Chapter 1: Laundry Night
A discovery is like falling in love and reaching the top of a mountain after a hard climb all in one, an ecstasy not induced by drugs but by the revelation of a face of nature that no one has seen before and that often turns out to be more subtle and wonderful than anyone had imagined.
Carly Bennet had moved into a new apartment building just a few weeks ago. She had finally decided it was time to move out of her Grandmother's old house, at the ripe age of twenty-five, and get a place of her own. She loved her Grandmother of course, but people her age were married, had an actual house of their own and were probably having kids. Carly, however, had been living with her Grandmother since she was five years old after her parents had been tragically killed in a house fire.
The fact that this elderly lady had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go and had raised her, made Carly feel emotionally obligated to stay and return the favor. Her Grandmother disagreed and made it clear she'd be just fine on her own.
So Carly reluctantly saved all of her paychecks at the library she was working at and attempted to find a new home. Her Grandmother had found an ad in the newspaper for a lease of an apartment over in Pasadena, which was about thirty minutes from where she lived. A rather large city, not San Francisco big but it was a stark difference from what she was used to.
She had drug the move-out, procrastinating, and not wanting to just up and leave her Grandmother. This was a huge change for both of them and she wanted to make one hundred percent sure that the lady was going to be okay without her.
After making her grandmother promise to call her if she needed anything, she finally was set up in 2B and had landed a job at the local library in Pasadena.
The hours beyond hours of university in library sciences prepared her for this opportunity - to be a librarian and she loved the library there in Pasadena. The tall ceilings, the massive bookcases, the smell- it was heaven to her.
Her apartment reflected her love of reading material, with many bookcases around with different types of books on diverse subjects and just an overall cozy atmosphere.
With all that said, what she loved most about the apartment was that it was all hers and she was surprised to find herself excited for what this new chapter in her life would bring.
oO0Oo
It was a Saturday night around eight in the evening and Carly was sorting her clothing. The library closed at seven and after a long day at work, she knew she needed to finally do a load or two to make sure she had actual clothes to wear the next week.
After grabbing some quarters out of her coin jar, she took hold of a basket filled with light-colored clothes and headed down to the laundry room that she had been in only once since moving in. It was located in the basement of the apartment building and was sort of dank, dingy - but it beat going to the laundry mat across the city or driving thirty minutes to her Grandmother's just to do laundry.
Carly was humming quietly to herself when she walked through the doorway and didn't even realize that there was someone else in the room, sorting his own laundry into the washer.
That is to say, until he turned the washer on, bringing the machine to life and sending Carly an inch into the air in alarm.
She whipped her head in his direction, the hum on her lips turning into a slight gasp.
The man before her was incredibly tall, very lanky, and had short brown hair combed over to one side. He wore brown pants, a red "The Flash" T-shirt, and a striped long sleeve shirt underneath, pushed up to his elbows. His eyes were adverted from hers, uncomfortable with her wide-eyed gaze on him, and quickly collected his empty hamper into his arms.
For some reason, she couldn't easily take her eyes off of him but she realized she was being rather rude- especially since he seemed like he was desperate for her to stop staring.
Carly tore her gaze from him to clumsily open up a washer and begun placing her clothes inside, all the while conflicted if she should speak with him or not.
Since arriving in Pasadena, she hadn't talked to anyone outside of work. Making friends had never been her strong suit. To put it bluntly, she was a loner. Always with a book in her hand, shy, and just plain introverted.
Upon moving to the city, she had promised herself to be more open to change, do things that would push her out of her comfort zone, and make some friends.
So when she saw him start to leave from the corner of her eye, she hastily came to a snap decision and spun herself around, half-crazed, in his direction and threw a hand up to stop him with a lame "Hi!"
The greeting was too loud and she regretted it as soon as it left her mouth when she saw him jump in surprise and turn to face her in absolute horror.
Warmth began in her chest and grew upward to her face, making it hard to breathe or even think properly.
He looked like a deer in headlights.
