Chapter Text
“What is it with us?”
Maura opened her mouth to respond only to keep her thoughts to herself as Jane shook her head and began to pace the length of her office. Her long legs made short work of the space, and Maura found herself fascinated by Jane’s purposeful stride as her best friend continued to complain.
“Do you know how many people insinuate that we’re a couple? Like a honest to God go on dates, have sex, and want to get married couple?”
The doctor pursed her lips, considering the possibilities. “Besides Giovanni?”
“Besides Giovanni,” Jane echoed. “Although you can… add him to the damn list.” She pivoted and flopped down on the edge of Maura’s desk before blowing out a heavy sigh. “My mother… my own mother… rolled out suggestions she and pa got in couples therapy because she thought it would work for us.”
Maura’s eyebrows lifted in intrigue. She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “What did she say?”
“It doesn’t matter, Maura, we made up.”
It was tempting to push the topic, but Maura resisted, sensing it would only agitate Jane further. “So, where is this coming from? Who said something to get you so…”
“Stanley.”
“Stanley?” Maura grimaced. “From the police cafe Stanley?” Even though she’d been wondering about the true nature of her relationship with Jane since they’d reconciled, the thought of Stanley insinuating anything about them was just disturbing. Maura didn’t want him thinking about them at all, especially not… like that.
“Frost has made innuendos. Korsak has hinted that we’d be a cute couple.” Jane ticked the examples off on her fingers.
“We would make a totally hot couple,” Maura interrupted, ignoring Jane as she drew up and gave her a disbelieving stare. “We would. We both have striking bone structure and our skin tones and hair color create appealing contrasts.”
“Really, Maura?”
The doctor shrugged and got to her feet. “Just being honest.”
“I’m just tired of all the whispering behind our backs. They don’t understand us. They don’t get that two women can be as close as we are without sleeping together.” Jane watched her as she removed her lab coat and hung it on the coat rack, tracking the medical examiner’s movements until Maura returned to her desk.
“Sounds like people aren’t whispering so much these days.” Maura tucked some files into her bag and zipped it closed. “Why is it bothering you? For whatever reason we’ve been hearing the rumors for years.”
Jane put her head in her hands. “I don’t know,” she mumbled, her tone approaching a whine.
Maura drew closer, reaching up to tug Jane’s hands away so she could look at her hangdog expression. She smiled. “It has to be about something.”
“How am I supposed to find someone when everyone I know thinks I should be with you?”
Maura shifted, strangely hurt. Her feelings must have shown on her face because Jane instantly straightened and looked contrite.
“You know what I mean. If I were into women I would totally date you,” the detective promised, exaggerating every word.
“No you wouldn’t,” Maura said, but her tone was still light. “I would be too much woman for you.”
“Oh snap!” Jane grinned.
Maura turned away in order to straighten up her office so it would be nice and neat when she returned in the morning. “I don’t know what everyone is thinking, either, Jane. We would make a terrible couple.”
Jane’s head rocked back at the doctor’s blunt assessment. “Well… I mean… I don’t know… You really think we’d make a terrible couple?” She sounded almost wounded.
Glancing back over her shoulder, Maura frowned, unable to keep up with Jane’s conflicting emotions. “Of course. We have absolutely nothing in common. We wouldn’t get past a first date.”
Sliding off the edge of Maura’s desk, Jane crossed her arms. “I disagree.”
“You disagree that we wouldn’t get past a figurative first date or that we have nothing in common?”
“Both. Either.” Jane shrugged and threw up her hands. “We’re best friends, Maura. Clearly we have something in common.”
“You’re trying to confuse me.”
Shaking her head, Jane sighed again. “Maybe I’m the one that’s confused.”
Maura felt her heart skip at the declaration, but Jane didn’t seem to realize she’d spoken the words aloud. “Fine. We’ll go on a date.”
“Excuse me?” Jane drawled, deadpan.
“Why not? Let’s prove to everyone how incompatible we would be as anything more than friends and colleagues.”
“You’re serious.”
Maura stared at her blithely.
“You wanna go on a date… with me.” Jane pointed a finger at her chest to make sure she was keeping up with all the strange turns their conversation was taking.
“Relax, Jane. It’s not something I’ve been fantasizing about,” the medical examiner said, feeling like she was lying when she remembered one or two idle daydreams. “Think of it as an experiment to prove our families and friends wrong. Tomorrow night we’ll go to dinner and then we’ll do one thing I want to do and one thing you want to do.”
