Motion - chapter 4
Oct. 9th, 2013 01:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizwontcryTitle: Motion - chapter 4
Fandom: Big Bang Theory
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny
Author: Lizwontcry
Spoilers: Current season.
Rating/Warnings: Teen, some language and such but nothing too mature...yet.
Disclaimer: I got nothin'.
Summary: Leonard asks Penny to take care of Sheldon for the summer while he's gone, and after spending so much time together, Sheldon and Penny's friendship is tested, questioned, and strengthened. But something surprising is happening and they can't ignore it forever.
Previous chapters:
Prologue
1
2
3
BEFORE
Penny grasped her phone with one hand while she carefully painted her toenails a dark blue with the other hand. Leonard was going on and on about some party they had on the boat and how amazing it was and how he talked to Stephen for like an hour about some physics thing that Penny was trying her absolute hardest to understand. And she tried, really, she did. It just...wasn't working so well.
"So anyway, I guess I'll see you next week. I miss you so much, you don't even understand," Leonard said.
"I miss you, too," Penny said. And she did miss him, maybe at least 50 percent of the time, anyway. Just as she was worried about from the beginning, after such a long absence, it had become all about out of sight, out of mind. She knew-well, hoped-that this feeling would go away once Leonard arrived back home. They had come so far after so long to let this trip come between them. Penny vowed to throw herself into the relationship when he got back. It would be fine. It was always fine and it would still be fine again.
"Now, for your first dinner back, should I set a place at the table for Mindy? Is she a vegetarian? What should I get her to drink?" Penny asked snarkily, knowing she was just adding fuel to the fire and not caring.
Leonard sighed. "It's Mandy. And I thought we were done with this?"
"Oh, we'll never be done with this," Penny said, wiping off some of the wayward nail polish from her toe. "I can't wait to meet her! She sounds nice."
When Penny finally managed to talk to Leonard a few days after seeing the suspicious post on his Facebook wall, of course Leonard had all kinds of things to say about Mandy Martin. She was the captain of the boat's niece, she was like five years younger than him, they didn't have that much in common and he really didn't spend that much time talking to her. It was fine, really, nothing to be jealous about. Penny got over it rather quickly, actually. First of all, she wasn't inherently the jealous type of girl, anyway. It was, however, annoying that Leonard freaked out about every male interaction she had outside of their little group, yet he was allowed to talk to any girl that came in his path. Plus, Penny had too many other distractions going on during the summer to take her mind off these little things.
"Come on, Penny, for the millionth time, do you really think I would cheat on you? You're basically like the love of my life. Come on."
"Yeah, that's what you said about Priya, too, and look what happened with that comic book girl of yours."
This argument never ended well, either. It was almost like a script; they both said the exact same things every single time and it was getting so old and why couldn't either of them just drop it already?
Leonard sighed, and then changed the subject. Penny didn't blame him. "Is your show going well? You haven't been talking about it much when I call you."
Penny was always appreciative when Leonard at least pretended like he cared about her career. He was doing better lately, too. Maybe absence really did make the heart grow fonder. "It's great! It's a really fun show and I almost understand everything I'm talking about." Thanks to Sheldon.
"I'm so excited for you. When it airs, I can tell everyone that the beautiful robot is my girlfriend," Leonard said proudly. Penny had to restrain herself from groaning. It was true that she and Leonard were far from the two idiots they were the first time they tried this whole relationship thing, but sometimes deep in her heart she knew that her looks were still the most important factor in Leonard's appreciation of her as a person.
"I can't wait for that moment," Penny heard herself say.
"Anyway...how's Sheldon? You're looking out for him, right?"
Penny smiled. "Of course I am. Today after work I took him to the comic book store, then we went to the new pizza place and shared the greatest pizza I have ever known. Then we watched an old episode of Doctor Who and the new episode of Breaking Bad. It was quite a day." Penny tried her best to make that sound like sarcasm, but it was actually true-it was almost a perfect day, in fact. But Leonard didn't exactly need to know that.
Leonard was quiet for a moment. "Sheldon willingly went with you to a new restaurant and watched Breaking Bad, too? Wow, he's really changing this summer."
"Ahh, he's still the same whackadoodle we all know and love."
"I must admit, he's handling it a lot better than I thought he would. I was almost positive I'd get a call about him going off the rails at some point. You must be taking good care of him."
Penny couldn't help it-she blushed. And decided to tell the truth. "Honestly, we're taking care of each other. He's really helped me get through you being gone. I don't know how I could have done it without him."
"Wow, that's…that's really great to hear. I was worried that you two would get sick of each other before the end of the summer. So, yeah. Good."
"Yep," Penny said. She examined her toes and found them to be as good as they were going to get, so she rooted around in a drawer until she found her favorite ruby red nail polish to put on her fingernails. She did all this while waiting for Leonard to say something else. Anything else.
In an effort to break the tension, Penny said, "Well, I have to go get ready for work now. See you soon, have fun with Mandy."
Leonard scoffed, but recovered quickly. "Cheesecakes or robots?"
"Robots today."
"Well, good luck," he said, genuine affection in his voice. "I hope it goes better for you."
"Me, too. Love you, see you soon," Penny said. Leonard echoed her words and they hung up. Penny read the newest People magazine while waiting for her nails to dry, and then reluctantly got up to find her Starlight City robot girl outfit, which was obviously strewn all over the floor.
The summer had thankfully gone by quickly while Leonard was gone. Starlight City was picked up after the pilot and just like that, Penny had her first role on television, the whole reason why she came out to live in California in the first place. And in the beginning, it was really fun. Penny loved learning her lines with Sheldon and then going in and dazzling the director and everyone else on the set. She was good at this job, and getting much-needed praise gave her confidence she'd never had before. Penny had paid her dues, now it was time to shine.
