The Ten Song Paradigm
Title: The Ten Song Paradigm
Spoilers: None
Rating: PGish
Word count: 1761
Disclaimer: Neither the Big Bang Theory nor Sheldon Cooper are mine. I dearly wish they were, but sadly I'm too poor.
Summary: We have all heard of the ten song meme. Set your player to shuffle and write fics about the first ten songs that play. Well, I may have cheated a tad, because obviously these flow together a bit too well. But I hope you enjoy!!!
The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock N Roll (4:17)
Sheldon couldn’t concentrate. The sound emanating from across the hall was far too distracting for him to complete any sort of work. Huffing in frustration, Sheldon stood up and with a purposeful stride, walked out of his apartment to the one across the hallway.
Knock knock knock
“Penny.”
Knock knock knock
“Penny.”
Knock knock knock
“Penny.”
Penny opened the door, a huge smile gracing her face, the god-awful noise some called ‘music’ blaring away in the background.
“Could you please turn off that noise?” Sheldon asked, quite exasperated.
“Um, let me think,” Penny smirked up at him. “Nope. Having too much fun. You should try it sometime.”
“Try listening to a veritable smorgasbord of instruments with no discernible rhythm or melody at a decibel likely cause deafness? Unlikely.”
“I meant you should try having fun.” With that Penny shut the door in Sheldon’s face.
He was certain she turned the music up as well.
Aretha Franklin - Respect (2:29)
Penny took a box and threw all his clothes that had accumulated in her apartment, his razor, a few CDs that had migrated over from his place, and the teddy bear he had given her for Valentine’s Day. Then, picking up the box, she stomped over to the apartment across the hall and waltzed in.
Sheldon looked up from his computer desk and watched in interest as she threw open the window and tossed the box out, shouting expletives at who he assumed was her now ex-boyfriend.
“You know what your problem is, Penny,” he said when she had quieted down. “you need to find a man that respects you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m beginning to think those men don’t exist.”
“Don’t be silly, of course they do. After all, I hold you in the highest regard.”
Savage Garden - Crash and Burn (4:42)
She supposed she first realized it when he loaned her the money. It kind of hit her then and as she started thinking back over there relationship, she realized the signs were all there.
It was in everything he did for her. The way he let her sit in his spot, even though he complained loudly about it. It was in the way he carefully and precisely taught her how to play Age of Conan when she was cried about not being good at anything. It was in the way he hugged her after she gave him his Christmas gift.
Sheldon liked her. Sheldon, the asexual, unfeeling, scientist, actually cared for her.
It was in the little things he did. His quirks and idiosyncrasies that used to annoy her but now endear her. It was the way she could go to him and always get an honest opinion. It was the way they bantered back and forth.
Sheldon cared for her and now she was realizing just how much she cared for him in return.
The Tragically Hip - Courage (4:27)
Sheldon was nervous. He had never been nervous before. Well, there was that one time when he was 14 and presenting his Master’s thesis to his supervising professor. He supposed he had felt something akin to nervousness then, but it hadn’t been this bad.
Taking a deep breath, he took on last look at himself in the mirror, straightened the collar on his shirt, and walked out the door to the apartment across the hall.
As he knocked on her door, he reflected on the fact that he should have known entering into a bet with Penny would only end in disaster, as this night surely would.
He felt his throat go dry as she opened the door and smiled at him.
“Relax, Sheldon. We’re just going out dancing. Not like it’s a date or anything.”
Right, it wasn’t a date.
So why did he feel so nervous?
Kate Ryan - Ella Elle L’a (3:05)
Penny still couldn’t believe she had actually convinced Sheldon to come dancing with her. It had taken some careful planning as she unashamedly took advantage of his lack of social knowledge and competitive streak as she planned a bet she would no doubt win. But the result was worth it.
He actually wasn’t that bad of a dancer, especially once she had gotten some alcohol in his system to loosen him up. He wasn’t the smoothest dancer, but he moved in rhythm to the music and that was good enough for her. She laughed as she realized that this was the most fun she had had in months, and it was with her awkward geeky neighbor.
Sheldon couldn’t actually believe he was out dancing with Penny. He saw her laugh, no doubt at his awkward dance move, and came to the realization that this friendship was changing rapidly.
