Author's Note: I really don't know why I do this note, but I feel like I have to. Another stories in the IMAGINE Series. Just some innocent fluff that my muse was just begging me to write, so to make space for more useful plot ideas I just had to get this out!
The title comes from Rodgers and Hammerstein's My Favorite Things.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I am just a poor girl who enjoys writing stories.
Summary: Danny discovers what he loves more than a piece of New York pizza.
Many thanks to my amazing beta kcatlin for doing wonders on this piece for me!
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When it rained in New York, it wasn't just a little drizzle of rain here and there. No, nothing like that. It was a torrential downpour every time the clouds opened up. Small rivers ran down the streets, gutters clogged with leaves and garbage and the water began to trickle onto the sidewalks with nowhere else to go. The streets became a mess of umbrellas and traffic. Because no matter how often it rained, people apparently forgot how to drive when the weather was something other than disgustingly hot and humid. Honking and screeching and exhaust smoke filled the wet air as people dodged between traffic to make it to the next overhang, next subway station, next bus stop.
And even though Danny Messer had lived in New York all of his life, was used to the inches of rain and feet of snow and thickness of the humidity, he still hated it. He suddenly regretted riding his bike to work but at the rate the rain was coming down, the subways would be crowded and it would be faster to get home by weaving through the stopped taxis than to risk standing under some guy with really bad body odor.
He chanced a look across the hall into Trace and saw Lindsay there, talking with Adam about something. She had been there for almost forty-five minutes by now, going over the evidence for her case with a fine-tooth comb. Danny smiled as he caught Lindsay's eye, her face covered with an exhausted, lopsided grin. Her true joy for having just made eye contact with him twinkled in her eyes as she looked back down at her evidence again with a heavy sigh.
Danny finished up his paperwork and cleared off his cluttered desk, hoping to head home on time tonight. Lindsay wasn't off for another hour, but he was sure that he could find something to occupy his time with until then. The rain might even die down by then and they could go grab a slice.
A slice? Never had pizza sounded so unappetizing to him before and that was one of the first times Danny realized just how much his Montana meant to him. He was ready to turn down pizza if it meant an early night in with her.
Damn, thank God that Flack wasn't here to witness that.
Spinning himself around in his chair a few times to satisfy his inner child, Danny calmly collect his jacket and paperwork. After thinking about it for a second, Danny dropped his jacket back onto his chair. If he needed any other excuse to come back to his office and steal another glance at Montana, he could always whip out the jacket line. He knew she wouldn't buy it for a second, but it was always worth the risk.
Wandering through the halls of the lab in search of Mac, Danny saw that the rain was still coming down in heavy sheets. He was really kicking himself for bringing his bike out today, but who knew that it could be as warm as it was this morning, with not a cloud in the sky, only to be pouring hours later?
He casually knocked on Mac's door, who waved him inside.
Danny dropped his stack of paperwork on Mac's desk, collapsing into one of the chairs. "That's the paperwork for the Barker and George's cases. Just finished it up."
Mac casually flipped through the reports for his initial approval and nodded in response. "Good work, Dan."
"Thanks. I was hoping I could take off, ya know, actually get off on time. It's pretty slow in the lab and unless you need me for something..."
Taylor waved him off. "No, head home. In fact, drag Lindsay out of that lab and get her out of here too. I kicked Stella and Hawkes out hours ago, and I myself am ready to leave. Tuesdays are always a slow day for crime."
Danny smiled and pushed himself out of his chair. Mac really understood just when Danny needed him to. "Cool. Thanks Mac. Have a nice night."
"You too, Danny."
Walking back to his office, he was distraught to find that Lindsay wasn't where he left her. In fact, neither was Adam. In a last ditch effort to see Lindsay before he headed home, he snuck a look in the break room, but she wasn't there either. With a heavy sigh, his shoulders dropped a little in disappointment and the bounce was gone from his step. Traipsing back to his office, he saw someone's head resting on his desk.
It was Montana.
Careful not to wake her, he snuck into his office and kneeled right beside his chair. He studied her sleeping face for a few minutes, smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Her arms were tucked beneath her delicate head, legs bent beneath the desk. Her light breathing fogged up his desk right below her adorable nose that Danny had to resist on a daily basis to gently poke. She was the cutest thing when her face was lax like it was now, her hair casually falling over her eyes. The muscles in her face were relaxed and the tension wrinkles had faded from the corners of her eyes.
Much to Danny's delight, he realized she was using his jacket as a makeshift pillow.
