A/N: So, this fic is basically a huge ball of fluff exploring exactly how Andy Flynn realized he wanted to spend the rest of his life with Sharon Raydor. Also, this story was born and inspired by, as it often is, a song I heard that made me think of Sharon and Andy and their relationship. This particular fic is based off of the song, "They Can't See" by Michael Tyler. If you feel like it, you should give it a listen on YouTube (before or after reading the fic is up to you). Anyways, enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or M/C, but if I did, this is what would happen.
What They Don't See
His heart attack had definitely been a factor in him coming to this realization. Sure, he'd known that he loved Sharon a lot and that she felt the same way about him. He'd known both of those things for quite a while now. If he was being completely honest though, he'd loved her a lot longer than she'd probably ever know.
They'd also been living together for quite some time now. It had initially started with him staying at the condo temporarily after his dust up with the car and then again after his blood clot and eventual surgery to remove it. Back then, he'd just enjoyed being able to spend more time with her. It of course had its challenges at times with him being sidelined and at times feeling like some sort of invalid. Not to mention the fact that back then they weren't at a point in their relationship yet where they were intimate with each other or even sharing a bed, yet were living in the same house. Him being injured of course hadn't helped with any of that. Due to his injuries, and later that issue of the blood clot, it had pretty much put the brakes on his and Sharon's relationship progressing much in the physical sense.
Despite the initial awkwardness at first, they'd eventually moved past it and found ways to coexist together that while on the surface may have seemed simple, ended up being an experience that deepened their emotional intimacy with each other far more than either of them had anticipated. Not to mention the fact that those emotions only amplified themselves when he collapsed and ended up having to have surgery to remove the blood clot in his neck.
Once he'd recovered and was able to go back to living on his own, most people would assume that those emotions would settle down and that things would go back to how they had been before. Sharon of course had initially been worried about Andy living on his own again, but also knew that it was something they both needed to do in order for their relationship to go back to normal. Whatever that meant. Instead it had only intensified the emotional connection between them and it wasn't too long after that when the physical side of their relationship began to progress as well.
There had been too many nights to count where Sharon had stayed the night at his place in Valencia, or later on, where he would stay at the condo. In her bed this time. Eventually, it started to become a thing where they'd each leave a few pairs of extra clothes at the others place, knowing that it would be a given that they were going back to one of their homes at the end of the night together. That, coupled with the fact that he wanted to be closer to his family, work, and obviously Sharon, had been why he'd decided to put his house on the market and look for someplace closer to LA.
To say that he'd been surprised when Sharon had agreed to look at houses together rather than him getting his own place, would've been the understatement of the year. Sharon, of course, had pointed out the practical reasons why it made sense. That they'd already lived together before and that they were practically living together now, albeit at two different residences. It honestly sounded like something Rusty or Nicole would say to them, and at the time it had him seriously wondering if she'd spoken to one or both of them about this beforehand. Sharon had also expressed to him over dinner that night that she simply wanted something that was theirs together rather than continuing to live in terms of yours and mine. Their house. Their room. Their bed. Coming from her, that part had surprised him even more than her agreeing to look at houses with him had. Not only was Sharon an independent woman, but he knew she also had some baggage when it came to sharing a life with someone in the way she was proposing. So, the fact that she was willing to take this next step with him despite her apprehension, once again had him feeling honored that she'd chosen him over every other guy she could've been with.
Of course, not everything had worked out exactly how they'd planned. The perfect house that Andy had found for them turned out to have toxic black mold in it and the LA real estate market was extremely competitive. So, when his house in Valencia had sold much quicker than he anticipated it would, Sharon hadn't hesitated to suggest that he move into the condo until they found a house together.
Now, almost six months later, they still hadn't found a house, which had to do with quite a few factors. His heart attack, their busy and at times erratic work schedules, this whole assistant chief business, and a competitive market. Needless to say, finding a house together had taken a backseat, and for the time being they both understood why and were okay with that. They were living together now and that was enough.
Except Andy had been doing a lot of thinking lately, but especially since his heart attack, about how living together could only be the beginning for them. Sure, they'd talked hypothetically about whether or not either of them would ever consider getting married again, an option they had both agreed could be a possibility sometime in the future. This though, was no longer a hypothetical. At least for Andy it wasn't. He knew, without a doubt, that he wanted to ask Sharon Raydor to marry him.
Now, one might wonder why or how he arrived at such a momentous decision, and if anybody actually asked him that question, they'd be in for quite the lengthy answer. To put it simply, he was most in love with the things about her that others didn't see.
