A Path Well Traveled

Chapter 15

A/N: This chapter is for Sue, who has been poking me about that one special scene since September.

They sat like that for a long while, both staring into the distance as they watched the sun rise. When Sharon's stomach rumbled loudly, Andy chuckled quietly before he nudged her to sit up so he could rise to his feet. His knees popped in protest, but he simply raised a brow at Sharon's laugh when she groaned softly as he helped her up. They weren't as young as they used to be, but they took the little aches and pains with humor, teasing and poking fun at one another instead of complaining about the inevitable.

Arm in arm, they made their way back into the house, working side by side to make coffee, prepare toast, scramble a few eggs, and slice a few fruits. It was a routine they had found months ago, back when Andy had stayed with her after his dust up with the car. Back then, she had only allowed him to take care of the fruit while he was seated at the breakfast bar, but it had been comfortable from the start. Having him around had always felt right, even when, according to everything she believed in, it had been wrong. Technically, it still was, at least as far as the Catholic Church was concerned. Their annulments were still being processed, and it would probably be another few months before they would hear anything about them

That had been a conversation they'd had once Ricky had left a few weeks earlier. The moment Andy had mentioned that his ex-wife had filed the paperwork so many years after their divorce, Sharon had known that it had been her sons and his daughter that had meddled in affairs that were none of their business. She had sat Andy down that night and asked him how he truly felt about it, and she had made him promise to have an honest talk with Sandra before they made a final decision. When she had told her sons that it would have to be Andy's decision, and that he should not make it just to please her, she had meant every word of it. She was grateful that Andy had taken her concerns seriously.

He had sat down with his ex-wife, and they had talked for a couple of hours, a conversation that he later told her had felt really good. It had been honest and raw, but they had walked away from it feeling closer to one another than they had since well before their marriage had fallen apart. Sharon remembered the way he had smiled, and the happy sparkle in his eyes when he had come home to her afterwards, telling her how Sandra was truly happy for them, and that she was finally ready to see how much he had changed. They were not naïve enough to believe that there would never be any conflicts between them anymore, but there was healing and growth and understanding. Maybe, Sharon kept thinking a little wistfully, she and Jack would reach that point, too, some time in the future, if not for themselves, then at least for their children. They more than deserved that.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, as they sat across from each other at the small kitchen table, exchanging tender smiles and soft touches. When the eggs were gone, they started feeding each other mango slices and grapes, their gazes lingering on the other's mouth, darkening when a tongue darted out to circle a finger. Sharon let her bare foot slide up and down Andy's leg underneath the table, and she smirked mischievously when his eyes darkened and his breath caught as her toes slowly walked up the inside of his thigh. She barely brushed against the bulge at the top, only long enough to feel it twitch and to notice his rising interest. Then she rose from the table and collected their dishes, walking towards the sink as if nothing had happened, suppressing a laugh at his surprised grunt behind her.

Sex with Andy had always been good, on occasion even spectacular. It had changed over the years as they had grown and matured, as their relationship had undergone shifts and changes, but it had never been disappointing. Some things they did in the past made her blush now, even more so after having some of them dragged out into the open recently, but putting that aside, she did not regret any of it. What they had discovered over the last couple of weeks, away from their often-crazy work schedule and the demands of their families and social lives, was a playfulness that had not been there before. They took advantage of the large house to enjoy one another whenever and wherever they felt like it, which was frequently.

Sharon was not surprised when, only a minute after she had started filling the sink, arms slipped around her from behind. She hummed as he buried his nose in her thick hair, nuzzling it aside until his lips found the sensitive skin at the side of her neck. She kept washing their dishes, even though he made it hard for her to focus on the task. His hands caressed up and down her front, from the waistband of her jeans to the underside of her breasts, gently tugging her soft, dark blue sweater up until his fingers feathered over her bare skin.

She leaned into him, her butt pressing against his growing arousal, moving slightly against it until she drew a groan from him. In retaliation, nimble fingers made short work of the buttons of her pants and slipped inside, finding her already wet and eager for his touch. Her knees buckled slightly as desire shot through her like lightning, but she kept her own hands busy running the dish rag over a plate, her gaze stubbornly focused on what she was doing, even though she wanted nothing more than to turn around and kiss him. It would be more fun to wait a little longer and see what he would do to get her attention, and he would get it eventually. He knew exactly how to play her to make her go along with whatever he had in mind, and so far, she had not been disappointed.

