Stella told herself not to be nervous, but of course, that didn't change the fact that she was. Standing in front of her mirror, she ran her eyes over her clothes again, making sure that she looked casual, but presentable. She had chosen a pair of black slacks, and a blue shirt that Don had complimented more than once. Now all she had to do was convince herself to leave the apartment, and go knock on his door.
She had just grabbed her purse and keys when there was a knock on her own door. Frowning, she undid the locks and opened it, surprise making her stop and stare when she realized that it was Flack. A warm and nervous smile replaced her frown as she greeted him.
"Hey."
"Hey." He nodded at her purse and keys. "You're on your way out. I didn't mean to interrupt."
Stella shook her head. "No. Actually, I was just on my way to see you. Thought maybe you'd like to have dinner with me."
He smiled at her shyly. "Yeah? I was just comin' by to see if you were hungry."
She laughed. "Sounds like fate to me. Do you want to go out or stay in? Either way works."
Flack moved into the apartment as she stepped aside. "I was hopin' I could cook for you."
Stella beamed at him. "Best offer I've had all day."
They slipped into their routine easily. Flack went into the kitchen and started up the stove, pulling out pasta and vegetables while Stella poured each of them a glass of wine. After handing him his drink, she leaned against the counter and watched him, noticing how at-home he was in her kitchen.
"I heard about Mac and Michelle," he said quietly.
"Yeah, he asked her a few days ago."
Flack looked up at her, concern in his eyes. "Are you okay?"
She smiled at him. "Actually, yeah. I'm happy for them. Mac and I had a good talk before he asked her. I told him...well, everything, really."
"Yeah?"
Stella nodded. "I needed to let him know that it was okay. That I'm over him. That I just want him to be happy."
He stared at her for a moment. "You deserve to be happy, too."
"I'm working on it. "
Flack nodded, turning back to the stove. "Good."
"I have a question for you, though."
He smiled. "You know you can ask me anything, Stell."
She knew this was her moment, that it was the opening she needed to tell him how she felt. Her throat suddenly dry, she licked her lips and took a deep breath, telling herself that if she didn't do this, she didn't deserve to be happy.
"What if it's not comfort?" she finally asked, the words tumbling out of her mouth.
Flack froze, his hand pausing in the act of stirring what was in the pan. He swallowed hard, and glanced up at her.
"What?"
She tried to keep from fidgeting. "We made a deal, in the very beginning, to not get together just for comfort. But...but what if it isn't comfort, Don? What if...it's become something much more than that?"
Flack didn't say anything for a long time. He focused on the task before him, his hand moving slowly as he began to stir again. Stella watched him, her heart pounding in her chest as she struggled to keep her breathing normal.
"Please, Don," she whispered. "Say something, anything -"
"Are you sure?" he asked suddenly, looking up at her, his blue eyes searching and hopeful. "'Cause you gotta be sure, Stell. I don't think I could take it if you decided later on that this isn't what you want. I can't lose you."
Stella let out a breath that she hadn't realized she was holding. Giving him a watery smile, she reached out and rested a hand on his arm.
"I'm sure," she whispered.
Slowly, his eyes lit up, a wide smile coming over him. Reaching out with a shaky hand, he brushed some hair out of her eyes, letting his touch linger.
"You beat me to it," he murmured. "I came over tonight to tell you."
"I think it's about time we got to be happy, too."
His other hand came up to cradle her face, and slowly, gently, he kissed her. Stella sighed against him, her own hands coming up to hold his arms. His lips moved over hers, his kiss becoming firmer and more demanding. She gave in to him willingly, her fingers digging into his skin as she pulled herself closer, tilting her head as Flack nipped at her bottom lip and slid his tongue into her mouth.
Time seemed to speed up as their tongues met. Flack's arms snaked around her waist as he spun her around, pushing her up against the counter. Stella moaned deeply, her fingers tangling into his short hair. Tightening his hold on her, Don suddenly lifted her, setting her down on the counter top as she wrapped her legs around him. Their kisses became frenzied, their bodies unwilling to part after waiting for so long.
Eventually, air became an issue, and they pulled back slightly, letting their foreheads rest against each other. Breathing heavily, Don caressed her face gently, a smile on his lips.
"Wow," he whispered.
"Yeah." Stella glanced over at the stove. "If we keep this up, we're going to burn dinner."
Flack sighed. "And that would be a shame." He kissed her again. "Okay, so dinner first, and then we continue this conversation?"
She nodded. "Sounds good." He went to move away, but Stella tightened her legs around him. "Don?"
