A/N: I'm finally back with the next installment. Sorry it took so long but real life has to take priority once in a while. I'm glad, people seem to enjoy this fic and that my work helps us to survive the loooooong hiatus.
And thanks to all and everyone who expressed their appreciation for this story in any way or form. It's so nice to know that people like what I do!
This Is Not A Drill - Four
Lisbon had seen a performance of a handicapped acrobat at a circus once in her youth. She'd been fascinated by the incredible control the man had had over his body and how he had made everybody forget for a few minutes that his crutches weren't just part of an act. Jane dancing around her, pestering her to reveal details about their date made her recall that childhood memory fondly – though Jane's performance was anything but elegant. He looked more like a possessed puppy misusing the sticks it was supposed to fetch for its owner. The thought made her grin brighten even more. Excited Jane was terribly cute.
"Lisbooooooon, please?" Jane whined. "Give me at least a hint."
"Nope," she replied smugly. "It's a surprise."
"Oh come on. Just a hint. Animal or vegetable?"
"Both, at least I seriously hope so," she answered merrily. "Stop it, Jane. I won't blab. It's too much fun to see you squirming like this."
He cast her an appreciative look. "Are you channeling me, Teresa? I think, I've created a monster."
"Let's just say that I have begun to see the merits of scheming when I'm the one in the know." Her shit-eating grin made Jane groan.
"Yep, monster. Definitely. You know that this means war, don't you? I have to make sure you don't take over the world of mischief or my usefulness is in serious jeopardy," he mock-threatened her while prancing around her on his crutches, making it impossible for her to go on walking without risking to make him trip.
With one purposeful move she got her arms around his waist and made him stop. "You're making me dizzy," she complained. She used the position to bury her face against his chest and inhaled his unique scent – the one she loved so much. He nuzzled her hair with his nose and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
"Not that I wouldn't love to keep doing this, but standing on one leg is a bit exhausting," he whispered into her hair. "Let's get back to our room. God, I want you. Do we have time for that?"
She looked up at him. "Afraid not. Maybe if we share the tub?" She motioned for him to give her access to his wrist watch and after taking a look she shook her head and she sighed. "We really don't have much time left. But later, okay?"
"Definitely," he said.
They made their way back to their room as speedily as possible for Jane on his crutches. Lisbon opened the door and entered ahead of him, making sure to turn around so she wouldn't miss the look on his face when he got his first glance.
He came in eagerly, having gathered from her stance that he'd be in for a surprise. His eyes went wide. "You got me jeans? And a shirt? And new socks?" He beamed at her, looking so ridiculously touched and happy that it made her heart ache a bit .
"You got me three beautiful dresses, Patrick. This is nothing," she said shyly, blushing a little.
Jane dropped the crutches and hobbled over to her. "This is not nothing, Teresa," he declared, pulling her into one of his big hugs. "Thanks for caring so much for me," he whispered in her ear, voice breaking a bit.
"Of course I care for you. I want to take care of you. You deserve to be cared for," Lisbon replied, slightly flustered.
He released her a bit in order to be able to make eye contact. "I hope, I do. It feels great," he stated, still beaming like a loon.
"Go, try them on, Jane. I want to see if they fit," Lisbon said. His immense gratitude was making her a bit uncomfortable. She had no idea why he reacted that way, and she had already been somewhat confused at how thrilled he'd been back when she'd given him those socks a few months ago.
He hobbled over to the bed an sat down on the edge, face full of wonder.
When she'd gone back to the hotel to make some phone calls and organize a few things a few hours ago a certain talk had suddenly given her the idea to arrange this date for them. In their room she had seen the beautiful dresses he'd bought for her and had had a good look around, taking in her surroundings, recalling how much she'd appreciated everything when they'd first arrived.
She was still not quite over the fact that he'd used a cold case to set this up but her anger was slowly turning into acceptance. Now that she knew that he honestly loved her she could see the thoughtful gesture behind his scheme. When she'd accused him of being a twisted, awful human being who never for a second considered what she truly wanted, she hadn't been entirely correct. Yes, he'd chosen a typical manipulative Jane scheme because – as he had admitted – he had forgotten how to act like a normal person. Direct and open hadn't been options for him for over a decade and he'd fallen back on his usual patterns, like people – she included – tended to do in times of emotional struggle. He'd tried everything in his power to tell her how much he loved her without using the actual words. She could appreciate that somewhat now.
