Totally made-up random thing loosely based off of episode 2x9 "There's No Place Like Home" which was aired on one of my local TV stations last night. It's basically an irritated Provenza + team nonsense + pre-official, but totally flirty Shandy that results in an "Anything you can do…" situation for Andy and Sharon. This is cheesy, schmaltzy, fluffy, and slightly angsty for about .5 seconds. I regret nothing. Oh, and for the sake of this ridiculous story, Sharon and Mike graduated the academy together.
They really are my favorite toys to play with. Especially since their original owners treated them like Funko Pops. On display, but not allowed to take them out of their original boxes. (Don't mind me. I was totally inebriated when I wrote my disclaimer, but I'm not changing it. I still regret nothing.)
This was one of the weirdest cases Major Crimes had seen in a long, long time. It even had Judge Richwood so confused as to how five…extremely seasoned…adults pulled off such an elaborate murder. In the end, everything worked out as best as it could and the case was closed without much complication. When the last photo was taken off the board and put away in the box, it was Amy that piped up to remind everyone of their post-case ritual. "Mulcahey's? First round on me."
"You'll get no argument from me on that," said Tao as he started grabbing his stuff. "What about you, Captain? You've backed out on us the past few times."
She hadn't planned on joining them, but Rusty was studying at a friend's house, that she had fully vetted of course, and she really hadn't had time to enjoy herself with everyone in quite some time. Add in the slight pout that Andy had given her and it was enough to convince her to join them for a bit. Lately, she was finding it harder and harder to not give into that pout of his. "You're absolutely right, Mike. I have backed out the past few times and I'm deeply sorry for that. But not tonight. In fact, the second round is on me. Let me just grab my things and close up my office. I'll meet you all there."
As everyone finished gathering their things to start making their way out of the murder room, Provenza made his way over to Andy's desk to call him out on the sad puppy face he had given the captain. "Reel it in, Romeo."
"Not this again. We're. Just. Friends. Also, it's none of your business!"
"Like hell it isn't! I did not spend the better part of the past year trying to actually tolerate her to have you jump in and screw up the balance of this division! Need I remind you what we went through with Gabriel and Daniels? I'm too old to deal with that bullshit again!" He didn't even give Andy a chance to respond. He just turned to catch up with everyone else as they made their way towards the elevators, leaving Andy at his desk completely annoyed.
"Do I even want to know what that was about?" Sharon said as she walked towards Andy.
Andy looked over at Sharon trying to figure out what to tell her without giving too much away. It wasn't exactly something that he could explain to her anyway. "No, you really don't. He's just being a damn grump as usual," he said with a slam of his desk drawer. "Ready to head out?"
"Being a grump is who he is. I'd be worried if he wasn't," Sharon said while giving him a nudge with her shoulder. "Come on," she said while pushing him toward the exit. "There's a plate of zucchini fries that has my name on it. Maybe if you're a good boy, I'll even share."
"A good boy? What am I, four?"
"When you and Provenza get into your bickering, yes! Yes you are. Especially when you pout…"
"I don't pout!" Andy interrupted.
"…like that! Yes you do!" She laughed as she gently tugged at his bottom lip. She didn't mean to do it. It just…happened. "Anyway," she said while clearing her throat and taking a step away from him. "Just forget about him for tonight, okay?"
"Yeah." Forgetting about Provenza would be easy. "Yeah, I can do that. Just forget it all." It was forgetting how her slight touch made him feel that was the problem. Provenza was right. He did need to reel it in.
Mulcahey's was a typical cop bar and a favorite of the Major Crimes division. With it being directly across the street from the PAB, they all usually walked over together and it never stopped being funny when things got a little quiet when they walked in as a group. If the LAPD was High School, Major Crimes was as if the football team, debate team, and trouble makers joined together to take over the building. They were a force to be reckoned with and every cop at the PAB knew it and very much respected it.
The back of the bar was their favorite spot to hang out. It was large enough for everyone and whatever food and drinks they'd be enjoying for the night. Plus, it was where the pool tables and dart boards were set up. Many had challenged the entire team, usually betting rounds of drinks, but pretty much all had failed to actually beat them. It was always a sight to see when lower ranking officers realized when Captain Raydor joined, too. Some of them tensed up, some of them tried to get in her good graces, and some of them even tried flirting with her. Lately, the flirting really seemed to get under Andy's skin, with tonight being no different. When he heard someone call out her name and touch her on the shoulder, he couldn't hold back the glare that he shot towards the detective she was talking to. Julio was there to call him out on it.
