#waiting for the day either hyacinth or gregory thank anthony

[whispersoftheton]

This idea has been on my mind for a while… Anthony seeing you in the bridgerton blues for the first time, can either be smut or fluff :) thanks

Ahhhh I love this so much, thank you for sending it in! :)

Anthony Bridgerton x Fem!Reader

Warnings: kissing, fluff, smut, p in v

Word Count: 1.2K

The family gathered around the room on another sweltering summer day. Hyacinth and Gregory bickered over yet another sworn tie in their endless chess matches while Eloise quietly read her book in the opposite corner. Anthony sat between his brothers, Benedict telling him of his endless tales from class among the unspoken soirees he discreetly attended from time to time and Colin of his many travels. Anthony found himself growing bored, awaiting your arrival. You were to accompany him and the rest of the Bridgertons to the races this afternoon, as it would be your first outing as a family since your marriage to the Viscount. And he could not bear to listen to another one of Benedict's tales for one more second; he needed to see you.

"Mother." Anthony stood hurriedly from the gold-trimmed sofa to approach Lady Bridgerton as she entered the room. "Where is she?"

"Now, calm down, Anthony; she is nearly ready." Lady Birdgerton assured him while straightening out his neckline to perfection. She knew Anthony's antics well enough by now to understand his growing impatience was only a product of his theatrics.

"I feel as though I have been waiting an eternity. Surely she must-" Anthony made his way past his mother and into the hallway, his words stammered as soon as his eyes landed on you. You'd been making your way to the main room when he appeared in your path, a smile gracing both your lips. There was no word in the English language to describe how beautiful you looked. The most impeccable dress draped over every curve in a more delicate shade of blue than he wore but complimented his outerwear perfectly. Warmth blossomed in Anthony’s chest at the sight of you in that color. His color. He never thought he'd see the day when the one he loved, the one his heart eternally yearned for, would wear the color that meant so much to him and his family. He would never tire of how easily you overpowered him whenever he was in your presence.

"Do I look alright?" You nervously patted your skirt, ensuring everything was as it should be. Hesitation apparent in your tone as you approached him.

"Alright?" Anthony's eyes widened as he took your hands in his. He couldn't believe you would use a modest word such as 'alright' to describe how exquisite you looked right now. "My love, you look…absolutely stunning. Beyond words, truly." Heat filled your face, and your stomach fluttered at his flattery. Anthony had a way of making you feel as though you two were the only person on the face of the earth, easily melting under his gaze. It was an exquisite feeling you wished to relish in forever. Anthony glanced around and took advantage of the privacy to steal a kiss. His lips were warm and soft against your own. They parted slightly, allowing you to move more passionately as your hunger for one another became apparent in mere seconds. It shouldn't be surprising, seeing as you and your husband could hardly keep your hands off each other since your wedding night. The moment grew heated with every swipe of his tongue, hands caressing the soft flesh of your waist and hips hidden beneath the restricting fabric of your dress.

"Mother!" Anthony reluctantly pulled away, panting, and shouted. "Go ahead without us. We will join you shortly, as promised." Without so much as a second thought or a response from anyone, he whisked you away toward a nearby closet in a closed-off hallway he was sure no one wandered by.

"Anthony, what are you doing? The races are starting soon." You protested before he cut you off with another chaste kiss and shut the door behind him.

"We will join them in a moment. I must have you right now." The passion flowed through his words, making you squeeze your thighs together in anticipation and a chuckle escape you. He pulled you close, continuing his ministrations. His lips scattered kisses along your neckline and down to your chest as your hands tangled in his hair. His hands worked tirelessly to remove as many barriers between your bodies as quickly as possible as he gently guided you to lean on the wall behind you. Your dress was bunched up toward you as Anthony hastily removed his trousers just to his upper thigh. You panted under him, his lips never leaving your skin, leaving a trail of marks and bruises as a reminder of his love for you.

"Seeing you in our family color," Anthony spoke between kisses. "You are so beautiful." He was rambling as he often did when he was this worked up. The way you looked, how your body responded to his every touch. Every beautiful sound he was able to pull from you, it drove him mad. He couldn't take it anymore; he had to have you now. Anthony abruptly lifted and pressed you against the wall, your fingers tugging at his hair and desperately nipping at his lower lip, pulling an animalistic groan from his chest.

"Anthony, please." You practically whimpered when you felt his cock prod at your entrance, clenching around nothing as the tip slid over your sensitive clit. He lined himself up and pressed his lips against yours to swallow any sounds you made as he gently pushed inside you. You moaned into each other in unison, and he waited, letting you settle as you nodded for him to move. Anthony began to plunge into you, easily slipping through your folds, feeling your warm cunt swallow him whole. He cupped your breast over the fabric of your dress, kneading it in his hands while breathing heavily as he bottomed out inside of you, holding you there for a moment, reveling in how impossibly soft and warm you felt around him as low whimpers escaped you.

A low grunt rumbled from his chest when he felt you fluttering around him. His hand outlined from the swell of your breasts all the way down beneath your hips, memorizing every curve, feeling the way your chest was rising and falling with every breath of pleasure that surged through you; even the way your hips instinctively moved to meet his own drove him insane. Anthony craved and wanted nothing more than to be close to you; even being inside you now, it was never close enough for him. He began to stroke your clit, already aching for attention. Your bodies rocked in sync with one another, desperate for relief. Anthony felt you whine quietly as your orgasm crashed into you. Waves of heat overwhelmed your body as you pulsed on his cock, pulling Anthony to spill himself inside of you.

Anthony pulled away from you after a moment of stolen kisses and delicate touches. He made sure you were settled on the ground and took the time to adjust himself. Moving quickly to assist you in fixing your dress and ensuring everything else was in order before opening the door to confirm no one was outside and stepping out of the closet. You may have missed the race's first leg, but with the knowing smirks and blissed-out looks on both your faces, it was well worth it.

Tag List: @bugnug @queenofmean14 (let me know if you would like to added here or dm me if you’d like to be removed)

I do not consent to having my work reposted, translated, or published to any third party site or app. if anyone sees my work anywhere that is not ao3/tumblr or under any other username that is not whispersoftheton, it has been reposted without my permission

[loloinlove]

The Ever After - Ch. 5

Good morning y’all. Chapter 5 is live on AO3 and you can read it - here.

Penelope walked out of her room with Eloise and Violet on either side of her, trying to seem as calm and serene as her future mother-in-law. It wasn't an especially long walk to the foyer where Violet would leave them to find her seat, but Penelope did not doubt that Violet was anxious to get to Gregory and Hyacinth, who had a penchant for getting into mischief in a matter of moments. She said as much to Violet, who gave her a thankful smile and another light squeeze on her shoulder before she was quickly walking down the rest of the steps and out of sight.

They walked in silence the entire way, Eloise holding onto her arm a little tighter than strictly necessary, but she understood her friend -and her fear of marriage- better than anyone else and didn't begrudge her grip.

Eloise had spoken with her plenty of times about her fears of marriage, and though Penelope could understand that someone as independent and strong headed as Eloise would fear getting smothered under her husband's personality, she'd had to remind her that Anthony was not the sort to push her into getting married, though he certainly could have if he'd wanted to. She knew that Eloise never needed to marry if she didn't want to and that Violet only pushed Eloise because she wanted her daughter to be happy and to find love, but she'd never truly force Eloise to marry either.

Penelope had offered her own opinions on marriage, though they differed from what Eloise had envisioned. Her plan had always involved getting married at some point, though to whom she hadn't the faintest idea, and enjoying some of the more basic benefits of marriage, namely that she could go where she liked when she liked. Soon she would have no need of a chaperone and could choose to take a Lady's maid with her if she wanted, and she was looking forward to that the most. Though Eloise often had to remind her that while it was true that a woman gained a great deal of freedom once they married, the marriage itself could be just as much of a prison as well.

