Title: The two times Danny struck out and the one time he didn't
Author: Jailynn
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2584
Disclaimer: I don't own anything
Fandom: CSI: NY
Couple: Danny/Lindsay
Timeline: Set in season five (which I'm rewatching, cause I love it * grin *) Between episodes 10 through 17
A/N: Unbeta'ed, please forgive all mistakes. I try like heck to catch them, but never can
Summary: The first time he asked her, it was on a street corner
Feedback: Please and thank you
Completed: Yes
Type: Fluffy fluff
=0=
The first time he asked her, it was on a street corner in the middle of New York with the crime lab looming behind them. Her surprise was honest and completely natural. They had only been back together for a couple months, he hadn't thought about a solid future with her yet- they were still trying to find their rhythm again, and he just found out he was going to be a father. A shock he wasn't expecting but was quickly becoming the biggest blessing he could have ask for. Having been a baseball player most of his life, he knew what to do when a curve ball came his way. He knew when to swing and take a chance or when to back off and let the ball sail into the catcher's mitt.
The proposal of marriage came from him in a burst of nervous energy. Danny felt it was right- the right time, the right woman, the right reason to do it. He was watching the ball, squaring his shoulders, ready to swing, the sun beating down, causing him to sweat slightly. A bead of it followed the line of his forehead. He was ready to knock the baseball out of the park.
He didn't get down on one knee, because honestly as much as he loved his city, the streets were covered in stuff he didn't like to think too hard about, but also because he didn't plan it out. Not really. If he had he would have bought a ring, made a reservation at the poshest restaurant in Manhattan, worn a tux and told her to wear her best dress. He would have wowed her like she deserved to be wowed. If he would be have thought it through he would have known better than to swing at that pitch.
Her big brown eyes were soft, slightly sad. Her lips curved in an apologetic smile. Her hand, the one she was using to tear apart her bagel, caressed his cheek in a loving way. Then she said the simple word, two letters, one he hoped she wouldn't say, but like everything else about that moment, hadn't really thought about it, "No."
The breath he took as she was walking away was resigned. He wasn't angry over the refusal of his marriage proposal. He wasn't upset that she walked away, she had every right, he was just a little sad and even more resolved in his quest to make her his wife. Now wasn't the correct time, the pitch was off center and swinging at it was a mistake. He could almost hear the umpire in his head turn to the side behind him, hold out his finger and shout, "Strike one."
Later as they were on their way to tell Mac their news, and could he just say that walking toward his boss's office was the tensest he has been in a long time- Mac's approval meant the world to him- to both of them, he asked her why. Part of him was unsettled by what would come out of her mouth, the other, larger part of him wanted - needed to know her answer. He just had to know. Her reply was as simple and brilliant as the woman that said the words, "I didn't mean I won't. I just think it's the wrong time."
He should have heard the wise meaning behind her phrase, but... Old insecurities, ones he has no one to blame for but himself crawled up his back into his mind, "Wrong time. Wrong time or wrong guy?"
Her sigh was one of exasperation and affection. The love she felt for him, the love he was once foolishly and completely blind to, shone from her eyes in a wondrous gleam. She put his fears to rest and his mind at ease with her words and the honesty in which she said them. Lindsay didn't want to rush, didn't want to push him into something he might not want. It was then that he was convinced he not only wanted her at his side for the rest of his life, but that he would make it happen.
Danny pulled her aside and took Lindsay in his arms, keeping some distance between them, but not enough to lose the intimacy he craved. He looked into her eyes and felt his heart expand. Her beauty always caught him off guard, but now while pregnant- she seemed to glow radiantly. Danny couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her in his life. He knew that he gave her every reason to walk away and never return, but she didn't. Lindsay Monroe loved him with more intensity than anyone ever could and he felt the same about her.
"Okay. So look, before we go inside, I wanna just tell you one more thing, okay," he urged her a little closer to him and made sure her eyes were locked on his so that she could see the sincerity in their blue depths. So many months, when he was losing himself and losing her, he wouldn't look her in the eye because she could read him so well. Back then he cursed that quality about her, now he embraced it. "I just want you to know, that I love you."
Lindsay's smile was large and knowing. His words might have been welcomed, but she knew his feelings for her long before he did. Which is probably why his stumble with Rikki was so much more devastating to her. "I love you too Danny."
When they finally made it into Mac's office, Danny could have sworn the umpire in his head called out, "Ball one." One strike, one ball. He wasn't out of the game, in his assumption it was just getting started.
=0=
The second time he asked her, he planned everything, right down to that last possible detail. He used his day off to get his plan into motion. He set up his apartment to look like a secluded restaurant. Candles burned in corners, their flickering flames dancing hypnotically across the walls. Music played softly in the background. Light jazz to set the mood. Danny moved a circular table in the middle of the living room, covered it in a white cloth, placed a single daisy in a vase in the center. From the kitchen the heavenly smells of his great grandma's lasagna was wafting through the apartment. He stood back and looked around him, taking it all in. The twist in his stomach intensified when he heard her key enter the lock.
He subtly patted the side of his leg, checking for the small surprise he had there. His hands felt clammy as he waited for her to walk through the door. His heart pounded wildly in his chest. Danny closed his eyes, counted to ten then opened them again. Lindsay stood in front of him, her face lighting up as she took in all the effort he put into his surprise. Some of his nerves ebbed away in her presence. She could calm him with one look and send him pulsing with desire with another.
She moved over to him, cupping his face in her hands, slowly bringing his head down to hers. The kiss was sweet, innocent by most standards, but to him, it felt like the world hung from her mouth. His entire universe contained in a small woman. The only reason he pulled away was because the alarm on his stove sounded and causing a fire would definitely put a damper on the rest of his evenings plans.
