Fic: Second Time Around
Title: Second Time Around
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: R (sex)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Romance
Word Count: 4,856
Characters/Pairings: Penny, Evan, Harrison, April, Whitman (Penny/Evan)
Summary: They fell in love, they got married, they had a baby. But first, they broke up.
A/N: I figured it was high time to show Penny and Evan some love, so you get backstory XD I hope you like it, bbs!
"Are you breaking up with me?"
Evan's words seemed to hang in the air for a moment before Penny sighed, breaking the tension.
"I can't do this anymore," she said tiredly.
"Give me another chance, Pen," he said earnestly, stepping forward and taking her hands in his. "I promise -"
"Stop," Penny said, pulling her hands away and stepping back. "Stop making promises you obviously can't keep."
"Just give me -"
"Another chance? How many second chances have I given you? Tonight was a second chance, Evan, tonight was your hundredth second chance, and you blew it. Again." Penny shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can't sit around and wait for you to grow up, and I can't let you take me for granted anymore."
"Penny, please," Evan said desperately, stepping towards her.
"Goodbye, Evan," Penny said softly, turning away from him and starting for the door.
She stopped, startled, when he suddenly appeared in front of her. He took her face in his hands and she squeaked in surprise when he pressed his lips to hers. She raised her hands to his chest, pushing him forcefully away.
"Evan -"
"Don't go, Penny, please," he said, his fingers slipping into her hair as he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm sorry, I really am, please; let me make this up to you."
She could feel her resolve slipping as she looked at him and she shook her head.
"It's too late," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling them from her hair, wincing slightly when his fingers snagged in her curls.
She stepped around him, desperate to get out before she changed her mind, and her hand was on the doorknob when he spoke again.
"I love you."
Penny stopped, her hand tightening on the knob as she closed her eyes for a moment before looking back at Evan.
"How would you know?" she asked quietly, tears rising in her eyes.
"Pen," Evan whispered, his eyes bright.
Penny shook her head once more and pulled the door open, turning away so he couldn't see that she was crying.
"Goodbye, Evan," she said again before stepping from his apartment and pulling the door shut behind her.
She stood still a moment, willing the ache in her chest to go away and trying to keep from breaking down completely. She took a deep breath and raised her hands to her face for a moment before she started for the elevator.
Penny sat on the risers and watched, amused, as Harrison played basketball with a group of freshmen. He towered over the kids, but seemed to make fewer baskets than they did, and Penny smiled, feeling a surge of affection towards her father.
A group of photographers stood off to one side, snapping pictures while April talked to some reporters. Penny looked at her friend, smiling slightly. She and April had met just after Harrison took office and over the past year had become very close. Penny was glad April had come today; she loved her father but hated doing these sorts of public appearances, and was happy to have April to talk to.
April turned away from the reporters and started towards the bleachers, her heels echoing in the large gymnasium. She carefully climbed the bleachers, wobbling slightly and grasping Whitman's hand when he extended it to her. Penny shifted over to let April sit next to her, feeling awkward with the three Secret Service agents that surrounded her. She wasn't used to being so protected, and it felt strange having to let somebody know her whereabouts all the time.
"This is gonna look great in the paper tomorrow," April murmured as she settled into her seat, watching Harrison with what Penny had started to call her 'reporter stare'.
"Dad always looks great in the paper," Penny replied.
"Lucky for him," April said. "Just wait a little while longer, the press will find something."
"Nah, he's got you to protect him," Penny said, grinning as she nudged April's arm.
The two girls laughed, and then looked up as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. The kids scattered, waving goodbye and shouting thanks as they headed off to the locker rooms to change. Harrison grinned as he watched them go, taking the towel from his personal aide to wipe the fine sheen of sweat off his forehead.
A few minutes later another bell rang and a new class filed in, led by their teacher, a tall man who looked quite young but seemed very self-assured. He instructed the class to sit and then spoke with a Secret Service agent before he started towards Harrison.
"He's cute," April murmured, grinning slightly as she and Penny stared.
"Mmm," Penny hummed in agreement, her lips curving upward.
The teacher extended his hand to Harrison as he approached, and it was when he smiled that Penny felt a sudden flash of recognition.
"April, can I see your list of the faculty?"
"Sure," April said, pulling her bag into her lap and rifling through the contents. "Oh, damn, that's right, I gave it to Chris," she muttered, sounding irritated.
She turned in her seat, prodding Whitman's leg.
"Hey, Whit, let me see your faculty list."
"I didn't hear the magic word," Whitman said, grinning down at April as he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
"Let me rephrase: the President's daughter wants to see the faculty list," April replied, arching an eyebrow at him.
Whitman snorted laughter as he handed April the list, and April's lips curved into a smirk as she passed it to Penny.
"Coming to happy hour tonight?" Whitman asked as Penny began to flip through the stapled pages.
"If you're lucky," April replied, grinning up at him just as Penny gasped.
"What is it?" April asked, frowning as she turned away from Whitman.
"'Evan Mitchell'," Penny read quietly. "'Teacher: physical education; assistant basketball coach.'"
April's frown deepened as she glanced over at the man talking to Harrison, and then back at Penny.
"Wait, are you saying - that's your Evan? Your ex-boyfriend Evan?"
Penny nodded, looking stunned as she handed the list back to April. "I haven't seen him in - in four years, not since we broke up."
"Go talk to him," April said as Whitman poked her hard in the shoulder. She handed the list back to him, smacking his leg without bothering to look at him and eliciting a low chuckle.
Penny shook her head. "I don't -"
She broke off as Harrison looked over, pointing right at her. Evan turned to look and she could see the surprise on his face as he stared at her.
Harrison moved towards the class assembled on the bleachers and Evan glanced after him, gesturing to his students to behave before starting towards Penny and April.
