Chapter 30: Date Night

"Hulk agrees to second date with petty human." - Sheldon

On January 14th, Carly walked through the supermarket with purpose. She had informed Sheldon that she would be preparing dinner for them for their date night, so she had planned an elaborate setup for him.

Carly loved Sheldon, with every fiber of her being. The fact she was able to cook for him, and hopefully make him happy, was exciting. She picked up the ingredients for spaghetti and hot dogs, while also grabbing the ingredients for brownies- remembering he had told her they were his favorite dessert.

She also needed some staples for her apartment while she was there, like milk and eggs, so as she was browsing the dairy section- she was surprised to see a familiar face.

"Tom?" She asked in disbelief, walking over to him with her cart. He tore his eyes from the yogurt section and turned to her in surprise, holding a basket in his hand.

"Carly? Hey, how's it going?" He said with a warm grin, reminding her immediately of how friendly he'd always been.

"It's fine. I'm surprised to see you here. Don't you live in Burbank?"

Tom gave her a guilty smile. "I did, but I actually got promoted and I'm working here in Pasadena now. My lease was up at my apartment so I secured a new one over here," he explained smoothly and she blinked in surprise.

"Wow! Congratulations on your promotion then! I'm happy for you."

Tom returned her bright smile. "Thank you. How are you doing? Did you have a nice Christmas?"

Carly quickly thought back to just how nice her Christmas had been. "It was wonderful, actually. Sheldon and I went down to Texas to spend it with his family."

Tom's eyebrows rose. "Texas? That's down in the gulf, isn't it?"

Carly nodded, quickly remembering that Tom wasn't from America. She usually glossed over his heavy accent. "Yeah, it is. Sheldon's from there."

"I see. Well, I'm glad you had a good time with him and that you're still doing well," he told her earnestly and she smiled shyly.

"Yeah... we are. Better than before actually. It's like... when he came back and we got over our issues, we started over and it's been amazing."

Tom smiled, the likes by his eyes crinkling. "That's wonderful to hear, Carly. If he ever breaks your heart again, let me know. I know a little martial arts," he joked and Carly widened her eyes.

"Do you?"

Tom laughed and shrugged sheepishly. "Enough to get by. But I do mean it. He doesn't know how you were when I met you."

Carly shook her head, feeling confident in her boyfriend. Now more than ever. "It won't be needed, but I do appreciate the sentiment."

Tom's smile softened and glanced down at her cart with interest. "Spaghetti night?"

Carly looked down and then grinned. "Yes, actually. I'm cooking for Sheldon. It's our date night."

Tom rose his eyebrows. "Wow, I'm jealous. Having your girlfriend cook for you is something special in all countries."

Carly blushed slightly and looked away. "Yes well, I hope he likes it. He's rather particular about food."

Tom clasped his basket with both hands in front of him. "I'm sure he'll enjoy anything you make him. I can tell he really cares about you if Thanksgiving wasn't enough proof. I've seen the way he looks at you."

Carly swallowed thickly, always uncomfortable with compliments and the like. "I hope."

Tom smiled at her demure expression and then took a deep breath. "Well, have a great time with Sheldon. It was nice seeing you."

Carly looked up in surprise at his abrupt departure. "Oh, yes. Thank you. Uh, take care."

Tom waved with a smile before disappearing down an aisle and away from her. Carly sighed. She was glad that he was doing well for himself, but she still wished he would still be around for her grandmother...

Steeling herself away from those gloomy thoughts, she went over and grabbed a carton of Yoo-hoo. She was pulling out all the stops for her boyfriend tonight.

Later that evening, Carly left for her bedroom to get ready with her apartment smelling heavily like brownies. She figured the whole second floor probably smelled like it.

The spaghetti was warming on the stove and she expected Sheldon to be there within thirty minutes. She took a very quick shower, dried her hair, and then donned a white frock dress with tiny black dots. It was short-sleeved and had a cinched waist. She normally wore it during warmer months but as she wasn't planning on going out, she decided to wear it.

She slid her sneakers on to complete the look and gave herself a one-over. Between her breasts hung the necklace Mary had given her and she fingered it gently, smiling to herself.

Looking at it always made her feel special and that everything that has happened to her was indeed real and not just some romantic dream she had conjured up.

Just as she was exiting her bedroom, she heard Sheldon's three consecutive knocks. Smiling to herself, she bounded over and swung open the door.

He looked slightly startled by her sudden appearance but relaxed into a smile when he met her eyes. "Hello, Carly."

