Pandora's Box - Chapter two
Title: Pandora's Box - chapter two
Author: Lizwontcry
Spoilers: Through 5x19
Rating/Warnings: PG
Disclaimer: I got nothin'.
Summary: Sheldon turns to Penny for advice on how to take his relationship with Amy to the next level but they're both unprepared for the unexpected lesson...and feelings that go along with it.
Chapter one
*****
A/N - Well, crap. This was only supposed to be a one-shot but a few of you asked if there'd be a sequel and then I got to thinking about it and now it's this whole thing and there will be a lot more of it. I'm honestly not sure with what frequency I'll be updating it, but it will get done.
Also, I know this concept has been done before and probably a lot better. But here's my take on it and I hope you enjoy it just as much. Thanks for reading!
*****
That was not supposed to happen.
That kiss. It wasn't supposed to happen, and especially not with Sheldon. Penny could have gone the rest of her life without knowing what it felt like to have Sheldon bite her lip. What was that all about, anyway? Sheldon was a good kisser. No. A great kisser. Amy wasn't even going to know what to do with that.
Ugh, Amy. Sheldon was going to make out with Amy and Penny was going to make out with...Leonard. Yay. Yipee. Wait, that's not fair. Leonard was a pretty decent kisser. He wasn't at first, but he was a quick learner. Just like Sheldon. Oh, balls. What have I done? Penny thought to herself. What was that…box thingie from Greek mythology she learned about in high school? Whatever it was, she opened it, and all because of some stupid made-up excuse to justify making out with her boyfriend's best friend. This was not good.
"Penny?"
"Yeah?"
"What planet are you on tonight?" Leonard asked. They were sitting on her couch and watching a mutually agreed upon movie. Tonight it was Dogma. For as much as they didn't have much in common, Penny and Leonard seemed to share the opinion that Kevin Smith was really effing awesome.
"What? I'm on...I don't know, Earth." She couldn't even be bothered to think of a witty reply.
"You just seem kind of out of it. Is it my breath? It was all that garlic bread, sorry."
At that moment, Penny couldn't give a tiny rat's ass about Leonard's breath, of all things. But there was no way she could explain what was going on in her head, and plus, she really didn't want to kiss him. For like the rest of the night. She wasn't totally cool with kissing two guys in one day. Yes, really. Don't look at her like that.
"Yep. Your breath sucks. Don't count on getting any tonight."
Leonard sighed, and she couldn't help but wonder if he even wanted to watch the movie at all anymore. Sometimes it seemed like sex was the only thing he could ever possibly be interested in.
Damn it, Sheldon, she thought to herself. Before he came along and kissed her...like that, she wasn't tempted to over think her relationship with Leonard. She was content with him, they had this nice, peaceful rhythm going on between them. It was fine. After all, she missed him like crazy when they broke up, and she was pretty happy now that they were trying it again. She had feelings for him that were somewhat love-like in nature. And she knew he loved her. The sex was pretty good, even great sometimes. Sure, she did wonder if she hung out with him so much out of convenience more than anything else. He lived across the hall, she liked his friends (some more than others), he cared about her and treated her well, and they had fun together. Most of the time this was perfectly acceptable for Penny. She didn't question it. It was...fine.
Leonard held and caressed her hand and she tried to focus on him and the movie and how much Linda Fiorentino and her bad acting made Penny want to scream. Penny could act circles around that chick and yet she was never allowed the chance. She was going to have to rev this acting thing up a notch...get a new manager or go on more auditions or something. The Cheesecake Factory was killing her spirit. It was time for something new.
As long as she thought about stuff like that, Penny succeeded at keeping Sheldon out of her head. But inevitably, her thoughts would always drift back to him. It was annoying. Especially while Leonard was sitting right next to her squeezing her hand.
On the coffee table, Penny's phone vibrated. She picked it up to see a text from Amy.
