And How We Feel • • •

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase knew that since their return from Washington he had buried himself in his work a little too much. He had tried to repair the situation with his parents as best as he could, but he still felt a little tense, even with the distance between them. Whenever things bothered him he liked the distractions of the hospital, but he knew that there was more to his life than the sterile corridors and the patients who relied on him. He made time to see Penny, but it wasn’t as much as he knew he ought to be spending with her. Dating was not the strong suit of Chase McMahon and he knew that it was pretty obvious; he had been told as much ever since he was a teenager and started taking an interest.

Tonight was going to be different. He’d already told Penny the day before that he had a surprise for her and that she just had to be ready by seven. Chase didn’t want to be a screw up and he wanted to treat Penny how she deserved to be treated. For the first time that week he left the hospital when he was supposed to and headed out to pick up the things he needed to make the evening special. He wanted to get something nice for Penny and had turned to the women in his phonebook for advice. He had a little joke idea already in mind, and he had ordered that a few days ago, so he grabbed that first before heading to the jewellery store, using the photos sent to him by the girls he trusted to help pick out something that wasn’t so expensive Penny might kill him, but that would also suit her. It took him a little while, since he was nervous about picking something she would hate, but he soon slipped the small box into his pocket and left the store. After that, he just needed to grab a few bits from the grocery store on his way home and he sent a text to Penny to remind her to be ready… and to inconspicuously let her know that he wasn’t going to be late or have some excuse about work when he arrived. He was determined for tonight to go well if it was the last thing he ever did.

Alfie watched as his owner fussed about the homely apartment. The large beast never moved from the giant pillow bed, but his eyes followed the haematologist as he rearranged plants, set the rarely used table and ventured in and out of the kitchen to begin preparing dinner. He would cook it when Penny was there, but he could prepare the vegetables and chop everything beforehand so that he wouldn’t feel like he was ignoring her if he had to go and check on their meal. Sure, he could have booked a reservation at a nice restaurant in the city, but he felt like this was more personal. They could relax and take their time without needing to worry about other people around them. The only one who could possibly disturb them would be Alfie, but the dog was well trained and never bothered Chase or company when they were seated at the table.

Once everything was ready and just needing Chase to turn the pans on, he grabbed his keys and headed out to pick Penny up. He changed his shirt before he stepped out of the apartment and then made his way across the streets to where the pretty brunette lived, pulling up outside her building before moving up to meet her at her door. Knocking once, he waited, fiddling with his glasses before pushing them back into place on his nose. He had meant to switch them for his lenses, but with worrying so much about making tonight perfect, it had been the one thing that had successfully slipped his mind.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

Penny had been worried about Chase since they left Washington. She had enjoyed the trip, for the most part. She could have done without the soap opera but it was pretty obvious Chase could have as well. She had seen him a couple times since they got back but he always seemed preoccupied. Penny didn’t mind, not really. She knew his work was important to him and it didn’t take long to figure out Chase threw himself into his work when things were frustrating him. Penny could understand that as well. She threw herself into her classes when she was frustrated and annoyed. So she was letting him take his time to work it out. But she wasn’t about to give him so much time that he started to wallow in self-pity.

Her day got a little brighter when he told her he was making plans for them and she had to be ready. Penny was happy to see he was still invested in a life outside the hospital. And from then, she was planning on what she would wear since he didn’t really tell her anything more than the basics of there being a plan and at what time he would be there to pick her up. She switched her shift at the restaurant for an earlier one so she would be home a couple hours sooner than originally planned. She made one stop after work to the exotic pet store to pick up Frankie’s food and then went straight home and hit the shower. By the time six thirty rolled around, for once Penny was ready and Chase wasn’t there. It made her laugh that she was ready so early; normally she would be rushing around when Chase got there, searching for an earring she’d set down and digging a shoe from under the coffee table.

Penny was cleaning up the mess she’d made of her closet picking out her outfit for the evening when she heard the knock at the door. There were still a few things that needed to be sorted away but they could absolutely wait until another day and another free moment. She grabbed her clutch off the table and opened the door to see Chase waiting for her on the other side. “Hello, handsome,” she said, leaning in to press a feather light kiss to his cheek before stepping across the threshold and locking up. “So, what have you planned?” she asked, unable to help herself. She liked surprises but it didn’t stop her from asking the question anyway. She walked with Chase down to the street and slipped into the passenger seat of his car still wondering what was planned for the evening.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 451
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase knew his dedication to his work was both a positive and negative side to him. He would always be passionate about his chosen profession and to call him a workaholic wouldn’t exactly be a stretch from the truth. He had buried himself in those shifts since their return for obvious reasons, but Chase still knew that he would have been kept busy by the hospital even if he had been spared from that ridiculous mistake. That still wasn’t an excuse to forget about the other important things in his life, like Penny. He planned on making up for that tonight, but he knew it would be foolish to try and promise that his work wouldn’t pull him away again. He just hoped that she would understand when it was important and drag him away from it all when he was just getting lost for no real reason in the long hours.

