Common Adverbs

Forget me not

It’s been about a year since my last Miraculous Ladybug fanfic list. Given the fandom is three years old and season 2 is right around the corner (hopefully), I believe it’s time to relive and explore some of the best fanfics the fandom has to offer. By no means is this list comprehensive. Many fics aren’t on here. (I’m working on a list for newer fics, so stay tuned!)

Rainy Days by @thelastpilot (Not rated) A storm rolls through Paris and refuses to let up, so when a water fearing cat is rescued by the kind efforts of his designing classmate he starts to pay a little closer attention to someone he should have always known better.

he’s not a siren by @miraculousturtle (Rated T) Merman AU. Their meeting is orchestrated by fate, conducting them one at a time to step on the stage. With the flick of the baton, in time, they will sing the same song, but only if they aren’t swept away by the ocean’s mighty waves.

An Unexpected Surprise by @sweetprincessluck (Rated M) Adrien Agreste. Age 26. A successful international supermodel, currently changing careers to a CEO of a fashion empire. Was born and raised in Paris, had moved to the USA 6 years ago, came back for a visit. Kind, handsome, lonely. Had experienced a lot, had seen even more. Had nothing left that could surprise him anymore.Except, maybe, this - a small, blonde girl, with emerald eyes and freckles scattered across the bridge of her nose – a splitting image of his mother Lillian Agreste, excluding, perhaps, the freckles.Her name was Emma. Emma Dupain-Cheng, to be exact.

Obsession by @kryallaorchid (Rated T) Miraculous has unintended side effects. A chance encounter leaves Chat Noir in Marinette’s magic hands. Scritch and scratch, this kitty has needs. MariChat. 

Smoulder by @midnightstarlightwrites (Rated T) In which Adrien loses a bet and becomes an underwear model, Marinette loses her mind, and the whole fiasco starts a fire which might lead to the pair discovering their identities.

Retrouvailles by @gigiree (Rated G) There’s an art to telling stories. There’s an art to ending them. Just know that saying “the end” is just another way of saying it’s a new beginning. When she says goodbye, her luck is gone. His has just begun.Tattoo and Flowershop AU!

Over the Wall by @imthepunchlord (Rated G) The accident, while unintentional, was costly. For her wrong doings against Chloe, Marinette is sent over the wall to die. But instead of death, she winds up in a strange, unnerving world. Good thing she’ll have a cat to watch her back in this bizarre place.

Chasing the C/h/atwalk by @runningoutofink (Rated T) Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Lucky Us by @geek-fashionista (Rated T) -AU- Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s life isn’t going as planned: twenty-six, recently dumped, and running her parents’ bakery. The highlights of her day are the emails sent by her mysterious pen pal, Chat Noir. That is, until handsome model Adrien Agreste starts swinging by the bakery after hours. But how is he to know the Ladybug he loves is standing right in front of him?

Guardians by @wintermoth (Rated T) In the year 2015, Marinette Dupain-Cheng said yes to Tikki, the kwami of Creation. Two days later, Adrien Agreste said yes to Plagg, the kwami of Destruction.For the first time in over a thousand years, the cat and the bug were starting fresh. (immortal AU)

Découvrir by @xiueryn (Rated M) A decade apart and he still remembered her. Marinette contacts her childhood friend in hopes of rekindling their forgotten relationship despite him being a celebrity, only to assume him to be someone else entirely. AU.

Bare Necessities by @reyxa (Rated M) Art School AU where Adrien is the nude model in Marinette’s human figure class. Major sin warning but it’s more awkward than sexy. Definitely not for little ears… or eyes I guess…

Serendipitous Fate by @skaylanphear (Rated M) Adrien is excited to reveal his true identity, while Marinette is terrified. But Master Fu says they can’t afford to be distant any longer. Chat Noir and Ladybug are meant to work in tandem both in and out of uniform, their strength stemming from the bond created between them. Yet, teenagers are sometimes better at dancing blind than running with wide open eyes, even with the steps laid out before them.Steps in the path of an expanding world. Apart, they’ll flounder. But together, they might just stand a chance.

Tikki’s New Friend by @panda013 (Rated G) The dog was easily the height of his chest, and the young woman walking it could have only come up to his shoulder. But she was just cheerfully walking along beside the dog, chatting and laughing happily with a redheaded young woman. The dog was a big black beast—he didn’t know the breed then, nor did he particularly care, but it whined pitifully when its equally dark-haired owner paused to read a street sign. She just giggled and reached out a hand to ruffle its fur, and the giant’s tail wagged happily.

heartstrings by @zenwisterias (Rated T) one of marinette’s rare unlucky days turns into something treacherous. thanks to a certain cat, the real danger passes, but there are other things to be more afraid of. her heart, for example, might be one of them.

The Ladybugs and the Bees by @bullysquadess (Rated M) This originally started as a fanfic about periods and just devolved into crack.

You Don’t Know Me by @ferisae (Rated T) When Ladybug suffers a near-fatal accident and is presumed dead, it is up to Adrien - who has discovered Ladybug’s secret - to help her through her painstaking recovery and reacquaint her with herself. All this while trying to save Paris on his own without losing himself in the process.

Satisfaction Brought It Back by @siderealsandman (Rated E) Most people rekindled friendships with people from high school over Facebook or Twitter. Most people met for coffee, shared pictures of their bratty children, and sent old friends Christmas letters once a year. Marinette was clearly not most people as she had somehow hooked up with her former high school crush on a bondage dating website and didn’t know it until he was standing in front of her with an identical look of bemused embarrassment plastered all over his pretty face.

A Werecat in London by @i-am-thornqueen (Rated M) After an unfortunate encounter with an akuma while in London on a business trip, Chat Noir is forced to deal with the unexpected consequences. Can Ladybug help him return to his normal self, or will he be stuck for the rest of his life getting in touch with his wild side?

tangled ribbons by @demistories (Rated G) Marinette is a small studio dancer who wins a scholarship to a summer long ballet intensive. Adrien is a famous ballet dancer who would rather be at home than at said intensive. The end of the summer will bring about a showcase that could make Marinette’s career, if she can ignore Chloé and focus on something other than Adrien.

The Space Between Us by @chassecroise (Rated T) What’s a ladybug to do when her kitten becomes a cat?

Accident of the Evening by @thatwriterchickrachel (Rated T) Adrien Agreste, rumoured royalty, just wants a normal life. But one night on the run he meets Marinette, a normal girl, with a normal life. Marinette can’t believe it. Her long-time celebrity crush had crashed into her life and was now hanging out with her and her friends in between his busy schedule.With the Annual Parisian Masquerade Ball approaching, and an announcement sure to change everything looming over them, the two young adults begin a friendship and a double life.

Emergence by @artisticflutter (Rated M) They were only teenagers, but they are no more. Forced to awaken to new powers, both find themselves codependent on the other in order to survive and escape from their captors. They are Ladybug and Chat Noir - they are Marinette Dupain-Cheng and Adrien Agreste. Part One of a possible series.

The Lights that Lead Us Home by @oceanspray5 (Rated G) Based on @piku-chan’s Cinderella AU on Tumblr. Marinette remains at the Palace to train as a noble and Adrien takes on more responsibilities as King. The wedding is planned for the Prince and his Princess and despite any outside meddling forces, goes off without a hitch.

Le Chat Noir by ParadiseAvenger (Rated E) Le Chat Noir was the most popular strip club in Paris. Marinette could explain how she wound up there the first time, but she couldn’t explain how she kept coming back.

The Wingman Visits by @niuniente (Rated M) When Chat Noir finds out Ladybug’s real identity as Marinette, he also discovers her huge crush for Adrien. As a gentleman he is Chat Noir offers to be a wingman between Marinette and Adrien, trying to get them together.

Sealed away by @ashesandhoney (Rated T) Five years ago, Ladybug left Paris and left Chat Noir to learn how to keep it together on his own.Marinette is back in Paris with an internship at the Agreste Fashion house trying to get the spring show up and running and as much as Adrien appreciates having a friend at work, he’s distracted by Ladybug’s return and more Akuma attacks than either of them have faced before.Something big is coming and nothing can stay sealed away forever.

Cut from the Same Cloth by @baneismydragon (Rated T) When Gabriel notices that Adrien is collecting various supplies from his office, he assumes that his son has finally decided to show an interest in the family business. However when he tries to show his support by showing up at a school presentation, things quickly spiral out of control and everyone learns more than they bargained for

Désolé by @pozolegirl (Rated G) ‘The Cat’s out of the Bag’ as Adrien would say, and now Marinette and Adrien must work through their emotions during this new reveal of identities, all while Hawkmoth is hot on their trail and not about to let them slip away from him, taking matters into his own hands.

