In Case I Wasn't Clear.

hey yall i'm just here to remind you thomas betrayed WCKD and decided to send himself into a maze he knew he could not survive in for newt because he wanted to save newt — be there for him, so he won't feel so alone and bad in that place and so another suicide attempt doesn't happen — after seeing newt trying to kill himself. “i'm coming for you, newt.” NEVER forget that.

Can you do a Eloise x fem reader fic where it’s just fluff of them waking up to each other in the morning? Xx

thirtheen beaches :: eloise bridgerton x reader

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐟𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐡𝐞/𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐝.

𝐅𝐥𝐮𝐟𝐟 | 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠/𝐬: 𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐚.

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

𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

[ Note: this is possibly one of my favorite requests! eloise was the first bridgerton that caught my eye, and there aren’t a lot of fics about her :(, sorry if this was too short! ]

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

It was still five-thirty pm, the sun slowly rising from its rest. Eloise had woken up from her slumber, her dream consisted of various events she cannot fathom, while she was thinking about her dream, the figure beside her slowly started to open her eyes.

“Good morning, Eloise,” Grinned (Y/n), as she looked up at Eloise with a smile on her face, “Eloise?” Groaned (Y/n), yawning in the process. “Good morning, my love” Eloise greeted, kissing her lover on the cheek. “Good morning,” Giggled (Y/n), while wiping the smooch Eloise gave her. 

Due to the tons of views on same-sex relations, Eloise and (Y/n) had to keep their rendezvous a secret. They thought it was not fair, how the ton treated people like them like witches like they weren’t entitled to be together based on their gender. It anguishes (Y/n) and Eloise to see each other at balls dancing with different people their mamas set them up with. If anyone were to find out what they were up to the Bridgerton and (L/n) name shall be destroyed.

“You will never guess what happened in my dream,” Eloise began, preparing for the speech she was about to convey. “Did you dream about me?” Fluttered (Y/n), her response earned a raspy chuckle from Eloise. “Frankly, I did,” - “Oh, do tell!” (Y/n) wiggled her eyebrows in anticipation, knowing Eloise would be rambling all morning. 

“We were in a garden crammed with tulips, roses, and sunflowers everywhere, and both of us sitting next to each other as the fireflies flutters around us, we were allowed to be who we truly are,” Smiled Eloise, while she kissed the back of (Y/n)’s hand. “Even how wonderful the thought can be, we can’t even do such as smile at each other without other people noticing,” (Y/n) and Eloise frowned at each other. 

“At least I have you here,” She tried to save the moment, it was rare for Eloise and her to stay the night, Eloise had to borrow her brother’s clothes, a woman out in the middle of the night must be deemed inappropriate.

“You are right, in both ways sadly, let’s enjoy this moment for a little while for I have to go in three minutes, I enjoyed your company, even if we mostly slept through it,” Eloise’s morning voice was angelic, her voice was naturally raspy but this added more, that’s what (Y/n) hoped to wake up every day to. 

“Are you sure you can’t stay for at least an hour more?” Asked (Y/n), hoping to get a yes from Eloise. “My family must be awake by then, I shan’t pull my luck any longer,” Stated Eloise.

“I want to stay like this forever, I don’t care what the ton thinks, it is my family I’m worried about,” - “I couldn’t agree more, I’m afraid that my family would abandon me if they found out about us, or prevent me from talking to you. What if Lady Whistledown knows about us?!” Gasped (Y/n), as she started worrying about her future, not only hers but Eloise and her family too.

“It doesn’t matter since we are both young and in love, I am infatuated with you Eloise, you’re the love of my life” (Y/n) whispered to Eloise, “You’re the love of my life too,” Smirked Eloise. “It has already been three minutes, I hope to stay with you forever, I’m tired of sneaking around like this,” Eloise groaned, as she started putting on her brother’s coat.

“As do I, Eloise… as do I,” Murmured (Y/n). They wished the ton understood them, they were as ordinary as any couple, just because they are both females, does not mean they shan’t be together.

