Tabbie walked down the hallway and around the corner back into the lobby with hers and Raj's keys and unlocked their doors for the 6 bellhops. They wore festive Hawaiian shirts and were actually all kinda cute. The one named DeAndre flirted with her the entire time. He was what she called the Head Hop. He was a good foot above her and he had long wavy hair that was French braided neatly down his back. His eyes were a honey green and his lips looks plump and soft. DAMN she needs to get laid!
After the bellhops got all the luggage in, everyone met in Sheldon, Amy, and Raj's room where Sheldon tipped the six with a twenty dollar bill each. That earned him a plethora of different looks from EVERYONE. Head Hop kissed Tabbie on the hand and bid everyone a great night and slipped out the room, closing the door behind him. Sheldon just placed his wallet back into his back pocket and turned to go fix his 'bed sofa' for the night. Raj and Amy had heard that there was ball room dancing at 9 tonight and wanted everyone to go. In the end, it would just be Raj and Amy going. Penny and Jugg wanted to rent a movie on Pay Per View and watch it on the 50 inch LCD HD screen in the bedroom. Sheldon politely declined saying he had some work to do on his laptop. Tabbie smiled and hugged each of them as the other three left and whispered, "You guys go ahead… you got a LOT of romance to catch up on." She pecked them both on the cheek and waved behind her as she moved out of their room to hers.
Penny and Jugg snuggled in for the night as 9pm dwindled down. The beach was deserted and the only thing that could be heard was the waves crashing. Tabbie sat down on the cooled sand and wrapped her arms around her legs as she looked out into the dark horizon. The moon and stars played off the smooth surface of the water even as the water kept shoveling to the sands. There was a steady, saltwater breeze that flowed through her spiky hair in the most soothing way possible. She had left her hat and shoes in her room just so she could feel the sand in between her toes and the ocean's kiss in her hair. This was where she was the most happy. This was where NOTHING mattered in the world. The ocean was her home… the ocean was where she felt like she was somebody… where everything made sense even if everything was upside down. She closed her eyes tight and fell back to the sand and she let out the happiest sigh she's ever let out of her throat.
She let her lung fill with the salty air as the sand embedded in her scalp. She fought the urge to do a sand-angel as her legs fell flat and laid on her back fully. Her ears caught a slight change in frequency as the darkness against her eyelids got darker. There was a very strange feeling that she eventually gave in to and opened her eyes. Her hands flew up to her mouth as she let out an alarming screaming and she shrunk into a fetal position at the sight of a looming man standing above her. She almost waited for death, but a familiar voice snapped her out of her terror mode, "Do you know how much bacteria rests in the sands of a beach? There are unknown traces of total coliform, fecal coliform, E. coli and enterococcus that flow from the swash zone to the wrack line of every beach. There was a study on how many known pathogens were resting in the sands of a public beach and the results were inconclusive. Organic and Inorganic debris is pushed around like a diseased mop upon the sands, so you are utterly contaminated… not to mention the amount of pollution within the ocean's surface that could mutate those bacteria into a super bug."
Tabbie flung herself up and just stared at the ever yapping jaws of Sheldon Cooper. Her heart was still drilling in her chest from the scare, but now it was slowing down as he finally shut his hole and looked at her. Tabbie gave a sigh, "You done?"
Sheldon blinks a few times, "Yes, unless you would like to hear of the cholera infestation in some swimming pool filters."
Tabbie shook her head no very strongly, "No… I'm good…" She turned and rolled her eyes as she sat back down on the sand. Sheldon twitched as she did and moved around to stand beside her, "Must I explain the bacteria comment again?"
Tabbie snapped her eyes up at him, "SHELDON! Look… I appreciate you being all weird and protective of my well-being, but I really wanted to be alone, so if you're quite done with your germaphobic lesson… I'd like to get back to the silence and the sea."
She turned her head back towards the ocean, but noticed he didn't move. She shut her eyes tightly, knowing that it was going to be a long night. His voice cut in and it was sad and almost yearning for her, "Amy Farrah Fowler and Rajesh are engaging in coitus… and I forgot my noise cancelling headphones."
Tabbie looked up at him with a smile, "Ok… what would you like ME to do about it?"
