A small time jump from the last and some new characters to stir things up.
In the weeks since the Halloween party things had started to get better for Leonard. The run in with Kurt had spurred him to try his luck with another girl. He had gathered his courage and asked out Leslie Winkle. Leslie told him she was too busy for a relationship, but she didn't mind hanging out and studying with him.
At first Leonard was disappointed until he realized that sometimes Leslie liked to make out after a rigorous study session. It never went beyond kissing but Leonard didn't mind. After Penny he had decided he was a take it slow kind of guy.
Leonard also liked having Leslie around because she did not conform to Sheldon's rules. If she wanted to study on a wednesday she was going to come over whether he allowed it or not. This flagrant disregard for his rules irritated Sheldon to no end. Sheldon pouted, and yelled but it did no good. So in retaliation Sheldon started having Amy come over more often.
Amy had some annoying quirks but nowhere near as bad as Sheldon's. Amy only made him more tolerable in Leonard's eyes. She had a way of wrangling him in when he became too obnoxious. Sheldon was quieter and nicer when Amy was around. Even Leslie who hated Sheldon with a firey passion, could tolerate him when Amy was around.
Leonard and Leslie were studying in his room. It was a last minute arrangement and he had blown off Raj to hang out with Leslie. Leonard had been careful not to upset Raj lately. Ever since Howard and Bernadette had become official. Raj had been taking it really hard. Yet the prospect of a make out session was worth it to him to be a disloyal friend.
"So Leonard do you think you have a handle on this quantum loop gravity?" Leslie asks closing her text book. Looking at him suggestively. Leslie loved to pretend like he wasn't as smart as her to get a rise out of him. Leonard didn't mind because it turned her on. She could say whatever she wanted to him as long as they made out afterwards.
"I think I do," He says closing his book and scooting closer to her. Leslie scoots closer to him and leans her head in. Just as they are about to kiss the door slams open.
"Sheldon, my idea is not stupid!" Amy says angrily stomping in the room.
"I never said the idea was stupid. I said you must be stupid if you think I would go to something like that," Sheldon clarifies sitting at his computer chair.
"Funny, I don't remember asking you to go," Amy huffs sitting on his bed.
"Oh please! Whenever you get errant little ideas you expect me to be all gung ho with you! There is no way I am sitting in some dank library extolling on the virtues of Chaucer," Sheldon says turning his computer.
"If you paid me an ounce of attention you would know the first thing I said was. 'I know this won't be your kind of thing. So you don't have to worry about coming.' But you haven't listened to a single word I have said in over a week!" Amy accuses him. "You know I have been searching for an extracurricular to join for my fellowship requirements."
"I heard 'I'm starting a Medieval Literature club.' Well enough," He reminds her and she glares at him.
"I listen to every little thing you say Sheldon. Even the stuff that doesn't interest me. Because it matters to you. And you matter to me," Amy tells him getting up. "When I start to matter to you again. Give me me a call!" Amy says storming out of the room.
"Uterus stuff," He informs Leonard and Leslie making a crazy gesture with his hand.
"You know what? You're a pig!" Leslie says angrily getting up. "See ya later Leonard," Leslie says gathering her things to leave.
"See ya, dumbass!" She says glaring at Sheldon and slamming the door closed.
"Thanks a lot," Leonard tells Sheldon sarcastically.
"You're welcome!" Sheldon says enthusiastically grateful Leslie is gone.
Leslie rushes down the hall and stops Amy. Amy looks like she is trying not to cry. Leslie doesn't get why a smart girl like Amy was with a guy like Sheldon. Sheldon was in several of her classes. He had proven himself to be boorish, misogynistic and conceited. Sheldon Cooper thought he was god's gift to science. No one liked him, and whenever he opened his mouth the entire classroom rolled it's eyes. Yes, he was smarter than just about everyone else in school. That didn't give him licence to be an asshole to everyone too. Especially to the only other person, that as far as Leslie could tell, could even stand him.
"Hey, I just want to say I don't think your club idea is stupid," Leslie tells Amy.
