Amy's brain reeled as she followed Sheldon through the narrow train. What had just happened? Hurt and angry, she had lashed out at Sheldon for ignoring her throughout the evening and in his heated rebuttal to her accusations, he had kissed her.

Sheldon had begun the kiss out of anger, mocking the things that Amy might consider romantic. He had swilled wine, gazed angrily into her eyes and then leaned over and aggressively pressed his lips to hers. Overcome by the swiftness of his assault, Amy hadn't known how to react and simply stood there.

And suddenly, things had changed. Expecting Sheldon to release her lips as soon as his point was made, Amy was shocked by what came next. For a split second, Sheldon paused and then his lips began to move against hers. As he committed to the kiss, Sheldon moved forward until their bodies were pressed together. He lifted his hands and firmly gripped her hips and kissed her in a way that no man with his limited experience should know how.

With her breasts crushed against Sheldon's chest, his large hands cradling her hips and his lips at once soft and firm against her mouth, Amy thought her heart might explode. Every intimate moment with her boyfriend that had happened prior to this had been at Amy's behest, but this was happening because Sheldon wanted it. Sure, it had begun as Sheldon trying to teach her a lesson, but it now seemed that he might be getting more than he bargained for. She could feel the tension in his body and hear how erratic his breathing had become. Usually cool to the touch, Amy could feel the unusual heat emanating from Sheldon's body and the desire that rose in her caused her body to throb in a most uncomfortable way.

When Sheldon drew back from the kiss, he left his hands on Amy's hips, holding her where she was. Amy gazed at him, wondering what to say. There was no way that she was going to regain the power of speech until he stopped staring at her lips. When Sheldon finally swallowed hard and reluctantly released her, Amy said breathlessly, "That was nice."

Still hovering dangerously close to her, Sheldon nodded and said softly, "Good." Seemingly at a loss for words temporarily, Sheldon finally said quietly, "Uhmmm ... the conductor said if I come back to the engine room he'd show me how to bring the train through a crossing."

All of her anger gone, Amy stood inches from Sheldon, her body a riot of passion and desire. He was still so close, and he dropped his gaze from her eyes to her mouth again. Willing to give him whatever he wanted, Amy nodded and said, "OK have fun."

Looking up, Sheldon responded softly, "Do you want to come with me?"

Joy leapt in Amy's heart. Something had changed. Sheldon stared at her as if he didn't want to let her go. Amy responded, "Really? I do."

Sheldon smiled and led the way through the train as Amy, emotions in a complete state of upheaval, followed him. She wondering if this was a one-time only thing, borne out anger and some strange Valentine's Day magic, or if they had turned some sort of corner in their relationship and maybe, finally, Sheldon might be willing to take things to a more physical level. Amy had very limited experience in this area with human beings, but Sheldon had been exhibiting all the signs of arousal she had observed in her work with monkeys. His eyes had been dilated with her broke off the kiss, he was breathing hard, a sure sign that his pulse was elevated and his voice had a timbre to it that she had never heard before.

When they reached the engine room, Sheldon stopped and opened the door for Amy, as his mother had taught him. Usually in complete control of his thoughts and emotions, he did his best to hide the utter turmoil he was feeling inside. Angry at being tricked into romance under the guise of a trip on a vintage train, he had kissed Amy to prove a point. Now all he could think about was touching her again, and how good she tasted. It took all of Sheldon's considerable concentration to turn his attention to the conductor and not drag Amy away to finish what he had inadvertently started.

Hours later Sheldon sat next to Amy in the drawing room of the Bed and Breakfast, listening the Willie the conductor play the banjo. Sheldon's new friend Eric had also insisted that it would be no inconvenience to him to break his trip here and join them for music and more train talk. Normally Sheldon would have found the stylings of a 9-fingered banjo player fascinating. Trying to pull himself together, Sheldon attempted to focus on the middle aged bald man playing "Black Mountain Rag" across the room, all nine digits flying. Then, out of the corner of his eye, Sheldon saw Amy sigh. Sheldon was accustomed to people sighing in his presence, but this was the first time that it actually had a physical effect on him. The sight of Amy's breasts rising and falling caused a visceral reaction as he remembered how those soft curves had felt not long ago, pressed against him, causing a painful longing in his groin and his superior brain to go soft and fuzzy.