"Thanks, Dad," Penny muttered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as she pushed her hair behind her ears.
"We could just not let him come over," Whitman said in a low voice.
Penny shook her head, sighing. "No, it's fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Thanks, though," Penny replied, flashing a smile up at Whitman.
Evan smiled hesitantly as he came to the edge of the risers.
"Hey," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"Hey," Penny replied, trying to smile.
There was a beat of silence and then Penny gestured to April, desperate for a distraction.
"This is my friend April -"
"I know who she is," Evan said, smiling as he leaned forward, his hand extended. "See her on the news every night."
April slid forward in her seat to shake Evan's hand, smiling broadly at him.
There was another beat of silence and then April cleared her throat.
"So, Evan, you're a teacher here?" she asked, glancing over at Penny.
Evan nodded, reluctantly pulling his gaze from Penny to look at April. "Almost finished with my first year."
"How do you like it so far?"
"It's great," Evan said, nodding. "I love teaching and I love the kids. I've been short-listed for Teacher of the Year," he added, smiling modestly.
"Oh, so you must be pretty popular, then."
Evan shrugged, still smiling. "I suppose so."
April grinned and opened her mouth to speak when Harrison suddenly called to her. She looked at him, noticing he was slipping his suit jacket on, and she glanced at her watch.
"Oh, damn, time to go. Pen, why don't you stay here and catch up with Evan?"
"April," Penny hissed, reaching for her arm as she stood.
April bent to hug Penny, whispering, "You'll be fine," in her ear before she straightened.
She turned to step down the bleachers and Evan held out his hand to help her, seeing her safely to the gym floor.
April smiled her thanks at him and then jumped when Whitman landed beside her; she looked up at him and noticed the small frown creasing his brow.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked.
"Nothing. C'mon."
Whitman placed his hand at the small of April's back, ushering her along, and April twisted to wave to Penny before she and Whitman caught up with Harrison and the rest of his entourage.
Penny watched them go and then lowered her gaze to her hands, reluctant to meet Evan's eyes.
She heard him take a breath to speak, and then he sighed.
"I'll be right back," he murmured.
She looked up as he turned away, watching as he headed across the gym to where his class was seated on the bleachers. She heard him say something when he came within earshot and the kids laughed.
"Dress in," he said loudly as he started to back away. "Study hall until the bell."
The students scattered to the locker rooms and Evan headed back over to Penny.
"Never would've pegged you for a teacher," she said when he was in front of her again.
Evan laughed quietly. "Back then, neither would I."
They were quiet for a few minutes, and then Penny said tentatively, "I didn't, um - I didn't see you when I graduated."
Evan laughed again, though there was a cynical edge to it this time.
"Well, you were right, I did lose my scholarship. Landed myself on academic probation, had to really work to get my GPA back up. I graduated a semester late."
"I'm sorry," Penny murmured.
Evan shrugged, raising a hand to his face, and opened his mouth to speak when the bell suddenly rang.
"That's lunch," Evan said, looking at his watch. "Maybe - I don't know if you can," - he glanced at the two agents still close to Penny - "or if you want to, but maybe you could stay and have lunch with me? It's just cafeteria food, nothing to write home about, but maybe we could talk a little longer?"
He looked at her, his expression hopeful, and Penny felt a small tug in her chest. She remembered that look well, and even now it had the power to break her will.
"All right. I'll stay."
"Great!" Evan exclaimed, smiling broadly.
Penny stood and Evan reached up to help her down, just as he had done with April, though his hand lingered on Penny's until he reluctantly pulled it away.
They talked all through lunch, mostly about superficial things, neither of them particularly keen on touching the past just yet, and when Penny stood to leave, she wrote her number down on a napkin.
"If you - if you want to have lunch again sometime," she said, shrugging as she handed the napkin to Evan. "You know, outside of school."
Evan smiled. "That'd be nice."
Penny smiled back at him and turned to leave, feeling his eyes on her all the way out the door.
She was on her couch later that night, one leg tucked under her and her fingers twisting in her hair as she stared at the TV, though she wasn't paying attention to what was on.
She frowned, thinking back to earlier that day. She remembered Evan as he had been before: wild and immature, too busy partying to study, spending more time with his friends than he did with her.
The Evan she'd seen today somehow seemed so different. Calm and responsible, handling his class with nothing more than a few words and some choice looks, but the kids seemed to like him a lot.
He was still a charmer, of course, and Penny smiled vaguely as she thought of the way he'd spoken to April and the way he helped her down the bleachers.
Penny sighed and sat up, lowering both feet to the floor and leaning forward to rest her arms on her legs.
She'd broken up with him because, at 20 years old, she didn't want to date the same guy he was in high school. She'd expected him to mature, to become more responsible, and after two years, she finally gave up on him.
She remembered him telling her that he loved her as she left him, and she still wondered if he truly meant it, or if it was something he said in hopes of keeping her from leaving.
She frowned, chewing on her thumbnail. Her last relationship had ended over a year ago, and hadn't lasted that long. If she were honest with herself, every relationship she'd been in since Evan always seemed to feel shallow and temporary. She'd never been one to believe in fate, or destiny, or whatever people wanted to call it, but the sudden reappearance of Evan, the first, and so far only, man she had ever loved was making her wonder.
She glanced up at the TV and watched the replay of April's briefing from that morning for a moment before she snorted laughter, shaking her head.
Just because she and Evan had run into each other again didn't mean they would get back together. For all she knew he had a girlfriend, and even if he didn't, he might not want to be with her again. She knew she had hurt him back then and wouldn't be surprised if he resented her a little bit. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to enter into a relationship with him again; sure he had changed, but an hour spent talking and eating lunch wasn't nearly enough time to ascertain just how much and if the person he was now was somebody she wanted to be with.