And truth be told, she had avoided being alone with him during the last weeks, making it even more difficult for him to choose a direct approach. She hadn't even told him in person about her decision to leave – something she knew had hurt him deeply and had probably re-enforced his fears and insecurities and made it yet a bit harder for him to be honest with her. And besides, Jane would always be Jane. He was like a force of nature. You could either go with the flow – at least to a certain degree – or you'd end up struggling against the power of the incoming waves forever.
Then after some phone calls – a few of them quite awkward because they'd involved her telling people that she wouldn't go to DC after all and that she'd broken up with Marcus – she'd had that one talk that had reconciled her with all the unpleasant ones. It had been to the Rigsby-Van Pelt household. Grace had been the one to take her call and a very loud, happy squeal had been the first reaction she'd gotten from the redhead. After Grace had calmed down a bit she'd explained that they'd gotten a call the day before from a very subdued Cho, announcing that he owed them 100 bucks each. He'd however – in usual Cho-style – not been very forthcoming with the details and so Lisbon had told Van Pelt more or less the whole story.
"Wow, you were really ready to marry another man?" Grace had asked in total confusion. "But you had only been with that Pike guy for a few weeks and I never even understood why you'd decided to go to DC with him in the first place. I mean, you've been in love with Jane for years. And vice versa. I'm not sure, I understand."
"I'm not sure, I understand it either," Lisbon had confessed. "I'm still trying to make sense of it all. Of my whole relationship with Marcus to be honest."
"And Jane really created a case for you, like a scavenger hunt almost? And on a paradise island in Florida? And he got you nice dresses and booked rooms in a really nice hotel? And wanted to share a gourmet dinner with you? Geez! He's a total idiot but it's kind of romantic," Grace had said. "And kind of thoughtful, in a Jane-ishly absurd kind of way. I mean, he really arranged things exactly the way you'd enjoy them the most. Because let's be honest: you would have probably never allowed him to take you somewhere that nice just like that. But since a case and thus work was involved – you were ready to indulge a bit, right? Bastard knows you too well, boss."
That had been the point when Lisbon had had the idea to be the one to organize their first real date. One they would both enjoy, which had brought home the fact that most of her dates with Marcus had been arranged by him and with his own entertainment in mind more than hers. She'd accompanied him to several boring events, never really complaining, just kind of happy to have a social life for once. And he'd neither been perceptive nor attentive enough to really notice. For example not even her falling asleep at the movies had given him the hint that old films weren't exactly her favorites.
Jane on the other hand for all his flaws knew exactly how to give her a good time and make sure that she truly enjoyed herself. He knew that she did like some glamor once in a while but rarely allowed herself that kind of luxury. And he knew that most of the time she preferred a casual setting.
With great fondness she remembered their meal at Il Tavolo Bianco – another example of indulging on the job, she realized. And obviously an attempt to meddle in their affairs from her softie of a match-making boss. The thought made her blush a bit.
That night had been the most fun she'd had and the happiest she'd been in years. After a few moments of awkwardness in the beginning their old and easy banter had returned and with it their comfortable familiarity. There had been no need to impress or pretend to be someone else – something she had done around Marcus all the time but hadn't allowed herself to fully realize back then.
Jane and Lisbon had shared their respective meals, stealing from the other's plate the way they'd often done over the years, always insisting that the other had gotten the better tasting dish and that it was only fair to share.
They'd laughed a lot that night and for a moment she'd been able to forget DC and Pike and life altering decisions and had just enjoyed to be together with the man she loved. Jane had been attentive and sweet and funny and entertaining and they'd exchanged a few very deep looks that had made her heart beat faster.
In hindsight she had to say that it had to have been the world's most terrible timing that had led to Marcus being the one who'd opened the door to her house that night Jane had come by with the cannoli. She was relatively sure now that he hadn't planned to tell her that stuff about her happiness being the most important thing to him. Not that she doubted the truth of his statement. He'd proven that he'd accept whatever she decided would make her happy two nights ago.
But now she could be honest with herself and admit that she had seen tears glistering in his eyes that night on her front step and she had heard how his voice had been breaking and how hard it had been for him – who was usually Mr. Eloquence – to find words at all. But what should Jane have said that night other than what he did, considering who'd been right behind her door, obviously so much at home at her place that he'd even opened when Jane had come by? Now she could see clearly that she'd actually expected Jane to admit his feelings to her on her porch with her boyfriend just a few feet away, probably even listening in. She'd been mad at Jane for not doing it, resigned and disappointed afterwards, but really? What should the poor guy have done under the circumstances?
