No but hear me out, Kanthony in India could be quite the story.
Anthony Bridgerton in a kurta! Him seeing Kate in a saree or lehenga because lets face it, the man will lose whatever braincells he had left and simply disintegrate.
The only problem with the writers trying to send Kanthony away to India is the timing of it. Edwina is already married and Kate is with child. After the trauma of Hyacinth’s birth, nothing on earth can convince me that Anthony Bridgerton would willingly let his wife take a hazardous six month journey back to India. Tha just doesn’t make sense.
Another thing that does not make sense woth the timeline is that, if Edwina made a match in India, it must have been while Kate and Anthony were on their honeymoon and I’m sorry but how on earth do you expect me to believe that Kate would miss her little sister’s wedding?
It is all tempting me to write again, something like a fix it where Kate and Anthony embark on a journey to India, because Edwina is supposed to get married, maybe to someone from the maharaja’s court because why not?
Kate leaves for India, but with her endearing, besotted husband who worships the grounds she walks on. They come to India and they do all the things that we are craving to see on screen (Anthony in Kurta? Another sneaky, playful haldi ceremony in the privacy of their rooms? Another mehendi ceremony because ofcourse Kate will have Anthony’s name sneakily written on her hands in hindi? Vexing one another? Potentially some old suitors of Kate, just to make Anthony sweat? Her taking him to all the spots of her childhood, just the way he did in Aubrey hall? Babymaking? Recieving the happy news firsthand?)
Anyway this list will never end. I dont know if we would get a spin off or not, but I might just get around to writing this.
SUMMARY: Viscount Bridgerton was stubborn, frustrating, got in his own way more often than not, and there was a melancholy about his person most times when she saw him, but she gave him more leeway than she did nearly all of the rest of the Ton.
Except when conversing with her charge before an introduction, a conversation that is decidedly not their first.
//
Or Lady Danbury notices Kate has given them the slip during the Conservatory Ball and she finds her charge having a conversation with the viscount in the garden.
RATING: General Audiences
WORD COUNT: 1,760 words
TAGS: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Conservatory Ball AU, First Dance, no beta we die like edmund bridgerton
AO3
AUTHOR’S NOTE: ahhh not only is this the most i've written since like october??? but this is also my first work for bridgerton. kanthony brainrot has never left me so time to put it to paper. anyway this was inspired by one of my 87 different fanfic prompts i've been posting to tumblr (on @myficprompts) in hopes others will write it but i got impatient on this one and figured i'd just do it myself. (would love to see someone take on the original prompt though! please!!!!! thanks!!!)
***
Despite the way they have butted heads since their introduction, Lady Danbury had a begrudging respect for Miss Sharma. Her obstinance in the face of harsh truths was admirable to a degree. Frustrating, to be certain. Ill-mannered, to some extent. Yet the firm set of her shoulders, straight back, and words infused with a note of smugness proved she would be a formidable gatekeeper for her sister’s suitors.
If only the miss would not write herself off so young. Old maid by the Ton’s standards, unfortunately, but by her own, she had a full life still ahead of her.
Miss Sharma may have rejected her suggestion of a match but the curious way in which she admired Viscount Anthony Bridgerton also proved that the walls fortified around her young heart were not impenetrable.
Which meant that Miss Sharma’s disappearance in the midst of her sister’s first dance raised alarm.
As much as she had written herself off, she was still under Lady Danbury’s protection. Personal declarations of not being on the marriage mart did not make her unsusceptible to being compromised or other scandal. A thought that she would have hoped Miss Sharma to consider before wandering off but as Lady Danbury learned earlier, there was still much for her to learn about the Ton.
The dowager parted ways from a nervous Lady Mary with nothing more than a quip about watching her thirst before she moved about the room. The music covered the sound of her cane clacking against the wood floor and gave Lady Danbury the ability to slink along the walls of the conservatory.
