Chapter 1
Chapter 1
The time it takes for her eyes to travel from the all-too familiar boots up to the deep burgundy top to that deep cleft on her chin, those dimples and then all the way up to her eyes feels like forever. Those brown eyes now crinkled at the corners, twinkling in amusement as they gaze back at her.
And then the world tilts a bit, the almost empty copper mug in front of her blurs dizzyingly as Jane picks it up to take a peek at the contents, or lack thereof.
Maura realizes she's drunk. Moderately at least, or extremely buzzed.
Jane chuckles, still watching her closely and with no less amusement.
"This was your second?"
"Third," Maura corrects her quickly, slightly slurring the "r." "And a half. Third and a half."
"Figures," the detective rolls her eyes, taking a step closer. Maura has to tilt her head back a bit so she can keep her eyes on the brunette. "I don't see a 'half' in this mug though, Maur."
"She's so tall. And she's laughing at me," Maura observes to herself.
"First one was only half full. And it's Charlie's fault," the squinty doctor informs the smirking detective unnecessarily. Inaccurately, too. Charlie is the Dirty Robber's new dedicated bartender, Angela having been promoted to more of a General Manager. "She was showing off the new mixes she learned from that Saturday class Vince sent her to. I was the only one willing to try."
"Ah." Not quite convinced, the detective in Jane couldn't resist finding holes in Maura's argument, albeit playfully. "Did Charlie want you to try four...I mean three and a half mugs of whatever this is?" she presses, ducking and leaning in to keep the blonde from having to crane her neck and look up from the bar stool she's perched on.
"Uhm, no?" Maura reddens, unable to lie as per usual.
Jane laughs lightly, unable to resist ruffling the already mildly tousled blonde head. She tells herself there is no way a sober Maura would not be appalled if she had a look at her hair right now.
She happens to think the doctor may appear a bit tousled, but quite adorably so.
She takes Maura's arm gently, helping the shorter woman up. They end up pressed quite closely against each other once the doctor is on her feet.
Maura turns and looks up, finding soft, full lips saying, "Let's get you home, Maur."
She smiles, one of those big goofy, buzzed smiles that tickles and causes Jane's nose to crinkle in delight every single time.
The brunette looks down, eyes drawn to Maura's pillowy, glazed lips just inches from hers.
She kisses them.
It's impossible not to.
Not when they're this close and so, so inviting.
And those pillowy, glazed lips kiss her back, tasting of something spicy and sweet, so warm and soft. So, so soft and wet they seem to liquefy her insides.
When they pull away, there's a quiet but audible pop, prompting Jane's eyes to open. She finds herself still smiling. And a tad embarrassed.
While Maura's still looking up at her with that goofy grin, only even wider now, if it's possible.
Jane's hand moves from elbow to jaw, her thumb unable to resist running over Maura's bottom lip, curious if her thumb and lips will agree on just how soft it is.
They do.
"We really should get you home."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah," Jane replies, thoroughly amused.
"But I drove, Jane," Maura whines, stomping a heeled foot petulantly. Yes, she actually stomps.
Jane laughs again, out loud now.
"I can drive your car, too, Maura. Remember?" she reminds the doctor who appears still profoundly bothered.
"Oh," she finally replies after some deliberation. "That's true. Ok, let's go."
Jane slips an arm around the wobbly ME's shoulders and starts walking, consciously slowing her strides to allow the doctor to keep up.
"Watch that stool." Maura's not even aware she had been leaning quite heavily on the tall brunette until she feels Jane's chest vibrate against her ear. Without thinking, her left arm goes around Jane's waist, her face burrowing closer against the detective. She can only hum in acknowledgement of the warning.
"I have to pee, Jane," Maura blurts out all of a sudden, the Restroom sign appearing to trigger her bladder.
Jane stops instantly, beginning to veer their connected bodies toward the restrooms. Thankfully, they find it empty. Probably owing to the fact that the two of them had been last to leave, Vince and Barry having gone ahead a half hour earlier.
Standing in front of a stall, Jane looks down, raises her eyebrows in question. "Will you need help or you think you can do this alone?"
Maura giggles, scrunching her nose in drunken amusement. It takes an enormous amount of effort to keep the detective from kissing the doctor one more time.
Maura giggles again, unsure why initially. Then she realizes she's giggling because she had giggled.
"I can handle this, Jane," she declares confidently, her drooping eyelids not reassuring Jane much.
"Ok. If you say so," Jane concedes. "Just stay close to the wall, lean against it if you need to," she advises, earning more delightful giggling from Maura.
