"Angela, can I get you anything?" Maura gushed from the kitchen, trying to bring back some normalcy, or at least distract her from Jane.
"Oh no, Maura honey; I'm fine. But... um... could I talk to Jane alone for a bit?"
"Of course," although she was a bit suspicious and a little worried, but she instantly calmed when she remembered that Jane can lie. "I'll just do some cleaning upstairs." She shuffled towards the doorway, glancing at Jane the whole way. She was seated rigidly on the couch next to her mother, trying desperately to give Maura a smile that was natural. When the blonde had left the room, Jane positioned her body so that it was half facing Angela, half not.
"What's up, Ma?" Jane asked, as calmly and carefree as she could. She added a random shrug to try and add to the 'normal Jane' that she was trying to pull off. She knew her mother wasn't just going to talk about the weather or the gossip of late, and she hoped to God that Frankie hadn't squealed to their mother about something that he really shouldn't have.
"Well, I was talking to Maura yesterday and she said that something had upset you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok, and see if you wanted to talk about it."
Jane froze. Two things... she had been upset about two things: Maura suddenly kissing her, and "Frost. I just had one of those moments. I'm ok though. Maura was there for me."
"Mmhmm."
"'Mmhmm', what?"
"Nothing darling."
"That wasn't just a 'nothing' mmhmm; that was a 'I-don't-really-believe-you' mmhmm."
"Honestly sweetie, if that's all that was upsetting you, then I believe you."
"You don't, but whatever," Jane mumbled with a shrug of attitude as she faced away from her mother and slouched into the couch cushions.
"I do; besides, why would I think otherwise? It's not like your brother would talk to me."
Jane gasped and spun back around to Angela. "He did talk; that little rat!"
"He didn't tell me anything, actually. He just kept giggling to himself when my back was turned, and saying something like, 'Jane's a cheeky one' under his breath." Jane pursed her lips. "Maura did tell me that you two had kissed."
"I know."
"But, Jane, if you've got something more to tell, I won't judge."
"Oh, I know you won't, but it's...sensitive." Angela looked confused for a second.
"You, dealing with something sensitive? I mean, Maura's sensitive, not you." Jane darted her eyes elsewhere other than her mother's eyes. Perhaps not her most subtle move; and Angela didn't miss it. "Jane." She dragged out the 'a' sound making strong Detective Rizzoli turn back into mischievous Janie Rizzoli who knew she was in trouble.
Jane turned her gaze slowly back to Angela, who was sternly watching her secretive daughter. "Ma?"
"Does your something 'sensitive' have something to do with Maura?"
"Maybe." Good one, Janie!
"Jane!"
"Ok, yes. Maura and I are sensitive."
"Jane!" Angela squeaked with a playful slap to Jane's knee. "I can't believe you!"
"We've only kissed so far, Angela," came a sweet little voice from the other side of the room. Angela's face became etched with utter surprise while Jane slapped her forehead to her hand, creating a loud noise; one Maura certainly understood. "I shouldn't walk into rooms in the middle of conversations."
Jane grumbled to herself in agreement while Angela still sat in shock. Finally she spoke up. "You kissed again?"
"Ha," Jane jested sitting up straight. "That's the same face Frankie pulled. But she kissed me, Ma."
"You kissed me the second time, which kind of became a third time too," Maura stated. A new wave of surprise swept over Angela's face as Jane shook her head in disbelief. "Sorry," Maura whispered before moving over to Jo. "I'm going to walk Jo, okay Jane."
"Yeah." Maura made haste as she quickly collected Jo's leash and a bag and slipped outside with the fuzzy bundle of joy, who totally oblivious of what was going on. "We can talk about this, Ma, if you want?"
Angela nodded, her expression changing to one that showed she was thinking. "Um... when did you two kiss... the first time?"
"Yesterday, in her office. She was upset about Barry, so I went down and it just happened."
"Was she good?"
"Ma!" Angela chuckled to herself as she wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders.