Amy had been unusually quiet since their return, sitting not close enough to touch, but close enough that Sheldon could feel the warmth of her body. Unable to resist the opportunity to be closer to her, Sheldon leaned over and said, "Amy, are you all right?" The smell of her shampoo tickled his nose and Sheldon suddenly was hit with the vision of how her hair would look splayed across his chest.

"Yes Sheldon, I'm fine, just a little tired." Amy's voice was breathier than usual and there was a distracted look in her eyes.

Sensing that this was her opportunity to escape, Amy went on to say, "It has been a long day and I've had a bit too much wine. Would you be so kind as to excuse me? I think it's my bedtime."

Uncharacteristically, Sheldon started to rise to join her, hoping for an opportunity to walk Amy to her door. Her hand on his shoulder stilled him, "No, stay and enjoy your concert. Willie is a great banjo player and Eric came all the way out here to spend more time with you." Disappointment rose in Sheldon's chest. What just happened? Here he was being serenaded by an actual train conductor, and all he could think about was Amy. As she got up to leave, Amy's hip brushed Sheldon's arm. Sheldon found himself clenching his fists, forcing himself not to reach for her. As someone who had a lifelong phobia about touching, Sheldon was unprepared for the powerful longing that the kiss had awakened in him. Suddenly all he wanted was to feel Amy's soft, warm skin and taste the chocolately sweetness of her kiss again. There was a deeper, darker, stronger longing too, one that Sheldon was afraid to identify, so foreign was it to him and so dangerous did it feel.

Amy rose slowly and forced herself to walk out of the room. She could feel Sheldon's eyes burning a hole in her back, but willed herself not to turn around. Her emotions had been out of control all night. After years of longing for Sheldon and trying to convince herself that she, like him, was satisfied with a relationship of the mind, she had experienced a brief moment of bliss tonight and was terrified that it would never happen again. When Sheldon had taken her in his arms earlier on the train, the quiet secret that had been whispering in heart since almost the day she had met him had exploded in her head. She, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, was madly, desperately, and passionately in love with Dr. Sheldon Cooper. She wanted him in every way it was possible for a woman to want a man, and loved him beyond all reason. Sheldon was brilliant and strange and beautiful in ways that no man had ever been or would ever be again. Amy was terrified of losing him. The kiss had made Amy realize that the world of possibilities she had been dreaming of with Sheldon might actually exist, or perhaps if she wanted too much he would walk away forever. He, too, had been acting strangely since the kiss. Was he regretting it? It was not like Sheldon to be tactful, but maybe he was trying to think of a way to let her know that the kiss had been a mistake and that it was only a byproduct of his anger and was something that would never happen again.

Letting herself back into her room, Amy looked at the big bed with the down comforter and sighed again, knowing how large it would feel with just her to occupy it. Amy walked to the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror. Never one for vanity, she did think she looked different tonight - her eyes were sparkling and her cheeks were still flushed. Amy let her hair down and slowly brushed it until it shone. She scrubbed the minimal makeup off her face and then walked over to her overnight bag to pull out her sensible flannel nightie ... and cursed loudly. In place of her usual nightgown, someone (there were two possible blonde culprits) had swapped a scandalous black teddy made of barely there satin and lace. Apparently one or both blondes had decided to help Cupid along by making Amy decide between the negligee' or sleeping naked. Reluctantly, Amy slipped the garment over her head. The teddy grazed her body in all the right places, plunging in the front and showing an impressive expanse of creamy cleavage that no one ever got to see due to Amy's fondness for layers and cardigans.

