T R A U M A.

“I’m her second best friend, Pen. She tells me loads of stuff. Don’t worry, though. All the important stuff always comes to you.” For the most part, he and the toddler joked about stuff that didn’t really matter. He played along with her dramatics, and she laughed like the happy everyone wanted her to be. “Part of me wants to argue with you out of spite, but I’m pretty sure if I let you win and be happy, then everything will be great.” He smiled wide, remembering a dumb quote he’d once read; happy wife, happy life. Blake only paused momentarily to lean into her lips, her taste addictive. If she wanted to leave anytime soon, she had to stop doing that. “Are you trying to kill me or what?”

     ❛  they better. i’m her mom.  ❜  penny pouted just slightly, almost playfully as she listened to him talk. a proud smile soon replaced the pout, shoulders lifting as the brunette perked up just a bit at his defeat.  ❛  good. that’s what i thought.  ❜  she’d pulled back from the kiss for only a moment to see his reaction, laugh falling from parted lips as penny just nodding a few times.  ❛  obviously.  ❜  she grinned once more, pressing another quick kiss to his lips. sure, they could do this before, but now she had no excuse to do it all the time. they had to make up for lost time, didn’t they? 

“I can’t confirm nor deny that. Her and I have this code of silence and I really don’t wanna be that guy that breaks it.” Alison was more involved and aware than Blake could’ve ever imagined. The first time the small child had ever questioned his relationship with her mother, the male had nearly choked. “The holiest of temples, Pen.” There it was, the lax joking that always left him smiling like a child. She was good for him, and he could hope that he had even half the positive effect on her. “Woah, hold up,” he paused at the doorway, fingers curling around the frame as he stared back at her. “You’re not wrong. Not even a little bit. You and the smaller version have me totally whipped. I can admit it. No shame.”

     ❛  a code of silence? you guys talk about me that much?  ❜  an amused grin stayed settled on her lips, entertained by the idea that blake and alison had such a close relationship. it was something she thought about often, and she knew that if something ever happened, ali would be devastated to lose contact with someone who was practically a father figure in her life.  ❛  that’s what i thought. i’m always right.  ❜  the brunette commented, head nodding just once as she laughed and moved forward to follow him out of the room. tugging at his arm as she passed him, penny turned again to lean up and press another kiss to his lips. they’d done it so many times before, but sue her for taking advantage of their affectionate freedom now that they were officially a couple.

“May or may not have talked major smack about some of them with Ali. She wasn’t really a fan either.” The small child had always vocalized how she felt about their situation, but still, it hadn’t been enough to push them to actually commit to one another. “Besides, I would’ve been way too intimidating for any guy to stick around. I’m kind of a big deal.” At least when it came to Alison, he doubted anyone could make the child even half as happy as he could. He’d practically helped raise her, and that wasn’t a bond that could be easily broken. “This body,” he pointed out, head shaking, “is not just an object, Penelope. It’s a temple, a holy temple that deserves to be worshipped,” he dramatically teased, backing away toward the door. “Eyes up here, young lady. Behave yourself and I promise you’ll get your chance.”

     ❛  you gossiped about my dates with my daughter?  ❜  alison had never really given her much to work with whenever penny asked for her opinion on it all. somehow, the conversation always fell back onto blake, and maybe there was a good reason as to why.  ❛  a holy temple, huh?  ❜  eyebrows lifted at his statement, head shaking only a few times before the brunette let out a loud, short laugh.  ❛  ten minutes ago, you were about ready to give me my chance, so don’t act all tough and mighty now. i know i’ve got you wrapped around my finger, calloway.  ❜

“An accident?” Cleo frowned and walked towards the woman, determined to have a closer look. It wasn’t out of curiosity, it was more to see if it was someone she knew, someone who worked with her. And if it was the case, she would let their family or the people close to her know. “Who is it? What happened? When will the ambulance be here?”

