I hadn't intended to continue this, but… sometimes you just have to go where inspiration takes you.

Sheldon lay on his bed for several minutes after Penny left to put Howard in his place. He would never tell Howard this, but he thought that perhaps Howard had been correct. The size of his penis did seem to matter, if only insomuch as Penny had approved of it; the fact that Penny had been impressed by his penis pleased him. It also made him want to do things that he hadn't done since he was a 15-year old visiting professor in Germany.

With an eidetic memory he hadn't forgotten, so much had just not given much thought to the pleasure of another's touch. Strangely enough, he had garnered more pleasure from Penny's manual stimulation than he had from actual coitus with Gerta. He was uncertain as to whether that was because Professor Gerta Stromberg had only used his young body for her own pleasure, or if it was simpler than that; that he cared for Penny and that's what made it more arousing.

He feared that the latter would prove to be the case. Still, Sheldon knew that he had been fond of Penny prior to this experience. Having shared such an intimacy could bring them closer. He sighed. He supposed that he should go face the others. With that thought, he rose from his bed, tidied his room and his person. With a last thought to Penny, he left the sanctuary of his room.

He found the others playing Super Mario. There was an awkward pause when he strode into the living room. Howard and Raj stared at his crotch, making him rather uncomfortable, whereas Leonard refused to look at him at all. Howard spoke into the silence. "Um, Penny says that I owe you an apology…so… ahem…sorry."

Sheldon nodded his acceptance, and took the proffered game controller. Slowly, their interactions returned to normal. Or at least what passed for normal in their social group.

Later that night, after his bedtime ritual, Sheldon lay unable to sleep. He was replaying the events of earlier over and over in his mind. His eidetic memory easily supplied every last detail of his interaction with Penny. As he became immersed in the memory he made a surprising discovery. Penny had also been aroused by what had transpired. Her breathing had been short, her pupils had dilated, and there had been a faint flush on her skin. How had he missed such obvious signs? Surely his own arousal hadn't distracted him to that degree. Or was it merely that he had overlooked something that he had not expected?

He nodded to himself. Yes, that might be it. Now, aroused and wide awake he debated on a course of action. He could deal with the matter himself as he had done countless times before, or… he could see if Penny wished to take the next step of the quid pro quo that had been mentioned. She had seemed open to the possibility, another sign of her arousal that he had overlooked amidst his own.

He pulled on his robe and slippers. Before heading across the hall, he sent her a text, asking if he might come over.

Her affirmative response came much quicker than he had expected or hoped for. Quietly, he let himself out of the apartment and knocked lightly upon Penny's door.

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Knock, knock, knock, "Penny."

Penny waited until her friend had completed his ritual knock, and opened the door. She gestured him in, and they stood staring at one another for several long minutes, both at a loss as to the next step.

Penny had been more than a little surprised by Sheldon's text asking to come over. It was nearly midnight and way past his bedtime. And, honestly, she kinda' thought that he'd avoid her in embarrassment for a while. Add to that, Sheldon didn't like to be vulnerable, and she had seen him pretty vulnerable earlier.

Still, he was here now, and she shook her head to clear it. She invited him to sit and then joined him on the small sofa.

He fidgeted awkwardly, cleared his throat a couple of times and finally just sat and stared at her with big blue eyes.

She sighed. "Sheldon, did you want to talk about earlier?" She asked gently.

He cleared his throat again. "Yes," he finally admitted. Then he seemed to collect himself all at once. "Empirical data from our earlier encounter," here he blushed a little, "indicated that you were not…unaffected by the nature of our intimate interaction." He stopped and trained his eyes on hers.

She felt the heat rising in her own face. "Um, no… I wasn't unaffected." She finally admitted honestly.

"I was correct?" He seemed surprised and then pleased. Whether he was pleased to be right, or by her admission was not yet clear. "I was not unaffected either. In fact, I was affected by more than a mere biological response to stimuli."

She puzzled over that for a few seconds. "You liked it for more than just, uh…sex?" She finally interpreted.

"Yes, that's what I said."

"Huh."

"Yes." He paused. "Penny?"

"Yeah, Sweetie?"

"I am unclear as to the next step. Do we continue the quid pro quo until coitus is achieved, or…." He trailed off at a loss.

Penny blinked at him. "Uh, wow, Sheldon…I just…," she sighed. "If it's more than just sex, then… were you thinking… a relationship?"

He gave the matter serious consideration. "From observing your relationship with Leonard, I cannot say that it's something I would enjoy."

"It wouldn't have to be like that. That was never going to work and I was stupid to think otherwise. He just wanted… it was just sex. I just didn't see it for too long. I wouldn't enjoy a relationship like that, especially not with you."