Amy pulled back the lighter than air comforter and slid into bed. Used to wearing a full length nightgown, Amy luxuriated in the feel of her nude, long, smooth legs sliding against the cool sheets. She stared at the door that adjoined her room to Sheldon's, remembering his signature knock on it earlier tonight - "Knock knock knock, Amy, knock knock knock, Amy, knock knock knock, Amy. Are you ready?" Though they weren't sharing a room, it had felt incredibly intimate to have Sheldon collect her for their date through that shared door and now as she drifted off to sleep, Amy smiled, knowing he would soon be sleeping no farther away than the other side of the door.

Two hours later, Sheldon tossed restlessly in bed. What was wrong with him? The room was the perfect temperature, the curtains kept the room adequately dark and the firm mattress provided the correct amount of lumbar support, so why couldn't he sleep? He had to hand it to Amy, she did her research. She had found a Bed and Breakfast that met all of his exacting criteria and Sheldon couldn't help but be impressed. In addition to her attention to detail and keen intellect, Amy understood him in ways no one ever had, not even Meemaw. Those things about him that other people seemed to find annoying, Amy found endearing. This realization caused the darker longing to stir in his chest again and Sheldon flopped over on his side, trying to squelch it. Unfortunately, this placed him facing the door that connected his room to Amy's and he found himself wondering what she w as doing. Was she able to fall asleep immediately or was she plagued with the same restlessness that he was?

Almost in answer to his question, Sheldon heard Amy cry out. There was no mistaking the sound, she was terrified and Sheldon was out of bed like a shot. Fear for her safety made Sheldon ignore his customary habit of knocking and he burst through the door into her room, calling her name. He was met with the frightening sight of her thrashing around under the covers, calling out in fear. Sheldon ran to the bed, pulled back the covers and reached for her. At first Amy fought him, flailing around in his arms but finally her eyes opened and her body stilled. "Shel ... Sheldon ... what are you doing in here?" she stammered.

"You were crying out. You sounded frightened" he explained, still reluctant to let go of her. Sheldon could feel Amy's heart pounding hard against him. Then Sheldon, who never noticed what a woman wore, suddenly became very aware of what Amy was wearing. One strap of the black teddy had slipped off her shoulder and the curve of one very full breast was almost entirely on display. Amy's nipples were hard and clearly visible through the thin fabric and her chest was heaving from her fright. Sheldon could feel the heat of her body and its softness and was immediately aware that there was hardly anything between his hands and her skin. As he stroked her back in an effort to comfort her he was horrified to realize that he had grown hard, his erection throbbing and insistent.

"It's OK, it's just night terrors. I've had them all my life. I'm glad I didn't bite you when you woke me up. I do that sometimes" explained Amy in shaky voice. As the fear of the dream subsided, Amy was suddenly overtaken by another emotion entirely. She was in Sheldon's arms. In bed. And he was stroking her. The negligee and matching barely-there panties did not seem like much protection from the powerful emotions that were threatening to overtake her. If she didn't get Sheldon out of her bed quickly Amy was afraid she would tear the tiny strips of lace off herself and beg him to take her. "I'm all right now, I'm sorry I woke you" Amy said softly, giving Sheldon his cue to leave.

Sheldon stared down at Amy for moment and then murmured in a husky voice, "Maybe I wanted you to bite me."

For a moment Amy couldn't believe her ears. Was it possible that her heart was pounding so loud that she had misheard him? Then Sheldon's hands slipped down Amy's back and over her hips. Her teddy had ridden up during her wild thrashing and for the briefest moment Sheldon's long fingers toyed with the hem and then with a shudder of surrender and a moan deep in his throat, his hands dropped further and cupped Amy's round, firm ass cheeks. The lace thong Amy wore provided no protection from Sheldon's strong, insistent hands.

