I am so sorry for the lack of updates with all of my stories! The past few months have been absolute chaos. I'm writing when I feel well enough to do so and am so sorry for the long delays between chapters.
Also, I only know a few words in French and am relying heavily on Google translate. Errors in translation are Google's fault.
Growing up, Sheldon often heard the phrase, "something ain't right with that boy." He was never meant to hear it, of course. It was often murmured as Sheldon walked away, or, more commonly, as his parents had a discussion in the kitchen.
Unlike his brother Georgie or his sister Missy, Sheldon had zero interest in dating, no interest in human sexuality or anatomy. As far as masturbation and pornography? Unsanitary and disgusting. His late father never understood that. George Sr. knew that Sheldon would rather have a comic book than a Playboy, a trip to Radioshack over a trip to watch any sporting event at the high school, and a conversation about string theory definitely did more to stimulate his young mind than a pair of g-string panties. "Is he gay or somethin'?" Sheldon remembers hearing his dad ask after Sheldon refused a Playboy.
If his dad could only see him now, laying in bed with a human burrito, her long brown hair sticking out from the top of the blanket the only sign that the stealer of the covers is indeed female. Rolling over onto his side, he attempts to pull some of the blanket away from Amy, which she immediately pulls back over her. Wrapping himself around his girlfriend, he decides there's only one way to fix this.
It's the gossamer kisses along her neck that awaken her. If Sheldon is going to wake her up, this is exactly how she wants it, Amy decides while leaning back into his chest and contentedly sighing.
"Mmmmmm. Morning, " Amy murmurs as she stills Sheldon's wandering fingers as they brush along the underside of her breast before settling over her heart.
"Good morning. Sleep well?" Sheldon wonders.
"I did. That back rub was precisely what I needed."
"Good. All those hours hunched over your computer took its toll. Luckily, you have the next 5 days off from work and a loving boyfriend who is at your beck and call."
"My own personal masseuse? I think somebody is simply trying to get me naked," Amy teases with a wink, making Sheldon chuckle before he changes the topic.
"Do you recall what you were dreaming about? " Sheldon questions as Amy rolls over onto her side to face him. "You were laughing."
"Do you remember Ricky, the chimpanzee that I had living with me during my nicotine study?" Amy wonders.
"Yes, he really was an ass, " Sheldon fondly recalls while waiting for Amy to tell him about her dream.
"Indeed. He was incredibly jealous of you. In my dream, he kept trying to exert his dominance over you. You had just leaned in to kiss me when Ricky climbed on my neck so you kissed him instead."
"Speaking of kisses..." Sheldon whispers as he gently tilts Amy's head up to meet his lips.
Intending on it being a short, chaste kiss, Sheldon is pleasantly surprised when Amy rolls onto her back, bringing him to hover over her as her tongue invades his mouth. Lightly moaning when her fingernails send an excited shiver of anticipation down his back, Sheldon stops kissing Amy just long enough for her to remove his white undershirt and drop it to the floor beside the bed. His hands have a mind of their own, Sheldon decides, as he starts bunching the t-shirt Amy is wearing up around her ribcage.
There is an undercurrent of sexual tension just beneath the surface. If only he could stop his overactive brain from worrying about the potential consequences long enough. Coming back to the present, Sheldon decides to press his luck when she doesn't immediately pull the t-shirt back down. Lifting up slightly, Amy helps him remove the shirt and throws it in the general direction of her hamper. Grinning at him, she wraps her arms around his back and pulls him back down for a slow and intimate kiss. Startling when someone knocks at the door, Sheldon rests his forehead against hers as they try to catch their breath.
"Ignore it and they'll go away, " Sheldon whispers before pecking Amy's lips once again.
"It could be your Christmas present, " Amy explains while wrapping her robe around her and yelling "coming" as she rushes for the door.
Happily sighing as he leans back into his pillows, Sheldon closes his eyes and pulls Amy's comforter back over him as he fights off the chill of the late December morning. It's been a week since their huge fight and the making up has been... tranquil, his brain supplies. They're making progress. They talk constantly from the moment Amy arrives home from work until she falls asleep in his arms. They play silly games and try to crack each other up with the most outlandish and preposterous answers possible. Physical intimacy is becoming easier as well. Amy frequently kisses him now and initiates cuddling whenever the mood strikes. Things are returning to normal, Sheldon decides as Amy returns to the bedroom and removes her robe.
