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Bonnie was his favorite đ°
#my art#fanart#fnaf#fnaf security breach#Cassie fnaf#shes my favorite character im so serious#she lived at the end of ruin trust me im the writer#fnaf sb#five nights at freddy's#gregory count your DAYS#fan art
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THE CONTRACTED HEART â Rafe Cameron (02)
MASTERLIST | Basketball Player & Model!Female Reader
Summary: Rafe Cameron, a basketball star, needs a marriage to fix his image, while Model!Reader needs one for citizenship. They may be the perfect solution for each other.
Warnings: smut, descriptions of violence, jealousy, usage of drugs, talks about body image/ed, angst, and lots of bickering. Reader is confident, a people-pleaser, has a traumatic past, and is a sunshine with an attitude. Rafe is a whore, possessive, cocky, and secretive about his past.
Word Count: 4.1k
Aliyah's Notes: rafe triple appearances đ i actually rlly like this yk like the pacing and the dynamics are great imo. i hope u all will like it too. reader seems like such a jobless ho in this chap but she's booked and busy yall i promise
As the early morning sunlight streamed through the large windows of your apartment, you stood in front of your full-length mirror, taking a deep breath as she surveyed her reflection. Today was the dayâthe day you would finally meet Rafe Cameron and discuss the terms of your marriage arrangement. The thought made your stomach flutter with a mix of excitement and anxiety.
Despite your bubbling personality, the pressure of the situation weighed heavily on your shoulders. You had spent the past few days steeling yourself for this moment, and now that it was finally here, the reality of it sent your heart racing.
You glanced at your closet, a vibrant array of outfits hanging neatly. You had planned to wear something that screamed âfabulousâ, but time was slipping away from you. You settled on a leopard-print strapless top, pairing it with a denim mini skirt. You slipped on your favorite black heels, which added just the right amount of height and made your legs longer. You grabbed your black Prada bag, a reminder of the success you had fought so hard to achieve.
Despite your nerves, you felt a surge of excitement. This meeting was a step forward resolving your visa issues, and you were determined to make the best of it. You wanted to present yourself as confident, someone who could hold your ownâespecially when facing someone like Rafe Cameron.
You slipped into the back seat of your private car, offering a quick nod to your driver, Gregory. As the engine purred to life, you felt your heart pounding in your ears, each beat amplifying the weight of anticipation.
When you arrived at the law office, your gaze immediately landed on Nicolas, your lawyer. He stood up from his chair and made his way over, exchanging small talk that felt oddly comforting amid the tension. Together, you entered the meeting room, where Rafe and his lawyer were already waiting for you.
Even seated, his presence dominated the space. His broad shoulders, casual posture, and confident smirk that made him look every bit the arrogant athlete you had read about. His lawyer, Sabrina Rashid, sat beside him, a sharply dressed woman who radiated professionalism. Rafe, on the other hand, looked annoyingly relaxed in a plain white t-shirt and black jeans.Â
Well, this made you look overdressed⊠Embarrassing, but you kept your head held high.
Nicolas gestured toward the table. âShall we?â
You slid into the chair opposite Rafe, offering a small nod to his lawyer before turning your attention to him. His blue eyes flickered over you, lingering longer than necessary. You could practically feel his ego inflate with every second.
âYouâre late,â he drawled, breaking the silence. His voice was as cocky as his expression.
You arched a brow, setting your Prada bag on the table with a soft thud. âHello to you tooâand youâre lucky I showed up at all, considering your reputation.â
He smiled. âFeisty. I like that.â
And so, you cringed at his words. You rolled your eyes, refusing to take the bait. âLetâs get to the point, shall we?â
Nico cleared his throat, clearly eager to steer the conversation to business. âYes, well, the purpose of todayâs meeting is to discuss the logistics of the marriage arrangementâspecifically, where youâll be living, financial obligations, and how this will be handled publicly.â
âPublicly?â you repeated, frowning slightly. âI thought this was supposed to be discreet.â
Rafe shrugged. âI donât do discreet, sweetheart.â
You shot him a glare. âI am not your sweetheart.â
âNot yet, but wait âtill weâre married.â
You blinked at him, caught off guard by his audacity, but recovered. âThis isnât going to be like that. Weâre not doing some fake, lovey-dovey routine for the press.â
Rafe leaned back in his chair, folding his arms over his chest. âWho said anything about love? Iâm talking about looking like a normal couple, someone the media canât tear apart every other week. Itâs all about appearances, sweetheart.â
âStop calling me sweetheart.â
âWhatever you say,â he grinned. âPlus, you gotta admit, you and I? Weâd be a headline every day, sweetheart.â
âIs he serioââ
Nico stepped in before you could respond. âAlright, enough. Letâs get back on track.â He glanced at Rafeâs lawyer, who nodded and opened a folder.
âFirst item on the agenda: where will you two be living?â Sabrina asked, her tone professional and no-nonsense. âGiven that this marriage is primary for legal purposes, we need to establish residency. For it to be legitimate, you will need to live together.â
You shot a look at Rafe, who was already smirking like heâd won some kind of silent argument. âIâm not moving in with him,â you said flatly.
âYou think Iâm thrilled about having a roommate? Especially one who probably spends hours in front of the mirror.â
You crossed your arms. âI do not.â
Lies.
âOh, please. Youâre a model. You probably have a different skincare for every day of the week.â
âAnd itâs supposed to be a bad thing becauseâŠ?â You frowned. âYou should take exemple. You look like you wash your face with body soap.â
Nico pinched the bridge of his nose. âLetâs focus, kids.â
Rafeâs lawyer continued, ignoring the banter. âYouâll need to appear as though youâre cohabiting. If not, immigration authorities will become suspicious, and the arrangement could fall apart.â
You narrowed your eyes at Rafe. âWhere do you live, anyway?â
He learned forward, resting his elbows on the table. âIâve got a place in SoHo. Penthouse. Nice view, great amenities. Itâs got plenty of space for you to do⊠whatever it is models do.â
âFunny, I have my place in the Upper East Side. And I am not giving it up.â
He raised an eyebrow. âUpper East Side, huh? Posh.â
âI earned it.â
âWell, weâll need to figure something out,â Sabrina interjected smoothly. âBut you need to live together. In one place.â
Rafe looked amused. âYou can have the closet space. Iâm a sweet guy like that.â
âHow generous,â you muttered, turning back to the lawyers. âFine. We can do the whole âliving in one place togetherâ thing. But I need time off, to stay at my place once in a while.â
Rafe winked. âWouldnât want to cramp your style.â
You ignored him. âWhat about finances? How is this going to work?â
Nico pulled out his own folder. âWeâve drafted a preliminary agreement outlining financial contributions from both parties. Itâs important that this marriage appears legitimate, so we suggest pooling certain expensesâutilities, rent or mortgage payments, and shared household costs. This can be done through a joint account, which will be monitored to ensure the marriage looks genuine.â
You could feel Rafeâs eyes on you, and you shot him a look. âA joint account? I hope youâre not expecting me to pay for your post-game drinks?â
He chuckled. âRelax. Iâve got more money than you can spend in a lifetime. The joint account is just for show. But if you want to chip in for groceries, I wonât stop you.â
âOh, how noble of you,â you replied dryly.
Nico glanced between you and Rafe, clearly trying to keep the conversation on track. âThis account will cover all necessary shared expensesâbills, groceries, and any incidentals that may arise from your living arrangements. Itâll help maintain the appearance of a genuine marriage.â
Sabrina nodded in agreement. âExactly. As for your individual assets, those will remain separate. No need to worry about your personal finances getting tangled up.â
You relaxed a little at that. âGood.â
âAnd what about public appearances?â Rafe asked, sounding surprisingly serious. âHow often do we need to do the whole âhappy coupleâ thing?â
Nico exchanged a look with Rafeâs lawyer. âYouâll need to be seen together frequently enough to make it believable, but not so much that it seems forced. A few key eventsâcharity galas, public outingsâwill suffice. Itâs important that you strike a balance.â
Rafe shrugged. âIâve got games, events, plenty of opportunities to be seen.â
You sighed. âI have shoots, fashion shows, and meetings. Weâre both busy.â
âSounds like weâll have to schedule our love life,â he quipped, flashing you a grin that made you want to throttle at him.
You gave him a sweet smile. âGood thing itâs not real.â
He laughed, and for a second, the tension in the room eased.
Nico shuffled his papers. âThereâs one more thing to discussâmedia coverage. Given that Mr. Cameron is already in the spotlight, itâs important to control the narrative.â
Sabrina continued; âWeâll need to issue a carefully crafted statement once the marriage is official. Something that explains how you met, why youâre together, and addresses any potential rumors before they can spiral out of control.â
âA public statement?â You cringed at the thought.
âItâs necessary,â Nico said. âIf this looks like a publicity stunt, it could raise red flags with immigration.â
Rafe leaned back in his chair, looking far too relaxed for the situation. âDonât worry, weâll make it believable. Iâm great with the media.â
âYeah, thatâs exactly what worries me,â you muttered.
He smirked. âCome on, sweetie. Weâll be the hottest couple in New York. Think of the headlines.â
âIâd rather not,â you moved your hands dismissively.
The lawyer continued discussing the finer details of the arrangementâcontract clauses, confidentiality agreements, and timelines. You zoned out for a moment, your eyes drifting back to Rafe. Despite his infuriating attitude, there was something about him. Something that made you feel like this might not be the worst decision after all.
âI hope youâre prepared for the spotlight,â he said suddenly, snapping you back to reality. âThe mediaâs gonna eat this up.â
You arched a brow. âPlease. Iâve been in the spotlight longer than you have, and with far less drama.â
He grinned. âWeâll see about that.â
You leaned forward, meeting his gaze head-on, the space between you suddenly charged. âIâm not one of your little fangirls, Rafe. You might charm the media, but youâre not charming me.â
His smirk faltered, just for a second, replaced by something darker, more intense. His gaze dipped, lingering on your exposed cleavage, heat flaring in his eyes. You felt a spark, your breath catching as your own eyes betrayed you, flickering to his lipsâpink, curved, and way too tempting for your liking. The air between you thickened, crackling with an unspoken challenge, the playful banter giving way to something far more dangerous.
Rafeâs tongue flicked out to wet his lips, and for a moment, you forgot where you were, the weight of his stare pulling you in. The thought of what it would feel like to wipe that cocky grin off his faceâor maybe even taste itâflickering through your mind.
But then Nico cleared his throat, shattering the moment like glass, and you quickly sat back, your heart racing as you wrenched your gaze away from Rafeâs.
âSo, we have a deal?â Rafe asked, cutting through the tension.
You glanced at Nico, who gave you a subtle nod of reassurance. With a deep breath, you turned to Rafe and extended your hand. âYes, we do.â
His hand clasped yours, warm and firm. âLooking forward to being your husband, sweetheart.â
âLooking forward to not being your wife,â you rolled your eyes, pulling your hand back. âThis is purely business. Donât get any ideas.â
âWhatever you say, wife.â
The next few days passed in a blur of contracts, legal jargon, and meetings with Nico, Sabrina, and Rafe. You had signed your life awayâwell, not really your life, but it certainly felt like it.Â
You were lounging in your Upper East Side apartment, scrolling through Instagram when your phone buzzed.
Rafe Cameron.
Just seeing his name made your stomach tighten with a mix of irritation and something else you couldnât quite place. Hesitantly, you opened the message.
Rafe: âWhen do you plan on moving in?â
You stared at the screen for a second before typing.
You: âIâm not even packed yet⊠what the hell.â
Rafe: âWhat you waiting for? Youâre not chickening out, are you, sweetheart?â
There it was againâsweetheart. That nickname got on your nerves, but you were determined not to let him get under your skin (although he already did).
You: âStop calling me that, and also I have a job and a life. I canât just drop everything to move into your stinky place.â
Rafe: âIâm offering help.â
You snorted at your phone. Right, because Rafe Cameron would actually help you pack your boxes.
You: âWhat are you gonna do? Carry my shoes for me?â
Rafe: âIf it gets you here faster, then sure. Iâll be here tomorrow.â
Your eyes widened. Was he serious? You couldnât picture Rafe Cameron, basketball star and all-around cocky jerk, standing in your apartment, packing boxes and loading them into a truck. The mental image alone was laughable.
You: âWait! No!â
Rafe: âWhy no? You need a few more days to decide on what to pick?â
You: âJerk.â
Rafe: ":)"
You: âAnd I canât move in yet. We need to make a public appearance and get married before I start packing and do all the move-in things.â
There was a pause before his response came through.
Rafe: âFair.â
You: âExcited to live with me, am I right?â
Rafe: âProjecting much?â
You: âYou wish.â
Rafe: âDitto, sweetheart.â
You rolled your eyes. You quickly clicked on the rolling eyes emoji as a response and threw your phone onto the couch, not wanting to keep talking to him.
The next morning, you blinked your eyes open, greeted by the familiar warmth of your apartment, and for a fleeting moment, you forgot about everything. The visage, the arrangement, the pressure, the stress, immigration, Rafe Cameronâall of it felt distant, like a strange dream.
But then reality settled back in.
You groaned softly, burying your face into your pillow for a second longer before sighing and throwing off the covers. Today was yet another meeting with the lawyers, and you already were over it.
You knew marriage was a lot of papers and documents, but you truly didnât think it was this much.
Swinging your legs over the side of the bed, you padded across the plush carpet to your closet, glancing at the outfits hanging neatly in a row. Usually, your first thought would be what designer outfit to wear today but you couldnât muster the energy to care this morning. Today wasnât about looking fabulous; it was about getting down to business, and you didnât care how you looked because youâd be stuck in a room for hours with two lawyers and your future husband.
Future husband⊠God, how weird was it to say that about a man you didnât even know.
Instead of focusing on it, you reached for a pair of soft gray sweatpants and a simple white tank top. You pulled a thick, cozy grey cardigan over your shoulders, its warmth a small comfort against the stress building in your mind.Â
As you made your way to the kitchen, your phone buzzed on the countertop, and for a moment, you thought it might be Rafe. But no, it was just a reminder from Nico about the meeting. You sighed, grabbed a cup of coffee, slipped into the backseat of your car and headed to the law office.
The law office was as sleek and imposing as everâpolished wood, glass walls, and the faint scent of coffee lingering in the air. You stepped into the conference room, finding Nicolas and Sabrina already seated at the table, a stack of papers in front of them. They looked up and offered polite smiles as you entered.
âMorning,â you said, taking a seat and smoothing the sleeves of your cardigan.
âMorning, Y/N,â Nico replied, his tone friendly but businesslike. âHowâre you feeling?â
You hesitated, offering a half-hearted smile. âA bit nervous and tired, I guess. But ready to get things moving.â
Nico nodded, glancing at the empty seat beside you before opening his mouth to speak, but Sabrina beat him to it.
âHello, Ms. Y/L/N, just to let you knowâRafe wonât be joining us today.â
Your heart sank, but you tried not to show it. âOh? Whyâs that?â
âLast-minute practice session,â she explained, her tone casual. âIt was unavoidable, apparently. He couldnât get out of it.â
You nodded slowly, processing the information. It wasnât that you were angryâjust⊠bothered. This was an important meeting, after all. Even though this marriage was fake, it still involved a lot of big decisions. Decisions you didnât feel comfortable making without him.
âOkay,â you said after a moment. âI guess weâll have to catch him up later, then.â
Sabrina gave you a sympathetic look. âIâll make sure heâs informed about everything. I know itâs frustrating, but Rafeâs schedule can be pretty unpredictable.â
âI get it,â you replied with a shrug, trying to convince yourself it wasnât that big of a deal. âItâs just... this is important, you know? It wouldâve been nice to have him here for this.â
âI understand,â Sabrina said gently. âAnd Iâll make sure heâs fully briefed on everything. Heâs committed to this, even if it doesnât always seem that way.â
You nodded, still feeling a bit unsettled but trying to brush it off. He was used to a chaotic schedule, and you couldnât expect him to drop everything for every meeting. But still... you couldnât shake the slight discomfort gnawing at you.
âOkay,â you said, trying to focus on the task at hand. âSo, whatâs the plan for today?â
Nico flipped through the stack of papers in front of him. âWeâve got a lot to cover. First off, the wedding itself. We need to finalize a date, and given your visa situation, weâre looking at a timeline of about three weeks.â
âThree weeks?!â you exclaimed, immediately covering your mouth with your hand. It was sooner than youâd expected, but you understood the urgency. âSorry.â
âItâs alright,â Nico said, waving his hands. âWe need to move quickly. The sooner the marriage is official, the sooner we can start the immigration process. And in the meantime, you and Rafe will need to be seen together publiclyâon dates, outings, and even social media.â
You chewed the inside of your cheek, feeling a little overwhelmed. âPublic appearances... right. How often are we talking?â
âEnough to make it believable,â Sabrina took over. âWe donât want to overwhelm you, but itâs important that youâre seen together frequently. A few key public outings, some posts on social mediaâitâll help establish the narrative that youâre a real couple.â
You nodded. âAnd Rafeâs on board with all of this?â
âHe is,â Sabrina reassured you. âWeâve discussed it, and he knows whatâs required.â
âOkay,â you said, feeling a bit more reassured but still uneasy. The idea of staging your life for the public was daunting. It wasnât just about attending a few events or posting picturesâit was about selling the image of a relationship that didnât exist. And with Rafe not even here for the planning, you couldnât help but feel a little disconnected from it all.
You smiled faintly. âIt just feels... strange, doing all of this without Rafe. I mean, I know itâs a fake marriage, but it would still be nice to have him involved, you know?â
âI understand,â Sabrina said. âItâs not ideal, but Rafeâs committed to this. His schedule is unpredictable right now, but that doesnât mean heâs not invested in making this work.â
You nodded, trying to take comfort in her words. Maybe Rafeâs absence wasnât a sign of disinterestâmaybe it was just bad timing.
Nico continued, flipping through the papers. âLetâs move on to the wedding itself. Have you given any thought to what kind of ceremony you want?â
âHonestly, I havenât thought about it at all.â
âAlright,â Nico said, nodding.
âA small ceremony,â you echoed, thinking it over. âIt⊠It could be nice, no? That could workâbut shouldnât Rafe have a say in this?â
âHe will,â Nico assured you. âMrs. Rashid will loop him in on everything. But for now, we need to focus on logistics. The venue, the guest list, the timelineâitâs all about making sure everything looks legitimate to immigration.â
âOkay. Letâs go with the small ceremony, then. But Iâd still like Rafeâs input before we make any final decisions,â you said softly, your cheeks warming slightly.
âOf course,â both lawyers said with a smile.
The conversation shifted to the finer detailsâthe venue, the guest list, the timing of public appearances. It felt more like planning an elaborate PR campaign than a wedding, but you tried to stay focused. Every decision was one step closer to securing your future, even if it didnât feel real.
The meeting felt like a marathon. You exhaled a long, tired sigh, your head spinning with wedding details and timelines. You couldnât help but glance at your phone again, half-expecting a message from Rafe. But there was nothing. He was at practice, wrapped up in whatever game plan his team was working on.
You adjusted the strap of your tote bag and pulled your cardigan tighter around yourself as you headed for the door. But as you opened it, you stopped short, nearly walking straight into someone standing just outside.
âWhoaââ A familiar voice interrupted your thoughts, and you blinked up to see Rafe Cameron standing there, leaning against the doorframe, as if he had been waiting for you.
âRafe?â you blurted out, surprise laced in your voice. You hadnât expected him to be here, especially after Sabrina said he wouldnât make it.
He straightened up quickly, looking just as startled as you. âY/N⊠uh, hey. Iâuh, Iâm sorry I missed the meeting,â he stammered, his usual confident demeanor slipping for a moment. âI couldnât miss practiceâŠâ
You stood there, momentarily frozen. It wasnât like him to stutterâand it threw you off. âOh⊠right. Yeah, no, itâs fine, donât worry. Sabrina said you had practice,â you said, trying to brush off the awkwardness.
He shifted his weight, his hands sliding into his pockets. âYeah, I, uh⊠tried to make it, but, you know⊠basketball.â
You nodded slowly, still surprised that he had actually shown up. âWell, the meetingâs over. Sabrina said sheâll catch you up on what we discussed.â
âRight, yeah, Iâll talk to her,â he mumbled.
âYeah, so... goodbye?â
âGoodbye,â he said, looking down at the floor for a second before glancing back at you. There was a brief, awkward silence that stretched between the two of you. Neither of you moved, though you werenât sure why.
Finally, Rafe cleared his throat, and his gaze flickered over your outfit. A slow smirk crept onto his face, his familiar cockiness returning. âSo... whatâs with the sweatpants and cardigan? Didnât know you had it in you to dress so casually.â
You blinked at him, caught off guard by the teasing tone. âExcuse me?â
He shrugged, his smirk widening. âJust saying... itâs not exactly the runway look I was expecting from a supermodel.â
You felt a laugh bubble up in your throat before you could stop it. âYouâre one to talk, Mr. I-show-up-in-a-T-shirt-to-a-business-meeting,â you shot back, your lips curving into a smile.
Rafeâs eyes lit up slightly, surprised by your reaction. It was the first time you had actually laughed at something he said, and for a moment, he just stared at you, taking in the sound. Cute, he thought to himself, the word slipping into his mind unbidden.
âAt least my T-shirt was designer. This,â he flicked his gaze over your cardigan, âlooks like something you stole from your grandmaâs closet.â
You gasped, feigning offense. âI happen to like this cardigan, thank you very much. Itâs cozy.â
He grinned. âCozy, is it? Guess youâre preparing for the life of domestic bliss weâre about to have. How cute.â
You shook your head, fighting another smile. âFunnyâlike you even know the meaning of domestic bliss.â
He tilted his head, his smirk never faltering. âWho says I donât? I could be all about the cozy life. You donât know me.â
You arched a brow. âReally? You? In sweatpants, lounging on a couch, binge-watching Netflix?â
âI can be a homebody if I want to,â he said, shrugging, though the teasing glint in his eyes told you he wasnât being serious. âGive me some credits, alright? I can rock sweatpants.â
âIâll believe it when I see it.â
âMaybe you will. Youâll be living with me soon enoughââ you froze slightly at that reminder, and your smile wavered. He noticed the shift and cleared his throat. âAnyway, Iâll make sure to show up to the next meeting. Promise.â
You gave him a small nod, still smiling. âYouâd better.â
He nodded, and for the first time since youâd met, there was no teasing in his expressionâjust quiet understanding. You gave him one last look before heading down the hall, feeling the warmth of your laugh still lingering in the air between you.
And Rafe stood there watching you walk away, thinking about how cute your laugh wasâand how much he wanted to hear it again.
chapter three
#aliyah works#the contracted heart#model!reader#rafe cameron#obx#rafe cameron fanfiction#rafe x reader#outer banks#rafe cameron imagine#rafe cameron smut#rafe cameron x reader#rafe fanfiction#aliyahs misc#rafe cameron prompt#rafe obx#rafe cameron fluff#rafe smut#rafe outer banks#outerbanks rafe#rafe cameron x oc#rafe cameron x you#rafe cameron x y/n#rafe cameron x female reader#obx rafe cameron#obx smut#drew starkey smut#drew starkey#drew starkey x reader
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Lavender's Blue, Dilly Dilly (c.b. x fem!reader)
pairing: colin bridgerton x fem!reader
word count: 1.9k
warnings: none? but let me know if i missed any!
a/n: Ah! the first of my "if i was a girl in a book" series is here with sound of music meets colin bridgerton! there will definitely be more parts to this (at least i think there will) but i wanted to introduce the idea of the series with this part first! hope you enjoy, let me know what you think! pt 2
The Bridgerton house is terrifying. Not necessarily the contents of the building, though you can not exactly speak for that as you had not entered the house yet, but the actual building is terrifying. It is beautiful and warm and spectacular and terrifying. You take a deep breath and close your eyes before marching up the front steps, placing your two bags down on either side of you, and knocking on the door. It takes approximately two seconds for the doors to open and expose the wide foyer and many footmen seemingly standing around waiting for your arrival. What ensues is the most awkward staring contest of your life; the man who opened the door stares seemingly into your soul, the blankest of stares on his face.Â
âGood morning, my name is Y/N and I am here to see Lady Violet Bridgerton,â you finally break the silence, hoping he will stop staring at you if you say something regarding your presence.Â
With his arms stuck to his sides and his neck turning only when his body does, the footman marches down the hall and announces your presence in the doorway. The shuffling of many feet against wood and carpet sound soon after, and you are greeted by two little heads staring from the doorframe. You wave delicately, readjusting the bag you had yet to put down in your clenched fist before deciding to put everything down in hopes of looking more welcoming and open.Â
âAh, Miss Y/N, what a pleasure it is to have you!â An older woman in a beautiful periwinkle dress makes her way over to you. Looking down quickly at your brown frock, you push any insecurity out of your mind before sticking your hand out to shake. âOh no, weâre a hugging household if you donât mind,â Violet interjects your inner monologue. âOh, not at all,â you put your arm down and let her initiate the hug, feeling both increasingly awkward and welcome at the same time.Â
âYour timing is impeccable, as all my children actually happen to be in the same place at the same time,â the woman laughs. So this is Lady Bridgerton.
âWell, when one has a home this exquisite, I would be partial to staying here as much as possible,â you compliment.Â
âI have a feeling we shall get along quite well Miss Y/N,â Lady Bridgerton smiles at you, and you feel like you have gained a victory, if not a very small one. âChildren! Come greet our guest!â Oh. You are going to meet all the children right now. Splendid.Â
A cluster of frenzied bodies makes their way out into the foyer, the two younger ones that poked their heads at you earlier leading the charge. They soon formed a line, appearing oldest to youngestâ though you could not confirmâ and you hold back a laugh as the two littlest ones battle it out for a spot in the lineup.Â
âGregory! Hyacinth! Stop that at once, we do not want to be confusing your new governess on her first day,â the oldestâor at least the first in lineâ yells while leaning over the back of the line.Â
âApologies, they are not always like this,â Lady Bridgerton comments to you, standing by your side and looking disappointedly at her children.Â
âMother, do not lie,â the second in line crosses his arms over his chest as the third suppresses a chuckle with a cough. You try not to laugh along with him, and he catches your shared moment, smiling at you while rolling his shoulders back and tucking his arms behind him.Â
âWell, I believe it is time that you should all introduce yourselves,â Lady Bridgerton waves her arm down the line in demonstration.Â
âI am Anthony, the oldest and the head of the household,â Anthony starts, stepping forward slightly then stepping back like a soldier.Â
âVery pleased to meet you,â you nod, smiling lightly.