Amy gasped and her back arched, seemingly of its own volition. As Sheldon's fingers gently massaged her ass, Amy knew her internal battle was over. Wherever this night took them, Amy could no longer deny herself what she wanted most in the world. Leaning forward, Amy gently wrapped her arms around Sheldon's neck. During her lonely teenage years Amy had read many steamy romance novels, so she had a basic idea of what to do next. If Sheldon wanted to be bitten, Amy was determined to do it right. Pressing even closer to Sheldon, Amy slowly licked his earlobe and then blew on it. She was rewarded by the shiver that went through his body. Feeling encouraged, Amy then took the earlobe between her teeth and gently nipped on it. Sheldon responded by digging his fingers deeper into her soft buttocks. Working her way down, Amy dropped gentle kisses down Sheldon's jaw and neck. When she found his pulse point where his neck met his clavicle, she nipped him again, feeling the strong pounding of his heart rate begin to accelerate as she caught jugular beneath her teeth.

"Amy ..." Sheldon growled. "Amy ..." and then, because he couldn't help himself, "Amy ..." as he reached up and slid the lace panties off her. He was reaching up to do the same with her teddy when Amy said, "Not fair Sheldon. It's my turn."

Gazing into Sheldon's beautiful blue eyes, Amy reached up with shaking hands to unbutton his nightshirt. Sheldon held her gaze, staring at her with an inscrutable expression which Amy wished desperately that she could read. Once Sheldon's shirt was unbuttoned, Amy slid it off his shoulders and proceeded to work her way down his lean, hard chest, kissing and nuzzling and nipping. Sheldon's hands came up and buried themselves in her hair. When Amy came to the waistband of Sheldon's pajama pants, she paused. It was the first time she had noticed the enormous erection that was straining the limits of Sheldon's pants. With a tentative hand, Amy reached out and stroked it.

The infernal woman was trying to kill him. Gone was the man of science. Sheldon's entire being was boiling with passion and only the example 30+ years of watching Mr. Spock conquer his emotions was keeping Sheldon from ripping the rest of Amy's clothing from her body and mounting her, immediately. "Amy, please ..." he moaned.

"Please what, Sheldon?" Amy asked innocently as she slid her warm hand under the waistband of his pajamas. "Please do this?" as her fingers slipped softly over his shaft. "Or this?" as she wrapped that small, warm hand around his erection. "Or maybe this?" as she began to stroke him.

The last of his control slipping, Sheldon pulled Amy's hand out of his pants and leapt out of the bed. Amy looked up at him with hurt eyes, misunderstanding. Sheldon generally struggled when trying to read other's emotions but he knew what he must do now. "Amy, will you be my Valentine?" he murmured reassuringly, as he removed his pants. Amy gaped at Sheldon he slid back into the bed, completely nude and gloriously hard. Pulling her to him, Sheldon slowly explored Amy's body. Struggling for a sense of control he did not feel, he whispered, "Lift up your arms" and then slowly slid the satin and lace up Amy's body and over her head. Sheldon's hands cupped Amy's ample breasts, fingers sliding over the gloriously soft, firm flesh, his thumbs circling her nipples. And the balance of power shifted again.

"Oh god Sheldon" Amy moaned. She began to rock her hips against him, pressing closer to that hard, immense erection that held the promise of paradise. "Sheldon, I need you. Please."

All at once, the dark longing stirred again inside Sheldon. This wasn't just his lust, it was so much more. In a flood it came back to him, the night Amy had been attracted to Zack, Penny's brainless ex-boyfriend. The night Amy had gone to the wedding with Leonard, who had enjoyed the night a little too much, causing Sheldon to strike his friend and make his position plain by saying, "Not for you." The night that Amy had gone to the movies with Stuart, and Sheldon's subsequent jealousy driving him to ask Amy to be his girlfriend and to sign The Relationship Agreement, cementing their relationship. But the dark longing whispered that a piece of paper wasn't enough. Sheldon finally admitted to himself that Amy had been driving him crazy ever since he had walked into that coffee shop on their blind date all those years ago. Sheldon needed to CLAIM Amy.