She sighed and stood, cutting April off in mid-sentence as she turned the TV off, and headed into the bathroom to shower.
"Oh, yeah, Dad was real pleased when I lost my scholarship," Evan said, smirking as he sipped his tea. The ice cubes rattled as he set the glass down, and he cleared his throat. "He threatened to cut me off completely, no money at all, but Mom talked him down. I just had to promise to not fail any more classes. Surprised he didn't make me sign an oath in blood."
"Did you keep it? Your promise?" Penny asked, watching Evan as she took a bite of her sandwich.
"Sure did. Straight A's right up until I graduated."
"That's fantastic," Penny said, impressed.
Evan shrugged, chewing contemplatively on a French fry. "It wasn't too difficult. I got kicked off the team, and all my friends seemed to ditch me after that, so I had all the time in the world to study."
Penny looked at him sadly and he smiled when he noticed her expression.
"I was better off without them. I made other friends, once I actually started going to class, people who could help me and who wouldn't throw all-night parties in my apartment the night before a final exam."
Penny laughed softly and Evan grinned at her.
"All right, enough about me. Tell me what you've been doing."
Penny shrugged, shaking her head as she took a sip of her water. "Not much, really. I graduated, but Grandpa died right after and Dad got all wrapped up in his election campaign, so I helped him with that."
"Yeah, I was sorry to hear about your grandfather," Evan murmured, toying with his napkin. The corner of his mouth rose in a smirk. "He never liked me."
Penny laughed, shaking her head. "No, he didn't."
"He always said I wasn't good enough for his granddaughter. Can't really say he was wrong." He paused, and then added quietly, "He was a good man."
"Yeah," Penny said softly, staring down at her hands.
Evan leaned forward in his seat, looking annoyed with himself. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up."
Penny waved her hand at him, passing her fingers under her eyes. "It's all right," she said quickly, a small smile flickering over her face. "I know it's weird - I mean, it's been almost two years - but I still really miss him sometimes."
"That's not weird," Evan said, shaking his head. "I know how much you loved him. I'd probably think you were weird if you didn't miss him."
Penny smiled slightly and then took a breath. "Anyway, after Dad was elected, he started worrying about me looking for a job, afraid that somebody might try to… I don't know, come after me or hurt me or something." Penny shook her head, her brow knitted slightly. "So I've been humoring him and waiting."
"Give him some time," Evan said, popping his last French fry into his mouth. "Once things are more settled, I'm sure he'll ease up a bit."
"I hope so," Penny replied, balling up her napkin and dropping it onto her plate.
"Ready to go?" Evan asked, snatching up the check before Penny could touch it.
Penny gave him a look as they stood. "Let me at least pay for mine."
"Nope," Evan said, holding the ticket up over his head as Penny reached for it.
"That's cheating," Penny said, poking his ribs with the tip of her finger.
He laughed, lowering his arms as he twisted away from her. "So is that."
Penny giggled, bumping him with her arm. Evan grinned down at her and for a moment it was like they'd never broken up. Evan seemed to feel it too, because he leaned towards her suddenly; Penny felt herself move backward and Evan stopped, his breath warm on her mouth.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment and then Evan straightened, clearing his throat as he moved towards the register.
Penny closed her eyes, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't meant to move away from him, but he had surprised her and shying away from him had been purely reflexive.
He turned towards her, slipping his wallet back into his pocket, and she smiled at him, trying to ease the sudden tension that had sprung up between them.
"So," Evan began hesitantly as they emerged into the bright spring afternoon, "do we want to do this again?"
"Yes," Penny said quickly, smiling up at him as her car pulled to the curb.
The corner of Evan's mouth lifted as he looked at her, and she thought he seemed relieved. He contemplated her for a moment and then leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.
"I'll call you," he murmured and her smile widened as she nodded.
He grinned at her as he straightened, and then started down the sidewalk. Penny watched him for a moment before turning to slip into the car.
"So, you're seeing Evan again."
Penny nearly dropped her fork as she looked up at Harrison. Three weeks had passed since she and Evan had run into each other again, and she was eating dinner with her father in the residence of the White House.
"Did April tell you that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Harrison.
"Well, I sort of had to threaten her with letting some fake scandal break in order to get her to talk," Harrison replied, sipping at his water. "You know, it's fun to watch her eyes go wide and the color drain from her face."
"Dad," Penny admonished, shaking her head.
"Is it true or not, Pen?" Harrison asked, staring beadily at Penny.
"We've had lunch a few times, that doesn't mean I'm seeing him again." Penny nudged a potato across her plate with her fork, staring contemplatively at it. "What would you say if - if I did start seeing him again?"
Harrison considered this a moment, and then took a breath.
"I'd say that you're an adult, and you can date whomever you like."
Penny looked up at him, tilting her head to the side. "But really, Dad, what would you say?"
Harrison sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad when you broke up with Evan; it was the right thing to do, because you'd outgrown him and he wasn't good for you anymore. But I know you wouldn't consider dating him again if he was the same person he was back then, so if that's what you want to do, you know I'll support you."
Penny stared at her father a moment and then stood, stepping over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Thanks, Dad," she murmured, touching a kiss to his cheek.
Harrison laughed quietly, slipping his arm around Penny's waist and hugging her to him.
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Now finish your dinner; I might be able to stay awake through the movie this time if we start it soon."
Penny laughed as she stepped away. "You're such an old man," she teased as she settled into her chair.
"And proud of it," Harrison replied, smiling fondly at his daughter as she dissolved into giggles.
"Thanks for inviting me over," Evan said as he and Penny settled onto the couch. "I forgot how good a cook you are."
Penny smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears as she crossed her legs.
