Disclaimer: I do not own The Big Bang Theory, nor any recognisable characters or settings, the only thing I can lay claim to is the writing of these stories themselves.

Warnings: None in this chapter

Pairings: Sheldon and Penny

Word Count: 1,593

A/N Alright guys this is day 3 of my non-sexual relationship actions and I have to say that even though these chapters are much shorter than what I am used to writing (and I mean mega shorter than my other stories) I am enjoying them immensely. It is interesting for me to try and cut down how much I write in a chapter. Normally it would take me days, sometimes an entire week, to write up a chapter but this is giving me a time limit. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and I hope to get the next one up tomorrow evening!

Reading a book together

He couldn't fathom why he was here; why he had agreed to do this. He couldn't even make sense of how he had been tricked into doing something like this again. Penny just simply wasn't the best at grasping the most basic of sciences him and the guys use to talk about; so he wasn't sure why Penny had asked him of all people to teach her more about the solar system and the planets and stars. Yet, here he stood. A black marker in his hand as he tried once more to explain the solar system and the planets in it to the waitress.

"So, the Earth isn't the closest planet to the sun?"

Sheldon rolls his eyes, a habit he had picked up only recently due to the extortionate amount of time he had been hanging out with his blonde neighbour these past couple of days. Penny just smiles at his sheepishly and the expression helps to stave of his own mounting frustration, knowing that she wasn't doing this just to 'push his buttons' as the popular phrase goes.

"No Penny. Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun. It has, compared to that of the other planets, a very elliptical orbit and can range from between 46 million kilometres to 69.8 million kilometres at various times during its orbit. Whereas the Earth is at an average of 149.6 million kilometres and takes exactly 1 sidereal year to complete a full circuit."

Sheldon sighs softly at the blank look Penny is directing towards him, her eyebrows furrowing, showing her confusion at his technical and highly scientific explanation. Yet, he doesn't feel as irritated as he would have been if it were Howard or Leonard, he had been attempting to explain these things to.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon. Here you are wasting your free time trying to teach me all this and I just cant seem to remember that Mercury and Venus have no moons in orbit or that Uranus is mainly made up of ice compared to Jupiter and Saturn which are predominantly made up of hydrogen and helium."

Penny sighs this time, dragging a hang through her already mussed hair. Something she had taken to doing frequently during their mini lesson. Sheldon doesn't respond at first, his blue eyes are blown wide as he stares down at the despondent waitress perched in his seat on the sofa. His brain trying to process all that she had just said.

"Penny…"

The blonde looks up slowly, her dejected expression quickly changing to that of awed surprise once her words have processed through her own mind. A bright smile spreads across her lips as her eyes widen, much like her neighbours, and she jumps up excitedly. Clapping her hands in front of her chest, Penny laughs joyfully and without thought, throws herself at Sheldon. Not really caring much when she feels him tensing up under her embrace. A moment passes before Sheldon reaches his own arms around slowly wrapping one around her back while the other pats her shoulder blade delicately.

"Oh my gosh! Sheldon, you are brilliant! Thank you so much!"

"There, there, Penny. I am very proud of you."

Pulling back at his comment, Penny can feel her smile shrinking, not out of disappointment but into a soft, almost affectionate, smile to which her quirky scientist responds with a matching expression of his own. Retracting her arms slowly, Penny chuckles lightly.

"Are you really?"

"Of course, I am Penny. You have managed to grasp some aspects of what I have been trying to teach you. You have done well."

Penny hugs him once more, pleased when she senses less hesitation in Sheldon's return than he had had previously. Progress in her eyes. She gives him one more tight squeeze before pulling back completely. She retreats back to the sofa, sliding into 'her spot' in the middle of the coach and gestures for Sheldon to sit down next to her.

He does so with little hesitation, only casting a confused glance at his whiteboard as he shuffles closer to the blonde, allowing himself to settle comfortably into his spot. Sheldon turns his attention to his friend waiting for her to speak.