Sing the Song of Sailing Sirens by @princessofharte (Rated T) Adrien Agreste is the Pirate Lord of the High Seas, chasing a British flagship until Le Chat Noir is blown off course into a green storm.

This is not a complete list of the best fics in the fandom. Many of these authors have written multiple fanfics for this fandom and they are all amazing. Indeed, many of the fics on AO3 with the most hits, the most kudos, and the most comments were other fics not mentioned here but completed by many of these authors. Every work of fanfiction is amazing. If you want to help encourage writers to write more awesome fanfiction, please leave a comment on their works. It can be as short as “This is great!” Seriously. We live off validation.

It’s not narcissism if I add in my own fic here, right?

Was there anything I missed? Leave it in the reblogs and spread the word so that others–including myself–can read it!

Marichat Rec Lists: FLUFF

“So did you hear the one where a smooth cat and a cute baker walked into a fandom…” Here’s the first out of the multiple ship rec lists–starting with fandom favorite: Marichat! (Disclaimer: Due to the nature of these ships, some of these are not solely marichat) (Disclaimer pt.II: These fics are not solely fluff fests, thought I hope they include enough fluff to satisfy your cravings!)  

Feel free to suggest ones I may have left off ||  Ship Rec Lists || masterpost

* = unfinished

+ = mature/explicit rating

||italics = my notes

update 2/15/18: double je added to multichapter

Multichapter (word count next to completed fics)

Sunlight, Firelight, Starlight by adjit   (7,508)

* Lucky strike by Inkkerfuffle

The Consequences of Midnight Makeouts by Faequeen40   (11,580)

Quiet Ice, Silent Nights by Thelastpilot   (38,748)

Wherever I Go by senpop   (26,050)

Confession Rehearsal by Zaphirite   (11,628)

Suffer for a Secret by DarknessChill   (24,944 )

+It’s Always Been You by Starlenia   (43,692)

Make Me Like You by PrincessKitty1   (11,490) || drabble collection

+Both of You by Maerynn   (125,895)

*+ Humor Me by vanguardinitiate  

Dripping with good looks by TheHuntersCave   (4,335)

chat noooo by imthepunchlord   (9,560)

To heal a broken heart by Totally_lucky   (61,103)

*The kitten, his princess and cookies by just_kiss_already_darlings   (59,242)

Until I lose count by Baneismydragon   (35,389)

Little Princess by imthepunchlord   (9,508)

* Boutique by TheJulyCentury

You Are My Mission by ML   (5,932)

Ne Me Quitte Pas by imatrisarahtops   (43,357)

Stray Chat by Pozolegirl   (59,463)

Finding Home by Ran    (34,962)

In Sickness and In Health by kali_asleep   (30,013)

*#BonAnniversairePrincess by Lady_Lombax

Marinette, the Teenage (Sassy) Witch by fufflepie   (24,541)

* Have Your Cake (And Eat It Too) by LooseScrewsLefty, takethembystorm

* Caged by Their_Destinys_Writer

+double je by darkavenue   (22,508)

Christmas Miracles by wanderinglilly    (3,861)

Oneshots

Astoria by oracleOutlook   (2,586)

It was an Accident by Their_Destinys_Writer   (3,366)

Where We Love by Baneismydragon   (4,571)

+ Five times Adrien resisted and that one time he couldn’t by HiddenEye   (4,272)

Five Steps by eLJay   (2,000)

+ Dance in the Dark by MisterDoctorProfessorPatrick    (5,710)

+ Had To Be You by mercy_angel_09    (5,449)  

The @thestudyingapollo‘s guide to summarising dense and long subjects!!

Hello guys! I’m back to normal posting schedule with something that I had been asked before and that is: how can I turn my big ass dense pile of notes into effective little summaries? Well, brace yourselves because this is something that has saved my ass in more than one occasion, and I’m hoping it will help at least one of you too!! 

As you can see in the first picture, I was working on my pathology notes, which is one of the longest and most dense subject at my uni. I had to learn lots of structures, pathologies, test and names, and I was going crazy before I paired with one of my friends and the two of us turned that scary set of notes (seriously, 700 pages for one subject is no joke) into a manageable little pile of summaries, charts and diagrams! Here is the process we followed: 

First of all, we worked wit our original class notes. They were dense, so we tried to highlight, following a colour-coding system, the most relevant bits of information. And you may ask yourself: how do I know what is important and what not? Well, if there is one word or sentence that helps you remember the simplest concept you’re working with and construct all the details around it, that’s what you MUST highlight. Doing it like that, you can look at your notes and remember the core of the concept, and work on remembering the rest from that simple concept. 

This is no magic trick, you need to work in order for this process to work, but I assure you, it makes difficult ass subject with a lot of material much more manageable. So, don’t leave this for a week before your exam, you will die guys! Working on the notes from your class of that same weeks helps you in remembering what your professor stressed in class and you will identify the essential information much more easily! Of course, if you don’t understand something, look it up, ask your classmates and specially your professor, it’s their work help you understand the material!!!

Doing little diagrams and drawings in your original note will help you in remembering stuff and you can skip all the little details while making your summaries, concentrating only in the important stuff. The basic concepts will help you answer lots of questions in the exam and understand the little details and bits of information much better!

Try to make these little summaries after you have studied each chapter. To keep your notes organised, pick a color for each section: for example, I used orange for the digestive system, pink for the cardiovascular system, yellow for the nervous system, green for the lymphatic organs, and so on. Using bold titles written or highlighted in different colours for each section will improve your memory! Also, using BOLD TITLES is essential, and will organise your memory in little boxes and sub-sections. That way, you will remember the information easily, it will be like opening a Matryoshka doll! Of course, number each section of every chapter. Organisation is the key to success! (look at image number 3)

If there is one central branch of information, use diagrams to organise your thoughts! (just like in image 4). If there is something that refers to that information but doesn’t fit in the structure of your diagram, simply use little sticky notes! Again, use little drawings!!!

If something is too complex or there is a section that has lots of information, try to condense it into a table like in image 5! For example, in the table that you see in image 5, I compared the characteristics of the different types of Lymphoma! I put the different points I need to know of each one, and that helped me in realising the points they had in common and their differences; by doing this, you can learn the info that is common for all of them just one time, and then use your energy in memorising the differences, which is what your profs will probably test you in! 

Something important you need to know is that you only need to write IMPORTANT information. Especially in college and university, professor tend to ramble a lot when they’re teaching a class, and that’s why you can’t put absolutely everything in your summaries notes, because this is not a guide on re-writing your notes, this is a guide on how to understand and organise the most important information! The basics of your subject are what are going to give you the most chances to pass, extra details are going to give you extra points, but if you don’t know the basics, extra details are useless! Also, if you have to learn difficult structures, color your drawings (like in image 6), that way you can visualise its different parts when you’re sitting the exam! 

Use red or another bold color for essential info! Also, remember that you can fit a lot of info in a single sheet of paper, so try not to over do it! Too many colours can get overwhelming, and using a super duper small handwriting to fit everything in your notes is a waste of time. I know that the summaries in image 7 look super menacing, but believe me, my class notes were much, much worse. It doesn’t have to be super pretty or colourful, you can do extremely useful summaries with a blue or black byro and a couple of contrasting colours. You may think this is time consuming, but there was no way I could fit 700 pages of info in my head in top of three other subjects that were not much better! It also helped me make revision much more peaceful: when I looked at the massive pile of class notes I got nauseous even, but I could take my little set of summaries anywhere around the house and revise easily. Also, since I had already worked on all the info, revising was much easier, because I had already worked with my chapters and tried to understand them as best I could so my summaries and tables and charts made sense!!! 

So, this is the process I follow for super dense subjects, and it works wonders for me, but it may not work for you! I learn a lot of stuff by writing it down in a much simpler way than it was given to me, and it makes revision for me much easier because I already worked with that. I hope this helps some of you, and if you liked this little guide, I’m open to suggestions on different ones that you may find helpful!!! 

P.S: You can click on the images to see the little notes I made on them better!!

All's Fair in Money and ... Sex?

Fandom: Squid Game (Netflix)

Relationship: The Salesman x Female Salesperson! Reader

Age: 18+ Explicit (Under 18s go away!)

Warnings: Smut, light slapping (Once on face and once on your pussy), Dominant Salesman, vaginal fingering, rough sex, Brat reader, squirting, orgasm denial, bondage, face-fucking, blowjob, oral (F and M receiving), cunilingus, belly bulge, begging, angry/hate sex, choking (Hand on throat and slight squeezing), almost gagging (Salesman has a big dick), unprotected sex, nipple play, degradation, use of ‘slut’, P in V penetration

Word Count Total: 4023

Note: So I did another Salesman fic. This is full on nasty and surprisingly difficult to write. Thank you @god-like-eyebrows for the request. Thank you @jeonselca​ and @squidgamesmut​ for helping and encouraging me with the plot. It took a little time and I finally did it! I hope you enjoy and please do let me know what you think! I’d love to take requests for the characters from Squid Game. I have more fics on my masterlist if you’re interested!

