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3rd POV
"Nice place you've got here, Sheldon." Paige said as she climbed the stairs to the third floor. Ahead of her, Sheldon trudged upward with Leonard, Howard, and Raj close behind. All three of them grinned at her words, especially Leonard, since it was technically his apartment too.
Sheldon, however, only grumbled. "Yeah, right. The building's elevator hasn't worked in ages, so spare me the sarcasm, Paige."
Leonard's grin faltered. He hadn't even caught the sarcasm becauss he was too distracted, his mind already spinning with ways to catch Paige's attention. He should be thanking God for not commenting on her words before, or he will be embarrassed.
After their awkward 'tour' at Caltech, Sheldon had seen his friends' messages demanding an introduction. He had grumbled, of course, but social convention had forced his hand. Against his better judgment, he brought Paige along to meet them.
Part of him hoped she would just stay with the group, freeing him to return to his work in peace. It should have been simple.
But Paige Swanson was never simple.
Even after meeting Leonard, Howard, and Raj, she kept pulling Sheldon along, insisting on more time together.
So Sheldon sighed, resigning himself to 'entertaining' Paige—which, in truth, meant letting her annoy him for the rest of the day.
Doctor Gabblehauser is not helping him too, in his eyes only 'Donation' or 'Money', so he 'asking' Sheldon to entertain her full-time.
Paige giggled at Sheldon's words. As expected, he understood her in a way no one else ever did
"Missy said the same thing when she visited, you know," Paige added. "She didn't say it to you all but she grumbled to Georgie about fixing the elevator."
Everyone froze on the third-floor landing.
"Really?" The voice wasn't Sheldon's. It was Leonard's, his eyes shining with hope.
"Of course." Paige breezed past them, offering no further detail.
Sheldon groaned and trudged after her, already knowing the rest of her words.
Howard, meanwhile, finally spoke up. He knew why the elevator was broken, but deep down he always wished it would work again, but of course, without anyone knowing why or who. "So… is he going to fix it? Not that I mind the stairs. They keep my body in shape. I can feel my muscles—my six-pack—crying out for rest." His voice dipped into something vaguely seductive.
Sheldon shot him a glare, and Howard instantly shrank back.
"Of course not," Paige laughed, ignoring Howard's nonsense without looking at him. "Georgie said, 'Let him exercise more. Walking like a sissy isn't enough to build real muscle.'"
She punctuated it by slapping Sheldon's shoulder. She was one step above him on the staircase, so she didn't even have to reach far.
Sheldon's mouth twitched. He turned to her, fuming, though he couldn't lash out—not unless Georgie himself called to approve it…and everybody knew he didn't approve any of it.
"…I am a man of science. Being healthy is enough for me. Excessive muscles are unnecessary for someone like me," Sheldon said, stepping up beside her. Then he smirked. "Besides, I know you embellished that quote. My Brother, would never say such a thing to me."
He drew out the words 'My Brother' just to poke at her.
Yeah, he was really poking her now. Paige glared at him, but Sheldon didn't back down. Their eyes locked, sparks crackling in the narrow stairwell.
Leonard and the others stood frozen, awkward and uneasy, afraid Paige might storm off—or worse, start an outright fight with Sheldon. They all knew too well: Sheldon never backed off until he declared himself the winner. They had all been his victims before.
"Sheldon," Leonard said carefully, "can we at least take this inside? We're blocking the only way up… and I'd rather not get shoved down the stairs if you two start brawling."
Paige finally broke the standoff with a grin. "Always dragging Georgie into our arguments. You haven't changed one bit, huh, Shelly?" she teased, stepping up to the apartment door.
Sheldon followed close behind, keys in hand, but his frown etched deep. "Correction," he said flatly, "I have changed. Unlike you, I now know precisely when to involve Georgie in an argument, at the exact moment it ensures my victory."
For a moment, it felt like neither of them would yield.
Then Paige let out a small chuckle, not a mocking one, but softer this time. "You know… you still furrow your brow the same way you did when we were kids. Back then, you did it every time I beat you to the answer in class."
Sheldon blinked, caught off guard. His frown softened, almost imperceptibly. "And you still giggle when you think you've outsmarted me," he replied, voice less biting than before.