Sheldon swallowed, "I… I don't know… I believe if you and I were to switch living quarters…"
Tabbie laughed loud and interrupted him, "Oh, you think it's QUIETER in my room? With Penny and Jugg?" She laughed a little more before Sheldon groaned, "Point taken." He turned towards the ocean and took off his top layer shirt (which got Tabbie's heart back to thumping in her chest). He folded it pristinely then placed it beside her and sat. It made her smile to see Sheldon stare out towards the darkness of the ocean and give a smile.
He cleared his throat after a few moments of silence and spoke without looking over at her, "Why the ocean?"
She looked over at his question, "What?"
He licked his lips and slowly turned his head to look at her, "Why did you choose the ocean to study? Why not the universe? They are both vast and a majority of it is still untraceable. Why the ocean?"
She turned her head and looked at the stars just above the ocean's horizon and focused, "My father… he drank a lot… most nights he would come home and just smell like he rolled in a puddle of liquor. He… he was what I would consider a 'violent' man. He would find things to be mad about and just take it out on me. I've been burned by cigarettes, hot irons, fire place pokers, and red hot knife tips. I was beaten with anything he could get his hands on… I was picked up and thrown through a window, twice. I've had broken bones and shattered teeth… I… I hated my father. But, one day… my mother had had enough. She and I finally left the bastard to rot while we moved to Florida. That's where my mother met Craig. Craig is the reason that I love the ocean. He was a fisherman and he had a kind old soul though he was only 38. He took me on his boat and showed me HIS world. Dolphins, whales, sharks, seals… all kinds of schools of fish… the horizon of a sunset. He told me that he'd been a fisherman for almost 15 years and there was SO MUCH he didn't know… the ocean… the ocean was his home and it was LAND that was vacation home. I look out at the waves and I see a galaxy that's been tread on but never really studied. I want to know more… I want to know EVERYTHING about it. The ocean… it's mine to discover."
She turned her head to see him staring at her with a very kind grin on his face and she couldn't help but return it, "What?"
He shook his head and turned back to the ocean, "Though, sadly, you and I share an unholy union of drunken and abusive fathers… it is your passion that makes me smile. I have only ever felt the yearning that you have, but… I have never been able to see it on someone else's face before. I find it strangely reassuring that you and I share that strong craving for knowledge… that drive that sends us out and beyond the realm that no one else can understand. How unreal that the ocean and the universe become so closely correlated when we both speak of our love… what pushes us far and in between the lines of obscurity. It's quite fascinating."
She couldn't help it… she felt like she could tell him anything at this moment… and she did, "I'm gonna tell you this in pure confidence and you are to not to tell ANYONE this… I have this kind of desire that the man of my dreams comes to sweep me off my feet… but hits on me with a pirate's voice and a really cheesy pickup line."
Sheldon looks over at her with confusion and Tabbie laughs, seeing it in her peripheral vision, "You know… "Arrr me matey, you sure do shiver me timbers."
She couldn't believe her ears as Sheldon let out a very real laugh and she looks over at him and her heart melts. His face was utterly beautiful and his laugh just enhanced it. She nudged him, "Hey… it wasn't THAT funny."
Sheldon let out a few chuckles before stopping and clearing his throat.
She smiles as the silence falls upon them again with only the sound of the waves crashing gently to the beach. She takes in a deep breath and looks over at him, "Dr. Cooper… I was wondering… would you consider allowing me to move in with you in 4A?"
His head turns abruptly and he stares at her… trying to read her face as she keeps speaking, "It's just that… Penny's apartment is really only built for ONE and… sleeping in a side-car of a bed isn't exactly comfortable. I would like a place with my own bed and a closet and cabinets to finally unpack my belongings. You have a spare room and… I would like to occupy it."
Sheldon considered her logic and noted that it was quite comprehensible, but he shook his head and tried to speak, "I'm afraid you are no qualif…"
She cut him off right there, "I know your schedule, I know your food orders, I know your quirks and pet peeves, I take Picard over Kirk, I am in LOVE with Dr. Who, I NEVER eat off of other's plates, I never take what isn't mine yet I'll share all that I have…"
Sheldon raises his hand and cuts in, "But you do not drive…"
Tabbie smiles, "I have a legitimate driver's license… I just don't have a car. Give me a month or so to save up ALL my cash and I'll BUY a car."
Sheldon purses his lips and stares away from her. He looked pensive before he looked away and it made Tabbie nervous. Had she moved too fast… she was hoping that the whole 'we love knowledge' thing was a perfect shot at the roommate question. Sheldon turns his head and looked down at her. She felt a twinge of panic but his voice was solemn, "Do you have an objection of signing a 'Roommate Agreement' with all legalities imbedded?"
