Practice Makes Perfect
a/n: So yeah this story was in my head for a while before I finally decided to write it. I mean I really couldn't pass up the oppurtunity to write a BB/Parker story. lmfao. sorry if anything seems out of character in parts...sometimes I was writing this on zero sleep. lol
disclaimer: I don't own BONES.
"Booth!" Brennan had noticed the familiar name of her partner light up on her screen and didn't hesitate on answering it. "Is there a body?" They hadn't had a case in three weeks so Brennan had been spending a lot of time in Limbo. Although she loved limbo, it didn't compare to the fun she experienced while solving murder cases with Booth.
"No. I was just calling to tell you that I can't have coffee today. Rebecca is in a three-day meeting so she dropped Parker off with me. So I'm taking the little guy ice skating."
Brennan felt a twinge of disappointment. She had been counting on hanging out with Booth today. "Oh well that's fine. You have fun with Parker then." She could always catch up on her writing. She had been meaning to finish her eighth chapter anyway.
"No, Bones. I was going to ask if you wanted to come ice skating with us. I figured the lack of cases has gotten to you too." Brennan heard a slight chuckle come out of the reciever.
She rolled her eyes, "You know I'm no good at ice skating. Remember? I tend to fall on the ice much more often than would be considered normal."
"Yeah, well...you should practice more Bones. You know what they say, Practice makes perfect."
She had said the same thing to him about his target practice, now she felt as if he was turning it against her. She did have to admit though how nice it felt gliding across the ice with Booth there to hold her up. "Fine, I'll be there." She surrendered.
"Great Bones! I'll be there in an hour. Remember to dress warm!" Not soon after the line went dead. Brennan looked at the ended call in awe. He sure was in a hurry to get off the phone. Maybe he had to do something. Still, she wished she had been able to say goodbye properly. Even if they were going to see each other soon, a goodbye is common courtesy when ending a call.
Brennan rolled her eyes, trying to block out her pointless be-ratings. She shouldn't be getting so upset over something so insignificant as a short lived phone call. He had told her to find some warm clothes so she was going to do exactly that.
Jeans were the first thing that came to mind. She definitely would be wearing jeans, her thickest pair just in case she had a repeat of her gluteous-maximus meeting the ice. Her green corduroy jacket would be warm with her black cashmere sweater underneath along with a white camisole. Top it all off with a beanie, gloves, and a scarf...she'd be set. No there was no question in her mind what she'd wear. It usually came second nature to her but she found it rather strange how excited she was getting over putting the outfit together.
As she put on her last item, the beanie, over her head she noticed the way her hair seemed to flatten from the new compact space. She frowned, thinking automatically that she needed to fix that. Without giving it a second thought she took out her curling iron and began to work on giving her hair some body, despite the drawback of the beanie. After about an hour she set the iron down and admired her newly curled hair. She had to admit, she looked good. Her heart pumped quickly with excitement. Why was it that she was getting so flustered over hanging out with Booth and his son at the ice skating rink? She'd hung out with them together before. She'd even allowed them access to her pool, an honor she hadn't even bestowed upon her best friend Angela yet. Brennan made a mental note to invite the young artist whenever they both had the time off.
The phone startled Brennan out of her brief reverie and she noticed Booth's name lite upon the screen again. "Yeah?" She answered it expectantly.
Booth's voice immediately blared across the phone, "Hey Bones I'm so sorry the line went dead before. I just got a good signal now go figure. We're almost there, I'm about three minutes away so are you ready?" His voice seemed to crack from all the pressure.
Brennan sighed in relief. She'd freaked out over nothing. It was just a dropped call. She laughed a little at her rash judgment, "Uh, yeah. I'm ready Booth."
"Okay I'll be there soon. Bye Bones."
She held her breath and let it out slowly, "Bye." She closed her phone and set it in her purse, taking one last look at herself in the mirror before heading to the couch in the living room. Brennan was definitely beside herself as she set down on the cushion. Her mind kept going over the possible scenarios in which she would embarrass herself by taking fall after fall on the slippery frozen water. Booth had told her Practice makes Perfect, but she felt as if there was no way she would ever be as perfect as him on the ice. She had remembered watching him from the stands, gliding along with ease....completely amazed at how easy he made it look. She definitely was going to have a hard time fostering her feelings of inadequacy.
