#Benedict Bridgerton fluff

[astrxq]

CHAPTER 1 → The Art of First Impressions

words: 3.4k

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Benedict felt his sister’s pull on his arm once, twice, three times before he snapped out of his reverie. Eloise scoffed, her arm linked with his, as she listened to their mother’s pleas for her to please, please, please consider dancing tonight.

"Honestly, Mother, I have no interest in prancing around like a trained pony," Eloise retorted, rolling her eyes.

Their mother sighed, exasperation clear on her face. "It's just one dance, Eloise. It wouldn't hurt to socialize a bit more."

Benedict chuckled softly, earning a glare from his sister. "You know she's not going to give up, Eloise. Might as well dance once and get it over with."

Eloise grumbled under her breath but eventually relented, albeit reluctantly. She managed to escape her mother, finding Penelope on the other side of the room, who was also standing aside, avoiding dances. Turning back, Benedict found himself face-to-face with his mother again, she smiled.

"And you, Benedict," Violet began, raising an eyebrow. "Have you considered dancing tonight? There are plenty of eligible young ladies here."

Benedict sighed inwardly, "Mother, I think I'd rather enjoy the evening in other ways. There's no shortage of good company even off the dance floor."

Violet's smile wavered slightly, but she nodded in understanding. "It's important to make an effort sometimes."

"I know, Mother," he replied, planting a kiss on her cheek. "I'll make an effort. Just not tonight."

With that, he made his way across the room, scanning the crowd for his brothers. He found his brother Colin near the refreshments, engaged in animated conversation. Benedict joined them, picking up a glass of brandy from the table.

"Escaping Mother’s matchmaking efforts, I see," Colin said with a knowing smirk.

Benedict raised his glass in a mock toast. "To avoiding dances and hungry mamas."

Colin chuckled, clinking his glass against Benedict's. "Here, here. Though I think she's got her eyes set on Eloise tonight. Poor thing."

Benedict glanced over to see Eloise and Penelope deep in conversation, both clearly intent on remaining wallflowers for the evening. 

"She'll manage," he glanced at their mother, now deep in conversation with one too many mama’s asking for her sons to dance with their daughters. "You know Mother, once she sets her mind on something, there's no stopping her."

Colin nodded in agreement, then leaned in closer to Benedict, lowering his voice before taking a sip of his drink. "Speaking of setting minds on things, I think I might ask Penelope for a dance."

Benedict raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk appearing on his lips. "Oh? And what's the occasion?"

Colin shrugged nonchalantly. "We're friends, aren't we? It's only proper to dance with a friend."

"By all means, go ahead," Benedict said, gesturing towards Penelope, who was engrossed in conversation with Eloise. "I'll take care of Eloise for you."

With that, both brothers stalked their way to where the two girls stood. Eloise, upon seeing her brothers look so determined, made a face, Penelope grinned at the sight of Colin approaching. 

“Good evening, ladies.” Benedict said, immediately linking his arm with his sister’s and pulling her to walk with him. 

Eloise made a move to let go of her brother and return to her friend, but Benedict pulled her forward. As Benedict led her away from the crowd, he could feel her resistance soften. He knew his sister well enough to understand that while she might grumble at being dragged away from her conversations, she often secretly appreciated the break from social gatherings.

"We're not escaping to the stables, are we?" Eloise quipped, a hint of amusement in her voice as Benedict guided her towards the quieter corridors of the house.

Benedict chuckled. "Not this time, though I must admit, the stables do hold a certain appeal."

As they entered the grand gallery of the house, Benedict felt a sense of calm wash over him. The opulent space was adorned with exquisite paintings, illuminated by the soft glow of strategically placed lamps. The air was filled with the faint scent of old books and polished wood. He stayed silent and walked to stand in front of the biggest painting, a landscape of the lake near their house – the water shimmered with delicate strokes of blue and green, wisps of mist floated above the surface of the lake, adding an ethereal quality to the scene. In the distance, a lady in a white dress, feeding the ducks. ‘Byron Montclair’ signed at the bottom.

Eloise rolled her eyes at Benedict's lingering gaze. "Are you going to stare at the walls all night, or are you actually going to tell me why you dragged me away from the party?"

Benedict grinned, enjoying his sister's feisty demeanor. "I thought you might appreciate a moment away from the chaos.”

She hummed, “Not because Colin wanted to dance with my friend?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Benedict watched as Eloise settled herself on a wooden bench near the walls, her posture betraying her boredom despite her attempts to appear nonchalant. Her shoulders slumped forward, legs crossed one over the other and hands falling to her lap, she played with her bracelet while Benedict slowly paced around the room, taking his sweet time to stare at each painting.

As he gazed at the various paintings adorning the walls, his eyes landed on one that seemed familiar yet out of place. It was his own work, a sunset he had painted months before and gifted to his mother, even though he was not too proud of the outcome. He approached it, lost in his contemplation, Benedict didn't notice the soft footsteps approaching from behind until a voice broke the silence.

"Do you like it?”

Benedict turned to your voice, a woman, around his age, standing next to him, eyes glued to his painting. He looked back to where his sister sat, though she was still distracted by her own boredom.

“I suppose…” he answered, now staring at you. You didn’t look at him. 

“Interesting choice of colors," you remarked, your voice soft yet carrying an air of authority. "Although I must say, the technique could use some refinement."

Benedict arched an eyebrow at the unexpected critique, feeling a mixture of surprise and curiosity at your boldness. He hadn't anticipated such an assessment of his work, especially from someone he hadn't met before.

He glanced at the painting again, then back at you, noting your composed demeanor and the confidence in your voice. 

"I see," he replied, choosing his words carefully. "And what, if I may ask, would you suggest to refine it?"

You turned her gaze towards him, finally acknowledging his presence with a subtle smile playing at the corners of your lips. 

"Well, for starters, the brushstrokes could be more fluid," you began, "And perhaps a greater attention to light and shadow would enhance the overall depth of the piece."

He stared at you, then back at the painting. He squinted as he focused on every detail you’d pointed out. You were right, it wasn’t a good painting, not his best at least. You made no move to go look at another painting, instead choosing to stand next to Benedict as he analyzed his own work.

“It’s almost as if the painter has no motivation.” 

Benedict widened his eyes, quickly turning to look at you. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

You shrugged, your gaze still fixed on the painting. "Just an observation," you replied cryptically. “If the artist is not motivated to paint, if it’s a chore to them, paintings turn out boring. Just like this one, might I add.”

Benedict couldn't help but feel a surge of defensiveness at your blunt assessment of his painting. After all, it had been a heartfelt gift to his mother, even if he wasn't entirely satisfied with the outcome himself.

"I wouldn't say it was a chore," he retorted, his tone tinged with a hint of indignation. "But perhaps you're right. It lacks a certain... spark."

You turned to him, a thoughtful expression on your face. "Exactly. Without that spark, a painting loses its soul."

Benedict couldn't help but feel a prickling sense of irritation at your bold critique of his painting. After all, who were you to question his artistic motivations and the soul of his work?

"And what, may I ask, qualifies you to critique this painting?" Benedict's voice held a subtle edge, his tone laced with a hint of skepticism.

“I am merely just making observations,” you heard Eloise chuckle from the other side of the room, quickly covering her mouth when both you and Benedict turned to look at her. “Women aren’t allowed in art school, much to your privilege, but I know when a painting is a masterpiece and when it falls short." 

Benedict's eyebrows shot up in surprise at your response. He hadn't expected such a bold and insightful remark from someone he had just met. It intrigued him, and he found himself wanting to delve deeper into this conversation.

"I see," he said, his tone softening as he regarded you with newfound interest.

Before he could ask you more questions, though, a chaperone appeared at the door, calling hands behind her back, and a serious look on her face. “Miss Montclair, the carriage you called has arrived.”

Without another word, you turned to look at Benedict, “If you need insight in how to better your… work, if you may call it that, I'd be happy to offer my expertise." 

With that, you offered Benedict a small nod before gracefully exiting the room, leaving him standing there, slightly taken aback by your departure. He watched you leave, feeling a curious mixture of intrigue and admiration for your boldness and insight.

Eloise approached Benedict, a mischievous twinkle in her eye. "Well, that was unexpected," she commented, gesturing towards the door through which you had just left.

He couldn't shake the feeling of fascination that had gripped him during your brief interaction. There was something about your confidence, your insight, that intrigued him.

Benedict couldn't help but smirk at Eloise's comment, her playful demeanor adding to the intrigue of the moment. "Indeed, quite unexpected," he replied, his mind still lingering on the exchange with you.

Eloise nudged him lightly with her elbow, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I must admit, she certainly knows how to make an entrance and an exit."

Benedict chuckled, nodding in agreement. "That she does."

"I must admit, I haven't seen you at a loss for words like that in quite some time, brother." 

Benedict chuckled, shaking his head.Eloise leaned in conspiratorially, a playful glint in her eye. "Well, aside from her keen eye for art, I must say she's rather... captivating, wouldn't you agree?" she teased.

Benedict raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Oh, and here I thought you were immune to such charms, dear sister."

Eloise laughed, nudging him playfully with her elbow. "Please, Benedict. Even I can appreciate beauty when I see it."

Benedict grinned, the corners of his lips quirking upwards. He couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu as he found himself once again standing in front of his favorite painting, the lake, lost in its serene beauty. As he admired the brushstrokes and the way the artist had captured the essence of the landscape, he felt a gentle nudge from Eloise, who was studying the painting with a thoughtful expression.

"Isn't it interesting?" she remarked, her voice barely above a whisper. "The signature at the bottom of the painting, it's the same last name as the woman who critiqued your work earlier."

Benedict's eyebrows shot up in surprise as he followed Eloise's gaze to the elegant cursive letters that spelled out 'Byron Montclair' at the bottom corner of the painting. The realization dawned on him slowly, a flicker of curiosity igniting within him.

"You don't suppose..." he began, his voice trailing off as he turned to look at Eloise, his mind racing with possibilities.

Eloise shrugged, a playful glint in her eye. "Who knows? But wouldn't it be quite the coincidence if it were true?"

He simply glanced at the name once again, before silently following behind his sister. As Benedict and Eloise walked back to the main hall, the echo of your words and the coincidence of the painting's signature played on Benedict's mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to this brief encounter than met the eye.

The sound of laughter and music grew louder as they approached the party. Eloise seemed content with their little diversion, her earlier irritation replaced with a more relaxed demeanor. She glanced at Benedict, noting his thoughtful expression.

"You're not going to stand there brooding all night, are you?" she teased, nudging him gently.

Benedict offered her a half-smile, shaking off his musings. "Of course not.”

“Even though I enjoyed seeing a woman speak her mind so freely, especially to you, brother, I must admit it was a tad rude interaction.”

Benedict chuckled softly, acknowledging Eloise's observation. "Yes, it was rather... direct, wasn't it?" Eloise smirked, her eyes dancing with amusement. 

"Direct is one way to put it."

Benedict couldn’t help but smile, cheeks tinting a slight shade of pink, his sister dramatically gasped, pointing a finger at him. He grabbed the finger and shook it, telling her to put it down, “You liked it? You freak!”

Benedict's cheeks tinted slightly pink, but he couldn't suppress the grin that tugged at his lips. "Perhaps I did," he admitted, his tone laced with amusement.

Eloise arched an eyebrow, a mischievous smirk playing on her lips. "Someone's got a soft spot for a bit of sass and intellect." she snorted, her smile quickly fading away as a suitor approached, hand in front of him and ready to ask for a dance.

Benedict's smile widened as he turned to face the approaching suitor, his demeanor shifting smoothly from amusement to polite courtesy. 

"Ah, I believe you have your dance partner for the evening, Eloise," he said, gesturing towards the eager gentleman. 

She glared, and reached to hold onto his arm tightly to stop him from leaving, Eloise's eyes widened in horror, but she quickly composed herself, offering the suitor a polite smile. “Maybe later?”

Benedict elbowed her. Their mother was approaching. 

“Or, now! Yeah,”

Benedict chuckled under his breath, admiring Eloise's quick recovery. As their mother drew near, he straightened his posture and greeted her with a warm smile. Violet beamed at the sight of her children, her eyes twinkling with maternal pride. 

"Ah, there you are, my darlings. Enjoying the party?"

Benedict offered his mother a warm smile, his gaze flickering to Eloise’s clumsy dancing before returning to Violet. 

“I cannot wait to go home, mother.” he teased, linking arms with her as she shook her head with a cheeky smile. Once he noticed one of the mama’s from before, approaching him and his mother, he scurried away while Violet kindly greeted them. Benedict made his way towards the refreshment table, pouring himself another glass of brandy. The rich amber liquid swirled in the glass as he lifted it to his lips, savoring the warmth it brought. 

"Mind if I join you?" Anthony, his eldest brother, stood beside him, a smile playing on his lips.

"Not at all," Benedict replied, gesturing to the empty space beside him. "I could use the company."

Anthony poured himself a drink and took a sip, his gaze sweeping across the ballroom. 

"So, what do you make of all this matchmaking business?" Anthony asked, his tone light yet curious. Benedict shrugged, a wry smile playing on his lips. 

"Same as always, I suppose. Mother means well, but sometimes her enthusiasm can be... overwhelming." 

Anthony chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Indeed. But you have to admit, it does make for some entertaining evenings."

He nodded in silence, drawing another drink, “Wherever did you and Eloise disappear to? I did not see you both around the ball.”

Benedict took a thoughtful sip of his brandy, pondering Anthony's question. "Oh, just needed a moment away from the chaos," he replied casually, choosing not to delve into the specifics of their little excursion. "You know how it gets sometimes."

Anthony raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk playing on his lips. "Ah, yes. Dodging matchmaking attempts, I assume?"

Benedict chuckled, nodding in agreement. "Something like that."

As the evening wore on, the chatter and laughter in the ballroom reached a crescendo, signaling the height of the festivities. Benedict, having slipped away from the main hall, found himself once again in the grand gallery, the serene ambiance a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere he had just left behind.

With practiced ease, he approached his painting, studying it with a critical eye. The soft glow of the lamps illuminated the brushstrokes, casting shadows that danced across the canvas. Benedict couldn't help but feel a sense of dissatisfaction with his work, spurred on by the candid critique he had received earlier.

As he reached out to carefully lift the painting from its place on the wall, a voice broke the silence, causing him to freeze in his tracks.

"What are you doing?" Anthony asked.

Benedict turned to his brother, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "Just... admiring my handiwork," he replied, his tone light yet tinged with uncertainty. 

Anthony arched an eyebrow, his gaze flickering to the painting in Benedict's hands. "Ah, I see. And what do you plan to do with it? Wasn’t it a gift to mother?"

Benedict hesitated, unsure of how to articulate his thoughts. "It was, yes," he conceded, clearing his throat. He put the canvas under his arm to carry it with more ease, and without another word of explanation, he slipped away from the room. 

He retreated to the solitude of his art room, the familiar scent of oil paints and turpentine enveloping him like a comforting embrace. With practiced hands, he carefully propped up the painting on an easel, the canvas stretched taut and waiting.

Yet, as Benedict picked up his brush and dipped it into a pool of vibrant colors, he couldn't shake the feeling of dissatisfaction that gnawed at him. Each stroke felt clumsy, each hue seemed wrong, as if the colors refused to blend in harmony. His mind drifted back to the encounter with you, your candid critique echoing in his thoughts.

"Without that spark, a painting loses its soul," your words echoed in his mind, resonating with a truth he couldn't ignore. Benedict found himself scrutinizing every detail of his painting, searching for that elusive spark, that intangible quality that would breathe life into his work.

But no matter how hard he tried, Benedict couldn't shake the feeling that something was missing, that his painting lacked the depth and vibrancy he so desperately sought. Frustration mounted with each brushstroke, each attempt to capture the essence of the landscape that had once inspired him.

As he stood back to assess his work, Benedict couldn't help but feel a sense of defeat wash over him. The painting before him seemed lifeless, devoid of the vitality that had once captivated him. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his tousled hair as he struggled to come to terms with his artistic shortcomings.

In that moment of vulnerability, Benedict found himself thinking of you, of your keen eye and unapologetic honesty. 

With a heavy heart and a mind clouded by frustration, Benedict reluctantly admitted defeat. Setting aside his brushes and palette, he extinguished the flickering candlelight in his art room, the darkness enveloping him like a shroud as he made his way to his chambers. 

Despite the late hour, sleep eluded him, his thoughts consumed by the encounter with you and the weight of your words. He tossed and turned restlessly, the image of your gorgeous face and the echo of your soft voice haunting him in the silence of the night.

[skyrigel]

GIVE ME MORE BENEDICT SHORTS NOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW 😖😖😖😭😭😭 I BEGGGGGG 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️🧎‍♀️‍➡️

Just like that | B.B

Warning: 18 +, handjob, cock worshipping, first time, inexperienced!reader ( lemme know if any other ) words : 1k

Rigel's note 🪩 : just because you begged ;) [ nah, ily ] got the idea from the emoji btw, thanks for being cute Mic <333 My requests are open everyone :)

" Like this ? "

He shaked his head and in swift soundless movements, he was behind you. His whole body was pressed to you and his face just mere inches away from caressing your cheek. He was quite amused when your dropped your brush.

" Here—" Benedict picked it up and his fingertips lingered more than it should before a cocky smile made it's way to his beautiful face.

" No, no." He pouted and took your wrist, his chin resting on your shoulder as he guided your stance, " like this, see, now—" He began moving his hand that armoured around yours, the soused brush stroked against the canvas in smooth easy way.

" Is this good ? " You made the mistake of turning your face to him, he smiled when your cheeks flushed pink, a shade your brush withheld but not as bright as it glittered you. Benedict made no effort to back away, his breath mingled with yours as his mouth lowered carefully, slowly and slowly, his fingers brushed against your face, thumb caressing the colour he had painted you in.

" This is very good." He whsipered on your lips breathlessly, taking the brush away from your hand and you gave in, his eye's never leaving yours, he enjoyed it very much.

" Benedict...." You gasped when he held your waist, pulling you closer, your eye's widened and he exhaled delightfully, you could feel his hardened desire against you.

His nose nuzzled on your hot skin and you crumbled against his proximity, he was hardening more, his erection was shooting shivers down in your bones and flesh.

" I am out of my mind." He breathed sharply as he withdrew his hands, shaking from holding back from you.

His expressions were pained as he closed his eyes, what you wouldn't give to see him smile, to take this pain away.

Your eyes, shameless as they got, stared at his crotch, Benedict's jaw slacked when he caught you red handed and you looked up, too dazed.

" Funny isn't, the thing you do to me." He laughed but it was humour less, it burned with longing and want and accusation. He ran a hand through his hair, biting down his lower lip.

" Benedict I..." He looked up, you stumbled on your words, your hands trembled, you were always a curious one, but it was more than curiousity. It was desire and passion.

" Can I touch you ? " Your heart was racing so fast that you wouldn't be surprised if it broke out of your ribs and fell, instead you would pick it up and give it to Benedict, it belonged to him anyway.

Benedict blinked, once and then the corner of his lips quirked, he cleared his throat and his adam rippled, it amazed you how beautiful and rhythmic everything about him was.

" Are you...are you sure ? " He all but groaned, his eyes were twinkling, like a dream come true, you nodded.

Your hands were getting sweaty as Benedict removed his breeches, he chuckled when you stared, no, you were gawking at his length.

Benedict was well built, everything about him was big and loud and as it felt, there was no exceptions.

And the next you knew was that, he was beautiful, nerves pulsed rhythmically as his eyes dazed, his mouth curved when he sat on the couch, you were standing in front of him, still gawking.

" You are...you are beautiful." You said looking up from your lashes, realising you had said it out aloud. Benedict's grin was splitting his whole face, reaching ear to ear.

You moved slowly and carefully, wiping your hands on your satin clothes, he was too beautiful and precious, you were afraid to leave marks.

You tips touched the head of his cock, and it twitched at the contact, Benedict huffed a strained breath, he was smiling. A electrifying force jolted from the touch, shooting in your whole body, you buzzed inside out, when you looked up at him, you smiled too.

" It's... it's wet." You said, thumb caressing his tip as if it were his cheek, sticky silvery fluid beaming it up.

" Uh huh." Benedict shifted, a gasp escaped his lip as he tried to bite it down when you held him in your fist, he liked that, you could that tell behind the pain, there was pleasure indeed.

You applied pressure, Benedict's eyes softened, " move, " he moaned, cupping your hand and guiding it up and down in smooth strokes, he was being so needy and it drived you crazy, how much you wanted to please him.

" like this ? " You asked, a playful smile playing on your lips.

He nodded languidly, eyes blown when you increased your pace, he was panting and his throat started making sounds that came deeper from his body, your palm were slippery with his fluid as you were breathing hard, your stomach clenched to think how beautiful a naked Benedict would look, how perfectly you would paint him, just for yourself, your own masterpiece.

You felt your thighs tightened at how big he was, how beautiful, how soft and how warm. Benedict's head was thrown back as your heaving increased, the side of your hand hitting his groin, skin against skin as Benedict rolled his hip, he was majestic and magnificent.

" I will...I am gonna—" whatever he was going to say was drowned in a sharp cry as waves of white silvery cum flashed in a joltic eruption, it got on your face, your hands, your chest, your whole body.

Benedict was chanting your name as he came, his cheeks flushed, lids blown.

He looked wide, he couldn't hide how much he liked the sight of you like this, dripping in his cum as he tucked a strand of your hair back.

" Baby, just like that." He smiled, kissing you hard and soft, all glitter and confetti.

[ladywhistlewrites]

If I may, could I possibly request Benedict Bridgerton x reader who needed to get away from everything ( don’t exactly know what my apologies ) as it was overwhelming and ran into the forest whilst they was a storm and ended up slipping down becoming injured and unconscious? ( goes from that to him going out looking for reader )

hiii (omg my first ask) ofc!!

I did my best hope you like it🩷

Benedict brigerton x gn reader

The weight of the world bore heavily upon your shoulders, and the oppressive atmosphere of the ball only served to suffocate you further. The grandeur of the Bridgerton estate, with its lavish decorations and spirited laughter, felt like a cage closing in around you. Air, you needed air, space, and solitude—a moment to breathe away from prying eyes and the incessant demands of high society.

Without a word to anyone, you slipped out of the ballroom, heart pounding in your chest as you made your way through the gardens. The night air was cool against your flushed skin, a welcome relief from the stifling heat inside. You walked faster, pace quickening with each step, until you broke into a run. The storm brewing on the horizon mirrored the turmoil within you and you welcomed it, hoping the rain would wash away your troubles.

The first droplets began to fall just as you reached the edge of the forest. The tall, dark trees beckoned you with their promise of seclusion, and you didn't hesitate, plunging into the dense undergrowth. The storm intensified, lightning illuminating the path ahead in brief, blinding flashes, followed by the deafening roar of thunder. You pressed on, deeper into the forest, driven by a desperate need to escape.

Your foot caught on a hidden root, and you tumbled down a steep incline, the world spinning around you.

You landed hard, pain shooting through your leg as you tried to stand. Your vision blurred, the rain now a torrential downpour, soaking you to the bone.

You tried to call out, but your voice was swallowed by the storm. Darkness closed in, and you succumbed to unconsciousness, lying helpless in the mud.

Back at the Bridgerton estate, Benedict couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss. He had noticed you slipping away earlier, your eyes filled with a sadness that tugged at his heart. When you didn't return, he grew increasingly worried. Ignoring the curious glances from the guests, he ventured outside, his coat pulled tight against the storm.

The garden was deserted, and he followed your path through the wet grass, his eyes scanning the forest ahead. He plunged into the trees, calling her name, his voice lost in the howling wind. Fear gripped him as he imagined you alone and frightened in the storm. He pushed on, his heart pounding with determination, until he finally spotted your prone form at the bottom of the incline.

He called out your name, his voice filled with relief and urgency. He scrambled down to your side, his hands trembling as he checked for signs of life. You were breathing, but unconscious, your face pale and clothes soaked through. He gently lifted you into his arms, cradling you against his chest. The journey back to the estate was treacherous, the rain turning the ground to mud, but he moved with a singular focus, driven by the need to get you to safety.

Once inside, the Bridgerton household sprang into action. Benedict carried you up to a guest room, barking orders for hot water, blankets, and the family physician. He stayed by your side, holding your hand, his eyes never leaving your face. The physician arrived quickly, tending to her injuries with practiced efficiency. A sprained ankle and exhaustion, he said, but nothing more serious. You would recover with rest and care.

Benedict breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally calming. He remained at your bedside, his fingers intertwined with hers, offering silent comfort. As the storm raged outside, the room was filled with a sense of peace. You stirred, your eyes fluttering open to meet his concerned gaze. A weak smile played on your lips, and you squeezed his hand, grateful for his presence.

"You're safe now," he whispered, brushing a strand of wet hair from your forehead. "I'm here."

In that moment, surrounded by the warmth of the Bridgerton home and the steadfast presence of Benedict, you knew you were not alone. The storm had passed, both outside and within, and you felt a glimmer of hope for the days to come.

[satellite-evans]

Familiar Echoes

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x reader

Summary: When Y/N, the daughter of the duke of Ashbourne returns to Aubrey Hall, old feelings resurface between her and Benedict Bridgerton, sparking tension and intrigue. As they navigate past misunderstandings with the support of their families, they must confront their emotions and decide if their childhood bond can evolve into something more.

Word count: 4.7k words

Warnings: fluff, a little angst, mention of nude models, childhood friends, misunderstanding

A/N:

Hi everyone, this is my first Benedict fic so I am very excited, hope you guys will like it :)

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 sun cast a warm, golden glow over Aubrey Hall, its rays filtering through the trees and illuminating the vibrant gardens where the Bridgerton children played. Benedict Bridgerton, with his dark curls and inquisitive eyes, was only ten years old, yet he was already showing signs of the artistic and passionate young man he would become.

In the gardens, Benedict was engrossed in a spirited game of hide-and-seek with his siblings and their dear friends, the Y/L/Ns. The daughter of the Duke of Ashbourne, Y/N, was Benedict’s favorite playmate. Her laughter was his favorite and her eyes mirrored something so beautiful, so pure.

Benedict, you’ll never find me!” Y/N called out, her voice echoing through the hedges.

He grinned, determined to prove his best friend wrong. They had spent countless afternoons exploring the grounds, creating imaginary worlds, and sharing secrets that only they understood.

Finally, he spotted her hiding behind a rosebush. “Got you!” he exclaimed, grabbing her hand and twirling her around.

She laughed, her joy infectious. “You always find me, Benedict.”

He smiled, a blush creeping up his cheeks. “I’ll always find you, Y/N.”

But the idyllic days of childhood were not to last. That evening, over dinner, the Duke of Ashbourne announced that his family would be leaving London for an extended stay in Italy. The news hit Benedict like a blow, and he struggled to hide his disappointment. He looked over at his friend and saw those same pure eyes filling up with tears. It broke his tiny heart into pieces.

“Leave London? Whatever for?”

Benedict was thrilled that his mother asked because he desperately needed to know why they had to leave.

“We have decided it is time to show our children the world. My father took me on similar journeys when I was their age, and those experiences were invaluable. I want Thomas and Y/N to have the same opportunities—to see different places, learn new things, and broaden their horizons.”

Your mother nodded in agreement, her expression resolute. “We believe it will be good for their education. There’s so much to learn beyond the walls of London, and we want to give them a chance to explore and grow in ways they cannot here.”

Violet glanced at the Viscount, her husband Edmund, who had been listening quietly. He smiled and nodded, understanding the importance of such a decision. “I agree with you, William,” he said to your father. “Traveling and experiencing different cultures can provide a wealth of knowledge and perspective that one simply cannot gain from books alone.”

Thomas, your older brother, seemed very excited about the upcoming adventure.

But Y/N did not.

She was thinking all about how terribly she was going to miss her dear friend Benedict and how awful it was going to be, not to be in his presence all the time.

After dinner, Benedict found Y/N in the music room, softly playing the pianoforte. He approached her, his heart heavy.

“Why do you have to go?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Y/N looked up, her eyes filled with sadness. “Father believes it’s for the best. He wants us to experience life. He also mentioned that we will also visit Greece and many more."

“But what about us? What about our adventures?” Benedict’s voice cracked with emotion.

She reached out, taking his hand in hers. “We’ll always have our memories, Benedict. And we’ll see each other again. I promise.”

Benedict squeezed her hand, trying to hold back tears. “Promise?”

“Promise,” she echoed, her voice firm despite the tears in her eyes.

After staying a few more days at Aubrey Hall, the Y/L/N family departed, leaving a void in Benedict’s heart. As their carriage disappeared down the long driveway, he stood beside his father, Edmund Bridgerton, who placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“Time will pass quickly, my boy,” Edmund said gently. “And you’ll see her again before you know it.”

Benedict nodded, but the ache in his heart remained. Little did he know, their next meeting would be years away, and the feelings he harbored would only grow stronger with time.

Years had passed since the Y/L/N family’s departure, and Benedict had grown into a handsome and talented young man. He pursued his passion for art with fervor, yet a part of him always yearned for the companionship he had once shared with Y/N.

The sun had just begun to set, casting a warm golden glow over Aubrey Hall, when Lady Violet Bridgerton received the letter. She was seated in the drawing room with her children, each engaged in their own activities. Anthony was reviewing estate documents, Colin was reading a book, Eloise was writing furiously in her notebook, and the younger ones were playing a game by the fireplace.

"Everyone," Lady Violet called, her voice filled with excitement. "I have just received the most wonderful news."

