Here you go! I've managed to break this out a bit faster than before. I hope you enjoy.

Booth dropped Brennan back at the Jeffersonian after lunch, but chose to walk her to her office. For once, Brennan didn't fight him on it. The last couple of days had been filled with joy and loss in equal measure, and through all of it, Booth was the constant. She was willing to accept that Booth was right, and that she needed to be kinder to herself. It was something she had never mastered but if she was going to persevere, she needed to try. She snatched a glance at Booth as they walked side by side towards her office, not quite touching. If it were possible to tuck herself under his arm, she would, but she wasn't ready for her colleagues to know about them. It was too soon. She wanted him to herself for a bit longer, without prying eyes and opinions. Although, they could get away with touching as they walked as she and Booth had always shared a fairly affectionate relationship. It would not be a strange sight for them to be seen walking arm in arm, or even with Booth's arm round her shoulder. But now, Brennan thought that she would not be able to resist leaning into him a little too much, hooking her fingers into his belt loops and reaching to hold his hand that rested on her shoulder. The change in their relationship would be glaringly obvious, like someone shrieking in a silent library. She would wait. It would be worth it.

The lab was starting up again, coming to life as the lunch hour ended. Booth stepped aside so Brennan could enter her office.

"Ladies first," he said, bowing.

"I would say thank you, but the notion comes from the Medieval period, where Kings would insist the ladies of their household exited their castles first to ascertain if assassins were waiting," she replied, brushing past him and placing her bag on her desk.

Booth was momentarily distracted by how good she smelled, like citrus and a warm fire. Then he registered what Brennan had said, "wait, what? Really?"

"Yes. Queens and Princesses were expendable, replaceable, a small loss compared to that of a Prince or a King. They were always sent out first."

"Oh," Booth grimaced, "I take it back then."

"Apology accepted," she leant against her desk, half smiling.

Booth knew he should get back to the office, but he wasn't completely satisfied that Bones was alright. He'd held her for five solid minutes of crying behind his car. He was honestly surprised that she looked so good after something like that. She was barely rosy-faced or puffy-eyed at all. He hadn't wanted to let go, he still didn't want to. Honestly, there was nothing he wanted more than to take her home and get into bed, clothed or naked, it didn't matter. He just wanted to hug her tighter, help her feel like things would get better.

"Are you sure you don't want me to run you home, Bones?"

She shook her head, "I'm fine, Booth. I have work to do."

"No one would judge you if you wanted to take some time off. You've been through a lot," Booth shrugged, rubbing the back of his neck. Did he sound as desperate as he felt?

"I promise I'll be fine," Brennan assured him, "but would you pick me up tonight?"

He nodded, already impatient, "Sure."

It was a compromise they could both accept. Booth came towards her, and Brennan's eyes widened.

"I'm hugging you, Bones. We've done it plenty of times before so no one's gonna bat an eye," he nearly whispered, an eyebrow raised, his arms open.

Brennan sighed, acquiescing, almost embarrassed. Booth was right, again. She returned the embrace, careful to keep her hands in one place on his jacket but her composure faltered. She held on tighter than she meant to, compelled to keep him close. She inhaled quietly, breathing him in and hoped it would be enough to sustain her until the evening when she saw him again. Booth felt how she clutched at him, and held on a split second longer than he had originally planned. He hoped she understood how much he didn't want to leave her here, that he felt the same. Then he stepped away.

"I'll see you later," Booth said firmly. He mouthed, Love you.

Brennan didn't mouth it back, considering she was facing the platform and that she might be seen, but her hand rose from her side just a fraction and her lips curved at the corners. In her head, she replied, I love you too. As if he could read her mind, he grinned and left. Brennan watched him go. Booth could feel her eyes on his back.

"Seeley."

A voice from the left, up on the platform. One he knew well. Cam descended the steps to meet him, dressed in black, her face sombre. She'd seen a lot as a cop in New York, but Booth knew that Vincent's death had sent shock waves through everyone. You expected fresh corpses as a cop, as a coroner too, but you don't expect to witness one of your staff become one.

