Fanfiction: Opposites Attract, But Similarity Works (The Mentalist)
Title: "Opposites Attract, But Similarity Works"
Artist: shadownashira
Art Masterpost: here
Status: Complete
Word Count: 3,158
Fandom: The Mentalist
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Patrick Jane/Kimball Cho; Teresa Lisbon, Grace Van Pelt, Wayne Rigsby, Red John
Disclaimer: The Mentalist belongs to Bruno Heller and CBS. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating: T
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, friendship, friends to lovers, slash, first kiss, first time (off screen), H/C, fluff, mild humor, minor OC, reference to S01E11 "Red John's Friends"
Warnings: minor homophobic language, canon-typical violence, language
Summary: A study of interpersonal attraction by the example of Patrick Jane and Kimball Cho, written to prove that opposites may attract, but similarity works. Told in snapshots.
Note: Written for the Reverse Big Bang 2013 at mentalist_bb. Thank you very much to shadownashira, not only for making beautiful artwork that inspired me to write this, but for stepping into the breach and doing a beta-job on top!
Opposites Attract, But Similarity Works
Instead of finishing up his report Cho found himself staring at the computer screen where the CBI logo slowly drifted from left to right in an endless loop.
He was stuck on the paragraph that recounted how Jared Renfrew had used an ongoing demonstration for cover to give them the slip, and the consequent events that had led to the investigation's gruesome conclusion.
The sun had long since set and the neon lights from the diner across the street shone through the blinds in green and red flashes. The whole building was quiet aside from the whirr of computer fans and the hum of the refrigerator.
Cho leaned back in his chair and stretched. His muscles felt sore after the long drive back from Tijuana and his right shirtsleeve was still a little damp from washing out the coffee stains. His eyes burned, the skin surrounding them feeling tight and raw. It took conscious effort to let his hand rest on the desk instead of reaching up and rubbing at them.
Cho wondered what was going through Jane's head right now. He was lying on his couch, arms crossed over his chest, body language somewhere between drawn and defensive. A cup of tea gone cold sat on the floorboards within easy reach, yet Jane had not taken one sip.
The only thing worse than coming home to find your wife and daughter murdered must be knowing that your own arrogance had led their killer to them. And now their first solid lead on Red John had gone and gotten himself killed, thinking he could outsmart them all...
Jane had said it hadn't been his fault, but whether or not Cho believed that to be true, he would have preferred to see him angry. Jane getting into his face would have been healthier than this tightly wound silence. But drawing Jane out through provocation was out of the question. As were comfort or any attempt at pep talk that next time, they would have more luck. Cho could have told Van Pelt and Rigsby as much. Jane might allow Lisbon to try, but even she would be brushed off in the end.
With a glance on his watch Cho decided to catch four hours of sleep and come in early tomorrow morning, instead of typing out a report that would be below his usual standard. He powered down his computer and flipped the switch of his desk lamp. Pulling on his jacket, Cho hesitated for a moment, then went to the other end of the bullpen.
"Jane." Getting no reaction, Cho crouched down to pick up the tea cup and set it aside on the nearby desk. "Come on, I'll drive you home."
"Are you sure you should be driving?" Jane asked, voice too clear for someone who had tried to pretend he was asleep while in reality had been drowning in misery. "What about your eyes?"
Cho shrugged. “It was just coffee. They're fine.”
"Hm," Jane hummed and sat up. His hair looked wild and one crease from the leather had left a mark on his cheek. "Let me see."
Cho knew better than to resist as Jane leaned close enough that he could count the freckles on the tip of his nose. Jane's touch was gentle as he traced the skin around Cho's eyes. He could feel his breath on his face and smell his aftershave. Jane's fingertips, lacking the calluses that came with handling a gun, were pleasantly cool.
They stared at each other for a moment, neither blinking or showing any sign of discomfort at being so close to another man, until Jane smiled and let go. ”Yeah, they look fine to me.”
Cho nodded and stood. “Let's go.”
"Sure."
XXX
"Look Cho, aren't they funny?"
This was the tenth time that Jane interrupted Cho while he wrapped up an interview with a zookeeper about his or her alibi for the last night.