When Penny opened the door, Chase automatically let a soft smile grow across his lips. “Hey there. You look beautiful.”  He wrapped his arm around her to keep her close as they made their way downstairs and let his lips brush softly against her temple. He wasn’t all that big on PDA for reasons that it should all be kept as intimate as it was supposed to be. He found there was a difference between celebrating romance with hand holding and delicate kisses and crazy make out sessions in public spaces where it just looked more seedy than cute. Call him old fashioned, but he preferred giving a girl a jacket on a walk home, rather than trying to take hers off. “I know a guy who cooks a great chicken in white wine sauce.”  He said casually enough, pulling his car back out into the sea of traffic and looping back around to retrace the route he had come to pick Penny up for their date. Keeping the conversation light, Chase gave her no clue as to the rest of their date, just continuing to drive straight into the underground garage of his apartment building.
Grinning, he led Penny upstairs, still keeping quiet. At his front door, he turned the key and heard the dull thud of Alfie’s paws as the dog’s curiosity kicked in. Stepping aside to let Penny in first, Chase then tossed his keys and pressed a light kiss to her cheek. “What? I’m a guy who can cook.” He said innocently enough, smirking as he slipped into the kitchen to start cooking everything that needed to be cooked. It only took him a minute to set everything up and then he poured them both a glass of wine and handed Penny hers. “I have a few surprises for you, but you have to wait until dinner is ready.” He teased, taking her hand and leading her through to his living room and the couch, lighting a few of the scattered candles around the room. Chase could actually be romantic once he put his mind to it, but it was just a rare mood to hit the young haematologist.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

Penny had always wanted a career she could be proud of. One she could lose hours doing. She loved Planet Hollywood and the people she worked with but being the general manager of a restaurant and bar wasn’t where she saw herself. It was another step on the ladder to where she wanted to go. But she also knew that life didn’t revolve around climbing that ladder. Life was all those little, messy bits that made it what it was supposed to be. Life was silly little surprises, walks in the park, laughter and the fun times. She liked these date nights she and Chase shared. Penny enjoyed spending time with the doctor, and wanted to spend more with him but knew how important his job was. And she figured he had needed some time to work through everything from their trip.

If it had gone on much longer, Penny was making plans to talk to his boss and steal him away from work for an hour or something for a proper lunch out. She was adored by many of the doctors, thanks to her love or languages so she could talk to almost any patients that walked in. It would have been only easy to get Chase an hour or two away from the sterile walls. Smiling, Penny brushed a hand down her black and white dress. “Thank you,” she said, creeping up to colour her cheeks. She hadn’t known what to expect so she had no idea what to wear and prayed her dress would be acceptable. Not knowing was the whole reason she decided on flats! As much as she loved her heels, they just weren’t practical in an unknown situation. “Mm, that sounds really good,” Penny said, sitting back in the passenger seat of the car.

Penny had no idea where they were headed even after Chase pulled into an underground parking garage. It wasn’t until they were in the elevator and stepping out on Chase’s floor that she realised what the plans were for the night. Laughing, Penny rolled her eyes. “I adore a man that can cook,” she said, shaking her head as she set her clutch on the same table as Chase’s keys before following him to the kitchen. “Thank you,” she said, accepting the wine glass. “I love surprises,” Penny said, taking a seat on the couch and sipping at her wine. Taking the time while Chase was roaming the room, lighting candles Penny indulge Alfie in a little scratch behind his ears.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 421
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase had known he had wanted to be a doctor since he was a teenager. The night his appendix had ruptured had been the night the seeds of that dream had firmly taken root in his young mind. Specialising in haematology had come significantly later, during his years at college when he had more time to think about those things and really research the different areas of his dream profession. After wanting something for more than a decade, Chase wasn’t about to lose grip of his ambitions and whilst “borderline workaholic” was probably an apt definition for his character, he felt it just reflected how badly he wanted it. People had left him behind in the past because they hadn’t been able to understand that part of his personality.

