Chapter Thirty-Seven
The Creased Comic Book Contemplation
Sheldon walked through the Orange County Airport, headed toward the John Wayne statue, his Jedi robes billowing behind him, at just after 1 a.m. in the morning. The small airport was not busy, and as he approached the statue, he saw Rosemary sitting on a bench reading a magazine. His heart began to beat quickly. The last time he saw her in person was over three weeks before, and he'd gotten to know her quite well since then. She looked so pretty, in jeans, Vans canvas shoes, and a black wool pea coat that seemed perfect for the climate she left but too warm for L.A. He stopped a few yards from her.
"Rosemary?" he said.
She looked up, and they locked eyes. A wide grin spread across her face as she stood up and walked toward him, eyeing him up and down.
"Wow, I had no idea I'd be rescued by a Jedi," she laughed, stopping to stand just a couple feet before him.
"I'm so glad you came," he said. "I do wish you had called earlier, and I could have prepared your room better. It's sparsely furnished and…"
Rosemary closed the distance between them, wrapping her arms around him, pressing her mouth to his. He pulled her to him until she was flush against him, his mouth open against hers, enjoying the taste, the smell, the feel of her, once again lost in the moment with Rosemary.
Rosemary pulled away first, short of breath. "God, Sheldon, it's so good to see you in person," she said. "I just…I just had to come. Sorry about not telling you. I knew you'd be busy, and I…"
Sheldon grabbed her again, and kissed her, taking the words out of her mouth. He left her lips after a moment, moving his face to her hair, nuzzling in. Good lord, she felt wonderful. He felt her face move against his neck, her lips grazing his skin, causing him to shudder with pleasure. They stayed like that for a long moment until they heard a voice beside them.
"Well aren't you two adorable," said a TSA employee who stopped to look at them. "A Jedi and his lady. This whole Star Wars thing is getting out of control." She chuckled, walking away.
A while later, Sheldon drove down the freeway, Rosemary by his side, her bag in the trunk. Rosemary told him about her decision to come down for the wedding, recalling seeing his sad "puppy eyes" at not having a plus one and needing to give the much-dreaded best man speech. Sheldon didn't know how to express the sheer joy in his heart at having her once again by his side.
The car fell into silence for a bit, and Rosemary began laughing.
"I've never done anything this crazy," she said. "Whenever I plan to go anywhere, I book things six months in advance. I usually spend my Thursday evenings, okay all my evenings, at home, working in the garage or reading or playing the piano or watching TV. And now I'm here, sitting next to you." She continued to laugh. "And you're dressed like Obi-Wan Kenobi, in your brand new Camaro, which is super comfortable by the way."
Sheldon just smiled, enjoying her voice, her laughter, so happy she got on that plane.
The time neared 2 a.m. when the couple arrived back at Sheldon's apartment. Insisting on carrying her bag, Sheldon led her upstairs, noting the silence in the apartment across the hall, Leonard and Penny probably not home for a couple of hours, Star Wars probably still on at the theatre he ran out of earlier. He'd kept the bed in Leonard's old room made with fresh linens and purchased a small chest of drawers, desk, and bookshelf at Ikea. Still, with nothing on the walls and only a couple of books and trinkets on the shelf, Sheldon wished he'd had time to make it a better space for Rosemary. Maybe a small piano in the corner, a leather-bound copy of The Lord of the Rings on the desk, a bowl of peanut M&Ms on the shelf.
However, Rosemary seemed grateful. "This is perfect, Sheldon," she said as she unpacked her bag into the drawers and closet. She yawned. "I am so exhausted."
Sheldon yawned as well, hitting a wall with all the excitement of the bachelor party and Rosemary arriving. "I'll leave you to bed. We can talk more tomorrow. How long until you have to go back?"
"I bought a return ticket for Monday afternoon," she said.
The whole weekend, thought Sheldon. Rosemary was his for the entire weekend. If only that blasted wedding wasn't happening, then they could drive to the comic book store and visit the model train shop and marathon Doctor Who. Oh well…
"You may use the restroom first," he said. "See you in the morning."
He turned to leave and felt Rosemary grab his arm. She planted a small kiss on his lips.
"Good night, Sheldon."
"Good night, Rosemary."
