TBBT Fic Penny Amy: An Alternative Review of Biological Imperatives
Title: An Alternative Review of Biological Imperatives
Author: black_panda_ops
Rating: NC 17
Warnings: I don't think so
Pairing: Penny and Amy
Summary: Amy seeks guidance from Penny and science in an effort to improve her love life.
Word Count: 5,518
Disclaimer:I don't own any characters from the Big Bang and I fail to cite my sources for the biology. I seek no profit from their use, only the chance to have a little fun.
Thank to weasleytook for very supportive beta reading. Any remaining grammatical problems I probably introduced in the final tweak. Thanks also to excelaunt for the encouragement and the funniest joke in the story.
Penny wasn’t quite sure when she had actually started looking forward to Wednesday Pedicure Night. Here she was though, slightly toasted with Amy’s bare toes in her lap. Her foot was warm and still damp from the soak. Bernadette was explaining something about retroviral vectors and rabies vaccine to Amy. Penny only half listened as she brushed the polish onto Amy’s big toe with careful strokes. Bernadette’s voice was always cheery as long as Penny didn’t listen too closely.
“Howard says my lab is the reason he started reading Sheldon’s Zombie Apocalypse plans again," Bernadette finished with a giggle. Penny hadn’t touched her copy of the plans. She figured there would be a Power Point sooner or later.
“Other foot, Amy,” Penny ordered, “You’ll want to look sharp for the undead hoards.”
Amy switched out her feet obediently, but frowned slightly at the reference. “I really don’t like the term ‘undead’. If something is not dead then it was either inanimate to start with, or it’s alive.”
Penny smiled slightly. She really must hate that cat the boys were always going on about.
“I still have a pulse, I guess that makes me undead then,” Bernadette mused, “Oh, I do think that color is cute. Maybe I’ll do plum next week.”
“It would look good with those silver strappy sandals.”
“You don’t think it would be too much?”
“I don’t have any open-toed shoes,” Amy interjected. Penny was unsurprised.
“Huh, is that so?” Penny replied. She wiped some stray polish off the side of Amy’s little toe. There was very little nail on that piggy, so it tended to be a challenge to keep it neat.
“Yes. Closed toe shoes offer slightly better protection if you drop something sharp, like a scalpel.”
Bernadette nodded in agreement. “It also slows down flesh eating bacteria.”
Penny felt bringing up spilling hot soup might be somewhat anticlimactic at this point. She just nodded. Bernadette rose and walked to the kitchen counter where she picked up a knife and sliced a couple more wedges off the lime, dropping them into the pitcher.
“I think I’d like some new shoes.” Amy stated. She shifted her position on the soft, sitting up a bit more upright, if that was possible. “What kind would be good for dancing? I’ve decided I’d like to go out again and wear cute shoes. It’s what girls do.”
“Is it? I forget.” Penny said as she held Amy’s foot a touch more firmly. She was getting downright wiggly. Bernadette was never this wiggly, and one would thing she would be the bouncy one. “Mostly these days I find myself discussing the zombie apocalypse.”
“Dancing was fun,” Bernadette bubbled. She refilled her own glass from the pitcher, then walked over to refill Penny’s on the coffee table. Amy needlessly covered her cup with a hand. Sitting back down, Bernadette leaned forward, hands on her knees. “Should we go someplace new? I kind of want to check out Zero.”
“Oh excellent!” Amy replied. “My research assistant told me that was a flesh market. I believe that means it’s also a good place to meet people for sexual congress.”
Penny didn’t know why she was surprised at anything Amy said anymore, but her jaw hung a bit slack and she just kept staring.
Amy continued, “I’d like to watch you pick up strangers again, Penny. As you recall, I took extensive notes last time. But I still have several points I’d like to clarify before I attempt it myself.”
Penny remembered. She was sure that’s why she came back alone. She couldn’t help but wonder what Amy made of the conversations.
“Uh… What, wait,” Penny replied, “Why do you want to pick up a guy? You have a guy. Well, Sheldon.”
“Sheldon is my friend. He is not…”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard. But I thought you two were spending more time together. In person, even.”
“We get along quite well. Most of the time. But it’s not a sexual relationship.”
Penny exchanged a glance with Bernadette before venturing, “OK, I’m going to regret asking this.”
“Then don’t.” Amy suggested. “I’ll say it for you. Will that help?”
It probably wouldn’t, but Amy continued before Penny could respond.
“I’ve been increasingly distracted by sexual feelings recently. It’s interfering with other activities.”
“They’ll do that,” Penny admitted, putting down the polish and picked up her margarita before continuing, “The thing is Amy, I’m not sure it would work out the way you expect. I think you’d like it better with a guy you knew, that you cared about. Usually.”
This was assuming a lot, based on the robotic interactions she’d seen, but she suspected hearts beat unheard in those tin chests still.
“Sometimes seducing your boyfriend is harder than you might guess, though,” Bernadette offered quietly.
“Precisely. Sheldon was my original thought as well. Research does indicate that common interests and attitudes correlate strongly with long-term romantic attachment. He is sympathetic, but has encouraged me to look elsewhere for sexual gratification.”
Ouch. Penny winced. That sounded like Sheldon. The silence stretched awkwardly a few moments before Amy continued, nonchalantly, “Could you finish my toes, Penny? They don’t match. That bothers me.”
She picked up the polish again and wiped off the excess on the lip of the bottle.
“Are we still going dancing Saturday?” Bernadette asked.
“Absolutely,” Penny replied, bending over Amy’s foot, “But Amy is going to need to buy open-toed shoes first.”
Penny stifled a laugh when Amy showed up Saturday afternoon with research citations for their shopping trip. Apparently, studies indicated that men from Western cultures preferred women with a 0.7 waist to hip ratio. Amy had decided she needed something a little closer fitting to go with her new shoes.
Shopping with Amy was weird, but more fun than Penny might have thought. Penny had to redirect her from all the wrong stores. Amy lectured her on how red seemed to hard wired to be the color of reward for most primates, from foods to sexual signaling. Despite this, Amy instinctively found every purple plaid in whatever section they visited. She also had a very hard time letting go of sweaters with horizontal stripes. However, she understood the logic of substituting a little shrug or skirt with a higher waist, given an explanation. Penny found it harder to sell her on wrapped shirts though, as visual symmetry was highly sought after in research studies of attractiveness.
On the whole, Penny felt like a fashion genius basking in Amy’s enthusiasm for her suggestions. Amy wasn’t centerfold or runway model material, but her figure was cute in the right clothes.
At the end of the afternoon, they were loaded down with bags when they returned to the building. Amy was detailing the difference between panniers and bustles. Despite not having a clue about where to shop in this century, she seemed to have an extensive knowledge of historical underwear trends. It was then Penny started wondering what Amy would look like with her hair up. It just seemed like if the woman was going to talk like an encyclopedia, the sexy librarian look might be worth exploring.
Amy looked down at her new blouse and tried to pull the collar up a bit, frowning as she queried, “So despite the statistics indicating common preferences for long hair, you are saying if a woman wears her hair up, it will be intriguing to think about taking it down”
“Bingo!” Penny said. “And you look good. Leave it alone.”
