#the fluff crawlspace

[theromanticrationalist]

"When you make a discovery like this you don’t just take it down to city hall, you tell the whole world!" Asymmetrical Union (2024). @dpillustrations Purchase High Resolution Digital Illustration in my Patreon Shop. The coloring book page art piece is included. Join me on the journey of beholding Beauty by creating with me. . .

[cutieshamybabies]

Hello my dear Shamy fellows! Here my new present for this year's Fluff crawlspace! Happy Shamyversary to all of us!

[fort-cozy-mcblanket]

Happy Shamy Anniversary! It's been fourteen years since Sheldon and Amy first met. Can you believe it?

Here's my little fic to honor the event this year. This topic was actually requested by an anonymous ask a number of months ago (and so it has nothing to do with the Young Sheldon finale). I hope whoever sent it is still around to see it finally happen. Sorry it took so long!

Thank you to my beta reader Stark and also to all you lovely readers out there. I hope you enjoy!

This is also available on AO3 and FF.Net if you prefer.

“I hereby call this emergency State of the Relationship meeting to order.”

Amy rolled her eyes towards the ceiling as she settled in on the couch beside her boyfriend, but it was mostly for show. She couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Normally she never liked these meetings, but this time she knew there was a good reason for it.

She and Sheldon had finally, officially moved in together.

It had been a long road to get to this point, with a lot of bumps along the way, but now finally they were there. Where she had wanted to be for years. And she could safely say it was worth the journey. If Sheldon needed this meeting to settle all the details, Amy was happy to give him that.

Once they had made the decision to make this a permanent arrangement, it wasn't long before the settled on staying in Penny's old apartment. It was a reasonable compromise, one that allowed both of them to move into a new place together without it being an overwhelming change for Sheldon. Amy supposed in some ways it could be considered a downgrade for her—4B was slightly smaller than her old apartment and there was the issue with the elevator—but she hardly thought about that. She was much more focused on being able to come home to the man she loved every night, and having him come home to her too. When she was lying in bed with her boyfriend at the end of the day, happy and secure, she knew that this feeling more than made up for the missing square footage and inconvenient extra steps.

“I trust that you've spoken to the landlord about the lease?” Sheldon asked, introducing the first issue to be addressed at their meeting.

“Penny and I visited his office yesterday. We'll be subletting from her for the rest of this month and I signed paperwork to take over the lease next month.”

Sheldon nodded his approval. “And your old apartment?”

“They're letting me break my lease with no penalties because of the burst pipe. I gave notice that I'll be out by the end of the month.”

“Very good.”

Sheldon proceeded to go over some of the other intricacies with their utilities and other bills, all of which he had carefully organized. She assured him that she registered her car at the landlord office as well and received her tenant parking pass. They discussed which of their belongings would need to go to storage. Everything seemed to be in order and nothing that came up was unexpected, until the very end.

“There's one final order of business,” Sheldon said while reaching out for a small pack of sticky notes on the coffee table. He began writing on the top note.

“What's that?”

“This,” he answered, pulling off the note and passing it over to her, “is my Netflix password.”

“Really?” Amy looked at him in surprise. She knew how serious he took his TV shows and movies, and it never even occurred to her that he might want to share his account. Something about it seemed almost too intimate for him.

“Well, we're members of the same household now. It doesn't make sense for us each to pay for a separate account, so if you have your own please cancel it. The money we save can go towards the Comic-Con fund.”

“No.”

“A life-size Batman statue for the apartment?”

“Try again.”

“Fine, the extra money can towards date nights or some such nonsense.”

“I'd like that,” Amy said, purposely ignoring his jab. She knew he didn't really mean it.

“I'm sure I don't have to tell you how important this is,” Sheldon said, bringing the topic back to the password in her hand. “Once you have it memorized, please swallow it to ensure no one else will gain access.”

Amy looked down at the note, which read 2halF0Forearm1Awry0! in Sheldon's neat script. Then she looked back up at her boyfriend and grinned.

“Well, I'm not going to swallow it, but I can take it to the confidential shredders at work tomorrow morning,” she told him.

“Really? You've memorized it already?”

“Sheldon, it's an anagram of my name, the year we met, and an exclamation point. Did you really think I wouldn't notice?”

Sheldon looked down at the floor, and she saw the tips of his ears turning red, which just made her smile more.

“You weren't supposed to,” he mumbled.

“You've lived with Leonard too long, you're not used to having another genius for a roommate,” she teased him. “Do try to keep up.”

Sheldon stared at her, mouth slightly agape, and she watched his pupils dilate. It sent a small thrill through her body, and she took that as her cue to stand up. If she didn't leave now, she might not be able to stop herself from jumping him.

“I trust that our meeting is over?” she asked as she began retreating towards the bedroom. Their bedroom.

“Yes,” he answered. She could feel his eyes on her as she walked away. “And Amy, while I don't mind you knowing about the password, I do mind if you mess up my recommendations, so I'm going to ask that you either create a separate profile or keep your viewing to only science fiction and documentaries. If you find yourself in need of something to watch on Girls' Night, I trust you'll use Penny, Bernadette, or Raj's account for that.”

Amy laughed to herself, not bothering to turn around or answer him as he continued to call after her. She had already pulled out her phone and was signing into his account on the app, already looking forward to browsing the available movies with no regard for what he just said.

This cohabitation thing just kept getting better and better.

[nerdforestgirl]

Note: I didn’t do the whole Fluff Crawlspace thing this year, but today is still the 13th anniversary of the introduction of Amy Farrah Fowler. I don’t expect anyone to actually read this, but I still wanted to mark the occasion. Here’s one for old time’s sake if I still have any Shamy followers here.

Sheldon was sitting in his old apartment, playing video games with Leonard, Howard and Raj for their monthly video game night. He missed the place more now that he lived a few miles away in a house with Amy, but unlike Leonard and Penny who had a second bedroom for their son, Sheldon and Amy had to move as soon as they saw that second pink line on Amy's pregnancy test.

Still, he had this place. Where he lived for years with Leonard and then later also Penny. It didn't really feel like home anymore, but the comfort was still nice. Especially when things just seemed like they wouldn't stop changing. In the years since he won his Nobel, he and Amy had moved, had their son Leonard, and written a book together. It was a lot to happen in just four short years, but at least Sheldon still had his friends and his wife.

Speaking of his wife, Sheldon looked down at his watch. It was ticking close to nine.

“Oh, crud!” Sheldon said to no one in particular.

“Language, Sheldon,” Penny teased from the floor where she was playing with her son. They were working on a Duplo Lego taller than the boy.

“Sorry,” Sheldon said. He hated cursing in front of the kids. “Amy is going to kill me. The Last of Us starts in ten minutes, and the bus ride home will be nearly twice that long.”

“So? She doesn't like your nerd stuff,” Penny pointed out.

“She's really come around on many of my favorite shows. She insists on watching both The Last of Us and The Mandalorian every week,” Sheldon explained.

Howard, Raj, and Leonard all started laughing.

Sheldon looked around at his friends who all seemed to be laughing at him. He didn't understand what he said that was so funny. It was true that Amy had never been particularly into his interests, but she did enjoy both shows a great deal.

