#when we were young au

[silverhallow]

I’d marry you with Paper Rings

pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x Sophie Beckett

summary: it’s wedding day!

warnings: none just fluff!

word count: 2301 words

author's note: part 4 of a Tumblr request for stories in the WWWY AU!

Benedict and Sophie’s wedding came around a lot quicker than they’d been anticipating.

It seemed like one moment they had months, the next moment it was merely days away.

They had everything planned out, they were marrying at Aubrey Hall, they talked about hiring somewhere but everywhere they visited felt wrong, nowhere had felt right and it had felt like they were never going to find a location for the wedding.

It was only after a weekend at Aubrey, celebrating little Miles’ Christening, after a glass of wine too many later that afternoon Sophie and Kate had been talking about wedding plans for and Sophie just complained about being able to find somewhere suitable.

“Why not here?” Kate had said.

Sophie had spilled her wine, “what do you mean?”

“Well you get someone ordained, file the papers with the registrar's office and you and Ben get married here in the summer…” Kate had explained.

Sophie had squealed with excited joy and threw her arms around Kate exclaiming how she was a genius so loudly that she woke Artie from his sleep and his annoyed barks woke Edmund, Miles and Amelia.

She’d gotten a grumpy look from Mary and Violet having just settled the three children but when they learned the reason for Sophie’s excitement, they were soon forgiving her and on board with the idea.

Benedict had thought it was perfect. He loved the idea of them getting married in the place they grew up, the place they fell in love. There wasn’t a more perfect location and as they wanted a summer wedding, they could host it outside and they could curate it to be the day they wanted, rather than what a venue could afford them.

And little Artie would be able to come and be their ring bearer.

Within three weeks of Miles’ christening they had everything planned and a date set and Sophie had set about trying to find a wedding dress.

Sophie felt like she’d tried on over 100 dresses trying to find the right one but whenever she, Violet, her Aunt Becky, Kate and the rest of the girls had gone shopping, she’d not found the right one. Everything felt wrong.

That was until she was going through some boxes at her father’s house ready to move into the home she and Benedict had bought together, My Cottage was its name, something the rest of the family had found hilarious and Henry had said was rather fitting for the two of them.

It was a cottage of sorts, out in Kent, a lot of land for Sophie to have her own animals and there was space for her and Lily to open their own Veterinary practice, space for Benedict to grow his art and photography business, it was close to the rest of their family and was beautiful. It was every bit the countryside home they wanted.

It was everything they wanted but it was going through some old boxes that Sophie had come across an old sketchbook that belonged to her mother.

She’d known her mother had been creative, that she’d been training to restore historical art pieces but she’d not realised how creative her mother actually was and it was seeing the book that she found her wedding dress.

It had been a design that she’d created herself, that had evidently been her dream wedding dress for when and if she got to marry Sophie’s father.

Richard had been shocked to find the books that Esme had drawn in, and had been even more shocked to find the dress plans, they’d talked about getting married when they’d finished University, but what shocked him the most was the plans had been drawn after she’d been sent away by his father.

There was a little flower girl and little page boy outfit also drawn in the book. Richard had broken down in tears at this point, knowing that she’d been planning for a life back together, including their unborn child in their wedding…

Sophie had known at that point that she had to honour her mother, the dress that was designed was everything she’d wanted in her wedding dress. It was elegant, it was cottagey, it was vintage and it was perfect.

She’d called Gen and Lucy and begged them for help, Gen being a fashion designer, or on her way to being a fashion designer. She knew it was a long shot as Wedding Dresses were harder to design and create but they’d promised to help her.

It had taken a while but they’d finished the dress about a month before the wedding and Sophie had finally agreed to let her wedding party see it.

Lily, Kate, Violet, her Aunt Becky, Mary, had stood in the room with Gen and Lucy when she tried it on for the first time since it had been finished and there hadn’t been a dry eye in the room.

It was after that everything fell into place.

Gen had managed to make the Flower Girl dress for Ameila, who was now 3 years old, the page boy outfits for 3 year old Neddy and nearly a year old Milo.

Sophie had found beautiful green bridesmaid dresses for the rest of her bridesmaids and everything was set.

They’d had their stag and their hen-dos, which had been considerably tamer than Kate and Anthony’s had been and now they were set for the big day.