Brennan huffed in frustration, a little upset that she was letting herself worry about such a menial task. She could do this, she was an intelligent forensic anthropologist with three doctorates. If she could master the skeletal system she could definitely master her balance on the ice. With Booth as her teacher, she could learn it in no time. So why was she so nervous? There were a few things that crossed her mind, the first being that Parker would be there. She might feel a little let down if she was falling and Booth's little kid was skating circles around her. Pride was a costly emotion, but she couldn't help but feel like hers could be damaged in an instant.
She shook her head to try and keep that thought from surfacing. It's not like Parker would laugh at her or think she was less intelligent because of her inability to stay balanced. He was a good kid...he'd probably help her learn. He was Booth's son after all...she had noticed how both of them had similarities that were very distinct. Their genuine friendliness making it quite easy for Brennan to bond with them. So this should be very easy....or not.
Her hands started to shake and she placed them in her lap to conceal her nervousness...despite the fact that she was alone. She was on edge, looking at the door constantly expecting the next second to hear a knock. Booth had said three minutes away and she was freaking out even though it had only been two minutes. She scolded herself for being so impatient. This would be so much easier if it was just a cup of coffee with her partner...but weirdly it seemed like more than that.
The ring on her doorbell had her up and heading straight to the door without a moments hesitation. It didn't even faze her that she had been so quick to get up from the couch, all she could really focus on was getting that door open, and when she did she couldn't help but feel relief that the waiting was over. Her icy blue eyes locked with the pair of chocolate orbs on the other side and they both shared a genuine smile, "Hey Booth. I'm ready."
He nodded, his eyes locked on hers...refusing to remove themselves. "Yeah, I see that. You look beautiful Bones."
Her heart skipped a beat, a reaction that confused and scared her. With a smile, she pushed the irrational thoughts out of her brain and move past the threshold. She let the door shut behind her and gave Booth a look that clearly stated that she was ready to go. Booth didn't mind that she hadn't said anything about the way he looked because it was all in her eyes. Just the way she got all red and speechless was proof of everything let alone the fact that her eyes no matter how hard they tried kept glancing back in his direction. It was clear as day what she was thinking.
If only she understood what she felt...
Booth casually let his arm grip around her back to push her onward, "Parker is so excited. He hasn't stopped talking about it since I picked him up." Booth shot her a cocky grin, one she matched not a second afterwards...finding herself thinking about the fun they were all about to have.
With Parker....and Booth.
She shook her head jokingly, "Well that's what you get for inviting the best Forensic Anthropologist in the world...you get a lot of FUN." She said with a laugh. Booth couldn't help but bust out and soon enough they were both hitting each other playfully as they walked down the hallway towards the elevators. Their sounds bounded across the thin walls and everyone with eardrums were most likely stopping whatever they were doing to listening at their doors but they could have cared less. They were already having fun, Brennan thought, and they hadn't even gotten to the car yet. "So where is Parker?" She said as soon as the elevator doors had closed.
Booth smiled, "Well you know, like I said... he was excited." He said vaguely, not letting her know in the slightest where his little boy was, which in a way frustrated her to no end how vague he was being..but her smile still held.
She'd crack him eventually.
"Where's Parker?" She gave him a challenging look, hoping his force-field wasn't that powerful.
Booth chuckled, "You'll see." He gave her a look that clearly stated, 'You're not getting anything from me' along with a cocky smile to add to his satisfaction. God he loved when they did this dance. He didn't know about her, but their little tiffs always sent his emotions into chaos...a feeling that always played with his heart.
Now if only she knew what he was feeling....
Brennan squinted her eyebrows, giving him the 'That is so not fair' look. Sadly his force-field was stronger than she had always wanted it to be. Still, it's one of the things she loved most about him...he was so darn stubborn, "Urgh! Fine..." She turned around with a huff and crossed her arms angrily, still her smile eventually appeared and Booth caught it enough to know that she wasn't going to be mad at him for long. "Just know that you're the only person that can get past my anti-mortem stare."