The Bridgerton children looked up, curiosity piqued.

"What is it, Mother?" Anthony asked, setting aside his papers.

Lady Violet grinned. "We are to have guests. The Duke and Duchess of Ashbourne, along with their children, are coming to visit."

A chorus of reactions followed. Eloise raised an eyebrow. "The Ashbournes? Weren't they the family that moved away to travel the world?"

"Yes, indeed," Lady Violet confirmed. "The duke was a dear friend of your father. They moved away years ago, but they have decided to return for a time."

"Does this mean we’ll get to see Thomas again?" Colin asked, a grin spreading across his face. "I always liked him."

"And Y/N," Daphne added, her eyes twinkling. "I remember she was always so talented in the pianoforte and the harp."

Benedict remained silent, a slight blush creeping up his neck. He hoped no one would notice, but of course, Anthony did.

"Well, well, Benedict," Anthony said, a mischievous glint in his eye. "It looks like your childhood crush will be reunited with you," Anthony said, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Benedict tried to maintain his composure. "Don't be ridiculous, Anthony. That was ages ago."

Colin chimed in, unable to resist the opportunity to tease his brother. "Oh, come on, Benedict. We all remember how you used to follow her around like a lost puppy."

Eloise snickered. "And how you would turn bright red whenever she spoke to you."

Benedict sighed, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. "I was a child. We’ve all grown up since then."

"Perhaps," Anthony said, leaning back in his chair. "But it will be interesting to see how things play out now that you’re both adults."

Lady Violet intervened, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Enough teasing, boys. Let us make sure everything is ready for their arrival. They will be here in a few days, and I want everything to be perfect."

As the family dispersed to prepare for their guests, the three Bridgerton brothers found themselves alone in the study.

Anthony leaned against the desk, his expression thoughtful. "It will be good to see Thomas again. He was always a good friend."

Colin nodded. "I heard he’s become quite the gentleman. And he was always supportive of Y/N’s education and talents. Not like most men of our time."

"True," Anthony agreed. "Thomas was never one to adhere strictly to societal norms. He always did what he thought was right."

Benedict, who had been quiet, finally spoke up. "I wonder how much Y/N has changed. She was always so passionate about music and poetry."

Colin grinned. "Still thinking about her, eh? You know, Anthony and I used to place bets on when you would finally tell her how you felt."

Benedict rolled his eyes. "You’re never going to let this go, are you?"

Anthony laughed. "Not a chance. But in all seriousness, Benedict, it will be good to see them again. And who knows? Maybe this visit will bring about some unexpected surprises."

Benedict sighed, but a small smile played on his lips. "Maybe."

Y/N stood by her bedroom window, looking out at the rolling hills of their estate as the sun began its slow descent. She was filled with a mix of excitement and apprehension about their imminent departure to Aubrey Hall. The Bridgertons had always held a special place in her heart, especially Benedict, but years and distance had complicated those feelings.

"Are you ready, Y/N?" Thomas's voice called from the hallway.

Y/N turned away from the window and smiled as her brother entered the room. "Almost. Just gathering my thoughts."

Thomas gave her a knowing look. "Excited to see the Bridgertons again?"

"Of course," Y/N replied, smoothing down her dress. "It's been too long."

Thomas leaned against the doorframe, his expression thoughtful. "You know, Anthony mentioned in his letters that Benedict has been quite busy at the Royal Academy. Apparently, the place is famous for its...nude models."

Y/N's hand froze mid-air, her heart skipping a beat. "Nude models?"

Thomas nodded, a playful smirk tugging at his lips. "Yes, it seems our dear Benedict has been immersing himself in all aspects of art. Anthony said in his letter something about him knocking over an easel while staring at a rather attractive model. Everyone had a good laugh. Quite the scandal, isn't it?"

Y/N's cheeks flushed as she tried to mask her reaction. "It's part of his training, I'm sure. Nothing more."

Thomas watched her carefully, his smirk growing. "You’re right. Still, it's interesting, don’t you think?"

Y/N forced a smile. "What’s your point, Thomas?"

"My point," he said, stepping closer, "is that you seem unusually interested in Benedict’s artistic pursuits."

Y/N met her brother’s gaze firmly. "I’m interested in all my friends' pursuits. Nothing unusual about that."

Thomas chuckled, shaking his head. "Very well. But remember, Y/N, I know you better than anyone. I can tell when something—or someone—is on your mind."

Y/N lifted her chin. "And I can assure you, Thomas, that my mind is perfectly clear."

"Fine, fine," Thomas said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "But if you ever need to talk about anything, you know where to find me."

Y/N nodded, grateful for her brother's support, even if she wasn’t ready to share her feelings. "Thank you, Thomas. Now, let’s focus on the journey ahead."

"Agreed," Thomas said, offering his arm. "Shall we?"

Y/N took his arm, and they made their way downstairs where their parents were waiting. As they stepped outside, she felt excited about the days to come. But also jealousy, which she never felt before in her life. She knew that it was none of her business what Benedict did or did not do. Nevertheless, she could not help herself feeling this way.

The journey to Aubrey Hall was filled with excitement and nostalgia. As their carriage approached the estate, memories of their childhood flooded Y/N’s mind. She felt a mix of eagerness and nervousness, wondering how much had changed. Still, there was a feeling Y/N couldn't shake away. The things that her brother told her about Benedict still haunted her. Benedict changed, she knew that for certain, but she really hoped that his feelings did not.

" It feels so strange to be back again," Thomas said, making Y/N turn to him. "It is like we have never left."

Her father nodded. "I get what you mean. It was like yesterday when you and Benedict were chasing Y/N and Daphne in the garden while Edmund and I were watching with a smile on our faces."

After mentioning the late Viscount, the eyes of your father started to fill with tears. He was in shock when the news came that Edmund passed away. It took him a few months to process the tragic loss of his closest friend. Y/N could not even imagine what Benedict went through.

"We all miss him terribly," your mother said, taking her husband's hand in hers. "But there is no need to sadden ourselves with the past. You will get to see Anthony as the new viscount. I'm sure he fitted the title well."

Your father smiled at his wife and kissed her hand. She always knew how to lift her spirits.

"Just like how Thomas will fit the title of the duke of Ashbourne well." Thomas rolled his eyes while Y/N and her parents started laughing.

"Believe me, father, that it will be years before I will get the title. You will live a long life with mama and your children and grandchildren by your side."

the funny banter between the Ashbourne family was not something new. They always have differed from the rest of the ton. There was no marriage pressure. The duke and duchess put the education of their children first, wanting nothing but happiness for them.

"Look, they have arrived!"

The Ashbourne carriage rolled to a stop in front of Aubrey Hall, the Bridgerton family waiting outside to greet their guests. The air was filled with anticipation and a touch of nostalgia as the two families prepared to reunite after so many years.

Lady Violet stepped forward with a warm smile. "Welcome, welcome!"

The Duke of Ashbourne, a distinguished gentleman with a friendly demeanor, was the first to step out, helping his elegant wife, the Duchess of Ashbourne, out of the carriage. Following them were Thomas and Y/N, who looked around with a mix of excitement and nervousness.

"It’s wonderful to see you, Violet," the Duke said, embracing Lady Violet. "Thank you for having us."

"The pleasure is all ours," Lady Violet replied. "We’ve missed you terribly."

As the Ashbournes stepped out of the carriage, the Bridgerton children moved forward to greet them. Anthony, Colin, and Benedict engulfed Thomas in a warm embrace.

"Thomas, it’s been far too long," Anthony said, clapping him on the back.

"Indeed," Thomas replied, smiling. "It’s good to see you all."

Y/N followed, greeting each Bridgerton sibling with a warm smile and a hug, her demeanor friendly and welcoming. However, when she reached Benedict, her expression changed. She gave him a polite nod; her smile barely reaching her eyes.

When Benedict watched her getting out of the carriage, he only had one thought.

She is breathtakingly beautiful.

Her blonde hair changed into a darker shade of brown, but her eyes were the same. They were still mirroring such beauty he wished he could draw. Her smile was still contagious, affecting him immediately with his own.

" Mr Bridgerton, it is good to see you. How have you been?"

Mr Bridgerton? Why was she so formal suddenly? Was she not as excited to see him as he was seeing her?

"Miss Y/L/N, It is great to see you too. I am well, thank you for asking, been quite busy with my paintings."

Y/N’s gaze turned icy. "So I’ve heard." Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked straight inside, leaving Benedict standing there, bewildered.

As Benedict watched her retreating figure, he felt a pang of hurt and confusion. He glanced towards Thomas, who was already looking at him with a knowing look, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Sensing the tension in the air, Thomas was the first to speak. "Well, it is rather chilly out here. Let’s all follow my dear sister inside, shall we?"

The group laughed, the tension easing slightly as they followed Thomas into the grand entrance hall of Aubrey Hall.

As they made their way inside, the tension between Y/N and Benedict did not go unnoticed by the rest of the family. Lady Violet exchanged a concerned glance with the duchess while Anthony observed the interaction with a furrowed brow.

Once inside, they were led to the grand dining room, where a sumptuous feast awaited them. The grand dining room at Aubrey Hall was resplendent with crystal chandeliers casting a warm glow over the elegantly set table.

The Duke of Ashbourne, seated beside Lord Anthony Bridgerton, raised his glass. “To old friends and new beginnings,” he toasted, his voice rich and warm.

The toast was met with a chorus of agreement and the clinking of glasses. As the first course was served, Lady Violet began the conversation. “William, Eleanor, how has your journey been so far? Any memorable adventures?”

Eleanor smiled, glancing at her children. “It’s been a wonderful experience. We’ve seen so many beautiful places, and the children have learned a great deal.”

“Indeed,” the Duke added. “Thomas and Y/N have taken to it splendidly. Y/N, in particular, has been quite inspired by the landscapes for her poetry.”

Lady Violet’s eyes sparkled with interest. “Poetry, Y/N? That’s marvelous. You must share some with us later.”

Y/N smiled politely. “Of course, my lady. I’d be happy to.”

As the conversation flowed, it eventually turned to the Bridgerton siblings. “Benedict,” the Duke said, turning his attention to the second eldest Bridgerton, “I hear you’ve made quite a name for yourself at the Academy.”

Benedict, who had been quietly observing Y/N, nodded. “Yes, Your Grace. I’ve been fortunate to study under some very talented artists.”

Y/N, unable to suppress her irritation, interjected with a cool tone. “Including some very talented models, I’ve heard.”

The room fell silent, the tension palpable. Benedict’s cheeks reddened slightly, but he maintained his composure. “Yes, we do work with models. It’s a necessary part of our training.”

The duchess, sensing the awkwardness, tried to steer the conversation back on track. “I’m sure the experience has been invaluable, Benedict. Art requires such dedication.”

Benedict nodded, but his eyes remained on Y/N. “It has been invaluable. Every aspect of it contributes to our growth as artists.”

Thomas, ever the peacemaker, chimed in. “Anthony told us about some of your work. It sounds quite impressive.”

Y/N’s lips curled into a tight smile. “Yes, very impressive. Especially the part where you managed to knock over an easel. Quite the spectacle, I hear.”

Benedict’s jaw tightened, and he glanced around the table, noting the concerned expressions of his family. “It was a mistake. One that was quickly rectified.”

Colin, trying to lighten the mood, laughed. “Well, Benedict has always had a flair for the dramatic.”

Eloise nudged her brother. “Perhaps a bit too much flair, at times.”

Laughter rippled around the table, but the underlying tension remained. Y/N felt a pang of guilt but was too stubborn to relent. She glanced at her brother, who gave her a pointed look, silently urging her to ease up.

Lady Violet, ever the gracious hostess, smoothly transitioned the conversation to more neutral topics, asking about the sights the Ashbourne family had visited and their future plans. The dinner continued, but the strained interactions between Y/N and Benedict cast a shadow over the evening.

As dessert was served, Lady Violet addressed Y/N directly. “Y/N, my dear, I’ve heard you play the pianoforte beautifully. Would you grace us with a performance after dinner?”

Y/N, grateful for the distraction, nodded. “Of course. It would be my pleasure.”

The meal concluded with polite conversation, but the tension lingered. Y/N excused herself to prepare for her performance, and as she left the dining room, she felt Benedict’s gaze on her, filled with a mix of hurt and confusion.

Later that evening, Y/N sat at the grand pianoforte in the drawing room, her fingers dancing gracefully over the keys. Heart filled with the hauntingly beautiful melody of a piece, she knew the room—Benedict's favorite.

The Bridgertons and Y/L/N's watched in silent admiration, but Benedict’s eyes never left Y/N. He was captivated, every note and every word pulling him deeper into the memories of their shared past. As the song drew to a close, Y/N’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, and as the last note lingered in the air, a single tear slipped down her cheek. Across the room, Benedict’s own eyes misted over, a tear tracing a path down his face as well. The rest of the family exchanged knowing glances, sensing the intense, unspoken connection between the two.

Y/N stood, curtsied, and, with a polite smile, excused herself from the room, needing a moment alone to compose herself. As she walked down the dimly lit hallway, her heart ached with a mixture of regret and confusion.

Benedict, unable to bear the distance and misunderstanding any longer, quietly followed her into a room. “Y/N, wait,” he called softly.

She stopped but didn’t turn around, taking a deep breath to steady herself. “Yes, Benedict?” Her voice was calm but strained.

He approached her cautiously, his expression a mix of determination and vulnerability. “Why are you treating me like this? What have I done to deserve your coldness?”

Y/N finally turned to face him, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and hurt. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Benedict. I’ve been perfectly polite.”

Benedict shook his head, frustration evident in his voice. “No, you haven’t. You’ve been distant, cold. This isn’t like you. Please, tell me what’s wrong so that I can fix it."

She crossed her arms defensively, her gaze piercing. “I don’t know what you’re imagining, but there’s nothing wrong. Perhaps you’re just seeing what you want to see.”

His frustration bubbled over, and he stepped closer, his voice low and intense. “This isn’t about what I want to see, Y/N. This is about what’s real. You’ve changed towards me, and I need to know why.”

She took a step back, her breath hitching. “It doesn’t matter, Benedict. Go back to your paintings and models. I could not care less."

His frustration turned to desperation, Benedict reached out and gently but firmly grasped her arm, pulling her back towards him. They stood face to face, the tension between them crackling with electricity. His voice was a murmur, filled with desperate longing. “But you do care, don't you? Why do you care, Y/N? Tell me.”

Her eyes locked onto his, the intensity of his gaze making her heart race. She tried to look away, but he cupped her cheek, forcing her to meet his eyes. “Tell me, Y/N. Please.”

Her defenses crumbled, and she whispered, her voice breaking. “I don’t care. Why should I? What you do is your own concern.”

His grip on her arm tightened slightly, his breath warm against her skin as he leaned in closer. “You do care. I can see it in your eyes. In your big beautiful eyes. Why won’t you admit it?”

Her voice was barely more than a whisper, trembling with the effort of holding back her emotions. “Because it’s easier not to. Because admitting it means facing the truth.”

“What truth?” Benedict’s voice was a mere breath away, his lips inches from hers.

Her heart pounded in her chest, and she could no longer deny the truth to herself or to him. “That I never stopped caring about you, Benedict. That I’ve loved you since we were children, and the thought of you with someone else… it breaks my heart.”

His eyes softened, and he leaned in closer, his breath mingling with hers. “And I’ve loved you, Y/N. I’ve loved you every single day we’ve been apart.”

She closed her eyes, the tears finally spilling over. “Then why didn’t you ever tell me?”

“I was a fool,” he admitted, his voice thick with emotion. “I was afraid you wouldn’t feel the same way. But I can’t keep it inside any longer.”

Before she could respond, he closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss that was both tender and passionate. The world seemed to fade away as they poured all their longing and love into that one moment, finally allowing themselves to feel what they had denied for so long.

When they finally pulled apart, both were breathless, their foreheads resting against each other. “No more secrets,” Y/N whispered, her voice shaky but filled with hope.

“No more secrets,” Benedict promised, his eyes shining with love and determination.

They stood there for a moment, holding each other, the weight of their confessions lifting from their shoulders. The tension that had once filled the air was replaced with a sense of peace and newfound understanding.

Just then, a voice broke the silence. "Well, well, what do we have here?"

Y/N and Benedict sprang apart, startled, as Thomas stepped into the hallway. His expression was serious, his eyes locked on Benedict. Y/N's heart raced, fearing her brother's reaction.

"Thomas, I—" Y/N began, but Thomas held up a hand to silence her.

"I always knew I’d have to deal with this day," Thomas said, his voice low and dangerous. He turned his gaze to Benedict, who stood his ground, though a hint of apprehension flickered in his eyes. "Benedict Bridgerton, you have compromised my sister's honor. There’s only one way to settle this."

Y/N’s eyes widened in fear. "Thomas, please, don’t—"

Thomas continued, a stern look on his face. "We must duel."

The hallway fell silent, the tension thick in the air. Then, to Y/N's utter astonishment, Thomas’s serious expression broke into a wide grin, and he burst out laughing.

"I’m just kidding!" he exclaimed, clapping Benedict on the shoulder. "You should have seen your faces!"

Benedict let out a relieved laugh, shaking his head. "Thomas, you nearly gave us both a heart attack."

Y/N exhaled deeply, her heart still pounding. "Thomas, that wasn’t funny!"

"It was a little funny," Thomas said, still chuckling. "But really, everyone in the drawing room is waiting for you two. They’ve been hoping for this day for a long time."

Y/N and Benedict exchanged a glance, their relief mingled with the lingering rush of adrenaline.

Thomas gestured back towards the drawing room. "Come on, let’s not keep them waiting."

As they re-entered the room, the gathered family turned to look at them. Lady Violet and the duchess’s faces lit up with delight, and Daphne’s eyes sparkled with joy. The Duke of Ashbourne stood beside Lady Eleanor, his expression warm and approving. Anthony, Colin, Eloise, Gregory, and Hyacinth were also present, each showing various degrees of amusement and happiness.

"There you are!" Lady Violet said, her smile warm and knowing. "We were starting to wonder if you’d gotten lost."

"Come on," Colin said, grinning broadly. "Don't keep us waiting. Are you finally together or not?"

Y/N's cheeks flushed as she glanced at Benedict, who nodded, smiling. "Yes, we are," she said, her voice clear and steady.

Lady Eleanor’s face lit up even more. "Well, then, I think it’s safe to say we can start planning a wedding."

Y/N’s eyes widened in surprise. "Mama, it’s way too soon for that!" she exclaimed, her cheeks flushing even deeper.

The Duke of Ashbourne chuckled, patting Y/N's shoulder gently. "Your mother is just excited, dear. But we should let the young couple take their time."

Colin and Anthony, standing near the fireplace, exchanged a look and grinned. "Well, Benedict, looks like you’ve finally caught the eye of a Duke’s daughter," Colin teased.

"Always aiming high, aren’t you, brother?" Anthony added, his tone playful.

Benedict, his arm still around Y/N, beamed. "I guess I’ve always known what I wanted."

Daphne approached Y/N, embracing her warmly. "Welcome to the family, officially."

Y/N’s heart swelled with happiness. "Thank you, Daphne. I’m so glad to be here."

Eloise, ever the sharp-witted observer, smirked. "Well, it’s about time. I was beginning to think you two would never figure it out."

Gregory and Hyacinth, the youngest Bridgerton's, clapped excitedly. "Does this mean we get to have another party?" Gregory asked, his eyes wide with anticipation.

Hyacinth grinned. "I hope so! I love weddings!"

As the evening continued, the family celebrated the long-awaited union. Lady Violet and Lady Eleanor eagerly discussed wedding plans, while the Bridgerton brothers teased Benedict good-naturedly.

Thomas, watching the scene with a satisfied smile, caught Y/N’s eye and gave her an encouraging nod. She smiled back, her heart full.

Later, as the festivities wound down, Y/N and Benedict found a quiet moment together. He took her hand, his eyes full of love. "I meant every word I said earlier, Y/N. I love you, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

She looked up at him, her heart brimming with emotion. "And I love you, Benedict. More than I can say."

He leaned down, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "Let's always be together. Always."

"Agreed," she whispered, feeling the weight of the past lift away.

As they stood there, surrounded by family and love, Y/N knew that this was just the beginning of a beautiful future together.

[fayes-fics]

Eden

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary: Seeing you with other Bridgerton offspring has an interesting effect on your new husband...

I couldn't resist using a Season 3 gif cos hello.

Warnings: 18+ smut, minors DNI, breeding kink, dirty talk, mutual masturbation, vaginal sex, creampie, ie filthy babymaking. Also, the smut is bookended by fluff; yeah, that probably needs a warning, lol.

Word Count: 4.2k

Authors Note: This is a very belated request fill for @victoriaholland (HERE) and Anon (HERE) about Benedict with a touch of baby fever. I decided to combine the asks as I saw a way to weave them together. Sorry for the delay, but well at least babymaking seems appropriate for spring hehe. Thank you to @colettebronte for being an awesome beta, as always. Err, Enjoy! <3

Daphne’s latest child is beautiful; you delight in his joy as he bounces on your lap, learning the strength of his sweetly chubby legs, little fists wrapped tight around your fingers. 

Looking up, you catch your husband's eye from afar, his stare intense across the gardens of Bridgerton House as you sit under a tented shelter upon a picnic blanket. The rest of the family are scattered around, playing games or chatting, but you are quite content minding the little one while his nanny takes a few moments to eat lunch.

“Is everything alright, my love?” You inquire as Benedict draws closer. 

“Yes… I….” He seems a little flustered. 

“Are you sure?” 

You pull a funny face for the infant, who breaks out into the most adorable infectious giggles that has you grinning from ear to ear and hugging him into your body, swaying with him. 

“Are you alright? Minding the child?” He checks, his voice a touch odd.

“Oh yes. We are more than happy, are we not, my little prince?” You talk in a vaguely silly baby-talk voice, addressing the child in your arms as much as Benedict. 

Again, the child peals with delighted noises and spit bubbles enthusiastically, looking up at Benedict eagerly as much as you do.

“Well, that is wonderful news,” he blusters, and you could swear he is out of sorts, breathless almost. “I shall… leave you to it,” he adds, giving you a bow and then withdrawing as the little one wiggles out of your arms.

“Ignore your Uncle Benedict; he is being a silly billy,” you whisper conspiratorially once the man in question is out of earshot.

The response is babbled nonsense as the child bashes one wooden brick against another.

“I quite agree,” you state sagely before breaking into a goofy grin.

——

“Please?” Hyacinth wheedles.

“No, Hy,” you sigh without even looking up.

“Ugh, you are no fun!” she scowls, crossing her arms defiantly.

“What is all this?” Anthony clips as he strides into the drawing room, Benedict on his heels, as Hyacinth flounces dramatically across the room. 

“Your little sister is angry at me because I will not allow her to drink the punch; it has brandy in it,” you explain cooly.

“Quite right, too!” Anthony chimes as Hyacinth rolls her eyes.

“Listen to y/n, Hyacinth, and do as she says,” Anthony lectures, and you feel grateful for his support, effectively neutering her rebellion. “Despite a temporary lapse of judgment when choosing a spouse, she is otherwise one of the most sensible people in this family.”

“Hey…!” Benedict protests.

“Please…” Anthony withers, twisting towards him. “Brother, if there is one thing us Bridgerton men know how to do, ‘tis to marry a woman entirely too good for us. And well done on that, by the way.”

You smirk at Anthony’s hilarious way of putting his brother - your husband - in his place, catching Kate’s eye with a wink as she enters the room carrying her baby. 

“Y/n, come and meet the future Viscount; he’s awake at last,” she calls to you. 

You are immediately on your feet and grinning, taking the tiny bundle from her arms and cooing at the sweet little boy. The baby opens his enormous brown eyes and observes you for a second before breaking into a one-toothed grin and happily waving his fists at you.

“Oh, he really likes you!” Kate enthuses, delighted.

“As I do you, little one,” you smile, leaning over to kiss his forehead.

You look up to see Benedict with that same look on his face as earlier. A tempest, almost an energy over his being. It’s almost as if he is… aroused?! Which is most odd.

As you hand the baby back to Kate, giving him one final kiss, Benedict is suddenly by your side. Announcing to the family that there has been a change of plan and, regrettably, you will not be able to stay for dinner, his arm an insistent tug around your waist.

——

“Why did we not stay for family dinner as originally planned, my love?” 

Your question is soft, only just audible over the noise of the carriage as you trundle over the cobbled streets of Mayfair a few minutes later. 

“I decided that we should perhaps dine at ours this evening…” his voice adopting that deeper edge which always causes butterflies in your tummy. His hand lands on your knee, a heavy weight that feels portentous. He slides closer on the bench seat.

“Why might that be?” your ask turns breathy, entirely without you meaning it to.

“I want to be alone with you,” he murmurs, unmistakably pitched to arouse. 

The carriage seems to notch up a few degrees as the rocking motion presses your side rhythmically into his. The sound of the wheels and hooves is so loud. He twists to wrap an arm around your shoulder and pulls your back against his flank. 

“All day today, I have watched you,” he rumbles, hand warming the skin around your clavicle, fingertip brushing in circles. “You are so very good with children, darling. Seeing you so naturally with the babies and how you handled Hyacinth… you would be the perfect mother.”

You blush a little at his praise. “Thank you, my love. I would like children one day. Your children. Imagine a child with your eyes. They would be quite the most beautiful,” you sigh wistfully, leaning back into him, his hand feeling heavier on your skin.

Benedict chuckles modestly. “And what of your beauty? Would a child version of you not be the most fetching?”

You giggle and turn your head sideways to nuzzle against his jaw. “I think we would indeed make beautiful babies together, Benedict.”

“I agree,” his voice a tempting lilt, fingers skating downwards over the swell of your breast now, slipping inside the fabric and making you gasp as he tweaks your nipple. “And I think we should start as soon as we get home.”

“Did seeing me with babies suddenly make you want your own, Mr Bridgerton?” Your hand flexes on his knee as he toys with your breast.

“Oh yes darling, it made me want to take you right there…” he asserts, finally admitting those looks he gave you were indeed pure arousal.

You reach up and run your hand into his hair, fingers flexing on his warm scalp as you pull his face to yours.  “And suddenly, it appears I am no longer hungry for dinner…” you whisper flirtatiously, your cupid's bow brushing his stubbled upper lip.

He groans, and his passionate kiss is plundering, a tingle running over your limbs, just as your carriage comes to a shuddering stop outside your townhome. 

Uncaring of the neighbourhood or any prying eyes, Benedict sweeps you out of the carriage in his arms, carrying you bridal style over the pavement and through your front door.

“My wife and I are not to be disturbed,” he announces crisply and loudly to the staff as you enter the hallway.

Leaving no room for doubt about his plans by pulling you into a searing kiss for all to see before ascending the stairs rapidly. He practically growls as he kicks open the door to your master bedroom door and slams it shut again with his foot. 

“Benedict…” you stammer, heart pounding at how overwrought he is. 

You have never seen him like this. Commanding, crackling with an energy that has your body simmering. He is usually so sweet, affable, and kind. Every time you have been intimate since your wedding night a few weeks ago, he has been a complete gentleman: loving and so very tender. The grip he has had on you tonight feels different. This is something primal—like a switch has been flipped at a basal level in his being.

He places you down onto your feet before the roaring fire, his face intense.

“Wife…” The way he says it makes you feel a flush creep over your skin.

“Husband…” you respond in kind, belly fluttering with excitement.

“Take off your dress,” he orders, his dilated pupils shining in the firelight.

This is new. Usually, he is the one to remove it slowly and softly from your body. 

“I cannot, the buttons…” you confess, signalling behind you. You would need your ladies' maid to unhook them from between your shoulder blades.  

He moves closer, seeming so much taller; his ragged breaths dance in the tendrils of your hair as he reaches around behind your shoulders. With a rough tug that makes you startle, he tears the fabric asunder, the sound of tiny pearl buttons skittering across the polished wooden floor behind you as you gasp in surprise.

“There…” he smirks dangerously, “problem resolved.”

You are speechless as he withdraws a pace, looking at you expectantly. You follow his order, a slight quake in your hands as you push the frayed dress down your body, still a little shocked by his strength. Then you reach for the crisscross lacing of your stays, feeling the weight of his stare as each loop relents, his eyes hungry, his body heaving with deep breaths his fitted jacket taut with each inhale. You peel the item away, leaving just your thin white cotton chemise.

“Rip it too,” you plead before you realise it, enthralled by this assertive demeanour.

With a noise in the back of his throat, he takes a pace forward again, and you stare up at him, enchanted. He grasps the fabric above your breasts and then rips it loudly from your chest all the way to your ankles, the sound echoing up the walls. Again, his strength has your knees weak. As the torn pieces flutter from your body, you want to bathe in the hungry sound he makes as he realises you are clad only in white knee-high silk stockings, no underwear to be seen, the warmth from the fireplace swirling around your intimate area. 

As you stand almost naked before your imposing husband, him still fully dressed, there is a knot low in your gut. But it’s not fear; it’s something else entirely—desire. Trembling, breathless and wanting. An elemental wish to be thoroughly taken.

He steps forward, eyes glittering, and his fingers plough roughly between your legs, making you gasp.

“Eden,” he proclaims, his fingers snagging over your swollen pearl of a clit with almost rough strokes, the callous where he holds his paintbrush abrading your folds. “A wonderful, lush, wet garden. Just waiting to be planted.”  His words are hypnotic and low, questing fingers being coated with a dewiness that is entirely of his making.

“Please…” you whimper, squirming on his touch, captivated by this version of your husband, wanting to submit to him, a burning need low in your belly. His fingers slide faster, making a lewd, wet noise. 

