Author's notes: Just a quick plot that popped in my head some time ago. I wasn't going to write another one about the finale, but I thought it was a good idea and I decided to give it a try. It will be just two chapters long.
Here's the first one, enjoy.
I own nothing.
Friday night
"Are you still mad?" Leonard looked at Penny, his eyebrows raised waiting for a positive reply.
"I don't know. Just drive." Penny gave him a quick glance, noticing his lovely eyebrows, and turned away before he disarmed her. 'Damn cute eyebrows!'
Leonard kept driving to Las Vegas. He didn't know why he had to mention that stupid kiss. Stupid girl, stupid him, stupid drunk party and stupid kiss. He barely remembered her face.
Penny turned on the radio, the silence inside of the car was driving her crazy. Everything was going well until he confessed kissing another girl. How long would it take for him to mention it if she hadn't talked about them having no surprises and no regrets? Would they just get married, have kids, and then someday he would just tell her that story as if it was not a big deal? Yep. She was still really mad at him.
Questions of science, science and progress,
They don't speak as loud as my heart
Could she ever trust him again? Was he hiding anything else? He said he wasn't, but who could tell that for sure?
Nobody said it was easy
It's such a shame for us to part
Nobody said it was easy
No one ever said it would be this hard
I'm going back to the start
Maybe she was just overthinking this, it was a one-time thing, she loved him and she could forgive him. But not just yet. She was going to give him something to regret.
Nobody said it was easy
'Stupid radio.' And she turned it off.
Sheldon sat on his spot, still staring at the velvet tiny box that he was holding. The words Amy told him still replayed in his mind, trying to understand exactly what she meant by saying she needed some time to reevaluate their relationship. What was there to reevaluate? They had their relationship summits for that, and there was still more than six months until the next one.
He was startled by his phone beeping, accusing a message received.
Sheldon, I'd like to apologize for having said those things through Skype. I just wish you hadn't contacted me today. I've been thinking a lot since I left your apartment in our date night. And I need time to think. I ask you not to contact me in the following two weeks. I'll send you an email when I'm ready to talk to you again. Please respect that. I love you. AFF
Sheldon reread the message three times before turning his phone off. He stood up, not knowing exactly what to do. It was way past his bedtime, and he didn't feel like he could sleep. He walked towards his desk and placed the velvet box back inside of the drawer.
"Take care of it, Gollum." He told the action figure, before closing it.
Penny and Leonard were on their way to Vegas, he shouldn't bother them and spoil their moment. He suddenly felt an urge to cry, and the tears came to his eyes flooding them, and he couldn't hold them anymore. He let them fall, as he leaned against his desk for support. He managed to sit on his chair and let his head fall between his crossed arms, as he cried like a baby.
Leonard drove through the entrance of the hotel parking lot, stopping the car at the first spot available. He grabbed Penny's hand, trying to make her look at him. She had been quiet the rest of the trip.
"Penny, I'm really sorry. If you don't want us to marry today I understand."
"No, I think we should do it. Let's do the check-in and take some rest, tomorrow morning we look for a place to have us married."
"Oh, ok." He pulled her for a hug, but he felt some resistance until she gave up and held him. He felt her sigh, before she sat back and held his chin, pulling him for a quick peck.
"C'mon, let's take some rest, you must be exhausted from driving."
He didn't even feel tired because of that. He was in an emotional turmoil since his confession, and all he could think about was if she would really forgive him.
When they arrived at the reception, Leonard picked up his wallet from his pocket and they waited until the clerk finished with another couple. Leonard took Penny's hand and pulled her to a hug, kissing her neck and resting his head on her shoulder. She was apparently ok with that.
"May I help you, sir?" He heard the clerk calling him. He lifted his head and let go of Penny, both of them walking towards the desk.
"Hi, I'd like a double room, please."
"I'm sorry sir, but we're almost fully booked for the weekend. That couple took our last regular room available. But I still have one honeymoon suite, if you're interested."
Penny and Leonard stared at each other briefly, she gulped and nodded at him.
"We'll be taking it then."
After a while, Sheldon could finally calm down. He sighed. He couldn't breathe properly, his nose running from all the crying. He stood up and walked towards the bathroom to blow his nose and wash his face. He looked at the mirror, his eyes were red and his cheeks flushed, somehow his hair was tussled, looking like a teenager rebel. He quickly fixed all this mess and when he left the bathroom he felt his throat dry, walking back to the living room to find a bottle of water in the fridge.
He took the last one and drank it all at once, not satisfying his thirst he started looking for something else to have. He thought about tea, but it reminded him too much of Amy. Scanning the contents inside he found a bottle of YooHoo, that also resembled him of date nights when Amy would offer one to him. He looked down and found a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc, that Penny had left there. It was open, and there was just half of it.
"Well, Penny always says it helps her when she's under stress. Maybe I could try some."
He took the bottle and placed it on the island, getting a glass from the cabinet. He analyzed the bottle label before removing the cork and pouring in half of the glass.
Taking it close to his mouth, he felt the same smell from when he drank from Amy's cup on the train, before kissing her. He closed his eyes, replaying the event in his head. He brought the glass to his lips, taking a sip of it. And the flavor was also the same. He could almost feel Amy's lips on his, how she tasted of wine and brownies, and he felt an urge to taste it again, and he drank the whole content at once.
He felt the tears pooling again in his eyes, and he sat on a stool, before pouring more wine in his glass. He didn't feel the time pass, as he drank the rest of the bottle. When he tried to stand up, he had a funny feeling in his head, and he felt the need to talk to Amy. He tried to call her, but it went straight to voicemail.
