Aww, I'm blown away by your feedback! Thanks so much, guys! :) I'm also glad that some of you noticed that I wanted their kiss to be similar to the famous train kiss in season 7...

This next chapter originally didn't mention Missy's reaction, but since a few of you kind of requested it I couldn't help but include it briefly, haha! There will be more of Missy soon, I promise! :) Also, this chapter is quite a long one, so consider this your Christmas gift! ;)

Happy reading...

-Chapter 17-

It didn't really surprise Amy that Sheldon steered clear of her for the next few weeks. She had to sort through her own feelings, too, and their kiss kept her happy and satisfied for quite some time.

Just thinking about the flood of different sensations that arose while kissing Sheldon Cooper was enough to conjure a smile to her lips for the rest of the day.

And she was thinking a lot about it.

As a neurobiologist in training, Amy knew of course that her happiness was caused by her hormones and the endorphins that rushed through her brain, but who knew that this could last so long. In addition, Missy also helped extending her joy. Amy would probably never forget how silly they sounded when she called to tell Sheldon's twin about the kiss and both girls squealed into the earpiece like maniacs.

Eventually, after Amy calmed down from that exciting phase and gradually floated from cloud nine back to earth, she began realizing that her kissing partner didn't seem to have returned yet.

She figured that Sheldon would need some time to himself, but it had been weeks now. So, Amy waited; day for day she lingered at one of their secret meeting points without any luck. She tried at their favorite coffee shop, the university park and the library, but Sheldon remained notably absent.

Amy started to worry.

What if I misinterpreted his quick retreat? What if he didn't enjoy the kiss like I did? For all I know, he could view it as a horrible mistake; as that one step too far from which we can't return. Did I just ruin our friendship?

Whenever Amy had some time to spare, she sneaked into Sheldon's classes. But as soon as he noticed her there, he became exceedingly nervous and testy towards his students. Eventually, he would cut the class short and hurry out, giving Amy no chance to talk to him.

Trying to catch him at his office was a lost cause, too, because Sheldon kept the door locked at all times. It was obvious to Amy; Sheldon was avoiding her.

But he was the one kissing me!

This was the thought that didn't leave Amy alone. A single straw of hope which kept her fighting, kept her trying. After all, she didn't verbally ask him to do it. She merely demanded to know what he wanted and as a response Sheldon kissed her.

Oh, and what a kiss that was!

That was just another fact that Amy couldn't ignore. It wasn't just a simple peck on the lips, not a half-hearted, quickly executed lip-lock to keep her from talking. No, this was a kiss filled with passion and longing and… yes, maybe even desire.

It came from his heart and Amy knew it meant something to him, too.

But how could she prove it to him when he refused to talk to her?

Finally, because everything else failed and because she didn't care anymore what anyone thought of them, Amy came to his flat within the teacher's sector on a Sunday afternoon and boldly knocked on the door.

"Sheldon? Sheldon, it's me. Open the door." she called and waited. "Sheldon, this is getting tedious. Open up!" She knocked again, loud and persistent, but she was met with stubborn silence.

Amy narrowed her eyes and leaned closer to the door. "Sheldon, if you don't open the door this instant, I'm going to sing Neil Diamond songs at the top of my lungs and I don't care who hears me."

Silence.

"Sweeeet Caroliiine… good times never seem so good." Amy started bellowing. "I've been in-CLIIIned—"

The door opened so abruptly that Amy lost balance, squealed mid-song and ultimately stopped singing altogether when she was roughly pulled in by her arm.

The door slammed shut and she found herself face to face with an angry looking Sheldon Cooper.

"What? What do you want?" he barked, his arms tightly crossed in front of his chest.

Amy was taken aback for a moment by his harsh tone and struggled to form words. "I-I… I just wanted to ask you… if you were alright?" she stuttered insecurely; the boldness from before crepitated quickly upon his challenging blue gaze.

"I'm fine." Sheldon snapped. "Now, if this was all…" he motioned for the door.

Alarmed, Amy looked back and forth between him and the exit, her vigor returning again. "N-No, that's not all." she declared. "I…" She studied his face. Sheldon was clenching his jaw. In fact, every muscle in his body suggested tension. And what was that in his eyes? Anger? "I figured we should… talk… about what happened when we last saw each other." Amy continued hesitantly.

"There's nothing to talk about." said Sheldon. "You used to visit my classes before. It's nothing out of the ordinary."

"No, not that." Amy interrupted impatiently. "You know what I mean." She wrung her hands, looking downwards. "The kiss." she whispered shyly.

When Amy lifted her head again, she saw how Sheldon's eye twitched and his cheeks reddened. "There's nothing to talk about that, either." he stated. "It's in the past now. It won't happen again."

