#send it to pall mall

[feralthembo]

i do not believe anyone would enjoy these (virginia superslims) and so am convinced anywhone who has ever bought them has done it to look as faggy as possible

[fushitoru]

the season of thorned roses ⸺ a bridgerton!au

pairing ⸺ duke!satoru gojo x fem!reader

summary ⸺ dearest gentle reader, a new season is upon us as the ton gets ready for a season filled with drama, heartbreak, and passion. after being crowned diamond of the season, duke gojo⸺only looking to marry just to secure his inheritance⸺has his sights set on you, the easiest (and most obvious) option. later, when you catch his saying unsavory things about you on a terrace when he least suspected it, you swear to never marry gojo. as london's fashionable set goes through yet another wedding season, will there be hope for scandalous gossip, hate, and thinly veiled insults, or will we witness blooming love and passion?

genre/warnings ⸺ enemies to lovers, bridgerton au, angst, fluff, eventual smut, jealousy, misogyny, regency era au, gojo being infuriating, reader also being infuriating, both of them are clueless honestly, all they do is bicker 💀, some historical inaccuracies

notes from the author: im aashi, and this is my first series on this app :p for anyone who would like to know, this does end with a happy ending. ty for reading!

masterlist | drabble | fanart

01 ⸺ the debutante

you begin to get ready for your presentation for your debut this season, and satoru steels himself to find a wife. you don't get the reception you'd wanted from some, and satoru will soon curse himself for letting his tongue loose (6.3k)

02 ⸺ the aftermath

after an eventful first ball after your debut, you continue the season with thinly veiled vexation towards gojo. but fate is not on your side; you and gojo keep encountering each other, matching fire with fire (7.8k)

03 ⸺ the manor

you and gojo have just uncovered your mothers' matchmaking scheme: a plan that sends you both to his extravagant countryside manor in kent, arriving a week earlier than the rest of the ton. the question remains—can you endure gojo's insufferable nature during this secluded stay? (8.3k)

04 ⸺ the game

satoru has some revelations about you. both you and satoru share some quite...happening days at the manor, including an eventful game of pall mall. (4.9k)

05 ⸺ the fall (soon!)

[ladysharmaa]

New life

Anthony Bridgerton x reader

Summary: Anthony has an argument with his wife, who is from a lower class, when she makes a mistake while promenading with Anthony

(gif is not mine)

Y/n felt like a fish out of water. She didn't grow up in the privileged life that her husband, Anthony, had. Of course her life wasn't bad either, so many others had it worse than her. Y/n was the daughter of well-known merchants, and despite their busy lives where she had to start working as a child to help her family, she was grateful for everything she had.

And then everything changed. Y/n was used to having to speak louder, wipe her hands on her old skirt after touching someone's dirty money, and do manual labor. Until one day, Viscount Bridgerton saw her, and it was love at first sight. A love that was rejected by both for too long.

Anthony was the one who gave in first. He started going to her parents' stall more often, buying things he didn't even need and that others could do for him just so he could look at Y/n. It was indisputable that there was a connection between them. Anthony insisted that they couldn't ignore how they felt about each other, but the girl was afraid. A daughter of merchants marrying into the upper class? It could only go wrong, and to make matters worse it would ruin the reputation of the Bridgerton family. But Anthony made her feel things she never thought she would feel.

Her parents, upon realizing what was happening, warned her of the dangers, but they just wanted to see their daughter happy. In the end, Y/n ended up confessing her love for Bridgerton when he came to her stall saying it would be the last time if she wanted it. Instead of answering him, Y/n took his hand, taking him to an isolated place, where no one could see them, and pulled him into a passionate kiss.

Now, six months after they got married and were living a very happy life together, Y/n was still trying to learn the rules of society. It was a work in progress, and Anthony's mother and sisters helped Y/n a lot, explaining everything she could and couldn't do. There was so much information that she often just followed her instinct, ending up breaking some rules. Fortunately, she had just been among family and hadn't had to listen to anyone's judgment.

It wasn't easy being thrown into high society, dressed in the best dresses that she tried her best not to get dirty, speaking softly, and letting the maids do everything for her. But she would do anything for Anthony, and now she had a lifestyle that many would kill for. She couldn't complain.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

It was a sunny day and so, Y/n and Anthony decided to promenade through the park, taking the opportunity to go on a small boat trip. Everything was going well, the woman had fun touching the crystal clear water and watching the fish that fled quickly while Anthony, who was responsible for the physical work, smiled in amusement.

So, they decided to end their afternoon with one last walk through the park to enjoy the last rays of sun, Y/n's hand on Anthony's arm. Y/n was telling him for the thousandth time how excited she was to go play pall mall the next day with the rest of the Bridgerton family. But Anthony never complained and listened attentively and patiently.

But the couple's peace was ruined when a little in front of them, a woman who Y/n quickly recognized as Earl Harrison's wife, was shouting at a maid. She was already old, and was on her knees on the floor trying to clean the woman's expensive dress. People were sending them looks and Y/n felt fury run through her veins when no one intervened, allowing that maid to be basically humiliated in a public square.

She took a step forward, but was pulled back by Anthony, who was holding her hand while sending her a look. "We have nothing to do with this. It's better not to get involved."

Y/n frowned, shaking her head in denial. "No. I'm sorry, Anthony, but I can't do this. But I promise I'll control myself." She then added in a whisper, "If she doesn't irritate me."

"Y/n…"

But Anthony didn't have time to finish his sentence because his wife was already putting on a fake smile, approaching that scene. "Excuse me, what is happening?"

"Lady Bridgerton, look!" the Countess exclaimed while pointing at her maid as if she were an inferior being, noting that she was waiting for Y/n to take her side. "I came to have a picnic on this beautiful day, but this incompetent woman dropped the cake on my dress. It was my favorite!"

"You sound like a child." Y/n said truthfully, not caring about the gasps heard. Anthony sighed behind her.

"Countess Harrinson, I tripped over a stone. My deep apologies, it won't happen again." the maid, still kneeling on the floor, whimpered. The woman rolled her eyes and gave her a small kick, forcing her to move away.

"It won't happen again because you're not coming back with me. I don't accept mistakes, especially like this." The Countess said coldly, while Viscountess Bridgerton became redder and redder with anger.

"But I—"

"You know, Countess Harrinson, she won't be coming back to you because she's going to work for Viscount Bridgerton. We'd be happy to have you,…"

"Mary." the maid said, putting her hands to her face and crying. "My apologies. Thank you, Lady Bridgerton. That's very kind of you."

"How dare you!" the Countess exploded in anger. "You just disrespected Earl Harrinson's wife." Anthony's wife continued to look at her indifferently. The other mumbled in frustration, "I'm going to destroy your family's reputation."

"I'd like to see you try." she narrowed her eyes, not looking away from her until the Countess was already well away from them, the other maids hurrying after her. However, the crowd that formed stayed in the exact same place.

"Y/n, what do you think you're doing?" Anthony hissed. "We shouldn't have intervened."

"You can't really expect me to leave her here on the floor. Just because she's a maid doesn't deserve to be treated like this." Y/n snapped angrily at her husband, helping the poor woman to get up from the floor.

"I'm not saying she deserves it." he growled, he too beginning to get unnerved. "But you can't talk to an Earl's wife like that. This is a hierarchy, Y/n."

"If I see someone being mistreated, you can be sure that I will speak however I want to whoever I want."

"Watch it." Anthony warned with his jaw clenched. He looked around, noticing that they were attracting even more looks and attention. People were already starting to murmur among themselves, and Anthony was sure it wouldn't take long for rumors to spread. "Stop it and we'll talk at home."

"Don't treat me like I'm the insolent one." Y/n hissed, pulling her arm away when Anthony tried to pull her closer to him.

The maid seemed to be increasingly panicked, now being the cause of an argument between the Bridgerton couple, who were well known in society. On the other hand, the woman was quite touched by Y/n's kind gesture. In the midst of such an aggressive society, there were people with pure hearts who were not afraid to defend what they believed in.

"We'll talk at home then, Lord Bridgerton." Y/n ended up saying after a few long tense moments in which the two exchanged glares. She straightened her dress and started to walk, but stopped and looked over her shoulder at the maid who was hesitant to follow. "Come on, Mary, when we get to the mansion I'll introduce you to the rest of our maids who I'm sure will help you settle in."

The atmosphere was tense throughout the carriage ride. Anthony and Y/n continued to avoid talking, knowing that an argument would immediately begin. Instead, he seemed to be caught up in his thoughts while his wife was busy talking to Mary, who slowly seemed to be starting to relax.

When the carriage finally stopped, although they were angry with each other, the Bridgerton got out first to help Y/n out, as she was quite clumsy and it wouldn't be the first time she almost fell out of the carriage in her long dresses. .

"My office. We need to talk." he said in a low voice into Y/n's ear who nodded.

"Juliet." the Viscountess Bridgerton called one of the maids. "This is Mary. Please show her her duties and introduce her to the rest of the people. Make sure she feels welcome."

"Of course, Lady Bridgerton."

Finally, the couple was alone, but spirits seemed to still be high. Anthony continued to be frustrated with Y/n because she didn't realize that there was a hierarchy in society, and they couldn't do everything they wanted, or it would harm not only them but the entire family. On the other hand, Y/n felt that Anthony was supporting social injustice, and that no human being should be treated badly just because they are from a lower social class.

"If you're waiting for me to apologize, I won't."

"I'm hoping you realize the gravity of what you just did." Anthony snapped, running a hand over his face with a sigh. "No matter how much it costs you, you have to respect this society and its rules!"

"But I don't agree with these rules!"

"I don't care about that!" the man exploded, not seeing how Y/n flinched. They had never argued like this. Obviously, they had already disagreed on some issues, but never to the point of raising their voices. "You were selfish! Everything you do affects you and all of us. You have to stop thinking only about yourself!"

"Selfish?" Y/n muttered, looking at her husband with a frown. Those words seemed to be like a knife in her heart.

"Did it occur to you that Francesca is going to start her season in a few months? Now surely all the suitors will know about this family's reputation. That we don't respect hierarchy. That I married someone who has nothing to do with this lifestyle."

Y/n's eyes filled with tears. Her voice was shaking, but she tried to keep herself in control, "Well, I'm sorry that I let you down. It wasn't my intention, Lord Bridgerton. I'm sorry that you married someone who wasn't supposed to be here, living with all this money and stupid rules of etiquette. But I will always do what I think is right. Because unlike you, I know what it's like to be looked down upon by the upper classes."

Anthony looked at her with wide eyes, his mouth opening and closing several times. "Wait, Y/N, I didn't mean it like that. I don't regret marrying you."

"It doesn't matter what you meant. Really, you should have married someone who was already into this lifestyle, who knew what the hell they were doing. I'm trying, I swear." Some tears fell. "But it's difficult. And dealing with these people, who think they are superior to others, I can't do it."

