Chapter Text
Penny:
Penny stared at Jo, the brunette was mid con, tittering perfectly at the man across the table from them. Her gaze was soft and sweet with all ill intentions hidden beneath the surface. Penny knew what it was like to be gazed at that way by Josephine, from their lessons. Though Jo’s convincing fake tears brought no emotion to her, the brush of long dark lashes as she winked, flirting with their unsuspecting mark, the quiver of her full lip… It drove Penny mad inside. She had never thought that she would feel this way about another woman. She had rarely felt anything for her male companions either, only wishing to use them as they used her. It was only fair after all. She had wants, and needs, desires. Men only cared about girls like her fake little sister. Jo turned to her, the sweetness in her eyes cut by her actual bitchiness.
Oh.
Penny turned to their mark, smiling wildly to show off the prosthetic teeth, as she proclaimed herself ready for his sweet affections, “As sisters always share!” She sing-singed. The man looked sick. Even without her deranged royal sister costume, they were always disgusted.
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“What was that!” Jo said, her disgust evident. “You can’t be distracted during a con.” She continued, Penny’s stomach dropped. How could she explain her feelings to Jo? The calculating bitch would never understand.
“Sorry, I thought you had a booger in your bat cave. It was dangling, I was trying to figure when it was going to fly off and hit him in the face.” Penny lied. She, for once, didn’t feel like she was convincing. She looked anywhere but at Josephine, the dark brown of her eyes looking at her like men did. Like she was something to be disgusted by.
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Josephine:
Josephine didn’t belive her inelegant burden. The obnoxious blonde Australian was lying. Josephine had seen something in Penny’s eyes during dinner that she couldn’t disregard. The blonde’s eyes had a soft quality that Josephine had recognized for what it was. Affection. Want. She was use to her unsuspecting marks developing those kinds of feelings- but her fellow con artist? Though she didn’t think very highly of Penny, she had thought the imbecile was better than that.
“Penny. We both know I don’t have a booger. Now, tell me what’s really going on.” Josephine said, delicately placing her hand on Penny’s arm, watching the larger girl glance at her hand with a reverent look. “Penny, tell me. Really. Aren’t we friends?” She asked, her voice dripping with sweetness at the end. Almost bitterly sweet. She watched as Penny gulped, her lip quivering.
“I… I like you.” Penny whispered. “The way our marks like you… Well before I scare them off.”
“Oh Penny…” She tittered. Her hand stroking Penny’s supple arm. This was unexpected, but could work in her favour. Maybe Penny could be useful after all. This would be a way of insuring her cooperation in further plans without actually paying the dumb girl.
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Penny:
After Jo had confronted her about her feelings, things changed. Penny found the brunette staring at her more often. Found the other woman’s hand caressing her shoulder, her back, her arm, and sometimes her upper thigh. Always light and fleeting. Always leaving her wanting for more. It drove her as batty as the imaginary booger.
Between marks, Josephine actually paid attention to her. It made her feel seen. But it felt… wrong. She knew that the other con artist was playing her, but like a fool but she couldn’t escape her emotions. It all felt new. She use to be able to close it down, pack it up like her ridiculous backpack. Push it off a cliff and focus on the con. She’d start pushing it out of her mind, but then she’d catch sight of Jo in her ridiculous outfits, lounging in the backyard, the curve of her long neck. It killed her inside.
Why did she have to be attracted to someone that would always find her lacking? Why did she ever come to France in the first place? Why did she ever try to become more than she was? She was out of her element, both wishing she was Josephine and with Josephine.
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She couldn’t believe Jo wasn’t giving her cut of the lord of the rings cons that they had just finished. She deserved her part of the cut. But Jo had said, “You don’t get a cut as my student.” laughing, her smile sharp and mean. "But anyways sweetie, you don’t need a cut do you? You have everything you need here.” She tittered. Her voice dripping into the tone she used on marks. Penny could tell, in that moment that she was being used.
The sting of it burned. The fact that the brunette thought so little of her, the bullshit excuse of the student not getting a cut until later hurt. She knew better than to think they were really friends- or more than friends, as her heart ached for, but… she had secretly hoped.
The bet felt like a way to get back at Josephine. For trying to play her, for trying to cow her. Josephine had forgotten that Penny was a con artist too. That they were both stone cold bitches.