A/N: Inspired by the Season Three Promo and Bones asking Booth why his eyes are closed while he is on top of her :o)
My Eyes
Everyone has something about themselves that they don't like. For me, it is my eyes. There isn't anything physically wrong with them; it's the emotional aspect of them that I don't like. They truly are the window to my heart and soul. I have tried so hard to keep them from her, and I was successful, until that day – the day I allowed her to look into my eyes and see my heart and soul.
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It was another routine day, interrogating suspects, arguing about who should drive my company car, and wandering around a dark warehouse that had a bomb set to go off while we were in there. Thank goodness, there was a glitch in the trigger switch and it only sent my life flashing before my eyes.
"Bones, Get down!" I instinctively threw my body at hers and pushed her to the ground. Not knowing the force of this particular bomb, I pressed down hard on her hoping, no, praying, that I would keep her safe. I was trained to accept death whenever it came knocking and some days I was more prepared than others. Today I was completely prepared to give my life for hers.
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"Well that sure was an exciting day," Tempe exclaimed as she and Booth made lunch at her place.
"Sure was," he replied as he cut up the strawberries and whipped the cream.
The small talk was becoming cumbersome, which bugged the hell out of Tempe. She was a woman of facts and truth. She was going to get both out of him.
"Why did you push me down today?"
"I told you Bones; I was protecting you from what I thought was a bomb about to go off."
"Wouldn't you have been hurt by being on top of me?"
That is why I closed my eyes. I knew she would see my beyond partners concern for her, my longing desire to join our bodies, our lives, as one. My life had flashed before me, Parker, my parents, my brother and even Rebecca standing in the sun holding Parker's hand as they said goodbye to me. A micro second before I opened them, she passed through my mind, embracing what I though was our first and last moment together.
"It was instinct, that is what I have been trained to do, protect others." He kept his eyes focused on his food, paying attention to every detail on the strawberry he held in his hand.
"If there had been a bomb, you could have been killed, right?"
He looked up at her, meeting her eyes for only a second, "Yes." Lord, please make her stop.
"Seeley Booth, look at me."
Startled at her use of his first and last name, coupled along with the agitation in her voice, he looked up, brushing over her eyes with his then moving them to her plate. Is she going to eat that strawberry because that is the best looking one and it would be a shame to waste it. I'll ask her.
"Are you going to eat that?" he asked as he gestured towards the lonely strawberry on her plate.
"Yes I am, so get your hands and eyes off of it. Stop looking at my food and look at me, in the eyes."
"I can't," he whispered then took a sip of his iced tea.
"Why not?"
"Because then you will know."
"Know what? Booth, what has gotten into you? You have been acting really strange and never look me in the eyes anymore. Did you do something bad, illegal? What is it?" She knew her line of questioning was going astray. It had to. It was the path that would lead him - right to her.
Well, some people might consider it sinful for work partners to fall in love.
"No I didn't do anything illegal," he replied, his focus still on trying to avoid her eyes. He was slowly losing that battle as her questions continued.
"Then you did something bad."
That's it; she is relentless. "Not so much bad as inappropriate. Well some people may find it inappropriate."
"Are you one of those people, that feel what you did was inappropriate?"
"No." Loving her was appropriate.
Tempe had had enough of this conversation. She was sure she could reel him in but he was the master. She knew how to find the answer she was looking for: he had taught her - and she was a quick learner. Tempe pulled her chair out and scooted it towards him causing his body to tense at her close proximity but he continued eating. That was until her hands gently cupped his face and directed it at hers. Eyes had yet to meet but she was going to change that. She pulled her face closer to his, knowing that would get his attention.
"What did you do?" Simultaneously her voice was commanding and compassionate,.
His heart started to beat faster and his mind pounded with thoughts; his battle was lost, his eyes finally met hers. He longed for and dreaded this moment for the past several months which caused his body to become completely motionless, leaving him the ability to move only his lips. "I fell in love with you." A wave of clamness flowed through his body as the though the words he had spoken, massaged his stiffened muscles. .
This could go two ways: she admits her love for me or she kicks my ass out the door. He was prepared for either situation to transpire.
