The topic had started circling around Grand Theft Auto after a while and Howard and Raj, who had helped himself to a beer from the fridge to finally be able to talk, discussed about the right driving techniques to keep up with the quests.

„Of course you can run over red lights but when there's a policeman near he's gonna follow you and then you're busy finishing the quest and escaping from the police!", Raj tried to make his best friend see.

Howard shook his head though. „I don't know how things are in your… Bollywood version of GTA but in the version I play it's a child's play to escape one damn police car!"

Penny slid over to Howard and punched his shoulder firmly, before she cleared her throat, only to be able to speak in a very high pitched voice after. „Howy, don't be racist to our nice Indian friend."

Howard rubbed his shoulder and looked at Penny as if she had just ran over his dog.

She shrugged and smiled with her mouth full. „I just thought I need to bring a little Bernadette here, since she has to work tonight."

„Oh yeah? Well, thank you! I thought this would be a wife-free evening without anyone punching me!" Howard looked grumpy, still rubbing his shoulder.

„Shouldn't you be happy when Bernadette is around?" Leonard grinned.

„I am but… sometimes it's cool to just hang out with my boys" Howard smiled.

„And girls" Penny added and stick her tongue out towards Wolowitz.

„Of course" Howard grinned and finished his food.

„If I was married" Sheldon suddenly started and Amy's disbelieving look struck him immediately. „I would be happy to be around my wife all day"

Even Penny's mouth hung open for about two seconds and that was rare. „Wow Sheldon. You have a romantic side on you!"

„If you wanna call it so" Sheldon blankly responded. „I just think marriage is something you should cherish every day and not see as something you need to escape from regularly."

Leonard and Penny stared at each other, making sure the other one had just heard the same. Something like that coming from Sheldon? He was a theoretical physicist, someone who had not much room for feelings and all this romantic nonsense. But apparently there was a side to him no one had known before. Not even Amy. She still stared at him as if he had just confessed his eternal love for her.

„Have you considered marriage?" Penny blurted out, still in disbelief of what she had just heard.

Sheldon looked up at her, tossed a quick glance at Amy and then nodded. Amy felt like she was about to faint.

Leonard felt the strange tension in the room and looked over alarmed to Koothrappali and Wolowitz who already had that look on their faces which announced a joking battle at Sheldon's expense. So he decided to dim that before it even started. „So Amy. Does Sheldon care for you well enough or do you need a little girl help from time to time? I mean… just in case you want Penny to come over to check on you some more"

„We're doing fine, Leonard" Sheldon said, almost sounding a little hurt about the fact his best friend could even think that he could not care for his woman himself. „Yesterday I cooked for her, today I bathed her and washed her hair…"

Raj, who had just been drinking a sip of his beer, spit it all over Howard's lap. „You…" He coughed, looking for his breath. „You bathed her? No way!"

„Rajesh, just because you can't even talk to women without getting drunk like a sailor, does not mean I can't bathe my girlfriend!" Sheldon looked down next to himself. „Amy, don't you agree? You're awfully quiet."

„Yeah" Amy mumbled, well knowing that everyone in this room stared at her right in that moment. She felt unwell, like Sheldon had exposed something to their friends that was way too intimate to share with anyone.

„Bathing her, letting her sleep in your room… this sounds a lot like there's gonna be COITUUUUS!" Howard high-fived Raj and they both sat there with a dirty grin on their face.

„Oh guys, don't be ridiculous" There was something like disgust on Sheldon's face. „Coitus is really the last thing I have in mind. I just want Amy to feel well and I've came to the conclusion that it is too dangerous for her to sleep alone in the bed. She is used to a bigger one and what if she turns around and falls out of bed? When we're in the same room I hear that at least and can help her back up!"

„Yes, I'm sure that totally is the reason" Raj giggled.

Howard just got ready for his next verbal innuendo, when his phone rang. He picked it up. It was Bernadette.

Penny looked at Amy meanwhile. She looked unhappy, she looked like they had pilloried her too much for her liking. Of course she was used to Howard's and Raj's stupid comments about hers and Sheldon's relationship but they had crossed a line. Penny knew how sensitive she was once it came to lovemaking. And how much she wanted it. And how much Sheldon was not willing to just do it.

„Ames, are you okay?" Penny whispered over to her best friend.

Amy raised her look, smiled a little and nodded. Just the fact Penny had realized that Raj and Howard had been immature a little too much made her feel better.

