A/N: First of all thanks to everyone who reads and appreciates this story. And thanks so much for the nice reviews.

The TV was on, but my attention was solely drawn to her, lying right there, her head on my legs. She had fallen asleep for quite some time now. She was laying on her left side, with her back to me. When she had shifted to that position, she had inadvertently placed her hand on my knee and it was still and it was still there. At first, I wanted to move it, but for some reason I did not. And now the sensation was not bothering me anymore; I was getting used to it, like I was gradually getting used to all the touching that Amy and I had been initiating in the past couple of months. Who would have thought I would have grown to appreciate all that? Certainly not me. Not before her.

Last year, I told Amy how I felt about her addition to my life. Even though I made it clear that I was quoting Spiderman, I think she understood that these words could have been mine. "When I look in your eyes, and you're looking back in mine, everything feels not quite normal, because I feel stronger, and weaker at the same time. I feel excited, and at the same time, terrified. The truth is I don't know what I feel, except I know what kind of man I want to be." But when I quoted it, I did not say the last part of the Spiderman quote "It's as if I've reached the unreachable, and I weren't ready for it." That is because at the time, I was not sure I would ever be ready to reach the unreachable. So for over a year, I have been working on it. And now I am closer than ever to the unreachable.

I cannot say that I regret how things have been evolving. After all, what is going on right now in my life is nothing more than what a French Biologist named Claude Bernard called homeostasis: the ability of a system to regulate its internal parameters in order to adapt to external perturbations. The external perturbation is Amy and the way she makes me feel. All I need to do is remain within a comfort zone and slowly adapt to what is going on around me. My comfort zone is science, my life at Caltech, my circle of friends, the rules I live by. I can do it, I can make it work. Because even though I had never thought that would happen to me, I am very lucky to have found Amy. She is the one that changed everything. And yet, she has done nothing for that.

Amy sure knows she has power over me, and yet she does not use it to her advantage. "With great power, comes great responsibility", another great Spiderman quote. Well, the thing is I could not have found a more responsible girlfriend. She knows that I am reluctant to change, and that I need time to adjust. And when I told her earlier today that I needed to go back to my comfort zone, and reestablish the relationship agreement, she understood me and accepted it. And her idea was the most brilliant idea ever; I loved writing the new update with her. I loved hearing what she thought about our relationship. Of course, I did not like removing some sections that would have made me feel better about the whole thing, but I guess there is no point in all that if she cannot remain in her comfort zone as well.

There was a clause that I included in the Relationship Agreement and that left me a little outside my comfort zone: Section 10: 'Any other intimate moment up to and including coitus'. I had added it for her, in order to prove to her that I was working on my issues. But I didn't know how to deal with it really. When writing that section down, I had re opened the infernal book that Penny and Leonard gave me a couple of years ago and followed the different steps described in it. But I knew I was not ready for any of that. I was not even ready to look through the book with Amy. I was very nervous about it. Maybe I should not have included that section. And yet when she had seen it, she had said that she loved the idea. I felt terrified about it all. Maybe I should simply tell her how I feel? Maybe she would understand? After all, we had decided to be honest with each other and to communicate about everything. But I did not want to disappoint her. She had accepted so much from me already.

I could have stayed with her like that forever, but I had to find a way to get out of that couch now; I had to call my mother in a few minutes and I could not be late. I slowly started stroking her hair. Gosh, her hair was so smooth under my fingers. It did not wake her up, so I placed the back of my hand on her cheek and gently caressed it. She started moving a little, first she moaned , then her hand lost grip of my knee and she turned back towards me, stretching her limbs. And finally she opened her eyes.

"Hey Sheldon!" she simply said, smiling. Gosh, that smile of hers!

"Hey Amy. I am sorry I had to wake you up like this."

"Oh, that's alright. That's the best way to wake up. And anyways I feel really well rested." she said, sitting up straight. "What time is it now?"

"Almost 5pm. I have to go and call my mother. I'm sorry."

"That's fine Sheldon. 5pm already? And we did not have lunch actually." She thought for a minute as I got up "While you are on the phone, I will go out and buy food. Do you mind if I invite Penny over for dinner?" She asked as she was putting her shoes back on.

"Well, of course not." I grabbed the phone "I really have to go call Mom now. Take the spare key, it is in the box by the door." I said as I was starting to dial my mother's number.

"See you later Sheldon. Say Hi to Mary for me." She smiled, grabbed her bag, the spare key and left.