Though, the ton accepting same-sex relationships were only present in their imaginations.

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

Trapped family in Gaza appeals for help to survive

I'm a mother of a 2-year-old child. His name is yousef... I see my son growing up in front of me and I do not know how or when. This is not what I wished for him. I was dreaming of a wonderful life to spend with him...a life not full of death, fear, destruction and deprivation...I wanted to fill his room with toys and his closet with clothes, and I wanted to buy children's books for him, but I couldn't...the war came and the wishes were gone...my goal became to provide him with milk and food. I can barely afford anything. Everything is expensive and we no longer have income to enable us to buy his needs. Kram eggs have been deprived of many of his basic needs. He has been deprived of safety and stability..No, fruits, or meat.

There is nothing but fear that fills my son's eyes as soon as he hears the voices around him. He does not realize what It happens outside, but he feels and sees it in our eyes when he looks at us.I cannot protect myself and my son. Help me to save my son yousef. He deserves a better life, as do all the children of Gaza and the world. Alone, I cannot, but with your help, we will be able to find a safe place and a better future for my son. Be a reason to change a child's life for the better by visiting our link on GoFundMe. And donate anything to us, no matter how small...every dollar makes a difference and give a life for my son..

I am Youssef. I was very young at the beginning of the war, but now I have grown up and can walk and know how to speak and understand everything. I hope to get your help in publishing or donating on our Aaljo Fund Me account

Verified @90-ghost

5£ may seem small

The most difficult decision for us was to leave our country, to leave Gaza, overcome the obstacles we faced and the losses we suffered, and begin a new life from scratch.

gofundme.com

Donate to Evacuate Yousef and his family from Gaza, organised by Raluca Dumitrescu

Hi, my name is Raluca Dumitrescu, I am Romanian and as single citizen and h… Raluca Dumitrescu needs your support for Evacuate Yousef and hi

Help Siraj get to 70k by Thursday!!

Some bloggers were less than pleased with my most recent posts where I talked about how Palestine has become a momentary trend for many, and accused me of trying to "guilt trip". They even predicted that these posts wouldn't bring in any sustained support for Siraj Abudayeh ( @siraj2024 ) and advised me to instead keep it to the point. Well alright then, let's keep it short and get to the point:

Siraj Abudayeh is a journalist who is fundraising to survive and rebuild in Gaza as he has no plans to evacuate

Recently he became the sole provider of FIVE FAMILIES- both his own and that of his parents and married siblings, after they all fled to him to escape the recent IOF attacks. 

As he is now fundraising to bear the cost of all 23 family members, he is even more desperate to finish his campaign. 

What the family needs most now is access to clean drinking  water. With 10 children ( Siraj's sons and their cousins) to take care of and with the polio epidemic spreading in camps, this is imperative. 

He has requested us to help him buy a submersible water generator and network tools. This is costly but with water treating plants and other facilities being completely destroyed, this is the only long term solution for now.

For 11 months Siraj has hesitated to buy a water generator. He was afraid  that he wouldn't be able to manage it while also making sure that his family had something to eat. But since there are more children (all between 6 and 12 years of age) to take care of now, he cannot put this off anymore. The settler state has already  unchilded them- they risk their lives and walk long distances to look for drinkable water to carry back in heavy pails, when they instead should have been working on their homeworks or playing. Siraj wants them to at least be relatively safe from having to take such risks to survive. 

Siraj needs to reach 70k by THURSDAY, that is within 3 days, so that he can start the process of making a purchase. You said that I do not need to write scathing posts to have your attention, so I am here now requesting you to act upon Siraj’s plea for help. 

He is currently only at $65,393 CAD . That is 4.6k away from our next short term goal. Boost and donate and help him access clean water for the children. 

