A/N: Just something that popped into my head this morning as I was getting ready, and has effectively distracted me from studying for my exam next Monday for the last couple of hours.

It's a bit different from what I usually write, but I hope it's still enjoyable!

Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue or its characters in any way, shape or form.

A Night Spent Watching TV

ANDY POV

It's not like she really meant what she said when the words left her mouth. It had been more of a joke really. A kind of; hey, I can be funny too.

She had no idea he would take it like this.

So seriously.

Get those dark, all-consuming eyes he gets sometimes and just stare at her like she'd just said something horrible.

Or intriguing.

She's not really sure what that look means. She's never really sure what most of his looks mean. Why does he have to be so difficult to read?

You'd think she'd know how to do so by now. She's known him for three years for crying out loud! They've even spent well over one of those living together. How can she not know him well enough to read him by now?

Maybe that's the reason behind her freaking out; him taking her words so seriously. It means a lot that he does. That he didn't take it as the intended joke.

Has he been thinking about it already? Is it something he wants?

Well, in all honesty, she has been thinking about it for a long time herself. Of course; she's a girl after all, maybe not your typical girly-girl, but still… It's only natural for her to think about these things.

But him?

Well, he is older…

Further along…

Old.

She snickers to herself at this thought earning a puzzled look from the man sitting next to her on the couch. She can read that look! No problem. The: What-in-the-world-is-going-on-in-your-head-right-now-and-why-are-you-such-a-weird-human-being look. She would have to be and idiot not to have caught up on the meaning of that one.

But, no, he isn't old. At least she doesn't think of him as old. He's just…

Older.

She actually likes it. He knows stuff she doesn't; has an eye into another world. Of course it can be annoying sometimes; his complete lack of understanding of social media, electronic devices and such, not to mention his taste in music! But mostly she's always found it kind of endearing. She has even liked teaching him about all that stuff. Not that he's the most attentive or interested student. To tell the truth, they usually just end up in bed within about ten minutes of every 'lesson', him successfully distracting her within seconds.

She reaches over and smacks his thigh lightly at that, earning yet another one of those puzzled looks.

How dares he? She's always attentive when he wants to teach her something. Always pays careful attention.

Well, maybe not always. Not that time he'd wanted to teach her about car engines in case she'd get stranded somewhere. But, in her defense, that day had been incredibly hot.

They had been outside in the driveway, the sun beaming down at them. She had been paying attention at first when he'd gone through the basics, which caps covered what and stuff like that. But it had really been way too hot for that kind of lesson, and it didn't take long before she could see the beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and feeling the same thing happening on hers. Of course, he seemed unfazed by the heat and decided that that was the time to turn around and start pointing at stuff and opening valves.

It had been one of those rare days when he had worn one of his white t-shirts, a really snug one at that. So when he'd started actually using his muscles, it didn't take long before it was soaked with sweat and effectively turned see-through.

She had been captivated watching the muscles of his back move as he worked. She had felt the urge to just rip his shirt off right there, turn him around and ravage him against the hood of the car, but she could see Mrs. Bardwell, the almost 80 year old woman living next door, out of the corner of her eye, and she wouldn't have wanted to give the poor old lady a heart-attack or anything.

Instead she'd just pretended to pay attention to whatever he had been saying while entertaining an extremely steamy daydream, making a mental note to make it real when he would finish and they were back inside.

Come to think of it; she never did make it a reality.

She looks over at him to find him still staring at her. His expression has changed now to one of slight worry. It probably means that he thinks she has been too silent for too long. That he's scared she'll get up and go away, run off to Traci or someone.

He told her one time that he was scared of her freaking out and leaving.

It wasn't like they were having a 'talk' or anything, but he just sort of put it out there. Over breakfast one morning as she was hurrying to finish seeing as they were already five minutes late for work. His voice had been soft and quiet as he had stood there waiting for her.

At the time she had gotten annoyed. Who was he to think that she would run away? Hadn't she stayed with him now for a long time? Did he want her to feel like as big a failure as her mother? But during that day at work she had soon realized that it had been justified.