So far, he had been able to stop himself before his friends had needed to call for some sort of intervention of his behalf. Chase did dedicate a large portion of his life to the job and his patients, but most of the time he did eventually give into the small voice in the back of his mind that told him when it was time to go home and remember what the air outside the sterile walls smelt like. Plus, he had Alfie and the responsibilities that came with the large dog to keep him coming home at a semi-reasonable time each night, even when he had no other reason. Grinning, Chase stole a safe glance across at the pretty brunette by his side. “It tastes even better.”

He knew that he could have just called a restaurant and booked a reservation and a fancy table for tonight, but Chase wanted to do something nice and special. He had been working so much lately and calling for a table just felt like something he could from his office at the hospital. Preparing a meal, buying the ingredients and putting in the time and effort to cook it just right had a more personal touch. “Then you caught yourself a fine catch.” He joked as he moved about his sophisticated apartment that bore similar touches to the Washington home he had grown up in. “I hope you like these then.” Smiling softly, he pressed his lips to hers in a quick, chaste kiss and then took her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles lightly. “I know I’ve been working a lot lately, but tonight is just about you, and us.” Their relationship was still young and there were no guarantees about anything, but Chase wanted to do something special. He was renowned for being oblivious when it came to matters of the heart so when he did remember he liked to do something worthwhile and that would prove his feelings a little better than he was certain he did the rest of the time.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

When Penny had been a small child, she hadn’t known what she wanted to do with her life. She had always had a love of languages, how they all worked and the way they sounded when she spoke. But the only thing pressing at the time was finding a new place to hide from her mother and the unpleasant remarks. Hiding had Penny learning and finding her passion in languages. Being a shy and introverted child, Penny only had her books and her brother. When they’d finally moved away from Hell, she hadn’t known how to act with other people around. Quickly enough she broke away from that shell of hers but it was a long and slow process. By the time she met Chase, she was all but rid of those pesky memories. Alone, she was still that girl, but with people she cared about around, she was the girl everyone knew now and adored.

So knowing how enthralled a person could be with work or a particular passion, Penny didn’t mind when she went days without seeing Chase. She knew work came first with him, it was important to him and she understood that. Her job may not have been where she wanted to be but when she wasn’t running errands or at home with her books, she was at the restaurant doing something to keep herself busy. These days, Penny wasn’t all that good with being idle. Besides, she knew whenever Chase did take the time away from work for her, he was all hers. “I bet it does,” she agreed easily. Penny could cook, but she didn’t see much of a point in it when she was all alone. And she had the cooks in the kitchen trained so well with her orders, not to mention she spent so much time there, some of the staff had started to wonder if she lived there.

If there were more people or a better reason than just herself to cook, Penny thought she might enjoy preparing a meal. She couldn’t say she didn’t like when someone cooked for her. Penny laughed, shaking her head. "I knew that from day one, honey," she teased, smiling over at Chase. Having been to his childhood home and being in his home now, Penny saw the similarities she hadn’t noticed before. Of course, the same could be said for her apartment and she knew it. The small trinkets she kept around her place were reminders and memories of a decade gone by. “I’m sure you have nothing to worry about,” Penny said smiling. She really did love surprises and with Chase she didn’t know what she was going to get from him. He always claimed to be oblivious when it came to matters of the heart but he had to be the sweet man she’d ever had the privilege of knowing. Chuckling softly, Penny set her drink to the side and took both of Chase’s hands in hers. “It’s alright. Your job is really important and I understand that. So, thank you, this is incredibly sweet and it means a lot to me that you'd take the time,” she said, leaning in to steal a kiss. “So what have you planned for us?” she asked, leaning back.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 544
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase had grown up around hard workers. His parents rarely slacked off and while there was plenty of family time, he also saw the long hours and the commitment his father and mother gave to their respective positions and careers. It was probably why he had the same dedicated work ethics as a doctor. He wouldn’t go home until the job was done and even then he would often stay late to take care of some of the other bits that could wait until morning, but that he’d rather get out of the way before then. Chase had been that way since his youth. Homework had been done the night it was handed out and essays started the week they were assigned. It had been the same throughout the long years of his education and now he saw no reason to slack off. He might be doing exactly what he had dreamt of for so many years, but Chase didn’t even consider the idea of taking it easy now that he was almost there, with only a short time of his residency left to go.

