Disclaimer: Not mine :( I'm just borrowing them for a bit of fun.
"Uh uh, no way, nopety nope nope nope" Jane says, shaking her head vigorously causing wild curls to bounce around. Maura smiles in amusement from her position behind the kitchen counter.
"You have to Jane" she replies patiently. Jane shakes her head again and Maura has to resist rolling her eyes-a habit she picked up from Jane.
"But you promised" Maura says, more amused than hurt. For the third time Jane shakes her head and Maura wonders if she's starting to get dizzy.
"I promised to get up early this morning to do yoga with you, I did not however say I'd do it naked" Jane says, huffing and she sighs. This wasn't getting her anywhere.
"It's fundamentally important to go back to one's roots and experience the openness everyday society does not allow" she explains but she can already tell reasoning with the detective is pointless. She decides another approach is necessary.
"Suit yourself" she shrugs, pulling off her shirt. A smile tugs at the corners of her lips when she sees Jane's utterly shocked expression.
"You're not wearing a bra" she mumbles, her face slowly turning red.
"Of course not, I wouldn't be naked then" Maura replies. Jane swallows, her eyes slamming shut. Maura notes the change in her breathing patterns and the rosy blush covering her cheeks. She knows she's a lot more comfortable with this sort of thing than her best friend but she had hoped their relationship had progressed to a point where Jane would be comfortable with activities such as this. Obviously she had overestimated Jane's ability to adapt.
"I promise it won't be that bad" she replies, a futile attempt to convince her which was unlikely considering Jane's eyes are still squeezed shut.
"No" Jane says, trying to sound confident but Maura catches the tremor in her voice. It gives her an idea and she quickly strips down, folding her clothes carefully before placing them on the counter.
"Jane, open your eyes" she says gently, receiving a resounding no in reply.
"It's ok" Maura tries again and this time Jane sighs, taking that to mean she had put her shirt back on. She really should have known better.
"See you have nothing to be ashamed of" a strangled gasp leaves Jane before her eyes once again slam shut.
"That's not really the problem here Maur" she replies, realising too late her answer probably required a follow up which is not something she's willing to provide.
"What is it then?" Maura asks, sounding slightly exasperated.
"Look, put some clothes on and we'll go do regular yoga" Jane suggests.
"You need to get over this fear you have of revealing yourself to others." Maura sounds sincere but naked yoga is not something Jane is willing to do, ever.
"I don't have a fear" she replies instead, risking a peek out of one eye which turns out to be a very bad idea.
"Prove it" Maura challenges. Jane sighs, completely divided. On the one hand she never backed down from a challenge but on the other she did not want to do naked yoga, especially with her best friend who she may kind of, sort of have feelings for.
There was no way that could end well.
Instead she ops for some middle ground and, keeping her eyes closed she slowly strips down, her cheeks burning.
"There, now I'm naked. Can I put my clothes back on now?" Her voice comes out slightly strangled and definitely more high pitched than normal. Heaven forbid her mother walked in now.
"You have to open your eyes Jane" Maura replies gently.
"No I don't" Jane says stubbornly. She can practically hear the wheels in Maura's head turning as her big brain tries to come up with ways to convince her.
"Why does this matter so much anyway?" she asks, mostly in the vain hope of distracting her. Maura Isles is not easily distracted.
"I'm testing a hypothesis" she replies somewhat evasively. Jane instantly picks up on it, zeroing in just as she would during an investigation.
"What hypothesis?" she asks and if her eyes had been open they would be narrowed.
"If I tell you it would compromise the experiment."
"Maura, I'm not your experiment." Jane's voice is sincere, maybe even a touch hurt and Maura sighs. She's already half way through putting her clothes back on before she finishes her sentence which is no easy feat with closed eyes. Maura dresses and waits patiently for Jane to finish.
She risks taking a peek out of one eye, closing it and opening the other making Maura laugh.
"It's ok now Jane."
"That's what you said last time" but even as she says it she opens her eyes.
"I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable and you're right, you are not an experiment. I've lived with science for so long I don't know how to do things without it." Jane nods, a look of understanding crossing her face.
"It's ok" she replies and Maura offers a hesitant smile.
"What is it you were trying to prove?" Jane asks curiously. It's Maura's turn to blush and a slight smile tugs at the corners of Jane's lips.
"It's not important" Maura says but Jane's known her long enough to know it's always important when it comes to her.
"Come on, I didn't get naked for you to say it isn't important." Jane gives her a pleading look, much more subtle than the one she tried to use to get out of yoga. There's still a substantial amount of pleading in her deep brown eyes, enough to make Maura sigh and relent.
"I was testing a theory that Psychologist Dorothy Tennov referred to as limerence, described as an emotional state of being and whether it could be applied to our relationship." Jane blinks, processing the information but she comes up blank. Maura had been hoping Jane wouldn't be familiar with the theory and it appeared she was right.
"Is this that thing you do where you can't lie so you deflect?" Jane asks. Maura's face remains neutral, almost a little too neutral in Jane's opinion-she isn't a detective for nothing.
"You are, aren't you? What are you so afraid to ask-and don't tell me you're not because I know you well enough to know you are." Jane gives her a knowing look and Maura swallows nervously, suddenly finding a spot on the bench very interesting.
"Maur" Jane's tone softens as she steps closer, gently tilting Maura's chin up so their eyes meet. "Whatever you say won't make me think any less of you."
Maura takes a deep breath, holding it for a three count before slowly releasing it, a technique Jane remembers her mentioning from yoga but can't remember the name of.
"I...well...for a while now I...and you know I've never had a best friend before so I wasn't sure if...but now I am, sure that is and I...but I don't know if you do to and I don't want to ruin what we already have." Maura's voice gets smaller the more she talks and Jane's never heard her sound so unsure of herself before.
She's gathered enough to have an idea of what Maura's trying to say but rather than trying to say it herself- and risk making a fool out of herself in the process she cups Maura's cheek in her hand, locking their gazes. She leans in slightly but waits, seeing if Maura follows the movement and after a moment she does. Jane's heart beats frantically and she wonders if Maura's does too.
When their lips brush it's hesitant, feather light. They remain close and after a moment or two passes, the time it takes Jane to process that Maura hasn't moved away she leans in again, pressing their lips together with a little more pressure. Her thoughts cut off as she feels, the softness of Maura's lips, the way they move against hers and somehow her hand ends up tangled in the soft silky tresses of Maura's hair and Maura's hands are wrapped around her waist as she pushes their bodies together.
Eventually the two pull apart, resting their foreheads together as they breath heavily.
"You know" Jane says, her natural confidence returning, "I can think of something we can do that involves being naked and is much more enjoyable than yoga." She wiggles her eyebrows, something Maura feels more than sees and she smiles in amusement.
"You just can't help yourself sometimes."