In Every Sense
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1. Touch
Jane's compulsion to touch her might have been unsettling in the first days of their acquaintance, but now Lisbon has learned not to make a big thing out of it.
She knows he uses touch in order to read people all the time. However, they are friends – she doesn't mind the occasional hand on the small of her back when he's ushering her out of the office, or the way his fingers linger on hers as he brings her coffee in the morning.
As long as he doesn't embarrass her in front of other people she's perfectly fine with it.
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2. Sound
She's never thought that the sound of two simple words might scare her more than the zing of a passing bullet.
Love you.
Their echo doesn't die even after the spectacular crash and burn they've been through.
Screeching of tires. Pleading words. Sirens wailing. Gunshots.
In the silence that follows all that matters are his whispered words.
I'm fine. Never better.
Police sirens make themselves heard then die away in the distance. As they cling onto each other's hand she doesn't really care whether he actually meant what he said or not.
He's still breathing, and that's more than enough.
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3. Sight
Teresa Lisbon isn't blind. She can tell that Patrick Jane is an attractive man – just like any other woman that happens to cross his path.
It's not about his golden curls or his beautiful eyes; it's not about his elegant features either.
He has the most charming, dazzling smile she's ever seen. She always finds it difficult not to smile back, even when she's literally furious with him.
The fact that she's not blind also means that she never misses to notice the wedding band on his finger. It's a constant reminder of how emotionally unavailable her consultant actually is.
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4. Smell
She's never paid that much attention to the cologne Jane usually wears. That is, until this morning – when he leaned towards her in order to whisper something in her ear and she caught a hint of bergamot hovering about him.
The fact that she keeps thinking about it really puzzles her. It's quite, well, inappropriate for her to appreciate what her consultant smells like.
Then later in the afternoon they share a cup of Earl Grey, and she finds herself chuckling softly under her breath. Jane actually smells like his tea – something that fits him perfectly, she has to say.
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5. Taste
Lisbon likes coffee for a reason – apart from the obvious benefits of caffeine, of course.
Coffee is hot, strong and bittersweet. It helps her face the bitter taste of reality, something she is forced to do on a daily basis.
People out there keep on killing each other. She has to be strong in order to deal with murder and the worst side of human nature.
Sugar is something she indulges in only when she needs it to keep her going as she skips meals.
Or when Jane surreptitiously adds it to her mug in order to make her smile.
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6. Sixth sense
She can't read other people like Jane does. However, she'd pretty sure there's something big going on in his mind.
Obviously he needs some time to adjust after Red John's apprehension. As a matter of fact he's doing better than she expected.
Right now he's lying on his couch, staring at the ceiling as if he's searching for the meaning of life among the stains and the cracks.
She senses he's up to something anyway.
That's why she isn't really surprised when later in the evening he corners her in her office and tentatively covers her lips with his own.
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7. Common sense
Lisbon has always tried to shove some common sense down Jane's throat, right from the day they started working together. That hasn't changed in the slightest once they've become a couple.
Most of times he seems blissfully unaware of what goes on around him. She knows that's far from true – he simply doesn't bother to pay attention to the things that don't tickle his fancy.
Tonight she's giving him a lecture on the reasons why he shouldn't piss off a suspect twice his size.
He just whines and slumps into the armchair, holding an ice pack on his broken nose.