"Thanks. Are you interested in joining?" Amy asks her pushing up her glasses to rub her eyes. Leslie shifts on her feet uncomfortably. Personally she would rather stick a steel rod through her ears then listen to Medieval poetry for an hour.
"I'm not much of a literature buff myself," Leslie tells her as they start walking again.
"I probably will never even start the club. It was just an idea," Amy tells her sighing. "Don't get me wrong. Science is my passion too. However expanding one's horizons is never a terrible idea."
"I agree, I just prefer to spend my spare time playing my violin," Leslie tells her and Amy lights up.
"I play the harp!" She tells her excitedly.
"What you should do is join the strings group I am in. A good harp player is hard to find. I just found a bass player last week," Leslie tells her.
"I'm in! I played with Leonard a few months ago and it was very cathartic," Amy tells her.
"Between you and me Leonard is not the best cellist in the world. I would have offered him to join us but once I heard him play. I did not feel comfortable extending the offer," Leslie says in a conspiratorial tone, making Amy laugh.
"I noticed that too, I didn't have the heart to say anything. Sheldon is a shockingly good piano player. Actually he's able to learn all instruments fairly quickly if we ever need extra accompaniment," Amy tells her.
"No thank you, we will never need accompaniment that bad," Leslie tells her shivering.
"You really don't like him do you?" Amy asks worried.
"No offense, but your boyfriend is a self righteous, pompous, misogynistic ass clown," Leslie tells her and Amy crosses her arms and stares her down.
"Wow, I am so glad you added the no offense part. Or I might have gotten offended," Amy says hurt.
"Amy it's no insult on you! I like you a lot. I just don't understand what an amazing woman like you. Is doing wasting her time on a dumbass like Cooper," Leslie says as they walk out into the night air. "I'm sorry that was mean. It's just that everytime I see you together. He insults you, or puts down your research, or flat out ignores you. I am just saying don't sell yourself short. There are plenty of fish in the sea, be like me and take out your pole and catch as many as you can."
"The thing is why cast out your line when you've already caught the biggest fish and have it mounted on your wall?" Amy tells her and Leslie rolls her eyes.
"Whatever, we meet Tuesday evenings in the strings room. You know where that is right?" Leslie says digging a flyer out of her bag and handing it to Amy.
"Yes, I could never forget," Amy mumbles the latter. As she blushes at the memory of the last time she and Sheldon were in the strings room.
"Hope you can make it," Leslie says digging a flyer out of her bag and handing it to Amy. "Just keep thinking about what I said."
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Dave was starting to wonder why he had decided to go to college in America. He had done his first two years at Cambridge and after a disastrous break up with the girl he thought he would marry. Dave decided to head to America in search of sunny skies and fresh start. Only so far his first four months as a Junior in mathematics at Caltech had been miserable. Here he was a Junior and there was a freshman who was putting him to absolute shame. This Sheldon Cooper was a campus rock star. Solving equations that made his head hurt just to look at.
Most of the other students mistook him for one of the professors. At almost seven feet tall and lanky as a string bean, it wasn't hard to see why. All Dave wanted was to make just a few friends to make his existence just a little less miserable.
It was with this thought in his head that he stopped at a flyer on the campus bulletin board. The flyer was for a newly assembled strings group on campus. He had played the bass since he was eight. His tall stature made it easy for him to handle the large instrument. When he called the number the girl seemed very enthusiastic to meet him next Tuesday. She had been looking for a bass player for a while.
So one drizzly November evening Dave made his way to the strings room on campus. Pushing the door open nervously he had no idea what to expect. In his head he saw a group of serious asian students playing a complicated symphony. Even he knew that was a racist vision and he chided his subconscious self for having it. What he didn't expect was to open the door and have a group of students warming up with Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive." When they stopped they started laughing. He hadn't expected a strings group to be such a lively bunch and he is immediately glad he joined.
Dave scans the room taking in the new faces. There is a girl with cascades of dark curly hair playing the violin. There was an asian boy playing the viola. A red haired girl on the cello. Then he catches sight of the harp player. Maybe it was the placement of the fluorescent light. But he could have sworn that the light from heaven itself was shining on the harp player. The girl was an absolute beauty and he couldn't take his eyes off of her. The way her dark glossy hair fell over her shoulders nearly reaching her waist. The throaty laugh she had sent shivers through body. He feels drawn to her in a way he has only felt once before. To the girl that broke his heart back in London.