She motioned Amy to a stool at the kitchen bar.
“And does this ‘Cosmo’ journal do a lot of these studies?”
“Oh sure, they do all kinds of polls.” Penny dashed into her bedroom to grab a brush, and hunt for hairpins.
“I did read a peer reviewed study that indicated that men chose women wearing hair gloss over women without. It seems like a classic situation of sexual selection. A poorly nourished individual might have drier, less healthy hair. So, the initial preference might be adaptive from a natural selection standpoint.”
“Mmm hmm,” Penny mumbled as she came up behind Amy to brush her hair. It was shiny and soft as it slid against her fingers. That was probably because she didn’t do much to it, product wise. Penny was always rescuing her own hair from dye jobs and blow dryer damage.
“Over time as the genes responsible for preference grow prevalent in the population, it confers a competitive advantage to the shiny haired offspring. They find it easier to mate with shine-preferring peers. They then pass on that preference to another generation and also attractive hair.”
“Uh, so people use conditioner so their grandkids can get laid?” Penny gathered Amy’s hair up in a ponytail then folded it over and twisted. She began tucking and securing the ends under the roll. As she leaned close, she noticed that Amy’s hair smelled fresh. Penny stifled a smile at the memory telling Amy something similar when they first met, only to be met with the complaint that the compliment would mean a lot more from a homosexual.
“In theory, yes. You’re right to be skeptical though. It is somewhat tautological speculation in this case. I can’t imagine anyone has done any studies to check if women who use hair gloss actually do have more offspring.”
“Yeah, can’t help you there. Cosmo doesn’t do a lot about kids.”
A strand of Amy’s hair kept escaping. It was too straight to look right that way. She brushed her fingers along the back of Amy’s neck she recaptured the lock. Amy squirmed a little and caught her breath.
“Ticklish?”
“It seems so.”
Penny had an urge to tickle the back of her friend’s neck again, but held her hands steady.
“That’s kind of interesting, about the genes,” Penny was a bit surprised that she meant it. “But just a tip. Talking about offspring is generally a turn off for many guys. They might feel pressured.”
“Duly noted.”
Penny looked at her work. The French Twist was neat, and Amy’s exposed neck looked smooth and elegant. As Penny spun the stool around, she noticed the hollows of Amy’s neck. The shirt was a little low cut. She could see the beginning of the swell of Amy’s breasts. She brought her eyes up quickly. It really had been a long time if a dry discussion of evolutionary biology and an updo caused her to check out a woman, especially this one.
“You look pretty,” She managed to say conversationally. Amy beamed.
“Thank you, Penny,” Amy said slipping off the stool. Her skirt hitched up, and Penny looked away from the curve of her leg. “As grooming is one of the key social bonding behaviors in primate species, it means a lot to me that you wanted to fix my hair.”
Then Amy reached out and put her hand on Penny’s breast. Penny jumped at the touch and stepped back immediately. She flushed and crossed her arms over her chest until she noticed Amy’s puzzled expression. The shorter woman calmly raised the stray hair she had pulled from Penny’s camisole to show her. Penny let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, and felt her pulse slow to a more normal rate.
“Sorry,” Amy apologized, “I just wanted to return the favor, Bestie.”
Penny asked herself how she had ever gotten so used to Amy that this seemed perfectly reasonable. What was stranger yet, was to find it oddly disappointing.
“Wow, she really can not dance,” Penny shouted in Bernadette’s ear.
“She’s very enthusiastic.”
The other people on the floor were giving Amy a wide berth as she jerked and spasmed in an alarming fashion. Her hair had fallen down in places, and Penny wondered if it was safe to come close and remove the remaining pins. It might help with the appearance of sanity.
“I’m afraid she’s going to hurt herself or others. You are a caring adult? Right? I just thought I should talk to one.”
Bernadette giggled. “You know where she learned to dance like that, right?”
“Some sort of lab accident?”
“No, from watching you, silly.”
Penny felt taken aback by the comment. Then she realized she had a smaller, but similar circle of personal space surrounding her. “I do not dance like that. Do I?”
“Not exactly, but a bit. You’re very enthusiastic.”
“But I get a lot of compliments…”
“From?”
“Yeah, mostly guys who are trying to pick me up.” Penny stopped moving and stood stock-still. “Oh my god. Men suck.”
Bernadette just shrugged and did a little twirl. Penny barely moved, swaying slightly as she watched Bernadette, who did not move like an epileptic.
A deep voice started Penny, “Can you show me how to do that step?”
She turned her head to the guy. He really wasn’t half bad looking, but that had been the wrong thing to say.
“You’re kidding me.” Never mind that five minutes ago she would have been happy to help a cute guy with such a request. Now she knew.
“No, really I don’t usually dance, and my buddy wandered off so…” That puppy look was a little too practiced.
“Just not tonight, Okay. I’m with friends, and I’m not in the mood.”
“Oh I totally understand. Just give me your number and…”
“Yeah, sorry, just no.” She insisted. He shrugged and disappeared into the crowd.
“Night Bernadette!”
“Good night guys,” She replied, sliding out of the car seat. “We should do this again. Maybe a different club next time.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Penny twisted her head towards the backseat. “Hey Amy, get up here. Don’t make me feel like your chauffeur.”
Amy walked around and slid into the front seat. Penny waited until Bernadette was inside, and then pulled away.
“You seemed to enjoy yourself, but I bet you are tired.”
“I did and I am.” Amy chirped, “It’s a bit of an endorphin cocktail, isn’t it? What with the exercise, the music, and the social interaction?”
“If you say so.” Penny thought endorphins were the runner’s high thing, but she wasn’t quite sure.
“Did you not have a good time?” Amy asked with a note of concern. She looked so serious as she continued, “I see you haven’t brought anyone home, but in the crowd I didn’t see if you gave out your number or got one.”
“Oh I had fun.” Well, until she learned she’d been dancing like an idiot for years, she thought. “But nope, I didn’t meet anyone. I just haven’t been in the mood.”
No big deal. Sure, it had been a while, but it was really no big deal. She consciously loosened her grip on the wheel. And she’d been in the mood earlier, when it was only awkward. Her timing was just wacky. It would work itself out in time, she hoped.
“Understandable. You’re still not over Leonard, yet you run into him constantly. People in love generally have higher oxytocin levels. There is evidence to suggest that oxytocin serves to dampen arousal with other potential partners. It may be a lingering effect.”
Amy patted Penny’s shoulder sympathetically, if a bit awkwardly.
“Yeah, I’m not sure about that.”
“Depression would also explain it. We could hook the electrodes up and discuss your waitressing career and love life and see what spikes the readings.”
“I enjoy a little mystery.”
“Of course.”
“What about your social experiment? How did that go?” Penny had been surprised to see a few guys brave the safety perimeter to approach Amy.
“Oh not at all well,” Amy chirped. “One of the guys who talked to me explained he was going to buy a cabin in the country and get a black panther and white leopard to hunt game to feed him. No form of birth control is 100% reliable. So I’d prefer not to have sex with men suffering from mental illness or crippling stupidity.”
