Who know what lurks through Seeley Booth's mind? Does he really believe in the line? Does he think he's damaged goods? Does he think she doesn't want him, or isn't yet ready, even if she is interested? Or is he just chicken? I think Brennan's less complicated-- I think she's lonely, and whether she's aware or not of Booth's actual interest, she's lonely enough that she just takes what she can get, without believing she deserves more. I don't buy into the myth that she'd freak out on Booth if he asked her out-- canon actually seems to indicate she's been in multiple long term relationships. The fact that they didn't work out had nothing to do with her willingness to try in the first place.

Because they asked

"I don't get it, Ange," I said, shaking my head as I watched Bones mope around the platform from the safety of Angela's office. I'd tried to lighten things up, joke a bit about the last boyfriend, but she just gave me this sad look, sniffled, and stalked off to the bathroom. And I had to wait around so she could get Ange to give me an ID, which meant I had to stay and watch her be miserable.

"Another loser who doesn't deserve her to begin with dumps her and she mopes around like someone ran over her favorite puppy for days. It's like this everytime—stockbroker Scientologist David, that lying manipulator Stires, that cheating scumbag Pete, that axe murderer Will Hastings, Sully who didn't have the sense to see what he had, that gay botanist, that lummox welder, and now this asshole who was too stupid to not try to one up her about her own work at some stupid faculty party. Why does she even go out with them in the first place?"

Angela looked at me with pity and what I think was impatience.

"Honey—she's lonely. That apartment of hers is big and empty. Why do you think she works so late? She still doesn't believe most people really want to spend time with her—she's more aware of her faults than you give her credit for, no matter how often you point them out, which you really should knock off, you know."

She looked at me again, her impatience more keen this time.

"You want to know why she goes out with them? Lets them into her bed? Because they ask, Booth. She's lonely, and they ask—they tell her they want her in a way that has nothing to do with work. And as for deserving? Well, she said once that 'we get what we deserve, Ange. I'll take what I can get, since I don't deserve more.' She doesn't believe anything better's going to come along, and when you're that lonely? It's still company, if not the company you'd prefer."

I looked back out at Bones, and took in all over again how unhappy she seemed. Ange was right—it wasn't just that she'd been dumped—it was that she knew she'd been dumped by an inadequate guy and yet was still so lonely that she still felt bad about it.

When I looked back at Angela, she'd stood and came over, then poked me in the chest hard. "She says yes because they ask. If someone who deserves her asks, she'll say yes. So… ask. Otherwise, you're just going to see it keep happening."

"It's that simple?"

She nodded. "That simple."

I got up and slid my card at the entrance to the platform, then walked right over to her. Fortunately, the rest of the team wasn't that close by.

"Bones?" I said, and she looked up.

"I should be done soon, Booth," she said sadly. "I'm sorry I'm taking so long."

"No… that wasn't it. I just… I'd been meaning to ask you something for a while but…"

She was looking at me curiously, waiting for me to finish stammering like a kid asking someone out on a date for the first time ever.

"Would you like to have dinner with me this weekend? No work, just dinner?"

She tipped her head slightly, the way she does when she's trying to decide what she things about something. With a little smile curving the edge of her mouth, she said "Yes."

That simple. Ange was right. I just had to ask.