“You know what they say, if your girl watches The Last of Us and The Mandalorian, she's not your girl. She's Pedro Pascal's girl,” Leonard explained.

“No,” Sheldon argued, but it was true that those were the only shows that Amy enjoyed watching with him now. Plus she had recently suggested that they rewatch Game of Thrones. “No,” Sheldon said again in realization. Then he got up and ran down the stairs to catch a bus home. The elevator, broken for so long, still worked after being repaired. Sheldon just didn't have time to wait for it.

When Sheldon got home, Amy was creeping out of little Leonard's room. She must have just gotten the baby to sleep, so Sheldon pulled Amy away from the baby's door. He had spent enough sleepless nights with Leonard that even he would slap himself across his face for waking the boy.

“What's up?” Amy asked.

“Are you in love with Pedro Pascal?” Sheldon asked.

Amy let out a sigh and pitched the bridge of her nose. “Sheldon, I have never met Pedro Pascal,” she reminded him. She never knew where something like this came from with him.

“You didn't answer the question,” Sheldon said.

“No. I'm not in love with a man I've never met in my life. I'm in love with the crazy one standing in front of me now. You know, my husband and the father of my child,” Amy said.

Then it came back to Sheldon in a flash. The conception of said child. It was right after Sheldon came home from Comic-Con. When he was dressed as Din Djarin, the character played by Pedro Pascal. He came home that night, and Amy couldn't keep her hands off of Sheldon.

“The Mandalorian fathered my child!” Sheldon accused with a finger pointed at Amy.

“Sheldon, look at me. You fathered Leonard. He's your son. What has gotten into you?”

“The guys said that you only watch The Last of Us and The Mandalorian with me because you love Pedro Pascal,” Sheldon finally explained.

That was something that Amy could finally understand. And it wasn't exactly false. Amy had had a bit of a thing for Pedro Pascal since he was Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. That didn't mean she was cheating on Sheldon. As far as her husband went, it mostly meant that she wished he'd grow a mustache. She wouldn't leave Sheldon for a movie star.

“Sheldon, he's a handsome man. So are you. Don't you ever want to watch something because someone in it is attractive?” Amy asked as she gently rubbed her husband's arm. Then she remembered who she was talking to. The only person on the planet she had ever heard him express attraction to was her. It made her feel a little dirty thinking about that because Sheldon was a lot of things, any loyal was number one.

“Can we still watch The Last of Us? I'm actually invested in the story now,” Amy said. The characters were facing a pretty big cliffhanger, and the previous week had mostly been a flashback. Amy really needed to know how it all ended.

“Yes,” Sheldon agreed. Mostly because he wanted to keep watching. Unlike Amy, he knew what would happen next because he played the game. He still wanted to watch it play out on screen.

“Good. And he's not more handsome than you,” Amy promised, but she had her fingers crossed behind her back. She didn't quite believe it. It was still what Sheldon needed to hear.

Two months later, Amy and Sheldon needed to fly to New York for a meeting about the paperback version of their book. Originally only Sheldon was going to go, but Leonard and Penny offered to watch Leonard. They insisted that Sheldon and Amy needed a couple days away with a big comfy bed, plenty of sleep, and maybe a few other things together. And what better place than where Sheldon and Amy spent their honeymoon.

“That guy looks like Pedro Pascal,” Amy muttered to Sheldon as they waited for their plane to New York. It wasn't exactly uncommon for them to see famous people in the first class lounge the publisher paid for, but Amy only thought the man bared a passing resemblance.

After their minor fight, Sheldon had mostly not brought up Pedro Pascal or her possible attraction to him after that. He just wouldn't allow them to make love after watching anything he was in. That was fine with Amy. Fungal zombies didn't exactly put her in the mood anyway.

Sheldon looked at the guy for a moment, but didn't say anything to Amy. Instead, he got up and stomped over to the guy Amy thought looked like Pedro Pascal. Amy was alarmed, so she followed him.

“You stay away from my wife,” Sheldon said in a firm voice as they got closer.

Amy realized in horror that the man she thought looked like Pedro Pascal was Pedro Pascal. She slid behind Sheldon in complete embarrassment, but she also pulled on his arm. Anything to get out of this situation.

“Excuse me?” Pedro Pascal said. He had been minding his own business up until then, and he was sure he had never seen this man before in his life.

“You stay away from my wife,” Sheldon repeated.

“Sheldon, we really don't need a headline saying Nobel Laureate fights Pedro Pascal at LAX,” Amy reminded him. Sheldon still often forgot that he was a public figure now. It didn't matter much in their normal life, but the press would eat this up. Plus, they might both have tenure now, but that didn't mean they couldn't be fired for something completely off the deep end like fighting one of the most famous men in the country at the airport.

Sheldon looked down at Amy and nodded. After a moment, he turned back to walk to where they abandoned their bags before they could be reported as such to security. She could still talk a small amount of sense into him on occasion, and Amy said a quick prayer of thanks that today was one of those times.

“I'm really sorry, Mr. Pascal. My husband and I are actually big fans. He just knows that I have a little bit of a crush on you. I don't know what got into him,” Amy lied. She knew full well that what got into Sheldon was Sheldon.

“Is that guy really a Nobel Laureate?” Pedro Pascal asked Amy.

“Yeah. We both won the Nobel Prize in physics a few years ago,” Amy said with a small smile. She thought about asking for a selfie, but she had already taken up enough of Pedro Pascal's time. She rejoined her husband, and worked to distract him until it was time to board their flight. She prayed they weren't sitting anywhere near Pedro Pascal.

A couple nights later, Amy was snuggled up to Sheldon's side watching one of those late night TV talk shows. They only watched them when little Leonard was having trouble going down to sleep because they were on late and Sheldon refused to have a TV in their bedroom. However, there was a TV here in the hotel room for Amy to flip through channels. She stopped when she saw a familiar face on the screen.

“And it turns out both he and the wife are Nobel Laureates, I swear to God,” Pedro Pascal said to the host.

“Oh no,” Amy said. Then she saw her phone light up. The name of the caller was President Seibert.

[1moreoffkeyanthem]

I loved The Webs in the Rafters! How’d you come up with the idea for it?

Dude I’m so stoked you liked it!!! And how TWITR came to be is kind of a crazy story lmfao

So my whole life I’ve had super bizarre, extremely vivid dreams, and one night back in late September, I essentially dreamed what would eventually become chapter 17, from the pov of the Kenny character. I’m talkin (minor spoilers from here on out for those who haven’t read it) the sleet hitting the dry grass, the cricket hopping through my vision, Sansa the dog telepathically telling me to whistle, helicopter blades whirring overhead, the supernatural barncats jumping the bad guy. I also remember having dreamt random other parts, namely the prologue “crawlspace”, with the new hire that ended up being Kenny getting stuck inside the wall and meeting long time ranch hand Butters. When I woke up, I was like oh my god I have to South Park all over this.

