I wrote this fic as part of a Bones Secret Santa thing. I wrote it for MorganMalfoy over on LJ who asked for Booth/Brennan, A little bit of humor, and first-time or beginning of a romantic relationship, I hope I deliver on all counts.
She sat on her bed in her underwear, her Wonder Woman suit next to her looking forlorn, while Angela decimated her closet. As if summoned by the thought, Angela's head popped out of her closet.
"Sweetie, you have nothing in here that's good costume fare." She smiled triumphantly.
"That means I can wear this, right?" Angela shook her head and emerged from the closet. "Bren, I don't think you understand the concept of going to a costume party with someone else. You're supposed to match." Brennan frowned. "I'll match Booth if I wear this," she said gesturing at her Wonder Woman costume. This time it was Angela who frowned, "did you even ask Booth who he was going as?" Brennan shook her head, "I assume the same as last year." Angela chuckled.
"Not everyone is you sweetie." Angela looked her over, "get dressed." She said with a grin, "we're going shopping.
Two hours later they finally returned to her apartment. With a grateful sigh she collapsed onto her couch, only to be pulled up a few seconds later by Angela.
"No time to take a break, we need to get you ready for the party." She groaned, but dutifully followed Angela into her bedroom. A few moments of rummaging later Angela handed her her dress. "Go get dressed while I get everything else ready." She nodded and walked to her bathroom.
Quickly undressing she shimmied into her costume. Taking a few moments she examined herself in her mirror. The flapper dress didn't cling to her like she usually preferred in her dresses, instead it hugged her form loosely before ending at her knees. The beads and sequins on the dress caught and refracted the light in brief rainbows, making the dress seem slightly multi-colored instead of just red. It kind of reminded her of the red dress she wore in Las Vegas (which was currently folded up and sitting in a suitcase).
Opening the door she re-entered her bedroom to see Angela kneeling on her bed, her mouth full of bobby-pins. Angela grinned when she saw her and motioned for her to sit. The beads created a rough texture as Brennan smoothed down the dress before sitting down. She winced slightly as Angela yanked her hair a bit too hard as she put it in a loose bun.
"How is it you know what Booth's going as?" She asked as Angela began to pin her hair. "Because Booth came to me yesterday wondering why you hadn't asked him about costumes." "I didn't know I was supposed to, I just thought I'd dress up and we'd go." "Sweetheart, you've got a lot to learn about dating on Halloween." Brennan frowned, "this isn't a date." Angela chuckled. "No matter how hard you deny it Bren, it doesn't change the fact that this is a date." With that she placed the wig on her head. The bed shifted as she climbed off and stood in front of her. Angela finished adjusting the wig and she made to stand up, but Angela shook her head.
"Time for makeup." She watched as Angela went into, and rummaged around in her bathroom. She returned a few minutes later, her hands full of makeup. "Close your eyes." "Shouldn't you put the blush on first?" She asked as she felt something press against her eyelid. "Trust me, you're not going to need blush." She frowned slightly, not really understanding what Angela meant, but accepting that Angela knew more about this kind of thing than she did. The hard press of the eyeliner pencil was replaced by the softer stroking of an eyeshadow brush.
"My work here is done," Angela announced a few moments later. Opening her eyes she saw Angela returning to the bathroom. "Now I've got to get ready for my own date, do you think you can finish up on your own?" She nodded, then realized Angela couldn't see her. "Yes, I'll be fine." Angela was smiling when she re-entered the bedroom. Brennan stood and she and Angela hugged. "Good luck sweetie," Angela said with a wink as they broke apart. After seeing Angela to the door she glanced at the clock and rushed back to her room when she realized she only had fifteen minutes until Booth came to pick her up.
Fifteen minutes later she was slipping on her heels when there was a knock on the door. With a curse she rushed to the door as fast as she could and opened it.
"Hey, Bones," Booth said, grinning. "Hello Booth," she replied, stepping aside so he could enter. "You look great Bones! Though," he glanced at her hair. "I hope you didn't actually get your hair cut." She just shook her head, "Angela insisted I get a wig." He nodded, "oh, good." She looked him over inspecting his costume, for a moment she thought he was just wearing one of his work suits, but then noticed it was far too baggy and loose (and pinstriped). "Let me go grab my purse and coat and we can go," she said, pulling her eyes away from him. She didn't even wait to hear his response before rushing off to her room. The satin gloves made it a bit hard to button up her coat but she managed. Grabbing her purse she took a few steadying breaths before joining Booth.
"Ready to go doll?" She wrinkled her nose at his atrocious New York accent. "Yes I am ready to go, and I'm not a doll." Booth shook his head and slung his arm around her shoulder as they exited her apartment. "Loosen up Bones! It's Halloween." "That gives you an excuse to call me 'doll'?" she asked skeptically. "No, but it gives us an excuse to be something different for a day. Just be glad I didn't decide to call you 'toots'." She raised an eyebrow at that, but didn't say anything as they left her building and made their way to his Tahoe.
The car ride in question was silent (except for the radio) and slightly tense. Booth gave an annoyed grumble as they parked a few blocks away from his friend's house. As she got out of the Tahoe she was surprised at how loud the bass was, she could feel it all the way out here. Before she could think anything more of it Booth was there, linking his arm in hers and leading her towards the house.
Pulling her coat closer to her she cursed Angela's choice in shoes, by the time they got to the front door she'd sprain her ankles many times over from having to pick her way through the gravel driveway, though at least Booth was always there to catch her when she stumbled. Somehow they managed to make it to the front door without any serious injuries and she managed to catch her breath while Booth rang the door bell (though she didn't know how anyone would hear it over the racket in the house). A few moments later a man dressed as Frankenstein's monster opened the door.
"Seeley! So glad you could make it!" She watched as Booth and the man had a 'guy' hug. "And who is this lovely lady?" he asked as he motioned them inside. Booth introduced them as he took off her coat. "Ben, this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan. Bones, this is my good friend Benjamin Smith." "A doctor?" Ben asked as he shook her hand. "Have you been holding out on me Seel?" "I am not a doctor of medicine, if that was what you were insinuating by your question to Booth," she answered before Booth could (what was it with men and female doctors anyways?). "I am a doctor of forensic anthropology at the Jeffersonian Institute." Ben just raised an eyebrow before leading them into the house proper.
The music here was much louder than it had been in the foyer and the bass pulsed though her like a second heartbeat. "You two have fun!" Ben shouted at them before walking away to go mingle. "Do you want something to drink?" Booth nearly-shouted in her ear. Instead of shouting back she just nodded and then pointed at the far wall to indicate where she'd be standing, he nodded and then they went their separate ways. She found it surprisingly easy to muscle her way through the crowd to the far wall. The music was much louder over here, but it was music that she liked so it was at least bearable.
While she waited for Booth to return with their drinks she took the opportunity to observe the rest of the party goers, making a game of it to figure out what people were dressed up as. There were the obvious ones: black cats, cowboys, witches, pirates, vampires, and the like. The rest were far more interesting; a woman almost all in green (even her skin), a forest sprite maybe? Out of the corner of her eye she saw someone dressed as Leia from A New Hope (she wasn't that pop culture illiterate). Her little game was interrupted, not by Booth, but by a man who looked like he may have been a eighties glam rocker.
"Hello, luv," he slurred in a horrible British accent. Rolling her eyes she turned slightly to try and ignore him, but he didn't take the hint. "C'mon luv, dance wit' me." She growled softly in annoyance and turned to face him, hands on her hips. "No, I will not dance with you. Now go away before I'm forced to hurt you." This didn't seem to deter the man at all and he actually moved in closer to her.
"I believe the lady asked you to leave her alone." Booth's voice growled from behind the drunk man. The rocker spun around to face Booth, but it was apparently too much for his inebriated self to take in and he collapsed to the floor. While it was a bit anti-climatic she was just glad a fight hadn't broken out and she accepted her drink from Booth as they both moved away from the prone man. "Sorry about that." Booth shouted in her ear, she winced slightly and then shrugged.
"I could have handled him," she replied loudly, before taking a sip of her drink. She made a face as the too sweet drink hit her tongue (next time she was getting the drinks). Setting her drink down on the nearest table she turned to Booth, who had already, it seemed, finished his drink. "What are we supposed to do?" she asked, her mouth dangerously close to his ear. "Drink, dance, chat with people," was all he said in reply. She frowned slightly at that; the drinks were far to sweet for her taste, and the music was far too loud to actually talk to someone without ruining your vocal cords, which left dancing (something she'd never been good at). His mind seemed to be on the same track for a moment after she'd thought it Booth spoke.
"Care to dance Bones?"