Bestie - I hope your evening with that stud of yours is going well. As for me, it turns out Dr. Cooper is an adequate kisser. He did this thing where he bit my lip? It was kind of weird. But maybe we'll reach second base someday after all! - Amy
Penny chuckled. Weird? She thought it was…nice. Maybe it was too much for Amy's first time. Maybe Amy couldn't handle Sheldon's style. Maybe Penny could. Are you even listening to yourself? Penny was losing it.
"What was that about?" Leonard asked. He was always asking who she was getting texts from, insecurity obvious in his voice. Another one of his charming qualities.
"Amy. Apparently Sheldon is an adequate kisser."
Leonard scoffed. "They're making out now? What the hell?"
"Yep. Amy gave him an ultimatum. Either make out or break up. I guess he's serious about the relationship."
Leonard looked both disgusted and proud. "Way to go, Sheldon. Maybe he'll finally reach puberty."
"Come on, this is huge. Sheldon is finally letting go of some of his inhibitions. He's growing up right before our eyes!"
Leonard nodded. "I know. I am proud of that big praying mantis. I never thought this day would come."
The two of them returned to the movie, but Penny couldn't shake off the weird feeling that was threatening to take her down a road she didn't want to travel. Guilt, jealousy, frustration with her own life, annoyance with Leonard…what was all this? Penny wasn't used to feeling like that. She wasn't herself.
When the movie was over, Penny was thinking of various ways to tell Leonard she didn't particularly want him to sleep over when he said, "I think I'll go to bed now. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay. Good night." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and he left, looking just a little bit dejected. Since their relationship was still in beta testing mode, she didn't feel too bad about basically kicking him out. They were taking it slow and that meant hardly ever spending the night together. It wasn't like she didn't like sleeping with Leonard-she rather enjoyed waking up next to him and seeing the adoration in his eyes. And he was cute in the morning without his glasses, like a little newborn baby deer.
But tonight, Penny was grateful for an empty bed. Because when she turned her light off, the second her eyes closed, Sheldon popped into her head again. So she decided to give in and think about the guy.
It was true that for a while, she only thought of him as Leonard's annoying roommate. But he became more than that. He was a good guy. A guy you could always depend on, as weird as that was. Of course he always approached new situations with hesitance, but he always came through. Like when Penny asked him to explain Leonard's science stuff to her. And when she dislocated her shoulder in the shower, he took care of her. And countless other little things he did for her on a daily basis. And it goes both ways. There was the infamous haircut, and she gave him lessons when he needed help teaching his classes, drove him to the comic book store when nobody else wanted to...it was an equal partnership most of the time.
Even though their relationship took a while to develop, the two of them figured it out. They had a bond that nobody else really understood, not even Leonard. He was constantly wondering what the hell Penny and Sheldon were talking about or doing. And neither of them could explain it. It was unspoken. It was just their thing. Sometimes she even wondered if he was her best friend. Yes, Amy was convinced that she held that particular honor, but friendship wasn't absolute. She just felt closer to Sheldon than almost anyone else in her life. How that happened or when that happened, Penny didn't know. But it did, and it was good, and now it was different.
As for his looks, Penny was never attracted to him in any kind of way until a few years ago when she took him shopping for an awards ceremony he was attending. He came out in ridiculous suit after ridiculous suit, but then he came marching out in that black suit she picked out for him and she reconsidered everything she ever thought about Sheldon. He looked like a man instead of a really tall sixth grader in a superhero shirt. And lately, Penny didn't know where or how or why, but Sheldon was working out. He wasn't so scrawny anymore. Actually, he looked…kind of intimidating. Penny didn't want to notice but she did. A lot. It was rather disconcerting. Most of the time she'd see him, process his new hotness and move on. But sometimes she had to take a second look because he was selling it and she was buying it.
So yes, Sheldon was her good friend, maybe even her best friend. He was a good kisser and an attractive man. And even when he was a condescending buttface, he still got Penny like nobody else did. But none of those things changed these inarguable facts:
Penny was dating Leonard.
Leonard was Sheldon's roommate and best friend.
Leonard loved Penny.
Sheldon was seeing Amy.
Amy had intense feelings for Sheldon.
Sheldon was a sucky boyfriend.
