Thanks to MoonlightGardenias for her great beta work, encouragement and advise. This story wouldn't have been written without her help and advise.
These characters belong to Kathy Reichs, Hart Hanson, Fox, Josephson Entertainment and Far Field Productions, et al.
Please read and enjoy. Reviews are eagerly awaited. Please no flames.
Also a very big thank you to those who have read, and especially those who took the time to review.
CHAPTER 9: THE DATE
Booth spent a few minutes trying to clear the last mouthful of food from his throat and the dinner continued in a stilted manner. At times the conversation flowed naturally, but there were awkward silences when the atmosphere at their table was rather strained and decidedly uncomfortable. But the flowers, and their meaning, were not mentioned again.
Halfway through dessert, Brennan looked at Booth who was enjoying his apple cobbler. "So I'm thinking that since we've agreed that we want this relationship, we should have sex tonight," she stated in her usual blunt manner.
For the second time that night, Booth almost choked to death. He was used to Brennan's lack of subtlety, but not while they were eating, and certainly not about sex.
Finally clearing his airway, Booth regarded the woman he loved. "That's not the best segue way into that subject, Bones."
"What? Why? Don't you want to have sex with me?"
"No, I don't."
Hurt flashed across her face.
Reaching across the table, Booth took her slender hand in his. "Bones, what I want most in the world is to make love to you. I don't want anything we engage in together to be reduced to the simple act of sex. Remember what I said about role playing, fetishes and crappy sex?"
Bones nodded.
"Well," Booth continued. "I don't want to have anything like that with you. As corny as it sounds, I want us to become one."
"But…"
Booth cut her off. "I know it's against the laws of physics, but if you'll remember, I also won that argument. You mean so much more to me than a roll in the hay, or a passing fancy. I don't want what we have to be reduced to something as crude as sex."
Brennan sat back in her chair and smiled. "Okay then, you're right."
Looking at her with eyes that were as dark as the chocolatety dessert she was enjoying Booth said, "Yeah Bones, I know I am."
~~ BONES ~~
Having finished their meal, Booth and Brennan left the restaurant and headed toward the parking lot.
"Your place or mine?" Brennan asked.
Booth chuckled. "Boy, is that a cliché."
Brennan gave him a quizzical look. "It's one of the oldest most used lines in history. I bet even your Ice Age, Iron Age or whatever cultures used that one."
"We can't be sure of that because there are no written histories of those people. In fact, the written history of the world didn't really start until…"
Booth stopped her with a kiss that became very intense very fast. Finally pulling away, Booth smiled at the disorientated look on Brennan's face. "I gotta remember that as a good way to stop you rambling."
It took a few moments for Brennan to regain her equilibrium. Clearing her throat she said, "You didn't answer my question."
Leading the way to her car, Booth said, "Your place. That way, you can't run in the morning if you suddenly think this is a huge mistake."
Brennan was a split second from replying when she recognised the gleam of humour in his eyes. "You won't be able to go anywhere in the morning either. We're taking my car," she said, taking the keys from her purse.
~~ BONES ~~
Although they had both agreed that tonight they would consummate their relationship, Brennan was uncharacteristically nervous.
As she drove them home, Brennan catalogued the physical changes her body was going through. Epinephrine was being released at an increased rate, resulting in heightened arousal. Her palms were sweating. Her breathing had increased, along with her heart rate. The re-routing of blood from her stomach, to her muscles were causing the fluttering feeling in her belly. She knew there was a colloquial term for it. Maybe it was the feeling of 'moths' in her stomach. She was almost sure that was right.
Vasocongestion, the increase of blood-flow to her sexual organs, was also becoming progressively more noticeable. The surge of blood to her breasts was causing them to ache and there was a considerable increase of moisture between her legs. Neuromuscular tension was making her nerve endings and muscles feel as though they were humming. She was ever so glad they were driving at night and Booth was unaware of the flush that was warming her entire body.
Brennan squirmed with her increasing discomfort. Booth glanced at her as he squirmed in his own seat. Hoping to clear some of the nervous tension, he leaned over and turned on the radio to find some relaxing music.
The sound of frenzied drums preceded a male and female duet. Booth couldn't quite place the familiar tune until he heard the lyrics. "…We're gonna go all the way, and tonight's the night…"
Quickly glancing over to his partner, Booth did indeed see 'paradise by the dashboard light'. Maybe not quite the way Meatloaf had meant, but 'his' Bones was one of the most beautiful women he'd ever known and the most beautiful woman he had ever planned on having a relationship with.
Before the lyrics could be repeated, he changed the station.
"…I was made for loving you baby, you were made for loving me…"
Damn, Booth thought. Two similar songs, within the same time frame, on different stations. What were the odds?
This time however, it was Bones who changed the station. There had to be something relaxing.
A very pop-like beat came from the speakers, with electric guitar strains coming to the fore. Ah, the eighties! Such a relatively uncomplicated age made even more so by youth.
"…Touch me, touch me, I wanna feel your body. Your heartbeat next to mine…"
This time they both reached for the station button. Hands collided and a few more strains of the song came through the speakers. "…Touch me, touch me, now!"
They were indeed touching, but not in quite the way Samantha Fox was singing about.
Brennan let Booth search for a new station. The country-style twang of a guitar came from the speakers. They turned to each other with a smile. Finally, something a little less risqué.
"I don't know who you think you are, but before the night is through. I wanna do bad things with you."
"What the hell?" Booth muttered, while reaching to search for yet another station. There had to be something out there a little less provocative.
Funky electronic music with a decent bass line came from the speakers. "…But most of all, sex is something that we should do. Sex is something for me and you."
"Oh for crying out loud isn't there a single station out there not playing smut tonight?" Booth cried, switching the radio off.
He took a deep breath. "Even the radio agrees with us. If we weren't ready before…"
In a soft, low voice Brennan cut him off. "I've been ready for quite some time."
"What?" Booth asked.
Damn. Feign ignorance. "What?" she asked in return.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing. Just commenting on how odd it was with the songs."
Booth narrowed his eyes. He was pretty sure that wasn't what she'd said, but he wasn't going to argue now. They'd just pulled into Brennan's parking spot.
~~ BONES ~~
Brennan turned to him. "So, here we are."
Booth nodded. "Yep, here were are."
But neither of them made a move to get out until the sudden harsh squawking of a distant car alarm broke the spell. They headed for the lobby of Brennan's building.
As they stepped into the elevator, Brennan turned to Booth. "So…"
Booth interrupted. "Listen, I want you to be one hundred percent sure of this. Nothing has to happen tonight. We've agreed to a relationship, so nothing has to be rushed."
Brennan's body was still sending her urgent messages to get up to her apartment and quell the rush of hormones that were sending her senses haywire. However, there was a stupid niggling little seed. "I know Booth, I want to. I really do. It's just such a big step, making that definitive decision to cross 'the line'."
The elevator doors opened, they stepped out and headed toward her door. Stopping for a moment before fishing her keys from her purse, Booth cupped Brennan's face and kissed her lightly. "We're both sure, and l love you. But if you have ANY reservations, for whatever reason, even if you think it's stupid, please tell me. We can leave it for another time."
Leaning in, she returned the kiss. She found her keys and opened the door.
"Thank you for being so understanding."
Songs in order:-
Paradise By The Dashboard Light - Meatloaf
I Was Made For Lovin' You - Kiss
Touch Me - Samantha Fox
Bad Things - Jace Everett
I Want Your Sex - George Michael