A/N: I wrote almost this entire thing while sitting in a coffee shop. I had to stifle my laughter a lot, because giggling at things you wrote is not acceptable in a quiet public place. And there was a kid in here and he was wearing a cape, which made the whole thing even better. Amazing day off. Except for the part where it's almost four in the afternoon and I haven't eaten yet.

Lindsay sighed and brushed her hair back from her forehead, wondering how she had gotten herself into this mess. No, not mess. Disgusting dirty frat house parade of all things sticky and gross.

"Adam, I love you dearly, but if your kitchen counter is this bad, I am terrified of what might be underneath your sink."

"Not everyone can be a neat freak like you."

"I'm not a neat freak, I just don't let every flat surface in my apartment get cluttered with… whatever this is."

"But I'm a guy," he said, crossing the kitchen and coming to stand behind her, his arms sliding around her waist. "And maybe I just need a woman's calming and feminine touch to bring this place up to the higher standard."

"Adam… are you buttering me up so you can get out of here while I am left to clean your apartment?"

"Not out of here. Sportscenter is on and-"

"No way."

"It's just an hour."

"No, you said you wanted to get this place cleaned up and out of the kindness of my heart I said I would help you."

"Mm-hmm."

"Now kindly let go of me and go tackle that bathroom."

"I don't know, I kind of like it right here."

She sighed and turned around, pressing her hand gently against his chest.

"I'm flattered and I would really rather watch Sportscenter too, but you know I can't stop something mid project."

"I love you and your one track mind," he said with a chuckle as he kissed her. "You make me better, you know that?"

"I do what I can. Get to work and I'll make you dinner later."

He nodded and went into the other room while she continued to organize the mail on his counter. Maybe spring cleaning wasn't the most enjoyable way to spend a day, but they had found that it wasn't so much the activity as the time together that really made a difference. They enjoyed being together even if it wasn't entertaining, just because it was them. They still learned about each other, still walked away feeling even closer than they had before. There was a connection there, one neither one of them had ever experienced with any other person, no matter how hard they had tried. This just came naturally.

"Hey hon?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you find is the best way to kill shower curtain mold?"

"Throw out the shower curtain and get a new one."

There was a long silence, then his voice again.

"And what do you find is the best way to get the shower curtain off the rod?"

She chuckled and went into the bathroom, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Top of your class, using cutting edge technology to solve baffling crimes and you still can't figure out how to pull metal rings apart."

"I know how to pull them apart, I just can't. They're caked with rust or something."

Chuckling, she climbed up onto the side of the tub, bracing herself against the wall to see if she could get the rings apart. They were stuck tight and she was sure they were going to need heavy duty cleaners to pry them apart.

"How did these even get water all over them?"

"The steam because I never run the fan? I don't know. I think we'd be better off with some bolt cutters."

"Do you have any?"

"No," he said with a grunt, finally pulling one of the rings apart. The force of it made him lose his balance and he fell against the tile wall, then down into the tub. Lindsay just stood there for a second, then slowly covered her mouth to mask the laughter.

"This isn't funny," he muttered, reaching up to touch the spot on his head that had come into hard contact with the faucet.

"No, it's not funny. Bordering on hilarious."

She climbed down from her perch and knelt next to him, checking out the cut that had started to bleed.

"How many fingers?"

"Two fingers and one thumb."

"Smart alec."

He sat up slowly and she watched him for signs of dizziness. He seemed to be fine, except for the wounded pride.

"Go lay on the couch and I'll fix that cut for you."

He managed to get himself out of the tub and she noticed that he already had a nice lump forming on the back of his head. He hadn't hit hard enough to get a concussion, but she was sure a headache was on its way. She found some band-aids and bactine and went out to the living room. He was stretched out along the couch, but had turned on Sportscenter.

"Adam."

"What? I'm injured."

She shook her head and smiled, sitting down on the couch to assess the damage. The cut was just above his eye and pretty small, but bleeding a lot. She cleaned it with a wash cloth before administering the bactine.

"Holy mother!"

"Sorry."

"You gotta tell me before you do that."

"Why? So you can pull away and not allow me to do it at all and then get an infection because who knows what kind of crap is growing in your shower and now your head? And then I'll have to take you to the hospital and by some fluke the infection will have gone to your brain and before I know it you're either reading my mind or having trouble remembering who you are and either way, I don't think I can handle that."

"Okay, about your caffeine addiction? I'm checking you into rehab."

She smirked and opened the band-aid wrapper.

"Do you really have to put that on me?"

"Just until it stops bleeding."

"I'm going to look stupid."

"I'm the only one looking at you."

"You won't think less of me?"

"Adam, it's a band-aid, not your mother's lipstick on your cheek while you get on the school bus."

"Okay, okay."

She put the band-aid on then kissed the spot for good measure before standing up from the couch and holding her hand out to him.

"Alright weekend warrior, let's get back to work."

"Isn't it time for a break?"

"Adam-"

He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her back down onto the couch. She landed against his chest with an oomph and he chuckled, tightening his grip on her.

