"Come sit with me," Andy called to her from the couch in the living room.

Sharon smiled to herself as she put the last dish from dinner in the dishwasher. He sounded slightly desperate and she thought it was cute.

"I have to go soon," he called again.

She wiped her hands quickly with a towel, which she threw carelessly on the counter before approaching the couch.

Andy heard her footsteps but didn't turn around to see her. Nicole had just texted him, saying she was running a little late. He replied with 'no problem' and felt Sharon's hands slide from his shoulders to his chest as she leaned against him from behind, with the backrest between them. She placed a trail of gentle kisses from under his ear to his cheek. He smiled and closed his eyes for a moment, enjoying the touch of her lips against his skin.

"Don't do that to me right before I have to leave," he muttered as the urge to get her into a lying position sent softly stinging waves through his body, waves which lingered in his pelvis area. She chuckled in his ear and stood up, breaking contact for a moment as she walked around the couch and came to a stop in front of him, her knee slightly touching his.

Andy looked up. The idea was to see her face and try to understand why she just stopped there instead of sitting with him, but his eyes ended up traveling between her eyes and her chest several times as he took her hand in his hand and a smile appeared on his lips – quite the scheming one, Sharon noted.

She bent down and kissed him. He loved how soft her lips felt. There was always a sweet sensation to them. He couldn't remember any other woman who made him feel that way about her lips.

As Sharon's hands held both his cheeks, his hands moved smoothly around her hips and slid down just a little, until they reached a different kind of cheeks.

Sharon stopped the kiss at once when she felt his hands on her backside, but her head only moved back by a few inches. They looked at each other, their faces only a few inches apart. He took her by surprise, but it wasn't unpleasant. Their relationship was still so fresh and new, that almost everything was a first.

The smell of her perfume lingered in the air around them like a cloud. Andy loved the way she always smelled like a rare flower.

"When do you have to go?" her voice was low, almost a whisper, and it sent another round of the soft, stinging waves so deep into him that he felt them in his bones.

"In a few minutes."

She stood straight and looked down at him again. "But you're coming back later?" The necessity in her tone was endearing. It washed over him with a sense of how much he cared for her.

"We said we'll take advantage of Rusty's absence, and we will. Believe me," he smiled.

It had been 6 months since her divorce was finalized and a little over a month since they finally couldn't hold back their feelings anymore. They had grown closer and closer over the time, but the real change happened after one of their non-dates, when they walked to his car. They were standing there and she had just laughed about something he said. There had been a silence as they both smiled, looking each other in the eyes.

Then, something took over him, a boost of courage coming from nowhere, and he'd taken a big step toward her, grabbing her waist at once and bringing his forehead to hers. He'd wanted to kiss her so badly, but not without permission. She'd gasped in shock, for a second standing still, and then completed his move, closing the gap between their lips.

Andy couldn't think of anything in his life that felt better at that moment. The desire to kiss her had been building up inside him for months, and the relief that came with the kiss finally happening felt divine.

After that night they had an official date at Andy's apartment. Sharon didn't want to go out and bump into someone they knew, so they stayed in. She couldn't remember the last time she was so nervous, but the date turned out to be great. Andy cooked a wonderful dinner, they watched a movie together and he even walked her to her car. There wasn't one moment of awkward silence, only a few comfortable pauses.

On the next date, things got more intimate. They were both pretty nervous as they went along, but afterwards, there were no more barriers between them. Everything was completely free and open. Sharon wished she could have stayed in his arms all night long, but she had to cut their date short, since she didn't want to tell Rusty about them yet and she had no excuse to be so late.

They managed to have two more dates. Andy knew that Sharon hated lying. She couldn't keep telling Rusty she had to work late. So he found himself more than once daydreaming about those four dates, those four magical times he got to spend with her.

Now, a month later, there was another burning desire inside of him – he needed to let her know how he felt for her – but he didn't want to move too fast and scare her. So, instead, he pulled her body towards him, causing her to lose her balance with a little 'oh!' of hers and land on the couch on her back – thanks to his maneuvering.

Andy didn't waste time and climbed on top of her, happy to see amusement on her face rather than anger for his little stunt. He supported his weight with his arms on the couch, looking at her for a moment. She waited, not offering any resistance, so he moved to lie upon her, starting to kiss her neck right away.

