A/N: Here it is! Longer than I anticipated, but also better! Gotta love a Sheldon that dances. I do not like the song in this chapter, but we're playing it in marching band and I thought it fit, so...yeah.
Tell me if I missed anything!
The next day everyone sat in the living room of 4A while Penny did Howard's hair in the bathroom. She had brought so many hair products she'd needed two trips. Much complaining on Howard's part and lots of 'shut ups' on Penny's, and one "Well if you would just let me cut it this would be a lot easier!"
After thirty minutes the occupants of the living room stopped listening and started a game of Jenga.
An hour and a half later Penny emerged from the bathroom looking annoyed but accomplished.
"Bernadette. I don't care how you do it. But get that boy a haircut."
Howard walked out of the bathroom oozing self confidence and what Penny was sure he'd call swag, but was really just awkward sexual inuendo. Awkward for everyone else, that is. Penny had moussed his hair within an inch of its life, slicking most of it back but leaving a bit of the front swept to the side, much like when he dressed goth. Coupled with the pinstripe suit, it made him look more normal than anyone thought he could.
"Wow, Howie!" Bernadette exclaimed. "You look hot!"
Howard gave her his 'come hither' look that always freaked everyone else out. "You bet your cute tush I do."
Penny butted in before they could get into it. "Save it for the bedroom, you two." She turned to Sheldon and made to grab his arm. "Your turn, Sheldon."
Sheldon shied away from her. "My turn?! My turn for what? You've dressed me up like your own personal Ken doll and you're taking me to what could only be described as an epiliptic's nightmare. What more could you possibly want from me?"
"Your hair," she said. "Not as bad as Howard's, but we can do something with it."
Sheldon looked scandalized. "Penny, there is absoutely nothing wrong with my hair. Not a one is out of place."
Penny smiled and said "That's the point, Sweetie. You're going to a club, you're not supposed to look immaculate. We'll just mousse it up a little and you can wash it all out when we get home." At his affronted look she added "We'll only be there for a couple of hours, Sheldon. Come on." She ushered him into the bathroom.
"Now sit down and shut up." The bathroom door closed.
"Ok, Sweetie, I'm just gonna wet your hair down with a spray bottle and put a little mousse in it."
Sheldon still grumbled. "I don't see why I have to do this. It's not even Anything Can Happen Thursday. It's Wednesday. Comic Book Night."
Penny rolled her eyes, but didn't stop running her fingers through his hair. "Yes, and you went to the comic book store today. Now you can go to Blush with us. Think of it as...blending in and observing the social interactions of lesser beings. Like how Amy studies monkeys."
"But Amy doesn't dress like a monkey."
"No, but she isn't observing them in their natural habitat, either." She put the finishing touch on his hair and stepped back.
"Point taken," he nodded. "Alright. Continue."
She smiled. "We're done, Sweetie. You can look in the mirror now."
Sheldon stood behind Penny as she washed the product off her hands. "Penny, I look like a miscreant. What would my mother say if she saw me now?"
"She would praise Jesus that her son finally looked like a normal human being." She dried her hands using one of the disposable hand towels they had and turned around. Sheldon was closer than she thought. She could smell him. He smelled clean, like he'd just showered and laundered. Which, of course, he had. She could also feel his body heat and it was warming her in a familiar way, but not one she had ever gotten from Sheldon. She unconsciously leaned a few inches toward him and her eyes fluttered up to meet his.
Sheldon noticed everything. How Penny stopped thinking when she turned around. How she inhaled his scent. How she leaned closer to him. Their eyes locked and he could tell she wanted to kiss him. Her pupils were dilated and her breathing was shallow. Sheldon's mind raced. That was saying a lot, since his mind never stopped. He leaned closer, hesitated, whispered "Are you wearing cherry lipgloss just for me?"
The question caught Penny off guard and she answered truthfully. "Yes."
Satisfied with her answer, Sheldon softly touched his lips to hers. No other contact, just the gentle pressure of a sweet kiss. His heart fluttered in his chest and he felt the 'butterflies' again. He resisted the urge to take her in his arms and instead pulled away.
"We should rejoin the others so we can leave," he said softly.
Penny, unable to trust her voice, nodded.
They re-entered the living room to the others playing the game of Jenga that had started earlier. Leonard looked up right as he was moving a piece and twitched when he saw them, which toppled the whole thing over. If he didn't know better he'd say they'd just made out in the bathroom, but they weren't disheveled enough for that.
Then again, Sheldon had an eye for detail and an eidetic memory.