All these thoughts had whirled around in her head, reminding her once again that she really had to do a lot of soul searching in the near future. But then she'd cleared her head and gone down to the reception desk to ask for possible locations for her first date with Jane. After a lovely talk with Rose, one of the front desk girls and fortunately a local, she'd found the perfect place. And due to Rose knowing someone who was related to someone Lisbon had actually gotten a reservation for the same night when normally you needed to book weeks ahead.
Then she'd realized that Jane didn't really have the sort of clothes her choice for the evening required. He wouldn't be entirely out of place with his patterned shirts, but still. And he could really need something new to wear anyway.
To serve as a measure she'd taken along the pants from his extra suit and one of his shirts and had gone shopping. The result was a pair of blue jeans and a casual white shirt as well as a pair of dark blue socks. She'd fantasized about how gorgeous he'd be looking in that outfit. Now she hoped that the jeans would do exactly what she imagined them to do for his well-shaped behind.
A minute or two later he still sat on the edge of the bed transfixed at the sight of his new clothes lying on 'his' side of it.
"Patrick, it's only a few pieces of clothing," Lisbon said, stepping closer and ruffling his hair. "Why is it such a big deal? You got me a lot more after all." Being near him made her see that he had actual tears in his eyes.
"It's just… it's just bringing back a lot of memories. Good ones. Of being cherished once," he whispered.
Resuming her caress she said warmly, "Why don't you tell me about those memories while we're getting ready in the bathroom, honey? Or are they too… I don't know, too private?"
"They're not too private. Nothing's too private between us," Jane replied adamantly and got up, taking a hold of his crutches. "You coming?"
His announcement made her heart skip a beat and she thought 'wow'. Patrick Jane was obviously really willing to share things with her from now on.
They took turns in the shower to resist temptation and while they got ready he explained, "As you can imagine, carnie life isn't exactly profitable. We barely had enough money to make ends meet and the moment my father got his hands on some extra cash he rather spent it on booze and gambling than on me. So except for my stage clothes I never had anything decent to wear as a child. Always got some hand-me-downs from other carnie families who took pity on me and scolded my father for besmirching the circuit's reputation with my disgraceful looks. Telling him that being traveling people didn't equal being vagabonds."
He took a deep breath and cast a look at her, probably to find out how she was reacting to his candor. She tried to smile encouragingly while she was fuming inside. She had of course suspected that his childhood hadn't been ideal but this was beginning to sound a lot worse than that.
"Anyway," he continued, "when Angela and I left the carnie life behind we had hardly any money at first. We did odd jobs and such and we survived but had no spare money at all. Then Angela got a job at a bar playing the piano. She was a great player, a really talented musician, you know. And she made good money there. So when she'd gotten her first pay check she didn't tell me but took me out shopping instead. Bought me the first real new clothes I'd ever had in my life. It's hard to explain how much that meant to me." His voice broke at the end and a lone tear ran down his cheek.
"Oh Patrick," Lisbon whispered, engulfing him in her arms.
So many things suddenly fell into place in her mind. Twelve years of knowing Patrick Jane and his odd habits when it came to clothes finally made perfect sense. And his extreme joy at receiving that pair of socks when he'd come back from Venezuela didn't seem odd anymore and neither did his heartfelt reaction today. Obviously until they'd met he'd only ever been the first priority of one person in his life and that was the very one whose death he'd blamed himself for for years.
She felt an overwhelming urge to take care of him and cherish him and was truly glad she'd not only bought him those clothes but also arranged their date. He needed to be pampered and spoiled.
"We should get ready," he mumbled into her hair, his voice sounding a bit sheepish. "I don't mean to be so maudlin. The last days have been a bit overwhelming, I guess." She released him and they shared a sweet kiss.
"That's totally alright with me, Patrick. I'm actually touched and honored that you trust me with your memories. But now I want to see your gorgeous butt in jeans, buster."
He gifted her with a big grin. "I'm not sure, I wanna risk that, Lisbon. You might not be able to resist me and I really want to go on that date."
She snorted. "I'll try my very best to restrain myself," she replied dryly but she had to admit that he did have a point…
Lisbon found out that Jane as usual exceeded expectations. And she decided she needed to send a big thank-you note to the job assistant in the department store she'd visited. The young woman had recommended the ideal cut – that much became obvious the moment Jane had closed the buttons. He had the most perfect butt she'd ever seen on a man and those jeans showed that off to perfection. And combined with his naked torso he looked overwhelmingly gorgeous.
