Chapter Text
Jane hummed impatiently, rapping her fingers on Maura's counter. Maura was unloading the oven, and while Jane itched to offer to help she knew Maura was still a little resentful of how forceful she'd been about protecting her from their perp that morning, knew Maura liked things in a certain way and that Jane was chaos to her at times. Unbidden she picked up the cutlery and set the table, using her memory to place the silverware.
"Are you sure, Jane?" Maura sked. "I've never minded what people thought of me, but I know you do. I don't want to push you to somewhere you're uncomfortable."
"I suggested it," Jane said, surprised. "And yeah, people are going to talk, but I'm pretty sure they already do. I'm a female cop; if it wasn't my hot girlfriend it'd be something else."
"I wish it was easier for you," Maura said, cradling the 'hot girlfriend' like a hot cider in a ski lodge, warming her inside as she brought over the plates.
"I'm sorry I snapped at you this morning," Jane mumbled, the way she always mumbled when she had to apologise. "He's dangerous. Didn't want him hurting anyone else. Korsak has bruises all up his arms now from fighting him off. Couldn't get to his taser." Maura slid her hand onto Jane's shoulder, straightening a knife.
"I understand," Maura said. "But before I did I was hurt that you didn't trust me to do my job."
"And now that you know I was protecting you from a dangerous criminal?" Jane asked. "One with enough crack to kill a horse in his system?"
"Well, I'm relieved I didn't go in, now that I know. But you can't... You can't protect me from my work."
"No, but I can stop you from taking risks like that with your personal safety," Jane countered. "Are you nervous? I'm nervous."
"Everyone coming here tonight loves you," Maura reminded Jane, turning Jane to face her. "Well, maybe not my family, not yet, but they like you a lot. Everyone coming here tonight supports us both, and while we haven't been open with them, they've all shown acceptance in some way. No one is going to love you any less once they know."
"It's not just... It's not just 'oh hey I'm dating my best friend' it's also 'the person I'm dating is a woman and so I am but I don't know if we're gay or just in love' and that's going to be hard to explain." Jane fiddled with the strings of the apron Maura was wearing, looking at them instead of Maura, and Maura thought Jane's insecurity was cute on her.
"I've always considered myself open to bisexuality," Maura said. "I don't know if my attraction to women is all-encompassing or if it's just you, I just know that I've never felt so strongly about anyone in my life." Jane leaned back against the table, and she felt the table cloth move under her hands, turned to fix it. "Leave it," Maura said, stepping in and putting her hands on either side of Jane. "You don't have to come out as gay or bisexual or anything else. You don't need to label yourself to tell people you're dating me." Maura leaned in and kissed Jane, still struck by how soft and willing Jane's mouth was against hers, still struck by the soft inhale Jane always made when Maura's lips met hers. "It's going to be ok," Maura said as she pulled back, and Jane exhaled unevenly, hands on Maura's waist.
"It might just be easier. If I knew. If I could just say I'm the lesbian cop stereotype, you know?"
"I know," Maura said. "You know I like thing neatly classified, don't you?"
"Yeah," Jane said, rubbing her thumbs along the front of Maura's hip bones.
"What if this is something that requires more evidence before coming to a conclusion?" Maura asked. "You know how much more I dislike things incorrectly classified."
"Yeah," Jane said again, breathily, and Maura checked her line of sight. Maura's dress wasn't immodest, but the height difference was giving Jane a view down the front of it that appeared to have her entranced.
"Jane, my eyes are up here," Maura said gently, straightening up from where she'd been leaning forward into Jane. Jane's eyes snapped to Maura's eyes, and she blushed.
"I'm sorry," Jane started, but Maura cut her off with another kiss.
"It's very flattering, but we have family arriving and I don't think they'd appreciate walking in on me having my way with you on the table they're expected to eat on," Maura said, turning back to the counter and bringing over part of the meal. It was fortunate she did, because after a perfunctory knock, Angela came in with Frankie, and Jane struggled to her feet, turning and straightening the table cloth and silverware.
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Jane wished they'd discussed this before dinner; at what point were they going to disclose their relationship? Jane was leaving it to Maura, as Constance would have to be called, and Jane hunched miserable and tense in a corner until Maura looked over. Maura immediately grabbed her tablet and started the call, scanning around the room as she introduced Constance to the people gathered in her home.
"Hi Mom," Maura said. "This is Hope, my biological mother, and her daughter- and my half-sister, Cailin, and I believe you remember Angela and Frankie - and of course you know my girlfriend Jane," Maura said, handing over the tablet to Hope, who took it as Maura walked over to Jane, pulling her up from the arm of the couch to place a single, careful kiss on her startled mouth, relaxing as Maura melted into her as usual. Maura tucked herself into Jane's side, and Jane's arm went around her instinctively.
"Yeah. What she said," Jane said, glaring around the room, but Hope was already in conversation with Constance, Frankie and Cailin were back to their discussion on geographic variations in football-type sports, and only Angela was looking at them, coming over to embrace them both.
"My brave, brave girls," Angela said, kissing them both on the cheek, Jane struggling, as usual, to get away.