Quick apology for taking so long with this chapter. It was a mixture of working so much and trying to decide what way I actually wanted to take this chapter that delayed it. Butanyway its here now and i'll say now that it is a Shamy heavy chapter, i've been neglecting them a bit recently so its their turn!
Leap of Faith
As Penny made her way up the stairs to her apartment, a spring in her step despite the late hour, her mind raced over everything she and Bernadette had discussed that evening. She was still a little dumbfounded that she hadn't realized that living with Leonard was something she wanted to do sooner, kicking herself mentally for not noticing the real significance of all that stuff building in her apartment, all of his stuff. The stuff that she had no real intention of putting back, despite the fact she often told Sheldon, and herself, she would.
As soon as Bernadette had left the bar, not long after nine when the restaurant was becoming completely desolate and Penny had to prepare to close up, she had thought over all those things of his that were sitting in her apartment, and how they got there. She thought of the first thing that had built up and that was his clothes. The t-shirts she borrowed, for mere comfort at first but had quickly become her regular nightwear and the perfect accompaniment to her grey sweats on lazy days, as well as his hoodies that she had wrapped herself up in on cold nights, or on the days when she had really missed him. They had all built up quickly, simply because she refused to wash the ones she had already worn, worried of washing his scent out of the clothes, so had just taken more until there were none left and she had to wash them. Instead of placing the clean clothes neatly back into his closet however, she had hung them up in her own and folded his t-shirts neatly into her drawers, without even a single hesitation.
She thought of his comic books. There were a few still scattered under her coffee table, which was odd in itself because she didn't intend on reading them again, yet she hadn't moved them. The two boxes that the comics had been stacked neatly into in Leonards room, were sitting separately, one to the right of her door beside her bookshelf and the other in her room beside the bedside table on his side of the bed.
She thought about the Batsignal, that, for some reason after that night where she discovered how to use it and had brought it over to her apartment, she had placed on the cabinet beside her window as though it were part of the décor in her home, when in reality it stood out like a sore thumb. It matched nothing, it looked positively silly and completely out of place, yet somehow, it just worked and she had kept it there.
She thought about the clothes she had bought him on random shopping trips to the mall; the Copper element and Doctor Who t-shirts, as well as a novelty Green Lantern tie she had spotted when shopping online. That site had recommended she buy a set of bath products too, each with the theme of a different beloved Star Wars character, and at the time she wondered if that was where he had gotten his Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader shampoo and conditioner, quickly finding out it was. In the end she had bought a Chewbacca Hair Gel, as well as the shampoo and conditioner set, simply to see his reaction when he saw it again, since she hadn't actually seen them since that time she had first showered in his apartment.
Each of those silly objects, and the clothing she had gotten him, had been kept in her apartment. It hadn't even occurred to her to put them into his own room, which was odd considering they were for him. They should be set up in his bathroom and sitting in his drawers, awaiting his return when he would be able to use them, but subconsciously, through instinct, or whatever else it may have been, she had kept them with her, in her bathroom, and in her drawers.
With a wide grin she turned at the corridor to head up the third flight of stairs, about to start contemplating how she was going to tell Leonard about all of this, until she spotted Sheldon and Amy on the staircase, talking quietly to one another as they slowly walked up the steps.
Penny was a little confused at first, considering it was well after ten o'clock at night, until she remembered Bernadette's comment about Amy escorting Sheldon to the train convention. A point only made clearer by the train conductors hat Sheldon was wearing, the same one he had worn when the pleasure had been forced upon her.
"Hey guys!" Penny beamed with energy that wasn't quite reflected in the two of them.
Her greeting was met with a "Hey," and "Hello Penny," simultaneously.
"Have fun at the train convention?" She asked with a smirk in Amy's direction.
"Oh yes!" Sheldon quickly replied, with sudden enthusiasm. "The convention in itself was fantastic but then, after it, Amy took us for dinner and then for ice cream. Oh! A-and," Sheldon held up the white plastic bag in his hand and smiled, "I got a new train set!"
"Woah." Penny replied, eyes wide with mock enthusiasm, "Isn't that just great!"
Sheldon frowned, his bag lowering, "Sarcasm?"
"What do you think?"
After a moment of thought, Sheldon shrugged and turned to walk up the stairs again. "Probably not. It is pretty great."
Penny rolled her eyes with a small grin and began to walk up the stairs again too, directly behind Sheldon and Amy who were still walking side by side. "So Amy, did you have fun?"
"Actually, it wasn't as bad as I had anticipated."
