Title - Written By The Victors
Chapter title - The Darkest Nights
Author - OblivionsGarden
Genre - Romance/Adventure/Friendship/Drama
Disclaimer - I do not own the Uncharted Series in anyway shape or form. I only own the plot points surrounding my oc's, not recognized from the games. For this chapter I own, Penny Kingsley.
Chapter Word Count - 2081 words.

A/n - Some of this chapter regarding touching was inspired by many many different head canon's I have read on various places on tumblr.
Please leave a review, I'd greatly appreciate it. Hope you enjoy, xx (:

WARNING - VERY BRIEF MENTION OF NON SPECIFIED ABUSE

Penny Kingsley had been thrilled when she found the SD card from her camera was somehow still in working order. It was late evening after a day of research for the Portugal job that she'd remembered she still had it. She slotted it into her laptop, stretching her legs out along the bed whilst Sam was in the shower. She had been tempted to join him but they were both exhausted.

She flicked through the photographs, smiling as she remembered the good parts of their trip. She loved seeing the scenery that she'd probably never see again, the towers, the sigils, the statues... And then, just as Sam emerged from the steamy bathroom in nothing but a towel, she came across the few pictures she took during the car journey to the volcano in Kings Bay.

"What are you smiling at?" Sam asked, shaking his head and sending water flying everywhere.

"Hey, watch it!" Penny scolded only gaining a laugh from Sam. She patted the bed beside her and he took a seat, looking at her laptop screen. "Told you you're photogenic."

The photo was of Sam, sat on the top of the seat of the jeep, head turned away from the camera. She clicked to the next one, the view through the windscreen with Nate and Sully on either side then a few more of the landscape before the one she was waiting for appeared on the screen. Sam chuckled beside her.

The picture had been taken by Sam, camera stretched out in front of Penny's face after she had tried to turn away. Sam was behind her, grin on his lips as Penny's mouth was open in surprise.

"I still want a copy of that one."

They continued to click through the pictures, finding more of the scenery, Nate and Sully and alot of Sam.

"You just couldn't get enough could you?"

"If treasure hunting doesn't work out you could always be a model mister 'I'm not posing I'm just looking at the view'."

Sam gave her a look of mock offence but soon started to laugh. "We should get you a new camera, document our adventures."

"Yeah. It'd be nice to look back on when we're old and grey and can't climb anymore cause we've got arthritis."

Sam was quiet for a moment as he watched Penny clicking away at her laptop. They hadn't spoken about their future past working together but he had hoped she'd want to stay with him.

"You'll still think I'm handsome when I've got no hair?"

Penny looked thoughtful as she scanned his body, still wet from his shower and towel low on his waist. "Mm hmm." She nodded, pushing her laptop off to the side. "Will you still think I'm beautiful when I've got cataracts?"

"Of course."

Sam couldn't hide the grin as Penny moved closer to him, lips finding his easily. His heart still beat loud against his chest whenever she was close to him and he didn't think it would ever stop, evening when they are resigned to rocking chairs.

During the remains of the Portugal job, which involved a little more research, alot more exploring around the depths of hidden caverns beneath the cities and many more fights and so called 'negotiations', Sam had come to realize that Penny's touch could make him forget almost everything.

When he was getting angry during negotiations she'd run her hand along his back and he'd calm down, when he was growing frustrated at the fact they hadn't yet found what they were looking for, she'd kiss his cheek and he'd remember that he lived for the chase anyway, when he was tired and aching after crawling through caves and climbing up the sides of building all day, she would massage his shoulders and his arms and his mind would go blank save for the feel of her skin on his for the rest of the evening.

He knew that after fifteen years with only aggressive forms of physical contact in Panama, he would always crave a gentle touch. He liked to touch her, not just in their most intimate of moments, but always, as a constant reminder that she was there, he was really there and she was his.

His hand on her lower back as he guided her along, an arm draped over her shoulders as they walked through the city, knees touching as they waited for a meeting, thighs pressed close together in the back of a cab, a hand resting over her moon tattoo, fingers entwined with her own, a thumb stroking the back of her hand, knuckles brushing her cheek, face nuzzled into her neck, fingertips tracing patterns in her freckles, lips pressing kissed to every inch of her...

It didn't matter what it was but if Penny as with him, he was touching her. He found any excuse to wrap his long arms around her, pull her close and take in her scent. Her scent changed, depending on where his nose landed. If he was close to her hair he could smell her coconut shampoo, on her neck he'd smell her fruity body spray and if she was fresh from the shower he'd smell her minty soap.

She once asked what kind of man he was, in regards to being an 'ass man' or a 'boob man' or a 'leg man'. At first he had jokingly answered that he was an 'everything man' but the longer he thought about it the more he realised he was a 'hand man'. Specifically her small and nimble fingered hands.

