Water
Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Major Crimes; James Duff, et al, has that lovely distinction. All /lyrics/ are from "Better Than You Left Me" by Mickey Guyton.
A/N: Realizing they were both uncomfortable made it easier for each of them to make a move to the next level in their relationship.
A/N2: Enjoy! Please leave a review if y'all's feel so inclined. They are ever so lovely to read and much appreciated. #TodayIsLife
~~~~~PT~~~~~
/I'm better than you left me/I'm better than I should be/I'm better than I was when you walked out that door/I'm stronger than the woman, the one that you knew back then/So don't you think I'll take you back like every time before/No, Baby, I don't think you know me anymore/I'm better than you left me/
Their cases of late had to do with water in different settings: a body cast off a boat in Los Angeles Harbor; a woman who accidentally drowned in her neighbor's pool; the man killed in the shower by his mistress; and, the Crème de la Crème as Lt Provenza put it, the man who was killed via electrocution while washing his hands after beating his girlfriend to death.
When Sharon and Andy finally had breaks from work, they spent their free time together often enough to maintain their sense of connection and continue to grow their personal relationship.
Having taken steps previously to incorporate more touching, essentially finally moving from first base to second, they'd been quite content with where they were. Neither saw their status as being stuck in a holding pattern; nevertheless, there were times when one or the other dreamed of going to third and beyond.
Sharon wasn't ready yet and Andy wasn't pushing her. They were just fine allowing their relationship to progress organically.
/Now I love deeper and I laugh a little bit louder/I smile brighter and I fly higher/
Then came the day the case involved a baby. They'd had babies in the office before and Andy did very well with them. On this day, however, his good-with-babies surprises did nothing for the tiny little girl waiting to be reunited with her mother. Lt Provenza jingling his keys only made her cry harder. Each of the team members had tried holding the infant to no avail.
Unable to think around the wailing, and worried about an appearance from Chief Taylor, Sharon had taken the little one from a nervous Amy. Speaking quietly while gently rocking her, she cradled the baby between her breasts. It seemed the infant liked to feel or hear a heartbeat so she rested her head, remaining quiet and still. As soon as the Captain moved her, the wailing would begin; hence, she decided to keep the little one snuggled into her breasts for the duration of her stay.
There were the usual snickers among the boys: their Captain, so stern with adults, rocking and cooing as she waited for the rare happy ending to their case; remarks to Flynn, out of Raydor's earshot, about the baby being where only he was allowed; and comments on the looks passing between Sharon and Andy as the baby's hand settled firmly on her breast or when she began drooling down her cleavage.
By the time the mother arrived after being stuck in traffic, Sharon knew she'd need to put on her blazer and button it up to hide her now see-through-in-all-the-wrong-places silk blouse.
Still breastfeeding, the woman fed the baby in the Captain's office. After burping her, she asked the older woman to hold her so she could take care of the paperwork quicker and close the case against her unlicensed babysitter.
Instinctively Sharon began to sway the child not realizing there was still another burp to be released. Hearing a rumble in the tiny girl's belly, she moved her to her shoulder, patting her back gently. In no time, the burp came up along with some of the child's stomach contents. With no time to move her, it ended up in her hair as well as on her blazer. Managing to remain calm, she strode to the restroom and cleaned the baby first then as much of herself as she could using just the water flowing from the sink.
Paperwork completed, the mother took the now-clean baby home and the Captain requested the after-action reports from her team members. Another trip to the restroom took care of more of the mess in her hair but she still couldn't wait to get home to wash it.
There were gasps and whispers regarding her appearance as they all chose to hand their reports to Lt Provenza who would then just give the bunch to their boss. They scattered as soon as she called it a night.
Andy stayed behind to find out if Sharon was staying to complete the paperwork in her office or taking it home to be tackled after a nice bath or shower with him. Seeing the half-pleased, half-anxious look on her face, he quickly explained that he merely wanted to wash her hair to make up for the time he offered and it never happened because they'd immediately been called out on another case.
Grabbing her purse, she stuffed the folder of reports into it, slung it over her shoulder and grabbed his hand as she began walking.
Once inside her home, Sharon realized they hadn't set boundaries. As if reading her mind, Andy suggested he stay in his undershirt and boxers while she could put on a tee-shirt and shorts. Nodding in agreement, she took his hand and headed down the foyer to her bedroom.
