A/N: Written for the September 2013 monthly challenge on Paint it Red.
Spoilers: Small snippets from sentences said in different epis, they're only noticeable if you've already seen them.
Disclaimer: I own the food in my fridge and the tea in my cupboard, but the rights to The Mentalist is not in either, trust me, I've checked.
"Ouch, ouch! My tongue. It's burning! My mouth is on fire!" She was waving her hands up and down in front of her face in small frantic movements. "What did you do to my food?" She looked at him accusingly.
"Whatever do you mean?" He asked, his face a perfect mask of innocence.
"You put something in it when I wasn't looking, didn't you?" She questioned between gulps of water.
He looked at her in amusement. "Come now Lisbon, what do you take me for?"
She scowled. "I'm not gonna answer that, 'cause I'm a decent person."
He shrugged her comment of. "So, I put the faintest trace of chili in your food, so what? It's good for you."
She made a face and rolled her eyes.
"Come on don't be like that, challenge your Midwestern taste buds for once, all that pineapple speckled pizza you eat dulls the senses."
"My senses are just fine, thank you very much. They don't need any awakening or reawakening for that matter." She pushed the plate forward and away a few centimeters in front of her, pouting because she really had been looking forward to a good meal with some proper food for once.
He smiled. She looked adorable when she was grumpy. "Here take mine." He said and exchanged her plate with his. "There's no chili in this one, I swear."
She looked suspiciously at him and the plate in turn. But in the end - even though it was against her better judgment - her hunger won out and she took her fork and poked a little at some meat before she dared putting it into her mouth. He watched her chew, carefully at first, then swallow. And then her face lit up.
"Good?" He asked though the answer was written on her face.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Better without the chili."
He shook his head and pursed his lips. "You're not near adventurous enough, Lisbon."
"I'd say you're adventurous enough for the both of us, besides with all the cheap tricks you play on unsuspecting people I think I've reached my limits of the unexpected, I don't think I need any more excitement in my life at this point."
He thought about that for a moment then said: "That's where you're wrong Lisbon, you'd get bored without my constant meddling and mischiefs, you thrive on change and ruckus and whatever else kind of trouble I cause."
"Wow, Mr. psychic." She said in mock impressiveness. "It's like you don't know me at all."
He raised an eyebrow.
She just smiled equally amused and mischievous. "Let's eat before it gets cold, shall we?"
xXx
A few days later.
"...if that wasn't the fastest confession I'd ever gotten from a suspect you can call me..." Jane's train of thought was interrupted as Lisbon walked past them on her way to her office. "...oh hi Lisbon."
"I'm not even gonna ask." She said casually.
"Really?" Jane was surprised.
"Yes." The word left her mouth like her not caring that he'd just hypnotized a suspect was an everyday occurrence.
"Well okay." He said playing along, knowing she was up to something, but not knowing what. He turned his attention back to Rigsby. "So what was I saying?"
Rigsby looked from Jane to Lisbon and back again, confused but with no hope as to an explanation he answered the question: "You said I could call you...? Something?"
"Right." Jane said. "I'll get back to you on that one." He wandered off. "...first I need to get back to my tea..., where did I leave my... ahh right." He'd spotted it, and so he walked away from a dumbfounded Rigsby and over to his couch where his blue-green cup stood just where he'd left it less than 2 minutes ago. The freshly brewed brown liquid still smelled inviting of the new hibiscus blend he bought just a few hours ago and which he'd been looking forward to tasting ever since.
He sat down, brought the cup to his mouth and took a sip. That's when his taste buds curled up in an unexpected way. Still all he said was "hmm" and that with a straight face even. His - for a split second, momentarily stunned - brain cells determined the cause and the culprit and so he put the cup back down on the little table before he got up again and left the bullpen. The team looked at him as he left, surprised that he would leave his precious tea yet again, but they were used enough to his whims that they didn't question him about it.
He headed into Lisbon's office where the person in question were sitting innocently at her desk filling out some form or other.
"Very clever, Lisbon." He stated.
"What are you talking about Jane?" She asked faking ignorance.
"Don't play dumb with me. I know you put ice in my tea. My otherwise HOT tea."
"Well it serves you right for putting chili on my plate of food." She spat, then calmed and continued in a mocking tone. "Besides change is good. You should really try some new things, Jane. It's good for you."
"Oh you're getting good, Lisbon." He said smiling brightly.
She held out her mug. "You can have some of my coffee, there a freshly brewed pot in the kitchen, that is if you'd prefer a hot drink over that lovely hibiscus iced tea." But he just glared at the offered beverage as if it was poisonous.
"No thank you I'll just, you know..." He tilted his head towards the kitchenette "...make a new cup of tea."
There was a moment of silence where they both measured each other up. Judging their opponents next move.
Lisbon was the one to break the silence. "I surprised you, right?" She asked, ready to be criticized on her performance. "You didn't see that one coming, did you?"
"It was nicely played, I'll give you that." He said as a bit of an acknowledgement. Not many people were able to effectively take him by surprise, Lisbon was one of the few. "Now you've had your revenge."
She smiled and nodded, feeling superior and a bit cocky for having got one over on him for once.
"...and now it's my turn again." He whispered to himself as he turned the corner and left her office in search of some new tea.
A/N: If I know them right they'll be playing this game forever. Anyways I hope you liked it.