A/N: I have absolutely no patience. I've been counting down the minutes since I posted the first chapter until I can post this next one. Here's chapter 2 of 3 for you guys! Thank you for all the reviews/favorites/follows!
Jane stood fidgeting in front of the mirror in her bedroom. The black dress she had on Maura had seen a million times before, diluting its importance. She really should suck it up and take Maura up on her shopping offers. The dress did well enough for first dates, but as Jane never seemed to get past those, multiple dresses were never really necessary.
"Jane? Dinner is ready!" Maura called from the kitchen.
She sighed, throwing on her best pair of heels and clomping down her short hallway to the kitchen. She came into her joint living room/kitchen area to find her best friend setting up their food at the coffee table, Maples Leafs hockey game already flashing on the television screen.
Maura looked up curiously at Jane's outfit, "You changed."
Damn. Way to make this awkward, Jane internally cursed to herself.
"Yeah, uh, I figured since you looked all nice for me, I shouldn't look all sciatto myself."
Fuck. "For me," Jane? Really? She dressed like that for her boyfriend. Idiot.
Maura quirked an eyebrow too distracted by the thought of Jane speaking Italian to notice Jane's other words, "How much Italian do you know exactly?"
"Parlo abbastanza italiana di funzionare." Jane gravitated toward the couch, guided by the tantalizing smell of steak. She was so fixated upon it, she completely missed that her best friend was currently worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.
The two sat down on Jane's well-loved couch. In front of Jane was a plate with steak, asparagus and sweet potato fries. "Damn, Maur, this all looks great!"
The steak came coupled with a side of white creamy sauce sprinkled with something green, and the asparagus were black on one side just like Jane liked it. The Maple Leafs were already winning 1-0 and…Jesus Christ could this get any more perfect?
It was like Maura was personally digging that rabbit hole for her or something.
You're not my type.
Fuck.
Jane stabbed into the steak with a bit more vigor than necessary, causing the plate to rattle loudly against the glass of her coffee table. Jane flinched slightly at the noise she had made, but resolutely picked up her knife and started sawing at the bloody hunk of meat.
"Shit, Maur. Sure I'm not going to die of pry-ee-ons or something?" Jane teased, shoving a forkful of the meat into her mouth. Maura always chastised Jane for liking her meat undercooked—it was unsafe or something.
"No, I'm not certain. But the chances of it occurring just this once are relatively slim…" Maura trailed off, exhaling loudly.
Aww, look. She's trying not to lecture me.
"Go on, Maur. Let it out. I know you'll probably explode if you don't."
"The FDA estimates that there are about 48 million cases of foodborne illness annually. Undercooked meat is the cause of nine of the sixteen different foodborne illnesses they have identified. Bacillius cereus, clostridum perfringens…"
Jane tuned her out, having been on the receiving end of this lecture more times than she could count. She happily continued eating her live cow, occasionally waving a forkful of the steak in the air in unison with the emphasized parts of the M.E.'s diatribe.
Midway through her rant (Jane knew because Maura had come to salmonella and its symptoms), Jane cut a delicate square out of the M.E.'s untouched steak and held it to the blonde's lips. Automatically, the perfect lips opened to accept the food, though hazel eyes flashed in annoyance at the interruption.
"Now chew and swallow, Maur. Your food's getting cold," Jane nodded pointedly at her nearly empty plate. The blonde did as she was told, finishing her rant between bites of asparagus, steak and sweet potato.
"God, Maur. This has been the best Valentine's Day ever," Jane said, stretching back contentedly against the couch. "You know, besides the you crashing your car and all and getting all banged up."
"Well it's not over yet," Maura said flirtatiously, causing Jane's heart to skip a few beats.
What else did her best friend have planned? Jane's mind instantly jumped to activities best done au naturel, thoughts that instantly prompted the usual mantra of: "She's your best friend. Best friends don't think of each other that way. You're not her type anyway."
But she couldn't help the words that tumbled out of her mouth next, "Is this the part where you show me your new lingerie?"
The tone was joking, her words masked in a cloak of humor. If it was a joke, she didn't mean it, right?
"Better. Close your eyes and open your mouth," Maura commanded, her voice coming from somewhere right over Jane's left shoulder. The words came too quickly for Jane to rationalize them. She felt her body shudder and her core clench as she did what she was told.
"Mmm," Jane moaned as her taste buds were assaulted with a delicious triad of flavors.
"What is it?" Maura demanded.
