Chapter Text
Chapter 1
"Sheldon, get out of bed. I have something to tell you". Sheldon slowly rises from his bed. The sounds of crusty mustiness can be heard throughout the room as he pulls his wrinkly, sunlight-deprived, pale, dry body from his sheets.
"Ugh, you're disgusting. You know that, right? Anyway, I'm here to tell you that our parents decided that we're going on a trip to the beach. So pack up and be ready to go in a few," said Missy. Sheldon groaned. He saw no point in going outside when all of the things he loved were indoors anyway.
"They're doing this for you. You've been researching in this gross room for who knows how long, and it's clear you haven't seen the sun in a while. So hurry up and get out," she said again, in a worried tone. Sheldon stood from his so-called bed, covered in trash and moldy gum. He put on the only clean clothes he had and sat in the car, driving to the beach with his family. It was a quiet drive. It was clear that the mood wasn't optimistic. Even Georgie said nothing.
"We're here," said Mary. A nice beach house on the warm sands of the Galveston waters. They unloaded their belongings into the home, while Sheldon put his hood over his head and slowly walked to his room. All day he stayed inside. He wasn't excited for this trip.
"Sheldon". Sheldon slowly looked to the door.
"Go outside. I don't care if it's night. Get out there. Missy told me to tell you." Georgie looked at Sheldon with a disappointed frown. A quiet night. The beach is quite scary, with its loud noises of the waves and the strange emptiness of the dark waters. His feet touched the sand as he took a walk by the shore. Suddenly, he heard the cries of something strange. And for the first time in years, Sheldon ran. He ran to whatever was making that horrible noise. There, he found a sponge. A sponge trapped between plastic that you'd find holding together a 6-pack of soda bottles. Sheldon plucked the sponge out of the plastic when it began to grow. It jumped to the ground and said,
"Thank you so much for saving me! I was taking a walk past my home, and then this trash swept me away in the current! I don't know how I can repay you!". Sheldon was confused and surprised. He didn't know how to react to this situation, so he said nothing in response.
"Oh, I'm sorry! My name is Spongebob Squarepants! Nice to meet you, sir!" Spongebob held his hand out. Hesitantly, Sheldon shook it back.
"My name is Sheldon. Sheldon Cooper." And for the first time in his life, Sheldon made a friend.
Chapter 2
While the two shook hands smiling they felt a spark. "Sorry, that was probably me since.. You know... you're a fish," said Sheldon, feeling nervous in front of someone for the first time. But deep down they knew. It wasn't electricity that made that spark. It was them. As they finally released each other's hand for what felt like an eternity something bright flashed before Sheldon's eyes. As he opened his eyes fearing that this was all a big prank set up by Missy, he saw a giant life-sized sponge appear before him. Before him stood a sponge the same height as him with square pants and a tie.
"Spongebob, is this you!!!" screamed Sheldon before he shut his mouth realizing that it was 3 in the morning at a reserved beach.
"What's happening, why are you so small now?!?!" screamed Spongebob before Sheldon promptly shut his mouth too. The two looked in horror at each other wondering if that spark had someone made this sponge into a live-sized prank that Missy had somehow arranged to torture Sheldon and distract him from his research.
" I NEED TO GO," said Sheldon as he tried racing away back to the house before falling on his face after tripping on the piece of plastic he saved Spongebob from. Sheldon turned towards SpongeBob while recovering from his fall with a tiny scratch on his cheek and tears welling in his eyes.
" Listen I don't know why this is happening but please stay I don't know where I am and for some reason... I trust you, Sheldon," said Spongebob trying to approach Sheldon.
" Please don't go," he said pleading. As he pleaded for Sheldon to stay he felt something under his eye, it felt like the ocean did but now on dry land, he recognized it. He was crying on a beach begging for this man whom he just meant to stay and help him go home where couldn't feel this anymore.
Chapter 3
Every day, Sheldon would go down to the beach and speak with Spongebob. They had a wonderful time. Every day was a new journey for them that they each cherished. However, that was all about to change.
"Time to pack up, Sheldon! We're leaving tomorrow morning," shouted Meemaw. A wave of fear loomed over Sheldon's face. He would have to leave Spongebob. That night, Sheldon went back to the beach to say goodbye to his friend.