"Really?" She grimaced, "You enjoyed it?"
"I wouldn't say I enjoyed it. Not as much as he did anyway," She nodded to Sheldon, "but some parts certainly were interesting. Dinner and ice cream was good too." She smiled.
"Well of course it was interesting!" Sheldon turned to Amy, "Trains aren't just great because they look good, or provide the fastest and most exciting means of land transportation known to man! They are truly fascinating machines too." He smiled, but instantly spotted the face Amy made that told him she didn't quite believe what he was saying and shook his head, "One day, I will take you on the train down to Texas on my obligated yearly trip to visit my mother and I urge you to make that face then, Amy Farrah Fowler. You will see; trains are awesome."
Amy smiled at him, if only for the fact that he was planning on taking her to his hometown someday, and maybe a little because of how adorable he looked when he got that childlike excitement in his eyes.
"You are so lucky Amy." Penny mocked, as they stepped onto the landing of the fourth floor. "Ah, home sweet home!" She grinned as she bounced over to her apartment.
"You seem uncharacteristically happy for someone who has just finished what you call, 'the dreaded Sunday night shift', at The Cheesecake Factory bar." Amy pointed out.
"Hmm," She shrugged as she put her key in the lock, "It's been a good day." Opening her door, she turned to the couple and grinned, "Goodnight guys."
Sheldon and Amy stood looking curiously in the direction of Penny's door for a moment after it was closed. "Hm." Sheldon said, "I wonder what contributed to her good mood this time." He turned to unlock his door.
Shrugging, Amy turned too, "There could be many reasons, but I would bet on my monkeys that Leonard has something to do with it."
Nodding his agreement, Sheldon opened the apartment door and walked inside, instantly throwing his keys into the bowl on the right.
"Aren't you coming in?" He asked when he turned to see that Amy had only moved into the threshold of the apartment.
"No, its late, I should go home."
Sheldon's shoulders dropped, "Oh," He said with obvious disappointment, "But I was going to make us some hot cocoa to wind down after the excitement of our day together."
Amy gave a loving smile, "That's very sweet, but I need to go. It's nearing eleven and tomorrow I have to take you to work, meaning I will have to get up earlier than usual. So, goodnight Sheldon, I'll see you in the morning."
As she gave him another warm smile and turned to leave, Sheldon frowned. He had been having a wonderful day, and he was certain that the fact he had spent that day with her contributed to very much of that. He didn't want it to end just yet and so his brilliant mind quickly scanned the possibilities, trying to find any reasonable and logical argument that she couldn't refute, allowing her to stay with him a little longer. "Amy, wait." He said once he had thought of something, walking a few steps towards her as she turned around with a curious look on her face. "It occurs to me that, if you leave, by the time you get home, and finish all of your womanly bedtime routines, it could be close to midnight before you get to bed."
"Yes Sheldon, what's your point?"
"Well, if that happened then you would only receive a minimum of six hours sleep, when we both know it is recommended an adult have at least eight to be fully functional the next day."
"O-kay." Amy replied, her brow furrowing, unsure of where he was taking this conversation.
"However," He held up one finger, "if you stayed here, you could have an extra hour of sleep." He smiled, "A-and," He paused, "some cocoa."
Amy raised an eyebrow, "You want me to stay?"
He shrugged one shoulder, "It's not so much what I want, but what is logical." He stated, in such a robotic tone that anyone would be forgiven for thinking that there was no real emotion behind those words.
Sheldon motioned behind him, "Leonard's bed is free, and I'm sure he would have no immediate concern over you sleeping in it. Of course there would be some forms for you to initial and sign, and I will have to make up Leonard's bed because Penny has stolen the comforter and pillows."
Amy was a little taken aback, still not quite fathoming that he was actually asking her to stay, whether it was logical or not. This was a step they had never taken, yet much like that key, he brought it up as though it were the most casual thing in the world. "You would really be okay with me staying here?" Amy asked sceptically.
"I don't see where there would be any sort of problem. It's not like we would be sharing a bed." He paused. "So, what do you think?"
"I think it sounds great…"Amy held back her grin for a few moments. "But I don't have anything to wear to bed."
Sheldon looked off in thought. "Hm, I hadn't thought of that." He said before waving his hand, "Not a problem. Penny has been using Leonard's clothes to sleep in for the past three months, I'm sure she has plenty spare pyjamas that you could wear."
