*A/n Hey guys, how are you?! I'm back with more Shamy, I hope you guys like this au! as forewarning, I will be going on a hiatus in a couple weeks, only for like two weeks, but to make up for that I'm taking a lot of requests on tumblr and i'll be writing as often as possible. Pm me on here if you've got anything, if not, sit back and enjoy the ride :D See you soon!
The clock ticked by ever so slowly. It was mid afternoon, the downfall of the day floating by in an eerie silence. The cafe was empty, and simple jobs remained that had Sheldon washing the counter and staring blankly into space. Light shown through the window softly, and the teenage boy sighed.
He was stuck at this stupid day job because his twin sister ruined his chances of going to the only college he wanted to attend until the next year. He wasn't meant to lazy around in an apron and stand behind a register all day, he knew it. He desperately missed his studies, and in a few hours could go to the library once more, though with seemingly no real purpose.
It was four thirty and Sheldon had no real purpose.
The next thing he knew the door was opening. He'd just run his hand through his hair so it was slightly disheveled as a lone woman approached the counter, a brown bag slung around her shoulder just as Sheldon usually had. Her thin rimmed glasses made her look smarter than she probably was.
Sheldon studied her carefully as she peered at the menu. White noise surrounded them both, and he shifted his weight impatiently. When their eyes met, hers seemingly apologetically, he sighed exasperatedly and a strand of brown hair dipped into his eyes.
"I would like chamomile tea, please."
Her smile was soft as she spoke to him, and Sheldon found himself glancing at her lips as if wondering how she did it. The look she gave him warmed him, and he nodded, scribbling her order down and bringing his eyes back to her piercing green ones.
"Will that be all, uhm...?" he mentally slapped himself at his silly attempt to get her name. He told himself it was simply so he could write it on her cup.
"Amy Farrah Fowler, and you are?"
She stood her ground nicely, firm and confident, her gaze never wavering. Sheldon liked that about this woman, and nodded with a small smile threatening to show, though he kept a blank expression.
"That is unimportant."
The woman before him, apparently known as Amy Farrah Fowler, nodded in understanding, and Sheldon was curious why she hadn't inquired him further. Most people found his behavior strange, but she seemed already accustomed to it. He wanted to know how, and he wanted to know more about this woman especially.
Before he could ask her anything, the drink was finished and Sheldon found himself turning to grab it for her. He could feel her eyes on him as he did so, and with a swift motion he wrote her name on the cup neatly. When she took it, their fingers grazed, and she looked at him briefly.
She was even bold enough to wink at him before walking away.
She didn't immediately leave, but stayed to use her laptop at a table in the corner and Sheldon waited until she was out of his sight to use hand sanitizer, as she'd just touched him and this woman could not yet be trusted.
But somehow she could, which was what allowed him to stay and not run for the hills, when he saw her stealing glances at him occasionally for the next hour.
Three hours to go.
#
Two days later and Sheldon had slipped back into this insane routine he had, involving working at this stupid coffee shop for way longer than necessary, during another uneventful afternoon.
The clock seemed to tick by just as slowly, and the shop seemed to be just as quiet. This day the sun wasn't out, so the lighting was different, but Amy Farrah Fowler still came.
She walked in the door with a matching confidence as before, and faced Sheldon with the same unfaltering smile she'd given him when they'd met. It danced across her lips in a way that made Sheldon pause and ask himself what made her so happy that day.
Of course he'd never ask her this, he was being strictly professional.
Amy ordered the same drink, and Sheldon gave her another nod, though a bit more tired that time around. Her presence hadn't phased him quite yet, and he gave the drink to her in the same fashion as before.
This time as their fingers grazed each other's, she gave him a subtle compliment.
"You have really soft skin..."
And her wink was just as he'd remembered.
"Okay."
She walked away with another small smile and went to her table for the same amount of time, and in another three hours Sheldon would be home once more.
