Laws of Attraction - Chapter Forty-Two: Happy Family [Part Three]
Title: Laws of Attraction
Author: Major Roon
Fandom: The Closer
Pairing: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: NC-17/M
Brenda locked her car, balancing two bags containing Chinese take out.
She was only a bit late - half an hour was nothing in the Brenda Leigh Johnson universe, it was practically on time, and Fritz had to have expected it.
The blonde felt a smile tug at her lips as she walked up the driveway and to the backdoor; she had missed Fritz, she had missed their evenings together, watching TV, sharing a meal - even though she was always late - and seeing him at work.
Before she opened the door, Brenda stilled for a moment, feeling a darkness envelope her heart, guilt heavy in the pit of her stomach.
She clenched her jaw and swallowed heavily.
This had to stop.
It was as clear as day.
But just like with many a things, Brenda didn’t know quite how.
That thing, with Raydor, she was in too deep. It was supposed to be an affair...
The blonde shook her head and entered, feeling the warmth of the house, their home, chase away the darkness.
“Hi, Fritzy!”
“Hey...” She heard from somewhere in the house. “I’m just unpacking my stuff,” there was a smile in his voice. “I have to do some laundry...looks like you haven’t done any lately.”
Brenda deposited the brown paper bags on the table and dropped her purse on a chair. “I was just so busy...”
“I heard.” He was in the bedroom. “The ATF’s all over it.”
“I have no idea why,” Brenda commented from the doorway, watching him fold clean clothes away. “It’s not like we’re talkin’ about a big firearms smuggling ring or somethin’.”
“Yeah,” Fritz said absentmindedly. “Maybe they just wanna make things clear with Delk.” He smiled and crossed the room. “Hello, you.” He took her in his arms and held her for much longer than he usually would, Brenda noted, but she hugged back, reveling in his presence.
“I’m sorry the house is such a mess. I really meant to do my clothes--”
“And the dishes.”
“And the dishes,” Brenda nodded, “But it was just so busy at work...and then that silly incident with Captain Raydor.” She had to mention it, not to be cruel but to find out what he knew.
She also didn’t want to seem like she was hiding something.
“What about Raydor?” He asked stiffly.
“Oh, well,” Brenda stepped out of his embrace and made her way down the hall towards the kitchen, his footsteps right behind her. “Some officer she investigated has been sort of stalkin’ her and then he showed up at her house, threatenin’ her--”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Fritz said, feigning sympathy, yet sounding like he wasn’t remotely interested either.
Brenda sighed inwardly, dismayed at the lack of change, at having yet another one of ‘those’ conversations. “Provenza took care of it mostly...” She trailed off and opened the bags instead. “I’ve got spring rolls.”
Fritz smiled at that and investigated himself. “Happy Family?” He asked, surprised.
“Yes,” Brenda said nonchalantly, getting two plates out.
“I thought you had enough of it?”
“Well,” she sat and broke the chopsticks apart. “I missed it.”
“Ah,” he remained standing. “Can we talk?”
Brenda licked her bottom lip, trying to keep it from wobbling. “Can we eat? I have a feeling I’m gonna lose my appetite after whatever you have to say to me...”
Fritz sighed loudly, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. “My sister wants to get together for New Year’s but we’ve got your parents in town, so I said I was going to go see her by myself.”
“Oh,” Brenda piled food onto her plate. “How convenient.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The blonde looked up at him, tilting her head to the side. “If you wanna get away from me, just say so.”
“That’s not it.” He finally sat. “I’m just not ready yet.”
“I see.” Brenda stared at her plate. “When will you be ready? ‘Cause this is no way to be...”
Fritz shook his head, rubbing his face tiredly. “It’s just a few days.”
“And you think a few days with your sister will help you forgive me?” The blonde swallowed convulsively, almost throwing down the chopsticks.
“To me it just seems like you don’t even want to be forgiven. I mean, you present me with, with this and expect me to just move on? Deal with it?”
“What else was I supposed to do?”
“Not kiss her?”
“Well, I did,” Brenda pushed her chair back, feeling sick to her stomach. What had she done? “And I’m sorry,” she rounded the table and stood in front of him for a moment. She looked into his eyes, paralyzed, then, suddenly, she dropped into his arms.