He chuckled a little at her mistake, "Bones, that's 'Death stare'. The person that invented the phrase was not a squint." He caught her eyes and made sure she saw his smile so she knew he was only joking. She rolled her eyes and continued to look away with a grin still glued to her face. She'd have to remember his correction for later.
The elevator doors swung open, allowing them an easy exit. Booth's hand re-established it's spot at the small of her back as he pushed her forward once again. It wasn't long until they both had made it to the parking lot. Before she could get to the driver's side Booth stopped her with his hand on her arm. "Uh Bones...while you're here, I was wondering if you could help me with something?"
"Yeah, sure anything."
Booth let a happy grin escape his face as he pulled her towards the trunk and started talking rapidly. "I have this latch that I've been having a hard time operating on the car...I really can't remember how to do it since the brain operation. I don't know why it's just everytime I try it...it gives out on me. Since you're the squinty squint with basic reasoning skills I figured you could help." He let out his charm smile.
Brennan raised an eyebrow, "You need help figuring out how to open your trunk? Booth, a child could do that."
Booth chuckled, "No not the trunk. I need you to help me with a device that's inside the trunk."
Brennan looked at him for any hint of a joke playing on his features, but he seemed to be completely serious so she gave in. "Fine...just watch me carefully. And if you're playing some sort of trick on me where a snake jumps out of a jack-in-the-box then there's no way I'm ever trusting you again."
Booth unmasked any sign of a joke, while inside he truly hoped that wasn't true. "Okay."
Brennan took one last playful glance at him before opening up the car door, only to get pummeled as soon as it opened by something much larger than a jack-in-the-box. She soon found herself holding who she surmised was Parker after the initial shock of the trick, "Dr. Brennan! Dr. Brennan! Did you like our trick? Was it good? I thought of it" Although she wanted to be angry with both him and Booth she realized it was quite thoughtful and all in good fun. It's not like they had embarassed her or anything.
She let out a little giggle, "Yeah, it was very clever Parker." She encouraged him before setting him down on the pavement. She looked from him to Booth...lingering a little at his eyes and letting out a charm smile that suddenly matched his...and moving back to Parker who looked so excited that he might explode, "Your dad should be an actor...he was very convincing."
The three shared in a moment of hilarious laughter, the bond between all of them as strong as any other group of people in the parking lot. Booth broke the laughter eventually, "Well I think I'd prefer catching the bad guys." He said in his suave, macho tone. "Come on you two, let's go kill the ice!" He quipped, looking mainly at Brennan who was still looking at him as if he were the only person in the whole world.
Parker smiled at the pair...wishing he could make magic happen and force them to kiss. He'd seen it in the movies, the spark that hits two people that makes them stick together like glue. Usually he'd barf at how gross it all was but he couldn't help but smile whenever he saw his dad with Bones. They looked so awesome together.
If only they knew what was so obvious to everyone else on the planet....
"Yay! Let's go!" Parker hugged them both before darting to the back seat. Booth and Brennan shot each other an amused look before taking their spots in the car as well. The whole ride to the ice-skating rink was filled with joyous laughter and conversation about the events to come. Most of the time Booth and Brennan kept their glances locked on each other-despite the moments Booth had to look away to drive-and shared many tiny jokes about how Booth would look on the red carpet. The fun didn't stop even when they reached their destination, the trio finding one thing after the other to talk about.
Booth helped parker out of the car as Brennan found her way around to their side. "You know Parker, I'm not sure you're going to look up to me as much after you see me skate. Let's just say that dead bodies have more balance than me." She said, shooting Booth a humorous look.
The two Booth's let out hysterical laughter as the elder put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close, "Bones that was one of the funniest jokes I've ever heard come out of your mouth." He was surprised that he hadn't even thought of it...but then remembered he probably wouldn't have said it anyways because coming from him it might have sounded like an insult, being that he had a lot of balance and was an expert skater.