However, just like everything tended to do after a while, Penny realized that the show wasn't all it appeared. The director was just as nice as he was upon Penny's first impression, but he was also kind of creepy. He hit on Penny pretty much every single day, no matter how many times she told him that she had a boyfriend and wasn't interested. He seemed to shake it off after every rejection so Penny wasn't that worried about it. She was more concerned about the show itself. It was new and creative and fun, but it was also kind of…well, stupid. A sci-fi comedy sitcom was such a good idea in theory, but somehow it just wasn't working out that way on the show, and almost everyone knew it. But some cable channel picked it up and it was going to start airing in a matter of weeks. Penny was nervous that the show would ruin her reputation—then she remembered that she didn't have a reputation yet, which was even worse. So even though on paper Penny had everything she wanted, she still had a sinking feeling that this wasn't the big break she had in mind.
*****
Penny got the chair from Leonard's desk and scooted it over to Sheldon's. While he was slightly perturbed that she was in his comfort zone, he didn't mind her closeness—not anymore. Although it had been a long summer of having conflicting and odd feelings towards his best friend's girlfriend, Sheldon had managed to successfully rationalize and sweep them under the rug. After all, he had his own girlfriend, and besides, "lust" wasn't in Sheldon's vocabulary. It was hard enough to imagine being intimate with Amy someday, but he promised her. It was so damn confusing, he just wanted to curl into a ball and forget about girls completely.
"Penny, to what do I owe the honor of your presence at this moment?"
"Nothing, really. I'm just bored. I have to go to work in like an hour. I thought we could watch another episode of Doctor Who. "
Sheldon nodded. "Very well. The DVD is still in the player from where we left off the last time."
Penny smiled and got up to turn the TV on. She sat in her usual place on the sofa, next to Sheldon's spot. Sheldon finished his Batman conversation and was intending to turn his attention to the equation when Penny said from the couch, "Aren't you going to sit next to me? Come on, it's our tradition!"
It had in fact become a tradition to watch Doctor Who together. For hours on end. Sometimes they'd share a meal, sometimes Howard and Bernadette or Amy or Raj would join them, but it was always Sheldon and Penny, sitting together, watching the show that had completely captivated them. Sheldon had already seen the episodes countless times, of course, but seeing it through Penny's eyes was a new adventure. Quite often after the show, they'd talk about what just happened, and sometimes it would naturally evolve into sharing things about themselves and their lives, things they'd never talked about together before. Penny had a way of making Sheldon feel perfectly at ease discussing his childhood in Texas, and for some reason, he was fascinated by her tales of life in Nebraska. For two very different people, they sure had a lot of things in common.
During a lull in the show, Penny turned to Sheldon and said quietly, "I'm going to miss this."
"What are you going to miss?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"Watching this with you. It's been fun, you know? I'm going to miss it." She didn't have to add the when Leonard comes back part; it went without saying.
This is how Sheldon knew something subtle had changed over the summer—he knew exactly what she was talking about. But he still felt like pointing out the obvious.
"We can still do this when he comes back, you know. There is no valid reason why we couldn't."
"I know," Penny said, smiling. "But it won't be the same." She grabbed his hand for a second and he let himself enjoy the warmth. And then the moment was over, and it was back to Doctor Who, and the lingering confusion of the friendship with his next door neighbor.
DURING
Afterwards, they lay intertwined while Leonard caught his breath. "Wow, that was…I don't even know what that was. I missed it, that's for sure."
"Oh, come on, Mandy didn't get to enjoy your specific brand of foreplay?" Penny teased. Leonard chuckled, but it sounded like a bitter chuckle instead of an amused one.
"You really love beating things to death, don't you? Obviously I would never cheat on you. We both know that."
Penny sat up, taking the sheet with her. "Come on, I'm just kidding. What's the big deal? We joke about stuff all the time."
"Yeah, maybe, but I don't like joking about this. You mean everything to me, Penny. It hurts that you would even think I'm capable of cheating on you. So let's stop 'joking around' about Mandy. It's not funny."
That's a lot to live up to, Penny thought, and not for the first time. Leonard was always putting her on a pedestal, and it was impossible to live up to all his hopes and dreams for their future.
"Okay, fine," she said. "Whatever."
Leonard sighed. "Don't be like that, you know I hate that! I mean, what if I started 'teasing you' about Sheldon? You two looked awfully comfortable together when Amy and I walked in today."
Penny chuckled uncomfortably. "Really? That's a little ridiculous, don't you think?"
"Of course it is! Mandy and I were just friends. You and Sheldon are just friends. It sucks to have a harmless relationship be compared with something it's not, right? It sucks a lot."
This whole conversation was making Penny immensely uncomfortable but she couldn't put her finger on why. Maybe it was because Leonard had no right to judge her relationship with Sheldon. He couldn't possibly understand what had grown between them during the summer. Even Penny had a hard time understanding it. It was innocent, but yet it wasn't. She had nothing to feel guilty about, and yet she did. This was getting way too hard. Penny decided to back down. It wasn't worth it.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sure Mandy is a great person, but she doesn't have my rack," she said, and Leonard grinned.
"That's the spirit," he said, and then they were kissing, and the moment was forgotten for at least a few minutes. And that, in a nutshell, was how their relationship had worked from the beginning.
*****
Amy finished playing Living on a Prayer on her harp and Sheldon smiled and applauded, which made Amy supremely happy. She rewarded him with spaghetti and cut up hot dogs. While he always enjoyed eating this delightful dish, it always tasted better when Penny made it for him. Obviously he would never tell Amy that. She would rip his face off and feed it to her monkeys.
