Leonard's text came five minutes before Sheldon planned to leave work. He had almost given up, thinking his friend forgot his promise to drive him to Comics Haven for new comic book day.
"I didn't see you at lunch. I thought you were avoiding me again."
"Sorry, Buddy. I got caught up in my newest project and lost track of time."
Leonard had a new project? Either he never mentioned it, or he'd been so focused on his own life that he didn't pay attention. "What are you working on?"
"Remember the holographic experiment I was working on last year?"
"Of course."
"A professor from UCLA was intrigued by my theory and invited me as a guest lecturer for her class next week. I've been practicing my speech and demonstration."
"And this is something you're excited about?"
Leonard glanced at him quickly before turning his eyes back to the road in front of them. "Well, yeah. Do you know what this means? My work is finally getting the recognition it deserves."
Perhaps he'd been wrong thinking Leonard was upset with him over their Monday night argument. Sheldon wasn't sure how he felt about that. A part of him was relieved, but another part was saddened that Leonard seemed to be getting along just fine without him.
They drove in silence for a few blocks before Sheldon spoke up again. "Last night you said we need to talk. Was it about the lecture?"
"I was eager to tell you about that, but it's not what I was referring to."
"Then what is it?"
Leonard bit his lip. Keeping his eyes on the road, he hesitated then spoke very slowly. "You know I've been spending more time at Penny's lately."
"Yes."
"We've been talking, and…"
"And?"
Though they were stopped at a red light, Leonard kept his gaze straight ahead. "So, um, you and Amy seem to be getting along very well."
"Oh, we are. Amy is the perfect companion, but what does that have to do with you spending time at Penny's?"
"Companion? You two looked like much more than companions last night."
Sheldon suddenly forgot what they were talking about. All he could think of was Amy's body lying on top of his on the couch, her soft lips against his, her bottom cupped in his hands. Then in his bed snuggled under the covers, too tired for more than a few lusty kisses before drifting off to sleep.
He wondered what would have happened if it hadn't been so late. While Amy performed her nightly ablutions, he found the condom box in Leonard's room and slipped it into his bathrobe pocket. Just in case.
"Sheldon? Are you okay?"
"Hmmm?" Sheldon caught his roommate staring at him. "Eyes on the road, Leonard! Eyes on the road!"
"Relax. We're stopped."
Sheldon looked up and frowned. How did they already arrive at the store? He was anxious to get in and see Amy, but now that the ride was over, he still didn't know what Leonard had to say. He squinted at the store window. Reflections on the glass pane made it impossible to see his girlfriend. Was she watching them? Was she busy with a customer? Perhaps she was chatting with Cody?
"You really love her, don't you?"
Sheldon blinked. Had Leonard been spying on them? How did he know? "Why do you ask?"
"The look on your face. I've never seen you as happy as you've been since you two started dating."
He stole a glance at the window. "I do. I told her I love her, and she loves me back." He couldn't help the grin stretching across his face.
"That's great, Buddy!" Leonard unbuckled his seatbelt and turned his body to the passenger seat. "I'm very happy for you."
"Thank you "
"Now that I know how well things are going, it will make what I have to tell you even easier."
"Tell me what?"
"Penny and I are moving in together."
Sheldon suspected this might be Leonard's news. He'd been mentally preparing for this moment but apparently not as well as he thought. Taking a few breaths, he tried to calm his racing heart and the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. "I see. How is loving Amy supposed to make your leaving me any easier?"
"Because you're not alone."
"But I will be alone. When you move out, only my belongings will remain in the apartment." He paused. That might not necessarily be true. He and Leonard had shared an apartment for so long that they collected several things together. "How will we decide who keeps the long claw sword or our Settlers of Catan special edition game?"
"They're all yours, Sheldon."
The satisfaction at keeping the items was fleeting. It was as if Leonard didn't want any reminders of their life together. "I insist you keep something."
Leonard shook his head. "There's not much room in Penny's apartment. Besides, my collectibles would cramp her style."
"What style? Clothes hanging off every piece of furniture? Cheetos lodged under the seat cushions? Stay with me and you can keep everything you cherish."
"Penny is more important to me than any game or collectible. I'm sorry, Sheldon, but I'm moving and nothing you can say or do will stop me."
"Will you at least reconsider moving until after you're married?"
"I don't want to wait that long."
Sheldon looked at his lap. Unless he could convince Leonard to reconsider, there was probably nothing he could do to prevent the imminent move. "When are you planning to leave?"
"A week from Saturday."
"I see." Ten days. Only ten days until he'd be eating alone, watching TV alone, and wandering the apartment alone.
"Come on, Buddy. It won't be much different. I'll be right across the hall. I can still drive you to work. We'll still have Friday game night."
"You say that now, but what happens if you and Penny have children? If her apartment is too small for a few games and memorabilia, how will you fit a child?"
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
When Sheldon finally brought himself to look up, two men he recognized from Stuart's shop slipped into the store. The later it got, the busier it would be, which meant less time with Amy. With a heavy heart, he followed them in with Leonard at his heels.
"Sheldon!"
Amy flung herself at him the moment he stepped through the door. At least someone still wanted to be around him. She pecked him on the cheek and greeted Leonard. After exchanging a few words, Leonard excused himself to check out the new releases.
