Penn Zero "Moments"

Author's Note

THIS NOTE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE STORY! IF YOU'RE NOT INTERESTED, PLEASE SKIP DOWN TO THE BEGINNING OF THE CHAPTER!

So this is going to be my last chapter on this fanfiction (as if the title didn't already make that clear enough). Honestly, I'm not really happy with the final product, but then again, I never am, even when everyone around me tells me otherwise. It's hard to find someone who will just give you their straight-up honest opinion. Also, I need the opinion of people who actually know what a good story looks like and can give me constructive criticism. So as if finding an honest opinion wasn't hard enough, I also need to find someone who can give me good advice.

Anyways, this chapter draws inspiration from Spiderman: Far From Home and The Walking Dead. A weird combo, I know. But in my head, it made an odd sort of sense. If anyone can guess which elements of those two I incorporated, hats off to you. Man, to think about how long ago I started this, and more importantly, why I started this, it surprises me what it became. I'm currently working on two other stories (they're not posted here yet) so this one was really delayed but at the same time, I needed a fresh change of pace. Still, this was my first story and in a way, it'll always be special to me.

Contrary to what some people may have believed, I didn't abandon this story. I don't abandon projects of mine, ever. I just need some recovery time, that's all. But I don't abandon things. Anyways, as far as Penn Zero goes, this is my final gift to you. Also, thank you to PootisSpenser for being one of my first ever reviewers and for giving me inspiration when I needed it. Thank you also to all the people who also reviewed. I know it wasn't many, but that made it all the more meaningful that you did. I hope this finale makes you proud.

Without further ado, I present to you all the moment you've been waiting for. Enjoy!

Finale

The fire gave off a warm glow as it burned. The couch was soft and comfortable underneath him, but not to the point that he felt like he was sinking into it. Everyone else was asleep so he had it all to himself, something he took full advantage of as he lay on it with his legs laid out straight. He had to admit, he didn't expect to be staying in a hotel this nice. Usually, when students went on school-organized trips to foreign countries, they stayed in the cheapest places possible that were still technically livable because the school didn't want to pay too much. However, a large portion of the fee to come on this trip had actually gone into living accommodations for the students, not the travel cost. Now Penn understood why it had been so costly, and despite his reservations, he'd decided it was worth every penny. And he wasn't just saying that because of this superior-quality couch, although it was a bit more significant in his verdict than it should have been if he was being honest.

Penn sighed as he shifted to get more comfortable. The only reason he had come on this trip was because Sashi had been going on it too. He usually didn't like these kinds of trips because people were always more concerned with staying on schedule than they were with actually enjoying the trip. They always went to every tourist destination as fast as possible and snapped a few pictures instead of actually looking around and enjoying the sights and appreciating everything. It was the biggest reason he only ever traveled with his family, as their travels were always relaxed and enjoyable. However, Sashi had really wanted to go and Penn knew that she needed company if she was actually going to enjoy her trip. She didn't get along with anyone else and Boone, while he meant well, would surely drive her insane. Wanting her to enjoy her trip and seeing that she really wanted to go, Penn asked his Uncle Chuck and Aunt Rose if he could go too. Surprised at his request, they agreed, although it took a bit of convincing because of the cost. Soon, Penn packed all the things he needed and joined Sashi.

He had to admit, the trip had defied all of his expectations in the best way possible. The living accommodations were nice, the food was great (he would really have to try more European cuisine when he got the chance), they had gone to Venice, and the trip was considerably more relaxed than he was expecting. There was a certain amount of time they stayed at any one given location and within that time, students were free to go exploring the city, so long as they stayed within the outlined area so they didn't get lost.

Penn had been really surprised at Sashi's love of Venice's tourist attractions. She had talked about everything from the food to the architecture to the art to the music. Penn hadn't expected her to be interested in any of that stuff since most of the things she talked about were usually related to horrific violence so it had been a pleasant surprise to see this side of her. Back in Middleburg, Sashi's tough-girl persona rarely ever faltered. It was nice to see her not as Sashi, the tough and unbeatable Sidekick, but just as Sashi, a regular highschool girl.

