Title: Games People Play
Fandom: The Lord of the Rings, Labyrinth, The Mentalist, Castle, NCIS
Rating: PG-13
Length: 5x100 words
Content notes: Spoilers for episode 5x05 of The Mentalist and episode 5x24 of Castle.
Author notes: A collection of drabbles, each of them belonging to a different fandom. Written for the backward challenge on fan_flashworks.
Summary: They’re not – usually – backward in coming forward.



I. The Lord of the Rings

Éowyn took great delight in the little game she and her husband used to play.
When they retired to their chambers Faramir always picked some random volume and pretended to read it. She sat down next to him with her hands folded demurely in her lap, counting slowly to ten before sneaking her fingers to the first button of his tunic.
The slightest intake of breath was enough reward to her as she finally ran her palm over his smooth chest and showed him exactly what she wanted.
She’d never been backward in coming forward, not even in her childhood.


II. Labyrinth

Jareth caught a glimpse of his own reflection on the windowpane and frowned. It wasn’t like him to be nervous; he was the one people were afraid of, not the other way round.
Not that he was actually afraid of Sarah, he reassured himself. He was just impatient to know what would be her answer, that was all.
Ten years were a hell of a long time, though he’d always lingered on the edge of her dreams to make sure she remembered.
It was a relief to see her face break into a smile as soon as she saw him.


III. The Mentalist

It was late one night when Lisbon finally plucked the courage to ask that question; they were curled up together on her couch, and she was about to fall asleep with her head rested on his shoulder.
“When did you realize you were in love with me?”
Jane tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m not sure. It was probably when you were shot by O’Laughlin.”
“Really?”
“I think I fell for you far before though; right from the moment you tried to save me by asking for my help on a case.”
She couldn’t help but smile.


IV. Castle

Rick Castle wasn’t usually afraid to speak his mind, except when it came to a certain detective of his acquaintance. Proposing to her was the hardest thing he’d ever done, and there he was now; down on his knee before her, waiting for her answer.
He wasn’t sure he would be able to take no for an answer though.
Kate stood gaping at him for an endless moment, and then she started laughing nervously.
“You can’t be serious.”
However, the look in her eyes told him she would come around, eventually.
All he had to do was just keep asking.


V. NCIS

“I’ve told Gibbs about us,” she said all of a sudden, and the mug Tony was cradling slipped right through his fingers, spilling coffee all over the floor.
“Why on Earth did you do that?”
Ziva shook her head and wandered off in search of a floor cloth. She was sick and tired of sneaking behind their boss’s back, and she definitely wasn’t the backward-in-coming-forward type of girl.
“He already knew anyway.”
“And what about his ‘never date a co-worker’ rule?”
A wry smile tugged at her lips. “Well, he just mentioned another; rule fifty-one.”
“That is?”
“Sometimes, you’re wrong.”