Nothing Gives Easy, Easy Gives Nothing

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy honestly didn't expect the answer she got. She genuinely believed the flow of banter - the power play rightfully stuck in her court - would follow through up until either of them would give up on trying to find the means to talk through whatever this was. But when Penny spoke, it was her turn to wear a decent stint of confusion.

She breathed out slowly between the break, because she wasn't sure if she was supposed to answer or simply wait. She chose the latter. Or rather, it was chosen for her.

Which only seemed to confuse her further, but this time she managed to keep her expression in check. Her mind clocked over with the idea of how to respond to something like that. It wasn't so easy now that she felt so suddenly thrown on the spot.

"That's not what I meant." Lucy finally replied, as if it was all she could manage in that moment.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

In the break between her own statement and Lucy’s response, Penny’s fingertips continued to track under the ink manipulator’s shirt, brushing slowly from one shoulder to the other. It hadn’t mattered the subject, the psychometrist needed the contact just as much as the way her hand felt like a stabilizing factor even in its distraction.

If anything, the Brit was thankful to hear the response offered to her. She never thought to wish that she was wrong, especially in front of Lucy, but this seemed to be an exception to the rule.

“Good.” She replied on an exhale, “But—“ Unable to go another moment without it, Penny finally pressed her lips to Lucy’s, kissing her slowly before managing the rest of her sentence. “It’s important to know that.” In no way was the Brit good at talking about such a subject, but it seemed imperative to explain.

“What did you mean, then?”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy felt her shoulders rise with a breath when she received that singular word of confirmation. Good. At first she assumed Penny had faltered over something important, but she felt herself drawn in by the way she finally decided to kiss her. The hand around her waist curled into the fabric she wore again. It was always hard to stop once started, and she knew that.

She resisted the urge to push forward when she was asked the all important question - one Lucy knew was coming after how she'd chosen to respond. "You're embarrassed." She replied, "I'm not embarrassing you. You're doing that to yourself."

In a token moment of her own failure, she breached the barely noticeable distance between them and kissed her back just as painfully slowly. Mutually, she felt it was imperative enough to keep stalling. Because whatever this was, it wasn't done. "Cause I don't remember saying anything bad about it."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny’s chest tightened with a quick inhale as she felt the fabric of her dress pulled at, and she felt herself leaning into the Australian on instinct. It was all it took – a kiss – to start such an inevitable process, even if they both were stalling for whatever this was.

“You—“ Penny felt herself wanting to place some blame on the ink manipulator, because she was so accustomed to doing so. However, as Lucy pointed out the fact, Penny struggled to find her side of the argument, and she faltered due to it.

And in her falter, she felt the way Lucy kissed her. How slowly it burned as she reciprocated, and how her hand curled against Lucy’s back in order to lightly drag her nails against the ink manipulator’s skin.

“You grinned.” She managed finally, raising her eyebrows at her own lazy argument.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The feeling of her nails across her skin ripped the air straight from the ink manipulator's lungs the moment she got a break. The moment she heard Penny try to push this back on her.

Lazy as her argument might have been, it was still an argument. The very thing Lucy found so undeniably enthralling about her relationship with her British counterpart. Broken and disjointed as it was, it still was, and the Australian refused to falter or leave a break between her answer and her own progression.

"Because it's hot," She argued back, "You're hot."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Really, she knew her argument was poor, but it wouldn’t had been the first time Lucy’s grin forced color to Penny’s cheeks, and she doubted it would be the last, either. And she knew that as long as she gave something, she would give something back. Material to work with.

But she wasn’t expecting that.

Her dark eyes widened, the color that had only just faded flaring up fresh as ever. “That’s not a reason for anything.” She tried pushing back.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Within such proximity, it was a little difficult to register the newly returned colour to her counterpart's cheek. But Lucy was almost certain she could have felt it, had it not been for the impending distraction catching her so intently. A hand against her skin, still between her shoulders. Keeping her close. Reminding her of the proximity. Each and every breath she took in tandem or against the ink manipulator's.

It was all relevant. It was all a reason. So much so that Lucy had to laugh again, lightly against the response she tried.

"Don't lie." She replied shortly, faltering over anything more as she leaned in to kiss her again.

