Being Complete

Apartment 4B

Penny started to get out of bed. Leonard looked to be asleep beside her, the comforter pulled midway up his bare chest.  A look of surprise came upon her face as Leonard’s hand wrapped around her wrist.

Leonard butchered an English accent, “Where are you off to missy?”

Penny turned and looked back at Leonard who was laying there without his glasses.  She smiled a crooked little gin, “I need to wash my face and brush my teeth before we go to sleep.  Watch that, you just sounded like my father.”

Leonard laid his head back on the pillow letting her wrist go, “Really? I was going for more of a Doctor Who thing, I should brush my teeth too but I don’t want to go back across the hall.”

Penny started to get up again, “Well it’s your lucky day.  I bought you a toothbrush and a razor at the store yesterday,”

Leonard got his glasses off the nightstand then slipped them onto his face, “Really, what made you want to do that”

Penny was wrapped in her short pink robe now standing beside the bed.  She had a puzzled look on her face, “I don’t really know why.  I thought about it when I got home.  I was in the store and it hit me that Leonard needs a toothbrush and razor.  So I picked both up and put them in the basket.  It just seemed natural somehow that you needed those things here. Well at least it did when I was there.  When I got home I tried to figure out what it meant.  That’s when I realize I do it all the time now.”

Leonard was pulling on a white t-shirt now, he seemed puzzled, “What do you do all the time?”

Penny walked in the bathroom and turned on the sink.  Leonard sat on the bed in his boxer’s and t-shirt listening as she talked.

“I think about the things you’d like or need when I go shopping.  I buy lactose free cream for our tea.  I look for the crackers you like and get them along with my favorite.  I buy that one red wine you like that doesn’t give you headaches.”

Leonard was grinning, the sounds of Penny washing her face could be heard then she started talking again, “I do the same thing in the mall.  I’ll think wouldn’t Leonard look nice in that jacket or pants.  I wonder if Leonard has that game at the game store or how you’d look in this or that set of glasses.  It’s a good thing I’m broke most of the time.”

Leonard heard Penny start to brush her teeth. She gurgled out several words then he heard her spit.  “Sorry, what I was saying is, I don’t know why it happens but it happens.”

Penny walked out of the bathroom in a pink camisole and white shorts with a little red teddy bear print.  She slid into her side of the bed.

“You can have the bathroom now, would you mind shaving for me.  I like a smooth face to snuggle up to”

Leonard leaned over and kissed her lips, “Sure, did you happen to get shaving cream.”

Penny nodded then Leonard was up moving to the bathroom.  She heard him start to brush his teeth.  A soft smile covered her face.

“You want to know something else?”

She heard Leonard reply with a gurgled yes the toothbrush still in his mouth. Penny’s smile widened.

“Okay, I never sleep on your side of the bed anymore when you’re not here.  It doesn’t feel right for some reason.  I also find myself reaching for you in the night sometimes too.””

“Ouch”

Penny sat up slightly, “What happened?”

Leonard voice came from the bathroom, “I cut myself, nothing major.”

Penny laid back into her pillow, “So then I wonder what it all means and then I get scared.  I stop trying to think about it but it happens all the time.  When I’m at work at the same time you are I wonder what cool experiment you’re working on.  Of course I wonder if that little bitch Alex is sniffing around.”

Leonard came out of the bathroom, a piece of toilet paper stuck to his chin.  He slid into his side of the bed.  Penny moved naturally into his left side, her head tucked into his shoulder.

“No need to worry about that.  Sheldon keeps her super busy these days and ever since the little talk he had with her she keeps her distance.”

She smiled a comfortable smile and snuggled into him, “That’s good to hear, I wouldn’t like to let Amy use the monkeys.”

Leonard scrunched his face up in a confused look down at her, “Monkeys?”

Penny eyes got a little wide, “It’s a girl thing.”

Leonard bought it and laid his head back, “Well I think everything you told me just tells me that you should say yes next time I ask.”

Penny looked confused now, “Ask what?”

Leonard was quiet, the look on Penny’s face changed, she’d got it, “I’d still say no Leonard.  We are in a really good place right now and I think it’s going to get better.  Over time I’m sure we’ll be living together.  Then when I’m ready I’ll say yes or maybe I’ll ask you.”

Leonard was frowning at first but was nodding his head now, “When will you know when we’re ready?”

Penny scrunched up her face as she thought it through, “It’s not a matter of us though we need to work on us some more too.  It’s a matter of me Leonard.  Think about it Leonard, you’re older than me.  You have graduated from college and graduate school.  You have a position at a great university.  You’re really smart and successful.   I need something like that in my life too.  I need successes Leonard.  I need to finish college, or get my acting career off the ground.  I need to feel like I’ve accomplished something before I get married and settle down.  I need to be complete.  I’m still a work in process.”

Leonard sat up slightly looking at her, “You mean work in progress.  I can tell you something though Penny.  I was never complete until I met you.  I’m a work in progress too.  When you’re complete I’ll be complete too. I love you.”

Penny felt herself tearing up, “Does that mean you’ll wait for me until I’m done?”

“Penny I’ll wait forever if we’re together.”

“Good”

The smile that spread across Penny’s face was wide and happy.

Leonard laid back into the pillow.  Penny ran her hand over his chest and plucked the toilet paper from his chin.  She leaned upward and kissed his chin.

“There, all better.  I love you too Leonard, always.”

She ran her palm over Leonard’s cheek, “Smooth, I like it.”

There you have it.  I need a small break from other writing to just do a little Leonard and Penny.  It felt so good.

SOK