Chapter Text
Colin awoke from sleep to the light squeeze of his hand and a delicate caress on his jean-clad upper thigh. He smiled beneath his eye mask, soft as silk, provided with his first-class kit when they’d boarded.
He yawned and stretched his long legs out before lifting the mask off one eye and looking at his companion cheekily. “I was sleeping pretty well there, you know,” he said with a smirk.
She gave him a light-hearted eyeroll and squeezed his thigh until he giggled. “Oi! That tickles!” He retaliated by wiggling his fingers right under her ribs until she shrieked and they both got a raised eyebrow from the flight attendant who was going around, doing last checks before they landed.
“Colin,” she admonished. “They’re not as invested in us as the ground crew was at Heathrow. Don’t get us in trouble, we’re almost there.”
He smiled at her, but she was right. They were almost there. It had been a wonderful seven hours, being pampered in first class with her — enjoying champagne, the finest food you could conceivably have on an airplane, and a large, semi-private space where they could stretch out, rest, and even share a few discreet kisses.
He got to do it all with her.
Penelope.
He still could not believe that he’d only known her for a day and a half now. It seemed impossible, improbable, everything he’d never believed about lo—
Nope. Too early to think of that word. But, all the same, it resonated in his mind — beyond reason, logic, or common sense.
Attention. Attention, please. We are now approaching John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, New York. Please make sure that your seats are in the upright position, tray tables are locked, and any laptops or large electronic devices are stowed. We will be landing in twenty minutes. Thank you for flying on British Airways.
He and Penelope went about the usual duties, scooping up their belongings, stowing them, pulling their seats up again so the stewardesses didn’t have to scold them in their kind but professional way.
As the final checks were made and they were starting to descend, he looked over at her, smiling broadly and grabbing her hand tightly.
“I’m not afraid of flying, Colin, I’ve done this before, even if it hasn’t been as many times as you.”
He nodded, not letting go of her hand. “I know, but what if I need to hold your hand, ever thought about that?”
She looked at him questioningly for a moment, trying to hold back her smile, then let a giggle bubble forth that made them both break out into laughter. He brought the hand he was clutching up to his mouth and kissed it, letting his lips linger a few seconds longer than necessary.
“Mr. Bridgerton, you are determined to get us blacklisted, I swear.”
“Maybe, but it’d be worth it, don’t you think?” he said, with a little waggle of his eyebrows.
“Shhh!” she said, but it was without any force behind it. He leaned forward and kissed her quickly, just a soft touch of their lips, and both of them sighed with relief at the contact.
The usual noises sounded then — the wheels preparing for landing, the lowering of pressure — they were about to land at JFK.
As the wheels finally touched down, Colin let out a long, slow breath. His hand was still gripping Penelope’s tightly, but reality crashed in suddenly as the announcement sounded.
Attention. Attention, please. Welcome to John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York City, New York. The local time is 7:14pm. The temperature is 59 degrees Fahrenheit, clear skies. On behalf of this London-based British Airways crew, welcome to New York. Whether your destination is here or you’re transiting, we thank you for choosing BA for your travel needs.
Colin felt cold, despite the warm hand gripping his. He didn’t want to feel this way, he wanted to be lighthearted. He wanted to be positive, encouraging, everything Pen needed.
He wanted to be everything for her.
The next twenty minutes passed in a blur. Colin was so accustomed to this — the waiting, the gathering of his belongings, grabbing his roller bag, thanking the flight attendants, walking out onto the skybridge, entering another airport in a completely different country. It was like second-nature, but the fact that Penelope was there tilted his carefully curated world on its axis.
He helped her with her bag, made sure she was right behind him as they walked out, took her hand as they exited into JFK’s Terminal 1, immediately meeting the hustle and bustle of a busy airport again.
He dragged her to the side so they could take a breath, let the other passengers out, and connect.
“How are you doing?” he asked sincerely.
“Um, I kind of have to pee?” she answered with a chuckle.
“Oh! Where are my manners, please, I’ll watch your bag, go ahead.” He nodded towards the restrooms that were directly across from where they were standing.
“Thanks, Col,” she said, as she scooted across the busy hallway into the women’s room.
He watched her go, and swallowed thickly. Here they were, at their destination.
