Title: Bold And Intoxicating
Fandom: The Big Bang Theory
Summary: Sheldon gets drunk one night much to the surprise of Leonard.
Word Count: 1,509
Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Bang Theory.
...
Loud, echoing noises sounded from their living room traveling down the hallway to Leonard's bedroom.
A thump and then nothing but silence. Leonard rolled over in his bed having been awakened from the clattering.
Hastily sitting up he pulled on his tattered haematic colored robe and clamored out into the hallway out towards their living room area.
"Sheldon?" he asked incredulously.
Sure enough, his eccentric room mate was splayed across the wooden floorboards on his stomach having tripped on the two steps leading up and over towards their hallway.
He seemed rather out of it and remained where he was for a moment before rising up onto his knees in a somewhat kneeling position. He innocently gazed up at his best friend, eyes shining slightly with some kind of hidden depth.
"Sheldon! What are you doing?! It's two o'clock in the morning!" Leonard scolded hands firmly planted on his hips. Staring down at the man a mixed look of both crossness and perplexity danced across his features. He couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of deja vu as well.
"I'm... uh... " The man trailed off quietly. He seemed sidetracked or possibly... could it be he was drunk? No, no way.
Leonard watched the scientist slowly come to a standing position although he had to brace himself more than once against the side of Leonard's chair. He leaned against it for a moment shakily, his piercing electric blue eyes coming up to meet the shorter man's.
"I've just had the most interesting night, Leonard." he swayed a bit and slurred his words together all at once.
"Are you drunk?!" was all that the tiny man could utter as he shifted his glasses on his face and squinted up at the man.
Sheldon swallowed seemingly nervous about his next step. He swayed again catching himself on the arm rest of the chair and deciding to simply sit down on it rather than trying to remain standing. Leonard's hand instinctively reached out to catch his friend to prevent him from falling and the scientist suddenly felt very warm and feverish. He smiled sweetly at the bespectacled homunculus, a man with whom he had been proud to call himself friends with for nine years.
"Sheldon... " Leonard muttered, his voice filled with reproach.
The man was clearly drunk which was shocking to say the very least. This man which Leonard had grown to know very, very well never drank. He wouldn't even drink coffee lest he become addicted to the caffeine in it and then feel guilty about breaking his promise to his mother. He'd assured her he wouldn't 'do any drugs while living in Gomorrah'. So, needless to say it was very strange for the physicist to look upon this man, this straight laced guy and witness this moment of disgrace.
This renowned scientist, this brilliant man appeared to be completely trashed, head swimming with alcohol and Leonard just did not know how to deal with the situation. He was often confronted with strange and unusual situations when it came to his room mate but this... this was really out there.
"Sheldon... you're drunk. What's going on? What's wrong? Why... why are you drunk?"
Sheldon's eyes were having trouble focusing as he looked all around the room, everywhere he could but his friend's face. Finally, licking his lips he peered into the russet brown eyes of the man as his smile broadened into a wild grin.
"I had to... I had to have a drink because..."
He didn't finish his statement much to Leonard's irritation. He was getting really impatient. It was 2AM and they had work in the morning, in six hours none the less. He was getting nowhere. He reached out for the man's shoulder shaking him slightly to bring his attention fully back to him hoping that the effect would speed up his inner monologue and thus their conversation.
Sheldon's eyes flicked back up to his own shyly. "I'm drunk. I think I need to lie down."
Leonard sighed. It was clear he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Already resigning himself to dealing with yet another one of Sheldon's random moods he reached under his friend's arms lifting him up to a standing stance, then heaving the man up under one of his arms he carefully steered him towards the hallway.
They began walking/stumbling towards their bedrooms and eventually made their way there albeit very slowly. Leonard briefly considered taking him into his own in an effort to keep an eye on Sheldon but ultimately decided that that was silly and he was exhausted and continued on towards Sheldon's own bedroom at the end of the hall.
As they entered, Leonard stumbled slightly having to reach out blindly for the light switch. Sheldon was being no help at all leaning entirely on the smaller man and nearly falling twice. He was obviously quite intoxicated and probably 'black out' drunk.
Finally collapsing onto the man's bed he was able to sit up and rest for a moment before realizing his friend had flopped down onto his back. He wondered just what exactly had gotten into the physicist to make him drink and to drink so much that he was nearly unconscious. He decided to try asking once more.
"Sheldon... what's wrong? Why... why did you get drunk? This is so unlike you. You probably won't remember this in the morning at all."
"I will. Yes... I will. Leonard, I'm not... I'm not that drunk." Sheldon slurred attempting to sit up on the edge of the bed but failing tremendously. He was just sort of wiggling around, his back seemingly glued to the bed.
Leonard watched in amusement, his brown eyes shining with humor and mirth.
"I'm not. I just... I had to drink because I was very sad. Leonard... very sad." he muttered finally achieving an upright position poised on the edge of the bed.
The curly haired man nodded at him halfheartedly only slightly listening at his drunken ramblings. He was really very tired. He wished he were in his own bed just sleeping. He was so spent. Why was it that his room mate always seemed to cause problems at the very worst of times? He wished he could say this was the first or even second time he'd been dragged out of bed in the middle of the night by his insane friend but no... no, this had happened too many times to count.
Leonard began to stand stumbling just slightly as he tried to make his way towards his own bedroom to retire for the night.
"Leonard?" that calm, innocent sounding voice questioned.
"Yes, Sheldon?" he sighed irritably reclining against the door frame.
"Will you just... stay here tonight? Please?"
Leonard glanced at the man. He was sitting upright, perched on the edge of his bed, his eyes as big as saucers. He was nervously wringing his hands together and Leonard couldn't quite understand just what he had to be so nervous about. Overall, the scene before him was really throwing him for a loop.
"And where am I supposed to sleep?" he queried fiercely.
"Well... in the bed with me, of course."
It struck Leonard how calm and rational Sheldon suddenly sounded. Then again, he always sounded like that, like he was just trying to help by correcting your terrible grammar.
The theoretical physicist pushed off the door frame and moved back towards the bed. He must have missed a step though because he soon found himself falling down onto the soft mattress. Leonard twisted around onto his back and a moment later felt Sheldon grasp at his worn robe roughly.
"Please?" Sheldon asked him peering quietly down into the brown eyes of the shorter, hobbit like man.
"Uh... " Leonard trailed off finding himself become drunk in the gaze of the laser beam blue eyes as he stared back at them wearily. He was also quite tired and sleep deprived. Had he mentioned that already? He wondered vaguely just when was the last time he had received a decent night's sleep? He decided it had to have been before moving in with this lunatic so... nearly nine years ago. No wonder he was tired.
Leonard bobbed his head up and down agreeing to something he wasn't quite sure was a good idea but not really caring at the moment. He turned himself over and began to stretch out next to the man crawling beneath the heavy covers that lay across the bed. Sheldon remained still leaning against the headboard at his backside.
Snuggling beneath the warm blankets Leonard felt himself close his eyes and begin to drift off to sleep happy to finally rest once more.
A silence passed over the room as Sheldon maneuvered back and forth sinking below the covers next to his friend. He glanced warily at him before finally shutting his eyes and falling into a deep, inebriated sleep.