“Are you going to let me?” Benedict croons. “Plant my seed inside you?”

Until now, he has always been careful to complete outside your body. A slightly bereft feeling every time - the wonderful moment cut short as he leaves you suddenly empty, a warm splash upon your thighs, tummy or spine. The idea he will stay inside you is alluring in a way you don’t fully comprehend.

“Yes, please, husband,” your nipples puckering almost painfully against the wool of his lapels as he crowds into you. 

“Good. Get on that bed right now,” Benedict orders roughly, pointing at your four-poster bed as he tugs off his jacket.

You scramble to obey. Feeling under a spell. Being naked save your stockings feels illicit as you lay back into the soft pillows and watch as he undresses, staring you down the whole time. 

You slide a hand between your legs instinctively as more of his toned body is revealed. He growls at the sight, you biting your lip and watching him, his torso bare, his trousers clinging to his shapely legs, to his swollen cock. He bends to remove his shoes, and the sight of his broad shoulders flexing is enough to make you moan. As he stands back up and hooks his elegant fingers around the trouser buttons, a smug look on his handsome face that he is doing this to you.

“Husband…” you call out to him, writhing on your fingers shamelessly now, one hand shooting up to brace your movements against the headboard, flushing warm down to your toes.

With a few dextrous flicks, the buttons relent, and his trousers drop to the floor. His naked body is always a delicious sight, but tonight feels more, every sense heightened, moaning again as he takes a step towards you, thigh muscles flexing, his cock standing proud to attention.

Again, a soft plea falls from your lips, your eyes raking every plain of his tempting form, feeling yourself swell under your fingertips.

“Not yet,” he clucks, the arrogance somehow more beguiling as you bite your lip. “I think I want to watch you come, my darling. All by yourself. I hear female pleasure can aid with conception after all.”

“Will you not touch me?” you petition, reaching your other hand imploringly towards him.

“No darling, I shall watch,” his lopsided grin deadly. 

He wraps a strong fist around his own cock, pumping slowly, a bead of moisture gathering at his tip, glistening in the candlelight as he does. 

“Now, use both hands, please. Place your fingers inside yourself,” Benedict instructs as you blindly follow, a languid buzz in your brain—you would do anything he told you to right now.

Planting your feet squarely on the bed, you drag your ankles up higher towards your bottom, letting your legs fall open wider to give him a better view as your other hand slides down. You plunge two fingers into yourself, your hips canting off the mattress with a staccato breath at the sensation of yourself, so hot and tight.

“That's right,” he endorses, a leisurely movement of his hand up and down his cock as he watches you from a few feet away. “‘Feel yourself, darling. Tis paradise, is it not?” that trademark rumbling voice skittering over your skin, goosebumps raising down your arms just at the tone. 

“Come closer,” you appeal breathily, wanting to smell him, feel his heat, his flesh—anything.

He shakes his head, smirking wider as his refusal spurs you on, desperate to come. Mewling as your fingers speed up, one circling your clit, the others buried as far as you can, wishing instead it were his long, graceful fingers reaching places you are unable. Watching him squeeze his own cock hurtles you fast, already aroused from the moment he slid a hand into your dress in the carriage. 

Unable to fight the tide in your body, you screw your eyes shut and call out his name as your pussy starts to convulse around your own fingers, toes curling into the sheet, your muscles all going stiff, your hips again raised as you feel the tide break. A gush of wetness runs down your palm and your bottom cheeks as your mind floats away. Distantly, you can hear him speaking, but it’s fuzzy as you flop back down, sated, your legs going flat, too shaky to balance.

You startle as a warm hand circles the wrist of your fingers still inside yourself, bringing you abruptly back into the room. Benedict looms over you, his chest heaving, that power still there.

“What was that?” your query drowsy, lips dry.

He chuckles richly. “I said that was spectacular,” he repeats, bemused. “But also that I want you to paint your nipples with your arousal, my love, for me,” he commands, tugging your hand so your fingers slide out of yourself.

You do as bidden, still floating down from the high, smearing your own warm juices onto your puffed areolas.

“Perfect..” he intones.

In one swift, athletic move, he mounts the bed. You cry out as his warm mouth encloses your left nipple, groaning lewdly as he licks you clean of your arousal, his tongue a heavy, warm, wet weight curling around your sensitive bud, his lips tugging gently, reawakening those synapses only just recovering from your orgasm. 

“Why do you always taste like heaven?” his dusky question is rhetorical, his breath gusting over your sternum as he swaps to your other breast to meter out the same treatment. He has you moving under him again as he settles his body over you more firmly, your hips tilting up to feel his hard cock graze your inner thigh. “I wonder if you will still taste like heaven when you are heavy with my child?” he hums thoughtfully as he teases your nipple with the tip of his nose, one hand cupping your empty belly. “I dare say even moreso, ripe like a vine, bearing fruit…” That sonorous voice teases over your skin as he moves slowly upwards to nuzzle your neck. “My fruit….” he adds, possessive as he sucks your earlobe into his mouth, so loud now right by your ear.

His hands wind around your thighs as he shuffles position so he is kneeling between your legs, his ropey thighs spread wide under yours…

“Are you ready for that, my love?” he pauses until you nod almost imperceptibly; you squeak as he suddenly hauls you down the bed, hips onto his lap, your pelvis now higher than your head upon the sheets. Your stockings unfurling down your legs where he quickly plucks at the ribbons holding them aloft.

“Good, because I am more than ready for you,” it almost sounds like a warning.

Then, with a solid thrust, he spears into your body, the invasion toe-curling, your fingers grasping his muscular forearms that are clamped around your waist. It is a primal position, and he begins to thrust with no mercy, his cock feeling huge and heavy, a strong weight that drags heavily over your walls as your pussy clings to him. Your eyes flutter closed as you whimper his name, powerless to do anything but take his thrusts, draped across his lap as you are.

“Look at me,” he demands raggedly. And you do, his handsome face contorted with effort as he slams into you, a little bead of sweat forming on his brow. “Look at me while I fuck a baby into you, wife.”

He’s never spoken to you like this before, clipped, harsh. It seems appropriate that he would be almost desperate in an act so elemental, so of the earth—to create life. Stoking a fire deep in your core that is a clarion call for him, a frisson running over your skin at the idea you are being impregnated. Bred.

You know neither of you will last long with this almost frenzied coupling, the tendrils of your arousal already swirling so soon after your last, his near-brutish handling precisely what you need, your swollen pearl slammed into his flat abdomen with every stroke he takes. The sheets roll under your shoulder blades as he keeps the same position, your hips high, a mounting that you cannot and do not want to escape, knowing he is leaving fingertip bruises around the dip of your waist, marks you will carry secretly with pride just for him.

You moan his name, so close again to that ephemeral bliss, thrashing your head from side to side as if willing the pleasure to break and wash over you.

“Come on, come for me, milk me, darling. Take what you need, take my seed,” his voice a deep wrecked purr, the lines of his body tense, craving release as much as you.

That command is what breaks the dam for you, an almost violent ricochet fanning out from where you clench around him, his cries muffled behind the rushing noise in your ears, every part of you convulsing in a pleasurable wave. And then, in a floating haze, for the very first time, you feel your husband come inside you, a warm bloom that coats your walls. It's an intoxicating feeling; you never want him to come anywhere else ever again.

“That's it, well done, my love,” he croons, eyes still shut as he shudders with little aftershocks, not leaving your body—as if he wants to stay inside you always.

——

As the embers in the fireplace glow white, you lay in post-coital bliss, bodies dewy from exertion. Benedict rests his head upon your stomach as you card your fingers leisurely through his hair.

“Do you believe we may have made a baby, darling?” he hums, pressing his ear to your belly button as if listening for a heartbeat.

“I am certain of it, husband; you were so very thorough with your attentions,” you assure as he takes your hand in his, lacing your fingers together. “I hope our baby has your face,” you opine.

“Even if it is a girl?!”

“Thou art as pretty as thou art handsome, Mr Bridgerton,” you quip.

He laughs, carefree, crawling behind you and pulling you into a spooned embrace. “Be careful with such provocation, wife; I may not be done with you after all,” he jests idly. “I, on the other hand, hope our child looks like you, even if it is a boy.” he posits, crowding into your back, his lips warm on the shell of your ear.

“Why?” you laugh, frowning, twisting to look back at him.

“So that I may love them as much as I do you,” he breezes nonchalantly as if what he says is not the sweetest thing you can imagine, causing a tart, sudden spike of want through your body, even as you lay sated.

“Be careful, husband,” you volley back, coquettish. “Or I may not yet be done with you.”

There is a sharp, approving intake of breath, and his hand slides low from your belly into the thatch of hair at the apex of your thighs.

“Is that a promise” he rumbles, your gasp loud as his fingers expertly drag against your clit.

“It is whatever you want. Just do not stop,” you rush out, your hand curling around his bicep, feeling a rigid mass slide hot against your bottom. “Again, husband,” you appeal breathily. “Impregnate me again.”

“With pleasure, wife,” he growls, surging into your body with a force that again steals the very breath from your lungs.

The pinkish light dawn is streaking over the ceiling above when you both finally succumb to sleep after many more vigorous attempts at babymaking. The last one, perhaps the most desperate, you pinned against the headboard, him fucking into you so hard from behind that a jagged crack appears, spidering up the wall from where the bedframe slammed into it. A flaw which he steadfastly refuses to get fixed, claiming it to be the most profound art—a souvenir and ode to a momentous night.

——

9 months later

Benedict’s lips mash against your sweaty brow as he keeps lauding you with praise, excitement and pride evident in his every word. You flop back onto the bed, exhaustion deep in your bones, your body turned inside out, hurting in a way you have never known.

But it was all worth it.

What feels like only moments later, in your shattered, addled state, the doctor and nurses depart. Your husband perches on the bed next to you, his face a picture of wonderment. Holding not just one but two bundles of joy in the crooks of his arms. One girl, one boy—fraternal twins.

“My love, we have created the most beautiful creatures on all of this earth,” he attests partisanly, his voice profound with emotion, his eyes pinging from one swaddled face to the other as they sleep soundly.

You shoot him a watery but ironic smile. “I suppose, dear husband, that is what happens when you spend a whole night impregnating me. You succeed twice over.”

His brow raises pointedly, his tongue shooting out to pass over his bottom lip. “Are you suggesting next time around, wife, we keep going for three days straight? So that I may have a brood of eight by the time we are done?” Deploying his bedroom voice that he knows full well makes your knees weak.

“Do not say such things in front of the children!” you chide, swatting his knee where it touches your thigh. “And no, I am not carrying six of your progeny at once; that is simply preposterous!”

“Four?” he petitions with a wink.

You roll your eyes affectionately, settling back into the mound of pillows. “A maximum of two at a time is my final offer, Benedict Bridgerton,” you respond drolly.

“Entirely reasonable,” he chuckles contentedly, dropping a kiss onto each of their foreheads before handing both to you so delicately, as if they are the most precious bundles in the world. 

Which to you both, they are.

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[leviathanspain]

selfish

anthony bridgerton x reader

synopsis: it’s your first morning at home in bridgerton house as the viscountess- only thing is, your husband’s selfish

you trembled under his grip, his mouth was still working hard, your orgasm coming over you in waves as you tried to escape his grip. you shivered with pleasure, thighs squeezing his head between them. “oh my-“ you cried, struggling to keep quiet.

the honeymoon was over, no longer could you scream your viscount’s name all over the room, until your throat grew raw of it. you had a bustling family under the same roof, even so, his mother.

you shuddered slowly and anthony let go of your legs. he smiled proudly as he leaned to kiss you. you melted into his kiss, grasping at his hair.

anthony bit your lip as he tossed himself next to you. you were sitting up, and still reeling from the pleasure, “i have been trying to get up and ready for the day for what feels like forever now, and you do not let me.” you looked at your husband, his smile not going away, only as he shrugged, “i want you all to myself. my siblings will just talk your ear off and i will be drowning in paperwork.” which you knew was true. anthony was the most reluctant to get back to his viscount duties.

you on the other hand, still marveled at the idea of having to run the household, but felt immense pressure to live up to the dowager bridgerton. violet was everything you admired in a mother, present and kind, wanting her children’s happiness before all else.

anthony had told you that there was no legacy to live up to, but he did not see things the way you did.

he pulled you in close, “my mother is still here. let her run the household, even if it is for a little bit longer.” he kissed your cheek, still trying to keep you in bed. you sighed, “all you want to do is stay in bed, lord bridgerton. you need to get out of this bed, and be productive with me.” the paperwork stack was to the ceiling at this point, and he could not avoid it much longer.

anthony looked at you, “we can do many things within this room that are productive.” you shrugged at him, “the thought is lost on me, what do you suggest?”

anthony grabbed your hand gently, holding it in his, “such as making an heir, as married people do.” the thought had not even occurred to you, especially so early in the morning. you looked at your husband, smiling at that thought. you blushed as anthony chuckled, “do not tell me that did not cross your mind?” he cocked his head and you shyed away, “i have been stressed all night about the viscountess duties, forgive me if it slipped my mind.” you rolled over, legs now entangled in his and you on his chest.

you kissed him, and anthony smirked, “it is a viscountess duty.”

giving up, you decided to extend the honeymoon with anthony, not yet ready to take up the full responsibility, anthony could be selfish.

[cerisereids]

𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚘𝚕𝚍 𝚏𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚘𝚢- 𝚋.𝚋.

pairing- benedict bridgerton x fem!reader

summary- benedict bridgerton is a very avid customer of the ton’s favorite bookstore. what happens when he extends an invitation to the bookkeepers daughter for a ball at bridgerton house? a bridgerton and a working class woman could never be together, could they?

warnings- sfw, making out, reader is 25 aka ‘old’ back then lol, benedict is the same age he is in the show currently (29), reader’s mother died, reader comes from working class family, did some research on regency era but it may not be perfect, benedict is down literally horrendous, reader wears blush but there’s no mention of skin tone, genevieve and benedict don’t have history, not rly proofread lmao

a/n- divider from @saradika-graphics !!

a golden ray of sun filters through the window, coating your family’s bookstore in a dreamy glow. you allow yourself a brief moment to bask in it before you begin your opening duties. your arms are outstretched along the desk tucked into the corner of the store, eyes closed as you soak in as much vitamin d as you can. since your mother died this past winter, your days have been consumed with running your ever-aging father’s beloved bookstore. since spring has rolled around once more, you don’t get nearly as much time in the sun as you’d like, so you enjoy it however you can.

since turning 25, you’ve officially written off the hope of getting married, as well. your life has taken a turn you never could never have expected, so your priorities have shifted. you have to put the family business before courting, even if it means giving up the prospect of someday, somehow, marrying the man you’ve crushed on since childhood: benedict bridgerton. he’s visited your father’s shop since you were small, and you’ve often indulged in the fantasy of riding off into the sunset with him on horseback, often like the heroines in the tales stacked along the walls.

you sigh, tilting your head as the sun highlights your cheekbone, a natural glow emanating from your skin. your eyes fall shut as the image of another life dawns upon you, one where your contact with sunlight doesn’t have to be through a window, standing at a desk in a dusty old shop. you love your father, you’d do anything to help him. however, you can’t help but resent the life higher class women in the ton are allowed to have, the unions lady whistledown is always writing about.

you see the most recent edition of the paper, a large, neat stack ready to sell on the display shelf closest to the entrance. as you flip the sign on the door so it reads ‘open’, you opt to ignore the woeful tales of women who wouldn’t spare you a second glance outside of the four walls of the bookstore. your father’s shop has been the most popular in the ton for as long as you’ve been alive. despite this popularity, you’ve never been regarded as anything more than a working man’s daughter. you’d never been the type of girl lady whistledown deems worthy enough to gossip about.

you take one more glance over yourself, ensuring you maintain professionalism to begin the day. your hands brush over your white dress, complete with a pink linen shift laced up the front, cinching your curves. you inspect the shift that’s cinched up your waist and chest, evaluating the stitching and fabric. you made it, as your mother taught you to sew at a very young age. resentful of the rules and restrictions placed on what you can wear, you aim to include as much individuality in your pieces as possible. that means many of your clothing items-work clothes and otherwise- are an array of bright pastels and floral prints. the sharp ding of the door opening snaps you out of your fussiness, meeting eyes with your first customer of the day: benedict bridgerton.

there it is again, that feeling, that hope. it swirls deep in your belly before consuming you whole, prodding at your heart and tickling your throat. you take in the adonis standing before you, his eyes shining bright from the morning sun, hair still a tad messy from his rest, the top few buttons of his shirt undone. you consider that you really wouldn’t mind waking up to that for the rest of your life. that’s as far as you let your foolish fantasies go, snapping back into business mode.

“hello mr. bridgerton!” you chirp, cheeks warm from just the slightest bit of his attention, “what can i do for you this morning?”

“well, hello beautiful! i hope you’re having a wonderful morning. i thought of you as the sun rose,” he remarks almost absentmindedly. he strolls along the shop, perusing the shelves as if he didn’t stop you in your tracks just then.

“oh-why do you say that?” you sputter, and you’re honestly proud of yourself for at least being coherent.

“it was just that beautiful,” he glances over his shoulder to look at you while he says it, a playful smile dancing on his lips, “i do think you have it beat, though.”

you take a shaky breath in and will your heart to stop dancing in your chest. your nerves begin to overpower the hope from earlier, a sinking feeling drooping low in your stomach, hot and vulnerable.

“mr. bridgerton, you are a terrible flirt,” you do your best to remain professional, avoiding eye contact as you grab recommendations off the shelf for him.

“how many times have i told you to call me benedict?” he turns to face you with a hand on his hip just as you approach him with a stack of books in your hands.

you register the proximity almost immediately, his woodsy, musky scent infiltrating your brain, nearly turning your knees to jelly. you see the amusement in his eyes, the way they dance as you shakily inhale, your chest rising and falling, cheeks burning. he loves teasing you like this. you know he does. he’s done it every time he’s come in the shop, for years.

“i’ve called you mr. bridgerton since we were children, i simply cannot stop now,” you state matter of factly, a sly smirk painted on your lips nonetheless. you shove the stack of books in his large, waiting arms, “tell me what you think of these options, since you won’t tell me what you’re looking for today.”

benedict rolls his eyes as she turns to move back behind the counter, but what she doesn’t see is the way his eyes follow her every move, taking in each swish of her long dress as it flows around her. benedict bridgerton has been in love with the girl behind the bookstore counter for years. she just doesn’t know it yet.

he’s made trips to old main’s bookstore since he was a child, frequenting with his father as he fostered his love for reading. he’s always had his eye on the shy girl behind the counter. his father used to tease him gently, calling it puppy love, telling him it’s just a crush, that he’ll grow out of it. the problem with childhood crushes, though, is that as he grew, she did too. she grew from a shy, quiet girl, staring at him with big eyes from behind her father’s legs, to a bright, confident woman, even if she tries and hide it from him.

he sees the way she holds back, the way her eyes burn with passion, while physically shielding herself from him at the same time. it is just like she’s doing now, retreating back behind the counter, arms folded across her chest. his fingers grip the books she handed him, and he takes a moment to admire her while she works. she’s in her natural state, moving about the counter like it’s second nature. his eyes drink in the way her body twists and bends while she tidies around the counter, fixing shelves and restocking books.

his eyes soften at the way her soft pink garment compliment her skin, aglow from the bright sun coating her through the window. he admires the way the softness of her pretty face blushes and shines with the light touches of makeup she had to have borrowed from madame delacroix. her angelic face is framed by the baby hairs falling out of her bun, and he fights the urge to lean across the counter and brush the strands behind her ears, to caress her face.

“the new jane austen is on top. i think you’d really like it,” she smiles when she catches him staring, and his cheeks flush at the fact that he’s been caught.

“pride and prejudice…” he reads, his finger scanning over the text stamped into the leather book cover, “you’ve always been a woman of romance, huh?” he coos oh so lovingly.

he loves the fact that she shares her favorite books with him. he’s never met someone as passionate about reading as he is, besides eloise, maybe. his connection with her is different, of course.

“yes, i suppose so,” she answers softly, almost meek, and he wants to scoop her up in his arms and never let go, “my position in our society does not afford me the luxury of pursuing a love connection from the storybooks, but it’s nice to read about them. to think that it could actually exist for someone, even if it can’t be me.”

her smile falls just a tad and his heart squeezes tight in his chest, “never say never,” is the only thing he can say, breathless at the sheer thought of you feeling lonely, like love is something unattainable. he can’t form proper words with the way the wind has been knocked from his chest.

“yeah, right, mr. bridgerton,” she rolls your eyes and he winces, both at her self doubt and his official title, “i am 25 years old, and i am a working man’s daughter. i have accepted the fact that i shall just work here until i die,” she says it jokingly, but her eyes convey a sadness she can’t mask.

“not necessarily,” he blurts, shaking his head.

your eyes meet his, incredulous, “and what on earth does that mean, mr. bridgerton?”

“benedict,” he corrects sternly, and it just earns him a smirk from you, and he curses the butterflies erupting in his stomach. he can’t even be frustrated with you for longer than 2 seconds, “it means that you need to read today’s lady whistledown.”

“why?” she raises a brow, walking over to the display shelf showcasing todays latest edition.

she flips through the paper before she finds what he’s talking about.

“what…” she trails off, glancing back up at him, “what, you mean this?” she asks, incredulous. she’s pointing at the section in the paper that reads, ‘VIOLET BRIDGERTON AND FAMILY TO THROW BALL THIS EVENING’

he nods sheepishly, “i am inviting you. i believe we would enjoy spending an evening together,” his tone is uncertain as he extends his-rather impulsive- invite, and she lets out a sarcastic cackle.

“yeah right,” she slaps the copy of lady whistledown onto his ever growing pile of text, “very funny, good joke,” she waves a finger at him, and anger flares in his chest.

“‘m not joking,” he shakes his head curtly, “you should come, i’ll need a dance partner, after all,” his voice is still shaky, and she laughs at him in disbelief.

you look at the man before you like he’s a mythical creature, “mr. bridgerton, you and i both know very well that is not how these things work,” you shake your head as you walk around him, completing various tasks around the store and helping the odd customer that enters while mr. bridgerton browses. you figure if you keep yourself busy, it’ll stop you from wanting to kiss him. so far, your mission has failed.

“well-” he scoffs, plowing five fingers through his head of beautiful hair, “who cares about how things work?” he protests childishly, and you chuckle sardonically.

“that’s very easy for you to say. everybody wants to be a bridgerton,” you fake a posh accent mockingly, and you revel in the way he rolls his eyes, a knowing smirk spreading across his lips, “as i said prior, i’m practically a spinster to everybody in the ton. i’m destined to be a worker’s daughter, nothing more.”

he saunters over to the counter with a mischievous glint in his eye and the most kissable smirk painted across his lips, and sets the book pile down with a thud.

“you know madame delacroix will loan you a gown for the evening. my entire family would be delighted to see you there, you know that,” sliding a stack of pounds across the counter, heavily overcompensating for the actual price of the books.

he sends you one more smile, one that reads ‘i hope to see you there’, before he exits the store. he holds the door open for an elderly patron on his way out, and your heart grows three sizes.

your fingers fiddle with the array of fabrics billowing around you as you sit sheepishly in the corner of modiste. none of them seem right to you, but genevieve seems to think otherwise. a flurry of pink and blue pastels swirl around her dress form, a nearly finished dress sitting delicately on the mannequin.

“you’re lucky i’ve been working on this for some time now, you’re just giving me an excuse to finish it,” genevieve teases gently, pinning certain fabrics in their final places before sewing, “so he just…invited you to this ball?” she peers inquisitively around the velvety fabric of the fake bust.

“yes!” you gush, flailing your arms in confusion, the leftover fabric moving with your gesticulations, “i do not know what he was thinking!” you bury yourself in a protective shield of chiffon.

“i believe he was thinking about one certain thing, my dear,” she raises a suggestive brow in your direction, and it sets your cheeks aflame.

“miss delacroix!” you exclaim, jokingly scandalized. you attempt to hit her with one of the many pieces of fabric clenched in your hands, but the soft chiffons and silks barely brush her arms.

“there is not a chance he views me in such a light, genevieve,” you shake your head, desperately trying to keep your voice neutral, but you cannot mask the disappointment clouding your words, “even if he did, there is not much that could be done about it, anyway. i do not come from the stock that marries bridgertons.”

“you and i both know that benedict is not the kind to care for that sort of thing,” genevieve insists, but you shake your head.

“he may be the only one in the ton who does not care for such expectations,” you say sardonically, shaking your head, “i cannot guarantee the pressure from his peers would not find its way under my skin.”

genevieve pauses at the mannequin bust, piercing you with a knowing gaze, “my love, mr. bridgerton has not been able to take his eyes off of you since you were children,” she chuckles lightly, shaking her head as she works, “he asked you to the ball because he has not a singular clue how else to ask for your hand.”

“gen! you must be out of your head!” you gasp, a smile bursting from your lips, “like i said before, he is a bridgerton. whether he cares or not, i will not put myself in such a position to be ridiculed by the entire ton!”

“you will not be,” genevieve tries her hardest to be convincing, but you both know the reality of your society, and the speed at which gossip flows, “okay, you might be,” she corrects herself at your pointed gaze, “but why not try? you’ve received an invitation after all, just like every other woman who will be there. it would be improper of you not to go.”

“my father said similarly shortly after mr. bridgerton left our shop this morning,” you smile softly, recalling the encouraging words of your affectionately nosy father, “bad manners, he accused me of.”

“i’m sure mr. bridgerton would feel similarly if the object of his affections for the past 15 years did not show up,” she raises her brows and lifts the now completed garment off the bust, your cue to stand.

you reluctantly move to the curtained dressing area, rolling your eyes as genevieve hands you the dress to try on. once it’s over your body, you request her help with various cinching and the tying of ribbons. turning toward the mirror, you pause. you’re in disbelief at the way the dress hugs your curves, highlighting your chest and waist. you look…beautiful, like you could be a bridgerton. that feeling of hope trickles down your throat once more, filling up your heart and stomach with a warm golden light.

you run your hands along the under-bust corset, sturdier and stiffer than the linen shifts you wear to work everyday. the cinched bustier is made of a shiny, baby pink material, accented with light, pastel blue embroidery, complete with a light blue ribbon just between your breasts, tied into a bow. it mimics the rest of the dress, a baby pink ensemble with pastel blue flowers embroidered along the ruffle sleeves, blooming down, down, down along the floor length garment.

“you look perfect, my love,” genevieve squeezes your arms in excitement, lightly shaking you back and forth, “now, it is time for hair and makeup!” she declares, gently pushing your shoulders so you’re sitting on a stool by the dressing room mirror.

two hours of being primped and primed to the nines by genevieve delacroix, you find yourself at the steps leading to the front door of bridgerton house. the porch is lit aglow from the oil lamps posted in front, and you can hear the bustling crowd beyond the two front doors. something sickly churns in your stomach, twisting up your insides like a dirty dishrag. you can’t turn back now, not after having come this far. genevieve would probably kill you, as well, but that’s neither here nor there.

you’re swallowed up by the people flowing in and out of the home, chatter ebbing and flowing like the waves of the river thames. this allows you to enter unceremoniously, slipping through behind a group of loud, boisterous men coming from the expansive front garden. no doubt the sons of earls and dukes, who have already drank plentiful this evening. you stay to the wall, not eager to be front and center in such a foreign environment. your eyes scan the room, desperate to find the man who invited you in the first place.

when you finally find him, time stops, the same way it does in your romance novels. the racket of overzealous partygoers magically melts away, until the only two people in the room are you and benedict, who’s looking at you like you’ve hung the stars in the sky.

benedict has spent the better half of his night being tossed around by colin and anthony. all night they have teased him over his unrestricted adoration for you, how he so brazenly just asked you to the ball tonight. he doesn’t quite know what came over himself, either. as the night goes on, he begins to worry this was all a big mistake. a spark of anxiety lights in his stomach, searing through his chest and squeezing him tight.

when he finally sees her, though, all the tension leaves his body. she’s breathtaking, sparkling in the golden glow of the chandeliers. she shines brighter than all of them, than all the priceless, gleaming silver and gold displayed around their home. he’s only ever seen her in the proximity of her father’s shop, and he’s never doubted that she’s the most beautiful girl in the world. tonight, though, he knows he’s had it right from the start.

seeing you here, a fairytale princess come to life, his adoration aches deep in his bones, strangling his heart with pure and utter fondness. he’d walk across hot coals to get to you. luckily, it only takes him a quick stride across the expansive living room. he moves as swiftly as he can while still appearing nonchalant, knowing the last thing she’d want is to draw attention.

“hello, beautiful,” he stands before you, hands clasped behind his back. he bows slightly before offering her his arm, and his niceties make her guffaw.

“mr. bridgerton, thank you for inviting me, you have a beautiful home,” she stutters out, managing an awkward curtsy of her own. her uncertainty is so endearing, it makes his heart swell and his cheeks heat up.

the two walk arm in arm throughout the room, and benedict makes it his personal mission to ease her worries. he keeps his free hand atop hers, the one resting on his other arm. he pats it to ensure her eyes stay on him, and don’t drift towards the other girls in the room, no doubt gossiping about this ‘mystery girl’.

thanks to his brothers’ abrasiveness, especially where alcohol is involved, word got around that benedict bridgerton was expecting someone at his family’s ball. he’d naively hoped that once, if, she arrived, the partygoers’ curiosity would be quenched, that they’d return to their drinks, to their provincial conversations. like he said, naive.

she’s the center of attention, her dress twinkling in the soft glow of the room. she looks angelic, he cannot quite blame all the people staring, she’s breathtaking. she seems to ease at the contact with him, though, and it makes him feel 10 feet tall. once drinks have been acquired and he’s introduced you to some of his siblings- two strapping brothers that look just like him, and a sly sister- he insists on a tour of bridgerton house.

