#Berena Advent: Matchmaker

[berenaadvent]

[fortytworedvines]

Serena brings chocolate into the office.

[hartkinsao3]

Berena Advent 2023 Day 1: Matchmaker

[squishmittenficfan]

Berena Advent 2023 day one. Prompt: Matchmaker

[daisydoctor13]

Please enjoy my first attempt at writing in 2 years for day 1 of @berenaadvent (thank you for organising it again this year!)

It felt odd to be writing again but a good odd, so hopefully I'll get a bit of inspiration through the next month to do a few more

[madam-wakefield]

Matchmaker

Just a little fic for the first day of @berenaadvent and the prompt Matchmaker - what can I say I am a little soft for any mentions of Army Bernie

Read on A03

Bernie doesn’t talk about her time in the army often, there are hints here and there and she has shared a few special and troublesome memories with Serena over the past few years. Things that Bernie only feels comfortable to share with her. Bernie doesn’t avoid talking about the army because she’s ashamed of it, quite the opposite, Bernie is proud that she’d served her country, that she’s done tours of duty, saved the life of countless men and women on the frontline in an environment few could work in. The reason Bernie doesn’t talk about it often is because the army wasn’t just a job to Bernie, isn’t really just a job to anyone in the military it’s a literal way of life. A 24/7 all consuming way of life, where you live, work, eat and relax. You spend all your time both good and bad with the same people who your life, at times, literally depends upon. Most people don’t get that, even Serena at first had struggled to totally understand it, until one of them conversations, where she’d accidentally brushed over one of Bernie’s scars, something she tries to avoid because it’s something Bernie hates. Bernie had admitted to her how she got it, how she’d been the one to administer her own stitches, and Serena has questioned her quizzically, asking without words a question she wouldn’t voice incase Bernie didn’t want to answer. Bernie had answered her though, told her that they’d had a rough few days in the field, lost too many of their men and that she’d finally sent her team off to rest, to decompress a little when she’d realised she was injured, that as their major she had felt a responsibility for their well-being and in that moment she’d chosen to have their back, to let them sleep, knowing that any second she could be waking them all to once again battle against to odds to save another one of their colleagues. Bernie had gone on to explain it to her then, how these people her colleagues, though many of them her subordinates literally lived together daily and depended on each other in a way that can’t really be explained.

Serena accepts it, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t happy to accept the little snippets when they come. It’s Boxing Day and they are sat snuggled together on the sofa, Jason is upstairs reading a new Dr Who book, he got for Christmas and the two women are just enjoying having some time together, a rare shared day off over the festive period that seems one or both of them working every day but today. Serena has a box of matchmakers nestled in her lap, the gentle mint flavour floating gently into the air. Bernie is quiet in a way that Serena knows she’s thinking of something, reminiscing, whether about something good or bad Serena doesn’t yet know, may not know if Bernie doesn’t feel the moment is right.

Serena is close to dozing off so Bernie voice, soft and gentle just audible over the sound of the TV shocks her just momentarily. “I didn’t even know those things still existed,” Bernie says pointing down to the now almost empty box in Serena’s lap, it’s Boxing Day and she’s due to work a long shift tomorrow, who can blame her if she’s almost eaten the box in one sitting. There’s more to it Serena knows, lifts another matchmaker to her lips and chews on it gently while she lets Bernie find the words.

“The children…Cam and Charlotte I mean, always used to send me a box or two in my Christmas care package when I was deployed.” Another beat, as if Bernie is as always trying to work out if she’s said too much, still not totally comfortable with the communication thing, they’ve been together over five years and Serena knows it’s not that Bernie isn’t comfortable with her, just is still learning to relearn over fifty years of expressing her true self and emotions. She places her hand gently on Bernie’s knee squeezing it reassuringly; silently communicating “this is alright, I like to hear you talking about your past, about what helped shape who you are.” It’s a silent message to remind Bernie that Serena wants to know all about her, not just the Bernie she knows from the moment she came to Holby.

It does the trick and Bernie continues to speak. “I used to share them with the lads, well and ladies, but even in the RAMC they were few and far between. Some of them never got packages, not even at Christmas or on their birthday. So every year when I opened the care package and I unwrapped my boxes of matchmakers, we’d sit and pass the boxes between us, we’d all only ever get one, but by some unspoken gesture, they’d always make sure I got the last one.” Serena can her the pride in her voice, the way she knows that Bernie knows sharing a simple box of matchmakers was such a big gesture to all of those around her. Moves her hand from Bernie’s knee to her hand, connects their fingers and squeezes gently. 

“I’m sure they appreciated it, every one of them.” She catches Bernie’s eye at that, smiles at her, knows the conversation won’t go any further, but is once again thankful that Bernie has let her see just another little piece of her heart. 

An hour later just as they are about to go to bed, Serena picks up the box of matchmakers off her lap, wants to put the rubbish in the bin, likes to make sure the house is clutter free before she heads to bed for the night. She feels it as she does, the unmistakeable little vibrations, and in that second, she makes the decision turns to Bernie, opening the box to Bernie revealing a solitary stick of minty chocolate. Bernie just looks at her, tears she won’t let fall shining in her eyes, as she mouths thank you at Serena, picking the stick up delicately from the box and eating it slowly, severing the taste, not Serena knows because they are the best thing ever, but because of the memories it gives her. 

No Bernie doesn’t talk about her time in the army much, but Serena will be thankful for every single time she does. 

[veganpepsibaby]

1st of December: Berena Advent 2023.

"On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to meeeee...,"

The greying brunette shuffled over onto her left side, sleepy eyed and confused.

"What on earth is the time, Berenice?" She croaked, mouth dry from indulging in one too many Shirazs the previous evening.

