Disclaimer: I've been writing for well over a year and I still own nothing.

A/N: My other stories will be updated this weekend! Even if I have to tie myself to my chair to get it done, it will happen. :) But I couldn't get this chapter out of my head until I typed it so here ya go. Yet another chapter for my crazy dream induced fic that grew to a considerable amount of chapters. Enjoy.

The sound of soft jazz filtered into Lisbon's ears, causing her to groan softly and snuggle deeper into the pillow. Fourteen days of marriage and she'd learned that her husband liked to sleep with noise, while she enjoyed the silence. They made an agreement to switch back and forth between their preferences. The nice warm pillow felt a little different than usual but her tired mind seemed too slow to process anything other than the sound drawing her from her sleep. They'd left the radio on last night and now she wished they hadn't. It was invading her peaceful dreams. Jane had been so set on listening to some music after such a hard day and she'd simply went along with it, too tired to argue.

It only took seconds for her to realize that she wouldn't be able to drift off again and with a shift of her body, she stopped putting off the inevitable. Everything was slightly blurry when she opened her eyes, it took several attempts at blinking to clear things up and even then it was still kind of fuzzy. Her eyes didn't want to stay open but she forced them to cooperate long enough to try and bunch the pillowcase in her fists. Nothing happened. There was no feel of fabric beneath her fingertips, no soft cottony fibers that she loved so much. After two weeks of marriage, Lisbon knew that her pillow had never been swiped before but she still wouldn't put it past the man.

Her fingers slid against something smooth and warm and with a turn of her head, she found her face pressed right into Jane's chest. It took a few seconds to understand what was going on but then she took into account every foreign source of body heat touching her. With a red flush filling her cheeks, she tilted her head to stare at his shoulder. They were cuddled together, clinging tightly. His knee locked between her bare thighs, his arms wrapped around her and making his scent seem to fill the air. One of his hands was burning an imprint against her hip and the other on her back. It took her a minute to collect herself enough to really let their position sink in. She was almost completely sprawled out on top of him.

She felt his fingers twitch against her skin, slightly dipping beneath the waistband of her panties and the realization that her shirt was no longer covering anything besides her chest hit her like a ton of bricks. He was moving, shifting - a groan falling from his lips - and when she took the risk and moved to see if he was awake, she was rewarded with a sleepy stare. He was holding her, he was awake and she liked it.

It had never happened before, she didn't know why this time was any different but it obviously was. The worst part was that it was their day off, neither of them had an excuse to mumble awkwardly in attempts to make it end. They'd been getting along better since he started sleeping in the bed, less likely to pick fights and the banter was slowly coming back but they'd always stayed on their own side of the mattress - always.

A rush of air left her lungs at the sight of him in the orange glow of the room. It was early, but that was the furthest thing from her mind. She'd been wanting - needing - him since he'd helped her dry off several days ago after her bath. She'd thought about it every time they got too close but he always pulled back and she let him. She couldn't be the one to make that move but she wasn't going to stop him if he did. Even if she didn't fully believe that he loved her in the romantic sense, they were married and she wouldn't say no.

"Mornin'." His voice was low, gravelly and caused her body to react before she could do anything to fight it. Her thighs tightened around his, searching for some kind of relief but if anything, it only made the fire in her veins worsen. A soft moan tumbled from her lips when she felt his thumb trace along her pantie line. The sound left her embarrassed, eyes widening as soon as she realized what had happened but he held her tighter and offered a small smile. "Guess I didn't wake up in time."

"Huh?" Her brain wouldn't let her form anything more intelligent than the confused syllable and when the hand on her back trailed up her spine, an involuntary shiver rendered her incapable of even trying. His palm flattened just below where her bra clasp would normally rest, pushing lightly to keep her chest pressed into him. He left it there, the pressure still applied until he seemed satisfied that she'd stay. As soon as he moved it, she tried to raise up but he brought the hand right back, easing her down softly but firmly. She didn't try to move again, she stayed where he wanted her, face tilted to watch his as the fingers that had just been pushing against her back found their way to her cheek.

