"What? No, Penny, that's not what I meant!"

Penny took another step back as Leonard tried to approach her. How could he think so lowly of her? "You were the first guy I slept with since Andy was conceived!"

Leonard sighed, but kept his distance. "Look, this has nothing to do with you, or how I feel about you. I just... It's just hard for me to believe you'd want to be with me, when you can literally get any guy."

Penny tilted her head, frowning, not quite sure what to make of his statement, or how to respond. She did realise she should try and keep her anger and hurt from clouding her judgement; if she wasn't careful, their relationship might end very quickly.

Leonard seemed frustrated at her lack of response. "Look, we've only been out once, and you got hit on three times! And all three were much better looking, not too mention taller and muscular."

"So?"

"So," he repeated, eyebrows raised in disbelieve. "So, it's kinda hard to believe you'd want to be with me, when you could have someone like them."

Penny exhaled loudly, getting frustrated again at Leonard's warped view. "How did I react with those guys?"

"Excuse me?"

Penny smiled slightly at his confusion, despite the seriousness of the conversation. "When I was hit on, how did I respond?"

"You shot them down immediately," Leonard answered. "But..."

"No," Penny interrupted him firmly, not giving him a chance to compare himself unfavorably to other men. "No buts, Leonard. I wasn't interested in them, I'm not interested in anyone but you." She sighed again, then took a step towards him. "Leonard, I love you."

His eyebrows rose up high. "You... you love me?"

Penny smiled again and closed the distance. "Yes, Leonard. I love you. I don't care that you're not tall." She placed her hands behind his neck. "I love you because of who you are." She placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're sweet." She kissed his chin. "Honest." A kiss on his other cheek. "Passionate about your job." She felt his arms go around her waist as she placed a kiss at the corner of his mouth. "Cute." She kissed him full on the mouth, anything else she wanted to say suddenly insignificant as her tongue sought entrance to his mouth. There were other ways she could explain to him how she felt about him, how important he had already become to her.


Leonard started to smile as soon as he awoke, Penny tucked in tightly against him, her arm loosely draped across his body. He wondered what the time was, but without his glasses he really couldn't read the alarm clock's display. Judging from the sunlight he could see coming through the small crack between the drapes, it was definitely morning. He wouldn't be surprised if it was past ten already considering the activities of last night, and again around three in the morning.

He had had more sex with Penny than he had in all his previous relationships combined, and they hadn't been together that long. He realized he was really lucky she hadn't dumped him, especially after inadvertently insulting her and doubting her honesty and feelings toward him. Obviously he hadn't really considered her behavior when his mind had conjured up this notion that she was just using him, a notion he now acknowledged wasn't a very logical one at all. If he really wasn't desireable to her, as he had convinced himself to be the case, why would her being with him make another guy jealous? He realized the irony of his tendency to overthink things, while at the same time not really thinking at all.

After Penny had convinced him she really loved him, and him alone, she had made him promise he would talk to her whenever he had doubts or insecurities regarding their relationship, instead of trying to process it by himself, and quite possibly thinking up doomsday scenarios that just weren't true. She promised in return she wouldn't fly off the handle, but really listen to him and try to help him get past it.

He was so glad this hadn't ended up like any of his previous relationships, which had all ended because of his stupidity. Well, not all, there was one he could blame entirely on Sheldon. Then again, Joyce hadn't really been interested in him and he could've been in a lot of trouble if Sheldon hadn't barged in that evening.

Leonard smiled as Penny mumbled something in her sleep, followed by her arm tightening around him, pulling herself even tighter against him. He was definitely one lucky bastard. He couldn't fathom anyone would make such an effort to save a relationship with him after being pretty much insulted, intentional or not. Yet, she'd continued their interrupted make-out session, which had in turn lead to something a lot more. And they hadn't moved away from the front door at all, Penny instead turning them around so her back was against the door.

Visions of last night replayed in his mind. After the front door activities, they had a nice dinner they'd prepared together followed by desert being licked off of each other, which had lead to sex on the dinner table. After cleaning up, they'd decided to watch a movie on Netflix, though they'd missed a lot due to the frequent kissing and Penny had eventually positioned herself in his lap and they had coupled once more right on the couch.

He knew they'd watched something after that, but he could literally not remember what it was as Penny hadn't stopped making out with him long enough to get into it. It was during their preparation to go to bed that Penny had initiated another session, this time in the bathroom. He had no clue how they had ended up in the empty bathtub by the end of it, with the shower curtain ripped off the rail and draped on top of them, but that had most definitely been the best sex he ever experienced.

