Hey everyone! Three little oneshots in two months, I am so a writing addict! Yes, this is step two in the fanfic addiction: first reading, then writing! I never thought I'd get to that step! *lol* Well, I'm back again with another oneshot. The title and inspiration come from a line of the song "In Joy and Sorrow" by HIM. This is not a songfic, and this has nothing to do with the song, just with that line which I've always loved.
This is a future story, near future as I imagined it set in s5 or s6. There are no spoilers at all, just a little mention of Hacker but nothing more.
I don't own the song where the title comes from, I don't own Bones. And I don't own Booth either, even if I would really love to. I didn't get him for my birthday but I'm still hoping for a Christmas gift.
Thanks a lot to my lovely beta, Shin/Bonesbird, for her great work and feedback. And thanks to all of my twitter friends, very supportive as always. This is for all of you!
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My home is in your arms
Bad day. That was definitely a bad day. It has been a pretty bad week, but today? A bad day for Special Agent Seeley Booth.
Well, not that anything bad actually happened, and with his work it could happen, but he was in a very bad mood. He was in his office alone, knee-deep in paperwork from his latest case. The first case he hadn't solved with Bones in at least four or five years. A pretty boring case too, by the way. It was weird walking into the Jeffersonian and bringing in a dead body without her being there. Of course he had the rest of the team to help; Cam, Hodgins and Angela were there as always and he had the intern of the week too, Mr. Nigel Murray. The Brit was good but Booth didn't like him that much, sometimes he really unnerved him with his habit of spouting facts. But he was a good anthropologist and he did Bones' job well and fast. But apparently it wasn't very hard to find cause of death and later Hodgins' particulates and Angela's reconstruction of the crime scene helped him find and arrest the killer in no time. And, as on purpose, the man confessed the murder right away. Which usually was something he liked. But not this time. Now there were no cases to distract him, not even the Squints to drive him crazy, just boring paperwork. And he really needed a distraction. Because he missed Bones, he missed her so much. Less than one week without her and for him it seemed like a couple of years have passed.
She was in Los Angeles right now. Not for work, or he would have been there with her. It was a book-related thing. Lots of book-related things actually. There were a few signings all around the city, a couple of big events and galas and even a prize-giving. Her publisher took advantage of the fact the she was there to organize her whole week by the minute. And he would have gone with her if that damn body hadn't shown up in that car. Yeah. Ok, no need to be angry at a poor dead person, but he could still remember some of her crazy fans. And even if in that occasion no one wanted to harm her, he still got nervous every time she went to one of those events or signings without him. But this time he just couldn't go with her. He called her at least twice a day but he still missed her. This was the first time since… them that they have been apart for more than 24 hours.
Booth couldn't keep the usual smile from spreading on his face and he didn't really want to. Yes, every time he thought about her he smiled and his heart swelled with love and happiness.
One usual dinner at the Diner four months ago, that was all it took. They were talking and laughing. She had ordered a salad and she was stealing his fries, just like she always did. He remembered thinking that that day she was incredibly gorgeous. He always loved watching and hearing her laugh, but that day he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Her crystal blue eyes were sparkling and to him it seemed like she was glowing. She looked happy and careless. He had felt that there was something different. Maybe she had felt it too. The usual spark between them had seemed even stronger and he couldn't ignore it anymore. She was talking animatedly and he couldn't even listen to her as he was too concentrated at staring at her. Suddenly he had leaned forward, but, unlike the other times, this time he didn't stop at safe distance and his lips had landed on hers. He had felt her freeze and for a few moments he was terrified that he had done a terrible mistake until he felt her starting to kiss him back. His mind had gone blank and all he had cared about was kissing his partner passionately.
Their infamous line was finally gone. He was hers. She was his. And they had been both surprised, but not too much, to find out that they had been already each other's for a very long time. No more lines, no more holding backs, no more "just partners". Now they were partners in every sense of the word, nothing "just" about it. He was still amazed at how things changed in the past few months and yet stayed exactly the same.
They still worked together, the FBI and the Jeffersonian didn't severe their partnership at all, though they had to see Sweets once a week again, but it was just a formality, no threats were made as long as their rate of solved murders didn't drop. And during the working day it seemed that nothing had changed.
Except some little things.
The long lingering looks and hugs didn't disappear, they were still there, but sometimes they were replaced by kisses and loving touching.
Booth kept interrupting her work to make her take a break when she needed it, even though the breaks were not just for lunch or coffee anymore. The partners disappeared for a while and came back happy, flushed and satisfied as their co-workers grinned amused. Their Squints were finally starting to get used to seeing them together as a couple, because the first few weeks they had looked like they were high on drugs, especially Angela. They kept grinning and laughing and lovingly mocking them all the time. There were lots of "I told you so" too.
