Amy's heart pounded fiercely in her chest. She exhaled a heavy sigh through her thinly parted lips and reached for the hand of the man walking beside her. The moment her hand touched his, however, he pulled it away before she could grasp it. The two of them both stopped in their tracks, looking at one another in surprise.

"What on earth were you just attempting to do?" Sheldon asked.

"Sorry," Amy said hastily, her rapid heartbeat refusing to let up. "I'm nervous. I suppose I was subconsciously reaching out for moral support by physically reaching out for your hand."

"Oh," Sheldon said, and he glanced down for a moment, before seizing her hand in his own, pressing their palms together.

Amy stared down at their clasped hands, too stunned to react. When she looked up at him, though, she felt herself smile widely. Sheldon simply stared back at her with an unwavering look of seriousness, his eyes locked on her, and all she wanted to do in that moment was kiss him, right there in the middle of the sidewalk.

She wasn't actually going to do it, though. She couldn't do it, not yet at least, especially not after she'd already cheated on David once. She wanted to believe she had better morals than that.

They resumed walking without another word, and as they did, Amy couldn't help but wonder how this must've looked from an outsider's perspective. The two of them were holding hands, walking down the street, as though they were a couple. Was this cheating, too? She had no idea anymore. All she knew was that Sheldon holding her hand brought her the comfort and courage she so desperately needed in this moment.

Her pace slowed down as they approached the restaurant. She stared at the exterior of the quaint, sophisticated Italian restaurant, the same one that David had brought her to on their first date. An onslaught of memories hit her all at once, how she'd foolishly worried about eating the bread while David was in the restroom, how she'd told him flat-out that she wasn't ready for anything physical, how he'd responded by telling her he respected that.

Their date seemed like such a long time ago rather than only a couple of months ago. So much had changed since then. Never did she think she'd fall so quickly for a man like Sheldon, especially considering how she'd initially found him to be so condescending and rude and stubborn and—

A gentle pressure against her hand snapped Amy out of her thoughts. She looked at Sheldon, realizing he'd just given her hand a soft squeeze, and her troubles melted away in an instant. He was absolutely none of those things to her now. He was thoughtful and considerate and sweet, albeit in an unconventional way, as he was far from experienced at romance, but then again, so was she. Still, he continued to surprise her with each moment of affection he expressed towards her, physical or otherwise.

Thanks to him, she felt ready to finally let go of her fears and face her feelings once and for all.

David Drescoll liked to think of himself as a successful man.

He had lofty goals in life, namely, to inspire greatness in his students. He loved teaching and expressing ideas with his students, who were constantly teaching him as well. They had lively discussions about their readings and assignments, and there was nothing he loved more than immersing himself in the world of classic literature and engaging with bright individuals on such rich and complex works, everything from novels, short stories, plays or poems.

While he'd been nervous going into this particular semester, he was confident that once it was finally over in just a few more weeks, he'd meet his longtime career goal of procuring tenure. He was already planning what he'd do in a year or so. He'd take a sabbatical and travel to Europe, visit museums and study art, all the while doing some writing on the side. These dreams excited him and made him look forward to going to work every day.

Nowadays, those dreams, those interactions with his students, the goal of tenure, were the only things still motivating him to go to work.

For a while, Amy had played a large role in the joy he felt in his life. Lately, though, it was slipping more and more, to the point where it was nearly gone altogether. There was something unique about Amy that had initially drawn him to her. She clearly wasn't like other women, most of whom were superficial in some sense. She was incredibly intelligent and deep, a woman with high standards and passionate career goals.

Not to mention, she was blunt.

He remembered how it caught him off guard at first, particularly on their first date, when she'd asked him if he was only interested in sleeping with her. He'd been on many dates in his life, but that had been a first for him. He'd meant it when he told her that he respected her for her honesty, and he promised himself going into their relationship that he would never pressure her into exploring a physical relationship until she was absolutely ready.

