I postulated a scene in The Oxygen Deprivation Exploration that Amy convinces Sheldon to read a "mindless work of fiction." (It's Chapter 9: The Literary Contemplation if you missed it; I won't reprint it here as that appears to violate the rules of this website.) And thus the Fowler Cooper Publication Federation was born.
This is series of one-shots that start during The Oxygen Deprivation Exploration, continue with The Exhalation Combustion Investigation, and then form the third in this series of works, named The Shamyverse by a reviewer. The first chapter takes place between Chapters 9 and 10 of The Oxygen Deprivation Exploration.
Again, I don't own The Big Bang Theory, its characters, or the books discussed here.
The Fowler Cooper Publication Federation
Inaugural Meeting, September 2014
Primary Topic: The Natural History of Dragons: A Memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan
Amy took the mug of tea Sheldon offered as he sat down next to her. "It's been four weeks to the day since I gave you The Natural History of Dragons to read, Sheldon, and you haven't said a word about it."
"Because I have nothing to say. I already thanked you for the gift. I read a novel for you, and I finished it," Sheldon said. Why did he have to say anything else about it?
"But you agreed to read it and talk about it," Amy replied.
"What is there to talk about?"
"Well, I do believe I was promised something about it being boring and you told me so, Dr. Cooper." Amy smirked at him as she lifted her mug to her mouth.
I do like it when she calls me Dr. Cooper. Sheldon raised an eyebrow back at her and held it there. "You are wrong, Dr. Fowler. I said, and I quote, 'I'll relish telling you what mindless drivel it was and how it was complete waste of both of our times. And I will say I told you so.' "
"See, you promised," Amy replied. Parts of me stop functioning when he says my name like that.
Sheldon sighed. "I never used the word promise. For someone who claims to love literature so much, you fail terribly at language comprehension. But, as you are my girlfriend, I will indulge you. I am hereby relishing telling you it was mindless drivel. It was complete waste of both of our times. I told you so."
Amy could no longer tell if he was serious or not. She felt a stab of disappointment that maybe he was serious, and this was yet another thing they wouldn't enjoy together. "Did you really hate it?"
Sheldon's heart softened. He was trying to learn to flirt back with her, and sometimes he stumbled upon something he thought she liked. She liked being called Dr. Fowler, of that he was certain; and he was strongly beginning to suspect his eyebrow held some sort of power over her. But maybe he'd crossed a line. He sighed quietly. "No, I didn't hate it. It wasn't mindless drivel or a waste of time." He paused. "What did you think of it?"
She was pleased with the question. "I was quite taken with it. I thought its greatest strength was the tone and syntax used by the author. In addition, I thought the setting was very well articulated."
"If you keep saying things like that, there's no way I can discuss this."
"Why not?" She was disappointed again. "I thought we were going to discuss it seriously."
Yet again, Sheldon heard the hurt in her voice. He pushed away the gnawing feeling he felt so frequently around her lately. "Amy, if we talk about a character's feelings isn't that too much like talking about our own? And you know I don't like to talk about feelings."
Amy smiled in relief. "I don't think so. After all, no one is likely to confuse you with a Victorian woman fighting the glass ceiling that is natural history."
He couldn't deny her logic. Clever Amy. "Very well. It was well written. I enjoyed the protagonist. I thought she was intelligent, passionate, and determined. I like those qualities very much."
Amy wondered if he was, perhaps, despite his earlier question, talking about his own feelings. Should she press her luck? "What did you think of the Jacob Camherst character?"
"A man of science, even if that science is natural history, is a worthy man. I thought he was a good match for Isabella," Sheldon said.
Her heart skipped a beat. Please don't be talking about the book anymore. "You did?"
Sheldon was surprised. "Yes, didn't you? They were both scientists so they understood each other. He was the logical one, she was the eccentric, emotional one; but together they were a brilliant team. Like you and I, they were intellectual equals."
Amy thought her heart was going to explode with warmth. She thought about pressing further, but she knew that even Sheldon would figure out eventually that what he was saying. "What did you think of the dragons?"
"There weren't enough of them," Sheldon replied. He was inwardly relieved, because he was beginning to think he'd said too much, and Amy was going to ask him about the scene by the fire next.
Amy shrugged. "Although I disagree, I can respect that opinion. It's the first book in a series, so I think there will be more dragons in the future." She looked over at Sheldon hopefully. "The sequel is already published. We could read it together to find out."
Do I want to read anther novel? Even if it is for Amy and even if she has made our little discussion not painful in the least. He decided to test his theory on flirting. He would use the power of flirtation to get himself out of this. He raised his eyebrow. "Dr. Fowler, we will be entirely too busy with our Halloween preparations next month to read another novel."
Amy bit her lip to keep from smiling. "Very well. We can revisit the issue in November."
"That would be acceptable, Dr. Fowler." Sheldon kept his eyebrow up, even though it was starting to make his forehead ache. Oh, the pain one endures for science.
"So, Dr. Cooper, we'll read a book together every other month?" Amy heard a little giggle come out at the end of her sentence and cursed herself.
"Agreed," Sheldon said quickly, so full of relief that he could lower his eyebrow, and then he immediately realized he had spoken too soon. Did Amy just giggle? And did I just agree to some sort of bimonthly book club?
Amy could no longer hide her smirk.
Sheldon rolled his eyes, and then he leaned over to kiss her. What a strange power you hold over me, Amy Farrah Fowler.
There is a companion story to this tale, the Publication Federation Aftermath (a.k.a. The Shamy Book Club After Dark). However, it does not begin for several chapters, for reasons that will become apparent at that time. As always, thank you for your reviews in advance.