He knew he was lucky with Penny. There had been very few romances in his past and all had faded quickly because of his dedication to his job or his studies. With Penny she seemed to understand that Chase couldn’t just switch off when he was supposed to and sometimes lost himself inside those sterile walls, working late and putting in the overtime when it wasn’t required of him. It was why he tried his hardest to make the time with her something memorable and nice to make up for the missed phone calls or unanswered messages when he was running about the hospital. He had a terrible habit of reading a text message and then deciding to reply on his way somewhere, only to then forget and let his mind get occupied with a million other things. “It shouldn’t be too long before we can sit down and eat.” Chase commented, mentally clocking the time and then working out how long the meal would take to cook. He had deliberately chosen something that wouldn’t take hours and that he could easily do without too much thought or concentration; there would be no fun in him locking himself away in the kitchen and leaving Penny with only Alfie for company.

Away from the hospital, Chase only saw himself as the goofy kind of geek. Most tired evenings were spent watching box sets he knew off by heart and browsing the internet for anything interesting events coming up, be them medical or science fiction. When it came to romantic ideas he had to get the opinion of his sister and female friends before he felt confident enough to pull them off. Even then he was usually stammering or blundering his way through them. “Cheesy fool.” He grinned, playfully knocking his shoulder against hers. Shrugging off the effort and the time gone into this evening, Chase smiled a goofy lopsided smile and just relaxed in the moment. “Trust me, there will be plenty more evenings like this to come. You’re completely worth it.” He said against her lips before squeezing her hands and letting her have her space again. “Dinner, desert, some drinks and maybe a movie or something if you can find anything on my shelves.” He suggested, though his DVD collection had a general theme of being long sets perfect for marathons or odd movies that he had found through cult fan followings from conventions and the various websites he poked through over the years. Still, there might be something on the alphabetised shelves to catch Penny’s eye.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

Hard work hadn’t been just words for the Kendall family. Penny, her brother and father worked hard every day after the move to keep themselves occupied. Penny hadn’t been old enough to get a job when they’d first moved but she’d put in the effort to turn herself from the ugly duckling to the beautiful swan. She hadn’t wanted to start life at a new high school feeling the same as she had for those years before the move. When they were both old enough, Penny and Reilly got jobs at the little shops around town, and the people who owned those shops were more than happy to get the kids off the streets and give them something to do with their spare time to keep them out of trouble.

Penny enjoyed spending time with Chase. And she understood his work came before anything else. As much as she wished to be the one to change that, she understood and gave him the space he needed to decompress. If she’d had as trying a job as him, she would need time to decompress; a hot bath, candles, low music and a glass of wine, or the entire bottle depending on how bad the day went. She didn’t mind if she didn’t get a reply back from a text from Chase right away, or he missed a phone call. He would get back to her eventually, he always did. And that was really all she could ask for; that he did get back to her. “It already smells good.” Penny complimented with a soft smile. It had been a long time since Penny had a home cooked meal made especially for her. Chase knew he didn’t have to go out of his way to cook a meal but it meant more to her than a reservation could ever.

Seeing Chase at work was always something to witness. He cared about his patients not like some of the older and more jaded doctor’s running around the halls. “I am, thanks.” Penny said, rolling her eyes at him. A light blush crept up to settle on her cheeks. But she couldn’t hide the smile that spread across her lips. “You’re too sweet.” She said as he pulled away and she lifted her drink to her lips. Penny’s eyes brightened at the idea of a movie night. As much as she enjoyed going out, she liked staying in even more. There was just something about being able to be comfortable, curled up on the couch under a throw. And with Chase, it would be even better, even if she was a little too dressed up to be considered comfortable clothes. She set her drink on the table again, leaning over to place a quick kiss on Chase’s cheek. “A chance to go through that collection of yours? Lovely.” She said, laughing as she spun around and nearly skipped over to the shelves. Looking over everything carefully, Penny turned slowly to look at Chase and slowly made her way back to his side. “How about we put on your favourite of the Doctor Who series and you can point out all the little insider notes a fairly new Whovian wouldn’t know about. And I would expect nothing less if you have to pause it to talk so you won’t miss anything.” She teased, playfully as she sat down on the couch again.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 567
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase would probably go stir crazy if he didn’t work or have something to keep him occupied. His vacation days were usually saved for family visits to DC or whenever someone came from there to see him in the city. Even then he kept a busy schedule of activities, plans, shows and treats. He didn’t do so well on the whole lazing about front and Chase when he was sick was like a form of torture for everyone around him. He was bad enough with a minor case of the flu, but it had been ridiculously worse the time when he had his appendix removed and was on bed rest and the time he had broken his leg jumping from the burning holiday home. Some people didn’t do too well being cooped up, Chase didn’t do too well being idle.

