As Jane talked she wondered incredulously how the man kept secrets at all. All it took was a stern voice and he had let her in, opened the door for her in more ways than one. This wall, the almost manic gestures he made as he pointed out places and people in the book she now held, this was as close as she would ever get to that incredible brain of his. And he had just let her in.
She had suspected a trap at first because everything was a game with him, and every game was a minefield for her to navigate with breathless caution. But this didn't feel like a con, and she'd gotten very good at feeling out his schemes over the years. This felt like him opening up, although she wasn't yet certain that wasn't a minefield in and of itself.
"Come here, partner." She had to admit she was thinking more about those words than about the thumbtacks Jane was currently pointing to. She had to keep telling herself that there was nothing strange about "partner," nothing out of the ordinary in the tone of his voice. She had used the word first, after all. He had just taken the cue from her. Why she felt the need to chase the semantics in circles around her head escaped her completely.
And of course it wasn't strange that he'd let her in, practically called her in with all the overt indications of secrecy. He'd helped her with Volker, she'd help him with Red John. It was a fair exchange. Five years ago the possibility wouldn't have even occurred to him, and even if she'd suggested it he would have shrugged her off. He had always held his cards close to his chest, always let her see only exactly how much she needed to see to go along with him.
But something had changed between the two of them since then, that much was obvious. The Jane of five years ago hadn't trusted her, would never have shared his information willingly. Of course, the Jane of five years ago had never heard her shot over the phone and waited in almost incoherent terror for her to respond, had never taken her hand as they sat in the dust and watched themselves lose to Red John yet again. The Jane of five years ago would never have let slip the words "I love you." His cheek practically brushed hers as he leaned over her shoulder to turn the page. Yes, something had changed.
A/N: thanks to kiryki for betaing my two-in-the-morning mess.