Hey everyone! I know I haven't posted in a long long time but I got a prompt on Tumblr and I ended up writing this one-shot. The prompt was "the one stumbling to the other's front door after getting hurt/beaten up etc." and I decided to write not about being hurt physically but emotionally.

This AU story takes place in The Closer, after the episode 6x14 "Living Proof Part II". I hope you'll like it!

Warnings: language and mild sexual content.

I don't own the show or its characters, as always. Mistakes are all mine.

KINTSUGI

"Well, well, look who's back!" Provenza exclaimed as he and Flynn were walking in the hallway toward the break room. "Captain Raydor, we know you particularly fancy Christmas but three weeks vacation seem a little too much." He pointed out. "I guess it's one of the privileges of being the head of FID, maybe the only privilege if you ask me." He rectified with a smirk.

Sharon stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly, a plastered smile on her face. "Lieutenant." She greeted him. "Good to know you haven't lost any of your dry wit. What would a new year be without your biting remarks?" She shot back in a flat voice. She then turned toward Andy and nodded, "Lieutenant Flynn."

"Captain Raydor." Andy greeted her back, offering her a small smile. "Nice to see you back." He added politely. His eyes met hers and he hoped that she would understand that behind his polite tone, he was trying to tell her that he had missed her. It had been three weeks since the last time he saw her, the night he had driven her home after the Major Crimes Christmas Party. They had exchanged a few texts for New Year but except that, he hadn't heard from her at all. Andy had been surprised by her silence, especially now that they had been seeing each other for a couple of months. He didn't really know how to define their relationship. Were they dating? Was there even a relationship? He couldn't tell. Any attempt to define their thing had been met with Sharon's reluctance, and they usually ended up in bed together after that. She definitely knew how to distract him and he liked being distracted by her. Who would have ever thought that he would be the one wanting to define a relationship? People changed after all.

"I can tell. Your partner has been counting down the days until I came back to work." Sharon replied, glaring at Provenza.

Provenza scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. Andy didn't really pay attention to his partner since his eyes were glued on Sharon, studying her carefully. He immediately noticed that she looked thinner than usual. She also looked tired, and despite her accurate make-up, her concealer could hardly hide the dark circles under her eyes. Wasn't she supposed to be on vacation? Andy wondered. The more he studied her, the more worried he was getting. There was something odd, something off about her.

"Well, as much as I love conversing with you, Captain, I have something more thrilling waiting for me in the break room." Provenza announced. He glanced at Andy and nodded toward the end of the hallway, "Coffee." He added.

"Please, don't let me hold you up." Sharon replied with a hand gesture.

Provenza grumbled some unintelligible words and was about to walk away when he barked at his partner, "You're coming, Flynn?!"

"Uhm, I'm going to head back to the Murder Room." Andy replied. "Too much coffee messes up with my blood pressure." He explained.

Provenza rolled his eyes at Andy and mumbled, "Good, do whatever you want. You're annoying me already, Flynn." He shook his head at his partner and walked away.

Andy watched him disappear at the end of the hallway before he turned to look at Sharon. He smiled at her and whispered, "I thought he was never going to leave."

"Well, it's your lucky day, Lieutenant, because I am leaving too." Sharon replied firmly without looking at him.

Andy glanced left and right before reaching out for her as she was about to leave. His hand touched her upper arm and she jerked away as if she had been burnt, "Don't." Sharon hissed.

Andy raised both hands in defense and looked at her dumbfounded. He didn't expect her to react so harshly. He arched an eyebrow and studied her unreadable face. "Are you okay?" Andy asked her, genuinely concerned. Sharon met his eyes and stared at him in silence as if she was trying to gauge whether he really cared or not. She shook her head when she heard his unusually soft voice calling to her, "Sharon?"

Sharon could tell by his tone that he was concerned. This wasn't something she could allow to get to her. She shook her head once again and ran a hand through her hair before clearing her throat, "Please… not now." Sharon muttered, her slightly trembling voice above a whisper.

Before Andy could even reply, Sharon was long gone. He could only hear the sound of her heels echoing in the hallway as she headed toward the Murder Room.

Andy hadn't seen Sharon since their encounter in the morning. Either she had been too busy with her own squad or she had made a hell of a job at avoiding him. Andy had tried to call her twice. No answer. He had even considered writing a text to her but he gave up on that idea after he spent more than half an hour wondering what he could actually write to her. I'm here if you need to talk was his best option but did they really need to talk about something? He had no clue what was going on with her. Maybe it was just her way to make him understand that whatever there had been between them was over. Maybe she was just distancing herself from him.

