There was supposed to be more to this chapter, but I decided to add it on to the next chapter. The beginning of this one kind of ran away from me, but I really enjoyed writing it and I hope you do too! I'm sorry this is all mostly dialogue!
Chapter 7
Blue eyes.
That was what she saw every time she closed her eyes. Not just any blue eyes, either, but the bright blue eyes of one of the smartest, if not the smartest, man in the world.
Sheldon Lee Cooper.
She didn't mind seeing his eyes in her dreams once in awhile. They were beautiful, even if half the time they were filled with arrogance superiority. These eyes troubled her. They were sad.
They were the eyes of a man defeated.
Flinging off the thick pink comforter, she crawled out of bed and headed towards the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. That hadn't been a good idea. The moment she placed the tea bag in her cup to steep, she thought of Sheldon and his sad blue eyes again.
"Ugh!" She grabbed the cup of tea and nearly dropped it on the floor when it scalded her hand. "Son of a bitch!" She cried and practically threw it in the sink and winced when it shattered.
All she wanted to do now was use her spare key next door and give Leonard a visit. It was Junior Rodeo time and he had gone long enough without any type of reprimand for what him and the guys had done to Sheldon.
*Knock knock knock*
"Penny." She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the knocking on her door.
*Knock knock knock*
"Penny." Why was he still up? It was way past his bedtime.
*Knock knock knock*
"Penny."
On his last knock, she took a deep breath and opened the door with a smile. It wavered when she took a look at his face.
There were dark circles under his eyes, his hair was greatly mused and the buttons on his pajama top were all buttoned wrong.
"Is there something wrong, sweetie?" She kept her hand on the doorknob and looked up at him. He looked exhausted.
"I'm fine, Penny." His voice sounded sleepy and more of his accent came through. She liked it. "I came over here because I didn't think you were. I heard glass breaking and I thought you might be in distress."
"Oh, about that." She smiled sheepishly. "I made myself some tea and grabbed the cup when it was still really hot and I dropped it." She wasn't going to tell him that she had thrown it into the sink.
His gaze moved to her feet and there was slight alarm in his eyes. "And you are walking around barefoot? Good Lord, Penny, you could have stepped on any one of those shards and become seriously injured."
"Relax, Moonpie. I dropped it in the sink, so all the shards have been contained." She smirked.
He must have been tired because he didn't even say anything about her using his precious Meemaw's nickname for him.
"Very well, then. I hope you are more careful in the future. I would not like to have to drive you to the hospital."
"Aw, you would drive for me?" She teased.
"Of course." He stood up straighter. "You wouldn't be able to drive yourself and I would not waste my time waking up Leonard to take you."
"Aw, you're so sweet!" She wanted to wrap her arms around his lanky body, but she didn't need him to freak out on her.
"I'm not cute." He sniffed. "I'm logical."
She smiled. "Like Spock?"
"Penny," his tone went into lecture mode. "You know that I try to model my life after Spock, so it would only make sense to be logical like he is." He yawned.
"Why don't you go to sleep, Sheldon? You look tired."
"It seems I am unable to achieve my REM sleep, tonight. I have been sitting in my spot watching pointless television for over an hour, hoping that I would get so bored I had no choice but to go to bed."
"Oh, honey." She spoke softly. "Would you like me to come over and sing 'Soft Kitty'?"
"Penny, you know that is only from when I'm sick. I'm not sick." He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to glare at her. It didn't look intimidating at all, especially with the circles under his eyes and his shirt still messed up.
"Well, insomnia is a kind of sick."
He rolled his eyes. "Very well. I don't it will help, but you can try if it makes you feel any better."
"It will." She smirked.
Sheldon sighed and turned from her, ready to head back to his own apartment and bed. She stopped him before he could take a step, though.
"Wait, Sheldon." She said and gently prodded him to turn around. "Let me fix your shirt. All the buttons are messed up."
He looked down at his shirt and jumped. "Oh good Lord!" He squeaked and moved to right them, but Penny beat him to it.
"Let me do it." She smiled and deftly unbuttoned all the buttons, only slightly disappointed to find that he was wearing a white undershirt underneath.
"Thank you, Penny." His gaze pierced her own and for a moment, she thought she had seen his eyes darken. No way. Sheldon didn't feel desire; he didn't have a 'deal'. However, she imagined those blue eyes, pupils wide with desire, desire for her, and she shivered.
"Are you cold?" He asked.
"N-No." She felt her face grow hot and quickly walked past him, so that he wouldn't notice her blush. "Come on, sweetie. Let me sing you your song, so you can finally get some sleep."
With a satisfied smirk, Penny slowly backed out of Sheldon's room and closed the door softly. She hadn't even gotten through 'Soft Kitty' one time before he fell asleep.
Creeping back to her apartment, she was careful not to make any sounds in case she woke up Leonard. She really didn't feel like explaining to him why she was in their apartment at that hour. He'd probably tell her that she didn't have to do anything for Sheldon if she didn't want to.
The thought of Leonard made her mad. She knew deep down, he was a good guy but lately she was seeing another side of him. A side that didn't seem to want to help his friend cope with the damage done to his career. The damage he had created.
At least Sheldon had her to rely on.
Opening the door to her home, she glanced at the red flashing lights over her stove and cursed. It would be time for her to get up in only a couple hours and she had an audition in the morning and the lunch and dinner shift at work.
"Balls!" She growled and climbed into bed, hoping to make the most of the time she had left.
Reading over the script in her hand, for what felt like the hundredth time that day, she fidgeted in her seat and waited for her name to be called. She needed this part. She needed it so she could know that she wasn't totally a failed actress.
The part she was auditioning for was for the lead in a local play, written by a local writer. It was about a girl named Jennifer, Jenny for short, who grew up in Kansas, moved to New York to make it big on Broadway, got in with the wrong crowd and died tragically of a drug overdose. If this wasn't the part for her, then she didn't know what was.