She stood behind him in open-mouthed admiration, glad that his back was turned to her and he couldn't see her drooling. She made a note to herself to never let him out of her sight when he was outside in jeans – both for her own enjoyment and because she had to stake her claim.
"It's been ages since I've worn jeans," he stated, obviously not entirely aware of her state. "Not quite as comfy as well-tailored pants but they'll do in a pinch."
All he got instead of an answer was a mixture between a helpless whimper, a sigh, and a grunt.
Bemused he turned around and chuckled. "I guess, I pretty much looked like that when you came down the stairs in that pink dress two nights ago." He stepped over to her and covered her still open mouth with his lips, effectively throwing her from one daze into the next.
It was the phone on the night table ringing that prevented things from getting out of hand. Jane answered it since Lisbon still seemed entirely too out of it. A moment later he turned back to her and announced that their car was going to be there in five minutes.
In a frenzy they got ready. Jane put on the shirt which fit him perfectly as well and Lisbon resolved herself to do everything in her power to make Jane wear casual clothes whenever he was off duty from now on. "Undo another button and roll up your sleeves," she ordered to his amusement, but he followed her request immediately.
Lisbon felt like dessert had been served early.
The swelling on his foot was down enough so he could wear his new socks and both shoes but since it was impossible for him to use the splint in his brown loafers he still had to use the crutches.
They decided to go shoe shopping the next day before they hurried down to the entrance where a cab was waiting for them. They sat down in the backseat holding hands. The driver already had his directions – Lisbon had made sure of that because she knew it would drive her partner crazy. The new clothes had distracted him for a while but now his curiosity peaked again. The excited expression on his face made her giggle.
"You're still not gonna give me a hint?" he asked, looking at her with puppy dog eyes.
"Let me think… nope," she replied though she had to admit that he was hard to resist.
He sighed theatrically. "But you could at least confirm that you're gonna feed me. I'm starving. I built a whole castle for you after all, my princess," he beseeched her.
"Aren't you a real prince charming today," she teased.
Ten minutes later they'd arrived at their destination. 'CHOICES' was the name that greeted them from a tasteful dark green neon sign. The whole place was basically one big, open space with a roof consisting of bamboo and built on the beach, most of the light coming from torches. The center piece was an area that looked a lot like a huge sushi-go-around. In the middle of it there were five cooking zones with one chef for each. About twenty seats were arranged two and two around the conveyor belt.
Jane and Lisbon were led to the only two empty seats. Their waitress explained to a grinning and utterly delighted Jane and happy smiling Lisbon how this very special Thai restaurant worked. The conveyor belt was filled with a seemingly unending assortment of vegetables, fruits, seafood, meats, herbs, nuts, and spices. One could pick whatever one liked in smaller or bigger portions and a chef would prepare the food freshly in front of them in a wok and with the curry or other Thai sauce one wished. One could have several small dishes or bigger ones – just as one pleased.
Lisbon had loved the idea immediately when the desk clerk Rose had told her about the place and the reality of it was just as nice as she'd hoped. Jane looked giddy with joy, rubbing his hands with glee just as she had expected. He loved to try new things when it came to food and today he could experiment to his heart's desire. They both liked Thai so this had seemed like the perfect location and so far she had not been disappointed.
They ordered cocktails and started to take in the ingredients on offer.
"This is fantastic," Jane said, grinning like a loon. They raised their glasses. "I love it, Teresa. Thanks, this is… well, just thank you."
"You're welcome, Patrick. I'm glad you like it. I hope, it was worth the wait," she replied with a wink.
"Oh yes. And if it tastes half as good as my company looks, it'll be absolutely spectacular," he answered smoothly. And though she knew he was piling it on and exaggerating deliberately to tease her, his eyes told her that he meant every word of it anyway. This was not Jane, the calculating charmer, who pulled out all the stops to get what he wanted. No. This was Jane in love, flirting with her.
It felt fantastic and made her all giddy inside. She couldn't help but smile back at him. "Thanks," she said bashfully, not used to such outrageous compliments, especially ones that were genuine. After a moment to regain her poise she decided that she could get used to this but that she still needed to get them back on safer territory or she wouldn't survive dinner without ravishing him.