Andy brushed aside his worries the moment he heard a knock on the door. He stood up from the couch and walked to the front door. When he opened it, he found himself face to face with Sharon. She looked up slowly, offered him a weak smile but said nothing.

"Please, come in." Andy told her encouragingly as he motioned for her to enter.

Sharon stepped in and Andy closed the door. He still had his back to her when he started asking her, "Is everything alr-…"

Before Andy could finish his question, Sharon took him by surprise and grabbed him by the arm, turning him around to face her. She slid a hand in the back of his neck and urged him to lean down. When he did, she caught his lips with hers in a hungry kiss. The way Sharon was kissing him left no room for misinterpretation. Andy knew what she was up to and some other day he would have appreciated her bold attitude but today he couldn't get his worries about her out of his mind.

They collided against the front door but it didn't seem to stop Sharon. She left a trail of kisses in his neck as she started unbuttoning Andy's shirt quickly. Before she managed unbuttoning half of it, Andy gently halted her by covering her hands with his. He tightened his hold on her tiny hands and whispered, "Hey Sharon, stop…"

Sharon slowly pulled back from his neck and met his gaze hesitantly. There it was again, a flash of vulnerability in her eyes. Andy stared back at her silently, studying her features carefully. "What's going on?" He asked her softly.

"I don't want to talk." Sharon replied firmly before she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and crashed her lips against his. The kiss was harsh, bruising, almost painful. It was so unlike her. It was desperate. Sharon broke the kiss for air and she muttered against his swollen lips, "I need this." She was breathless but she didn't waste time catching her breath. Her lips went back to his neck as her hands worked unbuckling his belt.

Andy pulled her back delicately, his hands resting on her shoulders as he told her gently, "Sharon, no… not like this."

"Not that it had bothered you before." Sharon shot back harshly. She pushed one of his hands away and turned toward the door. She had her hand already on the door handle, ready to leave when Andy grabbed her by the wrist.

"Sharon, stop." Andy held her tight and asked softly, his eyes giving away his concern, "Would you please tell me what's going on?" Sharon stared at him defiantly, unwilling to speak. "Talk to me, this is so unlike you… I can tell that there is something tearing you apart."

She hated the fact that he could read her so well. She hated him. Why on earth did she go to his house in the first place?! Sharon scoffed and tried to free herself from his grip. Andy tightened his hold on her. "Let me go!" Sharon shot back angrily. "You know nothing."

"Then talk to me. I'm here to listen." Andy offered gently. He wasn't going to let her surly attitude push him away.

"I don't want this, I don't need this." Sharon replied sharply. She tried to free herself once again but when she understood there was nothing she could do, she let out a heavy sigh. Andy could tell she was trying to keep her emotions under control. He could feel her ragged breath on his skin. "I need to forget." Sharon told him in a trembling voice, "I need you." Andy knew it took her a lot admitting it. "Please." She begged him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Andy didn't know what hit him first; if it was the pleading and broken tone of her voice or if it was the tears threatening to fall down her face. Sharon Raydor didn't beg anyone. Sharon Raydor didn't need anyone. She had made it clear the moment they had started knowing each other better, or let's say differently. And now she was standing in front of him, begging him to take whatever pain she was feeling away. He had never seen her so broken and the thought that something bad had happened to her scared him more than what he was willing to admit.

Andy met her pleading gaze and he felt a lump form in his throat. He didn't wait. He pulled Sharon to him gently and wrapped his arms around her, holding her against his chest. He could feel her trembling in his arms and he tightened his embrace. Soon he felt his shirt getting wet. He looked down at the woman in his arms while his hand delicately brushed a strand of hair away from her face. He realized that there were tears streaming down her cheeks; she was crying against him silently. Andy rubbed her back soothingly, his chin resting on top of her head before he dropped a kiss to her hair.

After a while, Sharon looked up to meet his gaze, her usually beautiful green eyes now puffy, red-rimmed and still swimming with tears. They stared at each other for a few seconds in silence before Sharon claimed his lips again. It was a delicate kiss this time, tasting like her tears and begging for more. When Andy felt Sharon's hands under his shirt, he knew that this time he couldn't say no to her.

Sharon wanted to leave but Andy held onto her, claiming she wasn't going anywhere. She wanted to leave, especially after things didn't go as she had planned. Actually things couldn't have gone worse.

