CHAPTER 12
"I'm just saying that, considering the amount of time I spend at your apartment, you should start buying soy milk, you know I'm lactose intolerant", Leonard told Penny as they approached his apartment door.
"But I hate soy milk, you always have plenty of it in your fridge and you're the only one that drinks it", Penny said, yawning while tying her pink Hello Kitty bathrobe.
The experimental physicist and the beautiful waitress/actress entered the apartment. They're surprised to find their friends, Sheldon and Amy, holding each other on the couch.
When Amy heard Leonard and Penny's voices, she wiped off her tears with her sweater's cuff. Nevertheless, it was obvious that she had cried.
"Hi Amy, you came here earlier than usual, huh?", Leonard said with his friendly tone, walking towards the kitchen.
"Yes, I did", said Amy. She didn't want them to know she had spent the night there, let alone what had happened between Sheldon and her.
Penny could always read the emotions on the faces of their loved ones; just seeing Amy, she knew something was wrong. "Amy, what's up?", she asked, looking at Sheldon and assuming he was the one to blame for her friend's sadness.
Upon hearing this, Leonard looked at Amy, too, seeing the evident distress on her face; then he looked at Sheldon and he recognized the same feeling in his best friend's eyes. "Yes Sheldon, what's wrong?", he asked.
"Well, Amy is… really excited because she just received some fantastic news", Sheldon said with a fake smile. "Amy has been selected to work at the Department of Neurosciences of Stockholm University for six months, isn't that great?, Sheldon was starting to hyperventilate.
"Amy, when are you leaving?", Penny asked.
"On Monday, I didn't tell you before because I wasn't sure if I should go or not", Amy admitted.
"That's nonsense!. Of course you should go, that study wouldn't have any validity without your contribution", Sheldon said as he rose from the couch to get a glass of water, as if that could dissolve the lump he had in his throat.
"Oh, Amy, we're gonna miss you so much!", Penny said, hugging her best friend.
"Congratulations Amy! You should feel very proud of this achievement. Stockholm University has one of the best Institutes for the Study of Neurosciences, led by Dr. Johansson. My mother has collaborated with him on several projects", Leonard was trying to look on the bright side.
"Leonard, as always stating the obvious, of course Amy's aware of the existence of that Institute of Neurosciences", Sheldon said with a condescending tone. "You´re exasperating!".
"Amy, by the way, don't worry about Sheldon, I'll do my best to make him take a vacation and spend some time with you in Stockholm; in fact I think everyone at Caltech would appreciate it if you take him with you. Please, please, take him with you!" Leonard said sarcastically.
Amy cheered up a bit with the words of her friends. Although Sheldon wouldn't admit it, he felt better, knowing that he had their support.
Amy couldn't drive her car because of her broken glasses, so Leonard drove her home. Sheldon decided to help Amy pack for her trip to Stockholm. He couldn't think of a better excuse to spend all afternoon with her. Amy made him dinner as a thank you gesture.
"Spaghetti with little pieces of hot dogs cut up in it!. That's my favorite food" Sheldon was pleasantly surprised. He was really hungry and started to eat immediately.
"I knew you'd like it", Amy told him as she rubbed his cheek with her thumb, cleaning up a little spaghetti sauce from the corner of his mouth. Sheldon gently kissed the back of her hand.
"I'm starving and… you know that I need to regain strength", Sheldon stated, taking Amy's hand and smiling mischievously.
After dinner, the couple went to the couch where Sheldon and Amy cuddled for a few minutes, without saying a word. Amy remembered she still had to pack some books so; reluctantly she got up from the couch. "Sheldon, could you please get me the book that's on the top shelf?". Sheldon got up from the couch and reached for the book, almost effortlessly.
"So, this is Professor Mattias Johansson?", Sheldon said examining the cover of "Biomolecular Principles of Neural Synapses". The back cover of the book displayed a black and white picture of an elderly man, with glasses and a sincere smile.
Sheldon would never admit it, but when he heard that Amy would work with another man, he had been jealous. It was a relief to know that Dr. Johansson was old enough to be Amy's father or maybe… grandfather. After all, his girlfriend was just for him.
Amy felt very tired for everything that had happened the day before; she was about to fall asleep at any moment.
"I think we're done for today, thank you for your help, ahhh!" Amy said, yawning and stretching her arms. "Do you want me to drive you home? Is Leonard coming to get you?", she asked her boyfriend.
