Maura had been enthralled with The Bone Room, and Jane, only mildly interested, had been enthralled with Maura's reactions.

They ate lunch at the Smithsonian Pollinator Garden.

"Are you glad you came?" Jane asked. "It wasn't disappointing, was it? I could hear you correcting the guide."

"It was perfect," Maura said, leaning in to kiss Jane.

The next day they went to the NASA and the international spy museums, and on Tuesday Jane got to see the baseball exhibit she'd been so excited about. Each night they spent together they learned more about how to please each other, about what they liked. After so many years of denying their attraction, they made the most of their privacy and anominity. But even so, there were times where Maura read her journals in bed, Jane sprawled across her checking her emails from work, sharp eyes looking across evidence. Frost tried to video call once from a crime scene, and they'd both had to scramble for some clothes, Jane calling back in 20 minutes in the other room, fully dressed but blushing like a teenager.

All of their concerns had dissipated after that first night. They'd been together for so long, but not together, and this was the missing part to their relationship.

"I hate that we don't live together," Jane mumbled against Maura's cheek.

"Ah, I believe this is what they call the 'urge to merge'."

"What?"

"The U-Haul stereotype. Women who start dating and move in together immediately."

"We didn't just start dating, Mau."

"We did," Maura said, and technically she was correct.

"We did and we didn't," Jane growled. "You know we were just looking for excuses to stay overnight because we didn't want to be apart."

"It took you nearly two years," Maura said.

"Huh?"

"From when we met to the first time you stayed over. You slept in the guest room, and you were so nervous when I came and lay down with you."

"I'd kinda hoped you were making a move," Jane said. "But you weren't. Were you?"

"I was testing the waters. You were so uncomfortable, and you immediately started talking about a man, so I figured you weren't interested."

"I was plenty interested. I just had 17 layers of Catholic guilt and a bunch of homophobic comments made to me since I started the force to deal with first. But you smelled so good, I swear, if you'd kissed me then I would have melted. I still remember how your bare arm felt against mine, the shock of it. You never touched anyone else back then. Just me. Sometimes Ma, but always as a formal thanks for the Sunday dinners."

"You weren't ready for me yet," Maura said, turning her head to kiss Jane's temple. "And I would love to come home with you, come home to you."

"I think this is my favourite part," Jane said, head cushioned on one of Maura's breasts, the other tracing up and down her torso, making little journeys here and there.

"My breasts?" Maura asked, and Jane snorted.

"No, your brain is my favourite part of you. Although these are really, really nice," Jane said, letting her fingers glide over the bare skin. "No, just existing together. In contact, doing our own things." Maura looked up from her book to the baseball game Jane had on the tv. "Not that the sex isn't good - you know it's good, you know I think you're an amazing sex goddess, and I love everything you do to me, and everything you let me do to you - but before we were dating, we did stuff together, right?" Jane asked.

"Yes. Jogging, hockey games, art galleries."

"No, I mean, in the evenings. You'd come over and we'd watch tv and you'd fall asleep in my bed like it was an accident and the whole time I wanted to... to be like this. The sex is amazing, but it's not why I'm with you. I'm with you for this. You always sat so close to me on the couch, even when no one else was there, and I always wanted to be closer."

"You're the closest," Maura said. "Closest to my heart."

Notes:

So for chapter 68, I had that and 69 prewritten and just as well because one of my colleagues was found during a welfare check. They'd been offline for a week, and with WFH it took a few days to send someone out to check. This is the second time in 4 months, and the thought of them dying alone gets to me.

They were always nice, and kind to me despite my awkwardness and we talked about books and made silly jokes and they have left a void in the company. Hearing from them brightened my day.

Anyways chapter. Peace, NM, you are missed.