With that decision in mind, he allowed their relationship to progress at its own natural pace, and for a while, he was pleased with how things were going. He found himself charmed by the way she smiled or whenever he managed to elicit a laugh from her. He loved how she had such strongminded opinions.

When he kissed her for the first time that night at the movie theater, he was pleasantly surprised to feel her reciprocate, and after they became official, he was confident that their relationship would continue on that trajectory.

What he hadn't anticipated was how unpredictable she apparently was when it came to expressing her feelings.

He remembered their kiss at the Cheesecake Factory. It was the first one she'd initiated, and he'd tasted a sharp cinnamon flavor on her lips, to which she later confessed that she'd had not one, but two shots of whiskey while waiting for him to arrive.

That night, his suspicions began to surface. Why was she drinking? Why, now, of all instances, did she think it was an appropriate time to experiment with some heavier kissing?

Who had she been talking to that night?

It only grew worse a few nights later, when he kissed her that night outside her apartment. After she pushed him away, he was genuinely confused by it at first, though the confusion quickly replaced itself with hurt. She was becoming more and more disinterested in him, and he couldn't figure out why, let alone how to win her over again. Instead of really trying, he began distancing himself from her as well, putting all of his energy into his work.

And then, there was that night at the science center.

He remembered that man, Sheldon Cooper, because how could anyone forget a guy who demanded you move to another seat in a public movie theater? That had been a bizarre first for David as well, but he was impressed by the way Amy had held her own and told the guy, in that straightforward tone he admired, that they weren't going to move.

Never did he suspect that he'd encounter Sheldon again, or better yet, that Amy would befriend him and apparently become so interested in him that she'd abandon David to instead talk to him all night. Despite the confusion he felt, David could've gotten over the fact that they were friends, even if that Sheldon guy was annoying and, well, kind of a weirdo.

What he couldn't get over, however, was the way Sheldon and Amy were looking at each other that night.

All David could think was that he'd never seen Amy smile like that when they were together. Yet, while in the presence of that Sheldon guy, she was grinning ear to ear, her face radiant, her eyes shining. He saw it in Sheldon, too, the way he kept glancing at her when she wasn't looking. Right then and there, David just knew in his gut:

Amy had feelings for Sheldon, and Sheldon had feelings for Amy.

When David and Amy had lunch together the next day, the day before his students submitted their papers, he tried to engage her in a pleasant conversation, to maybe attempt to ask her more about her so-called friendship with Sheldon, but she'd been completely tied to her phone. She kept sneaking glances at it, and she'd immediately stop eating to put all her attention on her phone when she received a new text.

As she sat there, reading it, David caught that smile on her face again, that look of infatuation, and that only solidified everything for him.

He was thankful when he was given the distraction of reading through and grading papers, but it only lasted a few days, and by Friday, he was forced to face the reality of his relationship with Amy. He didn't know what was going on exactly between her and Sheldon, but frankly, it didn't matter, because David had already made a decision. He was a gentleman, but he sure as hell wasn't a pushover. He wasn't going to try to win back his girlfriend's affection, when it was obvious that she wasn't interested in him any longer.

And, if he were being honest, he was starting to lose interest, too.

Which was why, as a final romantic gesture, he was going to take her out one last time, to the same nice Italian restaurant, as a way to cap off their short-lived relationship. He'd buy her dinner and just be honest with her. He'd be as direct and straightforward as she used to be with him. That was what he missed the most about her, how blunt she was. Now, all she was doing was lying to him, and he wouldn't stand for it.

He wasn't going to accuse her of cheating on him, because he had more pride and respect than that, but he'd let her know that he was very much aware of what was going on between her and Sheldon. He wasn't going to be her second choice.

Tonight, he was going to let go of Amy Farrah Fowler.