And so I started thinking it out; right away I knew I wanted my “new guy” to be Kenny, simply because I LOVE the idea of him being overly perceptive and incredibly observant, even when no one can outright answer his questions. I knew I wanted Bunny endgame, and originally the story was going to be a lot more Kenny centric in general, but I’m glad I gave most everyone their time to narrate, to see things as they were across the board. I had also initially planned on the dark themes being even darker, which brings me to:

Why dark Cryle with Style endgame? Aight so if we recall, TWITR dropped during a period where there was kind of a lull in the sp fandom, which is when I was binge reading fics with some seriously depraved stories and characters, and a lot of the time that fucked up character was Craig, and the victim of his depravity was Kyle. I do enjoy a nice cryle plot too, but I ADORE the idea of a headstrong, inquisitive and intuitive, largely optimistic and idealistic passionate Kyle knowing he has to walk on eggshells around Craig or there will be consequences. I’m glad I stuck more to the gaslighting and manipulation rather than going full out with the domestic violence route, not only because I don’t think I could stomach it (chapter 14 was painful enough as is) but also because I think the subtlety was more cohesive with the themes of secrecy in the story. And Style endgame, because I AM a Style gorlie at heart and I fucking love writing my sweet boy Stan.

Now, why spiders? Simply because I am so incredibly goddamn arachnophobic. Y’all I’m terrified of spiders. I don’t like the way they just appear out of nowhere, the way you can walk through a web you didn’t see, the way they move, how dangerous some are, all of it. So that struck me as the perfect motif here.

I had a rough outline before I started writing; I knew I wanted the demise of the Spider, that part of my dream, to be the climax of the story, but I wasn’t sure initially what I wanted the catalyst of Kyle accepting that something was up and the ranch hands joining forces to be. I wound up driving 6 hours to a friends wedding earlyish into writing the story and RAWDOGGED that drive, no music no podcast no nothing, just mentally writing and structuring. Yes I’m insane. But, I’m happy with the structure and pacing I wound up with ultimately so it worked lmao

I had a lot of fun writing characters I hadn’t written from before at that point, and deciding everyone’s role and personality and the dynamics in the universe. TWITR was also the reason I started writing Cartman, whereas before I struggled a lot with him because for a long time I thought he HAD to be a villain, and I generally stick to fluff and hurt/comfort in my silly little WhumpShots so I’d usually leave him out. But planning this fic made me see the light of how much NUANCE he can have (this is when I wrote A Movie About A Boy And His Dog to get a feel of how I wanted to write my favorite abrasive fuckwad) and now Cartman is one of my favorites to write into a story. Also him and the cats lmfao iconic.

At the time I was posting TWITR, it was NOT a hit at all. I’ve mentioned this before, and I had a few SUPER KICKASS PEOPLE reading and hyping it up in the comments (Nina and Ana are whole ass a huge part of why I didn’t get frustrated at the extremely low kudos to hits ratio I love y’all) but it was REALLY discouraging to feel like I was so stoked about this story only to have it flop with everyone but me and a handful of diligent readers. Seeing people read my weird ass story now is SO RAD DUDE like when it started getting more love fairly recently I was AWESTRUCK! And I know I’m more small time; I’m not getting hundreds of likes every story, and I’m cool with that. I’m not writing legendary fics; my most kudosed story is a few over 200 and I am perfectly chill with getting under 50 likes on my silly whumpshots. I am human tho (tragically) and seeing anyone read or ask about any of my stuff makes me SO excited, even if it’s an unserious little 1.5k story about the main 4 tripping on shrooms in the woods or something. I write what I want to read and enjoy doing so, so it’s kickass when other people enjoy it!

As for the sequel oneshots in the series, I wanted to explore the aftermath and healing following the events of the main story, with Kyle finally coming to terms with the abuse he’d been blind to for so long, with the realization that he’d been in the dark, because realistically he would NOT be okay after all that. I almost didn’t write No Strings Attached or Trapdoor, just bc TWITR was kind of niche in general and I knew it wouldn’t get a whole lot of engagement since you do kind of need context, but I’m very glad I wrote em lmao

Ok kinda went off topic there, but I am THRILLED that you enjoyed The Webs In The Rafters and thank you SO MUCH for this ask!!!

[butternuggets-blog]

Laddie Come Home

SAS Rogue Heroes; werewolf AU Fluff, Slight Angst With A Happy Ending

Chapter Three

David wore many names in the coming weeks as he travelled the breadth of France.

‘Frou-frou’ was picked up by a young couple who were still running on the high of their recent shotgun wedding. They weren’t able to take a honeymoon, but they took their new puppy with them to the next town over while they stayed in a cottage loaned to them by an aunt.

‘Boots’ rode the railroad with a group of burly electricians who had been charged with rewiring towns that had had their power knocked out by German bombs. He had a whale of a time running wires through crawlspaces too small for human bodies to fit, and nibbling bootlaces whenever everyone’s backs were turned.

He had the shock of his life when he glimpsed himself in a shop window and a six year old pup looked back.

There were a few close calls as he crossed wide swathes of wilderness to reach occupied France. A German patrol opened fire out of nowhere, and he was forced to scurry down a rabbit hole to avoid the hail of bullets.

A hunter and his bloodhound tracked him down for over two miles, muttering about meat costs and fur gloves the entire time. He found a stream and jumped into it, letting the current carry him downstream until he was certain that he was free and clear.

‘Florain’ was taken in by an overworked mother with six young children. The pup was reliably informed by his new brothers and sisters that a fairy had come to stay with them at the same time; who else could be chopping the wood for the fire in the middle of the night, or fixing the holes in their clothes that their mother hadn’t gotten around to doing before she collapsed, exhausted, into bed. The fairy, and the puppy, disappeared only after the new housemaid was hired.

Puddles and glass panes showed a young wolf rapidly growing into a teenager.

‘Dion’ and ‘Oskar’ and ‘Romilly’ were soldier’s pets, guard dogs in training for French-German troops. For some reason Resistance operations in the area ran as smoothly as ever, if not better, with them bumbling around. Each dog disappeared just before they were put down.

________________________________________________________________

David sat down in front of the sign post and cocked his head. Paris was behind him and the coastline was ahead, but he wasn't entirely sure how to reach the port at German-occupied Le Havre.

God I wish I had a map.

A loud whistle whipped his head around. There was no one around. The sound came again, and this time David looked up.

'We have caught up with you at last Lieutenant-colonel!'

Riding low on the breeze, a heavily-stained uniform clinging to his lithe frame, Georges Bergé laughed heartily as he flew down onto the grass. Behind him, shaking his head and grinning, Augustin Jordan waved and landed gracefully as well.

'Where the fucking HELL did you chaps come from?!' David wrapped himself in Augustin's coat as the vampire passed it over.

'We have been following you for some time my friend' said Bergé.

'We too were captured by the Germans and brought to Colditz' Augustin explained. 'You escaped shortly before we arrived.'

'Two days' Bergé looked sheepish.

'And it took you both this long to find me?' David choked, incredulously. 'I'll see to it you're dismissed from my regiment when we get back, for clear gross incompetence!'

'We couldn't make contact with you when you were so close to civilians!' Augustin protested. 'And besides..there was often nothing to eat where you were.'

'We did not want to harm your friends' Bergé added.

David grumbled to himself beneath his breath.

'...where to now? I have intelligence but it's months out of date.'

