~Please refer to the first chapter for a disclaimer. Thank you guys for reading and commenting on my story! All reviews are appreciated. I have estimated the completion of this story to be from eighteen to twenty-two chapters long so as long as guys continue to read it, I'll continue to write it.~
The glow in the dark paint instantly becomes visible, telling people where the exits are, but in the otherwise pitch blackness of the room coupled with the total darkness of the storm-riddled night sky, the inhabitants of the apartment can barely see it. Penny swiftly stands from her spot on the floor.
"I'll get some candles from my apartment. Sheldon, stay with the kids and make sure they're calm until I get back." She then runs out of the apartment, leaving the door wide open.
Erica rolls her eyes at her future mother, but smiles slightly at her actually acting like a mother even though she technically isn't one yet. In no time, Penny comes rushing through the door, this time closing both doors behind her. In her arms are three candles and a cigarette lighter.
She sets them on the table before speaking. "I hope this is enough. I couldn't find anymore."
Monica stands and puts her hands comfortingly on Penny's shoulders and urges her to sit down. Once Penny is sitting down, Monica speaks. "Calm down, Penny. None of us are afraid of thunderstorms or the dark. We'll be fine."
Penny stands and hugs Monica. "I know, but I don't know what came over me. You're not even my child, yet, and you're certainly not a little child in any case. I'm sorry."
"It's okay; you're the only one who hasn't freaked out on some level. You definitely have a right to freak out a little bit." Monica whispers, hugging Penny back.
In the meantime, Natalie takes the lighter and lights the three candles, placing them around the room. Sheldon seems to notice this and wonders. How can Natalie work a lighter so quickly in the dark?
Perplexed, he voices his question. "Natalie, the way you lit those candles with very little light without a second thought makes me think you have some familiarity with a lighter. Why would you have such familiarity with a lighter?"
At this, Natalie nearly drops the still hot lighter. Luckily, she manages to catch it just in time. All the girls in the room turn toward Natalie. Except for Monica. Monica sits down and looks at her hands. Natalie looks at Monica before breathing deeply and dragging Sheldon to his bedroom. Before she gets very far, however, she grabs one of the lit candles and takes it with her.
Room successfully somewhat lit, Natalie sits down on Sheldon's bed as she waits for the outburst she is sure will follow.
Sure enough it does. "People can't be in my room, Natalie."
"Sheldon, if you want to know the answer to your question, I would suggest you shut up and let me speak."
Oddly enough, Sheldon listens to her and he sits down beside her on the bed, waiting patiently.
Exhaling, Natalie speaks. "The reason I have such familiarity with using a lighter in the dark is because I smoke, but no one knows about it except Monica. Whenever my parents and brothers are asleep, I sneak out of our two-story house and smoke outside in mostly complete darkness. I quickly learned how to use a lighter in the dark."
At this, Sheldon shakes his head in clear disbelief and disgust. "Natalie, I thought you said you wanted to be a medical doctor."
Now, Natalie just looks confused. "I do. What does my future career choice have to do with my habit?"
"Your future career choice has everything to do with your destructive habit. If you want to be a medical doctor, surely you know the long-term effects of cigarette smoke on the body by now. Why would you risk something like that?"
"I don't know." Natalie answers, waving her hands for emphasis. "I don't deal well with pressure and anger. I never have. When I was thirteen, every day I was so angry and stressful because not only did I have to worry about my particularly hard classes, but I also had this complete jerk to deal with in school. Some fifteen year old girl wearing all black caught me screaming, crying, and trying to punch a hole in the wall after the jerk, named Adam, stole one of my books with homework hidden in it and ripped the homework to shreds. I was up until two in the morning working on that particular piece of homework. I failed, naturally. Anyway, the girl said that I needed to chill out, and she handed me a cigarette. She lit it for me and everything. I tried to tell her I didn't want or need it, but she insisted. She told me it would help calm me down, and I wanted to be calmed down so badly because not only could I literally feel my blood pressure rising, but I also had a speech to give in my next class. So I took a puff of it. I smoked the whole cigarette, and I felt instantly calmer. I turned to thank the girl, but she left while I was smoking. She left me a half-full pack of cigarettes and the lighter, though. I smoked that pack within the week. I've been smoking ever since."
"Has your source of discomfort been extracted from your life?" Sheldon asks, trying to sound the least bit considerate.
"Yeah, he has. He transferred to another school a couple of years ago. I haven't heard from him since. Not to mention, my grades have never been better since I decided I want to be a doctor."
"Then why do you still smoke if you no longer have an excuse to? I would say reason, but I think we both know I would never see someone bullying you as a reason to destroy your own body as I went through similar experiences."
At this, Natalie actually tears up a bit. "It's just so hard to quit now. I know it's all in my head after the first twenty-four hours, but I can't seem to force myself to quit."
"Have you tried telling Leonard? He was raised by a very intelligent woman who studies the mind so maybe he could help you" Sheldon asks, looking at Natalie a little more.
