Chapter 27 - Additional Comfort
Penny heard the alarm clock go off, like she did most mornings, and she felt Leonard shift in the bed to turn it off, then she felt him move again taking her back into his arms, that last part one of the few things she enjoyed about mornings. But is also made her sad, because she knew Leonard would leave her soon, he worked so much earlier than her, and she just didn't want him to go. Last night had been a very cold January night in California, so their bedroom had been a little cool, it reminded her of years ago, sleeping in her room in Nebraska during the winter. She would bury herself in a cocoon of covers to keep warm when she slept at night, just like she was doing at the moment, but now was better because now under the covers, she was buried in, she had another cocoon. Leonard had formed a cocoon around her holding her close to his warm body, his arms being around her letting her know she was both loved and protected. It had been what she needed last night, to be held, by the person she loved, it made Emily's words just seem like plain words, Leonard's holding her had made everything good again.
However, unlike other mornings something different happened on this one, Leonard pulled her closer into him and she felt his face in her hair, then there was then a small content sigh from him as he stopped moving and relaxed. It was not his morning routine, he usually prepared to get up after alarm, not get more comfortable with her and that thought made Penny more awake. She wanted to say something, but she also didn't want him to leave the bed or her, they had been in constant physical contact with each other since she came home last night, from girls night, and she knew she was going to hate it when they finally had to part. But she loved him so much and she didn't want to get him in trouble or make him late for work because of her, so she swallowed her own needs, and forced herself to turn in his arms.
"I'm sorry, did I wake you." Leonard whispered, his eyes now half open.
"No sweetie, I usually become half awake at this time now, you sort of have me on a schedule now." she said lightheartedly with a short soft giggle, all of it a lie, he had done so much for her last night she just couldn't make him feel bad at all this morning.
"Okay….good." Leonard then wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer to him, her head naturally going on his chest, her body now half on his.
Penny just wanted stay there, he was so warm and comfortable to be on, she just wanted to close her eyes and go back to sleep, but she knew he had to go to work. "Sweetie don't you have to get up for work?"
"No." he said almost too quietly to hear.
"No?" she repeated, confused.
"I sent an text last night telling them I would be late, so I'm not leaving till you do." he whispered
Penny couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips, he would be hers for a couple more hours, she also couldn't help pull herself even more on him so she could be even closer. "Thank you." she whispered. She felt him nod and then kiss her head, then relax into her his face tilted downward into her hair again. She relaxed too and was soon asleep again, the smile still on her lips.
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That morning Leonard and Penny got up together, getting in each others way and loving every minute of their time together. The plan today at work for Penny, was to get some of the small scenes done first, the ones that didn't have a lot of dialogue, they were the ones that Penny mostly was in anymore. So she would go to makeup early today and therefore didn't need any makeup this morning, and that was the main problem, her fresh clean face was like an open invitation for Leonard to play kissy-face with her. The second problem was she encouraged him to not stop, so by the time they were both dressed, they were in a full make out session at the front door, both trying hard not to tear the others clothes off.
It was when they came up for air, that Penny began to speak, "Let's just run away to some tropical island forever."
"Tropical island…forever? What is this sudden urge to go native?" Leonard said with a little chuckle.
Penny smiled at him, "If we go native, I'll run around all day naked, and when it is so hot in the afternoons little drops of sweat will drop down my bare tanned body." Penny seductively answered him.
"Okay, any particular island?" Leonard quickly replied.
Penny giggled and then found his lips again, it being another five minutes before they were able to think again to realize they had to go to work now or be seriously late. The drive to work that day was hard for Penny, her still trying to calm herself from the make out session at the door with Leonard. She barely made it out this morning, it was bad enough she didn't want to physically leave him and his touch, she was also beyond horny and she just wanted to be in bed with him riding him into orgasmic unconsciousness. But in a couple of hours they expected her to act, so she had force herself to relax, and forget about the daydreams she was now having of Leonard doing unspeakable things to her in their bedroom, living room, kitchen, hallway and apartment building roof. It made Penny sigh, and as she was stopped at a traffic light she looked into her purse to make sure she had brought an extra pairs of panties, it had become a routine with her now. Between her pregnancy and what it was doing to her libido, and then being around Leonard, like this morning, she found she was having to change her panties several times a day.