Penny laughed. “Probably a good idea.”
“I enjoyed the attention though. Amazing what a difference open-toed shoes make.”
Penny snorted and glanced over. Amy was smiling. She was as animated as Penny had ever seen her. She really did look her best tonight. “I don’t think they were looking at your shoes.”
“But one of them…”
“Never mind. You’re right. They are cute.” She gave her friend an encouraging smile. “You look very pretty, tonight.”
“Thank you. So do you. But you always look beautiful, so I imagine you are much more habituated to the attention.”
Penny didn’t know what to say to that, but it was always nice to hear she looked beautiful. She hadn’t heard that in a while, actually.
Amy’s comment had distracted her and she suddenly realized she was about to drive past the turn to Amy’s house. Penny had to swerve drastically to make the turn in time. Oops.
“Penny! I should have checked earlier, are you sober enough to drive?” There was a tinge of alarm in Amy’s tone. She had even grabbed the bar above the door. “If you can give me a drink count and your current bodyweight we can calculate…”
“I’m fine, Amy. Relax.” This one was almost as bad of a passenger as Sheldon. She was very rigid.
Penny spotted the next turn and took it very carefully as she spoke again, “Look, we’re almost there anyhow.”
“Yes, but I would still be concerned if you were to have an accident after dropping me off.” Amy insisted.
“I’m fine. I barely had any.” Penny pulled the car along side the curb.
“Less than three? The standard, as I understand it, is a drink an hour.” Amy sounded calmer, but there was a stubborn set to her jaw and a slightly suspicious look on her face.
Penny switched off the ignition, as she feared this might be a long conversation, and turned to her. It was dark; just a little light from a streetlamp, but Penny locked eyes with her, and slowly insisted, “Amy, I’m fine to drive. I just missed the turn. I always drive like this.”
“That’s not as reassuring as it could be. I also notice you haven’t answered my question. Usually that is a tactic for misdirection.” Amy looked stubborn, but very earnest in her concern. She really could be absurdly adorable.
“You’re sweet,” Penny said, putting a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “Paranoid, and stubborn, but very sweet.”
Then without really thinking about it, Penny leaned over to kiss her.
Amy startled a little bit, but only a little as Penny bent towards her. Then she turned her head to meet the kiss. Penny wasn’t sure if she had meant to kiss Amy on the cheek or something. She just acted on instinct. Maybe she was a little tipsy after all. As their lips pressed together though, she was glad, mistake or not. It had been way too long since she’d kissed anyone, and Amy’s mouth was too soft and warm against hers to regret it. Amy brushed her mouth softly across Penny’s bottom lip. There really could be no mistaking their meaning anymore. She let her own lips part. Her tongue was tentative. Amy’s response was not. It was slick and hot, and Penny suddenly thought this was too much, too fast, especially when she didn’t even know what had made her kiss her. She pushed away for a moment and looked at Amy.
Amy’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes shut, but they flew open to meet Penny’s as she drew away. Amy looked concerned, so serious. It was ridiculous, but Penny couldn’t help think how cute it made Amy look. “Relax” Penny whispered, uncertain if the advice was really for Amy or more for herself. She closed her eyes as she returned her mouth to Amy’s. The kiss was more leisurely, slower. Penny herself grew more urgent, sliding her hand up into satin smooth hair. She liked the feel her fingers tangled in the strands. She could smell the scent of Amy’s shampoo again, and she wanted to kiss her way along Amy’s jaw and bury her head in that hair. Instead, she felt Amy pull back, and she let out a little sigh.
Amy looked a little glazed, and a lot confused. She seemed to be thinking very hard about something. Then she grabbed Penny’s keys from the ignition. “I’ll call you a cab.” She intoned, “Or you can sleep on the fold out. I don’t think you should be driving.”
“I am not…” Penny started to insist, and then she just let out her breath with a hiss. She didn’t feel drunk, didn’t think she was slurring words or anything. Still, she had to admit she had done this sort of thing with guys after a few too many. She gave in, whispering, “Okay.”
She didn’t want to pay for a cab, but she agreed to have some coffee and wait an hour before driving. It seemed easier than trying to pinpoint just when and how she decided kissing Amy would be a good idea.
Penny had never been inside Amy’s apartment. It was orderly, a bit sterile. Her coffee was abysmal. After a few stray remarks about several different kinds of nothing, with each of them perched at the far ends of the room from each other, they lapsed into silence.
“I recorded that Jersey Shore show you were talking about.” Amy ventured after a bit.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Penny plopped down on the couch and Amy joined her. Penny didn’t pay much attention to the show. She doubted her host did either It did save her the necessity of finding something to talk about while they were just inches apart. But it didn’t stop Penny from thinking. She had had two glasses of wine hours ago. She was sure her high school driver’s Ed teacher would be scandalized and lecture her about how any alcohol would have some effect. However, her common sense said she wasn’t stupid drunk, just still slightly buzzed. Things had been a bit more than just friendly with Amy a while, she just hadn’t let it really register. It could be because she was lonely, and missed sex, while Amy had been upfront about being distracted. They’d been hovering around sexual topics all day. Of course, they’d both missed their chances this evening when they’d had them.
Suddenly things clicked into place for Penny. She understood why the conversation seemed to drift that way with Amy more than it ever did with Bernadette. She herself had distracted Amy. She knew Amy was awkward, a bit over friendly, with weird boundaries issues, but she hadn’t seen the crush for what it was. She peeked out the corner of her eye. Amy looked sad, a bit slumped, focusing dead ahead. She was giving Penny every opportunity to dismiss what just happened. Penny had never been a coward or cruel. Even if she didn’t know her own mind, she knew it had to hurt to be dismissed entirely. She was acting as if the prospect was unthinkable, something to be explained away. It was startlingly painful to think of hurting Amy. She picked up the remote and muted the show.
“You’re the first girl I ever kissed that way,” Penny said.
Amy turned her head and looked pointedly at her while Penny continued, “I liked it. I think that’s pretty clear. But I don’t know what to do about that.”
That seemed direct, maybe too direct. But Amy was not great at reading social cues, so Penny went with blunt.
“Thank you, Penny. But I think we’re both aware that altered biochemistry can affect both one’s inhibitions and also one’s interpretations of how pleasurable or emotionally significant…”
“So if you hadn’t had your endorphin cocktail, you wouldn’t have kissed me back?”
“That’s a figure of speech, but it probably did have an impact. Just as the alcohol and the setting, similar to the end of a date, might impact how you reacted.”
Penny made up her mind and rose to her feet. Amy frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Field sobriety test.” She stood on one foot, closed her eyes, and brought one fingertip to her nose then the other. Amy reached into her pocket and handed Penny her keys. Penny slipped them into her own pocket, and sat down.
She hesitated but then looked to Amy and asked, “So have you ever - have you had a girlfriend before?”
“Yes, in undergrad off and on. Other than the sex, it didn’t go very well. She was devoutly religious.”