Their eyes met again, but now there was no lightning, only a quiet familiarity. A reminder that they had known each other long before Leonard, Raj, or Howard ever entered the picture.
Behind them, Leonard cleared his throat awkwardly, but neither Sheldon nor Paige seemed to notice. For a brief moment, it wasn't about arguments or sarcasm. It was just two old friends or two prodigies, standing in the same space again.
Paige smiled faintly. "Guess some things never change, huh?"
Sheldon adjusted his grip on the keys, his voice calm now. "And some things do. But not all of them are bad."
Sheldon unlocked the apartment door but only for another door to swing open behind them. Penny stepped out and froze when she saw them.
"What?" she asked, brows knitting as her gaze landed on the woman beside Sheldon. Blonde, beautiful and a little taller than her. And completely unfamiliar.
Paige's eyes met hers. She knew exactly who Penny was, Missy had told her enough, and gossip always filled in the rest.
"Hello, Penny," Sheldon said, smiling warmly. His earlier frown had vanished.
Paige caught the smile, and something in her instincts bristled. A smirk tugged at her lips as she slipped her arm through his. "Sheldon," she said softly, "aren't you going to introduce us?"
"I suppose so." His frown crept back as he noticed her touch and tone, wary of whatever Paige was plotting right now but he still introduced them properly.
"Penny, this is Paige Swanson, my childhood friend and former colleague. Paige, this is Penny, my neighbor and… friend." Sheldon's voice was calm, but his words carried weight.
The titles stung completely to Penny. Paige's came wrapped in history and prestige. Penny's, by comparison, felt painfully ordinary.
But who is Penny? She is an Actress. She smiled brightly at them, "Wow. You must be really smart, huh?" She extended her hand.
"Oh, not smart," Paige said, taking it with a grin. "Genius. I beat Sheldon all the time."
"No!" Sheldon yelped, panic rising. "Don't listen to her, Penny! She never beat me at anything!" afraid Penny takes her words and ruins his geniuses from her mind.
"Really, dummkopf?" Paige teased, the single word shutting him up completely.
Behind her smile, Penny gritted her teeth. She had planned to head out shopping, but now? Seeing this woman so close to Sheldon…..and watching the guys fawn over her—there was no way Penny was leaving him to be toyed with.
Yeah, the guys had completely faded into the background. Even Howard leaned toward Raj and whispered, "...We're just background characters now, aren't we?" Raj only nodded in agreement. Leonard, however, refused to be sidelined.
"Sheldon," Leonard spoke up, a little too loudly, "maybe we could continue this over dinner? It's almost past your schedule." He hoped the words would draw all eyes back to him.
He didn't really need to remind Sheldon about it because Sheldon never forgot. But the way Leonard emphasized the word 'schedule' made it clear he wanted Paige and Penny to notice just how freakishly rigid Sheldon could be.
Sheldon paused. "Oh, you're right, Leonard. Penny, would you like to join us? Thai food—it's Monday, after all." He walked into the apartment, set down his bag, and pulled a water bottle from the fridge.
"Of course, sweetie," Penny said with a bright smile, following him in.
Paige chuckled at the exchange but slipped inside after them. "Still clinging to that schedule, huh, Shelly?" she teased, and without hesitation, plopped down on the couch.
The room went quiet. Penny, Leonard, Howard, and Raj all stared at her. "…And I assume this is your spot?" Paige smirked.
Sheldon turned, frown deepening. "Yes, Paige. That is my spot. Please move."
"…Or what?" Paige didn't budge. Her grin widened before she leaned forward. "I could move but then I'll just sit on your lap. Like we always did. Deal?"
The room erupted in gasps. It was shocking enough that Sheldon hadn't exploded when she first sat in his spot, but this news? This was unthinkable.
"That would make eating incredibly complicated, Paige. You are not doing that!" Sheldon snapped, ignoring the stunned faces around him and walked to her.
"Sheldon?" Penny's voice rose, her smile vanishing. "She can sit on your lap? Like always? What the hell did I just hear?!"
Paige only grinned, finally sliding off the cushion and taking the seat right beside him instead.
"Apparently yes," Sheldon said with a sigh as he settled into his spot. "She's always picking fights with me, as you've seen. Even now."
"But we always did," Paige added with a grin. "…I could even kiss him too."