Jane let the flavors settle in her mouth before swallowing the bite allocated to her. "I don't know…I might need another bite or ten to figure it out."
She heard her best friend sigh somewhere right in front of her—she even felt the small puff of breath hit her face. It smelled like Maura, soft and sweet with a slight bit of earthy…something. It was something Jane lived for, those little moments when she was allowed to bask in Maura's raw scent, unmarred by perfume or oils or lotions or any of the other smelly stuff Maura used on a daily basis.
Focus, Jane. Okay. Fine. It was some sort of chocolate brownie with a raspberry syrup and whipped cream. "Chocolate brownie, raspberry reduction and homemade whipped cream from Bella." She opened her eyes to find deep sage eyes peering intently at her.
"How did you know it was from Bella?" Maura asked, intrigued.
"I dunno. It just tastes different. Plus, it's been about a year since you last got milk from that farm co-op thing because I remember last year you made that crème frachey stuff with strawberries for me. And you said something about a year for cows to have another baby and give milk."
Maura nodded her head, thoroughly impressed with her friend's deductive reasoning skills and memory.
"You've earned the rest of this."
Jane dug in, savoring the chocolatey, fruity, creamy goodness she managed to get in every bite. "Mmmhmm. Maur, you are the best. I've always wanted a wife!" she said exclaimed, placing her empty plate and fork down on the coffee table before accepting a mug of black coffee from her best friend.
Jane looked knowingly over at Maura, knowing that her friend would understand her reference to the long-gone Casey.
God, she was happy. So fucking happy. This was by far the best Valentine's Day she had ever had. The Maple Leafs had won handily 3-0, she only had had to wear heels for, like, 30 seconds and wasn't expected to wear sexy lingerie. That isn't to say that Jane hadn't done it anyway. In fact, she had put on her only set: a simple lacy black bra and matching lacy brief things. It wasn't that Jane was expecting anything to happen or anything. It just…felt appropriate for some reason. Yeah, appropriate.
She also was spending this snowy night with her best friend in the entire world. The one person she always wanted to spend time with. The one person with whom every minute was just better, just because she was there.
Finishing up her coffee, Jane once again leaned back against her couch with a contented sigh. She peeked at the blonde beside her. Maura was sitting primly with her usual perfect posture, still taking delicate bites of her chocolate cake in between sips of coffee.
"Hey, you. You did all this for me, now it's your turn," Jane said, handing Maura the remote with the deference of someone handing over a sword in a medieval movie. "Choose anything you want. Even," Jane said with mock gravitas, "something that isn't Amazon Prime."
"I am honored," Maura said with a small smile. She took the remote delicately, the tips of her fingers brushing Jane's palm, sending a small ripple of shivers through the brunette. It seriously wigged Jane out how much that small touch affected her. This was not normal. It was not okay.
Except it was normal, because it happened almost every time they were around one another. Little touches here and there, an embrace after a particularly hard day at work, a kiss on the forehead or on the cheek.
And it was okay, because it made Jane feel so good. Not just in the taboo sexual way, because that was definitely there. But also in the "I feel safe way." In the "I feel completely at home" way. Maybe definitely in the "I want to spend the rest of my life right here with you," way.
Jane got up, retrieved the ice pack that Maura had left on the kitchen counter and returned to the couch. She handed the ice pack wordlessly to her friend and sat back down.
"Hey, give me those feet of yours," Jane said, tugging gently on one of the legs that was curled up beneath the ME. She smiled and obliged, moving her delicate back to the arm of the couch and stretching out her legs to rest on Jane's lap. Jane started with the blonde's right foot, gently pressing all of the spots she already knew held most of the tension.
She wasn't as good at it as Maura was, but she had learned from experience with the M.E. exactly where all of the tension points were and how to press them just right.
"Mmph," the ME practically moaned. "That feels wonderful. I had no idea I was holding so much tension there."
"Yeah, a car wreck and heels will do that to ya," Jane muttered.
Jane looked up, hearing the opening of some sort of movie playing.
Is this…?
It was.
"When Harry Met Sally? Really, Maur? You're not going to put on something more…educational?"
"It seemed appropriate for today's societal celebration of amorous relationships."
Jane smiled. She couldn't help it, really. Maura was such a cute dork.
"Have you seen this before?" Jane enquired of the blonde.
"No, but I have heard it referred to on numerous occasions. 'Men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way," she quoted. "An interesting theory, really, but in my experience wholly inaccurate."