"You must be Dave. The bass player," The girl with curly hair says adjusting her glasses while looking up at him.
"Dave Gibbs on the bass! That's me!" He laughs nervously shaking her hand.
"I am Leslie Winkle on the violin. That's Dave Kim on the viola. Ramona Nowitski on the cello, and Amy Fowler on the harp," Leslie says introducing everyone.
"Great now we are complete!" The red hair girl says smiling at him in a very friendly manner. However Dave doesn't notice. His eyes still trained on the captivating harp player who gives him a welcoming smile.
"Don't be shy, come on let's get started. We thought we would start out with De Bussey first," Leslie says motioning for him to sit and handing him sheet music.
Dave sits down on his stool happy that he is close enough to Amy to keep studying her. Her agile fingers pluck expertly at her harps strings. As she plays her lips purse in concentration. Drawing up a perfect bow shape. Dave imagines what it would be like to kiss those lips. He knows he is getting ahead of himself. He has a bad habit of imaging whole futures with women he has never even spoken too. Yet he can't help but imagine himself with this girl.
They play through the song. Then as a joke they play California by Tupac. It is the most fun that Dave has had in years. He is sad to see the night end. When they all begin to file out he hangs back. Waiting to get Amy alone. Hoping maybe he can interest her in a cup of tea.
"Excuse me, Amy is it?" He says tapping her shoulder as she starts to leave the room. She turns around and smiles warmly at him.
"Yes?" She asks and his heart skips a beat.
"I was wondering if, perhaps maybe, that is to say, umm if you would be interested in a spot of tea? With me? Having a cup of tea? With me?" He stammers out cursing his awkwardness certain she will say no.
"Sure, I could go for some tea," Amy beams.
"Excellent! I know just the place," Dave replies enthusiastically.
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It had been five days since Sheldon had talked to her. Amy was starting to get worried. She wanted so badly to seek him out. To make sure he was okay, but she had told him he had to come to her and she meant it. Amy thought the fight would last a day. Then he would message her, or show up at her door full of excuses for his behavior. Five days was highly unusual, Amy half wondered if he was done with her completely. If the math and physics part of his brain had finally edged out the Amy part.
Amy knew how he was when he got in the zone. She had to remind him to sleep, to eat, sometimes even to breathe. Still Amy was tired of the excuses. Tired of being the one to smooth over their disagreements. So she was going to give him space and see how long it took for him to come to her.
The words Leslie had said nag at her during those five days of silence. Was that how others saw him? To her he was the most wonderful, kind hearted, boy who had ever walked the earth. Even Amy had to admit he treated her better than he did others. She was one of the few other people in the world he could stand. Amy didn't think like Sheldon. She liked other people. Wanted to be around them and be friends with them. In her five days away from Sheldon she saw how isolated she had become. Bernadette was her only other friend and between school, work, and Howard she never saw her anymore.
Amy is looking forward to her strings group immensely. Even though Leslie had made fun of her sweet babboo. She could overcome her anger at the prospect of human interaction. It had been even better than she had hoped for. Getting together with people and just playing for fun. For the first time in five days she felt like a weight at been lifted off her.
As she exited the room when they were done playing she heard them making plans to get coffee. She is hurt when they don't invite her. Not that she even liked coffee, still an invitation would have been nice. Included but still segregated, story of her life. When Dave the other newcomer to the group invited her for tea. She was thrilled and eagerly said yes.
Amy had never been asked out by a boy before. Sheldon had been her only boyfriend and their relationship had been a delicious slow burn. The only other boy who ever showed her any interest was George. Amy doesn't think that Dave has any interest in her other than a friendly drink amongst band mates. Dave takes her to a small coffee shop that was popular amongst the students. Amy had passed several times but never been inside. Once she asked Sheldon if they could go and he looked at her like he was insane.
