Ch. 22 starts a NEW WEEK for Penny and Sheldon….and finally back to the *heat* between our two favorite protagonists… :)
I have set up what I need to set up, so now the real fun begins. *joy!*
Make a girl feel good (I stay up way too many hours). Let me know what you think—Review!
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Saturday was consumed with work in the evening for Penny, and Paint Ball and Laundry for Sheldon. Essentially, they saw very little of each other.
It was when her co-worker said, "See you, Monday!" that Penny realized SUNDAY was her friend's wedding—the one with whom she'd partied a few weeks prior at her bachelorette party.
Sheldon wasn't happy about the news.
They were in the hallway between the apartments talking after she got off of work later that night. "Well, I can't just miss the wedding because you're going to be bored all day." Penny leaned on the wall.
"Well, technically you could, but you just won't."
"Time apart is healthy."
Sheldon nodded, and then shrugged, looking away. "I suppose." He crossed his arms. "I just planned a whole day. Now what am I going to do?"
Penny tried to look into his eyes and moved her head to draw his attention back to her, but his gaze remained away from her. "Sheldon….?" His head turned at his name. "You can still do your planned stuff."
"Mmm…no. You were our ride."
Penny rolled her eyes and pushed away from the wall. "I don't know what to tell you, sweetie."
She checked her watch and looked at her door. "I better get some sleep though. I'm so beat." She leaned up to give him a kiss on the lips but Sheldon immediately backed away.
"No." He looked around. "No public display of affection. Implied rule."
"What's the use of no contracts if we always have to follow a set of 'implied rules'?" Before Sheldon could answer, she continued, "And this isn't public. This is our apartment."
"Penny, any number of people can walk up or down those stairs and I don't want to be caught in the middle of a—"
Penny kissed him anyway, raising herself on her tip toes and grabbing his shirt. When she pulled away, she just smiled and patted him on his shoulder, then strode into her apartment and closed the door.
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Sunday was more eventful than Sheldon realized. Raj no longer had his house guests over and Priya and Leonard actually chose to hang out with him, Raj and Howard at the apartment. Sheldon was actually pleased his day was filling up fast, since his previous plans were crushed.
He left to check the mail from Saturday as the guys and Priya got situated in their respective spots in the room, deciding to watch a sampling of the best science fiction the 1970's had to offer. He was flipping through the letters as he opened the door and tossed the mail key in the bowl. He turned back to his friends, stopping short. His hand dropped and he looked around. All eyes were on him.
The last time he was stared at in this manner was when all his friends were pressuring him to get a driver's license.
"Hello…" he said uncomfortably, strolling to his desk.
"Hello." Howard was direct, his mouth twisted in a wry smile.
"Yes, hello, Sheldon," Raj interjected, a goofy grin on his face as well.
Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows, wondering what was going on.
"Is there something you want to tell us?" Howard asked, sitting up straight and folding his hands on his lap.
"No…"
"Are you certain?" Raj said, though his manner seemed more jovial.
"If there is something you want to know, asking would expedite this little back and forth," Sheldon responded, confused as he plopped the mail down on his closed laptop. He went to the kitchen to go to fridge, uncomfortable with the atmosphere.
Priya and Leonard remained quiet, with Leonard lowering his head and avoiding his roommate's eyes.
"Oh, I don't know," Howard replied, turning to Raj. "Raj, let me ask you something. If someone we knew had a problem with people in general, and any form of human contact, or even being human himself, wouldn't it be worth the mention that he is, in fact, engaging in the very thing he acts so repulsed by?"
"You mean…coitus?" Raj replied with some feigned surprise.
Sheldon slowly stood from his hunched over stance at the fridge, realizing what was going on.
"I think it would be worth the mention," Raj continued, both mocking a studious stare at each other then at Sheldon.
Pursing his lips and narrowing his eyes, Sheldon glared at the two of them and then at the back of Leonard and Priya's heads as they were sitting facing away from him. He slowly closed the refrigerator door. His heart began to beat faster as anger and embarrassment began to surface. How had it slip his mind to ask Leonard and Priya to practice discretion concerning this matter?
"I suppose it would be worth the mention," Sheldon casually said. "If there were company worth mentioning it to."
Howard looked genuinely stunned and sat back, looking at the others in the room.
"Since when are we not worth mentioning to that you're sleeping with Penny?" Howard asked, shrugging. He looked sincerely insulted. Raj just looked confused but slightly impressed by Sheldon's response.
"Oh, Howard. Raj. Others," he pointedly said to Leonard and Priya as he strolled up to where they all sat. "I do my best not to interfere in your affairs, however trite they might be, and I would kindly expect the same of you in regards to mine."
