Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Rizzoli and Isles.
-Idea from the bettyhooker on tumblr.
Next to You
- By MegannRosemary
One
Jane pushed open Maura's front door, absentmindedly making a mental note when it squeaked to bring some WD40 the next time she comes over. "Maura, you home?" She called, though she knew the answer would be yes, not having needed to use her keys.
Since Casey left, everything had gone back to normal, in fact it was as if nothing ever happened. Jane came over nearly every night for dinner, bringing take out or a bottle of wine when they had a particularly difficult case. Sunday brunch was spent with Angela and sometimes the other Rizzoli boys. When the caseload wasn't too heavy, they'd meet for a run in the park or drinks at the Dirty Robber.
But pretending and ignoring isn't enough anymore, it weighed her down.
She found Maura in the kitchen, stirring something on the stove. It smelled delicious, basil and garlic, but she didn't have the energy to take a peek like she usually did. The brunette collapsed on a stool, her forehead hitting the cool granite countertop with a thud. She couldn't tell if Maura noticed or not but she spoke anyway, blurting, "Maura, I need to go."
"Go where?" Her voice traveled closer.
"Go away, out of the city, far away."
Maura covered her hand with her own, "Alright, where are we going?"
"You're coming with me?" She looked up then incredulous, though she'd hoped she would.
"If you'd like." The honey-blonde nodded, "When are we going?"
Not where, not why, not how, just a promise to be there. Unlike Casey. She shook herself, it wasn't right to compare the two, not fair to Maura to even link them in the same thought process. But they were, Maura and Casey balancing out her life, one on each side as friend and lover. With Casey gone, there was only Maura and yet it was still balanced. Maura was everything, and that was most confusing of all.
She was showing Maura the route they would take up to Canada when the kitchen door burst open and Angela wandered in. "I had some extra lemon meringue pie today, I though you girls might like some."
"Thank you Angela, wont you stay for a piece?"
She looked uncomfortably back at the blazing lights in the guesthouse, where Lt. Cavanaugh must be. "I really should be going." Then a mothers' eyes noticed the map on the iPad that was propped against the pepper grinder, "Oh where are you going?"
"I need a break Ma, we're going to the lake."
"The lake," She raised her eyebrows in surprise and put her hand on Maura's shoulder, "You know me and Mr. Rizzoli honeymooned there."
"Ma!" Jane blushed and her gaze whipped to the blonde.
"What," She feigned innocence, "That was before all the celebrities started building vacation homes in Muskoka."
Maura nodded with genuine interest, such was her heart.
The eldest Rizzoli clapped her hands with excitement, "Oh Maura, we should go shopping tomorrow before you leave and pick out a pretty night gown."
They both turn to Jane, one with a look of surprise, the other with a wicked gleam in her eyes.
"Ma, it's not like that," Jane tried.
She shrugged and sashayed out the door, "Enjoy the pie ladies."
"I see the location wasn't entirely random," Maura raised her eyebrows.
Jane mumbled her explanation around a bite of meringue, "We used to rent the cottage for a couple weeks in the summer when we were kids."
"Ahhh I see, I thought perhaps you had a sudden craving for Muskoka chairs and Molson Canadian."
"That too, " Jane chuckled, scooping up a bite of the lemon filling.
It was just getting dark when they pulled into the gravel driveway and the trees looked black against the dusky blue sky. Upon stepping out of the car, they were immediately embraced by the scent of pine and dry leaves, wood smoke and lake. The air is soft against their skin, with quiet edges of frost to remind them of the winter to come, and underlying notes of warmth to remember the summer not long past. It's fresh and clean, their lungs rejoicing in gratitude.
Maura stretched, raising her hands in the air before bending gracefully to touch her toes, her back arched like a kitten. She righted herself, her blonde curls plagued with static from the long drive. "It's just lovely here Jane."
"Just wait til you see everything, I love it, you'll love it." Jane ushered her friend into the cabin, dragging her heavier suitcase and her own lighter duffle bag. "Go ahead, it's unlocked."
She looked surprised but pushed open the door all the same.
"Tadaaa." The brunette reached for the light switch, flicking it on with a flourish. "It's not much but it's a lot of fun."
Maura dropped the bags of food that she'd been carrying on the kitchen table and let Jane give her a little tour.
She rubbed her hands together with excitement, "So as you can see it's pretty small. The kitchen- living room-dining area is all open here..."
The older woman glanced around at the light moss green walls, accented golden pine beams and a gleaming ceiling. The floor was also pine, but it's darkened with age and well worn in places, the nicks and scratches telling the stories of hundreds that came before them. The collection of knickknacks was impressive, from century old skates and snowshoes to a substantial collection of stubbie beer bottles. She turned around several times, taking it all in, before facing her friend, her eyes glowing amber in the warm light, "It looks so cozy, I expect elves to pop out of the woodwork."
Jane rolled her eyes, and poked her lightly in the stomach. She teased, "Ok what was in that milkshake you had?" They'd stopped on the highway to have dinner, burgers at the famous Webbers, just like she always had as a kid when they came for the summer.
"Well, I would expect..." Maura began.
"Don't answer that," Jane pressed a finger to her lips as she passed by her to continue the tour. She was momentarily speechless, surprised by their softness and wondered what her lips might feel against her own. But it's only a passing thought, gone before they reach the other side of the room. "The porch is out the side there, that's where us kids used to sleep in the summer." She grinned then, memories flooding the depths of her dark brown eyes, "We stayed up far too late every night, we thought Ma and Pop had no idea. God, we picked on Tommy so much. It was great."