Sheldon lingered in the living room, tidying up the mess his friends had made while waiting for him to get Leonard hours before. Once he heard her bedroom door close, he went to complete his bedtime routines. Several of Rosemary's toiletry items graced his bathroom shelf, her toothbrush sitting in the cup next to his. He reached up to move it before realizing the ridiculousness of the action. He'd already had his tongue in her mouth, why would it matter if their toothbrushes touched? Sheldon's head hit his pillow about 3 a.m., and he was out.
Opening his eyes to sun pouring in through blinds in his room. Sheldon sat up quickly. He'd never set his alarm clock the night before, and glancing over he saw it was 10 a.m., a rather late hour for Sheldon, who never slept in. He heard sound coming from the living room. Rosemary?
Walking into the kitchen, he found Rosemary fully dressed, listening to his stereo, her iPod plugged in, the Beatles playing. Standing at the end of the hall in his pajamas and slippers, he went unnoticed for several moments as he watched her cook and sing along. She stood in black slacks and a pink blouse, stirring something on the stove, something that smelled delicious.
"Good morning," he said finally.
She turned around and smiled. "Well, aren't you just the cutest in your pjs and bedhead."
Sheldon became aware he looked rather sloppy while she looked like she could grace the cover of a magazine. Still, she hopped over and planted a kiss on his lips.
"Hope you're hungry," she said. "I gathered together some things in the fridge to make a scramble. And I made fry bread. My mom's recipe. Should go well together." She stopped suddenly. "It's okay that I raided your kitchen? I just wanted to treat you."
Sheldon looked over at the meal, his mouth already watering. "No, this looks wonderful."
They sat at the kitchen island, eating, Sheldon filling Rosemary in on all the events happening the weekend. No duties for him Friday, but Saturday afternoon was the rehearsal followed by the dinner with the wedding Sunday afternoon.
"Sorry you missed Star Wars," said Rosemary. "It's probably sold out all weekend."
Sheldon remembered the decoy tickets he'd purchased for him and Leonard. "I have tickets for a 4 p.m. showing today. Would you like to go and have dinner after?" Sheldon asked.
"Oh, that would be so much fun. But I'm afraid I forgot my red lightsaber," Rosemary said.
Sheldon raised his eyebrows. "So you would be on the dark side? A Sith?"
"Oh yes. My boyfriend is a Jedi. Together we bring balance to the Force," she said, winking at him.
He leaned over and kissed her, dazzled by her Star Wars reference.
After Sheldon got dressed (he chose a Star Wars t-shirt rather than his costume), he sat on the couch with Rosemary to watch Doctor Who until it was time to go to the movie. Enjoying one of her favorite David Tennant episodes, her legs up on the sofa, Rosemary leaned against Sheldon. She still couldn't believe she was here with him, done something so spontaneous. Lillian always made fun of her homebody ways, but when Rosemary received a text back from her sister after telling her where she was, Lillian seemed thrilled, and reminded Rosemary of her wild sex weekend suggestion. Wild coitus weekend, Rosemary had corrected in her head. Of course, she didn't expect that – she felt happy to be around him again. They'd gotten to know each other so well the past three weeks, just sitting next to him made her feel both peaceful and happy.
Sheldon's phone, which sat on his desk, rang, and he paused the episode. Rosemary listened in on his half of the conversation, which consisted mostly of "thank you" and "I will get to that soon" and "I appreciate your feedback" followed by several more "thank you"s. After hanging up, he returned to his seat, sitting straight, eyes staring ahead, hands planted firmly on his knees. He didn't speak.
"Who was that?" Rosemary finally asked.
He turned to her, his look distant. "The journal I submitted my article to. They want to publish the piece as their lead in the March issue. They think my work is groundbreaking, and that it will make waves in the physics community. He said I should be prepared to become the foremost expert on dark matter. They're sending me an e-mail later today with some small revisions to make, but..." He paused. "The review board consists of some of the big leaders in my field and…" He stopped again. "They, they think this could be my big discovery, what I become known for…" He began to stammer. "I…this…oh my God."
He put his head in his hands and began to breathe heavily, Rosemary concerned he might be having a panic attack. Then, he leaped up and began to pace around the room, repeating his recent monologue, going between laughter and silence. Rosemary sat and watched him, a smile spreading on her face. She knew the article worried him. He returned to his spot beside her.
"I just…I feel like a huge weight I didn't know was there is off my chest," he said, now smiling. "I'm so…so relieved."