Sophie was in her old room at Aubrey Hall, Benedict had been set off the Summer House with the rest of the boys and as the sun rose on June 16th, their wedding day had finally arrived.

2 years after getting engaged, months of planning and waiting had all come down to this and it was with a bated breath that Sophie had opened her curtains to look outside, praying for a sunny day.

As she pulled the curtains open she was nearly blinded.

It was bright, it was clear and it was perfect.

She let out a grateful sigh as the door flew open and Kate, Lily, Edwina and the Bridgerton girls and Lucy came running in squealing excitedly about it being her wedding day.

The next few hours were spent getting ready, Lucy and Becky helped with her make up and hair, her nerves never seemed to come. She was giddy and excited about marrying the man she’d been in love with for nearly 10 years, her best friend, her soul mate, her entire world.

They were marrying at lunchtime, when the sun was at the highest point, where it would look the most serene and beautiful by the lake where they would shortly become man and wife.

Gen and Kate helped Sophie into her dress and she was finally ready.

Benedict had asked Hugh, one of his friends who worked with him to come and take photographs, and he captured every moment so far of Sophie getting ready, Henry had been tasked with the photos of Benedict and the men before he would officiate the ceremony.

Phillip was serving as an additional Maid of Honour with Kate as her two best friends; he was waiting with her father for the first reveal. She had wanted to keep her dress secret from them both, she hadn’t told her father what design she’d gone for, only that she’d found it, and she had a feeling that Phillip would have told Henry and Henry would have told Ben so she kept him out of it.

But the moment Phillip and her father saw her in her dress. She knew Benedict was going to be a mess as she walked down the aisle.

“You look beautiful Princess” Richard said as they waited, everyone was assembled, the moment was upon them.

The music was starting, Sophie’s heart was pounding. This was it, “thank you Papa… thank you for everything, for being the first man i loved, for loving me… for being mum and dad… and just… everything”

“Stop, are you going to make your old man cry sweetheart” Richard said a little choked up.

“Papa… it’s inevitable today” Sophie sniffed, feeling her eyes filling with tears.

“True but at least let me make it to the speeches” he said which made her giggle.

“Ready?” he asked her

“I’ve been ready all my life,” she smiled.

Gregory, Hyacinth, Lucy and Richard Jnr were ahead of them, Kate, Phillip and Lily had already started walking down the aisle with Amelia, Edmund and Miles and Hyacinth had tight hold of Artie on his lead and they started to walk down towards Benedict.

They’d set the walk up so that Sophie would have to round a corner before Benedict would be able to see her “last chance to change your mind” Richard said half-heartedly.

Sophie giggled “Papa, Hell would have to freeze over before i’d change my mind…” Sophie said with a bright beaming smile and Richard knew she was right, he’d known from the moment Sophie and Benedict were small children together that they were destined for one another, they’d always complimented one another, in the same way that Kate and Anthony where the same, similar in the way they approached life and needed that to be complete…

Sophie and Benedict were different but fit together like a puzzle, from the moment Sophie was all of 8 weeks old when she was placed in Benedict’s crib and he’d reached out and taken her hand… they’d found the other half of their soul.

It was true and utter soulmates.

Richard had to fight back his own tears as he walked his daughter down the aisle. Benedict’s tears fell freely down his face when he saw Sophie, her beauty had always taken his breath away but today she looked like a fairy.

Everything about the ceremony was perfect, Artie had sat nicely by his papa and mama, the rings in a box around his neck, waiting for the moment they’d been needed and by the time they recited their own vows, there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.

“Sophie, you are everything i’ve ever wanted in life, even when I didn’t know what I wanted, you knew what I needed, you’ve completed me in ways I never thought were possible and you’re the girl who saw the man that I could be, the woman who has helped me to be the man I am today and you’ll be the woman to help me become the man and hopefully, one day, the father I will be. You are the other half of my soul. From the moment you were placed in my cot, it was like everything changed, I don’t remember my life before you were in it and I never want to imagine my life without you in it. You are my muse, you are my best friend, my soulmate, you complete me and without you there is no me. We’ve had our ups and downs and a lot of people said we were too young but those people didn’t know us, they didn’t know just how long we’ve loved one another… how long I plan to love you. You’ve been the only girl I've ever loved, my heart was made for you, my soul was always yours and I vow for the rest of our lives, everything I am belongs to you…” Benedict had said, tears falling down his eyes as he spoke and Sophie had cried and been grateful for the waterproof mascara.