“mr. bridgerton!” she chuckles at his suggestion, and his face flushes with pride, a cheeky smile on his face, “won’t you get in trouble for sneaking away from your own party?”

the silk of her glove grips his wrist, and her concern for him makes his heart churn. the way she always cares for him so easily, like it’s breathing, makes him want to cocoon her in his arms, safe from harm’s way.

“probably, but is that not part of the fun?” he replies cheekily, and it earns him another award winning smile from her, “you do not need to worry your pretty little head about me, sweetheart, let us escape from all the staring,” he rolls his eyes in theatrical aggravation, and it earns him a melodic giggle from her pretty lips. he feels on top of the world.

“that does sound quite nice,” she ponders, pursing her pretty lips in the most adorably concentrated pout. he has to physically restrain himself from pulling her to him and kissing that pout straight off her face in front of everyone at the party.

“let’s do it,” she decides, deviance coloring her tone.

“that’s my girl,” he coos, resting his hand on the small of her back to guide her up the stairs, “let’s go this way, hm?” he whispers into her ear, his chin resting on her shoulder as they walk. he’s not sure if he imagined it, but he’s almost certain he feels a shudder unzip down her spine. a smirk breaks out on his lips.

“we’ll go up these steps, but when we reach the top, you will go left and i will go right. wait for me in the first room on the right, i will come to you. does that sound good?” he feels her nod against him. it feels excessive to him, but he simply cannot risk the gossips of the ton seeing the two of them walk off alone. it would scandalize her, and he wants to protect her, he just wishes he could spend time with her without having to worry about the fabricated rules of their society.

when he loses her warmth as they part ways, he immediately longs to reach for her once more, to wrap her in his arms and never let go. it will happen soon enough, he silently wishes.

you are breathless at the sudden contact with mr. bridgerton, his breath tickling your neck makes you shudder. you want to kick yourself for immediately showing your hand, but you can’t quite seem to care when the warm comfort of his hand spreads through your back.

as the bustle of the party dies down after splitting ways, the more your heart flutters. butterflies have taken complete and total capacity of your stomach, flapping their wings with no reserve. your breath picks up, chest rising and falling the quieter.

you do as he told you, pushing open the door to the first room on the right. it appears to be his bedroom, if the scattered books and clothes were anything to go by. your stomach churns as you think of the scandal, being in a gentleman’s room without a chaperone. you cannot find it in you to care all that much, though, as the feeling benedict bridgerton gives you overpowers it all.

your heart nearly beats out of your chest as you hear the handle turn, benedict standing in the doorway. he pauses at the sight of you in his bedroom, no doubt thinking the same thing you are- the trouble you’d be in if you were caught in this position. this shared knowledge has the opposite effect than one might think. instead of discouraging you two, it heightens the tension.

your breath picks up as the two of you take each other in. you let your eyes unabashedly trail over every inch of him. this may be the first and last time you have him in such a capacity, and you want to make sure you take full advantage of it.

“have i told you how beautiful you look, honey?” his soft voice breaks through the tension, and a smile breaks out on your face.

“yeah, quite a few times, actually,” you state, avoiding eye contact so you don’t immediately turn to mush.

“that’s not enough. you look beautiful,” he offers you his hand and leads you out of the room.

“this is what i want to show you first,” he whispers in your ear once more, and goosebumps erupt along your skin. he leads you to a room with two large wooden doors, and stops the two of you right in front.

“go ahead,” he nods towards the doors, and you tentatively push.

you’re greeted with…books. books as far as your eye can see, stacked in every corner of the room, top to bottom, front to back. your mouth falls open just slightly, a gasp escaping your lips. your eyes gloss over in pure awe. you’ve spent your whole life surrounded by books, and yet you don’t think you’ve ever seen so many all at once.

“benedict…this is incredible,” you gush, too distracted to notice the lack of formality, “you just live with this?” you gasp, unbelieving. it makes benedict chuckle, and you can’t help the laugh that escapes your lips as well.

as you stand there, laughing with benedict bridgerton, you can’t help but feel that all is right with the world, like you’re the only two people on the planet. your hand instinctively reaches for his, and he laces his fingers in yours. he gently guides you around the room, highlighting the sections that you would like the most.

“take as many of these as you want, my love,” he says, tentatively wrapping his arms around your waist from behind. he’s nervous, you can tell. he’s testing the waters, and you lean into his touch.

“are you serious?” you ask, looking up at him from his chest.

“‘f course, there’s so many of them, we have more in storage, too,” he places a gentle kiss on your forehead and your eyes drift closed for a moment.

“you’re too kind to me, benedict,” you murmur before opening your eyes. you’re greeted with the most beautiful man in the ton gazing down at you with stars in his eyes.

“my name sounds so gorgeous on your lips,” he murmurs, his lips resting against your temple. it’s only then you realize you’ve dropped the title, and your face flushes. you gasp at the revelation, leaping from his hold.

you clear your throat, straightening out your dress as you keep your gaze downturned, “i apologize, sir. that was improper of me,” you inhale shakily as you pretend to look at books.

“no, no, my love. it’s okay, i want you to be comfortable with me, okay?” he coos, and you want to just fall into him and let him shield you from the world for the rest of time. you know that’s not how this can work, though, so you groan.

“unfortunately, that is not how things are supposed to be between the two of us,” you attempt to keep your voice as neutral as possible.

“why should we give a damn about how things are supposed to be between the two of us?!” he snaps, and your eyes widen, “ever since i met you, every waking moment of my life has been dedicated to you. it has all been for you, my love. okay? every book i’ve picked up, every class i’ve taken, it’s all made me feel closer to you, even if we were miles apart,” he vents, and you’re both breathing as if you’ve just ran miles.

“i don’t understand, mr. bridgerton-”

“it’s benedict, sweet girl,” his stern tone stops you in your tracks, “ever since we were children, you have overtaken my every waking thought. when i first saw you, a shy young thing hiding behind the bookstore’s counter,” he pauses to breathlessly chuckle at the memory, “i thought you were the most beautiful girl in the world. now that we’re adults, and you’ve blossomed into a strong, smart, sensitive young woman, i know for certain i was right. you’re so beautiful, inside and out, and i’m in love with you.”

the wind is knocked out of you at his confession, eyes glossing over with tears threatening to spill over your lash line, “benedict!” you gasp, your hands clasping against your chest.

“come here,” he mumbles, pulling you by your hand to crash his lips onto yours. he practically inhales you as his body surrounds you entirely.

you feel him everywhere. his lips are moving a mile a minute, from your lips to your cheeks to your neck to your collarbones. his warmth envelops you from the outside in, warming the fire burning low in your belly. the scent of his woodsy cologne intoxicates you, and you feel lightheaded from the overstimulation. you don’t want it to stop, though, you never want it to stop.

your hands reach up to cradle his jaw, bringing his lips back to yours in a fiery explosion of passion. you’re gasping against each other, lips moving in desperate tandem. anything and everything that isn’t benedict bridgerton is of no use to you, your brain completely blank except for the man overpowering your senses.

he breaks the kiss first. he pulls away reluctantly to catch his breath, but he keeps his hands on either side of your face. he doesn’t let you escape his fiery gaze, inspecting every inch of your blissed out expression, all heavy lidded eyes and plump, swollen lips.

“i love you, too,” you whisper once you’ve finally caught your breath, and you both chuckle.

“i love you,” he murmurs, bringing your lips back to his. this kiss was chaste, sweet, “i love you so much,” and another kiss.

“benedict…” you trail off, reality settling in for a brief moment, “what are we going to do?” you whisper, eyes glossy with pure, raw emotion.

he knows what you mean, you can tell from the strain in his eyes, “i’m going to take care of you, okay my love? i’m going to make sure nobody says a word to hurt my girl, okay?” he seals his promise with a kiss that nearly knocks you off your feet.

you fall against him, arms flying around his neck. he lifts you just slightly off the ground, one hand supporting your neck while the other grips your lower back. he starts kissing all over your face and neck, a smile forming on his lips as you giggle.

“we will make it work, okay?” kiss, “i will fight…” kiss, “whatever stupid rule…” kiss, “that says…” kiss, “we can’t be together…” kiss, “do you understand me?”

you both know there’s more to this conversation than that. you both know there’s a whole party downstairs you’ll have to return to eventually. right now, though, this is enough. benedict bridgerton, with his warm lips caressing your the sensitive skin of your neck, and his large, warm hands rubbing soothing circles on your back, is enough. you love each other. you’ll be okay.

[writtenfangirl]

Madness

I wrote this so long ago and then abandoned it because I didn’t know if the ending was satisfactory or not. I thought it would have a greater plot as well but when I couldn’t find it, I was dissatisfied until I reread it and realized the prose was too good not to publish.

Fluff but also a little bit of angst if you squint hard enough.

In which Benedict Bridgerton finally reveals the truth.

She was beautiful. Too beautiful, if Benedict was being perfectly honest with himself. Not the kind of beauty that had him picking up a paint brush and painstakingly striking an easel with lovely swirls of color but the kind of beauty that distracted him, made him brood in a dim corner of the room, watching the little twists of her mouth and the subtle way she arched a brow. Beauty to the point of distraction, like spending hours watching shooting stars dash across the night sky, not realizing as dawn approached on the horizon.

It was utterly maddening.

She was utterly maddening.

How was he meant to live, to exist and breathe, to witness such great beauty and yet have none of the capacity, the right, to keep it?

Just a glance from her, a single curve of her lips, and Benedict could feel his faith in God strengthening as easily as he could deny the Lord’s existence. Only a benevolent God could create such ecstatic beauty and yet no benevolent God could exist in this world if Benedict had to bear the cruelty of Y/N’s indifference.

Maddening.

He sighed, the sound bereft as he continued to watch her charm the eligible men of the ton. She had a veritable cabal of men gathered around her and if any other debutant had been in her position, they surely would have been overwhelmed by now.

But not Y/N.

Never Y/N.

With her head held high and her smile demure, she directed the men as easily as if she was holding court. A slight clearing of the throat and already, someone had a glass of lemonade in their hand while a flap of her hand would have the men falling over themselves in an attempt to get her a chair.

A queen holding court, indeed.

Benedict rolled his eyes at the man to her right, who practically shoved at the man on his left in order to catch Y/N’s attention. Not that it really mattered though, especially not when Y/N’s attention was focused on Benedict.

Even from across the room, the tension between them felt palpable. Exhilarating. It always had been with Y/N. Thick and smooth, the connection between them as tangible as their own beating hearts. Just a shared look between them and the world fell silent, the edges of his vision practically darkening at the edges until he saw only her.

Beautiful. Even as her face contorted with hurt for the briefest of seconds, her eyes pulling away from him and returning to the crowd of men that surrounded her.

Benedict gritted his teeth, the only sign of annoyance he let himself show.

“I see you are not quite so enamored with our diamond.”

Benedict’s head whipped to the left, finding Lady Danbury watching him with those shrewd eyes of hers. The old crone had her cane gripped tightly in her hands and Benedict fought his grimace at the phantom pain that shot up from his ankles. The dowager countess had a terrible habit of whacking gentlemen she didn’t like with that sturdy cane of hers and Benedict had felt the brunt of that pain far too many times for his liking.

Still, as a gentleman, he couldn’t very well ignore the woman. It would have been terribly rude of him to and it went against every fiber of the etiquette that had been drilled to him as a child.

He spared Y/N another glance before he spoke. “You think all those men enamored with her?”

“I think they think themselves enamored by her,” Lady Danbury said. “She is quite a beauty and accomplished too, I hear. Are you acquainted with the young lady?”

He had been, when he was young. As recently as a few months ago, Benedict had counted Y/N as one of his dearest friends but with everything that transpired between them…

“We are familiar with one another.”

Lady Danbury arched a brow, directing her attention back to Y/N. She was animatedly speaking with Anthony and Colin, the only time the entire evening where her smile didn’t seem a little bit forced. “Your brothers seem friendly with her. Why aren’t you?”

Because he was a stupid, bloody, idiot who didn’t know how to keep his damn mouth shut, that’s why.

But his pride would never let him say that, especially not in front of Lady Danbury. “We are familiar with each other.” He repeated, voice tight.

Lady Danbury’s eyes flickered. “I seem to recall your mother telling me about how you and the Lady Y/N were thick as thieves not so long ago.”

Bloody hell, the old crone was relentless. He didn’t want to talk about his and Y/N’s falling out, especially not with her.

He suddenly whirled, cocking his head to the side. “Oh, I believe I hear someone calling me.”

No one was calling him but not even his impeccable manners could make him stay.

Lady Danbury harrumphed. “I may be old, boy, but I am not deaf.”

“Definitely hear someone calling me.” Benedict even cupped a hand, placing it on the side of his mouth before he yelled a quick, “I’ll be right there!” He turned back to Lady Danbury, who was looking at him as if she knew his claims were a lie. “Lady Danbury, if you’ll excuse me.”

The dowager countess simply gave Benedict a knowing look yet let him go.

He ducked into the crowd towards… bloody hell he couldn’t find anyone he would rather talk to. His brothers were still off speaking with Y/N and he didn’t feel like speaking with his mother, who would likely hound him about his fight with Y/N. Which left the last person of their party, Eloise. A quick scan of the room revealed his sister in the other side of the room, conspiratorially whispering to her best friend, Penelope Featherington.

He zoomed towards them, turning his back on Y/N and Lady Danbury.

Eloise caught his eye as he approached and her lips pursed in displeasure. “Why do you look as if you’re expecting me to bail you out of a horrible situation.”

“Can’t I see my favorite sister with joy in my face without being suspected of ill intent?”Benedict said with a grin before bowing to Penelope, who returned the gesture with her own curtsy.

Penelope ducked her head to suppress a giggle.

Eloise rolled her eyes at him. “What do you want?”

“To ask you why you’re sulking in a corner instead of dancing despite—“ he pulled at the dance card in her wrist, every single line filled with names that were unfamiliar to him. “Did you put fake names in your dance card?”

Eloise snatched her wrist back. “Yes. I thought that with Y/N grabbing the attention of so many of the gentlemen, I would be spared the embarrassment of having to entertain any gentlemen tonight. Unfortunately, I was wrong.”

Benedict turned to Penelope. “How many approached her?”

“Six,” Penelope smirked, “and those six quickly turned right back around.”

“Well with a full dance card, I’m not at all surprised.”

Eloise rolled her eyes in annoyance. “Spare me the lecture, brother. I’m sure I’ll hear enough from mother tonight.”

“She caught you?”

“After Eloise turned down the sixth one, Lady Violet began to suspect,” Penelope explained.

Benedict grinned. “When have you known me to lecture you?”

She gave him a saccharine smile, the kind that Benedict always knew would end with her barbed words. “Aren’t you meant to be fawning over Y/N? You’d done it most of our life.”

He bristled at her words.

Penelope shot them a curious look. “You never told me you were acquainted with the lady?”

“Hadn’t I?” Eloise frowned. “Lady Y/L/N’s family and ours have been acquainted for ages. Of course, she rarely ever came to London and if it hadn’t been for her father’s recent passing she wouldn’t have had a season at all. Mama had held hope that perhaps one of my dear brothers would begin to take some responsibility and marry her.” She lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper that was so loud, it still reached Benedict’s ears. “Personally, I always thought Benedict would offer. He and Y/N had a special bond growing up. Even Daphne thinks so.”

Benedict had never hit a woman before but perhaps, just this once, excuses could be made for one’s sisters.

“So, well acquainted then,” Penelope said with a slight smile.

“I do recall Benedict pining after Y/N for years,” Eloise mused, uncaring as Benedict’s mood soured. “You never did tell me why it is you suddenly became estranged”

“Not that it’s any of your business.” He grumbled.

Eloise batted eyes innocently. “Irritable today, aren’t you, brother? Could it possibly be because of the cadre of men that hound every one of Y/N’s footsteps?”

“I have changed my mind. Francesca is now my favorite sister.”

“I love you too, Benedict,” she all but grinned.

He turned his attention back to Y/N, who, to his surprise, had taken her leave.

“She’s in the garden, if you wish to speak to her,” Eloise said, noting his wandering eyes and nodding towards the open veranda at the side.

“What gave you the impression that I would like to speak to her?”

Eloise simply rolled her eyes before tugging Penelope’s arm. “With Y/N taking her respite, I imagine there will be a sudden influx of gentlemen who would like to dance. Let us make ourselves scarce.” And she pulled Penelope along, the red head offering Benedict an apologetic look.

He glanced at the crowd once again before letting his feet carry him through the veranda and out towards the garden. There were still many people milling about outside that granted them protection from scandal but it was much more intimate than the loud din of the ballroom.

The night was cool, the spring air serene compared to the humidity of the ballroom.

He spied Y/N, her back turned against the door. Upon hearing his approach, she sighed. “Good sir, if you did not understand me, I wish to be al—“ she turned and her words died at her lips at the sight of him. “Oh. It’s you.”

She looked even lovelier up close. She always did. Whether dressed in a simple frock with her long hair flowing down her back or dressed ornately with jewels adorning her, she always looked lovelier up close.

“What do you want, Benedict,” Y/N said, dropping that societal mask she employed inside.

“To apologize.”

She shook her head. “There is nothing to apologize for. You asked for my hand under false pretenses, I rejected you. End of story.“

“Under false pretenses?” He echoed, his own tone turning sharp. “You think my proposal to be insincere? Is that why you rejected me?”

“I did not think it insincere, I knew it to be insincere. I heard you and the Lady Violet discussing me. I heard when you declared your intention to ask for my hand in marriage simply because she had asked you to.”

Oh.

Oh.

He remembered then, the conversation he had with his mother right before he proposed.

“Propose to her,” Violet had urged just as breakfast had been served, with only Benedict and Violet dining.

“I am not even courting her, mama,” he replied exasperatedly. It had been far too early in the morning to entertain his mother’s insistence on seeing him wed to Y/N. She’d pestered him about it in one form or another even before the Y/L/Ns had come to visit the Bridgertons and Benedict knew she would not stop until he and Y/N were formally engaged.

But Y/N had just ended her mourning period for her father. And though societal mandates dictated that it was perfectly reasonable for Benedict to ask for her hand in marriage, he knew how deeply she mourned the man, especially since his death had placed her in such a precarious position. The late patriarch of the Y/L/N family had been fond of his only child, even if she had been born a girl. And Y/N had loved him, even if his death left her and her mother saddled with financial debt despite coming from the longest line of barony in England.

“What does it matter that you are not courting?” Violet demanded. “You have known her since you were both children. You’ve been courting her all your life.”

“Mama, please leave it well enough alone.”

“What is it that you do not like about her?” She insisted. “She is beautiful and accomplished and you have known each other your whole lives. Any young man would be fortunate to be bound to her in marriage.”

“I never said anything that would imply otherwise.”

“Then why do you refuse to ask her for her hand in marriage? Doing so would spare her a season in London and limit their financial troubles.” And then she had gasped in indignation. “Or is their financial troubles the very reason why you refuse? I never raised you to be avaricious!”

Bloody hell. “I am not avaricious, mother. I do not care about her dowry or lack thereof!”

“Then what is it? Do not tell me it is because you do not love her. I have seen the way you look at her.”

Benedict had eyed his fork, had wondered if perhaps, it would be a better to shove it in his ears than listen to his mother’s hullabaloo.

Instead he took a scone, spreading a generous layer of clotted cream and jam so his hands had something to do rather than maim himself.

“And how is it I look at her, mother?” He drawled.

“The same way your father used to look at me.”

At that he had paused, scone half-raised to his mouth. He hadn’t known what to say anymore. Mentions of his own father had always been capable of silencing his mind.

Finally, he had decided on telling her the truth, that his mother may finally stop pestering him.

“Asking Y/N for her hand in marriage had always been the plan, mother,” Benedict relented. “I was simply waiting for the perfect moment.”

Violet smiled at her son kindly. “There are no such thing as perfect moments, dearest. Only moments that can be made perfect. And whether you ask her later or tomorrow or next week, that moment will be perfect by virtue of you asking.”

She was right, of course. Violet Bridgerton was so rarely incorrect especially in matters of the heart and love.

Benedict had given her a smile, and said, voice dripping in sarcasm. “Well, since you so graciously asked me to, I shall propose to the Lady Y/N, if only to make you happy.”

That must have been what Y/N heard. Not the whole story but the end, when Benedict had teased his mother.

Now he was convinced that God existed and that he must be cruel. Only the machinations of a cruel God could have lined up the timing perfectly.

Y/N’s eyes flickered as she regarded him. “I do not wish to bind you in marriage with someone you do not hold any affection for. You have fulfilled your promise to your mother and have asked for my hand. I rejected you. We no longer have any obligations with one another. Good night.” She made a move to pass him, to walk back to the ballroom to her gaggle of men but Benedict’s hand shot up, gripping her arm and keeping her to him.

His hands were gloved and even Y/N’s arms were sheathed in silk. And though he had never felt gloves to be particularly offensive, he wished to burn the ones that covered their hands. If only so he could feel her smooth skin beneath his fingers.

The heady scent of her perfume wafted through his senses. She smelled divine, like walking through a garden of roses under the cover of moonlight as the stars twinkled above his head. Utterly mouthwatering, and capable of driving even the sanest of men into insanity. The scent of distraction.

Always so distracting.

Benedict forced his mouth to speak before his brain could forget the words he needed to say. “Do you think so little of me? Capable of such cruelty especially when it comes to you.”

Y/N’s brows met, a flash of pain in her eyes and then it was gone. “It is the opposite, really. I think the world of you, Benedict. Only a gentleman would offer to marry a girl he has no obligations to simply because of her precarious position in life. You are an honorable man and any woman would be lucky to call you their husband. It is why I cannot accept your proposal, not when you do not love me. Not when there is no one on this world more deserving of love than you.”

Benedict frowned at her. “Why do you continue to insist that I do not love you?”

“Because you do not!” She pulled away from him, wrenching her hand from his grasp. Her eyes were pure anguish as she looked at him and the very sight of her pain had him staggering back. “If you truly held any affection for me, I would know. I have studied you all our lives, Benedict. And in all the time we shared together, you had never shown any affection for me beyond that of a friend. Your proposal hurt, Benedict. I have loved you in every way a man could be loved for so long and for you to ask for my hand in marriage out of pity—“ She choked, eyes widening as if she didn’t mean to say the things she’d said.

“You love me?” He echoed, heart beating quickly in his chest. He wondered, briefly, if his fast beating heart marks the day he really lived. If Y/N’s confession had been the reason he truly felt alive for the first time in his life.

Her face crumpled in pain as she stepped back. “Forgive me, I shouldn’t have said those things. Please take your leave, Benedict. That I may salvage whatever scraps of my dignity is left.”

But Benedict did no such thing.

Instead he took her hands and lowered himself into a kneel, setting his eyes upon her. The arching light of the manor spilled over the veranda casted her in a soft glow that took his very breath away.

Y/N’s eyes widened in alarm and whatever pain she held there was washed away by her surprise. “Benedict, what are you doing?”

“Begging you for forgiveness.”

“What? Benedict, get up.”

But he held firm, his determination cementing his knees to the ground. “Forgive me, Y/N, for my grave transgressions against you. That you had ever lived your life doubting my affections for you, or wondering if I cared for you as more than a friend are sins I will carry with me to my last breath. It will be my great shame that I had not made it abundantly clear that I love you. Because I do love you. Most ardently.”

“Benedict, get up. This is madness—“

“You are right. It is madness. The way I feel for you would drive the sanest of people into lunacy. But if loving you is madness then I don’t ever wish to be sane.”

Her eyes gleamed silver with unshed tears that threatened to fall from her pretty eyes. “B-But that morning, the day you proposed—“

“I did not propose to you out of pity for you, I did it out of pity for me. I needed to put myself out of my misery and finally marry the only girl I ever had the privilege of falling in love with rather than continue pining after you in secret.”

She let out a a laugh through her tears, the sound like bells chiming during a storm. Light and beautiful despite the pouring rain that threatened to drown it out. “Ask me again.”

His heart leapt to his throat, pounding so quickly he struggled to get the words out. But they came nonetheless, the words clear and betraying none of his anxiety. “Y/N, will you marry me?”

“Yes.”

[yeollie-plz]

Rendezvous

Benedict Bridgerton x F! Reader

Synopsis: The ball was dreadfully boring, but you know what isn’t boring? Sneaking off to the library with Benedict.

Genre: smut!!, somehow I snuck some fluff in there

Warnings: smut, 18+ content, sneaking around, kissing, oral sex, public sex, handjobs, exhibitionism, choking

All gif credits to owners!

"Ben...please," you moaned out.

Currently the man in question was on his knees, hands bunching your dress up to your hips as his tongue made quick work of your pussy. His hot breath fanned out over your soaked folds as he lapped at your center.

He kept his rhythm as he willed you to your peak, working your bud in quick circles. Both of you knew you didn't have much time. Someone could catch you at any moment and if you weren't so caught up in the moment you might have even been scared of this fact.

Benedict's tongue flicked your clit particularly hard, causing your hips to jerk forward and your hands to grip his hair, roughly. The feeling of you pulling his hair had him moaning, the vibration causing you to grip the follicles once again.

This time his hands gripped onto your thighs. Fingers pushing so deeply into your soft flesh that you were sure they were to leave bruises.

Another moan of his name egged him on, making him move his tongue inhumanly faster. Working it in figure eights in an attempt to push you over your edge, knowing how much you both needed it. And needed to return to the ball...

The library wall you were pushed against almost twenty minutes ago was now lacking some of the books that once lay on its shelves. With the aggressive kisses that had you gripping for anything that could center you and the way Benedict had lifted you up onto one of them just to be able to get even closer to you. A maid was sure to find this in the morning and question the activities that had graced this room the night prior, but you were not one to focus on the future. Not when the present was so, so distracting.

And oh so delicious. How could a tongue feel so good? How did he fell so good?

Your head tossed back as your stomach began to tighten with your impending orgasm. Just as your vision was beginning to turn fuzzy, there was voices from outside the door. Very distinct voices and footsteps coming towards the very room you two currently occupied.

Benedict's head snapped up to meet your eyes. Your orgasm long since forgotten as he quickly pulled away from between your legs. He rose to his feet pushing your dress back down as he did so. The two of you glanced around trying to think of what to do.

Right as your eyes landed on a desk a few steps to your right so did his. It was a large desk and if the two of you were determined, the both of you could fit under there without being seen.

The doorknob turned and you both rushed over to the desk, pushing your bodies under it just in time for the voices to enter the room. The two of you were confined under the desk, your back against his chest as you tried to catch your breath not wanting to give yourselves away.

The group continued to chat across the room. Your breath had finally began evening out just as Benedict leant down to whisper into your ear.

"Compromising position we've found ourselves in, Miss Y/L/N." The statement almost had you letting out a giggle.

"We've been finding ourselves in many compromising positions as of late, Mr. Bridgerton." You whispered back, this statement did have Benedict letting out a low chuckle. The sound resonating in your back, the lift of his chest making you lift forward as well.

That's when you felt it, his hardened member currently sitting very uncomfortably in his tight pants. He knew you had realized too, with how your body stiffened as it rubbed against your hip bone.

"I apologize, my dear, but with our efforts earlier and the way you are close to me now. Well, it might not go away for a minute." His head hung low, almost resting on your shoulder. His lips were dangerously close to that sweet spot between your neck and collarbone.

And as he exhaled, the cold air that ghosted your skin caused a chill to run down your spine. Your ass rubbed against Benedict's boner. His hands gripped onto your hips in warning, head snapping back up as if you could see the cold stare that was surely gracing his face.

"My love..." He warned, as if the knuckles that were now turning white with how tightly he held your body wasn't warning enough.

The voices were clear on the other side of the room so you disregarded his warnings and reached your hand behind you instead. Your hand made contact with his muscular thigh first. Opting for a light touch instead of the rough one he was still currently using on you.

But as your fingers got closer to the buttons of his breeches, all reserves that he might have had were thrown out the window. Instead his own hands were swatting yours away to aid you in undoing his pants.

This satisfied you, a smirk gracing your lips as he laced his fingers with yours and pulled your hand under the flap of his pants. The heat that radiated off of his skin felt like hot candle wax as your smooth fingertips danced along hip. You lifted up ever so slightly, to be able to get a better grip of him and Benedict almost groaned out at the lack of connection. Yet, he bit his tongue and let you get to work. Knowing that if he were to complain, even a little bit, you would stop.

He knew you too well after months of your little rendezvous to ever show his ass or have his ass handed to him instead.

So that’s why Benedict sat on his hands and let you take control. Well, he didn’t actually sit on his hands, no, those were all over you. As soon as your hand made contact with his almost painful member, his were in your hair pulling your head back for easier access to your neck.

He kissed down from your chin, across your collar bone, and so devilishly close to your breasts. As you worked his cock agonizingly slowly. Your hand gripped the base of it working up and down it slowly, teasing the tip as you reached it.

If they were anywhere else, he would’ve asked her to go faster, begged her even. But right here, right now he almost thanked her for taking her time, or else he lose himself.

Footsteps grew even closer to your hiding spot, but you did not stop your motions. Actually, you began to pick up your pace a bit. Benedict who was surprisingly composing himself well only moments before was now forced to cover his mouth with a hand in order to stifle any sounds that might escape him.