There was something very comforting in the weight of his body on her. It made her feel protected. And those kisses… the world could come to an end around her and she wouldn't mind as long as he was kissing her. But, then… she couldn't be so irresponsible.

"Andy…" she tried not to stutter as a shiver went up and down her spine at the touch of his lips, "you're going to be late."

He hummed something beneath her right ear and she knew that he had just lost the ability to think clearly. She put her hands on his shoulders and pushed him away as much as she could.

"Come on, I can be a little late," he said quickly and tried to kiss her again, but her hands were in the way and she didn't move them.

"Andy. It's for your own good. Go," her voice was firm, commanding.

He sighed and moved to a sitting position, accepting his bitter sentence.

"Okay, you're right. Thanks."

Sharon looked at him with sympathy. He looked so disappointed that she felt a mighty need to hug him, but then they'd be right back to where they started and she couldn't let that happen. She wasn't sure how much more she could resist him.

She walked with him to the door, both not saying anything, and then he turned to look at her in the threshold.

"Really… thank you," his lips curved with a little smile.

Sharon nodded in understanding and followed him with her eyes as he walked down the hallway, towards the elevator. She tried to remember the last time she felt so light, so… she was afraid to think of the word happy.

A void started growing in her chest, in the space that was just a moment ago occupied by Andy. Dragging her feet, she walked to the couch and threw herself on it. A second later, with her face to the ceiling, she smiled at the very Rusty-like move. She felt like a teenager having a crush. It was reviving, rejuvenating, terrifying.

Did romance always feel like this? She tried to remember. It had been so long. Jackson was quite the charmer when they met. He promised her the world and she blindly believed it. She later found out it was just a mask. There was never a concrete floor beneath his feet; he never made her feel safe. But at the beginning of their relationship he swept her off her feet. It was so long ago that she couldn't remember the exact feeling. And in any case, it wasn't the same with Andy. They had some similar traits, but they were fundamentally different. That was probably one of the reasons why she was so attracted to him, not just physically, but also mentally. She wanted to get to know him in a much deeper way. At one point she thought she knew him, but then he kept surprising her.

For example, she didn't expect him to behave so well since they started their little secret affair. He didn't bring up any personal stuff between them at work, following her instructions exactly. Many times she caught herself staring blankly at something, thinking about the times they spent together outside of work or trying to imagine what the next time was going to be like. The need to be with him was overwhelming, and she tried to separate herself from him physically as much as she could when they were in the office.

Sharon frowned. She wondered whether Andy was going through the same, excruciating yet wonderful falling. By the way he usually looked at her, it seemed like he was. Even more than her.

She smiled again, reenacting in her mind their last kiss from a few minutes ago. He was always so passionate. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so wanted. Desirable. Appealing.

Her eyes closed slowly and a foggy feeling took over her mind. After what seemed like a few minutes, she opened them abruptly, gasping. Someone was pounding forcefully on the door. Sharon sat up, looking around her. The clock in the kitchen told her it had been three hours since Andy left.

"Sharon!" a muffled voice she knew too well sounded behind the front door.

"Oh, my god," she muttered as she got up and walked to the entrance. When she opened it, she took a step back in surprise.

It was Jack, just like she thought, but he was… drunk.

"Jackson, what the…" was all she managed to say at first. "What are you doing here? And why are you drinking again?"

"It's… because of you!" he leaned against the lintel, unable to stand straight for more than a few seconds.

"Right. I forgot I was always the excuse. Leave." She tried to shut the door but he stopped it with his arm, taking a step towards her.

"Where is… where is he? H-huh?"

"Who? What are you talking about?" The situation was starting to scare her and she tried to locate her gun in her mind. Remembering it was in her desk drawer, she realized it was too far away from her to just grab it if something happened.

"I-I know you're… screwing him!" he yelled.

"Shhh! The neighbors! It's late. Go home, Jack." She didn't want to find out how much he really knew.

"The h-h-hell with the neighbors!"

Sharon pulled his arm, causing him to stumble forward as she closed the door behind him. If he was going to make a scene, at least let it be behind closed doors.

