Chapter four, possibly the last chapter for a couple days, over the exam period! Wish me luck :3

Much love to everyone who has sent me a review, you're just too lovely. 3 Please keep reviewing! (It might get me through my exams lol.) Also, I have looked at the thing which tells me how many people are reading, and I've found out that people are reading this from all over the world! That's so cool - if it's not too much trouble, drop me a line and tell me about where you are in the world right now. It's just so unbelievably awesome.

Luckyhai5 XD

It was Saturday morning, and Penny was getting ready for an awards ceremony, which she was going to with Leonard later. It was some science thing at the university; that wasn't really what she was interested in. There were greater issues at hand. 'Getting ready' was, perhaps, too generous a term; she was sat on the sofa, two dresses laid out before her on the floor.

Both were tight-fitting, expensive and really too glamorous to be on the floor.

One was pink, with a low front and long skirt. It had a golden pattern on it, swirls and lines. She had picked it out with Leonard for her birthday. She had fond memories of their trip to the mall; how nice he'd been all day, the frothy coffee he'd bought her after they had bought the dress; the many compliments and smiles he'd given her.

The other dress was shorter, with a higher front, and completely covered in red sequins. It would go well with her new shoes.

This was a dilemma. Both dresses would make her look gorgeous, so it really came down to one question: was she going to wear the dress which Leonard had bought her, or the shoes which she assumed Sheldon had bought her?

Penny couldn't decide, so she went to take a shower, leaving the dresses draped expectantly out on the floor. They would get their answer.

The awards ceremony was dull. It was also dimly lit, at a frigid 19 degrees, and a tad too busy for Sheldon to be comfortable. He sat at the table, regrettably alone with Raj and Howard; Raj had given him a lift from the university, as Leonard was going to pick up Penny. Sheldon found his mind wandering, almost daydreaming, a feat it seldom achieved; he almost wished that he, too, owned a car (for jealous purposes he was not yet ready to admit), but his deep aversion to motor vehicles resolved his wistfulness.

The event had not begun yet, but Sheldon already knew he was to receive three awards, each in different areas of his theoretical study. String theory was, really, a rather glamorous area of study, which Sheldon enjoyed – there was a certain kudos surrounding his job, or so he assumed. How could there not be, when it required cognitive processes so far elevated when compared to the rest of the university? He regarded Raj and Howard with pity, momentarily – especially Howard. Leonard would win nothing, and be resentful about it all evening; Howard, obviously, was just here for the show; Rajesh would win one, perhaps. All this speculation distracted Sheldon, so that he did not see Leonard and Penny walk in. When he did look up, he caught his breath for one hidden and inaudible moment.

She was wearing the shoes. Well, of course she was; basic logic told him that she would be inclined to wear a new pair of shoes to what she must perceive as a prestigious event, although this shabby awards ceremony was hardly so. No, if she were attached to a more competent physicist, such as himself, she would see the absolute crème de la crème of the scientific community, not this sad and uninspired bunch. Not that he thought about that. Moreover, he was more than just a competent physicist.

Still, the sight of her in the red shoes pleased Sheldon; for some inexplicable reason, he felt a sense of pride, or accomplishment. She had walked in with Leonard, but her outfit was entirely constructed around the shoes he had bought her; the red dress, silver bracelets, black clutch bag.

The contrast between Leonard and Penny struck Sheldon as being almost comical; she was much taller than him, especially in the shoes, he noted with glee. Where Leonard was unkempt and scruffy, Penny was leonine and picture-perfect.

If you were interested in that sort of thing, of course. Sheldon quickly averted his gaze and began to distract himself by observing details of the event. It did little to dissuade his developed mind, but he tried anyway.

Still, somewhere in the recesses of his psyche – the same dark hollow where his glimmer of humanity lay – he chuckled with delight. She was wearing his shoes.

Had Sheldon been staring at her? Penny was blushing nearly as red as her dress; Leonard led her over to the round, white covered table where the others sat. His hold on her hand was tenuous and clammy.

They sat, Leonard exchanging words with Howard and Raj. Penny stared straight ahead, not allowing herself to look around to her left, where Sheldon was sitting beside her. She could swear his head was turned in her direction.

Penny then did something unexpected. She felt like she had no control over her actions; as if she were standing over herself, watching what was happening. Slowly, under the table, she reached out, placing her hand on Sheldon's, where it rested on his thigh. He jolted, the table banging, and the others looked over.

"Sheldon?" Howard asked sceptically, "Everything alright?"

Sheldon nodded frantically. "Yes. Stomach cramps." He went bug-eyed, which Penny knew to be a sign he was lying. Nonetheless, Raj and Leonard shrugged, Howard shaking his head despairingly, and they continued their excited conversation about who would win which awards.

Although Sheldon had seemed to dislike the contact, he did not move his hand. To Penny's surprise, he turned his hand so that it was palm-up, intertwining his fingers with her. She breathed in sharply, squeezing his hand. He did not squeeze back or look at her, silent and mute, seemingly motionless.

When he went up to receive his first award, he seemed reluctant to move.