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Determined steps were quickly bringing them closer to the hotel - by then, the psychometrist had eyes on the tall building. She squeezed the hand she held - at least her love was smart enough to know that she wasn't in any shape to drive, and at least they were close. She only came to a halt at the crosswalk of a busy intersection, waiting for the light to change, and only then did she dare to look back at the ink manipulator.
It was hard to tear her eyes away once they landed on her, though she managed to in favor of catching her lips again, free hand moving behind Lucy's neck to pull her in close with a little too much force.
It barely even registered to the psychometrist that she had cursed, her focus instead landing on the ink manipulator and the dilemma at hand. "Come on." She settled with as an answer, shifting to take hold of Lucy's hand like a lifeline.
It wasn't far, and instead of making her way towards the car, she chose instead for the road. "It'd take just as much time to get to the car and drive." Though her thoughts were drifting towards the privacy a car provided.
The cold air did nothing to sober Penny up; her breath was colored white as she exhaled heavily and walked with brisk steps. It wasn't far. Within walking distance because the psychometrist calculated every possible situation they would be put in, including the inability to drive by the time they left the restaurant.
But teeth sunk into her ear and she seethed, eyes drawing shut as she faltered in her steps for a moment. Because she was always too much. And that was hardly a bad thing, but it made doing just about anything else nearly impossible.
"Fuck." And there it was - the only thing to get Penny to drop a curse from usually poised lips. Alcohol worked well to make her reconsider her harsh opinions on cursing. "We can't drive."
She had began to slip on her jacket when Lucy approached her, and with just one arm in a sleeve, she already abandoned the mission to put it on in that moment, because familiar, loving hands were reaching for her, and there wasn't an ounce of hesitation in the psychometrist when she met her halfway. Arms looped around the ink manipulator's shoulders, keeping her close as they kissed.
Likely drawn out too long given their setting, Penny hadn't cared. If anything, it was a confirmation of what was to come later that night. Nails ran down the length of Lucy's form, already wishing that they could catch skin.
The server returned, and his attitude had yet to get any better. Penny's lips pursed when she had to peel herself away from the Australian, only to scribble a on the bill. A flat line through the tip was proof enough that she hadn't liked him, either. "Come on." She replied on a heated breath, sounding far more like an order than a request.
The server hadn't even the time to get the plates on the table before the credit card appeared and stopped him mid-tracks. Penny heard but ignored the frustrated sigh he didn't try to hide, instead tipping her own glass back to finish the contents. Even if it was something she preferred over beer, the amount taken to finish it off caused her nose to crinkle.
This time, she didn't bother trying to correct the ink manipulator on her language. Her own patience was dwindling, though not with her wife's choice of language, but with her desire to leave and find proper privacy they hadn't had in months too long, mostly due to her own stubbornness. A fault she wasn't ready yet to admit outside. She already started to push herself up to stand, reaching for her purse and coat.
A nickname that was slowly starting to grow more familiar had Penny letting out a sigh. It was so like her love to put on an ultimatum like this, and even if Penny should have learned to be more lax around the subject of swearing due to Lucy's outstanding behavior in front of their son, she struggled to let old habits die.
Reaching down, the psychometrist dove into her purse, and although she could have easily reached for her cellphone, she bypassed it in favor of her wallet. Securing a plastic card, it was pressed to the table top with perfect timing for the waiter to be bringing them their meals. "Box those up." Dark eyes barely gave him time before they were looking at her wife again. "We're leaving."
This was the first time in almost a year that Penny had a significant amount of alcohol, and with the amount she'd already consumed in the short amount of time they'd been sitting at a table, Penny was well aware of the effects, though her ability to care dropped significantly. Fingertips drummed against the table top as she listened through an explanation she didn't quite have the patience for.
"Lucy," she tried, though she had to give in a little. Words came a little too easy for her. "I don't recall too many moments where you could keep quiet."
And like that, the clear liquid was completely gone from the glass in front of her. It seemed very obvious why gin didn't suit the Australian then, because she downed it all in one go. The effects would likely wear in more quickly than not. Like a trade, Penny reached for the bottle that had been placed down for her, and she pressed it to her lips as the hoppy liquid immediately made her clench her jaw.
