"Danny you've got to calm down." Mindy finished studying her makeup (flawless, thanks) in the mirror and paused to watch him pace behind her.

"I'm calm. Or I was until you told me to calm down."

"You've thrown parties before." She blotted her lipstick and tossed the tissue toward the trashcan.

Danny grimaced and picked it up where it fell right next to the can. "No, I've been talked into throwing parties by girlfriends."

"Which, admittedly is what happened here, but no one's bringing a prostitute this time. Or proposing in a big embarrassing public way."

Danny looked away. He really hadn't been thinking of doing any such thing. He and his romantic gestures had a way of derailing in a bad way.

With wide eyes she turned from the mirror. "Right? Danny, don't even joke about that."

He shook his head. "No, no one is proposing tonight."

"So we just put on the music, we keep the food and drinks moving around and we get everyone the hell out of the apartment by 1am. We need to be able to do this. It's like a rite of couplehood."

"I get that."

"Think of it as a dry run for Thanksgiving."

"We don't have to throw a Thanksgiving party, we're going to my Ma's."

"Excuse me?"

"I always go. Well, I usually go. I didn't think you could even cook." He snaked one arm around her middle. "Besides, I want to show you off."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Okay, we'll talk about that later." The doorbell chimed and she bolted for the door.

"Hey, Dr L!"

"Morgan, you are way, way early."

"Did I catch you guys...in a compromising position?" Morgan's eyebrows lifted in a manner that was almost as much hope as surprise.

"Ew, gross, no. As a matter of fact it's perfect that you're early. We need to move the sofa so there's room to dance and I can't do it in heels. Can you help Danny?"

"What? No. This is not a discotheque," Danny protested.

"A discothe...Danny, I know what kind of wine bar parties you like to throw, but tonight this place is gonna pound. Now move the damn sofa."

"For the love of..." he just trailed off. There was no arguing with her. Or rather there was no winning.

. . . .

As it happened, she was right, this party was a "banger" (maybe. He had literally no idea if that's actually how to use the word) and the mix of mid-90's R&B, New Jack Swing and Electro had people dancing almost as soon as they walked through the door. A couple of beers in he joined the dancing crowd as enthusiastically as anyone else, but kept Mindy in his peripheral vision as she moved around the room. She was busy keeping everyone's drink fresh, brightening the crowd with little touches and laughs everywhere she went.

He'd been talked into that party with Alex out of a need to prove he was really in it deeper than he really was, in the end. That's probably what led him to agree to throw Mindy and Casey's bon voyage party. Looking back he felt like an idiot for getting sucked into that, knowing that the spark he'd always had with Mindy was the real reason Christina insisted on a big public show of their couplehood. Maybe he did it for the same reason, to draw a clean line between him and Mindy so they could both move on.

This time though, the little flutter of nerves at the beginning of the evening melted away quickly to be replaced by nothing but pride and happiness. This was his home, his friends, his beautiful, beautiful girlfriend. He wanted everyone there. He wanted everything, when he was with her.

Mindy made a couple of minor adjustments to the playlist, something slower coming on, something to wind down the crowd. As she sashayed up to him he grinned, "You really know what you're doing."

"Of course I do." Her brow furrowed as the comment registered. "Hold on, what do you mean?"

Danny gestured around them. "The music, the people, everything. I reckon people will start to filter out and we'll be in bed by 2."

"That's the plan." She waved at the first couple of people drifting out the door, but moved closer reaching for him, letting him lead as they began their dance.

The slower music had the intended effect; everyone looked a little tired, everyone spoke a little softer and the crowd began to thin in earnest. Morgan asked if he could take home the leftovers and once he started packing things up, Tamra put away all the bottles and started sneaking unfinished drinks over to the dishwasher. With the booze drying up the rest of the people cleared out with cheery goodbyes and drunken promises to text when they got home safe.

Still Mindy stayed with him on the dancefloor formerly known as his living room, the softer music bringing her closer to him, until it was less of a dance and more of a long embrace. She'd lost her shoes somewhere along the way and in his arms she fit right into the hollow of his neck. If she put her head down right now she'd be able to feel his heart beat fast, too fast for the music. He lowered his face into her hair, dropped a kiss there and inhaled her sweetness. "Is everybody gone?"

"Definitely. You know Morgan's always the last to go, usually long after you've told him to leave."

He looked around the room. It was trashed by his standards, but it could be much worse. The sofa was still pushed up against the wall, and the recycling bin was overflowing, but it could be worse. "We should clean up."

She looked up with him with bright eyes. "It can wait."

He started to argue, and much to his surprise the argument didn't dry up because he knew he'd lose, it simply wasn't there. She was right, it could wait. He had a beautiful woman in his arms, a little of his kind of terrible homebrew in his blood and nowhere else to be. The music changed again, something familiar. "Hey, I remember this song..."

"I Swear. It was the theme of my highschool's homecoming dance when I was a sophomore."

"Oh yeah? Did you dance to it with some weird pimply kid wearing Drakkar Noir?"

"Nope. I didn't dance with anyone."

"Really? You love to dance."

"I was pretty shy in high school. I spent most of my time studying or hanging out with my friends. I don't think guys noticed me."

"I'd have noticed you."