"That's Callahan from Vice. You might want to watch your back with him, sir. I heard he's got a thing for Irish redheads. Especially if they're Catholic. Say, isn't her maiden name O'Dwyer?"
"Oh, geez! Not you, too," Andy said as he glanced at the ceiling. "We're just friends. But you might want to tell your friend, Callahan, that he's living in Never-Gonna-Happen-Land and to go back to his own division. She's not interested."
Julio simply shook his head and laughed as he walked away from Andy. "Just friends, my ass."
When their food arrived, which was basically every appetizer on the menu so that they could all share and pick off of whatever plate was in front of them, they gathered around for their usual post-case toast. They always started off with the same one. It was a tradition that Andy had started a while back, but has always stuck with them no matter the personnel changes. It was an Irish Policeman's blessing that he had learned a long time ago.
It must be hard to keep the Faith
through everything you see. Yet earnestly you do your job
with strength and dignity.
It takes a truly special one
who's steadfast, brave and true.
Devoted to security...
we can always count on you.
I give to you my gratitude
please know I really care. For babes in arms can safely sleep,
just knowing you are there.
Once their toast was done, it was the captain that spoke up next. "I'd also like to congratulate Lieutenant Provenza for passing his shooting proficiency exam," she said while raising her glass. "No matter how many times it took and while borrowing a suspects glasses. Honestly, Lieutenant, did you think I wouldn't find out?"
As the sounds of everyone laughing and telling him he was busted went off, Provenza was quick to begin defending himself. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, laugh it up all you want. I still passed, didn't I? Eventually all of you will be right where The Captain, Tao, and I are when it comes to glasses." It was tough for Louie to admit that the glasses had helped. But, in the end, they got him through the one thing that he needed, and that was all that really mattered.
"Really, Lieutenant, there's nothing wrong with wearing glasses, and there's also nothing wrong with admitting that you need them." Sharon may have been speaking to Provenza, but she was looking directly at Andy - her unbelievably stubborn…person…who refuses to admit that he needs glasses. "Look at me and Mike. Neither one of us wore glasses when we started at the academy, and now they're permanent for both of us. I, for one, am grateful for the advances of modern optometry."
"The advances of modern optometry? Just how much have you had to drink, woman? No one ever wants to actually admit they need glasses. Just ask your favorite monkey who still refuses to get his eyes checked." Provenza had clearly designated Andy to be his punching bag for the evening.
"Since when did it become pick-on-Andy-night? If this is the way it's gonna be, I'm going home." He didn't mean to get that agitated as he walked away towards the dart boards, but he couldn't help it. There was only one thing, one person, on his mind, and it was getting worse by the minute. Sharon was everywhere he was. They walked out of the PAB and over to the bar together. They sat next to each other when the first round of drinks came out. They had even managed to end up coming out of their respective restrooms at the same time, and hell if she didn't walk a little closer to him as they made their way back to their group. He just needed a minute to calm down, so he figured that throwing the darts as hard as he could, all while pretending that Provenza's face was the target, was the best way to do it. The problem was that he was followed by the one person that was, well, his problem.
"Andy," she said while tugging on his jacket sleeve, "Did you forget the part where I said to ignore him? Don't let him spoil your night. We're all having a good time."
Sharon's smile, the way she said his name, and the way the lights hit her eyes, making them his favorite shade of green, were his downfall. Right now, if she told him to go rob a bank, he would. "You're right and I'm sorry. I guess I'm just a little tired. I'll be fine and I promise I'll do my best to ignore him."
"Good. Now I need to order round two for everyone, so I'll be right back. Do try and behave while I'm gone," she said with a smirk as she walked away. While standing at the bar waiting to order, she took a glance over at Andy. There was something off with him and it went way beyond being a little tired, and being picked on by his partner. She thinks, no, she knows what it is. It's probably the same thing that's been on her mind since Nicole's wedding. Maybe she'll ask him to drive her home and convince him to come up for a coffee to get him to open up.
