t be bothered to spend time with your wives after dinner and got foxed instead…” Eloise said

“We’ve decided we’re going to go visit Sophie and make sure little Vivi is okay and offer our assistance with the boys…” Francesca said

“We’ve given the nannies the afternoon off, so YOU two are in charge of the kids once they’ve broken their fast… so you need to get your sodden bottom’s off the floor and get sober quickly… we’ll be back after dinner this evening” Eloise said, linking her arm through Francesca’s and turning around without so much of a word.

Phillip and Michael turned to one another, green in the face and after Phillip threw up in a shoe… and much to his dismay, Michael threw up in one of his plant pots “i think we’re being punished…”

“I think so…”

But as they heard the hyper screams from the children they went white “oh Jesus Christ” Michael groaned “i think i’m going to die…”

“DADDDDDDDDDDDY UNCYYYY MIKEEEEEEEEEEEE… FREDDIE AND NETTIE MADE A MESS!” came Penny’s voice and both men looked over at one another and knew that today could not get possibly worse.

[rosiesramblings]

Hello! Sorry it’s taken a while, I just wanted to put a lot of thought into these HCs which I’ve done for just Roy, Colin, Jamie and Sam

Roy

Will pretend he’s not ticklish, that he won’t tickle other people

Has walked into the changing rooms before and seen some sort of tickle fight going on. Will shout “no!” and walk off

Or “fuck no!” if someone in the middle of the tickle fight catches his eye

No one on the team is brave (or stupid enough) to try to tickle Roy

They just assume he’s not ticklish, after all, they’ve never heard him laugh - that one time doesn’t count, they were more worried about their penises

Most ticklish spots: armpits and top of ribs

Colin

Will laugh until he cries which doesn’t take long

Really ticklish knees and thighs. Physio massages are torture for him

Can’t stand his feet being tickled and will not go anywhere barefoot

The only time he’s not really reactive to tickles is when he’s sad. After Nate told him he doesn’t inspire anyone, it took a while for him to respond to tickles again

Gets in his own head a lot and when Isaac notices this, he can’t resist pinching that super ticklish spot just under Colin’s ribs

Most ticklish spots: under his ribs, knees/thighs and feet

Jamie

Screeches if you get him in the right spot but there is no wrong spot as Jamie is ticklish everywhere

Roy will roll his eyes and say he is “such a child” whenever he sees Jamie getting tickled

Has a habit of putting his hands under his shirt or keeping his hands over his stomach to protect his most ticklish spot

Laughs like the littlest boy

Most ticklish spot: belly and (weirdly) his right foot but not so much his left

Sam

Don’t let the sweetness fool you, he is the most evil and ruthless tickler

Can even get a small reaction from Jan Mass who notoriously isn’t ticklish

Has very ticklish feet himself and quite ticklish on his ribs but can control it

Actually wished he was as ticklish as Colin or Jamie cuz that looks like fun and Sam loves to tickle his more ticklish team mates

Most ticklish spot: feet

oh my GOD these are GOLDEN!!!!! I mean they're all spot on but Roy's were absolute perfection - the 'fuck no!' hc had me rolling because it is SO ACCURATE!!! And Jamie is for sure a screecher, 100%. These were a fucking joy to read and I've already gone back and reread them 2ce.

[bobbyinthegarden]

Return to the Secret Garden by Holly Webb (Review)

Spoilers ahead (though I will give a warning when I really get into spoiler-y territory)

I spoke a little bit about this book in the February Reading Wrap-up post, that’s essentially the TL;DR version of this post. If you want an even short version: I did not like this book very much.

Return to the Secret Garden is a 2015 sequel to The Secret Garden, written by British author Holly Webb. Prior to this book, I was actually aware of Holly Webb as an author, the front covers of her various books are very familiar to me, as somebody who was a child in the 2000s and who used to spend a lot of time in the library, and I remember having a copy of her book Alfie All Alone at home (though I don’t remember reading it – I might have done, not sure). She’s quite a prolific author, and (based on perusing her Goodreads page) seems to write mostly for the pre-teen girl demographic, with many of her stories centering around cute animals (puppies, kittens and the like), which explains the cat sub-plot in this book. 

I don’t know if all editions of the book have this, but in the copy of Return to the Secret Garden that I bought, there is an interview with Webb at the end, in which she states that The Secret Garden is one of her all-time favourite books, and that she took a lot of care to craft a story that felt true to the original work. I do believe her when she says this, that is to say that I don’t think that this book is just a shameless cash grab.

The book opens in 1939, at the initial outbreak of the Second World War. Children at a London Orphanage are being evacuated to Misselthwaite because of the treat of bombing. We are introduced to our protagonist, a ten year old girl named Emmie. Emmie is honestly kind of a tough character for me, because as a protagonist I don’t find her especially distinctive. She’s meant to embody some of the unpleasantness that Mary exhibits at the beginning of the original book, but she’s also clearly meant to be likeable and relatable to the hypothetical ten year old girl who is reading the book, and so much of Mary’s meanness has been shaved off. Personally, I found her to be a difficult character to warm to, mostly just finding her to be quite bland. I spoke about this in my February Reading Wrap-up post, but it really didn’t help that I had just finished reading The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. LeGuin right before this book, as Tenar (the protagonist of that book, also a young girl, though at fifteen, she is older than Emmie), to be an incredibly psychologically interesting and flawed character whose arc is riveting to follow. I can’t say that same about Emmie, she just doesn’t have that much depth.  

The story has many of the same plot elements of the original book, such as:

the previously discussed mean-spirited, lonely orphan

a rich child, who cries in the night

a grumpy but ultimately kind older gardener character (in this case, that role is filled by Dickon)

an absent father (in this case, the father is Colin, who is in the Navy and so is away fighting in the war)

the garden, which Emmie discovers

animal companions (both a robin, as in the original, and cat)

As this list would imply, several of the characters from the original book are present here, with Mary, Colin, Dickon and Martha all making appearances. Mary and Colin are married, and they have two sons, one of whom is Jack (the rich child, who cries in the night) who is the same age as Emmie. Having Mary and Colin be married or romantically involved is a trend that I’m noticing a lot with adaptations (it’s also present in the 1987 TV movie). Surprisingly though, neither of them are in the story that much, Colin is only physically present for one scene, and, while Mary is physically present for much of the book, she doesn’t do very much, and so her presence is definitely lacking somewhat – she’s also oddly bubbly, which seems like an odd characterisation to me. Speaking of odd characterisation, Dickon’s portrayal was also confusing, his characterisation is completely different to how it is in the original book. I suppose you could justify it by saying that Webb is giving commentary about the ways in which war changes people, which is admirable, but the character just didn’t feel like Dickon at all. Martha is here too, she doesn’t do very much either though, and so her presence feels extremely small.  

