Crimson Happiness (jisbon one shots)

Coffee Kirkland and other catastrophes

Patrick Jane stood in the CBI kitchen, making coffee. The stuff was vile, how anyone could prefer it to tea escaped him, but he smiled anyway as he added extra cream and sugar to the light brown substance forming in the coffee mug. This would cheer Lisbon up and if it meant making her smile, Jane would make as many coffees as she wanted. He stirred the contents well, lifted the spoon and tasted his concoction. Bleuh! Jane made a face so alarming that it made Rigsby look over from his donuts (something which the unit recognised as near impossible). "Hey, you okay man?" he asked, jam from the donut sticking to his upper lip.

Jane carried the coffee carefully to Lisbon's office, knocking the rhythm of Kansas City on the door. From inside, her eyes scanning hastily over the tonne of paperwork on her desk, Teresa Lisbon managed a small smile. Leave it to Jane to do something ridiculous enough to make her smile. Not waiting for her answer, Jane pushed the door open, a huge smile illuminating his face, hands held behind his back. "How's my princess?" he asks cheerfully. "I wish I could go back in time and shoot whichever idiot invented paperwork!" replies Lisbon promptly, still immersed in signing, copying and flipping through the various white pages that surrounded her. "Well, I have something to make it all better!" Jane coos, presenting his cup of coffee proudly. His smug, happy expression freezes then slowly slips off his face as he, for the first time, notices a half full coffee mug already present on the edge of her desk. "Oh, thanks Jane! Kirkland already dropped in with a cup, though." Lisbon says as she stamps yet another release form vehemently.

"Kirkland, huh?" says Jane coldly, all traces of cheerful smugness gone from his voice. He sounds so faraway and distant that Lisbon stops writing furiously to look up and regard her partner curiously. Was he.... was Jane jealous? No! He couldn't be! Suddenly Jane doesn't look cold or jealous at all. His face grows tired and sad and most of all, scared. What if he lost Teresa too? What if he lost his partner, his best friend in the whole world, the one person he would trust anything and everything with? Of course he wouldn't lose her like he lost Angela or Charlotte, she would still be here. She would still be here, only she wouldn't be his. Which was ridiculous because Lisbon had never been his in the first place. Jane grows colder and sadder as he imagined what it would be like to come to work and not be able to talk to Lisbon whenever he wanted, because of the fact that there would be another occupant of the couch in her office. Kirkland. Jane's eyes narrow and he clenches both fists as he imagines Kirkland talking to his Lisbon, brushing HIS Lisbon's hair over her ear, KISSING HIS LISBON.

"Jane? JANE!". Teresa Lisbon looks up at her consultant anxiously from her desk. His breaths come fast and hard and he is clenching the coffee mug so hard, she fears it might break. It isn't really for the sake of the coffee mug that she fears this of course, more for Jane's long fingers. His eyes flash up from his shoes, to meet her eyes, and she can see him relax. "Is everythi-" she begins, her voice soft and filled with concern. "I'm fine." he replies, cutting in rather harshly. He turns to leave, but is stopped by her hand on his shoulder. "hey! You forgot to give me my coffee!" she says, smiling at him expectantly. "You have Kirkland's" says Jane rather sulkily. Lisbon stares at him, incredulity and surprise colouring her face. "I am your partner, not him!" he mimics Lisbon's words to him concerning Lorelei, a few weeks ago. "You should be drinking my coffee and not his!". The words sound so childish even to him that they both end up giggling. Then laughing. Then almost crying with laughter as what Jane said hits both of them again.

Lisbon reaches out to take Jane's mug of coffee. "If it's any comfort," she says smiling up at the blond consultant, "His coffee tasted like crap!". "And mine? and mine?" asks Jane eagerly, bouncing up and down like an excited child, as he awaited the verdict of his concoction. Lisbon raises the mug to her lips, swallowing a little of the steaming liquid. She closed her eyes. "Mmmmm!" she sighs. "perfect!". He had actually managed to remember exactly how many spoons of sugar and how much milk she liked and had added the perfect amount of cream. Jane grins triumphantly, revealing both rows of blinding white teeth. His heart warms as he takes in how adorable Lisbon looks, her upper lip coated unknowingly with froth from the coffee. He reached down his fingers and cupping her face softly in one hand, gently wiped away the cream with the other. His fingers lingered at her lips and both could not look anywhere but into the others eyes. He leant down slowly, torturously slow. Knock, knock!

The door was pushed open by none other than Bob Kirkland himself and Lisbon flew apart from Jane, her cheeks glowing a bright scarlet. "Hey Lisbon, wanna grab some lunch with me?" he enquires, nodding briefly to Jane. Lisbon flinches as she remembers the last time she had gone along to lunch with him. It had been torturously awkward and conversation had been painfully slow, but for some reason, he had seemed to enjoy it. It hadn't helped in her case when all she was thinking was how comfortable and natural it would have been if she had been grabbing lunch with Jane instead. But she is saved from having to reply thankfully, because as soon as she opens her mouth....

"She doesn't actually! And guess what? She likes my coffee more than yours!". The words do not come from Lisbon's mouth however but from Jane's. Before she can say or do anything to salvage the situation, or decide what to do herself, reproach Jane or burst into laughter, Jane grabs the cup of coffee sitting on Lisbon's desk, splashes it all over the front of Kirkland's shirt and strides out coolly. Before the door closes completely however, Lisbon could have sworn she heard him say something that sounded suspiciously like "My partner" and "my coffee was better!".

As she worked her way slowly through the heap of paperwork on her desk, Lisbon was no longer angry or tired. Each time her eyes landed on the coffee mug, sitting on her desk, she smiled. Then she jumped as her phone began to ring. "Lisbon" she said briskly, flipping her phone open.

A moment later, she strode into the bullpen. "Cho, Rigs, Van Pelt! We're up! Has anyone seen Jane?". "Umm yeah boss, he's upstairs." replied Van Pelt. "I called him but Jane doesn't come out of that room for anyone but you!". Lisbon blushed as she rushed up the stairs to Jane's hideaway. "Jane! We have a case!" she called as she banged on the door. Oddly it was unlocked, so she slid it open and stepped inside. "Jane!". He was sitting cross legged on the floor examining several different pictures and hastily scrawled notes. It was pieced together to produce a massive timeline of sorts and it was obvious just how much work it would have taken. "Oh Jane! this isn't healthy! you're obsessing!" Lisbon's voice jumped higher as Jane ignored her. "We have a case! at least pretend you're interested!". "Mmm" mumbled her consultant. She rolled her eyes, well aware of the fact that he hadn't heard a word that she had just said. "Cho has decided to grow a beard." she said, testing out her theory. "Van Pelt and Rigsby have run away to Vegas!". Jane didn't even look up as he said something along the lines of "that's nice, Lisbon". "Oh yeah and also I'm sleeping with Kirkland!" Lisbon said, her face impassive. "That's ni- wait WHAT??". Jane dropped a few of the papers in his hands and they fluttered to the floor, resembling large white butterflies. He looked up at Lisbon with such shock and horror that she had to laugh. "That's very funny, Lisbon, you really got me there!" grumbles the blonde as he struggled to his feet. Teresa noticed the pale lavender circles under his eyes but didn't say anything. She stretched out her hand shyly and entwined her fingers with Jane's. "Partners?" she asks Jane. Jane squeezes her small fingers in his own large white ones and smiles down at her warmly. "Partners."