"So are you happy Leonard's back?" Amy asked between forkfuls of spaghetti.
Sheldon nodded and took a sip of milk. "Yes, it is nice having his companionship again. He also seems happy to be home. I've had to stop him in mid-whistle quite a few times. You would think he'd remember that whistling is expressly forbidden."
"I guess he's just happy to be back with Penny," Amy said. "I mean, who wouldn't be?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Sheldon said, nodding. A week had passed since Leonard's return, and Penny seemed happy enough, although there was something different about, well, everything. She was content but not overly so. Sheldon wondered if she was sad about something; he could almost see it in her eyes. Oh, it was so much easier when Sheldon didn't know each and every emotion she had at every moment she had it.
Penny wasn't the only one who seemed a bit off. Something about Leonard changed, too. He seemed a bit more confident, for some reason. He didn't look like he needed quite so much validation from his friends and peers. This was obviously a good thing, but it seemed to change the dynamic of Penny and Leonard's relationship. Again, Sheldon would not have noticed this subtle shift in the atmosphere before the summer, before he spent so much time with someone who understood these things a lot better than he did.
They moved on to dessert and Sheldon encouraged Amy to talk about her newest project, which he was actually interested in hearing about. Her work on SALL4 had kept her busy during the summer and they hadn't seen much of each other lately, and Sheldon was fascinated by how much spending less time together seemed to make him enjoy their actual gatherings that much more. It was weird, but he felt like he might actually be getting the hang of this relationship thing. Or…maybe not.
"Sheldon, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about lately that's been bothering me somewhat," Amy said carefully.
"Is it the way that picture of you and Penny is hanging a bit off-center on the wall? Oh, good, it's been bothering me, too."
Amy sighed. "No, that's not it. But I will fix it soon, I promise. No, I was wondering…you told me a few months ago that you have not ruled out, well, intimacy between us. As you know, my birthday is coming up soon and I would like to celebrate with you. Honestly, I do not want to be in my mid-thirties without having experienced, ahem, certain intimate activities. So therefore, I'd like you to think about at least going to first base, which is including but not limited to kissing."
"Well, Amy, I don't know if an ultimatum—"
"Now, don't dismiss me right away, Sheldon. I would just like you to think about it. We've been together for quite a long time, we are very compatible in all other areas besides this one, and I think it's time for you to at least try. It can be like an experiment for you. I promise, it won't be as terrible as you are worried it might be."
Sheldon knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, and he still didn't have a proper reply. Of course being intimate with Amy wouldn't be terrible, it would probably be…nice. And at this point in his life, he wasn't even sure what was holding him back.
"I'll think about it, and that's all I can promise for now," Sheldon said quietly.
"That's all I ask. But I have to say, I think I deserve it, I've waited a long time," Amy said resolutely. "And if you are not capable of giving me this one thing, I might…well, I might have to move on with my life. I have very deep feelings for you, Sheldon, but I can't wait forever."
"Fair enough," Sheldon said, which didn't seem to be the response Amy was wanting, but she forced a smile and they continued eating dessert. Everything was fine for the moment, but Sheldon knew it wouldn't always be, and he was going to have to start making some hard decisions.
AFTER
Amy, Sheldon and Penny were playing an exciting game of Monopoly (which somehow Sheldon always won) when Leonard came practically skipping through the door.
"Guess what!" Leonard said excitedly.
"Let's see, did you encounter an alien in the hall, who promised you eternal life if you just—"
"Sheldon, hush," Penny said. "We all know that could go on forever. What do you want to tell us?"
"I'm being honored at the university for my trip this summer. Stephen Hawking's going to be there and everything! Anyway, it's going to be a big ceremony and I want you all to come."
"Oh, my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" Penny said. She gave him a big kiss and he grinned.
"Yes, Leonard, I do have to admit that's a nice honor to receive," Sheldon said, not even looking jealous in the slightest.
"And I have nothing to wear! I'm so going to have to go shopping," Penny said. She loved any excuse to shop.
"Oh, me, too! It can be a besties trip to the mall," Amy said. "And we can get manicures! And pedicures! And bikini waxes!"
Penny chuckled. "Sure, we can do all that." Penny appreciated her friend's enthusiasm for the girlier things in life. She knew it was a recent development.
"I could use a new suit for the event," Leonard said. "Maybe we could make it an outing." They all glanced at Sheldon, who was looking at something on his phone. Without looking up, Sheldon muttered, "Well, don't look at me. I already have a suit. Enjoy your plunder of material goods."
Amy sighed. "Come on, Sheldon! Normal boyfriends come with their girlfriends to the mall. Just this one time, please?"
Sheldon looked perturbed. "Amy, while I do want to be a 'good boyfriend,' are you sure you want to use your one monthly 'begging and pleading' coupon on a trip to the mall?"
"Yes!" Amy said excitedly. Penny shook her head. Their relationship was so…weird. Cute and adorable and functional, but weird. In a way, Penny admired what Amy and Sheldon had. It wasn't based on lust and alcohol and proximity (which was basically what she and Leonard were all about, at least in the beginning), but knowledge and intelligence and shared appreciation for warm beverages. Penny didn't know how to be in a relationship without intimacy, though. She had no idea how Amy dealt with it.
"Fine, but you have to take me to the comic book store and the fancy train store in LA on Saturday."
"Deal," Amy said, and the trip was settled. A few hours later, all four of them were at the mall, on a mission to shop for Leonard's exciting event.