"Y/n…"

"But you're right. I should have thought about your family. Your siblings could be harmed by what I did, and that was the last thing I wanted. My apologies for that, I will make sure I fix this."

"No, no." the Bridgerton man said, looking desperately at the woman. The woman who gave up her life to marry him, and has tried hard every day to adapt. And here he is, who instead of helping her criticizes her for defending what she believes in. "You're not going to do anything because there's nothing to fix."

"You don't need to say that, I already realized I made a mistake."

"But you didn't, I did. I let myself be influenced by everything that is wrong in this society, and that's why I'm disappointed in myself. But you, my beautiful kind wife, just did what was right, and I'm proud of you. You are not selfish, god you are nothing like that. You do so much for this family, I don't know what came over me to say something as barbaric as that."

"Anthony…" Y/n sighed, not knowing what to say. Her husband, in turn, seemed to have relaxed when Y/n finally called him by his name and not his title.

"I love you. I married you because I love who you are and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want our children to be as kind as you, and we can raise them to be good people, who help others. I'm sorry for the way I treated you."

Y/n remained silent but let a small smile appear on her face. Anthony also realized that they were better off with each other and took a step forward.

"I will kneel and beg for your forgiveness."

"What are you waiting for?" she teased.

Although she wasn't expecting it, Anthony actually lowered himself to his knees at her feet, looking at her in amusement but also with sincerity. "My apologies, Lady Bridgerton. I will not repeat my mistakes again. I love you and how fierce you are. Now, will you please forgive me?"

"I don't know, Anthony, maybe I need something more convincing." she said, closing her eyes when she felt her husband lift her dress a little to place small kisses on her legs.

"I'm all yours, Y/N. For the rest of my days."

[merlieve]

Can you write a prince friedrich x brigerton! reader on how he would court you

say yes to heaven :: prince friedrich

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞/𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬, 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐇𝐞��𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 | 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐬: 𝐍𝐨𝐧𝐞

𝐈 𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞, 𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭!

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

[ Note: this was INSANELY late for no reason at all but i’m posting this as a soft launch for my future fics that are upcoming :> but as of now requests are closed and i won’t respond to any new requests. ]

When Friedrich and [Name] came across each other, it had to have been unexpected. During Lady Trowbridge’s ball, he had been looking for Daphne ever since she excused herself from him, yet, he had met her.

[Name] was alarmed that the prince had found her outside, standing on the stone porch, taking in the serene beauty of the gardens stretched out before her. Once they locked eyes, from that moment on, Friedrich knew she had him wrapped around his finger.

Telling Daphne had to be the scariest, [Name] was concerned about how her sister would react when she brought it up, but Daphne quickly shut her down and celebrated her sister finding a possible suitor.

Expect the princess treatment because, in his eyes, she will be his future princess.

He would send her loads of large bouquets of her favourite flowers, filling up their drawing room with adornment of fresh posies. Whenever they see each other, Friedrich gifts her necklaces, bracelets, and hopefully a ring in the near future.

Hyacinth was beyond over the moon when she found out her older sister was being courted by a prince! She wanted to know everything that happened.

During balls, when ladies attempt to get his attention, Friedrich’s eyes would only look for [Name], as would she.

[Name] had to look flawless at all times, the ton was keeping an eye on her every move, waiting for her to make a mistake. Jealous and curious eyes follow [Name], everywhere, especially Cressida Cowper, who had feigned swoon in front of him.

“He lost Daphne to the Duke, that is why he’s pursuing her sister instead,”

Friedrich would take [Name] to the Kew Palace to either promenade around the gardens or play Pall Mall

Encountering the Queen was the most anxiety-ridden situation [Name] had to endure. It was true that Queen Charlotte did not like [Name] at first, she was not her diamond of the season! Yet, she knew how persistent her nephew was, so she took what she could get.

Regardless if Friedrich was a prince or not, Anthony, Benedict and Colin were overprotective of their little sister, so when Friedrich dropped by, he had to face their so-called ‘intimidating look’.

Violet told Gregory and Hyacinth to be on their best behaviour that day or else they won’t get any frozen dessert, but for extra measures, she told Anthony to not scare off Friedrich.

After courting for a month, Friedrich thought it would be best to call you his princess once and for all.

[bosbas]

Epilogue: quiet my fears with the touch of your hand

series masterlist previous part || alt ending

pairing: benedict bridgerton x best friend!fem!reader WC: 2.2k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, idiots in love being idiots in love (except not really anymore), alluding to sex, benedict being so down bad for this woman (like down horrendous), this woman being so down bad for benedict, pregnancy and discussions around pregnancy

Summary: You and Benedict have been best friends since childhood, but things change dramatically once you come out in society. You’re struggling to find someone you’re as compatible with and who knows you as well as Benedict, all while trying to quell your ever-growing feelings for him. Shenanigans ensue.

A/N: i am so sad to let these bbs go i love them so much!! i will simply have to write drabbles because they are so dear to me oh my

January 3, 1819 – Y/N

A happy new year indeed! I missed you all terribly during the holiday season this year, but John and I had a wonderful time here in Scotland with Michael. It snowed beautifully on Christmas Day, and it made me think of all of you and our often violent snowball fights on your birthday.

In fact, I believe this letter should reach you at around that time, so I am sending you the brightest of birthday wishes as well! While I won’t be able to attend your celebration this year, seeing how we’ll still be at Kilmartin House, I am sending you a wonderfully tight hug and hoping your day is incredibly special. Hit one of my siblings with a snowball for me, please! Preferably one of the boys, but really anyone will do. 

Love from your sister, Francesca

You squinted your eyes in your dimly candlelit bedroom, unsuccessfully attempting to undo the tiny buttons on your dress. Perhaps it was the undercurrent of nervousness that had been moving through you the whole day, but you found your fingers were shaking so much that you couldn’t hold them still for long enough to unclasp the buttons on your back. A deep sigh escaped your lips as you accepted that you were simply not going to be able to do this by yourself, and you gripped the edge of the chest of drawers in front of you as you willed your voice to come out sounding more carefree than you were feeling at the moment.

“Ben, darling, are you still upset about earlier?” you called across the room.

A small huff escaped his lips as he shifted on an armchair in the corner, murmuring something about betrayal and honor without looking up from his book. You smiled and held back a laugh, anxieties momentarily soothed. Per Francesca’s request, you had hit Benedict less-than-gently in the chest with a tightly packed snowball during your annual snowball fight earlier today, and he had taken it quite to heart. Well, that and the fact that you had sneakily teamed up with Hyacinth and Gregory without telling him. It really wasn’t your fault, you reasoned. Benedict had thought you would go easy on him simply because you were married to him, which, of course, was a foolish thing to think. Though he wasn’t as competitive as you were, evident in your much more successful Pall Mall record, you knew today’s loss still stung.

“Well, do you think could find it in you to help me with my dress?” you raised your eyebrows pointedly. “Or are you still feeling too betrayed?”

He immediately looked to meet your eyes, grudge completely forgotten as he nodded excitedly and rushed over to you from the armchair he had previously been sitting in. It was rather endearing that Ben was still giddy every time you asked for his help undressing, even after four years of marriage. 

After a few moments of Benedict concentrating intensely on the buttons on your back, you teased, “Are you enjoying yourself?”

He hummed in assent and smiled at you, meeting your eyes in the mirror. “Oh, immensely. It certainly makes up for earlier, I think,” he winked as he fiddled with the buttons. 

Honestly, you were inclined to think that Benedict had been secretly asking your seamstress to make the buttons smaller on each new dress she made you so you would have no option but to ask for his help. Even so, you wouldn’t have minded. You, too, enjoyed his sturdy hands on your back, his deft fingers fiddling with your dress and his lips softly kissing your shoulders as you told him about your day.

“A well-deserved win today, Mrs Bridgerton,” he said, never quite growing tired of how sweet the title sounded coming from his mouth. “And on your birthday no less. A stellar performance. I suppose I’ll have to start recruiting Simon and Daphne’s children to help me against the lot of you from now on. And then when we have ones of our own I can form a small army and I will never lose again.”

Your heartbeat sped up a fraction, but you were saved from having to answer when he undid the last button and your dress fell to the floor. Benedict placed his hands on your shoulders and gingerly turned you around to face him, drawing in a sharp breath as he took in your figure covered by nothing but your chemise, completely mesmerized by you. But he was quickly drawn out of his awe when he noticed your nervous eyes shifting around the room. 

“Darling, what’s wrong?” he asked, placing a gentle hand on your elbow and drawing you closer. “I wasn’t truly upset about today, I promise. I rather enjoyed seeing you, Gregory, and Hyacinth absolutely obliterate everyone else. It was only a slight inconvenience that I was one of the people you were obliterating.”

You shook your head, sending him a small smile. “No, no don’t worry, Ben. It’s not that at all,” you said, laying your head on his shoulder tiredly, an entire day of worrying having taken a toll on you.

“But it is something, then,” he prodded, desperate to find out what was making you so anxious. 

You said nothing, fiddling nervously with the hem of his waistcoat instead. Benedict, on his part, was growing increasingly alarmed. Usually, he could instantly tell exactly what was plaguing you, but you were being oddly evasive, and he was at a loss. Perhaps the best thing to do was to let you rest and broach the subject tomorrow morning, so he tugged on your hand and sat you down on the bed.

“It’s alright, darling,” he said, softly kissing your forehead. “I’ll ring for some tea, and we can get ready for bed.”

“I think I’m pregnant,” you blurted out before he could let go of your hand to go ask for some tea from the kitchen. Your shoulders sagged in relief, and you immediately felt a weight lifted off your shoulders as you said the words aloud.

“What?” he asked, eyes wide.

“Pregnant. With child.” 

“With my child?”

“Well, I certainly hope so,” you responded, laughing.

He instantly relaxed, rolling his eyes and engulfing you in a tight hug. “Oh, shut up, woman! I was merely trying to process the news,” he laughed, ecstatic that there would soon be a tiny version of one of you running around the house. He looked at you, eyes shining, and shook his head as if he couldn’t quite believe it. 

“So, you’re happy?” you asked, anxiety still lingering in the back of your mind. It had been four years, after all. Your marriage had happened rather hastily, considering the years the two of you had spent pining after one another, and you had decided to revel in your romance for a while before having children. And eventually, you had wanted them. It was just slightly frightening to know that the time had actually come. You were excited, of course. You couldn’t imagine a better life than one where you raised children alongside your best friend, but you couldn’t help the nervousness you felt as you locked eyes with Ben.

“Happy? I’m over the moon, darling,” he said giddily and pushed you back on the bed so he could plant kisses all over your face. 

“If I knew it would be like this I would’ve gotten pregnant earlier,” you joked as Benedict moved on to kiss your neck and your breathing got heavier. 

---

You awoke quite suddenly, sitting up in bed so abruptly that Ben’s arm, which had previously been wrapped around you with his hand placed on your stomach, fell away from your body entirely.

