#also I need more of Colin watching Pen’s pleasure

[polin-erospsyche]

I love the fact that Pen was fully ready to accept to be ruined entirely in Colin’s bedroom without a second thought to propriety until he just casually burned all the bridges of courtship and went straight for the wedding

People are saying how their first kiss changed everything but that carriage ride must have been mind blowing for the both of them

[moirindeclermont]

5+ things I love about Penelope Bridgerton

(if you want to ask for a specific 5+ things I love go to my ask here - you can ask about Bridgerton, IWTV, Buffy or Supernatural)

1) Call me basic, but I love a smart character. Pen is witty and quick with her words. She has a sharp tongue and she puns. She made an entire business on her own, at 17 years old, and she maintain it for 3 seasons. She played the equivalent of a game of chess with the Queen herself and more than once, she won.

2) She loves deeply and fearlessly. She has a fierce instinct of protection for those she loves, and while that instinct can cause trouble, when it comes to Eloise or Colin she does what she does out of protection. That doesn't mean she doesn't make mistakes. She does. And often, when she's mad, she says or write stuff she doesn't mean. But I've never found her cruel for the pleasure of it.

3) She loves being intimate with Colin. For a woman that was deeply inexperienced, when she gets there she is enthusiastic about it, asks for guidance, etc. She is a wonder to look at, so open and uninhibited. I feel much like Colin, watching her is half of my personal pleasure in those moments.

4) She has the courage to change. When she realizes she is stuck, she looks at the situation and if she has to change and adapt, she does. It's not an easy thing to do at all. She truly embrace change at every new experience.

5) She allows people space. She does these with both Colin and Eloise. She knows they are hurt and, while she miss them and wants to make peace, she recognize they need to do so at their own pace.

6) She learns to use her power. It's not just gossip, as she tells Eloise. It's more than that and she recognize she can use the power the Ton itself gave her for making positive change. She has a purpose and dreams of her own and a husband and that's such a powerful message.

7) She learns to do everything on her own AND then she learns she doesn't have to. Do you have any idea how hard that is? Learning to trust other people will have your back and help you? I'm in awe of this woman.

8) This was a lot more difficult to write than Colin's. Because I saw so may things of Pen in me, that reading this and realizing I'm also some of this things is quite a challenge to grasp. But that's also another reason why I love her. She makes me feel seen.

[sophiebaek]

Belle’s Bridgerton season 2 thoughts

Going into this, I made my peace that I wasn’t getting a book adaptation and I really think that made my viewing more enjoyable because I knew what to expect.

I’ll be giving my thoughts separated in the good, the bad, and the great!

Good

The fashion you can clearly tell has been elevated. The makeup is a bit more dramatic, the colors are vibrant, and the mens fashion has really stepped up their game. I love how ABC all have a distinctive style; Anthony is darker colors and heavier fabrics to exude his hard exterior and role as viscount, Benedict wears patterns,florals, and his outfits are less form fittting, Colin is seen in a lot of lighter colors, which could play into how he’s still young and naïve.

Bridgerton Family: whenever they were all together it was magic on screen.

Music: solid set list for the covers and original score. I only wish that we got more and it was highlighted more! The music seemed very soft throughout the whole season, you would have intense moments and the music just wouldn’t match it’s level.

Eloise: Seeing her feel like a disappointment and being compared to daphne was so interesting to see. I think they gave us just the right amount of her this season, but I do wish we got more of her and Benedict; they really only had that one scene with the swings (which was a nice callback) and and few small background moments.

ABC: do I need to explain? (Also that Greg moment was very cute)

Seeing franny for more than one episode is a win for me

Eloise finds out: I didn’t think they would have the guts to do this but they did! I’m so glad that Eloise reacted this way since in the book it was never really addressed. I’m very intrigued to how her and pen’s relationship goes from there.

Featherington sisters: okay the featherington girls are my guilty pleasure. I love how ridiculous and campy they are! Philly and Mr. Finch are happily married and can talk about cheese whenever they want and Pru was just so fun to watch this season(Bessie did a great job)

Ostracizing the Bridgertons: I really liked how we got to see the ton’s most popular family fall from grace. We always hear “you’re a bridgerton, you can do anything” and it was great to give them a reality check. It was lovely to see them stick together as a unit and bring in the sharmas as well. I’m curious if this will happen with future stories, mainly Benophie as it’s probably coming soon and I would love to see how the ton react to Ben marrying Sophie.

Bad

The most disappointing thing for me was the cinematography of the season. I questioned how certain scenes were filmed, and there was a lot of unnecessary close ups and zoom ins. I expected more because s1 gave us great framing and lighting that really emphasized the story. It was giving greys anatomy level cinematography when I know the show can give us outlander and GOT quality.

Adding on to technical issues I had, the cgi was not great. I know the show probably doesn’t put it as a priority since it’s a historical romance drama, but that first scene of kanthony on their horses had really bad cgi. Maybe I’m just used the the quality of mcu cgi, but it was distracting!

Portia and Jack storyline: I didn’t mind it. I just didn’t want that much of it. We probably had more screen time of them than Colin and Benedict combined.

Kate’s accent: The first few episodes I didn’t mind it, but as the season went on Simone was really playing it up. I could tell when she was laying it on heavier and then pulling back. It was just confusing that it came and went; I just wanted some consistency with it.

The queen: I quite enjoyed the queen in s1 but I felt like this season she was too involved. The trend seems that she has some hand in each love story and I’m very curious as to how they’ll tie her in with the rest of them. I didn’t hate her this season but like Portia, we got too much.

Lack of Kate’s background: I know it’s not a word for word adaptation, but negating Kate’s trauma is a disservice to the character. We got to understand Anthony’s but only got a mere mention of hers. They connected because they have similar stories and help each other through their trauma. A missed opportunity.

Newton: I needed more of my king that’s all.

Too much side plots: Pretty explanatory, we really could’ve cut down on how many characters we saw this season. You can tell the show is taking a new direction and I’m not sure I like it. Did we really need to see will this season? Did we need to have the Portia and Jack romantic tension?

Great

Daphne: as someone who doesn’t have much interest in the character, I was pleasantly surprised on how they used her. She wasn’t there much but when she was, everything she said or did impacted the story. I loved her banter with Anthony and think they gave her enough to work with this season.

The flashback scenes: okay what a way to break my heart. All of those sequences were acted and written beautiful. I don’t mind the change of Anthony witnessing Edmund’s death and seeing violet’s reaction was just devastating. You can see the weight of the world instantly fall on Anthony’s shoulders, and I loved how we saw daphne singing to the kids since it was mentioned in s1.

Kanthony: I was debating on putting them in the bad category but it felt like a disservice. First off, our leads did a great job, you can really tell they know their characters and are confident in how they act. JB can bring the moodiness to Anthony while also giving us vulnerable moments. Simone Ashley has this fire and undeniably captures the snark of Kate. She can show the hard edges but also the softness. The scenes that we got of them together were so tension filled. JB and SA have so much chemistry and my only complaint is that we needed more of them. When we would go see what Portia was doing I said to myself, “We could be spending time with kanthony”. We just needed more of them!

Benedict: I may be biased but bb really shined :) Would I would’ve liked more of him compared to other plots? Yes. Luke T has this spark that makes him so endearing to watch. Benedict has so many layers and we’re just starting to reveal them. I really loved how we saw more of his and Anthony’s relationship as well. How they set up his insecurity about only being seen as a bridgerton and that he’s never felt heartbreak (and maybe even true love 👀) really gives us a hint of what’s to come in his journey. He gave us so many good moments, and I definitely caught some Sophie hints. And that poem? THE POEM!

Mary sharma: omg someone give this woman the world. We didn’t get as much of her as I would’ve liked but that talk with Kate about how she fell in love with her the moment she saw her, and just affirming to Kate that she is her daughter….😭

Overall I think the season was very enjoyable to watch. If you get over the fact that it’s not that connected to the book, I think one can have fun while watching. There were things I didn’t like, but also many things I loved. I give this season a 8/10

[talldecafcappuccino]

Some Ted/Rebecca astrology fluff for your post-episode 8 needs:

written in the stars (on ao3) “Okay, so here’s the thing,” Keeley said, barging into Rebecca’s office, a thick folder in her hands. She stopped in front of the couch where Rebecca was busy reviewing the club’s financials. “I did your birth chart.”

“My what?” Rebecca asked without looking up.

“You know, birth charts. Where the stars were at the exact time and place you were born? It explains all sorts of stuff about your personality and your future.”

Rebecca had heard the term. Sassy had mentioned getting her chart read after her divorce, offered her psychic’s services. But at £200 Rebecca had decided her money was better spent on a birthday massage—

“Hold on.” She whipped her head up. “How the fuck did you find out what time I was born?”

“Oh, I texted Deborah.” Rebecca should have known introducing Keeley to her mother was a mistake, but she hardly expected them to get on so well. She blamed their shared love of murder podcasts. “I knew you wouldn’t give it up. You’re secretive like that. It’s very Scorpio of you.”

“Alright that’s enough of that.” Rebecca glanced back down at her papers, ignoring the self-satisfied look on Keeley’s face.

“Don’t worry. I didn’t just do your chart. I’ve got the whole club’s right here,” she said, plopping down beside Rebecca. “Lots of interesting stuff going on in the House of Greyhound.”

Rebecca could practically hear her wagging her eyebrows.

“Please tell me you got everyone else’s birth information voluntarily? I really don’t have time to talk to HR today.”

“Oh, the team was easy! I just had to get one of them excited about it and then they all piled on.” She tilted her head. “Apparently Colin is very sensitive to Mars.”

Rebecca raised her brow, not sure what to do with that little tidbit of information. She’d never given Mars much thought in her daily life.

“Beside, not everyone is so tight-lipped about personal facts. Did you know Ted was born in a bowling alley?”

Rebecca couldn’t help but smile at that. Of course Ted would have a folksy birth story. He probably popped out saying, “Howdy y’all.”

“How exactly does this connect to your job as a head of Marketing?”

Keeley lit up, opening the folder. “Well, I was thinking we could do social media posts about the players’ signs, highlight some of the team dynamics on the field with their compatibility scores, and maybe—“

“Fine,” Rebecca acquiesced. “If the players sign off on the posts, it’s fine. Let’s move on.”

“Wait, don’t you want to see your chart?” Keeley’s brow furrowed and for a moment Rebecca felt bad. She did didn’t mean to dismiss Keeley’s hard work, it was just the content that left a sour taste in her mouth. It wasn’t for her.

But before she could answer, Ted was knocking at her door holding a piece of paper in his hand.