“Oh God. You’re going to want to do some dressy, arty thing, aren’t you?” Jane looked more bemused than irritated by the idea and Maura sensed she was actually entertaining the notion.
“And I imagine you’ll want to do something that involves beer nuts.”
“You like beer nuts.”
“Not on a first date.”
Jane laughed a little at the absurdity of what they were suggesting. She ran a hand through her curls and shook her head. “Maura…”
“At the very least, neither of us spends Friday night alone. What do you say?”
“I’m supposed to treat this like a real date,” Jane said, wanting to make sure she understood the ground rules.
“Yes. We treat this like we would any other first date, and by the time we’re done, we’ll be able to prove what a horrible idea the whole thing was.”
Jane’s smile slowly faded. “And what if it’s not?”
“What if it’s not what?” Maura asked.
“What if it’s not horrible?” The detective searched her best friend’s features.
Maura took a breath, trying to believe that the flutter in her stomach was hunger pains and not excitement. “It doesn’t change anything. Not really. We just have a good time.”
“All right then,” Jane said slowly as she sauntered closer. “It’s a date, Doctor Isles.”
****
“A date? With Maura?”
“It’s not really a date, Ma.” Jane fussed with her hair for another moment before turning to face her mother instead of talking to her reflection in the bathroom mirror.
Angela Rizzoli didn’t look convinced. She gave her daughter the once over from head to toe, noting that even though her daughter was in jeans, she’d taken pains to wear a flattering red top and adorable sandals. “Looks like a date.”
Jane glanced down at herself and scowled as she felt a blush rise on her cheeks. “Maura is gonna out dress me no matter what I wear. Figure I might as well meet her halfway.”
“Uh-huh.”
Scowl deepening, Jane brushed past her mother and headed out to her apartment.
“You know… it’s fine. You dating a woman. Especially someone as brilliant as Dr. Isles.” Angela leaned in the doorway and watched her daughter as she dug through her purse. The fact that Jane was even taking a purse seemed significant.
Jane’s head bobbed up. “Really, Ma?” she said with exasperation. “We’re doing this to prove a point.” She’d told her mother this three times already, but Angela didn’t seem to grasp the notion.
“Who are you trying to prove it to?” Angela wondered.
Jane glared at her for a moment before looking away, unable to hold her mother’s knowing gaze. “Everybody that seems to think we’re dating already. Korsak. Frost. You.”
Angela shrugged. “None of the men you date ever work out.”
“So I should switch teams and see if I have a little more luck?”
Another shrug. “I always wondered what it would be like to date a woman. I bet it’s easier in some ways. You’d understand one another better.”
Jane opened her mouth to respond only to shake her head, not sure on any level where to begin to address that comment. “I gotta go. I’m gonna be late.”
“I won’t wait up.”
Hand tightening on the doorknob, Jane looked back at her mother, not buying the innocent expression on her features for a second. With an epic sigh, she rolled her eyes and jerked the door open, deciding her mother’s comment didn’t deserve a dignified response.
****
The nerves were a surprise. Maura smoothed her hands down her royal blue top, approving of the color as she stared at her reflection. She’d worn jeans as Jane had suggested and had even made a small concession with her usual footwear, opting for sandals with only a sliver of a heel. For dressing casual, Maura decided she did, indeed, look good.
A hesitant knock on her door announced Jane’s arrival, and the fluttering in her stomach ramped up to near nausea inducing levels. Maura swallowed and blew out a quick breath, wiping a nervous hand across her mouth before compelling herself to leave her bedroom and answer the door.
Jane gave her a lazy smile in greeting, but Maura didn’t miss all her best friend’s tells. Jane was as nervous as she was, and somehow that made her own anxiety ease. “You look nice.”
The detective lifted one brow in response. “Look who’s talking. How do you manage to make casual clothes look that classy?”
Maura waved one hand as if it were nothing, but in truth, she’d spent over an hour in her closet and tried on nearly half her wardrobe. “You ready?”
“As I’ll ever be,” Jane drawled. “My mother told me she wasn’t going to wait up.”
Maura’s eyes widened but a devilish smile graced her lips. “She approves. That’s so sweet.”
