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Language:
English
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Published:
2025-01-18
Updated:
2026-06-18
Words:
330,808
Chapters:
38/45
Comments:
687
Kudos:
295
Bookmarks:
43
Hits:
10,186

Unanswered Questions

Summary:

“Never had a question you couldn’t answer before, Sharpe?”

“You just gave me one,Bridgerton”

When academic rivals Theo Sharpe and Eloise Bridgerton find themselves paired for a project, they think it's the worst thing to ever happen to them. They push and rile each other up, getting on each other's nerves with every argument.However, that's just the beginning of a complex string of misadventures, mystery and melodrama they find themselves in. Things heat up when a mysterious new pamphlet makes its way around Mayfair Academy while Theo finds himself embroiled in strange meetings and agreements.

Stubborn, arrogant Eloise and sharp-tongued Theo are forced to confront the shadows they run from, making difficult, but necessary decisions that unfold a story that will change their lives more than any book they have ever read.

When the tides change, will the two rivals put their heads together or be driven further apart?

Chapter 1: Author's note + FAQ

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Dearest gentle reader, Thank you for picking this fanfic to read. Welcome to my debut , Unanswered Questions! It is a romance story with a slight mystery sub-plot.After Bridgerton season 3 released last summer, I spent almost a year planning, writing and editing this, and it is finally yours! I loved Theo and Eloise in season 2 and believed they deserved a beautiful story in which their friendship and romance unravelled in an organic and emotionally striking way. I put a spin on it and placed them as academic rivals in a university, studying English Literature in the 1990’s!

While the plot is my idea, a lot of the characters do not belong to me. I do not own Bridgerton. This story is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to aspects of real-life people, organisations, events, etc is purely coincidental. All characters of Bridgerton belong to Netflix, Shondaland and Julia Quinn. I do not own Bridgerton or any of the characters. This is solely for entertainment purposes. No copyright infringement intended.

 I must say that this will be a LONG one as the characters grow, make mistakes, learn from them, face obstacles and get involved in all sorts of trouble. It is a slow burn fic, with a fair share of side characters, including OCs and other relationships.

 I will also be including cameos of characters from another TV show.

 A quick FAQ

 Q: How long do I intend this fic to be?

A: Around 40 chapters but it is not confirmed. I assure it will be completed. 60k words have already been written. I will update the fic every week!

 Q: Do the readers need any knowledge about Bridgerton?

A: Nope! As the setting is completely different, you do not need knowledge about Regency England, or any of the characters, for that matter.

Q: Do I need background knowledge on the TV shows and the movie from which the characters are making cameos?

A: Not at all! A few characters will just be making cameos.

Q: Is there any explicit content?

 A: There is NO explicit content, such as graphic depiction of violence, smut or excessive swearing in this. However, I will be adding trigger warnings where appropriate. I will also mention specific areas you can avoid, which contain triggering content, and add a summary at the end of the respective chapter. Please heed them and take care of yourselves.

Q: What are the POVs?

A: The story is a dual P.OV.  The fic will be alternating between their perspectives.

Q: Will the story only focus on the romance?

 A: While this is of course, a love story, these characters have well rounded lives, relationships and conflicts outside of their romance as well. Theo, especially will interact with the chaotic Bridgerton family and have his own misadventures. Don’t worry, gentle reader, I promise every chapter will have Theloise content! This is mainly a romance story, with a small mystery subplot

I intend on sparing no details as I wish to display the full flush of the characters’ lives in this Modern University AU. If I am writing such a long story, it is only fair that you get a good insight into the side characters and different sub plots. This fanfic is also long because Theo and Eloise love to yearn. 

 Q: Does this feature OCs (Original characters)?

A: Yes! Imagine them however you please

Q: To what extent is it canon compliant?

A: I imagined the characters to look like how they did in the TV show. A major chunk of their personalities are based on what is depicted in the TV show as well.

 Q: To what extent does it divert from canon?

- The setting and time period, obviously

- Some characters and relationships will not be featured at all.

- I took a lot of creative liberty with the setting, the relationships and even some of the ages of the characters.

 -A lot of the characters’ attitudes have been changed to fit the time period (1990’s).

 -As I put my own spin on this (like fanfic writers do), the characters definitely won’t do things they did in the show. I wrote their actions and decisions and overall arcs in a way that feels authentic and compelling to me as a viewer and a writer so the characters drive a story that holds substance. If a couple of characters act a little differently from the TV show, that’s why. I wrote it keeping a more modern setting in mind instead of the Regency era (although we may or may not have a ballroom dance scene)

 Every character has a role, and rest assured, no character from the canon Bridgerton will be bashed or vilified as I am aware every one of them has a fandom. All of them will have a happy ending.

I do not intend to offend any community, fandom or party.

 

Q: Will this be in British or American English?

A: British English. The story is set in England. Please note that the places mentioned are fictional. I named the university "Mayfair Academy" because in the show, the characters are in Mayfair. 

 

I used American spelling for my username because in the movie Dead Poets Society, where the phrase 'Dead Poets Honor" is from, honour is spelled that way, because the movie is American. 

 


 

Kindly keep your comments respectful. Any comment that features hurtful, insulting language, vulgar, disturbing or inappropriate content as well as sexist, xenophobic, bi-phobic, ableist, homophobic, racist or any sort of bigoted sentiments will be reported.

If you wish to give me feedback, ask questions, send me artworks or playlists, kindly do so on tumblr. The account is: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/divno. I am happy to respond!

 

 I will be uploading this fanfic on wattpad, fanfiction.net etc. Kindly do not copy this anywhere else or bind this fanfic without my permission.

 

 I will try my best to upload a new chapter at least once a week. If I anticipate a few busy weeks, I shall upload extra long chapters (hopefully in advance!) to compensate.

 Thank you for joining me, and thank you to my friends for all the support ! I hope you enjoy this! Please click on “kudos” if you do 😊

Notes:

Q: What are the tropes ? (Skip if you want to avoid spoilers)
A: Read this if you love:
-a slow burn romance
- academic rivals
• academic rivals working together for a project who call each other by their last names for a good chunk of the story
- English majors
-stubborn but protective and caring main characters who have a lot to unlearn and relearn about themselves and the world
- banter
-disagreements
-discussing books
- a dance scene (or two)
- a scene where he helps her with a zipper
- a very Bollywood-esque scene
- (an accidental) one bed trope
- saving each other
- one turning up at the other’s doorstep all bruised
- a whole plethora of side characters and side plots all parcelled in a layered plot
and so so much more that I do not want to give away!
Q: What are the other ships from the show featured in the fic?
A: Note: these are all in the background
Kate Sharma/Anthony Bridgerton
Henry Granville/Benedict Bridgerton
Michaela Stirling/ Francesca Bridgerton
Penelope Featherington/ Colin Bridgerton
(plus OCs!!)
Q: Which characters from other fandoms will we see a cameo from? (skip if you want to avoid a spoiler. this is the last question)
• Erin and James from Derry Girls