Author's Note: This idea has been floating around my head for a while, ever since I watched The Prom Equivalency, actually. I finally got around to writing it. As always, I hope you enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: The Big Bang Theory © Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady

Amy stood by her door, anxiously fiddling with the hem of her plain, but pretty, dark purple dress she'd bought specifically for tonight. Everything about her appearance had gone through such meticulous planning that she was already beginning to worry if she had planned a little too much. In the back of her mind, though, she knew it was her nerves getting the best of her and making her second guess herself.

Her modest yet elegant purple dress had short sleeves and a touch of lace embroidered across the edge of the scoop neckline. She wore a simple gray cardigan over the dress, and she'd pinned her hair up into a bun. She'd wanted to try a different hairstyle for their date tonight, as this wasn't any ordinary date night.

It was their anniversary.

She'd genuinely been shell-shocked when Sheldon revealed he had something romantic planned for their anniversary this year. He'd promised her he was going to "romance the pants off" of her, to which Amy simply gawked at him in a bewildered silence, until he picked up on his blunder and corrected himself by saying, instead, that he would "romance her socks off." While that expression hadn't exactly been much better, she'd smiled gratefully and told him she was looking forward to it.

Now that the night was finally here, however, Amy found herself feeling incredibly restless and nervous. What exactly did Sheldon have planned for tonight? She'd come to accept his aversion to conventional romance, and she'd long since let go of any and all expectations involving typical romantic gestures, even for a special occasion like their anniversary.

In fact, as far as tonight was concerned, a nice simple dinner would have sufficed for Amy. Yet, when she'd tried to press for details about where they'd be going, Sheldon had merely zipped his lips and tossed away an imaginary key, topping off the gesture of secrecy with a slick little smirk that immediately set off a familiar quiver deep in Amy's loins, leaving her more excited than ever.

There were three knocks at her door, and Amy jumped, dropping her dress and hastily smoothing it down. She waited for Sheldon to finish his knocking routine, and when he was done, she let out a soft breath and opened the door, coming face-to-face with her well-dressed boyfriend. He wore a pale blue button down shirt and a maroon tie, complete with that lovely gray suit jacket he'd worn the past two Valentine's Days. She absolutely loved that suit jacket on him. It brought back such wonderful memories. She offered him a smile, but he wrinkled his brow.

"Your hair is different," he said, and just like that, Amy's smile fell from her face as she subconsciously touched her tightly bound ball of hair.

"Uh, yes," she said, dropping her hand with a shrug. "I thought I'd try a new hairstyle for tonight. You don't like it?"

"I didn't say that," Sheldon said. "Although, I'll admit I was a bit taken aback, as I wasn't expecting you to look so different."

"Good different, or bad different?" Amy asked, and the pause that followed didn't exactly make her feel better.

"You know what?" Sheldon finally said. "Let's start over. Please close the door."

Now Amy wrinkled her eyebrows. "Surely you're joking."

"Did you hear me say Bazinga?" Sheldon asked.

Amy stared at him for a beat of silence, only to slowly close the door. A few seconds later, his knocking ritual started up again. After he uttered her name the third time, she re-opened the door, and this time, she was greeted by a smiling Sheldon.

"Good evening, Amy," he said. "You look exquisite."

Amy's eyebrows flew up. Well, okay. That was already a lot better.

"Thank you," she said softly. "So do you."

Sheldon's smile widened as he held up his arm for her to take. For a moment, she simply stared at him in amazement. Who on earth was this charming devil, and what had he done with her boyfriend?

As Amy gingerly wrapped her arm around the crook of his elbow, she decided she truly didn't care what he had planned for tonight, as he'd already managed to take her breath away.

Sadly, it didn't take long for the warm ambiance to melt into a lukewarm puddle of confusion. After escorting Amy out of her apartment building, Sheldon led her to a parked car, and Amy's steps slowed to a stop as Sheldon's arm slipped out of her grasp.