Round two was well underway and whatever drama there was between Andy and Provenza seemed to have died down. Now they were all making fun of Buzz who had never thrown a dart in his life and watching him struggle as he played was pretty amusing. After Buzz had finally given up, there was only one person left that hadn't gone against Andy. "It seems as if you're the only one left, Captain," he said while motioning towards the dart board.
"Oh, no! That would not be a good idea, trust me. But thank you for the offer," she said while taking another sip of her drink. "I'm sure Sergeant Callahan over in Vice wouldn't mind the challenge." Sharon damn near snorted when Julio choked on whatever he was drinking.
"Callahan can stay the hell over there with the rest of the swamp creatures from Vice. This is a Major Crimes night. Unless," he said drawing out the word for emphasis while taking a step towards her. "Unless you're not up for a little competition, Captain."
"Oh, I'm not the one that needs to be worried about being up for anything, Lieutenant. I'm just trying to save you from embarrassing yourself…again. Need I remind you of what happened the last time you challenged me to something, Andy?" When Andy smirked and shook his head, Sharon knew that he remembered exactly what she was talking about.
Mike also knew what she was referring to, so he started laughing as soon as he saw the look on Andy's face. "You, my friend, are screwed," he said as he walked by Andy, giving him a slap on the back.
"You're not seriously trying to compare that to this, are you? That was years ago and a totally different scenario! This isn't the shooting range, Sharon. Look, just admit that you're too chicken to play against me because you're on unfamiliar ground." The look she gave him when she turned around told him he had her exactly where he wanted because he knew she would never back down from a challenge. Especially from him.
"Did he just call her a chicken?" Buzz asked Tao while taking a few steps back from them.
"He definitely did and by the look on her face, he's a dead man. This is not going to end well."
"Just remember that you asked for this." Staring Andy directly in the face, Sharon slowly removed her blazer and tossed it over one of the barstools once it was off. She thought about taking off her shoes, but she figured that beating him in four inch heels would be an added bonus to his embarrassment. That, and the floor was rather gross. When she walked by Andy, she began whistling "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better." The eye roll he gave her told her he knew exactly what tune she was whistling. It was the same one she hummed to him the last time he challenged her all those years ago. She also made sure that her heels made enough noise as she walked straight over to Julio who was holding out the set of darts that she'd be using. If Andy wanted a game, she was going to give him a game. "Don't say I didn't warn you, Andrew." She had barely stepped up to the line to glance at the board before she hurled the first dart…where it landed dead center. She tried hard not to laugh when she heard Mike say, "Holy crap!" the second the dart hit the board, but Amy's "Ooohhh, you're in trouble!" Made her chuckle. "Guess I go first," she said with a shrug.
In the middle of the first game, Andy took off his jacket claiming that it was restricting him. One throw later, his tie ended up in his jacket pocket because he said it kept getting in the way, and his shirt sleeves were rolled up as well. She beat him anyway. Towards the middle of the second game, round three of their drinks was bought, but no one knew who had paid. Julio teased Andy that it was probably Callahan, and it threw him off so much, he ended up losing to her again when one of his darts ended up embedded in the wall instead of the board. They decided to keep going for a best of five when they were egged on by the crowd that had gathered to watch the newly named "Dart Raydor" kicking Andy's ass. It was Callahan that said, "Hey, Flynn! You should quit while you still have some of your dignity! Step aside, man. There's some of us that would love a chance to play with the captain!" The double entendre wasn't lost on her, so she decided to ease up a bit. She would never tell Andy that she basically let him win that game. The fourth game ended up being a challenge for her, but Andy won fair and square, so a deciding fifth game was necessary. In the end, she had kicked his ass so hard, it had a few division heads offering Andy their cards in case he wanted a transfer.
Once the crowd had scattered, everyone from their team returned to their respective seats to eat what was left of the food and to enjoy round four of their drinks, which were bought by a very confused Andy who was still being made fun of. "Yeah, yeah. I know. I'll never live down the tale of how I got my ass kicked by a woman in four inch heels. Glad you all find it so amusing," he said while downing his soda. "How, Sharon? Just how?"