"S-Sorry. My name is Carly, I live in 2B. I haven't met anyone in the building and I figured I would introduce myself." It all came out quickly in a gush of words jumbled together awkwardly. She couldn't help let out a loud puff of air afterward to catch her breath.
He just stared at her, almost in confusion with his eyes blank, for a very long moment and she began to wonder if he didn't speak English. That would be her luck.
But then he seemed to collect himself slightly before muttering a quick, "Great."
Then disappeared with his laundry basket in his arms, leaving Carly to stare mindlessly at the spot he had been standing in prior. Bewildered, she wasn't exactly sure how to process what had happened, but then again, he had been uncomfortable from the moment she walked into the room... or maybe she just scared him off.
Cursing herself for coming on too strong, she turned back to the washer in chagrin, putting her quarters in the machine and turned it on.
Soon after she had pressed start, she heard footsteps. Thinking it could have been the man in the flash shirt again, she spun around toward the door with a smile. She didn't know where this hope was coming from.
It wasn't him though, she quickly realized in slight disappointment, seeing a tanned and very blond woman enter the laundry room.
She caught Carly's eyes and looked mildly surprised. "Oh hello," she greeted, a little startled but it grew into a really pretty grin. "You must be the one who moved into 2B. I'm Penny."
While balancing her laundry basket on one hip, she threw a hand out to Carly.
Carly was stunned by the friendliness of Penny. She wasn't used to it and to be frank, the woman looked like she could be in a vogue magazine. Suddenly feeling self-conscious, she awkwardly took her hand and they shook. "I'm Carly."
Penny didn't seem to notice Carly's nerves or if she did, she didn't question it. As they released hands she walked over to the dryers and continued like they had known each other for a long time. "I live up in 4B, come over anytime if you need anything."
Carly, dumbstruck, watched Penny pull clothes out of one of the dryers. Was she offering to be her friend?
Carly knew she shouldn't let the opportunity pass. Especially with how awkward she was. "Thanks. That's very kind of you," she told her gratefully with a small smile.
Penny stood with her basket full of clothes and turned to give Carly a kind smile. "Of course! Us girls who live alone need to stick together. I'm from a small town in Nebraska. When I moved here I knew absolutely nobody. I wish I'd had someone around to help me."
Carly saw a kindred spirit in Penny and she knew that she was wanted to be friends with her. She was gorgeous and from the looks of it, opposite of who Carly was, but Penny was sweet and generous. It was refreshing to see since in her experience girls that looked like Penny were rather cruel to girls who looked like Carly.
"Speaking of which, some of my friends that live in the apartment across the hall from me are hanging out and eating Indian food. Would you like to join us?"
Carly's heart did a flip at the offer and for a couple of beats, she didn't know what to say. No one had ever invited over to hang out with them before, not this quickly.
At her hesitation, Penny's smile faltered, "Unless that was weird. I understand if it was weird."
Carly realized that she had taken too long and shook her head hastily. "No! That would be great actually," Carly said breathlessly, holding onto her basket tightly. "I was just a little surprised is all."
"Sorry, it's just that it will be nice having another girl around here. I'm so outnumbered," she told her sheepishly, and Carly raised an eyebrow.
"Outnumbered?" Were all of her friends male? She vaguely pictured Penny partying with some overly macho, muscular men fawning all over her while she laughs at the attention.
Was she going to regret this? Carly followed Penny out of the laundry room and back up the stairs, wondering if it was too late to back out now but Penny shrugged and continued.
"Yeah, but it's not just me anymore. One of the guys is dating a past coworker of mine so she comes over a lot now. It's nice but, well," She trailed off as if it explained it all but Carly frowned at Penny's back because it didn't at all.
Penny looked over her shoulder and gave her a once over, before coming to a sudden conclusion. "You'll fit right in, I'm sure of it."
Carly tried to smile back at the blond but she was unsure. She wanted to be brave and make friends, this would be the way to do it, but she wasn't sure if she was completely comfortable with the scenario before her.
She felt her palms get clammy on her basket as they passed her apartment and headed up the next flight of stairs. Clearing her throat, she tried to keep herself going.
"You're from Nebraska? What brings you all the way out here?"