Then Sophie had spoken “Ben… you are the light of my life, you always have been, the joy and love of my life. You saw me when no one else did, you loved me when I couldn’t even love myself… you’ve been my staunchest protector, my fiercest guard… you and Kate, but you’ve always been there by my side. No matter what you’ve always been there for me, the first one by my side whenever I’ve needed you… you are my Prince Charming. Today I become your wife and words can’t describe how proud that makes me, how happy that makes me. My heart has always been and will always be yours, my soul has always been yours, it has been connected with yours since the day I was born. You are the reason I was born, you are the reason I exist. I promise to love you every day for the rest of our lives, I promise to be your muse, to encourage you, to remind you to eat… and be whatever you need me to be. Everything I am, I owe to you, everything I will be, will be because of you, we are a team, we always have been, we always will be and no matter what life throws at us, I know we can get through it, as long as we are together, we can accomplish anything. I love you, always have… always will”

Henry was choked up and had to clear his throat before he was able to continue, they exchanged their rings, quoting lines of Lord of the Rings and some of their favourite films to one another before finally, they were finally pronounced man and wife.

Their kiss had to be interrupted by Henry tapping their shoulders as it went on a bit but they were just laughed at by their friends and family.

The rest of the day was more relaxed, an outside party, all the food was buffet style and they had a big BBQ and it was everything they’d dreamed.

Anthony and Kate surprised them with Fireworks right at the end of the night.

It was everything they wanted, the start of their happily ever after, before babies, before the drama that those babies would bring them. It was a perfect end to the perfect day.

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

M'lady, doth this harlot bother thee?

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[shippofuri]

im not gonna get into the weeds of discourse or what is acceptable to depict (my thoughts have absolutely nothing to do with the question of "is he legal" i think the fixation on that is weird) but my (semi-joking) read of thistle and yaad's maturity is that yaad was effectively denied adolescence and that ironically allowed him to mentally mature more than thistle to a degree. yaad being more akin to someone on puberty blockers able to gain life experience and grow as a person vs. thistle magically locking himself into the phase of adolescence where you are just chemically insane and irrational for a couple years (or even decades, in his case...) stuck as a volatile hormonal teen for 1000 years. this is a fate worse than death i think

[barxlupin]

@starspurn ordered:

i'm going downstairs to get me a drink. you want something? / aventurine & baptiste

THE MUMMY (1999) PROMPTS

Baptiste makes a sound much like a cat waking up from a nap, a quiet 'mrrp' as he stretches underneath the luxuriously soft silk sheets. Rolling to lie on his back, the perfumer lazily opens aurora-colored eyes to see Aventurine - no, Kakavasha - already half-dressed, ready to head to the bar downstairs.

"I'll just have whatever you're having, Vasha."

He doesn't miss the way Aventurine shivers at the pet name. He'd almost cried the first time Baptiste had called him that since they were both children, the Masked Fool had feared he'd crossed some sort of unspoken boundary. But no, those almost tears were from a good kind of emotion.

He's never once called him by his Stoneheart name since then, not when they're alone.

Rolling to his side, Baptiste shifts closer to the Avgin, wrapping his arms around the other's waist "Come back soon, dear."

[robotic-poet]

I'd say the funniest part Abt being a TMNT fan for me specifically is that I'm also an art restoration student. So everyday i go to class and learn crazy shit abt Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo (as in. The artists) and then go home and learn crazy shit about Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo (The ninja turtles) and I just have to live with that.

[tennessoui]

hi .. ive just reread how to say someone's name like it's just a string of letters for the ... Seventh time i think and. i just. have this visceral reaction to it every time. its genuinely so Terrible how strongly i feel about this fic. its so beautifully written i am in tears every time and i. God

(how to say someone's name like it's just a string of letters)

honestly it's the sadness of going from being so entangled with someone and in love that you're sure you're going to grow with them for the rest of both your lives to hating them and hurting for years, paired with the catharsis of finally unburdening yourself of all the things you've thought about saying since the last time you saw them paired with the freefall that comes when you're forced to confront the fact that they're also human with complicated emotions and fallible logic and just as much hurt and love still after all this time

ending with the bittersweet ache of realizing that you'll never ever be able to get those years back that you missed, but you're going to commit yourself to trying to love them again because you never really stopped and at this point, you're not sure you're capable of it and honestly maybe this time the love will be enough

(it will be)

[fauvester]

young elim kirayoshi playdate cause they're about the same age but they are from comically different backgrounds. kirayoshi like Look at my dinosaur toy! lets go to the pond and play animals. and young elim like ok when do we need to be back home for manual labor if we dont want to miss ration distribution

[softquietsteadylove]

Currently I'm playing Assassin's Creed Odyssey and whilst playing I'm thinking about the Eternals back then, in Ancient Greece.