The plot is not really memorable or distinctive enough to really analyse. It’s just The Secret Garden, but like… less interesting. The one noteworthy thing that happens (major spoiler alert here) is that Colin dies after his ship sinks around halfway through the book. I would applaud Webb for such a radical move, killing one of the original central characters, but honestly it mostly just feels contrived, like they really needed something to make this story more interesting and add angst.

One noteworthy element of the story is the diary aspect. The story is told in-part through Mary’s diary, which essentially tell the story of the original book, and which Emmie read (this is how she comes to learn about the garden). It’s worth noting that Mary never kept a diary in the original book, this diary is purely an invention of Webb’s. As a plot contrivance, it’s mostly useful for exposition, though it does feel a little tedious for somebody who has already read and knows the plot of the original book. I suppose the diary element would be useful for somebody who had never read (or watched a film version) of the original – though I don’t know why somebody would read this book if they weren’t already familiar with the original. Also, it took much too long for Emmie to realise that the people she was reading about in the diary are the same people who she interacts with every day, indeed the knowledge that Mary and Dickon in the diary are Mrs Craven and Mr Sowerby is treated somewhat like a reveal, which just seemed very odd and unnecessary to me.

As I’m sure you can tell, I didn’t like this book very much. But the worst part is that there isn’t really a lot to say about it. In terms of the writing, there’s nothing wrong with the prose, and other than the off characterisation, there’s nothing that really stands out about it.

[biahfma]

for the ask game-- 3 and 22?

ooh, nice!!

3. 1-3 games you've played in the past 12 months that you really enjoyed

SO. it's not a surprise to anyone, but this January I actually bought and started playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I loved it so much that I ended up reading all eight books for which the game serves as a non-canon sequel, watched the show twice (once by myself, another one with my mother), and I am one achievement away from getting 100% on Steam. It's become one of my favorites and I really do love it.

Some screenshots I took while playing the game again after I read the books bc I'm VERY NORMAL about it:

And also, I replayed and, for the first time, I finished The Wolf Among Us!! Really, really good game, my favorite from Telltale, definitely, and one of my favorites in general. Because of that, I actually reread the Fables comics I had read in 2019, and, yes, I am also very normal about Bigby and Snow.

ANYWAYS, here are some screenshots of that too:

22. A game ending that's really stuck with you

ABOUT THIS ONE. I don't think I have any screenshots I took because I played it in a different place, but anyways...

I feel like all of my favorite games have really good endings, including those two above (I did cry of happiness during one of the epilogue endings in TW3, not gonna lie), but, for this one, I will actually say two of them.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I played it for the first time when I was 12, and to this day it's my favorite game ever.

It was actually the first game in which I cried during the ending scene, not because it was particularly sad, but because I felt I would never experience the same feeling of finishing it for the first time again. When the sages appeared all together? I was bawling.

Finding Paradise. OKAY, I DID CRY WITH TO THE MOON TOO, BUT I CRIED WITH THIS ONE FOR THE LAST HALF HOUR OF THE GAME, I'M NOT KIDDING YOU. When the song starts playing; when it shows how Colin wouldn't change a thing because, even if he has regrets, he doesn't want to lose anything of what he has now; them having to tell Sofia that Colin wrote everything with the invisible paint she taught him about... Truth be said, if I think about it hard enough, I remember it perfectly and I can use it to start crying at will.

[barren-heart]

I think they said they outlined it before the strike. But they don’t film until January, I think? I’m assuming that they probably have most of it completed, especially with the holidays coming up.

I think it’s fair to call this show what it is: a comedy. The actors have said it’s 50% improv, 50% script. So a lot of it is based on just what’s the funniest thing they can say about something in that moment and then they edit it later. According to Harvey Guillen, some scenes would last 30 minutes each if they didn’t cut it down.

What’s interesting about this show is the wildcard: Harvey Guillen. Originally the show was looking for an older man to play Nandor’s familiar and Harvey got an audition randomly. He just went to a party and got invited to audition from someone there. It was random, but also, it was fate.

Let me explain.

Harvey didn’t “fit the part” (Harvey’s words) whatsoever of this character and dressed himself to look older, putting on what he calls his Harry Potter glasses and parted his hair down the middle.

The Guillermo we see in the pilot was all Harvey’s idea of what that character should be and the costuming department just ran with it.

(I actually have the full audition tape of Harvey’s if anyone’s interested. Maybe I’ll add in a link later?)

I mention this because I don’t think they (showrunner, producers,etc) expected Guillermo to become such a fan favorite. Which kinda explains why his character is the punching bag of season one and why it somewhat changes as seasons go by.

I mean, we don’t even see Guillermo in this season one poster (we don’t see Colin Robinson, either. But I feel like I could write an entirely other post about that character and why I think he’s genuinely the best and most consistently written character on the show. But I won’t right now).

I think they expected Guillermo to be a one-note side kick, which is fine. Many of Harvey’s previous roles were nearly background characters such as that.

But, Harvey’s take on the character coupled with his talent at being both comedic and dramatic really shined through. And I think that’s where you start to see that maybe they could do more with him than just being the funny guy in the background.

I also think that’s why you start to see some threading of a more serious plot when it comes to Guillermo’s storyline because of Harvey’s range.

Who would’ve known a funny bit like being a Van Helsing descent in a house full of vampires would get you compelling scenes like The Night Market, Nouveau Théâtre des Vampires, and The Portrait?

Harvey mentioned having to train for these and wanted to do his own stunts! And he does them well!

Did they imagine Guillermo being such a badass in the pilot? Probably not. But he is and people took to it. The serious fight scenes (even with bits of comedy filtered in) really stand out in their own as excellent serious action scenes.

Along with badass scenes, Harvey delivered compelling emotional scenes like Guillermo’s coming out (which Harvey actually cried in as well as other cast and crew, and they had to edit it to not make it too serious), the scene he left Nandor for Celeste, and many scenes in S5’s Exit Interview.

I also think they also did not anticipate his chemistry with Kayvan Novak. It’s brought up a lot with interviews with them and everyone can tell that they genuinely are really good friends in real life, which makes acting together on screen that much better.

(Funny enough, he was supposed to do a chemistry read with Kayvan before shooting and wasn’t able to meet him until they were on set for the pilot. )

And I think that began to grow with their character’s evolving relationship. From master and servant to friends to sometimes the show and network alluding to them being in a romance (Guillermo’s half-baked love confession, Marwa liking what Nandor likes, the show making videos about shipping Nandermo).

I think in some ways, even though the show wanted it to be a funny Gaston and Lefou type relationship, Kayvan and Harvey had undeniable chemistry you couldn’t deny.