In front of the mirror, a look of disdain crossed her features as she got a better look at herself. Fighting back a laugh, he helped her out of her blazer, assuring her she still looked great even with washed out baby barf in her hair. After scrunching her face at him, she thanked him and began looking for appropriate clothing while he put his bag in the closet and began undressing.
By the time he found the courage to come out, she was dressed and sitting on the bench at the foot of her bed. Realizing they were both uncomfortable made it easier for each of them to make a move to the next level in their relationship.
Correcting her belief that she'd be leaning over the sink or tub, he reminded her they'd be taking a bath together after he washed her hair. Confused, she climbed in with him, lay down then leaned up on her elbows as he suggested. Asking if he'd done this before got a firm head shake indicating he had not.
"You're my first," he whispered with a smirk. Her blush and shy smile were her only reply.
Still unsure how they'd manage the task, she watched as he attached the shower hose to the tub's faucet and opened the flow. Once the water reached the correct temperature, he leaned over her, settling himself between her legs, and began massaging her head as he wet her hair.
Relaxing into the warmth, his touch and their closeness, her eyes fell shut as a soft moan escaped. Unable to resist the peaceful posture, the relaxed expression, and the complete faith she was showing him, he placed a lingering yet chaste kiss on her lips. Neither looked to deepen it at that point and he went back to what he was doing.
As she held the hose, he worked the shampoo in just as slowly, with another massage. Eyes still closed, she didn't see the smile growing with each hum or moan she let loose as his hands worked their magic.
Rinsing out the shampoo brought another massage, more hums and moans. When the water ran clear, he suggested she rest her elbows by lying down.
Once she did, he covered her with his body and kissed her deeply. Though she responded with just as much passion as he had, she fought the instinct to wrap her legs around his waist, fearing it would send the wrong message. She had to fight the urge again as his lips and tongue trailed down her neck while his hands kneaded her breasts and pinched her nipples. On occasion, he would play with the edge of her v-neck tee-shirt as if seeking the courage to pull it away and expose her flesh. Deciding to slow down, he went back to their reason for being in the tub together in the first place.
Originally planning to skip the conditioner, he changed his mind in the hopes of bringing more pleasure to her in any way she allowed him. Following her instructions for conditioning long hair, his smirk showed just how pleased he was with himself for getting it correct. Another massage during the rinse brought more hums and soft moans. The water running clear brought with it another passionate kiss, nips and licks along her neck and suckling on her breasts. It was getting more difficult for her to not wrap her legs around him so she whispered they should slow down again.
Shaking his head in response to her thanking him, he removed the hose from the faucet, and pulled the knob to fill the tub. Upon first entering the bathroom, he had dimmed the lights and lit some candles as she locked the door so now adding a few drops of lavender bath oil was all that needed to be done before resettling himself in his previous position and kissing her once again. They were lost in each other until the water started swirling around them. Sitting up quickly, she grabbed a clip and put her hair up; only a few stray wavy tendrils framed her face.
Not wanting to stop what they'd been doing, he had waited patiently for her to get her hair just right in the clip, and then reached over to caress her face before resuming their kiss. The water filling the tub, swirling around them, the scent of lavender in the air, the soft candlelight glow, and the feel of her hand as it trailed over his body while ensuring she didn't touch his bulge, had him lost to his senses. Without thinking, his hands slipped under her tee-shirt and opened her bra. Getting no resistance, he slid the straps over her arms then pulled the bra from under it. Leaning her back against the tub, he pulled her shirt up and began licking her nipples and suckling her breasts. When she breathed out, "Andy," he covered her mouth as he slid her tee back down.
When the tub was about half-full, he moved away from her only long enough to close the water flow before swiftly covering her lips. Pulling her to straddle him, their kisses deepened as they slowly, subconsciously moved against one another's center.
When she again breathed out, "Andy," he whispered, "I could make you feel so good," before slowly, yet deeply, kissing her.
"I do want that, for both of us," she managed to assure him between kisses, "just not yet." She wasn't ready though she wanted to be.
