AUTHORS NOTE: Well I've been catching up on my Mentalist (yes, I have a lot to catch up on seeing as I'm still on season one!) and this little thing hit me thanks to the episode "Carnelian, Inc. (01x17)" so this is my first Mentalist story! It's also based off a prompt table that's being used over in the Taggart archive.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the characters.

[Trusting Jane]

Moving into the bullpen, Lisbon froze as she saw Jane awkwardly sat on his couch staring into space as if something was troubling him. She took a step towards him and cocked her head to the side as she tried to read his face. She had never been good at reading Jane. Sure she pretended to know she knew what she was doing but the man was a jigsaw puzzle where several pieces had been lost over the years. "Jane, is everything okay?" She asked and her voice caused him to come out of the trance that he was in as he focused on her face.

"No. It's not okay." He said standing up awkwardly, his hands rubbing his pants as if the palms were sweaty as he stared at her. "You don't trust me." He finally forced out and Lisbon groaned. She should have known that would plague on his mind after she'd said it to him even though she'd clarified her reasons and then did the trust fall with him.

"Jane, I do trust you but at the same time I don't." She started and as he moved towards her, she found herself looking up at him as he stood toe-to-toe with her. She knew this was one of his tests. He'd stand that close to her until she got freaked out and then she'd pull away but she knew that Jane needed for her just to stand there and prove that she did trust him. However as his hand moved up to caress her cheek, she realised that thinking she could do it and actually doing it were two different things. "Jane, what are you..." She was cut off by his finger pressing over her lips.

"Lisbon, I thought you trusted me?" He teased through his sober attitude and she couldn't help but laugh as she shook her head. It was this kind of situation that she had been talking about. The type of situation where you have no idea what he's going to do to you but expect you just to be okay with it. He was so used to people falling for his charms that he didn't understand that she was little bit weary when around him.

"Jane, I do trust you but you're..." this time his whole hand covered her mouth and she glared at him over the hand, her sigh causing her warm breath to tickle his palm. He smiled at her, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he could visibly see the frustration that she was feeling. Lisbon didn't like giving over control and the idea of trusting someone was scaring her. He could see that her in eyes too.

"Lisbon," he said bring his other hand up so that he could trace his fingertip along the curve of her eyebrow before smiling as she raised it underneath his fingertip. "You did the trust fall on me but then I think you did that just to appease me. You knew I wouldn't drop you." He whispered before removing his hand from her mouth, his smile wide as he shook his head. "You don't trust me, Lisbon because I'm reckless but you should know that I wouldn't intentionally do anything that would hurt you or any of the other three detectives." He looked down at the floor, a sad smile on his face as he thought through his next line. "You guys are all the family I have left and I wouldn't want anything to happen to any of you." He admitted and Lisbon couldn't help but smile.

"Jane, I do trust you. If I thought you were that much of a risk, I could have your consultancy taken away from you." She commented with a grin. The first one she'd worn since she entered the room causing him to smile too. "Jane, I didn't mean for it come out like that back..." she was cut off by him pressing a kiss to the corner of her lips. It was only a friendly kiss but she couldn't help but notice that her heart actually skipped a beat and a warm flush spread across her face.

"Yes, you did." He said with that grin on his face that always made her worry that he was up to something. This was the Jane she knew and loved. "It's okay though. I understand. I wouldn't trust me that much either." He agreed before walking over to his couch and laid down, his arms crossing over his chest as he closed his eyes. Lisbon stared over at him with wide eyes before shaking her head in frustration as she moved away to her office.