Shirtless Challenge
A gorgeous Indian summer day was lavished upon D.C. Friday afternoon approached with great trepidation and hints of a weekend of football and all things associated with the pastime.
Booth, with a jump in his step, hopped into his SUV and wheeled off to the Jeffersonian to pick up Bones for dinner. As he drove past a park, a group of young boys, middle schoolers, played a game of pickup football. Their voices were loud and motions clumsy, but it make Seeley itch for the pigskin. The light turned green and he zoomed off.
As he crossed the parking lot into the Jeffersonian, he noticed he was warm. Taking off his sport coat, he tossed it over his shoulder and loosened his tie. It may have been late September, but it air was feeling more like July, hot and muggy.
" Bones! Dinner!", Booth called out in the medico-legal lab without scanning his card. He glanced up the steps to see the resident squints huddled over a CRT. Curiosity got the better of him so he swiped his card and approached.
The squints were eagerly discussing fantasy football and setting up their teams for the Jeffersonian match ups for the weekend. Hodgins had the Raiders, Cam took the New York Giants, Angela had acquired the Tampa Bucs and Clark took on the Chicago Bears. Just for fun, Sweets grabbed the Green Bay Packers. Each was squabbling over stats and injured lists.
Seeley smirked. He'd considered for a split second to join with the Philadelphia Eagles, to him the greatest team on Earth, but thought better of it. Gambling was not his strong suit.
" Whatcha planning there Squints?", he moseyed up to them sounding like John Wayne.
No body turned to acknowledge him. Booth frowned, " Hey people… how about instead of programming a game, you actually go out and play it?"
A few faces redirected. One of them was Hodgins, his curls extra tight in the humid air, " Ok Mr. Q-B. you're on!"
Seeley looked incredulously at the shorter man, " Are you serious? You want to play me?"
" Sure thing… a little pickup game. Shirts vs. Skins.", Hodgins retorted. Angela looked hungry.
" Ok. You're on. Who's on my team- Skins?", Seeley announced and a bunch of late 20-something graduate students raised their hands.
" Ok. I get… the rest of the lab.", Hodgins looked around disappointedly when he saw who was left. " Shirts.", he said disconsolate.
Angela tore off in search of Tempe. She just had to tell her what was going on.
The boys and their respective teams moved outside to the large front lawn near the rose garden. They marked off end zones with shoes and one of the guys jogged off to get his ball from the trunk of his car.
Angela returned with Brennan just in time. She pulled eagerly on Tempe's arm making Bones become cross with her badgering. But in a moment it would be worth it, Angela promised.
As if on cue, the ladies arrived as the Skins got into their "uniform". Seeley had found a pair of gym shorts and shoes in his SUV, but of course, no shirt. No need. He had removed his tie and button down shirt already and was in the process of peeling off the tank-style undershirt he wore. Angela gave a little whimper. Bones stood transfixed as if time had slowed down into molasses.
Booth tugged the shirt upward; first exposing his navel then his sculpted abs to the obliques of his ribs and the anterior portion of his trapezius and finally over his head. There he stood in the late afternoon sun, the light bronzing him a gilt color. " I think I'm looking at Adonis.", Angela sighed. Again, Bones was silent but very eagerly assessing her partner as he rippled the muscles in his arms while tossing his shirt to the side.
" Let's play ball!", Seeley bellowed out in a loud voice and Bones jumped. She then rolled her eyes sarcastically… alpha male all the way.
Hodgins huddled up his team of misfits and attempted to make a strategy. Clark didn't want to get dirty, Nigel-Murray spouted facts about how many people get hurt playing this game, Sweets complained he didn't get enough time to warm up and Wendell wanted to just make someone bleed. Jack hung his head. This was going to be ugly.
Booth had his squad line up with military precision. He hiked the ball, dropping back into the pocket. Bones watched him as he gripped the ball in one hand, guarded it with another all over that washboard stomach. His arm cocked for the throw and like a brown laser guided bullet, it reached his target. But Tempe was watching how well defined his pectoral and deltoid muscles were, not where the ball went.
Booth's team scored a touch down. It was the first of many. All done under Tempe and Angela's approving gaze. Eventually Cam joined them and also approved of this use of Jeffersonian property.
Seeley invoked the slaughter rule and declared victory. Hodgins in a fit of temper shredded his own shirt much to the delight of Angela. Tempe saw first hand why Angela was attracted to Jack. He wasn't hard on the eyes either.
Each side shook hands and Seeley jogged over to his admiring crowd, smiling that he still had it. " Hey! Ready for dinner now?", he inquired in a jovial tone. Bones carefully took all of his half nakedness in and relished it like a spoonful of excellent chocolate.
Tempe could smell his sweat and feel his body heat. It was oddly seducing but she shook it off, " No until you take a shower."
" Hmmm… yeah. I guess you're right. The victor needs a shower. Wait for me?", Seeley said and Bones nodded.
" Shower… now what I wouldn't give to see that!", Angela said in a low tone.
Bones looked sideways at her, keeping her face still. You and me both, Ange, she thought and then smiled.