AN:This is a one-shot, I came up with after watching the Critic in the Cabernet again. It doesn't have all that much plot, only fluff, fluff and fluff.... I really hope you like it. Like always nothing belongs to me.

Temperance Brennan could still hear the surgical drill they used to open up his skull as she woke up with a start. She should never have allowed herself to fall asleep. She wasn't supposed to sleep when her partner was lying in a hospital bed. Furious with herself, because she didn't watch over him properly, she needed a few seconds to realize why exactly she woke up. Someone was stroking her hair and the soft caress felt so familiar, that she immediately knew that it could only be Booth's fingers on her head.

Turning her head a little bit to face him, she could see that his eyes were still closed but a small smile played on his lips. She had sat on a plastic chair next to his bed and had had her head laid down next to his left arm right before she fell asleep. Now his left hand was lying on her waist and his right hand was stroking her hair.

Brennan wasn't sure if he woke up and fell back asleep again or if he changed positions in his sleep, but she knew that HE was trying to make HER feel better. Even after brain surgery, he was thinking about her. Immediately, the tingling feeling in the pit of her stomach returned. She wasn't exactly sure what it meant, but she had felt it a lot in the last couple of weeks. But she only felt it, when she was close to Booth.

Deciding that she would think about this little fact later, she laid her head back down next to him and closed her eyes. Before she could even think about falling asleep again, she heard the door being opened and the voice of her best friend as she told someone else to please be quiet.

Brennan was about to rise once again as the voice of Angela made her stop. "Look at them, Jack. Even unconscious he still reaches out for her. I only wish she could see how much she means to him…I wish, she could see that he loves her."."I know Ange. He even wants to help her with this crazy baby idea." "He would do anything for her. He even told me so, when I first came to the Jeffersonian."

That last one was Cam's voice. Apparently, they all believed that Booth felt more for her than friendship. Could it be true? Could he really love her? Was he in love with her? And why had he changed his opinion about the baby? Twice even. First in the interrogation room and later on their way to the OR. What was it that HE really wanted? And what was only done to make her feel better?

Deep in thought Brennan didn't realize that Booth's hand in her hair had stopped its movement the moment Angela walked into the room. Now that all the squints were gone again, she came back to her senses. If Booth reacted to Ange's voice, he must be awake and he probably knew that she was awake as well.

She was certain that he would want to talk to her about the baby and everything Angela, Cam and Jack talked about just minutes earlier. But she wasn't ready yet. She had no idea how she felt, how Booth felt or what she wanted to do.

Before she could panic and run away Booth's slightly hoarse voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Don't run away now, Bones. I'm in no shape to chase you right now."

Sensing that she still wasn't sure what to do, he decided to give her an easy way out for now. They didn't have to talk now if she wasn't ready yet, but they would have to talk later. He didn't want to suppress those feelings for her any longer.

"We don't have to talk about any of this stuff now, okay? Just don't leave me alone now."

He realized that he was more or less pleading with her to stay, but he didn't care. He wanted her to stay and he wouldn't let his pride get in the way. Until now, Temperance hadn't even looked at him, but she knew that she couldn't avoid him any longer.

Slowly lifting her head, she could look into his eyes for the first time since his surgery. He looked like he was in pain, his eyes didn't have their usual spark anymore and the tiny lines around his eyes had deepened considerably. He looked ten years older and he seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

"What's wrong Booth? Are you in pain? Should I get the nurse? Or your doctor?"

But deep down she already knew, that his pain wasn't physical. Not the tumor made him look like that, but HER. She was responsible for his distress, for the sad look, the hurt expression and probably the broken heart.

He was more important than her fears. He was miserable, but still he gave her the possibility to hide a little longer from her feelings. Now she had to do something for him though.

"I'm sorry, Booth. I'm so sorry. I know that we are more than partners, that the feelings go deeper than friendship. I know all that and I'm sorry for asking you to father my child."

"Bones…"

"No. Please let me continue. I know how hard it is for you not to see Parker whenever you want. I also know that you want to have a real family. A wife, children who weren't created in a clinic, maybe a dog…I just wish I could give you all that…but I can't…how could I…I never had a real family, never wanted to marry…I…"

"Temperance. Please listen to me. You are right, I always dreamed of living the American Dream. Wife, 2 or 3 children, a dog and the white picket fence. But then I met you and all that wasn't as important anymore. Only seeing Parker every other weekend is hard though and I'm not going to willingly risk that heartache again."

