Chapter 10

Author's Note: Hi! I'm sorry that this chapter is later than it should be. I've started sessions at my driving school, so I might not be able to post new chapters daily. Hoping for all of your patience. I promise that I will continue and finish this story.

A shoutout to the following users for their reviews: abrht0907, Harshini, MobyShamy4ever, and redhead59901. To the guests and others who left reviews and fav/followed thank you so so much! :) Enjoy Chapter 10. I sincerely didn't think I'd get this far.

Penny let out a nervous laugh. "Don't listen to her, Sheldon. She's had a lot of ice cream." She sat beside Amy and handed Sheldon his soda.

Sheldon's curiosity got the best of him. Of course, it wasn't surprising. He definitely knew he was an interesting person. But, what could they have said? Did it have something to do with him and Amy? He had to find out.

Sheldon moved his head forward at an angle where he could look at Amy. "What did you talk about?"

Amy was in a fit of giggles. "Oh, it's no big deal. Just what I thought about you and if I found you attractive. We already know that people like us only belong in the realm of pure intellect. We're not slaves to our animal hindbrain."

"I agree." Gee, even drunk Amy's a logical Amy. Sheldon smiled at her.

Penny expressed her disbelief at their exchange. "Please, I don't believe that for a second. I see those looks and exchanges. Both of you like each other, admit it."

"What can I say? I like Sheldon but I would never think of him as a romantic prospect. We are two highly-regarded scientists who detest feelings such as love and attraction."

"Well said, Amy. You see, Penny. We have this special bond- a relationship of the mind so to speak. I am fond of her but I do not consider her anything more than an intellectual equal." Sheldon lectured Penny while Amy was nodding along with him.

Penny had a glint in her eye. She knew what to do. "Well, can the two highly-regarded scientists prove it then?"

Both of them looked at her quizzically.

"What is there to prove, Penny? We just told you that your efforts in matchmaking are pointless."

"Well, Sheldon. I disagree. There is a way to definitively prove that both of you are attracted to one another." Penny whispered to Bernadette. "Did I just sound like a scientist earlier or what?" Bernadette just shrugged, still confused as to where Penny was going with this.

"Then, how do you suppose we do that?" Sheldon expressed his confusion.

"Easy. Kiss Amy. If both of you can admit that you felt absolutely nothing after it, then I'll finally stop the teasing."

Oh my God, Penny's a genius. Bernadette thought.

Sheldon and Amy's eyes were widened. Their silence was actually proving Penny's point.

"So? How 'bout it?" Penny and Bernadette looked at them expectantly. "What's the problem? Scared you might catch feelings?"

At that moment, Sheldon really wanted to prove Penny wrong. But for some reason, he was hesitant.

"This is absurd. We won't play your little game, right Am...mmph!" Sheldon's eyes closed of their own accord.

It all happened unexpectedly. Sheldon's mind was completely blank. All he felt was Amy's lips as she suddenly moved forward and kissed him. It was just about a couple of seconds actually. But for Sheldon, it was like he was frozen in time. He couldn't care less about the duration but the softness of her lips, her cherry scent becoming much more prominent, and the feeling of his heart remarkably accelerating.

They didn't notice that Penny and Bernadette witnessed it all, their mouths almost reaching the floor. They were trying their best to be quiet as to not interrupt their moment.

Amy sat back on the middle of the couch and Sheldon looked as if he were trying to figure her out again. "Fascinating." That was the only word that came out of his mouth.

The three were all waiting for her response. "Excuse me for a moment." Amy stood up, went to Penny's bedroom, and they were all alarmed when they started hearing her throwing up.

"I'll go check on her," Bernadette said. She headed for Penny's bathroom.

"Huh. I guess it's true then. She really isn't attracted to you." Penny said aloud.

Sheldon was confused. Did she not find it satisfactory?

He wasn't aware, but Penny noticed the disappointment on his face. She stood up and placed a hand on Sheldon's shoulder. "It's okay, Sheldon. I won't tease you about it anymore. I think Leonard's asleep by now so you can go to bed."

The sound of her vomiting was making him feel uneasy. "Is she going to be alright?" He wanted to go to her and see if she was okay.

"Don't worry about it. We got this. Goodnight, Sheldon." Penny went to her room and closed the door.

Sheldon licked his lips that tasted of vanilla with a hint of coffee and alcohol. He stood up, stared at the bedroom door, and left.