The desk shifted slightly, someone was now leaning against it. You almost let out a gasp in shock, your hand ceased its movements. Benedict’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, not even noticing the person just above him. He was way too focused on what he thought was you teasing him. So his hands gripped onto your neck and tightened.

Something that, in normal circumstances, would egg you on. But instead it had you grabbing his wrist in warning, his grip instantly relaxed unsure if he had harmed you. In an effort to calm his nerves and warn him of your new friends, you snapped your head around to look at him. Your finger going back and forth between a shushing motion and pointing above the two of you.

He soon got the hint and nodded slowly. Although, you could tell by how his eyes darken that he didn’t much care for the company.

It was shocking. A man who usually was so plagued with jealously was currently excited by the prospect of getting caught?

But as soon as the company was gained it was stalking off the other side of the room again. You wanted to groan at how long it was taking them to leave. Most people would have returned to the party by now. You should’ve returned to the party by now. Oh, your poor mama would be so worried. Wait, Benedict…

You shook the thoughts of your mama out of your head and returned them to the man under you. Decidedly, you slowly flipped yourself around to face him. You were now on your knees, ass pressed firmly into the wood of the other side of the desk.

Benedict smirked at the look of you bent over for him, hands holding the sides of your face trying to pull your lips up to his. Your obliged and kissed him. It had been much too long since his lips had been on yours. Almost forty minutes now, by your calculations. Much, much too long.

Not too long into the kiss you brought your hand back to his abused cock. He bit your lip as your fingers gathered up the precum that was beading at his tip.

You pulled your lips from his long enough to push your fingers into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around your digits, lapping up all of his essence. Your eyes gleamed at the sight.

With your fingers still in his mouth he smirked, he grabbed your wrist to slowly pull this out, kissing the tips of your fingers before returning your hand to his member. Not too soon after he returned his lips to yours.

He tried to match your rhythm on his dick with the rhythm of his lips. Moaning into your mouth every time your hand wrapped around the head of his cock.

All the teasing of the night was bringing him quickly to his orgasm. So as his hips bucked up into your hand you worked him faster to help him reach his peak.

Benedict’s hips stuttered as you detached your lips from his only to bring them down to his sensitive tip. You licked him quickly before sinking down fully, taking almost his full length inside of your mouth.

This is what sent him over the edge as you pulled your head back and sunk down once again he was coming undone inside of your waiting mouth. You swallowed down all of his seed as he thrust up into your mouth. Hands gripping your hair and pulling at it.

And just as the last shocks of his orgasm were subsiding he let his head knock back into the heavy wooden desk. Your eyes popped up to him in shock as you pulled yourself quickly off of his now spent cock.

He let out a very small whimper at the disregard for his sensitivity and looked at you. The hurt that conveyed his face for a second switched quickly to one of equal concern as he realized what had happened.

The conversation just on the other side of you two stopped in favor of looking over to your hiding place.

“What was that?” A voice said. More grunts of confusion came from some of the others.

You held your breath as the footsteps came closer to you once again. No, no, no this was not how the two of you were supposed to be caught. You would be ruined and forced to marry Benedict. Not that that would be a bad thing, I mean you did love him. But you wanted the proposal to come on your own time, not like this.

Just as the group was about to come around the edge of the desk, the door to the library opened once again and a servant ushered the group to an important matter. They left the room and the door closed behind them.

You took just a second before you were popping your head over the edge of the desk to check to coast was clear. “They are gone.” You said to no one apparently because Benedict was already fully standing up and offering you his hand to help you.

When you both returned to your feet, and clothes were out back into their rightful places, you looked at the man before you. His eyes glowed in the candlelight. His dark hair somehow still perfect even though you were sure you had ruined it. And that jawline…this man was perfect.

He must have felt your eyes on him because in that moment he looked over at you and cocked an eyebrow. You only smiled and shook your head. That’s when he burst out laughing.

“What? What’s so funny?” You tried to question but he just continued laughing and eventually you laughed too.

The two of you laughed for what felt like five minutes before finally running out of breath. Stomachs hurting from the giggle spell.

“I love you.” He said all of a sudden, now overly serious.

“I love you. ” You matched his energy as you replied.

“It’s a wonder they didn’t notice this mess.” Benedict gestured to the pile of books you had knocked over when you had originally came into the room.

“Probably a good thing they didn’t. Wouldn’t want us getting caught.” You didn’t look at him, opting for continuing to stare at the books instead.

“If it’s with you, I wouldn’t mind getting caught.”

Now you looked at him, “You’d so easily sully my reputation?” You questioned, with a hint of jest.

He smiled, “You know that’s not what I meant.”

You nodded. You did know what he meant.

He cleared his throat and closed the distance between the two of you.

“We’ve been gone a while now.” He started as he brought his hands to your hips once again. “Might as well be gone even longer.” He paused again this time to bring his face closer to yours, his breath fanning out over your face.

“Where were we?” He asked as he lifted you up onto the desk you were once hiding under.

“Oh, that’s right.” Benedict said as he brought his lips to yours.

[delehosies]

𝐃𝐑𝐔𝐍𝐊 𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 — benedict bridgerton x female reader . in which benedict discovers a lady asleep on his bed after retiring from the annual bridgerton ball for the night.

3200 words | a fluffy mess ! | masterlist | suggest fics ideas

The last thing that Benedict had expected to see when stumbling into his bedchambers after retiring from the ball for the night, still slightly tipsy, was a lady fast asleep on his bed. But Alas — there you were. Fast asleep, chest slowly rising and then falling again, your lips parted and the material of your ballgown draped in a rather messy manner around you.

He rubbed at his eyes harshly, as if doing so would prove that you were indeed a figment of his imagination, that he was coming down with a fever and therefore hallucinating, that a shadow had taken form on his bed and he had simply mistaken it for a girl. But no. You were actually there. On his bed.

Benedict felt his mouth fall open and shut again – bewildered but slowly coming to his senses. He finally closed the door behind him, so as to ensure nobody would see you, that your reputation wouldn’t be ruined over something which wasn’t anything. “Alright… alright.” he mumbled to himself, taking a few steps closer to the bed and kneeling onto the mattress besides you. Hoping that perhaps his weight shifting underneath would wake you up but… no. Instead you just mumbled something incoherent in your sleep, shifting onto your side as you did so. 

The annual Bridgerton ball had taken place that night, was still taking place downstairs in fact, and was still running into the early hours of the morning. But Benedict decided that he had had enough of the ton for one day, that he would get a somewhat early night. Instead one of his mother’s  guests was napping in his bedchambers. Which he had to admit was something completely new to him, in their many years of hosting balls he had never experienced this. 

“Um… Excuse me? Miss?” he half whispered, placing a light hand on the soft skin of your arm and attempting to gently shake you awake. “You really need to wake… You don’t wish to be caught alone together, hm? Especially not in my bedchamber…” 

Upon further inspection, Benedict noticed that your hair had been lazily removed from its updo, and instead fell around you, framing your face and complimenting your features perfectly. He brushed a piece away from you, tucking it behind your ear and frowning as he stared down at you. He was entirely unsure of what to do, and far too aware of how the situation would appear to anybody else - your reputation would be completely ruined if you were caught in this situation. Benedict wanted to ask his mother for help, but was frightened to leave you here alone. What if something happened to you? What if something had already happened to you? 

Benedict was unaware that just a few hours earlier, you had began to grow incredibly bored of the ball – by the mundanity of it all, the endless stream of men that your mother insisted on parading in front of you, the dances, the meaningless and far too polite conversation. You had instead decided to plant yourself in a corner nearest to the drinks table… where you had been drinking the night away ever since. 

You were unsure of how much you had actually drank, but when the entire room began to spin in a rather unpleasant way you had decided that it was probably time to stop. You had managed to stagger out of the ballroom and into a hallway – though you can hardly remember the journey upstairs and through the hallways into Benedict’s bedchamber, nor can you remember falling asleep, but you know that you certainly didn’t intend to fall into such a deep slumber. 

“Miss?” your eyes fluttered open to the sound of a concerned voice – a man. You sat yourself up quickly, too quickly. You immediately regretted it as the room began to sway again, the unfamiliar surroundings rocking back and fourth. You soon discovered the source of the voice, sat besides you on the bed with his eyebrows pulled together in concern. A Bridgerton. You weren’t entirely sure which one, but you knew that he was a Bridgerton.

“Oh dear God.” the words fell from you before you could stop them, bringing your hands upwards in an attempt to cover your face. Although you were still very drunk, you had enough sense to be embarrassed, mortified in fact, by the entire situation. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry Mr Bridgerton.” you mumbled — refusing to meet his eyes, which were burning through you with an undeniably intense curiosity. 

Benedict blinked in surprise, he had never got quite used to the entirety of the ton being aware of who he was — most of the time they cannot tell him apart from his brothers, but they are still aware that he is a Bridgerton, meanwhile he is half asleep when introduced to people by his mother, it can be quite rare that he actually remembers a name.

“Are you quite alright?”

“I’m a little bit...”

“Drunk? I know that. I can smell the alcohol on you. But are you alright? I mean you were hiding in my bedchambers, asleep on my bed. Did something happen? Other than the copious amounts of alcohol.” Underneath his concern, his curiosity, his twenty questions – was amusement. You could tell that he was repressing a smile, perhaps even in a small laugh. 

You felt your cheeks begin to warm, feeling completely and utterly  embarrassed – he could smell the alcohol on you after all. You stood from the bed as soon as you could get up, an action which ended up being a complete mistake, you began to stagger sideways almost instantly. Benedict having to stand from where he was sitting in order to prevent you from falling. He placed two firm yet gentle hands on your arms, holding you in one place. 

“It’s alright… I’m not angry, if anything I’m quite amused…” you were forced to make eye contact with him at that point, and discovered that he was practically gazing at you, smiling as if he was biting back a laugh – he became serious again rather quickly. “But are you alright? Has anybody hurt you? Or was the annual Bridgerton ball just that boring?” 

You shook your head quickly. “I’m quite alright… I didn’t mean to fall asleep, do you see? I just needed a rest.” Your excuse didn’t give you any comfort, here you were, apologising to someone who was practically a stranger for falling asleep on his bed because you… needed a rest. 

“So you’re fine. Just sleepy, I suppose.” 

“Just sleepy.” You confirmed.

“And drunk… Too much of my mother’s famous punch.”

A quiet giggle fell from your lips – he was actually quite amusing. Why couldn’t your mother have paraded him in front of you instead of the magnitudes of bores who she insisted on you at least considering? 

“Do you care to tell me your name?” Benedict questioned, his head tilting to one side as his eyes scanned across your features, not making an attempt to hide his curiosity. 

“Y/N.” You replied, raising your head in the most confident and self assured manner that you could muster. 

“Well… It’s lovely to meet you, Miss Y/N.” He removed his hands from each of your arms, instead taking your hand in his and pressing a soft kiss to the bare skin, before gently releasing you. “I’m Benedict — You don’t have to bother with the Mr Bridgerton stuff, I’m just Benedict afterall.” 

“I must be getting back… Benedict.” You smiled, hesitating at first but ultimately enjoying the way that his name sounded on your tongue. Benedict — you decided that you could get used to it. “I am sure that my mother will be worrying.” 

Benedict raised an eyebrow, sitting back on the edge of his mattress. “You can hardly stand, Miss Y/N. I’m not sure that you’re in any fit state to return to the ball just yet.” He stretched his legs out, removing his waistcoat and discarding it somewhere across the room.

“I appreciate the concern but I am perfectly fine.” you crossed your arms across your chest, feining irritation as you stared down at where he now practically laid across the bed. Unbeknown to you, your words were still slurred – very slurred. 

He was now laying back, gazing up at the ceiling. “You’ll be the talk of the town! I can picture it now… Do you think that you’ll be the main feature on Lady Whistledown? Or instead one of the more minor segments?” You stayed silent, arms staying tightly crossed. “Miss Y/N…” He held out an arm dramatically above him “drunken disaster…” 

“That is very rude! Were you not taught never to speak to a lady in such a manner?” you exclaimed, picking up what was nearest to you and throwing it across the room, where it landed on his chest – luckily, it was quite a small book, and did no damage when it came into contact with him. 

Benedict seemed utterly unfazed, laughing quietly to himself and opening the book to a random page – where he seemingly pretended to be utterly engrossed in the chapter. “Apparently not… I have four sisters so I am quite used to bickering with these so called ladies that you speak of.” He paused for a moment. “I will find something to sober you.” he stood, suddenly serious, his gaze turning to where you stood. “But only if you promise to stay here for the time being. If someone sees you leaving my bedchambers it would look most suspicious.” 

You nodded quickly, knowing that as much as you wanted to disagree,  he was most definitely right. “Just sit.” Benedict pointed to the bed, and you did so without hesitating, being very obedient. “And stay there. I won’t be gone for very long.” 

Benedict managed to leave his bedchamber without being spotted – using the servants staircase in order to avoid seeing anybody, and making his way down to the kitchen in order to fetch tea and biscuits for you. Meanwhile, you sat on the edge of Benedict’s bed, inspecting the surroundings the best you could without moving. You noticed an easel in the corner of the room and raised an eyebrow – you wouldn’t have guessed that he was a painter, but then again, you hardly knew him.

The minutes dragged on for what felt like eternity, waiting for Benedict to return to his room, and when he finally did you weren’t expecting him to return carrying a huge tray in a rather clumsily manner. He placed it down on the table besides his bed, shutting the door behind him as quick as he could. “Sorry that took me so long I…” He hesitated for a moment, seeming to carefully think his words over. “If I’m being completely honest I couldn’t work the stove to heat the water… but I got there eventually. Tea and biscuits, for you.” Benedict smiled sheepishly, before beginning to pour you a cup of tea. He handed it to you, and you gratefully took it. “You actually stayed sat there, how obedient!” 

You rolled your eyes, attempting to pay no mind to the way that particular comment made you feel – deciding to ignore it completely. “Thank you, Benedict.” Silence fell between the two of you, Benedict pouring a cup for himself before sitting besides you. “You’re an artist?”

He glanced over at the easel in the corner of the room before looking back to you, nodding as he did so. “Something like that… I like to draw, but whether I am an artist or not is most likely up for debate.” 

“Are you any good? Would you be able to capture my likeness? Can I see one of your sketchbooks?” You inquired, questions falling from you with zero difficulty. You thought that perhaps you might be speaking too much, but Benedict entertained every question that you asked him. 

He paused for a moment, eyes scanning you up and down – you couldn’t help but shiver underneath his gaze. “Hm… I’m certainly not a bad painter, though sometimes I doubt myself – I suppose we all doubt ourselves at times.” He was quiet once again, choosing his words carefully. “I’m unsure whether I’d be able to capture your beauty, but I’m always up for a challenge.” Benedict began to search through his bedside drawers, holding multiple sketchbooks in his hand. “I’m not sure if all of my sketches would be exactly… appropriate for a lady.” 

Once again, your cheeks warmed in embarrassment, and you turned your attention quickly to your tea to hide just how flustered his words made you – trying to ignore him as he began to flick through the pages of the filled books, tossing a few aside as he deemed them as being too inappropriate for your eyes. Of course you were curious, but you chose not to press on. 

You crossed your legs underneath you in the best way that you could manage whilst still wearing your ballgown, leaning forwards with interest as Benedict opened a sketchbook on the bed in front of you – pointing to the charcoal sketches. “My sisters… Daphne, Eloise, Francesca and Hyacinth.” he pointed to each picture, smiling proudly as he did so – proud more so of his actual sisters than he was of the drawings (although he knew that he had captured them well.)

“They’re beautiful, truly. You’re quite gifted.” You turned the page, smiling as you took in each sketch. 

You certainly didn’t miss how Benedict’s cheeks flushed a reddish hue with each compliment, how his lips turned up at the corners into a shy smile. He was clearly passionate about his work, cared more than he wanted to about what others thought of his art, that he valued your opinion. “Thank you… it means a lot. Truly.” 

The two of you spent as long as possible, talking, laughing, looking through Benedict’s sketchbooks, discussing books you had read recently – until you had sobered up… at least a little bit. The tea and biscuits soaking up some of the alcohol in your system, though there was nothing wrong with being a little bit merry at an event. 

“I suppose you truly should be off now.” Benedict sighed, helping you to your feet. “Most people will be leaving soon…  and you don’t want your mother to end up sending out a search party to find you.” You were certainly a lot more steady on your feet this time around, taking a few hesitant steps with the help of Benedict and feeling fine. 

You nodded, sighing quietly to yourself – you had had a much more enjoyable night, with better conversations in the short amount of time spent with Benedict than you had had at any other ball. “Thank you, for being so kind… and I’m sorry again.” 

Benedict shushed you, pressing a gentle finger to your lips – apparently feeling rather more bold than he usually would. “There’s no need to apologise – as strange as it was, I’ve had a lovely time. A better time than I would had I spent more time actually socialising.” 

“Me too.” You admitted, smiling sheepishly at him. Benedict turned from you, creeping to the door of the room and slowly opening it in order to prevent it creaking — he peered out, eyes scanning the hall to ensure that nobody was around. “It’s clear.” He reached out his hand to guide you to the door and you gladly took it, enjoying the warmth of his skin on yours as you were lead from the door. Benedict walked you to the end of the hall, pointing as he gave you directions back to the ballroom. 

You couldn’t help but feel a sadness within you as you walked the halls, taking in every tiny piece of detail: the paintings; the wallpaper; the furniture; the flooring – certain that you wouldn’t be returning. “Well… Goodbye.” You whispered shyly, offering a small wave before turning and beginning to descend the grand stairs. 

“Wait…” Benedict mumbled, turning and taking your hand in his and spinning you around to face him. You felt your eyebrows furrow together in confusion, watching as he hesitated with his words before finally blurting out the question – “Can I see you again?” 

“Of course you can… Mr Bridgerton.” You smiled, and in a feeling of unnatural and rare moment of courage you leaned up to kiss his cheek – pressing your soft lips to his skin before pulling away and watching as his face began to flush to a pretty shade of rosy pink. Unbelievable. You had managed to make Benedict Bridgerton blush. 

Before he could speak, you practically ran from the scene, gathering up your skirt in your hands to ensure that you wouldn’t trip. You knew that it was probably quite a dangerous thing to do, considering the fact that you weren’t exactly sober.

Benedict watched as you ran from him until you were completely out of sight, his lips slightly parted in surprise as he struggled to process all of the events from that night — it  all felt very much like a fever induced dream.

On returning to his bedchambers, Benedict flipped to a new page in his sketchbook and began to draw – wanting to sketch you to the best of his abilities before his memories began to fade. Despite his previous desire for an early and long night of sleep, he ended up staying awake for most of the night working on the portrait, ensuring that it would be ready before you awoke that morning. 

And when you awoke one of the first things that you discovered was a grand bouquet of roses left on the table besides your bed, made up of all sorts of different shades and sizes… alongside a note. Your lady’s maid had brought the flowers into your room whilst you had slept, creeping along the wooden floor so as not to wake you. She was secretly excited for you, having sneakily seen the note which came with the bouquet – she had unfolded it before tucking it back into place.

Hours after the flowers had arrived, you finally awoke. Still in your nightgown, half asleep and still in your nightgown, half asleep and sporting a small alcohol induced headache - you had leaned over to inspect the flowers before reaching for and unfolding the note — discovering a drawing of yourself. 

 A small gasp escaped you as you took it in. Benedict. He had made you look beautiful, so beautiful – he had captured you perfectly, all of you, seeming to even capture the soul behind your eyes. You just seemed so alive. His signature was at the bottom of the portrait, alongside the words “Sketched with love and care for Miss Y/N. – Benedict Bridgerton.” 

You ran your finger gently across the words, careful not to smudge any of it – the words repeating in your head again and again. A contented sigh falling from your lips, you fell back onto your mattress, holding the drawing close to your chest as the night’s events really sunk into you. It was hard to believe – yet the words on the page were there as proof — sketched with love and care for Miss Y/N. Benedict Bridgerton.

[iwritefandomimagines]

NOT FOR HIM — BENEDICT BRIDGERTON

masterlist

pairing: benedict bridgerton x reader [plus platonic anthony x reader where he’s being a matchmaker/shitstirrer]

description: you may not have been the season’s diamond, but your debut had caused quite the stir in many a man’s heart — your childhood best friend benedict bridgerton included. however, given that the viscount had decided that he would marry this season, benedict cannot see why you would choose him over his brother.

warnings: kinda tiny bit of angst (if you squint) into tooth-rotting fluff !!! tiny bit of suggestive benedict at the very end but it’s not much !

author’s note: this is basically like a reverse to the anthony one i wrote because i have a big ol’ soft spot for benedict too after my latest rewatch. enjoy !!! [edited, but not thoroughly — will be returning to do so asap]

“You look astonishing, Y/N,” Benedict’s eyes were wide when he saw you, “Absolutely astonishing.”

You blushed crimson under the intensity of his gaze, “You don’t look too bad yourself this evening, Lord Bridgerton.”

You never called him that — you’d known him far too long to consistently comply with formalities — but considering that it was one of your very first balls of your very first season, you had to be the picture of manners.

“It is so strange to hear you call me Lord Bridgerton,” Benedict screwed his face up, “Even if it does give me some small hope that you might consider me too as one of your many suitors.”

You shook your head gently with a laugh, “Oh, Benedict, as if you would wish to court me.”

Before he had a chance to retaliate with stern disagreement at your idea that it was such a preposterous notion, your eyes snapped up to see his brother entering the ballroom.

“Ah,” you grinned, noticing that he had spotted you both immediately and was on his way over to you, “It appears your brother has finally arrived!”

You didn’t look at Benedict for long enough to see the frown on his face at your apparent excitement.

For years, everyone around you had speculated about the closeness of your relationship with Benedict.

Granted, you were close with the whole family, but the tenderness with which Benedict treated you had always teetered on blatant romance even if neither of you had seen it before.

Of course he was aware of it now — he’d realised he was in love with you long ago as silly young teenagers, and now that you were finally out in society (emphasis on finally, as you had delayed doing so as much as possible) he had hoped to make that clear.

But of course your eyes were fixed on his brother, the Viscount, who had finally decided he wished to marry and therefore seemingly snatched all of your attention away from him.

“Good evening, my lord,” you curtsied, and Anthony laughed, “Such formality! How are you enjoying your first ball, Y/N? I trust my brother has not let you leave his side?”

You giggled, and as much as Benedict adored the sound of your laughter he couldn’t help the clenching of his jaw at his brother’s remark and your evident amusement.

“He has taken great care of me, undoubtedly,” you smiled, hands resting on Benedict’s upper arm for a moment as you leaned into him, “How do you feel about your first ball on the hunt for a wife?”

Anthony scoffed, “Consumed with dread, as expected,” he joked, “Brother, would you mind if I stole Y/N away for one dance? Only so that I might enjoy one last moment of vague freedom before I endure the onslaught of mamas I see staring me down?”

Benedict swallowed thickly, because yes he very much did mind you being stolen away to dance with a man who could provide for you so much better than he could.

He had always been second best to his brother, but never with you.

And now he felt rather ridiculous as he nodded meekly and watched you saunter away at the side of his own brother, who would never love you like he did nor treat you as more than a friend and a commodity necessary to the life of an important man.

“Of course.”

You smiled shyly over at Benedict as you followed Anthony away, and made a mental note to confront him about the sad look gracing his features as you did so.

“My brother is staring daggers into my skull already,” Anthony chuckled as you took your positions to dance, “I rather wonder why he was not dancing with you if he is so bothered by my doing so.”

You bit your lip, “We have danced together twice already, Anthony. In fact, I’ve danced only with him so far tonight. I feel… safe with Benedict. This is all so terrifying.”

As Anthony beamed down at you knowingly, you realised quite what he had initially said, “Whatever do you mean by him staring daggers? Why would he be doing that?”

“Oh, my dear Y/N, you must see that my poor fool of a brother is overcome with jealousy at our interaction,” he laughed as though it was the most obvious thing in the world, “Particularly now that I plan to marry. He quite clearly thinks that it is you I wish to do so with.”

You looked down at your feet for a moment, suddenly feeling shy.

When you remembered that you were talking to a man you knew like he was part of your own family, however, your head snapped back up — a smirk gracing your face.

“Oh, am I not to become Viscountess? I so had my hopes up!” you feigned a gasp, “In all seriousness, Anthony, why on earth would Benedict think we might marry and more so why on earth would he care so much?”

Anthony heaved out a deep sigh at that as you danced, almost irritated by your blatant ignorance to what was so clear.

“I don’t believe I should tell you the answer to that if you are somehow quite unaware of it yourself,” he shook his head, briefly meeting the eyes of his brother as he spun you, and smiled almost teasingly at him, “I hope that after stealing you from him for this dance he might finally discuss it with you himself.”

You rolled your eyes, “You jest, Anthony, because if you are trying to imply that he has affections towards me I’m sure you are sorely mistaken.”

Anthony stopped abruptly, quirking his eyebrow at you, “You truly are oblivious?”

You looked at him curiously, doe eyed and inquisitive as you waited for him to continue — or to resume dancing so you didn’t continue to feel all eyes on your frozen frames.

“Right, very well. I am going to walk away now, all smiles,” he informed you, plastering a smile on his face and nodding at the onlookers as he kissed the back of your hand to show no ill-will had halted your dance, “I would suggest that you get some fresh air, perhaps? My brother might… Come to check on you.”

You forced a smile as he silently moved away from you and towards the buffet table at the other side of the hall.

With a sharp breath you took his advice, despite your confusion, and lifted your skirt a little to busy your hands as you traipsed out of the ballroom and onto the balcony.

Like clockwork, Benedict Bridgerton found himself at your side in mere moments.

“Are you waiting here for my brother?”

The tension in the air was palpable, his voice low as he failed to hide the disappointment at his suspicions.

“Not for him, no.”

“Then for another?”

“I suppose so.”

“Apologies, then. I’ll leave you to it.”

You spun on your heel now as he turned to leave, touching his shoulder, “No, Benedict, I was waiting— for you.”

“For me?”

The incredulous smile on his face made your heart swell with hope — perhaps Anthony was right.

Maybe what you had spent all these years perceiving as friendship truly was reciprocated love all this time.

“Anthony claimed he believed you jealous, and that you thought we were attached,” you giggled, and he swore his heart melted at the sound of your gentle laughter, “And I was utterly unsure as to why you would believe that, let alone be jealous of it. But then he told me to get some fresh air and that you might find me here and I became hopeful.”

“Hopeful?”

“Yes. Hopeful that perhaps the feelings that have steadily grown on my part throughout the time I have known you might be returned. That perhaps you were not joking when you said you hoped I might consider you a suitor this season,” you blushed crimson as you served him your honest feelings on a silver platter.

He cocked his head to the side curiously, not quite believing you entirely though you were evidently being sincere, “Do you not wish to marry my brother?”

You scoffed, quickly covering your mouth with your hand at the outburst, but then sighed as you looked deeply into his eyes, “Of course not, Benedict.”

“But he is a Viscount — he could offer you so much more than I, and he seemed taken with you.”

“He was taken with making you jealous enough to confront me, my dear Benedict. He spent our dance essentially telling me to wise up and talk to you,” you bit your lip nervously, “Because he knows that I have long loved you, and believes that you feel the same.”

The curious smile on his face grew now into a beaming grin, his hands flying to take yours within them and bring them to his lips for a gentle kiss.

“I—, Y/N, I cannot— I cannot even begin to express the joy that those words have brought me,” the words tumbled from his lips like he couldn’t think fast enough to convey his feelings, “I have been in love with you for as long as I can remember. I settled for cherishing mere friendship because I feared I would not be… I would not be the man for you beyond that.”

You shook your head, “Benedict, surely you know how dear you are to me? I— at the very least in my heart, you are the man for me. I’ve been certain of it for so long and that is why I feared entering society so much. I didn’t want to marry for the sake of marriage and have to have the man I truly love as a mere friend. You are more than enough for me, Benedict, I feel safe with you — you are home to me.”

“And you are home to me, Y/N,” he was trying so very hard not to kiss you, his words soft and delicate as his breath fanned over your face due to your newfound close proximity, “If you would allow me to… I would like to court you. In fact, I would propose to you now if I was to allow my selfishness to take control. But I want you to be sure it is me you want, even if it hurts to see you dance and converse with others.”

“You’re all I could ever want, Benedict,” you spoke like it was utterly obvious, “And when you do propose, you can be certain of my acceptance. For now I am happy to share every dance with you and pretend we need to get to know each other to form an engagement. We have all of the time in the world.”

“We do.”

You were both breathing heavily, eyes glossy with the sheer emotion of the confessions you had just shared.

“I wish so badly that I could kiss you right now, but I fear I may not be able to control myself in future once I do,” his voice was barely above a whisper as you licked your lips, swallowing thickly.

“I wish— I wish you might kiss me too,” your reply was hardly even coherent, too love drunk to properly formulate your words, “More than anything.”

He was still holding onto your hands, and so he brought them up to ghost another kiss over them again, settling for this as he fought his urge to press his lips to yours instead.

“As you said, my love, we have all the time in the world,” there was a subtle undertone of what you might describe as lust in his tone now, intertwined with the love struck lilt he had been speaking with.

Your breath hitched in your throat as his lips ghosted up your forearm briefly before he brought them back down to your hands.

“And I cannot wait.”

———

horny benedict at the end to satiate my own need for that despite the intention for this to just be fluffy hahaha. hope you enjoyed !!!

feel free to keep requesting — and in the mean time here is my masterlist.