"Oh, gosh. Did I forget to mention that my uncle owned a bar that had a few dartboards set up? It must've slipped my mind. Oops." Sharon couldn't help the giggle that came out of her as she took another sip of her wine. "I tried warning you, but you didn't listen, as usual! Anyway, when I was ten, my older brothers taught me how to play so they could bet money that a girl couldn't beat the boys. The older I got, the better I got. It really came in handy in college. I don't think I ever paid for my own drinks." Maybe this fourth glass wasn't the best idea.
Andy had already come to the conclusion that that smirk smile of hers was going to be the death of him, but when it came from an extremely giggly Sharon, he knew that it was time to get her out of there. "Okay, that's enough of that for you," Andy said while taking the wine glass out of her hand and setting it on the table as far away from her as possible. "I think it's time I get you home."
"Excuse me? I do not recall giving you any indication that I need to be handled. I am perfectly capable of calling a cab and getting myself home, Andrew. I'm tipsy, not drunk."
"Never said you were. But I'd feel more comfortable if you were brought home by someone you know, and since I'm the only sober one at the table, I'm your designated chauffeur."
"Hmmm, I don't know. I didn't see Sergeant Callahan with a drink all night. Maybe I can get a ride from him." The grin she got from Julio let her know that her joke hit a sore spot with Andy.
"That's not funny, Sharon. Not even remotely funny."
"Julio thought it was," Sharon said with a shrug. Okay, maybe Andy was right. It was time to go home. She'd forgotten how punchy she gets when she overdoes it.
Watching them go back and forth had become a national past time for everyone. Well, everyone but Provenza, of course. Whether it was arguing about a suspect, a case, or even what to eat for lunch, sitting back and watching The Captain and her Lieutenant, or Sharon and Andy, bicker back and forth was one of the most amusing things they had ever seen. "Do they even realize that we're all still sitting here?" Amy asked.
"I'm pretty sure they forgot we existed by the third round of that dart game," whispered Julio. Buzz and Mike just nodded while they watched whatever was going on in front of them unfold. "Do you think they'll have a dart board at their wedding reception?"
"Dammit, Julio! Now why would you even go there? There is something severely wrong with you. ALL of you!" Provenza said as he excused himself to the restroom. He's had enough of the Sharon and Andy show for one night. He prayed that they'd be gone by the time he'd be done.
"Ugh, fine. You have to be one of the most stubborn people I have ever met, Andy Flynn!" She said while fighting with one of the sleeves of her blazer. When Andy tried to help her, she smacked his hand away, showing him that she didn't need his help.
"Oh, I'm stubborn? Tell me, Captain. Do you always wear your blazers upside down and inside out? Or would you rather just keep fighting with it instead of letting someone actually help you?" The audible sigh and eye roll she gave him as she turned around so he could help her said it all.
By the time her blazer was on the correct way, Provenza had made his way back to the table. He tried stalling, but he knew they wouldn't leave without saying goodbye to him. "Ah, Captain. I figured you'd be gone by now, seeing as how it's close to midnight. You know, pumpkin, carriage, idiot mice and all that," he said rolling his eyes to his dumbass partner.
"Well, Lieutenant, it is rather impolite to leave without saying a proper goodbye to everyone in our party. Even if that includes you." She thinks he's forgotten that she can give just as good as he can. "Goodnight, everyone. Enjoy your well deserved two days off. Thank you for a lovely evening!"
"Someone please make sure that gets home," Andy said while pointing towards Provenza. "I can only handle one of them at a time and tonight's not his night." When he heard Sharon snort at his comment, Andy knew that he was making the better choice between the two. "Let's go, Dart Raydor."
Buzz had a question that he'd been holding on to since before the dart game started, but he'd hesitated on asking since he didn't want to sound too nosy. Once Andy and Sharon left, he figured it was a safe time to ask. "Hey, so, I'm curious. What challenge were they talking about earlier? Just how long have The Captain and Lieutenant Flynn known each other?"
Rumor had it that Sharon and Andy were once friends. It was right after she graduated from the academy and they had even patrolled together a few times. Andy was three years older than her, so he was considered a veteran by the time she graduated. He was also one of the few veterans that volunteered to patrol with her, but that was only to see if the rumors about the new "Rookie Chick" were true. Oh, they were true alright. Something Andy found out the hard way.