“Hey Keeley, what does it mean if my chart says my moon is in Aquarius?” Ted asked. “And does it have anything to do with the dawning of the age of Aquarius? Because that sounds like a barn raising I’d like to attend.”

“Ted,” Rebecca gaped. “Don’t tell me you believe in this sort of thing?”

“Well I dunno.” He shrugged, looking between the two women. “It’s kind of fun. Like a personality test, but more complicated.” He waved the paper around. “I feel like Nicolas Cage in National Treasure just trying to understand all these lines and symbols.”

Rebecca rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry, but nothing on the sheet says anything about anyone except that they’re incredibly naive and take no ownership for what happens in their life. No offense Keeley.”

Keeley sighed. “Such a skeptic. Typical Scorpio.”

Rebecca refused to dignifying that with a response.

“Scorpio, huh?” Ted asked, voice curious.

He was watching Rebecca with a familiar look, but one she rarely saw around the club. It felt like he was seeing all of her, his eyes skating a path down her body.

“I believe that’s my cue to leave.” Keeley slipped a piece of paper from the top of her folder and handed it to Rebecca. “This is for you.” Then, with a very obvious wink and a knowing smile, she bounced out of Rebecca’s office.

“Really Ted?” Rebecca asked, raising one brow, but Ted just smiled, taking Keeley’s seat.

“What? It’s not my fault my chart says I should expect a Scorpio in my bed tonight.”

“It does not.” Rebecca lunged for the paper in his hand, leaning across his lap only to miss entirely. She twisted around until was staring up at a gleeful Ted Lasso.

“You’re right. It doesn’t.” His placed his hand on the outside of her knee, reading from the paper for real this time. “But it does say some interesting things about Taurus and Scorpio compatibility. It looks like Keeley did some of her own interpreting.”

He pointed to a section on his paper, circled twice in red ink:

The emotional bond of love between Scorpio and Taurus is deep and enduring, built on a foundation of trust. The bull is careful when it comes to matters of the heart. It takes a patient, nurturing, and attentive sign like Scorpio to catch the Taurus heart. Once both are in sync, their love vibration beats in unison.

“Oh,” Rebecca said, a blush creeping up her cheeks. She pulled out her own birth chart, reading a similar section circle in the same pen:

….attraction stems from Taurus’ appreciation for Scorpio’s undying loyalty, intelligence, strength passion, and confident personality. His serenity goes well with her powerful personality. In general, these two are very compatible.

“It also says that there’s a ‘a strong sexual connection between Taurus and Scorpio.’” He said, voice low as he traced small circles around her knee. “But I guess we already knew that.”

Her eyes flicked down to the next section:

Bulls, by definition, are sexual beasts and crave the carnal. Governed by pleasure, physical intimacy comes natural to the sign, provided it vibes with the right zodiac.

Heat uncurled in her belly, and she bit her lip. She wasn’t ready to give credence to any of this star stuff. Not yet.

“But you know, you might need to fight Beard. It turns out he’s a Virgo and our connection is literally fire. Or I’m guessing based on all these little fire icons things. He and I have five and you and I only have four so—”

“Okay, that’s enough of that.” Rebecca sat up and straddled Ted’s lap, taking his chin in her hand.

“I’d like to see Beard do this,” she murmured, dropping her lips to his. Ted’s hand fell against her thigh, the other gliding up her back. She could hear the piece of paper crumple against her dress. Ted turned his head, deepening the kiss, and she groaned against his tongue before remembering her office door was still open.

She pulled away reluctantly, burying her face in his neck. “Oh god. Keeley is going to be insufferable when she finds out about us, isn’t she?”

“Yeah,” Ted sighed, tracing patterns against her back. But there was a smile in his voice that made it clear he didn’t care.

She pushed herself upright and looked at the man in front of her, his eyes staring up at her like she hung the stars and the moon herself. It was silly, Rebecca didn’t believe in birth charts or fate, but the idea didn’t seem so odd when it was Ted beside her.

With a squeeze of her leg and eyes that said I see you, she felt that pull into something larger than herself. In that moment she could see their future stretched before them, twined with the club and the legacy they were building together.

Maybe the stars were shining down on them after all.

[bleulone]

i love your analysis so much! i have a question as well, like, how do you envision polin's sex scenes ? thanks for your answer (:

    Hey! Thank you very much :)) I have no idea if they are that even good but I’m happy you like them. It’s just my brain tending to produce some iNsIGhiTfUL analyses though they usually end up drowned under a huge wave of stupidity and horrid spelling/grammatical mistakes XD. So, about Penelope and Colin’ sex scenes, I guess we’re getting spicy in this house 🌶. I mean, I don’t blame you. Who’s not hot for Polin ?! The steamy Polin hours have already begun and they’re legit challenging my patience. (Be still my Polin heart, be still).

   Okay, without further ado, let’s talk about sex baby, shall we ? It’s a pretty long answer/meta so bear with me.

    I don’t know if you’ve read Romancing Mister Bridgerton, but a quick reminder (for those who haven’t... yet), there are a bunch of iconic steamy scenes that I’m dying to watch on screen. First we have the famous “thank you” scene where Penelope, now a 28 year-old spinster, asks Colin to kiss her because she doesn’t want to die without having been kissed... then ends up thanking him— which happens to be humiliating for our 33 year-old boy because he thinks that she thinks he did it out of pity while he absolutely did not. The man definitely felt butterflies in his stomach... and in other places as well lol. We also have the ICONIC carriage scene where Colin gives Pen’s generous bosoms™ the attention they deserve. This is followed by his proposal. Later on, after the announcement of their engagement, there’s a pretty hot make-out scene on Lady Violet’s sofa. Finally, we have their first time in Colin’s bedroom, after sneaking out of their own engagement party... which leads Colin to push the wedding date forward. At this point, I just love their horniness, especially Colin’s who’s just so freaking amazed by Penelope for more than 300 pages straight (duh! who isn’t ???).

    When you say envision, I suppose you mainly refer to the way those scenes will be filmed right ? I’m afraid I don’t have an advanced knowledge in film-making but let me start by telling you what elements need to be depicted. I would love Shonda and Chris to capture the real essence of our boos’ feelings : the yearning, the love, the respect and the guilt (specifically on Colin’s side) in their eyes. The more we move forward throughout the seasons, the more we see different layers of the perceptions of they have of each other, going from a childish idealization/immature ignorance to a sudden realization. A mature one. Penelope goes beyond the facade of the charming devil-may-care guy to meet the seriousness and temper of her significant other. Meanwhile Colin discovers how confident, powerful and attractive this woman is and always has been. It echoes what I’ve written about the importance of the gaze in Polin’s love story in this meta. By the time season 4 hits, man... their heart eyes and eye-fucking will jump OUT XD, all fibers of their beings, burning with need. The fact that this evolution took literally years is very emotionally painful, which is why I find it important to keep the slowness aspect of their relationship before and during their love making. I’m really looking forward a slow build-up toward their intimacy. It would differ from Daphne and Simon who merely shared one hell of a kiss in Lady Trowbridge’s garden then shared their sexy times after they married or Anthony and Siena’s rough sex... In fact, there’s a certain (sweet) ardent tenderness in Polin I like due to the fact that they’re slowly (re)discovering each other, as adults. Since they were both introduced in season 1, the audience will have all the time in the world to notice numerous evidences of the many natures of love they have for one another : from an affectionate and friendly love to a more carnal and enduring one.

    Okay so, in terms of filming, with Netflix’s Bridgerton being a show which promotes the female gaze, it wouldn’t be that much of a surprise watching those sex scenes being shot from Penelope’s perspective, like it was the case with Daphne in the first installment of the series. Most of the time, sex scenes in Historical Romance are not gratuitous. Their presence serve an important purpose in a hero/heroine’s journey. In Penelope’s case, they’re here to help her learn to embrace and love herself. In other words, sexuality is synonym of freedom. I don’t know if they’ll show a lot of skin, but I won’t be complaining considering the fact that we’ll have the chance to get a chief kiss treat on screen : a plus size woman in a major successful Netflix period drama getting a love story as romantic and steamy as other more “fit” female characters. No, your weight doesn’t prevent you from being desirable at all. As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t watched a plus-size female character portrayed as an attractive protagonist in a period drama (please if you have, let me know, I can be wrong). Having a beautiful half bare curvy body like Nicola’s being equally filmed like numerous slim actresses will be so inspiring and powerful to watch, especially for (young) women who struggle, like Penelope, to love their body shape which, to them, doesn’t “fit” the “beauty standards”. By showing her female gaze and portraying her as seductive, Pen’s “supposed” imperfections transform themselves into mighty assets, loved and worshipped by our dashing Mister Bridgerton. That’s body positivity at its finest darling ;).

    It will be deliciously erotic watching the undressing process being exquisitely slow, garment by garment, while their gaze are all heated and hungry. Their sex/make-out scenes should be tender and passionate, sweet and raw. The lightning, colored by a dark blood orange yellow or a blue depending the locations^^. Moreover, the depiction of the exploration of Penelope’s desire can translate itself thanks to multiple close ups. For instance, I can imagine a few ones on Pen’s fingers gently roaming over the smooth skin of Colin’s firm chest and back/touching his hair right after he removed his shirt. And a disheveled Colin letting his hands and lips making a journey of their own, mapping, conquering the alluring unknown territory that is her gorgeous voluptuous body... kissing her on the places he knows oh too well will give her pleasure (is this me wanting him to go down on her?— um yeah I sure hope it IS! If he doesn’t, trust me imma riot... AGAIN). Even a close up on her face while Colin is performing his addictively pleasing torment will be a marvelous proof of the female gaze. By the way, why not even adding a post-coital scene after their first time ? I can picture Penelope waking up first and contemplate her handsome soon-to-be husband. She’d bring her hand to his face and let it travel all around his forehead, his cheeks, his lips, his neck and let it rest on his heart— making sure that what she’s just experience was real... obviously, Colin will wake up in the process and he’ll take this as his cue to go for another round of sexy times under the sheets.

   Showing Pen reaction is essential according to me because she was stuck with the idea that she would never experience the luxury of being loved, giving pleasure nor receiving it... she ended up being happily wrong. Throughout her multiple intimate encounters with Colin, I want her to progressively realizes that she can be an active partner. In the carriage, she knew she had an effect on him, but it’s not until their first time that she actually realizes it. Hence the reason why I WANT the mirror’s introduction in one of their sex scenes. Here’s as a little reminder an excerpt from chapter 18 :

“I want to see you sitting up," he groaned, "so I can see them full and lovely and large [about Pen’s breasts]. And then I want to crawl behind you and cup you." His lips found her ear and his voice dropped to a whisper. "And I want to do it in front of a mirror."