"I figured it would be easier for everybody if you just came over here for dinner instead of us going out."
Evan nodded, taking a sip of his wine before setting the glass on the coffee table.
"Less people staring, for one thing," he said, grinning as Penny laughed.
Penny took a swallow of her wine, swirling the red liquid around in her glass before she looked up at Evan.
"I have to ask, Evan, what made you change? You're so different now from who you were four years ago."
"Do you want the truth?" Evan asked, his green eyes intense as he looked at Penny.
She nodded, watching him curiously.
"It was you."
"Me?" Penny said, startled.
"You told me I needed to grow up, and it took losing you to see that you were right. I was steadily working on throwing my life away, and then you broke up with me and it was like reality just smacked me hard in the face." He paused, looking down at his hands before raising his eyes to Penny's face. "I did it for you, Pen. I thought that if I ever saw you again, no matter how unlikely it seemed, I wanted you to see that I could change, that I did change. Not to win you back or anything, but just so you could see that your words weren't wasted."
Penny stared at him a moment, studying his face, and then she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.
Neither of them moved when the kiss broke, their breath mixing in the space between them. Anticipation hung heavy in the air, and then Evan captured Penny's lips again, taking the wine glass from her and blindly placing it on the coffee table before his fingers disappeared into her hair.
He shifted closer to her, his hands skimming down her sides to her waist. The kiss broke and there was a hesitation during which either of them could've stopped, could've sat back and let this moment pass. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Evan's fingers deftly untied the sash around Penny's waist as she leaned in to kiss him again.
Her hands rose to the buttons on his shirt as his moved to the ones down the front of her dress and soon both items were on the floor, a mixed puddle of blue and green fabric.
Penny leaned back on the couch, smiling slightly as Evan stood to remove his pants; as soon as they were gone she reached for him, pulling him to her.
He grinned as he kissed her, and then gasped when Penny's fingers dug into his arms. She looked at him and then frowned when she noticed the large, painful looking bruise on his upper arm.
"Sorry," she murmured.
"Don't worry about it," he replied, pushing her hair back as he leaned down to kiss her again.
His lips moved to her neck as his fingers drifted down her chest, passing over the swell of her breast before sliding around to her back. They shifted and Evan's fingers plucked apart the clasp of her bra, tugging it from her body and tossing it to the floor. He pushed up slightly on his knees, kissing one breast and sucking on the nipple until she moaned, her fingers threading in his hair.
He kissed a path down her stomach until he reached the waist of her panties. He hooked his fingers over the sides and slowly began to tug them down, following their progress with more kisses. He lingered between her legs, running his tongue lightly over her sensitive skin, tasting her until she shivered.
"Oh, god, Evan," she moaned, her fingers biting into his shoulders as her hips rose to meet his mouth.
He smiled and continued down, brushing his lips lightly along the skin of her inner thighs, over her knees and down to her ankles before he slipped her panties over her feet, dropping them to the floor. He slipped his boxers off before climbing her body, pressing his lips to hers as her legs rose on either side of him. He slid into her and her legs tightened around him, her head falling back as she gripped his sides.
He felt different under her hands, but not so much that she didn't remember how to trace the lines of his body and her fingers pressed into his back, urging him deeper.
She'd had better lovers since Evan, but as he angled his hips and pushed deeper into her, bringing her closer and closer to the edge, she realized his personality wasn't the only thing that had improved.
His teeth found her earlobe, nipping it gently before his lips moved to her neck; he ran his tongue lightly along her skin, making her gasp his name. Clearly he still remembered what she liked and she arched against him, touching her lips to his jaw as the warmth began to swell within her.
His hand dropped to her thigh and he pulled her leg higher against his side, his hips moving faster until she cried out, her head falling back against the arm of the couch as her fingers dug into his ribs.
A few more quick thrusts brought his end soon after and he lowered his face into the curve of her neck, whispering her name.
They held each other as they came down and then Evan moved over, trying to lie beside her.
"What the hell is up with your couch?" he said, scowling as he struggled to make himself comfortable.
"Well, this isn't exactly what it was designed for," Penny replied, giggling softly as she shifted over to make room for him.
He finally settled between her and the back cushions, slipping one arm around her shoulders while the fingers of his other hand twined with hers against his stomach.
"What happened here?" Penny asked, touching her fingers lightly to the bruise on Evan's arm.
"Softball thrown by a slightly overenthusiastic sophomore," he replied, glancing down.
"Did they apologize?"
"Profusely," Evan said, grinning. "I told her she should try out for the team next year."
Penny laughed and Evan pressed a kiss to her temple as his arm tightened around her.
"When I left before," Penny said softly after a minute, "you told me you loved me." She paused, her fingers lightly stroking Evan's chest. "Did you mean it?"
"Yes," Evan replied without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Penny was quiet a minute.
"Do you still -"
"I never stopped."
Penny shifted, turning her gaze to Evan's face. He smiled, gently pushing her hair from her face.
"Want the truth?" she asked, and he nodded. "Neither did I."
His smile widened and he pulled her in closer, pressing his lips to hers.
Silence descended for a few minutes and then Penny spoke again.
"Will you stay?" she murmured.
"Do you want me to?"
"Yes," Penny replied, nodding.
"Then I'll stay."
Penny smiled, touching her lips to his shoulder.
"I just have one request."
"What's that?" Penny asked, looking up at him.
"Can we move to the bed? Because this couch is really uncomfortable."
Penny burst out laughing and Evan grinned as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.
Author: Mary (stillxmyxheart)
Beta: Lindsay (nylana)
Rating: R (sex)
Genre: Angst, Fluff, Romance
Word Count: 4,856
Characters/Pairings: Penny, Evan, Harrison, April, Whitman (Penny/Evan)
Summary: They fell in love, they got married, they had a baby. But first, they broke up.