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It was lunch time when Leonard finally got to vent some of his frustrations from what happened to Penny the night before. Unfortunately he knew he couldn't really yell at anyone, it wasn't either Raj or Howard's fault that their women left his Penny a sobbing emotional mess when she came home the night before. The most he could hope for would be that his friends could at least relay, to their significant others, that what they did last night was a horrible thing to do to a friend. That point had to be especially made to Raj, because as Leonard understood, if there had been a bitch that night, Emily had been the one most likely to be labeled as such. Leonard was at least happy as he watched his two friend's faces change to concern as he approached their lunch table, obviously they weren't completely clueless to what happened the night before.
"Leonard, Bernadette is really sorry about what had happened last night. I know it really upset her that her little get together had such a horrible ending and Penny was hurt. She cried on my shoulder for almost a half hour last night before I could get her to bed." Howard immediately said as Leonard got settled in his seat.
Howard's words knocked the wind out of Leonard's sails, Bernadette was obviously suffering too and Leonard was not going to pile on any more grief on her for what had happened. Leonard just nodded in response then looked at Raj who was looking at both him and Howard in confused way that made Leonard wonder if he even knew what happened with Emily. A sudden surge of anger flashed in Leonard as he even wondered if Emily told Raj about anything that happened that night, so he decided to find out. "That is okay Howard, tell Bernadette we understand, besides in was Emily who was way out of line last night." on saying those last words, Leonard looked directly at Raj.
Raj seemed to sink in his seat, "Wha….What happened with Emily?" was all that came from his mouth.
Leonard didn't have to say a thing, Howard quickly took over the conversation. "I told you that Penny was made upset last night. Didn't Emily tell you what she did?"
"She said girls night was a bust and she didn't think she had much in common with my friend's girlfriends." Raj answered quickly.
Howard wanted to bring up the horrible sleeping with the guys remark, but he was afraid he would open up a fresh wound with Leonard so he immediately dropped that from his thoughts. "Well you need to ask her what really happened." he said instead.
Leonard was more direct. "No she will just probably lie to him. Raj you need to tell her that saying Penny has slept with every man in our group, except Howard, is unacceptable, especially to her face. Who in the hell does she think she is! An another thing Raj, if you so help as mention that you took advantage of Penny when she was drunk again, I will deck you!"
"But I was drunk too." Raj whined.
"Penny didn't remember anything that night except for drinking and laughing with you, then she woke up with you in bed, while you remembered everything you did. So don't give me that shit that you couldn't have stopped it at anytime. You always had a thing for our girlfriends, so you just saw a chance to screw Penny when she was in no condition to refuse, and took it. You would have probably done the same thing to Bernadette if you had a chance." Leonard said with dead seriousness.
"That goes for me too, Raj. Don't you ever even try to do something like that to Bernadette." Howard said slowing and with venom in is voice.
"Hey, why are you guys always picking on the Indian guy." Raj said defensively
"It has got nothing to do with your race. It has to do with a backstabbing friend who wants to sleep with our girlfriends and wife and doesn't care how he does it. Also, the friend who has a girlfriend who wants to paint my fiancée as a slut to everyone in the world." Leonard shot back at him.
Raj thought back to the daydreams he had about Howard dying so he could have Bernadette and knew they were right. There were times he had those same daydreams about Leonard, especially after his one night stand with Penny. He knew he was wrong, wanting his friends dead so he could have their girlfriends, and he was ashamed, but he was so lonely then. Raj just looked at Howard and Leonard, then nodded, "I'm sorry."
Leonard just looked at Howard, the look told Howard the conversation about that topic was over and done. The three friends sat quietly and ate, talking a little about safe subjects the rest of the lunch break, but still very quiet compared to their normal lunches. They were all still friends, but Raj was in the doghouse for now, they agreed to eat lunch again tomorrow and each of them knew they would be back to normal in a day or two, as long as none of them did anything stupid, which was always a possibility.
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The day was routine for Penny, she worked and acted as directed, and except for her friend Carol, work had become less of the dream she had hoped it always would have been. The whole cast seemed tired and lacking enthusiasm for what they were doing by the long hours they had to put in because they were behind. Penny felt the same way, it seemed that the little she had to do, resulted in her being bored most of the day, when she wasn't performing. So when she did get to act she put her whole being into the part and tried to do the best she could, and it was during one of the few scenes she was in, that she had a little joke to do in her part, so she put her all into it. They first rehearsed just reading the script and learning the positions they needed to be in and how they should react to the scene. Then after going over it a couple times and getting everything set they did a take for real, Penny performing her part like her life depended on it. Penny timed her line perfectly and her fellow actor, she was directly her line to, lost all composure, breaking down laughing, it was soon followed by the rest of the cast, the camera crew and then the director who tried to call cut with tears coming from his eyes from laughing so hard. It took Penny a second to realize she did not do something wrong, that she just got the scene perfectly, and a small genuine smile formed on her face for the first time that day.
