Okay, so this little gem has been dancing around in my skull for a couple of days now, and I decided to put it down on the technological paper. It's a post ep for The Bone That Blew, because I thought that the episode itself set this up perfectly. I own nothing, as always. Enjoy!

As Bones began over analyzing something Booth had said for the fourth or fifth time as they leaned over the railing, watching Max and Parker make bottle after bottle of cola explode into an upward stream of foam, he couldn't help but study her. The way her lips formed perfect shapes for each separate sound, and the way her tongue flicked her teeth just a little harder—or the 'O' she made was just a little rounder—when she became frustrated with his lack of understanding. Her nose crinkled and her brow furrowed ever so slightly each time she began to search her memory for new bits of information to tell him. Her eyes would light up when something she was especially interested in talking about would enter the conversation, and dull just a bit when she wasn't.

He hadn't lied to Max when he'd told him that she was beautiful. What Booth had failed to mention was just how beautiful he thought she was. Those piercing blue-gray eyes never failed to take his breath away when they caught him by surprise. He always needed preparation before he made eye contact with her. Then there was her mouth, which was just barely longer than the width of her nose, and it gave her face the delicate air of a woman. But her wide set jaw, which would look ridiculous on any other woman, gave her face a strength that matched her determined—albeit stubborn—personality.

Every little facet of that personality, no matter how infuriating, made her perfect, though. He loved the little arguments they got into about the smallest of things, and envied her ability to keep emotions out of the inappropriate situations that they faced every day, even though it made him wonder if she were human now and again.

"What?"

Booth shook his head to clear the overlying fog, the question having broken through it like a lighthouse beacon. Bones was looking at him inquiringly, her mug half raised to her lips, probably because she had noticed him staring. "What…what?"

"You were staring at me," she answered, a twinge of curiosity and confusion wavering her otherwise flat tone. "Why?"

"No reason," he stated simply. When she didn't look convinced, he added, "I must have zoned out."

Giving him one last glare, she turned her gaze back to her father, bringing her mug the rest of the way to her mouth.

"Max asked if I was sleeping with you," he blurted out, and immediately wondered what the hell he was thinking. That had come out of nowhere.

"What?" she asked in a harsh whisper. When he just stared ahead of him, trying to keep the blush from rising to his cheeks, she continued, "That's ridiculous, Booth. Why would he ask you something so… so stupid?"

"I don't know, Bones. I told him no, obviously, but it was out of nowhere. I didn't exactly expect to be asked about our relationship at that level."

She stared at him incredulously before turning her head to glare at her father. As the death glare continued, he mulled over her reaction a bit, before settling on something that had been seemingly innocuous until studied further.

"Wait… what's ridiculous?"

Her eyes flicked to his, and she raised a brow. "If you and I were to have sex, it would put both of our jobs at risk. A relationship between the two of us is not an option. My father should know that. It just goes to show how little he values his morals."

"Is it really immoral to want happiness for your daughter?" Booth asked, setting his face in an unwavering, serious look.

"Well, no." She paused, a little surprised by the look on his face. "What are you saying, Booth?"

"It's not like I haven't thought about us," he began, trying to read every emotion that danced about in her eyes, which were now silver with confusion. "You mean a lot to me, Bones."

"We're partners. It's normal to feel strongly for one another. It doesn't necessarily make it the kind of feelings you're implying."

"You sound like Sweets," he accused, receiving a fierce glare in protest. "It seems like you're resorting to desperate measures to make your point."

"What do you mean?" Her voice was just as confused as the look on her face, and he smiled.

"By using psychology, you're going against everything you've ever said on the subject. It's actually kind of funny, because it makes me right."

"You are not—"

Booth cut her off with his lips on hers, a soft caress that grew firmer when her hand wrapped around his tie and pulled him closer, similar to how she had reacted nearly a year ago under the mistletoe. Only now there was no reason other than wanting to have him closer that could explain away her actions, and he smiled to himself, reveling in the feel of her soft lips against his.

He felt her hands flatten on his chest and gently push him away. "Right," she finished, before their lips connected once again, this time by her own volition. Moving his hands to rest above her hips, a spark traveled throughout his body when he felt her fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Ew!" Parker's surprised and disgusted cry broke through the haze that had surrounded Booth, and he tore himself away to look at the crimpled features of his son's face. "Gross!"

"Parker," Max said in a tone that mixed amusement and warning as he eyed Booth and Bones with a less than surprised expression. He muttered something under his breath, just loud enough so that Booth was able to hear it:

"Definitely not gay."

-Fin-