About that last one. While Penny was considering every aspect of the situation, one of the cons on her list of pros and cons was that Sheldon was not a good boyfriend. Yes, he had feelings for Amy, everyone knew that. None of them knew quite how to process it but they wouldn't deny that it was true. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to treat the girl. He was selfish and unforgiving and stubborn and these were not good traits for a relationship. Nobody knew that more than Amy. When he decided to stay home with his friends and play video games instead of go to great aunt's birthday party, Sheldon's true colors really did shine. He cared about Amy, but he did a shitty job of showing it.
Penny was glad that her sudden influx of feelings for the guy was going to be short-lived, because while she did have a great deal of love for him as a friend, things were too complicated to ever consider taking it further than that. So no more kissing lessons, no more lists of pros and cons, no more thinking about him during inappropriate times. No big deal. Right? That was Penny's decision and she was pretty sure Sheldon came to the same conclusion.
Just as Penny was finally drifting to sleep, her phone buzzed. Apparently someone across the hall was thinking about her just as much as she was thinking about him.
Thanks for the lesson. Amy seemed pleased. I hope you were as well?
What the hell did that mean? Was Sheldon...flirting with her? This was too bizarre.
Maybe. Maybe not. The real question is, were you pleased?
She waited a minute. Two minutes. Buzz.
With her or with you?
Okay. What? She had no idea what to say to that, and someone had to put an end to this.
Very funny. Good night, Moonpie. Sleep well.
You are not allowed to call me that, Penny. Only Meemaw is authorized to do that. Anyway, good night. PS - Incidentally, your lips taste like the butterscotch candy Meemaw always had on her coffee table when I came to visit.
Penny couldn't help it-she giggled.
Well, I hope they were just as tasty. Again, good night, sweetie.
She waited for a few minutes to see if he'd answer. He didn't. So she deleted the texts like a criminal, gave one last thought to Sheldon's lips before resolving to forget them, and then slept peacefully with no dreams. Nope, she didn't dream about Sheldon and his lips and his black suit and them doing it up against a wall at a fire station at all. Not at all, and you can't prove it.
Author: Lizwontcry
Spoilers: Through 5x19
Rating/Warnings: PG
Disclaimer: I got nothin'.
Summary: Sheldon turns to Penny for advice on how to take his relationship with Amy to the next level but they're both unprepared for the unexpected lesson...and feelings that go along with it.
Chapter one
*****
A/N - Well, crap. This was only supposed to be a one-shot but a few of you asked if there'd be a sequel and then I got to thinking about it and now it's this whole thing and there will be a lot more of it. I'm honestly not sure with what frequency I'll be updating it, but it will get done.
Also, I know this concept has been done before and probably a lot better. But here's my take on it and I hope you enjoy it just as much. Thanks for reading!
*****
That was not supposed to happen.
That kiss. It wasn't supposed to happen, and especially not with Sheldon. Penny could have gone the rest of her life without knowing what it felt like to have Sheldon bite her lip. What was that all about, anyway? Sheldon was a good kisser. No. A great kisser. Amy wasn't even going to know what to do with that.
Ugh, Amy. Sheldon was going to make out with Amy and Penny was going to make out with...Leonard. Yay. Yipee. Wait, that's not fair. Leonard was a pretty decent kisser. He wasn't at first, but he was a quick learner. Just like Sheldon. Oh, balls. What have I done? Penny thought to herself. What was that…box thingie from Greek mythology she learned about in high school? Whatever it was, she opened it, and all because of some stupid made-up excuse to justify making out with her boyfriend's best friend. This was not good.
"Penny?"
"Yeah?"
"What planet are you on tonight?" Leonard asked. They were sitting on her couch and watching a mutually agreed upon movie. Tonight it was Dogma. For as much as they didn't have much in common, Penny and Leonard seemed to share the opinion that Kevin Smith was really effing awesome.
"What? I'm on...I don't know, Earth." She couldn't even be bothered to think of a witty reply.
"You just seem kind of out of it. Is it my breath? It was all that garlic bread, sorry."