After Penny insisted they all get a pretzel (she loved her some Auntie Anne's), they headed to the department store for all their individual needs. "Oh, I need to find some underwear," Leonard said, and went off in search for it. Amy trailed off after him, saying, "I need some, too. Men's underwear just fits me better." This left Sheldon and Penny by themselves, and she directed him to the men's suits.
"Penny, I already told you, I have a perfectly adequate suit already. You know. You were there."
Penny sighed. "Yes, that's true. I'll let you get away with it this time. Can we at least get you a new tie?" What she didn't add was how damn good he looked in that suit of his. She still remembered the day they found it. It was the first time she realized what a handsome man he was. So handsome it actually rendered her speechless, and not much was capable of doing that.
"I suppose," Sheldon said. "But don't you need a new dress? Even though you have approximately 42 of them in your closet."
Penny didn't even want to know how he knew that exact figure. "Yeah, I do. Come on, you can help me try them on."
"Oh, goody," Sheldon said, and Penny laughed. She loved it when he was successfully sarcastic.
She dragged him to the women's department and started rifling through dresses. "I've got to find a really good one," she muttered as she went through countless dresses on the racks.
"Why? It's not your event," Sheldon said, looking bored.
"No, it's my man's event. I want Leonard to look good on his night, and for that, I have to look good, too."
"Forgive me, Penny, but that doesn't sound like a very feminist approach to relationships," Sheldon said. For some reason, this both annoyed and hurt Penny.
"Well, I never claimed to be a feminist, Sheldon. AND I don't think it's not feminist to want to look good for myself and my boyfriend. I mean, what's the big deal? Every woman has the right to feel good about herself."
Sheldon didn't answer. Penny kept looking through the dresses, annoyance starting to build. Finally she found the perfect red dress. It showed just the right amount of what she wanted to display. "Stay here," she told Sheldon, and went in the dressing room to try it on. Even in the harsh light of the room, the dress looked perfect. It was a bit pricey, but she had to have it. This dress was going to turn heads, and she couldn't wait.
*****
A man's work was never done. Sheldon made his way over to the dressing room, and stopped short when he saw Penny outside the door. Even if he did pride himself on not (usually) feeling or even knowing any kind of lust; even though he'd never truly been attracted to most of the females he'd ever known, even though science and logic were the only things (besides his mom, sister and meemaw, of course) he'd ever expressed love for, and even though he had a girlfriend, Sheldon was overwhelmed at that moment by Penny's beauty. The dress was short and exposed her long, tanned legs, and her lean arms and bare shoulders. Her long blonde hair was a perfect way to offset the tones of the dress, and the effect was stunning. She looked like a Greek goddess, and Sheldon was captivated. He had no idea what to say or do.
"Wow," Penny said softly. "I guess it looks okay then, huh?"
Sheldon just nodded. And that's when Leonard and Amy decided to rejoin the group.
"I got the perfect pair of underwear! They're blue with white stripes…" Amy trailed off as she saw the way her boyfriend was looking at Penny. The look in his eyes was completely unmistakable, and it was at that moment that Amy knew there was something going on. Maybe it was unspoken, maybe not. But something was not right about this. It must have been confusing for her; Sheldon never, ever looked at her like that, and she didn't even think he was capable of looking at anyone like…that. Amy looked over at Leonard to see if he saw the same thing she did, but he was looking at Penny and her dress like it was the answer to all of life's problems.
"Wow, Penny. I mean…that's just…I can't." Leonard couldn't even finish his sentence.
"It's good, right? I'm going to buy it."
"Good for me! Bad for every other man at this event who doesn't get to go home with you."
"Well, you're kind of biased, but thank you," she said, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Sheldon, doesn't she look amazing?" Leonard asked, not taking his eyes off Penny. "Oh, look who I'm asking. I might as well as that cardboard cut-out over there. Amy, doesn't she look amazing?"
"Like a movie star from the forties or something," Amy said, nodding. Sheldon was silent, since nobody apparently thought he was capable of having an opinion on the matter. It was probably better that way.
***** A few nights later was Leonard's celebration, and it was a night to remember. Penny truly had an amazing time, and so did everyone else. Leonard made a great speech and Penny got to shake Stephen Hawking's hand. Howard and Bernadette and Raj and his date came as well, and they all danced and drank and laughed and it was more fun than anyone expected.
After a few glasses of wine, Leonard and Penny were dancing close and whispering naughty things in each other's ear, when Amy tapped Penny on the shoulder. "Do you mind if I cut in? I'm so proud of you, Leonard, and I wanted to dance with the man of the hour."
"Of course," Penny said. "Have at him."
Penny stepped aside and smiled as Leonard and Amy danced swiftly across the floor. They looked cute together. As she pondered getting just one more glass of wine and resting her feet, she felt another tap on the shoulder. She was happy to see it was Sheldon, looking dapper as ever.
"May I have this dance? My partner has apparently abandoned me." Sheldon asked. Penny nodded, and took his hand. They'd never danced together before, but they were both naturals. They didn't even speak or acknowledge how weird this felt; how right it felt. Finally, before the song ended, Sheldon said, "I've been meaning to tell you, Penny, you look absolutely stunning this evening. Red is your color, as people more fashionable than I would say."
Penny tried to hide her shock. Sheldon was paying her a compliment? Were they in a parallel universe? He could be so sweet sometimes, her Sheldon.
"Thank you, sweetie. That means a lot to me. And I would also like to say that you look very handsome in your suit, as usual. Any woman would be proud to dance with you."
Sheldon…well, he didn't smile, but the corners of his mouth did flutter a bit. It looked like he was going to say something else, maybe something profound, but at that moment the song ended and Amy and Leonard came back to claim their respective partners.
It was just another moment in a long series of moments. Sooner or later, the things left unsaid and the unresolved tension in the air when they were together, it would either explode or fade away. One of those options was going to need to happen soon, or the moments would be lost forever.
