Title: Ebulliometry: A Crash Course
Disclaimer: Property of Bruno Heller
Author's Note: I've been besieged by plot bunnies so have been delayed posting this. Thank you so much to everybody who has been reviewing/favouriting – I can't properly describe the warm fuzzy feelings I get when I see review notifications in my inbox, but it is fantastic and it keeps me going through the day. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter!
Things are just starting to get heated again when they're both startled apart by the sharp ring of Lisbon's desk phone.
She takes a moment to untangle herself, but it doesn't escape her notice that Jane barely steps back to let her move away; she's forced to brush heavily against him – his hands lingering deliberately on her hips – as she heads for her desk, and she throws a half-hearted scowl over her shoulder. "Probably Wainwright, checking to make sure we haven't killed each other."
For a moment, she wonders if she's opened the floodgates now – if he's going to be insufferably hovering in her personal space everywhere they go.
Probably.
She can't quite manage to think badly of herself for the little thrill of excitement she feels at the prospect.
She picks up the phone on autopilot, saying, "Lisbon," and then foolishly looking back at Jane again.
He's watching her unashamedly, his eyes sweeping her figure, only warmth and happiness on his face. She realises what it is for the first time to have his full, undivided attention – not because of a case, or because some personal issue of hers has reared its ugly head and he wants to know all about it, but because he just wants to stare at her and now he can.
It's such a distracting thought that at first, she doesn't hear the voice on the other end of the phone. Then, with a jolt, she realises who's speaking. "Teresa?" John repeats, louder. "Are you there?"
"Uh, yeah," she replies, startled. "I'm right here. Sorry."
"What happened?" he wants to know. "I just tried calling your cell but it's going straight to voicemail."
"Oh, uh…" she winces and runs a hand through her hair, glancing at the fragments of her phone on the floor. "I dropped it. Everything okay?"
"Yeah, sure." She can hear the smile in his voice. "Did you get my text? Or is that why you dropped your phone – a tremble of passion?" He's obviously joking, but there's that old flirtatious undercurrent there… and a bit of curiosity.
She's hyper-aware of Jane's presence, and she's trying not alert either man that the other is around in any sense, but she can't help smiling at John's question. "Oh, hush," is all she says.
"You sure you're alright, Teresa?"
"I'm fine," she scolds softly. Then, realising that it's only going to reinforce his suspicions if she keeps speaking in monosyllables, "Don't you have a flight to catch, anyway?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she sees Jane stiffen slightly.
"I've got plenty of time," John is saying. "You get things settled with Jane?"
She glances over at the man in question without meaning to, which naturally seems to pique his interest even more. "Yeah, we talked it out," she says, quirking an eyebrow deliberately at Jane. "A lot."
There's a muscle twitching in Jane's jaw. She ignores it.
(That turns out to be a bad decision, she finds out later.)
"Oh yeah?" John sounds as though he's trying to be casual and not quite making it. "That's cool. Uh, I was thinking about swinging by the CBI building in about twenty minutes, now I'm all packed… maybe hammer things out with that pact? Specifically, the 'SWAK' element?"
She laughs by choice, but her blush is entirely involuntary. Thinking of 'SWAK' now only summons the memory of Jane's kiss and every sensation that went with it. "John," she begins gently, wondering how to phrase this, especially in front of Jane, "I don't know –"
It doesn't really matter how she was planning to say it, in the end, because Jane's hand curls around hers where it rests on the receiver, and he pulls the phone away from her and towards him. "Sorry, John," he says coldly, "but Teresa's still quite busy with me right now. We need to put all our issues on the table and get to the naked truth – you know, really just relentlessly pound it out. We may even need to sleep on it. She'll call you back when she isn't pinned down, but that certainly doesn't look like it'll happen any time soon, so why don't you get on that flight of yours and we'll be in touch."
And he hangs up without another word, keeping her hand trapped firmly under his.
She's gaping at him – partly with anger and outrage, but also partly because those unmistakeably sexual innuendoes have left her overwhelmingly aroused, and right now she's frustrated at herself for that. "Jane!" she explodes at last. "How dare you? You – you asshole! He's my friend, you had no right to do that. Do you know what he'll be thinking?"
"Obviously," he replies, his voice sounding rough as he leans close to her, "the same things as you."
She pulls away from his attempted kiss. "This isn't a joke, Jane. You can't just go around trying to control every aspect of my life. Just because you don't like John –"
He waves a hand dismissively. "It's not a case of disliking him, Lisbon, I just want him to be aware that things have changed between us. Is that so wrong?"
"You should have let me tell him," she fires back. "But no – once again, you have to let everybody know that you've got the upper hand. It would have been less traumatic if he'd actually walked in on us doing it on the desk!"
She realises, a little late, that his pupils are most definitely dilated. "You didn't seem to be getting around to it," he argues, lifting her wrist to his mouth and pressing a kiss to the skin. She suppresses a shiver and snatches it back from his grip. "Telling him, I mean, not the other thing."
"I was going to," she says, "before you got all…" She makes a vague hand gesture because, despite everything they've said and done, it still feels too presumptuous to say the word.
"Jealous," he finishes. "Possessive. Selfish. All of the above, and more. Lisbon, I want you to understand – I don't want to control your life. I want you to have a life, of course, I just can't stand the thought that he still thinks he can come waltzing in, talking about marriage pacts and making you blush. And all you tell him is 'we talked it out'!"