 They had both heard plenty of stories about women who were absolutely miserable and at the whims of their husbands. She had reported on plenty of unhappy marriages over the last year or so, and she didn't think that would end any time soon. It painted a very macabre portrait, and with Eloise's added fears of pregnancy and childbirth, it was no surprise to Penelope that her best friend would resist the marriage mart any way that she could for as long as she was able.

Penelope certainly didn't blame her.

When they reached the foyer, they were unsurprised to find it still occupied with the staff still working on preparations for the reception. They were, however, surprised to see Colin waiting for them over in the corner snacking on a biscuit. Penelope hadn't been sure how she would feel about him being there on the actual day, but now that he was there, she felt immensely comforted by his presence. He had been scarcely at Bridgerton house in the few weeks that Penelope was there, always in and out of the house, running errands for Anthony that he wouldn't tell her about.

They had been friends for many years, and though he would not tell her what he had been up to, they had spent plenty of time together when he  was  around. They had discussed art and literature, and sillier things like the latest gossip and especially the food he got to enjoy during his travels. They had even spoken about her courtship with Anthony.

Penelope had thought of telling him of her feelings, but when she had confirmed for him that she and Anthony were indeed courting -with the intent to marry- he had been overjoyed at gaining another sister. There was nothing in his countenance to suggest that he felt anything but true happiness that she would be joining their family, and she decided to keep her feelings to herself. She could not burden him with that knowledge as it would not be fair to either of them or to Anthony, who had been especially kind to her since he'd rescued her from Berbrooke.

She had been slowly putting her feelings for him away over the last few weeks and had mostly succeeded, though sometimes the thought of Colin still set her heart to fluttering.

She wished that it didn't.

She wouldn't carry her feelings for Colin into her marriage with Anthony, as that wasn't fair to him, but she had no idea how to let go of the last of them, though maybe time and distance would help. He'd be leaving to travel again a week or so after the wedding, though she didn't know where he was going. She was sure he had told her, but her mind just could not come up with an answer.

"Pen," He said, rushing to chew through the rather large piece of biscuit he had shoved into his mouth. "Mother said you looked beautiful in your dress, but I must admit that her words did not do you any justice. Surely I must get Benedict to paint you, or maybe just a few lines of poetry, as we are pressed for time today, I rather think."

"Why are you here, brother," Eloise said snappishly, "Should you not be with the rest of the family?"

Colin rolled his eyes at Eloise's rather rude remark. She'd never had much patience with the sentiments and feelings of others.

"I'm to escort Pen down the aisle," He said, looking nervously at Penelope. "I mean to say, that is, if would like me to. I understand if it makes you uncomfortable, but I-"

"Colin, it's alright. I could not ask for someone better," Penelope said, though a pocket of worry had opened up within her. Did he know that Daphne had invited Marina? It would be quite an awful shock if he didn't. As much as Marina had hurt her, it was mostly through her words rather than any direct action taken against Penelope herself. Words could be very easy to forgive, but what Marina had done to Colin was much more than a few hurtful words.

"Eloise, may I have a few moments with Colin? I wish to speak to him before...well, before," She stated.

Eloise nodded and walked a few paces away so as to give them privacy and still act as a chaperone, though it really was unnecessary as she was to be married in just a few minutes and would no longer need one.

"What did you need to talk to me about, Pen?" Colin said, a little worry seeping into his tone.

"I'm very grateful for everything you and your family have done for me. You have always been as an older brother to me, and now that I'm about to join your family, I would feel awful if I did not at least warn you that-" 

"If you are about to warn me about Mari- Lady Crane, I am already aware that she is here. Daphne wrote to me when she first thought of inviting her, and though I did not expect that I would have to see her so soon, I would not deny you having family here today. Today is for you and Anthony, and though that was also unexpected, I am sincerely overjoyed that you will finally become a Bridgerton. Let us take care of you Pen," Colin said, gently interrupting her.

Penelope was astonished at his heartfelt words. Colin wasn't the type to be serious, not to the degree that Anthony was at any rate, but she appreciated his words nonetheless. It had hurt, finally voicing that she and Colin could truly be no more, but it did not hurt as she had expected it would and decided that she would learn to be content with Colin's friendship.

She was unsure if she could grow to love Anthony, but she would try to form a foundation of friendship at the very least. She had not wanted a marriage like her mother and father's; one where there seemed to be no affection or care shared between them. Her mother had mourned her father of course, the way that any gently bred woman would, but Penelope thought that most of her mother's grief came from the fact that they had never managed to have an heir and that their future had been so uncertain before her mother had managed to get ahold of the finances enough so that they would not end up destitute.

She'd helped out with her Whistledown funds when she was able, as she could not be too obvious about where the extra income was coming from, but it had helped until they got over the worst of their troubles. Spending the off season at their country estate certainly helped keep them afloat for another season, though her mother had complained the entire time. That mattered less now that she would probably not be returning to her family's country seat unless she was invited as a guest, which she thought would be exceptionally unlikely after her last argument with her mother.

A sudden throat clearing tore Penelope from her thoughts, and she noticed that Eloise had come back, though not because she was impatient.

Music had started up, signaling that it was time.

Colin and Penelope stood off to the side so that when the doors gently opened, Eloise was the only one in sight. She really did look lovely in her gown, though she knew Eloise could not stand it, and she certainly liked being the center of attention less than she did the dress. Though, from the little that Penelope could see of her before Eloise left their sight, her friend was managing to keep a sedate pace instead of rushing up the aisle to her place as Penelope's maid of honor like Penelope knew she wanted to.

It wasn't but a few more moments until the music changed again, and Penelope knew it was her and Colin's turn. They stood there for a long moment, Penelope unable to make herself move and Colin waiting patiently. Her reluctance must have been obvious, though he made no comment as he placed her arm through his and gave her a small nudge.

"Chin up, Pen," Colin said quietly, moving them into position. "Or you'll miss the look on Cressida Cowper's face when she sees how gorgeous you look."

Penelope let herself imagine it for a few seconds before banishing the picture from her mind. Colin had once again done a wonderful job of helping her with her nerves.

She took one step, and then another, and another until she and Colin were in front of the doorway. Everyone stood up and turned to look at her, and though she still disliked being the focus of all their attention, she felt a sort of calmness wash over her and kept walking. She searched the crowd, making sure that her Mama had not snuck in somehow, and found herself relaxing further when she could not see the distinctive red hair of the Featherington women or their loud fashion choices.

She kept her head pointed forward, looking first at Eloise, who gave her a small smile, and then at Marina and her husband Lord Crane, who looked supremely uncomfortable with all of the looks that he and his wife were receiving. She wanted to look around and find Cressida, but her eyes moved to Anthony, and she had to admit that he did indeed look handsome. His face was unreadable, but when he saw her looking at him, his face softened and he gave her a warm -if tense- smile.

She had been agonizing over getting married, and though she was grateful to Anthony for saving her from Berbrooke, she still couldn't help but feel as if she had taken something away from him.

She knew that becoming a Viscount at such a young age had left him with little choice in life but to take up his role as the head of his family, which left little time to himself for things that Benedict and Colin were able to do freely, like traveling, or pursuing a career. Eloise told her often of how hard he worked to keep them comfortable, and how busy he was all the time. It sounded to her as if he hardly seemed to take a moment for himself, and she felt as if she was going to be adding to his workload. It didn't sit well with her at all, and though she knew he would fight it, she hoped that she could help take care of him the way he took care of his family, though, by all rights, it should have been someone else in her place making that promise.

She wished he'd had the chance to find love and happiness with a woman of his choosing, someone that could honestly offer their love and commitment to him, but as she was literally walking forward to meet him at the alter she thought her wish unlikely to come true.