Fandom: Big Bang Theory
Pairing: Sheldon/Penny
Author: Lizwontcry
Spoilers: Current season.
Rating/Warnings: Teen, some language and such but nothing too mature...yet.
Disclaimer: I got nothin'.
Summary: Leonard asks Penny to take care of Sheldon for the summer while he's gone, and after spending so much time together, Sheldon and Penny's friendship is tested, questioned, and strengthened. But something surprising is happening and they can't ignore it forever.
Previous chapters:
Prologue
1
2
3
BEFORE
Penny grasped her phone with one hand while she carefully painted her toenails a dark blue with the other hand. Leonard was going on and on about some party they had on the boat and how amazing it was and how he talked to Stephen for like an hour about some physics thing that Penny was trying her absolute hardest to understand. And she tried, really, she did. It just...wasn't working so well.
"So anyway, I guess I'll see you next week. I miss you so much, you don't even understand," Leonard said.
"I miss you, too," Penny said. And she did miss him, maybe at least 50 percent of the time, anyway. Just as she was worried about from the beginning, after such a long absence, it had become all about out of sight, out of mind. She knew-well, hoped-that this feeling would go away once Leonard arrived back home. They had come so far after so long to let this trip come between them. Penny vowed to throw herself into the relationship when he got back. It would be fine. It was always fine and it would still be fine again.
"Now, for your first dinner back, should I set a place at the table for Mindy? Is she a vegetarian? What should I get her to drink?" Penny asked snarkily, knowing she was just adding fuel to the fire and not caring.
Leonard sighed. "It's Mandy. And I thought we were done with this?"
"Oh, we'll never be done with this," Penny said, wiping off some of the wayward nail polish from her toe. "I can't wait to meet her! She sounds nice."
When Penny finally managed to talk to Leonard a few days after seeing the suspicious post on his Facebook wall, of course Leonard had all kinds of things to say about Mandy Martin. She was the captain of the boat's niece, she was like five years younger than him, they didn't have that much in common and he really didn't spend that much time talking to her. It was fine, really, nothing to be jealous about. Penny got over it rather quickly, actually. First of all, she wasn't inherently the jealous type of girl, anyway. It was, however, annoying that Leonard freaked out about every male interaction she had outside of their little group, yet he was allowed to talk to any girl that came in his path. Plus, Penny had too many other distractions going on during the summer to take her mind off these little things.
"Come on, Penny, for the millionth time, do you really think I would cheat on you? You're basically like the love of my life. Come on."
"Yeah, that's what you said about Priya, too, and look what happened with that comic book girl of yours."
This argument never ended well, either. It was almost like a script; they both said the exact same things every single time and it was getting so old and why couldn't either of them just drop it already?
Leonard sighed, and then changed the subject. Penny didn't blame him. "Is your show going well? You haven't been talking about it much when I call you."
Penny was always appreciative when Leonard at least pretended like he cared about her career. He was doing better lately, too. Maybe absence really did make the heart grow fonder. "It's great! It's a really fun show and I almost understand everything I'm talking about." Thanks to Sheldon.
"I'm so excited for you. When it airs, I can tell everyone that the beautiful robot is my girlfriend," Leonard said proudly. Penny had to restrain herself from groaning. It was true that she and Leonard were far from the two idiots they were the first time they tried this whole relationship thing, but sometimes deep in her heart she knew that her looks were still the most important factor in Leonard's appreciation of her as a person.
"I can't wait for that moment," Penny heard herself say.
"Anyway...how's Sheldon? You're looking out for him, right?"
Penny smiled. "Of course I am. Today after work I took him to the comic book store, then we went to the new pizza place and shared the greatest pizza I have ever known. Then we watched an old episode of Doctor Who and the new episode of Breaking Bad. It was quite a day." Penny tried her best to make that sound like sarcasm, but it was actually true-it was almost a perfect day, in fact. But Leonard didn't exactly need to know that.
Leonard was quiet for a moment. "Sheldon willingly went with you to a new restaurant and watched Breaking Bad, too? Wow, he's really changing this summer."
"Ahh, he's still the same whackadoodle we all know and love."
"I must admit, he's handling it a lot better than I thought he would. I was almost positive I'd get a call about him going off the rails at some point. You must be taking good care of him."
Penny couldn't help it-she blushed. And decided to tell the truth. "Honestly, we're taking care of each other. He's really helped me get through you being gone. I don't know how I could have done it without him."
"Wow, that's…that's really great to hear. I was worried that you two would get sick of each other before the end of the summer. So, yeah. Good."
"Yep," Penny said. She examined her toes and found them to be as good as they were going to get, so she rooted around in a drawer until she found her favorite ruby red nail polish to put on her fingernails. She did all this while waiting for Leonard to say something else. Anything else.
In an effort to break the tension, Penny said, "Well, I have to go get ready for work now. See you soon, have fun with Mandy."
Leonard scoffed, but recovered quickly. "Cheesecakes or robots?"
"Robots today."
"Well, good luck," he said, genuine affection in his voice. "I hope it goes better for you."
"Me, too. Love you, see you soon," Penny said. Leonard echoed her words and they hung up. Penny read the newest People magazine while waiting for her nails to dry, and then reluctantly got up to find her Starlight City robot girl outfit, which was obviously strewn all over the floor.
The summer had thankfully gone by quickly while Leonard was gone. Starlight City was picked up after the pilot and just like that, Penny had her first role on television, the whole reason why she came out to live in California in the first place. And in the beginning, it was really fun. Penny loved learning her lines with Sheldon and then going in and dazzling the director and everyone else on the set. She was good at this job, and getting much-needed praise gave her confidence she'd never had before. Penny had paid her dues, now it was time to shine.
