#Sophie Beckett Drabble | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

funemployed-fangirl · 2 months

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Modern AU Benedict x Sophie

The First Meeting

Halloween 2010

The club was alive with energy, a whirlwind of flashing lights and rhythmic beats that reverberated through every inch of space. But Benedict found himself sitting alone on the outskirts of the action, nursing his drink, and trying to remind himself that fratricide was bad. He’d been perfectly happy to spend Halloween alone. But no. Colin had shown up out of nowhere - he’d been in Argentina (or maybe it had been Greece?) - and insisted they go out.

Colin had abandoned him almost immediately upon getting to the club. Benedict had spotted his brother’s head in the crush of costumed dancers not long ago, confirming at the very least that his brother was still alive, though Benedict could only guess at his state of intoxication He’d run into Anthony at one point, only for that brother to abandon him as well. Something about spotting a Rockette he said he knew. Unclear if he had meant an actual Rockette or a girl in a Rockette costume. Either way, that had been 10 minutes ago, and he knew Anthony well enough to know he probably wouldn’t be seen again tonight.

Benedict sighed as he looked at his watch. 11:00 was early by Upper East Side party standards, but hopefully just late enough that he could sneak out without anyone (fucking Colin) noticing. He looked up from his watch, scanning the throng of the dance floor as he contemplated an escape route, when a woman standing near the bar caught his gaze.

She was standing apart from the rest of the masses at the bar. Her dress - simple in comparison to the over-the-top costumes around her - shimmered under the strobe lights, each movement sending ripples of light cascading around her. She held a drink delicately, her fingers tapping the cup to the rhythm of the music as she observed the party raging in front of her. Their eyes met, and for a moment, everything else faded. The crowd, the music, the dizzying lights - it all became a distant blur. He felt a rush of adrenaline, his heart pounding not just from the music but from the electricity of that shared glance. Suddenly, Benedict found he very much needed another drink. He began weaving his way through the sea of dancers, each step bringing him closer to the woman who had captured his attention from across the room.

“Hi.” Benedict said - well, practically yelled given the decibel level the music was playing at.

She smiled at him, and shouted back her own, “Hi.”

“I know this is forward,” Benedict said, leaning closer to be heard over the music, “but can I buy you a drink?”

She looked down at her nearly empty cup, then back up at Benedict, seeming to contemplate if she thought letting him buy her a drink was a good idea. Before he could jump in and say…well anything, she said, “Sure!”

“Fabulous!” Benedict flagged down the bartender. “What are you having?”

“Manhattan!”

Benedict ordered their drinks - a Manhattan for her, a whiskey for him - and they settled into a comfortable silence while waiting for their drinks - holding a conversation was practically impossible anyway. He took the opportunity to study her delicate features, illuminated by the strobing lights.

Finally, the bartender set their drinks in front of them. As they collected their drinks, Benedict leaned closer to ask, “Do you want to move somewhere quieter?” She nodded and motioned for Benedict to lead the way. Placing his hand on her lower back, he led her around the perimeter of the dance floor toward a back corner of the club, the music volume dropping quickly the further they moved from the center of the activity.

“Oh, this is so much better! I can actually hear myself think now!” She exclaimed as she dropped onto the open couch. Benedict took the seat next to her, smiling at her obvious relief. The couch was upholstered in plush, dark leather, and tucked away in a dimly lit alcove, offering a semblance of privacy amidst the party’s lively atmosphere. Benedict leaned back, feeling the tension of the loud, crowded space dissipate. Here, in this cozy corner, he could have the uninterrupted conversation with this mystery woman he was craving.

“I’m Benedict, by the way.”

As he awaited her response, he noticed a subtle hesitation in her demeanor, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. She returned his smile, albeit somewhat tentatively, but made no move to reciprocate the introduction. Benedict felt a twinge of curiosity mixed with intrigue. Who was this mystery woman, and what had brought her here tonight?

Rather than respond, she took a sip of her drink as she appraised Benedict. Gesturing to his outfit she asked, “What are you supposed to be, anyway?”

Benedict looked down at his “costume”. Francesca had given him a Harvard t-shirt as a gag gift a few years ago, which he’d promptly thrown in the back of his closet and forgotten about. But when Colin informed him that not only was he dragging him to a Halloween party, but that costumes were not optional, he’d gone looking for the easiest thing he could throw together. Hence this evening’s Harvard t-shirt and jeans ensemble.

He looked back at her and stated as straight-faced as he could, “I’m a Harvard alum.”

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a calculating look, then briefly looked around the room as if surveying the other partygoers for comparison. "Hmm. Not the most inventive, is it?”

“Ah! But that’s the genius of it. I went to Yale.” Benedict winked playfully. She just stared at him for a second before bursting into laughter. Benedict regarded her while she laughed, and found himself not caring that she was laughing at his expense. Even in the dim club lights he could tell that her eyes sparkled when she did.

“Did you come up with that just so you’d have an excuse to impress the ladies by telling them you went to Yale?” She asked once she had, mostly, stopped laughing.

“Is it working?”

Her chuckles continued. “It might have, if we weren’t surrounded by Ivy League degrees. Besides, Yale? What, you couldn’t get into Princeton?”

Benedict tried to look affronted at the insult. “Now that is a low blow!” His tone was serious, but the smile quickly spreading on his face gave away the lack of offense. “Enough mocking of my costume choices. What are you supposed to be?”

She gestured to her own outfit—a sleek, black dress with a faint shimmer paired with a set of elegant - yet fake - fangs, a black wig, and a delicate choker with a small, ornate cross. “Can’t you tell?” she asked, her tone playfully mysterious.

Benedict squinted in mock concentration, making an exaggerated show of studying her ensemble. “A very stylish...vampire?”

“Exactly!”

Benedict nodded appreciatively. “Well, you’ve certainly nailed the ‘stylish’ part. I feel underdressed in comparison.”

“Don’t worry,” she said with a smile. “Your witty backstory makes up for it. It’s not every day you meet a Yale man in a Harvard shirt.” They both laughed.

“So,” she continued, her tone more serious now, “What’s a Yale alum like you doing at a party like this? Shouldn’t you be at some exclusive alumni gathering or something?”

Benedict shrugged, his expression turning thoughtful. “Honestly? My brother dragged me here. Thought it’d be good to get out and socialize a bit. And you?”

“Bit of a crazy story, actually. I met a guy in the elevator of my building earlier today. Never seen him before. And out of the blue as I was getting off, he invited me to this.”

Benedict felt an odd twist in his stomach at the idea of her and another guy. Not wanting to examine that unfamiliar feeling further, he took a long swallow of his drink, taking comfort in the familiar burn of the whiskey. Luckily for him, she didn’t notice his pause and picked up the conversation. "What about you?" she asked, "Do you frequent the party scene?"

Benedict shook his head, a wry grin tugging at the corners of his lips. "I did. But not so much, anymore," he admitted, his eyes lingering on her face.

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? You seem so comfortable here. So then tell me, Benedict, what do you usually do for fun?"

Benedict shrugged, leaning back against the couch. "I’m more of a low-key kind of guy. I enjoy quiet evenings, maybe a good book.” He paused. “I sketch sometimes." Benedict didn’t know what possessed him to tell her that. His family didn’t even know that he had taken up sketching. Hell, no one knew that.

She smiled, her eyes lighting up. "You sketch? That’s awesome! I’ve never been very good at anything artistic. Do you sketch anything in particular?”

Benedict shrugged. "No. Nothing in particular, really. I haven’t been doing it long, so my sketchbooks are all full of a pretty random assortment of drawings.”

“I think I’d like to see them someday.”

Benedict felt his earlier discomfort fading at her genuine interest in his secret hobby. “I think I’d like to show you someday.” Their eyes locked, and the noise of the club faded into the background. They both seemed to keep moving closer to one another, as if drawn by that pull Benedict had been feeling since he first saw her.

Then out of nowhere…

“BENEDICT!” Colinin in all of his pirate costumed glory flung himself down on the other side of Benedict, clearly much drunker than the last time Benedict had seen him. “And Benedict’s friend!”

Benedict sighed. “This…” He stopped. Fuck, he still hadn’t gotten her name. He had been enjoying himself so much, he’d completely forgotten that she’d never actually introduced herself.

But Colin, completely unphased by Benedict’s sudden silence, jumped in. “I’m Colin, Benedict’s brother.” Squinting at her, he added, “You look familiar. Do I know you?”

“Kind of,” she responded, with a laugh. “We met earlier today. In the elevator? I think you were heading to a friend’s.” She looked at Benedict and clarified, “Your brother was the one who invited me.”

“RIGHT!” Exclaimed Colin, right in Benedict’s ear. God his brother was annoying when drunk. “You’re the girl from Penelope’s building! I remember now. I’m glad you came out! How…”

Benedict smacked the back of Colin’s head before he could continue, having decided it was the quickest way to get him to leave. “OW! Was that necessary, asshole?”

Benedict glared at Colin, “It was.”

Colin looked between them, a knowing smirk growing on his face before he said, “Well, it was lovely to meet you. But I think I’ll leave you two alone before Benedict here decides to revert to even more physical violence.” With that, Colin hopped up from his spot and left them blissfully alone in their quiet corner.

“I like your brother.”

Benedict rolled his eyes. “That’s because you don’t know him. Trust me. 24 years on this Earth with him, and I can definitively say there is little to recommend him.”

“Oh come on,” she replied. “You don’t really think that.”

“Okay, no. I don’t. He has his moments. Few and far between, but they're there.” Benedict smiled slightly, shaking his head. “Just don't tell him I said that."

Their conversation continued to flow effortlessly, time slipping by unnoticed, the music becoming a mere backdrop. After what could have been hours or mere minutes, the mystery woman who had so completely captivated Benedict leaned closer, her hand resting on his arm. "You know," she said softly, "I'm really glad I came out tonight.”

Benedict couldn't ignore the pull any longer. As the party continued to rage around them, he reached for her hand, his thumb tracing circles on her skin. She looked up at him, curiosity and something else - something hopeful - shining in her eyes. "I'd really like to kiss you," he confessed, the words tumbling out in a rush. Without waiting for her response, he cupped her face in his hands, feeling her breath hitch. Leaning in, he pressed his lips to hers, the world around them dissolving into a blur. Her lips were soft and warm, and as she kissed him back, he knew this could be the beginning of something incredible.

Benedict pulled back, just enough to ask, “Do you want to get out of here? My apartment is’t far.” She opened her mouth to respond, only to shut it again, looking like she was at war with herself about what she wanted to do. He continued staring at her, willing her to say yes. To want to be with him just as much as he wanted to be with her. Her silence was killing him.

Then out of nowhere…

“COLIN! COLIN! COLIN!”

Now he really was going to kill Colin. A room full of drunk Upper East Side 20 somethings chanting his brother’s name was never a good sign, and someone needed to go make sure the building wasn’t about to implode. Benedict closed his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh as he dropped his forehead to hers. Shaking his head, he kissed her again before straightening, “I’m so sorry. I’m going to go see what’s happening. I swear I’ll be right back. Just…stay here.” She nodded slightly, and Benedict dropped his hands from her face and headed toward the bar…which his brother was currently standing on.

“Colin, what the actual fuck are you doing? And why are you standing on the bar?”

Colin grinned down at him, clearly enjoying the attention he was drawing. "I was making a toast!"

Benedict just glared at him.

Jumping down from the table - and landing with a surprising amount of grace given his very inebriated state, Colin said, "Oh, it’s fine Benedict.” Glancing over toward where Benedict had been sitting, he added, “And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin your moment." He patted Benedict’s shoulder before staggering off towards another group of friends.

Shaking his head, Benedict turned back to his mystery woman - who hopefully wouldn’t remain a mystery much longer. His heart pounded with the anticipation of picking up where they'd left off. But as he approached, his stomach clenched, knowing something was wrong before his brain could catch up.

She was gone.

And he’d never gotten her name.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

2012

“I’m Benedict, by the way.”

He couldn't believe how this night had gone. Expecting a fairly normal evening getting drinks with a few friends, he’d then left the bar only to chase off two finance bros from roughing up the girl they targeted, who had turned out to be her. His mystery woman from that Halloween party two years ago. The one he’d been thinking about for two years. The one he’d been torturing himself over for not getting her name. It had taken him a minute to recognize her, but those blue eyes of hers gave it away. And now here they both were. A few feet from the bar, in the rain, with her in his arms due to her twisted ankle.

“I’m Sophie.” A grin spread across Benedict’s face. The name fit her.

“Nice to meet you Sophie. Let’s get the hell out of this rain.” And with that, he hurried down the block and around the corner, toward his apartment. He slowed in front of his building. “Will you be ok if I put you down?” he panted (they did not teach you how to carry people in the rain at Yale), and Sophie nodded. He resumed their original position, with his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side, and they approached the entrance. The elderly doorman, who Benedict was pretty sure had been around since the building was built, held open the door.

“Good evening Mr. Bridgerton.”

“Hey George,” Benedict called. “My friend twisted her ankle,” he explained, as the doorman surveyed the sight before him. It was fine. George had seen worse. And likely from Benedict’s own siblings. He did ask if they needed a first aid kit or a doctor, but Benedict waved him off with a thank you and friendly smile. They rode the elevator in silence to the 12th floor, and once there, Benedict led a hobbling Sophie to his front door. He unlocked the door and swung it open, announcing proudly, “Welcome to My Apartment!”

Benedict quickly hung his drenched coat in the closet before hurrying back over to Sophie. “Here,” he said, “let’s get you on the couch.” He assisted her into his living room and helped her get settled on the couch, propping her ankle up on several pillows and wrapping one of the blankets his mother had insisted he needed around her. He rushed off and returned with a large ice pack and an even larger bottle of Advil. This was not, afterall, his first go-round with twisted ankles.

