Author's Note:

Just a small addition inspired by a post from one of Stark's daily instagram reel spams, which I then wrote to try to cheer myself up when I was having a bad day. This isn't connected to any particular episode, but I would like to think it could fit in the canon somewhere.

As per usual, thank you to Stark for giving me this idea and beta reading it. I hope the rest of you like it!

Monopoly

Amy rolled the pair of dice and groaned inwardly when she saw the result, already able to see where it would take her.

She and Sheldon were having a game night with Leonard and Penny in apartment 4A and they were approximately an hour and a half (and, thanks to Penny, almost two bottles of wine) into a round of Monopoly. After a strong start, Amy hit some bad luck and was now near-bankrupt. She moved her thimble the required number of spaces, stopping on Pennsylvania Avenue, which was of course owned by Sheldon, because he didn't rest until he owned all the railroads and all the green properties. He looked up at her expectantly.

"I'm afraid I'm a little short on rent," she told him.

"You are," he agreed. He had insisted on being the banker for their game as well, and due to his eidetic memory he knew exactly how much money everyone had left.

They stared at each other for a second, and then Amy had an idea. It probably wouldn't work, but the alcohol made her willing to try. She downed the remaining dregs in her wine glass before continuing with her last-ditch effort to stay in the game.

"Maybe we can come to some other . . . arrangement?" she asked, dropping her voice low. She tried to look nonchalant as she twirled a strand of her hair.

"I don't see how," Sheldon said. "You know the rules. You've already sold off your buildings and—"

"Are you sure there isn't something else I could offer you?" She leaned towards him over the game board, bringing her arms in close and pushing her chest forward.

"Finally, this game is getting interesting," Penny muttered beside her. Leonard cleared his throat uncomfortably. Sheldon glanced over at them and then back at her, now clearly confused.

"As I was saying, you already sold—"

"Sheldon."

This time it was Leonard who interrupted him. He leaned over and whispered in his friend's ear. Amy couldn't catch what Leonard was saying, but Sheldon's eyes went wide and he looked back at her again, scandalized.

"Amy! I should send you to jail for suggesting such a thing!" he scolded. "Lucky for you, the official rules don't allow the banker to send players to jail even if it's deserved, and the 'Go Directly to Jail' card is still four down in the Chance deck."

"Worth a shot," Amy said with a shrug, handing over all her remaining money and cards to Sheldon.

"Try it again the next time they play Ticket to Ride," Penny told her while pouring out the last of the wine.

"What's Ticket to Ride?"

"A train-themed board game," Leonard answered for her.

"The train talk gets Sheldon all riled up, you might get somewhere then," Penny explained.

"Can we play that next?" Amy asked, grinning over at her boyfriend. Sheldon glared back at all of them, unamused.