WOW! Thank you all so much for the warm welcome into the Rizzles fandom! I'm probably going to stick with little one-shots for now, until I have a little more free time and can commit to a longer fic.
I do not own Jane and Maura…nor do I own the song/song lyrics that appear in the story. For those interested, the song is "Back at One" by Brian McKnight.
It was karaoke night once again at the Dirty Robber, and Jane had somehow convinced Maura once again to attend. Secretly, the good doctor was excited to try her hand at singing once again, especially since she had the perfect song in mind.
Maura had been secretly crushing on her detective for years now, since the first night they spent together after the Hoyt threats. Maura kept her feelings quiet though, watching sadly as Jane swooned over Gabriel, then almost was engaged to Casey. She continued to support her friend in silence after Jane discovered she was pregnant, and later miscarried. Each time Maura had been ready to reveal her secret, something else tragic happened. And she in no way wanted Jane to think her feelings were based off of tragedy.
On this night though, everything was set up perfectly. It was rarely just herself and Jane that went out for drinks anymore, usually being accompanied by Korsak, Frankie, and even Angela sometimes. However, tonight everyone else had other plans, making Maura's plan even more perfect.
When Jane had excused herself to the restroom after a few beers, Maura checked out the song list once again, making sure her song was included. She selected the song and picked up the mic, waiting for her love to return.
Jane startled in surprise upon her return as she saw her friend up in front of the bar, mic in hand. She knew Maura had really enjoyed herself during the last karaoke night, but had no idea her friend would decide to sing a song alone, without any push from her.
Maura smiled out at the small crowd and signaled that she was ready. The slow music began to play as the ME steeled her nerves and began to lightly sing as she glanced into the deep brown eyes of the woman she loves.
It's undeniable
that we should be together
It's unbelievable
How I used to say
I'd fall never
Jane felt herself blushing as she watched her friend sing, seemingly to her, as hazel eyes never left her brown ones. She listened to the words, feeling tears begin to well up as Maura came to the chorus.
One
You're like a dream come true
Two
Just want to be with you
Three
Girl it's plain to see
That you're the only one for me
And four
repeat steps one through three
Five
Make you fall in love with me
If ever I believe my work is done
Then I'll start back at one
Maura's eyes never once left the detective's as she continued through the song. Nerves begin to reappear as the song ended now that she had to rejoin her friend at the table, and she started to feel a little unsure of herself, especially since the detective's reaction was hard to gauge.
What if I overstepped my boundaries and I misread Jane's flirting sometimes? What if I've lost her forever because of my performance? Oh, stop it Maura! You don't start statements with 'what if', even in your thoughts! Now stop being a coward and go face your love.
Jane smiled and quickly wiped her eyes as Maura approached their table, standing up to greet her before laying some money down for the tab.
"As much fun as I'm having being here, how about we go back to my place to talk, so we won't risk being interrupted by my mother? I don't want to say what I have to say here."
Maura hesitated before nodding her head and quickly turning to leave. She felt Jane's hand at the small of her back and smiled. She knew she must not have scared the detective too badly if she was still willing to make some sort of contact.
The cab ride to Jane's was quiet, but not awkwardly so. Maura kept stealing glances at Jane out of the corner of her eye, but still could not seem to figure out what could possibly be going through the detective's head. It only worried her a little, as Jane was often a hard to read person. She just hoped her song confession wasn't too much for the detective to handle.
As for Jane, she kept staring out the window in fear of meeting Maura's glance. Unbeknownst to the ME, Jane was fighting the urge to turn and pull her best friend into a mind-blowing kiss. Jane was considered to be one of Boston's best detectives, and she was sure after the performance tonight that Maura was just as in love with her as she was with the ME. The knowledge that tonight would change their friendship forever still frightened Jane a little, but she hoped that they would be able to make this work, or if not that they could always remain friends.
Finally, after what felt like hours, the cab pulled up in front of Jane's. Jane shoved the cash in the driver's hands, tipping him rather nicely, before helping Maura out of the cab and walking her to the door. They remained hand in hand for the entire walk up to Jane's apartment, only dropping their grasp for Jane to unlock her apartment.
Jane's nerves had returned once they were inside the apartment. While part of her wanted to skip talking and just kiss the gorgeous honey blonde, part of her knew that would be a mistake. She owed Maura so much more than that, especially after her sweet performance at the Robber. So she took a deep breath and went to the kitchen to get herself a beer and Maura a glass of wine, leaving Maura standing in the doorway.
"Make yourself at home Maura, I'm just grabbing us a drink so we can sit and talk." Jane said to her friend, smiling shyly.
Maura made her way over to the sofa, making herself comfortable while waiting for the detective. She fidgeted nervously with her hands, something very un-Maura like. Jane noticed as she made her way to the kitchen and quickly set their drinks down, taking Maura's hands in her own.
"Hey, what's wrong? I've never seen Dr. Maura Isles fidget, so something has to be bothering you!"
Maura hesitated, glancing down at their entwined hands before finally getting up the courage to look Jane in her eyes.
"Jane, I'm scared. I think I might have made a mistake, or misread what I thought were signs, or…"
Maura never got to finish her statement as Jane's hands grabbed her face gently and pulled her into a soft kiss, making the honey blonde completely breathless.
"There was no mistake made tonight Maura. The only mistake was me being too damn scared and stubborn to confess my feelings before tonight."
"So, you mean you love me too?" Maura asked hopefully, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"It means I love you, and I have for a very long time." Jane replied, pulling Maura towards her for a longer kiss, sealing her promise.
The End