Though the passion was at a fever pitch, the pace of their love-making was slow and loving. There was no rush or pretense. The love between the two of them was clear with care and trust in each movement. The August afternoon sun was no match for the heat between the two partners, as all of the trust they had for one another was converted to heat and sweat, rhythm and heart, and promises of love and protection.
As they came down from their high in a mess of tangled sheets, they clung to one another tightly as if their lives depended on it. Their breathing was labored, and their bodies were damp with passion. They refused to speak a word at first, fearing that the moment would be lost, and neither wanted to be the cause of it. Brennan lay still against him, and Booth left tender kisses on each inch of her skin that he could reach.
As Brennan curled herself into his chest, she could feel her logical mind start to chip away at her comfort level, quickly dismantling the enormous wall that she had built around herself. Her joints began to stiffen, her eyes closed tightly as she felt a surge of emotions from deep within her belly. There was a tightness in her chest, and she suddenly found it difficult to breathe, and her body started to tremble as she tried desperately to stop herself from the panic attack that was threatening to consume her.
"Hey." He whispered, his hand on her head as he cradled her against him, feeling her body shaking, his fingertips moving through the sweat soaked threads of hair beside her ear. "Hey, it's okay, Bones." He said softly into her ear. "I've got you. I've got you, baby." He whispered. "I love you." He said, feeling her body tremble more at his tender words.
He had no idea how to stop this cascade of emotions that was escaping her, and he was pretty sure that he wouldn't be able to, even if he tried. She was always so well put together, and he knew that this moment was one of the most vulnerable moments of her life. So he let her have this moment to reconcile all of her thoughts and feelings. He held her securely against him, running his fingers through her hair as he kissed her gently. "It's okay." He could feel her slowly calm, her body melting back into his as she seemed to fall asleep, or at least relax against him.
"I'm sorry." She whispered after several minutes, feeling embarrassed for her sudden emotional outpouring. She thought the panic attacks were over now that he was here with her, and she didn't expect the barrage of emotions that had begun to batter her. "I'm sorry." She whispered again, more of a whimper.
"No apology necessary." He said, rubbing her arm gently with his hand. "I understand." He whispered. "I understand completely, and it's okay. I've got you. I love you."
She remained quiet against him, knowing that if anyone understood… If anyone really understood what she was feeling at that moment, it would be Booth. He knew her so completely, that this passionate expression between them was just the culmination of everything they had experienced together throughout the years. She also knew that this panic attack would never be mentioned again, and there was no reason to be embarrassed, for when he said he loved her and that he understood, he meant it with every inch of his body and soul.
He would never mislead her or ask something of her that he felt was too much. He was the one person in her world that she felt truly understood her, and she was grateful for that. She sucked in a slow, deep breath, releasing it as a shuddering breath into his chest. "I love you." She whispered, looking up at him. "I don't want you to think that… that I regret this, any of this." She said, her eyes suddenly wild and clouded with worry, as the panic started to rise all over again. "I promise that I don't re…" She begged, when his finger gently touched her lip, hushing her instantly. He leaned toward her and moved his finger, kissing her lips softly, breathing her in. "Booth?" She whispered, when he pulled back from the kiss to look into her eyes.
"I said, I understand." His voice rumbled.
"I know." She whispered. "I have been finding it extremely difficult to hold myself together lately." She said, her lower lip slipping between her teeth.
"There's only one thing that you should be apologizing to me for." He said, watching as her brow knit in concern. Her tongue darted across her lips as the blue of her eyes seemed to change yet again. "That day on the steps. You lied to me."
"I didn't…" She started to speak, moving to position herself better. He shook his head, stopping her.
"You said that day that you didn't have an open heart, Bones. That is not the truth, not in the slightest." He said, running a finger across her cheek, her look of concentration was even more intense. "Maybe you figured that out on your own. Maybe all we needed was a little bit of time apart to realize how much we rely on one another in more ways than just our jobs."
