Fic: Not Yet
Title: Not Yet
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: G
Genre: Gen, Fluff, smidgen of Angst
Word Count: 1,456
Characters/Pairings: Simon, Penny (references to Penny/Evan and April/Simon)
Summary: Penny and Simon get a chance to spend some time together.
A/N: I've had this idea for a little while now, and as always with these things I decided it finally needed to be written. Simon and Penny have a lot of history together, and I wanted to tap into their friendship a little bit. It makes reference to events from the Simon backstory, so if you're not sure what they're referring to in this fic, be sure to read that one again. Enjoy, bbs <3
Simon frowned down at the movie case in his hands as Penny disappeared into the kitchen.
"You know," he called, "I think my dad saw this movie when he was like, six."
Penny poked her head around the door frame, frowning lightly as she looked at Simon.
"What are you saying, that it's a kid movie, or that your dad's old?"
"Both," Simon replied, looking up at Penny and grinning when she laughed.
"Well, I told you to bring your own and you didn't," she said as she stepped back into the kitchen. "So you get to deal with whatever I pick out."
Simon gave an exaggerated sigh as he set the case down and moved to sit on the couch.
"Fine. But next time we watch something that's all action-y, with like, guns and car chases and big explosions." He mimed an explosion with his hands and made the sound with his mouth, looking up as Penny walked back into the room with a bowl of popcorn in her hands.
She stared at him for a moment and his hands dropped into his lap as his lips curved into a sheepish, and also somehow playful, smile.
Penny rolled her eyes and dropped beside him on the couch, setting the bowl of popcorn so it was nestled between their thighs.
"I seem to remember you promising me dinner," Simon said, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth as he watched Penny reach for the TV remote.
"I made no such promise," Penny replied, settling back against the couch cushions as she pressed the button to start the movie. "Is that all you ever do, is eat?"
"What can I say; I traded one addiction for another."
Penny smirked, shaking her head. Simon has made this sort of joke before and she's too used to it by now to comment on it. She cast her eyes over his skinny frame and shook her head again, sighing.
"You do realize I hate you, right?"
Simon grinned at her and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him and pressing a kiss to her temple.
"You know you love me."
Penny giggled and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away.
"Watch it, or my boyfriend might beat you up."
Simon snorted laughter, rolling his eyes. "I'd like to see him try," he scoffed. "Where is he, anyway? Aren't you two practically living together now?"
"No," Penny said, elbowing him and knocking his hand out of the way as she reached into the popcorn bowl. "And he's at an away game tonight. How come you're not with April?" she shot back. "Haven't you two gone out every night this week?"
"She's in Texas with your dad."
"Mmm, that's right," Penny murmured. "So I'm your second choice, then."
"Aren't I yours?" Simon asked absently as he plucked an unpopped kernel from his hand and dropped it back into the bowl.
Penny looked at him, her eyebrows knitting together, and opened her mouth to speak when Simon pointed at the TV to indicate the movie was starting.
Two hours later Penny was sniffling as the credits rolled and Simon looked at her for a moment before reaching over to snag a tissue from the box on the side table.
"You're such a baby," he said as he handed it to her.
"Shut up," she said, snatching the tissue from him and dabbing at her nose. "Just because you're an emotionless robot -"
"I am not emotionless," he said, frowning lightly. "I just don't go around parading it for everybody to see."
Penny sighed, folding the tissue and swiping at her eyes.
"Speaking of emotions," she said, taking a breath and turning to look at Simon. "What's up with you and April?"
"What do you mean?" Simon asked, avoiding her gaze as he looked into the empty popcorn bowl, flicking a kernel and frowning.
"You know what I mean, Simon."
Simon's frown deepened. "I like her," he said quietly.
"You like her?" Penny repeated, watching him closely.
Simon's gaze flicked to Penny's face before he looked back down at the bowl.
"I like her a lot," he amended, and Penny sighed softly.
She knew Simon better than he thought she did, and knew that his feelings for April went a lot deeper than 'like', but he obviously wasn't ready to admit it out loud.
"Have you told her yet?"
Simon didn't ask what she meant this time, because he already knew. He didn't answer right away, flicking the kernel again and listening to it skitter around the bottom of the glass bowl. After a minute he picked up the bowl and leaned forward to set it on the coffee table.
"Not yet," he said finally, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands in front of him. "I will, I just - I don't really know how yet." He paused, clenching his hands tighter. "I just don't want to scare her away." He paused again and turned his head to look at Penny, tugging on his earlobe. "I've done a lot of fucked up things."
"I know," Penny said softly.
Simon frowned at her a moment before looking down at his hands. "Pen, I'm sor -"
"Oh my God, Simon," Penny interrupted, holding up her hands. "Shut up. How many times do I have to forgive you for something you don't need to be forgiven for? We were - we were young, and stupid - you more than me, but still." A grin flickered across Simon's face and Penny smiled. He opened his mouth to speak and Penny pressed her fingers to his lips. "It's in the past. It's history. You've already apologized for it, and I've already forgiven you. The next time you try to say you're sorry for it, I'm just gonna smack you."