This is where they both were meant to end up when they met, with separate goals.
But he needed to trust in the commitment they’d made to each other before embarking — whatever this was, they were all-in. Even if it didn’t conform to normal standards, or anything, really, it was okay. They would figure it out.
When Penelope emerged from the bathroom, his heart leapt. She looked around for a moment, as if disoriented, then spotted him and scurried over. She was so adorable, the way her brow furrowed and her button nose scrunched when she’d been searching for him.
As soon as she was next to him again, she bounded up and put her arms around his neck, pulling him down to give her a kiss, causing him to feel a hit of serotonin that ran throughout his whole body so strongly he could swear he might have just taken a powerful drug.
He kissed her back, probably too aggressively since they were surrounded by people, but he didn’t care. He let his lips caress hers, even slipped in some tongue, taking in her taste and letting her envelope his senses so he didn’t have to think about the next steps.
Just feel her.
He had no idea how much time had passed, but eventually she was the one to break away first. “Colin,” she said with a shy smile, her cheeks pinking gorgeously as she looked around briefly.
“No one’s looking, it’s New York, we could be screaming and no one would care,” he said, chasing her lips again. She indulged him in another few seconds before pulling away again.
“I’m sorry, but it feels funny to me,” she said with a half-smile, and he conceded of course, reluctantly pulling away.
That ever-present panic suddenly returned, and he had this urge again to prolong their time together, not leaving the airport bubble, lest it pop and she walk away from him forever…
“I have to piss!” he said suddenly, so loudly that it made Penelope jolt slightly.
“Um, okay,” she said. “I’ll watch your stuff, go for it.”
He nodded awkwardly, then walked over to the restroom. He didn’t really have to go, but he’d blurted it out because he needed a moment alone to think, to reset, to stop fucking freaking out in front of Penelope.
He went into a stall and locked the door, sitting himself down on the seat and resting his elbows on his knees, cradling his forehead in his hands.
“What are you doing, Colin?” he whispered to himself. “It’s going to be okay, remember what you said to each other before leaving — she’s into you, she’s not just going to walk away. You have to have faith.”
As much as he tried to repeat these affirmations to himself, his stomach still swirled with anxiety and he felt embarrassingly close to tears. He dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, pressing harder than necessary, as if he was trying to force the moisture back into his eyeballs. He couldn’t go out there, he couldn’t see her looking like he’d been crying in an airport bathroom stall. Pathetic, Bridgerton.
He sighed, looking around at the grey walls surrounding him. Taking a deep breath, he stood up and actually pissed, then washed his hands, splashing a bit of cold water on his face before returning to Penelope with a charming smile affixed.
“Everything okay?” she asked as he approached her, phone in-hand and guarding their luggage.
“Never better,” he said, leaning down to give her a peck. “So, where can I walk you?”
“Well…” she hesitated for just a moment, and he noticed. He noticed everything she did. “I was just going to get an Uber to the place I’d rented. It’s a long term Air BNB, and it’s a keypad with self-check-in, so I can just do it myself…” She trailed off, and he could tell she was trying to be independent, to not inconvenience him, to possibly push him away —
“I’ll go with you,” he said automatically, grabbing his roller bag and putting a hand at the small of her back as she took hers as well. They walked towards the exit, and Colin raised an eyebrow as they passed baggage claim.
“By the way, I am incredibly impressed that you are here for two months and you managed to pack just a carry-on. As someone who travels for a living and lives by carry-on only, I honestly find that rather sexy.”
She threw her head back and laughed at this, her red tresses shaking, much to his delight. “Well, thank you, but a lot of that decision was influenced by the fact that this rental has a washer/dryer, so you’d be surprised how little you can pack when you have the privilege of doing a wash in-house everyday.” She gave a little smirk then. “Plus, it’s New York. I plan to buy another suitcase and shop far too much.”
He chuckled along with her, and also pictured going on shopping sprees with her on 5th Avenue, buying her expensive clothing, dresses, maybe even jewlery…
“Colin?” she broke through his reverie, and he realized they’d arrived at the Rideshare Pick-Up area.
He swallowed thickly, looking at her, and trying not to hear his own brain screaming at him this is it! This is where she leaves you forever!
“Colin, don’t you have that event tonight?”
