"Coffee Break" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Tue, 23 Jun 2015 15:19:24 GMT

Title: Coffee Break
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor, Rusty
Rating:T
Word Count: 1217
Disclaimer: Not my show or television characters
A/N: Written as a tie-in to episode 4x03. Many thanks to kayryn for her support and help!
Summary: “Andrea, talk to me,” Sharon asked, “I’m not asking you as your co-worker, right now, I’m asking you as your partner. Tell me what I can do to fix this.”

On ff.net: Coffee Break

“Dammit,” Andrea muttered as she violently shook her hand, splashing hot coffee all over the counter.

She reached for the roll of paper towel next to the sink and dabbed at the steaming liquid that stained the off-white marble counter. After tossing the soiled paper towel in the trash bin she rolled her sleeve up to asses the damage. Thankfully the rich brown liquid had missed her blouse completely, instead it had scorched the delicate skin of her palm, causing the pale skin to shine a bright pink.

“The more coffee you spill, the less you can actually enjoy.”

Andrea turned around to observe Sharon casually leaning against the doorframe of the break room.

“I might pour the whole pot over myself to try and ingest its powers,” Andrea deadpanned. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at Sharon.

“What are you more angry at me for?” Sharon asked, sighing in resignation, “The fact that I want you to offer Malcom a deal or for not discouraging Rusty’s v-log?” Sharon took three steps forward, placing her in the middle of the room, and regarded Andrea with her hands on her hips.

Andrea observed Sharon’s mirrored defensive body language and shook her head. “I’m not….I don’t want to do this. I’m not angry at you. I’m just...angry,” she said.

“You know, the nice thing about dating an LAPD officer is that you can tell me about your day and I will understand where your frustration is coming from. I can even offer sound advice,” Sharon said pointedly.

Andrea uncrossed her arms and drummed her fingers on the smooth counter. “I don’t want to upset you,” she reasoned.

Sharon took a few more steps forward so that she was standing directly in front of the irritable DDA. “Because this is working out so well for us both personally and professionally?” she asked quietly.

Andrea pursed her lips and tilted her head.

“Andrea, talk to me,” Sharon asked, “I’m not asking you as your co-worker, right now, I’m asking you as your partner. Tell me what I can do to fix this.”

Andrea shook her head frustratedly. “That piece of shit doesn’t deserve a deal Sharon. He didn’t kill that girl but he did everything else to torment her. He deserves to rot in jail,” she spat out.

Sharon nodded patiently. “And you’re afraid that if we give him this deal, he will walk away a free man and continue to torment women?” she clarified.

“If?! If?! Sharon that is exactly what he is going to do,” Andrea shouted, “I’m...sorry…” she put her hand out apologetically, then ran it through her hair and pinched the back of her neck. “I can’t let him walk away. I can’t,” she said quietly, her eyes didn’t dare to meet Sharon’s. She felt a warm, familiar hand on her forearm; the touch grounded her, and calmed her rapidly beating heart.

“I would never let someone who committed such a despicable act towards an innocent person just walk out of my police station as a free man,” she whispered.

“But..How-?”

“Just trust me Andrea. I promise that I know what I am doing, I happen to be fairly good at this,” she said, smiling.

Andrea regarded Sharon for a few moments then shook her head in resignation. “Okay,” she said, “okay,” she repeated to let the words sink in. She felt Sharon’s hand slide down her arm to rest overtop her burnt hand. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to explode,” she whispered as Sharon entwined their fingers.

“I know,” Sharon said. She traced her thumb over the sensitive flesh on the back of Andrea’s hand and marvelled, not for the first time, how such strong and decisive hands could feel so delicate and safe at the same time. “Are we going to talk about Rusty now?” she asked, sighing.

Andrea pursed her lips again and blinked furiously to keep her fearful tears from spilling. “That boy has no idea the danger he is getting himself into,” she whispered fiercely. “I can’t keep making up excuses for him Sharon. I mean, can’t we just….take his phone away forever?” she pleaded.

Sharon let out a laugh. “Oh honey, welcome to the world of raising teenagers. The short answer is no, we can’t. And yes, he can be reckless. But we can’t protect him from his own ambitions.”

“I don’t like this answer. Whatever happened to telling kids they have to listen just because you told them so?” Andrea asked stubbornly.

“That works for a few years,” Sharon admitted, “And then they become teenagers. And then they turn 19. And all you can do is remind them how much you love them and how proud you are of them when they make smart choices, in the hopes that you’ll encourage them to keep making smart choices.”

“I’m worried that I can’t protect him on this one Sharon,” Andrea admitted. “And that terrifies me.”

Sharon risked pulling Andrea close enough to her so that she could briefly caress the side of the blonde’s face. “You are the best trial lawyer in LA. I have every bit of faith in you,” she whispered.

Andrea gulped, she allowed herself the indulgence of feeling Sharon’s skin against her own for the briefest of moments before they each took a step backwards. Sharon’s words hit her and she couldn’t help but crack the slightest of smiles. “The best?” she asked.

Sharon’s eyes darkened and her tone became very serious. “The. Best. Not just because of how well you know the law, but because of this,” she gestured to Andrea, “because everyone else is out grabbing a quick bite to eat and you refuse to leave this building until the job is done. Because you don’t just represent your clients, you understand them. You care for them.” Sharon took a breath, “And because I know that you love Rusty, and you’d never rest until you saved him from whatever trouble he’s gotten himself into, however deserving,” she added with a rueful chuckle.

“I can’t always protect my clients,” Andrea insisted. “And the thought of adding Rusty to that group is….”

“He won’t be,” Sharon assured her. “Both of you are far too clever to let the defense trick you.”

Andre weighed Sharon’s words; a moment passed until a bright, genuine smile graced her lips, “He quoted the Constitution,” she said proudly.

“Mmmhmm, I wonder who on earth could have taught him how to interpret that document for his own use?” Sharon said, with a pointedly arched eyebrow.

Andrea rolled her eyes. “His mother is a cop you know,” she teased.

“And his mother’s partner is a fabulous attorney,” Sharon said.

Andrea’s eyes softened and she reached for Sharon’s hand again. “Hey, thank you,” she said softly.

Sharon squeezed Andrea’s hand and replied, “Anytime. Now, you need to hurry up with what is left of that coffee. We have a meeting with Judge Grove and our son in less than an hour.”

“Yes Captain!” Andrea said in mock-salute. The phrasing “our son” certainly wasn’t lost on her, but that was a discussion for Sharon and Andrea to have about their son later on, right now, Captain Raydor and DDA Hobbs had an unwilling witness to protect.

"Affirmation" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Wed, 04 Feb 2015 14:28:45 GMT

Title: Affirmation
Pairing: Andrea Hobbs/Sharon Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 966 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show
Summary: Sharon ran her hand through Andrea’s slightly tangled hair and felt another wave of guilt wash over her; for there was no anger or resentment in either Andrea's tone or body language, just drowsy contentedness and obvious affection.
A/N: This was written for o_banaa for the 3rd annual holiday gift exchange at majorcrimes. She requested fluffy Hobbs/Raydor. Thanks to kayryn for the speedy beta!

On ff.net: Affirmation

Sharon let out a controlled breath as she tip-toed into the darkened living room, careful of course, to avoid the sensible heels that were haphazardly lying near the couch. She shook her head knowingly at her lover's less than loved habit and bit her lip; were she sneaking into her own home shortly after 2:00am on any other evening she’d likely have a few stern words with her lover, but tonight the DDA was going to be granted a reprieve.

She made to turn off the light next to her sofa when a figure groaned and turned over under her throw. Guilt settled itself deeper in her gut and instead, she crouched on the floor right in front of the sofa and gathered the cotton throw in her hands; gently, she pulled it down to reveal a groggy looking Andrea Hobbs still dressed in a black pencil skirt and dark silver button down. Her skirt was wrinkled beyond recognition and the button down was no longer tucked neatly into the skirt, but rather, untucked and mostly unbuttoned. Andrea's hair had that slightly wild quality about it that Sharon loved; it was full and soft and beautifully unruly thanks to her impromptu nap.

“Hi,” Sharon said tenderly. She allowed the throw to fall down from her grasp as she braced herself against the sofa with one hand while the other moved to caress her lover’s face.

“Did I fall asleep?” Andrea asked embarrassedly. She blinked a few times before sitting up and taking in her surroundings, including her less than put-together appearance. “Wrap everything up?” she asked through a stifled yawn. She blinked a few more times before registering that Sharon was on the floor; frowning, she reached out and gently tugged Sharon so that she was seated next to her on the sofa.

“Yes, finally. I’m so sorry,” Sharon answered as she wrapped an arm around Andrea and encouraged her lover to curl herself around Sharon’s body, which Andrea did, happily. Sharon ran her hand through Andrea’s slightly tangled hair and felt another wave of guilt wash over her; for there was no anger or resentment in either Andrea's tone or body language, just drowsy contentedness and obvious affection.

Andrea could feel the misplaced tension in Sharon's body. “Stop doing that. Feeling bad. You had to go in, I understand,” Andrea murmured against Sharon’s shoulder.

Sharon huffed. “I know, just…” she trailed off as Andrea began to nuzzle the sensitive dip between her neck and shoulder. In response, Sharon ran her fingers more firmly through Andrea’s hair, applying pressure to the tired woman’s scalp, eliciting a shiver from her.

“You’re here, you’re safe and now you have the morning off which works out nicely because I, too, have taken tomorrow morning off. You can make it up to me by letting me sleep in and then making me breakfast,” Andrea asserted.

Sharon let out a chuckle. “And how do you know that I have the morning off, hmm?” she teased.

Andrea tilted her head upwards and brushed her lips against Sharon’s chin. “Because I know that Provenza fears my wrath, therefore I am certain that he insisted that you two work in alternating shifts tomorrow," Andrea said.

Sharon met Andrea's smugly grinning lips for a proper kiss. "Mmm, you know my team far too well," she conceded.

"You know, I totally thought that this might happen to us last year, but it didn’t. I consider it only fair that it would happen this year,” Andrea mused. "I'm okay with that, with it happening every other year. That's a decent compromise." Wide-awake but still feeling the lure of slumber, Andrea burrowed closer to Sharon with a smile.

Sharon hummed and kissed Andrea’s forehead. A comfortable silence overtook them for precious moments as they each got lost in their thoughts. Sharon mulled Andrea's words over and over again in her mind and found herself marveling for the hundredth time at just how lucky she'd gotten to find herself a partner as understanding and like-minded as the sleepily affectionate blonde in her arms.

Needing to feel her beloved, despite the insanity of the hour and the exhaustion that they both shared, Andrea extended her neck and grinned, beckoning Sharon closer. Sharon wordlessly complied, slanting her mouth over the blonde's so that Andrea could nibble on her lower lip, drawing her in for a kiss that belied their exhausted bodies. Andrea's hand slipped underneath Sharon's blouse and tickled the soft flesh beneath her fingertips.

"Mmm, so I'm forgiven then?" Sharon asked softly against Andrea's smiling lips.

"Always," Andrea asserted as she swept her hand higher to cup Sharon's bra-clad breast. "In fact, if you were to take me to bed right now I would be more than happy to show you how forgiving I truly am," she said, part in jest and part in truth. Tonight they'd fall asleep, limbs entwined, but the sweetness of their lovemaking would wait until morning, when Andrea could fold back the sheet that encased them to their bed and pay proper worship to every inch of the woman that she so completely adored.

Sharon giggled and moved an errant chunk of hair away from Andrea's face. "In all seriousness, I cannot properly express in words how very grateful I am to you and your truly forgiving nature," she whispered.

"You don't have to," Andrea assured as she leaned into Sharon's touch and kissed Sharon's palm. “Just like you tell me that I don’t have to worry about needing your forgiveness when it’s my boss who pulls me away from a night with you. It’s what we do, who we are, and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it, about us.”

"I love you," Sharon breathed, "So very much."

"Happy Anniversary Sharon," Andrea responded.

"Respite" - Hobbs/Raydor and Rusty Fic

defyingnormalcy — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:09:21 GMT

Title: Respite
Pairing: Andrea Hobbs/Sharon Raydor, Rusty Beck
Rating: T
Word Count: 2,521 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show
Summary: Rusty crossed his arms in front of his chest protectively and let out a frustrated sigh. “Just…how can people do stuff like that? How can a whole profession – mostly – make a living out of manipulating the truth?” he asked.
A/N: I was promted by a very evil friend to write this as a companion to the Sharon, Andrea, and Rusty scenes in episode 3x16. Many thanks to kayryn for her beta.

On ff.net: Respite

“Hi,” Andrea said happily as she answered her phone. “Didn’t think I would get to hear from you today. How’s your case going?” she asked as she juggled her venti Americano and briefcase in one hand.

Andrea frowned as she heard Sharon let out a tense breath on the other end. “That well huh?” she deadpanned.

“I need your help, please. This is outside of our ongoing case,” Sharon said evenly.

Andrea could imagine that Sharon was pinching the delicate bridge of her nose right now. “Of course, whatever you need,” Andrea assured her.

“Emma Rios has thrown a wrench into this whole Philip Stroh proceeding. I would really appreciate it if you could…talk with Rusty perhaps? Offer him some insight?” Sharon asked hesitantly.

“Absolutely,” Andrea said without missing a beat. “I’m just waiting on Provenza’s call, which he informed me would likely come later this afternoon, but,” Andrea grimaced; as she was attempting to land her bag and drink on her desk, she accidently spilled some of the hot beverage onto the polished wood. “Um yes, it’s not a problem,” she finished distractedly.

“Did I catch you at a bad time Counselor?” Sharon teased. She could tell that Andrea was suddenly preoccupied by something.

“Oh, fine, just spilled my drink everywhere,” Andrea huffed. “The coffee machine in the break room is broken so I can’t even top it off,” she said miserably.

“Oh my, what a travesty,” Sharon said mockingly. She giggled at the sound of Andrea responding grumble. “We both know who overworked that machine to the point that it’s out of commission.”

Andrea cleared her throat and felt herself blushing slightly. “I’ll be sure to connect with Rusty before I leave your office today,” she said briskly.

“Thank you Andrea,” Sharon said, allowing her lover to end their conversation with some of her dignities intact.

***

A knock at the door startled Rusty slightly. Frowning, he closed the refrigerator door and made his way to Sharon’s condo door.

“My hands are full I can’t reach my key,” came the muffled voice of Andrea Hobbs through the thick door.

Rusty opened the door and reached out to grab whatever was in her hands. “What’s this?” he asked as he brought everything to the breakfast bar.

“Dinner,” Andrea huffed. “It’s been a rough day; I thought that we could all use a treat.” She smiled at him as he opened a bag.

“Wow, Andrea, how much food did you order?” Rusty laughed as he surveyed the contents of the bag. There were four burgers, two large fries as well as a box of fried pickles. “Sharon doesn’t eat this stuff,” he added as an afterthought.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered,” Andrea lifted the bag still in her hands. “I got her a grilled chicken salad.”

Moments later the plates were on the table and the two of them were unpacking their hearty meal.