"You told me that us being together was a gamble." She said, watching as a flash of defensiveness crossed his features before it disappeared. "A gamble implies a risk of loss, and only a chance at success. I don't want us to be a gamble, Booth. I want to know that we are certain, that we are destined."
"I was wrong for implying that us together was a gamble. I was wrong." He said, simply. "I'm sorry." He paused for several moments, watching the truth in her eyes. "I thought that you didn't believe in destiny, Bones." He said, watching her stare into his eyes intensely, the pale blue irises boring into his soul.
She thought of many things that she could reply with, but instead chose silence, watching his dark eyes as he tried to read her thoughts. There was a slight smile on her lips as she sighed, resting her head on his chest again as she breathed across his bare skin. She watched as it rose and fell with each breath, his heart pounding in her ear. She sighed again, "I think I'm hungry." She whispered, letting his fingertips trail down her naked back as memories of what they had just shared came flooding back, sending a shiver through her body. "Booth?" She whispered, looking up into his eyes, he was still watching her with the same affectionate stare. "You're hungry too."
"Yes." He said, though he wasn't sure if she was referring to food, something a little more physical. "For food." He said, watching her narrowed eyes as she tried to read him, he watched the corner of her mouth slide up in a slight smile as she realized what he meant, and that smile gave him a little shiver himself, as he thought of her passion filled moans and expression of ecstasy just minutes earlier. "I have a problem though." He said, kissing her gently, she tipped her head in curiosity. "My clothes are locked in my room."
"Hmm…" She hummed. "They have room service." She said, watching his head shake slowly. "Perhaps they can bring you a spare key."
"I'd have to get dressed." He said, dropping small kisses on her skin as he considered his options, he listened to her hum again in thought.
"That sounds very unfortunate." She teased, running her hand across his bare belly, she felt him flinch when she hit a particularly ticklish spot, and she stopped for a moment and then continued to run her hands across his skin. "But it's probably necessary." She sighed.
"Mmm…" It was his turn to hum his response. "How long do you think we could go without food if we just stayed here in bed?" He asked, watching her eyes for a moment. He could see that she was thinking about his question seriously.
"Typically a person could live two to three weeks without food." She said seriously. "However, without water, we'd only last a day or two, and if we continue at the pace of love-making that we've already started, I'm not sure that we'd survive dehydration in the next twelve hours." She said, in her best scientific tone, though he could tell by the sparkle in her eye that she was just playing along.
"Mm… then maybe we should take this to the shower." He said, burying his face in her neck, she let out a surprised laugh that made him laugh against her skin.
"Booth!" She laughed. "You know that if you and I went into that shower together, that cleaning would be the last thing we'd be doing." She said, pushing at his chest, she looked into his eyes and watched his smile brighten.
"My thoughts exactly… but we wouldn't dehydrate." He growled into her skin just to hear her laugh again.
"Stop!" She laughed. "Booth!" She exclaimed, and he stopped tickling her. She sighed, and ran her fingers across his skin, seriously considering his proposition. However, as usual, logic won out. "We should probably leave the room at some point today." She said, looking up and kissing his chin, she could feel the poke of the stubble that was present there. "We should get some lunch, and maybe we could kayak around the bird sanctuary down the road."
"Bird sanctuary?" He asked, unsure of her request.
"Yes. The Audubon Pine Island sanctuary is nearby. They have kayak tours in the marshes, it is supposed to be beautiful. I planned on going alone, so if you're not interested, you could…"
"No." He said, a soft smile on his lips. "No, I'd love to go anywhere with you. I love when you teach me new things, Bones." He said, running his finger over her skin. "Besides, we have plenty of time to spend in bed. Plenty of time." He said, growling into her again as she let out a playful squeal and rolled away from him, laughing as he reached for her quickly retreating form. He waited only a moment after she entered the bathroom, before he climbed from the bed and followed after her.