"It'll be the first of April tomorrow Maura," Jane takes a long draw from her freshly opened cold one, comfortably stretched out in the booth of the Dirty Robber, thankful for the lull in between cases.
"I know Jane. I am slightly attuned to that particular date," Maura sips from her glass of Pinot before continuing, "Unfortunately."
Jane gave a glare to the facial tissue - in it a wad of chewed out gum she had caught her fingers in when she had accidentally grazed under the table earlier on. She gave an inaudible curse at her own lack of tact. Of course it'll still matter. Full-on twerp you are Rizzoli.
"You're still, hung up on it. Aren't you Maura?" Jane reaches for Maura's hand, a gentle squeeze.
With feet firmly on the ground, and eyes on Maura, Jane holds onto Maura's hand.
It was just akin to any other ordinary school day. She has solitude. In that, there was not much of a need for her to be on alert or conscious of specific dates, traditions or events. Each day, the same; every day, growing more accustomed to being alone. Although on hindsight, she might have been too blatantly oblivious.
"Hey Maura!"
Did someone just use my name? To call for me? Me? She had thought.
She had looked up from her textbook. She had offered a smile – one she had decided on to be most obvious in projecting friendliness and welcome. First impressions are significant and good ones do account for a higher success rate of relationships being formed.
She does try. Chances are so few though. People do not quite stay. Not for her anyway. She had thought and had held the smile; hopeful.
"Want gum?" A pack of gum was indeed offered. Yellow wrapping and the manufacturer's stamp looked unfamiliar. His name is Jim; she had remembered from roll call on the first day, she remembers the names of all her classmates.
"Hello, Jim. No, thank you. Although the mechanical action of gum-chewing have been researched to be capable of minutely increasing the flow of oxygen to one's brain and thus, allow for better focus and lucidity, with of course a reasonable account for variations of results as per flavour, number of chews and -"
"So no gum?" Jim had offered again, and his posture signalled impatience.
Jim had interrupted her. She was used to it. She knows how her tendency to share facts can foster annoyance, but sometimes she forgets.
It soothes her - this false sense of stability stemming from unwavering facts. To fit in and in hopes for some semblance of anything but loneliness however, she tries to remember, she tries to adhere to the wants of others. She had smiled, trying to placate his impatience.
"I'll have a stick of gum. Thank you, Jim." She had never been a gum-chewer but, the offer had warmed her. She had smiled and had chosen to accept; she could have taken a stick without actually chewing on it.
"Here!" Jim had brought it nearer to her.
She had opted for a pincer grip approach, so as to not risk seeming like a fumbling klutz with a slide and take lest that fails. Pincer grips have been documented to be the better option when faced with the challenge of picking up a specific item in a small confined space or one in which presents constraints. First impressions matter; no one likes a klutz, no one in gym class ever picks a klutz. She had thought.
She had yelped as a jolt of electricity coursed from the tips of her fingers right to her elbow; it goes numb, her arm. Jim had laughed.
"Happy April Fools' fool!" Jim had guffawed. He had bellowed. The thunderous jeering decibel of his malicious laugh had echoed.
"Maura-the bore-ah is too a fool yeah!" Jim had proclaimed his triumph as he turned to walk away. Heads had turned to look; they looked to be amused.
A mask of impassiveness, that's what she had chosen. First of April, April Fools' Day, play the part. Pranks, however nasty, are part of the misguided purpose of today. She had thought and had offered a weak smile, more for herself than the jeering crowd. She had sat back down. A diagram of the skeletal system, served as a distraction. Lecture would begin in approximately three minutes anyway. She had counted the seconds instead.
The day had not yet been over.
"Hey Bore-ah! Want gum?"
She had stiffened and pretended to not have heard. You're Maura, not Bore-ah, she had reminded herself. You are Maura.
