She was looking at him. No, she was all-out staring at him. Booth knew this, he could always feel it when her attention turned toward him. He would've made an offhanded remark, but he seriously doubted his ability to sound offhanded at the moment. But still, he didn't turn toward her. He might not have been afraid to look in her eyes had he not just experienced the most tender kiss of his life. But he had. And he was. He was afraid she would see just how much it had upset him. He was sure if he looked her in the eyes at that moment, she would know just how much he loved her.

It might not have been such a bad thing, Bones knowing how much he loved her, had he been sure she would return his sentiment. But the truth was, she was a complicated woman and, though Booth had gotten better at predicting her reactions, he wasn't completely sure just how she would react to knowing that he loved her more completely and with more passion than he suspected anyone had ever loved another person.

And she was still watching him.

His cheeks began to burn. He wasn't sure how much longer he could take this torture. To distract himself from her gaze searing the side of his face, Booth turned his thoughts toward other things. Snowmen. Parker. Christmas. Mistletoe. Bones. The feel of her lips against his. The pressure of her hands on his chest. The slimness of her waist against his arm.Damn.

His heartbeat quickened. He was about to break. He was a little angry at her for being able to control him so wholly and without even knowing or trying. He supposed, though, she couldn't help being so beautiful. Or so smart, kind, generous and fun. But still, he was Agent Seeley Booth, FBI. He was supposed to be strong and in charge. Bones would tell him that was his alpha-male tendencies talking. But who would blame him for hating his helplessness in his love for her?

He knew he was thinking in circles, but it would've been hard not to be confused and frustrated after that kiss. That amazing kiss. Thinking back on it, Booth wished he would've held her tighter, kissed her harder. Maybe then she would love him back. Maybe that was the only chance he would get. He sighed sadly. Maybe he would never get another chance to show her how much he loved her.

And she was still looking at him.

So, weary of the internal struggle, he gave in. He turned his head toward her, tilted slightly. His expression may have shown his weariness, but he was just too weary to pretend anymore. Seeing her beautiful face watching him with so much concentration and perplexity, Booth could only make out one syllable.

"What?"

She was staring at him. She knew that, but Bones couldn't stop herself. He was just so…well-structured. But the thing was—he was so much more, too. Bones' gaze traveled over the spike in his hair, she swore he took longer to sculpt his hair into the perfect shape than any woman she knew. Her eyes raked over the pull in his brow, she wanted to kiss the worry lines away, then scolded herself for even thinking something so irrational. She studied the profile of his face, the perfect point of his nose, the curve of his lips. Those wonderful lips. Her body temperature rose at the mere thought of those lips pressed so warmly to hers. She was a not as surprised at her body's reaction to her proximity to her partner as she should have been when they stood under that mistletoe only a week and two days ago. It seemed so much longer than that.

Booth was a handsome man. Probably the handsomest she'd ever seen, she realized. But that wasn't the real reason for the strength of her reaction. Booth was her best friend. He confided in her because he trusted her more than anyone else. She leaned on him because he was the strongest, most unmovable fixture in her life. He was sensitive, he knew when to drop an issue, when to press one, when to show up, when to go away. When it really counted, anyway.

She'd never really sat and thought about it before, just how strong of a presence he had in her life. She'd never listed all the things back to back. But when she lined up his kindness, loyalty, humor, generosity and overall goodness…Bones couldn't help but realize just how deep she'd gotten herself, without ever realizing it. The awareness was terrifying, and yet not, because it was him. It was Booth. There was no other reason for her lack of fear than that: it was Booth. The thought of him was synonymous with safety, warmth, belonging, trust and all the other good things in the world.

Could that really be true? Could one person fulfill another so completely? Was it possible? Bones knew Booth could be her friend until the day he died. She knew he would be. But what if…he could be more? She'd felt hints of a feeling before. They'd come close to proving it to each other, but the kiss…that was the closest yet. Bones wondered if it hadn't been blackmail, if maybe she'd know for sure that love was possible. If a kiss under pretense of Christmas cheer could be so amazing, she could only imagine what a real kiss would be like. If she could just test another kiss, then she could be sure. If she felt nothing, she could let it go. But, and this was the likelier situation and the one Bones hoped for and was almost sure of, if she felt the fireworks that the mistletoe kiss hinted of, then maybe she really could have it all.

When she realized what she was going to do, Bones' heartbeat raced and the sound of it and her heavy breaths resounded in her ears. She might have noticed the slump in Booth's shoulders and the sadness in his sigh, had she not been so consumed with her thoughts. She might have heard the weariness in his monosyllabic query had she not been so amazed at the depth of adoration in his chocolate eyes. But, she didn't. But it didn't matter.

Booth turned toward her, head tilted slightly.

"What?"

The creases of concentration that marred her forehead smoothed as she leaned toward him and pressed her lips to his. His surprise paralyzed him for only a moment before his hands reached for her and he kissed her a little harder. Bones' fingertips brushed over the hair at the back of his neck and it woke him from his astonishment. He did not want to look back on this kiss and wish he had taken advantage of the opportunity to drink all he could of her. He did not want to be on auto pilot and not remember the way her skin felt under his when he replayed it over and over in his head later. So, Booth reached up to touch her face, winding his fingers through her hair. He kissed her deeply and as he poured all of himself into her, she poured herself into him and filled him back up.