In all the years they had known one another, they had never gone out on a proper, romantic date. They had grabbed dinner or lunch together, watched a few movies, or taken long walks. They had even gone to the theater once when one of her friends had canceled on short notice and she'd had the ticket, but they had never officially dated. Even as Sharon checked her appearance in the mirror once again, wondering if Andy would like the blue dress she had chosen, she reminded herself that tonight was not a date either. He had simply asked her out to dinner to thank her for taking care of him when his doctor had refused to send him home alone with his concussion and shoulder wound.

She had felt a little anxious when she had researched the place he had made reservations at, finding out that it was supposed to be a very romantic rooftop location. She was almost ready to call it off, but it had been a long time since she had gone out, and the night and two days she had spent at his place two weeks before had reminded her why Andy had never left her heart completely.

It should have been awkward to be in his house, to cook in his kitchen, to help him change his clothes. Instead, they had felt comfortable around one another, laughing as they struggled to figure out how to get him out of his shirt without aggravating his shoulder or when he called her into his bathroom after his shower, a sheepish look on his face as he tried and failed to close the buttons of the jeans he had wanted to wear. From that moment on, he had opted for sweatpants, even if he had wanted to look a little more put together while he had company.

The night she had spent in his bed had been completely innocent, mostly because he had not even been able to bend his fingers without hurting. If the way he had looked at her in the oversized t-shirt and shorts he had lent her was any indication, however, his thoughts had been anything but innocent. As she curled around his arm, carful of his bruises on that side, her mind had started to wander down a path of old but fond memories, making her body buzz with something she had not felt in a while.

When she had left for her own home the next evening, it had been with mixed feelings. On the one hand she had worried about leaving him alone, even though his doctor had given his okay, and Andy had felt a lot better. On the other hand, she had been relieved to put some distance between them, because the comfortable closeness had frightened her.

A few days later, they had met for coffee and a talk. They were both reluctant to step away from one another again after they had somewhat rekindled their connection after all those years. They had been open and honest about what they wanted and what they were willing to give, and it had turned out that they both wanted the same thing. They had missed their friendship and hoped to be able to revive that. If certain benefits ended up being part of that renewed friendship, neither one of them would object.

She had been very clear, however, that she was not looking for a relationship or any kind of emotional entanglement. No matter what they ended up doing, they would keep their children, friends, and families out of it this time, and certain things, like spending the night or an entire weekend together, would not be happening. That one night she had slept curled into his side recently would remain an exception due to his injuries and would not be repeated. Sharon had reminded him, and maybe also herself, that she was still a married woman and had no intention of getting a divorce, no matter how rotten a husband Jack was. She might be willing to compromise her values to satisfy her physical needs occasionally, but her heart was off limits.

If she were honest with herself, Jack was not the main reason for keeping an emotional distance between them. Yes, she was still married to him and would not change that fact, but that was not why she tried to guard her heart at all costs. She had jumped into her marriage as an eager, young woman, giving everything she was and everything she had to the man she intended to love for the rest of her life. He had taken her heart, and once he got bored with their life together, he had tossed it aside. Over the years, she had opened it to him again and again, always hoping that he would cherish that gift this time. He had always ended up crushing it at some point, leaving her to pick up the scattered pieces.

Then there had been Andy, a man who had done his best to be by her side, even though they had never made any commitments to one another. He had allowed her to cry on his shoulder when Jack had left her, he had helped her out when her husband had run off with all of their money and she had not known how to feed her children. He had been with her when she had lost the baby her husband had abandoned before it was even born. All these years later, after everything they had been through, and even though she had never been willing to admit to him or to herself how much he meant to her, Andy was still by her side. Despite his kindness towards her, he had ended up breaking her heart when she had allowed her guard to drop around him. He had not done so deliberately, but the result had been the same.

The moment Jack had walked out on her and their unborn child a few years ago, Sharon had sworn to herself that she was done with romance. That part of her life was over. She simply had nothing left to give - to any man. She had her children and her parents, and that was enough. Her heart was full, and her life was good. She was happy and had finally reached solid ground emotionally and financially. There was no way she would risk that. Not even for a man who had once come very close to stealing her heart. That was what she had told him over coffee, and he had agreed wholeheartedly, his own energy focused on his sobriety and on reconnecting with his children.

