High Love and Emotion

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

It took a huge amount of will power to not give in and kiss Lucy again. She felt the way her counterpart chased her. How she wanted to be kissed just as badly as Penny wanted to kiss her. Still, she pulled back, keeping her eyes on the ink manipulator as their hands traveled downward.

But the moment she caught sight of Lucy biting down on her lip, Penny took in a sharp breath, her gaze moving down to their hands. That wasn't fair.

As her finger ran along the inked wings, Penny couldn't help but to suck in an uneven breath. She wouldn't admit it aloud, but she loved this tattoo just as much as she loved the person who wore it. The ink was so responsive to her touch, she couldn't help herself from running teasing lines over the ink.

But her eyebrows furrowed together at the first descriptive word, or rather, her age. Lips pressed into a hard line at the next word offered; drunk. And finally, her eyes widened when she explained that she had gotten it in a kitchen of all places.

Again, this shouldn't have surprised her. But it did.

And again the explanation offered was enough to make Penelope's judgmental look falter. She focused on the wings as the sparrows stretched, eying them with curiosity. The idea of hiding was not a new concept for the Brit, and the symbolism behind the birds was quite remarkable. She felt she couldn't judge Lucy doing something against the feeling, nor did she want to.

So her features softened, dark eyes lingering on them for a few moments in silence. It would have been so easy to move her hand downward, past the sparrows. Her fingertips twitched against Lucy's skin as she pressed her lips into a hard line. She would, but just not yet. Instead, she pulled their hands upward, along the barrel of the purple gun.

She kept her gaze focused on it, rather than looking up at her counterpart. Penny wasn't sure is she could handle seeing that expression again.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Under the weight of the psychometrist's fingertips, Lucy could feel the ink shift of its own accord. Each touch provided such a sensation that she knew, despite her best efforts, that there was no way to falter the wings movement to the rhythm of her quickening heartbeat. And she knew Penny knew what it meant.

Still, the frustration didn't stop her from breathing a short, sharp laugh at her reaction. The look on her face. It was everything she thought it would be.

Until it was gone. And that genuinely surprised her.

She knew she felt her Britiah counterpart's fingers twitch as she must have contemplated her next choice; next movement. But the moment Lucy felt her start to move upwards instead, her hold tightened on her hand briefly - within a second - as she tried to falter the action on instinct. But again, she gave way to what she wanted. It would have been so easy, and she knew Penny wouldn't have been able to help herself with the right encouragement.

But Lucy also knew the choice wasn't made lightly.

She tilted her head back to look towards the ceiling again, aware that she simply couldn't continue looking at her with ill-met expectations. This was important. So important, and the ink manipulator was fully aware of that. So she closed her eyes and dropped her jaw, intent on offering the explanation behind the technological weapon at her hip.

"Don't stop." Lucy gave instead, exhaling the rest of her breath once the words had left her mouth. "I'll tell you the rest, I promise. Just-" In that moment, she lost her words. Even now - love and all - she couldn't bring herself to ask for anything.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny felt the way how, just for a second, Lucy pulled at her hand. In that second, Penny almost let her. Although slightly more patient than her ink manipulator, the Brit had very little patience when it came to this.

Still, her fingers moved upward. She hadn't caught sight of the way Lucy looked at the ceiling, but from the silence between them, Penny had assumed that Lucy was going to continue.

Until she said that.

Penny felt her pulse quicken. Her breath catch in her throat. She hadn't been expecting such a response from the Australian. Again, her fingers twitched, nails grazing against the barrel of the gun on her hip. Glancing up, she caught sight of the want playing about Lucy's features. She believed it was almost impossible to resist her before, but now? It was.

Completely.

Penny leaned forward again, pressing her lips to Lucy's with clear cut intention. She sunk her teeth lightly into the ink manipulator's bottom lip as she let out another uneven exhale. Her hold on Lucy's hand loosened, but only enough so that the Australian could pull it away if she so wished it. Her fingers traveled downward, again meeting with the sparrows, but this time only briefly as she brushed past them.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Note: FtB

As much as Lucy understood the interest Penny was showing in the ink she wore, there was little she could do when it came to a lack of patience. She'd quickly learned that when it came to Penelope Blaise, she lacked a decent amount of willpower.