"I know Booth and I should have thought about that first, but I didn't and I'm sorry."

"No. Don't be sorry, you only wanted a child, but I can't help you with that. Not like that…"

He paused a few seconds, trying to swallow the lump in his throat before he continued.

"What they said is true, Temperance. I do love you and I know that you don't believe in love so I don't expect anything from you. I can live with only being your work partner, I can live with seeing you date other guys, but I could no longer live with all that, if you were pregnant with my child at the time. I'm sorry…"

Brennan didn't know what to say anymore. He really loved her. Why had he never said anything? He kept talking about someone for everyone, eventually and the one person you are meant to spend your life with and all those times, he already thought that she was this person for him?

"Why did you never say anything?"

She hated to hear the tiny voice coming out of her mouth, but she couldn't do anything about that now. As well as she could do nothing to prevent her hands from shaking.

"I knew that you could never feel the same and I wasn't willing to risk what we have. You are not the only one who can compartmentalize feelings. I have to admit that there was the occasional slip, when I couldn't control the jealousy anymore, but most of the time I managed to stay in control."

"Why did you do that? I can't believe you, you knew all that for a while and never told me. How could you keep that from me?"

Booth had no idea why she was angry now. Why should she be so angry with him for not telling her? Except…maybe…but that couldn't be….

She was all about science and biological urges, not love and making love. She couldn't be feeling what he was feeling, could she? Was it possible that he had kept quiet, because he didn't want their partnership and friendship to end, when in fact they could have been so much more for a while now? Before he could decide whether to ask her or not, he could see the anger turn to fear and he had to grab her arm to keep her from running.

"Damn Bones. No running today. Didn't I made that clear enough for ya?"

She struggled just a little bit, before she sat down again. It was a good sign at least. If she had wanted to get away, he wouldn't have been able to get her to stay. He was still sleepy and his head hurt, but this was about his future - maybe the rest of his life – and he wasn't about to loose her because of some stupid brain tumor and the resulting headache.

"I'm in love with you Temperance. And I didn't tell you before, because I was afraid that you might run away from me. I couldn't stand not having you as my partner and best friend anymore. So I decided to keep quiet to make sure not to scare you too much."

He looked so sincere now and she knew that he really felt deeply for her the moment she looked into his eyes.

"You know that I don't understand the concept of love. I've never believed in it, never felt it. But the prospect of maybe not having you in my life anymore scared me. I can't imagine my life without you anymore. I like sharing my meals with you, I like talking to you about everything that happens in my life and I like our guy hugs."

Booth swallowed hard. Everything she just said sounded like she was in love with him. Could it be, that she loved him, but didn't know it?

"I…I get this strange feeling sometimes…It's a little tingling in the pit of my stomach…It only happens when I am close to you…I…is that love? Booth, do you think I love you too?"

She looked so cute with the shy and confused look and he had wanted to kiss her for years now. So instead of trying to answer her question, he moved his left hand, which was still holding onto her arm, to the back of her head and pulled her towards him. Her right arm came up from her side to keep herself from falling on top of him, but she didn't try to get away from him and she didn't try to keep their lips from touching.

Feeling their lips pressed together again for the first time since their blackmail-mistletoe-kiss caused his whole body to tingle pleasantly. They nipped, licked, sucked and caressed the lips and tongues of each other for a few minutes before Temperance pulled away. Her breathing was labored, her eyes glazed over and her lips slightly swollen. To Booth she looked even more gorgeous than ever before. And the thought that he made her look like that, filled his heart with pride.

"Do you feel the tingling again? Do you want to do this again? Can you imagine kissing me for the next 20 years? If you can say yes to all those questions and you feel like you never again want to be with another man, than what you feel is most likely love."

He stopped to look at her for a moment.

"If you only feel a few of those things you might be falling in love right now…"

He didn't want to even think about the third option. But the possibility that she didn't feel anything was still there.

She still looked dazed, but slowly a smile spread on her lips, before she leant down to kiss him once more. She stopped an inch before reaching her goal.

"I think, I'll have to do some more research on the matter, but I think I might be able to jump to a conclusion for once."

She gave him her most beautiful smile and he was sure, that if he hadn't been lying in bed anyway, she would have weakened his knees considerably. With a very husky voice he managed to utter a question.

"What is your conclusion, Temperance?"

"It is only logical to assume that I love you too."

And with that she closed the remaining gap between them to seal the deal of her life.

AN2: Now that you made it this far you could leave me a little review as well, couldn't you? *puppy dog eyes*