They had reached an understanding, and that, more than anything, allowed her to relax and go with whatever he had planned for the evening. She would be lying if she claimed that it did not feel exciting to be wined and dined instead of simply meeting up to release some tension. She enjoyed it when she got a chance to dress up and make an effort with her hair and makeup beyond what she did for work on a daily basis. It was even more rewarding when the reaction to the result was as satisfying as Andy's the moment she opened her front door to let him in.

Andy knew that Sharon was an attractive woman, just as he knew that she had a great fashion sense. Still, coming face to face with her in a royal blue dress that hugged her figure in just the right way, that afforded him a great view of her long, shapely legs and a generous amount of cleavage, was entirely unexpected. He swallowed hard, struggling to keep his eyes from lingering on the soft swell of her breasts. She grinned at him, her eyes sparkling mischievously at his obvious admiration of her looks. He would feel uncomfortable knowing that she had caught him staring if it were not for her own eyes darkening as they took him in.

"Are you ready?" he asked, taking great pains to keep his voice even despite the sizable lump in his throat. He wanted to put his hands all over her, but that was not what the evening was supposed to be about. Friends, he reminded himself as he offered her his arm and guided her to his car. If all he got to do that night was look at her across the dinner table and spend endless hours talking to her, he would be more than happy.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-

The two cocktails she had ordered gave her a wonderfully warm and light feeling, almost as if she was floating. She was definitely not drunk, but feeling a pleasant buzz. The warm hand at the small of her back, the strong presence at her side, and the intoxicating scent of his cologne might be contributing factors as well. Even after they stepped into the hallway to wait for the elevator, her blood still sang with the soft, soothing tones of the small jazz ensemble that had played quietly in one corner of the restaurant all night.

Andy maneuvered her so that she stood right in front of the doors as they waited, stepping up behind her, his arms sneaking around her and pulling her back against his chest. She leaned into him, closing her eyes and tilting her head to the left as she felt him trail soft kisses along her exposed neck. For a fleeting moment, she congratulated herself for deciding to put her hair up, but when he found that spot at the back of her neck, right at her hairline, all coherent thought left her, and she melted into him.

Sharon barely noticed when the elevator arrived and Andy navigated them inside. Not once did he pause his gentle exploration of her neck. His tongue traced the shell of her ear before he suckled on her lobe, drawing a moan from her. Then he nibbled his way down the side of her neck and along her shoulder until her dress stopped him, and he gently bit into the soft flesh he found there.

When his hands started wandering all over her stomach, up her sides, back down and up again, until his thumbs grazed the sides of her breasts, she started moving her backside against him, feeling his growing arousal against her firm cheeks. He groaned and thrust against her, prompting her to repeat the motion. Desire started pooling between her thighs, her chest and face flushed with it. The slightly rocky descent of the elevator only intensified the fluttering inside her stomach, and she was exceedingly grateful that no one else needed to go downstairs at that precise moment.

A second later the elevator bounced a few times before it came to a sudden halt. The lights flickered alarmingly and then went out, plunging them into total darkness for a beat, until the emergency light switched on. It bathed the small space in an orange hue, barely bright enough to make out the walls around them.

An undignified squeak escaped Sharon at their unplanned stop, her eyes open wide and her body rigid in Andy's arms. He pulled her a little closer, his hands splayed out on her stomach, thumbs drawing soothing circles on the soft fabric of her dress until she relaxed against him once more. Confined spaces were not her favorite thing in the world, even though she did not think of herself as claustrophobic. She had been stuck in an elevator once before, but that had been at work, with a case file to keep her distracted, functioning lights, and considerably more space around her.

It seemed as if Andy decided that distraction was exactly what she needed. He only took a few seconds to get over his surprise before he started to attack her neck with renewed fervor, kissing and nibbling her sensitive skin until he drew an involuntary moan out of her. When his hands started wandering her torso again, unashamedly cupping her breasts, she whimpered before she stiffened in his arms.

"Andy," she chastised him with little heat. She could not believe that he would do this in their current situation, but her body did not share her reservations. It eagerly answered his call for intimacy.

"Relax," he whispered in her ear, his tongue flicking out to trace along its shell once more. "No one's here to see us."