He doubted that anything would change his perspective on his work. Perhaps one day something might, but right now it didn’t look that way. The last trip to DC with Penny had cemented that idea in his mind, sort of. After the incident with the parents and the drunken aftermath, it became painstakingly clear that Chase liked to work until his problems faded. It had been the first thing he had done when back in the city and had it been possible he would have probably been back in the hospital sooner than he was. Whenever anything came up in his life, he turned his attention to those who really needed it. It was a good thing and a bad thing at the same time, but Chase could be stubborn when he wanted to be and it would take an awful lot to make him see the negatives to it. “I promise you that it’ll taste even better.” He grinned over his shoulder.

This evening in and the home cooked meal gave the date a much more personal touch than a reservation could do. It wasn’t that money was any kind of issue; one look at his family and his apartment could say that, but Chase didn’t care for those material riches or the cost of things. He had bought Penny a gift or two for this evening, but that was more because he could and he wanted to spoil her with something nice to say thanks in a way for putting up with him. Chase was not like his father, he was not a man of words but a man of actions. He could express something more clearly with a date like this than he ever could with a speech he would no doubt stumble over and mess up in several places. “I try.” He smirked, crinkling his nose slightly to knock his glasses back into place. “No sticky fingerprints!” He warned playfully, though he knew Penny wasn’t about to ruin anything he owned. It just seemed like something he ought to say given his idea of entertainment and how geeky passionate he was about those things. While she looked, he checked on their dinner again, adjusting temperature, stirring things and prepping the plates before slipping back through to where Penny was. There was a little longer to go, but not all that long; he couldn’t get caught up in a conversation without taking a risk of overcooking everything. Chuckling, his eyebrows raised towards his hairline and he smirked down at the pretty brunette. “That choice comes with the great risk of us both still being here in the morning.” He warned, although he was deadly serious. There was a strong chance of the time slipping away from him and the show sucking him in like it always did, turning the doctor into the excited nerd-tastic little boy he had been when he had first been introduced to the show.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

Penny spent the first twelve years of her life hiding away in books and texts. She figured she’d spent enough of her time sitting around doing nothing more than daydreaming. The only time she enjoyed sitting down and doing nothing at all was when she had a movie on and those times were few and far between. Reading was usually her escape from the world, and even then she could move around when she was reading. She’d gotten good at multi-tasking while she had a book in her hand. Cleaning and cooking got done with a book taking up one hand or on the recipe book stand while she threw something together on the quick if she wasn’t working that night or had some plans made. After those first years, she needed to keep moving, keep active or she felt like all those terrible names she’d been called were true; and she knew she was better than that. It was another reason she tried so hard to stay healthy. Sick Penny reverted back to a child and she hated that because she was left bedridden for a week at least; every time, it never failed.

But like Chase and his work, fighting through it all until he was clearheaded, Penny needed her linguistics. They kept her head clear, they kept her sane when she felt like folding in on herself. She always acted like the past didn’t haunt her but it did; every single day. Those feelings were why she spent so much time at the gym, why she volunteered and why she hardly ever sat down at work, even when she was filling out inventory forms or balancing the books for the night. She needed something to let her breathe when she felt like things were becoming overwhelming. Thankfully though, since the move to New York, she hadn’t had any new additions to her reasoning behind all that she did. The friends she’d made in New York were fantastic and they knew the new Penny, the real one. “I can’t wait.” She said honestly, looking so forward to the meal Chase had planned for them.

As much as Penny enjoyed going out and enjoying and evening with Chase, staying in was so much nicer. There were no other people around to interrupt them or annoy them in any way. She loved spending time with Chase, getting to know about the little things, the little quirks that made up the whole of him. Laughing, playfully Penny held up her hands in surrender. “I won’t touch a thing.” She said laughing as she walked over to his movie collection and looked over them all. “Then I guess it’s a good thing I have a late shift tomorrow.” She said, grinning. Penny knew enough about Chase and his affection for all things Doctor Who to know that his words would probably end up as more truth than warning but she couldn’t say she minded all that much.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 495
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase had always acted more grown up than he was. Even as a kid he had acted far more mature than the rest of the kids around him. He didn’t know if it was the political environment or something to do with being adopted that had brought it out in him, but Chase has always felt like he had responsibilities to shoulder even when he was just a little kid. When most would be playing with toy cars and action figures, he had been reading books slightly more advanced for his age range and asking his parents about the sorts of things other kids found boring. There was no real excuse for it and looking back Chase couldn’t even see an answer now, but it was how his life had been. He had been blessed with an exceptional childhood of security, love and everything a little boy could ask for, yet he couldn’t really remember acting like much of a little kid; getting dirt on his clothes, doing stupid things to make his mom mad…none of it came back to him in memories.

