Hi guys! Two chapters in one week, aren't you all lucky? ;)
This installment is rated T and set only two and a half months into Booth and Brennan's relationship.
As always, Bones isn't mine, and please review!
Dr. Lance Sweets heard them coming before they even neared his closed office door. Their weekly therapy sessions had become increasingly more interesting in the two and a half months since his two most challenging patients had become romantically involved. Some sessions were just like normal, filled with frustrating silences and cut short by ringing cell phones. Others were filled with Agent Booth loudly telling Dr. Brennan not to answer a single question about their personal lives. One particularly disturbing session had ended with the young doctor hurrying out of Dr. Brennan's office before the couple's kissing could evolve into more right in front of his eyes. Sweets was quite used to their dynamic by now, but they had crossed into a type of partners' therapy that he had never really dealt with before. As the volume of the voices increased and the door handle turned, Dr. Lance Sweets knew he was in for a whole new type of session tonight.
Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan halted their argument the moment Booth opened the door. Lance smirked as he watched them take their seats. They had nearly always sat much closer to one another than the spacious couch would require. Once they became intimate, their seating arrangements grew cozier, and Booth often slung his arm around her shoulders. Today, Brennan sat against the right armrest, while Booth took a seat on top of the left armrest, keeping as much distance between them as they could possibly achieve. The room's three occupants remained silent as the doctor's gaze shifted between his patients.
"What?" Booth finally barked.
"Do you have a problem, Agent Booth?" Sweets asked.
"Yeah, I don't appreciate that smartass smirk on your face. It's condescending. I don't respond well to condescending," Booth said. Brennan scoffed loudly in protest. Sweets decided to let that one go for the time being.
"I find your seating choices tonight to be very interesting," Sweets said.
"Oh, here we go," Booth sighed.
"What?" Brennan asked.
"Very interesting is always Sweets' way of opening a really irritating conversation," Booth said. Brennan turned to Sweets.
"Why is it interesting?" she asked.
"You typically sit towards the center of the couch, usually while some sort of physical contact, at least since the beginning of your sexual relationship," Sweets said.
"Oh, do we have to call it that?" Booth asked.
"That's what it is," Brennan said.
"Today, Dr. Brennan, you chose to sit as far to the right as you could, while you, Agent Booth, didn't even sit on the couch. So…what's the fight about?" Sweets continued.
Brennan scoffed again. "Why do you assume we're fighting?"
"Your body language, both individually and towards one another, is very tense…unusually tense. You've barely looked at each other since you walked in that door, and…I could hear you yelling all the way down the hallway," Sweets revealed.
"I don't yell," Brennan said.
"Fine…speaking loudly. Would you like to discuss the topic of your argument?" Sweets asked. Booth didn't move, while Brennan also remained silent.
"No," Brennan finally said. "I would not."
Sweets sighed. "Agent Booth?"
Booth glared at Sweets, looked over at Brennan, and slid from the armrest to the left side of the couch. Brennan glanced up at him and shifted closer to her armrest. He mimicked her motion, maintaining a sizable distance between his body and Brennan's. "Better?"
"Guys, this hour is supposed to be a time to work through any issues you may be having," Sweets reminded them.
"Yeah, issues in our working relationship," Booth said.
"Issues in your personal relationship will inevitably spill into your professional one," Sweets said.
"No," Brennan replied. "I can compartmentalize."
"And, in this particular case, I think she needs to just get over herself and realize I'm right, so if she's going to drop the argument and compartmentalize, then I win, so I'm happy," Booth said. "Issue over."
Brennan's mouth dropped open as she glared at him. Never one to easily surrender and admit defeat, she pursed her lips and turned to Sweets. "Booth is stifling my independence!" she blurted out.
"Bones!" Booth protested. "What happened to not telling Dr. Geeks?"
"As a boyfriend or a partner?" Sweets asked.
"As a man," Brennan sneered. "He's obviously threatened by the fact that I am a strong, powerful woman who is perfectly capable of taking care of herself without his or anyone else's assistance."
"That is not my issue," Booth said.
"What is your issue, Agent Booth?" Sweets asked.
"None of your damn business," Booth said.