At that moment, Penny couldn't give a tiny rat's ass about Leonard's breath, of all things. But there was no way she could explain what was going on in her head, and plus, she really didn't want to kiss him. For like the rest of the night. She wasn't totally cool with kissing two guys in one day. Yes, really. Don't look at her like that.
"Yep. Your breath sucks. Don't count on getting any tonight."
Leonard sighed, and she couldn't help but wonder if he even wanted to watch the movie at all anymore. Sometimes it seemed like sex was the only thing he could ever possibly be interested in.
Damn it, Sheldon, she thought to herself. Before he came along and kissed her...like that, she wasn't tempted to over think her relationship with Leonard. She was content with him, they had this nice, peaceful rhythm going on between them. It was fine. After all, she missed him like crazy when they broke up, and she was pretty happy now that they were trying it again. She had feelings for him that were somewhat love-like in nature. And she knew he loved her. The sex was pretty good, even great sometimes. Sure, she did wonder if she hung out with him so much out of convenience more than anything else. He lived across the hall, she liked his friends (some more than others), he cared about her and treated her well, and they had fun together. Most of the time this was perfectly acceptable for Penny. She didn't question it. It was...fine.
Leonard held and caressed her hand and she tried to focus on him and the movie and how much Linda Fiorentino and her bad acting made Penny want to scream. Penny could act circles around that chick and yet she was never allowed the chance. She was going to have to rev this acting thing up a notch...get a new manager or go on more auditions or something. The Cheesecake Factory was killing her spirit. It was time for something new.
As long as she thought about stuff like that, Penny succeeded at keeping Sheldon out of her head. But inevitably, her thoughts would always drift back to him. It was annoying. Especially while Leonard was sitting right next to her squeezing her hand.
On the coffee table, Penny's phone vibrated. She picked it up to see a text from Amy.
Bestie - I hope your evening with that stud of yours is going well. As for me, it turns out Dr. Cooper is an adequate kisser. He did this thing where he bit my lip? It was kind of weird. But maybe we'll reach second base someday after all! - Amy
Penny chuckled. Weird? She thought it was…nice. Maybe it was too much for Amy's first time. Maybe Amy couldn't handle Sheldon's style. Maybe Penny could. Are you even listening to yourself? Penny was losing it.
"What was that about?" Leonard asked. He was always asking who she was getting texts from, insecurity obvious in his voice. Another one of his charming qualities.
"Amy. Apparently Sheldon is an adequate kisser."
Leonard scoffed. "They're making out now? What the hell?"
"Yep. Amy gave him an ultimatum. Either make out or break up. I guess he's serious about the relationship."
Leonard looked both disgusted and proud. "Way to go, Sheldon. Maybe he'll finally reach puberty."
"Come on, this is huge. Sheldon is finally letting go of some of his inhibitions. He's growing up right before our eyes!"
Leonard nodded. "I know. I am proud of that big praying mantis. I never thought this day would come."
The two of them returned to the movie, but Penny couldn't shake off the weird feeling that was threatening to take her down a road she didn't want to travel. Guilt, jealousy, frustration with her own life, annoyance with Leonard…what was all this? Penny wasn't used to feeling like that. She wasn't herself.
When the movie was over, Penny was thinking of various ways to tell Leonard she didn't particularly want him to sleep over when he said, "I think I'll go to bed now. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay. Good night." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and he left, looking just a little bit dejected. Since their relationship was still in beta testing mode, she didn't feel too bad about basically kicking him out. They were taking it slow and that meant hardly ever spending the night together. It wasn't like she didn't like sleeping with Leonard-she rather enjoyed waking up next to him and seeing the adoration in his eyes. And he was cute in the morning without his glasses, like a little newborn baby deer.
But tonight, Penny was grateful for an empty bed. Because when she turned her light off, the second her eyes closed, Sheldon popped into her head again. So she decided to give in and think about the guy.