"Amy, this is Sheldon, I want to feel your lips again tasting like wine and brownies, I love that taste. Pleeeease, Ammyyy..."
He turned off his phone again, throwing it on his couch.
"I don't need it, it can't call Amy."
His throat was still dry. The wine didn't help him in that matter as he thought it would.
"I need more." He opened his apartment door, heading to the 4B.
*knock knock knock* "Penny."
*knock knock knock* "Penny."
*knock knock knock* "Penny."
He had no response, so he just took the spare key from his basket and let himself inside. The apartment was dark, and he almost stumbled in a bag as he entered the place and walked towards her cabinet.
"I don't see why Leonard wants to live with Penny."
He found a bottle on the top of her cabinet, and after some time he could find the corkscrew in a drawer. He managed to open it, finding a clean glass lost in her cabinet as well.
"Oh, a clean glass, that's new."
He poured the wine and drank it over and over, until he emptied that bottle as well.
"Penny had just one bottle here? What's wrong with her?"
He looked around, a bit lost, but soon made his mind. "If she doesn't have more in here, maybe she can provide more at her workplace."
He stumbled again on the bag on his way out.
"Son of a biscuit!"
"Wow, that's huge!" Penny exclaimed as they entered the room.
"Well, for the price we paid it should be."
She gave him her best look of derision. "Shut up."
"Sorry."
He closed the door, placing their bags close to the bed. The bedroom was truly huge. It had a king size bed in the bedroom, a balcony and the bathroom had a jacuzzi in it. He found Penny back in the living room, reading the hotel leaflet. Suddenly she focused on something that made her eyes wide.
"Look, champagne!" Penny pointed at the three bottles inside of a bucket filled with ice, walking towards it.
"Is it for free?"
"Stop being cheap, Leonard. And yes, it says here 'Courtesy'."
"So what are you waiting for? Let's pop those bottles open."
"You're preaching to the choir, mister!" She replied, as she opened the first bottle, the cork flying to the other side of the room. She filled in two glasses, handing one to Leonard.
"As we're here, let's make the best of it."
Leonard took his glass and took a sip of it, as Penny turned the hole content in at once.
"Err... Penny, take it slow, we don't have to drink it all at once."
"Yep, just as you didn't have to be kissing two women at once."
He turned in the rest of his drink at once as well. "You do have a point."
Sheldon sat at a bar stool at the Cheesecake Factory.
"What are you having tonight, handsome?"
"Where's Penny?"
"Who?"
"Penny, she serves me the drinks and let me get it off my chest when I have issues, so where's Penny?"
"Penny, the old waitress and bar keeper? She doesn't work here anymore." He heard from another waitress, who placed a menu in front of him.
"So, what are you having?"
"Do you know how to make Long Island ice tea?"
"A Long Island ice tea it is." The barkeeper quickly prepared the drink, placing it in front of Sheldon.
"Where's the little umbrella?"
"It usually doesn't have one, but I can give it to you." She added the little ornament on his glass.
"Thank you." He replied, holding the little umbrella as he took the straw on his mouth, sucking the whole content as fast as he could swallow.
"I'm out of tea."
"Another one, then. In a minute."
"You're efficient. Penny would always let me wait and usually got my request wrong."
"Well, sir, that's what I do. Here's your drink. Enjoy."
"Thank you."
He drank the whole glass again in a jiffy. "Are you better at giving advice as well as any good bartender?"
"Excuse me?" The woman replied, not so surprised by his request. The poor guy looked awful, he must be having a hard time.
"You didn't hear me or you didn't understand me? Because if it was the latter I guess your advice will be just as bad as Penny's."
"I heard and understood you well, sir, I just couldn't help but feel a bit offended by your question."
"Why? I'm sorry if I offended you."
"Alright. It's just that I'm not your personal shrink, I'm a professional who prepares drinks doing my honest job here."
"You're right. But you still could do that and hear me out, can't you?"
"I've just said that... Nevermind. What's going on, pal?"
"Amy asked for a break."
"Is that your girl?"
"Yes, she's mad at me and I don't understand why. I was going to propose to her, and she started yelling at me. Why aren't you preparing another Ice Tea?"
"Right away, sir. I just think you should slow down, it looks like you've had enough for tonight."
"Nonsense. I drink tea all the time."
"Alright. So, this girl of yours is mad at you, why don't you surprise her with flowers?"
"But I gave her a mushroom log, why does she need flowers?"
"Well, you could buy her something then."
"I gave her a tiara, nothing could ever top that."
"Really? A real tiara? Wow."
"Of course it was a real tiara, why would I give my princess a fake one?"
"Sure, sir, here's your tea. Enjoy." She replied, trying to leave him alone, he wasn't making much sense and giving advice was really not her thing.
"What's your name?" She heard him call her again.
"Jenny."
"Funny, rhymes with Penny." He laughed with a hiccup.
"Now excuse me, I need to tend other customers."
"I see no one else here."
"Maybe because you had too much tea."
"Or not. I need to speak to Amy. How much do I owe you?"
He placed the money on the top of the counter, taking the last gulp of his tea before standing up.
"Thanks for the advice, Jenny."
"You're welcome, I guess."
He left, giving her the live long and prosper greeting before walking towards the door.
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this short plot, just one more chapter to come, I'll post it as soon as I can.
I don't own the song by Coldplay (The Scientist), I thought it would be appropriate, though.
I'd love to read your ideas on this fanfic.
Thank you in advance!