     ❛  i’m sorry, i don’t have all the details right now.  ❜  this was the case for most accidents that happened. she’d just arrived on the scene while another doctor stayed with the patient.  ❛  maybe five minutes or so, but you still can’t go in there. not until the paramedics or on the scene.  ❜

“Since we agreed on no more secrets, I have a truth.” It was small, perhaps childish, but he wanted her to know. “All those times you went on dates and I talked you up on them hoping someone would turn out decent? It was a lie. Pretty sure I held my breath every time you left.” It was selfish, but she’d always seemed so happy, even without the likes of another male in her life. “Yeah, but now I can officially call you my milf, which has to mean way more than just thinking you’re super sexy and a mom.” He’d been shocked to find out about the child, but it hadn’t changed anything for him. If anything, it’d made him fall even harder. “Oh yeah? You just wanna see me wear something tight so you can let your imagination run wild. I know what you’re doing.”

     when he brought up past dates she’d went on, penny just nodded along and pressed her lips together. if she didn’t, she was afraid she’d laugh again. not at him, though, but at the fact that she’d even went on any while she knew him. part of her always figured she’d end up with blake and those dates were last-minute attempts at trying to see if she could do it with anyone else. she never could.  ❛  even if they were decent, it would have never worked out. and, if we’re being honest, the only reason they didn’t work out was because i liked you so much, and i knew i only wanted to be with you.  ❜  despite how long it took for them to finally become official, penny was always blake’s. her heart would always belong to him, no matter how hard she tried to get away from that.  ❛  you know what? you’re right. seem like you got me all figured out.  ❜

“Pretty sure the guys at work aren’t going to shut me down when I tell them you’re finally moving in with me. If anything, they’ll be trying to help.” It was crazy how everyone around them had wanted the relationship to work so badly, yet they hadn’t taken the final steps for it to until now. Maybe it was fear or maybe it wasn’t, but now it didn’t matter. “Hold up, that’s right. So, I’m dating a cougar. Does that mean I can technically consider you a MILF? Y’know, just asking.” It was another round of jokes, sort of, but he liked seeing her smile with every ridiculous statement that left his lips. “Most of the time. I’m not complaining by any means. Just a little frustrating when my friends compliment your awesome shirt that I wore last week.” Moving closer, Blake wrapped his arms around her frame from behind, peppering a few kisses against her neck before pulling back to get dressed himself. “Maybe pick it up? I’m in the mood for something fancy.” By fancy, the male meant a frappe, but she already knew that.

     ❛  i think they wanted us to date more than anyone.  ❜  she figured everyone was expecting it someday, but now she had to wait and see how all of her friends would make fun of her for making it take so long. they knew about penny’s commitment issues and her fear of actually being with someone else from past experiences, but they all knew blake was the one this time around. even ali seemed to know it.  ❛  you considered me a MILF the day you met me and realized i had alison.  ❜  even with that knowledge, it’s still a shock to her that they haven’t slept together yet. it’s been tempting at times, or all the time, but she could never quite let them cross that boundary. a hum fell from her lips as he kissed her neck, head turning to press a quick kiss to his cheek as he turned away.  ❛  maybe you should wear one of my shirts. they might give you some compliments.  ❜

“You got jokes, Hannigan. I’ll give you that. We can get started as soon as you want. Maybe we can ask if your parents can watch her a few nights next week. Can’t really keep it a secret if she’s here,” he pointed out, wishing it was something they’d done from the start. After all, it wasn’t like anyone else ever used his spare room anywhere. Sighing somewhat loudly, Blake smirked, his attention on her as she got up from the safe haven he hadn’t wanted to move from. “You know, you’re way more of an adult than I am,” he shrugged, sitting up on his side as he watched her move around the bedroom. “Take your pick.” With that, Blake took it upon himself to get up and stretch out, his shirtless body chilled by the cool breeze of the ceiling fan. “How is it that you wear my clothes better than I do?”

