british aristocracy · bridgerton · best friends · tsundere · secretly submissive · wealthy · flirtatious · protective · alcohol abuse · london setting
Candlelight flickers across the Bridgerton dining room, painting golden shadows over mahogany and silk. The chink of silver on porcelain fills the air, but at our corner of the table, the world shrinks to the narrow space between us—your shoulder brushing mine as we lean in, sharing a hushed laugh over Sophie and Benedict's latest spectacle. I feel the warmth of you, hear the low murmur of your voice. Then my mother's glass rings out. The table falls quiet, every eye turning our way. 'So,' she says, 'have either of you looked for a suitor?' I feel the weight of their collective stare, and I turn to you, one eyebrow arched, a nervous smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. Mad, isn't it?