[Closed]

[penny_dancer]

Characters: Penelo and Beat
Content: Penelo, after winning the contest, feels like she needs to practice more, since clearly she's doing something right. Beat sees, and stuff happens.
Setting: A part of the deck Penelo commandeered for practice
Time: En route to Kropmork, evening
Warnings: Derp like none other. EDIT: Insane amounts of adorable.

Comments

[curry_ramen]

For once Beat wasn't stumbling upon Penelo dancing on accident. In fact, he had been searching for his friend specifically. When he found her on the deck he paused to watch for just a moment. He was no expert on the arts, far from it. But he did know Pen was very pretty when she danced. He didn't know why but... he found her dance at the contest to be very classy. But this was better, when she didn't know she was being a show, even for just one person. So he didn't say anything at first, though his appraisal wasn't perverted in anyway, mostly innocent... or as innocent as a 17 year old boy's could be.

Finally: "Hey Pen."

[penny_dancer]

Penelo missed her step, turning around. How long had Beat been there? Did he see that part where she was swaying her hips? Was he staring at her rear?

"Hi, Beat." She straightened up and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her eyes. "What's up?"

[curry_ramen]

He rubbed the back of his head shyly, grinning. "Whoa, sorry 'bout that, yo. I er... wanted ta give ya something. For winning and all that." He stepped forward, offering her a small paper bag.

[penny_dancer]

"Oh, Beat, you didn't have to." Penelo grinned back and took the bag; she grinned even wider when she saw what was inside. The glass stone was beautiful, especially with the flower inside. "Thanks." She wrapped her arms around Beat's neck (no, she was not standing on her toes and if Beat said anything she'd fry his beanie). "Do you mind if I have it made into a necklace?"

That'd be the best way to keep track of it.

[curry_ramen]

"Yeah, that'd be fine." he replied, hugging back awkwardly. He had actually had that idea himself, but he couldn't afford a decent chain after Lunasa and all that.

"I-it ain' nothing fancy, ya know. Just like,something from one of the stalls..."

[penny_dancer]

"It's still pretty," she retorted. "Besides, do I look like a fancy girl?" Penelo stood back and twirled a bit. The fact that in her dance outfit she did, in fact, look fairly fancy didn't register with her. It wasn't truly 'fancy'; she exercised in this!

[curry_ramen]

"I dunno. Winnin' contests and stuff. Too fancy ta be hanging around me." he laughed, clapping a little at her twirl. "But hey, since da flowers are rare, it might worth somethin' someday, right?"

[penny_dancer]

She nodded, but frowned at his comment. "Why do you say that?" she asked. "Why wouldn't I want to hang around you?

[curry_ramen]

"Aw man, I an' being serious or nothin'" He replied, though the light coloring dusting his ears and neck weren't exactly collaborating that. "But seriously, you could totally do that as a pro or something."

[penny_dancer]

"But then I really wouldn't have a reason to travel with you, would I?" she mused. "And I'm sure you could be a pro airboarder, Beat." Either that, or a professional brick wall imitator, according to Migelo.

[curry_ramen]

A laugh, and he shrugged. "Ain' much work for boarding or nothing. Ain' a real sport." But he was smiling regardless. "Anyway, you ain' gonna wanna run around ships all yer life, right?"

[penny_dancer]

Penelo shrugged. "I'd like to, one day, have a family, but I'm not sure." She glanced off, admiring the sunset. "Not until I'm older, at least. I spent a lot of my growing up taking care of everyone."

[curry_ramen]

Beat blushed, looking away for a moment. He'd never really thought about that kind of thing: having a family of his own, kids, things like that. He had only recently repaired some of the bridges with his parents, and he had been gone so long he was really too old to just...go back. He sure didn't FEEL like an adult yet, but he supposed he was at the age that he was supposed to be thinking along those lines.

And he remembered that...well Penelo never had a family of her own. Oh sure, she had Migelo and the kids, but was that really the same? He guessed girls just thought of that kinda thing a lot. He sure didn't get it.

"Guess... I nevah really thought 'bout it." he finally replied, voicing his inner thoughts.

[penny_dancer]

"I was the 'mom' all the kids ran to growing up," she replied. "Even before my parents died, the kids would come to me before they went to their parents, if they had any. Things like that sort of...push thinking about your future family on you, I think."

Not that she minded too much. Someone had to be there for the kids, and she was a better choice than a lot of people the kids could have gone to. Though Penelo did wonder, a little, how she would be different if she hadn't been the 'mom'. She sighed.

[curry_ramen]

He moved over to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a tiny squeeze. "Never done anything like that before. I mean, I have Rhyme an' all that... but really she was taken care of me, ya know? I was more the kinda guy that'd beat kids up, not help 'em."

He laughed, nervously.

"Though, guess you'd have'ta, ya know, find'a guy before ya could really have kids anyways, right?"

[penny_dancer]

Penelo nodded, reaching up to squeeze Beat's hand a little. "You mean find someone who'll stick around...but you've heard all of that a hundred times before," she commented, looking at Beat, a little embarrassed.

She had no problem attracting guys; it was getting them to stay around that was the kicker. Except for Beat. Even when the 4423 was sold, he managed to find his way to her house, and signed on to the Convoy with her.