She's alone now, curled up on her sofa underneath a huge shaggy blanket. Beside her, a box of posh chocolates lies open with empty wrappers cluttering the armchair. The television is on, Patrick Swayze flouncing across the screen in dirty dancing. She's in heaven, chick flicks, chocolate and wine. What more could a girl want? It's been a quiet few days for Penny, the boys having been at some sort of comic book convention, but she knows the peace won't last much longer. She's expecting a knock on the door at any moment, the sound of Sheldon repeating her name over and over again to come drifting through. But she won't mind. Because she's missed them, missed sitting over there and having Chinese takeaway while they talk about something scientific that she doesn't understand. They're her friends. Her best friends. And no matter how irritated she got with Sheldon's weirdness, she loved him to pieces.

She stopped herself there. Love him to pieces, what the hell am I thinking?

Her mind was all a buzz as she popped another chocolate into her mouth. She wanted to keep on denying it to herself, but the fact was she couldn't. Not anymore. She was fed up of picking guys that treated her like complete and utter crap, guys who preferred their looks over her. But Sheldon? Sheldon Cooper was different. He was smart, funny and just so adorable at times. She loved how he didn't understand sarcasm, how he had pretty much no common sense, loved his need to keep everything in complete and utter order. But the problem was he wouldn't ever have any clue how she felt because it would just fly straight over his head. The poor boy didn't understand about human interaction at all. Maybe it would be better if they just stayed friends.

I had the time of my life, and I owe it all to you

I do owe it all to you Sheldon. You brighten up my days when it seems like nothing else can. You make me laugh, you confuse me terribly. But I like you, I really do. And I wish you could see that.

She sighed and reached down to her feet, picking up her large glass of wine and taking a large sip. She needed the numbness that alcohol could bring her. All this thinking of men was starting to make her feel really down.

But then

"Penny"

Knock Knock

"Penny"

Knock Knock

"Penny"

She jumped from her spot on the couch then, knocking her wine all over the floor and sending the box of chocolates flying. For a moment, she stared at the spreading damp patch on the carpet before shrugging, composing herself and wandering over to the door. With shaking hands, she pulled the door open and found herself face to face with Sheldon Cooper, PhD. He was dressed in his Spock costume, complete with pointy ears and swept back hair. And he looked good, although she would never admit it to him.

"Sheldon…do you know what time it is?"

"Why of course I do Penny. It's 12.30am…although I realise now your question may have been rhetorical…I need to get better at spotting that."

"Yes you do sweetie. How was your comic book convention?"

He blinked at her and stepped back, "Comic book convention? I was at a Star Trek convention Penny…how could you not realise that when I am stood in front of you dressed like Spock?"

"Oh…sorry Sheldon…look, do you want to come in?"

"Come in for what?"

She smiled, "I don't know, a drink maybe?"

No emotion crossed his face as he hesitated for a moment before nodding, "A warm beverage would provide the perfect ending to a weekend of Star Trek. Do you have cocoa?"

She let him walk straight in and take his spot in the corner. She barely noticed as he shifted himself around in the chair, she was so used to his little ticks by now.

"Cocoa? Yeah, I think I have some…" her words trailed off as she stuck her head in a cupboard and rummaged around, "I think I got some just for you…there we go!" She pulled out the tin of cocoa with a grin, only to receive a satisfied nod.

Suppressing a nod she began to make the cocoa in exactly the way Sheldon liked it. 2 parts cocoa to 4 parts milk and heated in the microwave for 2 minutes. She was getting good at it now, he complained less and less each time. In fact, his evening cocoa sessions were becoming a bit of a habit. And a habit she didn't want him to break.

"Penny?"

She looked up, "Yes sweetie?"

"Why is there a wine glass on the floor with a very dark wet patch all around it?"

She laughed, "I knocked it over when I got up to answer the door to you."

"Is that when you threw your box of chocolates all over the floor as well? And why on earth would you have done that?"

"You surprised me that's all"

"I see. So you weren't expecting me to knock on your door at 12.30am? Or the thought of seeing me after an entire weekend excited you thoroughly…..?" he trailed off then, his brow furrowed in thought.

The microwave pinged and she took the steaming cup of cocoa out, carried it over to the table and placed it in front of him. He said nothing as she did so, did not notice when she sat beside him. His brow was still furrowed, he was obviously thinking deeply about something.

"Sheldon? Is everything ok?"

After a moment he looked up at her, "I was just working out the probability of the reasoning behind your chocolates being thrown halfway across the room being that you were excited to see me. After all, you are a normal female and you seek the partnership of another man, but I fail to see why you would think in such a way of me…we are only acquaintances after all…therefore the statistical probability would be incredibly low that you felt that way…and so you must have been shocked by my knocking on the door. Unless of course…"

"Sheldon?"

"Hmmm?"

She smiled at him, "You got it right the first time. I was excited to see you…"

He raised an eyebrow, "But why?"

She laughed, "Sheldon…I like you…and I've been sat here all night trying to work out how to tell you. But you sort of got there yourself I guess…"

He nodded, "I see. When you say you 'like me', I take it that means you are sexually attracted to me?"

"Yes…yes I guess it does…"

"I see…" he picked up the cup of cocoa and took a sip, "Oh Penny, this is delicious!"

She smiled, feeling bold in that one moment. It must have been an effect of the wine because normally she would never dream of doing such a thing. She took the cocoa away from him, placed it down on the table and quickly pressed her lips against his. For a moment, it felt awkward, as if she were trying to kiss a brick wall, but then he softened and in one sweet blissful moment, she felt him kiss her back.

But then it was over. As soon as it began, it was over. He pulled away from her then, his face a bright shade of red. He stood up, his chair scraping against the floor and he rushed over to the door, pulling it open with obviously shaking hands. After a moment, he turned back to her.

"Thank you for the cocoa penny, it was most enjoyable….good night…"

She blinked at the door swung shut behind him, and shook her head as she gathered up her blanket, switched the television off and made her way through to the bedroom, "Well…that went as well as it could have I suppose…"