Author's note: I know it's kind of silly, but I want to dedicate this to the awesome Simon Baker - on the day he turns 43. Happy birthday, Simon!
Best friends
She tiptoed to the attic – carefully balancing a steaming cup of Lapsang souchong.
He was lying on his makeshift bed, absently staring at the ceiling. A small smile curled his lips as he heard her footsteps approaching.
"Hi."
"Hi. How're you?"
His pensive gaze considered her for a brief moment. "Never better."
She knew it wasn't exactly the truth – and he knew that she knew it, as was his wont.
Neither of them was willing to point this out though.
"I bring you tea."
He accepted the cup from her hands. "Thank you, Lisbon."
"You're welcome."
She guessed that they weren't talking about tea anymore. The closing of the Red John case was the real topic of course, even if they still kept it carefully in the background.
"You know, it's been a while since I had a friend like you."
"Someone willing to tolerate all your crazy stunts – is that what you mean?"
His smile broadened slightly. "Yeah, that's it."
"I bet you never had a load of friends then – did you?"
He took another sip of his tea. "Just two. And one of them is you."
She didn't need to ask who his other friend had been. It was Angela, of course – the look in his eyes told her as much.
It struck her that this was exactly what Jane needed – what he looked for in a woman.
A friend. Someone who understood him at a glance. Someone he could put his trust in.
Angela Ruskin Jane had surely been a most wonderful woman – and her husband's best friend.
No wonder he still missed her so much.
She sighed. "You should try and make more friends then."
"Don't think so."
"Jane…"
He placed the now empty teacup on the floor, then stood up and looked straight into her eyes.
"You're the best friend I could wish for. I don't need anybody else."
"What about a girlfriend, maybe?"
She couldn't help shivering slightly as he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Is that your way to ask me on a date?"
"Of course not! I'll never…"
"Why not?"
Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink. "Because we're friends."
"And friends would never date – would they?"
She struggled to find the right words, but in the end just gave up. "No funny business, Patrick."
"Okay."
"On that condition, you're allowed to take me out to dinner."
He grinned – his eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "It'll be fun."
"Don't make me regret this."
"I won't. I promise."
As she slowly went downstairs to the office she wondered what she should expect.
Perhaps he would show up at her door with a bunch of red roses and offer her one of his dazzling smiles.
She would really love that.
Maybe it was time to dig out that green dress she still kept somewhere in her closet…