"Interim (6/7)" - Hobbs/OFC, Hobbs/Raydor Fic
Title: Interim (6/7)
Co-Author: sharon_ray
Pairings: Hobbs/OFC, Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: R
Word Count: 2, 014
Disclaimer: Not our characters or television show.
A/N: Fic takes place during the events of Major Crimes, though we have taken some liberties with the timeline. Fic is complete and will be updated weekly.
Summary: Andrea Hobbs finds herself at a crossroads in her personal life. Caught between the frustrating standstill of her present reality and the exciting allure of a new life, she’s forced to navigate through her conflicting emotions while also handling the most important case of her career.
On ff.net, Ch. 1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch. 4, Ch.5,
*graphic and screencaps are my own please do not repost*
Andrea sat down on the bench as she finished her five miles. It was her Sunday tradition to get up at 7:00 am and run five miles before Hilary got out of bed so she could be back in time to make breakfast for her partner. Now, without breakfast to make, Andrea had slept in and was running her five miles at 9:00 am instead. She folded her torso over her legs as she stretched, her blonde ponytail splayed out over her knees. It felt good to be physically exhausted instead of emotionally exhausted for once; she hadn’t exercised since Hilary left two weeks ago.
She hadn’t really done much of anything since Hilary left; she was still getting used to life. She was sad that something that was once good had ended so poorly, but she was relieved that something that had ended up so poisonous was no longer a part of her life. Her feelings of panic had eased, she was sleeping better, and she felt less and less like she was on the verge of a complete meltdown as the days passed.
“Hey there, Counselor,” Sharon chirped as she stopped at the bench Andrea was sitting on. Andrea’s stomach did a flip-flop at the sound of Sharon’s voice. Sharon was clad in a pair of tight lycra running capris and a forest green running jacket. Clearly, she was not wearing a sweater underneath, only a sports bra and a tank top, both of which were revealed thanks to the zipper of her jacket being halfway undone.
Andrea ran her hands over her legs, smoothing her running shorts down over her thighs as much as she could.
“I didn’t know you were a runner,” Andrea remarked casually as she took in the sight of Sharon. She found herself regretting her decision to run in the park instead of just through her neighborhood this morning. Part of her felt insanely guilty for feeling so strongly attracted to someone else after ending a years long relationship less than a month ago. Yet part of her also felt free for the first time in years; free to finally enjoy the opportunity to chat with Sharon and to allow her attraction to just be, not to try and suffocate it.
Sharon threw her head back lightly as she let out a healthy laugh. “I’m not. I am so not. I walk a lot. I jog some... Are you a runner?” Sharon asked, her interest in Andrea and her hobbies apparently had no limit. She couldn’t help but notice how muscular Andrea’s thighs were; her inner thighs had some softness to them as was natural with age, but her outer thighs were quite sculpted from what Sharon could see, thanks to Andrea’s running shorts.
“Yes, I do it casually,” Andrea smiled, moving over so Sharon could join her on the bench. “Where’s Rusty this morning? And your husband?” Andrea knew the question was dangerous, but she was shamelessly fishing. She wanted to see just how often this Jack character really came around.
“Rusty is still in bed, I am sure, I let him sleep in on the weekends,” Sharon smiled as she took a seat next to the blonde on the wooden bench, “And Jackson? I have no idea where he is. I haven’t heard from him since the last time he rolled through town, thank God for small favours.” Sharon smirked at Andrea and raised her eyebrows; she noticed that Andrea looked much healthier than she had in the last little while. The colour was beginning to return to her cheeks and her eyes were less sunken in.
“What about you? Where is Hilary?”
“I, uh...” Andrea paused, shifting uncomfortably on the bench, “We broke up. Two weeks ago." Her tone was even as she said it, lacking any indication of sadness or remorse. Andrea felt a pang of guilt as she registered her own lack of emotion, and wondered what it must have sounded like to Sharon. Would she come across as insensitive or uncaring?
“I...oh, I’m so sorry Andrea,” Sharon said, genuinely shocked. It had been clear the last few weeks that Andrea had been dealing with some stress in her personal life, but she had no idea that things had gotten so bad that Hilary and Andrea had called it quits.