When Sharon had joined the academy, there were only four other females in their class. Two quit within the first two weeks of training, leaving only two others and Sharon. Everyone called her "Little Miss Overachiever" every chance they got. The thing was, she outdid everyone in her class. In fact, her records had held up for years with no one even coming close to breaking them. Well, until Amy Sykes joined the academy. That was one of the reasons why Sharon had no problem bringing Amy along when she took over Major Crimes. Anyone that can break her decades old records should be brought on to one of LAPD's most elite squads.
"Okay, so this goes back to when The Captain and I had just graduated the academy. The only reason why I know any of this is because I saw it go down and it was awesome!" Most of the time, people forgot that Sharon and Mike had graduated together, so when he had a story to tell that involved her, everyone usually stopped whatever they were doing to listen. "Andy had always been one of the best shooters the LAPD had ever seen - until a certain cadet came along. She was, still is, a ridiculous shot. Follow her to the shooting range one day. You'll see. Anyway, right after we graduated, someone told Andy that the "Rookie Chick" was a way better shot than he'll ever be. Of course, Andy being Andy refused to accept it, and challenged her to a shooting contest. She wiped the floor with him. Not only did she match him shot for shot, she ended their duel by emptying her entire clip dead center of the target. Andy missed four. It. Was. Epic."
Amy's eyes went wide when she realized something. "So those two framed targets at the range are…"
"The Captain's and Andy's from that day," Mike confirmed.
"Sir, did you know about this?" Julio asked Provenza.
"What? About our very own Annie Oakley and Frank Butler? Of course I knew! How could you not? What the hell are they teaching at the academy these days? Besides, those two have competed against and loved to hate each other for years." Provenza took a glance over at Andy and Sharon as they finally made their way out of the bar after stopping to say goodbye to a few more people. That's when he realized that the hating part of whatever they were got tossed out right along with Nicole's wedding bouquet.
As they walked out of the bar, Sharon groaned when she realized how far they would have to walk to get to Andy's car. Okay, it really wasn't that far, but her heels combined with the almost four glasses of wine made her a little unsteady on her feet, so walking wasn't particularly easy at the moment. The more she tried to keep her balance, the harder it got, and she was very grateful to Andy when he caught her as she stumbled over a bit of uneven pavement. The glare she gave him as he snorted didn't seem to have any effect on him. "Oh, shut up. It's the heels," she said as she looped her arm through his.
"Just the heels, huh? You sure it wasn't the extra few sips you thought I didn't see?"
"Oh, whatever! While I'll never admit to anyone about you ever being right, ordering that fourth glass was probably not one of my best ideas."
Andy couldn't help but laugh at her when her steps faltered again as they made their way down the parking garage ramp. "What happened to your two glass limit? I haven't seen you drink more than that since the night after you out-shot me at the range. I have never seen someone so small drink that much. Pretty sure you drank everyone under the table that night."
"God, that was a lifetime ago! My hangover was horrible the next day! The crime scene we ended up at in that alleyway didn't help," Sharon said as she smiled at the memory. "I still feel bad about throwing up on your shoes," she giggled when she heard him groan. There was so much on her mind, but the words just weren't coming out. She wanted to tell him that she needed a little bit of liquid courage in order to open up and ask him what they were doing. She wanted to tell him that she overdid it on purpose because she knew he'd be the one to take her home. She wanted, needed, to know if they were on the same page. Instead, she went with the first thing that came to mind, hoping he'd understand her. "I guess being out with everyone reminded me of who I was back then. For the first time in a long time, I was able to put The Captain away and go back to being just Sharon for a bit. She's still in here…somewhere. I think you're the only person that remembers her."
"Nah, Mike remembers. It's why he's always the one pushing for you to come out with us. When we're out, ranks don't matter to him. Think of it as his way of letting you know that he still remembers when you were his friend Sharon, and not his captain. And, for the record, you'll never be just anything to me." Suddenly the air in the parking garage became very thick as Andy began to re-think being the one to take her home. When they got around to the passenger side, Sharon suddenly turned and leaned her backside against the door preventing Andy from opening it. The move was so fast, and it had caught him so off guard, he didn't realize that she had maneuvered him so that he was practically on top of her.
"Then tell me, Andy. Exactly what am I to you? Because, right now, there's something that you're not saying and you're being awfully loud about it."
