Chapter 2-at the diner
They sat at their regular table at the back of the diner, unconsciously leaning towards each other. Their faces were inches apart. They only leaned back to take a bite of their food or to steal each others french-fries.
"So" he said
"So what?" she replied
"Gone on any dates lately?"
"Booth that's none of your business." And she really didn't want to talk about it.
"Oh, come on bones! I'm your partner!" He knew it wasn't his business. But he wanted to know. At the very least to protect her.
"Fine" she said leaning back with another one of Booths french-fries.
"Name?" Booth asked smiling at her childish tone
"Richard Grison"
He would run a background check tomorrow
"How'd it go?" he pushed further
She groaned
"Tell me" he said a little softer this time.
"All he did was stare at my chest and talk about his career"
"I bet you make more money then him" he encouraged. Either way this guy definitely wasn't good enough for his bones. My Bones? Whoa! When did she become 'your Bones'?He thought before he smiled. She's always been my Bones.
"Probably" a faint smile tugged at her lips but faded quickly.
"You should have called me" he said more serious now
"I don't need you to protect me Booth. And I can't just call you to come save me every time I have a crappy date"
"Yes you can"
Brennan looked up trying to find a way to change the subject before it turned into an argument
"You have some pie there" she said gesturing towards the corner of his lip. He attempted to wipe it off failing twice. Screw it. She thought and reached across the table to wipe the pie off the corner of his lip with her finger. As she pulled her hand back she felt his fingers wrap around her wrist. She froze as he continued to stare at her hand.
"Booth? What are you doing?"
"Getting my pie back." He replied in a whiney voice.
He contemplated licking it off her finger. He wanted to. It would be worth the ass kicking she would surely give him. He sighed and wiped the pie off her finger with his other hand and put the piece of pie back in his mouth.
She sighed too. In relief? No. That wasn't it. Was it disappointment? Did she want him to do something else? Something more?
Stop being irrational temperance. She thought to herself. Nothing is going to happen between you two. You are just partners. Even if this feeling is "love" Booth doesn't love me back. Isn't that why he drew the imaginary line? So as not to lead me on and save himself the trouble of rejecting me? I know he doesn't like hurting me….
Why did I make that stupid line?!! Booth yelled at himself internally. I love her. He thought. I can't deny it to myself anymore. I am in love with the beautiful, amazing, intelligent, stubborn Temperance Brennan! Oh, how he wanted to say it out loud. But he couldn't. He made the line to protect her. But he could protect her if they were together right? He could save her from these bastards that kept hurting her. He would never hurt her. He could save her from crappy dates with people like this Richard Grison person. He lost himself in the thought of going on a real date with her. Then he stopped himself. They had too much to loose. They were also best friends. He couldn't risk their friendship by telling her how deeply in love with her he really was. She would surely run. Damn that line he thought.
All this time they had been staring deeply into the other eyes until the waitress interrupted them with the check.
"Here ya go Hun" she said.
"Thanks" they said simultaneously and giggled.
"Jinx!" Booth shouted.