Benedict grumbled in protest, noticing your absence even in his sleep. Typically, you slept on your side, with Benedict wrapped around you until the moment you woke up. Despite your racing heart, you smiled down at him, placing a soft kiss on his temple and sliding yourself back into his arms. 

But your attempts to fall back asleep were futile. You had stopped tossing and turning but found yourself lying on your side, staring at the wall opposite you while you felt Benedict’s chest rising and falling against your back as he breathed. 

“S’wrong?” Benedict asked sleepily, sensing that you were still awake.

Not wanting to disturb his sleep more than you had already, you whispered, “No, it’s nothing, Ben. You can go back to sleep.”

But Benedict was having none of it. He rubbed his eyes and blinked a few times, turning you around to face him. “That’s alright. I was awake anyway,” he lied, voice husky with sleep. “What’s wrong? I’m incredibly awake. Awake. I am awake.” 

“Sounds like it,” you said, laughing at him softly. You leaned up and pecked him on the lips, secretly thankful for his unrelenting line of questioning. 

Blinking the sleep from his eyes and leaning on his arm to face you, Ben looked at you and smiled fondly. “I am! Promise.” Then, tracing his fingertips on your arm, he pressed you a bit more. “It’s just me, darling. What’s on your mind?”

“I’m a bit scared,” you whispered. “Actually, I’m terrified. Terrified of becoming a mother, and of having to take care of an entire other human being, and of what it might change between us. Is this what you really want? Having a child?”

Benedict’s fingers never stopped moving as he thought of how to best address your fears, knowing the motion calmed you down. “Having a child with you,” he corrected. “Of course it’s what I want! I get to see a little bit of you in an entirely different person. And you’re my favorite person. So, I don’t really see a downside.”

You hummed thoughtfully, feeling slightly calmer. “But what if I’m a bad mother? What if our child is unhappy?” you cried, tears brimming your eyes as you thought of the endless scenarios in which you failed as a mother.

“What if you’re a great mother? And our child is happy?” Ben countered. “Look at how you are with Gregory and Hyacinth. How you’ve always been with them. You’re going to be a wonderful mother, Y/N. Besides, we’ll learn how to be parents at the same time and it’ll be something we do together.”

Nodding thoughtfully, you interlocked your fingers with Benedict’s. “I suppose you’re right,” you conceded. “It will certainly be a hell of an adventure.”

Sensing that you had calmed down significantly, Ben added cheekily, “Don’t forget you’ll finally have someone else you can force to listen to your ramblings about literature.”

You smacked Benedict playfully. “You enjoy the ramblings, might I remind you,” you replied airily. 

Kissing the top of your nose, he tucked your hair behind your ear and winked. ”Mm, I believe I did admit to this, yes.” Then, after a few moments of comfortable silence, he spoke up gently, “What about you?”

“What about me?” you asked.

“Is having a child what you really want?”

Your heart melted a bit. Even after he woke up in the middle of the night to have a chat with you and was clearly exhausted, he was still making sure you were alright. “Well, obviously. I’m thrilled! Especially now you’ve brought up the fact that I can have a book club of my own. If it’s a boy, I bet he’ll be just like you. A tiny Benedict running around the house ruining our expensive furniture with acrylic paint.”

“And if it’s a girl we’ll name her Daisy, right? Flower names and all that,” he replied sleepily, relieved you were finally easing into the idea of motherhood. “She’ll be just as smart as you are, I bet. I’ll give her the flower encyclopedia as well so she can know where her name came from. I think the one I gave you is still at Bridgerton House. I’m sure we could find it if we look.”

You gasped, having forgotten about your childhood plans to name your daughter after a flower. “Oh, that would be so darling!”

Benedict laughed softly, kissing you and pulling you back into his arms. “It would, wouldn’t it? Do you want to go back to sleep?” he asked, burying his nose in your hair as his eyes fluttered shut. You nodded, squeezing the hand that was nearest to you and interlocking your fingers. 

Ben was fast asleep soon after, but you spent a few moments looking at his sleeping form, chest rising and falling as his breathing deepened. Your heart swelled with love for this silly boy you had fallen in love with all those years ago. He was your husband now! Even after four years, you couldn’t quite believe how lucky you’d gotten. And you would get to raise a child together now. You really couldn't imagine anything better.

—

previous part || alt ending || buy me a ko-fi!

Tag List (lmk if you want to be added!): @bellahadidnt16 @like-gabriel-and-castiel @riverraingrayworld @5sos-calm @elissanatok @titanicnerd-blog @noonenuts @moonwayne @lilasblogg @mmontgomeryb @fulltacoparadise @joyfullymulti @sopanngon @fanfiction-she-wrote @aureolinb @ambitionspassionscoffee @bbubbllejisoo @marvelspogue @avengersgirlloriannaa @loliakeoghan23 @cierrajhilll @sadprose-auroras @merlieve @khaylin27 @cherrytop02 @little-duck @angerpearl @shondlenoodle @lyssamay52 @bags10 @angerpearl

[lifesizehysteria]

A Mother's Blessings | A Bridgerton Fic

Part 2: Hyacinth

Fandom: Bridgerton (TV) Rating: Gen Pairing: Violet Bridgerton/Marcus Anderson Characters: Violet Bridgerton, Marcus Anderson, Hyacinth Bridgerton, Kate Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton, Gregory Bridgerton Summary: A collection of moments through Violet and Marcus’ courtship in which Violet seeks the blessings of her children. AO3 Part 1

Violet fanned her face, still desperate to cool herself from the oppressive summer heat, despite having moved inside. It seemed they had chosen the worst day possible for a family game of pall-mall; the sun was relentless and there was not a breath of wind nor a single cloud in the sky. The shade provided by the covered seating by the lawn offered little relief from the stifling temperatures, so they had sought refuge inside, filling the hallway with their usual raucous joy as they did so, before settling into a quieter cacophony in the drawing room.

“It is a shame Lord Bridgerton was unable to join us,” Marcus said.

“Yes, well…” Violet began, but found herself unable to provide any further excuse as to why her son had, once again, found a reason to avoid Lord Anderson’s company.

“He is quite busy preparing for our departure to India, I am afraid,” Kate supplied without missing a beat, though Violet caught the quick glance her daughter-in-law sent her direction. She offered her own smile in gratitude, patting the perspiration from her brow with the back of her hand.

“It is probably for the best,” Benedict said. “Our brother has a competitive streak unlike any other. He would have died of heat stroke before ending the game early.”

Marcus laughed. “Is that so?”

“It is true. I do not know where he gets it.” Violet shook her head, secretly grateful Anthony had not been there to insist the game continue. While the weather had been the excuse, Violet was sure it was really mercy that ended the game early. When Hyacinth had suggested they play, Marcus had agreed to join on the condition that Violet play, too. Despite her efforts otherwise, she had not been able to resist him or the children’s insistence. With reluctance, she joined the game, only to thoroughly humiliate herself, despite Marcus’ attempt to throw the game in her favor. They were all laughing so hard by the time they called it off, no one could have continued playing anyway.

“Ah, yes,” Marcus said, the richness of his voice sending a shiver down Violet’s spine. “I believe it is a trait shared by all eldest children. You have met my sister.” He flashed her a dazzling grin, his eyebrows arched knowingly.

“Indeed, I have,” she conceded with a laugh, fanning a new wave of heat from her cheeks and averting her gaze from his shining black eyes.

“Well, I think you could beat Anthony, Lord Anderson,” Hyacinth declared.

“Thank you for your vote of confidence, Miss Hyacinth. Though, if he is anywhere near as formidable an opponent as the Viscountess, I would not stand a chance.”

“I assure you, he is not,” Kate said, making everyone laugh. 

“Anthony certainly did meet his match in you, Sister,” Benedict said. 

“As we should all hope to do,” Marcus said, his eyes finding their way to Violet, who bit back a smile while her stomach did a somersault. 

Conversation continued to flow, but Violet grew quiet, watching. Marcus looked completely at ease among her brood, the portion of it that was present, at least. There was a noticeable camaraderie between him, Benedict, and Kate, their playfulness rather enjoyable to witness. And with the younger two, he was attentive and kind, including them in conversation and listening to them with genuine interest. Hyacinth was clearly enamored, and although he was a bit subdued, Gregory was receptive to him as well. 

“Lord Anderson, are you staying for lunch?” Hyacinth asked, pulling Violet back into the moment. 

“Hyacinth!” she chastised, though her daughter did not show an ounce of embarrassment at being so forward. “Please forgive my daughter’s lack of manners.”

Marcus held up a staying hand. “It is quite alright,” he assured her, then turned towards Hyacinth. “Thank you for the invitation. Unfortunately, I have already committed to lunch with my sister, so I cannot join you today. It is my sincerest hope that the offer may be extended for another day.”

Beaming, Hyacinth opened her mouth, but Violet cut her off before she could speak. “I am sure we can arrange something soon.”

“A picnic, perhaps!” Hyacinth jumped in, ignoring the wide-eyed look of warning from her mother. 

“Oh, a picnic would be lovely,” Kate agreed, barely concealing a smirk as Violet’s mouth dropped open.  

Marcus leaned closer to Hyacinth, dropping the volume of his voice to a whisper that was more than audible throughout the room. “I do love a picnic.”

When he grinned at Violet over his shoulder, she was caught between wanting to throw her arms around him and wishing a hole would open up beneath her feet and swallow her alive. If he and her children were already conspiring against her, she was not sure she would stand a chance at winning anything ever again. She stubbornly pursed her lips against a persistent smile and cleared her throat. 

“Well then, I suppose we’ll see what can be arranged. As long as the weather cooperates,” she added, if for no other reason than to feel as though she had not lost complete control. 

“Oh, goodie!” Hyacinth cheered, clapping her hands together as her curls bounced around her shoulders. Behind her, Benedict silently clapped as well, a teasing smirk directed at his mother. She narrowed her eyes at him, which he returned with a wink. He was bordering on impertinence and if she didn’t love him so much, she thought she could have killed him. 

“Until then,” Marcus said, standing up and addressing the room, “I am afraid I must take my leave. Anyone who knows what’s good for them does not make Agatha Danbury wait for her food.”

After a chorus of goodbyes, Violet sat back down on the settee, nestling into the corner. Kate came over from her spot by the window, managing to look as graceful as ever lowering herself onto the settee across from Violet, despite her ever growing belly. At the same time, Benedict wandered off without a word to anyone, leaving Gregory alone at the table. Hyacinth appeared beside her mother, kneeling on the cushion, her large green eyes bright with enthusiasm.

“Mama?” she asked, taking hold of Violet’s forearm in both her hands.

“Yes, dearest?” Violet patted her daughter’s hand, the affection in her voice unwavering despite a hint of weariness sneaking in. 

“When are we going to have our picnic with Lord Anderson?”

Violet let out a little laugh of surprise. “I do not know. I will arrange it and send him an invitation soon.”

Hyacinth beamed at her, turning to sit properly and leaning into her mother’s side. Violet wrapped her arm around her, pulling her in against her. 

