TBBT Fic: Lovesick
Title: Lovesick
Author: clumsyghost
Fandom: The Big Bang Theory
Pairing: Leonard/Sheldon
Rating: PG-13 for very mild language
Word Count: 2, 035 including lyrics
Warnings/Notes: Unbeta'd. Not only do I not own the characters, I do not own the music lyrics, nor the plot idea.
Summary: For yummysubculture , based on her Fanmix post.
At first, it had seemed like such an innocent object. To the untrained eye, this round piece of technology lying in its clear plastic case blended in perfectly with its technology-laden environment. Yet the eye of Dr. Leonard Hofstadter was anything but amateur, especially when the environment in question pertained to Sheldon Cooper. While not an expert on his roommate’s bedroom, Leonard was highly attuned to the habits and idiosyncrasies of said person. Sheldon was painstakingly methodical; the result was a labeling and cataloging system that would make any librarian envious. Leonard was still expecting the day he woke up with “Homunculus” printed across his forehead, courtesy of Sheldon’s label maker.
Thus fully aware of Sheldon’s intense desire to identify the world around him, Leonard found himself distracted by the blank CD lying on the shelf. He had ventured into his absent friend’s room in order to retrieve a comic book Sheldon had borrowed from him several weeks ago, but the CD was lying right there, taunting him. The CD itself was unusual-Sheldon typically carried his important files with him on his flash drive, and any purchased software would have distinctive markings that this particular disk lacked.
With so much unverified data, Leonard couldn’t stop himself from picking up the case, quickly wandering to his computer, comic forgotten. It wouldn’t take but a second to pop the disk into the drive and check out what program was stored on it…
Shifting impatiently, Leonard’s curiosity deepened as the computer automatically booted up his music program. A strange mix of amusement and disbelief flooded the physicist as his eyes scanned the list of song titles and artists, taking in the slow beat and pining lyrics of the first song on the playlist.
Could you love someone
who does whatever he wants to do
whenever I want to?
It's a simple question
and I'm only asking 'cause I don't want to die alone.
As a general rule, Sheldon’s taste in music mirrored his philosophies, i.e., he would tolerate no gross misinterpretation of factual reality, so pretty much any musician that took creative license with their lyrics was screwed. Sheldon also did not favor the romantic songs, and never tolerated Leonard’s so-called “emo” songs. His roommate’s musical appreciation went only as far as RockBand, so what was this?
Leonard shook his head as the song played on; dying alone was his fear, not Sheldon’s. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder if Sheldon realized just how much the lyrics related to his character. It was hard loving Sheldon-hard to love anyone that is so set in their ways and unwilling to compromise. Hard, but not totally impossible.
Realizing that he was wasting valuable time, Leonard began clicking through the rest of the songs, listening to bits and pieces. As he made his way down the playlist, the lyrics seemed to get sapper and more un-Sheldon-like with each passing song.
I need your arms around me
I need to feel your touch
I need your understanding
I need your love so much
One more robot learns to be something more than
a machine - when it tries the way it does - make it seem
like it can love -
Cause it's hard to say what's real - when you know the
way you feel - is it wrong to think it's love
when it tries the way it does...
It was puzzle, and Leonard’s scientific mind strove to understand it. There was no logical explanation for the existence of this mixed CD. Leonard could imagine various scenarios, but each one was shot down by facts. Penny could have given it to Sheldon as a joke except…Penny had trouble just connecting to the internet, so there was no way she could have managed to burn a CD on her own. Wolowitz and Raj were ruled out since they would have undoubtedly let him in on the joke. Sheldon could have made it for his sister but…Missy had recently purchased an iPod. Leonard was sure of the fact, as he had been forced to endure listening to Sheldon “teach” Missy how to use her iPod over the phone for three solid hours.
The only slightly reasonable conclusion to draw was that his roommate was even weirder than he thought. Leonard laughed to himself, sitting back in his computer chair to enjoy the current tune. He didn’t consider this sappy show of language unpleasant; it was simply another fascinating contradiction that was his best friend. Sheldon spurns society, yet clings to people when he’s sick, is highly allergic to cats, but has a comfort song dealing with sleeping kittens and is as emotionally affectionate as a rock, but has a secret stash of love songs. Yeah, Leonard could deal with that.