"Sheldon, this is amazing," Rosemary began. "I'm so proud of you. And so happy to have been here when they called. I can't tell you…"
Sheldon suddenly pounced on her, his lips smashing into hers, body pushing against hers, causing her to lie back on the couch as he fell onto her. She shifted around to a more comfortable position, enjoying his weight on top of her, and allowed him to run both his hands through her hair, his tongue and hers wrestling. She heard him groan softly as they continued their deep kiss, and she began to feel very aroused, shocked by his sudden move, still feeling the joy of watching him achieve something great. She ran her hands up and down his back, eventually running them through his hair as well. His lips left hers to kiss her cheeks when a knock came at the door. Both Rosemary and Sheldon stopped and stared at each other, seemingly both shocked by what happened. The knock sounded again, and Sheldon leaped up and opened the door.
Rosemary watched as a blonde woman, wearing just sleep shorts and a tank top, entered the apartment.
"What the hell, Sheldon?" the woman said. "Why did you abandon Leonard last night? I mean, seriously, you're his best man! And…" She paused. "Why do you look so rumpled?"
The woman, who now stood directly in front of Sheldon with her finger in his face, turned to see Rosemary sitting on the couch. Rosemary realized she must have looked quite a mess as well. She stood, straightening her clothes and hair, and approached the woman.
"Hi, I'm Rosemary," she said. "I'm afraid Sheldon leaving the party is my fault. I arrived unannounced and called him late last night."
She looked at Sheldon for help, but he gazed beyond the woman to the open door. "Is Leonard awake?"
"Yes," said the visitor, now staring at Rosemary, making her feel rather uncomfortable.
Sheldon rushed from the apartment. "I need to tell Leonard!"
"You're real," the blonde said to Rosemary.
"Um, yes," she said, very confused by the situation. One minute they were watching Doctor Who and the next Sheldon receives a call from the journal and suddenly they are having a full blown make out session. And now she's alone with some unknown woman who just yelled at Sheldon.
"I'm Penny," the woman said finally. "I just…I'm so sorry. I seem to have interrupted something."
"Penny. You're the bride. Congratulations!" Rosemary stammered, wishing Sheldon were here. She was no good meeting new people. "Again, Sheldon left last night because of me."
Penny smiled, nodding.
"I hope you wouldn't mind if I joined him at the wedding as…" Rosemary continued.
"Oh my God, of course," Penny said. Then she gave Rosemary a knowing smile. "But I'm going to go and let you two get back to…well, what you were doing."
She turned to leave as Sheldon reentered. "Penny, I…"
"No need to apologize, lover boy," she said. "See you all later. Nice to meet you, Rosemary."
Rosemary and Sheldon were alone again. She suddenly felt nervous and noticed him fidgeting with his hands.
"Should we continue the episode?" she asked.
"Let's," he answered.
Sitting back down, they returned to Doctor Who, both intensely focused on the show, trying not to look at each other. Rosemary felt a little overwhelmed by the last ten minutes, beginning to worry about all the interactions of the coming weekend.
Amy read Penny's text three times before setting the phone back on the table. She growled.
"What's up, babe?" said Erik, glancing up from his ESPN magazine.
Amy looked at him. They sat eating a breakfast/lunch a little after 1 p.m., both still in pajamas after the late night of partying. Despite her anger, the sight of his unshaven face, reading glasses, and blonde hair all askew made her smile. Goodness, he was cute.
"That was Penny. Sheldon's girlfriend showed up last night and is staying with him all weekend for the wedding," Amy said, the words tasting bitter in her mouth. She thought she'd moved on, gotten over this feeling, but knowing the woman was here, and staying with Sheldon no less, brought all that anger back.
Erik nodded. "Okay, that makes total sense now." He took a sip of his coffee. "He left very abruptly right before the movie, never came back. Rosemary's her name, right?"
"Yes," Amy said with a little too much venom.
She glanced up at Erik to see a very concerned look on his face. "Wait, you're not jealous Amy, are you? You don't want to be back with Sheldon?"
Amy looked at her boyfriend, suddenly realizing her behavior could put her in a dangerous place in her current relationship. A relationship she valued, loved more than any other in her life. "No, no," she said quickly. "It's just…he never behaved this way when we were together. I just wonder what's changed."