"I'm ok with this Jane. You have the best friendship with Maura that I have ever seen. She sees a side of you that I'm sure I never get to see," Jane nodded in agreement. "And I'm sure you get a side of Maura's that no one else ever sees." Again, Jane nodded.
"She's my best friend, Ma, and I love her. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me."
"I'm glad you finally realised that, darling." Jane shot her a look. "Oh, come on; you two do everything together. She's taught you things I'm pretty sure you never would have learnt otherwise, and it helps sometimes, am I right?"
"I suppose so. She does look ridiculously happy when I state a fact that she taught me years ago, 'cause she didn't actually think I was listening, but I was. I always listen to her, even if it's boring. She makes it... not boring." Angela nodded in contentment.
"And you have taught her things, correct?"
"Correct, Ma." Jane smiled to herself in pride, it seemed, at how she had opened Maura up to a totally new brand of things that she never even realised she didn't have; like a family that's always there, and a best friend. More than anything, Jane loved being Maura's best friend.
"And you are a part of each other's lives and if that is to... develop into something more, than I could not be happier." Angela finished of her spiel with a tight squeeze to Jane's shoulders, which the brunette snuggled into. She liked this feeling of happiness; especially the one Maura brought.
"Thanks, Ma," Jane whispered before leaning over to kiss her mother's cheek and bound up from the couch. Angela hopped up as well and, after giving Jane a proper hug, she exited back out to the guest house while Jane moved to the front door. She swung it open and stepped out moving to the end of Maura's drive. She looked up both ends of the street, finally spotting her best friend and her dog up near a light post to her left. She figured they'd still be a while, so she moved back to her car.
She hopped up to sit on the trunk of the car, her legs dangling off the edge. She swung them back and forth as she clasped her hands in her lap, waiting patiently for Maura to return. She turned her focus to the world around her instead, to pass the time. The sky was blue and bright; every lawn in the street was neatly mown and edged. It was all so neat and calming somehow.
It was a total contrast to Jane's messy habits, and it made her smile. Whereas if the owners let their grass grow too long, and grey clouds rolled in, making the area look haunted almost, the combination of Maura and a bit of mess never failed to make Jane giggle. A messy hair day (not that there were many of those), cushions scattered haphazardly on the couch, an unmade bed with a tired Maura lying amongst the sheets; they all made Jane just that little bit cheerier.
She loved professional Maura with her random facts consisting of 95% 'what?', and her never-out-of-place outfits, but Jane also loved being the one that saw Maura on her off days when she didn't feel like making her bed as neatly as usual, and instead wore slacks and a skivvy; the Maura you could cuddle and not worry about wrinkling. The more Jane thought about her, the more Jane loved her Maura.
And the more she thought, the goofier her smile became. She could feel herself pulling such a grin, looking at her swinging feet as Maura and Jo came towards her. "Now, I wonder what has Detective Rizzoli smiling like that for?" If it was possible, Jane's smile grew bigger still as she jumped down from her car and linked arms with the doctor.
"You," she said matter-of-factly. Maura pulled Jane closer and squished her face up against Jane's shoulder as they made their way to the front door. "Maura?"
"Yes, Jane?" Maura replied as she let Jo off her leash, turning back to Jane as she closed the door.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Maura tilted her head as a cheeky little smile crept onto her lips.
"Like a date?"
"Hmmm, yeah. I mean, it won't be at a restaurant, or anything."
"Oh?"
"I just thought we could order take out and watch movies on my couch all night, wrapped up in a blanket."
"Only one blanket?"
"Don't worry," Jane started as she moved closer to pass Maura. "I'll keep you warm," she whispered into Maura's ear before moving into the kitchen. Maura squished her face up as she smiled ridiculously, but wiped it off before turning to Jane.
"What movies will we watch?"
"Oh, whatever ones make you want to cuddle." Maura smiled to herself as she moved up beside Jane, pressing her body flush to the taller woman's.
"I think I'll be cuddling anyway," Maura finished with a wink, then leaned in to kiss Jane's cheek. Jane raised her eyebrows in anticipation as a smile spread across her lips.
"Okay."