Part II
8x07 The Misinterpretation Agitation
What was supposed to be a fun evening between the two female scientists of the group, turned into something definitely less enjoyable as Bernadette and Amy argued over Bernadette's article.
The 50 sexiest female scientists in California.
"What happened was you got jealous, so you took away a chance for me to get some publicity," Bernadette snapped at her.
"But it was bad publicity," Amy argued. She didn't dare admit that she had felt insulted that she wasn't approached for this article. How many female scientists were there in California anyway? And she didn't even make the top FIFTY?
"That's for me to decide, not you," Bernadette said, angrily now.
"I disagree," Amy countered. "As a female scientist, I think what you do affects all of us."
Bernadette looked really pissed now. "And I think you don't like people expressing their sexuality, because no one wants you to express yours."
With the others either in Leonard's car or in Penny's, it was only logical for Sheldon to climb into the passenger's seat of Amy's car. They drove away from Dr. Lorvis' house in Sherman Oaks in relative silence.
Sheldon was still full of all the cool stuff the poor doctor had in his basement, that he hardly noticed Amy's sullen mood. Something was wrong though, he just couldn't put his finger on it. Didn't she say that she was going out with Bernadette tonight? She was back earlier than he would have expected. Sometimes they did that, the two of them, going out.
Sheldon couldn't blame them. That way they were able to talk about their respective fields in biology without Penny asking stupid questions all the time. No matter what people said; there were stupid questions, and according to Sheldon, Penny asked most of them.
Sheldon did wonder however if it would be strange to keep in touch with Dr. Lorvis. That man had many vintage games Sheldon hadn't played in years, and he would love to go back again just to beat Leonard's high score in Donkey Kong.
His daydream of doing so was interrupted by an incoming call over the Bluetooth speakers in the car.
He looked at the screen together with Amy. Incoming call – Bernadette R.
Sheldon stared at Amy as she let the phone ring on and on. Why wasn't she answering? He felt panicky. Social convention dictates people should answer their phones when called. What if something had happened?
Before the call could go to voicemail, Sheldon reached over and swiped on the screen, answering the call for Amy. He felt instantly relieved. Really, what was her problem, not answering the phone? She'd better not be pulling something like that with him.
"Amy!" Bernadette's voice sounded through the speakers, "I was afraid you weren't going to answer me for a second."
Sheldon looked at Amy. Her hands had a death grip on the wheel and she stared out into the road without answering Bernadette. Had something happened?
"I'm so sorry for what I said, Amy," Bernadette continued.
So something had happened, Sheldon deduced. Amy was still staring at the road angrily.
"I was just pissed off that you took away this opportunity from me, Amy," Bernadette said "but that doesn't make it okay for me to say that about you expressing your sexuality. I'm sorry."
Sheldon's head snapped up to stare at Amy's profile. She was red in the face. And, if he wasn't mistaken, there were tears in her eyes.
Sheldon watched her take a shuddering breath.
"I didn't mean it when I said no one wants you to express yours," Bernadette's voice sounded small, and if Sheldon interpreted it correctly, remorseful as well.
Amy didn't appear to want to answer, and Sheldon felt guilty for answering the phone now. What had Bernadette said to her? In what context did the two of them have conversations about expressing their sexuality? What did that even mean?
It couldn't be good though, he concluded. Amy was crying silently, ignoring Bernadette calling her name through the speakers.
Sheldon cleared his throat awkwardly, and bent forward to the speaker on Amy's phone. "Amy will get back to you later, Bernadette," he said into the mouth piece, "she's not able to come to the phone right now."
Amy was parking the car in front of her building, and Sheldon realised he would probably be taking the bus home later. She was unable to drive in this state. Truth be told, she was unfit to drive right now, and he was relieved they had reached her building.
"Sheldon.." Bernadette sounded uncomfortable. "I didn't know it was you who answered the phone…"
"It's alright," he said, she couldn't have known after all – he hadn't announced himself. "I'll just escort Amy up now. Bye."
Amy was silent on their way up her apartment. Sheldon didn't really know what to say to her. He tried to make sense of the things he learned so far in his head. Bernadette had insulted her somehow. It had to do with sex. Why was it always about sex.
The only thing he knew for sure, was that Bernadette would get a strike for her behaviour.
Sheldon moved to Amy's kitchen and filled the kettle with water. "What are you doing, Sheldon?" Amy asked, sounding tired.
"You're upset," he stated the obvious. "I'm making you a hot beverage."
Amy just sighed, and sat down on the couch. Sheldon busied himself with preparing her a cup of chamomile tea. It was the best hot beverage to calm her down, he had come to learn over the years. He had spent a lot of time trying to cheer her up when she was upset, and chamomile tea always worked.
He took off his windbreaker and took his usual seat next to her on the couch.
Amy had stopped crying, but she reminded him of how she had looked that one time they cuddled on the very same couch. She looked sad and lost. Defeated somehow.
