Sheldon's sister has popped in for a visit, unexpectedly. Will she help or hinder the budding romance between her brother and Penny?
Sheldon looked up from his laptop when he heard Penny's footsteps on the stairs. He stood and walked to the door, getting there just as Penny knocked. He opened the door, his pulse rate increasing slightly. Penny smiled up at him tiredly.
"Hey, sweetie. Have I mentioned lately that you're my hero?" she asked before yawning.
Sheldon smiled and nodded. "You expressed that very opinion just three hours ago."
Penny moved into the apartment and nodded to Leonard and Missy. She looked back at Sheldon as he closed the door. "So, how was Cat? Did she go to sleep?"
He nodded and led her back toward the bedrooms. "Not long after I spoke to you. I put her to bed and she's been asleep ever since."
Penny stepped into his room after him and smiled at the way Cat was curled up under his blanket. She turned and slipped her arms around his waist for a quick hug. "Thank you," she whispered.
Sheldon wrapped his arms around her back before she could pull away. He hesitated, uncertain of what to do next. Penny made the next move for him. She leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips.
She started to pull away, but his arms tightened and he dipped his head to follow her down. He continued the kiss, drinking in the taste of her lips. Penny's hands slid up his back to cling to his shoulders and he pulled her closer, removing any space between them.
Sheldon's mind was chaotic. The right side of his brain was screaming about germs. The left side was screaming about how good she felt, how sweet she tasted, how utterly right this felt. His whole brain agreed, though, he wasn't happy when she pulled away.
They stared at each other for a few seconds, their breathing labored. Sheldon twitched nervously, struggling for control. Penny reached up carefully and cupped his cheek with one hand.
"Sheldon? Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Sheldon took a deep breath and looked down at her. He stared into her concerned eyes and shyly smiled. "Penny, may I kiss you again?"
She opened her mouth but snapped it shut a heartbeat later when they heard a knock on the bedroom door. Penny stepped back as it opened. Missy peeked around the edge and smiled at them.
"Hey. I thought I'd say goodnight right quick. Leonard said I could crash in his bed and he'd spend the night on the couch." Missy looked back and forth between Penny and Sheldon with a smirk.
Sheldon blushed and looked away from his sister. Penny sighed and turned to pick up Cat. "I better get her to bed," she said softly.
Sheldon took Cat from Penny's arms gently. "I will carry her for you," he offered. Penny gave Missy a slight nod and then led the way back through the apartment. Leonard waved from the kitchen where he was putting trash in the garbage can. They walked across the hall and Penny opened the door. Sheldon carried Cat back to the bedroom and laid her down. He returned to the living room and watched Penny pull off her sweater from work. Her back was turned to him, and she reached up to release her ponytail.
He didn't really think about what he did next. He just sort of …did it. He reached up and ran his fingers through the locks, fluffing them out. Penny moaned as her head dropped back and her shoulders relaxed. That sound released something inside him. He moved in closer and pressed a soft kiss under her ear like he had seen in the old classic movies his Meemaw liked so much.
Penny turned around and looked up at him with heat in her eyes. "What happened to the guy who had a germ phobia?"
He shook his head slightly. "I …I don't know. Penny, this is very confusing to me. I should have run screaming the very first time you kissed me," he said softly. "I should have tried to banish you from my life the moment you touched me. But I didn't. I not only let you keep coming around, but I actually sought you out. I keep seeking you out. No matter how worried I get, or how uncomfortable these feelings make me, I keep seeking you out."
Sheldon ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "I kissed you, Penny. Me! I kissed you! I have never willingly kissed anyone ever before. I even hesitate to kiss my Meemaw's cheek, and I love her dearly. But I am standing here, right this very minute, desperately wanting to kiss you again." He looked down into her face and reached up to gently draw the back of his knuckles along her cheekbone. "Please, Penny," he whispered. "Tell me what to do."
She reached up and took his hand in hers. "Kiss me again," she said softly. He drew her closer and did as she said.
He walked into the apartment and found Leonard and Missy sitting at the kitchen table sipping tea. "Why are you both still awake? I was under the impression that you both intended to retire for the night."
Missy snorted with amusement. "Shelly, did you really think I wasn't going to want to hear what went on next door for the last…" she looked at her wrist watch pointedly, "thirty-two minutes?"
Sheldon blushed a deep red and his eyes narrowed. "And how would you feel if your boyfriend told his friends and family what the two of you did when you were alone?"
She glared at him, unwilling to admit he had a point. "This is different! It's you! You have never dated in your life! You can't expect us to just ignore that, Shelly. So, come on. You don't have to give us details, but we want to know what the deal is between you and Penny."
Leonard stood and put his hands in his robe pockets. "Sheldon, I just want to know that you are okay. That you and Penny are both okay."
Sheldon looked over his shoulder at the front door and sighed softly. "Penny and I spoke about the possibility of us entering a relationship. We have agreed that we both want to explore the attraction that we feel for each other. We are going to move slowly. There are many things to contemplate and other persons to take into consideration."
"Like who?" Missy asked with confusion. "Penny is single, right?"
Sheldon nodded and turned back to face them. "Yes, of course she is. She is also a single mother. She has a child to take into consideration. I have my work, which I have always dedicated my life to. Neither of us is sure what the repercussions would be if we were to fail."
Missy opened her mouth to tell him that sometimes you should just cut loose and have fun but Leonard spoke first.
"Sheldon, you're right. That's a lot to think about. Look, Howard, Raj and I think you and Penny are good for each other. But it's not our call. It's between you and Penny. But if we can help, all you have to do is say so."
Sheldon looked surprised for a moment, but then he nodded. "Thank you, Leonard." Sheldon headed back to his bedroom slowly, clearly lost in thought. Missy looked at Leonard curiously.
"There's more to this than just Shelly dating, isn't there?" she asked.
Leonard shrugged. "You know how Sheldon is. He rarely notices anything that doesn't involve superheroes, video games or physics. He's got more schedules and routines than an army. He's chock full of phobias and OCD," Leonard said. Missy nodded, knowing full well how strange her brother could be.
Leonard looked at the front door as if he could see through it. "But when it comes to those two? All bets are off. He's different with them. He still has those fears and quirks, but they don't seem to matter as much. Penny knows all about his OCD tendencies, and she actually works with them. She does what she can to make sure he's at ease, without babying him." Leonard looked back at Missy and shrugged. "Penny gets him. She understands him, and she accepts him just as he is."
Missy smiled softly and looked at the half empty juice box on the counter. "I think maybe I'll stick around a couple of days, if that's okay. Maybe get to know your neighbor a little better."
Leonard nodded and headed to the bathroom. "You're welcome to stay a long as you like." Leonard paused halfway down the hall and turned back. "Look, I know he's your brother and all, but don't interfere, okay? This is too important."
Missy watched Leonard walk away and smiled softly. Her brother was always an oddball growing up. Never fitting in, never making friends. She had resigned herself years ago to him spending his life alone. Didn't mean she didn't worry about him, but that was just the way it was.
To see him not only have friends, but to have close friends who worried about him? That made her happy. To see the tender way Penny looked at her brother, the gentleness in the way he took care of Cat, Missy wanted to jump up and do a dance. She turned off the kitchen light and headed back to the bedrooms. "I wonder if Penny likes roller skating," she murmured to herself.