Disclaimer: Santa didn't bring me the rights to Bones like I asked for, so I do not own Bones or any of the characters. I also do not own the rights to any of the songs mentioned in this story. This was written for entertainment purposes only and no profit has been made. Bummer.

A/N: A huge, gigantic thanks to Liz (lizook) for betaing this fic for me, suggesting the title, and generally making it better than it would have been.

…

A Thrill to Press My Cheek To

My footsteps echoed in the dark emptiness of the lab. I honestly couldn't understand why my partner found it so relaxing after hours. The place was creepy enough during the day with all the weirdo Squints buzzing around, but it was positively spooky at night. As tough as I liked to think I was, I wouldn't have set foot in that crypt-like building if not for the chance to spend a little extra time with her.

"Bones?" I called up the forensics platform. The only response I received was my own voice echoing back at me. The platform was pitch black, so I could safely assume she wasn't hunched over some remains up there.

I strolled into her office, expecting to find her glued to her computer. "Bones? You in here?" The lights were on, but my elusive partner was nowhere to be found. I knew she had to be around; I had seen her car in the parking garage. I could feel the tension starting to build in my stomach. Ever since the Gravedigger had kidnapped her and Hodgins, I always tried to keep tabs on her. Thank God she never realized it or she would have promptly kicked my ass.

Sighing, I stood in the doorway trying to decide where I should look next. I prayed she wasn't playing with the skeletons in Limbo. If the lab was creepy, Limbo ("It's Bone Storage, Booth. Not Limbo," her voice in my head reminded me) was downright macabre. Just as I started walking toward the stairwell, I heard a faint sound on the other side of the lab.

Walking across the cavernous space, I noticed the lights were on in Zack's old office. As I got closer I could hear a voice, a woman's voice, singing softly. "Bones," I called, wanting to let her know I was there. "Do you ever go home?" The singing continued and even seemed to get louder.

I reached the doorway and froze in amazement. There was my partner, standing over a skeleton, singing her little heart out. She had shed her lab coat, loosened her hair, and had her iPod strapped to her arm. Luckily her back was to me, allowing me to observe her unawares. An amused smile spread across my face and I waited for her to notice me.

"…Well I'd like to be with you
And you know it's Friday too
I hope you can find the time
This weekend to relax and unwind…"

Her voice faded out as she faltered over the lyrics, but she made up for it by dancing around to the music only she could hear. I chuckled to myself. This was a side of Temperance Brennan few people got to see: unselfconscious, playful, uninhibited. She was downright adorable and it took everything in me to keep my hands off her.

"Come on baby let's get away
Let's save your troubles for another day
Come go with me, we've got it made
Let me take you on an escapade…"

She was really getting into the song now. She wriggled her body to the music as she moved about the room, grabbing various instruments and chemicals and using them on the remains. I laughed out loud as she pretended a pair of forceps was a microphone, whirling around gracefully with her eyes shut and belting out the tune. So damn adorable.

"Es-ca-pade
We'll have a good time
Es-ca-pade
Leave your worries behind
Es-ca-pade
You can be mine
Es-ca-pade
An escapade-"

Her eyes suddenly popped open and my cover was blown. "Jesus!" she gasped, startled, and her hand flew to her heart. "Booth?! What are you doing here?" She tugged her earbuds out of her ears and shut off her iPod.

I grinned, although I was disappointed to have ruined the moment. "I came by to see if you want to grab something to eat. I didn't realize you were… working." Her cheeks flushed a very attractive shade of pink and she looked flustered.

"Oh… I, uh, didn't know anybody was here…" Her blush deepened as she struggled to come up with an excuse.

"Don't be embarrassed, Bones. I think you looked really cute." Now I was starting to get uncomfortable. I cleared my throat and hurried on, "Plus, you know, you're a really good singer. You don't need to be embarrassed."

She snickered and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you only caught me singing and dancing around here like a fool," she responded sarcastically.

My Bones was feeling self-conscious? That didn't happen very often and I found it oddly endearing. "If you can't be a fool with me, then who can you be a fool with?" I took a few steps closer and noticed something. I leaned forward a little, squinting at her to get a better look. "Uh, I think you have something blue on your cheek…"

"Shit," she gasped and swiped at her cheek.

"Other side…"

"It must be dye…" She scrubbed her opposite cheek, completely missing the offending blue smudge. "I was using it to inspect micro fractures on the tibia…" I chuckled as she continued to futilely wipe her face.

"Here…," I reached out to her, "You're not getting it." I gently took her face in my hands and rubbed the spot out with my thumb. The intimacy of the gesture wasn't lost on either of us and I felt her penetrating gaze lock on me. I cleared my throat again. "There! Got it."