He hadn't anticipated feeling nervous, but he was now as he got closer and closer to the restaurant. All he could hope was that this conversation would go smoothly. After all, even after this was all over, they were still going to see each other around the university, which was why keeping the amicability between them was all the more important. Amy was levelheaded, of course, as was he, so there was no reason—

David stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, struck dumb by what he saw across the street.

It was Amy, holding hands with none other than Sheldon Cooper.

"Are you prepared for this?" Sheldon asked.

"As prepared as I'll ever be," Amy said, still eyeing the restaurant uneasily. She stole a final quick glance at Sheldon, letting the confidence flood through her as she sighed resolutely and turned to reach for the door. "Let's get this over with."

"Sounds like a good idea to me."

Amy came to a dead halt, spinning around to see David. Her eyes widened as she dropped Sheldon's hand.

"David," she said in a gasp.

"Hi, Amy," David said, his voice completely calm, even as he brought up his arms and folded them over his chest. "So, tell me, how long has this been going on?"

"Oh, my, did you really just end that sentence with a preposition?" Sheldon asked.

As David tossed a look at Sheldon, Amy saw the way his eyes narrowed briefly, a flashing moment of his calm and cool demeanor crumbling, and her panic flared.

"Excuse me?" David asked.

Now, Amy looked back at Sheldon, who was simply staring at David, calmly, as though completely unaware that what he was doing was only making the situation so much worse.

"Shouldn't an English professor know the basic rules of syntax?" Sheldon asked.

"Okay, listen," Amy said, stepping forward, as the hostility in the air was growing at lightning speed, and she needed to diffuse it now before things got any worse. "David, I'll explain everything to you, if you'll just let me—"

"That won't be necessary," David said.

Amy blinked, wide-eyed.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

As David smirked, unfolding his arms to thrust his hands into his pockets, she only became more confused. Did he think this was funny? Was she missing something here?

He took a step forward, while Amy remained rooted to the ground.

"I've known," he said, simply, voice soft.

Amy blinked again, her mind trying to piece together what that could possibly mean. She felt Sheldon's eyes on her, burning into her back. That, coupled with David staring at her intently, brought heat to Amy's cheeks. He's known.

She swallowed, her own voice barely higher than a whisper. "You've…known about…" She couldn't seem to find the strength to finish that sentence, so instead, she turned her head to Sheldon, then looked back at David, allowing the gesture to fill in the silence.

"Yeah," David said. "Honestly, the way you two were interacting that night at the science center, engrossed in conversation, unable to take your eyes off each other… I think any idiot could've figure it out."

"So, you're insinuating that you're one of those idiots?" Sheldon asked.

"Sheldon," Amy hissed, appalled, snapping her head to him. However, before she could tell him as kindly as possible to, please, shut the hell up, she heard David chuckling, and she turned to face him again, surprised.

"Listen," he said. "You and I, Amy, we just… We clearly never had an ounce of chemistry that you and this…physicist guy over here have. I just wish you would've been honest with me about it from the start."

"I wanted to be," Amy said in a rush, her voice now a pitch higher than usual. "I invited Sheldon along tonight because he and I were going to come clean to you that we—"

"Had your little thing on the side while you and I were still dating?" David asked.

Amy bit her bottom lip, chewing on it for a moment, before releasing it. She looked down at the ground and let out a barely audible sigh. "I don't know what to say," she said hopelessly.

"Look, Amy, I'm not angry with you," David said. "Maybe I should be, and you know what, if it were any other woman at all, I probably would be. But, knowing everything I know about you, how you'd never been in a real relationship before you started dating me, how you'd been terrified of physical intimacy, how you'd never done anything more than kiss a man—"

"That's not true," Amy said, head snapping up again. "I did get to second base with a guy in college once."

"Well, the point is, you and I are just…different. It's not necessarily a bad thing. It's actually what drew me to you in the first place," David said. "I just think, somewhere along the way, our feelings changed. Obviously."

He looked at Sheldon again, and Amy took that moment to peer over her own shoulder to look at him as well. He stood there patiently, blue eyes glancing between David and Amy. She smiled, allowing herself to get swept up in the warm rush of feelings.