You're the coolest boy I know
but it's so hard to just say so
Don't mean to keep it all inside
sometimes I get so tongue-tied
I’ve been quiet for too long
And I’m gonna take the dare
Find a way to let you know, la la la
Time to let my secrets go, la l-
“Leonard?”
With a startled cry, Leonard dove for the speakers, but only managed to knock over his printer instead. Cursing and scrambling to turn the volume down, Leonard glanced up to see the stony expression of one pissed off Sheldon Cooper standing in the doorway.
Sudden guilt filled Leonard’s conscious. Sheldon’s adherence to privacy was one habit that Leonard appreciated and had always returned. Until now.
“H-hey…so, you’re home now, huh?” Leonard stammered out, nervously positioning his computer chair between him and the accusing eyes of his advancing roommate.
“What are you doing with that?” Sheldon never beat around the bush, unfortunately for Leonard.
“I just…It was..I’m sorry!” Leonard pleaded. Desperation made his voice whiny, which he knew Sheldon hated, but he couldn’t help it. He already had two strikes (damn that impulse to shell his peanuts in front of Sheldon!) Oh god, he did not want to have to take Sheldon’s class again. The taller man crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Leonard to explain himself in compassionless silence.
“I was going to get my comic book back, and it was just lying there..and it wasn’t labeled or anything. I know you label everything, so I wanted to see what was on it, but I’m really sorry I took it. I shouldn’t have listened to your music, but it just kinda…automatically started playing and, well..” Something akin to triumph flashed across his friend’s face, but Leonard believed he was imagining things.
“It’s ok, you know. What you’re feeling is totally normal for a human,” Leonard rattled on.
“I agree. The natural result when your best friend snoops into your most personal belongings is anger and disappointment!” Sheldon shot back, but Leonard has moved past apologetic, the revelation that Sheldon may not be asexual after all emboldening him.
“You aren’t a robot, Sheldon. You can feel love, even if you do have to work at being affectionate. There’s no shame in being in love.”
Clearly this was not a tactic that Sheldon had anticipated, and he blinked down at his shorter friend, caught off guard. The music playing on in the background suddenly seemed to grow louder in this awkward pause.
I thought I was just the guy for you and it would never end
I thought we were supposed to be like glue
I thought you were my boyfriend
I thought you were my boyfriend…
“You know, it’s odd, that’s the second time a song has mentioned a guy,” Leonard stated, the innate scientist in him generating statistics before he quite realized what it really meant. As comprehension dawned, Leonard’s eyes widened.
“Oh. Ohhh…” Leonard breathed, staring as Sheldon shifted uncomfortably. “You did say that this is…your CD, right?”
Instead of replying, Sheldon shuffled over to where the other man was standing. Bending down the half a foot difference, Sheldon closed the gap between their mouths before Leonard had a chance to react.
The kiss was awkward and sloppy; although Sheldon had done his research on the insipid topic of kissing, he lacked the real-world experience to adequately apply the techniques suggested in the articles. Leonard wasn’t complaining, though, and the shorter man remained in a state of shock as Sheldon drew back with a smirk.
It feels so right to kiss your lips
Wish I could say to you that,
"I got so much come and get it!"
“I underestimated your generosity, Leonard.” Smug. The bastard was smug. “I thought you would have wanted your comic book back weeks ago. I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me for it, although I did have a back up plan in case you didn’t break into my room.”
Leonard gaped up at his friend in disbelief. “You…you planned this?!”
“Of course. You didn’t think I would just leave something so personal lying around if I really didn’t want you to find it, did you? You should be happy. Plan B involved “accidently” letting you walk in on me “getting it down” as today’s youth like to say.”
Leonard closed his eyes, trying to block out the mental images produced by that comment. It was both frightening and alluring to picture Sheldon moodily dancing to the beat of the love songs. He had seen Sheldon dance before; it was awkward and so unlike his best friend. Yet imagining Sheldon dancing around in his underwear…or less... Oh god, he didn’t need this.
Sheldon cleared his throat, obviously bothered by Leonard’s silence. “I’m not quite sure what the protocol is in situations like this, but I believe you should say something to at least advance this conversation.”