“Sounds complicated.” Penny really didn’t want to think of how truly complicated this could get. She’d lose her nerve. Penny took Amy’s hand. It was tiny, smaller then her own. Her skin was very smooth and soft. She gave it a squeeze and continued, “Just so long as one of us knows what she’s doing.”
“Does this mean we are doing something?” Amy asked looking down at their clasped hands, “Because, for the record, I am very much in favor of that.”
“Yeah, me too. I think. There really is only one way to find out.”
Penny reached out with her free hand and pulled Amy’s glasses off, setting them on the coffee table.
Amy slowly raised Penny’s other hand in hers and kissed the backs of her fingers one by one. It was oddly formal, but nice. Penny let her hand be turned and Amy kissed down her palm and nipped at the base of her thumb. Penny’s breath felt heavy in her chest with anticipation. Penny traced the smooth line of Amy’s jaw with her fingertips and then over her lips. For all her stiff ways, Amy was not shy. She captured a finger in her mouth. The slipping of warm wet flesh over the pad of her finger tips made Penny hold her breath. Then as Amy released her finger, Penny let the air out in a ragged sigh.
Penny took Amy’s pointed chin in her hands and leaned in to kiss her again. The taste of Amy’s mouth was sweet, and Penny lost herself in the sensation of soft lips and playful tongue. Amy made a small moan, barely audible, and Penny answered with her own. Penny’s heart was beating faster, and she wanted more.
She felt an uncertain shyness about sliding a hand down to cup Amy’s breast, but she wanted to know how it would feel in her hand. It just fit her palm, the point of a stiff nipple evident through the fabric under the hollow of her hand. She felt the weight of the flesh and traced the curve with her fingertips. Amy buried her face in the curve of Penny’s neck and she heard the moan again, a quiet ‘hoo’. Such an odd little noise, but she smiled and gently pinched Amy’s nipple to try see how she could trigger it again. Amy was a little louder this time, signaling success.
Penny was suddenly overwhelmed with a lapful of squirming Amy, a thigh between her own and eager hands at her own breasts. What was with this woman and jumping fences? It was too much too soon again, but her protest was unvoiced against Amy’s eager mouth. Penny pushed on Amy’s shoulders, which felt, insubstantial, almost fragile to her.
“Whoa, time out.” she insisted breathlessly.
“Sorry, I got carried away.”
Amy’s hands fell away abruptly, and she shifted to pull off Penny’s lap. Penny kept her hands firm on Amy’s shoulders and tightened her legs around Amy’s to hold her there. The friction of thigh against thigh seemed to send a signal straight to Penny’s core and she realized how wet she was, and how close that contact was to where it might really count.
“I didn’t say stop: I just need to slow down,” Penny clarified.
“Of course,” Amy assured her. Then she bit her lip and hesitated. She She looked unsure of what slow might mean to Penny and shifted her weight slightly as she settled back down.She shifted her weight slightly as she settled back down. Her thigh nudged slightly higher now. Penny didn’t think Amy meant anything by it, but the sensation was doing little to calm the racing of her heart.
Feeling a bit more decisive, Penny pulled her own shirt up and off, smiling at how Amy’s eyes followed her movements. Still motionless, Amy stared down at Penny’s satin covered breasts with lips slightly parted. Then she returned her eyes to Penny’s.
“Do you mind if I tell you how beautiful I think you are?”
Penny smiled at that and said, “I don’t know why you think anyone would get tired of hearing they are beautiful. It’s just not everything I want to be.”
“Well, then you are breathtaking, and the most vibrant woman I have ever known.”
“Thank you. You are so sweet, and so impossibly earnest. And I think I’d like to get this shirt off you now, please.”
Amy raised her arms to allow Penny to pull the fabric over her head. Penny’s lips curled in delight. Of course, Amy’s bra was lavender. How could she have thought it would be any other color? At least it wasn’t plaid. Instead, it was lacy, with a hint of rose-colored flesh peeking through.
“Didn’t you say earlier that red is the color of reward?”
“Yes”
“You were right.”
The bra was front fastening, so it was quick work for Penny to undo it. Amy’s skin was pale and soft and the pink tips stiff and tempting. She bent to taste the salty skin, suckling and roll her tongue over the nipple. Hoo.
She felt Amy’s fingers fumbling on her back for a moment before her bra loosened. Penny broke away from nuzzling Amy’s breast long enough to help toss the garment aside.
“You okay?” Amy asked, meeting her eyes.
She cupped Penny’s breast and stroked a lazy arc with her thumb.
“Yeah. I am very okay with this.”
“How about this?”
Amy pushed forward until her knee rested just below Penny’s hips and her thigh pressed against her. Penny grinded against her in response and murmured incoherent noises of pleasure.
“More?”
“Oh yes. More”
They rubbed together more determinedly as Penny clung to Amy. Looking down between their bodies, the site of Amy’s bare breast pressed against her own undid Penny. All thoughts of going slow disappeared.
She brushed her lips against Amy’s neck kissing and licking randomly just to taste the salt on her skin. Amy’s scent was stronger now, still overlaid with the fresh perfume of the shampoo but with a muskier undertone. Penny breathed it in headily as she thrust against Amy’s leg, feeling her tension building ever higher as their pace accelerated.
She brought her hands to the curve of Amy’s waist just above the fabric of her skirt. She had no idea what Amy’s waist to hip ratio might be, but it was close enough for her. Penny ran her hands down and took hold of Amy’s buttocks. She was hungry to touch every part of the other woman, and impatient to do it all now. She urged Amy faster as she arched against the delicious pressure.
“Penny…I.. Oh… Don’t tell me to slow down now.”
“I won’t… I can’t either.”
Amy’s rhythm grew erratic, frantic. She leaned against Penny, shaking. Her cries sent Penny hurtling towards her own precipice. Her world narrowed to the sensation between her legs. Then she felt her muscles spasm, buffeting her with a rush of pure joy. She held fast to Amy in that moment of pure bliss, wanting to be in her arms forever.
As their breathing slowed, Amy rested her head against Penny’s shoulder while Penny leaned her cheek against the other woman’s satin smooth hair. They remained motionless for a while, quiet, with the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound. Eventually Amy pulled away, shifting to the edge of the sofa to retrieve her discarded clothes. She put them back on in silence, and then turned to Penny who was just fastening her bra.
“Are you planning to stay? It’s late. I may have pajamas that might fit you.”
Penny pulled her shirt on and remembered the last time she tried to sleep in a bed with Amy and the unfortunate night terrors. The biting was a bit much. She was saved the need to answer by the ring of Amy’s cell phone. Amy frowned and walked over to her purse to retrieve it.
“Hello? Yes, she’s here.”
Amy fell silent for a awhile as she listened before responding, “Just because Howard said she hadn’t gotten back before he left, I don’t see why you would worry, Bernadette. Penny has a history of spending the night in strange places.”
Penny choked a little, however true that might be.
“Do you need to talk to her? No? What? Oh, we were just exploring Penny’s thoughts on homosexuality. Sure, goodnight! ”
Penny buried her face in her hands. Really. What had she gotten herself into?