So basically i thought about Socrates annoying our Goddess of War. And Thena would never admit she actually likes talking to him.

Hugs and much love!! 🖤✨

"Is the Goddess of War cowering again?"

Thena bristled and glared at the old man, "I do not cower."

He chuckled, though, sitting himself on a rock amongst the olive trees behind the main constructions of Athens' outskirts. "And what to call it then?--you hiding here in the trees?"

She rolled her eyes. The old man was not so insufferable, but he had no problem saying things that made her want to pick him up and rattle him like a barrel. Although she was almost grateful for it in comparison to the obsessive reverence of the rest of Athens.

"Too many demands in the day already, young one?" he asked, raising a frayed, white eyebrow.

She sighed; if only he knew how young he was, to her. "They are discussing the launching of ships. Why this would need my input - let alone approval - is beyond me."

But the old man laughed, letting his walking stick rest against a different rock. Thena eyed the pale length of dead wood. "The senators, as they call themselves, are just as new to this as the idea itself. They have assembled this great counsel and yet they still seek the approval of a higher power. One wonders why they assembled this body to 'speak for the people' if they were going to surrender their decisions to a figurehead in the first place."

Thena let old Socrates ramble on. She typically wasn't one for the musings of man, much preferring her solitude. But the old man hadn't ratted her out yet, and as far as humans went, he was far from the worst. "Have you been postulating again?"

"Bah," he waved his hand through the air, squinting up at the Grecian sun through the olive leaves. "Just a crazy old man, to them."

"And you think you are not, to me?"

"Maybe," he grinned at her with what teeth he had remaining, "but I'm a crazy old man who lets you be, no?"

Thena allowed a faint smile on her lips. "Indeed, you are."

"So then, we seem to have reason for our alliance," he chuckled.

"And you?" Thena asked in an unusual invitation to continue their talking. She summoned a blade to her hand and whittled down his walking stick.

Socrates watched her the same way he watched fisherman haul in their catch; with admiration for the craft, but with no further interest in the act itself. "Hiding from that young tyke."

"Young Plato?" Thena smiled as she sliced the wood cleanly, angling it to form a head for a proper cane. The old man was walking around leaning on this tree length washed up on the shore. "He is fond of Phastos as well."

"Ah, yes, Hephaestus?" Socrates raised his other eyebrow, to which Thena shook her head. "What of your Champion?"

A length of wood went flying.

Thena tossed the properly carved cane back at the man, "what of him?"

Socrates shrugged an increasingly bony shoulder. "You're with him when at all possible, aren't you?"

Thena nearly pouted at the needling - but entirely correct - statement. She huffed, "there are many demands on Gilgamesh."

"Ah yes, Gilgamesh," Socrates laughed, resting his hands outstretched in front of him. "And what do you call him?"

She gave him a somewhat tired glare. She could deny him the rest of his needling and simply leave. But then she ran the risk of an advisor or senator or counsellor - or stars forbid one of the many sculptors searching for her - finding her. She sighed. "Gil."

"Oh."

She glared at him anew, her hackles rising despite her best efforts.

Socrates gave her a look that made her want to chuck him right off their cliff of solitude, "Gil."

She hardened her expression at him, if only to keep her annoyance from boiling over. He said it in a way that made her feel agitated. "Have you not other people to pester?"

"None as fun as you, dear," he laughed heartily, his head tossed back.

Thena huffed again; insufferable old coot.

"And what power does your Gil possess, again?"

She glared at him, but he feigned some effort into remembering, scratching the beard on his chin. "Strength."

"Ah, yes, the fella who can reach into the forges and grasp iron with his bare hands."

No trouble remembering him at all, it seemed. Thena pursed her lips, "indeed."