“Now?” she squeaked.

He seemed to consider that for a moment, then shook his head. "Later," he said, and then repeated it in a rather resolute tone. "Later.”

   It would be such a shame if the show doesn’t use the incredible potential of this object (/kink). I mean, the symbolism is pretty clear. Penelope has always fled her “ugly” reflection but it seems like Colin wants to show the real her, the beauty that holds every single inch her alabaster skin and the effects they have on him. Thus, I would love to watch a scene where Colin just praises the alluring goddess and siren that is Penelope Featherington. Just imagine! Just IMAGINE the power of this scene : a shirtless Colin sitting behind her on a bed, meeting her gaze in the mirror, his lips touching her right ear, biting and licking the lobe sometimes, whispering all kinda of dirty yet poetic words to her while letting his hands caress her thighs, her hips, her arms, her lovely bosoms™... oof. At the same time, a wonderful and harmonic instrumental music will play in the background and match the melodic partition of shudders, breathes and moans let out by our lovers. I can imagine Luke inspiring himself from his performance in the 2019 short film, Youth In Bed. The way he conveyed the awe and the yearning on his face, in his eyes with his mouth slightly open when he knelt before his partner Shun Yin was just captivating and— and so Colin! I cannot help but bring myself to picture Ethan, the character he played in YIB, in a Polin steamy scene. I cannot unsee this anymore jsksk. I mean, all this gifset radiates this book4chapter18!Colin, you cannot tell me otherwise!

    Also, I would love Shonda and Chris to keep Pen and Colin’s cute/emotional pillow talk. One thing I really love in JQ’s books is the concern she gives to her male protagonists about potentially hurting their partner during the act of penetration. Colin is a rake, and what his experience with women taught him is that he needs to be very gentle with the love of his life. It was so adorable seeing him not wanting to harm her and asking her to tell him if he does anything she doesn’t like 🥺. Plus, before actually doing it, Colin and Penelope shared a few kisses and just laid down side by side, confessing their love. Though our boy kept feeling guilty about not returning her love after all these years. He desires nothing but to make up for the lost time and show his love and desire during this special intimate moment. I hope they’ll keep all of chapter 18’s dialogue. It’s just so telling of our boos’ feelings, you see.

    All in all, I can’t wait to watch those Polin steamy scenes. As much as I may sound crazy, I want them after two other seasons of pure pining and yearning in order to have a very good payoff. I’m not an expert on depicting intimacy on screen, but I loved so far what Lizzy Talbot, the intimacy coordinator who worked on the show, have done in season 1. Sex scenes in Bridgerton seem very real and dive you in the intimacy of the moment, leaving you all flustered and hot. So probs to her! I have faith in her work and have no doubts about what her and the directors will serve us in future seasons. Though, in the end, I think it’s mostly up to the actors, Nicola and Luke, to see if they’re comfortable filming sex scenes.

    If you guys have any suggestions or wishes for those steamy polin scenes, please do share them :) by commenting on this post or by sending me asks! I’d love reading your thoughts/take on this very important matter ;)) 

[mrsbenedictbridgerton]

The truth about loving you

Polin Modern au

Part one

4.5k

*Here it is - finally -part one! I hope you enjoy! *

Loving Colin Bridgerton had been the joy and the heartache of her life. It was time for Penelope to move on. He was never going to notice her. He was never going to love her the way she loved him. Always travelling, always seeking something... Colin was back in the small town of Grosvenor. But something was different and he had a feeling, it was him.

Also on AO3

Prologue

Penelope Featherington was well aware that, generally, the idea of love at first sight was laughed at. In addition, the thought that a young woman who had just reached the age of sixteen should find the love of her life in such circumstances was preposterous to most people. Well, almost everyone, really.

But she had. Fallen in love that is. Deep, head over heels, irrevocably in love. With Colin Bridgerton, brother of her dearest friend Eloise. Tall, handsome, charming… kind. Yes, she knew within a few minutes of meeting him and of becoming mesmerised by his smiling eyes that he was kind. She knew that he loved his family to distraction, that he was decent, that he was caring and that he did not have one bad bone in his body. That whoever should be lucky enough to win his heart would be treasured and loved…

So, really, one could not blame her for the instant, fatal bolt of something that had left her painfully in love with a man who saw her, she shuddered to think, as almost another sister. And he already have plenty of those. Penelope, being somewhat shy (and certainly lacking in the kind of confidence that would have let her believe she had any chance of being seen in anything more than sororal terms) had hidden her infatuation behind smiles and blushing cheeks. She had told no one - not a single soul - and miraculously none had guessed. She daren’t divulge the deepest secret of her heart to anyone. It was her private treasure; every moment in his presence was a potent mixture of exquisite joy and painful torment. He was the sunshine of her life. 

And he was completely, utterly oblivious. He had been both the greatest pleasure and tragedy of her life. For twelve. Whole. Years.

Until one day, as she approached the age of 29 and began to have those philosophical internal conversations that one often has when reaching a significant age, she had a revelation. No more, she told herself, no more…

Something had to change. 

Part One

Twelve years, three months and two days of being in love with Colin Bridgerton

With a final few clicks, followed by a deep sigh, Penelope flicked the lid of her laptop closed and glanced at her watch. Six pm. That gave her exactly sixty minutes to prepare herself for the town Spring Gala - otherwise known as Lady Agatha Danbury’s annual party; held every April by the social leader of the small Oxfordshire town of Grosvenor, in which not a soul dared to miss either through fear of Lady Danbury’s interrogation at a later date or simply because it was the first post-Christmas social event, where the chill was finally fading from the air and the dark nights of December had been replaced by the tempting promise of the bright summer evenings to follow.

Penelope didn’t know if she had the energy to face the entire town, but go she would. Really, she should try and make the most of the evening. She would actually miss the predictability of life here. In Grosvenor, nothing of real substance ever changed. It was comforting, but it was a crutch. It was a life she had clung to to avoid making the hard decisions.

As she stood to leave her desk, her eyes fell upon a polaroid. It was a picture of Pen, her best friend Eloise and Eloise’s brother, Colin, taken at Christmas a few years ago, they all were wearing ridiculous jumpers and Colin was trying to stuff a whole mince pie in his mouth. A frown crossed her face. She grabbed the picture and tossed it into the first drawer of her desk, slamming it with a satisfying thud.

It’s time to grow up, Penelope, she told herself. 

It was time for a change.

/ 

After locking her door, Pen stashed her keys in her pocket and… nearly jumped out of her skin. Perched on the small brick wall surrounding her cottage was Eloise Bridgerton, her oldest friend, lit cigarette dangling from one hand and black leather jacket slung over her shoulder.

“Jesus, El, you scare me!” Her friend smirked and took a long drag of her cigarette. “And you know if your mother catches you smoking she will kill you.”

Eloise scoffed. “I’m 28 years old Pen. I think I’m pretty far past the age when my mother rules my life.” Pen gave her a pointed look as she put out the cigarette on the stone wall before slipping it back in the packet. “Okay, so she could make my life a misery. As you well know I smoke precisely three times a year: the Danbury party, the Smythe-Smith musical evening and Simon and Daphne’s Christmas Fete.”

Pen knew her thoughts on forced social occasions, they were very similar to her own. Forced socialisation was akin to mental torture to the middle Bridgerton sibling because, like Pen, she had little time for the more vapid members of town society, and sadly, they made up a high percentage of those one would meet on such occasions. Which was why, as ever, she was once again thankful for friendship with Eloise. They were as much alike as they were different but there was something intangible between them that transcended the ordinary. On a higher level, they just fit. Many a time they’d postulate over large glasses of wine about becoming eccentric spinsters one day, with a dozen cats each and a cozy little house that overlooked the sea. It was a comforting thought for someone like Pen, who usually avoided thoughts of the future.

Slipping her arm through her friend’s, Penelope pulled Eloise to stand and began to walk in the direction of the Danbury’s large, sprawling house.“And then why do you attend tonight?” Penelope teased, knowing fair well what the answer was.

“Danbury would have my head on a platter - and then my mother would serve it for dinner. You know how those two are!”

Indeed, Penelope was well aware of the friendship between two of the town’s grande dames, both forceful in their own way and both determined matchmakers. “I wonder who they are trying to set up this year?”

“Don’t look at me,” El spat with an incredulous look, “Mother let that go a long time ago.” “Hyacinth maybe?” 

“She’s far too busy with her graduate degree. She’s determined to get firsts across the board. She’s now onto her fourth language you know?” Pen did know El’s youngest sister had an uncanny knack with languages, it was unnerving really when noone else in her family spoke more than a smattering of bad French. She’d already also mastered Spanish and Mandarin - helped of course through the year she had spent travelling in China. Oh how Pen wanted to go to China… okay, perhaps not China, maybe she wasn’t that adventurous. But just anywhere other than here. “Pen?”

“Hmm?”

Eloise jabbed Pen softly with her elbow. “You like you are on another planet.”

“Just thinking,” she replied, not really being dishonest.

“Well I’m glad to see I am such scintillating company. I was actually trying to tell you I have news.”

Oh. News. Eloise had news? This was the moment Pen had been waiting for. She wanted El to know first, she hadn’t even told her mother yet...

Pausing, Penelope turned to face her friend and forced a smile. “Actually, I, too, have some news-”

Just then, a large pair of arms wrapped around Pen from behind, hugging tightly around her waist before lifting her and spinning her around. 

Oh God. She’d know those arms anywhere. She’d know that cologne. She’d just know it was… 

“Colin! Put me down!,” she screamed, wriggling from his grip, “I’m far too heavy!”

Feet landing back on the pavement, Penelope stumbled a second before spinning on her heel to face him.

“Nonsense, you are light as a feather Pen,” Colin replied, grinning as reached forward and pressed a loud kiss on her cheek - leaving the patch of skin his lips had touched tingling and a deep blush threatened to engulf her face. Thank god it was getting dark already.

“That was my news,” Eloise announced smugly, crossing her arms. “Brother three is back on British soil.”

Stunned was not quite the word to describe Penelope’s state of mind as she stared at Colin Bridgerton. Colin with his warm, wide smile and deep, dark eyes… eyes she had drowned in more times that she cared to count. His thick, brown hair had grown and now licked at the collar of his shirt. But otherwise, Colin had changed very little in the six months since she had last seen him - and indeed in the twelve years since they had met.

“Colin,” she began, still a little tongue tied from the brief kiss and, moreso, his entirely unexpected return, “But you were in Australia?” 

“I decided to come home.”

