A/N: After the episode last night I was inspired to write something else for this pairing. After my last attempt at writing for them I was encouraged to find another few like minded people who enjoy them together. This story is in the same universe as my other fiction for this pair, 'A New Christmas Tradition'. You don't need to have read it to understand this but it will give you a better feeling for how I see the pairing if you have. I'm hoping this won't be my last one-shot for them. To be honest I'm not sure how much demand there is for them as a couple but I've got a real soft spot for them. As always all reviews are appreciated. I love feedback. This is dedicated to any fellow Lads fans out there.

By the end of his shift Lenny was still feeling a little uneasy. Mads may have repaid him for his ill-conceived macho show earlier but he was still worried that he may have genuinely offended his friend. Ever since Christmas they had been closer and he had really begun to value the friendship of the young nurse. He got on fairly well with the guys in work but he wasn't as close to any of them as he had been to Yuki and with the greatest will in the world they weren't exactly into the touchy feely stuff. Mads had filled a little of the hole in his life left by his friend's absence with her friendly smiles and soft personality.

Since they spent Christmas together there had been several other evenings spent in each other's company. Nothing fancy, but it had been nice to have someone to watch TV with or have a quiet chat with at the end of a tough day. He felt like they understood each other and their relationship had become more important to him than he would like to admit. As far as he knew none of their work colleagues were aware of their burgeoning friendship and he kind of liked it that way. It was nice to have something that was just for him and he wasn't ready for the comments that would follow if anyone was to find out how much time they had been spending together. He was worried it would ruin what they had.

Today however he was worried he might have ruined it himself. He did have an impressive talent for self-sabotage and he wasn't sure what had gotten into him. When Mads had uttered the words, "I thought we were friends" he had been taken aback by how her disappointed tone had affected him. Although he was glad it had turned out to be mostly a joke at his expense he was still concerned that there might have been real hurt behind it and it was this fear that led him to wait by the doors of the emergency department at the end of his shift. As she approached he felt more than a little apprehensive and put on his best apologetic face.

Mads had been contemplating what to say to her friend while she changed at the end of the day. She felt she may have taken her revenge a little far. He had looked so genuinely upset when she had questioned their friendship and she had to admit that few people could do the hurt puppy look quite as effectively as Lenny Lyons. If they hadn't been in public she would probably have given into the temptation to give him a hug right there and then. As it was she couldn't stick to her guns for long and had only continued with her charade for a few seconds before she had given in and revealed that it was all a joke.

She had only recently started to feel that the young doctor was beginning to let his guard down around her a little and she genuinely hoped she hadn't damaged that. He was one of the most closed off people she had ever met and she suspected he had more than a few trust issues. It made her feel special when he revealed a little of how he was feeling to her. She didn't want to jeopardise that because she worried about how much he kept inside. There was a softer side to him that she had never suspected was there, and on a more selfish note she didn't have so many friends that she could afford to lose one of the few she did have. When she saw him waiting for her at the door as she left for the evening she was more than a little relieved and glad she would have a chance to set the record straight.

He looked so serious when she approached that she gave him a warm smile to try and put him at ease which he returned cautiously.

He looked down sheepishly as he said quietly, "I was hoping we could talk."

She nodded and they started the walk towards her flat in unspoken agreement, as she lived closer to the hospital than he did. Just as she was thinking she would have to begin the conversation he spoke for the second time.

He still wouldn't make eye contact as he said, "I really am sorry for the way I acted you know. I still don't know why I did it really and we are friends, good friends, or at least I hope we still are. You're important to me.

She knew how much an admission like that would have cost him and in that moment she felt an overwhelming rush of affection for him. She felt that it was important that he was completely focussed on her response so grabbed his arm to stop him walking and looked him carefully in the face before she responded, "You're important to me too. You've become one of my best friends and I didn't mean to hurt you or make you doubt that. I'm sorry too."

Then because it felt like those words weren't enough she pulled him into the hug that she had wanted to give him earlier on that day. As he returned her actions she felt him relax against her and sighed in relief that he didn't seem to be rebuilding the walls that she had only just started to chip away at.

He pulled back and she was happy to see that his smile had returned with full force. He grabbed her hand to start her moving once more and said, "So now that we're friends again what about some TV and a take-away Nurse Durrani?"

She smiled and answered, "Sounds perfect Dr Lyons". She was a little surprised when he didn't make any move to drop her hand but if felt surprisingly natural as they walked along the road together so she merely entwined their fingers and gave his a little squeeze, trying not to give too much thought to how well their hands seemed to fit.