He wakes up to the cold sheets and a still dark bedroom. The memories of last night's events come rushing back. Lindy waiting for him, reaching out, calming his restless heart. Her kiss, her soft sighs. Her. She's imprinted on his mind, on his skin and he refuses to go back to times when this was just a fantasy. Like a rip current pulling him under he feels panic rising at the thought she might have left him in the middle of the night. He hears a hushed curse and it's only then that he notices a figure in an oversized t-shirt crouching next to bed. Lindy crawls back under the covers, casually nestling in the crook of his arm, a quick kiss to his chest. He instinctively wraps his arms around her.
"Sorry, didn't mean to wake you. I bumped my toe on your stupid bed frame," she whines.
He's so relieved he feels euphoric. She's still here. She's still here and she's with him.
"I got cold. Apparently someone likes to hog the covers," she nuzzles up against him.
"That's because I'm a big boy and I need all of them," he says somewhat smugly, his voice raspy from sleep.
She smacks him lightly but grins at his answer.
"Next time just cocoon us both. I wouldn't mind some extra body heat."
He sighs happily, resting his head on her shoulder, intertwining their legs. They lay quietly for a few minutes and he's barely awake when he hears her say, "I wouldn't just leave."
"What?" He asks drowsily.
"You're so bad at hiding your feelings, especially for a cop. I used to think you were so difficult to read but once I knew what to look for, you turned out to be pretty transparent."
He forces himself to open his eyes. She turns around so she can face him.
"You were freaking out already. You really think I would just leave after what happened?" She mumbles into his chest, her breath tickling his skin. "I don't do one night stands and I'm pretty sure this wasn't just about sex for you."
"I'm just..." Scared you'd leave? Terrified you'd regret it? Worried you'd change your mind? It's easier to confess when you're wrapped in someone's warmth. "I'm just in lo-"
His words disappear in her kiss. It's chaste and tender, and a little bittersweet.
"Please, don't say it yet, ok? I need more time."
He wants to hear her say it back so badly but he can't really blame her for being cautious. He had long months to come to terms with his feelings and it's only fair she's allowed the same. She kisses him once more, slowly drawing her lips away, letting them linger in this moment. This is all the honesty he needs from her. She'll tell him someday.
When he wakes up the second time the room is already engulfed in pale hues of the early morning sun. Lindy sleeps peacefully, one hand dangerously placed on his hip. It's still early and he wonders if he can somehow get out of work. He's not exactly the type to ask for a sick leave but he desperately wants to spend the day with her. Preferably naked in this warm bed. A small whimpering outside the bedroom door reminds him however that Boris might have other plans, at least for the morning.
"Lindy," he whispers in her ear and gets an indignant huff in reply. "Lindy, I need to take Boris for a walk. I'll be back in ten."
She pulls the covers over her head and mutters an insult. Clearly she's not much of a morning person. He drags himself out of bed, quickly gets dressed and takes Boris for the shortest walk of his life. With a bit of luck Lindy will be still asleep when he's back.
She's not. She's sitting in the middle of bed, still wearing his t-shirt and playing with her phone.
"Sophia says hi," she greets him with a mischievous grin.
"Something tells me she said more than just hi," he drops on the bed next to her. "Didn't think you'd kiss and tell."
"I just told her that whole 'no more cops' rule turned out to be stupid," she smirks and next thing he knows she straddles him in one swift move.
"I was hoping you'd have a cop fetish," he says teasingly and sneaks one hand under her t-shirt, slowly tracing the contours of her thigh. "Is it the badge or the gun? Or maybe the handcuffs?"
She stills his hand inches away from his target.
"Handcuffs somehow seem less sexy when you've actually been arrested before."
He mentally kicks himself. Way to ruin the moment. Thankfully she doesn't seem mad or upset and for a second he wonders if she's entertaining the thought. Still, after everything that's happened, he owes her more than an idea for a kinky fun so he softly kisses her inner wrists in apology.
"I'm sorry. For everything. I'm worried we'll let the past dictate how we are now," he admits.
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that past," she shakes her head and plays with the hem of his shirt. He doesn't dare to move. "You know what we need?"
"Something requiring less clothes?" He replies hopefully.
She laughs at that and moves from his lap. He groans in disappointment.
"Nope, we have plenty of time for that. We need food," she says with an eagerness that he immediately associates with kitchen fires and other catastrophes. Lindy's cooking famously oscillates between prison food and potential biohazard.
It must be showing on his face because she rolls her eyes and helps him stand up.
"Be a good boyfriend and prepare us breakfast," she pushes him in the direction of kitchen.
Boyfriend. Is there such thing as being too damn happy?
"Ok, I can offer you coffee and eggs."
"Wait, that's it? After all that workout last night?" She leaves her phone on the table and joins him for the fridge inspection. "Oh. It's empty."
"I wasn't exactly expecting company," he explains with a quick kiss to her temple.
"Fine, coffee and eggs then," she says with an exaggerated sigh and moves to check her loudly beeping phone. "But you owe me a breakfast in bed. Must include pastries."
He chuckles and nods in agreement. He fills the coffee maker with cold water and grabs two mismatched mugs. One of them has "Detectives Do It Under Cover" printed on it and was a silly gift from Ben. He promptly hides it at the back of the cabinet.
"Hey, Lindy, if it's Sophia just tell her we're busy. No, wait, on the other hand maybe better not telling her that..."
There's no answer and when he turns around he sees Lindy glued to her phone.
He wraps his arms around her waist and pulls her to his chest. She's standing stiffly and he immediately knows something is wrong.
She silently raises her phone so he can better read the screen over her shoulder. There's one new message from an unknown number. His heart drops.
U R IN DANGER. S.
The End. Or TBC.
I'm not sure yet. If the show is cancelled I'll need some time to mourn them and if it's not (please o gods of the mtv, I promise never to call you a worthless network again) I might try to incorporate s2 canon. Either way I just wanted to get these two idiots together because dammit they're perfect for each other.
Anyway from the bottom of my heart I wanted to thank you all for reading this and extra thank you to those who took the time and reviewed.
In the meantime see you around the fandom. I'll be the one obsessively reblogging Tindy gifs :)