âI am Benedict, second oldest,â he goes to readjust his vest and you notice the charcoal marks under his nails and the paint on his thumbs.Â
âAn artist too I see,â you comment, and his eyebrows raise in amusement and confusion. âYour hands give you away,â you explain, nodding to the signs you gathered. His mouth forms a silent âahâ before tucking his hands behind his back.Â
âColin,â the third one nods at you with a sly smile on his face, âthird, one and twenty, and without need of a governessâ.Â
âThough some may beg to differ,â one of the girls further down the line pipes up, causing the two youngest to giggle under their breath.Â
âWell, I am sure we will get to know each other well on adult terms then,â you nod, trying to keep the situation light.Â
The girls keep the line going, Lady Bridgerton informing you that Daphne, the oldest daughter, was to debut this year and that while you would mainly be watching over the smallest two children, it would be much appreciated if you were to aid the girls in their more accomplished skills as well.Â
âIt would be a delight maâam,â you smile, and when Lady Bridgerton announces that you will need to be shown to your room, Gregory and Hyacinth (whose names you now have committed to memory) are quick to grab a hand on either side of you and drag you up the stairs. Eagerly waiting to get to know their new companion better, you are left to wave a hasty goodbye to the rest of the family as you nearly trip over the initial stair for the children are oh so speedy.
The first night finds you unable to sleep. The space is unfamiliar and the job so incredibly daunting. Though you have faith that you can achieve what you set out to do, it does not make the prospect of having to live with eight children, one mother, and who knows how many staff any less immeasurable. When the Bridgerton family had written to the greater community that they were in search of a new governess, you had never imagined that they would select you, but you were of course more than grateful. Coming from humble beginnings yourself, the cavernous environment and the sheer amount of people in it were enough to spike your anxiety. After tossing on your side for the 100th time, you finally strike a match, lighting the candle on your bedside table and grabbing your diary from beside it. Writing letters to family and friends had become a habit of yours when you could not sleep, which you are not eager to admit happens frequently. You begin writing a letter to your mother, the words spilling out of you as the ink bleeds through the page and onto your hands. Paying no mind to anything other than writing, you are shaken out of your mental tunnel with a quick knock on your door.Â
âYes?â You call through, quickly shoving your diary under your pillow.Â
The door opens hesitantly, and Colin peeks his head through the frame. âMy apologies, I saw the light under the door on my way down the hall and feared someone had left it burning in their sleepâ.Â
âOh,â you laugh awkwardly, âdo not fret Mr. Bridgerton, it was merely meâ.Â
âWere you unable to sleep?âÂ
âYes, but not to worry, it was merely,â you pause and realise there is rain tapping at your window, âthe stormâ.Â
âAh. I know a few of my younger siblings are unable to sleep during storms as well,â he nods in understanding.Â
As if responding to a cue, Hyacinth runs up to the door and Colin opens it wider. Her creased forehead and pouted lips are enough for you to open your arms, sending her flying onto your bed. She ducks her head into your pillows, covering her ears further as thunder claps outside your window. You rub your hand along her back, looking between her and Colin who still stands at your door.Â
âMy dear, did the storm frighten you?â It feels like an obvious question, but one must cover all bases when dealing with new children. Lest you forget when, two families ago, one of the middle children was not scared of the storm, but of the fact that his older brother was chasing him down the hallway with a fish head. How they had even come across such a thing you will never know. Hyacinth nods her head and you pat the space next to you, whispering quiet shushing sounds in her ear as you hear another set of feet approaching your door. Colin looks down the hall as Gregory comes to join the party.Â
âWere you scared as well darling?â You ask, scooting your legs to the farthest edge of your bed to make more room.Â
âNo! I wasnât scaredâŠI was merely coming to check on Hyacinth,â he sounds unconvinced. You nod in agreement, muttering âof courseâ to save him his image of masculinity when another round of thunder rolls through. That masculine facade is quick to fall as Gregory runs up onto your bed, taking up the space behind Hyacinth. Colin chuckles and you send him a death glare to avoid him making fun of his siblings.Â
âNow now, the storm cannot hurt us inside. We have light, and windows from which to watch the storm pass if we so choose,â you try reassuring them, but it seems to do little good as the children keep in their tucked positions.Â
There is suddenly a fourth Bridgerton entering your room when Francesca makes her way in, her head down in fear and shame. You open your arms wider, allowing her a safe space in which to take refuge, and she joins the cluster of Bridgertons on your bed. âCouldnât sleep,â she mutters before wrapping her arms around Gregory.
âYou know what always makes me feel better in times like these?â You look between the three closest to you. None of them give a verbal answer, but Hyacinth raises her head from the pillows, looking at you with the saddest eyes known to man. âMy mother used to sing to me when I was scared of the storms. Would you like a song?â Francesca is the first to nod, then Hyacinth. Gregory is last, first trying to keep a tough illusion but quickly dropping it when lighting flashes into view from your window.Â
âLavenderâs blue dilly dilly, lavenderâs green. When I am queen dilly dilly, you shall be king,â you begin. When you arenât watching, Colin closes your bedroom door, leaning against the closest wall. âWho told you so, dilly dilly, who told you so? Twas my own heart dilly dilly, that told me soâ. He hadnât been expecting much when his mother informed the family of the new governess that was to join them, in fact he had rather been irritated by the idea. The youngest children always found a way to scare them off and it seemed like a waste of time and money in his opinion, but his mind is slowly being changed. Watching you interact with his siblings in such a kind a heartfelt manner, especially with it being less than 24 hours since your arrival stirs something within him. He does not quite have a name for it yet, but there is something compelling him to stay in place rather than walking the few extra steps to his room.Â
Perhaps he could get used to having a new member of the household.
#bridgerton#colin bridgerton x reader#colin bridgerton#colin bridgerton x you#colin bridgerton fanfiction#bridgerton x reader#bridgerton fanfiction#if i was a girl in a book
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Monty didnât attack Bonnie. Freddy did.
This post is not a joke: Ruin gives us enough clues to know that Bonnie was attacked by Freddy the day he disappeared, and Monty saw the attack.
Word count: 2457 words.
Yup, I wrote an entire essay with pictures to take the blame from a fictional gator that became my comfort character. If someone from Steel Wool is reading this: Yes, Iâm ok, thanks for asking. If you want to send a cute Monty picture to my inbox, it is open and Iâll be all over the place if you do it.
Now, let me take you with me on this wild ride, because this theory fits the narrative of both Security Breach and Ruin so well that I have to clap at Steel Wool if it is actually correct and not me playing with the puzzle pieces incorrectly. So, here we go!
Bonnie, judging by the golden eyes and his travel pattern, was protecting someone like Freddy did with Gregory. Important damage was directed to the stomach hatch, where a kid could hide.
He has claw marks there, but Monty didnât got his until the first was decommissioned and was then modified to play his bass.
The scratches in his hatch are green, but also the cracks over it. It looks like it is his base color instead of paint left by the attacker. The next video is from FazFriends, where they look at every single detail in the Ruin animatronic models. Their analysis are totally worth your attention if you like SB!
youtube
Monty has black nails, even before he was modified to play Bonnieâs bass. They also are kinda blunt, and the marks the attacker left seem more clean and sharp in the ends.
Now, there arenât lots of animatronics that have claws. We have Roxy (and Iâm guessing Foxy, if he ever existed as an animatronic different to her), The mimic/Burntrap, who doesnât really seem an option because heâs slow and in life support in SB and sealed in Ruin, and⊠thereâs Freddy. But, and hereâs the twist, not normal Freddy, who couldnât get through gates like Monty until he got his claws.
Iâm talking about this thing.
Not only do we have environmental clues that confirm this attack, but also a key clue that wouldnât make any sense otherwise.
Letâs start with the Prototype itself!
Check those claws. They are sturdy enough to survive all the damage this model has received, and extremely sharp at the end. Now compare Bonnie and its hand togetherâŠ
Itâs a perfect fit. The metal is a bit bent in the left, but if you could lower it, the finger length, the palm, even the distance and shape between the thumb and index are the same than the hole in Bonnieâs chest.
If that detail is true, all pieces of the narrative fit together. Hereâs what happened, which I will explain further adding sources:
Monty saw Freddyâs prototype attacking Bonnie (who was in safe mode) in Gator Golfâs catwalks. The hurricane hole-in-one was activated, causing them both to fall. He could see the prototype losing its head and taking damage to its leg, but Bonnie was nowhere: he was either able to go back to Bonnie Bowl by himself using the distraction or the fall knocked him out and was dragged there, where he was heavily damaged.
This next part is not so clear, so Iâll give you my version of what I think happened that night: Bonnie alerted police that a kid was in danger. They show up, but Vanessa sent them away, claiming she was the only person there and it was a prank call (False Alarm message in SB). Vanny uses Bonnieâs trust on Freddy against him: she sends the prototype to go after the kid and him. He makes it to Montyâs, where the hurricane causes damage to the prototype, and is then finally attacked and disassembled behind his attraction to silence him and bury any clue or what happened (his parts are all over the place, one of his arms has weel marks, and Ruin follows the PQ ending where Freddy is disassembled. In SB, endos come out from the lines to attack us, and in Ruin we see the zone where his vanity is infested with STAFF robots, both in its normal version and in VR, where a giant STAFF robot is seen being dragged to a door while it leaves scratch marks on the floor).
Fazbear Entertainment pretended they actually looked for Bonnie and found nothing at all. As a final punishment for his disobedience he was actively being erased from existence: most of his art was removed, and some ask for a re-theme of his attraction (Re-theme SB message). They make Monty the main bassist, giving him his green room too.
These changes are being quickly pushed after his decommission: Bonnie still has power when we find him, Monty falls from the catwalks âa month agoâ and snaps in half, a place where he goes every time he skips a performance (Monty Mischief SB message), people constantly ask for Bonnie and there isnât an approved answer to give, the bowling alley still wasnât given a re-theme after taking out most of Bonnieâs images.
Despite FazEnt efforts, Bonnie is remembered, specially by a depressed Monty.
His body was modified, he was given his bass, his glasses, his room, his role. The higher ups clapped thinking about the possibility of him being even more popular than Bonnie, his disappearance becoming yet another opportunity to make money.
And it was Freddyâs prototypeâs fault. His normal life, the person he admired the most, his own body, were taken from him because of him.
From that day, and after getting new claws, his attitude becomes obsessive, endlessly searching for what was left of Bonnie after the rest gave up: destroying fences to explore the undergrounds, constantly missing shows and always being found in the catwalks, even after being snapped in half by the hole-in-one bucket, trying to guess where his body was. His last known location was his attraction, so he should still be there somewhere, isnât it?
Let me repeat this: he prefers looking for Bonnie in the catwalks even at risk of his own integrity than performing.
There are more details that show us he does care for him: there are four official images left of Glamrock Bonnie in the PizzaPlex, three of them in Montyâs ride, the last one at the entrance of his own attraction, where some animations can still be seen. These cutouts are in perfect shape, while Freddyâs is light off.
There is also a headless Freddy statue that once you go to FazerBlast screams âprototypeâ.
It looks like itâs been decapitated by a hurricane, some âcablesâ coming out of its head like the prototype, which has cables coming out of its neck.
This damage couldnât have been caused by the earthquake: the head should had fallen to the ground instead of being pinned on the hurricane. Plus, it doesnât match the theme of the ride, based on cutouts, and while the rest of the elements are placed in scenarios and their composition is clearly studied, this statue breaks the symmetry of the hurricaneâs eye element, that is supposed to give you the illusion that you are entering its eye and being pushed out to the main attraction.
Whatâs more, in a story exclusively about Montyâs past and how he became a solo bassist in the PizzaPlex thanks to Bonnie, attracting the same amount of people than the Glamrocks themselves, a Freddy statue at the end doesnât make any sense sense at all⊠Unless it was put there with a very particular purpose.
I like to think itâs part of an environmental story telling from Steel Wool, specially when you read the rest of clues together.
Thereâs more to say about this statue than the lack of a head: look at its leg damage, and how it matches the prototypeâs heavily damaged one, and how the hand that is visible reflects the light making it look like it has long claws despite Freddy having short ones like the rest of the band.
It also has two blue long lines through his chest that resemble the ones in Bonnieâs.
If you still have doubt about how it is part of a scene representing the night of the attack, then you should know there is an easter egg here: if you follow the part of the tornado that goes up, you can see a Bonnie cutout at the very top of it. Heâs far away from the rest of the scene and he looks like if he was being knocked by the tornado. If you zoom to look at his face, you can see he has a worried expression.
Monty didnât destroy any of the images of Bonnie or his previous iterations, not the cutouts, not this poster, not the bass that belonged to him, even after causing damage to his room.
There is a detail in Gator Golf that is easy to miss: An intact poster of the original Bonnie near a log he uses as a hideout in Ruin (we see him quickly going out of it when we approach it).
He looks similar to the illustration at the entrance of Bonnie Bowl, but this image is not very charming. He looks half dead, yeah...? If you then go to Bonnieâs, some big screens are still on and advertising pizza. When you wear the mask, they change to a glitched version of the Bonnie animation, where his eyes go blank in a similar way to this poster.
This spot couldnât have been used by Vanny: it is decorated exactly like the rest of Gator Golf in the base game, which ends with us saving Vanessa and exiting the PizzaPlex together.
The poster also has a drawing of Freddy stuck on it. In this chapter you can also find the Bonnieâs piñata collectible, the first time we can see his Glamrock design and the first clue of him having suffered an attack (it has a big gash in his chest).
He could have easily taken it down if he wanted, specially when it is so close to his hideout and heâs in such a volatile state, but he keeps it right beside it.
But the real Freddy (or, at least, things that resemble him) seems to cause some kind of reaction even in the base game, yes?
The most common example in Security Breach is the arcade version of Montyâs Gator Golf. There are two possible readings for it, depending on if you think it represents Montyâs mind or if you think it has been hacked to change his behavior.
Hole 1 depicts Freddy separated from the group, a big distance between them. Hole 9 shows him in a dumpster, and Chica, Roxy and Monty playing together. Heâs never part of the group, so either Monty hates him or he was hacked so he would hate him, right?
But the main show were he looks happily at him while playing, the fact that he never attacks him even after being hacked, the presence of images of him on other holes all perfectly light and ok like this balloon, and the eye color difference between Hole 1 and 9, make me think Steel Wool is trying to tell us a way different story.
The Freddy in the dumpster is the only one with golden eyes. Hole 9 represents what is happening the night we play as Gregory, the AR part of the AR-cade, and of the main reasons the Monty taking down theory was so popular.
That night, Roxy, Chica and him are working on finding the kid to the point that their cases crack and get dirty, while Freddy not only glitched at the start of the show hours before, but is now also walking around the PizzaPlex doing NOTHING instead of helping (apparently).
Itâs the animatronic equivalent of a group project were one of the members does nothing, so you have to do their part and then they show up and are praised. It makes sense he would be angry at the situation and think heâs trash, but even so, there are no real confrontations between them.
But what about Hole 1, then? The answer is the fireflies. There are some fireflies at the left part, but the right, where Freddy is looking, has other set of lights. If you calculate the distance from Chica to him, the center is almost where the hole is, the part of the arcade that is supposed to drag your attention. Having an empty space there feels uncomfortable and a very questionable decision from whomever designed the scene, but if this one is a reflection from reality or Montyâs current mind state, why arenât Freddyâs eyes gold?
Well, I donât think he is separated from his band.
I think someone is missing from the picture instead.
Bonnie was erased from the Arcade.
As it was said, these changes were quick and non-planned: they deleted his model from the arcade, but had no time to move and reprogram the positions of the rest of the characters so the space between them was filled. As a consequence, when you play this level, your attention is taken from the hole to the distance between them.
It is void, awkward, it makes you uncomfortable. You know something is missing, but you canât quite tell what it is yet. It makes you wish there was one more character there even before you knew there actually was.
Once you learn what happened, how his story ties to the place this scenario represents, the void he left in Freddy and Monty specifically, Hole 1 gains a new meaning, and it hits you. When you go back to the PizzaPlex as Cassie and play the arcade, thereâs no joy left there. No fireflies, no Glamrocks, just ruins. Two pairs of red eyes and a pile of Nightmare STAFF bots. Thatâs all thatâs left.
But if you still need one more clue to convince you that the prototype was the one that attacked Bonnie, then let me tell you there is a final one that wouldnât make sense otherwise:
The AR collectibles dialogue.
Cassie always makes a commentary about the things she finds: Montyâs AR plushie being very glitchy, how she wants to add Roxyâs one to her collection, how the her father wouldnât tell her why they replaced Bonnie and how he was his dadâs favoriteâŠ
But she also asks him what happened to him, and gets an answer when she gets the last collectible.
The AR Golden Bonnie is hidden in Bonnie Bowl, next to a Wet Floor Sign bot.
She hasnât been to Fazer Blast yet.
But the description answers the question that she asked him: a prototype.
Bonnie was decommissioned by Freddyâs prototype.
And the only ones that know are a kid lead to her death that can hear his agony through the Wet Floor Bots and unreal collectibles, and an animatronic blamed for his death and told heâll never be him, obsessed with his loss and with finding whatever is left of the person that he admired the most and helped him become the star he once was.
#ruin spoilers#cassie fnaf#fnaf ruin spoilers#fnaf spoilers#montgomery gator#bonnie bunny#glamrock bonnie#ruin dlc spoilers#security breach#Monty didn't decommission Bonnie#fnaf theories#Glamrock Freddy#prototype freddy#ruin prototype#monty gator#the monty is innocent tag
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THE BET || GREGORY HOUSE
Paring: Gregory House x gn! reader
Summary: reader is a mortician at the hospital and gets into a little bet with House
Warnings: House (no explanation needed) and some swearing
Word Count: 1.1k
P.S. based on the request by @ryoiii (I'm sorry this took me so long to do I'm trying my hardest)
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Life was pretty mundane at your new job as a mortician at Princeton Plainsboro's Teaching Hospital. Being new to the city and hoping for a fresh start was fine, but man was it boring. Just you alone with your thoughts down in the basement of a huge hospital.
Until one day you met House in the cafeteria. He was sitting with Wilson, the doctor that Cuddy had assigned to show you around on your first day. You two had grown close over the two weeks you had been there. You would hang out in his office when there was nothing for you to do. And you guys would have lunch together most days. You saw him as the only friend you had made so far.
So it was no surprise when he called you over to his table after you got your food.
"Hey y/n, come sit!" You smile at Wilson and make your way over, taking note of the grumpy looking man, whom you assumed was Wilson's friend Dr. Gregory House. Which was made certain when you saw his cane leaning against his chair.
"Wilson! Paying to have your "friends of the night" visit you at work? That's low even by my standards!" Wilson slaps House's shoulder and scolds him before turning to look at you apologetically.
"It's okay Willson. House is just jealous because he knows he will never be able to afford me." You revel in the questioning look on House's face and the shocked look on Wilson's as you sit down on the chair next to him.
You open your yogurt container and take a bite before looking between House and Wilson questioningly.
"What? Can't handle the truth?" House smirks at you while Wilson sighs loudly beside you.
"Great another House. Just what I needed." Wilson shakes his head solemnly from beside you as you lean back in your chair eyeing the man across from you. 'This is going to be fun.'
.........
Ever since your encounter with House in the cafeteria a few weeks ago, you two have become inseparable. Whenever you don't have a body to tend to in the morgue you're in House's office. His fellows have become accustomed to seeing you in House's yellow chair tossing his ball around or doodling on his whiteboard.
They have also come to learn that if House is nowhere to be found, he is most likely down in the morgue with you. Which is where they found him today. But instead of finding him in deep discussion with you, they walk in on the two of you fighting.
"You can not have one of the bodies! Especially not with the intention of shooting them in the fucking head!" You went along with all of House's stupid ideas (that's what made him fun), but this was crossing a line. A line that put your job on the chopping block.
House was acting like the man-child he is, actually stomping his foot at you and crossing his arms like a toddler throwing a tantrum.
"But mommy please!" He had the audacity to stick his bottom lip out at you and that was your last straw. You look at him blankly and walk past him to the doors.
"Do whatever you want. I don't care anymore." You swiftly walk past his fellows who look at you with pity written all over their faces. You paid no mind to them and continued to the elevators. The last thing you saw before the doors slid closed was House staring at you with a look on his face that you'd never seen from him before. Remorse.
..........
That was about an hour ago. Now you are sprawled across Wilson's couch in his office chatting with him about the most random stuff. That was until the door slowly opened and House walked through.
You turn and face away from him not ready to talk to him quite yet. However, that didn't deter him from talking to you.
"I just came to say that I talked to Cuddy and made it known that anything I do should not affect your job. And that I will take responsibility for anything I do that involves the morgue." This was a surprise to you, and also to Wilson according to his face. When you still didn't turn to face House he continued.
"I also wanted to apologize to you for trying to make you do something you didn't want to get involved with." At this point, Wilson was sure he was having a stroke and you were sure that you had completely fallen for House.
You had been fighting the idea of having a crush on House since the very first week of being with him. Hearing about his lack of emotions and empathy for others strayed you away from pursuing a relationship with him. But after him taking responsibility for his actions and apologizing to you, how could you stay away?
You turn to him with the coldest look on your face that you could manage. "You think you can just come in here and give some half-ass apology and believe that I would forgive you just like that!"
You relish in the confused expression on Wilson's and House's faces before bursting out in laughter.
"Of course I forgive you ya goof!" You jump off of the couch and grab his hand pulling him out of the office.
"I bet ya his head explodes!" Slowing down to a speed that House can keep up with comfortably, you start to pull your hand away. House stops you, however, by interlocking his fingers with yours.
"I bet you he doesn't scream no matter what happens." House pushes the down button to call for the elevator with his cane before looking at you. You smile back at him and bump your hip with his slightly.
"That's not fair he's dead!" He smiles at you and bumps your hip back. The elevator dings and opens to reveal all of his fellows who walk out informing House that their "patient" is ready to be scanned. You watch as their jaws drop when they notice your intertwined hands.
You giggle and follow House into the elevator waving goodbye to his fellows as the doors slide shut.
"They are never going to stop talking about this." He looks at you and smirks.
"I guess I'm just going to have to hide out in the morgue more often. I wonder if there is someone alive in there to keep me company?" You smile at him pretending to ponder on his question.
"I think I know someone who works there that might be interesting to talk to." The elevator dings and the doors slide open. You pull House once again and start making your way to the MRI lab.
"Enough sappy stuff! Let's go kill a dead guy!" You look back at House and he just shakes his head at you affectionately.
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Author's Note: Guys im finaly done with school! (at least for the summer) and I'm planning on writing a lot more! please leave some asks and be patient with me as I am trying my best heređđđ
#x reader#gender neutral reader#x gn reader#gregory house x reader#greg house x reader#house md#gregory house#house x reader#house x gn! reader#x gn! reader#hate crimes md
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Bad Timing
Benedict Bridgerton x Reader
Masterlist - Join My Taglist!
Written for Fictober 2023!
Fandom: Bridgerton
Day 25 Prompt: "Do I look like I knew that?"
Summary: When Eloise needs help with a problem, she knows she can count on her brother and his new wife for help.
Word Count: 1,047
Category: Fluff, Humor
Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.
"You know, lazy days like this are by far my favorite," I mused, curling into my husband's side as we laid in bed together. "No galas, no gossip from the Ton. Just the two of us."
"I certainly have to agree," said Benedict, my husband, as he traced patterns on the bare skin of my back. "Although, I do enjoy watching Colin wade through the swarm of Mamas every time we go out, now that he is the only unwed Bridgerton son. At least until Gregory gets a bit older."
"I'd say you were being mean, but he did ditch you and Anthony for quite a while in his travels."
"Yes, he did. So he deserves this."
I laughed, shaking my head a bit at my husband's antics. A moment later, he pulled me tighter to his side, rolling us so I laid completely on top of his chest. I rose up on my elbows to meet his eyes and found him looking at me with a mischevious smile.
"You know, it's just occurred to me," he started. "There are quite a few ways I can think of that our time would be better spent than talking about my brother."
"Oh really?" I asked, grinning and leaning down closer to Benedict. "And what might those ideas be?"
"Well for starters..."
With that, he brought his hand up to the back of my neck and pulled me into a searing kiss. I rested all my weight on him, kissing right back, until a knock at the door jarred us both out of the moment.
Reluctantly, I pulled away, and Benedict let me. We shared a look.
"Maybe whoever it is will go away if we ignore them," he whispered in suggestion. As if he'd willed it into happening, a voice from the other side of the door called out.
"Y/N! If you're in there, please, I need to talk to you."
Eloise. Benedict's little sister, who I'd become close with throughout the course of Benedict courting me. I gave Benedict an apologetic look.
"No," he whined as I rolled off of him, quickly wrapping a robe around myself and heading for the door.
"I have to," I replied. "I can't ignore her. Make yourself decent."
With that, I turned from my husband and went to open the door just wide enough to see Eloise on the other side, and for her to see me.
"Oh, thank goodness!" she cried, moving to push past me and into the room. I let her, just hoping that Benedict had done as I'd said. Eloise and I had done this a few times as we'd gotten closer, and whenever it happened, I knew she really, truly needed me.
I turned around to follow Eloise back into the room after shutting the door behind me, only to find her frozen just a few steps from where she'd come in. Benedict stood next to the bed, looking tired but resigned to our new morning activity as he laced up his shirt.
"Good morning, Eloise," he said, a little edge of teasing in his tone. "You know, I was trying to enjoy the morning with my wife-"
"Do I look like I knew that?" she cried. I fought back a laugh as I walked forward to wrap my arm around her shoulder.
"It's alright, Eloise," I said. "Benedict and I were about to get up for the morning, anyway."
Benedict shot me a look with his eyebrows almost into his hairline, and I glared right back, imploring him to go along with me. He cleared his throat.
"Right. That we were. What did you need help with, sister?"