Moving them onto their sides while never breaking their kiss, his fingers trailed along her derrière and thighs before carefully fluttering over her core. A sigh was his only response. Taking that as a cue to continue, he began slowly rubbing to gauge her reaction. A moan and her hand going straight for his bulge caught him off guard. She was slowly, hesitantly, moving her fingers along his member as if to work up the courage to do more.
Feeling more confident, he slowly slipped his hand inside her shorts and began rubbing her, moaning as her hand applied more pressure in her own exploration.
Moving his fingers further down to explore her entrance made her body stiffen as she whispered, "Andy, please," and shook her head no.
"I won't do anything until you say I can," he assured her quietly. After receiving a nod, he went back to touching her nub, flicking it or rubbing it while rasping, "I want to make you feel so good, Sharon."
When she could feel the fire ignite and begin to burn stronger, she breathed out, "Now, Andy," and he slid his middle finger slowly inside her.
Being able to feel the warmth and wetness of her most private area made him groan and push his bulge into her hand. She was stroking it now, running her palm from top to bottom and back as her fingers trailed along the sides with just the right amount of pressure to make him want more. Unsure how to get her to go beneath his boxers, he decided it could wait.
Concentrating on her was what he'd decided this bath together would be about. With that in mind, he rubbed her nub with his thumb as he slowly moved his finger in and out of her. He broke the kiss to hoarsely tell her, "You're beautiful."
After a long moment of looking at each other as he worked her up towards her crescendo, she breathed out, "Kiss me," and covered his lips insistently.
In the full throes of her orgasm, she surprised him by removing his hand and telling him to sit up. Confused as to what was going on, he did so quickly only to have her straddle his lap and grind hard against him as she kissed him even more deeply and with more passion than she had when she'd been dreaming that time, as her subconscious worked out her concerns regarding her past with Jack and her happiness in her present relationship.
Completely lost in their passion, content in the knowledge this was yet another step for them, his hands went to her hips and he guided her movements as they became more frantic during the orgasm she had decided to ride out straddling him as her hands held the side of the tub for support.
At one point, he began to feel a loss of control. When she excitedly breathed out, "Oh, Andy, yes," against his lips, he managed a feeble, "Oh, God, Sharon." Not wanting to move her away from him, to break the spell of her orgasm flowing through her, he found himself kissing her with all he had and grinding into her even harder than he had planned.
Her tidal wave ended and she slowed her movements just as she heard him groan, "Oh, God, Sharon, yes."
Holding him tightly to her, she thought of what they'd just done, thought how she wasn't ready for lovemaking but they'd come so close and asked him nervously, "Are we okay, Andy?"
"We're great, Sharon, we just took it to the next level and," he moved to look at her, "I love you. I wanted to make you feel good."
"I love you too and I wanted both of us to feel good," she admitted.
"I felt great and," he kissed her softly, "so did you."
Biting her bottom lip, she debated how to broach the next question. "Should we shower now?" was the best way she could think of in the moment.
"Yeah, we should. I won't look while you undress, I promise."
Opening the drain, he stood up and put his hand out to her. Quickly moving over to the shower, he closed his eyes as she undressed, rinsed off and reached out to grab a towel to wrap around her. She blew out the candles then stayed to talk with him, eyes closed as he undressed, washed and stepped out to grab a towel from her hand.
The rest of the evening, they spent as they usually would on his sleepovers, with the exception of cleaning up the bathroom and signing off on the reports.
When it was time for bed, she wore her cotton nightgown but decided against keeping the leggings underneath. After that bath together, she didn't feel the barrier was necessary any longer.
Snuggling into him, her hand went under his shirt and she grazed her nails through his chest hairs before kissing him. He deepened it immediately and rolled over on top of her. "I'm waiting but I want you, Sharon," he said in a gravelly tone.
"I want to be with you too, Andy," she assured him. "Maybe tonight you could just sleep in your boxers so you're more comfortable," she suggested without thinking about it.
"I'd like that, if you're sure," he said hesitantly.
"I am," she promised, and she was. She knew she was right there on the cusp of being ready to take that final step with him. She just had to let go of the last few old anxieties that had nothing to do with her here and now.
Rolling off her, he undressed then wrapped his arms around her and they went to sleep.
