A/N: Ok, so this is established Mindy/Danny, which I never write, but with that last episode (and knowing what is coming) I just couldn't help myself. This is unrepentant fluff. A schmoopy sap-fest if there ever was one :P. I hope you like it, please let me know what you think.
"Stay safe. Promise me you won't fall for some beach babe, or get abducted by pirates." Her voice is light, mirthful even as it comes through the tinny speaker on his phone. He smiles, and she continues. "I may have a lot of money, but I have a strict no negotiating with terrorists policy, and I would hate for people to see how quickly that crumbles when it's you."
This time he laughs. "I'll avoid all beaches, particularly the ones that seem to be pirate and/or babe prone." This time she does the laughing, and even though she's hundreds of miles away, he can see the smile he knows is on her face. He sighs. He's only been gone a couple days, and yet he already misses her. "Richie really wishes you could have come along. He wanted to introduce you to Ramon."
A disgusted little "ugh" sounds in his ear, and he's accosted by the image of her face once again, this time pouty, a little frown tugging at the corners of her mouth, her bottom lip just slightly puffed out. "Jeremy is being a tyrant, and apparently I've taken all my vacation days, and he insisted 'meeting-my-boyfriend's-brother's-boyfriend-days' aren't a thing."
Danny feels a little sorry for Jeremy. He knows Mindy will make this week miserable for him. It's just the sort of pettiness he would expect, and he loves it. He chuckles, wondering if she can picture his face simply by closing her eyes, the way he does with her. "Don't be too hard on him, he's starting to stress eat again, you're probably gonna push him over the edge, then you'll feel so guilty that you'll invite him too come to the gym with you, and you know you'd hate that."
"Oh god, no. I had to change gyms the last time he went to mine. He slept with my trainer and then never called her again. I did a hundred squats before I realized she was just taking out her anger on me." She sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll play nice, you know how much I hate squats, even if they do make my ass firm."
He clears his throat as an image of her doing just that flashes to the front of his mind, causing a slight rise in his body temperature. "On, second thought, make his life hell, what do I know?"
She giggles. "Oh, Castellano, you hornball, I swear. I'm thinking we should wrap this call up, before it devolves into awkward phone sex. I'm no E.L. James, but it'd probably get pretty vulgar, pretty fast."
"Who?"
"Fifty Shades of Gray. Come on, don't pretend you didn't steal my copy and secretly read it."
"Those books aren't even well written. You want some sexy literature, you should try Updike. He'll give you some ideas."
She snorts, the sound morphing into unrestrained laughter. "Like I need to get any ideas from some old guy. Puh-lease. I'm chocked full of ideas, just wait until you get back."
He grins at the thought. For the first time in years, he has someone waiting back in New York, something other than a cold apartment to look forward to. He swallows before answering her. "I can hardly wait." He pauses, waiting for her amusement to fade away. "Min?"
"Yeah?"
"Good night."
"Sweet dreams, Danny."
Mindy taps 'end' on her phone, drawing her knees up beneath her chin, she hugs them to her chest. She can't put a name to the feeling she's experiencing at this moment. She misses Danny so much it's almost physically painful, but she's not sad. It's like she's having withdrawals from some undiscovered drug, perhaps a chemical compound only found in the specific combination of cologne, laundry soap, and leather that she associates with Danny.
Sighing she leans back into her overabundant pile of pillows, wishing that her super expensive and utterly amazing laundry detergent didn't smell like lavender and lilacs.
Her hands run over the smooth cotton sheets absentmindedly, slowly snaking their way up beneath one of pillows beside her head. Searching briefly for something, a smile spreads across her face when her fingertips catch the familiar fabric.
Grasping it, she drags the love worn little guy out from underneath the pillow, the yellow fabric of his body worn from years affection. She puts him against the tip of her nose, sniffing. Not quite the specific smell she's looking for, but comforting nonetheless.
She smiles again, almost laughing when she remembers tucking the stuffed animal into her purse the day she helped Danny pack for his trip. If she couldn't have Dr. Castellano, she'd settle for Mr. Neck.
He's exhausted, the fatigue pulls at him making his shoulders droop as he rubs the sleep out of his eyes. He changed his flight plan last minute, the urge to be back home completely overwhelming him.
After a week of boating and deep sea fishing with Richie and Ramon, he feels more relaxed than he has in a long time, and yet there's a part of him that's still strung pretty tight in anticipation. He just needs one more thing before he can fully embrace relaxation.
