A/N
1. Just as a little insight to my outlook for this story. I had a thought back when I was planning this that I was kind of tired of the fics where the two just jump right into bed with each other by the end of the first chapter. I like the build up, and that was my plan for this story. They don't know each other at all, and they're both serious about laying the groundwork with each other before jumping in.
2. I promise, spring break is almost done. When first writing this, spring break was a glance over two chapters, but when writing it, so much more came out. Just this chapter and one more, and the timeline will move a lot faster.
Once Haley Mae was ushered off to her grandmother's house for the night, Jane and Maura were suddenly left alone in quiet.
"Well…" Jane waffled a little bit, "I guess I'll work on the dishes."
They ended up both doing the dishes. Maura cleared the table while Jane washed, then as the librarian finished up, Maura straightened up the living room.
"Care for some wine, Maur?" Jane called from the other room
"Yes, thank you." The blonde answered
The house was quite silent without its resident six-year-old. Maura looked around to find there was nothing else her hands could fidget with until the other woman came into the room.
Jane entered with a glass of wine in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other.
"Hope you don't mind I'm drinking a beer." The brunette sighed, "Just felt like I could use a beer." She handed the glass over with a flourish
"Oh, it's no problem. I hope you didn't just open the bottle of wine for me, though. I could have also had a beer."
Jane waved her off and plopped down on the couch.
Maura stood awkwardly a moment, looking down at the couch.
She could sit at the other end awkwardly or…
The spot right next to Jane looked rather inviting…
Sensing her dilemma, Jane patted the cushion right next to her with a smile, "Sit with me?"
Happy the decision was taken from her, Maura sat.
She sat rather stiffly at first until Jane wrapped an arm around her shoulder; pulling her closer.
"Maura." Jane started, after taking a hefty sip of her beer, "I…well. I was wondering if we could talk about something."
"Of course Jane. Anything in particular, or would you like me to come up with a topic?"
Jane couldn't stop the smirk, "No, I have something in mind already." She took a deep breath, "I know we've skirted around the topic, but…I was wondering…what do you think about…us?"
"Us?" Maura's heart skipped a little.
"Yeah. Um, us…together. Like a…couple."
"What do I think about us as a couple?" Maura's voice had turned breathless.
"Like, do you see us as a, as a couple?"
"Well," Maura couldn't help but chuckle, "We've yet to go on a first date, Jane. Though we have spent a great deal of time in bed together."
That caused the two of them to blush.
"True." Jane agreed with another sip of her beer. "Well, then. Um. Would you…would uh."
At her pause, Maura pushed, "Would I…?"
"What would you say if I asked you out on a date?"
Maura smiled, "I would probably say yes."
"Yeah?" Jane smiled widely
"I would."
"Cool." Jane was suddenly overtaken with nerves. Even though Maura had literally told her yes already, Jane didn't even know what kind of a date she'd take Maura on.
To give herself some time to think, Jane changed the topic, "Hey. I know we've monopolized all of your time this break. Do you have any homework you need to work on at all? Maybe tomorrow we could spend the afternoon here at home, and you could get some work done."
Though she felt a little whiplash at the change in subject, Maura nodded along, "I don't have anything due, but there is always something for me to read. Maybe if we have downtime tomorrow, I could pull my books out. Are you still agreeable to doing some shopping on Newbury Street tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Of course." Jane settled back into the couch, pulling the blonde with her
xxx
xxx
Morning came early, and the two were walking down Newbury street by eight am. Maura bought them both espressos from her favorite little coffee shop at the end of the row before they headed into their first store.
After two stores – one a handbag store and one a clothing shop – the two stopped for a quick bite to eat in a small boulangerie before heading into the third shop of the morning.
But the time lunch came around, Maura had purchased a new handbag and two pairs of shoes for herself, and a pair of jeans Jane had instantly had her eyes on the moment they had walked into that store. Jane insisted she didn't need another pair of pants. Really. She didn't. She just liked the color, that's all. She didn't even want to try them on.
But Maura all but pushed her into the dressing room with the two pairs around her size with a "just try them on, Jane. It won't hurt."
Jane came out a few moments later in them, her loose shirt tucked into the waistband to get a good look at the jeans. She had spun a few times, her hands running over the smooth denim. She made a few quiet comments, barely loud enough for Maura to hear.
