XII. The Illogicality in the Gift

Long after their bodies had cooled, two people were snuggling on a couch in a little cabin somewhere near Seneca Lake. As the first goose bumps had appeared on Brennan's skin, Booth had reached for the now dry blanket and covered them. Her head lay on his shoulder, and he held her safely in his arms. From time to time he placed a little kiss on her temple, and she always thanked him with a sweet smile. He was allowed to touch her now, and his hands caressed her back as if he wanted to catalog her skin. In his opinion this was the best day ever.

Temperance Brennan had never been patient enough for pillow talk or post-coital cuddling, but this time she felt as if she could not get enough of his hands on her back or this embrace. Her body ached in a pleasant way, and she felt like a newborn. She turned her head to kiss him on that small spot between his jaw and his ear where he liked it and inhaled his musky scent. Brennan loved her newfound knowledge of her partner's body. She had tried to memorize his reactions to her touches and had filed away the ones to have elicited the loudest moans for further use. She had loved his male hardness when his body had been lying on top of her, his skin perfectly soft under her fingertips at the same time. She loved the idea that he was so strong but would never use it against her.

She loved... him.

Now that she knew that, everything made sense. He hadn't said those words to her so far, nor was she ready to share her newest discovery with him yet, but she was truly happy. At the moment she could only hope and assume that he loved her back – it was her own love for him that made her happy, she realized.

"Are you hungry?"

She wasn't ready to part with him yet.

"No."

The same moment she answered him her stomach betrayed her words with a loud growl, and he chuckled.

"I wish we still had that fish," he murmured into her hair.

"I'm glad the fish is still alive," she answered. "After all, it helped us."

"Hmm, I don't know, Bones. I think we could have made it on our own as well. I think there are a million possible scenarios which could have led us to this point."

"We've crossed that line, haven't we?"

He thought of his words, spoken so long ago that it felt like another lifetime.

"Yes, we're on the other side now. The greener side, Bones."

'The grass always seems greener on the other side,' he thought, but sometimes it turns out that it actually is – even without glorifying anything – and that there are some lines that should be crossed. For six years he had dreamed of the green on the other side, but now he realized that his dreams had been nothing compared to the real thing. Loving, touching, kissing Temperance Brennan.

"Booth... You know that I don't know what that means."

"I know," he smiled, "but believe me, it's the good side, somewhere everybody wants to be."

"So, the hardest part is over?"

"There are other hard parts out there waiting for us. I will yell at you because you cross a street without looking first. You will get mad when I blame gravity for my untidiness again. This new intimacy might add to my protective behavior and you'd feel the need to punch me during a case. But," he pulled her close, "after all of that we can go home, have make-up sex, and I'll hold you in my arms all night."

"Or I'll hold you," she felt the need to say.

"You want to eat now, Temperance? We still have all those strange vegetables you brought with us."

"Do we have to get up for it?"

"I'm afraid that might be necessary, Baby."

He sensed her protest and put his hand over her mouth before she could speak.

"I know that you are not an infant and I don't want to implicate that you are weak. You're my girl, and it's just a term of endearment I use to emphasize that fact. Take it, Temperance."

So she swallowed her reply and took it, like that first "guy hug" so long ago.

-BONES-

Her "strange vegetables" qualified themselves for a very reasonable curry, and even Booth didn't complain about the lack of meat. A bottle of deep red wine accompanied their meal. They ate in peaceful silence; Booth wore only his pants, and Brennan had the blanket wrapped around her naked body. Booth was very pleased with her lack of modesty and stole a piece of corn from her plate.

"Why do we order take-out so often when you can cook like that, Bones?"

"My time is highly valuable, and I don't like wasting it on cooking," was her dry reply.

"That's unfortunate because I plan on wasting a lot of your time when we're back in D.C. At least," his eyes darkened with sudden fear," if you want it. You want it, right? A monogamous relationship with me, even when we're back in the real world?"

She looked at him, surprised that he could still doubt her intentions.

"Booth, I meant it when I said I'm all in with you. I want the green side, whatever that means. You can waste as much of my time as it pleases you." She hesitated briefly.

"I'm all yours. And I know that this is a stupid phrase because one person could not possibly be in the possession of another one, at least not in this century, and even in former times the whole concept was highly questionable, but still... I'm yours."

He just looked at her, stood up very slowly and rounded the table. When he reached her side, Booth fell to his knees and buried his head in Brennan's lap.

"I take it," he simply said.

And so Temperance Brennan, world renowned anthropologist and bestselling author, learned the important lesson of how an impossible gift could turn into a real and heart-warming commitment.

"I want to take you to bed and make love to you all night," he added.

She smiled at his words. "What's holding you back?"

So he scooped her up in his arms, carried her to her bedroom on the upper floor and did as promised. All night long.

-BONES-

Temperance Brennan awoke at dawn. She felt sweet soreness in her body that hadn't been there for a long time, and the events of the night came back to her. His burning kisses and soft whispers; the sensations which had run through her core so many times. Booth was lying behind her, his body spooned to her own, his arm wrapped around her waist. She felt his steady breaths on her neck and assumed that he was still asleep. His discomfort about sexual topics had always led her to the conclusion that he might be inhibited. Now she knew how wrong she had been about Seeley Booth.