"You are in big trouble, mister," she scolded. "Really big trouble."

She leaned up and kissed him, running her fingers over his scalp. He hadn't been expecting this when he pulled her down, but he wasn't going to fight it either. Their lips moved in practiced harmony, many motions of a dance that they were still learning. She deepened the kiss, moving closer to him while her free hand played with the hem of his shirt. Signals went off in his head and he wondered where exactly she was taking this. He was thinking about asking her when she suddenly jumped off the couch with a triumphant grin.

"May the punishment fit the crime," she said before heading back into the kitchen.

"Evil woman."

"Lazy man."

Chuckling, he stood up and followed her.

"You may have won that battle little lady," he paused dramatically and put on the best ominous voice he could muster. "But don't start packing up your artillery just yet."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Several hours and lots of playful bickering later the place was finally clean. Of course there was still a lot of laundry to do, but they were both too tired to think about doing anything else. They were stretched out along the couch, a tangle of bodies and limbs with no rhyme or reason. His hand ran through her hair, loosening her curls. She'd protested at first, saying he was going to mess it up, but later figuring it didn't really matter.

"Your phone is buzzing," he commented. Her eyes slid slowly to the coffee table and rested on her phone.

"Mmm," she whined, making a pathetic attempt to reach for it. Adam rolled his eyes and handed it to her.

"H'llo?"

"Hey, it's Austin. What're you doin'?"

"Half sleeping. What are you doing?"

"Trying unsuccessfully to convince Danny that we need milkshakes. If he keeps being stubborn do you wanna go get one with me?"

"Maybe."

"You sound tired. It's only 8 o'clock, are you a lightweight Linds?"

"No, I've just been up since four 'cuz I had the early shift. You can ask that boyfriend of yours all about that crime scene this morning and how he kept makin' me go up and down the stairs. I'm pretty sure I logged about two miles. He's a jerk."

"Danny, were you mean to Lindsay?"

There was a muffled reply.

"What did he say?"

"No matter, I hit him with a newspaper. So you wanna go?"

"I dunno."

Austin sighed.

"Please?"

"Lemme ask Adam."

"If you're askin' him for permission Linds, I'm gonna smack ya both."

"I'm asking if he wants me to bring him something back. Unbundle your undies."

"You're cranky. Carry on."

Lindsay yawned and looked up at Adam.

"Hey honey, you want a milkshake?"

"Yeah, and fries."

"But the fries will be cold once I get them back here."

"They'll be cold once I dip them in the milkshake too."

"Aust, I think he's coming with us."

"I mentioned a cheeseburger to Danny so he's coming too."

"We're double dating."

"I don't know D.J., do you think he really likes me?"

"Yeah! This is gonna be rad."

"And by the way, you've been back from Montana for a week and I still haven't seen you, so there very well could be a tackle hug coming your way."

"I'll brace myself and pray the floor isn't slippery like last time."

"It's a plan. Restaurant on that one corner?"

"Twenty minutes."

They hung up and Lindsay rolled off the couch, yawning again and pushing her hair into a more presentable style.

"Come on, liquid chocolate calls."

"You and Austin are a dangerous pair."

"We know."

"Never woulda pegged you two as friends. At least not the kind that speak in shorthand."

"I'm just glad we're both too lazy to have other friends."

"So we're standin' there on the dock in the middle of January and I get this bright idea to trick Flack into jumpin' in the lake."

"Why have I not heard this story?" Austin asked, smacking Danny's arm.

"Quit interrupting me. So we start talking about how cold the lake is and stuff and I was like "Hey, one of us should jump in." And all the guys are like "No way not me." And I was like "Flack won't do it, he's a pansy.""

"You shouldn'ta said that," Austin giggled.

"Exactly why I said it. So he gets all ticked off and he's like "Screw you guys, I'm not a pansy! I'm going in!" And he jumps off the dock into the lake which I have to add here, had a thin layer of ice on the top. He crashes though the ice and starts flailin' all over the place, suddenly remembering that he is a terrible swimmer and has no body fat and he's pretty much going to die of hypothermia if someone doesn't get him out. So he starts swearing at us to get him out, how he's gonna sue me for reckless endangerment or something. We finally get him out and he's pretty much turned blue, and that is how we ended up in the emergency room in the middle of the night."

Austin was laughing so hard she had her head down on the table and Lindsay had laughter tears in her eyes.

"Geez, and I thought I was a stupid kid," Adam noted, shaking his head.

"You can still get that guy to do anything if you call him a pansy," Danny said. "It's his one weakness. That and hot blondes, but mostly the pansy thing."

"I just have one question," Lindsay started, getting her breath back. "Was he naked?"

This sent Austin into another fit of giggles which threatened to topple her completely out of her chair.

"No he wasn't, but that woulda made the story better."

"When did this happen?" Austin asked, regaining her composure.

"Senior year. I was still mad at him for datin' you under my nose."

Silence fell over the table.

"Wait. You dated Flack?"

"Well…"

"Austin, you dated FLACK!"

"I was young and I'd just been dumped again by this one over here and apparently my life was over and… Lindsay quit laughing!"

