As Lindsay stood there in the hallway, surrounded by the sterile scents and mechanical sounds only found in a hospital, she had several realizations. The first was the moment when it struck her who Danny actually was. It happened when he gently, cautiously held her head, advising her to cover her cut. Oddly, for the entire day, she had forgotten about it. Things happened so quickly all day that Lindsay barely had a chance to catch her breath. But Danny had remembered making her realize there was something about him, something that went beyond the New York attitude and sexy, charming smile. Something that intrigued her in a way that was so vague and fluid she couldn't put a name to it.
The second realization was how close they were standing. She also realized that despite their closeness neither of them was making any effort to move away. There were doctors and nurses walking the hallways but it suddenly felt like it was just the two of them.
The third realization, immediately paired with the second, was that Danny was simply gorgeous. His unshaven scruffiness, those piercing blue eyes, the firmness of his body lightly pressed against hers. It was a dangerous line of thought, and she should be careful. Should be. But she didn't want to be, not anymore.
Lindsay's eyes searched Danny's briefly as she considered all these realizations. Drawn to him in some inexplicable way, she suddenly couldn't help herself. Maybe it was the stress of the past twelve hours. Maybe it was the comfort she found in being so close to Danny. But forgetting where they were and everything around them, Lindsay leaned into him, heard the quick intake of his breath as she turned her face up to his, and kissed him.
Kissing him was just as stimulating as she'd imagined. And she had certainly imagined it before. When he'd carried her across the rooftop. Or after their phone sex conversation. His lips were warm and firm and barely demanding. Lindsay felt the heat of their kiss all the way to her toes. Her stomach flipped. Her hand went to his neck to draw him closer. Her heart slammed against her ribs and her knees went weak. She felt like she had caught on fire. Kissing him was everything she imagined and still nothing like she expected, all at the same time. It was perfect.
All day Danny had felt unsteady on his feet. First the explosion, then seeing Lindsay hurt - especially seeing Lindasy hurt - and Flack in the hospital. So when Lindsay kissed him, her mouth moving warm and easy over his, the world fell completely away from under him. And it felt perfect. Absolutely perfect.
He couldn't deny that he had thought about it before. Kissing Lindsay Monroe. He'd thought about it that time he walked her home from Cozy's after they'd seen Mac play. He thought about it when she came to visit him in the hospital after Louie had been beaten. He lost track of how many times he imagined what she would taste like but he promised himself he would absolutely never kiss her, dismissing his thoughts to pure male reflex. But the second she leaned into him, his best laid plan was immediately lost.
Once Danny recovered from the split-second shock at what was happening, he moved instinctively so their lips aligned perfectly and his hands gently rested on her hips. A low hum of pleasure vibrated in his throat as he drew her closer. She didn't stop him. In fact, her lips parted, tempting him. He felt a stab of arousal shoot through him. His blood simmered. Her mouth branded him, making him desperate for more. She clouded his brain as he finally surrendered to the assault on his senses she'd unknowingly teased him with since the day they met at the zoo. The brush of her fingers on the back of his neck, the slow yielding of her mouth under his rattled him. I have to do that again, Danny immediately thought when they stopped kissing.
As they stood there, each of their minds raced in a million directions, trying to determine how this kiss fit into their formerly simple relationship - or if it was a mistake. Lindsay watched Danny, studied him a moment, saw the corners of his mouth turn in the hint of a smile as her fingers lingered on his cheek. She did her best to ignore the knot of desire tangled in her stomach. Danny watched Lindsay, watched the dreamy fog dissolve from her eyes. She looked flushed and gorgeous - and a little flustered. Good, Danny thought. So was he.
Neither of them said anything. This would typically be the point when one of them would say something smart or sarcastic. But thoughts, in general, were beyond both of them now. Because, just like that, everything between them changed.