That made for four times in less than twelve hours. Four times. That must be some kind of record; Leonard didn't think anyone would do it that often over such a short time span. Hell, he hadn't even had sex that often with anyone over the course of any of his, admittedly, short relationships.

"Hmm, someone's up."

Leonard turned his head toward Penny, wondering if he should feel guilty about being aroused so soon again. The thought evaporated at the desire he could see in her eyes.


Penny felt happier than she ever had. After Leonard's unfortunate words, they'd had ended up having an amazing evening. Waking up cuddled up to him had been even better. Of course her experience with sex had never included actually sleeping together, let alone waking up together the next morning, but there was no doubt in her mind that that part had a major contribution in her happiness. It really was amazing to wake up with someone you love, especially after a couple of spectacular physical connections.

When she'd awoken, Leonard had seemed lost in thoughts and for a moment she feared he was doubting himself again. Soon she noticed that a certain area of the covers was raised higher than the rest and realized he was probably reliving some memory from the preceding evening. It had got her going almost immediately and they had ended up initiating her bed. Quite literally, since it's only experience with sex had so far been her 'me' times. Even last week when Leonard had spend the night, they had ended up having sex on her couch and not the bed.

She looked through the kitchen window while preparing their brunch, her heart skipping at just seeing him relaxing in his pants and a t-shirt, doing something on his tablet. He must workout at least sometimes. Look at his chest and arms! Penny shook her head; she was a bad cook to start with, and she didn't want to mess up something as easy as preparing brunch. No matter the very attractive distraction outside, she was going to focus on doing this right, and not poison him or something.

Relax, it's French toast, you can do this in your dreams. Enjoy the scenery. Penny giggled at her inner voice. True, she was very experienced with making French toast, but she still didn't want to risk making either of them sick. There were still places they hadn't coupled in. Not that it would take the entire weekend, based on their progress so far, but perhaps they could hit most spots twice before Monday morning. Okay, you've just turned the toast over, take another look. Penny looked through the window once more. Ooh, great timing! Leonard was just picking up the chair and moved it over so it was right next to the other one. Those chairs were pretty sturdy and heavy and she could see Leonard's arm muscles straining to lift the chair. Mouth watering, right? "Hmm, definitely." Damn, she was replying out loud to her inner voice again.

Penny resolutely shifted her attention back to the French toast, knowing that if she didn't it would be a lot harder to do later, with a bad batch of French toast as the final result. No, it was just better to focus on the brunch now. After all there would be plenty of time both today and tomorrow to enjoy being together. And even though she was determined to have sex everywhere in the house, she was also looking forward just being with Leonard, spending time as a couple.

She smiled suddenly. Leonard had not been scared away about her introducing him as her boyfriend. That was a good thing, Penny thought. He clearly wasn't afraid of commitment, as she had feared on her way home yesterday. Then she frowned. Had he actually heard her saying boyfriend? Afterall, he had admitted his mind had been focused on something completely different. Did he even want to define their relationship so soon after it had started? Should she mention it to him, ask him how he felt about this?

"Uhm, Penny?"

With a start she turned toward the kitchen door. "Huh? What?" Her eyes went wide when the smell registered in her mind. "Oh crap!" She quickly transferred their brunch to the plates, turning over the toast as she did so. Luckily it was only a bit darker than it should be, but it didn't seem to be completely charred. "Uhm, it might be a little crispy," Penny said, looking at Leonard apologetically.

Leonard had moved toward her and looked at the plates. "Seems okay," he said. "Are you okay?"

Penny shrugged. "Sure, just a bit disappointed that I managed to mess up something as simple as this."

"Hey," Leonard said, pulling her into a hug. "It's not ruined, just a bit dark on one side. But that's not what I meant. You were lost in thoughts and frowning. Is something wrong, besides the food?"

"No," Penny answered, but noticing his doubtful look she added, "well, maybe." She paused for a few seconds, trying to find the right words, suddenly very nervous. "Yesterday I introduced you as my boyfriend, without discussing our exact status with you first. I'm not quite sure if you even picked up on it, or if you even want to make it so... so... you know? And like I said yesterday, I'd understand if you don't want to term us boyfriend-girlfriend. And really, I don't mind just dating and having sex for a while. It's just that I..." Leonard had pushed his lips against her, effectively shutting her up in a very enjoyable manner.

