a/n: Hm. I really have been working on this story for over a year. Didn't even notice. Not bad for a fic that was only supposed to be a few chapters long. Thanks for the anniversary well wishes!

a/n: Also, as usual, thanks for the reviews and the followings and the favorites. You guys are amazing!

a/n: It's been waaaaaaaaay too long since my last update. I'm trying. I really am. Please don't stone me!

Concession

Chapter 45: An Even Madder Debriefing

Had her boyfriend really just suggested that they go out and purchase condoms? "Now?" Amy asked. And while she didn't think she was ready for another round so soon, her secret place immediately ignited when she thought about what his request implied.

"Yes. It's probably a good idea to have them readily available at all times," Sheldon said slowly.

Amy folded her arms and took a deep breath, but she couldn't hide the slight smirk that tugged at her lips. "Sheldon, I don't know if I'm ready to...'become intimate' again so soon."

Her boyfriend was clearly embarrassed and wouldn't look at her. "Oh, you think that I mean to—"

"It's not that I don't want to," she interrupted. "It's just that I'm still a little sore and—"

It was then Sheldon's turn to interrupt. "That wasn't what I meant." She could practically see the wheels in his head turning as he tried to explain himself. "Um..."

"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad that you look forward to doing it again," Amy told him. She wasn't going to give him time to come up with something contradictory to say. Her first assumption had to be right. Sheldon had to be making a subtle suggestion that they engage in intercourse again today.

"I never said... I just thought that we should be prepared."

His innocent act wasn't going to work on her. He'd been fidgeting for the past two Star Trek episodes. As a matter of fact, he was fidgeting earlier this morning when they were in bed. Not to mention he was fidgeting a bit now.

"Well, let's be prepared," she finally agreed.


The couple stood in the planned parenthood section of the local drug store and stared at the variety of condoms and lubricants available on the market. Amy couldn't be sure about Sheldon, but she was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Neither of them had ever been shopping for such things.

She was tempted to simply grab a box of the condoms Leonard had given Sheldon, purchase them and run out of the store, but scientific curiosity caused her to linger.

And upon glancing at her boyfriend, she'd expected there to be some embarrassment written on his face. That wasn't the case, however. For the person who didn't even like to talk about these kinds of things, he sure was calm about all this. He was standing there inspecting some of the boxes as though it were nothing. Confusion was the only expression she found on his face.

"Glow-in-the-dark?" Sheldon asked, looking at one of the boxes.

Amy unconsciously hugged herself and shrugged. "It might be interesting, but are you seriously thinking about buying those?"

"Of course not," he told her as he placed the box back on the shelf. Then he picked up another box. "I'm not really sure what to get. I have to admit that I have no experience as far as protection is concerned. Perhaps this variety pack would be appropriate."

"I'd like to suggest something flavored," Amy said quietly.

Sheldon looked confused at first. "Why would—?" Thankfully, though, he seemed to understand what she was getting at. And for the first time since they entered the store, he wore an expression of embarrassment. "Oh... Well, they have a flavored variety pack as well."

She noticed that he picked up the largest box of flavored condoms available.

"Perhaps next time it would be more appropriate to order these online," he suggested.

(He's already thinking about next time,) Amy thought. (I wonder how fast he thinks we'll go through these.) She grinned to herself. He was the one fighting so hard against intimacy before and yet he almost seemed enthusiastic about it now. She had been so sure that even if Sheldon tried it once, he'd never want to do it again. That didn't seem to be the case, however. Then again, all of their intimacy studies had positive results, even though her boyfriend didn't want to talk about them.

In the midst of her internal analysis, she noticed that Sheldon was looking at some of the lubricants as well. "Would something like this help?" he asked her.

Amy quickly grabbed both the jumbo sized box of assorted flavored condoms and the lubricant out of his hands. "We'll have to try it and see." With that, she began making the march to the check-out. For a person who didn't like to talk about certain things in public, he sure was embarrassing her with all of this now.

Sheldon looked confused yet again, but he shrugged and followed her.


Amy supposed that now that condoms were readily available it was okay for them to be in physical contact again. They were sharing her throw and Sheldon had allowed for cuddling. However, before even one episode was over, she noticed that Sheldon had fallen asleep. Of course, he hadn't had as much sleep as she had, so she couldn't blame him.