A few weeks prior they had had an argument. It only started over him having bought the wrong kind of cereal and her being a bit PMS-y, but it had exploded into an 'I don't feel like I can trust you' and 'What if you go away and leave me all alone' argument. Once again about him going back undercover.

She had run off to Traci's that time. Not talked to him for two days until they were paired at work and she had been forced to. And by doing so, she'd realized what kind of an over-emotional idiot she had been.

She looks away from him, but can still feel his gaze. He probably won't look away until she says something. Until he's satisfied that she won't go.

And that actually makes her want to go. Not because of what she said, but just to piss him off.

It really shouldn't be like that. He didn't really do anything wrong. He just didn't get that she was joking.

She looks back over at him, their eyes connecting. She smiles lightly, and his expression turns softer.

"Fine by me."

SAM POV

They're watching some lame TV-show again. He has no idea what this one is called but it's way too similar to all of her other heaps of favorite shows to be of any interest to him whatsoever.

He looks over to find her completely engulfed in it. Her eyes big and her mouth slightly open as she watches who's had whose baby or who is sleeping with whom, he really has no idea why she likes these shows so much.

She does look pretty like that though, pajama bottoms and a tank top, hair all messy, eyes wide open and mouth all relaxed. He gets the urge to kiss her, but knows she'll get annoyed if he does, and instead turns his head to try to give the show its millionth attempt at trying to peak his interest.

It's the show with the babies AND the infidelities.

He refrains from rolling his eyes, but can't help the exasperated sigh that leaves his lungs.

It makes her look over at him, a hint of annoyance in her expression before she turns back to the TV.

He has done it now. She's going to comment on something just to try to make him an active participant in this passive watching of television like she always does.

He sees her mouth opening and closing a few times as she decides on what to say.

"When we're married with kids, let's not end up like those guys, okay?"

That was…

Unexpected.

Yes, her tone was all 'haha, I'm so joking' but those words.

Whenever he tries even mentioning anything remotely reminiscent of marriage or children, she always changes the subject or busies herself with something noisy pretending she hasn't heard him. This really is not something he would ever expect to leave her lips.

He can't help but stare at her, study her, try to see if there is a hint of a genuine want underneath that half-smile.

She notices him looking, and the smile fades. She stares back for a minute before her expression turns to thoughtful with a hint of anxiety. Then her eyes turn a bit glassy and he knows that her mind is going a mile a minute.

She stays quiet for a long time, eyes unfocused. He figures it's best to just let her do her over thinking thing, to let her come to a conclusion. But then she snickers, and he can't help the puzzled look taking over his features.

She barely glances at him before sinking back into her thoughts.

She's an odd one this girl. He's caught a couple of glimpses of what goes on in her head when she gets like this and he has trouble understanding how she manages to live with it every day.

Then suddenly, for some reason he is completely unaware of, she smacks his leg. It's not very hard, but it sort of stings. Not that he'd ever admit that to her or anyone else.

He looks at her to see if she's going to tell him why she suddenly decided that he deserved a smack, but she's off again.

He keeps looking until he starts to fell like she's stayed quiet for a bit too long. The show has finished, and it's time to go to bed. He just knows that she's going to blame him for missing the last half of it, even if she has it DVR'd. And is he really starting to use those words now?

He wonders where her mind has taken her this time, what crazy leaps it has done and if she's going to run off again like she does sometimes.

She looks at him again, this time really taking in his expression, before she once again drifts off. He kind of wants to say something, but he's worried that it might lead to a fight. He has no idea where she is right now, what events she's thinking about, and saying the wrong thing at those times can really make things blow up.

He's learned that the hard way.

He decides to stay quiet while still trying to get her attention seeing that as being the safest approach. He sure doesn't want to prod her into leaving.

When she focuses on him again, their eyes lock, and she seems to have come to some sort of conclusion that he is completely unaware of.

He braces himself in preparation of what might come, but she just smiles. The sight makes him relax, and he feels okay to speak without fear of pushing her deeper.

"Fine by me."