After dinner had been eaten and cleaned up, Booth opened the Gilroy file again, and covered the coffee table with papers.

Watching him from the kitchen, Brennan reflected that despite the rapid change in their relationship status, everything felt much the same between them. They still shared easy conversation, and it was almost like every other night they had eaten a meal together except…now they were allowed to touch.

She smiled as she watched him sigh and lean against the back of the couch, scrubbing his hands over his face,

Abruptly, he froze, and then turned to look at Brennan.

"Bones, are you spying on me?"

She smiled shyly. "I find that I enjoy the fact that I can watch you openly now."

He raised his eyebrows. "You were watching me sneakily before?"

She blushed.

He held out his hand to her. "C'mere, Bones."

Taking his hand, she settled herself on his lap, placing her knees on either side of his thighs.

As he began unbuttoning her blouse, she ran her hands over his bare chest and murmured, "I wish you hadn't changed out of your suit."

Again, his eyebrows shot up. "Wh-what?"

"Last Christmas at the lab—" she stopped.

He swallowed and shifted his hips under her. Focusing the wall behind her he said, "Oh, I remember."

"I very much enjoyed undressing you. I've been wanting to do that again."

His eyes snapped to hers. She saw his pupils dilate and heard his breath quicken.

He dropped her blouse on the floor and unfastened her pants.

Then he smirked, "'Collecting evidence,' huh?"

Her bra landed on top of the television.

"I've thought about that day many times while I—"

"Don't! Don't finish that sentence, or this is going to be over really quick."

"Booth it's a perfectly natural—"

"Stop."

Suddenly she was on her back and he was over her. He sat back on his heels and peeled off her socks and pants.

He shucked his sweatpants and covered her body with his.

"Tomorrow," he grunted, "I'll leave the suit on."

oOo

Later, lying in bed together he groaned, "You're going to be the death of me, woman."

She glared at him.

"Ma'am?"

"Bones is fine," she sniffed.

She pressed a kiss to his clavicle and then said, "You haven't asked me, Booth. You must be curious."

He tensed slightly.

She raised her head from his chest to look him in the eye. "Are you afraid if we have this conversation, you'll frighten me away?"

"Bones, we don't have to talk about it. Just that fact that you're here is enough. I don't need an explanation." He looked away.

"I thought perhaps if you understood my reasoning, it might assuage your fears."

"My fears?"

"I'm not going anywhere, Booth. I promise." She was silent until he met her eyes again. "I'm not going to change my mind."

"Bones, I never said—"

"We don't say a lot of things. This can't be one of those things."

His chest swelled with a deep breath. "Okay."

They both sat up and leaned against the headboard, shoulders touching. She took his left hand in her right.

"Before we started working together, I was very…careful when it came to interpersonal relationships, both in my private and professional lives. The only real friend I had was Angela, but I hadn't known her for very long when we met for the first time. Outside of that I had colleagues, acquaintances, and sexual partners, but no one I actually trusted."

She snuck a sideways glance at him. He looked apprehensive.

"From the beginning, I opened myself up to you, metaphorically speaking, more than anyone I had ever known, and when we fought and it ended—I was surprised by how painful it was. It wasn't rational. I barely even knew you, but…"

"I felt it, too, " he whispered.

She nodded and fixed her eyes on their joined hands.

"So—" her voice broke. Their eyes met briefly, and then she leaned her head against his shoulder. After a moment she continued, "When you asked me to help with the Cleo Eller case, I was terrified. The first time it was so—" her voice faltered. "I didn't think I could survive that again. But somehow I allowed myself to be drawn in, and in the course of the last five years…I realized that you were the center of my world. My best friend, and the person I trust."

He felt a tear slide down his chest. "Bones—"

"No," she sniffed. "Let me finish. When you asked if we could try to be together I was afraid…as painful as it was after the Arrington case, I knew that I wouldn't survive it if I lost you now. I thought if I could protect our partnership, that would be enough. But last night what you said…that I was destroying you…"

"Oh, Bones, no. No." He cupped her cheek and turned her face to his. "Not you. It was never your fault. "

"I realized that I was going to lose you anyway."

He pulled her down onto the mattress with him, spooning against her back.

oOo

Booth woke with a start a few hours later to find himself alone in his bed. Raising himself on his elbows, he called, "Bones?"

He heard the toilet flush, then the water running in the bathroom. He exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and collapsed onto the mattress.

Brennan came out of the bathroom, wearing one of his T-shirts. She climbed back into bed with him and rested her head on his chest as he wrapped one arm around her shoulders.

She traced circles on his chest with her fingertips.

His voice startled her. "I was afraid." He paused. "Look at me, Bones." She rested her chin on his chest and met his eyes. "I was afraid, but I'm not anymore. I trust you."

He pushed her onto her back and rolled on top of her. Smoothing her hair back from her face and kissing her, he repeated, "I trust you."