A/N: I figured it was high time to show Penny and Evan some love, so you get backstory XD I hope you like it, bbs!
"Are you breaking up with me?"
Evan's words seemed to hang in the air for a moment before Penny sighed, breaking the tension.
"I can't do this anymore," she said tiredly.
"Give me another chance, Pen," he said earnestly, stepping forward and taking her hands in his. "I promise -"
"Stop," Penny said, pulling her hands away and stepping back. "Stop making promises you obviously can't keep."
"Just give me -"
"Another chance? How many second chances have I given you? Tonight was a second chance, Evan, tonight was your hundredth second chance, and you blew it. Again." Penny shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest. "I can't sit around and wait for you to grow up, and I can't let you take me for granted anymore."
"Penny, please," Evan said desperately, stepping towards her.
"Goodbye, Evan," Penny said softly, turning away from him and starting for the door.
She stopped, startled, when he suddenly appeared in front of her. He took her face in his hands and she squeaked in surprise when he pressed his lips to hers. She raised her hands to his chest, pushing him forcefully away.
"Evan -"
"Don't go, Penny, please," he said, his fingers slipping into her hair as he caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm sorry, I really am, please; let me make this up to you."
She could feel her resolve slipping as she looked at him and she shook her head.
"It's too late," she said, grabbing his hands and pulling them from her hair, wincing slightly when his fingers snagged in her curls.
She stepped around him, desperate to get out before she changed her mind, and her hand was on the doorknob when he spoke again.
"I love you."
Penny stopped, her hand tightening on the knob as she closed her eyes for a moment before looking back at Evan.
"How would you know?" she asked quietly, tears rising in her eyes.
"Pen," Evan whispered, his eyes bright.
Penny shook her head once more and pulled the door open, turning away so he couldn't see that she was crying.
"Goodbye, Evan," she said again before stepping from his apartment and pulling the door shut behind her.
She stood still a moment, willing the ache in her chest to go away and trying to keep from breaking down completely. She took a deep breath and raised her hands to her face for a moment before she started for the elevator.
Penny sat on the risers and watched, amused, as Harrison played basketball with a group of freshmen. He towered over the kids, but seemed to make fewer baskets than they did, and Penny smiled, feeling a surge of affection towards her father.
A group of photographers stood off to one side, snapping pictures while April talked to some reporters. Penny looked at her friend, smiling slightly. She and April had met just after Harrison took office and over the past year had become very close. Penny was glad April had come today; she loved her father but hated doing these sorts of public appearances, and was happy to have April to talk to.
April turned away from the reporters and started towards the bleachers, her heels echoing in the large gymnasium. She carefully climbed the bleachers, wobbling slightly and grasping Whitman's hand when he extended it to her. Penny shifted over to let April sit next to her, feeling awkward with the three Secret Service agents that surrounded her. She wasn't used to being so protected, and it felt strange having to let somebody know her whereabouts all the time.
"This is gonna look great in the paper tomorrow," April murmured as she settled into her seat, watching Harrison with what Penny had started to call her 'reporter stare'.
"Dad always looks great in the paper," Penny replied.
"Lucky for him," April said. "Just wait a little while longer, the press will find something."
"Nah, he's got you to protect him," Penny said, grinning as she nudged April's arm.
The two girls laughed, and then looked up as the bell rang, signaling the end of the period. The kids scattered, waving goodbye and shouting thanks as they headed off to the locker rooms to change. Harrison grinned as he watched them go, taking the towel from his personal aide to wipe the fine sheen of sweat off his forehead.
A few minutes later another bell rang and a new class filed in, led by their teacher, a tall man who looked quite young but seemed very self-assured. He instructed the class to sit and then spoke with a Secret Service agent before he started towards Harrison.
"He's cute," April murmured, grinning slightly as she and Penny stared.
"Mmm," Penny hummed in agreement, her lips curving upward.
The teacher extended his hand to Harrison as he approached, and it was when he smiled that Penny felt a sudden flash of recognition.
"April, can I see your list of the faculty?"
"Sure," April said, pulling her bag into her lap and rifling through the contents. "Oh, damn, that's right, I gave it to Chris," she muttered, sounding irritated.
She turned in her seat, prodding Whitman's leg.
"Hey, Whit, let me see your faculty list."
"I didn't hear the magic word," Whitman said, grinning down at April as he reached into the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
"Let me rephrase: the President's daughter wants to see the faculty list," April replied, arching an eyebrow at him.
Whitman snorted laughter as he handed April the list, and April's lips curved into a smirk as she passed it to Penny.
"Coming to happy hour tonight?" Whitman asked as Penny began to flip through the stapled pages.
"If you're lucky," April replied, grinning up at him just as Penny gasped.
"What is it?" April asked, frowning as she turned away from Whitman.
"'Evan Mitchell'," Penny read quietly. "'Teacher: physical education; assistant basketball coach.'"
April's frown deepened as she glanced over at the man talking to Harrison, and then back at Penny.
"Wait, are you saying - that's your Evan? Your ex-boyfriend Evan?"
Penny nodded, looking stunned as she handed the list back to April. "I haven't seen him in - in four years, not since we broke up."
"Go talk to him," April said as Whitman poked her hard in the shoulder. She handed the list back to him, smacking his leg without bothering to look at him and eliciting a low chuckle.
Penny shook her head. "I don't -"
She broke off as Harrison looked over, pointing right at her. Evan turned to look and she could see the surprise on his face as he stared at her.
Harrison moved towards the class assembled on the bleachers and Evan glanced after him, gesturing to his students to behave before starting towards Penny and April.