/Ain't it funny what a little time does, Baby/
In the morning, before the alarm went off, she was still dreaming of them making love when she felt him kissing her neck and running his hand along her body. She thought it must still be happening in her dream. The sensation of his fingers rubbing her core over her panties continued to leave her believing she was still dreaming. It was what her body wanted; her head still wasn't sure.
She felt him move, then felt her panties being slid down her legs. When he settled between them, covering her body with his and kissing her deeply, she found herself wanting to experience the same high from their bath the night before. Allowing herself to be lost in that memory and her present sensations, she nodded yes after he told her he wanted to make her feel good again.
Moving down her body, he sucked, licked, and kissed everywhere to keep her relaxed. Reaching her core, he looked up to see her eyes closed already. Flicking his tongue, sucking on her nub and lapping up her juices had her moaning repeatedly. When he inserted his fingers, a throaty groan escaped causing his member to twitch and throb. Breathing out, "Oh, Andy, oh, yes, Andy," she ran her fingers through his hair, grazing his scalp with her nails, as she felt the tidal wave of climax flow through her, heating up her entire body. Once she had settled down, he kissed his way back up her body then drew her into a passionate kiss.
Figuring they'd start to get ready for work, he was surprised when she rolled them over and began kissing down his body, repeating his earlier motions. One hand on the bottom of his member, she circled the head of it with her tongue, wet her lips and slowly took him deep into her mouth. He groaned and bucked, driving himself in deeper.
"I'm sorry," he breathed out; she continued moving slowly up and down on him as if she hadn't noticed.
Moments after she picked up her speed, his prolonged groan told her he couldn't maintain his control any longer. Removing her hand, she took him in even deeper, letting him know losing control was what she wanted him to do.
"Oh my God, Sharon, oh God, yes," was all he could manage as he felt himself let go.
After nipping and licking her way back up his body, she kissed him deeply before snuggling into him. "Good morning, Andy," she whispered with a smile.
"Very good morning, Sharon," he whispered back with his trademark lopsided grin. "I love you."
"I love you too," she replied, moving in to kiss him again. "Not that I want to but we should get ready for work."
"Yeah, I know," he groaned out. "How about I spend the weekend again?"
"I'd like that," she responded without hesitation. "Gavin is coming over tonight."
"Tell him I said hello and I'll tell Provenza you said hello and we'll talk when they leave."
"That sounds like a plan. On that note, it's time for me to shower."
"Want company?" he teased.
"Yes but no," she surprised both of them with her honest answer. She wasn't ready, not yet. Funny, she thought, that she had to keep reminding herself of that.
They grabbed a new case but it stalled after fourteen hours so the Captain told everyone to go home and start fresh in the morning.
/You said good-bye with words cold as ice/I was shaking watching you go/I couldn't breathe/No, I just couldn't see past you leaving me here all alone/It's funny what a little time does, Baby/
Though it was late and she was tired, she greeted Gavin happily when he arrived.
"Would you like a glass of wine?" she offered, knowing he always did.
"A glass if I'm just here as your bestie, a few if you're still making that handsome silver-haired fox wait and I've got to be a counselor," he deadpanned.
"I'll bring the bottle," she smirked.
Making himself comfortable on the couch, he waited for her to come in with the glasses. He outright chuckled when he saw the bottle in one hand and two empty glasses in the other.
"Oh dear, Sharon, if you don't give that man something soon, I might be successful in my courting," he teased with a raised eyebrow and smirk as he reached for the bottle and glasses. Pouring some out for each of them, he thought about his friend's love life and added more to his glass.
"Andy isn't interested in what you have to offer, my friend," she rolled her eyes at him. "Salud."
"Salud; so to pick up from my prying the last time we spoke, you two finally made it from first to second base. Are you still there?" he asked with exasperation.
Blushing deeply, she flattened out her lips before answering.
"You're not!" he exclaimed. "Darling, are we talking about third base or did you let that fine specimen of a man finally hit a home run?"
Taking a sip, she cleared her throat. "I'm not ready for him, for us, to hit any home runs, Gavin."
"So third base it is. Well," he assured her, "that's better than nothing." Taking a long drink, "How are you, first of all, and secondly, I want details," he gushed making her snort laugh.
"A baby burped into my hair yesterday so Andy offered to wash it for me and -."
"That was a smooth move, I have to say," he interrupted.
