Fic: Friend Like Me
Title: Friend Like Me
Pairing: Sharon Raydor/Andrea Hobbs, if you squint. It's more a friendship
Fandom: Major Crimes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,367
Summary: Sharon and Andrea have a drink after work.
Written for: The Wishlist Exchange at majorcrimes for defyingnormalcy who wanted a fic where Andrea becomes a regular member of the team and Sharon and Andrea become good friends. I gave it my best shot.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
The bar was full and the sounds of people talking and drinking filled the air. Sharon looked around, tapped her nails on the smooth surface of the bar and smiled a little. It had been far too long since she had just gone out, had a drink with someone and just enjoyed herself, even she felt a little out of place wearing suit in a bar. She was pulled out of her reverie when the bartender places two glasses in front of her.
“There you go,” he said with a winning smile. Sharon returned it with an ease she hadn’t had in a long time. After spending most of her career being utterly despised, and even now, when the Major Crimes squad did actually like her, the rest of the police department was still weary of her, it was always nice to have someone just smile at her without it coming off as completely fake.
“Thank you. How much do I owe you?” she asked, fingering the twenty in her pocket. The bartender leaned forward, his smile turned into a grin that was bordering on seductive. Sharon raised a single eyebrow. That was new.
“They’re on the house. Enjoy.” Sharon couldn’t barely hide her surprise. The last time she had gotten free drinks without even trying had been decades ago. It felt nice to have it happen again albeit slightly strange. The bartender could easily be her son. Self-consciously she ran her hand through her hair before she picked up the glasses.
“Oh, well, thank you very much,” she said and nodded at him before turning away from the bar and making her way towards the booth that Andrea had secured for the two of them. A twenty-something year old man nearly bumped into her, causing her to almost spill the drinks, but it all went just right and after he had apologized profusely, Sharon finally sank down next to Andrea and passed the blonde DDA her cosmopolitan.
The blond DDA had gotten rid of her blazer and had draped it over the back over her seat. She had made herself comfortable. Sharon followed suit, unbuttoned her blazer and shrugged out of it. She probably still looked utterly misplaced in the bar with a pencil skirt and a silk blouse, but at least she looked less like she was there to monitor everybody.
“He was flirting with you. The bartender,” Andrea said with an amused grin. Sharon felt her jaw drop and glanced at the young man who was now pouring a glass of wine. A smile and free drink didn’t immediately equal flirting, did it? It had been far too long since she had been actively dating. She probably wasn’t even able to read the obvious signs of flirting anymore.
“He was not,” she protested and took a large sip of her scotch, relishing in the way it burned down its way down her throat. It was a ridiculous notion that bartender who was definitely half her age was flirting with her. He was handsome, attractive. What could he possibly want in a woman who could be his mother?
“He was. He absolutely was,” Andrea said, her voice not hiding her mirth. Sharon shot her a glare which didn’t have its desired effect. If only it caused Andrea’s grin to widen. The blonde had never been very susceptible to her glares in the first place. A change of venue probably wasn’t going to change that.
“He’s half my age,” Sharon stated sourly, eyeing the blond man. The moment he looked at her, she averted her gaze. She wasn’t interested in him in the slightest. He was too young for her taste, far too young, and she wasn’t particularly interesting in dating someone a lot younger than herself. She wasn’t Provenza or Flynn. Although those two would probably never stop laughing if she did go out with someone younger than herself.
“Are you kidding? He’s like thirty.”
“And I’m fifty-eight. That makes him half my age.” Andrea gaped at her for a moment, her eyes wide. Now it was Sharon’s turn to smirk. It was good to know that she wasn’t showing her age yet. Much to Andrea’s credit, she recovered quickly and shrugged, trying to appear innocent as she sipped her drink.
“Well, there is nothing wrong with a young lover. What they lack in experience, they make up for in stamina,” Andrea said and waggled her eyebrows. Sharon rolled her eyes and let out a silent ‘oh my God’. Andrea loved to tease, she had learned that after working with the DDA for a few years, but the blond really was incorrigible at times. She was just really glad no one from her squad was around.
“Did two sips of a cosmopolitan make you drunk? Or are you just really desperate to see me with a young man who is probably my son’s age?” Sharon retorted dryly. She had never been drawn to younger men, not like that. It made her feel uncomfortable. Thirty years was a lot. She internally chastised herself for even thinking about herself in a more than platonic situation with a man half her age.