When Penny came home to Leonard, who always made her apathy about her days at work go away and made her happy again, she was in a really good mood. It had turned out to actually be a good day at work, the scene she did took 5 takes before everyone could stay serious enough to get through it completely, but even then the director saying it was the funniest scene of the episode. So that night, after they ate, Penny resumed their make out session from the morning and decided to try most everything she daydreamed about that day, though only in the bedroom. They both spent the next three hours in wild abandonment, until they were both physically spent and sated from giving themselves to each other. Then they both fell asleep almost as soon as they got comfortable in each others arms and slept so hard that they woke up the next morning it the same positions as they fell asleep.
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Thursday started out the same as the day before, Leonard had made arrangements to come in late the rest of the week, so again he slept with Penny till she had to get up for work. They both again got in each others way and again made a game of it, but this time they both knew not to get into any long kisses to risk having to test each others resolve to leave. But even then they got themselves into a little hug in the bathroom, Penny in only her panties and Leonard in his boxer shorts, and as it continued on, there was a point where Leonard began to wonder if they were ever going to let each other go, the feeling of their bare skin against each other, warming each other, almost too much for even him, much less Penny. So again, that morning, they went to work with unfulfilled desires filed away in the back of their minds, kept back there so they could go on with their day.
It was because of the last two mornings, that Leonard found himself at work distracted and thinking, while he tried to go through his email that morning. It was a weird feeling but he felt he was now even more in love with Penny than before and the feeling to protect her grew more strongly every day. He chuckled himself as he thought about him protecting her, she was the stronger of the two of them and the one with the most courage, but he knew he would fight to the death to protect her. He wondered if these feelings were just because she was pregnant, she was so emotionally honest now, it was hard for him to not take her into his arms and comfort her whenever she needed it. 'Could that be it', he thought, 'she needed him so much lately that he had not felt insecure since back with her?' He knew he had not thought about other men taking her away since he joined her in Nebraska, she seemed to be not even interested in anyone but him and always came to him when something bothered her. Even in the evening she would tell him she just wanted to stay home with him and then would cuddle next to him, sharing little kisses with him the whole night.
Leonard sighed, their relationship wasn't perfect but it seemed to work, especially now, now it seemed so much better and even more like they were made for each other. Leonard shook his head, when would he learn to stop over thinking things, he loved Penny and she loved him, they were doing fine and they were both happy, he needed to accept that and not look for problems to obsess about, just accept thing as they were. He forced himself to stop thinking about things that could happen and instead think of things that were actually happening, it was surprising how much better it made him feel after a few minutes, life was good, Penny was happy and when she was happy he couldn't be nothing but happy himself.
So it was a little bit of a shock to Leonard when this new life outlook he had was disrupted by Howard's next words at lunch that Thursday. "What did you say?" Leonard looked at Howard confused.
"I asked if you guys are excited about Penny's show coming on tonight?" Howard said to Leonard, a big smile on his face.
"Huh!" Leonard stared at Howard for a second. "How do you know that?"
Howard looked at him confused, but Raj spoke first. "Dude, it on the entertainment news and there have been a couple previews. And I have to say Penny is looking pretty good." Raj had a big smile on his face.
Leonard glared at Raj, which made Raj look away, once he realized what he said and how inappropriate it was after yesterday's conversation about Penny. Leonard then looked back to Howard, "I didn't know." he said very quietly.
"Surely Penny told you?" Howard said with a still confused look on his face.
"No nothing, she didn't say a word." Leonard was now confused.
Howard and Raj just looked at each other and said nothing, something was going on between Penny and Leonard, and Bernadette told Howard specifically not to joke with Leonard about Penny, just tell her what happened. The rest of lunch, was quiet again between the friends, all three of them lost in their own thoughts, Howard now wondering about the emotional states of Leonard and Penny, and also wondering if he should call Bernadette as soon as he got to his lab. Leonard quiet as he wondered why Penny would keep her shows premier from him, and Raj quiet to just keep his mouth shut so he wouldn't get in more trouble.
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Leonard came home that evening to find Penny in the kitchen, obviously cooking, wearing a full apron as she stirred a pot that looked like spaghetti. It took him a couple of seconds, as he stood in the doorway, to realize that the apron she was wearing was all that she was wearing, since her bottom half was obscured by the kitchen island, and the flesh color of the fabric he thought she was wearing on her back, was actually her bare skin. He stayed in the doorway for almost a minute, his mind going blank as he looked at her, before he quickly closed his door behind him, so no one else would see his beautiful fiancée.
