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Chapter Text

The first person Colin Bridgerton ever punched for Penelope Featherington was her very own father.

She and Eloise were just nine years old and playing quietly with their dolls in the grass. Colin, who was thirteen at the time, had been lying under a tree nearby, eating a bag of crisps and pretending to be annoyed at being thrust into babysitter duty. It wasn’t that bad; he didn’t have any plans, and Eloise and Penelope didn’t really bother him much.

Archibald had stormed into the park in a rumpled suit; his gait was uneven as he marched right up to where the girls were playing. Penelope had smiled at her father at first, excited to see him. “Dad!” She waved, but then it crumpled into fear as he got closer.

Colin had been confused as to what was happening when Archibald’s hand shot out and clamped around Penelope’s arm without ever saying a word to her. Then he pulled until she was on her feet and started dragging his daughter away by the wrist. Penelope had yelped when he grabbed her and started to cry as he forcefully tugged her forward. Colin watched her feet skidding through the gravel when they got to the path. “Dad, you’re hurting me.” She pleaded as she tried her best to keep up with him.

Colin was on his feet and running towards them instantly. He didn’t care that it was her dad or that he was an adult; he was not going to let Penelope be manhandled in his presence. “Let her go!” Colin yelled, getting up in Archibald’s face and shoving at his chest.

Her father had stumbled backwards, and Colin was very pleased that he was already almost the same height as him. Archibald let go of Penelope, who immediately began rubbing her arm; the skin was red and welted. Colin had never felt rage as he did then. “She is my kid,” Archibald snapped, straightening his jacket. His voice was slurred and smelled of hard liquor. “I’ll take her where I please!”

“I don’t give a fuck, I won’t let you take her if you’re going to hurt her.” Colin challenged. Eloise had approached Penelope and was trying to soothe her tears.

Her father’s lips curled into a sneer as he stared Colin down. “You think you can tell me what to do, boy?” Archibald hissed.

Colin was not intimidated by this ridiculous, small man who hurt his daughter to feel big and tough. “Leave her alone, you’re scaring her.”

“She’s scared of everything, and she's coming home, now!” It all happened really quickly after that. Archibald turned towards Penelope and grabbed her again, his fingers digging cruelly into the same spot. Penelope whimpered at the contact, and Colin saw red. The next thing he knew, there was a sharp cracking noise, his fist was throbbing, and Archibald had blood spurting between his fingers as he cupped his broken nose.

The fury in her father's eyes very clearly told Colin he couldn’t believe he had been struck by a “boy”. Colin knew, even as a boy, he was ten times the man Archibald Featherington was. “You little shit…” Archibald stared hate at Colin as he wiped his mangled nose.

Colin took a second to shake out his sore hand before squaring his shoulders and stepping towards him. “Grab her like that again,” he said, voice a warning, “and I’ll do worse.”

Adrenaline was pumping through him, and he was shaking as he glared at Archibald. It was Eloise who broke the silence. “Colin,” she whispered, wide-eyed. “Mum’s coming.”

Colin glanced over his shoulder to see Violet Bridgerton, already pretty close to them, walking with an unmistakably purposeful stride across the grass from the direction of their house. He wasn’t surprised she heard the commotion; they lived so close that she often opened the door and hollered to get them home for dinner.

“You should be ashamed of yourself, Archibald.” Her tone was lethal as her inner lioness emerged. She walked right up to them and took a deep breath before she turned towards Colin. “Take the girls home. Penelope will be spending the night at our house.”

Archibald opened his mouth to protest, but was cut off by Violet. “I will speak with Portia about it.” She gestured for Colin to get moving, and he quickly gathered the still crying Penelope in his arms as Eloise ran to grab their dolls. “Make the girls something to eat. I will be there shortly. Archibald, and I need to have a conversation.”

Penelope clutched his shirt, her face against his shoulder as he carried her. “Drunk in the middle of the day and scaring children.” Colin smiled as he listened to the venom in his mother’s tone, her rant fading out as they got further away.

Eloise trotted ahead of them with her arms full of dolls and an empty knapsack, glancing back every few seconds to make sure they were still following.

Colin had a question bouncing around his head; he knew he had to ask, but was worried about the answer. “Pen, has your dad ever hurt you before?” He asked softly. He really wanted her to feel like she could be honest with him.

“Sometimes,” she sniffled. “He spanks me when I’m too loud… or if I break something.” She looked over Colin’s shoulder towards her dad, like he might hear, then said, “he gets mad easily, but he doesn’t mean to.” Her wide, round eyes were unsure as they met his. “Mum says I should talk less, so I don’t make him angry.”

