#Anthony’s advice is not always the best | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

rubysunnday · 2 years

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aching soul

requested by @musicallisto : hi lottie, congrats on 4k - that's INCREDIBLE! You deserve each and every one of those followers, your work is astounding. could I request an anthony bridgerton one-shot with prompt 1 + young and beautiful by lana del rey? I've been missing a little bit of romance lately. thank you sm if you do it! 💜

requested by anon: can i request an anthony bridgerton x reader fic where he thought he absolutely despises her without any clear reasons but it was actually him denying his feelings for the reader?

a/n: she's a long one, folks

summary: There is a difference between Viscount Bridgerton and Anthony Bridgerton. One is a Rake. The other is a man, broken by his father's death, who has never really been able to be just Anthony. Y/N knows the feeling all too well

"We pick in alphabetical order!"

"Which means I'm always going to be last!" Eloise whined, stamping her foot. "Why don't we do youngest to oldest?"

"Because then I'll be last!"

"Enough!" Daphne exclaimed, silencing Anthony. "Since we cannot agree, why don't we let our guest choose first? Miss Elliot?"

Y/N looked at Daphne expectantly. "I am slightly afraid that no matter what I choose I will be starting a war."

"No one will dare complain since you are our most esteemed guest," Daphne said, giving Eloise a pointed gaze. "Please, go ahead."

When the Bridgerton's had, collectively, mentioned a game of pall mall - whatever that was - Y/N was dubious. But at the evil glint in the eye of Lord Bridgerton at his younger brother, Y/N simply had to join in.

Anything to antagonise the viscount.

Y/N hardly knew the man but in the short time she had known him, he'd driven her mad. Perhaps some of Y/N's hatred towards the viscount was because of the assumptions she'd made of the man over the years.

A Capital R rake was never to be trusted. Besides, as she reached her fourth year out in society, Y/N was running out of time to find a husband. She didn't have time to run around flirting and playing with men who weren't ready to commit.

Or men who weren't looking for a love match. Lord Bridgerton.

Y/N stepped forward, looking at the mallets. They were all worn and looked tired after years of use and, presumably, abuse. Her eyes went directly to the black mallet - the only dark colour in the otherwise pastel set. She glanced at Lord Bridgerton and noticed how his gaze was fixed on the mallet.

So, she walked up and pulled it out of the box.

The shocked gasps from the rest of the family and the glare he gave her told Y/N she had, in fact, chosen well.

"Well, would you look at that, brother," Benedict said, grinning at Anthony.

Anthony's jaw was tense. "Shut up."

"Can the rest of us choose now?" Eloise asked, looking around.

No one moved. Then, Eloise darted forward and snatched up the yellow mallet, ignoring Colin's complaints. Benedict snatched the dark blue one whilst Daphne grabbed the purple one. Colin reluctantly took the orange one and, after glaring at it, Anthony took the pink one.

"To the field of combat!" Daphne exclaimed, holding her mallet up high as if it was a sword.

Y/N laughed and followed after them, keen to see the Bridgerton's in action. "I dare say, Your Grace," Y/N said, catching up with Daphne, "I am not entirely sure how to play this game."

"Well, firstly, please call me Daphne. Secondly, if you want my advice," Daphne said, walking alongside Y/N, down to the start of the course, "I'd focus on Eloise. She is so focused on trying to beat her brothers that she will forget we're here. Benedict's aim isn't the best, but he is good at hitting far. Colin is a cheeky player - he will sacrifice his own go to hit someone else's ball."

"And Lord Bridgerton?" Y/N asked, glancing over at Anthony.

"He is a fierce player who does not like to lose. This makes him the perfect target - all it takes is one whack of your ball against his and he will be off his game the rest of the match. He likes revenge."

"I gathered that," Y/N murmured, remembering how much Anthony wanted to murder Colin at the ball a few weeks back.

"I myself will not reveal any secrets," Daphne continued. "But I will say this - Bridgerton pall mall is more about sabotaging your opponent than it is getting the ball through the wickets."

Y/N nodded, smiling. "Understood."

The game started fairly calmly. It wasn't until they got to the sixth wicket did the chaos start. Colin aimed his ball at Eloise's and whacked it, knocking Eloise's ball wide and almost down the hill. Eloise gaped at her brother and nearly swung her mallet at him. Anthony stepped in, a hand on his sister's arm, as she was mid-swing.

Y/N didn't try anything too cheeky until two wickets later. Anthony's ball rolled into her path and Y/N seized her opportunity. She glanced over at Anthony, smirking slightly, as she readied her shot.

Anthony seemed to realise and gasped, turning to her. "Miss Elliot, don't you dare -"

Y/N whacked her ball at Anthony's, sending it flying down the hill and to the lake's edge. She laughed, swinging her mallet around in delight as Colin and Benedict chuckled evilly at their brother's misfortune.

"Excellent shot, Miss Elliot!" Benedict said, beaming. He patted Anthony on the back. "Well, I guess we shall see you later, brother. Daff, your turn."

Daphne strolled over to her ball. She crouched down, eyeing the ground and the wickets. As she stood up, Y/N caught the glint in her eye and knew, instantly, what she was about to do.

"No, Daphne, don't -"

Daphne smacked her ball into Y/N's, knocking it down the hill in the same direction Anthony's ball had gone moments before.

Anthony looked as if he wanted to hit his sister. Or strangle her, one of the two.

"Right, well then, we'll see you two in a bit then," Daphne said, turning around, holding her mallet in both hands, smiling happily.

Anthony clenched his jaw tightly. He gestured for Y/N to move first, barely making eye contact with her. Y/N held her head high and marched past him, heading down the hill.

She could see the lake at the bottom of the hill and had a sudden, sinking feeling that she was about to get wet.

"My brother and sister do love to antagonise me," Anthony muttered, walking down the hill at a brisk pace. "We lost the red ball to this lake a few years back."

"Who's fault was that?" Y/N asked, glancing at him.

Anthony turned and smirked slightly. "Mine."

They'd both stopped on the edge of the lake, searching for any sign of the pink and black balls.

"Oh, dash it," Anthony said, staring straight ahead.

"What?"

He leant closer to Y/N and pointed to the shallows of the lake where two balls sat, stuck in the wet sand.

"We could just move them," Y/N suggested. "No one will know."

"But I will," Anthony replied, raising his eyebrows.

Y/N scoffed, watching as Anthony walked down onto the bank of the lake, his boots instantly being covered in sand. After a moment, Y/N followed after him, skidding slightly on the wet sand. She reached out for the closest thing to her - which just happened to be Anthony's arm.

"Apologies, my Lord," Y/N said, quickly letting go of his arm.

"It's fine."

The two of them stood there and stared at the balls, debating how best to get to the balls.

"Right then," Y/N said, throwing her mallet up in the air slightly and then catching it again.

She took a step forward into the water, feeling it begin to seep through the soles of her satin shoes. Y/N tilted her mallet back and then swung forward, whacking her ball out of the lake and onto the grass bank.

Y/N smiled smugly at Anthony, gesturing for him to take his turn. Anthony stomped down to the river, his boots sinking into the sand, and stood next to her. He swung his mallet back and hit his ball, sending it onto the grass, next to the black ball.

Anthony turned to look at her and shook his head cockily - reminding Y/N slightly of a peacock.

Y/N went to take a step forward but found her feet were stuck in the sand, sinking each time she tried to move.

"I am stuck," she announced, looking at Anthony.

"Pardon?" Anthony asked, turning around to face her.

Y/N gestured to the floor. "My feet are stuck."

"Are you serious?"

"Believe me, Lord Bridgerton, if I didn't require your assistance I would not be asking for it."

Anthony sighed heavily and dropped his mallet onto the floor, marching back down onto the edge of the lake and taking Y/N's arm, standing behind her.

He pulled her as she managed to free her right foot. Y/N then went to put her right foot down on a slightly firmer piece of sand but it got tangled up in the long hem of her dress. With her left foot stuck in the sand still, Y/N flailed about, losing her balance entirely. She squeaked as she fell backwards, pulling Anthony with her.

Y/N landed on top of Anthony, flinching as the water began to seep through her clothes and onto her skin. For a moment, they both awkwardly laid there in the lake, Y/N on top of Anthony, Anthony with his arm still around Y/N's waist.

Anthony grunted in disgust, flicking his hand free of sand. He pushed Y/N upright and he sat up, looking around him. Anthony glanced at Y/N, who was struggling not to laugh, and glared.

"It is not funny!" He snapped.

"I am not laughing," Y/N said - although she clearly wanted to.

Y/N turned her head, looking at Anthony. He met her gaze and a smile instantly appeared as he giggled. Y/N found herself letting out a breathy laugh, ducking her head to avoid looking at Anthony.

"Well, at least we did not lose the balls to the lake this year," Anthony said, standing up. "Miss Elliot, I take it your feet are now free?"

Y/N chuckled. "Yes, Lord Bridgerton, they are."

Anthony held out a hand to her. Y/N reached up and gripped it, the water making it harder to grip. Anthony pulled her to her feet and Y/N quickly hopped onto the firmer sand.

A cheer errupted from somewhere up the hill and Anthony sighed wistfully.

"I bet you that Daff has won - again," Anthony muttered. He turned to Y/N. "Miss Elliot, I do apologise for our trip into the lake."

"It is fine, Lord Bridgerton," Y/N replied, holding the wet hem of her dress up as she climbed onto the grass bank.

Anthony followed her up. "I do hope this adventure has helped break the ice between us - I fear we got off on the wrong foot."

Y/N paused. "Part of that is my fault, I suspect," she admitted, bending down and picking up her ball. "I may have made some assumptions about you."

"Everyone does. Lady Whistledown does not help."

Y/N looked at him. "Are the rumours she writes not true, then?"

Anthony exhaled slowly. "No. No, some of them are true."

"Such as the one about you being a Rake with a capital R who is now conveniently looking for a wife?"

"You appear to have heard a lot of things," Anthony said, leaning on his mallet.

Y/N shrugged. "I have been out in society for four years, my Lord... I do know some things."

"Ah, so you are one of the young chits who fell for me when they made their debuts?"

"Young chits?" Y/N repeated, staring at him in disbelief. "It is hardly my fault I was forced to talk to you by my mama."

"Well, perhaps if you, along with the other young ladies in the ton, were more interesting and could hold a conversation, we would have gotten along better -"

"Do you realise how rude you sound?" Y/N snapped. "You just assume you know what I am like based on a conversation we had three years ago when I was a debutante who knew nothing better than what had been installed in her by society?"

Anthony faltered, clearly realising he'd overstepped. "Miss Elliot -"

"No, Lord Bridgerton, you have made your thoughts very clear. I thank you for your assistance - I am going to retire to my room now."

Anthony watched Y/N walk up the hill and back to the house, leaving him alone. He sighed, swearing quietly at his stupidity. Anthony bent down and picked up her mallet and ball, wishing he could go back a few minutes.

No matter how hard she tried, Y/N could not sleep the following night. There was no reason, sleep simply just wouldn't come. After rolling over for the fifth time, she flung back the covers and sat up in the bed, sighing softly.

It was raining gently outside, the sound of thunder gradually getting closer as the rain hardened. It was a hot summer night in the middle of July and the rain was a welcome thing.

Y/N grabbed her shawl and a candle and headed out of her room. She had yet to explore Aubery Hall properly. Whilst she didn't want to trespass into the Bridgerton's private rooms, she wanted to see more of the house Anthony so clearly adored.

Her exploration took her down the stairs and into a very impressive library, full of leather-bound books. She set the candle down on the table in the centre of the room, letting it illuminate the room gently.

Y/N walked over to the walls of shelves, running a hand along the spines. She'd never seen such an extensive, beautiful collection of books before. Whoever was responsible for the library had a stunning collection of Shakespeare as well as every Jane Austen novel. Y/N pulled out a copy of Emma, carefully opening it and scanning the first page.

The door to the library creaked, the light coming in from the corridor growing. Y/N's head shot up and she saw Anthony, half-hiding behind the door. He was wearing his dress shirt and trousers, the top three buttons undone. His suspenders hung down by his sides and he had no shoes on. There was a bizarre sense of vulnerability, seeing him so undressed and calm.

"My apologies, Miss Elliot," Anthony said softly, ducking his head. "I saw a light and I was checking I did not leave a candle on."

"It's only me," Y/N replied, stepping away from the ladder. "I can go -"

"No, please... stay."

Anthony hesitated, hovering in the doorway, one hand on the edge of the door. After a moment, he walked in to the library, gently walking up to Y/N.

"Do you mind?" He asked, holding out a hand for the book.

"Not at all."

Y/N handed him the book, her bare fingers brushing his for a moment. She pulled her shawl up and over her chest, the fringe edging tickling her skin as it trickled down.

"My youngest sisters insisted I buy these," Anthony said, running a hand over the cover of the book, his signet ring glinting in the candlelight. "They wanted me to continue our father's library."

"This was your father's library?" Y/N asked softly.

"It was. He always made sure to include things we all enjoyed. There are books on painting for Benedict, travel guides for Colin - embroidery for Daphne and Francesca." Anthony looked up at the room. "There is something for everyone in my family in here."

"You continued the tradition?"

"I try. It's difficult since we spend more time in London than here. Eloise and Hyacinth insisted on Jane Austen being added to the collection."

"Have you ever read them?"

Anthony chuckled. "Sadly, I do not have enough time to read anymore. I wish I did, however."

Y/N looked at him intently. "If you do not mind me asking... how did your father die?"