However, just like everything tended to do after a while, Penny realized that the show wasn't all it appeared. The director was just as nice as he was upon Penny's first impression, but he was also kind of creepy. He hit on Penny pretty much every single day, no matter how many times she told him that she had a boyfriend and wasn't interested. He seemed to shake it off after every rejection so Penny wasn't that worried about it. She was more concerned about the show itself. It was new and creative and fun, but it was also kind of…well, stupid. A sci-fi comedy sitcom was such a good idea in theory, but somehow it just wasn't working out that way on the show, and almost everyone knew it. But some cable channel picked it up and it was going to start airing in a matter of weeks. Penny was nervous that the show would ruin her reputation—then she remembered that she didn't have a reputation yet, which was even worse. So even though on paper Penny had everything she wanted, she still had a sinking feeling that this wasn't the big break she had in mind.
*****
Penny got the chair from Leonard's desk and scooted it over to Sheldon's. While he was slightly perturbed that she was in his comfort zone, he didn't mind her closeness—not anymore. Although it had been a long summer of having conflicting and odd feelings towards his best friend's girlfriend, Sheldon had managed to successfully rationalize and sweep them under the rug. After all, he had his own girlfriend, and besides, "lust" wasn't in Sheldon's vocabulary. It was hard enough to imagine being intimate with Amy someday, but he promised her. It was so damn confusing, he just wanted to curl into a ball and forget about girls completely.
"Penny, to what do I owe the honor of your presence at this moment?"
"Nothing, really. I'm just bored. I have to go to work in like an hour. I thought we could watch another episode of Doctor Who. "
Sheldon nodded. "Very well. The DVD is still in the player from where we left off the last time."
Penny smiled and got up to turn the TV on. She sat in her usual place on the sofa, next to Sheldon's spot. Sheldon finished his Batman conversation and was intending to turn his attention to the equation when Penny said from the couch, "Aren't you going to sit next to me? Come on, it's our tradition!"
It had in fact become a tradition to watch Doctor Who together. For hours on end. Sometimes they'd share a meal, sometimes Howard and Bernadette or Amy or Raj would join them, but it was always Sheldon and Penny, sitting together, watching the show that had completely captivated them. Sheldon had already seen the episodes countless times, of course, but seeing it through Penny's eyes was a new adventure. Quite often after the show, they'd talk about what just happened, and sometimes it would naturally evolve into sharing things about themselves and their lives, things they'd never talked about together before. Penny had a way of making Sheldon feel perfectly at ease discussing his childhood in Texas, and for some reason, he was fascinated by her tales of life in Nebraska. For two very different people, they sure had a lot of things in common.
During a lull in the show, Penny turned to Sheldon and said quietly, "I'm going to miss this."
"What are you going to miss?" He asked, genuinely curious.
"Watching this with you. It's been fun, you know? I'm going to miss it." She didn't have to add the when Leonard comes back part; it went without saying.
This is how Sheldon knew something subtle had changed over the summer—he knew exactly what she was talking about. But he still felt like pointing out the obvious.
"We can still do this when he comes back, you know. There is no valid reason why we couldn't."
"I know," Penny said, smiling. "But it won't be the same." She grabbed his hand for a second and he let himself enjoy the warmth. And then the moment was over, and it was back to Doctor Who, and the lingering confusion of the friendship with his next door neighbor.
DURING
Afterwards, they lay intertwined while Leonard caught his breath. "Wow, that was…I don't even know what that was. I missed it, that's for sure."
"Oh, come on, Mandy didn't get to enjoy your specific brand of foreplay?" Penny teased. Leonard chuckled, but it sounded like a bitter chuckle instead of an amused one.
"You really love beating things to death, don't you? Obviously I would never cheat on you. We both know that."
Penny sat up, taking the sheet with her. "Come on, I'm just kidding. What's the big deal? We joke about stuff all the time."
"Yeah, maybe, but I don't like joking about this. You mean everything to me, Penny. It hurts that you would even think I'm capable of cheating on you. So let's stop 'joking around' about Mandy. It's not funny."
That's a lot to live up to, Penny thought, and not for the first time. Leonard was always putting her on a pedestal, and it was impossible to live up to all his hopes and dreams for their future.
"Okay, fine," she said. "Whatever."
Leonard sighed. "Don't be like that, you know I hate that! I mean, what if I started 'teasing you' about Sheldon? You two looked awfully comfortable together when Amy and I walked in today."
Penny chuckled uncomfortably. "Really? That's a little ridiculous, don't you think?"
"Of course it is! Mandy and I were just friends. You and Sheldon are just friends. It sucks to have a harmless relationship be compared with something it's not, right? It sucks a lot."
This whole conversation was making Penny immensely uncomfortable but she couldn't put her finger on why. Maybe it was because Leonard had no right to judge her relationship with Sheldon. He couldn't possibly understand what had grown between them during the summer. Even Penny had a hard time understanding it. It was innocent, but yet it wasn't. She had nothing to feel guilty about, and yet she did. This was getting way too hard. Penny decided to back down. It wasn't worth it.
"You're right. I'm sorry. I'm sure Mandy is a great person, but she doesn't have my rack," she said, and Leonard grinned.
"That's the spirit," he said, and then they were kissing, and the moment was forgotten for at least a few minutes. And that, in a nutshell, was how their relationship had worked from the beginning.
*****
Amy finished playing Living on a Prayer on her harp and Sheldon smiled and applauded, which made Amy supremely happy. She rewarded him with spaghetti and cut up hot dogs. While he always enjoyed eating this delightful dish, it always tasted better when Penny made it for him. Obviously he would never tell Amy that. She would rip his face off and feed it to her monkeys.
