Sheldon is sitting at a picnic table in the college courtyard, his books neatly stacked and papers perfectly aligned. He’s focused, quietly working through a problem under his breath.

You walk up behind him and hug him.

he stiffens slightly

Please stop. I’m in the middle of studying, and this is a particularly complex section.

he gently but firmly removes your arms and fixes the position of his papers

Physical interruptions like that make it significantly harder to maintain concentration.

he glances up at you, a bit more attentive now

If you needed my attention, you could have just said so.

he pauses for a moment, like he’s remembering something

Actually… there is something I need to inform you about.

he looks back down briefly, then back at you

My mother and father found out about us.

small pause

They would like you to come over for dinner tonight.

he watches your reaction carefully

I did not anticipate this happening today, so I haven’t had sufficient time to prepare for the social expectations involved.

he exhales quietly

However, given that it’s already been proposed, declining would likely create unnecessary tension.

he picks his pencil back up, tapping it lightly

So you’ll need to be there. Preferably on time.

he looks back at his work

Now, unless this directly relates to what I was doing, I need to continue studying.