So yeah, I think originally they started the show with the intention that it was supposed to be similar to the movie that shares its name. (Shadows movie is hilariously ridiculous and arguably funnier imo than the tv show.)

Looking back to the pilot, I can see that they really tried to do just that. But I think it took off in a direction that even the creators didn’t imagine it would go. Just a silly little comedy show about silly little vampires. And don’t get me wrong, it still definitely is. It just evolved.

The drama of Shadows the TV show would be so out of place in the movie. The whole vampire arc, if it was movie inspired, would not be as dramatic as they have made it in the show. The humor is just too different. But the show has evolved for better or worse and I’m curious where they are going to take it now.

I guess this turned into a bit of an Harvey Guillen appreciation post and honestly, why not? Look at that adorable face.

btw I'm reblogging "that's his boss" posts that I find funny, but I am NOT taking it as serious information about the show. Like, c'mon. The number 1 priority of this show has ALWAYS been to be silly goofy, and I wouldn't be surprised if the showrunners don't even have the events of the next season nailed down yet. (disclaimer I know nothing about making a TV show)

[velvetcloxds]

A HUSBAND'S DUTY | A.B.

Pairing: husband!anthony bridgerton x wife!reader

Word count: 1.6k words

Warnings: injury, little blood, getting stitches, anthony being an idiot, fem pronouns

Summary: after a little accident in town left you in need of some comfort while getting stitches, anthony fears he may be developing feelings for his wife

A/n: this was actually my very first anthony fic so go easy on me lol

Library Blog | Navigation | Taglist

Anthony was admittedly concerned as he walked into the Bridgerton home, he had received a rather vague letter demanding his return but no more than that, though the cart of the physician that stood idle in front of the front door did not instill him with much relief.

"Whatever is the matter?” He demanded from the youngest Bridgerton brother, Colin looking no more in the know than he was, but a loud cry soon followed the silence and Anthony’s heart sank, though the voice it belonged to had been a rather new addition to his setting, he’d still recognize it without any prompt at all. “Is Y/n hurt?” Anthony added, now more alarmed than he was when he came in and Colin offered him a careful nod, hands reaching for his shoulders to keep him in place when he dared to take off towards you.

“There was a minor accident in town, Y/n tripped on her way into the carriage and managed to cut herself on the wheel,” he explained with an almost calming tone, knowing that despite the practically transparent charade Anthony enacted, there was no denying that the viscount cared deeply for his wife. “It is not as awful as her shouts make it appear, merely a few stitches to her arm, though she seems remarkably unfond of the needle, that is all.”

Anthony considered the words carefully, somewhat relieved that the injury was not as dreadful as the thousands of scenes his mind presented him at your first cry, but he was still uneasy. There was an unreasonable feeling biting at his stomach, it begged him to go to you, be there for you and he’d half the heart to pay it no mind but he was not sure he had enough restraint to do so.

“Eloise and Benedict are at her side, brother, you need not fret,” Colin began, a door creaking upstairs, footsteps fleeing down the hall, and with the bedroom now open to eager ears, he heard your voice even clearer than before, his name being the only thing to truly filter through as you begged for your husband to be brought to you and it was that shrill demand that had something in his chest snap. Colin sighed as he took hold of his brother’s top hat, watching the man strut up the stairs with determination.

“Please, no more,” you cried with your bloodied arm held tightly in place by Benedict, Eloise sat next to you on the bed as you shook your head in objection, resembling that of a child refusing to go to bed and were it not for the circumstance, Anthony would have taken a moment to take note of it, yet he cleared his throat instead. Your eyes found his in an instant, new tears, now of relief, cascading down your cheeks as your husband shrugged off his coat and shoes.

“Thank heavens,” Benedict sighed, carefully releasing your arm from his grip, a silent nod telling Eloise to follow him as he decided to leave you in the capable hands of his brother. “I wish you good luck, brother,” he mused as he patted Anthony’s shoulder, sparing you a sympathetic smile as he did. “She is intent on refusing help,” he added, and the siblings retreated to their own rooms.

“Anthony,” you breathed as he made his way towards you, nodding to greet the physician before climbing onto the bed with you.

“My love,” he cooed, sparing a glance at the worrying cut that traveled along your skin, an irritated wound if he had ever seen one, your squirming doing quite well in aiding the cause. “Have I not told you to be more careful with that spiteful step?” he reprimanded in the same soft tone, brows furrowed in concern as he moved his body behind yours, assuring a tight hold on you as your back rested against his chest.

“You have,” you agreed, nuzzling into his neck as careful hands rubbed at your waist to calm you down. “Please, tell them that there is no need for all this fuss,” you insisted and knew you would not get your way when he tutted lowly, kissing your forehead as you looked up at him with large eyes, a look he had never seen before, though that was but one of many new gestures you had shared within a few moments.

“I believe that despite your fighting, you are nearly free of this torture, merely a few more seconds, and then I shall ensure you never have to see the poor man again,” he bargained, and had you been of sound mind, you would have reprimanded him for attempting to manage your emotions, though you could not deny the serenity you found in his arms- what seemed utterly terrifying a second ago, was now but an uncomfortable excuse to be closer to him than ever before.

“Will you stay?” you sighed with a soft pout, allowing your head to fall further into the crook of his neck to better your view of his handsome face, one that was now adorned with a caring smile that you were sure he had conjured only for you.

“Until the very end, dearest,” he promised with a gentle shrug and you took a second before nodding, closing your eyes in preparation for the prick of the needle, breathing in Anthony’s cologne instead, feeling the soft material of his shirt against your cheek, the almost non-existent strokes of his thumbs against your sides, you were sure that if Benedict or Eloise could see you now they would think you mad. You thought yourself quite mad as well, finding so much solace, so much peace in a man who had married you while promising none, yet he held you so tightly, kept you so close, you felt as though you might shatter once he released you back into a world without his embrace.

You were unsure how long you had allowed yourself to be lost in Anthony before your stitches had been finished, the gentle tone of his voice bidding the old man goodbye summoning you back to your bedroom as you felt a flustered blush creep over your cheeks, gentle eyes looking down at you to ensure that you were in fact alright.

“I should apologize to your siblings,” you noted, daringly leaning further into him as he laughed softly, moving his hands to accommodate your shifting body as one arm cradled your back to keep you against his chest while the other dragged nimble fingers over the cloth that hid your closed wound. “I fear I may have acted fairly out of character.”

“You have,” he agreed and raised a brow when you avoided his gaze, looking down at your own hands as they laid in your lap. “Though, I do not believe any harm was done. In fact, now that my mind has cleared of worry, I can appreciate the terror on their faces upon my arrival.”