“This is great,” Rusty said between bites. “I’ve never had burgers from this place before…Oaks Gourmet,” he read aloud as he looked at the restaurant’s logo on the napkin next to his plate. “Sounds super fancy, I’m surprised that this place even makes something as common as burgers.” The sly grin he wore on his face was enough to indicate to Andrea that he was teasing her.

Andrea rolled her eyes and shrugged. “I’ve heard good things about it and thought that it might be worth a try. I should not have gone there on an empty stomach though. What was I thinking?” She frowned as she looked at the second burger she’d ordered for herself.

Rusty snickered. “You must have been starving; I have never even seen you finish one burger let alone two.”

“Hey, I will have you know that once I was young like you and could eat a table full of food and not put on an ounce,” Andrea said defensively.

“Uh huh, so what happened?” Rusty asked, smirking. He reached for the deep fried pickles, noticing Andrea’s scowl.

“I swear youth is wasted on the young. One day you’ll get a burger belly. One day,” Andrea said determinedly.

Rusty chuckled and reached for his soda between bites of fried pickle.

Next to him, Andrea picked at her fries and relaxed against her chair. A comfortable silence fell between them for a few moments before Andrea next spoke. “Look, I just wanted to make sure that we’re okay. I don’t want to bring up the whole Stroh thing again; I know that’s not easy for you to talk about and I completely understand. What you said earlier about lawyers, I don’t begrudge you for that. It’s a tough profession, and I am well aware of that. But I want to make a promise to you: I will never lie to you or manipulate the truth, okay?”

Rusty shifted in his seat and picked awkwardly at his box of fries. “I’m sorry, what I said earlier, that really wasn’t cool,” he admitted.

“You don’t have to apologize,” Andrea assured him.

Rusty crossed his arms in front of his chest protectively and let out a frustrated sigh. “Just…how can people do stuff like that? How can a whole profession – mostly – make a living out of manipulating the truth?” he asked.

Andrea wiped her greasy fingertips on her napkin and folded her hands in her lap. She looked Rusty square in the eye and offered him a grim nod and a shrug. “I don’t really know how to answer that. That’s not why we invented law, that’s not why any of us became lawyers, at least I don’t think it is. As lawmakers and defenders, we have a say in people’s fate. That is a great responsibility. Some people – “ Rusty raised his eyebrows and she amended – “most people allow that kind of power to corrupt them,” she said sadly.

Rusty regarded her carefully for a while. “Why did you get into law?” he asked.

“Lots of reasons. But it all came back to one thing really; I wanted to try and make the world a better place. I know it’s hard for you to see lawyers as people capable of making the world better, but, if we do our jobs right, that’s exactly what we can and should be doing,” Andrea explained.

“Yeah,” Rusty said noncommittally. “Then why…why did you hand the Stroh case over to Rios?” he asked quietly.

Andrea let out a breath. “Rusty, I want nothing more than to see that man put away for life, and to be, even in part, responsible for it. But I can’t.” She shook her head and smiled at him. “My relationship with Sharon…with you…I just can’t. It would harm you and your credibility as a witness.”

“Yeah, but you’re dating Sharon, and you guys don’t even live together. I mean that’s what would piss everyone off. I don’t think Emma is ever going to forgive Sharon for letting me live here,“ Rusty said frankly.

“Yes, that is all true, but in addition, I also have very deep personal feelings for you as well. And that compromises my ability to question you on the witness stand, and to sit by and watch as Stroh’s defense, or rather, now Stroh himself, try and break you,” Andrea said quietly.

“Oh.” Rusty uncrossed his arms and began to fiddle with the hem of his sweater.

Andrea let out a soft chuckle. “Oh, indeed.”

Rusty looked down at his hands, which were suddenly infinitely interesting and frowned. He liked Andrea well enough; in fact, he really liked her. She made him laugh and she fit in well with his and Sharon’s new life, and she never pushed him or pressured him into, well anything really.

“What a pain, hmm?” Andrea said amusedly.

Rusty looked up. “Huh?”

“Having both a cop and a lawyer worrying about you,” she clarified. She chuckled, but the sound that emitted, it was unlike her; it was missing her usual confidence and bravado.

Rusty shrugged. “Well, at least I am covered now. If I ever decide to rob a bank or steal a car that is,” he said.

Andrea’s eyes widened; she opened her mouth and shut it abruptly.

“A joke,” Rusty said, fighting to hold back his laughter at Andrea’s incredulous expression.

“I promise you that no child of Sharon’s will knowingly commit a crime and live to tell the tale if she ever finds out,” Andrea laughed.

“Yeah, you’re probably right on that,” Rusty conceded.

“Right about what?” Sharon asked. She’d come home just moments ago to the sound of laughter coming from her kitchen; it had been years since she’d come home to that sound. Quietly, she’d tip-toed into her condo to find Rusty and Andrea sitting at the table, laughing at whatever they’d just shared out-loud.

Andrea shook her head and waved for Sharon to sit with them. “Just, life,” she answered vaguely.

“It’s fine Sharon, really,” Rusty offered.

Sharon looked between the two blondes as she took a seat next to Andrea. “Alright then,” she said slowly. She noticed the meal of choice on the table and grimaced slightly. “Burgers…again,” she noted.

“Don’t worry. Andrea got you a salad,” Rusty said hastily as she retrieved it from the fridge.

“Thank you,” Sharon said gratefully. She shared a tender look with Andrea when she opened the salad and noticed that Andrea had requested that the chicken be grilled and not fried.

The three of them fell into their usual dinnertime routine, with each one of them taking turns sharing the details of their day. Andrea pushed her untouched second burger over to Rusty and marveled at how he managed to throw that one back as though he hadn’t just consumed two on his own. It wasn’t long before Sharon started to eye Andrea’s half-eaten fries, nor was it much after that Andrea pushed the box closer to Sharon with a laugh and shake of her head. After finishing the rest of his fries, Rusty collected the dishes and loaded the dishwasher, leaving the two women to share a few moments relaxing together. The machine loaded and the delicate glasses washed by hand, Rusty bade them both good night and retired to his room to catch the latest episode of The Daily Show before getting to bed.

Shortly after Rusty left them, Andrea and Sharon retired to the more private and intimate atmosphere of Sharon’s balcony, glasses of their favourite Chardonnay in hand.

“What a day,” Sharon sighed as she curled up next to Andrea’s side.

Andrea took a sip of her wine and placed the glass carefully on the coffee table next to the patio sofa. “It was definitely a day,” she conceded as she brushes her lips against Sharon’s forehead.

“Thank you for your help today,” Sharon murmured. “I know that Rusty is still….distrusting sometimes.”

“I don’t blame him for it. A lot has happened in the last two years for him Sharon. I don’t expect any more than what he can give me at any given time,” Andrea said. “He went from no mother to finding an foster mother, then inheriting her girlfriend, and then finding his biological mother, only to have his foster mother adopt him after all.”

Sharon chuckled against Andrea’s shoulder. “Well, when you put it like that.”

“You know, he’s calling you mom in public even when he isn’t joking. And people around him are starting to refer to you as his mother,” Andrea noted.

Sharon shrugged against Andrea. “So?” she asked, but her voice trembled a little.

Andrea smiled against the delicate lines on Sharon’s forehead. “So,” she continued. “I think it’s really beautiful how everyone has just naturally accepted it. Maybe it was a joke at first, but it’s become a reality, and everyone knows it. Even Rusty.”

Sharon hummed and nodded her head slightly.

“I know that you never wanted to replace his mother. But, the truth is, I don’t think she ever really was, in a true sense, his mother. Having a child doesn’t make you a parent. What you did for him, the patience and love you showed him when he was at his most volatile, that’s what makes a parent,” Andrea said.

Still, Sharon remained silent.

Andrea brought a hand up to brush Sharon’s hair off of her shoulder. “You know, I said to your team today, it takes someone special, no, extraordinary, to truly understand a troubled child. A lot of people will either take advantage of that child or walk away from them. But very few really have what it takes to love them and to care for them.”

“I did what anyone with half a heart would have done,” Sharon dismissed.

Andrea smiled. “Sharon you can try and be as humble as you like, but I am here to tell you that you are most definitely wrong. And yes, once in a while you are actually wrong,” Andrea said, her eyes were twinkling with adoration as she watched Sharon purse her lips.

“I’m not comfortable thinking that what I did was anything out of the ordinary. Taking him in, I don’t like people thinking that it was heroic or anything,” Sharon said uncomfortably. “It just….it feels wrong.”

“That’s okay,” Andrea said. “Don’t think of yourself as a hero. But that boy does. And he will always be grateful to you.”

“That’s another thing: I don’t need him to continually thank me. I just need him to be safe, to be smart, and to be kind,” Sharon said, she wiggled closer to Andrea and wrapped an arm around her waist. “And I need him to know that he’s loved,” she added.

Andrea rubbed gentle circles across Sharon’s silk-blouse-clad back. “He is safe, he is smart, and he has demonstrated incredible kindness….thanks to you.”

Sharon scoffed and pulled back to glare half-heartedly at Andrea.

“You could just accept my compliment of your wonderful parenting skills,” Andrea huffed.

Sharon contemplated Andrea’s words for a moment. A slight smile graced her face and the delicate skin around her eyes crinkled happily. She hummed to herself, then settled back into Andrea’s embrace.

“Oh, and I forgive you for eating all of my fries. Again,” Andrea added, causing Sharon to erupt into giggles.

“You were done with them,” she insisted.

“Not quite, but that’s okay. I love you and I will let you steal my fries from me. It’s a sacrifice I am willing to make in this relationship,” Andrea said.

Sharon cupped Andrea’s chin and brought their faces together. “Well, I’m very grateful then,” she whispered.

Slowly, their lips met, brushing over one another for precious moments before they connected in an unhurried kiss. Sharon could taste the sweetness of the Chardonnay on Andrea’s lips, and she hummed against the blonde’s lips.

They sat entwined together like that until the chilled evening breeze forced them to retreat indoors. Andrea gathered the now empty wine glasses and followed her lover inside, pausing only to set the glasses gently down on the kitchen countertop before taking Sharon’s hand, and following her to the sanctuary of her room, and the warmth of her bed.

"Secrets Kept" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Mon, 29 Dec 2014 01:06:22 GMT

Title: Secrets Kept
Recipient: kairos7
Pairing: Andrea Hobbs/Sharon Raydor, mentions of past Sharon Raydor/Jackson Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 1, 484 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show
Summary: Andrea’s thumb gently traced the top of Sharon’s hand. “You did what you had to, to keep your kids safe,” she reasoned. “It was a hard decision to make but ultimately it was the right one Sharon.” Takes place during episode 3.15.
A/N: This was written for the 3rd Annual Gift Exchange at majorcrimes. Of the many prompts that kairos7 asked for, I focused on serious, Hobbs/Raydor, hard decisions, and downtime. Happy Holidays! Many thanks to kayryn for her beta on this.

On ff.net: Secrets Kept

It was an unusually warm evening, even for Los Angeles. Sharon let out a cleansing breath as she leaned back into her chair and reveled in the calming evening breeze against her face. The small glass of wine that she’d had earlier had left her limbs feeling relaxed and her mind feeling less anxious; all in all, it had been a successful Christmas this year so far. From where she sat on her balcony, she could both hear and see the hustle and bustle below her. Normally the noise was grounding, it provided a soundtrack for her, but this evening, it could not offer her the comfort that she sought.

“There you are,” Andrea sighed.

Sharon felt the warm, soft caress of her lover’s lips against her forehead before she felt the slight dip of the cushions next to her on the patio furniture.

“We’re starting to miss you,” Andrea said as she wrapped an arm around Sharon.

Sharon smiled and turned her head so that she could meet Andrea halfway for a kiss. “I know, I just needed a minute,” she explained.

Andrea’s brow furrowed at Sharon’s choice of words; Sharon adored everything about Christmas, it was strangely unlike her to need a moment away from the festivities. Not wanting to press any further, given the occasion and given that all three of Sharon’s children were inside the condo, laughing and exchanging stories, Andrea simply held Sharon a little closer and rubbed her tense shoulder, hoping to provide some relief. She also couldn’t help but notice that the usual contagious sparkle in her eyes seemed to be missing and in its place was a sense of brooding and deep sadness.

“The kids, they’re hiding something from me,” Sharon said softly and nearly deadpanned. Her voice quivered slightly and Andrea noticed the way that she set her jaw after speaking. She could clearly discern the tension along her jawline and around her lips; it was as though Sharon was holding something in.

Andrea released her hold on Sharon so that she could turn to face her properly. “What makes you think that?” she asked carefully.

“I can just tell. I’m still learning with Rusty, but with Emily and Ricky…there are just some things that you can tell when you’re a mother. And knowing when your kids are lying to you or keeping something from you…,” she trailed off and shook her head.

Andrea bit her lip and racked her brain for clues as to what the kids could possibly be covering up. A part of her felt disappointed in herself for not noticing things, and for allowing Sharon to deal with this along. “I…I don’t know what to say,” she said after several moments. “I’m so sorry that I didn’t pick up on things. I’m sorry that you felt like you needed to get away from us.”

“Oh Andrea,” Sharon cupped Andrea’s face and smiled softly, “I know that your pride yourself on being able to calculate someone’s move before your own in the courtroom, but here, in this house, you don’t need to.”

Andrea looked like she was about to interject but Sharon added, “I promise you, this isn’t your burden to carry. You don’t need to drag yourself down and get consumed in worry in order to support me. You support me just by being here, by loving me and listening to me.”

Andrea waited until Sharon was done to explain herself, “I’m not trying to say that it’s my place to worry, but, I can’t help it Sharon. I do worry and it does bother me. I feel like I should have been, I don’t know, better prepared. More insightful.” She shook her head miserably.

“Children are unpredictable, family is complicated, even when we love each other dearly we still make mistakes; nothing is ever perfect,” Sharon said gently. “As long as we’re all here, that’s what matters.”

Andrea turned her head slightly to kiss the palm of Sharon’s hand. She grasped it with her own, and brought them both to rest in her lap. “I was going to ask you what I can do, but I have a feeling that you won’t want anything more from me,” she chuckled.

Sharon nodded. “Some people underestimate just how wonderful it is to have a partner who is sturdy and reliable, but I don’t.”

The double meaning in Sharon’s words did not go unnoticed. Andrea frowned and looked down at their clasped hands. “It’s about him, isn’t it?” she asked, already dreading the answer.

Sharon nodded grimly; there was only one person in her life who ever brought her so much pain and complication. “I certainly think so. I think he’s drinking again. And I think that Emily found out in the last few days, and I think they want to hide that from me because they see how happy I am now, and they don’t want to destroy that. They probably think they’re protecting me,” Sharon responded shakily.

“I see,” Andrea said quietly, still looking down at their hands. “Look, Sharon, I know that you four have your no lies rule, and I love that. I love that you have such an open relationship with your kids, and I know that they’re so proud to have you as their mother. But, you can’t blame them for wanting to hide this from you.” At Sharon’s surprised look Andrea grimaced. “I’m not defending their position, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m just saying that I understand their intention. They love you, and for better or for worse, Jackson is their father and they love at least the idea of him. And they want to protect the both of you.”