When they finally made it to the altar, Colin gently let her go with a little push, and then she was in front of Anthony, the Vicar standing before them, the Bible in his hands, no doubt ready to see them wed so he could go on his way.

She held onto her bouquet and stepped up to meet him, glancing at the people gathered as they sat down at the Vicar's behest. The Bridgerton clan was gathered in the front row on Anthony's side, Colin having hastily made his way to his seat between Franchesca and Hyacinth. Next to her, Violet was already dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief, with Gregory on her other side.

On the opposite pew sat Daphne and Simon, making a very pointed statement of their support, especially with her own Mama and sisters missing. Lady Danbury was seated a little farther down, and when she caught her eye, the older woman winked at her.

At the sound of the Vicar starting to speak, she turned back to face Anthony, finding him looking at her with a curious expression on his face. She wasn't sure what had caused such an expression but decided to think on it later.

"Dearly Beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, to witness the joining of this man and this woman in Holy matrimony..."

Penelope listened as the Vicar made his speech to everyone gathered in the pews behind them, but found herself looking at Anthony, who seemed not to be listening at all. He looked like he was thinking hard about something, and it was only when the Vicar cleared his throat and motioned for Anthony to begin his vows that he snapped out of it.

"If you would repeat after me, My Lord, 'I, Lord Anthony Bridgerton,'"

"I, Lord Anthony Bridgerton-"

They continued on in that manner until it came time for her to say her vows, and though her voice trembled, she managed to say them just as Anthony had. She was immensely proud of herself for not stumbling over her words.

A moment later, the Vicar pronounced them man and wife and they turned to greet the guests gathered before them, who were politely clapping as the two of them made their way back down the aisle together and out to the foyer.

They didn't have any time to speak, because as soon as they moved out of the immediate vicinity of the doorway their guests startled trickling out, the Bridgertons first amongst them. Hyacinth was the first to offer her congratulations, excitedly complimenting her dress and hair, and then immediately switching to Anthony to inquire about their living arrangements. Hyacinth wanted to know if they would be staying at Bridgerton house, and was halfway through asking if she could have a pony for her next birthday when Violet interrupted.

"Hyacinth dear, Penelope and Anthony have many people who would like to wish them well. We can discuss this later, perhaps when they return from Aubrey Hall."

Violet lead Hyacinth away and the rest of the Bridgertons quickly followed, though each of them made sure to extend their congratulations. Daphne and Simon followed suit and even extend an open invitation to visit anytime, though Daphne joked that the offer was only for Penelope.

Anthony squawked in fake outrage, earning a giggle from Penelope, who had caught Anthony's attention once more. He'd looked at her with that same curious look on his face, and she was reminded of his earlier expression. She had no time to think about it, or even question him, as the expression was gone in the next moment.

The Duke and Duchess spoke for a few moments more before they said their goodbyes, leaving her and Anthony to face the rest of the invited members of the  Ton. 

She wondered how offended everyone would be if she and Anthony left early. They wouldn't be able to leave just yet, though, from the irritated expression on Anthony's face, she was willing to bet that they would be making their escape sooner rather than later.

[dreamwritesimagines]

Dream!!! It’s CMA:)

Omg so does benedict totally know that Charlie and Anthony are pining after one another?

Also do you think that Anthony keeps insisting that benedict must have been courting Charlie because otherwise how can he excuse the fact that he hasn’t made a move on her in all these years??

And like the complete difference between how Benedict sees her vs how everyone else sees her😭😭 it’s so poetic and sad and sweet at the same time

Also I need an au where Benedict and Lottie actually do get engaged and Lottie has to be like best friend/fiancée’s brother, childhood friends to lover, grumpy/sunshine trope LOL. I know we’re already getting the last two but the added layer of forbidden love 👌

Also thanks for explaining the fact that they can be left alone together now! That does make more sense, and it also further explains why they’d be allowed to be alone together in the garden if they were engaged

I love this series so fucking much; it’s a complete contrast to enamored but in a good way.

Also you saying that clover won’t be gardening😫😭😭😭 will she be able to garden at her aunt and uncles place in the meanwhile or completely cut off? Because that’s such a huge coping mechanism and de-stressor/self-care for her, and she’s been so dependent on it for so long that it seems cruel to completely deprive her of it for long.

In the meanwhile tho, I could see benedict giving her cut flowers, or even better buying plants and being like ‘I got this but idk how to take care of it so if u don’t do anything it’ll just die I guess’ and she’ll be torn between wanting the plant to survive and not giving in.

And even better than that is if he ropes his family into it, like one day violet will just be like ‘I got these seeds at the store by accident but I don’t know how to take care of them. Either I will have to learn (and do it completely wrong) or I’ll have to throw them away’ and clover is like ‘NOOOOOOOO!!!’ (like the Luke skywalker no gif from the second movie)

Or if hyacinth/Gregory/etc. are like ‘we are learning about crops this is so boring plants suck and I don’t get it’ and clover is like ‘well actually they are fascinating and let me tell you why’ and she ends up getting into it through helping them.

Will clover spend a lot of time at the bridgerton home or will she mostly be alone/with Ben in their new home?

This reminds me of this thing which is when you have people who have the tendency to feel selfish doing self-care, you can often ‘trick’ them into doing it by pretending that they’re actually helping u do it when it’s secretly about them. Like they would never go get a massage for themselves but it’s now a bonding time for us and you wouldn’t want to make me feel sad would u? And they feel justified because it fulfills their need to feel helpful. Idk it’s a thing. It sounds manipulative but it’s the only way to help people sometimes and I bet benedict will have to employ that tactic all the time with clover…

Okay sorry my neck is cramping from bending over to type this so imma take a small break. Love u lots tho and I am SO glad we got this extra chapter!!!!!!!! I love it so much!!!!!!!!!

Love u lots dream<3

Hi my loveee! ❤️

Oh I don't think Benedict knows, I actually don't think any of them are aware of it yet😂

Also do you think that Anthony keeps insisting that benedict must have been courting Charlie because otherwise how can he excuse the fact that he hasn’t made a move on her in all these years?? In a way yes!

Like, in Anthony's mind, Charlotte was always out of question because he always thought eventually she'd be his sister-in-law 💔 He always thought she was supposed to end up with Benedict, so that's why he never even considered entertaining the idea of courting her 💔 He always kept his distance to a point, at least as much as he could❤️

Benedict is so in love with her❤️

Wait wait, Lottie as Benedict's fiancee and falling for Anthony in the AU?! Ohhh that would be so intenseee😏❤️

Omg no problem! I love details like those❤️ That was also why breaking an engagement was considered to be scandal and such, because *gasp* they already have been alone together in a room! 😂

Oh I thought the same! Like, gardening is a huge part of her self-care, so if she completely stopped, I think that would be very difficult for her because she will already be incredibly stressed about the whole marriage thing💔 So I think she'd keep doing that at her uncle and aunt's home ❤️

Awww Benedict would totally do that! 🥰 It'd be like luring a jumpy animal out of its cage tbh, he will have to be very slow and patient ❤️

His family would love to do that! 😍 Especially Violet I'm sure!😍

I feel like she will spend most of the time at their own place at first but they will certainly visit the Bridgerton house for dinner and stuff, and Violet will invite them very often❤️ But like at first, it'll be very funny in their home because Clover will try to run into him as little as possible in the same house😂😂

WAIT THAT MAKES SO MUCH SENSEEE!😍 I can totally see Benedict doing that 😂

Darliiiing ILYSM, thank you so much for this! ❤️😍😍

[collectionoftulips]

hi! it's me! (once again, I'm so sorry if this is long or stupid, just feel free to ignore it!)

first of all, i dont know if it is intentional or if it is something that just grows out of you as you write further chapters, but i feel that these last chapters are more... intimate? i mean, they *feel* more intimate for us readers (or at least me). and it's so cool that as they begin trusting each other more and more, their relationship building up, so does the writing style. it's a bit magic, actually ✨

i would give my life for gregory and hyacinth in this fic, no questions asked. their support to anthony!!! i mean obviously the family is supportive, but something about the way they are so hyped warms my heart. and on the same line, i can already see hy and kate watching kate's old performances and kate helping her and becoming her role model, somehow (and anthony obviously melting at the sight of this)

also i feel like anthony every chapter when the new dance style is mentioned, searching on youtube. i know zero about dances so it is always fun and interesting to learn!!

i dont know what else to say, appart from that i love this fic and im always thinkin "oh i want to read the next one" and become frustrated when i just cant because of time. but it makes me happy to see the update email! and i find myself thinking of scenes througout my day

and... quotes time!!

