Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. The opening song is "For the First Time" by The Script.

Enjoy!


She's all laid up in bed with a broken heart. While I'm drinking Jack all alone at my local bar. And I don't know how, how we got into this mad situation. Doing things out of frustration. Trying to make it work but man these times are hard...

Sheldon buried his head in his hands. The song blaring out of the restaurant's sub-par audio system was too close to the truth for comfort. Well, granted he wasn't drinking Jack at a bar (God forbid), but she was really all laid up in bed with a broken heart. He knew. He heard a bed creaking and sniffles.

Sheldon kept thinking. This was completely unlike him. He felt as if he needed to do something to alleviate the situation, or the tension would literally kill him. Maybe this was what Leonard felt on a daily basis. How people could live like this was beyond even his gigantic intellect.

A man with characteristically squinty eyes and tousled hair announced his presence at that moment.

"Sheldon, hey, I've been looking everywhere for you."

"Well, I suppose you've found me. Unfortunately."

"No wait, what's the matter? You seemed fine just a few hours ago."

Leonard's voice was becoming increasingly annoying by the minute.

"As you can see, I continue to be – fine. Now if you will please leave. I have had enough of the pleasure of your company tonight."

"Something's wrong. Come on, tell me. I'm sure you included something about mutual care in our Roommate Contract."

"No, something like that would fall under the category of Friendly Intimacy, which has no place in a proper Roommate Contract such as ours."

Leonard tilted his head. "Alright. Fine. I'm leaving. But I just want you to know that I'm always here to listen."

Sheldon scoffed and turned away. "As if I'd ever need your advice on my life."

Leonard sighed, exasperated at his surly friend. "Bye."

The second Leonard left, Sheldon whimpered and started sobbing in earnest.


"Penny? Penny? Penny!"

A voice floated out from the depths of the apartment. "Ugh...I'm coming."

Then a face, disheveled beyond recognition, appeared.

"What."

"I am truly sorry for what I did. I would do anything, even endeavor to be more socially acceptable around you, if you would forgive me."

Sheldon was trembling awfully, and could feel an unfamiliar hot feeling rising up his cheeks. Unfortunately, Penny just stood there, mouth agape.

"Penny. Are you alright?"

She brusquely shook her head. "Yeah yeah I'm fine. Sweetie, it's not even your fault! It's just that jerk Zack who's been really messing with me lately. I can't be mad at you!"

Sheldon's expression brightened exponentially. "Well, that's a relief! You know, I came up with three different hypotheses on why you would be angry with me, and all of them had an equal probability of being correct! It's amazing how social situations can baffle me sometimes. I—"

Penny smiled. "Sheldon, you can stop talking now. The situation is under control. Wanna come in?"

"Sure."

He gamely followed her to the couch

Penny snuggled into his chest. His clean scent was much more comforting than the alcoholic odors of boyfriends past.

However, he was still sitting like a stick, not daring to move a muscle.

"Sheldon. Do you have to immobilize yourself every time someone gets near you?"

"I find it an effective method of getting rid of them, actually."

She rolled her eyes.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

Sheldon twitched one side of his mouth. "Well, no...that would be incredibly rude! You're my friend, Penny. If Howard were leaning on me like you're doing so right now..."

"Are you sure you want to go there?"

"...No. Fine." Disregarding her laugh, he continued. "You're a girl, and girls have feelings. I know, because of the extensive research I've conducted on your sex. I also know that hurting said feelings would result in massive outpourings of emotion that I do not feel inclined to respond to at any point of my life."

"Do you ever run out of breath when you're talking?"

"That's ridiculous! I'll have you know that I've mastered the art of breathing regularly."

"That's good. Because if you fainted from lack of breath in the middle of a lecture, I don't think I could survive my own laughing fit."

Looking at Sheldon's quizzical expression, she smiled. "Bazinga."