“When Jackson first left us, he didn’t come back until nearly six weeks later. He was drunk, I had just given birth to Ricky; I couldn’t deal with him. I told him to leave, I told him that if he didn’t that I would call for some of the guys in my division and I told him that unless he got sober he’d never see his kids again,” Sharon shook her head and bit her lip. “And I kept my promise. It was nine months before he saw either of the kids again and I only let him because he had been clean and sober for six months. Things got better once he cleaned up but since then, we’ve always only ever managed to be civil at best. And I’ve…I mean I’ve moved on, and I’m happy. And he hasn’t. And we’re still barely civil.”

Andrea’s thumb gently traced the top of Sharon’s hand. “You did what you had to, to keep your kids safe,” she reasoned. “It was a hard decision to make but ultimately it was the right one Sharon.”

“Was it? I ask myself every day if I went too far, and maybe that’s why the kids want nothing to do with him now,” Sharon confessed.

“What you did was protect them against a force that would have been toxic to them. You made a call on your own, without the support of the person who was supposed to be there for you to help you make these decisions with you. Instead, Jackson allowed a toxic force to take over his life and ruin his relationship with his children, and you. That’s why they’re here now, and that is why they are trying so hard to protect you against what you once protected them against,” Andrea said. “They’re trying their very best, albeit, misguidedly, to be as strong as their mother was when she was faced with such a difficult decision on her own.”

Sharon weighed Andrea’s words carefully. “So what do I do now? Do I let them continue with this farce?” she asked. “We can’t ignore the truth forever. We have to deal with i-“

“Come on Mom, I know there’s mistletoe out there on the balcony but you two can come inside now too,” Ricky shouted against the glass door, causing both women to jump in their seats and scowl at him.

“We’ll be in in a second,” Andrea said, laughing embarrassedly at her own reaction. Next to her, Sharon had her hands over her brightly flushed face a she giggled.

Andrea was captivated by how carefree and joyful Sharon suddenly looked in this moment, without hesitating, she cupped Sharon’s face and kissed her tenderly. Sharon hummed against Andrea’s lips, and as Andrea pulled away, she leaned forward for another brief kiss, causing Andrea to smile against her lips.

“It’s Christmas Eve, right now, you and I are going to go inside and enjoy having all three of your kids under the same roof. Tomorrow we’re going to watch them open their gifts and take lots of photos to commemorate this holiday,” Andrea whispered tenderly.

“And the day after?” Sharon asked nervously.

“We’ll tackle that together. I promise,” Andrea said.

"An Interlude" - Hobbs/Raydor Ficlet

defyingnormalcy — Thu, 18 Dec 2014 14:02:09 GMT

Title: An Interlude
Pairing: Andrea Hobbs/Sharon Raydor, mentions of Jackson Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 646 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show
Summary: "I'm not upset. I'm at a loss," Sharon snapped, surprising them both.
A/N: kayryn made a comment to me yesterday about the events of 3x14 that had me scrambling to open a word doc to write this down. So, thanks to her and her unknowing prompt!

On ff.net: An Interlude

"Go on, say it," Sharon said as she let out a defeated sigh. She tapped her fingers nervously on the polished wood of her office desk.

Andrea clenched her jaw a little tighter and shrugged. "I have nothing kind to say, and nothing that will make you feel better or less stressed, so I would rather not upset you further," she replied tensely. She turned the page in front of her with a little more force than necessary and bore down on the pen in her hands hard enough that she was in danger of writing through the fine paper.

Sharon took her glasses off and pinched the bridge of her nose. She slumped backwards in her chair and looked at the pile of paperwork in front of her, feeling completely defeated now.

Andrea released her death grip on her pen and looked up at Sharon guiltily. With a frustrated hand, she tucked her hair behind her reddening ears and bit her lip. "See, now you're up-"

"I'm not upset. I'm at a loss," Sharon snapped, surprising them both.

Andrea remained silent for several moments. It was completely unlike Sharon to interrupt her like that.

Sharon shook her head apologetically. "Look, he's here in Los Angeles. I can't do anything about that. And he's practicing again. I can't do anything about that either. And he seems to love rattling my cage; which I have spent the last twenty plus years trying to figure out how to ignore, but, I can't do anything about that either it seems. And now he's gotten under your skin too."

"He's not under my skin," Andrea insisted stubbornly.

Sharon cast a weary glare at Andrea.

"Okay," she relented, "maybe he is. But not in the way that you think," she explained. "I hate that after a years long separation, and now a divorce, that he still has the ability to hurt you. To try and make you look like a fool in front of your team, to try and manipulate your children, just...all of it. I hate it. And most of all, I hate that I am completely useless against him and what he does to you," she finished sadly. Hot, fresh, frustrated tears stung her eyes and she blinked a few times to will them away.

A few silent moments passed before Sharon reached across her desk to grasp Andrea's hand. "You, Andrea Hobbs, are anything but useless. You gave me the courage to open my heart again," she said softly.

Andrea looked down at their hands and smiled softly at the image; there was nothing about their relationship that Andrea didn't find to be both so pure and so beautiful.

"I'm sorry," Andrea sighed. She look up into Sharon's eyes and repeated herself, "I'm sorry. I just wish that I could...I don't know. Do more. Be more."

Sharon shook her head and squeezed Andrea's hand. "You don't need to do or be anything other than who you are. That's enough for me," she whispered fiercely.

"I-"

A sharp rap against the glass and a frowning Provenza startled them both. He motioned impatiently towards the half-finished files in front of them. It was late; he and the rest of the team wanted to wrap this up and get home to their loved ones.

Sharon waved him off before picking up her pen again. "Let's finish this, then we'll go home right after. I promise," she said. "One aggravated, grumpy divorcee is enough for me to deal with today," she muttered.

Andrea nodded her understanding. As she too retrieved her pen, Sharon's words halted her.

"We will continue this discussion later, but know that I love you. And that I am very much looking forward to filing this case away so that we can go home, together."

With that, Andrea resumed her work with the barest of smiles on her face.

"She Ain't Heavy, She's My Lover" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:19:06 GMT

Title: She Ain't Heavy, She's My Lover
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor
Word Count: 2,208 words
Rating: T - mention of brief violence
Disclaimer: Not my characters, not my television show
Summary: "She often found herself wondering if it was reasonable to consider a lover’s body home. Her heart and mind had juxtaposing positions on the matter of course, and would probably never meet halfway, but still, it was a spirited debate that they often had."
A/N: This was written for kayryn, because of reasons. Many thanks to authorjazmyne for her beta.

On ff.net: She Ain't Heavy, She's My Lover

She knew that something was wrong from the moment that she stepped into the Murder Room and spotted her lover standing wearily in the middle of well-organized chaos. The normal sparkle in Sharon’s deep green eyes seemed faded, glossed over, and there was a pronounced tension in her jaw and in her back.

Just before Andrea could formally announce her presence, a loud growl, followed by muffled swearing, came from one of the interview rooms. Andrea observed as Sharon pinched the bridge of her nose and quietly requested that Lt. Flynn aid Det. Sanchez with calming down their latest and prime suspect. Flynn nodded his head solemnly and caught Andrea’s eye as he walked past, the slight shake of his head clearly indicated, It’s been one of those days, to her, confirming her fears.

Andrea took a deep breath and gripped the fine yet slightly worn leather of her briefcase, formerly her father’s before his retirement some years ago, before making her way over to Sharon and offering her a curt nod of her head and a polite, “Captain,” in acknowledgement.

The creases around Sharon’s eyes seemed to soften when she registered Andrea’s presence. “DDA Hobbs, thank you for coming on such short notice,” she said, relief evident in her tone. “Our suspect is a little…volatile, so I would much rather prefer if you’d wait a moment for us to calm him down before you question him.”

“Of course,” Andrea said. “I won’t be long. From what I could tell from the evidence that Sykes forwarded over to me, I think we’ve got this.”

Sharon nodded her head absent-mindedly, and Andrea reached out a hand to gently connect with Sharon’s forearm. Exhausted green eyes met Andrea’s concerned gaze, and Sharon let out a self-depreciating sigh.

“We’ve got this,” Andrea repeated gently.

Sharon nodded her head. “Okay,” she said. “Okay,” she repeated, truly taking in Andrea’s words.

Anticipating her next objection, Andrea added, “Don’t worry about the media. I’ll be in and out of that interview room before Taylor can even work up an aggravated sweat and rant,” she promised.

Sharon allowed the briefest of chuckles to escape her lips. “Thank you,” she said. Her words carried with them a much deeper meaning, one that would have to wait until they were no longer within the confines of their professional lives to truly express.

“Can’t let my Captain down,” Andrea said; she lowered her voice so that those words would reach Sharon’s ears only.

The barest of smiles graced Sharon’s lips as she replied, “You never do.” Even as she said the words, a pang of guilt struck her low in her belly.

***

Sharon’s eyes fluttered open as she heard the door to her bathroom creak open. She looked down at the red blotches forming on her ribcage and silently cursed.

“Hey Honey, I thought a glass of-“ Andrea froze in her tracks; the hand that gripped the glass of Sharon’s favourite Chardonnay tightened around the thin glass stem with almost fatal force.

“I’m okay. I wasn’t hiding it from you,” Sharon hastily explained; her earlier guilt returned full-force. “I just needed some time to soak.” The bruise was about the size of a small fist, and, given how deep the red of the skin was becoming, it would likely turn a deep blue, almost black, within the next day or two. The area was more than a little tender, though a quick check with Dr. Morales confirmed that the ribs were not fractured or broken.

Silently, Andrea placed the glass on the countertop before crouching down next to the tub. She placed her trembling hands on the edge of the tub to steady herself.

“Julio….he kept trying to get me alone today to talk to me. I kept brushing him off because I wanted to wrap things up and get home to you,” she said, horrified. “This happened today, didn’t it?”

Sharon shifted in the tub so that she could comfortably place her hands on top of Andrea’s. “Julio and I were both interviewing Mr. Montero initially. He got agitated when we started putting pressure on him. Then he got violent and, in an attempt to flip the table onto us, shoved it into my ribs. Julio was a bit quicker to react and was on his feet the moment that Montero put his hands on the table. I wasn’t so lucky, but I’m fine. Really, I swear that I got checked out right away.”

Andrea bit her bottom lip and looked down at their hands. “You should have…,” she paused and shook her head. “No, I don’t want to tell you what to do…but dammit Sharon,” Andrea said as she looked up into Sharon’s eyes.

“I couldn’t tell you there; it wasn’t the right time nor the right place. And I didn’t want to tell you when you were driving home in case-“

“I caused an accident by turning my car around and going back to kill that son of a-“

“Yes,” Sharon said patiently, “that’s one reason. But also, I needed for you to see that I was fine before I sat you down to tell you. I needed for you to see that there was no need to be worried.”

Andrea cupped Sharon’s cheek with one hand and brushed her lips against Sharon’s forehead. “There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t worry about you. There isn’t a morning that goes by that I don’t wonder as you pack your badge and gun if this is the last morning I’ll get to wake up with you. There isn’t an evening that goes by that I am not eternally grateful that I got to have you in my life for another day,” she whispered fiercely.

Sharon gulped and nodded her head. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes as she weighed Andrea’s confession; it wasn’t news to her, but knowing how often and how deeply Andrea worried about her safety never failed to amaze her.

Andrea’s lips brushed over Sharon’s forehead over and over, before moving down to capture her lips in a tender, bordering on desperate, kiss.

“I’m right here,” Sharon promised against Andrea’s lips. “It’s going to take substantially more than an aggravated murder suspect to get rid of me.”

“I might kill Julio for not grabbing me and just telling me,” Andrea said, half in jest and half in all seriousness.

“You will kill no one. I do not want Provenza calling me for at least ten hours about another homicide,” Sharon deadpanned.

Andrea opened her mouth to object, but then shut it wisely.

“I for one need to have a talk with Julio,” Sharon sighed. “I appreciate his thoughtfulness, but this kind of conversation is one that I want to have with you, as your partner. I don’t like the idea of this,” she placed a hand over Andrea’s silk blouse, wetting the material, “being mediated by any of my officers.”

Andrea nodded her understanding. “I know, but think for a moment if some nutjob went off in court, and I was injured, and I couldn’t communicate with you…”

Sharon shook her head forcefully. “No. That’s not happening,” she insisted. Her hand gathered the fine material and tightened, drawing Andrea even closer.

“Our jobs are unpredictable. I have been shot. And I survived. And you’ve been injured, more times than I think you want to admit to me,” she said knowingly. “We can’t change that. We’d be fundamentally different people if we tried. But I need to know if something has happened- your officers owe me at least that,” she insisted.

Sharon hummed. “I know,” she sighed.

Andrea extended her neck and kissed Sharon’s forehead. Her lips lingered long enough that when she drew back, Sharon felt a profound absence at the loss of contact. “Okay. I want you to enjoy your bath. But I am taking the wine back,” she said as she eased back onto her feet.

Sharon looked up at Andrea and smiled. “I’ll be out in a bit, just want to soak a little longer. It’s been a while since I treated myself to a soak,” she said, scrunching her nose in that way that endeared her to Andrea all over again.

“Take your time,” Andrea encouraged.

***

“Mmm. You smell good,” Sharon sighed as she climbed carefully into bed and wrapped her arms around Andrea.

Andrea chuckled and placed her book and Sharon’s borrowed glasses on the nightstand. She caught Sharon’s disbelieving look and shrugged; one day she’d admit that she needed glasses of her own, but today was not that day. “As do you. Mmm. I like that bubble bath,” she said as she happily accepted Sharon’s sweet kisses.

Sharon smiled as she felt Andrea hold onto her a little tighter than normal. She knew that Andrea was still processing the day’s events as best she could. “I’m okay, I promise,” she repeated softly. She felt hot tears spill from Andrea’s eyes onto her hair as well as Andrea’s fierce nodding against her right shoulder.

“I know you are. I know. I’d never ask you to change professions, and I am so proud of you for what you’ve done with your career... but I swear Sharon, sometimes I really hate the fact that you’re a cop,” Andrea admitted.

Sharon chuckled into Andrea’s shoulder. She lifted her head to litter Andrea’s cheek with tiny, soft pecks until she felt Andrea’s frown soften into a smile. “I know. Just like sometimes I really hate the fact - despite how proud I am of you - that you’re such an ambitious prosecutor.”

Andrea huffed. “At least I get shot at less,” she tried.

Sharon kissed Andrea’s cheek briefly before observing, “We’re a pair aren’t we?”

Andrea cupped Sharon’s face and kissed her deeply, allowing every ounce of her love to flow from her body to Sharon’s. “You’re perfect, and what we have is the best thing to ever happen to me. I don’t think that I would change anything about us even if I could,” she whispered against Sharon’s swollen lips.

“Same,” Sharon confessed; she let out a breathless laugh and kissed Andrea again, refusing to separate from her lover until it became physically necessary. The thought that she came so close to never coming home to this patient, loving woman... Sharon kissed Andrea until her entire universe was reduced to the feel of her lover’s skin, hands, lips, and tongue against her body.