There, any residual heat from the pressing fire beneath her skin radiated enough to catch Lucy's attention. She allowed her hand on the book to curl around the spine of it. Withdrawing it from the psychometrist's grasp as she kissed her, Lucy lowered her hand before letting it fall to the floor. Because it hardly mattered now.

With careful steps, she shifted around enough to press her counterpart against the door, drawing herself as close as she possibly could. At the risk of being told to shut up - which was a growing likelihood in such moments - Lucy instead opted not to search for a break to give her the chance. She couldn't think of anything with ample importance to say, anyway. So as her free hand returned to graze the line of her form, her tongue raced along the line of her lower lip.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny parted her lips again with the intention to speak, this time refusing to falter over her own words, but before she could inevitably fail, she felt Lucy’s lips against her own.

Penny didn’t give any resistance as she felt the book slip from her fingers. The thump on the floor that would once – had once – made her cringe was barely noticed as she reciprocated the kiss. What mattered was the ink manipulator, and she completely held Penny’s attention. A book falling to the floor was hardly a concern, her counterpart’s clothes getting tossed aside, however, was.

Her hand sought out the material of Lucy’s shirt, fingers curling into the fabric more tightly with each step taken and followed. As Penny felt her back connect with the door, her hand pressed to the small of Lucy’s back, pulling her closer in tandem to the way she pressed herself against the Brit.

Even if she was given the chance, Penny wasn’t sure if she’d have the breath to tell the Australian to shut up.

Never able to quite pull away, Penny sharply inhaled against Lucy’s lips as she felt her tongue run the line of her lip, and within the next moment she chose to sink her teeth into the ink manipulator’s.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

It was so like her; every reaction and every response she gave. It was uncommon for Penny to relinquish any form of control over such moments between them. It took a lot, and Lucy gave everything. As much as she liked to stall in moments with a quick witted response or the kind of banter that always got shut down, she'd been waiting for however long, and she was completely done doing so.

To move so perfectly with every step. Even down to the way she chose to bite into the Australian's lower lip. It was all so very Penelope Blaise that it was no wonder Lucy needed nothing and no one else. She was perfect.

As much as Lucy felt the relentless urge to suddenly make that known, she didn't. She didn't stop. She doubted she could have if she even tried. But she didn't - she didn't waste the effort. Instead, the trajectory of her hand continued to shift slowly down the length of her form, past her hip and across her thigh to the break of her dress.

And she stopped kissing the psychometrist, abruptly drawing back and tilting her head in order to press her lips against her neck instead. There, she sunk her teeth into her skin as she slowly dragged the material up.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

FtB

Although Penny’s forward nature was often prominent within their relationship, there were moments when she couldn’t help but to give into Lucy, and by no means would she complain over it.

With her eyes still closed, the Brit pressed her lips to the crevice of Lucy’s neck. Her skin burned against Penny’s lips; no matter how hot her breath felt, she was sure it must have been cool against the heat she radiated. Although, it took everything to simply breathe at all; the psychometrist couldn’t be sure of anything in that moment except how close her counterpart was and what it meant in itself.

Because she was everything. Perfection in the Brit’s eyes.

As she lifted her head from the ink manipulator’s shoulder, Penny’s gaze fell to Lucy’s shoulder – the practically expected mark was nonexistent. She was unaware of how tight she held on, but even more unaware of the delicate way in which she had only moments before.

Her lips brushed against Lucy’s again, stealing a light kiss from the Australian. She was at a loss of words as she was still overwhelmingly caught up in her.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Even if she'd been prompted to, Lucy doubted she had the strength to move away. Drawing back simply didn't feel like an option. Distance between herself and her psychometric counterpart was incredibly unwelcome. And she knew this was shared, given the faltering way she breathed and how she applied no pressure. How she'd never applied negative pressure.

Any embellishments she'd received within such throws were ones she was all too willing to wear; anything Penny couldn't help but give her was everything she wanted to take.

She wanted to know more. To be able to articulate questions and receive answers. Just not there. Not now.

Breathless as the ink manipulator was, there was still nothing that could stop her from falling into the lighter way Penny chose to kiss her. Though small, it was hardly meaningless. She never did anything without some kind of reason. Because she wanted to was perfectly acceptable grounds for any move she made.

