It had been a week since Howard's bet and the signing of the contract, and Sheldon hadn't made a single move. Leonard noticed this with some glee. He figured the lanky genius had given up such a thing he considered of little interest in pursuit of other more science related ventures. He'd been keeping a close eye on his room mate, and Sheldon had not once gone across the hall to pester Penny in any way, shape, or form.

So when Penny knocked once and barged in that evening to crash their dinner, he wasn't worried. "Hey guys!" She smiled happily at them.

"Hey Penny!" Leonard greeted her eagerly from his chair. "It's Thai night and we're watching Raiders of the Lost Ark. Join us?"

Sheldon nodded toward her. "Hello." He went back to his orange chicken.

Penny sat down on the couch next to Sheldon and grabbed an egg roll. "But Jersey Shore is on!" She protested, expecting Sheldon's usual lecture about how she could always bother to pay her cable bill and watch it in her own apartment.

He didn't disappoint. "Penny. As much as you seem obsessed with inconcise documentaries about the Jersey Shore, tonight is adventure movie night."

Penny knew 'her' boys all too well. She would take over the TV, Sheldon would complain for a few minutes until Leonard stepped in and distracted him. She had to admit, she did kind of enjoy how Leonard's crush on her tended to make him do what she wanted. She didn't think it was too bad. After all, she really was his friend, and did favors for him all the time, like driving Sheldon around. She didn't lead him on, she just didn't discourage him. After all, he was kinda cute.

"You want me to give up a new episode of Jersey Shore so you can watch some movie from the 70s that you probably have three copies of on DVD?" She rolled her eyes and reached for the remote on the coffee table.

A firm hand was suddenly enclosing around Penny's wrist. She looked up, surprised. Leonard and Penny both sat in stunned silence.

Sheldon's hand pulled hers away from the remote. She was so surprised that the guy who cringed when someone even accidentally brushed against him, was willingly touching her, she didn't even protest.

Her eyes met his questioningly.

"The movie is from 1981, not the 1970s, and we only have one copy of it. You might be interested to know that this is my television, Penny. If I wish to watch a classic movie repeatedly without pause, I will." His voice held an authority to it that caused the blond to look uncertain about pushing the issue with him. It was probably the first time she'd ever felt like she had to back down before she ever got started.

He released her wrist, his eyes still locked on hers. There was no challenge in them, just a cool, calm confidence that brooked no argument. A moment later, he went back to his chicken, his eyes on the movie. Penny continued to stare at him. Leonard frowned.

In Leonard's experience, women liked to be treated as equals. Sheldon's approach to Penny bothered him on two levels. One, because he didn't like the idea of Penny being talked down to or 'dominated' in some way by a so-called Alpha Male. The other was he didn't like the effect Sheldon's seemingly subtle and minor display of dominance had on Penny. She not only immediately gave up her quest of watching her show, and not argued with Sheldon about it like she normally would have, but she sat back, watching him with an expression Leonard couldn't read.

What happened to her usual eye roll and look of annoyance? Why hadn't she shoved him away and put him in his place the way she did with any guy who dared try anything on her that she didn't like? Leonard couldn't focus on the movie anymore. The only one who seemed content was Sheldon.

By the time the movie ended, Penny was dozing off beside Sheldon. Her head lolled to the other side, her body slightly slumping back. Leonard got up first. "We should just let her stay here tonight." He quietly informed Sheldon. "She's out cold and you know how she gets when we wake her. I'll get the blankets." He started toward the hallway, when Sheldon spoke up.

"No."

Leonard turned back, scowling. "No?"

"She doesn't need to stay the night here. When she stays the night here, she inevitably sleeps in, taking up my spot in the morning and delaying my morning schedule. She needs to go home."

"Oh, come on, Sheldon! Give a little. She's exhausted! She can't-" Leonard stopped himself when realization hit him. If Sheldon woke Penny up, he would have a very irritated Penny on his hands. It wouldn't help him win the bet and certainly wouldn't make Penny happy with him. He hid a smile. "Alright." He folded his arms. "Fine. But if you don't want her here, you wake her and tell her."

"Alright." Sheldon nodded in agreement. He got up to finish cleaning up after dinner. After his third trip back from the kitchen, he bent down and gently, but solidly, shook Penny's shoulder. An action that made Leonard stare in shock. Here Sheldon was, once again, willingly touching another human being! Normally, he would have just spoken to wake her up, not ever laying a hand on her.

"Mmph, what?!" Penny mumbled tiredly, slapping at the hand that was shaking her. Sheldon's other hand caught her hand, mid-flight, and pressed it down to the couch cushion beside her. Penny's eyes popped wide open and she found herself staring directly into the bright blue eyes of Sheldon Cooper. He was bending over her, one hand on her shoulder, the other on the opposite hand. Since when did he get so touchy-feely?

"Penny, it's late and time for bed. Go home." Again, he spoke calmly, quietly, not in a taunting way, but firmly.

"Why didn't you just let me sleep over, like I always do?" She questioned, not moving from under his hands, interested to see what he did.