As they walked his hand was still on its spot on the small of her back, but sometimes they would hold hands, their fingers intertwined and his thumb stroking unconsciously the back of her hand. And just a little squeeze spoke volumes.
They still went to the Diner and sometimes had take-away Thai food at home, just like always. But there was the difference. They called it home. They didn't officially live together yet, but they were living together. Sometimes at his place, sometimes at hers. But they didn't call them "my or your place". It was just home. Wherever they were together they were home, it didn't really matter where.
They have always spent almost every waking hour together, and they still did. The difference was that now they spent every sleeping hour together as well. They fell asleep every night in each other's arms every night and every morning he woke up with his arms wrapped around her, his nose in her hair as he kissed her neck and whispered in her ear to wake her up too and start a new day in the best way ever.
"Booth!"
A voice called and dragged him out of his reverie as he realized he had been daydreaming, the pen still in his hand but he hadn't written anything in more than half an hour. He suddenly looked up and found Charlie standing at his doorway.
"What is it this time, Charlie?" he sighed, slightly annoyed. The Agent had walked in and out of his office all day with rather stupid questions.
"Not about me now. Assistant Director Hacker wants to know whether you've finished the paperwork from your latest case yet." he said shyly, taking slow steps toward Booth's desk.
"He wants to know?" he asked surprised "He never wants to know, he just waits until I give them to him!"
"Maybe it's because you're quite overdue this time. You closed the case yesterday morning and the paperwork isn't finished yet. I know that Dr. Brennan isn't here to do it for you –"
"Hey!" Booth interrupted him and stood up outraged.
"– help you with it, I mean" Charlie corrected himself quickly. "However he wants you to have it finished and on his desk by tomorrow morning."
"Ok, Charlie, I'll handle this." Booth said and sat down, still glaring at the younger Agent.
Charlie slowly made his way out of the office but poked out his head again.
"Booth?" he called
"Yes Charlie?" Booth muttered dangerously.
"I really hope that Dr. Brennan comes back soon, both for you and for me! You get very cranky and depressed at the same time when she's not around." he dared quickly and immediately disappeared.
"Charlie!!" Booth yelled at the man, but he was already gone. "I am not cranky!" he mumbled to himself. Charlie had left the door open but he didn't want to get up and close it.
But he knew Charlie was right. He was cranky and depressed when Bones wasn't around! He had always been addicted to her, but since they became a couple he was even more! He was so used to always seeing her every day for many, many hours a day, that he couldn't go one day without seeing her anymore, let alone a week. Sleeping without her was lonely and cold and silent and sad. He was depressed. Damn it. And cranky was a direct consequence of that. She had been gone for five days. And she wouldn't be home for at least other two days. She would be back right on time for Christmas Eve. Maybe.
Booth looked out of the window. It had been snowing quite a lot for the past few days. He was happy because they would have a white Christmas, which was always special. The afternoon before he had Parker for a few hours and they had a snowball fight and made a snowman. For a few hours he finally felt good and happy, he enjoyed a couple of hours of fun with his son without being at home or at his office and thinking about Bones and missing her. Because he really did. More that he could have admitted, more than he could have even imagined. And Christmas was in three days. He really hoped that she would make it to be home by then, but something could always come up and ruin everything. Because if he could barely manage to go one week without Bones, he could NOT manage to spent their first Christmas as a couple apart. He needed that. Christmas was his favorite holiday and in the past few months he had been so happy that he felt that this year it would be even better.
A door slammed in the office next to his and he jumped on his chair. He looked at his watch and realized that it was already almost 6pm. Sighing he looked away from the window as the slow snowflakes kept falling, willing to continue his paperwork, but his eyes landed on a framed picture and he smiled broadly. It was one of the latest pictures of them and it was by far his favorite. It was a special one, because Rebecca had taken it. They hadn't noticed that she had taken the picture as they were rolling on the grass. Booth was on his back and both Bones and Parker were laying on top of him, almost straddling him. They were all laughing and looked really happy. Rebecca was supposed to meet them there to pick up Parker, but she stood back for a little while watching them from a distance and she took the picture. She framed it and gave it to him for his birthday. She said that they looked like a family. And they did.
He reached out smiling and touched it softly. He would give anything for them to be happy like that forever.
A knock on his door made him sigh again for the hundredth time that day.
"Seriously, Charlie? You're coming in here again? We should just get married, you know?" he said irritated without even looking up.
"Do I need to worry about your marriage proposal to another male?" said a confused voice. Definitely not Charlie.
A very shocked Booth looked up to see the living version of the wonderful woman in the picture he was staring at, standing at his doorway.
"Surprise!" Brennan said shyly, not moving.
He couldn't tear his eyes off of her. Was she really there? He didn't even blink as he was afraid that she would disappear. He just stared at her dazzled. She had two very large suitcases behind her, there were snowflakes on her long black coat and her auburn damp hair and her cheeks were reddened by the cold. She was right in front of him, watching him and he could see that she was starting to get worried.