Author: black_panda_ops
Rating: NC 17
Warnings: I don't think so
Pairing: Penny and Amy
Summary: Amy seeks guidance from Penny and science in an effort to improve her love life.
Word Count: 5,518
Disclaimer:I don't own any characters from the Big Bang and I fail to cite my sources for the biology. I seek no profit from their use, only the chance to have a little fun.
Thank to weasleytook for very supportive beta reading. Any remaining grammatical problems I probably introduced in the final tweak. Thanks also to excelaunt for the encouragement and the funniest joke in the story.
Penny wasn’t quite sure when she had actually started looking forward to Wednesday Pedicure Night. Here she was though, slightly toasted with Amy’s bare toes in her lap. Her foot was warm and still damp from the soak. Bernadette was explaining something about retroviral vectors and rabies vaccine to Amy. Penny only half listened as she brushed the polish onto Amy’s big toe with careful strokes. Bernadette’s voice was always cheery as long as Penny didn’t listen too closely.
“Howard says my lab is the reason he started reading Sheldon’s Zombie Apocalypse plans again," Bernadette finished with a giggle. Penny hadn’t touched her copy of the plans. She figured there would be a Power Point sooner or later.
“Other foot, Amy,” Penny ordered, “You’ll want to look sharp for the undead hoards.”
Amy switched out her feet obediently, but frowned slightly at the reference. “I really don’t like the term ‘undead’. If something is not dead then it was either inanimate to start with, or it’s alive.”
Penny smiled slightly. She really must hate that cat the boys were always going on about.
“I still have a pulse, I guess that makes me undead then,” Bernadette mused, “Oh, I do think that color is cute. Maybe I’ll do plum next week.”
“It would look good with those silver strappy sandals.”
“You don’t think it would be too much?”
“I don’t have any open-toed shoes,” Amy interjected. Penny was unsurprised.
“Huh, is that so?” Penny replied. She wiped some stray polish off the side of Amy’s little toe. There was very little nail on that piggy, so it tended to be a challenge to keep it neat.
“Yes. Closed toe shoes offer slightly better protection if you drop something sharp, like a scalpel.”
Bernadette nodded in agreement. “It also slows down flesh eating bacteria.”
Penny felt bringing up spilling hot soup might be somewhat anticlimactic at this point. She just nodded. Bernadette rose and walked to the kitchen counter where she picked up a knife and sliced a couple more wedges off the lime, dropping them into the pitcher.
“I think I’d like some new shoes.” Amy stated. She shifted her position on the soft, sitting up a bit more upright, if that was possible. “What kind would be good for dancing? I’ve decided I’d like to go out again and wear cute shoes. It’s what girls do.”
“Is it? I forget.” Penny said as she held Amy’s foot a touch more firmly. She was getting downright wiggly. Bernadette was never this wiggly, and one would thing she would be the bouncy one. “Mostly these days I find myself discussing the zombie apocalypse.”
“Dancing was fun,” Bernadette bubbled. She refilled her own glass from the pitcher, then walked over to refill Penny’s on the coffee table. Amy needlessly covered her cup with a hand. Sitting back down, Bernadette leaned forward, hands on her knees. “Should we go someplace new? I kind of want to check out Zero.”
“Oh excellent!” Amy replied. “My research assistant told me that was a flesh market. I believe that means it’s also a good place to meet people for sexual congress.”
Penny didn’t know why she was surprised at anything Amy said anymore, but her jaw hung a bit slack and she just kept staring.
Amy continued, “I’d like to watch you pick up strangers again, Penny. As you recall, I took extensive notes last time. But I still have several points I’d like to clarify before I attempt it myself.”
Penny remembered. She was sure that’s why she came back alone. She couldn’t help but wonder what Amy made of the conversations.
“Uh… What, wait,” Penny replied, “Why do you want to pick up a guy? You have a guy. Well, Sheldon.”
“Sheldon is my friend. He is not…”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard. But I thought you two were spending more time together. In person, even.”
“We get along quite well. Most of the time. But it’s not a sexual relationship.”
Penny exchanged a glance with Bernadette before venturing, “OK, I’m going to regret asking this.”
“Then don’t.” Amy suggested. “I’ll say it for you. Will that help?”
It probably wouldn’t, but Amy continued before Penny could respond.
“I’ve been increasingly distracted by sexual feelings recently. It’s interfering with other activities.”
“They’ll do that,” Penny admitted, putting down the polish and picked up her margarita before continuing, “The thing is Amy, I’m not sure it would work out the way you expect. I think you’d like it better with a guy you knew, that you cared about. Usually.”
This was assuming a lot, based on the robotic interactions she’d seen, but she suspected hearts beat unheard in those tin chests still.
“Sometimes seducing your boyfriend is harder than you might guess, though,” Bernadette offered quietly.
“Precisely. Sheldon was my original thought as well. Research does indicate that common interests and attitudes correlate strongly with long-term romantic attachment. He is sympathetic, but has encouraged me to look elsewhere for sexual gratification.”
Ouch. Penny winced. That sounded like Sheldon. The silence stretched awkwardly a few moments before Amy continued, nonchalantly, “Could you finish my toes, Penny? They don’t match. That bothers me.”
She picked up the polish again and wiped off the excess on the lip of the bottle.
“Are we still going dancing Saturday?” Bernadette asked.
“Absolutely,” Penny replied, bending over Amy’s foot, “But Amy is going to need to buy open-toed shoes first.”
Penny stifled a laugh when Amy showed up Saturday afternoon with research citations for their shopping trip. Apparently, studies indicated that men from Western cultures preferred women with a 0.7 waist to hip ratio. Amy had decided she needed something a little closer fitting to go with her new shoes.
Shopping with Amy was weird, but more fun than Penny might have thought. Penny had to redirect her from all the wrong stores. Amy lectured her on how red seemed to hard wired to be the color of reward for most primates, from foods to sexual signaling. Despite this, Amy instinctively found every purple plaid in whatever section they visited. She also had a very hard time letting go of sweaters with horizontal stripes. However, she understood the logic of substituting a little shrug or skirt with a higher waist, given an explanation. Penny found it harder to sell her on wrapped shirts though, as visual symmetry was highly sought after in research studies of attractiveness.
On the whole, Penny felt like a fashion genius basking in Amy’s enthusiasm for her suggestions. Amy wasn’t centerfold or runway model material, but her figure was cute in the right clothes.
At the end of the afternoon, they were loaded down with bags when they returned to the building. Amy was detailing the difference between panniers and bustles. Despite not having a clue about where to shop in this century, she seemed to have an extensive knowledge of historical underwear trends. It was then Penny started wondering what Amy would look like with her hair up. It just seemed like if the woman was going to talk like an encyclopedia, the sexy librarian look might be worth exploring.
Amy looked down at her new blouse and tried to pull the collar up a bit, frowning as she queried, “So despite the statistics indicating common preferences for long hair, you are saying if a woman wears her hair up, it will be intriguing to think about taking it down”
“Bingo!” Penny said. “And you look good. Leave it alone.”
She motioned Amy to a stool at the kitchen bar.