Penny smiled at her. "I'm an actress."
Carly's eyebrows rose at the answer and she gaped a little with a smile in awe. "Wow, an actress? That's amazing!"
Penny blushed a little under the praise and gave a one-shouldered shrug, her tone turning bitter. "Well, I'm trying to be. I haven't had much luck since moving here. I feel like I'll probably just work at the Cheesecake Factory forever at this rate."
"Oh." Carly looked down as they walked then glanced back up at her. "Well, I wouldn't give up. If it's something you truly want to do, always go for it."
She surprised herself with the conviction in her voice, wondering if she was giving herself a pep talk as well. Making friends was an important thing for her, but she was scared of rejection and judgment from other people.
Penny surprised her by placing a hand on Carly's shoulder and giving her an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Carly. You're really sweet."
Carly couldn't help but blush and look down, trying to keep herself walking as they finally made it to the fourth floor. "T-Thank you."
Penny gave her shoulder a light squeeze then released her to look at the door she had come to a stop in front of. "This is it. Go ahead and just leave your basket here," she told Carly while also placing hers down by the door. Carly did the same and held her breath as Penny swung open the door.
"Hey guys, this is Carly. She's the one who moved into 2B," Penny introduced her to the group around the coffee table, before closing the door behind them both.
Carly was amazed to not see muscular, tanned men sitting around and instead saw well, normal guys. It immediately had her relaxing a little. Their gazes on her had her feeling rather apprehensive.
"Hi," she greeted, her eyes wandering around at all their faces and then coming to a stop on the man sitting on the left of the couch, staring back at her. Her heart skipped a beat. "Oh, hey! You're that guy that was just down at the laundry room with me," she pointed out in recognition, unable to stop herself, causing the others to look from her to the man in curiosity.
He looked vaguely startled but quickly diverted his attention to his bowl of rice in his hand. "That's because it's laundry night," he said smartly, disinterested in the conversation before he spooned the rice into his mouth.
"That's Sheldon," Penny told her with a roll of her eyes, gesturing to him as he tried to ignore them by watching the TV.
Carly nodded idly but frowned, wondering why Sheldon was so unfriendly and how Penny who was so sweet and thoughtful could be friends with him.
"And that is Leonard, his roommate," Penny pointed to the short man in the large armchair next to the couch. "My boyfriend."
Leonard smiled shyly at her with a slow raise of his hand and Carly gave him a nod. He was cute; dark curly hair and thick-framed glasses.
"And this is Howard and his girlfriend Bernadette," Penny said, pointing to them on the other side of the couch and Carly looked over at them with a nod and a smile.
Howard was short and very skinny with dark hair styled in a way that reminded Carly of the Beatles. His girlfriend was a little shorter than him and had pretty blond curls and short bangs hovering over her glasses. Her floral dress was really cute.
"And last but not least, Raj - and just a heads up, he can't talk to women unless he drinks alcohol," Penny replied with a shrug over at a man with mocha-colored skin and black hair, sitting next to Howard and Bernadette in a desk chair.
He had been looking at Carly before but when her eyes landed on him, his gaze darted away uncomfortably. She recognized it immediately. He had social anxiety. She felt for him, knowing exactly how it felt.
"Nice to meet all of you," Carly told them with a nervous smile. They all seemed rather nice and she could see herself becoming friends with them, hopefully.
Well... maybe not all of them, she thought with a glance at Sheldon who still was ignoring her.
Penny led her over to the kitchenette and they both took a hold of the chairs at the island and sat them down next to each other by Leonard, who looked up at the women anxiously.
"Penny we don't have enough for her," Leonard murmured hastily to Penny, making Carly bite her lip. She didn't like the feeling of intruding on them.
Penny waved him off though, not seeming to be bothered by it.
"We can share, can't we?" she asked Carly who nodded with an appreciative smile, surprised by the generous offer. She didn't eat much anyway.
Penny split a carton of curry rice between them. Carly couldn't remember the last time she'd had Indian food. Everyone was eating and so she did as well, her eyes moving to the TV which was playing some sort of sci-fi movie.