"They're so soft. How is denim this soft?" She turned her back to the mirror to look at the fit on her butt and legs, "I've never had a pair of jeans that fit this well." She murmured
The brunette looked at the price tag and her eyes widened a little. "oh." She whispered, not knowing Maura could hear her, "That's why they're so nice…" she turned to the ogling blonde, "Yeah, they're nice. I just don't know if they're my style," she downplayed
"Of course they are." Maura refuted, "They fit so well, they could have been painted on."
Jane retreated into the dressing room with a blush and a hurried, "Yeah, I just don't think I'll get them this time."
With a sigh, Maura picked up another pair of jeans – same style, same color, same size – a second in a slightly different hue (for good measure) and had the clerk ring them up before Jane could even get out of the dressing room.
When Jane did step out of the room, the pair neatly folded in her arms, she spotted the blonde at the register with the other pants, "What are you doing?"
"Buying you the pants."
"Oh, Maura, no. You don't have to do that."
"I want to." The blonde shrugged
"Yeah, but. Really. I have like, ten pairs of jeans at home. I don't need…" she counted, "two more. Really."
Maura pulled the credit card from her wallet and swiped it quickly, "oh no. I've already swiped my card." The smirk on her face was rather victorious and impish
"Maura." Jane sighed, "You didn't have to do that."
"I know. I wanted to."
"But why? They're just jeans." Jane whispered, taking the bag from Maura
"Yes, but." Maura took a step closer and her eyes raked over Jane's body in a rather cat-ate-the-canary way, "I would like you to wear them on the date you haven't asked me out on yet. I find them rather…attractive on you."
Startled, and slightly aroused, Jane watched the blonde walk towards the exit with a flounce in her step, before following quickly after.
xxx
They stopped for lunch just before noon – which Jane demanded she pay for since Maura had just spent a small fortune on two pairs of amazing pants for her – at a small pub tucked away between a dress shop, and yet another shoe store.
Maura had had the idea of ordering a light salad and an iced tea until Jane ordered the pub's specialty burger and an inhouse craft beer.
"That sounds delicious." Maura commented, "I'll have the same, but with a glass of whatever red wine is your best."
The waiter left them alone with a nod, scribbling away on his notepad.
"I never would have guessed that you were into pub burgers after a morning of shopping." Jane smirked around a mouthful of peanuts from the bowl in front of her.
"I can be known to try new things."
Jane picked up another handful of peanuts and popped a few in her mouth, "Jane…do you always eat from open bowls of bar peanuts that have been handled by potentially dozens of people?"
The brunette chuckled, "yeah. It's the thrill of possible disease that keeps me at it."
Maura looked up at her, concerned, until she saw the smirk, "You're teasing me."
Jane wiped her salty hand on a napkin before laying it on Maura's arm, "I'm just kidding Maura. Yes. I do eat bar peanuts. Especially when I spent the morning lugging shopping bags around, and I'm waiting for my lunch."
"Oh." Maura felt guilty suddenly, "Did you not want to go shopping today? We can be done. Let's do something you want to do."
Jane was quick to reassure the blonde, "No Maura. Really. I don't mind shopping. Well, I don't mind it with you." She corrected. "With my mother, no. With Hay, definitely not. But… I don't mind it, cause, well." Her cheeks colored lightly, "I get to spend time with you." She all but whispered
A bright smiled curled over Maura's lips. "I like spending time with you too, Jane. However, we spent the whole morning doing something I liked. Now, let's come up with something to do this afternoon that you like. What do you like to do?"
The waiter arrived with both of their baskets of food and drinks and left with a smile.
"I don't know." Jane shrugged. She picked up her burger and took a solid bite. "With having Hay all week, I didn't really think of anything to do besides watch movies and eat junk food."
Maura nodded, "Okay. Then think of something now. You have the whole afternoon free, what would you like to do?"
Jane took a few more bites, chewing thoughtfully. "Let's pop home and drop all the bags off, and then I'll think of something."
xxx
They stayed at the bar long after their food was done. They talked of sports Jane liked to play, and to watch. They talked of Maura's very short lived basketball career.
"Really, Jane. It was one game back in elementary school gym, before I went to private school. A girl passed the ball to me, but I wasn't paying attention, and it hit me square in the head. I had a lump for about a week."