“I’m impressed you have Advil,” Sophie said. “Most guys don’t have anything in their medicine cabinet besides hair gel.”

Benedict chuckled. “I have younger siblings who have been known to crash here once or twice after an ill-advised high school party. I figure it’s the least I can do to provide coffee and painkillers when they wake up.” He paused, thinking of the photos he had on his phone of Gregory from just last week, before adding, “Especially since I do take photos of them and use it for blackmail with our mother later.” Maybe not the most responsible thing to admit, but it was the truth.

Benedict perched on an ottoman in front of the couch, “How’s your ankle?” He watched as Sophie shifted it under the ice pack and grimaced slightly. “Still hurts, but being off of it is definitely helping.”

“Good, good,” Benedict said. “Do you need anything else?” He was sure she must be uncomfortable in those wet clothes, especially those wet jeans, and yet she responded with, “No, I’m fine. I’m sorry I’m getting your couch all wet.”

“Don’t even worry about it. Although I’m sure you're uncomfortable. Do you want me to get you some dry clothes? A shirt, some sweatpants? They’ll be too big on you, obviously, but…” Benedict thought he saw a look of panic cross Sophie’s face before she responded, “No, God, I’m fine, really.”

“Then how about something to warm you up,” Benedict offered. “Do you want some tea? I’m going to get you some tea.” And before Sophie could accept or refuse, he leapt up and escaped to the kitchen. He grabbed the kettle and filled it with water before setting it on the stove, then reached into the cabinet to grab two mugs, chuckling to himself when he saw that one of the ones he grabbed was his “World’s Okayest Brother” mug from Eloise. After popping tea bags in each mug, Benedict decided to change out of his own wet clothes.

Moving further into the apartment, Benedict couldn't help the disappointment that welled up inside him. Did Sophie not recognize him? He had spent the last two years thinking about that night - thinking about her, about that kiss - and she didn’t remember him. It felt like a gut punch. At the same time, there was a small part of him that was frustrated. He wanted to be able to ask her why she’d left so abruptly that night. What she had just…disappeared. And if she didn’t remember him, he wouldn’t get that chance.

Benedict quickly swapped his dress pants and oxford for a much more comfortable pair of dark blue sweatpants and a long sleeved gray t-shirt, before pausing at his dresser. Unsure what possessed him, Benedict opened the small wooden box he kept there, pulling out the necklace inside. It was the one Sophie had been wearing that night two years ago. It must have fallen off at some point, because it was the only thing he’d found when he’d gone back to that secluded corner only to find her gone.

Hearing the kettle begin to whistle, Benedict put the necklace back and headed to the kitchen. As he poured water into each mug he made his decision - he had to tell Sophie he recognized her. He’d never forgive himself if he didn’t. If he didn’t take the opportunity to ask what happened that night. But he was going to need a drink. He did not want to be without alcohol if she really did not remember who he was. And since it would only be polite to offer something to Sophie, Benedict poked his head through the doorway to the living room and asked, “Do you possibly want anything… stronger… in your tea?”

It was all over Sophie’s face that she was fighting with herself about what to do - Benedict remembered the look well - and couldn’t tell which side was winning. They stared at each other for a moment, a strange battle of wills occurring. He raised his eyebrows. She gave in, “Yes, actually. That sounds great.”

“Right you are!” Benedict said happily. “Two hot toddies coming right up!” Thank God, he thought to himself as he grabbed the whiskey bottle and added generous portions to each mug.

Benedict brough the mugs into the living room, smiling to himself when Sophie laughed at his “World Okyest Brother” mug. As he handed a mug to Sophie and settled back onto the ottoman, he was struck by how right it felt to have her in his apartment.

Benedict noticed her phone sitting on top of the blanket. “I’ve got chargers in the side table if you need one. And the wifi password is NY152. Network’s My Apartment.”

“Your wifi network is ‘My Apartment’?” Sophie asked incredulously.

“Yeah, ‘cause it’s my apartment.” Benedict winked playfully, and Sophie rolled her eyes and laughed at him, the sound so familiar to him it almost hurt.

He surveyed her over his mug before leaning back slightly. He quirked an eyebrow and said, “You know, we’ve met before. You thought I didn’t recognize you, didn’t you?” He watched as Sopie seemed to freeze. He smiled self-deprecatingly, “Admittedly, I didn’t recognize you at first. I was a little too busy trying to rough up two prissy FiDi bros. But the moment I actually took a good look at you…” he grew more serious. “How could I not recognize you?” He placed his mug on the table and leaned toward Sophie, who he noted still had yet to speak. “You recognized me, right?” His tone was joking, but the concern was real.

He watched as Sophie took a deep gulp of the tea and said “Yes, Benedict Bridgerton, I recognized you.” A smile spread across Sophie’s face, just as Benedict felt a huge smile spread across his own. The relief was almost overwhelming. He knew there were things he needed to ask her…but that could wait.

Benedict leaned in further. “I still think about that night. That was the most fun I’d had out in years. Do you ever think about it?” His gaze flickered down to her lips, praying to whoever might be listening she’d say Yes. Quietly, she admitted, “I still think about that night.” He reached over and gently took her mug from her hands, placing it on the coffee table next to his. He leaned forward, closing the gap between them.

“Good.”

Want more Benedict & Sophie? Read The Second Meeting HERE or check out more of our Modern Bridgerton AU HERE.

#in honor of the season 4 announcement #have a little drabble i wrote a while back #bridgerton #modern bridgerton au #benophie #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #benedict x sophie #drabble #fanfic #mine #maa

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bridgertonbabe · 11 months

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Bridgerton Drabble - Harry Potter AU Edition #6

As quietly as possible Sophie descended down Aubrey Hollow's winding staircase until she reached the ground floor and padded her way into the moonlit kitchen. She stopped by the window above the sink that looked out onto the garden that Colin and his siblings had shown her around earlier, observing a movement in the hedge from which a gnome emerged as he snuck his way back towards the turnip patch Eloise had proudly informed her she had planted with her father. Turning away from watching the garden pest, Sophie went to fetch a glass only to come to a hesitant halt.

Despite Colin's parents telling her to make herself at home and insisting she helped herself to any food or drink without needing to ask their permission first, she was still plagued with the apprehension that had been caused from years of having to share a house with Araminta. Sophie was so accustomed to being scolded for merely existing that it felt almost unnatural to roam about the Bridgertons' humble abode and exercise basic actions like getting something to eat or drink, or to even use the bathroom without anxiously having to ask permission to do so. She knew she had to shake off the hang-ups caused by her wicked stepmother and accept the warmth and kindness that the Bridgertons had welcomed her with, knowing that Araminta's cruelty wasn't the way in which most people treated others.

Once she consciously shook off her anxiety-induced apprehension, Sophie opened a cupboard to grab a glass and then proceeded to pour herself some water from the tap (and purposefully ignored the irrational scenario that played out in her mind of Edmund Bridgerton storming into the kitchen with a face of thunder and hexing her for daring to quench her thirst without asking). While she sipped her drink, she looked around the homely kitchen to study it's smaller details that she had yet to notice, not having had time during her first day at Aubrey Hollow as Colin and his siblings eagerly coveted her attention.

There were well-used cauldrons laying on the draining board in lieu of cooking pots, a small blackboard hanging on the wall with a scheduled menu of the week's dinners (as well as some doodles which varied in skill), and carvings around the edge of the table courtesy of Colin and his siblings marking their territory from the seats they always sat in. Littered on one of the kitchen walls was a sea of framed photos of the Bridgertons and their extended family throughout the years, all perpetually moving as people waved and beamed for the camera. The lone hanging that wasn't of a framed photo on this particular wall was what Sophie had initially thought to be a clock at a quick passing glance, but on closer inspection there were eight additional hands in contrast to a timepiece's typical two, and each of the hands was inscribed with a family member's name. Instead of numbers, there were various phrases such as "home", "school", "work", "hospital", "travelling", "lost", and "mortal peril"; and Sophie realised the clock functioned as a means to indicate the status of each of the family members, seeing as all ten hands were currently pointing at "home".

Sophie smiled as she admired the Bridgertons' kitchen and how starkly it contrasted to the one back home because even though the room was empty of people except her, it was so clearly filled with love and warmth by just how lived-in it evidently was. She just felt so inherently comfortable and at peace even though it wasn't her own homestead, and it was all down to the abundance of affection that radiated through the walls of Aubrey Hollow from all those who inhabited it.

She then noticed how one of the hands on the clock suddenly moved; Eloise's hand had just switched to "no good" at the same time as Sophie heard a door creak open from upstairs. She could have sworn she heard a distant ribbit before another door was creaked open. A few seconds later she heard a squeal, followed by a naughty giggle and the running of footsteps before a door slammed shut, and Eloise's hand clocked back to "home".

"Those hands strike "no good" more often than you'd think living here."

Sophie let out a gasp and jumped, managing to keep a firm hold of her glass of water as she whirled around to see Benedict Bridgerton.

"Sorry, sorry!" he apologised in a hushed tone and immediately held up a reassuring hand to her. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"Oh no, I'm sorry." she responded instantly. "I didn't hear you come in, is all." she cringed, feeling momentarily stupid for somehow missing any sound of him moving about the house.

"Don't be sorry." he scoffed and waved off her returned apology. "I just know how to move about without making any noise - unlike some of my siblings." he remarked and pointed upwards just as a door creaked open.

"Eloise!" they heard who Sophie was sure was Daphne hiss indignantly (as the hand bearing her name ticked to "no good") and a door slam after her before muffled squeals started up a couple of floors above them.

"I hope their antics didn't wake you up."

"Oh not at all." Sophie replied.

"Ah, so Colin's snoring woke you up?" Benedict smirked.

"He doesn't snore!" she gently giggled.

"Soph, I know you're an incredibly nice person but there's no need to lie for Colin's benefit. He's fallen asleep on the sofa enough times to prove the fact that he does snore."

"Be that as it may, it didn't disturb me." she said truthfully; her best friend's snoring was gentle enough that it hadn't kept her awake - in fact she found it comforting, knowing she wasn't alone and she had actually fallen asleep quicker as a result. "I was just thirsty."

Benedict nodded in acknowledgement with an easy smile aimed at her. Sophie was just grateful that the dim source of light was able to hide the blush that spread across her face as a result of his smile (not to mention just being in his presence in general).

"Were you grabbing a bite a to eat too?"

"Oh, no!" Sophie shook her head quickly. "No, no; just water."

"Soph; you are allowed to help yourself if you did want something to eat." he said, his gaze softening at her. "You know that right?"

"Oh, yes. Of course." she nodded agreeably. "I'm just not hungry, is all."

"Ah. So you wouldn't be interested in joining me for a midnight chocolate feast?" he asked, cocking an amused brow.

The mention of chocolate instantaneously piqued Sophie's attention, which got a laugh out of Benedict from the way in which her eyes lit up and rounded with curiosity.

"Well... if you're offering." a small smile played on Sophie's lips.

Glancing back and forth from the two empty doorways that led out of the kitchen to assure the coast was clear, Benedict then took a couple of steps forwards until he was practically toe to toe with Sophie (which caused her to worry that he was now close enough to hear the sound of her heart racing due to their narrowed proximity).

"Can you keep a secret?" he whispered.

Sophie successfully managed to restrain the gulp she wanted to swallow as she answered with a nod - after all, she had successfully been keeping her crush on the boy stood in front of her a secret since she had met him.

With an approving grin he then stepped over to the brick wall covered with photos and took off a frame containing a picture of a younger Violet Bridgerton with a baby boy in her arms.

"Oh my goodness, is that you?" Sophie gasped as she noticed the finger paint dirtying the little boy's hands that he used to grab a hold of his mother's face and plant a kiss on her cheek, much to Violet's heart-filled amusement as she laughed.

"Yeah." he confirmed, exhaling affectionately as he glanced at his infant self nuzzling into his mother's face.

"Aw, you're adorable!" she cooed, taking the frame from him and fondly watching the moving photo as baby Benedict pulled himself away from embracing his mum long enough to give his trademark lopsided grin to camera.

"Eh, my parents say Colin was the cutest baby." Benedict shrugged off and nodded to a nearby solo photo of Colin at six months. "The chubbier the baby, and all that."

Sophie glanced at the baby photo of her best friend, who indeed was undeniably adorable with his chubby little limbs and giggle-filled smile; but then all of the baby photos hanging on the wall proved that that the Bridgertons simply produced exceedingly adorable babies. But as ridiculously cute as chubby baby Colin was, Sophie couldn't help but be drawn back to the photo in her hands of baby Benedict, the sight of which melted her heart as she watched him kiss Violet's cheek again. The image only fuelled her the various fantasy scenarios she harboured, the ones she came up with in bed at night that she had been nurturing for the last year, fantasies that primarily involved Benedict reciprocating his love for her, marrying him and starting a family with; and the visual image of having a baby identical to Benedict to be bestowed adorable kisses from with paint-stained hands only made her heart flutter and her feelings for Benedict deepen.

"Okay?" Benedict uttered to regain Sophie's attention.

She nodded, holding onto the frame but watching intently as Benedict touched a brick that had been hidden by the photo that had previously been hanging there. He then touched a few more bricks in a specific order and touched the first brick again, and then much to Sophie's amazement the series of bricks he had touched momentarily glowed before moving away to reveal a hole in the wall. She watched as Benedict reached in and then casually extracted a box of Honeydukes chocolates.

He turned back to her and smirked at the awed expression on Sophie's face. "Mum magicked it up for me." he explained. "Since Colin has a tendency to swipe snacks regardless if they don't belong to him, mum decided to create a hidey hole for me to stash my sweets in."