"Spongebob, this may be the last time we speak. I won't see you tomorrow. I'm leaving." Sheldon spoke, with worry on his face.
"Why?" asked Spongebob, his smile slowly fading away.
"My family and I went here on a trip. They did it for me because I hadn't seen the sun in days. But now, not only have I started getting healthier, but I made a new friend as well. And for that, I thank you. But I'm afraid I must take my leave. It was great knowing you, Spongebob. I hope we can meet again in the future".
Sheldon started slowly walking, his back turned away. Spongebob's face was empty. Had he known this would happen, would he even try to become friends? All of the memories they had shared, were they worth it? Spongebob looked down. Every second he spent thinking, Sheldon was only going further away. Spongebob didn't accept this. He wouldn't. The next day finally came. Sheldon sat in the backseat of their 2020 Land Range Rover SUV, gazing out the window, watching the blue waters and bright sand of the beach slowly part of his view. He reached for his water bottle. Suddenly, he saw something in it. The clear water behind the plastic of his bottle was interrupted by a small, yellow sponge. It was... Spongebob?! Had he followed Sheldon all the way home using his water bottle?
"What's wrong, Sheldon? You look bizarre," said George, looking in the rearview mirror straight at him. He wasn't wrong, Sheldon looked very puzzled.
"Nothing. I was just wondering what I should research next." He replied.
"Oh Sheldon, all you do is research. Take a break." Mary spoke in return. They drove all the way home. Sheldon, George, Mary, Meemaw, Georgie, Missy, and Spongebob.
Chapter 4
Sheldon and Spongebob forever spent every day together. They loved spending time with each other. They were inseparable. Years went by. Sheldon and Spongebob made new friends, too. Freddy 5Bear and Hatsune Miku hung out with them all the time. It was just the four of them.
"I have something to tell you, Spongebob," said Sheldon.
"What is it?" asked Spongebob. "I planned an incredible trip for us... to Germany!" Sheldon replied, excitedly. Sheldon and Spongebob flew to Germany and had a great time. They stayed in a beautiful luxury hotel and ate delicious food. They were incredibly happy. They loved each other a lot. They started packing up for their flight back.
"Wow... this was an amazing trip. Thank you for taking me here, Sheldon," said Spongebob, grateful to have gone on this trip. As they went home, Sheldon started scrapbooking their favorite memories. Spongebob looked out the window, gazing upon their hometown, and all of the colors of the buildings and fields of dry land.
Ah, Texas. Terrible Texas. Terrible, lonely, dry Texas. Sure, Texas may not be someone's first choice to live, but without it, Spongebob would have never met Sheldon, and Sheldon never would have met Spongebob.
"How's my favorite two buddies!" shouted Freddy. He waited for 8 hours at the airport with a giant sign saying, 'WELCOME BACK'. Meanwhile, Miku was at home baking muffins because she wanted to and didn't know why, but now she has a full batch of muffins to eat when she wants. Cool. Back at home, Sheldon and Spongebob ate dinner, dreaming of their future together. Freddy was at the pizzeria, dreaming of his future running his restaurant. And Miku was at home, dreaming of making muffins for a reason someday. However, there was another man on their flight, who had a different dream himself.
Epilogue
He had been watching him for weeks now. The most beautiful mind this generation had seen. Better than Einstein though he would not admit it to anyone. Sheldon cooper.
Dream had been anxious to see him on the flight home. Seeing him high in the sky soaring above everyone and everything else. Everything was perfect, as Dream had planned he followed Sheldon on his residency to Germany where he spent weeks researching as Dream followed closely behind watching his every move silently. As he saw Sheldon get out of his home to go to the airport he saw something he had not seen these last few months. Someone was with him. Some other man was living with Sheldon this whole time.
Rage filled Dream as he felt his emotions swirling up like a storm. In his fit of rage and fury, he ran away towards the edge of the building crying yet still watching this all go down. Through his tears, he saw it. The most dreaded thing he ever could see. He saw Sheldon on one knee in front of the other man who looked oddly like a giant sponge. He wished it was a sponge to stop the rivers falling from his eyes as he ran to the airport ready to never see the love of his life again. But in that time he spent crying near the German dumpster something was lurking. A disease, the TXT disease, coursing through his blood ready to attack.