[ GFM LINK ] [ Vetting #219]

I find it so silly when someone writes smut about a minor then asks minors to not interact, like bro huh…

gofundme.com

Donate to Rebuilding Hope: Help Ezzedine Escape the War in Gaza, organized by Loria Rahime

My name is Ezzedine Salem. I once lived a life full of promise and … Loria Rahime needs your support for Rebuilding Hope: Help Ezzedine Esca

🚨Urgent 🚨🙏Humanitarian appeal

Please don't ignore the appeal 🇵🇸🥺

Donations are life for us 😭🙏

I am Ezz Eldin Salem from Gaza I need your support My house was destroyed Please don't ignore my appeal.😭😭😭

After we lost our house and now live in a tent

Please don't hesitate to donate to us, I now live in a tent with my family😔

The campaign has not been verified by the Vetted Gaza Fundraiser List and I hope you can help me with my campaign if you know someone 🇵🇸🇵🇸

^^^^^^

We've seen a lot of GIFs of the new Captain America: Brave New World film, and seen people saying they're excited for the film. While we can ultimately not be in control of your personal media consumption, we will say in no uncertain terms this film is a BDS boycott target, and this blog will not be complicit in Zionist propaganda.

And no, pirating but watching as usual and making fan content as usual is not boycotting. This movie cannot be allowed to exist in any space outside of one exclusively criticising it for it's pro-genocide, pro-Israeli stance in a time where Israel is murdering Palestinians en masse.

And in case it needs to be said, Anthony Mackie is fully complicit and proactive in the Zionist propaganda of this movie. He is not an innocent party in this film's creation, he is an active participant. Like Chris Evans before him, he is a Zionist, and should be criticised as such.

We will not reblog material from users who are creating content for this film from now on, and we certainly will not be reblogging anything from this movie that is not discussions of its explicit Zionism and of the boycott efforts organised by Palestinian groups.

A movie is not more important than people's lives. Your feelings about a fictional character is not worth facilitating and promoting Israeli propaganda. And the actors involved in this film should not be allowed to work without being reminded of them working with a woman who chose to be an IDF soldier despite being exempt, of creating propaganda for the IDF and Mossad. None of them should ever be allowed to recover from this. Anthony Mackie, Sebastian Stan, Liv Tyler, Harrison Ford, Tim Blake Nelson and everyone else who chose to work with Shira Haas are all facilitators of genocide, and should never be allowed to be remembered for anything else but.

Hello, my name is Abd Alhadi Aburass, and I am from Gaza Palestine 🇵🇸. I write to you today with a heavy heart💔, seeking hope and help. The ongoing conflict has put my family's life in grave danger🙏.

We have lost our home and my advocacy bureau , leaving us with nothing but the clothes on our backs. In search of safety, we have become refugees, fleeing to another city where we now face immense challenges.

The war has torn apart our lives, and we are struggling to find stability in this new place. Basic necessities like food, clean water, and shelter are scarce. The trauma of the conflict weighs heavily on us, but we are determined to rebuild our lives and create a safer future for our children.

We need your support to get back on our feet. Your generous donations will go towards:

• Emergency Shelter: Helping us secure a safe place to live.

• Food and Water: Providing us with essential nutrition and clean water.

• Medical Care: Access to healthcare for our family, especially our children who have been deeply affected by the trauma.

• Education: Ensuring our children can continue their education and have a chance at a better future.

• Rebuilding Livelihoods: Helping us restart our business or find new means of income to become self-sufficient again.

Every Contribution Counts:

No amount is too small. Every dollar brings us one step closer to stability and a chance to rebuild our lives. Your support means the world to us during this dark time.

Thank You:

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your kindness and generosity. Your support not only helps us materially but also gives us hope that better days are ahead.

