The Reluctant Fall

Sixteen.

Anthony sat next to her bed and simply just watched her sleeping.

She looked so peaceful.

It made a stark difference from the past two hours she'd spent crying in his arms.

When he arrived back to her hospital suite, she was frozen on the bed with tears streaming down her face. Anthony could tell something had happened and it took about thirty minutes of just holding her for her to stop crying and form any word.

Sophie had called her.

That was all he needed to know.

As he got home, he spent around two hours more than what he wanted to spend away from her as he dealt with the police.

'There's nothing we can do Mr Bridgerton'

'The case is being seen by the prosecution service'

'He hasn't breached bail conditions'

'Unless he does something illegal, we can't intervene'

It was all helpless, useless, utter shit.

He knew his brother wouldn't stand for it and knowing Benedict, he'd do something totally stupid and get himself into trouble he couldn't get out of. He was always the Bridgerton for the 'big' declarations and expressing his love in the 'wildest' of ways. He'd fall in love so quickly sometimes and fall out of it even quicker. However, something was different this time. Sophie was different, even Anthony could see that. So the idea of Benedict rescuing his girlfriend from the clutches of an evil man? That was some story written especially for the second born Bridgerton son.

That's why Simon and Daphne were under strict instructions to babysit him tonight, since Anthony needed to spend some time with his girl. He stood up and kissed the top of her head slightly as he was going to grab a blanket and try get some sleep on the couch near the window. He felt a little safer resting his eyes due to the two big burly security guards stationed outside her door. (Private Security) – They were expensive, but expensive for a reason.

As he pulled his lips from her head, she whimpered a little and shifted over in her bed.

"Get on in here Mr Bridgerton," she whispered.

Anthony shook his head with a slight smile.

"No Pen, I don't want to hurt you."

She furrowed her eyebrows and whimpered again.

"And my boyfriend refusing to share a bed with me isn't currently doing that?

Anthony nearly choked on air.

"B-B-Boyfriend?"

Penelope went bright red realising her Freudian slip.

He smiled and leaned down to capture her lips with his own, she attempted to deepen the kiss by pulling on his collar to bring him closer, but he groaned in frustration.

"Penelope Featherington, just what am I going to do with you."

She chuckled and flashed those baby blue eyes straight up at him.

"Fine," he caved.

He slowly slid into the bed, making sure he wasn't on any wires or anything like that. He put an arm around her and pulled her on to his chest. He could hear her slightly grimace as she moved, the stitches would be sore for a while, but they were healing fast due to the proper and correct care she had been receiving under expert care.

"Just so you know..." he tilted her chin up towards him, "...I fucking love that I'm your boyfriend."

She smiled softly and leaned up to kiss him, "mm well good, cause I'm keeping you."