She thought it was obvious that she gave the ink manipulator enough curses for one night. Apparently it wasn't so with the response she was offered. The Brit let out a harsh sigh. "Do you really believe that is a valid question?" Because the answer was obvious.
Penny didn't do surprises well, but there was the humor that came along with throwing Lucy for a loop. She was often the expert at throwing Penny off guard. On the rare occasion that Penny could take advantage of a moment, she would absolutely take it. Because the reaction given was absolutely worth it. Humor lit her eyes up as they followed the hand that reached for the glass, watching how the Australian finally took a drink of the alcohol she swore would mess her up.
"Language." Penny finally stepped in, given that it was the ink manipulator's third strike within a series of seconds, but the alcohol in her system already made it hard to keep pursed lips. The smile crept up too easily, given those who knew Penny at all.
Penny waited, because at certain times she could be surprisingly patient, especially when it came to allowing Lucy to put together certain pieces of a puzzle laid out for her. Really, she wasn't sure if the ink manipulator would pick up on it at all - and she would be happy to let events fall through as if they had never been meticulously planned in the first place.
But here it was. A curse and a statement. No, make that two curses and statements. The liquid that burned down her throat did do everything to ease any possible anxiety of leaving their son for a night. She even let out a laugh, or as close of a laugh as Penny could.
Without the ability to catch the Australian's gaze, it was easier to say. The moment she looked up, however, Penny felt that initial struggle to breathe again. The air halted in her lungs, burning as it remained stagnant for a few extra moments. She knew the ink manipulator caught her words, and she had no intention on repeating them. Instead, her lips pursed together into a tight, thin line.
And it was then that the proposal was dismissed. Her eyebrows shot upward, and she blinked, dark eyes growing wide as she focused back on her wife. "What better am I to our son if I'm intoxicated?" Penny asked honestly, holding the glass to her lips to take another sip of the drink.
It had taken a moment to realize the connection between her first question and her second one. The squeeze of her hand had Penny's grip tightening on instinct, eyes growing wide as she recognized the repercussions of her decision to have Michael look after their son at home. Lips pursed into a thin, hardened line. She wasn't one to admit to a mistake, and though she didn't verbalize it, the look on her face must have given it away.
Slowly, her tongue breached the line of her lips, allowing them to part as she cleared her throat. "There's a hotel not far from here." Her eyes flicked downwards briefly, before she squeezed the ink manipulator's hand in return.
Her attention was continuously drawn to the pull of ink at her finger. The sensation was always something to get used to, it made her heart race every time. The ink manipulator truly knew how to call to Penny on every level, and it worked so well.
"Hmm?" Dark eyes looked up, eyebrows twitching upwards at the question that seemed to have an obvious answer to the Brit. "Everything is there." Food. Diapers. His crib. Never had it occurred to Penny to think to ship off her son to Michael's home. "His house isn't baby proof." Penny had spent nine months prepping to insure their home would be perfect for a child.
It would have been cruel treatment to deny her love the same way she herself had been, but it also would have been entirely fair. There was only so much willpower the psychometrist held when an offer was placed in front of her by her wife. There hadn't even been a hesitation of thought from her before she had taken her hand, and acute attention was quick to pick up the wavering breath that escaped Lucy's lips. It shook her; she felt it in her own lungs as she sucked in a slow breath.
When she lost the ink manipulator's eyes, she still stared, at least for a few more moments. The small path fingertips traced against her hand burned as if fire had set a trail to them. She felt the draw of twitch as it awoke from its slumber on her finger.
Mimicking her wife's movements, Penny drew her glass up to her lips again, already feeling the heavy alcohol content swirl in her veins.
It seemed like a stalemate for something that made no sense. The psychometrist sighed a she kept her distance, because she had tried to reach out earlier, and was promptly denied. It spoke loudly from the ink manipulator, even if she hadn't intended it to be so. She wouldn't be the first to attempt any sort of contact again. And for it, a silence fell between them. It surprised Penny not to hear something witty out of her love's mouth.
It surprised her a little bit more to see her hand outstretched. Dark eyes focused on the palm in front of her, and then to those dark eyes that could be just as expressive as any set of clever words. She lifted her own hand, meeting Lucy in the middle of the table as her fingers curling around her hand, offering a gentle squeeze before settling in her palm.