She hesitated, so I walked around to face her, putting both of my hands on her shoulders and blocking her eyeline to Benedict. I gave her a small smile, so she'd know everything was alright, then spoke in a low voice that I knew Benedict wouldn't be able to hear.
"If this is a ladies' problem, or one you don't want your brother to know about, El, I'll throw him out of here right now and we can talk, alright? But if you're embarrassed about knocking when you did, then you truly don't need to be. We love you, and we'd both drop far more important things to help you whenever you need it."
Eloise sighed, nodding a little as she did. The bright red blush that had risen to her cheeks started to fade, and she at last met my eyes again.
"Thank you. I... suppose it wouldn't hurt to have Benedict's input as well," she said. I nodded, giving her a bright smile before turning around to face my husband.
"Put your problem-solving hat on, Benedict," I said. I started drifting for the couches by Benedict's turret window, one of my favorite features of his room. "We've got a family matter to deal with."
They both beamed at me as they started following me over to the couch. I'd considered a few of Benedict's siblings as good as family for a long time now, but it felt amazing to be able to say that and have it be completely true.
Benedict and Eloise settled into the couch on either side of me, Benedict resting his arm across my shoulders. Those kinds of casual touches would've been scandalous before we were married, but now we could do them whenever we wanted to, which also made my heart sing.
Eloise gave us both one last look with a raised eyebrow, then launched into her explanation of the problem that had brought her to our doorstep, which had something to do with a boy of virtually no social status who'd caught her attention. Benedict and I spent the rest of the morning, helping her as best we could, in the way only we could.
Although I hated that Eloise had to deal with the problems she dealt with, a small part of me sang the entire morning as Benedict and I worked together, the perfect team, to help his little sister. This was going to be the rest of our lives, with Eloise and maybe someday with children of our own, and I couldn't be happier thinking about that future with Benedict. We made the perfect team.
****************
Everything Taglist: @rosecentury
#fictober23#bridgerton#benedict bridgerton#bridgerton fanfiction#benedict bridgerton x reader#bridgerton oneshot#bridgerton imagine#benedict bridgerton fanfiction#benedict bridgerton oneshot#benedict bridgerton imagine#regency era#eloise bridgerton#the bridgerton family#the bridgertons#bridgerton x reader#the bridgerton siblings#husband!benedict bridgerton#theo#bridgerton netflix#bridgertons
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just go with it
melissa schemmenti x fem!reader
summary: reader runs into an old frenemy at the bar and enlists melissa to play her date. hidden feelings are revealed. inspired by the movie just go with it.
word count: 3.8k
warnings: alcohol (beer), swearing, old bully.
a/n: this was so much fun to write! i hope you enjoy <3 i think i included all the warnings but as always pls let me know if i missed anything! if u wanna be added to my taglist just lmk or fill out my form on my masterlist!
The night hadnât exactly gone to plan, not that you were complaining. The Abbot family were supposed to be celebrating reaching the end of another quarter, even going as far as to select a bar up to Avaâs standards with extravagant cocktails and comfortable booths (but still with a generic enough dart board that Melissa would turn up). Ava had shoot down your usual place saying, âGirl, Iâve got a reputation to uphold and even entering that place would lose me 1K on Instagram,â
However things had immediately started to splinter when Gregory and Janine failed to turn up, still very much in the honeymoon phase of their relationship. And then Barbara had ordered two cocktails which had immediately gone to her head and called Gerald to come and pick her up. Jacob got a text for Avi and ducked out apologetically, Mr Johnson disappeared somewhere, and then Ava declared she couldnât be seen dead out in only a group of three so she ditched, which meant less than two hours into the night only you and Melissa remained at the bar.Â
Youâd initially been irritated, having looked forward to a family night out all week. But when Melissa dragged you to the dart board saying âWe donât need âem.â, her hand warm in yours and her smile bright. Youâd suddenly forgotten every thought youâd ever had.
âAnother bullseye for me!â Melissa smirks victorious, dancing as she turns around to face you. âI think that means ya owe me a drink, hon.âÂ
You roll your eyes, but canât bring yourself to care that deeply at the sight of the redheads joy. She seems to be having a great time, despite everyone leaving. And youâre determined to soak up every moment of this additional out-of-school Melissa time until she decides to call it a night.Â
It feels like a blessing, and the sight of her in a strappy leopard print top with enough cleavage to cause your brain to short circuit when sheâd first arrived definitely didnât hurt. She looked beautiful with her red curls down past her neck, and her brown leather jacket and red high heels on. Any day now you were gonna get this raging crush under control and not look at Melissa Schemmenti and see the sun, any dayâŠÂ
âŠjust not today if your traitorous heart had any say.Â
âAnother of the same?â You ask, nodding towards her beer with a grin on your lips.Â
âYou betcha.â She shimmies closer to you, her teeth biting into her lip. âAnd when youse get back weâll have another game. If you can take the heat.âÂ
Your face heats up and you force out a laugh to cover up how wildly attractive you find her. You push yourself off the barstool and side step her. âUh yeah, another game sounds good. Iâll be right back.â You step back, giving her a slightly too tight smile before you run away to the bar.Â
So chill Y/N. Wow, excellent game. If she didnât want you before, I bet she does now.
You groan as you approach the bar, resisting every bone in your body that wants you to slam your head very hard against the bartop to hopefully knock some sense into yourself because that was just plain embarrassing. Instead, you settle on waving down the bartender and ordering two yuengling's.Â
They make quick work of your order and you pay and mutter a polite, âThanks,â before turning away with your drinks, ready to head back to Melissa. Determined to not make a complete fool of yourself this evening.Â
âY/N L/N!â A shrill voice calls and your blood runs cold, âOh my god, is that really you?âÂ
Your eyes fall close as you blow out a breath and send a hail mary that maybe, just maybe, that voice wonât be connected to the woman you believe it to be.Â
Of course, life doesnât work like that and when you open your eyes you come face to face with your old college âfriendâ. If a friend meant someone who constantly put you down and had to be better than you at all times. Suddenly the last day of college doesnât seem long enough ago, god you couldâve gone the rest of your life without seeing this woman and that still wouldnât have made up for the torment of the three years of friendship with her.Â
âAlisha, Hi.â You grimace. âFancy seeing you here.âÂ
âI know!â She cackles, âIâd never expect you to be somewhere this close to classy. I remember the dives you loved in college.â
Your smile tightens and you force a humourless laugh. âWell, great to see you Alisha, but I really should be getting back to-â
âNo, no, no, come on we must catch up!â She interrupts. She shakes her hair performatively and presents her hand, showing off an obnoxious diamond, âI, of course, got married. My husband is here actually and you must meet him.â
âCongrats, but I really should be getting back to my-âÂ
âIâm sure your friend wonât mind.â Alisha waves a hand.Â
She grabs the hand not holding the two bottles of beer, her face etched with pity. âI noticed you donât have a wedding band. Itâs okay, your time will come.â
You try to shake your hand free, but Alishaâs grip tightens. âSeriously, Y/N, not everyone can be as lucky as-â
âHey hon, everythinâ alright?â Melissa interrupts, an obvious edge to her voice. Her hand perches on the small of your back as she gives Alisha a once over, and despite the other woman being four inches taller than her, you know Melissa could take her effortlessly.Â
Alishaâs eyes widen before melting into a smirk as she extends her hand, âAlisha, Y/Nâs closest friend from college.âÂ
Melissa looks at you before looking back at Alisha and scoffing, âRight.âÂ
Alisha drops her hand, but doesnât look disturbed, in fact she looks more excited than youâve ever seen her, if you exclude that one house party she threw where she got the entire football team to attend and ended up sleeping with the quarterback.Â
More than slightly disturbed, you push the beer in Melissaâs direction, âHere, sorry.â
âThanks, hon.â She accepts the drink, her fingers brushing yours as she does.Â
You watch Alisha hungrily eat up the action, and you know whatâs gonna happen next before she even opens her mouth. âSo, youâre Y/Nâs girlfriend?â Â
The redheadâs eyes widen, her drink pausing on its way to her mouth. And before she can reject it, and Alishaâs face grows even more victorious in your pathetic aloneness, you jump in and answer.Â
âFiancĂ©e, actually.âÂ
You should be awarded an Emmy for the way you keep your face straight and donât cringe as both Melissa and Alisha swing around to face you.Â
âI left my ring at home,â You roll your eyes. âShe only popped the question recently. Havenât quite got used to wearing it yet.âÂ
âReally?â Alisha questions, eyes narrowing. âWell now you must join my husband and I for drinks. We can toast to the newlyweds and newly-engaged.âÂ
She grabs your hand, pulling you away before you can protest again. You look back at Melissa, silently begging for help, but she just watches you with an arched brow and smirk before she takes a long sip from her beer and saunters after you.
Alisha doesnât release her grip until you reach the booth in the corner of the bar. Her husband, an even taller man, presumably quite handsome if youâre into that sort of thing - but in your opinion quite boring looking - sits scrolling on his phone and nursing what looks like a whiskey sour.Â
âHoney, I found some friends.â She says, sitting down beside her husband. âThis is my best friend from college Y/N, and her fiancĂ©eâŠoh,â Alisha tips her head, smiling widely âIn all that excitement I didnât get your name.âÂ
Melissa doesnât respond, instead signalling you to slide in the booth first so she can be on the end.Â
âItâs Melissa,â You respond, ignoring the redheadâs dark look for sharing her personal information.Â
âTraitor,â She mumbles quietly into your ear, her breath hot.Â
You roll your eyes, even as you struggle to breath properly. If sheâd saved you when she had the chance you wouldnât be in this situation.Â
âWhat a lovely name,â Alisha gushes, and you donât need to turn to see Melissaâs glare.
Alisha drops her head to her husband's shoulder, who wraps his arm around her back with a boy-ish grin, âAnd this is my husband, Victor.âÂ
âLadies, nice to meet you.âÂ
You force a smile and take a long sip from your beer.Â
âI was just saying to Y/N how funny it is running into her.â Alisha laughs, âWeâre only in Philadelphia because the jet needed to refuel. It was not part of our plan,â She rolls her eyes, âHonestly, can you imagine living here?âÂ
âWhatâs wrong with Philly?â Melissa challenges, eyes narrowing
âIâm just saying it wouldnât be my first choice.â She waves her hand, like she hasnât said anything offensive. âVictor and I live in California, but weâre heading to Paris because this oneâs talking at a convention for dentists.âÂ
âWow, impressive.â You nod politely.
âYou ended up here?â She asks, pity evident in her tone.Â
âI chose here. I love Philly. Iâve got an amazing teaching job and an amazing group of friends. Itâs a really good community.â You say seriously. There were some things Alisha could make you feel insecure about, but Philly was never going to be one of them. You were happy with your life.Â
âAnd your fiancĂ©e, right?â She challenges, âHow long have you been together?âÂ
Melissaâs arm wraps around your waist and she tugs you tightly into her side. You try not to let the surprise at the action show on your face.Â
âTwo years. Known each other for three through. She swooped in and saved me when the kids were drivinâ me mad and kinda hasnât stopped since.âÂ
Your heart flutters as you stare at Melissa from beneath your lashes, warmth settling in your chest. You know the exact moment sheâs talking about, itâs the first time you properly met, about a month into teaching at Abbott. Youâd heard the commotion coming from her classroom while your first-graders were in music class, and had popped your head next door - just to check - and found a clearly stressed out redhead trying to control a large class of second and third graders.Â
Youâd made your way in, with a calm âHow can I help?â. Melissa had just thrusted worksheets at you and pointed towards the third-graders. From then on you popped in to help whenever you had a free lesson, and if it meant staying later to catch up on lesson planning you decided it was worth it, especially as it led to one of your favourite friendships.
âYou have kids?â Victor asks. âI love kids.âÂ
âNo, teacher. We work together.âÂ
âOh, that makes sense. Y/N was never one to have much of a social life outside of her work.â Alisha rolls her eyes, âOf course sheâd have to meet her partner at her place of work too. She never had much luck when it came to dating, always so alone.â She juts out her bottom lip patronisingly.Â
âI dated.â You defend, âI just happened to put my studies first, which was the whole point of being at college.âÂ
Alisha nods and takes a sip from her drink. Your eyes narrow at her. You donât realise your hand has tightened into a fist until Melissa pulls it into her lap and begins gently caressing your knuckles, slowly coaxing it open again.Â
Victorâs phone rings, an obnoxious beeping sound that shocks you enough that your hand pulls away from Melissaâs. You miss the touch instantly, wanting to reach back but knowing you shouldnât.Â
âOh sorry girls, I should take this.âÂ
âHe gets lots of important calls.â Alisha supplies proudly, as she slides out of the booth to let her husband out. Melissa lifts her brows, shooting you a look of disbelief and you struggle not to laugh.
They stand together beside the table. Victor drops his forehead to Alishaâs and inhales deeply. âYour beauty, your drive, your wit.â He breathes dramatically.
Alisha hums, âYour intelligence, your thirst, your strength.âÂ
Their noseâs rub together, and you swear your soul leaves your body as you watch them open mouthed in disbelief. You turn to Melissa whose face is screwed up in outright disgust.Â
Alisha sits back down, a content smile on her face. âItâs something we do whenever the other person leaves. Say what we love most about each other.âÂ
âYou really ainât from Philly, huh?â Melissa laughs, taking a long sip from her beer.Â
âYou guys should try it.âÂ
âI ainât doing-âÂ
âI donât think-â Melissa and you both start to say at the same time.
âNot everyone can do it.â Alisha waves.Â
Your eyes narrow and Melissa puts down her beer.Â
âYou know what, weâll do it now.â You say, determined.Â
Melissa smirks, eyes bright with challenge as she looks between you and Alisha. âSure thing, hon.âÂ
âOkay, just look into each otherâs eyes and say three things you love most about each other.â
You turn to face Melissa, kneeâs brushing against hers. You blow out a breath, suddenly nervous looking at her this closely. Her green eyes hold your gaze, a reassuring smile on her face and it helps you steel yourself.Â
âOkay. Uh, I love how much you care about the kids.â You start, easy, honest, tame. âYou do so much for them, more than anyone even realises. But they love you so much. Youâre a phenomenal teacher. Youâve got such a beautiful heart, even if you do try to keep it hidden.â
Melissa listens to you with soft eyes, a wet chuckle breaking from her lips.
âItâs not even just the kids. The things you do for Barbara, Janine, Me. You are extraordinary. I see how much you care, I see your kindness.â The words flow from your lips, the truth that you should probably keep hidden.Â
She scoffs, shaking her head, âI ainât that soft.âÂ
âI love how safe you make me feel.â Your breath shakes as Melissaâs eyes widen. God too much, too honest, but maybe sheâll just think youâre selling the lie and wonât know just how true every word coming from your lips is.
âWhenever something happens youâre the person I want to find. And you just know how to make it better. Before you, I never needed someone else, but now I literallyâŠI just, I donât know, I gravitate towards you. When Iâm with you I just know everything is going to be okay. I feel safe, like together we could take on anything.âÂ
âI wouldnât let anythinâ happen to you.â She smiles gently.Â
Your heart stutters, âAnd your smile, god that smile.â It makes you soar, you canât breath as words spill from your lips, âI love it. I look forward to lunch everyday because I know I get to see that smile. Your smile starts my day, and everytime I get to see it I feel like Iâm doing something right.âÂ
She stares at you and you clear your throat, breaking your gaze. âAnd that's three.â Â
Melissa grabs your hands, her fingers stroking your knuckles, prompting your eyes to return back to hers. âMy turn.âÂ
You nod silently, unable to speak as you watch the women in front of you. Heart pounding.Â
âI love your company. No matter my mood, itâs good. Youâre just nice to have around. Whether Iâm cookinâ for you, weâre drinkinâ, or weâre stressinâ out over work. Itâs fun with you.â She shrugs with a shy smile.
You grin. God your heart canât take this. It still pounds and you canât differentiate between truth and lie. She sounds so honest, eyes so gentle and you desperately want to fall in and believe every single word leaving her lips.Â
âYouâre stupidly generous too and I love you for it, even if it makes me wanna hit ya sometimes.âÂ
She rolls her eyes and you both chuckle.Â
âYou say I have a good heart, but I watch the way you keep giving to everyone around you without expecting anythinâ in return. Youâre always offering to cover a lesson or lunch shift, even though I know it means youâre staying at school later to catch up on lesson plans.âÂ
You shift, you really hadnât thought sheâd noticed. âItâs nothing really.âÂ
âItâs somethinâ. Youâre good. Like, actual good, and you donât find that often.âÂ
Your eyes soften, tears threatening to pool as you itch to reach out and pull her in, kiss her.Â
âAnd you know what else I love? Your eyes.â She nods, with a shining smile. âWhen they catch the light? Stunninâ. They are so expressive, always shining, sayinâ things even if you donât.âÂ
You draw in a sharp breath, eyes locked with hers. Wondering maybe if-
âI won a competition for the most beautiful eyes.â Alishaâs piercing voice interrupts. You jolt away from Melissa, having entirely forgotten about the other womenâs presence.Â
âIâm pretty sure Iâd still win if you entered. No offence, Y/N.â She laughs shrilly.Â
You drain the last of your beer, your chest still tight and your bearings off.Â
Melissa snaps. âAlright, Iâm done. I dunno if your parents were too nice to you as a kid or didnât tell you they loved you enough but either way I donât care. You ainât speaking to my girl like that anymore, especially if you think your ugly ass fake contacts in any way compare to her stunninâ fuckinâ eyes.âÂ
Alishaâs face finally falls.Â
âSo goodbye, weâre leavinâ. And you and your guy can get the hell out of Philly fast before I find someone to jack your dang car.â She grabs your hand, fingers entwined with yours and tugs you from the booth with her.Â
You laugh, feeling lighter the further away you get from the gobsmacked women you left behind. Melissa weaves you between people and out the bar, not letting go of your hand until you're safely outside and the door has shut behind you.Â
âThat wasâŠâ You look at the redhead, shaking your head and grinning, your entire body buzzing. âGod, I justâŠâ
She chuckles, her hand landing on your waist. âCome on, letâs get out of here.â Her other hand digs into her back pocket pulling out her phone, âIâll call a cab.âÂ
Your heart thunders. Your hand reaching for her chin bringing her face back to yours. Sheâs so closeâŠ. âYou are extraordinary.âÂ
Her cheeks pink as she tries to shrug off your touch, âY/N,â
âNo.â You breathe, bringing her back to look at you. Your gaze falls to her red painted lips, your chest tightens. And you know you could let go, step back and youâd both pretend this moment had never happened, but you donât want to.Â
You want to lean in and kiss those pretty lips. Finally say fuck the point of no return. Because all the fears and risks that were keeping you from plunging in all seemed irrelevant when your body felt this alive.Â
Itâs like youâd finally woken you and you knew you didnât want to go another day without kissing Melissa Schemmenti.Â
You lean in. Melissaâs shaky breath expelling against your lips before she meets yours. Tentative at first, once, twice, three times, before her hand fists into your shirt and yours moves to her hair, and then a moan is pulled from her lips and your gone. Frantic and heated you devour each other. Her phone is roughly shoved into your back pocket so she can paw at your ass and then sheâs walking you back into the wall. Her body is finally flush against yours and you gasp in delight as you drown in the sensation, unable to think clearly as you passionately kiss her.
When you finally separate, youâre both breathing heavily, foreheads resting against each other. Melissaâs lipstick is a mess, her lips swollen, and you think sheâs never looked more beautiful.Â
âYa mess.â She tuts affectionately, breathing still broken as she reaches out to wipe her lipstick from your lips.Â
âAnd whoâs fault is that?â You chuckle, grinning like a fool.Â
She rolls her eyes and you want to kiss the expression off her face. You lean in to do just that, but she steps back, her eyes shifting away from you.Â
âHon,â She shakes her head, finally wiping the lipstick off from around her own mouth.Â
A pit lands in your stomach, panic coursing through your body. No. Youâve come this close. You werenât losing her now.Â
âYou canât tell me you donât feel this too.âÂ
She looks at you, eyes soft and pained, ââNd you canât want this.âÂ
âDid you not hear a word I said in there?â You ask incredulously. âGod, Mel, all of that. Every single word. I meant that.âÂ
âYou meant it?â She questions, unsure.Â
You shrug, vulnerable, exposed. âOf course. How could I not? Youâre the best person I've ever met.âÂ
She scoffs, wet, stumbling forward back into your arms. âFuck you.â She murmurs and captures your lip. You expect it to be harsh and heated, but sheâs so gentle and slow, her lips tenderly moving against yours like youâre something to be treasured and if she pushes too hard you might break.Â
You tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, caressing her cheek lovingly when you separate. She watches you in awe, eyes so gentle and youâve never felt so content in your life.Â
âI meant everythinâ too.â She confesses.
You grin and press a quick peck to her lips. âI had my suspicions.âÂ
She rolls her eyes, âWhatever. You wanna actually get out of âere?âÂ
You laugh, âYes, please.âÂ
âLeftovers and beers at mine?â
You hum in delight, not missing the way Melissaâs eyes darken, her eyes dropping to your lips. âThat sounds perfect. And watch something on Netflix?âÂ
âWhatever you want, hon.â She responds, dragging her gaze away. âIâll call a cab now.â
She takes a couple steps away, to make the call and you unashamedly watch her the entire time. Your eyes taking in her figure and lingering on her ass. Because, hey, who can blame a girl.Â
It was Melissa goddamn Schemmenti.Â
Your teeth pulling at your bottom lip, do nothing to suppress your grin.
I guess you really might have to thank everyone in Abbott for leaving tonight if this was the result.Â
You werenât quite a big enough person to thank Alisha.Â
You would have gotten there without her.
Eventually.
taglist: @aburman03
#melissa schemmenti x reader#melissa schemmenti#abbott elementary#fem!reader#kt writes#fanfic#fanfiction#just go with it#abbott elementary fanfic#my gif#fake dating
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do better â gregory house x f!reader
a/n: I got a little carried away, per usual, and now Iâm late with day 04 of the angstober challenge (still a wyp), but I plan on finishing it and posting later today. but, omg, I canât believe I'm posting day 05 â do better on time! this is also part of @angstoberâs challenge, which I'm having a blast writing. I do love some angsty vibes. please, feel free to comment or dm me!
summary: a relationship between the boss and his employee has a million ways to go wrong. one, in particular, hurt them the most.Â
word count: 2.2k
warnings: angst. House is an asshole. mentions of family death. mentions of cancer. struggles with immigration. inappropriate relationship. mentions of smut.
Let medicine be thy food.Â
That's the quote, or at least you think it is. After a particularly long shift, words in English seemed to scramble together a bit, with it being your second language and all. Usually, youâre a natural, perfect, fluent speaker. There are moments, however, when understanding what your peers are saying or formulating cohesive sentences becomes a herculean task. You didnât make yourself unintelligible, but it was a little awkward to be with a patient who clearly had no idea how globalized the world was and how many doctors in the United States were not native English speakers, and who looked at you like you had just robbed the white coat from a âproper doctorâ.
Sure, dealing with people was shitty sometimes. âDoctors donât treat people, they treat illnessesâ, your boss had once said. But in your mind, people werenât that bad. The long hours, the sleep deprivation, the lack of a social life â that was the really bad part. And there were, of course, the very short lunch breaks.Â
Medicine was fun, but it had nothing on a full plate of pasta with those weird looking meatballs. What once was disgusting, now seemed appetizing as hell. Not eating once while working for the whole night could do that to a person. Medicine was not food, at least not literally.
You had taken off your sweater and your white coat a while before going to the cafeteria, where the rest of the team was. As of right now, you and Chase had spent thirty-six hours working. Cameron and Foreman had taken the long straws and gone home last night while you and the prettiest doctor around worked on some lab tests.Â
That man who, right now, was not really trying to hide how he lustfully eyed you up and down, stopping on your cleavage. You didnât blame him for looking, though. Firstly, you did spend the night working together and you mentioned that you did not have sex for the last six months, and secondly, you had nice boobs, which was both a blessing and a curse. Also, he was very much exhausted. Thinking about your coworkers in an unfashionable manner to keep awake was better than falling asleep atop of a patient during a lumbar puncture â you had done both, so you could tell, oops.Â
âIâll die if I have to do any more thinkingâ, the pretty doctor said, accent even more prominent, letting his head drop to the headrest of his seat behind him.Â
âYes, thinking just doesnât come naturally to some peopleâ, you laughingly replied, sitting down next to Foreman. He scooched over, making more room for you and your tray. There was enough pasta on your plate to feed two, not to mention the salad, the dessert, the can of Coke and the can of energy drink.Â
âDamn, kid, do you not have food at home?â You eyed Foreman, a little annoyed at the comment. Why did men think they had the right to comment on womenâs food choices and bodies all the damn time? âDonât give me that look, you know thatâs a lot, especially for a girl who skips lunch every other dayâ.Â
âNot by choiceâ you said, taking a lot of pasta into your mouth. âNof ba chosâ, you replied, mouth full, making everyone at the table let out a tired laugh.Â
It was an uneventful meal. The team was really tired, especially Chase, who almost dropped his head on his plate twice. The four of you rushed upstairs when lunch was over, after being paged by your boss.Â
The man himself was pacing back and forth in the conference room, brows furrowed and looking extremely aggravated. Nothing new, then, you think, sitting down across from Cameron.Â
Allison Cameron and you had been friends since med school, and getting to work together was pretty nice. Women in STEM need each other, of that you were sure. The thing is, she was in a weird place romantically, which made you feel weird about getting along with the people about whom she was confused â which hardly makes sense, but it is what it is. She had a crush on your boss for the longest time, and that didnât work out at all. And then there was Chase, who she had slept with, but had no interest in further pursuing.Â
Hanging out with Chase knowing heâd seen her naked was a little weird, but the fact theyâd slept together wasnât the problem. He liked her, and that was her problem. Your boss, well, he was everybodyâs problem.Â
Particularly yours, considering⊠you know. The one-night-that-became-every-night. The HR-nightmare. The doing-the-devilâs-tango. The seeing-each-other-scars. The kissing-and-absolutely-not-telling.
