A/N: I watched the episode and I instantly felt like writing a tag for it... so here you go!
Disclaimer: Nothing is mine.
'Look at you'
Case closed, thank god. If there was one thing Patrick Jane didn't like, it was feeling sympathy for people. And he had known right from the get-go that the man convicted for Sarah's murder eleven years ago was not guilty. Although Abbott's feelings about this case may have helped too.
Jane closed his eyes and listened to Abbott's footsteps getting further and further away. Maybe he just needed a good night's sleep, this case had been tiring him and even though he was a devout insomniac, closing his eyes every now and then wasn't hard to do.
Suddenly, he noticed that Abbott's heavy footsteps were replaced by quick, light ones – the sound of high heels accompanying it. He waited a few seconds to hear what direction they went to yet when he noticed they were only coming closer, he opened his eyes and looked to his side.
Of all the things or people he was expecting to see standing there, it certainly wasn't his Lisbon, clad in a little black dress and black high heels. She took his breath away without even noticing.
He could just pretend to be sleeping. Leave her be, let her have this wonderful night with Pike. But he couldn't stop himself when he spoke.
"Look at you."
She turned around quickly, startled, until she realized that it was him and she rolled her eyes immediately.
"Don't start."
"I'm not starting," he protested. He looked her up and down quickly. "You look beautiful."
He fixed his eyes on hers, hoping he would succeed in showing her how much he cared – and he did care, he wasn't faking it this time.
"I hope he's taking you someplace nice."
"Cloth napkins and everything," she said while smiling. His heart felt heavy. She was happy about napkins – surely there was no way he would make her feel like this, period.
"Fancy." He paused. "Hope you have a great time."
She paused too, her smile dropping a bit. He wondered why that was. Was she waiting for him to tell her to stay? Couldn't be. "Night Jane."
She turned around, walking away on a reasonable pace. His heart felt even heavier.
He couldn't do this, now could he? He knew he couldn't call her his, he hadn't done anything to make her wait for him but still, he felt she was his. He had been the one buying her a pony, emeralds, even little things like doughnuts from Maries or a cup of coffee in the CBI restaurant. What had Pike bought her? Dinner?
He sighed softly. Pike had given her hope. Love. Adoration. You couldn't buy a woman into loving you, no matter how many presents you would give her. Love was one thing Patrick Jane couldn't give her, even if he would try really hard. And he would try, for her, but he hadn't been ready yet. He doubted he still was, would ever be.
"Teresa?" he said, not hard enough for everyone present to hear but loud enough for her to have noticed. She stopped and turned.
"Yes, Jane?"
He paused, taking in a deep breath and then sat up straight on his couch.
"Would you stay here with me tonight if I asked you to?"
She frowned. "Why are you asking?"
Because I love you and I don't want you to go out with another man, he thought. He shook his head. He couldn't tell her.
"I need the company," he whispered. You coward.
"I… I promised Marcus, Jane." She looked down. "I'm sorry."
When she was about to walk away again, he stood abruptly.
"Please stay. Please. I'm sorry I made you wait so long, I'm sorry I never showed you how much I care about you… never showed you that I want you, more than anything. I don't want you to go out with Pike, not because I don't want you to be happy but because I want to be him. I want to go out with you, want to make you happy and smile and feel loved. I… I love you, Teresa." She still wasn't facing him, and he lowered his head in defeat. He felt the tears coming already, wanted her to leave now so she wouldn't see him crying. He messed up now by declaring his love at the most unfortunate moments and he would never be able to take this back. "Please stay."
For a long time, he didn't hear a sound except for his own sobs, indicating she hadn't left yet. Then, he heard the tell-tale sound of her high heels coming closer until it came to a halt right in front of him.
"All you had to do was ask, Jane," she whispered softly, made him look up at him with just a gentle finger underneath his chin and that was when he saw it. The love he had seen before he had fled the country, and when he had seen her after those two awful years apart. The love she had skillfully hidden, not knowing what to do with it. Not sure whether loving him was appropriate since he hadn't given her a sign that he felt the same. The love that was absent when she was talking to and about Marcus Pike but was directed at him now, Patrick Jane. The man least worthy of her love.
She wiped his tears away from his cheeks and he let out a soft whimper, falling to his knees in front of her and wrapping his arms around her waist, burying his face against her flat stomach.
"Oh Patrick," she whispered softly, her hands stroking his curls, comforting him. "I love you, too."
A/N: So, let me know! (yes I know I make Jane cry a lot in my fics lately but it just needs to happen, you know? He needs to lose control or just realize that he will lose her if he doesn't make a move. So this happened.)