I should tell you

Chapter 6

The book that Sheldon and Becky quote is "Pride and Prejudice", by Jane Austen.

Chapter 06 –

The sound of the washing machines somehow often tranquilized Sheldon. Nothing like doing the laundry...

His thoughts were interrupted by light footsteps. It was Becky, that apparently, was also on her Laundry Night.

"Hi." said Sheldon, friendly.

"Hi." said Becky, trying to find a suitable machine.

"How are you, Becky?"

She looked at him, considered... sighed and answered:

"Fine, Sheldon. Just fine."

"Hm."

"Yeah."

"Are you unhappy about something, Becky?"

"Yeah, at the moment, I don't know how this freaking crap works! How I hate cheap technology!"

"My, you are in a foul mood today. Here, let me help you."

He got her basket of clothes and started the procedures.

"Um... Thanks. I am not... I'm not in a 'foul mood'. Sorry."

"There, there." he got closer, patting her on the shoulder, "No need to sound so repentant. Everyone has bad days."

"Or bad lives." she said.

"Good point!" he smiled, pleased with her remark.

"Yeah, I'm so glad I got your approval."

"You are? Why?"

"My God, Sheldon! I just... I just don't know what the hell to say to you! Or to do with you, for that matter!"

"No need to become aggressive."

"Why are you talking to me like that?"

"Like what?"

"I can't explain, but I feel like you are patronizing me."

"I don't know what you mean, but if this helps, I am analyzing your curious behavior to see what I can learn and infer from it."

"What?! You asshole!" she shouted, startling him. "How can you be so damn inconsiderate?!"

"I'm... I'm inconsiderate?! You are the one who's inconsiderate, especially for expressing yourself by means of so many profanities."

"Gnnnh... Gah! I should stab you in the heart! And that if you had one!"

"But of course I have a heart. Are you insane?! How can one live without a heart? Don't you know that the heart is a muscle that—"

"You know, I think you're doing that on purpose. No, I'm pretty sure of it. You're doing that to annoy me."

"How am I doing anything to annoy you? It baffles me exceedingly. You are the one who is annoying me."

She was about to cry, but if she did... she would lose the battle and the war.

"Fine!" she said. "How do you propose we solve that, then?"

"I propose you to stop annoying me." he said, with a smirk that infuriated her to the very core.

"You hate me, don't you? What have I ever done to you?"

"Well... Let me see... At the very first moment I set foot here and noticed you, you were very rude, insulted my intellect and my work."

"That's it, then? That's what this is all about?! What other complaints about me do you have, sir?"

"Every time I knock on your door, you won't answer. Then, I have no other choice but to get into your house, uninvited and you always throw me the most heinous insults, no matter the purpose of my visits."

"Oh! Um... I hadn't thought of the situation that way... Okay. You are very, very disturbed, my friend and 'I am sorry to have occasioned pain to anyone. It has been most unconsciously done, however, and I hope will be of short duration.'"

Sheldon stopped to analyze, deeply. He sensed something... familiar here.

"Wait!" he concentrated, and then, replied "'And this is all the reply which I am to have the honour of expecting! I might, perhaps, wish to be informed why, with so little endeavour at civility, I am thus rejected. But it is of small importance.'"

Becky could hardly suppress a giggle. But she thought she should play along...

"'I might as well enquire, why, with so evident a design of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character? Was not this some excuse for incivility, if I was uncivil? But I have other provocations. You know I have. Had not my own feelings decided against you, had they been indifferent, or had they even been favourable, do you think that any consideration would tempt me to accept the man, who has been the means of ruining, perhaps forever, the happiness of a most beloved sister?'"

As she pronounced these words, Sheldon changed 'colour'; Becky panicked, she thought he was going to faint, or have a stroke.

"Sheldon! Sheldon, okay, playtime is over for you! My sister is fine, I forgive you!"

He seemed to suddenly wake up and then, he snapped:

"But why did you do that?! It was my favorite part of the narrative! You just ruined the whole thing!"

"Um... Yeah, I guess... But hey, tell you what. Did you read the book to the end?"

"Of course I did."

"So, you must know they got married, right?"

"Yes, they did. That's common knowledge."

"Yeah, yeah, sure it is. So, um, how about, we—"

"How about we what?!"

"Nothing! Forget I said anything!" she started to move towards some random washing machine, to have something to do.

"No, you know that's impossible. You have already said it, so now, I can't forget."

"So, then, why did you interrupt me?!"

"Because... Well, because I had a bad feeling about what you were going to say."

"Oh! Yeah, you're right. It's just me, making a complete fool of myself. But please, don't mind that, will you?

He approached her, slightly.

"Becky..." he started, "You are always saying the most embarrassing things to me and I don't know how to react to you, or all that."

Now, it was her turn to change color. She approached him a little further and when she came to, their lips were touching. Boldly, Becky deepened the kiss, very gently.

She had never been so happy to do the laundry.