“I do hope it is very soon. It will be such fun!”

“You seem to hold a great affection for Lord Anderson,” Kate pointed out. 

“Why shouldn’t I? He is kind and funny. He does not treat Gregory and me like small children who should not be allowed to speak. And most importantly, he makes Mama smile in a way I have never seen before.”

Violet’s eyes grew wide, her face suddenly hot again. 

“Are you going to marry him, Mama?”

Her eyes, widening even further, flew to Hyacinth, finding herself at a loss for words. After sputtering for a moment, she finally managed to ask, “Why ever would you ask such a question?”

Hyacinth straightened and tilted her head to one side. “Is that not the purpose of courting?”

A flutter of panic began to rise up the back of Violet’s throat. “Who told you we are courting?”

“It is quite obvious, Mama.” She looked at her mother, then over at Kate, then back again, doubt causing her face to fall. “You are courting, are you not?”

“I don’t…” Violet huffed, waving one hand in the air as if it would conjure the words she could not find. “To be quite honest, I do not know,” she finally said, her face twisting with unease.

Hyacinth’s brows knitted together. “It seems like you are courting,” she said.

Violet blinked and tipped her head to one side, acquiescing. “Yes, I… I suppose it does.”

“Do you want to be courted?”

Diverting her eyes again, Violet fidgeted with her skirt and offered a tight-lipped smile, wishing for the second time that the Earth could somehow swallow her whole.

“I, uh… I am, not sure,” a strained laugh escaped her throat. Part of her felt that this was not an appropriate subject for her daughter of just twelve, but she also understood that her decisions would ultimately affect Hyacinth’s life as much as they did her own, so she felt obliged to answer. She just wished she had had a bit more time to sort it out privately first. She cleared her throat and blinked hard before making herself meet her daughter’s eyes.

“I enjoy Lord Anderson’s company very much. You are right; he is kind and humorous, and I greatly appreciate how well he seems to get along with all of you. And even more so, there is a… companionship I feel with him that I have not had since your father died. It has been an unexpected joy to feel that again.” A small, unconscious smile turned up the corners of her mouth.

“And yet you have reservations?” Kate inquired gently.

“Yes.”

“What sort of reservations?” Hyacinth asked. 

“Well, dearest,” Violet spoke slowly, choosing her words carefully. There were so many layers to her feelings, and not only were they not all appropriate for her young daughter to hear, but she also wanted to avoid becoming too emotional. Hyacinth was rightfully curious, and while Violet wanted to answer her questions, she did not want to burden her with problems that were Violet’s alone to resolve. “The purpose of courting, as you are clearly aware, is to marry. And I had not ever imagined marrying anyone but your father. I am not sure that I want to marry again, even someone with whom I share… affection.” She looked down at her daughter, picking nervously at the lace on the cuff of Hyacinth’s sleeve and took in a deep, slightly shaky breath. “It feels a bit like a betrayal. To him, and to the love that we shared, that I still feel to this day.”

Hyacinth studied her mother’s face, noting the worry lines that appeared between her brows. She wrapped her arm around Violet’s waist and laid her head against her chest, hugging her tightly for a moment while Violet returned the gesture by pulling her in closer. “I do not believe Papa would think it a betrayal,” Hyacinth said, sounding confident. 

Curious and a bit surprised, Violet’s eyebrows lifted. “Why not?”

“Because to think so would be selfish. I may not have known Papa, but I know that everyone says the two of you shared a true love. And if you have taught me anything, it is that love is not selfish.”

Violet felt tears prickle behind her eyes and she blinked them back with great effort. How could a child who had never even met Edmund sound so very much like him? With a lump in her throat, she pressed a kiss into her daughter’s hair and whispered, as much to Edmund as to Hyacinth, “You are right about that, my love.”

[sea-owl]

Sometimes I think about what if the Bridgertons were a family of mind readers and then my next thought was their spouses would 1000% use it send dirty mental images to their Bridgerton either as a distraction or to rile them up.

The mind reading is something that is just kind of there with no real way to turn it off. The Bridgertons learn how to block people out and respect other’s privacy when it comes to mind reading. But there are days were they never speak a word to one another and just speak to one another mentally. It has also greatly helped when planning prank wars against one another, or hiding from Anthony. Not that Anthony is against using his mind reading to find and scold his siblings. Their favorite place to be though are in their spouses' minds. It's a comfort, especially if they been overloaded throughout the day.

Anthony and Kate got married after the mamas caught him sucking on her breast at Aubrey Hall. (There was a bee!) Then Kate gets into that accident and it leads her to falling into a coma. Anthony scared to see his wife like that but finds comfort that he can still see her dreams so he knows he hasn’t truly lost her yet. It keeps that spark of hope alive that she will wake up. Kate uses his mind reading during pall mall matches to her advantage by distracting him with sexy mental images and dirty fantasies.

Benedict can hear in her mind that Sophie is just as horny for him as he is for her. SO WHY does she constantly insist on refusing to be his mistress? Sophie darling please stop fighting this attraction, we both want one another. Sophie tries to keep that night of the masquerade in the back of her mind so she never actively thought about it around Benedict until that day she was helping Hyacinth play with the Bridgerton cousins. Sophie was thinking about how her face was covered reminded her of the masquerade ball and Benedict got DOUBLE confirmation that Sophie was the Lady in Silver.

Due to Eloise’s wish of staying out of her friend’s head, Colin hasn’t ever really actively tried to read Penelope’s mind. Though neither he nor any of his siblings realized that Penelope clocked them years ago (with confirmation from Simon, Kate, and Sophie) and makes sure to police her thoughts in her head around them. The first time Colin actively tried to read Penelope's mind was in the church when she was trying to get her letter back. He saw the contents of the letter before he opened it. Colin soon after found himself becoming addicted to the taste of Penelope's thoughts. Her mind quickly became his favorite one to listen to.

As tradition went, Francesca told John about her mind reading after they married. They agreed not to tell Michael, but he was already suspicious of something. Michael can read people and he can especially read John, he knew there was something but he also respected them so he didn't pry. Francesca found herself with two safe minds, John and Michael. She tried to keep to just John out of respect for Michael, but there was something alluring about Michael's mind. After their four years apart, Francesca was scared of how easily she found herself searching out Michael as a comfort mind again. Even catching herself trying to actively read his mind. When she told him about her mind reading, Michael grinned because that just gave him so many ideas.

[shinyhoundhandseagle]

The Emerald of the Season

Par 7/?

Eloise Bridgerton x Male Character

Part 6: https://www.tumblr.com/shinyhoundhandseagle/756501008512925696/the-emerald-of-the-season

Warning:

• • •

“Eloise”-. He whispered once they had separated, foreheads touching each other. It felt good, to get everything out of his chest and love her proudly.

“Seb”-. Her eyes were close but her hand kept touching his face and shoulders like they were trying to memorize them-. “They can’t see us like this, knowing my brothers they will either force you to marry me or duel you”.

“I was planning on marrying you either way”-. But still, he gave her some space-. “I have something for you”.

“What?”

His grand gesture and it came in form of a letter, that he swiftly handed to her. It took her a second to open it thanks to the fact that she couldn’t stop looking at him and his consuming eyes but once she did, her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

“Dear Lady Bridgerton,

With reference to your application for study at Oxford and upon further consideration, we have decided to make an exception of our only men rule and you will be allowed to join us in our classes, which include mathematics, history and others. It would be a pleasure to have you join our students.

Sincerely,

Oxford University”

• • •

“Oxford?! I didn’t even apply to any universities, they don’t even accept women and…”

The rant had lasted about 10 minutes before Lady Bridgerton had made her way back to the drawing room, worrying for Eloise, just to find her daughter walking around the room with the letter on her hand. Sebastian had explained to her what the letter was and now they were just waiting for Eloise to calm down.

“How did you get this?”- Suspicious eyes had turned to him. She was smart, she could figure it out on her own but knowing her, she wouldn’t stop asking either way.

“A good size donation can make people reconsider”-. Violet made a sound of surprise, knowing how big of a donation it must have been for them to allow something like this-. “I told you I wouldn’t get in the way of your education and I want to help you. You have been accepted and tuition has been paid, you just have to go”.

“Would you go with me?”- She whispered, talking a few steps on his direction. He looked down to his feet, knowing the answer wasn’t the one she wanted.

“I came here to find a wife but I must return to Spain once the season it’s over”.

“I thought you were planning on marrying me”.

“I wish to propose but I understand that marrying me would be required you to not go to school and I couldn’t forgive me myself if I took a once in a lifetime opportunity from you”-. His hands held her face gently, not caring about Violet’s look or anything else that wasn’t her-. “Go, become an educated woman, write to me while you’re away and I’ll come back when you get back. I’ll wait for you”.

“You better”.

• • •

The end of season came faster than they wanted and while excited for new adventures Eloise was dreading the moment to say goodbye. It had been nice, filled with calling hour visits, market expeditions and even balls had been better than before and now all of them had decided to spend a few days at Aubrey Hall before it was over.

Anthony and Kate had been waiting for them in the house and seem pretty excited to meet the Prince. Well Kate did, Anthony turned his overprotective brother act on the second he had heard the news.

The first family activity was of course a game of pall mall which surprisingly Sebastian had when hitting Anthony’s ball to the lake, making Kate laugh.

“Has he proposed yet?”- Anthony stood next to Violet with a stern look on his face. He didn’t like how all of this had been going on without him knowing-. “Or is he planning on not asking us?”

“Anthony…”

“I’m the Viscount, you should have told me about him or send him away. I have been talking to Benedict, he has hurt her and you’re happy with that?”

“Anthony, what do you wish to do?”- Violet looked at him, exasperated but not willing to allow him to be angry about this-. “Tell him to leave so Eloise can go back to starving and closing herself? This is out of my hands… and yours for that matter. They are happy together, that is all that matters”.

“Viscount, Lady Bridgerton”-. Both looked back to Sebastian, who started walking towards them. He seem nervous but kept it together-. “Would I be able to speak to you? In private”.

“Sure”.

All of them walked to the house, to Anthony’s office to be specific. Anthony sat by his desk, staring the Prince down, waiting for him to crack under pressure.

“As you know, I’ve been courting your sister. As I’m sure your brothers or mother have told you, I do not intend to propose until she comes back from her studies”-. He didn’t crack, he didn’t yield, just held Anthony’s stare with his own-. “I do wish to ask for permission before she leaves”.

“And why would I say yes?”

“Anthony…”

“No, he hurt Eloise! Left her alone to suffer for however long, how do I know it won’t happen again?”

“I wanted to give her something, the chance to education that women are not allowed to have and that took time”-. The accusations and knowledge of her hurt were killing him but that wasn’t a priority right now-. “Letters, money and politics take time. I never meant to hurt your sister and for that I plan to spend the rest of my life paying it back but I am here now, as an honest man, asking you to let me make her happy. If she does not wish to marry when she comes back, I will understand. I will step back and let her be free of me but she will have to say so”.