Please share our story with your friends, family, and community. Together, we can overcome this hardship and start anew.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Abd Alhadi Abu ras and Family

Thank You:

@ibtisams 🫶🇵🇸 @90-ghost 🫶🇵🇸 @fairuzfan 🫶🇵🇸

@palestinegenocide 🫶🇵🇸 @sar-soor 🫶🇵🇸

@vakarians-babe 🫶🇵🇸 @nabulsi 🫶🇵🇸

@aces-and-angels 🇵🇸 @interfacefox @cosmic-collective-system @finnslay @muchmossymess @rez-urrection @walking-polyp @bibyebae @autisticexpression2 @bisexualchemistry @violetclowns @beefybutchboy @feefal @mobydyke @genderfluidgothwitch @sleepyseaslug @urfavhatesthehungovt @riding-with-the-wild-hunt @morallyrainyday @taviamoth @olovelymoon @jannahswaiting @el-shab-hussein @longlivepalestina @beesofink @curi0uscreature @orchidvioletindigo @sunclownsblog @selamat-linting @girlinafairytale @ragingbullmode @theneutral-zone @thevalaxy @fairuzfan @opencommunion @gorillawithautism @seafoamwoman @emathyst9 @three-croissants @iznabl @nabulsi @sar-soor @appsa @akajustmerry

gofundme.com

Donate to Title: Help a Family Rebuild Their Lives After Fleeing War i, organised by Abd Alhadi Aburas

My name is Abd Alhadi Abu ras, and I am reachi… Abd Alhadi Aburas needs your support for Title: Help a Family Rebuild Their L

https://gofund.me/c13ec02d

in search of silence

Eloise Bridgerton x Reader

Word Count: 3.1k

Warnings: r is in an abusive marriage, angst, el to the rescue, some fluff at the end

Summary: Eloise and R are childhood best friends. When a new season begins, they find themselves reunited for the first time since R has entered her marriage that was set up by her parents.

Prompt: could i request a fic with childhood bestfriends eloise bridgerton x f!reader. eloise and reader stopped talking to each other as often because reader got married and one day eloise catches reader’s husband being mean to her (this can be physically or verbally) and eloise defends reader and they rekindle their friendship/old feelings for each other.

sidenote, ive always loved your mcu women fics and im SO glad you’re taking requests for eloise now 😭😭🫶

A/N: thank you anon!! for both the request and the compliment. i love eloise sm this was so fun to write

Muffled shouting stole Eloise’s attention when she escaped from the ballroom of this week's ball that she had been forced to attend with her family. She hadn’t wandered far enough to no longer be able to hear the string quartet playing, but the sound of a deep voice yelling angrily was hard to miss as she passed what she assumed was a drawing room.

Though Eloise knew she should not eavesdrop, she found herself unable to mind her business and stopped in her tracks, gravitating closer to the commotion.

--

“I am through with you,” Your husband shouted, face red with rage.

The moment his hand had clasped forcefully around your wrist to drag you into a room with him earlier, you knew what was coming for you.

“James, please - someone will hear,” you responded in a hushed voice, thoroughly embarrassed at the thought.

“Let them! Everyone should know the bitch of a wife you are,” he spat.

You knew better than to talk back to him, and yet, “I’ve done nothing to you at all! You’ve no reason to -”

A heavy-handed slap to your face was sure to silence you. You could feel the blood rushing to your cheek, and your hand rose shakily to cradle the side of your face. Hot tears brimmed your eyes as you breathed deeply to steady yourself.

“I’m leaving.”

“Please -” you forced yourself to say, a feeble attempt to calm him down, lest his temper worsen on his way home.

“Enough from you! I-”

The door burst open and you felt as if your heart was about to leap out of your chest.

You were astounded to see Eloise standing in the doorway, her lips in a tight line. It had been long since you’d seen her last. She was beautiful, as always. For a moment you forgot your present situation until you noted the fire in her eyes. She was furious, but she kept herself composed, “Is everything alright in here? I heard quite the commotion from outside as I was passing by.”

“We are quite fine.” He turned back to you and after a moment, he spoke, “I’ll send the carriage back around for you once I arrive home. I cannot stand the sight of you at present.”

“Lady Bridgerton,” he said curtly. Eloise barely had time to register the fact that James was walking towards her and stepped out of his way just in time.

“Lord Anderson,” she managed out, deciding to forgo her polite curtsy. She had deemed that he did not deserve it.

You both jumped at the sound of the door slamming upon his exit.

Her head felt as if it was spinning. She’d recognized your voice from outside the instant you spoke. The thought of this being the reality of the marriage your parents had arranged for you devastated her. She wouldn’t let herself imagine how horrid it was for you when you were actually at home.

