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Prompt: Sharon/Andrea, "Not just because it's Christmas..."
A soft knock on Sharon's office door, three light raps, made Sharon's tired eyes leave the paperwork in front of her and go to the door that was slowly opening. Andrea Hobbs' head appeared and Sharon let out a relieved sigh, glad that it wasn't anybody else.
"Is it safe to come in?" Andrea joked, smiling at her. Sharon nodded. Andrea opened the door wider and stepped in, softly closing it behind her. "I don't see what everyone was complaining about," Andrea started, crossing the room and looking at Sharon. "You would expect a fire breathing dragon to be sitting in here with the way they described your mood. I was ready to do some damage control."
Sharon's cheeks tinted slightly as she looked away from Andrea. "That bad, hm?"
Andrea smiled as she dropped her belongings down on one of the chairs and then sat down in the other. The detectives had mentioned Sharon was having a particularly rough day and Rusty had hinted at why. All Andrea knew was Sharon wasn't going to be able to spend Christmas with her family this year. Why, she didn't know, but she knew that wasn't what was important at the moment. Right then, Andrea could tell Sharon was under a lot of stress and she wanted to help.
"No," Andrea answered. "I might have exaggerated a little."
Sharon hummed, lifting her eyes up to meet Andrea's gaze. "And why would you do that?" Sharon asked, leaning forward on the desk slightly, her forearms resting atop her paperwork.
"Because," Andrea said slowly.
The corners of Sharon's lips tugged upwards, a small smile starting. "Because?"
"Because I was hoping it would get you to smile," she answered honestly, her gaze unable to stay locked with Sharon's. She could feel that rush of happiness start in her belly and flutter up to her heart. Out of the corner of her eye she caught Sharon's radiant smile.
Sharon's eyes lit up, bright and illuminating. "Oh," she said softly.
After the day she had endured, it was nice having someone come to visit without any bad news, or last minute work, nothing more than words that made Sharon's entire being warm pleasantly. Sharon sat back in her seat, studying Andrea. The light flush that had creeped up the blonde's neck was beautiful. It made Sharon feel less nervous; she clearly wasn't the only one affected by Andrea's words. She was thankful for that; her own skin had flushed more and her smile wouldn't leave her lips. This wasn't out of the ordinary for the two of them, but it still surprised her a little each time.
Andrea finally forced herself to look up at Sharon, rubbing her hands down her thighs as she told her racing pulse to calm down. Clearing her throat, Andrea glanced down to the paperwork splayed across Sharon's desk. "How much longer do you think you'll be here?"
That implied she would actually be able to leave, Sharon thought. "Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be leaving for at least another two hours."
Andrea nodded understandingly. "I should probably let you get-"
"No," Sharon interrupted hastily, biting the inside of her cheek when she realized how quickly she had said that.
Andrea hid her surprise behind her smile.
"I mean..." Sharon cleared her throat. "You don't have to leave right away." And as an afterthought, Sharon added, "If you don't want to." There was a small part of Sharon that wanted to shake herself for feeling so flustered, but that was pushed away when Andrea smiled at her and leaned back in her seat.
"All right," Andrea said.
"All right," Sharon repeated.
Andrea laughed, the atmosphere both relaxed and tense, the two contradicting each other. "Oh, before I forget," she said, earning her a questioning look from the captain. "I actually wanted to..." Andrea's eyes left Sharon's and looked at anything and everything but Sharon, unable to look into the intense pools of glittering green and say what she wanted to say. "Rusty told me about your Christmas plans."
Sharon's heart sunk slightly. Not because Rusty had shared the private information with Andrea, but because she knew that Rusty thought it was his fault it would just be the two of them this year. Simply having Andrea mention it made Sharon think about the way Rusty had looked when she told him.
"And I know it's not the same," she heard Andrea saying as she tuned back in, "but I'd love to have the two of you over for dinner if you have no other plans."
Sharon sat in stunned silence. Had Andrea just offered to spend Christmas with them? That had to be what Andrea had said. A few of her detectives had offered as well, after finding out that it was just her and Rusty, but she had declined. This felt different. Maybe it was the way Andrea shyly asked her, or the way Andrea couldn't quite look up at her. Or perhaps it was different this time because Sharon wanted to say yes.
Andrea looked up and wondered if maybe it was a mistake asking her. "I-"
"That's a very kind offer," Sharon stated, licking her lips and sitting up.
"Well, it is Christmas," Andrea pointed out with a smile. "You should spend the day with people who care about you."
"Yes," Sharon said, her tone breathier than she expected it to be. It felt like they were having two separate conversations: one where Andrea was asking Sharon and Rusty to dinner, and another where Andrea was asking her to have dinner with her because Andrea cared about her. While similar, the two held different meanings. "Christmas should certainly be spent with people you care about."
"My sister and nephews will also be there. I understand if you don't want to."
"No," Sharon said, shaking her head. "Just the opposite, actually. I think Rusty would like that." Sharon had met Andrea's sister once and Rusty had spent time with Andrea's nephews on a few occasions.
Andrea felt herself relax, relieved. "And you?" Andrea asked carefully. "Is it something you would like?"
Sharon opened her mouth to speak, but someone knocked on her door, making her pause. Before Sharon looked up, she caught the defeated look flash through Andrea's eyes. "Come in," she answered.
Detective Sykes appeared, smiling at the blonde DDA and then Sharon. "Morales says he's ready for you and to take your time."
"Very sarcastically, I'm sure," Andrea said, smiling fondly.
"Of course," Sharon said, nodding at Amy. "Thank you."
"No problem, Captain."
Alone again, Andrea stood. "Looks like you have somewhere to be."
It took Sharon a moment to realize Andrea was getting up and leaving, but once she did, Sharon rushed to her feet. She walked around to the desk and stopped in front of Andrea. "Yes," she said.
"Yes?"
"Yes, I would love spending Christmas evening with you." Sharon smiled as she walked Andrea to the door. "Honestly," Sharon said, the word being pronounced carefully, "I've been trying to find a reason to ask you out for dinner, or, well, anything."
Andrea couldn't fight the wide smile that Sharon's words made appear. "So it's not just because it's Christmas?"
Sharon shook her head. "Of course not," she said, again in that breathy way that made Andrea smile at her. "I enjoy spending time with you. I'd love to be able to do it more often."
"Oh. Well. I'll, uhm..." Andrea let out a slow breath; Sharon was the only person able to get her this flustered, especially this easily. "I'll call you later to..."
Sharon smiled and nodded. "Okay." She opened the door and stepped out of the way. "Goodnight, Andrea," she said, her hand resting on the other woman's shoulder for a second while she passed.
"Goodnight, Sharon," she responded, walking away, already planning Christmas in her head.
The End. Thanks for reading.