"Who was at the door?" Sheldon wonders as Amy slides in beside him.
"Miss Esme. She started her Christmas baking only to realize that she was out of cannelle. Let's see if you can translate that, Smarty Pants, " Amy teases.
"What do I win when I answer correctly?" Sheldon wonders while wrapping Amy in the blanket once again.
"A shower with your beautiful, amazing, sexy girlfriend, " Amy offers.
That was the wrong answer, Amy immediately realizes as she feels Sheldon go rigid beside her as all the air leaves his lungs.
"Talk to me," she whispers while rolling to face her panicked boyfriend.
"We're doing so well, Amy, and I... I'm terrified of doing anything... rushing into something. Are we ready for this?" Sheldon softly murmurs.
"I thought we were but if you're not ready, it's okay."
"But if I say no, I'm..."
"You are not doing anything wrong, Sheldon. Thank you for telling me that you're not ready yet."
"You're not upset?" He questions, somewhat shocked that Amy is taking his rejection so well.
"Slightly disappointed, yes, but I'll get over it. What I want from you more than anything is absolute honesty."
"Alright, " he apprehensively answers.
"When I first found out about... this... it seemed you were trying to get me into bed at the first opportunity, but now you're..."
"Come here, " Sheldon whispers while pulling Amy into his arms. Once she's settled, punctuated by a heavy sigh, Sheldon softly kisses her forehead and whispers, "I'm sorry for disappointing you."
"Is our intimacy level right now more than you are ready for?" Amy worries.
"I... I want to be intimate with you... but I'm scared, Amy. I'm scared that we are rushing into something we're not ready for. I'm enjoying where we're at right now. We're rebuilding both the emotional and physical intimacy. It's important to me that we have both."
"Okay," she murmurs.
"Are you angry?" Sheldon wonders.
"No," she sighs, "I understand your reasoning. I guess... I just built it up in my head and..."
"Built what up?" he wonders as he tenderly runs his fingers through her hair, hoping to calm his frazzled girlfriend.
"I've been fantasizing about us making love on Christmas Eve," she confesses. "It's silly."
"No, it's not. I honestly expected we'd have coitus within a few hours of my arrival in Paris."
"So did I, " Amy confesses. "But, I'm glad we didn't. That would've been rushing headfirst into something we weren't ready for."
"I agree. If... it... doesn't happen tomorrow... it's not because I don't love you..."
"I know," Amy reassures.
"I have thought about... it... you know," Sheldon confesses.
"Oh really?"
"Mmmhmm."
"What do you think about... it?"
"It is going to be the most consequential moment of our relationship... therefore, it needs to be absolutely perfect... perfect place, perfect time, making sure we are ready, not just physically but emotionally as well. Do you think we're ready?"
Thinking Sheldon's sudden shyness and blushing is adorable, Amy softly kisses him before answering, " I don't know how to answer that, Sheldon. Yes, because I want to put this behind us. Yes, because I want to feel that emotional closeness we had after our first time. Yes, because I want that physical release that a good orgasm provides. But, I also have several reasons not to right now. No, because I want both of us to be able to process all the emotions we will inevitably feel once it happens. No, because you're not ready... maybe I'm not either, to be honest. No, because I threw away the condoms."
"We can easily solve that last problem, " Sheldon teases with a wink, breaking the tension in the room as Amy laughs.
"When, not if, but when it finally does happen, I want it to be spontaneous."
"Why?" Sheldon wonders.
"Two words; birthday coitus. The expectations and pressure we put on ourselves for that one night each year to be absolutely perfect lead to...I don't want to say disappointment because I was thoroughly satisfied... but... it was..."
" Contractually obligated coitus, " Sheldon supplies. "You're asking for spontaneity as proof that I desire and lust after you."
"I guess?" Amy responds.
That wounds him, a piercing arrow straight to his heart. How can she not know how much I want to be intimate with her, Sheldon wonders? She doesn't know because you never tell her, imbecile.