Andrea shrugged. “It happens,” she said softly.
Sharon regarded her for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
“I asked her to move out temporarily, I needed the space to think. She stayed at a hotel on the Friday night. I always go grocery shopping on Saturdays, she knows that, she must have come back while I was out because when I came back all of her things were gone,” she said.
Sharon decided to take a chance and reach for Andrea’s hand on the bench. She caressed the soft skin of Andrea’s knuckles with the pad of her thumb. It felt beyond wonderful to hold her hand; it was even more wonderful that the younger woman had allowed her to and that Andrea was smiling slightly at the contact.
“We’d become strangers to each other in the last few months, the last year really. It just didn’t feel right anymore, I didn’t feel like I had a home anymore,” Andrea confessed. “It was like I had lost a part of myself in our relationship, but not in a good way. It was suffocating; when she finally left, I felt like I could breathe properly again.”
“I’m sorry, separations, they’re not easy,” Sharon said, “Is there any hope at all of you two getting back together?”
Andrea shook her head. “No. We both wanted very different things from each other, and we already wasted far too much time trying to change each other. We met up to talk a few days after she left and we’ve both decided that it’s for the best. She admitted that she felt happier and more at peace as well, being away from me. We’re in the process of separating our finances now, it’ll be a while before everything is final but we’re on our way to moving on completely. It wasn’t fair forcing ourselves to stay together, not to me, not to Hilary. We both deserve better,” she admitted quietly.
Sharon tilted her head in understanding. “Sounds a lot like Jack and I when we first split up. Though, it’s so-”
“Complicated. I remember,” Andrea said. She risked a grin at her bench mate.
“Yes. Very complicated. Not everyone understands, or wants to take the time to try to. Most people just judge you, blindly, they really have no idea what it’s like,” Sharon said sadly.
“Do you regret it? Marrying him?” Andrea asked.
Sharon considered Andrea’s question carefully before answering. “No. I don’t regret it because I got two beautiful children out of it. And to be fair, our first few years together were good. They were happy. My kids and I have a very close relationship now and I am forever grateful that they inherited Jack’s better qualities versus his other qualities. But, naturally, and especially lately, there are times when I think....what if?”
Sharon turned Andrea’s hand over so that her fingers were tickling the palm of the blonde’s hand.
“What if what?” Andrea asked breathlessly.
“What if you and I had been spared the pain we’ve both been through in our personal lives? What if things had been....different?” Sharon mused shyly.
Andrea looked at Sharon for a long time before she let a small smile cross her lips. Beautiful, clear, concise realization finally hit her. She raked her fingers over Sharon’s hand and intertwined them with hers again so she could squeeze Sharon’s slender fingers.
“Yeah... what if?” she asked just as quietly, keeping eye contact with Sharon as she spoke.
Sharon smiled warmly and shrugged. “Just…” she trailed off.
Andrea smiled at Sharon’s sudden shyness. “Please?” she asked softly. “I’d really like to hear what you’re thinking. Please?”
Sharon hardened her resolve. “I would have taken you to dinner and dancing. Something tells me that you are a good at it and that you love it. I would have danced all night with you because I’d want so badly for you to hold me close. After, I’d bring you back home, and if you let me, I would have kissed you, then asked if I could take you out again the next night,” she responded quietly. Her palms tingled from her nerves, would Andrea find such a confession unwelcome so soon after her separation?
Andrea licked her lips. “I think I would have liked that. And you’re right, I do love to dance; I think I’d love it even more if I could dance with you. Hilary didn’t care much for that…” she trailed off sadly.
“I…I’m sorry,” Sharon said as she shook her head, slightly horrified. She inwardly cursed herself for triggering an unpleasant memory. “I didn’t mean to…Look Andrea, you’re a very beautiful, intelligent, kind, and passionate woman. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just wanted you to know that you’re one hell of a catch. I know that as a woman, it’s hard to think of yourself as desirable after a major separation. But you are; you are an incredible woman.”
