A/N: First, I'd like to thank people for reading. I know that it's OOC, but I hope you are sticking with me. Second, if we are tumblr buddies, you might have seen part of this before. I posted a small section of this chapter before I decided to put the whole story up. I hope you still enjoy it.
"Weird," Amy said to herself before going to bed. When she woke up the next morning, she checked her phone to make sure it still wasn't a dream. Her dreams weren't usually so vivid, but then again, neither was her real life. Nope. She had a date with Sheldon Cooper on Friday and plans to hang out with his friend, Penny, after work today.
The day moved in fits and jolts again. Having a social life was going to be difficult to get used to, but she was still relieved when work was over. She was also nervous. Maybe more nervous than when she went on her date with Sheldon. At least she knew him a little better.
Still, Amy went to the mall and walked to the food court where Penny said she would meet her. Amy saw Penny sitting at a table sipping on a soda. She jumped up when Amy came closer and ran over. She pulled Amy into a hug. Sheldon and his friends were very touch friendly people. It was very different than her own sensibilities, but she was trying to be more open.
"Let's go find you something for your big date. I'm probably not supposed to be telling you this, but he likes you. A lot," Penny said.
Amy blushed, and Penny smiled. "You like him too. I'm glad. He's a pretty good guy if you can look past his quirks," Penny added.
Amy was wondering what Sheldon's quirks were, but she didn't ask. Instead, she followed Penny in and out of several stores. It was clear that they had very different tastes in clothing. It turned out to be good in a way because when they met in the middle, Amy ended up with some very cute outfits that she wouldn't normally wear, but were still fundamentally her.
She also got to know Sheldon's friend. Penny, it turned out, was loud and opinionated, but also sweet and thoughtful. Penny told her that she worked at the Cheesecake Factory and that she never expected to be dating a physicist, but she loved Leonard. They were laughing a lot, and Amy was glad that she had come despite her nerves.
"I'm meeting my friend, Bernadette, for dinner. Do you want to come with?" Penny asked.
"Oh. I don't know..." Amy started. She learned that Penny was nice, but she wasn't sure that her friends would be the same way. She had known a lot of girls like Penny growing up and they always did their worst damage in groups.
"Come on. She's a biologist too. I'm sure you'll find something to talk about," Penny urged.
"Okay," Amy agreed. If this woman was a biologist maybe she would be more like Amy than she thought.
Penny gave her directions to the restaurant, and they drove over in separate cars. When they went inside, Penny introduced Amy to a short, pretty blonde.
What was this universe where Sheldon knew all of these ridiculously good looking scientists? It was a little off putting, so Amy did her best to ignore it.
"This is Amy, the woman I told you about. Sheldon's new girl," Penny said excitedly. "They are about to go on date number two. Or maybe even three if you count the night that he stayed out until 11 with her when they met."
"Wow. I made it fifteen minutes into our first meeting," Bernadette said.
Amy was trying to follow the conversation, and spoke for the first time, "You went out with Sheldon?"
"Well, 'went out with' is probably over stating it a little bit. He met me for coffee and we talked for a little bit. He told me that I was very nice, but he couldn't see it going anywhere and left. Luckily, Howard came to pick him up, and I found the real love of my life," Bernadette said with a dreamy smile.
"You'll have to forgive my friend here. She and Howard just got engaged, so she is a little excited about it," Penny said with a small smile.
"That's wonderful. Congratulations," Amy said. She wondered why Sheldon had rejected the small blonde woman. She seemed bright and sociable and pretty enough. It made her nervous that Sheldon would suddenly decide she wasn't worth the effort any longer.
They sat at a table and Amy learned more about Sheldon's friends. Not just the two women there, but about their entire social circle. It was a nice education, but Amy wasn't sure how much of it she would use. Maybe Sheldon would decide in the middle of their next date that it wasn't going anywhere and walk away. Maybe Amy would never meet any of their other friends.
Both girls were friendly enough to keep Amy from feeling too sad while they had dinner. The last time she had such a pleasant and friendly meal had been years before. She still kept her shields up, but she still had fun.
When they were done eating dinner, Penny said, "We're probably going to go out for drinks on Saturday. Would you like to come with?"
"As your driver?" Amy asked. That was usually what people meant when they invited her out to bars with them.
Penny laughed. "I meant to actually drink with us. If you don't drink you can still come with, but we'll take a cab."
"That would be nice," Amy said. "That is assuming that Sheldon doesn't tire of me and I am forced to leave your social circle before then."
"That won't happen, and even if it did, we'll set you up with Raj. He'll have to drink to talk to you, but he is a good guy. It worked out well enough for Bernie," Penny said, teasingly. "We shouldn't have told you about Bernadette. Don't be so worried about Sheldon. Like I said earlier, I think he really likes you, and if things don't work out, it's his loss."
"Thanks, Penny. It was really nice spending time with both of you today. I'll see you on Saturday," Amy said before she walked back to her car.
Looking back, Amy wasn't sure how she got through those couple days between spending time with Penny and Bernadette and the date with Sheldon. He texted her on Friday morning and asked if she was willing to drive again and if she could pick him up at 7. She said she would.
