Andy looked suspiciously at the different tools that were placed on the countertop of Sharon's bathroom and then looked at Sharon with an equally suspicious expression that made him seem more in pain that he actually was. One thing was for sure, if his injury wasn't torturous enough, Sharon was planning to torture him even more.

"I don't like the look of that," Andy pointed towards the various objects.

"Trust me, it's gonna be fine," Sharon smiled at him reassuringly and helped him into the chair that stood between the counter and the bathtub. Andy sighed and looked at her as she prepared her torture utensils.

"I really don't want you to do this," he said and his voice shook slightly.

"Come on, Andy, you have to shave. You're beginning to look like a caveman with that beard and you can barely hold a pencil in your hand. You definitely can't hold a razor," Sharon insisted.

"Do you even know how to do this?" he asked.

"Andy, I taught Ricky how to shave his face when he was 14 and he was the only one among his friends who was able to shave his face without cutting himself or getting razor burns," Sharon replied, waving the razor like a wand.

"If you cut me, I will take revenge," Andy warned and she smiled in response.

"I won't cut you, Andy. Just lean back, relax and enjoy this treat," Sharon instructed him and Andy reluctantly gave in. With her help, he leaned back and took a deep breath as Sharon tucked a towel in the collar of his T-shirt. "Close your eyes," she said and he decided to obey. It was a moment later when he heard the sound of something being dunked in water and then wringed. "Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"I may be a bit panicky right now," he said and if his eyes were open he would have seen Sharon rolling her eyes.

"This may help," she said and gently placed a warm damp towel on his face. "Is it too warm?" she asked and heard his muffled 'no' from beneath the towel. Andy noticed the not so subtle scent of lavender soaked into the towel and smiled to himself. Sharon was very fond of this particular scent and he usually associated it with her. Having the warm towel on his face that smelled like Sharon's shampoo, and body cream and all the other products she may have been using was unexpectedly relaxing and so instead of thinking of the impending razor that she was about to put to his face, he thought of the way her lips tasted, and the softness of her hair, the husky sound of her voice, and the green depths of her eyes. He was gradually becoming drowsy just by thinking about how much he would like to hold her close once his ribs are healed.

He was in a daze when she removed the towel and started applying shaving cream over his salt and pepper bristles. He smiled stupidly as Sharon gently stretched the skin of his face and brought the razor to his sideburns and glided it downwards in long, light strokes. Andy could feel her breath ghosting on his face as she moved closer to inspect her work every couple of minutes. She hummed softly and rinsed the razor before moving on to shave his cheeks. Andy heard a soft rustle as the razor glided over the shaving cream and his thick bristles. In his many years of shaving, he has never noticed these sounds, but being shaved by someone else, especially with so much care and attention was a whole different experience. It was soothing in an odd way he couldn't quite describe. Sharon was right about it being a treat rather than a torture. His state of relaxation became deeper and deeper as Sharon shaved his neck, chin and mustache. It was only when he heard her putting the razor down on the counter and felt her wiping off the excess shaving cream with a cold towel that he became more alert and opened his eyes.

"I'm not done yet," Sharon's husky voice made his heart flutter in his chest. She patted his cheeks dry with another towel and then gently placed her index finger and thumb under his chin and inspected her work. "Not a single cut," she declared and grabbed a tube of moisturizer from the counter. "One last thing," she said as she squeezed some of the moisturizer into her palms and rubbed them together before applying it to his face. Andy could easily recognize the smell of lavender in it. "There." She said and handed him a magnifying mirror. Andy turned his head to one side, then to the other and gently rubbed his cheek with his palm. His skin felt softer than ever. "How are you feeling?"

"Refreshed, calm. Thank you, Sharon. It really was a treat," he said and took her hand. "I don't even know how to properly thank you for everything you're doing for me."

"Andy, it's my pleasure. I am glad to be here for and with you. I am glad that your injuries aren't worse than they are, and that we get to spend more time together off the clock. And I'm very glad that I got my clean-shaven Andy back." Her voice was playful and she let her index finger dig into his healthy shoulder.

"Your Andy, huh?" he offered her his infamous boyish grin. The one that made his eyes light up. She gave him a quick nod. "Then that makes you my Sharon."

"I like the way it sounds," Sharon said and leaned in for a swift kiss.

"And I like the way you kiss," Andy replied.

"Promise me you'll never grow that scratchy scruff again and you'll get another one," Sharon teased him. Andy was definitely not going to decline that deal. He nodded quickly and barely managed a smile before Sharon's lips claimed his again. He never liked that scruffy beard anyway.

THE END


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