"Where is he? I… I'll…"

"There's no one," she lied, although she wasn't sure why. She had every right to be in a relationship without having to give explanations to anyone.

"You-you're screwing Andy, I know," he looked around him in an insane manner, as if he was searching for a ghost.

Sharon's eyes opened wide for a second.

A thousand thoughts appeared at once in her mind, but she couldn't even focus on one. They were all blurred by one question – how did he find out? – weighing so heavily in the pit of her stomach.

"What are you talking about?" she tried her best not to stutter and was grateful to hear her tone calm, as usual. She'd mastered the control over her voice a long time ago.

"M-my colleague, Canning!"

"Cann… your old drinking buddy?"

"Well, g-guess whaaat? He's been sober for a LONG! Time!" Jack didn't even realize how loud he was, or that he had just startled her.

She tried to think clearly. How could this Canning have found out about Andy and her? They hadn't shown affection in public when they went to dinners, Sharon made sure of it. No one knew about it but them.

"How could Canning possibly know if I'm seeing someone? It's ridiculous," she knew she wasn't convincing him.

Jack took a menacing step towards her, bringing them closer to one another.

"It so just happens that… that… wait, that wasn't right," he frowned in confusion. "It so… it just… oh, screw it! He lives on your goddamn floor! N-not the floor in your apartment, the other floor," he made circles with his finger pointing up, to indicate the building. There was air of insanity about him, caused by the alcohol and his own personality.

Sharon's heart sank. She didn't want Jack to be a part of her life other than being the father of her children. There was no desire in her whatsoever to share details about her love life with him.

"So, that's the REAL reason for you insisting on divorcing me, huh?" he took another step towards her. They were now inches apart. Sharon wanted to move backwards, but feared it might make her seem scared, and she wasn't about to give him that power.

"Let's give us another try," he put his arms around her waist. Sharon moved her face away from his own as far as she could and tried to push him away with her arms against his chest. "We were so good together," the strong smell of alcohol made her nauseous.

"What are you talking about?!" she panted from the effort of keeping him away from her. "We were never good! You were the… worst… husband… ever!" It was no use, he was holding her too tight.

"I can change, Shar."

"How many times have I… heard those words before?" Her effort seemed to be doing nothing. Jack was a few inches closer.

"You were the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Too – little – way – too – late. Get away from me," she tried to sound as firm as she could.

"Yeah? W-well, maybe… maybe you need a little reminder," and with that he pulled her at once, causing their torsos to make full contact.

"Get away now, or I swear I'll reach for my gun and use it."

He looked in her eyes for a moment, evaluating the situation, and, upon realizing how deadly serious she was, released her.

"You're a slut," his voice was low now, mean.

Sharon's eyes opened wide for the second time. "Get. Out."

Jack was taken aback by her tone. He never heard such quiet, yet frightening rage coming out of her, not even in his lowest moments. He had obviously reached a new low.

"I…" he lost his words. The door opened behind him, but Sharon was so focused on him that it didn't register.

"Get out or I'll shoot you."

"N-n-no you won't," he sounded so unsure, even pathetic. Sharon felt a frustrated laugh building up inside of her and dying a second later.

"Try me," she kept using the tone which frightened him.

"Fine, fine, I'm going," the moment he turned around, they both realized Andy was standing at the door, looking rather confused. "There he is! THE MAN OF THE HOUR!" He raised his voice again. Andy's appearance on the threshold re-ignited the fire in him.

"Shut up, Jack," Andy wasn't very impressed. He looked at him with pity mixed with contempt.

"Finally, someone got her laid, and that someone is you. How does it feel?"

Sharon sighed, closing her eyes for a moment and shaking her head.

"Probably not too different from how your face is going to feel under my fist," Andy kept his tone leveled. He didn't want to give Jack the pleasure of seeing him lose his temper.

"No, no, sh-she doesn't need a man to save her! She's got a gun," Jackson tried to mock her.

"I'm not trying to save her, I just really want to satisfy a mighty need I have."

Sharon smiled. She wanted to hug him so badly right there and then. These two men were a million light years away from each other, and it couldn't have made her happier.

Andy stepped inside to allow Jack to leave. He motioned with his arm towards the door and waited.