“If this were really a first date I’d be obligated to warn you about my family. Unfortunately for you, you already know all about them.” Jane reacted playfully to Maura’s teasing punch in her arm. “You sure you want to do this? I mean, technically we’re both expecting to have a lousy time tonight.”
Maura shrugged. “I love experiments.”
“Course you do.” Jane shook her head. “Well then come on, Doctor Isles. Let’s get this one started and hope it doesn’t blow up in our faces.”
They stepped outside and Maura balked at the sight of a motorcycle sitting in her driveway. “Where’s your car?”
Jane smiled. “Remember, you chose dinner, I get to chose the mode of transportation.”
“Do you know how many people I see every year that died while riding one of those things?”
“Live a little, Maura.”
“But my hair…” Maura clamped her teeth together as Jane took her hand and led her down the steps.
****
“Vegetarian? Really?”
Maura just smiled. “The food here is excellent, Jane. Once you’ve had your first bite you’ll forget all about the fact that there is no meat on your plate.”
“I doubt that,” Jane grumbled. “I’m more of a steak and potatoes kinda gal. Or even a good burger.”
“The have a vegetarian burger.” Maura set the menu down so she could stare at Jane, enjoying the way the candlelight brought out the olive in her skin.
Jane made a face and Maura chuckled. “Looks like we’re already showing how incompatible we would be as a couple.” Maura took a sip of her water, feeling oddly disappointed.
Jane went quiet as she glanced around the restaurant. It was a little too pricey and a little too chic for her taste, but it was nice and everyone seemed to be enjoying his or her meals. “I just… I mean… we both like a good burger and fries at the Robber.”
“We do,” Maura agreed easily. “But where you consider ‘living a little’ to be riding around on a death trap, I like to expand my experience in other ways.”
“By eating bunny food?”
Maura shook her head. “Try the burger, Jane. If you hate it, I’ll buy you something else later.”
Jane pouted, but she suspected Maura had chosen this place on purpose to prove how incompatible they really were. Something about that thought chafed, and Jane decided to give the place a try, if only to prove to Maura she could.
“Fine.” Jane glanced up at the waiter as he appeared. “I’ll have the lasagna,” Jane announced, surprising herself and her dinner companion. “Probably won’t hold a candle to my mother’s, but what the hell,” she grumbled under her breath.
“Make that two.” Maura handed the waiter their menus and was quiet as he left them alone. She watched as Jane fiddled with her napkin, looking determined to take in the experience as much as Maura now. “You like to surprise me.”
Jane shrugged even though she was secretly pleased. “Just wait until you see where we’re going next.” She lifted one elegant eyebrow, a knowing smirk on her lips.
Maura took another sip of her water, wishing the waiter would hurry back with their wine.
****
“I’m glad you liked it.”
“Vegetarian lasagna. Ma is never going to believe me when I tell her how good it was.”
Maura smiled briefly before glancing around at all the obnoxious traffic they found themselves in. “We should probably take another route. I believe there is a game tonight.”
“Really? A game? Huh.”
Eyes widening at Jane’s exaggerated tone, Maura leaned over to see her best friend’s profile. “We’re not…”
Jane let her head roll to the side, keeping her features a perfect mask of innocence as she batted her eyelashes at Maura.
“I don’t like sports.”
“Please. You like watching men in their uniforms. You liked playing softball.”
“That’s different.”
“How?” Jane asked in disbelief, shifting a little as they sat in traffic so she could see Maura better.
“I don’t like large crowds, Jane.”
Jane looked momentarily torn before she shook her head. “If we’re going to make this relationship work,” she said sarcastically, “you’re going to have to go to a game or two.”
“Plenty of couples don’t share a love of athletics.”
“The woman I date better!” Jane blinked, wondering how many nearby motorists had heard her.
Maura rolled her eyes and pursed her lips. Crossing her arms, she sat back on the bike.
Jane frowned, startled to realize she missed Maura’s firm and warm grip around her waist. “Come on, Maura,” she almost whined. “You’ve never even been to a real game. You might like it. There are lots of statistics and angles in baseball.” Sensing her approach wasn’t working, Jane switched gears. “Expand your experience.” Jane smirked and focused her attention back on the road.
“Did you just dare me to go to the baseball game with you?”
“I believe I did.”
“Fine.”
“Great.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence.
