This chapter definitely took a turn that I did not expect until the next chapter, but I think it works! I'm guessing one or two more chapters, depending on any plot bunnies I may get at work this weekend.
"You know how bored I was last night?" Penny blurted out, looking up from her lap. "I tried to count how many times this cast is wrapped around my leg."
"Oh yeah?"
"Uh-huh."
That was how it'd been for the past half-hour. Since the kiss in the park, Leonard had noticed that Penny had had a hard time with silence. For the most part, they hung out like they used to, but whenever there was any sort of pause; she had to burst in with little facts or comments just to keep the conversations going. Then he'd say something to the effect of "oh yeah?" she'd affirm what she'd said, and they'd lapse into silence again.
In her defense, Leonard knew that he'd changed his behavior since the kiss, too. Now, when they were going up or down stairs, he was hesitant to put his hand on her sides or elbows to ensure balance. He still did, every time, because he knew that she expected it and it made her feel steady, but at the same time he wondered what went through her mind when he touched her. Was she feeling safe because he was there, reassuring her that she wouldn't fall backwards? Or was she feeling as awkward as he was, wondering how the other was now interpreting actions that had seemed so casual, so free, until the day before?
Leonard figured that they hadn't been totally platonic before that kiss. He'd carried her, held her on occasion, spent almost every waking moment with her, and piggybacked her up the stairs. But kissing…that named it, even if they didn't speak it out loud. That made everything a little more serious.
The change in how they interacted was evident to both of them. Penny chewed her lip, trying to think of something else to say. She watched Leonard out of the corner of her eye; the very corner of her eye. They were sitting a few inches farther apart than usual; she could barely see him without turning her head. So she did. "Can we talk?"
He jumped when she spoke, as if he wasn't expecting her to. Or maybe, since she'd been talking all morning, he hadn't been expecting those words. "Yeah," he said, nodding and adjusting his position so he faced her. "What's up?"
"No," she said. "No pretending. We've been pretending for weeks."
She could see that he knew what she meant. His shoulders dropped a few inches and he nodded slowly. "Okay." He hesitated, then sucked in a breath. "I've actually been dying to ask…"
Penny smiled. "I think it was alive, but…I only got a quick look." She sat up, scooting over so they were closer.
"Yeah," Leonard said. "That's what I was…"
He trailed off, and they looked at each other for the briefest instant before leaning forward simultaneously. Their lips met somewhere in the middle of the space between them; his hand rested on her knees and hers came up to his face. The kiss wasn't quick and simple like the kiss in the park, this was more eager, almost frantic, as they tested a theory that had already been proven.
Penny awkwardly rose on her good leg, the bad one against the seat cushion, and pushed herself closer to Leonard. Her movement caused him to lean backward, and then he was lying on the couch with Penny resting on top of him. Her hands slid down to his shoulders and back up to his neck, and his arms slid around her waist and held her close.
Suddenly, Penny pulled her head back. "Wait," she said, feeling breathless and even more so frustrated. "We can't have sex. I'd hurt my leg."
Leonard smiled up at her. "Don't worry," he said. "After all the effort we put into healing that thing, I'm not going to let us ruin it in the final weeks."
Penny smiled back, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him with affection. "Um," she said after a moment, feeling a bit of awkwardness seeping back into the room, "does this mean we're back together?"
Leonard opened his mouth, then closed it again and smiled slyly. "I don't know, are we?"
She grinned, lowering her head until their noses were mere inches apart. "Will you be my nerdy boyfriend again, Leonard?" she asked him.
He responded by moving his hands up her back and pulling her down against him again. "Of course," he said, quietly, stroking her hair.
"God," she said, pushing her nose against his chin. "I've missed you. Not like…I know you've been here, but…you know what I mean, right?"
"I think I've gotten pretty good at that," he commented, and she felt his chest shake a little as he laughed. Penny sighed, closing her eyes for a moment before remembering something. "You gotta sign my cast!" She exclaimed, jumping up awkwardly.
"Give me a marker," he said agreeably. Penny hopped over to the counter and found a Sharpie. She hopped back and settled on the couch, handing it to him. "Don't look until I'm done," he teased.
She covered her eyes with her hands. "Not looking," she said. She felt the pressure on her leg as Leonard started to write, and when it was off for more than a few seconds, she peered between her fingers.
"Don't look!" The sharp tone made her cover her eyes again quickly. "I didn't say I was done," Leonard said in a mock angry tone.
"Sorry!"
After another minute or so, she heard the click that signaled that the cap was back on the marker. Then Leonard's voice reached her ears, telling her that it was okay to look. She opened her eyes and tilted her head to read it better.
Just a few more weeks to go, and then this cast will be off and you can do everything you used to. The cat's alive, XOXO, Leonard.
She felt her mouth hang open; she put her hands to it in pleasant surprise. "Awww," she said, looking up at him. "You used the X and O thing I taught you!" She swung her leg under her as she rose on the good one, falling against Leonard and throwing her arms around him.
He kissed her forehead. "See? You've taught me something."
She adjusted her weight so she was more comfortable, then lay her head back on his shoulder. She was still unable to walk normally, but she felt so, so good.
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