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When Sheldon Met Penny

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Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

Penny: What does this song mean? Should we forget our friends?

Sheldon: Maybe it means we should remember if we forgot them. Anyway, it’s about old friends

January 31st, 2011 - 10PM

Sheldon yawned. Loudly.

“Oh c’mon Sheldon. You’ve gotta stay awake. Please?” Penny was shaking his arm to get him to snap out of his sleep-deprived stupor.

“Penny, it’s one hour past my bedtime. No arbitrary celebration should be keeping me from my bed.” He sat up from the cushions on her couch that he had begun to sleep in. “The only thing keeping me from my sleep is you. You-and the friendship code you invoked.”

“Sweetie, no one should be alone on New Year’s Eve. Not you, and most certainly not me!” She kept holding on to his arm, pulling firmly every time he tried to fall back into the couch cushions. “You managed to stay up last year!”

“Last year,” Sheldon yawned again, “we had a contest to win! I’ll stay up for costume parties, Comic-Con, movie premiers and marathons. What I don’t stay up for is to watch muted television and see too many people on a cold night, crowded together in Times Square, to see a brightly lit ball drop for one minute until midnight.”

Penny’s shoulders slumped, “Sheldon, you can suck the fun out of anything!

“Thank you?”

“You know what, this staying sober business is for wussies and Sheldon Cooper!” Penny headed for her kitchen to start shifting through the bottles on the top of her ‘fridge.

“Congratulations, Penny. You managed to stay sober until,” Sheldon checked his watch, “10:05.”

“Sarcasm Sheldon? Really? I’m kinda regretting teaching you about that!”

Penny found an unopened bottle of white wine. She rooted for a couple of glasses, and a bottle of club soda. She carried it all, hugging the bottles to herself, over to her coffee table and set up.

“Ok, the bar is open!” Penny started pouring the wine and club soda together in the wine glasses. She gave one to Sheldon who looked at her if she’d grown another head.

“What is this? You know I can’t drink wine Penny.”

“It’s a wine sprizter - Sheldon, you know whatever I give you to drink tonight will either be laced with alcohol or Red Bull - or both! This way, you get to see it straight up.” Penny smiled.

“But,” Sheldon actually blushed a little, “the last time I drank wine, I took my pants off!”

Penny laughed, “Sweetie, we’ve both seen each other kinda naked - you mighta shown off your ass while you were drunk - but you were cold sober when you peeked at mine!” She raised her glass, “Cheers!”

Sheldon hesitantly clicked his glass with hers and took a sip. He shrugged, and took another.

And they were off!

x

January 31st, 2011 - 11PM

“Shel-don,” Penny sing-songed his name, while leaning on his shoulder with hers, “how long have we known each other?’ She swirled her wine glass in her hand that was getting dangerously low.

“Four years, three months, and twenty-one days.”

“And how long have we been friends?” Sheldon’s drink, as well as her own, were refilled.

“Well, you told me we were friends - which I didn’t dispute, mind you - three years, eight months and sixteen days ago.” He took his drink and sipped at it, already used to the taste.

“Then, can I ask you a question - a personal question?”

“I think you will Penny, whether or not I give my consent.”

“Why-” Penny shifted her shoulder slightly so that her chin was practically on his shoulder, “have you never been attracted to me? I mean, I was with Leonard nearly year-”

“Eight months and nineteen days.” Sheldon took a deep drink from his glass.

“Ok-ay,” Penny closed her eyes briefly, “My point is, Leonard, Howard, and even Raj when he’s been drinking have all shown their attraction to me.” She looked up at him, “Why haven’t you?”

“Penny, do you really need me to tell you that you are attractive? You know you are.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant - though it’s still nice to hear sometimes.”

“By Western standards, and more specifically, by California ones, - Penny - you are a very attractive woman.”

She smiled, but moved away, “Never mind Sheldon. Dumb question - moving on.”

“No, you asked me a question - and I’ll answer it - by telling you a story.”

Penny breathed out slowly, “If this starts with “the night skies of ancient Greece--”

“No Penny.” Sheldon sighed “It does start from another beginning though - the day I met you.”

Penny sat up, interested, “Really?”

“Yes, as long as you promise not to interrupt.”

“And this will make me understand why you’re not attracted to me?

“Penny - this would be interrupting.”

“Sorry - go ahead.”

x

September 24th, 2007

Sheldon stopped, dumbstruck. Leonard had stopped too. Luis/ Louise was gone, and in his/her place was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She looked up and he couldn’t look at her - his breath stopped in his throat and he looked down at his shoes. Then she said “Hi” to them. At least Leonard was just as awkward as he was.

And seemingly, all Dr. Sheldon Cooper, PhD, could only say - twice mind you - was “Hi.”

Leonard was babbling along - something about he and Sheldon being heterosexual - so he nodded, still unable to focus on anything but the beautiful woman in front of him.