When Andrea felt Sharon’s arms begin to shake from exhaustion, she gently parted their lips and placed calming kisses along Sharon’s cheeks and forehead. She felt Sharon’s eyes flutter and her whole body slumped forward into Andrea’s embrace. She could tell that Sharon was just done - the stress and length of the day had finally taken its toll on her. Andrea shifted her weight and guided them both to lie down; she was ever-mindful of Sharon’s left side. “Is there a more comfortable position for you?” she asked.

“No, I’m fine like this,” Sharon answered as she curled her left leg overtop Andrea’s hip. Her left arm encircled Andrea’s slim waist and she rested her head on Andrea’s shoulder. “I’m actually quite perfect like this,” she added as she wiggled against Andrea to wedge herself as close as physically possible.

Andrea gently rubbed Sharon’s back, noting, as always, how soft and beautiful her lover’s skin was. Andrea’s whole body seemed to prickle with an overwhelming sense of homesickness anytime they parted. She often found herself wondering if it was reasonable to consider a lover’s body home. Her heart and mind had juxtaposing positions on the matter of course, and would probably never meet halfway, but still, it was a spirited debate that they often had. Her fingertips played with the darker freckles on the top of Sharon’s shoulders, causing tiny shivers to dance up and down not only Sharon’s spine, but hers as well.

The gentle caresses of her lover’s fingers were a sharp contrast to the dull ache that surrounded her left side; she didn’t tell Andrea this, of course, for fear of worrying her even more. Sharon wondered though, if Andrea inherently just knew, for every brush of the blonde’s fingertips seemed to sweep away the pain, leaving only soft, gentle pleasure to overwhelm her nerve endings.

“Going to fall asleep,” Sharon murmured apologetically. It had been a long day and they’d barely had time together outside of work.

“Love you,” Andrea responded. Her lips brushed the top of Sharon’s head and her nose crinkled as the thick brunette waves tickled the sensitive skin. She grinned lovingly as Sharon’s attempted reciprocation came out as a more of a muffled grunt than three fully formed words, but she certainly didn’t begrudge her exhausted lover.

While the sound of those words leaving Sharon’s lips never failed to envelope her with the sweetest sense of peace and joy, they were not what she needed tonight. Tonight, the vibrations of Sharon’s beating heart, the gentle tickle of her breath, the warmth of her skin, - these blatant indications that she was very much alive and safely tucked away in their bed - that was enough. That’s all that Andrea ever truly needed.

"Assembly" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 21:16:05 GMT

Title: Assembly
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,576 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show.
Summary: A fic inspired by my own moving adventure a few months ago. Hobbs/Raydor established couple.
A/N: Many thanks to kayryn for her last minute and ultra-speedy beta!

On ff.net: Assembly

“Honey, I think it goes in the other way,” Sharon gently pointed out.

Andrea brushed a sweaty strand of hair out of her face and huffed. “No, it’s definitely this way. I think I’ve got to push a little harder though, to make sure it’s all the way in, you okay with that?” she asked.

Sharon gripped the smooth wood of the headboard a little tighter and nodded her consent. “Go for it.”

Andrea bit her lip in concentration and the muscle of her forearm flexed as she put more force behind her thrust. Sharon grunted a little as she braced herself for the impact and hissed as Andrea twisted her arm to lodge the ridged cylinder into its place. Once secured, Andrea slumped back and groaned; she shook her wrist out and flexed her fingers.

“Next time we buy a new bedroom set, we hire someone to assemble it for us,” she murmured before she could help herself.

Sharon released her death grip on the headboard a little now that the supporting beam was properly in place, and put her hands on her hips. “This, from the woman who insisted we should do the assembling ourselves?” she asked, a little amused, a little annoyed. “What happened to, ‘oh but it will be great! We can get it done in a day and then we can say that we literally built our home from bottom to top!’ Hmmm?”

Andrea grimaced as she threw her hands up in surrender. “Once again, you are right.” She threw an apologetic look Sharon’s way. “But, we can laugh at it later, right?” she asked hopefully.

Sharon looked around them and surveyed the half-assembled bedframe, the small nightstand, which, alone, had taken them nearly an hour to assemble, and the still unassembled eight-drawer piece and the wardrobe. She sighed and looked back at her exhausted, sweaty, and sore fiancée. “I think it will be a while before we can laugh at this. It’s almost lunchtime and we haven’t even finished this,” she gestured to the half-assembled piece in front of them, “Are you sure that you don’t want to call your brother? He did offer…” she trailed off, not wanting to push Andrea too far.

Andrea hardened her resolve. “I’m sure. I can do this.” Really, she wasn’t sure that her back could take much more, but she was determined to make a home for Sharon.

About six months into their relationship, Sharon had made an offhand remark about how Jackson had left her to do all the packing and unpacking when they first moved in together, and again when they moved to a larger home to accommodate their growing family. She knew that Sharon had only shared that part of her past with her, and not truly expected anything out of it from Andrea, but that hadn’t stopped Andrea from wanting to ‘right’ that part of Sharon’s past. Enraged and devastated, Andrea had internalized that bit of Sharon’s history and silently vowed to be the exact opposite sort of partner when they were ready to cohabit with each other.

Sharon pursed her lips and sighed again as Andrea picked up the instructions to prepare herself for the next step; she just knew that there was simply no sense in arguing with her endearingly stubborn partner. And, to be entirely truthful, Andrea’s persistence and stubborn independence was what initially drew Sharon to her all those years ago when they first met as colleagues.

“Just promise me that we’ll take a rest if you need to, okay?” Sharon asked as she reached out to squeeze Andrea’s tense and knotted shoulder.

Andrea’s frown softened at the contact. “I promise,” she said, looking away from the crinkled instructions in her hands to offer Sharon a reassuring smile.

***

Andrea hissed as she sunk into the hot, soothing water of their clawfoot tub. Her back muscles were contracting violently in protest against the hours of unusual physical labour. She had, at her insistence, given herself the more labour-heavy tasks today, knowing that had Sharon taken on the tasks, she’d have aggravated an old back injury. Instead, Andrea had asked Sharon to help guide her by reading the assembly instructions out to her several times (often, they were accompanied with an eye roll and disbelief that Andrea needed to hear them yet again) and sorting out the seemingly hundreds of screws, nuts, and bolts required to put everything together.

“I would say that I told you so, but something tells me that you wouldn’t change a thing about today,” Sharon said amusedly from her position leaning against the doorframe.

“Nope,” Andrea said proudly. “We assembled an entire furniture set in record time!”

Sharon rolled her eyes affectionately and came to crouch down next to Andrea. “Yes, and I am pretty sure that you’re paying the price for it now,” she pointed out.

Andrea shrugged beneath the water and attempted to offer Sharon a smile, though it came across as more of a grimace. “It was worth it.”

Sharon regarded Andrea carefully for a moment before standing, then stripping her rumpled clothing off.

“Definitely worth it,” Andrea purred as her eyes traced familiar, loved, places on Sharon’s body. She tried to shift suddenly to create space in the tub for Sharon, but winced as her shoulder violently protested.

Sharon caught the gesture and Andrea huffed in defeat; she smirked triumphantly as she too eased herself into the tub. They arranged themselves with some awkwardness and giggled when they heard the telltale splosh of water escaping their tub.

“Not even a full day into being here and already you’re making a mess of this place, hmm?” Sharon teased. A hand trailed up Andrea’s thigh, eliciting a groan from the back of Andrea’s throat; the pleasurable sensation was a delightful contrast to the soreness she felt all over.

“That’s right. And later, I’m going to take you to bed and make a mess of our new bed sheets too,” Andrea promised. “Just as soon as a take a Tylenol or something,” she added sheepishly.

Sharon hummed; her expression turned thoughtful and she said, “You know, breaking your back to put together our new home wasn’t necessary to prove to me that you are ten times the person my ex-husband was on his best day.” She twisted her neck a bit to look up at Andrea and peck a flushed, embarrassed cheek. “And don’t deny that this wasn’t what today was about. I saw the way you were glaring at him at Ricky’s engagement party.”

Andrea blushed and frowned. She was guilty as charged. “He was being such a….you know what, forget him. I’m not going to let him interfere with what we’ve built. I did what I did today because I wanted to make sure that this move was filled with happy memories for you,” she said quietly. The mere mention of Sharon’s ex, who Andrea had unfortunately been forced to deal with a few weeks ago for the sake of Sharon’s eldest son and his soon-to-be-wife, had her blood pressure rising.

Sharon grasped Andrea’s hand. “Oh honey, absolutely every moment spent with you has been a happy memory.”

Andrea hummed contently and wrapped her arms around Sharon completely.

“And I really do appreciate that you went through so much trouble for us today, even if it’s rendered you incapacitated,” she added.

Andrea huffed. “I’m not incapacitated, I’m just…in need of a recharge. Give me twenty minutes to soak my muscles, I’ll be back to myself in no time.”

Sharon chuckled, “Yes dear.”

***

After ensuring all the doors and windows were locked, Andrea tiptoed back into her shared bedroom with Sharon to find her lover waiting up for her.

Her chestnut hair was a riot, spilling out over their pillows, and she wore a serene smile; Andrea knew in her heart that there could be no greater beauty than the one before her. A part of her was in disbelief still, that they managed to get this far, here, with one another. But the startling image of their belongings mixed together in this house, Sharon’s eyeglasses on top of Andrea’s book on the nightstand, was a beautiful reminder that this was all in fact their new reality.

“Everything secure Counselor?” Sharon asked sleepily, a hint of humour coloured her tone. Andrea had an endearing, albeit sometimes exasperating, habit of checking things over numerous times.

“Mmmhmm,” Andrea replied. She leaned against the doorway of their bedroom and grinned. “Not to brag, but I do good work,” she said as she surveyed the newly assembled furniture in the space.

“Definitely quality work,” Sharon chuckled, recalling the test they’d put their new bedframe through after their shared soak in the tub. She regarded Andrea for a silent moment, loving the pride and confidence in her lover’s eyes as she took in this new reality of their lives together. “Come to bed, I miss you,” Sharon requested softly.

Never one to disobey her Captain, Andrea eased into bed; she groaned as she felt a click in her back.

Sharon spooned Andrea’s back and giggled into her shoulder. “Tomorrow I’ll give you a backrub,” she kissed the sleepy words into Andrea’s shoulder. “And you can make me that chili that I love for lunch as a thank you.”

Andrea’s heart swelled as she felt Sharon’s breathing even out against her shoulder. “That sounds perfect,” she mused out loud before following Sharon to sleep.

"Honey, I'm Home" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Thu, 07 Aug 2014 20:56:48 GMT

Title: Honey, I'm Home
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 1,075 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show.
A/N: Inspired by the challenge issued HERE on Tumblr. Many thanks to kayryn for her ultra speedy beta.
Summary: She smoothed her hair back and reached for the bar of soap. “Surely you’re not going to spend the whole evening just simply watching, are you?”

On ff.net: Honey, I'm Home

“You are astoundingly beautiful,” Andrea said as she leaned against the sink. Her arms were crossed as her hungry, loving eyes took in the sight of Sharon as she worked her thick hair into a coconut-scented lather.

Beneath the steady spray of the showerhead, Sharon snickered and rolled her eyes affectionately. “You obviously went back for seconds of that champagne,” she concluded. I’ve only managed to slice through the first few layers of dirt and dust coating me. I’m barely human again.”

Indeed, there were still specks of paint and grime on her forearms, as well as on her sinfully taut calves, but Andrea found all of that to be rather...enticing. She thought about making a comment about how sexy Sharon had looked as they’d moved their furniture into their new home. Her hair had been a sweaty, tangled mess threatening to fall out of its clip, her face had been flushed and her eyes had sparkled determinedly as they unpacked box after box, the determination clear even as they’d been forced to repaint a wall in their living room due to Rusty’s somewhat overly enthusiastic furniture assembly. But should Andrea make a comment about how she had been on the precipice of both discomfort and arousal all day helping Sharon with their daunting tasks, her partner would likely insist that she was getting soft and or senile in her old age.

Instead, Andrea shook her head, silently disagreeing with her incredibly stubborn, incredibly sexy partner.

“I will have you know that you, my love, had exactly half a glass more of the champagne than I did. I had half a glass, and you finished yours. I even saw you eye the bottle when Rusty offered to pour seconds,” Andrea said as Sharon moved under the showerhead again to rinse her hair.

“I like champagne,” Sharon said. “I like the bubbles. They feel…decadent,” she sighed. She smoothed her hair back and reached for the bar of soap. “Surely you’re not going to spend the whole evening just simply watching, are you?”

“Would you like me to join you?” Andrea retorted. She couldn’t help but grin at the look that Sharon threw her from over her soap-suds covered shoulder.

Join her she did; moments later an equally naked, equally dirt-covered Andrea too stood under the hot, steady stream of water. “Good water pressure,” she grunted as she leaned her head back and soaked her hair.

“Indeed,” Sharon said as she handed Andrea the bottle of shampoo. She bent over to place the soap bar back on the lower shelf and Andrea groaned.
Andrea reached one hand out to briefly caress the dip in Sharon’s lower back; her fingers trailed lower to tease her partner’s backside. “Beautiful. Astoundingly so,” Andrea said gently and purposefully.

Sharon hummed as she straightened her posture and turned around to face Andrea. Their lips met in a blissfully unhurried kiss; lately every encounter between them, both at work and at home, had been fraught and rushed.

“You have drywall on you,” Sharon giggled as her wet fingers tried unsuccessfully to brush away the offending particles from Andrea’s collarbone.

“Working on that,” Andrea said apologetically as she squeezed the shampoo bottle, encouraging a dollop of the thick gel to sink into the sweaty, dull mass of hair on her head.

“Let me help,” Sharon purred as she encouraged Andrea to turn around, allowing her access to the back of her head. Her graceful hands sunk into Andrea’s hair and long fingers worked in circular motions to both cleanse and massage.

Andrea reached behind Sharon to gently pull her hips flush against her own backside. “Good size, this shower,” she commented.

“Yes, I believe your exact words to the real estate agent were ‘Make sure the shower is big enough for two,’ which horrified him, I’m sure. Seeing as we’re both old enough to be his mother,” Sharon recalled.

Andrea scoffed. “He made a great commission on both of our condos; he does not have my sympathies.”

“Why didn’t you say the same thing to the furniture dealer?” Sharon teased.

“Because I like having you close when we sleep,” Andrea replied easily.

Sharon rinsed the shampoo from Andrea’s hair and reached for the conditioner; she applied a generous amount, knowing how thick and porous Andrea’s hair was. She smiled as Andrea’s hands caressed her hips, managing to send shivers up and down her spine even in their somewhat awkward position.

“Even when I elbow you?”

“Especially when you elbow me, because you always apologize with kisses,” Andrea said cheekily.

Sharon nibbled on a drywall-free spot of Andrea’s shoulder as a reprimand.

“Love it when you’re kinky too,” Andrea teased, eliciting an exaggerated sigh from Sharon.

“Whatever am I going to do with you? Hmm?” Sharon asked.

“Well, we’ve locked ourselves in with a fifteen year mortgage, so, you’ve got a decade and then some to figure it out.”

“I suppose I’ll think of something. I’m quite clever you know,” Sharon sighed.

“Oh, I do know. Your mind is what I first fell in love with you know,” Andrea said. She turned around in Sharon’s arms and encircled her partner’s petite waist. “And then, after months of phone calls and email correspondence, I finally met you. And that’s when I knew that I was a goner.”