I had spoken to my mother and to Missy a few times during the week; we were all anxious about Meemaw's reaction after talking to Amy last week end. I already knew that she had seen the psychoanalyst and that everything went well. Mom also confirmed that Meemaw was carefully following the doctor's prescription now and it showed in her mood. She had also decided to resume some of her favorite activities. And she had been working hard with both the speech therapist and the physio. It had been a long time since I had heard my mother so chatty and cheerful. At least since Meemaw's stroke. So I decided to let her talk, even if I did not care about what she said. It felt nice to hear her talk like that; it meant she was also doing better. As Mom started talking about her Church, I received a text message from Amy.

"Sheldon, I am at the store now. Penny just received a message from Raj, he is not doing well. What do you mind if I invite him for dinner as well tonight?"

I would have preferred to spend the evening just the two of us, but as Penny was already going to spend the evening with us, I did not mind that much about Raj coming too.

I replied "No, tell Raj to come as well."

After she was over with all the news about Dr Patel, Mrs Morris and all of the people of her congregation, Mom asked me about Amy, and how things were going between us. I told her that Amy had been away for the whole week and that I had missed her but that we had spent a very nice weekend together. Then again my phone vibrated.

"Anything special you want to eat?"

I simply replied "I trust you, you know the things I like."

"Alright. See you soon."

As I had just hung up with Mom, I heard the door open and then muffled women voices coming from the living room; Amy and Penny were back from the store. I then called Meemaw. Mom was right, Meemaw's speech was much better, and the tone of her voice was quite cheerful as well. I was enjoying talking to her; it was a bit like before the stroke, it was as if my Meemaw were back, finally. Meemaw told me about her week, about all of her appointments and her visit to her friends at the Seniors' center. She had also resumed knitting and promised that she would do something for me, but wanted to knit a jersey for Amy first. She asked me about Amy's favorite color and I told her I thought it was green but I was not sure. I asked her if she would like to talk to Amy directly, as she was around; I could put her on the phone for her. Meemaw said that she wanted the jersey to remain a surprise, but that she would definitely like to talk to Amy. I asked Meemaw to wait for a minute. As I walked to the kitchen, Amy and Penny were there, chatting, laughing and preparing dinner together.

They stopped talking when they saw me "Sorry to interrupt, but Amy, Meemaw is on the phone. She would like to talk to you." I handed her the phone.

"Oh, sure." She cleaned her hands and grabbed the phone "Can I go to your bedroom?"

"Of course." Amy walked towards the bedroom, leaving me alone with Penny. "So, Penny, anything I can do to help you with this?"

"Oh, sure Sweetie. We are making a Shepherd's pie. I am chopping carrots and onions. Amy was peeling the potatoes, maybe you can take over?"

"Alright." I washed my hands over the sink and began peeling.

The two of us were working in silence until Penny broke it. "Sweetie, I told Leonard about you and Amy. I was surprised that you did not tell him directly. Actually, he said that the two of you haven't really talked for quite some time."

I kept my eyes on the potatoes I was peeling and simply said "I did not know what to tell him. And I was not sure he cared."

"Of course he cares about you Sheldon, you are his best friend." She paused for a second. "Sheldon, I may not be the right person to talk to because, well, Amy is my best friend, but you can always call Leonard is there are things you want to talk about."

"There is nothing I need to talk about. Everything is doing just fine with Amy. And Amy and I have decided to talk about everything; it does make things easier and puts less pressure on our relationship." I looked at her. "Trust me Penny, everything is fine. But thanks for caring, and being there for Amy." I was sincere. I knew Penny genuinely appreciated Amy.

"The two of you, you look so cute together. And it is like I have never seen either of you that happy. I am glad for you, Sheldon." She stopped what she was doing and looked at me in the eyes "And thanks for making my friend so happy. She deserves it." She smiled sweetly.

"You don't have to thank me. She is my girlfriend; it is my job to make her happy." I went on peeling the potatoes. "Please tell Leonard I will call him this week."

I had peeled every potato and was cutting it in quarter when my phone vibrated.

"Sheldon, I hung up with Meemaw. Could you come please?"

I told Penny I'd be back in a minute and rushed to my bedroom. Amy was sitting on my bed, with a book in her hands. The book.

"Sheldon, is this the book you talked about? The one Leonard and Penny gave you?"

"Yes." I said shyly.

"Wow, it is quite explicit."

"I know." I sat down next to her "If you don't want to, we don't have to use it." I did not dare looking at her in the eyes, nor in the direction of the book.

"No, no, that is fine. I guess." She looked at me and I could read doubt in her eyes "Did you define all the different steps based on it?"

"Yes. But if you have suggestions to make, we can talk about it." I could feel that my face was blushing. I had probably never felt so unsure of myself in my entire life.

