Like The Periodic Table
AN: I've done a mini SxP drabble for the uses of the first thirty elements on the periodic table. It's a little challenge I set myself to do when I got bored. There's no set timeline for all the events I detail in the sections. I'm using the British spellings of the elements.
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1. Hydrogen (Water)
He's somewhere, far away at the other end of the earth, surrounded by freezing ice as he measures readings from the North Pole, and she knows suddenly that she misses him.
2. Helium (Balloons)
It amuses Penny to tune in to that boring science radio broadcast and hear his voice ridiculously high from Kripke's helium and hopelessly angry, a cartoon character with a beautiful brain.
3. Lithium (Batteries)
Sheldon doesn't fall asleep like normal people do, his power just seems to completely run out and his eyes snap shut. She watches him for a while, smiling at the Mickey Mouse hat on his head, and turns on her heel when Leonard starts being crude.
4. Beryllium (Windows)
She is quiet when she enters their apartment, ready for Halo night. He doesn't notice her, as his back is turned and he's staring out the window. It takes her a while to realize he's admiring the stars in the sky above.
5. Boron (Yellow)
Penny laughs when Sheldon produces a chunk of yellow rock and tells her it matches her hair.
6. Carbon (Coal)
Once again, her heating breaks down, and she makes her way over to their apartment. She frowns when he tells her she should consider installing a fireplace. "If Neanderthal man could make fire, then surely so could you."
7. Nitrogen (Explosives)
When she kisses him for the first time, sparks fly, for her at least. She doesn't know what he's thinking, but she hopes he can't think at all, having blown his mind.
8. Oxygen (Breath)
Sheldon's breath is quick and flurried, his eyes wide and staring. "You're sitting in my spot."
9. Fluorine (Toxic)
Penny can't breathe when she enters their apartment one morning, as gases from whatever Sheldon's doing with his 'chemistry set' fill the air, but she's relieved when he emerges from the smoke to push her back through the front door and ask if she's okay.
10. Neon (Light)
How many physicists does it take to change a light-bulb? When she gets LED neon lights for her bedroom, she hadn't expected them to break down so easily, but she finds it strangely thrilling to have him sitting on her bed as he wonders how to fix them.
11. Sodium (Salt)
Penny covers her food with salt. She knows it's not healthy, and she doesn't even like salt, but she loves hearing Sheldon inform her how bad salt is for one's health, because it reminds her that he cares.
12. Magnesium (Photography)
She visits him at the University one day, and is amused to see him quickly try to hide the photograph he has of her on his desk.
13. Aluminium (Cans)
He requests only Coke to drink, ignoring her suggestion that he ask for something stronger. She throws the can at him in frustration and wonders how else she could get him drunk.
14. Silicon (Sand)
Sheldon takes her to the beach. It's not a date, never a date. He just wants to experiment on the coastline environment, he tells her. Penny doesn't believe that for a second, but doesn't say anything.
15. Phosphorus (Glow)
Those LED lights he fixed for her can be adjusted in power until they just seem to glow in the dark. When she kisses him in that glow, she imagines a thousand fireflies are fluttering around them and causing the resonating light.
16. Sulfur (Matches)
"I'd rather you didn't do that," he announces, eye twitching, as she lights a fire by the beach on their not-date as the sun goes down in front of them. She just laughs and invites him to sit down.
17. Chlorine (Disinfectant)
She is almost flattered they've gotten to the stage where he can touch her and not feel the need to wash his hands directly afterwards.
18. Argon (Electricity)
She unplugs his computer and tells him he's going to spend the day with her instead of his electronics. He doesn't disagree.
19. Potassium (Coolant)
Leonard presents her with a snowflake he's preserved in a cooling fluid. But Sheldon gives her a genuine smile, a smile that says he's happy to see her again, and to her that's much more romantic.
20. Calcium (Milk)
With a chocolate milk mustache she does her best impression of Lando Calrissian from Star Wars, and he gives his wheezy laugh and tells her it was perfect.
21. Scandium (Rare)
It used to be rare that he would just hug her for no reason. He would limit embracing her to times when he felt stressed, or to awkwardly comfort her when she'd been crying. But now, he does it every day.
22. Titanium (Aerospace)
Leonard may well support "Neutral Zones", but she'd rather jet off to Aerospace to tell Sheldon exactly how much she loves his little idiosyncrasies.
23. Vanadium (Steel)
When Sheldon's focused on his work, his emotions becoming steel and he blocks out everything else. In these times, Penny feels rejected, so he sets an alarm on his office clock to interrupt him thoughts and remind him to give her a call.
24. Chromium (Resistance)
It would be a lie to say their relationship is unbreakable, because all relationships are. But if they can be friends with each other this long, she doesn't see why becoming more than friends wouldn't work.
25. Manganese (Strength)
He is not a strong, alpha male character like the ones she usually dates. He's the complete opposite, weak, awkward, easily scared.
26. Iron (Structures)
"The Romans built their homes out of stone," Sheldon tells her. "If this is to work, we need to lay down foundations and make sure we also build with stone. It will be hard, but I will enjoy hypothetical building with you." She doesn't understand, but she thinks it's romantic.
27. Cobalt (Colour)
He gives her a bouquet, with one of every flower he could find. She's confused, and takes the bouquet with a baffled smile. "I didn't know your favorite colour," he admits, "so I purchased one of each. I hope it's a worthy solution, Penny."
28. Nickel (Coins)
She finds herself telling a friend that the coins nickels are actually only made of 25% nickel and 75% copper. That's when she knows he's in her head.
29. Copper (Wiring)
"Why do I have to keep this in my wallet?" he asks, when she slips him half of a pendant.
"It keeps us connected, it's a wire," she tells him, holding up the other half on her necklace.
30. Zinc (Alloys)
"Zinc," he explains, "is an element that is compatible with many other materials, including steels."
Penny smiles and plants a kiss on his cheek. "You be steel and I'll be zinc, then."
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The end