"To be honest, I've been thinking... and if it's not a problem for you, I'd like to… spend the night here; oo… only if you want it", Sheldon admitted completely flushed.
"It sounds like a great idea; I guess you can sleep on the couch. Good night Sheldon!" She was just teasing him.
"Hey! Hold on! I already slept there, once; and I think your couch is quite small for someone my size", Sheldon said as he placed his hands on her waist and kissed her lips passionately. Seriously, where had he learned to do that?
Amy took Sheldon's hand and led him to her room. Sheldon softly kissed Amy on the lips; she replied hugging him and kissing his neck. "It seems that you have recovered your energy", said Amy, feeling her boyfriend's hands explore her body so playfully.
They undressed each other slowly; their clothes were falling on the floor, one by one. Amy was shaking in anticipation of becoming one with her beloved Sheldon, she felt Sheldon's heart beating at a faster pace; his chest was so close to her. She was extremely nervous as she sensed his bare skin touching her body.
Sheldon tried to think clearly, logically, but at that time his body and his mind were dissociated. He longed to feel Amy's body, once again. They lay on the bed, kissing frantically, in a couple of minutes she had her thighs around Sheldon's waist. They were lost in a state of total surrender, wishing to stay like this for the rest of their lives. "This will be my downfall", he thought.
"Ouch, Sheldon!", Amy shouted, making his boyfriend blush. "Wait a minute!", Amy said trying to get used to the rhythm that Sheldon imposed on her.
Amy struggled to concentrate, although she'd had this feeling last night, it was different now, Sheldon seemed more uninhibited, so to speak.
Sheldon tried to catch his breath, wondering if he had brought his asthma inhaler.
"I guess I can wait a minute, but I really don't want to stop", he confessed.
She kissed him sensually, as giving him permission to continue. "This is wrong, I'm so excited, but this is wrong", he thought.
Gradually the feeling of pleasure reached its maximum peak for both. Amy and Sheldon hugged each other as they fell asleep together.
"Good night, Cuddles!", Amy said.
"Good night, Princess!, Sheldon kissed her.
The weekend went by too fast. It was Monday, and Amy had a flight to catch. In about 15 hours she would be at Stockholm. Sheldon, Penny and Leonard accompanied her to the airport.
Neither Amy nor Sheldon liked goodbyes, but they had to be strong and rational, this was just a phase in their relationship. Sheldon knew Amy's first love was science and couldn't stop her from achieving one of her dreams. He couldn't be selfish.
"Amy, keep in mind that the current temperature in Stockholm is 7 ° F (-14 ° C) and I read there's a chance of snow, so you should wear your coat and your scarf; and… take care of yourself".
"Yes Sheldon, I will" Amy said as she checked her purse to make sure she didn't forget anything. She had her passport and all her documents.
Sheldon took a package out his messenger bag. It was a framed picture, to be precise, it was a drawing of a neuron made by Santiago Ramon y Cajal, the father of modern neuroscience, his assistant Alex Jensen had bought it as a gift to Amy on Valentine's Day, but Sheldon decided to keep it for himself.
"Amy, I want you to have this" Sheldon said while handing her the picture. "It was mine, but I think you deserve it".
"Aww!, Sheldon is this one of Ramon y Cajal's first drawings of a neuron?" Amy was moved by her boyfriend's unselfish gesture.
"Yes, that's exactly what it is, but now… turn it over" Sheldon replied with a smile.
It was a double-sided picture frame, so at the other side, it had a photo of Sheldon with Stephen Hawking. Amy knew that picture was one of his most valuable possessions and was surprised that her boyfriend was willing to give it to her.
"This is your photo with Stephen Hawking, but why are you giving this to me?", she asked.
"It's logical. You'll see, if someone asks you for your boyfriend, you can show them my picture and say: This is my boyfriend, who is friends with Stephen Hawking, and they'll know your boyfriend's a remarkable scientist with important connections, and they wouldn't dare to flirt with you", Sheldon said with that conceited tone. Amy was melting when she heard those words.
"Hooo!, It is logical!", Amy took Sheldon by the collar of his windbreaker jacket and kissed him.
It was a long and sweet farewell kiss. When Amy heard the call to board the plane, she said goodbye to her friends once again. Sheldon saw her walking away; he pressed his lips together, as he tried to suppress a groan. Leonard soothingly slapped him on the back while Penny took his hand.
"Let's go now, we have work to do!", Sheldon stated.
