Sheldon walked stiffly into the living room and sat down quickly in his spot.
"Hey, Sheldon," Leonard said, not lifting his eyes from the laptop perched on the coffee table in front of him, "ready for your date with Penny tonight?"
"Yes," Sheldon bit out, "Well, no. Actually, I need your help."
"Oh, sure, buddy," Leonard said, his voice lifting at the idea of helping a friend. Sheldon got down on one knee and pulled out a ring. A terse moment passed between the two friends, Sheldon twitching uncomfortably while Leonard just stared at the modest but beautiful rock presented before him.
"Well?" Sheldon said. Leonard just looked at his friend.
"Aw! Sheldon! I'm flattered!" he joked, playing the part of the maiden wooed by a suitor.
"It's not for you, dolt." Sheldon snapped the lid shut and slid himself back into his seat. "It's for Penny."
"I know that! So, you're going to do it?"
"I believe that's how you consecrate a marriage, yes."
"No!" Leonard sighed his long-suffering sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I meant, 'you're going to ask her'."
"Actually, there's something I have to ask you first."
"I don't mind you marrying Penny. You guys have been together for a long time now, what a year and a half?"
"One year, eight months, three weeks and a day," Sheldon supplied readily. "And it's not that. I wanted to ask you...well, despite all my, shall we say, 'shortcomings'-"
"Character flaws, you mean," Leonard inserted.
"You say main-ga, I say mon-ga. You're loyal, and friendly, you never let my 'quirks' upset you..."
"I'm starting to sound like a dog, Sheldon." Sheldon sighed and looked pained. Leonard could almost see the cold sweat gathering on his brow.
"What I'm trying to say, which I think I've made perfectly clear," Leonard waved him off and let him continue, "is that...you're my best friend. And when I get married to Penny, I want you to be my best man." Leonard smiled brightly.
"You want me to be your best man?"
"Well, who else?"
"You only asked me because you have no other options?"
"No, goodness, it's like talking to a wall."
"Sheldon, you were complimenting me-" Leonard wasn't digging for compliments but wanted to get him back on track.
"Why would I want anyone else with me when I marry Penny?" Leonard smiled at his friend.
"Of course, buddy. Anything for you."
"You are a good friend, Leonard. The best I've ever had. You worked with me instead of wanting to change me. It's why I love Penny. I guess it's why I love you too." Sheldon looked away, emotions not really his thing. Penny had softened him up in their year together but to hear him say it out loud, even in a voice like he was just stating some scientific fact, was like the crashing of the Berlin wall; world altering, but for the two laughed a little before Sheldon stood.
"I had better go. Penny's dragging me to one of her heinous girl movies tonight."
"You going to be that nervous when you ask her?"
"Good heavens, no. I figured this would be a good trial run. What I gathered from your reaction gave me the data I needed to be assured I was doing this all right. " Sheldon left quickly, fearing being late to pick Penny up from the Cheesecake Factory. Leonard just sat with an incredulous look on his face, staring at the closed door.
"He was doing so well and then, boom! right back to just a piece of data in his paradigm of life." Leonard went back to typing on his laptop, unable to stop the smile spreading on his face.