Slowly, the ink manipulator allowed her hands to trail along her British counterpart's sides, drawing away only to push herself up to press her lips against her neck. Just once. Lucy had never been able to articulate the importance of anything without fault, but it seemed more fitting than any myriad of words she could try to offer. She felt the still erratic rhythm of her pulse against her lips, and before she fell back away, she couldn't help the hint of a smile she wore.

Despite her faltering breathing pattern, she was as determined as Penny had been to continue on. To push past this. It was never enough.

Amidst the break, Lucy ran her hand along Penny's arm, seeking her hand again. She pressed her palm to the back of the psychometrist's hand, offering a light squeeze before making a move.

"Always be ready." She said, trailing Penny's fingertips slowly along the weapon imprinted at her hip, "Always be armed. That's why when you-" Lucy paused, concern flashing in her dark eyes briefly. Now freed from her emotional reign, the still-reversed sword on her arm was able to shift. She pressed her counterpart's hand to her forearm as it began to circle back around again. Slowly. Surely. "It's the Twinblade of the Phoenix. It's... A video game thing." And Lucy knew there was little point in explaining the finer details of in-game bonuses. "Plus fifty-three stamina." She added anyway, because she just needed to see her reaction.

regardless, she couldn't erase the smile she wore. Elated - not just from the way her newfound love had complied with her last request; "Past and future. Up close or at range. Always ready, always armed."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Had her counterpart not acted, Penny was sure that she wouldn't have lasted much longer before giving into the temptation that was Lucy Serrano. It was impossible to resist the Australian, and although the contact she offered was limited by her fingertips, it was contact nonetheless. It was inevitable from there on.

Penny pressed herself against the ink manipulator's form, into the kiss her counterpart offered. Even if it was just one, it still drew a long breath out of the psychometrist. Her own hand was tangled in a mess of dark hair. Her heart still beating erratically as she tried to even out her breathing.

She felt familiar fingers run along her arm, and instinctively show squeezed the hand that took hers. Penny allowed Lucy to move her hand, her fingers easing along the barrel of the gun lightly. The statement her counterpart offered immediately drew in Penny's attention. She raised her eyebrows, gaze focused on the weapon as if it was loaded and ready to fire.

When Lucy faltered, the psychometrist's dark eyes glanced up to try and catch Lucy's expression. The small amount of concern in her eyes. The Australian didn't need to continue for Penny to know what Lucy was referring to. She was well aware of how the blade was situated on her counterpart's arm. How it still was.

Still, she allowed Lucy to bring her hand to the weapon. Her lips pressed into a hard line; she had done this. Even if things were better now, the sword – and thus, Lucy – had still reacted in such a way. The need for some sort of defense. But when she felt the light sensation of shifting ink under her palm, the Brit brought her gaze downward, watching the way it was turning.

Seeing it do so, feeling it under her own hand, was strangely comforting. It spoke volumes to the psychometrist, and the corner of her lip pulled upward as she took in another slow breath. Yet it was short lived when Lucy continued explaining. A video game thing, but further more the bonus of stamina. Even the proper British girl couldn't stop the grin from pulling at her features.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy was aware of the reason for her twinblade's shift. Evidently, so was Penny. She knew that despite being uninformed of each and every story she physically showed, this girl had an understanding for the ink beneath the manipulator's skin. Enough to focus her attention on each tattoo as if it were more a window to Lucy's personality swings than the words she'd give at any moment. Or her expressions she couldn't help but offer. Always ready, always armed; as she had been when she was certain this girl was going to leave her behind completely.

So it was the most important thing in that moment to have her feel the difference; the controllable shift. Lucy rarely seemed to have a grasp on her ability when her emotions came into play, and it had been no exception. The slow move; the radial spin. The subtle changes under her sensitive fingertips. To feel it as she had that day. And in a new light, as she hopefully never would again.

As much as Lucy felt the desire to make an unsubtle quip about just how much extra stamina was required when dealing with her psychometric counterpart, she didn't. The briefest flash of concern she wore had faded, and the overly amused grin that took its place said absolutely everything she needed to.

But she planned to digress as Penny didn't offer a move.

"Did you ever notice the Hearthstone?" She asked her. Finally, as reluctantly as ever, Lucy drew her hand away from Penny's. And as she turned and opened her hand before her, there it was. The small, almost insignificant print to her ankle had shifted into her palm. "No matter where you are, it takes you home." She gave an involuntary smile as she glanced up to catch her eyes. "Another video game thing, but I bet you reckon it's endearing."

