It wasn't like he was counting the days or anything, but Danny was very aware of the timeframe of his latest, last incarnation of his relationship with Mindy. The reboot, Danny and Mindy 2.0, seemed to have happened so recently it was like a dream, but it had actually been just over four weeks. Danny's bruises had faded and his cracked ribs knit, but the most amazing healing had taken almost no time at all.
His heart.
It was so full now, sometimes he felt it would break his chest. He couldn't remember a time he had ever been so happy - maybe as a child, but darker memories of those days shadowed any hint of youthful glee. Even their first weeks as a couple couldn't compare, because his moments of joy would be constantly interrupted by his nagging doubt, his fear of fucking up. And fuck up he did, in spades, which made it so much clearer now that he could never, ever do anything so stupid and reckless again, and somehow that alleviated his fear.
Yeah, he was kind of a messed up guy. But he was changing. He felt like he was becoming a different person, a snake who was shedding his skin. Smiling wasn't a rare occurrence anymore, it was now becoming the norm. Annoying things that he would have spent so much time ranting about, in particular, Mindy things, were no more than mere bumps in the road - in fact, sometimes they charmed him. Especially the Mindy things.
Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's all small stuff, as one of Mindy's Facebook friends liked to post frequently - he thought it was really Morgan, because he was pretty sure no real person was named Bones McBarkerson. Point is, those smarmy little quotes you find on motivational posters would normally elicit a curled lip and a dissertation on pop psychology, but now, they kinda made sense to him.
Danny knew it was just the addled brain of a man in love, but he didn't mind. When he had told Mindy that what they had was real, on that dark night that he thought he had lost her for good, it was the most honest he had ever been with her -and with himself. After they both accepted their feelings, things just clicked.
So laying there in the morning light, looking at her curled up with her back to him, he couldn't stop thinking about the future, their future. This was forever to him. She had as much as moved in at this point, because there really was no reason to be apart if they didn't have to be. Even though they worked together, they didn't see each other all that often in the office, between appointments and deliveries and rotating schedules, so the time at home together was precious.
It was surprisingly nice not to hide it, either. Sure, for the first couple of weeks, it was a little outside his comfort zone, but then it was just the way it was supposed to be and things were pretty normal. More kissing, yeah, definitely more kissing. As long as he kept his roving hands off Mindy until they were behind closed doors, nobody even looked twice when they stopped at reception and parted ways with a quick smooch.
And yes, he used the word smooch, and she always rolled her eyes, and smooched him anyway.
It was too soon, he thought, watching the reflections dance across her shiny hair, too soon to really think about their talk, too soon to disrupt this comfortable routine they had so easily fallen into. But it stayed in the back of his mind, breaking his train of thought on so many occasions, and he wondered, when? Neither of them was getting any younger, and once the seed was planted, so to speak, he just couldn't let it go. He had fought for so long the idea of falling in love again, of being a dad, and once he had won the first battle he was so ready to fight the other. But it was really too soon. He needed to just enjoy this - them - for a little while longer.
Mindy stirred a little, and Danny couldn't resist her. He curled his body up behind her, slipping a hand under her camisole and burying his nose against her neck to inhale the sweet scent of her. She purred and moved her face towards him. "Hey. Baby. Morning breath."
He laid a quick kiss on her shoulder before getting up to brush his teeth. A late night delivery augmented by a lot of coffee made for a less than fresh mouth, and it was telling that Mindy had no problem being blunt about it - they were comfortable enough almost instantly to not need to hide from honesty anymore.
Danny slipped back into bed, where Mindy had rolled onto her back and drifted off to sleep again. He snuggled up, lips returning to her silky soft shoulder, his hand finding her not perfectly flat but just perfect tummy. This is where our babies will grow, he thought, and felt tears sting his eyes. What a sap I've turned into. But he couldn't stop smiling. He rubbed her stomach softly and ran his hand up to her ribs, just under her breasts, not going any further while she was still sleeping. Just as he started to move his hand away, he was stopped by her smaller hand clutching his.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mindy murmured sleepily, drawing his hand back up to cup her breast.
"Nowhere. Ever." He whispered back. He stroked her lazily, his thumb brushing the pebbled tip, and she arched up into his touch. Danny was a big fan of all parts of Mindy, though he knew she was slightly obsessed with the idea that she was too small, not symmetrical enough, not perfect like the airbrushed images in the magazines. But she was so wrong, on all counts, because he found her just exactly right in every way. She was a woman and she looked like a woman, and the most beautiful thing was that she would use these magnificent gifts to feed their babies one day.
But until then... they were for him.
Nudging her camisole up, he kissed his way from her belly up to capture a nipple with his lips, feeling it stiffen, his tongue caressing and teeth gently nipping. She moaned and it was music to his ears. He could stay here all day, but Mindy clearly had other ideas, as she turned into him and reached down to take him in her hand.
He kissed her then, his mouth minty fresh, hers somehow cinnamon even in the early morning. She tucked her body into his, two puzzle pieces that didn't make sense but they just fit. Yes, there was time to enjoy this, just the two of them, for a little while longer.