It was fairly easy sneaking around. He was inappropriate, sure, but not big on PDA. He treated you like any other dumbass employee with boobs. If anyone saw the two of you leaving the hospital together? You worked together. If you were seen going towards the same place? Youâre neighbors, duh. And if anyone happened to see the two of you having breakfast together in the little cafĂ© a block around his place? Well, it was a coincidence meeting him there!Â
If they saw you giving him head while he tried to play the piano, well⊠Thereâs no explanation for that.Â
You looked at him coming and going, and you knew his leg must be killing him. Yesterday when you left his home in the morning to pick up your stuff for the day (which turned out to be the day, the night and the next day), he was popping more pills than usual. Shit.Â
âNew case?â, Cameron asked, looking at the limping man with worry and care in her eyes. You liked her a lot, but she had to stop thinking about your limping man with such care.Â
Sure, she liked him first. And she probably worried for him just as she would anyone else. And it was ridiculous to be annoyed at your long-time friend for caring for her boss. Still, there was a sting of jealousy that made you want to bitch-slap her.Â
He finally stopped and looked at all of you. When his eyes finally met you, he looked right at your low cut top and let out a âYowza!â. When you blushed and stood up to pick your white coat, he called your last name, and said, nonchalantly: âNice boobsâ.Â
You raised a hand to pinch at the bridge of your nose as you sat down. It might seem like sexual harassment â and at first, it was a little bit â, but now it was just him being as inappropriate as always. Hiding from his feelings, keeping his distance with pathetic remarks and cold attitudes. It made you sad when you started working for him, but right now, you pinched your nose to stop you from giggling like a sixteen year old cheerleader being noticed by the boy on the football team. Or rather, the boy on the bench cursing at the stupid players.
Dr. Gregory House had a massive crush on you, and that made all the shit he did go away.Â
You realized Chase started updating House on the patient you spent all night testing and monitoring. Truth is, that guy didnât stand a chance for a normal life here on forward. At best, he had a benign hereditary chorea. Worst case scenario, it was Huntington manifesting earlier than it should, as youâd been saying from the beginning.Â
âShut upâ, House said to Chase, making those blue Australian eyes widen. Poor guy, he looked beyond exhausted. âI understand how DNA testing works. I went to med school too, remember?â
âYeah, but that was seven hundred years agoâ, you let out before you could think twice. You teased House a little for being older. Scratch that, you gave him a lot of crap for being older. You just didnât do it in front of the team, which was why they all looked at you horrified.Â
Horrified, but Foreman was holding in a laugh.
The âold-manâ hit his cane on the desk, turning the attention back to him. âOuchâ.
You smiled, playing it off like a remark made by an exhausted overworked young woman who disliked her boss. House half-screamed some orders to all of you, even though he already knew you had clinic duty.Â
The hours left to finish on the clinic were manageable, so you could finish it after you did some of the tests House asked. Â
Time passed by too quickly, and as your day went by, you remembered you had to talk to Wilson as soon as possible. It wasnât a life or death matter, but a peace of mind kind of thing. You decided to stop by his office before you It was then that you overheard something you shouldnât have.
Well, that brought the high school memories right back.Â
It was the middle of the afternoon, also known as the beginning of your third shift in a row, and you were stopping by Wilsonâs office to discuss a private matter. A family member of yours had cancer, and then another one. By the time your fourth relative came down with the diagnosis, you decided to check your genetic predisposition. Although the tests came back clean, meaning you were safe for oncology purposes, you still wanted to know his opinion on how you could be even safer.
You looked cancer in the eyes many times. You didnât want to look at it in the mirror too.Â
For some godly reason, you stopped before knocking. Thatâs when you recognized your bossâs voice, complaining about something, per usual.Â
âSheâs a baby! She had never watched Grease, for crying out loudâ, the voice and the footsteps made their sounds in harmony. You leaned in closer to the door, to try and listen better.Â
âWell, you two barely know each other, now itâs the time to know if thereâs a future in this relationship or not. And would you ever marry her?â, Wilsonâs voice, and the words made you freeze.Â
âNot everyone has marriage on the brain 24/7, Wilsonâ, House replied. Even from behind the door, you could almost hear the engines in his brain turning. âAnd God, no. I could never marry her. I can do better than a gullible third-world princessâ.
You froze.
Of course heâd say that. Of course. Even if he didnât mean it.Â
The realization came like an electrical shock flowing through your body. You felt it, and it made the hairs on the nape of your neck rise.Â
You meant nothing to him.Â
As an immigrant, the feeling of never belonging is constant. You donât belong in the place you now live, but you donât really belong in the place you were born.Â
You had felt for a fraction of a second that you could find your place here. In House's department. Perhaps, even with House. God, you were stupid. You were a device for him to finish his puzzles, and an object to finish⊠Well, to finish himself off.Â
As you left your transe and heard the voices again, you ran as fast as you could back to the clinic, where you had a couple hours left to finish. There was something you needed to arrange with Cuddy, too.Â
Hours later, you were in the departmentâs room reading some exams when House walked in.Â
He eyed you up and down again, eyes lingering on your breasts a little longer than a bossâ eyes normally would. âSoâ, he took his bootle from his jacket and opened it, popping a couple of pills, âyour place or mine?âÂ
âYou suckâ, you murmured, angrily, but pouting a little. Heâd never admit it, but he loved seeing you a little aggravated, crossing your arms in front of your body in a way that made your already eye-catching torso irresistible.Â
He smiled a little, putting the medicine back in his pocket. âNo, sweetheartâ, he now fully grinned, âthatâs you.â
You rolled your eyes, but let your arms fall and a cold smile creeped into your face.Â
âYes, I do, actuallyâ, you rose up from the chair and walked all the way towards him, hitting your hand towards his chest and pressing the paper you were holding against him. âIâm a full on sucker, and ass-kisser, as you like to point out. Thatâs why your so called mortal enemy offered me a job in New Yorkâ.Â
He took the paper, blue eyes never leaving yours.Â
âConsider this my two weeks noticeâ. It was hard to say, but it felt a little good, too. Logically, there were no downsides in this opportunity. Then, why did it hurt so much? âI guess everyone was right. I can do betterâ.
The double meaning was not lost on House.Â
Your hand finally left his chest, and he didnât look back as you left.Â
Looking at it now, it all seems so simple. It never is, though, is it? Especially with House. And you, an intelligent, kind, talented and ambitious young woman, could definitely do better than attach yourself to a crippled, bitter, odious older man.Â
You were doing better now. So, why, pray tell, why did this still hurt so much?Â
#day 05#day 5#angstober#angst oneshot#angstober 2024#writing event#writing challenge#gregory house#house md#malpractice md#greg house#gregory house x reader#greg house x reader#house x reader#house x female reader#hugh laurie#james wilson#lisa cuddy#robert sean leonard#doctor house#dr house#dr house x reader#angst#fiction
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Could you do Benedict Bridgerton with wife reader? There is a festival in the Ton and they were just enjoying themselves with their children and the Bridgerton's siblings. Fluff. Thanks!! :))
Good kind of chaos
Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x reader
Summary: The family Bridgerton having fun at the annual festival <3
Word count: 1.2k
Warnings: flufffff
A/N:
English is not my first language, so I apologize if I made any (grammar) mistakes. Feedback, requests, recommendations, vents or questions are always welcome. I love talking to you guys about anything <3
Happy reading xxx
I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site.
The soft hum of excitement filled the sprawling grounds of Aubrey Hall as the annual autumn festival, hosted by none other than the Bridgertons, came alive with vibrant colors and joyful music. Booths of entertainers, games, and refreshments lined the paths, while children wove through the adults with kites and laughter. Banners of orange, crimson, and gold fluttered in the gentle breeze, matching the hues of the trees that framed the scene.
At the heart of it all stood Benedict Bridgerton, the second eldest of the infamous Bridgerton clan, his artistic gaze flickering with wonder as he soaked in the atmosphere. Beside him was youâhis wife, his anchor, the woman who had turned his life into an adventure far more beautiful than any painting he could ever create.
âThomas!â you called, laughing as your eldest son, all of seven years old, ran ahead of you with endless energy. His brown curls, much like Benedictâs, bounced with every step as he led his sister, Amelia, on a hunt for the perfect kite. âStay where we can see you!â
Amelia, delicate and graceful despite being only five, paused just long enough to turn around and wave enthusiastically. âWe will, Mama!â she promised before tugging her brother along. The two disappeared into a crowd of children eagerly awaiting their turn at the puppet show.
You turned toward Benedict with a contented sigh, adjusting the shawl wrapped loosely around your shoulders. âDo you think theyâll ever tire?â you asked, your tone teasing, though the sight of your children, wild and free, made your heart swell.
Benedict smiled warmly, his fingers brushing against yours. âIf theyâve inherited even a shred of Bridgerton spirit, Iâm afraid not. Theyâll run until the sun sets.â He tilted his head towards the scene before you, where the other Bridgertons mingled in the festivities. âAnd look at that, chaos already spreading.â
Following his gaze, you saw Anthony, attempting to corral his own brood of children while simultaneously discussing the logistics of the eveningâs dance with his wife, Kate. His authoritative tone didnât quite match the image of him holding a toddler on one hip, who was pulling on his cravat.
Daphne, the picture of elegance as always, was indulging her son Augieâs request to play a ring toss game, Simon beside her with their daughter in his arms. The Duke, though quiet, wore the smallest of smiles as he watched his family revel in the simplicity of the day.
Eloise, on the other hand, seemed far more interested in a heated debate with Francesca about the importance of womenâs independence while her younger sister Hycacinth was running after her brother Gregory once again.
And, of course, Colin had made his way to the refreshments table, charming a young vendor into giving him an extra serving of sugared almonds.
You smiled at the scene, feeling a wave of contentment as you leaned into Benedictâs side. âItâs a good kind of chaos,â you said softly.
âIt is.â Benedict turned to you, his blue eyes twinkling with amusement. âA little wild, a little unmanageable, but completely our own.â
Just then, a tug on your skirt drew your attention. Your youngest child, three-year-old Eliza, stood at your feet with a pout on her face, her tiny hands gripping a tangled mess of ribbon from her kite. âMama,â she whined, her wide eyes brimming with frustration. âItâs broken!â
You bent down to her level, taking the mess of ribbon into your hands. âOh, my love, itâs not broken. Just a little tangled, thatâs all. Shall we fix it together?â
Eliza nodded eagerly, her earlier frustration already forgotten as you worked to untangle the colorful string. Benedict knelt beside you, his large hands gently guiding Elizaâs smaller ones as they helped with the knot. âYouâll be flying it again in no time, my little artist,â he said, a teasing grin on his lips.
Elizaâs eyes lit up at the mention of the word âartist.â Like her father, she had an affinity for all things creative, often sitting beside Benedict as he sketched, mimicking his strokes with her own colorful crayons. âI want to paint kites when Iâm big, Papa!â she declared.
âAnd Iâll be your first customer,â Benedict replied, planting a kiss on her head. You watched them, heart swelling with love, before your attention was stolen by Thomas and Amelia, who were waving frantically from across the lawn.
âPapa! Mama! Come look!â Thomas shouted, practically bouncing with excitement as he held his new kiteâa magnificent creation in the shape of a dragon, painted in deep reds and greens.
Amelia, her hair tousled and cheeks pink from running, beamed up at you both. âUncle Colin helped us choose the best one! Isnât it beautiful?â
âExquisite,â you said with a smile, taking in their prideful expressions. âShall we fly it together?â
The four of you made your way to a small hill, where the children gleefully launched their kites into the sky, giggling as they raced the wind. You stood close to Benedict, who had taken Eliza onto his shoulders so she could watch her siblings, her small fingers gripping his hair as she pointed at the kites.
âPapa, higher!â she squealed, her laughter filling the air.
You glanced at Benedict, marveling at the ease with which he balanced family and love, the joy in his eyes as he watched his children. âWhat are you thinking?â you asked, your voice soft as you stepped closer, resting your head on his arm.
He smiled, his gaze fixed on the sky for a moment before turning to you. âIâm thinking how lucky I am,â he said, his voice low but full of warmth. âTo have thisâour children, our life together. Sometimes I still canât believe it.â
You felt your chest tighten with emotion, your love for him deepening in the quiet simplicity of the moment. âI know exactly what you mean,â you whispered.
Before either of you could say more, a loud crash of laughter erupted behind you. Colin had tripped over a small table, sending a tray of pastries flyingâmuch to the delight of the nearby children, who swarmed the fallen treats. Hyacinth and Gregory were the first to dart forward, gathering sweets in their hands as Colin scrambled to his feet, red-faced but laughing.
âAh, a Bridgerton tradition,â Benedict mused, shaking his head in mock dismay. âA party isnât complete without Colin making a scene.â
âIâd say itâs charming in its own way,â you teased.
Anthony, overhearing your comment as he passed by, chuckled. âCharming is one word for it.â His eyes softened as he looked toward his own children, running hand in hand with their cousins. âWe certainly know how to make an impression.â
You all shared a knowing glance, the bond between the siblings unspoken yet undeniable.
As the day wore on and the sun began to dip low on the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink, you stood together as a family, watching as your children played, laughed, and loved. There was a peace in the air, a sense of belonging that had been woven together by years of joy, challenge, and the unbreakable bond of family.
Benedict wrapped his arm around you, pulling you close. âThank you,â he whispered, his voice full of love and gratitude. âFor giving me this life.â
You looked up at him, your heart full. âAnd thank you for filling it with such color.â
Together, you stood in the fading light, your children running wild, the sound of their laughter blending with the chatter of the Bridgertons around you. The festival was a celebration, yesâbut more than that, it was a reflection of the love and joy that filled your life, with Benedict by your side.
#fluff#benedict bridgerton fanfiction#benedict bridgerton x y/n#benedict x reader#benedict bridgerton#colin bridgerton#eloise bridgerton#anthony bridgerton#bridgerton#bridgerton family#bridgerton fanfiction#benedict bridgerton imagine#benedict bridgerton x fem!reader#benedict bridgerton x reader#benedict bridgerton x you
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Thereâs a Heat Between Us, You Must Admit
Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x Plus size!rader
Characters: Plus size!reader, Anthony Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton, Daphne Bridgerton, Violet Bridgerton, Mildred âMillieâ Nightington (readerâs cousin), Bernard (the servant), Eloise Bridgerton, Francesca Bridgerton, Gregory Bridgerton, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Simon Bassett, Augie Bassett
Warnings: Anthony is an idiot, the bee scene (mainly from the book scene), drama, Daphne doesnât want to see her friend end up alone, reader gives Anthony the biggest side eye ever, reader and Anthony are idiots, Millie is a sweetheart, reader and Anthony are competitive, the sideburns line was something I learned about, reader is stubborn, Anthony is oddly very emotional in this, reader knows a lot of things, reader doesnât know how to deal with her emotions, pregnancy scare, the pregnancy scare reminds me of a sitcom
Word Count: 13,647
A/N: Readerâs last name is Starlington and also, super excited to have finally finished this one.Â
*1,700 follower celebration post*
Also, Happy Valentineâs day!!
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Sometimes you loved your dear friend Daphne and other times you didn't, right now for example, you don't.Â
Honestly you donât know how this got brought up (again) but youâd wish she would stop; itâs not going to happen even if she wants you to officially join her family.Â
You knew her being the first to marry out of the two of you was going to lead to more of her shenanigans, but this was too much for you.Â
You sigh, setting your cup down to look her in the eyes, âI have no plans on being in this season.âÂ
Her shoulder sagged, âI understand that but-ïżœïżœïżœÂ
âBut, nothing. Daphne, I am more than content with my being staying very much untied to a man. If I happen to meet someone worth it, youâll know.âÂ
-
Anthony glances over in your direction and his mind goes elsewhere.Â
Youâre his sisterâs best friend who also became Benedictâs best friend soon after you met the rest of his family.Â
He isnât particularly upset at the fact that youâve managed to befriend his siblings (slightly better than he could) but, thereâs something that keeps bringing a certain idea to the front of his mind.Â
âAre you going to take your turn or continue staring?â Benedict asks.Â
The eldest shrugs off his brotherâs comment.Â
Anthony uses the dreaded âdeath malletâ and once again, manages to pass the others.Â
-
Daphne heads towards her siblings before they can scream and shout at her for sitting down instead of taking her turn.Â
You sigh, shoulders sagging because you know she means no harm; you know that but, you canât force yourself to love and care for someone you donât have feelings for.Â
Youâd never admit it (out loud or to her) but there are nights where you do wonder how it would be if you did get married to someone you loved.Â
The concerning part is how her brother sneaks into your mind; not your closest friend, Benedict, or the third oldest, Colin, and of course not, Gregory.Â
No, Anthony is the one to invade your mind and corrupt your dreams with his charming smile and smooth movements.Â
And you would never dare tell Daphne or your cousin of your thoughts; no matter how hard she tries to convince you he feels something for you.Â
You take a deep breath, returning your focus onto the game only to meet a pair of oak brown eyes gazing upon you.Â
You tear your gaze away at the sounds of Violet walking down the stairs, carrying a smiling Augie in her arms earning a smile from you as you observe the happy baby.Â
You glance towards her and offer a polite smile, giving her a moment to settle down in the free chair before turning to focus on the young babe. âHello, Augie,â you greet him with a baby tone and shake his chubby fingers.Â
âHeâs always taken with you,â Violet comments.Â
âI am the one who always manages to search for his mother when he cries for her. Sometimes I believe myself to be a dog.âÂ
She chuckles, âthatâs not it.âÂ
âWhy else would he like me?âÂ
âYou have a natural instinct that he senses. Children know these things.âÂ
âIf thatâs what you say.âÂ
Daphne steps away from the others, wanting to see her child. âShe is right, you know.âÂ
âNot you too,â you groan.Â
âYou will make a fantastic mother.âÂ
âSomeday.âÂ
âIt could happen sooner than one would think.â
âWhat are you planning?âÂ
âNothing.âÂ
Anthony stares back at you once more, observing the way you interact with his dear nephew. As he searches for someone to call wife, his most secretive thoughts keep coming to mind. The more he searches and the longer you stay, the more he finds himself wondering.Â
His mother continues to help him in his search for a wife albeit reluctantly since she finds herself so fond of you. Sheâd never explicitly tell him to pursue you but, she could always kindly ease him into the right direction, which is when his disbelief comes to the surface, truly believing you to feel nothing for him.Â
He knows if he tried to pursue you and it fell through, he will have ruined a lifelong friendship for his family- as he watches Daphne hold her purple mallet for you to take- he realizes he canât pursue you.Â
Not that heâd ever given it any real thought, but heâd never be able to forgive himself if he was the reason, you stopped coming by.Â
You shake your head.Â
She puts it in your hand, persuading you into taking her place so she can attend to Augie.Â
You step down from the seating area with little energy.Â
His sister offers encouraging nods.Â
âI see you finally came to join us,â comments Anthony.Â
You avoid his gaze- you can barely stand beside him. âNot like I wanted to,â you reply.Â
âYouâre scared to lose?âÂ
You scoff, turning to look up at him, âthat is not what I said.âÂ
He smirks, leaning closer to you, âyou didnât have to.âÂ
You narrow your eyes at him, âweâll see whoâs laughing when I win.â You walk away, taking your turn. Youâre satisfied until you sense him behind you.Â
He follows you, âfor someone who didnât want to play earlier, youâve certainly found your spirit.âÂ
âOr was it a trick?â You smirk, glancing at him when the ball rolls through the metal hoop with ease. âYou look nice,â you comment, turning around to walk away.Â
Anthonyâs brows furrow together, his body takes over as he steps closer to you, standing beside you. âWhat do you mean?âÂ
You turn, struggling to find the right words without sending the wrong message. âI only meant you look nice. You know, people- people can actually see your face now.âÂ
He continues to stare at you.Â
âYour sideburns were nice but it- they- people may have assumed you grew them to hide what lies in your heart.â
âAnd what do you think lies there?â The words escape him before he could process his thoughts.Â
âI believe the love for your family and future wife is there, along with the care and compassion you hold for them. I do have to admit, I am a bit glad you shaved.âÂ
He tilts his head, âand why is that?âÂ
âI was afraid you would have continued growing them and at some point, they would connect,â you use both hands the gesture from your sideburns to your upper lip, âand you would look as though you were wearing a mask of sorts,â you say with one hundred percent seriousness until you think about it and snicker, covering your face with your hand.Â
Anthony is also unable to keep himself collected and joins in. He straightens his posture, âwhat of you?âÂ
You take a deep breath, fanning yourself. "What of me, for what?âÂ
âWhat do you think lies in your heart?âÂ
âThe same as you, I suppose. Love and compassion for my family and the few friends I have.âÂ
âWhat about me?â He asks before he can stop himself.Â
âWhat?â You donât know what to think.Â
âI-â He walks past you, placing his mallet back into place before exiting, wandering to the garden. He needs to get as far away from you as he can in order to clear his mind.Â
You donât understand whatâs happened and place your mallet beside his before chasing after him.Â
-
He stares at you, half listening to you and his attention moves elsewhere.Â
âAre you even listening to me?â You stare at him, wanting to understand him. Youâre too into your thoughts to hear the faint buzz.Â
The noise sends a shiver down his spine, he knows the noise too well; his nightmares (if he can remember any) always start with the faint buzz.Â
He doesnât move as he searches for it. Sadly, for the eldest child, he doesnât have to search for long as the small, striped animal floats around you. He prays to whoever is listening to hear his silent prayers for it doesnât sting you; he canât lose someone else to the blasted creature.Â
âAnthony?â You ask, glancing down when you feel something land on you. You realize why he canât look away. âHey, itâs alright.âÂ
He canât focus on your words, his mind rattled with the memory of his late father. âDonât move,â his voice is low and shaky.
âI know, itâs a bee but, it wonât hurt me as long as I-â you close your eyes due to the discomfort you get from the sting, and it sends him into a whirlwind. âIâll be alright,â you say, still trying to reassure him. You open your eyes to see how pale heâs gotten.Â
He invades your personal space, grasping onto your arms. âAre- are you-â He glances back and forth between your face and your wound. His voice is low, far too low for you to understand what it is he is trying to say but you swear you hear him mutter something along the lines of, âdonât move'' repeatedly.Â
You know you must calm him down before he can do anything. You reach for him, placing a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at you. âBreathe, Anthony. I need you to breathe.âÂ
He canât say anything, almost as if heâs choking on air. Images of his father invade his mind, filling him with worry and dread.Â
You can see he is close to tears. Your voice draws him out of his thoughts. âI promise you. I hope you know I wouldnât lie to you. Iâm fine but I will still have a doctor come and look at it so that it may heal properly. Iâm right here. Iâm here with you.âÂ
Anthonyâs hands grip your biceps, he notices how swollen the sting site has become.Â
âIt stung me, but I am not hurting. This has happened before. I will be fine.âÂ
None of your reassurances are having any effect on him.Â
The image of his father taking his last breath in his motherâs arm is enough to make lean in to suck the venom out.Â
âAnthony?! What are you-â You cut yourself off at the feeling of his shaky hands trying to remove the stinger. âAnthony, you must stop.âÂ
âShut up,â he hisses, trying to stay focused on keeping you healthy (and alive) while fighting to keep his fatherâs death out of his mind.Â
You take deep breaths, you try to push him away, but he is insistent and stronger than you. âI am fine, I just need to see a doctor and I-âÂ
âWould you be quiet,â he finally lifts his head to look up at you.Â
You gulp, âI know- I know what tragedy has happened in your family but, today will not be the same for me.âÂ
He doesnât listen and continues to squeeze the area.Â
You gasp, eyes widening at the feeling of his hands being so close to your breast. This has gone too far; you must stop this before someone sees. âAnthony,â you place your hands on his chest to push him away once more.Â
âStop it,â he shoves your arms off him. âLet me get rid of the venom.âÂ
âThere is a doctor who can do this and-âÂ
âThe doctor is not here. I am.â He stops squeezing when some liquid begins to spill out of the wound.Â
You look down, finding the trail of liquid, âsee, you did it. Now, I am going inside to-âÂ
Anthony pulls out a handkerchief, wiping away the trail. âItâs not all of it.âÂ
You wrap your hand around his wrist, stopping him from patting you dry. âYou must stop this, Anthony. If anything were to have happened, it would have happened already.â
âThere is still more,â he mutters, staring at the irritated area.Â
âYou need to stop.âÂ
âI havenât gotten all of it,â he turns, staring at you.Â
âWhatever it is youâre thinking of doing. Donât.âÂ
âI have to get the venom out before it kills you.âÂ
âIt wonât kill me-â you gasp, seeing the determination in him as he leans forward. You place your hand on his shoulder, keeping his head away but fail to remove his hand.Â
The click clack of womenâs shoes against the rock pathway alerts you, but you feel as though you canât move.Â
A gasp makes you turn to find his mother alongside your cousin, Mildred (Millie for short), staring at the two of you with shocked expressions.Â
Your heart rate increases and gain enough strength to fully shove him away from you, knowing how this looks.Â
He glances up at you with a confused expression.Â
âAnthony?â Violet calls out.Â
His brows furrow further, he looks over your shoulder, âmother?âÂ
âWhat is going here?âÂ
âShe was stung by a- a bee.âÂ
âA bee?âÂ
âYes, a bee. Iâd told him repeatedly I was fine. Iâve dealt with being stung before,â you say, struggling to keep yourself together.Â
âYou were stung by a bee and the boy found himself attached to you?â Mildred raises a brow.Â
âDonât look at me like that, Millie.âÂ
âIâm not, Iâm wondering how you think this can be kept quiet.âÂ
âKept quiet?â You repeat quietly to yourself.Â
âNeither of us would repeat a word of what occurred today,â he argues.Â
âThat doesnât mean anything for a womanâs reputation,â Mildred says with an attitude.Â
âYou do realize anyone could walk out here and spot the two of you, donât you?âÂ
He doesnât say anything.Â
âDonât you?âÂ
He grits his teeth, âI do.âÂ
âYou should consider yourself lucky that it was us who found you and no one else, rake.âÂ
âThatâs enough now, Mildred,â Violet intervenes. âLetâs,â she takes a deep breath, âletâs go inside and talk about this further. Lady Starlington needs to be seen by a doctor.âÂ
You canât stand to be there any longer and turn away from him, walking past the two ladies and Anthony; your pace speeds up before you know it, youâre sprinting back to Audrey Hall.Â
Mildred sighs, ânow what are we to do?â
âWe will all walk back and discuss this,â Violet says.Â
âOf course, we are but, what am I to tell my parents? Theyâll be curious to know why their nieceâs name is in a Lady Whistledown column.âÂ
Anthony grunts, taking a step towards the two. He passes by them and quickly announces, âwe will marry before the end of the season.âÂ
âDid he say what I think he did?â asks Mildred, watching his figure walk away with wide eyes.Â
Violet sighs, shaking her head, âI believe he did.âÂ
âDid I do the right thing?âÂ
The mother of the family stops, turning to face your cousin, âwhat do you mean?âÂ
âI- I basically pushed themselves together into this potentially unhappy marriage. I know I sometimes I canât keep my comments to myself but, I swear I had good intentions. It's just- when we came around the corner to see that I- I worry about her. I fear I may have ruined my relationship with the two.âÂ
âI canât give you an exact answer but, I can say that as long as you have your cousinâs interest and happiness in mind, the most you can do is hope for the best. They are both emotionally driven people, even if neither wishes to admit it. This will be hard for them, and it may be a test.âÂ
âA test?â
âTo see if they will make good of their marriage. You and I, as well as my other children, have come to realize how they connect with one another. They canât see it for themselves but there is something there and now is the time for them to see it.âÂ
âI suppose so. What if they canât make it work?âÂ
âThen I fear they will be in a miserable marriage.âÂ
-
No one else disturbed you after the doctor left.Â
You sit at the edge of the bed, your vision blurs; you cover your mouth with shaky hands. You donât want others to hear if they happen to be walking by. You cry, struggling to catch your breath.Â
Everything youâve been feeling with the last few days is slowly escaping you. Your mother is requesting to visit and marriage situation with Anthony; itâs too much.Â
You take deep breaths, aiming to calm yourself down.Â
Maybe it would be better if you left and went home or maybe somewhere far from here.