Tabbie gave an impish grin, "I reiterate… I KNOW YOU. I am willing AND able."
There was a moment of them looking at one another before Sheldon turns his head and looks up at the moon. He huffs if defeat, "Very well then… This will be our verbal contract until we can get back to Los Robles to make it official. I, Doctor Sheldon Lee Cooper, hereby state that Tabetha Lockhart, is as of 10:45pm, my roommate."
She smiles a very genuine smile at him. His breath hitches in his throat inaudibly at how beautiful her smile is. He thought only Penny's smile could shake him like this, but in the moonlight, she was absolutely stunning. He catches his breath and just sits with her as a distant harmony of whistles and moans fell from the ocean's horizon. Tabbie leaps up with a gasp and jogs to where the waves broke into white foam. She closes her eyes and lets the whale's songs brush over her like a breeze. It was haunting, but so full of beauty. If only they were closer to the shore…
The melody faded into the night and Tabbie tilted her head back and sighed. Before she could open her eyes, she felt a warm presence behind her and she smiled, knowing that Sheldon had followed her. His voice confirmed it, "Megaptera novaeangliae commonly known as the humpback whale. It's known that both male and female humpbacks create noise, but it's the male that produces the long, loud, complex "songs" for which the species is famous for."
She nods, "Their songs last up to 10 to 20 minutes at a time and repeat for hours. Its purpose is not clear, but it's thought in having a role with mating. Old sailors believed that the whale's song was a warning that something bad was coming… rain, fog, or high winds. Pure superstition but interesting nonetheless…"
Sheldon looked down at the woman before him and could the beginning of a long scar on the back of her neck that dives behind the shirt's collar and he fights the urge to touch it... to trace it down with his finger… he steps back and sighs, "Well, it's getting late. I hope, by now, that Amy Farrah Fowler's stamina has given out. I would like to have an uninterrupted REM cycle."
Tabbie turns and watches the lanky man pick up his shirt and fling it in the air to remove all the sand. She took a few steps and spoke with a very confidant voice, "I'd shoot you…"
His brows touched and he looked over at her with fear in his eyes, "I beg your pardon?"
She licked her lips, "In a zombie apocalypse… if you were turned into a zombie… I'd shoot you."
He tilted his head and almost accepted this form of information, "And I… you." He draped his shirt over his forearm and gave her a smile, "Goodnight, Tabbie."
She saluted him with two fingers, "Night, Sheldon."
She watched until he slipped into the sliding door of the far right suite and she turned back around to smile one good time back at the ocean. Her smile was that of VICTORY. Her plan worked. When Penny announces that she's moving out… she'll announce that SHE'S moving in… with Sheldon. That will soften the blow of Sheldon losing another person in his life… but gaining a whole new one! She was damn sure this plan would work… not only for him… but for HER, too.
The next day had everyone split off into different directions. Raj and Sheldon were told to 'behave' with Jugg as the ladies went to get their spa treatment. Amy and Penny choose to get the Red Flower Japan (Energizing) Treatment while Tabbie liked the whole Red Flower Ocean (Healing) Treatment. Tabbie loved the red flower therapeutic massage and the tropical rain rinse, but it was the sea salt exfoliation and sea algae masque that sealed the deal. It was so damn relaxing that she couldn't believe she'd never done it before. She made nice with the sexy Brazilian masseuse named Vinícius, but found out that he was deeply in love with his husband. She didn't care that he was married, though, she was just glad to have the great company. He told her a story about when his husband's blue merle Cardigan Welsh corgi was a puppy and they took her to New York to visit his husband's family. They JUST got little 'Cloudy' and she had never seen snow before. They let her outside to go potty. Well, Vinícius was waiting down the stairs and going to open the door as the little pup ran down. She didn't stop in time as Vinícius opened the door and Cloudy went head first into 8 feet of snow. Cloudy ran back in with snow all over her and panic on her face. She ran back up the stairs as if the boogie man was after her and she left a trail of snow and urine all the way back up. Tabbie laughed at Vinícius's impression of the poor puppy and nearly threw her towel off in a fit of laughter. It was safe to say that Vinícius and his husband had to coax poor Cloudy out of the house for a few more days before she'd actually potty outside.
After she was done, she waded out to the spa's lobby. She smiled as she saw Amy and Penny giggling and having a very vibrant conversation. Penny spotted her and waved as both women stood up looking invigorated and happy. Tabbie slid to make a perfect triangle with the girls and looked at both of them, "So… how was it?"