Sharon hesitated for a moment before she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, leaning back against him and surrendering to his touch. Closing her eyes, she pushed her anxiety at their situation out of her mind and allowed the sensations he created to take over.

Andy gently caressed her soft mounds through the fabric of her dress, his thumbs flicking over her nipples, the contact only enough to drive her crazy with desire for more. She felt his grin against the side of her neck as he continued to tease her, until he finally hooked his fingers into the low neckline of her dress and drew it down until her breasts spilled out into his waiting hands. He knew how much she loved it when he paid attention to them, and as a self-proclaimed tit man, he was only too happy to do just that.

Her soft moans and heavy breathing filled the small cabin as he pinched and twisted her nipples, almost but not quite hard enough to be painful, while he rubbed himself against her backside. She wanted to turn around and touch him, to kiss him and feel his lips wander down her body, but she was unable to move, too caught up in his skillful ministrations.

A groan of frustration was drawn from her when one of his hands left her breast, but then he started inching up her dress, the skin of her thigh on fire in the wake of his feather light touch. By the time he slipped a questing finger into her panties, she was beyond any coherent thought, her head spinning and her knees weak with need. Two long digits entered her slowly, and he groaned at the wet heat he found there. Withdrawing them just as slowly, he found her clit and drew tight circles around it just the way she liked it.

They both knew that it would not take long for her to tumble over the edge, and a part of her wanted to feel him inside her. If he had suggested it, she would not have objected, but that thought was forgotten a moment later, when he quickened his pace.

Then the light came back on, and a second later, the elevator jolted violently before it resumed its slow descent. Once again, Sharon tensed, torn between her fear of being discovered and the fire in her belly. Andy's raspy voice in her ear made her shudder, the sound of his own desire unmistakable.

"Do you want me to stop?"

It only took her a split second to decide, and maybe it was the alcohol or the fact that Andy had her right on the brink of release, but instead of pulling away from him, she ground her ass against Andy's erection, the corners of her mouth lifting at his pained groan. "Don't stop. Please," she begged, relieved when he complied.

Their time was extremely limited, but when Andy thrust two fingers into her once again while his thumb rubbed against her clit, she felt the first tentative flames lick along her nerve endings, making her fingers and toes tingle. His fingertips reached deep inside her, brushing against her g-spot as his thumb pressed down on her sensitive nub. Sharon gasped and thrust her hips, seeking out his touch, needing just a little more. When he bit into the soft skin where her neck and shoulder met, she moaned, sparks erupting behind her lowered lashes as her body tensed and her walls gripped his fingers tightly, pulsing around them as he drew out her pleasure for a few seconds more.

She was still trembling, her legs shaky, when he withdrew his fingers and smoothed down her dress, quickly tucking her breasts back into her bra. She was only just decently covered once more when the doors of the elevator opened on the ground floor. Sharon turned around, her hand reaching out to hold onto Andy's arm to keep her legs from giving out underneath her. When she looked up at him, his eyes were almost black with desire as he licked her juices off his fingers. The longing to kiss him, to seek out his tongue with her own and taste herself on his lips was almost impossible to resist, but he simply grinned at her as he guided her out of the elevator in front of him.

He stayed close behind her as they passed an elderly couple, and she had to suppress a nervous giggle when the woman gave them a suspicious look. Sharon guessed that it was hard to misinterpret the flushed look on her face and the way Andy practically held her in front of himself like a shield, but at that moment, she was not quite able to care much about what people thought of them. She was too busy thinking about the fastest route home and the fact that, with Ricky recently off to college, there was no one that would be disturbed when she dragged Andy through her front door and into her bedroom – if they even made it that far.

Her legs were still shaky when she walked into the bedroom. Andy had been relentless. His skilled fingers had brought her over the edge twice before he had turned her around, sat her onto the counter and spent another ten minutes delighting in her taste until she had been screaming once more. And yet, as she entered their room and saw him stretched out on the bed, stark naked, grinning, and with a very impressive erection twitching against his stomach under her heated gaze, she felt her own desire settle deep inside her core, heavy and potent as she imagined what was ahead of them. He would not let her take an active part in their little kitchen tryst earlier, but she intended to get even. That smug grin would be gone soon enough, when he figured out what she had in store for him.