“She told you she did not want to see her again and you didn’t listen to her”.

“I wanted to have a chance to speak my mind, to show her kindness and mercy when no one else did”-. He shot a look at Violet before going back to Anthony with a stern look-. “Eloise has been alone since before I met her. She fought alone against people like Lady Cowper because none of you fully stood up against them but I can. I can stop them from hurting her and help her be her own person in a way that you can not. Will you take that away from her?”

• • •

The guest room that the Bridgerton’s had given him was nice. It was spacious, clean and private, allowing him to write some letters to his family and court. He had sent Marcel off to bed a few minutes ago when there was a knock on the door.

“Marcel, what do you want now?”- But it wasn’t Marcel at the door. It was Eloise.

She stood there in the darkness, with the moonlight making her skin glow. A simple, long and white nightgown dressing her figure and beautiful hair down. The hall was empty, just her and her beauty.

“Eloise, is everything alright?”- A whispered was the only thing that came out of his mouth. If anyone saw them together in the late hour of the night, there would be havoc.

“Could I come in?”- Knowing better was one thing, but doing better was not his strongest suit so, against everything he knew was right, he let her in. Watching her as she closed and lock the door behind herself with a shy smile-. “I’m sorry if I’ve woken you, I just… this is the last time we can spend time together, just the two of us”.

“I understand but if someone came in and saw us without a chaperone…”

“I do not care”-. The statement did not take him by surprise. Actually what would have been surprising was if Eloise cared about anyone’s opinion, which made him smile-. “I needed to see you”.

“I feel the same way”-. It felt like his feet had a mind of their own. Step forward, step back. He wanted her lips on his, her hands on his face but it was one thing to kiss her in the middle of the day, knowing that her mother was behind the close door and kissing her now, while both of them were dressed for bed and there was no one around-. “El, this is inappropriate”.

“Is it?”- Step forward, step back, her back pressed against the door until it was not. Getting closer and closer to him, ending with her curious hands on his chest-. “You desire me, do you not?”

“El…”

“I want you”-. It was a simple statement but it brought so much in him. They hadn’t kiss since that afternoon and for the past weeks he had be thinking, dreaming, of kissing her again-. “And I want you”.

This time it was him that kissed her, grabbing her waist with one hand and her face with the other. The kiss was hungry, it was the food and air both of them needed right now. He had hoped that kissing her would extinguish the fire but it did not, it just made it worse. Fire, burning every pore, consuming them. Her hands running through his hair and playing with the buttons on his shirt. His lips pulling away while his hands grabbed hers, gaining a moan of disappointment.

“You will not bed me?”- The complaint made him laugh. Grabbing her waist, moving her to one of the chairs where she sat angrily.

“I will not, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do other stuff”.

• • •

Today was the day. Eloise would be leaving any second now and once she left for Oxford, Sebastian would leave for Spain. The goodbyes to her family were bittersweet, hating to leave them but having an opportunity she did not have before. Hugs for Benedict, Anthony and Colin, promises to write to Hyacinth and Gregory and kisses for her mother was all that she could give them.

“Are you ready?”- The drawing room had become a special room for them so it made sense to have their last conversation in there. Both of them dressed for travel, holding their hearts together just one more time.

“As ready as I can be”-. She could see her mother and Lady Danbury over the corner of her eye, pretending not the eavesdrop. It almost made her giggle-. “My clothes are packed and already on the carriage. What about you?”

“The Spanish is waiting for me back home, they seem to be happy with my return”.

“I’m glad to hear that”-. The reply was genuine. It made her happy to know he would be welcome but hated the idea of losing him, even if it was just temporary.

“Do not find another Prince while we’re away”-. Jokingly pushing her arm while begging her to wait with his eyes-. “I do know I will not be able to find someone that compares to you”.

“I’m just that incredible”.

“I meant more like the headaches”-. They laughed once more as they started to walk outside, fingers grazing each other. The carriage was waiting outside for her, Marcel asking the driver a magnitude of questions-. “Marcel leave the man”.

“I must know if he knows the routes, I can not allow him to guide our future Queen if his incapable”.

“Goodbye Marcel”-. Her hug was unexpected but well received. He had learn to like her and she just cared for him too-. “Make sure our Prince gets home safe”.

“I will protect him with my life”.

“Be safe El”-. The final goodbye was always the worst but he wanted to love her one more time-. “You will do great and you will make us all proud. I still stand by what I said, I love you and I’ll wait for you”.

“I will see you soon Seb, my heart has stayed with you so be careful in your journey”.

One last look was all they had as she said waved goodbye from inside the carriage and with a heavy heart he watched her leave.

[thebadgerclan]

Pall Mall

Pairing: Anthony Bridgerton x reader x Kate Sharma

Requested by Anonymous

Summary: Your first trip to Aubrey Hall...

A/N: My masterlist will be updated on FRIDAY this week because I’m on vacation all mext week!

Anthony had finally found a gap in his schedule wide enough to take you and Kate to Aubrey Hall.  Violet was wrapped up in preparations for Eloise’s debut, and the rest of the Bridgerton siblings were otherwise occupied, leaving the country estate unoccupied except for the three of you and the staff.  All of the servants who were employed at Aubrey Hall knew of your relationship with the Viscount and Viscountess, and knew to keep quiet about what they saw.

It was a well-deserved and much needed respite from the bustle of city life; waking to the sound of birdsong rather than hoofbeats, having your lovers able to dote on you rather than attend to their various duties.  As he had every morning, Anthony woke you by pressing kisses to your face.  “I have an idea, dearest.”  You stretched, brushing against Kate’s bare skin, the woman still asleep.  “And what might that be?”

“I believe it is high time we introduce you to Pall Mall, sweetest.”  Kate had stirred, groaning a bit as she stretched.  “Do not play dirty, Anthony,” she said, rubbing her eyes.  “Poor thing does not yet know the rules.”  You laughed, cocking your head.  “Is it not a spin on croquet?” you asked, and Anthony smiled, kissing you soundly.  “Oh my love,” he chuckled, a warm, dark sound.   “You are in for a surprise.”

***

Pall Mall, as it turned out, had very few real rules.  Sabotage and subterfuge were perfectly acceptable, and were in fact encouraged.  You thought that Anthony would go easy on you, as it was your first time playing, but his first move had been to hit your ball as far away from the wicket as possible.  “Anthony!” you cried, making him laugh.  “How was that fair?”  “It was not, my love,” he responded, shaking his head as Kate hit his ball further from the wicket.  “But that is how the game is played.”

Kate, at least, was on your side.  She guarded your ball from Anthony’s attacks and whispered bits of strategy into your ear.  When you landed a perfect hit–your ball sailing through the wicket while simultaneously sending Anthony’s ball into the trees–she whooped with delight, lifting you into her arms and kissing you.  Anthony chuckles as he retrieved his ball.  “Clever girl,” he said, trudging out of the wooded area with mud on his boots.  “But do not think I’ll go easier on you.”

After nearly another hour of play, the three of you were in a standoff at the last wicket.  “I propose a wager,” you said, catching both of your lovers’ attention.  “Oh?” Kate replied.  “And what might that be, darling?”  Anthony was watching you with interest, and you pressed on.  “Whoever gets their ball through the wicket first will have the other two at their beck and call for the rest of the evening.  In whatever regard they wish.”

Your implication was clear, and Anthony was immediately interested.  “And what of the other two, hmm?”  You smirked, leaning on your mallet slightly.  “They shall happily obey the victor, of course.”  The Viscount smirked, moving to press a kiss to yours, then Kate’s foreheads.  “Well then, my loves, I hope you’re not sore losers.  For I plan to make this a rather swift victory.”

Before he could strike, you raised your mallet and swung, sending Anthony’s ball flying 20 feet from the wicket.  “I do not plan on making it easy for you, Anthony,” you replied, and his grin could have lit up an entire ballroom.  Unseen to either of you, Kate took her shot, her ball flying straight through the wicket.  “Well,” she said, her voice perfectly prim and composed.  “I do hope the two of you got a good night’s sleep last night.  Because I do not plan on letting you rest much tonight.”  And she sauntered away with a wink, leaving you and Anthony helpless to do anything but follow in her wake.

[swallowedbyfandom]

Anthony returns to his study 2 hours after scolding Eloise and making plans with Kate to pull her from the rest of his season. His sister is clearly not ready to be out in society. Miss Cowper's influence will only make her worst. He will not jeopardize Francesca's courtship with Earl Kilmartin over Eloise's lack of sense. Kate has the servants packing her belongings already. He is sending her to Aunt Winnie's tomorrow at first light. The last thing his family needs is her and Colin conspiring to provoke Miss Featherington.

He will think more on the problem Eloise has so insistently become tomorrow. Tonight he is wants to drink his disappointment away. He finds his mother weeping in his study with his good brandy already poured into two glasses. One glass is already half gone. He cannot blame her. He hands her his handkerchief, before dropping heavily into his favorite armchair. He sips his drink in silence until his mother wordlessly hands him two letters.

Mama Violet,

Thank you for your endless support. Your maternal affections mean more to me than words can ever express. I leave you with this letter for Colin, so he may have the closure his pride will not allow him to seek. Feel free to read it, so you can judge when it would be best to give it to him.

While Lord Samadani and I have only just announced our formal courtship, I do believe we will be married here in the next month. The Queen seems eager to plan our wedding. Eloise's recent closeness with Miss Cowper made me fearful of what secrets may be revealed. I settled my issue with the Queen. I do believe she will miss me. We both know how much she abhors boredom. Do not fear for me, mama. I am safe.

Samuel is wonderful. His mind is razor sharp. He is supportive and kind. He is also surprisingly silly for a Marquis. He reminds me a bit of Anthony. He has that same steady devotion to family. It has long been a trait I find appealing in a gentleman. I believe we will have a beautiful future together. I know it may be difficult for me to adjust to a new country and language, but I am excited.

I will miss Bridgerton house. I will miss Aubrey hall. I will even miss watching your heathen children attempt to slaughter each other over Pall Mall. Please know that I will hold you all in my heart no matter how far I go. I shall miss your gentle wisdom and guidance most of all.

All my love,

Penelope

P. S. Since tonight was the night of secret revelations here is one more. In 1810, I was the one who hid the mallet of death up in apple tree. It was retaliation for Anthony mocking my embroidery skills.

Colin,

I have always known if we ended, our end would be exactly like this. There was no other possible outcome for us. We whom have been so deeply embedded into one another since childhood would never part without first ripping each other into pieces. There was simply no other way to let each other go. It is brutal. It is visceral. It is final.

The tragedy of us Dear Colin, is that I learned to love you before I learned to love myself. I learned to value your charms, before I discovered my own. I sought your strength before I grew into mine. I put you on a pedestal as my ideal gentleman and everyone paled in comparison to you.