Amy pursed her lips and looked at Penny and they shared a laugh as Amy spoke, "I experienced a full on rejuvenated collision of sensual ministrations and floral aromas that got my proverbial 'motor running'. I do believe I wish to see Rajesh soon so as not to waste this gift of the Aquae Spadanae. I do believe Penny has had her libido firmly pressed as well… So, it seems that our men are in for a good night."
Tabbie gagged and the two women laughed. Tabbie gave a laugh and threw her arms around the two women's necks and started towards the exit. The women wrapped their arms behind her back and they marched out feeling like brand new women.
The night brought the six down to the 'game room' where a ping pong table was set up. Jugg and Penny were in a competitive battle of paddles. Tabbie watched the ball fly and bounce back and forth with the two hurtling like they were playing a game of tennis. Sheldon and Raj were having a game of chess while Amy leaned against a vending machine looking at all many different drinks it offered. As Jugg slammed another ball down the table, Penny swung down and hard making the ball slam on his side and high in the air where he had to chase it. He managed to catch up, but his swing was off and it missed the table completely making Penny… the winner. She slammed the paddle down and yelled, 'WHAT' and did a few hips strokes while biting down on her bottom lip over exaggeratingly.
Tabbie laughed hysterically at the two. After Penny's display of fortitude… it was Sheldon's turn. His cocky 'Check and Mate' followed by him leaning over and snatching Raj's Black King off the board and holding it up while saying, "Everyone… Everyone… please take a look at this King piece. This sad little piece belongs to Rajesh and it just met its fate. Though not this pieces fault for having such an unworthy leader, notice that it is now in the hands of its enemy…" Sheldon lets go of the piece and it drops fast as he says, "… and though I do feel a tinge of pity for such a pathetic piece, I am afraid… it must fall."
Raj rolled his eyes and shook his head and Penny turned and put her hands on her hip, "Sheldon… must you always one up my victory dance."
Tabbie gave a snort and jumped up, "Ohhhh PIG PEN… I challenge you." The two women narrowed their eyes and shot to opposite ends of the table while Amy went to Raj and ruffled his hair, "Allow me to take the next match, my smooth caramel latte." Raj bent his head back and Amy planted a chaste kiss upon his lips. Raj smiled and stood up and pointed at Sheldon, "You're going down, dude!"
Sheldon eyeballed Raj as he walked away and Sheldon smirked, "You allow your woman to fight your battles… such is a coward's life."
Raj smiles, "You say coward, I hear… Sex Machine. Go all infectious on his ass, my Farrah!"
Sheldon looked down at a blushing Amy and he narrowed his eyes, "How disgustingly sweet you two have become. I am almost happy for you if it weren't for his arrogant opinion that you are my better at the game of chess."
Amy pushed her glasses up further on her nose and smiled, "Oh Dr. Cooper… women have a 10 times more white matter than men and mostly found in the frontal lobe that is considered to have a role in emotional control, personality, problem solving, motor function, memory, language, judgment, and social and sexual behavior. So, I'll say this as nicely as possible… I'm going to Kick. Your. BUTT."
Penny hooted over at the table, "Get'em BESTIE!"
Amy gave her a wink sat down across from Sheldon. He tilted his head with a smile and set up the board. As Penny and Tabbie had a very loud game of ping pong with Raj and Jugg getting FAR TOO into the game, Sheldon smiled at Amy as they had an intellectual conversation as Amy took a few more of Sheldon's pieces. As Tabbie slammed the final point flat across the ping pong table and making Penny growl up in the air, Raj jumped up and high fived her. She did a little Gangnam style around the table and had the guys laughing while Penny shoved her as Tabbie passed by. Penny put the paddle down on the table and dramatically fell against Jugg crying about losing.
Tabbie looked over at the two playing chess and felt a small tinge of jealousy, but it was gone as she saw Sheldon's easy smile. She has nothing to be jealous of… SHE did this… the happy faces all around with great people to share that happiness with. Tabbie did that. And as Amy stood up with Sheldon's king in her hands, the laughter just built up more as she mocked Sheldon word for word. Raj ran to her and wrapped his arms around her hips and twirled her in the air. Tabbie smiled as they kissed and looked over at Sheldon and her smile faded. He looked sick to his stomach and he stood up averting his gaze down to the board. The two couples oblivious as they cuddled their significant other.