Being subjected to the fullness of love that Booth was giving her, Bones thought her heart might break. She never imagined it could really happen. She never thought she could deserve a love so complete, let alone from someone so perfect as Booth. Well, maybe perfect was a little strong. He did, after all, drink from the carton. But he was, she knew, perfect for her.

As the kiss came to its natural conclusion, their lips parted from each other only slightly. Booth's hands were still gently wound in her hair and Bones' hands still gripped his lapels. Booth dared to open his eyes first.

"What was that for?" he whispered. Bones opened her eyes and knocked what remained of his breath out of his body. Her cerulean eyes were dark with what he was sure was reflected in his own eyes.

"I just wanted to see," she replied vaguely, in the same husky whisper. His hands slid down to her neck. Her grip on him loosened.

"See what?"

"If it…" she struggled to summarize the jagged, floating thoughts in her mind, "if it was possible."

A corner of his mouth lifted and there was humor in his whisper as well as desire.

"Okay. If what was possible?"

Bones swallowed hard. She knew she could say the words she wanted, she knew he would return the sentiment. But actually forming the words was still harder than she thought it would be. Damn abandonment issues.

"If you could love me as much as I love you." It came out as a broken whisper and she flicked her eyes down and away from his for a brief moment before they came back to witness his reaction. His eyes had widened a bit, but then his lips curved slightly. His hands that rested just below her jaw line reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and brush over her cheekbone.

"And what did you determine?"

Overwhelming relief suddenly washed over her. They would be okay. They were still Booth and Bones, only they were now also a little bit more. She smiled a crooked smile that Booth knew meant she had something witty to say. She leaned back, letting her hands fall from him and he released her as well.

"I reinforced what I'd always known."

"Oh, you'd always known, huh?" Booth played along, leaning an elbow on the diner's countertop.

"Yeah," Bones shrugged, "I mean, it was pretty obvious."

Booth laughed a loud, sudden laugh that told her he was also struck by relief, "You think I was obvious? You were the one who wanted to kiss me under the mistletoe."

Bones gasped at his audacity and held up a finger, "Okay, A: that was Caroline. And B: you were the one who stole my mother's earring back for me," she said, satisfied that she'd won and leaned an elbow on the counter.

"Oh please, don't look so smug," Booth countered, pulling a few bills out of his wallet and dropping them on the counter. Their plates were still half full, but he doubted they were both hungry for food anymore, anyway. "You were the one who cancelled your date to be with me after I got blown up."

Bones took his cue and stood up with him, gathering her coat. "Only because you broke out of the hospital to personally save me from a deranged Agent."

They walked out of the diner, completely oblivious to the amused stares that their heated kiss had earned from the other patrons. Once they were outside, Booth gently pulled her to him again with the ease of a well developed relationship. Bones kept her hands on her hips and basked in the feeling of being needed this way. He linked his hands together behind her.

"So what is it, anyway, that your little experiment back there proved?"

Bones smiled coyly, reaching her hands up to his arms.

"That you love me."

"Anything else?"

"Yeah. That I love you, too."

He smiled at her, a soft, loving smile. She leaned forward to lay her cheek on his chest and reveled in the fact that the strong heart she heard was beating for her. Booth tilted her chin up to litter kisses across her jaw and lips.

"I do," he muttered, "I do love you."

Bones was filled with a completeness she'd only dreamt of, and was now allowed to think and feel and imagine all the things she'd wanted about Booth. She was a little breathless when he pulled back to look at her and he smiled at the effect he had on her. Bones saw him celebrating his victory and tried to scowl, but her happiness was too great to allow such an expression for long. Booth also realized he was allowed to think and imagine all the things he'd tried not to imagine about his partner for three years. So he released her and opened the passenger door of his SUV for her. She did not ask where they were going. It had to be one of two places, and she was more than fine with either.

"So, the question now is," Booth began, unable to resist. He ran around the other side of the vehicle and climbed in. "If you knew all along, why did you need to kiss me to prove it?" He raised his eyebrows at her pointedly before turning the ignition and pulling out onto the street. Bones' jaw dropped and she stared at him, trying to find words to answer his question and defend herself.

"Well, I…Booth…" she protested and he laughed. "My knowledge of my own feelings were only subconscious and…"

Booth only half listened to her roundabout explanation of her actions as they drove toward his apartment. He was thanking God and every other higher power he could think of that Bones had the courage to take the first leap. He would thank her, too, when they reached their destination, in every way he knew how.

Booth felt as if his heart would burst. With the exception of Parker, he'd never loved someone so completely. And he'd never been loved so unconditionally as he knew he was now. As he knew he had been for a while, by her. It was all so easy, in hindsight. It had only been eight minutes since her lips had touched his for the second time, but they'd been in love for a hundred years. There had never been anyone else. There was only them.

They were Booth and Bones.

I guess the twenty years thing had some of you confused. It was just symbolic..or metaphorical or something. Not literally twenty years, it just felt like it, since they knew each other so well. But I changed it to a hundred years to get my point across a little clearer. Hope that helps..

Merry Christmas-time!

A.B.