'Happily, the men are here! Or rather, they should be here by now.' Bergé gestured vaguely. 'There is a mass drop planned for the coast and the SAS were sent ahead to clear the route.'

David scowled furiously. 'My men are not Churchill's street sweepers!'

'Out of our hands' Augustin shrugged.

They found a quiet glade where they caught up while waiting for nightfall. When darkness finally fell, they walked cautiously back to the sign post and David transformed so that Bergé and Augustin could carry him more easily.

'Oof, you have packed on the weight!' Bergé hauled David's head into his lap.

'He has certainly grown up' Augustin rubbed David's belly. His wolf form had matured on the final long dash for the coast and he was now as big as he was ever going to get.

'Oh, we forgot to tell you!' Augustin and Bergé shared a mischievous grin. 'After you were captured, command of the SAS was given to Paddy Mayne.'

David's outraged screech was so loud they nearly dropped him.

[churro-lord]

*lays on tummy and kicks up legs* tell me about them

This is when I wish I had access to Discord emotes, but regardless thank you for enabling me and my horrible ocs >:]

Meet Sherri and Myntea! The main teal and goldblood characters in my batch of critters. Some context before I get into both of them individually: The story they're apart of is called Temporal Shuffle, and a running theme among their group is following in their ancestor's footsteps in one way or another, similar to the canon trolls symbolically paralleling their own. However here, it's more extreme. Like- think something along the lines of a session full of trolls who treat their ancestors as Eridan and Vriska did. It's a mess of children who don't know what the FUCK they're doing. Anyways, onto Sherri and Myntea themselves.

Sherri Asafer, Prospit dreamer, Mage of Life [She/They]- Assassin in training, though she has a disdain for it. She's only doing so to follow in her ancestor's footsteps who was a high ranking assassin herself, as they were hatched and raised to do so. In spite of this, Sherri has a prominent side gig online as an anonymous creator who promotes rather controversial ideas online [for alternia] and tries to spread positivity when she can [to mixed results], often getting away with a lot of it due to having connections. However, this has lead to her being subjected to physical danger on multiple occasions on the off chance someone is to figure out who she is. Still, this doesn't stop them as they have a strong belief that things can get better. Aside from that, their other main hobby is plush crafting.

Myntea Horrol, Derse dreamer, Knight of Heart [She/Her]- A psionic who once had rather impressive but destructive and hard to contain abilities, until an incident that greatly burnt out her abilities. She still can use them, however they are pretty weak and can cause strain if used too much. Very much so the edge to Sherri's fluff, Myntea is a reclusive and paranoid troll who works at a convenience store. Her ancestor was a warrior who fought in one of the rebellions against Condy, someone who Myntea admires and unfairly uses to compare herself to. Aside from that, Myntea has a fondness for science, and a curiosity that can make her quite nosy despite her better judgement.

Myn and Sherri met when Sherri had taken a particularly rough job as she ended up taking a beating before she finished the target off. Her body sore and her hive being too far away to walk all the way back without a rest, she decided to take her chances and rest up in a cave she had found hidden away by some boulders.

It was a lot larger than they expected, the entrance was so covered up it seemed like more of a crawlspace, except this cave was big enough to have a hive inside of it. With some consideration, they decided to risk the potential of the troll living there being hostile, eventually running into Myn.

I'm not gonna go into the whole thing here because I am tired and I honestly wasn't planning on typing this much, but hey! It is what it is and I'd love to talk about them more outside of this post. I will say as a fun fact! They are in my Pesterquest comic as side characters, so look out for them ^_^

[eroticfriendfictions]

3, 28, 30 writing questions

3. What work are you most proud of (regardless of kudos/hits)?

Already answered. But I am also proud of the tiara story in Uncommon Examples of Interpersonal Synchrony. I think it turned out really good and someone said they'd never read a story about the tiara from that point of view before, which I think is a feat considering it's a pretty iconic scene.

28. Favorite work you wrote this year?

That would also be Romantic Love and Other Treatments for Jamais Vu, the one I'm most proud of.

30. Biggest surprise while writing this year?

That I actually finished the Jamais Vu fic.

Also that I managed to participate in 2 fic events (The One with All the Fanfics for the Friends discord server and Fluff Crawlspace 2022) while in the midst of buying a house.

Thank you!

Send me a number for AO3 Wrapped!

[nerdwhoauthorinserts]

Star Selfshiptober - Mist

Possible trigger warnings?: -Storms, Thunder, Tornado mentions -Stalking, typical Brahms-isms

Genre: Fluff

Context/Synopsis:   Madelyn has left the Heelshire mansion to Blake for the night, and a storm suddenly kicks up while she’s gone into town. Brahms notices Blake starting to get tense, recognizing his slight anxiety over the stormy weather.

  Hmm... Maybe a snuggle could fix this?

Characters featured: Blake - Autistic anxiety™ Brahms - Welcome today’s human teddy bear. Madelyn, Blake’s sister *Briefly mentioned*

   Blake stared out the window and into the darkened night. The new moon made it almost impossible to see, for only stars glowed in the sky. Not just that, but a deep mist had drifted in seemingly out of nowhere, reminding Blake of a horror movie as he gazed at the estate surrounding the luxurious manor. Somehow it was even worse as Blake heard the sound of rolling thunder, and a drizzle began to pitter-patter on the window.

   "Did you ever get scared living in the walls on nights like this?" Blake didn't even need to turn around by that point, knowing Brahms was in the room already.

   Usually, Blake didn't mind storms; he usually found thunder and rain somewhat comforting. The storms that shook trees as lightning arched across the sky were those that made him worry. The silhouettes of shuddering branches in the fog surrounding the Heelshire estate were all it took to set him on edge.

   He knew things going bad was extremely unlikely. Dangerous tornadoes were rare in the English countryside; he checked over and over before he and his sister had even taken the plane there. It was nerves, many years living in a dangerous tornado country and lacking a safe house in case of an emergency. It made him antsy about the wind, even if it was barely faster than usual.

   Brahms had noticed that during the first storm, only one month after his parents left. He was trembling all night, only sleeping for about an hour. The entire rest of the night, Blake had paced around the house like a hungry tiger, which was what woke Brahms up in the first place. Honestly, Brahms thought Blake would end up giving himself a heart attack.

   Brahms thought about it, but only one thing similar came to mind. "I would worry lightning would strike the roof."

   Blake glanced up at him, nodding with a little smile. Understandable. Immediately, though, he shot his gaze back to the window when he heard a louder roll of thunder. Blake shivered and stood up from his chair, immediately leaving the room. But he didn't go out the doorway.

   Instead, he went over to the closet and went into the walls. This wasn't new; Blake had found the crawlspaces between the walls a day before he met the 'real' Brahms. Since finding them, Blake made a habit of spending time inside them, simply enjoying how enclosed and, in his words, 'cozy' they felt.

   Brahms followed him, only for Blake to sit in one of the tighter areas. Brahms was too big to follow him and couldn't understand why he felt the need to go in there when he was nervous. After all, Blake had almost gotten stuck in there once, so Brahms thought it would deter him. It was frustrating, especially since it seemed to be a difficult thing to explain.

   Brahms could hear the thunder rolling again; it must've been loud if the sound made it in there.