A knock disturbs you from your thoughts.Â
You wipe your cheeks, hoping whoever it is will go away but fail as another knock comes through. You take a deep breath and open the door, âViscount Bridgerton?âÂ
He lifts his gaze off the floor, âwhat happened to Anthony?âÂ
Any curiosity falls from your expression, âyour making light of the situation?âÂ
He shakes his head, âI would never.âÂ
âI think youâve done enough today. Itâs almost time for bed.âÂ
He takes a step closer to the door, his hand inches away from being crushed, âI,â he sighs, taking a step back, removing his hand from the door. âI have come to ask if you would have dinner with me.âÂ
âWith you?âÂ
âI think it would be wise if we talked before anything becomes⊠official.âÂ
âNow?âÂ
âAre you going to use full sentences any time soon?âÂ
âWhy should I? Is it bothering you?âÂ
âNevermind that. Are you going to join me or not?âÂ
âWill there be someone else there?âÂ
He gives you a reluctant nod, âyes, your dearest cousin, Mildred.âÂ
âIâll be down in a moment. I will meet you there.â
âIâll wait here.âÂ
âDo you have to?â
âNo but, I think it might be good practice for us.âÂ
âPractice,â you mumble and shut the door. You walk over to the vanity, staring at yourself, wondering how you got into this situation. You snatch the extra handkerchief and pat your face, removing any evidence of your despair.Â
You take careful steps toward the door and exit, Anthony leaning against the wall across from your room. He holds his arm out for you to hold.Â
You shake your head.Â
âDonât you think youâve touched her enough today?âÂ
He sighs, âMildred.âÂ
âWho else would it be?â She interlocks your arms together, pulling you ahead of the eldest Bridgerton. âCome on.âÂ
-
âDo either of you know how to use it?â Anthony asks, staring at the stove.Â
Mildred shakes her head, âthe maids are always around to do it.âÂ
âBoth of you sit down,â you say.Â
âDo you know how to work this?â he asks, sounding surprised.Â
âI do. Itâs too late for us to have a full meal, instead we can have a glass of warm milk.âÂ
They sit at the table in the corner of the room.Â
Anthony watches as you move gracefully around the kitchen.
âIf you keep staring, sheâll catch you.âÂ
He turns to her, âwhat?âÂ
âYouâre staring.âÂ
âNo, I wasnât,â he denies.Â
âYou can lie all you want but I know you care for her. Perhaps, you always have and never wanted to admit it before and the whole bee situation was a ruse so that you could stop being a ninny and marry her instead.âÂ
His jaw drops, he doesnât know how to respond. âI did not-âÂ
She waves him off, âdo not lie Anthony, I know you love her and have for some time now, only you must realize it now than later in your marriage. I do not want her⊠or you to be unhappy. Oddly enough, I seem to care for you but, obviously not the same way she does you.âÂ
He scoffs through his nose, muttering to himself, âobviously.âÂ
You place the glass of milk in front of the two, interrupting their conversation. âDonât tell me youâve decided to marry my cousin instead.âÂ
Anthony nearly chokes on the liquid, setting the glass down and snatches the handkerchief you hold out for him.
He wipes his chin, âwhat makes you think I would want to marry, Mildred.âÂ
She scoffs, âyouâd be lucky to have me, Bridgerton.âÂ
He narrows his eyes to her.Â
âIâll be just outside this door, leaving the two of you talk and nothing else.â
You furrow your brows, âwait. Mil-âÂ
She waves to you.Â
You take a deep breath, not wanting to face him.Â
It was different when he wasn't paying attention to you and rather his own life, but now... you hope he doesn't want to talk.Â
"We should- we should talk."Â
Everything in your screams to not run away and hide, even though it sounds like it would be the better option right now.Â
"How are you?"Â
"I would be happier if I was marrying for love and not because of your concern over my virtue," you mumble.Â
He overhears and sighs. âDonât-âÂ
âNo, I understand. Truly I do, just- I need- itâs late. Apologies for keeping you up.â You grab the skirts of your dress and walk out.Â
Mildred watches as you run away. She spins around and stands in the doorway. âWhat did you do?âÂ
âMe- I-âÂ
She sighs. âJust shut up.âÂ
He sighs and slumps in the chair. Mildred storms into the room after you.Â
-
âWhat happened?âÂ
âNothing.â You take a deep breath, hunched over your vanity.Â
âYou know, you two act as a married couple who have known each other for too long and no longer know how to act lovingly around one another.âÂ
âYou are wrong, cousin. He is- he is the scum- the scum that rests at the bottom of my shoe. Why would I ever marry someone like that? Much less that Bridgerton, I mean, Colin would be a better option and I donât like him as much as I do Benedict.â You keep your head down, âpeople marry for less.âÂ
âI wish to marry for love, if it ever decides to come my way but until then I will deal with him marrying the only person, I care about that is close to my age.âÂ
âSo, you care enough about me to marry me off?âÂ
âDonât phrase it in such a way that makes me the bad guy,â she throws herself onto your bed.Â
âGo to bed. I will be fine, Millie.âÂ
She props herself up on her elbows. âAre you sure?â
âI am. Please,â you look up and turn around, putting on a brave face. âI promise you. I will be fine.âÂ
âIf youâre sure-âÂ
âWhich I am. Goodnight, Millie.âÂ
She sighs and steps outside of the room, ânight.âÂ
-
âGood morning.âÂ
You donât respond to Mildred.Â
âAre you ignoring me?âÂ
âI am simply showing you the way my soon-to-be husband will treat me.âÂ
âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âIt has already begun. I awoke early and decided I wanted to speak to him after thinking about it all. I say hi but he does not.â You shrug, "it doesn't matter now."Â
"It does though. Let me," she sighs. "Let me speak with him. I can- I can fix this."Â
"No," you say. âI donât want you to be in the middle any more than you have.âÂ
âAlright... now onto more pressing matters.âÂ
âSuch as?âÂ
âYour plans for the wedding?âÂ
âOh, right.â You continue to stare out the window.Â
âAre you sure you're alright?âÂ
âI just-âÂ
Anthony stops himself from knocking on the door and decides to listen.Â
âI thought when I was to marry, I would marry for love not because I need my virtue protected or saved."Â
"If he didn't agree to this-"Â
"I would be a spinster."Â
"That is how I will live my life," Mildred grabs your hand and gains your attention.Â
Anthony takes his leave, unable to stay there any longer.Â
âThat is not how I want you to live your life. I want you to be the one to have another you can call upon if there is something the matter because I wonât always be there and I need to know that you are protected before I leave.âÂ
âYouâre leaving?âÂ
She sighs. âThis isnât how I wanted you to find out but yes. A week after youâve been married, I plan on traveling the world.âÂ
âYour childhood dream.âÂ
âPrecisely.âÂ
"I- what if I'm not good enough to," you wave your hand around. "This."
"This what? I'm not sure I understand."Â
"What if- what if I am not fit to be a wife. I mean," you push yourself out of the chair and pace around the room. "I don't want him to be disappointed in the person he is to call wife. I don't want to be in a marriage of..."Â
"Regret?"Â
"Precisely."Â
She stops you by placing a hand on your wrists, ânow is the time for us to plan your wedding. Violet and Anthony have been sitting in the tearoom since I came in here.âÂ
âSheâs- theyâre- why didnât you tell me?â You rush out the door.Â
-
You clean yourself up outside the door and nod to your servant, Bernard, to open the doors. You nervously smile at both.Â
Violet pops up from the chair closest to the window. âHow are you?âÂ
âOh- uh- Iâm,â you glance to the side and stare at her eldest, who locks eyes with you.Â
âI mean from the- well, you know,â she struggles to say.Â
You let out a breath of relief, âah, yes. I do. I am- I am fine. Iâm just happy that everyone else is fine.âÂ
She smiles, âthat is kind of you to say, but unnecessary.âÂ
âI hear you came to talk about our upcoming⊠event.âÂ
âIs that what Mildred told you?âÂ
You furrow your brows, âis that not what youâre here to discuss?âÂ
Anthony pushes himself off the couch. âNot yet. Mother, if youâd excuse us.âÂ
âAnthony, I donât-âÂ
He gives her a look.Â
"We will be right outside this door."Â
"What did you want to discuss?"Â
"If we are to marry, we should have stipulations."Â
"You think I'll be so horrible that we need rules?"Â
"Not you. I believe if we have these, we'll have a better understanding of what should come from this marriage."Â
"Why don't I just stay by your side and show my face when you need me to so you can look like the perfect husband? Would that make things easier?"Â
He sighs. "That is one of the things we need to discuss, which events you'd prefer to come to."Â
"Oh, I get to choose those?"Â
"Please stop. I am trying to make this as easy as I can."Â
You clench your fists. "How am I supposed to be okay with this?"Â
âItâs my fault and I am trying to make up for that.âÂ
You pause, âyour fault?âÂ
He nods, âyes, it was- it was me who... couldnât.âÂ
You step forward and place your hand on his, drawing his attention onto you. âIt is not your fault when something so devastating comes to mind and you do all you can to prevent another. I do not blame you, but you must understand that I do not want to be one of those ladies.âÂ
âWho?â The only word he can get out as he studies you.Â
Your compassion shifts into something of annoyance, one he knows too well. âYou know who, someone who wants to be like Penelopeâs mother or maybe even... all of the other ladies,â you chuckle, proud of the joke you made.
"I'm glad you can make jokes at a time like this."Â
You roll your eyes, "oh hush, I am still upset about pretending to be a perfect housewife for the one man every woman dreams of being with."Â
"Are you included?"Â
Your mouth agape as you stare at him.Â
"You two haven't maimed each other, perfect."Â
"Millie," you pinch the bridge of your nose.Â
"Oh, don't act so coy now."Â
You roll your eyes and sit down, waiting to hear what Anthony and his mother have to say. You pace along the floor, finding it to be quieter here than in the tearoom with the others, even if they werenât talking it was still too loud. You know thereâs no alternative for whatâs transpired between you and your soon to be husband, but it still hurts knowing he will never love you the way-Â
âAre you alright?â Daphneâs voice draws you out of your thoughts.Â
You give her a small smile and hope she doesnât poke further.Â
âI know this isnât how it was supposed to happen but there is one good thing about your marriage.âÂ
You scoff, âand what, pray tell, is that?âÂ
âI finally can call you sister.âÂ
You try not to show how happy that makes you, not wanting her to know she was right. âThank you.âÂ
She drags you over to the piano.Â
âI still donât understand why you have many so pianos.âÂ
She shrugs, âfor moments like this, maybe?âÂ
âAre you waiting for me to play?âÂ
She nods, âof course, I am. You were always much better than I was.âÂ
âI was not.âÂ
âShow me then. Show me how awful you play, and I will not ask you again.â
You donât know how long you had been playing for, but it was something you missed- not having a piano in your own home, you didnât realize how long it had been.Â
You usually prefer to play when no one is watching but having Daphne by your side was nice, she always knew how to help calm you before things could get worse; everyone knew of your fatherâs temper, and no one wants to face that through his only daughter.Â
Anthony raises his hand to knock on the door but pauses as he listens, he doesnât realize Daphne had learned a new piece. He slowly opens the door and finds you playing instead.Â
âWhen did you learn how to play?â He wonders.Â
Or maybe it was, you had always known, and he was too into his fantasies that he forgot to pay attention to the true version of you.Â
Just when he was hoping to learn something horrible about you; youâre becoming more and more like his...Â
âI didnât know you played.âÂ
You open your eyes and glance up at him, standing up as quickly as you can. âI donât.âÂ
He furrows his brows, âthatâs not what I heard.âÂ
âThat- that was nothing.âÂ
âWhy are you lying?âÂ
âI prefer to keep this information to myself so if you could kindly pretend you didnât hear anything, thatâd be best.â You exit the room, knowing youâve leftÂ
Anthony in a wave of confusion. âWhat was that about?âÂ
âShe doesnât like others to know of her talents because she knows theyâll ask her to perform one of them.â
âHer mother.â He finally understands.Â
âAnd her aunt.âÂ
Now he truly gets it. "Is this what you two would do while I was out with mother?"Â
She shrugs and pushes the seat back. "Perhaps, or maybe you were never around long enough to learn about her even though you're entranced by her."Â
He stutters, unsure of where she could have gotten that idea. "What?"Â
She quickly hides her amusement before he can see. "Nothing. Goodnight Anthony."Â
He tries to stop her, but she ignores him, offering an excuse for needing to put Augie to bed. He wonders what else he doesnât know.Â
You pace back and forth in front of his office door; this isnât something you can do in person, is it? You sigh and wonder if itâs a wise choice to be doing this at all.Â
You slip the letter under his door and take a step back. âThat wasnât so hard.â You turn around and briskly walk down the hallway, hoping he doesnât see that it was you who was there.
Something moving in the corner of his eye piqued his interest and moved closer to figure out what it was. He picks up the letter and opens the door, seeing someoneâs figure turning the corner before losing sight of them.Â
He closes the door and opens the letter, wondering what you could have said when youâve already said plenty.Â
Dear Bridgerton,Â
IÂ I want to start off by apologizing for my outbursts, you donât deserve them, and they are not aimed at you, but you happen to be the person I am talking to and... This is not how I expected the season to begin or end and Iâm sure you didnât either but if there is someone I were to marry, Iâm happy itâd be you... because I trust you. I will do all that I can to be the perfect wife for you and if not, I apologize in advance.Â
Sincerely, Your annoying soon to be wifeÂ
The next day came, and you didn't know how to act.Â
You sit between Daphne and Mildred when he enters.Â
He sits in front of you and nods, acknowledging you, which you return.Â
The girls beside you don't know how to react, each staring at the other with a raised brow.Â
You two talked with his mother about the decisions for your wedding.Â
"Have you two discussed what you want?"Â
Anthony opens his mouth to answer but finds himself without an answer.Â
"Everyone will talk, and it will no doubt be in Lady Whistledown's column, but it would be preferred if we had a small ceremony, family only."Â
You donât look up from your plate. Violet nods, listening intently. "I will use the dress my mother made when I was born, it'll save us time on getting a dress. The flowers can be your choice."Â
"And after?"Â
You turn to her, "it'd be smart to hold a small reception after all though it will increase because everyone will want to see who married the handsome and fortunate viscount."
You push yourself out of the chair. "I apologize but I realized I promised to spend time with the girls before we go out for our shopping trip."Â
"What just happened?"Â
"Have you two talked about anything regarding your wedding?" Violet asks her son.Â
"Every time we discuss something-"Â
"No, have you sat down and discussed what you two are to do? Who will be there? Anything that a soon to be husband and wife should discuss?"Â
His shoulders sag. "No."Â
"I want you to go in my place."Â
"What? Why?"Â
"It will give you two a moment to talk and prepare for the future hardships you two will face as a couple. Raise her spirits. She got a letter from her mother, saying she will not be able to attend. Perhaps that is why she is so uninterested today."Â
"She- how do you know?"Â
"I'm your mother, I know more than you would think."Â
-
Anthony waiting by the door frightened you. âAre you joining us?âÂ
âIâm here in place of my mother.âÂ
It takes you a few seconds to process what he said. âYou are?âÂ
He nods. âShall we?âÂ
You close your eyes and take a deep breath.Â
The failed whispering voices of the women around you, annoys you to the point where Anthony feels that he needs to do something. âIs there anything that has caught your interest?âÂ
You shake your head.Â
âLetâs go. I know somewhere we can have a better time, away from the whispers of these women.â He leans in, whispering into your ear, âtheyâre jealous of you.âÂ
You cover your mouth to hide your amusement, not wanting him to know heâs helping lift your spirits. You two exit the shop and return to the Bridgerton home. âWhy are we back here?âÂ
âWe are going to have a drink.âÂ
âWith your family? Couldnât we do that any day we wanted to?âÂ
He holds his hand out for you to take, which you do. âAlthough that may be true, thatâs not what I had in mind.â He places his arms behind his back, clenching his fist not wanting you to see the control you have over him. âWeâre going to spend time in my office.âÂ
âOh? Iâm invited in, I feel so special.âÂ
âYou should, very few are allowed in here, especially when Iâm working.âÂ
âOf course. The head of the house needs quiet or else.â
-
âI see going out has helped you.âÂ
You watch as he fills the glass for you before grabbing it and swallowing it in one gulp. âYou could say that.â You scrunch your nose at the sensation, maybe doing that was a bad idea.Â
He takes a seat in his chair.Â
âCould I ask you something?âÂ
He nods, staring at you over the glass as he takes a sip.Â
âDid your mother inform of the one guest we wonât be seeing at our wedding?âÂ
He slowly sets the glass down before returning his gaze to you. âShe may have mentioned it.âÂ
âIs that why you came with me today because she told you to and not because you wanted to?âÂ
âShe may have said she thought it was best if I take her place, but it was initially my choice to go.âÂ
âYouâre not lying?âÂ
âWhat would I gain from lying to you?âÂ
You sit up and reach for the bottle, filling your glass. âA relationship built on a lie.âÂ
He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. âAre you trying to make this harder than it needs to be?âÂ
âI canât just- you canât honestly expect me to ignore that we are marrying one another when you never wanted to marry and I hoped that when it happened, itâd be with someone who loved me.âÂ
Heâs out of his chair before you realize heâs now sitting in the chair beside you. âWhat will it take for you to stop saying that?âÂ
âWhat?âÂ
He leans in closer. âWhy do you think I could never love you?âÂ
âI-â You gulp. âYou have spoken before that you never want to marry, what else am I to think?âÂ
âHow do you know I couldnât change? What if something comes of this relationship?â
Your breath hitches and you continue staring him in his eyes. âI suppose weâll have to cross that bridge if we get to it.â You set the glass down and rush for the door, âIâll take my leave now. Iâm feeling quite tired after our outing.âÂ
He grabs your wrist, pulling you back in before you could open the door. âIâm sorry.âÂ
âNo, Iâm sorry. I shouldnât have pressured you into answering my questions.âÂ
âWhat if I enjoyed them?âÂ
You turn to face him with a small smile. âThen I am concerned for your being.âÂ
âDonât worry about me.âÂ
âBe honest, did you mother tell you about my mother is not coming?âÂ
âNo,â he shakes his head, but you know the truth.Â
âYou donât need to lie on order to preserve myself, itâs okay.â You sigh, âis it sad that a small part of me wishes for her to be there?âÂ
âNot in the least. Itâs natural for you to want your mother there-âÂ
âItâs not because sheâs my family, I just- I need her to stop pushing marriage onto me.â You pace back and forth, âthis is my way to prove her wrong but that makes me feel worse because it makes me seem as though Iâm being a bad daughter.âÂ
âYouâre not,â he disagrees with you. âThat is anything but you being a bad daughter. If anything, sheâs- sheâs scared to lose her daughter to a new family because they know you will be starting a new life, away from her and thatâs why she doesnât want you to help.âÂ
âBut what if-âÂ
His hand slides down your arm as if his hand lingering wasnât enough to drive you mad, he tightens his grip on your hand.Â
You force yourself to focus on his words and not the warmth emanating from him.Â
âStop. All the negative thoughts you have are not going to help you. But listen to this, you are a good daughter, and she should be happy to know her daughter will be taken care of. As long as you are a part of this family you will be taken care of and not have to worry about expectations.âÂ
âI wonât,â you whisper, not meaning to. He shakes his head and gives a small smile. âI promise.âÂ
He realizes heâs been holding onto you this whole time and his arm falls. âCan I walk you back to your room?âÂ
You nod, ignoring the warmth flooding your cheeks. âI would like that.â
-
âWill I see you at breakfast tomorrow?âÂ
âYou will, and if I ask you the same question?âÂ
He smiles, âI will be there.âÂ
âGood, I think this is a good start to our future marriage.â You step inside the room.Â
âI am sorry.âÂ
âWhat?âÂ
âThe marriage⊠and the reason we are to wed.âÂ
âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âI lost myself and-âÂ
You shake your head, placing a hand on his chest over his heart. âI do not blame you for something as traumatizing as your fatherâs death. Please know that.âÂ
âBut-âÂ
âAnthony Bridgerton,â you tell him using a stern tone. âStop it. It may not have happened under the best of circumstances, but I am happy that I will be wed to you than some other man. I can at least trust you.â You step back into the doorway, slowly closing the door as you bid him goodnight.Â
He stands there, touching the spot where your hand was until he drops it, straining his hand as he fights to clench it.
-
Benedict and Colin happen to be there when he turns the corner.Â
âQuite a show you put on there,â the second eldest says.Â
âYes, youâre whole âIâll be the perfect husbandâ speech was wonderful,â the third eldest chimes in.Â
Anthony scoffs, âwould you two quiet down?â He grabs them by their collars, dragging them into one of their miscellaneous rooms. âWhy arenât you two out?âÂ
âHow could we be out when youâre here?â Colin asks.Â
âTrying to woo the love of your life,â Benedict adds on.Â
âIâm not- you two are acting like children.âÂ
âUs? Acting like children?â Colin starts, glancing at his brother.Â
âNo,â the artist shakes his head, âI donât think so.âÂ
The soon to be married man glares at his brothers, unsure if he wants to listen further or not but if he doesnât let them continue itâll be worse in the morning. He pinches the bridge of his nose. âIf I let you two continue, will you keep quiet in the morning?âÂ
âMorning?â Colin turns to partner in crime. âWhatâs happening in the morning?âÂ
The artist glances over his older brother and grins, âis the soon to be wed joining his family and future wife for breakfast?âÂ
âWith him being silent, Iâm going to say yes.âÂ
âFinally, you agree with me.âÂ
âI agree with you,â the third eldest argues.Â
âI donât recall.âÂ
âOkay, now that you two are done, Iâm going to bed.âÂ
âTo dream of your wife.âÂ
âShe looked quite nice today, wouldnât you say brother?â Benedict asks.Â
âI dare say, she looks even more radiant since her recent engagement.âÂ
âYou two are done,â Anthony shoves them out of the room. âYou two will not speak of her like that again. She is your friend,â he jabs Benedictâs chest. âAnd your future sister-in-law,â and does the same to Colin. âYou will respect her and not talk like this again, understood?âÂ
âYes, sir.âÂ
-
The next morning as soon as you step out of the door, your future husband paces. âYouâre awake.âÂ
âI am, itâs time for breakfast.â You close the door behind you. âShall we go downstairs and join the others?âÂ
âWeâll be the first ones down there.âÂ
âEither way, Iâm going down.âÂ
He holds his arm out for you to take. âShall we?âÂ
You give him a small smile and nod. âAfter breakfast, what are your plans?âÂ
âI have a few things I need to look over but after that Iâm free. What did you have in mind?âÂ
âI planned on going for a walk along the back of your familyâs estate and perhaps we could talk about things.âÂ
âJust the two of us.âÂ
âMildred could join us?âÂ
âIâd rather she not.âÂ
âI donât blame you; sheâs been on a rampage since earlier this week.âÂ
The doors open and his brothers, Daphne and Mildred, are already sitting at the table.Â
âOf course,â he mumbles.Â
âDid you say something?â You ask him.Â
He turns his head towards you, offering a small smile. âNo, itâs nothing.âÂ
The glances between him and his brothers were interesting, intriguing to you and the girls, who also had no clue what was going on.Â
He stands behind your chair, hand resting on your shoulder. âI shall find you after I am done.âÂ
You nod and watch him go.Â
âWell, that was interesting.âÂ
Daphne shushes your cousin.Â
-
You lay across the couch, reading another book and were so into it, not even realizing that he had entered the room.Â
He smiles as he steps closer, wondering whatâs going on inside your head, finding you to be more interesting as he observes you reading, compared to his sister. He leans against the back of the couch, bending down to catch your attention.Â
A shadow moving catches your eye and you turn, screaming soon after.Â
You place your hand over your heart, taking deep breaths. âFor heavenâs sake! What was that for?âÂ
âWhat do you mean?â He smirks, arms on around the sides of your body as he stays behind the couch. âWhat are you reading?âÂ
You turn around and cross your arms, âwhy does that concern you?âÂ
âCanât a future husband be curious as to what his future wife is into?âÂ
You glance at him from the corner of your eye. âIs that all?âÂ
âIt is. But thatâs not why Iâm here.â He doesnât say anything else.Â
You get impatient and wave your arms around. âSpit it out. Come on.âÂ
âWe are to marry by the end of the week.âÂ
Your brows raise is surprise, âoh.âÂ
âIs that alright?âÂ
You take a deep breath, âI just- I wasnât expecting it to be so soon but thatâs- okay.â You place the book beside you and stand up, brushing the wrinkles out of the skirts of your dress. âI need to go over some things with your mother.âÂ
The humor falls from his face. âWait- where are you going?âÂ
"I just told you."Â
He follows after you, "I heard you but-" He reaches for you, pulling you back. "Can we talk?"Â
You take a deep breath to calm your beating heart. Why is this happening now? You thought you were over this. Your lips part as you stare at his hand. You shake your head, staring up at him. "I- what do we need to talk about?"Â
"Lady... things."Â Heâs quiet for a moment. "I won't push you but know I'm here to talk if you need someone."Â
"Thank you." You take off, not noticing the way his hand slowly falls or the way he clenches his hand.Â
It's been a long time since he's felt the skin of a woman he was enchanted by, especially one he's to call wife.Â
"Did we catch a moment between you and your beloved?"Â
Anthony sighs, "don't you have charcoal to break for your fruit drawings?"Â
His younger brother puts a hand to his chest, offended by his brother's comment. "I'm hurt, Anthony. Truly, I am but it's not why I'm here."Â
He turns to face the artistic Bridgerton, taking notice of the serious look on his face. "What's wrong?"Â
"Sister."Â
"Which one?"Â
"Not one of ours."Â
He furrows his brows, mouth agape to ask why but realizes who his brother is referring to. "I thought we had taken care of this situation?"Â
"We did but then she decided to cut their trip short and has been calling on you since she arrived today."