"Thank you," she murmured softly. My eyes met hers and I looked away quickly. I could get pulled in by those eyes. I took a step back, needing to distance myself before I got into trouble. I grasped about for a way to diffuse the situation.

"So… 'Escapade,' huh?"

She laughed that sexy, throaty laugh of hers. "Uh huh. Janet Jackson. Got something to say about it?"

I could feel my face light up like Christmas. Her playfulness always had that effect on me; I couldn't help it. "No, of course not! It's just an unusual choice, that's all."

"And what song do you sing and dance to?"

"I don't sing and dance to anything." She eyed me skeptically. "Okay, fine. I might have occasionally sung along to 'Don't You Want Me' by The Human League."

She burst out laughing. "Well, it just so happens I have that song on my iPod." Her eyes twinkled mischievously.

"No. I don't think so. I am not going to sing and dance to 'Don't You Want Me' right now." Her grin widened and I felt my resolve slipping. Why did she have to be so damn irresistible?

"Come on! I'll even sing and dance with you! It'll be fun!"

"But…," I tried to argue.

"If you can't be a fool with me, then who can you be a fool with?" I groaned as my own words came back to bite me in the ass. She knew she had me. Without waiting for an answer, she hooked her arm through mine and tugged me unceremoniously into an open space in the office. She handed me one of her earbuds and positioned the other in her own ear. She cued up the music and started shimmying as we waited for the verse to begin.

"You were working as a waitress in a cocktail bar
When I met you
I picked you out, I shook you up, and turned you around
Turned you into someone new…"

We both cracked up as we stumbled over the lyrics. Her enthusiasm was contagious and my self-consciousness quickly dissolved. I started dancing along and we belted out the chorus together.

"Don't, don't you want me?
You know I can't believe it when I hear that you won't see me
Don't, don't you want me?
You know I don't believe you when you say that you don't need me
It's much too late to find
You think you've changed your mind
You'd better change it back or we will both be sorry…"

What we lacked in talent, we made up for in volume. I grabbed the forceps and we took turns singing into the "microphone." We could barely contain our laughter as we practically shouted the tune.

"Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me, oh!
Don't you want me baby? Don't you want me, oh!"

We managed to butcher our way through the rest of the song, doing more giggling than singing. As we stood there grinning at each other, I was once again struck with how amazing she was. She was so unlike any woman I had ever known and I did want her. Not just sexually, although that definitely had crossed my mind a time or two… million. It was more than that though. I wanted her… This woman, who could be a stuffy scientist one minute and a goofy karaoke singer the next. She was my best friend and I hoped she'd be more one day, but I wasn't willing to risk scaring her away unless I was positive she felt the same.

A new song started to play and I instantly recognized Etta James's "At Last." Bones reached over to turn off her iPod, but I grabbed her wrist to stop her. She looked up at me, confused.

"I like this song."

"Oh," she whispered and glanced at my hand still holding her wrist.

Before I had a chance to talk myself out of it, I maneuvered her hand into mine and stepped closer to slip my other hand around her back. She seemed surprised but didn't resist. We transitioned easily into a slow dance and I felt her relax against me. It was a little unnerving how effortlessly we fell into step together, perfectly in sync like we so often were.

"I found a dream that I could speak to
A dream that I can call my own
I found a thrill to press my cheek to
A thrill that I have never known…"

My breath caught as soon as she started singing softly in my ear. It was beautiful. I forgot to keep moving as I strained to hear her over Etta's voice in my other ear. She turned slightly to look at me, wondering why I had stopped dancing, and I dazedly started swaying us again.

"Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last"

At some point during the song, my heart had stopped beating but as she sang those last few lines, I could feel it jump-start in my chest. I pulled back a little, although I didn't take my hands off her, and stared at her in wonder. She shot me a shy, uncertain smile. That smile was my undoing. I tugged the cord of the earbuds, yanking them out of our ears. Hesitating only a fraction of a second, I lowered my lips to hers.

As my lips tugged gently on hers, I felt her grip on my shoulders tighten. It was enough to shake me out of my haze and I broke away from the kiss. I studied her face, trying to look for any signs that I'd just made a huge mistake. After what felt like an eternity, a smile slowly dawned on her face. I breathed out a sigh of relief and her smile widened. My answering grin was quickly smothered by the press of her mouth.

As our lips and eventually our tongues danced together, her voice in my mind continued to sing:

"Oh, yeah when you smile, you smile
Oh, and then the spell was cast
And here we are in heaven
For you are mine
At last"