Sophie peered into the newly formed hole in the wall and cast her eyes across the stash of snacks Benedict had stored away from Colin's greedy prying eyes, captivated by the use of magic Violet had used to create the pocket in the first place.

"So only you and your mum know about this?"

"And now you."

Sophie looked to him, her heart skipping a beat as he caught her gaze and winked at her.

"Honeycomb truffle?" he said, offering out the chocolate tray he had just opened.

Together they indulged in the array of chocolates Honeydukes had to offer, with Sophie trying her best to restrain herself from making any sound effects as she savoured the delectable flavours she tasted, not wanting to embarrass herself in front of her crush.

"I hope my siblings didn't overwhelm you too much today." Benedict remarked as he sized up which chocolate to have next.

"Oh, not at all."

After resting for a few hours following her dramatic escape from her bedroom-turned-prison, and once Violet had ensured she had eaten a full breakfast, the younger five Bridgerton siblings were all keen to garner Sophie's attention. For the entire day, despite Colin's best efforts to hog his friend all to himself, his sisters and little brother refused to leave Sophie alone and trailed after the pair from room to room, indoors and outdoors.

"It's fair enough if they did; they overwhelm me at the best of times." he snorted.

"I mean, it was a lot all at once, but it made for a nice change." Sophie replied in earnest.

She was so accustomed to a home where she felt an innate sense of loneliness that it was nothing short of welcome relief to be surrounded by so many people chatting away incessantly and tugging on her arm to get her attention. Especially after ten days locked away in a bedroom with only Posy briefly talking to her from the other side of the door when Araminta wasn't around to yell at her.

"I should warn you, after today you're now Hyacinth's new favourite person."

Sophie grinned as she reflected on how the youngest member of the family had instantly taken to her when Edmund brought her down to the breakfast table. The two year old had spent the best part of the meal staring wide-eyed at the new person, utterly intrigued by everything Sophie said and did. Then as soon as Colin announced he was going to give Sophie a tour of Aubrey Hollow, a tiny hand had slipped into Sophie's and she had looked down to find Hyacinth smiling coyly up at her. The toddler had been attached to her since then, never letting go of her hand for the entirety of the tour, and when Sophie sat down Hyacinth proceeded to sit on her lap and babble away nonsensically to her. The little girl had even thrown a tantrum when at dinner Colin insisted his friend sat in between him and Benedict, only calming down when Edmund sat her down in the chair directly across from Sophie. And finally when it was time for bed, Hyacinth had marched over to Sophie and handed her the bedtime story she wanted to be read to her, and Sophie happily obliged, sitting by the little girl's bedside and reading to her until she had fallen asleep.

"I'm sure she'll have lost interest by tomorrow." Sophie shrugged off modestly.

"Oh, no." Benedict shook his head and chuckled. "That's not how Hy operates. When you're her favourite person, she's obsessed. She pretty much imprints on you and refuse to leave your side."

"Who was her favourite person before?"

"She goes through cycles. She's definitely a daddy's girl but whenever Anthony's home for the holidays she's permanently attached to him. She goes through phases with Daphne, she's on and off with Greg, and whenever El's friend Penelope comes to visit she refuses to leave her alone no matter how much El shouts at her." Benedict elaborated. "But I can tell you now, until we go back to Hogwarts, she's going to be your little shadow. Don't worry though, we'll all try to rein her in,"

"Oh, that's not necessary." Sophie assured him. "I'd be more than happy to spend time with her. I always wanted a baby sister." she said sincerely, having wished for so long for a younger playmate when it was just her and her dad.

"You're really sweet, you know that?" Benedict smiled at her (oblivious to how his words directly caused the rosying of his companion's cheeks). "Probably the sweetest person to ever grace Aubrey Hollow, actually. I can't remember the last time someone walked into my room and actually apologised for disturbing me."

"I am really sorry if I did." Sophie added immediately.

"Don't be silly." he waved off. "It wasn't even you who barged in."

During Colin's tour as he led Sophie and the gaggle of younger siblings through the house, she had been shown everyone's bedroom with the younger siblings eager to show her every last toy and poster and miscellany possible. She hadn't expected Colin to then march right into Anthony's bedroom, who had immediately barked at them all to get out and stay out (though the eldest brother had then stuck his head out the door and told Sophie he wasn't aiming any of his anger at her), only for Colin to then barge right into Benedict's bedroom as well. Unlike Anthony, Benedict hadn't chastised the uninvited guests to his room and had happily sat back as Colin and the rest of his younger siblings showed Sophie around the bedroom which was situated the highest in the house. She had tried her best to play it cool the most during the tour of his bedroom; her eyes perusing intently over his artwork, scanning over his desk cluttered with sketchbooks and paints and ornaments, and giving Clement a stroke as he dozed in his cage by the window overlooking the countryside that stretched out around Aubrey Hollow.

"And besides, you think I'm not used to my family barging into my room at any given moment?"

"I know. I just wouldn't want to bother you and disturb your peace."

"Soph; you could never disturb my peace." he told her in earnest and nudged his shoulder against hers. "In fact, I exclusively give you permission to disturb me as and when you feel like."

Sophie giggled and even though she was sure Benedict was joking, it still made her giddy that he was being so kind and welcoming to her.

"And after saving me from my stepmum, I give you permission to disturb me too. If you so choose to." she returned in kind while trying to ensure she didn't cross any line which he might interpret to be flirting (as she would be mortified if she ever gave any suggestion to the true depth of her feelings for him).

There was a beat of silence where Sophie chewed on a particularly sticky toffee chocolate and she assumed Benedict was similarly munching on an equally tough bite of toffee to explain the silence between them.

"Has she always been like that?"

Sophie turned to him, mildly confused by Benedict's line of questioning that had soured his light jovial tone into a more serious one to match the newly drawn frown on his face.

"Who?"

"Your stepmum."

"Oh." Sophie uttered as she realised Benedict's question was referring to the way Araminta had gone to strike her before he had inadvertently intervened. "Well... she never liked me. She always argued with my dad about it."

"About what?" Benedict's frown deepened.

Sophie gave a small shrug. "My existence, I guess. I don't know. It's like the second she saw me, I instantly got under her skin. And no matter how hard I tried I could never win her round. Even though I was always good, I never misbehaved, I always tried to please her... I don't know, she just never liked me. Or even tried to like me."

Benedict shook his head sympathetically as he listened. "Did your dad know? About her... hitting you?"

"She never did it while he was alive. It was only after he died that she hit me at will. Not all the time, to be fair. Only when she was really mad at me."

"But why would she be mad with you?" Benedict asked, his jaw clenched the further Sophie expanded on the subject.

"Rosamund would make up stuff about me, like I had finished the last of the sweets or had played dress up with her clothes and spilled stuff on them when it was actually her. It didn't matter that Posy tried to back me up, she'd still hit me. And basically anything that went wrong in the house, for some reason she'd blame me and attack me for it."

"I'm so sorry you ever had to go through that." Benedict said after a beat of silence.

"It's not your fault." Sophie shrugged.

"But Sophie, you shouldn't have suffered any of it. And you're a child; even if you did anything remotely wrong it doesn't give her any right to hit you!" Benedict shook his head with frustration. "And the fact that she disliked you from the off... I just can't wrap my head around it. How anyone could not like you or even reach a point of hating you?"

"But that's just life, right? Not everyone you meet is going to like you."

"No, Sophie. You're the sweetest, kindest, loveliest person I've ever met." he told her, causing Sophie's heart to clench from the glowing perception he had of her. "It's literally impossible for anyone to meet you and instantly dislike you - and it's a reflection on how awful a person someone must be if they do."

"Well, Araminta is a pretty awful person."

"Not just awful. Nasty. Vile. Horrible. Wicked. Cruel. She's detestable."

"Can't argue with you on any of that." Sophie replied light-heartedly.

"It's just... it genuinely upsets me to know that you endured any of that, Sophie. That anyone could ever physically hurt you or make you feel bad about yourself. You don't deserve it, any of it. You're far too wonderful to have someone like her in your life. She's just a monster - and you know what, I don't even regret accidentally using magic against her."

"It's okay, Ben." she said, reaching out and squeezing his hand as she realised just how emotional he was getting. "I'm safe now. You and Colin and Anthony made sure of that, and I'll be forever grateful to you all for saving me and to your family for taking me in. It means the world to know that I have a family as caring as yours looking out for me."

She hadn't expected it when he then hugged her tight, and just like she savoured the chocolates they had been sharing, she savoured the sudden embrace for all it was worth, indulging in the feeling of his arms wrapped around her and just how safe, protected, and cared about he made her feel. She tried to squash any feelings bubbling away in her heart that tried to get her hopes up by making her believe that this was a sign he might like her just as much as she liked him; instead she focused on relishing the fact that he was clearly very fond of her, even if it was just platonic on his part.

"You're one of the family now, Soph. You always will be." he told her before pulling away. "You're stuck with us now, I'm afraid."

"Hey, so long as you're willing to share your stash of chocolate with me, I'll happily stick around." she teased back and finally the mood lifted as she managed to get a chuckle out of him.

Benedict then replaced the chocolate box back in it's hidey hole before closing the wall back up and putting the photo back where it belonged. Together they then walked up the stairs until they reached Colin's bedroom on the floor below Benedict's.

"Thanks again." Sophie whispered. "For everything."

"Don't mention it." he smiled back. "We could meet again tomorrow night, seeing as we didn't finish the box."

"Sounds like a plan." she smirked back, schooling her face to veil just how thrilled she was to plan another tête-à-tête with him for the following night.

"Goodnight, Soph."

"Goodnight, Ben."

With one last parting smile, he continued to ascend the staircase and Sophie slipped back into Colin's bedroom. Her friend had remained utterly undisturbed as his gentle snores continued while Sophie got back into her bed. She turned on her side and closed her eyes, her mind filled with the midnight meeting she had just had with the object of her affections. With a smile on her face she indulged in one of her many fantasies, one which now included an adorable baby identical to the photo of Benedict that she cuddled as she shared a box of chocolates with her husband; a fantasy which squeezed at her heart as she blissfully drifted off to sleep.

#harry potter au #bridgerton drabble #benophie drabble #sophie beckett #benedict bridgerton #benedict x sophie

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apinchofm · 10 months

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first kiss prompt from @candicepatton w/benophie

The mistletoe dangles above them and neither Benedict or Sophie know exactly to do.

Trust the Granville siblings to throw a party and they just have to kiss under the mistletoe.

"I...um, do we..?" She asks.

Benedict smirks, "Well, it is a tradition."

Sophie feels her cheeks warm before taking a deep breath. Benedict liked teasing her and she supposed she could once give him a taste of his own medicien

She leans forward and he meets her halfway, his lips crashing against hers in a surprisingly passionate kiss. Her hair tickles his cheeks and he cautiously cradles her face in his hands and he lets out a small laugh. They take a few breaths before kissing again.

*CLICK!*

They jumped apart when they heard the click of a camera and the chuckle of an artist far too pleased with himself.

"Oh that was wonderful!" Henry compliments, enjoying how mortified they both were, "Have the two of you done that before?"

"Uh, no." Sophie stutters out.

"You should do that more often." He says, indicating between the two of them.

"That is an incredibly weird thing to say, Harry! Boundaries!" Benedict chastised as the artist merely skips away with his tinsel tie and camera.

Sophie could not help but laugh, her eyes glittering like the silver sequins on her dress, "This is why I never go to these things.*

Benedict looks at her, "Want to get out of here?"

"I barely know you Ben."

"So, let's go and get some actual food and get know each other." He offers, "Come on, Mistletoe rules."

She laughs, shaking her head, "Why not?"

#drabble #request #m's fluffy nights #benophie #holiday fic #christmas fic #Benedict Bridgerton #sophie beckett #henry Granville

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sophiebaek · 1 year

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Motion

The odds of meeting one specific person in your life is a 0.001 chance – out of all of the train routes and all of the cabins Sophie was in the same one as him.

#omg she posted here #trying to get back into this blog #fun fact that's Luke's chest lol #belle writes stuff #bridgerton #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #benophie #bridgerton drabble

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hopepaigeturner · 1 month

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So I got an AU stuck in my head...

Inspired by @orangepeelshortbreadcookies; BRILLIANT Villainous Viscount AU (read on AO3 here). So all creds go to her!

And while she has done a beautiful fic about Benophie in this universe, Thieves of Dusk (10% RECOMMEND A READ. Read on AO3 here). But we’ve been chatting about my own ideas for Benophie. So, with her blessing here’s my version...

Unlike @orangepeelshortbreadcookies' version, the Bridgertons never buy themselves a title, they remain the kingpin family of London. Anthony at the helm having spent the last decade building an empire spanning multiple gambling halls, clubs, black market auctions and trade alongside an underground boxing exhibition series. And that does not cover the other more hidden enterprises that Anthony has, through the years, built. An entangled spider web entangling individuals from street urchins to the highest of Lords.

And as the second in command with quick fingers and his charming smile, Benedict is the main manager of most establishments. Colin might herald the boxing rings but Benedict is the one prowling the shop floor. Not to mention Benedict being a constant shadow for Anthony when they embark on more… nefarious ventures.

Benedict loves the adrenalin of midnight capers, the complex game of the black market. He has immense pride at how the Bridgerton family turned their lives around with blood, grit and grime so has no qualm palming money off toffs who have never picked up anything heavier than a pen in their life.

He loves his life…but still. Some nights, when waiting for Anthony outside a room where he is having one of his business dealings, or when he looks around the gambling shop floor at the same faces, he’ll look up at the moon and wish for a simpler life where he didn’t have to look over his shoulder or that he didn’t have to be second. To have the freedom he enjoys on the afternoons and nights he breaks into the Royal Academy to sketch or paint. To have the silence and peace rather than the carousing commotion of the city.