First it had been 'awesome' giraffes, 'playful' zebras, 'very human' chimpanzees and then meerkats he needed to take a look at; the latter being 'the cutest critters ever', according to the smitten consultant. - Lisbon had threatened to subject him to a strip search before they left, just in case Jane tried to smuggle one back home.
Cho would instead make sure that his own pockets remained empty. On second thought, he would check the trunk, too.
Now Jane was pointing to the emperor penguin compound where a group of black and white birds waddled over pebbles towards their pool. They dove in beak first to catch the dead fish a trainer had tossed in. Droplets of glistening water rained down on a group of small children, making them scream and giggle in delight.
Cho spared them a glance. “Flightless birds.” He finished his shorthand notes before flipping his pad shut and putting it away. “Fascinating.”
"Bah. Spoilsport."
"Jane!" Lisbon called. "How about you make yourself useful?"
"I am. I'm helping Cho. He needs a guide for his first time."
"Driving one of your colleagues nuts is not being helpful," Lisbon stated firmly and came over to join them, after having sent Van Pelt and Rigsby to investigate the victim's fiancee. "You've never been to a zoo before. Really?"
"Why pay money to stare at caged animals?" Cho shrugged.
Jane grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Cho, you're my favorite source of entertainment.”
"Glad to be of service."
Lisbon gave him a funny look and snorted. Watching Jane saunter off, she said, “Right. Babysitting duty. Go and have fun, boys.”
Cho followed after another glance towards the penguins, aware that Jane would insist on giving him the full tour to make up for his 'horribly deprived childhood'. Cho didn't mind, if only because the trip was free. Well, to be fair, Jane made for good company, too.
Jane turned around and waved, suit jacked thrown carelessly over one shoulder. “Cho, come on! They'll feed the lions next!”
XXX
"Here, sit down." Cho took Jane by the elbow and led him to the curb. "Careful."
Anything but, Jane plopped down, hands still cupping his nose. Cho sat down beside him and tried to get a better look; there was no blood seeping through his fingers. Behind the police line the hustle and bustle of reporters and flashing cameras began to calm down after the initial frenzy. They would have a field day with this and Minelli would be furious.
Jane carefully prodded and felt the bone, checking if it was broken. He grimaced. “Ow.”
"Sorry."
Jane looked up. “Wha'ver or?”
Cho didn't have an answer. Somewhere along the line he had made it his personal responsibility to step in whenever a confrontation became physical around the consultant and Lisbon wasn't there. It was the logical thing to do, considering that Jane was a civilian. It didn't feel like it, though.
"For being too slow."
Jane lowered his hands and gave him a considering look. He smiled when Cho didn't blink. “Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.”
Van Pelt came over, whole posture radiating disapproval for Jane's way of questioning. Cho could see the stepmother standing in the doorway behind her, knuckle-white fingers clasped around the mug of tea the consultant had made himself in her kitchen, right before going for the jugular.
"Jane, do you want to press charges?"
"Nah." Jane waved her off. "I think I deserved that one."
"Yes you did."
"Well, at least we now know that she had nothing to do with her stepdaughter's murder."
"Oh, that's okay, then," Van Pelt said with an acidic smile and stalked off, back into the house. For once she very much looked the part of a fiery redhead.
Jane leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, “I might have angered her.”
"You think?"
"But wouldn't you agree? Hitting me, that was - "
"- very cathartic for Mrs. Russel."
Jane grinned. “Exactly.”
"Child."
"Ah, ah, ah," Jane said with a wagging finger. "You're too often a willing accomplice to start complaining now."
Cho stood and offered his hand to pull Jane up. “Can't argue with that one.”
XXX
Jane's laughter was contagious, wild and vibrant, as he leant against the brick wall, holding his sides and panting in air between whoops of delight. He looked slightly mad the way he stood there, suit rumpled and dirty, with leaves stuck in his wind-blown hair.
"Now I know why you love running after them!"
"I don't," Cho said, smiling. He cuffed Dremer's hands behind his back before Cho stood up and stepped around him. Gravel crunched underneath his shoes. "Backup should be here soon."
"Right."
Cho couldn't say who moved first and it didn't matter; they both knew this had nothing to do with the adrenaline high that came after a chase.
