Time Warp: Moon As My Witness

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

May, 2021

Lucy kept even steps. She finally walked with her usual energy. She reiterated her beloved confidence in her stride as she made it to the door of their home and clutched a set of keys far tighter than she needed to. As she searched for the correct one she faltered, dropping them with a definite word; "Shit."

One that forced her to clench her jaw moments later as she picked them back up. Finding the correct key, she unlocked the door and opened it with a steady hand. Soon enough, she dropped the set where they lived on the surface near the door and she closed it behind her.

Work with Ivy had been everything and the studio she adored had been derelict for months, now. It'd been the first day she'd managed an ounce of her time in there since March. It was only an hour or so, but it was better than nothing. It was, within itself, invigorating; though, it did feel slightly selfish to think so.

"He-!" She started, and quickly held her jaw shut again. Two things she was still getting used to in this life; a lack of swearing and a definite lack of shouting.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

He had just fallen asleep.

Although Penelope loved every minute she spent with their newborn son, getting Lincoln to fall asleep for his nap was always something of a challenge. Even at two months old, the boy seemed just as restless as the Australian that was helping raise him.

The Brit made her way to her son, scooping him up within seconds as he started to stir. Any longer, and he would surely cry – something learned quickly after Lincoln was born. Pressing her lips to his temple, Penny made her way towards the front door, raising her eyebrows to her wife as a smile tugged at her lips.

Because although they both took time off after their son was born, and by proxy spent even more time with one another, Penny couldn’t help but to admit she missed her counterpart when she left this morning. Although, honestly, she needed it. Penny found nothing selfish about the fact.

She took purposeful steps towards Lucy to kiss her, lingering against her lips a few spare moments before pulling away. “Hello.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Without a sound of an incredibly familiar cry, Lucy felt as if she were in the clear. Really, she should have known by now that the mere sound of the door opening and closing was enough to draw her counterpart from wherever she was in the house. The idle thought remained so as she made herself known. Child in her arms and all.

Lucy smiled. Not simply because she saw one, or either of them. But because she saw them together. There was something so ridiculously fascinating about watching the psychometrist simply exist with their child. Even when she tried not to get so distracted - and by proxy, intoxicated - by it, she couldn't help herself.

She leaned into the way Penny kissed her, lingering on her own side of things for a few spare seconds as she raised a hand to run across the length of her arm. From her shoulder down to the way it curved to keep him so steady, she shifted off and away to finally look down.

The set steel grey coloured eyes that she knew would eventually darken were closed, it seemed. But she curled her hand around his regardless, brushing her thumb across the small surface that was the back of his hand. If she brought him, he'd likely stirred. But he still seemed comfortable. Finally, she managed to glance up.

Still, she couldn't help the way she instinctively crinkled her nose. She didn't bother looking down again now that she'd finally managed to drag her eyes away from him.

"Did I?" Lucy asked, but her face clearly expressed that she knew the answer to that.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Her gaze moved to Lucy’s hand, and how her thumb so delicately brushed across their child’s hand. This time, it was Penny’s turn to smile. Watching the way Lucy interacted with their son was completely enthralling.

When she looked up, she caught her dark eyes, but it was impossible to not notice the way Lucy crinkled her nose, and in a silent response Penny raised her eyebrows at the Australian.

A small twitch of her lip gave away the answer, even though it seemed evident that her wife knew it already. “It’s okay.” She reasoned lightly, “He just settled.” Although, Penny couldn’t help but to inform the Australian that she almost ruined it, but she seemed more amused over the fact than upset.

“How was the shop?” She asked, taking purposeful steps towards the kitchen. With a slight tilt of her head, she beckoned her counterpart along. With the large break Lucy had taken, she was sure there was a list of clients wanting the ink manipulator’s talent waiting for her there.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Relief washed over Lucy's features in a quick wave. She might've caused him to stir with her cut introduction, but given the look of him in that particular moment, he hardly seemed to care. And neither did she.

The ink manipulator felt the tiny hand pulled from her grasp, and so she let him go willingly as Penny stepped away. She was already making the move to follow as her beloved offered the enticing tilt of her head in the same direction.

"Busy." She replied, interlocking her fingers and stretching her arms out in front of herself. "But totally worth it."

Within their proximity, Lucy made the definite move to reach out towards the psychometrist. She brushed a hand along the line of her shoulders before trailing down her arm, stepping by to let her fingers jump to meet his hand again. "Your day?" She asked, glancing at her briefly before her attention was completely drawn to their son again.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

“I’m sure it was.” Penny pressed her lips lightly to the top of Lincoln’s head. Her lips lingered there as she felt the Australian’s hand track across her shoulder and down her arm, and she hid her growing smile against their son’s head. His fingers twitched at the contact, although he still clearly seemed comfortable enough.

She kept her focus on the ink manipulator, watching her dark eyes travel to their son. It was completely intoxicating to see the way her wife looked at him. “Here.” She said, lifting her arms slightly, and by proxy, the sleeping boy in her arms. It wasn’t a matter of wanting to let go of their child, but she loved the way Lucy handled him.

“Productive.” Penny admitted with a small nod, although it was always a work to look after Lincoln, she still managed to get a fair share done within her day. Admittedly, it was easier to have one distraction instead of two around the house. As much as she loved the Australian, she was always captured Penny's attention above almost anything else, and it only became worse when she watched how she was as a mother.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

It wasn't until Penny spoke the singular word that Lucy dragged her attention back towards her. It was no easy feat, given how much she adored simply staring at the little life she held so comfortably. She'd grown to be much more skilled at handling their son, but at the very early stages of his life the ink manipulator had been unsure. Unsure enough to doubt she should even hold him.