Your cheek still burned from being slapped and there was no doubt in your mind about it being tinged pink. You were beyond mortified and the relief of James finally having left had tears falling down your face rapidly.

As much as you wanted to take in Eloise, who you hadn’t had a moment alone with since last season, you were lost in your mind. You dreaded your impending arrival back home and prayed that your husband would be fast asleep.

After a few more seconds you pried your eyes away from the bookcase you had been staring at and settled your gaze on Eloise.

She somehow looked more stunning than you had remembered her to be and your heart squeezed painfully. Her hair curled carefully over her shoulders in such a familiar way and it reminded you of how you used to twirl her curls in your fingers whenever she would rest her head in your lap.

The Bridgerton made her way over to you carefully. The concern on her face was evident and you knew by the way her eyebrows were crinkling together that she had much to say.

She stopped when she was just a few feet in front of you. For once, she seemed unable to form a proper sentence.

You were sure she couldn’t find the right words. You weren’t sure how you should navigate this situation yourself, but you had had enough of the silence, “I’m sorry you had to hear all of that.”

Eloise shook her head immediately, “You have nothing to be apologizing for.”

There was another lull of silence. All either of you could do was look into each other’s eyes. Hers looked so sad. How you hated to see them so.

“I assure you I am quite alright.”

“There is no use in lying to me, Y/n/n.”

Your bottom lip trembles at the familiar nickname and she hurries closer, engulfing you in a hug.

She felt you trembling as she held you against her. “I’m here,” she whispered, arms wrapped tightly around you.

It was not long before sobs racked your body and all she could do was rub your back and occasionally give you a few words of reassurance. Eloise felt her heart splitting into pieces the longer you cried.

You were certain that you would give anything to stay in her arms forever. There was nowhere in the world where you felt safer. Her chest radiated warmth and you took comfort in the very familiar scent of her perfume.

Once you’ve calmed slightly, you apologize again, “I’ve missed you terribly. And I have been the furthest thing from a friend to you. I’ve allowed James to drive the people closest to me out of my life and I won't stand for it any longer.”

“I can’t have you getting in trouble because of me,” she shook her head.

“Oh, hush, El,” you chuckled wetly. “I’ve been in trouble with my Mama countless times because of you.”

She knew you were joking to make light of the situation, but she found nothing humorous about it. Especially not as she reached up to wipe away the tears on your face.

“How long has it been this way?” she inquired, speaking with a gentle voice.

“A handful of months. He’s become rather frustrated by the fact that I have yet to produce an heir for him and his displeasure with me grows stronger by the second.”

Eloise’s face scrunched in indignation, “That is ridiculous.”

“It’s fair enough - that is why he was searching for a wife in the first place.”

“It’s unacceptable behavior from him regardless of that fact,” she was quick to rebuke. She took your hand in her own and squeezed gently. The feel of your skin against hers made her heart race.

“I’d like to get out of the house tomorrow. Do you think your mother should have my head if I busied you the whole day?”

“Not at all. She’s missed you quite a lot as well,” Eloise smiled.

Your heart fluttered at the admittance.

“Will you be okay tonight?”

“I will. I’m sure he’ll drink himself to sleep the second he arrives home.”

You could tell Eloise didn’t like the sound of that, but she said nothing.

She was grateful that you wanted to spend the day with her tomorrow, not only because she would be eager to see how you were but also because she’d missed your company so very much.

--

Almost two fortnights later, you’re riding in a carriage to a ball with your husband sitting across from you. He grows tired of waiting for you to finally come to be with child. Intercourse with him is nauseating and at this point, you’re praying that your courses don’t come next month for a multitude of reasons.

The ride is sour, as you’ve just had a nasty argument, ending in you being pushed into a table. Your right arm ached still, but you were sure that nothing was broken.