"Will you tell me why you're upset?" he asked.
Sheldon liked to think he had grown in this department. Understanding feelings. Well, trying to understand them at least. And he came to learn that Amy liked to share her feelings with him.
"It doesn't matter," Amy mumbled, reaching over for her tea. "Bernadette just pointed out the truth to me. I shouldn't be upset about that."
Sheldon looked at her pensively. No one wants you to express yours, Bernadette had said, while talking about Amy's sexuality. He didn't understand.
"What did she mean by that, the sexuality remark?" he asked.
Amy blushed. "Nothing," she muttered. "Bernadette was asked to be in a magazine article about the sexiest female scientists of California. It was incredibly sexist and I sent an e-mail to the magazine, telling them so. She was mad at me for that. Saying I don't want people to express their sexuality."
Sheldon raised his eyebrows. He tried to make sense of it. But feelings were complicated, and he didn't understand them without Amy explicitly telling him what she felt and why that was.
"And she upset you," he concluded, "by saying no one wants you to express your sexuality?"
Amy looked at him angrily. "Yes," she hissed. "Well, it's true, isn't it? My own boyfriend doesn't even want me to, why would others think differently?"
Sheldon balked back. He was flummoxed. Why would she say that?
Furthermore, when he had expressed a desire for her not to express her sexuality? They had had Dungeons & Dragons sex on his bed for crying out loud! What more could she want? They were moving so fast already.
He had also recently come to the conclusion that he loved her, even. His alien parasite theory did not work out. He had planned to tell her, the opportune moment just hadn't presented itself.
Also, her invitation to be a part of the magazine article must have gotten lost in the mail or was blocked by her spam filter, because Sheldon knew no other female scientist as sexy as Amy.
Perhaps he should say something to make her change her mind about this. But he just didn't know how to respond to Amy when she was like this. What if he said the wrong thing? That happened more often than not, after all.
"Sheldon," Amy said questioningly, when he remained silent. He looked at her. She had a determined look about her.
"Yes?" he asked.
"Do you remember the last time I was upset with Bernadette?" she asked, her voice breaking a little.
Sheldon stared at her. Of course he remembered. He had an eidetic memory. He just nodded in response.
"C-Could we cuddle again, maybe?" Amy asked quietly.
Sheldon had been willing to do something else entirely, but cuddling sounded much less tedious than what he had had in mind. "Of course," he said, trying to sound open to her. Accepting.
Amy gave him a grateful smile, and got off of the couch. Hesitantly she walked over to him. Sheldon looked up at her. She was awfully close all of a sudden.
Amy bent down, her hands on his shoulders. She was trembling. "Can I sit here?" she mumbled.
Sheldon stared at her. Sit where? He was sitting there, this was where he sat when he was over here. Why didn't she just scoot over like last time, so she was sitting next to him? Was he supposed to get up and move over on the couch? It made no sense.
He didn't want to upset her further though, and nodded to her. He could move over, he figured. He was just about to get up and scoot over, when Amy pushed against his shoulders, moved forward and sat down sideways on his bent legs.
Sheldon swallowed thickly. The thought that she had wanted to sit down in his lap hadn't occurred to him.
He hoped that he could keep his body in check with her practically sitting atop his bathing suit area.
Amy was tense in his lap. "I'll get off, I'm probably too heavy," she mumbled.
Sheldon moved his right arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him.
Sheldon sighed in exasperation. He swung his other arm over her legs, holding her firmly against him. It had been months – years maybe – since he had seen her this insecure. Maybe Bernadette deserved an additional strike.
"You're not," Sheldon said firmly, and he moved his thumb over her knee repetitively. Amy scoffed, and it made Sheldon think she didn't believe him. Why wouldn't she? He never lied to her or anyone. It was one of his biggest flaws, being unable to lie.
He pulled her even closer, and kissed her temple. "You're not too heavy," he muttered into her hair, "and I do want you to express your sexuality."
Amy scoffed again.
It angered Sheldon somehow. He couldn't be more clear with what he just said. Why did Amy keep acting as if she didn't believe him? Had Bernadette triggered her old insecurities with her earlier comments?
Weren't they past this? Sheldon really saw no reason for her to be referring to her old insecure self. They had a physical relationship now – they once kissed in public even! – and she was doing well at work. Besides that, she was also an accepted member of their social group.
He racked his brain to see how he could make her see reason.
The last time he had to take measures of sorts, they ended up having make-believe sex in the Dungeons & Dragons universe. That wouldn't fly now. Besides, she was sitting in his lap already. Their bodies were touching all over.
Maybe he should use that somehow?
Amy seemed to be upset about something related to sex. Didn't she feel desirable perhaps? Was that what she meant with her earlier comments about no one wanting her to express her sexuality? It added up to her dismissive attitude just now.
Sheldon suddenly had an epiphany.
Sure, it wasn't date night, but he could bend the rules a bit. He hated seeing Amy upset.