Jane sat in silence, knowing full well Maura would continue talking.
"For example with you. I find you extremely attractive, but we are still able to be friends."
Hol-y fuck.
Jane was pretty sure her heart stopped. Her hands certainly did, at least. They dropped like lightening from Maura's foot and she could feel herself, in some weird out-of-body way, inhale sharply.
Was this actually happening?
Calm down, Jane. She's your best friend. She's straight. And you're not her type. She's just being Maura, probably stating some 'objective' fact or something.
"Well, I am gorgeous, my friend," Jane said flippantly, tossing her wild mane of hair to the side like they do in shampoo commercials and batting her eyelashes over-dramatically.
When in doubt, always resort to humor.
Annnd, tension averted.
Jane felt herself relax a bit as she watched Harry and Sally bickering on their car ride to New York. She was reminded of the forced road trip Maura and she had taken some time ago. Had Jane not had the best friends and mother a woman could ask for, she likely would have lost her best friend for good.
Jane felt Maura shift and pull her legs back under her again. She missed the contact. Maura was sitting a couch cushion away from Jane, but it could have been light-years.
Yeah, I said it. Light-years. Maura has corrected me one too many times, I guess. "Light years measure distance, not time, Jane."
Jane watched Jo jump on the couch and settle closer to Maura's side of things. She narrowed her eyes at the little ratty beast, feeling slightly betrayed. Whatever. Jane was pretty sure Bass likes her better than Maura because she sneaks him her salad when Maura's not looking.
Jane focused back on the movie. Ah, fuck. The orgasm scene. Suddenly Jane was very glad Maura was on the opposite end of the couch and not under the same snuggly throw.
"Did you know that only twenty-five percent of women achieve orgasm through vaginal penetration?" Maura asked her.
Jane sort of wanted to die. Here we go…
"No, but I'm definitely one of the ninety-nine percent over here."
"I believe you meant seventy-five percent, Jane."
"That was a reference to…oh, never mind."
"Have you ever "faked it," Jane?"
"Yeah, but not with you, baby," Jane said in the most ridiculous voice she could muster.
When in doubt, always resort to humor.
Jane could see Maura roll her eyes from the corners of her own.
"I wish I could get a straight answer from you sometimes," Maura said with a hint of irritation.
"I'm not a straight kinda girl," Jane quipped back.
Ah, fuck. Did not mean it like that. I meant I'm, uh, a twisted sort of girl? No. That doesn't work either.
Sigh. And here we go again.
"I was under the impression that you were heterosexual."
"I am! It's just…" Not when I'm around you.
Maura may not have the ability to lie, but Jane's brain pathway things are primed and ready to go regarding that.
"It's just...I can't find the right guy, you know?" Jane asked rhetorically, and a little bit angrily. Of course she can't find the right guy, because she's found the right girl. But she's untouchable, so Jane reasons she'll continue on with the not-right dicks.
Look at me, Pity Party of one.
"Are you cold?" Jane ask, half paying attention to the awkward scene where Harry notices Sally at the airport.
Maura didn't look cold. In fact, she looked rather content on her side of the couch with Jane's dog. But Jane selfishly wanted her closer, so she didn't wait for an answer before lifting up the left side of the throw.
Maura wordlessly slides next to Jane and somehow is still not touching any part of her. Jane stretches her long body, apparently to get out some nonexistent kinks, and in the process skooches marginally closer to her best friend so that they're touching all along the sides of their bodies.
The skirt of Maura's red dress has inched up to well above her mid-thigh, and Jane's is just a couple of inches closer to her knee than that. Their bare legs are touching. Skin to skin, just like their arms.
Jane wants Maura to lay her head on her shoulder and she wants to put her arm around Maura's back, but that would be going too far, right?
Jane is having the most perfect Valentine's Day of her life and for once she wants to put out and for just a few monumental reasons she can't.
That's some serious bullshit.
Somewhere during the Christmas tree scene Maura puts her head on Jane's shoulder and Jane can't help the smile that slowly spreads up on her face. She puts her arm over the blonde's shoulders like she wanted to an hour ago. It sort of slumps there for a bit because I'm awkward like that, but Jane gives her a little squeeze and she readjusts so that it's comfortable for the both of them.
Maybe for this one night I'll just pretend that loving her is okay, and in the morning she can go back to Jack and I can go back to knowing that it's not okay and dealing with it.
Except it never works out that way, does it?