A/N: I just did a pair of these for my other favorite fandom Bones while blowing off the Geometry quizzes I'm supposed to be grading, and was instantly inspired to write a couple for Mac and Stella, too. So you know I haven't forgotten about my favorite show, and because I've missed you all! Never fear, I am still planning the third Maddie/Danny installment, but for now enjoy this and its companion piece "Five Ways She Shows Her Love For Him" :-)
Five ways Stella shows her love for Mac.
1. Asks his opinion. And not just about work-related topics, either, although she often does there as well. She likes to ask him what he thinks of her blouse, or how she should get her hair cut at her next appointment, or if she should get new curtains for her living room. She knows that he is totally out of his element in all of those matters, but that he feels included in her decision making even if he's no help at all. So she asks anyway, and sometimes he surprises her.
2. Lets him drive. It's a guy thing. He's a control freak. He's the boss, she's the subordinate. There are lots of reasons why she might let him drive when they go out on a run together, but the truth of the matter is, she just likes to watch him and she can't do that if she's driving. It helps her think, helps her relax. She can practically see his mind working, and it's reassuring to know that a man like him is formulating a plan because she knows it will be a good one. And he looks really cute when he's concentrating, too.
3. Reads his mind. It's a skill she acquired over the years, and a difficult one at that because he is so hard to read. But she learned to do it and now does it frequently, with and without his blessing. By knowing what he's thinking, she can then figure out how best to help him both professionally and personally. Sometimes reading his mind is the only way to help him, and that's usually when he needs it the most. So she looks into his eyes and reads his thoughts, deciding in her own mind how best to take care of him.
4. Opens up to him. It's only fair, since she knows what he's thinking most of the time. And it feels really good to have someone in her life that she can trust with her innermost self, something she hasn't had in a long time, maybe never. But better than that, it makes him feel like an important part of her life, which he is. She knows just how lonely and lost she'd be without him, and by letting him in to places in her heart no one else gets to go, he sees that.
5. Buys his favorite ice cream. This always seemed like the smallest gesture, the easiest thing she could do for him. But it is, in fact, the most significant. Ice cream in her world is the best way to end a great day and the most comforting way to end an awful day. She celebrates every little victory and mourns every minor defeat with her favorite flavor, so shopping for ice cream is a major event. That she spends an equal amount of time picking out ice cream for him speaks volumes about her feelings for him. That he comes over and eats it every time speaks volumes about him to her.
