Just found this in a folder I hadn't opened for almost two years. It was gonna be a whole story probably but idk, it's been too long, and I know damn well I'm never gonna finish it now haha. (Please don't ask..) So I figured I'd go ahead and publish it as-is.

Think of this as the antithesis to It Was Bound to Happen. ;)

Thrills

x - x - x

Sam combed her fingers through her wet dripping hair, smelling of fresh strawberry shampoo.

After tossing her towel on the top of the dresser she began to dig through the top right drawer, trying to find that one pair of plain cotton shorts that was somehow more comfortable than anything else she owned. Her reflection caught her eye in the vanity mirror atop the dresser. Her face looked yellow in the light pouring from the steamy bathroom. Ugh. She pulled at her eyes, hating the bags there. Things had been so nuts lately, and she hadn't much time to sleep. Poking at them now, she was starting to think maybe they were permanent. Maybe she could –

"Oh, SHIT!"

Danny's face appeared suddenly in front of hers as she leaned in close to the mirror. He snickered at her and fully materialized, after which she immediately slapped him on the shoulder. She hated being startled by him because she was normally so immune to it. "Don't scare me like that," she scolded, folding her arms in a defiant huff across her bare chest.

"Okay, okay," he said, plopping out of the air on top of the dresser, smirking down at her. "How should I scare you?"

"I – I uh.." Sam paused, her hand halfway to the open drawer, having momentarily forgotten what she was looking for. "How should..?"

Danny's smirk turned curious and he waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey.. you okay?"

He knew her far too well. He caught her eye and she just knew he saw that they'd dilated ever so slightly. Hell, he probably even heard the way her heartbeat palpitated. The heat in her cheeks told her she'd probably turned a dark shade of red, and she promptly busied herself with digging through the drawer. Danny brushed her cold hanging hair behind her shoulder, his hand lingering at her neck.

"You're all red, Sam," he prodded. God she could hear the reeking smugness in his tone.

"Am not," she insisted, uselessly. Finally, those stupid shorts! Hiding all the way at the back of the drawer apparently.

"No, seriously, what's the deal? Your heart's racing." She shrugged his hand away from her neck, rummaging through the second drawer down for pair of underwear. He slid off the dresser, slouching down far enough to look up into her eyes. He sounded contrite when he said, "I didn't actually scare you did I?"

Sam snorted, slamming the bottom drawer closed. Was that what he thought? Fat chance. "Danny. Really? No. No, you did not scare me."

He rose, gently wrapping an arm about her waist. "What's the matter, then?"

In the mirror's reflection she accidentally caught his eye for a moment, and hastily looked away. Too late.

"Heyy…" he said slyly, bringing up his other arm to tighten his grip.

Sam grunted in irritation, throwing her clothes down onto the dresser. "You didn't scare me, okay! Wipe that stupid smug look off your face before I wipe it off for you." The look on his face only got smugger, if that was possible. Sam wrinkled her nose at him in the mirror. She could not have him thinking he'd spooked her; he would hold that over her head for the rest of their lives. So, fine. Fine! If it was her between her pride and her dignity, her dignity would have to be sacrificed. "It's just that thing you said.." She gave a frazzled shrug, sifting purposelessly through the items of clothes. Picking them up one by one and dropping them again. "It's the exact thing you said to me… you know. The first time around with Freakshow. After you almost.."

That wiped the look off his face quicker than windshield wipers. "Oh. Shit, oh Sam, I didn't mean – "

Sam waved away his concern with her hand. "No no.. Don't worry, I'm not upset. It's not like that."

His eyebrows creased. "Oh. Well then why were you… oh." Suddenly his grip tightened around her waist again, a coy smirk peeking out behind her hair in the mirror. "Oh. I see."

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Danny, or so help me god."

"Did I get you like.. all hot and bothered?"

"No."

"So you're telling me you're not turned on. Not even a little bit."

Sam paused, weighing her options. She really wanted to erase that self-satisfied grin but then again… "Maybe a little bit."

"Wow Sam, you harlot." He tsked at her condescendingly, ignoring the rage written across her face. Huffing, she pried her arms away and tried to go about actually donning the clothes she'd been mussing about with for the past five minutes. "You don't have to put those on yet." He was already pulling the clothes out of her hands before she'd even begun to put them on.

"Come on Danny," she said, exasperated. "I have a lot of work to do tonight, I… can't mess around right now."

"Nah… I don't like that plan. New plan: let's mess around."

Sam stopped trying to snatch the clothes back and met his eyes in the mirror, only to realize they were blazing green. She raised her eyebrows at him skeptically, nearly snorting from how amusing it was. "You aren't scary, Danny."

"I can be scary," he pouted, snaking his hands up her bare stomach, running his thumb along the base of her jaw. "I can be really scary," he whispered in her ear.

"You're still not scaring me," she deadpanned. It was Danny for crying out loud!

"Okay." She was surprised by his sudden shift in tone, and tried to turn toward him but was surprised when she felt his hand in her hair, gently tugging her head backwards. His lips brushed against her cheek softly. "Then how should I scare you?"

Well, she'd always been a thrillseeker... Sam let out a shaky breath, feeling hot all over again, her blood pounding beneath his fingers on her neck. "That works."