A/N- I have to admit to not hating Maura's new beard! But the Martinez thing is starting to make me throw up a little bit in my own mouth.
"I thought you had a hot date with BT?"
"I thought you'd be fending off Martinez?"
Yet here they sat, at their usual table, just the two of them.
It had been more than a week since their kiss and it had not been mentioned. There had been no real awkwardness, but no discussion, it was as if it hadn't really happened, except that it had.
Jane called over the waitress and ordered them both a drink and some french fries, ordering Maura her own portion without even asking. Maura stole a piece of kale from Jane's plate as if to balance out the badness and grinned across the table at Jane's look of mock outrage.
Maura liked Brandon, she really did, they had so much in common, he should be perfect for her. The thing she liked most about him was that he really seemed impressed by her knowledge, by her overly technical talk, he didn't roll his eyes, switch off, tease or ask her to translate, he just understood. It was refreshing, if a little unexpected.
"So, really Maur, what's the problem with BT? He have a genetic syndrome? A face licker? Fraudster? Not another serial killer?"
"I think he is socially awkward?" Maura said, leaning forward as if communicating a shocking secret.
"You do? ...And that bothers you?" Jane attempted to tread carefully.
Maura looked frustrated. "Well of course, I have spent a lot of time trying to become more socially calibrated and spending time with someone who has a similar lack of understanding of societal norms and appropriate discourse will be counter productive."
"Maur, you don't have to try to be anything, you are perfect just as you are." Jane said plainly. "and maybe it would be nice to have someone smart enough to understand everything you say." Jane added without much conviction.
Maura smiled but was quiet a little longer as if she was debating whether or not to go on. "It's silly but...what if he's smarter than I am?"
Jane was about to laugh but she caught the genuinely worried look on Maura's face. "Couldn't be." She dismissed.
Maura couldn't help the curl of her lips. "I mean, I like to be the one who has an explanation, empirical evidence, what can I tell him that he doesn't already know? " Maura shrugged helplessly.
Jane couldn't bear the troubled look she saw across the table.
"Maybe he isn't as great as he seems anyway, I mean on paper, sure he is Mr right but really, you would be constantly fighting over who would wash up the Petri dish and he'd be all up in your yoga room, who needs that? Plus a Bomb Tech isn't so bad ass, it sounds risky but, I mean how many bombs actually go off?" Jane scoffed.
"Bomb squads in most American cities received a three to four-fold increase in call outs immediately after the bombings at the Boston Marathon, 77 reports of suspicious packages were made in New York in the 24hours following the incident, compared with 21 reports that would be usual for that time frame and although a heightened public awareness would account for the surge, each call out must be dealt with as a potentially serious threat." Maura reeled off easily.
It was Jane's turn to be quiet. How would she deal with it, if B.T really was right for Maura? She had been poking fun at Maura about him all day in some vague attempt to get a rise out of her friend, get her to deny any attraction and Maura had been less than forthcoming about her feelings. Maybe that was because she could really like this one. Jane felt miserable at the thought and was relieved at the arrival of the waitress with their order.
"So what are you going to do?" Jane asked, digging into her fries.
Maura had been staring unseeing at her plate and looked up questioningly.
"About the bomb tech?" Jane went on.
Maura's face fell, were they back to that again? couldn't Jane let the matter drop? was she trying to tell Maura something?
"I suppose I should give him a chance? I do...I would like to be loved." Maura admitted, in a tone that suggested, though uncertainly, that her desire was not unreasonable.
Jane felt Maura's grip on her heart constrict painfully. She whipped out her arm quickly to trap Maura's hand beneath her own across the table, also pinning Maura with her warm brown eyes.
"Maur..." Jane entreated. "You must know you are loved? I..lo..."
"Not like that..." Maura interrupted, pulling her hand sharply away from Jane.
Maura turned her eyes away and noticed Giovanni enter the bar and head toward their table, she straightened and plastered on a smile, whilst Jane continued to stare at Maura, the Detective looking completely undone.
