Linda would rather be anywhere else but in her bedroom, crying from the pain. She was curled up, hugging the big pink monkey Danny won at the fair before he had to leave. She sniffed, trying to stop the tears because she knew they weren't helping.
She groaned as another cramp shot pain through her lower half. She cursed at the pain from the cramps, and at the pain from the migraine she had. Why was she cursed like this? She heard the doorbell ring, and she prayed it wasn't for her.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Rosita opened the door and a wide smile spread on her face. "Danny! I didn't know you were back. How long are you staying?" She stepped aside to let him in.
"I got in yesterday, and I'm only here 'til Thursday... is Linda here?"
"That depends. She's here in this house, but I'm pretty sure she's not up for visitors."
"Why? Is she okay?"
"To quote her, she's got killer cramps and a migraine from hell."
Danny had never experienced those things (and with any luck, he'd go his whole life without a migraine), but he still felt bad for her. "Can I see her? I won't stay long if she isn't feeling well."
Rosita smiled, "she won't be very talkative, but I'm sure she'd appreciate the visit."
He smiled and headed up the stairs to Linda's room. He stood in the doorway; the room was as dark as it could be. Her curtains were drawn, and her lights were off. He really did feel sorry for her. He knocked on the doorframe.
Linda groaned and hugged her monkey tighter. "Please leave me alone."
"I can't do that. Not when you sound like that."
Linda pushed the sleeping mask onto her forehead, but made no other effort to get up. "Danny? What're you doing here?"
"Came by to say 'hi'. Hi. You okay?"
She held out her hand, hoping he could see it in the dark. "No."
He barely saw her arm in the dark room. He probably wouldn't have seen it if her door was closed behind him. He walked over and grabbed her hand, "Your Nonna told me you have cramps and a migraine... I'm sorry."
"Can you stay for a while?"
He hated how pained her voice sounded. "Yeah, I'll stay." He sat down, but she shook her head.
"Will you hold me? Please?"
"I can do that." He kicked his shoes off, then rounded the bed.
She reached behind her and lifted the covers.
Danny slipped in behind her, a little surprised at the pillow between her legs. "If you need anything, Lemme know. Tell me where it is, and I'll get it."
"Thank you, but I just need sleep."
He kissed her shoulder, "sleep good."
********
"Linda, can I talk to you for a minute?"
"Sure, Nonna." She frowned as Nonna sat on the bed, looking concerned. "What's wrong?"
"I understand that Danny stayed overnight."
"Yeah. We both fell asleep, and before we knew it, it was morning."
"I'm going to be Frank with you, and I need you to tell me the truth."
"Okay..." there was a slight lift to her voice, a small question.
"Did you and Danny... fare sesso?"
"No! Nonna! We wouldn't do that. He knows I don't want that." She wouldn't tell Nonna that she secretly wanted it; she wouldn't tell Nonna that she had woken up in the middle of the night, phantom hands cupping her breasts and an insistent itch between her legs.
"I'm just trying to look after you."
She smiled, "thank you, Nonna. But you don't need to worry about that. Danny wouldn't do that... especially if I'm feeling as crappy as I was last night."
"I'm sure he wouldn't. You've got a keeper, Linda."
She smiled as she traced her promise ring. "I know I do."
*********
"Nonna thought that you and I had sex last night," Linda told Danny while they ate lunch together.
"What?" He nearly choked on his quesadilla.
She nodded.
"That's..."
"Offensive, I know. Like you would ever do that. Especially if I'm feeling that crappy!"
"So does she not want me sleeping over?"
She chewed her own quesadilla thoughtfully. "I don't know. I couldn't really tell. She was just looking after me."
"Why would she even think to think that?"
"I don't know," she shook her head. "Maybe she just knows, you know? I mean, she was a teenage once too. And she probably wasn't as... loose... as teens are now, but...."
"I would never do that."
"I know that, and you know that, but Nonna apparently doesn't know that!"
*********
Later that day, while Linda was out of the house, Danny decided he needed to talk to Nonna.
She was surprised to see him, "Danny, what a surprise! Come in. Something wrong?"
"Linda said you thought we were having sex when I slept over. First of all, I would never do that. She doesn't want that, and I'm not going to force it from her."
"Danny-"
"But if it makes you uncomfortable for me and Linda to share a bed, then we won't. I respect that, you know? I mean, my parents know we're not doing anything but actually sleeping, and they're still worried about that. So if you don't want me to crash here from time to time, then just say so, and I'll tell Linda."
Nonna smiled, "you are a good young man, Danny Reagan. And I wasn't worried about you."
He blinked, "Linda? You were worried about little Miss wait-for-marriage Linda? Wow. Why?"
She shrugged, "I know Linda misses you a lot, and.. well, I thought her judgement might have been askew."
"The last thing Linda wanted last night was sex. Besides, she's guarded better than the tightest chastity belt!"
Nonna smirked. "I do trust you with my granddaughter, but if you ever do anything to make her uncomfortable, you'll rue the day you were ever born."
Danny blinked, stunned. He didn't think someone as nice as Nonna could threaten someone like that.
"A vague disclaimer is no one's friend."