"Thanks, Dad," Penny muttered, shifting uncomfortably in her seat as she pushed her hair behind her ears.
"We could just not let him come over," Whitman said in a low voice.
Penny shook her head, sighing. "No, it's fine."
"You sure?"
"Yeah. Thanks, though," Penny replied, flashing a smile up at Whitman.
Evan smiled hesitantly as he came to the edge of the risers.
"Hey," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.
"Hey," Penny replied, trying to smile.
There was a beat of silence and then Penny gestured to April, desperate for a distraction.
"This is my friend April -"
"I know who she is," Evan said, smiling as he leaned forward, his hand extended. "See her on the news every night."
April slid forward in her seat to shake Evan's hand, smiling broadly at him.
There was another beat of silence and then April cleared her throat.
"So, Evan, you're a teacher here?" she asked, glancing over at Penny.
Evan nodded, reluctantly pulling his gaze from Penny to look at April. "Almost finished with my first year."
"How do you like it so far?"
"It's great," Evan said, nodding. "I love teaching and I love the kids. I've been short-listed for Teacher of the Year," he added, smiling modestly.
"Oh, so you must be pretty popular, then."
Evan shrugged, still smiling. "I suppose so."
April grinned and opened her mouth to speak when Harrison suddenly called to her. She looked at him, noticing he was slipping his suit jacket on, and she glanced at her watch.
"Oh, damn, time to go. Pen, why don't you stay here and catch up with Evan?"
"April," Penny hissed, reaching for her arm as she stood.
April bent to hug Penny, whispering, "You'll be fine," in her ear before she straightened.
She turned to step down the bleachers and Evan held out his hand to help her, seeing her safely to the gym floor.
April smiled her thanks at him and then jumped when Whitman landed beside her; she looked up at him and noticed the small frown creasing his brow.
"What's wrong with you?" she asked.
"Nothing. C'mon."
Whitman placed his hand at the small of April's back, ushering her along, and April twisted to wave to Penny before she and Whitman caught up with Harrison and the rest of his entourage.
Penny watched them go and then lowered her gaze to her hands, reluctant to meet Evan's eyes.
She heard him take a breath to speak, and then he sighed.
"I'll be right back," he murmured.
She looked up as he turned away, watching as he headed across the gym to where his class was seated on the bleachers. She heard him say something when he came within earshot and the kids laughed.
"Dress in," he said loudly as he started to back away. "Study hall until the bell."
The students scattered to the locker rooms and Evan headed back over to Penny.
"Never would've pegged you for a teacher," she said when he was in front of her again.
Evan laughed quietly. "Back then, neither would I."
They were quiet for a few minutes, and then Penny said tentatively, "I didn't, um - I didn't see you when I graduated."
Evan laughed again, though there was a cynical edge to it this time.
"Well, you were right, I did lose my scholarship. Landed myself on academic probation, had to really work to get my GPA back up. I graduated a semester late."
"I'm sorry," Penny murmured.
Evan shrugged, raising a hand to his face, and opened his mouth to speak when the bell suddenly rang.
"That's lunch," Evan said, looking at his watch. "Maybe - I don't know if you can," - he glanced at the two agents still close to Penny - "or if you want to, but maybe you could stay and have lunch with me? It's just cafeteria food, nothing to write home about, but maybe we could talk a little longer?"
He looked at her, his expression hopeful, and Penny felt a small tug in her chest. She remembered that look well, and even now it had the power to break her will.
"All right. I'll stay."
"Great!" Evan exclaimed, smiling broadly.
Penny stood and Evan reached up to help her down, just as he had done with April, though his hand lingered on Penny's until he reluctantly pulled it away.
They talked all through lunch, mostly about superficial things, neither of them particularly keen on touching the past just yet, and when Penny stood to leave, she wrote her number down on a napkin.
"If you - if you want to have lunch again sometime," she said, shrugging as she handed the napkin to Evan. "You know, outside of school."
Evan smiled. "That'd be nice."
Penny smiled back at him and turned to leave, feeling his eyes on her all the way out the door.
She was on her couch later that night, one leg tucked under her and her fingers twisting in her hair as she stared at the TV, though she wasn't paying attention to what was on.
She frowned, thinking back to earlier that day. She remembered Evan as he had been before: wild and immature, too busy partying to study, spending more time with his friends than he did with her.
The Evan she'd seen today somehow seemed so different. Calm and responsible, handling his class with nothing more than a few words and some choice looks, but the kids seemed to like him a lot.
He was still a charmer, of course, and Penny smiled vaguely as she thought of the way he'd spoken to April and the way he helped her down the bleachers.
Penny sighed and sat up, lowering both feet to the floor and leaning forward to rest her arms on her legs.
She'd broken up with him because, at 20 years old, she didn't want to date the same guy he was in high school. She'd expected him to mature, to become more responsible, and after two years, she finally gave up on him.
She remembered him telling her that he loved her as she left him, and she still wondered if he truly meant it, or if it was something he said in hopes of keeping her from leaving.
She frowned, chewing on her thumbnail. Her last relationship had ended over a year ago, and hadn't lasted that long. If she were honest with herself, every relationship she'd been in since Evan always seemed to feel shallow and temporary. She'd never been one to believe in fate, or destiny, or whatever people wanted to call it, but the sudden reappearance of Evan, the first, and so far only, man she had ever loved was making her wonder.
She glanced up at the TV and watched the replay of April's briefing from that morning for a moment before she snorted laughter, shaking her head.
Just because she and Evan had run into each other again didn't mean they would get back together. For all she knew he had a girlfriend, and even if he didn't, he might not want to be with her again. She knew she had hurt him back then and wouldn't be surprised if he resented her a little bit. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to enter into a relationship with him again; sure he had changed, but an hour spent talking and eating lunch wasn't nearly enough time to ascertain just how much and if the person he was now was somebody she wanted to be with.