Brennan's heart thumped around wildly in her chest at the closeness, her cheeks warming like the air between them. "W-well you know me. I'm the best in my field." Her words seemed shakier than they had a few moments ago, and she berated herself for letting her emotions slip. Why did things have to be so complicated? What was this crazy irrational behavior in her body that was making her so unfocused. Whatever it was she needed to know so she could keep it in control. Now the only thought that seemed to be occurring to her was Booth...and it held for a good long moment till Booth let go of the tight hold reluctantly and started forward with his arm still placed around her, slightly less tight than before.
He let out a grin, "Oh I know you Bones, no doubt about that." He could tell by her reaction that her walls were starting to slip. Sooner or later he was going to get those walls to tumble down, and he had a feeling that it was going to be soon.
As soon as they got inside, all three of them became aware of the sudden shift in temperature. Booth took advantage of the opportunity and pulled Brennan in a little tighter squeeze, letting his palm rub up and down occasionaly along her arm. Brennan shivered a little at the gesture, but rationalized it as the sudden coldness surrounding them. "It's a good thing I dressed warmly." She stated optimstically, sharing a euphoric grin with her partner. "And of course the constant warmth of a hug doesn't hurt."
The lady at the front desk smiled warmly at the newest members, "Ahh, how lovely to see another family out and about. You know if your child is under eleven you'll only have to pay fifteen dollars for all three of you together. It's too bad you guys didn't come last Friday. We had a Couples Celebration. All couples got in free. Then you would have only had to pay three dollars."
Brennan shook her head in protest, "Uh, n-no we're not a couple. We're...just friends...colleagues actually. Just hanging out, nothing romantic about it. And-uh...the boy's his...not mine." She didn't know why she was letting the lady in on her personal life but she felt the extreme urge to put up her walls again because they were beginning to crumble even with the mention of a romantic life with Booth. Every rational bone in her body was screaming at her to stop putting her head in the clouds but her heart kept pushing her forward like the irrational muscle that it was.
The lady chuckled a little, "Sure, you're just friends. Fifteen dollars please. Do you have your own skates or will you be purchasing those too?"
"We'll need some skates." Brennan could feel her cheeks warming up as soon as Booth had spoken, a firmer conviction to herself that he was very very close beside her still. To the casual observer they most likely looked like they were in a romantic relationship.
The lady nodded, "What size?"
Before Brennan could mention her size Booth chimed in, "Uh 12 for me, 8 1/2 for the beautiful forensic anthropologist beside me, and 3 for the little tiger that shares my strikingly handsome genes." His macho, suave tone making an appearance yet again. Both stunning Brennan and making her feel as if the room temperature had risen suddenly. He knew her size? Well...it made some sense. He did know her after all. But the fact that he had called her beautiful for the second time today made her cheeks flush.
Parker laughed, "I'm 3 1/2 now daddy. I grew over the last week!" He said proudly, flashing Brennan a look that clearly stated that he was in fact becoming a man.
Booth nodded, "Okay then you heard the little tike. Three and a half." He said before slipping her the cash that he had added together in his head, remembering very well how much skates cost at their current location. The lady took the money and put it in the cash register, soon getting their sizes and placing them on the counter.
She shot them a smile, "You all have fun now! Have a LOT of fun!" She emphasized the words with a playful smirk, knowing all too well what had been left unspoken.
Brennan looked away from the lady immediately, feeling more of a squeeze on her shoulder as they moved towards the rink. "You heard the woman Bones, let's have some FUN!" The inflection in his voice on the word fun immediately made her mind wander to more romantic fantasies with her partner and she had to force herself from acting upon them. She was a professional..he was a professional. They shouldn't go there.
But they weren't professionals at the moment. They were just two good friends spending time with the more devilishly handsome friend's son. They could have fun, maybe not in the romantic sense...but in the good-nature of friendship...they could definitely have some fun. She smiled knowing that she was indeed going to be spending the day with the two of them, probably looking like a fool on the ice but it was still going to be better than spending hours staring at limbo bones all day. Not that it usually bugged her but after three weeks...she was begging for a break.
Parker ran ahead to take his seat on the first bench he laid eyes on, quickly putting on his skates so he could be the first one on the ice. He wanted so badly to show Bones how good he was, just like his dad.