You were excited to escape from your husband and find your dear Eloise the moment the opportunity arose. Your feelings for her made you ever so giddy when you were around her. You felt almost childish at your eagerness to leave your husband and find your friend, but you had been swept into this marriage on your just first season out, which was only last year. It barely gave you any time to enjoy balls with her without courting.

Running around with Eloise at the last ball felt so normal, oddly enough. It was incredibly refreshing to spend the better part of the evening with her, sipping on champagne and cracking jokes. Even though you knew it was slightly improper as you were now married and should have been at your husband’s side, listening to him boast about his fortune and how impatient he was to have an heir with whoever would listen, you couldn’t bring yourself to care. It did anger him, however. You had learned so after the last ball when he reprimanded you for almost half of an hour about your behavior as if you were his child and not his wife.

You’d decided to behave for the first hour, at least. It frustrated you so to listen to James drone on to his acquaintances, but you knew it was what needed to be done since he was already on edge from his earlier outburst.

The Bridgertons arrived after you, and you spotted Eloise immediately. You couldn’t help the smile that grew on your face when you saw the way her eyes lit up when she caught sight of you.

You squeezed James’ arm absentmindedly out of the excitement you felt. When he looked down at you, you played it off by giving him a look that should have been directed toward Eloise.

That had seemed to satisfy him well enough and he returned to his conversation, allowing you to return to observing your favorite Bridgerton from afar.

Eloise’s hair cascaded over one of her shoulders and two strands of soft curls beautifully framed the sides of her face. Her dress was blue, as it usually was, and it was embellished with embroidered flowers.

You could hardly peel your eyes away from her, but you forced yourself to redirect your attention to your husband once more.

After what you deemed an appropriate amount of time, you excused yourself to find more pleasant company.

It seemed as if you had run into almost every Bridgerton before her, though. You greeted all three of her present brothers before finding Violet and Agatha in conversation and curtsying to both. Violet even extended a hand to squeeze yours for a moment, happy to see you.

As soon as you began a conversation with her and Lady Danbury, you were accosted by Eloise, who gripped your arm excitedly. You winced briefly, now bruised from your earlier encounter with the table of your drawing room.

You relaxed your expression and the pinch in your brow was gone once it settled in that you were in Eloise’s presence, she still noticed your discomfort despite your futile efforts to mask it and found herself glancing down at your arm.

Her nostrils flared at what she saw, she had half the mind to find Lord Anderson at that moment, but she looked back up to you and saw the bright grin on your face and melted, a smile of her own growing quickly.

She swiftly looped her arm through yours and began to pull you away, wanting you to herself, “If you don’t mind, I’m going to steal Lady Anderson away. I’ve hardly had any time with her all week.”

The older women chuckled and shook their heads, recognizing this familiar routine that the two of you had been accustomed to last year.

“Have a nice time ladies,” Violet smiled, not even bothering to remind Eloise to attempt to fill a few spots on her dance card. She knew how the girl had missed you, and didn’t have it in her to force her daughter away from you. Violet rather appreciated how cheerful Eloise happened to get whenever you were around, especially at balls, where genuine smiles from the young lady were scarce.

Eloise guided you to a corner of the ballroom, not failing to make a stop at the refreshment table and hand you a lemonade. You were relieved to be by her side at last. There was nothing you had desired more in the past week, where you had only been able to promenade with her once, as James had been irritable.

The longer you were around her, the more you felt the pressure on your chest relieve itself. You were able to breathe so easily around Eloise. You suddenly became aware of the fact that her thumb was passively rubbing your arm and you had to blink a few times, not sure if you were dreaming it.

You ached for her to touch you more. You’d once attempted to imagine that your husband’s hands were hers, but they were far too rough, and you gave up quickly.

Your mind wandered for a moment, but before it could stray too far, you snapped yourself out of it.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight,” you pointed out, turning your head towards your best friend. It was quite unlike her.

She tilted her head in a shrug, “You seem as though you could use a little quiet.”

“You know me far too well, Eloise,” a smile returned to your lips, something she never failed to do, and you shook your head. “But please, if there’s anyone I’d like to hear ramble, it is always you.”