****
“You’re going to be so hoarse tomorrow.” Jane chuckled as she handed Maura her helmet. She’d figured Maura would get into the game if she ever got her to go to one, but she hadn’t expected her friend to get quite that vocal. She’d screamed insults at the refs that made some of the season ticket-holders blush.
“The experience is truly very different in person. The crowd and their excitement have a fascinating stimulating effect. And anthropologically speaking, the rituals are very interesting.” Maura grabbed Jane’s elbow, savoring the indulgent smile Jane gave her in response. “Are all major sporting events like this?”
“Not when your team is losing.” Jane slipped on her helmet and cinched the strap. “Then it’s more like collective commiseration.”
“Fascinating,” Maura said again. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay for the whole game?” She lingered as Jane climbed on the bike.
“Maybe another time. If we stay, we won’t have time for your plans tonight.”
Maura turned her head as the crowd roared in approval behind her. “I never realized how fascinating the game could be and how much the experience would vary in person. Watching it with you and Frankie on television isn’t the same.”
“No,” Jane agreed. “But it’ll mean more to you the next time you do.”
“That’s just…”
“Fascinating?” Jane added with another grin.
Maura smiled in return and slipped behind her best friend, slowly sliding her hands around Jane’s waist. She sat a little closer this time, bravely resting her head against Jane’s back.
“Where to now, Doc?”
Maura realized she was still smiling and felt no inclination to stop. “450 Harrison Avenue.” She felt Jane sigh.
“We’re going to an art gallery, aren’t we?”
“Really? An art gallery? Huh.” Maura managed a fair imitation of Jane’s earlier tone.
“I deserved that.” Jane revved the motorcycle, feeling Maura’s grip on her tighten. She closed her eyes and swallowed, a giddy warmth radiating through her at the contact. It would take awhile this time of night to get to Harrison from where they were. For once, she was in no hurry.
****
“We could just go for ice cream.”
“There is an exhibit here that I’ve I wanted to see and it closes in a few days.”
Sighing dramatically, Jane fell in step next to her best friend.
“I enjoyed the game. Can’t you at least try to enjoy the gallery?”
Feeling childish, Jane shrugged. “I’ll try, but you know I don’t get this crap.”
“I’ll explain all the ‘crap’ to you if you really want to know.”
The air was turning cooler and Maura threaded her arm through Jane’s drawing her closer for warmth and other reasons she didn’t dare think about too closely for fear of losing her nerve. The truth was that she’d had a lovely time so far, but that meant her experiment wasn’t going according to plan.
Maura had been having more than friendly feels for Jane for several months now, and she had hoped their ‘date’ would show her how foolish such a notion was. Jane had surprised her yet again, however, and Maura suspected her experiment had, indeed, blown up in her face.
“You okay?” Jane’s voice was softer and carried a hint of worry.
Maura realized her thoughts had drifted and so had her attention. She managed a smile. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”
“What a surprise.”
Maura looked up at her best friend, receiving another one of Jane’s indulgent smiles. Before she realized what she was doing, she reached up and cupped Jane’s cheek.
They stared at each other a moment, pausing on the steps as a few other patrons passed them by with little interest.
“What?” Jane asked, her voice coming out huskier than normal.
Maura smiled in reaction to it and the little thrill it gave her physically. “I’ve always loved when you smile at me like that. You don’t smile at anyone else that way.”
“I don’t?” Jane knew she was still smiling, but it had softened even as her heart rate had kicked up in surprise and something else.
“You don’t,” Maura confirmed as she reluctantly let her hand drop, realizing in the moment that what was happening between them might actually be mutual, even if Jane hadn’t figured it out yet. Maura gasped when Jane caught her hand on the way down, tangling their fingers together, surprising her again.
“Come on. You need to explain some art to me.”
“Actually, I’m pretty sure I won’t.”
They stepped inside and Jane saw the subject matter, turning to stare at Maura in surprise.
“I figured this photographic series on crime and punishment would appeal to us both.” Maura held back as Jane approached one particularly stark photograph of an old prison cell. Light poured in through the barred window and highlighted every speck of rust on the jail door. It was strangely beautiful and equally haunting.
“Wow.” Jane was spellbound.
Maura’s eyebrows lifted as Jane drifted on to the next picture. She’d chosen well for their last stop on their date, and she allowed a pleased smile to shape her lips. Without a word, she drew closer, lacing her fingers with Jane’s once more as they took in the photographs together.