“Andrea, you can’t fall in love with someone before meeting them, I mean, for goodness sake our initial conversations were limited to the subject of murder, kidnapping, and trial dates,” Sharon reasoned. Yet, she was unable to keep the flushed grin off of her face.

“I’d love to debate this further with you Captain, but, given that this is our first night in our first home together, I’d much rather finish our shower so I can take you to bed. I wouldn’t say no to a post-coital debate however,” Andrea responded, eyes gleaming.

Sharon’s response was to cup Andrea’s jaw and draw her in for a kiss that perfectly illustrated her intentions for the rest of their evening.

“Mmm, we’ve got the rest of our lives to debate,” Sharon murmured against Andrea’s lips. “Something tells me we’re going to outlast the bank’s timeline,” she said with no small amount of pride in her tone.

Andrea snickered. “Welcome home,” she said as she nuzzled the crook of Sharon’s neck.

Sharon held Andrea tighter to her, her chest suddenly felt like it might burst from sheer joy.

“Welcome home,” she repeated.

Thank you, Lovely People!

defyingnormalcy — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 12:22:08 GMT

Thank you so much to everyone who reached out to wish me a happy birthday. It was overwhelming (in the best of ways!) to hear from all of you and I truly appreciate all of your well wishes.

I received many goodies (I'm seriously spoiled, and totally humbled by my level of spoiled) this year and here are some from my fandom-ish lovelies! (Sorry, but it's kind of hard to share the rest of the goodies with you, hehee)

ozzyj wrote Friday Night Drinks at Browns (hints of Sharon Raydor/Andrea Hobbs, Gavin Baker)
newnumbertwo wrote Outside the Lines (Sharon Raydor/Andrea Hobbs, Rusty Beck)
fragrantwoods wrote Making Room (Sharon Raydor/Andrea Hobbs, Rusty Beck)
sharon_ray wrote Latch (Sharon Raydor/Andrea Hobbs)

Thank you! xo

"The Frontline" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 17:35:19 GMT

Title: The Frontline
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor, mentions of S. Raydor/J. Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 893 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or tv show.
Summary: "Andrea smiled against Sharon’s palm and bestowed another kiss to the inside of Sharon’s delicate wrist. A comfortable silence fell between them, each woman reveling in the quiet domesticity of the moment."
A/N: Thank you to kayryn for her speedy last-minute beta services!

On ff.net: The Frontline

Sharon smiled to herself as she felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. The air around her had shifted and only one person could possibly be responsible. She let out a contented sigh, and closed the file she’d been poring over. She blinked a few times and her eyes watered; it had been a long day and the morning would bring with it an even longer one.

“I swear one day I will actually manage to surprise you,” Andrea huffed. She walked around the couch and settled next to Sharon, securing her lover’s hand in her own.

“Now don’t you go and do that,” Sharon mock-chastised. “I love your predictableness.” She giggled at the miserable expression on Andrea’s face.

Andrea scowled and kissed Sharon’s hand. “Predictable isn’t romantic,” she said mournfully.

Sharon shook her head and smiled softly. “I don’t need romantic. I need sturdy, reliable, present. And you are all of those things.” Guilt settled itself low in her belly; this was the third night in a row that Andrea had woken in the middle of the night to find herself alone in their bed while Sharon tackled a stack of paperwork in the living room. And, yet, this was also the third night in a row that Andrea had approached Sharon carefully, gently, quietly, with no indication of anger or judgment in her tone or her actions.

Andrea smiled against Sharon’s palm and bestowed another kiss to the inside of Sharon’s delicate wrist. A comfortable silence fell between them, each woman reveling in the quiet domesticity of the moment.

Finally, Andrea gently broke the reverie between them. “It’s late,” she observed softly.

Another sigh escaped Sharon’s lips, this one restless. “I know,” she acknowledged.

Andrea tugged Sharon’s hand, encouraging her to move closer. Taking the hint, Sharon shifted so that she was pressed against Andrea’s side; her un-held hand and arm circled Andrea’s waist.

Sharon noticed how Andrea’s eyes lingered solemnly on the file folder resting on the coffee table. “They’re…“

“I know,” Andrea said simply.

“And how do you feel about that?” Sharon asked.

Andrea shrugged. “It’s not my place to tell you what you should do Sharon. That’s not why I am here. I’m here to support you in your decisions, not to force my influence on them.”

Sharon considered Andrea’s word carefully. “But my decisions affect you as well.”

Andrea nuzzled Sharon’s neck. “I just want to be with you. However that looks like, whatever it means on paper, I don’t care. I just want to love you and to share a life with you.”

“Even if that means being dragged through my divorce and dealing with what’s bound to be a never-ending parade of nastiness from my ex-husband?” Sharon asked timidly.

Andrea cupped Sharon’s jaw and swept her thumb across Sharon’s cheek. “Do we get to stay together?”

“Of course,” Sharon said, a little indignantly. At this point, she doubted that it was possible she could even fantasize about a life without Andrea in it.

“Then yes.”

“Just like that?” Sharon teased.

Andrea chuckled. “Honey we danced around each other for years,” she reminded her gently. “It’s not exactly ‘just like that.’ But, yes, I’m sure.”

“Indeed we did,” Sharon agreed. “God we wasted so much time,” she added.

Andrea shook her head. “We weren’t ready then. And that’s okay.”

“You know, that’s part of why I need to do this….I feel like so much time has been wasted,” Sharon admitted. She tightened her hold on Andrea’s waist and slipped her hand inside the cotton t-shirt covering Andrea’s upper body. Her hand connected with warm, soft skin and she felt an overwhelming sense of home.

“And that’s why I need to be here. Because you feel like you need to accomplish this, because this is a battle that you need to win,” Andrea reiterated. “But,” she sighed, “battles aren’t won in the wee hours of the morning.”

“It’s late,” Sharon observed.

“And the bed misses you,” Andrea added.

“The bed misses me huh?” Sharon giggled.

“Your hand is up my shirt. I’m just fine,” Andrea said, eliciting another giggle from Sharon, followed by a poke against her ribs.

“Well we wouldn’t want the bed to get lonely,” Sharon reasoned.

“Of course not,” Andrea said as she helped Sharon to her feet.

Sharon cast another grim look at the file folder and Andrea could see her jaw clench and her brow furrow.

“Come on, honey,” Andrea said as she wrapped an arm around Sharon and kissed her cheek. “I promise that I’ll be right there on the frontline with you tomorrow. But, for now, please come to bed.”

Sharon gave the folder one last glance before turning to Andrea again. She nodded her head silently, giving Andrea permission to guide her back to their haven. As Andrea scooped Sharon up in her arms and draped the sheets over their bodies, Sharon considered her lover’s words again.

Within moments, the blonde fell back asleep with a serene smile on her face. Sharon brushed a lock of hair out of her face and felt her heart swell as Andrea further nuzzled the crook of her neck. Her last thought before sleep finally claimed her, was that she couldn’t imagine charging into the battle ahead of her without the patient, loving, and gentle woman in her arms.

Hobbs/Raydor and Matching Wardrobes

defyingnormalcy — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 13:12:49 GMT

I'm just going to leave this here. And grin happily to myself.

Major Crimes Icons: Episode 3.01 "Flight Risk" - Hobbs/Raydor

defyingnormalcy — Tue, 10 Jun 2014 19:03:41 GMT

Please feel free to use, with credit:

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6.

"Arise" - Hobbs/Raydor Ficlet

defyingnormalcy — Mon, 26 May 2014 13:12:05 GMT

Title: Arise
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: M
Word Count: 540 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show.
A/N: This was written originally for kayryn who needed some cheering up.
Summary: Plotless fluffy smut.

On ff.net: Arise

Sharon groans as her eyes flutter open. She feels familiar kisses being pressed against her breasts and familiar, loving hands caressing her hips.

"Good morning," Andrea says, with a mouthful of one of Sharon's nipples.

Sharon snorts softly. "It is a good morning," she replies. "It's also an unusual morning. What are you doing awake before me?" Andrea was notorious for sleeping in on their weekends together.

Andrea grins and sucks Sharon's nipple, causing Sharon to groan again. "I had a nice dream. Wanted to make it reality," Andrea says cheekily.

"S'that so?" Sharon mumbles.

Andrea brings her kisses lower until she's settled between Sharon's legs. Her tongue flicks gently against Sharon's clit.

"I dreamt that we went to Paris. We were making love in a beautiful hotel with the gorgeous city lights shining through our window," Andrea says. "You looked so pretty," she sighs.

Sharon smiles and tangles her fingers with Andrea's and holds them over her stomach. "That sounds beautiful."

Andrea swirled her tongue against Sharon's clit and then sucked it into her mouth briefly. "And I woke up and you were here, next to me, naked and sleeping so peacefully. You're so pretty in your sleep. Do you know that?" Andrea murmurs against Sharon's sex.

Sharon can only whimper as Andrea brings her to a tremendous orgasm with just the gentle flicks of her skilled tongue. As Sharon is struggling to regain her breath, Andrea gathers her in her arms and holds her close.

"Good morning," Sharon says, smiling the words into the crook of Andrea's neck. A feeling of euphoria envelops her as Andrea’s fingertips dance across her skin.

"Love you," Andrea says, seeking out Sharon's lips for a kiss.

"I think I love you more," Sharon teases.

Andrea arches her brow and gives her the look that is often reserved for when Flynn and Provenza's stupidity got the better of them. "I highly doubt that's possible," Andrea says crisply.

"I'd love to debate it with you," Sharon says brightly; mischief colours her tone.

"Just remember which one of us is an attorney," Andrea says.

"Just remember which one of us has won every argument that we’ve ever had in the last two years," Sharon says, grinning.

Andrea opens her mouth to respond, then shuts it, defeated.

Sharon giggles and kisses Andrea's cheek. "Don't worry honey, I'll let you win next time," she replies smugly.

Andrea pouts which causes Sharon to giggle even harder.

Andrea can't help but marvel at how gorgeous Sharon looks, face flushed from her earlier orgasm, hair a tangled mess, relaxing against their bed while laughing freely. "You are so, so beautiful. Especially like this," Andrea sighs.

Sharon hums and blushes.

"No arguing with me, you promised you'd let me win the next one," Andrea says, knowing that her love likely has a smart ass remark on the tip of her tongue.

"Yes dear," Sharon says softly. There is a bit of sarcasm in her tone, but Andrea lets her have it.

Her heart soars as Sharon pushes her back against the mattress and straddles her hips. Her last coherent thought before their lips connect is that what they have between them is surely the most beautiful, most precious thing in the world.

"Allure" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Thu, 22 May 2014 12:18:00 GMT

Title: Allure
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 2, 619 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters, not my television show.
A/N: This was written for the awesome, amazing, fabulous sharon_ray's birthday. Happy, happy, happy birthday to you my dear. As an added birthday bonus, each header links to the item named in the title. Thank you to kayryn for the ultra speedy beta.
Summary: "Rich, authoritative, and sexy, that had been her first impression of the notorious Captain."

On ff.net: Allure

i. Jimmy Choo, black.

The click-clack of black leather Jimmy Choos proceeded Captain Sharon Raydor’s entrance into her office. She could hear the deliberate, calculated rhythm as it made its way across the rows of cubicles, rounded the corner, and entered her space.

Andrea swore that the fine leather and sharp heals even sounded different from her own discounted, final-sale pumps as they intercepted the cool marbled floor. Rich, authoritative, and sexy, that had been her first impression of the notorious Captain.

Raydor extended a graceful hand to initiate a firm, professional handshake.

“DDA Hobbs, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.

Andrea tried her best not to groan at the sound of her surname rolling so deliciously off of the brunette’s sharp tongue. She had heard a lot about Captain Raydor; about her meticulous methods, critical intelligence, and her by-the-book ways. However, none of her coworkers had cared to share with her just how unbelievably attractive the Captain was.

“Likewise Captain, it’s great to finally be able to put a face to the name and accolades,” she barely managed.

Their meeting was only an hour-long affair, but it felt like an eternity to Andrea. She could hardly focus on what the Captain had been saying, because spurting out of those fabulous Jimmy Choos were the finest, smoothest pair of legs Andrea had ever seen. Her imagination was running wild with images of those very legs wrapped around her, those very heels pressing into the flesh of her lower back.

“Well, I’ve disrupted your afternoon enough as it is. But I wanted the chance to meet with you face to face before our departments began collaborating more often,” Captain Raydor said. “I look forward to working with you DDA Hobbs, I must say, your reputation in the courtroom has me rather excited to be collaborating with you.”

Andrea stood from behind her desk and opened her office door for the Captain. “Thank you Captain Raydor, and I must say, that your reputation in the interrogation room has me rather eager to be joining forces with you as well,” she said.

Captain Raydor offered her a grin and another firm handshake before she exited Andrea’s office.

The delicious sound of the Captain’s heels colliding with the flooring rang in Andrea’s ears the rest of the day.

ii. Hermès, burgundy.

The scarf was a louder print than Andrea would have thought Captain Raydor would be comfortable wearing, but it was paired beautifully with a deep crimson blazer and black pencil skirt. The burgundy, with accents of deep blue, terra cotta, and magenta were tied meticulously around the Captain’s slender, elegant neck.

“Did I spill my coffee?” Raydor’s inquiry woke Andrea from her fantasy about scarves and beautiful colours and decadent silk and how soft Sharon Raydor’s skin might be in comparison.

“Pardon?” Andrea asked nervously. She sat up a little straighter in her chair and met Raydor’s eyes.

“You keep staring at my jacket. Did I spill something?” she repeated, patiently, and perhaps a little amusedly.

“Oh, no. Not at all. I…your scarf is lovely. I was just trying to figure out the pattern,” Andrea explained hastily.

Captain Raydor grinned at her. Slowly, she placed her pen back on her desk and reached up to untie the delicate fabric from her neck. She then handed it over to Andrea for inspection.

“It’s kind of a geometric pattern,” Raydor explained. “I prefer that over floral or animal prints, which tend to be more common.”

Andrea took the offered scarf and noted that the fabric was still warm from being secured around Raydor’s neck. Her spicy perfume lingered on the fabric and Andrea secretly hoped that it would linger on her hands for the rest of the day.

“It’s gorgeous,” Andrea complimented. She handed it back and watched, mesmerized, as Raydor tied it efficiently without the use of a mirror.

“Thank you,” she said as she picked her pen up again and returned to the case files in front of them.

iii. Kate Spade, bluebell.

Bi-weekly lunches had suddenly become a thing between them. It had started with Captain Raydor, now simply Sharon, insisting that they try a little bistro around the corner from their offices. That had been eight months ago, and ever since, nearly every other week (and once and a while, on the weekend) the two of them met at the trendy spot for lunch.

“I am so sorry that I’m late,” Sharon apologized as she breezed by and helped herself to the empty chair across from Andrea.

“No worries. I ordered for us already,” Andrea said.

“Oh thank you. I’m starving; we caught a double homicide, officer-involved shooting at 5:00am and I haven’t had the chance to break since I came in early this morning.”

