As long as she remembered, she'd go ice skating during the winter months. She wasn't by any means good, but she stayed upright and she could skate backwards.... Which was a lot more than she could say for Danny Reagan. For someone so agile on the basketball court, he sure... wasn't on the ice.
"So how long have you been skating?" Danny asked, his eyes focused on his skates and the ice below them.
"For as long as I can remember. I love ice skating."
He nodded, still focused on keeping his balance. Linda didn't understand why he wouldn't hold onto the wall. Clearly he didn't skate all that often, and why chance sore elbows, knees, and bottoms?
A really, really nice bottom, Linda thought then immediately scolded herself. Linda!
"I can tell."
She only smiled warmly, and made easy conversation with him.
After many instances of Danny's hand subtly brushing hers, she asked, "what're you doing?"
"I thought if our hands kept brushing, you'd take it as a hint, and hold my hand."
"Or you could just, y'know, ask to hold my hand." Linda smiled like an asshole.
"Asshole," Danny told her, pushing her shoulder.
Her skates shifted unceremoniously under her, making her lose her balance. She grabbed Danny's arm instinctively, and he came falling to the ice with her. She felt the sting of the cold and the fall spread through her clothes, up her back, and settle into her skull. Great. Tears stupidly pricked her eyes, and she tried to scoot away from Danny.
"Shit, I'm sorry, Linda. I didn't think—"
"No, you didn't," she interrupted, awkwardly holding the wall and pulling herself up. "You don't shove people when they're on ice!"
He even more awkwardly pulled himself up, upset that he had ruined the date. He hadn't meant to- he was just playing. "I'm sorry."
Linda muttered something under her breath and skated to the exit.
Danny closed his eyes briefly, cursing violently at himself. He less than gracefully followed his girlfriend off the ice. He found her sitting in the farthest booth- right next to the restrooms- her hand on the back of her head. She looked like she was going to cry. He put his skate guards on, almost falling twice, and ungracefully stalked over to her.
He sat in the seat across from her, and was about to apologize again when he saw tear tracks on her pink cheeks. "Oh crap, you're crying. I hurt you, didn't I? I'm sorry."
"I hit my head, when you... when I fell," she explained, a little embarrassed. Dejectedly she pouted and added, "and I tore my stocking."
"I'll buy you a new one," Danny promised quickly. "How's your head? Did you hit it hard? Do you need something? Should I call someone?"
"Danny!" Linda raised her voice a little to stop his ranting. "I'm okay. I don't have a concussion—"
"How can you be so sure?" He leaned over the table, worry dancing in his warm hazel eyes. It made Linda want to lean over and kiss all his worry away.
Instead, she put her gloved hands over his, "if I had a concussion, I'd be disoriented and unconscious. I'm not. My head just hurts a lot." Her back and butt hurt a lot too, but it was the blow to her skull that brought the tears.
"I'm sorry," he apologized again.
She frowned and her tight eyebrows grew tighter. How would he be if he really hurt her? He was positively beside himself because he made the mistake of pushing her on ice. She was fine- except for the headache and soreness, but that was nothing a heating pad couldn't fix. Or something sugary sweet for her headache.
"Danny," Linda started, but didn't quite know what to say. "You didn't hurt me. Okay?" She stood up and sat on the edge of his seat. She took his hand and put it on her forehead, "see? Perfectly fine."
He moved his hand to cup her cheek and push her soft blonde hair behind her ear. Before he could apologize again, she kissed him sweetly.
"Want to make it up to me?" There was a mischievous glint in her magnificent blue eyes.
"And how, exactly, would I do that?"
She grinned and started pulling him towards the skate rental desk.
*********
About twenty minutes later, found Danny and Linda sitting in a too-bright Starbucks. The music over the speakers was the usual seasonal slop, and Linda had grinned like an idiot when and overly cheery song filled with saxophone riffs about seeing Santa Claus came on.
"This is terrible," Danny stated.
"I know."
"Reagan!" The barista called and Danny got up to get their warm drinks and warm pastries. He gave Linda her hot chocolate and cinnamon roll, and sat down with his own.
He was about to say something when he saw her rooting around in her purse. "What're you doing?"
She produced two round things wrapped in sparkling red foil. "Shh!" She unwrapped the two objects and Danny saw that they were chocolate. After taking the top to her cup off, she carefully plopped the chocolate into the hot liquid.
"Oh my gosh, Linda!"
"What? It's not chocolatey enough."
"You carry chocolates around with you?"
"N-no," she sort of faltered. She really didn't. She had grabbed a bag today, just in case Danny had wanted to share with her.
"You chocolate whore."
She gasped, faking offense. "It's not my fault they don't do their hot chocolate correctly."
He only smiled and took a sip of his hot chocolate. He didn't know what Linda was talking about— it seemed adequately chocolatey.
After their drinks and pastries were finished, Danny said, "I should probably take you home now, huh?"
"I don't want to go yet," Linda answered, looking down at the napkin in her hand. She now felt a little guilty for reacting the way she did.
"We could just drive around," he suggested.
"Or..." Linda's smile was mischievous again.
********
Danny reached into the chocolate bag that was offered to him. He popped one in his mouth, chewing it thoughtfully. "These are your favorite chocolates in the whole world?"
"Mhmm. Stork's Orange Creams. They're the best." She ate another one, "thanks for taking me here."
Instead of saying something like you're welcome, he kissed her, thoroughly surprising her. She only stared at him as he smiled and stared, "I can see why you like these. Best orange kiss ever."
And if she blushed like an idiot after that, neither of them said anything.