After all, she knew Penny had little to no clue when it came to these sorts of things. But the general idea, surely, was one she could appreciate. Lucy breached the minimal distance between their hands and intertwined their fingers together again. "Wanna guess?" Lucy asked, raising her eyebrows once as held her index finger up between them. Written along her index finger were the words; FOUND IN LOVE.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny had never expected to interact with Lucy’s tattoos the way she did. Each one gave certain cues to the psychometrist that might not otherwise been seen. She raised her eyebrows as her hand was pressed to the ink manipulator’s forearm, the words always ready, always armed ringing in Penny’s mind. Because she was. Even now, in that moment, she was ready.

Honestly, Penelope hadn’t the slightest idea what a Hearthstone was specifically, but the word itself gave away what she was sure it must have been. The small stone stone on Lucy’s ankle. She gave a small nod, glancing briefly up at her counterpart.

As Lucy pulled her hand away, Penny resisted the urge to take it within her own again. She knew the ink manipulator was doing so for a reason, but she didn’t want her to let go, either. Still, she watched as the Australian opened her palm, eyes widening slightly at the small stone imprinted into it. She hadn’t noticed it moved, possibly because she had been so caught up in how the dual blade had shifted, but she was surprised that she hadn’t caught sight of it there before.

And the explanation offered gave reason to why it had moved, even such a great distance from the Australian’s ankle to her palm. Again, a video game. And again, a beautiful reason behind the ink. Her gaze lingered on it for a few moments before she looked up at Lucy, the corner of her lip twitching upward. “It is.”

Still, the fact that it was there, in her palm spoke wonders. If anything, it was just as powerful a message as the shift her blade made.

She allowed Lucy to draw her hand in again, raising her eyebrows at the question. Her dark eyes flicked towards the three words as amusement hinted in her features. “No.” She said honestly, her smile growing. She squeezed her counterpart's hand lightly between her fingers. “This I want to hear from you.”

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy couldn't help the exhaled laugh she offered at her response - when she agreed that she found the mere concept of the hearthstone she held endearing. The fact that she took such a potentially off-handed statement seriously - and agreed - was more endearing.

As she curled her fingers between her counterpart's, she felt the inevitable shift of the ink in her palm. The way It crossed to the back of her hand, tracking down her forearm and around her shoulder to progress back to where it was. Because now, the Australian knew she held the Brit's focus in a different place. For a different reason, despite the clear similarity. This, she wanted to hear from the ink manipulator. Somehow that made it all the more personal.

"I don't feel that for many people. In any capacity." Lucy explained, though for whatever reason she knew Penny knew that already. Within the break, she reached past the minimal distance and brushed her fingertip across the psychometrist's lips. An involuntary smile found its way to her features, as if for that moment, she was simply overtaken by the simplicity. The way she felt. "They're different. Family, I mean. Every time I'm with them I know what I have. I'm different with them." Lucy knew the weight behind her own choice in words. But as she caught her eyes, she knew she couldn't dwell for long. Couldn't linger forever.

So she squeezed her hand on instinct.

And she loosened her hold as she pressed her free hand down to the bed and drew herself up slightly. Enough to pull her her back from the comforting factor of her sheets. There, she found Penny's hand again, slowly drawing her palm across her abdomen and around to her back. As much as the contact was known, it was practically intoxicating. When was it not?

"It's not because it's Wonder Woman, I promise." Lucy swore, the corner of her mouth pulling into a knowing grin. "Meeting seemingly insurmountable difficulties?" She paused long enough to raise her eyebrows once, because she knew something about her particular choice in words would catch her counterpart's attention. "Undeniable odds? Even the biggest things can be beaten."

Still, that grin found its way to the rest of her face on instinct as she studied the expression given back to her, "And... Because it's Wonder Woman." She admitted anyway, "Greatest female super hero of all time."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny, too, felt the shift in ink against her own palm as the stone made its way back to where it normally was. Had her dark eyes not been focused on the lettering on Lucy's index finger, it would have followed the stone as it moved across the Australian's skin.

She believed Lucy; it was why she believed her when she had said it. Even in anger, the Brit knew well enough that the words wouldn't have left the ink manipulator's lips if she hadn't meant it. There were many people who wore their hearts on their sleeves. Neither or them were like that.