   "Do you think it's silly?" Brahms looked back at Blake. "The fact I get so nervous about wind and all?"

   Brahms couldn't say he didn't. It was a bit silly, at least to him, but with how dangerous storms apparently were where Blake was from, he also couldn't say he didn't understand it. Brahms didn't quite know how to convey that entire stream of thought, though, so he shrugged.

   Blake hummed in response. There was a few moments of silence, with no sound but the thunder in the background.

   Brahms wanted him to come out. Not because Blake was in this little 'happy place' or because this 'fear' seemed absurd. It was because Brahms, in all honesty, wanted to snuggle. From what he'd seen, that seemed to help most of the time.

   Blake was far from what most would consider 'clingy'; in fact, he was averse to touch sometimes; Brahms, though, was intuitive enough to notice that Blake seemed far more relaxed after being... pretty much crushed. The weighted blanket he brought with him was enough evidence of that.

   "...Blake?" Brahms finally spoke, making Blake flinch as he expected another thunder roll. "Come out." There was another pause. “Please...?”

   Blake furrowed his brow with uncertainty but stood up and crawled out anyway. Brahms wrapped his arms around him, pulling Blake against his body with reckless abandon. Blake responded by wrapping his arms around Brahms' sides, burying his face in Brahms' chest as he hummed in wordless thanks.

   Brahms leaned back a bit, leaning his back against the outer wall, while Blake practically curled up against him. Blake sighed as all the tension in his muscles seemed to disappear. His mind fogged, much like the window had from the mist outside.

   It hadn't even been ten minutes before Brahms felt Blake's grip around him slip, only to look down and find him dead asleep. 

   Brahms only held him tighter when he realized this, smiling a little under his mask.

[clairebear1298]

Guys. I actually contributed something for the Fluff Crawlspace. Like, on time. This might be the greatest achievement of my life.

Thank you to @nerdforestgirl for keeping this fandom alive. Hope you all enjoy

It was 8:52 p.m.

That meant it was two minutes past his regularly scheduled bathroom time. That meant he had yet to urinate before preparing for bed. That meant that currently his bladder was ready to burst at the seams, causing him to pace uncontrollably around his small bedroom as he waited for his wife to finish with whatever mysterious womanly things she did in the evenings.  

He tried to be patient. Really, he did. He understood that was a key part to a successful marriage, to tolerate your spouse’s annoying quirks even when they drove you to the brink of insanity. For the sake of love or something. But this was rapidly turning into a life or death situation, and a man can only take so much. 

Knock, knock, knock. “Amy.” 

Knock, knock, knock. “Amy.” 

Knock, knock, knock. “Amy.” 

“Hold on, Sheldon. Just give me a minute.”

But the last time Amy had told him “just a minute” it hadn’t been just a minute. In fact, it had been nearly three minutes. Sheldon wasn’t sure if he had three minutes.

It was now 8:54. Sheldon had six minutes before his and Amy’s mutual bedtime, between which he had to use the toilet, brush his teeth, floss, and check his body for abnormal growths. He was left no choice but to do the unthinkable, to put his marriage to the test and hope it was strong enough to withstand it.

He needed to urinate in the presence of his wife. 

“Amy, I’m coming in.” And with that he turned the handle and barged through. He barely glanced at Amy as he moved to the toilet, and he was just about to lower his pajamas and destroy any lingering sense of mystery to their relationship when he realized what Amy was doing, which was… nothing.

Well, technically speaking it wasn’t nothing. It was physically impossible to do nothing. But it seemed that she had barely even registered him entering, She was sitting on the lip of the bathtub, her curls fanning over her face as she gazed unseeingly into her lap, hands clutching at her nightgown.

Bathroom emergencies forgotten, Sheldon cautiously approached the inert shell that looked a whole lot like his wife. “Amy?”

Life seemed to whip back into her as she snapped up to meet her husband’s eyes. “Sorry, what?”

Sheldon could practically feel the worry etching itself into his face. “Are you okay?”

Amy opened her mouth to reply, but just as quickly closed it again. She stared at him long and hard, a look that Sheldon recognized from months and years of watching her do science. She was weighing her options, going through every possible outcome in her head before making a decision.

Then at last, with shaking hands Amy smoothed out her nightgown and lifted the object hidden in its folds: long, white, plastic, and just about the most terrifying thing Sheldon had encountered in his life.

“I’m ten days late,” Amy said quietly.

The shock of it all rooted Sheldon’s feet to the spot, his eyes never leaving the pregnancy test in Amy’s hand. They hadn’t planned this. Talked about it, sure, but life still hadn’t settled down after their Nobel win, all the interviews and photoshoots and conferences and lectures and... children haven’t been a thought in his brain yet. They were always a part of their future, but that’s where they’ve always remained- in the future. There was never a time that felt truly, unequivocally right to start trying for a baby, and it sure as holy heck didn’t feel that way now.

“Sheldon, please say something.”

Her words brought him back to the present, the harsh, harsh reality that was now staring him in the face. He felt his legs shuffle himself forward, and he slowly lowered himself beside her on the tub before they had the chance to give themselves out from under him. “What does it say?”

“I don’t know yet, we have to wait five minutes for the result.” Amy took a deep, steadying breath. “I know this is unexpected, and our lives are crazy right now, but... I really want this.”

“Really?”

“Really.” Amy’s gaze fluttered down to her lap again, and when she spoke again it was barely above a whisper. “I just turned forty last month. I don’t know how much longer we can wait for this.” 

Sheldon hadn’t considered that. Amy had always been so willing to wait for him to be ready to move forward, but he had failed to realize that biology wouldn’t be so patient.

Sheldon’s gaze returned to the test, mercifully turned over so it wouldn’t taunt them with the looming news that could change their lives forever. “I don’t know what I’m feeling right now.”

Amy looked at him, and the returning fear in her eyes made Sheldon wish he hadn’t said anything. “Do you still want children?”

“Of course I do. But...” A million thoughts crashed into his head at once, of diapers and sleepless nights and screaming matches at three in the morning. “I think I was always so focused on the end result that I never considered the process it takes to get there. I don’t know if I’m ready. I don’t know if I’ll ever be.”

Amy stared at him for a long moment before rising from her seat, gently placing the test on the bathroom sink, and turning back to extend a hand out to him. “Come here. I want to show you something.”

Sheldon took her hand without hesitation, and Amy led him to their bedroom and sat him on the edge of the bed. Then she pulled out her laptop and opened up a document before handing it over to him.

Sheldon was having trouble computing what was in front of him. “Is this a... spreadsheet?”

“Yes,” Amy answered like it was the most natural thing in the world. “I started it not long after you asked me out.”

It was possibly the most beautiful thing Sheldon had ever laid eyes on. Each slot had a different subject to be addressed- childbirth, diapers, sleep schedule, illnesses, among others- followed by a slew of potential solutions to mitigate each concern. And it didn’t stop at infancy. Amy had accounted for every stage of their child’s life, from elementary school bullies to teenage backtalk.

“Sheldon.” He felt a hand cover his own. “I know this is scary, and I’m scared, too. But I want you to know that with any challenges you might encounter in raising a child, I’ll be here to help you through it. And you’ll be here to help me. We’re in this together.”