Amy finds herself nervous as they sit down. It was hard for her to make friends, she was awkward and always seemed to say the wrong thing. Amy taps her foot nervously at the table as she watches him order their drinks. She had offered to pay but Dave insisted that it was his treat. Amy chalks it up to his british politeness. Dave brings over two steaming tea cups and sets one down in front of her.
"There you go earl grey bag out, correct?" He asks and she nods swirling her tea bag around in her cup. "I'm a bag in fellow myself."
"So you are from England?" Amy asks him.
"No, no… I've just got a terrible speech affliction," He teases. Amy chuckles. "Yes, from London itself actually. How about you? Are you from California or did you migrate here like everyone else?" He asks taking a careful sip of his tea.
"Born and raised actually. Well except for the year I spent in Texas. I was there all last year and just moved back for school," She says sipping her tea.
"How did you like Texas? Full of Cowboys and tumbleweeds, and longhorns?" He asks and she laughs at the way his english accent stumbles over the terms.
"East Texas not central Texas, still it was an eye opener," Amy tells him giggling.
"Not your cup of tea?" He asks holding up his teacup.
"It was the best of times. It was the worst of times," Amy sighs thinking of how some of her best and worst memories were forged in her time there.
"Ah, yes. Ironically so was my time in London. The worst of times is what brought me out here," Dave tells her a little sadly.
"What happened?" Amy asks sympathetically.
"A love won and then lost. You know that old chestnut," He says evasively. "How about you?" Amy wonders how much she could tell this stranger.
Certainly she should mention meeting the love of her life while there. Thinking about Sheldon right now makes her heart hurt. She misses him so much, his week long silence has been a constant ache. Amy lifts her hand to brush her hair off her face when Dave grabs her hand to look at the green lantern ring on her finger.
"That's an interesting ring. Where did you get that?" He asks holding her small hand in his large one. He looks at her with an expression of tenderness that makes Amy uncomfortable. Suddenly she becomes aware that Dave might want more than tea and conversation. Before she can answer a familiar voice hails her from behind.
"Amy! Who is your new friend?" Bernadette squeals pulling up a chair and sitting at their table. Howard stands behind with his hands on her shoulders.
"This is Dave, we just met at Leslie's strings group tonight," Amy tells them. "What are you guys doing here?" Amy asks happy they came along when they did.
"So Amy did you hear the good news?" Howard asks her and Amy looks at him puzzled.
"No, what news?" Amy asks confused.
"Sheldon cracked the equation!" Howard tells her and Amy looks at him shocked. Sheldon figured it out and still he was ignoring her. It cut her like a knife. She wonders when he had solved the equation that had kept him away from her. The tears are starting to prick her eyes and her throat feels scratchy.
"When?" Amy manages to get out of her thick throat.
"Today, Professor Carrick has been parading him around campus like he is the golden goose," Howard huffs.
"Sheldon? You mean Sheldon Cooper!" Dave asks Howard excitedly. "You know him? He is a bit of a rockstar on campus just now isn't he."
"You should ask Amy if she knows him," Bernadette tells Dave winking.
"You know Sheldon Cooper too?" Dave asks excited. "You think you could introduce us? I have some questions about his work I would love to ask him."
"Amy they should totally meet up! If that's okay with you?" Bernadette says teasing. Amy glares at her.
"Why wouldn't I want my boyfriend meeting a friend of mine Bernadette?" Amy says getting up. "Excuse me Dave. I've got to go," Amy says storming out of the shop.
Between Bernadette acting like she she should be branded with a scarlet letter for having tea with a friend. Then discovering Sheldon was finished with his work and still hadn't contacted her. It was too much and the tears that had been pricking her eyes, threatening to fall. Start rolling down her cheeks, hot and thick with no sign of stopping. When she gets to her dorm room she contemplates pushing the chair under door so Bernadette can't come in. But before she can Bernadette busts in with an apologetic look on her face and a to go cup in her hand.
"I brought you hot chocolate," She says holding up the cup. Amy just looks at her insolently. "Double the marshmallows!" Bernadette sing songs holding the cup under Amy's nose, getting no reaction from Amy. "Listen Amy, I'm sorry. I was just teasing you. I know you would never cheat on Sheldon. It just shocked me to see some other man holding your hand. I thought you would think it was funny too," Amy finally grabs the cup from her hand and takes a sip.