"They do demand a lot from him," Socrates agreed with her earlier statement at this much later junction. He snuck his eyes - still sharp under the wrinkling of his skin - back over to her with a grin. "Not very fair to you, is it?"

Thena refused to dignify that with a response.

Socrates let out another laugh, and she wondered how many rocks might fit in that wide mouth of his. "That's why you're out here moping?"

The shade of the trees was doing nothing to shield her from the heat of the sun.

"Dearie," he snorted, jabbing her knee with the cane (which she just so-kindly fashioned for him!). "You are the patron saint of Athens. I'm sure if you want to steal your boyfriend all you need do is ask."

Thena flushed further at yet more indignity. "I do not-!"

"Oh, save it!" he drawled at her, in a way no one else in Athens would ever dare. He scratched at something in his ear, "I don't care what you think I think or what you know I know."

She glowered at him.

"There you are!"

Thena looked up, a smile coming over her (whether she wanted it or not). "Here I am."

Gilgamesh pushed an olive branch out of his way to lean on the rock beside her. He nodded to old Socrates, "and good day to you."

"And you, Champion," Socrates gave him a smirk. "We were just speaking of you."

"Oh?" Gil looked at Thena beside him, who was glaring at the old man.

"Have you nowhere else to rest after your ceaseless chatter?"

Gil didn't argue with her. He had seen her and the old philosopher interact a few times before, and it was always funny. Jabs were only ever made in good humour. "Actually, I was hoping to steal the Goddess away with me."

"She's all yours, sonny boy," Socrates stood, stretching out his arms before taking up his newly carved cane. "Don't mind me."

Gil simply nodded to him as he began shuffling past them and into the city. He looked down at Thena, stealing one of her hands off her lap to hold for himself. "Hey."

"Hey," she beamed. The unique relief and comfort of his company truly had reached new heights during their time in Athens.

"Time for a break?" he propositioned, pulling her up from her resting rock, her hand still in his. He brought his head closer to hers, "I packed us a little picnic--you, me, in the orangery?"

Thena kept her eyes on her personal embodiment of solace standing before her. She yearned to curl up in his arms, "divine."

"I thought you weren't one for divination."

"Away with you!" she snapped at the old bastard one again chuckling at her expense. She thunked her forehead against Gil's chest.

"Hey," he chuckled, rubbing her back as he allowed her frustrations. "Come on, he's not bad. As far as humans go, I'd say you're fond of the old guy."

"I am done speaking of him," she sighed, still pressing her warmed skin to Gil's cooling robes. She purred as he pulled her hair over her shoulder, running his fingers through it gently. "I believe you offered sustenance?--and solitude."

[silverhallow]

Sophie and Benedict’s first holiday in the WWWY AU

Part 2 of 4 of the Anon Ask

Like we were in Paris

Their summer holiday plans had to change… their original plan had been for all of the group to go to Ibiza for a week for a week of sun, sea and partying but after Sophie had taken a tumble during a night out and broken her wrist, she was not allowed to fly and so their plans had to change.

Sophie had been devastated that their plans had to change and she was ruining their big summer holiday plans.

It was the first time they were all going abroad together, the whole of their friendship group was going and it was right at the start of the summer, as their exams ended, their first and second years were done and it was during the time off Peter and Bea had from their placements.

She’d tried to tell the rest of them to go without her, even Benedict, but he wasn’t going anywhere without her, he’d said hell would freeze over before that would happen, and Pete had admitted he was only going because everyone else was and he didn’t really fancy Ibiza and so they decided they’d cancel the holiday, get their money back and look for somewhere together towards the end of the summer before they would all return to Uni.

Sophie had been really looking forward to a holiday, she’d worked really hard during their first year and after her and Benedict’s fight, she’d been looking forward to a week away together in the sun.

She felt miserable as she sat on the edge of her bed at Uni, the pain still fresh in her wrist as she looked at her newly casted wrist “I’m so sorry. I’ve ruined everything” Sophie said to Benedict

“Hey, it’s okay, we’ve all tripped and fell before” he said to her softly

“Yes but somehow you’ve not broken a single bone and this is the second time i’ve broken this wrist…” she huffed

“Well the first time wasn’t your fault and this was barely your fault… it was Lucy and Kate’s for giving you tequila…” Benedict said. He was still fuming with the girls for letting Sophie get that drunk but he knew he would get over it soon, she wasn’t really badly hurt, just a few bumps and bruises and a broken wrist.