“Umm…how long have you…had this CD?” Leonard questioned. He couldn’t quite bring himself to admit Sheldon’s feelings out loud.
But if I could you know I would
just hold your hand and you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you..
“Two months, eight days, and four hours,” Sheldon answered promptly.
“And you’re just now letting me know?” Leonard couldn’t believe it. He knew he was pretty oblivious, but Sheldon was as subtle as a supernova.
The taller physicist felt relieved that the conversation was reverting back to facts rather than feelings. “You appeared content with your one-sided relationship with Penny. Although you two lack common interests and a similar IQ, I thought it would be best to leave you to your pining based on past futility.”
Well, my kind's your kind
Wait! They don’t love you like I love you!
Leonard chose to ignore the snub. The fact that Sheldon put Leonard’s crush ahead of his own potential happiness was sweet. That’s what Leonard was going with, anyway.
“You could have just told me…” Behind them, the computer suddenly fell silent as the last musical beats faded. Both men glanced at the screen, but the playlist remained displayed, a glaring reminder of Sheldon’s confession.
“There have been studies done that link romance with music. Although I doubt the studies produced any viable data of scientific merit, I didn’t want to take the chance,” Sheldon replied hauntingly. He reached for the computer, and with a few keystrokes, cued the song he was looking for. As the melodic intro began to play once more, Sheldon shifted closer to his friend, frame hunching as he bent down. This time Leonard met him halfway, returning and deepening the kiss as one arm slid around Sheldon’s thin frame.
You're the coolest boy I know
but it's so hard to just say so
Don't mean to keep it all inside
Sometimes I get so tongue-tied
Thoughts can weigh me down
My balloon dips closer to the ground
I’m hoping that you catch my drift
Give my balloon a little lift
“Okay, buddy..I get it now. Let’s go play with your balloon,” Leonard murmured huskily as they drew apart. The shorter man attempted to tug Sheldon in the direction of their bedrooms, but he was met with resistance. Confused, Leonard watched as Sheldon closed the program on his computer, ejecting the CD from the disk drive.
“Be right with you, Leonard. After two months and eight days, I finally get to put a label on this!”
/fin
Author: clumsyghost
Fandom: The Big Bang Theory
Pairing: Leonard/Sheldon
Rating: PG-13 for very mild language
Word Count: 2, 035 including lyrics
Warnings/Notes: Unbeta'd. Not only do I not own the characters, I do not own the music lyrics, nor the plot idea.
Summary: For yummysubculture , based on her Fanmix post.
At first, it had seemed like such an innocent object. To the untrained eye, this round piece of technology lying in its clear plastic case blended in perfectly with its technology-laden environment. Yet the eye of Dr. Leonard Hofstadter was anything but amateur, especially when the environment in question pertained to Sheldon Cooper. While not an expert on his roommate’s bedroom, Leonard was highly attuned to the habits and idiosyncrasies of said person. Sheldon was painstakingly methodical; the result was a labeling and cataloging system that would make any librarian envious. Leonard was still expecting the day he woke up with “Homunculus” printed across his forehead, courtesy of Sheldon’s label maker.
Thus fully aware of Sheldon’s intense desire to identify the world around him, Leonard found himself distracted by the blank CD lying on the shelf. He had ventured into his absent friend’s room in order to retrieve a comic book Sheldon had borrowed from him several weeks ago, but the CD was lying right there, taunting him. The CD itself was unusual-Sheldon typically carried his important files with him on his flash drive, and any purchased software would have distinctive markings that this particular disk lacked.
With so much unverified data, Leonard couldn’t stop himself from picking up the case, quickly wandering to his computer, comic forgotten. It wouldn’t take but a second to pop the disk into the drive and check out what program was stored on it…
Shifting impatiently, Leonard’s curiosity deepened as the computer automatically booted up his music program. A strange mix of amusement and disbelief flooded the physicist as his eyes scanned the list of song titles and artists, taking in the slow beat and pining lyrics of the first song on the playlist.
Could you love someone
who does whatever he wants to do
whenever I want to?
It's a simple question
and I'm only asking 'cause I don't want to die alone.