Banter, she told herself. Banter was something they were very good at and used to. Unfortunately her mind had other ideas. "Well, if it tastes as good as you, I'll be fine," she blurted out, only then realizing that this certainly was neither their usual kind of banter, nor safe territory. She blushed a deep red and was very thankful that it had at least been for his ears only.
Lisbon could see clearly that Jane did his best to avoid laughing out loud and attracting unwanted attention to them and she loved him even more for it. An undignified snort came out instead. Then he bent over to her and whispered in her ear, "You could always consider me your dessert. But until then I recommend other meat." He kissed her on the cheek, then let his eyes wander to the conveyor belt to give her a moment to compose herself.
They had a great time afterwards. The food was excellent and so was the company and the only downside was that they couldn't taste all they would've liked to sample because it was simply too big a selection. But they had fun, lots of it. Jane was experimenting and having the time of his life doing so, Lisbon was seemingly playing it safe but stealing from his dishes all the time without shame. He had impeccable taste after all and that turned out to hold true also when it came to combining ingredients. His unusual but still obviously well thought-out choices were all truly delicious.
Due to the nature of the restaurant and because they had decided to try as many and different small dishes as possible, their meal took several hours with small breaks whenever the chef was busy preparing food for other guests or while they were picking out their next choices. It gave them ample time to talk, and while they kept it light most of the time, some more serious topics came up too.
"How are things going to be when we get back to Austin, Jane?" Lisbon asked with some hesitation. "I mean, where do you want to go from here?"
"That's quite the question, my dear. What exactly do you mean? Is it a general kind of question or is this about anything in particular?" he inquired.
She was truly surprised about his questions. Obviously he had decided not to draw any conclusions for once but to actually ask her. She needed a moment to contemplate that. "What I mean is, well. Actually, I'm not sure what I mean. What do you want from this… this thing between us?" she asked a bit sheepishly.
"Our relationship, you mean? Because it's not just a thing, Teresa. Not to me, anyway." He smiled warmly at her. "I want us to be together. I'm not picky about the details but I'd very much like for us to be living together at some point. Right away if it was merely up to me, but I'd understand it if you needed a bit of time to get there." He put his hand over hers on the table top, squeezing gently. "I want to wake up knowing that the first thing I'll see is you." His smile grew even brighter for a moment before he turned more somber again. "And I want to find out who I am now – with you of course but I also think, I'll have to find out as an individual. I'm not sure who I am at the moment. That it is a man you are able to love gives me hope that it is someone I can come to love too."
She smiled warmly at him. "You're very loveable, Patrick. Annoying as hell too, but that's somehow part of your charm." She turned serious. "And I feel like I need to do quite a bit of soul searching too. I'd like for us to do it together. Maybe we can help each other to work through some issues. I know, we don't have the best success rate when it comes to communicating but I'd like to work on that."
"Sounds good to me. Difficult but worth it. How about living arrangements? Do you still have a place to stay in Austin?" he asked carefully.
She sighed. "I'm afraid not. I had only rented the place and they already have a new tenant. I can spend the first few days there and fortunately my stuff's still there too. But I've to clear the house in about ten days from now. I'm not sure what to do."
"How about trying to find a place together?" he asked tentatively. "The Airstream was always meant only as a temporary solution until, well, until…" He looked down on his empty plate.
Her eyes grew bigger and bigger. "Are you meaning to tell me that you had plans to move in with me all along?"
"More like dreams, really," he hurried to say. "I want a home, a real home. Just me in some abode – that's not a home in my book. A home is something you build with the people you love."
"I'm a bit… I don't know what to say… So, the silver bucket wasn't your… I don't know, your get-away vehicle – for want of a better word?" she inquired nervously.
He looked astonished. "Get-away vehicle? What would I want to get away from? I mean, I might have if you'd gone to DC. But everything I wanted was in Austin until you decided to leave," he confessed, a glint of sadness in his eyes. "I came back to be with you. That was my sole reason. The Airstream was more like my idea of a home away from home for us because we have to travel so much. But I know, you don't like it. So, well…"
Now it was her turn to be astonished. "You…?" She paused, not finding the right words. "You came back for me?" she finally asked.
"Yes, of course. Number one term, remember? I understand that it was very selfish of me to just assume that you'd feel the same way and that your outlook on life hadn't changed during my two years in Venezuela. I'm ashamed to say that it truly didn't cross my mind." He cast a short glance at her before his eyes went back to studying his empty plate again.