Amy was feeling nervous about the date because she didn't want to scare Sheldon away. She walked up the stairs to his apartment and knocked on the door. This time Sheldon, himself, answered. Amy wasn't sure if she should be relieved or not. She did like the way his smiled in greeting.
"Hi. Do you want to come in or just go to dinner?" he asked.
"Either way," Amy said.
"Let's go to dinner then," Sheldon said. Then he turned back into the apartment. "I'm taking your bestie away without you getting to see her," Sheldon told someone.
"Bye, Amy," Penny yelled from somewhere inside.
"Bye, Penny," Amy yelled back before the door closed.
"Bestie?" Amy asked Sheldon as he led her down the stairs.
"Oh, you two are great friends now. Didn't you hear?" Sheldon said teasingly. "Seriously, I heard you had a good time with Penny the other day. I'm glad. I would hate to have to let Penny go as a friend," Sheldon said with a smile. Amy's heart skipped a beat. Was he really saying that he would choose her over Penny? They barely knew each other.
Amy only started to come back to Earth when Sheldon started talking. "We're going somewhere much mainstream for dinner than last time, and then I thought you could choose a movie. How does that sound?" Sheldon asked.
"It sounds like an all American date. I approve," Amy said.
"Too cliched?" Sheldon asked.
"No. I really like it. Thank you," Amy said. Sheldon grinned at her and took her hand into his again. She still didn't know what to think of all the touching. At least she knew now that he was more or less inexperienced as she was. Well, he probably wasn't quite as inexperienced as she was. He was incredibly handsome. Just because he hadn't had a girlfriend before, didn't mean he hadn't engaged in some activities associated with such a partner.
Sheldon led Amy to a chain restaurant. They sat in a booth and Sheldon slid in next to Amy instead of across from her. He was careful not to touch her, but she could still feel the heat coming from his body because he was so close. Amy felt like there was a magnet pulling them together and after a few minutes, she just let her knee bump into his and stay there.
It was the first real contact that she initiated. And not just with Sheldon. There was something so different about him, and it made Amy a little nervous. Sheldon just smiled at her over his menu and asked her what she was having. They made small talk for a while, which was not Amy's strong suit, but she tried. Amy ended up telling Sheldon an amusing story about one of the monkeys in the lab instead. He had an adorable laugh and he rubbed his own leg as he calmed himself down. His pinky finger brushed Amy's knee. Amy couldn't bring herself to move away. She had never wanted someone's touch as much as she wanted Sheldon's.
"Sorry," he said when he saw her blush.
"Don't be," Amy said. Then she blushed more. "Sorry. I'm not normally like this. I never once touched the last guy I went on a date with. We didn't even shake hands."
"I know what you mean. I just feel this connection to you that I've never felt with anyone," Sheldon told her. "I remember being fascinated by your lecture. I almost talked to you that day. Then it seemed like kismet when I saw you again at that coffee shop. I don't normally believe in things like this, but I can't help it when it comes to you."
"Wow," Amy said.
"Sorry. That got a little heavy on me. I just meant to say that I like you, Amy. I hope it isn't too soon to be saying something like that, but it's true."
"I like you too, Sheldon," Amy said. Sheldon smiled and put his arm around her shoulder.
"Don't be afraid to tell me off if I'm being too forward. I'm trying to keep things slow, I swear," Sheldon said.
"Thanks. I don't want to make out with you during the movie. Or after the movie."
"I wasn't planning on it, but thanks for the heads up," Sheldon said with a laugh.
Then Amy quietly said, "I might be okay with a kiss at the end of the night."
"Noted," Sheldon said. "I will ask again before we part."
"Good," Amy said.
They enjoyed their meal together and went to the movie theater after. She picked a documentary that she had been wanting to see for a while.
"Oh, good. Leonard wouldn't see this one with me," Sheldon said when she told him her choice. He insisted on paying for the ticket, but let Amy pay for the drinks. She didn't like the idea of owing him anything even though she was pretty sure he wasn't expecting anything.
Sheldon put his arm back around Amy during the movie and she felt brave enough to lean into him. It was easily the most intimate thing she had ever done with anyone. It wasn't the act so much as the connection that Sheldon had described earlier. She didn't believe in soul mates, and it would have been much too early for that kind of thing anyway. Still, she had never felt like this with anyone.
When the movie was over, Amy drove Sheldon back home. He invited her up for some tea. "Just tea," he assured her. "I believe there is a social construct where 'coffee' is used as code for sex, but I did not mean to imply any sort of that activity," Sheldon said. Amy wondered if this was one of those quirks that Penny meant. Sheldon was unusually blunt, and she could see how that might be off putting to some.
"I'd like that," Amy said. She followed Sheldon up to his apartment, and didn't know how to feel when they arrived and were alone. The other times that she had been here, Leonard and Penny were around. Amy kind of assumed that they were always there even though it was a silly assumption to make.
