Disclaimer: I am not connected in any way with the creators of any of the CSI shows. (I wish I was though, so Danny and Lindsay would get together already.) These are just my mind's version of the show.
This is the morning after. I think Moving Day will be in the next chapter. This chapter is very D/L-centered. I hope you like it:D Don't forget to review. :D
Sunlight streamed through the window of Danny Messer's apartment. He squinted at the brightness and waited patiently for his eyes to focus. It was a habit familiar to any person who needed glasses to see the world clearly.
As he lay there, he heard a small snuffling sound from beside him. Looking down, he saw a mop of brown curls on top of his arm.
Memories of the previous night came flooding back, curving his lips in a smile. He sent a silent prayer of gratitude upwards and let the memories take him.
Danny flung the door open to find Lindsay standing there, looking unbelievably beautiful in his eyes. She stood there, smiling uncertainly, holding a chocolate cupcake with white frosting. On top of the cupcake was a single candle. "I wanted to be the first to say happy birthday, Danny," she said softly, holding out the cupcake towards him.
Smiling crookedly, Danny swiped a bit of the frosting. His heart was still on overdrive, but he tried to play it cool. "You remembered."
Lindsay smiled at him again. "Make a wish," she invited.
Looking deeply into her eyes for a long moment, Danny stood there silently. After a few seconds, he blew on the candle.
"So where's my gift?" he inquired, gazing at Lindsay.
She stood there silently, taking a deep breath. Then she raised her brown eyes to meet his blue ones and said softly, "Me."
Danny's smile threatened to rip his face apart as he reached out for her and wrapped her in his arms. She clung to him tightly as he pulled her inside and hugged her for one long moment. Then he pulled his head back and tipped her chin up and placed his lips on hers.
Lindsay shifted again and burrowed closer to his side. He gazed down at her sleeping face and felt his throat tighten. He really was the luckiest man in the world.
As though sensing his eyes on her, Lindsay sleepily opened her eyes. She was greeted by an unfamiliar, though not unwelcome sight. Danny was gazing down at her, his heart in his eyes.
"Morning, Montana," he whispered, bumping his forehead lightly to hers.
"Morning," she whispered back. She smothered a yawn and snuggled deeper into Danny's warmth. "You feel nice in the morning. But then again you feel nice at night. Okay scratch that, you feel nice period," she murmured. She felt, as much as heard his chuckle. She turned over, pulling his arm tightly so that they were spooned together, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
After a moment, she said, "Danny?"
"Yeah," Danny mumbled, his face buried in her hair.
"I thought you didn't cuddle," Lindsay remarked, enjoying the feeling of his bare skin against hers.
Behind her, Danny grinned and replied, "Only for you, Montana. But don't go telling people that. Flack will never let me live it down." Lindsay laughed as he placed a soft kiss on her bare shoulder.
Lindsay turned around again to face him. She gazed at him in a moment, questions in her eyes. But she was afraid of voicing them out, afraid of ruining the cozy moment with practical questions.
Danny sensed what she needed from him. "Okay, Montana. I hear you loud and clear." He pulled her close so that she could rest her head on his chest and pushed a pillow more firmly behind his head. "We need to talk details here."
Lindsay's fingers traced small, random patterns on Danny's chest, tangling with his dog tags. A few seconds later, Danny grabbed her hand and held on to it so that he wouldn't get distracted. She settled for listening to his strong heartbeat instead.
"Do you want to tell people about this?" Danny asked, linking his fingers with hers.
Lindsay remained silent for a moment. Then tilted her head upwards to meet his eyes and said quietly, "What is this, Danny? I'm not so sure either."
In the past, when women asked this question, Danny usually found the nearest exit and bolted. But with Lindsay, he was hesitant and unsure, because he wanted a relationship: daily kisses and dates and petty arguments and making up and laughing - - he wanted the whole relationship enchilada, but only if Lindsay was willing.
He wasn't so sure how to ask her about that, but then he figured that she had always appreciated his straightforwardness in the past. There was no use tiptoeing around this. He answered just as quietly, "I want a relationship with you, Montana."
Looking straight into her eyes, he went on, "I want to be able to hold your hand in public without people asking questions. I want everyone to know that you belong to me and that I belong to you. I want to laugh with you and hold you and protect you and keep you safe and I want to know that I'm the only man in the world who has the right to do that. Most of all I want you." He stroked her cheek lightly. "But if you're not ready for that then tell me and maybe we could work something out."
Lindsay was overwhelmed by the sincerity she heard in Danny's voice. Is this really happening? she wondered. Was she about to seriously commit herself to a relationship with Danny Messer? And was he about to do the same with her?