They talked of simple things that didn't really matter.
xxx
xxx
By the time early afternoon started to set in, Jane and Maura walked through the front door of the small Rizzoli household.
"Let me go put away the bags in the bedroom." Maura offered
"Yokay." Jane agreed
As Maura unpacked the new jeans she had bought Jane, she felt suddenly tired. It had been a rather long morning, and actually, a rather long week.
It had been much more than Maura had expected, and she hadn't known what to expect when she started.
Ever since their conversation the night previous, Maura had felt like Jane was drifting closer to her each passing hour. As they walked down the street between stores, Jane was almost on top of her with how close she was standing. And when they went into store, Jane was always right behind her, quietly speaking with her. Not that Maura minded though. She rather liked the attention.
She had promised Jane that they could do something Jane wanted to do, but now she was really hoping that something Jane wanted to do included sitting down.
Maura finally made it back out to the living room to find Jane lying down lengthways on the couch.
"Jane?" she called
The brunette turned her head and smiled softly. "Come lie with me?"
Maura felt a little spark in her heart and readily agreed. Jane opened her arms and shifted to the back of the couch, giving the other woman little room on the couch. No matter. She'd just have to lie in Jane's arms. Oh well.
Once Maura had settled in, Jane lifted the blanket from the back of the couch and draped it over the two of them.
"I thought we were going to do something you wanted to do." Maura sighed as she nuzzled her nose into Jane's collarbone
"This is exactly what I want to do right now." The brunette answered as her arms tightened around the smaller woman.
xxx
xxx
xxx
The sun was hanging low in the sky when the two were awoken from their nap by Jane's phone ringing. She fished it from her pocket and answered without opening her eyes, "Yello."
"Jane. Are you two still coming over for dinner?"
Brown eyes opened and Jane pulled the phone away from her ear to look at the time. It was past 5, and dinner was at 6. "Shit." She muttered
Maura lifted her head and confusedly looked on with tired eyes.
"Yeah ma. We'll be there soon. We got distracted."
"Distracted huh?" her mother chuckled, "Is that what you call…"
Jane hit the end button before her mother could finish that thought.
"What's wrong, Jane?" Maura's head had dropped again to Jane's chest, and her eyes were closed
"We're late for dinner. I told ma we'd be there by 5 to help out."
Maura jumped from the couch, elbowing Jane in the stomach in her haste.
Jane grunted, "Maur, calm down. She doesn't care if we're late."
Maura had already headed into the bathroom to comb her fingers through her sleep tousled hair, "I look terrible." She muttered
The taller woman stepped into the bathroom and looked at her through the mirror, "You look like you took a nap. We're not going to meet the queen, Maur."
Maura stopped her preening and made eye contact with the other woman, who was now combing her own hair.
"What?" Jane saw the look
"You called me Maur."
Jane's eyes widened, "Shit, you don't like nicknames do you?"
"No. I do." Maura assured, "I just…no one really calls me anything except Maura. I like it…the nickname."
"Good." Jane smirked, "Me too."
xxx
Angela had quite the line ready for the two of them when they walked through the door that evening, but Jane had waved her off behind Maura's back. Maura found Hayley Mae in the living room reading and Jane joined her mother in the kitchen, "Sorry. She's just…she was already worried about being late. Just don't make a big deal about it." Jane sighed
Angela chuckled, "Fine."
xxx
When they all sat down, Angela asked what they had done with their time the night previous and that day.
Maura regaled the older woman with their trip out shopping and to the pub.
"Where else did you go today?" the matriarch asked
"Actually." Jane dredged her roll through the remaining gravy on her plate, "We just took a nap. The whole morning tired us out. Plus I never get naps with the monster around, so we took advantage of it." Brushing past her mother's almost comment, Jane asked, "What did you guys do today?"
"Well." Angela saw the diversion and took it, "We did some reading this morning, and Hayley Mae helped out with some chores around the house. Then we had a talk about what happened yesterday with the whole nap situation and she agreed that she was out of line." The older woman was now talking to the younger girl at the table, "And that she needed to apologize to her mother for throwing a fit."
Hayley Mae dutifully looked up at her mother, "I'm sorry mama."
Jane leaned over and kissed her daughter's head, "I forgive you baby."
