Blink
Blink
Blink
Temperance Brennan sat on her couch, beer in one hand while the other supported her head. She sat and watched the answering machine blink, indicating new messages were awaiting her. There was no need to listen to them; She already knew who they were from, and what they were about. She was sure Booth had called about her behavior earlier at the lab. Listening to the messages would only cause her to accept reality, and what she did only a few hours ago.
Blink
Blink
Blink
'Maybe if I just go to bed, I can wake up tomorrow and this will all be a dream.' As she stood from the couch, she took one last look at the machine. There was only one way to avoid listening to the messages, and that was to go to bed. 'Yes,' she thought, 'they can wait till morning.' With that, she headed to the bathroom to begin to her nightly routine.
The water flowed over her body as she stepped into the shower. The hot water relaxed her muscles, and she soon found herself thinking of Booth.
They had grown much closer in the past few months. Stolen glances became lingering looks… Meals at the diner turned into picnics at the park… Midnight food runs turned into all-night sleepovers… Guy hugs suddenly became sensual. To any outsider, it looked as if they finally admitted their feelings for one another. But neither had. At least not until today…
She shut off the water, hoping she could turn off her mind as well. Thinking about Booth only made things worse. As she toweled off, she looked at herself in the mirror. How had she gotten herself into this?
Making her way into her bedroom, she sighed. No matter how hard she'd try, she couldn't get Booth out of her mind. After slipping into a T-shirt Booth left after one of their sleep over's, Tempe crawled into bed. Sleep did not come easily or fast. Apparently, neither did comfort. Thoughts of Booth, however, came very easily.
They were all lounging on the couches. It had been an extremely long week, and they were enjoying a few moments of quite before heading off to their respective homes. Angela and Hodgins sat cuddled together, listening to Booth and Brennan bitter back and forth.
"You know, Bones… if it weren't for me and my gut instinct, we wouldn't have caught this guy." They all knew he was only teasing Brennan, but today, she didn't take it as such.
As she gathered her things up, she turned back to Booth. "If you would open your eyes, Booth, you would see that we are capable of solving part of the murders without you. But in doing so, we would take away another part of our family. I can't go through that again. Losing Zack was hard, but losing you… it would be harder for me. And if you would open your eyes, you would see that it is because I love you."
It all came out before she could stop it. As soon as she realized what she had said, she wished she could take it back. Btu she couldn't. There was no turning back now.
Angela slapped Hodgin's arm, lost in her own giddiness. "You hear that, Baby? She finally admitted it!" Cam just smiled at the confession; after all, it wasn't something she didn't already know. Booth on the other hand sat dumbfounded. He opened his mouth to respond, but no words cam out. By the time he could articulate a sentence, she was gone.
As her eyes flew open, she let out a sigh. No, sleep would not come easily tonight. 'Since I'm already thinking about him, I might as well hear what he has to say.' She flung the covers back, and walked into the living room. As she hit the play button on the machine, she groaned as she heard her best friend's voice.
"Sweetie! I can't believe what happened tonight! You finally admitted your feelings. I'm so proud. Call me tomorrow. Love you!" Brennan rolled her eyes at Angela's excitement.
The second message was a hang up. She figured Booth had called, but hung up, not knowing what to say. 'I love you too' would have been great. Now she wasn't sure how he felt. Did she shock him? Or had she interpreted everything wrong lately?
After hitting the delete button, Booth's voice filled her living room.
"Bones… Temperance… If you're there, please pick up." He paused, and she could hear him sigh. "I guess you're not there, or you are ignoring me. After my reaction earlier, I would blame you if you ignored me. Temperance, you shocked me tonight. I never thought I would hear you say those words, let alone to me. You were wrong though. My eyes have been open for quite a while. I've just been waiting for you to open yours." He paused again, as if he were gathering his thoughts. "I'm outside your door, and I'm staying here until you get home or let me in. I need to tell you what I should have years ago." It was then that she realized he called while she was in the shower. "Please, Temperance. Don't shut me out."
As he hung up, a smile crept onto her face. He did love her. She never believed in love until him. He showed her what it is like to love and be loved. Her outlook on personal relationships changed from knowing him. Knowing and loving him had truly changed her for the better. Hitting the save button, she faced the door. A flash of nerves washed over he. 'What if I'm wrong? I can't hear him reject me.' She turned and walked toward the kitchen. Reaching into the refrigerator, she paused and then grabbed two bears.
She knew he would still be there. He wouldn't leave until he said what he came to say. She quietly opened the door and smiled as she saw him leaning against the wall. She stood there, watching him sleep, the picture of innocence. As if he could feel her intense stare, he slowly opened his eyes to see her leaning against the door frame. Their eyes locked, neither wanting to break the connection. Finally, she looked down at the beer, held out her hand, and smiled as she looked back at him. Booth stood, walked towards her and took the beer. He thanked her as he walked in and sat on the couch.
They sat, almost touching, each caressing the beer they held, and drank quietly. As if on cue, each turned to face the other.
"Booth…"
"Temperance…"
They each smiled and fell quiet. "Ladies first."
She sighed and diverted her eyes before speaking in a soft and vulnerable tone. "Did you mean it?"
She seemed so vulnerable as he looked at her. Slowly, he reached his hand up and touched her face. She turned, moving further into his hand. "I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it."
He sat quietly, smiling as he looked at her. After what seemed like hours, he leaned over and softly kissed her cheek. She could still feel his breath on her skin as he spoke. "I love you, Temperance. I always have, and I always will."
As he pulled away, he saw one lone tear falling from her eyes. Brushing it away with his thumb, he smiled. 'Yes, this is my soulmate.'
She turned to face him, but said nothing. Instead, she leaned in and kissed him as the tears began to roll down her cheeks. The kiss was soft, sweet, and sensual. As she pulled away, they locked eyes and smiled. "I love you too, Seeley."