"I would never be unfaithful to Sheldon! He was asking about my ring. I thought we were just two new friends going out for tea. I was just about to tell him about Sheldon when you two showed up."
"Dave told us. Have you been crying Amy?" Bernadette asks.
"Yes, Sheldon hasn't spoken to me in a week. You have been involved with Howard. The first friend I make wants to be more than just friends with me. I've just been so lonely," Amy says miserably and Bernadette sits on her bed and wraps her up in a hug.
"I have been preoccupied lately. New love and all that. I didn't even know you were having a rough time. I've been a really crappy friend," Bernadette tells her.
"You haven't been crappy," Amy sighs.
"Yes, I have. Teasing you at that coffee shop was really wrong of me. Sometimes I just don't even think before talking. Listen I told Howard I would stay with him tonight. His mother is in Florida for the week, and we don't get many chances to be alone," Bernadette says.
"I understand. I used to hate sneaking around with Sheldon," Amy tells her wiping her eyes under her glasses.
"This weekend how about we have a girls weekend?" Bernadette tells her making Amy smile.
"That sounds nice," Amy says smiling. She used to have lots of fun when Missy came over to Meemaw's for sleepovers.
"It is going to be amazing! Penny can come too. She broke up with Kurt and I am sure she needs cheering up too," Bernadette tells her getting up.
"It's a date. I'm holding you to it!" Amy says wagging her finger at Bernadette.
"I'll be there with bells on! Now get some rest and you'll feel better in the morning," Bernadette says as she gathers a small overnight bag. Bernadette blows Amy a kiss before heading out the door.
Amy gets ready for bed. Taking a long hot shower, and brushing her teeth even more thoroughly than normal. When she gets back into the dorm room she turns on her computer. Hoping for a missed message from Sheldon. Her messages are empty and Sheldon is not online.
Amy's fingers itch to type out a scathing message to him. She goes as far as opening up the messaging window. When her fingers hit the keys they type out how much she misses him. That she was wrong, her club idea had been stupid. Then she deletes it all. Amy would rather die than admit she was wrong when she wasn't. Half of her thinks if she never spoke to her husband again. She would go to the grave with the smug satisfaction that she was right. Of course she might also become one of those ghosts who wandered the earth searching for their lost loves. Good thing I don't believe in ghosts she thinks as she shuts down her computer and lays in her bed.
Sleep will not come to her restless heart. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Leslie's words haunt her brain. Her comeback had effectively shut her down. Leslie had won, because her words were living in her brain now. Had they married too young? Was Sheldon already regretting shackling himself to her? Was he secretly mad at her over her plans to spend the summer in Norway and this was his retaliation?
What if he decided that he couldn't do this anymore. That he just wanted to be a scientist and nothing else. Would she ever recover from the blow? True Sheldon was not the only man in the world. Perhaps eventually her heart would heal and she would move on. For a moment she envisioned a life with Dave her tea date.
Amy was certain that Dave wouldn't lose track of days when thinking about an equation. That he could go through life without having every second mapped out. That if she walked over to him and sat in his lap in front of people he wouldn't be embarrassed. He could eat at a restaurant without a debriefing their menu and utensils.
Dave did not make her heart race when he looked at her. When he spoke she didn't hang onto his every word. When their hands touched she did not feel like he had shocked her. His mouth did not mesmerize her, make her long to feel his lips against hers. With Sheldon she felt all of this. From the moment she had first laid eyes on him he had sent her heart a flutter. Even after all this time when he touched her she got butterflies. Amy knew in her heart that she would never love another man. Maybe in time she could, but it would never be the same.
Maybe it had all happened too soon and too fast. At least she could say she had loved. That she had been loved back, even if he didn't love her anymore. It is with this depressing thought that she starts crying again. The tears make her head pound. Amy realizes with a start that the pounding is not in her head. That the pounding is at her door. In a telltale series of three.
Amy sits up in bed, her heart thumping along with the door. He has put her through such torture the last few days she almost wants to ignore it. Make him feel like she had the last few days. Amy can't decide how to proceed as the banging continues so loudly that she will have to answer it or risk the entire hall waking up.
