Chapter 32: Congratulations!
It seems Leonard has a surprise announcement for everyone. What could it be?
Penny looked over her husband's shoulder and studied couple entering the room. She took note of their slightly flushed faces, the look of love being shared between them, and the series of very prominent love bites on both their necks, "I see everything is back to normal with you two, down to the numerous hickies you're both sporting."
Sheldon gave her an annoyed look, then went over to the refrigerator and withdrew two bottles of water from one of the shelves, "Penny, we didn't come out here to the living room to have you take stock of the aftermath of our hot, incendiary lovemaking. Besides, at least we didn't treat the two of you to a plethora of carnal sound effects."
Leonard stared over at his friend and corrected him swiftly, "Uh, yeah you did, buddy."
Niki's eyes went wide and she gasped, "We did?"
Penny couldn't help herself, she gave an audible giggle and teased her friend, "Yep. It definitely sounded like you two were having a good ol' time in the sack."
Sheldon handed his wife one of the bottled waters and took a seat on the couch, inviting her to join him with a pat of the seat cushion, "Leonard, Penny, I have never denied the fact the Niki and I have a most healthy and enjoyable love life, but the same can be said for the both of you."
Niki took a sip of her water and decided to change the subject, she was dying to know what Leonard had to say, "Guys, guys, let's stop all the talk about our sex lives and move on to why Sheldon dragged me from a nice warm bed out here to the living room." She looked questioningly from her husband to his friend, "What is it I need to hear so badly?"
Leonard was brought back to the matter at hand and decided to prolong the suspense just a little longer, "Oh, that. Well, Niki, you have a very good reason to be proud of Sheldon."
She looked at her husband and nodded, then answered, "I'm already proud of him, Leonard, but continue."
Leonard's chest puffed out a bit and he announced with a wide smile on his face, "Niki, Penny, your husbands are this year's winners of the Sakurai Prize."
"O.M.G.!" was all Niki could manage.
Penny was confused and looked to her friend for an explanation, "Nik, what's a Sak…whatever it is, Prize."
Niki looked in surprise from Penny to her husband, "Leonard, you didn't tell her?"
"Nope. He wanted to surprise both of us with this news. So, what is it?"
Sheldon cleared his throat and began to speak, "Penny, I didn't think you would know about this award, being as you are not a physicist, merely an actress." He patently ignored the dirty looks thrown at him by both women and continued, "Let me explain. The actual name of the prize is the J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics. It's one of the most prestigious honors a physicist can earn. I am quite honored that Leonard and I were chosen for this prize."
Penny nodded, a vague look still covering her face, "It's more prestigious than that Nobel you guys got?"
Niki grabbed Sheldon's hand and gave it a squeeze, she then proceeded to answer her friend's question, "It's in the same league, Penny. This is no small deal. The guys will even be paid to travel to Washington D.C. and receive this thing."
"Do wives and kids get to come? "
Leonard gave his wife a warm hug and reassured her, "Absolutely, we wouldn't do this without all of you."
Sheldon gave Niki a loving look and added, "To steal a phrase from my wife, we'll just bring the whole fam damily with us. And some friends, too."
Penny returned her husband's hug, "Sweetie, I'm so proud of you!"
Niki wrapped her arms around Sheldon and like Penny, sweetly congratulated her husband, "As I am of you, Schatze. Wow, a Nobel and the Sakurai! Both within two years! I don't know what to say."
Sheldon pretended a nonchalance he was far from feeling, "Niki, the usual word is 'congratulations'."
"Okay, smartass. Congratulations. Now, can we all go back to bed?"
Penny was too keyed up for sleep, so she asked, "And do what, guys?"
Niki made her way towards the hall, stopped, and addressed Penny's question, "Sleep. Have you forgotten we have to pick up the kids and Mary tomorrow morning and take them to the castle with us?"
"Oh yeah, we did say we'd do that. Okay. Goodnight, you guys. See you in the morning."
Sheldon turned back to his friends and reminded them, "We'll meet you out here in the living room at nine o'clock sharp."
Penny rolled her eyes, smiled in resignation, and set her friend straight, "Sweetie, give it a rest. We'll be out here sometime tomorrow morning before ten. Is that good enough for you?"
