Season 5 One Shots

A Well-Organized Spreadsheet

Author's Note: This story has no real plot...just fluffy, flirty, sexy surrera goodness which I think we all might need at this point in Season 5. It is clearly AU, or perhaps just set some time in the future.

It is dedicated to my Twitter friend, Moo, who thinks that DMs like: "The sofa really is a minor character in the story, but the dining table should probably get its SAG card" are perfectly normal. Happy birthday, Moo! Thanks for being a great friend, a loyal fanfic reader, and a source for random fanfic ideas! I hope you enjoy "the sofa fic." 

Andy and Robert had finished dinner and watched some mindless television together before Robert left his wife sitting on the sofa, and moved to the dining table, where he proceeded to open their laptop and spread out piles of paper. He sighed to himself as he attempted to make sense of the various budget documents in front of him. Under orders from the mayor, Chief McAllister was looking to cut costs, and as a newly re-appointed battalion chief, Robert was a participant in all the SFD budget meetings. McAllister's original plan had been to close a station, but Robert had asked for a few days to see if he could figure out an alternative. Unfortunately, his work shifts had been busy, he had little time to analyze budget spreadsheets, and he was getting more and more concerned that he wouldn't be able to identify a plan to avoid a station closure.

After an hour of flipping through channels by herself, Andy looked from the television to Robert. "I could help you with that, you know," she suggested. "I used to help my dad with budget stuff all the time."

"I can handle it," Robert replied with a tired smile. "You had a busy shift; I'm sure you're exhausted. Why don't you head up to bed and I'll join you after I make some headway on this."

Andy shot Robert an annoyed glance before getting up from the sofa. She loved her husband, and they were in a good place now, but sometimes he was just too obstinate for his own good. Once he set his mind to something, there was little anyone could do to deter him. This served him well in the SFD, but at home, it sometimes grated on her nerves.

Rather than push the issue, and potentially start an argument, Andy decided to head upstairs. One of the things their therapist had pointed out was that given their crazy work schedules, and their quick to anger personalities, starting a charged conversation when they were both exhausted was something to be avoided at all costs. Just about any disagreement would be easier to resolve when they were both well-rested.

 And, if he didn't want to accept her assistance, maybe she could find another way to persuade him to put the budgets away for the evening. Once in their bedroom, she picked out an attractive nightgown with a matching robe. Glancing in the mirror, she realized Robert was right about one thing, she did look tired, but with a little bit of preparation, she was sure she could get Robert's attention. She stepped into their bathroom, stripped down to her panties, and grabbed her bottle of coconut body lotion. After making sure her skin was soft and smooth, she pulled the short burgundy slip nightgown over her head. Then, removing the ponytail holder from her hair, she combed her fingers through her curls. Checking the mirror one last time, she was happy with the effect, and she hoped Robert would be too.

As she left the bedroom, she grabbed that robe that matched the nightgown, pulled it on, and cinched the belt loosely around her waist. Walking down the stairs, she hoped to get her husband's attention, but he was so focused on the numbers in front of him, he didn't look up until she was almost in front of him.

He may have been absorbed in his work, but he wasn't blind. Seeing Andy's attire, he looked away from his computer and smiled. "Is that new?" he asked

"Yes," Andy replied casually. "I got it a few days ago. Do you like it?"

"You look great," Robert replied, before refocusing his attention on the work in front of him. As much as he wanted to join Andy in the bedroom, he still hadn't figured out a way to cut enough costs that he could make the argument to McAllister to keep all of Seattle's fire stations open.