Her stop at the set of windows near the entrance door proved most fruitful. She heard the faint sounds of gentlemen departing for the smoking room and, just before she continued her search, she spied her own charge stepping into close proximity to the viscount.
In view of the ballroom and still a respectable distance to not cause scandal, Lady Danbury did not appreciate the familiar nature in which the two conversed, especially as they had not been introduced. Huffing, she made her way to the entry garden.
“…as deficient as your horsemanship. I shall bid you goodnight.”
Lady Danbury came around the hedge at the same moment as Miss Sharma, their bodies nearly colliding.
“Miss Sharma,” she drawled, resting both hands on the head of her cane. She scrutinized the young woman, her eyes traveling to the flustered man who gaped at them like a fish out of water. “Viscount Bridgerton. How curious to find you both out here. Together.”
“My apologies, Lady Danbury – ” Viscount Bridgerton attempted to speak before Miss Sharma cut in suddenly, louder.
“I simply needed air. I did not realize I had to alert you of my need for a break.” She smiled, thin-lipped and with a hint of frustration – at the viscount, at her, at the situation – before bowing her head to Lady Danbury.
“Yes, well, seeing as you are under my protection,” Lady Danbury said, a warning glance to Viscount Bridgerton as he looked equal parts fearful and thrilled at the information, “I fear I did not stress the seriousness of some of the Ton’s etiquette specificities. It is of the utmost importance that they are understood, to lessen any troubles of your sister making a good match. Understood?”
Miss Sharma bit her tongue, her eyes darting to the side to the silent viscount behind her. “Of course, Lady Danbury,” she forced out.
“Lady Danbury, if I may – ”
Her eyes narrowed as she focused on the boy she’d known since he was in leading strings. A boy no longer if the title of Rake he’d worn without care for years meant anything. She always had a soft spot for the Bridgerton family. Her own connection aside, to find a love match such as the one between Edmund and Violet, a love match that proved fruitful until the eighth viscount’s death, was a rarity in the Ton. The strength of the family bonded by that love match showed in the closeness of the children and the genuine love and affection they showered upon each other. Even when she’d watch the children squabble and fight, it was never with the nasty cold demeanor of the rest of the Ton.
Then to watch as Anthony took on the role of viscount, father, and provider before heading to university had softened her more. Lady Danbury admired the way he took care of his family and how he not only kept them afloat following his father’s death but ensured that they thrived. He was stubborn, frustrating, got in his own way more often than not, and there was a melancholy about his person most times when she saw him, but she gave him more leeway than she did nearly all of the rest of the Ton.
Except when conversing with her charge before an introduction, a conversation that is decidedly not their first. She did, after all, recall Miss Sharma’s slip of the tongue on the edge of the dance floor.
“You have done quite enough, Viscount Bridgerton.”
Her glare silenced the viscount as his mouth thinned and his brows furrowed in displeasure.
“Lady Danbury, I must go see to my sister – ”
“Your sister is being looked after by your mother, Miss Sharma. Perhaps you should let those of us seasoned within the Ton take over from here.”
Miss Sharma pressed her lips together for a moment before she responded. “With all due respect, as I mentioned earlier, I was the one to prepare my sister for her debut and I really should be helping to vet the quality of her dance partners…”
The young woman’s words never made it to Lady Danbury’s ears as her eyes were too busy taking in the scene before her. They flickered between Miss Sharma and Viscount Bridgerton with a quick and startling realization.
Cut from the same cloth, they stood before her as the eldest siblings of their families, the caretakers and providers, with strong shoulders upon which the heavy burdens of their families laid. The protectors who cannot see the wood for the trees in regards to the marriage mart.
Equals.
“Hm,” Lady Danbury cut Miss Sharma off. “A dance is a brilliant idea.”
“My lady?” Miss Sharma asked, blinking her eyes in confusion.
Lady Danbury hit her cane against the ground. Even without the sound of its impact, the two before her stood just a hair taller. She raised her voice as the doors to the ballroom opened. “How wonderful of Viscount Bridgerton to ask for your next dance. Splendid indeed!”
