Booth traced the stitching along the steering wheel with his thumb, wondering how best to broach the subject without offending Brennan. She had appeared unusually subdued once they had pulled out of the mausoleum, her eyes taking upon that far away that indicated she was deep in thought.
'What is it Booth?'
Startled, Booth saw Brennan's eyes focused squarely on him. The dreamy quality that had been there was gone, replaced by a look of mild curiosity.
'Just wondering why you never mentioned that you worked with NCIS before,' Booth started.
Brennan gave him a Gallic shrug. 'It didn't seem pertinent. It didn't affect my work with the FBI in any way.'
'But still, I'm your partner Bones.'
Brennan looked down her nose at him, contemplative. 'Is this about Gibbs and Tony?'
'What?' Booth deflected, swallowing. 'What are you talking about?'
'I noticed that your body language became more domineering and forceful when you discovered that I had personal ties with both of them.'
'I was just wondering how you knew them,' Booth muttered loudly. Whether you ever dated them…
God, he was acting like a envious boyfriend when he clearly had no right to. But, really. First Miguel, and now Gibbs and Tony? They were all attractive, he supposed, to a woman. He didn't see it personally but he had noticed the almost affectionate manner that Brennan affected towards them. He found he didn't like it very much.
'I already told you Booth, I've consulted with NCIS before,' Brennan explained. 'There is no need to feel jealous.'
'I'm not jealous, okay Bones? Let's make that clear,' Booth countered, gripping the wheel tighter.
'As I said before, you always react this way whenever a man shows some kind of interest in me.'
'Let's list the men who have shown an interest in you,' Booth started, feeling anger and irritation well up inside. 'The Professor who pretty much discredited you in court. David, a member of some freaky cult. Michael, who chopped his brother's head off. Sully who-'
'Enough.' Brennan's quiet, icy tone stopped him. 'Sully was your friend. He treated me…he…' Her voice cracked. 'What about you, Booth? Rebecca, Tessa, Cam.'
The last name startled him. It must have showed because Brennan let out a mirthless chuckle.
'You get upset when I don't reveal the men in my life, but its okay for you to keep your love life private. The duplicity astounds me,' Brennan told him coolly.
'I don't go around announcing my…exploits to the whole world,' Booth grated out, recalling the vise around his chest when she had mentioned sleeping with Sully. 'That means I have discretion. And I also, personally, do not want to know what you do with other men.'
'Why?'
The simple question caught him off guard. Because it bothered him was the straightforward answer. But it was also layered with so many other things. Those guys were never good enough for her, in his opinion. They didn't realize how much of a woman, how special she was. They could never treat her as well as he would, could.
'I'm tired of this repetitive-'
'Your eyes turn green whenever another woman flirts with me,' Booth protested and explained himself when he saw her open her mouth. 'It means you react the same way when women come on to me.'
'You are a well-structured male.' Brennan's voice sounded tired, monotonous. 'And you obviously enjoy their attentions. My feelings do not factor into your considerations in any case. You will do what you please.'
'I…,' Booth said softly, trailing off. She was right, in a way. He had reveled in the interest that other women showed him. It helped buttress his confidence, let him know that even if the one person that he wanted didn't appear to feel the same way, it wasn't because he wasn't unappealing. He had understood, on some level, that Brennan would notice this. Booth had thought that maybe this would jolt her into some kind of action, force her to some kind of awareness…
Whose the chicken shit now, Seeley?
'Based on my experience with men, they do not wait around,' Brennan said softly.
Booth sighed, pulling swiftly into the parking space at the Jeffersonian. He turned off the engine, fingering the keys dangling from the ignition.
'Sometimes Bones, waiting has everything to do with it,' Booth replied, equally as soft. A moment passed, and all Booth could hear was the even sound of their breathing.
'Maybe she's just not worth it.' Her voice was so faint Booth almost missed it. His head turned sharply towards her, the key slipping from his grasp.
'Damaged goods. Socially awkward. Unable to feel.'
'Temperance-'
'Let's go,' Brennan's voice was shaky, verging on the precipice towards tears. Booth reached out for her arm and saw her flinch away. 'Booth, can we just…let's just get through today.'
'Temperance-' Booth repeated, trying not to sound desperate. Was that really what she thought he saw her as, what she thought of herself?
'I need to be Dr. Brennan right now.' He could almost see the walls build higher around her, shutting her off from him. The anger he had felt before long since faded. Why did he have to bring this line of conversation up at all? Sometimes his annoyance got the better of him – more so when the woman in question touched the parts of his soul that he hadn't allowed anyone else to see.
'Okay,' Booth conceded. 'But Bones, you can't possibly-'
Screeching tires prevented him from finishing his sentence. Brennan flashed him a tight smile before stepping out of the car, head hung low as she made her way towards the NCIS team.
'Would it be overly dramatic if I kissed the asphalt?' Tony asked, placing a steadying hand on the side of the van.
'I'm thinking of doing that myself,' McGee answered, swaying slightly.
'I find Gibbs' driving refreshing. Everyone always moves so slow,' Ziva said, appearing unaffected.
'Of course you would,' Tony remarked somewhat snidely. 'You both see going from zero to mach speed as completely normal. The rest of us follow things like yield at yellow, not take it as some kind of challenge to see if we can beat the light before it turns red.'
Booth trailed behind, studying the curve of his partner's spine.
'At least you got here in one piece,' Brennan said. Booth saw Tony's eyes narrow when he heard the slight tremor sneak into Brennan's voice, the NCIS agent frowning when his gaze settled on Booth.
'Let's go,' Brennan urged, seeing where Tony's eyes were. 'I want to be there before the bodies arrive.'
'You heard the lady DiNozzo,' Gibbs said, materializing out of nowhere. Booth was somewhat irked – he was a Ranger and even he hadn't heard the Gunny approaching. 'Move your six.'
Booth watched as they followed Brennan into the Jeffersonian, Tony and Ziva sniping at each other as McGee exchanged words with his partner.
'You coming Booth?' Gibbs asked. Booth gritted his teeth, hearing something close to condescension in the older man's voice.
'Yeah,' he replied, slowly following behind Gibbs. Booth swallowed, watching the sun glint off silver hair.
What the hell just happened?
