A/N: Are author notes, necessary? I am unaware. Please let me know.

Anyway…

Disclaimer: None of The Big Bang Theory characters or plot, which is included in this story, is mine.

Chapter 5: The Elution of Altercations

Penny and Leonard were setting the food on the kitchen island when they heard Sheldon walking down the hall. He was already in his pajamas and was tying his robe when he came into view.

"Hello..." He smiled weakly. He wasn't really up for questioning, but he didn't have an alternative. He was getting hungry and didn't want to miss dinner just because he didn't want to talk. He was still a little sleepy because of his interrupted, unscheduled nap.

"Hey buddy, food's ready. Do you want to eat?"

"Yes, please. I'm rather hungry." He didn't know why he was, considering the amount of food they had for lunch. That wasn't a small meal.

Leonard set another plate on the other side of the island. The couple took their seats and Sheldon walked around to take his. Penny served the pasta on their plates and they started to eat in silence.

"This is really good. Did you cook this, Penny?" Sheldon asked, slightly offending her. He still wasn't used to reading facial expressions, but this one was pretty obvious for him to not recognize it. "My apologies, really, this is quite pleasant." He offered an apologetic smile.

She stared at Sheldon with confusion all over her face. He looked at Leonard, only to find him looking as perplexed as his wife. He started feeling annoyed at how the couple was looking at him. "Is there a problem?"

"Sheldon. Look at me," Penny was trying to choose her words carefully, to avoid confusing him further. "Sweetie, you're acting... Well, for the lack of better term, weird."

He furrowed his brows. "I do not understand."

"Okay. Well, for starters, you seem to have no difficulty apologizing today. What's even more surprising is that you're realizing what you did wrong without us spelling it out for you. Just like right now, with you, correcting your comment on my cooking."

"I didn't mean to offend you, which you clearly were after I got the question out, so I did what social convention dictates is proper." He said, matter-of-factly.

"Okay, see now that's something our Sheldon would say." She said, relaxing a little. They have been talking about how the man owned up to what he did wrong just before he came out of his room. They were so used to him putting up a fight and sending all sorts of rebuttal, their way just so he can get out of situations he's not comfortable in.

He just looked sternly at Penny and then continued eating. Leonard was still curious about his friends' day and was itching to know what really happened.

"So... Do you want to tell us where you went this afternoon?" He was looking up at his friend, his glasses sliding off a bit down his nose.

"I was..." Sheldon hesitated. "I was at a friend's house." His eye twitched. Darn it! He tried to avoid the eyes that were now intently at him.

"You're hiding something." It was a statement, "Also, what friend? Who else do you know in the area apart from Raj, Howard and Amy? Who by the way, were all out on the streets looking for you." Penny continued in a single breathe. Leonard patted her knees, trying to make her calm down.

Sheldon frowned at her words. He didn't want that; everyone getting worked up just because he was gone for a few hours. "I don't recall asking you to send out a search party!" His voice went a little higher than what he wanted to let out.

Penny couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was he really that selfish? She's been keeping her emotions at bay since they found out he wasn't at the train store; emotions that were conflicting as there were a lot of situations she was imagining him in up until she saw him walking up the stairs. She was surprised when her husband spoke.

"What the hell, Sheldon?!" Leonard was irritated. There they were, starting to panic, his mind going miles, every second that passes. He can't believe his friend can be this ungrateful. "You think we wanted that? Like you said, we all have our own load to worry about without a giant baby like you adding up to the list, so why on earth do you think we would busy ourselves looking all over town to find you?!"

Sheldon was looking at his food. He couldn't look up at his friends. He knew why. They just cared. They were looking after him. He didn't understand why he was being so ungrateful when clearly he should be thanking them.

Leonard was trying to even his breathing while Penny rubbed his back. He was glaring at Sheldon. He was secretly pleased that his outburst seems to have shut him up.

"I'm a grown man, you know." Sheldon almost whispered to his food.

"Really? Well buddy you should start acting like one!" Leonard's tone got the man before him to look up. Sheldon stared at him, with a shadow of confusion in his eyes. He didn't fully understand what his friend meant by that, but he sure didn't feel like eating anymore.

"Thank you for the dinner." He pushed took his plate to the sink and grabbed his water bottle. He didn't wait for a response from the couple. He made his way back to his room without glancing back.

Leonard let out a long sigh. He didn't want to yell at his friend. He knew how much he hated that; how much shouting can reduce the man into a frightened, little kid.

