Thank you for all your kind words. Here's the next chapter.
Chapter Three
His left arm was pinned and there was something on him when he woke up and it was a second or two before Sheldon realised what or rather who it was. Somehow, Amy had ended up laying face down, half on top of him and the other half on his arm. Her head was on his shoulder, her arm around his waist and her left leg between both of his legs. It wasn't unpleasant he decided, but it was uncomfortable and after a bit of careful manoeuvring he managed to get his left arm out from under her. That's better, he thought and then froze when he heard a murmur from his girlfriend as her head moved from his shoulder to his chest before settling again. Sheldon sighed in relief, not just because he wanted to her sleep, but because he also suspected that Amy would not be happy that they had slept in the same bed. In fact, she was likely to be very angry about it, at least until he was able to explain and then he wasn't sure how she would react.
Sheldon decided he would cross that bridge when he got to it and for the moment, he was just going to enjoy having her so close. He was a little surprised at how much he was enjoying it, especially given the current status of their relationship and he thought about why that could be. It felt good, it felt comfortable, it just felt right, but why did it feel like that? He asked himself. Until he met Amy, he had avoided physical contact as much as possible and even than it was a long time before he was comfortable with it. It was only her, that he was comfortable with doing that with though. Actually, he was more than comfortable with her touching him, he liked it and he had found he had wanted it more and more lately. Even so, the way she was holding him in her sleep was different, very different. It was reassuring for some reason and he was puzzled at that. He didn't have time to dwell on it though, as his full bladder decided to make itself known. "Damn it." He muttered before he carefully started to ease her off and was relieved when she rolled onto her side away from him. He waited a moment to make sure she was still asleep before he flung the covers off him and got up to hurry to the bathroom.
After voiding his bladder and flushing the toilet, he went to the basin to wash his hands and it was then that he saw his bruised jaw in the mirror. Sheldon washed and dried his hands quickly before leaning near to the mirror to have a closer look at the purplish bruise. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before touching his jaw with a finger. It was sore, but he didn't think anything was broken. Even so, he checked inside his mouth for any sign of damage and it was only then that he was satisfied that it looked worse than it was.
What was he going to tell Amy though? Even though it had been an accident, she was going to feel bad about it. He could try to hide it with his costume make-up, he thought, but he wasn't sure if he would have the time to do that before she woke up. Besides, Amy had the uncanny knack to find out about things like this, so it was probably best to just tell her.
An ice pack might help, he thought and decided he would do that after he had showered. He unbuttoned and then took of his pyjama shirt, but as he took off his white t-shirt, it brushed against his jaw. "Ow." He rubbed it and grimaced. "I don't think I will be shaving today." He stepped back in front of the mirror and wondered if Amy would like the unshaven look.
"I'll kill him!"
"Uh-oh." Sheldon stared at himself in the mirror, steeling himself for what was about to come.
"Sheldon, where are you?"
"I'm in the bathroom, but don't come in…" He broke as he heard the door open and then saw in the mirror, his angry girlfriend storming in.
"You sneaked into bed with me?"
"It was hardly sneaking." Sheldon turned to look at her. "I wouldn't have gotten this if I was sneaking." He indicated to his face. "Your elbows should be classified as dangerous weapons." He saw her staring at his face and could tell her anger was already gone. "It was an accident, it wasn't your fault."
"How did it happen?"
"You had a night terror and you accidentally hit me when I was trying to calm you down."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Amy said after a moment.
"That's why I got into bed with you. I had to stay to make sure you were alright." Sheldon told her. "Don't worry I was the perfect gentleman." He added. She nodded in silence and then her gaze seemed to lower. What is she looking at? He wondered. Her saw her eyes widen and her eyebrows rise in surprise. "Amy Farrah Fowler, you wouldn't be ogling your boyfriend would you?"
"No…. well, maybe a little." Amy blushed. "Erm… Actually, I was just wondering, have you been working out?" She said. "I don't remember you looking like that."
"Like what?" Sheldon innocently asked, but pleased she had noticed.
Amy pointed with a finger. "There's clear muscle definition, especially with your pecs, you've got a bit of six pack going on there, your shoulders look broader and your guns are definitely bigger."
"My what?"
"Your biceps." Amy looked up at him. "When did you start working out and why?"
"Maybe I wanted to give my girlfriend something to ogle." Sheldon smiled at her.