Anthony sighed heavily. He smiled sadly. "He was stung by a bee. I had just returned from school when I heard Eloise screaming in the gardens. It was quite something to see a man as great as my father felled by such a small creature."

"How old were you?"

"I was just eighteen. I knew nothing about being a viscount or running estates... my father died before he could teach me everything."

"How did you cope?"

"I didn't," Anthony said, chuckling softly. "You've read the stories and the rumours. It was only last year that I realised that, out of duty to my family, I need to settle down and sort things out."

"Find a wife, you mean," Y/N said.

"Yes." He sighed, closing his eyes. "It's not as simple as simply finding a wife."

"Then explain it to me," Y/N told him softly. She reached out and put a tentative hand on his.

"After my father died... my mother was barely there. She does not remember any of it, not truly. I, however, remember every single moment. I could never..." Anthony trailed off, his voice catching. "I could never be the cause of such pain. No matter how cold-hearted and cruel everyone else may find me to be."

Y/N looked at him, her eyes full of understanding. She inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Has anyone ever loved you as Anthony Bridgerton and not Viscount Bridgerton?"

"I do not believe they are two separate entities. They are one and the same."

"I don't agree." Anthony looked at her sharply. "Anthony Bridgerton is standing in front of me right now. He was in front of me this afternoon in the gardens and in the lake. Viscount Bridgerton was at the balls and the parties. Anthony is you, right now. Maybe you should try and find a way to separate the two."

Y/N give him a small smile. She held her hand out for the book and Anthony handed it back to her, his fingers lingering over hers for a moment.

"Good night, my lord," Y/N said softly.

Y/N exhaled, puffing out her cheeks. She unconsciously pushed her hair pins back into her hair as she looked around the room, watching intently.

Her time as a young woman, desperate for dancing had long gone and now she preferred to stand on the edges of the dance floor amongst the chaperones and mothers.

No one looked at her twice and it was just how she liked it. Y/N had long accepted that she wasn't going to find love from the most eligible suitors in the ton. Instead, she had turned to the older gentleman - the military men, the business owners with enough money to buy most of London.

She wasn't looking for a true love match. But rather someone she could love and could be friends with as time went on. She just wanted someone to look at her as a human being instead of potential wife material.

The people around her started muttering, all eyes turning away from the dance. Y/N followed them and stood to attention as Anthony walked over to her, his eyes set firmly on her and her alone.

"Miss Elliot," Anthony said, bowing.

"Lord Bridgerton."

"I trust you are enjoying your evening?" Anthony asked, his hands still clasped behind his back.

"I am, indeed, thank you for asking. Your mother is an incredible host."

"She prides herself on being able to host a good ball," Anthony said, moving closer to Y/N. "Forgive me if I am being impertinent but I do not believe I have seen you on the dance floor, Miss Elliot."

"Because I have not been asked for a dance, Lord Bridgerton - which is just how I like it," she added quickly.

"Would you make an exception for a viscount?" Anthony asked softly, lowering his voice so just she could hear him.

Y/N looked at him. "I would make an exception for Mr Bridgerton."

Anthony gave her a genuine smile, holding out his hand to her. "Miss Elliot, will you accept Mr Bridgerton's offer to dance?"

Y/N placed her hand into his, gripping his fingers. "I will, Mr Bridgerton."

As the other dancers began walking to the centre of the dance floor, Anthony led Y/N to the back corner of the floor. It was away from the main eyes of the ton yet still allowed them to dance together.

The strings began to play and Anthony gently guided Y/N into the dance, both of them swaying backwards and forwards. He spun her, Y/N's gloved fingers still gripping his hand, high above their heads.

Their arms lowered and Anthony put his hands on her waist as she placed hers on his arm. One step backwards and they were waltzing with everyone else, all dancing in synch.

"I want to apologise for the other day," Anthony said quietly, his lips near Y/N's ear so she could hear him over the music.

"I was out of line, Lord Bridgerton," Y/N replied, letting him release her and then turn her around.

"No, you were not. You were correct with everything you said. My own arrogance and bad experiences resulted in my prejudice. Not every young lady is uneducated and simply a pretty face."

"I think you will find that a lot of young women enjoy reading and writing," Y/N said softly. "They are just seen by society as the outcasts."

"Indeed - much like my sister, Eloise."

Y/N spun to face him, stepping backwards. "What is it?"

"I also wanted to thank you," Anthony replied. "For too long I have lived in my father's shadow. The viscount took over me and I forgot what I, myself wanted. Being able to acknowledge that they are two different things helped. So, thank you."

"You are very welcome, my lord."

"You are also the first person who has ever seen me as just Anthony. As much as I adore my family, they see only an older brother who is the head of the family. It is rare that I can just be myself. The first time we met, you threw my off my guard, wanting to see anyone else other than the viscount."

"Oh, is that why you were so rude to me?"

"Again, I apologise. I have never been good at communicating emotions. I tend to hide them until they boil over. But, you, Miss Elliot, tore down every wall I have ever built."

Y/N ducked under his arm and then turned around. "I do hope that is a good thing."

"It is. But it is also why it has taken me until now, until this very moment, in fact, to realise that I am completely and utterly in love with you.”

Y/N stopped. She stared at Anthony, her eyes wide, her heart pounding. "Pardon me?"

"I apologise if it is too sudden or if I have overstepped," Anthony said quickly, "but when I am with you, I do not have to hide behind my titles. I am simply Anthony. And that is something I did not know I wanted or needed. Not until you made it so clear to me."

The music ended, the last few notes playing out into the crowded room. Y/N belatedly remembered to curtsey to Anthony as the dancers filed off the floor.

"I need some air," Y/N said, turning on her heel.

She weaved through the crowds and walked out onto the patio, relishing the cool air on her skin.

"Miss Elliot, if I have overstepped, I apologise -"

"No, it is not that," Y/N told him, turning to face Anthony. "I just... the reason I see you as just Anthony and nothing else is because... that is all I have ever wanted. Every suitor that comes to my door, no matter how kind and caring they are, never cares to see Y/N. They just want to know if I would be a good wife and mother. No one ever makes the time to get to know me."

"If I have ever made you feel that way -"

"That is the thing, though... you haven't. Never once have I felt that you only cared about me fitting your requirements. Whilst I'm sure other women did... I did not. I felt... feel, as if I can be Y/N. I do not have to pretend to be something I am clearly not."

Anthony was looking at her with such intrigue and kindness it almost made her cry. Never, not once, had a suitor listened to her as much as he had. Never once had they even bothered to care about her as a person.

And now, there was someone who did. Someone who did care - even if they were a reformed Rake.

"Miss Elliot, I am aware that this may be too sudden but... I would very much like to get to know you better."

Y/N smiled gently. "You're not just going to propose to me here and now?"

"I could. But I want to get to know Y/N Elliot first. I want to know what makes her smile and what makes her cry."

He was inches away from her now. Anthony reached out his hand, his fingers brushing against hers. Y/N inhaled sharply at the contact, her skin quickly being covered in goosebumps.

"Well then, Lord Bridgerton," Y/N said softly, her little finger wrapping around his. "You best get on with it."

#bridgerton #anthony bridgerton #bridgerton imagine #bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton imagine #anthony bridgerton x reader #anthony bridgerton imagines #bridgerton imagines

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bitchinbarzal · 1 year

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Last Christmas | M.Barzal

this is my entry for @antoineroussel christmas fic exchange!

this is for you, @lhugh! happy holidays annie 🎄🤍

this fic does use they/them pronouns as they are annie’s pronouns! 🫶🏼

word count: 2,461 words

Last Christmas, you walked into December planning every festive activity possible; the Rockefeller Christmas tree, Nutcracker at New York City ballet, Radio City Rockettes even letting Mat show you up at skating.

That was until Mat dropped the break up bomb on you. You couldn’t really comprehend it all, too confused and hurt at once.

You were supposed to spend Christmas with Mat and the team at the Martin’s. You never answered Sydney’s texts after the breakup.

You spent Christmas alone.

You were thankful the islanders tanked their 21/22 season. It meant that they all left to go home as soon as possible.

That meant no islanders, no jerseys, no chants on the train home from work.

No Mat.

He went home to Coquitlam two days after the islanders lost to Tampa.

Mat spent his first summer in seven years bouncing around from place to place. He was out on the lake with Tyson for a few weeks and he visited Anthony and Emma when they bought their new home in Quebec.

He wasn’t home long with his family until he got a call, from Brock. His dad had died.

He asked if you and Mat could attend the funeral, his father really adored you both in the time he’d met you and he knew Mat well. Mathew agreed to attend, claiming you were busy but sent your well wishes.

He flew into Minnesota the day prior, dropping off flowers to Brock’s mom and she welcomed him into her home giving him a drink and thanking him for coming.

“He always liked watching you play, unless you played against Vancouver of course” she laughed, Mat gave her a smile “It’s a shame y/n couldn’t come”

“Yeah, it’s a shame” he mumbled.

Next he saw her was at the funeral, listening while she stood talking about her husband, the love she had for him, how much she missed him already.

All Mat could think about when he heard her words were you.

You were his best friend.

You were the person who knew him best.

You were supposed to be around forever.

When Mat got home after that trip he didn’t do much, he was no longer in the mood to go out partying, celebrating with friends.

Mat returned to Long Island in the end of August.

He frequented the coffee shop you guys often did and he even walked the route in the morning you did. He didn’t see you.

It wasn’t until week 3 of attending the same coffee shop that the barista, Logan said to him

“Mat, they don’t come in here anymore I’m sorry. Said they needed a fresh start after the breakup”

He silently nodded to the girl, hoping she hadn’t caught his face falling. He simply took his flat white from the counter and exited to building.

Contract talks started in mid-september.

The organization called in May to the office to discuss; throwing around money and perks.

He took the time to digest the information. He called him mom and dad to see what their opinions were on the whole thing, called his financial advisor and even called Anders but the number he kept hovering over belonged to you.

Everyone’s advice was along the lines of “you need to see yourself settling down in Long Island with a contract term like that” and he did, with you.

The deal was signed on October 4th.

@ny_islanders: “I love It here” says Mathew Barzal, after signing his 8 year extension to stay here in Long Island 💙🤍🧡

You read the tweet, saw the posts and the stories from your mutual friends. You wanted to text him — tell him congratulations, but you couldn’t bring yourself to do it.

So instead, you simply put an orange heart emoji under the islanders post about his extension and scrolled on.

Mat saw it. His heart soared at the simplicity of it but yet the fact he knew you were still thinking of him, that you in some way still cared.

Late October, the leaves were starting to fall and hockey was beginning again. Mat wasn’t playing his best — missing goals, easy passes and a lot of falling over.

People started doubting him; calling him a fake, a money grabber and claiming they wished Lou hadn’t even drafted his extension papers.

Mat started to doubt himself too.

was he good enough?

should he have signed the papers?

was he worth the money?

was Long Island better off without him? were you?

There is was! The real problem.

Ever since that last December his mind had been stuck on you and really it shouldn’t have because it was his fault, he broke up with you.

If anyone asked Mat why you broke up he would say “We just wanted different things”

If Mat was honest with himself he would say “I was scared I wasn’t enough for them”

The first few months of hockey came and passed with not a single goal from Mat.

Lambert pulled him aside one morning at practice to tell him “You better get your head out of your ass son because one more game the way you’ve been going and you’ll be benched for the rest of this year”

The last game in November, against Philadelphia Mat was a healthy scratch.

His punishment was over by the next game but Lane told him in no specific terms he had to step up. Mat just groaned and mumbled a “Yeah, I’m fucking trying” before leaving the office.

It was harder now that it was December.

In summer he could just pretend things weren’t different.

You weren’t at his families house? You had to be with your mom.

He was alone at the casino event? You had work.

But Christmas, that was different. Christmas wasn’t something he could sweep under the rug and pretend you were busy.

You’d spent every Christmas together since Mat was eighteen years old. Your first Christmas in New York was an overwhelming experience and Mat thought it adorable at how excited you were about everything.

He bought you a necklace that year. It had his number on it, the gold chain necklace held the number thirteen on your chest and you never took it off.

It was a staple piece in your collection, whenever someone at one of your fancy work dinners or meetings would ask

“Hey why does your necklace have the thirteen on it?”

You would smile so bright, in such adoration and reply “My boyfriend, mat. He plays hockey for the New York Islanders and he’s number thirteen! but always number one to me” and everyone would laugh and call you cute.

You’d left that necklace behind the night you’d packed your stuff up to leave. Mat found it when he returned home from Boston on an away game to find you’d obviously been in and cleared out your belongings too while he was gone.

He took the necklace and posted it to your mom’s house, the only address connected to you he knew. He never knew if you’d gotten it back, not that it mattered much anyway because why would you want to wear it after you’d broken up?

Mat’s no goal streak continued up to the last game before Christmas, December 23rd and he was goal-less.

He was so frustrated at everything he couldn’t think straight about getting this goal. He was spending Christmas alone for the second year in a row — alone, without you.

He couldn’t stop thinking about you no matter how hard he tried. How you’d been here tonight wearing a silly Christmas jumper and cheering about the last game before Christmas.

They tanked the first period, Tkachuk got away with the puck leaving them up one by the end of the first. There were so many penalties, stupid penalties. It was a mess.

Second period, they equalised in the first few minutes with a goal from Beau before Brock got them up another which was matched not long after by Florida.

When the third period hit it was like something went off in Mat, that he had a surge of energy.

He got a goal, his first season goal! Then another and another with only a few seconds left on the clock.

Hat-trick. He got a hatty.