Amy tried to ignore the metaphorical kick in the stomach. "I-It won't?" Her voice faltered, as if she suddenly wasn't able to breathe.

Her obvious disappointment seemed to make Sheldon even more nervous. He clenched his fists and his eyes darted around in the room. Eventually, they settled on his whiteboard where he was apparently working on an unfinished equation. "I attacked you." he muttered lowly. "I had no right to force myself on you like that. If there's anything to say about this incident, then only that I'm sorry."

Amy furrowed her brows and took a quick step towards Sheldon. Immediately, he flinched and took a step back. Amy stared at him with hurt and disbelief. "You don't have to apologize. I-I said that I enjoyed it. I still think that."

Sheldon looked away. He took a deep breath as if he was about to say something, but then his lips quivered and he pressed them together, remaining silent.

Again, Amy inched closer to him. This time, Sheldon only tensed, but he stayed where he was. Softly, she tried to explain once more. "Sheldon, I'm here because I was worried about you. You seemed so distracted and short-tempered in your classes and you were avoiding me."

"Some people might take that as a hint." he muttered under his breath.

Fiercely, Amy shook her head. "No, I can't believe that you want to end our friendship because of what happened."

"What makes you so sure?" Sheldon challenged in irritation. "Is that one of your neuroscience tricks, where you claim to know better what's going on in my own mind than I do?"

"No, but I really want to know." Amy answered calmly. "Look… I know all those feelings must seem very confusing and overwhelming to you. It was for me, too."

"I don't want to talk about this." Sheldon interrupted her and swiftly turned towards his whiteboard to erase the last line he wrote. The board squeaked as he vigorously rubbed the marker away and his tensed shoulders obviously indicated his discomfort about the topic.

"Okay." said Amy quietly. "I just want you to know that you can talk to me about this. It's nothing to be embarrassed about."

"I don't want to talk."

She couldn't see his face, but to Amy it sounded like Sheldon was growling through clenched teeth. "F-Fine…" Amy mumbled, wringing her hands again. It felt like Sheldon was slipping away from her. As if that unique connection that held them together since day one was fading. She couldn't allow that to happen. What should she do without him?

Desperately, she tried again. "W-We don't have to talk about this. I'm here as your friend… nothing more. I'm simply worried because you haven't been yourself lately… b-but, of course, this doesn't necessarily mean it has anything to do with you and me or what happened between us. I just wanted to—"

"This has everything to do with you!" Sheldon exclaimed suddenly, drowning out her last sentence. He had put down the eraser so hard that the board wobbled and turned around to fix her with the same wild, erratic gaze he had shortly before he kissed her.

Now it was Amy who involuntarily stepped back in surprise.

Sheldon threw up his hands. "Just look at me!" he yelled, vaguely motioning around in his room. "I'm barely able to maintain my tasks every day, because I'm thinking back to what happened." He pointed a threatening finger towards his whiteboard. "I'm not able to concentrate on my work. I'm not able to focus or think of anything else than you and what we… what we did!"

Amy's mouth dropped open as she began to comprehend what Sheldon was saying.

"Every day, every second…" he stressed."Especially now when I'm looking at you… all I can think about is how it felt… to kiss you."

His voice got very quiet towards the end; fragile and insecure, like a scared little boy. Amy struggled to breathe again. Her heart hammered in her chest and she had to fight against the lightheadedness and the urge to grab Sheldon's face and do just what he was telling her about.

"I'm turning mad, Amy." Sheldon admitted helplessly. "This… this reaction isn't normal for me. I'm obsessing about this… this kiss. I'm…" Sheldon ran a trembling hand through his short, dark hair that was already unusually messy. "Oh, dear lord, Amy… this can't be good. It's… it's like you're a drug and I'm the addict, getting hooked after just one hit."

"Sheldon…" Amy attempted to calm him by reaching for his shaking hands, but he jerked back.

"No. I've decided that cold detoxification is the quickest way out of this mess." Sheldon explained. "You're right, I don't want to end our friendship, but I also can't face you in this unhinged state. I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you, but I have to overcome this first before it gets any worse and I'm not able to be near you again."

"Oh, Sheldon, don't be ridiculous—" Amy tried to reason with him.

"I'm not being ridiculous!" he snapped harshly. "I'm trying to fight for our friendship, but, Amy…" Sheldon literally sounded close to tears now. "I think I'm losing it. It's getting harder to fight."

"Then maybe…" Amy started again, extending her hands to rest them on his forearms. "You should try a different approach."

Sheldon flinched at her touch, but visibly relaxed after he allowed her to stay connected to him. "W-What are you suggesting?"