"I'm an idiot, " he softly mumbles to himself with a heavy sigh.
"No, Sheldon..."
"You don't know how much I look forward to being intimate with you because I never tell you... and for that, I am so very sorry, Amy."
"I'm not trying to rake you over the coals."
"I know. You're not, " Sheldon reassures with a soft kiss, "I'm doing it all on my own."
"Well, stop it, " Amy chastises before kissing over his heart. "How about I make us chocolate chip pancakes and while you're doing the dishes, I'll take my shower?"
"Interesting, but counter-proposal; I will cook and do the dishes while you get ready, and after breakfast, we'll finally go do all of that tourist stuff you've wanted to do but haven't had time?"
"Alright, " Amy easily agrees. "But with the way you cook, I'm going to gain 50 pounds by the time we go home."
"I'll still love you, " Sheldon immediately promises.
"I love you too."
Immediately rolling so she has Sheldon pinned to the bed, Amy leans down and rests her head against Sheldon's shoulder as he wraps his arms around her, holding her to his chest.
"This is nice, " he whispers before kissing her forehead.
"Yeah, " she whispers back, just as softly before reaching for the blanket to cover them. "It's still early. Let's go back to sleep. Is this alright?"
""This is perfect, " Sheldon reassures. "The answer, by the way, is cinnamon."
"Hmm?" Amy hums, already drifting off to sleep as Sheldon gently runs his fingers through her hair.
"The ingredient Miss Esme asked you for."
"Oh. Yeah, it was. Sleep, " she whispers in his ear.
Amy awakens a few hours later to the smell of coffee and Sheldon muttering under his breath as he attempts to open the bedroom door he closed earlier. Knowing the trick to get the door unstuck, Amy rushes over and pulls the handle up.
"Try it now, " she calls out before turning the handle to open the door on her end.
"I wasn't thinking this plan through to completion, " Sheldon explains as he holds a plate of food and a mug of coffee in his hands.
"Breakfast in bed? You're spoiling me, " Amy comments as she reaches out to take the precariously balanced mug of coffee from Sheldon.
"My woman better get used to being spoiled like this, " Sheldon replies as Amy settles back in on her side of the bed and takes a long sip of the magical liquid, humming appreciation as she notices that Sheldon added the perfect amount of cream and sugar.
"Where's your plate?" She questions when Sheldon gets back into bed with her.
"You were sleeping, so I've already eaten, " he explains.
"I'm sorry, Sheldon. I know I haven't been able to spend as much time with you as you had hoped."
"I much prefer quality over quantity, " Sheldon reassures. " We've made significant progress in the past week."
"That we have, " Amy agrees with a smile. "Now, if I could get you to put the toilet seat down, we'd have the perfect relationship."
"If you would stop stealing the blanket in the middle of the night, we'd have the perfect relationship, " Sheldon fires back, grinning as Amy sticks out her tongue.
"I steal it so you will have no other option but to cuddle me," Amy confesses, before taking a sip of her coffee. "Mmm. Perfect, just like my man."
"Hardly," Sheldon scoffs. "What shall we tour today?"
"Well, I thought we'd start with the science museum, and then, if we have time, we could explore the Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes. I've always wanted to see a flamingo... unless you have something else you'd like to see?" she wonders.
"No, no. Those are both on my list as well," he reassures.
"You have a list?" Amy asks, rather surprised. "What else is on this list?"
"The usual suspects of course: The Eiffel Tower, The Lourve, The Arch de Triumph, Versailles, Notre Dame..."
"You want to see Notre Dame? You're an avowed atheist."
"Yes, but I can appreciate the historical significance and it will get my mother to stop hounding me about my lapse in church attendance."
"Ah, two birds one stone."
"Precisely. I'd also like to see La Petite Ceinture, the old railway through Paris. What are you hoping to see?" he wonders.
"The same as you, with the addition of Moulin Rouge. I was going to go with Raj but he caught that horrible cold while he was here and didn't feel up to much of anything. Have you spoken with anyone back home recently?" Amy wonders befoee taking a bite of toast.