"Hey Cam," Booth greeted her gently, and pulled her in for a hug. He could tell she needed one, she needed a friend. "How are you holding up?"

They separated. Cam thought she could detect Dr Brennan's perfume on Booth's collar, "I'm managing. I could ask the same of you."

"Yeah," he sighed, "it's not easy. I'm more concerned about you and the rest of the squints though. I've got more experience of this sort of thing." He looked around, expecting to see familiar faces but saw none, "where's Bug Boy?"

Cam shook her head, "Dr Hodgins and Angela are home today."

"Probably for the best, with Angela due any day now."

"Yes, although Angela wasn't keen on staying away. I think she's hoping being here will induce labour," Cam couldn't help but laugh. It felt wrong to do so.

Booth snorted, "I don't blame her, she doesn't look comfortable."

A small laugh from both of them, then silence. Grief hung like a cloud over their heads.

"How's Dr Brennan? I haven't managed to see her properly since..." Cam trailed off.

Booth looked over at Bones, now sat behind her desk, typing on her computer. She looked more like herself, engrossed in something Booth would likely never understand.

"She's as you'd expect," he said, not sure how else to explain. He knew Cam would understand.

"At least she has you looking out for her, as always," Cam replied.

"As always," Booth agreed.

Cam watched as Booth looked back towards Dr Brennan, and as if she could sense him, Brennan turned her head and caught Booth looking. Brennan smiled softly at him, eyes shining, in a way that made Cam feel like she was intruding on a private moment. Instantly, Cam knew there was more between Booth and Dr Brennan now, than there had been a few days previously. Much, much more. She beat down the urge to grab Booth by the shoulders and shake him, yelling finally! in his face. Instead she smoothed her black dress, and pretended she knew nothing.

"I should get back to work."

"Me too," Booth admitted, "I'm way over my lunch hour."

"The joys of being the boss, Seeley. You get to decide how long an hour takes."

Booth took Brennan back to his that evening, picking her up from the lab as promised. She leaned towards him in the car, a hand on his leg the entire journey home. She had to admit that she felt better having cried. She was not healed, and she still feared having to go to sleep, but it was an improvement nonetheless. All she wanted to do now was curl up with Booth.

He rustled up a spaghetti bolognese while she showered, and they ate quickly and quietly before collapsing on the sofa. Brennan went to her usual corner, as she always did.

"Nope," Booth protested. "Come here."

He pulled her on top of him. She sat in his lap, threading her arm across the back of his shoulders. Booth manoeuvred one arm so it circled her lower back, resting his other hand on her hip. Once she had settled, nestling into him, he sighed happily.

"Manhandling me clearly gives you a lot of enjoyment," Brennan mused.

"Not this again, I'm not manhandling you-"

"You carried me as a fireman would down the steps of the Jeffersonian, Booth," she shot back, stubbornly, "not to mention today by your car-"

"I only did that so I could-"

"Last night too."

Booth stopped. She had a point, "I'll give you last night, but only because I still feel pretty bad about...well..."

"You feel embarrassed because you bit me when we were making love," Brennan said, very matter-of-fact.

Booth groaned, rubbing his eyes with his hand, "when you say it like that, it sounds really bad."

"I don't know why you feel embarrassed, I've already told you that I enjoyed it. It was very attractive," Brennan repeated, starting to run her fingers through his hair. She saw how quickly his eyes closed at her touch, and leant closer, lips brushing his ear. "I hope you'll do it again."

A very shaky exhale from Booth's mouth, and Brennan knew he was trying to stay calm. Almost imperceptibly, his arm around her had tightened, his hand gripping more firmly on her hip. He turned his head, eyes opening and meeting hers. A jolt of adrenaline caught Brennan unawares, something in his gaze so enticing that she felt invited to do whatever she wanted. She held the back of his head, unable to resist, and edged closer. It was moments like these where she was extremely conscious of Booth; conscious of him in every way that she could imagine. She felt every fibre of him beneath her, around her, the slightly rough texture of his hair in sharp contrast with the softness beneath his eyes. Heat radiated from his body, and she felt the rise and fall of his chest as his breathing accelerated, the rasp as his mouth parted and his breath escaped between his lips. To Brennan, it felt like she was staring into a bottomless pool of water, one where she could immerse herself and not be afraid of drowning; because everywhere, there was Booth. She glanced down at his lips, wondering if she was going to have to resort to begging for him to kiss her. Another look at Booth's face, to remind herself that it was him, her partner, her best friend – the one person she knew she'd never be able to lose, without losing everything else as well. Still so new, yet pleasantly familiar as they adapted.