"I need you to take care of her. I cannot allow her to ruin my marriage."Â
Benedict nods, "you finally figured out you truly care for her, didn't you?"Â
Anthony chuckles, "I'm not discussing this with you. Call Colin if you need help."Â
"We got it. Go take care of my future sister."Â
-
He nods for the doors to be opened. "Good morning, ladies."Â
Your cousin shakes her head, your mother fawns over him while Violet takes a sip of her tea.Â
Your eyes widen at the sight of him.Â
He places a hand on the back of your chair. "I expect you all enjoyed your breakfast before discussing more of the wedding."Â
"Oh, certainly. Your family has been nothing but kind to us, Viscount."Â
You adjust the napkin on your lap to keep you from rolling your eyes at your mother's fake enthusiast tone.Â
Mildred pats your arm, knowing the strained relationship between you and your mother.Â
He notices the tension in your shoulders and wishes he could pull you away from all this madness. "Anything I can help with?"Â
"Oh, heavens no. You have other more important things to take care of. Leave this to us ladies, isn't that, right?"Â
You purse your lips and let out a quiet, "mmhmm."Â
Maybe it was better when she said she couldnât come to the wedding. Yes, you were sad, but it was better than the real thing.Â
Violet glances between you and your mother. "Why don't we let the girls go on a walk with Anthony watching over them?"Â
"But-"Â
"I think this will be good for them. It will give them more time to talk."Â
The woman hesitates to say yes, debating if this is truly a wise decision before making a decision.Â
-
You didn't realize how tight you were squeezing Mildred's arm until she let out a whine.Â
Your eyes widen, "oh, Millie. I'm so sorry."Â
"It's fine. I should have known better. I know how crazy she makes you." "This always happens?" You don't look in his direction. Your cousin nods her head, "unfortunately."Â
"Why has she made this unexpected visit?"Â
"She," Mildred pauses, giving herself time to think of a better answer than truth.Â
"She wants to know if I am with child and if the reason, you're marrying me is to save my family's name."Â
Anthony nods, he understands why you preferred planning this with his mother and your cousin. "Should we?"Â
You two glance over in his direction. "What are you implying?"Â
He shrugs, "I merely suggest we pretend as if there is something going on, give your mother something to worry about."Â
"You want her to pretend as if she is with child?"Â
He nods, confirming Mildred's nightmare.Â
"Please tell me you're not thinking of going through with this. Itâs absurd and- oh, no. Now I like it."Â
You glance between the two. "Is this something you two finally agree on?"Â
They stumble for a minute, waiting for the other to argue and tell you no but come to realize you are, in fact, correct.Â
Daphne stumbles upon the three of you and smiles, neither Mildred nor her brother are arguing, and you don't look uncomfortable.Â
"Daphne!" Your cousin waves. "Come, come. We need your knowledge on a subject."Â
She nods, smiling. "May I ask what you need my help with exactly?"Â
"How does one pretend to be with child?"Â
She owlishly blinks, tilting her head staring at the woman as if she's lost her mind. "I'm sorry?"Â
"We are feeding into my aunt's absurd idea of her precious daughter being with child."Â
Anthony purses his lips, finding himself to be offended more than he had been by Mildred's comments. "I'm not the worst option for a father."Â
"Moving on," she waves him off before returning her attention to his sister. "We need information."Â
"And you want to do this?"Â She turns to face you.Â
Your eyes widen slightly, not realizing she was going to ask. "I think it would be... nice to show mother how well her child is without her watchful eye."Â
"And you're sure this is the way to do it?"Â
You shrug, "it's not so much if I think this is okay, it's more like she needs to realize I am my own person and can live a life without her dictating everything for me."Â
Daphen nods, "okay. I will help."Â
Mildred smiles and interlocks her arm with the Bridgerton girl's. "Come, we have much to discuss."Â
You turn to your future husband and raise a brow.Â
He stares at the two, wondering what advice his sister could have to offer before holding his arm out for you to hold onto as you all return to the hall for dinner.Â
"Are you sure about this?"Â
You hum, not having listened to a word he said.Â
"I asked if you're sure about this. Mildred and I were joking, we don't expect you to play along with this idea."Â
"Your kind, but this is something I need to do. She won't listen to reason if I tell her I don't need her help, she'll involve herself, no matter what."Â
"And this is how you'll get her to stop?"Â
You sigh, "we'll see."Â
The dinner was entertaining for most, you felt bad for embarrassing Violet and the Bridgerton name all to get your mother off your back, but you felt there was no other way to stop her from inserting her wants and needs before yours.Â
That was the first night you had a stern talking to from your future mother-in-law and- even though you could have thought of a better way to handle the situation, it felt nice to be taken care of the way a child should, compared to the way your mother raised you.Â
You didnât talk to your cousin or future husband after and went to bed with too much on your mind.Â
-
Then came the wedding, it was as lovely as could be even if it was short notice and only family was invited.Â
It came as a surprise to everyone, mainly yourself, when your mother decided it was time to stop and act like a caring parent.Â
She smiled and fixed a piece of hair that was out of place. âI know this isnât the wedding you dreamed about-âÂ
âI didnât dream of a wedding often.âÂ
She sighs, realizing sheâs been putting words in your mouth rather than stopping to listen to you. âI never dreamed of marrying someone I didnât love. If I were to ever get married, Iâd rather it be with someone I could have a future with than someone who would rather be with another.âÂ
"I know."Â
"And you know what else- you know?"Â
She nods, "I've been trying to relive my life through you, and it isn't fair. I'm here to watch you marry the man who will provide, take care of you," she cups your cheeks. "And love you the way you deserve."Â
You shake your head, fighting to keep your composure, not wanting anyone to know of your breakdown. "He doesn't love me."Â
She nods, "he does, you just can't see it."Â
"How-"Â
Your mother shushes you, "it's time."Â
The reality of the situation didn't hit you until it was time to walk down the aisle but with the help of Mildred and Daphne, you were able to overcome it.Â
That was also the only time you've felt the lips of your husband.Â
-
Since the wedding it feels as though all the progress you two made was wasted, even Mildred was tired of your constant complaints before and after she left.Â
You sit in the library, biting your nail until it hurts and turn the page; a new habit of yours, one Eloise would be proud of.Â
You started hiding away to read when everyone went off to live their lives now that the beginning of yours has ended started. Youâve been reading more since your cousinsâ departure; it was a tearful morning but you're happy to know sheâs out living her life the way she wants.Â
Then Daphne and Simon left the hall so they could return to their lives in their own home with little Augie.Â
You've tried to go out with Violet and Lady Danbury, but they preferred to ask when you two would expand your family; safe to say you also hide in here for another reason.Â
The youngest Bridgertonâs are swept away for their studies as they continue to grow. Francesca and Eloise are nowhere to be found half the time (hence where you got the idea).Â
You don't know if you'd be able to handle talking to the other two brothers since marrying the eldest. The comments they make at breakfast are enough, going on a walk with them would be too much.Â
Not that you mind the quiet even if it does get lonely at times.Â
You push yourself off the ground, placing the book back in its place only now realizing how dark it had gotten and your candle has died, providing little light to guide you; its barely the size of your thumb and the wick is dying the longer you stay here.Â
You open the door, carefully closing it and wince as the hinges creaking echoes down the hallway. You pause at the sound of footsteps only to hear a familiar girls whisper. "Hyacinth?"Â
She smiles, "what are you doing here?"Â
"I was reading."Â
"In the dark?"Â
You two glance down at your source of light that died as soon as she mentioned it. "The candles died."Â
âCan you take me back to my room?âÂ
You smile and nod, âof course I can.â You grab her hand and try to find your way back to the hallway where her room is.Â
-
âFinally, we found it.â You glance down at her, âI told you, we would.âÂ
She smiles up at you with a sleepy expression. âI knew you would.âÂ
You open the door and get her settled into bed before exiting.Â
You wonder what it would be like to have your own child and stop. Are you really thinking about what it would be like to have a child when you havenât seen your husband since your wedding day?Â
You shake your head and continue down the hallway before turning around, realizing you made a wrong turn; you sigh, leaning against the railing, staring at the ballroom floor.Â
You remember the first time you arrived at the hall and saw him. You didnât know why your heartbeat was so fast until your cousin explained it to you.Â
You wonder if he knows how you feel and if thatâs the reason, heâs been avoiding you.Â
âWhat are you doing awake at this hour?âÂ
You spin around and find- âBen!â You cross your arms to cover you.Â
He smiles, âwhat are you doing out of bed and away from your husband?âÂ
You take the jacket he offers you, âIâd rather be reading but my candle died- oh no.âÂ
âWhat?âÂ
âI left it in your sisterâs room.âÂ
âAh, so youâve seen the whole family other than the one man you should be seeing.âÂ
âQuiet now, Benedict. Unless you want others to know youâve seen your brotherâs wife in her night dress.âÂ
âIt wouldnât be the biggest scandal our family has dealt with.âÂ
You lower your head, rubbing your forehead at his words. âYouâre an idiot. Iâm going to bed.âÂ
Anthony had a rough night and going to bed was something he desperately needed, maybe seeing your figure laying in our shared bed would make him feel better; he always seems to calm down when his eyes land on you.Â
That was something he always enjoyed about you whenever you were around.Â
He stops removing his coat when the door opens, and his brother is behind you while you stay in the doorway with his coat around your shoulders.Â
His brother takes the item from you and takes his leave before Anthony starts asking questions (not before Benedict gives him a suggestive look).Â
He doesnât want to ask- he shouldnât ask, itâs not his place. âSomething I should know about?â He hopes this doesnât lead to a fight.Â
âWhat do you mean?âÂ
âWeâre going to pretend as if my brother walking you, my wife, wouldnât be a scandal if we were elsewhere.âÂ
âWhy? Donât you trust me?â You ask, tired of all the games; him avoiding you and now having an interest in you.Â
âDo you know how much it affects me?âÂ
An annoyed sigh escapes him, revealing to you how he feels (about the situation and not yourself). âWhat affects you, sweetheart?âÂ
You ball your fists, âstop calling me that.âÂ
He canât call you such an endearing name when he hasnât been acting like your husband. âThat is what a husband is supposed to call his wife, is it not? A charming word of endearment for a handsome lady, such as yourself.âÂ
âStop talkingâŠâÂ
âWhat else am I to call you? I cannot call you by your name, it would prove-âÂ
âHow little we care for each other.âÂ
âWhat are you talking about?âÂ
âYou. Iâm talking about you.âÂ
âMe?âÂ
âYou are a pest.âÂ
âA pest,â he whispers, finding himself offended.Â
âYou have never once thought of myself in the manner of being oneâs wife but yet you act like this.âÂ
âLike what?âÂ
âLike youâre my husband.âÂ
âAm I not?âÂ
You study him. âYou want to make a big deal out of this when youâve been avoiding me since the wedding? Therefore, you are a pest.âÂ
âI- I havenât- when was I avoiding you?âÂ
âYouâre a terrible liar.âÂ
He struggles to remove his coat and you make your way towards him, helping him.Â
âYour brother found after I helped Hyacinth get back to bed after she found me exiting the library. He didnât want anyone else to see me in such a⊠intimidate manner.âÂ
You stare at him through your lashes. âAnything else you want to add? Maybe,â you place his jacket on the back of the chair before taking a seat at the vanity. You start removing the pins and ribbons keeping your hair up, your tiredness hitting you as you prepare for bed.Â
He sighs, untying his collar. âI wasnât avoiding, Iâve been⊠busy.âÂ
âBusy? Youâve been busy?â You undo the sheets, settling onto your side. âIâm going to sleep until you can come up with another excuse on why youâve been avoiding me.âÂ
âI- believe me when I say I wasnât avoiding you because I- this isnât easy.âÂ
You spring up, glaring at him. âAnd you think this is easy for me?âÂ
âIâm not saying anything about our marriage. I have been,â he pauses, thinking of the right word. âDealing with personal matters, things you shouldnât have to worry about because of a mistake I made in the past. I am trying to protect this because I care about you.âÂ
You gulp, âIâm sorry.âÂ
âWhat was that?âÂ
You roll your eyes, crossing your arms as you stare at the ceiling. âIâm sorry for thinking you were avoiding me but to be fair,â you spring forward, pointing to him. âI- I-â You struggle to speak as you catch the sight of his bare chest.Â
He knows what heâs doing to you and his chest warms at the thought of only you being the one to see him in such an intimate way.Â
You turn away, fiddling with the sheets. âLike I said, Iâm sorry for assuming the worst but considering-â You close your eyes, following the way his lips moved against yours. You push him away, the warmth of his chest lighting a fire within you. âJust because we are married, does not mean you can use your body to change the subject or get me to stop talking about something you donât want to.âÂ
The corner of his smile twitches before he allows himself to smirk.Â
Youâve only ever seen him use this expression with his family, never once was it directed at you.Â
Youâre happy tonight ended the way it has, youâre feeling closer to him, learning more of what makes Anthony Bridgerton tick.Â
-
He closes his eyes, chest heaving with every breath he takes. âIâm here.â He pulls away from you.Â
Your hand falls at your side.Â
His figure fades away, leaving you confused.Â
You burst up, confused as to what your dream means and glance beside you, finding him still asleep. You push yourself out of bed, needing the get away for a moment, sitting in the bench underneath the window.Â
You stare at the stars, wondering if there was some way, theyâd be able to respond to your questions. Itâs only been several days since your marriage became official; you still feel as though youâre not and none of is real.Â
You think back to your first kiss you two shared at the altar and the one you shared before going to bed. Your fingertips brush against your lips, relishing the sensation you felt then as it fills you with something you never thought youâd be able to enjoy.Â
âIs this what love is?â You think, staring at the bright moon, knowing it wonât answer you.Â
You glance back at him and wonder if heâll ever love you the way-. You wipe away the stray tear, knowing how much itâd break you if he decided to cheat or leave you entirely.Â
Your greatest fear was thinking youâd end up alone.Â
Now you fear heâd be the one to leave you without looking back.Â
He squints, the moonlight disturbing his slumber. âWhat are you doing up?âÂ
Your head snaps in his direction. âHmm?âÂ
He repeats his question, sitting up in bed, his night shirt wrinkled and slipping off his chest.Â
âI couldnât sleep,â you tell him, not believing your own words. You crawl back into bed when you notice he wonât fully fall asleep until youâre near.Â
As soon as you settle onto your side, his breathing evens out.Â
You lay your head on the pillow, fighting the thoughts you know will keep you awake, feeling youâll need more sleep than anything.Â
-
"We need to try for a child."Â
He glances up from his work. "I didn't realize your mother was in town."Â
You narrow your eyes to him, something he is truly fond of even if you are upset with him. "I'm going to pretend as if you didn't say that."Â
You close the door and pace around the floor in front of his desk.Â
âIf you find yourself calm enough to talk, could you repeat what you said when you busted into my office.âÂ
He knows what you said, there's no denying what he's heard but what's got you riled up to bring up such a topic.Â
The wedding was only three weeks prior, he knows of the idle gossip some of the other women enjoy talking amongst each and he's curious as to who said something.Â
He's also been trying to keep himself busier than usual to keep him from staying up too late and thinking of performing such acts upon you. He sets his pen down, giving you his full attention. âWhy are you asking now?âÂ
âIâm not asking,â you argue.Â
Is it such a wise idea to try and push for this? Most likely not but you're too upset over the gossip to think logically.Â
He studies you for a moment, wanting to understand what happened to make you think such a thing.Â
âWhat happened? I mean, you and Daphne went out for a walk, right?âÂ
You pause, trying to understand where heâs getting at before nodding.Â
âWho said something to you?â He raises his brow.Â
âNo one⊠exactly,â you huff, crossing your arms.Â
âI know theyâre expecting me to be with child by now or at least, in the works of trying for a baby and I donât want there to be another Whistledown column with either of our names in it. Itâs not just my reputation that could be ruined, it could be yours or your familyâs this time.âÂ
He canât help but smile at your kind thoughts. âI appreciate the concern and Iâm sure my family would as well, but everything is going to be fine. We donât need to worry about this.âÂ
You continue having your pity party. âIâm glad you seem to think so.â You furrow your brows, thinking about how heâs avoiding the topic. âWhy are you putting this off?âÂ
âPutting what off?âÂ
âYou know what Iâm talking about, donât act as coy as your brothers do when asked about their courtships.âÂ
He doesnât have a way out, does he? A knock on the door alerts him. âI have other business to attend to, Iâll see you at dinner?âÂ
You scoff, âyou pretend as if you want me and need me when we are in our shared room but now that we are out in the open you want nothing to do with me? Tell me, are you just using me for your own gain?âÂ
He sighs, âplease, can we,â he glances at the door to find his brother. âTalk about this another time?âÂ
You nod, offering a fake smile, âof course, husband.âÂ
His attention turns to you once more, âI thought we werenât going to have the normal marriage?âÂ
âIt seems we were both wrong.â You shrug. âGoodnight, husband.â You yank the door open, rushing past Benedict and the guest without looking back.Â
Kate smiles watching as you put yourself further away from the one person she wants. âIt seems you and your bride are having minor troubles, may I?âÂ
Anthony grits his teeth. âWhatâs brought you here, to my familyâs hall, today?âÂ
Her mischievous smile turns into an evil smirk, âIâve come to visit an old friend, after all, didnât you say I was always welcome?âÂ
âThat was before you tried to take my familyâs fortune and run off.âÂ
She plays with the cuff of his coat sleeve. âIf it makes you feel better, I have a husband.âÂ
âThen you should be with him.â He removes her hand from him.Â
If this had happened a year ago, he would be crawling back into her embrace but now that he has you, the only person that can keep him sane; heâs not going to make that mistake.Â
He sits down at his desk, rereading the page he was working on when you came in. He knows heâd be stupid if he fell for her tricks once more and ruined your marriage (and family name).Â
She pouts, not liking the fact that he doesnât want her anymore.Â
âPerhaps you should go back to your home. We must clean up for dinner,â Benedict chimes in.Â
She spins to face the second eldest, âdinner? Iâd love to.â
Anthony pushes himself out of the chair. âThatâs not an invitation.âÂ
âWhy? Are you scared Iâm going to ruin your precious marriage? You truly think Iâd be harsh to do such a thing?âÂ
âWe donât need to think it if we know.âÂ
She smirks in trump, feeling as though sheâs won.Â
-
You glance at the two with a sinking feeling in your stomach.Â
Is this the way your marriage is going to end? It took a while before you could remember where you knew her from and as soon as it clicked, you were fidgeting in your seat. Why did he allow her to sit so close to him?Â
She knows he's a married man and doesn't care. Maybe she thinks the marriage is fake and- you aren't worthy enough to be his wife.Â
You push the food around on your plate, your appetite forgotten. You remember the rumors about their relationship but could never be proven since she went back to India with her mother but now that she's back, you don't know what to think.Â
He notices and wishes that she didn't invite herself to join his family tonight.Â
You ask him about expanding the family line and him avoiding the topic entirely because he doesn't want you to feel as though this is a duty the two of you have to do.Â
He remembers when you two were first engaged and how you wanted to marry someone who truly loved you rather than someone marrying you out of a convenience.Â
His heartbeat when you told you should try for a child, he nearly passed out on the spot at the thought of you baring one of his children.Â
He knows you'd make fantastic mother; he doesn't doubt that in the least but since the wedding day he's realized something he should have a long time ago- something Kate is seeing for herself; he truly loves you.Â
Nowhere is it near what she thought they had but she's happy that he has someone who cares for him in more ways than she could.Â
-
She bids her farewells before pulling you to the side. "I apologize for intruding on your family dinner, but I think you should know you have nothing to worry about."Â
You furrow your brows. "I'm sorry, what-"Â
She shakes her head. "He loves you in more ways than he ever could care about me. I saw it tonight." She smiles, "all I ask is that you take care of him better than I could. I know you're good for him."Â
You stare at the door as it closes, unsure if anything thatâs just happened is real or if this is a fever dream.Â
âAre you alright?âÂ
You turn to face your husband and gulp. âPerfectly fine, why do you ask?âÂ
âDid- She didnât say anything, did she?âÂ
The blank expression from your face falls and is replaced by one of annoyance. âWhat if she told me something she shouldnât have? Is there something you wanted her to hide from me?âÂ
He shakes his head, âis it too late to say no?âÂ
You scoff, âyouâre an idiot.â You close the door, not caring if it slams shut or not.Â
He stops it before it closes in his face, âIâm sorry I- itâs not true.âÂ
âThen what is? Why do you care whether sheâs told me about yours and her relationship or not? I know about you two. Iâve read the columns and-âÂ
âThatâs what I was worried about. I donât want you to think something that isnât true happened.â He stands behind the chair in front of your vanity. âI donât want you think Iâm a rake when Iâm not, us marrying has changed things-âÂ
âUs getting married is the only reason youâve changed?âÂ
âNo,â he stumbles over his words, something he does more when heâs around you than anyone else heâs ever spoken to. âI-âÂ
You push yourself out of the chair and walk towards the bed. âI donât want to talk about this anymore. I keep pushing and Iâm sorry but right now, I just want to go to sleep.âÂ
âAfter you listen to what I have to say.âÂ
âI have not felt the way I do for anyone else. I- no words can come close to what I feel for you.âÂ
His grip tightens on the back of the chair. âI cannot- cannot breathe when you are near.â He catches your gaze, âyou drive me insane when you try and argue with me. I donât understand how you have vexed me and stolen my every thought. When you are here all I can think of is you, when you go out with my sister, you are the one thing on my mind. I- you, you are the bane of my existence, but I canât seem to keep myself from you.âÂ
You turn around, catching his gaze in the mirror. âWhy are you telling me this?âÂ
He spins around, âso you understand why I have changed. Itâs not because I donât care for you. I care too much about you. I have for a long time which is why I was scared when that bee was near you.â He squeezes his eyes shut. âI was terrified I was going to lose you and I didnât understand why until our marriage.âÂ
âBut- that was days ago.âÂ
âExactly,â he takes a step closer. âIâve been losing my mind trying not to push you into something youâre not ready for. And then, earlier when you came to me, telling me we should try for a child. I didnât know what to think.âÂ
âWhat about Kate?â
He owlishly blinks, trying to understand where youâre coming from. âWhat about her?âÂ
âYouâve been with women before me and Iâve accepted that, but Kate was here, having dinner with your family. Sheâs- sheâs been around town from what Iâve heard being whispered behind my back. She was here and you didnât tell me. You- you say that you love me, but I donât know what to believe when the woman you were in love with, who later broke your heart, returned into your life and you didnât so much as think to tell me. Benedict was more involved than I was!âÂ
You donât know why youâre getting so upset over this, it shouldnât bother you this much since you donât-Â
âI didnât want her to spout lies about me to you and make you think I am not going to be a good husband.â He grabs your hands, âbelieve me when I say she is not relevant. You are my future.âÂ
Your chest heaves with every breath you take. âHow-â Your nose twitches as you purse your lips, collecting your thoughts before you completely explode.Â
âHow what?â He switches between looking into one eye and then the other.Â
âHow could I be blind?âÂ
âTo what?âÂ
âI have loved you since I could understand what the word meant and now you- you-â You gesture to your back, âhelp me with my corset. I cannot breathe.âÂ
He nearly rips your dress off you as he pulls the strings keeping the oxygen from getting into your lungs.Â
You hang your head, trying to keep your emotions at bay.Â
âSweetheartâŠâÂ
You turn around, pointing at him with wet cheeks. âYou have ruined me. You have ruined me for any other man since before my first debutant and have had my heart for just as long and I didnât know it yet.âÂ
He holds his hand out for you, allowing you to take a step closer to him.Â
You accept and stand with a few inches between you two. âYou have bewitched me from the beginning, if you can accept my foolishness and accept me now, I would happily give myself to you only if you can return the feelings.âÂ
âI wouldnât be able to survive if I declined your love.âÂ
For the first time since the wedding, the two of you share a genuine kiss and not one where he tries to use his body to distract you. Itâs one that makes it feel like the worldâs stopped spinning and you two are the only ones in the world.Â
-
A knock on the door alerts the two of you.Â
You wince, covering your eyes with your hand before reaching over for him. âAnthony, wake up.âÂ
âIâm coming in and I hope you two are decent.â She groans, âGod, you two are naked. Gross.â Mildred complains loudly to whoever stands outside the door with her. âI thought theyâd at least have the decency to be awake by now.âÂ
You can hear Benedictâs voice, but it comes out all muffled because youâre not fully awake.Â
He opens his eyes and turns his head to find your beautiful face lying beside him, hair in disarray on the pillow. His thumb brushes across your cheekbone. âGood morning, Viscountess Bridgerton.âÂ
You find it hard to resist the urge to smile and open your eyes, staring at him with nothing but love and happiness. You hum, brushing back his hair so it doesnât look as messy, wanting to see more of his handsome face.Â
âGood morning, Viscount Bridgerton.â You remove your hand from his hair, pulling his hand away from your cheek to peck his palm. âWhat do you have planned for today?âÂ
âSpending time with my wife, although I do have to say, I donât think sheâd appreciate me lying in bed with someone as breathtaking as yourself.âÂ
You canât help but smile. âI think if you paid her the same comments you do to me, sheâd understand.âÂ
He sucks in air through his teeth, âI donât know. I think youâd have to meet her to find out the kind of woman she is.âÂ
âI think I know.â You lean against your elbow, meeting him halfway for a morning kiss.Â
âWould you two hurry up? We have plans. I did not come here on a boat to see you two to stay in bed when I have plans with my cousin. Do you hear me, Bridgerton?âÂ
He sighs, flopping back onto his back. âHow could I not?âÂ
You smack his chest before pushing yourself out of bed. âIâll be ready soon. Go downstairs and wait for me, Millie.âÂ
âIf youâre not down here before sunset. Iâm leaving.âÂ
You chuckle to yourself. âOkay.âÂ
He pulls you closer to him, hands resting against your waist, slowly wrapping around you. He kisses the exposed parts of your back before pulling you down, kissing along your shoulders.Â
-
âThis cannot be safe.âÂ
âJust because itâs a new corset, doesnât mean itâs not safe.âÂ
âFor the baby.â He ties the strings through the loops. âWhen can we tell them?âÂ
âWhen they wonât freak out.âÂ
âNever, okay.âÂ
You chuckle and spin around, placing your hands on his shoulders. âThey will know soon. Itâll be fine.âÂ
He stares into your eyes. âYouâre lucky I love you.âÂ
âI think thatâs my line.âÂ
âNot today.âÂ
You peck his lips before ordering him to tie the corset. âIâll see you after our walk.âÂ
âDonât overexert yourself.âÂ
âI wonât. Goodbye, âThony.âÂ
His eyes never left yours as youâre dragged away by your cousin.Â
Benedict steps inside. âSomeoneâs happy.âÂ
He shakes his head, ignoring his brother; so happy go feed into the comments.
