Chapter 1: Soccer
"Oh my god." Howard muttered speechless.
"He, actually, what?" Leonard mumbled.
Penny couldn't even mutter a sound, she was flabbergasted. Her eyes were glued to the 6 foot 2 figure on the field. There Sheldon was, wearing gym shorts, and a tight black tank top, dominating in soccer. Who could have seen that coming?
And more importantly, when the hell did Dr. Sheldon Cooper become a super hot soccer player?
4 Hours Earlier
It was a regular day at Cal Tech. The four scientists were at the cafeteria eating their lunch, discussing which Robin would make a better batman.
"Dick Grayson is the original robin, he's been a super hero longer than the rest. He is the obvious choice!" Sheldon argued.
"No way! The next batman should be the current batman's own son, Damien Wayne." Raj retorted.
"Tim Drake is definitely the most skilled and serious. When Grayson was robin, he kept joking around. Plus, he's now Nightwing. And Damien is way too young" Leonard said.
"Wrong! Dick is the strongest, and even though he is Nightwing, Tim Drake is now Red Robin, his own hero." Sheldon said.
"You're all wrong! Jason Todd is obviously the successor to batman." Howard said with a smirk.
"Jason Todd was killed by the Joker, and turned into a crazy murdering Anti-Hero." Leonard said skeptically.
"Exactly." Howard said smiling like a maniac.
Before the argument could go any further, Sheldon said, "What's an athletic coach doing in the physics department? More importantly, what is he doing here with Penny?"
All three heads turn to where Sheldon is looking. At the door, they see the head athletic coach with his arm around Penny.
"Wow she moves fast." Howard said, referring to the fact that Penny and Leonard recently broke up, realizing they care about each other more like a brother and sister relationship.
Penny spots them, and comes over with a grin. "Hey guys, this is Kyle. Kyle, these are my friends, Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard."
They all mutter their hellos. "How did you two meet?" Leonard asks.
"Well, we met at a club, and when I found out he worked here, I asked him for a tour." Penny said.
"So Kyle, what do you coach?" Howard asked.
"Well, usually basketball, but I just started coaching soccer. I'm pretty good, if I do say so myself." He says smugly.
Sheldon snorts, and attempts to hold back a laugh, he fails. "What's so funny?" Kyle asks with a scowl.
"Nothing, except for the fact that you are led to believe you're actually good at soccer." Sheldon says.
"Sheldon. That's rude!" Penny exclaims.
"No, no, let him finish. I'll let you know I can score a hat trick, easily." Kyle says, defending his honor.
To this, Sheldon doesn't even attempt to hold back a full-blown laugh. "Yeah sure you can. I bet you don't even have a favorite team."
"Yeah I do. It's that one Spanish one. You know, with Cristiano Messi." Kyle says.
"Wow, that's just pathetic." Sheldon says.
"What, do you think you're a better player then I am?" Kyle asks.
Getting cocky, Sheldon replies, "Yeah, I really do believe so."
"Fine. Well then how bout a little match? In front of all of our colleagues?" Kyle asks.
"Sheldon, don't do this. You'll be humiliated." Penny said.
"Leave the man be." Howard said to Penny, wanting to see Sheldon become humiliated.
"Name the place and time." Sheldon says.
Kyle smiles and says, "Today, 4:00 pm, the soccer field here at Cal tech."
"See you then." Sheldon says, getting up, and going to his office.
As soon as Sheldon arrives to his office, he picks up the phone and dials an international number. "Hola?" The person on the other line says picking up.
"Jose, it's me, Sheldon." Sheldon says to his old friend.
"Sheldon, buddy! How are you friend?" Jose asks with a thick Spanish accent.
"I'm fine Jose. I actually am about to participate in a soccer game against this coach at the university. I think I can handle him." Sheldon said, leaning back into his chair.
Jose laughs and says, "Always the cocky one, eh?"
Sheldon laughs, "I blame you."
"I blame myself too."
They soon hang up, and just when Sheldon is about to start working, he sees Penny at his door.
"Hello Penny, may I help you?" Sheldon asks politely.
"Why the hell did you challenge Kyle to a one on one soccer game? For god's sakes, he's a soccer coach! Plus, he already invited the whole Physics and athletic department. They are all ready to see you loose." Penny cries.
Sheldon walks up to her and says, "Relax Penny. I have it handled."