"Because I have grown tired of you taking over my couch when I need it in the mornings. It is also not a good way to obtain a solid REM cycle of sleep. Your bed is the best place for you to heathily get a good amount of sleep. Should you need to stay over due to circumstances other than simply being tired and falling asleep, that can be negotiated. Otherwise, you need to go across the hall to your own bed." He moved his hands from her shoulder and hand and straightened up, stepping back to give her room to move.

Penny was too sleepy to argue. That coupled with the fact that Sheldon initiated physical contact with her twice in the same night, had her not even trying to protest more. She pushed her hands into the couch cushion to help give herself leverage to stand. Her hand slipped before she could fully get her footing and she started to fall back into the couch.

Sheldon's hands shot out and caught her by the upper arms, taking her hands off the couch, and keeping her upright at the same time. He pulled her fully to her feet in a strong, careful gesture. He held onto her upper arms, his eyes finding hers as he waited for her to get a good footing. It wasn't as if she would have been hurt simply falling back onto the couch, yet he'd helped her anyway. It was almost as if he were trying to exert his strength in front of her.

Her face flushed slightly as she found her balance and glanced away from him. "Uh, thanks, Sheldon."

Sheldon nodded and released her arms, but this time didn't step out of her way. He stood so close it made it impossible for Penny to leave without having to move around him. She was trapped between the couch and him. Her eyes on the ground, she moved around him, her arm brushing his. He still didn't move or flinch or anything. She stepped around him and toward the door.

"Good night, Penny." Sheldon called to her, watching her.

"Yeah, good night, Penny!" Leonard piped up.

She glanced back at Sheldon, and then to the door again, her face still feeling hot. Why was he staring at her? Why had he kept touching her? Sheldon, of all people, didn't touch people! "Good night, Sheldon!" She called, sounding more alert now as she stepped out the door and closed it behind her. She could still feel the the warmth from his hands on her arms.

Leonard was one unhappy camper. Had Penny actually blushed because of Sheldon? And she forgot to say good night to him! She'd only remembered Sheldon. He waited until they heard Penny's door shut before speaking. "Sheldon, what was that?"

Sheldon turned toward Leonard. "What was what, Leonard?"

"You with Penny! You touched her. Like three times." Leonard pointed out, trying to hide his own insecurities. "You haven't bothered with her all week, and now suddenly all this...Attention."

Sheldon went to get a bottle of water from the fridge as he replied. "My initial inaction wasn't an idle choice. It was the first step toward's displaying my dominance. And the first step is initializing interest in attraction by exerting my dominant position as the Alpha Male. By initiating physical contact and being clear with her about which boundaries I will not allow her to cross, I have given her non verbal cues as to my potential and ideal qualities as 'top dog' as Howard puts it. I did discuss all of this with you just last week, if you recall."

"Okay, but what do you think that's going to do? Sure," Leonard flung a hand toward the apartment front door. "She may have let you get away with that because she's confused and tired, but Penny doesn't want some brute of a guy badgering her."

Sheldon pulled the water from the fridge and arched an eyebrow at this. "How was I badgering her? Really, Leonard, do I need to define the very definition of badgering to you?"

Leonard held up both hands. "No! I just meant...Well, she won't like it if you're disrespectful." He couldn't help saying even though it felt too much like he was helping Sheldon.

Keeping his patience, Sheldon turned back to his friend. "In what way is my asserting that she respect my space and seeing to it that she gets a proper amount of sleep, disrespectful?"

Frustrated, Leonard couldn't think of an answer. He supposed he was just reacting to the oddness of Sheldon trying to attract Penny. But he was right, he hadn't done anything particularly disrespectful or brutish. Plus, considering some of the guys Penny dated, brutish probably wouldn't even have bothered her. It might have even been some kind of turn on for her.

"As I see I've rendered you unsurprisingly speechless, I'm going to bed." Sheldon took his water and left Leonard sitting out on his chair, sulking.

Across the hall in her bed, Penny stared up at the ceiling. What was with Sheldon lately? He hadn't been over to bother her all week, and then when she came over, he'd been so...In control. And not in his usual way of trying to control the world around him. He hadn't just gone on explaining in painful detail why she shouldn't touch his adventure movie time, or the imbalances she would cause if she stayed over all night. Those were the kinds of things she could easily argue and roll her eyes at. But he hadn't done that. He'd just taken action like a lot of the more normal guys she knew might. Except most of them wouldn't do so with quite as awkward a touch as Sheldon had. Even though it had been odd, at least he hadn't done it roughly. If he had, she would have clocked him.

Sheldon never liked touching people. He even said so on many occasions. But, he'd touched her tonight several times. Guys touched her all the time and she thought nothing of it. But, Sheldon was different. Sheldon had to step out of his own comfort zone to approach her in such a way and she appreciated how difficult and different it must have been for him. For whatever reasons, he'd stepped out of it tonight for her. It made her feel special. She rolled over, a slight smile crossing her face until she realized the warm fuzzy feeling she had while thinking this.

Wait a sec, I'm talking about Sheldon Cooper here! Get a grip, Penny!

She shook the feeling and smile away. Sheldon probably just had too much tea and was extra hyper or something, she reasoned. That had to be it. An off night, that was all. But she couldn't help her mind wandering over the strange events of the evening as sleep pulled her in.