Title: Candy Hearts

Author: SplishySplash

Pairing: Booth and Brennan

Spoilers: None but set after Hero in the Hold

Summary: Every year Temperance Brennan has a certain routine that she went through every February 14th.

*~*~*

Every year Temperance Brennan has a certain routine that she went through on February fourteenth. Though she strictly believed that Valentine's Day was a false holiday giving the masses an excuse to buy roses and chocolate for their significant other, but save for a once a year treat that she allows herself to indulge on.

For as long as she could remember, she had always enjoyed the Sweethearts candy. It was her weakness. The chalky taste was sweet on her tongue, but that wasn't her favorite part. Her favorite part was on the little messages written on the front.

She sat at her desk with her opened bag with a small smile resting on her lips as the rest of the lab worked oblivious to her tradition. In her tradition, she would never eat the heart without reading them first, then sorting and then modestly eating them one by one.

With the bag opened, she reached in for a handful and picked up the first heart RECIPE 4 LOVE, bringing a smile to her lips and started a pile, as she finished sorting one bag and grabbed another when her name was called from the door.

"Doctor Brennan?" Asked Cam from the door way with her hand resting on the frame, her eye brow raised. "The head of archaeology is here and would like to know if you have time to do a consult for him."

Brennan looked up and nodded, shoving the handful back into the bag. "Of course." She said, getting up to her feet and following Cam from the office.

*~*

Booth wandered into to the lab sometime before noon with the intent of dragging his partner out to a Valentine lunch. After saying his hellos and Happy Valentines to the squints that stood on the platform and was a little put out to not see his partner among them. Taking the long strides her office, he whistled to the song that was stuck in his head and stopped when he saw that her office was empty.

A frown formed on his lips, but turned into a curious smile when he saw the candy resting on her desk and almost laughed at the organized piles. Trust Temperance Brennan to sort candy before eating it.

He placed a yellow FAX ME into his mouth before adjusting the piles with a smile on his face before leaving to find where his partner was hiding.

*~*

Brennan had to run back to her office to grab a file that pertained to the exhibit the head of archaeology was looking for when she noticed that her neat piles were not as she left them. Across the top of the desk spelled out a message using the hearts and she gasped loudly, bringing her hand to her cover her mouth and at the top he had written Bones on a plain white heart in his tiny handwriting.

BONES

GUESS WHAT? SUGAR PIE I MISS YOU WHEN UR GONE

YOU & ME R THE DREAM TEAM HONEY BUN

UR KIND BEAUTIFUL AND HEART OF GOLD UR A 10

4 EVER TRUE LOVE

TABLE 4 TWO MY TREAT

BOOTH

He had written his name on a yellow heart. She smiled slightly before grabbing the file and turning on her heels leaving the office. Her heels clicked against the tile as she made eye contact with the man who was chatting idly with the entomologist and the artist.

She strode up the steps with an unreadable expression on her face only to quickly turn into a large smile. The anthropologist didn't say anything only holding out her hand for him to take the contents and standing close to him, she could feel his breath on her face.

Angela and Hodgins stopped talking and watched the partners. Inside her hand held two small items and she placed them into his palm, but what surprised him was when she slowly placed her lips onto his in a quick kiss before turning on her heels and heading back to her meeting.

"What was that?" Asked Angela, her voice laced with excitement as they watched Brennan walking out of the double sliding doors.

Booth shrugged as he watched her disappear around the corner without looking back. "What did she give you?" Asked Hodgins with a curious smile, turning his attention to the agent.

He opened his hand and two hearts rested in this hand, one was face up and the other faced down.

I CNT W8

The artist sent him a confused look and his smile softened, the curiosity got the best of Angela as she reached into his palm and turned over the small pink heart, gasping quietly as she read the words.

I LOVE YOU