Sheldon went back to his apartment feeling dejected. He had no idea why he was feeling this way. Shouldn't he be elated that Amy was repulsed by their kiss? That she wasn't attracted to him and they could continue on as friends and nothing more?

Maybe it's because you actually liked it. Now you're hurt because she felt otherwise.

"Oh, shut up brain!" Sheldon grumbled in his spot. Leonard went out of the bathroom and noticed his friend's sour mood.

"Hey, Sheldon. I'm sorry for kicking you out. I realized that you buying that urn was your own crazy way of telling me you cared about me." Sheldon didn't reply back. "What's the matter?"

Sheldon tried to change the topic of conversation. "Well, after you kicked me out, I went to Penny's. Did you know she got a new chair? I really enjoyed sitting there. It aligns the lumbar, cradles the coccyx, balances the buttocks..." Sheldon tried thinking about the chair to take his mind off of Amy.

Leonard paused for a moment. "Oh, buddy... You don't know how Penny got that chair, don't you?"

"No. Why?"

"Penny saw that chair just sitting on the street. She paid a homeless guy ten bucks to bring it to her apartment."

Sheldon forgot about his earlier feelings and jumped up in a panic. "Oh, dear. Oh, dear. Oh, dear." Suddenly, Sheldon started to take off his shirt.

Leonard expressed his confusion at Sheldon's hysterics. "What's wrong?"

"I've been sitting in garbage!" Sheldon exclaimed. He was going crazy.

Leonard thought that he was overreacting. "Sheldon, take it easy."

"You take it easy! I need to use the shower." Sheldon ran as fast as he could to the bathroom.

Penny and Bernadette stood over Amy's body. After vomiting for about 40 minutes, she finally collapsed on the bathroom floor.

"Boy, she really can't handle her alcohol, can't she?" Penny looked at Bernadette.

"Poor thing. I guess she never got the chance to do it before. Let's get her to bed." Both of them took care of Amy and tried getting her to bed. Sadly, they couldn't move her unconscious body so they folded a towel and placed it under her head as a pillow and they closed the bathroom.

They felt bad for leaving her there but then felt that they had no other choice. They couldn't call Sheldon and they thought Leonard was already asleep.

Bernadette wanted to ask Penny about what happened earlier. "Hey, do you really think Amy would throw up just because she kissed Sheldon?"

"I hope not. You should've seen Sheldon's face. He looked so upset."

"She's not gonna remember anything tomorrow, isn't she? Do we tell her about it?"

Penny remembered Sheldon's face and shook her head. "We can except the part where they kissed. Let's leave that little detail to Sheldon."

Bernadette nodded and both of them decided to call it a day and go to bed.

If only the two of them knew how Amy really felt earlier that night.

What Amy actually wanted to say earlier:

Penny: So, Ames. What do you think about Sheldon?

He's one of a kind. "What about him?"

Bernadette: Well, do you like him?

More than I'd like to admit. "I do. I've always wanted a friend like him."

Penny: Surely you see him as more than that, right?

I can't. "What do you mean?"

Bernadette: Do you think about him all the time? Does the thought of seeing him or being with him get you all excited?

Always. "Well, I guess at one point, I couldn't get him off of my mind, but that's because he was so arrogant when I first met him. Just the thought of him seemed to bother me so much. And now that he's my friend, I guess I could say I respect him a lot and I'm happy whenever I get the chance to talk to him."

Penny: So, you're not attracted to him at all? Don't you ever wonder what it's like to kiss him?

There have been moments... No! I won't entertain such things. "Hmm... I've never thought about it that much before. First, we were fighting over the office. Then, our field of work. And then the parking space. I guess I'm just relieved that we're way past that point."

Amy was absolutely clueless about her feelings that even when she was in a drunken state, she couldn't admit anything because she was in denial and chose not to acknowledge anything. And if only they knew how much Amy enjoyed that kiss. Too bad her emotions were clouded by the unsettling feeling of alcohol in her stomach.

Amy found herself lying on the bathroom floor. When she stood up, her back was aching, and she was having a huge headache.

She gargled mouthwash to remove the smell of alcohol in her mouth. She checked her phone and noticed that it was already 6 in the morning. She had to leave and freshen up because she had to work later.

That reminds me... What happened last night? All I could remember was watching a movie and painting my nails... Maybe, I could ask Penny and Bernadette later.

Amy got her things and quietly left Penny's apartment. She had such a great time. If only she remembered more of it.

When Amy got to the center of the hall, she found herself approaching Leonard and Sheldon's door. Her right arm was raised as if she was trying to knock. She stopped herself.