Jane's lips parted easily for him, all hot breath and the taste of peppermint tea, nip of teeth and a hand digging into muscles, moving higher to cup his neck. Cho licked into his mouth, careful to shield his head from impact as he pressed Jane up against the wall, cornering him.
"Damn faggots!" Dremer screamed, face a grimace, and struggled to sit up. "Take it elsewhere, you disgusting fucks!"
Jane abruptly pulled away and Cho let him, giving him space. He watched as Jane traced his lips with a fingertip, for once completely at a loss as to what the consultant might be thinking. But Cho knew what he wanted to do, if Jane was willing.
Jane looked past him to the red-faced Dremer and gave him his trademark grin, the irritatingly smug one that got under anyone’s skin. “Oh hush, you're already on the ground. Don't make me walk all over you.”
Dremer sputtered, but Cho turned and stared him down before the man could think of another slur. Hightower would be less understanding than Minelli if she saw Jane's face plastered all over the newspapers - again.
"So," Jane started, rocking back on his heels. "That was - "
"Having second thoughts?"
"No." Jane shook his head. "You?"
The sound of sirens was coming closer and Cho automatically shifted his stance to adjust his trousers. “No.”
Jane's smile gained a knowing, teasing edge. “So glad we had this talk. Let's finish this elsewhere, shall we?”
XXX
Cho woke as the mattress dipped and saw a Jane-shaped silhouette slip out of bed. He rolled over and stared at the ceiling, crossing his arms behind his head. The cool air was pleasant on his sweaty skin, save for the places that started to flake and itch.
"A shower sounds good."
"We could share."
Cho considered the size of the cubicle. “A tight fit.”
"It's too late to worry about personal space, don't you think?"
Cho smiled into the darkness as he heard his wardrobe being pulled open, the metallic sound of hangers shifted back and forth on their rail, and fingers smoothing over fabric.
He had expected that Jane would start to snoop around without asking permission. It was what he did, unrepentant. Nothing less befitted a man who dissected people's lives with a glance and some well-placed words. He had done it within two seconds of meeting Lisbon and the team, so why should this be any different?
Cho didn't mind because he had nothing to hide that Jane had not already figured out, and he suspected that this, just like certain other habits, was a safety net the other needed.
He closed his eyes and traced the quiet tapping of bare feet on laminate floor by ear as they moved through his flat, inspecting every nook and cranny.
At some point the fridge was opened accompanied by the clinking of water bottles, then cupboards, and there was a pleased hum as Jane discovered his selection of tea; both in bags and loose. A chuckle drifted to Cho and the sound of the hinge turning told him his breakfast cereals had been uncovered.
Ten more steps, turning softer on the living room's carpet, and fingers must be tracing the spines of his books, their titles being read. Hands would surely lift his picture frames, one after the other, eyes studying every detail in the background, the Korean landscape of a visit at his grandparents', years ago; the subdued smiles.
"Anything interesting?" Cho asked as Jane came back. He lifted the sheets for him and, meeting no resistance, pulled him into a loose embrace. Fine hairs tickled Cho's nose as he leaned in for a kiss. "Incriminating evidence?"
"None."
"I hid it well."
Jane chuckled and shifted against him. “I thought I could just ask.”
"No parlor tricks? No mind reading?"
"Hm, maybe a little."
Cho could hear the smirk in Jane's voice but didn't care, not drifting to sleep as he was, with a warm weight in his arms. Their shower could wait.
XXX
One morning while eating breakfast Cho noticed the white stretch of skin at the base of Jane's ring finger. He didn't comment, just passed over the clover honey and filled his own bowl with cereals and milk.
He knew that Jane would keep his wedding band close, no matter how many years might pass. Jane not wearing it now was all that he had wondered about, but never dared to outright ask, knowing that the subject was too raw and painful.
Cho figured this was their kind of silent compromise. He hid his smile behind a spoonful of Frosted Flakes, under no illusion whether or not Jane had seen it, because he looked content, too.
XXX
"Case closed pizza!" Rigsby announced as he strolled into the bullpen, a stack of three boxes balanced on the palm of his left hand. The smell of cheese, hot salami and tuna drifted after him as he passed Cho and Jane. He set them down on the conference table, pushing files and other paperwork aside. "Let's dig in!"