"What's happening?" Amy asked, her stomach swooping with a sudden wave of panic as Sheldon pulled out a car key and pressed a button to unlock the doors. "Whose car is this?"

"It's mine," Sheldon said, only to clarify, "Temporarily, that is. I rented it specifically for this evening." He opened the passenger side door. "Now how about you pick your jaw up off the ground and get in? We don't have all night here."

Amy closed her mouth, not even realizing she'd had it opened. She couldn't help it, though. He was clearly going all out for tonight, and she was unable to mask her natural surprise.

"Sheldon," she said. "Are you sure it's a good idea for you to drive?"

A befuddled look crossed Sheldon's face as he dropped his hand from the door handle. "Do you not trust me behind the wheel?"

"No, it's not that," Amy said, and she made sure to choose her next words with deliberate care. "It's just…you're a much more inexperienced—" When Sheldon raised his eyebrows, she was quick to correct herself, "You're a much newer driver than I am, and our lessons have only been during the day. It can be all the more dangerous driving at night, and I know you find driving scary as it is. Perhaps I should drive and you can direct me where to go."

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows for the second time that night. "How do you think I got here?"

"You drove here by yourself?" Amy asked, once again sounding much more surprised than she knew she probably should have been.

"Of course I did," Sheldon said. "I followed your every instruction like the excellent student I am and made sure to take my time. It only took me thirty-nine minutes to get here while driving the speed limit. That's a personal record."

The luminous smile that spread across his face found its way to Amy's face as well.

"That's amazing," she said. "I'm really proud of you."

"Thank you," he said, and he snapped his fingers and gestured to the car. "Now, hop in, little lady. We have dinner reservations."

Driving with a newly licensed Sheldon Cooper proved to be a far less nerve-racking experience than one would have expected. There was the occasional moment in which Amy involuntarily slipped back into her role of personal driving instructor by warning Sheldon of a red light up ahead, or reminding him to look over his shoulder before changing lanes. To his credit, Sheldon stayed quiet, focused on the road while obeying Amy's words without making a single snarky remark about how he didn't need her reminding him what to do.

As he drove, Amy couldn't help stealing a glance at him every once in a while. She particularly admired the look of concentration on his face. It made her heart beat a little faster, as a calm and alert Sheldon was definitely a sexy look on him.

However, his calm demeanor vanished when he glanced at the dashboard and noticed something troubling.

"Oh, dear," he said.

"What's wrong?" Amy asked.

"There's a light on the dashboard indicating low tire pressure," Sheldon said. He switched on the turn signal and turned his head as he slowly pulled over to the side of the road.

"Okay, that's good you're pulling over," Amy said as he put the car in park. "Don't forget to turn on the—" She stopped when he pressed a button, and the clicking of the hazard lights filled the air. Their eyes met. "Very good."

Sheldon unbuckled his seat belt and opened the car door. Amy did the same, and they simultaneously shut their doors. She crouched down by the passenger side door, examining the front tire. After pressing her thumb to the firm rubber, she was relieved to feel little resistance. She rose to her feet, about to walk over and check the back tire, when Sheldon's voice stopped her.

"Here we are, I've found the problem," he said.

He walked around the front of the car to meet Amy on the other side, and when she saw what he was holding between his thumb and index finger, her eyes widened in alarm.

"Sheldon…is that a nail?"

"Yes," he said. "I must've run over it while driving to your apartment. Not to worry, we're safe now."

Amy almost didn't have the heart to tell him, but she had no choice, as their own safety was now at stake.

"Sheldon…you actually made the problem much worse by pulling the nail out of the tire," she said, and she watched with a sorrowful feeling as his face fell, a flicker of panic striking his features.

"What?" he asked.

"Taking the nail out will only make the tire deflate that much faster, which can lead to a blowout and inevitably cause the driver to lose control of the car and ultimately get into an accident," Amy said. "If anything, you should've left the nail in the tire and driven with caution to a nearby gas station or local mechanic so that we could've gotten the tire properly inspected."