     ❛  next week would probably work. i can take some time off of work, too. my interns seem to know what they’re doing now.  ❜  of course, she’d be on call and would probably have to go in whenever they needed her to, but for now, she could stay at home and help blake out with whatever he needed to prepare.  ❛  i am older than you.  ❜  the brunette grinned, moving towards his closet before picking out one of the sweatshirts in there and tossing it on. rolling her eyes at his comment, penny just shook her head and laughed.  ❛  please, that’s so not true... only sometimes.  ❜  once she’d found a pile of her own clothes, mostly dirty, she tugged a pair of pants out to put on and glanced back at him.  ❛  should we make coffee here or stop for it?  ❜

the other really didn’t have to do too much convincing to get calum to come over and help look for the blanket - seeing as he had a giant soft spot for children; which was probably good since he was a pediatric nurse. that, and he knew that kids sometimes had a comfort item or two that seemed to keep them calm. he had also walked past the couch multiple times, and hadn’t even noticed the slight bit of purple that was sticking out. “i’m just glad you found it - now hopefully she can be a little more soothed with it.” he then nodded his head at penny’s question, “absolutely. and i will always take any kind of food as payment,” he chuckled with a smile, before walking to the kitchen to check on the cookies in the oven.

     ❛  hopefully, yes. still, she’s part of the hannigan family tree and we have dramatics practically embedded in our genetic code.  ❜  the tone was matter-of-fact and the brunette just shrugged with a smile plastered over previously worried features.  ❛  thank you.  ❜  penny retreated out of the room momentarily, taking a few moments to spend some time with alison before the toddler finally seemed to settle down. once that had been taken care of, she returned to find calum in the kitchen.  ❛  listen, if you can take any kind of food, we have a huge bag of doritos sitting in the cabinet that hasn’t been touched. it’s all yours, my friend.  ❜

It was almost unreal to believe that things were finally happening; that the jokes and the jabs made by everyone around them were finally true. They could consider themselves a couple now, officially so, and nothing in the world could come between that. He hoped that with the label, there would be no more protective secrets or half-truths. “Whatever you want,” he repeated, a lazy nod reassuring the statement. If she wanted to line the walls with medical x-rays and pictures of Ali, he’d let her. “No, I agree. We can wait. We should do this right.” It was one thing to tell the small child that they were finally together, but another to tell the little one that they were moving in to be a family. “You know if we stay here any longer, I’m going to push some limits and test some boundaries,” he warned cheerfully, smile full on his lips.

     personally, the brunette couldn’t wait to see the reactions they got from everyone else. from her parents, from alison, from her friends and his friends... as hard as it was to get to where they were, it finally happened. that’s all that really mattered.  ❛  hopefully it doesn’t take years to finish a room, though.  ❜  they could joke about that now, right? was it too soon? smiling once more, penny just rolled her eyes and pressed another kiss to his lips.  ❛  we’ve already pushed a lot of limits and boundaries in the past few days.  ❜  humming quietly, she pulled back again to kick her legs off the side of the bed and stand up more.  ❛  can i borrow one of your sweatshirts, though? i didn’t bring any extra clothes, but i’m pretty sure i have jeans around here somewhere from weeks ago.  ❜

Their togetherness was inevitable, or at least that was what had kept Blake from completely losing it at times. “I love you,” he muttered against her lips, wondering how persistent he’d have to be to get a few more minutes alone with her before going to pick up Ali. Chuckling quietly, Blake bit down on her bottom lip lightly, tugging backwards before forehead fell against hers in defeat. “I invite you into my lovely home and now you wanna change stuff,” he hummed, hand tightening against her jaw. “Do whatever you want.” Breaking the space between them once more, Blake’s lips caught Penny’s, the desire behind the kiss being more than he’d felt for anything or anyone in a long time. Every ounce of him craved her and after a long three years, it seemed like she openly felt the same.

     ❛  and, i love you.  ❜  the brunette nodded once, gaze set on his as she offered him yet another smile. this was the happiest she’d been in weeks. with greg lingering around, penny didn’t know if she’d ever truly feel safe again, but now she was sure it was possible so long as she had blake and alison there with her.  ❛  you said whatever i want.  ❜  penny countered playfully, pressing another quick kiss to his lips once she’d broken away from the previous one.  ❛  we shouldn’t tell ali yet, though. i think we should surprise her with a room first.  ❜  whatever steps were necessary for them to be able to live together as soon as possible would be taken. if it meant getting away from greg and being happy, then she was all in. there was a lot penny had been unsure of in her life, but blake was never one of them. 