#
It seemed Amy came in every other day, oddly enough the days Sheldon was scheduled to work. She always came in with this unique style of clothing that he found interesting, as it differed greatly from all the other women he'd met. She was different, yes, but just another customer who liked tea.
About three weeks had passed since Sheldon met Amy. The days she'd come in he would readily get her drink and be prepared with it by the time she approached the counter. They usually had a moment, however subtle, where their hands would touch and she'd wink.
Over time he'd taken longer to sanitize his hands, until he'd completely forgotten to do so. Or maybe he trusted her that much more.
It was on the first day of winter that things between Sheldon and Amy started to shift. Her behavior seemed normal, though she was a bit quieter than usual, and out of nowhere, besides the usual thank you for the tea and the "have a good day" comments, she said something else.
"You're funny, you know." and Sheldon cocked his head at her.
This hadn't been the first time he'd been called a name, though she didn't seem to be saying it in an offensive way. "How so?" he asked in reply.
Her smile turned into a smirk of sorts. "I've been flirting with you for a few weeks now... don't tell me you haven't noticed."
In the quiet of the store Sheldon blinked at her. Though his response clearly gave her the answer she wasn't hoping for, she didn't seem upset, more confused.
"Uhm..."
His soft stutter caused her to giggle slightly. Another customer walked in the door and stood behind her, so Sheldon passed her the cup and feigned a smile.
"There appears to be a line... behind you." She nodded at his statement and shuffled out of the way, but not without her usual wink.
Her glances became slightly more frequent during the hour, and Sheldon was tempted to ask if he could work the night shift instead. He really disliked dealing with people.
When Amy's hour was up, and she stood to leave as usual, she passed Sheldon and stopped. The shop was yet again empty.
"I still haven't gotten your name," she said, and there was a light tone to her voice that made Sheldon feel as if he were floating. He nodded, and swallowed.
"You're right."
"In exchange for your name," Amy began with a glint in her eye Sheldon hadn't noticed before. "Maybe I could teach you how to flirt?"
He shrugged. "Why would I ever want to know how to do that?"
She chuckled, earning a confused look from Sheldon, and leaned forward on the counter. Her eyes dared him to refuse, pull back and run. Her breath was such a tease to his nose, her lips close and parted.
"Because it'll make you smarter."
#
Day one of their flirting lessons resulted in Amy coming in an hour earlier, and with a bounce in her step. She approached him at the counter, and he stood straighter when he saw her. It was break time, so he led her to the back room, and they both sat down.
"So do you know the main reason why people flirt?" Amy asked quickly, happily munching on a muffin Sheldon bought for her out of courtesy. She looked like a tiny rabbit as she ate, and Sheldon found himself on the verge of smiling, and so squashed it with a bored stare.
"Of course I do."
"And when you flirt you should do it respectfully," she continued, and he nodded, not really listening. She went on about tone of voice, eye and hand movement, even a specific way to walk when you flirt. Sheldon found this all unnecessary, her explanations, so just cut the point.
"Amy, I'm having trouble listening to you right now, and for the sake of time, could you just show me how to flirt rather than tell me?"
Amy sat back and blinked. She didn't talk for a few moments, and Sheldon's eyes darted around the room. Suddenly, she stood up.
"Flirting is writing subtle notes to each other," she had that same growing gleam in her eye Sheldon found fascinating. "It's touching each other secretly, like we've been doing, and staring deeply into each other's eyes." she moved closer to him, her scent intoxicating, though Sheldon refused to admit it. She was talking gibberish.
"It's teasing each other," her voice was but a whisper. She sat beside him, their thighs touching, and Sheldon resisted the urge to pull away. He didn't like becoming this close to people, had no interest in doing so. He also didn't feel like he was becoming smarter by these lessons in any way.
"It's about compliments and sitting close to each other, and batting your eye lashes in the right way so they'll notice you." Sheldon watched, but she didn't bat her eyelashes. Instead, she closed her eyes, and carried on.