"The lack of memory was not immediately apparent, but rather something that only became clear once he tried to backtrack his steps, there was just… nothing" im not going to lie, this sentence and at the beginning really scared me, i thought that he might have messed it up

"It wasn’t so much that he could remember seeing her, only that he could recall being aware of her." i GASPED. i don't know why, because it is actually not that huge, but this sentence really screams that he *likes* her, he *notices* her

"He told himself that there was something good about the fact that she waited by the door, holding it for him, instead of running in the other direction. That it was normal for the pang of affection that warmed his heart to be there as they stood almost near enough that he could smell the lilies of what he suspected was her hair conditioner." okay, this one is long but my sweet bean trying to convince himself that the pang is normal! oh sweetie

"The judges only saw a snapshot of his dancing, Kate saw everything, all the flaws and mistakes as well as the small progresses, and if she thought he could do this - who was he to disagree?" + "The certainty she expressed by stating this fact was almost enough to quell Anthony’s doubts" he trusts her so much and he is so moved by her trust, i could cry

"It was just dancing, Anthony knew that, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it didn’t feel a little bit like magic." just, screaming. that's it

and that final quote... my boy is flling fast!!

once again, thank you thank you thank you for this fic! im sorry if this is messy or has typos but im writing on the notes app so that i dont forget anything, just fresh out of the reading. anyway, thank you and have a great day! ❤️❤️💕

It is not long or 'stupid' in the slightest - don't apologise. I am just sorry it's taken me ages to respond. I blame the cold I had though, which seems to have robbed the concept of time from me entirely. I really love these asks I get, they genuinely make my day.

I'm so glad you feel like the chapters are growing gradually more intimate - it was definitely something I was hoping to convey with the progression of each chapter and each stage of the competition. I'm so thrilled you like it ❤️

I love writing Hyacinth and Gregory in this story. I also find their unwavering support for Anthony's endeavours really endearing and hopefully this most recent chapter that I just posted gives some extra context as to why and hints a bit more clearly at the type of relationship they have with him.

I don't know anything about these dances either and I actually look up some of the basic steps on YouTube and learn some vague rules for each dance to help me write it a bit better, and it's so much fun.

Genuinely, thank you so much for these asks, they are so sweet and kind ❤️ Been feeling a bit iffy about my writing recently and this helps me a lot not being all like 'I'm just gonna throw in the towel because clearly my writing is meh'. So thank you ❤️

[indestinatus]

Am I like him at all? Or was he more like you? Father. He was, um... He was like both of us, really.

[pixiemunsons]

communal kisses (bb)

modern day!au bridgertons

benedict x reader, colin x reader, hints of eloise x reader and anthony x reader, pre-established kathony, saphne and peneloise

thank you so much to my wonderful friend @user12829 who beta’d this and is such an adamant supporter of my work🤍

you want to kiss him. you should be more worried about who you've kissed before.

‘what do you mean, i’m the only one here you haven’t kissed?!’

you rolled your eyes, taking another sip of your beer before you looked in benedict’s direction. secretly, you had always wished he was the only bridgerton you’d ever kissed, but he had not long since come out of the year-long relationship which had dashed all hopes of the two of you ever becoming a couple.

‘i don’t know, you just aren’t. shit happens.’ you shrugged your shoulders before leaning back against the sofa, re-settling yourself on the carpeted floor where you sat with all of the older bridgertons, along with penelope, simon and kate. it was a saturday night, and that meant drinking at anthony and kate’s place. hyacinth and gregory were, begrudgingly, left out of these occasions as they were still underage, and francesca was somewhere off in scotland with her boyfriend. that left the rest of you to play some decidedly childish games. truth or dare always went this way when you were drunk - revealing your secrets to your best friends. you still regret the night anthony got a little too wasted and you found out way more about his sex life than you’d ever needed to know. you think kate does too.

‘if it helps, benedict, she punched me in the face as soon as i kissed her.’ anthony said, wincing at your glare. ‘anthony, i was fourteen years old. it was my first kiss. you caught me off guard.’ kate laughed aloud at this.

‘yeah, pretty creepy,’ eloise joked, going red and nudging anthony with her elbow. benedict looked at her with a furrowed brow, flicking his eyes between the two of you. he didn’t miss the look you gave her, and the way she shrugged her shoulders back, trying to avoid eye contact with him.

‘wait, really? eloise too?!’

you rolled your eyes, peering at him over the top of your cup as eloise flushed again. daphne looked like she might faint, and anthony was staring at you like he couldn’t believe his ears. ‘some dude was being creepy with me at the bar, so i kissed el and he fucked off. it wasn’t even a proper kiss. i mean, it was nice.’ the whole room was silent; they knew eloise liked girls, sure, but never you. eloise went even redder if possible when you leant over and patted her on the thigh, dropping your left eye into an exaggerated wink. you gave a gracious smile to her girlfriend, penelope. the two of them had gotten together not long after the kiss in the bar, and she smiled back at you happily before grasping her girlfriend’s hand; she knew you and el were nothing but best friends. after all, you had introduced the two of them.

‘i mean, she’s never kissed me either, if that makes you feel any better mate,’ simon offered to benedict, and daphne punched him in the arm. ‘what was that for?!’ he cried, and you snickered at the look on his face as he tried to explain what he meant to his fiancee. she turned her head to the group once more. ‘me neither, to be fair.’ she looked at colin expectantly, and her eyes bulged in their sockets when he didn’t refute the allegations, choosing instead to pick at his cuticles.

‘colin, you’re being awfully quiet. what happened between you two? and why didn’t you tell me?’ anthony asked accusingly, and it was your turn to go bright red. no one was meant to find out - ever. colin looked into your eyes as if asking for permission, and you shrugged your shoulders, trying to look as cool as possible under the siblings’ burning stares.

‘we got drunk and made out at the flat, it’s not a big deal.’ glorious silence fell for about three seconds, before the room erupted in accusations and shouting.

‘why didn’t you tell me?!’ you heard anthony and kate cry simultaneously at the two of you, while eloise went into breakdown mode at the idea of colin kissing anyone, let alone someone so pretty. daphne was once more chastising simon, who was quizzing a very quiet colin about the circumstances of your dalliance. you, however, could only look at benedict. you didn’t want to admit to yourself that the expression on his face was one of upset, but it was the only way you could describe it. if you were honest, the kiss with colin had been his fault anyway, in a roundabout way.

