A/N: Chapter 3 of Meemaw Knows Best.
Thank you all for your kind comments/reviews. Accept and appreciate all comments. I will eventually try and go back to Chapter 1 to correct some grammatical errors. Thank you for pointing out the errors to me. This is NOT Beta'd.
This is another SHENY fic. Rated M for some graphic content in some LATER chapters. May contain some OOC scenarios, particularly of Sheldon. If you don't like the rating or OOC, please don't read – this isn't for you.
…
Chapter 3
Sheldon awoke early the next morning, sluggish and sleepy, having spent a good portion of the night thinking about Meemaw's words…and if he was honest – a lot about Penny as well. He'd tried to think about Amy but that was a complete and utter failure - his mind so easily returned to Penny.
As he lay there he thought about the moment the night before when he'd gotten up and ran to his room like the chicken that he is…how he and Penny had stared at each other's mouth, their tongues both sweeping over their own lips. He felt is body tighten and his pulse quicken when that thought then brought him back to how good those lips felt against his own; how hot Penny's tongue had been in his mouth.
Curse this eidetic memory!
Sheldon paused, contemplating if he should slip his pj bottoms and underwear off and relieve the pressure. It wasn't his "normal" self-pleasuring time but he certainly couldn't walk around aroused all day. Deciding he could simply take care of the matter in the shower thereby killing two birds, he slipped out of bed and peaked out into the hallway. He wasn't expecting to see Penny, after all, it was six o'clock in the morning, but he wasn't going to take any chances.
No sooner had Sheldon stepped into the hall when Leonard's bedroom door open and Penny came out.
Drat!
Sheldon froze in surprise at seeing her up so early in the morning. Penny, meanwhile, stopped in shock of finding Sheldon in the hallway – with a hard-on clearly visible in his pj bottoms. She couldn't stop herself – she grinned mischievously, clearly impressed at what she saw, and looked up at Sheldon's beet-red face.
"Good mornin', Moonpie."
Her greeting dragged him out of his stupor and he realized she'd seen his arousal. Mortified, Sheldon nodded, turned and hurried to the bathroom, shutting the door with a sound thud.
His Vulcan hearing then heard "Pretty impressive Sheldon Cooper. Pretty impressive indeed," Then he heard a slight chuckle before Penny returned to the bedroom and closed the door.
While he was still horrified at being caught like that, by of all people Penny, a small smirk reached his lips that she'd been impressed by what she saw. Stripping quickly, Sheldon turned onto the shower and for the first time in a long time, he took his time showering, his mind wandering to thoughts of Penny. He imagined how that embarrassing moment might have played out under different circumstances and then Sheldon's hand was doing some wandering all on its own.
Forty-five minutes later Sheldon stepped out of the shower and returned to his bedroom, grateful to have not again met Penny in the hallway. As he dressed, he heard Leonard's bedroom door open again and Penny slipping into the bathroom. He was still curious as to why she was up so early – it was so unlike her to be up before eleven am.
Dressed, Sheldon went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast and wait for his Meemaw to join them. He heard Penny in the shower and he had to force himself to concentrate on the television program he was watching as he ate. His mind kept drifting to the fact that she was naked in the shower. Of course she's naked in the shower, genius. Get a grip! He scolded himself silently. But then he thought about gravity…and how all those little droplets of water would cascade down her body and over various peaks and mounds.
He again forced his mind to the television program and was finally able to concentrate on it and his cereal. That is, until he heard the water shut off and his mind betrayed him yet again. For several minutes Sheldon stared at his cereal wondering why something as simple as his Meemaw suggesting Penny would be a good mate for him was making him feel this way. It was making his crazy.
It wasn't as if he's never thought of Penny in a sexual way, nor was he unaware that she showered naked; still it baffled him that it was suddenly commandeering his thoughts, just from a few words from his Meemaw.
He groaned and put his head in his hands.
"What's the matter, sweetie? Rough night?"
Sheldon looked up and bit back another groan. He'd seen this outfit of her before but hell if it didn't suddenly look a thousand times sexier this morning. "Good lord, man…get a grip!" Sheldon murmured to himself.
"N…nothing's wrong, Penny. Just a little tired."
"Oh…you didn't sleep well, sweetie. No eight hours of REM?"
"I'm afraid not. I was…" Sheldon stopped himself. He had considered trying to lie about why he'd been so uneasy and unable to sleep but he couldn't lie. He also realized that he couldn't tell her the real reason why he hadn't slept much – that would be just as horrifying as her seeing him in his aroused state this morning. Okay, well maybe not that horrifying. "Never mind, Penny. It's of no consequence." At least, that's what he told himself, though remarkably unconvinced.
"Sure, okay sweetie. So is Meemaw up yet?"
"I was just about to go over and get her."
"I'll do it. I have to pick up a few more things from my room."
"Very well," Sheldon responded, glad for a bit of time to himself. He washed his bowl in the sink as Penny left the apartment and went back to hers.
Alone in his thoughts, Sheldon was concerned about his behavior since yesterday. Clearly this was not "normal". He admitted that over the past several months he'd thought a lot more of Penny than before. That kiss they'd shared offered him all kinds of ideas of possibilities yet he never really considered any of them – simple happy with the status quo of his friendship with Penny. Besides, he was in a relationship with Amy – albeit a very "unusual" relationship as the rest of his friends believed. But would a relationship with Penny be any different? Would it even be possible?