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As his marker makes one last scratch on the whiteboard Sheldon lets out a noise of triumph. It is solved, the equation that had haunted his every waking hours. When he got like this it was like the rest of the world didn't matter. His head was just a swirling miasma of numbers and figures. It was like he was walking through the world underwater. He could hear the people talking to him but it was tinny and far away.
"Cooper! This is brilliant," He hears his professor say behind him.
"I know," He says cockily. "It's like my brain had a baby!" Stepping back to admire his work.
"Do you know what this means? You are going to be famous! This is going to be published in every single science journal," Professor Carrick says excited.
"You think?" Sheldon asks the prospect of getting notoriety for his work was extremely exciting.
"Just in case something were to happen to the board... heaven forbid," Professor Carrick says. pulling a disposable camera out of his bag. Taking several snaps of the whiteboard from different angles.
"Good idea, I have been slaving over this for almost five days. I would hate for it to be in vain," Sheldon says staring at the board with a sense of accomplishment.
Five tiresome days went into this moment. Days where he barely eat, barely slept, all for this. Amy would be so proud of him! He couldn't wait to tell her. Then something pops up into his mind. Something Amy had said to him a few days prior when she had been upset with him.
"I listen to every little thing you say Sheldon. Even the stuff that doesn't interest me. Because it matters to you. And you matter to me! When I start to matter to you again. Give me me a call!"
Had he called her since she walked out? No, he didn't think he had. He had been consumed with the numbers in his head. Sheldon couldn't remember the last time he had ate a full meal. Not just a brief snack as he stared at the whiteboard. Over the weekend Professor Carrick had given him the keys to his classroom. Letting him come and go as he pleased as he worked on the problem.
Amy would have stopped him. Made him take a break to eat, to sleep, to shower. Without her nagging he had been free to work as long and hard as he wanted. He had slept maybe an hour in five days standing slumped against the Professor's desk. Now that it was done he felt weak, drained, and exhausted. He couldn't register what the professor was saying to him now. If the Professor had asked him to give him all the credit for his work all he could have done was nod in agreement.
Excused from the rest of his classes for the day. Professor Carrick trucks him all around campus. Telling all his colleagues about his brilliance. Giving him effusive praise and heralding him as the next big thing. Sheldon should be happy, on cloud nine that he was finally getting the recognition that he deserved. Instead he just finds himself wishing it would just end. That he would free him and allow him to go to bed. Everything is becoming a blur to him. When he is finally released he has no clue what has happened or what he has agreed to.
It is almost eight o'clock when he finally gets back to his dorm room. He rushes to his computer and logs on. He has missed his scheduled time with Amy. Has he made that time in the last five days? He is sure he hasn't and his stomach twists with dread. How could he be so careless? Amy meant more to him than anything in the world. What was she thinking about him now? Why hadn't she tried to contact him? When he logs on he sees that their last correspondence was six days ago. Amy isn't online, she has probably already started her preparations to go to bed. Her first class was at seven o'clock tomorrow. There was a chance she might be up doing homework or studying. Knowing Amy she had gotten her work done over the weekend.
Sheldon is exhausted but he knows he won't be able to rest until he sees her. He heads out the door grabbing his jacket to guard against the november chill. As he walks he thinks about the past six days. Thursday had been their normal date night. Amy had been chattering by his side happily as they walked to his dorm room. He hadn't been listening to what she was saying. The numbers had already taken hold in his mind. Amy had pulled him from his thoughts asking his opinion on something. It annoyed him to be pulled from his thoughts. Especially for her to ask his opinion on something that held no interest for him.
Sheldon hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. He was blunt and to the point. A club held for the sole purpose of discussing medieval literary works sounded stupid and boring to him. He saw no point in apologizing to her for speaking the truth. Amy had walked out, Leslie had called him a pig, and he was free to devote his brain fully to the task at hand.
The next four days were a blur to him. Day blending into night as he worked the numbers in his mind. The numbers at time overwhelming him with their different colors and scents. Unable to get any rest from it. Even when he closed his eyes all he saw were the numbers. It only felt like a day had passed. How could five days paraded past him without him noticing. Amy was probably furious with him. He couldn't say he blamed her if she was. He rubs his cheek and notices it is scratchy to the touch. He had been due for a shave on Sunday and he had failed to do even that.
