Yayy, you did it! ...Or we did it, haha. 210 reviews! Thank you guys a billion times! :D I'm so grateful that I have such loyal readers. Believe me, each time I get a notification for this story, my grin grows from ear to ear, haha... :)

I hope you will also enjoy this one...

-Chapter 18-

Before long, another year flew by and Sheldon and Amy's relationship agreement elaborated with every new affectionate experiment they tried.

Sheldon realized that Amy was right; it was no use to fight against his longing to be near her when giving in made him so much happier, sharp-witted and… yes, sometimes a little distracted, too.

The new couple now was not only accustomed to kissing regularly, but also didn't mind to hold each other's hand when they were visiting the movies or cuddle on the bed while both of them were emerged in their own specialist literature. Once they even made out, kind of accidentally, after Sheldon sneaked into Amy's room one evening. But yet he couldn't stand French-kissing for long without suddenly bolting out of the room red-faced and greatly flustered.

Sometimes Amy was amazed how they were spending most of their time nowadays.

She clearly remembered their innocent years when they were just kids. Fighting over who could be friends with whom, helping each other out with school presentations and struggling to be heard in the grown-up world because they weren't challenged by their peers.

The experiments they were conducting back then were brilliant and inquisitive, but above all purely scientific. No one ever thought about the possibility that they could ever be anything more than just friends. Well, except Missy, of course. And if Amy was completely honest to herself, she had to admit that deep down in her maturing mind she always knew that if anyone was ever meant for her, then it would be Sheldon.

Back in those days, she always wondered if Sheldon secretly felt the same way about her, too, but was certain that she'd probably never know. And then, just as their feelings for each other were blossoming, they were ripped apart by miles and miles of the Atlantic Ocean.

So now… reunited at last and brave enough to act on their feelings, they apparently had a few things to catch up with.

Sheldon and Amy talked a lot about how every romantic experiment was affecting them and about their fears and worries. Sheldon wasn't very keen on those talks, but he relented eventually when Amy pointed out that they were doing this for the sake of keeping control.

After every blushing report Sheldon added new items to their agreement and Amy noticed with excitement how steady and easily they were making progress together. Secretly, and only between them and their contract, they've teasingly begun referring to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend.

Amy doubted that Sheldon realized how ridiculously giddy he was making her every time he said it. However, when she accidentally let it slip while on the phone with Missy that they were using those terms of endearment for each other, Amy was sure she temporarily suffered from a sudden loss of hearing.

It was safe to say that Missy was their number one fan.

Amy deliberated about whether Sheldon's mother was aware that her daughter's excitement after their almost weekly phone calls was caused by the fact that she and her son were now in a romantic relationship.

I wonder if Mary approves of us, Amy mused. Thank god, my mother doesn't know…

Despite their contentment with being affectionate towards each other, both, Sheldon and Amy, could feel a very heavy topic still looming over their heads. Something that yet had been left unsaid, but it constantly floated between them, begging for attention. Each day they felt its indubitable presence and it was getting harder and harder to ignore it.

Until, suddenly, the point of no more room for denial boldly presented itself.

For Amy it had been like every other stressful day since her final exams were drawing closer. Because Sheldon was free to do his research whenever inspiration struck him, he got no pressure caused by a submission date. That was why he gladly volunteered to spent quite a few all-nighters at the library with Amy while she was composing her graduate thesis in neurobiology.

"And these results only apply to observations regarding addictive behavior, which could help us to comprehend the processes occurring in human brains of drug abusive subjects. The possibilities of other behavioral studies with capuchin monkeys are eclectic and I esteem to conduct a variety of them in the near future."

Looking up from her papers, Amy ended her lecture and doubtfully waited for Sheldon's reaction. "That's it…" she said. "That's the final version. What do you think?"

Sheldon gazed at her from behind the long side of a table in the dusky library. He had folded his hands beneath his chin, the light of a single chandelier illuminating their secluded spot. Between rows and rows of towering high bookshelves that almost reached the ceiling they seemed to be lost in this grand hall of knowledge. The outer walls of the university's library got swallowed by darkness, which gave them the impression that they were the only two lifeforms on a new planet of pansophy.

This late at night, they probably were the only people still in the library.

"Sheldon?" Amy asked again, because he continued to stare silently at her, his blue eyes full of acceptance, curiosity and depth.

So much depth that Amy felt like she would drown in his gaze would he stare at her any longer. During the entirety of her presentation she had felt his steady, attentive gaze on her. Not once had he turned away or moved or even blinked. As if he was absorbing every word that spilled from her lips. As if he was consuming her very presence with his intense, longing stare.

Amy was getting nervous under his unwavering look. Self-consciously, she stroked her straight, dark hair behind her ear. "Sheldon, if it's bad just tell me. I can rewrite it."

