A/N: Hi Guys, sorry this oneshot is so very late; I had a little bit of a tantrum after I watched the episode earlier -and gosh knows why because we actually got some DL scenes! Nothing pleases me apparently, but something just didn't sit right with me, so I've spent all day thinking about it, and just when I was about to give up, this idea came to me and it flowed onto word. I'm not sure how I feel about it, just like how I feel about the episode actually... but that's here nor there. I hope you guys liked the episode more than I did! I blame my moody mood - it's my last week of placement next week and I don't want to leave so my demeanour is similar to that of a small child's right now that isn't getting her own way. LOL!
Anyway, enough about me - thank you all so VERY much for your lovely words from last lesson (omg, last lesson? FOR GOODNESS SAKE! I have teaching on the brain!) last oneshot, ONE-SHOT. LOL They were all so kind and they had me squeeing all day inbetween my lessons! :) So thank you to: Aveo amacus, MesserFamilyFan100, gwen24, Jenn, Lindsay1234, Jennifer32485, NorthernLights25, Stampiej, Montana05-Cowboy16-Forever07, messermonroeforever125, saderia, LoveIsInTheAir4DL, Meredith and Derek, 18lzytwner, rhymenocerous, danny-lindsay4e, FoxPhile, - you are all superstars! thank you! :) afrozenheart412
Post-ep one-shot, season 7 episode 16: The Untouchables.
Danny Messer let out a long sigh as Lindsay snuggled further into him on the couch. Her eyes were glued on the TV, soaking in the image of the movie she'd been desperate to watch when they'd got home from work that evening. He however, wasn't able to lose himself so easily.
When Mac had asked for them to process Tessa's apartment together, Danny had felt his heart skip considerably within his chest. It had been weeks since he'd had the chance to work with his wife in the field. If not months. She'd been in the field, as had he, but never together it seemed nowadays. The bruising had finally subsided on her stomach from a few weeks previous when she'd been brutally kicked in the stomach, and he'd had a few tumbles too in that time.
So stood processing a wall in an abandoned building was pretty much a vacation, right? Actually, he was beginning to think otherwise.
He loved working with Lindsay; after all, she was his wife, best friend and the mother to his child. He was a lucky man, and even luckier that he got such opportunities to work with her, doing something they both loved and were good at.
But then there was always the flip-side of working closely with someone that he spent all of his time with. He loved her and he'd love her for the rest of his life; there was no doubt about that. But, he couldn't help it sometimes but to be even the tiniest bit pissed off with her. He could hold his hands up and say that he honestly knew everything about his wife. He knew when she was happy, sad, frustrated, pissed off, turned on, he thought with a rush running through him. But... he was beginning to think that Lindsay clearly didn't know everything about him. And that hurt; it hurt a lot.
Danny furrowed his brow as he went through his thought-process. She knew exactly how he was when he came to baseball. It wasn't a hidden fact that Danny Messer was a baseball super-fan. And she of all people knew that. Hell, even Lucy knew it. So when she looked surprised at his array of Baseball facts he'd contributed to the case earlier, he'd admittedly been a little hurt. He thought after a good three years in a relationship together and good two years of marriage almost, she would know pretty much everything about him and his quirks. But apparently not.
He let out a sigh and cast his eyes down to her face. She was wearing a small smile but was completely engrossed in their movie. Not for much longer, he thought.
"Babe?" He attempted to get her attention.
"Hmm?" She replied, clearly concentrating on what was playing out onscreen.
"I uh – I've got a question."
"Danny," she sighed. "it's like I told you earlier, if you keep watching, it'll make sense. I promise its better, it's just when you read the book, because it describes everything a lot better, but the movie is still good."
"It's not about the movie," He said simply. "Linds, why did you say that earlier?"
"Say what?"
"You're so obsessed with baseball - why'd you say it?"
"What?" She asked, craning her neck up to face him.
"You said earlier that I was obsessed with baseball."
Lindsay blinked at him. "Did I... offend you?"
"No," he shook his head. "But you – well, you sounded shocked."
"Shocked?"
"Yeah," Danny nodded. "It had that teasing, shocked tone you used to have back before we even started dating. Like when you were humouring me, but you were secretly tryin' to dig for more information about me."
"And is this a bad thing?"
"Well it is when it's something that means a lot to me and you don't know about it."
"Danny, I'm getting a little lost here. Let me straighten this out a little, are you upset because I made fun of you, or because I was surprised at how much you knew?"
"Well... both. I'm upset that you poked fun at me, and that you didn't know it to begin with; it's something that is a huge part of me, you didn't have a clue about it."
Lindsay remained silent as she let him rant at her.
"I know everythin' about you babe," he continued. "Inside and out; I know what makes you tick, what you love, what you hate... yet, you don't know how much I love baseball."
She blinked at him. "Do you honestly think that?"