Her smile widened and she glanced him over appreciatively. He wore a gray blazer over a blue and white striped button-up, with matching gray slacks. He looked absolutely mouth-watering.

"Hi, Sheldon. Come in," she greeted and stepped aside.

He nodded in thanks as he walked in. As she closed the door, Sheldon rounded on her. "You did bake brownies!" He exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "I told Leonard I could smell them and he just told me that I was imagining it."

Carly nodded happily and walked around him to the kitchen. "I did," she confirmed. "I also made this..." As she said it, she took the lid from the pan and let Sheldon approach the stove in interest.

As soon as he saw what it was, his eyes looked like they would pop out and a boyish grin overtook him. Carly's heart fluttered wildly at the sight.

"Spaghetti with little pieces of hot dog cut up in it!? Carly- you shouldn't have!"

Carly met his excited gaze and blushed slightly. "I wanted to make you your favorites... I hope I did it justice."

Sheldon shook his head quickly, dismissing her words. "It's going to be perfect."

Carly bit her lip and grabbed the pan with both hands by the handles. "I hope," she said, smiling.

He followed her to the table that had already been set for their dinner date.

"Oh, I did make salad too. Hang on," she told him sitting the pan down between their plates and spun back around to the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with a small bowl of tossed salad and a bottle of Yoo-hoo.

At the sight, Sheldon gasped dramatically, placing a hand on his heart. "You got me Yoo-hoo too?" He whispered in disbelief as she handed it to him with a smile.

"Of course. You can't have spaghetti with hot dogs without it," she teased and gave him a wink.

Sheldon's eyes changed and he sat the Yoo-hoo down on his side of the table. She watched raptly as he then approached her, his eyes searching hers for something she couldn't decipher.

His hands took her by the waist and she gasped lightly when he pulled her to him, her hands going up in shock at his chest. "Thank you," he murmured softly to her, causing her heart to beat wildly.

"I... You're welcome, Sheldon," she breathed back, lost in the color of his eyes.

Right before she could have sworn he was going to kiss her, he released her and went over to sit down.

Standing there disoriented and confused, Carly blinked repeatedly to try and grasp her bearings.

She turned her eyes to him, watching him smirk to himself as he spooned spaghetti onto his plate. She narrowed her eyes and sat down across from him.

"That wasn't very nice," she scolded and he grinned.

"Everyone knows you shouldn't have dessert before dinner," he wisecracked and she scrunched her nose at him, making his smile grow wider.

She grumpily got salad for herself.

Noticing her sulk, he took the moment after they filled their plates to scold her. "Hey, it's date night. You're not allowed to pout or be grumpy."

Carly straightened in her chair and gave him a slight smile. "You're right, I'm sorry."

"You should be. We're about to eat the best dinner known to man- and oh hey, while we're at it, no crying either."

She tilted her head curiously with an amused smile. "But why would I cry?"

Sheldon shrugged aimlessly. "How should I know? You cry at the most random times. If you were an equation, you'd be nonlinear."

Carly laughed lightly at his words and rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I promise I won't cry."

Sheldon was pleased with her answer. Once settled, they began eating and Sheldon made an "mmm" sound.

She felt better knowing he liked it. They ate in companionable silence, with only speaking lightly about the food and their day. As they neared the end of their meal, Carly looked outside and saw the sunset. She bit her lip, setting her fork down gently. It felt so romantic all of a sudden.

She took in the sights of purple, pinks, and oranges and smiled. "The sky's so pretty," she mused lightly and glanced to see Sheldon following her line of sight.

He tilted his head and shrugged with a shoulder. "I suppose... but did you know that the sun doesn't actually change color? We can only see it that way because the sun's wavelengths react with the difference in the atmosphere."

Carly turned to face him in surprise. "Really? That's interesting."

Sheldon's lips curved at her wonderous gaze and explained further. "As sunlight reaches the Earth's atmosphere, it mixes with other gas molecules and travels through water droplets, resulting in a color change. The sunlight then scatters and breaks down into a wide range of colors like orange, red, and yellow- as you see there."

Carly stared at him, mystified. He never ceased to impress her with what he knew. It was as if he was a walking encyclopedia.

At her wordless but intense stare, Sheldon felt a blush creep up his neck and he looked down with a nervous lick of his lips. "What?"

Carly's face broke out into a smile, her eyes glittering from the sun out the window. "I'm just impressed by how smart you are."

Sheldon had of course been called smart, brilliant, or a genius all his life. Yet the way she had said it made him feel even more important. He cleared his throat and tried to retain a matter of composure. "Of course you are."

