First Name Basis
He calls me Temperance when he's sleeping-- along with the usual sounds and words and motions a man makes when he dreams about sleeping with a woman. When he's asleep on my couch in my office, or on the couch at my house after we've both had too many beers, or the few times we've had to share a hotel room-- he calls me Temperance, and dreams about making love to me. But he seems unaware of it, because he seems only calm or the usual crankiness of being woken when he sits up and says "Hey, Bones" with sleep still clouding his eyes. I don't know if he remembers the dreams, or if he's sure he doesn't talk in his sleep.
It's always Bones when he's awake-- never Temperance, though there were a few times before we knew what a mess my family was, how criminality runs in my veins, that he called me Temperance, and I could almost believe he would act on that very male interest I can see in his eyes. But he never did anything about it, and then he drew his line-- and he's called me "Bones" ever since, even as that male interest is there, still. I can't blame him-- I'm descended of criminals, and love them despite myself. If I were him, I'd leave calling me Temperance to dreams, too. The reality of sleeping with Temperance and what would come afterward would be a mockery of whatever he's dreaming—I could never live up to it. It's better that he continues to just call me Bones when he's awake-- the way he says Temperance both waking and sleeping is too close, would make me even weaker than I already am-- I'd just disappoint him. If I'm just Bones, then I can't hurt him. And if I'm just Bones, then I can still call him Booth-- and not Seeley, as I've woken up saying far too many times to count.
I try not to fall asleep around him. I don't want him hearing me calling him Seeley—not after what I've been dreaming.