"Yeah, Stell?"
She nervously toyed with his collar. "I love you."
For a minute he just grinned at her. Then he leaned in, placing a soft kiss to her collarbone before moving his lips to her ear.
"I love you, too," he whispered.
Stella couldn't help the blush that ran up her face. "Good," she said, unwrapping her legs from around her waist. "Now cook me dinner."
Don chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."
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"So...will I get to see you again?"
Lindsay shook herself as she realized that her date - Mark, she reminded herself - was speaking to her. They had just left the restaurant, and try as she might, Lindsay had been unable to make herself focus on anything that he had said. He was a nice guy - hell, he was one of the nicest she'd met in a long time - and she thought that they were actually pretty compatible. But as she was faced with the prospect of another dinner out with him, she knew without a doubt that she couldn't do it.
"I'm sorry," she said gently. "I don't think so."
He nodded. "You've been distracted every time we've gone out."
"I'm sorry," she said again, feeling like a heel. "I thought I was ready."
"Bad break-up?"
"You could say that."
Mark sighed. "I get it. I'm not gonna lie, Lindsay - I like you. But it seems like there's somewhere else you'd rather be."
His words hit home more than he could possibly know. She struggled to keep her face blank, but her chest constricted and she found that it was suddenly hard to breathe.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Stop apologizing," he said gently. "It just wasn't meant to be." Leaning in, he kissed her on the cheek. "Do you need a cab?"
She shook her head, fighting back tears. "No, thanks."
Mark hailed a cab, and opened the door, swinging one leg inside as he turned to look at her. "Good luck, Lindsay," he said.
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Danny groaned as the pounding on his door continued. He had heard from the rumor mill that Lindsay had another date that night - with some guy named Mark - and he planned on spending his time drinking and watching bad action movies. Anything to keep his mind off of the fact that he had screwed up and now his girl was out with some other guy.
But the person on the other side of the door wouldn't give up, and finally Danny paused the movie and pushed himself up off of the couch. Setting his beer down on the counter, he unlocked the door and opened it to find a crying Lindsay on the other side.
"I hate you," she sobbed. "This is all your fault."
The sight of her tears broke his heart. Reaching out, he pulled her into his arms, closing his eyes as she clung to him and cried. He ran his fingers through her hair, backing them into his apartment as he kicked the door shut.
"I'm sorry, Montana," he whispered. "I'm so sorry I ruined everything."
She pulled back until she could look him in the eye. "I was on a date," she told him, noting the way his eyes flashed in pain. "He was a perfectly nice, respectable man who was genuinely interested in me. We had things in common. But I could barely listen to a word he said. And do you know why?"
Danny dumbly shook his head, unable to think of anything to say.
"The same fucking reason I couldn't be happy with Flack or go out with Hawkes," she continued. "Because he wasn't you. None of them are you. And for some fucking reason, you are the only one I want. And I hate you for that, Danny. I really hate you."
She started to cry again, and Danny couldn't take it. He held her close again, wishing he knew what to say to make her feel better. Her words had given him a surge of hope, but he hated that she was still hurting because of him, that she couldn't move on with her life and be happy because of him. Her fingers twisted in the front of his shirt as she let everything out, finally purging herself of everything she had gone through in the past few months. Danny just held her tightly, giving her whatever he could.
When her tears subsided, and she seemed to finally calm down, she rested her head against his chest and breathed deeply. Danny glanced down, seeing the way her eyes fluttered shut, and he realized that she was utterly exhausted. Bending down slightly, he hooked his arms under her legs and carried her across the room. He knew that he had no right to take her into the bedroom, and that she would freak out if he even tried. Instead, he brought her to the couch and lowered them both down gently, cradling her against him as though she were the most fragile thing in the world.
They sat there for a long time, not talking, not doing anything except soaking the other in. Eventually Danny realized that she had fallen asleep, and he thought that that must be a good sign, if she could feel safe enough with him to relax again. He reached for the remote and shut off the TV, no longer able to remember what he had been watching. And then slowly, carefully, he laid them both down, Lindsay laying on his chest as he stretched them out along the couch. Pulling down a blanket from the back of the couch, he covered her completely, making sure that she was warm and tucked in. The light in the room was still on, but Danny reached for a book on the coffee table and then tossed it at the switch. His months of practice paid off, and the room fell into darkness. Wrapping his arms more tightly around her, Danny kissed the top of Lindsay's head as he closed his eyes.
"I've got you, Montana," he whispered. "And I'm not lettin' go."