Andrea smiled at Sharon’s words, then shrugged. “It’s in the past now. Sooner rather than later, I’ve got to start getting used to moving forward. And, thank you. You didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, and,” Andrea paused and blushed slightly, “It’s actually really nice to hear such lovely things, especially after my entire personal life has just fallen apart. It’s especially nice to hear them from you.” She chuckled a little and shrugged, it felt strangely natural to talk with Sharon like this.
Sharon hummed happily. “Forward,” she repeated. Her green eyes were sparkling; without her glasses, Andrea could see every tiny line that framed those gorgeous eyes.
Andrea took a deep breath. “But as lovely as that sounds, and I truly do mean it when I say that, that would have been before all of this,” Andrea said sadly, “A lot has happened, for both of us. Like it or not, we’re both in very specific places in our lives.”
“A lot has happened, you are absolutely right” Sharon repeated sadly. “Is it wrong that despite all that has happened, that I don’t want it any less?” she asked softly.
“No, it’s never wrong to want to be happy Sharon. Trust me, I’ve spent far too long feeling guilty about wanting something more, wanting something that would make me truly happy. The last few days I’ve been thinking about how much time I wasted being unhappy, and feeling guilty for being unhappy and I realized that I don’t ever want to waste so much time feeling that way again. “ Beside her, Sharon nodded her head solemnly. Andrea surmised that Sharon must have felt the same way directly after her separation with Jackson.
“Though I think....I think that right now I’m not ready just yet. I think I need time to think some more, and to come to terms with things. But maybe, someday I might like it if you took me dancing,” Andrea said.
“I know,” Sharon voiced her understanding, “and until then, I’d like it if we could be friends?”
Andrea flashed Sharon a toothy grin. “I can do friends,” she chuckled softly. “Actually, I would really appreciate a good friend right now.”
“Me too,” Sharon said.
Andrea used her grip on Sharon’s hand to tug the older woman a few inches closer to her on the bench so that their legs touched. She brought their entwined hands to rest against her leg; she shivered as Sharon’s fingertips made contact with her bare thigh and her hand at the same time. Sharon rested her head against Andrea’s shoulder and sighed happily.
For the first time in a very long time, they both looked to the future with optimism.
Co-Author: sharon_ray
Pairings: Hobbs/OFC, Hobbs/Raydor
Rating: R
Word Count: 2, 014
Disclaimer: Not our characters or television show.
A/N: Fic takes place during the events of Major Crimes, though we have taken some liberties with the timeline. Fic is complete and will be updated weekly.
Summary: Andrea Hobbs finds herself at a crossroads in her personal life. Caught between the frustrating standstill of her present reality and the exciting allure of a new life, she’s forced to navigate through her conflicting emotions while also handling the most important case of her career.
On ff.net, Ch. 1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch. 4, Ch.5,
*graphic and screencaps are my own please do not repost*
Andrea sat down on the bench as she finished her five miles. It was her Sunday tradition to get up at 7:00 am and run five miles before Hilary got out of bed so she could be back in time to make breakfast for her partner. Now, without breakfast to make, Andrea had slept in and was running her five miles at 9:00 am instead. She folded her torso over her legs as she stretched, her blonde ponytail splayed out over her knees. It felt good to be physically exhausted instead of emotionally exhausted for once; she hadn’t exercised since Hilary left two weeks ago.
She hadn’t really done much of anything since Hilary left; she was still getting used to life. She was sad that something that was once good had ended so poorly, but she was relieved that something that had ended up so poisonous was no longer a part of her life. Her feelings of panic had eased, she was sleeping better, and she felt less and less like she was on the verge of a complete meltdown as the days passed.
“Hey there, Counselor,” Sharon chirped as she stopped at the bench Andrea was sitting on. Andrea’s stomach did a flip-flop at the sound of Sharon’s voice. Sharon was clad in a pair of tight lycra running capris and a forest green running jacket. Clearly, she was not wearing a sweater underneath, only a sports bra and a tank top, both of which were revealed thanks to the zipper of her jacket being halfway undone.
Andrea ran her hands over her legs, smoothing her running shorts down over her thighs as much as she could.