"Let's give him time," was all that Penny could say. She rested her head on his shoulder. "He'll come around. We keep forgetting that he's not exactly equipped to deal with so much emotion."

They continued eating. Sheldon never came out of his room for the rest of the night.

"Leonard, would you mind driving by Court Street before going to work?" Sheldon asked his friend, timidly. He didn't know what the protocol is after what happened the other night, but he wasn't taking a bus to Vanessa's because it would be time consuming.

"Why?" He didn't look at him. He was checking his bag. Penny was at the counter, pouring herself some coffee.

"I just need to pick up something. It's on the way to the University, it wouldn't take too much of our travel time if we leave now."

Leonard looked at him, and squinted his eyes a little, "Fine. Let's go." He grabbed his jacket and turned to his wife. "See you later, Penny."

The pair didn't talk once they got in the car. The silence was too much for Leonard, plus he was actually feeling guilty for yelling at his friend the other night.

"Sheldon, I'm sorry about the other night. I didn't mean to lose my temper." He got no response, so he continued. "You need to know that if you need to talk to someone we're here. We all are, buddy. You don't need to keep it to yourself, otherwise it will just build up and might explode when you least expect it. That's what we don't want to happen to you."

Nothing. The bespectacled man let out a long breath. "Okay. You don't have to say anything right now. Just remember that you can talk to us... when you feel like it, okay?"

Sheldon finally looked at his friend. "I saw a man kiss Amy in front of her apartment."

Leonard was shocked at his friends' words. Well no wonder he was so down... He tried to get a quick glance at him and saw that he was back to looking out the window.

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Don't be. You didn't kiss Amy."

He didn't know what to tell Sheldon. He tried to imagine him being in that same situation and admittedly, he probably would've drunk his loneliness away if that ever happened to him.

"That's why you didn't propose."

"Leonard, you're pointing out the obvious again."

Leonard gave a small smile. At least I got him to say something.

When they were near Vanessa's street, Sheldon gave Leonard instructions until the apartment came into view. He looked at his watch and was happy that he was on time. As they drew closer to the apartment, Sheldon realized that Vanessa was at the steps in front of the building with a cup of coffee in her hands, the bag sitting beside her. He asked Leonard to stop in front of the building and he got out of the car.

Vanessa looked up at the sound of steps approaching her. She flashed a bright smile at him and was pleased when he did the same. "Hey Sheldon! Good morning," she said, standing up and pulling the bag containing his shirts with her.

"Good morning, Vanessa. So I take it that you are a coffee person?" He inquired, looking at the cup in her other hand.

"Well, I didn't get much sleep last night and I need to be fully awake for the study we're starting later." She handed the bag to him and he took it without looking away from her.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Thank you for keeping my shirts."

"No problem. Well, we still have jobs to go to, so... Bye, I guess."

"Yes. You have a nice day." Sheldon said, smiling at her again.

"You too; I'll see you around." She planted a quick peck on his cheek and she walked back to her building, leaving a dumbstruck Sheldon alone.

Leonard was intently watching the whole time and was probably as shocked as Sheldon when the girl, who was a total stranger to him by the way, kissed Sheldon. Sure, it was on the cheek, but this was Sheldon. Not to mention that it was from someone unfamiliar. He noticed that Sheldon was frozen so he tried to call his attention, "Sheldon!" He jerked and turned around. He shook his head slightly and went back to the car.

Leonard started driving again, glancing at his friend whenever he can. He was still looking out the window, but the faint pink stains on his cheeks were still noticeable.

"Who's your friend?" He tried to ask, trying hard not to sound amused.

"She's... just a new friend. Her name is Vanessa. She's from Texas, like me." Sheldon spoke quickly, not looking at his friend at all.

"Oh. So was she a childhood friend, a neighbor?" continued, Leonard.

"No. Just… someone I met recently."

"How'd you guys meet?" asked Leonard, determined to get as much answers as he can about the girl.

"Leonard, I'd prefer it if you stop interrogating me. I don't see how my making new friends should concern you; it's not like I acquired a drug lord for a friend." Sheldon spoke a bit sternly. Leonard just nodded and apologized.

"So you were with a friend, the other day." Leonard said, more to himself than to Sheldon.

He glanced at Leonard, confused at the way he said the word friend. "That's what I said,"

He wanted to know more but decided against it. The shadow of his friends' sadness earlier seemed to have disappeared after the short meeting with his lady friend. He didn't want to see that again. They just drove in silence until they reached their destination.