The kiss earlier tonight had started them down this road. Sheldon had waited all night to kiss her again and he could wait no longer. Taking her face tenderly in his hands, Sheldon once again lowered his mouth to Amy's. Her lips tasted even better than the first time, this time clean and minty with no hint of wine. When Sheldon had read the book Leonard had given him, it had made this process sound so clinical. At the time Sheldon had not realized how much of this was instinctual. When Amy's lips parted under his, it was with a soft moan of surrender. Sheldon's hand moved to cup the soft swell of her breast as he touched her tongue with his. Knowing Amy was a virgin, Sheldon fought to take it slow and easy with her, even though he was consumed with a stark need for more. Sheldon finally admitted to himself that he had been craving the touch of Amy's lips again ever since the kiss on the train, and he plunged his tongue deeper inside her mouth, where her tongue tangled with his in a pleasurable whirl of desire. As they kissed, a distant part of Sheldon's mind flashed to all the things that Amy had done for him over the years - laughing with him, plotting with him, holding him when he was upset, cooking his favorite foods, playing Star Trek doctor with him - and the dark longing started to come into the light.

Sheldon's hands roamed as he took inventory of Amy's body. Her strong, lean arms. The smooth line of her stomach. The shapely curve of her thighs. Her high, large, round breasts with the impossibly soft, silky skin. Her delectable mouth. Suddenly Amy was temptation personified, and he couldn't resist any part of her. The knowledge that all of this beauty was usually kept hidden under layers of clothing and was his secret alone to know made Sheldon feel powerful. "Amy ..." Sheldon breathed as he rolled over on top of her and moved up onto his knees, taking his place between her thighs. Drawing on his courage, Sheldon reached out to touch the one place he hadn't dared yet.

Tentatively at first, Sheldon slid his index finger along Amy's damp crevice where her body was pink and perfect. Emboldened by Amy's moans of pleasure he found that certain spot he had read about and ran his thumb in circles over it, watching fascinated as Amy closed her eyes and rocked her hips off the bed in pleasure. OK, so maybe the book did have some merit. Continuing to follow the book's sage advice, Sheldon inserted a finger inside Amy and found her swollen, hot and wet. Instinct started to assert itself and it was all Sheldon could do not to take Amy wildly and immediately. Watching Amy's face for every nuance of reaction like the scientist he was, Sheldon played with her sex ... light, teasing strokes interspersed with firmer pressure. Amy's body bloomed for him, the spicy scent of her making him drunk with hunger. Keeping his thumb on the little bud that encompassed her pleasure center, Sheldon slid a second finger inside, stretching her sheath. Squeezing around his fingers, Amy let Sheldon imagine what that would feel like around his shaft and moaned, "You, Sheldon, I need YOU."

"Look at me Amy" Sheldon ordered. His eyes were so dark they appeared black and his hands were shaking with need for her.

"Sheldon ..." Amy breathed the word on a moan as his legs tangled with hers and he positioned the head of his sex at her opening. He was big, so much bigger than she had previously guessed, and she shivered with fear and delicious anticipation.

Sheldon's expression was a mask of frayed control, jaw clenched, teeth ground together. Years of denying his passions, his desires, had all come together in this moment, with this woman, HIS woman. At the first push of his rigid length, Amy lost her breath. Everything in the room stood still. There was a sharp stab of pain as she gave him her virginity and then her body strained to accommodate him. "Too much?" he asked, his voice raw.

"No." Amy concentrated on relaxing, though everything inside her seemed would tight. "I want all of you." Her declaration made him shudder. Steadily, he forced his way in. Amy felt his penetration in every inch of her soul. When he was all the way inside her, Amy wrapped her legs around his waist and squeezed.