“I didn’t know you were a runner,” Andrea remarked casually as she took in the sight of Sharon. She found herself regretting her decision to run in the park instead of just through her neighborhood this morning. Part of her felt insanely guilty for feeling so strongly attracted to someone else after ending a years long relationship less than a month ago. Yet part of her also felt free for the first time in years; free to finally enjoy the opportunity to chat with Sharon and to allow her attraction to just be, not to try and suffocate it.
Sharon threw her head back lightly as she let out a healthy laugh. “I’m not. I am so not. I walk a lot. I jog some... Are you a runner?” Sharon asked, her interest in Andrea and her hobbies apparently had no limit. She couldn’t help but notice how muscular Andrea’s thighs were; her inner thighs had some softness to them as was natural with age, but her outer thighs were quite sculpted from what Sharon could see, thanks to Andrea’s running shorts.
“Yes, I do it casually,” Andrea smiled, moving over so Sharon could join her on the bench. “Where’s Rusty this morning? And your husband?” Andrea knew the question was dangerous, but she was shamelessly fishing. She wanted to see just how often this Jack character really came around.
“Rusty is still in bed, I am sure, I let him sleep in on the weekends,” Sharon smiled as she took a seat next to the blonde on the wooden bench, “And Jackson? I have no idea where he is. I haven’t heard from him since the last time he rolled through town, thank God for small favours.” Sharon smirked at Andrea and raised her eyebrows; she noticed that Andrea looked much healthier than she had in the last little while. The colour was beginning to return to her cheeks and her eyes were less sunken in.
“What about you? Where is Hilary?”
“I, uh...” Andrea paused, shifting uncomfortably on the bench, “We broke up. Two weeks ago." Her tone was even as she said it, lacking any indication of sadness or remorse. Andrea felt a pang of guilt as she registered her own lack of emotion, and wondered what it must have sounded like to Sharon. Would she come across as insensitive or uncaring?
“I...oh, I’m so sorry Andrea,” Sharon said, genuinely shocked. It had been clear the last few weeks that Andrea had been dealing with some stress in her personal life, but she had no idea that things had gotten so bad that Hilary and Andrea had called it quits.
Andrea shrugged. “It happens,” she said softly.
Sharon regarded her for a moment. "Do you want to talk about it?” she asked gently.
“I asked her to move out temporarily, I needed the space to think. She stayed at a hotel on the Friday night. I always go grocery shopping on Saturdays, she knows that, she must have come back while I was out because when I came back all of her things were gone,” she said.
Sharon decided to take a chance and reach for Andrea’s hand on the bench. She caressed the soft skin of Andrea’s knuckles with the pad of her thumb. It felt beyond wonderful to hold her hand; it was even more wonderful that the younger woman had allowed her to and that Andrea was smiling slightly at the contact.
“We’d become strangers to each other in the last few months, the last year really. It just didn’t feel right anymore, I didn’t feel like I had a home anymore,” Andrea confessed. “It was like I had lost a part of myself in our relationship, but not in a good way. It was suffocating; when she finally left, I felt like I could breathe properly again.”
“I’m sorry, separations, they’re not easy,” Sharon said, “Is there any hope at all of you two getting back together?”
Andrea shook her head. “No. We both wanted very different things from each other, and we already wasted far too much time trying to change each other. We met up to talk a few days after she left and we’ve both decided that it’s for the best. She admitted that she felt happier and more at peace as well, being away from me. We’re in the process of separating our finances now, it’ll be a while before everything is final but we’re on our way to moving on completely. It wasn’t fair forcing ourselves to stay together, not to me, not to Hilary. We both deserve better,” she admitted quietly.
Sharon tilted her head in understanding. “Sounds a lot like Jack and I when we first split up. Though, it’s so-”
“Complicated. I remember,” Andrea said. She risked a grin at her bench mate.
“Yes. Very complicated. Not everyone understands, or wants to take the time to try to. Most people just judge you, blindly, they really have no idea what it’s like,” Sharon said sadly.
“Do you regret it? Marrying him?” Andrea asked.
Sharon considered Andrea’s question carefully before answering. “No. I don’t regret it because I got two beautiful children out of it. And to be fair, our first few years together were good. They were happy. My kids and I have a very close relationship now and I am forever grateful that they inherited Jack’s better qualities versus his other qualities. But, naturally, and especially lately, there are times when I think....what if?”