She laughed lightly and he smiled softly at the sound. He loved making her laugh.

After dinner, Sheldon helped her clear the table, and then they sat on her couch to enjoy brownies and tea.

Sheldon bit into the brownie with excitement and just about died with how wonderful it tasted. He turned his eyes to her in awe. "These are by far the best brownies I've ever had."

Carly's face turned a cute color of pink at his praise and she ducked her head with a bashful smile. "I'm glad you like them. I made extra so you can take some home with you."

Sheldon's heart jumped. "Really? Thank you!"

Carly grinned at his childlike excitement and enjoyed her own brownie. "Do you want to watch something?" She wondered to him, unsure of what they should do next to pass the time. She was enjoying herself immensely just being with him but she didn't want him to become bored.

Sheldon considered the tv but then he shook his head. "I'd rather just spend the time together with you if you don't mind," he confessed, with a little embarrassment.

Carly shook her head. "Not at all. I'm enjoying the evening so far."

Sheldon smiled. "As am I. I'm looking forward to February 14th for our next date night."

Carly's smile faltered at that. February 14th was obviously Valentine's Day and she'd never had a boyfriend on the holiday before. Sheldon was always against all holidays, from what she knew, and he absolutely loathed romance and sentimentality. There was no way he'd want to do anything romantic for Valentine's Day. Did he?

She decided to use his words to try and feel him out on the subject. "Isn't February 14th, Valentine's Day?"

Sheldon, who'd been finishing off his brownie in elated silence, froze when she asked the question. Had he not realized what day it would be?

He uneasily glanced at her once before looking down at the ground. "I... yes, it is."

Carly swallowed, unsure how to broach the topic as his reaction to it seemed to be rather disheartening. "We don't need to do anything elaborate, of course. Maybe you can cook for me this time and-"

Sheldon stood suddenly, cutting her off, and took his and her empty saucers to the sink and rinsed them off. She followed him, worry etched on her features.

Once he turned the water off, he stood there with his back to her for a long moment. She waited patiently, knowing he'd speak to her when he was ready.

A couple of beats later, he finally spoke but didn't turn around. "Do you want to do something special for Valentine's Day?"

Carly strained her ears to hear his soft question but tensed, unsure of what the appropriate answer was. "Um, well, I- I haven't had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day before, until now, so I wouldn't even know what to do."

Sheldon turned around finally and regarded her with an unreadable expression. "Even I know the protocol for such a holiday is for the boyfriend to shower the girlfriend with romance, chocolate, and flowers. Isn't that what you'd want?"

Carly frowned at him. He was obviously bothered by this. She stood and walked over to him. "No, I don't need any of that. You've done so much for me already. Besides, it's our date night so, we can just do whatever you'd like to do."

Sheldon gazed at her silently for a moment and she bit her lip anxiously. What was he thinking? She could see the wheels literally turning behind his eyes.

"I don't like romantic restaurants," he told her suddenly and she reached over and took his hand. He tensed at the touch and she chalked it up to his nerves about what they were talking about.

"I know, and we don't have to go to one."

Sheldon linked their fingers together and looked down at their hands. "And I know flowers make you sneeze."

Carly smiled at his words. "They do."

"Do you want chocolate then?" He glanced up at her, curious to see what her reaction was and she took a second to gather her wits.

"I... I'd rather just spend time with you."

"You didn't answer the question, Carly," he stated softly and began pulling her close to him. She allowed it while her heart sped up at the sudden nearness, she looked away from him demurely. When she didn't reply, Sheldon used his other hand to lift her chin with his fingers, making her look at him. "Well?"

Carly's breath hitched and she tried not to choke on her words as his eyes held hers so intently. "I... no. I don't-"

She broke off when his eyes changed and she didn't know how to read them.

"You do, don't you?" He murmured gently, while securing a strand of hair behind her ear, his eyes searching her face for something in particular.

He dropped his hand and lazily drew his fingers upon her collarbone. Carly briefly felt the air in the apartment get warmer. "I, what?" She had momentarily forgotten what they'd been talking about.

Sheldon smiled fondly and then leaned forward to press his forehead along hers. Did he know what he doing? Was he purposefully trying to drive her mad, because it was working.

"You want it," he breathed, making her heart jump and a spark of arousal shoot through her. "Tell me you want it."

She drew in a ragged breath, her eyes briefly closing as she melted into his arms. Yes, she wanted it. If by it, he meant him.

He released her hand and took her waist with both of his hands, and then ran them up to her back sensually. She arched into him slightly, and he smiled before lowering his mouth to softly brush against the side of hers- not quite kissing her and leaving her unsatisfied.