"So are you happy Leonard's back?" Amy asked between forkfuls of spaghetti.
Sheldon nodded and took a sip of milk. "Yes, it is nice having his companionship again. He also seems happy to be home. I've had to stop him in mid-whistle quite a few times. You would think he'd remember that whistling is expressly forbidden."
"I guess he's just happy to be back with Penny," Amy said. "I mean, who wouldn't be?"
"Yes, I suppose you're right," Sheldon said, nodding. A week had passed since Leonard's return, and Penny seemed happy enough, although there was something different about, well, everything. She was content but not overly so. Sheldon wondered if she was sad about something; he could almost see it in her eyes. Oh, it was so much easier when Sheldon didn't know each and every emotion she had at every moment she had it.
Penny wasn't the only one who seemed a bit off. Something about Leonard changed, too. He seemed a bit more confident, for some reason. He didn't look like he needed quite so much validation from his friends and peers. This was obviously a good thing, but it seemed to change the dynamic of Penny and Leonard's relationship. Again, Sheldon would not have noticed this subtle shift in the atmosphere before the summer, before he spent so much time with someone who understood these things a lot better than he did.
They moved on to dessert and Sheldon encouraged Amy to talk about her newest project, which he was actually interested in hearing about. Her work on SALL4 had kept her busy during the summer and they hadn't seen much of each other lately, and Sheldon was fascinated by how much spending less time together seemed to make him enjoy their actual gatherings that much more. It was weird, but he felt like he might actually be getting the hang of this relationship thing. Or…maybe not.
"Sheldon, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about lately that's been bothering me somewhat," Amy said carefully.
"Is it the way that picture of you and Penny is hanging a bit off-center on the wall? Oh, good, it's been bothering me, too."
Amy sighed. "No, that's not it. But I will fix it soon, I promise. No, I was wondering…you told me a few months ago that you have not ruled out, well, intimacy between us. As you know, my birthday is coming up soon and I would like to celebrate with you. Honestly, I do not want to be in my mid-thirties without having experienced, ahem, certain intimate activities. So therefore, I'd like you to think about at least going to first base, which is including but not limited to kissing."
"Well, Amy, I don't know if an ultimatum—"
"Now, don't dismiss me right away, Sheldon. I would just like you to think about it. We've been together for quite a long time, we are very compatible in all other areas besides this one, and I think it's time for you to at least try. It can be like an experiment for you. I promise, it won't be as terrible as you are worried it might be."
Sheldon knew that this was going to happen sooner or later, and he still didn't have a proper reply. Of course being intimate with Amy wouldn't be terrible, it would probably be…nice. And at this point in his life, he wasn't even sure what was holding him back.
"I'll think about it, and that's all I can promise for now," Sheldon said quietly.
"That's all I ask. But I have to say, I think I deserve it, I've waited a long time," Amy said resolutely. "And if you are not capable of giving me this one thing, I might…well, I might have to move on with my life. I have very deep feelings for you, Sheldon, but I can't wait forever."
"Fair enough," Sheldon said, which didn't seem to be the response Amy was wanting, but she forced a smile and they continued eating dessert. Everything was fine for the moment, but Sheldon knew it wouldn't always be, and he was going to have to start making some hard decisions.
AFTER
Amy, Sheldon and Penny were playing an exciting game of Monopoly (which somehow Sheldon always won) when Leonard came practically skipping through the door.
"Guess what!" Leonard said excitedly.
"Let's see, did you encounter an alien in the hall, who promised you eternal life if you just—"
"Sheldon, hush," Penny said. "We all know that could go on forever. What do you want to tell us?"
"I'm being honored at the university for my trip this summer. Stephen Hawking's going to be there and everything! Anyway, it's going to be a big ceremony and I want you all to come."
"Oh, my gosh! I'm so happy for you!" Penny said. She gave him a big kiss and he grinned.
"Yes, Leonard, I do have to admit that's a nice honor to receive," Sheldon said, not even looking jealous in the slightest.
"And I have nothing to wear! I'm so going to have to go shopping," Penny said. She loved any excuse to shop.
"Oh, me, too! It can be a besties trip to the mall," Amy said. "And we can get manicures! And pedicures! And bikini waxes!"
Penny chuckled. "Sure, we can do all that." Penny appreciated her friend's enthusiasm for the girlier things in life. She knew it was a recent development.
"I could use a new suit for the event," Leonard said. "Maybe we could make it an outing." They all glanced at Sheldon, who was looking at something on his phone. Without looking up, Sheldon muttered, "Well, don't look at me. I already have a suit. Enjoy your plunder of material goods."
Amy sighed. "Come on, Sheldon! Normal boyfriends come with their girlfriends to the mall. Just this one time, please?"
Sheldon looked perturbed. "Amy, while I do want to be a 'good boyfriend,' are you sure you want to use your one monthly 'begging and pleading' coupon on a trip to the mall?"
"Yes!" Amy said excitedly. Penny shook her head. Their relationship was so…weird. Cute and adorable and functional, but weird. In a way, Penny admired what Amy and Sheldon had. It wasn't based on lust and alcohol and proximity (which was basically what she and Leonard were all about, at least in the beginning), but knowledge and intelligence and shared appreciation for warm beverages. Penny didn't know how to be in a relationship without intimacy, though. She had no idea how Amy dealt with it.
"Fine, but you have to take me to the comic book store and the fancy train store in LA on Saturday."
"Deal," Amy said, and the trip was settled. A few hours later, all four of them were at the mall, on a mission to shop for Leonard's exciting event.