But he cannot leave, he cannot abandon Anthony, he cannot forsake his brother who has taken so much burden and blood on his hands—even if he’s never been the one to make the killing blow. Benedict has always been the one washing his hands.

And then one night he walks across the floor of the club and he spots her. She is sat at a table in a dishevelled silver dress wearing a matching demi-mask that does nothing to mask her beauty. In front of her is a steadily growing pile of chips in front of her.

A fizzing sensation ripples through him, a sensation he'd tucked away on the day they found their father dead. And in that moment, his entire life changes…

And that's just beginning...

Read Part 2 Here

#hope's drabbles #evil Bridgertons AU #you wanna hear more?#benophie #drabble #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #villainous viscount #morally grey characters #we love them

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thekatebridgerton · 2 years

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So I had a hilarious idea for a Benophie au

In which Sophie was legitimized as the daughter of the Earl of Gunningworth and is determined to not get married in order to cash in on her complete inheritance as soon as she's on the shelf. Because she doesn't want a husband to get his hands on her money the way Araminta did with her father

Cue Sophie being one of the many mildly ellegible misses of the Ton and meeting the Bridgertons at a much younger age. Going to balls and trying to avoid marriage but still having fun flirting with suitors to appease her father

Then she gets the brilliant idea that she's going to get a lover because she wants to know how that feels like. Better yet she's going to seduce some man at the Bridgerton masquerade

Sophie confides the plan to Kate. As a good best friend, Kate doesn't approve of Sophie's plan. Sophie doesn't care. She's going to dance at the masquerade and find a guy.

----

"Kate!! Kate wake up!" Sophie hissed poking Kate with a stick from the edge of her bed

"Sophie? Wait what are you doing here at.... Dawn" Kate yawned "and wearing a man's shirt of all things??"

"all right so remember yesterday's plan? I may have girlbossed to close to the sun" the Gunningworth heiress said sheepishly

"oh gosh Sophie what did you do"

"I stole some gentlemen's first time" Sophie confessed " as in, you know... I was His first"

"you slept with a virgin??"

"I DIDN'T KNOW HE WAS A VIRGIN!!" Sophie protested "He looked good in his mask, and we got kissing and I practically pushed him down on the bed" Sophie looked anything but ashamed "he's a Bridgerton, who in the world would believe one of those is a virgin?"

"oh no!" Kate gasped in horror "you slept with a Bridgerton, you slept with one of the owners of this house, this is bad, terrible, not good" Kate's eyes got impossibly wider " wait which Bridgerton? Because there's no way the Viscount is a virgin, that clown has the look of a man who knows what a woman looks like naked"

"no, not the Viscount, the second one, Benedict"

"The one who can't sit properly in a chair to save his life?" Kate reviwed the fee times she'd come across Benedict Bridgerton and decided that Sophie was right "Well I can definitely see why you wouldn't think he's a virgin" he had too much tendency to lie down in flat surfaces for one

"It gets worse"

"worse than taking a Bridgerton's first time?" Kate snorted

"well he may have proposed in the middle of sex" Sophie paused before adding " something about love at first sight"

"oh no, he's one of those romantic lunatics" Kate groaned covering her face with her hands "still..you're still wearing your mask !! He didn't even see your entire face, we can fix this"

" it's like he wants me to take responsibility for his virginity by marrying him" Sophie groaned "I'm not ready to get married Kate, I'm too young and too wild, to be tied down"

"and what am I supposed to do about it?" Kate wanted to help but really this sounded like a terrible mess " wait, if you spend the night with him, but you are here... did you just vanish from his bed while he took a nap?"

Sophie looked down and nodded "I'm hoping he'll wake up and think it was all a dream"

Kate was about to refute her when the kind voice of Penelope Featherington knocked on the door "good morning Kate, sorry for waking you up so early"

" Hi Penelope, if the Viscount is looking for Edwina please tell him she was indisposed last night so she slept in mother's room " Kate called out making a motion for Sophie to be quiet

"No, I'm looking for someone else actually, did you happen to see a five foot two blonde in a pink mask last night? A friend of mine is looking for her.... to return a glove"

Kate observed the very underdressed Sophie and guessed that it wasn't just a glove that needed to be returned. Infront of her Sophie was making a No no no motion with all her might

"Sorry Penelope, I don't know anyone who fits that description"

"Oh, that's quite all right, maybe we'll see her at noon, the person has to show up eventually right?" Penelope replied and soon left to knock on another door

It was so easy to forget how much of a Bridgerton Penelope Featherington was until things like these happened. Whenever Penelope subconsciously performed the duties of a sister in law to perfection one was reminded that she was the closest thing to a daughter in law that the family had. Kate and Sophie often wondered if the girl knew it

Being patient enough to wait for the globetrotter Bridgerton to propose must take the perseverance of a saint after all..

"Penelope is very observant, she won't take an excuse for long" Kate told Sophie quite seriously " so how do you plan to escape Benedict's proposal?"

Sophie seemed to think about it for a moment "what if I pretend to be your maid?"

------

This drabble is entirely based on the prompt " Sophie steals Benedict's virginity and panics when he demands she make an honest man out of him and take responsibility"

Featuring Kate as the sensible best friend who will now proceed to hide Sophie from Benedict and gaslight Anthony into believing he never invited Sophie to this house party.

And Penelope, the wallflower who seems not to know she's the designated Bridgerton sister in law.

Meanwhile Benedict is that dude who just wants to meet his Cinderella again, kiss her, marry her, and have a repeat of the masquerade night all over again

#bridgerton #Benophie #Benophie drabble #best friend kate #kate sharma #sophie beckett #benedict bridgerton #benedict x sophie

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fayes-fics · 1 year

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Benedict: Regency Fic Masterlist

Main Masterlist | Benedict: Modern | Anthony: Regency | Anthony: Modern

Updated September 13, 2024 Listed in ascending order of completion. All x reader unless specified otherwise

❦ smut | ✿ fluff/humour | ❥ angst | ⚣ threesome

Moments ❥ ✿ ❦ main story complete, occasional one-shots ongoing

Portrait ✿ ❦

Innocence ❦

Double Bind ❦ ❥

Lessons ❦ ⚣

Kinktober 2022 Drabbles ❦

March 2023 Drabbles ✿ ❦

Kinktober 2023 Drabbles ❦

One-word Drabble Challenge ✿ ❦

One Word Challenge Blurbs ✿ ❥ ❦

Sonnet #29 ❦

Tell me (all the ways you missed me) ❦

Must we? ✿

I’m not drunk ✿

Fireworks ✿

No Good Advice ❦ ❥

Acting Up ❦

Lightening & Lilies ❦

Beg ❦

Hormones ✿

Swallow ❦

A Treat ❦ ✿

Mine ❦

Insatiable ❦ ✿

Challenge ❦

Breaking and Fixing ✿

Stitches ✿

A Work of Art ❦

Consequences ❦

Temptation ❦

Goodbye, Hello ❥ ✿

Safe ❥ ✿

Inspiration ❦

Blissful ❦ ✿

(Mis)behave ✿

Confessions ❥ ✿

A Birthday Treat ❦ ✿

Comfortable ❦

Riding Tandem ✿

A Close Shave ❦ ✿

Happy Birthday, Mr Bridgerton ❦ ✿

The Things We Do For Love ❥ ❦ ⚣

A Closer Shave [Fic Remix] ❦ ✿

Bella Notte ❦

Target Practice ✿

Cravats ❦

(Be)Longing ❥ ✿

A Change of Circumstance ✿

Cat-Nip ✿

Our Cottage ✿

Second Son ❥ ✿

And One For Luck ❦

Canvas ❦

Stand & Deliver ❦

A Cure for Boredom ❦

Comfort ✿

Enthralled ❦

Refuge ✿

A Welcome Intrusion ✿

Ruler & Subject ❦

Reunited ❦

Reprisal ❦

What The True Poet Describes ✿

Vignette ✿

Eden ❦

To Know You ✿

Mirror, Mirror ❦

Absolution ❦

Wisteria ✿

NSFW Alphabet for Benedict Bridgerton ❦

The Secrets We Keep: Pt I ❥ ✿

The Secrets We Keep: Pt II ❥ ✿ ❦

Benedict Bridgerton x OC Female Character:

Enthralled [x OC version] ❦

Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett:

Breaking and Fixing [Benophie remix] ✿

Our Cottage [Benophie remix] ✿

Hormones [Benophie remix] ✿

Dividers @/firefly-graphics

#benedict bridgerton #benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton smut #benedict bridgerton fluff #benedict bridgerton angst #benedict bridgerton x you #bridgerton #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton smut #bridgerton fluff #bridgerton angst #bridgerton x reader #bridgerton x you #fic masterpost #fic masterlist #masterlist

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tilly-tilly-2827 · 4 months

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Light Switch

Synopsis: “Why are you callin’ at 11:30. When you only wanna do me dirty. But I hit right back ‘cause you got that, that yeah,”

The unhinged modern AU of the disfunctional Beneophies; both clearly in a total mess. Or the little Drabble that I can’t get out of my head inspired by the song Light Switch by Charlie Puth.

⚠️ SMUT. SMUT. NSFW. Very darker version of Benedict Bridgerton and Sophie Beckett. Benedict Bridgerton at his worst. Please be warned.

Read in AO3 from here!

Casanova, Casanova, Casanova

Sophie Beckett knew she shouldn’t take the call when the name popped out on the screen at 11:30 in the evening. Just out of the shower, Sophie was ready to curl herself in the sheets, already changed into her cotton checkered pajamas with a mug of mint tea in her hands. Working as a junior editor at the London office of the Whistledown was no easy job, and she knew it was wiser to ignore the call and rest for another hectic day ahead.

But even the inorganic digital letters were enough to make her feel his strong fingers trace the curves of her outline, his heavy breaths muttering her name like a benediction, his heat pressing hotly against her thighs, or even the weight of his thick length on her lips...

“Still up, my love?”

His hoarse deep voice from the speaker sent shivers down her spine, even though it was a muggy summer night in July. A few months earlier, Sophie’s heart would have fluttered at his endearment, but she was more experienced as to know that the same words had been whispered to countless men and women.

“Ben,”

“Be there in five,”

And just like that, Benedict Bridgerton was leaning against the door in the shabby hallway of her tiny studio apartment, with a crooked smile that never failed to make her knees melt.

“Good evening, Ms. Beckett.”

His tone was light and teasing, as always, but Sophie knew immediately that it was one of his desperate days as he grabbed the back of her neck in one swift motion, taking her into a deep, hungry kiss.

Cigarettes and whiskey, Sophie noticed the bitter taste on his lips, the familiar smell on his perfectly tailored jacket, insinuating that he had been in the posh upper-class parties. He was oddly wet and sweaty, adding a musky smell to his usual sandalwood cologne. As his grip on her hair tightened, his nails biting into her skin, she could hear her sanity screaming Don’t, Don’t, Don’t. But she couldn’t bring herself to slam the door in his face; ** his passionate kisses already left her dizzy and breathless, how could she ignore the burning hardness grinding her against her hips, igniting the blazing fire within her that only he could control?

Slamming the door behind him, Benedict pushed her against the wall, skillfully slipping his hands inside her pajamas, one hand pinching the tip of her breasts, the other hand already snaking below her waist. His lips curled into a smirk as he felt the slick mess between her legs when he hadn’t even touched the center of her pleasure.

“Aren’t you as convenient as ever?” Benedict cooed seductively, his hands were already working on the metal buckle of the belt. “Quite flattering when a phone call and a kiss is all it takes,”

“Ben, condoms,” Sophie managed to croak out between breaths and moans as his hands shoved down her pajama bottom and her underwear, both pooling shamelessly at her ankles.

“You’re not on pills?” Benedict stopped, jutting out his chin belligerently.

“I didn’t know that you were coming,”

Benedict cursed under his breath, and Sophie could only stare at him as he went through his pocket; a pack of cigarettes, a silver vintage lighter, and a rumpled fifty-pound note dropped at their feet. At last, he fished the pink wrapper from the bottom of his pocket, and he quickly took his stiffening cock in his hands, giving it several strokes. A wicked part of his mind was demanding to force Sophie to her knees, but all he could think was how he could be buried deep inside her. Immediately.

“Hands on the wall,” Benedict muttered as he rolled down the elastic on his shaft, and Sophie looked at him with her evergreen gaze, the innocence in her eyes making his cock twitch.

“But Ben,”

“You didn’t hear what I said?”

“Ben.”

“Hands.”

Slightly bending herself over against the wall, Sophie could hear Benedict’s animalistic growl as he gripped her hips, setting the tip of his shaft to her entrance. Sophie bit her lips to suppress a scream as Benedict pounded inside her in one quick thrust, tasting the faint taste of blood in her mouth.

“Sophie, Sophie, Sophie.”

Despite the brutal pace Benedict had chosen to fuck her, rutting inside her in a merciless rhythm, his voice was achingly soft and tender, her name slipping out of his lips. Sophie could only moan and graze her nails against the wall as Benedict continued his deepest strokes, stretching her to her limits.

“Couldn’t stop thinking about this all night,” He rasped, grasping her blond curls in his hand, tugging the golden strands with each thrust. Hot tears filled her eyes as his teeth bit into her shoulders, leaving a hot striking pain on her skin. “All mine,” he growled, bringing his hands to her neck, tightening his grip around her throat. “Mine.”

“No,”

“No?”

“No.”

He winced slightly as Sophie’s nails bit into the back of his palm, a sharp snip on his skin. He quickly dropped his hands, but Sophie gently took his hands to hers, her delicate fingers intertwining with his.

“Like this,”

Sophie’s breathless whisper and the coolness of her fingertips made Benedict dizzy and hazy, more than the whiskey or the champagne he had chugged down a few hours earlier. He pushed deep within her with a new rigor; in an unrelenting grind, again and again. Sophie knew that she was in an utter mess; her whole body trembling and shaking at the burning sensation.