It was quiet for a moment but then Bernadette spoke up, "So Carly, what do you do for a living?" she asked, her voice sweeter than candy.
Carly hadn't been expecting the question and she awkwardly finished her mouthful of food before smiling at her, "I'm a librarian."
The others seemed to be listening too and she saw them nod in approval but Sheldon dramatically rolled his eyes, catching her off guard. "Oh, dear lord," he complained loudly.
What had felt like hope and acceptance, immediately plummeted at his outburst. Carly didn't understand him in the slightest.
"What?" She questioned with a frown, unable to stop herself because she didn't like the way he was speaking about her.
Sheldon finally looked away from the TV, glancing at the others first who seemed annoyed with him, before settling his piercing gaze on her to explain himself. "We have a small close-knit of friends here. Besides, we already have someone who is highly uneducated and we don't have room for another."
Carly was left to stare at him, mystified and stung. He had just told her that she was stupid and didn't belong there... here she had thought she was finally befriending people and instead her worst fear was materializing right before her eyes, wearing a bright red flash T-shirt.
Feeling as if she should defend herself, she struggled to get her emotions in check before forcing out a wobbly retort. "I'm educated. I have my master's in library science."
Her response didn't help Sheldon's opinion of her, instead, he seemed even more put out. He rolled his eyes and helplessly looked to Leonard. "This is all your fault. You just had to invite Penny over all those years ago. If you had just stayed the introverted nerd you are, we could be eating our dinner and watching Star Trek in peace."
"You're being rude, Sheldon," Leonard bit back, glaring at him. The others were silent but were all seeming to think the same thing. Sheldon didn't seem affected by it.
"I'm rude? Penny invited someone into our apartment without even asking us- and I'm the rude one?" He seemed baffled by the audacity of him being rude and went back to eating his meal.
Carly looked down at her food, suddenly not hungry and wishing to leave.
Penny scowled at Sheldon and then placed a gentle hand on Carly, making her look up to see Penny's apologetic expression. "You're my guest, don't let him bother you."
Carly tried to let Penny's assurance wash over her but she didn't feel comfortable to say or do anything else.
Carly made herself stand up, aware of their eyes on her, and she sat down the carton of rice onto the coffee table. "Thank you for sharing your meal, I- well I need to go and check on my laundry."
It was a lame excuse because Penny knew that she had just started her load less than twenty minutes ago, but she seemed to understand that Carly wanted to leave.
"Oh, okay." Penny sounded dejected and she stood up with her, following her to the door.
A clumsy chorus of "nice to meet you" and "Have a good night" sounded from the others, save Raj and Sheldon, and Carly tried to smile at them but couldn't make her face cooperate.
Penny looked remorseful when Carly opened the door to leave. Carly turned and attempted a grateful smile. "Thank you for inviting me."
"Hey, don't let what Sheldon said to get to you," she told her in a low voice, obviously concerned. "He has an ego the size of the universe and is horrible at social situations. He has said some pretty rude stuff to me, to all of us, but he does have a good heart. You just got to get to know him."
Carly appreciated the sentiment but she didn't think she wanted to get to know him at all. "Don't worry about it," she told her, wanting to forget it honestly. "Your friends... they're nice."
Penny smiled, appreciating the bypass on Sheldon. "They are sometimes. We should get together... just us. Maybe Bernadette."
That did sound nice. Carly nodded with true happiness. "Sounds perfect."
Penny grinned then, glad that Carly was still wanting to become friends. "Great! I'll let you know okay?"
"Definitely. I'll see you later, Penny," she told her, intending on leaving but Penny stopped her one last time, sticking her head out the door nervously, as Carly made a move for her basket.
"Hey, um Sheldon does his laundry every Saturday night so, um, just be prepared to see him again. My advice? Just stand your ground. It's the only way I have been able to get anywhere with him."
Carly's heart did a little jump. She didn't think she could handle dealing with Sheldon again. "Oh, right. Okay. Thanks."
Penny nodded worriedly and then shut the door, leaving Carly to grab her basket. She sighed. She hadn't even made it a whole week in living there and had already made an enemy.