“Clearly,” she mumbled, her head whirl. He always had that effect on her. His mere presence sent her stomach into knots and her head into a whirl and thinking clearly was almost impossible. “How wonderful,” she added.

She was dizzy. She felt a headache coming on. Actually, she felt just a little sick. Why was he back? Why? He was supposed to be gone for another five months. She should really have guessed that this might happen, Colin’s plans were always flexible and his adventures were subject to whatever whim or passion he was currently in the midst of. Still, it was unlike him to return from a trip early. It would have made more sense for him to spend those extra months exploring some other little corner of the world( and giving her the time she needed). Time for Penelope to make all the changes to her life that her carefully made plans had necessitated. Time for her to finally get over him. Severing her childish adoration for this man was the only way of moving forward with her life and just as she was about to make the great leap into the unknown… there he was. Same old Colin. 

Damn, she was tired of loving him. Because the truth about loving Colin Bridgerton was that it was equal parts heaven and hell.

“Pen!” El shouted, breaking her reverie. “You phased out on me again.” Penelope gave a wan smile. “So what were you going to tell me before my idiot brother here interrupted us?”

“Oh,” she shrugged, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”                                                      

/

Lady Danbury, of course, had planned her event to perfection. A string quartet greeted visitors in the large, marble lined vestibule of Danbury Hall and uniformed wait staff meandered around the milling guests carrying shining silver platters of champagne and fancy-looking canapes. As the trio arrived, friends of Colin’s surrounded the siblings and welcomed their friend home. Colin had always been extremely popular. Between his good nature, sense of humour and ability to make whomsoever he conversed with feel important and noticed, he has managed to forge friendships with almost every inhabitant of Grosvenor. 

Seeing an exit, Penelope grabbed a flute of champagne from the first passing server and managed to sink down half of it in one swift gulp as she headed towards the large ornamental garden that was accessed from the house’s terrace. She needed a moment. She needed air. She needed to think.

He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be thousands of miles away. 

She really had convinced herself that she was growing out of her feelings from him. It was quite ridiculous. It had been over TWELVE years. She’d mooned over him all through her teens and twenties, both cursing and thanking her friendship with Eloise for placing them in such close conspiracy. Being close to him and watching him over the years had only deepened her feelings whilst simultaneously feeding a torturous sense of insecurity. It was a curse. Any man she met was instantly compared with Colin. Was he as kind as Colin? Was he as generous as Colin? Did he make her laugh like Colin did? Did she dream of sinking her hands into his hair the way she did with Colin? Would he kiss like Colin... The list was endless. 

Admittedly, the few fleeting relationships she had found herself in over the years had little longevity in them on their own merit. If a man showed an interest in her she was flattered - and flattery led her to trying to like them too. But no matter how much she tried, it was impossible to force attraction, or even friendship, and spending an evening with any of them was a close second to a glass of wine and a good book. So almost permanently single, she’d hidden her feelings under the guise of a bright demeanor and focused herself on building a career and becoming more than a woman driven by her emotions. Well, she had tried. 

Tried and failed miserably as proven by her visceral reaction to his presence that evening. Who was she kidding? The only way to finally free herself from this madness was to take herself out of the equation. Physically.

With a sigh, she downed the rest of her glass and left it on a little decorative iron table that edged the patio. There was little use in ruining the evening by letting herself sink into a mood. Tonight he was here and there was little she could do about it. 

/

Colin was home. Jetlagged, overtired and not-quite sure exactly what the time was, but he was back in Grosvenor with his luggage already deposited in his childhood room at Aubrey Hall. As expected, nothing of any note had changed in Grosvenor in the half a year he had spent travelling across Australia. It never did actually. Not during his tour of Europe, his kayak trip down the Amazon nor those six months spent trekking in India. There was something comforting about that. Home was always home. With very little change to have to acquaint oneself with when returning after a prolonged absence.

Except… Well… She looked different. Penelope did. No, that wasn’t right. Penelope was the same as always. Pen was always there when he came back: she was dependable, as much a part of home as his mother’s Sunday lunches or the broken clock at the town hall - and inevitably joined at the hip with his sister Eloise. But something was different this time.

When he’d seen her across the street, he’d stalked up to her as he often liked to, picking her up and spinning her around - it was an old trick that had started so long ago he’d forgotten exactly how or why. Yet this time he didn’t just feel the sense of enjoyment in making his friend laugh, as he picked her up he had immediately noticed the curve of her hips and the brush of her breasts against his arm. Startled, he had let go, only for her to turn to him with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes and- well -it was different. He’d always known Penelope was a woman, but tonight for some reason, he knew.

While he had been awake for over 30 hours (thanks to a delightful assortment of caffeinated beverages), he could not blame the tightening in his gut and the moment of breathlessness he felt in that brief moment on sheer exhaustion. In fact, he’d felt a rush of adrenaline and a kick of excitement, as if he had just discovered something new. Something that no one else knew. It was… unsettling. But not exactly in a negative way.

Puzzled and curious, Colin made light work of greeting those old friends who didn’t yet know he had returned and then left Eloise to be grilled by their sister Daphne and her husband Simon about just when she planned on moving out of Aubrey Hall. He slipped away quietly. The simple solution to his confusion was to go and talk with Penelope as he normally would. Surely that would settle whatever had affected him so much. He needed to have a nice, normal conversation with her. It was understandable, he supposed, for friendships to be a little strange after such a time. It hadn’t happened before between them, but still...

It was in the garden that he found her. The evening was still light, the sun turning a hazy orange behind the springtime clouds. He’d left Australia as the summer was turning to autumn and here he was about to experience summer yet again. The idea made him smile. Summer was always his favourite time of year. It seemed filled with so much promise - the days were long, the weather fine and even the gloomiest of souls could not retain their negativity when faced with an English summer’s day.

“Pen,” he said as he approached where she stood at the edge of the ornamental gardens. In one hand, she had a full flute of champagne and in the other an impossibly sized canape. She seemed to be studying the canape and deciding how best to approach it’s consumption - not easy when it took the form of an oversized base of puffed pastry topped with a heavy dollop of cream cheese and an artful sprinkling of caviar (Colin had always appreciated good food). Her eyes met his and she smiled, perhaps a little self consciously.

“Colin, I thought you were enjoying a hero’s welcome.”

He smirked a little, “I should hardly think my travels are an accomplishment. Indeed, mother sees them as somewhat the opposite.” His mother was actually very supportive of her son’s desire to see more of the world, but she had mentioned many times how perhaps spending every penny he earned on the endeavour was not the best forward planning. A large part of him knew she was right. The transient lifestyle he had lived for so long was starting to wear on him if truth were told. Not that the urge to discover new places would ever leave him, but perhaps the way it manifested in his life needed to change. More to think on later, he supposed.  “Anyway, I’m reliably informed that my mother is planning a welcome home and belated birthday party very soon. My loyal fans can fawn over me then,” he teased

“Oh,” Penelope gasped, “Your birthday was last month - I didn’t exactly forget I just - well, with all the travelling I didn’t even know where to send you a card. Here,” she said pushing the canape in his direction, “A present. I’m sure you are starving.”

“Oh no no no,” he chuckled, pushing her hand back. “I could not possibly deny you the pleasure of… that.”

Penelope frowned as she glanced at the oversized canape. Really, Colin was being a little cruel. Even he, who had never been accused of being small of mouth, would struggle to eat that with some semblance of dignity. But Penelope’s pouting pink lips were perfectly proportioned for her petite heart shaped face, forming a flawless pout as she considered the clearly impossible challenge. Colin, for his part, was seriously contemplating the lush fullness of her bottom lip until Penelope let out a deep sigh, opening her mouth wide and pushing the entirety of it inside. Colin sucked in a quick breath. As she chewed a drizzle of cream spread across her lip and he watched, hypnotised, as her tongue slipped out and cleared it away. There was something startlingly erotic in the moment and he found himself transfixed. Their eyes met as her jaw worked, the silence between them somehow startlingly loud, even as the sound of the party increased behind them in the house. Not breaking the eye contact, Penelope took a long sip of her champagne. “Done,’ she murmured softly.

The edges of his lips curled as he reached forward and brushed a crumb of pastry from her petal soft cheek. “Was it enjoyable?” he asked quietly.

Wordlessly, she nodded. 

And, hell, he had enjoyed it too.

‘Well then, I’d say I’m rather jealous.” He was overcome with a sudden urge to kiss her. He wanted to step closer to her, wrap his hands around the devastating curve of her hips, press his body to hers so those lush breastswere flush against his chest and then he would taste those maddeningly erotic lips. The idea pulsed through him. She was staring. Her blue eyes widening. He reached for the glass in her hands, intending to set it down-

Buzzz. Buzzz. Buzzz.

The moment was broken by the vibrations of a mobile phone. It took Pen a few seconds to acknowledge it was hers, a confused look crossing her face until she fished the device from her jeans pocket.

“Pen? PEN? Where are you?” Eloise’s voice bellowed down the line.

“Eloise,” she mouthed to him, though he had no trouble hearing his sister, who was never known for her subtilty. “You need to get here. Daphne is PREGNANT!”

“Oh,” Pen smiled, looking back at him. “I think we should head back to the others.”

Wordlessly he nodded. His sister - for whom motherhood had always been so important - announcing her first pregnancy, was certainly something he wanted to be there for. “C’mon,” he whispered, holding out his arm, “Time to play proud big brother.”

Further exploration of his newfound fascination with Penelope Featherington’s lips would have to wait.

/

Hours later...

The world was silent when they reached her cottage. An intrepid white cat darted across the street as a gust of wind rustled the branches of the small oak tree that dominated the garden of Penelope’s cottage. Despite the light chill to the air, she was wearing a warm coat of alcohol, her cheeks glowing as they always did when she had drunk champagne. Pleasantly tipsy, she leaned into Colin, his warmth comforting against her side as she fumbled in her pocket for her key.

“Thank you,” she said quietly as she opened the half gate that breached the stone wall around her home “But you really didn’t have to walk me all the way home. I’m a big girl, you know.” There was a double meaning to her words; yes she wasn’t exactly young, but she also wasn’t exactly small in size - the phrase ‘curves in abundance’ could have been written just for her, she had thought on more than one occasion.

“It was my pleasure,” Colin replied, “It was a fine excuse to leave before the revels became too tiring- you know these things can go on until morning and I already feel like I could sleep for a year.” With that, he yawned and ran a hand through his hair. Pen watched those lightly tanned fingers come through the dark chestnut locks and swallowed down a sigh.