****
Maura’s street was startlingly quiet as they ascended the stairs and lingered on the front porch. It was nearly one in the morning, and Jane couldn’t remember the last time she’d enjoyed a date so much she didn’t want it to end. She leaned against the doorframe and studied Maura under the lamplight. “So… looks like we’ve got more in common than we thought.”
“Or maybe we just… expand each others experience.” Maura smiled faintly as Jane chuckled.
“Damn it all, we would make a good couple… you know… if we…” Jane swallowed, feeling suddenly lightheaded as Maura gazed up at her. She’d never seen her best friend’s eyes look so vivid. “Korsak and Frost will be unbearable.”
“What about your mother?” Maura glanced at her watch. “I imagine she thinks we’re having sex right about now.”
“Maura!”
The medical examiner shrugged, but she had a bemused smile on her face.
“I guess I should get going,” Jane said reluctantly.
“I had a lovely time.”
“Yeah… yeah, me too,” Jane admitted. “Probably the best damn date I’ve had in I don’t know when.”
“We need to find you a better class of men to date.” Maura didn’t sound enthusiastic about the idea.
“Or I should just date you.” Jane smiled to let her friend know she was joking, but the idea didn’t sound so absurd as it passed her lips. They stared at each other, and Jane felt the air charge between them. There was no mistaking the source of the sudden electricity between them, and Jane felt herself reel at the implications. Stepping back but feeling more like she was staggering, Jane offered Maura a weak wave. “Guess we’ll have to tell the others we’re not as incompatible as we thought.”
“As far as most of the first date variables are concerned, that would be correct.”
Jane paused on the stairs. She knew she should get the hell out of there and clear her head, but her curiosity got the better of her. “What does that mean?”
“Well,” Maura said into the thickening silence. “There are… certain… areas… we didn’t explore.”
“Areas?”
“Physically…” Maura clearly felt like she didn’t need to elaborate more.
“You always have sex on the first date?” Jane asked, trying to tell herself she didn’t just imagine crawling on top of a naked Maura Isles in that big comfy bed of hers. She cleared her throat and ran a self-conscious hand through her hair.
“Not always,” Maura answered honestly. “But I usually know if I’m going to want to have sex on a second one.”
Jane lifted an eyebrow in silent question.
“You can tell a lot about your sexual compatibility by kissing someone, Jane.” Maura’s eyes seemed to sparkle with a silent dare.
Jane swallowed and sauntered back toward her best friend, drawn to her in way she’d always been afraid to examine too closely. “By kissing someone.” She sounded doubtful, but her gaze dipped to Maura’s lips and the way they glistened in the light. “You think you could tell if we were…”
“Sexually compatible.”
“Sexually compatible,” Jane echoed, “just by kissing me?”
Maura came closer, erasing the distance between them. To her credit, Jane stood her ground, even though Maura was certain a part of her friend wanted to run. This was new territory for both of them. “How about it, Detective Rizzoli?” she teased, hoping she didn’t sound as breathless as she felt. “You up to expanding your experience one more time tonight?”
“Are you daring me to kiss you?” Jane tried to sound incredulous but it came out more hopeful than that.
“If we’re truly going to take the experiment to it’s logical conclusion then yes. We’ve proven to be compatible in several ways but physically…” Maura broke off as Jane leaned in and kissed her.
Maura’s mouth was soft and warm against the cooling Boston night. Jane threaded one hand through her best friend’s hair, urging her closer as the kiss deepened and weakened her knees. They both stumbled into the door, Maura’s hands slowly circling Jane’s waist before drifting up her ribs.
When they parted several intense minutes later, there was no denying just how compatible they truly were.
“I hate being wrong,” Jane said.
Maura smiled, her fingers inching higher. “Perhaps we wouldn’t be compatible in bed.”
“I think that kiss says otherwise.”
“Only one way to be sure,” Maura purred before turning and unlocking her door.
Jane took a breath, staring at her waiting friend in the doorway, knowing that if she crossed that threshold that everything would change. “Expanding my experience, huh?”
Maura’s smile made Jane’s throat go dry.
“Among other things, Detective.” Maura turned and sauntered inside, leaving the door ajar and the choice in Jane’s hands.
TBC?