Thanks for the awesome reviews! It looks like Booth is gonna have to regain Brennan's trust the hard way. :D Enjoy! And don't forget to keep reviewing!
Booth pulled the SUV into a parking lot near the reflecting pool. He got out of his side and went to meet Brennan exiting hers. She looked up at him, a confused look in her eyes, and he just smiled down at her.
"C'mon. You want some coffee or something?"
Shaking her head, she started to walk away from the vehicle. She heard the door shut behind her and seconds later, Booth's hand rested on her back. Emotion swelled in her chest. She had missed him, their close and easy contact like this. They seemed to be slipping back into their old routines. All too soon though, his hand dropped and began to sway between them. It was like until this was resolved there would always be an air of caution and awkwardness hanging over them.
Booth walked over to the coffee cart and got himself a coffee. Of course he offered to get something for Brennan, but she declined again. In their current situation, it made her feel like she was using him. They sat down on a nearby bench and Booth sipped his coffee. Brennan looked up at him, and he seemed to be really happy right now. His eyes sparkled a little bit, and there was a hint of a smile on his face. It was almost as if the old Booth was back, but there was something hidden behind his happiness.
"Hey, Booth?"
"Yeah, Bones?" he turned his head to look back at her.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
"Where…what about Hannah?" her voice was quiet, shy. She looked up at him in time to see his eyes lose the sparkle from before and his jaw tighten slightly.
"I'm…I'm sorry Booth. Never mind." She shook her head and turned away to avoid his eyes.
"No, Bones. It's ok. It's just another one of those mistakes I made. I didn't want to hurt either of you, and yet I ended up hurting both of you." He swallowed hard. The anger rose up inside him again, and he took a deep breath to try and reign himself in. "She heard our…conversation the other night. So I told her everything and she basically told me that you were the one I should be with, not her. She was right you know, but that still doesn't make it ok."
She was gaping at him. Hannah was not supposed to hear any of that. Booth wasn't even supposed to hear it, not in the way she had said it. Her guilt was even more present now. "I'm sorry. I had a moment of weakness."
He put his hand over hers, resting it on her knee. He smiled a sweet smile. "It's not your fault Bones. It was mine. All mine. And if you hadn't called me, we…" he trailed off.
We what? He thought. We wouldn't be in this awkward situation, on one side of that line, but the other at the same time? I wouldn't being sitting here trying my best to regain the trust that I lost because I was stupid? You wouldn't be sitting there feeling hurt. But you would, because I had made a mistake. This was the right thing to do.
She looked down at their hands, resting on her knee together. She smiled a bit, but it was gone with another wave of guilt. "I didn't want to hurt her." She said.
"Bones, look at me." He waited until she was looking him directly in the eyes before continuing. "None of this was your fault, ok? It was all me. And Hannah isn't mad. Not at you, at least. OK? Just stop feeling so guilty, it's not your fault."
She nodded her head slightly. No matter how much he said it wasn't her fault, she would still feel guilty. She would tell Booth that she was ok though, if that's what he needed. She stood, and was acutely aware of his hand falling off hers. It disappointed her in a way, but she kept with her original action.
"C'mon. Let's keep walking." She smiled at him and he smiled back. He stood and together they walked around the reflecting pool, a feeling of nostalgia hung around them.
Line…
Booth glanced at his watch. He looked next to him and saw Brennan. She seemed to be in a world of her own, thinking about who knows what. He could feel the warmth rolling of her body. She was so close, and so beautiful. Before, in this situation, maybe he would've thrown his arm around her shoulders, or linked arms with hers, maybe even hold her hand, but now that was pushing it. Not because it would scare her away, but because he had already lost her. So badly did he want to take her in his arms, tell her how much he loved her, and spend the rest of his life with her, but he was far from that now. He had to work to get them to the level of trust they had before, and that would take time. Instead he nudged her arm with his elbow.
"Hey Bones, you wanna get something to eat?"
She laughed a small laugh. "Can't you wait a few hours Booth? It's almost dinner time. We can grab something at the diner or something."
He groaned sarcastically. She smiled at him. "Alright Bones." He dragged out her name. "What do you wanna do now?"
She shrugged. "I don't know." She thought for a moment. "What about that movie you've been talking about? We could see that."
