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Temperance Brennan had always prided herself on her individuality. As far as she was concerned, her whole life was the very definition of the word unique.
Seeley Booth was without a doubt a rationalist. At least, so he believed. every time he tried to explain what it was that made him a traditionalist and why he was so proud of it to his all to rational partner, she felt the need to remind him that the majority of his lifetime events had also defied typical normalcy.
Angela, Cam and Jack shared open glances as they watched their friends debate what truly made a person an individual. Finally caving into the beginning looks her husband was sending her, and the wide eyed lost look on Cam's face, Angela intervened.
"So," she began in a loud, overly enthusiastic voice that immediately attracted everyone's attention. "Jack and I have decided to host a New Years Eve celebration tomorrow night. And I expect to see all of you there." she announced, shooting a menacing look t Booth and Brennan. Booth responded with an all too innocent grin, internally berating himself for complaining so carelessly about how Rebecca had selfishly whisked Parker away for a vacation with 'Captain Fantastic' over new years, effectively blasting any of his hopes to ring in the new year with the boy to smithereens. The simultaneous ringing of both the partners and Cam's phone prevented any further discussion on the topic with the promise of work.
Booth and Brennan sat across from each other at their usually spot at the diner. Brennan sipped on her coffee, glancing sat Booth over the rim.
"What's going through that mind of yours?" he asked around a mouthful of pie. After a moment of hesitation to gather her thoughts, Brennan began to try and express what had been bothering her for most of the day.
"It's the party tomorrow night," she began in a tone that told Booth she was about to ask one of her infamous social based questions. Knowing that being one of the few people Brennan so readily open up to, and allowed glimpses to her innocence and trust, Booth roughly swallowed his pie and leaned in closer to her direct gaze. Unaware of his immediate response to her, Brennan continued.
"Why do people feel the need to ornately celebrate and honor the marking of a small fraction of a minute that's sole purpose is to mark the span of time between one year and the next. Time is just a quantitative measurement between events that many respectable, if not slightly mislead and illogical, philosophers have hypothesis its not even truly that." Brennan was forced to paused to catch her breath.
Booth rested his elbows on the table and pressed his lips against his clasped hands, already realizing just where Brennan's train of thought was taking her. He held his silence a few moments longer to allow Brennan to recollect herself. After seeing the cool clarity come back into her eyes, he unclasped his hands and loosely crossed his arms over the table, oblivious to the fact that he was slowly marinating his tie in the cherry juices from his pie.
"New year's celebrations… they aren't about the pass of time." He began, his tone low and warm all the while maintaining a gentle gaze. "New years celebrations are about celebrating the year that passed. The friends made… love forged… and celebrating making it through the hard times and still being with the ones you love. "
Silence stretched between the two as Brennan processed the new information. Booth grinned slightly when she nodded, apparently accepting his explanation. He silently counted the second until she began the inevitable slew od insanely intricate questions. He barely concealed a broad grin when she leaned forward subconsciously mimicking his position. True to his theory, they spent the remainder of their meal analyzing and debating the way different people and cultures celebrated new years. Their only break came in the from of their elderly waitress named Jenna, who happened to notice Booth's now thoroughly marinated tie.
The waitress giggled girlishly as she watched the partners go from an intense conversation to mild, and thoroughly amusing, panic over what was sure to be the tragic fate of the tie. She turned and exchanged smiles with several coworkers, and some of their other regulars as the partners once again shifted to debating over who was at fault for the fruity smelling clothing item. Everyone that frequented the diner regularly was used to the partner's antics and had been willing and eager witnesses to the progression of their relationship. Jenna even had a sneaking suspicion that the men in the kitchen had a secret pool on how long the two would take to finally walk in the door as a couple.
Brennan grinned as she sipped on a flute of champagne and watched Hodgins and Wendyle dance to the music from a pop band performing on Dick Clark's New Year's Rocking Eve. Both men sported wacky glasses in the shape of 2011 that light up various colors.
