Andy arrived at Sharon's door just as Rusty was leaving. When he lifted his fist to knock, Rusty pulled the door open and almost stumbled into him.
"Oh…uh…hi, lieutenant. She's in the kitchen," Rusty mumbled and stepped past Andy into the hallway. Andy just nodded and gave the kid a small wave before stepping inside the condo and closing the door behind him.
Given the stunned look on her face when Andy came around the corner into the kitchen, Sharon obviously hadn't heard their exchange.
"Hi there," suddenly Andy felt very, very small.
Sharon had gone completely still where she was standing, but mustered enough strength to give Andy a mild "hello."
When he realized that was all he was going to get out of her, Andy took a timid step forward. "Listen, Sharon. I didn't…" But Sharon cut him off with a wave of her hand.
"You don't need to explain, Andy. Really. I should have called before I came over. I should have thought you might have a…" Sharon desperately wanted her to remain without a definitive label, "guest."
"She wasn't a guest, Sharon. We just…" Again, she didn't let him finish.
"It's okay," Sharon was a little frantic, and shyly looked down at her shoes, "I really don't need to know. It's uh, it's your business. And I'd rather not…ya know." Sharon hoped Andy would take the clue and not mention her again. "Can I…" the hostess in Sharon was about to take over and offer Andy something to drink, but she quickly corrected herself, "What can I do for you?" She made a small gesture with both hands in front of her waist, indicating her kitchen and inquiring as to why Andy was standing in it.
Andy took another step towards Sharon but stopped himself when she instinctively mirrored a step away from him. "I just thought we should talk about what's been going on here."
"Andy, I don't think we really have much to talk about." Sharon was given no warning that Andy was coming over, and realized she was totally unprepared to face him.
"Well, then you don't have to talk. But you're going to listen." Andy remembered that sometimes Sharon spent so much time in charge of everyone else, she found it comforting when other people took control. It sounded a little demanding, but Andy hoped it might actually help if he established his presence and made sure she understood that he was there, and he wasn't going anywhere.
"You never should have let the FID investigation get in between us. I obviously shouldn't have lost my temper, but you should have let me explain. It wasn't fair to act like our relationship was disposable. But…" Andy breathed in, he knew this next part was a risk. "But I forgive you for that." He prayed that his earnest tone of voice would prove to Sharon that he wasn't trying to be condescending, he was trying to be sincere.
"I was angry with you for a long time, which is why I kind of exploded again when I saw that Marcken asshole flirting with you during the Remiros investigation. I shouldn't have come over that night. And I definitely shouldn't have left the way I did. And for that, I am very sorry."
"Andy, really, it's…" Sharon tried, but he cut her off again.
"I'm not finished. I can't be your friend, Sharon. When I told Taylor that if things didn't work out, you and I could go back to the way things were, I meant it. But I can't. I don't want to watch you work everyday and feel like I can't ask you how you're doing. I can't report to you like any other lieutenant. I can't treat you like my Captain, Sharon, because I'm in love with you. I'm still in love with you. I don't want to go back to being very good friends. I don't think I can. This is it, Sharon. This is it for me. You are it." Andy took a deep breath in to regain his composure, then continued. "I'm prepared to transfer, if you think this thing between us is too far gone. But you've got to know I never meant to hurt you." Andy had more prepared, but he stopped himself when he saw the look on Sharon's face. Tears had begun to prick the corners of her eyes, but Andy wasn't confident if they were forgiving or sorrowful.
"Andy. I just… There's so much that has happened. I don't want to go through this again, you know? And I know you weren't trying to hurt me. I know that." Sharon tried to make sure to make eye-contact, so Andy would know the next comment wasn't accusatory. "But last night, when I saw… I just…" She took another half-step away from Andy.
"Sharon, she was nothing. You have to believe me when I tell you that was nothing. It meant nothing. And I'm so sorry you were there. Just please believe me, Sharon. Please." Andy was insistently trying to emphasize the word 'nothing,' realizing with every syllable he sounded more and more like an ex-husband cliché.
Sharon's pursed lips and furrowed brow indicated she wasn't giving in. She tilted her head towards the ground, trying to reconcile how in order to truly sever ties with Andy, she would have to break her own heart.
Andy watched as Sharon was slowly retreating into herself, like he'd seen a handful of times before. His next move was less of a decision and more of an instinct. He took three quick steps towards Sharon and landed on his knees in front of her. He reached around her waist, just above her ass, and pressed his face into the low of her stomach.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Andy whispered into her body, clutching her closely to him and moving his mouth along her stomach.
Sharon took a sharp intake of breath when Andy landed on his knees and hugged her tightly to him. After a moment's hesitation, she let out a long, slow breath and let her hand come to gently rest on his head and shoulders.
At the reciprocated contact, Andy began to move more frantically against Sharon. He continued his mantra, and with every "I'm sorry" he pressed a kiss into her abdomen.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." It may have been underwhelming, but this is the core of what Andy came to say. Sharon moved her hands around his head and shoulder, down the center of his back to lean over and hug him closer to her legs and torso. She brought her face down next to his briefly and placed a gentle upside-down kiss on his temple. When she stood back up, Andy finally lifted his face up from the pillow of her belly to meet her eyes.
"Please forgive me, Sharon." It was the last plea Andy had. If she said no, he was prepared to walk away. Please don't say no.
"Okay." Sharon nodded and Andy was immediately on his feet. He wrapped his arms around her waist and hugged her tighter than he probably ever had. Sharon wrapped an arm around his waist and another around his neck to reciprocate every ounce of pressure he exerted. They held each other in silence for a few moments, then Andy's hands splayed across her back and he brought his face to her neck. He landed several kisses on her clavicle up to her pulse point, replacing his previous mantra with soft "thank yous." When he finally reached the bottom of her ear, he gave her another hard kiss and said, "I love you."
Sharon snuck a hand up to Andy's cheek and brought his face to meet hers. "I love you too."
Andy smiled at Sharon like he hadn't looked at her in a very long time, then crashed his mouth onto hers. It was one, long, hard kiss at first, but then he began to pepper her mouth with soft sweet kisses. Sharon caught his lips in hers, though, and they began a battle they hadn't indulged in far too long. She opened her mouth into his and softly slipped her tongue between his lips. Only at her initiation did he return the gesture, using his own tongue to meet hers, causing a soft moan to escape from her mouth. Andy missed a lot of things about Sharon, but that moan. That moan might be the single sexiest sound Andy has ever known. It was music, and he'd been living for two months without an orchestra.
Andy pushed her against the counter and grabbed around her thighs to lift her onto it. They continued to battle with each other's tongues while Andy let his hands retrace the map of her body that had once been so familiar. He kissed her neck, pulled at her clothes, and let his hands roam from the soft dip of her waist, to the pillow of her breast, to tug at her hair, and rub up and down over her jeans. Their breathing was becoming labored and Andy wasn't sure how long he could control the quickly building fire between them.
Sharon gently took his head in both of her hands and brought his face up to meet hers. Nose to nose, eyes cloudy and searching, she let out a breath. "Andy," she whispered into a smile, just liking the sound of it in the room, the taste of it in her mouth.
"I'm here," he replied, and drew the pad of his thumb across the bottom swell of her lip.
The End