A/N: This is really a continuation of another story, 'The Arrest,' but it has such a different tone than the rest of that story that I thought it made sense to publish them as two separate stories. I tried to write 'The Arrest' so it can stand alone, but I'm pretty sure this one won't make a lick of sense if you haven't read that first. 'The Arrest' is pretty angsty and this story is 100% fluff. Seriously, it has absolutely no redeeming social value whatsoever and is so sickeningly sweet it may cause cavities. Consider this fair warning.
Title: Pinned
xxx
It took Jane three months to wear her down.
He hadn't expected her to put up quite as much of a fight as she did, truth be told. The extent of her stubbornness was even greater than he'd anticipated. He found this pretty impressive, to be honest. Also, he realized, she'd actually *meant* all those things she'd said about being wary of letting him take over her personal life when keeping him out of trouble at work consumed most of her energy in her professional life. It was a good thing he'd realized she'd never have worn ruffles to save him from going to jail unless she loved him, or he might have started to worry that her continued resistance to his overtures might prove that he actually *wasn't* irresistible. But of course he was. So really, it was just a matter of convincing her that he truly was in love with her, too, and that he was planning to stay, and eventually she'd cave in and agree to let him be in her life in a more than professional capacity. He figured he'd ease her into the idea that when he told her he wanted to be in her life, he meant, you know, forever. Jane wasn't the type of man for half measures. It was all or nothing, for him. And he wanted all of her.
So he came up with a plan. It was one of his more brilliant ones, if he did say so himself. It had subtle layers and would need to be executed with careful timing throughout its several stages. The trick was going to be patience. That was the key. If he could manage that, he was certain that everything else would fall into place nicely.
xxx
The first stage of the attack went pretty much as he'd anticipated.
About a week after the trial, he received a package that had enabled him to move forward with his preliminary scheme.
Fortunately, she'd come around more quickly on the kissing front than he'd expected, which he was able to use to his advantage. He'd decided to go forward with a plan of kissing her early and often to bring her around on the whole courtship idea.
Appealing to her physical desire for affection had been a good decision. He'd always known Lisbon was a deeply passionate person who kept her strongest urges buttoned up tightly beneath her professional appearance, but he had to admit that his suspicions in that direction hadn't prepared him for the reality of kissing Teresa Lisbon when she decided to hold nothing back.
Obviously, this was an area in which she had been neglected for far too long. He resolved to continue a steady stream of kisses for her own good. Plus, he liked the kissing, too. He'd never considered himself an addictive personality, but now it was a chore to go for a prolonged period of time without tasting her. Unfortunately, she had a deeply ingrained paranoia about kissing at the office. She tended to send nervous glances towards Rigsby and Van Pelt and start muttering about regulations and hypocrisy whenever he managed to steal a kiss during normal business hours. He was usually able to get a few minutes of high quality necking on her office couch if he caught her when there weren't too many other people around and he had the foresight to draw the blinds before attempting to maneuver himself into a position most advantageous for getting a taste of the smooth column of her neck. Fortunately for him, once Lisbon decided to break her own rules, she did so with complete abandon. Once he initiated the kissing, it was not uncommon for him to find himself being kissed within an inch of his life by one Teresa Lisbon.
Admittedly, it was somewhat frustrating that between make out sessions, she continued to pretend there was nothing going on between them, as though they hadn't had their tongues stuck down each other's throat thirty seconds earlier.
No matter. He now had the mechanism he needed to get beyond that particular obstacle.
He breezed into her office. "Hey, Rigsby's going out for sandwiches. I told him you'd take a turkey club but he says he needs the money up front."
"Oh, sure." She reached into her desk drawer for her wallet. She rummaged around in the drawer, apparently without success. "That's weird. I can't find my wallet."
"Try your pocket," he suggested.
She put her hand into her jacket pocket and her face creased in confusion as she felt an unfamiliar object under her fingertips. She drew it out and looked at it. It was not her wallet, but a small, square box with a red bow on it. "What is this?"
"I told you. I'm courting. You get gifts."
"Jane," she said warningly.
"At least do me the courtesy of opening it before attempting to refuse my gift, woman," he said lightly.
She sighed and opened the package. It held a small golden pin in the shape of circle with a bumblebee in the middle of it.
She looked up at him, horrified.
He was delighted. "Ah, so you remember, then."
"Where did you get this?" she demanded.
"Well, it wasn't easy, let me tell you. Mrs. Gusterson, who is apparently is in charge of such things, is not in the habit of giving out school pins to just anyone. I was forced to give her all the sordid details of my plan before she would agree to send me this. She approves of my methods of wooing, by the way. Seems to think I'm quite the gentleman and that there ought to be more young men like me in the world these days. She said to say hello to you, incidentally. She remembers you fondly, although I can't say the same about your dear baby brothers. Apparently they were quite the hellions back in high school."
"You called my high school?" she said, flabbergasted.
"It seemed the most expedient way of getting my hands on the school pin I promised you."
She shook her head. "Mrs. Gusterson is still there?"
