A/N: A slightly AUish take on 3x07. Honestly, I started writing this once a picture from this episode surfaced during filming and then didn't touch it for months. I've been bingewatching Season 3 this past week and it inspired me to finish it. Enjoy! Let me know what you think...I always enjoy seeing your comments.

Also...I have no clue what's going on with the formatting, the site is not allowing me to bold the title of each drabble. sorry if that makes it harder to read.

I don't usually update a note after the fact, but to answer a comment someone left...yes, I did see the news about Graceland not getting picked up for Season 4. I'm just as crushed as the rest of you.

Frozen

Mike froze near the top of the stairs the moment he caught sight of Jakes standing near Paige, his lips firmly pressed to her neck. Nothing was going on between them, it was part of Paige's cover for her role in Briggs' plan. But he couldn't help but feel jealous, thinking that it should be him kissing Paige. His mark should be on her neck, not Jakes'.

"Have you ever given someone a hickey before?" Johnny playfully pushed Jakes aside. "Let me show you how it's done!"

"You want Levi mad at you too? I'm taking one for the team!"

Attention

The last thing Paige wanted to do right now was think about Mike

Mike said he forgave her and she believed him.

Otherwise she would lose her mind and there were too many other things that needed her attention right now. She was worried about Mike, but didn't know how to help him because if she got too involved he would push her away. But she had to focus on this case. Which apparently involved her getting a hickey from someone that wasn't Mike.

Paige pushed Jakes away and went to look in the mirror, only she noticed Mike instead.

Fade

Everything faded away when she looked at Mike.

Jakes and Johnny bickering. Details about her cover that needed memorizing. All she could think about was the mark forming on her neck and how this must look to Mike.

Her skin burned at the memory of Mike's lips buried in her neck, while she tugged his hair, pulling him closer as he moved over her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear as they lost themselves in each other.

She wanted to tell him this wasn't what it looked like, but based on the disinterested look on his face, he didn't care.

Hold

Paige held her breath as Mike caught her gaze, curious to see his reaction. After a few seconds, Mike looked away and handed her a sheet of paper.

"Here's the form you needed," Mike said.

"This isn't - it's not..." Paige's voice trailed off, frustrated that she couldn't find the right words to explain. Not that it mattered because it didn't seem like Mike cared. She wasn't trying to make him jealous but she thought he would feel something more than disinterest.

"You don't owe me an explanation. We..." Mike's voice trailed off once he noticed they had an audience.

Mystery

Just like that, he and Paige were back to being the main topic of house gossip. Although, those two didn't have the slightest idea what was actually going on between them.

He wasn't even sure what was going on between them.

In all honesty, they had been over ever since the day he brought her home from Sylmar. But despite all the ways they had hurt each other since then, they were still drawn to each other.

Paige's feelings were usually a mystery, but since they talked after her award ceremony she had been wearing her heart on her sleeve.

Confession

It made him wonder things he shouldn't be wondering.

If she wanted to try again.

Not that they ever really tried in the first place. But if she felt a fraction of what he felt for her, then they had a real shot at making things work.

Paige grabbed his arm, leading him away from the pair. "My skin crawls every time he touches me," Paige confessed.

"Jakes?" MIke asked, trying to keep his temper in check. He clenched his fist and the only thing that stopped him from marching across the room and punching Jakes was Paige's hand over his.

Balancing the Scales

"No, not Jakes. He's never - we've never, just no. Toros. Johnny suggested that if it looks like I'm seeing someone else, Toros will back off."

"You don't have to do this." Mike knew she felt guilty about Colby. But that wasn't her fight. Wasn't her case. She shouldn't have to deal with a pig like Toros just to get Briggs out of a mess he created.

"I do, you know why I do."

Mike cupped her face in his hand, but immediately dropped his hand when her eyes darted to his. "You don't owe Briggs anything."

"But what about Colby?"

Burden

Colby shouldn't have died, but it wasn't all her fault. Paige didn't Colby to help when he wanted to step away from the case. She had never met Ari before that night. How was she supposed to know what hand Ari used to light matches?

"We all had a part in his death, you're not to blame."

"Mike, you can't - "

"Don't carry this. Don't take all of this on." It was useless to tell Paige not to blame herself, but he had to try. He would ask her to do it for him, but that would make it even worse.

Outside

"I know what you're doing, but it's not your job to take care of me," Paige quietly said.

Ignoring the unspoken rules of their truce, he reached for her hands and took a deep breath. "You don't need me to take care of you, I know that."

Her strength was one of the things he admired most about Paige. She wasn't some damsel in distress waiting to be rescued.

The truth was, she didn't need him. And if she didn't need him like he desperately needed her, where did that leave him?

On the outside of her life, looking in.

Something

Having to deal with Toros was a small price to pay to make sure the Sarkissian's ended up behind bars.

"I have to head to Clearline, but are you free later?" His eyes drifted to her neck and she self-consciously rubbed it, hastily adding, "Maybe we can talk?"

A genuine smile filled Mike's face. "Sounds good."

"I should probably go change." Paige grabbed the clothes she brought out earlier, glancing over her shoulder, smiling when she noticed Mike watching her.

He still cared. It wasn't much. But it was something.

Maybe, just maybe they could figure things out after all.

THE END