A/N: This was an off-cut of a story I wrote ages ago. Found it on my phone while I tried to edit "Ballet Heels" at work (yay for files not syncing).

In this AU Sharon's having trouble with Feelings and Commitment but she dates and is very flirty. Rusty doesn't like people and is more amused than annoyed by Sharon and Andy dating. Nicole & Dean seem to love throwing parties and Sharon & Andy are among the regular guests.
This AU started while season 2 was airing so it slowly veers off canon after The Wedding.

Train Romanticism
Part 1

It was the day after Christmas and the eve of a new tradition. Sharon's children were in their way back to their own lives, Rusty was in a chocolate coma in his own room and Andy's kids... Ah, Andy's kids. His son had only managed a drive- by his parents' but Nicole, Dean and the boys were back! The new family had conjured a complicated system to ensure no grandparent was left without attention. This year the Christmas day belonged to Dean's parents. Andy and Sharon were happy with scoring an after- Christmas party, especially since it came without a bitter ex-wife.

Yes, Andy thought contently as he watched Sharon getting ready in front of the bathroom mirror, this was good. Just him, Sharon, Nicole and Dean and the boys still excited by their new presents.

"Are you sure Rusty won't want to come?" he asked while Sharon started arranging her hair. She was only wearing her black underwear and he had trouble meeting her eyes. "Nicole invited him again."

She hummed. "You said. But he really wants to stay home alone. I do understand, he's always tied to me." She smiled critically at her reflection. If you could smile critically, Andy amended. Though if anyone could, it would be Sharon. "Besides I think he's still not comfortable around strangers. I know, I know," she said hastily, "Nicole is not a stranger, but you know what I mean."

"Yeah." Andy watched her shimmy into a slinky little black dress. Without a word she backed in front of his perch against the door jamb and started to work on her earrings. Andy took the hint with pleasure. The black fabric seemed like it was ink spreading over a wet paper as the zipper glided upwards. Her skin was soft and smooth and he wanted to lean forward to smell it. He didn't of course, but his fingers might have lingered around the tiny clasp of her bra. Even the fabric of the garment was thin and delicate and definitely not for everyday wear. It would only take a flick of one finger... He fought a shiver. "Shar, by any chance, you haven't forgotten we are just going to Nicole's, right?" She hummed. "I'm just asking." He gripped his right ear lobe. "Uh... Drinks? Dinner? Playing with the kids?"

Sharon turned around with a smile which was at least half laughter. "But it's Christmas!"

He stared at her expectant smile. "Uh... Let me guess. 'Where is my sense of occasion'?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Right. Well my sense of occasion will be right here waiting for you to lose that dress when we get back."

Sharon swatted his chest and started to walk towards her closet. At the threshold she threw a glance over her shoulder. "I'd like that."

Andy turned to watch her behind as she bent over to get some shoes. She took suspiciously long for that simple task, he thought, but refrained from commenting.

"Well, I'll check my calendar and see if I can pencil that in," he said sullenly. She was entirely too knowing of what he liked. This time the dress at least wasn't lace with strategically placed cut-outs to distract him even further. He still remembered that dress and how them shopping for it landed them in his bed for the first time. He also remembered the way she had managed a full conversation in double-entendres with his daughter while wearing said dress the day after.

Andy conveniently ignored the fact that it had all been in his head. Sharon should have known. Though, really, the coordinated way in which she straightened and looked at him made Andy sure she was to devious to put anything past her. And her chortled laugh didn't help.

Sharon passed him with her shoe selection in hand and made her way towards the bed.

"Hold on!" She paused at his accusing tone. "You are wearing those?"

Sharon glanced at the shoes. They were black stiletto heels with ballet style ankle straps complete with bows. "Yes?" she hazarded. Clearly it was not the right answer if Andy's exasperated look was anything to go by.

"Sharon, Sharon, Sharon..." he said disapprovingly as he ambled towards her. He pushed her back to sit on the bed and took the shoes from her fingers. Then he knelt down before her and pulled the shoes on her feet. As he fastened the straps, he kissed both of her ankles. "I think my sense of occasion is telling me to strongly consider being fashionably late. Hot girlfriends are so much trouble."

"Poor baby," Sharon giggled as his hands started to wander along her legs. "Well, maybe next time you should think of that before..." She paused and her look went from blank to the kind of smile you reserve for cute babies and adorable puppies climbing into cardboard boxes. "Oh Andy."

"What?" He looked dumbfounded.

"It's alright to be nervous," she said and reached to stroke his cheek.

"I'm not nervous!" His voice squeaked. "These are nice shoes."

"Don't change the subject."

"I'm not!" Andy started to caress her right leg like someone wanting something pretty big granted by the cat god and wishing a good petting might get him remembered. "You've got nice legs."

"Thank you, but can we get back on the issue at hand?"

"I'm handling the issue," he said cheekily and squeezed her calf. "Very nice issue in fact."

"Andy." She pulled her leg out of his hand. "I understand if you feel nervous and that is normal. It's very sweet, actually."

"I'm not nervous," he said obstinate. Sharon quirked a brow. "Why would you think I was?"

"Apart from you acting like women were a totally new concept to you?"

"I'm not! Why would you say that!"