Her eyes closed immediately, her fingers ghosting across his chest in retaliation for his silence. He wasn't answering her and even with a cloudy arousal filled mind, she wanted to know what he was talking about. She figured if he was allowed to touch in such an intimate way then so was she. Even without being able to see, she knew exactly where her hand was going and it wasn't until she reached his navel that his breathing started to become affected. They both knew she wouldn't have went much lower but the fact that she'd returned his caress at all had slightly left them both stunned. A garbled sound escaped his throat, making him cover it with a cough and try again.

"We end up like this every night but I usually wake up in time to move you back to your side before you ever stir."

"Wh-" She wanted to know why, she wanted to ask but the words hadn't fully been spoken. She couldn't get them to come out.

Slowly letting her eyes open, she glanced down at her hand resting low on his stomach and bit her lip. Chewing lightly, rolling the flesh between her teeth, she let her gaze drift back up to meet his half lidded eyes. She'd leveled the playing field but she didn't feel better. She thought it would make things easier but when her hips shifted against his and his pushed back, she came to the conclusion that it definitely had not made anything any easier.

Eyes widening in surprise at the feel of his growing arousal pressed into her thigh, her mouth formed an 'o' shape and Jane's cheeks turned a dark shade of pink. The look on his face resembled the one she'd seen when he'd taken the initiative to towel her off but it seemed so much more intense. If it wasn't for her complete incapability of thinking, she would have found it funny that he seemed more 'excited' with her still clothed than when she was naked. Of course she hadn't been lying on top of him in a very intimate way when he'd seen her bare.

Some of her wits seemed to return suddenly, and she was mumbling something about breakfast and trying to move off of him. Silently berating herself the entire time, yelling in her head that she was his wife and there was no need to come up with lame excuses and flee. His grip on her didn't let her move very far and the pounding in her chest became louder, faster.

"Eggs?"

The childish tone to his voice made her want to slap him. Her blood was boiling, heat coursing through her every nerve making her think she might spontaneously combust from the sexual tension and he was concerned about eggs - she should have known. With a roll of her eyes, she pushed off of him slightly satisfied when he groaned and rolled to his stomach in attempts to hide the effect she'd had on him. It was pointless but she let him and tugged her shirt down to cover herself as she got out of bed.

Muttering under her breath as she descended the stairs, she wondered when, or even if, they'd take that step. At one point she had contemplated getting their marriage annulled. They hadn't consummated it but her mind hadn't pondered the thought very long. Even without sexual satisfaction or kisses, she'd started to enjoy being married in some twisted kind of way.

He'd asked what he could do to prove that he loved her and she'd told him to start by sleeping in the bed - he had. She hadn't made any more requests and he didn't ask for any but she knew that slowly, she was beginning to think that maybe he was being honest. Maybe he didn't love her as just a friend or a person. She wouldn't let her heart go crazy just yet, she didn't want to deal with the ache if she happened to be wrong. He could still be confused, she knew she was but he seemed clear headed.

She didn't want to say anything, breach such a touchy topic again when they were just starting to get along and open up. She wanted to avoid any possible scenarios that involved them taking two steps back. Throwing a glance over her shoulder, she continued on her way to the kitchen to make breakfast. In two weeks, this would be the first day they had off - unless they got a call. They'd had two major cases just recently, taking most of their time and leaving them with only hours. She wasn't sure how well they'd do with a whole day to themselves, nothing to do. She wasn't sure how she was going to handle it after waking up on top of the man.


By noon, Lisbon had decided that the day was going better than she'd expected. They were watching a movie, Jane still in just a pair of pajama pants, lying on the couch with his feet propped up in her lap and she was okay with it. She'd changed but she hadn't managed anything more than a tank top and stretchy shorts. It was her lazy day, his too apparently and she was content to just watch the screen - occasionally swiping a handful of popcorn from the bowl resting on Jane's stomach.

Nothing out of the blue or embarrassing had happened. There had been a few awkward moments while eating breakfast but it quickly turned into stolen glances and light blushes. Nothing more than that. They'd become comfortable with silence, neither having the urge to say or do something to get away from the other. It'd taken them days after he'd moved in but they were finally working a routine that just fit with them. They didn't have to force it anymore, if it was silent then it was silent. There were none of those ridiculous thoughts bouncing around, wondering if the other was secretly thinking they should never have said 'I do'.

