Disclaimer: They do not belong to me. I am just using them for my own nefarious purposes.
Summary: An out-of-town case, an overnight in a motel, and our team. Naughtiness ensues. Jane/Lisbon, Rigsby/VanPelt, Cho/Elise fluff. Rated T for language and adult situations.
Selfish Acts
"I finally get my own room? Terrific!" said Jane as the sleeping arrangements were explained in detail by Lisbon at the motel's front desk. Lisbon smiled indulgently at him. She was careful not to mention that the reason Jane was getting his own room was that neither Rigsby nor Cho wanted to share with him. Then she shrugged. He probably knew and did it on purpose.
"Yes, Jane. Yours is the single, 102. VanPelt, you and I will be across the hall in 103, and Cho and Rigsby are right next to us in 105. We should only have to do one overnight here, guys. Try to get some rest." Lisbon said, then sighed. It had been a long day.
Everything had started out fairly normally, but one phone call from the Santa Cruz area threw it all in an uproar. Two murders in two days with little to go on meant that the team had to drop everything and ride down that day. Hours of exhausting interviews later, they were still far from solving the case, but were running out of resources in the area. They decided to stay over a night, gather up the rest of the evidence and then head back to Sacramento the following day. The SleepEZ motel was far from a palace, but it was reasonable and clean.
Lisbon took over the finer arrangements after she saw Cho and Rigsby silently start a rock-paper-scissors game over who would be stuck with Jane. She'd said, "What's the problem?"
"He's up and down all night, Boss. Most of the time he can't sleep, so he gets bored and wants to talk. At three in the morning!" Rigsby griped.
Cho nodded. "And if you don't want to talk sometimes he'll start holding the conversation by himself, supplying your half as well. And what's worst? He's usually so dead on it's disturbing."
Lisbon's eyes widened. "Wow. Okay, he gets his own room from now on."
###
They found a good diner and had dinner together. Jane really enjoyed eating with the team; for one thing, they were partially distracted and he could observe them so much more freely.
He started with Cho. Stoic as ever, someone else watching Cho might not have thought anything of the frequent checks to his phone. But Jane could tell that he was texting with his long-term girlfriend Elise, and from the slight smile he guessed that Cho was inviting Elise to sneak out to him for the evening. Jane knew that they didn't spend very many nights apart anymore, and it looked like tonight would be no exception.
Next, Jane moved on to VanPelt and Rigsby. Their dynamic was back and forth a lot lately, but currently they were being incredibly friendly while transparently anxious. Their bodies turned towards each other in their chairs, and they exchanged simple touches that lingered just a tad too long. Then VanPelt would blush slightly and Rigsby would cough. Jane knew they were sleeping together again, but all he did was privately chuckle and let it go.
Finally, he focused on Lisbon. She was enjoying her food and only half listening to the conversation at the table. He watched as she stared out the window, and not for the first time took a moment to admire her. Her dark hair was in soft waves today, and the blazer she wore was the particular long flared style that flattered her curves. Her green eyes were softly unfocused, showing that she was remembering something pleasant from the past. Jane wondered how much he could depend on good memories for tonight's plan. After all, he might have a room to himself, but that didn't mean he had any desire to sleep alone.
He considered his next step, and decided to start with the jukebox. Jane had seen it in the corner as they'd entered, and now he excused himself and went over to it to check the listing. After a moment he smirked at track number fourteen, More Than Words. Oh, this was going to be just too easy.
###
Lisbon was thinking fondly of her last real vacation when she heard the opening strains of More Than Words. Startled, she looked up to see Jane standing by the jukebox with a smug grin on his lips. She shot him a look that warned him not to mention the dance they'd shared to this song, at least not in front of the team. He just shrugged and kept smiling. She rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't help smiling back.
-Ha, got her.- Jane thought as he returned to the table. –She's smart and she's tough, but also a little sentimental. Just enough for that to work, anyway.-
VanPelt then yawned in an exaggerated and obviously fake way. "It's been a long day, so I think I'm going to turn in. Goodnight everyone," she said, and looked at Rigsby pointedly. He caught on instantly.
"Yeah, me too. I mean, I'm tired too. I'll drive back with you, Grace. See you in the morning, guys." Rigsby said, and the two of them left the diner.
Jane could only just manage to hold in a laugh. Lisbon looked up at him, then followed his glance outside to the SUV where VanPelt and Rigsby were looking at each other with desire as they drove off. She just shook her head and said, "Don't say it, Jane. I know."
Jane didn't try to hold in his chuckle at that. "Why don't I pick up the tab and we can all go back to the motel and… get some sleep. You coming, Cho?"
Cho glared at him, as if he knew Jane had figured out about his sneak meet-up with Elise. But he composed himself and said, "Why don't you bring the boss back with you in your car? I'm not finished with my coffee."
Lisbon opened her mouth to say she had no intention of getting in a car with Jane driving, but Jane said "Good idea! See you in the morning, Cho," and boldly grabbed Lisbon's hand. Lisbon was so surprised she actually let Jane practically drag her out the door.
###
They started talking about Rigsby and VanPelt in the car ride back. "So when did you figure out they were at it again?" Jane said, smirking.