She didn't seem to notice his hesitation. That was just a little to close for comfort. Being with her just in his SUV was hard enough. Sitting practically alone with a beautiful woman he loved in an intimate sort of setting was really pushing it.
"Booth?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Uh…I don't know if…if you'd like it."
"Don't be ridiculous. It seems quite interesting, and if you want to see it, I'd be glad to accompany you." She smiled up at him innocently; totally oblivious as to why he wouldn't want her with him.
"Uh, yeah sure…let's go." He said reluctantly. They walked back to his SUV and from there they headed to the movie theater. When Brennan stepped out of the vehicle, Booth was already there, closing the door behind her. Again, she felt his hand on her back, leading her through the crowd. She expected it to fall back down to his side, but he never lost contact with her. It comforted her in a way.
Booth bought their tickets, after much arguing with Brennan over who would pay, and he led her to the snack counter. His hand fell to the small of her back, as if it was just a normal thing to do. He hadn't remembered doing it since he got back from Afghanistan with Hannah. He hadn't even realized he'd been doing it all day, as if it was just natural. For a moment, he thought it inappropriate, but she hadn't said anything, nor had she seemed uncomfortable by the actions, so he decided that maybe it was just another step forward.
He slipped some money on the counter right before Brennan did, paying for their candy. She glared at him, but there was a smile on her face. They made their way to the theater and Booth followed Brennan as they found a seat. He was feeling more and more uncomfortable as time passed. She may not have realized it, but this felt too much like a…date. He couldn't understand why he was so uncomfortable though. Friends do this all the time. That's what they were right now. Friends. Best friends. There was no reason he should feel this way.
Throughout the entire movie, Brennan could feel Booth's eyes on her. She tried to ignore him, but her pride seemed to swell, knowing that he was more focused on her than anything else. She could feel him next to her, his eyes following her every move, now matter how minute. She wanted so badly not to think of the future. If she did, she always seemed to feel he would leave her again. Somehow, she knew he wouldn't, but it was just how she felt. If she didn't think of the future, she could be with Booth right now. Holding his hands, feeling his arms wrapped around her. But right now she couldn't live in this moment without thinking about the next.
The movie ended and Booth peeled his eyes from her, hoping she wouldn't notice him staring at her. She turned to him and he could see her smiling. He laughed a little. "I take it you liked it?"
She nodded. "Yes. I found it-"
He held up a hand to stop her. "No scientific, anthropological, jibber jabber. Normal people talk. Did you like it?"
"I found it quite enjoyable."
"Cool, let's go grab some dinner."
She laughed. "All you think about is food."
He shrugged and they walked out of the movie theater. The rides in his vehicle were becoming less and less anxiety ridden. He didn't feel the awkwardness he had when he first told her about his feelings. And she didn't have to feel the regret and pain she usually felt around Booth. They were slipping into normalcy, and it was comforting to both of them.
Fifteen minutes later, they were pulling into Brennan's apartment complex. She looked at him, clearly confused.
"I'm gonna take you out. Someplace nice. Dress up. I'll be back in…" he checked his watch. "…half an hour. Now get out." He finished humorously.
"Booth, that isn't necessary."
"No, it's not. But I want to. Now go." He made shooing motions with his hands.
She tried to argue, but Booth just shook his head and refused to take no for an answer. Sighing, she stepped out of the SUV. She closed the door but turned around when she heard the electric woosh of the window being rolled down.
"I'll see you later Bones." Booth said through the window. She warmed at the smile on his face. He looked almost normal now. The smile she had come to love spread across his face. She waved at him.
"See ya Booth." She turned around and made her way up the stairs to apartment.
He watched her walk away from his SUV. Gaining her trust back was going to be a long process, but it was worth it.
And then he realized something.
She loved him too.
He thought back to the painful conversation the night before.
I know Bones. You're right. And I'm sorry. I was hurting. I thought I loved Hannah, but even that is not an excuse for what I did. But I'm here now Bones. I'm here and I love you. Please, Bones, please?
I love you too Booth. But I can't do it. I…I don't know if I can trust you like before. I'm sorry.
His heart ached, but he pulled a strand of hope from their conversation. She loved him. She loved him. With a smile and new sense of hope, he pulled away from her apartment to go get ready.