She had to make sure she did her laundry on another day from then on, she told herself, not wanting to not run into him if she could help it.
Carly honestly didn't understand why he had been so rude to her. She hadn't done anything wrong to him. Was it really because she had come uninvited?
She blushed at the thought, embarrassed. She hadn't meant to make him uncomfortable again. She thought of his reaction when she had seen him in the laundry room. Perhaps he had social anxiety and her appearing in his safe place put him on edge.
Later on, she was putting her clothes in the dryer. As she turned it on, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her and was startled by the appearance of Sheldon standing about five feet behind her, when she turned around.
"Carly." His voice was clipped and he looked awkward. He held his laundry basket unsteadily in front of him and his eyes wouldn't stay on her face for very long.
Her heart was pounding anxiously in her chest at the sight of him. She hadn't expected to see him that quickly after she had left his apartment.
"Yes, Sheldon?" She asked warily, his insults and rude tone still fresh in her memory.
Sheldon took a deep breath before speaking as if forcing himself to say whatever he was going to say. "It has come to my attention that what I said to you was rude and uncalled for."
Carly's eyebrows shot up at his unexpected words. It wasn't exactly an apology but she understood the message. The impression of him faltered a little.
Her reaction had his body tensing and he pointedly looked down at his basket. He was horribly uncomfortable. Yes, social anxiety, she thought. She was beginning to think that this group of friends were exactly her type of people. That she fit right in.
Remembering what Penny had told her all of a sudden, to stand her ground, she lifted her jaw and tried to level her voice. "It's fine. Just um, don't insult my intelligence again."
Sheldon snapped his head up at her words and she half wondered if she had said the wrong thing, but then his face screwed up in confusion and he took a step toward her- as if to figure out something.
"I never insulted your intelligence, just that you weren't educated enough - and to be fair, I'm not a fan of social sciences."
Carly suddenly realized that she had completely misinterpreted him. A weight felt like it fell from her shoulders and she looked up at him with new eyes.
"Oh, well that makes sense," she said apologetically. "I'm sorry for not understanding you. I thought- well it felt like you were calling me stupid and that you didn't want me around because of it."
Sheldon stared at her then, searching for something that confused the crap out of her.
"What?" She asked meekly and he shifted on his feet, preparing to explain himself.
"I am just trying to comprehend how you could have got that impression when I didn't say anything whatsoever about your IQ." The wheels in his head turning apparent in his eyes as he struggled to understand. "Although I am almost positive your IQ doesn't match mine," he added as an afterthought.
Carly blushed then, unable to hide her embarrassment, and glanced down away from his gaze. She supposed it was true he hadn't called her stupid but it had made her feel like it. "I am a sensitive person, I guess."
Sheldon continued to eye her for another moment, his silence making her look back up at him curiously before she watched him turn to a washer and began to retrieve his clothes to place in the dryer.
At the sight of Superman underwear in his hands, she jumped as if stung and quickly fumbled with her hamper in fake interest. Did he wear those?
She bit her lip, trying to stifle the giggling that threatened to escape her. Butterflies fluttered somewhere inside of her as she thought of him wearing them.
This man, who had been rude to her, confused by her, and seemed like a different species - wore superhero underwear.
The complexity of him intrigued her and honestly, it was adorable.
It made her want to get to know him. To uncover everything that made him who he was. "So..." she shifted in her shoes, trying to wrack up the courage to speak to him. "So what do you do for a living then?"
She watched him turn around to approach the dryers, his face now proud at what he was about to say. "I'm a theoretical physicist over at Caltech University. I have two doctorates if you were wondering."
Carly gaped, astounded by it even. "Wow, that is impressive."
He smirked, loving the praise. "I know."
The phrase "ego the size of the universe" ran through her mind. She stifled a laugh as he threw his clothes in the dryer.
She glanced at the clock and realized just how late it was. It was Saturday yes but she was an old woman at heart, probably because she had been living with one her whole life.
"Well, have a good night Sheldon," she told him, moving towards the door, basket in hand.
Sheldon turned around hastily, "Wait!"