"Sheldon, are you sure you want to include all this in the Relationship Agreement? I mean, are you sure you are ready? I have the feeling you added it because of me and to be honest with you, I am not sure I am ready."

I was confused "But earlier today, you said you liked that I added that section…."

She closed her eyes for a second and sighed "I know. What I meant was that I liked the fact that it was now officially in the realm of the possibility, and included in the Relationship Agreement. To me, it meant you were really considering it. But detailing that section makes it too tangible, too soon…"

I was so glad with all she just said. "So…What do you suggest?"

"Can't we leave the section empty for now and update it once we have started experimenting and we feel comfortable with it? I have the feeling that if we add all the steps at once, we will feel some unnecessary pressure. And things have been going so well so far." She went on "Maybe we could look at the book together when we think we are ready to move on to the next step. And then put it into action. What do you think?"

Relief washed over me "Amy Farrah Fowler, I could not agree more with your idea." I grinned. She really did know me well. And I was glad to know that she was as unsure as me about it all. It definitely released some pressure that had been building since earlier today.

She put her hand on mine. "It's going to be alright, Sheldon. We can also decide to maintain the status quo on the relationship for some time. I love the new intimacy we are sharing right now, by cuddling, hugging, kissing, holding hands, sharing a bed. I am just getting used to it. I don't want to risk losing it all by rushing things. What do you think?"

"I feel the same. I find that sharing all that with you is very pleasurable and if I have to be truly sincere with you, I am in no rush to move forward." I read in her eyes that she was not mad at me, on the contrary. She smiled.

"We really don't have to Sheldon." And she kissed me on the cheek. Then she got up and faced me "Alright, let's go back to the kitchen and help Penny. I have a pie to prepare." I got up too and walked back to the kitchen with my hand in hers.

In the meantime, Rajesh had arrived and was in the kitchen with Penny, helping her with the pie. He did not look very well and was telling Penny what happened with Lucy as we got in. We both said hello to him, and Amy apologized to the two of them for leaving them with the dinner to prepare. She told them she would take over from there and that they could keep talking quietly in the living room. I prepared drinks for them and went back to the kitchen to help Amy with the salad. One hour later, Penny and Rajesh were laughing in the living room when Amy said that the dinner was ready.

The dinner was very pleasurable. Everybody complimented Amy on her cooking skills. It was truly delicious. And I loved it that she had chosen to cook something from the Relationship Agreement's Approved Homemade Cooking Appendix. After dinner, we decided to play a videogame. Amy was quite reluctant at first, explaining that she did not like playing videogames, but I reminded her how much fun our Super Mario session had been weeks ago and she accepted to give it another try. This time, we decided to play Mario Kart. It was definitely not my favorite game as I cannot drive, but Amy insisted that it would be easier for her to play a game involving something she likes doing; and the thing is that she likes driving more than killing monsters. We played in teams, Rajesh and Penny vs Amy and I. As expected, despite Amy's help, I did not win one single race. Amy on the other hand beat both Penny and Rajesh at least once each. Penny and Rajesh made fun of me but I did not care about it; Amy seemed to enjoy the evening, and so did I, despite the defeat. After the game was over, I proposed tea to everyone, but both Penny and Raj declined, saying they had to go home. When they left, Amy prepared tea for the two of us. We sat together on the couch and started chatting.

"So Amy, you did not tell me, what did you and Meemaw talked about?"

"Well, she had a few questions about her recovery process. She was just a bit worried about a few things she was afraid she would not be able to do again, and I told her what I knew and gave her a few tips."

"How did she sound to you?" I had to ask her. I knew she would tell me the truth.

"She sounded much better. And in a good mood. And quite chatty. I think she is on the right track Sheldon." She searched for my eyes when saying so.

I was so relieved to hear her say so "I am so glad. Thanks Amy." And I bent to kiss her. On the forehead first, then as she raised her head up to me, I kissed her on the cheek, and then on the lips. And before I realized it, my tongue was inside her mouth and both our hands were intertwined with each other's. We kept on kissing gently; the more I kissed her, I more I wanted to kiss her. But after a moment, I pulled away slowly, out of breath. I kept my forehead on hers for a moment.

She broke the silence. "Let's go to sleep now, we'll have to get up early tomorrow. Do you mind if I use the bathroom first?" she asked as she got up.

"Of course not, go ahead, I am coming." I sat on the edge of the couch, pretending to gather our mugs. I simply needed a moment to pull myself together before getting up.

I had just finished washing up when Amy got out of the bathroom.