“Well,” she nodded, “I’d say that it’s time to say goodnight.” For a second, she fidgeted, her keys jangling on her finger. Impulsively, she reached out her hand and immediately felt ridiculously awkward. She and Colin did not shake hands. She didn’t shake hands with anyone. Ever. She cleared her throat and felt her cheeks deepen in colour. Oh god. After their strange moment in the garden, things had felt almost normal between them as they congratulated Daphne and Simon and then passed the rest of the evening hearing stories from Colin’s travels and bringing him up to date with the (somewhat limited) local gossip he had missed. And so when he had insisted on walking her home, she hadn’t been overly wary. Yet now… now they were alone on her quiet street and he was staring at her so oddly that she was actually finding it difficult to breathe-

“Good night,” he said softly, reaching down to bring her into a hug. It was a beautiful, warm embrace, her face almost nestling against his neck so that she could enjoy his musky, soft cologne. This was nice. This was safe. Friends hugged.

She made to pull away, but he only loosened his grip a small amount. Looking up he was so very close. His dark, velvet eyes fixed upon hers. “Pen…” he whispered, a look of concentration upon his face. She tried to wriggle gently free of his arms, his close inspection feeling uncomfortable and somehow searing.

And then he kissed her. Just like that.

His lips were against hers, his hands slipped up her back, his mouth suddenly urgent and wonderful and if Penelope could have imagined his kiss a thousand times she could not have imagined this. He pressed her back against the door, his tongue sweeping into her mouth with a satisfied groan. Her hands, which had been limp around his neck, surged into his thick locks, the satin strands feeling obscenely good between her fingers. He pushed his hips forward, anchoring her in place, his mouth tracing her jaw and then her neck, one hand racing down to cup her buttocks and squeeze just hard enough to make her gasp in surprise.

Colin Bridgerton was kissing her.

Colin was kissing her.

Colin.

Suddenly, she froze, pushing against his shoulders. “Are you drunk?” she panted.

“No,” he frowned, “Are you?”

“No,” she admitted, shaking her head. And, oh she was thankful that she would remember every moment of this...

Without her noticing, Colin had taken the key and opened the door behind her. Quickly,  they fell inside. Their arms instantly back around each other and the kiss resumed and it was intoxicating. It was magnetic. It was drugging… Penelope had never been kissed like this before. 

Colin was nibbling at her neck and pulling her shirt out from her jeans. She dug her fingers into the firm muscles of his shoulders and felt herself being swept away.

“Wait-”

He paused and looked up. 

Penelope took a step backwards. This had to stop. It was madness.  “I-I can’t do this right now. I-”

His face creased in confusion. “Pen?”

She began pushing her shirt back into her jeans. “I need to think. I need to sleep. I-” She sighed and pursed her lips. She couldn’t believe what was happening. She couldn’t believe what she was doing.

He responded with a small nod and a whispered, “Okay.” He reached back and placed his hand on the doorknob, before adding, “Later?’

And Penelope tried to smile.

Colin left, the door closing softly, followed by the clip of footsteps and the creak of her gate. Quickly, she locked the door and then stared at it.

And then Penelope Featherington started to cry.

Oh god, what the hell just happened?

To Be Continued...

[blonde-toddy]

Random and Not So Random thoughts while watching Bridgerton: Season 1, Episode 8

So the finale is here.

And baby do we need some resolutions.

This one is titled "After the Rain"

I hope that's a good thing.

Couples montage then lonely Violet. She was blissfully in love with her husband, that's for sure. 8 facking kids worth.

Yes Simon and Daphne are a love match....but they are ripping my heart out right now.

Why are they being so cold?!?!

Way to reference the ruse Daphne. Ugh.

I'm glad that King Granville is here.

Yes push those assholes together.

That shoulder touch. See, irresistible. They are all about each other.

The very picture of devotion, indeed.

Benny and Eloise!!!!

She's wearimg that ugly neck thing again.

No Benny, she thinks Delacroix is Whistledown.

What?!?! Francesca is coming back.

Oh Marina you still pregnant.

Now you shipping Penelope and Colin. That's not weird or anything seeing as you were ready to trap his ass.

Something is amiss!

For Violet to be so wise with her sons, she's awfully thick when it comes to Daphne. I just don't understand.

Daphne is done done done with Violets advice.

I ain't mad at her.

Aww Portia is trying to finesse her way back in. Violet can't stand her.....

Okay Daphne! Let's just hand out all kinds of forgiveness today.

Oh shit. Sir Crane!

Daphne and Portia are GONE!

Ooooh her beloved is dead dead dead.

Yeah girllllllll. All that time you thought he abandoned you. And he was at war.....shit.

What a pill.

I'm glad Daphne has some kind of friend.

Daphne and Marinas storylines are kind of bizarrely parallel.

Jesus Eloise, wtf!

Awww she's trying to save her friend.

I don't think Delacroix is Whistledown.

Oh this is so uncomfortable.....Benny on the low shit.

That shoulder shrug was cute.

"Lock. The door "

Where you going Daphne....what you doing?

Your Graces.

Awww Daphne is still trying.

Damn Simon if she deserves it, step up and give it to her.

Will and Alice ❤

Aw shit Will took Featheringtons bait.

This can't be good.

The deed to the crib?!

This man is out of his mf mind.

Stop it with Anthony and Sienna already!

Simon knows Will is up to something..........

Oh shit he's still there.

Marina you better marry him.

You a damn fool.

Good luck.....you're missing tf out I think.

Right, Portia, right.

Oh she definitely still pregnant.

What are you looking for Daphne?

Ooooh she found the letters he wrote to his father.

And she's reading the mfs.

Oh man.

Yeah girl. It's fucking awful.

Here we go again with hoe ass Anthony.

Under the bleachers. Okay you freaks.

And Will throws the fight.

Featherington is so full of shit and those bookies know he played them. That is going to go horribly. I guaranfuckingtee it.

Simon knows whats up....but he's in no position to judge ANYBODY right now.

Daphne getting serious insight.

I appreciate the relationship between Daphne and Lady Danbury.

She needs someone to be straight with her.

She's giving that mother-in-law type advice and I love it.

You really out here judging him Simon.

Will fucked up but he's still right! Worry about your wife and your life! What's this really about?!

Oh Portia...don't get too excited.

That shits coming back around.

Breakfast together. Is this progress?

Daphne has a peace about her.

She ain't giving up on her man.

To Bridgerton House they go to see Dear Francesca.

Simon is so charming. He is duplicitous af!

Suddenly everyone is just cool with everything. Okay.

Must be the edibles.

Yes girl, look at your hot husband. He is impressive.

Um. Eloise. I think you're wrong boo.

Everybody doesn't have the advantages you have homie! I'm glad Penelope checks her when she gets on that high horse.

Simon with the kiddos just laying it on thick for my girl Daph. Teasing the fuck out of her.

Even Anthony looks all proud and shit.

Delacroix still finds away to shade Portia and it's hilarious.

He lost her mf dowry.

Yes Marina. The bun is still in the oven.

Hastings house is lavish af!

Gawd that picture.

This is not the end. No. No. No.

I share in the doctors exasperation.

Idk what the fuck has happened to Anthony to turn him on his head like this.

Ok mf! You know what, take Sienna to the ball.

Finally giving her the love she deserves from you.

Oh look at these assholes looking at themselves.

"You wound me."

She's light roasting him again and it's lovely.

Come on my babies. Get it together. Y'all are precious.

Also if I ever marry, I want a regal ass portrait like that.

She wants to dance with her man. Same, girl. I want to, and I want you to, too.

Oh we have classic bantering Simon and Daphne.

Come. On. Already.

Fix it.

Fuck....the way they look at each other.

Welp. Party time.

Noooo not one LAST dance.

Ok Will flexed for his baby.

Simon still looking all judgy. Man you better get your own house in order.

Eloise is a living doll, but she's not here for the fellas just yet....or maybe ladies. Or maybe nothing at all. We'll see with her. Just not yet.

I appreciate the evolution of her and Daphnes relationship.

Aww Mr. Finch.

Portia flexing. "The Duchess extended an invitation, personally." She made sure they knew how connected she was.

They're still roasting her wack ass husband though. But fuck him.

Yep he's fucked.

Wtf does Benny do at these balls?

Awe Colin and Penelope.

Penelope bout to confess.

Well Colin killed that. Like dead in the water.

Ya boy is going to Greece.

Sorry Pen. The confession must wait.

Shes devastated. Hell nah she ain't dancing.

Oh Eloise...now is not the time.

Eloise got all that tea!!!!

Hold up this footman looks cheeky. More of him maybe.

Anthony bout to scoop his lady......SIKE.

Sienna pitting an end to this shit.

Anthony you've let her down one too many times.

And Sienna apparently has no desire to put on airs.

Are you sorry though?

And wtf do you do now?

Toss the flowers. Check.

Aww she saved Whistledown.

What a peach.

Come on assholes. Look at y'all looking at each other.

And he still plans on leaving.

Lady Danbury out here dropping wisdom. Listen, Simon, listen!

I honestly do think it's different for them. I think it's different for everyone.

Oh Daphne, Violet is dropping hot ones this time.

What a fucking pep talk.

And now they dance!!!!!

Its that slo-mo smoldering stare for me.

More rain?!

Daphne letting that shit wash her worries away. Go girl.

I mean y'all are cute but this is Daphne and Simons moment.

Cheers to the cane of Lady Danbury.

Danbury put everyone out. Her matchmaking and scheming never end.

At least Simon stayed in the rain with her.

Look at them.....

She told him bout the letters!!!!

Idk man. This love confession is on par with "I burn for you."

She wants to stay with you and love you every day. Man you have a rider. Y'all have dragged each other through the shits. Y'all need this rain.

But there's this lovely thing called a choice.

You really just gonna let her walk away this time and NOT follow her?!

Fucking hell.

Meanwhile at Featherington house.

Oh fuck.

Lord Featherington is dead. I knew that shit was going to blow up.

Fuck. Poor Portia.

Daphne just chilling.

Oh. Ok. Here comes the Duke.

Oh come on Simon. Yes you do. You know EXACTLY what to do.

Nothing else matters when y'all tangled up in them sheets.

They are just so tender!

Yes! Take it to the bed.

Daphne kissing on Simons neck and wanting to give him pleasure and affection >>>>>>>>

A million times over. Its fucking hot. Look at her honing her skillset.

Ride the mf girl!

Ok then! Flip that ass!!!

Out here long stroking the fuck out of her. Got dang.

Oh now you bout to hit that ecstacy.

Is a "congratulations" or "good job" in order?

These beautiful assholes!!!!

I just love them.

All this build up for Simon to ejaculate inside Daphne....but so worth it.

Awww poor Penelope.....

Eloise is convinced Whistledown is Delacroix.

I do love Portia.