Sharon had been desperate to touch him, to feel him. She had been rough; her hands had nearly torn his clothes off at first and then had wandered his body hastily, her nails scratching his skin. She didn't want to waste time; she needed him and she had wanted it to happen quickly. Andy had been the opposite, nothing but gentle. It was confusing; he had always been gentle with her but there was something different this time. He had halted each one of her harsh gestures. He had caressed her body delicately, he had kissed every inch of her skin. His intention had been clear; he wanted to take his time. His kisses had been soothing, healing and Sharon had progressively surrendered to his slow pace. Over the last month Sharon had realized that Andy had been slowly falling in love with her and if she had needed any more proof, tonight was another one.

Andy had handled her with care as if he was holding in his hands the most precious and fragile thing in the world… and Sharon had broken down. She had broken down in the worst moment possible. Sharon closed her eyes and sighed as she tried to get this moment out of her mind. Unsuccessfully.

Andy was inside her, moving slowly. One of his hands was in her hair and he was whispering in her ear how beautiful she was, kissing the spot behind her left ear. All of the sudden, the first tear escaped the corner of her left eye and rolled down to soak into her hair. Or at least that was what she thought. Sharon felt Andy pull back from the crook of her neck and soon his concerned eyes met hers.

"Sharon…" Andy whispered. Sharon spotted worry in his tone and she felt the lump in her throat get tighter. She couldn't let him see how vulnerable she was.

Sharon closed her eyes when she felt Andy reach for her face and stroke her cheek delicately. A few tears managed to slide past her closed eyelids and the more she tried to hold them back, the more tears leaked out. "Go on." Sharon begged him with a trembling voice, her eyes still closed.

Andy didn't move. When she heard his voice calling to her for the second time, she opened her eyes and his genuinely worried gaze immediately met hers. She wanted him to screw her senselessly, to take her pain away and here he was, being sentimental. She hated him. Sharon shook her head abruptly to get rid of his hand on her cheek. "Keep going." She repeated to him, forcing her voice to sound firm but failing miserably. With an impatient whine, she arched her back and pushed against him, desperate to feel alive again, even for one night.

"No, Sharon." Andy told her, his tone firm but gentle. He planted a hand on her chest, between her breasts as he kept her pinned down on the bed. Andy wasn't sure where and how he had found the strength to resist her when she knew exactly what could make him give in to her. Her unexpected self-destructive attitude was scaring him and he couldn't understand what had pushed her over the edge. Andy couldn't let her use him to numb her pain. He couldn't let her walk away as if what they had between them was nothing more than an emotionless one-night stand. It was more than that, Sharon was more than that to Andy and he wished that she would realize that.

Sharon scratched the skin of his back and tried to thrust her hips more fully against him but before she even realized, Andy was out of her. She should have known that his concerned face was telling her that he wouldn't have listened to her pleas. She wrapped her arms around herself protectively, her body shaking along with the tears that were streaming down her face. She suddenly felt overexposed, too vulnerable. A wave of shame washed over her as if she had realized only now what she was doing. She had fucked up terribly this time.

Sharon noticed that Andy had gotten out of bed only when she felt the mattress shift and he was next to her again. She didn't dare to look at him; she couldn't bring herself to look at him after the breakdown she had just had. How he hadn't already kicked her out of his bed and of his house was a wonder to her. She needed to get out of here. Immediately.

Sharon tried to get out of bed but Andy grabbed her wrist before she could even move. "You're not going anywhere, Sharon. Stay here, please." He whispered to her and she was taken aback by his incredibly soft, almost pleading tone. She glanced at him furtively, too ashamed to even meet his eyes and she noticed that he was wearing his boxers and he was handing her his old LAPD shirt with his free hand. She stared at the shirt for a little while before she took it and put it on. It was just what she needed; to cover herself in time to find all her clothes and leave. She didn't even have the time to carry out her plan because she felt Andy pull her against him, his arms locking around her waist. Tears were still rolling down her cheeks and Sharon made no effort to hold them back as she snuggled against his chest. He wasn't kicking her out. Andy felt her tears on his skin and he stroked her hair with a hand soothingly. Slowly her soft sobs subdued and when Andy moved a strand of hair away from her face, he noticed Sharon had fallen asleep. He brushed a finger along her cheek delicately and tightened his hold on her before he closed his eyes as well.

