Work Text:
Penelope knew it was a torturous idea to go to the seaside with the Bridgerton siblings, especially knowing Colin would be in attendance, and they had just shared a half-tipsy kiss a couple of days ago and did not even talk about it. Now both were trapped in somewhat of an intense sexual tension that not only they were aware of but also Eloise and Benedict. Which, if Penelope knew the Bridgerton number 2 and number 5, and she knew them better than she knew herself, could not just help themselves not to meddle in. Now she was in a deep red swimsuit that did amazing for her tits and colour while gliding off her curves in a complimenting way. And Benedict, the little shit he was, was rubbing the sunscreen to her back, grinning, aware of how Colin was glaring at them.
Eloise, on the other hand, was watching them with a smile, certainly a part of this, if not the brain of the plan.
"So, how was your weekend, Pen?" Benedict asked, taking an awfully long time spreading the lotion on her shoulders, teasing her collarbones. Both of them knew their affection was nothing more than friendship, sibling-love, nothing romantic, ever. But Colin didn't know that. And it was clear Benedict's closeness did affect him, not in a nice way. Penelope could see on her peripheral how Colin just took off his shirt with an aggressive huff and jumped into the water. And Penelope wished he could take her eyes off of his toned back as he emerged from the water, all wet and gorgeous.
"Ew," Eloise said, noticing Penelope's eyes on her brother. She knew Penelope Colin was not an icky sibling and probably was an attractive man. She hated the idea; her best friend deserved a man who was more than her annoying older brother, but if he made her happy, she would make it happen. God knows this needed her intervention, with Colin being a himbo and Penelope too self-sacrificing for her own good.
"You are forcing your other brother to be more ew," Penelope defended, getting a pinch on the thigh from the said brother.
"I am a delight, Featherington," he defended, "and you love me," he said, pulling her to his bare chest and receiving a slap on the middle of it. But Penelope did lean into him, being used to Benedict's close presence. She had different relationships with all the Bridgertons. With all, she was somewhat close, but Eloise, Benedict and of course, Colin had an exceptional place in her heart. She was in love with Colin Bridgerton; it was as clear as day. Eloise, her best friend and sister by choice, was the biggest support in her life. And Benedict, Benedict was the older brother, the supportive sibling she never had. Almost all Bridgertons saw her as a part of the family and a sibling, well hopefully all except Colin, and she knew all of them did treat her like one, even Anthony, who usually had a harder time showing affection even to his biological siblings. But Benedict, being the overly affectionate and touchy man he was, never let her forget that he indeed was her brother, even if not by blood.
"Of course I do," she said, angling her head to protect herself from the sun using Benedict's giant head with his puffy hair.
"So you won't be mad if I throw you into the sea because you love me?" he asked so fast she didn't even understand the question fully.
"What?" she said, but it was too late as Benedict had already thrown her over his shoulder and was running towards the water, where Colin was cooling of.
"Colin, catch," he shouted, pushing the plump girl towards the man, and Colin, being Colin and having inhuman reflexes when it came to Penelope's safety, did catch her softening her hit in the water. And he would be lying if he said he didn't like the way her tits jiggled the moment they hit his chest or how her breath hitched when his hands found her hips to grip. And before they could look away from each other, Benedict was gone, and they were alone.
"Hello," he said, unable not to smile at the girl in his arms, parts of her locks wet and a darker hue of red. She was still holding on to his upper arms.
"Hello," she replied back.
"You looked cosy with Ben, back there," he said, unable to hide his jealousy.
"You know he is like a giant puppy," she said; Colin had nothing to be jealous of, not now, not ever. Maybe there were more attractive men out there, men with better looks, men with better lives. But there was no other man that made Penelope's heart sing as Colin did, not a man that made her feel warm inside, at home, like Colin did. And Penelope would not change that for a more handsome face or a thicker wallet.
"You like him being a giant puppy," he said, not accusing but stating a fact, "You like his attention."
"Colin," she said, trying to stop his mind from going there, get ugly with the idea of his own brother being romantically involved with her, "Ben is like a brother. More than like, Ben is my brother. I like spending time with him, I love how he treats me, but that is all. There is nothing more than friendly affection between us."
"Are you sure?" Colin asked, still no indictment in tone, just curiosity, just the need to confirm. Confirm that it isn't too late; confirm that she does not love her brother like Colin himself loves her. To confirm that it is not too late for them. And most importantly, to confirm that that kiss that has been haunting her, graving a deep bottomless hunger for her in his chest, did mean something for her too.
"Absolutely," she nodded, smiling at him.
"I wanted to talk with you," he said, pulling her closer, finding comfort in her presence, in the way their wet bodies touched. The woman he was holding in his arms, the love of his life, even if she had no idea yet, "I love you, Pen," he said, his voice delicate, vulnerable, "And I need you to know that I have not been able to think anything but you and your lips since the kiss we shared," he confessed.
"Me too," she said, "I love you, too," she confessed with a soft blush covering her sunburnt cheeks.
"And you have been thinking about me since our kiss, too?" he tried his chance, knowing he was being cheeky.
"I always think about you, Col," she said, and his lips were on hers, the hands on her hips gripping harder, pulling her even closer, that a breath couldn't pass between them. And his lips were caressing his lips, her hands pressed on his lower chest, enjoying the taut muscle under her fingers. Both could feel the cheers coming from the other Bridgertons on the shore, but all Colin did was flipping a finger towards his meddlesome siblings.
"I hate them," he said to her lips, enjoying her pecks on his jawline.
"You don't," she giggled, enjoying the additional height the buoyancy. Well, she wouldn't be opposed to kissing his chest on her regular height, but he had an attractive jawline.
"Yeah, I don't."
***
"Where is my thank you?" Benedict asked as he laid a soft towel across Penelope's round shoulders, pulling the tiny girl under his arm, pecking her head to annoy Colin. Which got the reaction he expected, and Colin pulled Penelope to himself by her thick waist, her flesh soft and bouncy under his fingers.
"Your thank you is me not punching you for being a shit," Colin said, holding his now girlfriend close to his body. Penelope was happily resting, leaning into his torso, her arms around Colin's bare waist, enjoying how warm his skin was from his body heat combined with the sun.
"You, ingrate," Benedict gasped, reaching to ruffle Colin's wet hair, he too, was enjoying the way the girl he cared for as a sister was now a step closer to be his real sister. Well, if his idiot of a brother did not fuck everything up. He and Eloise would make sure he didn't.
"Let's go for an eat," Eloise said, eyeing Colin, who had a gentle but a firm hold on her best friend, "before he gets even more disgusting."
***
Colin, on his part, did not stop being disgusting, as Eloise described it. He kept dropping kisses on Penelope's, whichever part he could reach, and Penelope just giggled at his lips caressing her skin. Penelope made sure to stay close to Colin, enjoying his affection. Colin was built so different from her; he was so tall, he was graced with broad shoulders, a muscular build and a heater of a body, while she was much shorter, chubbier and ran on a colder temperature. It was so different to feel him so close, his limbs constantly in contact with hers. And she could not deny the excitement of the thoughts about discovering his body, how he would react to her touch, how his skin would mesh with hers. She could feel the shiver run up her spine at the idea of having him so close that it would be impossible to tell where he ended and where she began.
Colin, who probably could sense her thoughts running away from the conversation on the table, squeezed her knee with a gentle hold and gave her a warm smile. She smiled back, resting her head on his shoulder. Penelope could imagine the rest of her life like this, in the company of her closest friends, in the arms of the man she loved. And she was excited to spend the rest of her days like this.