Kanthony Imagines

Late Night Talking

note: This chapter takes the night before Kanthony's wedding, aka in the timeframe we didn't see in the show.
don't forget to vote + comment your suggestions! also feel free to listen to 'late night talking' by Harry Styles whilst reading. <3

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Kathani Sharma had truly believed she would never get married.

And yet here she was, twenty-four hours before her wedding to none other than the infamous Viscount Bridgerton. At this reminder, nerves bundled in her stomach, making her feel nauseous. She knew that all eyes would be on her. After all, the entire ton enjoyed a scandal, and she had stepped right into one the minute she met the viscount. 

Anthony had wanted to marry her as soon as possible. His argument was that once they were wed, the ton would leave Kate alone, as she would have the protection of his name. They could put the past behind them. 
At this, Violet had asked whether he wanted to remember his wedding day as simply a hasty ceremony for the sole purpose of getting the ton off his back. He had said no. Violet had replied, "Very well. We will prepare Aubrey Hall and the two of you will marry in a week."

Since then, it had been six days. 

In the grand scheme of things, it hadn't been long at all since his disastrous half-wedding to Edwina, but equally it felt like an age, because so many things had happened. Anthony had declared his love for her at what she thought would be her final ball before returning to India. The entire Bridgerton family had welcomed her with open arms, and Daphne in particular said she was unsurprised by the turn of events (as was Lady Danbury, who always liked to be right).

Kate tossed over onto her other side.

She couldn't sleep. 

Violet had invited the Sharmas to stay at Aubrey Hall the night before the wedding, so that they didn't need to rush on the day. Both Kate and Anthony had agreed on a private affair in the country. They did not need, nor want, a lavish ceremony. However, being in the same house as Anthony was proving extremely difficult. Kate knew that she couldn't wait a day longer than she had to for their wedding night. 

The knowledge that he was somewhere in this same house was keeping her awake. 

Perhaps not as much as the nerves were, but still.

Kate pushed herself up and stepped out of bed. A bit of reading will do me good, she thought. She hoped, anyhow. 
She lit a candle and pulled on a nightrobe, and tiptoed downstairs. Her senses became heightened as she neared the library, noticing that a small stream of light was still in the gap between the floorboards and the door to Anthony's study. 

He was awake, too.

She did not want to knock, for fear of waking the entire house up. She stood there debating for a long while, and then feebly whispered, "Anthony?" And then again, a bit louder. 

There was nothing. She felt rather idiotic for thinking he might hear her.

Then came the muffled sound of shuffling, becoming increasingly louder until the doorknob turned and the door was pulled slowly open. Anthony stood in his nightshirt, his hair slightly ruffled, with a slight shadow over his jawline. 

"Kate?" He murmured, "What are you doing awake?"

She tried to drag her eyes away from where the shirt clung to his chest and forearms. "I could not sleep."

"Nor could I."

Somewhere in the house, there was a creak, and Anthony's eyes widened. "You must come in." He pulled her arm gently so that they both stood in his study. A lot closer than they had been in the hallway. It was difficult for her to compute when he was dressed like this, with his hair mussed up in such an endearing way. The way his eyes darkly traced a path down her body was not helping her case.