Interesting, it seems as though I have the urge to go and see Sheldon. Maybe I should ask about that beverage he offered last night...

Amy shook her head. No way. Better not to disturb him at this hour. I'll just talk to him later at the office. Amy proceeded to go downstairs and drive home.

Sheldon was relieved to find no one in the office. As much as possible, he hoped that Amy would forget everything that happened last night.

Aside from the fact that he sat on Penny's chair of death, he couldn't shake the embarrassment he felt from Amy's reaction to their kiss.

He let out a huge sigh. "I always thought if I were ever enslaved, it would be by an advanced species from another planet, not some hotsy-totsy from Glendale."

Amy finally arrived at the office wearing shades and walking awkwardly to her desk. Sheldon noticed her and quickly wore a grin on his face.

"Why hello, Amy. Are you experiencing dehydration, headache, nausea, and shame?"

"I don't want to talk about it. I don't even remember anything that happened."

Sheldon drew in a quick breath and was thankful she forgot. He continued to tease her. "Ah, memory impairment, the free prize at the bottom of every vodka bottle. In your case, coffee and alcohol in a bowl of vanilla ice cream."

Amy paused for a minute. "Wait, I didn't tell you I had vanilla ice cream."

Sheldon mentally hit himself in the head. Drats!

"Did you come to Penny's apartment last night?" Amy looked at him in interest. It seems like he knows what happened.

Sheldon had to think of an answer fast. "Uh, yes I did actually. Leonard kicked me out, I hung out with you three for a while, and then I decided to leave."

"Oh, okay. I didn't do anything strange, did I?" Amy looked at him in fear of what he was going to say.

"This is absurd. We won't play your little game, right Am...mmph!" Sheldon's eyes closed of their own accord.

Sheldon thought about their encounter and shook his head. Now's not the time to remember this!

"No, not at all." All of a sudden, the gears in Sheldon's mind started moving. "I-I actually left because I realized I sat on Penny's new chair." Sheldon started to continue his rant. "Yes. Penny has dragged a chair in off the street whose unknown provenance jeopardizes the health and welfare of every resident in our building."

"Sheldon, I understand you have a focus on cleanliness bordering on the psychotic but can we do this later when I don't feel like my head is being stabbed?"

Sheldon noticed Amy's discomfort and hated seeing her that way. He immediately obliged. "Fine. We'll do it later then. Do you want me to get you anything? Maybe some water or tea?"

Amy was touched by Sheldon's suggestion. "Thanks, Sheldon. I think I'd like some coffee."

"Really, Amy? Coffee is a diuretic. Therefore, it may further dehydrate the body, potentially prolonging or worsening your hangover."

Amy felt her headache getting worse. "What do you suggest then?"

Sheldon got out his phone and searched for the best beverages to drink for a hangover. "Ooh. It says here that ginseng or pear juice could provide relief of some symptoms related to hangovers. There's no ginseng but I could whip you up some ginger tea to help with your digestive system."

"Sure. Go ahead." Sheldon nodded and gave her some ginger tea after a few minutes.

"Okay. I feel better now. You can continue your rant." Amy finished her tea and took off her shades. Her hangover was starting to wear off and she was starting to think more clearly.

"Excellent. So, you and Penny are becoming close, correct?"

"Er... I guess. Why?"

"I was hoping she might listen to you about the dangers of owning unhygienic furniture."

"Do I really have to participate in this, Sheldon?"

"Come on, Amy. That germ-infested chair of death must be destroyed." He looked down in exasperation.

"You're overreacting. You make it seem like she's acquired a bar stool dipped in cholera."

"Cholera is water-borne. You're mocking me."

"Yes, I am." Amy gave him a teasing smile.

Sheldon straightened his back and looked her in the eye. "Alright. Name your price."

"Kiss me where I've never been kissed before?"

Sheldon's eyes widened. Did she remember the kiss after all? Before he started to panic, Amy started chuckling.

"You should've seen the look on your face!" She noticed Sheldon frowning. "Hey, come on. I was only trying to make you feel better. As much as I want to help you, I don't think Penny and I are close enough for me to tell her to get rid of the chair."

Sheldon saw the conversation going nowhere so he continued pouting like a child. "Never mind, then. You were my last hope. No one else wanted to help me. Leonard didn't even check me for chair lice..." Sheldon frowned.

Then, he had an idea and turned to Amy. "Hey, you wouldn't mind doing it for me instead, would you?"