Sharon closed the door behind her and turned to the chair in the corner of the room, her back towards her waiting fiancé as she slowly, teasingly peeled out of her remaining clothes. She had not bothered to retrieve her jeans and panties, leaving them on the kitchen floor where Andy had dropped them. Her t-shirt and the long cardigan were more than enough for her to feel comfortable walking around the house. There were no children around to be traumatized by seeing their half naked mother, and Andy most definitely did not mind.

Andy's eyes raked over her body as she stretched up to pull the simple, tight shirt over her head, leaving her in nothing but a dark blue lace bra. It was something she would never consider wearing to work. Impractical was what she called it, because it did not do a very good job of supporting or covering anything, which was exactly why he loved it. That, and the fact that the friction of the coarse material against her nipples drove her wild when he brushed his thumbs over them. His fingers twitched where they were laced together behind his head, tingling with the remembered feeling of the warm heaviness of her lace-clad breasts. He wanted to run his fingers up and down her spine, to see her shiver as goose bumps erupted all over her skin. She was so responsive to his touch, even more so now than she had ever been before.

It was something he could get used to all too easily, this living into the day with nothing to do but to eat, sleep, and fool around. He sometimes regretted that he was no longer a young man, but they had found many delightful ways to work around that slight disadvantage, and Sharon had reassured him many times that age did come with many positive sides, and that those far outweighed the fact that he did not get it up as quickly and as frequently anymore as he did twenty years ago.

She, on the other hand, was easy to arouse these days, her hunger for him almost impossible to satisfy. Especially since they had left Los Angeles. Without the pressure of work, and with a house all to themselves, Sharon had let go of the last of the walls she had built around herself over the years. There was no reason for her to control her every reaction, her words and expressions the way she did at work, or even around her children. That was what she had told him at the beginning of their trip, once she had started to relax. He had seen her at her absolute worst. He had seen her completely unravel emotionally, and he still loved her, he still respected her. There was no need for her to pretend or to hide anything from him, and that gave her a freedom she had never felt before. She was making use of that freedom to the best of her abilities, and Andy considered himself the luckiest man on earth for getting to enjoy this side of her.

He also got to enjoy the sight of her walking towards him, obviously comfortable with his hungry eyes devouring her naked form. There was an extra sway to her hips, and he marveled at the soft glow of her pale skin in the low light. He was unable to see them, but he knew that there were countless freckles scattered all over her chest and shoulders. She hated them, especially since the sun had made them more prominent. When his tongue drew paths between them, she did not mind them so much, however. Her hair fell in thick, unruly waves over her shoulders, no longer quite covering the soft mounds he yearned to touch and taste. Her nipples were dark and firm, begging to be suckled and nibbled at, and he could almost hear the soft, mewling sound she would make if he did.

Her belly and hips were slightly rounded, the thin waist and flat stomach she used to have years ago long gone, but he preferred her this way. She was softer now, in many ways. Her face and body showed traces of a long and often hard life, but the lines around her eyes proved that, despite everything that had happened, she had never forgotten how to laugh.

One thing that had not changed at all in more than twenty years were her legs. He was aware of her workout routine, of the time she spent in the pool or doing yoga. She used to run when she was younger, but her knees no longer appreciated that kind of exercise.

It did not matter to him. None of it did. If she had stopped working out years ago, he would love her just as fiercely, and his desire for her would in no way be diminished. He appreciated her body, loved the soft skin that stretched over her taunt muscles, enjoyed the benefits of her flexibility, but it was the light in her eyes as she looked down on him, the way she raked them over his body, and the devious smile that tugged at her lips. It was her warmth and kindness, the sense of humor few people got to experience. Not unless they were lucky enough to be counted among her friends.

And then there were the handcuffs gleaming in the low light where they dangled from her fingers as she held them out in front of her. She approached the head of the bed slowly, like a predator, her eyes never leaving his, issuing a wordless challenge. When she raised a questioning eyebrow, he raised his hands towards the metal headboard without conscious thought. His breath caught in his throat when he felt the cold metal snap into place, and desire set his entire body on fire. He was dying to know what she was up to, but whatever it was, he knew she would take her time.

Over their long, tumultuous relationship, Sharon had often thought about that night when he had made her surrender to him completely. She had frequently wondered what it would be like to return the favor, and after what he had done to her in the kitchen, she thought that it was time to show him what it was like to be at someone's mercy.