He’d done it. He finally scored a goal this season, they won the game and he got a hat-trick!

So why didn’t he feel like it was enough?

When he got back to the locker room, Mat pulled his phone out of his bag and looked at his notifications; texts from friends and family congratulating him on the goals, random emails but it was as though he was searching for something.

He clicked through the phone until he landed on what he wanted and pressed it before holding the phone up to his ear.

It rang twice before it connected

“Hello?”

“Um, hey! This is weird and I’m not sure why I’m doing this but I felt like I had to because, well because I scored my first goal of the season tonight. I scored my first season goal and I got a hatty too which I mean is a lot but I don’t feel like it’s enough”

Mat sighed, completely blocking out his team-mates listening to this conversation and looking on with sympathy

“It’s not enough because I know you’re not here-“

“-Mat-“

“No, please let me finish it’s taken me long enough to get the courage to call you. I was stupid for what I did last Christmas and I will wholeheartedly tell you that this year has been the worst year of my life and maybe you call that karma, I call it a wake up call that you… you’re the love of my life and that I want to be with you, I was scared and stupid but I’m better I will be better for you! I’m ready to be the man you need”

After his spiel, Mat took a deep breath awaiting your answer but instead was met with a dead line.

You hung up on him.

Mat looked dejectedly at him phone in hand before he got up to get dressed as he was very spitefully aware of the media and press awaiting him outside the door.

He breezed through media by giving them one word answers and a bored look, they usually let him away early when he did that.

Collecting his bag from the now empty locker room and sulking down the hallway towards the car park.

He wasn’t even looking up, instead opted for the wonderful view of his scuffed shoes. Paying so little attention he didn’t even see you standing at the end of the hallway.

“Nice shot!” His head whipped up, locking eyes with you almost immediately.

You watched his face go through a multitude of emotions before it softened and he muttered “What-“

“I was here Mat” is what you said, gesturing to the stairs you’d descended from your seat “I was sat up there and I watched it, I was cheering you on”

Mat was speechless, fumbling over his words and his eyes flickered across your body, trying to drink you in while you were stood in front of him before his eyes landed on your neck.

Lay on your black shirt was a necklace, the necklace.

The number thirteen lay to elegantly on your chest “You got it”

You looked down and smiled “Oh yeah, my mom sent it to my apartment” playing with it between your thumb and pointer finger.

A soft silence settled between you both, it wasn’t weird or awkward — it could never be awkward between you and Mat.

Until Mat broke the silence by asking

“Why are you here?”

You smiled gently “The islanders last game before Christmas has always been my tradition since I moved to New York you know that and so I never changed it this year, despite the circumstances” the last bit was a little snappy and he knew that.

“I meant what i said on that call by the way” you nodded curtly as a reply before holding out your hand for him to take

“How about you drive us around that neighbourhood with the good Christmas lights and we can talk, in the car eh?”

The Christmas lights, another tradition between you both.

Mat reached out, clasping his hand in yours and nodding “Yeah, let’s do that”

The lights on peoples home’s had somehow gotten better this year and you admired them all in a childlike fashion from the passenger seat of Mathew’s Range Rover.

“This is one of my favourite traditions we started” you say, still looking out the window. Your hand rested now on the console in the middle of the car.

Mat slipped his hand into yours, taking a leap of faith which paid off when you clasped it in yours and squeezed it.

“Yeah, i love it” he muttered, pulling the car into the side of the road now you’d reached the end of the street.

You turned to him now, waiting for him to say something.

“Listen, this is all really weird and I wish I was better with words because I would like to be able to tell you the million and one ways in which I absolutely adore you and regret what I did last Christmas every single day. However, what I can do is promise you, I promise you that I will work everyday to prove to you how much I love you and how sorry I am — I ruined Christmas and I think that’s what hurts the most is that I tainted something you love so much-“

You cut him off then, your hands resting on his cheeks; forcing him to look at you and you said “Christmas is not ruined, Christmas has brought me back to the boy I love with my whole heart and being. Don’t you ever think that you ruined Christmas because sure it wasn’t fun last year but we will have a million more Christmas’ to make up for it”

He nodded, head moving slightly so he could press a kiss onto your palm “I’ll make every Christmas the most special just for you”

“As long as I’ve got you, baby any Christmas is special”

On Christmas, when Mat arrived late to the Lee’s for Christmas with the team he walked in smiling

“Sorry, sorry I’m late I had to pick something up!”

“Dude it’s Christmas Day where could you possibly have gone to pick-“ Anthony cut himself off when he saw you enter the house, gifts stacked up in your arms that you placed on the table next to the door before grabbing Mat’s outreached hand.

“Oh my god, it’s a Christmas miracle!”

#mat barzal x reader #mat barzal imagine #nhl imagine

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fanfic-compass · 7 months

Text

~Doubt~

George Weasley X Fem!Reader

Summary: Since the birth of their twin kids, George and y/n's love life has been dead. Both worry that the other doesn't finf them attractive anymore.

Note: Sorry for any spelling mistakes

The last three months have been exhausting for y/n and her husband George but also so fulfilling. Y/n has given birth to their twin sons Anthony and Alastor. Redheads, of course,just like their father. Their nights were filled with crying babies, dirty diapers and a lack of sleep but they absolutely loved their children and they would do anything for them.

It's been little over a year after the Battle of Hogwarts where everyone lost friends, family members and loved ones. But now they were a real family and everything was perfect. Well, almost everything.

The love life of y/n and George was practically dead. Y/n knew that it was normal not to have sex the forst werks after giving birth but still George never even made a single move to change that now and it started to worry the young mother.

She was scared that he didn’t find her attractive anymore. She gained weight and got stretch marks which was actually normal during a pregnancy but she still believed that George didn’t like her appearance anymore.

What she didn't know was that George was struggling with himself too. And naturally he came to his best friend and twin brother Fred to talk to him about his own problem.

“I tell you, it’s been so long since we had sex…” He explained, worried.

Fred sighed. “Is this about you gaining weight again? I told you it’s sympathy weight. Nothing unusual for a guy”

“I know… but still. First I lost my ear and now I gained weight… I can't even believe she is still with me. She's crazy, there is no other explanation.”

George tried to sound funny as always but deep down he was still worried.

“Maybe we should make a potion to lose weight. We could make a lot of money with it… and I could test it on myself.”

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and y/n entered. She gave George a quick kiss, this was the only physical touch they shared, apart from loosely cuddling at night.

“The kids are asleep right now…” She told him.

Actually she came to talk to Fred but with George in the same room, she couldn’t. So they sat for a while in an awkward silence until one of the babies started crying. George stood up and walked out of the room to take care of it.

“So Freddie… I need your advice” Y/n started quickly. “I… have a little problem right now… about George…”

Fred could already guess what it was.

“Well… I think that George doesnt find me attractive anymore.”

“And why do you think that?” Fred was curious.

“Because… i gained weight during the pregnancy, i got stretchmarks and… and since the kids were born we never… got a little… closer than just a simple kiss.”

Fred laughed. For him it was like one of those comedy shows on the muggle tv that y/n once showed him. But she didn’t find it funny at all.

“Perhaps you could talk to your husband?”

“But what if he tells me that he really doesnt find me attractive anymore? What if he only stays because of the kids?”

“Come on, y/n. He has always been crazy for you. Ever since we were kids. I have an idea. How about you two go on a date tonight?”

“And the kids?”

“I will take care of them. They love their uncle Freddie. After all, I have never met someone who didn't like me.”

“Uh… Umbridge?”

“The evil toad doesn’t count. But seriously, tonight you're gonna go on a date.”

Y/n sighed but agreed. In the evening she and George were eating at a romantic restaurant and they finally had time for themselves again. They talked about things that they haven’t talked about in a long time and it felt refreshing to be together again. After their date they got back home. Fred put a note on the door, saying that the kids were in his room and that he would take care of them in the night. Then he put a little smirking smiley at the end of the note.

George and y/n went to their bedroom and got ready for bed. George sat on the bed and y/n came in with a beautiful set of lingerie on. She sat next to her husband and caressed his thigh. He, however, backed away.

“Georgie… we need to talk.” Y/n said in a serious tone.

“Yes, i think we need to talk…” George agreed.

“Do you still find me attractive?” Y/n bursted out.

“Of course. You are the sexiest woman ever.”

“Then why do you seem so uncomfortable with me touching you?”

“Because…” George sighed. “Because I am not attractive enough anymore. During your pregnancy I gained weight. And on top of that I’m still missing my ear… I just don’t want you to be repulsed by me…”

“Darling… I love you. I could never be repulsed by you. You are so sexy and handsome and attractive and… I just wish we would… have sex again. I miss the feeling.” Y/n took his hand and sat a little closer. “I just thought with my stretchmarks and my weight that you were repulsed by me.”

“You’re crazy. I love you. You are so sexy… and you look like you do because you carried our children. That’s the most beautiful thing in the world.”

“So can we… maybe… tonight…”

George cut his wife off by pressing his lips against hers in a passionate kiss. They kept kissing for so long and after a while he lifted her up and sat her down on his lap where they kept making out and caressing each other like they haven't done in so long. And with that they reignited the fire that burned so low after the past months. And oh, how they needed that.

#harry potter #george weasley #george wealsey x reader #cute #wizarding world #george weasly x reader #imagine #oneshot #x reader #george weasley x y/n #y/n

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bloodywonder1846 · 8 months

Text

Sweeney Todd headcanons

• Sweeney is the type to accidentally stare at people when he zones out.

• Mrs. Lovett’s favorite poem is Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe. (I mean, it’s about a girl who lives by the sea with her goth boyfriend.)

• Sweeney’s favorite Edgar Allan Poe story is The Cask of Amontillado. He just loves a good revenge story.

• If these characters knew about horror movies, Toby would be the type to swear he’s brave enough to watch one, but would end up being very scared by it.

• Anthony goes to Sweeney for relationship advice regarding Johanna.

• Prior to being sent away, Benjamin Barker was a major soft boy, and actually quite similar to Anthony.

• Johanna likes to paint and write poetry & short stories in her spare time.

• Mrs. Lovett stress bakes. A lot.

• Sweeney struggles with showing people that he cares, but he tries his best to find little ways of showing it.

• Due to the years she spent unable to afford basic necessities for survival, Mrs. Lovett’s health has been not-so great. She has been recovering, but every now and then, she still feels weak, and she sometimes gets body aches. She also tends to get sick easily. Whenever that happens, Sweeney and Toby both help take care of her.

• Johanna, Anthony, and Toby would all be really good friends.

• Also, they would try to play matchmaker with Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett. (Especially Anthony.)

• Anthony has a list of places for he and Johanna to visit. Johanna also has her own list of places she wants to go to once she finally escapes from Turpin.

• Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett always hang out after work. Usually they either talk, read together, dance, or he’ll listen to her play the piano.

• Literally everyone in Fleet Street thinks Sweeney and Mrs. Lovett are a couple. He swears he has no idea where people could’ve possibly gotten that idea from.

(“And they were roommates.” “Oh my god, they were roommates!”)

#sweeney todd #sweeney todd the demon barber of fleet street #mrs lovett #nellie lovett #tobias ragg #johanna barker #anthony hope #broadway #musical theatre #musicals #theatre #sweeney todd and mrs lovett #johanna barker and anthony hope #some of these are clearly from a non-canonical world where things end differently #headcanon #sweeney todd headcanons

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ddagent · 2 months

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"Good afternoon. I have an appointment at five o'clock?"

Aziraphale Fell smiled at the lovely receptionist in the dentist, who handed him a stack of paperwork after he politely reminded her - yet again - that he did not have an email address, had no desire to have an email address, and he had no issue filling in paperwork. She handed him a biro with a chewed end and sent him upstairs to await Doctor Service.

The waiting room at the Whickber Dental Practice was small: there were six seats, all told, and a sprawling figure with black snakeskin boots was taking up half of them. Upon spotting the figure, the hand clutching the clipboard fell. "You."

A pair of sunglasses slipped downwards and an easy smile bloomed on the other man's face. "Angel. If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalking me."

"Hardly. And I have a name, you know. It's not Angel."

The other man merely snorted and went back to perusing an out-of-date copy of Gardner's Weekly. Aziraphale took one of the empty seats opposite, nose wrinkling at the pen, and began filling out the forms required before his appointment. More than once, his gaze drifted to the dreadful man opposite him. They had first met in line at the coffee shop - where this awful man had pushed past Aziraphale in the queue. Next had been the pharmacy - where Aziraphale had let everyone bar him cut in front. Then the post office. The Dirty Donkey. Even waiting for a table at the new restaurant Aziraphale had been dying to try.

It was becoming rather ridiculous. Yet, Aziraphale had no desire whatsoever to get to know this man that fate kept throwing in his path. Aziraphale's gaze darted in his direction, following the long line of his legs. Even if he was bloody gorgeous.

Aziraphale quickly busied himself. He had forms to fill out. His brushing habits were excellent: twice a day, electric toothbrush, regular flossing. He began to falter, however, when he came to the questions on units of alcohol and sweet treats per day.

"You can lie, you know. They won't know." Aziraphale glanced up from his form. The man was watching him intently. "It's what I do."

"But they will. Know, I mean. They can tell from my teeth." Aziraphale, shame crawling over him, put down the accurate units. Ish. "For the best."

The man hummed. "I 'spose. But we both know that whatever advice they give you, you'll be back to ignoring it before lunchtime. Maybe at a charming bistro or a lovely patisserie."