"Oh, yes. I get the sense she's one of those women who will never submit to the incomprehensible weakness of dying until there are no more young rapscallions in the world who need proper bringing up by the firm hand of a good woman. There's no doubt in my mind that Mrs. Gusterson will outlive you and me both, dear Lisbon. Now, please allow me to do the honors." And before she knew what was happening, he'd taken the box away from her and was pinning the tiny bumblebee to the lapel of her blazer.
He stepped back to survey his handiwork and grinned at her, smug as she'd ever seen him. "I told you I was going to pin you, Lisbon."
It was a good thing he was so damn annoying, or she might have been in real danger of succumbing to the thought that he could be quite sweet when he wanted to be. "I can't wear this, Jane."
"Certainly, you can." He stepped back towards her and dropped a kiss lightly on her lips.
It had probably been a mistake to let him keep kissing her. Clearly, he was getting the idea that he was winning this argument about whether they were a couple or not. The problem was, she couldn't seem to help herself. Whenever he kissed her, it was like he was striking a match inside her; she couldn't prevent the heat from searing through her. She kept telling herself to stop, but it was like trying to give up heroin. She simply couldn't do it on her own. She'd need the source of her addiction forcibly removed from her presence and the help of a team of medical professionals before she'd have any chance of winning that battle. So, she'd more or less capitulated when it came to the kissing, trying to keep her head about everything else. This being one of those everything elses. "I don't think so."
He smiled again. "Now, everyone will know you're mine."
Yes, it was definitely a good thing that he was so annoying. "I'm not yours and I'm not wearing this pin. And even if I were, no one would have any idea what it meant, because it's not 1937, and no one pins anyone anymore."
He grinned. "Wanna bet?"
She removed the pin from her jacket and handed it back to him. "Jane, I appreciate the gesture, and everything, but there's no way in hell I'm wearing a bumblebee pin around everywhere I go."
"Oh, you will wear it. And everyone in this building will know what it means."
"No, they won't—"
Grace came in then, bearing a file that needed Lisbon's signature. Jane stepped around to Lisbon's side, brushing against her as he moved to give Grace room to enter. "Hey boss, I have the Michaelson file for you." She handed the file to Lisbon. "Hey, nice pin. I don't recognize it. Is it new?"
"What?" Lisbon looked down and saw the offending bumblebee pinned to the exact spot she'd just removed it from. "Oh, for crying out loud."
Jane raised his hand. "I gave it to her."
Grace's eyes widened. "You gave her your school pin?"
"Yes, I did," Jane said proudly. "Well, technically, it's her school pin, but the point is, it's a school pin, and I gave it to her."
Grace's face softened into a gooey expression that Lisbon was entirely uncomfortable having directed at her. "That is so romantic."
Cho entered then, looking for an expense form.
"Cho, Jane gave Lisbon his school pin. Like they're going steady. Isn't that sweet?"
"I guess," Cho said, as expressionless as usual. He looked at Jane. "Took you long enough." He looked back at Lisbon. "Congratulations." He looked back at Jane and shook his head. "If that's the right word."
"It's not," Lisbon began. "We're not—"
But no one was listening to her. Cho looked around and called out to the bullpen. "Hey, Rigsby. Jane finally got his head out of his ass."
Rigsby came in, looking confused. "What do you mean, he finally asked Lisbon out?"
Cho nodded. "He gave her his school pin."
Rigsby broke out into a grin. "No kidding? Old school. Nice, man," he said approvingly, offering Jane his fist for a bump of manly approval.
Jane graciously bumped his fist against Rigsby's and accepted his congratulations with a contented smile.
Lisbon realized he was standing very close to her, and that his other hand had snaked its way around her waist. God, he was so stealthy. How did he do that? She stepped away from him hastily and put up a hand to forestall her team from jumping to any unwarranted conclusions. "Hang on. Jane and I are not—"
Jane interjected, quickly stepping back up to her side again. "What Lisbon is trying to say is, this is all very new, and we haven't exactly gotten around to making an official announcement or anything."
"That's not what I was going to say," Lisbon said. "Look, guys, there's nothing going on. This is all a big misunderstanding."
Jane squeezed her affectionately. "Don't mind her. She wanted to tell you guys, really. She's just still getting used to the idea." He winked at the team. "You know how she is."
They all nodded understandingly and assured him they did know how she is, and that they were very happy for the two of them.
Jane wasn't so foolish as to believe that was the end of the discussion of the bumblebee pin, however. Lisbon dealt him a vicious pinch, muttered something about where she was going to be sticking his precious pin, and vowed she would never wear it again.
Fortunately, Jane had planned for this reaction. His response was to toss her the wallet she'd been missing and advise her that he'd already paid Rigsby for her sandwich with his own money, reminding her that a gentleman never allows a lady he's pursuing to pay for lunch. And that he was sure she'd grow as fond of seeing the symbol of his abiding affection for her pinned to her clothing as he was already.
Lisbon growled at him and chucked the pin at his head.