And even though she'd gotten plenty of sleep that morning, she turned off the DVD player, lay comfortably in her boyfriend's arms and listened to his heartbeat until she fell asleep as well.


"You know, I didn't have much of an appreciation for the little toys you collected, but now I'm really starting to see the appeal," Amy told Sheldon as she took their empty plates to the kitchen.

Sheldon was following her with their cups. "I'm glad we did this, Amy. Next Generation Madness, I mean. You've begun to understand a very important part of my world. And as a very important part of my world yourself, it's nice that we can share in it."

Hearing him say that she was a very important part of his world made her feel all warm inside. But she didn't want to turn into a "hippy" because of it.

"I can't believe I'm actually enjoying it so much. Maybe I just needed to have more of an open mind," Amy said. "All those different races of aliens and the starships and the weird planets all seemed so ridiculous when you first introduced them to me. But even though it's all a part of some space fantasy, they have a basis in reality. It's all about people and society. It's about history and literature and science."

"Yes. There are even touches of neuroscience in there," Sheldon said with a grin.

She couldn't help grinning back. "That's the best part of all, of course. Some of my favorite episodes are Data-centric episodes. Their concepts in computer science and neuroscience mesh together so well. I'm starting to think I should study artificial intelligence."

"Maybe you should. It would help in writing our own sci-fi epic."

He seemed so excited about the prospect of writing a space-faring adventure with her. Considering everything that had happened between them lately, she'd nearly forgotten about it.

"As our first attempt at something like this, maybe we really should consider writing it within the Star Trek universe. I have such limited experience with the genre, it would probably be a good idea to start with something that has a foundation before leaping into something we'd create from the ground up. Just to help me get more of a feel for it."

Sheldon was quiet for a while and he simply looked at her for a long time.

Amy frowned. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No. It's just that when you say things like that it makes me want to...get something to drink," he told her. He went into the fridge and grabbed a bottle of water. "Want anything?"

"Same."

Her boyfriend handed her a water and then she watched as he practically drank his entire bottle in one go.


"Well, here we are," Amy said once they got to Sheldon's apartment door.

"Yes. Here we are," Sheldon repeated. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow after work for Kolinahr lessons."

Seriously? "Are we still practicing Kolinahr together?" she asked.

"Of course. We need it now more than ever."

"But it hasn't really been working. I mean, the whole reason we started was so we wouldn't succumb to temptation—" Amy began.

However, Sheldon interrupted her. "We shouldn't talk about this here. Let's discuss it tomorrow after work."

She had to agree. Anyone in the building could hear their conversation if they listened hard enough. So, she simply nodded.

"Well, goodnight," her boyfriend said as he put his hand on the doorknob.

"Goodnight, Sheldon."

Now, she wasn't sure if she should expect anything to happen, but neither of them made advances toward their respective destinations. His hand was simply resting on the doorknob and she simply stood there watching him. Since he was going nowhere fast, she stepped closer to him and tiptoed up to give him a kiss on the cheek. But instead of his cheek, she found her lips planted firmly against his. The hand he'd placed on the door slipped around her waist and she felt obliged to deepen the kiss.

However, Sheldon almost immediately broke the kiss and adjusted the straps of his overnight bag and messenger bag. "Goodnight," he repeated.

"Goodnight."

She watched as he fumbled with the doorknob as though he'd forgotten how to operate it. That made her chuckle. Then when she turned to leave, she heard the door across the hall open. Both Bernadette and Penny were standing in the doorway with silly grins on their faces.

"What are you waiting for? Get in here!" Penny whispered to her.

Their silly grins were infectious. Amy found herself grinning as well and she looked at the door to 4A before she rushed across the hall to greet her friends.

As soon as the door closed, both Penny and Bernadette squealed like middle school girls.

"Shh!" Amy said. "The guys can probably hear you."

"It's fine. Trust me. I told Leonard to keep Sheldon over there at all costs," Penny told her.

"Well, don't keep us waiting! Is it true? Did you two really—?" Bernadette asked.