Sharon hung her gorgeous Kate Spade bag over her chair. The supple crosshatched leather bag stood out proudly in sea of inferior purses around it, including Andrea’s own six-year old bag. Andrea’s mouth practically watered as she eyed the gold embossed signature on the striking blue of the bag; ‘bluebell’ was the name of the hue, she recalled seeing the name several times as she stalked the bag online.

Sharon noticed where Andrea’s eyes were focused and chuckled. “You should have this bag, not me. It matches your eyes perfectly,” she said. She unhooked the bag from her chair and held it up to Andrea’s face. “Hmmm, your eyes are still bluer. But the bag is close,” she said.

Sharon missed the deep crimson of Andrea’s cheeks as she placed the bag back on her chair.

“Well, then I don’t want to hear any complaints if that work of art suddenly grows a pair of legs and finds its way to my home,” Andrea teased. “After all, you yourself said that it belongs with me.”

Sharon chuckled. “I still am rather fond of it Counselor, maybe we can compromise? We’ll share it?”

“But it matches my eyes,” Andrea said, she then batted her eyelashes dramatically causing Sharon to giggle, then blush and bite her lip. Andrea felt the mood between them shift.

“No, I said that it nearly matches. Your eyes are a much more beautiful colour,” Sharon said. She cleared her throat and nervously tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Well, I guess we’ll just have to share it then,” Andrea said, hoping to patch up the bit of awkwardness between them.

iv. Lululemon, purple.

Andrea’s first thought when Sharon met her that morning was that her friend must have come from seriously old money because even her workout clothing was stupidly expensive.

“You ready to get your ass handed to you?” Sharon asked playfully as the two women exited Andrea’s car at the base of the mountain and surveyed the hiking trail ahead of them.

“I’ll have you know that not only do I have the advantage of age on my side, but I am very competitive. You’re going down Raydor,” Andrea countered.

Sharon swept her hair up in an efficient and alluring ponytail and shot Andrea a triumphant grin. “We’ll see about that Hobbs.”

An hour in and Andrea was starting to wonder if Sharon’s generous bank account allowed her to afford steroids or endurance and performance enhancing drugs of some kind because the 58-year old was hiking in circles around her.

“We should…hydrate. Take a quick…break,” Andrea panted.

Sharon paused and placed her hands on her hips, her skin glowed with perspiration but the dark purple of her tank top remained dry. Andrea could feel her own shirt clinging to her sweaty back and chest; she must look like a mess compared to Sharon.

“What happened to that ‘I have youth on my side’ speech you gave earlier?” Sharon teased, but she sat down and patted the ground next to her.

“I was wrong. Ass kicked,” Andrea panted as she sat down next to the brunette. “I don’t remember this trail being so steep. Fuck,” she groaned.

“We’ll turn around after we rest up. The last thing I need is for you to kill yourself on this hike,” Sharon said very seriously.

“No…keep going,” Andrea insisted.

Sharon looked at her companion with a raised eyebrow. “Andrea, you look like you’re going to drop dead if we climb any higher. It’s fine, we’ll tackle it again another weekend.”

Andrea looked at Sharon guiltily. “I planned this today so you’d have a break. Rusty’s out of emergency care now and I wanted you to have an afternoon off,” she explained quietly.

Sharon opened her mouth then closed it; she lowered her head shyly and tried to speak again. “Thank you, that’s very thoughtful of you,” she said.

“He’s a good kid, but, well, you need a break, too. He’s a lot of work. My brother and sister-in-law are foster parents and they take in kids like Rusty all the time. I know how draining it can be if you don’t give yourself a chance to regroup.” Andrea’s breathing had returned to normal and she risked meeting Sharon’s gaze.

She couldn’t quite place how Sharon was looking at her; it was a mixture of surprise, gratitude, and…something else. “Thank you, for letting me regroup,” she said softly.

Andrea dared to reach out and cover Sharon’s hand with her own. “Anytime,” she responded, just as softly.

v. Prada, amber.

Andrea never really cared for expensive fragrances; in fact she used mostly unscented products herself as a courtesy to those who were sensitive to fragrances. She, however, did allow herself the indulgence of a citrus-scented lotion, which was subtle enough that she could wear it around fragrance-sensitive coworkers.

Sharon Raydor wore Amber by Prada, Andrea could discern the scent from down a long corridor. The hints of patchouli oil, tonka bean, musk, sandalwood, and vanilla absolute made the blonde’s mouth water.

Whenever Sharon flipped her hair over her shoulder, Andrea would get dizzy from the whiff of the scent; mixed with Sharon’s natural body chemistry, the combination was hypnotizing. She wanted to nuzzle the smooth skin of Sharon’s neck, to seek out the scented pulse point and drown in that scent.

Sharon sat next to her on her leather sofa; with her drink in hand, hair tossed over her shoulder, she was radiant. Her laughter rang through Andrea’s condo and caused a deep ache to settle low in Andrea’s belly.

“It’s only been a few months and already Rusty is finding excuses to go out on the weekend with friends over spending time with me,” Sharon said this as a joke, but the humor died before it could reach her eyes.

Andrea shifted closer to Sharon. “He’s never had a normal social life before, it’s natural for him to want to start exploring that,” she said, trying to reassure her friend.

Sharon shrugged. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just…it was nice to feel needed again.” Her words carried a million different meanings and regrets all at once.

Andrea decided to take a risk; she placed her own glass on her coffee table so she could cup Sharon’s face. “You are needed, I need you,” she licked her lips and prayed that Sharon wouldn’t shoot her for invading her personal space like this.

Sharon closed the distance between them and hummed as their lips touched. It lasted just a few precious moments, but both women were dizzy from the sensation as they parted.

“I think I should go home now,” Sharon said, very clearly, very quietly.

vi. La Perla, lilac.

It had been almost four hours since Sharon had left her condo and Andrea was surprised to be answering the insistent knocking at her door.

She was even more surprised to find Sharon Raydor standing before her for a second time that evening.

“We were drinking, you had three glasses of wine and I had almost a full glass. I didn’t want…I need you too. And I didn’t want to say that in case you were intoxicated and… “ Sharon trailed off.

Andrea cupped her face again and kissed her, longer, firmer, and sweeter this time.

“I’m sober,” Andrea promised against Sharon’s trembling lips.

“Rusty is home now, he’s sleeping,” Sharon whispered.

“Would you like to come inside?” Andrea asked carefully.

“I’d like to stay the night,” Sharon said.

Andrea’s bed draped a simple white duvet, which contrasted beautifully with the espresso-brown of her furniture. Her decorating tastes were simple, clean, and modern; Sharon felt strangely at home standing in front of her bed.

Andrea nervously crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Um, we don’t have to... “

“I want to. I’ve wanted this for a long time,” Sharon affirmed.

Andrea let out a breath. “Me too.”

Slowly, Sharon began to unbutton her crimson blouse; she discarded the item on Andrea’s floor and took a step closer to the trembling blonde.

Andrea caressed Sharon’s hips, her eyes traced the edge of the delicate, lilac coloured bra that encased Sharon’s generous bust. Her fingertips traveled up Sharon’s side to cup her breasts and she groaned at the feel of their weight in her palms.

“La Perla?” Andrea chuckled, she couldn’t help it.

Sharon shrugged. “I bought it for you. I finally noticed how you always look at me when we’re alone. I had hoped that you might like it.”

Andrea brushed her hair aside and leaned forward to nuzzle her warm, soft, neck. “I love it,” she groaned against Sharon’s pulse point.

Sharon grasped Andrea’s wrists and guided them around the back of her bra. “Get it off of me, now,” she commanded softly.

Andrea was more than ready to oblige.

Inches of porcelain skin, scattered with freckles, became visible as Andrea slowly peeled the expensive fabric from Sharon’s body. Lips sought out the soft skin, pouring nearly two years’ worth of pent up longing, desire, and growing affection into the caresses against Sharon’s body.

Sharon tugged desperately at the hem of Andrea’s shirt. “Take this off, please, I need to feel you,” she pleaded.

Andrea separated from Sharon for a moment to whip her shirt and bra off in one fluid movement. She brought their bodies together again and both women groaned as heated skin met for the first time. Their touches turned from hesitant and teasing to frantic and purposeful; clothing was discarded carelessly, instructions were panted through barely separated lips. They fell, willingly, onto the bed and lost all sense of time and place as the heat between them rose to a boiling point, consuming them entirely.

Later, they reclined against Andrea’s no-longer crisp sheets and indulged in more lingering caresses and kisses, ones that their needy, wanton lovemaking hadn’t had the time for. Sharon curled her body against Andrea’s side and delighted in the feather-light caresses that her new lover bestowed along her back and arms.

Andrea caught sight of the lilac lace bra and panties (she had been delighted to discover that they were a set) scattered along with Sharon’s blouse and jeans on her floor, and smiled.

Sharon felt the laughter bubbling up in Andrea’s chest and kissed along her collarbone.

“You know, it’s bad manners to laugh at a naked woman in bed,” Sharon teased.

Andrea drew Sharon up for a kiss so sweet it took her breath away.

“I would never laugh at you. Laugh at the overly complicated circumstances which brought us here? Absolutely, I’ll laugh at that,” Andrea said.

Sharon shifted against Andrea nervously. “And now that we are here?”

“There’s nowhere else that I’d rather be,” Andrea said.

Generous, multi-faceted, gorgeous, confident, kind, loving, sweet, and even a little shy; these were the qualities that Sharon had finally shared with Andrea. Andrea knew they would be making a lasting impression on her.

"A Family Tradition" - Raydor and Rusty, Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Sun, 11 May 2014 14:10:37 GMT

Title: A Family Tradition
Pairing: Raydor and Rusty, Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 2,168 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters not my television show.
A/N: This was written for the 'expectations' prompt at majorcrimes. Many thanks to kayryn for her ultra speedy beta.
Summary: Rusty's first Easter with Andrea and Sharon has him feeling apprehensive.

On ff.net: A Family Tradition

“First angels and now coloured eggs; so weird,” Rusty huffed as Sharon set a basket of hardboiled eggs down on their kitchen table. “I thought only little kids did this sort of stuff?” he complained.

Sharon sat down opposite him and unpackaged her set of crafts and paintbrushes. Very patiently, she addressed his complaint, “Andrea’s nieces are very young and her family does an Easter egg hunt for them every year.”

“Okaaaay, but why are we painting the eggs?” Rusty asked, annoyed. He poked the bottles of assorted food colouring on the table.

“Because Andrea is working most of today and I offered to help her out. She usually paints eggs for her brother and sister-in-law,” Sharon explained as she poured equal amounts of food colouring into the tiny mixing bowls atop the newspaper-covered table. “I used to do this for my kids when they were young,” she said happily. “It’s nice to get to do it again.”

“Right,” Rusty said. He slumped back and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I’m sure that she would appreciate it very much if you helped,” Sharon said pointedly. “She already feels guilty that she can’t do it this year and she doesn’t want to let her nieces down.”

“Why doesn’t she just not go into work then? Isn’t she like a senior DDA or something? Can’t she tell them no?” Rusty asked.

“Because we can’t always control what life throws at us, despite our experience or seniority. Is it unfortunate that she has to work on a Saturday? Absolutely. But it’s not any more unfortunate then when I have to take on a case on a holiday or the weekend. That’s the nature of our jobs,” Sharon explained.

Rusty watched as she dipped a fine paintbrush into the red food colouring; she drew a steady line all the way around the egg and proceeded to apply more red food colouring to one half of the egg. “Okay, you’re surprisingly good at that,” he conceded.

Sharon snorted softly. “And what made you think that I wouldn’t be good at this?”

Rusty shrugged. “I don’t know. I just never pictured you painting eggs and liking it.”

Sharon smiled. “There are a number of things that I enjoy that you’ve just never asked me about.” She cleaned the brush in a bowl of water then dried the bristles before dipping it in the yellow food colouring.

Rusty chewed his bottom lip as he continued to watch Sharon apply an even coat of yellow food colouring to the other half of the egg. She blew gently against the delicate shell before setting it down carefully to dry. She wiped the remnants of food colouring off of her fingers before picking up another blank egg from the basket.

Rusty huffed. “Okay, like, do they need to be a particular pattern or something?” he asked reluctantly.

“Not really. Just try and avoid painting them all the same colour. The girls appreciate it when they all look kind of different,” Sharon said.

“So, you’ve met them?” Rusty asked carefully as he borrowed a paintbrush and contemplated the colour choices in front of him; he went with green.

“Yes, I babysat them several months ago when they stayed with Andrea for a weekend.”

“And the rest of her family?” Rusty asked, trying to sound casual.

“I’ve met her parents. They’re lovely people,” she said. Sharon looked at him knowingly from overtop her glasses. “So are you going to admit that this is what your attitude has been about today?” she asked.

“Attitude? What attitude?” Rusty asked, offended, but he gave up as soon as he met Sharon’s knowing eyes. “Okay, fine. I’ve been annoyed today.”

“And?” Sharon prompted gently.

“And…nervous. I’ve never gone to anyone’s home for Easter. I’ve never even celebrated Easter. And Andrea has a big family, and I’m the ‘new kid’ and…I don’t like being new,” he finally admitted.

Sharon placed another painted egg down to dry so that she could give Rusty her full attention.

Rusty continued, “I just don’t know what to expect. Like, what if they hate me? What if that forces you guys to break up? Or what if…” he trailed off in a very small voice.

Sharon placed a hand overtop his forearm. “First of all, Andrea’s family is very excited to meet you, I promise that they won’t hate you. And Andrea is very excited to introduce you. Honey, I promise you that no matter what happens this weekend we will never ask you to leave, and it would take a lot more than a few disgruntled relatives for Andrea and I to separate.”

Rusty shifted in his seat uncomfortably.

“I know it’s hard for you to trust people, and I really don’t blame you for that. I don’t know what else to say to put you at ease,” she admitted. “I love you, Rusty. I would never, ever, compromise your safety or your happiness. Nor would Andrea,” she said simply.

“I know,” he said quietly. “I know that. It’s just…sometimes I can’t help but be afraid, you know?”

“I do. I feel the same way sometimes,” Sharon sympathized. She thought of all the sleepless nights she’s ever had, of every victim she’s ever mourned; she thought of how many times she’s feared that one day she would arrive at the crime scene of a loved one, of one of her children.

“How do you make it go away?” Rusty asked. He dipped his paintbrush back into the green food colouring and concentrated on his egg; he didn’t trust himself to look at Sharon in the eye.

“You don’t. You just cope with it. You rely on your loved ones to give you strength when you are feeling insecure, and you remind yourself that you are loved and worthy of happiness. And, slowly, it lessens.”

“What about Andrea?” he asked.

“She has fears too,” Sharon imparted. She thought of all the nights that she’s had to wake up a crying and thrashing Andrea; her partner’s ghosts were just as relentless as her own. “We all do Rusty, and that’s okay.”

“Yeah,” Rusty said. He shrugged but offered Sharon a slight grin. “Okay, how do her nieces feel about polka-dots?” he asked.

“I think that they will love them,” Sharon said. She watched with pride as Rusty carefully applied each coloured dot to the delicate eggshell.

They worked side by side for close to an hour before the click of the key in Sharon’s front door broke their reverie.

