Chapter 25

Another week or so had passed and though Leonard had the enlightening conversation with Leslie, he still hadn't pushed himself to do anything to better the situation between he and Sheldon. Maybe he wasn't so angry at him anymore, as Sheldon didn't start dating Penny just to hurt him. His friend was a lot of things, but spiteful wasn't one of them.

Though, he was feeling a bit stubborn over the situation, as the reasoning behind Sheldon's actions was one thing, but the fact that he did it at all was another. This, in addition to how long Sheldon and Penny kept their relationship a secret from him, made it sting a little more. How could everyone have known and not told him?

He let out a frustrated breath at that thought. He knew that Howard and Raj kept it from him to keep from becoming too heavily involved in the eventual fallout, and Sheldon…he now supposed that he kept it from him for obvious reasons. He couldn't say he was all that happy about things, but he really wasn't all that angry anymore.

And, in some strange way, he did miss Sheldon being around. As weird and stifling he could be at times, the guy had somehow become his best friend, and he knew that he didn't want things to continue like this with Sheldon avoiding him at work and at home.

Well, he never officially told Sheldon he wasn't banished from the apartment anymore, so that would explain him not trying to come back yet. He really had to get on that. No matter how weird or awkward it was going to be. Even if Sheldon broke a rule that best friends shouldn't.

But, why did he have to be the one to approach Sheldon? Shouldn't Sheldon be the one trying to apologize to him, as he was clearly the one who had been wronged? Sure, when Penny and Sheldon tried to apologize to him, he didn't want to listen, but they really couldn't blame him. He'd still been too upset to accept it then.

No normal person would just give up after one apology, right? Though, Sheldon was obviously anything but a normal person. When someone told him to go away, he did, and he didn't come back until he was told he could. Now was one time Leonard wished that Sheldon was just a little bit closer to normal.

He let out a sigh as he waited for Howard and Raj to come over for Chinese food night. Sheldon had been a noticeable absence in their dinners, not only for not being there to continuously kick other people out of his spot, but the whole group dynamic between them felt different. Though his habit of being condescending often got on all of their nerves, he often did bring up interesting points in conversation, and as he always had a lot to say, their dinners without him were noticeably more quiet.

Sheldon obviously wasn't the only person Leonard missed during their dinners and other activities, as Penny had taken to joining them often for these things lately, but obviously with Sheldon banished, she wouldn't be coming here. After getting used to her being a part of their before very homogenous crowd, it was really strange not to have her with them now. Though, Leonard had to admit, he definitely didn't miss Howard continuously hitting on her when she was there.

Sure, he was hurt that things didn't work out between the two of them, but especially now with things seeming to happen with Leslie, he couldn't blame her for moving on. It had taken him a bit of a shock to get on with it himself, but really, it was something that he knew had to happen, in spite of the tiny hope he held on to that one day she would come around. The main clincher of this situation was that he really wished she picked someone other than his best friend and roommate to move on with.

As he was setting the food out on the table for everyone, he heard a knock at the door, realizing that Howard and Raj must be here. It was true that it was much easier to get Chinese food without Sheldon around, but it didn't make him any happier. He invited the two of them inside and he shut the door behind them, taking a seat in Sheldon's spot, as for once it wasn't being horded by his anal and slightly crazy friend.

The three of them tried to continue a normal way of interaction between them, but the slow gloom that was seeping into their interactions was starting to become too much for Leonard, so he finally said, "So, have you guys talked to Sheldon or Penny at all?"

Raj and Howard exchanged a look, and Howard replied, "None of us have really seen much of him since his banishment."

Leonard then felt a little guilty and said, "Ahh, yeah…"

Howard then smirked a little and said, "But really, it's Penny that we've missed. If there was a way we could just permanently trade her for Sheldon, I'd take it."

Leonard just rolled his eyes at that and said, "I doubt that Penny would want to keep hanging out with us if you keep that up."

Howard then gave him a curious look and asked, "Keep what up?"

And Leonard just replied dryly, "Being yourself."

On getting a return glare from Howard, Raj finally spoke up, "Look, dude, I know that it wasn't cool of Sheldon to go out with Penny, but it's not like he did it to show he was better than you."

Letting out a sigh, Leonard said, "I know. I know he's not some sort of Casanova, but since when was his species anything but asexual?"

Howard shook his head at that comment and added, "How sad is it that a seemingly asexual person is able to bag a hot blonde while virile, completely heterosexual males such as ourselves mostly strike out?"

While Raj nodded in agreement, Leonard just thought silently on everything for the moment. He really should try talking to Sheldon about things, now that he'd cooled down from the initial anger and excitement.

"Do you think I should go over and talk to them both?" Leonard finally said, looking to his friends for advice.

Sure, they might not be the most socially normal people he knew, but they really were all he had, so he'd take what he could get.

"As nice as this vacation from Sheldon has been, you probably should." Howard said in part hesitance, and Leonard guessed that perhaps he wouldn't mind if the 'vacation' was extended for just a little bit longer.

"You probably should hear him out. Maybe Penny's been able to do what we never were able to. You know, made him to be more of a human being rather than a condescending robot." Raj also said, agreeing with Howard.

Leonard also nodded, deciding that his friends were right. Leslie also had encouraged him to talk to Sheldon, in her own way, he supposed. This fight between them really had gone on long enough. He was the only one who could stop it, so he figured that the time was now. Or perhaps, the next day instead, as he still had to gather enough courage to approach Sheldon and Penny after the way their last interaction had ended.

He decided to put it out of his mind for the time being and he then said to them, "So, you guys up for Halo then?"