Authors Note: This was going to be part of Knowledge, but thought it stood better on its' own.
Set after the second last episode of S6
They had decided they needed to talk.
They had decided on Chinese for dinner and they had decided to talk.
But all there was, was silence.
They didn't talk as they walked from the lab to the car, or as they drove to the Chinese place. Even at the restaurant all they had done was nod when the server had said 'the usual?'. They had ridden the elevator in silence, set the table and ate in silence, they even washed up in silence.
Now they were sitting next to each other on the couch in silence.
That morning in Booths apartment they had barely looked at each other, let alone talk. After what had happened in his bed they went to work like it was any other day. They caught the bad guy. They farewelled Mr. Nigel Murray, they came home together, they ate together.
And now here they were sitting together on her lounge. But they were not talking. Silence.
In her office after watching the car carrying Mr. Nigel Murray's coffin drive away, they had sat. For a long time.
"C'mon Bones, let me drop you home."
Brennan stood and walked to her desk.
"I don't want you to drop me home Booth."
She busied herself with tidying her desk not looking his way.
"C'mon Bones it has been a long day. Let me drop you home."
"I don't want you to drop me home Booth."
Booth didn't know why she was being obstinate. He walked over to her desk and stood next to her until she looked at him.
"Idon'twantyoutodrop mehomeBooth.Iwantyoutocomehome,withme."
Brennan's voice was barely a whisper, but he had heard it. Loud. And Clear. And then she continued,
"We need to talk."
Brennan was sitting on the couch wondering why Booth wasn't saying anything. She had said they had needed to talk, but he had been silent ever since. She reasoned, logically she believed, that as he was all about the heart and 'guts' he would take the lead in any conversation they needed to have about them.
But no. He was just sitting there as silent as one of those statutes on Easter Island. She wondered what was going through his mind. She thought once the coffin had gone she had indicated it was all okay – winding her arm in his, resting her head on his shoulder - so why the silence?
She had only just begun to process what had happened. Talking to Angela earlier had made it real. But they discussed what actually happened, in a fairly PG way, not (not that Angela didn't try), what it actually meant or how she actually felt.
Brennan hadn't expected anything other than a shoulder to cry on when she went into Booth's room. She wanted to not be alone. But lying together, so close, had stirred something inside both of them. Something that if she was being completely truthful with herself, had always been there.
When she woke in the morning she was surprised at how she felt. Not one to explore her feelings to deeply she couldn't help but feel – right. She thought she would be scared if she and Booth ever went any further than friends. But she wasn't. At that moment there was no fear. Just the feeling that she had finally come home.
But now she realized sitting here next to him that, at that moment, she was scared - not of him turning around and saying I want more, I want you in my life as more than just my partner. She was scared that he might say just the opposite.
And so she sat, in silence.
Booth was sitting on the couch wondering why Brennan wasn't saying anything. She had said they had needed to talk, but she had been silent ever since. He thought that if she had decided they need to talk that she would lead the discussion. She wasn't normally shy in letting him know exactly what she thought.
But no. She was just sitting there quietly. He wondered what was going through her mind. He thought everything was all okay – they had walked into the lab that night arm in arm. Her head was on her his shoulder – so why the silence?
Booth hadn't expected Brennan to come into his room. He knew she was upset, but he couldn't comfort her if she didn't want him to. So when she came in crying, he was there. He tried to say all the right things. Tried to think only about what she needed and not the fact that Bones was finally where he had wanted her for so long – in his bed. He was a gentleman. And then she had kissed him. He, so badly, did not want to screw up. He let her take the lead. And he finally felt – right.
He had what he always wanted, what he sabotaged his relationship with Hannah for (he knew deep down that asking her to marry him was a mistake, that she would leave, and he did it anyway). When he woke in the morning he was surprised that she was still there. He hadn't wanted to sleep, because he worried that he would wake up and find it all had been a dream. But it wasn't. But they had barely said a word to each other until the end of the day in the lab. And then she had said those words 'Weneedtotalk' but then she stopped.
And so he sat, in silence.
"Achoo!"
The silence was broken by a sneeze.
"Achoo! Achoo!"
As Brennan sneezed, her knee brushed Seeley Booths. It was enough for them to turn and look at each finally.
"Bless you."
"Thank you, Booth."
Booth, tired of silence, decided it was time to take the lead.
"How are you feeling?"
"Okay. Kinda tired."
"You did a good thing today, Bones. Bringing flowers."
"Thank you."
Booth shook his head. This wasn't much better than silence.
"Bones, c'mon you gotta give me something."
"Give you what?"
"You've gotta give me something more. You said we need to talk and you haven't said much at all. What is going on in that brilliant head of yours? Are you sorry about last night? Was it all about Mr. Nigel Murray and not about, you know…..?" He was rambling and he knew it, "this silence is driving me mad. You've got to talk to me. Three word sentences are not enough."
Silence descended again and Booth sighed. Brennan however, stood and offered him her hand. He stood also and saw she was smiling.
"I love you."