Thanks to everyone who's stuck with the piece so far - thanks for continuing to read, and for those of you reviewing too, thanks so much!! Your thoughts, criticism, and feedback really helps me out a lot, and is very very much appreciated:)
Thanks to Bo, Elainhe, and Audi for the beta/gamma.

Chapter 6

The morning sun was warm on Lindsay's face. She stirred awake, smiling as she remembered where she was, and who was beside—

Danny!

He couldn't know that she got into bed with him last night, what would he think?!

Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder to be sure he was still sleeping. She smiled as she took him in – one arm under the pillow, the other strewn beside him, his mouth slightly open. The sheets were tangled around his legs, giving Lindsay a clear view of his upper half, this time in the daylight. It took all her self-control not to reach out to see what it felt like to touch his body, to run her hands up his arms and down his chest.

Lindsay forced her gaze away from him and stood up slowly, careful not to disturb the bed and wake Danny. Once standing, she gave him a glance backwards. She sighed, letting her eyes linger over his sleeping body. God, she so just wanted to…

No, Lindsay, she berated herself, forcing her eyes away from Danny. She heaved a breath and made her way to her bathroom. They both had to be at the lab in about an hour; she'd take her shower, then wake him and make breakfast while he showered, then they'd head in. Yes, that was a good plan. No room for anything to go awry. She hoped.

I'm not going to be able to hold this straight face anymore if she doesn't stop staring at me, Danny thought. He had been awake watching her for awhile, taking in every inch of her sleeping form. He had hardly slept knowing that she was beside him, close enough to feel her breath on his skin and heat radiating from her body, only managing little cat naps in between staring sessions.

But now, he could feel her eyes on him, staring at him instead. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt her get up, and a few seconds later, heard her bathroom door click shut. He opened his eyes and rolled over to his back, staring at the ceiling. He had it bad for her, and he knew it. What it was exactly, he couldn't say, but maybe that was what made her so wonderful, so thrilling – she was different than any other girl he had ever been with, and maybe that was what so appealing. He sighed – he just couldn't put his finger on it, but whatever it was, he liked it. A lot.

Through her closed bathroom door, he heard her flip her shower on. He groaned as images of naked Lindsay filled his mind. Not wanting her to come out to an awkward sight when she was finished, he decided to distract himself instead. He did the first thing he could think of: he'd make her breakfast. They could eat together while it was still warm, then, provided she didn't mind, he could take a quick shower before they had to be back at the lab. Good plan. Very good plan.

He got up and gathered the sheets off the bed – it only seemed decent for him to offer to clean them for her. He folded the couch back up and replaced the cushions. Did she have these arranged in a specific way? He stood in front of the couch for what seemed like ages, arranging and rearranging the pillows. He didn't want her to think he couldn't keep things neat – hang on, why did he even care?

He rubbed his hands over his face, and pulled his jeans on. He hated cooking with clothes on – at home, he'd just wear his boxers, but figured that might not be too appropriate as he was in Lindsay's apartment. She'd have to deal with the no-shirt, though.

He rummaged around her kitchen, surveying her grocery situation in order to decide what to make. He immediately scanned for the staples: bread, eggs, cheese, veggies. He was amazed at the amount of food she had in her fridge, though he supposed he shouldn't be surprised – Lindsay was definitely not one to be unprepared for anything. Including, from the looks of it, a visit from the entire US army.

But at the current moment, his omelets were requesting to be made. It didn't take him long to find a pan, spatula, and bowl. With any luck, he'd have them just about ready by the time she was finished in the shower.

The shower.

He had just about managed to forget that she was only meters away from him, naked. Granted, they were separated by a locked door, but that didn't change the fact that she was still there. He robotically grabbed an egg and cracked it into the bowl… and felt something wet on his bare foot. He looked down – evidently he didn't crack the egg in the bowl. He not only missed the bowl, but the counter completely! He stared at his foot, now covered with clear and yellow goop.

"You're really a piece of work, Messer," he grumbled under his breath as he reached for her dish cloth. "Real piece of work."

Lindsay shut off the water and toweled herself off. She put on a pair of shorts and a tank top; she'd change into something else when she got to her room before making breakfast. She looked around to make sure everything in the bathroom was presentable, since Danny'd be coming in next, then exited.

And stopped dead.

There stood Danny, topless, rummaging around her kitchen, and judging from the smell, cooking breakfast. She stood frozen, unable to move, as she stared at his naked back. God, it was gorgeous… every muscle, every crevice. She found her mind wondering what it'd be like to run her fingers and nails down that back…

"Well, good morning Miss Monroe," said Danny, turning to face her.

But now all she could stare at was his chest, visible in full form, not obstructed by the sheets, as it had been last night.

Say something, she heard herself think.

"Hi," she croaked.

Danny took a few steps towards her. "Everything okay?"

She inhaled sharply as his perfect chest moved towards her. She forced her eyes shut, then looked at him and smiled. "Yes, fine. You cooked!" she chirped, hoping to change the subject.

He gave her a questioning glance, then turned back to the kitchen. "Yep," he replied as he turned over what Lindsay guessed was an omelet. "Figured it was the least I could do, since you let me stay here last night."

"Oh please," she said as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "It was hardly an issue; honestly, I was glad for the evening company."

Danny looked at her, a small smile on his lips. "Me too," he said quietly.

They stared at each other for a moment, the only sound being the light sizzling of the eggs in the pan.

"Right," breathed Lindsay. "I'm going to go, um, change…"

"Right, yes." Danny cleared his throat. "Be quick, this is almost done."

"Will do," answered Lindsay, as she turned and retreated to her bedroom.

She closed the door behind her and leaned against it.

So. Not. Good.

R&Rs are appreciated:)