Gently pressing a kiss to her temple, his lips moved to her ear, quietly whispering to the sleeping damsel on his desk.
"C'mon Montana, wake up. We need to get out of here."
"Mhmm..."
Danny shook his head. He stood up, planting his hands on his hips, assessing the situation. If he were at home, there were so many things he could do to wake her up. But he was in the lab, with glass for walls, which limited his options significantly. If she had been awake, she probably would have panicked at the innocent kiss in a nearly empty lab. As much as he wanted to wake her up, Danny was content with just watching her. There had been many late nights when she had fallen asleep before him and he lay awake looking at her.
He reached a hand out and grabbed her shoulder, gently rocking her awake. "Montana...baby, wake up."
Lindsay buried her head in her arms a little bit more, groaning. Opening just one eye, she looked up at Danny and smiled, letting out a content sigh as she slid her eyelid shut, "Hi sweetie."
Danny smiled again, rubbing her back as Lindsay rejoined the conscious world. Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she sat up and stretched her arms above her head, eyes opened just a slit. Slowly she stood up and handed Danny his jacket back, winking at him. She rounded the corner to her own desk, grabbing her own jacket and flipping off the light switch. As she turned to leave, she was startled to find a grinning Danny standing in her way.
She walked up to him, an inch closer than she probably should have, and smiled back, "Ready?"
He shook his head slowly, and briefly looked over her shoulder, "Not quite yet."
Lindsay quirked an eyebrow at him, "What?"
His hand shot out and grabbed hers, tugging her along with him, "Follow me."
And she did – all the way up to the top floor. The only thing up here were the big bosses of the crime lab, and Lindsay was even more confused. As Danny led her into the stairwell, she stole a view of the forecast and saddened at the sight of the rain. Wait, Danny was heading towards the roof access...
Before she could even object, Danny threw open the door to the roof and pushed her out into the pouring rain, getting drenched instantly. He let go of her hand just letting it fall down to her side as she didn't move, horrified at just how wet she was getting. Her hair was soaked, sticking to the sides of her face; her blouse stuck to her chest, pants clinging to her legs. She swore to herself about how this was going to ruin her good pair of heels, how much this outfit was going to cost to dry clean, when she saw Danny.
He was standing a few feet away from her, head tipped back and arms up in the air, almost as if he was welcoming the detestable weather. Just like Lindsay, Danny was soaked to the core. His good pair of shoes–and what Lindsay may have thought was his only pair–resting in a puddle on the uneven ground. His dress slacks stuck to him in all the right places, making his ass look nice. And as her eyes continued to travel up his fit body, Lindsay couldn't stop the small gasp that escaped from her lips.
Oh God. He was wearing that white shirt. With his signature white tank top underneath. And it clung to his pecs and biceps and...
She was getting turned on just looking at him. And when he turned around with that grin on his face, she knew that he was very aware of his actions. He knew what he was doing to her. She may have initially hated the fact that Danny had his notorious 'Ladies Man' reputation, but when he did stuff like this sometimes, Lindsay couldn't help but fall harder. Because he could just be so...
"Damn you for being so cute and romantic sometimes, Messer," she shouted over the sound of the rain slamming against the rooftop and the traffic far below them.
Danny spun around with a shocked look on his face and just stared at her for a moment before his mouth transformed into a shit-eating grin. "I never thought I'd live to see the day someone thought I was cute. Now hot I have heard a million times, but cute? Seriously Montana...cute?" He smirked at her, winking.
Lindsay dropped her jacket carelessly on the wet ground and ran up to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him as hard as she could. He was ready for it too, as he picked her up and held Lindsay on his waist, as the two made out like they hadn't kissed for days when really it had just been hours. Their fingers were tangled in each other's hair, Danny's hand resting on her back beneath her soaked shirt. She grasped the sides of his face, pulling him as close as he could get. When they finally pulled away, foreheads resting against the other's, they were silent.
Finally, Danny let go of her and gently placed her feet back on the ground, licking his lips slowly. Even with the rain cascading down onto the two of them, he could still faintly taste her on his swollen lips. Somehow their hands had managed to intertwine and they stood there on the roof of the crime lab, in the pouring down rain, staring at each other.
Danny titled his head towards the heavens and yelled out, startling Lindsay.
"I have the most beautiful girlfriend in the world!" he declared, following the statement with a few hoots and hollers that sent Lindsay into a fit of giggles.
And very slowly, Danny dipped his head down to place a soft kiss upon her damp lips.
Nothing beat kissing a beautiful girl in the rain. Not even the best pizza in New York.
