Disclaimer: I own nothing.

A/N: So this is my longest chapter to date, and I'm feeling anxious about it. I look forward to your feedback, thanks for sticking with it!

"Maur? Maura? Hey — stay with me."

Jane smoothed the matted hair from Maura's face as her eyes fluttered. Gently, she lifted the blonde upright in the passenger seat of her car.

"Is she gonna be okay?" A male voice asked with trepidation from behind the detective.

Jane barely noticed the distressed jogger, who had hovered over her as she gingerly laid her friend's body onto the planks of the pier and listened for breath. After she realized Maura had passed out from shock, the jogger had followed her to the siren-equipped SUV while she carried the soaking woman in her arms.

Agitated by the interruption, Jane snapped her head to face the frightened man. Droplets from her now jet-black hair pricked him like needles.

"Yeah, I'll take care of her — just go home."

As he began to leave, she barked: "And stop running at night in all black, you moron, or I'll have the entire Boston PD out looking for you!" The man scurried away.

Turning back to Maura, Jane's forehead creased with concern. She thought of all the ways she could have prevented her friend's fall into the icy harbor: if only she hadn't agreed to dance, if only they had kept walking, if only she had just — kissed her.

"J-Jane."

She climbed further into the passenger seat when she heard Maura speak.

"Maura. Oh, thank god."

Jane sighed in relief, unable to control the tremble in her jaw. When she spoke, it was both in an effort to compose herself and comfort her friend.

"Everything's okay, you just fell into the water. I'm gonna take you to the hospital." She reached for her police radio.

"No, please," Maura started, touching her friend's hand. She was slowly returning to consciousness. "I don't need to — to go to the hospital."

Jane slipped the walkie back in the sleeve and held Maura's shoulders, her dark eyes searching for signs of injury.

"Does anything hurt?"

Maura met her look, shaking her head.

"You don't feel any pain? Nothing's broken?"

"I may have some — some minor contusions around my ribs and scapula, but I'll be fine." She was sitting up straight now, tucking a clump of damp hair behind her ear.

Jane smiled; only an alert Dr. Isles would be that specific. A few beats passed between them before she broke their silence.

"Well. That's one way to sober up."

Maura couldn't help her laughter, although it was obvious to Jane she felt embarrassed, and at an unusual loss for words.

"Alright, well: you're soaked, I'm soaked — let's get you home. We'll come back for your car tomorrow."

The detective climbed down from the passenger side and carefully closed the door. She squished into the driver's seat, making sure to switch off the arctic setting of her AC.

They made their way to Maura's apartment in complete silence.

...

The blonde raced ahead of Jane as they entered her front door, a trail of water behind her.

"I'll grab some towels."

Although a little subdued, Maura appeared to have otherwise recovered from their evening swim. But Jane couldn't help the tinge of guilt she felt for noticing the revealing qualities of the blonde's wet summer dress as she walked away.

Forcing her thoughts to the cold harbor, Jane's jaw chattered while she stood in the foyer. She tried vigorously to conduct heat into her arms, but with the precise 68-degree temperature in Maura's apartment, it felt like walking into a freezer after a day on the beach.

She could just see Bass inching along the polished floor in the kitchen. She smiled to herself, thinking of the British strawberries he would feast on later. Things would be different if she were slow and steady like a tortoise, she thought; she would never allow herself to be impulsive then. She would be patient, reserved. She would be content with Maura's friendship — not pining for something more.

"You didn't have to wait in here, Jane," Maura scolded, clearing the clouds from the detective's mind as she returned to the hallway. She had exchanged her damp dress for a cozy bathrobe, the smeared makeup on her face now wiped clean and her darkened hair combed straight. To Jane, she had never looked lovelier.

Maura held out a large, fluffy towel for her friend, who accepted it graciously and began sponging the excess moisture from her body. She breathed in the familiar scent of detergent as she passed the fabric through her hair.

"Come in, I'll get you some clothes," Maura offered, taking a moment to observe the brunette's drying ritual.

Jane removed her sopping shoes and socks and padded her way to the guest bedroom. It had been at least three and half weeks since she last spent the night at Maura's, so it was a welcome sight when her robed friend produced a set of her own pajamas and laid them on the bed.