Booth helped Brennan get on her skates, occasionally locking eyes with her and sharing that million dollar smile that they both seemed to be wearing a lot that day. Booth eventually started on his own skates, not surprised that before he had even finished, Parker had started running for the rink. "Parker, you wait! I don't want you getting too far away from either of us, you understand?"
"Dad, I'll be fine!" Came the very stubborn reply. "We're not at a theme park or anything. There's not even that many people here!"
Booth glared, "No, Parker. You stay close, or we go home. Got it?"
Parker sighed with disappointment and headed back to his dad and Bones. "Fine. You know sooner or later you're going to realize that I'm not a baby!" His arms crossed defiantly.
Booth shook his head as he finished his skates. He took Brennan's hand gingerly, helping her up so that she could stand. Brennan wobbled a bit from the loss of balance but Booth's arms took their sturdy spot on her shoulders. "Thanks." She acknowledged the gesture kindly, a little worried about how much harder this was all going to be once they were on the ice.
"Come on slowpokes!" Parker exclaimed, waving them both to the rink. The adults just laughed, trying not to say anything about Parker's impatient outbursts but following obediently.
As soon as Brennan's feet hit the slippery ice beneath her she felt like ridiculing herself for thinking that this was a good idea. She was already feeling herself falter shakily, the only thing keeping her from crashing were the solid support system of Booth's arms. "You got this Bones okay, you can trust me. I won't let go until you're ready."
Brennan let out an amused chuckle, "Yeah like I'll ever be ready for THAT." She meant it in more ways than one and she wasn't afraid to admit that. It was a very general realization she'd had over the years. Booth was her support, her rock. He was always there when she needed him. Brennan had no problem with that fact. So she held on tight, keeping his words close to her heart. There was no way he was going to let go unless she really wanted him too. She trusted him, and she knew he wouldn't break his promise.
Looking up from the ice she met his eyes, noticing that they were trained on only her, despite the fact that Parker was off doing who knows what. She noticed that his eyes seemed to sparkle more when they met hers, she didn't know what it meant but she loved the distinction. No matter what her second cousin said about his eyes being too close together...she still found them pleasing to look at.
Her feet struggled to keep up with the very slow pace they had started at, despite the arms that were holding her so close that she really hadn't felt the cold around her. "B-booth can we stop for a second?" Booth nodded and skated them both to the opening in the rink. He sat by, still holding her as she let her head fall into her hands. "Ugh, my equilibrium is more off than usual...I have no idea why."
Booth's face scrunched with worry, "Are you feeling alright? Are you sick, cause if you're sick...I can tell Parker and we can drive h-"
She held her hand up to cut him off as she stared into his eyes, "N-no that's not it. I'm fine...I'm just a little overwhelmed is all." She let out a laugh, unconsciously letting her head drop sideways onto his shoulder. "And we haven't even gone a whole lap yet." She stated, trying to hold back her laughter. Booth's hand came up to the end of her locks and he twirled them around easily...she felt the shivers again.
He smiled, "Well like I said Bones, practice makes perfect. You've just got to remember not to give up." Booth pulled her in a little more tightly, his lips meeting the top of her head, a move he immediately began to regret because she shifted herself out of his arms to look at him with a bewildered expression on her face...as if she had just entered a confessional. "What's wrong Bones?" She was scared, he knew it...but at least for now he needed to act dumb.
"Y-you kissed my forehead."
"uh...yeah?" act dumb...just act dumb...
"You don't usually kiss my forehead." Still bewildered.
He coughed a little to hide his embarrassment, "Well...you know. It's just something that I thought would give you some encouragement." Really really bad lie, but she might buy it considering she always keeps her walls up anyway.
"Like a guy hug?"
Booth laughed a little at the memory, "Yeah Bones, like a guy hug." He let his eyes sink into hers as his hand rubbed up and down her back...furthering his encouragement option. "You ready to go back out there or do you still need to sit down?"
Brennan laughed, "Well if we don't get out there soon Parker is going to start bragging about our age." She reminded him. Based on the sudden frightened look on his face, she surmised he had forgotten about Parker...how could he forget about Parker?