"Tell me, Carly," he urged her again, his voice a little over a whisper. His lips brushed her cheek as he spoke, making her shiver.

"I...!" She gasped when he slid his hands down and grasped her posterior, pulling her flush up against him. Her breath left her and her mind went completely blank.

"I'm getting impatient," he warned as he pressed kisses down her jaw and to her neck. He kneaded her fleshy backside and kept her to him, unwilling to let her go until she answered him.

She clutched the lapels of his blazer with tight fingers, intoxicated. He was driving her insane, and he knew it. This new side of him was exhilarating.

When Sheldon bit down on the skin between her neck and collarbone, she finally gave him what he wanted with a breathy cry, "Oh god I want it, Sheldon!"

And just like that, Sheldon was gone.

Carly stood three feet away from him, disoriented, and turned on more than she had been in her whole life. She could literally feel how wet she was and her body begged him to touch her again. Instead, she was left cold and empty.

Sheldon just gave her a pleased smile. "I'll buy you chocolates then. Do you prefer milk or dark chocolate?"

Carly gulped, blinking at him in complete and utter shock. He was... "Sheldon! That wasn't fair!"

He smirked and shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets smugly. "I have a few twisted quirks up my sleeve. You should see how red your face is and how dark your eyes are right now. It's similar to how you look right before you orgasm."

Carly bit back a gasp but was unable to hide her embarrassment and surprise at his blunt words. "So what, this is how you're going to treat me since you've seen that? Teasing me and making me suffer?"

"What kind of scientist would I be if I didn't use the data I've collected in our experiments to my advantage? But making you suffer? Not necessarily. Two weeks from now is Acceleration Night and then we can resume."

Carly blinked. Two weeks? She'd have to wait two weeks? Her body zinged and she knew without a doubt she wouldn't last that long. No, she needed him now.

Sheldon realized her change of mood and his hands slid out from his pockets warily as he observed her. "Carly, I... the relationship agreement clearly states that -"

"It only states that we have a set day to accelerate our physical relationship, Sheldon. It doesn't say anything about what we do in between," she pointed out smartly as she took a step toward him, intent on touching him if it was the last thing she'd do.

Sheldon jumped, noticing this, and he stepped back hastily, not realizing he was headed right for the wall. She grinned when she saw this and felt high on the sudden turn of events.

"Carly... we can't- we shouldn't," he stammered wildly as she continued to back him up into the corner.

"You started it," Carly childishly told him and he gulped, his eyes going wide.

His back finally hit the wall with a thud and he had nowhere else to go. He threw his hands up in front of him. "I didn't realize I would turn you into a crazed, sex-driven vixen, Carly Bennett!"

Carly grinned and couldn't help it, really she couldn't- she pounced.

Sheldon yelped and caught her awkwardly. Her hands went under his blazer and wrapped around him while she got on her tiptoes to land a rather clumsy but hungry kiss on his lips.

As soon as their lips met, the spark of excitement doubled. She pulled at his bottom lip, making him cry out and his hands instinctively go to her waist to hold her- if not more for his balance than hers.

He tried to keep up with her heated kiss and was thoroughly distracted by it to notice that she was pulling his shirt and undershirt from his trousers, needing to feel his bare skin and needing to feel it now.

As soon as she slid her hands up his bareback, he jolted and broke away from her mouth in alarm. Carly took the invitation to kiss his jawline and down his neck hotly, her hands moving over the planes of muscle before venturing over his chest hair and to his nipples.

Sheldon gasped, his head falling to the wall behind him as he allowed her to explore him. "Oh," he breathed, his mind spinning with questions on how'd he ended up there in this predicament and why on earth he didn't have the willpower to stop her.

Carly's hands roamed over him while sucking on his neck, drawing embarrassing whimpers out of his throat. Her touch made him feel like he'd burst into flames and yet he was welcoming it. If he'd been in any other situation, he'd need to get his brain checked.

As it was, whenever he enacted intimacy with her, his brain seemed to malfunction and leave him a man possessed with thirty years of pent-up sexual tension.

She stopped assaulting his neck to push his blazer off him and then threw it behind her, much to his shock. He stared at it, the itch to go and fold it neatly bothering him. The thought soon was thrown out the window as her hands slid under the buttons of his shirt and roughly tore it open, much to his astonishment.

"Carly!" He exclaimed in shock at her brash antics. His eyes found her amusing ones and she shook her head lightly.