Eloise scoffed in mock offense, “I do not ramble.”

“You do, too,” you teased. “I like it.”

She chortles in response and the two of you hold eye contact. She looks at you with a fondness that you recognize yourself often directing toward her.

Eloise breaks it for a short moment to glance down at your lips.

When she does it once more, you’re suddenly overtaken by instinct and put your lemonade on a serving tray, taking hers and doing the same.

“What-”

Eloise is interrupted by you taking her gloved hand in your own and dragging her out of the ballroom. She doesn’t miss the way you check over your shoulder for your husband, who is heavily occupied, drinking and joking happily with his friends.

You begin making your way into the gardens when you hear Eloise chirp up from behind you.

“We shouldn’t be out here,” she says, not quite like she means it.

You roll your eyes, “Then it’s a good thing you’ve never cared for rules, isn’t it?”

“I suppose so,” she couldn’t be offended, it was true, and it was exhilarating to be truly alone with you for the first time in such a long while.

You stopped when you’d reached a dead end and you were sure you were not only alone but completely hidden from anyone looking outside.

Eloise tried to stop her mind from racing. She couldn’t be sure of why you had pulled her out of the ballroom. She waited with bated breath to find out, trying to suppress the excitement she felt. You could just be in search of fresh air, or actual silence, which required you to be far enough to hear the music no longer.

Your breathing quickened as you stood in front of her. She took note of it, and against her better judgment, let her eyes flicker to your chest. Then up to your lips, which were parted slightly. Her eyes lingered, before finally meeting your own.

While you badly wanted to tell her everything on your mind, you could hardly form a proper sentence, “El…”

You could hear her breath, ragged from nerves as she took a step closer to you.

There was a question in your eyes. You were grateful that you did not have to utter it. She knew.

She told you that she knew with the glassy nature of her eyes, the parting of her mouth, and her breath fanning across your face as she brought herself closer.

You closed the distance, pressing your lips to Eloise’s. The gentle kiss did not take long to turn eager, almost desperate, both of you feeling free from the sole secret you had kept from each other.

Her lips were soft and warm. They were everything you had dreamed of.

You lost yourself in Eloise, your hands finding their way to her jaw. Your body felt as if it was being lit from the inside when she pressed you into her with a firm hand at the small of your back. Your head almost spun from the contact of her chest against your own.

Despite not wanting to, you pulled away the slightest bit to catch your breath. You did not miss the way she chased your lips.

She had never looked more beautiful. Your heart swelled as she began to smile, which turned into a breathy chuckle.

You shook your head as you joined her with a giggle and let your arms wrap around your neck, hugging her tightly.

“I love you, El. So much,” you whispered.

You felt her breath hitch and her arms tightened around your waist, “I love you too. So very much. It pains me so to watch you from across a ballroom when I want nothing more than to be by your side.”

All of a sudden, your reality came flooding back to you.

“You deserve so much more than that brute that calls himself your husband. He should be honored to spend the time with you that he does. He is a fool for not seeing how precious you are.”

Tears welled in your eyes as she spoke, “I wish I had never married, El. I’m miserable.”

“I know. I’m not sure how much peace this brings you, but you should know that I am here for you, at any time of day or night. You could barge into the Bridgerton house in the late hours of the night and I shall be ready to dissolve your worries with my charming wits and whatever biscuits we can find in the kitchens.”

You found yourself laughing, as you always did in Eloise’s presence, “Thank you.”

“It is my pleasure,” her lips quirked up.

“What are we to do now? About us, I mean.”

“We’re going to have to find a way to get you out of that house of yours however often we can. And if Lord Anderson lays another finger on you I will sic my entire family and Lady Danbury on him. We’ll see how he likes that.”

“You’re ridiculous.”

“I’d say I’m known for being ridiculous, you shouldn’t be surprised,” she raised a brow playfully before looking over her shoulder. “I highly doubt anyone is missing us in there…”

“What might you be suggesting, Miss Eloise,” you ask, feigning innocence.

“I think you know quite well what I suggest.”