“Then your mum’s wrong,” Colin said flatly, fighting the urge to go back and punch Archibald a few more times. She stared at him, clearly unsure of what to do with that. Finally, she gave a small nod, leaning her head against him again.

When they got into the house, Colin put Penelope down. Eloise put the dolls back in the knapsack and beamed at Penelope. “Mum says you’re sleeping over,” she said matter-of-factly. “Let’s go pick a movie to watch tonight!” The two girls disappeared down the hall together, and Colin went into the kitchen to make some cheese toasties for the three of them.

It was twenty minutes later when his mum came back into the house, the girls were colouring in the other room, and he was in the middle of eating his sandwich. He was bracing for her to start in on him about how violence was never the answer, but he would endure because he needed to talk to her about what was going on in Penelope’s home. She surprised him then by getting an ice pack from the freezer and placing it on his knuckles before sitting beside him, looking tired and slightly concerned. “Tell me exactly what happened.”

Chapter Text

The second time Colin punched someone for Penelope, it was someone who thought themself his friend.

Ben had thrown a party and, for some reason, invited the dipshit Fife and his merry band of cunts. Colin was a few drinks deep already and skirting around the edge of the garden. The place was packed. Ben was popular like that; people just gravitated toward him.

Colin had been making his way towards Ben when Fife clapped him on the shoulder and pulled him into their circle. “Bridgerton, I haven't seen you around much tonight.”

“I was over with Eloise and Pen.” He said innocently, gesturing over his shoulder in their general direction. He realized his mistake as soon as Fife got that disgusting look on his face.

“The chubby little Featherington? She’s got those huge tits out tonight.” Fife elbowed one of his friends playfully, and his group laughed; Colin did not. He hated the way this dickhead talked about women. Colin had four sisters and had already spent years threatening boys for comments about Daphne.

In this case, Colin bit his tongue, mostly because, yeah…he had noticed. Penelope’s dress was quite low-cut tonight, and he wasn’t blind; she was, objectively, very well-endowed in the chest department. She had looked great, and Colin didn’t want to be a hypocrite, pretending he hadn’t looked. That didn’t stop the sour expression on his face at the words coming out of Fife’s filthy mouth.

“Oh, lighten up, are you shagging the bird, Bridgerton?” Fife snickered, looking at him expectantly.

“She’s sixteen, you fucking creep, no, I’m not sleeping with Penelope, I wouldn’t do that.” Colin scoffed, looking around for a way out of this conversation.

Fife wouldn’t shut his fucking mouth, and Colin could feel himself getting angry. “Sixteen?” He smirked. “All I heard is legal.” His mates started laughing; it sounded like a pack of braying donkeys.

“You’re disgusting.” Colin’s jaw clenched, and his hands curled into fists. Fife and his friends just laughed harder, grossly misreading Colin’s rage

“I prefer them thin, but I can make an exception for those tits. Maybe I’ll convince her to join me for a bit of slap and tickle, yeah? Stick my hand down her knickers, make her sque—” He didn’t get to finish the sentence, Colin swung. His fist connected with Fife’s mouth, and the toothpick of a man crumpled to the ground.

“What the fuck?” Fife asked, holding his mouth.

“You say that shit again,” Colin said quietly, “and I’ll put you through the fucking fence.”

Nobody was laughing now.

“What the hell happened here?” Benedict asked, weaving through the crowd to get to them.

“Your brother’s lost his fucking mind!” Fife said, before spitting a bit of blood on the patio stones.

Ben didn’t even bother to look in Colin’s direction. “What did you say to him?” Perfectly calm was how Colin would describe Ben’s tone.

“I said fuck all,” Fife gritted out. “I was having a laugh and he snapped.”

Ben finally turned towards him with an eyebrow raised. “Col?”

“He said some shit about Penelope…things I won't repeat.” Colin flexed his sore hand, still staring at Fife.

“Ah.” Ben nodded. He turned towards one of Fife’s friends. “Get him out of here.”

Fife had the gall to look shocked. “Are you serious?”

Gone was any sign of the usual jovial Benedict. “Count yourself lucky you still have all your teeth.” He put his arm around Colin’s shoulder and directed him into the house.

They went into the kitchen, and Ben was rummaging around in the freezer. “Have you seen Penelope?” Colin asked, trying and failing at casual.

Ben shook his head as he grabbed a bag of peas. “Not in the last hour.” He tossed it over to Colin, then leaned against the counter beside him. “She’s probably still with Eloise. You want me to go check?”

Colin shook his head quickly, dropping the cold bag on his rapidly heating and swelling knuckles. “No. Just… wondered.”

Ben nodded, eyes on his hand. “You’ll be bruised in the morning.”

