Author's Note: This is a lot shorter than I usually write, but I had to get it out. I'm having a lot of trouble with my Camdgins fic, so oneshots it is.
Special thanks to GreysIsTheCatsPajamas for reading & listening to my twitter ramblings. =] This story got her seal of approval. Woohoo!
This oneshot was brought to you by: Colors by Crossfade, Home by Three Days Grace.
As Expected
The irony of the situation was not lost on her. Everyone had come back expecting that they would be together. She, herself, had come back expecting...well. If she were to be honest with herself, she wasn't really expecting anything at all.
She was startled by a knock on the door. Getting up from the couch, she walked to the door and checked the peephole. Upon seeing Booth, she immediately opened the door and let him in.
"Booth—" was all she managed to get out before he crashed his lips to hers. For a moment, she found herself melting into his kiss.
Coming to her senses, as she always did, she pushed him away and saw the hurt in his eyes.
"Booth! What are you doing here?"
"I...I can't do it, Bones," he said in a low voice.
"Do what, Booth? What's wrong?"
"Don't go."
"What?" she had to have heard him wrong…
"Don't go. Stay here instead of going to the Makapooki Islands. Stay with me."
"Booth…"
She didn't correct him this time. He didn't interrupt her this time. He had nothing else to say, and her voice just trailed off. The silence between them was taunting. Rarely had they ever been silent.
"I'm leaving tomorrow, Booth. You know that."
"And I'm asking you not to."
"You can't do that! I can't stay." Her anger, like his, was rising with her voice.
"Then run. Because that's what you're doing. That's all you know how to do."
"Booth…"
Words were not her friend right now, as they usually were. He was hurting her more than he could know.
"You're running away because you're scared."
"So, what if I am! You're leaving too!"
"Only because you're walking away!"
She couldn't remember him ever being this angry with her. Frustrated, yes, but never irate.
He must really not want me to go, she thought.
To anyone else, that thought would've given them a warm feeling, a true sense of being needed. To Dr. Temperance Brennan, however, it only succeeded in furthering her anger.
He has no right…
"Bones…" he started, shaking her from her thoughts. His voice was softer now, the sharp sting of anger gone.
She wanted to forgive him. For everything. For faking his funeral. For not waking up from a coma for four days. For confessing his love. For not actually confessing his love. For pushing her.
But she couldn't. She knew better than anyone not to let people get that close. She had to run. She had to get out before she got hurt. Before they both got hurt.
"Booth," her tone was cold and professional. "I'm sorry. I'm getting on a plane tomorrow, and I'm going to the dig. Nothing will change that."
"Please, Bones. If you care at all—"
"I don't." the bitterness in her own words was shocking. She just wanted him to stop pushing on everything. She wanted their status quo back. They were the center.
She saw tears fill his eyes just before his expression hardened.
"Great. Just remember something for me. You're the one who's running away. I'm just the guy who refuses to run after you."
After he left, she went to her bedroom to pack.
Compartmentalize…she thought. Hold yourself together.
Remembering that night, Brennan turned to her side, pulled the covers up to her chin, and cried. Sobs wracked her body so hard she was shaking. But she couldn't get them to stop. She could only think about the fact that she hadn't cried in seven months. Everyone had expected her to, but she hadn't.
She hadn't expected the anger to remain once they were reunited. She hadn't expected him to be in a relationship as serious as a heart attack, either. Despite everything that had happened, she hadn't necessarily expected anything to change.
But it had changed. At least, it was very different from the last five years. All in all, however, she supposed that nothing had really altered at all. He had a girlfriend, someone who would give him 30, 40, or 50 years. It's exactly what he always wanted.
And she was alone.
Everything was as she expected.
Well. Whatcha think? Reviews are needed...er...I mean. They're very welcome... . .