It was true that for a while, she only thought of him as Leonard's annoying roommate. But he became more than that. He was a good guy. A guy you could always depend on, as weird as that was. Of course he always approached new situations with hesitance, but he always came through. Like when Penny asked him to explain Leonard's science stuff to her. And when she dislocated her shoulder in the shower, he took care of her. And countless other little things he did for her on a daily basis. And it goes both ways. There was the infamous haircut, and she gave him lessons when he needed help teaching his classes, drove him to the comic book store when nobody else wanted to...it was an equal partnership most of the time.
Even though their relationship took a while to develop, the two of them figured it out. They had a bond that nobody else really understood, not even Leonard. He was constantly wondering what the hell Penny and Sheldon were talking about or doing. And neither of them could explain it. It was unspoken. It was just their thing. Sometimes she even wondered if he was her best friend. Yes, Amy was convinced that she held that particular honor, but friendship wasn't absolute. She just felt closer to Sheldon than almost anyone else in her life. How that happened or when that happened, Penny didn't know. But it did, and it was good, and now it was different.
As for his looks, Penny was never attracted to him in any kind of way until a few years ago when she took him shopping for an awards ceremony he was attending. He came out in ridiculous suit after ridiculous suit, but then he came marching out in that black suit she picked out for him and she reconsidered everything she ever thought about Sheldon. He looked like a man instead of a really tall sixth grader in a superhero shirt. And lately, Penny didn't know where or how or why, but Sheldon was working out. He wasn't so scrawny anymore. Actually, he looked…kind of intimidating. Penny didn't want to notice but she did. A lot. It was rather disconcerting. Most of the time she'd see him, process his new hotness and move on. But sometimes she had to take a second look because he was selling it and she was buying it.
So yes, Sheldon was her good friend, maybe even her best friend. He was a good kisser and an attractive man. And even when he was a condescending buttface, he still got Penny like nobody else did. But none of those things changed these inarguable facts:
Penny was dating Leonard.
Leonard was Sheldon's roommate and best friend.
Leonard loved Penny.
Sheldon was seeing Amy.
Amy had intense feelings for Sheldon.
Sheldon was a sucky boyfriend.
About that last one. While Penny was considering every aspect of the situation, one of the cons on her list of pros and cons was that Sheldon was not a good boyfriend. Yes, he had feelings for Amy, everyone knew that. None of them knew quite how to process it but they wouldn't deny that it was true. Unfortunately, he had no idea how to treat the girl. He was selfish and unforgiving and stubborn and these were not good traits for a relationship. Nobody knew that more than Amy. When he decided to stay home with his friends and play video games instead of go to great aunt's birthday party, Sheldon's true colors really did shine. He cared about Amy, but he did a shitty job of showing it.
Penny was glad that her sudden influx of feelings for the guy was going to be short-lived, because while she did have a great deal of love for him as a friend, things were too complicated to ever consider taking it further than that. So no more kissing lessons, no more lists of pros and cons, no more thinking about him during inappropriate times. No big deal. Right? That was Penny's decision and she was pretty sure Sheldon came to the same conclusion.
Just as Penny was finally drifting to sleep, her phone buzzed. Apparently someone across the hall was thinking about her just as much as she was thinking about him.
Thanks for the lesson. Amy seemed pleased. I hope you were as well?
What the hell did that mean? Was Sheldon...flirting with her? This was too bizarre.
Maybe. Maybe not. The real question is, were you pleased?
She waited a minute. Two minutes. Buzz.
With her or with you?
Okay. What? She had no idea what to say to that, and someone had to put an end to this.
Very funny. Good night, Moonpie. Sleep well.
You are not allowed to call me that, Penny. Only Meemaw is authorized to do that. Anyway, good night. PS - Incidentally, your lips taste like the butterscotch candy Meemaw always had on her coffee table when I came to visit.
Penny couldn't help it-she giggled.
Well, I hope they were just as tasty. Again, good night, sweetie.
She waited for a few minutes to see if he'd answer. He didn't. So she deleted the texts like a criminal, gave one last thought to Sheldon's lips before resolving to forget them, and then slept peacefully with no dreams. Nope, she didn't dream about Sheldon and his lips and his black suit and them doing it up against a wall at a fire station at all. Not at all, and you can't prove it.