Penny carefully slides both laundry baskets down by the side of her bed. It didn't take as long as she thought, she'd managed it in only four trips. One for both full laundry baskets, one for everything from his closets (so. much. cosplay!) and one for his pre-laid out pyjamas, robe and emergency earthquake kit. She was especially proud of herself for remembering that.
She'd dug armfuls of clothes out of her closet to hang his cosplay. This might be a war, but if he found a wrinkle in his things, who knows, this could turn into a homicide.
"So we've narrowed it down to Mystic Warlords of Ka'a, one and a half rounds of Guitar Hero before Sheldon's no hootenannies after 10pm curfew takes effect, or, and I cannot stress how much I don't want to do this one, renting giant mascot costumes and trolling the nearest sports bars." Leonard casts a withering look at Howard. They stop on the stairs outside the apartment as Leonard searches his bag for his keys.
"Oh come on, it's full proof! It combines the unstoppably powerful force of a woman's love for stuffed animals with copious amounts of liquor, it's a sure thing!"
"It's degrading and a potentially claustrophobia inducing event."
"I back you up 9 times out of 10 dude but even I draw the line at that one." Raj mumbles. "Besides I bought the new Ka'a expansion pack "When Pigs Fly", it comes with all the major trophies but to get the bonus round you have to match up 2 impossible things from the previous turn-"
Sheldon bursts out of the door, wearing nothing but Penny's violently pink sweatpants.
"Holy...crap did we fall into the expansion pack?" Raj blinks.
"I think I'm having a stroke. Do strokes come with hallucinations?" Howard stares as Sheldon starts hammering on Penny's door. "Someone take a picture, some take a picture."
"Can't, transfixed with horror." Leonard still has his hand in his bag, keys completely forgotten.
BANG-BANG-BANG "PENNY!"
BANG-BANG-BANG "PENNY!"
BANG-BANG-BANG "PENNY!"
The look on Sheldon's face is so passed fury that Leonard tries to take a step back through the wall.
"Oh boy."
"Should we help?" Raj asks.
"Help!? Help how?! I'm not getting in the middle of Junior Rodeo Barbie and what looks like the new limited edition Preying Mantis Ken, now with homicidal rage!" Howard stage whispers.
"I vote run." Says Leonard turning on his heel.
"Second."
"Third."
BANG-BANG-BANG "PENNY!"
BANG-BANG-BANG "PENNY!"
BANG-BANG-BANG "PENNY!"
Penny grins, waiting just a couple of moments more before answering the door. Sheldon nearly fills the doorway, shirtless, hair still in damp tufts, dressed in nothing but her pink sweatpants. His hands are balled tightly into fists. She bites her cheek to keep the laughter from bubbling up out of her.
"Hey, Juicy. What's up?"
"Penny WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES?!"
"Your clothes?"
"I TOOK MY SHOWER AND WHEN I CAME BACK TO MY ROOM THEY WERE GONE!"
"Oh sweetie, you left your clothes unnattended? Despite the sign thingy saying Do Not Leave Laundry Unattended?" She couldn't help a smirk this time, his left eye was really starting to twitch.
"I have no such sign in my room, return my clothes immediately!"
"Not until you get mine down first."
"Dressed in what?!"
"Dressed in those." She nods towards the pink sweatpants that are doing remarkably little in providing cover for Sheldon's legs and hips. Leaving almost nothing to the imagination.
Her gaze travels lower.
Wow… really nothing to the imagination. Interesting...
She was right about his legs…
She smiles up at him. But his eyes aren't looking back at her, they're scanning her apartment.
"I only shower for 15 minutes. Considering the time it would've taken you to unpack my clothes, and the distinctive lack of perspiration when you opened the door you haven't had a chance to hide them anywhere else in the building. Taking into account the size of both our laundry baskets and the width of your kitchen island-," his eyes snap back to hers, "-you've hidden them in your room."
He moves to walk passed her but she blocks his way.
"Don't you dare go in my room, Sheldon."
He slips around her, heading for her bedroom.
"SHELDON!" At the doorway she makes a grab for him and as her hand connects with his arm he freezes. His eyes turn jet black as he turns towards her and she fumbles. All of his full attention is fixed on her. Furiously burning. She feels her knees beginning to tremble.
Oh boy. That's a look you don't just shake off.
She glances at his lips, and feels herself leaning in.
Whoa whoa whoa, wait- easy, girl-
"Look, Sheldon," she manages to stumble out, "this is getting out of hand, let's just call it quits, Ok?"
He grits his teeth, leaning further towards her.
"If you want to apologise to me, that is a spectacularly poor attempt."
"I'M not apologising you lunatic I just think, you know, we should call it a… a draw. Let's just stop now before we do something we can't take back."
"Then concede, and I win." Theres a twitch to his lips but it's not his trademark smirk, betraying just a hint of disappointment.
"No you don't win, I'm just trying to give you an out!" She flares.
"Penny." His voice sounds calm, but there's a serious knife edge underneath it. "I'm might be cold, and damp, and humiliating as my current attire is, if you think that's enough to best me you are sorely mistaken."
He intends to step away from her, retrieve is laundry basket and leave, but her hand is still on his arm, and those ferocious eyes are digging into him. Before he can stop himself he's leaning in, closing the gap between them.
Those eyes, those burning angry eyes… offset by the soft beauty of her cheeks, her hair, those lips-
Her hand doesn't leave his wrist as he reaches up and grabs her by the back of the neck, crushing her arm between them as he sinks his lips down on hers.