It would be catching him off guard for years, he thought, that there was this gentle creature who actually takes notice of him and wants to touch him. When it was in the early hours of the morning and Penny was out like a light, he'd grasp her hands in between his. He'd press her palms against his stubbled jaw like she always did when she'd just woken up in the morning, looking at him with sleep still in her eyes. He'd kiss her fingertips and just fiddle with them, distracting himself from his sleeplessness which usually came after a dream about Panama.

Penny had to remind him sometimes that she wasn't going to break, he wasn't going to hurt her. It scared him, knowing that he'd spent so long being tough and fighting anyone that got to close. It scared him that he could so easily hurt her if he tried, he knew he would never try, god no, but for some reason that thought was always lingering in the darkest corners of his mind.

Penny was his lifeline when it was late at night and he was remembering the hardest days of prison life. He held onto her like his life depended on it, sometimes crying into the scratchy sheets of their hotel bed. He'd only let himself go when she was asleep, he never wanted her to see him like that. He was her protector, the one who was strong and kept her safe.

But he didn't know that sometimes she was awake. For the most part she stayed quiet, let him play with her fingers and calm himself down knowing he'd only shut himself off if he knew she were awake. It wasn't until they'd finished their Portugal job and were set to leave for home in the morning that she let him know.

She only knew he was crying because of the moonlight reflecting in the dampness on his cheeks. He was lay on his back, holding onto her arm she'd had draped over his chest in a tight grip. She pushed herself to sit up and Sam froze, eyes wide as he stared up at her sleepy half smile.

She wiped away his tears with her fingers, brushing them through his hair after. Leaning down she pressed kisses to his forehead, his eyelids, his nose, cheeks and finally his lips.

"Talk to me." She leant her back against the head board tapping her lap and gesturing for Sam to rest his head there. "Tell me about Panama." She knew it would be hard for him to speak about it and she knew it would be hard for her to hear but part of her thought that if he could tell her the things that were on his mind every night, it might ease his pain.

Sam was shocked that she was even awake let alone willing to listen to him talk about that part of his life. He hesitated at first, not wanting to bear his burden to her, but the look on her face told him that it was ok. He didn't need to put up an act for her, he was allowed to break if he needed to and she'd be right there to put him back together.

He shifted so his head was resting in her lap, arm hugging her legs as she began running her fingers through his hair.

"I woke up in the infirmary... Getting shot feels like nothing else I know and I know alot of different types of pain..."

It took half a carton of cigarettes, tears from both of them, and a lot of struggling to speak from Sam and coaxing and encouragement from Penny but eventually Sam had managed to open up to her.

He told her about prison life, waking up in the infirmary after being shot, how the guards fucked around with his pain medication, how he tried to write to Nathan but knew his letters never made it to his baby brother. He didn't even know if Nathan had made it and no one would tell him. He had to hold onto the thought that he had, that Nathan was out there somewhere still hunting for treasure, it was something that kept him going on the bad days.

He told her about the gang fights, guard fights, general fights. He spoke about the living conditions, the shitty food they were supposed to live off, the sick and twisted people he'd shared cells with in the past. He told her about abuse he'd suffered at the hands of guards and other, stronger inmates. He broke down completely at that part, sobbing into her pajama pants for a while as she stroked his hair, hiding her own silent sobs in order to stay strong for him whilst he needed her.

He told her everything, finding that once he'd started he couldn't stop. Sam was so grateful for Penny, for not feeling any judgement from her as he spoke and knowing that she wasn't going to treat him any different from that point. When he'd finished he excused himself to go and wash his face returning with a tired smile and even more tired eyes. He lay on his back on the bed, Penny moving to lay beside him, propping herself so she could press her palm to his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Sammy." She said, voice thick with emotion. "I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, you deserve better." She kissed his cheek. "You are the most loyal and kind hearted man I've ever known. You're not perfect, no one is... But with the shit you've had, you deserve better, you deserve more." She ranted, finding it hard to express exactly how she felt about him.

Instead she settled for kisses. All over his face, on his lips and neck, down his chest and eventually over each scar on his stomach. He smiled to himself when he heard the sincerity in her words. She was only a child when he'd gone to Panama and yet he still felt grateful for her apology.

"Thank you." He whispered in the dark.

He kissed her forehead and then her lips before letting her rest her head on his chest, tucked in close to his side. He stroked her back, lulling her into sleep, feeling the exhaustion begin to overwhelm him too. As he looked down at her peaceful expression he could feel his heart stutter. He could feel himself falling for her, letting her see him at his darkest and most vulnerable place and still staying by him after it was over. He knew he was a goner when he first met her but now it was more, it was more than just physical. His love for Penny had become much deeper in that one evening and he could only hope that she felt the same.