"Dammit," he sighed. This was neither the time nor the place for this conversation. "No. You know what? We're not doing this now. Get in the car, Sharon," he said while reaching for the door handle. He regretted it instantly. Reaching for the door brought him too close to her. Her perfume, her shampoo, hell, even the gum she was chewing was invading his senses, and it was simply too much. She was pushing him too far, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to take any of it back once it was out there. "Get in the damn car, Sharon!" He said while yanking the door open. He didn't mean to yell at her, or nudge her out of the way with the door, but when she didn't flinch at how loud he got, he knew she wasn't going to let it go.
"No!" She said while slamming the door shut. Now he had just pissed her off. "We are going to do this now! If our friendship means anything to you, then you need to say it. Stop hiding, Andy."
"It's because our friendship means everything to me that I can't!" Even looking at her hurt, so he did the one thing he swore he'd never do again - he turned his back to her and began to walk away.
Sharon was even more furious than she was before. She was there. She was exactly where he was, but she needed him to say it first. "Fine," she yelled after him. "Just give up and walk away. It wouldn't be the first time you walked away from us." They had a history. It wasn't some sordid affair. They hadn't even kissed. It was just the most dangerous flirtation-ship anyone had ever seen. A brief something that was, then wasn't. Andy had been the one to put a stop to it before any lines could be crossed.
Hearing her words made him stop dead in his tracks. Now it was his turn to be pissed."Oh, no! You don't get to bring that up!" He said while walking back towards her. "You were married! We both were! You know that's a line that neither one of us would've ever crossed, so that's why I walked away! And last time I checked, you're still married! At least that's what you keep telling anyone and everyone that tries to get close. How convenient for you."
"You're right, and I'm sorry. Especially for everything that happened between us all those years ago. That wasn't very fair to you, and I should've never taken it that far." She had hurt him back then and she knew it. It wasn't intentional. She thought that a little harmless flirting and toying with each other was part of their friendship. It was just who and how they were with each other. But then he walked away from whatever they had without any explanation. He simply up and transferred and that was the end of it. It was years before they saw each other again, and by that point, she already had her "leader of the rat squad" reputation, with Andy being her biggest problem child. "Andy, please," she said while tugging on his jacket, trying to get him to look at her. He just wouldn't. "Andy, I know…"
"You don't know a god dammed thing, Sharon!" He said while taking a step away from her. "You don't know what it's like to wake up every day and pretending like I'm fine with just being your friend. You don't know…" he hesitated, but there was no going back now. "How hard it is to look at you and wonder what it would be like to kiss you. I can't stand next to you, and not wonder what it would be like to hold your hand as we walk along the beach, or anywhere. I can't stop thinking about what it would be like to just cuddle up on the couch and fall asleep while we watch TV. And I can't stop wondering what it would be like to wake up one morning and find you next to me. I can't stop thinking about all of it no matter how hard I try. So don't tell me that you know because you don't. You just don't."
"But I do know, Andy! I know it and understand it more than you could possibly imagine! It has taken us years to get back to this point and I am so happy we have this back. I have missed our friendship more than you could ever understand. But this?" She said while gesturing between them. "It's all become too much and not enough at the same time, and I'm finding it very hard to navigate through it. You, this friendship, mean so much that I don't want, no, I can't risk…I'm so…I'm…" A drunk mind speaks sober thoughts, and right now, every drop was hitting her hard. She had tried to not let her emotions get to her, but it was no use. The moment she leaned her head down, the tears began to fall. The rawness of the conversation opened up every wound she had. From losing her friendship with him the first time around, to her completely failed marriage - which was only on paper at this point - it was all too much and had her questioning whether or not she'd ever be enough for him. For them. Andy deserved so much more than what she thought she had to offer him, but the thought of not trying with him scared her even more. "Terrified. I'm just terrified."