"I'm not laughing at you, really. Some things just make way more sense now."

"Knock it off! You've dated way worse guys than Flack. You've told me stories."

"If you're referring to Brian, then yes, I have. But this is still funnier."

"Shuddup, Monroe."

"Linds, who's Brian?" Adam asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Uh… nobody."

"Lindsay…"

"I'll tell you later."

"I'll tell him now."

"No you won't."

"I have a feeling I'm not going to like this story."

"Oh no, you'll like it. I'm just not inclined to tell the story in front of Danny because he'll bring it up at the worst time," Lindsay explained, narrowing her eyes at her friend.

"Hey, what good am I if I don't spend my life trying to throw you off balance?"

"No one ever said you were good for that either, Danny."

"Zing."

Austin shook her head and stole a fry off of Danny's plate.

"I wanna hear more stories about Flack," she said, grimacing at the plain fry, then dumping salt and pepper on the rest of them.

"Geez get your own," Danny said, moving her hand away.

"What's yours is mine babe."

"Careful how you use that Graceless."

She rolled her eyes and shoved a fry in his mouth.

"Hey Linds, thanks for not abusing me," Adam muttered. Austin kicked him under the table and he grimaced. Lindsay chuckled and yawned, leaning back against the booth.

"And she's hit the wall," Austin said, tossing a straw wrapper at her. "Wake up!"

"Don't throw trash at me," Lindsay said, tossing the wrapper back. Austin batted it away and it fell to the floor where they both stared at it.

"And that is why they asked us to leave that coffee shop that time," Lindsay remarked with a grin.

"We coulda stayed if Stella hadn'ta been so loud telling us to be quiet."

"Yewp," Lindsay agreed with a nod.

"Yewp," Austin repeated, thoroughly confusing the guys who just stared at them.

"They got kicked out of a coffee shop and have their own language," Adam said, looking over at Danny.

"I have a feeling we're gonna have to bail them outta jail one day."

"Talk about an expensive date."

"Hey, quit talkin' about us, we're right here," Lindsay said, pinching Adam's arm.

"Okay, that abuse thing I said before? I take it back."

Lindsay giggled and patted his arm over the spot she had just pinched.

"You've been through a lot of pain today. I'm sorry."

"Yeah, well you should be," he muttered, fake pouting.

"I was wondering about that cut on your head," Danny said. "I was thinkin' maybe Lindsay smacked ya for beating her at Mario Kart."

"No, I fell into the bathtub."

"I'm not even gonna ask for clarification on that one."

"And just for the record he could never beat me at Mario Kart," Lindsay said.

"Well, I could, but I would have to stop letting you win."

"You do not let me win!"

"How do you think I come in second every single time?"

"Because you suck just slightly more than I do."

"You just keep telling yourself that, okay?"

"You can't beat me, Adam. It's nigh impossible."

"Betcha twenty bucks."

"Deal."

They shook on it and Austin chuckled.

"You guys have a strange relationship."

"Meh, we like it. At least we don't say "Screw you" in place of "I love you.""

"Hey, I can't let him start takin' me for granted you know. I tell him I love him and it's all over and then I'm stuck taking out the trash and junk like that."

"At least you've figured out how to work the system. That's half that battle."

"Well said, Sister Suffragette."

"You two scare me," Danny commented.

"Mission accomplished."

They high-fived over the table and Adam rolled his eyes.

"Wow."

They stayed at the restaurant until it closed, then wandered the dark streets, laughing like high schoolers on summer break. It was still too cold outside to be out there for long, but none of them really cared much.

"Ooh, shoes!" Lindsay said, dropping Adam's hand and walking over to the store window.

"Yes! Shoes!" Austin exclaimed, joining her.

"Aust, you're not girly enough to squeal over shoes."

"But those ones are bright green and I want them. I would never wear them but I want them anyway."

"Make Danny buy them for you."

"I bet they're expensive. I'd have to wear them everyday until I died to justify the expense. And I can't walk in heels anyway."

"You look so sad."

"Guess you're going to have to get the shoes so I can live vicariously through you."

"We could buy them together and then share."

"Every other weekend kinda thing?"

"Sure, why not."

They chuckled together and moved away from the window to follow the guys who had continued down the street and were looking at something else in a store window half a block down.

"So Linds can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you doing okay?"

She didn't have to clarify for Lindsay to know exactly what she was talking about.

"Yeah, I'm okay. I think about it more than I thought I would, but it's better than being scared to go to sleep at night."

"I was worried about you," she said. "That one time you called me you sounded terrible."

"I know. I really am okay now, I promise."

"Good. I missed you. There's way too much testosterone around sometimes."

"I think we need to ditch the boys sometime. Let them watch ESPN and eat junk and scratch and we'll go do something without them."

"Excellent. Of course we're going to have to convince them that they can live without us for a day."

"Or convince them that we're not as insane as we seem."

"Yewp."

Lindsay grinned as they made their way down the street to the guys. Life was finally realigning again and with each step, she felt steadier. Moving on had always been a struggle, but now she had much better things to move on to.