"Is this a sexual problem?" Sweets asked Brennan.
"No, not at all," Brennan said. "He's perfectly happy to let me take control in the bedroom, and, as far as me taking care of my own needs, he's never expressed concern over me using my vib-"
"Bones!" Booth screamed, interrupting her. He lowered his voice. "The twelve-year-old doesn't need to know about our sex life or your…toys."
She sighed. "Masturbation is perfectly healthy, even within a romantic relationship. There's no need to be embarrassed by it. I'm sure the fact that you're with me hasn't stopped you from doing it, too. It's normal. Right, Sweets?"
Booth and Brennan both turned to find a stunned, red-faced psychologist sitting in front of them. "Wow, okay, um…let's go back to the, uh, independence stifling," Sweets stuttered. "What, um…what exactly is the problem?"
"He is being overprotective to the point where it is adversely affecting my everyday quality of life," Brennan said.
"Oh, way to be overdramatic, Bones," Booth said. "That must be the writer in you."
"Why would you say that?" Brennan asked.
"Because that was a big load of fiction you just told him," Booth said.
"That is not being overdramatic, and that was not fiction! You have two junior agents following me at all times," Brennan said.
"It's not like they're constantly trying to bother you or anything," Booth said.
"They compromise scientific evidence at the Jeffersonian, they set off the platform alarms every three seconds, they creep out my neighbors, not to mention Angela, and one of them won't stop hitting on me!" Brennan said.
"Which one?" Booth asked, suddenly angry.
"The tall, stupid one," Brennan said. "I didn't bother to learn their names."
"Agent Booth, why do you have agents watching over…" Sweets started.
"You mean stalking," Brennan muttered.
"Why?" Sweets asked simply.
"She was threatened at her book signing last week," Booth said.
"He was just a fan, Booth. He was harmless," Brennan said.
"Oh yeah, tell that to the people who were killed by your Brennanites after your second book came out," Booth said.
"Wait, you have fans that actually killed people based on your fictional murders?" Sweets asked with interest.
"Yes," Brennan said. "That was the year before you came to the FBI."
"Wow, that is wickedly…" Sweets started with an excited tone of voice. He noticed Booth and Brennan's disgusted faces. "Terrible. It's…terrible."
"So I put her under surveillance because I would prefer she weren't crazy fan victim number four," Booth said.
"He unnecessarily hired people to stalk me and interfere with my life," Brennan said.
"Yeah, I have to agree with Booth," Sweets said. Booth smiled and clapped his hands.
"Ha!" Booth cheered.
"That's not fair! Of course you'd side with Booth. You have a bias towards the FBI," Brennan said.
"If your life was threatened, that needs to be taken seriously," Sweets said.
"It's ridiculous! Just because three fans became a little too inspired by my talents doesn't mean all my fans have homicidal tendencies. Booth's actions are not rational," Brennan said.
"It's not about ration or logic, Bones," Booth said. "It's about protecting you and keeping you safe."
"I don't need someone to protect me. Besides, I feel very safe with you," she said. "I don't need extra agents following me at all times. I don't understand why you're overreacting."
"Okay," Sweets interrupted. "Let's put the fight aside momentarily and play a game."
Booth and Brennan both groaned. "Which one?" Brennan asked.
"The one where you go back and forth and say the first word that comes to mind," Sweets said. Brennan rolled her eyes.
"No!" Booth protested. "Don't you remember what happened the last time we played that?" Sweets grinned.
"Yes, and I think we should try it again, especially since you two are currently having a disagreement," Sweets said. "Agent Booth, you start."
"Fine," Booth said. "Stupid."
"Game," Brennan smiled.
"Pointless," Booth said.
"Alright, guys, I'd like you to take this seriously," Sweets said.
"We are!" Booth said.
"Well, start over, please," Sweets said. Booth and Brennan groaned again. "Hey, look, the sooner you comply with my instructions, the sooner you can get out of here and go back to yelling at each other."
"We don't yell," Brennan said.
"We bicker," Booth said.
"Whatever, just…the game, please," Sweets said.
"Fine," Booth said. He smirked at the psychologist and said, "Sweets."