Her and Marina grew to an understanding I think.

Marina girl, I think you're making a wise choice marrying your baby daddys brother. Just saying.

Who tf inheriting the Featherington Estate? And have we met them?

Hyacinth is forever in my heart.

Simon and Daphne got that glowwwwww.

Awwe Anthony is all broken up over Sienna.

Ahh yes Anthony, a loving union is the problem. I'm ready for your drama Hoe.

Aha! I knew Delacroix wasn't Whistledown.

Ooooh Eloise!

And you saved her ass.

Really?!?! Pen?!

I can see it a bit.

Aww Daphne is having a baby!!! She got her wish!!!

Simon looks equal parts terrified and amazed.

Aw yall keeping the alphabetical name tradition. How fucking cute.

But you know what, I'm here for it and I find myself satisfied.

And also thirsty!

That's why I went right back and started the series right over again. Yes I did. And I'm proud of that.

Now I will start the books and obsess about season 2.

What a beautiful much needled ride during these times. I feel alive again.

[liv-andletdie]

Zelink Week 2018: Water

Author: liv-andletdie Rating: Teen and up Words: 6200+ Pairing: TP Zelink (post game) Notes: During a vacation in Ordon, Link discovers something he didn’t know about Zelda

Available on Ao3

<><><>

In comparison to Castle Town, Ordon was quiet.

There were no great performers in the streets, no busy markets, no squabbling children and frustrated parents, no tired locals dealing with frustrated tourists, no traders calling out their wares, no rowdy patrons being thrown from taverns, no disgruntled shopkeepers shoo-ing naughty children away from their stores, and no sign of any guard or knight anywhere.

It was heaven.

The young queen lay on her back in the field, tall green grass hiding her from view as she closed her eyes to the warm summer sun as it set. In the distance she could hear the gentle bleats of the Ordon goats, carried by the late evening breeze. Link would soon have to round them up, but for now he sat next to her, a piece of grass held between his teeth.

It had been his idea for them to come here. He’d been meaning to visit his family for sometime, Colin and Ilia’s letters only telling him so much. He’d managed to convince her to take a break, to leave the city and breathe in some fresh country air. To forget, if only for a moment, all of her worries and stresses.

She’d kicked herself for not taking a vacation sooner. Now that she was here, the setting sun fading behind the treetops, she never wanted to leave.

Rolling onto her side she looked at her companion. His dirty blonde hair had been bleached by the sunlight, shining in bright contrast to his sky blue eyes. His wolflike gaze was fixed on the herd, keeping watch for any predators that could be lurking in the shadows. She watched transfixed as his jaw moved, his tongue playing with the long blade of grass between his teeth. She could gaze at him all night, as the sky turned from blue to black and a million shining diamonds appeared.

He let out a heavy sigh, pulling the grass from his lips. He turned to look at her with a lazy smile that made her heart race.

“It’s about time I started bringing the herd in” he said, tilting his head towards his goats. “Wait for me? We can walk down to Bo’s together”

Zelda nodded in response, watching as he pushed himself to standing. Using the horsecall around his neck he drew Epona to them, giving her a pat on the nose as she approached. Zelda picked up the blanket they had been sitting on, folding it into quarters before draping it over her arms. Link gave her another lazy smile as he lifted himself onto Epona’s back, turning her and leading her towards the goats.

Zelda stood and watched, silently counting as each animal found its way to the barn. The sound of Epona’s hooves against the dirt, and Link’s voice, ringing in the air was a comfort the the tired royal. She needed to get out of Castle town more often.

Once the last goat was safely away in its pen, Link rode over to where Zelda stood. Dismounting, he took Epona’s reigns in his hand and offered his elbow for her to hold onto. She stifled a laugh at the action, something he had picked up from the “high society life” he now led, before gracefully folding her hand over his bicep and letting him lead her down the worn path back to Ordon.

The trek was short and sweet, the air turning chilly as the sun began to disappear, taking all of her warmth with her. Zelda felt a shiver run over her spine, pulling Link closer in order to save some heat in the rapidly cooling air.

“Ya cold?” he chuckled, letting her pull his arm against her side

“A little” she admitted, fingers playing with the fabric of his sleeve. He only wore the one, his other arm left bare by his Ordonian shirt. “I’ll be better when we’re inside. Ilia said she was making pumpkin soup so the house should be lovely and warm”

Mayor Bo had decided, much to Zelda’s chagrin, that it would only be right for the Monarch of Hyrule to stay in his house. It didn’t seem to bother him that his house was barely big enough for him and Ilia let alone a third person. Link had offered to let Zelda stay with him but Bo has simply balked at the idea, claiming it would be improper for an unmarried woman of high status to share a house with an unmarried man.

Zelda had bit back the feeling of disappointment, trying to be grateful that she had a place to sleep at all.

Soon they arrived at the house, the sky turning a deep purple and the first stars starting to glimmer through the clouds. Link tied Epona up outside before taking the blanket from Zelda. She watched as he draped it over Epona’s back, giving the horse a few pats on her neck to soothe her. He turned back to Zelda, motioning to the door with a flourish of his hand (another “high society quirk” as he called it) Smiling she went to knock on the door, her knuckles rapping against the polished wood.

“Give me a second” Ilia’s voice floated through the air. Link came to stand next to Zelda, his fingers nipping the skin at her elbow. She turned to face him raising an elegant brow at him but he ignored her, a smirk hidden in the corner of his lips as he stared at the door.

The wood swung open, revealing a tired looking Ilia. Her hair and clothes speckled with flour, splatters of pumpkin littered her shirt. She looked embarrassed as she took in Link and Zelda’s spotless appearances, Link’s warm chuckle filled the air.

“You havin some trouble there?” he asked, his smile bright. Ilia stuck her tongue out at him, wiping her hands on her breeches.

“The bread got away from me” she explained, fixing Zelda with an apologetic look, “The soup is ready though, I didn’t mess that one up” Ilia beconned the couple inside, her hands slightly free from the dough and flour.

The house was warm, the open fire burning in the corner bathed the room in a soft red glow. Bo sat tending to the flames, lost in his own world. Link cleared his throat, drawing the Mayors attention to him and the Queen. Bo nearly tripped over himself leaping from his seat, bending at the waist.

“Your Majesty” he drawled, bowing so low that his nose almost grazed the floor. Behind her, Zelda could hear Link hold back a chuckle as the old man rose, his back clicking with his movements.

“Mayor Bo” she said politely, holding her hands out to shake his, “Thank you for letting me stay in your wonderful home” The old man blushed bright red as he took her delicate hand in his. Making to bow again she stopped him, holding up her other hand.

“It’s a pleasure to have you here”

<><><>

Dinner was a pleasant affair, Zelda helping Ilia in the kitchen as Link set the table and Bo pottered around making sure there were enough candles to see each other. Soon the meal was served. Link pulled out a seat for Zelda not bothering to hide his smirk as she rolled her eyes, “high society” huh, she thought pulling her napkin to rest over her lap. He took the seat next to her copying her actions. His knuckles grazed against her knee as he fiddled with his napkin. Zelda glanced at him, wondering for a second if he was teasing her on purpose. But he had his eyes locked on his bowl and the delicious orange mixture inside.

“This looks great Ilia” he complimented, earning a proud smile from his friend as she stirred her soup to cool it down. Bo broke off a piece of bread, still warm from the oven, before offering the loaf to the rest of the table.

The conversation was quiet as the four of them ate, the near silence often disturbed by compliments or requests for salt and butter. They ate readily, Zelda trying to remain graceful as she sipped her soup from her spoon, a long day of doing nothing had made her ravenous it seemed.

Eventually Ilia broke the silence, wiping her mouth on her napkin she fixed Link with a calm stare. “How was your day? I never asked” she said causing the hero to shrug.

“Uneventful. I just watched the herd all day I was working” he turned to Zelda as she finished the last of her soup, her spoon lightly scraping the bowl. “You just had a nap didn’t ya?”

Zelda pretended to be offended, holding her hand over her heart. “You would sleep too if you did any work” she said, a teasing glint in her eye. She watched as Link’s jaw dropped, his ears turning pink in the candle light. She was about to ask him if he was alright when Ilia cut in.

“So you just sat around all day?” She seemed to be leading up to something, her eyes following her hand as she mopped up the remains of her soup with some bread.

“I guess you could put it like that” Link shrugged, “I was looking after about 20 animals. That’s not doing nothing” He seemed embarrassed, picking at crumbs on the tablecloth. “Why'd Ya ask?”

“Just Talo wanted to go for a swim is all” Ilia took a sip of water, nodding her head towards Zelda “I told him to give you some space your Majesty, figured you’d be tired, but he just kept buggin me. I promised I’d ask if you would go with him tomorrow”

Zelda felt the blood drain from her face, her hand wrapping in her napkin, trying to hide the shaking. Swimming?! She panicked, Why swimming?!

Next to her Link let out a carefree laugh “That sounds great. I’ll ask Fado to take the afternoon and evening watch, give him a lie in and free up my day to take Talo. Do Beth and Colin fancy it too?”

“Probably,” Ilia shrugged “I’m sure Colin would be up for it”

The conversation seemed to fade away, Zelda’s pulse racing in her ears. She felt sick, her hands sweaty. The idea of the water sent a cold stab through her heart, her throat running dry, her vision going cloudy. All she could think off was the sharp sting of frozen water, and the iron grip of a hand around her wrist.

“Zelda” Link’s voice cut through her nightmare, his hand wrapped around her wrist, his thumb drawing circles over her palm. He looked worried, his mouth twisted into an unhappy frown. Looking around the table Zelda could see that Bo and Ilia were also worried. The latter pushing a glass of water across the table towards her.

“Are you alright?” Link asked, his voice low. Zelda found herself speechless, her voice trapped in her chest. She quickly reached out for the glass Ilia had poured for her, taking a large gulp she nodded her head.

“I’m fine” she lied “Just got lost in my own thoughts is all”

Link looked skeptical, his hand leaving her wrist to pick up his plate. He didn’t need words as she handed her empty bowl to him, Ilia standing up to carry her dishes to the sink.

We’ll talk about this later, his eyes warned, as he pushed his chair in and followed Ilia to the kitchen.

<><><>

Zelda stood outside, a spare blanket draped over her shoulders to protect against the chill. She held an unlit cigarette between her fingers, her thumb tapping against it as she let her thoughts drift. To her left the door opened up, a rush of warm air blowing past her. Footsteps echoed across the hard wood of the porch.

Link moved to stand in front of her, pulling a box of matches from his pocket. He held them up, eyes flicking to the cigarette in her hand. Zelda lifted it to her lips as Link stuck a match, the fire briefly casting both their faces in a hazy orange glow before it was snuffed out.