"By home you mean...?"
"Pasadena. What other home would I be referring to?"
"Texas?"
"Ah. Either, both..."
"Neither," Sheldon confirms. "Our friends have taken Howard's side in this kerfuffle..." he pauses as Amy starts to laugh. "Why are you laughing?"
"Not at you, not at you, Cuddles, I promise. Kerfuffle is the most ridiculous word to ever come out of your mouth."
"Hmm... I believe Smellfungus was the most ridiculous word you have ever uttered in my presence."
"I'll agree with that... but you were being particularly difficult."
"Do you often find me difficult or frustrating?" Sheldon wonders.
"The honest answer, Sheldon, is yes, I do. But I also realize that a lot of the frustration is due to things that are absolutely outside of your control. Your... uniqueness... causes you to miss certain nonverbal clues that I take for granted. I am going to make an effort to be more aware of situations where I am putting unrealistic expectations upon you and to also communicate what I need and desire from you. I want you to do the same with me," she requests while reaching for his hand and giving it a quick squeeze.
"Okay," he agrees. "I need for you to finish eating. I wish you would wear the black jeans and that cream sweater in your closet because it makes me desire to slowly undress you and kiss every last inch of your stunning, creamy, silky skin."
"Hooo..." she whispers under her breath.
There's a slight chill in the air as they step out onto the street below and Amy frowns as she sees Sheldon shiver at the unexpected cold. She's become quite acclimated to the climate. Sheldon, on the other hand, spends much of his time indoors with the heater turning the small apartment into the inner sanctum of hell. Even in Paris, in her apartment, he controls the heater. Fascinating how she acquieses so easily to him. Reaching for his hand, Amy decides on a detour on their way to the metro station and stops at the crosswalk, waiting for it to become safe.
"Where are you going? The metro station is in the other direction," Sheldon points out.
"It is, however, I thought we might make a detour," she explains, giving nothing away in her short explanation.
She knows it's been months since Sheldon has picked up a comic book and longer still since he has set foot inside his beloved comic book store in Pasadena. He stopped going right around the time she left for Princeton, some 8 months ago. So much and nothing at all has changed during that time.
"Care to tell me where we're going?" Sheldon asks as they continue walking hand in hand.
"Here," Amy exclaims as they reach a small yellow shop on the corner, "Superman peut donner un coup de pied au Batman." (Superman can kick Batman's ass)
"A comic book store? You've called my love of comics stupid and childish."
"I have, and for that, I am sorry. I've come to realize that your love of comic books and superheroes isn't childish. There's... there's something deeper there, at a level I will never possibly understand. You love them because the heroes within those pages stand for justice, truth, protecting those who can't protect themselves, all qualities you... and your friends... possess. So what if they seem childish to me. They bring you joy, Sheldon, and you deserve that. Let's go in. I am spoiling you today."
"Thank you," he whispers in her ear while kissing her cheek.
"You speak a little bit of French. Can you translate the name?" she wonders as Sheldon holds open the door for her.
"No," he admits, "but I'm fairly certain the first and last words are Superman and Batman."
"Go on. Have fun. I'll be on the couch. Take your time."
"Thank you, Amy," he whispers in her ear once again. Giving her hand a quick squeeze, he takes off in the direction of the giant Tardis hanging from the ceiling.
Taking a look around, it reminds her a lot of the shops she's been in back home in Pasadena, making her wistful and nostalgic. The brightly colored pages of long-time classics, Batman, Justice League, Spiderman, and even Betty and Veronica call out to her. She soon finds herself picking up a copy of Betty et Veronica, curious how the name Jughead would be translated. Wandering past a group of teenage boys playing a card game, Amy stops for just a moment to watch as they play Mystic Lords of K'ah.
"Saint guacamole." (Holy guacamole)
"Tour penchée de pizza" (Leaning tower of pizza)
"lait aigre. Je Suis dehors." (Sour milk. I'm out.)
"Comment le pain moisi est-il le Meilleur lait au lait?" (how does moldy bread best sour milk?)