“I love you more than anything,” she sobbed. “And I’m sorry I’m ruinin’ everythin’!”
“Shhh, shhh...” Fritz rubbed her back. “You’re not ruining everything.”
“I am! I am!”
“No, listen,” he pushed her back a little to look her in the eye. “You’re not. I just need some time. And I know,” he said before she could speak, “I know it took me a long time but I...I just never expected it. Part of me wishes it had been Pope...or some other guy.”
“What do you mean, some other guy?” Brenda wiped at her tears. “You don’t have to worry. It don’t mean anything--”
“Whatever she’s got, I can’t compete with that,” he interrupted. “I can’t compete with a woman, Brenda, and you’ve never told me...why? I mean...why?”
The blonde sniveled, trying to regain her composure, and pulled a chair closer, sitting slowly. “What difference will that make?”
“I just need to know.”
Brenda sucked her lower lip in and lowered her eyes. “I wanted it.”
“You wanted it?”
“I did.” The blonde looked up. “I was curious,” she decided to say, hoping that would satisfy him. “I’ve never...I’ve never...”
“You’ve never kissed a woman before?”
Brenda nodded. “It was silly...”
“Silly?” Fritz didn’t sound too happy with that.
“I,” she sighed, “She wanted it and I was selfish.”
He bit his lip and reached for his hands, squeezing them. “Did you like it? And tell me the truth, okay?”
Brenda tried to think but knew she couldn’t lie, that he would know if she did. “Yes.”
He had known that but hadn’t expected her to admit it. Fritz stared at her for what seemed like the longest time then gave her a short nod. “Okay.”
Okay? Brenda swallowed.
“What do you wanna do about it?”
“...do about what?” She asked, confused.
“About you, and women.”
The blonde’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. “There is no me and women.”
“I just don’t want this to be a continuous issue.”
“It won’t be.”
Fritz studied her face intently. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Okay...okay. Great.”
Brenda licked her lip. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
The blonde lifted an eyebrow.
“Let’s eat...” Fritz gave her a smile. “Happy Family.”
***
Author: Major Roon
Fandom: The Closer
Pairing: Brenda/Sharon
Rating: NC-17/M
Brenda locked her car, balancing two bags containing Chinese take out.
She was only a bit late - half an hour was nothing in the Brenda Leigh Johnson universe, it was practically on time, and Fritz had to have expected it.
The blonde felt a smile tug at her lips as she walked up the driveway and to the backdoor; she had missed Fritz, she had missed their evenings together, watching TV, sharing a meal - even though she was always late - and seeing him at work.
Before she opened the door, Brenda stilled for a moment, feeling a darkness envelope her heart, guilt heavy in the pit of her stomach.
She clenched her jaw and swallowed heavily.
This had to stop.
It was as clear as day.
But just like with many a things, Brenda didn’t know quite how.
That thing, with Raydor, she was in too deep. It was supposed to be an affair...
The blonde shook her head and entered, feeling the warmth of the house, their home, chase away the darkness.
“Hi, Fritzy!”
“Hey...” She heard from somewhere in the house. “I’m just unpacking my stuff,” there was a smile in his voice. “I have to do some laundry...looks like you haven’t done any lately.”
Brenda deposited the brown paper bags on the table and dropped her purse on a chair. “I was just so busy...”
“I heard.” He was in the bedroom. “The ATF’s all over it.”
“I have no idea why,” Brenda commented from the doorway, watching him fold clean clothes away. “It’s not like we’re talkin’ about a big firearms smuggling ring or somethin’.”
“Yeah,” Fritz said absentmindedly. “Maybe they just wanna make things clear with Delk.” He smiled and crossed the room. “Hello, you.” He took her in his arms and held her for much longer than he usually would, Brenda noted, but she hugged back, reveling in his presence.
“I’m sorry the house is such a mess. I really meant to do my clothes--”
“And the dishes.”
“And the dishes,” Brenda nodded, “But it was just so busy at work...and then that silly incident with Captain Raydor.” She had to mention it, not to be cruel but to find out what he knew.
She also didn’t want to seem like she was hiding something.
“What about Raydor?” He asked stiffly.
