As I'm sure you all have guessed, Penny has now moved into 4A. Hmm, I wonder what changes proximity will bring about... Just kidding. I already know since I wrote it. ;)

Sheldon placed the teapot on the stove and looked around the living room. A leather sofa had replaced his lawn chairs. A walnut entertainment center now held his TV and video game consoles. Two bookshelves had turned into seven, two of which were reserved for Penny alone, two were community property and the other three were his. 95% of the items on display were his. Collectibles, busts, and action figures were everywhere. The only items Penny had put up were her two championship belts on the shelf over the large bay window and a series of wrestling figures signed by some of her favorite opponents.

He walked back to the bedrooms and paused in Penny's open doorway. She was hanging new curtains over the window. He had to admit that the pale grey she had painted the room was very soothing. When she had brought the color home, he had balked at first, sure it would be too dirty looking. She had paired it with sea green curtains, and a bedspread of swirling aqua, cream and green. Pale oak bedroom furniture completed the décor.

"Hey, sugar. Need something?" she asked as she stepped back to look over the curtains.

"I am making tea. Would you care for some?" he asked hesitantly.

She turned and smiled at him warmly. "I'd love some." She walked over and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "Thanks."

Sheldon turned to follow her back up the hallway. He placed a hand over his tingling cheek and did his best not to blush as they went back to the front room. Penny settled in the middle cushion while he poured the tea and brought the tray over. From the moment the couch had entered the apartment he had laid claim to the end cushion. It was the most comfortable, being in the perfect position for conversation, TV viewing, and draft avoidance.

Penny picked up the remote and handed it to him. "I have an hour or so before I have to head over to the gym, so do you want to watch something?"

Sheldon turned to the BBC and found a rerun of Doctor Who. He settled back into the couch and picked up his teacup. He was about to take a sip when Penny shifted closer and laid her head on his shoulder. More tingling spread through him and he took a couple of steadying breaths. Slowly he eased his arm up and she settled against his side. He gingerly placed his arm across her shoulders and watched her nervously from the corner of his eye. The soft smile on her face reassured him.

Before he knew it the credits were rolling and Penny was easing away from him. His side felt chilled without her pressing against him. Penny stood and carried their cups back from to the kitchen. "Guess I better get going," she said with a smile. "The girls are expecting me at 9am."

Sheldon nodded and stood up. "Will you be back for lunch?" he asked curiously.

"Probably not," she admitted. "I'm going to spend some extra time with Candace on her rope work. She's got the drive, but she's a little awkward still."

The front door opened and Leonard, Howard and Raj strolled in. "Hey! Anyone up for paintball?" Leonard asked.

Penny walked over and hugged Howard but shook her head. "Not me. I'm working."

Howard grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. "Need an audience? Someone to help those nubile young vixens practice their pinning technique, maybe?"

Penny rolled her eyes and turned to head back to her bedroom. "Only if you'll also let them practice their suplexes and drop kicks."

Leonard looked at the dissatisfaction on Sheldon's face as Penny disappeared. He nudged Howard and nodded toward Sheldon slightly. The guys had spent the past week since Penny had moved in discussing how to help Sheldon and Penny end up together.

Penny was moving slowly, trying not to spook the Texan, but Sheldon was completely clueless when it came to how to respond. So, they had made a pact with each other to provide Sheldon with advice and plenty of opportunity to be around Penny.

"Buddy, why don't you offer to go with her," Leonard whispered. "You know, show an interest in Penny's work."

Sheldon looked around at his friends. "But she has not invited me."

Howard rolled his eyes. "Of course she hasn't. No girl wants the guys she's interested in eyeballing other women in skimpy clothes. But, if you go and show her you don't even notice those other girls, she's gonna be pleased."

Sheldon frowned as he considered the suggestion. "There is no other woman I am interested in. It would not be difficult at all to ignore them in favor of her. Do you really think it is what I should do?"

"Definitely," Leonard encouraged. "Especially since her ex was a cheating bastard. Show her you're different. She'll like that."

A moment later Penny reappeared wearing a sports bra and yoga pants. A large duffel bag was slung over her shoulder and her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. "Okay, have fun guys."

Sheldon reached out to take her duffel bag from her shoulder. "Penny, would you like some company?" he asked cautiously.

She looked at him with surprise. "You want to go with me?"

He fidgeted and looked down shyly. "Not particularly, as I have no interest in wrestling, or the females you are training, but I would like to learn what you do. The teaching aspect, I mean." Penny grinned widely at him, causing his pulse rate to increase again. He was beginning to wish his pulse would just continuously race, because this constant up and down was exhausting.

"That would be great," she said happily. "And afterwards we can stop at the train caboose place you told me about."

Sheldon smiled with excitement. "Carney's! Oh, Penny, you'll love it! They have wonderful chili."

The guys watched Penny and Sheldon head out of the apartment with smiles. "You know, she's really pulled him out of his shell," Leonard commented.

Howard nodded. "Sheldon has been good for Penny, too. Her ex really knocked her confidence for a loop. She doesn't know it, but the first couple of days, I could hear her sobbing herself to sleep. He makes her smile. With Sheldon she can be herself, and he accepts it. She doesn't have to put on a show. I can remember on visits how she had to play the damsel in distress because Kurt's ego couldn't take her being tougher than him."

Howard plopped down on Sheldon's new couch. "I remember going to visit her a couple of years ago. She had just won her fifth title. Kurt spent the entire time he was at the party trying to hook up with any female who paused long enough to catch his eye. Penny tried to hide it, but she was embarrassed and heart broken. When she got here, I could tell it had just gotten worse over the years."

"Why did she put up with that?" Raj asked. "I can't imagine Penny standing for that kind of crap."

Howard sighed and shook his head. "She thought leaving Kurt meant she was a failure. If Kurt hadn't knocked up his girlfriend, who knows how much longer Penny would have stayed. She's always been bullheaded and she hates to quit."

Leonard sat down on the couch and smiled. "Well, it's highly unlikely that Sheldon would ever cheat. He's almost thirty and he's only even wanted one woman."

Raj grabbed some waters from the fridge and passed them out. "Here's to Sheldon and Penny," he said, holding up his bottle. "May they be happy together forever."

The other two held up their own bottles and tapped them together.