"I've thought about it, but I can't bring myself to. He'll be absolutely crushed to know that his only daughter is caught in a deadly habit she just cannot break."
"I'm sure he will understand. He knows what it's like to have a parent always disappointed in him so he most likely won't be too disappointed in you. Not to mention, he might be able to help you, as common folk put it, kick your habit."
"I suppose you're right. Thanks, Sheldon." Natalie says, standing up.
"You are welcome, Natalie." Sheldon replies, standing as well.
Once Sheldon is standing, Natalie hugs him. He, to his credit, awkwardly hugs her back. Once she feels his arms wrap around her, she stands on her toes to reach his ear.
"You're my favorite, you know." Natalie tells him before walking back to the living room, candle in hand.
Sheldon takes a minute to ponder this before following behind her. The girls except Monica in the living room watch them enter, confusion on their faces. Monica still won't look anyone in the eye.
The two sit down and act like nothing happened. Eventually, the group does the same. They sit and talk for a while until one by one, the girls fall asleep. Soon enough, only Penny and Sheldon are awake.
"Sheldon, let's take a candle and go to my apartment. We need to talk."
Instead of arguing like Penny expected him to, he simply stands and motions for her to go first. He picks up a candle and proceeds to follow her out of his own apartment and into hers. Once inside, Sheldon quickly finds his spot within her apartment and sits down. Penny sits adjacent to him before speaking.
"I know you said you were going to be okay with marrying me in the future, but I need to know if you're okay with this right here, right now. Sheldon, you don't just have to spend the rest of your life with me. You have to have sex with me. I imagine we have had sex more than just a couple of times since we have more than one set of twins. Sex involves physical contact which disgusts you! Are you ok with all of that?" Penny asks, getting as many thoughts plaguing out of her head as she can.
Sheldon leans toward her. "I know, Penny. I know what my future entails, and I know just how much mine is entwined with yours. I am accepting it more and more every day."
"I don't want you to just accept your life, Sheldon. I want you to actually be happy." Penny squeaks out.
"What makes you think I won't be happy married to you?" Sheldon asks, leaning back and looking confused.
"In what universe could you possibly be happy marrying me? You're the smartest person in the world, and I'm just a community college drop-out. You'll be bored with me."
"Penny, you are so much more than a community college drop-out to me. Even with such dismal education, you manage to challenge me more than anyone I've ever known. I could never be bored with you when you are so willing to challenge me the way you do." Sheldon says, voice sincere as he leans close to her.
Penny then decides to make a huge decision. Not thinking, Penny kisses Sheldon full on the mouth. Instead of Sheldon being terrified and pulling back, he slowly, tentatively, kisses her back. Feeling increasingly more confident, Penny wraps her arms around his neck. Sheldon, following her lead, cautiously wraps his own arms around her waist. Not wanting to completely freak him out, Penny pulls back.
Sheldon looks more dazed than she had ever seen him. After what seems like forever, Sheldon turns to look her in the eyes, a smile on his face. Seeing this smile causes Penny to relax and smile back.
"Fascinating," Sheldon comments before actually leaning closer to Penny and capturing her lips in a kiss once more.
This time Penny is shocked still. Is this the Sheldon Cooper who has trouble with touching people? It is obvious Sheldon is inexperienced, but Penny gently guides him through it. Normally, Penny would already have her tongue in the guy's mouth, being a big ol' five and all, but this time she holds back. No need to freak the poor guy further.
Eventually they both pull back, faces identically dazed. Soon enough, Penny's mind clears enough to where she can remember the one question she has for her future husband.
"What was so fascinating when you kissed me?"
This seems to bring Sheldon down a little from his high, but only a miniscule amount. "When Amy Farrah Fowler kissed me, I never felt anything close to what I felt when you kissed me. When you kissed me, I almost entirely forgot about the bacteria in your mouth. It didn't bother me to kiss you, and the second time was just the same."
Penny, not wanting to deal with his gibberish right at this very moment, asks, "Is that a good thing, Sheldon?"
"Penny, I just admitted that kissing you was pleasurable. If we are going to be happily married one day, this is a very good thing."
Penny just nods in acknowledgement like a complete idiot before leaning forward and kissing Sheldon again.
Eventually, the pair decides to return to Sheldon's apartment. The girls haven't moved an inch since they left. Sighing, Sheldon picks up the closest girl, Erica, and picks her up with some ease. Penny watches in slight surprise before picking up Natalie with ease. They move both of the girls to Leonard's bedroom before laying them down in the bed. They then pick up Monica and Nikita and place them, shockingly enough, in Sheldon's bed.
Going back to the living room, Penny asks, "Where are you going to sleep if the girls are in your bed?"
"I suppose I'll sleep on the couch."
"Sheldon, you shouldn't do that. Why not come with me to my apartment and sleep in my bed?"
"You need to sleep in your bed, Penny. I'll be fine on the couch for one night."
"At least sleep in the bed with me."
Sheldon looks at her for a long while, no doubt weighing his options for simply saying, "Alright," and following Penny out of the apartment, blowing the candles out along the way.