Between the Scenes

"Goodnight Bones."

"Goodnight Booth."

Booth shut the bedroom door with an inward sigh. He rested his head against the back of the door and took a deep breath. He was exhausted both physically and mentally. His ongoing, and currently futile, search for Broadsky had culminated today in the death of a good man, a man he would almost call a friend. He didn't know which emotion currently ranked first in his mind; grief for the loss of Vincent, guilt at not being able to prevent it or fear for the lives of the rest of his friends, colleagues and...Bones.

Bones. Booth's stomach dropped as he imagined the sight of Broadsky's rifle centred on his Bones. His Bones. He didn't remember when he started to think of her as so, but he did know that the idea of her with anyone else was as a physical pain. He wanted to take her into his arms and protect her from his worst imaginings. Whilst he knew his apartment was as safe as he could possibly make it, he did not like the idea of leaving her on the couch in his lounge room where he could not keep an eye on her, and where Broadsky's thermal imaging equipment could currently be focussing...

Booth pushed himself away from the door with a frustrated groan and readied himself for bed, placing his gun within easy reach. He had done everything he could for tonight and Bones was right, he needed to get some sleep if he was going to catch Broadsky tomorrow and make that son of a bitch pay. Laying back on his pillow his mind wandered to the woman lying on the other side of his bedroom door, by now most likely attired in his sweatshirt. The image of this caused a flash of arousal through his body and he felt a restricted twitching in his boxers.

His need for this woman was so strong he could feel a physical pull from himself out to his lounge room. It had taken all of his strength to close the door between himself and his partner. An unvoiced tension had been pulling at them both from the moment he had ushered her protectively into his apartment and they had moved around each other nervously, readying the couch. He supposed he could blame the grief and shock of today's events for their discomfort, but he felt it was something more, something he was afraid to think too hard about, for fear of disappointment.

He had wanted her for so long, but had managed to repress these feelings for a while to some degree, because that is what she had wanted. He had even managed to find comfort and solace in Hannah and was almost able to forget for a while. But Hannah was gone and he was finding it harder and harder to suppress his need and desire and...love. Yes damn it! He loved his partner, he loved Temperance Brennan. He loved her for her matter of fact view of the world, for her intense compassion that she tried to hide under the cool mask of professionalism and which she occasionally allowed to show to anyone who cared to look for it. He loved her amusing attempts at colloquialisms and the way she always seemed to know just what he needed; whether that be a hug, a stiff drink, or just someone to sit with him silently while he wrestled with the demons of his past. He loved how comfortable it was whenever they were together and the way they challenged each other every day. He loved how she was so unaware of her total natural beauty and the effect it had on him. Yes, he loved the entire package.

She had told him at one time that she wanted him. But since Hannah had left, his fear of being hurt yet again and the fear of hurting Bones had prevented him from acting on his desire. They had discussed it and decided that they both needed some time. He knew, however, that with each day passing his resolve was slipping and it was only a matter of time before he was unable to contain his need.

And now she was here. In his apartment. Wearing his sweatshirt. He felt his arousal build and fought to restrain it. It was going to be a long night. Frustrated, he rolled over and pulled the blankets up Sometime much later during his attempts to ignore his impulse to go out and act on his desire, he drifted off to sleep. His dreams were of her.