Exhaling as she felt familiar fingertips graze her lips, Penny instinctively kissed them lightly. Again, she couldn't help but to glance up to see her. The smile Lucy wore pulled another breath from the psychometrist. She leaned into the hand against her lips, relishing in the simple contact.

Family. The word brought Penny's gaze back down to the words. It seemed that few valued family, and the Brit couldn't help but to be surprised that Lucy did. Her eyebrows twitched together as she realized she had completely assumed the wrong thing about this girl. Still, family was important. Her own was dysfunctional beyond belief, and still, she understood the weight behind such words.

As she felt fingers tighten around her own, Penny offered a light squeeze in return, but just as quickly as it was offered to her, Lucy's grip loosened. Her gaze flicked downwards as Lucy shifted. Briefly.

When her hand was taken again, Penny allowed it to be drawn across Lucy's stomach to her back. It was intoxicating. Especially as she moved their hands. It was rare for Penny to allow someone to take control of any given situation, but this was different. Lucy was different. She sucked in a short breath.

Her eyebrows rose in amusement as her hand met the large tattoo. She resisted to call out her counterpart, that it surely had to be because it was Wonder Woman, but she remained silent. Doing so seemed rewarding, and surprise took her features at Lucy's choice of vocabulary. She caught Lucy's gaze, her smile beginning to match the grin her counterpart wore. She couldn't deny that something about the Australian's particular use of words was strangely alluring.

She let out a short breath at Lucy's final statement. Penny knew little of superheroes, but she appreciated the feminism behind the ink manipulator's choice, at least. The Brit kept her hand stationary, and her eyes fixed on Lucy's, watching her as she explained. It was enthralling. Everything Lucy offered was.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

It was impossible to ignore the way Penny reacted through the simple sequence – the way Lucy drew her hand across her own skin. By now, she knew exactly what a shift in her counterpart’s breathing meant. But she did her best not to get caught up in it. That was difficult. It was always difficult to ignore. Impossible, even.

The surprise Penny wore wasn’t lost on Lucy. She caught the involuntary reaction on her face and resisted the urge to laugh. Or look as amused as she really did feel.

Lucy wasn’t sure what kind of reaction she expected from Penny once she explained the tattoo in question. She couldn’t help the way her attention was drawn towards her mouth the moment she offered that smile. For a time, her eyes took in the familiar curve of her lips. And while it was difficult, she managed to drag her gaze back towards her eyes. There, she held the Australian’s focus within the silence.

She knew she had to move again, but something about the way she was looking at her threatened to make her falter completely.

But she persevered. “King Varian.”

She didn’t mean it as any type of warning, but Penny knew where it was situated. Lucy moved her hand slowly; slower than she had been as she trailed the psychometrist’s hand along the line of her thigh. But it was impossible to stop herself from getting lost in the feeling, especially when she made a point of holding her gaze. She drew in a purposeful breath in the break, exhaling steadily. “Fiercely loyal. Harsh defender.” She spoke almost absently, because her attention was still held by the incredible distraction in front of her.

“Keeps me safe.”

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny felt her pulse shift along with her focus; she made it exceptionally hard to concentrate, especially as she pulled Penny's hand slowly to her thigh. Painfully slowly. She pressed her hand to the ink, adding a light amount of pressure than she normally would have, because it was the only way to keep her hand stationary, even under the ink manipulator's.

She breathed in as Lucy exhaled, refusing to shift her gaze; the Brit didn't have to do so in order to know what they were referring to. The King. She hadn't expecting him to be royalty, and she hadn't recognized the name either. Penny raised an eyebrow to her counterpart. When she thought of kings there was Lear, Henry, George, and many more to list, but Varian? It was easy to assume he wasn't a historical character on Earth. Especially given who she was speaking to.

And Penelope knew all too well that a fictional character could be just as powerful as a breathing person. Although she couldn't relate to being caught up in most of the video games Lucy played, she did get caught up in the fictional lives of those in books.

She let go of a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, breaking the imperative eye contact as she briefly glanced down at Lucy's lips as she spoke the word safe. Just as quickly, however, the psychometrist caught her gaze again.

Idly, her thumb ran brushed over the ink. Although she wasn't watching it, she had a clear image of the King in her mind. Specifically, of him grinning at her. She recalled the memory quickly enough; it was the first time she really looked at him, and his inked eyes stared back at her in return as he wore that grin. That grin that she had.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy felt herself falter on a breath when she noticed the way she looked away. Where her eyes went within a moment before she managed to catch her gaze again. It was so quick. So minute. But it happened.