"There's a lot of winking, and sometimes, your eyes drop down to their lips..."
Though Amy couldn't see, Sheldon nodded and stood. "Well, this was helpful... but I have to get back to work now."
Amy practically jumped up at his words. "Before you go, you told me to show you what flirting was, rather than show you..."
And then she kissed his cheek.
#
The next few weeks, Sheldon and Amy lost contact. She still had no idea who he was, so technically they could carry on as if they were strangers. But that's not what Sheldon wanted.
He told himself it wasn't very important, and carried on with his life. Customers came in and out, left without a word and Sheldon sighed. He liked to have conversations with people, even if he disliked most people he came into contact with.
Amy was the only one who'd bothered to hold a conversation with him beyond ordering off the menu. And over time, he begun to miss that.
The next time Sheldon saw Amy, she didn't look any different. Still Amy, happy and content and confident. He wondered what she'd do next, if she'd continue flirting with him.
He went to go put in her order, and she stopped him suddenly.
"Lemon Zinger, please."
Sheldon attempted to mask his surprise with a nod, and prepared her beverage in silence. He also handed it to her in silence, and she sat down without a word.
He was curious if maybe she'd at least continue to look at him while she was there. However, each time he glanced over at her, she was simply avoiding eye contact. She didn't have anything with her, but seemed to be observing everything around her.
All the more curious.
By the time Sheldon's shift had ended, and Amy's hour was almost up, he discretely tried to wait and see if he could leave the same time as her and maybe they could talk a little more.
It turned out they did leave at the same time, but just as before, Amy didn't say much. Nothing beyond a simple goodbye.
He wondered what had gotten into the Amy he knew, or maybe she'd never truly been the way he'd known at all.
Maybe it was all an act.
Needless to say, around the fourth day something like this happened, Sheldon was growing weary of the silence that passed between them.
He began to reflect back on their flirting lessons, and how he could strike up a conversation with Amy to calm whatever desire it was in him that craved her voice.
Maybe then he'd be able to sleep again.
#
Amy had gone back to Chamomile tea a few days ago. She walked in, approached the counter, and Sheldon happily made it for her. He took a little longer to do so, debating whether to touch the marker to the cup for a permanent result.
This felt so cheesy.
"I know this is cheesy
But you're cute
With your colorful cardigans
and your hair the color of mud.
Never change."
Sheldon didn't mean to blush when he wrote this, but he felt so much like a child he couldn't help it. Did he really want Amy to see this? Sheldon Cooper did not say things like this. His nineteen year old mind had trouble comprehending it. He almost couldn't do it.
He passed her the cup once he was sure he wouldn't smear the message. She made no attempt to brush their fingers, and though he didn't feel particularly bold that day with his dorky hair cut and super hero t-shirt on, Sheldon decided to do it instead.
His touch lingered for longer than hers ever had, and he saw something flash in her eyes, a look of hope perhaps.
Or maybe it was simply surprise.
Was what he did revolting to her? He certainly hadn't intended for that to be the case.
He was too late, he'd decided, when she made no comment and turned to walk away.
He didn't see the small grin on her face as she did so, however.
#
Sheldon wasn't sure whether to keep his efforts of flirting afloat. Amy simply didn't seem interested anymore.
Maybe she'd gotten a boyfriend, and that meant he wouldn't have to deal with her being as emotional towards him anymore.
He should be happy for her.
It was upon writing another note for her on her cup that Sheldon realized he hoped she didn't have a boyfriend.
If she did, his flirting would be more awkward than effective.
He decided to carry on anyway, and this note simply complimented her, a short list of the things he liked, adored, about her. Starting with the way she spoke and ending with the way she made him feel important, with her friendship and kindness, and how lovely the shade of her eyes were of all things.
Amy responded to this note, surprisingly, by flashing him a smile that was nearly blinding, and as she walked away she did something that made Sheldon think that maybe he still had a chance with her, though he wasn't sure he would take it.
She winked at him.