"Seeley Booth, you fucking coward."
Booth's head snapped up at that and he took in Angela as she stormed through his office door in a swirl of bad temper and sweet perfume.
"Uh, hi, Angela. What can I do for you?"
"'I love you, in an atta girl kind of way,'" she parroted. "You chickenshit."
He winced, knowing that her name calling was right on target. "Bones told you that, huh?"
"She asked me what it meant!" Angela shrieked at him.
He winced again. "Sorry," he began lamely.
"Sorry? You're sorry? You're a sniper, a decorated hero, a goddamned knight in shining standard-issue body armor. I thought you were waiting to tell her you loved her because of her, something you knew, something you were waiting for her to deal with or get over before she'd be ready to hear you. Instead it turns out that you're stalling because you're afraid. And she's eating her heart out over you waiting for you and you're sitting here being a coward. Man up!"
"Angela, I…" his voice trailed off as he processed her last sentence. "She's eating her heart out over me?"
She rolled her eyes. "Are you blind as well as a chicken? Of course she is. She has been forever."
"Why didn't she say anything?"
"Because she doesn't do that. Because you drew some stupid line and you call her creepy and give her mixed messages like I love you in an atta girl kind of way and she's not sure you'd be glad to hear it from her. So she's waiting for you. Do something about it."
She watched as a slow grin spread over his handsome face.
"There you go, G-man." She winked at him and gathered her purse as she slid out of her chair and towards the door.
"Thanks, Angela."
"You cop out again, Booth, and I'll kill you."
