#but it's also wrong to ignore how pen hurt eloise and how she often lets her own insecurities (that eloise has no control over) cloud her

[sukibenders]

"Eloise is a bad friend because she never considered who Penelope actually was!" "Penelope was a bad a friend because she put Eloise in a difficult position and betrayed her trust!" "Eloise-" "Penelope-" Maybe, and hear me out, they are both bad friends to one another? 🤷🏾‍♀️

[invisibleinorange]

Swelter Weather | 6/?

Chapters: 6/? Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: M Warnings: None at this point. Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics, Marina Thompson/Phillip Crane, Eloise Bridgerton/Phillip Crane, Kate Sheffield/Anthony Bridgerton, Daphne Bridgerton/Simon Hastings Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Phillip Crane, Benedict Bridgerton, Daphne Bridgerton, Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin

Summary: Colin Bridgerton is weary from travel and decides to spend the summer at the Aubrey Hall. While his initial plans were to avoid his perfect family, he ends up sharing the house with Eloise and Penelope. This is a Modern AU!

It was a little wrong to sneak out and leave Eloise alone with a man that she’d just met but Penelope was willing to wager that their friendship would survive this slight.  They’d had plenty of disagreements over the years and they nearly always made up. Nine times out of ten, their disagreements revolved around little secrets that Penelope wasn’t quite prepared to divulge and Eloise failing to be observant about them or Eloise being a little overly pushy with her own feelings and opinions.

This time would be different. Penelope had already made her mind up about this. She had every intention of sitting her down, having a heart to heart conversation about this Colin thing but first she had to be sure that there was actually going to be one.  She didn’t actually know what was happening. She just knew that she’d always wanted something to happen and it was and she was terrified if she stopped it, she’d never be this lucky again.

That was why she dragged Colin away from the corner they’d disappeared to for longer than was appropriate to find Eloise and Phillip at the bar.  She had a single-mission apologize away and then go. She’d ask for forgiveness later.

“There you two are,” Eloise asked suspiciously eyeing them curiously.

Phillip oddly didn’t look suspicious at all though Penelope did pick up on a hint of some sort of secret smile toward Colin.  It definitely didn’t go without notice and it did strike her that perhaps Colin had known precisely what he was doing tonight. They weren’t the distraction for Phillip. Phillip was the distraction for Eloise. He was a reasonably good-looking, nice guy and it had worked swimmingly. Penelope had to give credit where credit was due.

“Yeah, sorry – I think something I had at lunch didn’t settle well,” she said, telling a little white lie.  She might have failed by not exactly telling Colin more than they were going to be leaving as he looked confused for a fraction of a second.

“Oh, so… Colin is going to escort you home then?” Phillip said with the save.

Penelope hadn’t really had the chance to talk to him much but she already really liked this guy.  He clearly was getting the memo.

She was starting to wonder if she’d sucked all the oxygen from Colin’s brain when he didn’t jump in on this.  She elbowed him slightly which seemed to trigger him into action.

“Of course,” he said after a moment. “I’m really sorry that we didn’t have much time to hang out but hopefully Eloise hasn’t bored you too much.”

Eloise seemed to think this meant she needed to go too.  She started grabbing her bag, trying to stand.

“I hate that our night was cut short-“

“Oh no, I wouldn’t dream of stealing you away from Phillip,” Penelope said after a moment, leaning into Colin for full effect and trying to will herself to look pathetic. “Please stay so his night isn’t ruined. Colin can take care of me.”

Eloise was definitely suspicious.  Her eyes moved back and forth between Colin who had plastered the look of pure innocence on his face and Penelope who looked the picture of death.  They were definitely on to something.  Phillip seemed to think it was legitimate though and she shrugged deciding to just leave it be.

“I’ll make sure she gets home safe,” Phillip assured.  

“Then it’s settled then,” Colin said with a nod, arm going around Penelope’s back to lead her up and out of the club before Eloise could change her mind.

--

In the grand scheme of things, the wait between the car being ordered to take them home and them arriving wasn’t that long but it felt about a million years.  

As the slipped into the back of the car, Penelope couldn’t help but laugh when Colin pulled out his wallet and handed a hundred dollar bill to the driver.

“You see nothing, you know nothing,” he told the driver who accepted the money and thus the promise of absolutely ignoring them. He had ever intention of behaving but it never hurt to have someone turn a blind eye. The vehicle started moving without further question from the driver and that was all he wanted.

Colin grinned sheepishly in the dark before reaching to turn Penelope’s face so he could claim her lips again.  He’d not wanted to stop at the bar and he was grateful to have the freedom to do it again even if the car wasn’t exactly private.

He certainly wasn’t ashamed to kiss her in front of other people. His problem was that his lips were pretty eager to explore more than her mouth and he wasn’t quite sure how much longer he could behave himself.

There was also the matter that they hadn’t actually discussed what was happening between them and he felt like they ought to.  He wasn’t under any illusion that he didn’t have a reputation albeit a false one.  He didn’t want Penelope to have the wrong idea about his intentions nor did he want her to feel pressure to do anything either.

