Disclaimer: I still do not own The Closer and/or their characters.
AN: This story was written for the Month Of Love, inspired by the prompt Sharon gives Brenda a ring and Brenda obsesses about what it means. It is set in The Closer universe and the two of them are slowly but surely developing a steady friendship. It will lead to more, I promise.
"Hurry, Sharon! It's on!" Brenda Leigh Johnson nearly bounces off the brunette's couch with excitement. As if on cue, Sharon comes walking out of her spacious kitchen, two large glasses of red wine balancing in her hands. Brenda eagerly reaches out for her glass, her brown eyes sparkling at Sharon, who seems somewhat reluctant to hand the bouncy bolt of blonde the liquid that could possibly ruin her beloved couch. Then again, the colour of the wine almost matches the maroon shade of her couch and somehow she could never really resist Brenda Leigh when the woman is beaming with that simple happiness. So, Sharon smiles affectionately towards the blonde and hands her the dark red poison.
Since Brenda was seated on the left side of the couch, Sharon lowers herself onto the right side, careful not to land into her friend's personal space. She needn't have worried though, for within seconds the blonde scoots closer to the middle, letting her hand rest gently on Sharon's denim-clad leg. The older woman throws her couch companion a subtle sideway glance, before smiling and focusing her attention on the television show that is about to occupy the next hour of their evening.
The two women watch the show in a comfortable silence that is only ever so briefly interrupted when Sharon praises the lead character's marvelous sense of fashion style or when Brenda compliments the vigour of her costar. After the show's done, Sharon catches Brenda looking at her with a smile curled on those generous lips. The brunette arches a perfect eyebrow, waiting for her friend to speak what's on her mind. Brenda crunches her nose a little before addressing the other woman in a slightly teasing manner. "Don't those two remind you of someone?"
Sharon narrows her eyes in consideration as she tries to catch the blonde's train of thought. Surely the dark-haired woman vaguely reminds her of detective Mendoza, but then again, that could very well be because of the way they both look in a tank top.. Her thoughts are interrupted when Brenda impatiently squeezes her knee; the blonde shakes her curls and takes another sip from her wine before glancing over at Sharon, who is staring back at her with green eyes full of anticipation.
"Well.. lemme see, one of'm is a brilliant, calculated woman.. always impeccably dressed and the other one is a smartass and a badass too, reckless.. and slightly less fashionable.." Brenda says the last words with a chuckle as she instinctively smoothes down her beige cardigan, a sweet little blush gracing her cheeks. Sharon purses her lips in response, a character trait which Brenda recognizes in the other woman as something she usually does when she is buried deep in her thoughts. "No wonder they keep you up there in the dusty corners of FID..," the blonde starts teasing until she notices Sharon putting the pieces together. "Us! They remind you.. of us." Sharon enunciates the last words in her distinct alto, which doesn't do justice to the warm feelings running through her body upon the realization. Brenda smiles back at her, stating matter-of-factly, "Well, except the fact that I'm the brunette and you're the blonde of course.."
Brenda hops off the couch with every intention of invading Sharon's kitchen for more wine, leaving the brunette surrounded by her own thoughts on her part of the couch. The younger woman turns around before diving into the kitchen, hesitantly balancing on one leg as she addresses Sharon. "And we're BFF's too, wouldn't you say, Sharon?" From the couch the older woman glares at her from above the rim of her glasses, a small smile twinkling at the corners of her mouth. Her unanticipated silence is rewarded with a pout from the blonde. "You don't think we're BFF's?" Brenda cocks her head a little to the side, looking every bit adorable and Sharon can't help but smile genuinely. "Yes Brenda Leigh, I guess that makes us BFF's too."
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"Who says I'm stayin' over?" Two big chocolate brown eyes look up to meet a set of uncompromising green orbs. "The two empty wine bottles on my kitchen stand," Sharon answers without blinking as she puts her hands on her hips, trying to look every bit severe. Brenda only puts up a minor pout before letting herself get ushered off the couch by the other woman who claims she still has some kitchen cleaning to do before calling it a night.
Mumbling to herself that she doesn't understand how - even in a drunken haze - someone could be preoccupied with something as trivial as a crisp clean kitchen, the blonde shuffles through Sharon's apartment, briefly taking in the works of art that cover the walls. Brenda never really grasped the whole concept of art but she has to admit that it seems to suit Sharon. Her sophisticated friend Sharon. The blonde smiles to herself, feeling all fuzzy and content by just being in the other woman's surroundings.
Brenda stops in the middle of the hallway contemplating whether to go left into the master bedroom or right, into the guest bedroom. She wasn't sure whether Sharon would even want her to be there when she got down from her cleaning frenzy. They may have gotten somewhat friendly over the past few weeks, casually heading out for drinks or inviting each other over for a movie night, but the older woman hardly seems like the type to enjoy a sleepover. Still, the blonde decides that it couldn't hurt to wait for the other woman in her own bedroom. She had to admit that there was a certain thrill to being in Sharon's bedroom, as if somehow all of her secrets were laid bare there.