I bathed you in my love and watched you flourish, proudly. I got so caught up in you I forgot about myself. I hung off your words. I lived for your smiles. I swallowed your many slights. I accepted you all of you. I forgave you every hurt you carelessly dealt me. I foolishly devoted myself to you. It was a mistake, Colin. It led you to believe that you could treat me anyway you wanted.

I am not Penelope of Ithaca, you are not Ulysses. I will not allow myself to share her fate any longer. You have taken your voyage twice now. The first time I waited for you. I returned your correspondence dutifully. I had faith that you would return to me healed in mind and spirit. I had hoped the journey would teach you to trust in yourself. It did not. I knew then you would not stay.

After deriding me publicly, once more you fled. I did not wait for you this time. I did not correspond with you. I let you go. I stopped giving you my devotion and instead I learned to love myself. I am imperfect but I am glorious, Colin.

Once more you returned, only you returned a stranger. You proposed Colin, yet your actions betray you. Your actions betray us. Here is the truth you will not admit. Here is the reason you faltered. You do not love yourself. Until you embrace yourself and not the version of you the world wants, you will never be ready to commit yourself to another.

Letting you go was the hardest thing I have ever done. However tonight's confrontation assured me that I have made the right choice. I deserve a man who will accept all of me. I deserve a husband who will see me and listen to me before passing judgement. I want the intimacy of a true partnership.

Our time has passed, old friend. Despite our harsh ending, I hope you find happiness someday.

Farewell,

Penelope

When he is done reading his mind is a dichotomy. He is happy for Miss Featherington. She has grown into a remarkable young woman. She has saved his family several times over. He is not blind to how her publication made his marriage with Kate acceptable to the public. He feels honor bound to respect her choices.

However respecting her choices will leave over half his family in mourning. They have lost Penelope. Why? Why did Colin and Eloise have to make such a mess of things? He cannot fix this. Colin is in shock right now. Once the shock passes he knows they will lose parts of Col too. How could they not? Colin found his true love match and trampled on her heart until it no longer beat for him. Colin will spend his life punishing himself over it.

Anthony huffs out a wet laugh. He cannot believe little Penelope scaled a tree to hide his mallet. He remembers that day they delayed the game for three hours before he finally found the mallet of death. He torn the seat of his favorite pants climbing that damn tree. He even had to walk home with his jacket tied around his waist to cover his ass. It never crossed his mind to suspect Penelope. His siblings still heckle him over it.

He and mother drink well into the night.

[honeybeedewdrops]

A Friendly Game | B.Bridgerton

Summary: You join the Bridgerton's for a little game of Mall Pall.

Warnings: None

A/N: I'm not very fluent on how things worked back then so please bear with me. If you have any information that would help feel free to message me thank you. Y/PN means basically how you want to be addressed

_____________________________________________________________

Benedict did not go into this season expecting to be courting someone but alas he did. From the moment he saw you at the presentation of the queen he knew you were the one. So when not one but two Bridgerton boys took to the dance floor everyone was shocked.

It had been a few weeks into the season and you had many suitors but the only one that had really peaked your interest was Benedict Bridgerton. So when he invited you to Aubrey hall for the weekend you were ecstatic.

"letter for Y/N" you get up from the couch "who is it from?" you little sister asks leaning over your shoulder.

Dear Y/n,

It would me my upmost pleasure if you and your mother would join my family and I in the country for the weekend.

-Benedict Bridgerton

You smiled "oh mother we must go" your mother smiled at you "if you wish my dear." You ran up to your room and wrote a response right away.

So when the weekend came and you were on your way to the country. The carriage came to a stop you looked out the window and you saw the most beautiful house "woah" you made your way out if the carriage as the Bridgerton's came to greet you. "Lady Y/LN" Mrs Bridgerton said coming over to greet your mother. "This is Y/PN Y/N" you smile as you curtsey she gives you the brightest smile. You step away and admire the house. It had such beautiful architecture. "Ah, Y/N" you look over and see Benedict approaching you "good afternoon Mr Bridgerton. Your house is beautiful" "thank you shall we" he says and you take his arm as he leads you in. You met the rest of his family as well as the Sharma's who would be joining you guys.

You took a tour of Aubrey hall and as you had guessed it was just as beautiful on the inside as out.

All of you stood around mallets as Anthony explained the game. You loved Pall Mall you played it with your siblings back home, and just like the Bridgerton's you all were very competitive.

"Last year we promised to let the youngest pick first" Eloise complained. "we pick based on alphabetical order" Anthony said which you thought was ironic since the siblings were named in alphabetical order. While everyone was talking you watched Benedict the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled the wind flapping his hair a bit. "Y/PN Y/N" your thoughts were interrupted. "I'm sorry what did you say" "it's just your turn to pick" you nod and grabbed the yellow mallet. After you grabbed yours everyone went for theirs making you chuckle as they all fought to get one.

You kept up really well with the others making sure to nock Benedict out a few times. You watched as Anthony missed yet another shot and got frustrated "he doesn't like to lose does he" Benedict smirked "no he does not but the whole family is competitive" you smile "reminds me of a family I know" Benedict turned to you confused "My family is just as competitive" you say walking away to your ball but not before sending him a wink as you hit his ball into the bushes making everyone ooo. "Now that wasn't very fair" Benedict joked "well I have learned from my siblings you play dirty or not at all" "that would also be the fact here" Daphne says as Benedict went to get his ball.

You smirk seeing Benedict come from the trees covered in leaves. "It seems you have a bit of a problem" you say pulling a leaf from his coat. "it seems I do and possibly you can help me with that" you gasp "Mr Bridgerton" "What" he says walking off with a smirk. The game went on a little while later Miss Edwina cut out and joined the mothers Anthony was going to go with her but she stopped him.

After a bit of mall pall you all went in to freshen up as well as have dinner. At dinner Benedict was acting very strange he even knocked over a cup of wine it was as if he was drunk. "Is your Brother ok?" you ask Eloise "which one?" "Benedict he is acting very strange" she smirked "well I think he's nervous he's very smitten with you Y/PN Y/N" you blush at that and go back to eating.

Benedict didn't propose until you guys were back in London. He did it the next night at the ball you said yes. Even after the whole sandal with Anthony and then Eloise you two had a beautiful wedding.

[fayes-fics]

I was about to send the vest one for Benedict, so instead, I'll ask this: favorite vest/jacket of Anthony's along with what's your favorite scene of Anthony's where he's genuinely laughing or smiling?

Hi lovely! 🫶

Ohhh good questions. I don’t associate waistcoats as much with Anthony as Benedict. But in terms of immediate thoughts, it’s the pall mall rematch in the last episode. That jacket/waistcoat combo looked so good!

Ok smiles. I love his genuine smiles he has when he’s in love with Kate 🥹🥹

But personal fave is maybe the little smile to himself in bed…

Thanks for your fun ask! 😁🧡🧡

[thekatebridgerton]

Today on another episode of... oh you know the drill, I'm sleep deprived, I write aus at 3am, fall asleep without energy enough to keep writing, only to do it all over again next weekend. So for this week's episode:

Benophie meet the Robinsons au

So this kid Charlie suddenly lands in 12 year old orphaned Sophie's backyard, right around the time her father married Araminta, and for some reason Charlie claims that she is the only person who can help him fix the time machine that brought him there in the first place else his parents are going to kill him. And some evil villain is out to get him. So of course science kiddo Sophie agrees to help.

Except that while she tries fixing it, the time machine malfunctions again and sends 12 year old Sophie and 11 yo Charlie into the future.

The thing is that Charlie Bridgerton's entire family is currently all in his grandmother's estate for their annual game of pall mall.

And his family is... a lot to take in

Sophie's new friend has 7 eccentric aunts and uncles, plus their spouses, around 20 cousins ( Sophie really keeps loosing count of how many cousins Charlie has), then there's the unexpected visits from the sisters of his uncle's wives, with their respective husbands. Sophie counted one two, five Grandmothers having tea in the solar. And of course, Charlie's father, the artist Benedict Bridgerton, (who has got to be the most handsome man little Sophie has ever seen and Charlie's three younger siblings. )

They all think Sophie is some kind of school mate that Charlie has brought home and treat her so well that cute orphan Sophie starts wishing she could have a family like the Bridgertons, no matter how much Charlie says that's a bad idea because his mom definitely wouldn't like it, but once the Bridgertons find out that Charlie's friend is an orphan, of course they want to take her in.

Until Charlie's mom comes back home ready to scold her son for damaging her time machine and... little Sophie Beckett finds herself face to face with genius British scientist Sophie Bridgerton. Cue the chaos from the family realizing that Charlie brought his little mom to the future.

In the end when the evil corporation is defeated and the future time continuum is saved Sophie goes back to the past, ready to endure under Araminta until she can get an early emancipation and a scholarship to put all her effort into science and create a time Machine... and then she bumps into some slacker teenager painting the walls with graffiti and calling it art. Young Benedict is far from the wonderful man Sophie met in the future, but... she wants to stick to him and figure out how they ended up married in the future, worse, as her life keeps progressing and her friendship/ on and off art trade offs, with Ben keeps getting stronger trough the years, how can she hide the knowledge of who exactly is her in-laws future spouse.

Take for example Penelope from the journalism club, when Colin Bridgerton said he'd never date her, Sophie wanted to punch him and tell him he'd regret those words soon enough. She literally saw his adult version missing his wife just because Penelope went outside for air. And let's not mention Benedict's pompous older brother who always thinks he knows best, making plans to date Kate's sister right Infront of Sophie and Benedict. At that point Sophie was just opening a betting pool with grandma Danbury and calling it a day. Simon showing up one day and pretending to date Daphne was honestly the least weird part of Sophie's college years. When they got married, she was the least surprised, she knew!!

Francesca getting married to Michael's cousin? Since when? Sophie was convinced Michael was Fran's husband in the future, she didn't know about any John...wait ..wait oh no

And let's not get started with super feminist ' I don't need a man I'll never get married afraid of children ' Eloise, little Sophie was almost adopted into the Bridgerton family because adult Eloise was an avid children's rights advocate with a husband who believed in adopting orphans left and right. To find out that Eloise, the star step mom who was all about healing Sophie's trauma, used to be some surly angry highschool rebel, really had Sophie wondering if Eloise had a nicer secret twin.

And all the while in which Sophie is going with the flow keeping up with the Bridgertons and helping them out into becoming the happily weird and chaotic family she knows they can be. She ends up not noticing that ex graffiti artist, turned gallery owner Benedict is really into her. Mostly because Sophie knows herself as his wife or rather his future wife. And he keeps asking her to be his friend with benefits so she automatically thinks he's joking and doesn't pay him attention whenever he DMs her a horny come hither.

Benedict's family on the other hand who already love Sophie, keep telling him that a genius inventor like Sophie will never take him seriously unless he's ready to give her something solid to rely on. Instead of being a shameless tease, he should be a man and ask her out for real. But Benedict hesitates because Sophie already looks like she's been inlove with someone since forever. What he doesn't know is that he's actually jealous of himself, or rather, jealous of the man he'll be in the future, who Sophie met when she was 12.