„Alright, I have to go pick up Bernie. Are you coming with me?" Howard stood up with a look towards Raj.

He got up as well. „Sure, bro"

„See you tomorrow at work!" Howard waved around and then left the apartment, followed by Raj.

The door closed and Amy let go a deep breath, before she squinted at Sheldon. „I find it very respectless that you let them talk about us like this!"

„Me?" Sheldon's eyes widened. He was completely lost once again. Apparently is was a lot easier to do something wrong when you were a boyfriend.

„Yes! They made fun of our sex life. Which is just as theoretical as your…" Amy waved around with her hands. „Physics thingy!"

„Physics thingy" Sheldon echoed. „This study is my life, Amy!"

Apparently she had gone too far now cause Sheldon got up and left for his room. Penny almost facepalmed. How could these two never get along?

„I'm gonna talk to him" Leonard sighed and got up just to follow Sheldon.

Penny let herself fall next to her best friend and put an arm around her shoulder. „Hey, I get that you are frustrated"

„Frustrated? That seems a little understated, don't you think?" Amy sniffled.

Penny sighed and caressed her hair. „Well, Amy… I really think Sheldon is trying."

Amy closed her eyes for a few seconds and opened them again before she nodded. „I know. It's just so hard sometimes. Most of all in times like these. He's so caring and I feel like he would do anything for me. He cooks for me, he didn't shave for me! And we know how much he hates it when his routine is disturbed. So I wonder… how much must he hate the idea of having sex with me when he just can't do this?"

Penny was definitely stumped for an answer. She just slung her arms around her best friend and held her tight, while silent tears rolled down Amy's cheeks.

„Sheldon" Leonard stopped in front of the open door just to see him sitting on his bed with his head down. He sighed, stepped in and closed the door, before he sat down next to Sheldon. „Hey"

„I don't know why she would say something like this" He sounded seriously hurt. „I've done so much for her"

„And I am sure she appreciates that!" Leonard had to pick up every positive thing he possibly could. It was really hard to convince Sheldon to not freak out completely once he got upset.

„Then why does she complain?" For once in a very long time this didn't sound like a rethorical question.

„Because… she's a woman and she has desires" That was the best answer Leonard could think of.

Sheldon rose his head. „I cooked for her, I bathed her, I let her sleep in my bed. I don't know what else there is to desire!"

„Sheldon" Leonard started, thinking carefully about his words. „You know Maslow's Theory of Human Motivation, right?"

„Of course I do"

„So you also know that it's like a pyramide and the most basic need is physiological!"

„Leonard, you act like I just climbed down from a tree and discovered how to walk on two legs. Of course I know that!"

Leonard nodded. „So, what belongs to the physiological needs?"

„Well" Sheldon thought for a moment. „Eating, drinking, sleeping, warmth, sex…"

Leonard pulled up his eyebrows and looked at Sheldon more intensly. He looked back and then the switch in his head seemed to tilt. „Oh! But Leonard, I don't think I can do that…"

„Why?"

„Because… because…" It was the first time ever Leonard had seen Sheldon so completely lost about something. „I don't know how to do it. I mean, theoretically I do but… all those things around it, I have no idea how to start it and how to develope it. So I just thought it's better if we leave this out. And in the beginning of our relationship Amy had agreed on not having coitus!"

„That was almost four years ago, Sheldon. Her needs have grown, just like your ability to let her touch you."

„Maybe you're right" Sheldon sighed. „But just like I said; I have no idea how this really works."

„Sheldon, I don't think Amy really cares about a huge event with candles and a bubble bath and an hourlong foreplay. Just do it."

Sheldon looked at Leonard as if he had never seen someone so clumsy before. „I don't want to just do it. Amy is someone very special so everything we do together should be very special as well."

„But I think it's gonna be special enough for her. I mean, just the fact you would be willing to…" Leonard didn't understand Sheldon's doubts at all. If there was one thing in this world Amy obviously wanted it was Sheldon ripping of his and her clothes and just making wild love with him. Sheldon could have had it so easily but instead he was sitting here, racking is brain about how he could make it extra special.

„Leonard, I don't know if you understand this" Sheldon talked to him like to a little kid who wanted sweets but couldn't get them because it had diabetes. „But I love Amy Farrah Fowler. And I would do anything in my power to make her the happiest I can."

With those words he got up and left his room… and left his baffled best friend behind. Was that the word love? Out of Sheldon's mouth?