“Ben, please,” Sophie’s plea came out as a desperate sob, and Benedict softened his thrust, relaxing his grip. Finding a the small freckle on the back of her neck, in the brief second, Benedict placed his lips on the exact place, tasting the soft saltiness on her skin. But just at that moment, Sophie gave a small yelp and he felt her tighten around his cock. Benedict’s sanity just shattered into pieces.

“Sophie, Sophie, Sophie.”

The sound of their hips snapping, Sophie’s small gasp and cries, and Benedict’s low grunts of her name were the only sounds that echoed through the room.

Sophie knew that he was close to his peak as his hips began to stutter, his breath becoming short and desperate as if he were grasping for air. Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the imprints of her approaching climax as well. Sophie pushed against him, slamming her hand on the musky wall; a desperate bid to achieve her own release, but just as she was about to finish, Benedict throbbed inside her with a low and pathetic groan. Leaving her just on the edge. Sophie could feel his deep heavy breaths behind her neck, his heavy weight leaning against her from her back.

“Sorry,” he mumbled as she felt himself soften inside her. She quivered softly as Benedict quickly pulled out, suddenly feeling the coldness of the grey concrete floor on her feet. Tossing the remains in the bin with a practiced hand, Benedict picked up the plastic blue box of baby wipes from the overhead cupboard, passing it to her wordlessly. Sophie bit the corner of her lips, her fingers clenching as she watched Benedict zip himself back in his trousers, fumbling with his black leather belt. Benedict’s ears turned slightly red noticing that she had been staring at him. With a slightly guilty look, he timidly picked up her pajamas from her ankles with two fingers, readjusting her nighttime attire.

“I’ll call you,”

Benedict Bridgeton placed his hand on the doorknob, his right foot already an inch in the hallway, but against her better judgment, against her sanity, Sophie grabbed him by the wrist in the last second.

No, No, No, No. No. No. Terrible idea. Don’t look back. Let him Leave. Walk away. Walk away.

But she wanted him more. She needed him more.

“Stay.”

“Don’t go.”

One of the many wonderful qualities she learned about Benedict Bridgerton was that he was a profound deep sleeper; the complete opposite of herself, the sound of a pin drop could wake Sophie from her shallow sleep. But Benedict Bridgerton could dooze off in the London construction site. The rattling clamor of the morning streets and the ear-splitting sound of her alarm clock weren’t loud enough to wake him from his slumber. But if there was one thing that woke him from his dream, it was when Sophie tried to slip away from his embrace, trying to crawl out of the sheets of her own bed.

“Don’t go, yet,” With his eyes still closed, Benedict would tighten his arms around Sophie’s waist, and she would feel his nose nuzzling her neck. “Just five more minutes, darling.”

“I have to go to work, Ben.” Sophie tried to distract herself from Benedict’s hands which were starting to wander to her very weak places, his hand sliding to cup her breasts. Sophie whimpered as his thumb softly rubbed her nipples, her breath hitched as his other hand teased her folds, gently caressing the center of her pleasure. “Benny, stop. I’m not self-employed like you…”

“But you’re so ready for me,”

Sophie gasped when he dipped his finger into her core, already wet and flooding, as he curled his finger against her most sensitive places. Sophie gripped her cotton sheets, trying to find some release from his agonizing touch.

“Stay.” Benedict purred, deepening his movements from the back, adding another finger, knowing the exact places that would melt her into a puddle, “Come home with me, Sophie.”

But his raspy whispers turned into a pathetic groan as Sophie gave a playful nudge to his heated manhood, just slipping away from his embrace in a brief second. Benedict stared shamelessly at her slender body from the bedsheets, the soft morning light giving a glow to her soft bare skin. Benedict could see the red marks he had left on her skin, a small bite mark on her delicate shoulders, the place he had buried his teeth in. His cock twitched, yet again. But her marks (Or was it his marks?) were quickly hidden as Sophie slipped into an oversized t-shirt, the length just enough to cover her lovely rear. It was his worn-out Star Wars T-shirt, he noticed, the one he had left in her room three months ago. He had stumbled into her flat after a three-week trip to Paris Fashion Week, diving into her bed right from Heathrow airport.

“Can’t you model for me, Sophie?” Benedict asked as Sophie picked up his navy Dior suit from the floor, hanging the jacket on the window rails, and folded his trousers neatly on the chair next to the bed.

“Don’t you have other boys who would do that for you?” Sophie only returned a wry smile, softly shaking her head. Benedict watched as she placed her keys next to the 50-pound note now soothed out on the table.

Keys in the post, don’t forget again, Benedict could almost hear Sophie’s voice in his head.

“Fine, forget about the model. But aren’t you going to help me with this?”

Benedict tore off the sheets, exposing his morning glory in the sunlight.Taking his hardness in his hands, he plumped it several times, grinning as he saw Sophie lick her lips ever so slightly. His load was already leaking, and Benedict was hoping to fill her again, but it would be more lovely to have her lips around his, dipping a thumb in her mouth as she looked up at him with her watery eyes…

“Tempting, but no.” Sophie chuckled, throwing her pair of white lace knickers on the bed, “You’re a big boy, Benny. You can take care of yourself,”

Benedict groaned as Sophie disappeared into the shower. With a pair of knickers in one hand and his gleaming cock in the other, Benedict contemplated for a second, but he dropped everything, rushing after to squeeze himself into Sophie’s tiny bathtub.

-------------------------------------------

The unnameable relationship with the up-coming artist Benedict Bridgerton had started almost a year ago, on the day of the Halloween Party hosted by Hasting&Co. She had tagged along with her colleague Eloise Bridgerton, who disappeared in the crowd right after they arrived at the venue. The flashing neon lights, the banging music overhead, the three delicious glasses of champagne, Sophie was enjoying herself so much so that she didn’t care she didn’t know the name of the beautifully handsome man who led her to the dance floor; she didn’t mind when he casually slipped his hands on her waist, or when he gently grinded his hips against hers, or even when his hands cupped her arse over her silver mini-dress. She was even stupid enough to lead him to her shitty one-room apartment, the one just above the Vietnamese restaurant. Too hazy, too impatient to even turn on the lights, the two bodies stumbled onto the mattresses; her old wooden bed frame giving an eerie creak all throughout the night. He had given her the best three orgasms of her life and fucked her senseless that she passed out in his arms, and for the first time in her life, she truly slept deeply, without any disruption at all.

When Sophie ran her fingers across his hair, his soft brown curls looking almost reddish in the warm morning sunlight; that was the moment she realized that the man snoring happily in her bed was the Benedict Bridgerton; the man she had seen in the posts of Whistledown number of times. She did panic, dropping flat on her face from her bed, knocking her forehead on the floor, but it was him who carried her back onto the mattress, sinking her into the sheets yet again. For the next four days, Benedict didn’t even leave her room; luring her in bed every time she got home from work.

“What are we, exactly?” It was the question she should have asked on that very morning, but Sophie was too focused on the sweet sensation Benedict was giving to her, his fingers exploring every bit of her body.

It didn’t take such a long time to realize that Benedict Bridgerton wasn’t exactly, exclusive.

The first time, it was two days after Benedict finally left her flat, (He was in dying need of fresh clothes) Sophie braved the courage to call him, wanting to ask him if he wanted to stop by for some chicken noodle soup.

“Wouldn’t you like a sip?” Sophie nervously repeated those words as she listened to the waiting call. She finally heard a click on the other end, but it was the voice of a woman who had answered, not the rich deep voice of Benedict Bridgerton.

“He’s in the shower now,” Her London cockney accent sounded oddly hoarse and amorous, “I can take your message if you want,” It would have been much easier for Sophie if her words had some malice, but her tone was sweet and gentle, almost soothing as if she had sensed her panic on the other end. Benedict had banged on her door at midnight the very day, leaving her no choice but to open her door, giving him the chance to kiss her senselessly, making her forget all the anger and the sadness that battered her soul.

“I don’t do relationships,” Benedict had guiltily admitted over their morning cup of Earl Grey. “I’ll leave if you want, I really don’t mind if you don’t want any of this,”

Come to think of it, that was the moment Sophie should have walked away. But instead, she had grabbed him by the collar and took her lips to his, slightly tiptoeing to reach the corner of his mouth.

“Stay.” She had murmured on his lips. “Don’t go,”

The second time, was the day of her father’s funeral. It was the third day of December, and Sophie could still feel the shivering wind as she rushed to the chapel, the place she managed to find after intense research on Social Media. But Sophie was kicked out the moment she reached the entrance, her stepmother shrieking and screaming something about fucking bastards and shame to the family name. Still shaken from Aramita’s shrieks or the devastating fact that she would never see her father’s face ever again, Sophie found herself standing on the doorsteps of Benedict’s art studio. With shaking hands, she rang the doorbell, and a beautiful handsome man with soft brown curls appeared at the door. Only dressed in grey sweatpants, he did look puzzled for a second seeing a girl all in black with a bouquet of lilies in her hands, but he seemed to notice her, greeting her with a smile.

“Please, call me Henry,” he introduced himself as he led her to the spacious sitting room, “It’s an honor to meet the muse in person finally,”

But Sophie noticed the panic on Benedict’s face as he appeared in the room, wrapped in a silk green robe. Through the crack of the door, she could see three bare shoulders laid across the bed. Their legs tangling on the white covers.

“You never told me that your new muse would be joining us, Bridgerton,” Henry had smiled over his cup of tea, “I’m sure the others would be delighted as well…”

“Oh. Um. I’m not. I’m just.”

“Henry, she’s not,”

“Not the sharing kind is she?” Henry broke out in an enigmatic smile, “It’s never too late to explore new territories…”

But before Henry could finish his sentence, Sophie had stumbled out from her seat, hastily mumbling something about work and errands. As she sprinted across the rainy streets of London, Benedict had caught her in the wrist, just at the start of the street crossing, grabbing her in a tight grip.

“I can’t just leave you all alone, Sophie,”

Benedict had helped her back to her apartment, and for the first time in the relationship, Benedict only cuddled her on the battered mattress, holding her tight as she sobbed in his arms.

The third time was at the Christmas Party at the London Arts Gallery. Sophie had been given a chance to write an article for the arts division, and she had been running around the venue with a notebook, a camera, and a voice recorder in her hands. Sophie almost dropped her camera when she saw Benedict Bridgerton walz into the gallery with a glamorous lady in his arms, a slightly older lady with gorgeous blond locks dressed in a Chanel vintage dress.

“That’s Lady Tilley Arnold.” A chatty gentleman had whispered to her excitedly seeing how Sophie just stood there with her mouth hanging open. “A patron to a number of up-coming artist in London you see, the London arts scene is entirely based on by her financial sponsorship…”

But, it wasn’t how Benedict kissed Lady Tilley passionately in the lips or how the two danced together beautifully on the dance floor that brought her in shambles. It was when his green eyes met hers, and gave her a casual smile and a little wave. Not even a flinch.

At that moment, Sophie realized that Benedict Bridgerton thought nothing about her.

It was his charm. His smiles. His lovey-dovey eyes. His witty, sarcastic quips. As she observed him from the corner of the gallery, Sophie noticed that he chronically flirted with every single person he passed by, igniting sexual tension in every single conversation.

And Sophie was finally aware of the fact that she was just one of the long list of lovers in Benedict Bridgerton’s life. After the third, Sophie stopped counting, and after three months, Sophie Beckett embraced the term “friends with benefits ” all in one hand. After all, it was nice to have a comfortable warmth in bed, wasn’t it?

Sophie could never reject him when he gave a call at 11:30 in the night, often showing up drunk and wasted, with a faint smell of whiskey and weed, because he gave her what she always craved, a little bit of love and every bit of warmth.

But what further sank her into inner turmoil was when Benedict sometimes gave her more than a little bit of love.

Sometimes, Benedict would stay in her shabby studio apartment for a whole day, preparing a beautiful hand-cooked dinner on the table, after Sophie came home tired and exhausted from work.

“You told me like you like Bolognese,” Benedict would laugh wholeheartedly as Sophie took another helping of the gorgeous tomato sauce.

“Benedict, this is absolutely gorgeous.”

Sometimes, Benedict would come with a bouquet of flowers in her hands, filling the room with the smell of wildflowers and Lilly of the Valleys. Sometimes it would be lilacs, tulips, roses, and hyacinths.

Every once in a while, Benedict would wake up earlier than Sophie, (when she was too exhausted from Benedict’s relentless pursuits) and a perfect morning table would be set before her eyes; the tiny surface filled with tea and omelets, croissants, and fresh strawberries. And Benedict would send her off to work with a gentle kiss.

Then, he wouldn’t contact her for weeks. Sophie would only read the scandalous headlines and see his charming eyes from the Whistledown Gossip posts, often along with beautiful models and actors.

Then, Benedict would call her at 11:30 in the evening, telling her that he would be there in five. Just only to fuck her. And she would let him.

“Are you okay, Sophie?”

Sophie broke from her daze, her stepsister was looking at her worryingly, Posy’s soft hands gently pulling Sophie back to a beautiful summer day in St. James Park. Sophie had forgotten for a second that she had been on an outdoor picnic on her day off; with Posy and her newborn baby, Sophia.

“I’m all right,”

Sophie answered with a smile, cradling her baby in her arms. Little Sophia let out a small giggle as Sophie nuzzled her soft skin with her nose.

“She’s looking more and more like you every time I meet her,”

“Sophie, please don’t change the subject,” Posy grabbed her lightly in the wrist. “It’s not Phillip Cavender, is it?”

“It’s not him, Posy. You know he’s not allowed to contact me…”

“Then why do you have a bruise on your neck?”