Sashi had made it a point to drag Penn with her across every inch of area they were allowed to explore within the time they had so the majority of Penn's day had been going along with Sashi and listening to her rant adorably on every little thing she saw. Eventually, they had to go back to the hotel they were staying at because it was getting late, although they still had one more day in that part of the city and Sashi vowed to make the most of it. Which led to where Penn was now.

It was late. He should have really been asleep by now but he had learned long ago how to survive and function on fewer hours of sleep while at the same time being just as well rested as he would be with a full eight hours. He had recently adopted the dymaxion sleep schedule and, although it was absolute hell to get used to it, it was well worth it as he felt better than he had when he used to sleep eight hours. He had already slept earlier and so he decided to come down here for some peace and quiet away from the sounds of snoring kids. It was warm and comfortable down here and he found it quite easy to think.

Things had really changed between him and Sashi over the last few months. Despite how dense Penn could be sometimes, he had noticed the slow but steady change between him and Sashi. The way she was softer towards him than everybody else. The way she often touched him and leaned into him whereas she would recoil from anyone else. The way she would always smile when it was just the two of them but hide it as well as she could from almost everyone else, save for Boone. Penn had noticed how she had changed. And he had noticed how he had as well.

He wasn't oblivious to how beautiful Sashi was. He noticed it back when they first met and although he'd been terrified of her, he had still had a bit of a crush on her. However, since they were partners, he had decided it would be best not to pursue a romantic relationship with her. Also, back then, he was way too scared to ask any girl out, let alone Sashi. Eventually, his crush on her faded away and they established a strong partnership. However, as time had gone on, Penn had slowly started to develop more affection towards her. He'd convinced himself it was just friendly affection, but after the night they watched movies together at Boone's house, he couldn't tell himself that anymore. The fact was, he had grown to love Sashi, and the idea of any other guy making a move on her made him uncomfortable to say the least. (He also wanted to kill Blaze for totally unrelated reasons. On second thought, maybe not totally unrelated.)

He loved her. And after sitting here alone, with nothing but the warmth of the fire and the peace and quiet, he decided he wasn't going to wait until some other guy had the guts to ask Sashi out before he did. Even if she said 'no' to Penn, it wouldn't cost him his friendship with her. Their bond ran way too deep to be lost over something like this. He loved her. And he'd rather let her go than lose her.

A sound from the stairs alerted Penn out of his relaxed state and he got up to look over the couch to see Sashi walking down the steps, her hair messy, her makeup gone, and wearing chibi kitten pajamas.

'This is literally the best she's ever looked,' Penn thought. He cleared his throat, took a moment to cleanse his mind, and then spoke.

"Sashi? What are you doing up right now?"

"I could ask you the same thing, stupid," she said, although she smiled affectionately as she said it. She yawned, rubbed her eyes, and then made her way over to the couch.

"Move," she said. Penn complied, sitting up and making space for her to sit down. "Why're you still awake?" she asked.

"I couldn't sleep so I came down here to think," Penn answered honestly.

"About what?" Sashi asked.

"Nothing, really," he replied. He sighed as he leaned back into the couch. "I was just thinking about what a crazy year it's been." He laughed. "Man, I remember when I first found out I was supposed to be a Part-Time Hero."

"Yeah, you were scared and stupid," Sashi replied. "Now you're competent and stupid."

"I'm guessing that's a compliment," he said jokingly.

"It is," she replied.

Penn sighed and he and Sashi sat there in comfortable silence for a while. "You know, you've changed a lot since I first met you, Sash," he said honestly. "You shut me out so hard, I didn't know if you'd ever open up to me." He looked at her and smiled. "I'm really glad you did."

She smiled back. "So am I," she said. She turned her head and her gaze drifted to the fire. "I know I can be mean. Scary. Violent. I know it's not easy to be around me. But you stayed, Penn. You were the only one I couldn't push away. You stayed with me, no matter what." She looked back at him and smiled. "Thanks, Penn. For all of it." Penn gently took her hand in his and their fingers intertwined. Unlike before, Penn didn't pull away this time, even with the heat rising in his cheeks. Unknown to him, Sashi was feeling the same. Despite the embarrassment, neither one of them pulled away from the other, although both of them waited for the other to do just that. When it didn't happen, they both looked at each other. Sashi opened her mouth to say something.

