Hi everyone, thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews! Shout out to all of you! You are the best. Here is chapter three, let me know if you like it! All criticism is welcome!
I don't own the Mentalist or any of their characters (sadly) I'm just borrowing them!
She came down the stairs less than 45 minutes later. He was making himself at home on her couch, reading the newspaper and drinking tea. He had unbuttoned his vest, rolled up his sleeves and unbuttoned his top two buttons.
She hated how she loved seeing him like this. She was so attracted to him with his vest unbuttoned like that. He was casual, and comfortable in her home, almost like it was his. She hated how much she loved the idea of that.
Ugh, stop it Teresa
He looked up from the paper and smiled his beautiful smile at her. "Lisbon, you could have slept longer, I was fine here." He teased.
"Oh, please, Jane. You think I can sleep with you here?" She said sarcastically. She then realized at the possible double entendre she just unintentionally alluded to.
"Oh, come on, Lisbon, you don't trust me in your house?" He was grinning, hugely now. She was not sure if it was in spite of himself or because of her accidental joke implying their current…uncertaintly regarding their relationship, because he was Patrick Jane, the most perceptive man in the world, there was no way that one went over his head.
"Jane, you are possibly the nosiest person I have ever known. If I was up there for twenty more minutes, I'd probably find you looking through my underwear drawer." She said as she sat down next to him on the couch.
He chuckled. "That was the plan. I was going to wait till you were in the bathroom though." He joked as he put his arm around her, easily. He did it so nonchalantly she'd barely noticed. It seemed so natural, the two of them. She felt warm in his embrace and tried to keep herself from smiling.
"See you don't do that enough," he said, looking at her. "It looks lovely on you."
"Do what?" She asked
"Smile." He said. "Why are you smiling now, Lisbon?" he looked her in the eyes this time, and she avoided his eye contact.
She could not help but blush at that. " I don't know." She said stupidly.
"Oh and now you're blushing. You, Teresa Lisbon are a terrible liar. Am I embarrassing you?"
"Maybe a little." She leaned her head on his shoulder.
He rubbed her arm with the arm he was cradling her in.
"It's because, you're so warm, Jane. You're so easy. " She couldn't believe she was saying this. But she didn't take it back. "I- Jane-I have to tell you something."
"Ok." He consented.
And she was going to do it, she was going to tell him, finally. And he would say it back to her. She was 99% sure of it.
But what about that other 1%? What if he did not say it back? What if she had been reading all of his signals wrong? What if he would be taken aback, and not know what to say, and walk out of her life forever?
Jane as just a friend was better than no Jane at all.
So instead of what she wanted to say. She said this: "Jane, you are my best friend."
And she snuggled warmer into his embrace, at least she had said something affectionate, right? He had a hint of this now. Because as much as she hated to admit it to herself, he probably knew. He could read body languages, faces, practically minds even. So she couldn't say it, because he already knew and he had never made any distinct move to acknowledge it.
He pulled her even closer, and said nothing for a while. They sat there, closely, she stayed in his arms and said nothing, for several minutes.
"You know." He said, breaking the silence, "If anyone saw us right now they'd probably guess we were a couple or something, Imagine what Cho and Rigsby would say if they saw us like this right now."
She laughed at the thought of Rigsby or Cho being here right now.
"I would love to see the look on your face too."
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, Teresa, clueless little Teresa. Are you totally unaware of the fact that your face gives you away. You, my dear, are an open book."
She grimaced, what could he be alluding too?
"Like that line you get between your eyebrows at even the slightest suggestion that you are not as good of a liar as you think you are says it all." He chuckled and traced the outline of her eyebrow line with the tip of his finger.
Suddenly, she realized how close they were. Their noses were practically touching, and he was looking directly into her eyes. He smiled, and she moved even closer to him. It was irresistible, to her, her instinct to kiss him. But she would never know his instincts or desires, perhaps one of Jane's best talents was keeping his intentions a secret. He had very good self-control when it came to things like this. Beautiful women were attracted to Patrick on many cases they worked on. He found it flattering, entertaining, funny even when he could so easily read women's attraction to him, flattering, entertaining, funny, but never realistic. He never pursued anything. Except for Kristina, but look at how that ended up…
He seemed to realize how close they were too. He gently held her face in his hands and moved his face closer to hers their foreheads were touching. It was clear to Teresa that despite how much she wanted to grab him and kiss him, to initiate the contact, she would have to let him. He was very cautious when it came to things like this, very cautious and it seemed, very uncertain, and very uncomfortable. Patrick was uncertain, not because he was uncertain of his feelings for Lisbon, but because he did not believe he deserved her. It went against his every instinct to indulge, to do what he wanted instead of what he thought he should.
He moved his face closer to hers, with obvious restraint, their lips were inches away.
It's happening, it's finally happening. She thought to herself.
When her cell phone rang.
She placed one finger up to Patrick gesturing for him to hold on for a second.
She grabbed it from her pocket, and answered. "Lisbon" She answered, annoyed. Ofcourse they would answer now.
Patrick was grinning hugely at her gesture; this was a gesture she would give when she was being bombarded at work or at an irate county sheriff when they came to take over their small town investigation.
It was a work call so she would have to take it in the other room. She got up from the couch out of his warm embrace and went upstairs.
He got up from the couch to make his second cup of tea from the kettle that whistled, signaling it was ready.
But was he ready, for this? He somehow always knew there was something more than friendship between him and Lisbon. He would do anything for her, he would die for her, he even killed a Red John accomplice for her, which to Jane, was more of a sacrifice than dying for her.
She was the only one he could say this about. Except for maybe his wife and daughter. He didn't feel this way about any of his other friends.
He loved her, he really did. That was no secret. Even Wayne Rigsby, possibly the densest guy on earth could tell they had something more between them, something more between them then there was between anyone else on the team. But that did not necessarily mean he should pursue a romantic relationship, what if that ruined everything.
She had finished her call, and came back to the room. Jane could tell she was uncomfortable, should she act like it never happened. Should she sit back down with him on the couch.
Fortunately, he moved positions, he was now sitting at her kitchen table sipping tea.
Teresa looked at him, and Jane could not help but chuckle at her confused and embarrassed expression.
"Umm, sorry, it was Wainwright. Nothing important though."
He grinned hugely at this "It's ok."
She did not know where to go from here.
But he did. Sensing her discomfort. "So, Teresa, lets go find you a lovely dress to match those lovely earrings of yours."
"What earrings? " She asked confused.
He pulled a box out of his suit jacket and opened it.
She smiled, tears pricked her eyes. They were beautiful. "Oh, Jane, thank you. You didn't have too-"
"Oh please, Lisbon, as my date to the wedding you are a direct reflection of me. How would your family feel if your significant other did not get you something?"
She laughed, and looked at the gorgeous emeralds in the box in his hand and smiled.
And because of their very recent encounter she was still unsure if she and her "boyfriend" were still merely faking it for the wedding.