Miss Sharma huffed. “He absolutely did nothing of the sort. He cannot even dance.”
Viscount Bridgerton rolled his eyes. “Now you object to my dancing abilities?”
“I saw how you nearly trampled the young miss on your last dance.”
A smug grin worked its way onto his face as he stepped closer. “So you admit to eavesdropping and watching me now?”
“As I said, it is not eavesdropping if you speak loud enough for the entire party to hear!”
Lady Danbury cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows expectantly at the two in front of her. She swung out her cane, hitting their shins and watching in satisfaction as the two stepped apart though neither were entirely pleased.
“Yes, a dance will be a nice way to tidy this situation up. Afterall,” she said, lowering her voice, “it would not do well for others to know of your conversations and familiarity prior to an introduction. And I will require to know just how familiar you are with each other.”
Miss Sharma laughed off the suggestion. “That will not be necessary, Lady Danbury. I do not host any of the, what was it,” she turned to the viscount for a moment with a saccharine smile before facing Lady Danbury once more. “Ah, yes, impeccable qualities that Viscount Bridgerton is in search of in a wife.”
This time, the huff came from the viscount’s mouth. “That is completely unfair and you know it, Miss Sharma,” he said, a teasing lilt endearing to his voice as he said her name, negating the frustration that colored it prior. He cleared his throat before she could respond and grinned at Lady Danbury much like the cat that ate the canary. “However, you are right, Lady Danbury. A dance is a wonderful idea to mitigate any chance of scandal.”
She watched in amusement as Viscount Bridgerton’s grin widened when he turned to Miss Sharma. He lifted his hand and held it out to her, waiting for a moment.
“Miss Sharma, may I have this dance?”
Despite his proud swagger, the viscount’s request came out soft and like a whisper. His eyes crinkled and his gaze warmed, melting the arrogance that so often moved him forward. For a moment, Lady Danbury felt as if she was witnessing Edmund charming Violet all over again.
Miss Sharma’s breath hitched in the back of her throat at the intimacy that laced his words and she swallowed before quietly answering her agreement. Her hand shook, though Lady Danbury assumed she was the only one to notice, as she lifted it to place in the viscount’s.
Lady Danbury hummed in satisfaction as she allowed the two to enter the ballroom before her, Viscount Bridgerton’s perfect posture only lending to the peacocking he did as he led Miss Sharma to the dance floor. If she knew the viscount as well as she believed to, his peacocking, was less of a matter of besting Miss Sharma at their undisclosed challenge and more at having her on his arm, contrary to what he was currently telling himself. The way their eyes never strayed from one another as they readied themselves only proved her point.
From the corner of her eye, she watched Violet’s jaw drop minutely before their eyes met.
Did he willingly ask…? Her oldest friend seemed to ask. Lady Danbury nodded with a smug smile. The viscount who saw finding a wife more of a duty and chore than a chance for happiness, bewitched by a so-called spinster.
The music started and the two moved in perfect harmony. Their connection was palpable and they enchanted the room as they seemed to float through each step. Only when they began to whisper amongst themselves, a mix of bickering and flirting, did Lady Danbury notice the queen’s arrival at her side.
“What an interesting season this will be,” Queen Charlotte murmured, her smile pleased and mischievous.
rating: mature’ish? there’s a...scene? in anthony’s office?
word count: 9.2k
note: um, hi, it’s me. i wrote a thing. a thing that is mostly for @shireness-says because she sent a prompt when i was desperately trying to fill those prompts last month, but if you all want to read it too, i think that’s swell. this is maybe, possibly, totally based on real life and if any of you tell my husband that, i will deny it until my final breath. obviously, it also includes sports.
|| ao3 ||
He laughs.
Sort of. Some noise comes from the general vicinity of his nose. One side of his mouth tilts up, too. Purely against his will, which is unfortunate since he doesn’t have a schnapps-fueled excuse. Just the sort of explicit feelings that have seemingly turned him into a crazy person who—
Texts
With
Regularity.
