A/N: Set before the show begins right when Mindy and Tom break up. However, Mindy and Danny are already best friends.

I don't own The Mindy Project nor the characters. I include memorable lines from the show, but I mean no harm haha

Mindy and Tom were comfortably snuggled together on their couch watching Love Actually when it happened.

"Mindy?"

"Hmm?" she said, still focusing on the movie.

"Mindy, I want to break up."

With widened eyes, she immediately whipped her head to face him. "What?! What do you mean you want to break up?"

Tom sighed. "I just have this feeling that you're not completely in this."

"What do you mean 'in this?' Of course, I'm in this! We live together, Tom! It's not like there's someone else in the picture."

"Are you sure about that?"

Mindy huffed in anger, rose up from the couch and crossed her arms. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's just-Just think about it, okay?"

"No, why?! Tell me because I would love to hear why you're basically accusing me of cheating on you."

"Sometimes, you...talk about Danny too much and too fondly." Tom looked down to avoid her eyes.

"Danny? Danny Castellano, who I work with, my best friend!? That's absurd!"

Tom sighed, slightly frustrated that Mindy isn't grasping the concept. "Mindy, when you talk about him, you sound so happy. You've never sounded like that even when you're talking to me."

"He is just my best friend. There's nothing going on between us! I'm in this relationship with you, Tom, not him, okay?"

"Look, you may not see it now, but it's there."

Mindy threw her hands up in exasperation. She started to gather her things and head for the door. "I can't believe this. Goodbye, Tom. Have a nice life. I'll come back later this week to grab the rest of my things."

Mindy slammed the door behind her and walked as fast as she could. She felt hot tears run down her face. "Great," she muttered. She wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand. She walked out of Tom's apartment building, and the cold New York air hit her. She pulled her coat closer to her body and started to head back to her own apartment.

When she opened the door to her barely lived-in apartment, she heavily sighed. "Another failed relationship. Good one, Mindy, good one," she muttered out loud to no one in particular. She dragged her body to her bedroom and plopped herself onto her bed. She just wanted to sleep and grieve in silence, but her phone started to buzz.

Mindy sniffled and groaned. "Ugh, who's calling me? I just want to be left alone." She quickly swiped her phone without paying attention to who was calling. "Hello?" Her voice sounded annoyed, but it was lined with sadness.

"Min?"

"Oh...It's you," she said sadly.

"Uh, yeah," Danny was taken aback by the sound of Mindy's voice, but he continued. "I was just, uh, grabbing some take out, and I was wondering if you wanted some."

"No."

"No? Mindy Lahiri never says no to food. Min, are you okay? You sound a little...off."

"No," Mindy sniffled.

"Alright, I'm coming over. Are you in your apartment? Don't go anywhere." Danny hung up before Mindy could say anything. Mindy thought about getting up to clean up a bit, so she wouldn't look like a complete mess in front of Danny, but she decided against it. Her bed was too comfortable.

Mindy was still lying on her bed when she heard Danny's muffled voice. "Mindy? You in there? Open up!"

Mindy mustered up the strength to peel herself off her bed and walk to the door. She unlocked the door and swung it open to see Danny holding two bags worth of take out.

"Shit, Min. You look terrible."

"Thanks...Always the gentleman, Castellano," Mindy said sarcastically. She turned her back to him and started to head towards the couch. Danny walked into the foyer, shut the door, kicked off his shoes, and went straight to her kitchen to set up the food. He heard the TV flick on. He was just about finished with unloading the Chinese food onto some plates when he asked, "So, what happened?"

"Tom broke up with me tonight," she said softly.

Danny rounded the couch, set the two plates on the coffee table and took a seat next to Mindy. He looked at Mindy with pain in his eyes, hating to see her hurt and cry.

"I'm sorry, Min. He's a jerk for dumping you. You're better off without him."

"Thanks, I guess." She reached for her plate and started to eat.

Danny sighed before he quietly asked, "Did he say why he broke up with you?"

Mindy didn't want to bring up the fact that Tom mentioned him as the cause of their breakup. "Ugh, he said that I wasn't fully in the relationship, and he basically accused me of cheating on him."

"He said that?! I'm gonna punch that jerk in the face. He can't talk to you like that!" Danny started to get up in a hurry.

Mindy pulled on the sleeve of his shirt. "No, Danny, it's fine, it's okay."

"So, what? Are you saying it's true? Were you cheating on him?"

"No! I would never do that. I just-I just can't help but wonder why he thinks that there's someone else when there really isn't." Mindy sighed. "How did I get here Danny? I'm almost 35, and I can't even have a relationship with a guy who doesn't run away after a few months. I'm going to die alone."

Danny chuckled, put his right arm around her shoulder and lightly squeezed it.

She slightly pulled away from him to look him square in the eyes. "Don't laugh at me, you jerk."

"I wasn't laughing at you, Min. I was laughing at the idea that you think you're going to die alone. You're not going to die alone, Mindy." Danny removed his arm from her shoulder. Mindy placed her plate back onto the table, pulled her knees to her chest, and tucked the throw under her chin.

Mindy huffed. "Yeah, right, Danny. I'm a mess. No one is going to love me."

"Hey, hey, don't say that." Danny shifted his body to face her. "You are not a mess, Mindy. Look at you! You're a successful and accomplished doctor who owns one third of an OB/GYN practice in Manhattan. Tom's a jerk for dumping you. You're a great person. I mean, you annoy the hell out of me sometimes, but you're great. Any man would be lucky to call Mindy Lahiri his girlfriend."

Mindy gave him a small smile. "Thanks, Danny."

"Besides, you have me." Mindy looked at him dubiously with a raised eyebrow.

Danny started to stammer and gesture wildly. "I-I mean, you'll, you know. I'll always, uh, be here for you because I'm-I'm your friend and that's what friends do." He lowered his hands in his lap and sighed. "I love you, Min."

"Aww, Danny. You big softie!" She leaned towards him to give him a hug.

Danny started to protest. "Nah, no. Min, I'm good." But he was too late. Mindy already had her arms around his neck. "I love you too, Dan." She pulled away and smiled at him. "Thanks for the food, by the way. And thanks for keeping me company tonight." Mindy turned to face the TV.

"No problem." He grabbed his plate off the table and with a mouth full of food, he asked, "So what are we watching?"

"When Harry Met Sally," Mindy said excitedly.

"Ugh, not this movie again!"

"Hey, no complaining! I'm the one who got broken up with tonight."

"Fine...Just don't be surprised if I fall asleep like half way through."

"Deal."

Harry was running through the streets of New York on New Year's Eve when Mindy felt a heaviness on her left shoulder. She looked over and saw Danny sleeping with his head resting on her . She cracked a small smile and returned her attention to the movie.

When the movie was over, she turned off the TV. With Danny still on her shoulder, she imagined different scenarios in which she could get out of this. She could carefully try to get up, let Danny sleep on the couch, and go back to her bedroom. She could just stay where she was and hope that sleep would overtake her. Or she could wake Danny up. She yawned and realized she was more tired than she thought. I'll just take a quick nap before I figure this out. A few minutes won't hurt. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Mindy woke up all tangled up in something. What the hell? She opened her eyes to find herself curled up next to Danny, legs tangled up in his. She remained as she was, but blinked a few times so her eyes could adjust to her dark surroundings. She doesn't know how this happened, but her head is right under Danny's chin, her two hands under her chin, and Danny's left arm is draped over her back.

She's not entirely uncomfortable, but she sure as hell can't get out of this one. With sleep overtaking her again, she instinctively snuggled closer into Danny, comforted by his warmth. She sighed happily and fell back into a blissful slumber.