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Another day goes by where Beat fights with Clef over the band and its future. By now the entire band knows about the studio, yet Beat keeps trying her hardest to make up reasons to not let a single person into it but her and…Penny. Penny caught up with Beat after the prison break, only seeing each other at the bar in the small town when Beat was working as a temp bartender. But they only exchanged small hellos and goodbyes. Beat feels safe whenever she’s with Penny, they never argued past the prison, Penny always agreed with Beat on everything, almost…like Penny was her safe space away from everything else going on in the world. No worries about Harm looking for her and the group, worrying about the band's future, nothing.
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Beat makes it to the studio, sighing and groaning about the fight while pushing the door as hard as she could. Penny was already there waiting, startled by Beat slamming the door open.
“Well hey you, another rough day with your band?” Penny asked, setting herself straight due to Beats door slam.
“Ugh I…don’t even wanna talk about it right now. I just, WISH Clef and everyone else understood that I’m the only one here trying to actually do shit with our band. It's like NO ONE ELSE HERE understands what I’m trying to do for US. I can’t keep playing the same shows, the same set list, the same, everything.” Beat leans up against the wall, rubbing her eyebrows in frustration.
Penny gets up from a small wooden chair and leans next to Beat against the wall. “Well, at least you’re trying to do something at all y’know? They might not see it but to me I think that’s more than enough for a growing band like yours. You already write their music and parts, it just makes it feel like..you aren’t appreciated enough.”
Beat looks at Penny still with furrowed eyebrows.
“Y’know saying all this does help but it still feels like you’re just saying what I wanna hear.” Beat removes herself from the wall and walks over to the Control panel. “So what do you have for me today, any new mixes?”
Penny walks over to Beat putting her hand on the control panel closer to Beats hand, but just ever so slightly away from it. “Well I mean, scoff, what else am I supposed to do here.”.
Penny starts messing with some of the knobs and starts playing the progress she made on the latest song. The two of them talk over about what needs changing, fine tuning the layers of the synths in between the snares. Slightly tweaking the vocal effects, while rerecording lines if needed.
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Hours pass by and the lights inside the studio start to turn on. Since the building doesn’t have a lot of power there are Christmas lights hung up on the inside that give the place a warmth only a dim lighted setting can give. Penny finishes up the last few tweaks for the night, but Beat still seems like she’s still frustrated.
Beat sits down on a small mattress she brought in the other day, in case she ever needed to stay overnight in the studio. Penny comes into the recording room and sits next to her.
“I’m still..pissed about earlier, everything really. I just feel like I’m not doing the right thing by fighting with the band. Hell, I'm mostly just worried about Quaver, she’s only 12 and she’s having to deal with all this shit.”
Penny puts her hand on top of Beats' own hand, “Listen to me, you’re doing a great job for everyone in the band. They might not see it because they don’t have as big aspirations as you do, but you just want what's best for everyone.”
Beat looks a little shocked at Penny's action but she doesn’t remove her hand either. Beats face starts to get warmer and her heartbeat starts increasing from how close Penny is. She’s never been this close to Beat in such an intimate way. But despite all these feelings, Beat is exhausted.
“Hey, Penny, if it’s okay I’ll sleep here tonight. I... don’t think my body would let me even walk back to our hideout and not pass out in the middle of the sidewalk.”
Beat falls onto the bed looking up at the ceiling. “You can leave if you want…just don't lock me in here.”. Penny thinks about it for a second and smiles softly at Beat. “I mean, you’re not the ONLY one here who's exhausted too, girlie. I think I’ll join you in sleeping aswell”
“Wait, wh-”
“I’m sleeping with you tonight, Beat”
“W- woah what do you mean? Don't you have a place to go back to?” Beat says sitting straight up, heart racing even more. The two of them have spent a lot of time together but nothing ever *this* intimate before. Thoughts start racing in her mind trying to think of reasons now to get Penny away from here but…Beat hasn’t laid in the same bed with anyone in a long, long time. And with how stressful life is getting for her, these moments are a nice breather in between so, why not share it with someone that is starting to mean a lot to herself?
“Beat, sweetie, you’re exhausted and I’m exhausted. Let's just sleep together tonight okay?”
“...Penny you really need to watch your phrasing but…Ugh whatever sure.”
The two of them lay next to each other, face to face. Beats thoughts are racing to hell and back about what to do and her expression isn’t that hard to read. Penny moves ever so closer to Beat. “Hey Beat, it’s really really cold in this studio. Do you wanna, cuddle? Of course if you’re fine with it. I don’t want my best girlie to feel uncomfortable.” Beat eyes widen and she smiles and blurts out a “yes!” out of her feelings reaching a climax. The two are now even closer than before.
“We’re…really close now huh …hah…hah….you’re so close that i could even kiss you from here..” Beat said straight to Penny's face. Beat is not sure why she even said, is it from loneliness? Or the desperation of feeling the warmth of another after so long. It doesn’t matter anymore, it's out there now. Penny, surprised by Beat saying that, takes this as an opportunity to push it even further.
“Well.. do you want to kiss me?”
Beat quietly nods her head.
The two get even closer with their faces, their chests pressing against each other, the breath warm and hot between Beat and Penny as they prepare their lips.
Beat closes her eyes and feels a warmth on her mouth. A kiss, from Penny.
The two let go of the kiss after a minute, and just stare at each other.
“Goodnight, Beat.”
“G- goodni- night..Penny.”