"You have two full days left of break. Do you have any plans?" Angela asked
Jane looked to the blonde, who looked equally mystified, "Not that I know of, as of yet."
"Did you have any coursework to finish over your break, Maura?" Angela asked
"Nothing due. I finished all my work before this week. I do have some reading I could catch up on. One of my professors is known for pop quizzes directly after long breaks."
Jane turned towards her, "Why not stay home tomorrow and you can study. I've got plenty of things I could get done at the house. Maybe even do some reading of my own. And Hay's got lots of new books to keep her occupied."
Angela cut in, "I could keep her again, tonight. If you wanted a quiet day to study." She offered
Maura shrugged, "It doesn't matter to me. Thought I wouldn't mind a few hours to look over my notebooks."
"Then it's settled. I'll keep her another night. You alright with that?" Angela turned the question to her granddaughter
"Yas!" Hayley Mae exclaimed
xx
Jane and Maura returned home shortly after dessert was eaten. Before they left, Jane had stayed back a moment while Maura said goodbye to Haley Mae and found her mother in the kitchen.
"Hey ma." Jane popped her head in the door, "Can you watch Hayley Mae next Friday?"
"Of course." Angela turned to the calendar on the fridge to write it in, "Why?"
"I'm going to ask Maura on a date." She whispered
Angela turned with an upturned eyebrow and a smirk.
xxx
xxx
xxx
They had settled into bed almost the moment they got home. However, due to their long nap, neither was quite tired enough to actually sleep.
"Let's play a game." Jane started, turning the bedside light back on
"Okay? What kind of game?"
"Where do you see yourself in five years, ten years?"
Maura was taken aback by the question, "Well. I see myself done with school and with most of my residency." She started
"Okay, but outside of professional career stuff. What about, like…personal life goals?"
Maura could tell Jane was fishing for something and decided to play along.
"I'd like to teach, one day I think. Possibly in a hospital, or a college. I'd like to travel again, see some new places. One of my professors talked about his time in Doctors Without Borders and I've always thought that would be something fun and interesting to do. I'd like…to be, uh, married. Possibly have a…child. Or two."
Jane only smiled at her confession.
It spurred her on, "I'd like to find someone who loves me for me and would want to build a home; a life together. What about you?"
"I'd like that too." Jane started, "The whole home and life thing."
Maura chuckled.
"But, I think I'd also like to teach someday. Maybe. I don't know. But I would like to get my master's degree, maybe even a PhD in something. I don't know. I would love to travel. I went to Italy as a kid with my Ma one time for a family thing. I absolutely loved it. I've wanted to go back for years. When I was in high school, I wanted to go during college, maybe go backpacking. But, then I had Haley. And don't get me wrong. I love her more than anything. But, I always regretted not going back."
Maura couldn't stop herself from scooting a little closer, "I'll take you." She whispered
Jane's eyes sparkled, "Yeah?"
"Yes. We'll visit the places you loved. And we'll go to Rome, and Florence. Oh, we went to the Amalfi Coast once when I was young, and it was absolutely gorgeous. You would love it. We can go there too."
"Okay."
"There is one problem though." Maura started
"What?"
Whatever it was, Jane was determined to fix it. If Maura wanted to go to Italy, she'd move heaven and earth.
"We need to go on a first date."
Jane rolled her eyes. "Gosh. Quite hounding me."
Maura almost thought she was serious, until the taller woman chuckled.
"You're teasing me again."
"I am. But only because it's so easy."
"I don't like teasing." Maura stated, "I was teased too much when I was younger."
"Hey." Jane whispered. She scooted down the bed a little bit to look in Maura's eyes better, "I don't tease to make fun. It's just…it's not meant to be mean. You know that right?"
Maura nodded shyly, "Okay."
"Really. I would never make fun of you. I think…I think you're perfect. And whoever had the gall to make fun of you was an asshole. And if you give me their name, I'll go…I'll do something."
Maura chuckled at Jane's determination, "You can save my honor another day. Just stay right here." She wrapped an arm around Jane's midsection.
Brown eyes stared into hazel for a long moment.
"Next Friday. Ma's watching Hayley Mae. I was hoping to come up with something before I asked you, but…you wanna go on a date with me?"
Jane could have been blinded by the light coming from Maura's smile.