He looked a bit startled, he honestly hadn’t been thinking much about the party he was supposed to attend, he’d already figured he would miss it. Glancing at his smartwatch, he saw it was 8:15pm local time. By the time he got cleaned up enough and arrived there, it’d be almost time for the after party, which he had zero energy for. He made a split-second decision that he’d apologize to his agent for tomorrow.
“Nah, I’ve already missed it.”
She looked at him a bit skeptically, so he doubled down. “I swear, by the time I get there it’ll basically be over, I’ll make it up to them tomorrow and for the rest of my stay here. They know about the strikes, it couldn’t be helped.”
She seemed appeased by this, and pulled out her phone to call an Uber. “Okay, well I’d better get my ride.”
He whipped his own out. “Please, let me, what’s the address?”
She looked up at him, furrowing her brow. “Why would you order the Uber, don’t you need your own?”
He tried not to let the panic creep in again.
Calm down.
“Well, I’m not going to make it to the party. I thought maybe I could accompany you, but if you’d rather have some space that’s okay…”
A smile suddenly broke across her face and she giggled, the tinkling sound bringing him back to life and causing him to laugh, too.
“Colin!” she all but shrieked, throwing her arms around his shoulders. “Of course I’d like you to come with me if you can, you idiot! I just assumed you’d be busy.”
A huge grin broke across his face as he hugged her back, kissing her cheek and gripping her tight to his chest. “Let me get the Uber, yeah?”
She nodded into his cheek. “Yeah, alright. You already got me first class, what’s one more ride?”
They both burst into laughter again at the double-entendre as Colin reached for his phone, letting her type in the address and then quickly ordering the fastest car they could get, regardless of price.
While the ache in his stomach was still there — that little nagging sensation that they couldn’t do it, they couldn’t make it work outside the airport — he felt somewhat relieved once she’d let him accompany her to her rented flat. They cuddled in the back of the Uber. Nothing scandalous, but she rested her head on his shoulder and he held her hand in his, rubbing soothing circles as they made their way through the busy streets of the city.
It was a thirty minute drive to their destination, and Colin had the foresight as soon as they got in the car to realize they’d have nothing to eat once they got to her rental. Pen had actually dozed off after the first ten minutes, so he pulled up his phone and quickly used his skills from many (many) times in the same situation to locate a decent takeout option and place an order for delivery straight to her new flat. He smiled to himself, knowing that it would get there shortly after they would, and Pen would be surprised, fed, and most of all — happy.
As soon as the driver pulled up, he shook Pen lightly, tapping her on the shoulder. “Hey Pen, we’re here, baby.”
She rose off his shoulder slowly, blinking up at him adorably, and he felt his heart clench.
“Oh, sorry,” she said softly. “I didn’t even realize I’d fallen asleep.”
“It’s okay, dear,” he said with a smile, taking her hand and helping her out of his side of the vehicle. She shuffled over, spilling out clumsily, clearly still fogged by sleep.
The driver popped the trunk and they took their luggage out.
“Oh, Colin, I’m sorry you have to bring your stuff here and then to your hotel, that’s such a pain,” Penelope said, stifling a yawn.
Colin tried not to laugh at how adorable she was, fighting off her exhaustion but still concerned for him. “It’s fine, Pen, totally fine. Let me get yours, too.” He didn’t wait for her permission, rather he lifted his suitcase out as well as hers, and brought both to the curb.
“Welcome to New York, you two, enjoy,” the driver said, before getting back in and driving off.
They stared at each other for a moment, before Penelope looked up at the building. “Well… I guess this is me,” she said.
Colin shifted somewhat uncomfortably. “Um, may I help you up?”
He watched her tired eyes process this, then shake her head and start laughing. “Oh fuck, I didn’t mean it that way. That sounded like the end of a horrible first date. Yes, Colin, please carry my bags and help me figure out my rental for the first time. I beg you.”
Once again, she knew the exact right thing to say to make him laugh, make him relax, make the voices in his head quiet for just a moment, letting him enjoy her presence and her light.
She punched in the code, entered the building, and they took the elevator in relative silence.
Once they got to her floor, she found the flat, and followed the instructions to enter. The door clicked open, and they walked inside.
