Hey guys! This little plot bunny wouldn't get out of my head, so I wrote it down. :) Enjoy!
Leonard Hofstadter thought he would never know what it was like to fall in love; he was proven wrong twice though.
The first instance he was proven wrong was when Penny first moved across the hall from him and Sheldon. He had always thought that love at first sight was a fallacy, something that never occurred in real life. But the minute Penny, with her blond hair and glossy pink lips, walked into the door, he knew it was a losing battle. At that moment when he saw her unpacking her apartment, he knew that she was the one.
Granted it took everyone, including her, to come to that particular realization. He remembered Sheldon, often in a fit of boredom, mocking him with a mantra of, "blah blah, hopeless Penny delusion, blah blah." Wolowitz was too busy trying to grab Penny for himself to truly notice Leonard's feelings, and Raj didn't seem to pass too much judgment either way. He recalled their previous attempts at dating and a relationship, all of which fizzled out or were abandoned for one reason or another. And though none of their fights were quite as epic as the one that occurred after Sheldon had gone off with his obsessive-compulsive personality self and organized her entire apartment, there were times when they just didn't agree. He hated the boys she brought over (especially Kurt,) and the fact that she failed to pursue a higher degree at the local community college. She seriously disliked the fact that Leonard harped on her about education and spoke in four syllable words on occasion. And yet, after four years of constant friendship, something changed between them.
He knew it was going to be different this time when he asked her out and she accepted.
Their first date – well, really, their second or third first date – was perfect for both of them. They easily talked about work and movies, even though their opinions varied greatly. And when Leonard leaned in and kissed her outside of the apartment door, Penny was sure that she was experiencing a piece of heaven. She led him into the apartment, and after a few glasses of wine, the two had ended up tangled in the bed sheets.
A year later, he proposed, and a year after that, the two were married. At his wedding, Leonard Hofstadter had been convinced that his life could not get any happier.
And now, a year after they got married, he was sitting in what used to be the spare bedroom in Penny's apartment. He was utterly exhausted, having been up nearly three nights in a row running on little sleep. But as tired as he was, he wouldn't have given up his position for anything.
Next to his chair was the little white crib that he and his friends had put together. It was, in their opinions, state-of-the-art. Sheldon and Raj had created enough gizmos and gadgets on the edge to help stimulate learning, and Howard created a bizarre mobile that moved up and down and side to side. Penny had been very reluctant to put it up; Leonard suspected she allowed it just to humor Howard.
Leonard smiled and put a hand on his baby daughter's back. He felt her stir gently under his hand, and instantly, he fell in love all over again.