───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───

you were sat on the sofa in the flat you shared with colin and penelope, nursing your broken heart into a vodka. benedict had just announced that he had a girlfriend, sophie something, and you had finally realised that your unrequited crush would stay that way forever. you had texted the group chat you shared with your roommates saying you were having a bad night, but penelope was busy with eloise and some people from work. she had offered to come home, but you refused; colin was working a lot now that him and marina had broken up, so you expected to be left alone to watch pride and prejudice until you cried.

until halfway through the scene in the garden, when colin turned up with a bottle of wine to see you snotty and red-faced, already three drinks down and a bit more than tipsy. he had come to sit with you, pulling you into his arms with an ‘oh, y/n,’ and started drinking himself. the two of you talked for hours until your tears turned into laughter and the film turned into music and you don’t remember how it happened, really, one minute you were pouring him a new drink and laughing about something he’d said and the next you were pressed against his bedroom door and his lips were on yours. you knew why he was doing this, the break up with marina had been very difficult, but your alcohol addled brain was struggling to remember why you were here, right now, with colin’s hand snaking up your shirt and your lips on his neck until he groaned your name and his voice sounded just like benedict’s and you were crying again.

colin had pulled away as soon as he’d heard the tiny sob you’d let out, sobering up instantly, and he had pulled you into bed and held you tight.

‘i’m s-sorry col, i j-just-‘ he had cut you off with a hard stare, kissing the top of your head.

‘you don’t need to apologise. i still love her, too, y’know.’ you should have been surprised that colin had noted your affections for his brother, but he knew you better than almost anyone. he’d seen you look at benedict with such adoration over the years that he thought his brother was either blind or stupid not to see it. so the two of you had laid there all night, and when you woke up he promised to never tell a soul.

───✱*.。:。✱*.:。✧*.。✰*.:。✧*.。:。*.。✱ ───

benedict had broke up with sophie a year or so later, but colin had kept to his promise. he knew from the way benedict was now looking at him that his older brother really wasn’t very happy with him, but he pondered if that could be a very good thing. a very good thing indeed. in fact, before he could even think about it, he was speaking, much to your horror.

‘well, ben, i must say that you’re missing out. she’s a phenomenal kisser. in fact, as it’s your turn next,’ he nodded to his brother, referring to the game which now felt long-forgotten, ‘i dare you to take her into the spare room,’ he jammed a thumb behind him in the direction of the room, ‘and give her seven minutes in heaven.’

your mouth dropped open, and much to your chagrin, benedict looked very annoyed at his younger brother. if he turned you down, that would be so humiliating, but if he took you in there and then did nothing - well, you imagined, that might be so much worse. and just as enough time had elapsed to make you think that he really would let you down, benedict launched himself up from the chair he was in and took your hand, all but dragging you to the spare room. he was hard-faced, and you were worried about what he was about to say. maybe he’d tell you that you were disgusting for kissing his younger brother, or that he’d never liked you anyway, or that he didn’t want to kiss you. as these thoughts swirled through your mind, you were vaguely aware of benedict pushing you into the room and shouting ‘don’t even bother trying to listen in!’ before slamming the door and leaning against it. he had his arms braced against the wood, and you couldn’t help but admire his shoulders, and the way they pulled together then relaxed as he turned to face you.

‘do you fancy him, or something?’

the words took a moment to process, and your head shot up. you and colin were still living together, alone now that pen had moved into eloise’s place, and nothing more had ever happened between you. no sexual tension, no awkwardness, and you knew that everyone had been shocked when they found out that your friendship had ever taken a remotely non-platonic turn. so no, you definitely didn’t. 

‘no, i don’t. why would you even think that?’ you suddenly felt naked under his gaze, which was hard fixed on your face, and you wished you’d worn more than a corset and jeans.

‘i don’t know, y/n, maybe something to do with the fact i’ve just found out you’ve had his tongue down your throat!’ you shushed him and his shoulders fell ever so slightly, and when he spoke again it was more subdued.

‘when was it?’

you gritted your teeth, furious at his questioning. he had no right to ask about you and colin, not when he’d very much ignored you for years. colin was the only one with conformation, but all of his siblings and their partners saw the way you felt about him. how devastated you’d been when he started dating sophie, the way you bloomed when he was around. anthony for one didn’t think you could have made it more obvious, yet his stupid brother had been ignorant to it for so long even he was losing hope of anything happening between you.

‘it was when you and sophie got together. after him and marina broke up.’ you looked down at your shoes, knowing that if you were to make eye contact with the man in front of you, all composure would be lost and you would either confess entirely or break down into tears. so when his feet made their way into your line of vision and you looked up to see him inches from your face, you couldn’t help but leap back against the wall. but all he did was follow, calm as can be, studying your face as if he was memorising every last inch of it. your breaths mingled, and the beer he had been drinking alongside his expensive aftershave merged into a smell that was so benedict you thought you could be drunk off that alone. he gripped your chin with his thumb and looked into your eyes, whispering now.

‘was it because me and sophie got together,’ he breathed, ‘or am i imagining things?’ you gulped hard, eyes flicking between his lips and eyes. 

‘because if it wasn’t, we can forget this whole thing. your… fooling around with my brother-‘ you tried to interrupt him, tell him that you only kissed, but he moved his thumb across your lips and hushed you. you no longer thought you could breathe. you realised that his chest was pressed against yours, and he had slotted a leg between your own, and his thigh was dangerously close to-

‘y/n, darling, are you paying attention?’ your eyes shot back to his, and he had a playful shine in his brown eyes. ‘good. as i was saying, i can forget that you fooled around with colin,’ he gave you a pointed look, silencing you before you could speak, ‘but i’d rather not do that.’

you looked up at him quizzically, and his grin spread as he pressed himself impossibly close to you. you hoped he didn’t hear the whine that broke free from the back of your throat as he moved the hand that was not holding your jaw to your shirt, playing with the hair resting at the neckline.

‘i’d rather you admit that you like me. i’ve known for a little while, and i was planning on having a nice little conversation with you about it later, but then colin dropped that wonderful bombshell on us all and i couldn’t help but feel that your alliance lays with another bridgerton.’ you were trying to hide the shock on your face. he knew? and he wanted to talk to you? well, two can play at that one.

‘i guess it supposes on what the conversation was going to entail,’ you smiled up at him, bringing a hand to lay on his bicep. benedict cocked an eyebrow. you raised one back, prompting him. ‘well?’ benedict leant down, down to your chest, and unexpectedly licked a line from the top of your left breast to your ear. you let out a whimper, shifting under his grasp, which was now situated on your waist. he kept his lips at your ear.

‘i was going to tell you that sophie was a distraction from the fact that i am madly in love with you, and have been since i was nineteen. i was going to tell you that i want to be with you, and i want to keep you by my side, and i want to love you forever.’ his teeth nipped at your earlobe, and you sank into his hands a little more. ‘can you give me that, my love? can you allow me the honour of loving you?’

you reached a hand into his hair, dragging him back gently, and stroked down the side of his face. ‘i can.’

and then he was on you, hiking you up so your legs wrapped around his waist and pushing you so hard against the wall you were sure to have bruises. his lips crashed against yours and it was a mess of tongue and teeth, kissing as you’d wanted to for years. his hands were gripping your thighs as you sucked on his neck, teeth turning the delicate skin purple as he groaned against your ear. he moved his hands up until they rested firmly on your arse, gripping and moulding and whispering sweet promises about what he was going to do with you when you could just get back to his place when a knock on the door had him nearly dropping you. you thought he might kill anthony when his face popped around the corner, grinning madly at your dishevelled figures.

‘it’s been way more than seven minutes,’ he smirked, and you turned your back as you hiked up your corset. benedict instantly flew in front of you, shielding your dignity, and called out to colin. as you turned back, the younger bridgerton was now stood in the hallway next to anthony, and you smiled warmly at one another.

‘colin,’ benedict coughed, and he tore his eyes from you and looked back at his older brother. ‘you were right, she is a fantastic kisser. thank you. however, if you ever kiss her again, i’ll be forced to kill you with my bare hands.’ you slapped benedict on the arm, and he wrapped it around you, grinning.

‘i’m making no promises.’

