Author's note: Thank you all for the reviews and messages, I am glad to see that you are enjoying these one shots.

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Four – Daring

"You are, Jane. But it is just fine. Nobody is going to hold it against you. This is the way you are, the way you were raised. You cannot help it."

The gasp that escaped from Jane's lips couldn't sound more dramatic.

She set down the grocery brown paper bag on the kitchen counter and squinted her eyes at Maura. A hand on her hip, she pursed her lips to repress a smile. She loved pretending that she was mad when she wasn't at all. It was their very own way to fool around. Many people didn't understand the way their relation worked but she couldn't care less about their incomprehension because she – Jane – loved it more than anything else.

"Is this your way to tell me I'm uptight? Really?!" Falsely shocked, Jane shooked her head and proceeded to take out of the bag the groceries they had just bought. "There's a freakin' difference between being uptight and... And being a tad flighty."

The silence that followed her remark made her doubt. Perhaps she had gone too far, this time. Yet Maura knew the implicit rules of their game. She wouldn't take it badly. Would she? She didn't really mean what she had just said.

Slightly uncertain, Jane turned around and looked at her friend. Maura had frozen – baffled – while a mysterious smirk had embraced her lips.

"There is nothing devilish about sex, Jane. Why turning down something that is healthy and can bring you pleasure? You are missing... Big, actually."

If Maura didn't have any kind of impulsive reaction, Jane couldn't be more different. She rolled her eyes before snorting as loudly as she could. A beer. She needed a beer.

She walked to the fridge – opened it – and grabbed a bottle. Her gesture didn't fool Maura, though. She was simply trying to win some time because she had absolutely no idea how to reply.

Yet there was no way that she would let her friend win. She loved playing with Maura but her competitive spirit was such that she had to win; no matter what.

"The hell?! Besides, he wasn't even good-looking! Nah... Not my type."

Jane shook her head vehemently.

Everything had started in the pasta aisle of the supermarket when some guy had tried to chat her up and Maura had pushed her to play along when the only thing she wanted was to run away from the stranger. She wasn't in the mood for this. They had left the BPD rather late after a stressful day and the only thing she wanted was to go back home – or better said, go back to Maura's place – to spend a relaxing evening not doing much.

Planning a potential date was certainly not something she was aiming for at the moment.

"You know, I actually start wondering if you have a type at all. You don't even like talking about men. When someone suggests you to go on a date with a third party, you always end up finding a reason to turn them down. Too short, too boring, too tall, too... Too much!"

Okay. Their silly banter was taking a direction that Jane wasn't sure to really like. How had this even happened? They were joking around and suddenly their conversation had turned into some cheap therapy.

"Well, I trust my instinct, Maura. If I don't feel it then I don't go for it. Easy." Jane took a sip of her beer in a way she hoped casual enough. Of course she had probably failed but lying to herself wasn't very complicated. "Besides, I don't need people to seduce me. I mean, why do they even do that? If I'm interested in someone then I can let this person know. I can be flirty too if I want to..."

Maura's giggles bruised Jane's ego. What was funny? She hadn't said anything that she didn't think was true. Trying to ignore the discomfort that had passed underneath her skin, Jane frowned at Maura and cleared her voice nervously. She made a step forward but finally came back to her initial position by the fridge.

"Who are you kidding, Jane? You aren't a seductive person. I have never seen you flirt with anyone I mean... Not really. There were glimpses eventually but it was never a full attitude of seduction. But it is just fine. Some people are simply not made for it."

Now that was an insult. Losing her nerves, Jane pursed her lips and put down her bottle of beer on the kitchen counter way too angrily for Maura to not laugh at it.

"I. Can. Be. Flirty." Just because it didn't happen very often didn't mean that she didn't have seduction skills. "Wanna bet?"

Maura shrugged, too afraid to bruise her friend's ego even more. She knew that she had pushed Jane's buttons and that she couldn't go too far either.

They were just having fun. She liked teasing Jane just as Jane liked teasing her.

It was supposed to remain harmless.

Not saying a word, Maura remained by the sink and timidly smiled at her friend. She didn't know what to do nor what to say. Yet an ounce of surprise invaded her the moment she saw Jane come closer to her with a mysterious sparkle in her eyes and that proud smirk that yelled that she was the one who was right.

"You don't know what you just asked for, Maur'..."

Jane's hoarse voice lowered of an octave. It resounded low and oddly delicate; almost subtle. Arousing, perhaps. Maura wanted to say something but the words stayed trapped in her throat. What was going on? The pace of their conversation had drastically changed within a second.

Jane only stopped the moment her body brushed Maura's and she had indirectly pinned her against the counter.

She subtly leaned over – winning a few more inches – and placed her arms on both sides of her friend to make sure that she wouldn't be able to escape. Hands on the kitchen counter, Jane locked her eyes with Maura's hazel ones.

"Seduction has little to do with dresses and stilettos, with makeup and silly little – girlie – scenarios. It's all about being yourself and knowing how to use what your natural weapons... Your voice, your eyes... A subtle smile..."

Jane was winning an inch for every word she said. Maura was at her mercy, she knew it. She had frozen and looked hypnotized by whatever was happening.

With a bold delicacy, Jane brought a knee between her friend's legs and slightly lifted it while she let her fingers slide up Maura's hips. Maura held back a gasp and swallowed hard befoe finding the courage to reply.

"You won't dare..."

Maura's voice had never been so full of uncertainty. She was about to add something – anything to provoke Jane – when her friend took her aback by capturing her lips with eagerness and determination. Roughly.

Jane deepened the kiss immediately and grabbed Maura by the nape to drag her even closer.

She only let go of her friend the moment she started lacking air. Breathless, she made a tiny step backwards and smirked at Maura.

"I told you I'd win at this game."