Amy smiled as reassuringly as she could muster. "I'm suggesting that you give in."

Sheldon recoiled from her. "No, Amy, I can't. I'm… I'm losing control if I give in. Like I did before. I was forceful; I didn't even ask for your consent." he babbled nervously.

"Just in the first moment." Amy reminded him. "You were getting softer."

"You couldn't even move. I startled you."

"Yes… you did." Amy admitted. "I was surprised, but, as I said before, I enjoyed that kiss very much."

Sheldon was biting his lower lip; torn between Amy's gentle persuasion, the daring seduction and his shaky approach of stubborn denial.

Amy could see his inner struggle. Pleadingly, she looked up to him. "Sheldon, please trust me. Nothing bad is going to happen if you give in."

"How can you know?" he inquired. "We're both equally inexperienced concerning this matter, aren't we?"

Amy sighed and wrecked her brain for a way to take Sheldon's fear away. Sensing that this was going to be a lengthy conversation, she looked around for something to sit on. Since there was only one desk chair and the small kitchenette with its plain, square-cut table didn't seem very inviting for a delicate talk like this, Amy settled for the bed and gingerly sat down at the edge of it.

Sheldon's nervousness spiked visibly upon seeing her there, but Amy patted to the spot next to her and patiently waited until he lowered himself down; as far away from her as possible.

She breathed in after she decided where to start. "You know… in the study I assist in, we're exploring the behavior of monkeys and how they react to the presentation and removal of different stimuli."

Sheldon wrinkled his nose. "Are you seriously comparing me to apes now?"

Amy rolled her eyes. "No… just, let me finish, okay?" Sheldon nodded his head reluctantly and motioned for her to continue. "Well..." she said. "I guess some of the monkeys are showing behavior which is similar to what you're experiencing. They're aggressive and anxious when we're depriving them of the positive stimuli."

"Withdrawal symptoms." Sheldon interrupted again. "See, I told you this is a serious problem."

"It just seems like an overwhelming problem to you, because you think that you're unable to control it."

Sheldon looked into her eyes in amazement as this realization dawned on him. "Yes." he said quietly.

Amy nodded, feeling confirmed. "So, what if we'd try to control this new kind of relationship just in the same manner as we're also controlling our study?" Sheldon looked skeptical, so she elaborated. "We could restrict the display of… uhm, romantic affections to times when we are alone and specify the length and kind of affection after mutual consent. No pressure or expectations… we're simply… conducting an experiment." Amy smiled. "Like we did when we were kids."

Sheldon sprawled his fingers on the soft mattress, looking into his lap. "I'm not sure if I can do this, Amy. What if I'm disappointing you or overwhelming you again? What if the experiment won't be successful?"

Tentatively, Amy sneaked her fingers in between his and squeezed them reassuringly. Sheldon looked up startled, but he didn't pull away. "Just have some faith in us." she said. "We've known each other for so long already… this simply can't pull us apart. I'm more afraid that we would lose each other, if you keep up this cold deprivation." Amy looked away from his attentive gaze. "I don't want that to happen."

There was a long pause. Then the bed shifted as Sheldon scooted a little closer to her, fully interlacing their fingers and squeezing her hand. "I don't want that, either." he said.

Amy smiled in relief and felt how her heart happily fluttered in her chest; as if it would clap applause.

Sheldon smiled back. "Maybe…" he pondered. "I could write some sort of agreement for us. Defining the rules and guidelines for our relationship experiment."

"That sounds like a great idea." nodded Amy. "I know how much you love schedules and lists."

Sheldon sat up straighter, obviously finally able to relax. "I always thought that life would be significantly easier if there was a firm set of rules for every kind of social encounter."

Amy giggled softly. "I hear you, brother."

They remained on the edge of the bed in silence for a while. Hands still intertwined, their nervous eyes sheepishly glancing at the other and hastily looking down whenever their gazes met.

Should I ask him?

This question suddenly appeared in Amy's mind; too pressing and yearning to ignore it once it was there. It could scare him, she considered. But I need to feel it again. I need to show him that this is what we both want.

"Sh-Sheldon?" Amy whispered, having to clear her throat to steady her voice. "Do you… uhm, would you want to… try it again? Now, I mean." Sheldon's head turned towards her and he furrowed his brows. "You know… k-kissing." Amy's voice quivered and her heart raced wildly in her chest.

Sheldon's eyes widened, but for once, Amy couldn't figure out what he was thinking. The drumming beneath her ribcage intensified and her palms were getting a little sweaty as Amy waited motionless for a reply. Oh god, that was stupid. Why did I have to pressure him? He will throw me out any second now.

"Okay." Sheldon answered suddenly.