It was practically a play about her life. Except, you know, the growing up in Kansas, moving to New York to make it big on Broadway and the dying tragically part. Even their names rhymed. Jenny. Penny. Hello! If this didn't scream her, then she didn't know what did.
A redheaded woman opened the door down the hall, face glued to the clipboard in front of her. "Penelope Dixon? You're up." She didn't even wait to see if anyone answered her and walked right back into the room.
Penny stood up, wiped her sweaty hands on her pants, took a deep breath and walked confidently to the audition room.
She was going to nail this!
Oh God, had she nailed it or had she completely bombed it? They hadn't said anything to her besides a 'Thank you, for coming out.' and 'We'll call you if you get the part.' All she wanted to do was cry. This was her sixth audition this month and no one had called her back.
Why had she ever thought she could be an actress? All she was good at was waitressing, drinking and playing Halo. None of those things would get her further in life.
Pulling into the Cheesecake Factory parking lot, all she wanted to do was sob on her steering wheel, but her phone in her purse dinged with a text message.
Fumbling for it, she grabbed it and clicked on her new message. It was from Sheldon.
Hello, Penny. Was all it read, but it still brought a smile to her face. For some reason, her day instantly brightened a little more.
Hey, Moonpie! :) She quickly texted back, then gathered her stuff and walked into work. It wasn't until she had gotten dressed in her uniform in the employee bathroom that he had replied back.
Only Meemaw can call me 'Moonpie', Penny. You know this. I don't understand why I have to keep reminding you.
There was the old Sheldon. The Sheldon she was really starting to miss.
She quickly typed a message back.
I know, sweetie, but I like calling you that! :) Can't you just make an exception for me? I am your best friend, after all. Right?
His reply was quicker this time.
No, Penny, do not call me that and yes, you are my best friend. Leonard has forfeited that role when he sabotaged my work in the Arctic.
Penny winced when she read the last line, but knew that what he said was true.
I'm still very sorry for what he did.
There was five minutes until her shift officially started, but she didn't want to move from her spot by the bathroom. She wanted to drive home and give Sheldon a hug.
There is no need for you to apologize, Penny. You did nothing wrong. Now, there was a reason for me to text message you and that was to ask how your audition went this morning. So. How was it? Did you 'nail' it?
She didn't remember telling him about her audition today, but she figured she must have for him to ask about it.
I don't know. :( I thought I did, but they didn't say anything when I left.
"Penny." A fellow waitress called from the kitchen. "Your shifts starting."
"Okay, I'll be there in just a minute." She wanted to finish this conversation with Sheldon or at least see what he had to say.
I am sure you did fine, Penny. Now, I know your shift at work has started, so I will stop messaging you now. I'll see you when you get home. Maybe you can come over and watch Star Trek?
She smiled. Of course, she would.
Sure, sweetie! :D
It seemed like her shift just flew by and she was in her car driving home, pockets full of good tips. It probably helped that she hadn't stopped smiling all day. The director's of that play may or may not have liked her, but Sheldon had told her that she had done fine and that was enough for her.
Sheldon rarely told anyone that and she felt honored. And giddy.
She practically flew up the stairs to her apartment, stripped quickly in her bathroom and hopped in the shower. As she was rinsing the shampoo from her hair, she froze.
What if Leonard was over there, too? Well, of course, he was over there, but what if he was going to be watching TV with them? She wouldn't be responsible for her actions then, especially if he tried to flirt with her.
Flouncing through the door to 4A, she was relieved to just find Sheldon sitting in his spot.
"Where's Leonard?" She asked; too make sure he wasn't in the bathroom or something.
Sheldon looked up from the TV, a slight smile curving the edges of his mouth. He looked happy to see her. "Leonard was complaining of a headache earlier and went to bed."
"Cool." She plopped into her seat on the middle cushion, causing Sheldon to slightly bump into her. "It's just you and me, then."
"Yes." He looked at her strangely before focusing his attention on the TV.
"So, you said we were watching Star Trek. Are we talking The Original Series or one of the other series?" She looked up at him with a smile.
He leaned forward and grabbed something off the coffee table. "I was thinking we could watch the newest movie."
"Awesome! I love that movie!"
He stood up from his cushion and turned his body to look at her. "Really? I was unaware that you had seen it."
"Yep!" She popped the 'p'. "I saw it while you guys were in the Arctic."
"Ah, I see." He nodded and went to insert the disc into the DVD player. "I wish that I had been able to see it in movie theatres. I, instead, bought it the first day it came out and have watched it numerous times since."
Penny giggled. "Of course, you have! My favorite character is Spock. Who's yours?" She elbowed him teasingly and her smile grew when he didn't flinch from her touch.
"I would have to say Captain Kirk."
"Wait?" She stopped. "Really?"
"Bazinga!" He cried with a smile, not the 'kill batman' one either. One that lit up his face. Penny decided that she was going to try to get more smiles like that out of him. "My favorite character, of course, would be Spock, even though Zachary Quinto does not even come close to Leonard Nimoy in his rendition of my favorite Vulcan."
"I liked Leonard Nimoy's version better too."
Sheldon smiled proudly at her.
Penny. then, snuggled deeper into her cushion, eyes fixed on the screen. All thoughts of a possible horrible audition gone from her mind the moment one of Sheldon's long fingers hit play.
I'm going to try to update again sometime this weekend or next week. I'm proud that it didn't take me another 11 months to update, but I'm on a roll with this story now! :)
Thank you all for reading!
Oh, and since this is an AU after 3x01, the TADD hasn't happened, so that is why it wasn't mentioned when Sheldon mentioned driving her to the hospital and stuff.