Only to discover, in a cloud of raspberry schnapps and something indeterminately sticky beneath his right shoe (only his right shoe), that his team’s social media manager, who also happens to be his girlfriend, best friend, fian, love of his goddamn life is holding back. On their texting agreement.
A texting understanding.
An equitable relationship built on trust, support, and mutual knowledge of their collective interests.
He sends. She sends. Updates. Questions about what they should eat for dinner. Decisions to order Thai for dinner instead of actually making anything. Information about the team. Little jokes about the team. Stats from other teams. Links. Meme screenshots. Popular tweets that Anthony finds on other sites because he resolutely refuses to join Twitter, but knows will make that specific sort of scrunch appear on the bridge of Kate’s nose. He might live for that specific sort of scrunch.
This was not supposed to be lopsided. As it apparently is.
okay but imagine a season one AU that takes place during the anthony/simon duel where they’re checking over daphne after she fell from the horse and kate gallops over to check on daphne, who she assumes was a poor defenseless maiden and needs help and she doesn’t trust these men, and anthony is just… gobsmacked and daphne’s like ‘huh…’ and benedict & colin are living their best lives in amusement and simon’s too focused on daphne to care. chaos ensues.
imagine kate invited to daphne&simon’s wedding. imagine her and anthony running into each other in london before he goes to the country and then him finding excuses to return to london a bunch.
(kate is in london early for waves hands some reason, maybe meet with the sheffields prior to edwina’s season?? idk someone else can figure that out. but oooo if it’s because of this, as kate shuffles to meetings with them, she vents to anthony mainly out of anger because he’s a titled rich dude and she’s got a chip on her shoulder, understandably)
anyway i just think the chaos following kate showing up in the middle of anthony&simon’s duel in s1 would be greatly entertaining. someone please take it and run with it. or something 😭
A Kate and Anthony Fanfic. Thank you to @ladykatebridgerton for editing!!
They don't make it to the wedding. It's raining that morning in the woods when Kate begs Anthony to go on with it. Only Kate leaves first, and Anthony has a bad feeling.
Read on AO3
It started to rain as Kate stood there, watching Anthony, pleading for him to do as she asked and marry her sister. The raindrops rolling down her face gave her leave for her tears to fall, hiding in plain sight amongst them.
Kate felt as if her heart was being ripped from her chest. He would do it. He would marry Edwina, and Edwina would be happy.
And Kate would go back to India and be free of the viscount and her feelings.
Before Anthony could move, she turned and quickly walked to her horse. She almost slipped as she mounted, and then she fled.
“K-Miss Sharma!” Anthony yelled after her, but she couldn’t bring herself to wait. She had to be anywhere but here. It was too painful. She rode faster, not caring about the rain pelting her in the face. She needed speed. And not to think about Anthony and her sister.
Somewhere in her mind, she realized she should slow down. The ground was already saturated from the night before, and puddles were already forming. Just a little further, and she would turn back to Lady Danbury’s....
tagged by my loves @ninzied and @carry-the-sky a while ago for wip whenever and they’ve got my stupid lil lizard brain thinking so....
a kanthony au. because i’m predictable trash.
--
It’s a miracle she doesn’t jump half out of her skin. Kate snaps her gaze to the right, quite ready to snap out an excuse you, have you heard of personal space? when the air gets sucked from the room and the words fall apart on her tongue.
The man at her side is, in a word, gorgeous. He’s got thick chestnut hair that sits loftily on top of his head. There’s something about him that looks incredibly classic; like he could walk into a movie set of any era and look like he belongs there. Currently he’s sporting dark jeans, a white t-shirt and a dark grey leather bomber which looks entirely too good on his broad shoulders. His eyes are molten brown, watching her in a vaguely amused way that reflects the small smirk on his lips. His nose comes to a long, almost sharp point and the line of his jaw is cutting. He’s painfully attractive.