Finally, he blinked. Returning from what seemed like light years away, Sheldon cleared his throat to respond, "No, it was marvelous… you were marvelous, Amy. Don't you dare changing a single word of your dissertation."

Blushing warmly, Amy chuckled. "Okay, I won't. I was just a little bewildered because you kept staring at me as if…" She paused. A word was pushing its way to the forefront of her mind. It has been there before, but she had panicked and forced it back. "Well… as if you were dreaming." she said instead.

Sheldon smiled. "And if I were, I would only dream about you reading this enthralling work to me."

She giggled, waving a hand at him. "Oh, stop sweet-talking me, Dr. Cooper."

"I mean it." Sheldon insisted. "Your thesis is brilliant and revolutionizing and I could happily spend the rest of my days listening to it."

With a grin, Amy leaned over the table towards him. "Well, thank you for your encouraging words." she said and kissed him sweetly on the lips. When she pulled back, the intense stare was back again, gently perforating its way to the core of her soul.

Her cheeks were flaming up once more, as if he would set her on fire. Nervously, she looked down to sort her papers and put various colored markers back into her case. Then she glanced back up. He was still watching.

"Sheldon…" she smiled. "You are staring again."

He blinked, his cheeks blushing adorably. "Sorry… I… I seem to be mesmerized by everything that you do."

"Don't apologize." Amy said sheepishly. "It's nice, just a little… intense."

Amy observed as Sheldon swallowed a lump in his throat. His eyes seemed to scream at her, telling her something that didn't dare to cross their lips until now. His mouth opened; he drew in shaky breaths… but whatever rested on the tip of his tongue remained unsaid. He just kept watching her from his chair.

Maybe I'm imagining things, Amy mused. He's just very attentive; he always is. I shouldn't interpret too much into his demeanor.

The rustling of paper was the only sound in the library. It was so quiet that even those soft sounds seemed to echo from the faraway walls. Occupied by her thoughts, Amy started to clean her workplace; closing books and capping pens. She was so focused on her inner musings that she didn't notice that Sheldon had moved around the table until he was standing close beside her. She jumped as he handed her a notebook to put away into her bag.

"Sorry." he quickly mumbled again. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's fine." Amy smiled, calming down and taking the notebook from his hands. "Thanks."

One heartbeat of silence, then the moment was here and he talked. "A-Amy… I just… I-I realized something."

Relief spread through Amy's body. So, I didn't imagine it. There is something on his mind. Trying to appear casual, Amy turned towards him with a soft smile. "What is it?"

Sheldon's nervousness was evident from the way he was clenching his fists and the inability to form words. It almost made Amy lose control over her patience. "It's… it's something… overwhelming for me." he said. "A new feeling… b-but at the same time… strangely familiar. I know it has been there for a long time now. I just… wasn't ready to… admit it."

Amy swallowed. "Y-Yes?" Don't jump to conclusions! Don't do it or it will hurt even more when you're wrong, she intensely berated herself.

Sheldon abruptly closed his mouth, breathed through his nose and then closed his eyes for a moment longer than a standard blink. "Do you remember that one conversation we had seven years ago?"

Amy blinked in puzzlement, trying not to let her disappointment show too much. See, I told you, the voice in her head mocked her. "Uh… which conversation? We had many of them and I don't have your eidetic memory."

Sheldon shyly eyed his feet. "Well… the one where you stated that you don't want to share me because… you like me." He looked at her from beneath his lashes, cheeks aflame.

In her mind, Amy suddenly was in the Cooper's garden shed after Sheldon's college friend came over:

"Maybe I don't want anyone else to like you."

"But a lot of people like me."

"Not like that."

"Like what?"

"Well… more than just… like…"

Ohh, that conversation! "Oh… yes. I remember that." Amy whispered breathlessly.

"Well…" Sheldon hemmed and hawed. "H-How do you feel about that now?"

"Uhm…" Flustered, Amy darted her eyes around. She couldn't believe how ridiculous their conversation must sound to an outsider listening in. There they were; two well-spoken geniuses, two Homo Novi, like Sheldon would say, but in the face of their feelings they weren't able to articulate one proper sentence without sounding like stuttering fools.

"I… I think I'm afraid…" Amy finally continued. "Of telling the truth."

"Why?" Sheldon inquired softly.

Amy sighed. "Because… I don't know how you would react. I don't want to overwhelm you and cause you to back down again."

Sheldon dropped his gaze. His bony fists were white from clutching them so tightly. But suddenly, he opened one hand and he reached for her. His grip around her hand was clammy and tight. Amy squeezed back, drawing comfort from his touch.

"Could you please… just trust me on this and tell me?" Sheldon mumbled quietly.

Amy glanced up to him, but Sheldon still wasn't looking at her. Interlacing her fingers with his and feeling how tight he was holding onto her made her smile involuntarily.

He has always been there, she mused.