“You were worried about me?”

“Terribly. I cannot say that I remember ever experiencing worry quite like it,” he admitted and you felt your fingers entwining with his, you half expected him to pull away, return to the man you had known in the months after your wedding, the one who insisted on boundaries and distance, the one who insisted on pretending he was cold when he was truly just a man terrified to allow love into his life when it could so easily be stolen from him. “If I had any say in the matter, I would wish not to experience it again.”

“I am sorry for worrying you,” you nearly whispered, and he shook his head, smiling down at you as he regained your attention. “I did not know that Benedict had sent for you until I saw you standing at the door, and at the time I was far too relieved to see you to think of anything else.”

“You need not apologize, my love, is it not a husband’s duty to worry about his wife?” he teased, and it was though he achieved something marvelous when a smile sifted onto your lips as well, he knew he had matters to tend to, the day still long as he took note of tasks left abandoned when he came here, though he could not bring himself to leave you after the little ordeal. “How would you like to accompany me to some meetings in town?” he asked before he could stop himself and your face flooded with shock. “I am to finish up for the day and it would give me much more peace of mind if you were with me.”

“I would love to,” you squealed, knowing you ought to be hiding your excitement at such a simple request, but your moments together had left you drowning in greed, you would delight in whatever opportunity that held his presence as a promise. “I shall change first,” you giggled, smiling at him before he guided you out of his arms and onto the floor, watching you as you padded towards the bathroom.

“How fair the wounded bird?” Benedict teased as he stilled in the doorway, leaned up against the doorframe as he took a bite from his apple, brow raised at his brother who looked only at the closed door you had just disappeared into. “Anthony?”

“Something horrible is happening, Benedict,” he breathed, shaking his head as he met his brother’s gaze. “I believe that I am falling in love with my wife.”

all fandoms: @scandalous-chaos @the-blue-forest

bridgerton: @mirclealignr @saintlike78 @wrathspoet @esposamultifandom @murdockcastleslut @littlsstuff @golden-hoax @joline12829

other: @sarahisslytherin @leydileyla

[boston-babies]

Heart to Heart

A/n: okay so here’s the heart to heart conversation between Ryan and Chris. I cut a lot out because at one point it was just getting way to long but I really hope you guys like it

all the kids stampeded into the kitchen through the back door. They each got quiet as they looked around but only found Chris in the kitchen. Dani spoke up first “where’s mommy?” Chris put a smile on “she’s not feeling to well piglet so she’s laying down” Dani pouted “but the tree lighting is tonight, is she going to be okay to go?” “We’ll see piglet” Ryan scoffed “yeah bet she finally couldn’t stand being around you anymore”

Chris stood “alright Ryan we need to talk.” Ryan shrugged “I actually have nothing to say to you” Ryan walked off and Chris followed him. Ryan made it to the den before Chris grabbed his arm “don’t walk away from me Ryan” Ryan pulled his arm free and snapped “why not? You’re the one walking away from this family!” Chris nodded “alright” he lead Ryan to the couch and sat him down “I appreciate you protecting your mom and your brothers and sister but Ry, you’re taking it too far”

Ryan crossed his arms and shook his head “no I’m not, because I need to protect them from you. You can spin your bullshit to mom but I see right through the act. I see the manipulative, selfish asshole that you really are” Chris looked hurt “is that really what you think of me Ryan?”

Ryan shrugged “I don’t know what else to think now. I use to think you were the best dad in the world. A dad that actually gave a damn about us. When I would hear Kyle and Colin talk about their dads I would feel awful but then think how lucky we were to have you. Yeah I looked up to you and wanted to be like you-“ he thought for a moment “I can look past this hurting me cause honestly I know I’ll get over it eventually. What I can’t get past and what I’ll never forgive? The way you hurt mom”

Ryan’s voice broke “why’d you do it?” Chris sighed “because I was hurt and instead of doing what I should have done, I went the childish, immature route and I didn’t stop to think and I will live with that for the rest of my life”

Chris saw Ryan trying his hardest not to cry “I looked up to you! I would never ever do what you did! I know this is your subconscious way of trying to self sabotage your family because your mad that you and mom met, got married and had me so young.” The dam broke and Ryan couldn’t stop the tears

Chris took a breath and sat next to Ryan “yes we were just starting out when we met in New York. Yes we were really young but the one thing your mom and I were sure of without a shadow of a doubt, was you. Ryan you were and always will be the best thing that happened in our lives.”

Chris took a beat, his heart breaking seeing his son in this much pain “Ryan I don’t ever expect you to forgive me but I would really love the chance to earn your trust back. You’re my son Ryan and I love you more than my own life and that’ll never change” Ryan cried harder and Chris pulled him in to a crushing hug. He put his hand on Ryan’s head “it’s okay Ry, let it out, I got you”

Ryan held on tighter and finally allowed himself to feel all the emotions he’s been suppressing. They stayed like that for a while, until Ryan felt calm enough to let go. He wiped his face and took a deep breath “I just need time to forgive you”

Chris nodded “take all the time you need Ry, I’ll be right here when you’re ready”

[elektrantchios]

london boy| b.b

pairing: Benedict x F!Reader ( goes by Miss Theodoric as her last name)

summary: you and Benedict are forced into an arranged marriage. neither are happy about it until Benedict starts to see you in a new light.

warning: angst, arranged marriage, bullying, little fluff at the end, Benedict is a dick for a bit nothing much though and swearing

word count: 1.9k

a/n: Thank you so much for the request! I took it in a different path maybe but i wanted to add something more! might do a part two to this where reader and Benedict are really in love and all that.

has been edited but probably missed something

MAIN MASTERLIST | REQUEST OPEN

This was a day you never thought would come, you had told your best friend Penelope multiple time that it would never happen, with three older brothers and two sisters you had no need to marry well or marry at all but all your siblings married poor thanks to either ‘accidents” or bad luck with money.

“It could be worse” Penelope remarked as you walked around the park.

You rolled your eyes, “Benedict is a bore”.

She raised an eyebrow at you.

You scoffed, “Maybe you should marry him”. When she looked away blushing you felt a little sorry. You signed, “I’m sorry Pen but this isn’t what I wanted. I can’t even think of a single time I’ve actually spoken to Benedict Bridgerton alone”.

“He’s stood over there with his brothers, you could go speak with him?” she nodded towards the Bridgerton brothers.

You huffed, “Why must I be the one to make the first move? I’m hoping if I ignore the whole thing it will go away”.

“My mama would jump at the chance of me or my sisters to marry a bridgerton”.

“Well as I said you or either of your sisters are free too” you sighed. “Christ he’s coming over” you cried as Benedict strolled his way over.