At this point, Amy smiled. Maybe it was a little out of the blue, but with Sheldon, things like this often were, she just had to take them as they came. "Okay." She grinned as she walked back into the apartment. "Ooh this is exciting! I've never had a boy-girl sleepover before!"
"Incorrect. You stayed here that evening before Leonard left when you were inebriated and unable to get home."
With a scowl she replied, "That doesn't count; I don't remember any of it." She smiled. "This will be the first intentional boy-girl sleepover."
"Yes well," He nodded, "don't get carried away. There will be no shenanigans, just cocoa and bedtime. Now, you go speak to Penny about those pyjamas whilst I find some suitable bed sheets and pillows."
With a nod and a wide grin she could no longer contain, she turned on her heel and headed swiftly over to Penny's, giving her door a few quick knocks.
"Amy?" Penny asked with a frown as she opened the door, already dressed for bed in one of Leonard's shirts and a pair of shorts.
"I need pyjamas!" Amy blurted out, and Penny's frown deepened.
"Huh?" She asked, her head tilting to the side.
"Pyjamas." She stated as she walked determinedly past Penny into her apartment. "Could I borrow some, please?"
"Uh…" Penny said as she turned around to face Amy, shutting the door behind her as she moved. "Yeah. Sure but… why?"
"I'm staying with Sheldon."
"What?!" She exclaimed. "Are you serious?"
Grinning, Amy excitedly nodded. "Yes. Of course, I have to sleep in Leonard's room, but at least I'm inching, ever so slowly, closer to Sheldon's!" She leaned forward, "He will be sleeping mere feet away from me!"
"Yeah, that really is exciting." Penny responded in a dead pan tone that suggested quite the opposite, before furrowing her brow, "You're sleeping in Leonard's bed?"
"Yes." Amy quickly replied then noticed Penny's expression. "Is that okay?"
Penny thought for a moment about saying no, selfishly thinking that the only woman who was allowed to sleep in his bed was her, until she remembered that it was no longer his bed. It was now just the bed in Sheldon's spare room, Sheldon just didn't know it yet. At that her face softened and she smiled. "Of course it is sweetie. Come on, let's get you some pyjamas." Turning in the direction of her bedroom, she motioned to Amy to follow her.
"Ok-ay, so, what kind would you like?" Penny asked as she opened up her closet and reached up to ruffle through her collection of nightwear.
"Hmm," Amy hummed as she sat down on the edge of Penny's bed, "I was thinking something skimpy and revealing," She slyly grinned, her eyes twinkling with delight, "You know, something that might get Sheldon's engine humming and entice him into a night of passionate, yet completely hygienic, love making."
"Ye-ah," Penny drug out as she reached up and pulled down a bundle of clothes, "I think Sheldon's 'engine' is broke." Letting out a short laugh, she dropped the clothes down on her bed. "Here, have a look through those and see which ones you want. Take any of them, I haven't really been wearing them anyway." She shrugged as she sat on the other edge of the bed, facing Amy.
"You certainly enjoy pink." Amy pointed out as she picked up a few garments and put them back down again as Penny grinned and nodded. "So, are you going to tell me what had you in such a good mood earlier?"
"Oh… Um, nothing." She replied dismissively as she took the clothes Amy had discarded and folded them, not entirely sure that she wanted to go about spilling her plans to everyone just yet, however when she looked up and spotted the sceptical look upon Amy's face she changed her mind, her excitement over the fact overriding her desire to keep things quiet. "Fine." She said with a huff and Amy's face lit up, "But if I tell you, you can't tell Sheldon, okay?"
Amy gave her a curious look, but nodded and turned a little so she could see her better and let her know she had her full attention.
"Okay." She took a short breath and quickly said, "I think I'm gonna ask Leonard to move in with me." She pursed her lips, trying her best to stop the huge smile that was waiting to show as she studied Amy's face for her reaction.
"Really?!" She asked. Her eyebrows raised and her jaw hanging loose, trying to determine whether she had actually heard what she thought she had, as Penny nodded, her face beginning to light up. "Woah. Where did that come from?"
"I don't know." Penny shrugged, her smile showing fully as she began to fold the pyjamas Amy had deemed for whatever reason unsuitable. "It just feels right."
Amy nodded and began to look through the pile of clothes once again, "But I thought all of that stuff freaked you out."
"It does- it did." She sighed, "It still kind of scares me a little, but only when I think of what might happen if living together doesn't work out." She looked thoughtful for a second, then looked up and grinned again, "I'm really looking forward to the rest of it though! More than I thought I would be… I just have to find a good way to ask him first, and to tell Sheldon." She widened her eyes and Amy nodded in agreement. "I guess I just… I dunno, the time is right I think. At some point you just have to take a chance with these kinds of things, you know? Like a leap of faith." She gave a small smile, "I just gotta go for it and hope it turns out for the best… And I really think it will."