She froze, stunned, then turned to look at his pained face. He approached her slowly, looking uncertain. "Do you play halo?"
Carly was silent for a couple of beats, not understanding the question. "Halo?" She parroted dumbly.
For a split second, he looked exasperated at the fact she didn't know what he was talking about but he seemed to reel it in for her benefit, which she appreciated. "Halo is a video game. We play it on Wednesdays."
She blinked. Was he... inviting her over on Wednesday? Her heart fluttered at the possibility. "I wouldn't want to impose."
He gave her a shrug as if to say it didn't matter to him with his eyes running along the walls of the laundry room. "It wouldn't be an imposition."
Carly eyed him, wondering why he had changed his mind. She wasn't complaining, not by a long shot. Not wanting to risk her chances, she smiled at him.
He glanced over at her then, apparently sensing her change of mood, and caught her eyes.
"I'd love to!"
Sheldon visibly relaxed and his lips curbed upwards just a tiny bit. It made her happy to see it. Perhaps they could be friends after all.
They walked up the stairs together and Carly looked over at him, unable to help herself from asking more questions. "So, you play video games?"
Sheldon glanced at her. "Yes. I told you we play Halo on Wednesdays-"
"No I know," she stopped him with a light laugh. "I haven't ever played a video game before so I was just wondering what kind of game it was."
Sheldon looked over at her, absolutely flabbergasted and she felt her face warm. "You've never played a video game before?"
She looked at him oddly and shook her head. "No. Is that weird?"
"Not exactly, but it's surprising," he told her looking down in front of him, still stunned, as they walked up to the first landing. "Halo is a first-person shooter game."
"Oh, I see." She bit her lip and thought for a second before glancing back up at him. "Could you show me how to play?"
Sheldon came to a stop in front of 1B and she almost collided with him but was fast enough to catch herself. He spun around and looked down at her.
From the angle they were standing in, she realized just how tall he was. She was only five foot four and he had to at least be six feet. It was a little intimidating.
"You want me to show you how to play Halo?" He seemed to need to hear it again and she bit back a grin.
"Yes, if that's okay," she said, ducking her head while peering up at him sheepishly.
Sheldon thought for a moment then threw his hands up, turning back around as if he hadn't stopped. She quickly followed after him up the next flight of stairs.
"Why not? Leonard's a horrible partner, maybe I'd stand a chance if I taught you everything I knew."
Knowing he had a huge ego, she grinned behind his back, finding this side of him to be endearing- as long as it didn't involve insulting her, of course. "You seem to be an expert at it, I'd probably mop the floor with him if you taught me your ways."
Sheldon looked over at her with a sudden evil grin, eyes twinkling, and she felt her heart skip a beat at it. She was surprised by her reaction.
"You make a great point, young grasshopper," he told her smugly, probably already scheming on how to beat his friends at the game with her as his protege.
She couldn't help but grin back at him.
They finally made it to her apartment and she came to a stop, with Sheldon lingering by the next flight of stairs.
"Well, this is me... I'll see you later then?" Her voice was hopeful and she realized she meant it.
He was different than what she first noticed of him. He had a playful side, for being someone so smart. She supposed this was what Penny had referred to. Why they all were friends with him even when he said rude things.
Sheldon paused and then gave her a nod. "Indeed."
She smiled at him, one last time, feeling his eyes on her as she entered her apartment.
oO0Oo
Sheldon opened the door to his apartment and quickly walked through the living room, glancing at Leonard who was busy on his computer.
Leonard looked up as he walked past, and gave him a quirk of the eyebrow. "How did it go?" He asked, making Sheldon stop mid-step and turn around with a confused expression.
"How did laundry go?" He asked derisively as if Leonard had lost his mind. "Is that the sort of thing you ask now that you're dating Penny again?"
Leonard stifled an irritated scowl and ignored the jab. "I meant with Carly. You did see her down there right?"
Sheldon straightened, realizing he had misinterpreted Leonard's question. "It went fine. She accepted the apology."
Leonard relaxed at the news. "Oh good. I was worried you had scared her off."
