Penny and Sheldon have always shared a special relationship. Could friendship turn into something more when one friend seeks the comfort of another? Takes place mid 7th season. Rated M for explicit adult themes. Adult Content in later chapters, meant for adults only. *Lemon*

My first FanFiction, so let me know what you think!

***I do not own the rights to The Big Bang Theory***

Genre: Hurt/Comfort + Friendship

Rating: M

Status: Complete

Chapter One - The Friendship Conundrum

Penny woke up tired and out of sorts on a late Saturday morning. Hey eyes were tired and she had a headache. She thought to herself, "Ugh, why is Leonard

snoring like that? Jeez he sounds like a trumpet." She stretched out and rolled over, wrapping her arm around him. "What the.." she began to think. At this

point she opened her eyes wide because she knew that the slim beanpole of a body she was holding most certainly was not Leonard's. To her absolute

astonishment Penny saw that the man whose chest her arm was across was that of none other than Doctor Sheldon Cooper.

"Holy Crap on a cracker" Penny said aloud to Amy and Bernadette in her apartment on Friday night. "It's true" Amy said. "I thought perhaps I had accidentally

ingested an illicit substance that had made me hallucinate the experience, but as it turns out I was not, in fact, 'tripping'." Penny said, "Oh my God! Amy, I am

so happy for you! I didn't know the old Moon Pie had it in him!" Bernadette responded, "Oh my goodness yes. I had thought once that at the pace Sheldon

was moving in your relationship he wouldn't be ready for that until he was in his late eighties. And even then I would have been impressed." They all nodded in

agreement. "I know" Amy said. "I have spent so many nights comforted only by the company of my electric toothbrush that I hardly believed such physical

intimacy with a man would ever be in my future. Let alone with Sheldon!" Penny then said, "Well tell us, tell us! Give us the details!" Bernadette added quickly,

"Not too many details though" slightly disturbed by the vision of Amy and Sheldon together in a romantic way. Amy replied excitedly, "Well you ladies better

hold on to your hats because you are in for one wild ride of an intercourse story!" Not at all bothered by their faces of discomfort and fright, Amy went on.

After a thorough description of how Sheldon and Amy had become, for the first time, intimate, Penny decided it was the perfect time to hit the town and

celebrate the occasion with a drink. Over cocktails at the local bar, Amy explained, "Now that I've experienced it, I'm worried that I won't be able to wait

another five years until Sheldon is ready again." Penny responded, "You really think it would take him that long? Now that he's experienced it he probably

won't be able to get enough! Boy I cannot believe we are talking about Sheldon Cooper." Bernadette said, "I agree with Penny. I remember when Howard and

I first started having sex regularly. I had to take a week off from work." Amy responded, "If only I felt that were the case. When it was over he just sort of

snapped back into his old self. It was great while it was happening, and believe me he wasn't his regular self then, but when it was over I just got the feeling

that he was freaked out by the whole thing, and not interested in a repeat of the experience" Amy said disappointed. Bernadette responded, "Oh Amy, just

give him time! I'm sure he will surprise you." Penny responded, "I believe that all men, even Sheldon, can't live without sex once they've had it. And believe me,

I'm an expert."

A few drinks later Amy was feeling more and more down. "How could I have gone so long without intimacy in my life? All this time I was lonely and I didn't even

realize it. For years I waited patiently, but I'm done waiting. I can't live a life without romance and coitus. Sweet, sweet coitus. That's final. I have to break up

with Sheldon" Amy said. Penny responded, "Amy, what are you saying? You and Sheldon are in lo.. well you're.. something! And you can't just throw away

something!" Bernadette said, "Amy you can't! What you and Sheldon have may not be perfect, but I don't think you should throw it away now, especially when

you've taken such a big step!" "No" Amy said. "I realize now that our relationship has no real future with the kind of romance I deserve. I'm calling him." "Amy!"

said Bernadette. "No!" said Penny. Amy had already started walking towards the bar's payphone.

Sheldon picked up on the second ring. "Hello?" Sheldon said. Amy responded, "Hello Sheldon. This is Amy." "Oh hello Amy" Sheldon said. "Sheldon, we have to

have a talk" Amy said. Sheldon responded, "Aren't we talking already? Oh hold on a moment, Leonard is about to make his move in Jenga." Amy rolled her

eyes. To Leonard, Sheldon said, "Don't make your move yet! Amy said we have to have a talk!" To Amy, Sheldon said, "Alright, I'm back." Amy said, "Sheldon, I

am sorry to tell you that I would like to terminate our relationship. I have needs and I need romance in my life. You can't give it to me, so I am moving on. If you

like, I can stop by your apartment tomorrow to provide my signature on our relationship agreement." "Well alright then. I am sorry too" said Sheldon. "Alright

then" said Amy with a slight slur from intoxication. "Goodbye Sheldon" said Amy. "Goodbye Amy" said Sheldon, but the connection was cut before he finished.