"I need to see you... to touch you." Her voice shook him. She'd never spoken to him like that before. Something had changed in her. It sent a jolt of something he couldn't name down his body. Had he created a monster with his teasings?

He didn't know what to say to that and could only help her discard the offending shirt, followed by his white undershirt. Then, he was topless against the wall and looked down just in time for her arms to wrap around his waist while her mouth descended to his chest in chaste, wet kisses.

He exhaled greatly at the sight. She was practically worshipping his body. It made him feel lightheaded-

Knock, knock, knock!

Carly stopped, eyes flying up to Sheldon's in alarm. She stood up from his chest with him frozen under her, his hands on her arms. Who on earth would be there?

Sheldon cleared his throat awkwardly. "I... uh, we should-"

"Y-yeah," she broke off and made herself move away from him. Sheldon made himself snatch up his discarded clothes, both annoyed and relieved with the interruption. Carly had been completely out of control and it had sparked him with new arousal he'd never experienced before. God her mouth-

There was another knock as Carly approached the door on shaky legs. She jumped, and glance back at Sheldon who was struggling to get his clothes on with a flushed face. Swallowing down her nerves, she peered through her peephole and saw Penny.

"It's Penny," she whispered to him and Sheldon frowned in response. She turned back to open the door.

"Hey," Penny breathed. "I'm sorry to interrupt your date night but do you happen to have ginger? We're out and I'm trying out this new recipe-"

Sheldon appeared at Carly's side, staring down at her through narrowed eyes. Penny's widened at the sight of him. He was a disheveled mess.

"Geez, did I interrupt something?" She asked, a sheepish smile growing on her face.

"As a matter of fact you-"

"I'll go get the ginger!" Carly cut him off before he could elaborate. She spun around and ran for her spice cabinet.

"So... how's date night going?" Penny asked him with a waggle of her eyebrows. Sheldon stared down at her tersely.

"It's fine." They gazed at each other, Penny trying to read through the lines and Sheldon becoming tightlipped.

"Looks more than fine to me," she commented finally and turned to Carly who returned, handing the spice over.

"We were just having dessert," Carly admitted, giving her a breathless smile.

"Dessert you say?" Penny rose an eyebrow, smirking.

Carly blushed and Sheldon narrowed his eyes at the blond. "Since when do you and Leonard cook?" He asked her in suspicion. "The last time I checked you've barely been able to make Kraft macaroni and cheese."

Penny smiled fell from her face and she rolled her eyes. "It's called being innovative and trying something new."

Sheldon gave her a look of derision. "Well in the case, perhaps you should also consider who you're engaged to."

Penny was annoyed now. "All right, I'm leaving. I'll let you two get back to your... dessert, or whatever it is you're calling it."

Carly bit her lip with embarrassment and shut the door, before turning to see Sheldon walking back toward the couch. He bent down and took a gulp of his tea that had probably cooled down quite a bit.

"Are you okay?" She wondered uneasily. "I shouldn't have thrown myself at you as I did... you riled me up before and I..."

She trailed off when he turned back around, his eyes meeting hers. It was then that she realized why Penny had become suspicious of their previous actions. His hair was a mess and he had missed a hole in his shirt, causing the buttons to be askew.

"No need to apologize. As you said, I started it," he told her, tone surprisingly light- which did soothe her nerves. He turned back to the couch. "Besides, I'm not blind. I know how good I look in this outfit," he said offhandedly.

Carly laughed lightly and walked over before he could sit down, to stop him. She grabbed his shirt, surprising him by fixing his buttons. He probably thought she was going to assault him again. His hands fell to his sides to watch her and the smile playing on her lips as she spoke. "You do look extremely handsome when you're dressed up."

Sheldon's lips curved upwards at her words. When she was finished with the buttons, she lingered, her hands smoothing his collar out unnecessarily. His heart-clenching, he took her hands, stilling them from fussing over him.

Her eyes lifted, meeting his curiously.

"Carly... I-" he stopped, his mouth going dry. He quickly swallowed. "Thank you."

Carly tilted her head, giving him a small smile that lightened her eyes. "For what?"

Sheldon shook his head slightly, in awe of her. He couldn't quite pinpoint a single reason for his appreciation. There were too many. "For everything."

Carly's smile grew, holding his gaze- their eyes telling each other how they felt without words. Yet she tried anyways. "Thank you, as well. For... everything."

Sheldon's heart pounded deftly in his chest and he pulled her closer by her hands and released them only to hug her tightly. He pressed his nose into her hair, inhaling his favorite scent while closing his eyes.

His heart had found its home.