“I know.”

“Totally worth it though,” Ben smiled. “Should’ve cut him loose years ago.”

“You invited him.”

Ben winced at that. “Yeah. I thought maybe he’d grown up a bit. Clearly not.” He walked over to the fridge to grab two beers, cracking them both. “Do I want to know what he said?”

“No,” Colin answered automatically, accepting one of the beers from his brother. “But I couldn’t let it slide.”

Ben leaned against the counter again, placing his hand on Colin's shoulder. “Fair enough.” He took a sip before continuing with a crooked grin on his face. “Good form though, you really put your whole body behind it. He hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.”

They both started laughing.

Chapter Text

The third man Colin punched for Penelope? That piece of human trash nearly took his last breath that night.

Colin had been in his flat with Ben, and he had already lost most of the cash in his wallet in the damn poker game they were playing. Anthony had bailed out a few hours ago, and his wallet was also fatter than when he arrived. It had been a rather relaxed night overall.

Benedict was grinning like the Cheshire Cat, and Colin knew he was about to lose more money when his phone started buzzing against the table. The smile on his face when he saw Penelope’s name was not a conscious decision.

He had been waiting for this call; it was earlier than expected. Eloise had gone out of town with her boyfriend, bailing on a party they were supposed to go to. Penelope had decided to go on her own, and Colin had made sure to offer a safe ride home at the end of the night. He answered, putting it on speaker so they could continue their hand. “Hey, Pen, you ready to leave?”

There was just silence, followed by the muffled sound of music. “Pen?”

“Colin?” His eyes flew to Ben’s at the sound of her voice, seeing the concern he immediately felt echoed back at him. He had heard Pen drunk beyond reason in the past; it was usually sloppy and silly, but this wasn’t that.

“Yeah, it’s me. Are you okay?” He asked slowly, forcing himself to try and be calm. Benedict had already stood and was starting to grab their coats.

“I don’t…feel well.” Her breathing was strange and uneven. “Where am I?”

Colin grabbed his keys as he slipped into his coat, and they were both out the door. “Pen, are you still at the party? I have the address, I’m on my way, okay?”

“Colin? Did you call me?” She sounded so confused, and it stabbed at his chest.

“No, Pen. You called me, and you were very smart to do so. I’m proud of you, deep breaths, okay.” He heard her take a shaky inhale; it sounded laboured.

“The floor looks like it’s breathing, and my hands don’t want to work.” She was slurring so heavily, he almost couldn’t understand her.

“Okay, Pen, I need you to stay awake. Can you tell me what colour your shoes are?” There was silence except for her heavy breathing.

“Black.” She finally said, then the unmistakable sound of her puking.

“Good, that’s great. What’s your middle name?” He didn’t realize his breathing had gone erratic. He was too focused on the sound of hers.

“Colin?” Fear. Pure fear was the emotion running through him when she forgot who she was talking to again.

“Yes, Pen. It’s me. Can you tell me your middle name?” Ben was driving like a bat out of hell, and thank god, because all of Colin’s attention was on that phone.

“Anne.” The word faded out, followed by the sound of her phone clattering to the ground.

Colin was out of the car before Ben could even put it in park; his phone, which had been silent other than some muffled shuffling noises, was still connected to the call and clutched in his hand.

People were milling about in groups that had spilled out front, and Colin pushed right through them. Ben caught up with him, and they decided to split up to cover more ground. He scanned each room as he moved through, opening every door he saw. When he reached a door down a hallway and shoved it open, his stomach dropped.

Penelope was on the bed, her body was limp and lifeless, and her shirt was gone, though her bra was still on. A vile creature in the shape of a man was on top of her, his hands all over her skin.

This was the moment in Colin’s life where he truly understood what it was to black out, because he couldn’t remember a lick of what happened next.

When he did come back to himself, it was to a strange feeling in his hand, burning in his lungs, and Benedict yelling in his ear as he wrestled him away. “Colin! Jesus Christ! Colin! Stop!”

He blinked the world back into focus, panting as he took in the scene before him. He didn’t remember landing a single blow, but the evidence was all around. The man was unconscious, his face covered in blood and bruises, already swelling heavily. Colin’s knuckles were shredded, and his hand was most definitely broken, though he couldn’t feel any pain yet. “He’s out cold!” Ben’s voice cracked, his fingers digging into Colin’s arms as he held him back. “You’re going to kill him!”

Colin stopped fighting, was just breathing hard and trying to focus. His head swiveled to the bed. “Pen.” He heaved, and Benedict let go of him so he could stagger towards her. He slipped his coat off and laid it on top of her. He vaguely registered Ben calling emergency services, and then Anthony; he was still in an adrenaline-fueled haze, too busy checking her pulse and listening to her breathing.