He also realized as he watched her smile and move in time to the music, that this was change he didn’t mind.
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (4:22)
She really doesn’t know at what point it all changed. All she knows is that one day they were friends and the next day they weren’t.
She hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. But then again, it was Sheldon, so what did she expect. He had about as much social grace as an elephant in a herd of baboons.
He had just shown up on her door with that annoying knock and stated that they could no longer be friends. She hadn’t known what to do so she just shut the door in his face. She couldn’t deal with it.
She didn’t want to.
She managed to avoid him for three whole days before it got the better of her. She missed playing Halo and Age of Conan with him. She missed Thai night. She missed sitting in his seat.
But he didn’t want that anymore. And damned if she was going to just let it all go without a fight.
Of course, when she confronted him about it, she really wasn’t expecting him to say they couldn’t be friends because he wanted them to be more.
Massive Attack & Portishead - Teardrop
Sheldon wasn’t expecting Penny to kiss him. In fact, if someone had told him this morning that at precisely 5:47pm his neighbor would waltz into his apartment, into his kitchen where he was preparing dinner, stand on her tip-toes and kiss him directly on the lips, Sheldon would have merely stated the mathematical odds were not in favor of that happening. That she should continue kissing him until he lost track of the time was also a highly improbable occurrence.
This is why the look on his face when it did occur was something akin to complete shock.
When she pulled away and smiled up at him, the only word that ran through his mind was ‘beautiful’. He realized he said this out loud when he saw her blush deeply.
Three hours after she walked out of his apartment, he swore he could still feel her lips on his. He of course knew this to be preposterous but the sensation was there.
It was like feathers.
The Killers - Somebody told me (3:17)
Leonard couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Had someone merely told him this was occurring, he would have laughed out loud and stated how outrageous it was. But now the evidence was quite literally splayed out in front of him.
Penny and Sheldon were sitting on the couch in what appeared to be a very amorous lip lock.
He felt light headed. This was Penny. His Penny. With his supposed best friend. Leonard didn’t even know Sheldon was capable of interacting in a romantic way with the opposite sex, much less making out on a couch with them.
Leonard turned around and walked out the door. He needed to breath and to think. Both of which he couldn’t do while in the room with the oblivious pair.
Stolen - Dashboard Confessional (3:53)
“I believe it is time for us to change the boundaries of our current relationship paradigm. I think we should move in together.”
“…”
“It is only logical. After all, I spend most nights here anyways. It seems like it would be more convenient if we shared our living space.”
“...”
“Do you not want to live together? Because there would be many other benefits as well, such as shared rent.”
“…”
“I’ve made a list of all the pros and cons. You may review it if you like.”
“…”
“I’m quite at a loss to understand why you haven’t spoken yet. Is the idea wholly unappealing to you?”
“No, that’s not it at all. It’s just, this is a big step.”
“I am fully aware of that. However, if things continue as they are going, it is an inevitable decision we will have to make.”
“Why do you want to live with me?”
“I already stated several of the pros, Penny.”
“No, I mean, if you could just have one reason why, forget the lists, forget the logic. What would your reason be?”
Penny held her breath as she waited for his response.
“I love you.”
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker (4:14)
It had been ten years since the last time he saw her. Ten years since she packed her things and moved out of the apartment across the hall. Ten years since she had, in the words of his mother, ‘broken his heart’.
Of course, she didn’t know this. She didn’t know that on the day she had moved out to go live with her latest boyfriend he was preparing to tell her how strong his feelings for her had become and how he wanted them to give their relationship another try.
Instead, the sight of a dozen cardboard boxes had stopped him short and he hadn’t said anything.
He supposed he could walk up to her in the grocery store and say hello, but really, did he want that kind of heartbreak again?
He watched as a little brown haired boy stood on his tip toes, trying to reach the cereal on the shelf.
Then he watched as the taller man with them reached up and grabbed it for them.
“I really don’t know why you allow him to eat this sugary cereal. It has no nutritional value at all. It is highly illogical,” he heard the man say.
“Sheldon, sweetie, he likes it,” he heard Penny reply.
Leonard turned around and walked out of the store without saying hello to his former best friend and his wife.