Minutes later, when I entered the bedroom in my pajamas, Amy was already in bed, waiting for me. I switched off the light and slipped under the covers. I turned on my side to face her. The curtains were not fully closed so the room was not in total darkness. We were both lying on our sides with our heads resting on our elbows, our faces only a few inches away, looking into each other's eyes. She put her hand close to me and I grabbed it gently. We remained like that for quite some time.

"Sheldon?"

"Yes?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"You can."

"Does it physically hurt you when we touch each other?"

I took a deep breath. I did not expect that question. I tried to reply calmly. "It does not hurt. Not when it is you. At first, it felt odd, because I was not used to being touched, but now I am used to it and I like it."

"And does it hurt you when someone else touches you, or you touch them?"

"It does not really hurt per se, but I can feel some numbness in my limbs and my muscles get tight. It feels highly uncomfortable. And I cannot help fearing about germs. With most people. Not with you either. It has always been extremely difficult for me to touch anyone, or being touched. For the touching itself, for the exchange of germs, and for what it could mean. But not with you. For some reason. When I touch you, any kind of contact, it is very pleasurable." The atmosphere in the room was very intimate. I enjoyed sharing that with her.

She kept on "When we hold each other's hand like this, what do you feel?"

"It feels good. I enjoy holding your hand, your skin is so soft. I especially enjoy it when you have your fingers intertwined with mine, like this. It is as if you and I were one. I feel stronger." Surprisingly I managed to express exactly what I was feeling.

"So why did you tell me once that you hated it?" She asked genuinely.

"It was not so much that I did not like holding your hand, because I did. It was just I knew that if we started holding hands on a regular basis, and I told you that I liked that, it would lead to other things, and I was not sure I was ready for that."

She started to play with my hand, her eyes fixed on it and said in a lower voice "When you hold my hand, I feel good. It tells me that you care about me and it is very reassuring. And when we hold each other's hand in public, it is as if were telling the others that it is you and me vs everyone else. The Shamy vs the World, as Penny would say."

Her answer aroused my curiosity "What about all other physical contacts we have already experimented? What do you feel during each of those?" I was feeling strangely comfortable asking her those questions.

"When we cuddle, I feel protected because when you hold me in your arms, I feel I'm home; it is so comfortable. I like it even more when my head is close enough to your heart so I can hear it beating."

I decided to jump in and give my opinion as well "When we first cuddled, it felt awkward. But now, I feel more relaxed when you are in my arms. And when you fall asleep when we cuddle, I like to believe that it means you feel comfortable in my arms and I love it."

She smiled and sighed "When we hug, I can feel your strength. And yet it is always so gentle. It makes me feel that you care for me."

"When we hug, it is like you give me some of your energy, and I feel stronger. I especially like placing my head in your neck, so I can smell your hair; and then it is like I have your smell with me for the rest of the day or the evening." I was glad that it was dark enough so she would not see me blush.

She went on "When we are in bed and we spoon, it is just so warm. I love the contact of your chest on my back, and our legs intertwined together. And I love it when your hands cup my breasts. Spooning with you makes me feel some level of physical intimacy I never thought I could share with anyone."

I replied "I know what you mean, I also love it. It is so intimate. I also love the passion we share when we kiss. I thought the exchange of saliva would be the most difficult thing to overcome for me, and surprisingly it was not difficult at all. And once we start it, I never want to stop."

"I like it when it is passionate, but I also like it when it is tenderer, like tonight. I feel desired when you kiss me like that."

"And you are." I was the one playing with her hand now. I paused "Amy, I don't want you to think that I have to progress at a slow pace because I am not attracted to you. It is just, I had never considered all that in my life. It is already quite overwhelming as it is and I am not sure how to proceed. And I need to have control. That is how I am and I cannot change that."

"I know that Sheldon. And I am glad that we could have this conversation tonight. Actually, I am glad we could have all the discussions we had today; each time, it helps me understand you better." She leant closer to my ear and whispered "I love you Sheldon Cooper." And she caressed my hand with her thumb. "Sleep well." And she moved to her sleeping position, with her hand still on mine.

"I love you too Amy Farrah Fowler. Sweet dreams." I lied down and I closed my eyes, feeling something I had never experienced before: I felt in perfect harmony with another human being.

A/N: Alright, I am sorry if the story is going slow: four chapters to cover one week end when the whole story is supposed to cover four months, I know… But I thought it was important to describe a few domestic moments to show the evolution of their relationship since the beginning. And I wanted them to share intimacy; not physical intimacy, but emotional intimacy, induced by discussions and mutual understanding.

Next chapter will probably take place in San Diego, during Comic Con.

Once again, please do not hesitate to post reviews: I love them; it is such a nice boost to my ego ;-)