Pusher Love Girl

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Set hours after Undo

Six hours was what most would call wishful thinking. Six hours hardly factored in the daily potential problems that could and would arise on any given long distance trip. Try as she might, Lucy couldn't avoid every minor detail. Six hours was a dream, but she hadn't been so far off the mark.

Packing in a rush was hardly ever a good thing, especially when the person who handled her clothes was absent. Her jeans remained packed in a rushed bag over on her person; she wasn't sure what denomination of emotions were attached to the second skin she often wore, so she didn't want to risk it in initial company. Something she hardly ever more found the light instead. Something safe, but barely so at the same time. Kinder weather left an impression too; Lucy Serrano was never one to wear a skirt, but there she was all the same, dwindled boots and all.

Not one to overthink her attire in any situation, she left her arms free, the proud inhabitants on them on show by the shorter length of her sleeves. After all, it wasn't as if they hadn't already seen them when they first saw the Australian. Surely, they'd at least be appreciated by one.

Lucy took a heavy breath before she left the safety of her car. No doubt everyone in that house knew she was on her way not long after she'd decided on the trip, and the thought of who else might be waiting to meet her was understandably daunting. But the harsh rhythm of her heart kept her steps fast as she followed the path to that door. She tugged at the single strap to the bag over her shoulder once before she actively raised a hand and knocked in succession.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Six hours of time wasn't all that hard to fill, except, of course, when you were waiting impatiently for something. Specifically, someone. Penny had managed to remain busy for it, however. Between family matters and general preparation, Penny never allowed herself a moment to stop, but that hardly kept her from looking at the clock any chance she could.

As six hours came, Penny finally settled. Finally sat and just waited. As did the entire Blaise family, whether they wished to admit it or not as they aimlessly puttered around the living room. Her father reading a newspaper while Michael and her mother focused on the cooking show on their television. As for Penny herself, she had a book settled on her lap, but dark eyes couldn't handle the task of stringing one word with the next. Instead, they remained unfocused on the text itself.

Until there was a knock on the door. Every head looked up towards the hallway leading to the source of the noise, but the youngest daughter was the first to make a move. Quick to her feet, she instantly raised her hands to her family. "I'll get it." Stay there.

She made her way to the front door, palms pressing to her skirt as she inhaled deeply, but the psychometrist never hesitated as she reached for the handle, twisting it open. Although she knew exactly who was on the other side of the door, as her dark eyes focused on Lucy Serrano, the air ripped from her lungs in one failed notion. The pound of her heart was loud enough for both of them to hear, she was sure.

Her gaze traveled down Lucy's form on instinct, even if it only took a second. It wasn't hard to notice the change of attire her counterpart wore, and more specifically, what it showed. Had Penny the time, she would have blushed, but she was already reaching out, palms pressing to either side of Lucy's face as she stepped through the remaining distance and kissed her.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy was not a very patient person. As she waited on the other side of that closed door, she could feel her heartbeat radiate from her chest to her palms. Fingers tightened around the strap of her bag, fingernails digging into her own skin out of pure anxiety. The threat of a still-stranger's presence knocked the initial confidence from her form completely.

Control between the pair had never rightly been a given. They were difficult, stubborn beings. They liked to get their own way and have things work in their favour. But this? It was a need.

Light footsteps carried hope, and when the door finally did open all she could really do was take a heavy shot of air inward. Luck turned in her favour at the sight of her counterpart and her counterpart only; the quick thought of the next few short seconds weighed in her mind as she exhaled the air she couldn't register she was holding. There she was, in plain sight, and all Lucy could do was stand there until she moved. Until pressure hit her lips and she really recalled everything she'd let disappear. And for what - because she didn't want to get on a plane a few days ago? Because she was nervous? Because the idea of such a drive really seemed so stupidly out of the question?