Thankfully, Maura survives the bathroom trip, emerging unsteadily but intact from the stall. Jane, however, has to stand behind her as she washes her hands off at the sink.
It doesn't take them half an hour, as Jane had initially estimated, to get to Maura's car. The detective buckles the doctor up, earning a grateful kiss on the cheek that lingers longer than it probably should as she slides out, having reached over the blonde.
Jane blames the beer for her intensifying flush.
"Ready?" the brunette checks with her passenger who nods quietly in reply, appearing contemplative all of a sudden.
Just as Jane puts the gear on drive, a hand falls on her forearm. "Wait." The detective groans, expecting Maura to announce the need for another bathroom trip .
"Pee again?" she asks, trying hard not to sound too whiny.
"No," Maura answers quickly, eliciting a relieved sigh from the driver. "I have a question."
"Ooookay, a question. I can handle a question," Jane declares slowly, as if wanting to make sure the buzzed doctor understands her. "I can also drive while you ask your question."
The detective takes her foot off the brake, pulling out of the driveway carefully.
"Why did you kiss me?"
Jane slams on the brakes.
"What?" she puts the car on park, turning toward Maura. She might not be able to drive for this question after all.
"Simple question, Jane. Why did you kiss me?" Maura smiles at her, looking intimidatingly more sober now.
She shouldn't have let her pee and decrease the amount of alcohol in her system, Jane thinks to herself. She scrunches her nose, deciding between a safe or an honest answer.
"I…" she trails off, staring at Maura's smiling, encouraging face. "I wanted to know how you taste."
She goes for honesty.
"Ooh," Maura reacts quite quickly, her smile growing even brighter, clearly pleased with the brunette's answer.
Jane expels a relieved sigh, unable to keep from smiling herself. She prepares to pull out of the parking lot yet again.
"So how did I taste?" comes another question before she can even put the car on drive.
"Mauraaaa…" This time Jane does not disguise her whine.
"I'm just curious how good your sense of taste is, Jane. Charlie's newly acquired mixing knowledge consist mainly of savory cocktails. Let's see how much of my drink's flavor you were able to appropriate from my lips."
Jane groans, the doctor's matter-of-fact explanation doing nothing to assuage her embarrassment and maybe, mild arousal, at the mention of her...appropriating anything from Maura's lips.
"Fine," she huffs, realizing the only way to end this conversation is to supply a reply. She knows Maura well enough to not even attempt to maneuver out of this. "Uhm...spicy. And a little sweet," she replies, unconsciously licking her own lips for any lingering flavor. "Yeah, sweet and spicy. Maybe a bit gingery?" She gives Maura a "happy now?" look.
"Excellent, Jane!" the ME replies excitedly. "It was, in fact, a Strawberry Moscow Mule Charlie had me try tonight."
"Moscow what?" Jane echoes, scrunching her nose slightly.
"Mule. And no, it did not contain any equine juices so you won't have to wash your mouth," the doctor quips, surprising Jane who chuckles appreciatively at the joke. "It's made with vodka, spicy ginger beer, lime juice, strawberry syrup, and strawberries. And they're traditionally served in a copper mug, which explains why I had been drinking from one. Charlie did well with that touch of authenticity," she finishes her lecture with an approving nod. "Did you like it?"
"I uh…" Jane falters, deciding not to remind the doctor her only taste of the drink had been from her lips. "It's ok. I'm not too big on the spicy flavor. But I'm glad to hear my taste buds passed the test. Now can we go?"
Maura laughs, squeezing Jane's forearm before nodding.
They get to Maura's house in no time. Despite appearing more sober, Jane nevertheless places a hand on the doctor's waist as they walk up to the door. The doctor, again, leans heavily on her. She wordlessly takes the keys from smaller, daintier hands, making quick work of unlocking the door.
"It's late, Jane. Stay?" Maura turns and asks as they both step over the threshold.
"Yeah, I think I will." Jane smiles at the blonde as she puts car and house keys down on the console.
"Good," Maura approves of her decision. "I'm going to run to the shower, I hate the smell of alcohol on me. You know where everything is." Surprising Jane, Maura leans over to hug the detective whispering a quick "thank you for taking care of me tonight" before pulling away appearing thoughtful. "Charlie said she'll have me try a different drink on Friday. I wonder how you'll like it."
"Ack," Jane reacts with a mild pucker of distaste. "I'd rather try different beers, Maur. Not too excited about drinking cocktails."
"Who said anything about you having to drink it?"