Once he was before you and Penelope he bowed. “Miss Featherington, Miss Theodoric”.

“Mr Bridgerton” you nodded along with Penelope.

“I hoped Miss Theodoric would join me in a stroll around the park” he asked holding out his arm waiting for you.

You smiled aware you mother was watching from the canopy. “I would like nothing more”. You turned to Penelope, “I will join your soon Pen”.

Reluctantly you took his arm. “The weather is charming today” Benedict remarked looking up to the sky.

You looked up too, part of you was upset you couldn’t disagree with him. “Yes, I suppose it is, I always preferred cooler weather though”.

He hummed as a reply.

You took a look over your shoulder hoping Penelope would offer some form of escape, instead she was busy staring longingly at Colin. “I do hope it gets cooler soon”.

He hummed again.

You felt yourself get more and more annoyed.

“How is your sister? I gather she has just had her second child?” you asked looking up to him, hoping asking something more personally would get more of an hum out of him.

“Well” he nodded looking ahead.

“My own sister herself has just deliver a baby boy, my mama is over the moon” you went on.

He hummed again.

This time you scoffed putting your arm away.

“Miss?” he asked stopping on the spot.

“I am feeling unwell, forgive me while I rest with Penelope” you say as calm as you can.

“Of course Miss Theodoric”.

The only thing keeping you from yelling at him on the spot was the crowd of people on their own walks.

-x-

“Oh Pen, he simply would give me nothing! I asked him about his family spoke of my own and all he did was give a one-word answer and hummed!” you signed maybe a little too dramatically.

“You have the engagement ball tonight to grow closer” she tried to sound cheerly.

You sat down beside her, “We will be married in four days and can hardly carry a conversation what will we do when we are man and wife?”.

“My mama and Papa hardly talk and they get on well enough” Penelope said.

“But I wish to actually talk to my husband, to be friends” you said sadly. “My mama offered talks about how she and Papa would talk all night along and hardly ever be apart”.

“I do not believe we can all be that lucky” Penelope remarked sadder looking down.

“I suppose there are worst men that Benedict, after all I hear he is gone all hours of the night at those art parties I’m sure I wont see him much” you shrugged.

Penelope stood up suddenly. “We must talk of happier things, like you said you have four days before the wedding and we shall enjoy them”.

You stood up too taking her arm. “If you like I could tell you all the things my sisters have told me about the wedding night” you raised an eyebrow.

She went wide eyed but made no indication for you to stop.

“And they lent me a few books” you said guiding her up to your room.

-x-

The engagement ball was exactly how you thought it would be. Standing by Benedict smiling thanking everyone for coming etc etc. It got boring fast, the manners and expectations were the less enjoying part of your life.

The whole time you were looking out of Penelope, your one confidant in everything since you were children.

“She’ll be here soon” Benedict spoke quietly beside you. You looked towards him confused, “The Featherington have never been good with time keeping”. His face was still as he spoke but you defected the humour.

You smiled. “Yes, it caused a scene at my brother wedding last winter”.

You opened you mouth to speak again just as the Featherington walked through the doors, you wanted nothing more than to grab Penelope and drag her to a far corner then you remember the job you had to play.

You held her hand tight in yours, “Dear Pen I have something for you”, you whispered while everyone else was busy talking.

“You didn’t-“ she started before being interrupted by her mother.

Much later in the evening you manged to get away to find Penelope. You knew how she felt at events like this. You were painfully aware of how other people saw her and how she saw herself. If you, could you’d fight anyone who said a bad word to or about her, you would start with her family.

Before you could make another movement, an arm stopped you, you spun around to met Benedict holding your arm.

“Mr Bridgerton? If you’d excuse me” you frown.

“If you’d accompany me in the next dance” he smiled trying to be charming.

“If you’d forgive me sir, I am looking for Penelope we have things to discuss” you said politely pulling your arm back.

Annoyances flashed across his face, “Surely you could do with stringing poor Penelope along for a night”.

Your jaw dropped. “How dare you suggest that I do not love her dearly. You would know that if you had bothered at all to know me. Now sir if you’d excuse me!” you walked away from him not caring if people were watching.

He caught up with you easily, “Miss-“.

You gave me a dazzling smile, “I have said all I wish to say, I will do you the honour of dancing once I have found Pen” and with that you turned away and left him standing alone.

You hated him, really hated him but at the same time it stung that was how he saw you, a horrible person who strung Penelope along to make yourself feel better.

Penelope was right where you thought she’d be, outside in the garden where she could find peace. She waved you over once she spotted you.

“Oh my dear friend what’s the matter?” she cried once the light hit your face.

You touched your face to find it wet with tears, “nothing. Nothing at all”.

She looked unconvinced but moved on. “I am very eager to know what this gift you promised is”.

You grinned reached into your bag. “You know how happy I am you will be a bridesmaid at the wedding but I wanted you to stand out among the others”, you brought out a small cotton bag. “Here”.

She took it from you looking at you unsure. Once she opened it her jaw dropped. “You shouldn’t have” she dropped the bracelet into her lap then pulled you into a hug. You laughed hugging her back.

“And if you noticed, I have a matching one” you said putting your wrist into view. “Pen you must know you are my dearest friend. I really hope you know that”, you said enthusiastically.

She scoffed laughing, “Of course I know that you fool now come on this Is your ball after all”.

“Do I have too?” you winded.

“Yes” she laughed hauling you up.

You felt a lot better going back in then you did when you left, one thing you were sure of was that you cared more about Benedict than you let anyone know, even yourself.

Something else you didn’t expect was to find Benedict hanging by the door, waiting for you.

Before he could speak you turned to Penelope, “If you would excuse me, I own Mr Bridgerton a dance”.

You silently followed him to the dance floor, if things were awkward before this was something else. All the thing you were taught went out the widow, you didn’t know how to act around him.

The music started, you wish you could remember what song it was.

“You look beautiful this evening” he remarked.

“Thank you, sir,” you said not being able to meet his eyes.

“I am sorry for my words” he asked close to your ear, you shuddered when you felt his breath down your neck.

“You meant them, why be sorry” you said lack of emotion.

Just past him you saw Penelope stood surrounding by Miss Cowper and her followers, right then you saw red. Pulling after and going towards them.

“Miss Cowper how lovely it is to see you after the terrible news” you smiled stepping in front of Penelope.

“The news?” she had abandoned her mistreatment of Penelope.

“That your Engagement to Lord Caster ended” you kept the smile on your face.

“How dare you-“ she stepped forward but whatever she indeed to do was cut short by Benedict.

“I was wondering what took my soon to be wife away” he smiled placing a hand on the small of your back.