It only took a few steps before he was standing directly in front of her again, but she hadn't made a move to look at him at all. Andy knew that touching her was going to be a mistake, but he also knew that he'd regret it even more if he didn't. Her hair had fallen all around her when she looked down, and he knew she was using it as a mask to keep him from seeing just how emotional she was. He placed his hands on the side of her head in order to tilt her head back up to him. "You can't tell me to stop hiding if you're not willing to do the same. It doesn't work that way, Sharon." After he brushed her hair away from her face, he cupped her cheeks and used his thumbs to wipe away the tears that had fallen. "You think you're the only one who's terrified here? I'm just as scared as you are. But doesn't that tell you something? We're both so afraid of messing up, we're willing to not go after what we want just out of fear. That sounds pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Letting fear dictate how we live is something neither one of us has ever done. I've never known you to be afraid of anything, so don't start now. As for me, the only thing I'm afraid of is you with a bean bag gun, so just don't break it out after I do this."
He stopped being afraid for both of them and simply kissed her.
Time stopped and restarted at the same time, and once Sharon realized that the world hadn't imploded and the apocalypse was not upon them for crossing that line, she sighed and smiled before wrapping her arms around his neck to kiss him right back. Then, she giggled. She honestly didn't mean to do it, but it just happened. All she could think of was how adorably 'Andy' he had been right before he kissed her, and it just made her giggle. The growl he let out when he heard her didn't help stop her giggling.
"That's cute, Sharon. Real cute. Giggling at a man while he's kissing you right after he's poured his heart out does wonders for the ego. You really are hell in heels."
When she felt him starting to pull away from her, she found herself instantly grabbing at his suspenders to keep him close. And when she tugged on them to bring him back down to her, the smile he gave her told her that she had him exactly where she wanted him. "If you take me home right now, I can think of a few ways to help with that."
"Woah. That's not what…I don't…No, wait. I mean, I do…I just…Jesus Christ almighty!" He'd forgotten how strong her ability was to turn him into a bumbling idiot. "Not that I don't want to, because Lord knows how much I want to. But I'd really like to get this right. You deserve it. We deserve it. Please don't make it hard for me."
"Literally what I was going for." She said as she smirked at him.
"No! See that…" he said while pointing at her, "That face right there is nothing but trouble!" She still hadn't let go of his suspenders, but when she let one go with a snap, Andy was most certain that she was going to be the death of him. "Dammit, Sharon! Now I know you're trying to kill me! The one time, ONE TIME, I actually want to do the right thing, this is what she does! Could've sworn her middle names were Mary Eileen, but now I'm convinced they're Gaelic for devious pain in the ass!" he muttered to himself.
Here he was, being so unbelievably 'Andy' again, but she knew he was right. If they were going to do this, they needed to take a huge step back and start off the right way. Separated didn't mean dead, but it had been a while, so agreeing to his hesitance wasn't easy for her either. "Okay," she said while releasing his other suspender. "Only because I know you won't kiss and tell, I will actually admit that you're right. Just don't get used to it, got it?"
"Yeah, I got it. I still get to take you home though, right?"
"Well, I could always go back to the bar to find Callahan and…" but she was quickly cut off the moment his mouth landed on hers again. This time, she didn't giggle. The first kiss was soft and sweet, and everything a first kiss should be. This one was pure possession and she found herself not minding one bit.
"Callahan's gonna end up finding out real quick what my fist feels like if he doesn't keep his eyes to himself and stay the hell away from my girl." The look she gave him almost had him regretting his words, but he was determined to stick by every single one of them. "You can give me that look all you want. But I've waited over twenty-five years to be able to say that, so you'd better get used to hearing it for the next twenty-five, at least, because I don't plan on stopping any time soon. Now, my beautiful girl, will you please get in the car?"
"At least you said please this time. I'm still trying to figure out how you thought screaming, 'Get in the damn car, Sharon!'" She said while mocking his tone, "Would work out for you. That tone, among many other things, will be a very lengthy discussion, mister." She giggled again when he rolled his eyes as he closed the car door. She's pretty sure she heard him mumble, 'damn pain in my ass', too. Oh, she'll be a pain in his ass alright, and she'll use every minute of the next twenty-five years to show him just how big of a pain 'his girl' could be.
The drive back to the condo was more of the same back and forth they'd always done, just with the added bonus of hand holding the entire way and a few chaste kisses at stoplights. This is what she had missed. The dangerously flirty and silly banter that came so easy and had always felt so right between them. But he was right to walk away all those years ago. While the line would've never been crossed by either of them, they had gotten dangerously close to crossing it on more than one occasion, and the guilt of doing anything would've eaten them alive, costing them both everything. Other than her still being married on paper, which Gavin was in the process of taking care of, there was nothing else stopping them from going over that line, and the thought of what they could be excited her. They both knew that a serious conversation about them would need to happen sooner rather than later. How things needed to be at work, letting all appropriate parties know of the change in their relationship status, and what they both wanted and needed from each other were all things that needed to be discussed. But, for now, they'd just enjoy the moment of finally admitting that they were no longer interested in being just friends.