Aziraphale flushed. He did not care for this man's judgement - especially from a man who had a beaten packet of cigarettes in his front pocket and a dusty mouth guard case that looked like it hadn't been opened since the 90s. But, before he could be drawn into yet another argument about social decorum, Doctor Sandwich's dental assistant appeared.

"Anthony Crowley?"

The man raised his hand. "That's me." He stood from the chair, hips swaying as he followed the assistant. Before he climbed the short flight of stairs to the dental suite, he stared at Aziraphale. "A pleasure, as always, Angel. Where will we meet next?"

"Nowhere, if there is a God."

The man, Crowley, threw his head back and laughed. He then offered Aziraphale a wink and went to his appointment. Aziraphale just sat, clipboard firmly clutched in his hands, and tried to focus on the fact that he loathed this man - and not that the acrobatics his stomach was making at the memory of the way Crowley had stared at him. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they were to run into each other again. Maybe.

Give me a number - that’s how many seconds I’ll spend thinking of an Aziraphale/Crowley AU to write for you in 200 words or more.

#aziraphale x crowley #good omens #ineffable husands #brought to you by my own dental woes #basically I'm fighting with my new mouth guard and my wisdom tooth hates it #dd: prompts #dd: fanfic

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bobparkhurst · 1 month

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Hi! I come to you for advice, as I trust your opinion in matters like this. Me being just a casual viewer of war shows, not interested in it just for the genre, should I watch Masters of the Air or not? Thank you in advance! 💖

Augh, I answered this, then my browser crashed not helpful. Anyway, the gist of this is, I am not a casual war shows enjoyer, but I am going to do my best on this front given I know the one war show I know that we both enjoy.

tl;dr: I think MotA has good characters, doesn't sacrifice telling a good story for historical accuracy and I've watched it like, three or four times now already.

So actually yeah, I'd suggest giving MotA a shot. I will not be offended if you don't like it, but I do think it's worth it.

Longer answer under the cut (and sorry, I did get rambly):

While MotA looks from the outside as more of an ensemble piece, it's really about four guys, and two of those guys are a Set. It is also very historically accurate, but it doesn't feel like they got super hung up on that, they get the balance that this is still a historical fiction show.

They do change things up in places for the sake of the narrative. This doesn't always work, a couple of plot threads get dropped in what I feel are clunky ways. Honestly, I think they just tried to do too much and it meant some things didn't get the weight they needed. Still, I found it a mostly cohesive story and strong enough to follow each of our main guys.

Be warned though: there are timeskips a lot in the second half of the series. These are telegraphed quite well but can be a little jarring. This does cause some minor characters to appear to randomly disappear.

They also do not shy away from injury or other horrors of war, so be prepared for that. If you want fuller content warnings, up for that.

So really, it comes down to if you think you're gonna enjoy these four guys:

Gale "Buck" Cleven and John "Bucky" Egan

The very quick way to describe these two are the classic quiet guy/wild child pair, but I think that does them a bit of a disservice because there's depth to both characters that really gets borne out over the course of the nine episodes. Bucky gets a lot more to work with outwardly, but I think they're both gorgeous characters. Their love for each other and how it is tested and reinforced and drives them is a huge part of this show. Austin Butler and Callum Turner have great chemistry, and in both cases, there is a real solid presence of the other when they're in scenes alone. Loved their dynamic with each other and with the men they lead.

2. Harry Crosby

Understated protagonist. He also gets a great character arc over nine episodes. Anthony Boyle is incredible in the role and makes him one of the most likeable and engaging characters I've ever seen. IRL Croz wrote a memoir A Wing and a Prayer which is refreshingly frank and quite funny in parts too, and I think that really serves here.

3. Robert "Rosie" Rosenthal

We don't get to meet him till a few episodes in, so he doesn't get as grand an arc as the others, but I think that works because we get to really hit the story of a guy who just wants to serve justice being flung immediately into an ongoing horror. We get to immediately contrast him with the guys who have been around longer. Also he's really beautiful and SO GOOD AT HIS JOB my God.

Also, while there are supporting characters, none of them really get the focus these ones do, so expectations should be managed on that front. That said, the actors are all great so I personally feel you do get a hold on who they are. Nobody expects you to know everyone's names. I am still only 70% sure I know who Murphy is.

(as usual, my favourite guy is a supporting guy but at least he gets some narrative explicitly discussing him and his job and also he's Raff Law so like, his face is distinctive).

Also Corin is in it for a couple of scenes so you should watch those if nothing else.

apologies for that getting long i love my boys but i also tried to be conscious of my war media nerd hat

#mota #answermywearyquery

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fayes-fics · 2 years

Text

Moments: Chapters 7-8

Moments Masterpost

PREV | NEXT

Pairing: Benedict Bridgerton x fem!reader

Summary: Slow-burn fic. Follow on to No Good Advice probably best to read that first. Read previous chapters of this fic here and here. In these chapters, James & his mum meet the Bridgerton family and Benedict makes a decision.

Word Count: 4.3k (these chapters only, 12.2k total for all chapters to date)

Warnings: none really - pining, fluff, humour, touch of angst. Ratings/warnings will increase in future chapters.

Authors note: I hope you all enjoy the latest adventures of little James Darby. Thanks as ever to @makaylan for her fantastic betaing and advice. Couldn't do this without you lady <3

Chapter 7: Moments from a family visit

Your carriage pulls up the long drive to Aubrey Hall, and your heart leaps. What a beautiful building, resplendent in flowers and vines. James leans forward excitedly, huffing mist onto the glass as he peers at the approaching house.

“Is this where Benedict lives?” he asks excitedly.

“It's his family's country home, darling, like Darby Hall is our family home. But it is not his; I believe he has his own cottage. Just like we do.”

“Oh, ok,” he nods, understanding better. “Can we see his cottage? I bet he has so many paints! Oh, mama, please? Can we? Can we?”

You huff a laugh. “Darling, I don't think his cottage is that near to here; I believe it is down in Wiltshire. This is Kent - that is a long way away.”

“Oh,” he looks a little deflated.

“But I'm sure Benedict has plenty of painting supplies right here,” you add, seeing James instantly brighten at that. “You like Mr Bridgerton, don't you?” you venture, a little trepidatious.

“He likes painting as much as me, so he is my favourite person ever,” James smiles gleefully as if that is the full measure of a man. “Except you, Mama,” he adds as a charming afterthought. The adorable little rascal.

“What would you say if I told you he wanted to spend more time with you?” you ask carefully, “not just painting,” you add as James goes to speak.

His mien turns thoughtful. “Why would I spend time with him other than to paint Mama?” he asks - a perfectly reasonable question.

“He is a… very special friend to me, from a long time ago. And a friend of mine must be a friend of yours too, James.” you reason. “Or the… friendship… cannot be.”

“He is very nice, Mama,” he says, looking far away. “Issy told me about him in a dream.”

“Who is Issy, my love?” you ask, wracking your brain for someone with that name.

“You haven't met her yet, Mama,” he says breezily.

You can't think of a single person he knows you have not met, so you just assume it's one of his imaginary friends. He has such a rich imagination you marvel at him sometimes - every day, raising this child is a new adventure.

Your carriage pulling to a halt outside the main entrance has your mind turning to your hosts. Butterflies roar as you see the entire Bridgerton family emerge from the doorway. Chief amongst them, Benedict. He is all you can see as the footman opens the carriage and holds out an expectant hand for you to descend. The urge to run and fling yourself into his arms alarms you - a person of comfort in a sea of mostly new, expectant faces.

“Lady Darby,” Violet greets warmly as you step out.

“Lady Bridgerton,” you reply, “thank you so much for inviting me early to spend time at your beautiful family home.”

“Please call me Violet,” she says.

“Then it's y/n, for everyone,” you insist, looking around politely.

Anthony steps forward with his beautiful wife “Apologies, my lord.” you correct yourself. “This is actually your home as the Viscount, isn't it?”

“Indeed, but my mother has always been best at leading introductions,” he smiles warmly. “Lady Darby, this is my wife, Viscountess Bridgerton.”

“Oh, it's been years, and I'm still not used to that title,” she says with a slight comic frown, “Please call me Kate.” warmly shaking your hand.

You see out of the corner of your eye Benedict is hovering expectantly, almost shyly, off to the side, slightly behind them.

James comes leaping out of the carriage behind you. “Benedict!” he cries happily and practically launches himself at the man. On instinct, Benedict crouches down to hug James.

That is rather a conversation stopper as everyone’s eyes crane to watch the young boy.

“That… is my son, James,” you say apologetically, “he has umm, been receiving art lessons from Mr Bridgerton,” you offer by way of explanation.

Violet has an enigmatic smile as she tears her sights away from James and back to you.

“He is a talented artist?” she inquires politely, but you feel there may be more to her question.

“Well, he is only five years old….” you begin.

“He's a master in the making,” Benedict finds his voice, “aren’t you, James?”

James nods happily, holding onto Benedict’s leg as he straightens back to standing.

You feel everyone looking at you, James, Benedict and back. A lot of thoughts behind silent eyes.

“Shall we head inside?” Violet announces. “You can meet everyone else later. I'm sure it's been a long journey from London, and you would like to freshen up and rest before dinner.”

“That sounds wonderful,” you reply, reaching your hand for James, making brief but meaningful eye contact with Benedict. He gives you a reassuring nod and smile.

“Come here, James,” you call gently when he doesn't move.

“I’d like to stay with Benedict,” James announces, grabbing his arm. “Mama said you might have some paint here,” he looks up hopefully.

Benedict huffs a laugh. “Maybe later, James, go with your mummy for now. I will see you at dinner, okay?”

James looks ponderous and then agrees reluctantly, “Okay.”

“What a delightful child,” Kate murmurs as you ascend the staircase into the house, “he has very striking eyes,” she adds a little too pointedly, with a smile you know has more meaning.

You know. You just know she has already figured this out; she seems too fiercely intelligent not to have.

“Thank you” is all you can say.

This is Benedict’s announcement to make to his family if he chooses to. You wouldn't blame him if he didn't; they seem quite a formidable bunch, friendly but rambunctious when gathered together. What a day this could prove to be.

___

By the time you appear for dinner, you are refreshed and ready to face what could be a gauntlet. No doubt there have been precious few other topics of conversation, but the young widow with the little boy who ran straight to Benedict.

“Lady Darby,” Violet gestures, “you and James are sat down here with me”. You take your seats and realise Benedict is opposite you, next to his mother. His eyes meet yours over the table, and he smiles.

You itch to ask him what his plan is for this dinner. You really don’t want him admitting to being James’ father while he is in earshot.

You are introduced to the remainder of the family around the dinner table, minus Daphne and her husband and child, who you’re told will arrive the following day.

Conversation flows spiritedly as appetisers are served. It’s unusual that all the children, including Kate and Anthony’s eldest son, who is three, are also at the table, but you’re glad James can join in. Experience what it’s like to be a part of a social evening. It’s been just the two of you for so long that you’re worried he will become anxious around other people. Luckily he seems unphased and engaged with everyone. Like his father, he can have an easy-going natural charm when he wants to. He has Eloise and Kate wrapped around his little fingers in no time.

“Benedict, can we paint tomorrow?” James calls out across the table as dessert is served. The conversation seems to quieten suddenly.

“If it’s okay with your mummy, yes, I think so, James,” Benedict answers, “if the weather is good, perhaps we can paint outside again.”

“That would be so nice!” James chimes, “I really like the easel you gave me. I’ve painted so many things with it.”

“You bought James an easel, my love?” Violet inquires gently, touching Benedict’s wrist, “Do you do that for all of your art students?”

“No, mother, just the very talented ones,” he replies, attempting nonchalance but coming out somewhat awkwardly.

Violet hums and takes a bite of dessert, then turns to your son.

“Tell me, little James, do you collect anything? Perhaps, oh, I don’t know, pressed flowers or something like that?” She glances briefly at Benedict as she asks.

“Yes!” James chimes, “I collect rocks! From places I visit, or when I see one in a pretty colour.”

“That’s fascinating!” Violet enthuses.

You look over and see Benedict staring at James open-mouthed. You'd neglected to mention that little inheritance. Frankly, there are so many similarities you almost wouldn't know where to begin.

“And what a coincidence! My lovely second son here used to do the exact same thing as a child, didn’t you, darling?” she pats Benedict’s hand affectionately but pointedly.

“He still does,” it has slipped out of your mouth over your wineglass before you’ve even engaged a thought.

Oh shit.

It’s hushed around the table now. Benedict's shocked look swaps from your son to you.

Your cheeks burn hot, “…or that’s what he told me,” you mumble mortified, putting down your glass to stab at your dessert. Too little, too late.

You can feel Violet’s eyes on you. An enigmatic smile.

“Benedict, dear, is there anything you wish to share with us?” Violet asks, feigning innocence.

“Perhaps later, mother,” he responds with a pleading look, glancing at James briefly and then back to her.

She pats his hand and smiles, then addresses the whole table. “Come on, eat up, my dears. This delicious gooseberry pie won’t finish itself!”

The buzz of conversation picks up again, and Benedict shoots you a look. You mouth ‘sorry’. This wasn't how you wanted things to go. You decide you have probably had enough wine for the night.

“Benedict, can I see your rock collection, please?” James pipes up as he cleans his plate.

“Yes, James, but sadly, it’s not here,” Benedict explains.

“Is it in Wiltshire? Mummy says that’s where your cottage is. We have a little cottage too, and it’s my most favourite house we own. When can we visit your cottage?”

You almost drop your spoon. If it was quiet before when they conversed, it’s silent now.

“James, it’s rude to ask for an invitation to someone’s house,” you admonish tacitly.