Jack stepped outside, then turned around and opened his mouth again. "You keep her on a tight leash or she might leave you to have an affair with Provenza!"

Andy slammed the door in his face without a response. "Idiot," he muttered as he turned to face Sharon. There were tears in her eyes and he knew that she was trying hard to keep them from rolling down her cheeks. She shook her head slightly with her arms folded, and didn't resist Andy's hug, though it took her a few moments to release her arms and give into his embrace. His chest was the perfect place to bury her face in.

"Are you okay?" his arms were tight around her, but, unlike Jack, he wasn't incarcerating her.

After a long moment of silence, she finally resurfaced from his chest and uttered a quick affirmative before she let go of him and moved away, towards the living room couch. Her legs felt shaky and she needed to sit. Hearing his footsteps behind her as he followed, she sat down and stared at the floor. Her head was spinning with thoughts about what had just happened. Andy joined her and put his hand on her thigh. It was a comforting gesture, and she didn't move. He didn't need to do much for her to feel calm around him.

He looked at her and understood she wasn't very eager to talk. Instead, he moved his hand from her thigh and put it around her shoulders. The way he gently pulled her towards him was so different than how Jack had a few minutes ago.

She smiled, resting her head on his shoulder. The slight touch of his lips on her forehead was sweet and reassuring. They stayed seated like that for a while, silent.

Sharon took a deep breath, knowing that she was going to have to start talking at one point, and figuring that it might as well be now.

"He's going to spread the word about us," she said quietly, surprising Andy with the sudden sound of her voice.

"I don't mind," he said lightly. Sharon sat up straight so she could look at him as they spoke. "I know you wanted to take things slow and be cautious, but…"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "We'll need to tell Taylor first thing on Monday."

"I'm perfectly fine with that."

"That will make us… official."

"Great."

Sharon smiled and put her hand on the back of his hand. She wished she could be as carefree as he was.

"Aren't you worried about how this relationship might affect our job performance? And what about what the rest of the squad might say?" she started caressing the back of his hand with her thumb absently.

"Our relationship hasn't affected anything in a negative way so far, has it? We're not kids; we know what we're doing. So why should it start affecting our job now? And I'm sure Provenza's gonna have something to say about it, but I don't really give a damn."

"I don't want anyone to think that I'm not being objective. You're not going to get any leniency. Our personal relationship has nothing to do with our work one."

"Aye aye, Captain," he smiled. "I'm not expecting you to cut me any slack. I know you better than that," he was serious as he spoke, but then something in his expression changed. A mischievous gleam flashed across his face just before he added, "The fact that I make you moan at night has nothing to do with our job," he teased her.

Sharon's eyebrows arched in surprise. "Arrogant, much? Don't flatter yourself. I moan when I'm annoyed, too," she teased him back.

"Really? Let's investigate this for a second," he leaned forward and she leaned backwards – to get away from him and continue the tease – smiling, until she was lying flat on her back. Just like earlier, he was leaning on his hands, his chest hovering a few inches above hers. Their noses almost touched, but he didn't continue to a kiss. Sharon moved her fingers through his hair and, for the first time, he clearly saw love in her eyes. She managed to hide her emotions pretty well up until now, but it was obviously no longer possible for her. It had taken over her. She fell fast and hard.

"I'm so in love with you," he whispered, his voice somewhat fragile.

It was a beautiful thing to hear, though not at all surprising for her. She'd been sensing his love for her for a long time now, only she chose to dismiss it as anything romantic and instead, considered it as friendship.

Being together with their eyes open and all the cards on the table was so much better than playing around the issue, like they did for months.

Sharon lifted her head a little, just enough to reach his lips. The kiss had something much sweeter to it than all the ones before. With her eyes shut, her lips lingered on his top lip for a moment, burning the taste of the kiss deep in her memory. When she let go of it, she felt his tongue making contact with hers. At first, their tongues motioned slowly around each other, but a few seconds in, their tongues started to move faster, adding passion to the touch, each dancing playfully with the other.

Sharon felt Andy's hand travelling slowly up her stomach – sneaking smoothly up her chest – and a muffled moan of pleasure escaped her mouth.

He stopped the kiss so he could look at her. They lay, frozen for a moment, looking each other in the eyes, and then they both started laughing simultaneously and freely.