"Penny," Leonard began as soon as the kiss had ended. "I love you. And I'm very happy you want me to be your boyfriend and you're right, we should've discussed this yesterday."

"Well," Penny said, smiling slightly, "we did end up having a deep conversation, just not on this particular subject."

"As far as I'm concerned, we don't need a deep, long conversation on this subject. I've wanted to call you my girlfriend from the moment you made me realize how you felt about me."

"Really?"


Leonard shook his head once more, not quite believing what had just transpired. Right after brunch Penny had moved into his lap and they had made out. Much to his surprise however, Penny had started pushing for more, even though they were sitting outside in her backyard. He still wasn't quite sure how she had managed it, but they ended up having sex outside, despite his discomfort at the very real possibility of being seen by her neighbors. But Penny didn't seem to care about that at all. She had simply removed her top, revealing her topless form to him, and then continued to kiss him while her hands worked his zipper.

It had not been a wild ride like it usually was, but a sweet and tender love making session. In her backyard. He knew one neighbor was at home as they had heard him talk when they were still eating. Leonard wasn't quite sure if the man had gone inside, or if he had heard them, though Penny had remained relatively quiet.

"That was really nice," Penny said softly. "But we should get cleaned up and then we'll go shopping."

"Shopping?" Leonard wasn't a big fan of shopping, but he figured spending time with her was better than being alone, or worse, having to deal with Sheldon.

"Mm-hmm," Penny hummed as she kissed his neck. "Don't worry, it won't take very long, I promise." She must have seen doubt in his eyes when she looked at him. "Trust me, I have far more fun things in mind for us to do later."

Only a little over half an hour later they left her house. Penny insisted on walking, claiming the shopping mall was only fifteen minutes away. It was on that walk that Leonard discovered that Penny knew quite a few people in the neighborhood, and more importantly, people seemed to like her. Their walk was frequently interrupted as someone Penny knew wanted to talk to her. And every time Penny took the time to hear them out, offering her support if they needed it. And at every stop Penny had introduced him as her boyfriend, maintaining some kind of physical contact as she chatted with her friends and neighbors. It surprised him how many of them claimed they made a very cute couple, how they just seemed to belong together. It definitely removed any lingering doubt from his mind.

Even walking, Penny kept touching him, whether it was holding hands, or just a simple, almost unconscious caress of his arms or back. Whenever he actually looked at her, she would smile at him, and on many occasions she would actually stop him from walking so they could kiss.

Eventually they made it to the mall and, much to his surprise, her first stop was a comic book store. The owner immediately greeted her, clearly not surprised at seeing her. Leonard's jaw had almost dropped to the floor when she began discussing the previous issue of the Avengers, stating her disappointment at the chosen solution which she felt was a bit of a cop-out. It didn't take long for other shoppers to add to the discussion, but much to his surprise, they all seemed to really listen to her, instead of ogling. And almost nobody seemed to be afraid to talk to her, which was very surprising considering that most nerds would never in a million years dare to talk to an attractive woman. It hadn't taken long before he got sucked into the discussions as well, as they moved on from the Avengers to other comics and graphic novels.

After the comic book store Penny said she only wanted to visit one more shop, and Leonard had suppressed a groan when she added she needed something new to wear. They had to walk to the other side of the mall and Leonard was already dreading having to wait for hours while she tried on everything in the store. He knew that women rarely were done quickly when it came to clothes or shoes, even if they promised it wouldn't take long.

"Here we are," Penny said as she pulled him into the shop.

Leonard was surprised to find himself in a lingerie shop. He had not expected that at all, and he immediately started to feel uncomfortable. "Uhm, maybe I should wait outside?"

Penny turned to him. "Of course not! You need to help me pick out the good stuff!"


Penny was having a great time. She knew Leonard was a little uncomfortable being in the lingerie store, but by showing him the benefit of being there, she felt confident he would grow to like it soon enough. She had informed him that he wouldn't get to see her in anything until she would wear it when they were alone, but that he did get a say in what she might try. It had taken a couple of minutes before Leonard felt comfortable enough to give an opinion, and a couple minutes more before he started pointing out things he would like to see on her. Most of them were things she had already seen and decided to try on, but she wanted to see if he would open up more.

