Okay, everybody, if my plan goes the way it should, this should be wrapped up by chapter 25. I feel obliged at this point to tell you I don't own the lyrics to "Layla" by Eric Clapton/ Derek and the Dominoes. I know that's hard to believe, given my massive personal fortune. XD
All the boys and Penny were in Sheldon and Leonard's apartment when they got back from church and breakfast.
"Layla," Howard crooned, swaggering toward her, Nintendo belt buckle leading the way. "You got me on my knees, Layla, I'm begging darling please."
"Howard, as impressed as I am that you know that song, you are not the first person to make the Eric Clapton reference."
"What reference?" Sheldon asked.
"There's a song from the seventies called Layla, and it's the one I'm named after. It was by Eric Clapton." Layla replied.
"That's so cool," Penny sighed. "I don't think I'm named after anything."
"All my sisters are named after songs," she explained, blushing. "Emily's named after the song 'See Emily Play' and Diana after the song 'Diana' by Bryan Adams."
"I have not heard any of those songs." Sheldon replied matter-of-factly.
"I'll educate you later." She smiled, patting his arm.
"Now Layla, would you like to help Penny and I cook a real Cooper dinner?" Mary asked.
"I'd love that." Layla smiled. "Sheldon do you have an apron? I don't want to get my dress dirty."
"Certainly," He replied, going to a drawer and producing a long white apron. She put the string around her neck and Sheldon tied the back strings for her, letting his fingers brush her back just barely.
Across the room, Leonard turned to Penny. "Did that just happen?"
"You mean, did Sheldon just initiate contact with another human being and didn't try to disinfect himself before or after?" Penny asked. "Yeah, that just happened."
SLSLSLSLSLSLSLSL
At the same time the next day, it was just Sheldon and Layla in the apartment; they had dropped Mrs Cooper off at the airport early that morning, Raj and Howard had gone home, Leonard was sleeping, and Penny had gone home early, having to work a breakfast shift the next day.
"Would you like to hear the song I was named after?" Layla winked. "I promised to educate you."
"I suppose so," Sheldon shrugged amicably, muting the end credits of Jeopardy. He'd challenged her to a game show competition, which he'd won, naturally. Layla fetched her iPod and flicked around on the dial. Then she placed the device on their docking station and pressed play.
What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.
Sheldon listened silently to the next verse for a minute, then looked up at her. "Your parents named you after this song?"
"Yeah, seems a little unorthodox, I know, but my mother is a huge Eric Clapton fan. They named Emily after a Pink Floyd song, and 'Diana' by Bryan Adams is about Diana, Princess of Wales." She regarded him for a minute silently, and then stood up. "Would you like me to teach you to dance?"
"No, absolutely not. I don't dance."
"Maybe you don't because you can't. Yet. I'm going to teach you."
"No, no, Layla," Sheldon whined, allowing her to pull him up with both hands. She took a step closer to him, so they were standing the way they were before church the day before. "I don't like participating in activities I am not proficient in."
"Sheldon, have you ever danced with a girl before?" she asked, exasperated. When he shook his head 'no', she smiled. "Then you can't know if you're proficient, can you? Come on, it's easy. Just step a little closer, and… Sheldon, don't look so tense!" she laughed at his stressed face. "Dancing is supposed to be fun. Think of it like… like a derivative plane. We have to operate on parallel lines. Now, put your hand on my waist," she instructed patiently. Now we're going to move. No one expects you to be perfect besides you, sweetie, just relax."
She was standing almost up against him now, whispering in his ear. Sheldon took her hand in his and they just moved slowly in a circle. Layla pulled away and took both his hands again, showing him how to spin her and teaching him how to lead, teaching in a quiet, patient voice. When 'Layla' was over, 'See Emily Play' began, and she stepped closer again, daring to actually let their bodies touch for more than a second. He didn't balk, and she didn't push her luck.
"You know, you never told me what your troubling dream was," she said.
Of course, Sheldon was nothing if not a fast learner, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise when he spun her round and pulled her back against his body. But she was surprised, and uttered a little laugh and an 'oh'. It was fun, even Sheldon couldn't deny that. Of course, Layla had set it up so 'Diana' was on next, which was undoubtedly more upbeat. Layla sped up the pace of their footfalls, and taught him to spin her into his body, so her back was pressed against his front.
"Would you like me to tell you?" Sheldon asked.
"Of course, if you'd like to," Layla smiled.
"You were in it."
"Really?"
"You were reciting the Maslow's hierarchy of needs to me."
"Seriously?" Layla raised a brow. "Have you been able to decipher what that means?"
"No, I was hoping you'd have some insight." Sheldon replied.
"Okay, well, Maslow's Hierarchy is a chart showing humans' basic needs that need to be fulfilled before the others can be attained. Would you like to look it up?"
"Yes, I would like to." He replied, dropping her hand.
They went to Sheldon's computer, and Layla typed their search into Google images.
"So, obviously, the first one can be crossed off the list, since you've attained everything, except sex. Or so I'm assuming." She looked at him severely.
"… No, I am not having coitus with someone else." He replied, shrinking a little away from her look.
"Good." She nodded. "And you've accomplished all of the safety stage. Same with esteem; according to Leonard you could stand to lose a few points in that category," she winked at him. "And I suppose you have some of the self-actualization stage, except the fact that you are not free of prejudice."
"I am so!" he disagreed. "I simply have standards."
"Right, whatever." She smiled, shaking her head. "But have a look at the yellow block on the pyramid."
Sheldon bent over Layla's shoulder to read. "Friendship, family, sexual intimacy. I have friends. And a family. Simply not sexual intimacy."
"Your friends are lovely, but they do delight a little in pushing your buttons. And you have a very religious family that you don't exactly see eye to eye with. However, you could reach the next step in the third one if you kissed me right now."
Sheldon looked down at her in surprise. "I beg your pardon?"
"Remember when I told you that I wouldn't date anyone with affection that only went one way?" he nodded. "Well, then, I can't be the one to force you into physical affection. And I'd like you to kiss me. Please."
Finally, Sheldon bent down, and pressed his lips to hers. He had intended it to be a quick peck, to oblige her, but then his senses were assaulted with her flowery scent and she wrapped her fingers around the wrist of the hand that was suspending him above her. She didn't touch him anywhere else, yet for some reason he was unable to pull away.
In a way, that was how his relationship with Layla was; he tried desperately to pull back into his safe, predictable life, but she continued to lure him out in ways that he couldn't always decipher. What his mother had said really had lodged in his brain.
When they pulled away for air, she smiled at him breathlessly. "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He replied. They stared at each other a moment, then, mutually, they leaned back in and kissed again. Layla stood up so Sheldon wasn't bent over her. She rested one hand on his chest, just over his heart. They continued until an uncomfortable 'ahem' pulled them from their embrace.
Leonard was in the hallway in his bathrobe, his glasses uneven on his nose. "Um. Sorry for interrupting."
"That's alright," Layla blushed. "I should get going anyway. Goodnight Sheldon," she said, hurriedly grabbing her bag and fleeing the apartment.
There was a tense silence after the door closed behind her. Sheldon was looking pink around the ears, and finally said, "Good night Leonard."
His roommate was staring slack jawed in shock. Just before Sheldon shut his bedroom door, he called, "You have lipstick on your mouth!"