Just like last afternoon on the couch he had claimed her body with a vigor and determination that was as far away from shy as possible. And during her own explorations he had held her eyes in unresisted openness. He was a demanding and giving lover, always waiting for her before joining her in pleasure. Never before had she met a man who could give her so much without the need to take control away from her. That was the reason why she could give it up so easily and willingly for him.

He murmured in his sleep now and pulled her closer to his body. She could feel his manhood nestling softly between her buttocks, and her desire awoke again. She experimentally moved her hips to rub against him, and in response he hardened a little. Brennan turned around in her partner's arms very carefully until she was face to face with his sleeping form. His face looked so peaceful in his slumber, and she cursed all the bad things he had experienced in his life so far. He was hers now, and she vowed to make him happy. She wanted to be that woman for him more than everything else.

Her hand disappeared under the covers, and she found him – hot, velvet and only half hard. She had really appreciated his firm strength last night, but being allowed to witness his unerect state during the defenselessness of sleep felt so intimate that it touched her deeply. She cared for this man so much and she wanted to see his smile first thing in the morning, so her fingers stroked over the smooth skin until he grew in her hand. As an anthropologist she knew how to touch a body, how to generate a reaction, but with him she was just like any other woman who wanted to please her man; who needed his response in more than just a physical way. Booth was still asleep, and she couldn't resist the temptation to place a soft kiss on his lips. He stirred then, and Brennan let her fingernails scratch over his balls very gently. Within a heartbeat he was fully awake and looking at her in astonishment. Satisfied that she had his attention now, Brennan continued her ministrations to his nether region and squeezed his member in a confident rhythm.

"Good morning, Booth."

"Good morning, Beautiful. I make an educated guess that you don't regret anything then?"

She smiled. "Maybe I regret a little bit that we fell asleep at some point, but I intend to make up for that."

His smile turned into an aroused moan when her thumb brushed over his tip, and she spread the wetness she found there all over him.

"Waking up today is even better than waking up yesterday," she stated before she lowered her mouth to his.

It was their first good morning kiss and it was full of sweet sensuality. Booth brought his hand to her neck to hold her in place as the kiss deepened and her caresses continued. He was so hard now that is was almost painful, but this was her show, and he didn't want to take control away from her. When she released his lips his head spun, and he almost missed how she straddled his hips with a cat-like elegance and lowered herself onto him in one exciting move.

"Aww."

They gasped in unison at the contact – now familiar but still overwhelming – and she began to move on top of him. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted and she had that little frown on her face that he loved so much. "Temptation' suits her even better than "Temperance",' he though as he found himself hypnotized by her natural seductiveness again. His hands found her beautiful breasts, squeezed them affectionately, and his fingers pinched her hardened nipples gently, just like he had learned she liked it. She moaned again and rolled her hips so sensually that the feeling of her body around his own took his breath away. He wanted to kiss her and pulled her down. His lips met hers as their chests touched, and he wrapped his arms around her.

Booth knew he was close and he needed his partner to be ready with him, so he pressed his palm to the small of her back and thrust into her from below. His new movement added friction to her most sensitive parts, and she felt streams of heat running through her body, everywhere and overpowering, until they all decided to concentrate on one spot. Temperance Brennan held her breath, raised from Booth one more time, locked her eyes with his and – the spot exploded. Her irises were sparkling blue, a rosy flush appeared on her cheeks, and he thanked every higher power in this world that she had let him witness this before he followed her into oblivion. The very first time she had came apart in his arms he had found himself mesmerized by the look on her face, but this time was incomparably better because there was no shame, no regret, no hurt. All he felt was pure bliss as he released deep inside of her. A second later she collapsed onto his chest. Instinctively his arms tightened around her again, allowing him to feel her fast heartbeat against his own.

When their breaths had returned to normal, Brennan raised her head to look at him. Their bodies were still joined, and she felt weightless on top of him. She touched his cheek in a loving gesture, and he opened his eyes.

His look was earnest as he said, "Temperance, I think that was the most stunning thing I've ever seen in my life. Thank you."

"You only saw what you made me feel, Booth."

A naughty smile found its way to his lips.

"I'm that good?"

Brennan laughed wholeheartedly and slapped his chest playfully.

"Maybe it was a bad idea, what you don't need is something to boost your ego."

His smile disappeared.

"No, it was a good idea. One day we have to do that in front of a mirror that you can see what you look like when you come. It's unbelievable."

She blushed at his words and lowered her eyes.

"Thank you, Booth. You made me feel special again."

"That is because you are special. You mean so much to me, Temperance," he uttered in a hoarse voice.

"I know, Booth," she whispered, "and you mean just as much to me."

She rolled down from him then and huddled against his side. As always, he enfolded her, kissed her hairline and rocked her until sleep overcame them once again.

The next time they stirred, it was almost noon. They were both reluctant to leave their bed and the solitude of the little cabin, but after they had breakfast and cleaned up the place, both of them shared the same thought: Let's take the love back home.