Main Masterlist

Tagged: @philomaay @eleanorbloom @squidgamesmut @jeonselca @god-like-eyebrows @comegetyallvitamins @hexedcoffin

Summary: You’d do anything to be the better salesperson than your colleague. One day you go too far and this time he’s not gonna let you get away with it.

Keep reading

a large miraculous fic rec list

i’ve been meaning to do this for a while but i’ve finally got a huge fic rec list. like. there’s a lot

fics with little stars next to them are my personal favorites!

feel free to add on to the list! i’m always looking for more fics to read

Cute/Fluffy/Good Feels

Check Plus One by volti Rated T Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Marinette is finally going to do it. She’s finally going to ask Adrien on a date. Of course, this poses a bit of a problem when he asks her first.

The Two Of Us by AnabielVriskaMars 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 12/? Summary: Marinette watched Adrien with poorly concealed desperation. She couldn’t pay for college, or an apartment, or even her meals. Not like this. All she wanted was his advice, little good though it will make. Adrien held her gaze. “What if I marry you?”

Truthful Scars by frostedpuffs (another one of mine.. shh) Rated T Chapters: 21/21 Summary: Adrien Agreste has never been an expert in controlling his emotions. When feelings for his classmate in pigtails begin to arise, he can’t stop himself from seeing her any chance he gets—even when wearing a pair of cat ears and a black tail. Although his affections are strong and true, he doesn’t exactly know how to deal with them, especially under the watchful eye of his father. After all, what’s a boy to do when he accidentally finds out that the girl he’s got a crush on returns his feelings?

We Need To Talk by frostedpuffs (don’t mind me… just putting one of my own on here….) Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Adrien and Marinette have been together for nearly five months now. When an akuma attack hits the school and Marinette can’t get away to transform quick enough, Chat Noir comes to her rescue, but does something Marinette would have never, ever expected.

first day of my life by belligerent 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Gamer AU, Ladybug and Chat Noir fight akumas through online gaming rather than in real life.

Telltale by Zizzani Rated T Chapters: 12/12 Summary: It all starts with a simple injury, but slowly Ladybug begins to really see who Chat Noir is, and Adrien begins to see Marinette…

Keep It In Your Plants by Reyxa Rated T Chapters: 7/? Summary: Flower Shop/University AU! Adrien and Marinette meet after Mari accidentally trips over one of Adrien’s flower displays and their friendship blossoms from there. Lots of fluff.

Lucky Us by PrincessKitty1 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 8/? Summary: Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s life isn’t going as planned: twenty-six, recently dumped, and running her parents’ bakery. The highlights of her day are the emails sent by her mysterious pen pal, Chat Noir. That is, until handsome model Adrien Agreste starts swinging by the bakery after hours. But how is he to know the Ladybug he loves is standing right in front of him?

Tikki’s New Friend by panda013 (Amiria_Raven) Rated G Chapters: 10/10 Summary: The dog was easily the height of his chest, and the young woman walking it could have only come up to his shoulder. But she was just cheerfully walking along beside the dog, chatting and laughing happily with a redheaded young woman. The dog was a big black beast—he didn’t know the breed then, nor did he particularly care, but it whined pitifully when its equally dark-haired owner paused to read a street sign. She just giggled and reached out a hand to ruffle its fur, and the giant’s tail wagged happily.

One Thing After Another by SKayLanphear Rated G Chapters: 15/15 Summary: Marinette notices that, sometimes, Adrien acts a little out of the ordinary–like the time he stood in a cardboard box for no reason, or when he actually hissed at Nino. It’s only when she starts to notice the similarities between Adrien and a certain feline that she begins to get suspicious.Basically, Adrien acts like a cat when he probably shouldn’t.

inking indigo by matchaball Rated G Chapters: 4/? Summary: Marinette is used to the fantastic and the impossible; she inks them on people’s skin everyday and watches them spark to life as soulmates come to find each other.An inevitable fate, one might call it. As if there isn’t a choice. Such circumstance is more a stubborn inconvenience to someone who believes otherwise. Marinette makes it a habit of defying the impossible as often as she can, even in the face of the new boy at the flowershop who quietly enters her orbit and offers her uncharted gardens of stargazers and cosmos to discover and claim.

Pick-Up and Chase by SKayLanphear 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 7/? Summary: A story in which Adrien is flustered, Marinette is smooth as glass at dropping lines, and Chat Noir gets the romance he was always asking for–even if he doesn’t quite know how to handle it.

my compass may be broke (but you follow where I go) by HearJessRoar Rated T Chapters: 1/1 Summary: “No wonder you didn’t care that Adrien was getting all chummy with Ladybug, you’ve been sneaking around with Chat Noir! Does Adrien know about this?” Adrien, who was well aware that his girlfriend quite liked kissing Chat Noir, said nothing from his perch on the chaise.

Paws Fur Coffee by Zaphirite Rated G Chapters: 6/6 Summary: He was so sure that Ladybug would already push him off a rooftop if she knew his civilian identity worked at a café called “Paws Fur Coffee” of all names (the owner is a dog person, but he’ll take it), but his flub on the chalkboard menu just topped it all off. His neat handwriting read back to him: “Chai Noir”. 

Intense [Like Camping] by kali_asleep Rated T Chapters: 2/? (Hasn’t updated in a while, unsure if being continued) Summary: It was supposed to be the perfect graduation trip: four days, just the four of them, camping in the forest. But things just don’t work out that way for Adrien and Marinette. As it turns out, the only thing worse than an accidental reveal is an accidental reveal in the middle of nowhere.

Sleepy Cuddles by quicksilversquared Rated G Chapters: 3/3 Summary: Both Adrien and Marinette have the tendency to cuddle up to others in their sleep, as both Nino and Alya have experienced. So when the opportunities arise, they toss their friends together and let the snuggles commence.

Snuggle Bug by imthepunchlord  Rated G Chapters: 5/5 Summary: In the winter time, ladybugs slow down to hibernate, and have been known to stowaway inside homes for warmth. Marinette is no different. As a true, sleepy and cold Ladybug, she’ll latch onto anything that moves. And is warm. 

did you get my message? by mazberrypie Rated G Chapters: 2/2 Summary: After a long night of working on some designs, Marinette doesn’t do a very good job of checking who she is texting.

Freckles, Dots, and Ladybug Spots by caibi Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: He traced the spots on her skin like they were parts of a constellation; little stars that would light the way. He didn’t know he’d follow the trail to the one he’d been meant to find.

Black Cats And Curtain Calls by BullySquadess 🌟 Rated G Chapters: 4/4 Summary: The actor spoke out with a friendly smile, his voice carrying through the theater to fill each corner with a rich tone. Marinette could practically feel half the audience fall in love… herself included. ((THEATRE!AU))

Chasing the C/h/atwalk. by Inkkerfuffle 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 13/13 Summary: Paris. The city of lights, love and fashion. Follow the progress of Marinette Dupain Cheng as she enters the extremely competitive world of Reality television for a chance to be the winner of Project Runway: France.

Quiet Ice, Silent Nights by Thelastpilot Rated G Chapters: 8/8 Summary: Cat Noir is on a late night patrol when he catches sight of an elegant lone figure skater, and is surprised to discover it is his classmate Marinette.

The Date by Magical_Awesome_Kid Rated G Chapters: 6/6 Summary: They had a simple deal: one date. Chat had one date to sweep Ladybug off her feet. If she still didn’t like him in that way at the end of the day, he’d give up his attempts altogether. Ladybug took the deal, knowing that her heart belonged to another. But we know them too well.

to you, i thee wed by megamegaturtle (Added 9/2/16) Rated T Chapters: 3/? Summary: Married at First Sight AU. They didn’t know they were marrying each other until the bride got to the altar. And then panic ensued.

spin cycle by tonguetiedcat (Added 9/2/16) Rated T Chapters: 4/? Summary: Adrien Agreste is on his own. Twenty years old and recently moved out of his childhood home, he has to learn the basics of adulthood: cooking, cleaning, laundry. It’s all new to him, but he finds that it isn’t so bad when he keeps seeing a certain blue-eyed, pig-tailed woman at the laundromat. He can’t believe it to be a coincidence that they always meet. It has to be destiny. 