A light bump against her shoulder distracted her from the internist's impressive Irish jig. Booth stood next to her, chuckling at the sight of the slightly tipsy squints. Soon the song ended, and the countdown clock displaying just over a minute to go. Brennan was not so subtly reminded of her conversation with Booth the previous evening when Angela pulled Hodgins into a lip-lock the was far too pure and loving to be considered anything but cute. Never-the-less, she couldn't help herself from quickly drowning the rest of her drink. She adverted her eyes, using the pretense of placing her glass on a side table. She bit her lip wondering at the sudden queasy, acidic feeling in her stomach. However, true to her nature, she quickly buried the feeling and confusion that came with it.
The countdown clock now flashed numbers descending from 30 next to a close up of the ball. In her peripheral vision, Brennan could see Cam and Michelle snuggled close together on the couch; Sweets and Daisy were in a passionate lip-lock that bordered on porno quality. Even Wendyle was shyly kissing his girlfriend, his ear blushing red at the public affection in front of the co-workers he looked up to.
The numbers flashed down from ten; everyone in the room and at the ceremony counted down along with the clock growing louder as the numbers grew smaller. Caught off guard by the simultaneous counting, Brennan hesitated a moment before joining in and growing more confident when Booth once again appeared next to her grinning madly as he shouted the countdown. At the end, deafening cries of 'Happy New Year' erupted throughout the room curtsey of the inhabitants and the television moments before everyone everywhere seemed to be encased in tight hugs and loving kisses. Brennan was afforded only a moment of lonely hesitation before a pair of arms encircled her.
Brennan turn in the arms to be nose to nose with Booth. His gaze was warm, radiating emotions she couldn't recognize but still managed to send shivers down her spine. Booth brushed his fingers over her cheek secretly enjoying being privy to the innocent confusion on Brennan's face that was so rarely seen.
In the blink of an eye, Booth's lips were pressed gently against hers. Brennan tensed momentarily, then pressed back against his lips, placing her hands gently against his chest. Never in her life had Brennan been so unsure of how to conduct herself sexually, yet here she was second guessing her every move.
Booth flashed back to his first kiss ever and decided that even then he wasn't nearly as nervous or aroused as he was as now. His entire body felt ablaze at her subtle response and gentle touch. He finally reached his breaking point- he slide one hand up to cup the back of her neck while at the same time his other hand slide around her waist pulling her flush against her body. He slide his hand up to the back of her head, entangling his fingers in her soft tresses and tugged lightly on them forcing her head back and at an angle. He immediately took advantage of her new position and took her bottom lip between his to gently suck and nibble on it. Her impossibly soft lips gave him an immediate head-rush.
Brennan shivered pleasurably at his bold move and wrapped her arms around his neck, brushing her fingers through the hair at its nape. A low moan escaped from deep within Booth's chest reverberating off her breasts as she pulled herself even closer to his body. The gentle scrapping of her nails against his scalp was intimate, making him smile into the kiss. Brennan was caught off guard by Booth's moan causing her to give pause, giving Booth the perfect opening to run his tongue along her lips. Her lips yielded readily and she was shocked by her own docility as Booth slipped between her lips and eagerly took in her taste. His slide his hand forward to cup her hip and gently massage it as he leaned in taking the kiss to a whole new depth. Finally, the need to breath forced the two to pull away. Booth trailed kisses along her jaw and down her neck, unwilling to loose the intimacy they shared so soon.
The sound of wolf whistles and cheering caused Booth to pull back slightly blushing lightly as he became aware of their friends watching and cheering them on. Brennan opened her eyes, suddenly being drawn to her senses by the loss on his warmth. She smiled shyly at him as she also became aware of her applauding friends. Smiling, Booth brushed his lips over the shell of her ear, whispering so softly she could barely her him.
"Happy New Years Bones."