Rolling her eyes, "He didn't offer so he could make a move on me. I know Andy better than that. He wouldn't do that, not with me. Anyway, we were clothed when he washed it in the tub and then ran the water for us to take a bath together-."
"You took a bath together?! And you didn't call or text me about this last night?"
"We were having one of our sleepovers so, no, I didn't text you," she playfully slapped his arm, "plus you were coming over here tonight."
"Some things between very good friends just shouldn't wait, that's all I'm saying," he smiled at her then pursed his lips as his brows rose. "So what happened in the tub?"
Blushing even more now, her hand went to her diaphragm.
"Oh don't hyperventilate on me, Darling, it's a simple question."
"Well, we kissed," she said haltingly, "and we touched."
"That's first and second, where's third?" He thought about it for a few seconds. "Oh, you little minx, you finally let him unleash some of that pent up energy you have."
"In a sense, we both did," she said, gulping her wine.
"You both did?" Getting an image in his head, he nodded. "Very nice, Sharon, that's good. He needs to know you're interested in him that way."
"He knows I am and how I feel about him, Gavin, which is exactly why he's waited all this time."
"No," he corrected, "he's waited because he's in love and knows you are also but the whole sexual interest thing, he needs to hear that from you."
"He has heard it from me," she stammered, "and last night, he, well, if there was any doubt as to whether I'm attracted to him, there no longer is." Gulping more wine, she added, "There should be even less doubt after this morning."
"What happened this morning?" he asked gleefully as he refilled their glasses.
"Even more than last night," she answered quietly.
"Okay, so last night you both had clothes on so this morning you didn't?" He was enjoying this way too much; even he knew that but he was there for his friend and sometimes she needed a gentle push in the right direction.
"Something like that, maybe; we had clothes on but some clothes can be moved while some can just be removed all together," she stammered and gulped more wine.
Getting serious, "Why aren't you making love with him yet? It's been months, Sharon."
"Andy said he'd wait for me to be ready and I'm not," she explained.
"What's holding you back?"
"I think I prefer when you're teasing me," she told him seriously.
"What's holding you back?" he repeated. Taking her hand, "I know this isn't easy for you. I know what Jack did, what he was like with you, but what's holding you back with Andy?"
She tried to assemble her thoughts for a couple of minutes before trying to explain. "I loved Jack and I tried everything to make our marriage work. I wanted him to be a better father to Emily and Ricky. I wanted him to be a better husband to me. I worked hard on being a better wife to him. Over the years, I needed him to be here for me sometimes," she paused, "and he wasn't. He just wasn't, Gavin, and you know how much that hurt all of us." Lowering her eyes to look at the floor, "You know how much that hurt me back then."
Pulling her into a hug, "Yes, I do and he's an asshole for how he treated you and the kids. He's a jackass for hurting you the way he did. Andy, on the other hand, has completely changed his ways. You said he was the first on your side when you took over the division from Brenda. He says you've helped him with his kids, especially Nicole. You guys became friends and everyone but you knew there was more to it. Now, you've been dating for months and you're holding back from getting what you want, giving Andy what he wants which is all of you, because Jack is a damn idiot. I just don't agree, Sharon, or understand, so help me out here, Darling."
Moving away to look at him as she talked, she began trying to explain her fears. "I tried so hard with Jack and it didn't work. Once Andy and I make love, we can't go back to being just friends, Gavin, and that frightens me. I don't want to lose him completely. I already know the pain of losing someone I love completely and I don't want to go through that again."
"Of course not, because you went through it over and over and over again with Jack. Honey, from what I've seen myself and heard from you, neither you nor Andy have to try harder than any normal relationship requires. He's there for you. He's attentive to your needs. He's not Jack, Sharon, and he doesn't do to you what your ex-husband did. You can't hold back sex forever because you're afraid. Oh, and by the way, Darling, you can't go back from whatever happened last night and this morning. One last thing and I'll leave you alone. I've known you a long time and have only come to know Andy through you but I just don't see you completely losing him if the two of you don't work out."
"No, Andy isn't like Jack and we can't go back from what we've done, you are right about that." Her eyes misted thinking of her boyfriend. "I love him, Gavin, and I want to be with him. I didn't want to stop."
"Well then, don't stop and how'd you manage to get to third and not make the home run?" There were some things about his good friend that still boggled his mind. How could she resist that silver-haired fox this long?