In Sickness and In Health by kali_asleep (Added 9/2/16) 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 4/4 Summary: It’s not everyday you see a girl passed out on a roof in the middle of the night. But when that girl is a certain Marinette Dupain-Cheng, well, there’s not much else Chat Noir can do but help her, right?

Blind Spots by laundromatic, qookyquiche (Added 9/2/16) Rated G Chapters: 1/? Summary: Cooped up for too long, a blind Adrien decides to take matters into his own hands by entering public school…without his father’s consent. What’s the worst that could happen, right?

Purr by frostedpuffs (Added 9/2/16) Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: One of Marinette’s most favorite things is the way Adrien can purr. Sometimes she just can’t help but reach out to pet his hair, even while they’re in the middle of class.

Talk To Me by 1004_Angel (Added 9/2/16) Rated G Chapters: 14/? Summary: Character A couldn’t sleep and decided to call Character B. But instead miss-dialed the number by two, and ends up talking to Character C, a complete stranger. But Character A doesn’t know this until an hour into the conversation when they call them by Character B’s name. And Character C finally speaks up to say Character A has the wrong number. Character A becomes embarrassed and hangs up the phone. But not before saving Character C’s number. Because you never know when you need to talk to a stranger again.

Soon Today Will Be Tomorrow by Reyxa (Added 9/2/16) Rated T Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Marinette plopped down in her seat, groaning. “Today has been just peachy.” “Sorry Princess, I didn’t mean to burst in like that.” Chat gave a small smile as he passed her a bandage. “I guess… I was distracted.” “Yeah I can tell something’s on your mind. You’ve spoken like ten sentences and not one of them had a cat pun.” she joked lightly. He shoved a hand through his hair. “I’m proposing tomorrow.” he whispered.

Step Inside My Heart by Reyxa (Added 9/2/16) Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Marinette held the the marker to her face, and Sabine watched on with fear. “Marinette, no!” But she was too late. Marinette had drawn a full, curling mustache on her lovely face. She giggled, pigtails bouncing. “Mama, I look like Papa now!” “Mama?” Marinette tugged gently on a lock of Sabine’s hair. “Yes, cherie?” “Why does he have Papa’s mustache too?” Marinette pointed at Adrien whose face was pressed against the glass protecting the pastries, green eyes wide. Sabine had to do a double take but sure enough, Adrien was sporting a marker-drawn mustache identical to her own daughter’s. “Well, Madame,” Adrien’s mother laughed. “Seems like our children are meant for each other.”

tangled ribbons by demistories (Added 10/1/16) Rated G Chapters: 12/? Summary: Marinette is a small studio dancer who wins a scholarship to a summer long ballet intensive. Adrien is a famous ballet dancer who would rather be at home than at said intensive. The end of the summer will bring about a showcase that could make Marinette’s career, if she can ignore Chloé and focus on something other than Adrien. Sore muscles, coffee breaks, and video chats ensue. And there is an awful lot of fondue.

Angst/Action

combining these two categories since I don’t read too many of them

Sealed Away by ashesandhoney Rated T Chapters: 29/? (Hasn’t updated in a few months—unsure if discontinued, but still worth the read!) Summary: Set five years after Ladybug left Paris and Chat Noir is still trying to hold it all together without her. 

cold floors by demistories Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Chloe/Adrien friendship. Adrien feels sorry for being a bad friend.

Serendipitous Fate by SKayLanphear 🌟 (who ISN’T reading this fic it’s so good)  Rated M Chapters: 19/32 Summary: Adrien is excited to reveal his true identity, while Marinette is terrified. But Master Fu says they can’t afford to be distant any longer. Chat Noir and Ladybug are meant to work in tandem both in and out of uniform, their strength stemming from the bond created between them. Yet, teenagers are sometimes better at dancing blind than running with wide open eyes, even with the steps laid out before them. Steps in the path of an expanding world. Apart, they’ll flounder. But together, they might just stand a chance.

My Last Thoughts are of You by SKayLanphear Rated T Chapters: 3/3 Summary: When a freak accident sends Marinette into critical condition, the only thing she can think about is Chat Noir. She wasn’t going to make it and someone had to tell him. Otherwise, he’d never know what had happened to her–why his lady had never returned. And, as it just so happens, Adrien is there with her near the end, so she decides that he can take the message to Chat just as well as anyone. No character death, I promise. (This fic will make you cry.)

The Tendencies series by KryallaOrchid Rated T Three fics, all complete Summary: Miraculous have side effects. From pats becoming a necessity to eating flowers, follow Adrien and Marinette as they come to terms with their new tendencies, and each other. Hawk Moth is coming.

bye-bye, little butterfly by theprimrosepath Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Adrien has to relearn a world without Marinette in it.

pour me a heavy dose of atmosphere by myillusionsgone Rated G Chapters: 12/12 Summary: there were too many secrets in this city, and sooner or later, someone would choke on them. — marinette, adrien. Nearly three years after they first started to be Ladybug and Chat Noir, Marinette and Adrien find themselves with their backs to the wall. Or so it seems.

Without You by Inkkerfuffle Rated T Chapters: 3/3 Summary: The apartment is far too quiet now, far too lonely and cold now that Adrien had moved out. It’d been one week since he had finally taken all his stuff and moved away, and it’d been six days since Marinette had finally gathered the courage to set foot back inside the home they once shared. It just wasn’t supposed to end like this. In fact, it wasn’t supposed to end at all.

I Do? by SKayLanphear Rated T Chapters: 4/4 Summary: Marinette and Adrien are getting married! Unfortunately, Adrien is bothered by the fact that he didn’t invite Ladybug, while Marinette gets cold feet every time Chat Noir flits through her head. A story of mixed up love, rash mistakes, and two oblivious superheroes who should have figured things out a long time ago.

Impostor Syndrome by highspeedearth (Added 9/2/16) 🌟 Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Impostor Syndrome: when you believe it is only a matter of time before they find out you don’t know what you are doing. Marinette had a bad day, and this time transforming into Ladybug doesn’t help. Chat Noir plucks her off the Eiffel Tower for a pep talk.

Breaking News by SKayLanphear (Added 10/1/16) Rated T Chapters: 2/2 Summary: A nasty reporter hunts down Ladybug and Chat Noir until he finds out their identities, before promptly releasing the information to all of Paris. As a result, Marinette and Adrien not only have to deal with knowing one another’s identities, but the rest of the world knowing as well.

You’re definitely sinning reading these

Satisfaction Brought It Back by siderealSandman 🌟 Rated E Chapters: 19/? Summary: Most people rekindled friendships with people from high school over Facebook or Twitter. Most people met for coffee, shared pictures of their bratty children, and sent old friends Christmas letters once a year. Marinette was clearly not most people as she had somehow hooked up with her former high school crush on a bondage dating website and didn’t know it until he was standing in front of her with an identical look of bemused embarrassment plastered all over his pretty face.

Sugar, Sugar. by BullySquadess 🌟 Unrated Chapters: 2/? Summary: Sugar daddy AU. She needs money, he has money. He needs companionship, she’s his companion. In which two people find the thing they need the most in each other….   

Sunshine by okapifeathers (giratinas)  Rated E Chapters: 8/? Summary: Adrien feels a little warmer than usual when he looks at Marinette today. It’s probably just the summer heat, nothing to worry about. Right? 

You’d Be Oh So Nice To Come Home To by Operamatic Rated E Chapters: 1/1 Summary: Adrien and Marinette are busy. Between their jobs, moving, and attempting to be actual adults, they’ve barely seen each other. So what happens when she comes home with a haircut and he’s sporting a new set of glasses? They break in the kitchen table, of course.

Le Chat Noir by ParadiseAvenger 🌟 Rated E Chapters: 10/10 Summary: Le Chat Noir was the most popular strip club in Paris. Marinette could explain how she wound up there the first time, but she couldn’t explain how she kept coming back.

Too Real by PearLynn Rated E Chapters: 5/5 Summary: She knows that her hormones will be the end of her, sooner or later. And with the way Chat is looking at her now, she knows it will be sooner.

Summer in the City by kali_asleep Rated M Chapters: 3/3 Summary: In which Adrien discovers that peaches aren’t the only thing in season.

Clear as Day by orphan_account Rated E Chapters: 5/5 Summary: Adrien blames his insomnia on Ladybug. He copes through the only way he knows how.

The Consequences of Midnight Makeouts by Faequeen40 Rated T Chapters: 3/3 Summary: Marinette has a very distinctive hickey and it seems like the universe is out to get her.

Porte-Boner by abadmeanman (Added 9/2/16) Rated M Chapters: 22/? Summary: Under the watchful eye of Alya, Marinette and Adrien discover that alcohol is a powerful social lubricant. One very informative game of truth or dare later, two drunk teens have to sneak out of bed and go save Paris. Sure hope that doesn’t become a theme.