He just hoped that tonight would continue without a hitch. Chase wasn’t the most romantic of men and he already had a string of memorable screw ups in his past that had cost him relationships. None of those women had been anything like Penny, but that kind of made him worry about it more. He liked Penny a whole lot more than he had some of them and if he messed this up because of some thoughtless mistake or because he’d missed out on some pretty big hints then he’d probably never forgive himself for it. Things might have still been new between him and Penny, but he didn’t want it to crash and burn. “And what if I didn’t, hey? Then what?” He asked teasingly with a raised eyebrow. Chase wasn’t working at all tomorrow, which was the reason why he had planned this date for tonight. He wouldn’t be looking at the clock or mentally working through a schedule and Penny could have his undivided attention.

A little longer and dinner was ready. Chase served it up and moved the plates to the table, shooing Alfie away before he could come sniffing and searching for scraps. The St Bernard often got bits of Chase’s leftovers, but the haematologist wasn’t about to let the dog sit by the table and guilt trip Penny through this meal. “Here, before we eat, I got you a few things. One’s just a joke, but I dunno…I thought you might like it.” He pulled the two boxes from their hiding place. The earrings were in the fancier gift box, while the Gallifreyan wrist cuff was in the plainer one. Chase had to be honest; he was feeling his nerves now and hoping that Penny liked them. He had wanted to treat her and surprise her, but he had felt completely out of his depth, even after he had gotten advice from his sisters and from Lexi about what Penny might like as a serious gift.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

Penny had always felt like she hadn’t been able to be a kid when she was younger. She always hid because her home like had been pretty terrible and the situation at school was hardly any better. Kids were cruel and Penny knew it firsthand. She was thankful she’d had her brother to help her out, and her dad to take her away from it all. The pretty linguist didn’t like talking about the times before Lafayette, even though she did have a handful of good memories of the place. It wasn’t really until after the move that she got to be a kid again. And just as she was becoming a teenager and it wasn’t “proper” to act like a child anymore. It was a wonder she wasn’t some petulant annoyance living on her father’s couch in Lafayette! Looking back though, she couldn’t see herself as a child though, she was always a smart girl, with a good head on her shoulders, even if some of the people around her had said some terrible things about those shoulders, the hair, the glasses or the weight. And nothing she ever did was good enough for her mother, but Penny had always been the type to ignore what she didn’t want to hear. And those vicious things were on that list.

She may have overcome it all, and gotten the last laugh but the memories were still there; they always would be. Chase made her feel good. He made her forget about the things that had happened to her before New York. He was a terrible flirt and too often messed up what he was trying to say but he tried and he was incredibly sweet, which Penny adored. He could be a bumbling fool but he was her bumbling fool. “Then I would be spending an awfully long time ignoring Doctor Who and trying to talk you into a rare day off, which we both know is a terrible thing to do and probably failing miserably which would have me home, in bed just after midnight.” Penny pouted, looking up at the charming doctor. If she needed to, she could pass her shift off. It was mostly office work anyway and if anyone didn’t show up for their shift on time, her people knew what to do. As much as she hated to admit it, she’d trained her group so well, she really didn’t need to be there. But it was a refuge for her sometimes. When she got into her own head too much, she needed the restaurant to keep her busy and anywhere but her own head.