Zelda took a drag, blowing the pale violet smoke skyward, watching it mingle in the air with the chimney smoke. She could see Link raise an eyebrow at her. His silence deafening but his words clear. It’s not good for you.

“I know, I should quit” she sighed, pulling the blanket around her shoulders. Link tilted his head at her. What’s wrong?

Zelda only smoked when she felt the need too. Life at the Castle often put an obscene amount of stress on her, Link had hoped that she’d be able to catch a break in Ordon, that she’d be able to relax without the use of tobacco.

“Nothing’s wrong” She murmured, kicking the ground with the toe of her boot “I’m just… tired”

“Then what was that inside? You went white as soon as Ilia mentioned swimming” He watched as she paled again, hastily taking another drag of her cigarette. “What’s up zel?” He placed his hand on her arm, his touch burning her through the blanket. Zelda held back a gasp, casting her eyes towards to sky.

“I...I don’t…” Zelda let out a heavy breath, fixing her gaze on him. His sky blue eyes were tinted with worry as he nodded his head. Instantly understanding what it was she was asking of him

“I’ll guess” he whispered, stepping closer to her, the smell of her cigarette hitting him at the back of his throat, “You tell me when I’m close. Okay?”

It was a game that they played. A few months after the invasion was thwarted and Ganondorf defeated, the two had found it difficult to speak. Memories of things they had seen would stick in their throats, halting all speech, all tears, all emotion leaving them numb to fear. They began to fight back, playing a game to get the words out. Memories faded and speech became easier, but their game remained.

Link cleared his throat, eyes drifting over to slow moving river that ran past the house.

“You don’t want to go swimming?” he guessed. Next to him Zelda let out a little scoff, flicking ash from her cigarette. He held back the smile that flitted across his lips. “You don’t have the right clothes to go swimming?” He heard her laugh, his eyes snapping to her face. She looked at him, violet blue eyes hiding her emotions.

Alright, he thought, So it ain’t about fashion, “Are you worried about me sneaking glances at you?” His tone was light, jovial, a wide smile brightening his eyes as she blushed. He saw her bite her lip, holding back a smile of her own.

“You already sneak glances at me” She murmured, dropping her cigarette to the ground and stepping on it, “I’ve caught you in council meetings eyeing me up” Her eyes flicked to his, mischief swirling in violet blue. “It’s a wonder we haven’t been found out already”

Link couldn’t help the grin that stretched across his lips as he leaned in close to her. She could feel his breath fan across her cheek causing a shiver to run down her spine that had nothing to do with the rapidly cooling air.

“It’s been torture not being able to touch you” he said, his lips ghosting over her skin. He could feel her breath catch in her throat, one hand reaching for him to pull him closer. He pressed a quick kiss against her cheek before stepping back to stand in front of her, a shit eating grin still proudly on display. His eyes flicked over her shoulder to the window that looked into the sitting room. Anyone sitting there would be able to see them.

Oh right, Zelda thought, pulling the blanket around her shoulders, It’s a secret to everyone.

“You’re a tease” she whispered rolling her eyes. He just smiled at her, giving her a charming wink. That’s why you love me, he seemed to say.

“So it ain’t about clothes or me leering at you like a pervert… Then that means it’s…” Link’s smile faded, his shoulders dropping. He looked nervous as he wrung his hands in front of his chest, picking at the wrappings around his wrist. “Zelda,” he started, biting his lip as he tried to gauge what he reaction may be, “You can’t swim can you?”

She felt her face heat up in a blush, red washing over her cheeks and ears. She looked away in embarrassment, her silence telling him all he needed to know.

“Oh Zelda” he started, trying to keep his voice polite and not pitying, “Why didn’t you say something? I could teach you-”

“It’s not just that Link” She cut him off. Zelda stared at the little river, all of her hate and anger directed at the water. “I… I’m scared”

A heavy silence settled over them. The weight of her words settled onto his shoulders, she turned cold, her eyes still fixed on the water running by. The only sounds were the crickets in the distance and the dull monotonous thud of the water wheel turning. He watched as she bit her lip, her fingers fisting in the blanket, itching for another cigarette. She only got like this when she thought of one person.

“Your brother?” he ventured, trying to keep his voice gentle. Zelda nodded, letting out a heavy sigh, she scuffed the ground with the toe of her boot, her shoulders dropping.

“Augustus and I…” she trailed off, her eyes still fixed on the river, “We… I…”

“It’s okay” Link cut in, stepping forward suddenly not caring about who might see them. He rested his hands on her shoulders, kneading the fabric of her dress with his fingers. “You don’t have to explain”

“But I want to” she turned, a determined look in her eyes. He felt his breath stop in his chest as she looked at him, his heart racing in his ears. “I want to explain, Link” she sighed “I want to get it off my chest” Link squeezed her shoulders slightly, It’s alright, I’m here.

“When I was five, Agustus and I… we snuck out onto Lake Hylia in a row boat. I’d been bothering him all day to take me, I think he was just trying to get me to shut up” She let out a small laugh, bitter in its musicality, “But when we got to the middle of the lake we… I caused the boat to capsize… He saved me but… I never wanted to go near that lake again. And by the time I was old enough to grow out of that fear it was far too late to learn”

Zelda saw the almost pitying look in his eyes, and forcing a smile she said “I’ll be okay. Tomorrow when the children are swimming… I’ll just sit on the bank and dangle my feet in the water. I don’t want to spoil their fun”

“Are you sure?” he asked, running his hands down her arms.

“I’m sure” Zelda sighed, a forced smile on her lips as she held onto the leather strap that ran across his chest. She loved his Ordonian clothes, especially how comfortable they made him feel. At the Castle he would be weighed down with chainmail and gold embroidery, but here it was simple. She leaned forward, pressing a kiss against his cheek. “I’ll see you tomorrow”

Stepping away she turned to walk to the front door, her body shivering from the sudden chill. She cast him one last glance before pushing down the handle and stepping into the warmth.

<><><>

Zelda was awoken by the sound of pebbles hitting the window. She’d been having a peaceful sleep, the kind one slips into without dreams or fanfare. Ilia’s quiet snoring had done little to disturb her but the never ending tapping on the window pane was starting to get on her last nerve. Making sure her roommate was asleep, Zelda threw back the covers and raced to the window. She narrowly avoided getting hit in the head with a pebble as she swung the glass open, glaring at the man standing below.

Link stood in his nightclothes, his lantern on the ground at his feet, a basket filled with what looked like blankets behind him. A goofy grin lit up his eyes as he dropped the pebbles he was holding, letting them clatter against the ground.

“What do you want?” Zelda asked, trying to keep her voice low enough so that it wouldn’t wake Ilia.

“I couldn’t sleep” was his response. Link crossed his arms, leaning back slightly to look at her.

“Well I could” she rolled her eyes at him “What do you want Link?”

His smile never dropped from his face, he shrugged, eyes shining with mischief. “Come down and I’ll tell ya” he smirked causing a fire to race in her blood (though Zelda wasn’t sure if it was a fire born of annoyance or… something else)

“Link, it’s late-”

“Just come down will ya. I wouldn’t wake you up if it weren’t important now would I?”

He had a point. Zelda looked around the room, debating whether it would be alright to leave in just her chemise or whether she should dress first. Ilia was still fast asleep, the warm blanket wrapped tightly around her body. There would be no use in trying to pry it from her grasp. It should be fine, Zelda reasoned while crossing her arms over her chest, As long as I’m quick I won’t freeze to death.

Leaning back out the window Zelda fixed Link with a cool stare.

“You better have a good reason for this” she warned, ignoring the way his chuckle made her chest feel tight.

Sneaking out of the house was easy save for the creaky stairs, but thankfully both father and daughter slept like logs, their peaceful snoring echoing around the tiny house. Zelda considered leaving a note, just in case either of them woke up and found her missing. She didn’t want to cause a mass panic just because the Hero wanted to talk to her so late at night. However as she searched for something to write with she grew tired, thinking of Link standing outside waiting for her began to weigh on her conscience. It’s a small village, it’s not like I’ll have gone very far, she thought.

Slipping out of the door she felt an arm wrap around her waist, She bit back a scream as she was pulled flush against a broad chest.

“Howdy beautiful” Link murmured, His disarming smile still clear in the faint moonlight. Zelda pushed away from him, pouting as she crossed her arms.

“Don’t do that” she huffed, “You scared me”

Link gave her an apologetic look, swinging the lantern from his fingers. She watched the shadows grow and shrink in the orange light, letting him stew in his silence. Zelda forced herself not to roll her eyes or tap her foot, years of etiquette lessons paying off.

“You said you had a reason for waking me up at this hour” she started, cringing slightly at her Queen voice. He flashed a wicked smirk at her, the kind that promised bad behaviour in hidden alcoves and secret doorways.

“That I do, Your Majesty” He stood up straighter, adopting his “Kightly persona” as he had dubbed it, “I am going to teach you how to swim”

No, she thought, no no no absolutely not! It’s absurd! Especially at such a late hour as this! This is ridiculous!

“I don’t think so” she whispered, panic and venom seeping into her tone, “It’s unneeded. I told you I was happy to sit on the bank as watch you swim with the children-”

“You’re happy to sit on the bank” He started, cutting her off with a hand on her arm, “But do you really think Beth is just gonna let the Queen of Hyrule sit on the sidelines and not join in? And if not her then Talo? These kids aren’t gonna rest till you swim with ‘em Zelda.” He fixed her with a pleading gaze, one that told her that all he wanted to do was help “I just wanna make sure that you’re comfortable with whatever they ask you”

I can’t believe this man, she thought as she slipped her hand into his, All he has to do is give me those puppy dog eyes and I’m putty in his hands. Thank the Goddesses he’s not a politician.

“Very well” she conceded, giving his hand a squeeze, “lead the way”

Flashing her a dazzling smile he pulled her from her place on the porch. Tugging her across the village to the little wooden dock hidden behind the houses. It was a popular place to fish and Sera’s lazy cat could often be found watching as they swam in the water below. Normally people wouldn’t swim here, but Link figured that as the current was weaker it would be the perfect place to learn and get comfortable in the water.

Letting go of her hand he dropped his basket and lantern on the dock, hands tugging at the back collar of his shirt as he pulled it over his head. He cast a glance at Zelda, watching with no small amount of pride as her ears turned pink in a blush. Her eyes tracing over the muscles of his chest.

“Enjoying the view?” he teased watching as her blush deepened to a bright red. Zelda didn’t remove her gaze however, eyes trailing lower to the waistband of his breeches before snapping up to meet his face, a devilish smile on her lips.