She crinkle her nose again, this time with a small grin at the corner of her mouth.

"Shocking." She denoted sarcastically, shifting her arms underneath their son in order to execute something of a flawless, nerve-free transfer. "How does anyone get anything done with you around, baby."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

As Lucy took their child, Penny immediately shifted her hands, the first moving to his back, and the other to the ink manipulator’s. “It was very hard.” She replied lightly, despite the question not being directed at herself. And it was true. Several months before, the Brit wouldn’t have called the work she did productive, but Penny couldn’t help but to constantly check on Lincoln. Not from worry, but rather the fact that she couldn’t stay away for too long.

“I’m going to kiss you.” She announced, raising her eyebrows as her gaze returned to Lucy. It was rare for her to announce such a thing, or even talk about it in any capacity. However, the slight twitch of her lip likely gave her away as she leaned into the Australian. “Can I do that without you letting go?” Her gaze dropped to their son, lingering a few beats longer than needed. It was always hard to tear her gaze away from him, but she forced herself to do so in order to look up again.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

" So hard." The ink manipulator immediately cooed. She had no doubt it was a ridiculous ask to leave him for a few hours. When he slept, Lucy felt the struggle to step away. She could stare all day if no one forced her out of the room.

She picked up a slight bounce to her movements, akin to the way she could never keep still no matter how hard she tried. At least now it had a definite purpose for him.

But she raised her head, her smile still broad as she finally caught the psychometrist's eye. The announcement clearly struck her with definite surprise. "...Yeah?" She replied, dragging the word out to allow it to linger heavily before she tried to lean in.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny held her breath as Lucy took that particular tone of voice. She could feel the bounce in the hand on their child’s back, and it only added to the capturing nature of her wife and son together. She was still amazed at how nervous Lucy was, when she thought somehow she could break him. How could she think such a thing when she was so evidently perfect with him?

As Lucy leaned in, Penny followed the movement, but stopped short just as her lips brushed the ink manipulator’s. She settled within the barely-there distance, feeling Lucy’s warm breath against her skin as she waited. Patiently. Torturously. “Are you sure?”

She parted her lips against Lucy’s, but still refused to give into the temptation. Not yet. “A child isn’t as easy to patch up as a bag of flour, Lucy.” Seven years, and the psychometrist hadn’t forgotten the day Lucy dropped the sharpie clad flour-baby on the ground, and she certainly wasn’t going to let her forget, either.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Devoid of any potential thought, Lucy closed her eyes on instinct as she realised Penny was leaning in towards her. But when there was no connection, she felt her eyebrows furrow; herself, questioned. In return, she could feel her proximity without having to look. Each inhale felt cool as the air around her was taken. Each exhale, temperamental.

Against her counterpart's nose, she crinkled her own for a third time. Seven years. She should have known the Brit had a perfect memory. She stored such information for endless periods of time, using it at the most precise moments.

"Planning a couple of choice declarations?" She asked back, her voice low. "I don't think you've got anything new to tell me."

But just in case, her hands instinctively tightened around the little form in her arms. Just to prove that she was totally aware and she at least... Partly had this.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The reaction Lucy gave, in short, was perfect. She felt the crinkle of her nose against the tip of her own, and a hint of a grin pulled at her lips as she lingered within the proximity, letting the silence settle as Lucy clearly prepared herself. Just in case there was something the Brit did have.

And she did. Not necessarily a declaration, but a request. Demand, even. Breaking rules wasn’t her policy, but rather her wife’s. She was positive asking Lucy to break that particular rule temporarily set it place would pull a reaction from her.

She had every reason to hold on tighter.

“No.” The word itself was a lie, but Penny’s own tone betrayed her as she finally breached the distance and kissed the ink manipulator slowly. Precisely.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

There was no way Lucy could be certain that Penny had nothing for her. Despite how sure she was that so little was kept between them, she recalled everything and stressed every important thing amongst their relationship. All that were left were seemingly minor - her stunt with the flour baby included - but that didn't make the concept any less true.

So she held him. A little more securely. A little tighter. A little closer to herself. Because there was no way he was leaving her arms, and she knew Penny knew that.

Therefore, she was playing. And damn, she played well.

In short, Lucy didn't believe her. The singular worded reply felt insecure as it stood. But the way Penny kissed her added absolutely no stability to the fact. It was always tortuously meaningful when she chose to draw it out in such a way.

"No?" She asked, her breathing slightly staggered at her precision. "Okay then."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Although she teased the ink manipulator, she did so because she knew Lucy wouldn’t let him slip. There wasn’t a doubt in her mind that she might. She had been afraid that she’d somehow ruin him if she held him, and Penny knew better. And now that nervousness was gone, it was free game to bring up such a distant memory.

Her hand kept placed to their child’s back as she kissed Lucy. She knew the Brit purposefully drew it out, and still, Penny could feel the way her breath began to falter against her lips in her reply. It was evident she didn’t believe Penny; with good reason.

“Lucy,” She continued anyway, her fingers curling into the ink manipulator’s shirt. “I can’t wait three days.” It had been thirty-nine already, and even one more sounded torturous.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy wore confusion under the pressure of the hand amongst her clothes, pulled by the strength of her counterpart's grip alone. But once the eluded request hit her, she was quick to respond. "Yeah you can." Lucy stressed. Though as soon as the response left her mouth, she knew it was riddled with doubt.

So she amended it as best she could; "You have to."

She forced her focus elsewhere, to the easiest thing she could settle on after that. Their son. The ink manipulator drew him up slightly, leaning in in the same moment to press her lips against his forehead.

There, she lingered as she spoke. "You're messing with me." She denoted, her voice as quiet as it was clean given present company.