“No, not at all. Of course, you are most welcome. You can accompany me to Wiltshire next time I go,” Benedict nods, “I shall invite some other students of mine, make it an artists retreat, as such” you can tell he is covering his tracks a little.

“Fun!” James exclaims.

Benedict clears his throat as dessert gets cleared away and after-dinner chocolates are placed on the table. “Everyone, I would like to make an announcement later in the drawing room. For just the adults.”

“What? why?” Hyacinth whines, “Why do we always miss out on the best information? I am fifteen now, brother.”

“Yes, and I am sixteen,” pipes up Gregory.

“I'm sorry, are either of those numbers higher than eighteen?” Benedict queries sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at them.

They both groan and cross their arms defensively.

“I'm five,” James announces proudly to the room, half understanding the game but enthusiastic about being included.

Everyone peals with friendly laughter, and Colin leans over and ruffles his hair affectionately. “Indeed you are, James.”

James' nanny comes to collect him and take him to bed, just as you all spill into the hallway on your way to the drawing room.

“Goodnight, everybody,” James calls, the little charmer he is.

There is a chorus of goodnight Jameses’. He takes his nanny’s hand, but sudden runs back and hugs you, throwing his hands around your waist.

“Aww, goodnight, my love,” you whisper lovingly, swaying him a little.

“Goodnight, Mummy,” he looks up at you with his big beautiful eyes, so you lean down and kiss his cheek.

Then he runs straight over to Benedict and hugs his legs.

“Goodnight, Benedict,” his little voice says.

A universe of emotions crosses Benedict’s face, and everyone else freezes in place.

“Goodnight, James,” Benedict replies quietly, patting his hair.

“Can I have a kiss on the cheek, like the other day?” James asks sweetly.

Benedict’s cheeks dust an adorable shade of pink. Out of the corner of your eye, you see Eloise's mouth drop open.

To your utter astonishment, Benedict leans down and hauls James into his arms, placing him on his hip. “It's time for bed, young man,” he lectures softly, then kisses his cheek as requested. “Now, do you need a bedtime story, or will you be able to read one yourself?”

The two of them together are your whole focus. You watch them clutching your chest, not even noticing the eye tennis of the rest of the gathering.

“I can read all by myself,” James answers proudly, looping his arms around Benedict's neck.

“Well, that's because you are such a smart boy, aren't you?”

“Yes. Mummy says I get my brain from her,” James replies, and Benedict laughs.

“I don't doubt it for a second.”

“She says I get my charm from my Daddy,” he adds with a winning smile.

Benedict looks over James' shoulder at you, and your cheeks burn. “I bet she did,” he chuckles.

You feel Violet looking at you again.

‘I'll join you all shortly,” Benedict says over his shoulder, giving you a lingering glance, then starts to walk away towards the staircase, James still in his arms. The two of them engaged in a quiet conversation, your nanny following behind them.

“I don't think this announcement he has to make will be much of a surprise, do you?” Colin pipes up cheekily once they are out of earshot.

You'd like the ground to swallow you up right now.

“Colin!” Violet admonishes, “whatever Benedict has to say to us all, his family, will be treated with the utmost respect and sincerity.”

“Yes, mother,” he grumbles dutifully, with an eye-roll.

As everyone drifts into the drawing room, Kate comes over and loops arms. “Pay no mind to my brother-in-law,” she counsels, “You'll get used to him. If you marry a Bridgerton, you’ll have to; they’re sort of a package deal,” she winks.

It's only after you sit down do you realise what she said.

___

Benedict slips into the drawing room about five minutes later and crouches down behind the chair you are seated in as you listen to Eloise rhapsodise about the book she is currently reading.

“I hardly think it’s going to be a surprise now, but I am going to announce James as my child,” he whispers, “I would like you to stand with me if that's alright?”

“Really,” you murmur, “why?”

“Moral support?” he shrugs, and you see a slight tinge of anxiety on his face for the first time.

“Of course,” you offer.

He moves to stand next to your chair and offers his arm. He walks you in front of the fireplace; you feel the literal heat on the back of your legs as you prepare for heated glances from the gathered family.

“Everyone,” he annunciated clearly, “I would like to announce to the family some important news.”

“When’s the big day?” Colin teases. Eloise violently tosses a cushion at him.

“Oh... no… it's not… that” Benedict suddenly looks flustered and drops his arm from yours. You lower your head. Nothing could be further from the reality at the moment, much to your chagrin.

“Tell us then, brother,” Anthony prompts, acting very much the patriarch.

“You all met James earlier, and well, although this can never be public knowledge, I very much wanted you all, my family, to know that… he is my son” his voice wavers a little. “Many of you may remember about six years ago I was… in a relationship with Mrs Darby before she got married to the man she was promised to her whole life,” he rushes to add, “and that resulted in, well, little James.”

He looks over at his mother.

“Mother, I know this is not the ideal way you would want to hear about another grandchild, who is already five years old, but well, I wanted to be truthful with you. And with you all,” he gestures around the room, “I only just met him myself a few days ago, but he is very important to me.”

Your eyes mist as he speaks plainly but passionately about your son. His son.

“Benedict dear, I am so very happy for you. And another grandson, I am overjoyed, and I look forward to spending so much time getting to know him this week. But, you do realise, this is not exactly the news we were expecting you to announce?” she says gently.

“Whyever not?”Benedict looks shocked.

“Darling, the minute he stepped out of that carriage, I knew. We all knew,” she explains slowly. She gestures at a row of miniatures on the wall depicting all the Bridgerton children. “Do you really think the spitting image of you would not be a total giveaway?”

You are instantly drawn closer to the picture; it looks so much like James you are speechless.

“This is Benedict?” you gasp.

“Yes, dear, aged seven,” she confirms as you run your fingers reverentially over the miniature painting. He has the same hair, eyes, and face; it's disconcerting how much James looks exactly like his father at a similar age.

“We honestly thought you knew that we knew already. And certainly wouldn't feel the need to announce it so formally,” she chuckles, “Kate and I had already discussed buying him some family blue outfits.”

You steal a glance at Kate, who just smiles and shrugs a shoulder.

“Wait?” Anthony says, standing, “You all knew?”

All the women in the room nod.

“I didn't,” Colin opines from the couch. “Well, not until he put the little whelp to bed, then I couldn't exactly unsee it.”

“I had no idea,” Anthony remarks, frowning to himself and then looking pointedly at his wife. Her smirk gets even bigger.

“What a surprise, always the men who are the last to cotton on,” Eloise mutters, rolling her eyes.

Anthony shoots her a look and then clamps his hand onto Benedict's shoulder. “Well, maybe not traditional circumstances, but I’m happy for you, brother. Welcome to fatherhood.”

“Thank you, brother,” Benedict exhales, looking relieved.

“So... no other news?” Violet inquires.

“No, mother,” Benedict says brusquely and a little too pointedly.

“Hmm, shame,” she mutters under her breath and smiles indulgently at you.

A little while later, you see Violet take Benedict's arm and whisper something in his ear. You have no idea what, but it looks like he is getting a stern but loving motherly lecture.

When she is done, he looks over at you in a way that is so intense and full of longing it steals your breath.

Suddenly light-headed, you have to excuse yourself for the night.

Chapter 8: Moments from a country ball

The next evening the ballroom of Aubrey Hall is humming with people and looks beautiful. The bustle of staff setting out flowers earlier in the day has been replaced by the lazier-paced members of the Ton admiring the floral displays and quaffing their champagne.

You nervously smooth your gloved hands down over your blue dress. You specifically asked Madam Delacroix to make you a gown that would match the Bridgerton family colours. She had just winked. “Certainly, ma cherie, they are quite the family”. The lady knows far too many secrets.

With James tucked up in bed for the evening after a fun day exploring the estate just the two of you, it’s your chance to enjoy some grown-up company. You grab a glass of champagne and watch the assembled young ladies and gents take their place for the first dance.

Suddenly you feel a presence by your left side.

“You look beautiful,” Benedict murmurs. All of your body lights up from just a simple compliment.

“Thank you,” you say quietly and bump him lightly with your shoulder, “and you look very handsome,” you add, looking up into his eyes.

Oh god, that was a mistake. Trapped again. Unable to look away.

“I was hoping you would do me the honour of a dance, Mrs Darby,” sotto voce, your gaze still locked on his.

“Don’t call me that,” you implore, “please just call me by my first name.”

“Will you do me the honour of a dance, y/n?” he amends a little smirk on his lips.

“Yes,” you are far too breathy.

You have never danced with him before. The simple act of being in a respectable hold sends your thoughts scattering. In the past, you have mapped every inch of this man’s body with your tongue, but the feel of his arm curled gently around your back undoes you.

You are swept up into the dance. Into him. The father of your child. The best lover you ever had. The person that feels most like home and an adventure all at once.

“What are you thinking about?” He asks quietly after a few minutes as you move around the dancefloor, “you look so wistful.”

“You,” you admit simply.

“Oh,” he looks bashful, “what about me?”

“How different things can be after so many years, but also strangely how it can be as if no time has passed at all.” you sigh.

He inhaled sharply. “I couldn’t agree more” his intense gaze drops to your lips as the music ends, but you stay locked in each other’s arms.

“Benedict…” you stutter, “I….”

“Is this the reason?” A woman’s voice cuts into your reverie.

You look over to see Miss Elliott standing nearby, arms crossed, looking at Benedict with a sour expression.

“Miss Elliott?” You greet hesitantly.

Her head whips to you, and she frowns when she recognises you “wait… Mrs Darby?” she shakes her head a little “You? You are the one he…” she stops mid-sentence looking stunned.

“Oh….” She turns her heel and bustles away.

“Miss Elliott,” Benedict calls, “wait.”

He gives you an apologetic look and then takes off after her, leaving you suddenly alone on the dancefloor.

You feel eyes on you, those who just witnessed the odd moment. So you walk briskly to grab a refreshment before anyone can corner you and ask questions. You plan to retire to the terrace to get some air, your thoughts a jumble.

As you step outside, you revel in the feel of the evening air, cool on your skin. You take a sip of lemonade and look around for a seat until you hear voices below. Curious, you move into earshot.

“…I thought we had an agreement,” the woman sighs.

“Circumstances have altered,” is the reply. You’d recognise that voice anywhere.

Benedict.

You know you shouldn’t, but you draw closer, standing behind a stone column so you'll be hidden even if they look up.

“How?” she asks; a peek around the column tells you it's Miss Elliott.

“I am reconsidering how my future may look,” he says slowly. “I have recently received news that has, well, it’s changed my whole life. My whole perspective on everything; I desire and want for things I thought impossible.”

Your heart pounds.

“What?” She asks.

Yes, what? You think.

“A wife I love. Children.”

Those five words have you spinning.

“I thought that the exact opposite of what you wanted?” She argues

“It was,” he admits, “but sometimes life throws you the most… amazing surprises, and I would be a fool not to at least try to get what I want. What I’ve always wanted.”

You feel your hands shaking.

“Is it her? Mrs Darby? The one to whom your heart belongs? I saw the way you two were looking at each other when you were dancing.”

“It’s not just her,” his voice emotional, “it’s someone else. A very special someone I recently met.”

Oh god, he means James.

“Someone so perfect and wonderful. The love I feel for them. Even though I’ve only spent a few precious moments with them… It’s so profound and life-altering. I never knew…” he sounds choked up.

You feel a tear roll down your face.

“You are irrevocably in love, aren’t you?” She says quietly, resigned.

There is no audible response.

She sighs. “Where does that leave me?”

“I am so sorry,” he replies sincerely, “I will try my best to find you another who would be favourable to this type of match. I know of some artists who have such arrangements. Perhaps they have friends seeking the same. So you can be free to love who you love.”

“Mr Bridgerton, thank you, but… I will be okay. I am not annoyed. Just disappointed. This was always about convenience. I wish nothing but the best for you. I just hope it works out for you.”

“So do I”, you hear him sigh. Then the crunch of footsteps on gravel as one, if not both, of them walk away.

You stay leaning against the column, closing your eyes, your head spinning with all you just overheard.

So wrapped up in your thoughts and feelings that you don’t hear footsteps up the stone steps from the garden below until it’s too late to flee.

“Y/n?” You open your eyes and see him standing a few feet before you. “Are you okay?”

“Yes, it's a little stuffy inside; I came out just this moment for some air,” you lie.

He steps closer. “Why have you been crying?” His voice suddenly filled with concern.

“Benedict…” you breathe, and his arms enclose you in a tight embrace.

“What happened? Tell me,” he implores, rocking you gently. His cheek pressed against your temple. The warmth of his body seeping into yours.

You can’t tell him you are crying because you overheard him, all the beautiful things he said; it feels like such an invasion of his privacy.

“No, no, I’m okay,” you dismiss, “just happy tears,” your explanation is intentionally vague.

“Happy tears? What do you mean?” He cranes his head back slightly and looks at you, confused.

“I… just… I can’t explain it. But please just hold me,” you whisper.

“Of course. Always,” he breathes, and you wrap yourself around him, pressing your face into his neck, inhaling his scent. He says nothing, just lets you stand in his arms.

Unseen by you both, Violet appears in the doorway to the terrace and smiles to herself.

#benedict bridgerton fanfiction #benedict bridgerton x reader #benedict bridgerton x female reader #benedict bridgerton x you #benedict bridgerton x y/n #benedict bridgerton imagine #benedict bridgerton fluff #benedict bridgerton #bridgerton fanfiction #bridgerton

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lumaxramblings · 1 year

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How does the relationship advice Max gave relate to childhood trauma?

