Pluviophile
(n) a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days.
As fat droplets of rain landed against the window of her condo, Sharon Raydor took pleasure in the rarity of it raining in Los Angeles. She also took pleasure in it being the weekend. Two days in which she could catch up on lost sleep, read a book, do laundry and a much needed grocery shop. The last few weeks had definitely taken their toll. She felt exhausted; mentally, emotionally and physically. So as the rain outside her living room window intensified, Sharon let her lungs fill deeply with air and her eyes drift close, a practiced measure to clear her mind.
She was partway through taking a second lungful of air when the corners of her lips curled into a smile and two strong arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in close.
"Good morning". She greeted softly, her head lolling back into the crook of his shoulder.
"Mornin'" Andy greeted back, his lips pressing to her temple.
This was something new, Andy staying over. Thinking about it, their whole relationship was still new, but she could be forgiven for thinking it wasn't. There's something special, almost magical, when two close friends become something more. You already have a binding connection; a knowledge and understanding of the other person's strengths and weaknesses. But then there's also the moments when you learn something new about them and it's like a wildfire. You find yourself breathless.
With Andy, Sharon felt bare, naked and without any layers. She felt as though she could pour her soul out to him and he'd listen, he'd take her in his arms, whisper sweet nothings into her ear and make love to her, slowly and tenderly. In the early stages, she'd felt like that with Jack, but even so, with Andy, there was something more. Maybe it was her age, maybe it was the way he'd managed to so quickly insert himself into her heart, but she was beginning to realise that sometimes, home has a heartbeat.
"You doing okay?" Andy asked, his voice soft in the early morning hour. "You were restless throughout the night".
"Mmm". Sharon hummed, wrapping Andy's arms tighter around her body. "I'm just… fatigued, I guess for a better word".
Andy raised an eyebrow even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah?"
Taking a deep breath, Sharon turned in Andy's embrace, her hands settling over his heart, her fingers feeling the soft thud through his thin cotton shirt.
"The last few weeks have been... more exhausting than I expected. There have been highs". Pausing, Sharon smiled. When she looked up to Andy and found him beaming down to her, mischief in his grin, the corners of her eyes crinkled and her smile grew even greater. "And there have also been some lows." Searching Andy's eyes for answers, Sharon pursed her lips together. "I've been doing this for a long time, Andy, but I'm struggling to make sense of it all".
Pushing a lock of fiery hair out of Sharon's face, Andy let his thumb graze over her cheek. "We all doubt yourselves sometimes".
"I know". Bringing her hand up to cover Andy's, Sharon leant her head into his open palm. "I feel bad for Gus, and for Rusty. They both would have liked a different outcome for Mariana, and I wish I could have given that to them".
Nodding his head, Andy expelled a deep breath of air. "Sometimes we wish we could give more than we can. Gus and Rusty will both come to understand that we tried everyone we could and what we gave was more than what others would".
Closing her eyes and humming in response, Sharon felt her body sag. Watching her, Andy felt his heart engulf with sadness and with love. Softly, he leant down and kissed her. Their lips melded together, the touch sweet. Each time he kissed her, it was as if for the first time all over again.
She felt breathless when they parted, she often was. As Andy's forehead came a rest on hers, she opened her eyes, meeting his gently gaze.
"Thank you". Her voice was barely a whisper.
Andy knitted his brows, confused. "For what?"
"For opening my eyes, and my heart".
A thousand words were said between their eyes as Andy captured her lips for a chaste kiss that was full of meaning.
"How about I make us some tea".
"I would like that". Sharon answered, surer than ever than home did indeed have a heartbeat.
With one more ghostlike kiss, Andy let go and slowly made his way to the kitchen. Sharon watched him for a few moments, before she turned back to the window and watched the steady staccato of rain beat down on the city. She smiled, her heart felt full. She was content, happy. Work may have been taking a toll, but her life otherwise was doing more than okay. Rusty and Andy, Ricky and Emily. She had what she needed, what makes her full of joy.
Reaching out to touch the glass, to trace a droplet of rain as it slipped and slide down the window, Sharon took a breath. "Sometimes, home has a heartbeat".
Final Words
Thank you to everyone who has read and kindly reviewed, your words are so greatly appreciated. "Sometimes, home has a heart beat" is one of my absolute favourite quotes from Beau Taplin, and when I was scrolling through pinterest and saw "pluviophile", I knew I had to put both together and it had to be a Sharon/Andy story.