When they arrived at her building, Andy insisted on walking her to her door, and he was very glad he did. As they entered, they ran into the head of the condo board who had no problem making it known that he was very interested in Sharon. He had all but wedged himself between Sharon and Andy to strike up a conversation with her in the elevator. It wasn't until Sharon said, "Forgive my rudeness, Steven, but please allow me to introduce you to my boyfriend, Lieutenant Andrew Flynn," that he had finally gotten the hint. The glare he and Andy gave each other as he got off on his floor didn't go unnoticed, and Andy found her giggling…again. Once they got off on her floor, their conversation continued as they walked down the hallway.
"One, no more wine for a while. Your giggling is out of control and it's borderline diabolical at this point. Two, add him to the list of people that need to keep their eyes to themselves. I don't know whose ogling is worse. His or Callahan's. In case you haven't noticed, I don't play nice. Three, boyfriend?" The last question had him grinning like the Cheshire Cat.
"Yes, actually." She said very matter of factly. "I stand by my statement. If you can refer to me as 'your girl', then I am well within my right to call you my boyfriend. Although, you haven't officially asked me, so maybe I should take it back."
"Well then. I should really do something about that, shouldn't I?" He said as he backed her up against her door. "Sharon Mary Eileen O'Dwyer-Raydor, would you do me the honor of officially becoming my girl?"
Now it was her turn to smile. "Why, Andrew Joseph Michael Flynn, I thought you'd never ask. Yes, I would absolutely love to be your girl." When he leaned in to kiss her, she quickly realized that kissing him was something that she'd never get enough of. Part of her wondered if they were both entirely too old to go down the whole "boyfriend and girlfriend" route, but there was a whole other side of her that didn't seem to care. What the hell did the wrong side of fifty mean anyway? She once read an article about two ninety year olds that found each other in their nursing home, and found it rather cute that they referred to each other as boyfriend and girlfriend, so why couldn't she and Andy? What exactly was the big deal with it? Anyone with a problem could go sit with the rest of the swamp creatures, just like Andy had said. Andy, her boyfriend. Andy, her boyfriend, that she was currently making out with while standing in the hallway outside of her condo. She giggled again.
"The giggling, Sharon," he mouthed against her lips.
"The making out in my hallway, Andy," she mouthed back. "We really should stop."
"Nope," Andy really didn't want to, but he knew that leaving now would be in both of their best interests. She was still a little punchy, and he had a bit of a drive ahead of him. "But you're right. We're off for the next two days, leaving us plenty of time for that." He paused. The realization of them finally getting the chance to be Sharon and Andy hit him. He smiled as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "So, you and me. We're really doing this?"
"We are. You and me. No more hiding." When she saw how he was looking at her, she knew that this was exactly where she wanted to be, and everything felt so right. There was just one more issue she needed to address. "By the way, I was at the shooting range the other day and I overheard Detective Edwards from Cyber telling Sergeant Gonzalez that she was planning on asking you out soon." She grabbed at his suspenders again, but only so she could use them as leverage to get close enough so that she could whisper in his ear. "Someone should show her my target to warn her that I don't play nice either. Goodnight, Andy."
As he watched her back into the condo, he couldn't help but smile and shake his head at her. Devious. That's what she is. She really was going to be the death of him, but what a way to go, he thought to himself while walking to the elevator. As he waited, he took out his phone to send her a text. "What's a guy gotta do to take his girl out for breakfast tomorrow?"
"Pick her up at nine. But be prepared to go shopping after. I need a new dress and new shoes. My boyfriend is taking me out on a date next week."
"Yeah, he is. Sweet dreams, my beautiful girl."
The anticipation of breakfast, their shopping day, their first date, and even the potential of what could happen after filled her stomach with butterflies. But when she remembered who it was with, and the look in his eyes right before he left, she giggled again. Andy. Suddenly, things didn't seem so terrifying after all.