The door closing quickly made Penny turn to it and a huge smile formed on her face as she realized it was Leonard, quickly taking the earphones out of her ears from her I-phone and the music it was softly playing. "Hi Sweetie." Penny wiggled a little making her breasts sway underneath the top of her apron, exposing a nipple for a second to Leonard.
Leonard swallowed, he always thought she was the most beautiful woman in the world, the most sexy too, so her dressed so explicitly and flirting with him was almost too much for him to take. He had completely forgotten that he wanted to talk to her about her show, he was so mesmerized by her right then. She gave him an extremely seductive air kiss that made him completely succumb to her charms as he dropped his case on the couch and walked over to her, to embrace and kiss her.
Penny's plan was working perfectly, she planned to keep Leonard's mind off anything but her that night, she didn't even want him to think about TV where he might stumble on her show. There was one flaw in her plan though, she had been easy to arouse since they got back together and wearing only the apron while she cooked for him had just made her yearn for his touch. His kissing her deeply now, with one arm around her waist and the other on her bare ass, was driving her crazy and she was now forgetting everything but him as their kiss deepened and escalated greatly. She barely kept in control as she reluctantly pushed away, "Honey, the food will burn." she said with a sigh.
"Suddenly I'm not hungry." Leonard said to her in a low voice, that sent chills through Penny's body.
She stared at him for a second trying to remember what she wanted to say, she knew it was not 'fuck me now' even though that was what she really wanted right now. "Honey, you have to eat all your dinner or you won't get dessert." she softly told him as she looked into his eyes.
"Dessert?"
Penny stepped back from him, "Dessert is me." she said seductively.
Leonard swallowed, "My hunger is back….is dinner ready?"
Penny giggled, "Take a seat Sweetie and I'll serve you."
"I can help."
"No tonight I'm your waitress, you just sit back and let me serve you." Penny again said seductively.
Leonard gulped, "Cool." he then went to sit down.
They ate a salad first, Penny flirting with him the whole time, Leonard finishing his salad not even realizing he even took a bite. The spaghetti started out the same, until halfway through her dinner main course, when Penny asked Leonard if he had a good day, because she guaranteed him a good night. Her mentioning his day, triggered his conversation with Howard, bringing his mind back and his concern suddenly overcame Penny's seduction.
"Penny is your show premier on tonight?"
Penny's face changed in a moment, her mouth falling open as she tried to talk but nothing coming out, she looked like a fish gasping for air. Leonard just sat there waiting for her to relax and talk, he now knew this was something important by her reaction and he was starting to understand he was being played. "Penny are you trying to keep me from watching TV tonight?" he said quietly and he hoped in a soothing voice.
Leonard didn't expect the tears to start flowing from her eyes, so he quickly got up from his chair and took her into his arms. He barely heard the 'I'm Sorry's' from her as she cried. Like earlier that week, he took Bernadette's advice and just let her cry until she was ready to talk. Bernadette told him that since her crying was mostly hormonal that it was best for Leonard just to hold her and let her get it out of her system, it wasn't really Penny being so upset, she was just being controlled by the chemical imbalance created by her pregnancy.
Penny stopped crying after a few minutes and Leonard lead her to the couch where he could sit next to her while still holding her. Penny just sat there with her head on his shoulder, for a few minutes, then did something again she found herself doing more and more with him, she crawled into his lap and put her head on his shoulder, near his neck. He did what she expected and held her securely then pulled his suit jacket over and covered her exposed backside up, making her feel secure, warm, safe and especially loved. She didn't know exactly how long they stayed like that, but she knew it was a long time and soon she just started kissing his neck, "I love you Leonard."
"I love you too." he turned his head towards hers and she quickly turned hers so their lips could meet.
The kiss was long and when they pulled apart, she looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry, I should have told you. I guess I tired to deceive you." she said sincerely
"It was a nice deception." Leonard told her with a small smile on his face.
"Leonard." Penny responded with a small smile and a blush. "You know it was not all a deception, I would stay in bed with you the next six months if we could." She then hid her face in his shoulder, to hide her embarrassment, and he heard, "I want to make love with you all the time and would if we could."
"Okay, then you are forgiven." he said with a small chuckle.
She looked back at him, her cheeks with a little red blush, "Thank you."
"But"
Penny looked at him now with a little confusion, "But what?"
"Would you tell me why? Why you don't want to watch your show."