Spoilers: None
Rating: PGish
Word count: 1761
Disclaimer: Neither the Big Bang Theory nor Sheldon Cooper are mine. I dearly wish they were, but sadly I'm too poor.
Summary: We have all heard of the ten song meme. Set your player to shuffle and write fics about the first ten songs that play. Well, I may have cheated a tad, because obviously these flow together a bit too well. But I hope you enjoy!!!
The Killers - Glamorous Indie Rock N Roll (4:17)
Sheldon couldn’t concentrate. The sound emanating from across the hall was far too distracting for him to complete any sort of work. Huffing in frustration, Sheldon stood up and with a purposeful stride, walked out of his apartment to the one across the hallway.
Knock knock knock
“Penny.”
Knock knock knock
“Penny.”
Knock knock knock
“Penny.”
Penny opened the door, a huge smile gracing her face, the god-awful noise some called ‘music’ blaring away in the background.
“Could you please turn off that noise?” Sheldon asked, quite exasperated.
“Um, let me think,” Penny smirked up at him. “Nope. Having too much fun. You should try it sometime.”
“Try listening to a veritable smorgasbord of instruments with no discernible rhythm or melody at a decibel likely cause deafness? Unlikely.”
“I meant you should try having fun.” With that Penny shut the door in Sheldon’s face.
He was certain she turned the music up as well.
Aretha Franklin - Respect (2:29)
Penny took a box and threw all his clothes that had accumulated in her apartment, his razor, a few CDs that had migrated over from his place, and the teddy bear he had given her for Valentine’s Day. Then, picking up the box, she stomped over to the apartment across the hall and waltzed in.
Sheldon looked up from his computer desk and watched in interest as she threw open the window and tossed the box out, shouting expletives at who he assumed was her now ex-boyfriend.
“You know what your problem is, Penny,” he said when she had quieted down. “you need to find a man that respects you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m beginning to think those men don’t exist.”
“Don’t be silly, of course they do. After all, I hold you in the highest regard.”
Savage Garden - Crash and Burn (4:42)
She supposed she first realized it when he loaned her the money. It kind of hit her then and as she started thinking back over there relationship, she realized the signs were all there.
It was in everything he did for her. The way he let her sit in his spot, even though he complained loudly about it. It was in the way he carefully and precisely taught her how to play Age of Conan when she was cried about not being good at anything. It was in the way he hugged her after she gave him his Christmas gift.
Sheldon liked her. Sheldon, the asexual, unfeeling, scientist, actually cared for her.
It was in the little things he did. His quirks and idiosyncrasies that used to annoy her but now endear her. It was the way she could go to him and always get an honest opinion. It was the way they bantered back and forth.
Sheldon cared for her and now she was realizing just how much she cared for him in return.
The Tragically Hip - Courage (4:27)
Sheldon was nervous. He had never been nervous before. Well, there was that one time when he was 14 and presenting his Master’s thesis to his supervising professor. He supposed he had felt something akin to nervousness then, but it hadn’t been this bad.
Taking a deep breath, he took on last look at himself in the mirror, straightened the collar on his shirt, and walked out the door to the apartment across the hall.
As he knocked on her door, he reflected on the fact that he should have known entering into a bet with Penny would only end in disaster, as this night surely would.
He felt his throat go dry as she opened the door and smiled at him.
“Relax, Sheldon. We’re just going out dancing. Not like it’s a date or anything.”
Right, it wasn’t a date.
So why did he feel so nervous?
Kate Ryan - Ella Elle L’a (3:05)
Penny still couldn’t believe she had actually convinced Sheldon to come dancing with her. It had taken some careful planning as she unashamedly took advantage of his lack of social knowledge and competitive streak as she planned a bet she would no doubt win. But the result was worth it.
He actually wasn’t that bad of a dancer, especially once she had gotten some alcohol in his system to loosen him up. He wasn’t the smoothest dancer, but he moved in rhythm to the music and that was good enough for her. She laughed as she realized that this was the most fun she had had in months, and it was with her awkward geeky neighbor.
Sheldon couldn’t actually believe he was out dancing with Penny. He saw her laugh, no doubt at his awkward dance move, and came to the realization that this friendship was changing rapidly.
He also realized as he watched her smile and move in time to the music, that this was change he didn’t mind.