Amy recognizes a few of the terms, bread, milk, pizza. She'll have to ask Sheldon about the food version as it's the first she's ever heard of it. Not seeing Sheldon as she turns around to look, Amy resumes her journey to the grey couch and takes a seat, resting one leg underneath her.
It saddens Amy just how little effort from her it took to make Sheldon happy. She's often accused him of being conceited and selfish, but is she just as selfish as him... or possibly even more so? Her dad often told her, "a relationship, any relationship, is a partnership. It requires equal effort from each party. It can't be 80/20 or 60/40. No, it must be 100/100."
She, admittedly, has not been giving this relationship the same amount of effort as Sheldon. Exhibit A. Well, she decides, that's enough of that. She will have to prove to Sheldon that she wants this too. That his happiness is just as important. Coming up with an idea, she sets aside her copy of Betty et Veronica and digs her cell phone out of her purse.
Amy seems bored, Sheldon worries as he rounds the corner and spots his girlfriend sitting on the couch playing on her cell phone. He hasn't been able to find any comics in English and was going to seek out some help. Deciding he can come back another day while Amy is at work, he makes his way over to her. She's so engrossed in her phone that she doesn't notice him. Finding that odd, he calls out to her, "ready to go?"
"One minute. I've almost beat this level," she fibs while quickly finishing her email to Penny and Leonard.
"What are you playing?" he wonders. Candy Crush if he had to take a guess.
"Candy Crush. Are you not purchasing anything?" she wonders when finally looking up.
"Everything is in French. It would throw off my entire collection."
"Let's pick out shirts at least. I feel obligated to purchase something."
She feels a hundred pairs of eyes on her as she leads the way to the tshirt display. Some things never change. Penny explained it as the "unicorn effect," i.e. seeing a mythological creature up close. Amy guesses that could also apply to a woman in a comic book store. As if sensing her discomfort, Sheldon wraps his arm around her waist as they reach the display and peruse their options.
"Will you pick out one for me if I pick one for you?" Amy offers.
"Sure," Sheldon agrees, knowing that Amy will be asking him to wear it first so "it smells like him." He doesn't understand her fascination with that but it makes her happy and it is rather sexy...
Chuckling at the blue Stars Wars gingerbread men T-shirt Amy points out to him, he locates a size large for Amy. She takes a little bit longer to decide on whether to purchase the same shirt for Sheldon, a tshirt of Snoopy (a childhood favorite for both of them) or a sweatshirt with the famous blue telephone box which is precariously hanging above their heads. Unable to make up her mind, Amy finally declares, "we're getting all of them, as well as that bat signal mug I saw you eyeing."
"Amy, no, it's too much."
"Let me spoil you as well. Please?"
"Alright," he relents.
"We'll need to stop back at the apartment before heading out to the science museum... unless you'd like to do something else?" Amy wonders as she pulls a few Euros out of her purse so they can pay for their purchases.
"I simply want to spend the day with you. What we do or where we go is irrelevant."
That, right there, is everything she has ever desired from Sheldon; for him to want to spend time with her, for him to want to be physically intimate with her... so why does she feel so guilt-ridden? He doesn't want this, he's doing it to make you happy, her brain immediately supplies. Telling herself to stop doubting him, she smiles at him as he takes her hand and the small paper bag in the other.
"Something smells delicious," he comments as they exit to the sidewalk once again.
"There are several bakeries and bistros in the area," Amy points out, "although I have yet to find one that makes a croquembouche. That is my favorite French dessert."
"Well, we'll just have to find one, or barring that, make our own," Sheldon decides.
"Do you know how difficult and technical it is, Sheldon? It takes years to master."
"My dear Amy, we have a combined IQ of 357 and 5 doctorates between us. How difficult can it be?"
"That will be your epitaph," Amy teases. "So we are skipping the museum in favor of an afternoon of baking?" she confirms.
"We are... if that's alright?" he questions.
"Of course. I just want to spend time with you," she reassures as they reach the entryway for the apartment.
Surprisingly, Sheldon realizes exactly what is going on before Amy. Both of them have been experiencing enormous guilt over various issues in their relationship and are using the excuse of "spoiling each other" as a cover. Well, that's enough of that, he decides. Going to the bedroom, he lifts his suitcase up onto the bed and unzips it, removing the contents and laying it upon the bed.