“And does this ‘Cosmo’ journal do a lot of these studies?”
“Oh sure, they do all kinds of polls.” Penny dashed into her bedroom to grab a brush, and hunt for hairpins.
“I did read a peer reviewed study that indicated that men chose women wearing hair gloss over women without. It seems like a classic situation of sexual selection. A poorly nourished individual might have drier, less healthy hair. So, the initial preference might be adaptive from a natural selection standpoint.”
“Mmm hmm,” Penny mumbled as she came up behind Amy to brush her hair. It was shiny and soft as it slid against her fingers. That was probably because she didn’t do much to it, product wise. Penny was always rescuing her own hair from dye jobs and blow dryer damage.
“Over time as the genes responsible for preference grow prevalent in the population, it confers a competitive advantage to the shiny haired offspring. They find it easier to mate with shine-preferring peers. They then pass on that preference to another generation and also attractive hair.”
“Uh, so people use conditioner so their grandkids can get laid?” Penny gathered Amy’s hair up in a ponytail then folded it over and twisted. She began tucking and securing the ends under the roll. As she leaned close, she noticed that Amy’s hair smelled fresh. Penny stifled a smile at the memory telling Amy something similar when they first met, only to be met with the complaint that the compliment would mean a lot more from a homosexual.
“In theory, yes. You’re right to be skeptical though. It is somewhat tautological speculation in this case. I can’t imagine anyone has done any studies to check if women who use hair gloss actually do have more offspring.”
“Yeah, can’t help you there. Cosmo doesn’t do a lot about kids.”
A strand of Amy’s hair kept escaping. It was too straight to look right that way. She brushed her fingers along the back of Amy’s neck she recaptured the lock. Amy squirmed a little and caught her breath.
“Ticklish?”
“It seems so.”
Penny had an urge to tickle the back of her friend’s neck again, but held her hands steady.
“That’s kind of interesting, about the genes,” Penny was a bit surprised that she meant it. “But just a tip. Talking about offspring is generally a turn off for many guys. They might feel pressured.”
“Duly noted.”
Penny looked at her work. The French Twist was neat, and Amy’s exposed neck looked smooth and elegant. As Penny spun the stool around, she noticed the hollows of Amy’s neck. The shirt was a little low cut. She could see the beginning of the swell of Amy’s breasts. She brought her eyes up quickly. It really had been a long time if a dry discussion of evolutionary biology and an updo caused her to check out a woman, especially this one.
“You look pretty,” She managed to say conversationally. Amy beamed.
“Thank you, Penny,” Amy said slipping off the stool. Her skirt hitched up, and Penny looked away from the curve of her leg. “As grooming is one of the key social bonding behaviors in primate species, it means a lot to me that you wanted to fix my hair.”
Then Amy reached out and put her hand on Penny’s breast. Penny jumped at the touch and stepped back immediately. She flushed and crossed her arms over her chest until she noticed Amy’s puzzled expression. The shorter woman calmly raised the stray hair she had pulled from Penny’s camisole to show her. Penny let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding, and felt her pulse slow to a more normal rate.
“Sorry,” Amy apologized, “I just wanted to return the favor, Bestie.”
Penny asked herself how she had ever gotten so used to Amy that this seemed perfectly reasonable. What was stranger yet, was to find it oddly disappointing.
“Wow, she really can not dance,” Penny shouted in Bernadette’s ear.
“She’s very enthusiastic.”
The other people on the floor were giving Amy a wide berth as she jerked and spasmed in an alarming fashion. Her hair had fallen down in places, and Penny wondered if it was safe to come close and remove the remaining pins. It might help with the appearance of sanity.
“I’m afraid she’s going to hurt herself or others. You are a caring adult? Right? I just thought I should talk to one.”
Bernadette giggled. “You know where she learned to dance like that, right?”
“Some sort of lab accident?”
“No, from watching you, silly.”
Penny felt taken aback by the comment. Then she realized she had a smaller, but similar circle of personal space surrounding her. “I do not dance like that. Do I?”
“Not exactly, but a bit. You’re very enthusiastic.”
“But I get a lot of compliments…”
“From?”
“Yeah, mostly guys who are trying to pick me up.” Penny stopped moving and stood stock-still. “Oh my god. Men suck.”
Bernadette just shrugged and did a little twirl. Penny barely moved, swaying slightly as she watched Bernadette, who did not move like an epileptic.
A deep voice started Penny, “Can you show me how to do that step?”
She turned her head to the guy. He really wasn’t half bad looking, but that had been the wrong thing to say.
“You’re kidding me.” Never mind that five minutes ago she would have been happy to help a cute guy with such a request. Now she knew.
“No, really I don’t usually dance, and my buddy wandered off so…” That puppy look was a little too practiced.
“Just not tonight, Okay. I’m with friends, and I’m not in the mood.”
“Oh I totally understand. Just give me your number and…”
“Yeah, sorry, just no.” She insisted. He shrugged and disappeared into the crowd.
“Night Bernadette!”
“Good night guys,” She replied, sliding out of the car seat. “We should do this again. Maybe a different club next time.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Penny twisted her head towards the backseat. “Hey Amy, get up here. Don’t make me feel like your chauffeur.”
Amy walked around and slid into the front seat. Penny waited until Bernadette was inside, and then pulled away.
“You seemed to enjoy yourself, but I bet you are tired.”
“I did and I am.” Amy chirped, “It’s a bit of an endorphin cocktail, isn’t it? What with the exercise, the music, and the social interaction?”
“If you say so.” Penny thought endorphins were the runner’s high thing, but she wasn’t quite sure.
“Did you not have a good time?” Amy asked with a note of concern. She looked so serious as she continued, “I see you haven’t brought anyone home, but in the crowd I didn’t see if you gave out your number or got one.”
“Oh I had fun.” Well, until she learned she’d been dancing like an idiot for years, she thought. “But nope, I didn’t meet anyone. I just haven’t been in the mood.”
No big deal. Sure, it had been a while, but it was really no big deal. She consciously loosened her grip on the wheel. And she’d been in the mood earlier, when it was only awkward. Her timing was just wacky. It would work itself out in time, she hoped.
“Understandable. You’re still not over Leonard, yet you run into him constantly. People in love generally have higher oxytocin levels. There is evidence to suggest that oxytocin serves to dampen arousal with other potential partners. It may be a lingering effect.”
Amy patted Penny’s shoulder sympathetically, if a bit awkwardly.
“Yeah, I’m not sure about that.”
“Depression would also explain it. We could hook the electrodes up and discuss your waitressing career and love life and see what spikes the readings.”
“I enjoy a little mystery.”
“Of course.”
“What about your social experiment? How did that go?” Penny had been surprised to see a few guys brave the safety perimeter to approach Amy.
“Oh not at all well,” Amy chirped. “One of the guys who talked to me explained he was going to buy a cabin in the country and get a black panther and white leopard to hunt game to feed him. No form of birth control is 100% reliable. So I’d prefer not to have sex with men suffering from mental illness or crippling stupidity.”
Penny laughed. “Probably a good idea.”