Alison had a calming effect that Blake had yet to figure out. The only experience he’d ever had with children beforehand was his brief time spent in foster care. Still, he hadn’t played much a parent figure to a child until he’d met the Hannigan girls. “You can do whatever you wanna do.” he assured, noting that his place was more of a man cave than a family apartment. If redecorating was her request, he’d happily accept. When the request finally left her lips, Blake’s eyes fluttered open, a smile spreading across his lips as he slowly lifted his head. A gentle hand fell against her cheek as he lowered closer to her, lips catching hers in a slow, passionate kiss before he parted. “I’ll be whatever you want me to be, Penelope Rosario Hannigan,” he exhaled quietly, thumb brushing against her bottom lip with every word spoken.

     even though she knew blake and knew this was what they both wanted, she couldn’t quite find a way to settle her nerves. even bringing up the idea of dating was a big step for them, let alone letting it actually happen. if anyone asked, it would have been easy to see they’ve probably already been dating for years. they were just too scared of things changing to label anything. penny watched him carefully as he smiled, her own mimicking the action as their lips met for the first time in a while. kissing was basically a normality for them, but each one still felt as if it had so much meaning and love behind it.  ❛  thank god.  ❜  she murmured, still not sure as to why she had been so nervous. leaning down once again, the brunette pressed another kiss to his lips slowly before pulling back in the slightest.  ❛  and, i gotta do something about the curtains. they need to be a different color.  ❜  she teased quietly, smile never faltering.

“I was minorly intoxicated and majorly angry at my technology in general.” Cece shrugged. “I know, but people crack their phones all the time. Why am I being charged $150 for it? That’s insane.”

     ❛  angry at technology? a sign you’re getting old.  ❜  she was joking, of course, and that was obvious from the smile plastered onto her features as penny just shook her head.   ❛  it’s good marketing for them. they bump the prices because people are gonna pay anything when it comes to technology.  ❜

“Love that kid more than life itself,” he finally hummed, only pausing to press a gentle kiss to her exposed shoulder before curling into her even more. He didn’t want to move, but if she said they had to, then he inevitably would. “No, let’s just forget about it or something. It’s over with, alright? Truths out. From now on, just be honest with me, please.” Blake didn’t bother opening his eyes at her question, because he didn’t to be overly reassuring. “I meant it, Penny. I want you and Ali to move in with me. I know it’s not as cool as your place, but you can change it up.” Was that asking for too much? Was he moving too quickly?

     ❛  i know the feeling.  ❜  penny mused quietly, just barely nodding along with her own words as a content sigh left her lips.  ❛  i will. i promise.  ❜  it was a promise she intended to keep, especially since she never wanted to let him down again. it killed her to see him hurting so much just because she was scared to tell him something important.  ❛  i’ll move in with you on one condition.  ❜  pen’s eyelids fluttered open once more, fingertips grazing over his arm absently as she thought about her words carefully. years later and the two had never become anything more than just friends because they were both scared of change. but, maybe they could give things a real shot.  ❛  i want you to be my boyfriend.  ❜  her sentence only left in an unsure tone because she didn’t know how he’d react, or if he was even awake enough to react.

The remainder of the night was somewhat of a blur. He remembered coming home, remembered laying down, but nothing past his head hitting the pillow. Pen’s familiar sleepy voice and gentle touch left the male smiling weakly. His head wasn’t pounding half as bad as it should’ve been, but his stomach turned at the thought of having to face reality. “You sure your parents can’t drop her off here or something? Pretty sure if I step outside, I’m gonna melt,” he joked, moving to rest his head on her shoulder in a defeated manner. “Thanks for staying over last night. I’m still sorry about everything. I should’ve talked to you before having a meltdown. Really, Pen, I’m sorry.”

     a light laugh fell from her lips, cheek falling to rest on his forehead before her own eyes shut once more.  ❛  no, i already said i’d pick her up.  ❜  penny rolled her eyes, but only for a moment as she just shrugged.  ❛  don’t be. i should have been completely honest with you. you had every right to be upset.  ❜  the reality of the situation was still lingering in the air, which made her only a bit anxious. she felt safe and comfortable with blake by her side, though.  ❛  were you serious about the moving in thing? or, do you not remember that?  ❜  maybe it was too early for either of them to be having this discussion, but her curiosity would eat her away if she didn’t at least ask. it’d only confirm what she already figured would inevitably happen.

