The only thing better than waking up beside him, she decides as her eyes flutter open for the second time that morning, is waking up beside him holding a fresh cup of steaming coffee.

He leans over her and sets the mug on the bedside table, stopping on his way back to place an impromptu kiss on her temple.

"Good morning," he whispers, his breath tickling her forehead in the most delightful way.

She can't hold back the smile that blooms deep within her. Her lips seem to forgotten any other way. They tilt up, uncontrolled. No matter how she tries to tamp them back down, they resist.

"Mmm, g'morning." She stretches out languidly, turning on her back to get a good look at his face, shaded by morning scruff that drives her wild with desire.

He brought her coffee. And just like those hundreds of times before when he offered her coffee at crimes scenes or in the precinct, his gesture says it all.

Maybe it's just now that she realizes the full extent of it too. Because she can't deny it any longer. She can't doubt his commitment, the level of his feeling. Not when she's shared this with him. Not when she's given herself fully to him, and him to her. It's more than coffee. It's a gift. His way of saying: "I have what you need. Even when you don't know you need it."

He regards her with an amused grin. Eyes clear and intent upon her face, which she knows is fashioned into an idiotic smile.

She's embarrassed. Just slightly. Because she should be playing it cool. She should have her poker face in check. Instead she's grinning like a goofy idiot. Like a school girl who's just had her first kiss and can't contain the giddiness. There's no masking the smile. It aches on her lips, forcing her mouth into a permanent crescent. If not for the heaviness of sleep in her limbs she's sure she'd be bouncing.

So she breaks away, scooting up against the headboard and grabbing her mug with admiration. Coffee. Delicious, energizing, wonderful coffee. It passes through her lips with delectable warmth. Bold and sweet.

"Oooh," she breathes in bliss. "You got vanilla creamer."

"Mhm," he nods. "Just for you."

And she tries to conceal the giddy school girl behind the mug that reads Armed and Dangerous, even though she's anything but at this moment. She hides it behind luxurious sips and keeps her eyes averted so he can't see. Because she thinks she's too happy. Too joyous. Too incandescently gleeful.

Not just about the coffee, but about him.

It was just one night. He's just a man. A man who makes her grin like a fool. Who brings her coffee just the way she likes it. But still just a man.

Her happiness shouldn't be dictated so easily by him.

But the happiness bubbles over without her permission, engulfing everything in a sunshine haze. Yes, her happiness is dictated by him.

It's not just that he brings her coffee, it's that he's become equally as essential.

He's the thing that gets her out of bed in the morning. The things the energizes her tired mind. The thing that keeps her running even when she doesn't think she can go any longer. He's not just the cream in her coffee, he's the caffeine that keeps her fueled. The sugar that's so deliciously sweet on her tongue. The warmth that floods her veins and makes life that little bit more bearable. And just thinking that feels so corny in her head. But she's in a corny mood.

She realizes she's been staring so she looks away. Too late. He sees it. His knowing grin proves it.

He coaxes her gaze back to his with a light tilt of her chin. And he devours her, first with his eyes, then with his mouth, which he melds with hers abruptly. A sudden spark of fire.

He tastes like coffee. Her coffee.

A/N – Ahhhh, the fluff monster got me again! And it comes bearing coffee! Thanks to fooxoo, trinxy and dave-ck for the beta.

As always please review. I love all my "likes" and "dislikes" but I love the long ones even more :D

Fight On and You'll Never Walk Alone