"What are you doing?" Amy wonders from the doorway.
"I hid a surprise for you at the bottom of my suitcase. I was going to do this tomorrow night..." he pauses as he retrieves the hidden black bag, "but we will have more fun doing it together."
With that, he hands the bag to Amy, who softly smiles at him in gratitude. Taking the bag with her, she leads the way to the couch and snuggles into his side as she opens the bag. Pulling out a plastic headband with a long spring and a piece of mistletoe attached, she sets it aside with a smirk and comments, "you have no idea what you've done, Mister."
"Oh really?"
"Mmmhmm. We'll come back to that in a few minutes. What else is in this bag of yours?" she wonders while pulling out a box of candy canes.
Soon emptying the bag, Amy realizes Sheldon planned on surprising her by decorating for Christmas. He's purchased Christmas lights, window clings, and a small inflatable Christmas tree in addition to the candy canes and mistletoe headband. Picking up the mistletoe headband, she gently places it upon his head.
"Thank you," she whispers. "I know you hate Christmas..."
"I don't hate it... at least, not since meeting you."
"Good, I'm glad."
"Can I kiss my girlfriend underneath the mistletoe now?" he wonders.
Sheldon has lately become intrigued by just how many ways there are to kiss one's, romantic partner. There are the chaste pecks good night, the slightly longer hello and goodbye kisses, playful Eskimo kisses, the fast, hard, hungry, "coitus is imminent" kisses, and the long slow gentle make out kisses. This is a makeout kiss, he quickly determines.
Amy always seems to take control of their make-out kisses, slightly opening her mouth and teasing his lower bottom lip with her tongue. She lightly strokes his cheek with her thumb as they kiss. Humming as he brings her to sit in his lap, he is rewarded by a soft moan from the back of her throat as he wraps his arms around her and opens his mouth slightly to deepen the kiss. The soft wool of her cream sweater feels warm under his fingertips and Sheldon briefly wonders if Amy's skin is just as soft and warm. Working his hand under her sweater, he caresses the small of her back, making her gasp in surprise and pull out of the kiss as the cool air hits her back.
"I'm sorry," he immediately apologizes as he quickly pulls her sweater back down.
"No. It... it felt good," she quickly reassures. "I felt a shiver along my spine. That's why I stopped kissing you."
"Oh. Did I push too far?" he worries.
"Sheldon, no. I want this. It is a rather awkward angle though."
"That it is," he agrees. "Can I interest you in that shower?" he wonders. "I'm freezing."
"Only if you promise me that you are asking because you want to do this and not because you are feeling forced into it."
"I promise."
Amy loves kissing Sheldon, but if she holds her neck at this angle much longer, she will regret it in the morning. She quickly places her hands on Sheldon's chest and pushes until he gets the hint and lays back against the cushions while taking a breath. It's not long before Amy is straddling his hips and working his shirt up so she can caress his chest as they slowly kiss once again. Reaching up, Sheldon quickly removes the headband and drops it to the floor before wrapping his arms around Amy and pulling her in even closer. Laying chest to chest, her ragged breathing as she pants into his ear is strangely erotic.
"I thought we were going to take a shower?" she teases before kissing along his neck.
"Just a slight intermission," he reassures.
"Are you still freezing?" Amy worries.
"Yes, but if you don't want to shower with me..."
"I want to. There is no pressure on you with this shower, Sheldon. I promise, no matter what does or doesn't happen, we are just fine."
"Okay," he agrees.
Although completely unintentional on Amy's part, the pressure is now on to make this the most erotic shower of her life, Sheldon realizes. Typically, when they shower together, it is simply to conserve water... but this... this will need to be like the showers he's heard Leonard and Penny talk about... minus the obviously unsafe practice of sexual intercourse against the shower wall, of course. If it gets to that point, they'll adjourn to the bed.
There's a slight tremor in his hand as he gently reaches out to cup Amy's soft cheek. They've showered together before, so why is he so nervous? Searching Amy's eyes for the slightest hint of apprehension or fear, he tries to relax as her eyes flutter shut at his touch. Amy would never bring him harm. There's no reason to be nervous.