"Guess this means I'm staying over." Jane tried to disguise her hopefulness.

Maura hesitated. "Only — if you want to."

"I should go and take care of Jo Friday," she responded automatically. When the light dimmed in Maura's eyes, she quickly added "But I'll call Korsak. I know he's up, and I'm sure he can take her for the night. What's one more fuzzy animal, right?"

Maura smiled and looked down. "Well. I'll let you get dressed." She paused by the door. "Would you like some tea? I was going to put the kettle on."

"Sure, if you're having some. I'd love a cup." Jane smiled warmly, briefly locking eyes with the blonde.

Maura paused a moment longer, deliberating over something. She opened her mouth to speak but decided to leave it instead, gently closing the door behind her as she exited.

Jane's chest beat fast as she peeled the wet clothes from her skin. Something was happening here, she thought. She began to wonder if Maura suspected her feelings. Maybe she noticed the way she eyed her in the soaked dress, or the way she gazed at her in that robe. Or, perhaps all the events of the day — their exchange that morning, their fall in the storage unit, their dance along the pier — added up to mean their friendship was rapidly changing.

Jane panicked at the thought of losing Maura to her hidden desires. She would have to learn to curb her affections, she determined. She could do this — she had to do this.

After a quick call to Korsak, the detective took a deep breath and opened the bedroom door with a forceful resoluteness. She was surprised to find Maura immediately on the other side, two mugs in hand.

"I thought I'd just — bring it to you," she began, slightly windswept from Jane's dramatic swoosh of the door. "You must be tired."

"Ah, thanks." Jane took a cup from Maura and stepped aside, allowing her to enter.

They both sat on the edge of the bed and sipped at their steaming beverages. Feeling the top of the covers with a free hand, Jane realized how much she missed the puffy down comforter that Maura kept fresh and clean for her. She always slept soundly under it's protection, especially if Maura was lying next to her.

The yellow warmth of a solitary lamp lit a small portion of the room, exposing the the tired lines on their faces.

"What a day, huh?" Jane understated, looking down at the swirling tans and browns in her mug.

"Yes," Maura sighed after a small sip, "a very long and — frustrating day."

Jane rested a hand softly on her friend's knee.

"What's wrong?" She looked to Maura's shoulder. "Is it your spatula? Because if it's broken, I swear to god I'll find that jogging asshole and — "

"I'm fine," Maura assured, placing her hand over Jane's and smiling at her confident mispronunciation. "Really, I am."

Maura paused, and the brunette waited nervously; she hoped her friend couldn't hear the loud thump of her heart.

"Jane, I — I want to — tonight, in the the harbor..." After a breath, she was able to continue: "I'm usually very skilled at swimming. Garrett and I, we swam together all the time. But when I fell into the water, it's like I lost all control of my arms and legs. That's never happened to me before."

"But this wasn't like a leisurely swim, Maur," Jane comforted. "You were literally knocked unconscious."

"Yes, but if you hadn't — been there... You rescued me, Jane."

The detective turned red. She was both relieved and anxious; now was the time to tell Maura how she felt — that she we would swim all the harbors for her, even die for her — but she couldn't form the words.

She opted for a casual approach.

"Anyone would have done that."

"But not like that, not as fast as you reacted," Maura observed.

"I was just returning the favor," Jane shrugged, burying her words into a long sip from her cup.

Maura tilted her head to the side, a look of confusion on her face.

"The chase? Your heels?" Jane hinted after swallowing, making a tossing motion with her arm. Maura laughed at her own improvised actions from that afternoon.

"We gotta start using those things in the force," the brunette added with a smirk. "I've honestly never seen a better concealed weapon."

"And who would wear them?" the blonde asked playfully, eyeing her friend in anticipation.

"Well," she thought for a moment. "I think heels like that would look great on Frost. Have you seen that man's legs?"

They chuckled at the image, each pausing to take another sip of tea. A few beats passed, and Jane decided it was time to be serious.

"I'm thankful you were with me then, Maur. I am. But you could've been shot or — worse, and I shouldn't have put you in that position."

Maura angled her body in sympathy. "That doesn't matter to me, Jane. I'm just proud you did what was right." After considering it for a moment, she added "I will always feel safe with you, no matter what happens."

A heaviness draped the air between them, and Jane's stomach began to burn.