“Well look at this, I have my own workshop of egg-painters,” Andrea said happily as she kicked her shoes off. She walked behind Rusty and squeezed his shoulder in greeting. “These look amazing Rusty, thank you so much.” A kiss was applied to the top of his head and Rusty couldn’t help but smile back at Andrea.

She walked over to Sharon and met her halfway for a gentle kiss. “Thanks, honey. I really appreciate you two taking this on.”

“It’s not a problem,” Sharon assured her.

Andrea sat next to Sharon and looked at the basket full of eggs sadly. “I’ve been looking forward to this for weeks,” she said.

Rusty paused; he was just about to grab the last unpainted egg from the basket. “Here, you should do this one,” he said as he handed the egg to Andrea.

Andrea’s tired blue eyes widened in surprise. “Yeah? You don’t mind?” she asked carefully.

“Go for it. You should get the chance to do this, too.”

“Thanks Rusty,” she said as she rolled her sleeves up and took the offered egg. “Any suggestions?” she asked as she nodded towards the bowls of food colouring.

Rusty considered her question for a moment. “Blue and yellow would be great. We’ve got a lot of red and pink and green so far, but not many blue or yellow coloured eggs.”

Andrea nodded her head in agreement. “Blue and yellow it is then.”

“You know, if you um, if you hold the brush a bit closer to the bristles you’ll have better control over it. I found it easier to make the dots and stuff when I held it that way,” he offered.

Andrea smiled warmly at him. She didn’t let on that she did indeed know how to best hold the brush, instead she thanked him for his advice.

“We should have dinner soon,” Sharon interjected. “I’m willing to bet that you didn’t stop for lunch today,” she said to Andrea.

“Guilty as charged. I just didn’t have the time today, I know, that was stupid. I should have stopped for even something small,” Andrea sighed.

“Maybe we can order in?” Rusty asked hopefully. They usually let him get away with takeout on the weekends.

Sharon rolled her eyes affectionately. “I’ll call in. I assume that you’re both in the mood for pizza and wings?” she asked.

Andrea and Rusty shared a guilty grin. “Well, I mean, if Rusty wants it…” Andrea trailed off, though she could hardly contain the glee in her tone.

“Fried dough and fried meat, such a sensible choice,” Sharon sighed. “Pizza and wings it is I suppose. I’ll call the restaurant.”

Andrea winked at Rusty as Sharon excused herself to walk onto the balcony to place their dinner order.

“Hey, Rusty, I just wanted to say that I’m really proud and really excited to bring you to meet my family this weekend. I know that big events with lots of people aren’t your thing, so I really appreciate that you’re coming,” Andrea said softly. She placed the half-painted egg down and reached out to squeeze his forearm across the table. “Thank you.”

Rusty bit his lip and nodded. “Yeah. No problem,” he said, trying to keep his anxiety hidden.

“If you’re concerned about anything, you know that you can tell me, right?” Andrea asked.

“I’m okay….really, I promise,” he added as Andrea raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “I was nervous. And I still kind of am, but…I also want this.” He shrugged and stuffed his hands in his sweater pockets. “I guess maybe I’m worried that I’ll lose this, you and Sharon right when I’ve started to realize how much I need it all,” he said quietly.

Andrea nodded her understanding. “You know, I feel the same way. Sometimes I sit back and think of just how lucky I got with you and Sharon, I found the family that I’d been searching for and I couldn’t be happier with how everything has turned out…but what about when it all gets taken away? What if you decide that you hate and resent my presence in your life? What if Sharon falls out of love?”

Rusty clenched his jaw, his face burned hot. “I don’t resent you,” he said abruptly. “And I don’t hate you. And Sharon loves you so much. I’ve never seen her smile so much, well, ever really.”

“I know,” Andrea reassured. “But fear is tricky that way. It makes you think that the impossible or the untrue is in fact possible or true.”

“Yeah. I guess,” Rusty said.

“You know what I think?” Andrea asked. Rusty nodded and so she continued, “I think that it’s a lot more productive, and a lot more pleasant, to be concerned with what is in our control, than what is out of our control. I made the decision to be thankful for the love that I have, and to be grateful for the present. And, I think that it was the right decision, because no matter how stressful my job can be, or how hard things can sometimes get, I get the privilege of coming home to a wonderful family every night.”

Rusty considered her words and let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. “It’s a good decision,” he conceded.

“The food will be here in half an hour,” Sharon announced as she closed the sliding door to the balcony. She set her phone down on the kitchen table and wrapped an arm around Andrea from behind. She frowned slightly when she picked up on the mood between her two blondes at the table. “Everything alright?” she asked carefully.

Rusty was the first to respond. “Everything’s great. Thanks for ordering pizza, I promise we can order from that weird vegan place next time,” he said. “I’ll even eat that quin…quinny.-“

“Quinoa,” Sharon corrected. Between them, Andrea snorted softly at Rusty’s apathetic mispronunciation.

“Whatever. Q-thingy. I’ll get the placemats,” he offered as he stood and made his way to the cupboard.

Andrea placed a hand overtop Sharon’s on her shoulder. “Everything is just right,” she promised. “We’re okay.”

Sharon regarded Andrea intently then focused her gaze on their foster son who was puttering around in the kitchen. She sighed contently and focused her gaze back on Andrea once more.

“Good,” she kissed the word against Andrea’s cheek and let a sense of calm and peace envelope her. Her family was home now; all was right, all was perfect.

AOS Icons: Victoria Hand

defyingnormalcy — Fri, 25 Apr 2014 20:37:18 GMT

A few icons of Victoria Hand from Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Please credit if using.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

"Brewed" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Wed, 23 Apr 2014 15:57:05 GMT

Title: Brewed
Pairing: Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 1, 216 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show.
A/N: I was dared to write this by kayryn after I tweeted about a caffeine overdose of my own yesterday.
Summary: Andrea overdoses on her beloved vice.

On ff.net: Brewed

Sharon watched, exasperatedly, from the corner of her eye as Andrea got off the couch and made her way over to the coffee carafe again. The DDA groaned when she discovered that the carafe was empty and huffed as she sought out a new filter and her coffee container.

“Damn,” she muttered as she opened the container and shook the meager contents around.

Sharon snorted softly.

“What?” Andrea asked indignantly. She turned around to face Sharon, who was still seated on their leather sofa.

Sharon looked up from the report in her hands and chuckled. “You’ve gone through an entire carafe since 9am. It’s Saturday. Honey, I don’t think you go through that much coffee even on Mondays normally.”

Andrea crossed her arms defensively over her chest. “And?” she asked.

“And,” Sharon drawled, “Not only is that completely unhealthy, but you are single handedly going to be responsible for a coffee shortage in the city of Los Angeles if you keep it up.”

“Sharon, I have four court dates coming up this week plus I have an open investigation with your team. Please, honey, cut me some slack?” Andrea pleaded as she ran frustrated fingers through her hair. She knew that she drank far too much coffee than was healthy for a woman of her age. She also knew that her habit of skipping meals to put in overtime was probably going to catch up to her sooner rather than later; but right now she really just didn’t have time for a lecture.

The past few weeks had been insane at Andrea’s office. Thanks to DDA Pendley’s retirement and an unusually high volume of cases finding their way to Andrea’s desk, Andrea had been feeling like she could hardly keep up.

Sharon took in the dark circles under her partner’s eyes and the deepened creases of her forehead and sighed. “I didn’t mean to nag. I just don’t want you to crash,” she explained.

Andrea walked back over to the sofa, which was littered with both of their case files, and wrapped an arm around Sharon from behind. “I know. And I appreciate it. I promise that after this week I will be much easier to live with.” Andrea sealed her promise with a kiss to Sharon’s forehead.

Sharon reached behind to squeeze Andrea’s shoulder. “I will hold you to that Counselor,” Sharon said sternly, but the glint in her eye betrayed her affectionate intentions.

“Yes Captain,” Andrea replied as she returned to the kitchen to load the remainder of her precious coffee into the new filter.

***

Sharon bit the inside of her lip and risked a glance over at Andrea. She was engrossed in the hefty report in her lap and chewing the tip of her pen; while that habit normally made Sharon grimace, right now all she could focus on was the insistent tapping of Andrea’s foot against their coffee table. It had been driving her slowly mad for the past twenty minutes. She could hardly fill out her report because the motion kept jiggling the table, which she was attempting to use to write on.

“Andrea, honey?” Sharon asked sweetly. She knew better than to try a more insistent tone when Andrea was up to her ears in piles of work.

“Hmm?” Andrea said as she jerked her head up suddenly.

“Could you please stop tapping your foot? I can hardly write without my pen jumping all over my page,” Sharon asked.

“Oh, what? Oh, right. Sorry,” she said abrasively.

“Thank you,” Sharon said as she resumed her work. Her grip loosened on her pen and she finally wrote a complete sentence without having to pause or slow down.

Within a few minutes, however, Andrea’s foot started up again, this time, accompanied by the sound of Andrea’s pen being flicked back and forth against her report. Sharon was just about to calmly place her hand on Andrea’s leg when Andrea suddenly bolted up from the couch and started pacing, all the while still insistently flicking her pen against the paper.

Sharon watched this spectacle for a few moments before speaking up. “Andrea?” Sharon’s tone could hardly contain its amusement. She nodded her head towards the half-full coffee mug on the coffee table. “I think that you’ve had enough of that now.”

“Mmm,” Andrea mumbled slightly hysterically, then shrugged. Still, she paced in a tight circle next to the sofa.

“Do you think it’s maybe time to switch to decaf tea?” Sharon asked; she was starting to get dizzy from watching Andrea pace back and forth.

Andrea stopped and looked at her guiltily. “I keep having to re-read things. I can’t concentrate. I feel like I am crawling out of my skin,” Andrea admitted.

“Oh do you know?” Sharon asked, not even bothering to hide her grin.

“Sharon…I think I had too much coffee,” Andrea said, sounding absolutely devastated. “And it’s having a reverse effect on me. I can’t concentrate,” she repeated. She flung the report and pen onto the coffee table. “Maybe I should go for a walk? A walk would be good. A run. A run is better,” she mused out loud.

Were Andrea not so obviously distressed, Sharon might be tempted to laugh at the irony of the situation. But, her partner was quite visibly distraught.

“So, what you are saying is that now you have too much energy and you don’t know what to do with it?” Sharon clarified.

“Yes,” Andrea said pathetically.

Sharon licked her lips and sat up a little straighter. “And you would like to burn off some of this energy?”

“Yes,” Andrea repeated, impatiently this time.

“We have a condo, completely to ourselves until Rusty comes home from his shift in a few hours, and the way that you want to expend this energy is by running?” Sharon said slowly and pointedly.

“Wha – oh.” Realization dawned on Andrea as she stared at Sharon with wide eyes.

“So,” Sharon continued patiently, “keeping all of that in mind, how would you like to take care of this little problem Counselor?” she asked sweetly.

Andrea swooped in and in one surprisingly fluid motion, gathered Sharon in her arms and hoisted her up. “Have I ever mentioned that I love the way your mind works?” she asked her pleasantly surprised partner.

Sharon let out a breathless chuckle. “Indeed you have Counselor, indeed you have.” She tightened her grip around Andrea’s shoulders and nuzzled her neck. “Though I am starting to suspect that you planned this deliberately.”

“That, unfortunately, I cannot take credit for,” Andrea assured her regretfully.

***

Later, as they lay together in a tangled, sated, blissful heap of sweaty limbs, Sharon watched as Andrea slept peacefully. The creases in her forehead seemed much shallower and there was a glow in her face that had been missing for the last while. Sharon tossed her mass of tangled hair over her bare shoulder and flung a leg over Andrea’s hips. She ran her fingers over Andrea’s sweaty abdomen and watched as goose bumps broke out across the flushed skin.

When Andrea eventually wakes up, Sharon will tease her about not being able to find a happy medium when it came to her energy levels. But for right now, Sharon was perfectly content to watch over her as she slumbered.

"Virtue" - Hobbs/Raydor Fic

defyingnormalcy — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 12:57:25 GMT

Title: Virtue
Pairing: Andrea Hobbs/Sharon Raydor
Rating: T
Word Count: 1, 390 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show.
Summary: "She was an enigma to Andrea, a paradox personified, a riddle with no clear-cut answer."

On ff.net: Virtue

It was small things that drove Andrea crazy.

Tiny habits, seemingly inconsequential routines, barely-there quirks. The big things, she could handle; monumental personality disorders, awful housekeeping, lackluster attempts at romance, she could handle any and all of that. Big things were impossible to ignore therefore they gave her the excuse she needed to cut her losses and leave.

It’s just not working out.

We’re just too different.

I think the problem is just that we want very different things.

It would be selfish for us to keep making each other miserable.

Big things were easy. Fixable. Get out and move on. Never look back. Put yourself out of your own misery. Do it before she has the chance to do it herself.

Small things weren’t so easy to deal with. They lacked the substance that the big things provided; they lacked the excuses that Andrea needed.

It wasn’t that Andrea wanted to be perpetually single; she actually loved coming home to someone at the end of the day. She loved the sense of security that she felt while relaxing in a lover’s arms, she loved the intimacy of sharing a bed, a couch, a shower. In fact, she loved almost everything about cohabiting with a partner. No, it wasn’t that she wanted to be single at all; it was that she feared how devastating it would be to find herself alone unexpectedly.

She liked the big things. They gave her the warning that she needed to pack up her heart and brace herself for the all-consuming loneliness that came after the inevitable flood. She loved the big things. They were obvious and predictable.

The little things were too subtle, too infrequent; they snuck up on her and took the air out of her lungs, pulled the rug from beneath her feet, and left her in a state so vulnerable and so ill-prepared that she found herself scrambling just to stay afloat.

Sharon Raydor didn’t do big things. She didn’t do obvious or predictable. She was all about the little things; nuances that were neither good nor bad, subtleties that left Andrea feeling confused yet intrigued at the same time. She was an enigma to Andrea, a paradox personified, a riddle with no clear-cut answer.

Above all else, she left Andrea wanting more, always more.

Andrea methodically bumped her head against the pantry shelf once, twice, three times.

“Christ,” she murmured.

Sharon had rearranged her kitchen. Again. Again.

Behind her, Andrea could hear the distinct sound of Sharon’s feet shuffling adorably across her kitchen floor.

“You mustn’t have had your coffee yet this morning,” the words were giggled against Andrea’s shoulder, “You look impossibly grumpy.” Kisses were applied to the back of her neck.

(An intelligent and well-deployed disarming mechanism, Sharon’s kisses were.)

“I would have been half-way through my morning coffee had someone not rearranged all my glasses and mugs. Again,” Andrea said, not even bothering to hide her annoyance.

Sharon’s hands caressed Andrea’s t-shirt clad hips. “Well, if someone hadn’t left all her dirty glasses in the sink, I wouldn’t have had to rearrange your glasses. But I was determined to cook a nice meal for us last night, and thus I needed the sink. Therefore, the glasses were washed and put away. You’re welcome,” Sharon replied sweetly, “I’m sure that you’ll find everything like you normally do.” She followed her light reprimand with another kiss to the back of Andrea’s neck.

Andrea sighed and leaned back, placing her hands overtop of Sharon’s.