"I don't want to hurt you, Amy" Sheldon rasped.

"Then don't stop, Sheldon." And the last of Sheldon's tightly wound control slipped. In some sane corner of his mind, he knew it. But Amy, HIS amazing Amy, milked the length of him every time he withdrew, and on the down-stroke arched her back, taking him deeper with each successive thrust. Her legs had his waist in a vise. Amy's fingernails dug into his back. He relished the discomfort, found his arousal ratcheting up by a degree each time she cried out his name and marked his flesh. Nothing in the book prepared Sheldon for the feel of her as she tightened on his shaft, her release dangerously close.

"Say it Amy" Sheldon ordered through clenched teeth. "Tell me now."

"What, Sheldon, what?" Amy panted as Sheldon rode her faster and faster.

"Tell me that you're mine, that you BELONG to me, that you will always be mine" Sheldon ordered, but with a raw edge to his voice like his life depended on it.

Looking him in the eye, Amy told Sheldon the absolute truth. "I am yours and yours alone Sheldon Cooper. I have been since the moment we met, and I always will be. YOURS", the declaration taking her over the edge to her exquisite climax. Finally giving himself permission, Sheldon slammed into Amy without reason, driven by her words and a need he never knew existed until he exploded in a white-hot flash of lust, yelling Amy's name over and over again. Amy was his, he had claimed her.

When his shuddering finally stopped, Sheldon gently rolled off Amy to keep from crushing her under his greater weight. The second their bodies broke contact, he missed her, so he immediately reached out and drew her to him, cradling her length against his. Both breathing hard, the room filled with the smell of their sex, Amy thought to herself that she finally realized what the big deal concerning coitus was about. Suddenly shy after their act of intimacy, Amy kept her eyes cast down.

Sheldon was gazing down at her, willing her to look at him. Finally he reached for her and tilted her chin up and was almost knocked over by the emotion in her eyes. No one, not even Sheldon Cooper, could miss the love shining out of Amy Farrah Fowler's eyes. It was like time stopped as they gazed at each other. Suddenly the dark longing that had been tearing at Sheldon all night burst forth and his brilliant mind had a moment of pure self-realization. He was in love with Amy Farrah Fowler. Now that he recognized it for what it was, the longing transformed into something pure and bright and beautiful. And Sheldon had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

"I guess we should get some sleep" murmured Amy, who was unnerved by Sheldon's silence.

Another moment passed with Sheldon quietly staring at her. Finally he seemed to win an internal battle with himself and whispered softly, "Amy, what I said earlier ... about you being mine?"

"Yes?" Amy replied, her heart in her throat.

"Sheldon took a deep breath. "I believe I would like to, once again, alter the paradigm of our relationship."

"I'm listening," said Amy, still trying not to get her hopes up.

"With the understanding that nothing changes what so ever - well, except for the physical, obviously - I would not object to us no longer characterizing me as not in love with you."

Amy stifled a grin. "Maybe without the quadruple negative this time?"

Sheldon twitched uncomfortably next to her and then opened his heart. "I love you Amy. You are the most extraordinary woman I have ever know. You have a fine mind, a keen intellect, a kind heart and are my ideal companion. When I kissed you tonight it was because I have been longing to do it almost since the first day we met. Once I finally allowed myself to give in to my desire for you, I couldn't stop, and I don't think I'll ever be able to stop. I love you. For the first time in my life, I finally understand what that means, and I have you to thank for it."

Tears coursed down Amy's face as she realized she had just been given everything she had ever wanted. "I love you too Sheldon, with all my heart."

When they finally settled down to sleep, Sheldon had another realization. Earlier in the week Amy had been nagging him to come up with pet name for her. Defending himself against her browbeating and unwilling to be forced into coming up with a name, he had made unflattering suggestions like "Gollum" and "Flakey." Now he realized that she had had a pet name all along.

Holding her close, he whispered in her ear, "Goodnight, Vixen."

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