Disclaimer: I don't own The Mentalist nor any of the characters.

Author's Note: Random Angst spurred on by a marathon of Mentalist containing alot of Cho episodes. also thank you to ErmineakaTree for being my betam

Another Kind of Fix

Cho had a past; Jane knew this. Recently, however, instead of finding the agent's paranoia endearing, it had been driving him nearly insane. Subconsciously, it seemed that Patrick had been avoiding Cho, and if he was honest with himself, he would have realized it before the agent came, uninvited, into his office.

Jane looked up, startled, and hardly had time to jump up from his chair when Cho spoke.

"You're avoiding me." It wasn't a question.

Patrick sunk back into his chair, his eyes suddenly guarded, his entire posture so subtly defensive only Cho would have been able to notice. He had the blonde in a corner and they both knew it.

"No, not really." he replied.

Cho pressed his lips together, swallowing his obvious ire. "Care to explain? You stay up here, you haven't returned any of my calls-I wouldn't even be speaking with you if I hadn't forced my way in!"

It was clear Cho wanted answers, but currently, Jane only had excuses. "The case is so close to being finished Cho. I've been busy."

Dark eyes bore into Jane like daggers. He could feel the anger burning him from across the room and he wished to be anywhere but here.

Cho ripped his gaze away, breathing harshly through his nose, his eyes closing briefly, forcing his body to relax. He looked back to Jane, a barely visible anguish lurking within the depths of his dark irises. "You know you can talk to me."

Jane nodded and willed his lover to leave. He hated when he made Cho have that look...if only he wasn't so broken.

They basked in the silence for a moment, one willing the other to speak and one willing the other to leave.

Cho broke the silence as he turned to leave. "If you need me..." The rest of the words hung unspoken, yet understood, and Cho finally made his exit.

Jane slumped back into his chair, a hand coming up to cover his eyes and a weary sigh escaping his lips. It seemed things never got easier.

xxx

After hours of contemplation and going about in circles, Jane decided he would go to Cho's apartment. It was about time he stopped avoiding the man. His decision made, he jumped from his couch and donned his suit jacket before making his way outside, humming all the way.

xxx

The apartment was dark.

Jane instanly knew something was wrong-but what, he didn't know. Heedless of his instincts, which were screaming at him to turn and leave, he entered the building, climbed the stairs, and stalked down the hall until he stood, scarcely breathing, outside Kimball's door. Pulling a key from his pocket (one he had pilfered on a previous visit), he inserted it, turned it, and let the door fall open. Jane peered into the darkness, his heart racing before he took a tentative step into the apartment. He had progressed through the kitchen and was just about to enter the livingroom when it happened.

Jane sensed the intruder before he saw him and had already begun to move, feeling adrenaline shoot through him. Unfortunately the man was too fast for him and made contact with his legs, knocking him to the floor. Jane's vison swam and he feared for a moment that he'd go blind until, the apartment came back into focus only moments later. The blonde scrambled to his knees as the intruder attacked from behind, a knife he hadn't seen earlier glinting in his gloved hand. A fearful noise trickled from Jane's throat as he lunged for the countertop. The attacker let out a feral-sounding growl as he missed the consultant by little more than an inch. Jane used the countertop as leverage and hauled himself to his feet as the assailant spun to face him.

Fear momentarily pinned the blonde to his spot against the counter, a knife slicing through the air forcing him to breathe and then move.

Once again he wasn't fast enough.

Red hot pain seared through his arm and the knife cut through his skin. The attacker pulled back for a second and Jane, finally unfrozen, darted to the bedroom where he knew Cho kept a gun by his bedside. The assailant was hot on his heels. Patrick turned and switched the safety off, leveled the gun, and flinched as glass shattered all over him.

Jane felt like his body was made of rubber, but he wouldn't let himself fall; only the gun dropped as it slipped from his lax fingers. His eyes stared blankly at the dead man on the floor as everything trembled from his lips, to his heart, to his very foundation.

Lights came on with no warning and the consultant looked up, dazed and confused as his gaze settled on the owner of the apartment. Cho stood in the bedroom doorway, an expression of hurt and a shadow of fear in his guarded expression.

Their eyes met and Cho felt his heart plummet at the empty tight lipped smile Jane gave him. He swallowed before he spoke, already knowing the answer.

"Tell me you didn't...?" Cho spoke softly.

A bittersweet smile slipped onto Jane's sharp features. "A-h, this." He glanced at the body and then let his gaze slip off into the shadows. "No, no, of course not."

He let himself fall silent.

Cho nodded, but if the clenching of his jaw was any giveaway, he was less than pleased. "If you didn't do it, how come I can see the blood on your hands and the stain on your clothes?"

Jane just shook his head, for once speechless, his heart only just reaching a normal, steady rythm.

Cho could see the look of consternation hidden within Jane's blue eyes, and the man had yet to move from his spot in the middle of the bedroom. He approached Jane slowly, tentatively; he reached out to touch him when he was close enough.

The blonde jumped and looked at Cho in bewilderment. His confusion faded and his expression went blank. Cho didn't know what else to do, The agent hooked a hand around the back of the other's neck and pulled him into a tender kiss.

Suddenly everything melted; a tear slipped from its prison and Jane's legs caved beneath his weight. Cho guided the blonde to the floor and pulled him close, just holding him.