"Oh crap Bones!" He looked around frantically to look for his son, but noticed that the curly cue was gliding happiliy around the ice. He let out a sigh of relief, "Oh, good. He's okay. He's just in his own world."
Brennan chuckled, "Like father like son." She gave him a smug look before holding her hands out, an invitation for him to help her get back on the ice. He accepted the invitation happily, lifting her up with ease. Why she had decided to let go in the first place she had no idea, she felt so much safer in his arms. The statement in it of itself was both rational and irrational. The rational part being that she trusted Booth and on many occasions his arms had saved her from falling apart on the floor. Irrationally speaking she had wanted him to help her up in his arms even though she would have been able to stand up on her own, but the small part of irrationality in her was growing by the minute. It was that part that was frightening her the most, making Booth's enveloping arms both a danger and a comfort.
Then the ice.
She felt herself slip a little as they regained their footing on the frozen water, but once again she was safe in his arms. She tried to follow his glides, match his movements, become one with him.
Her mind drifted....
Become one with him. She couldn't help but think of it in a romantic way...and her clouded mind became a sudden fog as all she could think about was Booth...romance...and...
PAIN?
She was surprised to find her thoughts interrupted as the sudden pain in her sacral became unbearable...even more surprised to see Booth down with her....on top of her. She blinked, hoping that this was all in her fantasy from moments ago. Once, twice, three times? Still the same situation. Her breathing became labored as she realized just how close Booth's face was to hers. She suddenly remembered feeling this crazy dizziness before with him...situations that were very similar to this one.
The searing pain in Booth's arm seemed to soften as he noticed just how close he was to his partner at that very moment. The air between their breaths, heating up with every exhale. He could sense she was panicking by the laboring of her breath...maybe he was hurting her...maybe he should get up...maybe...
"Are you guys okay?" Parker's voice broke them out of their reverie and they looked up at the curly blonde boy who's face was etched with concern. "You guys fell...are you okay?"
Booth immediately started to stand up grasping all around him for support...hands on ice...feet on ice...lift...support Brennan..."Uh...yeah we're fine Parker. Do you want to help me support Bones here. She's newer at this than you and me...I had her but I think she zoned out cause the next thing I knew we were both on the ground." He let out a nervous chuckle.
Brennan groaned, "My sacral hurts. Ugh, I told you I'd embarrass myself."
Booth slowed them to a stop to look up at Brennan, "Hey Bones I fell too. You're not alone K?" He winked at her, willing the young doctor to believe him simply with the closing and opening of a single eyelid. A coy smile answered him, as she nodded in understanding.
"But I want to go fast dad. Do you think that once Doctor Brennan gets used to the ice you could lift me on your shoulders and we could go SUPER fast!?"
Booth chuckled, "Sure little man. But for now we're gonna help Bones okay?"
"Booth, maybe you shouldn't do that...I mean your back is so-"
"Enough with the back comments Bones, I'll be just fine. I carry Parker like that all the time."
"Well then that's probably why you're having back problems Booth. Parker is a lot of weight to be carrying around like that...especially when you're trying to concentrate on keeping your balance. The combined force could cause the discs to..."
"BONES! Enough. I'm fine! My back is just fine! Please don't start talking about my back, I just wanted to come here to have a good time, no squint talk please!" He knew he was being slightly harsh but she was sucking the fun out of the day by diagnosing every little thing.
A frown, "I'm just trying to help you Booth. I don't want you to hurt yourself."
Booth suddenly felt as if the entire world of guilt had decided to crash on his shoulders. How could he have snapped at her? Especially with Parker there. He had brought them both here to have fun and little did he know he was the one that was actually ruining it. "Look, I'm sorry Bones...I guess I'm just a little fragile when someone talks about my back issues. I don't really want to think that I'm getting old, ya know?"
Brennan nodded in understanding, "That's rational. I once wrote an essay back in college on what the world would be like if we remained young and agile our whole lives. It was quite interesting, my professor gave it full marks." She said proudly.
Booth shook his head, letting out a chuckle, "Live it up, smarty pants."
