A/n: This is the second one-shot and is less angsty, though there is some angst before it gets happy, it is mainly Mindy's point of view, I'd recommend listening to the song "need" by Gavin Degraw ,as you read this, enjoy.
-Pessi . Rom
It had been four months since Danny ended things with Mindy, before they'd ever really begun. After a brief period of not dating anyone, Mindy was seeing someone new. His name was Derek and she'd met him at her favorite pastry shop. They had both wanted the last chocolate cream eclair. When he found out she also wanted it, he agreed to split it with her. It was a total 'meet cute', Mindy announced when she regaled the tale to her office. The next day she and Derek had dinner.
Mindy and Derek had now been dating for three months and the honeymoon period was over. In just a few months Derek had gone from the perfect boyfriend to a bit of a world class jerk. She constantly caught him in lies, that made her think twice about the relationship. Their fights would lead to her slamming doors and walking away. Later he'd show up at her place with an apology ,and they'd make up. He'd make plans for them last minute, causing her to break her plans with her friends, and he'd once done that twice in a week.
Mindy knew it wasn't the best relationship, but she was so tired of being alone. Danny had given up so fast on their relationship, she didn't want to give up so easily when it came to Derek, just because it was hard. Yeah sometimes he'd say hurtful things, but she could still tell he carried. He listened when she talked, sat through her favorite movies with no complaints. He wasn't embarrassed to be with her, to introduce her to his friends, he didn't hide their relationship. He was honest with her, though some times brutally. There were no secrets, and if there were, he'd eventually confess them when they fought.
Despite that Mindy couldn't help but feel like she was keeping secrets from Derek. Even though Danny broke her heart she couldn't help but steal looks at him, unbeknownst to him of course. Her mind would flash back to happier times with him. Yes they'd been together a brief amount of time, but she couldn't shake the memories of the feel of his lips on hers. The way he would gently cup her face. How if felt wrapped in his warm and sometimes sweaty arms. Waking up next to him, having breakfast in bed.
Sometimes she found herself waking up in the middle of the night, having fallen asleep waiting for Derek to come over , only to find a text of him canceling on her last minute. Her makeup would be running rivers from her eyes. Which would make her really think about not just what she wanted, but what she needed to be happy. She would tell herself that she was past her failed start of a relationship with Danny. That Derek was good for her. But she could hear a Danny like voice telling her ,that she deserves better. That what she needs is a better man, because when she wakes up and her bed is feeling cold , and she reaches out for someone to hold, she knows who she needs.
Mindy needs Danny. Danny had told her he had to have her in his life, but he'd been keeping his distance ever since she started dating Derek. If she was being honest she had been keeping her distance as well. She just couldn't fall back into their previously platonic relationship. She no longer felt comfortable going to Danny for advise, it just felt wrong going to her ex, albeit secret ex, about other guys. She'd gotten close with Peter, but Peter was no Danny.
So after finally ending things with Derek she found herself nervously standing in front of Danny's apartment door. She'd had half a bottle of wine before booking a cab to his place. Knowing she would need all the liquid courage she could get, and still be able to walk, to say what she had to say to him. She took a deep breath before knocking on his door, she really hoped he was home. She didn't think she could muster up the courage to do this another day.
Danny broke his attention away from the RHWOM episode that was playing on his DVR, when he heard knocking. He liked to watch it, when he couldn't sleep,because it reminded him of Mindy, of how things used to be. He sighed knowing that he'd probably be spending the rest of his life alone. He'd tried but he couldn't move on from Mindy, not fully. He was in love with her, had been for a long time , but he couldn't risk having her, then losing her. Turns out he lost her anyway. They barely spoke, other then polite acknowledgements at the practice, and he couldn't bring himself to hang out in the doctors lounge at the hospital anymore. There were just too many ghosts of the moments with Mindy there.
Getting off his bed, and walking toward his apartment door, he glanced quickly through the peephole. Taking a step back from the door, he couldn't help but let out an ,"Oh boy", before unlocking his door to reveal Mindy on the other side.
"Hey..." Mindy said face a little flush.
"Hey..." Danny said not knowing what else to say. He stepped aside motioning for her to come inside. She entered his apartment and took a deep breath before turning around and facing him.
"Danny, I need to say some stuff, and can you please just listen until I'm completely finished." Mindy said , knowing if he interrupted her at any part of her upcoming speech she wouldn't be able to finish it, and it was really imperative that he listen to every last word.