She sighed. "You haven't left me out of your sight for ten seconds all day. You sorted my laundry while I was in the shower just to stay in the room!"

"Is it a crime to want to spend time with you?" Andy sulked.

"No, of course not. But if you study me any harder I'm starting to doubt I'm either not having all the regular bits or having something extra."

"Your bits are fine. Very fine." After a while he mumbled, "What if there's nothing to say?"

"Why wouldn't there be?"

He shrugged. "There's always been something to do. The ballet. The therapy. Something. And Sandra's always been there."

"Is that it?" Sharon asked. "What if they don't like me?" She tilted her head. "Do you want me to not..."

Andy looked at her horrified. "No, Sharon, no. They love you. It's not you." He turned to play with one of the bows on her shoes. "What if they don't like me."

"Oh, Andy." She took his head in her hands and raised his eyes to hers. "Why on earth would you think that?"

He shrugged.

"Nicole wants you there. She wants to have a relationship with you. And she wouldn't want that if she didn't care."

"Nicole is fine," he sighed. "What do I have to offer to kids? What about Dean? He knows I'm a screw-up. They've been off with their grandparents, probably in some winter wonderland and I don't even know anything about ballet!"

"Yes you do," Sharon said certainly. "And it doesn't matter if you don't. You are interested and making the effort to understand and that's all they want. Dean will see that, and he will see the effort you're making with Nicole. Give him a chance." She tapped his nose. "And you're their grandparent too, remember that."

"It's so easy for you. Everybody likes you," he grumbled.

She laughed a wholehearted laugh. "Well there's been no evidence of that this far."

"You're just laughing at me."

"A little bit, yes," Sharon admitted. "Andy, you're being silly. Dean accepted you from the get-go. The boys might not love you yet, but you'll get there. The more effort you put into that the sooner it will happen. Until then you'll have to be content with just me liking you, okay?"

He grumbled something unintelligible.

"I didn't quite catch that," she sing-songed.

"One must accept what is given," he sighed resigned.

Her melodious laughter filled the room before she softly pressed her lips against his. "I love you," she said more hesitantly than he would have liked. But that was only a sign of how much she meant it, he knew.

He responded by kissing her twice as hard.

"Um, didn't we agree it was Nicole's turn to suffer through all this kissy-giggly stuff today?"

Sharon and Andy parted with chuckles. Sharon patted his knee and helped him on his feet before walking into her closet for a coat.

"Sorry, Rusty," Andy said pushing his hands in his pockets with a grin that was not sorry at all, "we thought we should share the fun a little so as to not get blamed for playing favorites."

"Well, on this I'm happy to let Nicole be the favorite. Can't you two stop making out like for half an hour?"

"Did you want something before we go?" Sharon asked coming back in the room.

"No, not really. I wanted to use the bathroom, but the door was still locked."

"Oh, sorry, honey." Sharon backed in front of Andy again, this time for straightening her collar. "We're all ready, you can go in through here."

Andy patted Sharon's arms. She nodded and went to get her purse.

"Andy?" Rusty asked from the bathroom door. "You're going to take off that lipstick before you go, right?"

Andy scowled after the kid but went to a mirror. A little cherry lipstick... it wasn't that bad. He started rubbing it off.

"Ready?" Sharon appeared with her purse.

"Just a second." He took a Kleenex and rubbed the corner of his lips. "Apparently I'm not 'Winter'," he said.

Sharon looked in askance until he showed her the smudge on the tissue. She laughed.

"I'm crushed, tell you the truth," he said and threw the Kleenex away. "A guy tries everything, even a new lipstick, and only gets laughed at." He scooped a hand around her waist and walked her to his coat waiting in the rack beside the front door.

"You deserve it," Sharon said fixing his collar. She ended up with both of her hands on his chest. Watching him for a while, she said, "I've never laughed this much with anyone."

"Really?" Andy clasped his hands over hers. "None of your millions of men were stand-up comedians?"

The men Sharon had gone out with during the years had become a running gag between them after she finally told him. They were never anything serious; just friends and friends of friends, a fleet of first dates that never went anywhere, men she saw but who never saw her kids. She wasn't looking for that kind of commitment and it was a miracle she had let Andy in. Andy for his part was constantly more and more surprised she had chosen him: the list of her former dates included some pretty fine specimens over which even a heterosexual male could go a little gay. The only one he had (knowingly) met in person happened to be tall, dark, blue-eyed French speaking doctor. He still wasn't completely over that meeting and the name 'Edward' was known to set his teeth on edge.

Sharon rolled her eyes. "Yes, of course I've been with comedians. But not a successful one in the bunch."

"Well that's at least something," Andy said gruffly. He reached for her scarf and as he slipped it around her neck, he laid a soft kiss on her lips. "I love you too."

She giggled, smiled and patted his chest. "Everything will be alright, you'll see."

"I'd like to believe that, but you're such an optimist." Sharon rolled her eyes again and called a bye to Rusty. She shoved Andy in the hallway and tried very hard to not laugh at his pouty mood. "Everything goes well for you. I never get anything good." Sharon laughed at him again, but slipped her arm around his. She wasn't going to get dragged into this pity party. But Andy tried anyway. "You'll see it will all crash and burn," he said as they stepped into the elevator. "Then you'll have to admit I was right."