As Sheldon watched his roommate wander off, Amy tugged his hand. "Something's bothering you. Want to talk about it?"
"Are you available to speak privately?"
Her gaze scanned the store. "Cody should be able to handle it right now." She called out to the young man asking him to knock when more customers arrived.
"Will do!"
Behind closed doors, Sheldon sat in the swivel chair, head in his hands.
Kneeling next to him, Amy rested her hand on his knee. "What's wrong?"
"Leonard's moving out."
"Tonight?"
"In ten days."
"I'm sorry, Sheldon."
"I was expecting it. What I didn't expect was for it to hurt so much."
"I know."
"Eleven years. We've lived together for 11 years, and Leonard doesn't seem bothered by it."
"I'm sure that's not true."
A sharp rap at the door followed by a head poking in halted the conversation. "Sorry to bother you, but it's getting busy out here."
"Thanks, Cody. I'll be right out."
Amy stood and squeezed her boyfriend's shoulder. "Stay here as long as you'd like. I'll be back as soon as I can."
Alone in his girlfriend's office, Sheldon closed his eyes and sighed. Even Amy abandoned him. Logically, he knew that wasn't true. She had a business to run and couldn't afford to be MIA on her busiest night.
Several minutes passed with no reappearance from Amy.. Through the door he heard muffled voices. Many voices. He needed a distraction from his thoughts.
His whiteboard sat propped up on the desk with the writing facing the wall. That was odd. Perhaps Amy was in a rush when she set it there, or maybe it was distracting her from her work. Surely she wouldn't mind if he added more information?
He flipped the board over. As he suspected, Amy didn't add more to the pros column, and the cons column remained empty. Not for long. Uncapping the marker, he wasted no time filling the space. Standing back, he assessed his work.
"Sorry. It's still busy out there, but I wanted to see how you were doing. What's all this?"
He spun around at the sound of his girlfriend's voice. Head tilted, eyes narrowed, she stared at the board.
"I needed a distraction."
"That's a lot of cons," she murmured then frowned. "What does 'It's Stuart' mean? You're going to have to elaborate."
"Stuart's a bit of a sad sack. The polar opposite of Cody's chipper personality. I worry customers will be offended."
"Considering what he's been through, it's a normal response."
Sheldon shook his head. "You've only met him once. It's not just because his store burned. He's been this way for years."
"The comic book business has been declining for years. Isn't it possible his demeanor is related to the fact?"
"Even if that is true, there are many other cons to partnering with Stuart."
Amy read the board again. "Like the fact that he thinks Christian Bale made a better Batman than Michael Keaton? That's no reason to discount someone."
"Seriously? Do you want him to influence your customers like that? Christian Bale," he snorted.
"Most of my current DC fan customers already have their favorite actors. Neither Stuart nor I nor anyone can change their minds. Even if they did, it doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. As long as they continue supporting Comics Haven, that's all that matters. Sheldon, is there something else going on? Are you jealous of the fact that I might be spending a lot of time with Stuart?"
Was he jealous? If he was being honest with himself, he supposed the thought of Amy hanging out with Stuart for lengthy periods of time bothered him. Not because he believed she would be interested in him romantically. It was just the thought of them spending more time together than he could. If Leonard wasn't moving out, he would suggest investing in the store himself, but now he would need that extra money to pay the full rent. Even if investing was a possibility, he couldn't leave his job at the university to help out at the store, no matter how exciting owning a shop would be. Part of the reason she was considering asking Stuart was so she could have a little extra time to herself.
"I'm sorry. I suppose I am a little jealous. After we list all the pros and cons, if you believe partnering with Stuart is your best option, I'll support you."
"Thank you."
A sharp rap at the door made them both jump. Cody stuck his head in. "Sorry to bother you again. Dr. Cooper…" The younger man frowned at the whiteboard. "What's this? Who's Stuart?"
Amy reddened. "He's um…" She licked her lips. "He's the owner of the former Comic Center store."
Cody squinted at the words on the board. "Are you replacing me?"
"What?! No, absolutely not." She sighed. "I didn't want to say anything until I knew what was happening. I was just thinking about asking Stuart to invest his insurance money in the store and becoming partners with him instead of owning rival stores. I haven't even asked him if he's interested. We're just in the beginning stages to see if this is even feasible."
"As long as I am still employed here, that actually sounds like a reasonable idea."
"Of course you'll still be employed here. Not only are you a valued employee but also a wonderful friend and confidant."
"If you need any help with the merger, I would be happy to assist."
"Thanks, Cody. for now I think the best assistance you can provide is checking on the customers."
"Oops! Sorry, Miss Fowler. I'm on it. Oh, the reason I came was to tell Dr. Cooper that Dr. Hofstadter is ready to leave. He wants to know if you need a ride home."
As much as Sheldon wanted to hang around, Amy was busy. Tomorrow was date night, and he'd have her almost all to himself.
"You should go. You and Leonard have a lot to talk about."
"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned in, but Cody's eyes on them was unnerving.
"Can you check on the customers? I'll be out in a minute."
"Sorry. Of course, Ms. Fowler."
The door clicked shut behind them, and Amy lunged at him. Her soft lips on his and her hands traveling across his spine made him shiver. Before he was ready for it to end, she pulled away, breathing hard.
"Tomorrow. We'll have more time tomorrow."