Disclaimer: I do not own The Mentalist or any of the related characters
A/N: Just a little something I cooked up after watching Blood Money. There was going to be more talk about stars and stuff but I wasn't sure about how to write it. So enjoy I guess. Reviews and crits are welcomed with open arms.
Lisbon lay on the grass next to Jane, stars littering the night sky above them. She stared up at the twinkling specs, remembering a time when she had thought she could touch them. She sighed heavily; everything had been so much easier back then. Things were too complicated now. There were too many emotions to deal with, too many twisted truths. Sometimes she just wished she could snap her fingers and have everything become as simple as it had been back then. When reaching for the stars simply meant to stretch up as far as she could into the sky. At least in all the complications and confusion there was one constant – Patrick Jane. He was always there. Always the same Jane, reckless and relaxed despite everything. She smiled a little as she thought of him lying on the grass beside her, his curly hair ruffled and his shirt scruffy, with the top button undone as per usual.
There was a small rustle and seconds later Lisbon felt the cold of another human's skin brushing against hers. Her first reaction was to tense and bring her hand swiftly away, but her mind told her she was being irrational. It was Jane, no one else was here. So she relaxed, allowing him to knot his fingers with hers. She turned her head to face him and found herself staring directly into his eyes – those beautiful blue eyes. The agent felt her cheeks heat up in a blush at her own thoughts, but she held her gaze as she found herself captivated by the oceans of brilliant blue that were the consultant's eyes. Drawn in by the depth of emotion they held. He smiled warmly at her, stroking her hand gently with his thumb and she found herself smiling back.
The pair lay there, oblivious to anything but each other and the sky above them, as though they were floating beneath an ocean of deep blue. Lisbon wished she could lie there forever, without a care in the world, just her and Jane lost in their own little paradise. She freed herself from the image. No, there was no way he felt that way about her. She was just a co-worker. He had a wife and child for whom he still cared deeply, despite the enormous barrier that separated them. She tore her gaze from his eyes and biting her lip she released her grip on Jane's hand and began to sit up. But instead of finding herself standing ready to leave she found herself being pulled back down, his hand still gripping hers tightly. She landed on the ground with a dull thump and blinked, as if to check that she wasn't just dreaming it all.
Jane smirked cheekily,
"You're not going anywhere." He said playfully as she stared at him. Had he really just said that to her? Lisbon looked at him, his captivating eyes and mischievous grin, and she found herself laughing,
"All right then." She smiled back, lying back down and staring up at the stars above. But despite her smile and happiness that he had wanted her to stay, she still felt empty, because she knew that he could never return her feelings. He would never love her the way she loved him. He was her rock. The person she relied upon to help her through everything and, despite the stupid things he did and the mistakes he made, she loved him. More than he could fathom. He loosened his grip on her hand and her heart sank,
"Lisbon." He murmured. She didn't reply, "Teresa." Did he just...? "Teresa, look at me."
Lisbon did as Jane had asked and he smiled warmly at her,
"You didn't honestly think I'd stop you from leaving just to leave myself did you?" He sat up, pulling her into a sitting position too. She blinked at him, not quite believing what was happening,
"Well..." she began. He laughed and put his hands on her shoulders,
"I would never do that to you Teresa." A smile began to emerge on her face. She loved him using her first name like that,
"Promise?" she asked, still smiling,
"I promise." He replied, gathering her up in an embrace, "I won't ever leave you Teresa. Not while there's a breath left in my body." Slightly bemused she returned the hug,
"I love you." She whispered in his ear as her head rested on his shoulder. She could feel the muscles in his face move as he smiled,
"I know." He whispered back, "I love you too."
Caught by surprise Lisbon held Jane out and looked him up and down, as if to check to see if he was ill. He merely smiled at her and pulled her closer to him. They were so close now that each could feel the other's breath on their face. He drew her closer and closer until their foreheads were touching. They gazed into each other's eyes as their lips met and they kissed tentatively. She blushed and he smiled at her. From her perch in the night sky Venus looked down upon them, smiling.
For those that don't know (which probably isn't a lot of you) the planet Venus is named after the Roman Goddess of love. That's why I inculded it/her in the last line. I thought it would be a nice touch.