Despite the concern and attempts at reason from Penny and Bernadette, the night ended and each of them went home with the relationship between Amy and

Sheldon still terminated. Penny arrived home at her apartment around 11:30 in the evening and was just lying back on her couch feeling a little lightheaded

from the night's pursuits when three knocks came to the door. This was the followed by, "Penny" and three more knocks accompanied by her name two times

each. Penny went to the door and could sense already from his voice that her friend was in low spirits. When she opened the door Sheldon said, "Hello Penny.

Can I come in?" "Of course you can, Sweetie" Penny said. "Thank you" said Sheldon. Sheldon walked slowly over to the couch where he sat down in silence

and Penny followed behind. After a moment Penny said, "How are you holding up? I know what happened with Amy. I'm so sorry!" Penny said. "Yes. I must

say, I have never felt a need to have a woman to share my time with. My whole life I was put off by the thought of what a constant nuisance a woman would

be." Penny gave a reflexive eye roll to this. Sheldon continued, "Now Amy has left me and I feel .. well, I'm not quite sure what I'm feeling" Sheldon said, for

once at a loss. "Vulnerable?" said Penny. Sheldon responded, "I suppose." "Aw Sweetie, I'm so sorry" Penny said. And for the first time Penny saw Sheldon as

a vulnerable and kindhearted person. She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him, wishing she could make the situation easier for him. "He may be a pain

in the ass most of the time" Penny thought to herself, "But he is still my friend and now he is heartbroken! Poor Sheldon." To her genuine surprise Sheldon

gave into her hug, holding penny around the waist and resting the side of his head on her shoulder. "There there" said Penny, not sure of what to say.

Sheldon leaned back, not releasing his grip, and said, "Penny, I'm sad." At this Penny felt a small tear forming in the corner of her eye. "Oh Honey, I wish I

could make it better!" Penny said. Then they sat quiet for a moment. After that moment, Sheldon looked at Penny, meeting her gaze, and then down at her

lips. He thought to himself that they looked inviting, confused by such a carnal impulse. Never before had Sheldon looked at Penny this way, nor had he ever

had this desire for close human contact for comfort. "Maybe being with Amy has changed me" he thought. In his state of desperation, Sheldon lost grip on his

self-control and took both himself and Penny by surprise as he pulled Penny's face towards his own, planting a soft but tender kiss on her lips. Sheldon

took note of how soft her lips were and the scent of vanilla in her hair, as well as the unmistakable taste of alcohol which had been consumed just an hour

before with the woman who had broken his heart. Penny wasn't sure if it was the drinks from earlier that night, or the desire to comfort her friend, or

something else entirely, but at the moment Sheldon began to kiss her she did not withdrawal. She was entirely caught off guard, but as his lips rested on hers

she could not ignore a sense that something was there between them that could, if perused, turn into something more. After a light press further of his lips

onto hers and a quiet smack, Sheldon withdrew from her and sat back, now unable to reach her gaze. Both sat quietly, neither knowing what to say. Finally,

Sheldon said,"Sorry about that" embarrassed for his aggressive behavior. Still in shock Penny replied, "Oh.. it's okay, Sheldon. Don't worry about it." Penny

then realized that there was no reason to be mad with Sheldon, or to feel bad for the kiss because she could sense now that the moment had passed and she

was looking only at a good friend who sought an, altogether alien to him, physical comfort from someone he had grown very close to over the years, despite

initial irritation and exasperation. Sheldon then said quietly, "May I spend the night here, Penny?" "Of course, Sweetie" Penny replied, still a bit flushed from

the unexpected kiss "I'm guessing you want to take the bed?" "Yes, that would be best. But.. I wouldn't mind the company if you wished to share it. Simply as

friends of course" said Sheldon, clearly feeling shy about making such a request. Surprised by this request despite their brief kiss, Penny was however more

than happy to take her downhearted friend into her bed, and that is how they spent the night. With her arm around him and his arms around her, Penny spent

the night with Sheldon Cooper as friends and nothing more, or so they thought.