Damn. Sophie knew that she should have worn a scarf or a turtle neck, but it was just too hot, and Sophie had tried to cover it up with more puffs and foundations. But of course, Posy would notice, and with Posy’s patient coaxing and her peanut butter sandwich, Sophie ended up spilling out every story she had kept inside herself.

Posy listened to her whole story in silence, but her blue eyes widened and widened as she continued the whole story of her complicated relationship with Benedict Bridgerton.

“Sophie, why are you doing this to yourself?”

“I’m all right, Posy.”

“Sophie Beckett, look me in the eye and tell me that you are completely okay.” Posy tugged on her white shirt, nudging Sophie to turn her head.

“Posy,”

“Look me in the eyes, Sophie.”

“….It’s not like he physically punches me or anything,”

“Oh, Sophie.”

“He doesn’t kick me in the stomach when I can’t wake up from period cramps,”

“Sophie,”

“He cooks chicken soup for me, Posy,” Sophie felt tears coming up to her eyes as she continued her words, “Telling me that it would warm me up,”

“Sophie, Sophie, Sophie.”

Posy rubbed her shoulders as Sophie broke down in sobs, perhaps for the first time Posy had seen her in years. Posy took her towel handkerchiefs from her backpack, Sophie accepting it in quivering hands. Posy reached out her arms and took Sophie into a tight embrace.

“I understand that he’s kind and sweet to you, Sophie.” Posy gently said, “But you deserve much much more Sophie. You say that you are all right about the relationship, but it’s hurting you, Sophie. I can see it in your eyes,”

Sophie couldn’t quite reply, overwhelmed with tears and sobs. It took her more than a minute to calm herself down, trying to take deep breaths.

“I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself,” Sophie found herself saying her voice shaking and quivering, “why I keep choosing people who treat me like absolute shit, who treat me like some kind of a toy…”

“We accept the love we think we deserve.” Posy quietly said. “Have you ever watched The Perks of Being a Wallflower?”

“No,”

“When I heard this line in that movie, it opened my mind, Sophie. You remember how Mother and Rosamund treated us.”

Sophie nodded.

“Brush your hair, stop slouching, and pick up your feet, the dress looks terrible on you. Too fat, too chubby. I stopped eating, and then it would be too skinny, too bony….I hated myself, Sophie. I would have killed myself if you weren’t there for me, Sophie.”

Sophie gently took her sister’s hand, rubbing the soft palm. Their childhood memories were still fresh and painful, she knew how they both struggled to even talk about them.

“But when I left home, I noticed that I wasn’t ugly or unattractive as I believed myself to be, and I…I actually liked myself, more than I had ever imagined.”

“You’re beautiful, Posy.”

Posy smiled, tilting her head to Sophie’s shoulders.

“And then I met Hugh, and he has given me so much love that I never thought I would experience. And I’ve never felt so happier than any moment of my life.” Posy stroked her baby’s hair, the same anglic curls as Hugh’s. “And you deserve to be happy too, Sophie. I just want you to be happier,”

The scenery in front of Sophie suddenly became misty yet again.

“You are the most beautiful, and the kindest person that I have ever met, Sophie,” Posy looked into her eyes, and Sophie could feel tears running down her cheeks, “Do you know why I named my daughter after you? I wanted her to be a kind, compassionate soul, just like you.”

“You need to take care of yourself more, Sophie. Because You deserve much much more,”

Sophie let herself cry in her sister’s arms again, sobbing, sobbing, sobbing away about everything, everything, and everything.

---------------------------------------------

Benedict tapped on the door at 11:35, it was close to midnight, but he knew that Sophie would be awake. She hadn’t answered his call, but he knew she would be there; perhaps curled up in the bed with a novel in hand.

Benedict kept taping, kept taping, and kept taping, but there was no answer. He was gradually becoming impatient, his knocks changing into slams and bangs; his knuckles becoming more crimson every second.

“KEEP IT DOWN, will’ ya?”

A man in a shabby robe appeared from the other side of the hallway, rubbing his red swollen eyes. Benedict took a step back seeing a baseball bat in his right hand, a slight panic creeping up to his spine.

“I’m incredibly sorry to disturb you so late at night,” He sputtered, fidgeting his hands nervously, “I was trying to contact a friend, and I was worried because she wasn’t answering my calls or anything…”

“You’re the boyfriend?”

“Pardon?”

“Small, green eyes, curly hair?”

“Yes, yes.” He gritted his teeth. God, the man was telling him nothing, couldn’t he tell that he was worried about her? “My girlfriend might be unconscious inside here, would you mind contacting the landlord for me…”

“Get out.”

“Pardon?”

“You heard me, get the fuck out of this building.”

“But,”

“GET OUT!”

Benedict was chased down the stairs of the apartment, the man violently waving the metal baseball bat at him. He was lucky that he wasn’t hurt at all, but the disdain in the man’s eyes made him shudder. He didn’t see him as a stalker did he? He was just there because he was worried, it wasn’t as if he was chasing her down or anything….

Benedict again visited her apartment the next morning, carefully avoiding the man in the robe, but there was no answer. Benedict spent the whole day on the window table of the Vietnamese restaurant, ordering something off the menu every hour, (He called Colin for endorsement, and he happily ate away seven Goi cuons, a plate of Banh Khots, and two helpings of seafood Pho.) Benedict stayed there until the Waiter tapped him on the shoulder, telling him it was time to close shop.

“Do you happen to know Ms. Beckett?” Benedict asked the waitress in the cashier, knowing that it was a useless endeavor. And just as he thought, the woman only returned a puzzled look.

“Um, she’s about this high, green eyes, beautiful curls? Named Sophie Beckett?”

“Oh, Sophie!”

Benedict felt his heart leap as the Waitress’s lips widened in a smile, “Such a precious girl, isn’t she? She would always help me out with the cleaning on Friday nights…”

“She still lives upstairs, doesn’t she?”

“Haven’t you heard?” The Waitress tilted her head, “She moved out several weeks ago, said something about moving in with her stepsister or something…”

“Oh,”

“Pity, isn’t it?” The waitress continued, “Not only did we lose a precious customer, we lost a tutor for my boy, she was looking after SAT studies every Sunday…”

“Why are you so obsessed with her?” Colin asked while munching on some leftover Banh mi, as the two walked down the streets of London. Colin had been crashing on the couch of Benedict’s Georgian Townhouse, a three-week stay between his travels. Benedict ignored his question, not in the mood to respond to his brother’s inquiry. After all, he had been completely rejected by Sophie Beckett. “Never seen you chase after one girl, brother. I thought she was just one of your girls.”

Benedict sighed. Colin’s words were true; Sophie Beckett was just one of the names he would call when he needed a quick lay. But she was different; he had to admit, he didn’t have to care about being witty or debonair in front of her, he could drop his so-called “charismatic” artistic persona. She didn’t seem to mind even if he was drunk or miserable or entirely messed up; Any state he was, she would welcome him with open arms.

Deep in his heart, he knew he was taking advantage of her fathomless kindness. He also knew she wanted more from him; a committed relationship, a monogamy. But he had lived the majority of his adulthood wandering around in countless beds, and he didn’t exactly want to change his hedonic habits for just one simple girl.

“I understand,” Sophie had smiled over her morning cup of Earl Grey, but he had noticed that her fingers flinched for just a second, “I’ve seen too many broken relationships, too.” and Benedict didn’t dare to say that was not the reason.

Once, he had seen his rose bouquet abandoned in the outside bin. Just when he had stepped outside for a smoke, at the backdoor of the Vietnamese restaurant. The red petals crumbled with leftovers and paper napkins, the one he had given two nights before.

But she never scolded him for sleeping around, never rejected him when he tapped on her door. Taking in all the irritation, the insecurities, or the stress he thrust inside her.

Just one simple girl. Wasn’t that what she was?

“I have to find her, Colin.”

But she’s just a simple girl,

“I need her, Colin,”

But she’s just a girl,

But Sophie Beckett was always there for him, as if she were made for him; accepting him for as he truly was. Giving him comfort, the love, giving herself, no matter what. But what had he done in return? Some flowers, some handmade dishes? Hasn’t he exploited her to the limit?

“You’ve been doing very well, Mr. Bridgerton.” His physiologist had a surprised look at his last appointment, “A whole year off from drugs; astonishing achievement…”

It was because of her. She had been his medicine, his remedy, his pills.

“Bro, shouldn’t you take no as a no?”

“Yes, no, yes.” Benedict stuttered, “But, god, I owe her thousands of apologies,”

“If you are so desperate to find her, why don’t you contact the stepsister? If you cut off the other ladies and beg on your knees, she might change her mind,”

“I didn’t know that she had a step-sister,”

“That is a terrible red flag, Brother.” Colin scrunched his nose. “Where is she from? Maybe she’s back at her hometown…”

“She’s from the countryside,”

“AND THAT’S THE ONLY THING YOU KNOW?” Colin dropped the half-eaten Banh mi on the pavement. “God, I knew you like to keep it casual, but I didn’t know that you were that casual,”

“Well, I know her favorite color is green and she loves Lilly of the Vallys…”

“And is that information going to help you find her?”

“…No.” Benedict couldn’t quite look into his brother’s eyes.

“Perhaps you could contact her workplace. Where did she say that she worked?”

“She works as a junior editor,”

“At where?”

“I actually don’t know.”

Colin smacked him in the head.

------------------------------------------

Sophie walked through the art gallery, carefully stopping at each picture, and observing the intricate details of each color and strokes. Ever since she moved to Wilshire and got a job in the local bookstore, it became a regular habit to visit every once in a while for the new exhibition. She found it soothing, walking in silence all alone, exploring the places each piece took her; almost as if she were navigating through the minds of other hundreds of people.

But Sophie stopped, or quite frankly, she had to stop.

It’s not every day you see a painting of yourself, is it?

It was a portrait of her, an oil painting of about a notebook size. She recognized her blond curls, her green eyes, but it was the clothes the girl was wearing that first caught her eyes; the worned out Stars Wars T-shirt she threw out in the bin two years ago.

She didn’t know how long she had been standing in front of the portrait. But she couldn’t help noticing how he managed to capture every bit of her in one painting, her messy morning curls, her scruched eyebrows, every curve of her body…

As she glanced at the description on the left corner, Sophie stopped breathing, the heat coming up to her cheeks,

Benedict Bridgerton; Love on my Life;

“Sophie?”

Sophie recognized his deep, soft voice, but she didn’t dare to look back. Even after two years, his voice didn’t fail to make her knees feel weak, bringing the same shivers she felt every time he called him. His sweet lips on hers. His hands everywhere.

Same, same, same, all over again.

Sophie knew that if she looked back, she would fall in love all over again, repeat the same mistakes, two years of intense therapy all in waste. Sophie closed to eyes, but she could hear his footsteps approaching, gradually, but hesitantly. Sandalwood and soap, she recognized, but she noticed the absence of the alcohol and cigarettes. But still, she couldn’t bring herself to open her eyes.

But her heart leaped, and her stomach fluttered with just his presence, just like when they first met.

“Give me one more chance, Sophie,”

“Give me a chance to love you again,”

#writer's notes

"We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist,"

#benedict bridgerton #bridgerton #benophie #sophie beckett #benedict x sophie #benophie fics #bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton smut #smut

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drywit-dimpledsmile · 2 years

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BridgertonBabe Drabble/AU (in timeline order)

Literally no one asked for this, not even @bridgertonbabe but as someone who love Shinnie’s writing and for those who love to keep up with her non-official fics, I had some time to spare to get everything organized for her fics not on AO3:

Royals AU

Long Story Short (the entire summary of the Benophie love story)

RIP King Edmund May He Rest in Peace

ABCG Serves in the Military: a summary

It’s not a Bridgerton story without scandal!

How Sophie Met Her Teenage Crush

How Benedict Met The Love of His Life

Prince Benedict and Sophie’s First Date

Sophie and Benedict Learn to Compromise

House Bridgerton Finds Out

Benedict and Sophie Find Out that Everyone Else Found Out

Princess Sophie and her GNO

Popping the Question

Teenage Dream

Prince Benedict and Miss Sophie Beckett’s Engagement Announcement

Royals fight off the Media

Sophie’s First Royal Engagement

Sophie Sees My Cottage For the First Time

Queen Violet Gives Sophie a Wedding Present

An Interrupted Honeymoon Surprise

The Princess-ification of Sophie Beckett

House Bridgerton tries to take a Family Photo

Prince Charlie Gets Baptized and of course his cousins are up to no good

Princess Sophie and Queen Lucy and their no good, terrible relatives

Queen Kate and Princess Sophie Get Lady Boners for their husbands at a polo match

Baby Violet is Born

Prince Benedict is a Girl Dad (pt. 1)

Prince Benedict is a Girl Dad (pt. 2)

2 Little Girls and their Merry Rake Uncle

House Bridgerton Shenanigans

King Anthony is Tired of his Family

The Benophie (Royal) Babies are Ranked by their Parents

Long Live The Queen!

Harry Potter AU:

Violet Has a Vision

Edmund Figures It Out

ABC Rescue Sophie

Ember’s Origin Story (Ember the Owl Adventures - in timeline order)

Ember Adopts Benedict as her surrogate father

Hyacinth’s obsession with Sophie continues in every universe and Ember is stuck in the middle

Ember Gets Attacked by Gnomes

The Gnome at Dinner incident

Professor Danbury Meets Ember

Edmund bonds with his first “grandchild” (*the grandchild is an owl)

The Benophie Babies with Ember

Pre-Yule Ball Bliss

Summary of Benedict F*&KING up (Pt. 1) :-)

*BONUS: Summary of Benedict NOT F*&KING up (AN AU OF AN AU)

Benedict and Sophie’s Yule Ball First Kiss

Benedict finds out about Fletcher

The Menace Called Fletcher

Screaming the wrong name in bed (Benedict’s Version)

Benedict F*&KING up (Pt. 2) :-)

Screaming the wrong name in bed (Sophie’s Version)

Michael’s 23rd Birthday

The Panic Attack Saved In True HP fashion: with Love

Sophie and Benedict Struggle to Conjure their Patronuses

Anthony Fails at Being a Wingman

Best Man and Bridesmaid duties (ft. Kathony)

FINALLY!