[skyrigel]

Hi! I love all of your writing, could please do Benedict and best friend reader at a ball and he over hears some girls bullying reader and goes OFF and reader runs off and he thinks he’s embarrassed her but when he finds her she explains she found it super hot and then some smut please! 💖

You are in love 1 || B.B

Pairing: Benedict bridgerton x best friend! Reader, + Polin

Warning: fem! reader, no description of reader, friendly flirting and teasing, mutual pinning, use of inappropriate words, reader has a step sister. Fluff and angst, part 1 of you are in love. Part : 2 will be smut

Rigel's note 🪩: Thank you for requesting, and the compliment<3333 *smooches* I hope you don't mind me doing it in two parts :) the title is taken from Taylor Swift's song " you are in love", it popped as soon as I read best friend reader, hope it's not as bad as it's in my head, sending love back, also part 2 soon.

" Perks of being a woman, you don't have to dance with Eloise bridgerton." You remarked when it was the fifth time Eloise stepped on lord White's toe.

Benedict snorted on his lemonade as he looked at you sideways, his iconic lop sided grin plastered to his smug face.

" I was her dance partner, " Benedict fake sniffed, wiping the fake tear, ", that too, before she started lessons."

You winced at the idea of Eloise before her lesson and gave Benedict a pat on his back for being ever the sacrifice.

" I thought that's why you danced wierd " you told him, smiling when he looked at you scandalously.

" Excuse me ?! " He narrowed his eyes, " you take that back ! " He slammed the glass down with force.

" Will not, you dance like...like a snowman ! " You beamed, slamming your fan down and glaring back, nose to nose, eye to eye.

" That never stopped you from dancing with me." He said smugly and retreated to his space with a satisfied look in his eyes when your jaw slacked slightly.

" You don't dance like a snowman with me." you told him in a small voice and that's when it hit you how gracefully he twirled you around when he was practically running away from other beautiful young ladies.

Benedict smiled, his eyes twinkling at you as he raised his brow, like in a question.

" And why would you think that ? " His mouth twisted and you didn't know what to say.

" Perhaps because I dance well...? " You tried and despite it being not the answer he expected, he laughed all the same.

" You dance like a ... a Kangaroo." Benedict thought hard and a muscle in his jaw twitched, he smiled proudly when he got the right word to annoy you.

" What's a kangaroo ? " You asked, you had heard it somewhere but it was easier to ask him than think hard.

" It's like..." Benedict motioned with his hands something like a vase," it's a cute animal." He finally said when nothing more could be made out from his gestures.

"Oh." You nodded and then it hit you, " Did you just call me an ANIMAL ?! " You snarled at him and he shaked his head with a chuckle.

" I called you cute too." He squabbled.

" Kangaroo's aren't cute ! " You jabbed at him and he chuckled, grabbing your wrist firmly, a spark so bright jolted inside you and you felt your face grow hot.

" Then I don't dance like a snowman—" you sticked your tongue out at him and he was lost in words, just looking, you saw the opportunity and yanked your hand away from his grip. He relented like a gentleman.

" You are always like..like running away and leaning off while dancing and it's so so snowman like." You argued and Benedict's eyes twinkled like moon.

" Have you seen a snowman waltzing ? " Benedict asked and you shaked your head, while clutching at your chest, you couldn't help the giggling.

" Yes if we are talking about a tall, handsome and smug snowman."

" You think I am handsome ? " Benedict ducked his head closer to your face and you felt your breath hitching in your throat, like air was punched out of your chest.

You rolled your eyes when it became too apparent that no word would come out of your traitorous throat and you couldn't help but gaze back at him, he looked back just the same, all fire and blaze.

" You didn't answer my question." He said slowly, each word carefully and it squeezed your heart how close his face was, how beautiful those eyes were, and that nose, and those cheeks, those lines when he smiled, he oftened and it was so warm and gorgeous, how you never noticed how captivating he was, every atom of his body was tied with an invisible thread with yours, a golden one. And you would be damned to think of that mouth, your lips parted at the ethereal site and Benedict smiled at that.

" No." You just said it, eager to say anything and break this moment, it was swirling you around in a storm.

" No ? " He questioned, frowning and he was handsome at that too, you were so doomed.

" You are silly like handsome, like some lord Byron poetry." you murmured softly, safe guarding the hammering heart in your chest and blinking at the sudden burn from his gaze on you, drinking you in, his brow knitted in funny way, a mock annoyance crossed his face.

" Lord Byron ?! Really, " he dropped back to his seat and you finally took a breath, then he covered his face like a damsel in distress and when he glanced sideways at you, he was smiling his brightest, oh, you just realised how goofy and precious and mesmerizing his smile was, you wished to stop time and paint it under your lids so everytime you close your eyes, you could meet him there, in your secret gardens and then a death like that would be sweeter.

" What ? " You exasperated when he refused to look away, even when your nose wrinkled and face basked in it's warmth, he wouldn't let go of you, taking each and every detail in like he was wishing to stop time too and paint you. He could, he was an artist.

" You called me poetry..." His mouth quirked up in a delightful grin, like it explained all the merry and you groaned, looking away as you huffed the tingling in your body that wouldn't go, your eyes landed on a very eventful moment.

" Is that our Colin ? " You raised your brow at Benedict who sat up straighter and turned his gaze to the other side of the hall.

" Why is he eye murdering lord Debling ? " You asked him, he winked and pulled your chair closer, not caring if any mama saw or perhaps lady whistledown herself.

" Penelope is dancing with lord Debling, and well she's laughing at something too, oh—" Benedict whispered in the shell of your ear and you barely nodded, Colin looked like he had enough, he was making his way through the crowd towards Pen.

" Forty shillings if he punches lord Debling." You piped up, Benedict shaked his head.

" You are gonna lose cupcake, he's gonna take Miss Featherington's hand and—" you gasped when Colin stopped abruptly, said something urgently and took Penelope's wrist between his hand, Benedict cocked his head to his side and winked smugly.

" And ? " You drawled and it amused Benedict beyond limits, like he has been waiting for it.

" Birds and bees." He said in a code like hushed whisper, you smacked the back of his head.

" I don't have a mother, you know." You told Benedict and he touched his upper lip with the tip of his pink tongue, he nodded along knowingly.

" Well, someone's gotta teach you."

" Mm.. you are my best friend." You would look anywhere but at him but your eye's were locked in his, he was being brave then so can you. One step, not much.

" I can not tell you birds and bee." Benedict said sincerely.

" Colin helped Pen ! " You said, nose flaring as he worried his jaw but didn't say anything.

" He told her how kids are made, something like going to a farm and then...well he kissed her but that's not the point." You blurted in a whisper, he listened intently.

" He kissed her already ? "

" Well a gentleman doesn't kiss and tell but a lady can, but that's not the point! " You pouted, his resistance crumbled but then again, bloody bridgerton.

" That's not my place cupcake." He was breathing hard, his mouth would open and snap close again, taking back all the things left unsaid.

" Well then—" you hated how choked your voice got, you tried, didn't you, it's not like you left it on god's cue, this was the biggest hint you could have given him and if he didn't got this, then only bricks might work.

Give him one more, a small voice said in your head, it was yours, but stronger and braver than you.

" —then you can tell me about love."

Benedict laughed on that, like it was the funniest thing you had said.

" You know what? I take it back, I am gonna ask someone—" you smoothed your skirt and began to get up when he pulled you down.

" Sorry, I didn't mean that, sorry, don't go leaving me stranded." He pleaded.

You looked at him hard, looking for any sign of humour and you found none, he was glittering when he clapped his tongue and opened his mouth, his soft tongue resting like a tired cat.

" Love," he began," is like music."

" Like music." You repeated, struggling with the fit laughter that shook your shoulders.

Benedict glanced at you offended but when he spoke next, it was how the poets said, with longing and desire, like bleeding for your beloved and when no blood was left then it was ink and parchment.

" You can hear it in the silence." He said, you remembered those afternoons when no word was said between you and your bestfriend and yet nothing was hidden and left unsaid.

" You can feel it on your way home." He said, penetrating his gaze in you eyes and he remembered damn well that night after he rescued you from the lake when you almost drowned, the terror of losing you, the spark of holding you closer than ever.

" You can see it with the light's out, it's so bright and golden." Everything is more beautiful with you Benedict, you told him one Sunny afternoon, basking under a tree while he read you poetry, Better than Byron.

" Loving that one person will make you love yourself, with them, you are enough." He was whispering now, chest heaving as his hand trembled and unknowingly yours found his under the table, locked eye's and joined hands and sacred whispered chants. It was enough.

" You aren't too much, or too little, or loud or boring, you don't have to be interesting or witty or anything, being youself with them is enough." I like myself with you, he had told you when you were sixteen.

" That's love, being safe with them is love, being their home is love, to be able to leave all shades behind and be naked in just body and soul and not being afraid, not being embarassed is love."

" Benedict..." Your voice was soft and sweet and it took him a moment to realise he was crying, when you gently wiped it's proof with your handkerchief.

" I...I will be back in a moment—" he stumbled out, still smiling a small smile and oh god what you have done, you have ruined him as well your self and nothing will ever be the same.

" Yes...." You said, because he was waiting for your approval, he nodded back when he got it and disappeared amongst the crowd as you watched him leave.

Love was indeed like music, the one you liked, it could be light as bee buzzing and sharp as thunder roaring in clouds, it could be slow and rhythmic and soft like water flowing, it could be the sound of his laughter and the way he drew his breath, it could be how he whined and joked and played and teased, for you, love was the music and muse of Benedict bridgerton and yes, you were very much doomed.

" What a pleasant site, a spinster smiling on her own, have you planned some scandalous plan of yours to bag some noble man ? " Claire wheezed in a duckling like laughter, shared with Asha Patil and Gissele Turner.

You refused to say anything, it only further added spice to their boring marital lives, with their husbands out and wombs empty.

" Would you look at her ? She's giving us that attitude, no wonder she's still unmarried ! " Scowled Asha, with her frizzy hair and crooked nose, her eyes coated in loathing of most tainted kind.

" She might had gotten the ring if she wasn't being Mr. Bridgerton's bitch." Gissele whispered it down to you and anger shot up through your veins and your eyes snapped to her, it didn't matter if she was your elder sister and the rage that blinded you was so fierce that you didn't feel when two big tears rolled down your cheek.

" Don't cry now, you can always be his mistress atleast." They all laughed, loud and big and white teeth flashing, with their fake diamond rings rubbing in your eyes but it was too blur, you saw nothing, you heard nothing, everything was drowning around you.

" Speaking of mistresses, Lord Hasting has bought a bigger estate for his mistress than your home in east London and I wouldn't blame him lady Hasting."

You can hear it in the silence.

It was your love's voice, it was your Benedict speaking and you lifted your mascara stained lashed eyes at him.

If you had known him less than you couldn't have known of the terrible anger that was shaking him, that smile was no ordinary, it was feral and stray, wanting to tear anyone who dared to come near, he was burning in anger that was beyond words.

Claire sizzled at that remark, turning her hand to her palm side and only moments ago she was flashing her ring and now, she was hiding it.

" Don't ruin your reputation by showing ungratefuls such as her your pity Mr. Bridgerton." It would've hurt less, were it Claire or Asha, but it was your own half sister, be it half blood but blood all the same.

" Lady Turner, i have no wish to speak to you, you have hurt my best friend beyond words, you had taken her affections for granted so if someone's ungrateful then it's sorely you, you don't deserve a sister like her, she's too good for all of us." He was carefully placing the word and his anger slipped between, his teeth grinded and breath hitched, you stared, just at him and him, everything was getting dimmer but you knew in that moment, you would know him in darkness.

you can feel it with the light's out.

He had done many things for you, Benedict stole Anthony's horse to take you out on a midnight ride, he nicked Colin's sword and taught you fencing, bought ribbons of your favourite pastel silk, saved your favourite sweets, and so many and so more, but this was something you couldn't have done yourself if you wanted, he had done it, he had stood up for you and it was the most gleaming moment of your life, he wasn't playing hero, he wasn't being mean, he was protecting your with your honour and Benedict, the gentleman who wouldn't hurt a fly, he was going to dagger them down with words alone.

He was speaking and speaking and they were all quiet, their eyes low and nose bowed down, he was speaking and speaking, words clear with pure affection and respect and then your felt it.

The warmness aroused in your womanhood and an inaudible gasp parted through your lips as you felt the slicky wet feeling caress your inner thigh and the sensation was so electrifying that you had to close your eyes in order to take a breath and even then, you could feel his words, soft and praising, " ......if you were half good as a woman she is....." He was breathless and he wasn't stopping and something inside you wanted to cup his face and tell him, don't Stop, never stop.

And then his eyes looked for you, he found your gaze and held it and you felt the shame, you couldn't do this to him, this burning desire would take you both down in flames and what it would be to become one, only in ashes, it was scaring you.

And before you could think of say anything, you were already on your feet, stumbling through the crowd with your gown kissing the floor behind you.

You didn't know where you were going but far, away and this feeling wouldn't let go, you knew well but you wanted air, the warmness that was spreading was maddening and the hunger was tugging under your skin.

He was calling out your name, you hated yourself but you needed to run, this love would ruin you, what if Benedict hated you if you told him how you felt, how you thought about him, would he call you a whore along with Gissele, would it hurt more ?

More than anything.

His voice turned to pleading as crowd thickened and you were getting out of his sight. You wouldn't look back, because if you did then you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from doing something very stupid.

You were out of the gates, descending down the stairs as one heel slipped out but you didn't care, you were on a run.

Johnny was already motioning the horses as you frantically climbed in, you could see Colin chasing down Penelope's carriage in a distance as you opened the window to inhale heavy gulps of air.

Would Benedict Chase you down too ? Would he come and look for you ? And if he did, what would you tell him ?

You are my best friend.

[lydiimae]

Guardian Angel

Pairing:

MDI 18+

Warnings: Opium powder use, mentions of drinking, high Benedict, Benedict being an insecure cutie pie, fluffy fluff hehe

WordCount: 2.2k

A.N: Hello my loves! I'm sorry for my lack of posting, I've been sick and I've finally started work. I am still trying to find a schedule where I can post and have time for other things. For now, have some lovely Benny fluff while we all wait for part two of Season 3 to come out. I love you! <3 P.S. Thank you for 200 followers OMG I love you all so much.

Marrying Benedict Bridgerton was the easiest decision you have ever had to make. The two of you grew up alongside each other, the rumors of a proposal coming when you debuted, and the actual proposal occurring only two months into the season. It was an easy choice, a choice you were happy you made. He made you feel alive. He filled a part of your soul you did not know was missing before you met him. Even in the hardest times of your marriage.

Benedict, like many other men, has insecurities. He keeps them hidden well behind an air of confidence, but you know better. He never was jealous of Anthony, but rather scared that he would always be looked at as the lesser son. The spare. He just did not understand what you saw in him. He saw himself as a man without purpose, a man who could not provide the life you wanted. He believed you when you said that was not true, but there was always a little voice in the back of his mind that made him doubt himself.

You knew this well. He was less talented at hiding his feelings when he was a child and had shared many of them in your many late nights on the hills of Aubrey Hall. Though now, these insecurities only rear their ugly heads when Benedict has had a few too many to drink. Or, as is the case tonight, too much of the strange tea Colin buys him.

You get out of the carriage with your maid and footman, John, after he had come to get you claiming that Benedict had had far too much tea. A result of drunken carelessness by his younger brother. You rush up the front steps and into your townhouse, taking off your cloak before bouncing up the stairs toward his studio. You sigh as you walk in to find your bohemian husband on the floor of the studio with a canvas in front of him, smearing paint on it with his fingers without a care in the world. It would be an adorable sight if you were not worried out of your mind.

You walk to him and sit down next to him, watching as his glassy eyes sweep over the floor before meeting your own. "Ah! My love!" He exclaims, his demeanor immediately brightening as he drapes his paint-stained arms around your middle, his cheek resting against your shoulder. You hum, not bothering with the wet paint that stains the dark blue fabric of your gown as you wrap your arms around him. "I have been seeing visions, darling." He mumbles into your skin as you run your fingers through his curls.

"Have you now?" You murmur as you press a kiss to his forehead, making his lips turn up into a loopy smile. The most adorable sight you have seen in a while. "Mm. Colorful visions. I had to paint them as quick as I could, had to feel the smoothness of my oils on the canvas." He says, pulling back to look at you. You grin when his eyes focus on yours, one of his paint-covered hands coming to rest on your cheeks leaving a beautiful mess of blues and purples in its wake.

He studies your face for a moment longer before crawling, quite clumsily, over to a clear canvas. "Benedict?" You call softly, moving to sit next to him as you watch a beautiful image come to life on the canvas. It wasn't anything, but at the same time, there was something so divine about how he is painting.

After about an hour he stops, looking up at you with that darling crooked smile. "Look, Y/n. It is you. How I see you." He whispers, resting his head on your shoulder. You smile and look down at the mess of colors for a moment, believing that this canvas full of swirls might truly be how your husband looks at you in this state. "It is stunning, my love." You murmur, pressing a kiss to his brow before returning your attention to the painting. "Shall I explain it to you?" He slurs, his attention solely on you.

You hum and nod, returning your attention back to him. He smiles giddily, laying back and pulling you on top of him. "It is as if... I tried to capture a dream." He slurs, pressing his lips to your nose. "A whisper of our love, tangled in colors and chaos. This mess of lines and splashes, it is you and me, dancing through the storms and the sunbeams. It is...it is us." He stumbles, weaving paint-streaked fingers through your hair. Even in his most inebriated moments, he never ceases to take your breath away.

With a wavering smile and glassy eyes, he gestures to the canvas, his voice thick with emotion, "You see, my love, it is as if you are my guardian angel. This painting...it is not just colors. It is you. You are in every swirl, every splash...." He grins, watching your eyes shimmer with tears. "You are the light in the chaos, guiding me, saving me from myself. Each stroke is like your touch, soft but powerful, keeping me safe, lifting me higher. It is a tribute to you, my protector, my guiding star. My love, my guardian angel." He mumbles, and you break.

Tears begin rolling down your cheeks and you bury your face into his neck, making him laugh, his hands smearing paint up and down the back of your gown as he tries to comfort you. "You need not be saved from yourself, Benedict." You whisper after a moment, pulling back and wiping your eyes. "My God, if only you could see yourself as beautifully as I see you." You whisper, pulling him up into a sitting position. "Y/n... I have only ever needed saving from myself." He slurs, though even through his inebriation you can sense the deep sadness that lingers somewhere deep within his soul.

"You are the most remarkable man I have ever known, and I am utterly captivated by every part of you—your brilliance, your kindness, your passion. To me, you are perfect, even in your moments of doubt and struggle." You whisper, cupping his cheeks. "You are my world, and I am here to stand by you through every storm." You vow, brushing away the tears that have spilled down his cheeks with your thumbs.

"My Y/n." He whispers, pressing his forehead to yours as he sniffles. "My Benedict." You return, sitting on his lap as his arms encircle your waist. You shift his head into the crook of your neck and allow him to cry for a moment, rocking him side to side as he does. He rarely ever shows this kind of emotion. In a way it is comforting, to know that the man you married still feels just as intensely as he did when you were first wed. You press a kiss to his head and he nuzzles your neck.

You sit with him on the floor of his studio for about an hour, and when he finally calms down you help him to the master bedroom. He falls back on the bed without even a sound of protest, moving his arms so you can help him undress. You grin and bend down, pressing a kiss to his cheek as you unbutton his shirt. Once it is off, you move onto his trousers. Then, when he is completely bare, you tuck his already sleeping form into bed.

You walk into the closet, laying his paint-stained clothes out on the chair for the maids to collect in the morning before changing into a nightgown yourself. Once you are ready for bed, you crawl in next to your husband, combing your fingers through his hair and watching as he smiles in his sleep. You wish that he will remember every word of what you said in the morning, but the logical part of you knows that he will not. Even so, you shall keep saying the things you did tonight until he believes them. You close your eyes, falling into a slumber right next to him, your fingers still curled into his hair.

He wakes far before you do at the crack of dawn, a usual occurrence when he has overindulged. He groans, rubbing a hand over his aching forehead. He cannot remember getting into bed or the events that transpired before he did, though he remembers bits and pieces. The image of the deep blue gown you came home wearing, the way your hair fell around your shoulders when he ran his hands through it, the sparkle of tears in your eyes...

He sighs, sitting up and running a hand through his hair, his eyes immediately drifting over to your sleeping figure. He grins at the image before him. You look like an angel, sleeping on your stomach with your hair sprawled against your back and your lips parted ever so slightly. His grin only widens when you let out a soft sigh in your sleep, your eyebrows furrowing. He hums as he bends down, kissing down the notches of your spine.

You wake at the tingly feeling it sends through your body, grinning at the warmth that blooms in your chest. "Good morning." He murmurs from above you, brushing your hair out of your face just as you open your eyes. "Good morning." You whisper back, your hand coming up to rest over his. He looks heavenly, the morning light from the windows behind him making him look like a God. "You are positively beautiful in the morning, Ben." You hum as you stretch out, and he laughs. "No more beautiful than you, my heart." He returns, taking you into his arms and pulling you up to a sitting position.

You smile as he sits you in his lap, your arms settling loosely around his neck. "Do you remember anything about last night?" You murmur and he shakes his head, stroking your hair. "Just bits and pieces, I suppose." He hums, yawning as you press a kiss to his forehead. "You made a beautiful painting and then made me cry with your explanation." You smile and he laughs, brushing his nose against yours. "I am happy to know that my poetic tendencies do not fade when I am intoxicated." He grins and you giggle. "If anything they only grow stronger." You return, closing your eyes as the two of you lean on each other.

After a moment of comfortable silence, you decide to bring up the second part of last night. "You also expressed some insecurities, Ben. Like you always do." You whisper as you open your eyes. His eyes meet yours and he sighs, pulling back to rest his chin upon your head. "You need not worry about me, my love" He murmurs and you shake your head, pulling back and cupping your cheeks. "I do need to worry about you, Benedict. You are my husband. The man I am so hopelessly enamored with, the man I adore even when he is mumbling gibberish on the floor of his studio." You whisper.

He averts his gaze to your lap, playing with your fingers. "I said something foolish when I was intoxicated, Y/n. It is truly not worrisome. I do it often." He mumbles. "You said you needed saving from yourself, that is incredibly worrisome." You whisper and he sighs, looking up at you. "What if I am not enough?" He asks suddenly, and your eyes widen. "Whatever do you mean?" You breathe and he shrugs. "Just that. What if I am not enough, for you? What if you wake up one day and realize that I am a man with no purpose who creates silly paintings in his studio all day?" He asks.

"Benedict. You mustn't say that." You whisper, getting teary. When he begins to speak, you shake your head bringing him closer. "When I look at you, I see a man of incredible talent, passion, and depth. Your paintings are not silly; they are a reflection of your soul, a testament to your creativity and the beauty you see in the world. Each brushstroke is a piece of your heart, and I am in awe of the masterpieces you create. Every single one." You whisper, running your thumb along his cheekbone. He gives you a wobbly smile as he tries not to cry.

"But beyond your art, it is you—your kindness, your compassion, your strength, and your gentle spirit—that I cherish most. You give my life meaning and fill my days with joy and love. Your presence is a gift, and I am eternally grateful for every moment we share. I adore you more than any star in the sky. My love, you mustn't doubt that my love for you will never ebb." You continue and he smiles through tears as you pepper his face with kisses. You stay like that for a while, his forehead resting against your shoulder as you let him cry.

"It seems I married a woman who is just as poetic as I." He whispers after a long while, making you burst out in laughter. He pulls back with a crooked grin, peppering your face with kisses now. "My love, my light...." He whispers.

"How I adore you, my guardian angel." He murmurs.

[agxxb]

Hi! I would love if you wrote the scene where Kate get stung by the bee and Anthony freaks out but instead of Kate and Anthony it’s Benedict and reader and after she calms him down they smash cause he’s so relieved she’s ok 💖

hii!! i really hope you enjoy ◡̈

We’ll Bee Okay .𖥔 ݁ ˖

benedict bridgerton x f!reader

warnings: smut. loss of virginity. use of pet names (my love, darling). vaginal fingering. vaginal penetration. first time together. benedict is a consensual king. use of ‘y/n’. praise. [2k]

You and Benedict had always been close, having grown together. The two of you were best friends, which made admitting your mutual feelings easy. It was silently known before it was said aloud, the gentle smiles and soft touches shared only becoming more frequent as time passed.

You had been courting for just over a month and it was clear to anyone that the two of you were in love. Your eyes shone brighter whenever you looked in his direction, admiring the man like he placed each star delicately in the sky.

Benedict gently took ahold of your hand, linking your arm through his. You smiled up at him, slightly tightening your grip on his arm.

He had arrived at your house an hour prior, a bouquet of roses in his hand. Benedict loved to buy you gifts, often spoiling you despite telling him he didn’t have to.

You turned a corner into flower garden, a fountain placed in the middle; the droplets of water bounced off the surface and flew out, landing in the soil. Walking over to stand by it, the two of you were surrounded by nature, taking a long moment to appreciate it.

“You are so beautiful,” you heard Benedict say, and your cheeks flushed, turning as pink as the tulips near you.

“Thank you,” you replied and breathed out softly, happily. “You are also beautiful.”

Benedict grinned, bringing your hand up to his lips and pressing a kiss to top of it. Your smile widened at his action, fighting the urge to giggle out of pure joy. He unlinked your arms, instead taking your hands in his and turning to face you.

“You make me so incredibly happy, Lady Y/N,” Benedict began, his thumb caressing the delicate skin of your knuckles. He loved how soft your skin was, always wanting to be touching you in one way or another.

Before either of you could respond, you flinched slightly at the feeling of a small prick on the side of your arm. A small buzz was heard as a bee flew around nearby, and you sadly sighed to yourself as you realised it would now die.

You turned back to Benedict and apologised for the interrupted moment. However, as your eyes met his blue ones, you noticed his face had paled.

“You do not look well.”

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly, though rather quickly. He gently took your arm in his hands, eyes locked on the sting mark to see how severe it was.

“Benedict, I can assure you, I am completely fine,” you smiled, not yet realising his genuine panic to the situation. “I have been stung plenty of times.” He began to hyperventilate, his grip on your arm becoming slightly tighter. “Are you okay?”

You put your hands on either side of his face, heart breaking at his expression. His hands frantically grabbed at your waist, pulling you towards him.

“You cannot die,” he said breathlessly, gulping despite his dry throat. “I cannot lose you. Please. I love you.”

“Benedict, I’m fine,” you repeated when you heard his muttering. You took his hands in yours, bringing them up and holding them to your chest. You took deep breaths, making sure he was following along with you. “I’m okay, you’re okay.”

“You’re okay…” Benedict repeated, his voice cracking slightly. It was almost as if he was convincing himself, rather than simply copying your words.

You leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I’m okay, My Darling,” you promised, pressing another kiss to his nose, and finally his lips. Benedict breathed out through his nose, eyes closing as he felt your touch. “I love you.”

You had become his reason — his reason for existing, for breathing, for waking up each morn. You grounded him, humbled him, cheered for him. You loved him, and he did you.

Pulling away, your foreheads rested against each other — two pillars of strength, holding one another up. Benedict breathed out once more, feeling the terror leave his body and relief replace it. You were close enough that you could feel his breath against your lips.

“Perhaps we should head back,” you suggested quietly, not wanting anything else to set your lover off. You couldn’t bear to see him so scared, so worried. Benedict nodded in agreement, a small smile on his face as he – once again – took ahold of your hand.

The somewhat short carriage ride was almost silent, Benedict squeezing your hand every now and then as if to make sure you were still there. You rested your cheek against his shoulder, head moving up and down in rhythm with his breaths.

Once having arrived at your family’s house, you stepped through the entrance and led Benedict towards the staircase, climbing it and walking down the hallway until you stopped in front of a white door. Your family would not be home for a few more hours.

“Would you like to come in?” you offered, seeing a smile make its way onto his face.

“It would be inappropriate for me to enter your bedroom before we are wed, would it not?” Benedict teased, though made no move to leave. His smile suddenly fell, and your eyebrows furrowed in worry. “I had reason for our outing today, but…” He sighed.

“You had something planned?” you asked, heart warming with how thoughtful he was. He truly was the most perfect man for you.

Without responding, Benedict reached into his left trouser pocket, pulling out a small black box. He opened it, turning it around for you to see a diamond ring inside. You gasped in awe, eyes widening slightly as you realised what he was showing you.

“You were going to propose…” you said in realisation, looking away from the ring and up at him, tears pooling in your eyes.

Benedict nodded. “I am going to propose,” he corrected before kneeling down, holding the ring out to you. “Lady Y/N, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” you whispered, a tear falling down your cheek. A grin broke out on his face as he stood up, pressing his lips against yours with a hand on your cheek, thumb wiping away the fallen tear.

The kiss started out soft and gentle, but quickly became passionate, deeper. Your hands slid up his chest to lock around his neck, pulling him closer. You reached behind you to open the door, both moving backwards into your bedroom. Benedict kicked it closed behind him, you pushing his jacket off of his shoulders and onto the floor.

His kiss was full of desperation, bringing his free hand to the tied lace at the back of hour dress, trying to loosen them. His lips moved down to your neck, a soft moan leaving your parted lips at the feeling.

Benedict groaned at the sound, walking you back towards the bed and letting your dress fall to the floor. Gently laying you down on top of the sheets, he stood back and began unbuttoning his shirt, allowing you to watch as his toned torso came into your view. You bit your lip as his shirt fell from his body, leaving the man half-naked before you.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said quietly, almost as if it were a secret between the top of you.