As a general rule, Sheldon’s taste in music mirrored his philosophies, i.e., he would tolerate no gross misinterpretation of factual reality, so pretty much any musician that took creative license with their lyrics was screwed. Sheldon also did not favor the romantic songs, and never tolerated Leonard’s so-called “emo” songs. His roommate’s musical appreciation went only as far as RockBand, so what was this?
Leonard shook his head as the song played on; dying alone was his fear, not Sheldon’s. Yet he couldn’t help but wonder if Sheldon realized just how much the lyrics related to his character. It was hard loving Sheldon-hard to love anyone that is so set in their ways and unwilling to compromise. Hard, but not totally impossible.
Realizing that he was wasting valuable time, Leonard began clicking through the rest of the songs, listening to bits and pieces. As he made his way down the playlist, the lyrics seemed to get sapper and more un-Sheldon-like with each passing song.
I need your arms around me
I need to feel your touch
I need your understanding
I need your love so much
One more robot learns to be something more than
a machine - when it tries the way it does - make it seem
like it can love -
Cause it's hard to say what's real - when you know the
way you feel - is it wrong to think it's love
when it tries the way it does...
It was puzzle, and Leonard’s scientific mind strove to understand it. There was no logical explanation for the existence of this mixed CD. Leonard could imagine various scenarios, but each one was shot down by facts. Penny could have given it to Sheldon as a joke except…Penny had trouble just connecting to the internet, so there was no way she could have managed to burn a CD on her own. Wolowitz and Raj were ruled out since they would have undoubtedly let him in on the joke. Sheldon could have made it for his sister but…Missy had recently purchased an iPod. Leonard was sure of the fact, as he had been forced to endure listening to Sheldon “teach” Missy how to use her iPod over the phone for three solid hours.
The only slightly reasonable conclusion to draw was that his roommate was even weirder than he thought. Leonard laughed to himself, sitting back in his computer chair to enjoy the current tune. He didn’t consider this sappy show of language unpleasant; it was simply another fascinating contradiction that was his best friend. Sheldon spurns society, yet clings to people when he’s sick, is highly allergic to cats, but has a comfort song dealing with sleeping kittens and is as emotionally affectionate as a rock, but has a secret stash of love songs. Yeah, Leonard could deal with that.
You're the coolest boy I know
but it's so hard to just say so
Don't mean to keep it all inside
sometimes I get so tongue-tied
I’ve been quiet for too long
And I’m gonna take the dare
Find a way to let you know, la la la
Time to let my secrets go, la l-
“Leonard?”
With a startled cry, Leonard dove for the speakers, but only managed to knock over his printer instead. Cursing and scrambling to turn the volume down, Leonard glanced up to see the stony expression of one pissed off Sheldon Cooper standing in the doorway.
Sudden guilt filled Leonard’s conscious. Sheldon’s adherence to privacy was one habit that Leonard appreciated and had always returned. Until now.
“H-hey…so, you’re home now, huh?” Leonard stammered out, nervously positioning his computer chair between him and the accusing eyes of his advancing roommate.
“What are you doing with that?” Sheldon never beat around the bush, unfortunately for Leonard.
“I just…It was..I’m sorry!” Leonard pleaded. Desperation made his voice whiny, which he knew Sheldon hated, but he couldn’t help it. He already had two strikes (damn that impulse to shell his peanuts in front of Sheldon!) Oh god, he did not want to have to take Sheldon’s class again. The taller man crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Leonard to explain himself in compassionless silence.
“I was going to get my comic book back, and it was just lying there..and it wasn’t labeled or anything. I know you label everything, so I wanted to see what was on it, but I’m really sorry I took it. I shouldn’t have listened to your music, but it just kinda…automatically started playing and, well..” Something akin to triumph flashed across his friend’s face, but Leonard believed he was imagining things.
“It’s ok, you know. What you’re feeling is totally normal for a human,” Leonard rattled on.
“I agree. The natural result when your best friend snoops into your most personal belongings is anger and disappointment!” Sheldon shot back, but Leonard has moved past apologetic, the revelation that Sheldon may not be asexual after all emboldening him.
“You aren’t a robot, Sheldon. You can feel love, even if you do have to work at being affectionate. There’s no shame in being in love.”
Clearly this was not a tactic that Sheldon had anticipated, and he blinked down at his shorter friend, caught off guard. The music playing on in the background suddenly seemed to grow louder in this awkward pause.