Colin left that house in cuffs, met at the police station by Anthony and his lovely wife, Kate. A lawyer at one of the top firms in the city.

Chapter Text

The fourth person Colin punched for Penelope was Benedict.

It was at Sunday brunch, and Colin was trailing Penelope around the house as she talked to his family, whom he was decidedly ignoring. He was honestly just looking for opportunities to touch her at this point. She kept swatting his hands away. He didn't want to be here. If he had gotten his way, they would still be in the cozy warmth of his bed. He had whispered all the excuses he could think of against her neck, to no avail.

He was staring at her now as she talked to his mum, his hand on her back was slipping lower, slowly over her bum. She threw him a raised eyebrow and pushed him away lightly. “Stop pawing at me in front of your mum.” She hissed, but she fully laughed after, a warm smile on her face.

His mum just shook her head. She had been walking around pleased as punch since they announced they were together. “Let’s go somewhere else, then.” He whispered near her ear as he moved right back into her space.

“If you two want to leave, far be it from me to keep you.” His mum patted his shoulder and snuck by him, to head into the kitchen. “Just make sure you take some leftovers on your way out.” She called over her shoulder as she walked away.

Penelope turned to face him and rolled her eyes. “Colin, we’re with your family, and we’re only here for a few hours. Behave.”

“Yeah, Colin,” Ben shouted from the table, which was overflowing with food already. “Hands to yourself for five minutes.”

Colin took his hand off Penelope to give Ben the finger. Then he followed after Penelope as she moved away to take her seat. Making sure to sit directly beside her.

“There you are!” Eloise proclaimed to Penelope, walking into the room.” Come with me, I have to show you something.”

Colin shook his head. “Not right now.”

Eloise frowned at him. “Excuse me?” She asked, annoyed.

“She just sat down,” he said, placing a hand on the back of Penelope’s chair. “You can show her whatever nonsense it is later.”

Eloise narrowed her eyes at him. “She was my best friend way before she was your anything, and you don’t get to hoard her now.”

Penelope made a tsking noise. “Children, honestly. There is enough of me to go around.”

“Come along, Pen, before he decides to chain you to the chair.” Eloise was positively smug as Penelope followed her out of the room.

“She’s got you properly whipped,” Benedict leaned back in his chair, balancing on two legs. “You should be embarrassed, really.”

“Leave him alone,” Anthony said as he entered the room, taking a seat at the head of the table. Kate was right behind him, sitting in the chair at his side. “He’s happy, and you're jealous.”

Benedict gestured toward Colin with his tea. “Of Colin? Never. I’m just saying, he’s being pathetic. He’s never acted like this before. It’s quite disturbing.”

Kate’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Colin, a huge smile on her face. “Awe,” She elongated the word. “He’s in love.”

“Shhh!” Colin glanced toward the doorway. “We haven’t said it yet.”

Benedict barked a laugh. “I think she knows.”

“I think it’s lovely, like it was always meant to happen.” She smiled dreamily. “I’m happy for you, Colin.”

Colin was about to thank her, but he heard Penelope and Eloise chatting as they approached the room again, and he scrambled to change the subject. “The garden looks wonderful.” He said quickly as they entered.

“The garden?” Anthony asked, his brow pulling into a frown.

Kate gave Anthony a look before coming to Colin’s rescue and playing along. “Yes, the garden. It’s coming in well this season.”

Penelope tilted her head, confused. “Since when do you know anything about gardening?”

Benedict did not care to help him out. “We weren’t talking about the garden; I was actually talking about how pathetic Colin is acting.” Kate gave Ben a look now before rubbing her eyes.

Penelope smiled at Colin, and he grinned right back. “He's not pathetic, just very sweet.” She ran a hand through his hair in a tender way that made him sigh.

“I thought better of you, Penelope,” Benedict snatched a piece of toast off a plate and picked up his knife to smear some marmalade on it. “You could have had a doctor or an artist.” He wiggled his brows at her. “Instead, you chose Colin, which makes you just a bit daft.”

Penelope smiled wider at Colin. “Hit him for me, would you?” Her voice was sweet as honey.

Colin was quick to lean over and slug Ben in the arm. Penelope laughed and Benedict yelped. “Bloody hell.” He dropped his toast to rub the spot on his arm. “I don’t know why I’m surprised. You have always been punch first, questions later when it comes to her.”

Colin looked to Penelope for approval, and she gave him a small peck on the lips. “Thanks, love."

He had thrown a few punches for Penelope in his life, but this was the first time she’d thanked him with a kiss, and he preferred it like this.