"I see. What would our relationship entail?"

"Whatever we wanted it to. Halo, dinner, movies, sex." She shrugged.

"I agree." He said. Based on his expression, he was as surprised by his quick answer as she was.

"Oh. Me, too, then." They sat staring at each other. "Um…did you want to…?" She began tentatively.

He merely looked at her in confusion.

"Start now?" She finished, her face stained with color.

"Oh, could we?" He really was terribly aroused.

"Yes?" She answered, her voice a little high. She went on more normally. "Yes, of course we can."

"How would you like to begin?"

In answer, she closed the distance between them, and brushed a gentle kiss across his mouth. He pushed the memories of Germany away and relaxed. He trusted Penny more than any other, and knew that she would lead him where they both wanted to go.

He allowed biology, body memory and instinct to have free reign for the first time that he could remember. His arms wound around her torso, and she deepened the kiss, allowing her tongue to trace his lips. He opened for her, and she sighed a little against his mouth, before allowing her tongue to caress his.

He pulled back with a gasp. She looked at him in concern. "No, it's just…I'd forgotten how…."

"Forgotten how… what, Sheldon?" She asked gently.

"Good it could feel." He admitted finally.

She stared at him in puzzlement. "Have you…Sheldon, have you done this before?"

"This being coitus?" At her nod, he continued. "Yes, in Germany. It was …messy and not as pleasant as I'd been led to expect."

"Were you…involved?" Penny's mind was spinning. All this time, she'd been sure he was a virgin.

"Not so much involved as … in retrospect, I believe I was convenient."

"Oh, Honey," Penny said softly.

"There is no need to ….I was curious. And if nothing else, it satisfied that curiosity."

"It should be amazing, Sheldon, and with someone you care about. And I'm sorry that it wasn't. This time… oh, this time is going to rock your world." She had a fierce expression that he found strangely arousing. Also, just a little frightening. Still, that was Penny for you.

"Then I shall follow your lead."

Her green eyes were warm with affection. "Then let's get back to the kissing and see where we go from there, okay, Sheldon?"

In reply, he cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her. It wasn't long before Penny was pulling free, and hinting that it was time to move to the bedroom.

Sheldon followed her timidly, still just a little nervous. Penny gave him a gentle nudge to get him sitting on the edge of the bed, and then straddled his lap. Feeling the bulk of him between her thighs, Penny wanted to strip them both down and have her oh-so-very-wicked way with him.

But…she wanted this to be memorable and wonderful for him. She wanted it to be what his first time should have been. Getting herself under control, she gently rubbed herself along his erection. He froze beneath her and then his hands grasped her hips and brought her against him more firmly.

"Not too fast, Sheldon, we want to take our time." She whispered into his ear as she traced the shell of it with her tongue.

He nodded against her, and then dropped his mouth to her shoulder, where he began to trail kisses up to her throat. She threw her head back, "Oh, that's nice, Sheldon." She was aware that she was saying his name an awful lot, but she really wanted him to understand that he was not some convenient body for her; she wanted to be with him.

"Penny," he hesitated and then allowed his hands to cautiously slide up her ribs to just below her breasts. "Is this acceptable?"

"Yes," she breathed. "More than acceptable, Sheldon."

He cupped one of her breasts, allowing the weight to fill his palm. He rubbed his thumb across the nipple he could feel pebbling, then gently pinched it.

"Oh," she gasped, arching her back and pressing more firmly into his hand.

Thus encouraged, Sheldon used his free hand to cautiously move Penny's tank-top down, exposing her breast. Some long suppressed instinct had him leaning down to take the hardened nipple into his mouth. He suckled gently, then with increasing fervor as Penny cupped the back of his head and held him to her. Without consciously deciding to do so, he was shifting them to lower Penny onto the mattress. He hovered over her and uncovered the other breast to give it the same gratifying treatment.

Penny decided that things were getting a little inequal. Unequal? Whatever the word was, the situation needed to be equalized. With that muzzy thought in mind, Penny slowly started to unbutton Sheldon's pajama shirt. She eased it off of him, and pushed him away long enough to get his t-shirt off as well. Looking up at him Penny was struck by his expression. Want. His eyes were glazed with lust, lips red and kiss-swollen, a sexual flush was on his cheeks and he wanted her. She thought that might the most arousing thing that had ever happened to her. And she'd been with some pretty creative guys (it couldn't really be 31, could it?).

Penny kissed his mouth, then down his neck and throat. She carefully pulled the skin between her teeth, and then soothed the spot with her tongue. She continued down to the center of his chest, feeling his sparse chest hair tickle her cheeks. She moved to his right nipple and returned the attention that he had lavished upon hers.