Brennan squinted in confusion. "But I'm not......OH you meant that like smart a-"
"SHHH!!!" Booth's free hand shot up to her mouth, silencing her immediately. "Parker's right by you, he doesn't need to be hearing that word."
"Got it. Child development. I understand." She nodded mechanically, her eyes bouncing from Booth to Parker and back to Booth again.
They started out again, starting at a slow steady pace, all three formed in a line, the Booth's supporting Dr. Brennan as if their lives depended on it. A few minutes passed by and Brennan hadn't even noticed that the only thing keeping her from falling now was a hand placed in hers, holding on tightly. Before she knew it she was remembering the feel of gliding swiftly across the ice that she had remembered the most about last year, "Look booth I'm skating!" She exclaimed, genuinely proud of herself for making it that far within only a few minutes.
Booth's heart soared at the sight, not daring to let her hand go...for more than one reason. "Yep you are Bones. Look at that! You're a natural." He let his hand squeeze hers tightly in encouragement, hoping she'd keep practicing so they could come here more often.
"I'm going to go skate ahead since Bones is fine now." Without getting approval from his father, Parker zipped on ahead, showing off to the adults that he was a really good skater for his age. And Brennan definitely was impressed. In a way it made her feel slightly awkward but then she realized that she had been doing much better than when she had stepped on the ice.
Brennan let out a slightly nervous laugh, "You know...you can let go whenever you want Booth for a second or two."
Although she wasn't looking at him he took the time to stare into her eyes, honing in on the way they sparkled with excitement. God..he loved her so much. "Not for the world Bones, not for the world." He squeezed her hand tighter. Shifting her closer to him as they skated around the rink in nice, easy circles. Parker caught up with them and complimented Bones on how good she was doing before speeding up again and doing a trick that Brennan was sure she could never master.
"When did he learn that?" Brennan asked Booth in awe.
Booth chuckled, "I taught it to him last time we came here."
"You know how to do that?"
"Yeah, well you know you're not the only one with cool magic tricks."
"There's no such thing as magic."
"You know what I mean Bones."
"I have science."
"I know that." He grinned. "And you also have something much greater than that."
She looked over at him and scrunched her eyebrows, "W-what?"
Booth led them to a stop and pulled her so she stood in front of him, "You have a good heart." The hitch in her breath let him know that what he had said had gotten to her and he couldn't help but smile, "And a very high IQ." He let out a laugh which she mimicked. With a deep inhale he let his hand drift to her cheek and held it there, his eyes only concentrating on her as if he was trying to read her "And you're...you're..." His hand began to tremble on her cheek, the fear of saying what he wanted...what he'd been wanting to say for a long time became unbearable. "I-I love you." He said finally, without holding back. It felt a little better saying it...still he was fearful of her reaction.
Her eyes made the same 'deer in headlights' look as they did when he first told her, only this time she had a response ready, "Well in the atta girl kind of way not..."
"No the real way. I'm in love with you Bones."
"Love is just a..."
"A chemical reaction?" He asked cutting her off and letting out a small laugh. "Yeah I figured you'd say that." His breath hitched as he prepared to do the one thing that would make or break the conversation. His hand moved slightly to her neck, using barely any strength to pull her close to him. The hand that had been holding hers the whole time moved to a firm position at the small of her back as an anchor. "I really don't care if it's just a chemical reaction Bones. I love you."
Brennan could feel her heart thumping quicker with each breath she took, the closeness and the romanticism he was spouting out was scaring her more than anything she'd ever had to face in her life. She could feel her rationalism beginning to crumble out from underneath her..."I-I don't think..."
"How do you feel?" Booth wanted to kiss her so badly but if she didn't feel the same there was no way he'd do something she didn't want to do.
She looked at him, her eyes welling with tears, "Scared."
A smile escaped his lips, "Because your walls aren't as thick as you thought?" He was surprised to hear a slight laugh come from her lips and a cold tear fall on the hand that was supporting her cheek. "What you're feeling Bones...these tears. They're not the enemy. They can't be rationalized but that doesn't mean they're not real. They're good." He let his thumb rub circles across her cheek and Brennan felt a shiver go up and down her spine.