"Serena Campbell it is eight o'clock. Serves you right if you're a little rough. I warned you not to open a third bottle last night, but oh no the woman who insists she can handle her wine couldn't resist more of that fine vintage," smirked a cheery faced Bernie.

"Humf! I am fine, just not used to being sung to first thing in the morning." Serena looked up at her partner's puppy eyes and messy blonde hair trying not to smile herself.

"You do know that the twelve days of Christmas are actually from the twenty-fifth through to when the three wise men arrive to see Christ on Epiphany," she stated in a dry voice.

"Ah, yes, but I didn't know what else to sing before presenting you with a gift."

"Oh..., what are you upto Bernie?" Serena asked with a twinkle and a raised eyebrow.

"Kiss first?"

The blonde leaned down pressing her lips fully onto her partner's, slowly with the tip of her tongue around the slightly open dry lips of Serena's.

Bernie pulled away, grinning at her love through her fringe. She received a quizzical stare, as Serena licked her own lips.

"Chocolate and honeycomb?"

"Clever Campbell!" laughed the blonde.

"What have you been eating at this time in the morning?"

"Shut your eyes."

"Bernie...,"

"Go on. Shut your eyes please. Put your hands out."

Serena compiled. She felt a weight in her palms.

"Open them now."

She tentatively opened her eyes, taking in the contents in front of her.

"You daft woman! Where did you get this lot from?"

"On-line. They arrived a couple days ago. I remembered you saying you missed Matchmakers over the festive season, so I purchased the four flavour bundle for you."

"Mint, orange, caramel coffee, oh, and honeycomb...," Serena chuckled giving Bernie a knowing look.

"So, umm, will this satisfy your craving?"

"Of course!" Serena placed each box onto her bedside table, noticing as she did so that the honeycomb box was already opened. She lifted a stick of chocolate out, seductively placing one end into Bernie's mouth.

"A little more empirical research with this flavour, don't you think, darling?" She put the other end of the chocolate into her own mouth. The lovers bit down onto the Matchmaker until their mouths met in a crushing, passionate kiss.

Serena knew this was the best first of December morning ever.

[lilolilyr]

A Berena fanfic for @berenaadvent day 8!

Rated E, 1k words, no warnings

Summary: Serena likes wearing pretty lingerie. Bernie enjoys the view, and getting to touch her as well.

My previous advent calendar fics to the prompts Matchmaker - Drunk - Silhouette

[berenaadvent]

[berenaadvent]

Roundup: Day 1 - Matchmaker

Fills are sorted in alphabetical order by author's name. If I’ve missed anything, please drop me a link in the submit box or my messages. I’ll continue to update the roundups as other submissions come in.

CllrNat

Daisydoctor13

Fourtytworedvines

Hartkinsa03

Lilolilyr

Madamwakefield

Neuewayve

Squishmittensfanfic

Veganpepsibaby

[lilolilyr]

The @berenaadvent prompt of the day is ‘moving’, which I took as inspiration for a story about moving in together - or rather, already having moved in together…

<1k, rated T, no warnings, fluff

My other Berena Advent fics:

Matchmaking - Drunk - Silhouette - Lingerie - Distance - Snowstorm - Hot Chocolate - Flipflops

[lilolilyr]

Heyyyy! 2, 11 and 15 for the unfinished business ;)

Thanks for the questions! It's always fun to talk about my wips :D

I feel like maybe I should've posted a list with the ask meme with my many many unwritten or unpublished fics for you to choose from xD so for future askers, here goes, my main current and future projects at the moment:

- Bering and Wells days 12, 16 and 18 of the Advent Calendar

- Star Trek college AU continuation

- chaos scifi dystopia idea

Plus some ideas I might or might not ever write:

- twilight SIOC

- Berena continuation to the matchmaker fic

- St Clare's (for example something introspective about wlw Alison... or reader x headmistress Theobald smut because reasons xDxD or some character studies!)

- Malory towers Clarissa x Bill or Billx Miss Peters or Miss Peters x Self insert… so many options xD

- St Clare’s or Mallory Towers SIOC (like the stories where readers end up in the world of Twilight as Bella or in middle earth or the galaxy far far away? Except you end up a boarding school girl in the 40s. both fun and very very unfun I’d say)

- Emily Lake Trauma

~

but as this ask is still open to interpretation I'll go with my most recent dumb idea, it'll probably be a Milippa fic but more to why I'm not entirely sure on that point in the actual answers!

2. How did you get the idea to write this?

It came to me in a dream!

No, seriously.

I don't usually remember much from my dreams, or when I do it's just a jumbled mess of scenes that don't make any sense or don't fit together or both, but yesterday (day before? idk) I woke up and had a fully fledged dystopia novel in my head. Well, not really, it still was dream-like and chaotic, for example I wasn't entirely sure whether it was aliens taking over the world or some kind of robot and that seems like a major plot point doesn't it xD plus

11. Is there any scene you can't wait for people to react to when reading? Why?

Already answered something for that particular fic here, so how about I'll talk about a Bering and Wells WIP, that's probably more what you're here for anyway! :D

I haven't written this one at all yet, but I'm really excited to get to Myka noticing how it isn't just a crush, she's falling in love with Helena, and her panicking and all the feels! And I'm also excited to see what people will think of whatever I'll come up with for that one!

15. Do you have any unwritten scene that you think about a lot?

At the moment it's the reunion of the main characters of the (maybe)Milippa fic! But that's just right now really. I have tons of scenes I keep thinking about - but most of the ones that I think about again and again have a tendancy to be very removed from canon, after juggling them in my brain for years and years xD and that way it gets even less likely for me to write the fic, because it would have a target audience of 1 person namely me!

unfinished fic ask meme