"Penn, I-" she began, unable to get the words out. "I-"

"I love you," Penn said, cutting her off. Sashi's words died in her throat as she processed what Penn just said. For a moment, she wondered if she'd heard right. She wondered if he'd really just said that. But just as she was about to convince herself it hadn't just happened, Penn said it again.

"I love you, Sashi," he said. "And not just as a friend. I love you. I've loved you for a long time and I've been meaning to say it, I just… I didn't know if I should. I waited a long time wondering how you would react or what you would say or if you would accept me or a million other things that scared me and stopped me from saying it. But I keep thinking about all those times you had a crush on some other guy and how it made me feel. Sashi, you're beautiful and amazing and funny and cool and strong and smart and I know that you're not going to wait around forever. I know that one day, some guy is going to let you know how great you are and he's going to ask you out and you might say yes and the two of you might be happy together and I-" he faltered. "And I want to be that guy. I want to be the one to make you feel special, to make you feel amazing, to show you that there's no one else like you and that it makes you one of the most precious people in the world to me. Sashi, I want to be with you. And even if I can't, even if you say no, I… I'd rather get rejected and let you go than miss my chance to tell you and lose you to someone else. It would hurt me but… But you're worth it, Sashi. You're worth it. I love you. And I can't go any longer pretending I don't."

Penn looked at her, his eyes looking into hers for an answer he couldn't seem to find. Their hands were still intertwined and although Penn looked nervous, he didn't pull away, and neither did Sashi.

Then she pulled her hand away from his.

Penn breathed in sharply as he felt the feeling of a knife being jammed into his heart. He was too late. She didn't love him. Not anymore. Maybe she never did. Maybe-

She leaned over and pressed her lips to his, shutting down any all thoughts he was having. Penn's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Sashi was kissing him. Sashi was kissing him. She was actually KISSING HIM.

She pulled away and smiled at him. "Took you long enough," she said. Penn stared at her wide-eyed and she lightly chuckled. "You look stupid."

"Don't I always?" Penn replied. Then he realized what he had said and he stuttered, tripping over his words as he tried to think of something to say to redeem himself. Sashi put a finger to his lips and he instantly shut up.

"Shh," she said. Penn didn't realize how but somehow, while they had been kissing, she had moved so that he was lying down on his back and she was leaning over him. "I wanted to say it, too, Penn," she said. "For a long time. I just didn't know how. I didn't even know if I should. Honestly, I only flirted with other guys because they were so easy. They didn't matter. But you did. And I couldn't risk you leaving me so I didn't say anything. I couldn't say anything." She touched a hand gently against Penn's face. "But I wanted to hear you say that for so long. I love you too, Penn. And I can finally say it now. I love you, too." She kissed him again and this time, Penn leaned into it fully, his arms gently going around her and pulling her closer.

They finally pulled away when they were running out of air. Their faces were both flushed and both had a smile on their face as they looked at each other.

"So…" Penn began, not knowing what to say. "Is this like, a thing now?"

"Hmmm. Maybe," Sashi said coyly. Then, without warning, she lightly punched Penn in the shoulder, or at least, what was lightly for her.

"Ow," Penn complained. "What was that for?"

"You might be my boyfriend now, but you're still the Hero and I'm still the Sidekick. Nothing's changed."

Penn rubbed his shoulder. "Despite the physical abuse, that's oddly comforting to hear," he said. Sashi laughed and kissed him again.

"What time is it?" Penn asked.

Sashi checked her watch. "Just a little past midnight," she answered. "Why?"

"We've still got time," Penn said.

"Time for what?"

In response, Penn grabbed her waist and flipped them over so that she was lying on her back and he was on top of her. "Time for this," he said and kissed her again. Sashi wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

"I love you, Sashi."

"I love you, too, Penn."

And finally, for the first time in a long time, for the first time since he lost his parents, Penn finally felt hopeful again. He didn't just feel happy. He felt whole. As he kissed Sashi, as the two finally connected the way they'd been begging to for so long, Penn realized. No matter what happened, whether they won their battles or not, they would be okay. So for once, he cast aside his worries, lived in the moment, and allowed himself to let go. And it was the best feeling ever.