"Oh," he groaned above her, his arms shaking with the effort not to fall upon her. She lightly ran her nails down his back as she continued to kiss and suck and nibble. His arms trembled even more. "Penny."

"Hmm?" She asked, sending vibrations through him. Her hands drifted down to his butt, cupping his firm cheeks and squeezing.

"Oh, that's…, nice." He panted a little. "But… I can't reach you."

She felt her arousal kick up a notch at the need in his voice. "Lie on your side, Honey." Her own voice was husky with arousal. He followed her instructions, giving a relieved sigh as the pressure not to squish her was removed.

He immediately swooped in to kiss her and they spent several minutes doing that. Penny pulled away long enough to remove her tank-top and pressed back against him. He gave an approving hum as skin met skin; he could feel her hard nipples rubbing against him.

One of his large hands was resting on her hip, the other twined in her hair. Hers was trailing slowly down his chest, to the waistband of his pajama pants. She lightly traced the hard length of him through the material. He bucked forward and pulled away from her mouth gasping.

She'd had him in her hand, and she really wanted to feel him in her mouth. But five years worth of knowledge of Sheldon told her that there was no way that he'd be willing to kiss her on the mouth if she did so. So she pushed that enticing thought away, for now.

He wanted to do a little touching of his own. Gerta had encouraged him to touch only certain parts, which her considerable experience had shown her to bring her the most pleasure. But he had spent some of his teenage years learning more about the female body from books and other such sources. There were areas of Penny's body, Penny's glorious body, which he wanted to explore.

But, the need to join with her was growing beyond his ability to control. Perhaps his curiosity would have to wait for another time. He slid a hand beneath the hem of her shorts, seeking her warmth. He found that and also dampness. He traced his finger along the warmth, and Penny's hands tightened on him.

She eased her hand into his pants and underwear, allowing a little moan to escape at how very hard he was. She wrapped her hand around his girth, the angle was awkward, but she was beyond caring. Her other hand kneaded his butt.

Sheldon brought all of his considerable focus to bear, concentrating on bringing Penny off. Pooling all of the information that he had garnered, he put it into use, the end result being a very satisfying scream from an orgasming Penny.

Once she regained her breath, the following moments were a scramble to remove pants and underwear. Once they were both naked, Penny reached into the drawer of her bedside table, and removed a foil packet.

Sheldon stared at it and then held still while Penny rolled it over his erection. Once safely encased, Sheldon allowed his primitive instincts to take over once more. He rolled atop Penny, who shifted so that one of her thighs was on either side of his narrow hips. His arms were beneath her, his hands cupping her shoulders, so she took him in hand and brought him to where they both wanted him.

He took a deep breath and slowly pressed forward, her body giving way and making room for his girth. Once Penny's warmth fully engulfed him, he dropped his head to her throat and pressed several warm kisses to the skin there.

Her hands were resting on his hips, and it was they which guided him to pull back and thrust forward, once she was accustomed to him within her.

"Oh God," he groaned after the first full thrust. Instinct did the rest; soon he was grunting and thrusting, circling with his hips, hitting spots that Penny hadn't been sure existed.

She threw back her head, and arched her back towards him as a second orgasm overtook her. Feeling her clench around him pushed Sheldon that last little bit. His hips pistoned into hers, sending him over the edge after a few sharp thrusts.

He lay, drained and panting atop her for a few minutes afterwards. He kissed her lips, and pulled reluctantly from her.

"God, Sheldon, that was…," she trailed off, words having failed her.

"Strange," he murmured, brushing a sweaty blonde lock from her face. He lay on his side, facing her.

"What's strange, Honey?" She asked as she snuggled up to him, still a little breathless.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him. "That was nothing like I remembered it to be."

She stilled, not sure if she wanted to ask.

Sheldon, for once interpreted correctly. "This was so much more…, just more."

She relaxed against him. "Yeah, I'd have to agree."

"Perhaps, next time…."

"Next time what, Sheldon?" She asked sleepily.

"Perhaps next time, I might…explore?" His voice rose to a hopeful note at the end.

She all but purred as she cuddled against him. "I'd like that."

"Hm," Sheldon said quietly. Wolowitz had been correct after all. Knowing that your woman was satisfied with what you "had under the hood" was very important. And his woman was boneless, satisfied and dozing off in his arms. Sheldon fell asleep with a smug grin on his face.

Please Note: I do NOT condone Adult/Minor relationships in ANY universe. And no Sheldon's were harmed in the writing of this story.