After Penny insisted they all get a pretzel (she loved her some Auntie Anne's), they headed to the department store for all their individual needs. "Oh, I need to find some underwear," Leonard said, and went off in search for it. Amy trailed off after him, saying, "I need some, too. Men's underwear just fits me better." This left Sheldon and Penny by themselves, and she directed him to the men's suits.
"Penny, I already told you, I have a perfectly adequate suit already. You know. You were there."
Penny sighed. "Yes, that's true. I'll let you get away with it this time. Can we at least get you a new tie?" What she didn't add was how damn good he looked in that suit of his. She still remembered the day they found it. It was the first time she realized what a handsome man he was. So handsome it actually rendered her speechless, and not much was capable of doing that.
"I suppose," Sheldon said. "But don't you need a new dress? Even though you have approximately 42 of them in your closet."
Penny didn't even want to know how he knew that exact figure. "Yeah, I do. Come on, you can help me try them on."
"Oh, goody," Sheldon said, and Penny laughed. She loved it when he was successfully sarcastic.
She dragged him to the women's department and started rifling through dresses. "I've got to find a really good one," she muttered as she went through countless dresses on the racks.
"Why? It's not your event," Sheldon said, looking bored.
"No, it's my man's event. I want Leonard to look good on his night, and for that, I have to look good, too."
"Forgive me, Penny, but that doesn't sound like a very feminist approach to relationships," Sheldon said. For some reason, this both annoyed and hurt Penny.
"Well, I never claimed to be a feminist, Sheldon. AND I don't think it's not feminist to want to look good for myself and my boyfriend. I mean, what's the big deal? Every woman has the right to feel good about herself."
Sheldon didn't answer. Penny kept looking through the dresses, annoyance starting to build. Finally she found the perfect red dress. It showed just the right amount of what she wanted to display. "Stay here," she told Sheldon, and went in the dressing room to try it on. Even in the harsh light of the room, the dress looked perfect. It was a bit pricey, but she had to have it. This dress was going to turn heads, and she couldn't wait.
*****
A man's work was never done. Sheldon made his way over to the dressing room, and stopped short when he saw Penny outside the door. Even if he did pride himself on not (usually) feeling or even knowing any kind of lust; even though he'd never truly been attracted to most of the females he'd ever known, even though science and logic were the only things (besides his mom, sister and meemaw, of course) he'd ever expressed love for, and even though he had a girlfriend, Sheldon was overwhelmed at that moment by Penny's beauty. The dress was short and exposed her long, tanned legs, and her lean arms and bare shoulders. Her long blonde hair was a perfect way to offset the tones of the dress, and the effect was stunning. She looked like a Greek goddess, and Sheldon was captivated. He had no idea what to say or do.
"Wow," Penny said softly. "I guess it looks okay then, huh?"
Sheldon just nodded. And that's when Leonard and Amy decided to rejoin the group.
"I got the perfect pair of underwear! They're blue with white stripes…" Amy trailed off as she saw the way her boyfriend was looking at Penny. The look in his eyes was completely unmistakable, and it was at that moment that Amy knew there was something going on. Maybe it was unspoken, maybe not. But something was not right about this. It must have been confusing for her; Sheldon never, ever looked at her like that, and she didn't even think he was capable of looking at anyone like…that. Amy looked over at Leonard to see if he saw the same thing she did, but he was looking at Penny and her dress like it was the answer to all of life's problems.
"Wow, Penny. I mean…that's just…I can't." Leonard couldn't even finish his sentence.
"It's good, right? I'm going to buy it."
"Good for me! Bad for every other man at this event who doesn't get to go home with you."
"Well, you're kind of biased, but thank you," she said, and kissed him on the cheek.
"Sheldon, doesn't she look amazing?" Leonard asked, not taking his eyes off Penny. "Oh, look who I'm asking. I might as well as that cardboard cut-out over there. Amy, doesn't she look amazing?"
"Like a movie star from the forties or something," Amy said, nodding. Sheldon was silent, since nobody apparently thought he was capable of having an opinion on the matter. It was probably better that way.
After a few glasses of wine, Leonard and Penny were dancing close and whispering naughty things in each other's ear, when Amy tapped Penny on the shoulder. "Do you mind if I cut in? I'm so proud of you, Leonard, and I wanted to dance with the man of the hour."
"Of course," Penny said. "Have at him."
Penny stepped aside and smiled as Leonard and Amy danced swiftly across the floor. They looked cute together. As she pondered getting just one more glass of wine and resting her feet, she felt another tap on the shoulder. She was happy to see it was Sheldon, looking dapper as ever.
"May I have this dance? My partner has apparently abandoned me." Sheldon asked. Penny nodded, and took his hand. They'd never danced together before, but they were both naturals. They didn't even speak or acknowledge how weird this felt; how right it felt. Finally, before the song ended, Sheldon said, "I've been meaning to tell you, Penny, you look absolutely stunning this evening. Red is your color, as people more fashionable than I would say."
Penny tried to hide her shock. Sheldon was paying her a compliment? Were they in a parallel universe? He could be so sweet sometimes, her Sheldon.
"Thank you, sweetie. That means a lot to me. And I would also like to say that you look very handsome in your suit, as usual. Any woman would be proud to dance with you."
Sheldon…well, he didn't smile, but the corners of his mouth did flutter a bit. It looked like he was going to say something else, maybe something profound, but at that moment the song ended and Amy and Leonard came back to claim their respective partners.
It was just another moment in a long series of moments. Sooner or later, the things left unsaid and the unresolved tension in the air when they were together, it would either explode or fade away. One of those options was going to need to happen soon, or the moments would be lost forever.
