Re: Percy/Open
If Penelope was anyone else, she might have been a bit annoyed by Percy's little lecture about not having to be peer pressured into partying too hard. Fortunately, she found herself smiling at his genuine concern for her and squeezed his hand in hopes of communicating that.
The physical contact had never bothered her one bit. Being friends with Oliver, who was nearly always hugging her when he was in a good enough mood and then being raised in a family that wasn't afraid of showing their affection in the form of cheek kisses and comforting cuddles had prepared her for nearly anything Percy could throw at her, post their break-up.
When Percy let go, Penny nearly reached out for his hand again, but kept herself from doing so at the risk that it would seem too familiar. "You don't have to worry about me, Perce," she matched his soft tone of voice with one of her own.
Now Penny was the one blushing. The memory had caused her to blush quite a bit, mostly because she remembered how oddly romantic the whole scene had felt at that time. Even thinking back on it now made her miss that in a very fresh way. Smiling fondly up at him, "I do remember, yes." Penny laughed, "Oh, Merlin, that was a very good birthday. This doesn't compare with that. Or the others, really."