Sheldon’s gaze shifted to above their headboard, where their Nobel medals hung proudly in joint frames on the wall. A physical reminder that together, the two of them could achieve anything they set their minds to.

Sheldon turned back to his wife. His beautiful, amazing, brilliant wife. He reached a hand up to tuck a short, stray curl behind her ear, another change that he had initially resisted but slowly grew to love as much as every other part of her. “Okay.”

Amy drew in a breath, eyes lighting up with hope. “Okay?”

“Okay.” His hand moved to gently hold her cheek. “Even if the test is negative, we can start trying. I guess there never really is a ‘right time’ for this sort of thing. There’s always going to be something in the way. I may never be completely ready to have children, but I’ll always be ready to start on a new adventure with you.”

“Oh, Sheldon-” but she was interrupted by a sharp beeping from her watch. After silencing it, she turned back to him as her jitters returned full force. “It’s time.”

Together they stood and, hands still entwined, walked back into the bathroom. They took a moment to stare at the white stick on the sink, to savor what was perhaps their final moment in this stage of their lives. Then they approached the sink and each grabbed one end of the stick, giving each other one last look before turning it over.

“Wait, I can’t tell if there’s something there or not.”

“Two lines means positive, right?”

“I thought it was a plus sign.”

“Well, what brand is the test?”

“Hang on, let me get the box.”

“Do you know how many times Penny’s taken one of these? We have three doctorates between us, we shouldn’t be having an issue.”

“Okay, for this brand we’re looking for a plus sign.”

“Do you see anything?”

“I’m not sure. I might see something, but I also might not.”

“How can you both see and not see something? Is this Schroedinger’s pregnancy test?”

“Wait, wait, wait, I think the line’s getting darker!”

“Really?”

“Yes! It’s a plus sign, it’s definitely a plus sign!”

“Oh, Amy.” Sheldon crushed her against him, wrapping around her tightly, burying his face in her hair. He would’ve never expected it, but he was so, so happy. More than he’d ever been in his life. He was going to be a father. Amy was going to be a mother. They were going to have a baby.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

He felt a dampness on his shoulder where Amy’s head was, but he didn’t even care. Nothing could break this moment between them. Nothing whatsoever.

Well, except...

“Amy?”

“Mhmm?”

“Please leave now. I need to use the restroom.”

[theawkwardanglophile]

Today, May 24, is the anniversary of Shamy meeting for the first time, a whopping 12 years ago. I wasn't sure if our Fluff Crawlspace tradition was still happening, but regardless, I don't have anything new to contribute, so I thought I'd bring back my previous Fluff Crawlspace contributions in honor of the day. To any Shamy fans still out there, I still love them and love everything the fandom ever was and maybe still is. ❤

2021

2020

2019

2018

[cutieshamybabies]

I posted 6 times in 2022

1 post created (17%)

5 posts reblogged (83%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@cutieshamybabies

@leahmary

@what-life-im-a-fangirl

@platypus-quacks-too

@bipaulnewman

I tagged 6 of my posts in 2022

#sheldon cooper - 5 posts

#the big bang theory - 5 posts

#amy farrah fowler - 4 posts

#shamy - 4 posts

#birthday wishes - 1 post

#i still love them so much - 1 post

#fluff crawlspace - 1 post

#shamy-versary - 1 post

#young sheldon - 1 post

#tbbt - 1 post

Longest Tag: 130 characters

#i love these tiny little tidbits when we learn a lot of information about sheldon's future with his kids and with our sweet vixen.

My Top Posts in 2022:

Happy 12th Shamyversary, my dear friends <3 Here's my gift for the Fluff Crawlspace :)

27 notes - Posted May 24, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[fort-cozy-mcblanket]

Happy Shamy Anniversary! Can't believe it's been 13 years since Sheldon and Amy first met!

I had three ideas for my celebratory fic this year and by some miracle I ended up writing all three. One I posted on their wedding anniversary, one I posted yesterday, and this here is the third.

Thank you to my beta reader Stark and also Uri for reading this over! You guys are the best! And a special thank you to my friend Alejandra for answering my question of what's the most romantic equation. :)

This is also available on AO3 and FF.Net.

Please enjoy!

The first time she did it, it was on a whim.

Amy had an early-morning department meeting and was up and ready to go to work while Sheldon was still in the shower. Before she left, she opened the bathroom door to call out a goodbye, but then saw the steamed-up mirror above the sink and opted to leave her parting message there instead.

'Have a good day! Love you!' she scrawled with her finger before quickly retreating.

She wasn't sure why she did it exactly. There was just something about the idea of Sheldon stepping out of the shower, all naked and dripping, to see her little surprise note that tickled her. She drove all the way to Caltech with a smile on her face and then forgot about it for the rest of the day until she got home. The bathroom mirror was pristine by then and Sheldon never mentioned anything about it, but as she brushed her teeth in front of it that night she found herself smiling again, hoping he had liked it.

The second time she did it was just a few days later, that weekend. She got up early Sunday to meet her mother and aunt for breakfast and once again her departure time coincided with Sheldon's scheduled bathroom time.

'Have fun today! See you later!' she wrote this time, and drew a heart at the end for good measure.

When she returned that afternoon, the mirror was clean once again and Sheldon was out with the guys. She didn't think anything more of it.

The third time was on the following weekend. Amy was cleaning up from breakfast when Sheldon went to take his shower. While he was in there, Amy slipped in to write "Looking good!" in the mirror steam before slipping back out, grinning. She then settled on the bed with her iPad and waited for her turn to use the bathroom. A few minutes later the water turned off and Sheldon stepped out wearing just a towel, with a bottle of glass cleaner and microfiber cloth in hand.

"Here, since you insist on dirtying up our mirror, you can clean it this time," he said, foisting the cleaning items onto her.

"You didn't like my messages?" she asked, blinking up at him.

"It's bad enough the bathroom here isn't well-ventilated, the mirror is sure to corrode from all the condensation build-up. I would prefer not to think about all the germs and oils from your hands smeared on its surface too."

Amy sighed. Of course that's what he would think about, practicality over sentimentality. Of course she probably should have known that.

"You're upset?" Sheldon asked, surprising her.

"No," she said, but then paused. Sheldon wasn't good with reading emotions, but here he was making an effort. It didn't help either of them if she wasn't honest. "Well, maybe a little."

"Why?"

"I know it's silly," she explained. "But I guess I wanted us to be the type of couple who leaves little messages like that for each other. I thought it was romantic."

"Romantic? Smudgy mirrors are romantic now?" He threw up his hands. "Good lord, I'll never be able to keep up with all this nonsense!"

Despite herself, Amy couldn't stop from laughing a bit. Her poor, beleaguered boyfriend. He really did try to keep up with her romantic needs, she knew this. She could meet him halfway here, maybe find some other way to leave him love notes, maybe in his lunch.

"Okay, you're right," she said, standing up. "I'll clean up."

"Thank you!" he called after her as she strode into their bathroom and got to work.

----------

When Amy stepped out of the shower a few mornings later to see an equation written out in the mirror's fog, she was surprised. And annoyed. She quickly wrapped herself up in a towel and stomped out to find Sheldon.