"Careful, Rigsby, I don't want to have greasy fingerprints all over those!" Lisbon warned, which didn't stop her from opening the first box to snatch a slice.
"Here," Van Pelt said, offering everyone a Styrofoam cup with lemonade in turn, before sitting down and taking a piece for herself.
"Pineapple?" Cho stated after looking into each carton, and gave Rigsby a look. "Really?"
"Just sort them out," Rigsby suggested with a careless shrug. He felt the hot trickle of tomato sauce running down his chin and grimaced. He took the paper napkin Van Pelt offered him with a smile. "Thanks, Grace."
"Even if I do, I can still taste it."
Having no choice for better or worse, Cho picked up a slice of Hawaiian. He was the only one bothering with a plate and cutlery. He didn't comment as Jane draped himself over his shoulder to snatch one piece of bright yellow pineapple after the other.
"Hmm," Jane hummed, as he stuffed them into his mouth with an exaggerated moan of pleasure, then cleaned each fingertip with loud popping sounds. "Delicious!"
Van Pelt and Lisbon shared a look, both caught in varied states of surprise and dawning realization. Rigsby simply continued chewing.
"Oh," Van Pelt said, eyes glued to the familiar way Jane rested his hand on Cho's knee underneath the table top. Who, more importantly, did nothing to brush him off. The faintest trace of red spread over her cheeks. "Oh!"
Lisbon just sighed and swallowed the last bite of her pizza. “I don't know anything. In fact, I haven't seen anything and I'm off work anyway. See you on Monday!”
"Hm?" Rigsby watched her sudden departure with confusion. "Did I miss something?"
Jane reached over to pat his shoulder, but his bright smile was directed at Van Pelt as he said, “Just never change, Rigsby.”
He wasn't fazed in the slightest when Cho finally looked up with a raised eyebrow. Jane simply shrugged. “What? I broke it to them, gently, just like I promised. Over piz - ”
Jane didn't get to finish his sentence, not with Cho stuffing a piece of pineapple between his moving lips to shut him up.
XXX
With one last look around the secure perimeter Cho went back into the shed. The air inside was ripe with the stench of congealing blood, coppery and sticky at the back of his throat. Each of his steps was accompanied by the crackle of plastic that protected both his shoes and clothes.
They had planned this for a long time now, down to the last detail. There would be no evidence to connect either Jane or him to the murder of Red John. No fingerprints, hair follicles, skin cells - nothing. Just a corpse, a red puddle, and a cleaned knife. Seeing it lying on the garbage-strewn ground Cho remembered holding Jane's hand steady and fingers closed tight around the handle, guiding him to push the blade up at an angle between Red John's ribs, straight into his beating heart.
He doubted Jane felt guilty. Cho didn't either.
The only emotions left were a sort of grim satisfaction and relief. Not an appropriate reaction for a police officer after committing cold-blooded murder, but ever since leaving the Avon Park Playboys Cho had known where his priorities lay: some things were more precious than the job.
Jane was still kneeling beside the cooling body, with only a slice of sunlight cutting through the semi-darkness to illuminate his features. His focus was keen and sharp, studying each detail of his fulfilled revenge, committing it to memory.
And yet this was not a moment of triumph for either of them. It had been necessary. Having watched Jane all this time Cho knew that killing Red John had been something he had needed to do to find some measure of peace.
"Patrick. We need to go."
"Yes." Jane stood up awkwardly, movements restricted by the layers of plastic that protected his suit. "Let's go home."
Cho took Jane's hand and squeezed his cold fingers.
XXX
Lisbon came into the bullpen, a thick folder in her hand, lips thin and down-turned. “Jane, I need to talk with you in my office. Now.”
"Sure," Jane said with a nod. He tossed his Sudoku magazine onto the next desk and rose from his sprawl on the couch. "What's this about, Lisbon? You look worried."
"Get in."
Cho didn't turn away from his computer screen to watch the proceedings in Lisbon's cubicle. This was about Red John. Patrick would be questioned as the prime suspect but without hard evidence, the investigation would soon blow over.
Cho looked forward to the return of routine, as did Patrick. It was time to move on.