The smell wafting in from the kitchen had Penny turning her head in the direction Chase had been slipping away to since they’d gotten back to his place. It was heaven and had Penny drooling at the mere thought of what he’d made. Picking up her wineglass, Penny stood from the couch and crossed to the table to take her seat. She was fixing her skirt when Chase mentioned his little surprise for her. She lifted her eyes to him slightly confused until she saw the little boxes on the table. “You didn’t have to.” She said, even as she reached for the box closest to her, the fancier box and opened it. “Chase.” Penny said, eyes glued to the gorgeous drop earrings. Finally she looked up at him. “They’re stunning. I don’t know what to say.” She looked back at the earrings. She really didn’t know what to say to Chase. Should she thank him? That didn’t seem like enough for such an incredible surprise. Before she got too sidetracked with the pretty new drop earrings, she reached over for the plainer box, feeling like a child at Christmas. What was inside box number two? A big smile spread across her lips as she opened the box in her hands. Laughter flowed from her as she lifted the cuff from its place and stood to wrap her arms around Chase’s shoulders. “The best surprise I’ve gotten. I love them both, thank you.” She said, leaning in to steal a kiss.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 690
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

Chase had never given much thought to how his life might have been when he switched Washington for New York. Throughout his life he had always been focused on his career and making it as a doctor. He had never really let his mind wander to what else New York might have to offer him. With his past track record of girlfriends and relationships, he definitely didn’t expect to find anyone like Penny in his life. She was patient with him, tolerated his workaholic quirks and didn’t seem to mind when he said the wrong thing or stumbled over his words. Chase wasn’t some master of romance and compared to his friends he could quite possibly be called the cyborg of the group. He could be oblivious and let his logic completely block out his feelings, but somehow, despite all of that, he still found himself here having dinner with a beautiful brunette who saw something in him, although Chase couldn’t fathom what the hell that might be. When he had first kissed Penny he had half expected her to push him away, slap him, or tell him that she just wanted to be friends. Never did he think he’d be cooking a romantic dinner for her or buying her little gifts to show her how special she was to him.

“With commentary. Both mine and the DVD’s. It’s not a marathon without it.” Chase said, speaking as though it was fact. He knew more about Doctor Who than the DVDS offered and it was probably the one thing that could hold his attention as much as his work could. It was how he unwound most days when he came home from his long shifts. Chase’s sisters had often questioned how he couldn’t get bored of watching the same thing over and over again, but when it came to Doctor Who it just didn’t seem possible for Chase to grow tired of an episode or dislike one. “I told you you were a bad influence on everyone.” He said teasingly, a light twinkle in his dark eyes. With how much he worked at the hospital he often joked that Penny would be the one to land him in trouble, if anyone ever could. He doubted that she’d have him phoning in with “sick days” ever with how seriously he took his job, but he was still one to joke about it.

If he hadn’t had the help from Lexi and his sisters there was a very good chance that Chase would still be bothering the assistants at the jewellery store, asking them to bring each piece out for him to look at. He always worried if something looked too tacky or seemed too much for the early days of his relationship with Penny. He knew the girls were laughing at him when he hung up his phone, but he would rather nag them and get their opinion than screw up the relationship with an overthought or mistakable gift. “I didn’t plan on trying.” Chase grinned, chuckling happily at how well the gifts had gone down with Penny. He had been worried and felt relieved now that she had them both and liked them both. Admiring the new earrings for a moment, a soft smile crossed his face and Chase nodded his head slowly. “They’re stunning.” He told her, taking a moment to himself to appreciate just how well they suited Penny. Any money on gifts for the pretty brunette was money well spent in Chase’s mind, but those earrings were really just perfect. He had slightly astounded himself with that choice considering he only had phone help and no pictures were sent to his own version of Charlie’s Angels that afternoon. “Shall we eat?” Chase suggested as he picked up his cutlery, not wanting Penny’s excitement to leave her with a cold meal that would be less tasty than Chase had planned for it to be.

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 698!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3

[Penny Michaela Kendall]

If anyone in Lafayette were to have told Penny she would be really happy in New York, she would have believed them. But she would have taken their words with a grain of salt. Of course, if any of them would have said she’d meet a nice doctor who happened to be a little on the shy and awkward side with a big heart, sweet laugh and a soft, lopsided smile to melt her slightly cynical heart, well that she wouldn’t have believed. And yet, here was on a date with exactly that. Chase was a sweetheart and Penny knew she was lucky to have him in her life. There weren’t many things that had gone right in Penny’s world before high school. And though she had definitely made up for those years, she still held the same beliefs in her heart, no matter how deep they were buried. She knew she had changed, and for the better and she rarely let those bad memories in anymore. But there were days when it felt like the whole world was against her and a silly text message from Chase, about a quick coffee or planning a date night or even a quick hello made her smile and cheered her right up.