Once again, they were going to make it out of everything okay. No one else on earth would ever be capable of tearing them apart, despite the power the man had held in the past. They were a team, a kickass team at that. “Good thing I picked a shitty bar a block away from my apartment,” he joked, the first time he’d laughed during the night. Blake moved closer to the woman, his arm slipping behind her back with ease as he settled into her side. “I can’t sleep when you aren’t there,” he admitted into the darkness, the chilly air of the night surrounding them as they walked. Maybe it was alcohol that slowed time, or maybe it was the overall content feeling of being with her that made the walk feel a thousand times longer than it had the first go around. After they’d finally made it home, the male didn’t say much other than whispered ‘I love you’s’ and ‘I’m sorry’ before he’d fallen asleep against her in bed.

     ❛  i think that was luck.  ❜  the brunette offered a small smile, naturally leaning into his body before they started walking. she had to inhale deeply for a moment, body slowly adjusting to the exhaustion settling in. they both needed sleep, that was for sure.  ❛  mhm. liar.  ❜  she muttered playfully, no real intention of carrying the joke any further before they continued their walk back to his place almost silently, but it was a comfortable silence. once they were safe and in bed, penny kept close to the male and pressed a kiss to his forehead, soon returning the few ‘i love you’s’ and telling him it was fine. she should have been the one apologizing, after all. still, she’d managed to fall asleep quickly. it was really no surprised that she awoke before him, though, given that pen just assumed he’d be hungover from the night before. the female sighed quietly as she ignored the sun peeking through the blinds, one hand lifting to let an index finger trace his jawline gently.   ❛  hey, sleepyhead. i know you’re hungover, but we have to go get ali soon.  ❜  she murmured, half expecting him to continue sleeping.

He couldn’t think about Greg ever laying a hand on either Alison or Penny. Truth be told, the male would lose it at even the slightest of threats. “You’re not going to get hurt again, Pen. I wouldn’t let that happen.” He would protect her, no matter what it meant doing. “Stay with me. Hell, move in with me,” he offered, knowing the latter was a bit much, but the alcohol made it seem slightly less important. If Greg hadn’t showed up at his door so far, then surely it’d stay that way. “Pen,” he hummed, feeling his face redden as his anger spiked. He couldn’t believe she’d put herself in danger, but what more could he expect? She wanted a normal life with her daughter, and Blake couldn’t blame her for that. “We have to be more careful, alright? While he’s in town,” he paused, needing a moment to gather his thoughts. “I know I don’t have much of a say in what you do and what you do with Alison, but I can’t protect either of you if I’m not around or know what’s going on.” He needed to protect them, he had to. “Come home with me, Pen. Just us.”

     ❛  thank you.  ❜  voice was barely audible as she nodded a couple times in return for his words. his next few caught her off-guard, though, and she couldn’t help wondering if it was just the alcohol in him speaking or if he was serious. just in case, she didn’t give him a direct answer. she could ask him about it the next morning, or sometime when they were both in less fragile states. once there was a shift in blake’s features, penny instantly moved forward to wrap her arms around him in a hug. with anyone else, she would have feared their anger. with blake, she knew she could trust him. he’d proven that time and time again. after another moment, she pulled back, smile based off of pure relief tugging at her lips before she nodded once more. she was exhausted and definitely tired of her almost-breakdown.  ❛  let’s go home.  ❜  it was wherever he was. all that was missing was alison, but she was having a good night already. penny wouldn’t want to interrupt.  ❛  i wanna go home with you.  ❜

“Alright, I know it’s my own goddamn fault for throwing it against a wall, but can we talk about how expensive it is to replace a phone screen.” Cecelia held up her completely cracked iphone and sighed. “I mean, I may as well just buy a new fucking phone.” 

     ❛  why, exactly, did you throw your phone against a wall?  ❜  the brunette’s eyebrows furrowed, entertained smile evident as she just let out a short laugh in return for the other’s words.  ❛  the screen is arguably one of the most important parts and it’s not indestructible. they don’t really expect people to be chucking them at walls, y’know.  ❜