#Bridgerton#bridgerton imagine#bridgerton imagines#bridgerton fanfiction#bridgerton fanfic#anthony bridgerton#anthony bridgerton imagines#anthony bridgerton imagine#anthony bridgerton x reader#anthony bridgerton x female reader#anthony bridgerton fanfic#anthony bridgerton fanfiction#anthony bridgerton x you#anthony bridgerton x fem!reader#anthony bridgerton x female!reader#Anthony bridgerton x fem reader#anthony bridgerton x plus! size reader#anthony bridgerton x plus size reader#crazyk-imagine#bridgerton x reader#bridgerton x you#bridgerton x plus size reader#bridgerton x plus size!reader
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This idea has been on my mind for a while⊠Anthony seeing you in the bridgerton blues for the first time, can either be smut or fluff :) thanks
Ahhhh I love this so much, thank you for sending it in! :)
Anthony Bridgerton x Fem!Reader
Warnings: kissing, fluff, smut, p in v
Word Count: 1.2K
The family gathered around the room on another sweltering summer day. Hyacinth and Gregory bickered over yet another sworn tie in their endless chess matches while Eloise quietly read her book in the opposite corner. Anthony sat between his brothers, Benedict telling him of his endless tales from class among the unspoken soirees he discreetly attended from time to time and Colin of his many travels. Anthony found himself growing bored, awaiting your arrival. You were to accompany him and the rest of the Bridgertons to the races this afternoon, as it would be your first outing as a family since your marriage to the Viscount. And he could not bear to listen to another one of Benedict's tales for one more second; he needed to see you.
"Mother." Anthony stood hurriedly from the gold-trimmed sofa to approach Lady Bridgerton as she entered the room. "Where is she?"
"Now, calm down, Anthony; she is nearly ready." Lady Birdgerton assured him while straightening out his neckline to perfection. She knew Anthony's antics well enough by now to understand his growing impatience was only a product of his theatrics.
"I feel as though I have been waiting an eternity. Surely she must-" Anthony made his way past his mother and into the hallway, his words stammered as soon as his eyes landed on you. You'd been making your way to the main room when he appeared in your path, a smile gracing both your lips. There was no word in the English language to describe how beautiful you looked. The most impeccable dress draped over every curve in a more delicate shade of blue than he wore but complimented his outerwear perfectly. Warmth blossomed in Anthonyâs chest at the sight of you in that color. His color. He never thought he'd see the day when the one he loved, the one his heart eternally yearned for, would wear the color that meant so much to him and his family. He would never tire of how easily you overpowered him whenever he was in your presence.
"Do I look alright?" You nervously patted your skirt, ensuring everything was as it should be. Hesitation apparent in your tone as you approached him.
"Alright?" Anthony's eyes widened as he took your hands in his. He couldn't believe you would use a modest word such as 'alright' to describe how exquisite you looked right now. "My love, you lookâŠabsolutely stunning. Beyond words, truly." Heat filled your face, and your stomach fluttered at his flattery. Anthony had a way of making you feel as though you two were the only person on the face of the earth, easily melting under his gaze. It was an exquisite feeling you wished to relish in forever. Anthony glanced around and took advantage of the privacy to steal a kiss. His lips were warm and soft against your own. They parted slightly, allowing you to move more passionately as your hunger for one another became apparent in mere seconds. It shouldn't be surprising, seeing as you and your husband could hardly keep your hands off each other since your wedding night. The moment grew heated with every swipe of his tongue, hands caressing the soft flesh of your waist and hips hidden beneath the restricting fabric of your dress.
"Mother!" Anthony reluctantly pulled away, panting, and shouted. "Go ahead without us. We will join you shortly, as promised." Without so much as a second thought or a response from anyone, he whisked you away toward a nearby closet in a closed-off hallway he was sure no one wandered by.
"Anthony, what are you doing? The races are starting soon." You protested before he cut you off with another chaste kiss and shut the door behind him.
"We will join them in a moment. I must have you right now." The passion flowed through his words, making you squeeze your thighs together in anticipation and a chuckle escape you. He pulled you close, continuing his ministrations. His lips scattered kisses along your neckline and down to your chest as your hands tangled in his hair. His hands worked tirelessly to remove as many barriers between your bodies as quickly as possible as he gently guided you to lean on the wall behind you. Your dress was bunched up toward you as Anthony hastily removed his trousers just to his upper thigh. You panted under him, his lips never leaving your skin, leaving a trail of marks and bruises as a reminder of his love for you.
"Seeing you in our family color," Anthony spoke between kisses. "You are so beautiful." He was rambling as he often did when he was this worked up. The way you looked, how your body responded to his every touch. Every beautiful sound he was able to pull from you, it drove him mad. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to have you now. Anthony abruptly lifted and pressed you against the wall, your fingers tugging at his hair and desperately nipping at his lower lip, pulling an animalistic groan from his chest.
"Anthony, please." You practically whimpered when you felt his cock prod at your entrance, clenching around nothing as the tip slid over your sensitive clit. He lined himself up and pressed his lips against yours to swallow any sounds you made as he gently pushed inside you. You moaned into each other in unison, and he waited, letting you settle as you nodded for him to move. Anthony began to plunge into you, easily slipping through your folds, feeling your warm cunt swallow him whole. He cupped your breast over the fabric of your dress, kneading it in his hands while breathing heavily as he bottomed out inside of you, holding you there for a moment, reveling in how impossibly soft and warm you felt around him as low whimpers escaped you.
A low grunt rumbled from his chest when he felt you fluttering around him. His hand outlined from the swell of your breasts all the way down beneath your hips, memorizing every curve, feeling the way your chest was rising and falling with every breath of pleasure that surged through you; even the way your hips instinctively moved to meet his own drove him insane. Anthony craved and wanted nothing more than to be close to you; even being inside you now, it was never close enough for him. He began to stroke your clit, already aching for attention. Your bodies rocked in sync with one another, desperate for relief. Anthony felt you whine quietly as your orgasm crashed into you. Waves of heat overwhelmed your body as you pulsed on his cock, pulling Anthony to spill himself inside of you.
Anthony pulled away from you after a moment of stolen kisses and delicate touches. He made sure you were settled on the ground and took the time to adjust himself. Moving quickly to assist you in fixing your dress and ensuring everything else was in order before opening the door to confirm no one was outside and stepping out of the closet. You may have missed the race's first leg, but with the knowing smirks and blissed-out looks on both your faces, it was well worth it.
Tag List: @bugnug @queenofmean14 (let me know if you would like to added here or dm me if youâd like to be removed)
I do not consent to having my work reposted, translated, or published to any third party site or app. if anyone sees my work anywhere that is not ao3/tumblr or under any other username that is not whispersoftheton, it has been reposted without my permission
#bridgerton#anthony bridgerton#anthony bridgerton imagine#anthony bridgerton x reader#anthony bridgerton fluff#anthony bridgerton smut#anthony bridgerton fanfiction#anthony bridgerton x y/n#anthony bridgerton x you#anthony bridgerton one shot#anthony bridgerton angst#bridgerton netflix#lady bridgerton#viscount bridgerton
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Fore!
Leah Williamson x Reader [Tooth-rotting, diabetes-causing sweet af fluff]
Leah meets the hottest golfer sheâs ever seen.
word count : 2.3k, there will be more parts coming soon!
Based off of true events, I do play college-level golf and I thought it would be fun to incorporate that into a story!
âCome on Leah, our tee time is at ten fifty!â yelled Jacob from the living room. They had planned on playing some golf today, but Leah couldnât pick an outfit out and was becoming frustrated. âGive me a minute you arse! We wonât be late!â
Finally deciding on something to wear, they headed to the Abbey Hill Golf Club (a/n this is a real course in Milton Keynes!) where they were just in time for their tee time. âWhat was it you were saying about not being late, sis?â Jacob quipped, earning a hard smack on the upside of his head for his mocking tone. âShut it before I shove this club up somewhere you donât want.â âAlright, alright, Iâll bring the cart around.â He answered with a laugh, walking over to the golf carts searching for the one with the number 6 on it.
âJust you then, Y/N/N? Right, youâre gonna have to pair up with those two then. The course is pretty full today, thatâll speed up play.â
âRight, thanks so much Greg!â
âYouâre welcome, kid. Iâll give you a tenner if you beat your own course record!â
âIâll hold you to that, Gregory!â
âHello, Iâm Y/N. Greg paired us up today, I hope thatâs okay!â
Someone taps Leahâs shoulder and she swears time stopped. Standing before her is the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. She had the most beautiful smile and was dressed in the cutest golf outfit. She looked professional, like she knew what she was doing, not like herself.
âUm, are you alright?â
âWhat? Oh fuck, yes. Um, what did you say?â
You giggle at her flustered answer. âFuck,â thought Leah, âI think thatâs the cutest sound in the world.â
âIâm Y/N. Greg wanted us to play together since the tee times are full, I hope you donât mind.â
âOh no, not at all! My brother and I just came out to have a little fun but weâre not that good so I hope we donât slow you down. You look like you play golf a lot. Thatâs a really cute shirt you have on, perfectly paired with those trousers. I really like your shoes too, mine are really beat up.â âI love you.â
You giggled again, amused by her rambling. âDonât worry about it! I just came out to have a little fun but I did bet Greg ten pounds if I could beat the course record today so youâll need to be witnesses.â
âCourse record? Just how good are you?â
âIâve played my fair share of golf. Between secondary school and college, Iâd say Iâm alright.â
If Leah had a ring, sheâd be on one knee proposing to this girl right now. Jacob finally pulls up with the cart and starts to lock the bags to the back. Leah, in a split-second decision to abandon her precious baby brother, tells him he can have his own cart and that sheâll share with you.
âIf that alright with you, of course.â
âNot at all; whatâs your name again?â
âShit, where are my manners? Iâm Leah, thatâs my brother Jacob. Jacob this is Y/N.â
âHello Y/N, Greg set us up eh?â
âYeah, I wonât be too much trouble!â
âYouâre alright, just beat my sister and let her take you out, weâll have a fantastic day.â
âJacob, I swearââ
âSee you two on the first tee!â
A deep blush creeps up Leahâs neck as she rummages in her bag for something she isnât looking for. You smile fondly at the woman, finding her obvious nervousness extremely attractive; her brotherâs request more of a hope than a dream now.
You hop into the driverâs seat, looking back at her still rummaging but now with added grumbling. âYou ready, Leah?â you ask with an amused voice, her head popping up as she stood straight and smiled, walking to the passenger side and sat in the cart. You headed to the first tee, the course looking beautiful this time of year.
Jacob stood on the first tee with a cheeky smirk on his face, driver in hand. You park right behind him and get out, grabbing your glove and driver before walking up to him. Leah copies you, following quickly behind you.
âLeah normally plays the reds but I knew youâd come up here to the menâs tees.â
âThe womenâs tees are too short for me, I like a little challenge anyway.â
Leah, under the guise of stretching, listening intently to your conversation with her brother. It made her stomach do flips and fill with butterflies as you spoke so elegantly about golf. She knew it was the same way she did about football but there was something so hot about the way you spoke that made her heart want to jump out of her chest.
âWould you like to start us off, Jacob?â
âYes! Then my sister can show off her swing to impress you before you undoubtedly bomb in perfectly down the fairway to show her how itâs done.â
Leah swears she nearly committed first degree murder right then and there. You let out a comical laugh, clutching your stomach as you watch Leah come over and smack her brother hard. He does eventually play his first shot, which isnât bad, and itâs now Leahâs turn.
âGood luck!â you tell her, smiling softly. She blushes, setting up her shot way too much to the left out of nervousness.
âLeah, too much left darling. Come over a little.â You say nonchalantly, giving her a thumbs up when she corrects herself. Her brain has short-circuited, the pet name you used making her last two braincells abandon her. She manages a shot, ball going only about 50 meters before coming to a stop. You clap nonetheless, telling her it was a good shot. She blushes even harder when you give her a high five, walking over to the tee box to play your shot. Just as Jacob predicted, you hit a drive straight down the middle, flying way past both their balls.
âWow, that was impressive.â âI love you.â
âPerfect, that was my intention. Come on, letâs get to yours.â You tell her, taking her hand and walking back to the cart. You get in and make your way to her ball. Her face held an expression of pure shock, staring at you with her perfect blue eyes. You could only smile shyly, your boldness was a surprise to everyone in the cart.
âYouâve got 215 meters, Leah.â You tell her as you approach her ball, pulling out your rangefinder and shooting the distance for her. You sat back into the cart and let her hit her ball. You knew she wasnât going to get there with one shot but you always tried to make anyone you played with enjoy the sport regardless of their talent level so they didn't feel intimidated. Having been surrounded by coaches who made you resent golf while playing in college, you made it your mission to have people enjoy the sport; for golf to be a hobby and not a chore.
âThanks, what should I play?â she asks, wanting your expert opinion she convinced herself; truthfully she just wanted to hear you talk about golf. âWell, how far does your 5 wood go?â â120 meters if I donât waffle it.â âHa! Wonderful, use that.â âI love you.â
She does, in fact, waffle it. But she laughs it off and tries again. This time she does hit it good and it lands beside the green. âYes Leah, that was great!â you give her another high five and see Jacob already by your ball.
â100 perfect meters. You hit that drive a long way down here.â
âThanks Jacob, this is one of my longest ones on this hole I think.â
âWhich club do you want?â Leah asks, wanting to return the favor. âPitching wedge please.â you tell her, grabbing it from her and playing your shot. It flies past the hole a little, leaving you with 15 feet for birdie. You smile and wave a little as they impressively clap. Jacob catches the lovesick glint in his sisters eyes as she watches you like you're the only person in the world.
âYouâre a goner, arenât ya?â
âHook, line and sinker Jacob.â âI love you.â
The three of you spend the next 4 hours playing the most fun round youâve had in a while. Leah ends up playing a 102, Jacob was better with a 95 and you won ten pounds from Greg after posting a course record of 63.
She was a little sad that the round was over, packing her bag much slower than was necessary. She didnât see that you were doing the same. Jacob said goodbye and left, winking at her and teasing her. She shoved him and smiled happily, nervous about not wanting the day to end. You had just about plucked up the courage to ask her out when you stood and there she was, almost as surprised as you were.
âUh, fuck. I was j-just wondering if you would w-want a drink or something.â
âDepends, would that mean that itâs a date?â
âOnly if you wanted it to be.â
âI would love nothing more. Well, you eventually but, weâll see.â
//
âYouâre WHO?!â
âYou saying you didnât recognize me?â
âI hate that I have a feeling youâre more amused than offended that I donât know THE Leah Williamson.â
âItâs honestly refreshing.â
You laugh as arrive at your car. You wordlessly grab both golf bags and pack them into your boot. You close it and smile at her standing there, hands shoved into her pockets as she rocked on the balls of her feet.
âHow about a little lunch? I know a pretty good cafĂ© I think youâd like.â She nervously suggests, somewhat scared that you would say no.
âIâd love that, Leah. Quit being so nervous, I donât bite.â
//
âCould I do the cranberry and chicken wrap please? Maybe an iced latte to go with that too, please.â
âMake that two. Iâll pay.â
âLeah, I couldnât let you do that.â
âItâs a date remember? I asked, I pay.â
âWhat a gentlewoman, you are. Makes a girl weak in the knees, you know.â
âIâll catch you doll, donât worry.â
Leah doesnât think sheâs ever been able to talk to anyone the same way she could with you. You were the perfect listener; attentive and engaged. You also spoke so eloquently and had the best jokes sheâs ever heard. Itâs not till the cafĂ© owner comes over at 7PM to let you both know that they were closing did you realize the time.
You both walk hand in hand down the streets of late-night Milton Keynes. Leah insists on getting ice cream, beating you again at handing over money to pay. You both settle on a bench at a nearby park and enjoy the cold dessert. Your hands donât leave each otherâs, her thumb softly brushing over your knuckles.
âYouâre the prettiest girl Iâve ever seen, Y/N. I donât think I would be able to sleep tonight if I didnât tell you.â She blurts out suddenly and it sends a dark blush up your cheeks. âI love you.â
âI lied.â
âWhat?â
âI lied, of course I knew who you were. How could anyone not? I was fangirling so hard but I had to keep my cool so I didnât scare you. Iâm sorry.â
âThatâs the best lie anyone has ever told me.â
You continued to eat your ice cream, sitting closer to her as your laced fingers sat in your lap. Ice cream cones now finished you both just enjoyed the cool Milton Keynes night.
âAre you from here?â Leah asks as she mindlessly plays with your fingers. âYeah, but we moved around a lot as kids because of my dadâs job. I moved back here for secondary school but went to the US for college.â
âA great friend of mine studied in the US while playing sports too.â
âAlessia? Iâve met her, she signed my jersey one time.â
âSignedâwhich game did you come to?!â
âI was at the Euroâs last year. Loved watching the final, I had a sore throat for a week from all the shouting. I had just come back from graduating so I thought Iâd enjoy a little soccer.â
âItâs football, love.â
You laugh and lean your head on her shoulder as she takes the opportunity to slip her arm around your shoulder. You donât protest, leaning into her. She smiles wide, grabbing your hand to hold with her other. It was past 11PM, both of you walking to your car begrudgingly at the reality of a perfect date coming to a close. You get in and suddenly have a burst of confidence. You lean in and to your surprise, she does too. Your lips meet and it's like fireworks. Her lips mold to yours perfectly, tongues swiping and tangling like a practiced tango. You pull away first, hand cupping her beautiful face and stroking her cheekbone.
âI donât want it to end.â
âThen donât let it.â
âStay the night?â
âI thought youâd never ask.â
#woso soccer#woso imagine#leah williamson#engwnt#leah williamson imagine#leahwilliamson x reader#lionesses#arsenal wfc x reader#woso fanfics#woso x reader#woso#womens football
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Event Of Games - Benedict Bridgerton
Word Count: 1673
Summary: When one plays a game with their family, their children are rather happy to join, are they not? ïżŒ
The sun hung high in the sky, casting a golden glow over the lush grounds of Aubrey Hall, the Bridgerton family estate.
Summer was in full swing, and the garden was abuzz with the laughter and chatter of the Bridgerton clan.
The air was filled with the scent of blooming flowers, and the vibrant green of the lawns stretched out, a perfect stage for the dayâs entertainment, a game of Pall Mall.
Benedict Bridgerton, the artistic and ever-charming second son, stood beside you.
You had been married for several years, and your bond had only grown stronger with time.
Today, you were preparing to engage in one of your favorite pastimes.
Pall Mall, a game known for its competitive spirit and the potential for light-hearted mischief, had been a staple of your gatherings for as long as anyone could remember.
Your children, however, had never played before.
As Benedict adjusted the mallet in his hands, his eyes sparkled with the thrill of introducing them to the game.
Your eldest, Samuel, a boy of eight with his father's dark hair and your lively eyes, bounced on the balls of his feet, his excitement barely contained.
Beside him stood seven-year-old Eliza, her hair shimmering in the sunlight.
She clutched a mallet that was nearly as tall as she was, her eyes wide with anticipation.
âPapa, when do we start?â Samuel asked, his voice ringing with eagerness.
Benedict chuckled, ruffling his son's hair. âPatience, my boy. First, we need to make sure everyone knows the rules.â
You were standing beside Benedict with an affectionate smile. âAnd that means everyone. No sneaky maneuvers, Benedict.â
Benedict feigned innocence, placing a hand over his heart. âWhy, my dear, I would never.â
You arched an eyebrow, your expression skeptical but amused. âOf course not.â
As you spoke, the rest of the Bridgerton siblings began to gather.
Anthony, the eldest, was already striding across the lawn, his authoritative presence as commanding as ever.
Kate, followed, her eyes twinkling with the promise of competition.
Next came Colin, the third brother, his roguish grin a clear sign that he was ready for some fun.
As Penelope, walked beside him, her red hair catching the light as she whispered something that made him laugh.
Daphne, the eldest sister, arrived with her husband, Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings.
Their children ran ahead, joining Samuel and Eliza, the new generation of Bridgertons blending seamlessly with the old.
Eloise, ever the independent spirit, sauntered over with her characteristic nonchalance, while Francesca joined.
Gregory and Hyacinth, the youngest of the Bridgerton siblings, were already by the makeshift Pall Mall course, inspecting the mallets and balls with a mixture of curiosity and mischief.
Gregory, in particular, had a glint in his eye that suggested he was already plotting his strategy.
Anthony clapped his hands together, drawing everyoneâs attention. âAll right, everyone. Gather round. Itâs time for a quick refresher on the rules.â
You all formed a loose circle, the children pushing their way to the front to get a better view.
âFirst and foremost,â Anthony began, âPall Mall is about skill, precision, and a healthy dose of cunning.â
âNot to mention the occasional bit of sabotage,â Colin interjected with a wink.
Penelope nudged him playfully. âNo sabotaging the children, Colin.â
Anthony continued, ignoring his brotherâs interruption. âThe objective is simple, to get your ball through the wickets and to the final stake with as few strokes as possible.â
You took over, addressing the children. âYouâll each take turns hitting your ball with the mallet. The trick is to aim carefully and not use too much force.â
âOr too little,â Benedict added. âYou donât want your ball to stop short.â
Eliza raised her hand, her brow furrowed in concentration. âWhat if someoneâs ball is in the way?â
Kate grinned, her competitive spirit flaring. âAh, thatâs where the fun begins. You can use your ball to knock others out of the way.â
Samuelâs eyes lit up at the prospect. âYou mean we can hit each otherâs ball?â
âYes, but within reason,â Daphne interjected, her tone motherly. âWe donât want any injuries.â
âOr broken mallets,â Simon added dryly.
With the rules explained, you all moved to the starting point.
The course was laid out across the lawn, with wickets placed at strategic intervals and the final stake positioned near a large oak tree at the far end.
Benedict and you took your positions at the front, ready to demonstrate the first strokes for your children.
âWatch closely,â Benedict said, positioning his ball. âItâs all about a smooth, controlled swing.â
He drew back the mallet and swung, sending the ball rolling smoothly through the first wicket.
You followed suit, your ball taking a slightly different angle but achieving the same result.
âYour turn, Samuel,â Benedict said, handing his son a mallet.
Samuel stepped up, his face a mask of determination.
He swung with a bit too much enthusiasm, and his ball careened off course, missing the wicket by a wide margin.
He looked up, crestfallen.
âItâs okay,â Benedict reassured him. âYouâll get the hang of it.â
Eliza was next.
She took a deep breath, her small hands gripping the mallet tightly. Her swing was more controlled, and while her ball didnât go through the wicket, it was closer than Samuelâs had been.
âWell done, Eliza,â you praised. âJust a little more practice.â
As the children took turns, you all began your own game, the competitive banter starting almost immediately.
âRemember the last time we played, Colin?â Anthony said with a sly smile. âI believe I won by a rather large margin.â
Colin scoffed. âOnly because you âaccidentallyâ knocked my ball into the rose bushes.â
âI recall that quite differently,â Anthony retorted, lining up his shot. âSkill and strategy, brother.â
Kate laughed, stepping up to take her shot. âIf weâre talking strategy, I think we all know who the real mastermind is.â
âMe?â Gregory said, feigning surprise. âIâm flattered.â
Hyacinth rolled her eyes. âYou wish, Gregory.â
The game continued, your competitive spirits tempered by the joy of being together.
The children quickly improved under the watchful eyes and encouraging words of you, Benedict, and their aunts and uncles.
Samuelâs frustration melted away as he started to get the hang of it, his swings becoming more precise.
Elizaâs confidence grew with each successful hit, her laughter ringing out whenever she managed to get her ball through a wicket.
As the sun began its slow descent, casting long shadows across the lawn, the game grew more intense.
The final wickets and the last stake loomed ahead, and the older Bridgertonsâ playful teasing turned into more serious strategies.
Anthony, ever the leader, was ahead, his strokes measured and deliberate.
Kate was close behind, her competitive nature driving her to match her husbandâs skill.
Colin and Penelope were locked in a friendly rivalry, each trying to outdo the other with clever shots and strategic positioning.
Daphne and Simon, always a formidable team, played with a synergy that came from years of understanding each otherâs moves.
Eloise, and Francesca, had their competitive spirits shining through.
Benedict and you, however, were more focused on your children.
You took turns guiding Samuel and Eliza, offering tips and cheering their successes.
The childrenâs enthusiasm was infectious, and soon the entire family was rooting for them, their rivalries momentarily forgotten.