Sheldon had purchased a Yoohoo out of the vending machine and stood on the stairs of the wooden deck that led to the beach below. He looked out at the ocean and took a swig of Yoohoo as Tabbie crept behind him. She moved to say something, but his voice cut in, "What is love, Tabetha? What makes it so darn important? Is it really worth the chase? I wonder. I have never before given it any thought. The only prey I chased was knowledge. Now… being around our friends who are happier and more vibrant than I have ever seen them… it… it sickens me, but… at the same time… I want what they have. But I… I can't… I… I am such a fool."
Tabbie bowed her head and listened. She listened to a man who didn't regret his path, but wished he would've detoured just for a moment. She stepped beside him and stared at the beach, "Barbara de Angelis said, 'Love is a force more formidable than any other. It is invisible and cannot be seen or measured, yet it is powerful enough to transform you in a moment, and offer you more joy than any material possession could.' You always have love, Sheldon… Always. It doesn't have to be girlfriend/boyfriend kind of love… as a matter of fact… my mother told me that friendship takes a hell of a lot more effort to keep than love. So… all those people in there… they love you. Hell… I love you."
He turns his head fast towards her and looks down at her with shock on his face. She turns her head and gives him a small smile then turns and winks at him, "Goodnight… Dr. Cooper."
She moves back into the game room as he stares after her. He tilts his head as she slides the door close and he takes a swig of Yoo-hoo. As he licks the remainder off his lips, he smiles a genuine smile.
Tabbie rolled her eyes as she used the key and slid into her room and heard the all too familiar moans and shouts. Penny and Jugg were at it again… and, if possible… even LOUDER. She had to admit that she was sort of turned on by their boisterous communion. When she had left Sheldon out on the patio… the two couples were still in the game room. She decided to take a swim in the pool before it closed at 10p.
She had missed swimming, but realized she didn't miss swim SUITS. She was never really conscientious about how people perceived her, but… the scars that her father had left on her really made her nervous about showing any kind of skin. Even now. She had been on the swim team at her old high school and on through college and STILL... she hated the looks of pity and disgust she got throughout the circuits. She was lucky, tonight, though… no one was in the pool so she got to swim carefree.
She really did miss swimming. When she graduated from Florida State, she immediately went on a boat and hadn't had a chance to swim until today. She sighed as she slid on a pair of long basketball shorts that she had taken from her overdosed boyfriend. It was the only time she ever thought about him was when she wore them… she felt bad for not having any more emotion to show for him, but she needed to move on… and, Damn It, she did.
She shook her head at how rowdy those two sounded. It was like they were tearing down the walls and using Penny as the tool. Penny was a fierce lover, but she never rode someone that hard unless something was wrong. Poor Jugg… No… NO! She wasn't going to feel sorry for the man riding her cousin right now… Tabbie didn't want to the think about it. It was NOW that she felt really bad for leaving Sheldon all by himself with the two lovey-dovey couples, but she needed some time alone. She knew he'd understand. Tabbie gagged at the 'Oh Gods' and the 'Right Theres' and stripped off her flip flops and left them on the floor beside her couch bed then headed out the sliding door down to the beach.
It was 11:09pm and the waves seemed to have picked up. She smiled at the sound of them rushing to the shore. She moved up the small dune and froze in place. Sheldon stood at the swash zone with his khakis rolled up past his calf muscles with no shoes or socks on. He stood just far enough to where the water from the crashing wave would just tickle at this toes. To anyone else, it would've been a boring site, but to Tabbie… it was like seeing the end of days. Sheldon CRAZY ASS Cooper, who just last night gave a speech on bacteria of the beach, was standing barefoot on the sand and inching towards the water.
She smiled as she quietly made her way down the dune. She glanced down at his dark gray and orange Pumas with the tips pointing towards the ocean with his each sock folded and placed each of them. She shook her head and snuck behind him with the wave's song blocking the noises of her advances. She stopped dead in her tracks as Sheldon's head bent down and his hands cradled his face. She side stepped and stared at him with concern. His long stemmed fingers dug into his short, darkened hair in a frustrated manner then flexed as his nails scrapped along his scalp. His face was twisted and cringed in pain and anguish. Tabbie knew… Tabbie knew right then what had just occurred… Penny told Sheldon she was moving. That's why she was having ferocious sex with Jugg and why Sheldon was breaking down.
