Archive of Our Own ^beta

For the past three weeks Penelope Featherington had been living in near bliss. If only Colin Bridgerton would kiss her again. 

Three weeks ago she had joined him along with the rest of the Bridgertons for dinner as she often did when he approached her with quite possibly the most earnest expression she had ever seen on his face. Asking her if he could talk to her in private while already leading her with a hand on the small of her back out of the house and to Violet’s garden.

There he explained that while he was on his recent brothers trip with Anthony and Benedict there would always be a time, or multiple, each day that they would sneak away to call Kate and Sophie to tell them about their day, or their dinner, or to just say hi. And while he was sitting there, waiting alone, Colin realized that every time Penelope would come into his mind. 

She was the one he wanted to break away to call or be walking hand-in-hand down the streets while sightseeing, or dancing to the live music after dinner. It was like a switch flipped and he realized that he had been for a long time always thinking of her, dreaming of her, wanting nothing more than to be with her. And maybe that wasn’t exactly a normal thing for just best friends. Or even if it was then he didn’t want to be just best friends anymore.

Then Penelope finally, finally, gathered the courage to tell Colin Bridgerton that she too wanted nothing more than to be with him. That she had felt that way for as long as she could remember.

And then he kissed her. A perfectly beautiful, romantic kiss although too brief in her opinion. Before she could so much as try to slip a bit of tongue, Colin was pulling away. Cradling her face he told her quite resolutely that he was going to court her properly.

“Court me Colin? This isn’t the nineteenth century, you know?” She teased.

“I know, but I want to woo you.” 

“You’ve been wooing me since I was 8.”

Head thrown back he chuckled as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her in so close she could hear his heart racing and wanted to pinch herself to make sure it wasn’t all a dream, and that she actually made him nervous. “Baby you haven’t even seen me try.”

Apparently ‘The Colin Bridgerton Wooing’ was him taking her on as many surprise dates he could think of, showering her with praise, giving her all kinds of looks that would range from giving her butterflies to debating whether she should rip her clothes off first or his.

There was some hand holding. The occasional cuddling while they watched a movie on his couch. But three weeks no kissing, and no sex.

~

She was trying to temper her expectations, but tonight had her feeling more hopeful that something may happen. It was their fanciest date so far. The perks of dating your best friend, she supposed; Colin knew she preferred simplicity so their time together was typically a walk through a book store, lattes and pastries at a coffee shop, or a meal at one of her regularly visited restaurants. 

But she had finally conquered the writer’s block and hurtled over the finish line of the most recent chapter in her book; and he insisted they celebrate in the highest degree.

She was wearing one of her favorite dresses. Deep green, a color she knew Colin liked as well since he had always complimented her anytime she had ever worn it. Generous neckline that showed off her cleavage, because let’s be honest she has great boobs she’s proud of them and the way she’s caught Colin eyeing them a couple times before while licking his lips.

“To you”, Colin said, tipping his glass of champagne towards her. “And your book being that much closer to being done. I can’t wait to read it.” Sharing smiles as they clinked their glasses together.

Penelope snickered to herself at the thought of Colin reading the smutty romance novel of her own creation. But she knew he would, especially if she asked him to.

“To us.” She leaned forward, tipping her glass again. 

Colin beamed at her. “And our future.” He clinked his glass against hers with a bit more enthusiasm that time. A splash of champagne was sent flying from the glass and onto her hand below her thumb.

“Oh.” She set her glass down. “Clean me off.” Penelope joked, extending her hand in Colin’s direction. 

Before she could blink or retreat or form a second thought Colin had grabbed her wrist and brought her hand to his mouth. 

Heart pounding in her ears as she dumbly stared while he wrapped his lips around her skin. Feeling the heat from his mouth and the gentle suck she felt like she was racing through surprise and confusion and arousal at the speed of light.

“All better.” Colin said, innocently enough, pulling back while she was stuck with her hand hovering mid air. 

“Colin, what was that?”

“What?” His face dropped as he asked bewildered. “You told me to.”

“I was joking.” Penelope accidentally hissed with a little too much fervor, the occupants of the table next to them glancing over.

“Oh god. I’m so sorry Pen I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I though-”

“It’s okay.” She interrupted, more quietly this time. “I liked that. It just caught me off guard. Colin, you haven’t even kissed me again yet.” She huffed a little laugh of disbelief.

The butterflies flapped their wings with gusto as she watched his cheeks flush in the candlelight of their table.

“I thought taking it slow would make it more special. Make you feel special. More romantic that way? I don’t know, I should have asked you what you wanted. But Pen, I would do anything you want.” He said the last sentence so eagerly her mind started to wander on exactly what anything meant. They could work on specifications of boundaries later though.

“Colin,” Penelope placed a hand over his that was resting on the table, heart warming when he placed his other on top of that one and rubbed it with his thumb. “You have already made me feel special in more ways than I could ever explain. You never have to try so hard, okay? Just be you.”

“Okay.” He agreed, this invisible weight of doubt that seemed to come over him a few minutes ago lifting as he lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

“Wait.” His brows furrowed once again. “Did you say you liked it?”

“Colin.” Penelope smirked with a mischievous lilt.

“Yeah?” He matched her tone.

“Aren’t you going to ask me what I want?”

His eyes glinted in the low light of the restaurant as he grinned back. “What do you want, Pen?”

“I want to have my turn licking this champagne off of you.” 

“Yup. Okay.” He answered, already digging his wallet out of his pocket and slapping down a wad of cash on the table. “That should cover it. Let’s go.” 

One hand grasping Penelope’s and the other the half empty champagne from the ice bucket their giggles trailing behind as they hurried through the restaurant and to their own finish line.