"While I wrote my letters to you and walked around on that island I fantasized about you all the time and imagined how you were doing. It's what got me through the days. But I was caught up in my little fantasy world where you wanted the same things I did. To me crime solving wasn't involved at all – not for me at least. Though probably something you'd want to continue with. I just wanted to be with you in which ever way possible." He swallowed audibly.
"After Dennis had offered me that first deal of his and I'd had some time to think, I realized that this was my big chance to make it happen – on my terms of course. I am a self-absorbed jerk, I know. I just assumed that you'd jump at the chance to work with me again. Selfish and idiotic, I know. But back then it seemed like a matter of course to me. I'm really sorry for that, Lisbon."
She sighed. "Your actions did hurt me, but I don't want to talk about that now, Jane. I know that what I said to you on that flight to New York has had a big impact on you, though I'm only now beginning to realize how much." She looked at his downcast posture and didn't like it at all.
"Please, Patrick, look at me." He raised his head and she longed to make the sadness vanish from his eyes. "I know you tried to adjust your behavior afterwards. But instead of encouraging you, every time you fell back on old behavior patterns, I resented the hell out of you. And I know that I overreacted and hurt you and sent you mixed signals. I could see that you struggled. I did. I just… I don't know. That's part of what I have to think about."
She took hold of his hand that had been drumming nervously on the table. Entwining their fingers she continued, "We both made mistakes, honey. And we'll sort it out, okay? But not by allotting blame. That's in the past. I don't want to see you so guilt ridden anymore. You've done more than enough of that over the years. I love you, Patrick. And I forgive you, in case you need to hear that."
He nodded, his eyes glistening with unshed tears, but a genuine happy smile appeared on his lips. "Thank you, Teresa," he said sincerely and quietly.
"You are very welcome. Let's leave it there for now, okay?" she said.
He nodded and brought their intertwined hands up to his lips, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. Then he said cheerfully, "And now I'll have mixed seafood with that 'Farmer style' curry together with Thai eggplants, bamboo, chillies, Krachai roots, young pepper, Thai basil, and coconut cream. Yum!"
The rest of the evening passed with easy talk, lots of flirting, good food, and too many cocktails – though as they both had a few non-alcoholic versions too, they ended up being only slightly tipsy when they left 'CHOICES' around midnight. They took a cap back to the Blue Bird Lodge. Upon arrival at their room, Jane pulled Lisbon into his arms. "Thank you so much for this wonderful evening, my love. This was a great date. I had so much fun. And I love you so, so much," he declared exuberantly.
She buried her hands in his curls and pulled his head down into a deep kiss in answer. Things got heated very fast and before long they were both naked and on the bed, Jane on top of Lisbon, caressing, licking, and kissing his way down her body, unerringly covering all her most sensitive spots. She turned into a boneless heap and by the time he touched her where she needed it the most, a few soft, deliberate licks were enough to make her fall apart, moaning his name in ecstasy.
It took her a few minutes to come down. The first thing she saw after opening her eyes again was the love-struck face of her partner who was hovering above her. "You're so beautiful in the throes of orgasm," he announced sweetly. "So, so beautiful." One of his hands caressed her cheek, removing some wayward locks of her hair in the process.
She smiled up at him but his open adoration also made her feel slightly flustered. She wasn't used to men telling her things like that. It made her feel beautiful and feminine and desirable, but as that was an unusual, new experience for her as well, she didn't know how to react to it.
He sensed that of course, perceptive as he was. He kissed her embarrassment away and said, "You'll get used to it eventually, my love. 'Cause I won't stop telling you how incredibly beautiful you are. Both inside and outside. I love you, Teresa."
"I love you too. And… and you're beautiful too, Patrick. Inside and outside." She replied with a blush, surprising herself with her bold words. Then with a determined move she switched their positions around so he was now lying on his back with her on top. "You shouldn't put weight on your ankle, Jane," she mock-scolded him, playfully poking him in the chest for emphasis until he grabbed her pointer finger, put it in his mouth, and bit it lightly with a growl. She giggled. But things turn heated again soon afterwards when he started sucking on her finger, curling his tongue around it, his eyes staring at her with hunger.
She freed her finger and put it into her own mouth, tasting him on it, mingling their saliva. He moaned. "Teresaaa."
Her lips covered his. He pulled her close to his chest, his hands caressing her back, squeezing her buttocks, pushing her against his rock hard erection. "Please, Teresa, I want to be inside of you."