Amy nodded.

"Congratulations! This is so exciting!" Bernadette said.

"How did you talk him into finally giving in?" Penny asked as they all went to have a seat.

She thought about not telling them, but then she supposed that a few facts couldn't hurt. The information she gave them would just have to be limited. "It was weird, really. And talk about being totally unexpected..."

The two waited for her to continue, but she never did.

"Okay, you're gonna have to do better than that," Penny told her. "Out with it!"

Bernadette simply nodded in agreement.

"Well, it happened at three in the morning so I don't think either of us was really awake at the time, but he initiated everything," Amy informed them.

"Really?! That early in the morning?" Penny asked, turning up her nose a little.

"When Howie asks for sex at that time of morning, I just turn over and go back to sleep," Bernadette said.

Amy smiled and played at one of the buttons on her cardigan. "He didn't ask. As a matter of fact, neither of us knew it was gonna happen."

Penny looked confused. "What? Wait. You mean, the overly organized creature of habit that is Dr. Sheldon Cooper did something impulsive?"

"I honestly don't think it would've ever happened otherwise," the neuroscientist said.

"Is he okay?" Bernadette asked, looking concerned.

As soon as Amy was about to confess the fact that she wasn't sure if he was really okay with it, Penny jumped in. "That's not what she meant to ask. What she meant to ask was 'Did he like it?' "

Bernadette grinned and nodded.

"Well, you know Sheldon. He's either overwhelmingly frank or frustratingly vague," Amy told them. "He did, however, insist that we purchase more condoms."

"That sounds overwhelmingly frank to me, considering who we're talking about," Penny said. "He never would've suggested buying more if he didn't plan on using them."

Amy nodded. "I guess you're right. Especially since it was a really big box."

Both Bernadette and Penny squealed like middle school girls again and Amy was almost tempted to join them. But she simply grinned uncontrollably.

"Now, on to the important question," Bernadette said, signaling for Penny to continue.

Penny nodded and cleared her throat in preparation for the big question. "How was it?"

The neurobiologist could feel her face warming as she thought about how to answer the question. Maybe it was her turn to be either overwhelmingly frank or frustratingly vague. "Let me put it like this. I'm glad we got that huge box of condoms."

Penny's mouth dropped open in surprise.

"Oooooooooo," Bernadette sing-songed.

"Did I mention they were flavored?" Amy asked with a grin.

"No way!" Bernadette nearly squealed.

Penny's mouth somehow dropped open even farther. "You mean—?"

"Too much information! Moving on!" Bernadette all but shouted.


Journal Entry:

All I've been able to think about is last night—or perhaps I should say "this morning". And the more I think about it, the more I appreciate the fact that Sheldon became so overwhelmed. It's pretty obvious that he'd started thinking about doing something like that and I don't think it was when he made the announcement in his sleep. It must have been before then.

But what does it matter? We've actually done it now. And my boyfriend didn't freak out nearly as much as I thought he would. Not only that, but he has all intentions of doing it again.

His reactions were so passionate. Even after all of our experimentation, I didn't think that Sheldon would react in such a way. When he and I were conducting our gossip experiment years ago, I once told Bernadette that Sheldon's technique was aloof but effective. Well, there was nothing aloof about it. And even though I was a little distracted by the discomfort, it was still effective. I get the feeling that the more we experiment, the more effective his technique will become.


...the next day at work...

There had been a dream and unfortunately it was slowly fading into the back of her mind. Lips and fingertips had explored her body in a way she never imagined. There had been scented oils and sultry kisses. There had been flickering candle light and dancing shadows and quiet cries of ecstasy. And her own lips and fingertips chanced oily ventures across pale skin when given the opportunity.

She could almost make out her boyfriend's unique scent amidst the oil and the fog of her subconscious. But none of the images were really clear anymore. Whether they were simply exploring each other or making love, she didn't recall.

And now she was sitting at her computer in a heightened state of arousal, staring blankly at her computer screen. She remembered telling Sheldon that she wouldn't bother him about intimacy again for a while and now she was regretting it. Technically, it had only been a day since they went all the way...

Sheldon was coming over after work for Kolinahr lessons...