What a complicated mess.

[theinvitation-bot]

Jealousy, Jealousy

Hyunjin

After returning from his trip the first thing Hyunjin wanted to do was see you. Two weeks was too long to be apart from you, he wrote you letters everyday, getting only a few in response since he knew you were busy with wedding preparations. Even with so little letters, your conversations were still the same just as if you were in person, him still sarcastic yet protective and you still funny and cute. Towards the end of the trip though, Hyunjin could tell something was off, you weren't you're usual playful self and it worried him.

At first, he thought something was making you sad or bothering you which worried him to no end, but then he put the idea in his mind that maybe someone else was grabbing your attention, which then made him furious. That was his biggest fear before leaving on this trip, you finding love in the arms of someone else, he didn't want to leave but Hyungwon gave him no other choice.

Hyunjin read your last letter for what seemed like the hundredth time while on the train ride back home. Each word make his blood boil before he crumpled the paper and threw it in the fireplace. He was only getting himself worked up, he knew that, but he couldn't stop. You were his one true love, the one he has waited for over a thousand year now, he wasn't going to like you slip from his hands that easily.

The only godsend in this situation is YangYang. He promised to keep an eye on you before leaving, Hyunjin could only imagine what information his younger brother collected. He sat with his leg bouncing up and down in anticipation the rest of the way home.

When he finally arrived to the castle, Hyunjin wasted to time making his way to you, ignoring his brotherS and the castle's steward, not like he acknowledged them before. He practically levitated up the staircase, rushing to your chamber, "Oh you're back?" Spoke Henry, an old family friend who died a while ago but still haunts Hyunjin, "Piss off" The king spat, not stopping to acknowledge him. "I thought you'd want to know about your little girlfriends new penpal" Hyunjin stood still on the last step hearing Henry's words.

He was right, he knew something was off. His blood was boiling before he could even hear you out, "I said piss off!" He yelled louder, running to you faster. If you were sending letters to someone else, let alone falling in love, Hyunjin would make you beg for mercy. He was silently cursing himself for being too soft on you these past few months, he felt like you were listening well to his orders, but clearly he was wrong.

A loud knock on your door made you jump in your seat before getting up to see who was there, soon a smile was on your face once you saw it was Hyunjin, but before you could properly greet him the king walked passed you and towards your desk. His action made you chuckle and let a "Hello to you too" remark, but he still he remained silent.

The king made it to your desk where you previously sat before, writing yet another letter to this mysterious someone, "Who is (Name)?" Hyunjin spoke once he finally read who the letter was address to. His eyes skimmed the paper, having not a care about respecting your privacy, "Huh? Who is he?" He asked once again. not getting a response the first time.

Towards the end of the paper, Hyunjin noticed you had drawn little roses, just like the ones you had drawn on his Christmas card. From that moment on, the king saw red. Without hesitation, he took the letter and threw it in the fire, ignoring your gasps, "Why are you writing another man? I haven't heard anything from you since last week!" He spat, finally turning to you with a cold stare, "Answer or so help me Rosa I will strangle you"

@rosamarino

Yangyang

After a long tiring week of preparations for the upcoming pall mall event YangYang finally had the weekend to himself. Ever since he and his new husband Ace returned from their honeymoon, the king has been flooded with work and has unintentionally neglected his husband. It was normal though, to be busy with duties and work but he still felt guilty for not spending as much time with Ace, he missed him so much it hurt his heart.

No more of that though, not this weekend. This weekend was going to be dedicated to him and husband, and only him and his husband. YangYang wanted to do anything or take Ace anywhere he wanted. He still felt a tinge of guilt sprawing the wedding on him like that, but wanted to show how much he really loved and cared for Ace.

The young king entered the main hall with a smile on his face, practically skipping with joy to get to his husband. He had a basket filled with Ace's favorite cookies, YangYang had managed to sneak away in between his itinerary to make him some for tonight. YangYang assumed you'd be in your chambers since it was almost sundown, so it was a bit of a surprise to see you on the staircase chatting with an unfamiliar face.

As he approached you too, YangYang was able to make out that adorable smile on your face, the one he so much adored. He stood still at the end of the staircase, staring up at you in awe wondering what trails he must of went through in a past life to have received such a beautiful soul like Ace in his current one. The only problem was, that smile wasn't for him.

The mysterious figure in question was faced away from YangYang, but he was able to make out the man's figure. He had a great build, like super buff and was tall too, making the king's stomach churn. Who was this unknown bachelor and why was he making his husband giggle. "Hi angel" YangYang had finally spoke, grabbing your attention along with yours friend's as well. When the man finally faced YangYang, the timid king gulped. He was not only built well but was incredibly handsome, he made YangYang worry about what intentions he had with Ace.

"Who is this angel?" He asked walking up the stairs to where you were, his hands a little clammy as he fiddled with the pastry basket. Ace had explained he was an old friend, he had heard that Ace had eloped and was shocked to not be invited, "It was a private wedding, I'm sorry" YangYang looked at the man with no kindness, attempting to intimidate the tall stallion. The man only chuckled in response, "Very well then. Since I came all this way though, I'm sure you wouldn't mind me stealing him away for the evening? I mean it's been what? Ages since we last spoke?" The man smiled at Ace, sending him a small wink as well.

"No!" The king shouted, surprising both the friend and Ace, "I-I mean, we already have plans" Yangyang was quick to grab his husband's hand, intertwining them, "Maybe another time-" "Then I'm sure Ace wouldn't mind if I joined?" YangYang tired turning away but the man wasn't budging, making wonder why he was so desperate to be around his husband. For a moment, YangYang stood still with his thoughts for a moment, he glanced at his husband and noticed he was no longer smiling. It made the king frowned, he didn't want to pull you away from your friend but also didn't trust him either, ". . . I suppose you could joi-" "Great! Let's go then yeah? What do you too have planned for the night?" The man was quick to grab Ace's other hand.

YangYang felt a pain in his heart from the sight, it didn't like this idea one bit and was already regretting agreeing to it, but YangYang loved his husband, he adored him. He never wanted Ace to be unhappy, he wanted him to always have a smile on his face, even if it meant making sacrifices like a weekend in with just the two of you.



@livealittleoc-cb

[bosbas]

Chapter 8: no one wanted to play with me as a little kid

series masterlist previous part || next part

pairing: benedict bridgerton x best friend!fem!reader WC: 3.4k words

Warnings: period-typical gender roles, idiots in love being idiots in love (sort of. it's like pre idiots in love. on the cusp of idiots in love), fluff (so much fluff)

Summary: You and Benedict have been best friends since childhood, but things change dramatically once you come out in society. You’re struggling to find someone you’re as compatible with and who knows you as well as Benedict, all while trying to quell your ever-growing feelings for him. Shenanigans ensue.

A/N: you know what. let's pretend all of the ages/years make sense. kisses to all of you!

December 4, 1809 - Dearest, loveliest, most wonderful Y/I (your initial),

I am so sorry I have not written in almost two weeks, though I did enjoy the very strongly worded letter you sent me reminding me of this fact and demanding a response. I wish I had a better excuse, but truthfully, this term has just been hectic. But to answer the question you so politely asked: yes, I will be home in time for Christmas, and I will be staying for New Year's and your birthday (your birthday is not even two weeks after Christmas, darling, give me some credit!). Though I rather think you owe me a present instead of the other way around after calling me an oblivious toad.

As an apology for my silence, I've attached my reading list for the courses I am taking at Oxford this term so you can also read them. I am sure you will be able to find them in your library but do let my mother know if you cannot find them. We should also have copies in our library. I will be heading back to Aubrey Hall in ten days to see the lot of you, and I will eagerly be awaiting all of your thoughts on this term's reading.

Yours, B

You couldn't help the excited gasp that left your lips as soon as you were finished reading Benedict's letter. You hadn't even managed to leave your entryway before you hastily opened the envelope addressed to you, blurting out a thank you to your slightly startled butler, who had been taken aback by your eager rifling of the mail. 

Now that Benedict was at Oxford, you barely got to see him at all, so you were more than a little excited when you read that you would only have to wait ten more days to see him. The three weeks he was home for the winter holiday were the bulk of your in-person interactions with him for the year, as had been the norm for the past three years he had been at university. 

It wasn't all bad, though. Proof of that lay in a box in your bedroom filled with every single letter or note you had received from Benedict while he was away at Oxford. Even the short ones, when he was studying for an exam and barely had time to write a coherent response, had found a place inside your box. You supposed the box contained most of your friendship with Ben over the past three years, neatly organized by date from oldest to newest and separated by term. 

Sometimes, you found yourself missing Benedict more than usual, and you would read through your favorite of his letters. Often, it ended up being the shortest notes that were the sweetest and ones you would read over and over. Even years after he had sent the letters, you found comfort in his messy scrawl after an afternoon playing Pall Mall without Benedict and his typical banter. But once you saw him at Aubrey Hall every December, it would be like no time had passed at all. You kept him up to date on everything happening at home with your family and his, and he told you wild stories from his time at Oxford. 

And although you enjoyed hearing about his life, it was also bittersweet. You were so jealous of him, wishing more than anything that you could go to university, too. But alas, the pesky issue of your gender prevented you from furthering your education. You got as close as you could, though. Benedict would send you all of his readings every term, and you enjoyed discussing the books you read at length when he returned for the holiday season. 

This is not to say that your conversations about literature and art were limited to your in-person time. In fact, most of your correspondence was about the books you were reading or the galleries you had gone to. Ben could spend pages and pages talking about a particular part of a painting, the way the artist had captured the way light filtered through the trees. And you loved every bit of it, engaging in your usual discussions. In a way, if you ignored how much you missed him, it was lovely to have a physical representation of your friendship. 

However, you would soon stop being constrained to receiving correspondence from Ben every few days, and you could simply knock on his door if you were particularly interested in talking about an aspect of your book. Your time at Aubrey Hall had become your favorite time of year, three weeks of daily interactions with your best friend being the absolute best birthday present you could've ever asked for. 

But this year was different. This was the last time you would have to say goodbye at the end of the holidays, seeing as Benedict was graduating in the spring and returning from Oxford permanently. To say you were over the moon was an understatement. You could barely wait to spend hours in his studio watching him paint again or reading aloud to him under the shade of the tree in your backyard on particularly warm days. 

---

August 12, 1799 - Y/I, I thought you would like this one. Yours, B

Bypassing Alex and Anthony having a heated debate about who was better at billiards, Benedict headed straight in your direction across the garden, ignoring Daphne, Colin, Theo, and Bastian, who had been playing some team game that devolved into an argument. Benedict patted your head as he came by to sit beside you on the grass, momentarily drawing your attention away from the massive book on your lap.

Grabbing the book from your lap and transferring it to his own, he asked, "So, what do you think?"

