Title: Stated Positions Mentioned Without Words
Author: Faline
Rating: T
Word Count: 1506
Spoilers: 1.09, 2.05, 3.09, 4.13
Summary: Five Times Booth kissed a girl and one time he didn't. A little more angsty fluff. B/B overtones

1 : :

The lights were very sparkly. He had tried, earlier, to catch them with his hand but found them to be made of star dust and laughter. That was the only explanation he could come up with, so that's what he was going with.

The hat on his head must have looked ridiculous and when he'd come upon Bones and judged her for being such a Grinch he could tell that she'd been slightly amused.

And he had been stoned.

His walk was slightly less than straight and he corrected his earlier statement. He was still stoned. Booth wandered towards Brennan's office. He kind of wanted to bother her some more. The door was open when he approached and he didn't bother knocking.

Blindly rounding the couch he swore as he tripped on a solid object and sprawled over the couch. "What in the world?"

Booth's grin was silly and he braced himself over the lump that had just spoken. "Hi Angela."

"Hey space cadet. Did you get lost?"

He cocked his head to one side, clearly not understanding her meaning. Angela shoved him lightly on the chest. He fell backwards and hit the floor hard on his butt. Booth couldn't help but laugh at the sudden movement and the feeling of enjoyment that flooded him so quickly.

"This is the girls room. You're camping out in Dr. Goodman's office, remember?"

He nodded slowly. "I remember something of the sort. I don't actually remember how to get there though. It's on the second floor isn't it?" Booth lurched slowly to his feet and, after turning around a few times to locate the exit, started for his own quarters.

Angela sighed and got up. She caught up with him at the door. He was stopped, looking up. Every couple of seconds he would reach above his head and try to grasp at something. Angela stopped next to him and glanced up.

The only thing she saw with the mistletoe. Booth's hand fell and he glanced down at her. i'Wait. Mistletoe?'/i

She wasn't prepared for his arm snaking around her waist; wasn't prepared to be flush against his body. "You did insist earlier Miss Montenegro."

The kiss lasted for a total of four seconds, Angela counted, and was perfunctory politeness. Booth released her and stepped back. In a moment of seeming madness he gave her a jaunty salute before turning away and heading towards the exit on the other end of the lab.

Angela watched him go, her jaw dropped.

2 : :

When Booth met Cam they were both in college. He was just about done with his degree. She was already in Graduate school. It was a freak meeting; she spilled her coffee all over his notes in a cafe one afternoon and they'd spent the next four hours talking.

Booth had never had conversations like that before.

Two weeks later she moved in and he gave her his dog tags. Said it was like letting her wear his class ring or his letterman's jacket.

He still remembered the look on her face when she'd solemnly given them back and apologized for having to leave him. She still remembered how hard it was to walk away from the look of hurt and confusion on his face.

She supposed that's why she didn't back down when he barged in to her office to confront her about sharing his latest hook up with Rebbecca. As his voice slowly came down from it's angry pitch he leveled one of his strangely appealing irritated look her direction and she practically jumped him.

He resisted. He had the first time she'd kissed him too, but just like then, now he pulled her close. Maturity had done them both a world of good and before they'd had a chance to really process what they were doing they were already on their way to their cars and back to his place.

He kept thinking that this was a mistake. He had other desires on his mind, other women, but he couldn't shake the feeling that this was comfortable. That this was still okay. And if it was such a mistake why did it feel so right?

3 : :

Booth was beginning to feel like he should just run whenever he spotted mistletoe in his partner's office.

Only strange and very emotionally challenging things happened when the little sprouts were around and it would just be better for him, and probably Angela, if he avoided it all together.

The look on Brennan's face though; it was sheer determination mixed with some trepidation and even a little shyness. Although her words were anything but shy. Not to mention the hold she managed on his lapels.

He wanted to run from the office, hide what was sure to be a bulge building in his pants, and forget he'd ever made a fool of himself like that. The gum though, was his undoing.

It was still sweet, being so fresh and all. He had to give her a grin and thank her for it before leaving.

He was half way to the exit when he realized what had just happened. Booth paused in mid-step. It was finally soaking in to his shocked mind. He turned on his heel and stalked back to the office.

He grabbed the door handle on the way in, pulling it shut, and walked purposefully towards Brennan. She had said kissing him was like kissing her brother. She turned to him as he reached her and didn't give her the chance to protest before swooping down and claiming her lips.

Those twelve tugboats were put to shame and the fire in his blood must have burned her because she detached herself from him almost violently. The look of shock on her face made him almost guilty until he grinned the feeling away.

"Thought you'd like that back actually. And I hope I don't kiss like your brother because that'd just be strange."

Her skin burned red and he knew he'd just scored a major point in the battle against Dr. Temperance Brennan. Feeling much better about the situation he left, for real this time, leaving Bones behind him. She chewed her returned gum and considered the turn of events with something akin to amazement and even a little joy.

4 : :

He waved off Bones's disbelief and approached the woman in the pink overcoat.

She recognized him, instantly. There's no amount of time long enough to forget the face of the man you believe killed the man that you loved.

His arms wide is supplication, he started with an apology. And then, he passed along his message. Her eyes cleared as he spoke. He knew he was breaking her heart with this sort of talk, but he owed it to Teddy. He owed it to Clare too so that she might know peace of a sort.

She hugged him them, quickly but tightly before turning and looking down at the grave.

She spoke a few words. Nothing heavy but enough to make her point. She had always loved the kid too. She probably always would.

Booth glanced back at Brennan once and to his surprise he found Teddy standing right behind her. He gave his compatriot a wave, which his partner returned, before Clare stood and faced him again.

"I blamed you. For a long time. Thank you for being patient with a grieving lover."

She hugged him again, this time raising her face and brushing a kiss over his cheek. He still ached from the explosion and his eyes were a source of small but irritating head aches. But he welcomed the embrace anyhow. He even kissed her own cheek.

Booth understood that he would probably never see Clare again. He also understood that the two of them now held a very important part of Teddy in their hearts and that no amount of time would ever change that.

5 : :

He was far too close right then. All he had to do was lower his head and he'd be kissing her. Again. That last thought brought a blush to Temperance's cheeks. As he descended she turned her face away, unable to handle the worry and fear running coldly through her veins.

"Bones? What-"

She stepped back, a sad and slightly confused smile on her face. "I'm sorry Seeley. I won't be blind comfort for you."

It took a lot of her will power to turn and walk away from him. He watched her go, his long wool coat flapping in the slight winter breeze as they lowered his father's coffin in to the ground next to him.

Booth watched, and let, her go; he was emotionally numb and a meaningless encounter of that nature with her would just be a waste of a good time. His brother's hand touched his shoulder and Booth let the reassuring weight rest for a moment before he brushed it off and walked away as well, never looking back to glimpse the shining wood being slowly covered in dirt.