Would it be wrong to ask for sex? Would he say no?

They were officially in an "intimate" relationship now. Surely she could make requests.

Amy wiggled a bit in her seat, hoping to help calm her desire. Unfortunately, that only fanned the flame, so she stopped immediately.

Work. That was what she should focus on. And as she looked at all the paperwork around her, she realized that her workstation was just as wayward as her thoughts had been.

As soon as she decided to get organized, there was a knock on her lab door. Thankfully she'd closed it this time. Anyone walking by within the last few hours would have seen that she was accomplishing nothing.

Already knowing who was paying her a visit, she opened the door and greeted Sheldon's three associates. "Gentlemen."

"Literally glowing. I told you," Raj said.

"You were right," Howard told his best friend.

She couldn't be sure if she was literally glowing, but there was probably something different about her today.

"We just came by to say congratulations," Leonard, the diplomat among them, said.

"How'd you find out?" Amy asked calmly. She wasn't really angry about it. She knew that gossip spread like wildfire the juicier the tidbits became. Besides, she had nothing to be angry about. There was pride to be had in finally becoming Sheldon's first.

"Penny," the bespectacled experimental physicist said.

"Bernadette," the engineer quickly followed.

"Howard," their astrophysicist friend replied.

Amy nodded slowly. "Of course. Has Sheldon said anything about it?"

The three guys looked at each other, then back at Amy.

"He won't really confirm or deny anything," Leonard told her. "I have to admit, I expected him to be in more of an uproar once you two actually went through with it, but he seems...kinda like normal Sheldon."

"To be honest, I didn't think he'd ever go through with it," Howard said.

The neurobiologist narrowed her eyes at Howard.

Raj shook his head. "Personally, I think he went through with it a long time ago." That made everyone look at him strangely. "Let me explain," he went on. "Physical love begins in the heart and mind, and it's pretty easy to tell that you occupied both with Sheldon very early on..."

As Raj began some sort of romance-oriented monologue, Amy moved closer to Leonard and Howard and whispered, "Seriously, how is Sheldon?"

"Well, like I said, he's basically his usual self. Though to be honest, I haven't seen Sheldon be his 'usual' self since you two started spending weekends together. I don't know if he's in denial about the whole thing or what," Leonard said.

"And I haven't really talked to him much since you two...you know," Howard added. "He seems pretty normal to me. As normal as a Sheldon can be anyway."

"Listen, Amy. Don't worry about a thing. This is a really big change for him and it may take him a while to get used to it, but he will get used to it," Leonard assured her.

Amy frowned, but nodded. "I guess you're right."

"Besides, he hasn't been complaining about it and he complains about everything, so he must be okay with it," Leonard said.

She was still worried about all this. Especially her boyfriend's lack of complaints. She folded her arms and sighed.

"...without romantic love in his life for so long," Raj was still going on. "Be confident in the fact that you've changed that, even if that change did come slowly. You two have really achieved something great..."

As Raj walked further into her lab and continued his speech, Amy put her hands on Howard and Leonard's shoulders. "Let's say we leave him to whatever this is and we grab something from the snack machine? My treat."

"Let's do it," Howard said. "He could be at this all day."


Sheldon had sent Amy a text reminding her that they had Kolinahr lessons after work and she'd replied with a simple, [You know where to find me.] And even though she was sure that her response came off as nonchalant, she couldn't help feeling nervous about seeing him again. She'd been with him for the entire day yesterday, yet she felt uneasy about seeing him today.

Perhaps it was because she'd expected to have lunch with him, yet he didn't bother to stop by her lab at all today. Perhaps it was because Rajesh had been in her lab giving a speech about "Love Beyond the Physical". Or perhaps it was the dream she'd had last night that was only barely clinging to her mind as a memory, yet was strong enough to nearly send her into a climactic frenzy.

She couldn't be sure why she felt the way she felt. All she knew was that Sheldon was now standing in the opened doorway of her lab with his messenger bag over his shoulder and even though he was looking right at her, he knocked on the door in his traditional manner anyway.

"Hi," she managed to say.

"Hello," her boyfriend said as he took a step into the lab and clutched his messenger bag strap with both hands.