I thought I was just the guy for you and it would never end
I thought we were supposed to be like glue
I thought you were my boyfriend
I thought you were my boyfriend…
“You know, it’s odd, that’s the second time a song has mentioned a guy,” Leonard stated, the innate scientist in him generating statistics before he quite realized what it really meant. As comprehension dawned, Leonard’s eyes widened.
“Oh. Ohhh…” Leonard breathed, staring as Sheldon shifted uncomfortably. “You did say that this is…your CD, right?”
Instead of replying, Sheldon shuffled over to where the other man was standing. Bending down the half a foot difference, Sheldon closed the gap between their mouths before Leonard had a chance to react.
The kiss was awkward and sloppy; although Sheldon had done his research on the insipid topic of kissing, he lacked the real-world experience to adequately apply the techniques suggested in the articles. Leonard wasn’t complaining, though, and the shorter man remained in a state of shock as Sheldon drew back with a smirk.
It feels so right to kiss your lips
Wish I could say to you that,
"I got so much come and get it!"
“I underestimated your generosity, Leonard.” Smug. The bastard was smug. “I thought you would have wanted your comic book back weeks ago. I was hoping you wouldn’t ask me for it, although I did have a back up plan in case you didn’t break into my room.”
Leonard gaped up at his friend in disbelief. “You…you planned this?!”
“Of course. You didn’t think I would just leave something so personal lying around if I really didn’t want you to find it, did you? You should be happy. Plan B involved “accidently” letting you walk in on me “getting it down” as today’s youth like to say.”
Leonard closed his eyes, trying to block out the mental images produced by that comment. It was both frightening and alluring to picture Sheldon moodily dancing to the beat of the love songs. He had seen Sheldon dance before; it was awkward and so unlike his best friend. Yet imagining Sheldon dancing around in his underwear…or less... Oh god, he didn’t need this.
Sheldon cleared his throat, obviously bothered by Leonard’s silence. “I’m not quite sure what the protocol is in situations like this, but I believe you should say something to at least advance this conversation.”
“Umm…how long have you…had this CD?” Leonard questioned. He couldn’t quite bring himself to admit Sheldon’s feelings out loud.
But if I could you know I would
just hold your hand and you'd understand
I'm the man who loves you..
“Two months, eight days, and four hours,” Sheldon answered promptly.
“And you’re just now letting me know?” Leonard couldn’t believe it. He knew he was pretty oblivious, but Sheldon was as subtle as a supernova.
The taller physicist felt relieved that the conversation was reverting back to facts rather than feelings. “You appeared content with your one-sided relationship with Penny. Although you two lack common interests and a similar IQ, I thought it would be best to leave you to your pining based on past futility.”
Well, my kind's your kind
Wait! They don’t love you like I love you!
Leonard chose to ignore the snub. The fact that Sheldon put Leonard’s crush ahead of his own potential happiness was sweet. That’s what Leonard was going with, anyway.
“You could have just told me…” Behind them, the computer suddenly fell silent as the last musical beats faded. Both men glanced at the screen, but the playlist remained displayed, a glaring reminder of Sheldon’s confession.
“There have been studies done that link romance with music. Although I doubt the studies produced any viable data of scientific merit, I didn’t want to take the chance,” Sheldon replied hauntingly. He reached for the computer, and with a few keystrokes, cued the song he was looking for. As the melodic intro began to play once more, Sheldon shifted closer to his friend, frame hunching as he bent down. This time Leonard met him halfway, returning and deepening the kiss as one arm slid around Sheldon’s thin frame.
You're the coolest boy I know
but it's so hard to just say so
Don't mean to keep it all inside
Sometimes I get so tongue-tied
Thoughts can weigh me down
My balloon dips closer to the ground
I’m hoping that you catch my drift
Give my balloon a little lift
“Okay, buddy..I get it now. Let’s go play with your balloon,” Leonard murmured huskily as they drew apart. The shorter man attempted to tug Sheldon in the direction of their bedrooms, but he was met with resistance. Confused, Leonard watched as Sheldon closed the program on his computer, ejecting the CD from the disk drive.
“Be right with you, Leonard. After two months and eight days, I finally get to put a label on this!”
/fin