After a few more awkward exchanges, and a “Bye” Sheldon tried to shake off the unsettled feeling he had. He’d never been rendered so speechless. Never.

He needed routine. He needed - Battlestar Galactica!

But no, Leonard insistted on inving the beautiful blonde girl, “Penny” over for dinner. Even Sheldon could recognize that he was doing a terrible job of it.

Yet, she followed them into their apartment, and went straight for his whiteboard. And showed interest!

Sheldon felt like he might pass out - but he talked - telling her about his board. She looked impressed, called him “A beautiful mind - genius guy.” He couldn’t believe it! He loved John Nash’s story! He looked down from his board - his hand nervously leaning on it, and smiled. She was so beautiful - her eyes green and bright - as she smiled back at him.

Wow.

“This is really impressive.”

He was just about to continue talking to her - anything to keep having her look at him with those eyes.

Then Leonard - with his constant need for approval - called her over, and the moment was gone.

So Sheldon did what he always did - he tore apart Leonard’s work - but perhaps with a little more venom? He’d interrupted!

Then - she sat in his spot!

Ok, she wanted him to sit next to her - why couldn’t he? He panicked. When Sheldon was panicked - he fell to his routine.

Leonard reminded him he should let her sit there - but what to do? Sheldon was too nervous and panicky to try to find somewhere. Shelly - just sit beside her!

Once they started talking with her, both Sheldon and Leonard were awkwardly trying to carry on their parts of the conversation - Sheldon saying too many words - well, just being himself. Leonard not behaving like he normally does - he was obviously trying to impress her.

Sheldon realized - before Leonard did - that the term “out of our league” applied here. He tried to, well not so gently, tell him that - neither one of them would seriously stand a chance. And good Lord! Wolowitz and Koothrapoli’s mix into the situation certainly made his case for him.

And yet, where was he soon after - on the way to Penny’s ex-boyfriend’s place because Leonard wanted her - for sex of course. Sheldon shook his head. Leonard was driven by sex in a way Sheldon wasn’t. Sheldon respected women - between his mother, sister and Meemaw - Sheldon was taught early on that women were to be admired.

Leonard wasn’t raised like that, and it showed in times like this.

After the encounter with the brute that was the ex-boyfriend of Penny (Sheldon may have been as tall, but Kurt was as wide as two and a half Sheldons) and the loss of their pants - Penny was at least kind enough to offer dinner for them.

She hugged them both - Leonard first, then him! Oh, he wasn’t wearing any pants - it was incredibly awkward - he even tried to hide behind Leonard!

While she left, Leonard was still hopeful - expecting their children someday. Sheldon knew, without a doubt, that would never happen.

For Leonard, or for him.

x

December 31st, 2011 11:50PM

Penny had listened, and not interrupted just like she promised. Sheldon had talked for almost an hour. She was enthralled. She was also almost in his lap.

This wasn’t a story telling Penny how Sheldon wasn’t attracted to her - this was a story about how he was!

“Sheldon - if - and I think I’ve got this right - you’ve been attracted to me for, what -how long?”

“Four years, three months, and twenty-one days.” Sheldon’s hand was warm - not quite touching- but right beside her thigh.

“Right. So then, if you’ve always been attracted to me, why have you never - especially after we’ve spent so much time together once Leonard and I broke up --”

“Because,” Sheldon said softly, “I - you are - we’re friends - we depend on each other. Here we are - a night that you’d usually have a date for - and yet you wanted to spend it with me. I depend on you, every Saturday night when we do laundry then watch a movie - every Thursday when you make me spaghetti. What if--” Sheldon paused, and put the hand that was by her thigh up to her cheek, and continued, “we tried to act on any attraction I may have for you - and we failed? I - I could lose this - my best friend.”

Penny moved to put herself directly on his lap, “Sheldon-” her voice was equally as soft. She took his hand that was on her cheek and held it there, “I understand - I feel that too. But how can you feel the way you do - the way we do - and do nothing about it? Because right now-” Penny shifted his hand to her thigh and hers to his chest, “the thought of not kissing you hurts more than being afraid of the change in our relationship.”

“Penny.”

“I think our friendship is strong enough Sheldon - we won’t lose that, ok?”

“Penny - look - it’s midnight.” He clicked on the sound.

She twisted around to see that the ball already dropped. There was cheering and noise. She didn’t care.

“Sheldon-” She’d turned back but lost her thoughts and words as he kissed her. His hands slipped into her hair, and he bent down and she pulled up and they were kissing - and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

In Times Square, a song started.

“Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!

For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.”

Once they’d broken for air, they watched the party on the screen in front of them.

“What does this song mean?” Penny wondered. “Should we forget our friends?”

Sheldon smiled, “Maybe it means we should remember if we forgot them. Anyway, it’s about old friends.”

“And maybe, how we shouldn’t forget our friendship - no matter what.” Penny said, kissing him.

“No matter what.” Sheldon agreed, and kissed her back.

End.