Last night Sharon had surprised Andrea by letting herself in with her spare key for the first time since Andrea had gifted it to her. She’d been in the kitchen cooking for almost an hour by the time Andrea that had finally arrived home.

“What’s this?” Andrea asked, surveying the elaborate spread across her dinning room table. She kicked her heels off and groaned as her sore feet sunk into the cool marble tile. Thank goodness it was the weekend; this week had been a special delivery from the depths of hell itself.

“It’s good to see you too,” Sharon said teasingly. She was still dressed in her pencil skirt and blouse, though she’d replaced her heels for a pair of slippers and had shed her blazer in favour of a cooking apron.

Andrea pulled Sharon away from the stovetop to sweep her hair aside and kiss along the length of her jaw. “You didn’t have to go through any trouble. I would have been elated just to find you here just sitting on my couch eating takeout.”

Sharon hummed as Andrea’s lips found that spot just behind her ear. “Where’s the romance in that?” she scoffed.

“Did I mention that I’m kind of a jerk in the morning?” Andrea asked, having the good grace to sound slightly ashamed. She bit the inside of her lip and tried to squelch the panic that was slowly starting to rise in her belly; would this lead to a big thing? Would she and Sharon fight now? She tensed in Sharon’s arms, bracing herself for impact. Anticipating a more stern reprimand, an insult, a look of disgust.

But Sharon did none of those things. Instead, she lightly scraped her teeth across Andrea’s shoulder and chuckled. “Did I mention that I still love you, despite your less than charming mood first thing in the morning?” she asked.

The tips of Andrea’s fingers tingled; slowly, the panic began to subside, disappearing back into the abyss from which it came. She sighed. She would try again. Differently this time.

“I love you too. And I really appreciated dinner last night. But please wait until after 10am to rearrange my belongings. Let me wake up a bit before you play hide-the-coffee-mug on me, okay? Especially on a Saturday morning.”

“Yes love,” Sharon said. She reached in front of Andrea and produced the missing mug, which, apparently, was resting only two shelves above where Andrea normally placed it.

Andrea felt a kiss being pressed to the side of her head.

“Wake up. Then come back to bed. I want you coherent and full of energy,” Sharon said as she sauntered off.

Andrea blinked her eyes once then twice; then she even rubbed them for good measure. It was only then that she noticed what Sharon had been wearing; absolutely nothing.

As Sharon turned the corner towards Andrea’s bedroom, she caught Andrea’s dazed look and laughed. “Oh dear, I really shouldn’t have moved that mug, huh? You look lost and confused without your caffeine hit.” She crossed her arms over her breasts. “Do you require my assistance?” she asked, her voice a sweet melody of mischief and affection.

“I might,” Andrea said.

Sharon grinned and walked over to her.

(More like she strut over to her. While completely naked. And practically radiating confidence. Another perfectly deployed disarming strategy.)

Sharon plucked the mug from Andrea’s hands and wedged herself between Andrea and the counter. She turned the Tassimo on and selected a particularly strong coffee for Andrea to load into the tiny machine.

Andrea wrapped her arms around Sharon’s torso and inhaled the scent of her shampoo.

“You’re naked,” Andrea stated unnecessarily.

Sharon snickered. She could hear the delight in Andrea’s voice. “Yes, I am. You made sure that I went to bed that way,” she replied evenly.

“I like you naked,” Andrea stated. Again, unnecessarily.

Sharon turned around in Andrea’s arms, holding the piping hot mug of coffee in her hands. “I am aware of that Counselor. Here, drink this then come and find me. I’m going to catch up on some reading while you wake up.” She pecked Andrea on the lips and thrust the mug back into Andrea’s hands before making her way back to Andrea’s bedroom once again.

Andrea inhaled the aroma emitting from her mug; it smelled like heaven. She took a healthy sip of the delicious beverage, pausing to enjoy the way that the liquid seemed to warm her entire being. Within a few minutes, she was draining the mug and turning around to pile it in the sink – she paused – then reached for the washcloth and soap. She washed the mug thoroughly then replaced it on the shelf.

Maybe the small things weren’t so bad after all, she thought to herself as she followed her heart back to bed.

Icons: Sharon Raydor, Andrea Hobbs, Hobbs/Raydor

defyingnormalcy — Mon, 31 Mar 2014 20:19:35 GMT

Icons for all to use and share! Please credit if using.

All screencaps are from redrockcan and MajorCrimesTV.net (used with permission).

1. 2. 3.

4. 5. 6. 7.

"Deal" - Raydor and Rusty Fic

defyingnormalcy — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 00:32:19 GMT

Title: Deal
Characters: Raydor and Rusty
Rating: T
Word Count: 1, 060 words
Disclaimer: Not my characters or television show.
Summary: Sharon makes yet another deal with Rusty. Harmless domestic fun.
A/N: Written for the lovely and awesome newnumbertwo's birthday. Happy birthday!

On ff.net: Deal

Sharon settled into her place on the sofa with a cup of hot, freshly brewed, chai tea. Next to her, on the single sofa Rusty was typing away on his laptop and frowning ever so often. Sitting together in front of the television after dinner had become a tradition of sorts for them lately; Sharon loved it.

“Lot of homework tonight?” she asked after a few minutes.

“Oh, um, not really,” Rusty responded without looking up from his screen.

Sharon regarded him with a curious tilt of her head.

A few more minutes went by before Rusty looked up from his screen, huffing. “What’s like a good word for dedicated, but that isn’t dedicated? I’ve already used that once.”

“In what context are you using the word?” Sharon asked.

“Like, dedicated to the task at hand?”

“How about focused?” Sharon suggested.

“Yeah. Yeah that’s good. Perfect. Thanks Sharon.”

Sharon took a sip of her tea and watched him amusedly for a while. “Are you going to tell me what you’re up to?” she teased.

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Sure. I’m writing a resume. There’s not much on there now, I mean, there’s not much that I can put on there in terms of legal work. But Lt. Provenza said that he’d be my reference. He said that we could use my stint with your division and reword it as ‘volunteer work’ with the LAPD,” he explained.

Sharon tilted her head sadly then smiled at him. “That’s excellent that you’re working on a resume. Would you like me to proof read it?” she offered. She’d have to remind herself to thank Lt. Provenza tomorrow for offering to be a reference for Rusty.

“That would be great, thanks,” he said enthusiastically as he handed her the computer.

She placed her cup down on the coffee table and took the laptop from Rusty.

“Very impressive,” she complimented.

Rusty grinned. “Thanks. I downloaded a template online and just sort of used that as my guide.”

“Are you looking for a part time job?” she asked as she handed the laptop back to him.

“Yeah. Well, I mean I’d like something more fulltime for the summer. But also I’d like something with flexible hours for when I go back to school in September. So I was thinking that like a store in the mall might be good.” Rusty closed the lid of his laptop and put it on the coffee table so he could give Sharon his full attention.

“May I ask what inspired this interest in finding a job?”

“I was thinking about what you said about college last year. I know that I said that people like me don’t go to college. But, the truth is, I really do want to go to college. And I know that it’s not likely that I could get into some fancy school, but maybe I could get a general degree or something?” he explained.

“Oh honey, I have no doubt that you could get into absolutely any program if you put your mind to it,” Sharon said, “But, I don’t want you to worry about getting a job to pay for college.” At Rusty’s frown she elaborated, “I put both of my children through their degrees and I will do the same for you.”

“No, Sharon, that’s not fai-“

“It’s perfectly fair, actually. What I do for one child, I do for the other. And, the other.”

Rusty sighed. “Okay, look, I appreciate everything that you’ve done for me. But you’ve already done a lot Sharon, too much almost. I need to do this, for myself.”

Sharon scooted over on the sofa to sit closer to Rusty. “Rusty, remember how we had a discussion a while back about how certain things would forever be non-negotiable between us? This would be one of those topics.”

“Yeah, but Sharon, I can’t ask you to do that for me,” he insisted.

“And you don’t have to. I am telling you that should you decide to go to college, and that is a decision that I will very much insist on you making, I will take care of the costs.”

“But-“

“Ah. No buts. I’m sorry Rusty, but like I said-“

“No arguments. Right,” Rusty said, smirking. “Just out of curiosity, do I ever get to win an argument with you? Like, ever?”

Sharon grinned in response.

“Okay, let me rephrase that, have you ever even let your own kids ever win an argument with you?”

Sharon chuckled. “You can certainly ask them the next time that they come by.”

“Right,” Rusty said, “No beating Captain Raydor and her rules?”

Sharon winked at him. “You better believe it.”

Rusty regarded her for a moment before abruptly relocating next to her on the larger sofa and embracing her. Sharon welcomed his embrace, and kissed the side of his head.

“Thank you,” he mumbled into her shoulder.

“Oh honey, you don’t have to thank me. I told you, what I do for one child, I do for the others.” As they separated Sharon smoothed down Rusty’s hair.

“I’m really lucky to have you Sharon,” he mumbled.

Sharon kissed his forehead. “I’m just as lucky to have you, “ she said. “You are, without a doubt, the best thing to come into my life in a long time.”

“You must have had a really boring life,” he deadpanned.

Sharon poked his arm. “Hey now,” she warned.

“Alright, alright, I’m sure the operas and museums before my emergency care situation were so interesting,” he said with his hands up in mock-surrender.

“A little bit of culture goes a long way. One day I will convince you to come with me to an opera and you won’t regret it,” she promised. She crossed her arms and glared at him half-heartedly over the top of her lenses.

“Yeah, okay. And one day I’ll convince you to play a video game with me,” he snickered.

“Well, perhaps one day we can convince one another?” she proposed. “Though good luck, because Ricky is twenty-four and he’s yet to succeed with that.”

Rusty scoffed and rolled his eyes. “I’m disappointed in you Captain. No taste or appreciation for the finer things in life,” he muttered as he opened his laptop again.

Sharon picked up her teacup once again and smirked. “I’m sure,” she murmured, giggling as she said so.

Super Fandom Challenge: Motivational Posters

defyingnormalcy — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 17:38:34 GMT

A few Hobbs/Raydor posters for The Major Crimes Super Fandom Challenge at majorcrimes.

Super Fandom Challenge: Icons

defyingnormalcy — Sat, 22 Feb 2014 17:06:52 GMT

These were made for the graphic requirement (a set of a minimum of 5 icons) for The Major Crimes Super Fandom Challenge at majorcrimes.

Please free to use anything, with credit. All screencaps for the icons were either generously donated by MajorCrimesTV.net or are my own.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Rusty Beck Fanmix: Super Fandom Challenge Entry

defyingnormalcy — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 19:12:32 GMT

Rusty Beck Fanmix

Put together for The Major Crimes Super Fandom Challenge at majorcrimes

1. Rebellion (Lies) - The Arcade Fire

Sleeping is giving in, no matter what the time is. sleeping is giving
in, so lift those heavy eyelids.

People say that you'll die faster than without water. but we know it's
just a lie, scare your son and scare your daughter.

People say that your dreams are the only things that save ya.
come on baby in our dreams, we can live our misbehaviour.

Everytime you close your eyes lies, lies!

2. Stay Together For The Kids – Blink 182

I'm ripe with things to say . The words rot and fall away . What stupid poem.  Could fix this home.  I'd read it every day.

So here's your holiday.  Hope you enjoy it this time, you gave it all away It was mine, so when you're dead and gone . Will you remember this night, twenty years now lost . It's not right.

Their anger hurts my ears.  Been runnin' strong for seven years.  Rather then fix the problems.  They never solve them.  It makes no sense at all.

3. Boys Don’t Cry – The Cure

I try to laugh about it 
Cover it all up with lies
 I try and laugh about it 
Hiding the tears in my eyes '
Cause boys don't cry 
Boys don't cry
I would break down at your feet 
And beg forgiveness 
Plead with you 
But I know that it's too late 
And now there's nothing I can do

4. Save Your Scissors – Dallas Green

So why does it always seem
That every time I turn around
Somebody falls in love with me
This has never been my sole intention
And I have never claimed
to have patents on such inventions

Just save your scissors
For someone else's skin
My surface is so tough
I don't think the blade will dig in
Save your strength
Save your wasted time
There's no way that I want you to be left behind
Go on save your scissors
Save your scissors

5. Shake It Out – Florence + The Machine

Regrets collect like old friends 
Here to relive your darkest moments I can see no way, I can see no way 
And all of the ghouls come out to play 
And every demon wants his pound of flesh 
But I like to keep some things to myself 
I like to keep my issues drawn 
It's always darkest before the dawn
And I've been a fool and I've been blind
 I can never leave the past behind I can see no way, I can see no way 
I'm always dragging that horse around All of his questions, such a mournful sound
 Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground
 Cause I like to keep my issues drawn It's always darkest before the dawn

6. Best of You – Foo Fighters

Are you gone and onto someone new?
I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn't have
But had no use
I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again
But I break loose
My head is giving me life or death
But I can't choose
I swear I'll never give in
I refuse

7. Wicked Little Town – Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Oh lady, luck has led you here 
And they're so twisted up 
They'll twist you up, I fear
The pious, hateful and devout 
You're turning tricks 'til you're turned out 
The wind so cold, it burns, you're burning out and blowing round
And if you've got no other choice 
You know you can follow my voice 
Through the dark turns and noise of this wicked little town
The fates are vicious and they're cruel 
You learn too late you've used two wishes
 Like a fool

8. All These Things That I’ve Done- The Killers

Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no

Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out

And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

9. Help, I’m Alive – Metric

If you're still alive my regrets are few  my life is mine what shouldn't I do? 
I get wherever I'm going, I get whatever I need 
While my blood's still flowing and my heart's still 
Beating like a hammer, beating like a hammer
Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer 
Hard to be soft, tough to be tender 
Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train

10. Little Lion Man – Mumford and Sons

Tremble for yourself, my man,
You know that you have seen this all before
Tremble Little Lion Man,
You'll never settle any of your scores
Your grace is wasted in your face,
Your boldness stands alone among the wreck
Now learn from your mother or else spend your days
Biting your own neck

But it was not your fault but mine
And it was your heart on the line
I really fucked it up this time
Didn't I, my dear?

11. Sad Song – Oasis

Sing a sad song
In a lonely place
Try to put a word in for me
It's been so long
Since I found this place
You better put in two or three
We as people, are just walking 'round
Our heads are firmly fixed in the ground
What we don't see
Well it can't be real
What we don't touch we cannot feel

Andrea Hobbs Picspam: Super Fandom Challenge Entry

defyingnormalcy — Mon, 17 Feb 2014 18:13:01 GMT

My picspam entry for The Major Crimes Super Fandom Challenge at majorcrimes.

Photo collages are bellow the cut:

Adama/Roslin Fanmix - A Grand Romance

defyingnormalcy — Fri, 14 Feb 2014 05:12:29 GMT

Happy Valentine's Day to astreamofstars, my adama_roslin Valentine! One of her requests was for a mini fanmix; she also requested fanart. Your gifts are behind the cut.

(Please let me know if there are any issues downloading the songs.)

Adama/Roslin - A Grand Romance

(link to playlist: HERE)

And, a little bonus collage that didn't quite fit with the back cover I made but it's yours to enjoy regardless.