No. Sheldon doesn't kiss people. Least of all Penny. And certainly not in the bathroom.
Raj noticed the very slight glistening of Sheldon's lips again and knew they'd kissed. He was happy for them.
Howard and Bernadette didn't notice anything, as they were still mostly absorbed in each other. A byproduct of marriage.
Penny broke the almost awkward silence. "Allons-y everybody!" Sheldon smiled at her Doctor Who reference and rolled his eyes at her horrible Nebraska accent butchering the phrase.
They filed out the door and piled into Penny's and Raj's cars. Sheldon and Leonard rode with Penny, Sheldon getting shotgun, of course, and Howard and Bernadette rode with Raj.
When they arrived at the club Penny gave them the 'low-down.'
"Ok guys, normally the door price is ten bucks, but if they let any of you in for free don't question it. If they only let some of you in for free but make others pay, don't complain. Just go with it. It happens."
The bouncer stopped them at the door. "You and you," he pointed at Penny and Bernadette "And you." Sheldon was bewildered when the man pointed at him, but took Penny's advice and didn't question it. "The rest, ten bucks." Leonard, Howard, and Raj payed the man and they all entered.
Immediately their senses were assaulted by flashing lights and loud...
"People call this music?" Sheldon shouted over the noise.
Penny grinned. "Yes, Sheldon! It has rhythm, a melody, and best of all - you can dance to it!" She grabbed his arm and dragged him to the dance floor as J-Lo and Pittbull's On The Floor started. "Dance with me, Sheldon!"
"Penny, I don't-" he started, but she interrupted him. "Don't give me that, you danced with Amy. I know you have a sense of rhythm, just...move with the music. Don't worry about everyone around. Pretend like we're the only ones here."
For a moment it looked as if Sheldon had lost himself in his own mind, but he came back and his gaze was more intense than ever. "If we're alone, then I can do this." He grabbed her waist and pulled her roughly against him, took her left hand in his right and whispered in her ear "Follow my lead. It's a salsa."
At the bar, which was the first place Leondard and Raj went, they were on their third shot. Leonard had straight tequila while Raj had a Buttery Nipple. They downed them quickly and slammed the glasses in unison. They turned around and saw Howard and Bernadette awkwardly dancing, but obviously having fun. Then they saw Penny. Dancing with Sheldon. Very intensely. Raj noticed it was a salsa. Leonard noticed Sheldon was actually touching someone - Penny - very intimately. Sheldon's eyes never left Penny's as they danced. It was as if they were the only ones on the dancefloor. Everyone moved to accomodate them. Some even stopped to watch. A pretty girl with mousy brown hair sat next to Leonard and commented "They look great together. I wonder how much they practice."
Leonard looked at the girl and thought 'Eh. Why not? She's cute, and obviously Penny's over me.' "Never. As far as I know, this is the first time Sheldon's ever danced with someone who wasn't family." He smiled at her. "My name's Leondard. Can I buy you a drink...?"
"Leah," she smiled back. "Sure."
Raj was on his second grasshopper when the woman of his dreams sat two stools away from him. He scooted closer. "My name is Dr. Rajesh Koothrappali. Can I buy you a drink?"
The woman looked at him with a scared look, but nodded and pointed at his drink. Raj understood and signalled the bartender.
"A grasshopper for the pretty lady."
When she had swallowed half of it in almost one go she said "Thank you Rajesh. I can't talk to men without some form of relaxant in me. My therapist tells me it's an anxiety thing. Selective mutism. My name's Sophia." Raj looked at her in awe. "I also have selectve mutism. Alcohol is the only thing so far that has allowed me to speak to women, but I always make an ass out of myself when I'm drunk. You are very pretty and I like your name. Can I hug you? I bet you smell good."
Sophia laughed. "I like your name too. I'll let you hug me on two conditions. One: no more alcohol, and two: you dance with me." Raj grinned and agreed. She smelled like cherry blossoms.
Sheldon dipped Penny as the song ended. He brought her back up again and she couldn't help herself. She kissed him. Not hard, but not gently either. It was full of passion, and he couldn't hold back anymore. He held her close and kissed her back, pouring all of his emotions into that kiss. He broke the kiss and murmured in her ear "I love you, Penny."
Penny hugged him closer and said "I love you, too, you sexy Whack-a-Doodle."
Sheldon kissed her again, shorter this time, and said "I think the others can find a way home without coming to harm. I would like to go home now." He gave her a significant look and she understood what he was saying.
"I agree."