"You can't expect people not to talk, Sheldon. You are all in the same group of friends." Priya looked up at him as she spoke; making a great deal of sense he didn't want to hear.
Why is she even a part this conversation? She isn't even an integral part of the this group, Sheldon thought snidely.
"I most certainly can." With that, he walked away from her to the kitchen, mostly to avoid the people he was supposed to spend his day with.
"This would explain why he was acting like the Mayor of Bitch-ville on Friday," Howard mumbled to Raj, who giggled in return.
"Mayor of what?" Sheldon crossed his arms, his anger seeping through his words.
"Yeah, he got so riled up when I was checking Penny out," he explained to the group.
"I most certainly did not." Sheldon's mind was swimming with reminders not to care, identify his feelings as anger, embarrassment and jealousy and let them slip through his whole body and escape his mind. He shouldn't care what the others thought. So what if Howard had a crush on Penny. Sheldon was a friend with benefits, not her boyfriend. Guys will check her out…
"Oh, you most certainly did," Howard corrected, about to relay the story to the others when Sheldon walked up and sat down in his usual spot.
Wanting to desperately move on from the topic, Sheldon said, "Well, the cat's out of the bag then." His voice lacked confidence and his presence was that of a nervous child. "I think we're all adults here. Let's just watch the movie."
William Shakespeare came to mind when Sheldon thought of the dialogue, 'Doth protest too much.' He knew continued denial and protest would serve as a stronger point to the situation than simply admitting to it and moving on. It was Sheldon's hope that there would be less ridicule and questions this way, too.
His friends remained quiet while staring at him.
"So, you're just going to act like this is no big deal?" Howard asked, and Sheldon wondered what his obsession with the topic was. Did the words 'drop it' not formulate in his head about ten seconds ago?
"I'm sorry, Howard. I don't know what you were expecting." Sheldon picked up the remote. "Details?"
"YES!" Howard laughed his response and turned to Raj, nodding.
Leonard's body perked up. "Uh, no. No details."
"And this is why I call your behavior repulsive," Sheldon commented, clicking on the TV.
But Howard pressed the issue. "So, are you two dating now?"
"No, we are not." Sheldon closed his eyes and wished more than anything that he could silence Howard with his mind, but it didn't work. The evidence was, of course, that the little man wouldn't the hell shut up!
"Oh, a whole friends with benefits situation. Nice," Howard continued. "Man, you lucky son of a bitch. Leonard always said you were probably Penny's second choice after him, and I guess he was right, huh?" He smiled, paused, leaned in, and then asked, "So, since your little affair is reserved for booty calls, is she free for others to ask her out? Seeing as how her standards have lowered significantly."
Leonard started to say something, but Sheldon held his hand up in front of his face, turning his body to Howard. He slowly put the remote down, cleared his throat, and straightened his back as he looked Howard in the eye. Everyone could sense Sheldon was about to give a lecture. It was in his posture and in his slow and condescending glare.
"Howard," Sheldon started calmly. He could see that Howard's face actually appeared worried as he continued to listen. "Your repugnant display of ogling only serves to further justify what you may be too undiscerning to realize. In no way in this universe—or any alternate universe—will Penny ever find the slightest bit of sexual interest in you. If the zombie apocalypse came and wiped out mankind in its entirety, except for the two of you, and the world depended on procreation to survive, she would just as soon let humankind die out completely." Sheldon's eye and nostrils flared as he spoke.
Everyone else in the room averted their eyes from the humiliation brought on by the words, except Howard who just sat there stunned. Sheldon blinked a few times, and he glanced around the room, his face showing visible regret in his words. He cleared his throat and sat back, ignoring the glances he was getting. He wasn't sure about Howard, but Sheldon felt his face blush and his mouth dry out.
"Whoa, dude. We were just teasing you." Raj sat back in his seat, trying to defend Howard. "We're just happy you're getting laid."
"Yeah, we thought it might, I don't know…calm you down a bit?" Howard felt hurt by Sheldon's harsh words. He really was joking…well, for the most part.
Sheldon relaxed his shoulders a bit, swallowing. Perhaps he was being a bit too mean. Howard wasn't acting any different than usual (still a sleazy little guy at times, especially in his attempt at humor), but now it bothered Sheldon in a different way. He cursed himself for letting those stupid feelings he had been practicing on suppressing this whole time come to the surface.
This is jealously. This is an emotion, a feeling. It doesn't matter what he says. Let it go. Let these feelings go. Sheldon's sporadic mental pep talk actually helped and he let out a small, almost silent breath, closing his eyes briefly.
Leonard gave his roommate a hard look. Sheldon could be oblivious to how mean his words could come out, but this was rather intentional and very direct.
Oh my God, Leonard thought. Sheldon's really got it bad for Penny…
"I am calm," Sheldon casually replied to Howard's comment.