I HOPED SOMEONE WOULD ASK LETS GO

so this is the advice she gives to el, right? what i'm going to go into here is max's trauma about her parents' divorce and her feelings on her stepfather.

this is quite long so i've divided it in parts for you: part 1 which has two sections ('the divorce' and 'emotional abuse') and part 2 which has one section ('conclusion'). the first two sections are basically explaining what happened within max's family, the conclusion is how it all affects max and a tl;dr of sorts.

ALSO THIS IS NOT BILLY HARGROVE FRIENDLY, GO AWAY BILLY STANS

TRIGGER WARNINGS: discussions of divorce and emotional child abuse (nothing graphic)

THE DIVORCE

so, the first question out of the way: can divorce cause trauma? the answer is a quick and easy yes, especially in max's case.

in the book runaway max, which is probably at least half-canon, max describes both her parents. her mother seems to be quite weak-willed, but still seems to just want the best for max. however, it is clear that max doesn't get nearly as support as she needs from her. max is an incredibly understanding and kind child, because she understands that her mom isn't really the supportive type, more like someone who takes care of her without the emotional support part. (NOTE: susan is NOT abusive. one of the reasons why she can't support her daughter is because they understand the world, themselves and each other in drastically different ways: susan cannot reach out to max because she doesn't understand her, and therefore cannot give her the emotional help or support she needs).

sam (max's father) on the other hand clearly understands max much better and doesn't question her boyish style or how she's Different than others (which could be autistic coding but thats for another day asjhshjs). in this case, he could be there, but he isn't, being too busy for her.

we can assume that max, as she was so young, was not given a talk about the divorce as a whole after the divorce had actually happened, given that her mother doesn't really seem the type for big, emotional conversations. she most likely got a simplified version of what was happening and why she'd be seeing her dad less because she was so young (around 8-9 based on max/billy's memories), which lead to misunderstanding and, as her father understood her more, she was naturally defensive of her dad (which is why we see her quick to defend him in the bus talk), and naturally a little resentful of her mom, especially considering she didn't truly grasp what had actually happened due to being so young.

this resentment would grow when susan starts dating again: in runaway max, it's mentioned that susan had flit from boyfriend to boyfriend, each of which eventually leaves because of personal issues (gambling, debts, etc). max sees this as a kind of betrayal to sam, and a complete change in what her family had been like - she would later know, around s2, that the cracks had always been there, and it was just a matter of time, but for now she's too young to think that her ex-family was anything but perfect, so she holds resentment towards her mom and starts to put her dad on a pedastal, as well as thinking that men are liars and cheaters.

EMOTIONAL ABUSE

then susan marries neil, and with him comes billy. max, at first, was hopeful that she'd have a family again after her last one broke, only to be let down very quickly. here's a heartbreaking excerpt from runaway max:

billy doesn't treat her like a sister: in fact, he insists she's not his sister constantly, and emotionally abuses her.

'yes, yes, anthony, but what is emotional abuse?' i hear you cry. here's a definition from google itself:

Emotional abuse involves controlling another person by using emotions to criticize, embarrass, shame, blame, or otherwise manipulate them. While most common in dating and married relationships, mental or emotional abuse can occur in any relationship—including among friends, family members, and co-workers.

the parts in bold are the parts that are relevant to max herself and billy's abuse of her. here's some symptoms and signs of emotional abuse, as well as some examples of said symptoms, taken from healthyplace.com:

you'll notice that billy has almost all the signs and shows off many of the examples given, particularly in episode two. there's this great post by @madcleradin (hey sierra, tell me if you want be untagged) with my reblogs to show the examples themselves and this is the root of max's self hatred and self blame, but the very short tl;dr version is that his abuse of her affects her perception of others and herself in a negative way.

neil also plays a role in this - max probably thought he was just another one in the list of shitty boyfriends, except when things started getting more serious, she started to get confused, though she was happy when told that she was going to have a family again, because at the time she was still in the mindset that 'family = comfort' because again, she was never told what caused the divorce, which lead to her thinking it was sudden and doesn't alter her view of what 'family' just yet.

she was excited to have a comfort, excited to have someone to talk to other than nate (her best friend), because she still associates family with comfort. but when billy abuses her, at first she's confused on why family would treat family like this. that's when her view of what family means does a 180º.

because they told her that neil and billy were family, she started associating the word 'family' with violence, fear and control. as she grew up, this just got planted more and more deeply within her, all while she still resents susan a little for a) leaving her dad and b) marrying neil and bringing him and his son into their life, a decision which has only lead to fear and pain on max's half.

CONCLUSION

you may be wondering what any of this has to do with max's advice to el. well, dear anon and readers, i am here to tell you.

in this, max isn't seeing mike as how she remembers him, and is thinking back to all those times those shitty boyfriends of her mom did the same thing, not realizing that it's not like that because mike genuinely does care about her and because they're fourteen (yk how when you're young you don't feel young until you look back when you're older? yeah that) it's not that deep yet. max has been thinking and calling the shitty boyfriends pieces of shit for years.

NOTE: max does NOT think mike is a bad person, nor does this mean she hates him. she just thinks what he did is shitty, but she clearly thinks he can make up for it (note how she says 'if he doesn't fix this, doesn't explain himself', which i doubt any of the boyfriends of her mom did). this is NOT a mike hate post, he's one of the characters of All Time, this is just about max's trauma !!!

now, this obviously isn't her talking about lucas (see here why honesty is a vital part of why lucas and max are friends), so max is almost definitely referring to her mom's boyfriends and can't see that mike isn't like those guys, as mentioned above.

this is straight up projection. really, all of max's lines regarding mileven this season are just projection, but this really shows. i cut out the part where she says that if he doesn't explain himself, then el should dump his ass because that, as mentioned above, is because mike is still her friend (if tentative because yk).

she doesn't understand why her mom can't just up and leave neil, and so when she sees el who she probably subconsciously parallels to her mother (in runaway max, her book, she describes her mom as "her personality changing into every guy she meets", so she's scared of that happening to el) and so she unintentionally projects her desire for susan to break up with neil onto el.

she wants susan to break up with neil, but as she can't have that and she has trauma from living in close quarters to an abuser she's dealing with her trauma this way.

NOTE: she is NOT using el only for her own gains. she genuinely thinks this is good advice, if only because of her warped perception of love and her mother's (failed) relationships.

this line is also evidence of max projecting onto el and mike, except this time she's not projecting her mom onto el, but instead herself. we know, via scenes in season two, that billy is extremely controlling of max. he gives her unspoken and spoken rules (unspoken would be don't speak back, don't blame him, etc etc; spoken would be the threat of what he'd do if she 'disobeyed' him). she has been controlled for a good near-half of her life via rules, especially considering we can presume neil also controlled her (although much less than billy did). she's been so roughly handled and controlled using rules, rules which she has to go by to survive in that household, that she literally can't see the tons of rules put on el being for her safety, because that's never how it's been for her.

a tl;dr of that paragraph: rules have been used on max with malicious intent for so long that max cannot recognize that the rules on el are for safety and come from a plce of love.

and a tl;dr for this whole essay: all of max's advice stems from her childhood trauma from her parents' divorce, her mom's boyfriends who were liars, and her abusive stepfamily

hope you liked this extremely long essay.... and aren't too upset when you asked for a page and i made you a book shshjshjhjss

yeah this was very long but i loved talking abt it, slr i've been busy but i've been excited to get this finished.

also... if im gonna be honest most of this was just me looking way too deep into what were actually just jokes abt female humor by the duffers and ik that but also like. its a trauma thing because max's experience of love and men is very different and shapes how she views them so ofc her relationship advice was off

anyways if youve read all that i'm platonically in love with you

#max mayfield #lumax #long post #anthony's maxnalysis #stranger things #stranger things 3 #byler #<- i like u guys so im tagging you if u wanna be untagged just send a reply <3 #uhhh yeah #i'm normal about her why do you ask.#i've analyzed her to hell and back good god #elumax #elmax #wow this was so longa #anti billy hargrove #anti harringrove

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thekatebridgerton · 10 months

Text

hello followers, and welcome to another episode of 'on a scale of 1 to 8' bro code edition. In which I rank the Bridgerton men from to absolutely worst bro to best bro ever. here it goes

8) Benedict: when it comes to Sophie, This dude breaks all the rules of the bro code, he is totally a) willing to throw other bros under the bus if he can spend time with her b) failing at wingman duty c) willing to withhold sensitive information from the bros if it means he gets to keep Sophie a secret and I don't know, in AOFAG He just gives off that kind of vibes, that not only would he be willing to date a bro's ex GF, if that GF was Sophie, he'd be the one causing the breakup in the first place.

7) Simon: self explanatory, he hooked up with his bro's little sister, which is totally against the bro code, he's putting Daphne before ANY bro night out and refusing to defend any of his bros if their significant others are attacking them. Simon, however, would not date a bro's ex GF, which makes him a little better than Benedict. He wouldn't even hook up with Sienna. so he gets bro points for that. Also, we all know Simon is also capable of stealing other people's GF, just because he's never done it doesn't mean the rest of his bros are okay with leaving their GF alone while he's in attendance.

6) Anthony: Like all Bridertons, exept Benedict, he IS an excellent wingman, and can keep the secrets of a bro. BUT he's a coward when it comes to his wife, so he would totally throw a bro under the bus if it got him out of trouble with Kate and we all know it. Does NOT believe in bros before girls, does NOT believe in defending bros. But he will bail a bro (most likely Gregory) out of jail while lecturing that they deserved it. When it comes to dating, the only help the bros get from Anthony is a list of who are the crazies that need to be avoided, on everything else, except parenting advice, the bros are on their own.

5) Gregory: I feel like Gregory should be higher up this list because he's just so wholesome, he's one of the nicest bro's in the game, he's a good wingman, he's good keeping his brothers secrets, he helps his bros out of sticky situations. And then I remember that Gregory, (for all his wholesomeness as a bro), has a thing for unavailable women, and has probably tried proposing to Kate and Penelope at least 3 times before they got married to his brothers. And he actually did end up stealing someone else's bride. Haselby may not have been his 'bro' in the strict sense of the word, but they still knew each other and went to school together. Gregory had his reasons, but he was not above breaking the bro code in a spectacular way

4) Gareth: I don't have anything against Gareth, but he kinda does give off the vibe that he can't keep anything from Hyacinth, so no bro would trust him with sensitive information, and he absolutely ditches wingman duty if it's way more trouble than it's worth. I can imagine Gareth being Gregory's wingman with Hermione and failing so badly at it, that he indirectly becomes the reason Lucy has to step up. But he's the sort of bro that gets points for trying at least, and we should respect that. Gareth would never date a bro's little sister, or ex, he'd never leave a bro alone to face the cops, he's a moderately good middle ground.

3) Colin: best wingman in the Bridgerton series, the only reason he's not #1, is because Colin would never sacrifice as much as Phillip and Michael did for the sake of a bro. But in everything else, he's your man, Colin will keep a bro's secrets, he will get the bro together with his girl, he will go above and beyond in the friendship department, hype up his men with super supportive speeches. On the other hand... He would still date his bro's best friend if Eloise had been born a guy. That's the only strike against him, and also that he's okay with throwing Anthony under the bus for his own amusement. Not all his bros, just Anthony. And only when he deserves it. Which is always.

2) Phillip: Was willing to enter a loveless marriage just to honor the memory of a bro. The extent of respect Phillip had for George, led him to marry Marina. And it was a large part on why he took care of her for so long. Phillip is willing to get beaten up by the bros to fit in, he's the guy who went trough every hazing ritual in the frat house and came out all the more manly for it. Also, out of all the bros, he's the one with the third highest alcohol tolerance meter, after Anthony and Michael. So it's very hard to beat him at drinking games. Phillip is just one of those bro guys okay. He does believe in the bros before girls thing, he'd never chose a girl over a bro, so much his bros had to practically beg him to just chose the girl, because they wanted Eloise out of their house. Still, he would never abandon a bro. the downside of this hyper wholesome bro...is that he does not know how to talk to girls

1) Michael: Out #1 best boy. Michael Striling, the man with enough self control to not seduce his bro's wife, even when he was dying inside. This man took being true to a bro's memory to a higher level than Phillip did. Because he actually LIKED his bro's widow. And never made a move until another bro practically pushed him towards it (see, Colin does have his uses) Michael may be the merry rake but this man would never touch someone else's girl, or ex girl, or their sister, or their bestie. he goes after merry widows and courtesans for a reason. Michael is a ride or die bro, so much even girls want him to be their bro. He will not throw a bro under the bus, ever, he will be there for every bro that needs him, even if it means leaving Francesca alone for a few hours. This man is so confident in his masculinity he's probably the one who organizes boys night out whenever he's in town. Because he just knows his bros need to unwind away from their wives. He's right. And we love him

but what do you guys think. Did I rank them correctly. Am I being too hard on Benedict and too soft on Michael? tell me.

because that's the tea for today

#on a scale of 1 to 8 #bro code au #benedict bridgerton #anthony bridgerton #colin bridgerton #simon basset

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stars-of-kyber · 11 months

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Kanthony + 38?

38- “You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

Ok, Anon, you inspired me.

Let's see Anthony and Kate and their completely crazy first date.

PS: I am a teacher. I am most certainly NOT a doctor nor do I claim to be. Most of the medical advice in this story came from @mimix007 who was a queen and helped me with the basic of humans.

Also, I NEED to thank all my girlies who read this but specially @waterlilyrose who embarked on this journey with me when I got the little lightbulb moment and sprinted and cheered me on me as I went through this whole mess today. Thank u <3

Enjoy!