Erik's brows were still furrowed. "I think you breaking up with him changed his behavior. I mean, he lost a beautiful, kind, intelligent, determined, and sexy woman. He probably doesn't want to be alone for his entire life, so he's making some changes. But I for one am glad he was a shitty boyfriend. Otherwise, we may have never met."
Amy laughed. She never thought of it that way. "Yes, when you put it like that, I do appreciate his…um…shitiness." She stood up and walked over, sitting on Erik's lap. "I'm sorry. I just feel angry. It's such a strange emotion." She kissed Erik. "But I sure as hell do not want to go back to Sheldon, especially when I have you. I love you."
"I love you too," Erik said. "I guess watching someone you were with move on can be a strange thing. I never had that experience. But remember, he had to watch you move on. And now Sheldon and I are friends. You should try to be friends with Rosemary. She could probably use one this weekend. You're group is seriously intimidating. I was lucky to be introduced to people slowly. She's going to be flung into the lion's den."
"We are not intimidating," Amy argued.
"Um, yeah you are," Erik said. "You're all super smart and super tight. Imagine being the new person, especially when Sheldon Cooper is the one introducing you."
"I was," laughed Amy, considering all those years ago. She'd been a different person then, but there was truth to Erik's words about the group.
"And you probably have a lot in common with her," Erik continued. "Men seem to gravitate toward the same type of woman. I know I do."
"I guess women don't," said Amy, thinking about how different Erik was from Sheldon.
"I don't know, Amy," he said, looking like he was pondering something, then smiled. "Sheldon and I have more in common than you think."
Amy shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"Listen, I feel bad I can't connect with you on the whole ex moving on thing, so I have a deal for you," Erik said. "I know you only watched The X-Men with me last weekend because of Hugh Jackman. So I'm offering you a free pass with him. That way, I'll know what's like to watch you with someone else."
Amy giggled. Hugh Jackman. Hmmmm… "How about you, me, and Hugh Jackman?" she teased.
"Whoa Amy, getting a little kinky," he laughed. "What happened last night?"
They shared about the parties. Penny's consisted of club hopping, including two male strip joints. Erik told her about Leonard's, Amy surprised at the guys coming up with such a great event perfect for their friend.
"And back to Hugh Jackman," said Erik, pulling over a stack of Paris maps and guidebooks which continued to grow on their table. "Did you want to do that Les Miserables tour? Maybe the last day we're there. We should book before we go."
Amy nodded as her phone buzzed. She reached over, but Erik grabbed it and threw it across the room to the couch. She turned to him, her jaw dropped at his audacity.
"No more gossiping about Sheldon and Rosemary," he said. "You're better than that."
She looked at him sternly but knew he was right. She would be friends with Rosemary. She owed Sheldon that.
"You know what you need, Amy," Erik winked, a playful look on his face. "You need some booty."
"Booty?" she giggled.
"Yes, and I know just the man to give it to you," he said.
"Hugh Jackman?"
Erik laughed loudly at her quick retort. "Oh you better run, woman. You're in trouble now."
Amy leaped off his lap and ran around the apartment. Erik caught her quick, picked her up, and headed to the bedroom.
Hours later Erik sat with Leonard and Penny, Raj beside him, going over the final photography prep for the wedding. They'd created a schedule for the day and listed the group shots they wanted. Raj seemed excited to assist, and Erik planned to lend him one of his cameras so they could tag team the reception, although Erik would take care of everything else, Raj gathering people and helping pose for the formals.
Erik convinced Penny and Leonard to do their formal shots and family poses prior to the ceremony to avoid making guests wait. Therefore, the wedding party and families would need to be at the site by 1 p.m., allowing plenty of time before the 3 p.m. ceremony. However, Erik knew the couple needed a private moment before, to see each other for the first time on their wedding day, so he'd arranged that moment for them alone, and himself to capture it of course. Erik felt excited to be their photographer, had several creative and fun ideas planned, remembering how cooperative they were with their engagement photos.
"Okay, looks like we have everything we need," said Erik, browsing through his notes one last time. "You know I won't get around to editing until after we return from Paris, so give me about three weeks to a month. There will be a lot of photos."
"Ah, Paris," sighed Penny. "You know Erik, I'll be aiming my bouquet at Amy."