"That's really great Penny." Amy said, smiling at the contented look on her friends face. "Oh! And with Leonard out of his room, maybe I will get some more of these sleepovers!"
"Yeah, maybe." Penny let out a soft laugh as she stood up, the folded pyjamas that Amy didn't want in her hands, and headed over to put them back in her closet. "So, did you pick a pair yet?" She asked nodding to the pile of clothes.
"I think so." Amy said as she stood up, holding out Penny's grey Nebraska t-shirt and a pair of long pyjama bottoms.
"Ah, decided to go with comfortable rather than sexy then huh?" Penny noted with a grin.
"Yes well, you're right, Sheldon's 'engine' is currently broken, so I may as well stay warm and comfortable." She shrugged as she took the remaining clothes and handed them to Penny who simply shoved the bundle into the top of her closet before closing it over.
"What about underwear? Don't you need that too?"
"No, I have some. I always carry a spare pair in my bag, just incase."
Penny grimaced, "Okay. That's… weird."
"It's not weird Penny, it's called being prepared." She retorted, "So, when are you going to ask Leonard to move in with you?" Amy asked as they walked out of the bedroom. "Although," She glanced around the room, "asking him might be a little redundant now considering you seem to have moved a good bit of his stuff in already."
"Yeah," Penny laughed as she too glanced around, "I kinda realized that today." Sighing she continued, "I have no idea how I'm going to ask- or tell him… I've got a couple of ideas, but I think I'm just gonna try and stop thinking about it tonight and think over it all again later."
"Oh, okay. Well, if – or when – you decide to tell Sheldon, make sure to give me plenty of notice. No doubt he will freak out and I'll need to be prepared for it."
"I will." She laughed as she opened her door. "Enjoy your sleepover!"
Amy gave an appreciative smile and then motioned to the clothes. "Thanks for the pyjamas, I'll have them washed and returned to you as soon as possible!"
As soon as Amy was outside of Penny's apartment, they said 'Goodnight' to one another and Amy made her way back to 4A. Tentatively, and with her borrowed clothes bunched under one arm, she opened the door and stepped inside, just as Sheldon was walking down the hall with a folder in hand, his train conductors hat now gone for one of the first times that day.
"Oh good, you're back." Sheldon said as he walked towards her, flicking through the pages. "I have some hot cocoa on the coffee table for us and the 'house guest' section of the roommate agreement here for you to sign."
"Okay," Amy said as she took it from him and sat on the sofa where she proceeded to sign her initial at every marked point, sipping on her cocoa in between pages.
"Perfect." Sheldon said a few minutes later when everything was done. Picking up the folder, he took it to his desk, sliding it into one of his drawers. "Now, come with me and I will show you to your room."
Amy rolled her eyes, "I know where Leonard's room is, Sheldon."
"Amy," Sheldon stopped and turned to face her, "You know it is customary when one has a house guest, for the host to show said guest to their room. Now, let's go."
As Sheldon turned once again and walked up the hallway, Amy grabbed her shoulder bag and pyjamas and followed. Upon turning the corner she saw Leonard's door already opened and Sheldon standing just outside, motioning for her to enter. Giving him a warm smile, she passed him and entered the bedroom, however, that smile quickly dropped when she saw the Star Wars themed bed sheets covering Leonard's bed.
"Star Wars?" Amy cringed and turned to look at Sheldon who was now standing behind her.
"Yes." He nodded, grinning until he noticed the look on Amy's face. "Wh- would you prefer Star Trek? I have those too. Oh! Or I have a really cool Marvel Avengers set?"
Amy looked at him, rather dumbfounded at how he could get so excited about things that, in her eyes, were made for children, but quickly dismissed it. "No." She replied softly, "This is fine."
"Okay, good. Now," He stepped towards the bed and motioned underneath it, "Under the bed there is an evacuation kit," He then pointed to the table beside Leonard's bed. "And I have put a copy of my morning schedule down on the bedside cabinet. Please take a look before you go to sleep so as to ensure your bodily functions do not coincide with mines." At this, Amy cringed again, but Sheldon's small grin didn't falter. "I suppose I should leave you to your business." He said and glanced towards the door, but suddenly found himself hesitating. When he shifted his gaze back to her, he sensed that she was getting a little irritated, which he deemed understandable since it was getting late and they had had a long day. A day that he had enjoyed immensely, in no small part because she was the one he had shared it with.
