Disclaimer: I make no profit off this. You better believe that if I was running the show, Jane and Lisbon would have been canoodling for years, years I say. *sigh* The Mentalist belongs to Bruno Heller, not me.
Author's Note: I like to believe that one of the reasons why Jane is always on his couch is that he is indulging in a rich fantasy life. This is the product of that belief. I may do another one…
He has a fantasy.
To be honest, he has lots of fantasies, but this one is particularly persistent.
He'll sometimes close his eyes only to find that the action has pressed the 'play' button on his imagination, and his mind will go whirring away. Other times, he wakes up, feeling the loss of something that didn't exist.
Today, the fantasy is rather strong, all of his senses arrested by, and invested in, the enticing mirage.
He was in their kitchen, making yet another cup of tea, waiting for her to come home. She'd been hiding something all week, and he knew that it was meant to be a surprise, so for once he restrained himself from all forms of snooping.
The smell and warmth of the tea is soothing, calming nerves that he didn't know were jumping. Apparently, he was more anxious than he thought.
Finally, he heard the front door clatter open and shut, followed by the sound of keys being tossed against a hard surface.
"Hey," he called out to the new arrival, "at last, you grace me with your presence. I was beginning to worry that you might have gotten a better offer."
"Hey, yourself," the object of his obsession, affection, and devotion replied, "Although the temptations were many, the lure of a homemade dinner was too strong to resist."
He took a second to anticipate her arrival. He cherished the sight of her like he did his next breath, but the urge to banter was strong.
He snorted in mock derision, "Don't lie to me, woman. I know I play second fiddle to the coziness of your office and the sweet sensation of mindless paperwork."
She sidled up to him and placed a kiss on his lips, "And don't you forget it." He took the brief moment to savor the softness of her lips and the taste of her mouth. The moment, however, was over far too quickly.
Laughing, she spun away out of his reach before he had a chance to deepen their kiss.
He growled playfully and went after her. "Come back here woman, I haven't seen you for at least an hour! We've got some kissing to do!"
Her laughter turned into giggles as he caught her around the waist and pressed her against the counters.
"Now, now," he chided, "You must pay the devil his due, dear, or else the devil will get grumpy and dinner will be burned."
She dutifully lifted her head for his kisses, and he took the time to give her as many as possible. One to each eye lid, four busses for her cheeks, a quick brush across her forehead, a loving nip to her left ear (the more sensitive of the two), a playful nibble on her chin, and finally, one passionate kiss to her lips.
He opened her mouth carefully with his tongue, it was like Christmas morning every time and you can't rush Christmas. However, his woman was never one for passivity, and what was meant to be a lingering exchange became a battleground of tongues and teeth.
Sighing regretfully into her mouth, he pulled away. "As much as I want to continue, I just heard your stomach growl, and I'd rather not get eaten alive just yet."
She gave him a quick pinch for the innuendo before making her way to the table.
The thought from earlier about her secret presented itself again.
Well, it never hurt to get the ball rolling.
"You know, dinner always tastes better if you're not too busy stewing in your secrets to enjoy the stew."
She gave him a scowl with a mischief in her eyes, her expression promising a swift and merciless retaliation, "It's okay, Jane, I'm only pregnant. Nothing really secretive about that."
The wind was knocked out of him, suddenly the room felt too small and she was definitely too far away. "Jesus, Lisbon."
He heard her footsteps in real time, signaling an end to his fantasy getaway.
"Morning, Jane."
"Good morning, Lisbon."
He watched her unlock her office, hoping that one day, a day after Red John, he would be able to turn that fantasy into a reality. A reality with her.