"Ok. How about we sit." Danny said walking over to his couch, then immediately regretted it as he was flooded with memories of one of their last make out sessions, pre-breakup.
"Yeah, sure." Mindy said following him over to the couch, she took a seat, noting the physical distance between them. Even before they had started dating the space between them, physical or otherwise was never this big. This was why she was here. To fix the gap, to have him back in her life.
"I miss you..." Mindy choked out.
"I miss you too...right sorry, continue." Danny said interrupting her then remembering his promise to not interject till she was finished.
" I miss you, Danny. We're not us anymore. You said you wanted to end things because you wanted to maintain our friendship, that I was your best friend. But if we're being completely honest with ourselves, we're not friends Danny. We haven't really been friends in month's." Mindy said picking up where she'd left out, and letting that statement hang a little.
Danny knew she was right, they weren't friends anymore, not real friends. They had regressed back to co-workers, but he still had his unlamplike feelings attached. While Mindy had moved on with Derek. Danny cringed internally as he thought about Mindy's latest boyfriend. He also wondered what Derek would think if he knew Mindy was here in the middle of the night with him.
" I know we can't return to what we were before, but I need you in my life ,Danny. You're the one constant guy in my life, the one I've always been able to depend on and trust. You've always supported me, even when you didn't fully agree with me. You've always been honest with me, and I think it's time that I be fully honest with you." Mindy said.
"Honest about what? Sorry..." Danny said.
"It's ok, I uh, I have to be honest about my feelings. You said you didn't want me getting attached, but the truth is. I was attached the minute I kissed you back on the plane back from LA. I grew more and more attached with each consecutive kiss, touch, cuddle and smile you gave me. I was in love with you Danny, and when you ended it, it broke my heart, and its still breaking every day without you."
"What about Derek?" Danny asked confused. He thought Mindy was happy with Derek, why was she here with him confessing, love?
"I broke up with Derek, he wasn't what I wanted , or who I needed."
"No?"
"No."
"Then who?" Danny asked swallowing. Was this really happening, was she saying what he thought she was saying?
"You, you idiot! I need you, I want you, I love you , Danny. I know you think this will never work, that we'll end up killing each other, but I know we can make this work. There is no one else for me, you're it Danny. If I can't be with you, I don't want to be with anyone. I'll die a hot spinster, pining over her one true love." Mindy said not being able to help herself by delivering that last line dramatically .
Danny didn't hear anything after she said that she loved him. He couldn't believe his ears, did Mindy just say she loved him. His thoughts were broken by Mindy's voices.
"Danny, Danny! Are you ok?" Mindy said shyly. Now that she'd said everything she needed to say, the fear started to set in. Did she really just tell Danny Castellano that she loved him, that he was it for her.
"Yeah.." Danny said not knowing what else to say.
"Oh God, this was a mistake. What am I doing, I'm sorry! You made yourself really clear when we broke up. I shouldn't have said anything...I'm just, I'm gonna go. I've got a half bottle of wine waiting for me. Just forget.." Mindy began speaking nervously, and getting up from the couch, but Danny stopped her mid sentence pulling her back down on the couch.
"I uh...wait. Can I talk now , and you listen?" Danny asked. When Mindy nodded and gave him her full attention, he took a deep breath before speaking again.
"You said that I've always been honest with you. You're wrong, I haven't always. Not when it came to things that I couldn't even be honest with myself about."
"Things like what? Sorry, continue." Mindy said interjecting.
"The night we broke up. You asked me why I kissed you, why I started things. And the truth is. That I was the one who had gotten attached, and it scared the crap outta me. I was in love with you long before we kissed on the plane, and I still am. I'm not afraid anymore, I need you, I want you. I love you , Min. There is no one else for me, you're it." Danny said repeating her words back to her a smirk on his face.
Mindy smiled that big pure unadulterated smile of hers before crushing her lips to his. His hands immediately came up to cup her face. He poured everything he had into that kiss, the heartbreak, the four months of loneliness, the love he had for her and would always have. And she poured it equally back, her arms wrapping around his neck, pulling him closer to her, cementing the gap closed.
A/n: Thanks for reading, Beta still needed, and follow me on tumblr at mindiangrowl and pessimisticromanticist.
-Pessi . Rom