Strictly Business by KawaiiKekeChan (Added 9/2/16) Rated E Chapters: 8/? Summary: It has been ten years since she had last seen him in the flesh. Ten years since their one-night-stand, and suddenly those mortifying memories were swimming before her. Judging by the way Adrien’s face has turned ashen, he too was facing a similar replay.

Smoulder by midnightstarlightwrites (Added 10/1/16) Rated T Chapters: 19/? Summary: In which Adrien loses a bet and becomes an underwear model, Marinette loses her mind, and the whole fiasco starts a fire which might lead to the pair discovering their identities.

Aaand the rest

some fics i haven’t read all the way through to know its category or just some i cant shove into a specific category (but still love)

Have Your Cake (And Eat It Too) by LooseScrewsLefty, takethembystorm Rated G Chapters: 12/? Summary: Of all things Marinette expected to find when she answered the knocking on the bakery’s front door at four in the morning, her superhero partner was pretty low on the list.

The Space Between Us by chassecroise (rhapsodyinpink) Rated T Chapters: 13/? Summary: What’s a ladybug to do when her kitten becomes a cat?

The Night Patrol by chassecroise (rhapsodyinpink) Rated T Chapters: 9/10 Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir independently discover each others’ civilian identities, and start doing their own night patrols to secretly learn more about one another. In the process, they find themselves falling even harder for each other—but when they fight together, both feel compelled to pretend that they don’t know the truth.

A Werecat in London by ThornQueen 🌟 Rated M Chapters: 25/? Summary: After an unfortunate encounter with an akuma while in London on a business trip, Chat Noir is forced to deal with the unexpected consequences. Can Ladybug help him return to his normal self, or will he be stuck for the rest of his life getting in touch with his wild side?

B is for Bourgeois by Zizzani Rated T Chapters: 7/? Summary: How will Chloe discovering Ladybug’s identity affect the way she views her idol? And the way she views Marinette.

Bare Necessities by Reyxa 🌟 Rated M Chapters: 17/17 Summary: Art School AU where Adrien is the nude model in Marinette’s human figure class. Major sin warning but it’s more awkward than sexy. Definitely not for little ears… or eyes I guess…

Pas de Chance by InsanitySilver Rated G Chapters: 1/1 Summary: A July night finds Paris tossed into chaos and two heroes scrambling for shelter. Ladybug takes Chat Noir to the only safe place she knows: home.

xxx by hchano, littleblackchat Rated G Chapters: 5/? Summary: He knows. The two words reverberated in an unwelcome mantra that haunted Marinette’s every thought and action. Brushing her teeth in the morning, each stroke echoed the rhythm. Every chewing knash of her teeth, every step on her way to school, every tap-tap, tap-tap of her pencil against paper rang in her ears, ‘he knows, he knows, he knows’. He knows I’m Ladybug.

boom, clap (the sound of my heart) by chassecroise (rhapsodyinpink) Rated T Chapters: 1/1 Summary: You can learn a lot of things about someone during a thunderstorm. Sometimes even more than you bargained for. (A post-Jackady Ladrien/Adrinette one-shot) 

How to Fail at Dating a Superhero by emerald_moons (Added 9/2/16) Rated T Chapters: 15/15 Summary: It all started when Adrien Agreste bid on Ladybug at an auction and won a date with her. At least, that’s how it was supposed to go.

Sting by KryallaOrchid (Added 9/2/16) 🌟 Rated T Chapters: 20/? Summary: When Chat Noir inexplicably disappears, leaving Ladybug beehind to face Papillon on her own, a new wielder is chosen to keep the akuma from swarming. Ladybug is adamant she doesn’t want another partner buzzing around and why is this newbee flirting with her? Meanwhile, Adrien just wishes Ladybug would stop bugging out and listen to him because his bee puns are fuzz-tastic.

wanna chat? by demistories (Added 10/1/16) Rated T Chapters: 8/? Summary: A hilarious group chat fic that had me laughing during class.

im sure there’s tons more i haven’t read so feel free to add on!

me, about to start reading “it”: wow i sure can’t wait to read more about my favourite boy stanley uris 

me, barely three chapters in: 

Masterlist

First: Million Reasons (22.02.2017) Last: Say Something (22.01.2019) Number of imagines: 129

This masterlist contains imagines of the following:

* 13 Reasons Why

Alex Standall

Clay Jensen

Hanna Baker

Jeff Atkins

Justin Foley

Montgomery De La Cruz

Tony Padilla

Zach Dempsey

* Arrow

Oliver Jonas Queen

* Celebrities

Darren Chen

Thomas Grant Gustin

Shawn Peter Raul Mendes

* Dolan Twins

Ethan Grant Dolan

Grayson Bailey Dolan

* Fantastic Beasts

Newton Artemis Fido “Newt” Scamander

Theseus Scamander

* Glee

Finn Hudson

Sebastian Smythe

* Riverdale

Forsythe Pendleton “Jughead” Jones III

* Stranger Things

Dustin Henderson

Jane “Eleven” Hopper

Jonathan Byers

Mike Wheeler

Steve Harrington

Will Byers

* The Flash

Bartholomew Henry “Barry” Allen

Francisco “Cisco” Ramon

all the love (under a mistletoe) . benedict bridgerton

pairing ; benedict bridgerton x female!reader

synopsis ; modern!au. you have been in love with your best friend's older brother for years. on Christmas eve, things finally come to a head.

wc ; 6k

warnings ; explicit lanugage, some allusions to reader having a shitty family, christmas angst, pining, one mention of margaret thatcher

note: i'm not british (english isn't even my first language) so pls excuse any inaccuracies in any slang etc etc... also this was supposed to be a smutty thing and no instead it's exclusively tooth-rotting fluff so I'd like to apologize.... merry Christmas??? if anybody does want a steamy part two... well, hit me up I guess!

i stole the title from britney spears' my only wish (this year)!

You never thought something like Christmas at Aubrey Hall could exist outside the hour-and-a-half runtime of Hallmark movies. They've got it all - the stockings above the merrily crackling fireplace, the Christmas crackers twinkling on a long table, the boughs of holly climbing up doorways. It's like a Selfridges on the 21st of December just vomited all over the place.

"Seriously," you say, blinking in a mixture of awe and fear, "how big is this thing?"

Eloise, much more accustomed to her family's display of wealth and Bridgerton harmony, shrugs without looking away from her phone screen. "No idea. Benedict is like 6 feet, and that thing is twice his size, so, like… 12 feet? I don't know, it's Christmas. You do the math."

She turns away, still glued to an Instagram page plastered with pink graphics informing about various social issues in carefully-designed typography, and leaves you standing alone in the entrance hall. If you didn't like the Bridgertons so much, you'd be the first to say their Christmas tree is obnoxious. It's a ridiculous thing, wide enough to commandeer half the room. It's covered top to bottom in tinsel, dark blue ornaments dangling from every branch and reflecting the light until the thing looks less than a tree and more like a hallucination one might have two hours into an LSD trip.

The London townhouse you've crashed at more than once after a night on the town gone to shambles is impressive enough, but the Brdigerton's ancestral home in the countryside is a whole other beast. From the sprawling gardens to the sheer endless rooms, from the stucco ceilings to the servant stairs, from the life-size portraits of nineteenth-century family members to the white marble busts, you half expect a tourist group to round the corner at any moment. You're pretty sure you saw a hedge maze on your way in.

Sure, you've known your college best friend Eloise Bridgerton was loaded, but you didn't expect this. Then again, her sister is married to a Duke and shows up on the Sun's front page semi-regularly, so maybe this one was on you.

"So what do we think? Sufficiently Christmas-y or too much?"

You sink your teeth into the tail-end of a scream, letting out a strangled sound instead. Benedict Bridgerton really is six foot tall, and fuck him for that. Couldn't he at least have been some sensible height? Five reasonable feet and seven nice inches? Has he got to be perfect? Has he got to be the six feet you've been dreaming about for the past four years in increasingly more frenzied fashions? 

He stands with his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans, with his hair tousled and his face relaxed into the same friendly, good-natured smile he always gives you.

"Uh… What?" Immediately, you curse your lack of eloquence. And earlier on the ride over, you'd sworn to yourself that, for once, you wouldn't act like an actual idiot in front of him.

Benedict, grinning, points forward. "The tree."

"Oh." You crane your neck back to look at the star mounted to the top, floating somewhere above the marble railing hugging the walkway to the second floor. "Well. It's very… big."

Benedict chuckles. "Yeah, I agree. I did tell Mom it was excessive, but she insisted. I'm pretty sure Hyacinth would mutiny if she ordered anything under ten feet."