âCome on, Samuel, youâve got this!â Colin called out as Samuel lined up his shot for the final wicket.
âJust a gentle tap,â Benedict advised. âYou donât need much force.â
Samuel nodded, taking a deep breath. He swung the mallet, and the ball rolled forward, wobbling slightly before it passed cleanly through the wicket.
A cheer went up from the family, and Samuel beamed with pride.
Eliza was next, her eyes fixed on the final stake. âI can do it, Mama,â she said with determination.
âI know you can, sweetheart,â you replied, giving your daughter an encouraging nod.
Eliza took her time, carefully positioning her ball.
Her swing was gentle yet precise, and the ball rolled steadily towards the stake, tapping it lightly.
Another round of cheers erupted, and Eliza jumped up and down with joy.
As the game drew to a close, you all gathered around the final stake, your competitive spirits giving way to a sense of camaraderie and family pride.
Anthony and Kate, still neck and neck, decided to call it a draw, their laughter mingling with the cheers and applause.
âWell done, everyone,â Anthony said, his authoritative tone softened by a smile. âEspecially you two,â he added, looking at Samuel and Eliza. âYou played brilliantly.â
You wrapped her arms around your children, hugging them tightly. âWeâre so proud of you.â
Benedict joined in the embrace, his heart swelling with love and happiness. âToday was perfect,â he said softly, kissing the top of Elizaâs head.
The family began to disperse, some heading towards the house while others lingered on the lawn, enjoying the last moments of the day.
Colin and Penelope sat on a nearby bench, their hands intertwined as they watched their children chase each other around.
Daphne and Simon strolled towards the garden, their heads close together in quiet conversation.
Gregory and Hyacinth were already planning the next game, their animated discussion drawing smiles from those nearby.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm glow over Aubrey Hall, Benedict and you stood together, watching your children play with their cousins.
The day had been filled with laughter, love, and the joy of family, a perfect reminder of what truly mattered.
Benedict turned to you, his eyes reflecting the contentment he felt. âI couldnât ask for anything more.â
You smiled, leaning into him. âNeither could I.â
With the sound of your childrenâs laughter echoing around you and the promise of many more games and gatherings to come, you knew that no matter where life took you, you would always have each other.
And that, more than anything, was what made your family so special.
#benedict bridgerton#anthony bridgerton#bridgerton x reader#colin bridgerton x reader#bridgerton x you#bridgerton x y/n#bridgerton x female reader#anthony bridgerton x reader#benedict bridgerton imagine#benedict x you#benedict x reader#benedict bridgerton x reader#luke thompson x reader#luke thompson#luke thompson x you#bridgerton fanfiction#bridgerton imagine#bridgerton netflix#eloise bridgerton#colin bridgerton
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đ'đđšđ© đ©đ đĄđ€đ«đ đšđ©đ€đ§đź....
âËàŹȘâč: ÌÌâ a short appreciation drabble of soft, fluffy kento nanami as your beloved husband
note: this is my 'debut' drabble on tumblr so it might not be so good-
warning: none! just fluffy kento as your hubby <3 (and a small mention of lovemaking, not detailed.)
word count: 500+
: ÌÌâenjoy <3
husband!kento who is the type to pull you away from whatever you're doing (especially cooking) and lead you into a dance, smiling softly at your laughter-filled protests.
husband!kento who seems to be the sort of man who listens to gregory porter or barry white during rainy, lazy days when you both struggle to tumble out of bed.
husband!kento who makes sure to look down at you with sincere, lovesick eyes while he twirls you around in whatever new dress you're wearing, complimenting you ever so graciously.
husband!kento who admires your naked form and soft features in the morning sunlight that peeps through the windows after a night of passionate lovemaking.
husband!kento who would most likely then tuck a few strands of your hair away from your face, place a tender kiss on your forehead and whisper sweet nothings into your hair to gently wake you up.
husband!kento whose heart swells when he sees how gentle and sweet you are to children, already imagining just how much of a perfect mother you'll be to your own little ones.
husband!kento who has a particular green armchair in the living room, where on a polished wooden side table resides a shaded lamp, the daily newspaper and his reading glasses.
husband!kento who appreciates deeply that you don't move anything from that table. he is a man of structure and organisation and likes when things (neatly) stay how he first placed them.
husband!kento who will always listen attentively to what you have to say. whether it be about your day, suggestions on what to have for dinner or even rants about your bitchy co-worker, he will listen like it's his last day on earth.
husband!kento who is always happy to embrace the inner playful side of him when you both have âflour fightsâ during your couple baking sessions. it usually end with both of you a giggling mess, flour covering a majority of your clothing and hair.
husband!kento who always seems to have to pull you away from the baby section of any store, a small smile contouring the corner of his lips when you ramble on and on about how adorable and tiny anything baby related is.
husband!kento who is always somewhat amused when you try to size him up and try to intimidate him with your height. mind you, he is taller and broader than you, so in his eyes, it's rather adorable.
husband!kento who would most likely take a few steps into your personal space and teasingly pat your head, a small smirk decorating his lips when you visibly bristle at this.
husband!kento who can't help but enjoy late afternoon chats with you (when he has the time) over a cup of tea. i see him as an earl grey type of man (maybe because of how mature i view him lol).
husband!kento who loves you so, so dearly and is willing to do everything to keep you happy as his darling wife. ask him to pluck all the stars from the heavens: he'll pleasantly spend the rest of his days, with you by his side, doing exactly thatâŠ
©đ»đđđ-đșđŸđđđđŸđđđŒ.
#not so bad for a debut if i do say so myself#àŒ*·Ëbono-aesthetic#kento nanami#nanami kento#nanami x reader#jujutsu kaisen#jjk nanami#kento x reader#kento nanami x reader#nanami x y/n#nanami fluff#kento fluff#i love him#áŠbonnie's chest of desires
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Could you do Benedict Bridgerton with wife reader?
Ben had always been the second son who had all the fun until the day he fell in love. From that moment, only her on his mind. Never once does his gaze befall someone else. He thinks all is well with her and their children. Until one day, she faints and reveals that she had fallen ill. (it wasn't terminal illness but her health was declining or she could survive from it. You choose) He didn't know what to think or do in this situation. Angst but ending with fluff. You decide how it goes. Add anything you want to. Thanks!! :))
hiii, thanks for your request <3 it's the first time i've gotten one and i'm excited and hoping not to disappoint!!! anyways, here it goes:
if there is no you
pairing: benedict bridgerton x wife!reader
summary: after many years of loving and having each other, you and benedict had a beautiful family and a perfect little life together until you fell ill one day and it all threatened to end. while you lied on your bed all day and night, fearing that you might leave your husband and children alone, benedict died a little each second that approached him further to losing you.
tags/warnings: mentions of chronic illness, not character death, grief, fear, angst, happy ending, song: soon you'll get better (taylor swift)
word count: 2.2K
â mila's anthology (main masterlist)
Benedict had believed his life as a bachelor would never end. He thought he would enjoy his singleness forever, that he could just sleep around, drink to unconsciousness, and party to death; but no.
The day he met you at Lady Danbury's home for a dinner party, he got immediately obsessed with you⊠utterly enamored.
You had a passionate and scandalous love story, one of those you can only see in romance novels. You even paved the way for the rest of Benedict's siblings to bring home scandals in the future: Daphne, Anthony, Eloise, Colin⊠all of them followed the footsteps of the second Bridgerton son, who settled down first than his siblings against all odds.
Your grandfather knew Lady Danbury through her late husband, and they had become great friends. As you had failed to find a husband to your liking, he and your parents sent you to Mayfair to live with Lady Danbury for the social season and help you find a husband. Which, ultimately, worked.
You were soon engaged to a fine gentleman. He was endearing and kind, and would surely make an amazing husband and father to many children with you. He could provide for you and give you a safe life. Lady Danbury had picked him just for you, and you were comfortable with that decision. That, until you met Benedict.
He had successfully managed to skip most social events, and when he didn't, you never actually saw each other. However, Lady Danbury decided to invite the Bridgertons to your engagement dinner, where you two formally met and changed the course of your lives completely.
Defying social Ă©tiquettes, Benedict decided to court you while you were engaged. You masked the yearning to see him with that socially imposed civility of a lady who has to receive whatever gentleman that approaches her.
He wrote you letters and snuck around to see you at night until before your wedding, during which he firmly spoke when it was time to speak or forever hold one's peace.
Under both compassionate and outraged looks, the two of you left that church and began your own love story. After the birth of your second child, the Ton forgot about the scandal behind your marriage and you lived happily ever after until you didn't.
It was one enjoyable afternoon at Aubrey Hall. The entire family was there: Anthony, Kate, Daphne, Simon, Colin, Penelope, Francesca, John, Gregory, Hyacinth, Lady Bridgerton, Lady Danbury, Lord Anderson, and, of course, the latest generation of Bridgerton children.
You and Benedict had made enough Bridgertons yourselves: Benedict II, the eldest, was seven years old, Benjamin, six, Blair, four, Blanche, two, and BĂ©a, five months old.
Lady Bridgerton was ecstatic with the birth of your youngest. She had her granddaughter in her arms while her children and their spouses played pall mall in the broad backyard.
âAre you feeling well?â Eloise asked, noticing how you seemed fatigued.
You nodded, not wanting to miss a moment of the game. âCertainly, El.â
It was getting far too difficult to catch your breath, but you were sure you could control it, at least this once. You couldn't.
The next thing you saw was your husband beside you, holding your hand in his, near his mouth. You could feel the warmth of his words against the back of your hand, and almost hear the prayers falling from his lips.
He was never a man of God, but he considered changing that at the sight of you lying unconscious on that bed for several hours.
âBen?â
Benedict let out all the breath in his lungs and rushed to hug you. âThank God!â
You felt weak and dizzy, but didn't want to worry him anymore, so you reciprocated the embrace despite the headache it was causing.
âWhat happened?â
âWe were playing with the family,â he answered. âAnd you fainted suddenly. We took you to the room and the doctor came to see you. He said that, taking your underlying symptoms into account, it might take hours for you to wake.â
âOhâŠâ you muttered, trying to ignore the reproach behind his words. âHow long has it been?â
âAround five hours,â He sighed. âDo you want something, my love? Water, food?â
You pursed your lips. âUh, water should be fine. Thank you.â
Your husband nodded and poured water in a glass. Once he sat beside you again, he gave you the water himself, making you smile.
âWhere are the children?â
âThey are having dinner with Mother.â
âHow are they?â
âThey are fine,â he assured you, but you knew he was lying. âDo not worry about the children, our family is taking good care of them. Mother is with BĂ©a, so we mustn't worry about her too much.â
You pouted. âShe must be hungry, Benedict. She certainly needs me! Bring her to me, please.â
âAre you sure? The doctor said you must rest.â
âPlease, Ben.â
He couldn't say no. He could never say no to you.
Benedict was in front of you, sitting expectantly, awaiting your answer.
He wouldn't blame you for anything, for the last thing he should do right this moment is put you under stress. The doctor said that stress or worry would only make it worse, and Benedict wouldn't risk it. You, however, had to tell him the truth.
âThey began two months before BĂ©a's birth,â you finally spoke. âIt was sporadic at the start, just pain in my chest every now and then, difficulty breathing sometimes, until it turned into something bigger. My heart starts pounding really, really fast, and sometimes I faint like I did yesterday. But now, I-â
Your husband's face was the most afflicted you have ever seen, and you felt guilty for hiding it from him for so long.
âI'm sorry,â A soft whimper left your mouth. âI know I should have told you months ago, but I could not bear the thought of upsetting you over something I was able to control.â
âIs that why you have chosen to carry the weight of your illness all by yourself? To not upset me?â
You nodded. âWe are happy. We deserve to be without anything ruining it.â
âThe children and I, we are happy. You cannot possibly be happy under the burden of that secret of yours.â
âI never intended for this to happen, I figured it would go away one day, it was never this complicated-â
âI know that, my dear,â Benedict sighed. âI am right here with you, alright? Always.â
You held back the tears. âHow did you find out?â
âDahlia got scared and told me the truth,â he answered, mentioning the involvement of your lady maid. âShe said you have been in denial for months, and that this was not the first time this has happened. Your health has been decaying for a long time, but you wouldn't accept it.â
âBen, I⊠I am scared.â
âI know,â He looked up at the ceiling and then at you. âDo not be. Everything will be alright.â
He kissed your hand and gave you a sweet smile.
âThank you for being here.â
âI will always be here for you, Y/N. I love you more than anything,â Benedict replied, swallowing his own feelings. âWhat if you make some space for me there beside you? Can you do that for me?â
You let out a soft laugh, remembering for a quick second how much you missed your husband's jokes and that whimsical attachment you adored, oh, so much. He always made you feel like the new girl in London who caught his attention and made him do all sorts of follies. You were that girl the day you met, the day you gave birth to your third child, and right this moment. He loved you, and it was so maddening that his delusions passed as hope.
Benedict wanted you to get better, but the doctor said you probably wouldn't.
He thought you were full of life, even when your voice was hoarse and your skin a little too cold for an alive person. He thought you would be fine even when you said goodbye to him every night as if it was gonna be the last time.
What was he supposed to do? He had to hold onto hope. You had to live and see your children grow up. You had to see them marry and carry your grandchildren.
You were merely eight and twenty. You couldn't die and leave him.
Benedict hated it when he realized that he was making it all about him, but how else was he supposed to decipher how he felt about the possibility of losing you? He didn't see himself capable of dealing with your loss and keep going. He couldn't fathom the idea of raising the kids by himself. He didn't know how he would look at little Blanche, who looked exactly like you, and not break down.
âHow are you today?â
You smiled weakly. âI am doing amazing, my dear.â
âIs that so?â he inquired with a happy smirk. You nodded. âIt is great to hear that.â
âHow are you?â
âI am quite content.â Benedict assured you, though the bags under his eyes and the loss of fullness of his cheeks gave away his dishonesty.
But you pretended like you believed him. âHow are the children?â
âQuite well. Benedict and Benjamin have started their fencing lessons yesterday,â he said. âBlair has proven herself to be good at reading, quite like you, Blanche has been misbehaving lately but showing her artsy skills. As for BĂ©a, she is growing more each day that passes. She gets along very well with Mother, as you know, so it is alright. They miss you. I have been trying to keep their little minds occupied, but they do.â
You didn't notice when you started crying.
âI wish to see my children grow up. I want to grow old with you, Ben⊠I'm scared.â
This time, he didn't have the strength to tell you not to be. This time, he cried with you.
âMe as well,â He kissed your forehead and attempted to get up. âPerhaps I should-â
âPlease, stay.â
âI do not want you to see me like this.â
You pursed your lips. âWho else if not me?â
Benedict cried more and you felt guilty for being the reason of your husband's was misery.
âI wish to never lose you,â he whispered. âBecause⊠What am I supposed to do if there is no you?â
âI will always be with you.â
âI know.â
You smiled at him, trying to comfort him; but you couldn't.
Nothing you did would ease the pain, nothing other than getting well.
âYou cannot lose hope.â
âIt is quite easy for you to say, El,â Benedict sighed, looking at the moon. âIt is not the love of your life lying on her deathbed. It is not you who will be left alone with five children to tend to. It has been months, and I have no clue what to do. I only want her to be well.â
âI know I am not losing the love of my life, but she is my sister,â Eloise replied. âI hope not to burden you with my pain, too. I cannot bear the thought of losing such a loving soul. She has always inspired me to see the world as she does. And life. Even now, on the verge of leaving, she has managed to show goodness.â
He let out an afflicted sigh. âWhat did she say to you, Sister?â
She took his hand in hers. âShe said that she would leave in peace if she had to. That she trusts us to take care of you and the children. And that she is happy with the life she has lived. She said that she has lived a life full of love, and that is what makes life worth living: the love we give and receive. You have done right by her. You have given her the life and family she always wanted.â
âI do not want to make this about me,â he said. âBut I cannot help but to do so. If she leaves us, Eloise, I am leaving right behind her, I- I don't believe myself to have the strength it takes to survive in her absence.â
âYou must be strong. For her and your children.â
âI don't want to be strong, I want this to be over.â
âI know, but⊠didn't the doctor say she was improving?â
âI do not want to have faith for nothing.â
They stayed silent on the swings of Bridgerton House until Benedict thought it was time to go back home. The sun rising announced it.
Once Benedict set foot on his home, he saw you having breakfast with your children. A wide smile spread on his face at the sight.
âMr. Bridgerton, how dare you return home until after sunrise?â you questioned him amusedly, pointing to the empty seat on the end of the table. He was about to sit where you told him, but the children stood up from their places and ran to him before he could. You laughed. âBut it is alright, for I got to surprise you.â
Benedict smiled and walked to you with your second youngest, Blanche, in his arms. âYou are out of bed.â
âI am out of bed,â you confirmed with excitement, holding his face with your hand and driving him close enough for to you to peck his lips. âI love you.â
âDaddy!â Blair exclaimed. âMama read us to sleep last night!â
âDid she?â
âYes, Father! And Mama saw Benedict and I during our fencing lesson.â Benjamin, your second born, added.
âMama is getting better, Father.â Benedict, the child, mentioned with a sweet grin, just like his father's.
âShe is,â Benedict, the father, confirmed. âAnd everything will be alright.â
all things benedict bridgerton taglist: @imgondeletedis
#bridgerton fanfiction#bridgerton#benedict bridgerton#benedict bridgerton x reader#benedict bridgerton fanfiction#benedict bridgerton x fem!reader#bridgerton imagine#benedict bridgerton imagine#benedict bridgerton x you
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Don't Cry over Spilled Lemonade pt.2
Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x f!reader
Word Count: ~2k
Warnings: A little bit of dread on the reader's part but mostly it's fluff and yearning, just the way I like it.
A/N: hahaha I finally finished it!!!! Thanks for all the love on part one it really made me so happy to see so many people liking the little story that I wrote half asleep <3
Anthony wrestled with his thoughts for the rest of the evening. He hated himself deeply for hurting you and even more for not remembering it. Knowing himself though, he knew that his actions were probably fueled by a desire to leave the gathering and visit Siena, she had been his refuge in the years before and during Daphneâs debut.Â
He would never forgive himself if the reason you would not ever stand to be in the same room with him was his naive infatuation with the opera singer. Especially given the fact that as soon as he met you all thoughts of her flew from his eyes and he never thought of her in that way again. Deep down he knew that his heart now belonged to you although that thought was much too terrifying to dwell on for more than a minute.
You on the other hand were reeling with the new information. You had vowed to hate Anthony Bridgerton until your dying day but his pleas for forgiveness had shaken your will. You still held a deep anger towards him, one that you didnât think would go away any time soon. But it was becoming harder and harder for you to find the detestation in yours that had once been bubbling at the surface.
You didn't know what to expect from the Viscount anymore, you had always had a pretty clear picture of the man in your mind, and in one fell swoop he had shattered it like glass. Seeing him playing with his younger siblings in the park the day after your conversation in the hallway certainly didnât help settle your mind.
If there was one thing you knew about Anthony Bridgerton it was that he loved his family. Sometimes he goes about it in the wrong way but you could tell that he does everything he does for them, even getting grass stains on his trousers because Hyancithy and Gregory are insistent that he plays tag with them in the great park.
It is their laughter that draws your attention first followed shortly by a sharp shout and even more giggles. You are fortunate enough to catch sight of the Viscount tripping and landing on his backside, his hands falling to the side of him and right into what looks to be some freshly planted flower beds. His head hangs and he takes a heaving sigh before pushing himself back up. You canât help but laugh at the sight.
Anthony would be able to recognize your laugh anywhere, he hears it flowing through the halls of his home enough that itâs become ingrained in his mind. His head turns to where you are and your eyes meet. He is taken aback by the warmth he finds in them. How long has it been since youâve looked at home with anything but detached coldness?
It is Hyancinth who bridged the gap between the two of you, with a shout of your name she comes bounding across the green and practically leaps into your open arms.Â
âHello sweet girl, having fun are we?â Your hand runs down the back of her head and you smile down at her.
âWe were playing a game of tag, would you like to join us.â Sometimes you forget how innocent the young girl is. Her smile is contagious as it spreads across your own face.
âOn any other day my darling but Iâve only cut through the park on my way to visit with Lady Danbury and you know how she is about punctuality.â
âOh.â Her face falls and your heart follows.
âHow about this? Once I am done calling upon her ladyship I shall stop by and you can finally show me the new dresses you got for dolly Molly okay?â
Her smile returns full force and she squeezes you a little tighter before conjuring up a mask of faux indifference.
âI suppose I can accept that.âÂ
âYouâre starting to sound like Viscount grumpypants over there.â You tickle at her side.
âI heard that,â Anthony calls from a ways away, Greg held under his arm.
âI was not trying to keep quiet my Lord.â Your eyes meet his once again and Anthony cannot help the little bubbling of hope that builds inside his chest when he sees the lightheartedness contained in your gaze.
âThatâs Lord Grumpypants to you.â He shoots back and delights in the way your smile widens.Â
âVery well Lord Grumpypants, I must be off but Iâll see you all later.â You say the last words down at the young lady still wrapped up in your arms. You give her one final squeeze before releasing her and bowing your head slightly at her older brother. You try not to dwell too much on how much you enjoy the viscountâs smile.
Anthony takes the day in the park as a sign, one that shows him all hope is not lost. All he needs to do is fix his mistake. He craved you, that much he knew. He craved your smile and your laugh, he yearned for your kind eyes and the way you seemed to float when you walked. He has never considered himself a particularly creative man but the images his mind conjures of the two of you make him second-guess himself.
He did not have time to imagine for very long, however, as Colin was due to return today for the start of the season and Eloise seemed to need constant supervision lest she run away the first chance she got. The Danbury ball could not come soon enough.
The Danbury ball was one of legend, the older womanâs opening ball was not one to be missed as it set the tone for the rest of the season. Young women not lucky enough to gain the Queenâs favor had a second chance at the Danbury ball, a chance to show themselves off to the ton once more in the hopes of catching the eye of an eligible young man.Â
You were no different than those young ladies, primping and preening all day long with the hopes that you would be able to secure a match this season before you become too old to do so. Your mother was adamant that this season had to be spectacular, you had to look and act your best always. She was weary and weeping, moaning about how youâd be letting down the family if you were unable to secure a match.
It was interesting you thought, how quickly she changed her tune. During your debut season, she had spoken dreamingly about a love match and finding happiness and now you were sure that she would shove you off to whoever if it meant that you would be married. It seemed your Mamaâs greatest fear was you becoming a spinster.Â
You obliged her whims, after all, you did wish to find a match. You had always dreamed of a love match. With every year that passed by the candle of hope held within your heart flickered, it was small now, but you had to admit that it still burned. You still soothed your restless nights with dreams of a husband and children, a loving home full of laughter and joy. That is the future you want, that is the future you will fight for.
Tonight you aim to make an entrance, any attention at this point is better than being snubbed. You wore a gown of deep red, with golden lace around the bodice and black and gold beading around the waistline and down the back. Your maid pulled and twisted your hair, piling it upon your head and creating a bold and dramatic look. You were going to pull attention, you had to.
And pull attention you did, from the moment you entered the ballroom all eyes were on you. Ladies whispered and hid behind their fans. Men stood in circles with their peers but you caught the glance of more than one bachelor. And yet, nobody had approached you. You were beginning to feel the flash in your cheeks. Perhaps this was too much, such boldness was offputting and you should have stuck to the known. Dressed in soft pinks and whites, proclaiming purity and softness.Â
Anthony was beside himself. You were the most ethereal creature he had ever had the privilege of laying his gaze on and he wished to spend the whole night by your side; catching up on all the lost time. He knew though, that you would never allow that, and he would rather die than hurt you again.Â
So he watched and watched and watched. As time ticked on those cowards kept you waiting. Dances began and ended, people arrived and left and all the while you were stood, bathed in candlelight and alone.Â
The sun had long since set and you were done. No longer would you endure this embarrassment. You had followed your gut and put yourself out there and it had failed. You were destined to be alone you suppose.
Just as you were getting ready to turn away and retreat back to the safety of your family home a hand entered your sight. Palm up and inviting, your eyes traced slowly up the arm and towards the face of the gentleman who had finally put you out of your misery.
Anthony Bridgerton stood before you, arm outstretched and a small smile on his face. âA lady as beautiful as yourself does not deserve to spend the whole night without a single dance.âÂ
âAre you offering?â You looked him in the eye and raised a brow. This was the first time since your conversation in the hallways that Anthony had approached you without one of his siblings present to be a buffer.
âIâm giving you an opportunity.â
âAnd what might that be?â You tilted your head to the side and watched as a smirk slowly spread across his face.
âYou have a choice, right here and right now. Either grasp my hand and we dance the rest of the night away, opinions be damned. Or you snub me, snub me like I snubbed you that night, and get your revenge.â
You exhale a laugh and look at him. His face held a smile but also a certain seriousness that belayed his intention. This was him making it up to you. He would accept rejection if that is what you wanted.Â
Here he was, the man who had hurt you and who you still held a flame for offering himself up to like a lamb to slaughter.Â
You mustâve been taking a long time to answer because the Viscount began shifting on his feet. He looked around the room at the other couples who began to take to the dancefloor.
âI do not mean to rush you my lady, but the dance will be starting soon.â
âAnthony you must promise me.â
âAnything, name it and itâs yours.âÂ
âPromise me that you will never hurt me again, I donât think my heart could take it.â You took his hand. And let your lips curve into a gentle smile.
He pulled your hand wrapped within his own close to his heart, and vowed, âI will do everything in my power to protect you for the rest of my days, even if the one I am protecting you from is myself.â
âI donât need protection Anthony,â you looked deeply into his eyes, âI just need your love, honest and true.â
âThen you shall have it.âÂ
Anthony pulled you to the dancefloor and led you in far too many dances to be appropriate that night. And every night for the rest of the season. And neither of you cared about what the rest of the ton had to say. You had each other, finally, and neither of you was letting go anytime soon.Â
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@tenshis-cake @bridkesby @divergentalwaysandforever-blog @lillysfrogsandbogs @unholyhuntress
#anthony bridgerton x plus size reader#anthony bridgerton x reader#anthony bridgerton#plus size reader#plus size!reader#fanfic#x reader#fluff#requests open#requests wanted#bridgerton imagine#bridgerton fanfiction#bridgerton
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