“I’m just very chipper today. Can you blame me?” Sharon stopped thinking about the man behind the bar and focused on the blonde who was looking very pleased with herself. Sharon took in the self-satisfied smile playing on Andrea’s full lips. The woman had a right to be happy and proud of herself.
“No, I can’t. Which reminds me, congratulations on being assigned to Major Crimes permanently. I’m glad it was you.” She truly was glad that it was Andrea. She worked well enough with the other DDA’s, but there had always been a mutual respect between Andrea and herself. The blonde understood how Sharon thought and she was willing to go along with her plans which most of the DDA’s that she had come across weren’t ready to do.
“Thank you. Here’s to a very fruitful work relationship. And to me no longer having to deal with that ass from Robbery/Homicide. You’re much more pleasant,” Andrea said and raised her glass to Sharon. Sharon did the same in return and softly clinked her glass against Andrea’s before she leaned back in her seat.
“Only because I like the rules,” Sharon commented dryly.
“In the beginning, yes, that was why I liked working with you, but I appreciate the way you think as well and you actually listen when I say something. But you’re changing the subject. What’s wrong with the bartender?” Andrea leaned as if they shared some secret. Sharon resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and just sighed.
“Aside from his age? I don’t have the time or energy to venture back into the dating world.” And if she were honest with herself, she didn’t really want to either. She missed the companionship, being intimate with someone, waking up with someone beside her, but she didn’t miss having to put herself out there, making herself vulnerable, only to be disappointed. She didn’t particularly like the single life, but she didn’t mind it all that much either.
“Who said anything about dating?”
“Andrea Hobbs, I am not discussing my sex-life with you. Or complete lack thereof,” Sharon muttered as an after-thought. She liked Andrea, she really did. If they could spend more time together outside of work, she was sure they could be friends, but she wasn’t ready to bring up her sex-life or what it had looked like when it was still existing. She wouldn’t call the very good relationship she had with her vibrator a sex-life.
“Oh come on. It can’t be that bad,” Andrea said with a frown, obviously having seen the rather sour expression on Sharon’s face.
“You try taking in a teenager in need of some serious attention while balancing a dating life. It’s impossible. Besides, I wouldn’t do that to Rusty. He’s had enough trouble with his mother’s boyfriends, I don’t want him to feel the same insecurity with me as well.” She would never neglect Rusty like that, she would never put a partner before him, but despite their mutual respect, trust and love, Sharon knew that Rusty wouldn’t be very appreciative of it. He wasn’t ready that. And that was fine. She wasn’t going to force it.
“You have a point there. But he’s been with you a year now. You don’t strike me as the type to lead a hermit’s life. Maybe you should get back to it,” Andrea suggested and this time there was nothing teasing about her tone. Sharon smiled, but shook her head. The boy was only just getting his life back on tracks and she didn’t want to do anything that might disrupt that process. Especially since he was doing so well.
His grades were good, most of his teachers liked him, he made it onto the chess team and after the initial bumps in the road, Rusty was starting to make friends which was where he was tonight, at a birthday party of one the members of his chess team though Rusty refused to call it that. He said that it would just a few boys playing video games all night long.
“And who do you suggest I date? My life is currently very much restrained to Major Crimes, Rusty and the few times we’ve gone out for drinks. I haven’t even had the time to catch up with Gavin in ages. The chances of me finding someone suitable to date are less than zero and with a foster child in my life they’re even worse. Besides at my age, all men look for in a woman is a nice, docile wife to take care of them as they grow old which I can’t do because I’m still married and because I’m not like that. And the women, they always feel personally offended when I tell them I won’t divorce.”
When she had been young dating hadn’t been easy, but now at her age and her demanding job, it was practically impossible. Los Angeles was unforgiving to women above forty. The men and women Sharon actually wanted to date and were interesting and attractive, they all seemed to want a commitment from her, a commitment she wasn’t willing to give. She wanted to take things slowly and not rush into a relationship.
“Dating is tough, I’ll give you that,” Andrea admitted before downing the last of her cosmopolitan.
“And what about you? I never even asked you if you have a girlfriend or a wife,” Sharon said, successfully steering the conversation away from herself. She had done more than enough sharing for today. Andrea’s eyes grew wider than Sharon had ever seen them and the blonde nearly dropped her empty glass. Sharon’s hand shot out to steady it before it dropped to the floor.
“How did you - -,” Andrea tried to ask weakly, but her voice trailed off, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. Without even thinking about it, Sharon reached out and squeezed Andrea’s hand, hoping to comfort her just a little.