She sighed and stood, cutting April off in mid-sentence as she turned the TV off, and headed into the bathroom to shower.
"Oh, yeah, Dad was real pleased when I lost my scholarship," Evan said, smirking as he sipped his tea. The ice cubes rattled as he set the glass down, and he cleared his throat. "He threatened to cut me off completely, no money at all, but Mom talked him down. I just had to promise to not fail any more classes. Surprised he didn't make me sign an oath in blood."
"Did you keep it? Your promise?" Penny asked, watching Evan as she took a bite of her sandwich.
"Sure did. Straight A's right up until I graduated."
"That's fantastic," Penny said, impressed.
Evan shrugged, chewing contemplatively on a French fry. "It wasn't too difficult. I got kicked off the team, and all my friends seemed to ditch me after that, so I had all the time in the world to study."
Penny looked at him sadly and he smiled when he noticed her expression.
"I was better off without them. I made other friends, once I actually started going to class, people who could help me and who wouldn't throw all-night parties in my apartment the night before a final exam."
Penny laughed softly and Evan grinned at her.
"All right, enough about me. Tell me what you've been doing."
Penny shrugged, shaking her head as she took a sip of her water. "Not much, really. I graduated, but Grandpa died right after and Dad got all wrapped up in his election campaign, so I helped him with that."
"Yeah, I was sorry to hear about your grandfather," Evan murmured, toying with his napkin. The corner of his mouth rose in a smirk. "He never liked me."
Penny laughed, shaking her head. "No, he didn't."
"He always said I wasn't good enough for his granddaughter. Can't really say he was wrong." He paused, and then added quietly, "He was a good man."
"Yeah," Penny said softly, staring down at her hands.
Evan leaned forward in his seat, looking annoyed with himself. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't have brought it up."
Penny waved her hand at him, passing her fingers under her eyes. "It's all right," she said quickly, a small smile flickering over her face. "I know it's weird - I mean, it's been almost two years - but I still really miss him sometimes."
"That's not weird," Evan said, shaking his head. "I know how much you loved him. I'd probably think you were weird if you didn't miss him."
Penny smiled slightly and then took a breath. "Anyway, after Dad was elected, he started worrying about me looking for a job, afraid that somebody might try to… I don't know, come after me or hurt me or something." Penny shook her head, her brow knitted slightly. "So I've been humoring him and waiting."
"Give him some time," Evan said, popping his last French fry into his mouth. "Once things are more settled, I'm sure he'll ease up a bit."
"I hope so," Penny replied, balling up her napkin and dropping it onto her plate.
"Ready to go?" Evan asked, snatching up the check before Penny could touch it.
Penny gave him a look as they stood. "Let me at least pay for mine."
"Nope," Evan said, holding the ticket up over his head as Penny reached for it.
"That's cheating," Penny said, poking his ribs with the tip of her finger.
He laughed, lowering his arms as he twisted away from her. "So is that."
Penny giggled, bumping him with her arm. Evan grinned down at her and for a moment it was like they'd never broken up. Evan seemed to feel it too, because he leaned towards her suddenly; Penny felt herself move backward and Evan stopped, his breath warm on her mouth.
Time seemed to freeze for a moment and then Evan straightened, clearing his throat as he moved towards the register.
Penny closed her eyes, sighing as she ran her fingers through her hair. She hadn't meant to move away from him, but he had surprised her and shying away from him had been purely reflexive.
He turned towards her, slipping his wallet back into his pocket, and she smiled at him, trying to ease the sudden tension that had sprung up between them.
"So," Evan began hesitantly as they emerged into the bright spring afternoon, "do we want to do this again?"
"Yes," Penny said quickly, smiling up at him as her car pulled to the curb.
The corner of Evan's mouth lifted as he looked at her, and she thought he seemed relieved. He contemplated her for a moment and then leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her cheek.
"I'll call you," he murmured and her smile widened as she nodded.
He grinned at her as he straightened, and then started down the sidewalk. Penny watched him for a moment before turning to slip into the car.
"So, you're seeing Evan again."
Penny nearly dropped her fork as she looked up at Harrison. Three weeks had passed since she and Evan had run into each other again, and she was eating dinner with her father in the residence of the White House.
"Did April tell you that?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at Harrison.
"Well, I sort of had to threaten her with letting some fake scandal break in order to get her to talk," Harrison replied, sipping at his water. "You know, it's fun to watch her eyes go wide and the color drain from her face."
"Dad," Penny admonished, shaking her head.
"Is it true or not, Pen?" Harrison asked, staring beadily at Penny.
"We've had lunch a few times, that doesn't mean I'm seeing him again." Penny nudged a potato across her plate with her fork, staring contemplatively at it. "What would you say if - if I did start seeing him again?"
Harrison considered this a moment, and then took a breath.
"I'd say that you're an adult, and you can date whomever you like."
Penny looked up at him, tilting her head to the side. "But really, Dad, what would you say?"
Harrison sighed. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't glad when you broke up with Evan; it was the right thing to do, because you'd outgrown him and he wasn't good for you anymore. But I know you wouldn't consider dating him again if he was the same person he was back then, so if that's what you want to do, you know I'll support you."
Penny stared at her father a moment and then stood, stepping over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.
"Thanks, Dad," she murmured, touching a kiss to his cheek.
Harrison laughed quietly, slipping his arm around Penny's waist and hugging her to him.
"You're welcome, sweetheart. Now finish your dinner; I might be able to stay awake through the movie this time if we start it soon."
Penny laughed as she stepped away. "You're such an old man," she teased as she settled into her chair.
"And proud of it," Harrison replied, smiling fondly at his daughter as she dissolved into giggles.
