CHAPTER 10: The Surreptitious Disclosure

Sheldon and Amy now laid side by side, their backs turned away from each other, with a negotiated distance between the two of them. Sheldon had argued that they should measure the bed's width in order for them to have an equal "bed space". Amy half-heartedly agreed.

They had been lying like this for almost half an hour, their breathing seemingly synchronized. They were both not moving, and were equally aware that neither of them has fallen asleep yet. It was Sheldon who decided to break the ice.

"Amy, I have a proposal." he said without turning around. He felt movement from Amy's side of the bed.

Amy was now facing Sheldon, who still had his back on her. "I'm listening…" she replied promptly.

"I would like for us to engage in a cuddling." he said straight forwardly.

"Hoo!"

"With you."

"Huh?"

"Well you asked me 'who', and I simply stated an answer to your question. I want to cuddle with you tonight, Amy Farrah Fowler." his cheeks growing flushed.

"Sheldon, I did not ask you 'who'. I simply said 'hoo'."

"Okay. So…"

"So?"

"Do you accept my offer?"

"Sheldon, would you at least look at me?" she sighed. "You're conversing with me but you're not even looking at me." her voice growing louder. She paused, before quietly adding. "I want to make sure your request is sincere and that you're not just about to 'bazinga' me."

He now shifted and was looking at her eyes in the darkness. He had an urge to touch the hair that was covering her face, and brush it aside. He wanted to touch her cheeks and feel the warmth of her skin. He was having trouble sleeping because he wanted to be near her. He had to feel her; he had to touch her soft, pale skin.

Without warning, Amy reached out and placed her hand on his cheek. He felt the warmth of her skin being radiated to him. He cupped her hand and smiled at how he enjoyed the physical contact. Even if it was just this simple, it felt very intimate to both of them. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes before Amy fell asleep. Sheldon looked at her sleeping state and thought to himself, I have never felt this close to another human being. I have never fathomed the need to be with another person and yet here I am, sleeping beside my woman. Yes, she was his. He smiled at the thought and wrapped his arms around her waist. It was in that way that he fell asleep.

Sheldon and Amy awoke to the sound of a loud banging on the door.

Both of them had slept peacefully in the comfort of each other's arms. Amy had her face snuggled against Sheldon's chest while his chin rested on top of her hair. She breathed in his scent and smiled. Sheldon was doing the same, taking in the smell of her and slowly stroked her hair.

Both of them disliked the idea of getting out of bed, but the loud knocking on the door forced them to do otherwise. It was Sheldon who opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of a wide-eyed Faisal.

"Sheldon? What are you doing here?"

"I slept here. Is something the matter?"

"No. I— I was just surprised to see you here. You slept here?"

"Yes, I did." he replied stubbornly.

"Okay. May I ask why?"

Just when Sheldon was about to answer his question, Amy emerged from her bedroom wearing a robe.

She beamed when she saw Faisal. "Faisal! I wasn't expecting you! What a nice surprise!"

Sheldon then excused himself and went to take a shower.

Faisal looked at Amy expectantly. Amy realized what his look meant and smiled. She motioned for him to take a seat beside her on the couch. When he was already seated, Amy moved closer to him and whispered, "Sheldon and I slept with me last night." she said, feeling all giddy inside.

"By 'slept with me' you mean?"

Amy detected what he was implying and said, "Oh… No, it's like that! We just slept in one bed, side by side." she grinned then added, "We even cuddled. Fantastic, right?"

Amy, too busy remembering the events that happened the previous night, didn't notice the sudden change in Faisal's facial expression.

"That's good to know." he smiled as he said this, but not really looking happy with what he learned.

Amy was still lost in her thoughts to even notice the sadness in his eyes.

Sheldon emerged from the bathroom, looking all freshened up. On his way to the back to Amy's living room, he heard voices. Oh, that's right. Faisal is here. What a way to ruin the mood.

He saw the two of them laughing about something, obviously too caught up with whatever it was that they were talking about. They didn't notice Sheldon's presence.

"Ahem." he coughed, which caught the two's attention.

"Sheldon, you're finished already?" she smiled at him. Her face looked so sweet and innocent that he couldn't help but stare at her. Her green eyes were amongst the many features of her that he found most attractive. Whenever he looked into her eyes, he felt vulnerable, weak and lost, yet somewhat it didn't bother him. Her hair was slightly messy, but nevertheless she still looked great.

It must have looked like he was gawking at her because she looked away. Sheldon noted the hint of redness on her cheeks. He couldn't help but blush himself. Vixen, he thought.

Faisal looked at how the two looked at each other and felt his heart crumple. He always had feelings for Amy even when they were still kids. They were neighbors' and classmates before his family decided to go back to their homeland, Saudi Arabia. They both felt sad with him leaving, but decided to contact each other no matter what; they wrote letters to each other, and as the modern technology developed, their communication became easier and more frequent.

He never realized what he felt for her until he found out that she was now dating someone.

When Amy told him her 'good' news, he had told her how happy he was for her yet deep inside he knew that he was lying.

And it was now years after he found out that the two were together, and seeing them look into each other's eyes with such endearment, their unspoken feelings towards each other growing more evident, he felt as though he was an outsider. He felt as though his heart was being ripped out of his chest. He couldn't stand anymore, he had to leave.

He glanced at Amy, who was still looking down. He stood up and reached out to touch her hand. She looked up.

"Amy, I must go now, I forgot that I had something planned for today. I'll just call you later, okay?"

"What? You're leaving already but—"

"I really must get going. I'll call you I promise." he smiled and quickly left.

Amy and Sheldon now stared at the door that Faisal had left hanging open. Amy looked at Sheldon and whispered, "What was that all about?"

A/N: So, what do you think? :)) Thank you for the follows and reviews! :D Means a lot. Do you guys have any suggestions? Hope you liked this chapter!