"Ya know, this movie isn't gonna watch itself," Leonard commented, clearing his throat and looking at Priya for lack of anything else to do.
They all sat back, awkwardness lingering in the air like a thick fog. Leonard started the movie. No one spoke.
It was about ten minutes into the film when Sheldon abruptly looked at Howard, stating, "And her standards are far from lowered, Howard. I'm an upgrade from the usual throng of unsuitable and inept partners she's been accustomed to in the past." With that he sat back with a huff.
Leonard's mouth dropped and he wasn't sure if arguing that point and how insulting it came out was the right move with Priya there. She just watched Leonard and then looked at Sheldon. Howard's eyes widened and he gave Raj a crazy head shake, shrugging his shoulders.
"What? Ok! Fine, you're the lover of a century. Good for you," Howard replied angrily, his eyes annoyed.
Sheldon's foot tapped anxiously, then he finally stood up. "I'm going to read comic books in my room."
"That's probably a good idea," Leonard said, watching Sheldon walk briskly down the hall.
"Whoa," Raj started. "I have never seen him act that way. Well, at least not about a girl."
Initially, when Leonard and Priya let it slip about Penny and Sheldon, Howard and Raj were all too excited to tease Sheldon about it, but somehow the joking got out of hand.
"Are you sure they're not dating?" Howard asked, glancing at the hallway where Sheldon was just seconds prior.
"They're not." Leonard just looked at his hands, shaking his head.
He looked at Priya who spoke up herself. "You all know Sheldon. Come on. He's neurotic and obsessive and very me, me, me…Why wouldn't he be that way with the girl in his life?"
Howard's eyes widened at a sudden thought. "I kinda feel bad for Penny. He's gonna drive her crazy. What if she ever breaks up with him?"
"They're not dating," Raj corrected.
"Maybe not, but this sex thing…it's new to Sheldon, right? You know how we all get in relationships and with women. Add five times worse and ten times more obsessive." Howard actually sounded worried as he spoke.
Leonard shook his head at the notion. "Yeah, but he's up against Penny. She could take him on in any situation outside of academics and comic books."
Howard ignored him. "Before you know it, he'll have her encased in a protective plastic cover like his precious comic book collection, just preserving her as his most prized possession. You don't see this happening?"
"No," Leonard countered. "He isn't crazy, Howard."
"His mother had him tested," Raj added.
"Yeah, but was he getting his rocks off when they tested him?" Howard looked from face to face, his arms resting on his knees with his hands out.
"Howard, that's just wrong," Priya said, getting up and going to kitchen to refill her glass with juice.
"No, what's wrong is Sheldon hooking up with Penny. That should have been me."
"Oh, dream on, dude!" Raj scoffed. "Never in a million years. You heard Sheldon."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence," Howard sarcastically replied.
"Hey, no one is getting Penny, OK? She is off the table. She isn't some—thing—you just pass around from person to person and use." Leonard tried to bring reason, as well as an end, to the conversation.
Priya didn't object to Leonard's words. She didn't care for Penny, but she cared less for how the guys were talking about her, namely Howard.
No one challenged Leonard's words and finally the movie started back up without interruption.
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Sheldon was on his bed, comic book in hand, reading but not retaining what the words were. He could hear the muffled voices from the living room rise and fall. Placing the comic book back in its plastic sleeve and returning it to the box, Sheldon walked over to the door, leaning against it to hear if the conversation had taken another turn. It sounded like it stopped.
Sheldon's anger flared up as he realized his laptop and notebook were out in the living room and he did not want to wonder out there just yet. Walking back to his bed, he lay down on his side and curled his legs up to his chest a bit. Why wasn't his research helping him at all? How long did it take to perfect the skill of emotion suppressing or releasing—many others managed. He had looked at quite a few websites. While it sometimes took people months to essentially hide all emotions effectively and easily, other instances it seemed like less time for people. He was a genius, shouldn't it take even fewer day's time for him?
Just then his phone chirped with a text message. He took it out of his pocket and opened his messaging. It was a picture text. It was Penny with one of those self portrait pictures that usually annoyed Sheldon. He never understood the obsession with turning ones camera around to continually snap pictures of oneself only to upload them onto a web page that was already dedicated to that person…
But he smiled anyway, her presence—even via a text message—making him feel better. He stared at it for awhile, then checked the time. It would be hours until she returned. Sheldon put his phone away, sat up and walked out of the room.
No one said anything to Sheldon as he walked back into the living room, told Leonard to get out of his spot, and sat down to finish up watching the first movie with everyone.
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I now have to get one hour of sleep, and get up to get ready to be at the airport really early. See what I do for you guys? :) But I love it!
Well…the cat's out of the bag. Let the fun begin…
See you all next week!