halfamoon | Day 11: Love - Big Bang Theory - Leonard/Penny

Title: Love Is
Fandom: The Big Bang Theory
Author: Apache Firecat
Dedicated To: To the one I want to grow gray and old with, my J <3 <3 <3
Characters: Leonard/Penny, mentioned Stuart/Lauren
Rating: PG/K+
Summary: Love is growing old together and so much more.
Word Count: 1,320
Written For: Half A Moon Day 11: Love and 100 Ships 69. Flirt
Warnings: Future Fic
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.

She wasn't used to being tired like this. It was a feeling, these days, that seemed to never go away unless she was well pass her second bottle of wine. She was tired all the time, but she supposed that was what being an "adult" meant these days. She remembered her days going from one audition to the next, and drowning her sorrows every night in the arms of a different guy and another bottle of wine. She'd barely been keeping her lights on back then and had literally been living day to day.

But now... Now she could afford whatever wine she wanted, whatever food she wanted, and almost any dress she desired. She was able to keep up on fashion and keep up on the utility bills. She didn't have a different guy every night, but she didn't want a different guy either. She wanted only her husband, no matter what little starlets, millionaires, or even doctors tried to flirt with her. Leonard had been there for her when she'd had nothing. He had tried to stand up to her bully of an ex and nearly got his teeth kicked down his throat for doing so. He had gone through all sorts of things to be with her, and they were still going through things together.

It was almost weird, she thought, how different her life now was from how it had been when they'd first met. She still went to the occasional audition, but that was a hope that was growing ever dimmer -- yet without bothering her in the slightest. It was okay that she wasn't meant to be a star, to see her name up in lights, or to rule this town. It was okay, too, if it ruled her a little bit, as long as she was with her man. And it was okay too that he wasn't the richest or most influential man. It was okay even that most women looked at her and wondered why she was with him. She could have worse -- she had had many of the worse --, but they didn't make better than Leonard Hofstadter.

Loud music bopped down the highway for a moment, and forgetting herself and her surroundings, she bobbed her head in tune to it. She heard a whisper run through the few other customers and looked up without a blush. After all, as Leonard and the other guys had explained to her and Amy the first time they'd entered this store so many years ago, she was every wet dream these little boys had ever had. She was as much Pamela Anderson to them as her Leonard was her Prince Charming, although some depictions of Charming did leave a lot to be desired.

Catching a flash of brightly colored clothing, Penny turned to look back at the counter and saw Lauren pulling Stuart out from the back. They were both dressed in costumes today, and Penny remembered back to when she and Leonard had tried so hard to recapture their youth. She'd dressed as Wonder Woman for him before, but her Superman certainly hadn't been super, just another dumb mistake that had turned into a friend who reappeared every so often and who knew very well, no matter how much money he might have, he would never stand a chance of taking her back from Leonard. They had always dressed up on their first Valentine's Day as an established couple, although that had not gone much, if any, better.

Penny was still thinking about that Valentine's a couple of years before when she heard the bell chime and turned to see the guys finally walking into the comic book shop. She still got razzed by some of the other sales girls for coming here so often and never going bar hopping with them, but as she'd told the young, little wannabe starlet today, the new girl who'd thought she was going to steal everybody else's commissions, she didn't need to go bar hopping. There wasn't a single thing of interest, other than alcohol of course, that a bar could offer her, and she could get her drink on anywhere.

But a bar couldn't offer her a guy any cuter than Leonard, and he brought more money home than any of the guys her coworkers dated. If she really wanted more money, she could work her way up into Bernadette's department, but they were doing just fine financially -- and in other areas. Penny grinned over the rim of her glass. Not only was Leonard cuter, more established, and wealthier than any of her coworkers' men, but Penny was certain he was better in the bedroom too! There was definitely something to be said for guys who worked so hard to please their ladies, something she'd discovered the first time she'd let Leonard into her bed and something that had never once stopped being true.

As Leonard left his friends to come toward her, Penny thought again of everything they had endured and all they were building together. So Bernadette and Howard had the babies and Sheldon and Amy had their formulas and other Science mojo. She and Leonard were building a future that was going to be fabulous together. Watching him, she could see his exhaustion in his face, and for just a moment, she found herself picturing what he would look like with completely gray hair and more wrinkles behind his adorable glasses. Yep, he'd still be a looker when they were old and gray!

She set her emptied glass down, jumped to her feet, and rushed to meet him. "You look happy," he observed, smiling cautiously.

"Why shouldn't I be?" she asked, throwing her arms around his neck. "It's Valentine's Day, and I've got you! I've got my Prince!"

"Hum, gee, thanks?" he hesitantly answered, uncertain as to what to make of her exclamation.

"I'm going to love you," she said, hugging him tightly, "even when we're old and gray together!"

He beamed at that thought. "You won't leave me when I lose my boyish good looks?"

A glower passed over her beautiful face momentarily. "Would you leave me when I'm old and everything's sagging?"

"Of course not!" He looked down at his pride and joy that were bouncing almost in his face. "How sagging?"

"Leonard!" she exclaimed, gave him a playful push, and giggled.

"I'll always love you, Penny," he said, growing suddenly serious.

She beamed. "I know, and I'll always love you, and that's why you'll my Superman!" Grabbing his hand, she threaded her fingers with his and tugged him toward the table. "Come on. Come open your gift! It just came in today!"

He followed, but he already knew that, whatever she might have ordered him, would always pale in comparison to his true giftest gift, that of her and their love, just as she, too, knew that the girls at work couldn't begin to understand what they were missing. They could have the younger boys and even the richer man. They could have the fancier cars and the top designer clothes. If they wanted to bed clients to get their career ahead of hers, well, heck, she'd let them. Nothing at the office mattered nearly as much as everything in her home life did. Nothing in the office could compare to what she had right here with this wonderful man whom she loved with every aspect of her heart and soul.

Love didn't mean adventuring or going partying every night; it meant working together, loving together, and growing old together. It meant building a future together and loving one another always regardless of anything else that might come up. She and Leonard had that. They had had it since before that Valentine's Day where they'd tried dressing as Cupids and shooting bows and fake, paper hearts, and they would always have it, even when they were old and gray and beyond.

The End