"I suppose we will all have to live with that." His focus then shifted to his friend, "Really, Leonard, couldn't you have picked a wife who's a morning person?"
Leonard put his arm around his wife and kissed her sweetly, "Nope. I wanted Penny."
Niki grinned and sided with him, "Good choice, Leonard. I don't know how any of us could do without her." She gave Sheldon a look which reminded him of how much their friend had helped them that evening. Once her husband had given her what she deemed the appropriate penitent look and apologized in his fashion with a quick, "I suppose I misspoke.", Niki said her goodnights with, "Penny, Leonard, we'll see both of you tomorrow morning."
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Niki laid back on her pillow, a satisfied smile decorating her face. She felt very proud of Sheldon and very proud to be the wife of such an amazing man. To earn two of science's highest awards within two years of each other was an almost unheard of happening. But then again, Dr. Sheldon Cooper was not most scientists, or even most men for that matter. All the qualities that made Sheldon a bit difficult to understand and deal with at times also led to him being a brilliant physicist. His ability to think totally outside the box, his intense concentration that often led to him being uncommunicative for hours at a time, plus his idiosyncratic way of approaching his research, all made him what he was, the premier theoretical physicist of his generation.
And yet, Sheldon Cooper was so much like many other men in the world. He enjoyed playing video games and paintball, loved superheroes and comic books, adored spending time with his child, and he was a supporting and mostly doting husband. On top of all that, he was a loyal friend and devoted son. Niki wondered why Sheldon had chosen her to spend his life with, for on paper it seemed their personalities would never mesh smoothly. But Niki then quickly dismissed that thought. She came to the realization that for all their differences, they fit perfectly together, like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle. Her strengths shored up his weaknesses and vice versa. In response to that realization, Niki sent a silent prayer of thanks up to her Creator and resumed waiting for her husband to finish his shower and join her in bed.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Sheldon's voice cheerfully calling out from the doorway, "And what have I done, pray tell, to put that silly smile on your face?"
Niki looked over at him lovingly and responded to his query with, "You've just been yourself. Nothing else was necessary."
The lanky scientist gave his wife a teasing grin and challenged her, "Niki, I don't doubt you on that, but be honest with me. You were enjoying the thought of me winning the Sakurai with Leonard, weren't you?"
Niki decided that Sheldon needed an ego stroke right then, so she gave him one, "That may have had something to do with it. It isn't every woman who gets to be married to one of the world's leading theoretical physicists."
His grin went from teasing to lascivious, "May I take it that my winning that award has ramped up your libido a bit?"
Niki answered him in what she hoped was her most seductive voice, "Why don't you come over here and find out for yourself?"
The deal was done. Sheldon dropped the towel from around his waist and headed for the bed, "All right, my little vixen, I think I will."
Niki wrapped her arms and legs around her husband once he was under the covers and gave him a bawdy idea, "Schatze, why don't we give Leonard and Penny something to really talk about in the morning. I mean, we're alone, Lori is with your mother, so let's let our hair down and really make some noise."
Sheldon's mouth found hers and kissed her deeply and passionately before his eyes drank in the sight of his wife's naked body and his hands began to softly caress her breasts. As their breathing grew more rapid and raspy, he pressed his body close to hers and whispered, "That is an excellent idea. Let the party begin."
Down the hall, Leonard threw his pillow over his head and moaned, "Not again! How are we supposed to get through tomorrow if they don't sleep tonight?"
Penny sat up in their bed and wearily gave him a pointed explanation, "I suppose we brought this on ourselves, Sweetie. We both just had to mention that they were making too much noise earlier. If I know Niki, she took that one as a challenge. They probably aren't going to tone it down anytime soon."
Leonard joined his wife in sitting up and added, "Yeah, and Sheldon most likely saw it as another prime opportunity to annoy me. Well, it looks like sleep is off the table for a while."
Penny moved closer to her husband and started to run her hands over his chest, smiling wickedly as she gave him a randy suggestion, "We could always give them a little competition, you know."
Leonard's grin was wide and authentic as he took her in his arms, "That's my girl. Always coming up with brilliant solutions." And for the next thirty minutes or so, a wonderful time was had by all. Except for their downstairs neighbors who repeatedly pounded on the ceiling with a broom. Not that anyone noticed…
I guess you can't keep a good man, or men, down. Literally.