Penny put her head on his shoulder again and said nothing for a few seconds, she had several reasons for not wanting to watch her show and one of them was it seemed she was being let go from the show. But she kept telling herself if she didn't tell him about that part, it wasn't that she was lying to him, she was just not telling him everything. Plus honestly she didn't know for sure they were kicking her off the show, because no one had actually told her she was being released, it was just her part had changed. She promised herself she would tell him when she was told by the studio officially that her job was over, that was she would be keeping her promise. With her rationalization she was able to talk to him again, "Okay, but."
Leonard chuckled, and repeated "But what?"
"I don't want to watch my show, I want you to help me quickly put the dishes away, then take me to the bedroom and have your way with me." She lifted off his shoulder and looked him in the eyes, "I really mean it, I didn't dress like this only to deceive you, I dressed like this make sure there was no question what I wanted…..I want you to ravish me." Penny said the last part low and very suggestive.
Leonard, his face all serious now, just nodded. "Okay."
Penny took a breath, "Okay, I don't want to watch my show because I don't want to be embarrassed. Everything I have done in my stupid acting career has been just one big embarrassment after another. Those stupid ape movies being a perfect example, the first one exposing my tits for the world to see and the second one was worse than the first, even if there was no nudity with me. I still dread my parents seeing that first movie, which I know they will, it is just a matter of time."
"Penny you did that commercial." Leonard tried to be positive.
"Yeah, it was a hemorrhoid commercial, and even though I was happy when I first got it, seeing it over and over on TV just made me realize how bad that it really was and yet it too was better than those stupid ape movies." Penny then sighed.
"Penny you can't think that way. Your pilot was good, otherwise the network would have never picked up the show, so there is a very good chance the show is good." Leonard thought for a moment. "Penny that stuff I said last year was wrong, you are better than all the pretty blondes out there looking for acting jobs, you are great and I do think you will go far, I have faith in you."
Penny smiled at him, "I know you do, it took me a while to understand what you meant back then, but I think I got it now. You were telling me what I was doing was incredibly hard, even harder to succeed in than I imagined, but you did support me and your only reason for being careful is that you didn't want to see me hurt. Your words might have been messed up, but your actions were clear…I don't think I will be able to get rid of that car you got me no matter how much money I make."
Leonard nodded, "Thank you." he was quiet for a few seconds then looked directly in her eyes, "I think we will keep the TV off tonight."
Penny smiled, then gave him a quick peck on the lips, she still felt a little bad about not telling him everything, but she felt she was still being honest enough with him if she waited to tell him when it was confirmed. There was one thing she did want to say to him though, "Honey, you know things are different now, then they were a few months ago."
Leonard was a little surprised at the change of subject suddenly by her, of course he knew things were different and he was wondering where she was directing the conversation now, so he responded cautiously, "I know, but I get the feeling you want to tell me something."
Penny gave him small smile, "That is why you are a genius." she gave him a quick small kiss. "I want to tell you things are different now because I found out what I really want in life now."
Leonard didn't know what was coming next and he found himself a little scared, even though he knew he was probably over thinking things again. "And what is that?" he answered softly.
Penny's smile got larger, "You, my Pop-tart, our life together and a family with you. If the last few months have taught me anything, is that my life is empty and incomplete without you in it. I guess I knew it for a long time, but when you were not around, it really drove it home that without you anymore, my life is just not the same."
Leonard gave her a small smile, "My life is the same way, like I told you in Nebraska, you never really lost me, I just needed some time to think that is all."
Penny brought her head to his till their foreheads touched, both of them then closed their eyes, letting their other senses take over, "I can't tell you how much if means to me that you never gave up on me Leonard, that you never stopped loving me. You are the kind of man I dreamed about all my life, a man I could trust, who I could be myself with and still be loved unconditionally by him. I've made a lot of mistakes, but I promise I will be better in the future, I will make you proud that I am your wife."
Leonard smiled, "I have always been proud of you Penny. You don't have to change for me, I love you the way your are, it is what makes you, you and I wouldn't change that for the world. I just want to be the husband and man you want."
"Oh Leonard." Penny just kissed him, she wanted to close to him the whole night now, she wanted her bare skin against his, and she wanted to feel him close to her, in her, it was all than occupied her mind now, she just wanted him.
Penny slowly lifted her head off his and opened her eyes to watch him open his, "Okay, we need to clean up quickly." she got off of him then stopped turning to take one of his hands and putting on her ass. "Sweetie you can fondle me all you want while we clean up, I would actually prefer you would." Leonard jumped up and grabbed her as they both went to the table to gather the dishes, Penny giggling like a school girl the whole time.