“I’m a police officer, give me a little credit. And either you’re a straight woman who just appreciates women’s legs, or your interest in mine isn’t strictly platonic. I date women from time to time, I should hope that I’d be able to discern which women are interested in me and which aren’t.” She had always been quick to notice which women were straight and which women weren’t. It had come in handy more than once.
“Fair enough. No, I don’t have a girlfriend, let alone a wife. The last long-lasting relationship I had ended not long after I got shot. She wanted me to leave my job for something that involved less risk. I refused. We fought a lot and eventually broke. Ever since, I haven’t had much luck.” It was a far too familiar story. Sharon had heard it so many times from police officers, but DDA’s were normally not involved anything too risky. Andrea had just had the bad luck to get wrapped up in the wrong case.
“Do you want to have someone in your life?” Sharon asked, genuinely interested. She found it hard to believe that someone like Andrea had a hard time finding someone, unless of course, she didn’t really want to have relationship. Feelings like that tended to shine through on dates.
“Honestly? No. I barely have time to talk to my family. I have little to no friends left. I couldn’t maintain a relationship even if I wanted to. For now, I would settle for one good friendship.” Sharon nodded in agreement. She knew exactly how Andrea felt. Ever since she took over Major Crimes and had taken in Rusty, she had neglected her friends. It would be nice to have a good friend again, someone she could talk to when she really needed it.
“Hear, hear,” she said before drinking the last of her scotch, watching a smile break out on Andrea’s face. Sharon put her glass on the table and leaned forward. “I’ll make you a deal. Every fortnight we do something that has absolutely nothing to do with work. Drinks, lunch, dinner with rusty and me. Something to remind us that we do have a life beside our work.”
Andrea seemed to contemplate her offer for a moment. It wasn’t an unreasonable idea and she sincerely hoped that the blonde would go for it. It would be refreshing to have some regularity back in her personal life and it would be nice to do some she enjoyed outside of work, something that reminded her she was something more than just a Captain of the LAPD.
“Deal. I would drink to that, but it would appear that our glasses are empty. Do you want another?”
“Yes, please.” Andrea got up and made her way towards the bar. Sharon watched her and the bartender who wasn’t nearly as friendly to Andrea as he had been to her. She didn’t know a lot about the woman yet, but she had the feeling that she could trust her and that she could have great friend in Andrea.
Pairing: Sharon Raydor/Andrea Hobbs, if you squint. It's more a friendship
Fandom: Major Crimes
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 2,367
Summary: Sharon and Andrea have a drink after work.
Written for: The Wishlist Exchange at majorcrimes for defyingnormalcy who wanted a fic where Andrea becomes a regular member of the team and Sharon and Andrea become good friends. I gave it my best shot.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
The bar was full and the sounds of people talking and drinking filled the air. Sharon looked around, tapped her nails on the smooth surface of the bar and smiled a little. It had been far too long since she had just gone out, had a drink with someone and just enjoyed herself, even she felt a little out of place wearing suit in a bar. She was pulled out of her reverie when the bartender places two glasses in front of her.
“There you go,” he said with a winning smile. Sharon returned it with an ease she hadn’t had in a long time. After spending most of her career being utterly despised, and even now, when the Major Crimes squad did actually like her, the rest of the police department was still weary of her, it was always nice to have someone just smile at her without it coming off as completely fake.
“Thank you. How much do I owe you?” she asked, fingering the twenty in her pocket. The bartender leaned forward, his smile turned into a grin that was bordering on seductive. Sharon raised a single eyebrow. That was new.
“They’re on the house. Enjoy.” Sharon couldn’t barely hide her surprise. The last time she had gotten free drinks without even trying had been decades ago. It felt nice to have it happen again albeit slightly strange. The bartender could easily be her son. Self-consciously she ran her hand through her hair before she picked up the glasses.
“Oh, well, thank you very much,” she said and nodded at him before turning away from the bar and making her way towards the booth that Andrea had secured for the two of them. A twenty-something year old man nearly bumped into her, causing her to almost spill the drinks, but it all went just right and after he had apologized profusely, Sharon finally sank down next to Andrea and passed the blonde DDA her cosmopolitan.
The blond DDA had gotten rid of her blazer and had draped it over the back over her seat. She had made herself comfortable. Sharon followed suit, unbuttoned her blazer and shrugged out of it. She probably still looked utterly misplaced in the bar with a pencil skirt and a silk blouse, but at least she looked less like she was there to monitor everybody.