She didn't move from her hidden space to the side and behind him. She couldn't. What was she going to say? What the hell could she do to comfort a man who hated to be touched? She knew she couldn't talk to him and tell him that everything would be alright. She COULDN'T. It would be a lie. She didn't want to fix him with deception… but watching him… watching him cry and sob like the world no long wanted him made it impossible for her to stand back any longer and the fact that her scarred back was exposed didn't hold her back, either.
She moved fast as she swept her arms around his bowed head and held on tightly. She thought he would fight her or run for the hills, but she didn't expect him to bury his eyes against her neck and wrap HIS arms around her body to press her close. They stayed like that for what seemed like days to Tabbie, but it was only a few minutes. He cried and she held him and though her neck felt slimy from all the tears, she wouldn't want to be anywhere else.
He finally quieted down and slowly realized what he was doing and pushed off her gently. He wiped his face gingerly and sniffled ever so often. Tabbie just stood there. She was fighting so many emotions at that moment. She wanted to grab him… Kiss him… drag him to her room and make wild, loud, passionate love to him on that weak ass couch bed just so Penny could hear how over her he was… but, instead, she just stood there. She was happy her cousin was moving on to better pastures, but… why NOW. Why did she have to do it NOW! She wanted them all to have fun… to be friends like they used to… to just HANG. DAMN IT PENNY! Did you look at him when you told him? Did you SEE the pain in his face? Did he even SHOW any kind of emotion when she spoke? It was too much. Tabbie dropped her head and softly cried. She didn't see the frantic look on Sheldon's face. She didn't see the man reach his hand out to touch her. She just let out a terrible rush of air and darted past Sheldon. He flung his arm out and hooked it around her waist as he spun her until her back was pressed against his front. He held her. He held her tight but gently. He cradled her as she tried to push off his arms. He pressed his cheek against hers and whispered that he was alright; that he was glad she cared so much.
He kisses her bare neck in between his own sniffles and Tabbie's fight suddenly weakened. He… He… He was KISSING HER NECK. She turned her body in his grip and stared up at his shady features in the night. His eyes still had a tint of blue and she tried to see the emotion on his face… tried to understand what was going on in his head, but as he bent down and took her lips; she closed her eyes and stopped searching.
His lips were so devoted… so ravenous… so desirous. She could feel him begging her to take away the pain and she could only constrict her arms around his neck and pressed his head down to deepen the kiss. Their tongues twined around in a silent, verbal battle of tag as one chased and the other fled. A moan from his throat sent chills down her spine and caused the kiss to break for air. He placed his lips back on her neck and she lolled her head back and allowed him access. She felt a brush of his teeth against her pulse and her nails clutched and rasped sensually against the back of his neck. He sucked on her flesh so slow with his warm, moist, and velvety lips that Tabbie let out an 'Oh God, Sheldon'. She needed to do something… she needed to hear him … feel him… taste him… but she couldn't bring herself to pushing him off. Instead, she rubbed and thrust her core into his ever so slowly and sensuously. That made his lips open and ghost against the tender flesh of his ministrations and he let out an animalistic grunt. He straightened himself back up as the both of them panted wildly.
Tabbie licked her lips and untangled her arms as Sheldon took a few steps back. He didn't run, he didn't twitch, he didn't apologize… he just watched her. It was as if he was waiting for a cue or a sign of what was next. She took in a few more breaths to calm both her fluttering heart and her surging hormones. She wondered if, maybe, she left him a little 'tight'. She ran a hand through her pixie cut and smiled, "Well… we'll need to bring that back up at the Roommate Meeting."
He, to her delight, gave a gaspy laugh and cleared his throat, "You knew about Penny… and her… arrangements didn't you?"
This was what she was afraid of… she was afraid that he would think she was taking pity by asking to move in with him. He was going to snap at her. She sighed, sadly, averted her gaze to the sand and nodded yes. She heard him snort out a breath and he spoke, "I see… and… you wishing to move in with me was your way of 'softening the blow', so to speak?"
She nodded again, not trusting her voice at the moment.
Sheldon's voice was low and opulent, "Thank you."
She looked and saw a small smile and she let out a sigh of relief. He cleared his throat again and brushed his hand through his hair as he looked out at the ocean, "Well, now that I've shifted every one of my paradigms today… may I just say that your modification was by far the most acceptable. And may I thank you for taking out that dreadful tongue bar. That was most considerate."
She turned and stood beside him to stare out at the ocean and gave a hearty laugh, "You're welcome."