Chapter 5: Resting Together

When he could feel her eye lashes flutter against his shoulder and her body wiggle slightly to get closer to him, he knew she was awake. He was laying on his back, and she on her stomach, half of her body weighing on half of his. He moved the hand that had been resting on her arm and ran it over her shoulder to her face. He rubbed his thumb back and forth over her cheek.

"Montana?" He spoke gently, unsure of how this morning would go and what her reaction would be to the unplanned step they had taken towards a relationship. He hoped it would not be awkward and she could just be herself with him. He wasn't going to push her to talk, he knew what he needed to know, and he would trust she would come to him when she needed to.

"Mmmm" was her reply.

"Do you want to go get breakfast or somethin'?"

"No." She stated flatly into his neck.

"Did you just say 'no'? You spend the night in my bed and you still won't share a meal with me?" He asked with some indignation.

He felt her body lightly spasm as she laughed silently. "I don't want to go anywhere. It feels good right here. We can worry about nourishment around lunchtime." She said still resting her head in the space between his collarbone and neck.

"What am I gonna do, argue with ya?" He said hugging her closer to him.

"Mmmm." She said again, he was making it difficult for her to find words. "I thought Danny Messer didn't cuddle." She stated remembering what Stella had told her about the cuddle party investigation.

"We're not cuddling," his tone indicated such a concept was unthinkable. "We're resting. Together." He said definitively. She grinned against him.

"What am I gonna do, argue with ya?" She asked in a poorly imitated Staten Island accent.

"Cute Monroe. Don't push it," he said, while gently pinching her waist with the hand that was resting there. She twitched slightly in response, serving to only further entangle their legs. She was too self-conscious to face him. She was sure her eyes were puffy and her skin blotchy from the tears and the rain. So she remained tucked beneath his ear.

She wanted to thank him. She wanted him to know she was grateful for his acceptance and kindness. She wanted to tell him she hadn't expected him to come looking for her last night, but she simply couldn't bring herself to move any further from him than his steps. There were words on the tip of her tongue, but it was so much easier to simply lay in his embrace and follow his suggestion of figuring it all out later. She said nothing. Instead she softly pressed her lips against his neck. She ran her hand along his firm stomach and chest to cover the area she had just kissed with her palm as if to seal it and ensure he absorbed it.

He felt tingles travel from his neck where her hand lay to his toes which he hadn't realized he had been brushing back and forth across the tops of her feet. He wanted to ask her if she was feeling okay about them. He wanted to ask her if she was scared, because he desperately didn't want her to be frightened of him. He wanted to tell her he had never felt this way before. He wanted to tell her that he never wanted to let her go. He said nothing. Instead he let out a low moan and tightened his embrace bringing his upper arms up around her shoulders.

"You got plans? You want to spend the day?"

Again she grinned. She understood his verbal shorthand by now. She knew he was asking if she wanted to spend the day with him. She ran the heel of her hand over the toned plains of his chest.

"Mmm" again was her reply. He grinned, he had never known Monroe to be at such a loss for words. "Here?" She asked snuggling in against him.

He laughed and moved his hands up and down her upper arm. "Here, out there," he motioned to the window with his head. "Wherever."

"Ok."

"Sooner or later one of us is going to have to move from this bed. Lets have a plan."

"Ok" she said again. While the last six hours next to him had been a salve to her chapped heart, it also served to weaken her will and resolve. She was content to let him take charge, and she was willing to give it the day not to resist.

"I'll shower first. We'll swing by your place if you want and you can get fresh clothes or whatever. Not that I would mind seeing you in nothing but my tee shirt all day." He flashed the ceiling his trademark crooked smile as he continued the outline. "Then I'm gonna show you my city."

"Danny, I've been here over a year, I've seen New York."

"Nah. You ain't seen my New York." She nodded against him and he could feel her lips turn up in a smile. "But remember I'm on call, so enough people die today and we'll have to postpone. Ya gotta think of it like one of those on and off tourist buses. You get off the tour today you gotta get back on another day." She didn't realize she was supposed to answer.

"OK Montana?"

"Yeah, yeah you're a tour bus. Sounds good."

He shook his head. "Who knew you woke up such a comedian?"

She didn't answer him. She was just glad for the confirmation that she was in fact awake.