“Why yes I am, thank you for asking” He felt his own face heat up in a blush, suddenly desperate to start the lesson hoping that maybe the cool water would help to hide the red washing over his cheeks.

Zelda winked at him, holding her arms behind her back, thoroughly enjoying teasing him. You’re not the only one who sneaks glances.

Link cleared his throat, casting a glance at the pool in front of them. The water was still, creating an almost perfect mirror of the sky above, dazzling diamonds littered the image, like delicate pinpricks of light peeking through a velvet cloth. Zelda admired the reflection, gazing down into the never ending sea of stars.

Link lowered himself into the water, small waves causing the reflection to twist and break, pretend stars shooting against their watery backdrop. Zelda watched as he ducked his head under the surface to get his face used to the water, before dramatically emerging once more, a charming grin on his lips. He pushed his now sodden hair back off of his face, treading water, trying to look dashing and debonair.

“Come on in” he chuckled “the water’s great”

Zelda looked nervous as she sat on the edge of the dock, her feet dangling in the water. “It looks deep” she muttered, trying to hold back the fear that was threatening to take a hold of her heart. She didn’t want another episode like the one she had at dinner. Link swam towards her, bracing his hands on the dock at her sides. He gave her a comforting look, promising her that she would be alright.

“It is a little deep” he warned, “but it’s shallower near the bank. I’ll take you there to start” He watched her bite her lip, her hand fisting in the fabric of her chemise. “I ain’t gonna let anything happen to you” he promised, pulling her hand from the fabric and lightly kissing her palm. “You’re safe”

I’m safe, she repeated to herself as she pushed away from the dock, the water rising around her as she lowered herself into the pool. The cold hit her like a runaway horse, ice stabbing her legs and arms and stomach as she clung onto Link for support.

“It’s f-f-freezing!” she exclaimed, pulling herself tighter against him, trying to steal some of his warmth. He let out a small chuckle as he wrapped one arm around her waist.

“It’ll get better once you start moving I promise” Link leaned back, keeping Zelda’s face out of the water as he swam to the other side, one arm wrapped protectively around her waist and the other out to the side to help guide them.

When they reached the bank Link helped Zelda stand up in the water. It was still deep by her standards, but thankfully it was shallow enough for her to be able to rest her feet on the bottom and not get her face wet. Link stood beside her, the water coming up to his shoulders

“Have you had any lessons before?” he asked leaning against the river bank

“A few, only when I was very young” Zelda watched him nod, the silver of the moon shining against his wet skin. His lips looked a little blue, but Zelda put that down to the freezing temperature of the water.

“What do you remember?”

“That I need to kick my legs and move my arms” Zelda let out a sardonic laugh, her hands moving to cup her cheeks in faint embarrassment, “It’s the staying afloat that I take issue with” Link nodded sagely, reaching up and taking her hands in his. He was cold from the water but Zelda found she didn’t mind as he squeezed her fingers in his.

“That’s why I’m here” he chuckled “To stop you from sinking”  

Link made her rest her arms against the bank, lifting her legs up so they floated in the water behind her. “Just to refresh your mind on how to kick” he told her, moving to stand next to her at the river bank. Zelda kicked and kicked, the soft splashing sound of the water echoing across the quiet village. She could feel her body slowly adjust to the temperature of the water, warming up the longer she stayed submerged. She supposed she was faring better than Link, who was simply standing beside her and correcting her kicks every now and again.

Eventually he told her to stop, getting her to stand in front of him as he led her through the arm movements. “It’s a real simple stroke” he was saying, “The kids call it a doggy paddle. You just gotta keep your arms in front of you, then just slightly reach and pull with one arm then the other arm to move yourself forward” He demonstrated the motions, kicking off from the bank to swim around her. Zelda stood and copied him, her feet still planted on the ground.

When she was comfortable with her arm movements Link lead her away from the bank, the water getting deeper till it was up to his ears.

“You’re gonna take your feet off the bottom” He told her, holding on to her hands. Zelda felt a jolt of fear shoot up her spine at the prospect. The water was up to her chin now, what if she couldn’t float? What if she slipped under the water and couldn’t breathe!? What if she hit her head while she was under?! She gripped Link’s hands tighter, her knuckles going white. If he felt any pain he didn’t show it, only murmuring soft words of encouragement.

“I won’t let anything happen to you, I’m right here”

And with that Zelda pushed up, lifting her feet from the bottom of the pool. She let go of his hands to try and steady herself, Link stepped in closer ready to help should she go under. But as she splashed a bit, Zelda found a thrill at letting her body float. Suddenly free from all burdens or weight, just existing surrounded by the cold.

As her feet touched the floor once more Zelda couldn’t help the smile that spread across her bones, warmth flooding to the tips of her fingers.

“I did it!” she gasped, throwing her arms around Link. He managed to keep them both upright, wrapping his arms around her waist as he smiled against her neck. She could feel his heart race in his chest as he held her, I’m so proud of you! He seemed to say as he pressed a warm kiss to the side of her neck.

From there they moved back to the shallows, Link taking her through the simple “doggy paddle” technique she had practiced before. He helped her swim to and from the bank, keeping nearby just in case she needed him.

As the night drew on Zelda became more and more confident. She swam out further, racing faster through the water. She even dunked her head below the surface, emerging dramatically as Link had before, her long brown hair plastered to her face, a wide and joyful smile peeking through. Link couldn’t help but laugh with her, the pride of seeing her happy and excited causing a tightness in his chest. Pulling her into his arms once more he pushed her hair back from her face.

“I love you” he breathed leaning in to kiss her. Zelda wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him tighter as she pressed her lips to his. He’s right, she thought as his hand wondered lower down her back, It has been torture not to touch him!

“I love you too” she murmured as he pulled away, trailing kisses over her jaw and neck. Her hand trailed into his hair, the golden blonde turned almost brown with the water. She took a quick glance at her hand, noticing how her fingers had gone almost pruney. How long had they been swimming? Surely it hadn’t been that long? Right?

Zelda leaned out of his grip, her hands moving to rest against his shoulders. “It’s late” she said, trying to hide the disappointment from her voice, “we should probably get out of the water” Link simply nodded his head in response, wrapping his arm around her waist once more and swimming back to the dock.

He helped her up first, feeling his cheeks heat up in a blush. Zelda’s white chemise had turned translucent with the water, clinging to her body and accentuating every curve. He tried not to stare, tried not to trace the way water droplets trailed down her legs, tried not to think about how soft her skin was. Link silently scolded himself and quickly turned his head, giving her some privacy as he choked out “There’s blankets in the basket if you need to dry off”

He heard her murmured thanks, only turning back around at the sound of fabric being pulled from wicker. He watched as she wrapped the old blanket around her shoulders, covering herself and protecting herself from the chilled night air. Her cheeks and nose had turned an adorable shade of pink with the cold. He looked up at her from the water as she stood on the dock. Reaching out a hand to hold onto her ankle he gently massaged the joint with his thumb, a teasing smile finding its way to his eyes.

“Come to my house” he said, watching as her cheeks grew pinker, “We can light a fire, cuddle up, get warm”

“I know what you’re planning Hero of Twilight” She teased, kneeling down so she could look him in the eyes “We would be doing more than just … cuddling. And as much as I’d enjoy that I need to be back before Ilia or Bo awaken”

Link just rolled his eyes “They sleep like logs we’ve got plenty of time”

“You have to be up early for the morning shift” She reminded him, watching as reality sunk in. Link frowned looking annoyed with himself for having signed up for the early shift.

“You don’t though” he countered, “You could rest, keep my bed warm for when I get back” He wiggled his eyebrows in a way that was meant to be charming, receiving only a giggle and an exasperated sigh from the woman in front of him.

“You heard what the Mayor said. It’s improper for an unmarried woman of high status to share her bed with a man who is not her husband”

“Then marry me! And put all of that nonsense to rest”

Zelda leaned forward, resting her forehead against his. Damp hair hung over her shoulders creating a curtain they could hide behind. She let her eyes slide shut, enjoying their closeness.

“One day, my love” she promised, feeling him sigh against her, “one day we’ll call each other husband and wife. But tonight, I’m afraid, this is where we part” She pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss before standing up. Link watched as she walked away from the dock, casting a shy look over her shoulder at him. He pulled himself out of the water, plucking a blanket from the basket and throwing it over his shoulders.

Zelda stood on the porch, water dripping around her feet as she waved at Link. He picked up the basket, holding it against his hip as he lifted the lantern. He was bathed in a slight orange glow, his sky blue eyes illuminated as he watched her.

Thank you, she tried to tell him, blowing him a kiss as he began the walk back to his house.

~Fin~

Well this one took me FOREVER to write! But I’m pretty happy with how it came out. A little more Zelink and less Zelink baby, also going more direct with the water prompt huh? I hope you enjoyed it and I’ll see you tomorrow for the next prompt x

[moirindeclermont]

For polinweek2024, day 3 prompt: mutual pining

I've imagined a scene in which Colin realize that in every single interaction he had with Pen, she was in love with him.

Maybe they are realizing or cuddling and Colin has the lightbulb moment and he is just stunned.

Obviously Pen notice his state and Colin blurts out "you were in love with me when we first kiss". She is like "duh" and Colin is just dumbstruck "so you asked me because you loved me". When Pen nods he is silent for a moment.

"how do you did that? " And pen is just confused at this point "doing what?"

"Act like we were just friend. After I discover my feelings for you I was a mess. I hade dreams. Multiple, wet dreams. And I couldn't function, Pen"

She tries not to laugh "I guess I was more used to it" she says caressing with her fingers the hair she can reach, then she also has a lightbulb moment. "Wait. Are you telling me that when you said you wanted to say something to me, before Debling ask me to dance, you knew already you loved me?"

They look at each other and they just start laughing so hard Pen's stomach is aching. "I can't believe this. We were so dumb" and they laugh and laugh, until they looked into each other eyes, and the energy changes. They look at each other lips, and they kiss. It's slow and sensual. There is a lot in that kiss: "I'm sorry" and "I love you" and "at least we have figured it out".

And they deepen the kiss and start to explore each other again for the second time that night, their hands going everywhere, until there is only way to release all that energy and Colin just sinks into her. It's slow and deep and they keep their eyes on each other until the pleasure is too much and they have to release it. Pen comes first, a quiet release than usual but one that feels like her heart is left open.

Luckily, it's the same for Colin. As he watches his beautiful wife, his pleasure overcomes him too. They stay like that together for a couple of breath, still connected with each other and while no one of them hears the words, sometimes they don't need them to express everything they feel: "it was always going to be you and me".