Sheldon's eyes were big and round now. He was still holding up the nail, the tiny object glinting beneath the moonlight. She could see the panic sweeping through his body, reflecting in the way his face grew paler by the second, and Amy's concern sparked like wildfire.

"You're not about to have another panic attack, are you?" she asked, but Sheldon didn't answer, only stared at her with that same owl-like expression. "Okay, let's just relax. Take a deep breath. It's okay. Neither of us is in any danger. Here, give me the nail before you accidentally puncture your skin with it."

Amy held open her hand, and Sheldon wordlessly dropped the nail into her outstretched palm. She enclosed her hand around it and opened her bag, producing a clean tissue, where she placed the nail and folded it up, tucking it back into her purse for now to safely dispose of it later.

"Now," she said, doing her best to stay calm despite her growing concern. "Let's call roadside assistance and see if we can get someone to come and change the tire for us, because, let's face it, we're scientists, not mechanics, right?" She smiled, hoping Sheldon would appreciate the witty, yet true, remark, but he looked anything but amused. "Sheldon," she said. "You're starting to scare me. Please say something."

He blinked, glancing at the car and back to Amy, who waited with increasing unease for him to say or do something. Finally, he took her by the arm, and her heart lurched in her chest as he turned her forward.

"What are you—"

"If I can't drive us to our destination, I'll walk us there," Sheldon said. "I promised you I was going to romance your pants off tonight, and I never break a promise. If we walk quickly enough, we can still make our dinner reservations, so less talking and more walking, darlin'."

"Darlin'. Oh, my," Amy breathed. Her cheeks warmed at the unexpected term of endearment, not to mention the charming sound of his native southern drawl, but she was quick to snap out of her momentary lovesick daze. "Wouldn't it make more sense if we took a cab instead?"

"Sit in a filthy cab and ruin that pretty dress of yours? I don't think so," Sheldon said. "This night needs to be perfect."

"Nothing can be perfect, Sheldon," Amy said.

"With immaculate planning like I have, it certainly can, and it will be," Sheldon said.

He was still holding Amy's arm, but his previously tight grip had relaxed into a much more gentle one. They walked in tandem, and Amy's heart fluttered harder. How is it possible for me to love this amazing man as much as I do?

"After all, you said it yourself, Amy. You deserve romance. Well, gosh darn it, I'm going to give you romance, even if it kills me."

A tug on his arm brought Sheldon to a halt. He blinked, looking at Amy in bewilderment, but she was far too deliriously happy to explain herself with words. She simply took his face in her hands and lifted her heels off the ground. Their lips were just about to touch, when—

VROOM!

—a car sped past, splashing them with cold water. They both screamed and jerked apart. For a second, Amy was too shocked to truly register what had just happened. She looked down at her dress, soaked with dingy water, and she looked up at Sheldon, whose pants were drenched, the bottom of his suit jacket dripping as well, his eyes bigger than ever before.

Amy's stunned expression broke into a grin as she let out a small chuckle. She clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle it, when suddenly, she exploded into a fit of uproarious laughter. Her body shook uncontrollably, partly from all the laughing, and partly because the water was so frigidly cold.

Sheldon, silently standing there as she laughed hysterically, finally lost it as well and joined in on Amy's infectious laughter. It wasn't his usual breathy little chuckle, but a genuine guffaw, even heartier than when Leonard made that multiplication error.

Sheldon and Amy sat on the sidewalk, shoulder to shoulder, sharing a faded blue and slightly torn, but thankfully washed, towel that the roadside mechanic had generously given them. Amy's hair had unraveled a bit, leaving it in a messy bun, and they both shivered, their clothing uncomfortably damp, clinging to their bodies.

They'd long since missed their dinner reservations. Amy felt her stomach growl, and yet, her hunger was the furthest thing from her mind. Frankly, as long as she was sitting here with her boyfriend, nothing else mattered. She impulsively leaned her head against his shoulder, and she was pleasantly surprised when he didn't flinch at all. She closed her eyes, relaxing against him, when his voice broke the silence.