When Sheldon gets to the door he raps on the door. There is no answer, but he knows she's there. He can't explain it but he can feel her on the other side of the door. Like a pulse thrumming, he knows she is there. He knocks again louder, and harder. If he has to stand outside her door banging all night he will. As he is about to pound again she opens the door and he lowers his fist feeling foolish.
"Hi," He says sheepishly.
"Hi," She says crossing her arms over her chest. "Long time no see."
"I can explain…" He starts.
"I talked to Howard, he says that you solved it," Amy says cutting him off.
"This morning, all day I've been carted around campus. Being introduced to what feels like every Professor at Caltech. They are saying I will win an award for what I've just done," He says looking at Amy through his dark lashes. Amy looks unimpressed pursing her lips at him. "Can I come in?" He says aware she has not moved to let him inside yet. Amy just shrugs and moves to let him inside. Sheldon sits on her computer chair stretching his long legs. If he sits on the bed he can't guarantee he won't fall asleep.
"You look terrible," Amy softening towards him when she takes in his appearance. There are dark circles underneath his eyes. His normally smooth cheeks are dark and gaunt like he has missed a few meals. Even missing just a few easily show up on his lanky frame. His hair which he takes care to neatly comb, is disheveled. There is something sexy about his wild appearance, so different from his status quo, that tugs at Amy's gut but she stays strong.
"I've felt better too," He admits running a hand through his messy hair. "I haven't been sleeping or eating much."
"Sheldon," Amy says her resolve to stay mad falling away. "Nothing is so important that you forget to take care of yourself."
"Normally, I have you to remind me," He says and her eyes narrow. If he was only here to scold her for not acting like his mother he could leave.
"Well if you had been talking to me I might have known. Instead you chose to ignore me," Amy reminds me and his head dips lower.
"I don't have a good excuse," He admits looking at her desperately. "When I get like this, I don't have control over myself. The normal things that drive me, it's like they cease to exist."
"I guess, I know that," Amy tells him. Knowing how hard it is for him to apologize.
"Amy I haven't slept more than an hour in five days. I have been living off sips of water and the candy Professor Carrick kept on his desk. Yet the first need I took care of once I got home. Was not to eat, or sleep, or shave, it was to see you," He tells her looking up at her finally.
If he wasn't forgiven before, he is now as he looks at her with a look of devotion. Amy could never stay mad at him. She gets up now and wraps his arms around him. Inhaling his scent that she had longed for the past five days. Then finding that he didn't smell like himself. While she didn't think it was possible for him to smell bad. It was clear that showering and changing his clothes had also fallen by the wayside.
"Alright Mister, you need to go take a shower and brush your teeth. While you do that I'll make you something to eat," She says with authority.
"I don't have any of my things here," He sighs against her.
Amy goes over to her drawers opening a bottom drawer. Amy hands him a bag. Sheldon opens it up to find a pair of his pajamas, a freshly sealed toothbrush and travel sized toothpaste, and a travel bottle of no more tears shampoo. He looks at her gratefully, she never ceased to amaze him.
"I put that together awhile ago, just in case," She says winking at his awed face and handing him a clean towel.
"You are wonderful," He sighs.
"Chop chop! Go get freshened up and when you get back you can eat," She says shooing him out of the room.
When he comes back a she has made them a simple dinner of buttered spaghetti with parmesan and garlic. Amy hands him a bowl and he wolfs down his food quickly. Amy fills up his bowl again which he eats slower but still with gusto.
"Thank you," He says when she takes his bowl and throws it in the trash. "My mother never made spaghetti like that. It is becoming one of my favorites."
"It's quick and easy," She tells him. "Are you feeling better?"
"I feel much better," He looks better, his color is better. His hair is neatly stubble is still dark on his cheeks. Amy hadn't thought to include a razor, he shaved so seldom The dark circles are still there making the blue in his eyes stand out even more. That was one more thing she could fix for him.
