After tossing and turning all night, Sheldon waited until his alarm clock read 6:15 before rolling out of bed. He thought he was okay with the possibility of Stuart working with Amy until she sprung the news on him that her former rival would be helping them with the next tournament.
He was looking forward to planning another event but assumed it would just be the two of them again with a little help from Cody. Now Stuart had somehow wormed his way into their project.
Last night was supposed to be a casual get together so Amy could find out firsthand what kind of person Stuart is, nothing more. Had she planned all along to have that conversation with Stuart? She assured him the topic just came up, but maybe she only said that because he was giving her a hard time and didn't want to argue.
Grumbling, he donned his slippers and shrugged into his robe. Maybe Leonard could give him some advice. For once his roommate spent the night in their apartment. At least something positive came out of girls night.
Sheldon hesitated a moment before performing his triple knock. "Leonard, Leonard, Leonard!"
"What Sheldon? What Sheldon? What Sheldon?!"
Sheldon blinked at Leonard's tone. "Do I sense some hostility?"
"Not hostility, just annoyance."
"Alright."
"What do you want, Sheldon?"
"I refuse to continue speaking through your door. When you open it, I'll tell you."
Leonard sighed. "Give me one minute,"
After some scuffling sounds, the door opened, and there stood Leonard already dressed for the day. Odd. Leonard usually took his time getting ready on the weekends, occasionally staying in his pajamas until 9 o'clock. And he wasn't even wearing his usual hoodie/t-shirt combo. "Where are you going?"
Leonard looked down at his corduroy suit then stood on his tiptoes and tried to block Sheldon's view of his room. "Nowhere."
Sheldon peered over his shoulder to find the bed covered in shirts still on the hangers. "I thought you weren't moving until next week."
"I'm not, but I need to sort through my clothes now. I can't put it off until the last minute."
"What's there to sort? Just fold them and take the laundry basket. I trust you'll bring it back."
"I'll do that with the clothes I'm keeping, but I can't take them all. Penny's closet is too small, so I'm going through what I'll keep and what I can donate."
"First you tell me you're willing to give up your games and collectibles and now your clothes too? There's a simple solution to this. If you stay here, you won't have to decide."
"Sheldon, we've been through this. The three of us will not be living together."
"I know that. What I was trying to say is that I want you to have the apartment. Penny can move in here, and I'll move across the hall."
Leonard's mouth hung open. If the situation wasn't so depressing, it would have been comical.
"When I suggested that before, you accused me of taking illegal drugs."
"I've had some time to reconsider. I'd rather not go through the arduous task of finding another roommate. With you and Penny bringing in two incomes, it makes more financial sense for the two of you to live here, while I move to the smaller apartment."
"Or you can ask Amy to move here with you."
"Why would I do that? Amy's already paying for an apartment. She's barely able to afford one, so how can she afford to pay for two places?"
Leonard rolled his eyes. "You're kind of dense sometimes. With Amy's financial struggles, wouldn't it make more sense if she gave up her apartment and moved in with you? It's a win-win situation."
"But Amy and I haven't been dating very long. What will people think?"
"If by people you mean me and Penny and Howard and Bernadette and Raj, you don't have anything to worry about."
Leonard did make a good point. Even if the savings were minimal, any amount of money Amy could squirrel away would be beneficial. And living together would benefit him too. Without Leonard, he'd have to deal with living alone or finding a new roommate. He already knew Amy and enjoyed her company. Plus there was the bonus of falling asleep next to her every night. Still, it would be a huge step in their relationship.
Another plus was that he would prefer to stay in apartment 4A with his beloved spot on the couch. Then he remembered something Amy said. She made the good point that Leonard and Penny may want children one day. Penny's one bedroom had no room for a baby. Though it meant giving up his spot, it was preferable to Leonard leaving the apartment complex.
Then again, how would he explain a woman living with him out of wedlock to his mother? He hadn't even told her he and Amy were dating, only mentioning her in passing as a comic book shop owner whose store he started frequenting when Stuart's store burned. The barrage of questions was something he wanted to hold off for as long as possible.
"You okay, Buddy?"
"Yes. This is just a lot to take in. I'm going through the logistics."
Leonard clapped him on the shoulder. "Whatever you decide, I'm here for you, unless your plan is for us to stay roommates forever, in which case my answer is absolutely not. I'm moving in with Penny no matter what."
"Fine. May I come in?"
The shorter man stepped back to allow him access. Sheldon wandered over to the bed and ran his fingers over his roommate's Captain Kirk jacket. "Are you really considering giving this away?"
Leonard shrugged. "I don't want to, but Penny's not a fan. She calls it a dopey suit from a dopey space show."
Sheldon gasped while clutching his heart. "Dopey? Star Trek The Original Series is one of the greatest shows in television history. Gene Roddenberry must be rolling in his grave."
"I don't think the creator of Star Trek would care what one person thinks."
"Strongly disagree. Has Penny even watched an episode of The Original Series?"
"I made the mistake of trying to make a date night out of watching it, but she immediately shut off the TV."
"One cannot claim disinterest in something one refuses to experience."
"Sheldon, I'm not going to argue with you about this. Now, what is it you want to talk to me about?"
Good Lord! He almost forgot why he came to see Leonard. Lately he was so easily distracted. He smoothed out the jacket then turned his gaze to his roommate. "Amy and I have differing opinions on something. I was hoping that since you have more experience with relationships you could give me some advice."
"If it's about sex, I'm still trying to erase the image of you and Amy on the couch from my memory. Just read the book Penny and I gave you."
Sheldon wrinkled his nose. "That book gave me nightmares. When Amy and I engage in coitus, we'll figure it out without the 'help' of that infernal book."
"Good. Good. So, what kind of advice do you need?"
"Amy has enlisted Stuart's help with our next Ka'a tournament. Her hope is that she'll discover he's a great employee and then persuade him to be her business partner."
"Wow! Penny told me about the tournament, but partnering with him? That's huge."
"So you agree it's a terrible idea."
Leonard shook his head. "I didn't say that. From a business standpoint, it makes sense. Haven't you been saying how overworked Amy is? Cody's availability is limited, so the extra help would be beneficial. And Stuart's familiar with running a business."
"A poorly-run business," Sheldon muttered under his breath.
"That's not true. Business was booming until internet shopping became popular. With one store instead of two, they could do really well for themselves. Amy has already absorbed some of Stuart's customers. It would be a shame to lose them if Comic Central reopens."
"Those are Amy's points too," Sheldon reluctantly admitted.
"What's really bothering you about this?"
"I don't like the thought of my girlfriend spending so much time with another man."
"Are you jealous?"
"Of Stuart? Don't be absurd!"
"But you don't trust Amy."
"Of course I trust her. Amy's an aspiring scientist, an intellectual like myself. Why would she be interested in someone like Stuart?"
"If you're not worried about Amy falling for Stuart, what's the problem?"
"I've dreamed of owning a comic book store. Amy should have asked me to be her business partner." Sheldon huffed.
"I'm sure she isn't doing it to rob you of your dream. You have your job at the university, while Stuart can be there physically to take off some of the burden. Look at the bright side. Less hours at the store could mean more time she can spend with you."
"Will she? Amy's so behind in her classes that she didn't even sign up for the fall semester. She'll likely take advantage of the extra time to re-enroll with a heavier course load. Don't get me wrong, I want her to earn her degree as quickly as possible. I just don't think she'll have any extra time for me."
"Unless you ask her to move in."
Another point in favor of Amy sharing an apartment with him. A pros and cons list was in order. But first breakfast and a shower. "Thank you, Leonard. You've given me a lot to think about."