He climbed on top of you, hovering over your body and peppering light kisses against your neck once again. His hand came down to undo his trousers, your eyes focusing on his cotton briefs. You had seen them before, but never on someone.

You began to squirm, feeling the ache between your legs grow stronger as your lover undressed himself. You lightly moaned, reaching a hand out to touch him. Your hand made contact with the bare skin of his stomach, the warmth exuding into your palm. “Please…”

Benedict smiled, pushing up the skirt of your chemise and, with your help, pulling it over your head. He leaned down, holding himself up over you once again. He kissed you, soft and passionately.

“Can I touch you?” he asked, pressing a kiss to your cheek. You nodded. “I need words, My Love.”

“Please touch me. Please.”

“Good girl.”

His hand ran down your body, palm flat against your waist. He admired you, adored you, worshipped you. You were his religion. Your existence redefined poetry for him; everything you embodied had become the meaning of art to his eyes.

His middle finger moved down and your hips jolted. He pressed a gentle kiss to your shoulder, slowly sliding a finger into you. You gasped, hand shooting out to grab his wrist. His response was to pump his finger in and out of you, thumb moving up to circle your swollen clit.

Benedict smiled at your reaction to him adding a second finger, your eyes rolling back as he curled them. “Oh, my-” you moaned, hand moving up to grip his bicep, feeling the muscles move under your hold.

Pleasure consumed you, moaning every time his fingers reentered and curled inside you. Your eyebrows scrunched together, mouth falling and staying open as whines left freely.

You tightened around Benedict’s fingers, a sign that you were close. “Let go for me, Darling,” he whispered, and pleasure swept through your entire body like hot, molten lava. Your legs shook around his hand as his thumb still rubbed your clit, guiding you through your orgasm.

You took a deep breath, eyes immediately searching for his. “That was incredible,” you thanked him, leaning up to press a kiss to his lips. He kissed back, his face soon breaking out with a smile, one which you quickly reciprocated.

“Did you want to stop?” Benedict asked, not even being able to finish the sentence before you were shaking your head, hand around the back of his neck to bring him closer.

“Need more, Benedict,” you moaned, kissing his cheek and down to his neck. “Please.”

He let out a moan, pulling away to look at you. “Are you sure?”

“Wholeheartedly. We are to be wed, you are the only man I want.”

Benedict pressed another kiss to your lips before pushing his cotton briefs down. Your eyes widened as you looked down, seeing how hard he was. You had been told stories of what happened between man and woman on their wedding night, your mama having explained before you were set to debut at the 1810 social season.

“It’s so… big,” you breathed out, Benedict chuckling at your reaction.

He lined himself up at your entrance, pressing in slowly. Tears pricked at your eyes as he continued to push into you, a moan leaving his mouth at your warmth. He grabbed your hand and held it tightly, pushing it into the pillow beside your head.

“I’m sorry, My Love,” he said, wiping away the tear that had fallen with his thumb. “It won’t hurt in a moment.”

Benedict started to gently thrust into you, and you quickly felt the pain turn into pleasure. You gripped at his arms, moaning into his ear as his face rested in the crook of your neck. He was panting, loving how wet you were — and all for him.

You begged him to speed up, the slapping of his thighs hitting the back of yours. Your legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him in closer, deeper.

It wasn’t long before you began to feel the knot tighten in the bottom of your stomach again. You pulled Benedict out from your neck and down into a kiss. His right hand moved down, rubbing circles on your clit as you pulled away to moan.

You let the pleasure consume you, eyes squeezing shut as you clung onto your fiancé. Feeling you clamp down around him set his own orgasm off, Benedict pushing his hips as close to yours as possible, going as deep as he could.

He moaned, his body falling onto yours, though making sure not to crush you with his body weight. You wrapped your arms around him, fingertips lightly playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He left kisses along your jaw before pulling out and rolling to your side, the two of you lying in content silence.

Benedict kissed your shoulder delicately. “I cannot wait to spend my life with you.”

[fayes-fics]

To Know You…

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary: Benedict knows you better than anyone. But does he know himself well enough to know what he truly wants?

Warnings: none really… fluffy fluff. Childhood friends, class differences, marriage mart shenanigans, dancing, marriage proposals, Benedict being adorable while also a complete dumbass, unrequited to requited love, love confessions.

Word Count: 10.4k (yeah, it's a long one, folks)

Authors Note: this is a request fill for @curlsincriminology (ask HERE) about Benedict showing you all the wonderful things he sees in you, but will he figure out his own feelings before it's too late? Thanks to the complete trooper @colettebronte for beta reading this monster one-shot. Enjoy <3

I: To Know You….

“I would rather not, Miss y/l/n,” the young man clips, walking away from you at a brusque pace. 

You sigh and look down at your feet. Mrs Parsons will be so very disappointed, is all you can think.

—

Benedict may not have heard the words spoken, but even from his vantage point at the other end of the ballroom, he could see the disdainful way the young man uttered his parting words to you. It makes anger flare hot in his chest, his fist forming reflexively at his side.

He watches as you look down, shoulders hunching, folding in on yourself physically, as if the rejection for a dance has manifested in a body blow. He feels a pang in his gut—of sympathy, indignance on your behalf and mainly at the injustice of it all. To him, you are a wonderful, intelligent, caring person worthy of a good match. Still, the circumstances of your upbringing seem to stymie your attempts to join so-called ‘polite’ society at every turn…

—

You look up with a defeated mien until your eyes land on one person who has always been able to ameliorate any of your more morose moods—Benedict Bridgerton. Instantly, you feel lighter. You give him a polite nod across the crowded room, and, to your delight, he returns it, a hint of a sympathetic smile tugging at his lips. It is just so very characteristic of him to offer silent support, to understand, from witnessing a moment of interaction, precisely what you are feeling. A large part of you feels so wistful that there is no other man quite as nice as him. Suddenly, your overwhelming need is to leave this stuffy ballroom and catch some air.

You grew up under the tutelage of the kindly doctor’s widow, Mrs Parsons, whose house is not far from the vast Bridgerton estate in Kent. The naturally born daughter of nobody quite knows whom, you were taken in as her ward when you were abandoned upon her doorstep at a mere two years old. Her reputation for kindness towards young waifs and strays is likely why you were left there. It is an event you were too young to recall, so all you have known your whole life is her generosity and kindness, raising you as if her own. 

And now that you are of age, she takes you to events around Kent in the hopes of securing you a respectable husband, the most prestigious being tonight’s Hearts and Flowers Ball at Aubrey Hall. The Bridgertons have always been gracious enough to invite local families, those without the means to partake in the London season, to events at their country estate—a kindness that allows for your attendance tonight. It’s just such a pity that the one bachelor Mrs Parsons was so very keen for you to meet, one Mr Reeves, just rebuffed you so thoroughly. 

You glance down at the remaining empty slots on the dance card tied to your wrist and sigh again. Now that you are out on the terrace in the fresh evening air, the light breeze is at least a partial balm, allowing you to recover from the sting of rejection away from the hubbub of the ballroom.

“I will never understand how the men of this county can consider themselves anything approaching mannered.” 

You would know that refined voice anywhere. It haunts your dreams. Just the sound of it making your ribs tighten. You turn to see Benedict sauntering towards you, two drinks in hand, that sympathetic smile still in place.

“You are far better off without such rudeness,” he adds dryly as he pulls up beside you, arching an eyebrow for your entertainment.

“You are far too kind, Mr Bridgerton,” you answer, taking the glass he offers with a meek smile, trying not to let your ardent admiration for him be too evident. 

“Mr Bridgerton?!?” he scoffs, “What happened to BenBen?” he teases gently, recalling your childhood name for him when you were a mere four and he was nine.

“We are at a formal event; I should address you as such, should I not?” you reply playfully, a warmth spreading inside as it always does when you get the chance to have a witty, convivial exchange with him.

By gosh, if there is one man to whom you would pledge yourself without hesitation, it is him. But, of course, he is the second son of an illustrious family. To think you would have any chance to win his heart would be as likely as a future king to marry a commoner. Still, you can dream…

“At least call me Benedict, Skylark,” he winks over his wine glass as he takes a sip, butterflies erupting in your tummy at the affectionate nickname he has used since you were small; you have to avert your eyes to avoid blushing deeply.

Just as he goes to speak again, his brother, the Viscount, materialises at his side. Looking to all intents and purposes as if he is trying to escape the ball as much as you are.

“Mother is best avoided tonight, brother,” Anthony warns sagely, taking a large gulp of his champagne. “She is under the erroneous impression I am suddenly in want of a wife.”

You can't stop the giggle that bubbles up from within at his wry observation of his predicament.

“Hello, y/n,” he greets warmly, just noticing you are also there, his face morphing into a youthful, playful grin. If Benedict is the husband you have always dreamed of, Anthony is the elder brother you have always yearned for. In fact, that is always how he has treated you, akin to Eloise and Daphne, who you grew up playing with, being of similar age.

“Hello, Anthony,” you chime back. “How was the hunt earlier? Did the infamous Bridgerton brothers kill another prized stag?” you inquire, keen to engage both of them for as long as they will entertain you. Just being around them always lifts your spirits to no end.

—

Benedict observes you as you listen intently to Anthony’s recounting of the hunt earlier that day, impressed by your resilience. He has no doubts any other woman would feign an attack of the vapours had a man rejected her so harshly. But here you are, politely listening to his brother’s boasting, even though he can tell you are hurting inside.

Perhaps it helps that your snub went primarily unnoticed. You are unknown to the Ton; any witnesses likely dismissing it as the business of ‘country folk’ unworthy of note. Which, frankly, he could scoff at, seeing as he holds you in higher regard than all of the other attendees combined.

“How about you?” Anthony ends his story with a question to you, interrupting Benedict’s train of thought. “How has your experience been at our fine event this evening?”

“Oh, the house is splendidly decorated and the music wonderful,” you obfuscate behind flattery. Anthony appears to buy it, but Benedict sees behind your facade, the flame behind your usually bright gaze dimming a little, making something ache in his gut to see it. 

Damn that idiot for ruining your evening! This just won’t do…

—

You can feel Benedict’s eyes upon you as you respond abstractly to Anthony.

“Y/n here is too polite to say it, but she was treated harshly by that young Reeves chap from Tenterden,” Benedict edifies as you bow your head, embarrassed. “Let’s be sure to rescind his invitation to future events, brother,” he appends with a surly tone.

“Duly noted,” Anthony nods sincerely, a brush of confusion flitting over his face regarding his brother's vehemence.

“No, there is no need…” you begin to protest weakly but halt mid-sentence under the intensity of Benedict’s gaze.

“I bore witness. Believe me, He shall not darken our door again,” he states firmly.

It appears the matter is very much decided, and you don’t want to put up much of a fight, seeing as it ultimately benefits you. You do, however, want to bathe in the warm glow inside whenever Benedict defends you. It's wonderful to have someone looking out for you, especially one so handsome and kind.

—

Two days later, you are taking afternoon tea with Mrs Parsons at the local tea shop when Benedict breezes in, looking so majestic dressed in Bridgerton blues that you grind to a halt. Luckily, he has not seen you as he makes a beeline for the counter.

“‘Tis rude to stare, my dear,” Mrs Parsons lectures sotto voce, nodding to your teacup, frozen in mid-air.

You shake your head a touch and place said item back in your saucer as she turns briefly to look at what or who caught your attention. Then she reaches out, her lace-gloved hand gently patting yours. 

“It would be prudent to set your sights a little more realistic…” she advises with a sympathetic air.  “Not that I fault your choice,” she adds, so quietly at first you're not sure you heard her correctly, but there is a tiny playful smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Your mouth falls open fractionally, and you stare as she shrugs. “I may be old, my dear, but I am not blind.”

Well, I never, Mrs Parsons!

As you take a bite of food, Benedict twists around from speaking to the proprietor, and he sees you. There’s a jolt down your spine as he breaks into a huge smile that claims his whole face. And you almost choke on scone crumbs as he makes a beeline over to you rather than the exit.

“Good afternoon, Miss y/l/n, Mrs Parsons!” he greets effusively. “Would it be terribly impolite to ask to join you briefly?”

Mrs Parsons' face is a picture of surprise. “Not at all; the pleasure is ours, Mr Bridgerton,” she responds affably, gesturing to the spare chair at your small round table.

As Benedict sits, Mrs Parsons shoots you an incredulous look. It's your turn to shrug fractionally.

“Mrs Parsons, I feel it necessary to tell you Mr Reeves was excessively rude to Miss y/l/n here at the ball, and I wanted to assure you that he will not be welcome at Aubrey Hall again,” he divulges sincerely.

Mrs Parsons looks taken aback and turns to you. “Why did you not tell me, my dear?”

“I-I did not think it necessary…” you twist your mouth into a bashful pout, biting your lip.

“Mr Bridgerton, thank you for bringing this to my attention, and I thank you for your generous offer, but that sort of action does not seem warranted,” she replies accommodatingly.

“That is what I said…” “That is what she said…”

You and Benedict speak in unison at the exact same moment, and your eyes ping to each other, both laughing then bowing your heads immediately. You know your cheeks are flushed.

—

Benedict loves the look in your eye sometimes. That spirited sparkle with glowing cheeks. In his opinion, that is the only look you should ever wear; no one, especially one as unworthy as Mr Reeves, should be allowed to rob you of it. He feels a strong compulsion to do everything in his power to keep you looking like that—carefree, happy, stunning. It’s what motivates his subsequent words.

“If it is not considered too impudent for me to do so, I have a suggestion for Miss y/l/n’s introduction into society,” Benedict offers sincerely. “I believe you should be able to find her an excellent, worthy match by casting a wider net.”

“What are you proposing, Mr Bridgerton?” Mrs Parsons inquiries, almost warily.

“That Miss y/l/n come to London and partake in the remainder of the season as a guest of my family. My mother seems to think it an excellent idea, and I know my younger sister Eloise is already a good friend. I do not see why they could not attend events together,” he shrugs genially.

Mrs Parsons's face is a picture again. “You have already spoken to the Dowager Viscountess of this matter?” she checks, unable to modulate the astonishment in her tone.

“Of course,” he confirms with a nod. “I made such a suggestion this morning when your names came up. She heartily concurs. Miss y/l/n here is too bright and good of a person to have her marital choice limited by geography or circumstance.”

His eyes fall on you, and his heart gallops at the searing look you are giving him.

—

You don’t even try to temper your doe-eyed expression as you look upon Benedict, him extolling your virtues to the audience of the tea room. 

Even distracted by all the wondrous things he has to say, you can detect the noise level on the surrounding tables has reduced; everyone in town always keen to eavesdrop on a Bridgerton conversation. Especially one that contains such noteworthy gossip as a local young lady being invited to the London season at the family’s behest.

“My dear, I trust that Lady Bridgerton will look after you well,” Mrs Parsons professes. “I have no objections should you desire to seize this opportunity.” Her tone pointed, very much encouraging you to do so.

“That would be just wonderful, Mr Bridgerton,” you exhale with a grateful smile. “I cannot thank you enough for even thinking to raise such a petition.”

“Think nothing of it, Miss y/l/n,” he smiles, standing up and giving you both a brief, shallow bow. “I shall see you anon, no doubt.” 

And with that, he sweeps out of the tearoom, your eye line tracking his concave outline through the curved glass as he rounds the corner out of sight.

“Well, well,” Mrs Parsons puffs out her cheeks. “I am not sure what you did to inspire such actions in a gentleman. But bravo, my dear, bravo,” she holds her teacup aloft in a toast. 

You are a jumble of emotions and could not even begin to answer Mrs Parsons about what you could possibly have done. Mostly, you are just elated by the prospect of the chance to attend the whirl of the London season, even if there is also a small pang of regret that Benedict is so keen to see you matched.

II: …Is To Love You

The following Tuesday, as your carriage pulls up outside the grandeur of Bridgerton House, you have nothing but butterflies. And as Lady Bridgerton - Violet as she insists you now call her - and her lady’s maid show you to your charming guest room, you cannot temper your excitement.

“Get yourself freshened up, my dear. There is a soiree this evening at the Queen’s new residence no less, and there is no time like the present to begin your introductions,” the dowager viscountess warmly counsels.

You nod your thank yous, and after they take their leave, you twirl excitedly around the room, taking in the elegant furnishings and airy sunlight flooding in. You pull up in front of a large sash window and are delighted to see bounteous gardens beneath. The rear of the property is very much an oasis of calm in the heart of the city. But one sight in particular draws your eye: a majestic oak with two swings attached to a stately arm. It looks like a place of refuge, and you feel oddly compelled to take a seat there.

Three hours later, walking into the palatial Buckingham House, you are in a different world from the one you know in Kent. Candlelit crystal chandeliers glint like towering clusters of jewels, spraying thousands of shards of light around the room. Every railing is bedecked in hundreds of drooping flower garlands, and the walls groan with enormous portraits of royalty. The mellifluous strains of a chamber orchestra fill the air. Your grip on Eloise’s arm is tight as you try not to look agog at all the opulence surrounding you.

“And I thought Aubrey Hall was grand,” you murmur quietly, and she just guffaws.

—

Benedict arrives late to the soiree from his bachelor lodgings, bustling in as stealthily as possible, knowing he will likely catch his mother’s ire for his tardiness.

But then he sees a sight that makes him temporarily stop dead in his tracks. There, hanging on to his little sister, surveying the room utterly lost in reverie at its grandeur—is you. He has not seen you dressed up as you are now, made over with the full attention of the Bridgerton staff. And he isn't afraid to admit to himself, at least, that it catches his breath. How they have applied cosmetics and styled your hair, emphasising your already evident beauty. And the dress they have chosen… well, he is almost ashamed of the heat pooling low in his gut; he has never seen you in such tailored, refined silks. 

Whosoever marries you shall be quite the luckiest man indeed.

He doesn't miss the way you inhale sharply when your eyes finally land on him, his chest swelling slightly with pride as your lips part in surprise before breaking into that winning smile which always seems to brighten every room, tonight being no exception.

As he pulls up to the family, he hears his mother opining to you about the men attending the ball.

“Y/n, I would like to introduce you to Lord Shelton; he is a fine young man with many interests, and he has a lovely estate near Hove,” his mother recounts as you listen intently.

“Oh god, no,” Benedict immediately intervenes, “Shelton has amassed significant debt at the Pudding Lane gaming hell…” 

Violet looks up surprised, then raises an eyebrow. “Pray tell dear son, how do you have knowledge of such? Benedict Bridgerton, you had better not be frequenting the hells of the East End,” she threatens quietly, in that stern maternal manner that has any grown man quaking in their polished shoes.

“No, of course not, mother,” he bristles, his eyes cutting briefly to you, not wanting you to think such things of him. “It is an open secret at Whites’, and why he is currently banned from the card room there.”

—

You cannot tear your eyes off Benedict as his mother side-eyes him.

Violet hums sceptically before declaring. “Well, not to worry, there are plenty of other options available for Miss y/l/n…” She steers your attention towards another crowd of young men, all talking and sipping champagne. “Baron Corning, Lord Jennings, Viscount Tewkesbury,” she recounts, nodding subtly to each one. “Any would make a fine addition to your dance card, my dear.” 

“We can do much better than any of them,” Benedict chides.

You are slightly taken aback at how very much he sounds like Anthony tonight; apparently very invested in curating who you should dance with. The problem is, with each additional suggestion his mother makes to you, he roundly dismisses them out of hand. 

Is no one in attendance up to his standard?

“Benedict, dear, a word?” Violet states pointedly after a third round of his withering opinions. “Get yourself another lemonade,” she smiles at you, patting your hand before looping her arm in her son’s and dragging him away.

—

His mother’s arm is surprisingly strong when she needs it to be.

“Darling, may I remind you, while Miss Y/l/n is indeed a wonderful person, I do not think we can afford to be too picky for her prospects. Her background is rather… unestablished,” Violet points out diplomatically as soon as you are out of earshot.

“We can do better than braggards, bores and philanderers,” Benedict shoots back, raising a pointed eyebrow.

She looks up at him and sighs. “Well, that is true.”

“As I thought, mother,” he winks as she affectionately swats his forearm. “Why not benefit from my knowledge? In fact, perhaps it is prudent I assist in your search for a suitor.” 

“Oh, is it now?” Her tone suddenly filled with intrigue, her face entirely too scrutinising for his liking. “And does not my second son wish to join their ranks?” She adds entirely unsubtly.

“I have no time for romance; I have my art. I am most preoccupied.” He waves a dismissive hand, but even he knows his answer is tellingly brusque.

“And yet, you do not seem too busy to assist with the search, dear…” she points out archly. 

Benedict has no response to that. 

—

The day after the grand ball, you are sat in the dappled shade in the gardens of Bridgerton House, attempting needlework. It's never been your strength, frankly. You would much rather be allowed to partake in more physical pursuits, like archery or fencing, a want to burn off nervous energy as you await the arrival of any suitors. You did end up dancing with a couple of gentlemen, both of whom were…. fine… in your estimation.  

After messing up yet another stitch, you throw down the embroidery hoop and emit a deep sigh when a familiar chuckle rings out behind you.

“Not your favourite pastime?” Benedict correctly guesses.

“You can say that again,” you grumble, twisting to smile at him, a little frisson in your belly at his mere presence, alone as you are.

He rounds to take a seat opposite you, across the table.

“So let me guess,” his face charmingly skewed into a thoughtful mien. “You would prefer to be doing something, hmmmm, more athletic?”

You giggle and cast your eyes downwards briefly, abashed he seems to know you so well. “Correct again.”

“I remember you being a crack shot in archery,” he smiles nostalgically before continuing with genuine curiosity. “Why did you not continue it?”

“I was informed ‘tis unbecoming for a lady,” you rue, the mental image of Mrs Parsons deeming such things ‘unladylike’ flitting through your mind.

He scoffs. “Since when did fearsome little Skylark care one jot for societal expectations?” he teases gently, with a wink, as again he invokes the nickname he bestowed upon you a long time hence. 

You smile briefly before you become more sanguine. “Since I have been informed I must find a husband…” you sigh.

He frowns a touch. “Any man would be lucky to have a wife who can keep him company on the archery field. I know I, for one, would greatly appreciate a spouse with whom I could share such a pastime.” 

A bittersweet twinge in your gut that one day he will indeed be married to some deserving, no doubt elegant, lady.

“I would venture that you are not like most gentlemen in that regard…”

“Perhaps not,” he agrees, looking thoughtful, “but then you are not like most ladies, Skylark.”

“I am not a lady…” your counterpoint softly-spoken, almost ashamed.

“You are more lady than any other member of the Ton,” he asserts, his gaze suddenly intense, as if he is willing you to believe his point. “And you should be free to pursue any pastime you wish.”

You say nothing, just smile wanly, wishing you could believe it was true.

—

How you constantly doubt yourself causes a little stab behind Benedict’s ribs. A sudden burning need to prove that you should do as you please. He slaps his thighs and stands up swiftly. 

“In fact, I am going to go set up the archery targets right now,” he nods decisively, making a beeline for the far corner of the garden where he knows the targets are kept, hoping you will follow.

“Coming?” he calls, twisting to look back at you. “I won't tell anyone…” he adds with a conspiratorial wink, seeing from the involuntary bounce of your leg how much you wish to join in. 

He cannot help the smile that engulfs his face as you jump to your feet with a mischievous giggle. Nor can he help deliberately aiming badly, letting you roundly defeat him at target practice, basking in the victorious glint in your eye as you tease him gently for losing. 

He also pretends not to notice his mother watching from a high window, her expression riveted and so very telling.

—

Later that day, you are reading quietly with Eloise when Violet sweeps into the drawing room with her lady's maid. 

“Y/n, Sir Denton is here to see you,” she smiles brightly. 

“Oh, I…” you stutter, sitting upright, surprised.

“I can send him away, Miss?”  The maid offers, intuiting your disquiet.

“No, no, it is fine… I am just surprised, that is all. ‘Tis almost 4pm. I was not expecting that anyone would be calling, given the late hour.”

Benedict suddenly materialises in the doorway. As ever, there’s that trademark flutter in your chest.

“Any reason Denton is lingering in the hallway?” he inquires airily, grabbing a teacup and pouring himself some.

“He is here for y/n,” Violet breezes as his eyes cut to you, a wave of irritation seeming to cloud his face.

“Well, we should dismiss him,” Benedict sniffs, pausing in his action, his face souring.

“Why?” Violet frowns.

“I had a chance to look into his past since I acquiesced to his dance with y/n last night…”

“Acquiesced?!” Violet scoffs, but Benedict ignores her interjection, save for a curt eyebrow raise.

“I have subsequently discovered he has vastly overstated his assets,” Benedict bristles imperiously.

“Who woke up and made you Anthony?” Eloise pipes up witheringly.

Benedict shoots her a look of irritation. “Anthony has deputised me to run family matters while he is away on business this week, sister,” he reminds pointedly.

“Yes, but you did not have to adopt his personality as well,” Eloise shoots back, disgust evident on her face.

“I take finding y/n here, a suitable match, seriously,” he volleys. “Do you wish to see your good friend married to someone unworthy of her?”

“Well, no…”

“Then kindly permit me to handle matters,” Benedict orders with finality, uncharacteristically forthright in his opinions.

“I do not wish to see her married at all…” Eloise mutters under her breath as he stalks away to dispatch Denton before anyone can argue.

You just sit there mildly dumbfounded, unsure what to make of it all. 

—

The following evening, you are attending a music recital with the Bridgertons; Benedict is notably absent, which makes you a touch melancholic in a way you don’t want to dwell on. 

However, the evening turns for the better while you are taking refreshments at the interval. A friendly-faced young man strikes up a conversation with you after an introduction from Violet.

“Are you enjoying the music tonight, Miss y/l/n?” he asks genially.

“It is very nice, Lord Glassborough,” you offer politely, trying to stifle your slight boredom. You enjoy music, but a two-hour concert is a little too much for you. You much prefer a short set of songs as they play at balls.

“I find it rather dull myself,” he opines quietly, leaning in. “I much prefer a lively song one may dance to.”

You know your face is a picture of surprise that his opinion is an exact mirror of your own.

“Have I offended you so?” he checks, looking mildly contrite.

“Not at all, my lord. I was actually just thinking the same myself,” you chuckle quietly.

He looks inordinately pleased and breaks into a friendly, toothy grin. He seems like a nice, agreeable sort. A pleasant, if not particularly handsome, face. Over his shoulder, you see Violet looking inordinately pleased you appear to be getting on so well.

—

“I am not sure I can do this...” you sigh as Ms West genially taps the metronome.

“You can, dear; just remember your finger placement,” she encourages as your fingers fall to the cool ivory keys.

And so you begin again. Attempting to master this tricky piece, your eyes tracing the lines of music as you play the pianoforte. Violet is so keen for you to brush up on your skills, given Lord Glassborough’s interest in you yesterday. You could not find an adequate excuse fast enough, and so here you are, in a slightly reluctant music lesson, trying your best to recall how Mrs Parsons taught you to play a few years ago.

“Men do so appreciate a lady who can entertain them with exquisite music,” Ms West nods approvingly as you play.

Mostly, you are relieved when you make it to the end with no mistakes, at least none glaringly obvious.

“I much prefer to sing…” you admit tacitly as Ms West shuffles the sheet music.

She looks at you surprised, then shoos you from the piano stool. “Sing for me then, my dear…” taking a seat and beginning the opening bars to a song that, fortunately, you know well.

You begin to sing along, growing more confident with every note, allowing yourself to get lost in the words, the story of a lady awaiting her true love.

“Exceptional!” she peals delightedly over the sound, and you feel bolstered to continue, her playing the perfect accompaniment.

—

Benedict stops short as soon as he enters the house. The most lilting, beautiful sound echoing gently down the marble hall.

“Who is that Jenkins?” he asks of the butler who takes his coat.

“I believe it is Miss y/l/n, sir.”

He draws inexorably closer, finding himself watching you through the crack in the doorway, listening to you sing a touching tale of love that sounds so hauntingly hypnotic in your mellifluous tones. Your eyes are closed, and you sway to the melody, lost in reverie, in the narrative you weave.

The piano stops abruptly.

“Can we help you, sir?” an elder lady calls crisply.

Benedict realises the door has crept open slightly before him, enough for him to be seen by your music teacher. He watches as you swing around and look horrified that you may have an audience. It makes him take a resolute step forward into the room.

“Do you need us to desist? Is it perhaps too loud?” the lady checks deferentially, likely assuming him to be the head of the household.

“No!” His reply is a touch too forceful. “Please continue,” he modifies. “I was merely drawn by the splendid sound I heard. I am not sure I have ever heard such a wondrous voice,” he adds, keeping his gaze steadfastly upon the lady, not able to look you in the eye as he confesses as such. 

—

You are mortified when you realise Benedict heard you singing; you have always managed to keep it private, until now at least. But now your heart is suddenly pounding at his extolling words.

“She does indeed have a most excellent voice,” Ms West concurs with his sentiment, looking at you expectantly as Benedict walks further into the room, his face with the same hopeful expression.

“I am not sure I can…” you stumble, nervous for an audience, most especially him;  his is the opinion that would matter to you the most—you would be crestfallen should he not like it.

“Sing more for me, please, Skylark?” His ask is gentle, beseeching as if it were just the two of you alone.

“Skylark?” Ms West sounds enchanted.

“My childhood nickname for Miss y/l/n,” Benedict explains as he takes a seat. 

