[I decided to continue from here, and will reincorporate Andrea's theatrics just as references within the days that follow, since this seems a more logical place to go from.]
5.
"Andy?" Sharon turned onto her side to face him.
"Mmm?" He answered, opening his eyes and feeling somehow surprised to find it hadn't all been a dream.
"What are we doing?"
He turned to face her, and had to blink a few times to make sure those green pools he was looking into were not some figment of his imagination.
"Well... when a man and a woman like each other very much..." he began.
"Oh very funny. You want to draw me a diagram too?" she laughed.
"Hell Sharon, I don't know. I just know that doing it again is foremost in my thoughts at this point in time."
"Well, what happens when a Captain and a Lieutenant like each other very much?" Maybe I do need a diagram after all.
Andy erupted with laughter. "Hey... I'm supposed to be the smartass. That position is already filled."
Sharon shrugged, and stood up, wrapping herself in the sheet and dragging it off the bed with her and leaving him uncovered to fend for himself.
"Well that's rude. How do you know I'm not shy and embarrassed?" Andy asked.
"You certainly weren't a shrinking violet before the sun rose... has something changed?"
He laughed loudly a second time, and just stayed where he was, grinning.
"We're going to be late if you don't get your butt out of my bed Lieutenant" she said over her shoulder as she headed for the shower. "And I hope Povenza doesn't realise you're wearing the same suit you had on yesterday or he's going to think you've been hiding some blonde floozy from him."
"Screw Provenza" he yelled so she could hear him.
"Language Lieutenant!" he heard in reply.
Andy lay there a few minutes longer. "Why is this so easy?" he asked nobody in particular.
He had somehow expected to be doing the 5am 'walk of shame', but had instead woken up to what he'd only dreamt of waking up to.
Sharon washed her hair quickly, knowing he too would need to shower before work. "Why is this so easy?" she asked nobody in particular. She felt no shame or embarrassment. She had half expected to wake up to find him gone, but was surprisingly happy to find him snoring lightly beside her.
She pulled out a new toothbrush from under the sink, and left it for Andy beside her tube of toothpaste.
Now in her robe, she motioned with a flourish of her hand (not unlike a game show hostess displaying the current prize) that the bathroom was currently available.
"I need to dry my hair and put a face on, but I can do that while you're in there" she told him, heading for the wardrobe.
"Andy?"
"Mmm?"
"Why are you still naked in my bed grinning? Get UP and shower Lieutenant. I don't want to be late."
"Can't we play hookey for one day" he sighed and stayed right where he was.
"Rusty will be home in a few hours, and he's not prepared for the 'naked man in my bed' speech, and besides, no we cannot. We have work to do." She answered smiling.
Begrudgingly, Andy dragged himself up, retrieved his suit pieces from wherever he had abandoned them, and headed to the shower. Sharon couldn't help but laugh when she heard him start to hum.
The sound of the hairdryer drowned him out, and by the time she'd finished with it, he was standing on the bath mat looking for a towel.
"Sharon?"
"Mhmm?" she replied while attempting to apply mascara.
"Why is your tongue poking out when you're doing that?"
She threw a towel at his head and asked "What kind of question is that?"
"One that makes perfect sense, since your tongue was poking out." he said and darted past her out of the bathroom.
"Questions like that are what's prevented me dating for ohhhhh I don't know... fifteen years or so. Are you dressed yet Captain Caveman?"
"I'm dressed. But I'm not happy about it." he answered with a chuckle.
"You'll be happy to know, my tongue is no longer poking out. Are you ready to go?"
"Yes. I found your iron, thank god, while you were performing tongue and eye ballet in front of the mirror, and have managed to make my shirt presentable again. Hopefully Provenza is in one of his less-than-observant moods and won't notice." He answered.
"We can go in one car if you like. It's not like I don't often pick you up on my way anyhow."
"Sharon?"
"Mhmm?"
"Why is this so easy?" he asked someone very particular.
"I was wondering the very same thing." "Dinner tonight?" he asked.
"Can't. Andrea is calling by after work. Raincheck, but lunch?"
"Perfect".
They arrived together as they often did. Everyone knew they were friends and often shared dinner or went to the movies, and it was not uncommon for Andy to offer to pick her up and grab breakfast to go, on his way to work.
Andy stopped to put his coffee on his desk and hummed as he walked toward the break room to get a proper coffee cup to use, stopping for a second with a cheery "good morning" to the office before he continued.
Sharon went to her office with her coffee and muffin, just as she often did.
Provenza looked around him to see what the faces of his colleagues were doing. Sanchez was looking at Tao, Buzz exchanged an odd glance with Amy.
"Oh Flynn!... FLYNN!" he yelled, making them all turn to look at him.
"What's up Louie?" Andy said, rounding the corner with his coffee cup in hand.
"Flynn, is that the same suit you had on yesterday?"
"Nah, it was a great deal. I got two the same" He answered.
Provenza eyed him suspiciously... "What's up Louie?... when did you EVER say that before?"
"Who are you now, the GREETING police?" Andy laughed, and sat down, but not before looking through at Sharon who was watching the exchange mildly amused, and rolling his eyes at her.
"Let them wonder" he thought to himself. "Nosy bastards."
