~The Date Night Variable~

Amy had already made a lot of compromises in their relationship. Arguably too many, but to be in an intimate relationship with Sheldon Cooper, you had to accept the fact that you are going to give more than you get back. Getting anything, anything at all for your efforts is rare.

Sure, at the beginning of their friendship, she hadn't been interested in romance. She had seen Sheldon as a brilliant and fascinating person that it was enjoyable to talk to. The thought of physical contact repulsed her. How things had changed... Two years, and already she was an entirely new person. Being in a relationship, even a one this strict and non-intimate, had brought her out of her shell. Friends like Penny and Bernadette and having a real boyfriend had awakened a fresh side of her that was eager and desperate for romance, for validation that she is loved.

That's why this year, on their two year anniversary, Amy wants a celebration. A real celebration. Her definition of fancy, not Sheldon's. And she isn't taking no for an answer.

That's why when she sees Raj at their table, ready to join them, she is livid. One nice dinner. She hates eating on a couch, watching stupid sci-fi shows, but she makes exceptions almost every day. Because she knows that is what he enjoys. But one nice, civilized dinner just the two of them? Is that really too much to ask? Apparently it is. Because although she gives so much and gets so little, he obviously isn't willing to compromise even once.

So she drinks. A lot. It's something that the old her would never do. Amy Farrah Fowler two years ago sneered upon alcohol and it's tendency to blur judgment. But now, her life has become such a roller coaster of emotions that blurred lines aren't looking so awful anymore. There's a reason that she doesn't drink often, and that reason is because the gateway between her thoughts and the things she says out loud completely crumbles. She loses every barrier between the inside and the out, and soon she's making an idiot of herself voicing thoughts that should really stay in the safe boundaries of her mind. Telling Sheldon that he looks like a sexy praying mantid? Very true, but also a thought she would've died rather than spoken out loud. Her desperate need for affection bursts out from inside, and she needs to get Sheldon to notice her. So she unbuttons her blouse. "Time for dessert."

Amy is mortified the instant the words leave her lips. But she's curious. What if her putting herself out there more awakes a new side of Sheldon? He awoke the need for affection that she had always held deep inside. He must want to be loved, deep down somewhere? Maybe she could lead him. And as he opens his mouth to speak, she goes through all of the wonderful and exciting things he could say. So many great things could happen because of his next words. "But I already had cobbler."

She's done. She can't take this anymore. And she swallows every ounce of acceptance she had ever felt about his emotional distance, and lets it all tumble out. She tells him that she's leaving. She can't be ignored for another moment. It's too much to ask, even for Sheldon. Because how can she stay? How can she stay when he doesn't even want her to?

But then he tells her that he needs her. And she finally thought she had unearthed the vault of love that she knows is in there somewhere. Until he follows it up with "you're my ride."

There is no bouncing back from this. No matter how much she has grown to care about him, no matter how much she loves him, she can't go on. She was fine with doing most of the giving in their relationship, but she needs to get something back. He can't leave her on the edge of the cliff, with safety in sight but just out of her reach. And she's falling, falling hard, because she knows she is very well about to break up with the man she has spent the last two years waiting for. So she gives him an ultimatum. He needs to show her he loves her too. He needs to give her some sign that her affection is being received and returned. If she doesn't see right now that all of her effort hasn't been for naught, then it's too late. She has to go.

But he surprises her. He looks at her with a shadow of love in his gaze and says "When I look in your eyes, and you're looking back in mine, everything feels not quite normal. Because I feel stronger and weaker at the same time, I feel excited and at the same time terrified. The truth is I don't know what I feel, except I know what kind of man I want to be." And every fiber in her that was in anguish suddenly turns to joy. He does feel. He does love. And he has changed. They have changed together, and now they're growing side by side. Until she finds out that it was from Spider-Man. But it's okay. He had to feel those things in order to say them. She knows he meant it. She could tell by his eyes.

So they'll continue. They'll continue down this road, of love and pain and hope and fear. Sheldon Cooper is a hard but to crack, but she's gotten the farthest into his shell than anyone else. The road is long, but they'll get there eventually. And it will be beautiful.

Author's Note: Hey guys! I'm skipping around here, as you can see. Enjoy the shamy fluffiness! Please review! Reviews make me happy and I update when I'm happy!