"Why do we have to go on this double date?" Sheldon asked for what was probably the fifth time. His memory sure went out the window when he didn't want to do something.

"It's a non-optional social convention. Our girlfriends are friends. They want to do this, so if we want to keep our girlfriends, we have to go on this double date," Leonard explained. "Now, finish getting ready or we're going to be late to the movie."

"We are going to see some hippy-dippy girl movie. Who says I don't want to be late for it?"

Leonard was glad that they didn't have to pick up Amy. It would cut some of the time off getting to the movie theater. Sheldon was going to be difficult enough without adding more stops. Penny had texted to let him know that Amy was just across the hall as the girls were getting ready together. In all the years that Leonard had known Sheldon, he didn't think he would ever be going on a double date with him. First, because it was surprise to everyone that Sheldon even had a girlfriend. Then, because Leonard didn't believe that Sheldon would ever agree to go on one even after he met Amy.

They were just going to dinner and a movie, but Amy was very excited. When she mentioned to Penny that she wanted to go on a double date, she was a little worried that her bestie would laugh at her. Amy mentioned the fact that she had not had a best friend and a boyfriend at the same time, so she had never been on a double date with both. She did not mention that she never had a best friend or a boyfriend at all before. If Penny noticed this, she kept quiet on the matter. Instead, she called Leonard and started making plans for Friday night.

As easily as Sheldon accepted Amy into his life, he didn't really like breaking his calendar. It took several attempts to convince him to give up vintage video game night. Howard and Raj were out with their significant others anyway. So often it felt like Sheldon wasn't interested in growing up and moving forward like everyone else. Leonard often thought that Sheldon had the most arrested development of all of them. It was strange how the man could be so brilliant at physics, and so completely dim in other regards. Not that anyone would ever have the courage to mention it to him.

The girls planned an hour to get ready before they were supposed to leave for the movie. Amy arrived in a blouse, a green cardigan with black and white argyle patterns, and her usual pencil skirt. Penny wished she could get Amy to change her clothes some, but as Sheldon would say, she had wasted many an hour tilting at that particular windmill. Not that Penny really understood what that meant.

Penny was dressed in jeans and a red blouse, but she still needed to do her makeup. She would also try to do some makeup for Amy. It wasn't like Sheldon would be likely to notice, but Amy deserved to look pretty if she wanted to.

It didn't seem like a lot of time had gone by when the girls heard a familiar knock at the door. They didn't even get up until it was over.

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Penny and Amy."

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Penny and Amy."

Knock. Knock. Knock. "Penny and Amy."

Amy smoothed her hair and straightened her skirt. She followed Penny over to the door. There stood Sheldon in his Flash jersey shirt. It was her favorite shirt of his. She had a slight recollection of seeing that shirt as she leaned in and kissed him. Damn that vodka for stealing everything but the faintest glimpse of his lips on hers. Though, she was sure that she would have never had the confidence to kiss him without it. Despite what he said, she knew he kissed her back that night.

Penny and Leonard kissed hello. Sheldon and Amy nodded at each other and exchanged pleasantries and waited awkwardly. The differences between the couples was almost jarring. If an outsider were to look upon the exchange, they would assume that the second pair wasn't a couple at all.

Sheldon reminded them all that the movie was going to start in 23 minutes and that they needed to get going if they were going to get there in time. Leonard glared at Sheldon because he was the one who was just reminding him that they needed to get going.

Penny had chosen a movie that's commercials promised both aliens and romance. It seemed unlikely to have enough of either to satisfy both the boys and the girls, but it seemed the best option for the group.

When the group got to Leonard's car, Penny stood by the door to sit in the back with Amy, but Sheldon wanted to sit in the same seat.

"Sheldon, you always call 'shotgun,'" Penny commented.

"I was under the impression that this was a date. Isn't the correct protocol that I sit next to my girlfriend?" Sheldon responded.

"Fair enough," Penny said before she got in the passenger's seat.

After Leonard bought Penny's ticket, Sheldon bought Amy's ticket. It was an unexpected gesture as Sheldon generally made her buy her own ticket. She figured that she was going to have to buy his Red Vines and soda to make up for the cost of her ticket. They stood in companionable silence while Leonard ordered and then paid for his and Penny's snacks.

When it was Sheldon and Amy's turn, she started to open her mouth to order. Instead, Sheldon cut her off. "A pack of Sour Patch Kids, a small orange soda, a package of Red Vines, and a small Sprite." Amy looked at him in wide-eyed surprise. It wasn't that he remembered what she ordered because he simply remembered everything. It was that he noticed what she ordered when they went to the movies. He didn't even look at her as he paid for the two sodas and candy. Then he handed her her things and they walked to the theater.

Penny, Leonard, and Amy stood together near the stairs as Sheldon scoped out the best seats. Leonard and Penny were embarrassed by Sheldon's antics, but Amy thought it was kind of sweet that he was making sure they had the best possible seats to enjoy the movie. He waved them over when he finally found the perfect seats. Amy sat next to him with Penny on the other side of her. It was moments like this when she wished that she could go back to herself in high school and tell herself that it might be late, but one day she would be at the movies with a gorgeous boyfriend and an even more gorgeous best friend.

The trailers were starting and that would normally be the point when Amy would make Sheldon hold her hand. He'd been pretty vocal about hating it, so she didn't feel like pushing it right then. Out of the corner of her eye, Amy saw Leonard put his arm around Penny's shoulders. They sometimes made out at the movies. Amy hoped that they would hold off on the making out. It never seemed to really bother Sheldon, but it always made her a little uncomfortable and jealous. Making out in public wasn't the kind of thing she could ever see herself doing.

Amy saw Sheldon look over and see the couple cuddling. She couldn't understand the look on his face. It looked uncomfortable and contemplative. It wasn't like he hadn't seen them going a lot further than that. Sheldon lifted his left arm and then put it down again. He kept twitching it for the next several minutes. Amy was starting to get concerned. She leaned away from him, worried that he thought she was sitting too close.

The movie was going forgotten as Amy kept watching Sheldon struggle. She was about to ask him if he would like to leave for a moment when he closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and lifted his arm one last time; placing it squarely on Amy's shoulders.