The End
Artist: shadownashira
Art Masterpost: here
Status: Complete
Word Count: 3,158
Fandom: The Mentalist
Pairing(s)/Character(s): Patrick Jane/Kimball Cho; Teresa Lisbon, Grace Van Pelt, Wayne Rigsby, Red John
Disclaimer: The Mentalist belongs to Bruno Heller and CBS. No copyright infringement intended.
Rating: T
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, friendship, friends to lovers, slash, first kiss, first time (off screen), H/C, fluff, mild humor, minor OC, reference to S01E11 "Red John's Friends"
Warnings: minor homophobic language, canon-typical violence, language
Summary: A study of interpersonal attraction by the example of Patrick Jane and Kimball Cho, written to prove that opposites may attract, but similarity works. Told in snapshots.
Note: Written for the Reverse Big Bang 2013 at mentalist_bb. Thank you very much to shadownashira, not only for making beautiful artwork that inspired me to write this, but for stepping into the breach and doing a beta-job on top!
Opposites Attract, But Similarity Works
Instead of finishing up his report Cho found himself staring at the computer screen where the CBI logo slowly drifted from left to right in an endless loop.
He was stuck on the paragraph that recounted how Jared Renfrew had used an ongoing demonstration for cover to give them the slip, and the consequent events that had led to the investigation's gruesome conclusion.
The sun had long since set and the neon lights from the diner across the street shone through the blinds in green and red flashes. The whole building was quiet aside from the whirr of computer fans and the hum of the refrigerator.
Cho leaned back in his chair and stretched. His muscles felt sore after the long drive back from Tijuana and his right shirtsleeve was still a little damp from washing out the coffee stains. His eyes burned, the skin surrounding them feeling tight and raw. It took conscious effort to let his hand rest on the desk instead of reaching up and rubbing at them.
Cho wondered what was going through Jane's head right now. He was lying on his couch, arms crossed over his chest, body language somewhere between drawn and defensive. A cup of tea gone cold sat on the floorboards within easy reach, yet Jane had not taken one sip.
The only thing worse than coming home to find your wife and daughter murdered must be knowing that your own arrogance had led their killer to them. And now their first solid lead on Red John had gone and gotten himself killed, thinking he could outsmart them all...
Jane had said it hadn't been his fault, but whether or not Cho believed that to be true, he would have preferred to see him angry. Jane getting into his face would have been healthier than this tightly wound silence. But drawing Jane out through provocation was out of the question. As were comfort or any attempt at pep talk that next time, they would have more luck. Cho could have told Van Pelt and Rigsby as much. Jane might allow Lisbon to try, but even she would be brushed off in the end.
With a glance on his watch Cho decided to catch four hours of sleep and come in early tomorrow morning, instead of typing out a report that would be below his usual standard. He powered down his computer and flipped the switch of his desk lamp. Pulling on his jacket, Cho hesitated for a moment, then went to the other end of the bullpen.
"Jane." Getting no reaction, Cho crouched down to pick up the tea cup and set it aside on the nearby desk. "Come on, I'll drive you home."
"Are you sure you should be driving?" Jane asked, voice too clear for someone who had tried to pretend he was asleep while in reality had been drowning in misery. "What about your eyes?"
Cho shrugged. “It was just coffee. They're fine.”
"Hm," Jane hummed and sat up. His hair looked wild and one crease from the leather had left a mark on his cheek. "Let me see."
Cho knew better than to resist as Jane leaned close enough that he could count the freckles on the tip of his nose. Jane's touch was gentle as he traced the skin around Cho's eyes. He could feel his breath on his face and smell his aftershave. Jane's fingertips, lacking the calluses that came with handling a gun, were pleasantly cool.
They stared at each other for a moment, neither blinking or showing any sign of discomfort at being so close to another man, until Jane smiled and let go. ”Yeah, they look fine to me.”
Cho nodded and stood. “Let's go.”
"Sure."
XXX
"Look Cho, aren't they funny?"
This was the tenth time that Jane interrupted Cho while he wrapped up an interview with a zookeeper about his or her alibi for the last night.