Lisbon still had doubts but she'd grown used to having a man in her apartment, someone to claim as a husband. The rings on her finger were barely noticed now, they just sort of belonged and she was okay with that. She did wonder a lot, if Jane had known this was how things would be between them, if he'd known they would be able to live together somewhat peacefully. He still hadn't fully told her why he didn't want to wait to marry but she wouldn't bring it up on a day that they were to spend together. She felt more comfortable prodding when they'd worked a full day or two. It gave her the guts to pry, knowing that if things went south she wouldn't have endless hours to wallow about it.

Something hit her cheek, falling into her lap and she frowned a little when she realized it was popcorn. Turning to look at the man who offered her an innocent smile, she shook her head and ate the buttery treat. The bowl that had been resting on him was moved to the floor causing her to sigh softly.

"There's a coffee table for a reason, Patrick."

"C'mere." Unsure of what he meant, she raised a curious eyebrow and stayed rooted to her seat. With a sigh, he stretched his hand out towards and her and softly pleaded. "Please."

Slipping her hand into his, she gave a little yelp when he tugged her down. She attempted to brace herself but he caught her free hand and gently pulled her to rest against him. With a little adjusting, he had her cheek pressed right over his heart and she listened quietly to the thumping in her ear. It took a few seconds for her mind to catch up but once it did, she fought her overwhelming urge to move. She was completely on top of him, legs tangling with his and he acted like it was where she was supposed to be.

She watched his arm drop to the side of the couch only to come back up with a few pieces of popcorn. Following his lead, she let her own arm search for the bowl he'd set in the floor, fingers burying themselves in the salty and buttery mess. When the snack made it up to her lips, she felt the hand pressed to her back dip under the fabric of her tank top, bunching the cloth and leaving her skin exposed to his soft touch. Her breath hitched almost causing her to choke on the popcorn in her mouth but she tried to hide it, tried to act completely nonchalant about the whole thing. Not that it worked.

This was the type of thing she'd been hoping to avoid after waking up like they had. She wasn't sure what he was trying to do. If this was just another way for him to feel closer to her, married to her or if it was a way for him to try and get her to believe him. She blamed herself for her frustrations, not really him. He was Jane, he was messed up and she knew that but she was just as messed up for becoming his wife under such pretenses. Quite the match they made and if he wanted sex, she really wished he'd just ask instead of leading her to think that they might eventually reach some level of a normal relationship.

Another flying piece of popcorn hit her in the nose and she lifted her head to look up at him, throwing the three pieces she had left in his face with a chuckle. She was getting better at pushing her fears about her farce of a marriage down and pretending to be okay. He seemed slightly taken aback by her retaliation but brought his fingers up to trace her jaw only seconds later. He no longer looked shocked, but mystified by something. She was getting used to his simple touches and the kisses on her cheeks, hands and neck. He'd been extremely hands on since his proposal and she'd slowly grown used to it without reading too much into it. She figured this was another one of those times but when his hand moved to the back of her neck and brought her head down towards his, a familiar twist in her stomach made her think that this might not be one of those moments after all.

He'd done this before though, almost kissed her and then he pulled away. She was expecting this to be the same but she let herself be drawn into the lie anyway. She let her eyes flutter when her nose touched his, let her lips part on a sigh when the hand splayed against her back soothed up and down - the one on her neck still urging her closer. She could feel him everywhere, it was a sensory overload and when his warm breath hit her mouth, she shuddered against him. She was silently begging him not to push her away at the last minute.

Her heart was trying to beat its way out of her body, slamming against her ribcage. Her breathing already labored just from the close proximity and when her left hand slid up to his neck, she felt him react. It was as if they were back in the bed, she could feel him flush, or maybe that was her own body heating up. She wasn't entirely sure. She'd snap if he didn't do something besides this teasing, taunting. A clench in her chest had her fighting tears and trying to keep her head clear. It was impossible when their mouths were so close, bodies pressed together but he wasn't moving, wasn't pulling her down to him anymore. This was how the last almost kiss had went. He'd stopped, so close yet so far.