She raised her eyebrows as she lowered her hand and Simon laughed lightly, looking down at his hands again.
She looked at him for a moment and then shifted closer to him, laying her hand on his arm. "If you think there's any chance of you and April becoming more serious, you know you have to tell her. Not necessarily about us, at least not yet, just... about you."
Simon nodded, a ghostly smile appearing on his face before he sighed and leaned back against the couch cushions. "I know. I will."
Penny looked at him for a moment and then leaned into him, twining her arm through his and weaving their fingers together. Her head dropped onto his shoulder and a moment later his cheek rested against the top of her head.
"You won't tell her, will you?" Simon asked quietly after a moment.
"Of course not," Penny said, frowning slightly. "It's not for me to tell."
Simon sighed again and Penny gently squeezed his hand.
They were quiet a minute and then Simon's stomach growled.
Penny shifted and turned to look at him, raising her eyebrows.
"You ate almost an entire bowl of popcorn, how are you still hungry?"
Simon raised an eyebrow at her. "You're joking, right?"
Penny sat up, pulling her arm from Simon's and watching as he pushed to his feet.
"You know, I'm remembering why I don't have you over more often. Between you and Evan, I never have any food in my kitchen."
"You just have to start stocking up before we get here. Make sure you have lots of food," Simon said, turning to grin at her and spreading his hands in front of him as he walked backwards into the kitchen.
Penny laughed. "You know, Evan has an excuse, he plays sports. What about you?"
Simon emerged from the kitchen with a bag of chips in his hand and raised his eyebrows. "I spend at least eight hours almost every single day protecting your dad from crazy people."
Penny grinned. "Fair enough."
Simon dropped back onto the couch beside her, sliding down low in his seat and propping his feet on the coffee table. He held the bag of chips to Penny and she shook her head, grimacing slightly. He shrugged, his hand diving into the bag as Penny reached for the remote.
"Want to watch your girlfriend's briefing from this morning?" she asked, her lips curving into a sly smile.
"She's not my girlfriend," Simon replied, unable to keep from grinning.
"Yet," Penny said, raising her eyebrows. "She's not your girlfriend yet."
Simon laughed softly and Penny's smile widened as she turned to the news before settling back against the cushions.
"She will be," she said quietly, and then glanced at Simon.
He was smiling softly and Penny grinned, shifting close to him and letting her head fall to his shoulder once more.
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: G
Genre: Gen, Fluff, smidgen of Angst
Word Count: 1,456
Characters/Pairings: Simon, Penny (references to Penny/Evan and April/Simon)
Summary: Penny and Simon get a chance to spend some time together.
A/N: I've had this idea for a little while now, and as always with these things I decided it finally needed to be written. Simon and Penny have a lot of history together, and I wanted to tap into their friendship a little bit. It makes reference to events from the Simon backstory, so if you're not sure what they're referring to in this fic, be sure to read that one again. Enjoy, bbs <3
Simon frowned down at the movie case in his hands as Penny disappeared into the kitchen.
"You know," he called, "I think my dad saw this movie when he was like, six."
Penny poked her head around the door frame, frowning lightly as she looked at Simon.
"What are you saying, that it's a kid movie, or that your dad's old?"
"Both," Simon replied, looking up at Penny and grinning when she laughed.
"Well, I told you to bring your own and you didn't," she said as she stepped back into the kitchen. "So you get to deal with whatever I pick out."
Simon gave an exaggerated sigh as he set the case down and moved to sit on the couch.
"Fine. But next time we watch something that's all action-y, with like, guns and car chases and big explosions." He mimed an explosion with his hands and made the sound with his mouth, looking up as Penny walked back into the room with a bowl of popcorn in her hands.
She stared at him for a moment and his hands dropped into his lap as his lips curved into a sheepish, and also somehow playful, smile.
Penny rolled her eyes and dropped beside him on the couch, setting the bowl of popcorn so it was nestled between their thighs.
"I seem to remember you promising me dinner," Simon said, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth as he watched Penny reach for the TV remote.
"I made no such promise," Penny replied, settling back against the couch cushions as she pressed the button to start the movie. "Is that all you ever do, is eat?"
"What can I say; I traded one addiction for another."
Penny smirked, shaking her head. Simon has made this sort of joke before and she's too used to it by now to comment on it. She cast her eyes over his skinny frame and shook her head again, sighing.
"You do realize I hate you, right?"
Simon grinned at her and slid his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to him and pressing a kiss to her temple.
"You know you love me."
Penny giggled and placed her hands on his chest, pushing him away.
"Watch it, or my boyfriend might beat you up."
Simon snorted laughter, rolling his eyes. "I'd like to see him try," he scoffed. "Where is he, anyway? Aren't you two practically living together now?"
"No," Penny said, elbowing him and knocking his hand out of the way as she reached into the popcorn bowl. "And he's at an away game tonight. How come you're not with April?" she shot back. "Haven't you two gone out every night this week?"