You hum, faintly wondering what it must feel like to get a tree, let alone one big enough to get put up in front of the Rockefeller center. "Hyacinth can be pretty persuasive," you acquiesce, thinking with a shudder of the time the prepubescent girl stared you down until you gave her your brand-new Charlotte Tillbury lipstick. Sort of like being bullied out of your lunch money.

"You can say that again." 

Benedict falls silent, and for a moment, you just stand there, side by side, staring up at the tree. Dean Martin drifts over from the dining room. Your stomach is on the most terrifying rollercoaster ride of its life. 

Then, out of nowhere, Benedict says, "You're wet, by the way."

"I…" You splutter. "What?"

He nods down toward the floor. "Your shoes, I mean. You're soaking the rug."

You follow the line of his eyes down to your boots, still caked in the snow and sludge you drudged up on the way up the ten-mile-long driveway. A grey puddle has accumulated around you.

"Bugger," you mutter. "Eloise did say I could leave the shoes on…."

A conspiratorial grin crosses Benedict's face. He says, "Remember when you and El caught me smoking that joint in the study? I won't tell if you won't."

This is the thing: Worse than Benedict's six feet, worse than his messy hair and blue eyes and dimples, worse than all of that, is that he's actually nice. A genuinely good guy who talks to you like you're more than just his little sister's best friend, more than the annoying girl that gets invited to family holidays because her home life isn't the best, who moons over him at every turn. That's the thing that keeps you hoping, stubbornly, stupidly.

"Maybe you should go change for dinner," he suggests. "I'll take your suitcase up for you."

"You don't have to!" you protest, even as he's already bending over to retrieve it, even as you're secretly glad you won't have to try and lug that thing up all those stairs yourself.

"It's fine." Benedict waves you away, then tests the weight of the suitcase. "Jesus. I thought you were only staying for three days. What the hell did you pack in here?"

The sight of your bedroom floor at home, every inch covered with discarded clothes and toiletries and last-minute Christmas present purchases, overcomes you like a war flashback. "Uh… Books," you say, falling into step beside him as you climb the stairs together. "I brought a lot of books."

If Benedict knows you're one of the worst liars in England, he doesn't let it on. Instead, he hums Wham! 's greatest hit while ascending the stairs two steps at a time. You try your best not to stare at his butt when he overtakes you and focus instead on the plush velvet carpet and the actual footsteps you leave on it, cringing.

You follow him down a long corridor, past decorative Chinese-style vases filled with out-of-season greenhouse flowers. "This is your room," Benedict says, pushing the door at the end of the hall, somewhat separate from the others, open with his hip. "Eloise is just down the hall."

Like everything else in Aubrey Hall, the room is so tasteful you're scared to touch anything. Held exclusively in shades of pastels, in the softest blues, pinks, and creams, a huge four-poster bed is pushed to one wall, flanked on both sides by nightstands. The opposite side of the room is covered in floor-to-ceiling French windows that offer a spectacular view of the grounds, powdered with snow. Somebody lit a fire in here too, and above the mantle…

"Oh, God," you squeak, staring at a huge oil painting depicting perhaps the most miserable-looking man you have ever seen. Margaret Thatcher and her iron lady posturings have nothing on this bloke.

"Right, that's Uncle Barnaby." Benedict deposits your suitcase on a stuffed armchair. "Us kids just call him Uncle Fester."

"Yeah," you say slowly. "That checks out."

Benedict laughs. "Sorry, you got stuck in this one. All the other guest rooms are in the West wing, and Mom figured you'd be more comfortable not being that far away from everybody else."

The West wing. You get the sudden, spectacular image of yourself in an ankle-length lace nightgown wandering down stone hallways with nothing to light the way but a single, flickering candle. If you can fantasize about Gothic romances set in your own home, you decide, you should start thinking about downsizing.

"Right." Benedict runs a hand through his hair, and you track the movement, watching the muscles rippling in his forearm. He's wearing a grey cashmere sweater, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The sight could make a stronger woman swoon. "I'll let you get settled in."

You don't want him to leave. All your time spent with Benedict is stolen, clipped, bookended by family dinners, or movie nights with his sister. The closest you've ever gotten to him was when you all crowded into the back of a cab on your way to a club, his thigh pressed against your own and his arm awkwardly angled somewhere behind your neck. Just half an inch of space between you, but your ribcage cracked open like somebody wedged a crowbar in there.

"Where are you sleeping?" It's a desperate attempt to prolong the moment, to keep him in this room alone with you for just a little longer, and you regret the question the moment it's out. Either he now thinks you're a stalker or, even worse, that you're secretly trying to draw up a layout plan of the estate to prepare for your inevitable heist. You wouldn't be surprised if there were several million pounds in cash stashed in a vault somewhere in Aubrey Hall, and rent in London has reached astronomic heights. Who could blame you for indulging?

But Benedict doesn't look concerned. Instead, he pauses just a step or two from you, close enough that his shoulder brushes yours, and answers, "I'm right next door. Just knock if you need help with anything."

For a split second, Benedict's hand finds the curve of your spine, fingertips pressing through the thick knit sweater and painting a shiver down your back. It goes through you like a bolt of lightning.

Then he draws back as if nothing happened, gives you a crooked, curling smile, and leaves, pulling the door shut behind him.

You drop down onto the mattress with a groan, bury your face in the 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets, and pretend you're not actively trying to strangle yourself. 

"Well," you mumble, voice muffled by the pillowcase, "Happy Christmas to me."

+

Christmas dinner with the Bridgertons is a bizarre experience. Everybody talks over each other, Hyacinth and Gregory chuck spoonfuls of peas at each other, Colin spills a whole ladle of gravy across the tablecloth, Anthony and his wife Kate spend half the meal whispering to each other and the other half stealing kisses, Eloise starts debating politics with Simon (who isn't half as stuffy as you expected a duke to be) at the top of her lungs, and Benedict drinks at least five glasses of sparkling wine before his mother takes the bottle from him.

You watch the whole thing with a feeling in your stomach like a bullet wound.

After a dessert of indefinable mush Hyacinth swore up and down was her homemade plum pudding, you move to a large sitting room. There is a second tree in here, this one a little less obnoxious and covered in homemade ornaments, the exploits of eight children and countless pre-Christmas arts and crafts sessions. The crackling fire paints flushes into the family's cheeks and gives the whole room a homey, rustic atmosphere that seems at odds with the overall elegance of the house.

Everybody is allowed to open one present. You think you see the instantaneous regret on Violet Bridgerton's face when her youngest son unpacks his new portable speakers with a whoop of joy loud enough to bust several eardrums. Watching the pandemonium unfold before you, you sit squished into a corner of the sofa beside Eloise, your hands trapped under your thighs, and try not to feel out of place.

Maybe this was a mistake, you think to yourself. Maybe you shouldn't have intruded on a family holiday as you are, regardless of Eloise's invitation. It must have been a pity thing anyway, what with you saying you were just going to stay in London for Christmas, in your shitty flat with the broken radiator and the leaking pipes. You pretty much guilt-tripped her into that by mentioning the frozen curry you were planning to get from the Tesco frozen section, now that you think about it, and God, you were definitely forcing yourself on them, weren't you, and they were all just way too nice to mention it and…

"Here," Violet's voice tears you from the downward rollercoaster ride about to plunge neck-deep into the pond of anxiety. "Merry Christmas."

She places a flat present in your lap, wrapped in deer-print paper. 

"Oh," you say softly, and your chest feels tight like somebody is pulling a cord taut around it, "you didn't have to…."

"It's just a little thing." Violet has the kind of smile so warm you suspect it could melt ice cubes within seconds. "We're so happy to have you for Christmas."

You feel self-conscious as you unwrap the present, aware of all eyes on you. The paper reveals a picture frame, simple yet tasteful dark wood that feels smooth and supple against your skin. Behind the glass is a watercolor painting, a study of a tulip. The pink petals seem almost life-like in their detail as if a drop of dew should drip off the edge and roll down the picture any moment. You can practically feel it, wet and cold against your fingertip.

"Eloise said you're very fond of flowers. I thought you might find a place for it in your room."

For a head-spinning, gut-wrenching moment, you think you're going to cry. "I… thank you," you choke out. "It's… lovely."

Violet smiles and pats your hand. "It wouldn't be Christmas without a present. You didn't think we'd forget you, did you?"

They move on to Colin, who tears at his wrapping paper with such eagerness he gets a papercut, but you feel stuck. There is a lump in your throat, and you clutch the picture too tightly. Somehow, you realize, you did think they'd forget you. Only that's not really right. To forget you, they'd have to think about you first, and you can't imagine any of the Bridgertons wasting a single thought on you, apart maybe from Eloise. Sure, you spend more time at their house than in your own flat, but that doesn't mean anything, does it? It's not like your own family misses you much this Christmas. You've gotten more than used to being invisible.