Erik just smiled and shared a quick glance with Raj. The two men left, heading down the stairs, and could hear Sheldon and a woman's voice in the stair well. Erik and Raj stopped to listen. Both voices talked excitedly, sounding happy. The couple came around the corner and stopped at seeing Erik and Raj.
"Hey, Sheldon," said Raj. "We were just meeting with the bride and groom to discuss photos." He extended his hand to the woman. "You must be Rosemary. I'm Raj."
"Hello," she said. "You're the one also working on the book my sister is illustrating."
"Yes, and it's wonderful to meet you," Raj continued.
"Hey, I'm Erik," he said, shaking her hand as well. "Sheldon says you're from Washington."
"Yes, live in Tacoma but born in the Spokane area."
"I'm from the coast region, but I went to college in eastern Washington. Pullman, not too far from Spokane."
"Washington State University?" asked Rosemary excitedly. "That's where I went! Early 2000s?"
"Yup," said Erik, happy to meet a fellow Washingtonian. "Visual and graphic arts."
Rosemary laughed, pointing to herself. "History."
"Then we'll need to visit some more, bond over our bad football team and university in the middle of nowhere," Erik said, beginning to move downstairs. "See you both at the rehearsal."
Raj laughed as the groups parted and he and Erik got into the car. "It's hilarious both Amy and Sheldon hooked up with people from Washington. Seriously, what are the odds?"
"It's that northern lovin', Raj," Erik laughed.
"Well, Laura seems to like things a bit more exotic," said Raj.
"I knew she would," Erik said. "Sheldon looked happy."
"Yeah, it's strange," his friend said. "I hope things work out for him."
Saturday night, Sheldon stood in front of the mirror in the bathroom, brushing his teeth, pondering the past 24 hours. Rosemary and he returned from their Star Wars movie date after a three hour dinner filled with conversation, trying to make connections with the new movie and the past films, arguing points.
"That moment with Han and Chewie was just…" she sighed. "I've been in love with Harrison Ford since I was a kid. Seriously, the guy is Han Solo and Indiana Jones."
Sheldon just smiled. How had he found this woman?
After returning home, they played Monopoly, both happy to play without the intensity Lillian brought to the game. Despite his best efforts, Rosemary easily beat him. With the late hour, the two parted, although their good night kiss did not resemble the quick peck from the previous evening. Sheldon had spent the entire day in her company, still in a state of bliss over the upcoming publication of his article as well as the unexpected make out session on his couch. They'd held hands throughout the movie, and he'd kissed her several times while they were out. He felt in tune with her in a way he hadn't with anyone else before. As he lingered in the living room, waiting to hear her bedroom door close, he pondered running back there and wrapping her in his arms again. But he didn't. And as he lie in bed that evening, he wondered if he would get a chance to feel her underneath him again like he had that morning, her hands running up and down his back…
As Sheldon flossed, his memory replayed Saturday. He'd made breakfast that morning, Belgium waffles. While he attempted to make them as good as Sally's, something was missing. He shared this with Rosemary, and she said it was probably the crisp mountain air. After a while, they'd both fell silent.
"I'm really nervous about meeting all your friends, Sheldon," Rosemary finally said. "I just get, well, uncomfortable around people, you know, in a more intimate setting."
"Rosemary, you'll do fine," Sheldon reassured her.
"I don't know. I just want your friends to like me," she said. "And I don't want to come off as awkward or strange."
Sheldon laughed and shook his head. "Not possible, Rosemary."
After showing her the quiet Caltech campus, Sheldon and Rosemary met everyone at the hotel where Penny and Leonard were to be married the next day, one ballroom already set up for the ceremony, the neighboring one being decorated for the reception. Sheldon introduced her to everyone, but was soon busy with learning his role, where to go when, how to hand the ring over to Leonard. At one point, he glanced out into the seating area to see Rosemary, Erik, and Laura, waiting for their significant others, all sitting together in the back, engaged in a lively conversation. Sheldon watched Rosemary laugh at a story Erik and Laura seemed to be jointly telling.
Sheldon realized later Erik and Amy led the charge in making Rosemary feel more comfortable, and for that he felt grateful, knowing how nervous his girlfriend was about the situation. At the rehearsal dinner, as Penny and Leonard sat with their families, Sheldon and his friends ate together. Amy plopped down right beside Rosemary, and the two began to chat about their mutual love for history, talking mostly about the European Middle Ages. In fact, Rosemary talked more with Amy than with Sheldon. He found himself planning out how to give his speech tomorrow with matron of honor Bernadette. Nerves still rattled him, but he would find a way to get through it. Leonard was his best friend, and he had Rosemary by his side.