"I'm sorry, Amy."

Amy blinked her eyes back open. She lifted her head to look at him, but he was staring straight ahead, where the mechanic was in the process of changing the front tire.

"This night was a disaster," he said. "I can only imagine how disappointed you must feel. I wish I could be the romantic boyfriend you deserve, but sadly, I'm not."

"Don't say that," Amy said, and he finally met her gaze. "You're much more romantic than you think you are. The fact that you put in all this effort to make our anniversary so special is…extremely romantic."

"Really?" Sheldon asked.

Amy nodded.

"Let me see if I understand you correctly," Sheldon said. "You're saying, the knowledge alone that I went through so much effort to give you a romantic date for our anniversary, despite not actually succeeding to do so, is, in itself, a romantic gesture?"

She nodded some more, a smile playing at her lips.

"Interesting," Sheldon said. "In that case, I'm not sure how this more traditional romantic gesture will go over, but…" He reached into his jacket pocket with one hand, the other still clutching the towel. "Here."

He presented her with a long velvet box, and Amy involuntarily gasped.

"Wait…I thought we said no gifts," she said.

"Yes, but I promised you an unforgettable romantic evening, and this is part of the deal," Sheldon said. "Go ahead. Open it."

The towel slipped from Amy's shoulder as she opened the box to find a gorgeous diamond bracelet inside.

"Oh…my…"

She trailed off, too astonished to form a coherent sentence.

"Is it too flashy?" Sheldon asked, but Amy didn't answer, too busy gawking at the stunning piece of jewelry. "It's too flashy, isn't it? I knew it. You're repulsed by the flashiness, aren't you? Drat. I assumed it would go nicely with the tiara I bought you, but clearly I missed the mark by once again buying you something too over the top. Perhaps I could exchange it, or—"

Amy's lips cut him off, and he immediately shut his eyes, their lips pressing hard together, only for Amy to draw back from him. Sheldon blinked, that stunned expression painted on his face yet again.

"I'm sorry," Amy said. "I shouldn't have done that. I know how much you dislike public kissing. I was just so amazed by how beautiful this bracelet is and how unbelievably romantic you are that I couldn't help mysel—"

Now she was cut off by Sheldon's lips on hers. He kissed her with everything he had, the towel falling to the ground as he took her face in his hands. He lightly brushed his thumbs over her ears, and her heart pounded as she tilted her head and let out the softest moan against his mouth, really losing herself in it.

When he drew back, he exhaled deeply and said, "I owe Wil Wheaton a well-deserved thank you."

Confusion hit Amy like a strike of lightning. "I'm sorry, what?"

Sheldon let go of her face, a bashful look crossing his features as he said, "Well…I paid him a visit last week…"

Knock, knock, knock. "Wil Wheaton."

Knock, knock, knock. "Wil Wheaton."

Knock, knock, knock. "Good friend, Wil Wheaton."

The door opened to reveal Wil, who peered through the screen at Sheldon. With a sigh, Wil pushed opened the screen door and stepped onto his porch.

"Hi, Sheldon," he said. "Now's not such a good time. I have people over."

"Star Trek people?" Sheldon asked in a hopeful tone.

"No," Wil said.

"Oh, well then I don't care about that," Sheldon said. "I just need a moment of your time."

"You couldn't have called me?" Wil asked.

"I would have, but you tend to ignore my calls, which I admittedly find baffling. Nevertheless, I've come to the conclusion that the best way to reach you is to simply show up announced at your doorstep, and clearly, I was right," Sheldon said, reaching into his jacket pocket. "Anyway, onto the reason I'm here. I was hoping you could do me a favor and give this to my girlfriend."

He handed Wil a long velvet box, and Wil furrowed his brow as he looked it over. When he snapped open the box to reveal the sparkling diamond bracelet, his mouth fell open.

"Whoa," Wil said, the diamonds gleaming off of the porch lamp above him as he tilted the box back and forth. "How much did this cost, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Twenty-five hundred dollars, not including tax," Sheldon said.

