Summary: Rigsby discovers that the cold weather seems to have a unique effect on his boss and their ever present consultant…
Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist or any of its characters, I just like playing in the sandbox provided by Heller and co.
Warnings: Essentially just Jisbon related fluff, with slightly adult suggestions I guess ;)
Spoilers: No major ones really; as long as you know who Benjamin is, you're all good.
Authors note: Short, silly little one shot inspired by the very cold weather I faced when I travelled back to England last week; a big difference from Egypt I can tell you!
Rigsby looked up from his desk, hoping to spot the moment when the Boss returned from lunch. He and Cho had tracked down the brother-in-law of their latest victim and he wanted permission to follow the lead. Lisbon still wasn't back, but when he turned his head he spotted Cho and Grace wandering from the break room together, both heading to the interview room. The widow had been called back in to have a chat about some inconsistencies with her alibi and his two colleagues were leading the interrogation.
Jane was conspicuously absent, but then the blond haired consultant had muttered something about grabbing lunch with Lisbon so he assumed that he'd caught her on the way out of the building half an hour ago. Good. Rigsby rarely got any work finished on time when Jane was around to distract him.
As he continued with the paperwork from the morning's crime scene, trying to remember without referring to the photos if the victim's wallet had been black or brown, Rigsby glanced briefly out of the window. The weather had taken a turn for the worse, and while not as cold as it had been the last couple of weeks, there was a definite chill in the air. He must remember to pack Ben off with an extra pair of mittens when he took him to day-care tomorrow. Picking at the meatball sub he'd bought on the way to work that morning, Rigsby turned at the sound of the elevator doors sliding open. Hopefully it was Lisbon returning; he should really follow this lead.
He watched as Lisbon did indeed come round the corner into the bullpen, walking alongside Jane, who appeared to have his hand on the small of her back, guiding her along. It wasn't a particularly unusual sight; Jane not only dressed like a gentleman, but he could act like it on occasion as well. What was unusual, however, was the fact that Jane seemed to be whispering something in Lisbon's ear; something that made her blush slightly before she turned to punch his arm. Ha. Served Jane right for the inevitably rude comment he'd made. No-one should be rude to the Boss.
In fact, both of their cheeks were flushed, Rigsby noticed. Probably from the cold outside. Maybe the temperature had dropped another couple of degrees while they'd been out. Jane, for once, was wearing a thick coat, vintage of course, creating a different sight from his usual three-piece suit. Lisbon was wearing her dark leather jacket, a pair of gloves dangling out of one of the pockets and a scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. Rigsby had noticed that his boss had taken to wearing scarves more frequently over the last few days. He didn't really think anything of it though; nothing beat a nice thick woollen scarf on a cold day.
Rigsby stood as Lisbon and Jane passed, heading towards her office. They'd both waved slightly at him as they'd passed, but it seemed they were still in the middle of a conversation. Well, he needed to see the Boss, so see her he would.
He knocked carefully on the door of the office and smiled as Lisbon waved him in. Jane had taken his usual spot on Lisbon's couch, having placed his coat, rather domestically, Rigsby thought, on Lisbon's coat rack.
"Hey Boss, Jane," he said by way of greeting, watching as Lisbon shrugged out of her own jacket and hooked it on the back of her chair.
"Hi Rigsby. Got something?" Lisbon replied, moving to unwrap the scarf from her neck.
"Yeah, found the brother-in-law; lives in Santa Maria. His financials look a little off; I was wondering if I should head over and ask…" He'd paused mid-sentence, staring at Lisbon. She was still taking the scarf off, but most of it was unravelled in her hands, leaving her neck visible for the first time.
"Rigsby? Are you ok?"
"Uh… yeah… you've um, you've just got a mark on your neck," he replied, waving vaguely in the direction of her throat, looking incredibly embarrassed. She froze, a deep red blush spreading across her cheeks; one that was definitely not as a result of the cold.
Rigsby didn't know what to do. He knew it wasn't a mark. She knew it wasn't a mark. Anyone who saw it would know it wasn't just a mark. How the Boss was going to explain a hickey on her neck he didn't know. And not just any hickey. A fresh one. One that had probably been made in the last half an hour, when she was out with…
He couldn't help himself. Rigsby spluttered and spun to look at Jane, the pieces falling into place. Oh God. This was wrong on so many levels. He had to leave. The consultant was leaning back on the couch, legs crossed, a very smug grin on his face and a possessive look in his eyes. Jane looked like he was about to jump Lisbon at any moment. Rigsby knew he really had to leave, right now.
Lisbon was still frozen on the spot, but all her attention was focused on Jane. She was glaring at him, clearly very pissed, but Rigsby could tell that if Jane decided to make a move right then she would probably have no argument. So, so wrong.
"I'll just…um… yeah, Santa Maria… I'll update later…" He was practically shouting the words as he bolted from the office. The last thing he saw before he reached the elevator was Jane moving swiftly from the couch and Lisbon closing the blinds. Oh God, he did not need that mental image...