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Colin gazed tenderly down at Penelope’s sleeping form, swirling the fingers of his right hand lazily across her back in aimless shapes. Her head was tucked under his chin, puffs of warm air escaping from her mouth in little tufts, brushing against the single curl of her hair that wasn’t currently occupied by Colin’s left hand. Their bodies were intertwined under the covers, one of Penelope’s hips thrown lazily over both of Colin’s legs, keeping him comfortably warm.
His thoughts were currently preoccupied by how perfectly she fit against him, her shorter body tucked just so against his side. He had never particularly focused on just how tall he was until met Penelope, her smaller frame drawing his attention to his towering build on more than one occasion.
Like when they’d first met, Colin astride his horse, making him even taller than normal. Although not for very long, as Penelope’s bonnet managed to whip off her head from a particularly intense gust of wind, flying through the air before somehow smacking him right in the face. It was one of the rare moments when Colin found himself surprised, losing his concentration and tumbling from the seat of the saddle before landing flat on his back on the ground, knowing he must have looked disheveled for the first time in his life.
He recalled looking up into a pair of astonishingly blue eyes, one of the few moments in which Penelope would have the height advantage over him, her voice frantically calling out to him with worry. She had raced over as soon as she had seen where her headpiece had escaped to, ignoring her mother’s distressed calls that she maintain decorum in favor of her own calls of alarm about Colin and his well-being.
Colin had quickly assessed the situation, realizing he was totally fine, just momentarily shaken by the turn of events. Instead, he had taken one look at her distressed face, chuckling jovially to put her at ease. She had stared at him incredulously at first before she broke out into a fit of giggles of her own along, her hand rising to cover her mouth in a semblance of modesty. When their laughter had finally subsided, Colin sat up, slowly rising up off the ground and extending his hand to her. She took it, albeit shyly, once more asking after his health. He replied that he was totally fine, proceeding to brush himself off and ensuring that his horse was still nearby. He then introduced himself to her, asking about her name as well, only just then noticing how truly short she was in comparison to him. Not only had that been the onset of their friendship, it had also been the beginning of Colin’s appraisal of their difference in stature.
Such as when they’d danced as friends to help her find a suitor, his arms about her waist, keeping a respectable distance, yet still close enough to converse. Watching as Penelope’s head would tilt slightly back in laughter when he would make a particularly humorous comment, his height aiding in allowing him to admire the slope of her neck and the freckles dotting her décolletage. How he’d have to quickly revert his eyes back to hers before she would notice or, on the rare instances when she did, how she would blush fiercely and brightly, her face matching the color of the roses dotting the ballroom. Colin would then smirk roguishly and pull her slightly closer, playing up the act to play off his true feelings. And then Debling came along, interrupting their dance in more ways than one.
Colin smiled smugly to himself when he remembered how he was taller than even Debling. His smile widened further when he thought about how he’d bested him in winning over Penelope, Colin feeling ten times loftier just thinking about it. His fingers paused their motions, however, when he thought about how close he’d come to losing her to the other man. He recognized that he was incredibly fortuitous to be in this bed beside this woman, that things would be so different had she not chosen him after all he had put her through, and that Colin could have lost the single best thing in his life if not for fortune’s sweet grace (and his determination).
He resumed the movement of his fingers, returning to caressing her skin as he thought about the way he had become Penelope’s teacher in the art of flirting and seduction (as much as one could for a woman of their time). It was something else to notice their height difference in this light, watching her take to this new way of being like a bird in flight. The way she stared up at him as she found ways to “flirt” with him, waxing poetically about his eyes, made him feel about a hundred feet tall.
The best lesson, though, was the one where he got to teach her how to kiss. She had timidly broached the topic, unsure of how he would respond. Colin had at first been hesitant, feeling like it would be unwise for them to cross that particular barrier as friends. But then, as she pleaded with him, moving closer and making him all the more aware of just how tiny she seemed in that moment, he gave in. And it was worth everything.
But then she had started using those tactics on Debling. Watching her walk, talk, and dance with him, Colin couldn’t help but notice that, while she was still shorter than the other man, she seemed to look better by Colin’s side for some reason, their contrasting heights somehow seeming to play better off one another. He had felt himself start to become insanely jealous, wondering whether his feelings were those of a protective friend or something more. It wasn’t until he had overheard Debling talking with some other men about his plans to propose to her that he knew he had to say something to Penelope, letting her know how he felt and hoping that it wasn’t too late.
Thankfully, it hadn’t been, as by some miracle, she had felt the same way about him. When he had come to tell her the depth of his feelings, he was suddenly overcome by how beautiful she looked standing there, the moonlight shining down on her soft face. Her dress was stunning, highlighting her figure and drawing his attention once again to her breasts. These were the moments where he was truly grateful for his ample height. He had to find the strength to lift his eyes back to her face, which had somehow given him the ability to confess his feelings.
She had at first thought he was mocking her, particularly after the comment he had made about never wanting to court her during the last season. So when he had insisted his feelings were earnest, that he truly did love and want her, and that he wished to court and marry her, Penelope had taken that moment to use her shortness (and their relative seclusion) to her advantage, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him down for a kiss. He had returned it enthusiastically, so incredibly appreciative that he had been able to give her not only her first kiss, but was going to be able to give her the rest of them too.
He returned to the present when he felt Penelope stirring from beneath his arms. He knew he had worn her out the night before, a thought he took great pride in. Their bed was one of the few places where they were at an equal height, which allowed for plenty of experimentation. He looked down at her face, smiling as he met her sleepy eyes.
Good morning, love.
Morning. What were you thinking about?
You.