"Oh yes," she groaned. Her hands took hold of him, she raised her hips and guided him to where she wanted him the most. Sitting down she impaled herself on his shaft, both whimpering at the wonderful feeling of being united again.
She started to move, quite slowly at first. He begged her to go faster but she just smiled down at him. "I want to take my time."
"More like you want to torture me," he groaned. "Please, have mercy." When she didn't show any signs of changing her rhythm, he started raising his hips to meet her.
She stopped moving and cast him a very strict look. "I told you not to put any weight on your ankle, Jane."
He panted. "Your fault," he pressed out. "I told you, I need more. I've been hot for you all night. Stop being stubborn and I'll do the same."
"I'm not stubborn," she said stubbornly. "I just want it to last. It feels so good to have you inside of me."
He sighed. "I understand that and I love to feel connected with you too. But I really need more right now. Please, Lisbon. We can do slow and easy later but I feel like I'm going crazy here."
"You think, you'll be up for another round tonight, old man?" she teased him. "Aren't we a bit swanky here?"
"Speak for yourself," he growled. "Old man! Pah! If you don't start moving, I'll show you what this old man is capable of – ankle be damned."
She chuckled, enjoying the mutinous expression on his face. But she could also see that he'd really reached the limit of his self-restraint and while being in control and having so much power over her partner had been fun, she didn't want to overplay her hand. And giving him the pleasure he sought was an even better feeling. So after kissing his pouting lips and biting 'her' spot on his neck lightly, she started moving for real. She found the angle that gave her the most simulation too and set a much faster pace than before.
It didn't take long for her to get close to her own peak. Her movements grew more erratic and her growing arousal seemed to enhance Jane's pleasure too judging from his moans. She was nearly there when he exploded inside of her. She could feel his release and that together with the look of bliss on his face brought her over the edge. Her contracting channel around his sensitive penis made him whimper with pleasure bordering on pain.
Suddenly being like that with him felt almost overwhelming to her, almost too much. The intensity of her feelings for him caught her off guard, the deep, all consuming love, the power of knowing that he felt the same way. The day before after their first union she'd gotten a glimpse but it was only now that she truly realized that this was real. That she was with him. He was hers and she was his. She could touch him, kiss him, hold him, even ogle him openly if she wanted to. After all these years the dreams she'd only allowed herself to have once in a while – they'd become reality. He was back, really back for her and with her. He wanted her, desired her, loved her, respected her.
He was still buried deep inside of her though he was slowly growing softer. She felt like she was solely existing down there at the place of their most intimate connection. Like her whole being was concentrated around their union. The love she felt for him and for them was mind-blowing.
She couldn't keep him inside of her much longer and the loss made her release a heartfelt sob. He pulled her down on his chest and held her tight. "Sh, I know," he whispered gently. "I feel it too."
She clung to him and he pulled her even closer, caressing her back, one hand massaging her scalp. "Please never leave me," she murmured against his chest.
"Not if I can help it," he stated solemnly. "Would you promise me the same?" he asked carefully.
"Yes," she replied without hesitation. She raised her head so she could see his face. "And about your earlier question…"
He looked puzzled. "Which one?"
"The one about looking for a place together," she explained.
"What about it?" he asked tentatively.
She locked eyes with him. "I want that. I want to build that home you talked about. I want to build it with you, Patrick."
His face lit up like a wildfire, his smile almost splitting it in two. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" he exclaimed "You've just made me the happiest man in the world."
She lowered her head an kissed him. "The thought makes me happy too, " she said afterwards. "We can start looking on the internet tomorrow. Maybe we can find some places to look at for when we get back to Austin."
"Ah, there's my practical Lisbon," he teased. "Have you decided on the color scheme for our bedroom already too?"
"Who says we'll share a bedroom?" she teased back. "Pretty presumptuous, Mr. Jane."
He chuckled. "Nah. I'll make do with the couch in the living room and hope that the lady of the manor will invite me into her bedroom to service her once in a while."
"That sounds about right. I'm glad you know your place," she replied snootily. "And if you promise to wear jeans around the house, you might just get lucky once in a while too."
He snorted. "That's mighty nice of you and quite heartening to know. But let's be honest here: if I'm wearing jeans around the house, you won't be able to resist me at all. You'll beg me to come to your bed."
"Is that so?" she asked, her brows raised. "Quite sure of yourself, are you?"