"Sheldon?"

"Yes, Penny?"

The blonde waitress shifts in her seat, dropping her notebook onto the coffee table before meeting Sheldon's gaze. Her eyes staring into his, never having noticed before how blue his eyes really were and how pretty they were. She inwardly shakes her head before taking a deep breath.

"I don't wanna continue this lesson right now. How about we take a break."

"Alrighty."

Sheldon obliges instantly, knowing that no matter what he thought or said on the matter, Penny had already made up her mind to take a break, most likely for the rest of the day, from their lesson on space. He glances around his living room for something that the two of them could do; his gaze lands on a comic book that he had left out on the side table. Something he had taken out that morning on a whim.

Penny is surprised that her wacky neighbour had agreed with her so quickly, but she isn't at all surprised when she watches as he reaches across the arm of the sofa to pick up a comic book which he must have been reading earlier. She rolls her eyes when he opens the small book to what appeared to be the front page as he settles back into his seat making himself comfortable once more. Though, what does shock her is when Sheldon's soothing voice, a slight hint of his Texan drawl coming through as he begins to read the comic strip out loud.

Deciding not to make a comment on this strange turn of events, Penny sighs happily, never wanting to admit out loud that she loved the sound of Sheldon's voice even when he was belittling either her or his other friends. It always seemed to have an instant calming effect on her body, making her almost lethargic. She rests her head back against the top of the sofa and closes her eyes, letting Sheldon's voice wash over her.

Sheldon pauses in his reading for a second, his eyes flickering over Penny's still form and he smiles at how serene she looks; how peaceful and angelic she appears when she is relaxed completely and, in his presence, no less. He turns his eyes back to the page he is reading and continues where he left off.

The pair continue on in this fashion for the next 15 minutes before Penny shuffles closer to the scientist, resting her head gently on his shoulder. She giggles softly when she feels him stiffening up under her action, his head turning a few degrees in order to glance down at her, though her position doesn't grant him a full look at her face.

"Penny. What are you doing? You are invading my personal response and I can tell you that I am no longer comfortable with your close proximity…"

Giggling again, Penny snuggles closer to Sheldon's warmth and breaths deeply, taking in the familiar scent that is simply Sheldon. She brings her feet up from the floor, kicking her shoes off before curling her legs up under her body so that she is leaning more steadily against Sheldon's side. She feels him relaxing slowly, his muscles twitching every now and again as he shifts in his seat.

"I just wanted to see the pictures, Moonpie."

"Penny. You are perfectly capable of looking at the images from your own seat, there is no need for you to invade my personal proximity."

"There is every need, Sweetie. You are comfy."

Sheldon pauses to consider her statement, not understanding how his shoulder; a joint composed of solid bone, little ligaments, thin layers of skin and barely any muscle could be considered comfortable to anyone. He glances down at Penny and has to agree that she does look relatively comfortable against his side. Her weight feeling almost right pressed against his side. Sheldon sighs in resignation, leaning back into the back of the coach before he carefully lifts his right arm up, placing the appendix around the woman's shoulder, tugging her closer to his chest.

He feels her inhale sharply at his action and one of her arms as it snakes around his back, her delicate fingers clutching at the material of his shirt on his left hip.

"Sheldon?"

Penny's voice is barely above a whisper and Sheldon can hear the confusion lacing her tone.

"This position will not only allow for me to continue reading the comic to you but it will not results in a crick in the neck for you nor a tingling feeling in my arm due to a loss of correct blood circulation commonly known as 'pins and needles'."

Accepting his answer, Penny snuggles comfortable against Sheldon's chest surprised by how firm the muscles feel and how steady his heartbeat is beating in her ear. She sighs contently and relaxes back into her neighbour's embrace as his Texan lilted tone fills the room once more. She finds herself enjoying the story far more than she could have possible predicted.

Or maybe it was all down to present company.