Sharon turned Andrea’s hand over so that her fingers were tickling the palm of the blonde’s hand.
“What if what?” Andrea asked breathlessly.
“What if you and I had been spared the pain we’ve both been through in our personal lives? What if things had been....different?” Sharon mused shyly.
Andrea looked at Sharon for a long time before she let a small smile cross her lips. Beautiful, clear, concise realization finally hit her. She raked her fingers over Sharon’s hand and intertwined them with hers again so she could squeeze Sharon’s slender fingers.
“Yeah... what if?” she asked just as quietly, keeping eye contact with Sharon as she spoke.
Sharon smiled warmly and shrugged. “Just…” she trailed off.
Andrea smiled at Sharon’s sudden shyness. “Please?” she asked softly. “I’d really like to hear what you’re thinking. Please?”
Sharon hardened her resolve. “I would have taken you to dinner and dancing. Something tells me that you are a good at it and that you love it. I would have danced all night with you because I’d want so badly for you to hold me close. After, I’d bring you back home, and if you let me, I would have kissed you, then asked if I could take you out again the next night,” she responded quietly. Her palms tingled from her nerves, would Andrea find such a confession unwelcome so soon after her separation?
Andrea licked her lips. “I think I would have liked that. And you’re right, I do love to dance; I think I’d love it even more if I could dance with you. Hilary didn’t care much for that…” she trailed off sadly.
“I…I’m sorry,” Sharon said as she shook her head, slightly horrified. She inwardly cursed herself for triggering an unpleasant memory. “I didn’t mean to…Look Andrea, you’re a very beautiful, intelligent, kind, and passionate woman. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, I just wanted you to know that you’re one hell of a catch. I know that as a woman, it’s hard to think of yourself as desirable after a major separation. But you are; you are an incredible woman.”
Andrea smiled at Sharon’s words, then shrugged. “It’s in the past now. Sooner rather than later, I’ve got to start getting used to moving forward. And, thank you. You didn’t make me feel uncomfortable, and,” Andrea paused and blushed slightly, “It’s actually really nice to hear such lovely things, especially after my entire personal life has just fallen apart. It’s especially nice to hear them from you.” She chuckled a little and shrugged, it felt strangely natural to talk with Sharon like this.
Sharon hummed happily. “Forward,” she repeated. Her green eyes were sparkling; without her glasses, Andrea could see every tiny line that framed those gorgeous eyes.
Andrea took a deep breath. “But as lovely as that sounds, and I truly do mean it when I say that, that would have been before all of this,” Andrea said sadly, “A lot has happened, for both of us. Like it or not, we’re both in very specific places in our lives.”
“A lot has happened, you are absolutely right” Sharon repeated sadly. “Is it wrong that despite all that has happened, that I don’t want it any less?” she asked softly.
“No, it’s never wrong to want to be happy Sharon. Trust me, I’ve spent far too long feeling guilty about wanting something more, wanting something that would make me truly happy. The last few days I’ve been thinking about how much time I wasted being unhappy, and feeling guilty for being unhappy and I realized that I don’t ever want to waste so much time feeling that way again. “ Beside her, Sharon nodded her head solemnly. Andrea surmised that Sharon must have felt the same way directly after her separation with Jackson.
“Though I think....I think that right now I’m not ready just yet. I think I need time to think some more, and to come to terms with things. But maybe, someday I might like it if you took me dancing,” Andrea said.
“I know,” Sharon voiced her understanding, “and until then, I’d like it if we could be friends?”
Andrea flashed Sharon a toothy grin. “I can do friends,” she chuckled softly. “Actually, I would really appreciate a good friend right now.”
“Me too,” Sharon said.
Andrea used her grip on Sharon’s hand to tug the older woman a few inches closer to her on the bench so that their legs touched. She brought their entwined hands to rest against her leg; she shivered as Sharon’s fingertips made contact with her bare thigh and her hand at the same time. Sharon rested her head against Andrea’s shoulder and sighed happily.
For the first time in a very long time, they both looked to the future with optimism.