#juliabeth

YES YES YES

I'm gonna do this as if you're in Vicky's position because becoming a governess for David is the most plausible way for you to be living with them and I don't feel like putting the brain power into a super interesting backstory because, let's face it, we're really just here for the gay.

ALSO this is my first time writing polyamory so bare with me here

• As unprofessional as it is,a small part of the reason Elizabeth hires you for the job is because she's attracted to you

• I mean you're competent enough to justify it and do well with David but you being attractive doesn't hurt

• Elizabeth and Julia hadn't seriously considered having a third. They were just relaxed and secure enough in their relationship to know that they can drool over eye candy without being unfaithful

• (It can even be a bonding thing for them at times lol)

• When you're having dinner with the family for the first time and Julia walks out, she looks you up and down and looks at Elizabeth

• Elizabeth raises an eyebrow, smirking into her cup, and you briefly wonder why because you're a clueless gay ofc

• And in the beginning that was going to be the extent of it. They both find you attractive, but you're no more than David's governess.

• But as you become more settled in, you somehow worm your way into the middle of their little duo

• You didn't mean to, its just that the 3 of you get along so well

• You tend to be a night owl, just like the two of them, so when you stumble in on them talking late one night and they welcome you into the conversation, it becomes a habit

• You figure out the true nature of their relationship pretty quickly

• They didn't tell you outright, but they don't exactly hide it either; one of the things Elizabeth made sure of in the interview is that you're accepting of "alternative lifestyles"

• It doesn't take long at all for them to figure out you're also queer

• They slowly start flirting with you more and more, often teaming up to make you more flustered

• They have very different ways of flirting

• Elizabeth is more about using her words. She always knows exactly what to say to turn you into a blushing mess while still keeping her composure, utilizing her collected, elegant demeanor to her advantage to catch you off guard and fluster you even more

• Julia is more physical with her flirting. There could be seats all over the room with you sitting on a sofa that fits 3 people and she still slips in right next to you. She leans in during conversation, often finding little excuses to touch you like adjusting your hair or seemingly absent-mindedly tracing patterns into your clothes but in actuality she knows exactly what she's doing

• It confuses the hell out of you because they're already in a relationship with each other; for a while you're convinced they're just toying with you

• Despite this assumption, you continue to let them because, well, you don't want them to stop

• You just have to keep reminding yourself that there's no real feelings behind what they're doing

• Which becomes harder and harder

• Until it gets to be so much that you finally question them about it

• When you do, you're sitting next to Julia on the sofa (as usual). Julia gets quiet and looks over at Elizabeth, and Elizabeth gets up from her chair to sit on the other side of you so you're between them

• She explains that they've developed feelings for you and that, if she's not mistaken, she believes its mutual, and that they'd love to have you in their relationship

• But Julia's hand was creeping up your thigh

• And Elizabeth was brushing a strand of hair behind your ear, staring at your lips

• And as Elizabeth's lips land on yours, Julia presses a soft kiss behind your ear and starts to move down your neck, and you can't find it in yourself to protest

• I won't get into the details out of lack of experience with writing poly but you know where it goes from here

• It was almost overwhelming for you, the two of them together, but all the want that had building up since you arrived was released and your uncertainty melted away

• Anddd queue the over thinking!

• The topic is on your mind all day the next day, nothing you do can distract you from it

• Whenever you see them around the house you blush since you now know the extent of their feelings for you

• But they don't flirt with you that day- well Julia tries to but Elizabeth tells her to back off

• She wants you to be able to make this decision for yourself and not feel pressured

• Julia already knows you're gonna say yes and just wants to speed it along, but she adheres to Elizabeth's wishes

• That night you go straight to your room instead of the study where the three of you usually talk

• And you lay in your bed staring at the ceiling thinking about all the things that could go wrong and how you don't want to potentially ruin the friendship you've forged with them by making things complicated

• But then something in your head just... clicks

• And you realize this is what I want

• And you hop out of bed and nearly run down the hall to the study and of course they're in there

• They both look at you expectantly and you tell them your decision

• Julia flashes a subtle "I told you so" look at Elizabeth

• You can tell they're both extremely happy

Yesssss ily nonnie ok

• They're both so fucking clueless and in denial it takes forever for a relationship to actually start.

• Like they know they like each other but they don't KNOW it just tickles their subconscious all the time.

• They totally do couple's shit before they're a couple.

• They stay up late at night talking for hours all the time, julia with a book on psychiatry and a glass of whiskey, and Elizabeth working on her macrame and drinking tea.

• Julia loves to dance and will drag Elizabeth into it.

• Elizabeth doesn't care for dancing but she loves to do it with Julia.

• Julia calls Elizabeth "Lizzie" a lot.

• Elizabeth doesn't have a set nickname for Julia, but when she's tired she calls her Jules and when she want to fluster her she calls her darling.

• Elizabeth is low key touch starved af, and Julia is more than happy to fix that.

• They're both switches.

• Elizabeth helps Julia get over her drinking problem (Julia's issue was really more a situational thing/dealing with the past, she doesn't actually have a super addictive personality)

• Its endgame for them they might as well be a true til-death-do-you-part married couple.

• Except they can't coz homophobia :/

• LOTS of playful banter between the two of them

20. What does a typical date look like for them? 

I had to think on this forever because I’m really bad at date ideas. Also it’s not like they can just go out and be cute together coz, ya know, homophobia. Unless they hang out with the hippies and stuff who just don’t give a fuck, but that doesn’t really seem like their scene. I think a “date” for them would really just be spending quality time together. I keep thinking long walks on the beach like Victoria and Barnabas did, but that may just be me projecting what I would want.

Thanks so much for the ask!

when I started shipping it if I did: Sometime last year, I’m not sure exactly when.

my thoughts: How did I not see it sooner honestly. Get this Julia/Vicky bullshit out of here (i mean still have a soft spot for them) but Juliabeth is definitely my otp for Dark Shadows.

What makes me happy about them: I love their dynamic. In the movie (yk, all the deleted scenes that actually developed the characters a bit) it seems like they spend a lot of time together, and they have this steady playful banter that I love. I could go on and on but I’m gonna stop myself lol.

What makes me sad about them: Julia had to get that vampire d instead.

things done in fanfic that annoys me: fanfic? what fanfic?

things I look for in fanfic: fanfic.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: hmm well like I said I used to ship Julia/Vicky (because of a REALLY gay deleted scene in which Julia invites Vicky to her office in the middle of the night while eyeing her like she’s a 3 course meal and dessert, also she plays with her hair) but I don’t really see anyone else for Elizabeth. Unless you wanna try for an enemies to lovers with Angelique but that feels like a huge stretch. (I’d probably still read it tho)

My happily ever after for them: I don’t know because I have a narrative going on in my head and I haven’t gotten past the angst of what’s gonna happen when Julia crawls her way out of the bottom of the ocean yet. However if Barnabas hadn’t FUCKED EVERYTHING UP then just cliche lesbian/bi couple growing old together. The fishery is back in business and the Collins are once again big fish in a little pond. Julia uses this to build her reputation as a doctor and their combined income means they don’t want for anything again. They’re basically wives without the legal agreement. Townsfolk are baffled, befuddled, and quite possibly bamboozled by the nature of their relationship. Years after their deaths some nerdy little wlw on tumblr is gonna dig up love letters they addressed to each other and go on a detailed rant about how these two successful women were deeply in love, confined by the laws of their time.

who is the big spoon/little spoon: they switch