It was a common theme of late, his happiest days were ones in which he had spent the majority of the time with her, whether that time was spent perusing a local train convention, having in depth discussions mixed in with some light-hearted teasing, or simply watching television together, sitting so close that he could feel her breathing; something he had told himself he shouldn't enjoy, yet when she had snuggled in closer, wrapping her fingers around his and resting her head on his shoulder, the warm feelings he felt told him otherwise.
Her mere presence made things better, and he had never felt that more than he did now. It hadn't been planned, yet he looked forward to having her stay the night, knowing she was only in the next room gave him a sense of comfort he very rarely felt. Maybe it was because he had spent so long in this apartment alone, missing the company of his best friend, or maybe it was simply because it was her spending the night. Either way, he enjoyed the sense of security that having another body in the apartment gave him.
Sheldon glanced towards the door again, knowing that now he should be saying goodnight and making his way into his own room, yet he was reluctant for the evening to end. "What do you say we watch an episode of Firefly before bed?" He asked hopefully
"Sheldon, it's late." Amy groaned. "We've had a long day, I really need to sleep."
"Oh." He felt his body sink, "Right." He nodded and turned for the door, then stopped and turned back to her again, noting once again the frustration in her tone. At that moment he felt an overwhelming feeling to tell her what he had just been thinking in the hopes it would ease that irritated frown on her face. "Amy…" He stopped and hesitated, then took a breath, "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For today." He stepped a foot closer to her and cleared his throat. "I really enjoyed our day out together." He stepped towards the bed and, with one hand, gently tugged at the comforter to even out a crease he had spotted. "You are a much more desirable convention partner than Penny."
Amy couldn't help but grin as she turned fully to face him. She could sense something different in his demeanour as he fidgeted with the material on the bed, his gaze not meeting hers, although she wasn't quite sure why he had suddenly changed.
"The whole day was magnificent, and I'm glad I got to spend it with you." At that, he shifted his gaze from his feet to her and let a small smile curl onto his face. "Frankly, I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Really?" She asked softly, and with a hint of disbelief. They were already standing pretty close together, yet with that word she took another small step towards him, her heart beating furiously, her fingers fidgeting in front of her.
"Yes." He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers.
"I enjoyed it too, Sheldon." She almost whispered.
Then, just as had happened so many times, their eyes were locked together, neither one wanting to break the stare. It happened so often, yet Amy still felt the same heat every time. The way he looked at her, with such care, such wonderment, was something she had never experienced before, and every time they got locked in one of these moments, she would feel an overwhelming need to reach up and kiss him; a feeling that she always supressed.
Yet now, as she stared up at him, she wondered if maybe this time he would accept such a gesture. His words to her hadn't been the most earth shatteringly romantic ones in the world, but she knew they were from the heart, and that thought alone made them earth shattering in her eyes. She leaned forward slightly, noting the absence of him jumping back or even moving at all. He was happy with how close they were and at that moment, Penny's earlier words stuck out. 'At some point you just have to take a chance' she had said, and Amy agreed. Maybe this was time for her to take that 'leap of faith' and kiss him, properly. Not like those quick kisses of before, a real one, a passionate one.
Just as she was about to lean in, grab Sheldon by the face and lock her lips to his, he awkwardly cleared his throat, shifted his eyes and anxiously stood back.
Disappointment hit her like a wave, much harder than it had ever hit before. Her heart ached, and she couldn't help the sting of tears hitting her eyes at the obvious rejection, however she kept those tears hidden, refusing to let them fall while he was still there.
"Uh, well," Sheldon cleared his throat again, "goodnight." He muttered as he quickly scurried out of the room. Hearing a chocked 'goodnight' in return as he closed the door behind him, but instead of feeling the relief he thought he would when he was away from the dangerous situation, his gut churned and he felt sick. He had panicked and he knew it. As soon as he had felt the tension in the room and saw that glazed over look in her eyes, he knew what was coming next, through nothing other than instinct, and didn't know how to handle it, except by running away. He told himself he wasn't ready for such a step, yet something inside told him he was and shouldn't have left, despite his reluctance to stay and listen to that part of him.
Downtrodden, he made his way to his room, glancing back briefly at Leonard's door and wondering if he should go in and apologize for the abrupt departure, but deciding it best to leave it until tomorrow when hopefully everything was settled and what had happened, could be forgotten about.