Sophie’s First Time That In Retrospect She’s Glad it didn’t happen in a Greek Beach

Protecting their Love Bubble

Sophie Gets Moved In (and other stuff)

Colin attempts to Crucio Ben

The Lingerie Everyone Needs in Life

Benedict Thinks Sophie Beckett is the most perfect human on the planet (VALID)

Colin and Philip Reconcile after Baby Mama Drama and Sophie and Benedict Get Engaged

Sophie Has a Tumble (tw//miscarriage)

Little Charlie is Born

Colin the Cat crawls his way into the My Cottage Family

The Benophie Babies Get Sorted!

William Turns his Brothers into Weasels

William Gets a Howler

Irwins AU

Long Story Short

Sophie is the Bridgerton’s Biggest Fan Girl

Edmund Becomes Sophie’s Dad

Benophie Loves Elephants

The Benophie Babies are Introduced (LION KING STYLE)

The Umbrella Academy AU

Umbrella Academy Assemble?

Benedict Becomes the Man of Sophie’s Dreams...Literally

Bridgertons Assemble?

Sophie Forgets

All Hell Breaks Loose

Benedict and Sophie Finally Reunite....Then Time Travel Splits Them Up :(

If I missed anything let me know!

UPDATED (10/26/22): with the Ember the Owl Adventures

UPDATED (4/5/23): with 5 months worth of new drabbles and new fics!

#bridgertonbabe #benedict bridgerton #sophie beckett #benophie #luke thompson #fanfic #bridgerton #benedict x sophie

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ao3feed-kathony · 3 months

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Better than Dreams

read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56629516 by Tilly_Tilly_2827 Reimagining An Offer from a Gentleman #8 In collaboration with the lovely @benophievisuals on Tumblr “Have you heard that The number two of the Bridgertons is getting married?” “With whom? His name was never attached to another lady, was it?” “Apparently, he is getting married to some girl he found in the countryside. But, I heard that it was rather a hasty engagement…” Or A little drabble of Benedict Bridgerton desperately trying to court his fiancee during their three days of engagement. Words: 3849, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Fandoms: Bridgerton (TV), Bridgerton Series - Julia Quinn Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/M Characters: Sophie Beckett, Benedict Bridgerton, Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma, Anthony Bridgerton, Violet Bridgerton, Lord Fife (Bridgerton), Lord Cho (Bridgerton) Relationships: Sophie Beckett/Benedict Bridgerton, Sophie Beckett & Benedict Bridgerton, Anthony Bridgerton/Kate Sheffield | Kate Sharma Additional Tags: Fluff, Domestic Fluff, Canon - Book, Book 3: An Offer From a Gentleman, Benophie, Protective Benedict Bridgerton, Simp Benedict Bridgerton, Bridgertons Being Bridgertons read it on AO3 at https://archiveofourown.org/works/56629516

#kathony #kanthony #anthony bridgerton #kate sharma #kate sheffield #ao3feed #fanfic

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silverhallow · 2 years

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So... could we see a glimpse of baby Sophie turning 4 years old in France? Her bossing shit up at her birthday party?

I'm pretty sure the photo is of Julia Berolzheimer, not 100% sure but I'll look into it haha

France was home for Esme, it is the place she felt comfortable but in recent years that shift had started to move to Hampshire with Richard and their tiny princess Sophie.

Esme had begged Richard to come to France to celebrate their daughter’s birthday and have a little pre-wedding celebration with her family and friends in France that weren’t able to make the wedding.

Reims was the place Sophie had been born, it had been a hard birth for Esme especially being by herself with only her mother for company, Richard back in the UK with no idea Sophie had been born.

But this was in the past, their future was set in front of them and they’d marry two weeks after their princess’ birthday and the entire family had made their way to France for a big celebration.

“Sophie ma petit… where are you?” Esme called out looking for her newly 4 year old daughter. Sophie was quite adept at hiding but whenever Esme called for her, she’d giggle.

She heard the tiny giggle coming from one of the cupboards and a rustling of a bag “Sophia Ma Petit… if you have the crisps that are for your party, Mama is going to be very upset”

“But MAMA Papa gimmed them!” Sophie’s little voice came, muffled with the sound of crunching.

“Sophie!” came Richard’s voice entering the kitchen as he looked at his soon to be wife who had an amused look on her face “it was supposed to be our little secret!” he said opening the cupboard and lifting his little girl from the cupboard she’d begged to be let to hide in.

“But Papa you said lying is naughty!” Sophie said, crumbs covering her entire body as she gave her Papa a toothy grin.

Richard sighed as Esme chuckled and walked over to her daughter “Oh mon amour she has you there” Esme grinned before seeing the state of her daughter.

“Oh Sophie… everyone will be here soon and you have crisps in your hair… how?”

Sophie decided to show her Mama how by putting the crisps packet back on her head “it’s a crown for princess Sophie”

Richard burst into laughter and Esme groaned “I swear, the children at nursery are such a bad influence on you ma petite”

“I think the birthday princess needs to have a bath before all her guests arrive”

“Noooooo no bath’s on my birthday!” Sophie squirmed in her father’s arms

“Sophie you need a bath before you can have cake” Esme said as she took her wriggling daughter.

“NO BATHS” Sophie yelled as she burst into tears “waters hurts my eyes” she said through great big sobs

“Mama will be very careful ma petite and if you are good Mama has a special surprise for you after your bath” Esme said placatingly.

Sophie sniffled and pouted sadly but let her mama carry her off and bathe her. Sophie liked that her mama managed to make the water all bubbly and let her wear a bubble beard and crown whilst she was having her hair washed.

Sophie was wearing her little bubble beard and crown whilst Esme dashed out of the room to get the surprise for Sophie.

Sophie was splashing in the water happily with her toys ducks as she was quacking and giggling. Esme smiled at the noises coming from the bathroom as she grabbed the dress that was hanging up, and her own and dashed back into the bathroom “so since you’ve been a big brave girl Ma petite… Mama got you a special birthday party dress” Esme smiled brightly as her little girl stared at her, her little green eyes alight with happiness.

“A pretty dress like Mama???” Sophie squeaked

Esme showed Sophie the little Silvery grey dress and showed her own in a similar shade with flowers on “just like mama” Esme said

Sophie screamed excitedly and burst into happy tears “BESTEST DAY EVVVVER” she sniffled

“Are you going to let Mama wash and dry your hair without sad tears” Esme said

“If i can wear the dress! Yes!” Sophie squealed happily with her happy tears in her eyes and didn’t complain at all as her Mama washed her hair and even sat still as Esme combed her hair once she was out of the bath.

She sat very still whilst Esme put her hair into two plaits and beamed toothily as her dress was put on and she started spinning happily on the spot giggling. “Princess Sophie!”

Richard knocked on their bedroom door “everyone is here my love and waiting for the birthday princess and her Queen” he grinned brightly.

Esme chuckled “we’re just ready now mon amour” she smiled as Richard opened the door.

He gasped when he saw Sophie “well look at you all grown up and looking like Mama!”

“I match Mama!” sophie said with a bright toothy grin on her face.

“I can see, do you want to walk down or does the princess want a carry?” he asked

“I can walk!” Sophie beamed and rather than walk she skipped her way downstairs into the garden. Because the weather was so lovely they had decided to have the party and celebration in the garden.

“Can Papa take some photos of Sophie?” Richard asked as he held the camera up.

Sophie nodded and permitted her father exactly two pictures before she turned around “I can hear Mamaw and Nonna!!!” she squealed excitedly “and Ali!!!!!” she said, turning around quickly and pointing towards the path that led to the back garden just as Richard snapped one last photo.

“LETS GO PAPA!!!!” Sophie squealed and ran off and made her way into the party with Esme following chuckling and shaking her head

“Our little princess loves a party” Esme said

“She just likes being centre of attention” Richard chuckled

“She gets that from you” Esme said, blowing her husband a kiss and following her daughter into the party.

He had meant to take more during the party but between his family, Esme’s friends and Sophie he didn’t have the time and it turned out, the photo of Esme and Sophie heading into the party would be the last ever photo he would take of his Princess and his Queen.

#A work of art Drabble #Sophie Beckett Drabble #Esme x Richard #bridgerton #sophie beckett #ask ash #a work of art #awoa

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funemployed-fangirl · 2 months

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Modern AU Benedict x Sophie

The Second Meeting

2012

As Sophie exited the bar, desperate to shake off the doldrums of the world’s most boring date, she felt a light sprinkle of rain begin to hit her bare arms. Of course she’d left her practical but unattractive jacket at home so as not to ruin her outfit. And for what? She shouldn’t have bothered looking so cute for this date. Actually, she shouldn’t have bothered leaving the apartment at all. She sighed heavily, then realized she needed to move out of the doorway as two blond men in Patagonia vests appeared behind her.

“Bad night sweetheart?” the taller of them asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

Sophie made a non-committal sound and raised her eyebrows in polite but dismissive acknowledgement of the comment. She hoped they would move on as she silently debated the merits of a 20 minute walk in the rain or a taxi she couldn’t afford. But her new pal was undeterred.

“Yeah, that bar sucked,” he said. “That’s why we’re headed to a way better party right now.” He leaned towards Sophie and eyed her up and down. “You know, you are totally my friend’s type. He wouldn’t want me to say this, but he loves a blonde in tight jeans. You should come with us to this party. It’s an album release. Pretty exclusive, but, uh, we could probably get you in. We know a guy from the label, so…”

Did this tool think he sounded impressive right now? A wave of pure exhaustion overcame Sophie as she thought about how best to escape this conversation.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m actually headed to another bar to meet my friend, so…” Sophie started walking away from the guys, realizing immediately that she was in fact walking in the opposite direction of home, and would have to double back once she ditched the dudebros.

“What’s the rush?” asked the second guy, stepping in front of her path. “We were just getting to know each other. My man Tyler wasn’t kidding, we can totally get you into a sick-ass party. Invite your friend to join us - the more the merrier!”

As Sophie tried to turn away from douche number two she realized douche number one (apparently called Tyler) had moved right behind her, blocking her escape.

“Thanks for the offer, guys. But I’m good. Enjoy your party.” Sophie had tried to sound as authoritative as possible, but the proximity of the two men caused her voice to come out way more unsure than she’d intended.

Tyler grabbed her arm. “You know, Kyle, I don’t think she likes you that much. Maybe I’m more her type. What do you say, sweetheart, we could have some fun together.”

Panic rising in her chest, Sophie tried to shake him off but his grip was strong. She turned her head away from the smell of vodka and redbull and found herself face to face with Kyle. She jerked away from him, tripping backwards on the sidewalk. She probably would have fallen except for Tyler’s vice-like grip on her upper arm, holding her up against her will. As Tyler barked “Don’t be like that,” and Kyle continued to insist they could show her a good time, another voice interrupted the scene - deep, strong, and calm in a way that implied a threat just beneath the surface.

“Is there a problem here, gentlemen?”

Sophie looked around and nearly gasped. There was Benedict Bridgerton, the star of 2 years worth of romantic fantasies and what-ifs, having just exited the very bar she’d been bored out of her mind in for the last hour.

He was as handsome as she remembered him, from his silky chestnut brown hair and dark eyes to his broad shoulders and perfect jawline. He wore a crisp light blue oxford, unbuttoned casually at the neck, charcoal gray pants, and a perfectly tailored camel peacoat. He almost seemed taller than Sophie remembered him, but maybe that was because he was currently standing at his full, most intimidating height. With one look, it was clear this was not someone to be trifled with. He practically smelled like money and power. Which, Sophie thought, he actually did - she knew he wore very expensive cologne to go with his very expensive everything else.

Some frat boy animal instincts must have alerted Sophie’s would-be assailants that this was an alpha male with rank far above their own, because she felt their body language change instantly. Tyler’s grip on her arm loosened slightly (but didn’t let go) and they both adopted forced casual poses as they nodded familiarly at Benedict.

“No man, no problem. We’re just chatting with our friend here.”

“Yeah, it’s all good,” drawled Kyle as he made to put his arm around Sophie’s shoulders.

“I am NOT their friend,” ground out Sophie, as she finally successfully yanked herself away from the two men.

“Aw, don’t be like that, we were just having fun,” said Tyler as he moved to grab at her again, but Benedict stepped smoothly in between them, placing his body firmly in front of Sophie and blocking the path to her completely.

“You’re done here. Go home and sleep it off.” Benedict’s would-be casual tone remained steady but the edge to it became more pronounced with each word.

Unable to help herself, Sophie peaked around Benedict’s shoulders, which were at eye level, to look at the two guys, who looked like they were calculating the odds of a fight. Tyler stepped forward and said, all laughter gone from his voice, “who the fuck do you think you are man? This is none of your business…”

But before he could continue Benedict growled, “Do you want to get banned from every bar above midtown? Or lose a few teeth? Because I could make either of those things happen. Now get out of here before I start to lose my patience.”

Realizing they were facing a losing battle, the douche bros turned tail and scampered away down the street, Patagonia vests flapping in the wind.

