2 Years of turn around, bright eyes!
Thank you SO much to everyone who has read, commented on, and otherwise engaged with turn around, bright eyes! It has been quite the ride to plot out and write and I've loved hearing your thoughts and theories and been made to blush by your exceedingly kind words. Thank you for sticking with me!
Since I did not get a new chapter ready in time for the actual anniversary date on April 15th, I'm dropping a flashback from an upcoming chapter.
Without further ado . . .
He is eight when baby Colin’s arrival on a blustery January morning makes him an eldest – rather than merely elder – brother.
The last night it would only be they two Bridgerton boys, Benedict sneaks into his room and stays through the night. They sleep top and tail, fitfully, until tiredness overtakes even their unease at hearing their mother’s cries of pain as she struggles to bring their new sibling into the world.
Early the next morning, as the light of dawn begins to peek through his curtains, Anthony awakens to find their father hovering over his bed, a bundle of blankets in his arms that cannot be anything other than the new baby.
“Good morning, Anthony,” says Papa in a scratchy voice as Benedict slowly stirs to wakefulness.
“Morning,” he mumbles. “May I see?”
“Once Benedict budges up, I’ll sit.”
He kicks his younger brother in the shin, which wakes him up properly.
Benedict scowls at him, but he mirrors his stance, sitting up to make room for Papa and –
“This is your brother,” Papa says softly once he’s settled down between them, the baby cradled gently in his arms. “Colin.”
Two children whose names start with A for the elder and B for the younger might be a coincidence; choosing a name beginning with C for the third officially makes it a pattern. Nose crinkling, he tilts his head in question.
Papa grins. “Your mama insisted.”
“Mm,” he murmurs noncommittally. He would never dream of criticizing Mama, but it’s really rather silly. Oh well. He looks more closely at his new brother.
He isn’t sure what he expected, precisely, but the baby looks . . . like a baby, with chubby pink cheeks and a little fuzz of indeterminate color on his head.
Papa laughs when he makes that observation aloud. “He’ll grow into himself eventually and we’ll get to know him and his personality properly. Give it some time.”
“His eyes are like mine,” Benedict says smugly when their new brother blinks open his eyes for a few moments.
He frowns; Benedict isn’t quite right (the baby’s eyes are a much darker shade of blue) but they are blue, so he is – and it seems will continue to be – the odd one out with his dark, dark eyes. “No, they’re not –”
“Either way, they might well change,” Father interrupts, well-practiced at defusing their disputes. “Babies’ eyes often do.”
(Colin’s will not. They stay the same dark blue he entered the world with, the same dark blue with which Eloise, Francesca, and eventually Hyacinth will all be born – their mother’s dark blue.
Only when Gregory comes along will one of his younger siblings finally share his eye color.)
Papa clears his throat. “You are both big brothers now. That is a very serious thing. You will need to teach him everything you know and guide him so that he grows to be a good, kind boy as I try to teach you to be.”
He and Benedict exchange solemn looks, their fingers ghosting over the edge of the blanket and not quite touching their baby brother’s tiny fingers; they can sense at least some of the import of Papa’s statement based on his tone, before turning to Papa and nodding seriously.
“We will,” he says fiercely – if quietly, so as not to startle baby Colin, who startles him by wrapping his little fist around his index finger.
And stealing his heart.
For as long as he can remember, Benedict has been his best friend and his partner in crime, but he knows in that moment that Colin will be something entirely different.
(He does not know then that it will be Colin with whom he makes nearly all his worst mistakes as a brother.)
47 notes
·
View notes
"If a husband is what you seek then let me help you," is a better marriage proposal than, "For God's sake, Penelope. Are you going to marry me or not?"
62 notes
·
View notes
WAIT i also want a polin au where the featherington sisters have a close relationship, maybe because they all understand what it means to be all daughters of a less than popular barony. With a neglectful dad and a mom putting pressure on all of them, they turn to each other to confide their worries and stuff. It’s just an overall sweet relationship. They don’t show affection in public, since their Mama tells them it was unbecoming to show affection in public. Portia loves her daughters very much, she just has some issues regarding showing affection.