First it had been 'awesome' giraffes, 'playful' zebras, 'very human' chimpanzees and then meerkats he needed to take a look at; the latter being 'the cutest critters ever', according to the smitten consultant. - Lisbon had threatened to subject him to a strip search before they left, just in case Jane tried to smuggle one back home.
Cho would instead make sure that his own pockets remained empty. On second thought, he would check the trunk, too.
Now Jane was pointing to the emperor penguin compound where a group of black and white birds waddled over pebbles towards their pool. They dove in beak first to catch the dead fish a trainer had tossed in. Droplets of glistening water rained down on a group of small children, making them scream and giggle in delight.
Cho spared them a glance. “Flightless birds.” He finished his shorthand notes before flipping his pad shut and putting it away. “Fascinating.”
"Bah. Spoilsport."
"Jane!" Lisbon called. "How about you make yourself useful?"
"I am. I'm helping Cho. He needs a guide for his first time."
"Driving one of your colleagues nuts is not being helpful," Lisbon stated firmly and came over to join them, after having sent Van Pelt and Rigsby to investigate the victim's fiancee. "You've never been to a zoo before. Really?"
"Why pay money to stare at caged animals?" Cho shrugged.
Jane grinned and clapped him on the shoulder. “Cho, you're my favorite source of entertainment.”
"Glad to be of service."
Lisbon gave him a funny look and snorted. Watching Jane saunter off, she said, “Right. Babysitting duty. Go and have fun, boys.”
Cho followed after another glance towards the penguins, aware that Jane would insist on giving him the full tour to make up for his 'horribly deprived childhood'. Cho didn't mind, if only because the trip was free. Well, to be fair, Jane made for good company, too.
Jane turned around and waved, suit jacked thrown carelessly over one shoulder. “Cho, come on! They'll feed the lions next!”
XXX
"Here, sit down." Cho took Jane by the elbow and led him to the curb. "Careful."
Anything but, Jane plopped down, hands still cupping his nose. Cho sat down beside him and tried to get a better look; there was no blood seeping through his fingers. Behind the police line the hustle and bustle of reporters and flashing cameras began to calm down after the initial frenzy. They would have a field day with this and Minelli would be furious.
Jane carefully prodded and felt the bone, checking if it was broken. He grimaced. “Ow.”
"Sorry."
Jane looked up. “Wha'ver or?”
Cho didn't have an answer. Somewhere along the line he had made it his personal responsibility to step in whenever a confrontation became physical around the consultant and Lisbon wasn't there. It was the logical thing to do, considering that Jane was a civilian. It didn't feel like it, though.
"For being too slow."
Jane lowered his hands and gave him a considering look. He smiled when Cho didn't blink. “Don't worry, it happens to the best of us.”
Van Pelt came over, whole posture radiating disapproval for Jane's way of questioning. Cho could see the stepmother standing in the doorway behind her, knuckle-white fingers clasped around the mug of tea the consultant had made himself in her kitchen, right before going for the jugular.
"Jane, do you want to press charges?"
"Nah." Jane waved her off. "I think I deserved that one."
"Yes you did."
"Well, at least we now know that she had nothing to do with her stepdaughter's murder."
"Oh, that's okay, then," Van Pelt said with an acidic smile and stalked off, back into the house. For once she very much looked the part of a fiery redhead.
Jane leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, “I might have angered her.”
"You think?"
"But wouldn't you agree? Hitting me, that was - "
"- very cathartic for Mrs. Russel."
Jane grinned. “Exactly.”
"Child."
"Ah, ah, ah," Jane said with a wagging finger. "You're too often a willing accomplice to start complaining now."
Cho stood and offered his hand to pull Jane up. “Can't argue with that one.”
XXX
Jane's laughter was contagious, wild and vibrant, as he leant against the brick wall, holding his sides and panting in air between whoops of delight. He looked slightly mad the way he stood there, suit rumpled and dirty, with leaves stuck in his wind-blown hair.
"Now I know why you love running after them!"
"I don't," Cho said, smiling. He cuffed Dremer's hands behind his back before Cho stood up and stepped around him. Gravel crunched underneath his shoes. "Backup should be here soon."
"Right."
Cho couldn't say who moved first and it didn't matter; they both knew this had nothing to do with the adrenaline high that came after a chase.