[promenadewithme]

First of all, I want to thank all of you so much for the follows, likes, comments, reblogs and support in general! I can't believe I hit 50 followers so soon! I know it’s not much, but I actually didn’t expect any at all so I’m so happy!! Thank you ❤️

Now, this is how the celebration is going to work: first you chose a song and a character. Then send it to my requests with your pronoun of choice, along with any other specifications and I'll write you a fic based on the song! You can either send the song or specific quotes as prompts

To find the fics I will write, use the #Anastasia's 50 followers celebration

This event starts today (May 20th) and ends June 10th

Support Me on Ko-Fi - if you’re feeling generous 💕

Songs:

Fluff (Romantic)

Paper Rings - Taylor Swift

London Boy - Taylor Swift

Love Story - Taylor Swift

Lover - Taylor Swift

King of My Heart - Taylor Swift

Willow - Taylor Swift

Crazier - Taylor Swift

New Year’s Day - Taylor Swift

Daylight - Taylor Swift

Jump Then Fall - Taylor Swift

How You Get The Girl - Taylor Swift

You Are In Love - Taylor Swift

It’s Nice To Have A Friend - Taylor Swift

Today Was A Fairytale - Taylor Swift

State Of Grace - Taylor Swift

Mine - Taylor Swift

Delicate - Taylor Swift

Say You Won't Let Go - James Arthur

Naked - James Arthur

Rewrite The Stars - James Arthur + Anne-Marie

I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

Tenerife Sea - Ed Sheeran

How Would You Feel (Paean) - Ed Sheeran

Kiss Me - Ed Sheeran

Afterglow - Ed Sheeran

Lego House - Ed Sheeran

Dive - Ed Sheeran

Galway Girl - Ed Sheeran

Everything Has Changed - Ed Sheeran + Taylor Swift

I Was Made For Loving You - Tori Kelly + Ed Sheeran

Make You Feel My Love -Adele

One Call Away - Charlie Puth

Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol

Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars

Count On Me - Bruno Mars

Little Things - One Direction

Night Changes - One Direction

Can't Help Falling In Love - Elvis Presley

Andante, Andante - ABBA

Waterloo - ABBA

All Of Me - John Legend

Ocean Eyes - Billie Eilish

Snowman - Sia

A Thousand Years - Christina Perri

Arms - Christina Perri

Teenage Dream - Katy Perry

Halo - Beyoncé

The Only Exception - Paramore

Dandelions - Ruth B

Someone To You - BANNERS

Would You Be So Kind - Dodie

Someone You Like - The Girl and The Dreamcatcher

If I Could Tell Her - Ben Platt 

Absolutely Smitten - Dodie

How Long Will I Love - Ellie Goulding

Angst (Romantic)

Good 4 u - Olivia Rodrigo

Drivers License - Olivia Rodrigo

Deja Vu - Olivia Rodrigo

Brutal - Olivia Rodrigo

Traitor - Olivia Rodrigo

Enough For You - Olivia Rodrigo

1 step forward, 3 steps back - Olivia Rodrigo

Happier - Olivia Rodrigo

Jealousy, Jealousy- Olivia Rodrigo

Favourite Crime - Olivia Rodrigo

Hope Ur Ok - Olivia Rodrigo

Betty - Taylor Swift

Exile - Taylor Swift

Teardrops On My Guitar - Taylor Swift

Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift

Tolerate It - Taylor Swift

You’re Not Sorry - Taylor Swift

Should’ve Said No - Taylor Swift

White Horse - Taylor Swift

You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift

My Tears Ricochet - Taylor Swift

Back to December - Taylor Swift

Breathe - Taylor Swift

The 1 - Taylor Swift

All Too Well - Taylor Swift

Invisible String - Taylor Swift

Evermore - Taylor Swift

Lose You To Love Me - Selena Gomez

The Heart Wants What It Wants - Selena Gomez

When I Was Your Man -Bruno Mars

Someone Like You - Adele

Hello - Adele

All I Ask - Adele

Let Her Go - Passenger

Say Something - A Great Big World

Stay With Me - Sam Smith

California King Bed - Rihanna

Take a Bow - Rihanna

Broken Hearted Girl - Beyoncé

Tonight I Wanna Cry - Keith Urban

The Winner Takes It All - ABBA

SOS - ABBA

One Of Us - ABBA

Half a Heart - One Direction

Yesterday - The Beatles

If The World Was Ending - Julia Michaels

Colors - Halsey

Happier - Ed Sheeran

One Last Time - Ariana Grande

Why’d You Only Call Me When You High - Artic Monkeys

Play Date - Melanie Martinez

Just a Friend to You - Meghan Trainor

All I Want - Kodaline

Love You From A Distance - Ashley Kutcher

Potential Breakup Song - Aly & AJ

I Don’t Wanna See You With Her - Maria Mena

Let Her Go - Passenger

All My Tears - Ane Brun

Always On My Mind - Elvis Presley

Someone to you - Lewis Capaldi 

Before You Go - Lewis Capaldi

Others

Sit Still, Look Pretty - Daya

How To Be A Heartbreaker - MARINA

No Body, No Crime - Taylor Swift

Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift

Blank Space - Taylor Swift

You Need To Calm Down - Taylor Swift

Getaway Car -Taylor Swift

Gorgeous - Taylor Swift

Bad Blood - Taylor Swift

The Man - Taylor Swift

22 - Taylor Swift

Dorothea - Taylor Swift

Marjorie - Taylor Swift

The Best Day - Taylor Swift

Mirrorball - Taylor Swift

I Forgot That You Existed - Taylor Swift

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things - Taylor Swift

The Lakes - Taylor Swift

The Last Great American Dynasty - Taylor Swift

Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson

When I Kissed The Teacher - ABBA

I Have A Dream - ABBA

I've Been Waiting For You - ABBA

You'll Be In My Heart - Phil Collins

Titanium - David Guetta (feat. Sia)

F**ckin' Perfect - P!nk

New Rules - Dua Lipa

IDGAF - Dua Lipa

Bad Guy - Billie Eilish

You Should See Me in A Crown - Billie Eilish

COPYCAT - Billie Eilish

Count On Me - Bruno Mars

Stand By You - Rachel Platten

Firework - Katy Perry

Because You Loved Me - Céline Dion

See You Again - Wiz Khalifa + Charlie Puth

NO - Meghan Trainor

Skyfall - Adele

Gasoline - Halsey

Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran

Save Myself - Ed Sheeran

Supermarket Flowers - Ed Sheeran

Small Bump - Ed Sheeran

Growing Up - Macklemore, Ryan Lewis, Ed Sheeran

7 Rings - Ariana Grande

Bad Liar - Selena Gomez

Rare - Selena Gomez

Who Says - Selena Gomez

I Turn To You - Christina Aguilera

Till There Was You - The Beatles

Sweetest Devotion - Adele

ps: sorry, I'm a Swiftie and a Sheerio <3

Characters

Character x fem! or GN! reader (ROMANTIC)

ACOTAR: Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Lucien, Helion, Tarquin, kallias and Tamlin.

BRIDGERTON: Anthony Bridgerton, Benedict Bridgerton, Colin Bridgerton and Simon Basset.

GRISHAVERSE: Nikolai, Mal, The Darkling, Kaz, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan and David.

THRONE OF GLASS: Dorian Havilliard and Chaol Westfall.

HARRY POTTER: Harry, Ron, Neville, Draco, George, Fred, Oliver, Cedric, Young Sirius, Young James and Young Remus.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley.

MARVEL: Steve, Bucky, Sam, Pietro, Loki, Thor, Peter Parker, Ned, Tony, Bruce, Vision, Clint, T'Challa, Scott Lang, James Rhodes, Peter Quill and Stephen Strange.

THE HUNGER GAMES: Peeta, Gale and Finnick.

