"You forgot, didn't you?" There's an ache in her voice she can't hide.
Jane, frazzled and sweaty, had taken far too long to respond to the doorbell, leaving Maura out the front step of Jane's townhouse with an unexpected knot tangling in her gut.
"Fuck! I'm the worst. What time even is it?" Jane glances at her wrist, before remembering she is not wearing a watch. "I didn't forget, I promise. Lexi, she spilled orange juice all over the fridge. She's at that stage where she's trying to prove that she's fiercely independent, and the more you argue with her, the more she argues back. My mom came to pick her up, and I went to clean it up." She pauses, walking into the kitchen. Maura follows. "Maura, there's mold growing in my fridge. Like a lot of fucking mold. I don't know how I haven't noticed until now. I mean, my fridge has needed a cleaning for a long time, but this is bad. I'm embarrassed."
Jane has scattered the entire contents of her fridge across the kitchen – it's a maze of vegetables, lunchmeat, and condiments. On the opposite side of the kitchen, she has rested each shelf precariously up against the pantry.
Maura peeks past Jane into the fridge. "I can help."
"You really don't want to do that," Jane protests. "It's really gross. We can just shove everything back in here, and I'll get back to it later. I can change, and we can get going." She flicks something soggy and green off of her shirt.
"Really, it doesn't bother me," Maura assures her. "I spend my days elbow deep in the human body. You can finish up in the fridge, and I'll start on the shelves." She fishes around in bucket of lukewarm water, mixed with a chemical she immediately recognizes as ammonia, and produces an extra rag.
"Do you have any Q-tips?" Maura inquires after a few moments of silent scrubbing.
Jane's voice echoes from inside of the fridge. "Q-tips?"
"Yes, for the edges of these shelves," Maura elaborates. "There's, well…there's quite a bit of build up in the crevices. I thought perhaps a Q-tip would be useful."
"Just stop." Jane groans, ejecting herself from the fridge. She tosses her rag back into the murky bucket. "This is too much. I have lost every bit of my mystique and charm. I'm supposed to be elusive and sexy for just a little bit longer."
"On the contrary," Maura muses, "I'm enjoying getting to know you better – housekeeping habits and all."
Jane visibly relaxes. "I'll go get the Q-tips."
She doesn't notice when Jane returns, not at first, as she wipes they layer of film from the shelves. She glances up, momentarily startled to find Jane propped against the island countertop, watching Maura in a way that makes her stomach slosh. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You're beautiful," she says it with the simple honestly the Maura has grown to love. "Especially in that dress. Which is probably getting filthy. Again, let me reiterate that I am the worst."
"Hardly," Maura counters. "Spending time with you is enjoyable, regardless of the context."
They finish cleaning, the fridge and the shelves looking remarkably bright as Jane inserts them back into the interior. It's the task of sorting through the rather eclectic contents of Jane's fridge that takes time, squinting at expiration dates and (Maura) attempting to create an organizational system.
Maura is shelving condiments when she pauses, turning a small jar around in her palm. "This shouldn't be refrigerated."
"Hmm?" Jane dumps a few apples into the fruit drawer. "What the hell even is that?"
"Marmite."
"Toss it."
"What about these? Do you still need them? They appear to have expired over a year ago." Maura holds up a rather squashed box of suppositories.
"What are they – oh." Her face flushes red immediately. "Oh shit. I, um, I needed those right after my pregnancy with Lexi. Hemorrhoids are bitch. Shit, you know way too much about me now. I'm mortified. Leave now. I'll delete you from my phone if you delete me from yours. We never have to speak again."
"Stop. You're forgetting I'm a doctor."
"Well, you're not my doctor."
"Honestly, there's nothing to be embarrassed about, Jane. The occurrence of hemorr-"
"STOP."
"Okay, going in the trash..." She tosses them quickly in beside the marmite.
Jane shoves the fruit drawer shut, crawling away from the fridge, exhaling loudly as she assumes a supine position on the kitchen floor. She stares up at the ceiling. "I don't know how you don't hate me right now," Jane sighs, closing her eyes.
Maura stops shelving. She scoots up beside Jane, resting a hand against her stomach. "I could hardly hate you. I'm just glad you didn't forget," she admits rather softly.
"Of course not. Not a chance." She opens her eyes, finding Maura's, and they properly pause for the first time since Maura has arrived.
Maura leans in, kissing her softly. Jane lets out a small, satisfied moan. "Come 'ere." She tugs Maura's arm, and she topples rather clumsily on top of Jane.
"Hi there," Maura's voice is breathy, close enough to tickle Jane's skin. She dips her lips in once again, finding Jane's neck. She dots several kisses beneath her jaw, before finding her pulse point and sucking softly.
"Jesus Christ," Jane gasps. She touches Maura's thighs, and dress bunches up around her hips. "Don't stop."
Maura pushes her tongue between her parted lips, tasting Jane's skin, though it's becoming difficult to concentrate on her own mouth as Jane's hands continue to explore, one all the way up to her stomach, and the other disappearing beneath her panties.
"We should…" her voice rumbles against Jane's neck. "We should finish the fridge."
"Un uh," Jane hands have fallen into a rhythmic motion. Maura lets out a small, indistinguishable sound, her lips falling limp against Jane's neck. "The fridge can wait, but I cannot."
A/N: I was rereading some of my old one shots today and it made me realize how much I miss writing these two in a more canon setting, with their effortless banter and the foundation of a friendship. While I have been loving these AUs I keep popping out, there's something hard about writing an immediate relationship without the foundation of friendship. I just hope that I am still capturing the essence of what we love about Rizzles, even though I have removed them so far from the show. This is just me rambling. And missing what we used to have on the show. Really, thanks so much for being so supportive. Feedback makes a writer's day :)