Tilting her head, Lucy pressed her lips to the still-flushed nature of her cheek. And there, she smiled; the curve of her mouth lacking the usual amusement or vitality that caused a double meaning.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

With lips pressed to her still warm cheeks, the Brit tilted her head to further feel the contact her counterpart provided. The lingering feeling of her lips provided every ounce of stability the psychometrist needed in that moment.

She lifted her hand, gently pushing back the stray strands of Lucy’s hair as her fingers raked through it. “I was curious.” She said finally, closing her eyes as she pressed her forehead to Lucy’s. “When I bought it.” Somehow, even then, Penny felt the desire to explain. To let her know. Because even those embarrassing moments needed to be shared.

“I wasn’t about to go and try anything myself.” She was very much Penelope Blaise – she wasn’t one to seek out attention, especially in that sort of fashion. “And I kept it,“ she took another breath, squeezing her eyes more tightly shut, “Because I didn’t think anyone would want to.”

It felt vague to explain, but such a subject felt impossible to approach, and Penny was trying to. “And even so, I didn’t think I would want to.”

But now she was here, held between a wall and Lucy Serrano, and she absolutely loved it.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Right there, in that exact moment when neither seemed to be able to speak, Lucy realised it was okay be silent. That silence didn't have to be the most daunting, most uncomfortable passage of time available. She felt so intently focused on her counterpart. Even as her eyes closed, her attention was drawn to each breath she took. Each small movement that hinted at something greater as she chose to reach for the ink manipulator's hair and idly fix it.

She listened. And it was easier to do so if she wasn't looking, even if she could feel each word against her lips with every small brush of air they provided.

Instinctively as she continued, Lucy pressed her lips into a line to suppress any ounce of a misinterpretation. It wasn't the time to grin, or be her usual brash self. So it wasn't the time to twist a double entendre from the way she pressed on.

And she'd be thankful for the restraint. Because the force of the reason behind her explanation hit her with more force than anything else in those moments could have. Despite how desperately she wanted to look, she had some understanding that it was equally easier for her if she didn't. But processing the admission and its amended additive was so difficult. Almost impossible.

She couldn't. Couldn't think, nor breathe through such a thing.

"I-" Lucy tried, but failed over where she should even take the singular word, "Didn't know that." Even then, Lucy assumed that was incredibly obvious. It was practically heartbreaking; more shattering than she realised it was going to be as she tried to articulate any kind of response. "I didn't know you felt that way."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny hadn’t known what to expect in response to her admission, but Lucy faltering was something that always threw the psychometrist. The Australian who seemed so together. So sure. For her to stumble over her words meant just as much as the message she was trying to get out.

She kept her eyes closed, refusing to even acknowledge the thought that Lucy could be looking at her in that moment. Cool air hit her lungs on a slow inhale, but even then it still felt shallow. She wanted to ask how it didn’t seem obvious; the uptight British student who could not stand physical contact. Who would possibly want to be intimate with such a person?

“You.” She replied after a time. “You’re different. You changed that.”

It never felt wrong – more as a fact than something Penny would ever allow get to herself. It was to be expected.

“I never expected this.” She breathed, “But I’m glad it happened.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Truthfully, Lucy knew she was different. To some extent, she had to be. She knew she was not only the first person to sleep with the psychometrist, but the first to kiss her. To steal something to disregarded and manage to give it importance forced her to be a singular difference. She had to have something no one else had. Confidence. Or the ability to see past what she was offered. Or just the kind of reckless attitude to stumble so intently into something to accidental.

For someone who gave so little thought to something so physical, she definitely had a strange vitality for it.

"You don't think you're different?"

Lucy's own question surprised her a little, but it didn't draw her eyes open. She knew she should have been content to know that Penny was happy with her in so many aspects, but she'd just given so much. And she deserved something in return. "I've never been like this before. So bloody crazy about someone that they're all I think about. I've never wanted someone so much that I'm so sure I literally want them all the time." Raising a hand, she brushed it past her form and pressed it against the door. Anything for actual stability.

"I mean, I love you." Rarely said, but it was still so true. "But this- You make it so much more than I thought it was supposed to be."