Colin surveyed it and hummed in approval. It wasn’t bad, given the city’s prices and Penelope’s budget, but it was definitely sparse. There was a small kitchen area, with a mini-fridge, microwave, a two-burner stove, and no dishwasher. There was a tiny living room, with what he assumed to be the bedroom right off of it, and the bathroom directly next to the bedroom.
He hadn’t realized how long he’d been staring, when suddenly she entered his field of vision again. “You hate it,” she said, frowning right in front of his face.
“No! No I don’t,” he said quickly, putting his hands up in a defensive gesture. “It’s just… small?” It was a pathetic thing to say and he knew it, immediately hating himself and wanting to take the words back down his throat.
She backed away and crossed her arms across her chest. “Well we don’t all have the funds to be first-class in everything, yeah?”
He hated her tone, and hated himself even more for making her take it with him. You’re fucking it up already, Bridgerton.
“Pen, please, no, that’s not what I meant, I swear. It’s… it’s great. It’s perfect. I mean, it’s just eight weeks, right?”
She looked somewhat mollified by that, or else she decided to drop it for now. Colin rubbed a hand down his face roughly. “Look, I think we’re both tired and hungry, it’s been a very long day — a long, but wonderful, 36 hours. Just forget I said anything, yeah? It’s great.” He took her small hands in his and rubbed the backs of them with his thumbs. She smiled up at him, letting her head rest against his chest.
“Yeah, you’re right,” she mumbled into his shirt as he rubbed her back up and down. “I am very tired. And hungry. And a little bit horny?”
He snorted at this, finding it both amusing and arousing, silently willing his dick to ignore the comment for now or at least until he’d gotten Pen some food and rest.
“I just…” she continued, still speaking under his chin. “If we’re going to do this —”
“Not if,” he said before he could stop himself.
He could feel her smirking against his chest. “Right, well — I think we need to continue learning about each other, how we interact in the real world. I know you have this ‘fabulous influencer lifestyle’ with first-class and all that, but that’s not my life. That’s not what I’m used to or where I came from. So I do appreciate you taking care of me, but I dunno — I’m not setting out to find a ‘sugar daddy’ or something.”
His mouth dropped open in surprise (and again, just a bit of arousal) at hearing ‘sugar daddy’ come from her lips. It took him a moment to actually catch up to what she was saying.
“Pen, I’m not —”
Suddenly, he was interrupted by a knock on the door.
“What the…?” Penelope trailed off, her brow furrowed in confusion. “No one even knows I live here yet, who would be coming by?”
It took Colin a few seconds to remember that he’d ordered them takeout from the car. “Oh yeah, um, probably terrible timing with what we were just talking about, but while you were napping in the car I ordered us some food. I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I took a chance on Thai.” He kept rambling as he walked towards the door, opening it, and taking the bags from the bored-looking delivery driver. “Thanks, mate, cheers,” he said, and the man arched an eyebrow at the accent.
“Cheers to you,” he said with a bit of a chuckle before sauntering away down the hall.
Colin walked back into the flat to place the bags on the counter before looking up to see Penelope staring at him with raised eyebrows. “Colin, this is enough food to feed a dozen people.” She looked around, spreading her arms wide. “There’s two of us.”
He felt his cheeks going pink and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Right, well, I didn’t know what you liked and I didn’t want to wake you, so I just sort of ordered a little of everything and…” he trailed off, looking at how the takeout took up nearly the entire counter. “Yeah, I might have gone a little overboard. Sorry.”
She let out a breath, and he could tell she was deciding whether or not to say what was on her mind. “Just say it,” he implored.
“I mean this was pretty ironic timing, given what I was just saying. This is probably — what — over a hundred pounds worth of food?”
“Well, we’re in America now, so it was dollars, but…” Colin trailed off knowing that was beside the point.
Penelope looked at him pointedly and he shrugged. “I’m sorry, Pen, I guess this is just one of many things we’ll have to navigate in the ‘real world.’ I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of the urge to spoil you, but I’ll try to be more aware of any emotional issues that come along with that.”
She looked a little surprised by how well he summarized his feelings on the point, but then nodded and walked forward to embrace him once again. “Thanks, Colin, you are a very good man, you know that?”
He felt a little clench in his chest at that, and nodded against her hair. “I try, Pen, I try.”