Lisbon huffed. "I may not be a mentalist, but I have been trained to observe people and their body language. And they're not exactly being subtle, are they?"
Jane actually laughed out loud and said, "No. Chalk it up to youthful exuberance, I suppose."
Once they got back to the motel, Jane went with Lisbon down the hall to her room. She was a little surprised when she opened the door and VanPelt was nowhere to be seen. "Where the hell is VanPelt?" she said as they both walked in. And then they heard a loud thump come from the room next door, following by rhythmic squeaking.
"What the-" Lisbon started to say, but was cut off when Jane placed his hand over her mouth.
"Shh," he said, closing the door behind them as the squeaking in the next room grew faster and soft moans started filtering through the wall.
Lisbon took Jane's hand off her mouth and whispered, "Can't they keep a lid on it when we're all in the same motel? I'm right next-door, for goodness' sake! And where is Cho supposed to sleep?"
"Cho can sleep in the single." Jane said.
"Oh really? And you'll sleep in the hall?" Lisbon asked.
"Why can't I stay in here with you? There are two beds," he whined.
"You are not staying with me Jane, not with the funny stuff going on next door and the snide comments in here!" she snapped.
The squeaking stopped, and became a regular thumping on the other side of the shared wall. Lisbon rolled her eyes, was this going to be going on all night?
"Want them to quiet down? Let me help." Jane said, and walked over to the wall. The thumping was getting increasingly loud, and words were now possible to distinguish between the moans.
"Please, Wayne, please-"
"Oh God, Grace-"
BANG BANG BANG, Jane's fist thumped on the wall. "Find a different wall to screw against, guys!" he shouted, then walked back over to Lisbon looking pleased with himself. "Damn exhibitionists," he muttered, then got a good look at Lisbon.
Lisbon's pupils were wide. Her face was flushed and her breathing was shallow. A fine sheen of sweat was visible on her skin. Her pulse point showed a quickening heartbeat. Jane realized that she was unmistakably turned on. Now this was too good to let pass. "I'm sorry, were you enjoying listening to them, Teresa? I could tell them they can start up again."
"Don't be a pig, Jane," Lisbon said automatically, but the flush didn't shift. "And don't call me Teresa. We may be out of town but this is still all part of work."
"Live a little, woman. We're off the clock. Besides, I'll let you call me Patrick if you let me call you Teresa," he said, stepping closer.
"You can call me Lisbon, Boss, or Ma'am," she whispered fiercely and took a step back. Why was he standing so close? He smelled so good – but she clamped down that thought.
"Ooh, Ma'am, very authoritarian. Makes you sound like you're in charge even when you're being seduced." Jane took another step closer, closing the distance between them.
"Am I being seduced? I hadn't noticed," she said tartly.
"Yes, Ma'am, you are. The song in the diner was the sweet part, and our friends next door have kindly demonstrated the promise of things to come," Jane said, his voice low and purring in her ear.
Lisbon was fighting the attraction of it, of him, and said, "So you've only been nice to me all evening to get me to sleep with you? Playing my favorite song, giving me a ride back here, and quieting down my noisy neighbors just to get me into bed? How selfish of you, Jane."
"Patrick," he murmured, and planted a small soft kiss on her neck. Then he pulled back, and looked in her eyes. "Seduction is a selfish act, Teresa. It's selfish on the part of the seducer, of course, for acting solely towards the eventual goal of getting the seduced into bed. What most people don't realize is that it's also selfish on the part of the seduced, for allowing themselves to be coaxed and pleasured without any feelings of guilt. 'It's not my fault, he seduced me.' How irresponsible and self-serving." Jane tilted his head and kissed her neck again.
She felt any remaining resolve slipping, but she attempted to appear unaffected. "So you're trying to say that seduction is selfish but it means no guilt. I'm not guilty because you're seducing me, and you're not guilty because I want to be seduced, apparently," Lisbon said, trying to concentrate on the conversation while her body was humming with desire.
Jane smiled. She should have just melted against him by now, and yet here she was still trying to talk this out. "Now you've got it," he said, stroking softly down her arms before capturing her hands and lacing his fingers with hers. "Sounds like a good arrangement for us, don't you think?"
Lisbon finally just laughed. "Actually it sounds like a crock, to tell you the truth," she said. "But who cares? As it turns out, it's what I want anyway." She lifted her chin and smiled teasingly at him. "Kiss me, Patrick."
Jane chuckled. "Yes, Ma'am." And he did.
###
Cho and Elise made their way back to the motel about an hour later. As they passed by the side-by-side double rooms, they heard some pretty unmistakable sounds coming from both. –Finally, those four have paired off and I don't have to pretend not to know what's going on anymore!- Cho thought as he guided Elise to the single across the hall.
"Oh hell, Kimball, I forgot something." Elise said, frowning as they stepped into the room.
"What is it, sweetie?" he said.
"My pajamas," she answered, and then winked wickedly at him.
Cho just grinned. "Somehow I don't think you'll be cold without them, not tonight." And they stepped closer together as he switched off the light.
The End
A/N: My noisy upstairs neighbors, whose bedroom is directly above mine, inspired this bit of fluffiness. I'm chalking it up to youthful exuberance.