“Oh, well,” Brenda stepped out of his embrace and made her way down the hall towards the kitchen, his footsteps right behind her. “Some officer she investigated has been sort of stalkin’ her and then he showed up at her house, threatenin’ her--”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Fritz said, feigning sympathy, yet sounding like he wasn’t remotely interested either.
Brenda sighed inwardly, dismayed at the lack of change, at having yet another one of ‘those’ conversations. “Provenza took care of it mostly...” She trailed off and opened the bags instead. “I’ve got spring rolls.”
Fritz smiled at that and investigated himself. “Happy Family?” He asked, surprised.
“Yes,” Brenda said nonchalantly, getting two plates out.
“I thought you had enough of it?”
“Well,” she sat and broke the chopsticks apart. “I missed it.”
“Ah,” he remained standing. “Can we talk?”
Brenda licked her bottom lip, trying to keep it from wobbling. “Can we eat? I have a feeling I’m gonna lose my appetite after whatever you have to say to me...”
Fritz sighed loudly, his eyebrows drawn together in a frown. “My sister wants to get together for New Year’s but we’ve got your parents in town, so I said I was going to go see her by myself.”
“Oh,” Brenda piled food onto her plate. “How convenient.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The blonde looked up at him, tilting her head to the side. “If you wanna get away from me, just say so.”
“That’s not it.” He finally sat. “I’m just not ready yet.”
“I see.” Brenda stared at her plate. “When will you be ready? ‘Cause this is no way to be...”
Fritz shook his head, rubbing his face tiredly. “It’s just a few days.”
“And you think a few days with your sister will help you forgive me?” The blonde swallowed convulsively, almost throwing down the chopsticks.
“To me it just seems like you don’t even want to be forgiven. I mean, you present me with, with this and expect me to just move on? Deal with it?”
“What else was I supposed to do?”
“Not kiss her?”
“Well, I did,” Brenda pushed her chair back, feeling sick to her stomach. What had she done? “And I’m sorry,” she rounded the table and stood in front of him for a moment. She looked into his eyes, paralyzed, then, suddenly, she dropped into his arms.
“I love you more than anything,” she sobbed. “And I’m sorry I’m ruinin’ everythin’!”
“Shhh, shhh...” Fritz rubbed her back. “You’re not ruining everything.”
“I am! I am!”
“No, listen,” he pushed her back a little to look her in the eye. “You’re not. I just need some time. And I know,” he said before she could speak, “I know it took me a long time but I...I just never expected it. Part of me wishes it had been Pope...or some other guy.”
“What do you mean, some other guy?” Brenda wiped at her tears. “You don’t have to worry. It don’t mean anything--”
“Whatever she’s got, I can’t compete with that,” he interrupted. “I can’t compete with a woman, Brenda, and you’ve never told me...why? I mean...why?”
The blonde sniveled, trying to regain her composure, and pulled a chair closer, sitting slowly. “What difference will that make?”
“I just need to know.”
Brenda sucked her lower lip in and lowered her eyes. “I wanted it.”
“You wanted it?”
“I did.” The blonde looked up. “I was curious,” she decided to say, hoping that would satisfy him. “I’ve never...I’ve never...”
“You’ve never kissed a woman before?”
Brenda nodded. “It was silly...”
“Silly?” Fritz didn’t sound too happy with that.
“I,” she sighed, “She wanted it and I was selfish.”
He bit his lip and reached for his hands, squeezing them. “Did you like it? And tell me the truth, okay?”
Brenda tried to think but knew she couldn’t lie, that he would know if she did. “Yes.”
He had known that but hadn’t expected her to admit it. Fritz stared at her for what seemed like the longest time then gave her a short nod. “Okay.”
Okay? Brenda swallowed.
“What do you wanna do about it?”
“...do about what?” She asked, confused.
“About you, and women.”
The blonde’s eyes widened and her jaw went slack. “There is no me and women.”
“I just don’t want this to be a continuous issue.”
“It won’t be.”
Fritz studied her face intently. “Are you sure?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Okay...okay. Great.”
Brenda licked her lip. “Just like that?”
“Just like that.”
The blonde lifted an eyebrow.
“Let’s eat...” Fritz gave her a smile. “Happy Family.”
***