Title: Teardrops on my Guitar

Rating: T

Spoilers: None

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Summary: A look at an oblivious couple, both in love with the other but refusing to do anything about it. They believe that their love is unrequited and it is harder to deal with than they imagined. Two-part, based on Taylor Swifts "Teardrops on My Guitar" but not a songfic.

Teardrops on my Guitar

For the past half hour Dr. Temperance Brennan had stood at a work table, meticulously studying human remains. On a normal day, after thirty minutes, Brennan would have been able to point out the victims age, race, gender, height, and even favorite sport. But today, a horrible day for the world renowned anthropologist, she was stuck.

Of course, after years of training and education in her field, Brennan was… the best. The inane facts about the victim laying in front of her haphazardly flew through her mind. Female; Caucasian; Late teens, to early twenties; around 5'2"; Evidence of an early wrist injury that many tennis players are apt to have. The problem today was not that she didn't know the facts, it was that her mind was too jumbled to care, too full of confusion to do anything but recite small facts. Brennan's problem started long before today however. She had been the best in her field for years, known around the world for sticking with a case until she had an identity for her victims. She immersed herself completely in her work, seeing no real need for a life outside of her lab, her bones, her calling. All until the day that Special Agent Seeley Booth had sauntered into her life, wearing a cocky smile that was almost as large and showy as his cocky belt buckle.

At first, just over a year ago, Brennan hated Booth, exclaiming that he was a chauvinistic, sexist, pig, who used her only for her brain and insulted her for being intelligent at the same time. However, as their partnership grew, Brennan and Booth had begun to open up to each other. They became so much more than the FBI agent and the forensic anthropologist. They became people, with rough childhoods, problems with their brothers, dark pasts. They became the best of friends.

For months Brennan was fine with this. She and Booth began to socialize outside of work, and for the first time Brennan was beginning to trust another human being. She could not quiet discern when this partnership, friendship, and trust had fostered into something much more in her heart. But it was very clear to her, every time she glanced up at her partner and felt her heart skip a beat. Every time Booth made a cultural reference and gave her an incredulous look when she didn't understand. Every time Booth leaned in to give her a 'guy hug' and she found herself subconsciously breathing in the scent of him, and finding her knees go weak in his arms she knew. She was in love with Seeley Booth.

She, of course, made sure that Booth had no idea. She could not bear the thought of being turned down by her partner. Their bond meant more to her than any other relationship she had ever had and she was unwilling to sacrifice that for feelings… feelings which she could try to rationalize to herself by pretending they were a simple chemical release. But Brennan was no longer fooling herself. Chemicals or not, she loved her partner. And, as chance would have it, this fact was proven to her more every day since Booth began dating his newest beautiful, tall, blonde, lawyer. Sure, Brennan had dates on this side. She even had one man, Dave, who had been seeing her for over a month on a semi-regular basis. But these men were a simple biological release for her. They gave her an outlet for all of the pain and frustration of unrequited love. They were an escape for Brennan, a way to ignore the fact that the love of her life was dating someone else, someone who made him smile, someone who had the social skills that Brennan lacked, someone beautiful.

As time went on, it was becoming more difficult for Brennan to pretend. Every new day that she saw Booth, every time she heard about his relationship, every time she realized that he was not hers it was harder to stop the tear from falling down her face.

The low footsteps of someone walking into the lab shook Brennan out of her silent reverie. She glanced up quickly and saw her partner stride into the lab holding a case file. She quickly contained her emotions, biting back the tears in her eyes. She said hello to Booth, covering the small sniffle that escaped her with a laugh at the joke he made as he attempted to get her interested in the new case.

She left the remains behind without a second look, leading Booth into her office to discuss their current game plan. She sat on her desk and he stood in front of her couch explaining the logistics of the case. She attempted to listen, but found her attention wandering to take in the sight of him. He looked particularly handsome that day. He was wearing one of his more expensive black suits. She could see the faint trace of his abs through his white button up shirt. His bright tie, adorned with red and blue stripes, brought her attention up to his chiseled face, and she found herself once again falling into the deep chocolate pools of his eyes. She quickly looked away, so as to not get caught "checking him out." This could not do. Yes she loved him, but they could never be together. She would save her tears and emotions for later when she was at home. She gave herself one more shake and slipping into her work persona she looked at her partner.

"I'm sorry Booth, my mind is somewhere else today. I'll try to focus more. Now where did you find the victim?"

He chuckled at her and made a crack about her squint brain being too big to focus. She smiled and tried to ignore the way her stomach dropped when he looked at her. They had work to do, and Dr. Temperance Brennan refused to let silly feelings get in the way of her work.

Booth looks at me
I fake a smile so he won't see
What I want and I need
And everything that we should be

I'll bet she's beautiful
That girl he talks about
And she's got everything
That I have to live without

Booth talks to me
I laugh 'cause it's just so funny
I can't even see
Anyone when he's with me

He says he's so in love
He's finally got it right
I wonder if he knows
He's all I think about at night

He's the reason for the teardrops on my guitar
The only thing that keeps me wishing on a wishing star
He's the song in the car I keep singing
Don't know why I do