Sheldon didn't seem to notice. He just took off his jacket and put a red kettle on the stove. Then noticed that Amy was just standing there. "Make yourself at home," he told her. She took off her jacket and put it with Sheldon's. Then she sat down in the middle of the couch. She had nearly sat on the end farthest from the door, but something stopped her and she decided the middle would be best.
"Did they tell you?" Sheldon asked as he brought her a cup of tea.
"Did who tell me what?" Amy asked.
"Did Leonard and Penny tell you about my spot?"
"I don't know what your spot is, and Leonard and Penny certainly didn't tell me about it," Amy said. She was very confused. Sheldon sat next to her in the seat she almost took.
"This where I like to sit in this apartment. I'm a little particular about it. I thought that you chose your seat based on where I sit and that Leonard and Penny had filled you in. They like to tease me about it quite a bit," Sheldon explain.
"I had no idea, but I'll keep it in mind for the future," Amy said. Then she smiled to herself because she could see herself spending more time with Sheldon here in this apartment.
The pair kept talking until two men just walked into the apartment. Amy didn't notice how close she had gotten to Sheldon until she jumped back when the men walked in. There were still several inches of space between them, but she normally liked to be at least a foot away.
"Oh, sorry," the shorter man said. Amy just looked at Sheldon. We're these more roommates?
Sheldon didn't look pleased, but he stood and introduced the two men. "This is Howard Wolowitz and this is Rajesh Koothrappali. They work with Leonard and me at Cal Tech, but that doesn't explain why they are here now," Sheldon said. Then Amy stood up and he said, "Guys, this is my, I mean, this is Amy Farrah Fowler."
Amy shook hands with both of the men Rajesh didn't say anything at first. Then he leaned in to whisper into his friend's ear and Howard said, "Raj says, 'it's nice to meet you, Amy.' He can't speak in front of women unless he's been drinking."
"Oh, right. Penny mentioned that when we were at dinner the other day. I'm a neurobiologist, and I would love to investigate your selective mutism some time," Amy started, but then she stopped when everyone looked at her.
"Oh, you're Bernie's new friend? You guys are going out for drinks tomorrow night, right?" Howard asked. It suddenly clicked with Amy. This was the fiance.
"Um. Yeah. That's the plan, anyway."
"Great. Sheldon, since all of our ladies are going to be out, we can have a video game night here," Howard said.
"Is that why you are here?" Sheldon asked.
"Oh, right. Is Leonard here?" Howard asked.
"No. I believe he might be across the hall at Penny's. Why don't you two try there?" Sheldon told them. It was clear that he was kicking them out.
Howard looked from Sheldon to Amy and then back again. "Oh. Right. Sorry," he said and then he pushed Raj out the door.
"I'm sorry about that. They aren't usually that rude. What were we talking about?" Sheldon said.
"You were talking about gravity in lower orbit," Amy reminded him.
"That's right," Sheldon started before enthusiastically jumping back into the conversation they were having before they were interrupted. Amy was much more careful to stay away from Sheldon. She liked him, but it felt like they were moving too fast. It was nearly eleven before they realized what time it was. "Wow. Time just keeps getting away from us, doesn't it? I suppose I should walk you down to your car," Sheldon said.
"It's just downstairs. I'll be fine," Amy said. She wasn't sure why she said it because she would like to spend the extra time with Sheldon. Still, Sheldon just shrugged and walked her to his door.
He opened it and they stood there for a moment. "So, about that kiss? Are you still feeling positively about it?" Sheldon asked.
"Oh. Um. I..." Amy started. She had no idea what she wanted. Sheldon scared her. It was in the best way possible, but she was still nervous. Still, she wanted to kiss him. Maybe more than she had ever wanted to kiss anyone.
Sheldon smiled kindly at her. "Maybe next time," he said.
"No. I mean, yes," Amy said.
Sheldon looked at her quizzically, but decided to just risk it. He placed his hand on her cheek and leaned down to make up for their considerable height difference. He paused for only a moment before his lips finally reached hers. He saw her eyes close right before he kissed her.
"Oops," Sheldon heard as he slowly pulled away from Amy. He had been enjoying the feeling of butterflies in his stomach, but his head whipped over to look at where Penny and Leonard stood watching them.
"Sorry, guys," Leonard said. He grabbed Penny's arm and pulled her back into her apartment and closed the door.
"That was awkward," Sheldon said.
Amy smiled up at him. "I never expected an audience for my first kiss," she said and then covered her mouth with her hand. "Please ignore that I said that," Amy said with her hand still over her mouth.
"I can't do that," Sheldon said. "You deserve a do over." He moved her hand from her mouth and then leaned in to kiss her again. He could feel her smile against his lips, so he smiled too.
"Better?" Sheldon asked once he was standing up straight again.
"They were both pretty good," Amy admitted.
"Good night, Amy. I know you are going out with Penny and Bernadette tomorrow, but maybe I can see you again on Tuesday?"
"I'd like that. Good night, Sheldon," Amy said as she turned toward the stairs. She was grinning like an idiot the whole way to her car and for most of the whole drive home.