"I want this one," Benedict says and, to your horror, lifts one of the presents you left there earlier. "I like the sustainable vibe."

Feeling obliged to get presents for everyone, you'd spent yesterday running through a department store for at least three hours. Mostly it's boxes of chocolates and a book for Eloise, stuff that diminished your already meager savings more acutely than you'd planned for. And then it had come time to choose something for Benedict, and you'd spent an embarrassing amount of time agonizing over possible presents. By the time you'd made it home, only to realize you'd forgotten to get wrapping paper, all the stores were closed. So you'd wrapped everything in the newspaper the ancient couple living next door hadn't picked up off their welcome mat yet. They're in Cardiff visiting her sister for the holiday, and you're supposed to be watering their plants while they're gone. Which is a task that might be a bit hard to accomplish, seeing as you're currently several hours outside of London. 

"Oh, that's… that's mine," you pipe up, then immediately clear your throat. You've somehow managed to sound like a cartoon mouse. An especially squeaky, pathetic cartoon mouse.

Benedict glances at you, gives you a smile he most certainly inherited from his mother, and says, "Perfect."

Whatever that's supposed to mean.

He has a similar approach to unwrapping presents as his younger brother, but at least he doesn't injure himself in the process. As you watch him, your heart beats somewhere in your throat. Suddenly you're right back where Violet picked you up, on the verge of anxiety about to perform one of history's most spectacular dives.

It might be dramatic to say that your whole life depends on whether your best friend's older brother likes the gift you picked out for him, but apparently, that's where you are now. In the most pathetic turn of events of all time, you're pretty sure the trajectory of your future hinges on this moment.

The improvised wrapping paper floats to the carpet like that plastic bag Katy Perry immortalized in her magnum opus Firework. For a moment, Benedict says nothing, staring at the gift in his hand.

"I can… If you don't like it, I can just return it," you say, even as you start frantically searching your memory for where in the world you put that receipt. Your heart is pumping blood through your veins at a pace that makes you dizzy. "It's not a big deal. It's fine, it was…."

Benedict holds the box of watercolours in front of his chest like some sacred artefact. He opens the lid and peers inside, examining the different shades wordlessly. Then he closes it, looks up, and right at you. A beat passes with him just looking at you, with your heart fluttering its feathery wings against the cage of your teeth, with you squirming in the spot. And then Benedict smiles, wide and bright and honest. "I love it," he says, "thank you. It's fantastic."

Your chest caves in.

"Oh," you whisper, half deaf over the rushing of blood in your ears. "Okay. Cool."

For a second, it looks like Benedict will say something else, like there are words forming on the tip of his tongue, and you feel like you're clinging to a cliff's edge by the tips of your nails. But then Hyacinth pulls the box from his hands to look at the paint, to run her fingers over the shades, and the moment passes.

If somebody asked you later, you wouldn't be able to tell them how the rest of the unwrapping goes. It's all a blur, a mirage of different exclamation and laughter and more or less well-thought-out presents that passes in front of you like a supercut, all of it accompanied by a playlist consisting mainly of Mariah Carey and Michael Bublé. You stay in your spot on the couch, still sitting on your hands, trying not to think about the way Benedict looked at you. Trying not to dream.

When the younger kids rope Colin and Anthony into a game of charades that requires an exorbitant amount of physical movement, you help the others clean up the abandoned shambles of the dinner table. Benedict is doing the dishes in the kitchen when you enter carrying a pale of plates so high you see nothing but the dried gravy Jackson Pollock sprinkled all across the edges.

"Careful." Benedict's fingers brush yours as he takes the plates from you and places them gingerly on the countertop.

"Thanks," you mutter, then spend just one second staring at the broad expanse of his back, holding your hands uselessly in front of you, before turning back toward the dining room, intent on finding something else to occupy yourself with.

Benedict's voice stops you. "Do you want to help me?"

You whirl on your heel embarrassingly fast, clearing your throat when you find him smiling at you. "Uhm. Sure."

He nods toward a dish towel on a rack and asks, "I wash, you dry?"

"Yeah. Sounds amazing." For a second, you genuinely consider slamming your head into one of the kitchen cabinets. Since when has drying dishes ever sounded amazing?

Benedict gives no indication that he thinks you might be the weirdest girl he's ever met, though, so you take that as consolation. He's rolled up the sleeves of his dark blue button-down again, his arms elbow-deep in the sudsy water of the sink, and you pretend not to notice the droplets running down his skin. Outside the window, snow falls in thick ribbons, covering more of the grounds. The faint sound of the Bridgertons enjoying themselves drifts into the kitchen's silence.

You accept the pan he was washing and start running your towel over it. A wet stain soaks into your dress where you press the Teflon-coated edge to your stomach.

"We can put the plates in the dishwasher later," Benedict says, filling the silence gaping like a canyon. "But I think the big stuff we should do by hand. Pots and pans and all that."

Unsure how to answer, you nod. Your mind is whirling, reeling, somersaulting. For so long, you've wanted to be alone with Benedict, have imagined it, dreamed it, conjured it up in your mind. And now here you are, and you can't seem to open your mouth. And it's not even like you have nothing to say, quite the opposite. You have so much to say you don't know where to start.

Like: You look great in that shirt. I hope you like my present. I think you're a great artist. If the Torys keep passing that PM cap around instead of letting us vote, I'm going to scream. I think capybaras are criminally underrated, and I'm glad they're having their moment on social media. How do you feel about turnips? I might have been half in love with you since the first time I met you.

Benedict, putting an end to your spiral, says, "It can be a lot, right?"

"Sorry?"

"The whole thing." He jerks his head in the direction of the dining room, an indulgent smile on his face that tells you all you need to know about Benedict's feelings for his family. "The whole Bridgerton Christmas chaos."

You shrug, lowering your head so he can't see your face, can't see whatever emotion might betray you. "I like it."

"Even Hyacinth's plum pudding? I think that could pass for a murder weapon."

"Yeah," you say, and find that your voice is much too sincere. "Even that. It's not… I've never had this." You cut yourself off immediately, not even sure why you said it in the first place. It's much too easy to be honest with Benedict, and it scares you in ways you can't describe.

"What do you mean?"

It feels like an impossible task to look at him, so you don't. You're too afraid of what you'll find - pity, maybe, or incomprehension. How could someone like Benedict possibly ever understand?

If you turn on a TV around Christmas time and watch a commercial or a movie, if you walk down a shopping street and look at the advertisements playing on screens or smiling from posters, if you pick up a holiday-themed novel, there is a certain feeling being sold to you: of warmth and joy and community. Of smiling grandparents and colorful sweaters. Of presents heaping like molehills beneath gleaming trees. Of roasts and mashed potatoes and peas and carrots and Christmas puddings and beaming families devouring them in perfect harmony. It's the same feeling you encountered right here in this house, in the perfect rooms populated with perfect Bridgertons. In those images, people are always happy.

Christmas, to you, has always been terrifying.

"It's not…." You hesitate. "In my family," you say finally, and hope your voice sounds steadier than it feels, "it's never been good. It was just a lot of yelling, and… I've never had this. The laughing together and enjoying each other's company and all that stuff. The love. And I… I look at it, and I can tell, you see? That it's just so normal to you guys, I think maybe you don't even notice it. But I do. And it just… it doesn't really seem fair."

You don't wait for an answer, instead turning away from him in a way you hope makes it clear that this is not an avenue of conversation you want to pursue. It's like you've just stripped yourself bare in front of him, exposed yourself to his ridicule and his gaze under the unforgiving kitchen lights. It's like you have handed him a map to the innermost parts of yourself. All those ugly, pathetic parts you've spent your life hiding.

Benedict seems to understand because the next thing he says is, "Thank you again for the present."

For a beat, you close your eyes. There, you think. You've got what you wanted. He's ignoring it. He's looking away.

You chance a glance at his side profile, at the furrow between his brows as he scrubs at a particularly stubborn bit of charred carrot sticking to the pot. "You're welcome," you answer. "I'm glad you didn't think it was shitty."

"Why would I think that? It's perfect." When you chuckle, shrug, when the self-deprecating note sneaks into the sound, Benedict ceases his scrubbing to look at you. "I mean it. It's really special."

"It's not even…." You hesitate, wondering if maybe you're fishing for compliments here. Whatever, the validation feels nice, and Benedict seems willing to give it to you, even if he probably finds you annoying. "It's not even a very creative gift. All things considered, you know?"

Everybody knows Benedict likes painting, even though there was some botched stint with the Academy a few years back. He eventually dropped out, but you don't think his aspirations changed.