In a way, this was almost like their love making session in her backyard. He had been very uncomfortable at first, looking around nervously. Eventually he seemed to get more into it, and Penny knew he had enjoyed it for the most part. Truthfully, she had been a little uncomfortable as well, her only outdoor experience being in the back of a truck in the middle of the night, past her curfew. It was a whole other ball game to do it right next door to a neighbour who had already looked more than once whenever she had lounged there.

But she found it also very exciting, doing something like that where they could get caught at any time. It added something to it she just found exhilarating, something she definitely wanted to try more in the near future. Interestingly, it had also been the first time they had done it in a slow, loving manner, another first for her. It had added something very special to the physical thing, a deeper connection, a stronger bond. It had been both very tame, compared to their previous sessions, and very intense at the same time.

She had purposely kissed him deeply as she had neared her climax, afraid she would be too vocal and most certainly draw attention to them. As much as the possibility of being caught had excited her, she had not wanted to be caught by her neighbour. But in no way had it been any less amazing than their previous sessions. If anything, it had been more amazing, simply because of the emotional aspect of it.

"What are you thinking about?"

Penny turned her head to look at Leonard. "Just remembering our brunch. Particularly the amazingly sweet and enjoyable way it ended."

"Oh. Yeah."

Penny frowned at his less than enthusiastic response. "You didn't like it?"

"I did like it. It was just... unusual." He sighed. "I guess I wasn't entirely comfortable doing it where we could get caught."

Penny nodded and bit her lip. "How about yesterday, in your lab?"

His shrug was enough of an indication. "Less uncomfortable, since the chances of being caught weren't high. But somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering what people would think if they happened to go by my lab. We weren't exactly quiet."

"I'm guessing it would be 'alright, the cute nerd's getting some,'" Penny said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. She was glad to see a somewhat smug grin started to form. "Didn't think of that, did ya?"

"I didn't," he admitted.

Penny grinned. "So, more visits to your lab wouldn't be too bad?"

Leonard nodded. "I guess that wouldn't be so bad."

Penny nodded and grabbed his arm with both her hands. "So, no more sex in my backyard, but my Friday's off, I'll swing by your lab for a nooner."

Leonard looked at her amused. "Don't you have every Friday off?"

"Luckily for you, I do," Penny answered, silently adding it was equally good for her, especially since weeknight sleepovers were out of the question for now. "But I'm guessing you wouldn't like doing it in, say, a park?" She wasn't quite sure where the thought had come from, but somehow she found the notion of doing it there very alluring.

"A park?"

"Well, obviously we would find a quiet spot and wait until it's dark, but, yeah." The more Penny thought about it, the more she wanted to experience it. Was she really that perverted, wanting to have sex in a public place?

"Well, I don't know. Maybe?"

Penny looked up at him, surprised at his response. "Really? I figured if you were uncomfortable in my backyard, this would be a definite 'no way' kinda suggestion."

Leonard shrugged. "I can tell you'd really want to, and I don't want you to change just so I'm always comfortable. And maybe I'll start to enjoy... expressing our love and passion in unusual locales."

Penny giggled at the way he phrased it, but at the same time was touched by his consideration for her and his willingness to meet in the middle. "Okay, how about we'll talk about this later and decide on how often you'd be willing to indulge me."

He looked at her and frowned. "You're already making a list, aren't you?"

Penny nodded, not at all embarrassed to admit it. "Uh huh. I'm thinking ocean, elevator, movie theater. Out of curiosity, how do you feel about PDA's? You know, make-out sessions and some patting, either out here or, you know a restaurant."

Leonard's eyebrows rose up high. "You want to make out in a restaurant?"

"Well, doesn't seem like a good idea to have sex there. Although, they would have bathrooms, that could be great, too. And in the American Pie movie, the girl crawled under the table and went down on her boyfriend." Penny suddenly kept quiet and was afraid to look at Leonard. "You must think I'm a pervert. Here I go on and on about something I know you're not really comfortable with." She stopped walking when Leonard did.

"I don't think you're a pervert," he answered, keeping his voice lower than she had. "You're just really passionate and affectionate, which is a good thing."

"I don't want to make you uncomfortable, especially since we decided we'd talk about it at home."

Leonard turned to her fully, pulling her close. "I am uncomfortable right now, but not the way you'd think."

As she was pulled closer, her eyes widened a bit when she felt what Leonard meant with being uncomfortable. She kissed him briefly. "Let's get home quickly so we can... discuss this issue thoroughly."