"Yeah!" He implored. "I do."
"Okay," she shrugged, turning her attention back to the TV.
"Okay?" he spat, "Okay? Lindsay, this is something that-" he sighed as he realised he wasn't getting a reaction from her "you know what, fuck it – never mind. Move, I wanna get up."
"Okay," she nodded, sitting up on the couch, giving him room to move before retaking her previous position, laid on one of their comfortable couch cushions.
Huffing and puffing, Danny stomping away from her, cursing under his breath as he did so. He made his way into their bedroom and made a point of slamming the door, loud enough so she could get the picture that he was pissed and upset, but quiet enough as to not wake their sleeping daughter.
How dare she be so nonchalant about something that had upset him! The fact that he'd said something to her should have been a big enough indicator that he wanted some sort of reassurance that she did in fact take an interest in him and what passions he had, but from the lack of conviction, he could only assume she couldn't care less, which if he was honest, cut him deep.
He was by no means turning into a softie. He wasn't one of those guys that were 'in touch with their inner feminine side' or whatever that bologna was. He was a man's man. ... Just with a sensitive side.
And a wife that didn't care, he mused to himself.
He sighed, frustrated with his wife – an emotion he didn't feel often, admittedly.
He grabbed his phone from his pocket and brought up the text messaging. This is the point where you come see why I'm so mad.
He read his message, then re-read it, then deleted it.
He knew he was being pathetic, but he simply couldn't help it. Baseball was just as much a part of him as his wife and daughter were. His baseball was important to him. And yes, he was making a huge deal out of something so little, but it was now the principal of it. He wasn't going to let Lindsay get away with such nonchalance.
Flinging himself off the bed, Danny made his way out into the living room. "Babe, I wanna talk to you."
"Well, you were the one that stormed off," she reminded him. "Told me to move. 'Fuck it' I believe were your words." She said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Don't be like that," he scoffed, sitting on the chair on the other side of the room. "Can't you see how this is ruffling my feathers?"
"For no reason whatsoever," she added. "Danny, you're making something out of nothing here."
"You think, Montana?" He implored. "You really think so?"
"I know so," she told him.
"Well why then, explain to me why you were so offhand with me at work. Why did you say that? You made me look stupid. Not to mention it looks like we don't even know each other. Everyone knows how much baseball means to me; apart from you apparently."
Lindsay laughed, but not just any laugh; one of those laughs that Danny had come to hate. It was a laugh that indicated she was just about to prove him wrong and she was pissed with his accusations.
"You genuinely think I don't know how much baseball means to you?" she questioned. "Hand to heart you don't believe I know how big of a part it is of you?"
He nodded slowly, but surely.
She nodded once before standing abruptly from the couch and stormed off to the bedroom and slammed the door. He heard their closet door bang against the wall, leaving him puzzled. Then, mere minutes later he heard the closet door bang against the frame again, and his wife's determined footsteps making their way across their bedroom. He said a quick prayer for his wellbeing as she quickly made her way back into the living room.
"Babe?"
"I bought these about two months into our relationship," she said as way of explanation, dropping them onto the coffee table, giving him a chance to look through what she'd thrown at him. "Because I wanted to know everything about Baseball, so I could at least understand what you were saying to me. Not to mention I wanted to be interested in whatever you interested in too! So I went to that sports memorabilia shop you love and bought a bunch of them; I bought all of the guys that you used to talk about. So don't even begin to tell me that I don't care and I never took an interest in you. Just because I don't sing it from the rooftops, doesn't mean I don't listen to every word you say Danny. What was an offhand comment at work you took to heart and multiplied it by about fifty and that isn't fair."
"I- I never knew." He said, flicking through the cards, holding the faces of all his favourite players and their stats.
"Exactly, because I never told you... I didn't want to make a big deal out of it."
"But you sounded so surprised at work today and I thought that you just... well you used to switch off when I used to tell you about stuff."
"Thanks," she glared at him before hurt etched itself onto her face. "Thanks Danny,"
"I just... I - when you said it today, it seemed like you didn't have a clue I was interested; you know just with your tone and I thought-"
"You thought wrong," she informed him. "So next time, remember who you're blowing up at beforehand."
"But Linds,"
"Danny, face it. You were way off when you thought what you did about me. I'm going to bed. Can you turn the TV off?"
"Weren't you half way through your movie?"
"Somehow now, I'm not too fond of watching a romantic comedy... not feeling as fluffy and as in love I was earlier."
She turned on her heel and left Danny to the empty apartment, leaving Danny to make a quick decision. "Linds," he called after her, ignoring the TV.
"Turn it off Danny, we're not made out of money."
"Babe, wait a second."
"Just turn it off," she said, shutting the bedroom door in his face.