"Are you sure?" Penny asks skeptically.
"Yes, I'm sure. Kyle is an over rated buffoon." Sheldon says, returning to his seat.
"Just so you know, I'm cheering for you." Penny says, leaving his office before Sheldon can say anything else.
Sheldon gets up from his seat, and goes to a closet in the back of the office, where he pulls out a gym bag. He opens up the bag, and pulls out black gym shorts, expensive cleats, socks, and kneepads.
He quickly changes, and puts on everything other than the cleats. He then continues working until 3:45, when he walks down to the field carrying his cleats. Like expected, everyone he knows at the university, plus a few others, are sitting in the bleachers. Kyle is warming up at one corner, doing push ups hoping to impress Penny.
He could easily see Penny and the rest of his friends sitting on the bleaches waiting anxiously for the game to begin. Sheldon takes a seat and slips on his cleats. Kyle walks up to him, holding out his hand" You ready Doc? First to ten wins, since we are playing one on one."
"Always." Sheldon says, shaking his hand. Sheldon then peels of his first layer shirt, and then his thermal shirt. He hears people gasp at the sight of Sheldon only wearing a black tank top. Wearing only the tank top, you can easily notice, Sheldon's eight pack abs and slightly large muscles, and toned legs. In a few words, he had a hot soccer player build.
Kyle and Sheldon met in the middle of the field with Sheldon beginning. It took exactly 7 seconds for Sheldon to dribble the soccer ball down the field, and score. Cheers escaped from the crowd, watching Sheldon screaming "GOAL!"
"What the hell?" Raj said from the bleachers.
"What parallel universe have I stepped into?" Howard asked, jaw dropped.
"Dude, SHELDON PLAYS SOCCER?!" Leonard screamed.
Penny was practically drooling at the sight of an alpha male Sheldon with a hot body and soccer skills.
Sheldon ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up a bit. Kyle looked surprised, but they soon began again, this time with Kyle starting out with the ball. It didn't take long for Sheldon to reach him, and steal the ball away, sprinting for the goal and once again scoring.
It doesn't take long for Sheldon to win the game. On his last goal, everyone stood up, cheering their lungs out. Especially Penny. Kyle walks away, mad that he lost to a physicist.
Sheldon, sweating and thirsty, drowns down three water bottles. The gang quickly runs up to Sheldon on the field, and congratulates him. Other people quickly follow to do the same, but not before Penny kisses him on the cheek. "Congrats champ." She whispers in his ear.
After everyone congratulates him, Sheldon walks back to his office, where he finds Penny waiting for him. "Hey Sheldon."
"Hello Penny." Sheldon says confused as to why she is in his office.
"How did you learn to play soccer? I mean, no offense, but you were never the most athletic person." Penny asks, curiously.
"Growing up in Texas, I was forced to watch American Football every week with my family. I easily memorized everything about the sport, and was soon able to determine the best plays. There was only one problem, I wasn't a fan of the sport. I was never a fan of things that were forced upon me. Our friends knew this about me, I did after all, teach Leonard about football when you two were dating.
When I was fourteen, I accepted a position in Germany as a visiting professor. That job gave me multiple opportunities as a guest lecturer all over Europe. Over in Europe, everyone was soccer crazy. Once in Madrid Spain, a friend of mine, Jose, took me to a soccer game, which at first I was reluctant to go too, for obvious reasons. Watching the game, I fell in love with the sport. Every time I had free time after that, I would watch a game.
It took a while, but Jose had somehow managed to get the me to actually play a game of soccer with his other friends. It was a shock to everybody, including me, when we found out I had natural skill for the game. Taking the position of left-winger, I would join my new friends every week for a friendly match. I went to see my favorite team play every time he could. My time in Madrid ended sooner then I would have liked.
Going back to Texas, my family bombarded me with questions about Europe. I couldn't exactly tell them about my new found skill in soccer, it was practically a sin in Texas. Every type of football was loved in Texas, except the original European. So I left out everything that had to soccer. It was my secret.
And it was, for many years. I would always watch the soccer games when he was alone. Sometimes I would even go play a game or two in the park, but the more friends I made, the harder it was to hide my secret passion."
"Wow, that's some story. Think you could teach me how to play?" Penny asks with a grin.
Sheldon smirks and replies, "When would you like to start?"