It's the reason he caught an early flight, and also the reason he's standing her, bag leaned up against his leg, staring at his reflection in the elevator doors. Elevator doors that are several blocks away from his apartment.
He has to come here first, there is no helping it. He only hopes she's home. It's 2am Sunday morning. There's every chance in the world she's out with friends, dressed to the nines, having a girl's night out. He's ok with that, but he finds himself hoping that she's sound asleep in bed, in her rattiest college t-shirt, her hair a wild mess tangled and spilling across her drool stained pillow.
Eagerly he slips through the elevator doors, pausing at her door as he jingles his keys looking for the copy she'd given him only recently. It's one of those kitschy little patterned ones latchkey kids pick out when their parents take them to get a key. She picked a purple one, butterflies fluttering across it's surface. Rolling his eyes, he laughs when he remembers her reasoning. "Anyone who sees it will know you have a girlfriend." He had grumbled about it, but in reality he doesn't mind, not at all.
The key slips easily into the lock and he's through the door in seconds, dropping his bags just inside the foyer. His leather jacket sails across the living room, landing on the couch as he passes through.
Pausing at her open bedroom door, he can feel the tension inside of him unwinding. It releases slowly as he takes in her sleeping form, curled up in the middle of half a dozen pillows, her blankets tangled around her legs.
He knows she startles easy when she's sleeping, and there's every chance in the word that she's got a weapon of some sort tucked under her pillow. Not taking any chances, he stops a few feet from the bed and calls out her name.
The sound of his voice immediately pulls her awake. Her eyes flutter up and she sits straight up, clutching something tightly to her chest. "Danny?"
The very last bit of tightness eases out of his chest and he closes the distance between them, sitting on the edge of her bed. He can see the lines of her face in the dim light of the streetlamp, filtering through her sheer curtains.
She blinks a couple times, as though she believes she's not quite awake. Finally satisfied that he's real, she reaches for him, her hands curling in his collar as she pulls him down to meet her lips.
She kisses softly, slowly, sighing into it. It's a welcome home kiss, the same tension he'd experienced all week now seeping out of her. He pulls back to look at her again, only now noticing the object she has clutched so tightly to her breast.
Confusion chases across his features briefly, quickly being replaced by amusement. He reaches forward, dragging the back of his knuckles against the familiar, if slightly rough, material of his childhood toy. "Mindy, if I'd known I'd find you in bed with another man, I would have called first."
He assumes she's blushing. It's too dark to tell, but in his experience, the only time she's quiet is when she's embarrassed. Testing his theory, he raises his hand, knuckles up still, and touches them to her face. The heat there proves his theory and he smiles. "I'm not getting him back, am I?"
She shakes her head, swallowing. He laughs, suddenly remembering something. He leans forward, laying a quick but chaste kiss on her lips. "Be right back."
He exits the room, but returns in a matter of seconds, carrying his messenger bag. As he sits beside her once again, he feels a blush of his own creeping up his neck, as unavoidable embarrassment sweeps over him. Shaking it off, he shoves his hand in the bag, pausing to look at her again. "You say you don't negotiate with terrorists, but I may have something you're willing to trade Mr. Neck for, a hostage of my own."
Her temporary bashfulness evaporates, curiosity taking over completely. She leans forward, trying to peek in the bag. Danny backs away. "Ah, I don't think so. You have to play fair. Will you make a trade?"
She nods, and he slowly withdraws his hand, pulling out a squishy little lump of a stuffed animal. She squeaks, clearly shocked. "Brown Bear!" Lunging forward, she ignores the promise she made as she pins Danny to the bed. "Kidnapper!"
The breath knocked out of him, he coughs, the sound morphing into laughter. "You're one to talk!"
She relaxes against him, enjoying the feel of his chest moving against hers. She tucks her head in the crook of his neck, her favorite place, and sighs. "I didn't have a choice, I was having withdrawals or something. I was this close to DT's or something."
Her hair is silky against his fingers as they thread through it, he can feel the relaxation settling over him again. "Withdrawals." He says the word slowly, letting it roll around in his mouth, contemplating it's connotations. "I know what you mean."
Brown bear had sat on his night stand the entire week he'd stayed at his brother's. The last thing he saw before he turned off the light each evening, a reminder of sorts. She sighs against his chest, just as his throat constricts at the memory. "Danny, I missed you."
"I missed you too."