Letting out a frustrated sigh he turned on his heel and made his way to the TV and shut off the TV and DVD player with a jab of his thumb. He quickly made his way back to their bedroom after turning the lights off and watched as Lindsay finished off brushing her teeth. "Linds, hear me out a second."
"You've said enough," she said before gargling with mouth wash.
"Don't go to bed mad, Linds."
"I'm not going to bed mad, Danny. I'm going to bed upset, hurt and frustrated with you, but I'm not mad."
"Don't reverse psychology me, babe." He said, his tone light; cautious to their current rocky conversation. "Just, listen to me."
"Fine," she sighed as she climbed into bed, trying to ignore his presense as best she could.
"You said I was obsessed Linds, like as if it was something new to you. I know I sound like a broken record, but I want to get this straight."
"For goodness sake, Danny; you're getting like Lucy, not being able to let things go; get a grip! I said you were obsessed. I didn't say I didn't know you were obsessed. If I had, then I could understand where you're coming from, but right now Danny, I don't. You're way up there on your high horse, thinking I've done you wrong when really, I was just engaging in a little bit of teasing while we were at work. There's no harm in that."
"But..."
"But nothing babe, you took what I said out of proportion. You made a mistake, so build a bridge and get over it." She said before turning over and facing the wall.
Not giving up with his failing apology, Danny shuffled closer to Lindsay and laid his head on her shoulder. "Linds, let me try this sorry thing again."
"Yeah, maybe you should,"
"I'm really sorry Linds."
"You should be," she sniffled. "You got all mad at me for no reason, and then didn't even give me the benefit of the doubt."
"I know Linds, I'm sorry." He apologised. "You mean so much to me, and for a second or two, I thought that maybe I didn't mean as much to you and that hurt me a lot."
"Well, it hurts me that you think that I didn't take an interest in you, which baffles me how you could think that anyway, but whatever."
"I get the impression we've had a little bit of miscommunication today..."
"You think?" Lindsay scoffed. "Good observation and inference there, Messer."
"And I get the impression you're pissed off with your loser husband."
"Pissed off? Yes. You're not a loser though," she said, turning onto her back; the first move towards accepting his apology. "Just a bit of a dork sometimes."
"Linds, you do know the only reason I was so defensive and upset was because I care, and thought you didn't... I realise I was wrong now," he quickly added.
"Good," she spluttered as a tear slipped down her cheek, "because I don't like you thinking I don't care."
"Why did you act like you didn't when I asked you about it earlier then?"
"Because I thought you were joking. I never thought you'd accuse me of not caring and then it turn into something so big."
"All of this has gotten a little out of proportion, hasn't it?"
She nodded against him, now accepting his arms and how they seemed to naturally wrap themselves around her. "I don't like it when we argue."
"Neither do I," he agreed.
"We've done enough arguing to last us a lifetime," she continued. "I don't like the feeling of you being upset with me."
"I'm sorry Linds, next time... next time I promise not to jump the gun as quickly as I did today. I don't know what my problem was."
She nodded and sniffled. "And I won't be as offhand or make comments like that anymore."
Danny pressed a kiss to her temple. "Want me to go get the DVD and we can watch it in here?"
"Watch a movie in bed?" she gasped "Us?"
"I know," he laughed, "rarity, huh?"
"Quick!" Lindsay exclaimed excitedly, swiping the last of her tears from her cheeks. "Before Lu wakes up and ruins the moment with her impeccable timing."
"Same DVD?"
She nodded.
"You back in your romantic mood?" Danny inquired as he extracted himself from her arms.
"Maybe," she shrugged as she turned her bedside lamp on. "I'll let you know when you get back to cuddling me."
Danny winked at his wife and quickly made his way out into the living room to grab the DVD from the player. As he waited for the DVD drawer to open, he glanced around the dimly lit apartment and sighed as he realised how stupid he'd been. He'd made a ridiculously big deal out of absolutely nothing.
Swallowing his pride, Danny scooped the DVD out of the player and quickly made his way into the bedroom to rejoin his wife.
"I was a little silly earlier, wasn't I?" He admitted as he opened the DVD player and pressed play before joining Lindsay in bed.
"A little bit," she giggled as she buried her head into his side once he'd settled in a comfortable spot. She had her chin tucked underneath the duvet cover so that she was effectively burrowed into their bed next to him. "But I love you anyway."
"You do?" He teased, prodding her nose with his index finger. "Even though I'm a dork?"
She nodded as she settled back into the movie; almost like their argument hadn't even happened.
It was a true fact that Danny drove her insane with his antics and his carrying on. Sometimes he challenged her more than their toddler, and on some days he wound her up so much she was researching nunneries to sign herself up to. But on the flip side, her relationship with her husband was one wherein she couldn't live with him – but she most definitely couldn't live without him.
Thanks for reading - sorry it's so jumbled and garbled. I hope you liked it nonetheless! :)