He shrugs and turns back to the pot. "It is to me. My family all seem to think I'm not serious about the whole art thing, so it's nice to be acknowledged. It doesn't happen that often."

You pause to glance at him. Thrown into relief by the golden spill of the light, bracketed on one side by the winter night, for a moment, he's so pretty you feel your stomach clench. 

"But you're so…" You break off, swallowing. Your mouth is so dry your tongue sticks to the roof. "Everybody sees you."

"What do you mean?" Benedict looks at you with real confusion scrunching up his face, and you feel almost stupid.

Helplessly, you shrug, dry the last drops of water off the pan, and put it down on the counter. "Just… People always notice you, you know? When you enter a room or when you go somewhere. I just thought… I thought you must feel really acknowledged. Like all of the time. I don't know."

Your heart is beating so furiously that you wonder if he can hear it. Embarrassment leaves a bitter taste on your tongue as the words escape you. Now he really should file a restraining order, you think. It would be perfectly justified, with you exposing just how much attention you've been paying to everything he does. God, you're a freak, aren't you?

When he smiles at you, there's something sad to the expression. "I've noticed," he says, forming the words carefully, "that what most people acknowledge about me is my family. But that's not the same as acknowledging me. That's not the same as seeing me."

For a moment, you imagine what it must be like. There was such warmth in that room earlier, such joy and love, but there were so many people, too. All of them loud and charming and lovely. All of them wonderful. All of them captivating in their own way. How easy must it be to get swallowed up by the sheer force of all of them? How easy must it be to feel passed over as the second of eight children, always surpassed by somebody else? Always somebody cleverer or funnier or more lovable? Sometimes, you think, it must be a lonely thing to never be alone. Sometimes, you think, he must feel invisible.

"I do," you say, and your face feels hot, your voice sounds far away, your palms are sweaty. "I see you."

Something in Benedict's gaze changes, something transforms, and then he whispers your name, holds it in his mouth like something precious. "I think you…." He swallows, and his eyes rake over your face as if he's searching for something, as if he's hoping for something, and finally, he pushes on, his voice as uncertain as you feel, "I think there's so much more here than you realize. Because I do, too. I see you. And I know you're lonely, and I know you're scared, maybe even as scared as I am, but I think... I think maybe you don't have to be."

It's like being on a frozen lake, right in the middle, side by side, moving step by step, nothing solid in the world but his hand in yours.

He takes a step closer to you at the same time that you move forward, his hip bumping yours, his gaze on your mouth, his knuckles knocking against yours, your breaths hitched, your hands shaking, your head spinning…

"I've got more dishes," Kate chirps, stepping into the kitchen. Immediately, you and Benedict jump apart. You busy yourself with drying the pot furiously as he accepts the new pile of tableware, eyes on anything but you. Then, completely ignoring her brother-in-law, Kate wraps an arm around your shoulder and leads you away. "I'm supposed to tell you guests don't have to do dishes. And that's coming from the hostess herself."

If Kate noticed anything off between you two, she doesn't comment. But you could swear you see her casting a long, searching look at you when she deposits you on the couch.

You spend a little longer enjoying the overall Christmas charm of the night. You and Eloise pull apart a cracker together, put the paper crowns on each other's heads, and sit on the rug by the fireplace for hours, chatting, ignoring the general mess around you. When Violet starts making people sing Christmas songs whether they want to or not, you excuse yourself. You've been hiding yawns in the crook of your elbow for the past half hour anyway.

On his way back in from the bathroom, Benedict almost bumps into you in the doorway.

"Oh," he says, steadying you with a hand on your shoulder, and then you both say sorry simultaneously. By now, the eggnog and the absolute shame of whatever passed between you in the kitchen have caught up to you and you giggle like a school girl, staring at the bit of skin exposed where his shirt is unbuttoned.

"Off to bed?" Benedict asks. His voice is gentle enough that, for a moment, the yearning resonates somewhere in your bones.

You nod. "I'm tired."

"Okay." It might be wishful thinking, but he sounds almost disappointed to your ears. "Sleep well, yeah?"

It's definitely wishful thinking. Right?

"Hey, Ben!" You glance over your shoulder to find Hyacinth grinning at the two of you with something in her eyes you can only describe as the glint of the devil. A dawning sense of horror sends a shiver down your spine. "You're, like, right under the mistletoe, you realize that, yeah?"

Following the line pointed out by her finger with your eyes, you feel the dread pooling in your stomach. And lo and behold, above your eyes, fixed to the doorway, is an unassuming twig of mistletoe.

Have you mentioned that you feel like you're in a Hallmark movie? One with an exceptionally uncreative screenwriter?

When you finally tear your wide eyes away from the mistletoe, feeling helpless, you find Benedict already looking at you. "Ignore her," he says, smiling the smile of the long-suffering. "Hyacinth just wants to stir up trouble. It's fine, nobody's going to make us…."

"Well." From her perch on the arm of Anthony's chair, a saint-like expression on her face, Kate looks once from you to Benedict. "It is tradition."

And then, to your horror, she winks at you. Your stomach plummets down to your feet.

Benedict stares at Kate like she just told him she thinks the moon landing was faked. "I… I don't think…."

Anthony, after exchanging some private glance probably only decipherable to spouses, shrugs and leans back in his chair. "I agree," he says. "It is tradition."

"And a very nice tradition, too," Daphne affirms, crossing her legs and taking a dainty sip from her wine glass. No wonder not even the gossip columns ever have anything bad to say about her. She's perfect. "It would be a shame to let that opportunity go to waste."

With a look on his face you can describe only as aghast, Benedict turns to you. “I… uhm… Is it… okay?"

If you lived in the nineteenth century, you'd be asking a servant to bring you your smelling salts by now. Slowly, you nod, even though you're so dizzy, you're not sure you don't completely mess up the movement. "It… it's fine, yeah," you agree.

Benedict's hand finds the side of your face. You're so aware of all the eyes on you that, for a moment, you think you might be sick all over Benedict's shoes. He's so close you can feel his breath on your face and smell his cologne. Your toes are going numb.

"You sure?" he mumbles, leaning even closer, only an inch separating you. He has very kind eyes. If you said no now, you know he wouldn't even be mad.

Beyond words, beyond any thought past oh god I can't believe this is really happening oh dear god he's about to kiss me, you just nod. 

"Oh, for god's sake!" That's Simon. "Just kiss the girl and be done with it, Benedict."

So he does. It's little more than a quick press of dry mouth to dry mouth, but your heart almost beats out of your chest. You feel his fingers tighten against the side of your face, feel his slightly-chapped lips, taste the eggnog and the chocolate and the wine. Then, when he pulls away, just for a beat, he lingers, his exhale a gasp, and for that instant, it's like you're the last two people on the planet, like he's the only thing that matters, like nothing existed before you and nothing will after you're gone. Suspended in time.

"Great!" Eloise calls, throwing her hands into the air. "First, Colin starts going out with Penelope, and now Benedict is snogging you. Will you people ever leave my friends alone?"

A collective burst of laughter travels through the room, and then the chattering returns, the paused music resumes, and you stand there, unsure what to do with yourself, unsure how to continue on when it feels like the whole world just shifted an inch to the left and nothing is where it's supposed to be anymore.

Benedict's hand is solid against the small of your back. "Will you… will you stay a little longer?" he asks, his voice hesitant.

It doesn't sound like he just means tonight. You don't think he just means tonight.

You swallow, exhale a shaky breath. And then you say, keeping your eyes on nothing but him, "Yeah. I'll stay."

Benedict beams. It's a sight that lights up his whole face, rivaling that ridiculous Christmas tree out in the Bridgerton's entrance hall. "Lovely," he says. For a beat, his eyes flicker back to your mouth, but then he just grins. "Merry Christmas."

You can't help it - you laugh. There's relief in the sound, the kind you haven't felt in a long, long time. Here, with the fire crackling and Gregory and Francesca delivering what could perhaps be the worst rendition of All I Want for Christmas Is You the world has ever known, it feels a little like maybe, just maybe, being seen isn't half as scary as you thought it was.

"Yeah," you agree and slide your fingers into the spaces between his. "Merry Christmas, Benedict."

You never thought something like Christmas at Aubrey Hall could exist outside the hour-and-a-half runtime of Hallmark movies. But, God, are you happy you were wrong.

reblog if ur mom is smart and beautiful

✨Fic Rec Advent Calendar✨

I know how many people looove Christmas, so to take part in the excitement of the wintery glory I’ll be posting a fic rec each day in December, on 8 pm CET, until the 24th. They will be posted in alphabetic order, because I love them all equally.

First rec will be posted tomorrow 🎄