"Anyway," David said, pulling Amy's attention to him once more. "I guess all I want to say, Amy, is that I wish you the best, and I sincerely hope we can be friends."

She stared at him, her smile only widening. She'd never felt lighter, as the weight of her guilt was completely gone now. There were no more secrets, no more denying her feelings. She could start over, and she knew David would, too. She felt so incredibly relieved in that moment.

Before she could stop herself, she took another step forward and wrapped her arms around David's back. There was a moment of hesitation, before she felt his arms wrap around her as well, reciprocating the embrace. She smiled against his shoulder and closed her eyes, appreciating the intimacy of this moment for what it was: Two people, parting ways, with the promise of allowing them both a real chance at happiness.

"Thank you," Amy whispered. "Thank you."

"I must say, despite not having any personal dating experience of my own, I still found that to be quite the peculiar breakup," Sheldon said as he and Amy climbed the stairs to his apartment.

"I know," Amy said. "I'm just so relieved that it was mutual and that he and I can both move on now."

"Yes," Sheldon said, and immediately fell silent.

They stopped when they reached the fourth floor hallway, turning to each other. The silence became heavy with underlying sexual tension, and Amy shivered, feeling as though Sheldon were undressing her with those dangerous blue eyes of his.

"Easy now, Dr. Cooper," she said, softly, though with a flirtatious hint in her voice. "Just because I'm newly single doesn't mean we should just rush into anything. I think it would be best if you and I simply took things slowly and allowed our relationship to progress at its own pace."

"I concur," Sheldon said.

"Good," Amy said.

And suddenly, as though it were the next logical step, Sheldon seized Amy by the waist and claimed her lips with his own, the tension bursting into this one heated kiss. Amy slipped her hands around the back of Sheldon's neck, and this time, he thankfully didn't pull away. In fact, his hands wound behind the small of her back, pulling her in even closer. The moment their bodies pressed together, Amy moaned, unable to contain herself, and Sheldon moaned back, breaking the kiss.

"Okay," he gasped, eyelids heavy and lips swollen, though he didn't let go of her. "We need to stop now. I'm becoming… Well, you know. This is all still new to me…these feelings of… I'm not even quite sure how to categorize them. Desire."

Amy smiled, open-mouthed, as she panted. "I…have a feeling…you and I will be experiencing a lot of firsts together," she said, feeling overwhelmingly delirious and giddy.

Sheldon swallowed, breathing harshly as well. There was a shine in his eyes, and his voice grew low and warm as he said, "I truly look forward to it, Amy Farrah Fowler."

It should have been awkward come Monday afternoon, when Amy walked into the university cafeteria at her usual lunch hour, only to immediately spot David. He was taking a seat with a few of his colleagues when his eyes happened to meet hers. He froze, staring at her with a serious look on his face. Then, it broke, and he smiled, warmly and politely, as did she, and everything resumed as normal.

Amy was easily able to return her focus to work, all the while communicating with Sheldon primarily through texts. After a couple of days, he asked her if she had any plans Thursday evening, and she responded that, no, she didn't, why?

I'd like to take you out on a date. I was thinking we could go to dinner. Do you accept this invitation?

That goofy smile was back on her face in an instant, even faster than her response:

Absolutely.

That Thursday evening, he showed up at her door at seven o'clock on the dot, greeting her with a handsome smile, and in her excitement for this date and their developing relationship, she couldn't help but notice…

He was wearing blue.

The End

Author's Note: That concludes The Attraction Fluctuation. Thanks for sticking with it 'til the end! :)

I have to say that these last few chapters were my favorite to write, particularly chapter 13. The idea of Sheldon taking care of an injured Amy despite her having a boyfriend was essentially the whole premise of this fic. It was a lot of fun to write the build-up to their first kiss. ;)

Until my next fic, please review one last time!