GREY'S ANATOMY: Derek Shepherd, Andrew DeLuca, Alex Karev, Jackson Avery, Mark Sloan, George O'Malley, Link, Koracick and Ben Warren.

TEEN WOLF: Scott, Stiles, Derek, Isaac, Liam and Jackson.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: Damon, Stefan, Matt, Klaus, Elijah and Kai.

NARNIA: Peter, Edmund and Caspian.

STAR WARS: Anakin, Obi Wan, Kylo, Han, Luke, Poe, Finn and Din Djarin.

Character x platonic!/sis!/bro!/enemy!/daughter!/son!/mentor!/or anything else platonic Reader

ACOTAR: Rhysand, Cassian, Azriel, Feure, Nesta, Elain, Mor, Amren, Nyx, Lucien, Tarquin, Helion, Kallias, Tamlin, Ianthe, Suriel and Bone Carver.

GRISHAVERSE: Nikolai, Mal, Darkling, David, Alina, Bahgra, Zoya, Tamar, Tolya, Apparat, Kaz, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Inej, Tantee Heleen and Pekka Rollins.

THRONE OF GLASS: Dorian, Chaol and Aelin.

BRIDGERTON: Anthony, Benedict, Colin; Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory, Hyacinth, Lady Violet, Simon, Lady Danbury, Penelope, Lady Portia Featherington, Marina, Sienna, Genevieve, Cressida and Queen Charlotte.

HARRY POTTER: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Ginny, Luna, Draco, George, Fred, Oliver, Cedric, Cho, Seamus, Fleur, Pansy, Myrtle, Sirius (old or young), James (old or young), Remus (old or young), Lily (old or young), Molly, Arthur, Bill, Percy, Charlie, Xenophilus Lovegood, Snape, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, Moody, Flitwick, Umbridge, Bellatrix, Voldemort, Lucius, Narcissa, Peter Pettigrew, Helga Hufflepuff, Salazar Slytherin, Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, Dobby and Nearly Headless Nick.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE: Mr Darcy, Georgiana Darcy, Mr Bingley, Caroline Bingley, Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Bennet, Mary Bennet, Lydia Bennet, Catherine Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Wickam, Mr Collins, Mr Bennet, Mrs Bennet.

MARVEL: Steve, Peggy, Sharon, Natasha, Bucky, Sam, Carol, Monica Rambeau, Pietro, Wanda, Agatha Harkness, Loki, Frigga, Odin, Hela, Thor, Heimdall, Jane Foster, Darcy Lewis, Valkyrie, Peter Parker, Ned, MJ, Tony, Pepper, Morgan, Happy, Howard, Bruce, Vision, Clint, T'Challa, Shuri, Scott, Hope, Hank, Cassie, James Rhodes, Peter Quill, Gamora, Mantis, Nebula, Groot, Rocket, Drax, Stephen Strange, Wong, Nick Fury, Phil Coulson, Maria Hill, Thanos, Ancient One, Red Skull, Ultron, John Walker and Zemo.

THE HUNGER GAMES: Katniss, Peeta, Gale, Finnick, Haymitch, Rue, President Snow, Primrose, Effie, Cinna and Johanna.

GREY'S ANATOMY: Meredith, Derek, Andrew, Alex, Jackson, Mark, Lexie, Cristina, April, Izzie, George, Callie, Owen, Addison, Arizona, Miranda, Amelia, Link, Burke, Teddy, Maggie, Richard, Carina, Ben Warren, Megan Hunt, Ellis Grey, Catherine Avery and Tom Koracick.

TEEN WOLF: Scott, Stiles, Malia, Lydia, Allison, Derek, Isaac, Liam, Jackson, Peter Hale, Chris Argent, Sheriff Stilinski, Kira, Melissa McCall and Noshiko Yukimura.

THE VAMPIRE DIARIES: Damon, Elena, Katherine, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie, Jenna, Klaus, Elijah, Rebeka, Sheriff Forbes, Kai and Lexi.

NARNIA: Peter, Susan, Edmund, Lucy, Caspian and Aslan.

STAR WARS: Anakin, Padme, Yoda, Jarjar, Obi Wan, Kylo, Rey, Han, Leia, Luke, Poe, Finn and Din Djarin and Grogu.

No pressure tags: @venuswritesfanfic @for-bebbanburg @maggiescarborough @multifandomfix @sweetnspicysimp @lazypeachsoul @magravenwrites

[invisibleinorange]

Chapters: 14/? Fandom: Bridgerton Rating: T Warnings: Presumed Character Death Relationships: Colin Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington,  Eloise Bridgerton/Penelope Featherington(besties),  Bridgerton Family Dynamics, Simon Hastings/Daphne Bridgerton Characters: Colin Bridgerton,  Penelope Featherington, Eloise Bridgerton, Anthony Featherington,  Benedict Bridgerton,  Portia Featherington, Violet Bridgerton, Genevieve Delacroix Additional Tags:  Bridgerton, Polin Summary:  Unexpected bad news arrives for the Bridgerton Family (and friends) regarding Colin's travels. This will be a series that is set after "The Duke and I" or season one of the show. It is a companion piece to "Goodbyes".

It had come to pass that Portia Featherington hadn’t been wrong about everything. Penelope couldn’t help but begrudgingly give her mother some credit as she paced the small room she was waiting in for her wedding: the books had ruined her.

Everything that she knew about life and love came from the pages of the damn things.  Even if she had always had her doubts whether she would actually get married, the small bit of her that held up hope had this foolish fantasy of what it was supposed to be.

When she’d pictured this day, Colin had always been her  romantic lead.  It had been that way even before she was old enough to fully understand her feelings.   It felt a little bittersweet that he couldn’t at least be part of it.

If he couldn’t be her husband, she would have at least felt better having him there as her friend.  Knowing that he fully endorsed her choice would have been important. All she could do now was assume that he would have be happy to see her well-matched with his brother.

She was still anxious about it, as fond as she had become of Benedict in recent weeks.  She’d felt as if they’d made progress in transitioning from whatever they had been to what they were going to be.  It was all tentative, a bit weird but it was no longer awkward to converse at length or hold hands.

They were both trying.

There was a lot more that would come after the wedding and that was what she was terrified of.  Violet in her infinite wisdom had attempted to have an adult conversation with her about wifely duties when her own mother neglected to call on her for such a thing.  Then Daphne had made an appearance and attempted her own conversation.

She wasn’t quite sure if she was supposed to be excited at the prospect of her wedding night or terrified.

Either way it went, she knew that there was no real pressure to do something that she didn’t feel comfortable with. Benedict might not have approached the subject but she knew he wasn’t the sort to demand anything.

They were going to do something different and it might take her time but she was going to be happy.

She just had to work past her nerves first.

She was mid-stride through her forty or fiftieth spin around the room when the door opened and in strode her mother.  

Penelope had invited her (and her sisters) to the wedding. They were her family even if things had dysfunctional at times. That didn’t necessarily mean that she wanted to open herself to feedback or criticism for her choices or the timeline of them.

She also wasn’t quite sure her nerves could handle a third conversation about her duties as wife.  

“Mother,” she said with a polite nod and bow.

Her mother seemed to stand there for a long moment, looking her over as if appraising the situation.

“This dress will do,” she said after a long moment.

Penelope’s dress was one of the new ones that had been purchased in recent weeks.  It wasn’t white but it was a pale blue and had white lace over it. It wasn’t as extravagant as the dress she might have worn if it hadn’t burnt but she was pretty content with it.  She’d even added little blue flowers to her red curls.

“I appreciate your approval,”  Penelope offered after a moment, deciding that she should just be grateful that they decided to show and actively be a part of this.  “You should probably find your seat. Anthony will be presenting me.”