They all probably figured out that Pen is LW, with their relationship being so close, it was easy to figure out who LW is. They didn’t confront or stop her, mostly because they saw how much pride and fun Pen is having with it.
Prudence and Philippa, as the two oldest, dotes on and are protective of Pen (Felicity too if we wanted), because they understand that Pen loves deeply. They can see it through her actions, her kindness and her people pleasing (i.e. her relationship with Eloise). That’s why they’re so concerned when they noticed how much Pen adores Colin, and subtly discourage her from holding those feelings. They know the Bridgertons are bad news to them. They all might be part of the Ton, but they’re different compared to their families.
Prudence always watches Pen and Colin like a hawk, which is kind of why she’s not really married yet. She wants to make sure that Colin doesn’t do any funny business to Pen. So when Pen confesses about what she heard Colin say at their ball and (and also confesses about Eloise and the LW business), Prudence was livid. Was about to march into Bridgerton house and everything. But Philippa, the voice of reason, points out that they don’t have any power compared to the Bridgertons. So Prudence doesn’t and instead starts scheming on how to best protect their little sister.
They also say little lies to Portia, just so Pen can finally wear what she likes. Portia finally gives their opinions some value, since they’re married women at this point. They know Pen hates her clothes, and finally not being under their mother’s thumb, they can finally help Pen in some way.
Anyway, the next season, Pru and Pip finally decides to show just how close they are. Finally married (and recruiting their husbands into being protective of Pen), they do everything they can to run interference whenever Pen is about to have some time with Eloise and Colin.
What they don’t realize, is that Pen is also greatly adored by the Bridgertons, and so clearly wished and expected Pen to join them soon (once Colin pulls his head out of ass LMAO) so they also try to interfere when Pru and Pip tries to take Pen out of talking with Colin.
Honestly, i just want a Prudence and Anthony stand off as both the eldest Featherington sibling and the eldest Bridgerton sibling. I think it would be funny.
41 notes
·
View notes
There’s this stupid thought I keep having and it will not leave my head so I’m just gonna spiral over here; Jack has been begging for a build a bear for months so Aaron and Emily finally take him on a weekend off, and once they go to the store Emily is like what the hell is this place and she just keeps looking around so wondrously and when she sees the tiny little outfits she’s like oh my god this is the cutest thing ever. While they’re helping Jack with the whole process she keeps smiling this tiny little smile and looking around, and Aaron notices so when they’re done with Jack’s he leans in close and tells her to pick one. She immediately turns red and her eyes widen like, excuse you I don’t need a stuffed animal, I’m a grown woman in my 30s, and Aaron’s like reallyyyy and she’s like yep mhm let’s get out of here, Jack already got his stuffed animal but she looks around again as they’re leaving (where was all of this when she was a child?) and Aaron’s like yep you’re getting one and he takes her hand and drags her to the animals.
She reluctantly chooses a brown bear but when she sees a tiny little suit outfit she doesn’t even pretend not to want it😭 so she starts building a mini bear Aaron that she can cuddle with when he’s gone on cases (she’s switched to counterterrorism) and she chooses to make a sound for it and gives the little recorder to Aaron and mumbles say something and he’s grinning and she’s blushing—her face is so red by this point—and she puts the little voice thing in the bear’s chest after he says something like sleep tight or I miss you and I’m coming home soon. She picks out a heart too and when they give it to her she lets Jack give it a tiny kiss so she can have both of her Hotchner boys close to her <3
Jack is so excited at the thought of both of them having stuffed animals and he starts trying to convince Aaron to get one😭 but Aaron is firmly like no I’m sorry and Jack’s like >:(( whatever at least me and Emily have matching cool plushies.
And then Emily picks out a suit outfit and tiny little shoes and names it something ridiculous like “Bear” because her brain is boiling atp from the heat of her blush, but Aaron is on the lookout for any weird looks she might get and whenever he finds someone with even a slightly confused stare he gives them that unsub glare and they turn away lmfaooo. She’s so red by the time they pay for it and give her the certificate, but you know what, her inner child is healed, so she actually doesn’t give a shit. However, she gets too embarrassed to carry the bag so Aaron carries it for her <3
Future baby hotchniss may or may not love to cuddle with it too🥺
46 notes
·
View notes