Jane's lips parted easily for him, all hot breath and the taste of peppermint tea, nip of teeth and a hand digging into muscles, moving higher to cup his neck. Cho licked into his mouth, careful to shield his head from impact as he pressed Jane up against the wall, cornering him.
"Damn faggots!" Dremer screamed, face a grimace, and struggled to sit up. "Take it elsewhere, you disgusting fucks!"
Jane abruptly pulled away and Cho let him, giving him space. He watched as Jane traced his lips with a fingertip, for once completely at a loss as to what the consultant might be thinking. But Cho knew what he wanted to do, if Jane was willing.
Jane looked past him to the red-faced Dremer and gave him his trademark grin, the irritatingly smug one that got under anyone’s skin. “Oh hush, you're already on the ground. Don't make me walk all over you.”
Dremer sputtered, but Cho turned and stared him down before the man could think of another slur. Hightower would be less understanding than Minelli if she saw Jane's face plastered all over the newspapers - again.
"So," Jane started, rocking back on his heels. "That was - "
"Having second thoughts?"
"No." Jane shook his head. "You?"
The sound of sirens was coming closer and Cho automatically shifted his stance to adjust his trousers. “No.”
Jane's smile gained a knowing, teasing edge. “So glad we had this talk. Let's finish this elsewhere, shall we?”
XXX
Cho woke as the mattress dipped and saw a Jane-shaped silhouette slip out of bed. He rolled over and stared at the ceiling, crossing his arms behind his head. The cool air was pleasant on his sweaty skin, save for the places that started to flake and itch.
"A shower sounds good."
"We could share."
Cho considered the size of the cubicle. “A tight fit.”
"It's too late to worry about personal space, don't you think?"
Cho smiled into the darkness as he heard his wardrobe being pulled open, the metallic sound of hangers shifted back and forth on their rail, and fingers smoothing over fabric.
He had expected that Jane would start to snoop around without asking permission. It was what he did, unrepentant. Nothing less befitted a man who dissected people's lives with a glance and some well-placed words. He had done it within two seconds of meeting Lisbon and the team, so why should this be any different?
Cho didn't mind because he had nothing to hide that Jane had not already figured out, and he suspected that this, just like certain other habits, was a safety net the other needed.
He closed his eyes and traced the quiet tapping of bare feet on laminate floor by ear as they moved through his flat, inspecting every nook and cranny.
At some point the fridge was opened accompanied by the clinking of water bottles, then cupboards, and there was a pleased hum as Jane discovered his selection of tea; both in bags and loose. A chuckle drifted to Cho and the sound of the hinge turning told him his breakfast cereals had been uncovered.
Ten more steps, turning softer on the living room's carpet, and fingers must be tracing the spines of his books, their titles being read. Hands would surely lift his picture frames, one after the other, eyes studying every detail in the background, the Korean landscape of a visit at his grandparents', years ago; the subdued smiles.
"Anything interesting?" Cho asked as Jane came back. He lifted the sheets for him and, meeting no resistance, pulled him into a loose embrace. Fine hairs tickled Cho's nose as he leaned in for a kiss. "Incriminating evidence?"
"None."
"I hid it well."
Jane chuckled and shifted against him. “I thought I could just ask.”
"No parlor tricks? No mind reading?"
"Hm, maybe a little."
Cho could hear the smirk in Jane's voice but didn't care, not drifting to sleep as he was, with a warm weight in his arms. Their shower could wait.
XXX
One morning while eating breakfast Cho noticed the white stretch of skin at the base of Jane's ring finger. He didn't comment, just passed over the clover honey and filled his own bowl with cereals and milk.
He knew that Jane would keep his wedding band close, no matter how many years might pass. Jane not wearing it now was all that he had wondered about, but never dared to outright ask, knowing that the subject was too raw and painful.
Cho figured this was their kind of silent compromise. He hid his smile behind a spoonful of Frosted Flakes, under no illusion whether or not Jane had seen it, because he looked content, too.
XXX
"Case closed pizza!" Rigsby announced as he strolled into the bullpen, a stack of three boxes balanced on the palm of his left hand. The smell of cheese, hot salami and tuna drifted after him as he passed Cho and Jane. He set them down on the conference table, pushing files and other paperwork aside. "Let's dig in!"