"W-What?"

"Check me for chair lice."

"Sheldon, you're being ridiculous."

"I'm serious. You can just check my hair if that's what you're worried about."

Where else would I check? Okay, let's not go there, Fowler. "Fine. Just know that I'm only doing this because you helped me cure my hangover."

Amy stood up and went to the back of his chair where he was seated. She started touching and inspecting his hair.

This feels nice. Sheldon thought. It felt like Amy was massaging his scalp and he couldn't help but enjoy the feeling.

Amy spoke up. "So, I had an interesting scientific discovery earlier today."

Sheldon opened his eyes, not realizing they were closed. "Oh, did you? What are you working on? And feel free to disregard the boring parts. "

Amy rolled her eyes at the hint of condescension in his voice. "You see, when I left Penny's apartment I found myself almost knocking on your door without even realizing it. It got me thinking and I plan on doing some experiments to show that the signal to move a muscle occurs before you know you even decided to move it."

Sheldon was actually intrigued by what she said. "So you're attempting to pinpoint where consciousness resides in the brain."

"Yes, I'm trying to figure out the nanometer and the attosecond precisely where and when an event of awareness takes place."

Sheldon bit his lip and smiled. "Well, what do you know, Dr. Fowler? Here I was, waiting to be bored with biology, and instead, you tickle my intellectual fancy."

Amy's cheeks heated up at his compliment as well as the fact that he called her Dr. Fowler again. It actually felt endearing for him to call her that as compared to before when they were still at odds with one another.

His hair is surprisingly soft. Amy was starting to forget what she was looking for in the first place and didn't notice that she was just finger combing his hair with her hands. Sheldon was starting to feel too comfortable. He was enjoying Amy touching his hair that the both of them were surprised to hear a sound he never thought would come out of his mouth. Turns out he let out a soft moan.

Did I just?

Did he just?

Thank God she can't see me.

Thank God he can't see me.

An awkward silence loomed between the two of them. Sheldon realized that she stopped moving her hands.

Sheldon had to get out of there now. "U-um... Did you find anything?"

Amy found herself flustered. Suddenly, without thinking about it, she placed her hands on his shoulders and bent down to look at him. "Oh, umm... I found nothing. We can stop here." They stared at each other and they both froze.

Amy had her eyes looking at his lips that she didn't notice him doing the same for a brief moment. She didn't realize how close they were right now. The whole thing seemed familiar to her. If Sheldon moved any closer, they would-

She quickly shook her head and moved away from him. Sheldon stood up from his spot, feeling a jolt of electricity from her touch and their proximity.

"Uh, so I think it's time for lunch." Amy turned away from Sheldon.

Sheldon's voice was softer than usual. "Yes, I believe it is. Thank you, Amy. You're a good friend." Sheldon gave a small smile and avoided her eyes.

"I'm going to eat with Leonard, Raj, and Howard." He hesitated but it didn't hurt to ask. "Would you like to join us?"

"U-umm... I think I'll just sit here and eat by myself. I also need to get my head around the math on the discovery I shared with you."

Sheldon didn't try to object because based on their exchange earlier, he didn't want her to come along. The awkwardness between them was just too much.

"Oh. Okay, then. Enjoy your lunch, Amy."

"You too." Amy's voice was hoarse. She immediately tried to make herself busy by acting as if something fell from her desk. She stayed hidden at her desk and heard him leave.

"Hoo."

End of Chapter 10.

That's it for this chapter! Penny's posse is finally complete and Amy's now part of Howardette's wedding. Things are also heating up for Sheldon and Amy who are completely unaware/are in denial of their feelings. Sheldon thinks Amy didn't like the kiss while Amy doesn't even remember any of it. In the next chapters, they'll finally start working together and become closer. Maybe then they'll finally realize that they are insanely attracted to one another.

I'm so sorry for not updating daily like I used to. I'll be busy from July 6 to 11, so expect that my updates will be later than usual. Hoping for all of your patience. I promise that I'll continue this story and finish it with a big bang! (Okay, that was a lame joke.)

Thank you for all the reviews! They continue making my day. Also, I'd like to appreciate those of you who continue supporting this story and helping me share it on Tumblr. (My account is friedraissa for those of you who are curious.)

Notable episodes I used: The Agreement Dissection, The Alien Parasite Hypothesis, The Infestation Hypothesis, The Collaboration Fluctuation

Again, please fav, follow, or leave a review to stay updated on this fic. Until next time!