"Bones, are you sure?" Booth whispered huskily, aching to give in but wanting to be sure. Today had been difficult for her, and the last thing he wanted to do was take advantage in some way.

"I'm sure," she said.

"You've had a rough day-"

"Booth," she interrupted him, pulling lightly on his shirt, "I'm sure. I want you. I just..." She undid a button, "I want us."

He understood completely, even if she didn't. He kissed her then, moving slowly, indulging in every sensation she gave him. She was so soft in his hands that he couldn't resist slipping his fingers beneath her shirt, touching the skin of her abdomen. She shivered and Booth pulled away briefly.

"Sorry," he murmured, kissing her neck, her collarbone.

"You're forgiven," Brennan whispered back.

Brennan was used to her only escape being her work in the lab. Now, with Booth, she had another way to remove herself from her numerous anxieties, and this time she wasn't alone. She wanted more access to him, and found herself mumbling about moving to the bedroom.

"You took the words out of my mouth," he said, kissing her again.

They clambered to their feet, and Brennan took him by the hand, intending to lead him to the bed but Booth acted faster, bending down and picking her up. One arm anchored round her waist, while the other hand grabbed the back of her thighs. Brennan giggled, and shocked herself into more peals of laughter.

"Seeing as I like manhandling you..." Booth smirked, nose to nose with Brennan as she hooked her ankles together behind him.

"I suppose it's quite enjoyable for me, too," Brennan admitted coyly..

"I knew it," Booth joked, feigning outrage and carried her to his bed.

He placed her down on her back, and didn't bother standing again. It was like their first night together, and memories of that night rolled over him, his desire rising. He was breathless looking at her, her eyes piercingly blue, her hair splayed around her. Booth, careful to manage his weight, covered her body with his and felt every perfect line of her against him. He groaned quietly as her mouth sought his, feeling her unbuttoning his shirt. These kisses were hungry, wanting more, and maybe it was because they were back in the place where they had first made love, but Brennan felt that same urgency, like Booth would be snatched from her at any moment. She pushed his shirt off of his shoulders. He got the hint. He knelt up, his knees either side of her thighs as he discarded his shirt. Bones reached for him. It still didn't feel real to Booth, that Bones was looking at him like he'd always dreamed she would. It was a look he recognised, one he'd worn countless times and had tried to hide. She had been the only one who hadn't noticed. To see it in her, not just in the mirror, was incomprehensible.

"You're beautiful," Bones breathed. She was sure that he wouldn't like that adjective, but gendered language aside, it was the most accurate description for the perfect symmetry of his torso; his broad shoulders and arms; the taut muscles of his abdomen; all leading down to a firm waist and hips. Those lines on the inside of his hips, dipping below his belt...

To her surprise, he didn't question it. He leant back down to meet her, "thank you."

Booth knew that Bones meant what she said. It was more than just her opinion. She considered the structure of his body, and determined that not only did she consider him to be beautiful in her personal opinion, but in her professional one as well. Categorically beautiful was something Booth could live with. Coming from Bones, it meant she thought it to be the truth. His kiss communicated his gratitude, swept away by her as she traced a line down his chest, over the gentle swell of his abdominal muscles and onto his belt. It fell, unloved, onto the floor. He felt her growing impatient, and was surprised when she flipped them over. Booth landed on his back, gazing up at Brennan as she now straddled him.

"I forget you're that strong," he gasped, sliding his hands up her legs which were, irritatingly, still clad in jeans.

"I don't know why," she bartered, lifting her top up over her head, revealing a black bra that Booth couldn't wait to tear off. "You've seen me defend myself against scores of murderers and criminals in the past."

