One year ago today, I published the first chapter! It doesn't feel like it's been a year that I've been working on this! Thank you to all of you who have been here since the beginning and welcome to the people who have just discovered this! Enjoy the ride!
It's dark as Dave awakens hours later, cocooned around Amy, her back to his chest. Did they really sleep the day away?
Os is laying on his back at their feet as he too slumbers. Dave has so much he needs to do, calls he needs to make, bags he needs to pack... and all he wants to do is stay in the safety of Amy's bed and watch his best friend sleep. Nothing happened between them, thankfully, he adds, as he carefully removes his arm from around Amy's waist and leans up to check the time. 6:37 pm. Sighing, he lays back down and tries to time his breaths to match Amy's as he pulls her comforter around them and closes his eyes. Having her soft, warm body pressed against him is doing things, very very dangerous and inappropriate things to him. She's a biologist. She'll understand, he decides as he soon falls back asleep.
Amy awakens an hour later to the feel of a cold wet nose against her cheek as Os nudges her and whines, hoping one of the humans will wake up to take him outside. Dave is still sleeping and even if he wasn't... she'd be taking Os outside, she decides as she feels Dave's erection pressing into her back. She never had this problem with Sheldon... ever. Of course, he didn't like to cuddle her. If she wanted to cuddle, she had to hold him, and only when he was sleeping. What should she do? Ignore it seems the best option. Reminding herself it's a normal biological reaction for the male species, Amy tries to not let it affect her too much as she lifts Dave's arm and moves it to her pillow.
"Come on," she whispers to the dog as she picks him up and carefully opens the bedroom door, leaving it open so the squeaking of the hinges doesn't awaken Dave. Nothing happened between them, and yet, it feels as though there's been a monumental shift in their relationship. Proceed with caution, she decides as she snaps Os's leash in place, grabs her phone and makes her way downstairs to the small patch of grass. She should wake Dave in the next hour so they can eat dinner and he can start making arrangements to fly back to England.
Even if he asked, which he hasn't, she can't go, not having any leave from work. That's actually probably for the best, she decides She's emotionally fragile, he's grieving, and they could make a really stupid mistake by letting the physical affection go too far. Deep down, way down, cuddling and falling asleep in Dave's arms was... nice, circumstances leading to the event notwithstanding. She could easily get used to it. This isn't a good thing, Amy decides. She needs to get any thoughts of starting a relationship right now out of her head.
She takes Os for an extra long walk so she can clear her head, and as they come back upstairs, they find Dave awake and at the stove making toasted cheese sandwiches.
"Thank you," he says as she enters. "So, um... can you take over? I have a few phone calls I need to make."
"Of course," Amy immediately replies.
She notices that Dave is keeping his distance, going to his right to the fridge and then doubling back around the island before going to her bedroom. Wondering if he is embarrassed by his physical response to cuddling, Amy flips the sandwiches and releases a heavy sigh. She can't keep running to Penny and Bernadette each time she needs advice. She has to figure this one out on her own.
Just as she thinks that Dave reappears and asks, "May I use your phone? Mine just died."
"Of course. The pin is 0314."
"You're the best," Dave praises as he grabs her cell phone from the charging station on top of the tv stand.
Sheldon is playing World of Warcraft when he gets a notification on the right side of his screen that Penny is calling Amy. He quickly pauses the game and clicks on the notification, listening as the phone rings before it connects.
"Hello?" Dave answers. Why's he answering Amy's phone? Scoundral.
"Dave! Hi! It's Penny and Bernadette," Penny greets.
"Right, hello," he replies, "May I ask Amy to call you later? I have a few urgent matters to attend to."
Is that code for they're having coitus, Sheldon wonders as he listens for signs of ragged breathing or rustling sheets.
"Of course, of course. Tell Amy we expect a full report," Penny replies, barely able to contain her squeal of joy.
"And wrap that thang up!" Bernadette adds as the call disconnects.
That was a rather odd way to end a conversation, Dave muses.
He knew it was just a matter of time once Amy ran into Dave, but the news that they're in a relationship sucker punches Sheldon right in the gut as he feels the first tears fall from his eyes. He saves his progress on his game and shuts the lid, going to the air mattress and taking a few deep breaths. He really truly lost her, for good this time. What does he do now?
The first thing is to stop crying over something he did to himself. Homo Novi don't cry. They also don't get themselves sucked into a romantic relationship and are loyal to everyone they care about... but that's a different form of self-loathing for another time.
All of this... because of a damn soiled sock which may or may not have been placed in his apartment. So, by that logic, it's Howard and Raj's fault that he's in this mess. If they had never set up that stupid fake profile on the dating website, he wouldn't be in this mess now. Ha, take that Mom. I never needed friends or a girlfriend... all other people do is hurt you.
"Bernadette and Penny called. I'm supposed to tell you they expect a full report and to, quote, 'wrap that thing up?" Dave relays as he exits the bedroom 45 minutes later. The blushing of Amy's cheeks makes him smile at her, even though he's not sure what was meant by the comment. "Care to explain?" he questions as he comes to sit next to her on the couch where she's watching a French-dubbed episode of Friends.
"They assumed we were... getting busy," she hints.
"Oh. Why would they think that?" he wonders.
"They have been making rather crude remarks since I first told them we ran into each other. Both believe that the best and quickest way for me to get over Sheldon is to... um... be intimate with you," she whispers.
"I see... and is that... something you want?" he asks.
"I... I don't know how to answer that," she admits as she turns towards him. "I think at the present moment, it would be a huge mistake."
"I agree," he immediately replies as he releases a sigh, "but cuddling with you was... nice."
"I agree," she whispers while smiling at him.
"I um... I need to go," he decides as he quickly jumps up off the couch and looks for Os.
Wow, that came out of nowhere Amy decides as she feels as if she just had a bucket of ice water poured on her. "Did I do something?"
"No," he immediately reassures. "If I don't leave right now, I'm going to kiss you. I don't want our first kiss to be under these circumstances... something we'll regret. I'm leaving for London tomorrow morning. I'll be there for 3 weeks. I think... we both need this time to think things through."
"Okay, but I want to stay in touch," she requests.
"Of course," he agrees.
"What about Os?" Amy questions.
"I've made arrangements to take him with me," Dave explains. "Os, come," he commands as Os comes running to his master and sits at his feet.
"I feel like I've upset you," Amy confesses as she goes to lock the door behind Dave.
"No, on the contrary. You've awakened something in me that I never thought I'd feel again after Claire. It's exciting and terrifying to be perfectly honest with you. My head is spinning from the shock of losing my mum and it'd be so fucking easy to just... give into the feelings. I can't do that. I won't do that. I made a promise to you, but Jesus, it's getting harder and harder... um, no pun intended... to keep that promise. You're an amazing, kind, funny, intelligent, beautiful woman, Amy, and Sheldon is a goddammed fool for ever letting you go," he whispers. "I need to go before I make a huge mistake."
"I am sorry, Dave... about your mom. I wish I could've met her," Amy whispers in reply.
"So do I," he murmurs as he opens the door and swallows hard, trying to keep his tears at bay. "I'll text you once I've arrived," he promises. "Good night."
"Good night," she wishes as she shuts and locks the door before closing her eyes and laying her head against it.