Sophie, who hadn’t realized she’d apparently stopped breathing, took a deep shuddering breath and tried to slow her rapidly beating heart. Benedict whirled around to look at her, the powerful calm suddenly gone from his stance. His eyes were filled with worry and his tone soft as he moved towards her and asked, “Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”

He reached out towards her with both arms, placing the lightest of touches on her shoulders to steady her. The contrast of Benedict’s gentle touch to the rough handling she’d received moments before was so stark Sophie almost started to cry. She tried to reassure Benedict that she was okay, but he looked unconvinced. Admittedly, it was hard for Sophie to concentrate on forming coherent sentences when Benedict Bridgerton’s fingertips were sending shockwaves up and down her arms and his eyes were looking more and more like those of a concerned puppy dog with every passing second.

He glanced at a spot on her left arm just below his fingers and let out a hiss. Red marks were glowing where that drunk jerk had grabbed her. Sophie knew they were thinking the same terrible thought - there would be a hand-shaped bruise there by the morning.

“Do you want to put some ice on that? I’m sure we can get some inside from the bar,” Benedict offered.

“No, God, I don’t want to go back in there. I’ll just go home. It’ll be fine,” Sophie said. She watched Benedict pull his cell phone out of an inside pocket and start to type in a number.

“Let me call you a ride home, then. Where are you headed? Is it around here?” He then thoughtfully added, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. You can just give the address to the driver when he gets here, of course.” He looked so desperate to help, but as Sophie looked into his caring face, a sinking feeling settled in her stomach. He had no idea who she was. Her whole body was on fire just from being in close proximity to Benedict again, but to him, she was just some pathetic stranger in need of saving. She realized she needed to get out of there as fast as she could, before she either burst into tears or started to scream.

“Oh my gosh, thank you, but that’s not necessary. My apartment’s just like a 20 minute walk down the street, it’s really not a big deal.” Sophie hoped she sounded casual and breezy, but feared that she still sounded completely panicked, which was not likely to convince her knight in Armani armor to back down from his mission. As it was, she was beginning to realize she had no desire to show back up at the Goldmans’ apartment disheveled, soaking wet, and covered in bruises, but what other choice did she have?

Sure enough, Benedict seemed reluctant to let her wander off by herself. He looked out at the rainy street, then down at his hands as if an umbrella might magically appear in them. Shrugging his shoulders slightly at his helplessness, he finally said, “If you're sure. Um… I’m glad you’re alright.”

Sophie knew that was her cue to run, but instead they both just stood there, gazing into each others’ eyes. Once again, warmth began to tingle under her skin as his soulful brown eyes looked at her imploringly. They both seemed to be leaning slightly towards one another, as if drawn by some invisible force. For a moment, she thought there might have been a look of recognition, but she was sure she imagined it. Finally she gave herself a little shake and mumbled, “Right. Yeah, I should go,” and strode quickly and confidently into the night.

Or at least, that’s what she meant to do. What actually happened is she took one step and her leg immediately gave way under her. Benedict lunged forward and gracefully caught her as she began to fall, one arm around her back, the other grabbing her right arm and quickly steadying her. Did they teach lightning fast reflexes at Yale Business School?

“Woah! Careful, are you ok?”

Shit.

“I must have twisted my ankle when I was struggling with those idiots!” Sophie whined. She hated how close to tears she sounded, but if ever there was a time to cry, surely this was it.

Benedict looked more worried than ever, and hadn’t actually loosened his grip on her arm. With her luck, she’d now have a handprint shaped bruise on this arm to match the other one. He looked down at her ankle. “Can you put weight on it?”

She tried.

“Ow!”

“That’s it, I’m calling you a car,” he said, finally letting go of her arm to reach back into his jacket pocket.

“You really don’t have to do that.”

“You can’t walk 20 minutes on wet sidewalk with a twisted ankle.”

“It’s fine, really. I just want to get out of the rain.”

They looked at each other, both clearly wondering what to do next. Benedict glanced back at the crowded bar, but could see on Sophie’s face she wanted to head back in there less than she wanted to skid all the way home. Suddenly, he seemed to make up his mind.

Benedict offered, “My apartment’s literally around the corner. We can be there in two minutes, you can put your foot up, get some ice on your ankle, dry off a bit, and then you can figure out what to do from there.” Sophie stopped breathing again. Was Benedict really offering to take her back to his apartment? She remembered the last time she’d received that offer, albeit under very different circumstances. She absolutely couldn’t agree to this. Could she? Seeing her hesitation, Benedict quickly added, “I promise, you’ll be safe the whole time. I’m just offering somewhere dry and warm. I swear, your virtue will be safe from me.”

It was the sort of sentence that easily could have had the opposite of its intended effect, but Benedict’s wording had been so stilted and awkward, and the entire situation was so ridiculous, that Sophie burst into giggles. Soon Benedict was laughing, too, relieved that he hadn’t managed to scare her off. So the two of them stood in the glow of lights from a terrible bar, getting steadily drenched in the cold rain, her leaning on him with a foot dangling in the air, laughing like hyenas at the absurdity of it all.

Finally the laughter subsided long enough for Sophie to say, “Thank you for the reassurances in regards to my virtue,” which led them both into another fit of giggles.

They began the slow walk towards Benedict’s apartment, with Sophie leaning on him for support. But after only a few feet Benedict clearly got tired of hearing Sophie hiss in pain every time her right foot touched the ground, because he said, “This is ridiculous,” and swept her into his arms without warning. Sophie let out a squeal of surprise as her arms instinctively flew around his neck.

She looked up and found their faces were mere inches apart. A contrite look passed across Benedict’s face. “I’m Benedict, by the way.” Sophie marveled. She was torn between the absurdity of the situation - had they really not introduced themselves before he started carrying her like a bride over the threshold? - and a familiar sinking feeling in her stomach. This was the final nail in the coffin proving he did not recognize her. He had no idea they had once shared the best kiss of her life in a secluded corner of a crowded club.

Not sure how else to respond, Sophie said, “I’m Sophie.” A grin spread across Benedict’s face.

“Nice to meet you Sophie. Let’s get the hell out of this rain.” And with that, he hurried down the block and around the corner.

How was he moving so fast on rain-soaked sidewalk while holding a full-grown woman in his arms? Seriously, what did they teach at Yale Business School?

Sophie laughed in delight and delirium as Benedict carried her to the end of the block. He slowed in front of a large and austere looking apartment building. “Will you be ok if I put you down?” he panted, and Sophie nodded. He resumed their original position, with his arm around her waist, pulling her into his side, and they approached the entrance. An elderly doorman with a wiry but sturdy frame held open the door.

“Good evening Mr. Bridgerton.”

“Hey George,” Benedict called. “My friend twisted her ankle,” he explained, as the doorman surveyed the sight before him. Sophie winced at how this must look to George, but of course he made no comment. He did ask if they needed a first aid kit or a doctor, but Benedict waved him off with a thank you and friendly smile. They rode the elevator in silence to the 12th floor. The doors opened onto a small hallway, with one door at each end. Benedict led a hobbling Sophie to the door on the left. He unlocked the door and swung it open, announcing proudly, “Welcome to My Apartment!”

Sophie stifled a groan. She felt like Elizabeth Bennet seeing Pemberley for the first time. It wasn’t exactly a stately mansion, but this was a nice apartment. The front entryway wasn’t a hallway, it was its own room. With doorways leading off of it in multiple directions. Soft, warm, motion-activated light filled the space as soon as they walked in, a lush sage green rug covered the floor, and a large gilded mirror reflected her soaked face back at her. Sophie quickly wiped mascara from under her eyes while Benedict hung his drenched coat in the closet.

“Here,” Benedict said, “let’s get you on the couch.” He assisted her through a doorway into a large living room that had clearly been designed by a decorator. Everything looked modern and chic, but comfy. Very comfy, thought Sophie as she lowered herself gratefully onto the most comfortable couch she’d ever sat on. Benedict fussed over her, propping her ankle up on several pillows and wrapping an impossibly soft blanket around her. He rushed off and returned with a large ice pack and an even larger bottle of Advil.

“I’m impressed you have Advil,” Sophie said. “Most guys don’t have anything in their medicine cabinet besides hair gel.”

Benedict chuckled. “I have younger siblings who have been known to crash here once or twice after an ill-advised high school party.”

“Aaah,” said Sophie. She of course knew Benedict had many siblings - how often had their names appeared on the gossip sites, especially Whistledown, which seemed particularly fond of the Bridgerton family - but she was pleased to know Benedict was willing to take such good care of his brothers and sisters when they needed it.

“I figure it’s the least I can do to provide coffee and painkillers when they wake up. Especially since I do take photos of them and use it for blackmail with our mother later.”

Ok, so maybe he’s not taking that good care of them, she thought with a smile.

Benedict perched on an ottoman in front of the couch. “How’s your ankle?” he asked.

Sophie shifted it under the ice pack and grimaced slightly. “Still hurts, but being off of it is definitely helping.”

“Good, good. Do you need anything else?”

“No, I’m fine,” Sophie said. She couldn’t believe he was making such a fuss over her. Suddenly she looked down at her soaking wet clothes. “I’m sorry I’m getting your couch all wet.”

“Don’t even worry about it. Although I’m sure you're uncomfortable. Do you want me to get you some dry clothes? A shirt, some sweatpants? They’ll be too big on you, obviously, but…”

Sophie blanched at the idea of laying on Benedict’s couch, in his sweatpants and tshirt, and for a moment feared she might lose consciousness just at the thought. “No, God, I’m fine, really.”

“Then how about something to warm you up,” Benedict offered. “Do you want some tea? I’m going to get you some tea.” And before Sophie could accept or refuse, he’d leapt up and run off to the kitchen. Sophie could hear him moving around the kitchen, water filling a kettle, the soft clink of mugs being taken down from a shelf. When he didn’t immediately return Sophie snuggled further down into the blanket and allowed herself to look around the room.

The place was clean, but not pristine, with evidence of Benedict’s personality sprinkled amongst the more professional touches. An empty soda can and an open piece of mail sat on a side table. Another throw blanket was bunched up unceremoniously on an armchair on the other side of the room. The mantle had framed photos - the entire Bridgerton family posed in matching blue and white, Benedict smiling with two of his brothers at an airport, his youngest siblings wearing pjs and sticking their tongues out, two photos that looked like they might be Benedict’s college friends on a hike and at a wedding.

And closest to Sophie, on the coffee table, a worn sketchbook and a handful of pens. She contemplated the sketchbook. It was the first thing in the room that had intrigued her. Against her better judgment, she found herself reaching over and leafing through it. There were some sketches of hands and eyes, the kind one might make in a drawing class. A few pages of pure doodles. An incomplete drawing of what looked to be one of his sisters - possibly Francesca? Two or three landscapes that were most likely Central Park. Then, in the bottom corner of a page full of unrelated small drawings, something caught her eye. It was a sketch of a necklace. The necklace she’d been wearing the first night they met. The one she’d lost at the club that night. She was sure of it. Sophie’s breath caught in her throat.

The kettle began to whistle and Sophie was snapped out of her reverie. She shut the sketchbook and tossed it back on the coffee table. She pulled out her cell phone and pretended to be looking at it just in time for Benedict to stick his head through the doorway from the kitchen.

“Do you possibly want anything… stronger… in your tea?” he asked. Sophie almost said no on instinct. Surely that would delay her inevitable escape and, clearly, she needed to get out of here as quickly as possible. But then she paused. She and Benedict stared at each other for a moment, a strange battle of wills occurring. He raised his eyebrows. She gave in.

“Yes, actually. That sounds great.”

“Right you are!” he said happily. “Two hot toddies coming right up!”

Benedict appeared a moment later with two steaming mugs in his hands - one with the Yale logo, and another which said “World’s Okayest Brother”. Sophie laughed.

Benedict had clearly changed while the water was heating - he was now in dark blue sweatpants and a long sleeved gray t-shirt. As he handed a mug to Sophie and settled back onto the ottoman, she couldn’t help but appreciate the view. She was struck by how intimate the picture was - everything from his tousled, drying hair to his socks to the way he was casually sipping his tea reminded her that he was relaxing in his own home. But all of a sudden, she didn’t feel like an intruder. This felt… nice. Comfortable. Easy.

She was so screwed.

Benedict noticed her phone sitting on top of the blanket. “I’ve got chargers in the side table if you need one. And the wifi password is NY152. Network’s My Apartment.”

“Your wifi network is ‘My Apartment’?” Sophie asked incredulously.

“Yeah, ‘cause it’s my apartment.” Benedict winked playfully and Sophie rolled her eyes and laughed at him. After a moment they lapsed into easy silence.

He surveyed her over his mug before leaning back slightly. He quirked an eyebrow and said, “You know, we’ve met before.” Sophie froze mid-sip.

“You thought I didn’t recognize you, didn’t you?” Sophie didn’t move. Benedict smiled self-deprecatingly. “Admittedly, I didn’t recognize you at first. I was a little too busy trying to rough up two prissy FiDi bros. But the moment I actually took a good look at you…” he expression grew more serious, but still soft. “How could I not recognize you?” He placed his mug on the table and leaned toward Sophie, who still had yet to speak. “You recognized me, right?” She could tell he was mostly joking, but there was a tiny hitch in his voice that indicated somewhere in the back of his mind, this was an actual concern.

Sophie took a deep gulp of the tea (thank God there was whiskey in there), and said “Yes, Benedict Bridgerton, I recognized you.” A huge smile spread across his face, and Sophie felt a matching one spread across her own.

He leaned in further. “I still think about that night. That was the most fun I’d had out in years. Do you ever think about it?”

His gaze flickered down to her lips. Sophie knew she’d never be able to successfully lie. Quietly, she admitted, “I still think about that night.” His gaze grew hungry. He reached over and gently took her mug from her hands, placing it on the coffee table next to his. He leaned forward, closing the gap between them.

“Good.” She was so screwed.

Want more Benedict & Sophie? Read The First Meeting HERE or check out more of our Modern Bridgerton AU HERE.

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