Something akin to a whimper escaped her lungs, she wasn't used to being unable to control her body and it's reactions but she stopped caring, stopped thinking when she felt him tilt his head, letting his parted lips gently encase hers. She was too paralyzed by the feel to move, the pressure was barely there but she could tell this was different from the two chaste kisses they'd shared before.

The sensation was gone after a second, her tongue darted out to wet her lips, her eyes cracking open to see what was going on and with one shared glance, hands groped tighter and lips met once again. It wasn't as soft as before but hungry, passionate. The sound in the background faded away with each press of mouths. She could feel a rumble in Jane's chest as she slid her lips against his, picking up the rhythm immediately and pressing herself impossibly closer. Shifting herself higher up his body for better access caused the man beneath her to stiffen, a low groan making her aware of how he felt about her movement. Their lips paused, staying still but remaining pressed together.

Lisbon wasn't sure why they'd stopped but it only lasted a few quick seconds and then one of his hands fisted in her hair, and something warm and wet nudged her bottom lip. She opened up to him without thought, giving in to the hunger they were both experiencing. Giving in to what they'd wanted earlier in her bedroom. His hands became braver with every tentative brush of their tongues, sliding down her back to dip beneath the waistband of her shorts. Lips, tongues, hands - it was all so much at once and the fire that had been burning through her veins since early that morning kept pushing for more. She wanted more.

The kiss slowed down, losing the steam of the moment and turning into something that she could only describe as loving and tender. The sounds of the movie once again penetrated her ears and with a light smacking noise, he broke the caress their lips were locked in. Lisbon didn't open her eyes, she wasn't sure she wanted to face the reality just yet. She remained in the fantasy that they were happily married and had simply been making out on the couch for just a few minutes longer, resting her forehead against his.

The truth wouldn't let her remain in bliss for long, pulling her back to the harsh reality with her lips still tingling. With a slight frown she lifted her lids heavily and was met by Jane's piercing stare. It wasn't until he shifted that she noticed one of her hands had tangled itself in his curls, he looked gorgeous bare chested, half lidded and lips swollen. It was something she ingrained into her memory just in case it didn't happen again.

"Do you believe me yet?" It was the hint of sadness in his voice that made her think back on what they'd just done, made her wonder if the kiss meant as much to him as it did to her.

"Patrick...I-if you want uh, if you want sex then we can do that."

"Wha-no, no...just, let's just finish the movie." Feeling lightheaded from the emotions and now confused at his change from desperate to angry, Lisbon frowned. She thought she'd guessed what he wanted, she thought she'd got it right but he wasn't even looking at her now. His attention was turned back to the TV and with a heaviness in her chest she let her head fall back to the place right over his heart. At least he hadn't pushed her off of him yet, and she liked being this close. It was new and it made her feel closer to having a relationship that would sort of pass as traditional.

His fingers contradicted the way his words had come across, caressing their way up her back - tracing 'S' shapes as they went, leaving goosebumps rising on her skin. She didn't care that he'd pushed her shirt out of the way or that her eyes caught on the shiny jewelry symbolizing their union. The movie wasn't that interesting and she was trying to figure out where she'd went wrong. She knew he was aroused but he seemed put off by the idea of sex. Would it be that horrible to sleep with her? One step forward, two steps back. This made her even more set in her ways that he loved her as a friend.

It stung to be rejected, ignored, she'd started to believe that he actually had true feelings for her - she'd started to think that he might love her. Now she didn't know. She was back to being confused, back to questioning his motives.

a/n: I'm posting the new chapter of Dissolve in a few minutes. :D

Next: "You're an irresponsible, pig-headed, egotistical idiot! Do you realize what could have happened?" Lisbon didn't care that she was yelling, she didn't care that her voice would probably be raw come tomorrow if she kept it up. She didn't care that Jane looked just as pissed off or that he was yelling too. She didn't care that her neighbors would probably complain, all she cared about was that the man in front of her could have died. That's why she was fighting with him.