The subtle movement of her thumb caused the ink manipulator to instinctively close her eyes. Despite how insignificant it might have seemed, any voluntary movement she was making had Lucy’s attention more than anything else.

In time, Lucy drew her hand away from her counterpart’s, leaving it where it was on its own. No restraints. No holds. And never any boundaries. She breached the minimal distance between them as she reached out, her fingertips grazing down the exposed skin of her psychometrist.

“Say something.” Lucy breathed, unable to steady her voice as she dedicated herself to the slow movement. Unmarked by ink, she wore no sparrows to hold such focus.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

As Lucy closed her eyes, Penny resisted the urge to just lean forward and kiss her. Her will power was quickly dwindling when it came to the Australian. Each tattoo was important, and Penny wanted to grant each one her full attention, but it was becoming a seemingly impossible task to do so.

Without Lucy's hand there, Penny still made no effort to move it from the the ink manipulator's thigh. Her thumb continued to brush over the ink slowly. Evenly. When she felt familiar fingers brush against her skin, the Brit sucked in a sharp breath. The contact captured Penny's attention completely. She was so close. The Brit found herself leaning into the touch, encouraging the action. Regardless that the Australian kept her eyes closed, Penny kept her gaze focused on her. She couldn't bring herself to look away; Lucy Serrano was completely captivating.

She parted her lips, intent on saying something after being prompted to do so, but instead she let out a shaking breath. Even an act as simple as speaking felt impossible when Penny felt her fingertips run along her skin. She paused, taking in the slow movement her counterpart offered.

The hand on Lucy's thigh tightened it's grip on the ink manipulator, nails lightly beginning to dig into the imprinted skin with impatience. “Lucy," Another breath. "Don't make me wait."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

As Lucy expected, once she left her hand, there it stayed. Despite the overwhelming fact that she wanted to look back at her, she didn’t. Not right away. Rather, she allowed her senses to be drawn in by the way she touched her. And the way she was touching her.

It wasn’t until she heard the shaking breath her counterpart offered that she opened her eyes. And there, under the weight of her gaze, Lucy looked back at her. She felt every ounce of intention Penny offered; from the pressure of her hand to the clearly defined look in her eyes. The way she couldn’t speak. Lucy refused to falter under each of these significant moves she made.

And when she finally did speak, Lucy managed to maintain such composure. It would have been so easy, then and there, to give into her. Again. To give her everything she seemed to want.

Breaching the distance, Lucy leaned inward and kissed her. It was impossible not to. Just as it was impossible to strip away the intention behind the move. That she wanted the psychometrist who looked at her so – who evidently loved her so. Even as she drew away from the moment, she felt herself linger, her lips still brushing against her counterpart’s despite her purpose.

“Don’t push me.” The Australian replied lightly. And as she spoke, she shifted the draw of her fingertips to the side slightly, instead opting to run across the line of her thigh. “Still got a few to get through.” Though really, she couldn’t imagine anything more difficult. Each unstable, shallow breath the ink manipulator offered easily betrayed her confidence.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

When Penny finally caught her gaze again, she looked back at the Australian with evident intention. But it wasn't lost on Penny the way Lucy hadn't faltered; her lips pressed into a hard line, her own impatience growing just from looking at her.

As she felt Lucy lean forward, the Brit immediately reciprocated the kiss with every bit of purpose she could put into it. She loved this girl. Loved her. She wanted her. Everything about her.

Still, the words caused Penny to raise her eyebrows. The shift of Lucy's fingertips drew a breath from the psychometrist as her grip on the ink manipulator tightened.

But the way she breathed showed that neither of them could wait that long. Lucy was just as impatient – just as wanting – as Penny was. Still, the Australian didn't have to tease her so. Though, it wasn't uncommon for the ink manipulator to drive Penny completely mad, in more ways than one.

Her own hand shifted, bypassing the ink as she slowly curled her fingers towards the backside of Lucy's thigh. “I'm not pushing you if you want it.” Penny breathed against her counterparts lips. Breaching the minimal distance between them, Penny lightly – quickly – kissed Lucy before pulling away. With only a fraction of space between them, she caught her gaze. She held it for a few moments, simply taking in everything that was Lucy Serrano as she leaned into her touch.