She had resumed the packing of her desk, anxious for the day to be over. Jim seemed to possess a sense of misplaced pride at taunting her. She should have been careful. She must not look like an easy target. The bullied must stay firm and avoid seeming affected to decrease probability of being bullied further, she had almost recited. She knew this fact too well by now. The odd often got singled out.
"Bore-ah!" A kick had been delivered to the back of her chair.
She had flinched but that is all she had let on. He was decidedly immature and she would not entertain him for his perverse pleasure. She had told herself again.
She was almost ready to go; all that was left was for her bag to be zipped. Breathe Maura, breathe. Isles' do not give in to taunts and or bullies. Neither do they cave in public. She had thought.
"Maura?" A new voice called.
She had turned. It would be rude not to.
"Gum?" With lanky arms and poorly styled hair – Mark; he had mocked.
She had shook her head and offered a no thank you. She had turned to go. She had just one more lecture; just another few hours, two to be precise.
She had stepped on a whoopee cushion. She had turned crimson and the sniggers had ensured.
She had moved right on to the next class; she knew not what else to do. Just be careful. The day will be over soon. She had told herself.
She had headed to her usual seat - the third row from the front and the seventh chair in a row of fourteen. Optimal seating aids learning.
Distracted and worn out, she had sunk into her seat, not checking.
Squelch.
No. She had frozen.
"No longer just glued to the books now are you Bore-ah!" A holler had come from rows behind.
She should have had been careful. She had thought as she had felt her tears welling.
Isles' do not break down. Isles' do not break down in public. No matter the degree of mockery. You would get used to it. She had told herself.
Wearily she had stood; warily she had stood, careful to not cause a tear to her dress.
She had walked quickly to a place of respite - the restroom - as the juvenile laughter had grown softer behind her.
"It's bittersweet Jane. It was not an entirely traumatic or distasteful day but still -" Maura looks down into her wine, pensive.
Jane runs her thumb gently across the back of Maura's palm. "It's okay Maura, go on," offering a cautious smile. They had met that day. Three years before the date tomorrow.
"It's not logical of me to say that I wished it to not have happened but," Maura makes contact with the soothing thumb, "It just isn't one of my fondest memories Jane."
"I know," Jane considers and asks, "May I Maura?" She signals her intent of crossing over to the opposite side of their booth - to go, to Maura.
"Of course Jane," Maura scoots a little to her left.
Jane stretches for a one armed embrace.
She holds Maura's hands in hers and presses their fingertips together. Reassurance Rizzoli, that's what Maura needs.
Jane leans in, to be closer, to whisper, so that Maura will know that it's just for her, these words.
"You're wonderful Maura. You're smart, kind, and very much so of an interesting interest. Don't let those immature goons of the past with that untrue in all sense and degree of a nickname get to you. You're Maura, you're Maura Isles and you're Maura Dorothea Isles if we want to be really specific."
Jane watches as Maura's smile start its return to life.
She's not done yet though; Jane will stop at nothing to make Maura happy. A smile is not a smile till it reaches the eyes.
"Most importantly Maura, you really need to know this because it's really important, alright Maura?" Jane waits for an acknowledgement.
Maura nods.
"I love you, just as you are. I love you Maura, very much so. Just, as you are. I love you. Just as you are," Jane presses her lips to the side of Maura's head, lingering, just an extra beat, before lowering her head for a proper kiss on upturned lips.
Maura's smile, Maura's eyes; the smile, it reaches Maura's eyes.
Jane smiles, "Always Maura, always. I'm here to stay."
Maura leans into Jane's shoulder blades, comforting, strong and safe, "Thank you, Jane."
"No, thank you. Thank you for letting me love you," Jane lavishes each fingertip with kisses, "And only you Maura."
Maura feels a finger hooked around hers and she knows. She knows that she does not need statistics or studies to know that, as long as they have each other, she will belong. She snuggles in closer to Jane. She knows.
A/N: Hi there, thank you, for the time~
Also, to note, this is a re-upload; with slight edits - the style of it.