“He was flirting with you. The bartender,” Andrea said with an amused grin. Sharon felt her jaw drop and glanced at the young man who was now pouring a glass of wine. A smile and free drink didn’t immediately equal flirting, did it? It had been far too long since she had been actively dating. She probably wasn’t even able to read the obvious signs of flirting anymore.
“He was not,” she protested and took a large sip of her scotch, relishing in the way it burned down its way down her throat. It was a ridiculous notion that bartender who was definitely half her age was flirting with her. He was handsome, attractive. What could he possibly want in a woman who could be his mother?
“He was. He absolutely was,” Andrea said, her voice not hiding her mirth. Sharon shot her a glare which didn’t have its desired effect. If only it caused Andrea’s grin to widen. The blonde had never been very susceptible to her glares in the first place. A change of venue probably wasn’t going to change that.
“He’s half my age,” Sharon stated sourly, eyeing the blond man. The moment he looked at her, she averted her gaze. She wasn’t interested in him in the slightest. He was too young for her taste, far too young, and she wasn’t particularly interesting in dating someone a lot younger than herself. She wasn’t Provenza or Flynn. Although those two would probably never stop laughing if she did go out with someone younger than herself.
“Are you kidding? He’s like thirty.”
“And I’m fifty-eight. That makes him half my age.” Andrea gaped at her for a moment, her eyes wide. Now it was Sharon’s turn to smirk. It was good to know that she wasn’t showing her age yet. Much to Andrea’s credit, she recovered quickly and shrugged, trying to appear innocent as she sipped her drink.
“Well, there is nothing wrong with a young lover. What they lack in experience, they make up for in stamina,” Andrea said and waggled her eyebrows. Sharon rolled her eyes and let out a silent ‘oh my God’. Andrea loved to tease, she had learned that after working with the DDA for a few years, but the blond really was incorrigible at times. She was just really glad no one from her squad was around.
“Did two sips of a cosmopolitan make you drunk? Or are you just really desperate to see me with a young man who is probably my son’s age?” Sharon retorted dryly. She had never been drawn to younger men, not like that. It made her feel uncomfortable. Thirty years was a lot. She internally chastised herself for even thinking about herself in a more than platonic situation with a man half her age.
“I’m just very chipper today. Can you blame me?” Sharon stopped thinking about the man behind the bar and focused on the blonde who was looking very pleased with herself. Sharon took in the self-satisfied smile playing on Andrea’s full lips. The woman had a right to be happy and proud of herself.
“No, I can’t. Which reminds me, congratulations on being assigned to Major Crimes permanently. I’m glad it was you.” She truly was glad that it was Andrea. She worked well enough with the other DDA’s, but there had always been a mutual respect between Andrea and herself. The blonde understood how Sharon thought and she was willing to go along with her plans which most of the DDA’s that she had come across weren’t ready to do.
“Thank you. Here’s to a very fruitful work relationship. And to me no longer having to deal with that ass from Robbery/Homicide. You’re much more pleasant,” Andrea said and raised her glass to Sharon. Sharon did the same in return and softly clinked her glass against Andrea’s before she leaned back in her seat.
“Only because I like the rules,” Sharon commented dryly.
“In the beginning, yes, that was why I liked working with you, but I appreciate the way you think as well and you actually listen when I say something. But you’re changing the subject. What’s wrong with the bartender?” Andrea leaned as if they shared some secret. Sharon resisted the urge to roll her eyes again and just sighed.
“Aside from his age? I don’t have the time or energy to venture back into the dating world.” And if she were honest with herself, she didn’t really want to either. She missed the companionship, being intimate with someone, waking up with someone beside her, but she didn’t miss having to put herself out there, making herself vulnerable, only to be disappointed. She didn’t particularly like the single life, but she didn’t mind it all that much either.
“Who said anything about dating?”
“Andrea Hobbs, I am not discussing my sex-life with you. Or complete lack thereof,” Sharon muttered as an after-thought. She liked Andrea, she really did. If they could spend more time together outside of work, she was sure they could be friends, but she wasn’t ready to bring up her sex-life or what it had looked like when it was still existing. She wouldn’t call the very good relationship she had with her vibrator a sex-life.
“Oh come on. It can’t be that bad,” Andrea said with a frown, obviously having seen the rather sour expression on Sharon’s face.
“You try taking in a teenager in need of some serious attention while balancing a dating life. It’s impossible. Besides, I wouldn’t do that to Rusty. He’s had enough trouble with his mother’s boyfriends, I don’t want him to feel the same insecurity with me as well.” She would never neglect Rusty like that, she would never put a partner before him, but despite their mutual respect, trust and love, Sharon knew that Rusty wouldn’t be very appreciative of it. He wasn’t ready that. And that was fine. She wasn’t going to force it.