Freeing her hand, the two of them reached for her instantly after the thought of it all collided with the present. Fingers immediately curled into the fabric at her waist, hands holding tight enough to ignore the way they were undoubtedly shaking at the contact.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Penny knew the privacy they held within that moment was going to be short lived. It would only be so long she could acceptably hold the ink manipulator at her door before she'd have to bring her into the living room and make the appropriate introductions. Desperately, she wished to say something to her counterpart. Explain how she missed her. How much she needed her. Yet actions spoke more than words, and she hoped her point was driven through the contact put between them.

If the kiss didn't, surely the dampness on her cheeks - and by proxy on Lucy's - made that much evident, even if she tried her best to ignore it.

A hand left Lucy's cheek, working its way into the Australian's dark locks as she took a step back, pulling Lucy through the door while maintaing that desperate need for closeness. The other? Unable to help the trajectory down her counterpart's form, along her arm and to the hand at her own waist.

All cut short by her father's overly friendly tone coming from down the hallway. "So you must be Lucy!" He called out, more of a warning for the pair as him and his wife rounded the corner.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

From here, it almost seemed like a usual progression could overthrow the moment. It was impossible to completely nail down a decent stint of circular breathing with fast and heavy pressure against her lips. Three days apart felt like much longer, and amidst those six hours of separation Lucy had to wonder just how many days had racked up for the girl who lived so uncontrollably in the past. How many instances repeated themselves and felt like real life. Three days might as well have been three weeks for all she knew.

And her cheeks felt cool, quickly. Like there was a kind of wavelength between them. It never really dawned on her just how big a player she was in a game like this.

As those familiar hands tracked across her form, she felt her own tighten instinctively before moving to drag around her waist. Lifting away wasn't an option now, even as she took steps backwards with her when prompted.

The only thing that could and did stall her was the sound of an unfamiliar voice from down the hallway, bellowing out with a type of warning. Eyebrows furrowed, but a new brand of instincts forced her hands away incredibly quickly, her mouth in tow as she leaned back shy of the necessary contact. Still, those hands were fast to press to her cheeks instead, thumbs brushing beneath her eyes to catch whatever remained to her skin from the outburst she was sure she felt.

"Yeah." She finally replied, doing her best not to sound remotely disgruntled by the sudden cut off.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The sudden sound of her father's voice forced dark eyes to snap open with surprise. Of her parents, he spoke out of courtesy. He had no desire to see what was inevitably happening around the corner, as did the youngest Blaise wish to be seen with her counterpart. Before she could make a definite move herself, she felt the way Lucy pulled away, ripping the air from her lungs with a sharp exhale.

However, familiar hands were making contact again, and it was when then that her mind fully caught up to the tears that lined her eyes. Quick to try and catch her breath, she inhaled sharply, jaw clenching as she heard the footsteps her parents took to great them now that they were sure it was safe to do so. Even with reddened eyes, she reached up to take Lucy's hand, lips brushing her knuckles as she eased her hand down, twisting her wrist to intertwine their fingers.

As disgruntled as Lucy might have sounded, it was better that she did rather than Penny herself. Still, she turned to see her parents come close, Michael behind them smiling warmly. Unlike their daughter, the Blaise family didn't look through people, three sets of eyes focused on the Australian they had met only once before. The one they weren't positive existed in Penny's life as fully as she spoke of her, until now.

"It's a pleasure." The head of the Blaise household spoke, carrying the accent both their children carried. Although she didn't extend her hand, Jonathan Blaise did offered his own in a friendly manner.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

The definite positive to a forced interjected was that Lucy could finally get a decent look at her counterpart. Of course, nothing about her was any different; a few days apart wasn't going to change a thing, but the ink manipulator was always one to want to look when she could. She was just as quick to rid her skin of the tears she unknowingly displayed, because the obvious stress that lined the moment wasn't something to show anyone, let alone everyone in the house.

Footsteps made all the difference; the stoic nature of her features were already catching up to her under the threat of secondary eyes. Her hand was quickly taken, and she didn't fight the movement in the slightest. Rather, she held that interlocked hand tightly, offering a definite squeeze for the obvious nerves.

