Disclaimer: I DO NOT own Bones...or its characters. I only love them.
A/N: Big shout out to my betas, the void sisters, Randomlyirritated & RandomSpeedReader...you guys rock!
PLEASING TO THE EYE
Seeley Joseph Booth never…well almost never lost his cool.
He prided himself on the fact that he could maintain a calm and composed demeanor, be it in the midst of a murder interrogation or in the heat of war.
But now was the closest he had ever come to breaking that record.
The cause?
His slightly-amusing, slightly-confusing, highly amazing partner seated right beside him.
She had been deliberately – yes, it was that obvious. What about Bones ever isn't? – looking away every time he caught her eye. For fifteen whole long minutes!
As far as he knew she found him handsome…not repulsive…sexy….charming…but let's not get carried away. The point being – they liked each other. A lot. They had a daughter together for crying out loud! And people in that situation don't just do the ignore-our-love-for-no-apparent-reason gig.
.don't.
Still lost in such boggling musings was he when distraction arrived in the *cough* large *cough* shape of Caroline Julian.
"So you two, the judge has decided to postpone the hearing for a week and until then I say we've got to keep a good eye on that guy Tony. But we've pretty much got this one in the bag" she informed them, then picked up her coffee and made to leave.
"Oh, and cherie," she added to Booth as an afterthought "you've got ketchup all over your chin."
Booth immediately wiped the red goop off his chin and looked at Brennan who was giving Caroline's retreating form what seemed to be a look of disappointment.
"Bones?" he asked her "what's up?"
"I hope you aren't hurt by her blunt approach Booth. Caroline shouldn't have said that" she responded.
"Huh?" came his oh-so-bright reply.
"People dislike to be ridiculed in public. It lowers their self-esteem and puts more pressure on public appearances. Caroline ridiculed you. She shouldn't have." Brennan replied confidently.
"It's just some ketchup. Relax"
"But I had to keep from looking at you so I wouldn't laugh at you" she almost whined.
Booth's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"THAT is why you wouldn't look at me? You thought laughing would hurt my feelings?" he asked, secretly swelling up with pride at being the object of her concern.
"Why else, Booth? You are rather pleasing to the eye" she reasoned with a smirk.
Booth smiled. That he could definitely live with.