"I was getting to it," she argues. "And I didn't blush because of John, okay, I blushed because of you!"
He stares at her. "Really?"
"Really!" She's completely exasperated now. "What, I'm supposed to trust you after all the crap you pull, but it's too much for you to do the same?"
His face softens, and she knows he's completely sincere when he says, "Lisbon, I swear to you, you have no idea just how much I trust you. I love you, remember?"
Hearing the words again sends a funny shudder down her spine. "I know," she says softly. "I love you, too."
Immediately she's engulfed in a tight, awkward hug across the desk. She wraps her arms around him as best she can without capsizing, finding herself unable to control the thrill she gets when she realises they'll undoubtedly be doing this a lot in future.
She's in a relationship with Jane.
She. Jane. Together. Romantically.
It's still too hard to process.
When Jane pulls back with an enormous grin on his face, she realises he's probably been thinking along the same lines. They stand there like idiots for a moment or two, and then just as he's opening his mouth to say something, there's a knock on the door and Wainwright opens the door without waiting.
He takes in the sight of the two of them smiling widely at each other and suddenly beams himself. "Fantastic work, you two – I knew you'd resolve things. I was worried I'd have to lock you in here overnight, but I can see that won't be necessary."
She catches Jane's facial expression and knows what he's about to say. Her index finger presses firmly into his forearm through his suit. "No, sir," she agrees. "Everything's settled. We promise – don't we, Jane?"
"Yes we do, Lisbon." It's strange, but she's never realised before just how much he gives away with so little – the tiny lines around his eyes, the precise angle of his lips. She's also never realised how oblivious other people seem to be to those very signs. Right now, his glance is telling her that he wishes she'd given Wainwright the opportunity to lock them in for the night.
She's sure her face reflects a little regret about that as well.
Wainwright's eyes are moving between the two of them. "Uh," he begins awkwardly, "about that clause in your new contracts…"
Oh, great…
"I won't be fighting it," he hastens to reassure them. "I mean, if it's gone some way towards this reconciliation, then I'm in full support of your relationship, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't flaunt it, especially in light of the restrictions that still apply to your colleagues."
"Absolutely," Jane jumps in before she can speak. "It'll be a strictly outside-the-office thing. No funny business whatsoever."
Wainwright actually gives them a thumbs-up. "Excellent. Good to hear. Well, then… back to work."
As he leaves, she can't help noticing that the amount of people-traffic in and around the bullpen is somewhat greater than normal. Especially since half the people milling around are from different units based elsewhere in the building. She rolls her eyes and gestures for Jane to follow her out to the kitchen. "Busy out here, isn't it, Jane?" she says loudly as she puts a fresh pot of coffee on.
"Certainly is, Lisbon." Jane scans the vicinity with relish, flicking the switch on the kettle. "Anyone would think there'd been a murder in the SCU."
"Perhaps more than one?" she suggests.
"They might have come along to congratulate you on your engagement," he counters, with a trace of frostiness.
She examines her bare hand ostentatiously. "How unobservant of them, seeing as I'm no longer wearing the ring."
Jane shrugs, a smile playing on his lips. "That might have raised more questions than it answered, Lisbon."
She grins, reaching up to get her coffee mug and Jane's teacup. "Well, if people are determined to be so nosy…" she begins, just as Jane says, "Oh, let me get that for you, Lisbon," and moves behind her to get the mug. A commotion in the bullpen distracts her, and she trails off, looking around to see what's going on.
Given everything that's happened today, she really shouldn't be surprised by much anymore.
And yet it is a surprise when John Fox comes tearing round the corner, sees Jane practically pressed against her in the kitchen, and strides up to them, red in the face. "You," he says, jabbing Jane in the shoulder. "Outside. Now!"
Jane's expression darkens, and he squares his shoulders. "Gladly," he says through gritted teeth. "Lead the way."
A murmur ripples throughout their audience, and suddenly Lisbon feels very, very tired of tricks and lies and misunderstandings. She puts one hand on John's chest, one hand on Jane's, and very firmly forces them apart. "No," she says clearly. "This ends now. In my office – come on."
This time the ripple is one of disappointment, but is quickly silenced by the deadliest glare she can muster. People begin to disperse, and she starts to push the two of them towards her office. But Jane stops her, covering her hand with his own. "Lisbon," he says softly, "I think it would be better if I talked this one out with John alone."
She frowns at him. "I'm not so sure that's a good –"
"No violence, I promise," he says solemnly. "Well, not from me, anyway."
John bristles. "Just to be clear," he says, his eyes dropping momentarily to Jane's hand on Lisbon's, "I think you deserve a broken nose, and probably worse. But if Teresa wants you unharmed, then I'll do my best to resist."
"Thank you," she addresses John directly. "Come and see me before you go, okay?"
"Of course." He pats her shoulder, and she watches the two of them disappear down the hallway with no small amount of trepidation.
Author's Note: In my heart of hearts, I don't see Jane as a caveman type of person, but I enjoy seeing him behave possessively and act with a more primitive mindset, so apologies if you read this and felt it wasn't true to him; chalk it up to a bit of author indulgence. The final chapter will bring a resolution for all parties concerned. I have loved writing this story so much, and I really hope you've enjoyed reading it. Will be forever grateful for your reviews!