"No, you wouldn't have. I wore thick glasses and plastic jewelry. I hung out at the mall a lot."

"And that's different from now?"

She pushed him away playfully. "Screw you. I spend way more on jewelry now."

"You're telling me." He grinned at her.

She giggled and flopped down on the sofa. "Ugh my feet are killing me. Rub my feet. Do it now."

He settled next to her comfortably, reaching for her feet as she swung her legs toward him. He took her left foot into his hands, warming it before he began to massage. She moaned loudly as he worked his way up her calf then switched to the left. When he finished he kissed the top of her foot and dropped it into his lap. "I guess you grew out of being shy."

Mindy pulled her feet to her, and in a quick movement she was on her hands and knees crawling toward him. "I did. I waited all night that night for someone to ask me to dance. I'd never do that now. I'd dance by myself if I had to."

"Well you've always got a dance partner if you want one." Danny leaned back as she crawled into his lap.

Her hair fell down in a curtain around them as she straddled him, leaning down to kiss him. He slid his arms around her, settling on her bottom and eliciting another giggle. "You and butts. I swear."

"Hey, it's just me and your butt. I'm a one-butt kind of guy."

"Glad to hear it," she purred as her lips travelled lower, following her hands as they swiftly unbuttoned his shirt. He reached up, fumbling with the zipper on her dress for a minute before she offered a little help. "There's a hook at the top."

She lifted herself off him a bit as he pushed the hem of the dress up her thighs and grabbed it with both hands to pull it up and over her head. Her hair flew everywhere, causing a sharp pang of desire to rip through him. He loved it so much when she looked a little undone.

She dropped her hands to his belt, lifting herself again as he wiggled out of his trousers, letting them pool around his ankles. There was no hiding now how turned on he was, his erection pressed between them, underwear the last barrier between them now. She pushed down, letting out a little moan as they slid together. He stilled her with his hands on her hips so he could concentrate long enough to snap the front hook on her bra, sighing as her breasts fell free. She shrugged the lacy garment off and onto the floor as he peppered her chest with little kisses, getting rougher as he reached the tips; mouth open and hungry for the taste of her. The harder he sucked the harder she ground herself into him, causing an involuntary shudder.

He felt her hands between them, freeing him from his underwear and working him in a rhythm to match his tongue on her nipple. He pushed her away gently, slipping one hand between her to tease her through her panties, his thumb working in confident circles as she threw her head back, lip caught between her teeth. Slipping his fingers under the flimsy fabric he felt her, hot and wet and ready for him. He pushed a finger into her, thumb still moving against her as she began to push back with her hips, riding his hand smoothly.

His hand slick with her arousal he pulled it out of her panties and took himself in hand, pumping fast, then slowing down as she watched him with black eyes, lips parted and swollen. For the last time she lifted her hips and flicked her eyes down at his hand on his cock. He rubbed the head against her soaking panties and she lifted higher, putting her hands on his shoulders. With his other hand he moved the panties aside and held himself right to her, waiting.

With the softest sigh she sank, taking him in fully, stopping as their bodies met completely and closing her eyes. Again he let his hands cup her bottom, but waited for her to move, waited for what she needed. He wasn't going to last, he knew it and he just wanted to make sure she got there before he did. When she began to rock against him he moved his hand back into place, giving her a little extra to help her along as she bounced in his lap. He tried valiantly to think of anything to help him hold off as long as possible, but it was hard to focus on anything but her breasts as they bobbed in front of him, of her sweatslicked skin, of her hungry mouth now attacking his. This was what lovemaking was supposed to be. Immediate. Intimate. Full of the sounds and scent of a lover in ecstasy. When she shuddered all around him he exploded almost immediately, filling her with himself, surrounded by her heat and her passion he gave himself to her..

As they both tried to catch their breath again they kissed slowly, languidly, like people who had everything they needed right here, the rest of the world be damned. "Mindy, will you marry me?"

"What?" she gasped.

"I meant what I said. You've always got a dance partner. For the rest of our lives. if you'll have me. Marry me."

"Danny Castellano, I thought we said no dramatic proposals tonight."

His heart stood still. "I didn't mean to. It just happened. Is that a no?"

"You didn't mean to?" A look of concern clouded her face.

"I didn't mean to this way. I was gonna have a ring. There should have been a plan. But I'm no good at romantic gestures. I am good at this though. You and me together. And I want it. And I mean it. Will you marry me?"

Then Mindy smiled, and he knew it was going to be all right. "Of course."

"Oh, thank God." Danny breathed a sign of relief and his head dropped to hide the tears stinging his eyes.

She took his face in her hands and kissed him tenderly. "You know we're never going to be able to tell anyone our proposal story, right?"

"Does that matter?"

She looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know what? It really doesn't."

"I wouldn't mind if people know."

"I guess you've gotten over your shyness too." Wrapping her arms around his neck she kissed his jaw and nuzzled into his neck. "You know you still have to get a ring, right?"

"I'll get you anything you want."

"And I have very expensive taste in jewelry now."

Danny sighed, happily. "You're telling me."

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Calliope_Soars, phunkybrewsterspen & Smapdi for notes. Title derived from one of the myriad 90's hits I listened to whilst writing this mess.