Some of these things he'd noticed when he'd been temporarily staying with her after being thrown from the car and developing the blood clot. The way she looked in the morning when she came into the kitchen in her pajamas. The way she would kiss his cheek when she first saw him in the morning and then kiss him again, usually on the forehead, and always made sure to wipe the lipstick away before she left for work. Or the way she'd come in the door every night and slip off the work mask, sometimes right before his eyes. She'd set her keys and bag down on the table by the front door and slip out of her heels before going in search of him until she found him, and usually placed a chaste kiss against his lips before he inevitably led her over to the couch and began massaging her feet as they talked about their days.
Other things he began noticing after he'd collapsed from the blood clot and had needed surgery. Most notably, the way she'd hover over him and worry about him. It had initially irritated him that she needed to worry about him at all, and the way she hovered, especially those first few days after the surgery, had been a bit over the top. What he'd come to realize though, was that hovering and taking care of him was Sharon's way of showing that she cared while trying to distract herself from the emotional gravity of the situation. He'd found that out late one night after he'd been released from the hospital. He'd gotten up to go get a glass of water, when he'd overheard Sharon praying for him and his continued recovery from the surgery. He hadn't been sure whether he should make his presence in the hallway known, when a few moments later, he heard her asking God for the strength to remain strong for him when the fear and worry of losing him threatened to overwhelm her. It hadn't been until he'd heard her crying a few moments later though, that he made the decision to push open the door and pull her into his arms. She'd initially been a bit startled by his presence, but had quickly sunk into his arms and let him comfort her. She'd of course tried to apologize for her emotional outburst, but he reminded her that he'd been the one skulking outside her door. Realizing that he'd overheard what she'd said before she started crying, she'd asked him how much of it he'd heard and he'd admitted to hearing pretty much all of it. He'd told her at the time that he was touched that she'd pray for him and thought it was really sweet. Now though, he found it to be just one in a long line of things about Sharon Raydor that had and continued to make him fall in love with her even more.
Of course, there were also things he noticed after things had returned to some semblance of normal in their lives. The way she'd immediately join their hands together over the center console in the car when they'd leave the PAB together at night or leave one of their houses to go out on a date. Or the way she looked at him when she wanted to kiss him. Or the look she'd get in her eyes and the way she'd bite down on her lower lip when she wanted to make love. Speaking of which, that part of their relationship had brought about even more things for him to love about Sharon Raydor. The way her kisses showed just how much she loved and wanted him. Or the way the tender touch of her hands told him just how much he meant to her. Or how their movements together as they made love were like a symphony. A blend of each of them, yet perfectly harmonious together. Or the way she'd look in the morning after she'd just woken up and the way her sleep filled voice sounded when she told him good morning. Or the way she looked as she got ready for the day. Or how she'd mentioned one day how they coincidentally seemed to color coordinate quite often and suggested that they make it a thing. Their way of acknowledging their relationship while at work without being too forward about it.
Finally, there were the things he became aware of once they'd begun living together. The way she'd sneak up behind him at random times and wrap her arms around him from behind. Or how she'd constantly flirt with him. Whether they were getting ready in the morning. Or from across the breakfast table. Or in the car as they were driving to work or going out somewhere on their day off. Or even during the most mundane of things like grocery shopping or folding laundry. He'd also took notice of how she'd grab his hand at night as she prayed. So much so that her faith had led him to reexamine his own, which eventually resulted in him deciding to pray with her every night and even going to church with her sometimes too. Then of course he noticed the way she'd place a kiss against his back, whether clothed or bare, every night as she wrapped her arms around him before they drifted off to sleep. Or how her feet would inevitably always end up tangled with his by the time the sun came up in the morning.
Sure, there was no denying that she was beautiful, but the things Andy Flynn loved most about Sharon Raydor were the things beyond the surface. The things that nobody else really got to see. Those were the things that had led him to this decision. They were the things that had led to this moment. The moment where he was about to get down on bended knee and ask the woman he loved for all these simple yet beautiful things, to spend the rest of her life with him. Where he would no doubt find even more things to love about her that other people didn't get to see.
A/N: As always, please leave me a review to let me know what you thought of this story. This format was a bit different than how I usually write. So, any feedback or constructive criticism is much appreciated! Also, a huge thanks to all of you for your continued support and feedback on my other stories (both here and on Tumblr). As a writer, it is both invaluable and greatly appreciated!