“Skylarks have a wonderful song,” she sighs wistfully.

“Indeed,” Benedict chimes, his eyes still upon you. “I never knew how appropriate it was until this very moment.”

Something warm cracks in your chest at his sweet words, making you courageous. At least enough to nod when Ms West looks to you again from the piano. And so you restart the song for your special audience, heart in your mouth. The words coming easily to you, an extra layer of meaning he will never know as you sing words of unrequited devotion, looking to him in your braver moments. His face is enrapt, leaning forward, his eyes soft and expressive. 

As you reach a high note at the end of the song, holding it, Benedict bursts into applause, jumping up from his seat and taking you by surprise, grabbing your gloved hands in his.

“You should always be singing Skylark…” he pronounces. “Truly beautiful. Please promise me, no matter what happens, that you will always, always sing…” 

You duck your head briefly, unsure how to deal with his effusive praise. Ms West’s face is a picture as you stand there, your hands still trapped in his, feeling a tingle where the warmth of his skin seeps through the layers to yours.

“I-I-I promise,” you reply meekly, a touch dazed as you raise your eyes again to meet his, the intensity making your lungs restrict.

“Thank you.” 

Two words have never sounded so sincere or loaded with significance. 

III: … And I Do.

A few days later, it is the Trowbridge Ball, a decadent affair that is usually the most talked about of the season, apparently. You share a carriage ride there with Benedict and Eloise, trying your best not to stare at him—so handsomely dressed in a white cravat and black velvet cropped jacket that clings to his tapered shape. But mostly, you fail. Your skin flushes hot the more you look at him. You could swear that his gaze strays to you, too, subtly sweeping the fine teal silk Madam Delacroix has expertly tailored for you.

“You look beautiful this evening, ladies,” he offers politely to both you and Eloise.

“What do you want?” Eloise cuts across your reply, narrowing her eyes at her older brother, instantly suspicious of his flattery.

“Can I not compliment without an ulterior motive?” he frowns, their usual sibling dynamic emerging.

“Not usually,” Eloise sniffs, with another suspicious glance, before looking out the carriage window.

You take the opportunity to mumble your thanks to him. His responding smile warms your entire being, his hazy eyes lingering in a way that makes your skin prickle. And when he offers a chivalrous hand to assist you down from the carriage, you could swear his hand lingers upon yours a few seconds longer than is necessary. 

Around an hour later, as you go to partake in a refreshment, a sneering Lady Cowper utters something cruel under her breath as you pass, her sour-looking daughter smirking beside her. You do not hear all of the words, but you do not need to. One sideways glance tells you all that you need to know. It seems so unnecessarily cruel, never having even exchanged so much as a word with you, but even as you feel a lump in your throat, their attention is already elsewhere.

“Ah! Mr Briddgerton,” her entire demeanour changing to oleaginous charm, “my daughter looks particularly stunning tonight, does she not? I do believe you should secure a place upon her dance card before there are none left!” 

You watch Benedict blanch at the very words.

“I do not dance, Lady Cowper, but I bid you ladies a good evening,” he responds, polite but firm.

You try your hardest not to giggle at the disdained look on their faces as he sweeps past them, and you feel light as air as, instead, he draws up to you and winks.

“That woman does not realise she is doing her daughter’s prospects more harm than good with her brashness,” he comments dryly as he grabs a glass of champagne from the stand next to you.

“I am not so sure the daughter would do much better without her; she seems perpetually furious about her own hairstyle,” you opine sardonically, making Benedict snort loudly into his champagne glass. A lightness fizzles in your being as he shoots you a look of unmistakable admiration for that remark.

“I daresay you are a much better dancer than her,” he contends, not breaking eye contact, placing aside his drink before leaning in and continuing in a hushed voice. “Perhaps you would do me the honour of a dance, Skylark, to confirm my suspicion?”

There is a vault in your chest as he employs your private nickname in public and, not only that, is offering you a dance when, just a moment ago, he declared publicly that he would not. 

You can only nod, heart hammering, as he breaks out into the most handsome smile, offering you his arm and leading you to the centre of the room as you hear a ripple go through the nearby crowd. Apparently the sight of one Benedict Bridgerton taking to the dancefloor is a rare occasion indeed.

—

As he takes your gloved hand in his and curls an arm around your shoulder, he realises this was perhaps a mistake. An impromptu offer, the hollow thrill of petty revenge for the insult he observed the Cowpers sling at you. But now he realises it has rather backfired upon him.

He cares not a jot for the gossiping, people nodding and pointing to you both as you begin to dance. No, the problem is much more concerning than that. 

It is how discombobulated he feels having you in his arms.

How your body seems to fit and move perfectly with his. How, when you dare to look up at him, his mouth goes a little dry. He has never truly noticed how striking your eyes are until seeing them this close. Indeed, the evident beauty of your face, the way you seem to glow from within, more tonight than ever. It makes his chest - and somewhere else on his body - feel entirely too tight.

—

Nothing could have prepared you for this.

The feeling of literally being swept off your feet. With Benedict's handsome face smiling down upon you as you seem to float around the dancefloor. 

Surely, this is what dreams are made of?

You know it is a flight of fancy, but it seems as though the floor beneath your feet is a shower of diamonds rather than candlelight refracted through chandeliers. The warmth and strength of Benedict’s embrace caged around you, respectful but so close it makes your lungs feel too small to gasp the air you need to keep moving. But you never want to stop. A whirlwind of sensation as you twirl, carried away by the music, the man, the moment.

“Thank you, Benedict,” you breathe, knowing you are likely looking up at him far too adoringly but unable to mask it, a burning need for him to know how grateful you are for this dance, not even noting your over-familial use of his first name at a society event. 

His eyes flash and you could swear they dilate a fraction before you must turn your back to him, following the steps.

“I was right,” he rumbles cryptically from behind you now, his large hands wrapped around yours as you hold them aloft together, following the moves of the dance. “It is indeed an honour to dance with you.” 

Your belly flares as you turn in unison and realise that you are now dancing right in front of Cressida, her expression murderous. It makes you bolder than you have ever been, tilting your head sideways a fraction so your cheek almost brushes Benedict’s, fuelled by the envy you feel seething from within her.

You could swear he sighs ‘Skylark’ as his hot breath tickles your ear, your chest pounding, a flavour in the air you can taste, a powerful stirring low in your belly.

—

Benedict knows this is a dangerous path and yet is powerless to do anything but walk it. Breathing your nickname into your hair as he inhales your scent, heightened by the movement of your dancing. A light, sweet floral perfume but underneath the smell of you, familiar from many years of friendship but altered now, more decadent, an undercurrent of tart berries that thrills and stirs deep within him. Even while knowing his ever-vigilant mother is watching, an inscrutable expression upon her face. 

He is almost grateful when the music ends before he does something foolish. But then you are staring up into his face, all doe-eyed expectant beauty and his tongue feels unexpectedly tied. He is almost grateful when an interrupting hand wraps around his shoulder.  

—

You watch Will Mondrich whisper in Benedict’s ear, and before you know it, he is offering apologies to you with a shallow, polite bow before hurrying away. Coming back to reality with a bump, you drift awkwardly from the dance floor, feeling judgy eyes upon you, suddenly flooded with concern your behaviour was entirely too wanton. 

Before your thoughts can spiral too far, however, someone materialises at your side.

“I do so hope your dance card is not full tonight, Miss y/l/n,” a newly-familiar, chipper voice cut in.

“Lord Glassborough,” you breathe; your relief at seeing his cordial face is palpable. “I am available to dance right now,” you smile politely, taking his proffered arm and letting him lead you back out to the spot you and Benedict had just vacated.

As the music begins and you move together, the difference is… noticeable. Gone is the frisson over your limbs, that excitement as if your skin could vibrate off your bones. Instead you feel comforted, almost a brotherly presence as he leads you in the dance. He is technically proficient, but it feels lacking—that tension, that heat burning in the space between you. It makes you yearn for Benedict even though he was just with you. It makes your stomach settle with a leaden weight you realise you will have to settle for less than what you truly desire.

Still distracted by your mental comparison, you absently acquiesce to his suggestion to take some air upon the terrace as the dance ends. You sense Violet, ever the vigilant chaperone, follow as he leads you into the cooler air outside. 

“Miss y/l/n…,” Lord Glassborough begins cautiously. You sense a nervousness in his being, pulling your full focus to him. “I think us most compatible, would you not agree?”

“We make most excellent friends, indeed, Lord Glassborough,” you hedge, not wanting to appear overzealous.

“And friendship is the most appropriate foundation to build something more… tender,” he argues with a smile. “I do believe I could offer you a most agreeable life.” 

There is a strange twinge in your chest as suddenly, you realise what this is. The moment everyone, except perhaps yourself, has been awaiting all season.

“I would be honoured if you would consent to be my wife, Miss y/l/n,” he humbly offers a sincere kindness shining in his eyes.

And there it is. An offer of marriage from a perfectly nice, respectable gentleman done in an appropriate manner. 

To one side, you see Violet clutch a hand over her chest, face delighted, even as you form fists within your delicate gloves, wishing this moment were not happening so soon after a truly breathtaking dance with the man of your dreams. Who is not the same man as the one before you, nervously shuffling from foot to foot, awaiting your reply. 

“I am honoured, Lord Glassborough,” you answer cautiously, bowing your head demurely. “This is a big decision to make. Please allow me time to give you my proper, considered answer?”

“Of course,” he bows chivalrously, his accommodating nature making this moment all the more bittersweet. He is indeed a lovely man. 

He is just not the one you want with every fibre of your being.

—

That night, you cannot sleep. Knowing you have the most significant decision of your life to make. So, in the small hours, you find yourself drifting to the deserted kitchen of Bridgerton House to do what you do best when you need to think calmly—baking. 

An activity you have grown up doing with Mrs Parsons. Many hours spent happily with flour dusting your hands, sun streaming into her grand but homely kitchen. A perhaps slightly maverick pastime for a lady of her social standing, with staff to do such things for her should she wish it, but so very enjoyable nonetheless. 

Throwing a large, heavy baking apron over your nightdress and robe, you potter around, the flagstone of the basement floor cold underfoot, a grounding feeling that stops your mind from racing too much.

You have no idea how to respond to Glassborough’s proposal. On one hand, he is a seemingly nice man, certainly of a good family. You are sure he would be a perfectly acceptable husband, unlikely to be mean or untoward. It is just… a nagging voice is telling you to turn him down despite him being an imminently sensible choice, your heart wanting, well, the impossible. A man that excites you, not just a safe, practical option.

You are onto your second batch of lemon and rosemary biscuits when a voice makes you jump out of your skin.

“What on earth…?”

There in the doorway is Benedict, looking confounded to find you here. The very man who makes your heart skip, always. He is dressed the most casually you have ever seen him— also barefoot, in a white frilled shirt and dark trousers, brocade braces slung around his hips. You swear you may have to grab the bench before you to stay upright.

“Y/n! We have cooks you can call upon at any time should you need food!” he fusses, instantly concerned, moving to ring a bell on the wall.

“No! Please do not!” You exclaim, rushing to stop him, grabbing his sleeve in your haste. “I-I enjoy baking. It is relaxing; it helps me to think.”

His brow knits and his eyes flick down to your hold on his sleeve, a warm vein pulsing under your fingertips. You snatch your hand away quickly, a blush staining your cheeks, mumbling an apology as you scurry back to your biscuit-making.

“Alright,” he concedes slowly, still appearing confused. “When I saw the sconces lit from the rear stairwell, I assumed one of the staff was still down here.”

You find it bemusing that he seems at pains to justify why he might also be in the kitchen, especially to you, a guest. This is Bridgerton House, and he is a Bridgerton. He may go wherever he pleases, surely? And yet here he is, doing so.

“I was rather hoping for some hot cocoa,” he explains with that soft, crooked smile that always makes your heart flutter.

“Oh! Well, umm, I could make you some cocoa?” you look down, wiping your hands upon your apron and moving to do so.

—

That you would make such an offer, as if seeing yourself as unpaid help, spurs him into action.

“No, you certainly will not!”  He decries, moving swiftly towards the larder before you can. “I am perfectly fine with some cold milk,” he assures, re-emerges with a bottle and pouring himself a glass, leaning back against the sink to take a sip.

Despite the lateness of the hour, he finds your heretofore secret pastime strangely fascinating. A lady who bakes. By choice. So he watches as you return to making your biscuit dough, entertained as you begin to beat the mixture quite furiously with a wooden spatula.

“Have those ingredients caused you some sort of personal offence….?” he jests lightly, nodding to the bowl.

He observes a flit of contrition across your face before you answer.

“I, umm, have a decision that I must make; baking helps me think,” you explain vaguely, then appear to rapidly change the subject. “I am, however, sure of one fact - some biscuits are a must to accompany milk. There is a completed batch over there.”

“Genius,” he opines with a wink, enthusiastically moving to grab one from the cooling rack you signalled to, delighting in the blush that darkens your cheeks. But he decides to push the topic you abruptly avoided. Concerned there could be a topic you are genuinely wrestling with. If his opinion on the matter can ameliorate your burdens, he would be most honoured to assist.

“What sort of decision must you make?” he inquires before temporarily losing the power of speech. There is an explosion of tart lemon and earthy herb on his tongue that melts into a buttery sweetness, utterly divine. “Lord alive, these are delicious!!!” he exclaims around the mouthful.

“Thank you,” you answer softly. 

You are always so modest about your talents; it sometimes makes him want to grab your shoulders and shake you gently. To make you see what he does. 

“To answer your question, it is a perplexing matter that needs serious consideration,” you explain, stopping short of detail. It appears you are not yet ready to share the news with him. Something about that makes him a touch sad, but he also does not want to pry if you are reluctant to divulge. 

—

Benedict swallows the bite he has taken, and you find yourself staring at the movement of his throat as he does. Knowing one thing to be true—if it were his proposal, you would not even hesitate for a split second. That wistful thought makes you suddenly melancholic, and you sigh, pushing aside your mixing bowl, realising this may be an issue baking will not fix.

“I do so hate to see you doubt yourself, Skylark,” he offers quietly after a beat, mien so earnest. “Trust yourself. You will find the right answer for your dilemma; I am certain of it.”

He is so remarkably supportive that, ironically, you almost want to scream at him.

“I should leave you to your thoughts,” his tone is gentle, reluctant.

“Please, there is no need, Benedict,” you try to assure. “To be honest, in all of this world, yours is the company I enjoy the very most…”

That truth is out of your mouth before you can censor it. 

You sheepishly glance over to be met by a surprised look on his face. He takes a few steps towards you, probably without realising it, and suddenly, he is very close, faint wisps of his woodsy, citrus cologne tickling your nose.

“And I, yours, Skylark…” he rumbles, his gaze falling to your lips. 

Time seems to stop, and you feel pinned under glass, staring up into his handsome face as he breathes slightly ragged, your body rioting as he engulfs your senses, definitely too close to be considered gentlemanly, polite…

…But then, he takes a sharp inhale and steps back as if coming to his senses. He turns heel with a hastily muttered goodbye, and before you know it, he is gone. Leaving you bewildered, your thoughts scattered.

—

The following day, Benedict is idly reading the paper, partaking in a leisurely lunch of tea and cake, when his mother swans in, reeling off a set of instructions for her lady's maid.

“Oh, and lastly, do not forget, we should secure an appointment with the modiste, in case Miss y/l/n should know her answer today…” Violet concludes breezily as she takes a seat.

“Yet another ball we must suffer, mother?” Benedict drawls drily, folding down his paper and taking a hearty bite of zesty lemon drizzle.

She shoots her son an exasperated look before neatly smoothing a serviette into her lap as she is served her usual afternoon Earl Grey by the butler. “Miss y/l/n will be in need of a wedding dress, Benedict, dear.”

He spits an array of crumbs onto his newspaper, coughing in shock. “She will need what?!?” he wheezes, barely recovering.

“Lord Glassborough proposed to Miss y/l/n last night, my dear, at the ball. She has yet to give her answer, but I am certain she will. They are a fine match,” Violet declares, taking a sip of tea.

“Why did she not mention it to me?” he mutters, more to himself than anyone, his forehead creasing heavily in a frown as he swallows the rest of his mouthful.

“Why would she have?”  

“We talked last night…” letting slip perhaps too much in his perplexed state, lost in his own tumbling thoughts.

“When last night? We returned from the ball very late,” a suspicious tone in his mother’s voice, belatedly releasing he should know better than to think aloud; she is sharp as a tack.

“I-I found Miss y/l/n baking last night… in the kitchen when I went for cocoa… she told me she had a dilemma she was wrestling with…” he admits, looking down at the paper, the words now a jumble before his eyes. “Mother do you think it is possible she will say yes??” Benedict's head snaps up, his heart suddenly pounding in his ears.

“She would be a fool not to,” Violet points out, raising a perfectly arched eyebrow at him. “Unless there was another, perhaps more wanted, proposal she could consider. Do you possibly know of one? Son?” 

Even he can read between those lines. 

“I-I am late,” he abruptly changes tack. “I promised to meet Anthony today to discuss the soil at Aubrey,” he bustles rapidly, standing and fleeing the room before he can allow his mother to see how much of a complete lie that is.

—

Benedict spends the afternoon at White’s, downing perhaps one too many whiskeys as he grills his fellow patrons upon the Glassborough family. Looking for any reason he can find to object to the betrothal while steadfastly refusing to examine why he feels so passionately about the subject. He also spends time checking the hefty tomes of Debrett’s the club holds.

He returns to Bridgerton House just as dusk settles in, the sky streaking red and pink as he enters.

“Where have you been, dear?” Violet asks as he rounds into the parlour.

“Researching,” he gruffs economically.

“What? Or rather whom?” Violet inquires, revealing she already has a firm idea of what she asks.

“I can find nothing wrong with him!”

Benedict paces, an energy emanating from his being as if he is rattled by that very fact.

“That is a good thing, is it not, son?” Violet reminds pointedly. “We want y/n married to a good gentleman…”

Benedict shoots her an exasperated look but relents. “I suppose…”

“Is not your reluctance perhaps for another reason, my dear?” Her question is gentle, if not particularly subtle.

He slumps into a wingback chair with a defeated sigh. “Go ahead. Say your piece, mother.”

“I have watched you, darling,” she begins gently, watching him tip his head back and screw his eyes shut. “I do not know exactly when, but your regard of Miss y/l/n has altered, and I am not the only one to observe it.”

Benedict's eyes fly open, and he tips his head down with a frown as his mother continues.

“Even Colin has marked a change in you. If you feel anything, my dear, then Miss y/l/n has the right to know. Before it is too late. The right to make an informed choice if you are bold enough to give her one. Son, I have only ever wanted my children’s happiness. And if your happiness lies somewhere that perhaps even you have not realised until now…. well then I encourage you to follow it. Follow your heart.”

Her impassioned speech suddenly makes the pieces of a jumbled jigsaw before his eyes arrange into a pattern, a way forward that is suddenly clear and sharply in focus.

It makes him leap to his feet, an urgency thronging in his being.

“Where is Miss y/l/n?” he almost barks. 

“I do not know,” Violet confesses, “but I do know she has not yet seen or written to Lord Glassborough,” she adds.

“Good…” he rasps, headed determined out of the room to find you.

—

The verdant lush grass is cool between your toes as you curl them over, sighing heavily, the night now dark, a twinkle of silver among the navy sky, soon to be black. The swing under the big oak, a refuge you have sought many times since staying at Bridgerton House, feels a particularly poignant place to be tonight as an internal war rages within you, your decision swaying back and forth as much as the wooden seat you are perched upon, the rope digging into your cheekbone as you slump against it, flummoxed.

You know what your answer to Glassborough should be. Indeed, what it should have been from the moment he asked. 

A resounding yes.

In every practical measure, this is the best possible outcome of your London season. A proposal from a thoroughly decent, acceptable gentleman, way above the station you were expecting, given your less than prestigious certainty of lineage.

And yet.

And yet.

There is a large part of you, your heart, that wants to turn down the proposal, foolhardy as that may be. Wanting to feel akin to what you felt as you danced with Benedict last night. You are not so foolish as to believe he would ever propose, but perhaps there is someone else out there for you that may evoke something similar for you? Even if only half, it would be enough. Enough for you to build a future around and feel contentment in your heart, to not just settle for what your head knows to be a sensible choice. 

—

Having searched the house, he rounds into the garden and stops short, heart leaping into his throat as he spies you, swaying gently upon the swing, looking thoroughly lost in thought. It makes his chest ache that you are so melancholic about a decision that should indeed be joyous. The selfish part of him celebrating, hoping that perhaps you are not. His memory recalls with perfect clarity how you have looked as lost as he now feels every time you have been close. The unbearable lightness of hope seizes his legs and draws him inexorably closer.

—

You whip around as you sense company and have to take a deep breath as your eyes fall upon Benedict. His face pinched with a restless intensity.

“I was hoping I would find you,” he exhales.

“You have,” you shrug, still confused by his crackling energy, him seeming in a rush to say something.

“Skylark, you deserve the very best of everything. Sincerely. And part of that includes that you should know the truth in the hearts of those lucky enough to know you…” a slight quake in his voice as he takes a step closer.

“Alright…” you respond cautiously, your brow creasing as you sense the nerves emanating from him.

You gasp as he rapidly drops to one knee before you, a hand clutched to his chest. 

“I have been a fool to not see it before now. My own ardent admiration for you, for your talents, for your beauty. I realise now, perhaps too late, that you are truly the most wondrous, precious being in this world. You may not always see it, but it would be my greatest honour to show you, every day, if you will permit me, what I see when I look upon you. What I have always seen if I am honest with myself. A light that shines brighter than any other, a bird that soars higher and sings more sweetly than any other. A soul that it would be a privilege to be bound to. I know it is perhaps the worst possible timing, seeing as you already have a proposal from a perfectly acceptable gentleman. Still, I could not let you get married without letting you know the contents of my heart.”

You are stunned. Speechless. 

Your heart pounds in your ribcage as you sit there stupified for what must be an age, Benedict looking upon you expectantly, breath slightly ragged from his long speech. Somehow, convincing yourself this could only be a dream. That the man you have adored since before you can remember has just made the most beautiful poetic confession of love you have ever heard. And it’s to you.

So, you do the only logical thing that comes to mind. Pinch your own leg. Hard.

—

Benedict is momentarily confounded at your actions.

“Owwww!” you yelp. “Not dreaming then…” is your muttered follow-up, rubbing your own knee as his face morphs into the most enormous grin, a lightning bolt of joy tearing through him as he realises what you are doing, that you can scarcely believe this is happening any more than he can.

“It is really me, Skylark,” he chuckles softly, seeing the way your eyes dilate rapidly as he can't help the lopsided grin that claims his face, a warmth behind his ribs that is just for you.

“I realise that now,” you sass back, and there is a stirring in his trousers at the tone you employ.

“I love you.” 

It's a reflex; he doesn't even realise he says it. But as soon as it's out of his mouth, it's like an invisible burden has been lifted from his entire being. The truth. Plain. Simple. Honest.

—

You know your face is aflame as you snap back at him, entirely without meaning to, but then he says three little words that tilt your whole world even more. 

“I-I-I love you too.”

You are bewildered when you say it aloud. 

 The truth. Plain. Simple. Honest.

“Marry me? Please. My darling, wonderful friend,” he implores, his bare hands grabbing yours, tingles shooting over you as your skin touches his.

“Yes!! I will!!!” you answer breathlessly, not even a second of hesitation. 

He leans in and captures your lips with his. They are warm and soft as they move gently with yours. And when he opens your mouth with his and his tongue rolls delicately over yours, it feels as if all the fireworks you have seen in the sky live now inside you, popping and exploding in a riot of colour. A whole new world of sensual pleasure is promised in that one move.

“Are you certain?” you murmur as you break apart for air, a flash of insecurity that this is happening so fast, even as there is a strong pull inside, a want to keep kissing him over and over.

He smiles, tilting his forehead to yours, a wistful look in his blue eyes.

“To know you, truly know you, is to love you, Skylark,” he sighs, his words a blanket settling over your quaking heart.  “And I do. I truly do.”

Benedict taglist: @makaylan @foreverlonginguniverse @notanotheruniverse @iboopedyournose @aintnuthinbutahounddog @severewobblerlightdragon @writergirl-2001 @heeyyyou @enichole445 @enchantedbytomandhenry @ambitionspassionscoffee @chaoticcalzoneranchsports @nikaprincessofkattegat @baebee35 @crowleysqueenofhell @fiction-is-life @lilacbeesworld @broooookiecrisp @queen-of-the-misfit-toys @eleanor-bradstreet @divaanya @musicismyoxygen84 @miindfucked @sorryallonsy @cayt0123 @hottytoddyhistory @fictionalmenloversblog @zinzysstuff @malpalgalz @kinokomoonshine @causeimissu @delehosies @m-rae23 @last-sheep @panhoeofmanyfandoms @kmc1989 @desert-fern @corpseoftrees-queen @magical-spit @bunnyweasley23 @how-many-stars-in-the-sky @sya-skies

[leviathanspain]

hiiiii, can i request a smutty benedict bridgerton x reader where reader is obsessed with like his hands and thinks he doesn’t notice? thx🫶🏼🫶🏼

i know you

benedict bridgerton x reader

synopsis: benedict can’t help but indulge his wife in her pleasures..

warm hands wrapped themselves around your waist. immediately, your hands found his, feeling his skin in yours, the bulge of his veins underneath, you could just shiver at the thought.

“oh..” you looked to the ground coyly, “i know you..” you pulled his hands off, turning around to face your husband.

he chuckled as you hugged him. your arms wrapped around his waist tightly. your face pushed against his chest, but you felt him kiss your temple, “do you?” he teased, eyebrow cocked as he smiled widely.

you pulled away, smirking as you playfully shoved him away. “seems like my husband isn’t here yet. i shall excuse myself-“ you threw a glare at benedict and began to stomp back into aubrey hall.

benedict immediately tailed after you, “no,” he had already caught up to you, “he’s right here.” his hand found it’s way to the small of your back, and you hitched a breath.

you stopped walking, eyes inspected the empty hallway before you threw yourself at benedict.

his hands, oh his hands.

your core pulsed at the thought of his hands caressing your thighs. feeling his nimble fingers, massaging your skin gently, almost subconsciously.

benedict caught you in a million kisses. his hands wrapped themselves all over your body, he was practically pulling you on top of him.

“wait-“ it dawned on you, just how provocative this entire thing was.

“benedict.” sternly, you pulled his attention away from nipping at your neck. he raised his eyebrows until it too, dawned on him.

“oh fuck.” he cursed, but his grip on your waist remained tight. you didn’t say anything as he began to walk, pulling you in with him.

it was your first day back at aubrey hall since the wedding, and hardly were you familiar with it.

“ben-“ you clutched at his hands as he continued to string you throughout the hall, practically racing to the destination.

as it was, he had stopped in front of a white door. it was old, paint was chipped around the knob. benedict smiled as he pushed the door open.

he pulled you in, kissing you just once before he let you go to shove the door closed. you heard a lock turn as you looked around the room. in some ways, it was juvenile. old blue paint made the room look it, but the furniture was clearly of better taste.

“is this-“

“my old bedroom?” he smiled, “yes it is.” eyes scanned the room and you could tell he loved it.

“well,” a smile pulled at your lips again, softening as you grabbed his arms, pulling them onto your hips, “i think it’s absolutely,” you leaned in for a kiss, which benedict planted softly, lips kneading into yours, “lovely.”

just as you spoke, his hands had found the plush of your ass. he squeezed it tightly, and you couldn’t help but moan at the feeling.

you gripped his arms tightly, taking a moment to inhale, closing your eyes. “tell me how you want it..” he whispered, breath caressing your ear.

you pushed into him, feeling his cock just under his belt, “i want you to fuck me…” you whispered back, practically moaning.

“with?” his voice drew out his word, and you knew he was doing it to tease you more. especially as his hands gripped harder at your ass.

“everything. fuck me with everything.” you stole a kiss just as he ripped the back of your dress off. with his strength, the dress was practically ribbons after. but it was quickly forgotten as he pulled you out of it, lifting you up onto his hips as he stepped over to the bed.

he tossed you into it, landing perfectly on your back into a sea of pillows. you laughed as he clamored onto the bed. he kissed you, desperately as he reached down into your cunt with his hands.

you shivered as he caressed you. his fingers barely brushed your bud, teasing you more and more.

“god- benedict..” you groaned, unable to hold out any longer.

his nose pushed into the side of your cheek, words distracting you just as his fingers plunged into your spongey walls. slick coated his fingers, his thumb free to please your swollen bud.

“i know you.” he kissed your cheek, “i know you.”

you squirmed, but benedict used his free hand to wrap around your waist, holding you tightly as he finger fucked you.

you closed your eyes, head thrown back into his shoulder as his pace quickened. you heaved, eyes squeezed tight as he fucked you harder and harder.

“fuck!” you cursed, body shaking as he brought you to the edge. you pulled away from him, squirming as you came all over his hand. you could hear the squelching of your cunt as he continued to fuck you through it. your hands pushed away at his, still working at you.

“benedict, oh my-“ you could barely mutter the words. your ears and your body felt like a bee hive, a constant buzz.

benedict pulled his fingers out, nudging you to look at yourself on him. “come on, pretty girl. let me see those eyes.” he whispered sweetly.

you cracked your eyes open, looking at his hand, veins protruding after all that work. you could just feel the desire burn more, even more as he pulled you in for a kiss, his teeth gently nipping at your lip. you laughed, hand pulling weakly at his collar.