It was not that he never let her take control of their lovemaking. On the contrary. He enjoyed it when she took over, but he also had a hard time keeping his hands off of her, and he invariably ended up distracting her. That was not going to happen today.

Warmth spread through her chest when he complied with her silent command without hesitation, his eyes darkening as they locked on hers. She did not speak. It was unnecessary, and she loved to keep him guessing as to her intentions. He would find out soon enough.

She slowly crawled onto the bed, kneeling next to his hips, and allowing her hands to feather over the skin of his chest. The wiry hairs that covered the wide expanse tickled her fingers, and she hummed in delight at the feeling. She could spend hours running them through his thick chest hair, gently tugging and scratching until he growled in pleasure.

He was a handsome man. Softer around the edges now than he had been when they had first met, his body carrying the scars of his share of close calls. She traced them with her fingers, remembering the stories behind them, and saying a silent prayer of thanks that he was still with her. She recalled the first time her hands had run over his bare body, when he had been all hard muscles, tanned skin, and unruly, black hair. He had been like a work of art back then, like one of those statues one would find in museums. Now he was real, flawed in many ways, a little worn, but exactly what she wanted. They had both aged and changed until they were perfect for one another with all their imperfections. It had taken them well over two decades to get to this point, but here they were, together, and happier than she would have ever thought possible.

Shaking herself out of her sentimental thoughts, Sharon slowly moved farther down his body, allowing her lips to taste what her hands had explored before. She felt him shift beneath her as she moved lower, his eagerness to be closer to her hard to miss. She scratched her nails along the inside of his thighs, nudging them apart so that she could fit in between. Her eyes locked onto his as she kissed a wet trail from his left knee all the way up to his groin.

Her fingers curled around his hard length, holding him in a firm grip as she slid them up and down, licking her lips in anticipation. She let her tongue circle around the tip a few times, lapping at him like a cat, delighting in the salty taste of pre-come, his low groans, and the helpless thrusts of his hips. Finally giving in to his wordless pleas, she took him into her mouth, sliding her lips up and down his length. She hummed around him, her tongue and teeth driving him crazy. Looking up at him, Sharon saw him struggle against the cuffs, no doubt wanting to bury his hands in her hair, or to pull her up until he was able to kiss her. He always did that when it became too much, when she was pulling him too close to the edge. Not this time, she thought, grinning around his thickening erection.

Letting him slip from her mouth, she licked and nibbled her way down the pulsing flesh until she reached his balls. She sucked them into her mouth one after the other, gently tugging until he hissed. Reluctantly, she let them go before she returned to his length. She sucked on his tip, pulling back until the suction made him whimper. Then she sank down on him until he hit the back of her throat, only to repeat the whole process again and again until he begged her to stop.

Sharon was trying to kill him. Andy was convinced of that. It was no secret to him that she gave a hell of a blowjob, but it had never been like this, probably because he usually stopped her after a few minutes. He cursed the fact that he had let her cuff his hands to the bed. He wanted to weave his fingers into her thick curls. He wanted to drag her up to meet her mouth with his. He wanted to feel her slick, hot walls close around him as he sank into her to her hilt. He wanted to hold her head and pump into her mouth until he came. He was going to die.

His heart was beating so hard that he was convinced she would be able to hear it, and he had trouble breathing. He felt his balls drawing closer to his body as sparks of electricity shot along his limbs. She had him right on the edge, and she knew it. Just when he thought that it was over, she backed off a little, eased away slightly until he regained a little control, only to work him up again.

There was no coherent thought left in his head, and he had no idea how long she had been at it, but his balls felt as if they were about to turn blue, and it was the best damn thing he had ever experienced. Then she tightened the grip she had on him and took his balls in her other hand, squeezing them slightly as she sucked him even harder. Fire was crawling up his dick, and he stopped caring that his hips bucked wildly underneath her. He had begged her to stop, and he had warned her repeatedly that he was about to lose control, but she had not ceased her attack. At this point, he was beyond any kind of selfless considerations.

When he felt a wet finger gently slide into his ass, it was over. He howled his release as light exploded behind his eyes. He was vaguely aware of her lips that were still working him, no doubt sucking his soul out through his dick, and he thought he might never stop coming. If it was possible to die from an orgasm, he surely would, and he would not mind in the least.