Like the two previous evenings, Sheldon had lingered in the living room until he heard Rosemary's door close. Now, finished with his bedtime routine, he emerged to head to his room, noticing her door open. He glanced inside, seeing the room empty, then hearing the sound of rustling paper come from his bedroom. He walked in to see Rosemary sitting cross-legged on the end of his bed, back to the door, several comic books spread out in front of her. He felt his heart begin to race, his palms sweaty. She turned to look at him.
"Hey, I wasn't sleepy so I was going to read, but I forgot my book at home," she said. "Hope you don't mind if I grab a few comics. Don't worry, I didn't pull any out of the sleeves. These were newer ones on top of the stack."
Sheldon couldn't care less about the comics as he walked into the room to sit on the bed next to her. He pulled himself up to sit cross-legged facing her as she studied the comic books. He noticed she picked out mostly Batman titles. He also noticed her sleepwear, which he hadn't seen yet, cotton pajama bottoms covered in flowers, a pink camisole, and a satin purple robe which Sheldon wanted to touch more than anything, the color shimmering in the low light of the bedroom. She wore no make-up, her hair draped over her shoulders, her familiar scent filling the space, intoxicating him. His gaze fell onto her camisole, which revealed a bit of her cleavage. She didn't seem to be wearing anything underneath, like a bra. His breathing became erratic when he remembered seeing Rosemary without her shirt.
"Rosemary, I have a confession to make," he said, surprising himself. Oh no, he thought. Stop talking. Don't say anything… "Do you remember when we talked earlier in the week and you answered wearing just a towel?"
Rosemary glanced up from the comic book she held. "Yes?" she said, looking at him curiously.
Why am I telling her this? Good lord, stop talking… "Well, when you stepped aside to get dressed, the mirror on your dresser reflected you changing so I could see. But…but I only saw you from the waist up."
Rosemary stared at Sheldon, her jaw dropped, face turning red. She finally put her hand over her mouth and glanced down at the bed. Sheldon began to feel light-headed. Had he just screwed everything up?
When Rosemary removed the hand from her mouth, she was smiling. "Why didn't you say anything?"
"I…I don't know," he stammered. "You're not mad?"
"Well, you're my boyfriend. You're going to see them at some point, right? Well, um…did you like what you saw?" she asked.
Sheldon felt his eyes widen and mouth fall open at her question. How was he going to respond to that without giving away he'd been incredibly aroused? "I didn't dislike it," he finally said.
"Oh come on, don't talk like you're in some Jane Austen novel. Yes or no?" Rosemary demanded.
"Yes," he said quietly, looking down at the comics in front of him. She probably thought he was a cad. "It was wrong of me to… gawk at you. I'm sorry. You should think of some appropriate way to punish me."
He looked back up at Rosemary to see a wide grin on her face. "Punish you? Oh my, Sheldon."
Sheldon suddenly felt worried. What did she have in mind now?
Rosemary put the comic book she was holding down and looked at him directly. "Well, I believe in eye-for-an-eye. You saw me topless, so it's my turn. Take off your shirt."
Sheldon couldn't believe what he heard. She wanted him to take off his shirt in front of her. While they sat on his bed, in a darkened room, he already turned on as he watched her sitting there looking at his comic books. Still, it seemed an appropriate repercussion. He brought his shaking fingers to the top button of his pajama top.
"Here, let me help you," said Rosemary, scooting up to him, their knees now touching.
Sheldon watched her face as she unbuttoned his shirt, her eyes studying his clothing, fingers working quickly and gently. He felt his breathing become erratic again, and the muscles of his arms wanted to reach out, pull her on top of him, slide his hands up her shirt to grab her…
She finished the work on his buttons and brought her hands up to his shoulders, sliding his shirt off. He moved his hands out of the sleeves and placed the shirt on his nightstand. He turned back to her to see her looking at him, his chest, his arms. She no longer smiled, but seemed to be studying him, breathing heavily. He felt terrified and excited, unsure what was going to happen next.
"May I…may I touch you, Sheldon," Rosemary asked quietly.