Her surgery for it, had been hell waiting for news that she was okay.

But Benedict knew he was going to have to do something to cheer her up as she was miserable, over the next two weeks when the group confirmed they’d been able to cancel the holiday and get their money back, Sophie felt really bad about it all because she’d known how much they’d all been looking forward to it.

They had found an alternative for later in the summer and booked a huge cabin by a lake in Scotland and had all planned to travel up for a week of relaxing, BBQs and just spending time together in the wilderness but she knew it wasn’t really the same.

So Benedict decided to plan something else for him and Sophie. Kate and Anthony had booked to go away for a week to Greece. Henry and Peter were going to Italy and a few of the other couples had planned to go away but Sophie knew she was stuck, they couldn’t fly anywhere…

But Benedict had other plans, he knew she couldn’t fly but he spoke to her Uncle Charles about the possibility of driving her to France and taking her to Paris for a few days, the drive was doable, they could stop on the way down and spend an evening north of Paris before a few days in Paris then moving to see her family in Reims.

He’d kept it a secret from her for a few weeks until the week before he’d planned it all, he’d even got the time off work for her.

They were back home in Kent so they were back working at the Original Crabtree’s and Alice, John and Peter were all in on the surprise and had arranged the week off without telling her and Benedict hadn’t told her that he’d arranged all of this as a surprise so when she’d seen the rota for the week she was going to be on holiday with no shifts, she’d been confused.

Alice had emailed it over to her and she’d been sitting with Benedict finishing her reading on some animal care ready for next term whilst her father was away working on a trial in Newcastle.

“I think Alice has made a mistake with the rota for next week…” Sophie said as she looked over it.

“Huh what do you mean?” he asked her, a little smirk on his face. He’d been planning to wait til the last minute to tell her about it.

“Well she’s not given me any shifts… I know i’m not doing as many with my wrist but I can manage the till and speaking to customers, me and Pete have had a good little system going on” she said

“Oh well, no I don’t think it is a mistake…” he grinned at her

“But I didn’t ask for the week off… she’s literally given me nothing… and she never gives me nothing… I need to call her…” Sophie said going to get up.

“You didn’t ask for it… but I did” he grinned at her as he watched her pause getting up from the sofa

“Wait… you… why? We’re… we’ve not go plans for next week” Sophie said

“We do… I just… was keeping it a surprise” he grinned at her as she whipped her head around to look at him shocked

“Keeping What, a surprise? You don’t keep things from me! How have you managed this…?” Sophie asked, looking bewildered.

“With a little help from some friends and some family… but we’re going on holiday on Sunday so you needed to have the week off” Benedict grinned “Pete, Alice and John helped me with it at your work, Kate and Charles have helped me plan it”

“But I can’t fly, it’s why we didn’t go to Ibiza…”

“We’re not flying, we’re driving…” he grinned, waiting for a moment and her confusion as she was wondering where the heck they were going for a week before adding “to France…”

“FUCK OFF!” she yelled in sheer shock. “Please tell me you’re not teasing me! Please tell me you’re being serious!?” she said “if you’re teasing me i’m going to kill you…”

Benedict laughed and leaned over the sofa and picked up the envelope that he had stashed in his coat and handed her it. “The entire itinerary is in there” he said to her “all our tickets, hotel bookings… everything…”

Sophie blinked in shock as she took it with shaking hands “are you… you’re being serious”

“Deadly… I know how upset you were that everyone else was going away and we couldn’t because of your wrist and I wanted to do something special and since it was our anniversary a few weeks ago, I thought… maybe i’d surprise you and I know how much you love France and have been desperate to go back, it seemed like the logical place to go since I can drive so we didn’t have to fly, we’re booked on the train from Folkestone on Sunday, we’re going to stop a little outside of Paris on the Sunday night and then into Paris for a few days then down to Reims to see your family… your Uncle Charles has helped me organise it all” he grinned at her.

“Oh my god, oh my god. I love you so much!” she squealed as she threw herself, carefully into his arms and kissed him over and over again “this is the best surprise ever!” she squealed before letting go and looking at the itinerary.