"We made each other feel good," she repeated Andy's words. "Last night was different from this morning." Taking a deep breathe, "I didn't want to stop, Gavin."
"Then don't, Sharon, just stop thinking and let yourself feel. It'll come naturally and you do have that great negligée you bought when we went shopping. Wear it the next time he's staying over."
"We're spending the weekend together," she hesitated, "and I'd like to wear it for him then."
"Then do it!" he exclaimed as he finished off his wine. "Okay, we finished off this bottle way too quickly so it's time for me to go home and for you to call your boo before you sleep it off."
"My boo?! Exactly how young is this new boyfriend of yours?"
"Young enough to not be too needy with my time while keeping me very happy when we're together." He gave a big smile and kissed her on the cheek. "Go make your nightly call, Darling, you know you want to hear his sexy voice."
Laughing she admitted it was true. After seeing him to the door and cleaning up, she went through her nightly routine quicker than she normally would.
/ Ain't it funny what a little time does, Baby/
Lying in bed, she called her boyfriend because she really did want to hear his voice before she went to sleep.
"Hey," he answered on the third ring.
"Hi, did I wake you?"
"No, Provenza tends to stay late. I just got into bed. Gavin and you seem to have late nights too."
"Yes, we do," she chuckled. "It was good to see him though. We always have very interesting discussions. This one was about us so the next one will be about his new, young boyfriend."
"You guys talked about us?" He suddenly sounded worried.
"You know that I love you and do want to be with you, right?" She couldn't hide her anxiety from seeping into her tone.
"Yeah, I know that, Sharon. What's this about?"
"Gavin wasn't sure I was being clear with you since I asked you to wait and it's been so many months."
"You've always been very upfront with me. The thing is, like I keep telling ya, I'm waiting, Sharon, cuz I love you and I'm not walking away from you."
The tears stung her eyes. That was a sore point with her and he knew it; he was always so good at reassuring her. "You don't make this relationship difficult, Andy," she rasped.
"Any relationship has its difficulties but no, ours is not harder than it should be. What's wrong?"
"Nothing," she sniffed, "I'm just thinking about how easy it is to be with you, to love you," she sighed, "and to want to make love with you."
"I want you, Sharon, whenever you're ready."
"We're still spending the weekend together, right?"
"Yeah, of course we are." He stayed quiet after that, listening to her breathing. When it sounded like she'd regained control of her emotions, he asked, "Do you want me to come over now?"
"Yes but no, Andy, it's late."
"We wouldn't do anything but hold each other and sleep this time, I swear," he promised.
"You're making it more difficult to say no," she chuckled. "It's all right, you'll be here tomorrow. Holding each other can wait until then."
"Not if you need it tonight," he said softly.
She thought about his offer. Thought about how much she wanted him there, needed him there, because of the conversation with Gavin about Jack. Reasoned with herself that pain caused by her ex-husband was the wrong reason for needing her boyfriend.
Looking at the dresser, she thought about the negligée waiting to be worn. Feeling the fire begin to burn at the mere memory of his hands and mouth on her, she took a deep breath and blew it out slowly.
"What if I just showed up at your door and sent you a text that I'm there?" His voice broke her out of her reverie.
"It's late and we are going to spend the weekend together. Coming over tonight isn't necessary."
"What if I just want to come over? What if, after spending time with our friends, we just wanna spend time with each other?" He had discussed with his partner how deep his feelings went for their boss. Despite the teasing he received, the genuine comments from his best friend had him wanting to spend time with his girlfriend. "What if I just wanna see you? Is that off limits? We're not allowed to just do something impulsive when it's late?"
"I do want you to come over, Andy, but it's late and I won't ask you to do that for me."
"But if I just showed up, you'd let me in?" he half-teased.
"Yes, I would let you in. Then I would hold you, kiss you and tell you that I'm glad you came over," she admitted quietly.
"I'll text you when I'm outside your door."
She didn't have a chance to reply before he hung up. Smiling, she thought how Jack would never have done that but Andy was. Yes, she decided, she wanted to be with him.
/I'm better than you left me/
[TBC]
A/N3: Thanks for reading!
A/N4: This is for those who requested a follow-up. Y'all's are too sweet!