If 24 hours earlier, someone told Kate Sharma she'd be sitting in a hospital room in the early hours of the morning, still in her nice green dress, heels and fancy lacy lingerie, her hair and make-up done, she would have called the person crazy. Maybe laughed to their face.

And yet, there she was.

She’s been set up on a blind date by Ben, her coworker from the gallery. Apparently, she reminded him so much of his brother and he imagined they’d get along famously.

Kate did not have the best track record with men, especially posh guys with more money than they knew what to do with, which was Ben’s family’s case, but her friend had shown her a photo and, well… the man was hot. Not just handsome. It was almost unfair how one man could be so sinfully attractive.

Even if the date didn’t go anywhere, at least they could have a bit of fun. He looked like a guy who knew how to pleasure a woman in bed and Kate most certainly could use a guy like this in her life right now. Plus, Ben wouldn't set her up with someone who was a complete arse, would he? They were friends and he was a nice person, he wouldn't do something like that.

Or maybe he would. Because Anthony Bridgerton seemed like a huge jerk.

Anthony, that was Ben's brother's name, showed up to their date late, looking a bit worse to wear. Don't mistake her meaning, he was still one of the hottest men Kate'd ever lay her eyes on, but there were dark bags under his eyes and he looked pale and sweaty as if he was fighting off a nasty hangover. The first few buttons of his dress shirt were undone and his hair sticking up a bit as if he had run his hands through it a few times. She wouldn't judge him if he did though, his hair seemed perfect to run your hands through.

He didn't seem to be drunk. There was no telling alcohol smell and his speech was clear. But he wasn't really alright either. He pushed his food around on his plate without really eating and he barely touched a drop of the wine he had asked for. Hungover for sure. Kate tried interacting with him, asking questions and offering information about herself but Anthony looked distracted, taking a long time to answer her, if he listened to her at all.

By the time Anthony started excusing himself to go to the toilet, Kate stood up as well. She was ready to tell him she was leaving and that if he hadn't wanted to have a date with her, he could have told her so and she wouldn't have wasted her time and energy trying to look her best. She really would have been less offended if he had just told her to her face he didn't want to meet her than whatever was going on that night.

But before she could get more than two words out, Anthony's face went ghostly pale, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed against her. They both went down, his skin clammy and feverish under her fingertips, his breaths heavy and raggedy.

Kate was doing her best to remember the few first-aid lessons she'd taken in uni, but she wasn't sure how good that would be. The first step was always don't panic and she was already failing in that quite spectacularly.

Perhaps he wasn't just being a rude arse, after all.

Kate had yelled for someone to get an ambulance, they had patched him up in a gurney and Kate hadn't even thought twice before accepting the paramedic's help to climb in after him.

Anthony had been rolled straight to surgery as soon as they rolled into the A&E and Kate was shown to a waiting room, a kind nurse telling her someone would give her an update soon. She tried calling Ben, to let him know what was going on, but somewhere during the chaos, her battery had died. She had Anthony's phone in her purse, but he had a password and all Kate managed to do was to block his phone for a full hour trying to guess it.

It had been a couple of hours of waiting nervously when a doctor told her he had a problem with his appendix, but the surgery had been successful and her boyfriend would be up to a room soon and she could wait for him there.

Kate only thanked the man and followed the nurse towards the lift without another word. What was she supposed to say? That they were on a sort-of-blind date, meeting for the first time and she had been sure he was a huge jerk until he passed out in her arms?

No. That wouldn't do at all. Kate was just going to go along with it, wait for him to wake up and managed to call on a family member and when he was properly accompanied, she'd go home. That sounded like a reasonable plan.

And that's how Kate found herself half-dozing off on a not-very-comfortable hospital sofa on the sickbed of her sort-of-date as the first strakes of daylight started to colour the sky.

That would most certainly be the craziest date Kate had ever been to. She doubted anything could ever come close to that.

From the bed, Anthony groaned, squirming on the mattress before his eyes slowly started blinking awake.

"What..." His voice was husky as he looked around, completely confused. "What happened?"

"You fainted…straight into my arms." Kate was up in a flash, reaching for the cup of water the nurse had instructed to give to him slowly. "You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

He started to chuckle, which quickly turned into a pained whine, as he clutched his stomach. "Oh, ouch."

"Oh God, I'm so sorry." Kate looked around desperately for something she could do to help, but of course, there was none. Damn her and her smart mouth. "I was trying to lighten up the mood."

"S'alright." Anthony waved her apology away. "Water?"

"Oh, yes! Here." Kate reached the side of the bed, helping him gently plop up enough to be able to sip on the cup. "Just go slow, the nurse said drinking too fast might make you sick.

"Too late for that, I guess." Kate looked up at him desperately, ready to bolt out to the corridor and find a nurse if he was feeling unwell, but instead, Anthony was smiling humorously at her. "Since I fainted and all."

"That's not funny." She huffed, pushing the hair away from her face.

"It is a little bit."

"You had to have surgery!" She stared at him with narrow eyes. "Your appendix was inflamed. Or burst. Or something."

"Which one was it?" Anthony groaned in pain as he let himself fall back against the soft hospital bed. "I think one of those things is considerably more severe than the other."

"I don't know. I went to art school, not med school. " She rolled her eyes, crossing her arms in front of her chest defensively. "The doctor didn't tell me much and I was kinda nervous at the time to pay too close attention."

Kate thought he'd call her out on her stupid comment, or say anything about the situation he was in, but instead, he just turned his eyes on her and asked: "Can I have more water please?"

"Right. Sure." Kate took the plastic cup back to the jar in the corner of the room, clearing her throat nervously. "I"m sorry I didn't call your family, by the way. My battery died and I couldn't unblock your phone."

"Thank God," Anthony whispered with a sigh as she stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Please don't call them."

"What do you mean?!" She squeaked. "You had surgery!"

“Do you have any idea how much I'd hear for this?" Anthony looked at her face and then at the cup clutched to her hand.

"Right, the water, sorry." Kate was back by the side of the bed. "What do you mean how much you'd hear?"

"I have a large family." He gulped the fresh water, sighing appreciatively. "My mother is... She's great but she's been telling me I need to slow down for a while now. If she learns I was sick and didn't get checked out, I wouldn't have a moment alone in the next two months."

"Trust me, I get the feeling. My stepmother is just the same." Mary Sharma was a force to be reckoned with when she wanted to be. She'd probably place Kate under house arrest and she didn't live in her family home anymore. "She'd probably force feed and not allow me out of the bed."

"I have seven siblings." He chuckled and groaned again at her surprised face.

"Seven!"

"Yup."

"I have one and she drives me insane."

"My mum could have someone on every hour of the day sitting with me. I'd never be alone again." He told her dramatically. "I'd not put past her grounding me and taking away all my electronics."

"I understand your suffering." Kate nodded sympathetically. "But I'm not letting you check out without anyone to watch over you. Is there a friend you can call?"

"This would be Simon." Anthony shifted in bed with a whimper, trying to find a more comfortable position. "But he's gone and got engaged to my oldest baby sister, so I can't really trust him with it." He sighed. "He'd tell on me the moment the phone was off and Daph's almost as bad as my mother."

"Well, that would be less than ideal, I guess."

"The only person I could trust to keep this quiet is Hyacinth, but somehow I don't see a 10-year-old being much help in this situation." He gave a half-shrug, clearly trying to keep his abdomen from jostling too much. "Well, her and Fran, but she's in Scotland and I won't have her miss classes to come watch over me."

"Can't you talk to Ben?" Kate rested her elbow on the mattress next to his arm and her chin on her palm as she watched him gingerly reach up to muss his hair.

"Ben's a tattletale and momma's boy. Mum can break him in less than a minute."

"What's the least worse option, then?"

"You really won't let me go on my own, will you?"

"Absolutely not." Anthony seemed to consider that for a moment before sighing defeatedly.

"I'll end up calling Ben." He sighed dejectedly. "He'll probably be able to hold Mum back the longest. At least he's got a flat I can hide on for a bit."

"Sounds like a plan." They sat in companionable silence for a moment, Anthony's face twitching with discomfort as Kate chewed on her bottom lip, unsure of what to say or if she even should say anything at all. "I'm sorry for the date thing." He told her, the tip of his ears turning pink. "I promise I usually behave much better."

"Well, it is a bit funny... After all the panic passes, anyway." Kate chuckled awkwardly.

"At least it's a story for the ages." His smile really was quite dashing, she had to admit.

"That it is." The silence that settled on them for a moment was a bit more light-hearted than the one before as Kate tried to gather the courage to speak. "Sorry, I really have to ask..."

"Hum?"

"People say... Well, my sister had an inflamed appendix and that's a really painful thing." Anthony raised his eyebrow at her but did not speak. "And for you to faint, you were probably feeling pretty shity..." She trailed off, unsure of how to continue. "Why didn't... You could have just rescheduled the date, you know?"

"I mean... yeah, I guess." His shrug was a bit self-conscious. "But I'm kinda used to some pain in my daily life. Like migraines from lack of sleep or gastritis from spending way too much time without eating or whatever stupid thing doctors like to go on about." Kate had to press her hand to her mouth to keep from laughing at the dismissive roll of his eyes. "And... I don't know... I really wanted to meet you. Ben talked a lot about you and, I'm not trying to be disrespectful or crude in any way but you're really beautiful." Kate felt a blush rise to her cheeks, unable to keep the tiny smile from creeping into her lips. "I wouldn't let a bit of normal pain get in the way of that."

"I'd say you underestimated the levels of what's normal pain a bit there, didn't you?"

"I'll admit I didn't imagine it would get so much worse so fast." He admitted with a grim nod before his eyes softened as he turned them to her face, making heat pool even hotter in her cheeks. "Please tell me I didn't ruin things and I'll get another chance?"

"Well, that depends." Kate grinned, her eyes alight with mirth. "Will you faint on me again?"

"Nop, never again." He shook his head, wincing as the movement sent a flare of pain up his side.

"I suppose we can work something out then." His smile was so bright Kate desperately wished to feel it against her mouth. To feel if those lips were as soft and plump as they looked. And so, to hell with it, she did.

Kate blamed the lack of sleep and the adrenaline and nerves from the night before for her poor impulse control. She leaned forwards, careful not to jostle the mattress too much and risk hurting him, and she pressed their lips together in the gentlest of kisses, just a brush followed by a little pressure before she pulled away. Anthony tried to chase her mouth, leaning forwards before grunting in pain.

"Down boy." She laughed, something stirring at the pit of her stomach by the way his eyes darkened.

"Come back here." His words were half a command, half a desperate plea. "Please."

"You just had surgery." She reminded him with a gentle pat on his hand as she settled back on the seat, trying to ignore the spark of electricity that went through her arm at the touch.

"One more." He pleaded, lacing their fingers together. "To help me heal faster."

"Na-hum. You'll have to wait." She tutted at him. "I'm not having a doctor call me out for opening your stitches or something.”

Anthony let his body rest in the bed, sighing in defeat, but he did not let go of her hand. Outside the window, the sun was slowly starting to show its bright face, making the sky turn a hundred different hues of blues, oranges and pinks.

"Will you at least tell me how much the dinner was so I can refund you?" He asked and Kate froze in the spot, her eyes growing triple the size of her face.

"Oh God..." She choked between a laugh and a desperate sob. Anthony's head snapped to look at her.

"What?!"

"You fainted and the ambulance came and they were taking you to the restaurant and I..." She covered her mouth with her hand, her face flooding with colour. "I didn't pay the bill."

They stared at each other for a few silent moments before they burst out in laughter, Anthony clutching his side with a grimace.

"Oh God, I can't believe I dined and dashed." Kate wanted to shove her head under a pillow, her face flooding with colour and her chest heaving from giggles she couldn't quite control.

"Please stop making me laugh," Anthony begged, although it didn't seem he was having any success in stopping it either. "I just had surgery and laughing hurts."

"Hell! Sorry, oh my..." She snorted, burying her face in her palms, trying to control her breathing. "That's so embarrassing, oh lord..."

And although it had been most certainly the weirdest date Kate had ever been to, she was quite certain it was one of the best ones, in the end. Well, after the panic passed, of course.

Ben arrived a little more than two hours later and the moment he crossed through the room's large door, Kate was sure Anthony had made a mistake calling his brother and not his best friend because Ben looked livid.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The tallest man cried in a harsh tone, sending the two other people in the room, who had been talking since Anthony had woken up jumping in surprise. "Hey, Kate." He looked at her, his entire posture shifting for a moment. "Thanks for sitting with him."

"S'all good, mate." She replied, blinking at the sudden change, and then Benedict's attention was back on his older brother, the sweet, funny man absolutely fuming.

"I cannot believe you, Anthony Bridgerton! I don't even...." The painter breathed in deeply, making a visible attempt to calm down. "You had surgery...."

"Emergency surgery." Anthony corrected, which did not help at all in his brother's attempt at remaining calm.

"You had SURGERY to remove your goddamn appendix and you didn't..."

"It was my fault, Ben. My phone was down and..." Her friend stopped her words with a raised finger.

"You did nothing wrong Kate, I'm actually really grateful for you sitting with him all night." His narrowed eyes didn't leave his brother's face. "You, on the other hand..."

"I am sick," Anthony warned.

"How long have you been sick, you stubborn idiot?!" The youngest of the brothers roared. "That's why you looked like shit in Greg's competition last night!"

"I..."

"And on Hyacinth's match!" He looked accusingly at Anthony, who had the decency to look ashamed. "How much did you eat in the past two days?"

