Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Also, sorry for any spelling/grammatical errors as I don't have a beta.
There was no deny it, everyone could see it - from the guys who worked in the evidence lock up to Lieutenant Cavanaugh - Jane and Maura had a spark. Sometimes it was more than just a spark, more than a jolt of electricity when Maura brushed her hands up against Jane's. It was those looks that Jane would give Maura, those looks that said 'I love you', it was the way Maura got all giddy and flirted like a teenager in love. It was more than a spark - it was a flame. A flame that would burn long into the early hours of the morning when Maura and Jane knew they should be going to bed because they had work in the morning, but instead opted for a few too many drinks and a few too little almost kisses. It was nights like those, like these, that made all the stress of work waste away, when they could relax and just be.
These nights had become something of a ritual. Jane would go to Maura's on a Friday, normally baring Chinese, Maura would have picked out a movie but it would just be playing in the background as they talked the night away and after hours of the movie finishing Jane would conclude she had to go home but Maura would insist she should stay because it was late. Eventually Jane just stopped suggesting she should go and just started suggesting they should go to bed. Jane would change into the clothes she kept a Maura's and they would both snuggle up in Maura's Queen sized bed.
So tonight, being a Friday night Jane stopped off at the Chinese place before heading over to Maura's and at around 5, a lot earlier that usual. As Maura opened the door, Jane realized she had this churning feeling in her stomach, not a bad feeling, but all the same she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was... it was almost like butterflies. As she walked through the door her hand brushed Maura's, she felt the tingling sensation the skin to skin contact gave her and Maura felt it too. Their eyes met for a brief second and Maura looked like she was going to say something, but decided against it.
"I know it's a bit early to eat dinner, but I knocked off work earlier that normal and figured might as well get dinner now rather than go out later." Jane said as she set the food down on the bench, "Wanna just have it later?"
"That sounds fine." Maura replied, putting the Chinese in the fridge, "How was tour day?"
"Boring, no new leads on the case." Jane sighed, "How was yours?"
"It was relatively good." Maura smiled as she handed Jane a bear and poured a glass of red wine for herself.
As they made their way to the couch they walked closer than normal friends would, with their hands touching. Jane sunk into the comfortable couch next to Maura, but frowned slightly when she saw what was on TV.
"What's this, Maur?"
"What's what?"
She gestured to the TV, "The show."
"It's called the L Word."
"There are girls having..." She trailed off.
"Two girls having sex?" Maura finished, Jane blushed, "It's a lesbian TV show, Jane."
"Why are you watching it? You're not a lesbian."
"Yes but I am what you would call a bisexual."
Jane swallowed, "Really?"
Maura nodded, "I hope that doesn't make you uncomfortable."
"No of course not!" Jane said almost defensively, "It's just in our years of friendship I can't believe I never knew that about you."
Maura looked up at Jane and laughed lightly, they stared into each others eyes for what seemed like minutes before Jane broke the eye contact.
Silence.
Jane broke that too after a minute, "What's it like being with a girl?" She asked. The question surprised Maura, it's not something Jane would normally ask, in fact Jane had surprised herself by asking it.
Maura smiled, "It so much easier that being with a man. There's just this certain level of comfort and mutual respect. It's so much more tender a loving."
A shiver went up Jane's spine, she didn't really know what to say.
So yet again she asked another surprising question, "Have you ever been in love with a girl?" She didn't know why she asked the question.
"Yes." Maura answered simply.
"Who?"
That Maura didn't answer at all.
"Maura?"
Still no reply.
That churning feeling in Jane's stomach got stronger.
Maura looked into Jane's eyes as if she was trying to talk to her through looks.
That's when it hit her.
"Is it me?" Jane asked.
Maura just nodded. She had never been in love with her best friend, she assumed it wasn't normal social conduct, so she didn't know what was going to happen. Was Jane going to walk out? Was she ever going to speak to her again? Was it going to be awkward?
The next thing that happened was not what Maura was expecting - Jane's lips on hers. Maura was right, there was a certain level of comfort and mutual respect and it was loving and tender.
Jane slipped her hands around Maura's waist and Maura wrapped her hands around Jane's neck. Maura's tongue skimmed Jane's teeth for entrance, Jane complied immediately. Jane felt her knees so weak and butterflies in her stomach. She had been waiting so long for this moment. All those looks, those almost kisses, everything that had been building up was released into the kiss.
It was that the kiss made Jane realize what everyone else was seeing - they had a spark. No not a spark, a flame.
