"Toe Curling", a 1Shot
Angela walked into the bar and took a seat next to a long drink of water.
"Can you believe the weather out there?" She asked the man.
"Yeah... it's... it's pretty bad," Sweets replied.
"Are you getting sick of meeting here?" Angela asked.
Sweets rested his elbows on the counter. "No, nah. It's where you feel most comfortable, so I don't mind coming here. It's nice to get out of the office."
Angela reached for the drink Sweets ordered and took a drink. "Gee, Sweets, I thought you were a fruit punch kinda guy." She smiled teasingly.
Sweets reached for the drink and pulled it back in his direction. "Imagine that."
"I didn't mean to insult you," Angela said, maybe a little defensively.
"You didn't?" Disbelievingly.
"No!" She rolled her eyes and pulled Sweets' drink back in her direction. She took the lime from the rim and began to nibble on it absently. "Hodgins has a girlfriend."
Sweets studied her for a moment. "And how does that make you feel?"
Angela laughed. "Is that the best you can do? 'HOw does that make you feel'?" She grew a little more serious. "I honestly don't care. It's been over between Hodgins and me for a while. I'm happy for him."
"Then why did you bring it up?"
Angela smiled, "Well, who else do I tell?"
"Isn't Dr. Brennan your best friend?"
Angela shifted so that her back was to the bar and her elbows were on the counter. "If this leaks, I hurt you. And not in the pleasurable definition of the word. We're talkin' shackles and chains here." She shifted again so that she was facing the bar and their shoulders were touching. She spoke in a low tone. "I love Bren. She's the yin to my yang. When I need a serious angel-on-the-shoulder voice to tell me not to streak in the archaeology exhibit, I talk to her. But when it comes to matters of the heart, she doesn't quite get it. It's not that I don't respect her opinion... Never mind."
"No," Sweets shook his head. "I totally understand. Dr. Brennan is a master at compartmentalizing. Unfortunately, she compartmentalizes to a fault."
"Tell me about it. It's not easy being her best friend. I mean, wouldn't you jump Booth?"
Sweets' eyes widened. "Uh, no. No, I wouldn't."
Angela laughed and bumped her shoulder against his. "That's not what I meant. I mean, when it comes to love, her heart is like a closed book. When I was eight, I had a little diary with a little key and little lock. It's like that, except her love life is the diary and a fat kid came along and ate the key. Me, I'm different. I say, if there's a spark, why not jump at the chance to throw an old newspaper on it and blow a little hot air on it. Douse it in gasoline and just run with it. You know what I mean?"
"Yeah. I guess you're right. If there's something between two people, then they should go for it. If one never puts his heart on the line, then stagnancy is the result. The human heart has to be put to a test every now and then. Change is a part of being human."
"Yes!" Angela's eyes gleamed. She pushed Sweets a little. He righted himself and beamed. "You get it, Sweets. You get it." She grinned at him a little flirtatiously. "I'm impressed!"
Sweets shrugged, "Yeah, well... You know. I am a psychiatrist."
"No," Angela said. "It doesn't take a degree to understand these things. You know what? They're wrong about you."
Sweets looked at her quizzically, "Huh?"
"It. You. I don't think you're twelve. And I'm sorry I said you looked sixteen in those sexy plaid shorts."
Sweets noted the sarcasm. "Those shorts are my favorite. I got them on sale."
"At Old Navy? The Juniors Department, right?"
"Hey! They show off my calves." He pulled up a pant leg and moved around his foot. "See?"
Angela observed and laughed. "Those are some sexy legs you got there, stud."
Sweets grinned and shrugged, then they both put their elbows on the counter again.
"So..." Angela looked Sweets up and down. "What about you and Daisy?"
Sweets spun the glass around on the counter. "No. That fizzled out months ago."
"Let me guess," Angela said. "Too clingy? Too annoying? I've got it! She hogged the blankets, put your mom on speed dial, and wrote your name on your underwear?"
Sweets just looked at her.
"How do you do that? You're not even a trained psychiatrist."
"I know the type. I dated a guy once like that. Except he hogged the blankets, put my mom on speed dial, and wrote his own name on my Jeep with a Sharpie."
"He...?"
"Oh yeah." She made a gesture in the air, "JASON in big black letters on the hood of my Jeep."
"Now there's a man in serious need of psychotherapy."
"Tell me about it." She bumped against his shoulder again. "So, are you going to get back in the dating game any time soon?"
"I... I think I'm just going to focus on my career--"
Angela rolled her eyes. "Oh, please, Sweets! You know what that translates to? It translates to 'I'm afraid to date another nutjob'. You should do it, Sweets. Get back in the saddle. Get out there. You know, I think you're pretty cute."
Sweets could feel himself blushing a bit. Thank goodness the light in the bar was low. "Uh... y-you do?"
"Yeah," Angela said. "You have this great head of thick curly hair. You have great lashes and big lips..."
"Thanks. Thank you, Angela. And I think that you're very pretty, too."
Angela smiled widely. "You do?"
"Yeah. I mean, you're gorgeous. Anybody can see that. There's no reason you shouldn't get in the saddle, either. Any man with eyes would find you attractive."
"Wow. You're quite the sweet talker, Sweets."
Sweets shrugged. "I'm not sweet talking. Just... stating the obvious."
Angela smiled at Sweets for several seconds. "Well, I should probably get going."
"Yeah. The weather."
She put her jacket back on and slid her purse over her shoulder. "I'll see you later, Sweets."
"See you later, Angela. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas." She took several steps toward the door, then spun on her heel. "I forgot something."
Sweets picked up the ticket and waved it in the air. "My treat."
She ignored the bill and walked up to him. She grabbed him by the collar and planted a kiss on those big pouty lips. Sweets was too shocked to respond. His eyes remained open, the ticket never left his hand.
Angela pulled back. "Aren't you going to kiss me?"
"Uh..." He swallowed hard and put the ticket on the counter. "Yeah." It wasn't like he'd never thought about kissing her before. She's not only hot, but she also gave him the time of day. He put one hand behind her back, and one on the back of her head and pulled her in for a deep kiss.
When they both pulled back, Angela was smiling. "Wow. You really use those lips to your advantage, don't you?"
Sweets shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. "I try."
She gave him a playful shove. "No. It was good! Very good. That was toe-curling, Sweets!" She pulled the purse over her shoulder again and walked toward the door. She pushed it open with her back and gave Sweets a wicked grin. "Next time I'm going to curl your toes!"
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Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you just enjoyed another unique little Christmasy love story!