In a heartbeat he got up, crossed the room, wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. Actually, devouring was a more appropriate word for what he was doing. After less than a second she started kissing him back with the same passion. Time ceased to exist as they were savoring each other again after five long days. They parted out of breath and stood there, in each other's arms, looking into each other's eyes.
"So from that kiss I get that you didn't change your sexual orientation while I was gone." she laughed softly.
"Not at all Bones, not at all." he answered panting and stroking her cheek. "Not when I have you!" he said and picked her up in his arms. Brennan let out a loud squeal which made Booth chuckle. It was a very un-Brennan-like sound.
He walked back with her to the chair behind his desk and sat down, arms still tight around her. She hugged him back and he sank his nose into her hair, breathing her in. "What have you done to me?" she whispered in his ear. Her voice sounded weak and vulnerable and it scared him a little.
He pulled back a little and looked right into her eyes, glittering with tears. His heart ached as he caressed her cheek and jaw while his other arm wrapped around her tighter. "What do you mean Bones? What's going on?"
"I had to come back." she murmured "I couldn't manage to go one more day without seeing you. I just missed you too much." she confessed overwhelmed, burying her face in his chest as he stroked her back soothingly.
"Oh Bones" he started quietly, knowing exactly how hard this could have been for her "You don't even have an idea of how much I missed you. I couldn't sleep alone, I couldn't even breathe without. I couldn't manage to do anything that required concentration since you left as I was always thinking about you all the time. I lived five days just for the couple of phone calls a day we had." he said as she looked back into his eyes. "God, Bones, I love you so much that it physically hurts me when I can't see you for more than a few hours. You do know that, right?"
"I do." she breathed and leaned in to kiss him. "I love you too." she whispered against his lips.
"Bones?" he asked as she released his lips "How come you managed to come back earlier?"
"I played hockey" she smiled proud, playing with his tie.
"Hookey, Bones, it's playing hookey." he laughed as she pouted for not getting the phrase right once again "What do you mean with that anyway?" he continued.
"It means I refused to attend the last couple of events in the next few days. You know I don't like these kinds of things. I hate doing speeches and staying hours and hours signing books and having to smile all the time as I was happy to be there" she said annoyed. "I just wanted it to be over as soon as possible and I managed to do that. I just might have to find a new publisher, Anna might have got a little angry at me when I left her in L.A. like that this morning." she smiled innocently and Booth laughed.
"Well, I'm not complaining at all." he said, watching her straightening his tie. He loved how she couldn't help herself from always touching and fixing his ties all the time. "Is the tie all right?" he asked chuckling.
"You're wearing the one I gave you for your birthday last year." she smiled, her fingers sliding affectionately over the bright blue silk fabric.
"Yes. Lots of my ties are presents from you and I use them a lot. They remind me of you and I love how much you love them." he answered, standing up and putting his partner on her feet "Come on, let's go, you look exhausted." he said and, as on purpose, she yawned.
"Yes, I really am. It was a long day and the flight wore me out." she agreed buttoning up her coat and taking her suitcases. "Don't you have work to finish?" she asked
"Nope, you're back earlier, that goes over everything else!" he smiled and mumbled to himself " My girlfriend is back, who cares about Hacker."
"What?" she asked as she turned back to him.
"Nothing" he said using his charm smile on her. "Here, let me." Booth took both of the bags and lead the way out of the Hoover building.
It was still snowing outside and Brennan linked her arm with his as they walked to the parking lot where his SUV was. They packed the bags inside and just before she moved to get in the passenger seat he caught her arm and, twirling her around, wrapped his arms around her once more and kissed her softly under the snowfall. They parted a few moments later, their foreheads and noses touching, their heavy breaths hanging between their mouths, just inches apart.
"I'm so happy we're home, Bones." he whispered sweetly.
"We? I'm the one who left, you stayed home." she asked confused.
"No, Bones. I wasn't home, not without you." he breathed, his lips grazing hers. "No place is home without you anymore. Now I'm home as well as you are."
"We are not home yet, Booth." she said against his lips, her mind going blank as she tightened her arms around him.
"We are, Bones." he smiled "We are together and in each other's arms. We are home. My home is in your arms and that's all that matters." he said leaning down and touching her lips with his.
"I get it." she whispered looking in his eyes. "My home is in your arms too." she claimed his lips and deepened the kiss.
And that's all that matters.
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Here we are at the end! Well, did you like it? Let me know, I always love and need your feedback! By the way, I gave you another snowy kiss, I had to, I just can't help it! I love snow way too much and I think it's incredibly romantic, especially at Christmas time!
And yes, Christmas is in three days in reality too! :D So I'm going to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and all the best for the New Year 2010! May all of your dreams come true! Happy Holidays everyone, to you and your families! Love you! :D