"Come on let's get you to bed," Amy says patting his shoulder. Sheldon gets up and followers her to the bed. Climbing under the sheets with her. "In case you were worried. Bernadette is staying with Howard tonight. So we have the place to ourselves."
"I wasn't worried," Sheldon answers honestly. Even if Bernadette had been there it would not have changed his plans to stay with Amy tonight. He never slept better when he was with her. Sheldon kisses her on the mouth. Amy melts into him pulling him tighter against her body. Then she pulls away and gives him a look. "What?" He asks in confusion.
"You know you can't just heal me with your penis," Amy tells him seriously. Sheldon looks at her aghast.
"Amy! What in the world are you talking about?" He asks pulling further away from her.
"Everytime we fight, we make love then the fight is forgotten. I'm just informing you I still want to talk this over with you. Not right now because we are both tired. You're coitus skills aren't a get out of jail free card," Amy tells him and he smirks at her.
"I never thought they were. My intentions were never to use my genitals as emotional leverage," He tells her. "You little lady, are a vixen for thinking such a thing," He teases. She smiles shyly at him and kisses him again. Sheldon kisses her back but not as enthusiastically as before.
"What's wrong?" She asks worried.
"Nothing, I just agree with you that we shouldn't use intimacy to gloss our problems over. Perhaps we should talk them over now?" Sheldon says seriously.
"I didn't mean to worry you with that. I know that you are exhausted," Amy says resting her head against his chest.
"I won't be able to rest until we've discussed this," He says against her hair.
"It's just I understand how important your academics are to you. I would never want to stand in your way. I wanted to give you the space you needed. Still it was a long time not to hear from you," Amy says her voice starting to tremble a bit.
"You can't let me do that to you. I would never intentionally neglect you. When I get in the zone like that I am not myself. I need you to be my guide. I was a wreck without you obviously," He says stroking her hair.
"I was going to call you. Then I thought maybe you had decided that having a wife and going to college was too much trouble. Or that you were mad about me going to Norway and were taking it out on me passive aggressively," She sniffs.
"Amy…" He is at a loss for words. He had hurt her and he felt terrible.
"It was only five days but it felt like forever. Then it got me thinking about how I will do it when I do go. I don't know if I can be away from you that long," She confesses. Sheldon smiles into her hair and hugs her tight as he places a kiss on her head.
Amy's scent is a comforting balm that never ceased to soothe him. He too was worried about her going away. So worried about what he would do without her in Texas for three months that he had begun to search for other options. In fact just a few days ago he submitted an application for a program in Germany. If he got it he would just be a train ride away from her. He hadn't told her yet even though he was a shoo in. He liked certainty also he did not want her to tell him not to do it. He would surprise her by showing up in Norway unannounced if he had to.
"Don't worry about that right now. We will find a way to make it work," He assures her.
"There is something else I need to tell you," Amy says nervously. "I don't want you to get upset."
"Alright," He replies warily.
"After I stormed off on Thursday, Leslie flagged me down. We got to talking and she invited me to join a strings group she organized on campus. Taking away my need to organize the medieval literature group," Amy starts pausing to figure out a way to proceed.
"I'm no fan of Leslie Winkle. However I won't condemn you for playing an instrument with her," Sheldon tells her.
"That's not the part you will be mad at," Amy sighs. She glances at her hand resting on his chest. Her ring catches the moonlight coming through the window making the center glow. As if it were mocking her.
"Tonight I went for my first practice with them. There was a boy there that played the bass. After practice was over he invited me out for a cup of tea. I thought he was just being friendly so I accepted. Then once we were there I got the feeling he might have thought it was more than just sharing a friendly drink. I told him about you and I left, but I still feel guilty that I got myself into that situation," Amy says looking up into his face. Worried that she will see his angry face. Instead his eyes still look soft.
"I trust you Amy. If you say it was just a cup tea, then that's all it was," He says calmly and Amy is relieved.
"You're the best," She tells him kissing him. Then resting her head on his chest again.
"I know," He agrees sleepily. The last thing he hears is Amy's soft giggle as they both drift off.
I'm not done with Dave yet! Tell me what you think and leave me a review!