She's nervous, but strangely, she doesn't sense any nervousness or apprehension in Sheldon. He's calm and in control, reminding her of the very first time they made love. Knowing he'd never bring her harm, Amy does her best to turn off her brain and enjoy this for what it is. She leans forward and rests her hands against his shoulders to steady herself as she dives in for another kiss.
Sheldon's tshirts are the first item of clothing to be removed as he lifts his arms so Amy can do the honors of tossing them to the floor. He's put on some weight since the last time that she saw him shirtless, Amy notices as she softly runs her hands along his biceps down to his pectoral muscles. He has biceps?!
"This is going to sound ridiculous, but have you been working out?" Amy wonders.
"Well, yes, actually. When I was 11, my father insisted that I was going to learn how to box as a form of self defense. I've recently taken it up again."
"I can tell. You're getting muscular... like that green superhero."
"I, in no way, shape or form resemble the Hulk," Sheldon protests.
"How about Superman then?" Amy attempts, teasing him.
"Nope. As much as our friends may think otherwise, l am a citizen of Planet Earth."
"Where was Superman from?" she wonders.
"Krypton," he replies.
"Ah. Did Wonder Woman have a boyfriend?"
"Steve Trevor. He's a military intelligence officer whose plane crashed on the remote island which the Amazonians live."
"So, not a superhero. That's a shame."
"Definitely. But I can think of someone much better to have a muscular build," he teases.
"Oh really? And who would that be?"
"Cooper."
"I think I'd much rather leave him to my fantasies. I prefer Sheldon in real life."
"That's good to hear," he whispers.
Leaving his tshirts where they lay, Sheldon reaches for Amy's hand as he helps her to her feet and they slowly kiss their way to the bedroom. Bumping into the tv stand as he walks backwards, he makes Amy laugh as he jokes, "kissing you may be hazardous to my health."
It's five steps to the bed, approxamently 30 to the shower. Pausing at the bedroom door, Sheldon pushes Amy against it in yet another interlude. Quickly removing her sweater and tossing it on the hamper, Amy wraps her arms around Sheldon's waist as he kisses her senseless. Moving the black strap of her bra aside, he kisses a trail down her neck while catching their breath.
"Okay?" she questions.
"Yes," he confirms. "Are you alright?"
"I'm... trying to be," she admits as she reaches behind her to unhook the clasps.
He should be a gentleman and look away, at least until Amy gives him permission to look, but as she removes her bra, he finds his eyes immediately drawn to the perfect perky mounds of Amy's chest. She shyly smiles at him before quickly folding her arms across her chest to recover some modesty.
"Sorry," he apologizes.
"It's alright... you've just never..."
"Been caught oogling you? Honestly, I'm surprised you never caught me," he admits.
"Re... really?"
"Of course. I'd be lying if I said I never stared at your breasts while we talked... especially once we started living together."
"Huh. I always thought you preferred staring at my ass."
"Busted," he stage whispers.
"Yep."
"Can I?" he requests while gently grasping her wrists. As Amy nods her consent he moves her arms, pinning them at her sides. Slowly admiring her body, he licks his lips as he murmurs, "beautiful."
Shoes and socks are next, Sheldon realizes. He needs to get Amy relaxed before they head into the bathroom. Gently, he grasps her hand and leads her to the foot of the bed, wrapping his arm around her waist in an awkward hug as they sit in silence.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous," she admits.
"It's a huge step for us. It requires trust and communication, both of which are lacking since I..."
"We discussed this, Sheldon. It was both of us taking each other for granted."
"No... this... you being nervous about being intimate... that falls squarely on my shoulders, Amy. I restricted our intimacy to the point that you consider any intimacy at all a gift. I made a huge mistake in doing so. That's not to say that I am going to ravage you 3 times a day, every day... but I want it to be okay and expected that we will want to be intimate more than once a year. I want you to tell me when you want to be intimate, without fear of admonishment or rejection. I want for our relationship to be... forgive me... normal."
"We will never be normal," she points out with a smile.
"True," he concedes, "but can we try?" he asks.
"Of course," Amy agrees with a smile.