“I enjoyed the attention though. Amazing what a difference open-toed shoes make.”
Penny snorted and glanced over. Amy was smiling. She was as animated as Penny had ever seen her. She really did look her best tonight. “I don’t think they were looking at your shoes.”
“But one of them…”
“Never mind. You’re right. They are cute.” She gave her friend an encouraging smile. “You look very pretty, tonight.”
“Thank you. So do you. But you always look beautiful, so I imagine you are much more habituated to the attention.”
Penny didn’t know what to say to that, but it was always nice to hear she looked beautiful. She hadn’t heard that in a while, actually.
Amy’s comment had distracted her and she suddenly realized she was about to drive past the turn to Amy’s house. Penny had to swerve drastically to make the turn in time. Oops.
“Penny! I should have checked earlier, are you sober enough to drive?” There was a tinge of alarm in Amy’s tone. She had even grabbed the bar above the door. “If you can give me a drink count and your current bodyweight we can calculate…”
“I’m fine, Amy. Relax.” This one was almost as bad of a passenger as Sheldon. She was very rigid.
Penny spotted the next turn and took it very carefully as she spoke again, “Look, we’re almost there anyhow.”
“Yes, but I would still be concerned if you were to have an accident after dropping me off.” Amy insisted.
“I’m fine. I barely had any.” Penny pulled the car along side the curb.
“Less than three? The standard, as I understand it, is a drink an hour.” Amy sounded calmer, but there was a stubborn set to her jaw and a slightly suspicious look on her face.
Penny switched off the ignition, as she feared this might be a long conversation, and turned to her. It was dark; just a little light from a streetlamp, but Penny locked eyes with her, and slowly insisted, “Amy, I’m fine to drive. I just missed the turn. I always drive like this.”
“That’s not as reassuring as it could be. I also notice you haven’t answered my question. Usually that is a tactic for misdirection.” Amy looked stubborn, but very earnest in her concern. She really could be absurdly adorable.
“You’re sweet,” Penny said, putting a hand on Amy’s shoulder. “Paranoid, and stubborn, but very sweet.”
Then without really thinking about it, Penny leaned over to kiss her.
Amy startled a little bit, but only a little as Penny bent towards her. Then she turned her head to meet the kiss. Penny wasn’t sure if she had meant to kiss Amy on the cheek or something. She just acted on instinct. Maybe she was a little tipsy after all. As their lips pressed together though, she was glad, mistake or not. It had been way too long since she’d kissed anyone, and Amy’s mouth was too soft and warm against hers to regret it. Amy brushed her mouth softly across Penny’s bottom lip. There really could be no mistaking their meaning anymore. She let her own lips part. Her tongue was tentative. Amy’s response was not. It was slick and hot, and Penny suddenly thought this was too much, too fast, especially when she didn’t even know what had made her kiss her. She pushed away for a moment and looked at Amy.
Amy’s cheeks were flushed, her eyes shut, but they flew open to meet Penny’s as she drew away. Amy looked concerned, so serious. It was ridiculous, but Penny couldn’t help think how cute it made Amy look. “Relax” Penny whispered, uncertain if the advice was really for Amy or more for herself. She closed her eyes as she returned her mouth to Amy’s. The kiss was more leisurely, slower. Penny herself grew more urgent, sliding her hand up into satin smooth hair. She liked the feel her fingers tangled in the strands. She could smell the scent of Amy’s shampoo again, and she wanted to kiss her way along Amy’s jaw and bury her head in that hair. Instead, she felt Amy pull back, and she let out a little sigh.
Amy looked a little glazed, and a lot confused. She seemed to be thinking very hard about something. Then she grabbed Penny’s keys from the ignition. “I’ll call you a cab.” She intoned, “Or you can sleep on the fold out. I don’t think you should be driving.”
“I am not…” Penny started to insist, and then she just let out her breath with a hiss. She didn’t feel drunk, didn’t think she was slurring words or anything. Still, she had to admit she had done this sort of thing with guys after a few too many. She gave in, whispering, “Okay.”
She didn’t want to pay for a cab, but she agreed to have some coffee and wait an hour before driving. It seemed easier than trying to pinpoint just when and how she decided kissing Amy would be a good idea.
Penny had never been inside Amy’s apartment. It was orderly, a bit sterile. Her coffee was abysmal. After a few stray remarks about several different kinds of nothing, with each of them perched at the far ends of the room from each other, they lapsed into silence.
“I recorded that Jersey Shore show you were talking about.” Amy ventured after a bit.
“Yeah, sounds good.”
Penny plopped down on the couch and Amy joined her. Penny didn’t pay much attention to the show. She doubted her host did either It did save her the necessity of finding something to talk about while they were just inches apart. But it didn’t stop Penny from thinking. She had had two glasses of wine hours ago. She was sure her high school driver’s Ed teacher would be scandalized and lecture her about how any alcohol would have some effect. However, her common sense said she wasn’t stupid drunk, just still slightly buzzed. Things had been a bit more than just friendly with Amy a while, she just hadn’t let it really register. It could be because she was lonely, and missed sex, while Amy had been upfront about being distracted. They’d been hovering around sexual topics all day. Of course, they’d both missed their chances this evening when they’d had them.
Suddenly things clicked into place for Penny. She understood why the conversation seemed to drift that way with Amy more than it ever did with Bernadette. She herself had distracted Amy. She knew Amy was awkward, a bit over friendly, with weird boundaries issues, but she hadn’t seen the crush for what it was. She peeked out the corner of her eye. Amy looked sad, a bit slumped, focusing dead ahead. She was giving Penny every opportunity to dismiss what just happened. Penny had never been a coward or cruel. Even if she didn’t know her own mind, she knew it had to hurt to be dismissed entirely. She was acting as if the prospect was unthinkable, something to be explained away. It was startlingly painful to think of hurting Amy. She picked up the remote and muted the show.
“You’re the first girl I ever kissed that way,” Penny said.
Amy turned her head and looked pointedly at her while Penny continued, “I liked it. I think that’s pretty clear. But I don’t know what to do about that.”
That seemed direct, maybe too direct. But Amy was not great at reading social cues, so Penny went with blunt.
“Thank you, Penny. But I think we’re both aware that altered biochemistry can affect both one’s inhibitions and also one’s interpretations of how pleasurable or emotionally significant…”
“So if you hadn’t had your endorphin cocktail, you wouldn’t have kissed me back?”
“That’s a figure of speech, but it probably did have an impact. Just as the alcohol and the setting, similar to the end of a date, might impact how you reacted.”
Penny made up her mind and rose to her feet. Amy frowned and asked, “What are you doing?”
“Field sobriety test.” She stood on one foot, closed her eyes, and brought one fingertip to her nose then the other. Amy reached into her pocket and handed Penny her keys. Penny slipped them into her own pocket, and sat down.
She hesitated but then looked to Amy and asked, “So have you ever - have you had a girlfriend before?”
“Yes, in undergrad off and on. Other than the sex, it didn’t go very well. She was devoutly religious.”
