Title: Waking (Part 2/?)
Author: crearealidad
(see disclaimer and notes in Part 1)
He sits down on the couch to wait for her, but only a few moments later, she re-emerges, a heavy gray bathrobe covering the soft loose cotton of earlier. She is fully upright now and with a few quick steps, she's strides up behind him to rest her hands on his shoulders. Her strong fingers curl in, squeezing the dense muscles disguised by layers of fabric.
"I thought you were going to get ready?" He says, turning to grin up at her.
"I just realized that I didn't ask where we're going. Are we staying in the area or do I need to pack as well?"
"Ahhh…Ohio. It's supposed to be pretty cold."
She moves around the couch to stand in front of him in the space between his knees. Looking down at him, she asks, "What's in Ohio?"
"Two bodies found—Wait. We need to get going. Get dressed, then we'll talk decaying corpses." He stands, sliding an arm across her lower back and guiding her down the hall to her bedroom. Her arms come up and try to push him away, then turns in his grasp to face him, stopping just short of her door. When her mouth opens to speak, he covers her mouth with a broad hand, tsking at her impatience. He is now wrapped around her and she can feel the warmth of his body even through the heavy cloth.
"Nope. We'll cover it on the way." With a gentle shove, he forces her into her bedroom and steps into the space to keep her from escaping, grinning playfully as he instructs her. "Now, go get all fresh and clean. Then we can have our dirty death talk."
With that, he steps back and closes the door. She calls his name from the other side of the door and grasps at the doorknob, but he is faster. His hand is already on the knob, holding it steady as she tries to jerk it around. "Fifteen minutes, Bones. Hurry it up!"
She sighs, turning away from the door to her dresser. Opening the drawer, she pulls out a cable-knit sweater and a pair of tan corduroy pants. She snatches underwear from another drawer, and lays the clothing out on her bed. Next, she walks to her closet, taking out several blouses, her Jeffersonian jumpers, and a few other pieces of clothing, folding them neatly next to the other clothes. Gathering the sweater and pants for the day, she enters the bathroom, setting them on the toilet.
From the living room, the flute concerto she had listened to the night before comes floating in. She reaches in to the shower and turns on the water before making her way out to where he is standing at her stereo. He's leaned in and examining the titles, searching for something and before he can hear her movements, she speaks, "Booth! What are you doing?"
His shoulders snap back, pulling him to standing, and he spins to face her but never meeting her eyes. "I was… Hell, I just wondered what you were listening to. Then I was looking… It was quiet and I know you've got better stuff here somewhere. I seem to remember some—"
"You were just snooping around while I was gone." She crosses her arms, glaring at him.
"It's not snooping if it's in plain sight," he taunts, moving towards her.
She doesn't back down, moving her hands to her hips, "Booth, I'm not a suspect. I'm your friend." She leans into him and for a moment he seems startled. Her body pushes against him as she reaches around behind him. Pulling back, she holds up a CD, "Here, now you don't need to snoop. And you can keep it. I have another copy." Depositing the CD in his cautiously upturned hand, she leaves him to discover what she's left him with as she disappears back to her bedroom. For a moment, he stares after her, the warm place where she had been against him still lingering.
Finally, he turns his eyes back to the gift she's given him, turning it over in his hands. The case is blank and inside is a disk labeled only "Favorites." Still staring down at the disk, he reaches out and stops the flute mid-note. The disk slides out of the stereo and he sets down his gift to gingerly deposit the CD back in the case sitting in front of the stereo. Then, he reaches for the disk she had given him, popping it out of its case. He's about to slide it into the machine, when he hears the water being cut. Glancing at his watch, he puts the CD back in its case and tucks it in his jacket pocket.
He walks back to the couch and he can hear fabric rustling and then the sound of a zipper sealing shut. There's a thud and clattering as the wheels of her suitcase hit the ground before she emerges, her hair still wet and tied up to the back of her head. Her eyes are focused down on the ground as she adjusts a shoulder bag, but looks up when he asks, "You ready to go?"
"Huh?" Her eyes snap to his and she stops fidgeting with her bag. "Oh, yes. Do we need to stop by the lab and get my kit?"
"No, I stopped by and picked it up on my way over here," he tells her, moving to stand next to her, placing a hand between her shoulder blades to guide her to the door. "Let's go."
In response she nods, then shoots him a questioning glance as he reaches down and grabs her suitcase from her. He shrugs and opens the door. She flips off the lights and steps out the door with him on her heels, then turns and locks the door before leading him down the hall.