A/N: I would apologize in advance but I'm not sorry. This chapter is basically just me drooling over Jim Parsons. You're welcome.


Surprise Kiss

Sunday saw her working the breakfast shift, so she was awake in time to see the guys before their paintball game. She just went over for coffee (and for the company, let's be honest, there's a reason she's not a morning person; mornings are lonely) but walked in on their strategy meeting.

"The Geologists have clearly been practicing their teamwork," Sheldon was saying. "So we need to split them up." He was using chess pieces to demonstrate the movements he wanted. He picked up the white king and placed it in front of the line of black pawns. "I'll take point. I'm the best shot of the four of us and likely to take out the majority of them." He picked up a white bishop and set it behind and to the left of his king. "Leonard, you'll cover me and flank left." Next he put a white rook behind and to the right of the king, but slightly behind the bishop, making a lopsided V. "Raj, you're the second best shot and you've got the rage to back it up when you're in the mood. We'll need that rage today. You'll need to flank them after we've split them up. Give 'em hell." Raj nodded. Lastly, Sheldon picked up a white pawn and put it in the far rear, making it a strange diamond. "Howard, that leaves you to cover Raj and Leonard. It won't be easy. The Geologists aren't afraid of digging trenches and those dirty bastards will hide. You'll have to keep a sharp eye out."

Penny listened to this as she made her coffee. She smiled as she realized he picked the pieces as he saw the others; the useful but limited bishop and rook, and the extremely limited but opportunistic pawn, and of course the king for himself.

She'd shared two kisses with him in as many days and they had changed the way she looked at him. Before there had been fond annoyance and good-natured scowling. Now she noticed things about him. The camouflage getup was unflattering, but that doesn't necessarily reflect badly on him; it didn't even look that good on her. But his neck was slender. The contrast of his dark hair and pale skin was striking. His eyebrows arched gracefully. He rarely truly smiled, but when he did it softened his face. His smirk, which was much more frequent given his penchant for smugness, was strangely alluring. No wonder all the grad students flocked to him. He's got smarts and looks.

"You guys could do with a sniper," she said as she passed behind the couch. She noticed the white queen on Sheldon's end table and hid her smile behind her coffee cup.

"Yes, well, you work this morning," Sheldon said, annoyed. If they weren't arguing and actually worke together, Penny was their sniper on the rare occasions she accompanied them.

Penny smirked and stood behind him. "I have next Sunday off. If you can come up with a good enough reward for me to wake up before 11am on a weekend I'll be your sniper."

Penny bent down to kiss him on the cheek to complete her teasing, but he felt her hair on his neck and turned to face her, so her kiss landed on his lips. Given the last two days, it was less surprising for them, but the other three weren't so inured.

"Woah!" they all exclaimed, completely expecting Sheldon to pull away in revulsion and sprint to the bathroom.

"Woops!" Penny laughed. "I was going for your cheek but you moved."

"I'm sure," Sheldon replied, pursing his lips. "At least you're not wearing lipstick this morning. I'll consider your proposal."

"Oh!" Penny exclaimed, moving to the door once more. "That reminds me, I have to get ready for work. You guys have fun today."

When she was gone the guys all started at once.

"What the hell?" Howard exclaimed.

"Why are you not freaking out?" Leonard wondered.

"Are her lips as soft as they look?" Raj asked and they all looked at him questioningly. "What, you were wondering too, don't lie." Howard nodded and Leonard tilted his head as though to say 'fair enough.'

Sheldon sighed. "Howard you saw what happened. She went to kiss my cheek, but I turned and she missed. Leonard, that was hardly my first kiss, I know how to handle them. And Raj..." he paused. "I've never stopped to consider how soft her lips look, but upon reflection, she does use a variety of lip products to promote softness, so I suppose yes, they are as soft as they look."

"I thought so," Raj said, smiling.

Sheldon stood and grabbed his helmet off the arm of th couch. "Alright, I think we're actually adequately prepared for battle for once. Let's get a move on. I have to find a way to bribe Penny into waking up before 11 on a weekend." But even as he said it, an idea began to form.

I might be able to get more than a sniper out of this bribe.