"I could have lost you today," she started, an unsteady pitch in her voice, "and I'm not ready to — " The rest was caught in her throat, as if she were being strangled by her better judgement.

Seeing the tears form in her brown eyes, Maura cupped a warm hand around Jane's face.

"It's okay," she hushed. "It's okay, Jane — I'm here, everything's fine. I'm here."

At Maura's touch, the dam broke. Jane released her grip on the mug and clasped the blonde's face between her hands, tea splashing onto the finely weaved carpet beneath them. After a quick scan of her hazel eyes, which looked deeper than ever, Jane crashed hard into her lips.

When Maura returned the kiss, still clinging her mug, Jane felt like she was melting in a warm pool. The ache in her stomach rose like a tide into her chest, overflowing from her ears and mouth. Her hands found their way to Maura's waist, and she pulled her in closer. Maura's free hand, in turn, reached up Jane's back and tugged wantingly at her shirt.

They emerged, seemingly hours later, to catch their breath.

"Jane," Maura whispered. Tears rolled silently down her cheeks.

Jane was unable to stop herself; she confessed her secret at last.

"I love you, Maura."

The blonde laughed and cried at once. "I thought you'd never say it."

It was as if Jane had been cleared for landing: she tucked the loose strands of Maura's hair behind her ear and locked eyes, going in for another kiss. This time, their contact was softer, filled with a tenderness neither had experienced before. The mug slipped from Maura's fingers, rolling down the length of her robe before it landed next to Jane's. The stains from the tea crossed paths, making an 'x' in the carpet.

In a full embrace, their rhythmic breathing intertwined. Jane was overtaken by desire, and with a hand behind her head, she lowered Maura down to the feathery surface of the mattress. They were now horizontal, with Jane positioned directly over Maura, whose arms sprawled above her in surrender.

Lightly pushing the robe away from her shoulders, Jane made a path down Maura's neck and explored the flavors of her salted skin. She had never tasted anything so exquisite.

"God, you're beautiful," she husked low into her ear. Maura shivered with pleasure. Her eyes closed, and her mouth opened with invitation. She positioned her hands on Jane's lean back, moving them up and down with each new contact.

Jane went lower and lower with her kisses, pulling lightly at the opening of the cloth at Maura's chest. She slipped a hand under the robe and navigated it to her nipple, which hardened from the touch. Slowly, Jane began to work the loose knot on the fabric belt, keeping her lips to Maura's body.

She opened the robe, revealing the perfect symmetry of Maura's breasts. She looked up in permission before circling her tongue around the pink tips. The blonde gasped softly at the sensation.

Jane pushed more of the fabric from Maura's skin, until finally she had uncovered all of her. Her breath quickened as took in her treasure; she was flawless. Jane smoothed her hands over every muscle, memorizing the dips and curves of her figure.

She then removed her shirt and pressed her bare chest to Maura's; they both sighed at the feeling of their torsos touching.

After a few moments enjoying the valleys of her stomach, Jane slid to Maura's thighs, caressing one leg while she sucked on the other. A low moan escaped the blonde's throat as she placed a hand on the back of Jane's head.

The brunette voyaged almost everywhere before she came to the spot she wanted most. Gently, she spread Maura's legs, taking full advantaged of the sensitive areas of her inner thigh before arriving at her clit. Her tongue dove between the folds, swirling and savoring the taste.

"Oh god, Jane."

The moans came instantly, and Maura's back arched as Jane continued with a steady pulse. Tucking her knees under her chest while maintaining contact, the brunette gingerly slid her fingers into Maura's opening.

Jane delighted to find how wet she was, moving her hand up and down in unison with the pulse of her tongue. Maura was now clenching top of the headboard with one hand while gripping a lock of Jane's hair with the other. Her body danced in time with Jane's beats.

Maura came with an earthy groan, heaving and shaking in ecstasy. After she felt her body settle, Jane crawled up to meet her face and was welcomed with a lingering kiss. They collapsed in eachother's arms, their chests rising and falling rapidly from their shallow breaths.

After spending a few moment to recover, Jane finally spoke, her voice raspy and satisfied.

"I never thought it could be like that."

Maura pulled her close and rested her head on the brunette's shoulder.

"Neither did I."