“Exactly! So it would be so much easier, if it were the case, to just agree to a marathon night with or without commentary. It physically pains me to ignore Doctor Who.” She said, holding a hand to her chest as if there were an actual ache in her heart. At the rate they were going, she was going to have to call in another manager to cover her shift and make sure the restaurant gets closed down properly. “My boss is going to be so disappointed in me.” She joked, already trying to figure out who was on call and had a key to close the place down. But that was still hours away so she was going to put that aside until the next afternoon when she really needed to make a decision. Really she was just happy she’d gotten this date night from Chase. He worked so much, Penny wondered if he actually lived at the hospital. But he was doing some good and Penny didn’t mind having to share him with his patients.

Penny wasn’t used to getting gifts at all. She was trying not to awkward and terrible at accepting them because they came from a good place, obviously. But like compliments, she wasn’t usually good at accepting gifts. However Chase and his little surprises gave her no reason to be awkward or worried about how she would respond. Both pieces were incredible. “Good luck getting this bracelet off my wrist.” She said, laughing. She loved the gifts, they were both so fantastic. But she wouldn’t lie, she adored that Gallifreyan bracelet just a little bit more. It was just such an original idea, and Penny loved that it was part of something they were both interested in. Easily, she put the cuff on her wrist and lifted it to look at it. For once, she actually wanted to turn into a high school girl again and squeal about it; she was such a nerd. Instead she kept the huge grin on her face as she spun around to take her seat again before she completely forgot they still had to enjoy the meal Chase cooked for them. And as she was sitting she was already pulling free the earrings she’d worn to check out the pretty news ones. The only worry she had was where she would wear such fancy drop earrings. They were gorgeous and not the type you could just wear daily but right now wasn’t just any old day so she quickly swapped out the studs she’d worn for them. “How do they look?” She asked, lifting her hand to brush her hair away from her ear for an unobstructed view.

Tag || Chase!
Words || 660
Clothes || Picture Perfect
Music || Stay --Artist Vs. Poet
Notes || <3

[chase logan mcmahon]

It might have sounded crazy to anyone else, but Chase never really gave much thought to his own happiness. His whole life he had worried about making other people happy and feeling better. When he was younger it was something as simple as making sure his sisters were cheered up after a bad day, surprising his parents with things when he could to show them how appreciated they were even though they were sometimes crazy busy with their jobs. Even on the night of the fire in the Hamptons, Chase had worried about everyone else before himself, making sure they got to safety and didn't hurt themselves before he did the total opposite and launched himself out of the window to then break his leg on landing. After that, his concern was on his patient's happiness; ensuring they were comfortable, weren't worried and that they could go on to live normal lives as best as they could again. Chase rarely ever stopped to think about himself or his own life. The way he saw it he was there to make other people happy and give them back the lives sickness tried to take from them. He never even thought about love or romance until Penny came a-knocking at his heart and slowly began prying him away from his workaholic habits and lifestyle.

“Oh, it would be with commentry. There are subtle gems in that show like you wouldn't even believe.” He promised, not even close to joking about it. Like most other things in his life, Chase took Doctor Who very seriously. It had been his show growing up and it still was now. Give him half the chance at a day off and he would be there with the DVDs set up and running, re-watching his favourite episodes over and over while Alfie looked up at him with dopey brown eyes and the occasional sigh, as though the big beast was not a fan of the sci-fi show. Or he had just seen them all too many time to care now. “Especially if I happen to mention the reason why. As a frequent customer and concerned doctor, I believe it is only right.” He said, keeping his face serious.

Chuckling softly and taking a sip of his wine, Chase shrugged lightly. “Why would I even try?” He queried, shaking his head while wearing that lopsided smirk of his. Really, unless he met someone else named Penny, the bracelet would be redundant. Sure, someone might pass it off as another name, but Chase took the show and the products of it much too seriously to ever do something like that. Plus, if there was ever one thing he was plagued with it was honesty. Chase couldn't lie even if it was to save his own life. He just lacked the ability to and it was painfully obvious any time that he tried. So, he had given up even attempting the tiniest of lies a very long time ago. He admired the earrings for a moment, reminding himself yet again to thank his sources. “They look incredible, much like the woman wearing them.” It was about as far as flirting went with Chase, but it was better than tripping over some terrible pick up line or sitting there blankly. “Now let's get this food in us before Alfie decides it's leftovers.”

• • •

TAGGED! Penny <3
WORDS! 622!
OUTFIT! Manic Mess!
LYRICS! Let's Be Friends - - - Bruce Springsteen
NOTES! <3 <3 <3