Depeche Mode - Enjoy the Silence (4:22)
She really doesn’t know at what point it all changed. All she knows is that one day they were friends and the next day they weren’t.
She hadn’t expected it to hurt this much. But then again, it was Sheldon, so what did she expect. He had about as much social grace as an elephant in a herd of baboons.
He had just shown up on her door with that annoying knock and stated that they could no longer be friends. She hadn’t known what to do so she just shut the door in his face. She couldn’t deal with it.
She didn’t want to.
She managed to avoid him for three whole days before it got the better of her. She missed playing Halo and Age of Conan with him. She missed Thai night. She missed sitting in his seat.
But he didn’t want that anymore. And damned if she was going to just let it all go without a fight.
Of course, when she confronted him about it, she really wasn’t expecting him to say they couldn’t be friends because he wanted them to be more.
Massive Attack & Portishead - Teardrop
Sheldon wasn’t expecting Penny to kiss him. In fact, if someone had told him this morning that at precisely 5:47pm his neighbor would waltz into his apartment, into his kitchen where he was preparing dinner, stand on her tip-toes and kiss him directly on the lips, Sheldon would have merely stated the mathematical odds were not in favor of that happening. That she should continue kissing him until he lost track of the time was also a highly improbable occurrence.
This is why the look on his face when it did occur was something akin to complete shock.
When she pulled away and smiled up at him, the only word that ran through his mind was ‘beautiful’. He realized he said this out loud when he saw her blush deeply.
Three hours after she walked out of his apartment, he swore he could still feel her lips on his. He of course knew this to be preposterous but the sensation was there.
It was like feathers.
The Killers - Somebody told me (3:17)
Leonard couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Had someone merely told him this was occurring, he would have laughed out loud and stated how outrageous it was. But now the evidence was quite literally splayed out in front of him.
Penny and Sheldon were sitting on the couch in what appeared to be a very amorous lip lock.
He felt light headed. This was Penny. His Penny. With his supposed best friend. Leonard didn’t even know Sheldon was capable of interacting in a romantic way with the opposite sex, much less making out on a couch with them.
Leonard turned around and walked out the door. He needed to breath and to think. Both of which he couldn’t do while in the room with the oblivious pair.
Stolen - Dashboard Confessional (3:53)
“I believe it is time for us to change the boundaries of our current relationship paradigm. I think we should move in together.”
“…”
“It is only logical. After all, I spend most nights here anyways. It seems like it would be more convenient if we shared our living space.”
“...”
“Do you not want to live together? Because there would be many other benefits as well, such as shared rent.”
“…”
“I’ve made a list of all the pros and cons. You may review it if you like.”
“…”
“I’m quite at a loss to understand why you haven’t spoken yet. Is the idea wholly unappealing to you?”
“No, that’s not it at all. It’s just, this is a big step.”
“I am fully aware of that. However, if things continue as they are going, it is an inevitable decision we will have to make.”
“Why do you want to live with me?”
“I already stated several of the pros, Penny.”
“No, I mean, if you could just have one reason why, forget the lists, forget the logic. What would your reason be?”
Penny held her breath as she waited for his response.
“I love you.”
Led Zeppelin - Heartbreaker (4:14)
It had been ten years since the last time he saw her. Ten years since she packed her things and moved out of the apartment across the hall. Ten years since she had, in the words of his mother, ‘broken his heart’.
Of course, she didn’t know this. She didn’t know that on the day she had moved out to go live with her latest boyfriend he was preparing to tell her how strong his feelings for her had become and how he wanted them to give their relationship another try.
Instead, the sight of a dozen cardboard boxes had stopped him short and he hadn’t said anything.
He supposed he could walk up to her in the grocery store and say hello, but really, did he want that kind of heartbreak again?
He watched as a little brown haired boy stood on his tip toes, trying to reach the cereal on the shelf.
Then he watched as the taller man with them reached up and grabbed it for them.
“I really don’t know why you allow him to eat this sugary cereal. It has no nutritional value at all. It is highly illogical,” he heard the man say.
“Sheldon, sweetie, he likes it,” he heard Penny reply.
Leonard turned around and walked out of the store without saying hello to his former best friend and his wife.