His heartbeat was all he could hear, rhythmic and strong, like a big, loud drum. It reminded him that he was alive, even though he was standing in the middle of the murder room like a statue, barely able to breathe or move. His eyes were the first organ he was able to move once he overcame his initial shock. Funny, he planned this moment for such a long time and now that it came, he was paralyzed with fear.
He followed her with his gaze, as she sashayed across the room. She looked glamorous today, her dress hugged her curves in all the right places, her hair was thick and magnificent and the green of her eyes was so deep that he could see them clearly even from the other side of the room, where she was standing.
He looked down at his feet before raising his gaze to face her. He chose to wear his best suit today, and his favorite tie. It made him feel confident and brave; and he definitely needed both traits today.
"Umm, Sharon?" his voice sounded almost foreign to him. Sharon turned around and arched one of her eyebrows. Being called by the first name in front of the entire squad was something Andy has never done before. "Could you come here a second?" It took Sharon a moment to walk over to him, her heels clicking against the floor in a rhythm similar to Andy's heartbeat.
"Yes, Andy?" Up close she was even more beautiful. Her hair framed her face perfectly, her skin was radiant, her lips were sensual and her floral perfume teased Andy's nose. He smiled and shoved one hand into the pocket of his jacket.
"You know, I've been thinking…" he started. He practiced the words so many times over the last few weeks and somehow, in the moment of truth they didn't seem to fit. "I had a speech prepared but I can't deliver it," he admitted and took her hand. He placed it over his chest, so she could feel his heart beating. "Sharon, I'll just say it straight. I love you so much that every moment you're out of my sight, I can't breathe. You are the first thought that comes into my mind when I wake up in the morning, and the last thought when I go to bed at night. When I sleep, I dream of you, and when I'm awake I daydream about you. And I can't imagine my future without you in it, so…" Still holding her hand, he kneeled down in front of her and pulled a little box out of his pocket, quickly opening it as he presented it to her. "Sharon, will you marry me?" Her mouth spread open as she looked into his eyes. He could feel the way her hand shook in his.
"Andy, I… I…" She was the kind of woman who always knew what to say, but Andy's proposal caught her completely off-guard and now her brain couldn't translate her thoughts into words. She looked down at him; his brown eyes conveyed so much hope and love. She could feel her cheeks becoming warm and she knew that her face was probably so flush that it could be seen even through her makeup. "Yes, I will!" she finally exclaimed, her eyes filling with moisture. Andy got up from the floor. His back was too old for kneeling and Sharon kept him in that position for a longer time than he expected.
Sharon wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him, her face becoming warmer and redder as she did. Her team was not used to public displays such as this, but she was sure they would understand. Andy took her hand and slid a ring down her finger. Sharon looked at it for a short moment; it was a silver band with a medium size diamond in the middle and two smaller diamonds at either side.
"It's beautiful, Andy," she said, her voice soft and trembling. Her arms went around his middle and pulled him close.
"Congratulations, Captain, Lieutenant." Provenza's voice made her pull out of Andy's arms.
"You knew about this, didn't you?" she asked, a soft smile gracing her features.
"Maybe and maybe not," The old lieutenant was a pro at evading direct answers.
"Smile!" they heard Tao's cheerful voice as he snapped a photo of the still-overwhelmed Sharon and the clearly relieved and ecstatic Andy.
"Did you all know about this?" she asked as she looked around the room and realized that Buzz, who was standing with the video camera in the middle of the room, filmed the entire proposal on video. Her team didn't dare to say a word, but their smiles gave away the answer. She turned back to Andy. "I guess this would make a better photo," she said as she drew him down for a kiss, her lips curving up in a smile as she heard her subordinates and foster son cheering for them. Someone, maybe Rusty, turned some music on and the song choice was not lost on Sharon, as soon as she recognized it.
Wouldn't it be nice if we were older
Then we wouldn't have to wait so long
And wouldn't it be nice to live together
In the kind of world where we belong
You know its gonna make it that much better
When we can say goodnight and stay together
Wouldn't it be nice if we could wake up
In the morning when the day is new
And after having spent the day together
Hold each other close the whole night through
Happy times together we've been spending
I wish that every kiss was never ending
Wouldn't it be nice?
Maybe if we think and wish and hope and pray it might come true
Baby then there wouldn't be a single thing we couldn't do
We could be married
And then we'd be happy
Wouldn't it be nice?
You know it seems the more we talk about it
It only makes it worse to live without it
But let's talk about it
Wouldn't it be nice?
The kiss lasted merely a few seconds, but with the squad's whistles and cheers in the background and with Andy in her arms, it felt like a prolonged moment, one that made her happy. And when she recalled it later that afternoon, she thought it would be nice indeed to become Mrs. Flynn.
I hope you enjoyed reading this story. Reviews are love.
Song mentioned in the fic: Wouldn't It Be Nice by Beach Boys