Sharon opened her eyes slowly. She vaguely registered that her cheeks were stingy with dried tears and she now understood why her head was slightly throbbing. It happened every time she cried herself to sleep and she hated it. She felt even more confused when she realized her head was lying on Andy's chest and that she had fallen asleep from exhaustion in his bed. She felt his chest rise slowly up and down, a clear indication that Andy was still sleeping. Her mind went back to what had happened during the night and she let out a sigh. She was even more embarrassed – if it was even possible – now that she had broken down in front of him. As if her self-destructive attitude hadn't been enough, now she hadn't even been able to keep her emotions at bay and she had cried in front of Andy. She hated feeling vulnerable and the fact that she had let this side of her out with Andy upset her even more. She had been pathetic. She could already picture the pity look he would give her and she didn't want to witness such a moment. She had to leave before Andy woke up.

Sharon looked down at her waist and noticed that Andy had his arms locked around her. She slowly tried to free herself from his embrace but as soon as she moved an inch, she felt Andy tighten his hold on her. Good, he was awake. His fingers started stroking her side and Sharon closed her eyes briefly. There was something familiar and safe in this odd situation between them. Sharon convinced herself that she could relax for a little while more in the safety of his arms. His hand caressed her belly through the fabric of his old LAPD shirt she was wearing and she hummed softly.

Andy moved his hand to her hair and stroked it gently as he whispered to her, "Hey… better?" He offered Sharon a smile when she lifted her head from his chest and met his gaze.

"I'm sorry…" Sharon muttered, looking down, a curtain of long hair covering her face. "I don't know what…"

"Ssh, it's okay." Andy cut her short soothingly, his hand brushing delicately a strand of hair away from her face. "I'm worried about you…" He told her sincerely as he studied her face. Dried tears had left traceable lines from her eyes down to her cheeks. Andy delicately wiped away these traces with his thumb.

Sharon closed her eyes at his soft touch. She nodded and whispered a faint "I know…" before resting her head on his stomach this time. She turned her head away from him, her hair sprawled on his chest. Andy couldn't see her face now and he wondered if she had done it on purpose. Andy's fingers started playing with the end of her hair and then curled around some locks. Sharon relaxed under his touch and silence filled the room again. She was glad he wasn't pressuring her into talking but she knew she owed him an explanation. If only it wasn't so hard to say it…

Sharon took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly. "My father died twelve days ago." She blurted out and she felt Andy's body tense under her. He wrapped her instinctively in a tighter embrace as tears prickled her eyes. "R-right before New Year…" She added in a trembling voice.

Now Andy understood her few evasive texts and why she had disappeared on him. A lot of her behavior made suddenly sense to him and he couldn't believe how she managed to deal through all this pain on her own.

"We-we all b-believe it was a b-bad cold…" Sharon recalled with fresh tears threatening to fall from her eyes. "He-he seemed p-perfectly fine when I arrived in P-Park City… b-but he… he n-never woke up on the m-morning of the 30th of D-December…" Her voice trailed off and she swallowed down a sob. She wiped her eyes even before the tears escaped her eyelids. She wouldn't allow herself to cry this time even if the pain was tearing her apart.

"Sharon, why…" Andy spoke softly after a moment of silence.

"Why what? Why didn't I tell you?" Sharon exclaimed, interrupting him and lifting her head from his stomach. She turned to look at him and gestured with her hand as she added, "We were just…"

"We were just what?" Andy repeated, furrowing his brow as he sat in bed. "Screwing around?" He asked her in a disappointed tone, "That's what you want yourself to believe? What you lull yourself into?" Andy wasn't mad at her, he just felt defeated. He knew how hard it was for Sharon to let her guard down and to let people into her life but it didn't hurt him less.

"Andy I didn't know and I still don't know where we stand…" Sharon tried to explain.

"You don't know where we stand?" Andy repeated, shaking his head. "I know that my heart wouldn't ache this way if you were just someone I fucked emotionlessly." He blurted out and took a deep breath as he tried to keep his emotions under control. He was aware that the last thing Sharon needed right now was his frustration.

"Not now Andy…" Sharon whispered softly in an almost pleading voice. She couldn't handle more than one complicated topic at once.

"Okay, not now…" Andy conceded. He couldn't allow his bruised ego to cause more pain to her. She was already hurting way too much. He met her gaze and asked her gently, "But will you please let me be here for you? You don't have to go through this alone." He added as he reached out for her cheek. He stroked it lovingly and told her, "Hell, even as a friend if you don't want nothing more…"

"I never said that…" Sharon replied, her tone above a whisper, "I just can't deal with it right now…"

"I know…" Andy nodded, his hand still caressing her face, "But in the meantime, I am here for you. What if you unload a little of the weight you're carrying on your own, let out all these emotions you're keeping bottled up?" He offered, his caring eyes studying her face. "You don't have to be strong with me, Sharon."