"Oh, so I can't leave you notes on the mirror, but you can use it as an extra whiteboard for your work?" she asked.

"Didn't you read it?" he asked, looking up from where he was working on his laptop.

She opened her mouth, about to fire back that of course she read it, but actually she hadn't. Not really. She hadn't even put her glasses back on yet. She had only seen enough to know it was an equation, not words.

"Come on." Sheldon took her hand and led her back to the bathroom, passing her glasses over once they were both inside. She put them on and gave the message another look.

(∂ + m) ψ = 0

"The Dirac equation?"

"Oh good, you know it." Sheldon looked at her expectantly.

"Sure, the quantum entanglement of subatomic particles," she continued. Sheldon kept staring at her, his eyebrows raised, his head inclined toward her. She stared back.

"Good lord, you're going to make me actually say it!" he said after a few seconds passed. "Two microscopic particles can interact in a way that their quantum states become intertwined, so much so that the particles stay linked together even when a great distance comes between them."

"The initial interaction causes the two separate particles to become one system," she summed up for him, smiling. She saw it now. How two separate things can interact and affect each other in a profound and lasting way. How one could even cause the other to set aside the important principles of order and cleanliness in order to leave a love note on the bathroom mirror. "That's awfully sentimental of you, Dr. Cooper."

"Yes, well," Sheldon sighed and bent over to retrieve the bottle of glass cleaner from the cabinet next to the sink. "I blame the entanglement."

[nerdforestgirl]

Note: Hey. It's fourteen years since the first appearance of Amy Farrah Fowler, or Fluff Crawlspace if you will. I wrote a thing. I hope you enjoy it. This is not Amy Farrah Fowler enough, but it's what I have. It's cute.

“Go, Leonard,” Sheldon yelled from his spot in the stands. He actually had no idea if his son was anywhere close to scoring, but he usually cheered the boy on any time he go close to the goal. Sheldon didn't understand much of the game beyond what he picked up from watching NHL games with Leonard (which was really playing on his phone while the game played in the background). It didn't really matter. Amy reminded him that he needed to at least try to take interest in his son's hobbies. This was him trying.

“Daddy, I'm cold,” a little voice said from beside him.

“Oh no,” Sheldon said playfully. This was a common complaint from his daughter. She was too used to the California sun to want to spend so many of her Saturdays at the ice rink. She was bundled up in a jacket and gloves, but sometimes they just weren't enough.

Sheldon took off his hockey jersey and pulled it on over his daughter's head and over her arms. It was comically large on her small frame, but it should help keep her warm. Still, he knew that he would probably be taking her to the snack stand for a cup of hot chocolate before the game was over.

Sheldon picked up his daughter and pulled her onto his lap, and wrapped his arms around her. This was more for him that for her. Without the jersey, he was a little cold himself. Still, his little girl leaned into his chest and looked back down at her book.

“What are you reading?” Sheldon said quietly into her ear.

“Mommy's favorite,” she said proudly as she showed him the cover. It was an ancient and beat up, but well loved copy of The Long Winter. Amy had gotten her old set of The Little House on the Prairie books from her own mother about a month ago, and had promptly handed them over as long as the little girl promised to take good care of them. So far, she had done an excellent job.

Sheldon couldn't believe how much he enjoyed watching his children become actual humans. It seemed like no time since they had both been little blobs that just drank milk, pooped, and slept all day. And yet, somehow they had both grown into real people with interests all their own.

Sometimes he could see the little pieces of himself and Amy in them. Other times, he could see Georgie, Missy, his mother, his father, Meemaw, Pop Pop, and even his uncle Stumpy once or twice. People his children had never even met had wormed their way in. And on occasion, that drove Sheldon absolutely crazy. Other times, he didn't mind so much. He loved all of those people for a reason, so it wasn't bad to see them show up in his children. Except for Leonard's inexplicable habit of saying “ain't” after one week with his Uncle Georgie.

“Daddy, can I have a snack?”

“She will ruin her dinner,” Amy reminded Sheldon without even looking away from the game. It was getting intense, but it was at the other goal, so Sheldon wasn't as invested. He knew he wouldn't miss a goal from Leonard.

“Come on. Just a hot chocolate?” Sheldon asked his wife. His daughter didn't ever have to try to convince her mother to do anything. She had Sheldon so wrapped around her little finger that he did it for her.

“One hot chocolate. And bring me one too,” Amy agreed. It was chilly in here after all.

“And maybe some popcorn,” Sheldon muttered.

“No,” Amy said.

“I can't hear you,” Sheldon said as he was already walking away. He heard everything his wife said, but he wanted to spoil the girl a little anyway. He realized that his hand was empty, so he turned back.

“Coming, Mary?” Sheldon asked as he reached out his hand toward her.

Sheldon's daughter ran to catch up to her father and placed her small hand in his. He knew there were a limited number of days left that she would be willing to hold his hand, and he would not let go until that day came.

[wild-sunday-child]

AAAAAAAA Happy Fluff Crawlspace!!! 🥳💖 i love how all of us still gather together during this specific time, even after the show has ended 3 years ago. so, here's a BIG VIRTUAL HUGGGG and hopefully we'd still gather here for more yearsss to cooome. ugh i missed seeing u guys on my dashboard and i really missed shamy alot. love u guys!!! <33

here are some shamy/majim twitter headers i made KDJDKDKD feel free to use 'em if u like!

[bigbangenthusiast]

Happy Fluff Crawlspace Day! Seven (!) years ago today, Shamy met for the first time. My babies have come a long way since then!

I wrote a brand new fic to mark the occasion. Thank you @nerdforestgirl for hosting this amazing event again ❤.

Coincidentally, today also marks the one-year anniversary of the first fanfic I ever wrote. Anyway, enough talk. I hope you enjoy!

The Sweetness Factor

Amy applied a dab of sunscreen on her nose and donned a wide-brim floppy hat.

“I can’t even see your cute face under that thing,” Sheldon muttered.

“Well, it wouldn’t be cute anymore if my skin turned the shade of a lobster.” She handed him the tube. “You should apply some too. I’d hate to see your handsome face sun damaged.”

“If it were up to me, we wouldn’t even be here,” he grumbled but accepted the proffered skin-saving product.

“It will be worth it.” She watched as he carefully massaged it into his skin. “You missed a spot.”

Sheldon stood still as his girlfriend reached up and blended the white liquid along his cheekbone and leaned into her touch until she extracted her hand to grab his mosquito net hat from the backseat and two empty ice cream buckets. They walked hand in hand to the wooden fruit stand and were greeted by a young man in overalls and a red plaid shirt.

“Well, good afternoon, folks. I see you brought your own buckets. Just follow me.”

They followed the farmer down a grassy path towards a sea of bright red strawberries. Amy breathed in the fresh country air, a pleasant change to the smog-filled atmosphere in the city. She sent her boyfriend an apologetic look when he tightened his grip as they passed a chicken coop.

“I’m Seth, by the way.”

“I’m Amy and this is Sheldon.”

“Well Amy and Sheldon, you chose a beautiful day to come out here. Where are you from?”

“Pasadena,” Amy replied.

“Nice city. Has kind of a small town feel.”