She seemed to be the one calling the shots more than he was lately and he wasn’t upset about it. He couldn’t help but find the moments when she took control, made it clear precisely what she wanted appealing.  He’d always known the confident, direct girl existed but more often than not she let herself be pushed to the shadows.  It was silly when she was so funny, smart and beautiful!

He admittedly felt his pants tighten when he heard the click of her seat belt, felt her move from her seat to his lap and her dress rose slightly bunching against her thighs.  She was wonderfully warm against him and so perfect. He his hands moved to her hips to try and grip her.

His eyes closed when her mouth moved to tease at his neck.   An audible groan escaped him and he was grateful that the driver decided to turn up the music he was listening to.  He wanted to move his hands from her hips to her ass or elsewhere but he kept clutching her hips to try and keep himself in check.

“Pen,” he murmured after a second, knowing that he had to gain some self-control.  He had to actually have a conversation with her before he ended up having his way with her in the back of this vehicle. She deserved so much more than that.

Her eyes opened slightly and she did pull back, confusion flickering across her face.  Colin couldn’t help but pick up on what appeared to be hurt playing on her features and he felt like an absolute monster for it.

“What’s wrong?” she asked before trying to slip back to her seat. He shook his head no, hand tightening harder to keep her precisely where she was in his lap.

“I want to talk,” he said resolutely.

Penelope’s face turned ghastly white.

“I misread the whole thing and you don’t owe me any explanation for that,” she said trying to cut him off at the pass if he was going to tell her that he wasn’t looking for something long-term or that he couldn’t possibly want to be with her. It made sense to her. Colin wanting to be with her was too good to be true. “We’ve always been friends. You don’t have to… ”

He kissed her again to silence her not wanting to hear another minute of her thinking that he didn’t want her.  It was ludicrous.  

“Are you going to let me talk?” he asked when he broke away.

She nodded.

“Good. I was trying to tell you that I don’t want to just kiss you,” he told her after a moment. “I mean, clearly I want to do more than that but – I mean, we’ve known each other for a long time and my entire family cares about you. I care about you too.”

Penelope didn’t have to question for a minute that he did.

“I care about you too,” she told him softly.

“I need you to understand that if you let me have my way with you, you’re never going to be rid of me again,” he said firmly.  “I need you to know that I’m going to be all in and I need to be sure you will be as well.”

Penelope wasn’t sure that she’d heard him correctly.  Was he suggesting that she might be the one who decided it was a one and done?  It was the most insane thing she’d ever heard in her life.

“You think that I’m going to shag and run?” she asked looking at him like he had grown another head. “I’ve had a crush on you since we were practically children.”

“No,” he said after a moment, jaw tightening. He didn’t think that was anything special and she was.  He wasn’t as confident as he might like the world to think. He could let momentary vulnerability come through here. “I just – what if I don’t live up to your expectations?”

“What I don’t live up to yours?” she said turning it back on him.  She didn’t consider herself beautiful.  She could hide behind her clothes but when they came off would he be repulsed by her curves? Would he dislike her inexperience?  She couldn’t imagine a scenario where he didn’t live up to her expectations but the other way around seemed far more probable.

“That won’t be happening,” he told her shaking his head.

“Then maybe we slow it down,” she said after a moment, biting her lip.  “Until we’re both sure that the other isn’t going anywhere. I mean, not too slow and definitely not a secret because I’m going to talk to Eloise but a little less impulsive, a little more…thoughtful.”

“Okay,” he said with a nod, realizing the car had finally come to a stop. They were actually home.  “Well I think that we have a lot of ground to cover and the house to ourselves for a little while.  I do believe I’m supposed to be taking care of you so if you just happen to sleep in my bed that won’t be a problem.”

“I don’t suppose it would.”

Penelope moved off him enough to open the door and climb out, Colin following behind with a polite word of thanks for the driver.  

“One more thing,” he said moving behind her, keeping the conversation going.

She turned her head toward him watching while he maneuvered around her to unlock the door and let them in.  She kicked off her heels at the entrance.

“Okay?” she said waiting for him to say it.

“If someone asks, you’re my girlfriend,” he said firmly. It wasn’t a question but a statement. Of course, she could argue it if she wanted.

“I don’t remember you asking?” she said, pausing slightly, amusement was written on her face though.

Colin wasn’t one to turn away from a challenge though or an opportunity to be overly dramatic.  He paused, moved down to one knee.

“Will you allow this to be an official thing?” he asked her, gazing up at her.  

“Well since you asked nicely,” she teased.

[invisibleinorange]

Unintended Consequence

Chapters: N/A, One-Shot Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: G Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Marina Thompson (implied), Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Benedict Featherington Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin Summary:  I had a muse for a bit of a POV from Colin regarding the warnings about Marina from family (and friends) and how he might have felt had he witnessed Penelope in tears.

It was true that Colin had a bit of wanderlust. He’d itched to leave the Ton and see a bit more of the world as soon as he’d arrived back home but there was also a piece of him that always found himself longing for the closeness of his family and the familiarity of their friends. 