Sheldon gulped. He wanted her to touch him so badly. He could feel his body singing out to her. His biological urges kicked in, but he still consulted his brain, which once again agreed with his body.
"Okay," he whispered.
Rosemary began to run her hands along his neck and arms slowly. He could feel her hands shaking slightly, but her movements were slow and graceful. As she touched his arms and moved onto his chest, he felt pleasure begin to course through him in a way he never experienced before. He closed his eyes, marveling at the sensation a simple touch could bring. He heard Rosemary shift slightly, and he opened his eyes to see her now on her knees, leaning in to kiss him. The kiss began as small, sweet, but soon became passionate, and he felt her hands caresses him faster. She moved from his lips to kiss his cheeks and slide down to his neck, moved back up to his ears.
The image of Marion and Indiana Jones together on the ship in Raiders of the Lost Ark filled his mind, him being in the exact position of Jones. The thought excited him, and when he felt her tongue on his neck, he needed to touch her too. He reached up to put his hands on her shoulders, loving the feel of her satin robe. He felt his desire surge suddenly as her hair draped onto his naked chest, and her hand slid across his stomach area. The feeling shocked him, and he leaped off the bed, causing Rosemary to fall forward. He began to pace back and forth as Rosemary returned to her original sitting position.
"I'm sorry, Rosemary," he said, still pacing, wringing his hands. "It's just…I…I've never…I…" He sat back down on the bed, his head in his hands.
"Sheldon, it's okay," she said, her voice low, sounding thick in the darkened room. "This is not supposed to be stressful. I just…I just want to make out with you, that's all."
"I want to also," he said, his face still in his hands. "I'm…scared."
"I'm a little scared too," she said. "But this is supposed to be fun, relaxing, exciting. Another way to get to know each other." She laughed. "You're really hot, you know. You've got me kind of turned on." Sighing, she bent down to grab some comic books that fell on the floor. "I'll just grab a couple of these and head to my room. Good night, Sheldon."
Sheldon grabbed her arm as she rose, forcing her to sit again. "Rosemary, it's just…I get overwhelmed. But you…you make me feel so good." He stopped. The last thing he wanted was for her to leave now. His body was throbbing, wanting more of her.
She stared at him intensely, and he saw her chest rising and falling quickly. He focused again on her cleavage.
"Please stay," he said, his voice heavy with something. Lust? Good lord…but he wanted to see her again, touch her like she touched him. "May I touch you?"
Rosemary simply nodded, dropping the comic books to the floor. They both returned to sitting cross-legged, facing each other. Sheldon took a deep breath to calm himself down before reaching out to Rosemary, sliding his hands onto her shoulders underneath her satin robe. Moving his hands down her arms, he pulled the robe off of her, turning to place it on top of his pajama shirt. He then studied her neck and arms, slowly running his hands across her smooth skin. He discovered she had nice muscle definition in her upper arms, probably from going to the gym which he knew she did after work most days. Rosemary kept her eyes on him, breathing heavily, as his fingers brushed under the straps of her camisole.
"Can you…" he hesitated, knowing he was taking a big step. But he'd seen her already, how different could this moment be? "Could you remove your shirt?"
She nodded, and pulled the camisole over her head, releasing her breasts, casting the garment behind her. Sheldon breathed in sharply, his blood suddenly hot, feeling even more aroused, which he didn't think possible. Reaching out with both hands, he began to explore her breasts, slowly caressing them. He was methodological in his approach, making sure to touch each breast slowly, giving the two equal attention, delighting in the symmetry. He watched the nipples become erect when he brushed over them, and he stayed there for a while, watching the change in her skin, her breathing, fascinated by her response. Rosemary's eyes were now closed, mouth slightly open, head leaned back. He used the back of his hands to graze both her nipples, and she let out a sigh.
"Oh, Sheldon," she moaned softly.
Hearing his name said in such a way ignited a flame inside him, and he suddenly brought his lips to Rosemary's and fell on top of her. He heard her giggle as she hit the bed, and her hands were in his hair, on his naked back, sliding up and down. They kissed for a long time, him lying beside her, but mostly hovering over her. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and he began to feel himself lose control, something he never liked. One last time he consulted his brain, waiting for some thought to stop him. But a feeling of relief, of relaxation, of living in the moment took over. And his brain didn't stop him. Kiss her more, touch her more, make her say your name, his mind encouraged.
