Thank you once again for all of your support, feedback, and kindness towards my other stories! I really appreciate each and every one of you! This is just a fluffy/angsty little Valentine's one-shot. It takes place last year during Sharon and Andy's first Valentine's Day. As always, I welcome your feedback.

I do not own Major Crimes or any of the wonderful characters. That honor belongs to James Duff and co. I just enjoy writing about them.

February 2016

Sharon was never one for Valentine's Day. She always considered it a silly holiday, but then Jack came along, and she began to despise the day. Not at first, of course. At first, she enjoyed the attention he lavished on her on this day. He would go all out - candy, flowers, romantic dinners at fancy restaurants, and big gestures. When she was younger, it made her feel loved. As she got older, it was just a reminder of how predictable and unromantic her husband had become. Before he left (for good), he would continue to lavish her with an abundance of Valentine's gifts each year even if they weren't on the best of terms. He did it out of obligation. He did it because he thought he should not because he wanted to or felt anything romantic towards her or their crumbling relationship. It was kind of like those letters he was so fond of leaving her every time he moved out.

Once Jack stopped caring enough to keep up the pretense that their relationship still mattered to him, the flowers and candy and everything else finally stopped. Sharon didn't miss any of it. In the years that followed, she had stayed away from serious relationships, but this year was different. It was the first time since Jack that she had someone to spend the sappy holiday with. Andy, who she had almost lost to a blood clot only a few short months ago. Andy, who had stolen her heart long before she was even aware. And yet, this day still held a slight disdain.

It started like most of her days: with an early morning crime scene and murder. When Sharon approached the grisly scene splayed out on the floor of a popular boutique, she was glad that this day held no special significance for her because the stench alone would be enough of a mood killer. After a trip to the morgue, which put a further damper on the day, Sharon finally made it into the murder room where she laid eyes on Andy for the first time. He offered her a friendly smile and she returned it before moving towards her office.

It was once she had her bag stowed and her coat hung that it occurred to her that Andy hadn't mentioned anything about Valentine's Day. She wasn't expecting (or wanting) any sort of big gesture, but it surprised her that he hadn't even suggested any plans. Maybe he knew better than to plan a date in their line of work, she considered. But the thought didn't settle right with her. Andy loved to plan time together, and he liked romantic gestures. When their eyes met this morning, he had only offered the friendly smile as if today was no different than any other day. Maybe it wasn't for him either. Perhaps, this day held painful reminders for him as well. Sharon decided to focus on the case since she wasn't St. Valentine's biggest fan either.

It was late afternoon when she heard a familiar knock on her open door. She looked up and welcomed Andy into the space with a friendly smile. He was balancing some files and a take-out bag from one of her favorite restaurants. Her stomach growled at the sight. She had been so busy with the case, she had completely forgotten about lunch.

"Hey, we stopped for lunch on our way back and I wasn't sure if you'd eaten or not, so..." he trailed off as he set the bag in front of her and took a seat in the chair across her desk.

"You know what, I haven't," she said with a smile. She took the styrofoam container out of the bag and opened it to reveal her favorite goat cheese and berry arugula salad with the raspberry vinaigrette dressing on the side just how she liked it. "This is incredible. Thank you, Andy," she said.

"It's just a salad," he replied, amused. She took a bite and let out a small hum of approval.

"This is not just a salad," she corrected. "It's the BEST salad". He laughed.

"It is pretty good," he conceded, and she gave him a surprised look. "What? I had one for lunch, too. Wanted to see what all the fuss is about," he added with a twinkle in his eye. She pursed her lips before digging back into her salad.

They spent the rest of the time discussing the case and what he and Provenza had gathered while they were out. He left her office shortly after, and it occurred to her once again that he hadn't mentioned anything about today being Valentine's Day. It was odd, but she decided not to think too much on it.

By the end of the day, they had their suspect in custody. He was refusing to talk, so the squad was stuck until his lawyer could get there the next day. They had enough to hold him overnight, so after finishing up reports, everyone began filing out for the evening. Sharon looked up from her report, and her eyes met Andy's. He smiled before packing up and heading to her office. Here it comes, she thought.

"So... um... I thought I'd catch a meeting tonight. So if it's okay with you, I'm going to head out," he said hesitantly. This was not what she had expected him to say at all, and apparently, her face was reflecting her confusion. "If there's something else you need me to do, then I don't have to. I'll catch one later this week. It's no big deal either way," he assured her. She stared at him for a moment longer, still trying to gather her thoughts.