Somehow he looked more handsome than ever as he stood there staring at her. It seemed to be a somewhat blank stare, however. She wished she knew what was going on in his mind.

"Well, let's go," Amy said in an attempt to break the wall of silence between them. She shouldered her purse and started heading toward the door.

"Um, before we go, could we make a stop at my apartment first?" Sheldon asked as he watched her walk past him.

Amy could feel heat prickling about her cheeks and ears, but she kept walking so she wouldn't have to face him. "Sure."

"Thank you."

(I think I know why he wants to go there first, but I don't wanna get my hopes up by assuming,) Amy thought as she headed down the hall.


As awkward as the ride to Sheldon's apartment seemed, they still had the common courtesy to ask about each other's day. Amy was particularly concerned with Sheldon's lunch. He told her that he needed some time to himself and that he'd had his lunch alone in his office. She basically told him the same. When she asked how work was going, he admitted that it had been an unproductive day for him and much like with lunch, she told him the same. Neither of them bothered going into the reason for their lack of productivity and neither of them asked the other about it.

Amy walked with her boyfriend up to his apartment and once he let them in, he asked, "May I spend the night at your apartment?"

The question was rushed, as though he'd decided, after some deliberation, whether he should ask it at all. So, she thought it best to make light of the situation. "Isn't that why we're here?" she asked.

"Are you answering a question with another question? Because you can't answer a question with a question. You just end up with two questions and no answers," Sheldon told her.

Ah, he seemed to be loosening up a little. Back to his good old Sheldon-y self. "But you just answered my question with a question, so now we have three questions."

"Yes, and still no answers."

"Then, let's forget all the other questions and I'll just answer your first one. Yes, you may spend the night at my apartment."

"Good," was her boyfriend's only reply.

She watched as he headed toward his bedroom. Maybe after that little sparring match they would be more comfortable around each other.


She was wrong. The two remained quiet as they picked up their Thai takeout and went to her apartment.

Once she started unpacking the food, however, Sheldon spoke. "We need to talk."

While she was used to the idea that her boyfriend didn't mind talking if for nothing more than to hear the sound of his own voice, she hadn't expected him to begin talking by stating that they "needed to talk". That phrase always preceded disaster.

"What is it?" she asked calmly, continuing to set their food out.

"I hope you don't think that I asked to spend the night here so I could 'get inside your knickers' again," Sheldon began. And he used air quotes. He didn't like air quotes, and yet he was using them now.

Even though she had a feeling that this talk of theirs was about to go south, she couldn't help being a little turned on by Sheldon's "dirty talk". She nearly laughed at her own mental air quotes.

"We are here to study—to train our minds and purge our emotions. It just so happens that spending the night here on Mondays has become a part of our routine," he went on.

Amy nodded. "Of course." Being calm and agreeable was probably her best course of action. She didn't want to bring up the fact that a part of their routine when they spent nights together was physical experimentation. So, instead of arguing the point, she continued to set out their meal.

"Besides, you're in no condition to engage in that sort of activity," he went on.

Was he still talking about this? Did he realize that this "talk" was only making matters worse? "I'm fine," she told him as she headed to the kitchen for drinks.

"I see...," she barely heard him say.

Much like earlier in the day, she considered asking for sex, but he seemed to have his mind made up. And she'd been so sure that his insistence on picking up more condoms yesterday implied that they would make love sooner rather than later. She didn't want to wait until next weekend to feel him inside her again. She wasn't even sure how she planned to make it through the night with him lying next to her if he had no intention of having her.

No. She wasn't about to stand for this. She'd finally managed to get him into bed with her. After weeks of beautifully torturous non-penetrative intimacy, they finally went all the way. It wasn't about to end there. They'd picked up those condoms for a reason. They'd left them in her apartment for a reason.

She was going to have intercourse with her boyfriend tonight whether he liked it or not.


...to be continued...

a/n: To be honest, this wasn't the most exciting chapter. So, not only was the wait for this chapter long, but very little happened in it as well.

a/n: I can't say that it won't be another month before the next one is out. Not only am I losing free time, but I'm very scattered when I do have the chance to write. Please bear with me, folks.

a/n: Thanks for reading and please review!