“You have a point there. But he’s been with you a year now. You don’t strike me as the type to lead a hermit’s life. Maybe you should get back to it,” Andrea suggested and this time there was nothing teasing about her tone. Sharon smiled, but shook her head. The boy was only just getting his life back on tracks and she didn’t want to do anything that might disrupt that process. Especially since he was doing so well.
His grades were good, most of his teachers liked him, he made it onto the chess team and after the initial bumps in the road, Rusty was starting to make friends which was where he was tonight, at a birthday party of one the members of his chess team though Rusty refused to call it that. He said that it would just a few boys playing video games all night long.
“And who do you suggest I date? My life is currently very much restrained to Major Crimes, Rusty and the few times we’ve gone out for drinks. I haven’t even had the time to catch up with Gavin in ages. The chances of me finding someone suitable to date are less than zero and with a foster child in my life they’re even worse. Besides at my age, all men look for in a woman is a nice, docile wife to take care of them as they grow old which I can’t do because I’m still married and because I’m not like that. And the women, they always feel personally offended when I tell them I won’t divorce.”
When she had been young dating hadn’t been easy, but now at her age and her demanding job, it was practically impossible. Los Angeles was unforgiving to women above forty. The men and women Sharon actually wanted to date and were interesting and attractive, they all seemed to want a commitment from her, a commitment she wasn’t willing to give. She wanted to take things slowly and not rush into a relationship.
“Dating is tough, I’ll give you that,” Andrea admitted before downing the last of her cosmopolitan.
“And what about you? I never even asked you if you have a girlfriend or a wife,” Sharon said, successfully steering the conversation away from herself. She had done more than enough sharing for today. Andrea’s eyes grew wider than Sharon had ever seen them and the blonde nearly dropped her empty glass. Sharon’s hand shot out to steady it before it dropped to the floor.
“How did you - -,” Andrea tried to ask weakly, but her voice trailed off, a look of uncertainty in her eyes. Without even thinking about it, Sharon reached out and squeezed Andrea’s hand, hoping to comfort her just a little.
“I’m a police officer, give me a little credit. And either you’re a straight woman who just appreciates women’s legs, or your interest in mine isn’t strictly platonic. I date women from time to time, I should hope that I’d be able to discern which women are interested in me and which aren’t.” She had always been quick to notice which women were straight and which women weren’t. It had come in handy more than once.
“Fair enough. No, I don’t have a girlfriend, let alone a wife. The last long-lasting relationship I had ended not long after I got shot. She wanted me to leave my job for something that involved less risk. I refused. We fought a lot and eventually broke. Ever since, I haven’t had much luck.” It was a far too familiar story. Sharon had heard it so many times from police officers, but DDA’s were normally not involved anything too risky. Andrea had just had the bad luck to get wrapped up in the wrong case.
“Do you want to have someone in your life?” Sharon asked, genuinely interested. She found it hard to believe that someone like Andrea had a hard time finding someone, unless of course, she didn’t really want to have relationship. Feelings like that tended to shine through on dates.
“Honestly? No. I barely have time to talk to my family. I have little to no friends left. I couldn’t maintain a relationship even if I wanted to. For now, I would settle for one good friendship.” Sharon nodded in agreement. She knew exactly how Andrea felt. Ever since she took over Major Crimes and had taken in Rusty, she had neglected her friends. It would be nice to have a good friend again, someone she could talk to when she really needed it.
“Hear, hear,” she said before drinking the last of her scotch, watching a smile break out on Andrea’s face. Sharon put her glass on the table and leaned forward. “I’ll make you a deal. Every fortnight we do something that has absolutely nothing to do with work. Drinks, lunch, dinner with rusty and me. Something to remind us that we do have a life beside our work.”
Andrea seemed to contemplate her offer for a moment. It wasn’t an unreasonable idea and she sincerely hoped that the blonde would go for it. It would be refreshing to have some regularity back in her personal life and it would be nice to do some she enjoyed outside of work, something that reminded her she was something more than just a Captain of the LAPD.
“Deal. I would drink to that, but it would appear that our glasses are empty. Do you want another?”
“Yes, please.” Andrea got up and made her way towards the bar. Sharon watched her and the bartender who wasn’t nearly as friendly to Andrea as he had been to her. She didn’t know a lot about the woman yet, but she had the feeling that she could trust her and that she could have great friend in Andrea.