Wil eyed the bracelet some more, only to shake his head. "Okay, why on earth do you want me to give your girlfriend an expensive piece of jewelry?"

"Well," Sheldon said, "I'd do it myself, but I don't want it to become a whole spectacle. I'm worried if I give her this present as a big romantic gesture, she'll be so thrilled that I'll have no choice but to top myself for each and every special occasion we share as a couple from this point forward, and frankly that's a lot of pressure for me to handle."

"So…your solution is to have me to do this in your place?" Wil asked.

"Yes," Sheldon said simply. "I initially considered having one of my friends give her the gift, but I quickly dismissed that idea on the grounds that I didn't want any of them taking credit for it. Finally, after giving the dilemma more thought, I realized you'd be the perfect person to do this for me, as your minor celebrity status wouldn't arouse as much suspicion."

Wil stared at Sheldon in a confused stupor, which Sheldon did not pick up on at all. In fact, he took Wil's silence as a cue to elaborate.

"I was thinking you could drop by Amy's lab at Caltech under the simple but believable ploy that you're stopping by to visit me, your good pal, Sheldon. Perhaps you could make it seem as though you found the bracelet on the street or something of the sort. I'll leave it up to you to decide how you want to play it, as you're the actor, after all," he said. "So, will you do this for me? I really want her to have it."

"Hmm," Wil said, glancing at the bracelet again. "And why is that?"

"Because I love her very much, and she's the only woman for me."

Wil froze, snapping his eyes to Sheldon, who had a serious look on his face. With a hum, Wil closed the box and handed it back to him.

"You need to give this to her yourself," he said. "Trust me, you'll thank me for it."

Sheldon glanced down at the box, only to look up to see Wil smiling at him.

"Good luck, Sheldon," he said, tapping his arm.

After Wil headed back into his house, gently closing the door behind him, Sheldon stood there for a moment, staring at the box again, running his thumb along the smooth velvet. Finally, he slipped it back into his coat pocket and turned around.

"Another long bus ride for not very much," he muttered to himself as he left.

Amy's eyes shined with blissful tears. She swallowed the small lump in her throat, overcome with emotion.

"I didn't think it was possible for me to love you more than I already do, but apparently, I was wrong," she said. "And, listen, I want you to know you don't ever have to feel pressured to surprise me with some big romantic gesture, whether it's for a special occasion or just in general. I appreciate it, don't get me wrong, but I've realized I don't need conventional romance to make me happy. All I need is you."

"And I appreciate that, but the truth is, I enjoy making you happy, and I'm going to continue making an effort to be more romantic. So, in that spirit…"

He took the bracelet out of the box, delicately draped it around her wrist and fastened the clasp. The glistening diamonds paled in comparison to the smile illuminating Amy's face.

"Happy anniversary, Amy."

"Happy anniversary, Sheldon."

They leaned in for a third kiss, their lips softly brushing together, until the sound of the mechanic clearing his throat broke them apart. They looked up at him, and he smirked knowingly as he tore off a piece of paper and handed the bill to Sheldon.

"All set," he said in a thick voice. "I'll get out of your hair now so you two can drive to wherever you gotta go. Maybe a hotel room?"

The man's sly tone completely went over Sheldon's head as he narrowed his eyes.

"Why on earth would we need to go to a hotel when we both have perfectly comfortable apartments?" he asked.

Amy knew better than to start pulling at this thread, so she got up, handing the mechanic the towel, only for him to wave her off.

"Keep it. Don't need it," he said. "Enjoy the rest of your night."

"Thank you very much," Amy said.

With that, the mechanic got into his truck and drove away, while Amy boldly took Sheldon by the arm as they headed to the car.

"What do you say we each go home, change into some warm clothes, order food and have a Skype date like in the early days of our relationship?" she asked.

"I can think of nothing better," Sheldon said.

It wasn't until they were back in the car, and Sheldon was driving Amy home, that a realization dawned on him.

"He meant a hotel room for coitus, didn't he?"