“Miss Cowper and I were just saying goodbye, it’s shame she has to leave so early” you smiled to Benedict.

“I-“ Miss Cowper started.

“It is a shame you will have to leave us so early but we hope to see you at the wedding” you couldn’t put into words how happy you were when he went along with everything without being asked. “Penelope my brother has mentioned how he’d wish to dance with you tonight”.

Penelope and Benedict left you alone with Miss Cowper, her followers had left at one point. “I do not wish to cause a scene now but if I see you treating Penelope that way again, I will make sure you do not get invited to any social events until you are long forgotten and have no choice but to become an old maid”.

Miss Cowper was in a studded silence.

“I do look forward to seeing you at the wedding” you said loudly for everyone who might be close by.

From the side-lines you watched Penelope and Colin danced happily together.

“I always thought you were too proper to do something like that” a happy Benedict said behind you.

“I made this point early this evening but if you actually got to know me, you’d know how ‘proper’ I am” you whisper laughed.

“I was entirely wrong about you” It was like he was seeing you for the first time.

You stared at him half in awe and confusion, “Well I believe we have the rest of our lives to be right about each other”.

He smiled and it set something on fire in your chest, “I look forward to it, Miss Theodoric”.

“As do I, Mr Bridgerton”.

[sparkledfirecracker]

It's the weekend and I'm trying to forget about the world for a while.

Choose one - and there's lots to choose from this time.

Hardcore discipline with Ransom. You both just came back from dinner at his parents. You were charming and Linda fucking loves you. And that makes Ransom mad. He needs to take out his anger on you, but you know he'll make you feel so good.

This asshole mammas boy is not only going to slap you with the switch, but he's going to get it nice and wet with your juices until he slides it right in, all the while taunting you and gearing you up for a good hate fuck later on. After you've been disciplined.

Mob Steve is fucking in love with how good of a girl you are. He showers you in gifts and makes sure you wake up to a tongue on your pussy every day - his tongue. But every now and then he needs to remind you that even though you're his princess - he's fucking King. He loves to slap your ass and wet his slacks on your tears as you count them out. You know those nights are important to him - something he needs. You also know that he's going to take your ass tonight because he always does when he's in these moods and not particularly gentle about it either. But he'll make it up to you. His aftercare includes an incredibly long bubble bath as he gets you off again with his fingers.

Colin Shea has officially entered Daddy territory and all it took was him laughing at the idea of that particular kink and you absently calling him "Daddy" to change his mind. He's officially hooked and damn has he taken to it like a fish to water.

Ari woke up absolutely ravenous for you. He wants every part of you. He wants his tongue in your holes - all of them - before he sinks deep in that cunt of yours. He's going to be all about overstimulation tonight to the point you're weeping and begging him to stop.

Such a good little housewife. Damn, Andy loves filling you every chance he can get. His cock is amazing and beautiful and his expertise in getting you off - even more. He doesn't like you working, prefers you at home so that when he gets home he can sink right into you. He's an amazing husband and lover and just wants you to be happy at home.

Lloyd has been watching you for a while. You're his target but goddamn his cock gets hard at the very thought of hearing your cries. He can't take it anymore and plans to finally empty his balls inside you, but fuck if he's not gonna get those beautiful tears from you first. If you ever had a noncon fantasy, he's about to fulfill it for you when he wakes you in the middle of the night. Yes you'll come and you'll come hard. But it's because he wants it.

Curtis has officially made it to the head of the train. He bathes regularly and trims himself to exactly what you desire. You're his fucking queen and the two of you rule the train together. He fulfills all of your desires - including the one you've never shared with anyone before.

THIS IS VIOLENCE! DO I HAVE TO PICK JUST ONE? DO I? CAN’T I LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER IN A REVERSE HAREM WITH ALL OF THEM? CHRISSSSSSS!!!!

😩, fine, it pains me, like seriously this feels like betrayal of the worst kind, but I’ll pick one, though I can’t choose.

Colin is out, I can’t imagine him being called daddy or having a daddy kink.

Next who’s gone, it’s Steve, I already have my mafia king Steve from the other day and even though he keeps me bred and full of his offsprings, he’s very satisfying on sexual front.

Then there’s Andy, I can’t just be a stay at home house wife. I need things to do other than being a Stepford wife.

Curtis shall not be it either, I don’t have a reason, but he seems vanilla to the other 3 that are left.

And now my predicament starts, Ransom, Ari and Lloyd 😩. It’s just vile that you actually are making me choose here and I only get to keep one.

I love Ransom. I would absolutely be all up for his hate sex, but he has mommy issues. He needs to fix those and then we can play.

CAN I NOT MARRY GOOD AND EVIL? I’M PULLING MY HAIR HERE OVER MAKING A DECISION.

Okay, okay, I adore this whole Gone, Baby, Gone scenario that you’re gifting me. But I feel like it would be a one night only. Just based on that feeling, I’ll let our favourite clit tickler go 😔. Even though I’d let him do whatever, but I’m worthy of more than just one night.

I’ll go with my baked bundt cake, who’s buff, juicy and slaps so good when you get a taste. My scrumptious man Ari

[americxn]

Colin dating single parent reader

request: I have a hc request! :) colin meeting then dating a single mom! reader? i just got this idea & i thought its cute & i love how you write colin :)

thank you so much for requesting, this idea is so cute <3

wordcount: 1.3k warnings: food mention and babies, not really a warning but they can be loud and gross so

taglist: @kitwalker02 @three-eyed-snail @forevercountess @kitwalkerangel @milly-louise @thecountessesglove @undeadcortez @kitwalker64 @samsassinparvismagna @xmaximoffic @divineruler @liandav @tatesweaterweather @evanmybeloved @tatelangdonsupremecist @ikkleroniekins​ @ananad1​ @shlutnutt​ @sanni333​ @mossybank​ @tatesimper​ (dm to be added or removed <3)

When you first met Colin, your baby was eight months old and almost impossible to catch a break around. You were the most exhausted that you had ever been, days and nights blurring into one never ending cycle of broken sleep and frustration; not that it wasn’t worth it, you would endure fifty years of this hell if you meant that your baby was happy and healthy.

Your longtime friend had offered to take you out for lunch as an offer of brief reprieve, seeing how hard you were finding it all recently, especially now that your baby had figured out crawling and developed an insatiable appetite for inedible objects. 

For the fifth time in the past minute, you pushed your partly drained mug of coffee out of the growing reach of your baby’s searching fingers, sighing deeply when they squawked in mounting annoyance in your lap, squirming to free themselves from the arm you had slung around their chubby waist. Your friend smiled as you located a chunk of cucumber from the untouched salad huddled in the corner of your plate, bringing it before your baby’s searching grasp and watching as they took it and immediately brought it to their lips. 