The latter he realized was the hardest to answer. This wasn't just about what he thought or felt, but what Penny would also and he believed that - other than the one moment of curiosity on her part to see what kissing him would be like - he didn't believe that she would find him "boyfriend material".
Even if she did, would he be able to accept the parameters of a physical relationship with her? He hadn't been physical in any sense with Amy, other than a few chaste kisses she had insisted upon, but if she asked for more, could he really give in and become physical with Amy? He didn't believe he could. He liked Amy. She was an intelligent woman and much like himself in many ways, but he understood that it didn't mean they were a good "fit". But when he looked at her he felt no stirrings; no desire. It panged him, wishing he could – life would be a lot less complicated with Amy than with Penny.
But Penny was his match in so many other ways. He obviously was attracted to her physically, more so now than ever since he allowed himself the right to think of her in that manner. But they also complimented each other: his high intelligence and knowledge of all things universal and her knowledge of all social interactions which he'd come to realize was essential and couldn't be ignored, no matter how unnecessary he always used to believe such things were.
Penny sparred with him as an equal. She took as much as she gave and he appreciated her honesty, caring but also the fact that she never let him get away with anything. As much as he used to believe that he should always get his way, it impressed him that she was the only one of his friends who didn't bow down to him. Though he would never admit that to anyone – ever.
No…Penny was definitely more suited to him than Amy, or any other woman. But he was in a relationship agreement with Amy and he had no idea what do to next because he didn't want to hurt Amy because no matter what, she was his friend.
He sat contemplating this dilemma further as he waited for his Meemaw and Penny to return.
oOOO-OOOo
Penny knocked softly on her apartment door before entering, not wanting to disturb Meemaw should she still be asleep but she found the elderly lady seated on the couch with her feet tucked up under her, drinking her morning tea.
"Good morning, Meemaw. Did you sleep okay?"
Meemaw smiled. "Yes, my dear. Thank you again for letting me use your bed – it was quite comfortable. I hope my putting you out didn't affect your sleeping."
Penny shook her head. "No, I slept fine. Not as much as I normally do, but fine."
"Oh? Something troubling you, dear?"
"Oh you know…just…stuff." Penny hedged.
"Stuff?" Meemaw chuckled over her tea cup. "That's interesting. Could it be man issues?"
Penny felt her face flush. This woman was a mind-reader! "Ah…yeah, I guess you could say that. I stayed up most of the night thinking about…a guy…Ugh!" She groaned, putting her head in her hands. "I'm just so confused!"
"Penny, dear," Meemaw said, patting the spot next to her on the couch, which Penny sat in immediately. "Why don't you tell me the problem? Maybe I can help."
Penny hesitated. She had no idea how she was going to talk to Sheldon's Meemaw about her strange new feelings for her grandson. "Well…wow, I feel like I'm sixteen again…anyway, there's a guy that I'm friends with. We get along great, though honestly, we drive each other crazy sometimes – but it works, you know what I mean?"
Meemaw nodded in understanding so Penny continued. "I never thought about him before…you know, as like a boyfriend. We've been friends for years and I never saw him like that. Until about four months ago."
"What changed four months ago to have you lookin' at this boy differently?"
"I'm honestly not sure except that he said something to me that was out of the blue. He told me that he thought I was beautiful…and smart. It surprised me and I started to look at him differently. And the more I looked at him – really looked at him…well I saw so much more of him that I liked. He's always been somewhat attractive in his own way but now…" Penny sighed. "Oh who am I kidding? It would never work with this guy."
"Why on earth not, dear? Seems to me that you have a lot to offer any deserving man."
Penny smiled. "Thank you, Meemaw. That's very nice of you to say, but this is a little complicated."
"How so? He's not married is he?"
Penny laughed. "No, not at all. I would never…but he does have a girlfriend."
"I see," Meemaw stated, taking another sip of her tea. "By any chance is this boy my Moonpie, Penny?"
Penny gasped and stood up, embarrassed and shocked. She does read minds!
Meemaw reached up and pulled Penny back onto the couch. "Settle yourself," she cautioned.
"But…but Meemaw, how could you possible know that?"
"I know my Moonpie. And I've seen the way you look at each other – what passes between you. Girlfriend or not, my grandson fancies you."
"I can't believe that. But he's with Amy."
"And it seems to me that his relationship with that young lady is terribly erroneous. They have no spark. Now, I'm sure that Amy is a wonderful young woman - intelligent and attractive, but she's no match for my Moonpie."
"I'm not a match for him, Meemaw. Sheldon's smarter than any man I have ever known and I can't even compete with Amy's intelligence."
"Penny, dear…there is more to a relationship than smarts. No amount of intelligence is going to make two people feel the passion they should. My Moonpie doesn't have any experience with matters of the heart – or the physical…shall we say 'perks' of a relationship…" Penny giggled as did Meemaw. "But I know he has that passion in him if he's anything like his Papa, my dear late husband," Meemaw's eyes twinkled when she spoke of her late husband. "And I've seen the passion come out when he's with you. That boy is smitten with you."
Penny sighed deeply, shaking her head. "Even so, he's with Amy. I won't break them up and hurt Amy. She's one of my closest friends. So unless Sheldon breaks up with her, I don't see me and him having even a chance."
Meemaw patted Penny's hand and smiled over her tea cup. "Don't you worry, my dear…Meemaw's got this."