“OH MY GOD YOU’VE EVEN BOOKED US ON A CHAMPAGNE HOUSE TOUR!” she squealed excitedly

Benedict grinned at his girlfriend’s excited response “Like i’d take you to your mother’s home region and not take you for a tour of the famous champagne houses”

Sophie squealed at him once more and then threw herself at him to show him just how grateful she was about her surprise holiday.

A week later, they were all packed up and in the car was ready, as Sophie had broken her left wrist she wasn’t able to drive so Benedict was going to have to do most of the driving but seen as he had the more practice, he felt confident in his ability, and Richard had threatened him with bodily harm if he didn’t bring Sophie home in one piece.

Benedict had to resist the urge to point out that out of all of them, Sophie was the one with points on her licence but the withering glare his girlfriend gave him, stopped him from opening his mouth as he remembered that her father didn’t know that she’d been caught speeding.

He didn’t really fancy travelling with an upset girlfriend so he just promised to be safe and explained that Charles had given him a lot of pointers for driving on the other side of the road so he was sure he was going to be fine.

They journey through to Folkestone had been uneventful, the roads were clear and as they were booked onto a mid afternoon train, most people were in work or in school so they didn’t have that long a wait to board the train.

Once on the train Sophie’s excitement really started “I can’t believe we’re actually going to France” she squeaked “i’m so excited!”

Benedict chuckled at her “did you think it was all some sort of elaborate joke that everyone was in on?”

“A little, it just… it’s our first holiday just the two of us! Even with my broken wrist we’re still going on holiday. I thought it wouldn’t happen” she admitted

“I saw how sad you were when everyone was booking everything and I know the cabin in Scotland will be fun but I know how little you like most of the outdoor activities they’ve got planned other than the stuff on the lake so I wanted to do something that I knew you’d enjoy” he said

“I will enjoy Scotland but it’s a far cry from the Island of Ibiza and the sun and sea that we were going to do, as lets be honest, i’m not really one for dance music and clubs” she replied

“Very true but you know what I mean, all day hikes and stuff that Pete, Ant and Kate will enjoy are not the sort of thing you want to be doing…”

“Or you” Sophie interrupted

“No that’s also true, i’m staying away from those mountains, I don’t mind a hike but not through the scottish highlands” Benedict admitted “i’ll be stopping by the lake with my beautiful girlfriend rather than traipsing through that…” he grinned

“Well she sounds very lucky” Sophie giggled “but come on then what other surprises have you got in store for me” she asked

“Well if i tell you then that’s all my surprises gone” Benedict grinned

“I know of a way that would make you tell me…” she almost purred at him

“Behave… we’re in the car on the ferry Fee, you can tempt me all you like when we make our stop for the night but not right here, there is CCTV everywhere and as much as I’d love to foot around right now… I don’t think being arrested for indecent exposure will go down too well with either of our parents…” he said to her

Sophie pouted “I guess… not sure how Dad would take that. He nearly choked when he came home and saw your naked arse at the top of the stairs sneaking into the bathroom with me… I think getting the phonecall to say I needed bailing out for being caught having sex in public might send him to an early grave…”

“Exactly, it’s bad enough my mother’s seen you naked in my bed and nearly walked in on us before, let’s not be like Kate and Anthony and have pretty much every family member having witnessed them having some sort of sex” Benedict said

Sophie shuddered at her own memory of walking in on Kate and Anthony “oh god no I don’t want that. I’m not sure how Kate faced your parents after that” she admitted

“They saw far more of Ant than Kate so I am told but yes, as much as I’d love to tick Car sex off my bucket list… maybe we can find a secluded place back home to try it rather than on the Euro Train” he chuckled

“I think that is a fair compromise but you can just make it up to me at the hotel…” Sophie beamed at him

The rest of the journey to the hotel was mostly straightforward, they disembarked and after a little bit of confusion with Benedict having some trouble reading the road signs and them talking the wrong direction, they managed to get on the correct road and to their first night on their holiday.

It was everything that either of them could have wanted.

Paris had been amazing, though both agreed they would never ever drive around the Champs-Elysee ever again as it was the most terrifying experience of their young lives and they’d been a bit worried they were actually going to die.

They did all the touristy things, went to the top of the Eiffel Tower, a bit of shopping down the Champs-Elysee, visited the Louvre which ended up taking a whole day as Benedict had wanted to see everything and they spent a small fortune in the gift shop as Benedict had wanted to take everything back with him.