"Thanks for inviting me over," Evan said as he and Penny settled onto the couch. "I forgot how good a cook you are."
Penny smiled, tucking her hair behind her ears as she crossed her legs.
"I figured it would be easier for everybody if you just came over here for dinner instead of us going out."
Evan nodded, taking a sip of his wine before setting the glass on the coffee table.
"Less people staring, for one thing," he said, grinning as Penny laughed.
Penny took a swallow of her wine, swirling the red liquid around in her glass before she looked up at Evan.
"I have to ask, Evan, what made you change? You're so different now from who you were four years ago."
"Do you want the truth?" Evan asked, his green eyes intense as he looked at Penny.
She nodded, watching him curiously.
"It was you."
"Me?" Penny said, startled.
"You told me I needed to grow up, and it took losing you to see that you were right. I was steadily working on throwing my life away, and then you broke up with me and it was like reality just smacked me hard in the face." He paused, looking down at his hands before raising his eyes to Penny's face. "I did it for you, Pen. I thought that if I ever saw you again, no matter how unlikely it seemed, I wanted you to see that I could change, that I did change. Not to win you back or anything, but just so you could see that your words weren't wasted."
Penny stared at him a moment, studying his face, and then she leaned forward, pressing her lips to his.
Neither of them moved when the kiss broke, their breath mixing in the space between them. Anticipation hung heavy in the air, and then Evan captured Penny's lips again, taking the wine glass from her and blindly placing it on the coffee table before his fingers disappeared into her hair.
He shifted closer to her, his hands skimming down her sides to her waist. The kiss broke and there was a hesitation during which either of them could've stopped, could've sat back and let this moment pass. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Evan's fingers deftly untied the sash around Penny's waist as she leaned in to kiss him again.
Her hands rose to the buttons on his shirt as his moved to the ones down the front of her dress and soon both items were on the floor, a mixed puddle of blue and green fabric.
Penny leaned back on the couch, smiling slightly as Evan stood to remove his pants; as soon as they were gone she reached for him, pulling him to her.
He grinned as he kissed her, and then gasped when Penny's fingers dug into his arms. She looked at him and then frowned when she noticed the large, painful looking bruise on his upper arm.
"Sorry," she murmured.
"Don't worry about it," he replied, pushing her hair back as he leaned down to kiss her again.
His lips moved to her neck as his fingers drifted down her chest, passing over the swell of her breast before sliding around to her back. They shifted and Evan's fingers plucked apart the clasp of her bra, tugging it from her body and tossing it to the floor. He pushed up slightly on his knees, kissing one breast and sucking on the nipple until she moaned, her fingers threading in his hair.
He kissed a path down her stomach until he reached the waist of her panties. He hooked his fingers over the sides and slowly began to tug them down, following their progress with more kisses. He lingered between her legs, running his tongue lightly over her sensitive skin, tasting her until she shivered.
"Oh, god, Evan," she moaned, her fingers biting into his shoulders as her hips rose to meet his mouth.
He smiled and continued down, brushing his lips lightly along the skin of her inner thighs, over her knees and down to her ankles before he slipped her panties over her feet, dropping them to the floor. He slipped his boxers off before climbing her body, pressing his lips to hers as her legs rose on either side of him. He slid into her and her legs tightened around him, her head falling back as she gripped his sides.
He felt different under her hands, but not so much that she didn't remember how to trace the lines of his body and her fingers pressed into his back, urging him deeper.
She'd had better lovers since Evan, but as he angled his hips and pushed deeper into her, bringing her closer and closer to the edge, she realized his personality wasn't the only thing that had improved.
His teeth found her earlobe, nipping it gently before his lips moved to her neck; he ran his tongue lightly along her skin, making her gasp his name. Clearly he still remembered what she liked and she arched against him, touching her lips to his jaw as the warmth began to swell within her.
His hand dropped to her thigh and he pulled her leg higher against his side, his hips moving faster until she cried out, her head falling back against the arm of the couch as her fingers dug into his ribs.
A few more quick thrusts brought his end soon after and he lowered his face into the curve of her neck, whispering her name.
They held each other as they came down and then Evan moved over, trying to lie beside her.
"What the hell is up with your couch?" he said, scowling as he struggled to make himself comfortable.
"Well, this isn't exactly what it was designed for," Penny replied, giggling softly as she shifted over to make room for him.
He finally settled between her and the back cushions, slipping one arm around her shoulders while the fingers of his other hand twined with hers against his stomach.
"What happened here?" Penny asked, touching her fingers lightly to the bruise on Evan's arm.
"Softball thrown by a slightly overenthusiastic sophomore," he replied, glancing down.
"Did they apologize?"
"Profusely," Evan said, grinning. "I told her she should try out for the team next year."
Penny laughed and Evan pressed a kiss to her temple as his arm tightened around her.
"When I left before," Penny said softly after a minute, "you told me you loved me." She paused, her fingers lightly stroking Evan's chest. "Did you mean it?"
"Yes," Evan replied without the slightest bit of hesitation.
Penny was quiet a minute.
"Do you still -"
"I never stopped."
Penny shifted, turning her gaze to Evan's face. He smiled, gently pushing her hair from her face.
"Want the truth?" she asked, and he nodded. "Neither did I."
His smile widened and he pulled her in closer, pressing his lips to hers.
Silence descended for a few minutes and then Penny spoke again.
"Will you stay?" she murmured.
"Do you want me to?"
"Yes," Penny replied, nodding.
"Then I'll stay."
Penny smiled, touching her lips to his shoulder.
"I just have one request."
"What's that?" Penny asked, looking up at him.
"Can we move to the bed? Because this couch is really uncomfortable."
Penny burst out laughing and Evan grinned as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.