"Being strong is the only choice I've ever had, Andy…" Sharon answered tiredly. "It's all I've ever known…"

"Not anymore…" Andy reassured her, his fingers brushing the side of her face. "Not anymore…" He repeated.

Sharon met his eyes hesitantly. They stared at each other for a while in silence as they sat face-to-face. Andy offered her an encouraging smile and she nodded quietly. She slowly leaned forward and buried her face in the crook of his neck. "Okay…" Sharon whispered while Andy put his arms around her and held her close. Minutes went by and they stayed in each other's arms quietly. "I-I can't believe that he-he is… gone…" Sharon sniffed softly. "And I can't believe I missed my last Christmas with him because first Brenda fucking Leigh Johnson and then Pope messed things up." Andy didn't think he had ever heard Sharon curse and that alone was enough to make him understand how much pain she felt deep down. "She had her parents with her. Why would she give a damn if she ruined everyone else's Christmas plans?"

A sob interrupted Sharon before she could go on and Andy rocked her in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly. He felt fresh tears roll down his neck and he realized she had started crying. Andy dropped a kiss on the top of her head while Sharon whispered between sobs, "And my mother… oh my God, my mother… how is she supposed to go on without him?"

Andy stroked her hair lovingly. "It won't be easy…" He told her softly, speaking from experience. He thought of his own mother who had to raise three small children on her own after the death of his father. It hadn't been easy for sure. "But I'm not worried about her… I know her daughter and how strong she is…" He added with a wistful smile, "So if you took this strength after her, then it will be hard yes, but she will be just fine."

Sharon sniffed quietly and Andy tightened his embrace around her as he lay back down with her in his arms. She snuggled closer, her body pressing against his side. She wrapped an arm around him and moved her head from the crook of his neck to his chest. Andy kissed her forehead and a faint smile graced Sharon's lips.

"I'm sorry…" Sharon whispered after a few seconds, meeting his gaze.

"Stop apologizing, Sharon…" Andy replied reassuringly, "I'm serious, there is no reason to apologize."

Sharon nodded and looked down. She ran her fingers through the light dusting of hair on his chest before she started drawing circles absent-mindedly. Silence fell between them again but she soon realized that it was a comfortable silence. There was no need for them to fill it with useless words; they just lay in bed listening to the soothing sound of their breathings and heartbeats.

"Have you ever heard of Kintsugi?" Sharon suddenly asked.

"Are you insulting me in a foreign language?" Andy wondered, arching an eyebrow at her.

Sharon laughed softly against him, patting his chest before she looked up to meet his gaze. "Thank you." She told him sincerely. She noticed the confused expression on his face and a small chuckle escaped her lips. "For making me laugh." She clarified. "I didn't think it would have happened any time soon."

"That's because you forgot how good I am at making you laugh." Andy replied with one of his renowned grins.

"True." Sharon agreed, caressing his chest, her touch like feathers. She stayed silent for a while, thinking back on Andy's words and realizing how lucky she was to have him by her side. She didn't think she would have ever drawn such a conclusion but here she was. She was so damn lucky to have him.

"What about that Kinsushi?" Andy asked, bringing her back to the present.

"Kintsugi." Sharon corrected him with a smile as she lifted her head from his chest and looked at him in the eyes. "It's a Japanese art where broken things are put back together and repaired by filling every crack with gold… It's about giving value to a broken thing, it's about making cracks visible instead of hiding them, and celebrating imperfections…" She noticed Andy's confused expression and her smile grew briefly wider before she went back serious, "And it's funny but… that's what you did tonight."

"You're not broken, Sharon." Andy replied softly as his fingers brushed along her face.

Sharon scoffed. "I've been broken more times than you'll ever know, Andy…" She admitted with a sad smile. "And every time I had to put back the pieces of my life together on my own… and sometimes, as much as I tried, some pieces didn't stick together anymore… and it changed me; I became stronger, tougher, colder…" Sharon noticed Andy was ready to say something but she stopped him with a hand gesture. She smiled at him when she added, "But now I've realized what it feels like when someone helps you picking up the pieces… and when these pieces fell back into place perfectly."

"I care about you Sharon more than what you want to hear right now…" Andy confessed to her. As he spoke he realized that Sharon's Kintsugi explanation was her way of telling him that she cared about him the same way he did about her, "But I guess, in our case, the whole gold thing of your Japanese art that holds the pieces together is something like love…"

"Yeah, Andy…" Sharon agreed, leaning in and waiting for Andy to meet her halfway and catch her lips with his in a tender kiss. "Something like love…" She muttered against his lips.

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you've enjoyed it! Let me know what you thought about it! ;)