Sheldon left Rosemary's lips and kissed down her neck toward her breasts, nuzzling in between them, fairly certain this was the best place in the world to rest his head. He began to slowly kiss the sides of her breasts, rotating between the two, moving underneath, again making sure each breast got the same attention. Finally, he ran his tongue over her nipple, then quickly did the same to the other. He heard her cry out as she arched her back, thrusting her breasts into his face. He felt her run her hands along his back and grab his behind, squeezing it. He groaned into her chest, feeling overwhelmed with pleasure, uncertain if he could control his biology much longer. He didn't want any embarrassing incidents.
Sheldon stopped his movements for a moment, trying to calm himself a bit. Rosemary lay beside him, eyes still closed, breathing hard. Glancing around, he became rather irritated.
"Rosemary," he said softly.
She opened her eyes slowly, looking at him, a soft smile spreading across her face. "Yes."
"Can we move up to the head of the bed? We are lying the wrong way," he said.
Rosemary giggled, a sound he loved, which brought his arousal back with full force. "Of course," she said.
They shifted around, both their heads now on a pillow. They turned to face each other.
"Are you enjoying this?" asked Rosemary quietly.
Sheldon nodded, and resumed kissing her, hands running across her body, feeling hers on him. She shifted to lying on her back, Sheldon once again leaning over her. He automatically moved his leg over hers and suddenly felt his arousal pressed against her. They both gasped, and Sheldon rolled over to his side of the bed, now neither of them touching.
"Oh…um…Sheldon," she said.
"Yes?" he said, his voice shaking.
"Maybe...ah…we should stop for the night," Rosemary said. She turned on her side to face him. "I'm not ready to…go all the way, yet."
Sheldon looked at her and nodded. "Me neither." Go all the way? Coitus? My goodness, how had he got to this point? He turned to face her. "I'm sorry I mauled you, Rosemary. You are just so beautiful and soft and when you sigh I feel…"
His mouth and hands were on her again, her breasts against him, her hands in his hair. He moved his hands down to her behind, clutching it. Perhaps if he moved his hands under the waist band of her pants…
Sheldon pulled away from Rosemary at that last thought.
"We need to stop," he said. "Now, before…before…"
"Yes," she said breathlessly. "But that was…you were…just amazing, Sheldon. I feel so good."
"I never thought…I had no idea," he stopped, feeling stupid not finding any words. "Thank you, Rosemary."
"Thank you," she whispered, leaning in to kiss his lips softly. She suddenly shivered. "Brrr…it's chilly."
"Here, get under," he said, pulling the blanket aside, allowing them both to crawl under the covers.
Rosemary snuggled up against him, and a peaceful sleepiness overtook the frantic passion he'd felt just minutes ago. Both of them drifted off without any further conversation.
Hours later, Sheldon awoke, the bedside lights in his room still on, Rosemary lying asleep beside him, her hair spread across the pillow. He felt so at peace – he couldn't remember a time when he hadn't had something itching at his brain, a thought or an irritation. But something was slightly bothering him. He got up smoothly as not to disrupt Rosemary's sleep and gathered the comics that had fallen on the floor, placing them on top of his shelf. He noticed the one at the foot of the bed, which Rosemary had laid on when he'd tackled her, had a deep crease in the cover. He studied it, knew he should be upset about it, but somehow found it amusing. Whenever he saw this title now, he would think of Rosemary and him, lying on top of the bed, comic books strewn everywhere. The old Sheldon would have freaked out, went on a tirade. But the new Sheldon, the Sheldon who just made out with an intelligent and stunning woman in his own bed, simply grabbed a heavy book off the shelf and put the comic inside to press out the crease. He slid back into bed, to the warmth of Rosemary, turned out the lights, and fell back to sleep.
Author's Note: Thank you for reading! Comments encouraged. I won't be updating until next weekend, since we are taking our final trip of the summer to San Diego to visit family. Unlike our last getaway that was more relaxing and allowed for some down time, the week will be quite busy. I hope this rather lengthy chapter will make up for the delayed update. Please come back to my story next time since Penny and Leonard's wedding day will be eventful, especially for Sheldon and Rosemary. And don't forget about Paris! I'm so excited to take Erik and Amy to one of my favorite places.
Take care, everyone!