They’d eaten so much good food, visited Notre Dame and the Moulin Rouge but had to miss the Lido Cabaret as they were due in Reims the next day and it was a long enough drive without the late night but they vowed the next time they returned they would go to see it.

Reims had been amazing, Sophie had said it was the best part of the holiday getting to meet some of her relatives that she’d not seen for years since her grandmother had died. Some great aunts and uncles. Charles flew over for a quick visit with his family and on their second night in Reims they had a big Beckett family gathering.

Benedict felt a bit like a fish out of water as his french wasn’t as good as Sophie who was fluent in the language so spent a lot of time waiting for Sophie to translate for him, but he did his best and he loved being able to see Sophie with some of her family.

They had two more days in Reims and the area afterwards and Sophie had arranged a surprise for them on their last day and got them into the Musee des Beaux-Arts and Benedict had been a kid at Christmas, a bit like she’d been in the Champagne house the day before.

By the time they were heading back to England, they’d both had the 10 days of their lives. Spending time in the places that Sophie had been told stories about growing up and having never visited before and they’d been thrilled to do it together.

It was the most incredible experience for them both and they’d somehow managed to fall even more in love with the other, seeing them in their element and they knew France would hold a special place in their hearts and it was a place that Benedict started to consider for where he would ask Sophie to marry him.

He knew that he was going to ask her to marry him, but he was going to wait until she finished her degree. He’d already enlisted Gen’s help with the ring design and creation but wherever he decided to do it he knew it had to be perfect and magical… but he was sure that she’d say yes.

Their first holiday together had been one to remember and a one they couldn’t wait to repeat.

[helianthus21]

thinking about later in the Early Adoption AU (when Vin + Han-seo go to Korea for the gold and they still get entangled in the Babel legal battle) and Han-seok tries to play the "you're my long lost brother" card to get Han-seo on his side. So he pretends to be super interested and nice as his Jun-woo persona, acting like he's so happy about catching up, but Han-seo, who ofc knows what game he's playing, is doing absolutely everything to annoy tf out of Han-seok just to see how far Han-seok's patience goes

[leonstamatis]

really not sure why i felt the need to redact information from that ask. most of you know by now. i talk about the hell that was that fandom often and many of the fics were still on my ao3 up till like two years ago. but listen it's the illusion of having secrets. of having a past.

[judasofsuburbia]

i'm going to be naughty and ask for both 'when we were young' AAAAAND ballet AU if you please 😌 IF you please!!! darling <3

HEHEHE omg anything for youuu louuuu<33

here is a snippet from when we were young (yes the killers song, yes casey mcquiston fucked me up by putting that on henry's playlist):

When Henry would wring his hands during Sunday sermon, shame and guilt rolling over him like an unrelenting tide, he’d look up at the statue. A different one than the Jesus statue back home but still devastatingly gorgeous. He silently told the statue that he would do better. He would be better. But he can’t shut this part of himself off, as much as he tried.

here is a snippet from ballet/stage crew fruity four:

They're in tech rehearsals for Sleeping Beauty at Chicago Ballet. Robin finally got her in as wardrobe crew at the start of this process and she's going to fuck it up by being so taken by the dancer playing Aurora, Nancy Wheeler. She even managed to get Eddie a job as a stagehand so if she fucks this up, she could fuck it up for him too.

wip wednesday babey!!

[barxlupin]

@starspurn ordered:

👫 aventurine and baptiste?

RELATIONSHIP HEADCANONS

Aventurine is perhaps the only person left alive who knows Baptiste's birth name: Myron. He doesn't really identify with that name anymore, but it always makes him happy to hear it from Aventurine.

Has created an entire collection of perfumes dedicated to Aventurine called 'The Fool's Golden Heart'. It's an exclusive collection only Aventurine has access to.

Almost exclusively refers to Aventurine as 'Vasha' when they're alone.

While he doesn't regret running away from the IPC, knowing he'd be sold off eventually, he does feel a little guilty for not being there by the time Aventurine joined the IPC, at least long enough for Aventurine to know he was alive earlier.

[silverwolfdesign]

🡒 ✨ 𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 & 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲 • 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘓𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘥 & 𝘎𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥

“𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯”