AN: I apologize for no Voyeur post, I'm still waiting for the chapter back from one of my betas. In the meantime, I hope you'll enjoy this little bit of fluff. As always thanks to redrider6612 for editing it.
Seeley Booth unbuckled his seat belt and shifted to a more comfortable position. At least this time he had enough legroom. Flying first class was much better than coach. More room. Free drinks. Better food, supposedly.
"Booth, Angela told me about this thing called the Mile High Club. Although no scientific studies have proven it, she says that the…"
The smile that began when he heard his partner's voice turned to a frown. He needed to change the subject before the speculative expression on her face was put into words.
He interrupted her before she finished her sentence. "You really want to discuss legally-questionably behavior with a federal officer?"
"No, with my friend."
So much for derailing the conversation. "The answer is no."
"How did you…? I only wanted to know if you'd joined."
He chuckled at her innocent expression. "I know you, Bones. That's the same expression Hodgins gets when he want to do an experiment."
"It is not!"
She was quiet for a moment. And then it came. "Why is the answer no?"
"We've already had this conversation. There's the line, remember?"
"Since we both work the same high-risk situations, the line isn't protecting us. So what's the real reason?"
He could see she wasn't going to accept an evasion, a distraction, or a change of topic.
"Remember when I said there are some people you can't just have sex with? That there are too many strings attached?"
"Yes. You said that about Rebecca."
He shrugged.
"It's that way between us?" she asked.
He nodded. "It could never be 'just sex' between us."
"Why?" she demanded.
While he considered his reply, she added, "And don't say because we're partners. We may give that line to everyone else, but don't give it to me."
He focused on the back of the seat in front of him. He'd never be able to answer if he was looking at her. "Because you mean too much to me."
She barely heard his ragged words over the hum of the jet engines.
"Booth?"
He finally looked at her, wishing he was anywhere but in the seat next to her. Coach wasn't so bad, if it meant avoiding conversations like these.
She searched his eyes, trying to figure out what that he meant. Coming up empty, she delivered her signature line. "I don't know what that means."
He sighed. She was going to make him spell it out. "Remember when I said that with some people there's just too much to lose?"
She nodded.
"Well that's how I feel about our relationship. I don't think we could survive having 'just sex.' I can't do casual with you."
She mulled that over, trying to read between the lines. There was something he wasn't saying that tied it all together. Having feelings for her beyond the platonic explained it nicely, but she didn't want to assume. When it came to emotions, she wasn't very perceptive. She didn't want to get this wrong.
"You're saying that with us it would be breaking the laws of physics?"
His eyes snapped to hers. He saw curiosity and something new in her expression. He nodded slowly, his gaze steady.
She raised the arm of her seat and intertwined her fingers with his. He looked down at their hands and smiled.
"How long, Booth?"
"A while." A long while. Sometimes it felt like forever.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I wasn't sure you felt the same, Temperance."
"I trust you. I let you get close to me, touch me. I tell you my secrets. I even cry on you sometimes. You doubted?"
He shrugged. She squeezed his hand and then sat silently for a while.
"Booth, about the Mile High Club…"
The speculative gleam was back in her eyes.
"Another trip maybe." He was suddenly glad this was their return flight and that it was Friday.
She laughed. "I was going to say that I'm not sorry I asked."