She let her eyes close and her head drop forward into his chest so that he could hug her with all his might....and he did exactly that. It felt more powerful than any guy hug they had ever had, which made him squeeze her just a little bit tighter. "Like I said, your heart is much better than people give you credit for. So whatever it tells you to do, go for it."
Brennan pulled away just enough to look up at him, "No matter what?"
He smiled, "No matter what."
Brennan matched his smile and leaned in to let her lips crush into his, and she was surprised just how much her heart reacted at such a decision. It almost felt as if it had broken into a million pieces and had grown somehow, even though she knew that it was physically impossible. Still, it was the best feeling she'd ever had in her whole life...it was even better than the feeling she had whenever she was able to discover lost bones. It didn't take Brennan long to assume that what she was feeling was love. After all the things Booth had told her about it, she had no doubt in her mind that this is what he meant. Now all she wanted to do was tell him exactly how she felt.
She broke the kiss and looked straight into his eyes, "I'm pretty sure I love you."
He chuckled a little under his breath, "I know you love me." He raised an eyebrow in a cocky way, "Who doesn't?"
She rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You really are too cocky for your own good."
Booth smiled smugly, "I know, but it's what makes me so loveable." He pulled her in for another kiss which she gladly accepted.
Parker noticed his dad and Bones kissing and smiled, they were finally kissing. He had a feeling that he was going to be seeing a lot more of Dr. Brennan which made him very excited. Parker skated towards them happily, "Dad, you finally did it! You finally told Bones the truth."
Booth turned to his son and smiled, "Yeah buddy, I did." Ruffling his hair with the closest hand, "Turns out she feels the same." Booth looked back at Brennan and they both shared a knowing smile.
Brennan looked over to Parker, "Do you think I should ask your father if he wants to move in?" Booth glanced at her in surprise, he hadn't expected her to jump into things so quickly. Usually Brennan was the type to do everything slowly, so that she could be more comfortable but moving in was a very very big step. One that had taken even Hodgins and Angela a while to get to.
Parker nodded excitedly, "That would be SO awesome Dr. Brennan. Then we could hang out a lot more!"
Brennan turned to Booth, "Well? What do you think? You wanna move in?" she asked truthfully.
Booth smiled and held her closer, "Of course I do Bones. Of course I do." He pulled her in for a kiss, nice and soft before deepening it just a little bit to show his affection. When they broke apart, a third party crashed into the two of them..a much smaller third party anyway. They hugged him back and Booth snuck a kiss on Brennan's cheek.
"So does that mean you two will be sexing-up?" Parker asked non-chalantly.
Booth turned too look at his son in shock, "Parker, I told you not to say that anymore. It's inappropriate."
Parker laughed, "Alright daddy whatever you say. Let's skate!" He boomed ecsaticaly.
Booth and Brennan gave each other amused glances before starting forward, Parker leading the way. The rest of the day went quite well; Parker showing off his special tricks and Brennan spending as much of the time at the rink holding hands with Booth as possible. When the manager announced that they were closing, none of them really wanted to leave. Parker especially.
But with a sigh, they all headed off to the car.
Before Booth could open the car door for Brennan, she held out her hand to stop him and looked straight in his eyes, "Booth. I just wanted to let you know that...I'm not an expert...in relationships. So...if I mess up or do something I shouldn't...I'm sorry. I seem to have very bad luck with men. I mean I know I must have scared sully off."
Booth shook his head as he took his hand to her cheek so that she would keep looking at him. "No, you didn't. Sully, god love him, is an idiot for letting someone like you out of his grasp. You are confident, beautiful, charming, and I love you with all my heart. There's not an unlucky bone in your body Bones. You've got me, hook line and sinker okay? And if you mess up...we'll figure it out. Practice makes perfect." He shot her a charm smile and her face lit up with delight.
"Practice makes perfect." She agreed and leaned in to give him one of the many kisses she had bestowed upon his lips all day...and there would be certainly a lot more to come in the future...now that they were together.
THE END
a/n: hope you liked it. The thing took me forever to write. haha press the REVIEW BUTTON you know you want to. :p