So, he pulled her even closer and kissed her cheek this time. It was wet and salty. She was still crying. Amy hiccupped softly.
Sheldon continued to kiss away the residue of the tears on her cheeks, moving closer to her mouth in the process. He heard her breathing get more shallow with each kiss he pressed to her cheek. He had reached the corner of her mouth now. Amy trembled a bit.
His mouth covered hers and she inhaled softly. Her lips were compliant under his. They kissed for a while, and Sheldon could feel the tingles in his abdomen that were there every time they did this. They were always there whenever Amy was around nowadays. It was even worse whenever they were close like this.
Amy whimpered into his mouth, her lips opening over his. Sheldon's grip on her thigh increased. It felt like a prelude to a so-called "French kiss". They had done that twice now, and Sheldon still hadn't taken the time necessary to evaluate it properly. Every time he tried to, the tingles in his lower body appeared again and he had to take a cold shower in the middle of the day. He didn't know what to think of that.
Amy's tongue brushed across his lips and he thought he might as well go along. She needed this. And he could go as far as to admit that he didn't mind the tingles that much.
Their tongues met between their mouths, and Sheldon enjoyed the softness and even the wetness that came along with it. But most of all, he enjoyed the little whimpering sounds Amy made with each brush of their mouths against each other.
With her in his lap like this, she was closer than ever. Their usual kisses didn't involve touching of their bathing suit areas, and she was radiating so much heat onto him.
He couldn't stop the tingles from doing what they always did to him. The heat coming off her combined with their tongues moving against each other was too much for him. Usually he managed to keep his genitals in check – albeit barely – but now…
He pulled back from her, breathing heavily. Amy was flushed, her lips were red and swollen and glistening.
The sight only worsened the situation in his pants.
But maybe that was a good thing? Wasn't Amy insecure about being desirable?
Amy was looking at him, her eyes searching his. Perhaps she wondered why he had stopped her.
"Amy," he mumbled. He pushed her up and off his lap, and her face fell. Quickly, he turned by her hips about 90 degrees, and pulled her back towards him.
Her skirt constricted her movements down, making it unable for her to sit on his lap the way he intended: facing him, with that scorching heat pressing against him fully.
He groaned softly in frustration, and pushed up her skirt just enough to be able to pull her into his lap again. Amy gasped, and Sheldon quickly covered her mouth with his again. His tongue sought hers out this time. Amy met him readily.
Sheldon still hadn't let go of her hips, and he pulled her closer toward him. He pressed his hips up at the same time, making the hard bulge between his legs push up against the heat between hers.
Amy mewled into his mouth and pulled back in shock. She stared at him with wide eyes.
Sheldon was panting softly. He held her gaze steadily and pulled her hips down again. Amy gasped. Sheldon groaned. He pushed up into her. And again. And again.
The flush moving from Amy's neck to her face was one of the most fascinating things he had ever seen in his life.
"Do you feel what you do to me when you express your sexuality, Amy?" he whispered.
She blushed fully in response, her mouth still open in shock.
Her skirt had moved up, it was practically bunched around her waist. His clothed hardness brushed against the heat covered by just her tights and underwear now. Sheldon pulled her to him again, and his head fell in her neck at the sensation. She smelled so good.
He was going to make a mess of his pants if they kept this up. There was a reason he took care of this in the shower. But Amy was making the whimpering sounds again she usually made when they kissed, only now much more frequently and much louder, and he really had no choice but to keep this up.
Amy kept on moving against him. She had found a rhythm of sorts. Sheldon was breathing into her neck, thinking of anything to keep from losing it. He was reciting Pi to a thousand places and had just reached the 224th place, when Amy stiffened against him. She cried out softly and gasped for air.
As she trembled against him after falling forward, her chest heaving, he could faintly feel her throb between her legs against him. He eased her off him slightly. This heated throbbing would certainly set him off.
Amy was catching her breath, while Sheldon desperately conjured up any disgusting image he could think of. Horror movies, amputees in the street, the face-melting scene in Raiders, dirty people on the bus… His treacherous mind kept going back to the way Amy cried out and trembled against him however.
Amy pulled back from his neck, looking at him with a look of wonderment. If she was blushing before, there were no words to describe the current hue around her.
"Sheldon," she mumbled.
Sheldon thought he might look crazed now. He was painfully hard still. Amy's hand moved to the bulge in his pants, but he grasped her wrist just in time.
"Don't," he muttered. "I don't have any extra pants here," he added, when he saw the rejected look on her face.
She nodded, and bit her lip to keep from smiling. It looked far too appealing. Sheldon closed his eyes and continued his reciting of Pi. When he reached the 500th decimal, he felt calmed down enough to open his eyes again.
Amy was still regarding him with a look of appreciation he had never seen before. He gave her a pained smile. She smiled back at him, radiant almost.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Sheldon frowned at her. "There's no need to thank me, Amy," he said. "But I think it's safe to say this way of cheering you up, works better than any hot beverage I ever made you."
END