Sheldon tuned out as Amy and Seth engaged in mundane chit chat. He wondered how on earth his girlfriend had such a hold over him that he went along with her plans with little resistance. He peeked down at her from under the brim of his hat. Though he couldn’t see her face, he knew by the tone of her voice that she was already enjoying their outing. Then, as if sensing his eyes on hers, she tipped her face up towards his gaze and smiled brilliantly. The corners of his mouth turned up in response. She squeezed his hand then turned her attention back to the other man. Sheldon’s thoughts were interrupted when they suddenly stopped at the foot of the hill, and Seth began explaining their choices.

“We grow two varieties of strawberries. Over to the right, we have our June-bearing plants. We chose to grow the Chandler variety as it’s well-suited to our climate here in southern California. To our left we have Albion, an everbearing variety. Both are excellent for eating fresh, though I prefer the sweeter flavor of the Chandler. However, if you plan on making any jam or pies, I would suggest the Albion. Or you can try both if each of you wishes to pick a different variety.”

Amy turned to her boyfriend. “Sheldon, do you have a preference?”

“Let’s go with the Albion. My mouth is watering thinking about the pie you’re going to make me.”

Amy rolled her eyes as Seth led them to the left side of the field. “You mean the pie WE are going to make.”

“Have either of you ever picked strawberries before?”

They both shook their heads no.

“You can start in this row, one of you on each side. Look for berries that are completey red and tug them gently off the plant like this.” He bent down to plant level to demonstrate and dropped the berry into Amy’s bucket. “Many times they are hidden, so make sure you lift the leaves to find them all. Do you have any questions?”

“I have a PhD in physics. I think I can handle harvesting strawberries,” Sheldon replied haughtily.

“Don’t mind him. I think we’ll do just fine. Thank you so much.”

“You are most welcome! Oh, one thing I forgot to mention is the flags.” He plucked a tiny white plastic flag on a metal stick from the ground at the beginning of the row. “When you’re done picking, whether it’s at the end of the row or somewhere in between, just place the flag in that spot so we know where the next person should begin.”

Seth handed Sheldon the flag. “When you’re done, just meet me back at the stand to weigh your harvest. And feel free to give the berries a taste,” he called over his shoulder, as he walked back up the path to greet his next customers.

Sheldon twirled the flag between his fingers. “Some flag,” he snorted. “You would think a berry farm would have a berry design on their flags.”

“Not everyone is as excited about flags as we are. Seth probably sees it as just a tool,” she pointed out. “Let’s get picking.”

Amy crouched down, which was no easy feat in a skirt. She looked up to find Sheldon towering above her with his arms crossed over his chest.

“I don’t know how I let you talk me into this,” he grumbled.

She batted her eyelashes. “Because you love me.”

“Vixen,” he muttered.

“Come on, Sheldon. This will go much quicker if you help,” she pointed out, as she slowly began filling her bucket.

“I don’t want to get dirty.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a little dirt. It will wash right off.”

“Nothing wrong with… Do you hear yourself, Woman?”

“Please? For me?” She pleaded.

The look on her face melted his resistance. “Fine, but if my clothes are permanently stained, it’s all on you.” He knelt down on the other side of the row and shuddered as his pants touched the bare soil. “I can’t do this!” He whined as he unfolded his long legs and stood, dusting off his pants.

“No berries means no pie.”

“Even the enticement of pie won’t change my mind.”

She stood and turned her back on him as she started up the path, leaving the bucket of berries behind.

“Where are you going?” He called after her.

“To the car.”

“You’re leaving me here?” He asked, incredulously.

“I’m just going to get something. I’ll be back soon.”

He watched helplessly as her form retreated over the peak of the small hill. He glanced around at the other people - couples, families, and singles - crouched down without a care in the world. “Come on, Cooper. You can do this,” he chided himself.

He bent his knees and slowly lowered his body then straightened his legs just before they made contact with the ground. He made several more failed attempts before Amy finally came into view. As she drew nearer, he noted a small, clear rectangular package clutched in her hand and a colored bag slung over her shoulder.

She presented him with the package. “I remembered I had this in the trunk.”

He turned it over in his hands, his brow furrowed. “A rain poncho? There’s not a cloud in the sky.”

“It’s to put on over your clothes so you don’t get dirty. I also brought you this reusable grocery bag to kneel on in case the poncho is too short to cover your legs.”

“You’re so thoughtful!”

“Well, I know how hard this is for you. I just wanted to make you more comfortable.”

“You’re the best.” He tore open the package and slipped on the clear plastic garment as Amy smoothed the grocery bag on the ground.

Without the worry of soiling his clothes, Sheldon knelt down and began examining the berries. Minutes later he glanced over at his girlfriend crouched across from him. While her bucket was quickly filling up, he had only a handful.

“How are you finding so many?”

She shrugged. “Maybe your side was picked over and mine wasn’t.”

He watched her carefully as she tugged her next berry off its stem. “Amy, that one isn’t completely red. It’s more of a magenta.”

“Sheldon, you’re being too picky. That’s probably why you think there aren’t as many on your side.”

“But Seth said to look for berries that are completely red.”

“He meant ones that don’t have anymore white on them. I’ll prove to you that this one is ripe.” She leaned over and held the berry next to his lips.

He pulled his head back slightly. “What are you doing?”

“I want you to taste this and tell me what you think.”

“We haven’t paid for it yet.”

“It’s okay, Sheldon. We’re allowed to have a taste.”

He tentatively opened his mouth a fraction of an inch. Amy gently pressed the berry against his lips until the tip of his tongue darted out. He closed his eyes and savored the slight sweetness upon his tastebuds. When he opened his eyes, he was staring back at his girlfriend’s questioning gaze.

“How was it?”

“I didn’t get much of a taste,” he admitted.

“Open wider,” she instructed.

He did as he was told. She popped the berry into his mouth then sat back on her heels as he chewed thoughtfully.

“So?” She asked.

“It was better than I expected.”

“Good. Now you can pick all those berries without any fear,” she declared before plunging her hands into the leaves once more.

“Hold on.”

“What now, Sheldon?”

He picked a strawberry, leaned across the plants, and used his free hand to tilt up the brim of his girlfriend’s hat. “Not until you have a taste. I would hate to go to all the trouble of picking, then it turns out you don’t even like them. Now open up.”

Amy obliged. She closed her eyes to better focus on the taste.

“So?” Sheldon asked.

She swallowed then opened her eyes. “It’s sweet.”

“It is,” he agreed, “but not as sweet as you. No comparison.”

“Aww! Sheldon!”

“It’s true.”

“I’ll bet the Chandler berries are sweeter.”

“Nothing is as sweet as you.”

Amy set her hat next to her bucket then stretched her body over the greenery separating their bodies. She angled her head and pressed a soft kiss onto her boyfriend’s lips.

When she leaned back, he licked his lips.“Sweet in both senses of the word.“

Amy leaned in again, this time kissing him more passionately. “Mmm… You’re extra sweet too,” she confessed.

“As much as I’m looking forward to that pie, I wouldn’t object to keeping some of these on hand for just eating. Perhaps we should have brought more buckets.”

Amy smiled slyly. “We can come back next weekend if we need to,” she promised.