He had hardly expected to find himself on the precipice of marriage quite so young. He could be a bit impulsive at times, jumping head first into situations without properly thinking them through. He had certainly liked Marina well enough but he’d leapt without looking.  He knew that much but he didn’t think he was making a mistake. He was tired of people suggesting that he might be.

He would have never admitted that second thoughts had crossed his mind long before his family had questioned him. He was too prideful for that. More so, he was a man of his word and he fully intended to follow through on his proposal. He was pretty sure that he loved her and that they could be happy. He felt fairly secure in the fact he would make her happy. Even if Penelope had gotten in his head with talk about some former love, she was just as wrong as everyone else. 

Marina had moved on to him, right? She loved him.  

His frustration at the situation was why he’d slipped from the Bridgerton home for a walk, hoping that the thoughts could cease and his mind could rest so he could properly plan his elopement.  He walked the blocks surrounding their home several times before he decided the refuge he sought was likely in the kitchen and not the streets.  

The silence of his stroll was interrupted before he could make it there though, causing his footing to speed up ever so slightly.  Whatever thoughts of his elopement or Marina Thompson slipped from his mind all together.

 He knew distress and he also knew the source of where the distress was coming from.  It rippled through him, sending his body into action seeking the cries as if he were a sailor and it was a siren’s call..His fists clenching as he mentally prepared himself to find Pen, comfort her and then pummel whoever had hurt her within an inch of their life. 

His stride slowed though when he caught sight of her safely wrapped in the arms of his younger sister.  If there was anyone who could fix whatever ailed Penelope, it was Eloise.  They’d been as close as two peas in a pod since before they could properly walk.  Colin felt some reassurance knowing that her sister wouldn’t cease until her closest friend was in better spirits. 

Penelope’s cries were so loud that he could not possibly imagine the sort of heartache that could have precipitated such an outcry.  He simply knew that he detested it. He detested whoever would harm a girl who had never been anything but kind and respectable.  Not once did his mind spring forth the prospect that he could have been even marginally responsible.  

In that moment, he furious with whoever was responsible.  A part of him, despite knowing Eloise was quite equipped to deal with the situation desired to cast her aside and to wrap Penelope in his own arms and to make her smile as she so often did when they were in each other’s company. He wanted to dissolve the tears into laughter.  He felt fiercely protective of the red haired girl and knowing something was wrong didn’t settle right in him.

He resisted whatever urge he had to comfort her himself, questioning whether she’d even actually want him there. They were friendly but Eloise was her best friend.  He was just the rake of a brother.  He kept his distance afraid that stepping in at this point would only serve to add injury to insult. The last thing Colin Bridgerton wanted to do was hurt her further by embarrassing her with his presence.  

He didn’t see any harm in crying though and if he could have told, he would have. He had held his sisters plenty of times while they’d cried about some unfortunately incident in their lives. He was acutely aware that Penelope was not one of his sisters though and it wouldn’t have been proper. 

He remained in the shadows stalking the incident, watching and attempting to listen, determined to at least satisfy one of his two urges by discovering the source of this pain.  If someone had harmed Penelope, they’d regret it.   He would even recruit Anthony and Benedict if necessary to ensure it never happened again.

“Please tell me what’s wrong,” he heard Eloise plead.

Penelope’s reply was muffled through her tears and he mentally cursed, attempting to stretch the limits of his hearing while trying to not be seen or heard. If he could just get a little closer, maybe he could make out what was being said and then he could fix it.

Whatever she said made Eloise furious. He could tell in the way his sister’s face changed, the fact she was pretty sure some unladylike words slipped out. He definitely caught what he thought to be ‘kill her’.

His eyebrow raised and he tilted his head trying to work it out. Was it one of her sisters?  Her mother?  Maybe this was just some simply family issue and it could be resolved without violence.  

Just as the light bulb began to light up in his head that this was about Marina and by proxy him, he felt a hand on his shoulder.  

“What are you-”

Before Benedict could properly finish his sentence, Colin was covering his brother’s mouth with his hand, turning and using his body to try and keep him from being noticed by pushing him further into the dark of night. He brought a finger to his own mouth, giving a sharp look as if to warn him to be quiet.

Benedict clearly didn’t appreciate the greeting either. His face contorting into confusion but he ran with it.  

“I heard Pen – uh, Miss Featherington in distress,” he explained trying to keep his voice to a whisper so attention wouldn’t be drawn to them. He was torn between turning back so he could hear more and drowning his new found guilt in whatever could be found in the pantries. Benedict being out there all but guaranteed they’d get noticed if they lingered.  He tried to compose himself, to not earn additional questions from his older brother by playing it off. 

“Let’s go inside. Eloise has it in hand.”

Whatever torment he’d felt before had magnified though.  He felt like an absolute churl.  Penelope hadn’t just been trying to save him, she’d been trying to communicate her own feelings on the matter and he’d ignored them. He had been so wrapped up in trying to prove everyone wrong he hadn’t been listening. 

He wasn’t sure that he could live with himself if he hurt her. He wasn’t sure he could handle hearing more.