"Careful, Rigsby, I don't want to have greasy fingerprints all over those!" Lisbon warned, which didn't stop her from opening the first box to snatch a slice.
"Here," Van Pelt said, offering everyone a Styrofoam cup with lemonade in turn, before sitting down and taking a piece for herself.
"Pineapple?" Cho stated after looking into each carton, and gave Rigsby a look. "Really?"
"Just sort them out," Rigsby suggested with a careless shrug. He felt the hot trickle of tomato sauce running down his chin and grimaced. He took the paper napkin Van Pelt offered him with a smile. "Thanks, Grace."
"Even if I do, I can still taste it."
Having no choice for better or worse, Cho picked up a slice of Hawaiian. He was the only one bothering with a plate and cutlery. He didn't comment as Jane draped himself over his shoulder to snatch one piece of bright yellow pineapple after the other.
"Hmm," Jane hummed, as he stuffed them into his mouth with an exaggerated moan of pleasure, then cleaned each fingertip with loud popping sounds. "Delicious!"
Van Pelt and Lisbon shared a look, both caught in varied states of surprise and dawning realization. Rigsby simply continued chewing.
"Oh," Van Pelt said, eyes glued to the familiar way Jane rested his hand on Cho's knee underneath the table top. Who, more importantly, did nothing to brush him off. The faintest trace of red spread over her cheeks. "Oh!"
Lisbon just sighed and swallowed the last bite of her pizza. “I don't know anything. In fact, I haven't seen anything and I'm off work anyway. See you on Monday!”
"Hm?" Rigsby watched her sudden departure with confusion. "Did I miss something?"
Jane reached over to pat his shoulder, but his bright smile was directed at Van Pelt as he said, “Just never change, Rigsby.”
He wasn't fazed in the slightest when Cho finally looked up with a raised eyebrow. Jane simply shrugged. “What? I broke it to them, gently, just like I promised. Over piz - ”
Jane didn't get to finish his sentence, not with Cho stuffing a piece of pineapple between his moving lips to shut him up.
XXX
With one last look around the secure perimeter Cho went back into the shed. The air inside was ripe with the stench of congealing blood, coppery and sticky at the back of his throat. Each of his steps was accompanied by the crackle of plastic that protected both his shoes and clothes.
They had planned this for a long time now, down to the last detail. There would be no evidence to connect either Jane or him to the murder of Red John. No fingerprints, hair follicles, skin cells - nothing. Just a corpse, a red puddle, and a cleaned knife. Seeing it lying on the garbage-strewn ground Cho remembered holding Jane's hand steady and fingers closed tight around the handle, guiding him to push the blade up at an angle between Red John's ribs, straight into his beating heart.
He doubted Jane felt guilty. Cho didn't either.
The only emotions left were a sort of grim satisfaction and relief. Not an appropriate reaction for a police officer after committing cold-blooded murder, but ever since leaving the Avon Park Playboys Cho had known where his priorities lay: some things were more precious than the job.
Jane was still kneeling beside the cooling body, with only a slice of sunlight cutting through the semi-darkness to illuminate his features. His focus was keen and sharp, studying each detail of his fulfilled revenge, committing it to memory.
And yet this was not a moment of triumph for either of them. It had been necessary. Having watched Jane all this time Cho knew that killing Red John had been something he had needed to do to find some measure of peace.
"Patrick. We need to go."
"Yes." Jane stood up awkwardly, movements restricted by the layers of plastic that protected his suit. "Let's go home."
Cho took Jane's hand and squeezed his cold fingers.
XXX
Lisbon came into the bullpen, a thick folder in her hand, lips thin and down-turned. “Jane, I need to talk with you in my office. Now.”
"Sure," Jane said with a nod. He tossed his Sudoku magazine onto the next desk and rose from his sprawl on the couch. "What's this about, Lisbon? You look worried."
"Get in."
Cho didn't turn away from his computer screen to watch the proceedings in Lisbon's cubicle. This was about Red John. Patrick would be questioned as the prime suspect but without hard evidence, the investigation would soon blow over.
Cho looked forward to the return of routine, as did Patrick. It was time to move on.
The End