Resuming conversation and now able to eat your own food with the baby occupied, your friend nodded to the side in a subtle gesture with a smirk. “What?” You asked, following the flick of their eyes to the side and looking to where they had gestured. The man sat two tables down from you quickly averted the gaze he had pinned of you, his throat working as he swallowed awkwardly, taking the cup of coffee before him in his hand and bringing it to his lips. He sat alone, a laptop open before him and based on the smart attire he was donned in, you assumed that he had come here to work.

“He’s cute.” You friend stated, wiggling her eyebrows. Forcing your gaze away, you cleared your throat, taking another bite of food whilst nodding in agreement. “Was he looking?” You asked quietly, unsure if he would be able to hear you talking about him from the close distance. They nodded in answer, taking another drink of their coffee with a poorly suppressed smile. You caught Colin glancing not-so-subtly in your direction several more times in the span of an hour, his eyes constantly flicking to watch in intrigue as you interacted with your baby, unable to prevent himself from smiling softly with each giggle you coaxed from the tiny human.

It wasn’t long before he stood from his seat, donning his coat and tucking his laptop under his arm before turning for the exit. Your table happened to be positioned in the path of the door he was aiming for and so on his way past, after spending the past hour hyping himself up, he placed his receipt on the table beside you, offering you a pleasant smile as he continued walking past. Your baby had instantly reached for it but your own hand had intercepted, taking it between your fingers and smiling as you beheld the neatly scrawled phone number he had written out for you on the bottom of the thin paper.

You and Colin began talking instantly, meeting at the same coffee shop mere days later. He took an instant liking to your baby, who in turn developed an infatuation with Colin, smiling widely at him whenever his dark gaze met their own shyly curious one.

Dating followed shortly after and Colin began to spend more time at your apartment than he did at his own house, much to the delight of his mother who had completely melted upon first meeting the two of you, watching on in tearful awe at Colin’s effortlessly perfect interactions with your baby. 

You had been forced to take extended maternity leave after struggling to find someone to take care of the baby during the day, but now with Colin’s mom at home all day and practically begging to take them when you went back to work, everything seemed to fall into place. 

With the return of a steady income, several months later, you and Colin were able put together the funds to buy a house of your own, about a ten minute drive from his mom’s place. Moving in together definitely strengthened your already committed relationship with Colin proving to be a perfectly capable caregiver of your baby.

Colin worked longer days than you but always took the time to provide the two of you with unending love and attention upon returning home, insisting that he was the one to put the baby to sleep after eating together in order for you to have some time alone before he spent the rest of the evening with you.

At night, Colin always tended to the baby to allow you to get more sleep, not caring if he had an eight hour shift starting at 7am the next morning.

The shrill cries of your baby tore through the house, pulling you almost immediately from sleep. With a quiet groan, you moved to push the warm covers from you body. Colin’s hand fell onto your waist, forcing your movements to pause as he too shifted, sitting up in the dark and rubbing your side. “It’s okay. I got this.” His voice was thick was sleep and you couldn’t bring yourself to disagree as your eyes lids grew too heavy to hold open, Colin’s lips warm on your skin as he pressed a fleeting kiss to your brow before slipping from the bed and padding on bare feet out of the room. 

When your baby’s first birthday came around, Colin spent weeks planning it, using all of his free time and work breaks to research ideas and order various decorations and organise venues. You told him to not spend too much but he had just laughed, grinning broadly whilst claiming that "you can’t stop me.” 

He had spared no expense and when the day came, you found yourself reduced to tears with each surprise he revealed, unable to fathom how you had managed to land a man who loved your baby just as much as he loved you; christmas was the same, along with every one of you baby’s birthdays following the first, only getting more and more elaborate as the years went on.

Of course your baby played a vital role in your engagement, Colin having tucked the small velvet box away in their tiny coat pocket and sent them teetering your way:

You paused mid-step on the wide footpath you were meandering down, turning as you heard a quick set of small, uneven footfalls following after you and offering a hand to your baby, grinning in pride as they managed to make their way to you without toppling over. Colin watched a few feet behind, your smile mirrored on his face as he watched the scene unfold before him, sick with nerves. Their little hand delved into their pocket as they reached you, uttering a small noise as they extended their arm up into the air, holding the crimson box out to you.

“What’s this?” You mused, taking the box and flicking it open. The ring residing within was breathtaking and the box almost fell from your grasp when you realised what it was, your head snapping to Colin who watched on in adoration, his eyes wide as he watched your reaction. You had closed the distance between you and threw yourself into his arms in a matter of seconds, tears of joy blurring your vision. Behind you, your baby lost their balance, toppling to the gravel of the path and twisting to watch the passionate embrace, clapping their hands softly despite not understanding what was actually happening.

((divider credits: @kawaii-lau​ ))

[rubysunnday]

your song, prt 2 | c.b

Summary: As their wedding day approaches, Y/N’s parents continue to disappoint her. Colin reminds her that his own family is now hers.

Part 1 

Colin Bridgerton had a way with words.

Ever since the concert, he hadn’t stopped writing Y/N little notes, proclaiming his love to her and comparing her to a summer’s day. Y/N was almost certain that half the things he wrote down where stolen directly from Anthony’s copy of Shakespeare’s sonnets, but she wasn’t complaining.

In the dozens of letters he sent her from when he was on his travels abroad, he always managed to describe what he was seeing in a way that made Y/N feel like she was there. From his vivid descriptions of the Grecian beaches lined with houses of every colour to the snowy heights of Norway, Colin somehow always made her feel as if she was there.

Y/N treasured each and every letter he sent her, tying them all together with a beautiful ribbon that he'd sent all the way from Amsterdam. They sat on her shelf next to the dried flowers that had been a part the bouquet of flowers he'd given her for her birthday.

She had spent the day with the Bridgerton's since her own parents were too busy up in Scotland to come down to celebrate.

Her parents were constantly disappointing her. They had barely even acknowledged her since she’d announced her engagement and she was tired of being ignored. 

Y/N walked into the drawing room of Bridgerton House, a fake smile on her face. 

“Y/N!” Hyacinth squealed, running up to her future sister-in-law and hugging her.

“Hello, Hyacinth,” Y/N said, returning her hug.

"I thought your parents were coming," Anthony said, noticing Y/N's lack of escort. His brow furrowed in concern as he noticed Y/N’s forced smile.

"They are in Scotland," Y/N replied, sitting down on the sofa and sighing. "They are too busy with my sister's horse riding competition to bother coming down to celebrate."

Y/N was trying to hide her upset about being forgotten by her parents. It wasn't the first time it had happened and it probably wouldn't be the last. Y/N's sister was their dream child - the talented one who would probably be the diamond of whatever year she decided to make her debut in.