"She's in Texas with your dad."
"Mmm, that's right," Penny murmured. "So I'm your second choice, then."
"Aren't I yours?" Simon asked absently as he plucked an unpopped kernel from his hand and dropped it back into the bowl.
Penny looked at him, her eyebrows knitting together, and opened her mouth to speak when Simon pointed at the TV to indicate the movie was starting.
Two hours later Penny was sniffling as the credits rolled and Simon looked at her for a moment before reaching over to snag a tissue from the box on the side table.
"You're such a baby," he said as he handed it to her.
"Shut up," she said, snatching the tissue from him and dabbing at her nose. "Just because you're an emotionless robot -"
"I am not emotionless," he said, frowning lightly. "I just don't go around parading it for everybody to see."
Penny sighed, folding the tissue and swiping at her eyes.
"Speaking of emotions," she said, taking a breath and turning to look at Simon. "What's up with you and April?"
"What do you mean?" Simon asked, avoiding her gaze as he looked into the empty popcorn bowl, flicking a kernel and frowning.
"You know what I mean, Simon."
Simon's frown deepened. "I like her," he said quietly.
"You like her?" Penny repeated, watching him closely.
Simon's gaze flicked to Penny's face before he looked back down at the bowl.
"I like her a lot," he amended, and Penny sighed softly.
She knew Simon better than he thought she did, and knew that his feelings for April went a lot deeper than 'like', but he obviously wasn't ready to admit it out loud.
"Have you told her yet?"
Simon didn't ask what she meant this time, because he already knew. He didn't answer right away, flicking the kernel again and listening to it skitter around the bottom of the glass bowl. After a minute he picked up the bowl and leaned forward to set it on the coffee table.
"Not yet," he said finally, resting his elbows on his thighs and clasping his hands in front of him. "I will, I just - I don't really know how yet." He paused, clenching his hands tighter. "I just don't want to scare her away." He paused again and turned his head to look at Penny, tugging on his earlobe. "I've done a lot of fucked up things."
"I know," Penny said softly.
Simon frowned at her a moment before looking down at his hands. "Pen, I'm sor -"
"Oh my God, Simon," Penny interrupted, holding up her hands. "Shut up. How many times do I have to forgive you for something you don't need to be forgiven for? We were - we were young, and stupid - you more than me, but still." A grin flickered across Simon's face and Penny smiled. He opened his mouth to speak and Penny pressed her fingers to his lips. "It's in the past. It's history. You've already apologized for it, and I've already forgiven you. The next time you try to say you're sorry for it, I'm just gonna smack you."
She raised her eyebrows as she lowered her hand and Simon laughed lightly, looking down at his hands again.
She looked at him for a moment and then shifted closer to him, laying her hand on his arm. "If you think there's any chance of you and April becoming more serious, you know you have to tell her. Not necessarily about us, at least not yet, just... about you."
Simon nodded, a ghostly smile appearing on his face before he sighed and leaned back against the couch cushions. "I know. I will."
Penny looked at him for a moment and then leaned into him, twining her arm through his and weaving their fingers together. Her head dropped onto his shoulder and a moment later his cheek rested against the top of her head.
"You won't tell her, will you?" Simon asked quietly after a moment.
"Of course not," Penny said, frowning slightly. "It's not for me to tell."
Simon sighed again and Penny gently squeezed his hand.
They were quiet a minute and then Simon's stomach growled.
Penny shifted and turned to look at him, raising her eyebrows.
"You ate almost an entire bowl of popcorn, how are you still hungry?"
Simon raised an eyebrow at her. "You're joking, right?"
Penny sat up, pulling her arm from Simon's and watching as he pushed to his feet.
"You know, I'm remembering why I don't have you over more often. Between you and Evan, I never have any food in my kitchen."
"You just have to start stocking up before we get here. Make sure you have lots of food," Simon said, turning to grin at her and spreading his hands in front of him as he walked backwards into the kitchen.
Penny laughed. "You know, Evan has an excuse, he plays sports. What about you?"
Simon emerged from the kitchen with a bag of chips in his hand and raised his eyebrows. "I spend at least eight hours almost every single day protecting your dad from crazy people."
Penny grinned. "Fair enough."
Simon dropped back onto the couch beside her, sliding down low in his seat and propping his feet on the coffee table. He held the bag of chips to Penny and she shook her head, grimacing slightly. He shrugged, his hand diving into the bag as Penny reached for the remote.
"Want to watch your girlfriend's briefing from this morning?" she asked, her lips curving into a sly smile.
"She's not my girlfriend," Simon replied, unable to keep from grinning.
"Yet," Penny said, raising her eyebrows. "She's not your girlfriend yet."
Simon laughed softly and Penny's smile widened as she turned to the news before settling back against the cushions.
"She will be," she said quietly, and then glanced at Simon.
He was smiling softly and Penny grinned, shifting close to him and letting her head fall to his shoulder once more.