"No, there's nothing else, Andy," she said finally. "You're free to go," she added with a forced smile.

"Okay, if you're sure," he replied and she nodded. "Then, I'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night".

"You, too," she said a bit taken aback. No, she hadn't been looking for empty romantic gestures, but a simple "Happy Valentine's Day" would have sufficed. There were no flowers or candy. No card or dinner. No acknowledgement whatsoever that today was any different from any other day. Had he forgotten? She would understand if, like her, he wasn't the holiday's biggest fan. But this complete denial was hard to comprehend. Of course, she reminded herself, it wasn't as if she had acted like today was special either. Had she scared him off? Mark another one in the column for strongly disliking Valentine's Day!

As she rode up in the elevator to her floor, Sharon thought about Andy. She had come to the conclusion on her way home that Andy didn't like Valentine's Day any more than she did. She thought about the way he wanted to go to a meeting, and it suddenly clicked. Andy attended meetings regularly and when he felt like he needed to. Tonight was not his regular meeting, and their case had not taken any sort of personal toll on him. So, she concluded, it must be the day. She vowed to talk to him about it once they wrapped the case and this awful day.

When she entered her condo, it was dark. Rusty was out with Gus which meant leftovers in the microwave for her, except, there was something much more appetizing wafting from her kitchen. She quickly made her way there, but found nothing unusual. She turned back toward her living room and noticed a simple red rose woven through the handle of the door leading to her patio. She stepped towards it and pulled open the door.

She walked out onto her patio and found Andy putting the finishing touches on a candle-lit table. There were two plates with food from their favorite Italian restaurant along with sparkling cider in wine glasses and a perfectly set table. She looked up at Andy and noticed the beautiful arrangement of hydrangeas, her favorite, in his hands. Her mood instantly changed as she felt warmth flow throughout her body.

"Happy Valentine's Day," he said with a nervous smile. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

"Andy... this is... wow," she said as she blinked back tears. As far as gestures go, a candle-lit dinner at home certainly wasn't grand, but it definitely felt huge to Sharon because it came from his heart. It was genuine and meaningful, not one of those empty gestures she had experienced in the past.

"I had planned to make dinner, but then the case happened, and well..." he explained.

"This is perfect, Andy," she said softly, unexpected emotion taking over. What was happening? She disliked Valentine's Day. Found it completely phony, and yet...

"I'm sorry if I seemed distant at work. This being our first Valentine's, I wasn't sure how you'd feel about me making a big deal about it in front of everyone," he said a bit sheepishly. "And besides, I've always felt like big gestures on Valentine's Day are overrated. I kinda like the quieter moments, myself. But if you like the big ones, then I'll go bigger next year," he quickly qualified. She shook her head, but couldn't help the smile that played on her lips at his assumption that they would still be here together next year.

"No, actually, I'm quite partial to the quieter kind as well," she replied with a watery smile. She took the few steps between them until she was right in front of him. Her hand landed on his chest while her eyes met his.

"Yeah? Then why are you upset," he asked concerned. She let out a small emotion-filled laugh.

"Oh, Andy, I am a lot of things right now, but I can assure you that upset is not one of them," she replied before bringing her lips to his. The kiss started out slow and soft, but they both deepened it as their lips found a passionate rhythm. Sharon's hand remained firmly planted on his chest right over his heart while her other wound around his neck, keeping his mouth close to hers. His hands (flowers and all) found purchase on her waist, his free fingers gently digging into her flesh through her suit.

When they reluctantly broke the contact, they remained close. Sharon caressed his chest while Andy lovingly massaged her back. They were wrapped in a cocoon with just each other and this moment and neither wanted to break it.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Andy," Sharon breathed out. He leaned in and kissed her softly.

"I love you, Sharon. I just want to make sure you know that today and every day," he assured her. She nodded.

"And I love you," she replied genuinely. This wasn't the first time they had said the words to each other, but it was still relatively new.

When they regretfully let each other go, Andy gave her the flowers, and she put them in a vase before making them the centerpiece of their dinner table.

They sat down and enjoyed the take-out dinner on the wobbly patio table that Andy had transformed into a romantic evening for two. Both were lost in each other, and neither much cared that their Valentine's dinner had gotten cold. They had each other.

And after the last few months, that was all that really mattered anyway.

THE END