A/N: I've run out of cute ways to say it, so here it is: I do not own Bones, and no copyright infringement is intended.
She asked him once why everyone always assumes they are together. He could have spouted out a whole list of answers for her.
He could have told her that people are idiots, and too immature to believe that two young, attractive adults can work effectively together without having something kinky on the side.
He could have told her that it's far more interesting to believe the romantic notion of the cop and the scientist having a secret romance than to know it is totally platonic.
He could have reminded her of the roller coaster that was Angela and Hodgins, and how people of opposite genders don't tend to keep things as professional as the two of them.
There was the defense that men and women are rarely just friends, unless they've been something more in the past or are hoping to become something more in the future.
It's more fun to imagine them sharing secrets in bed and holding hands at the movies than to see the intimidating FBI agent handcuffing the bad guy, or the forensic anthropologist digging through waste and analyzing skeletons just to bring a small piece of justice to the world.
He could have pointed out that she is, after all, the number one speed dial on his phone. She occasionally cooks for him, and she's even begun to keep his favorite beer in her fridge, since her exotic tastes in alcohol don't exactly appeal to him. He's sure even she knows that these are all traditional marks of a couple.
He could have blamed these mistaken suspects, coworkers, and sometimes even total strangers for being unobservant and closed-minded. He could have called them hopeless romantics, could have accused them of watching too many forensics television shows in which the main characters always end up together in the end. There are many excuses he could have pulled out of this air to explain away the common assumption of their romantic involvement. But they all would have been lies.
The truth is, people who take them for a couple are only trusting their observations, and even Dr. Temperance Brennan couldn't fault them for that. They see the way he holds a hand over the small of her back as they walk. They see how his eyes twinkle at her when she tries to make a joke or understand a pop culture reference, and they notice the way her eyes sparkle in return as he tries (usually with little success) to explain to her the intricacies of human behavior.
People see it in the time he held a gun to some gang banger's head just for threatening her safety. He swore long ago he'd stop being the guy the victims need to be rescued from, yet he threw that all away the minute she was in danger.
It's in the way he "accidentally" interrupts as many of her dates as he possibly can.
It's the shattering of a glass wall as he obliterates it just to get to her.
His feelings are imprinted on his face in a way that makes him wonder whether she's really as oblivious as she seems.
It's in the way their hands will brush, and when electricity charges between them, they both pretend the touch was totally accidental.
It's the way he is willing to become whatever she needs him to be. He'll be the goofy, lunk-head cop, the optimistic force pushing her onwards, the shoulder to cry on, the arms to wrap around her fear. It's the way she does the same thing for him. She's the empirical scientist, bringing justice to those who truly deserve it. She's his confidant, the safe place for his secrets and his weakness. She is his possibility.
It's the way he can still taste her lips on his, after three damn years. It's the way the back of his mind is always vaguely plotting ways to taste her again.
So really, he shouldn't act so indignant when he's telling people that he and Bones are "just partners". Between his looks, her trust in him, and their touches, it's such an easy mistake to make.
A/N: I'm just getting into writing for Bones, so any feedback is really appreciated!