Y/N's own debut had been almost ruined by her parents. Her grandfather had died two days before she'd been due to be presented to the queen and her parents and vanished overnight to Cornwall, leaving Y/N behind with no one to present her or accompany her to the ball.

Which was when Colin had stepped in. They'd found each other out in Hyde Park where Y/N had gone to escape her house and by the time they'd walked back to Bridgerton House, Colin had decided that Y/N was worthy of so much more than what her parents were giving her.

"Anthony!" Colin yelled, as soon as he walked inside the front door of Bridgerton house. "Anthony!"

"Colin, be quiet, it is fine," Y/N said, hitting his arm not too gently.

"No, it is not fine," Colin replied, his usual cheeky grin absent. "This is one of the most important days in your life and they have just left you! Anthony!"

"Colin, will you stop yelling!" Y/N hissed, noticing the staff giving them both bizarre looks.

Colin didn't listen. "ANTH - oh, there you are."

Anthony Bridgerton all but ran down the stairs, panic on his face. "What, who is injured?"

"No one," Colin replied, frowning. "What made you think that?"

"You yelling, probably," Y/N muttered, yelping as Colin elbowed her.

Anthony sighed and closed his eyes in despair. "Colin,” Anthony said slowly, looking up “what do you want?"

Colin shoved Y/N forward, the woman almost falling into Anthony at the sudden shove. She shot Colin a glare but he ignored it, putting his hands on her shoulders and spinning her back to face Anthony.

"Y/N, here. Our wonderful, amazing Y/N, has been abandoned by her parents. They will not be able to present her to the queen in two day's time nor will they be able to escort her to the ball. Therefore, I was wondering if you and mother could do it."

Y/N looked up at Anthony. She'd known him since she was eight and the Viscount had become a parental figure in her life, replacing the lacklustre figure that was her actual father. But asking him and his mother to present her to the queen was a massive ask.

Anthony's eyes softened as he looked down at Y/N. He put a hand on her shoulder and nodded. "Of course we can. Come upstairs, Y/N, Eloise will be very annoyed if she finds out you stopped by and did not say hello. We can talk more then."

Y/N took Anthony's arm and let him walk her up the stairs. She glanced behind her and mouthed a thank you to Colin who sent her a smile and a thumbs up.

Anthony gestured to the sofa next to Eloise and Y/N blinked, suddenly remembering where she was. 

"So, your parents are continuing the standard they set when they did not turn up to your debut, then?" Eloise asked, moving up as Y/N sat down next to her. She offered the tin of sweets she was holding out to her.

"Please, do not remind me," Y/N muttered, taking a red sweet. "Thank you, again, for saving me," Y/N said, looking up at Anthony and Violet. "Truly."

"Do not worry about it, my dear," Violet replied, waving her off. "Will you be joining us for dinner tonight?"

"If you do not - Colin, what on earth?"

Y/N stared at Colin, who was struggling to hold a large bouquet of roses, hyacinths, elderflowers and daisies, with a perplexed look.

"Happy birthday!" He exclaimed, setting them on the table in front of her.

Y/N leant back to avoid being poked in the eye by a branch of elderflower. "I..."

Colin's face fell. "You hate them, I can tell. I was not sure how big was too big or how many flowers to include -"

"Colin, I love it," Y/N said, cutting him off. "I just was not... expecting anything."

Colin smiled down at her. "I could not remember which flower was your favourite out of them," he said, fiddling with a daisy, "but I remembered you liked how purple contrasts with blue and how yellow breaks the colours up like it does in a sunset. Specifically -"

"The Athens sunset of July 1814," Y/N said softly, remembering every single detail of that letter.

Colin's description of the sunset had stuck with her ever since. He'd described it in so much detail she'd felt as if she'd been sat next to him on the beach.

Her birthday flowers had only been the start. Colin seemed to remember every passage that had transported her, every sentence that had made her envy his freedom, every word Y/N had felt connected to and turned it into affection and gifts.

He made her feel wanted and loved when her own parents forgot about her or dismissed her. Whenever she cried he picked her up and read from his journals to distract her. Every single ball he would compare her dress to a sunset he'd seen and Y/N would just listen in awe as the words flowed like a song.

And then he had actually written her a song and had gotten it performed at the opera and Y/N had fallen head over heels in love with him. Colin had proposed to her that night and Y/N hadn’t hesitated before saying yes.

Colin had began leaving notes around her house, counting down to their wedding day. They’d come accompanied by flowers or little presents and even watercolours of her favourite places. Y/N kept them all in a box under her bed, hidden away from her parents who, if she was honest, didn’t really care about Y/N’s wedding or her successful match. 

Her parents lack of interest in her or her wedding hurt. Y/N was hoping that her match to Colin would have at least perked something inside them but all she’d received was stoney silence and her father telling her that they couldn’t make it. He didn’t say why they couldn’t make it, just that they couldn’t make it. 

“Hey, are you alright?” Colin asked quietly, nudging Y/N’s arm.

Y/N turned her head to look at Colin, realising that he’d evicted Eloise off the sofa and taken her place. Benedict and Anthony were both looking over at them with matching looks of concern but Y/N focused on Colin and nodded. “I am fine, Colin. I am simply thinking.”

“Well, we all know how dangerous that is for you, my love,” Colin replied teasingly, winking at her. His smile faded as he noticed her solemn expression. “Come on, tell me what is wrong.”

“My parents,” Y/N said quietly. “They... well, you know what they do to me. They have said that they are not coming to the wedding and have not even acknowledged me since we got engaged. They do not even acknowledge my birthday and I just -” Y/N cut herself off with a hefty sigh and dropped her head onto Colin’s shoulder. “I am so tired of them.”

Colin rested his head on top of Y/N’s and held her hand. “I know you are, darling. I am sorry they are not better parents. But,” he lifted his head up and gently tilted Y/N’s chin up, “you do not have to worry about them anymore. My family is your family, Y/N.”

Anthony, who had been listening to every word, spoke up. “Y/N, I will happily walk you down the aisle if you do not want your parents there.”

Y/N nodded and smiled, feeling tears burning her eyes. “Thank you, Anthony.”

Anthony could read her like a book and got up, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “I promise you, I will not let them ruin your day.”

Y/N nodded. “I know, Anthony, thank you.”

Colin nudged her. “See, I told you. Besides, I do not believe that Hyacinth will let you go anywhere without her. You are a Bridgerton now.”

Y/N smiled sadly and kissed him on the cheek. “I cannot wait to marry you, Colin Bridgerton.”

“I cannot wait to marry you either, Y/N Bridgerton,” Colin replied with a smile.