Amy was silent for a moment and then said. "What would your mother say if she knew you were trying to tempt a poor innocent girl like me?" She smiled back at him before adding. "Perhaps I should call her and ask."
"You do and I'll call yours." Sheldon countered. "I'm sure she would have something to say about her daughter spending the night at a man's apartment."
"Yes, I'm sure she would." Amy said. "Maybe you should put some ice on that." She then indicated to his face. "It looks sore."
"I'm going to, after I've had a shower."
Amy nodded. "Right, I'll leave you to it then."
Sheldon waited until the door had closed before turning to looking at himself in the mirror. "Well, Sheldon Lee Cooper, I think your girlfriend liked what she saw."
Amy sat on one of the stools at the kitchen island, deep in thought. She couldn't imagine Sheldon going to a gym, let alone working out in one. Partaking in an activity that left you sweaty and dirty just wasn't him, but he clearly had been doing that. Where though? And when? There was a gym at Cal Tech and he did usually get there very early, so that was a possibility, but if he was working out there, someone would have seen him and she was sure she would have heard about it. Where else was there? She knew his routines and she knew where he went, but she couldn't think of anywhere else he could been working out. How had he managed to keep it a secret from everyone?
She still didn't understand why he had decided to it. Yes, Sheldon could be just as vain as any other man, but not to the extent he would want to change his physical appearance. It didn't make sense, even if she did like it and she had to admit she did like it a lot. Had he been serious when he had said he had done for her? That didn't make sense either, but if he had been serious, perhaps she should reciprocate the gesture. "Oh hell, I'll have to go on diet." She groaned.
"What on earth for?"
Amy turned looked over her shoulder and all coherent thought left her head when she saw him standing on the step with just a towel wrapped around his waist. "Erm…."
"Are you ogling me again?"
"Yes." Amy gasped and managed to look away from him. "Where's your dressing gown?"
"I left it in Leonard's room."
"Well go and put it on."
"I was going to make up an ice pack first." Sheldon went over to the refrigerator and opened the top section to get some ice. "Why on earth would you want to go on a diet?"
"Maybe I want my boyfriend to ogle me."
"I've got news for you. Your boyfriend already does."
Amy frowned. "Well, I've never noticed."
"That's because….." Sheldon hesitated. "I'm not quite sure how to say it."
"Just say it."
"You can't see what I'm looking at." Sheldon replied. "You're sitting on it." He clarified after a moment.
"My fat rear end, you mean." Amy glared at him.
"No your shapely rear end." Sheldon replied. "If you didn't wear so many layers, then maybe I could look at something else, but I can't, so I make do with your lovely rear end."
Amy stared at him, not sure what to make of that, but suspecting he meant it as a compliment. "It's very unlike you to be so flirtatious. What are you up to?"
"You think I'm being flirtatious? I thought I was just getting an ice pack for my sore jaw." He put the ice pack against his jaw. "Ahhh…. That's so much better."
"OK." Amy decided to play along with him and stood up. "You want something else to look at." She took her dressing gown off and put it on the kitchen island.
"What are you doing?" He gulped as she slowly unbuttoned her pyjama shirt.
"What does it look like I'm doing?" Amy said, wondering how far she would have to go before he chickened out.
"Erm... I'll go and get my dressing gown." He said before hurrying back to the bedrooms.
"That's more like my Sheldon." Amy grinned. "Always running away." No, that's not fair, she then told herself, not after what he had done the night before. She had always assumed he would run if he ever experienced one of her night terrors, but he hadn't and he even stayed with her. No one had ever done that before, not even her own mother. He had though and by doing so, he had shown she could rely on him and that he would be there when she needed him. It had been something she hadn't been sure of since his train trip. How could she be sure, when he had just ran off like that without even saying goodbye to her? For a while though, she had put it to the back of her mind and even convinced herself that it was just a one off. Then of course he had applied for the Mars trip and her doubts and fears had resurfaced. She was convinced that sooner or later, he was going to leave her and as much as she loved him, she wasn't sure she could continue their relationship with that knowledge.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of him coming back. "How's this?" He asked as he approached her now wearing his blue plaid dressing gown. "Better?"
Amy stared at him in silence and then wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Thank you for staying with me last night." She wanted to tell him everything, but she also wanted him to stay with her for the right reasons, not because of her fears.
"You're welcome." Sheldon returned her hug. "Are you crying?"