"Giovanni." Maura smiled politely, genuinely relieved that he had arrived at just that moment. "Always a pleasure."
Giovanni beamed at her. "Yeah, you too Maura. You're looking hot as ever." Maura nodded and offered Giovanni her seat as she excused herself. "I am just going to the ladies room."
Maura usually relished the sight of Giovanni, it meant that she and Jane would be obliged to behave like a couple, but tonight she couldn't stand the pretense and hoped Giovanni would soon be leaving.
"Hey G." Jane said. "Thanks for your help on the case, we got a great result."
Giovanni ignored her rare but genuine sincerity and glanced over his shoulder at the disappearing form of Maura. He almost pounced over the table at Jane.
" Word on the street is your messing around on Maura. Whats with the GI Joe, Janie?" He challenged.
"The street?" Jane questioned, stony faced, her fork clattering to her plate.
"I heard your Ma talking to Frankie at the cafe. That isn't the point." Giovanni continued. "Look, I know we got history, we grew up together, I love your Ma, but if you hurt the Doc..." He shook his head slowly, his hands gripping the table and his mouth pressed into an unhappy line.
Jane smiled despite herself and put up both her hands in surrender. "Okay G, I hear you. You have to believe me, hurting Maura is the last thing I would ever want to do."
Giovanni seemed to relax a little, keeping his face stern. "I mean it Jane, you two are my ultimate couple, so frickin hot, but you got all the other stuff 's good people and she loves you Jane. I mean, she gave up a chance with me to be with you. That's how much." He said with feeling, believing he had made his case completely.
Jane was tempted to be honest with Giovanni and finally give up their charade, except that she didn't have it in her to sit and explain over and over, the fact that they were not and would never be a real couple.
"Alright G, I will treat her right from now on, I promise." Jane swore.
"That's what I thought." Giovanni said smugly, getting up from the chair. "And you know if you ever find you miss the man thing again in the future." He actually pointed to his pants. "I could help you both out and nobody needs to get hurt...y'know?"
Jane grimaced.
xxxxxx
"Did you speak to Casey earlier?" Maura wanted to know but was almost afraid to ask.
"No." Jane said unhappily. "For all that Martinez is a womanizing player, who just wants something because he thinks he can't have it. At least he is clear that he wants me."
"Crystal." smirked Maura.
Jane sighed. "Casey on the other hand, he's hot, he's cold..." Jane said swishing her hand through the air from one side to the next as they walked. "He is lukewarm at best."
"Tepid." Maura supplied with a nod of understanding.
Jane raised an eyebrow, but then nodded grudgingly. "Yeah, so let's not dwell on that tonight."
As Jane walked with Maura to her door, the darkness made her feel suddenly brave, she wanted to recapture some of the warmth that walking together had given her before the mention of Casey, so she pulled Maura in to her, linking their arms. That was when she felt Maura stiffen.
"Do you want me to call you a cab?" Maura asked as they reached her front door.
Jane frowned, she had been planning to get comfortable on the couch, but it was more the fact that Maura hadn't even opened the door, hadn't just assumed she was coming in, that started the alarm bells ringing.
"Well, I guess, that would be good...I hadn't really thought about it yet...Maur...are we okay?" Jane asked with a look of consternation.
Maura needed extra effort to swallow. "Of course, I am just really tired, I spent all last night at work so..."
Jane didn't feel reassured. Being tired was not automatically a reason for Maura to kick Jane out, they would often nap in one another's company, but it was Maura's body language more than anything that unsettled Jane. Jane had done something to upset Maura and she had no idea what.
"Okay, so call me a cab, I'll go see if Ma is around while I wait and I'll catch up with you tomorrow?" Jane said as she ran a hand up and down Maura's arm, noticing Maura slightly shrink away from the touch.
Maura forced a smile and nodded soundlessly, reaching to put her keys in the door and after another parting smile, stepping into the safety of her home.
"Goodnight Jane." Maura said quietly.
Jane stood still, she felt winded, what the hell had she done now?
xxxxxxx