"I don’t really see how..." The words were so low and jumbled Kate couldn't understand any of them.

"Anthony!"

"Alright, you're annoying, Christ!" The eldest sibling finally spoke up. "I didn't eat anything, alright? I was feeling nauseous, couldn't keep anything down anyway."

"You were drinking black coffee!" Benedict threw his hands up in the air in exasperation. "Why didn't you go to the goddamn doctor?! Are you trying to die?"

"You're being dramatic."

"I'm so mad at you right now, I could punch you."

"I didn't go to the doctor because I had a lot of shit to do, Benedict," Anthony spoke slowly. Apparently, his patience had run out. "I had a pile of documents waiting for me at work. There was Hy's game and Greg's swimming and Daphne's wedding planning. I sometimes have a stomachache, because according to that doctor you forced me to go, I have gastritis."

"You have gastritis because you spend days without any proper food, running on coffee and self-sacrifice, you pompous arse!" Ben retorted with a huff. "Hy and Greg would have understood if you missed ONE game or swimming competition. Daphne's wedding is more planned and organized than my life has been in the past, I don't know, ten years! And you haven't had a day off in three years, Anthony. The last time you did was because Hyacinth got a broken arm when she was seven." Ben clapped his hands in front of his face as if praying for something, although Kate wasn't exactly sure what.

She couldn't judge Anthony too much. She worked two jobs and used to work three until she had a burnout crisis the year previous and Mary forced her to quit one, kept track of Edwina's grades, helped Mary with the house and the bills and still walked Newton every day. Her sleep schedule was erratic at best and she ate only because her stepmother called her periodically at meal times.

Maybe Ben did have a point when he said she reminded him of his older brother.

"I don't know why you're so mad at me." Anthony insisted.

"You don't... You know what Ant, I'll tell you." The tallest brother lowered his hand with a strange fire in his eyes. "I'm mad because you think you are indestructible and you don't give a shit about your own health although you can spend literal hours lecturing us about ours. I'm mad because it didn't occur to you, at any point in the past week, to turn to me and say 'Ben, I'm feeling overwhelmed.' and..."

"I wasn't overwhelmed," Anthony scoffed in annoyance. "I had appendicitis."

"It didn't occur to you, at any point, to turn to me, or to Simon, or to Daphne, or to anyone, to say 'I'm having a very strong pain in my abdomen and I can’t keep food down' and any of us would have gladly stepped up to help you with all the shit you needed to get done while you went to a goddamn doctor instead of having to get an emergency surgery in the middle of your date!"

"Alright Benedict," Anthony mumbled with a mocking roll of his eyes. "next time I sneeze, I'll let..."

Kate understood the reluctant feeling in Anthony's tone. It was hard to ask for help, especially when you had people depending on you for a long time. How did you turn to someone that came to you for absolutely everything for years and years and said 'I have too much on my shoulders, I need help.' without feeling like an absolute failure? And at the same time, without making them feel like failures because you never told them you were overwhelmed.

Kate was also very, very bad at asking for help.

"You know what, Anthony? I'm not going to try to reason with you. There is no point, you won't listen." Benedict sighed deeply, rubbing the bridge of his nose wearily. "I'm taking you to Mum's."

"You're absolutely not." Anthony scoffed, trying to cross his arms stubbornly in front of his chest, but failing miserably when his entire face convulsed in pain.

"I can't see how your sorry arse is going to stop me." Ben looked triumphantly at this older brother. "You are going to mum's and you are staying there until you are 100% recovered from your surgery and maybe an extra week to be safe and you are going to eat three proper meals a day and work regular hours if mum allows you to work."

"You're going to have to kill me," Anthony told his brother completely determined.

"I am considering it."

"I'm not going."

"Oh, you are." Ben nodded his head and his grin was absolutely diabolical. If Edwina was looking at Kate like this, she'd probably have run for cover and it was clear in Anthony's face he would agree. "Please ask me how."

"I'm not giving you the pleasure." Benedict just waved his grumpy brother's words away completely at ease.

"It's not a problem, I'm telling you anyway." He rubbed his hands together and in Anthony's eyes, Kate could see he was considering just jumping out of the window not to suffer whatever fate his brother had planned for him. "Because I’ve already called mum," Ben lifted a finger, as if counting. "and Daph," One more finger up. "and I called your work and told them you're taking the next week as sick leave and are not to be disturbed." A third finger was lifted but he was clearly not done. "I have also already bribed Eloise with something she wants quite a whole lot so I think you'll be hard-pressed to get her to cooperate with you." With each finger that went up, Anthony's eyes went wider. "And to finish it off, I've spoken to Hyacinth and Greg." Benedict looked triumphant with his entire palm open in front of him.

"What did you say to them?!"

"I might or might not have implied that you are really sick and that if you don't rest, you might have a big health problem that will be a risk to your life." The taller man seemed to be feeling pleased to see Anthony so shocked in a way only a younger sibling could. "They're really scared, you know?"

"So, you lied!" Anthony accused.

"No, I didn't, you lout! If you don't fucking rest you're going to rip a stitch and bleed inside out or something!" Benedict stormed. He had also been to Art school and was certainly not a doctor. "And honestly the worst they'll do is spend a shitton of time around you and you'd never complain about that." Anthony did not seem to have an answer for that. "What you really should be worried about is Daphne. She was talking about taking a few days from work to look after you."

Honestly, if Anthony made an attempt to jump out of the window, Kate would probably help.

Anthony had been released from the hospital and into Benedict's clutches in the afternoon, with a list of medicine and doctors' orders to follow and several overprotective siblings to look after him at home. Kate did not envy him at all.

She had awkwardly stood there as Anthony signed a pile of forms under his younger brother's watchful eye and asked them if anyone could call her an Uber, since her phone was dead, which immediately prompted Ben to offer to just drop her home. And that was how she found herself sitting in the back of a car with Anthony Bridgerton as his brother drove.

He was sitting half-bent in what looked like an uncomfortable position, his mop of brown hair falling to his forehead, dark circles under his eyes. Kate just felt the desperate need to curl around him, have his arms around her, holding her tight. He had quite spectacular arms, really.

She managed to fight back that one impulse, too afraid to hurt him if she tried. It didn't keep her from reaching out to his hand, lacing their fingers together. Anthony looked from her face to their joint hands back to her face, a tired but bright smile blooming on his lips.

From the rear-view mirror, Kate could see Benedict's smirk, but she ignored it. She'd let him groat, at least for a little bit. He deserved it.

The car pulled at the curb in front of her small block of flats and before she could think twice about it, Kate leaned forwards, kissing Anthony with another of those ridiculously soft kisses, their lips brushing together gently for a moment before she pulled away.

"I thought you said I'd have to wait?" He asked, a satisfied smile gracing his lips as he looked at her.

"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure you'll need something to help you keep sane in the next week." Kate giggled as he groaned. "And something for you to think of, you know? Until our next date. Once you're better."

"I can't wait."

And really neither could she.

Anthony was a model patient. An annoying one, the biggest pain in his siblings arse he could manage to be, but a good patient none the less. He took his meds, ate his food and rested. He complained and bitched and moaned every second of it, but he was doing it. He and Kate texted everyday and seeing a message from him light up her phone make a silly smile take over her face like a stupid teen with a crush.

And finally, three weeks after their disastrous first day, Anthony got the all clear from the doctor and he was waiting for her at the door of a fancy restaurant, looking exactly like that hot, hot man Ben had shown her in a photo that had convinced her to accept the date.

"You're not going to faint on me, are you, Mr Bridgerton?" Kate asked, with mirth on her smile as she approached him, enjoying the way his eyes raked darkly over her purple dress.

"Not a chance, Miss Sharma." He barely got the words out before pulling her into his chest and finally, finally, kissing her properly.

It was a kiss worth waiting for.

And a year and a half later, Anthony's eyes were still raking over her, this time with tears pooling on them as her mother walked her down the isle, the flowy white dress contrasting quite beautifully with her raven dark hair and the henna tattoos on her skin.

"You're not gonna faint on me now, are you, Mr Bridgerton?" Kate asked for the thousenth time, smiling up at him as she let go of Mary's hand and took his. The smile he offered back was as bright as the sun.

"Not a change, Mrs Bridgerton."

Truly, that first date had been one of the best things in her life, after all.

#my writing #modern AU #First date #blind date #Anthony's just stupid #and stubborn #bridgerton #kathony #anthony bridgerton #kate sharma #my fic #tumblr prompt #Asks #medical emergency

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landslided · 5 months

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Sorry if it's boring, but continuing with LawRusso AU Johnny princess, I really like the "enchanted" movie and I can't stop thinking about Johnny being Giselle singing to the rats and cockroaches to clean Daniel and Sam's house lol

as a rule of thumb it is NEVER boring to send me asks, especially ones like these where i can have fun and think of AUs! and you picked a movie i love so this is just a win win for me!!

let’s get into it:

lawrusso enchanted AU is such a good idea im almost jealous i didn’t think of it myself!!

i think daniel and amanda got divorced amicably a few years ago and she still lives in los angeles but daniel moved back to jersey to be closer to lucille and he took sam with him (im imagining this as a story without anthony because it fits better, sorry anthony).

daniel still works as a divorce lawyer because that is just funny to me and it’s canon to the movie and he has this perpetual look of "im one shirt sleeve caught on a door handle away from snapping" look because being a single father is hard work and yeah, he and amanda co-parent but sam is with him most of the time and by moving here he’s always made himself more prone to special lucille larusso mother attacks of "you never visit even now that you’re so close" "you’re so skinny, do you cook actual food or just eat take out?" "are you coming for christmas? all your cousins will be there and also that nice girl you liked when you were a kid, judy? maybe it’s time to get back into dating, daniel!"

amanda has planned to come into the city to spend the holidays with her daughter and ex-husband and i see her as a platonic nancy role.

sam is in her full princess era and she’s making both her parents crazy with all the singing and dancing (and kicking furniture because she’s a karate princess)

meanwhile, in andalasia, johnny who is both prince(ss) and hero dreams of finding his one true love and sighs at his window. he’s been locked away in a tower by his evil step-dad kreese and he’s waiting for someone to come and save him (or at least just open the door of his magically locked tower because he can surely save himself).

carmen who happens to be a princess and hero herself has gone on a quest to save the lost prince of andalasia and with her help, johnny manages to escape the tower, defeat a forest troll and take back his throne from kreese’s claws. he and carmen tentatively get together (but deep down both feel this might not be the right fit for each other) and as johnny makes his way to his own royal wedding he’s sent to Real Life New Jersey and meets daniel and sam.

i kind of see giselle’s wedding dress for him but with pants for a more Realistic outfit but… screw realism i want johnny lawrence in that EXACT outfit!

also imagine scott mccall the equalizer soft mullet with a tiara, it’s just too good. ALSO imagine carmen IN THIS!!!!

you KNOW she would rock this!!

oh and yeeees, johnny summoning rats and insects in daniel’s apartment to clean and sam is SOOOOO excited because that’s a real life prince(ss) who also happens to be a great fighter and they do karate moves while also talking about johnny’s best friend, a chipmunk called bobby.

sam and johnny going on a shopping spree and buying a bunch of stuff and eating ice cream. johnny going to the hairdresser and having his hair cut to look more traditionally masculine (daniel doesn’t want to look into why it makes him sad) because he he keeps getting looks from people in the street for his dress and long hair.

johnny making clothes out of daniel’s curtains and daniel is all you could just ASK me for MY clothes you are not THAT much bigger than i am. johnny making a gi for sam out of pastel pink flower fabric from an old blanket and daniel is like okay… i have to admit that’s pretty adorable.

johnny in the park singing to daniel, who has been wondering if he should take his mom’s advice and try to get back with amanda, hoooow dooooes she knooooow you loooove heeeer (johnny stop, people are looking at us) and johnny has that giselle/animated princess innocence but there is still very much an edge of assholery to him where every time he can he embarrasses daniel as much as possible.

(carmen running around new jersey trying to find her prince(ss) and being like i kind of hate this i wish this was more sunny, also why do i keep getting questions about being on broadway what is a broad a way)

daniel and johnny fighting because johnny keeps saying carmen will come get him and daniel is so fed up with it ("no, johnny, it’s just not gonna happen." "no? is that the only word you know, larusso? no?! oh my god you make me so, so so!!!" "so what?" "so angry!" cue sparring in the living room because that’s how they deal with emotions )

johnny and daniel falling in love montage and then CARMEN AND AMANDA FALLING IN LOVE MONTAGE!!! YES I WILL SNEAK CARMANDA IN EVERYTHING EVER!!

kreese coming to new jersey to finish the job, daniel and johnny going to the ball and daniel giving johnny a true love’s kiss, kreese turning into a dragon and kidnapping daniel, johnny chasing them on the roof with carmen’s sword in his hand and finally getting rid of his evil step-father to save his one true love!!

"is this an habit of yours, daniel? falling off of stuff?"

"only when you’re there to catch me."

lawrusso new jersey happy ending and carmanda los angeles happy ending because amanda wouldn’t go to andalasia when sam is there and hey! carmen would love a break from being a fairytale hero! she wants to go to the beach!

daniel quits his job because it makes him miserable and he and johnny open a dojo together which sam is very excited about and lucille is so happy that her son has found someone and seems to be happier than ever.

they all go to andalasia once in a while to visit bobby and the other three chipmunks (you know who they are) and they all live happily ever after.

the end!

#thank you SO MUCH for this it was lovely #*asks #lawrusso #ask AUs

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