Amy never found herself thinking back to her life before she and her parents moved to Texas. Nothing pleasant or important had happened back then. To Amy it felt like her life had started on the day she met Sheldon… and Missy, too, of course, and everyone else of the lovely Cooper family. They had often managed to make her feel more at home than her own family could.

And Sheldon… Sheldon was always by her side when she looked back on those memories. At first, they were opponents then they became friends. And she realized now as she was holding his hand that Sheldon truly became so much more than a friend very early on.

Amy gave his hand a gentle squeeze, finally making him look at her with fearful, awaiting eyes. "Back then when we had that conversation… we both agreed that we weren't ready." Amy smiled. "But I think I'm ready now." Suddenly, she spoke with more confidence. "I think I was actually waiting for this for quite a while now without even knowing it."

"I guessed that." Again, Sheldon's gaze dropped briefly, but as he looked back up, his eyes were full of sincerity. "I always knew somehow… I always said that you are special. I never felt so comfortable around anyone. Not even around most of my family. But you… you were just there. Always."

Amy smiled as she realized he was using the same words as she did in her head before.

"You seem to hold a mighty power over me, Amy. Getting me to do things, say things… feel… things, that I never did before." Sheldon paused to take a deep breath and squeeze her hand with his. "Ever since we met again, here in Boston, I denied those feelings. I told myself that you and I couldn't be… like that; because we were friends first. But now that we're doing all these fascinating, affectionate experiments…" he paused again, swallowing nervously.

"Yes?" Amy inquired barely above a whisper.

"Now that we do that…" Sheldon continued. "I know that those feelings have only gotten stronger. And I can't and also don't want to deny or fight them any longer." Sheldon swiftly took her other hand in his. Standing across from her, he shifted from feet to feet until he finally gathered enough courage to look into her eyes. "It's the only conclusion, Amy."

She nodded almost unnoticeable, holding her breath. Her heart was beating rapidly in her throat and her mind spun.

"Amy, I…" Trembling lips, squeezing hands. A sigh. "I love you."

Amy's heart metaphorically exploded. Oh, sweet relief. Oh, highest, purest joy.

"I fell in love with you, Amy." Sheldon repeated. The second time, his confession flowed easily from his lips. "I guess if I'm being honest to myself, I have been for quite some time."

With no held-back adoration in his bright blue eyes Sheldon gazed down at her. His earnest, love-filled look seemed to caress her gently. Only as worry suddenly crossed his features Amy realized that she had begun crying.

"Amy…?" he whispered. By the low tremor in his voice she could hear that his panic was rising quickly.

She didn't give it one more thought.

Amy freed her hands from his to fling them around his neck. Rising on her tiptoes, she pulled Sheldon down to her and met him halfway. They collided like two stars in outer space.

She kissed him fiercely, holding onto him, pushing and pulling until they ran out of breath. Sheldon wove his hand through her long, dark hair and held her in place as their lips were meeting again and again.

Finally breaking apart for air, Amy stayed as close to him as possible. She was still standing on her tiptoes, their bodies touching everywhere, as Amy pulled him in with her arms slung around his neck. She lifted her lips to his ear, whispering, "I love you, too."

Amy could feel him grinning against her hair where he buried his nose to inhale her scent. His arms encircled her even tighter. "I love to hear you say that." Sheldon whispered back.

Chuckling timidly, Amy sought out his mouth again. They found each other, immediately kissing deep and passionately and getting even bolder as the minutes passed by. He wouldn't jump back from her this time; she was sure of it.

Until he did.

A door slammed shut somewhere far away in the dark depths of the library. Voices could be heard as a whole group of students entered their sanctuary.

"Oh, shit!" Sheldon cursed and abruptly backed away.

"Shh!" Amy shushed him scandalized and clapped a hand over his mouth. She couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably as she realized what had escaped him. "Sheldon Lee Cooper, I believe this was your first real swear word."

He took her hand from his mouth and continued to hold it in his. "Amy…" he stressed, looking at her with a mix of embarrassment and shock that she needed to point this out. But then he simply couldn't hide his grin as she kept giggling. "If my mother had heard this, I would be in so much trouble." Sheldon said.

"If my mother could see us now… she would pass out cold." Amy emphasized with a smug smile that made her feel so incredibly good.

"Okay, you win." Sheldon admitted.

Grinning, Amy put a finger to her lips. "Shh." Quickly, she collected the rest of her stuff, took Sheldon's hand and sneakily led him off to somewhere where they could be alone.

Hehe… let's give Shamy their privacy now... whatever they may do now... :)

And as the year comes to an end my story is, too. ...Now hold off on the pitchforks and the wild mob, haha. I still have a bit of wrapping-up to do. And who knows what happens next... I'm somehow reluctant to let this story go, but I also have so many ideas for more Shamy stories... ;)