Two nights ago, she stood staring out in the New York skyline and thought of Danny. No matter what, whenever she would see the New York skyline, she would always think of Danny because New York was his city. She fought back every fear she had and told herself that Danny deserved nothing less than a woman who was brave enough to love him back, despite all the risks. That night, she made a decision to be that woman, the woman for Danny.
She let a smile curl around the corners of her mouth. She lifted a hand to stroke the rough stubble on Danny's cheek and said, "I'm ready when you are."
Danny felt a huge smile stretch over his face. He pulled Lindsay closer and kissed her, savoring the warmth of her body against his. For long minutes, they lay there, holding each other, lazily touching and kissing.
Then Danny spoke, "So, Montana. You haven't answered my question. Do you want to tell the people at the lab?"
Pursing her lips thoughtfully, Lindsay considered the question. "We should probably tell Mac. I mean, since he's our boss and all. But the entire team's pretty much waiting for this. But then again, I don't really want to make it a big deal for everyone. I mean for us, it's a big deal, but we're pretty special," she teased. "So, the long and short is, we'll tell Mac, but as for the rest of the team, what do you suggest?"
Danny laughed. "Are you always this confusing in the morning?"
Lindsay smirked, "You interested in finding out?"
Danny's eyes widened in surprise, but he recovered quickly by planting a resounding kiss on her lips. "Looking forward to it, actually."
When they pulled back, the topic returned to the unanswered question. "Well," Lindsay suggested, "they are CSIs. I mean, they'd figure it out on their own. I vote that we tell Mac and just act normally around the others and when they ask, we'll tell them."
Danny raised his eyebrows, "Normally? As in like a normal couple? Like I can grab you in front of them?" He liked this idea a lot and she could see it in his eyes.
Lindsay guessed the direction of his thoughts and laughed. "Well, we better keep the PDA to a minimum, 'cause I don't think Mac will allow it. He won't have a problem with us being together as long as we keep it out of the lab. But I guess yeah, we should stop sneaking around."
Danny considered that, "I guess you're right. I'd like that, actually." He pulled her close and buried his face in her neck, inhaling her scent. "So what do you want to do on our day off?"
Lindsay thought for a moment. She forgot something. It's hard to remember things when a gorgeous man was making your body feel impossibly good. "Didn't we volunteer to help Jordan move in today?"
Danny groaned, "Damn. I was hoping you'd forget."
Before Lindsay could answer, Danny's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and groaned again, "Dammit! It's Flack." Flipping the phone open, he growled, "What?"
From the other end of the line, Flack's sardonic voice came through, "Well, aren't you a bright ray of sunshine?"
Danny feigned ignorance, "What do you want, Flack?" Beside him, Lindsay whispered, "You know perfectly well what he wants." She giggled as Danny scowled at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.
"Get your lazy ass out of bed, Messer. You promised to help Jordan move in today," Flack commanded.
Danny rubbed his hand lightly across Lindsay's back as he clarified for his best friend, "No, Flack. You volunteered to help Jordan move in and roped me along because you wanted to spend time with her because you like her!"
Flack's only response to that was, "Just get your ass here. I'll send you the address." Then he disconnected the call.
Lindsay looked up at him, "What did Flack say?"
Danny grinned at her, "He didn't deny it."
They both started laughing.
Lindsay got up from the bed and made her way towards the shower. Danny protested while admiring the view. "C'mon, Montana," he whined. "We don't have to be there. Let's just spend the day here and leave those two lovebirds alone."
Lindsay laughed, pulling on the shirt Danny discarded from the previous night. "Don't you want to see Flack make an ass out of himself trying to impress Jordan?"
Danny considered this for a moment. "Yeah, I do, but not this early. Come back to bed, please?" he cajoled, flashing his bone-melting smile.
Lindsay was tempted, but she said, "Sorry, Messer, I have to take a shower. I still have to go back to my apartment to change." She shot a teasing glance, "You could help me so that I'd finish faster, but I'm guessing you'd rather stay in bed."
She quickly went inside the bathroom and closed the door, but not before she saw Danny leap out of bed with the sheets tangled around him. He landed in a sorry heap on the floor and she heard him cursing.
Less than a minute later, Danny stuck his head in the shower and said, "Oh, there you are. I was looking for you," and he crammed his body in the small stall with hers. As she laughed, he asked, "What are you waiting for Montana? I thought you wanted to take a shower. Well I'm here, and you're here, so let's take a shower," with the most devilish grin on his face.
Just a little fluffy moment to indulge the D/L shippers like me. We've been too deprived of D/L sweetness in the past few weeks. For those who aren't… Well, I did warn you that this would be a D/L chapter. :D I hope this was a good read for you. Watch out for Moving Day in the next chapter. :D Thanks again to those who reviewed. :D