Amy blinked, struggling to understand what his answer was implying. Okay? Really? "Uhm…" she stuttered. "O-Okay…" Amy laughed nervously, withdrawing her hand from his to rub them shakily along her legs. "I-I didn't expect that."

"You didn't?" Sheldon cocked his head. "Somehow I already reckoned that you would suggest something like that."

Amy nodded, unable to look him in the eyes. Which she knew was ridiculous, considering what she just requested. "Is that really okay for you?" she asked in a small voice.

"Yes." Sheldon confirmed, sounding a lot more confident than her, all of a sudden. "We're alone, we both gave our consent for a kiss and you convinced me that it's worth a try. Maybe another kiss will satisfy me enough for a while so I'd be able to focus on my work again; I certainly can't go on like this."

Amy swallowed, forcing her heart to calm down. This is what you want. Now go through with it, she told herself. With a soft smile she finally lifted her gaze to look at him. She saw nothing but kindness and curiosity reflecting back at her.

"Are you nervous?" Sheldon asked quietly.

"Yes." she said.

"Me, too."

Smiling at each other, they scooted towards the middle of the bed. Their arms reached out to one another almost of their own accord. Gingerly, Amy placed her hands on his upper arms while Sheldon's rested at her waist, right above her hips.

After their arms were securely settled, they both moved in. Startled by how quick they came closer to each other, they stopped… smiled, then Sheldon moved his head in again.

Stopping once more so close in front of her that she could feel the warmth radiating from his blushing face, but was no longer able to focus on the calming blue pools, Amy shut her eyes and closed the final gap.

She found that, conform to all the clichés she heard of in teen movies she used to watch with Missy, the initial touch was like an explosion in her mind and her heart. The shock sharpened all her senses.

Sheldon's lips weren't hard or tense this time; they were soft, shy and gentle. Like it did the first time, his breath left him in a relieved sigh, warming her cheeks. The lean muscles beneath her fingers were a paradox; soft but strong at the same time. And from his skin wafted the smell of talcum powder Amy long since associated with Sheldon.

The kiss lingered until they ran out of breath, but when they parted they both instantly knew that this couldn't be enough.

Coming back together, their lips interlocked tighter, moving curiously along each other. Tasting and wondering how it would feel to go deeper.

Without her realizing it, Amy had moved her hands up along Sheldon's narrow shoulders. One continued to move upwards to sift through his soft, short hair while the other moved down to rest above his fast beating heart.

Sheldon had encircled her waist tighter and pulled her closer to him while his head leaned further in, pressing deeper. Finally, his careful nudges were causing Amy to part her lips.

They both didn't realize what they were doing until the tip of Sheldon's tongue was grazing Amy's bottom lip and she couldn't help but hum appreciatively.

His eyes opened with a start, as did Amy's, and they hastily broke apart, removing their arms from one another as if burnt.

Panting heavily, they stared at each other from opposite corners of the bed. Sheldon's cheeks were pink and Amy figured that she must look just as fervid. She couldn't even remotely guess how long they had kissed. For all she knew it could have been merely a few minutes or even hours.

What she did know, though, was that she was so happy that she wanted to shout it from the university's highest rooftop.

"Wow…" Amy grinned. "That was… different."

Sheldon nodded vigorously. "It was. Different in a good or bad way?" he wanted to know from her.

"Good." Amy's grin widened until her cheeks hurt. "Very, very good. How do you feel?"

Sheldon put a hand to his lips and then to his flaming cheeks. "I… I feel… good. Fantastic even. It's remarkable." Amazed, he kept staring at her as if he couldn't quite comprehend the fact that she seemed to be the reason for his joyous mood. "My mind is getting clearer as we speak and I… I no longer feel the urge to bite someone's head off… preferably my own." he mused.

Amy chuckled lightly. "That would have been a pity. Especially since I need your head to repeat this experiment more often."

"Right…" Sheldon nodded absently. "But not right now. I need to work on that relationship agreement first."

Grinning in amusement, Amy watched as Sheldon stood up, walked over to his desk with his eyes still glazed over and started writing. She felt extremely proud that she put him in this dazed state.

"Okay… I guess I'm sneaking out then." Amy informed him and tiptoed over to the door with a smile. "Bye, Sheldon."

"Bye." he said. Amy had already reached for the door knob when he suddenly turned around and pierced her with pleading, big eyes. "Amy?"

"Yes?"

"I see you tomorrow, right?" Hopeful longing already tinted his voice.

Amy smiled. "Yes… see you tomorrow."

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, dear readers! Uhm... and speaking of Christmas gifts, haha, wouldn't it be the greatest gift if this story reaches 200 reviews? It would make me sooo insanely happy if this would happen! :)

Merry Christmas to you all!