Sheldon looked offended. "What? No, in fact, I'm going to be teaching her how to play Halo on Wednesday."
Leonard blinked, mystified by the idea. "Wait, what? Halo? She wants to play it with us?"
Sheldon rolled his eyes and shifted his basket in his hands. "No, with me. Sorry, Leonard, you're off the team."
Leonard stood then, panic on his face. "You're replacing me?"
Sheldon shrugged as if it wasn't important. "I've told you so many times to not go off on your own and so I am recruiting a new team member that will listen to me."
Leonard scowled and crossed his arms. "You mean recruit someone who will obey your every command."
Sheldon smiled then, pointing a finger to Leonard. "Exactly! Now you're getting it."
"Don't take advantage of how nice she is, Sheldon."
The smile fell from his face. "Why would I do that?"
Leonard shifted on his feet, suddenly uneasy with how the conversation was going. "I'm just saying. She seems like a nice girl."
Sheldon screwed up his face. "I am aware of how nice she is. Don't go ruining her! You already have Penny."
Leonard looked up at the ceiling, trying to contain his exasperation with his roommate. Sheldon ignored it and turned to leave for his bedroom.
"Wait, Sheldon-"
He turned back around, annoyed that he was being questioned so many times. "What is it now?"
Leonard took a deep breath. "You were set against her becoming friends with us earlier and now you're all for it- what changed your mind?"
Sheldon frowned at his roommate, confused as to where this was going. "I thought you guys wanted me to be okay with it."
Leonard shook his head, not getting his point across. "No we do, that's not what I mean. What I mean is..." He paused, trying to figure out a way to phrase it without confusing Sheldon further. "Did something happen down in the laundry room that changed your mind? Call me crazy, but it's unlike you to concede this quickly. And halo? Does she even play the game?"
Sheldon who had momentarily been looking at Leonard uneasily, suddenly waved him off. "Of course not! Someone that attractive can't possibly know how to play video games. Didn't you hear her? She organizes books for a living."
Leonard hadn't heard anything after Sheldon had admitted Carly was attractive. "Y-you think Carly is att-attractive?" he stuttered, his eyes blinked repeatedly - trying to process what was just said.
Sheldon stopped, his heart coming up short as he replayed his words back to himself. Yes, he had said that. Trying to figure out how to explain himself because he honestly didn't understand it himself, he shrugged. "She has nice skin," he answered simply.
Leonard gave out a short, disbelieving laugh. "Skin?" he asked in growing curiosity, walking over to him to get a better gauge of Sheldon's reaction.
Sheldon, feeling rather uncomfortable now, held his ground and narrowed his eyes at Leonard's small smirk. "She seems to take good care of herself hygienically and she is in no way repulsing."
Leonard was now full out grinning, irking the taller man to no end, as if he knew something he didn't. "Sheldon, do you like her?"
Sheldon stared at him then, not understanding what his roommate was getting at. "I don't not like her."
"No I mean do you like her, like her?" Leonard pressed, starting to get antsy. He just wanted to know what was going on in his roommate's head.
Sheldon was becoming exasperated. "I don't understand what you are getting at."
Leonard rolled his eyes and let out a breath. "Sheldon, I mean do you find her sexually attractive. Would you consider taking her out on a date or something?"
Sheldon took a step back, his eyes widening and his lips parting. He was about to say of course not, but then he started thinking of Carly's smile and her soft-looking brown hair that hung around her pale shoulders. Her eyes were a bright brown that reminded him of hot tea on cold days. And she did have nice skin. It was porcelain-looking almost even though she had a couple of blemishes on her cheeks. He admired the way she didn't try to cover them up with makeup as Penny did. She looked natural. And that was appealing to him.
"Sheldon?"
Leonard calling him back to reality made him realize he had zoned out while thinking about Carly and that disturbed him.
"Sheldon? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you go into panic speechless mode…"
Sheldon collected himself quickly, trying to collect himself back to clarity, and frowned down at Leonard. "Don't be absurd."
He then spun on his heel, heading for his bedroom to get away from Leonard and his preposterous questions and conclusions.