"Yep," he replied smugly, making her giggle. She couldn't deny that he was absolutely right. And she wouldn't want him anywhere but in her arms at night.
"God help me, but I'm afraid there's no denying it. I have no idea how I'll survive having you around 24/7 but not having you around isn't an option either," she said, only half teasing now.
His expression turned serious. "I can keep the Silver Sovereign so you can send me away whenever I'm too annoying and exhausting," he offered. "I'll do whatever it takes to make it work."
She shook her head. "No, Jane. That's not how it's gonna be. It's gonna be our home and I won't send you away the moment we're having problems. We'll get a place big enough so both of us can have some space for ourselves when needed. But I don't want you to ever feel like you're not welcome in your own home."
"Thank you," he said, voice thick with emotion. "I hope, you won't regret it. I know, I'm not an easy person to be around."
"Neither am I," she replied. "In fact, I have never shared a place with a man other than family. So it could very well turn out that I'm much more difficult to live with. You're at least housebroken already."
He smiled. "That might be true. But I haven't allowed anyone close for over a decade. I guess, we'll both have to do quite a bit of adjusting. But we'll be fine. We've been through so much together already and still love each other. A few domestic quarrels about everyday stuff will be like a piece of cake in comparison with that."
"You're probably right." She bent down to kiss him again but had to break it earlier than she wanted because of a yawn. "Mhm, Jane?"
"Yes, my dear?"
"I know, I kind of teased you about a second round tonight. But I'm really tired," she said sheepishly.
He chuckled. "Well, the old man is a tad exhausted too, so he'll grant you some rest. How about morning sex?"
"Is that a promise or a threat?" she asked with a grin.
"Whatever you want it to be. It'll happen anyway," he announced merrily.
She pecked him on the nose. "Being presumptuous again, Mr. Jane?"
"Nope, just totally irresistible," he said smugly. "A force of nature. All the elements wrapped into one hot package. Unstoppable, intoxicating, addictive."
She laughed out loud while she started to climb of off him. "Right now you're more like sticky on the cusp of turning outright gluey if we don't clean up a bit soon. Come on, Jane. Get your old bones into the bathroom."
"You're a very hard taskmaster, special agent Lisbon," he whined, sitting up slowly with a dramatic groan and a suffering face.
"You better believe it, honey." Belying her words, she ruffled his curls lovingly. "Let's get ready for bed. I'm really tired," she added softly.
"Will there be at least a bit of cuddling when we get back?" he inquired with a hopeful expression.
"I'm sure, I can manage a bit of that if that is what is needed as an incentive for you to brush your teeth, Paddybear," she teased him, while her inside was rejoicing at the thought of falling asleep in his arms.
She could positively see him reading her thoughts by the big, goofy grin forming on his face. "I'm sure, it'll be real hardship for you to snuggle with me," he teased her right back, while he got up and looked around for his crutches. He spotted them underneath a pile of their clothes a few feet away from the bed.
She followed his gaze and retrieved them for him. He took some steps in the direction of the en-suite under her watchful eyes. Naked Jane on crutches was a very nice sight, she decided. Especially his backside was lovely with the muscles working in his thighs doing wonderful things to his butt. She ogled him for a moment before she followed him inside the bathroom. On a whim she pinched one of his cheeks in passing. "You owe me one after all," she announced.
To her amusement he emitted an unmanly squeak, then looked at her in utter astonishment. "I do? That's not very likely, Lisbon. Firstly I'm sure I'd remember such a momentous event. And secondly and most importantly I would have never ever dared to do such a thing to you."
"Oh yes, you did," she said.
For a moment he seemed truly puzzled then something seemed to dawn on him. "Oh my," he said. "The fugue state?"
"Got it in one." She grinned.
"For what it's worth: I apologize for my inappropriate behavior," he replied. "Though I must say, it's a real pity, I can't remember," he added cheekily. "It's actually a state of affairs I simply cannot live with." With that he dropped one of his crutches and pinched her right back.
"Hey!" she exclaimed, planting a resounding smack on his backside. "You dirty old man."
He laughed out loud, a sound Lisbon was sure she'd never heard from him before. It sounded carefree and unrestraint, was totally infectious and she knew, she wanted to hear it again.
Both still giggly and giddy they cleaned up, brushed their teeth, and got ready. Back in bed together they switched off the lights and snuggled until they fell asleep in each other's arms.
TBC
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