"Candy," Brennan replied.
"Sugar," Booth said.
"Food," Brennan said.
"Stomach," Booth said.
"Heart," Brennan said.
"Love," Booth said.
"You," Brennan replied.
"What?" Booth responded, taken aback, frozen on his side of the couch. Sweets' mouth dropped open, as Brennan remained calmly in her position on the couch.
"Whoa," Sweets said.
"Horse," Brennan said. "I didn't realize you were playing, too."
"Bones," Booth said. "What did you just say?"
"I stated that I was unaware that Dr. Sweets was participating in the childish game as well," she said.
"No," Booth smiled. "Before that."
"Horse?" she asked.
"Before that."
"Oh," Brennan thought. "You?"
"After I said love?" he asked.
"Yes," Brennan shrugged.
"So I said love, and you said you, so that means you…love me?" he asked.
"Yes," she said casually.
"Whoa," Booth said.
"Horse," Brennan said again.
"Bones, we're done with the game," Booth said.
"Yeah, we can stop here," Sweets agreed.
"You love me?" Booth asked, still surprised that she had said it.
"Well…don't you love me?" she asked.
"Yeah, Bones. Yeah, of course I do, but…we've never said that to each other before."
"I know," Brennan said. "This game and the words we chose seemed to present the ideal opportunity I had been waiting for." Booth sat on his side of the couch, looking at her with wonder and awe. "Say something," she said nervously.
"I love you," he said, scooting closer to her on the couch. "I'm so in love with you."
"I'm in love with you, too," she whispered.
Booth wrapped his hand around her cheek and pulled her in for a kiss. Their kiss was long and deep and wet as the couple poured years of unexpressed love into the meeting of their lips. She whimpered as he kissed her harder and tenderly stroked his tongue along hers, and, when they finally pulled away, they wrapped one another in a hug. They looked into each other's eyes and shared another soft, affectionate kiss before Sweets cleared his throat, reminding them of his presence. Booth and Brennan laced their fingers together and looked at him with small smiles on both their faces.
"So," Sweets smiled. "The game does work."
Booth and Brennan looked at one another, their smiles disappearing.
"Crap," Booth said. "We walked right into that one."
"We did," Brennan agreed. She looked at Sweets. "I still hate psychology."
Sweets nodded. "Of course you do."
Brennan looked back to Booth. "I…had been wanting to tell you that, though."
He smiled and brushed his thumb against her lip. "You have no idea how long I've hoped that I would hear you say that someday," he said honestly.
They shared one more small kiss, and Brennan turned to Sweets after they pulled apart. "Are we done here?"
"The hour's technically not up yet, but I think we've had a successful session," Sweets said. "So yeah, we're done."
"Great," Booth said. He and Brennan stood, keeping their hands locked together.
"And hey, thank you," Sweets said.
"For what?" Brennan said.
"This does not prove that your stupid game works, Sweets," Booth said.
Sweets chuckled. "No, uh, now that you've openly declared your love for one another, I can publish my book on you two."
"What?" Booth asked.
"Your book says that we're in love with each other?" Brennan asked.
"What else did you say about us?" Booth asked.
"I'll, uh, let you figure that one out," Sweets said nervously, handing Brennan a copy of the manuscript.
"Did you say something bad about us?" Brennan asked.
"No," Sweets said.
"I call first dibs on the book," Booth said, grabbing it from Brennan. She snatched it back from his grasp.
"Why can't we curl up in bed and read it together? It is about us," she said.
"Because you read at your super-genius speed, and you get irritated with me when I read at a normal-human speed and you have to wait," Booth said. "Come on, Bones."
"You're going to dismiss my surveillance crew now, right?" Brennan asked.
"What? No, of course not," Booth said, opening the office door.
"Booth!" she protested.
"You were still threatened, so the need for protection has not gone away in the last 10 minutes," Booth said.
Dr. Lance Sweets began making notes in their file as he listened to the couple bicker all the way back down the hall.
Okay, so I've never written a therapy scene before (I'm also not sure I've written a chapter that was one continuous scene before, either...) so I'm eager to hear what you all thought of it. Don't forget to review!