Before Sheldon could react, she leaned over and planted a quick kiss on his cheek.
"Arghhh! You always do that!" Sheldon barked, glaring at her—but making no move to wipe it off, which only proved her point.
"See? We're really close." Paige said, her words aimed at the whole table—but her eyes locked only on Penny, who sat frowning.
"Alright, we get it," Leonard cut in, trying to defuse the tension. "You two are close, like family. Can we please just eat dinner now?"
Howard and Raj took the chance to dig into their food, pretending to ignore the tension. Leonard followed suit, and eventually Sheldon and the two women did too. For a few minutes, the table was quiet. Almost peaceful.
But not for long.
"Alright, I need to know," Howard said suddenly, eyes fixed on Paige. "Do you have a boyfriend?"
"I don't have one right now," Paige replied casually but then flicked a glance toward Sheldon.
Penny noticed. Her fork clattered onto her plate. "…Why are you looking at him? Everyone here can see he treats you like a sister."
The table froze. Leonard, Raj, and Howard all turned to her in disbelief.
Paige snorted. "Yeah, but no. I was his first time." she said casually without knowing like she is dropping C4 instead of a pen.
WHAT THE HELL?!
Every head whipped toward Sheldon, who stared at Paige in horror. "I knew your arrival would bring nothing but chaos! And I was happy to see you again, Paige! Unbelievable!"
Paige only shrugged, unbothered, and went back to eating.
The others were still staring, jaws slack, when Sheldon looked up from his plate. "…What?"
"Buddy… I thought you…uhum…weren't interested in that kind of thing?" Leonard finally asked, voicing what they were all thinking.
Howard, never one to soften the blow, chimed in. "Yeah, we all figured you were asexual. At one point, we honestly thought you were gay."
Sheldon gaped at them. He'd never bragged about his sex life—he'd simply refused to waste time on it, focusing instead on his Nobel. But he was a human male, too.
"Ahahaha!" Paige burst out laughing, pointing at Sheldon's horrified face. "You're gay? I can't believe this! Sheldon Lee Cooper—gay!" She slapped his thigh, making him flinch.
Penny's cheeks burned. Penny's mind flashed something ridiculous—sock puppets. Honestly, she had no idea what Sheldon's deal was when it came to sex, and she never cared to ask. As long as he was happy and not bothering anyone, it was fine.
Paige finally caught her breath. "Wow. I can't believe you let them think you're gay or asexual, Sheldon."
Sheldon grumbled. "I can't read their minds, Paige. I just focused on physics. I never bragged about women and you know that."
"Yeah," Paige admitted, still chuckling. She scanned the group, her eyes landing on Howard. "Honey, please. He's a Cooper."
The way she said it carried weight, like it meant something only she fully understood or anyone understood what that words mean.
But they don't.
"Enough!" Sheldon snapped. "Let's just eat. After this, I'll take you to the parking lot so you can leave quickly." He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, desperate for distraction.
Paige only shrugged and dug back into her food. But the others were left stunned, a mess of confusion and disbelief swirling at the table.
Especially Penny, who sat wide-eyed, staring between Sheldon and Paige before looking at Leonard and moving her mouth without voices.
'Oh my god!' Penny's mouth with her wide eyes looking at Leonard.
Then Sheldon's voice cut through before they asked another embarrassing moment of him. "…Is she my new sister?" he asked, pointing at the TV.
"He keeps saying no, but we all know the truth…" Paige muttered, glaring at the blonde country singer on screen.
Everyone stared, frozen by both Paige's earlier words and the sudden sight of Taylor S. on TV.
"…Really? Taylor's your new sister?" Raj blurted out—before realizing he'd spoken in front of a woman. He immediately shrank back into silence.
"My brother has a… 'kink'," Sheldon grimaced. "Or a fetish. He labels people he admires as his 'little sisters.'"
"Wow. Just… wow." Leonard shook his head, biting back the comment he almost made. He'd learned his lesson about bringing up something about Georgie.
"Really? Can I be his little sister too?" Penny asked, half-joking, grinning at Sheldon.
"Of course. Until they sleep with him." Paige sighed, her words dropped like a hammer.
The room went dead silent. Everyone stared awkwardly at Penny, who swallowed hard.