It felt like an eternity before the explosions in his head and the jerking of his body finally stopped, and he collapsed against the pillows, barely able to catch a breath. The bed shifted, and soft hands touched him everywhere. His hands were released from their restraints, and lips kissed his cheeks and forehead tenderly, before the warm presence next to him left, only to return a little while later.

When the post-coital haze finally lifted, Sharon was curled into his side, an arm and a leg slung over him, and her head pillowed on his shoulder. Her hand rested on his chest, laying flat against his heart, which was gradually slowing to its normal pace. He turned his head slightly and planted a kiss into her hair, his lips barely cooperating. If the house were on fire right at that moment, Andy was convinced that he would not be able to move one inch. But that was okay; he would die a happy man.

"Damn, woman," he muttered, his voice raspy, "In sixty years, no one has ever made me feel anything like that before."

It was true. He'd had great sex, a lot of it with the woman beside him, but he had never come this hard in his entire life.

"That good, hm?" she replied on a laugh, smiling up at him, her eyes sparkling happily.

He shook his head at her, completely in awe of the amazing woman who, through some miracle, had decided to spend the rest of her life with him. "You have no idea."

She laughed again, propping herself up on one elbow and cupping his cheek with her hand. "Oh, I think I might have," she whispered before she drew him into a languid kiss.

When she finally pulled back, she stared into his eyes, her fingers caressing his face, feathering over his nose, his brows, along his strong jaw, and his slightly swollen lips. Every bump, every inch of skin, every wrinkle was as familiar to her as her own features, but it felt as if she was seeing him for the first time. Something was different, and yet it was not. Maybe it was just that she had never truly opened her eyes before.

"I love you, Andy."

She shook her head and placed a finger against his lips when he opened his mouth to reply. There was more that she needed to tell him, things she had not understood until a few moments ago.

"It has always been you," she began, tears shining in her eyes. "All these years, you were right there beside me, even when I pushed you away. I thought that I did not need you, that this was something I could control, but I was wrong. I know that I hurt you, especially by breaking it off when I started that audit, and I wish that I had considered looking for another way to deal with that situation. It was not fair to you, and I am sorry about that."

This time, Andy managed to interject when she paused. "You're right. It hurt to let you go, but it was the right thing to do at the time, and you know it. If Goldman had gotten wind of our relationship, we would've been in even bigger trouble. And the Chief would probably have killed us." They both smiled at the mental image of an exasperated Chief Johnson wrapping her bare hands around their necks.

Andy remembered that particular time all too well. They had been seeing one another again for almost seven years, carefully keeping it casual. At least that was what they had been telling each other. It had stopped being a fling for him long before that. He had started falling in love with that feisty soccer mom, who resented being relegated to snack duty while the dads got to help out on the field. He had not known it back then, but that was when it had all started for him.

When they had hooked up again shortly after he got shot right in front of her, there had been a part of him that had hoped that they would eventually become more than friends with benefits, but he had not expected it to take another eleven years. It had not always been easy between them during that time. The audit and that whole lawsuit mess had put a strain on their relationship, pitching them against one another in a way they had not experienced before. She said that he had always been by her side, but he knew that that was not true. There were things he had said about her and to her, things he had done, that he was not proud of. There had been some ugly fights, and some even uglier silences. In the end, however, they had found their way back to one another, and that was all that mattered.

"Maybe," she conceded, "but I want you to know that, even when I pretended that you were just a friend, even though I believed it myself at the time, that's not entirely true. You have always been a friend to me, but for a very, very long time, you have been so much more than that."

She looked down at his chest, watching her fingers draw random patterns on his skin as she nervously chewed on her lower lip.

"It took me a few decades to catch up, but my heart has been leading me towards you from the start. You are it for me, Andy. You are-" she hesitated, trying to find the right word that described everything she felt when she thought of him. "Home," she finally added, looking up at him to see if it made sense to him.

Andy closed his eyes and tugged her against him, his arms holding her in a tight embrace. Yes, he understood. She was the one he went to when he was sad, or angry, or uncertain, or happy. She was his strength and his comfort, his light and his lifeline. In her, he had found his greatest champion and his toughest challenger. She constantly inspired him to be better, to grow and learn, but she never made him feel inadequate. She was the home his heart and soul had chosen. It had been a long journey, the path towards friendship and love trodden more than once, but they had finally arrived. They were home for good.

~FIN~

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