Beginner's Luck
Because we all know Bones never loses when she gambles.
As they walked outside after telling Sweets the story of their first case, both were mulling over his words, and replaying their first kiss in their minds. Both were wondering what might have happened if Booth had joined her in the cab that night.
Booth was wondering whether he should take Sweet's advice and take a chance, but he also worried that he wouldn't be able to handle it if she rejected him. He was confused; Sweets had been telling him not that long ago that he wasn't in love with her and using his coma brain scans as evidence. But it had been months now, and having now looked back at their first case together, he had realised that he had fallen in love with her six years ago, and he had never stopped. He didn't want to.
Brennan was also pondering the what ifs. While six years ago she had been unable to identify the strange emotions that being with Booth had made her feel, after years of his subtle tutelage, she now knew that even back during their very first case she had already been falling in love with him.
Over the years, as she had nearly lost him multiple times, she had come to realise that she was now deeply in love with. However, while she was now excellent at recognising her own feelings, she still had trouble recognising how others were feeling, and she wasn't sure that Booth felt anything more for her than friendship. Being with him was the most important thing in her life, and she had refused risk telling him her true feelings in case they weren't reciprocated. Every time Angela commented on Booth being in love with her she had felt a slight glimmer of hope, but she had always immediately stomped it back down again, unwilling to get her hopes up for fear that if Booth ever rejected her she would be hurt even worse.
To be honest, she was now all but addicted to him. She had begun to realise that she had her own set of withdrawal symptoms if she didn't see Booth every day. On the days she didn't see him she didn't eat, constantly thought about him and worried about him, knowing that there were sometimes other cases he worked on for the FBI without her that often sent him into dangerous situations. She found herself craving his company, and on those days she often resorted to going home early, putting on one of his shirts that she had stolen a while back, and submerging herself into a world where they were together.
She had a stack of stories she had written about scenarios between the two of them. Some were sweet, others were sexy. They ranged from both of them doing mundane tasks like laundry together, to hot dirty dancing at clubs. The one thing that they all had in common was that in her stories they were both desperately in love with each other. In some of them, she'd even indulged in her non-rational side- a side Booth seemed to bring out in her with astonishing regularity- and written about them being married. She'd imagined their wedding more times then she wanted to admit, even to herself, and she'd written in great detail her imaginings for their honeymoon. Meanwhile, work had gone on as usual in the real world. During the day she forced her fantasies to a separate compartment of her brain, and tried her best to act as if she wasn't desperately in love with her charming partner and his warm, inviting chocolate eyes.
When Booth had been in his coma she had written the book because without him there to talk to, laugh and bicker with, or force her to eat, she was lost. She had immersed herself into creating a fantasy world where she and Booth were together, in love, and in relatively safe jobs where neither had to worry about serial killers coming after them. She had been shocked to find when he woke that he had heard every word she had read to him while he was in a coma, and it had distressed her to realise that it would never be like that for them. She had told him she'd deleted it, but it was really secretly stored on a usb drive.
It had saddened her even more when Sweets and the doctors at the hospital informed her that it would be in Booth's best interest if she stayed away from him while he got his memory back so that he didn't confuse the real her with his dream version. All she had wanted to do was stay with Booth, but she would do anything for him, so she had reluctantly packed her bags and headed to Guatemala.
While in Guatemala she had had even stronger withdrawal symptoms- walking up in the middle of the night after dreaming of him and wanting to run and find him and never let go. When she finally got home and found Booth waiting in her office she had immediately wrapped her arms around him and soaked herself in his embrace, her relief washing away the weeks of worry and helplessness she had felt by being away from him. She had wanted to stay in his arms forever at that moment, and when Angela had interrupted she had almost forgotten herself and glared at her.
Ever since then though, she had worked hard to act as she normally did. Her facade had nearly dropped once when Booth had told her he loved her, but it had quickly been built back up with reinforced walls when he clarified that it was only in an "Attagirl kinda way." Her voice had nearly broken when she told him she loved him back- adding on that ridiculous "Attaboy" to keep him from seeing her real emotions.
Over the years she had found herself believing more and more in some of his beliefs, despite her rational mind. While she had told Booth that she didn't believe in monogamy or marriage, she had realised now that Booth would always be the only man she would ever want, and that the idea of marriage to Booth didn't scare her like marriage in general did. That's why she hadn't gone on more than a first date with anyone since her multiple boyfriend fiasco and had been celibate for over a year.
After today's incidents, she wasn't sure how much longer she could continue her facade of only caring for her partner as a friend. Perhaps it was time for her to be the one to take a gamble.
Finally she broke the silence. "Sweets is wrong you know," she said softly.
Booth turned to her and quirked an eyebrow. "About what?" he asked.
"You're not the gambler anymore- I am,"
He chuckled, "Yeah Bones, your beginner's luck is pretty good."
She nodded, "I know. I've never lost." She took a deep breath, knowing that in the next minute all her hopes might be shattered. "That's why I'm going to be the one to take a gamble."
She paused and watched as his face first showed confusion, then hopefulness. She took that as a good sign. Tentatively she reached up and gripped the lapels of his coat, watching him for any signs that he didn't want this. When he didn't more she reached up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Her lips moulded to his, and at first he didn't respond. Her heart strained, but before it could be crushed his lips began to move sweetly against hers. She let out a soft sigh of relief and opened her mouth, throwing herself deeper into the kiss. The kiss was sweet and loving with an underlying passion, both of them pouring their emotions into it.
When she eventually broke the kiss she looked up, and was unbearably happy to see that his eyes were still warm and welcoming, only now his love for her could be clearly seen in their depths- no longer was it hidden from view.
She smiled victoriously up at him and he drew in a sharp breath, momentarily stunned by how beautiful she looked. He had never seen her look happier.
"I love you," she whispered, still looking deep into his eyes.
He matched her smile as his arms wrapped around her, bringing her closer. "I love you too Bones," he looked deep into her glimmering cerulean eyes and was awed by the depth of the love he saw in them, and astounded by the fact that somehow he had missed it before.
What she said next made him realise just how far she'd come from the seemingly cold rational scientist he had initially believed her to be. "I want to give us a shot Booth- I want to be like those old couples that are still together after thirty, forty, or fifty years." Her arms crept up around his neck.
His heart swelled as the realisation hit him that she not only reciprocated his feelings, but she wanted them to have a relationship and she believed it would last. It didn't matter to him that she might never want to marry him, or that they might never have children, he knew that he would have her- and that was all he wanted. "I want that too Bones. More than anything," he answered fervently.
She leant up and kissed him again to seal their deal, and this time their love and passion was infused with happiness. "It's good to know I still have my beginner's luck," she mumbled into his lips.
Booth drew back and looked at her incredulously before they both burst out into laughter. "Yes it is Bones, I'd say we both won big time."
I hope you liked it- this may turn out to be the basis of a longer story- i haven't decided yet. But if it does it won't be until my other story is finished.