It was a bit of a slap in the face. If her father had been alive, he would have been the one to do such a thing. He was long gone and Penelope hadn’t considered herself a member of her mother’s household since she’d left it.  Anthony, as misguided and overprotective as he could be at times, was the only person deserving of such an honor.

Portia might have wished to object but she closed her mouth as soon as it opened.  Instead she decided to proceed with her original mission for coming.

“I won’t trouble you for long,” she told before snapping her fingers and a servant came with a box.  She opened it and inside was a beautiful, ornate veil.   “This is a family heirloom of sorts.  I’d thought to give it to one of your sisters but your father insisted it be put aside for you.”

Penelope could gloss over all the negative undertones to just see the fact that it was actually quite remarkable. She’d honestly not planned to wear a veil at all but it looked as if it belonged with the dress.  Her mother would have sold it if she’d had the inkling. The fact that she was there at all with it said that somewhere she did actually care about her.

It was enough.

She turned to allow her mother to help her pin it properly in her red curls, a light smile playing on her features.

“Thank you for this,” she told her quietly.

--

Benedict was grateful for his mother because Violet had this strange way of making things always come together, even when there was a limited amount of time to do it. Weddings were relatively simple affairs in the great scheme of things. In a family like theirs, it was harder logistically to get everyone around.

As he gazed around the church, he was glad to have all of them.  Violet was sitting up front with Gregory and Hyacinth on opposite sides.  Eloise was to the right of Hyacinth which brought a smile to his face because she’d joked that she might sit on the other side of the aisle.  Francesca was behind them with the Duke and a visibly pregnant Daphne. The only other people were those on the other side – Penelope’s mother and siblings.

The whole situation felt surreal to him. There was literally no scenario where he could imagine wedding Penelope Featherington before recent months.  He had always felt like he’d known her but he hadn’t known her at all. He felt as if by getting to know her better, he’d seen her potential.

He could even imagine being happy which was more than he ever thought he could say about most of the other potential matches he could have had in the Ton.  It was going to take them time but he liked where they were.  There was no rush to become something that they weren’t.

He would be patient and a good husband to her.

He didn’t get married every day though so he did feel a little nervous about the whole situation.  He’d definitely had to ease his nerves with a drink beforehand.

As he caught sight of Anthony at the entrance, making a gesture that things were to begin it all begin to set in.

Everyone sat quietly but they all sort of blurred out of space when he saw Penelope move into the entrance with him.  He’d never quite had such a visceral reaction to her before but she really was vision.

She seemed nervous so he offered her a smile and she returned it as she approached on Anthony’s arm.

They were both shaking by the time her hand was in his and the clergyman began to speak.

--

The doors crashed open with a thud making such a disturbance that there was no way to ignore it.

Every single head turned including that of the bride and groom.

Colin Bridgerton was a dusty mess of a man but out of the darkness of the hallway, he appeared to the audible sound of gasps.

Everyone was so focused on his appearance that it was only Benedict and Colin who felt Penelope go limp.  The shock had caused a fainting spell and it was any wonder that Benedict caught her. Colin couldn’t quite get to her at the moment.

“Colin!”  Violet Bridgerton practically screamed, moving from her seat toward her wayward son.  She didn’t stop until her arms were around him.  He hugged his mother for a moment,  shaking off his own disbelief at everything that was happening.

Concern washed over him at what was going on before him. He couldn’t properly even focus on the words that were coming at him from family members as they touched him and made sure that he wasn’t some apparition.

“Mother, I – please, I need to-“  he tried to explain, to get out of her grasp and direction the attention to the person maybe needed a little more attention at the moment.

For her credit, she did let him go long enough for her gaze to realize Penelope was still out cold.  The fact her child was back from the dead was temporarily forgotten as the need to care for the problem at hand send her moving with him up toward the front pew, where Benedict has maneuvered the unconscious girl with a little help from Portia Featherington.

Her blue eyes began to flicker back open after a long, quiet moment. She came back to life in a minute, fully prepared to fight. Her body upright, terror on her face.

“I’m dead,” she said after a long moment when she caught sight of Colin and his concerned eyes.  “I’m clearly dead because you are dead.”

If he hadn’t been so worried about her, he might have laughed.  Instead Colin reached for her wrist, dipping enough for her hand to his chest so she might see that he wasn’t dead.

“I promise you that I’m here,” he told her, eyes finding hers. “I’m alive. I’m here and I’m never leaving again.”

There was clearly a lot that needed to be said.  More than just to her but in that moment it was just nice to see her face, to know she was okay even if she’d gone from fainting to crying.

He didn’t quite know if what he wanted to do was appropriate at the moment.  Whatever business he had with Benedict could wait, for now the urge for violence was low.

“…I wouldn’t miss your wedding,” he said after a long moment, trying to lighten the mood to make her stop crying.  “I just had to be my dramatic flare to things.”

“Wedding?” she asked.  Oh God, she’d completely forgotten she’d been in the middle of her own wedding.  She shot an apologetic look to Benedict, biting her lip.  Colin’s hand was still over her own and she didn’t want to let go of it but she wasn’t sure what was okay anymore. “I just can’t believe you’re actually here. I should have never encouraged you to go. I should have stopped you.”

“It’s okay,” Benedict said, giving her a quiet nod as if reading her thoughts. He turned to the clergyman and politely explained that there wouldn’t be need for his services after all.  The wedding wouldn’t be happening today – if ever.   As he completely made way for Colin to take back his place in life, Penelope couldn’t help but feel a little sad to lose something she didn’t really know that she wanted.

Whatever she felt about that didn’t lessen how she felt about the fact that Colin was home. He was real and he was there with her.   The fact he was touching her and looking at her like that.

“You were only trying to encourage me to do what you thought I needed to be happy,” he told her with a nod.  “I maybe could have done a better job communicating after I left.”

It was Daphne who interjected this time, socking him hard in the arm.  Simon didn’t even try and stop her.

“You could have communicated with your family that you weren’t dead,” Daphne told him.  “We’ve already replaced you with Penelope.  We thought giving her your bedroom would be in bad taste though.”

“I don’t know that sorry is going to cut it.  I was sort of out of commission for a lot of it – it’s a long story,” he tried to explain.  “I am sorry though.  Very sorry and – I don’t want to know how I’m going to make it up to all of you.”

Apparently something that had been said triggered something in Penelope because her response was to start looking around, “ANTHONY?”  she practically screamed.

Anthony came darting at his name though based on the tone, he wasn’t sure that he wanted to be there.

“Colin sent the dress not some … scorned lover of Benedicts trying to kill me,” she said after a moment.

“Wait, what?”  Colin couldn’t help but ask.

“He burnt the dress and everything else in my wardrobe,” Penelope informed Colin.

Colin’s murderous side turned on Anthony.  If they hadn’t been in a church, there would have been blood.

“I was trying to protect her,”  Anthony said in his defense.

Penelope apparently caught onto the fact, Colin’s ability to keep cool with fleeting because she felt her hand tighten in his and it did calm him down just a little bit.

“It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever owned,” she told him honestly, kindly.  “Can you please never have someone send a vague note with no signature again?”

“I promise,” he said after a long moment. “And I’ll buy you whatever your heart desires then keep it far, far away from my idiot brothers.”

Penelope smiled at that.

There was honestly so much to say and it was going to take time.

She definitely couldn’t talk as openly as she might wish with half the family still waiting on their opportunity to chat with the recently returned.

They exchanged an extended gaze that didn’t make giving them that space any easier.

An exaggerated, pained sound coming from Daphne was enough to pull them from their moment.   She was too early in her pregnancy to be making any sounds like that but all the excitement couldn’t possibly have been good for her.

“Go be there for your sister,” she said after a long moment.

“We’ll take more later?” Colin asked.

She nodded and that was all he needed to run off to assist the Duke and everyone else in getting Daphne’s needs met.