“Sounds complicated.” Penny really didn’t want to think of how truly complicated this could get. She’d lose her nerve. Penny took Amy’s hand. It was tiny, smaller then her own. Her skin was very smooth and soft. She gave it a squeeze and continued, “Just so long as one of us knows what she’s doing.”
“Does this mean we are doing something?” Amy asked looking down at their clasped hands, “Because, for the record, I am very much in favor of that.”
“Yeah, me too. I think. There really is only one way to find out.”
Penny reached out with her free hand and pulled Amy’s glasses off, setting them on the coffee table.
Amy slowly raised Penny’s other hand in hers and kissed the backs of her fingers one by one. It was oddly formal, but nice. Penny let her hand be turned and Amy kissed down her palm and nipped at the base of her thumb. Penny’s breath felt heavy in her chest with anticipation. Penny traced the smooth line of Amy’s jaw with her fingertips and then over her lips. For all her stiff ways, Amy was not shy. She captured a finger in her mouth. The slipping of warm wet flesh over the pad of her finger tips made Penny hold her breath. Then as Amy released her finger, Penny let the air out in a ragged sigh.
Penny took Amy’s pointed chin in her hands and leaned in to kiss her again. The taste of Amy’s mouth was sweet, and Penny lost herself in the sensation of soft lips and playful tongue. Amy made a small moan, barely audible, and Penny answered with her own. Penny’s heart was beating faster, and she wanted more.
She felt an uncertain shyness about sliding a hand down to cup Amy’s breast, but she wanted to know how it would feel in her hand. It just fit her palm, the point of a stiff nipple evident through the fabric under the hollow of her hand. She felt the weight of the flesh and traced the curve with her fingertips. Amy buried her face in the curve of Penny’s neck and she heard the moan again, a quiet ‘hoo’. Such an odd little noise, but she smiled and gently pinched Amy’s nipple to try see how she could trigger it again. Amy was a little louder this time, signaling success.
Penny was suddenly overwhelmed with a lapful of squirming Amy, a thigh between her own and eager hands at her own breasts. What was with this woman and jumping fences? It was too much too soon again, but her protest was unvoiced against Amy’s eager mouth. Penny pushed on Amy’s shoulders, which felt, insubstantial, almost fragile to her.
“Whoa, time out.” she insisted breathlessly.
“Sorry, I got carried away.”
Amy’s hands fell away abruptly, and she shifted to pull off Penny’s lap. Penny kept her hands firm on Amy’s shoulders and tightened her legs around Amy’s to hold her there. The friction of thigh against thigh seemed to send a signal straight to Penny’s core and she realized how wet she was, and how close that contact was to where it might really count.
“I didn’t say stop: I just need to slow down,” Penny clarified.
“Of course,” Amy assured her. Then she bit her lip and hesitated. She She looked unsure of what slow might mean to Penny and shifted her weight slightly as she settled back down.She shifted her weight slightly as she settled back down. Her thigh nudged slightly higher now. Penny didn’t think Amy meant anything by it, but the sensation was doing little to calm the racing of her heart.
Feeling a bit more decisive, Penny pulled her own shirt up and off, smiling at how Amy’s eyes followed her movements. Still motionless, Amy stared down at Penny’s satin covered breasts with lips slightly parted. Then she returned her eyes to Penny’s.
“Do you mind if I tell you how beautiful I think you are?”
Penny smiled at that and said, “I don’t know why you think anyone would get tired of hearing they are beautiful. It’s just not everything I want to be.”
“Well, then you are breathtaking, and the most vibrant woman I have ever known.”
“Thank you. You are so sweet, and so impossibly earnest. And I think I’d like to get this shirt off you now, please.”
Amy raised her arms to allow Penny to pull the fabric over her head. Penny’s lips curled in delight. Of course, Amy’s bra was lavender. How could she have thought it would be any other color? At least it wasn’t plaid. Instead, it was lacy, with a hint of rose-colored flesh peeking through.
“Didn’t you say earlier that red is the color of reward?”
“Yes”
“You were right.”
The bra was front fastening, so it was quick work for Penny to undo it. Amy’s skin was pale and soft and the pink tips stiff and tempting. She bent to taste the salty skin, suckling and roll her tongue over the nipple. Hoo.
She felt Amy’s fingers fumbling on her back for a moment before her bra loosened. Penny broke away from nuzzling Amy’s breast long enough to help toss the garment aside.
“You okay?” Amy asked, meeting her eyes.
She cupped Penny’s breast and stroked a lazy arc with her thumb.
“Yeah. I am very okay with this.”
“How about this?”
Amy pushed forward until her knee rested just below Penny’s hips and her thigh pressed against her. Penny grinded against her in response and murmured incoherent noises of pleasure.
“More?”
“Oh yes. More”
They rubbed together more determinedly as Penny clung to Amy. Looking down between their bodies, the site of Amy’s bare breast pressed against her own undid Penny. All thoughts of going slow disappeared.
She brushed her lips against Amy’s neck kissing and licking randomly just to taste the salt on her skin. Amy’s scent was stronger now, still overlaid with the fresh perfume of the shampoo but with a muskier undertone. Penny breathed it in headily as she thrust against Amy’s leg, feeling her tension building ever higher as their pace accelerated.
She brought her hands to the curve of Amy’s waist just above the fabric of her skirt. She had no idea what Amy’s waist to hip ratio might be, but it was close enough for her. Penny ran her hands down and took hold of Amy’s buttocks. She was hungry to touch every part of the other woman, and impatient to do it all now. She urged Amy faster as she arched against the delicious pressure.
“Penny…I.. Oh… Don’t tell me to slow down now.”
“I won’t… I can’t either.”
Amy’s rhythm grew erratic, frantic. She leaned against Penny, shaking. Her cries sent Penny hurtling towards her own precipice. Her world narrowed to the sensation between her legs. Then she felt her muscles spasm, buffeting her with a rush of pure joy. She held fast to Amy in that moment of pure bliss, wanting to be in her arms forever.
As their breathing slowed, Amy rested her head against Penny’s shoulder while Penny leaned her cheek against the other woman’s satin smooth hair. They remained motionless for a while, quiet, with the soft hum of the refrigerator the only sound. Eventually Amy pulled away, shifting to the edge of the sofa to retrieve her discarded clothes. She put them back on in silence, and then turned to Penny who was just fastening her bra.
“Are you planning to stay? It’s late. I may have pajamas that might fit you.”
Penny pulled her shirt on and remembered the last time she tried to sleep in a bed with Amy and the unfortunate night terrors. The biting was a bit much. She was saved the need to answer by the ring of Amy’s cell phone. Amy frowned and walked over to her purse to retrieve it.
“Hello? Yes, she’s here.”
Amy fell silent for a awhile as she listened before responding, “Just because Howard said she hadn’t gotten back before he left, I don’t see why you would worry, Bernadette. Penny has a history of spending the night in strange places.”
Penny choked a little, however true that might be.
“Do you need to talk to her? No? What? Oh, we were just exploring Penny’s thoughts on homosexuality. Sure, goodnight! ”
Penny buried her face in her hands. Really. What had she gotten herself into?