Lucy felt her back straighten instinctively now that unfamiliar eyes were clearly on her. A slow breath in and she felt her attention spike in a new direction. It was never easy to get people to like her, and truth be told she never really cared. She'd shattered her first attempt at a first impression before she even knew she was making it. Or perhaps given the way their cultures aligned, it was a little expected.

Nevertheless, she offered her free hand anyway. Difficult as it was, there was no way she was going to let go now.

"Yeah, sorry to spring it on you," She replied, despite the fact that it had never come into question in the first place, "Spur of the moment sorta trip."

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The moment a her family's eyes were on her - or more, her counterpart - Penny had all but recovered from the tears she earlier shed. A sharp inhale through her nose, and she was back on track, focused on providing as much comfort for her counterpart as possible. A squeeze of her hand, thumb brushing over her skin lightly, and while everyone looked, so did she. Her gaze traveled down the Austalian's form, caught at the line of a skirt she only knew Lucy owned from organizing her closet. As for seeing her actually wear it? A first.

She wore it well.

Before Anna Blaise could open her mouth, Jonathan was quick to reply as he firmly shook Lucy's hand. "Oh, it's quite alright!" He said as reassuringly as possible. "We're happy to have you here." And he truly looked it, even while standing next to his stiff wife.

Penny felt the corner of her mouth pull upward slightly. For once, her father was taking the reins, and he was a far gentler creature than her mother was. Still, she didn't look to them as her gaze fixed back on her counterpart, looking to insure that every details was still in perfect place as she left it three days ago.

"Here, let me help bring your things into our guest room." At least, until her mother spoke. Penny's eyes immediately widened with alarm, her hold on her fiancée's hand tightening on instinct as her lips pursed tightly together, expression quick to change from that of surprise to one of distaste.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

A quick shake of her hand and Lucy had it back again; that hand made its way to the strap of her bag instinctively. Something to hold onto was the easiest way to keep her hands in check. And registering all the people around her was the easiest way to keep her eyes forward.

For whatever reason, Lucy had assumed there would be no argument as to where she slept. She spent every available night with her counterpart as it was, and surely it wasn't such a stretch to assume that would be the norm. Her eyebrows shot up with her own surprise, and she was too engulfed at wearing the expression to let it sour like the face beside her had.

"Okay," Lucy finally conceded, because what else was she supposed to say?it wasn't as if she could announce how she'd prefer things to go; really, she'd already made it clear where her interests landed when she shouted them in front of a crowd - her parents included - at last year's graduation. "This is all I've got, so," Her free hand gave a small tug to the strap over her shoulder instinctively.

And instead, she looked to the psychometrist with a turn of her head; "Show me where?"

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Like her counterpart, Penny had assumed that Lucy would be resting in no place other than her bedroom - if resting at all. It was a sharp moved pulled by her mother, surely she must have forgotten to mention it to her daughter before then, knowing well that an argument would have spurred up were they in private. Penny's jaw clenched as she stared down her mother, lips pressed together tightly to keep herself from speaking out, especially as her counterpart agreed to the request.

However, the turn of Lucy's head caught the corner of Penny's eye, and she immediately looked back. Her strained features were quick to soften under her dark eyes. "Of course." She replied in a polite tone, yet quick enough to beat her mother to the punch. With a step, she gave Lucy's hand a light tug to direct her towards a staircase. Not even glancing to the family she was leaving behind, the Brit took the first step. "We'll be down in a bit." Just how long? She didn't offer.

Up the staircase and to the left was the small guest bedroom they had. Often used for randoms storage, her mother must have gotten it ready while Penny was off with her father. Relatively blank, the bed was made nicely, as was there a set of towels put out for her on the side. Penny swung open the door wide, allowing Lucy to step in first, never letting go of her hand before she closed the door behind her.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Lucy was relatively adept at thinking on the fly. The offer was completely sanitary; clean as she could make it with a blank enough expression. If anyone was going to take her to a bedroom, it was obvious where her preference stood. And why not? Technically, she was a guest at her request.