She grabbed their bags again and showed them to the only bedroom, "The bathroom is across the hall, ok? You can drink the water and all so don't worry."
Maura slipped her hands into the pockets of her slacks, studying the room. It was cozy as the rest of the cottage had been, the walls painted a warm ochre and the furnishings a deep mahogany. Then her breath caught in a giggle and she simpered, "Is that the honeymoon bed?"
Jane tossed the pillows from the bed at her, "Shut up Maura, I don't even want to think about all the people who have slept in it." She shuddered with dramatic exaggeration, heading to the closet to grabs sheets, a thick goose down duvet and a colourful quilt.
Together they make the bed, Maura straightening it to perfection when they were done.
"Uh do you mind..."The brunette gestured to her duffle.
"Oh of course, I'll go put the food away."
Jane returned to the main room several minutes later in a red plaid shirt and comfortable jeans that looked like they had been around since the nineties. "Thanks Maura," She murmured when she saw the food had disappeared.
"Not a problem. Are you hungry?"
"Naw, I'm good." She crooked her thumb at the fireplace, "I'm gonna go check and see if they left us some firewood."
"A real fire Jane?" She sighed dreamily, "I so wish we could have them in the city."
"We'll see, don't get your hopes up." But she could see they were already up.
When she returned, the blonde was curled on the couch, nursing a glass of wine and staring at the empty hearth. When she caught sight of Jane, arms piled high with wood and a plastic bucket full of kindling dangling from her fingers, she yet out a yelp of excitement.
She jumped up to grab the bucket from her hands and waited patiently as she set the wood down in the iron rack. Kneeling beside her in front of the fireplace, Maura pulled a wood chip out of her tangled curls , "You know Jane, you look like a lumberjack." Then she doubled over with laughter, using Jane for support, "You're a lumberjane."
"Did you just make a joke" Jane chuckled, adding some newspaper to the beginnings of fire and a few pieces of kindling.
"I did, and it was quite good wasn't it." She continued to laugh quietly, her light eyes sparking with amusement as they watched her every move.
"It was wonderful." The brunette added a few larger logs and waited for them to catch. Then she held out a hand and helped her friend up from the dusty floor.
They sat by the fire while the cottage warmed up, Maura sipping on her glass of wine and Jane taking pulls off a local microbrew.
"Are you ready to talk Jane?"
"Talk about what?" She picked at the label on the bottle, the corner lifting off from the condensation.
"About why you needed to get away," Maura replied bluntly.
"I need to think about things."
"Things?"
Jane sighed, she wanted so badly to tell Maura everything. All the confusing thoughts and the realization of just what had been in front of their faces the entire time. But she couldn't do that, she couldn't put the burden on Maura's shoulders. "After Casey, I..I've started to realize something."
She waited, letting the brunette talk freely. The wood snapped and crackled, filling the silence.
"I don't think I can tell you just yet, but you'll be the first to know." She smiled gratefully, "I'm really glad you came this weekend Maur."
"It really is lovely here," She stretched out her feet in Jane's lap and the brunette began to massage them, pressing the ball of her thumb into the arch of her foot. She moved in tight circles and smooth lines, her long fingers tickled and danced at her ankles.
Maura shivered with a sharp intake of breath.
"Sorry, cold hands?"
"No, it just feels good."
Jane pressed again and the blonde moaned.
Something tightened in her belly, energy and fire.
Their eyes locked as Jane continued to work her magic. Little sighs escaped from Maura's parted lips and her eyes darkened with an emotion they had yet to share so blatantly, so unguarded.
Desire.
Jane finished the massage, keeping her gaze on the fire, the cluttered decorations, the carpet, anything but Maura's intuitive gaze. She patted her calf affectionately when she was done, "What do you say we call it a night? It was a long drive."
The blonde nodded, stretching gracefully as was her habit.
After performing their nightly routines, they slipped beneath the soft sheets and the heavy quilt. Even with the light off, the room was well lit in the soft pale light of the moon. It shone brightly through the window and illuminated the bed, but despite the spotlight, their reserve from earlier disappeared.
Maura whispered that they could see the stars, happily pointing out the constellations.
They settled on their own sides, their breathing evening out. This was one of her favourite things, to be able to relax so completely in the presence of another person. If she was being honest with herself, Maura was the only one she could completely relax around, even in sleep.
Falling asleep beside someone is to be completely vulnerable, and she hated that in most situations. Jane Rizzoli was a tough cop, she didn't need a man, she was strong, she was not vulnerable. But the fact of the matter was, she could have Maura in her life and she didn't have to choose between her strength and the magnificence of truly opening yourself up to another person.
With Maura, it was easy. It wasn't that she didn't care enough, and just that she wanted the easy way out. She cared very much that it was easy to open herself so completely so as to sleep beside her. It was that it was right.
She rolled towards her, careful to keep her distance, and with a sleepy sigh she rested her hand on Maura hip over the patchwork quilt.
The other woman didn't move for several minutes and Jane wondered if she had already fallen asleep. But then she slipped her hand from beneath the blankets and covered Jane's hand with her own. Their fingers intertwined, anchoring them in sleep.
A/N: Thanks to bettyhooker's "lumberjane" breakfast for prompting this story! I thought it was going to be a lot less serious, but I hope you enjoy :) Thanks for reading xx
P.S. Guys I will continue, another few chapters but nothing super long :) Thanks!