"Hungry," he asked her, brushing her bangs from her eyes.
Lindsay grinned, her brown eyes lighting up, "Oh yeah."
The urge to kiss her again was great, but he resisted. He carefully pulled the hot dinner out of the oven, putting the steaming dish of lasagna on the table, serving her a piece of the cheesy masterpiece. Her moans of enjoyment as she ate hit him hard, making him shift in his chair and gulp his glass of sparkling cider. The bubbles slid down his throat tickling it on the way. They held hands over the table, laughing at the days events, growing closer with each passing second. Lindsay's body rocked slightly with the music, her hand that wasn't in his, was rubbing her belly. Danny stood from his chair, urging her to stand as well and pulled her close. They swayed with the music on the radio and the one in their hearts no one but them could hear. A light kick was felt between them. He laughed, feeling his heart swell at the movement of his child and knelt down. He wrapped his arms around her middle, keeping her still as he pressed his lips to her stomach.
Figuring it was the time, he took a deep breath and looked up at her. He mentally squared his shoulders, gripping the bat in his hands, and waited for the pitch. Lindsay stared down at his face, a small smile on her lips. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the tiny box. "Lindsay will you marry me?"
She looked at him with an expression of disbelief. Her mouth was open slightly and her brown eyes were steadily getting wider the longer they remained there. Her right hand touched his face, running her thumb over his bottom lip, while her left shook against his hand, the hand holding the box- a small black velvet box. The diamond ring residing inside was small, nothing like what she deserved, but it was all he could afford at the moment. Life was coming at him quick and his bank account was taking the brunt of the assault, especially since he was getting ready to make an offer a small two bedroom apartment for him, Lindsay and their bundle of joy to live in, to start their lives in.
Lindsay's mouth closed and she knelt down in front of him, eye to eye. Her answer was there in the deepest corners of those beautiful brown puddles. Danny wanted to protest but knew that her resolve was final. She leaned in to kiss him, her rounded stomach nudged between them. He melted into the kiss, even as his stomach tied in knots over the gentle rejection. The umpire called out, "Strike two." One more and he was out.
Breaking apart, she leaned her forehead against his and smiled at him. "We'll get there," she whispered over the sounds of car horns honking, the screaming people below them and the soft jazz in the background. He heard what she said, but also heard the meaning behind the words. Just like after the first time he asked, she was telling him that he was the right guy- the one for her- it was the time that wasn't right. He nodded, letting her know he understood and she grinned. "I love you Danny Messer."
The emotion in her voice sent a shiver down his spine and a smile to his face, "I love you, Lindsay Monroe."
"Ball two," the imaginary caller said in his ear. Two and two. All wasn't lost.
=0=
The third time he asked her to marry him, he didn't ask. He could feel his time running out. It was the bottom of the ninth. All the bases were loaded. The sun was setting in the distance. The end of the game was coming and it was coming in the form of Lindsay leaving New York to go to Montana for several weeks. The very thought was making him sick, his heart twisted. The day was like any other, only it wasn't.
Today was his wedding day. Today was the day that he was going to take the woman he loves hand in his and place a ring on her finger. Lindsay moved beside him, completely unaware of what he had planned. Her body was relaxed, her dress casual. Pants that hugged her body, a white shirt that accentuated her larger breast and the roundness of her stomach and a scarf that hung loose from her neck. Little to no make-up marred her lovely face. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. Even though he was as nervous as he's ever been in his life, he couldn't get past how gorgeous she looked.
As they neared the city clerk's office, he watched the look on her face shift from confusion to understanding. He saw she was about to say no again and knew that this time, this time he couldn't strike out. He took her hands in his and put his heart on the line. Choked up on the bat, preparing to swing with all his might. "I'm tired of being afraid, alright? You and me," he pointed between them, "We make sense, okay?" He saw his words making an impact and continued, his tone became passionate, intense. "You're everything I've always wanted. I wanna be with you. And I can be the guy you want me to be. I know I can. I am that guy."
Lindsay's eyes glistened with tears. Her heart clearly seen as she whispered, "I know you are."
The ball was slowly coming over the plate, he angled his body, ready to knock it out of the park. "Then let's walk through this door together. Come on, let's do it. Let's take that leap."
Another moment of hesitation. A small beat where the bat connected with the ball and he waited. Would it foul and be the final strike or would it sail through the blue sky into the great beyond? She looked over at the door and then one of the biggest smiles he has ever seen graced her features. "You got a money order?"
Danny wrapped her up in his arms, claiming her mouth in a deep kiss. In his head he could hear the crowd cheering as the ball cleared the back field wall and left the stadium. She snuggled up close to him, her body molding to his, her heart beat racing at the same speed as his own. They each took a deep breath and walked through the door. Seeing Mac and Stella there added to the joy he felt radiating from her body. The day couldn't have been more perfect.
Exchanging vows with her, felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was like the stars aligned, the heavens opened up and the angels sang sweet songs. Lindsay wiped a single tear that fell from her eye, as he slid the ring on her finger. He always thought the weight of a ring on his hand would be noticeable and bother him, but he relished the white gold circle that fit perfectly. It let the world know that he was the luckiest man on the planet.
When the officer of the court said, "You may now kiss your bride."
He felt the last remaining ounces of tension leave his body. He tipped her head up, kissing her soundly. Sealing the vows they had just spoken. Making her his wife and making him her husband. Danny Messer had won a lot of games as a baseball player, score a few home runs in his years, but this was the greatest victory of his life. The day Lindsay Monroe became Lindsay Messer- his life, his wife, his forever love.
The End