You let out an excited squeal, shaking Benedict's nearest arm with both hands. "It's amazing, Ben! An entire book about flowers, who knew? I've spent hours looking at it already, and I'm not even halfway through! It's got so much information I could die. It's incredible. Thank you so much." Though it was left unsaid, Ben knew these were hours you would have otherwise spent alone. The twins were especially adamant about not having you play with them, and Alex and Anthony were too caught up in their never-ending competitions to pay any attention to you. With your mother and his being occupied with the toddlers, Francesca, Cass, and Eloise, who had only just begun to walk and talk, you and Ben were truly the only odd ones out. But it was no bother to him. He loved when you read aloud to him, and you would happily listen to him talk about his sketches for hours on end, something he could not say about any other member of the Bridgerton-Beaumont cohort. 

Ben could only laugh fondly at your excitement, internally very proud that he had found a book you really enjoyed. "It's called an encyclopedia. There are loads of them about just about anything and everything in the world," he told you, leafing through the book himself. Gently pushing the book back in your direction, he prodded, "Well, go on then. Show me your favorite flowers so far." 

Grabbing the book, you hastily turned the pages until you reached the flowers, starting with the letter 'd.' Standing up, you rushed to the nearest corner of the garden and dug around for a few seconds, coming back with a bunch of small white flowers clutched in your small hands. 

Ben let out a short laugh, but you quickly shushed him, whining, "Stop it! It'll make sense in a second, I promise."

"I didn't say anything!" responded Ben defensively, putting his hands up in the air but unable to conceal the smile you had elicited from him. 

"Okay. Look at the page. The daisies. They're also called Bellis perennis, but that's in Latin. We have them here in the garden! Isn't that lovely?" you said excitedly, placing the flowers beside Ben.

"Oh, that is quite nice, Y/N," he responded, picking one of the daisies up and placing it behind your ear, eliciting a bright smile from you. "Did you know that a Violet is a type of flower? And so is a Primrose."

"You mean both our mums have flower names? That's so fun. I wish everyone could have a flower name," you responded, excited to have learned new information. 

"You could always give your daughters flower names," Ben suggested, enjoying the pure joy you were getting out of this.

"Well, before I have daughters, I would have to get married. And I don't want to do that! I just want to keep reading books. I want to read every single encyclopedia in the world!" you exclaimed, reaching your arms as high as they could go. 

Ben laughed, highly amused by your antics. "Just like me, then. Except instead of reading it's painting," he responded as he laid down fully on the grass, looking up at the sky and feeling particularly thankful that someone understood how he felt. On the other hand, you took the opportunity to dump all of the flowers you had picked onto his torso, arranging and rearranging them into different designs. He could only laugh, not at all bothered that his shirt would surely be dirty now, just happy to watch you enjoy yourself. 

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, you spoke up as you tried unsuccessfully to stack the flowers on top of each other. "That's perfect, then. We can get married, I can read, and you can paint, and we can have a daughter and give her a flower name."

"That sounds wonderful! I'm glad that's sorted," he laughed, lifting his head to find you flashing a toothy grin. "D'you like the name Daisy for our daughter, then?"

"That's lovely! And you can paint her a painting of a daisy for her room!" you responded eagerly. Benedict hummed in assent, busy imagining the dynamics of a blissful imaginary marriage. 

---

January 3, 1810 - Y/I, Happiest of birthdays, darling. Come downstairs, where I have a proper gift and card waiting for you. Yours, B

As you came downstairs, you already feared the fate that awaited you. Every year, your birthday would begin with a very extreme and frankly excessive snowball fight involving all the Bridgerton-Beaumont children. You could trust no one. Alliances would easily crumble under pressure, and people were just as likely to betray their siblings as they would someone from the other family. You and Benedict, ordinarily inseparable, could become sworn enemies in the span of two snowballs. You couldn't even trust sweet Hyacinth, only seven years old, to be loyal to any team, seeing as she was an outstanding double agent, a lesson you had all learned the hard way. It was absolute chaos, and you loved every second of it. It didn't matter how old you were; this was always the best part of your birthday.

As soon as you stepped outside, a snowball the size of your fist hit your right shoulder. Slowly turning toward the perpetrator, you narrowed your eyes once you saw it was Gregory, who had helped you defeat Bastian and Francesca in one fell swoop last year. Clearly, that alliance was gone, and you would have to find someone else to rely on this year. 

Since it was your birthday, the fight officially started when you threw the first snowball, and this year, you chose to throw it at Cassandra, your own sister, who had annoyed you at dinner yesterday by incessantly flinging peas at you. Once the tightly packed ball left your hand, all hell broke loose. You were hit in the stomach and leg simultaneously as you fired snowballs in every direction you could, laughing as you did. 

You briefly ducked behind a tree trunk, needing a moment to breathe. You took advantage of the fact that you weren't a target to form a massive snowball. You carefully stepped away from behind the trunk, checking that the coast was clear. Without a second thought, you flung the snowball as hard as you could in the direction of the person closest to you. 

Unfortunately, it hit Benedict straight in the face, blinding him for a few moments. Your mouth hung open, trying not to laugh because you knew you had packed quite a bit of force into your throw. You ran to Ben's side, apologizing as much as possible without bursting into laughter. He cleared the snow from his eyes and turned to you slowly, an evil grin forming on his face. 

"I believe you have just declared war, Miss Beaumont," he said finally. 

You screamed and ran in the opposite direction, knowing he would be absolutely merciless. You couldn't even look back, not wanting to slow down. After a few seconds of frantic sprinting, you felt Ben tackling you onto a massive pile of snow. Both of you were laughing hysterically while trying to catch your breath. He turned you over so you were lying down side by side, both of you panting heavily, looking up at the winter sky. 

"I miss you," you said finally, turning your head toward him, only to find that he was already looking at you. He pulled you closer, wrapping both arms around you tightly before he helped you up and brushed the snow off of your coat. 

"I know. I miss you, too. But it'll only be like this for a short while longer, and then you can come round every day and read to me while I paint, yeah?" he said, lifting your chin to look at him. 

Your breath caught in your throat, and you felt your heartbeat quicken, his brown eyes not letting yours go. Your eyes flickered to his mouth briefly, your lips parting slightly. Looking back at his eyes, you saw something flash in them that you couldn't quite parse, an expression you hadn't seen before. Finally, you nodded, letting him pull you into him and kiss your forehead, enjoying the warmth and comfort you felt as you were wrapped tightly in his arms.

---

September 17, 1805 - Y/I, I can't believe you had a book about the exact artist I was talking about! I'll pop by yours later to say a proper thank you. Yours, B

Benedict walked into your sitting room, sprawling on the couch before you with his arm behind his head, silently waiting for you to look up from your book. But you had just gotten to an exciting part, and your eyes remained glued to the page, ignoring your best friend's attempt to get your attention. 

You heard him huff and muttered a soft "Just a second, Ben" as your eyes raced across the page, eager to know what happened next. In response, he slid further down the couch and crossed his arms, eliciting a laugh from you and finally drawing you away from your book. 

"You were barely waiting ten seconds, Benedict!" you exclaimed, secretly pleased he was so eager to see you. He was leaving for Oxford in a few weeks, and although you were trying not to think about the reality of him going, you were acutely aware that you would soon be unable to see him every day.

He rolled his eyes good-naturedly, responding with a teasing, "It felt like ten years!" 

In recent months, the two of you had become inseparable. Your days were spent reading next to him as he painted, listening to him talk about his most recent artworks, or going for nature walks if you found yourself in Aubrey Hall. Anything to keep him close by before he left for Oxford, you reasoned. Though you couldn't help the growing affection, you were feeling, finding it impossible to look away when he tousled his hair just so and being a bit too pleased every time he complimented you. Every handsome smile or cheeky wink he sent your way lit you up inside, melting your heart just a little bit.

The problem was, and of course, there was a problem, that Benedict was always like this. Nothing about his demeanor had changed; your friendship was still the same as it had always been. Except now you found yourself spending a little too much time in the mornings making sure your hair looked good in case he popped by unannounced. Regardless, you knew Ben did not reciprocate your affections, so you tried to ignore these feelings as best as you could, folding them up very small and tucking them neatly in the corner of your heart for later examination.

Now, you found yourself on a couch against a wall of Benedict's studio, reading Romeo and Juliet as he was quietly sketching. This was quite possibly your favorite thing to do. Spend quiet afternoons together, reading and painting, enjoying each other's company. You took a moment to look at him as he scrunched his nose, unhappy with a certain aspect of the sketch. 

He sighed and looked up at you, nodding toward your book. "What has Shakespeare got to say today?"

"That marriage is a death sentence," you replied, voice deadpan. 

Ben burst into laughter. "Oh, come off it. It can't be that bad in real life. That's only a play! Besides, you've still got a while before you have to think about that," he tried to reason with you.

"Well, maybe. But it just sounds so unappealing. I want to do this. What we're doing now. I want to keep doing it. I don't want to be a wife! I just want to read and study," you argued. 

Benedict stood up, coming to sit beside you and placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. "I know, darling. I'm sorry," but he knew you had more to say.

You groaned, pushing your forehead into his shoulder. "I just don't think I'll ever be happy if I'm forced to marry. And I most likely will be, knowing my mother. She'd rather die than have one of her daughters turn into a spinster," you huffed, missing the sympathetic look you got from Ben. "And who will my husband be? A clueless man with no interest in me beyond my ability to be a good wife? I cannot imagine a worse fate."

---

May 8, 1810 - Y/I, I'll keep this one short, seeing how I'll be properly back in a few days! I've been quite busy with graduation, but I'm excited to come home. Yours, B

You smiled as you placed the last letter you had received from Benedict back in your box. The collection was complete. Three years of correspondence between the two of you finally come to an end. You carefully closed the box and returned downstairs, where a big family gathering was occurring in the garden. 

As soon as you stepped outside, Ben was at your side, chatting your ear off about one thing or another. He had barely left you alone since he had been back, granting you only a few minutes to yourself, but you couldn't complain. You wrapped an arm around his torso as you walked back to the garden table. 

"Oh, you look so darling!" cried Violet, cooing at the two of you. 

"You're proper adults now! Both of you! How the time has passed," your mother added, reaching out to hold Violet's hand. 

Benedict could only smile, too happy to be back at your side to focus on anything else. He had missed you loads while he was at Oxford, but having your arm around him now, he realized just how much he needed you. Ben placed a soft kiss on the top of your head, unable to help himself as you sat down at the table. He sat right next to you, taking one of your hands into his own so he could play with your fingers as you chatted with Primrose and Violet. 

Oxford had been a riot, to be sure, but he was so glad to come home to you.

—

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LUNG CANCER

You always send such cool packs. Really love the design for these Pall Malls, especially how the warning graphic sorta fades into the logo. I love the setting of this too, so grungy, it's honestly such an amazing photo. Thanks again for always translating the text as well and thank you again for sharing !