Work Text:
Sometimes Penny forgets that she's dating the student council president. Then moments like these happen, where Nemona invites her to her room after school to do what every young teen couple does when they're free and unmonitored– homework. Obviously.
At least, Nemona is doing homework. Penny is laying on her girlfriend's bed and watching anime on her phone, which they could be watching together if Nemona wasn't such a stick in the mud about school. It was honestly a little cruel. This wasn't a new occurrence, and it was actually normal for them because of their constantly clashing schedules– to the point where sometimes their ‘dates’ were just sitting in silence in the same room while they both worked on schoolwork. That was fine– they both had quality time as one of their love languages, it's whenever Nemona is refusing to even look at her to do work that's not even due this month that's the problem. Especially after a week-long stretch of barely seeing each other for more than a few minutes. Penny is lacking girlfriend time goddamnit, is that too much to ask?
“Nemona, are you done yet?” Penny groans, pausing her anime to stare at her girlfriend's back. Nemona wasn't even wearing her school clothes, she had on shorts and a muscle tank that showed off her toned back, thousands of tiny freckles dusting her shoulders. Her hair was also out of its signature high ponytail and instead gathered into a messy bun which only made her look more attractive and added to Penny’s torment.
“Hm?” Nemona swivels in her chair and faces the bed, holding a pencil in her mouth for some reason. Penny's learned to stop questioning the champion's little quirks and just go with them, because every explanation Nemona tries to give only seems to confuse her more. Nemona spits out the pencil before speaking. “Did you say something cariño?”
Penny slides off the bed and plops herself in Nemona's lap, glaring at the girl. “I'm mad at you right now.” She huffs, crossing her arms.
“Eh? What did I do?” It's unfair how genuinely confused Nemona sounds right now. The champion wraps her arms around Penny's waist, pressing a kiss to her cheek. “Speak to me, my love.”
“You have an entire girlfriend in your room.”
“Yes?”
“On your bed.”
“Uh huh?”
“Wearing your hoodie.”
“Yes? It looks good on you by the way.”
“ Nemona ,” Penny groans in exasperation, wiggling out of Nemonas hold and facing her, grabbing her stupidly soft and adorably freckled cheeks. “Have you ever considered that I want to do not schoolwork ?”
Nemona frowns up at her, her brows furrowed in confusion. “But school is important. I'm sure that you have work to do as well, surely. Don't you have that essay from Raifort due today?”
“Oh yeah, I haven't even started that.” Penny shrugs. “That's fine, back to the point-”
“ You haven't started ?” Nemona blurts out, looking horrified. “Penny, that's an important essay! You had like two weeks to do it!”
“Nemo-”
“Nope, not hearing it.” Nemona hoists herself up from her chair and shoves – more like gently pushes but whatever– Penny into it, spinning her to face the student president's surprisingly messy desk. “You're doing this right now.” Do you see now? Do you see what Penny has to deal with?
“I was literally just going to do it tomorrow and accept the late grade, Nemona you care more about my grades than I do.” Penny rolls her eyes, turning back to face her girlfriend. “C’s get degrees and all that.”
“That is a horrible saying made by people who can't commit to proper education.” Nemona tuts. Penny's been trying to get her to drop that mindset because it's not at all true, but it's hard when Nemona was raised thinking anything less than a high A was failure. “Penny, I will literally do anything right now if it means you will do this. Please, you need to be more invested in your education-”
“Okay, okay fine .” Penny throws her hands up, stopping Nemona before she goes on one of her educational rants . “But you owe me. I'm not doing free labor.”
Nemona hums, tapping her chin in thought. “How about, for every thirty minutes you spend doing work, I will give you one kiss.”
Damnit. She's targeting Penny’s weaknesses for kisses. That's actually not a bad deal though. Penny gets free kisses and Nemona gets…peace of mind? Who knows, it sounds like a win win for Penny though. “Make it ten and we have a deal.”
“Twenty, take it or leave it.”
“Ugh, fine. And you have watch anime with me later, got it?”
“Mmhm!” Nemona leans over and presses a sweet kiss to Pennys lips and yeah, she can get real used to this. “You better get started now.”
“Yeah yeah.” Penny rolls her eyes. “Does this also apply to other assignments? Because I have about three things that were due, like, yesterday.”
“ Penny, what do you mean- ”
One exasperated rant later, Penny was comfortably seated in Nemonas chair and working on schoolwork that really didn't take too long to do. And just like they discussed, Nemona would pause what she was doing every twenty– Penny still wants ten but whatever– minutes to give her a kiss. It was a genius plan, really. A total win-win situation.
Bonus!
It's been a week since Penny's deal with Nemona and she couldn't be happier. She had somehow convinced Nemona that she would do almost anything for a smooch, and now she gets them for things as simple as turning in work on time . Penny literally could have done that at any point, she just didn't give a fuck beforehand but now ? Her grades have gone up a whole letter. She's no perfect student and certainly no Nemona– no amount of kisses will make her put in that much effort– but she's better than before, something that's been noticed by her teachers and certainly her friends.
“Dude, what are you doing ?” Ortega asks her one day. The group once known as Team Star were having a group picnic by the academy as a way to relax after just having exams.
“Homework.” Penny mumbles, not looking up from her laptop where she's furiously typing out an assignment.
“I'm sorry what ? Who are you? What did you do to my Penny?” Ortega gasps, grabbing her shoulder and shaking her. Penny rolls her eyes and ignores him, continuing to work. “Hey! Helloooo?” Ortega whines dramatically. “Eri come quick! Penny's been replaced by an alien!”
“WHAT WAS THAT?” Eri yells over from the ground where she's been teaching Mela how to flip someone. Giacomo, the unlucky exemplary person, lies groaning on the ground. Eri runs over with Mela on her heels. “WHAT'S WRONG WITH PENNY?” She yells, despite being right next to them.
“Did someone pick on you? Do I need to beat up some punk?” Mela growls, cracking her knuckles. “Give me a name and a face, boss.”
Penny sighs and rolls her eyes. “I'm not your boss anymore, and I'm fine. I'm just finishing up this assignment for one of my classes.”
Her friends gawk at her. “OH MY GOD, SHE IS POSSESSED! PENNY?” Eri grabs Penny's face, forcing her to look into her eyes. “ARE YOU IN THERE LITTLE BUDDY? COME BACK TO US!”
“Ack, let go!” Penny swats Eris hands off her and rubs her ears. “And stop yelling in my ear. There's nothing odd about doing homework you guys.”
“But you hate doing homework! You would never do it in your free time.” Mela slams a fist into her open palm. “Is that Pres making you do things? Do I need to have a talk with her?”
“Yes and no.” Penny hums, finally submitting her assignment and turning to her friends. “No, don't beat up Nemona. Please. But yes, we made a deal.” Penny snickers, smirking smugly. “I've convinced her that if I turn my work in early I’ll get a kiss. Only, It's actually really fucking easy to do the work so i'm basically just getting free kisses.”
Her friends all share a look before Mela speaks up. “Uuh, Penny. That just sounds like she's tricked you into doing work on time.”
“Oh.” Penny blinks, realizing that yeah, sounds about right. She can't even be mad at her– no, scratch that, she's actually pretty mad. She can't believe Nemona tried to train her like some dog . Or that it actually worked . “If you would excuse me then.” She very calmly grabs her things and very calmly strides towards the school. All very calmly, without a single hint of malice.
“Lady Penny! Please summon Lady Miriam to us while on your travels!” Atticus yells after her. “Sir Giacomo seems to need her!”
Up in her dorm room Nemona feels a sudden shiver run up her spine.
“Why do I hear boss music?”