"Cheers." Was all the Australian could offer before she took the following steps to keep herself close. An undisclosed amount of time was still a dangerous play to make, but without a call against it she kept her mouth shut. Though rarely one to maintain silence, she managed perfectly as she made her way up the stairs towards the unfamiliar room in question. Small steps brought her into the room first. True to form, Lucy took the space in for what it was, the concept of staring cut short by the way the door closed behind them. The sound radiated through her mentality, forcing her to turn on a step and drop her belongings in the same motion.

"Penny."

A small, exhausted breath passed her lips as her shoulders fell with the act. Her hands were quick to curl around her wrists, guiding those hands back to her own form where they so rightly belonged. Because at first, and clear enough, it was important to remind her of who physically stood before her.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

The sound of the latch of the door dragged an immediate sigh of relief from Penny's lungs. A wall between her family and them. A sense of entirely needed privacy. Before she could reach for Lucy, familiar hands worked to pull her own back to her form. Fingertips guided across the seam of her shirt before her palms pressed flat against the material. Her distracted mind didn't have time to think of what hadn't happened through the contact, too caught up in the Australian standing before her.

She was here. Real as the accent that curled so perfectly around the name only she had the right to call her by.

Air stalled in her throat, refusing to release as her eyes shifted down across her counterpart's form. Not just to the different clothes she wore, but to all of her. Everything she could drink up with a pass of her gaze. "You're here." She said finally, curling trembling fingers into the material of her shirt, finally managing to let go of that broken breath.

Stepping through the remaining distance, she kissed her. Lips barely brushed her counterpart's, and despite the need for contact she kept light pressure, choosing to savor the Australian who drove six hours to get here.

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Softer lips grazed her own, a stark contrast to the heavy pressure she had been offering before, but Lucy took it willingly. There was an important sense of establishment to the way Penny chose to make contact. Her own hands finally reached out, shifting across her waist to find comfort in the small of her back. Slow building pressure eased her in even closer, as if there was any distance left to breach in the first place.

Those moments, however fleeting they might have been, were too important to waste. Despite that importance, the temptation to push too quickly was still at large.

The unfortunate thing was then that the need to breathe was paramount. Severing contact was hardly in their best interest, but Lucy forced it all the same. Still, she didn't stray far, the tip of her nose brushing across hers instinctively instead.

"I gotta stay here?" She asked, and while she knew it wasn't Penny's choice, she could still practically whine about it all the same.

[Penelope Serrano-Blaise]

Even with her own need to breathe, the space between them felt like too much. She had no right to complain about an inch when it could have easily been miles - when it had been miles only hours before. Lucy's nose brushed her own, and the Brit almost wished to laugh. Instead, her smile grew as she breathed in, arms circling up around Lucy's shoulders.

"I didn't know she planned this." Penny admitted with a wave of defeat, although she was hardly about to let this one go. "I'll work something out." She reasoned within the next moment. There were options; the trick was just to narrow it down and find the right one to insure she would be able to sleep soundly that night.

Quickly, she kissed Lucy again because she could. Because she was here. But she was quick to draw away only to bring up the point nagging int he back of her mind. "I tried to get them to leave." Penny pointed out, eyes shutting as her hands curled into dark locks. "They're impossible to move."

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

A smile from Penelope Blaise was a complete rarity for anyone but Lucy Serrano. But just because she was used to it didn't mean it lost its charm in the slightest; nor did it lose the way it forced her own to grow. She missed her terribly over that short amount of time, and so sleeping apart felt like felt like a disaster. But perhaps it was time to at least try to look on the brighter side of things.

At least she was there.

And then, it took a turn, small as it was. Lucy believed he counterpart had tried her best to rid the moment of anyone else, but of course it would never go so easily. They'd hardly met the ink manipulator; the opportunity to do so wasn't something to be taken lightly.

"How long have I been gone?" Lucy asked, her tone clear that she was worried for the question, "For you, I mean."

But just as quickly as she offered it, she seemed to take it back by pressing her lips to hers instinctively. "Don't worry about it-" Another press of her lips to try and seal the potential answer away, "I don't need to know."