Booth's mind drifted, "remember our first case?"

Distractingly, Brennan started to roll her hips against him which got Booth in all the right places, "of course." Her voice was quiet, hitched.

"God..." Booth nearly cried, watching with an open mouth as Brennan kept her frustratingly slow pace, "when you punched that guy. That was so hot, Bones."

Brennan grinned, that crooked smile with downcast eyes, "I do remember you telling me at the time."

"I really meant it."

She hummed and leant down to kiss him, sweeping her tongue across his bottom lip. They clashed as their hips rolled, and Booth swiftly unclipped her bra. The prospect of having to fight with more of her clothes was unbearable.

"Why aren't you naked?" He grumbled, his hands between them, unbuttoning her jeans.

A breathy giggle as she kissed him harder, and then together they tugged off her trousers. Booth trailed slowly up the smooth skin of her calf, leaving kisses that made Brennan writhe. He listened as her breathing accelerated, learning about the tiny sounds she made that spoke volumes to him. He couldn't get close enough to her, and found himself rising to her mouth again, wanting to kiss her and feel her gasps against his face. Brennan gripped his bicep tightly, transfixed on the spot where his fingers drew lazy circles on the inside of her thigh. She arched into him. She just wanted to be surrounded and consumed by him, to disappear, to feel and know nothing else. Booth resisted temptation for a little longer, holding them in suspense. They so nearly didn't have this. He couldn't imagine living the rest of his natural life without knowing Bones in this way. He was a lucky son-of-a-bitch. The luckiest man ever to have walked the earth. The way Bones was looking at him, eyes pleading, wanting...

She cried out when Booth finally slipped two fingers inside of her, capturing his lips with hers. He moved his hand slowly, gentle with her, not wanting to rush anything despite the overwhelming urge to bury himself inside her. He didn't want to love her like they'd never get another chance. He'd already spent so many years thinking he'd never have an opportunity, too many years avoiding other possibilities because he knew there would never be anyone else. Even though she bucked her hips, and she was deliciously warm and wet, he wasn't going to let this run away from him. Booth could feel the way she coiled around him, holding him close like a gust of wind might tear him away. He kissed her forehead tenderly, then her closed eyelids, the tip of her nose, and finally her mouth.

"We've got time," he murmured, "it's okay. We can take our time."

Brennan felt a release in her chest, like she was able to come up for air. He always knew. How did he always know?

"I'm sorry," she gasped, his fingers still pumping slowly between her legs. Heat rippled up her abdomen.

"Don't be sorry, Temperance. There's nothing to be sorry about."

He didn't call her by her name often, but when he did, it made her hurt in the best possible way, "I just got you. I can't..."

I can't cope if you're gone, she thought. Even though they faced no threat, Brennan still couldn't shake the feeling that a bullet meant for Booth might shatter her life completely at any moment.

Booth remembered the tears, that hollow look on her face when real fear clouded her judgement, "You've got me for a long time coming, Bones. I promise." He brushed his lips against her temple, her ear lobe, "I'll remind you as many times as you want

"As many times as I want?" Brennan whispered, her hand finding its way up to his cheek. He turned his head, pressed a kiss to her palm and met her gaze.

"Yes," he assured her, and kissed her to show that he meant it.

His pace intensified slowly, and Brennan gave herself over to the feeling of his lips as they kissed a meandering path down her body. She could hear Booth struggling to hold back, his free hand shaking and grasping at her as his mouth neared her core. Brennan ran her hand through his hair, rolling her hips slowly. She understood what he meant by 'taking our time'. He had moved so slowly, so measured and gentle, that now every part of her was electrified and begging for more. She didn't speak, focusing on the sight of Booth between her legs. He was grateful she stayed quiet because if she'd asked him to give her more, he would've given in and it would all be over much too soon. The lightest of touches with his tongue, and he felt her shiver. And then he gave in, working in circles, alternating pressures until he could feel her getting close. It didn't take long for Brennan to reach the edge, straining for release as he continued his torturous tempo. She gasped loudly, wanting him to move harder and faster with his tongue but also not wanting the feeling to end.

He made the decision for her, and stopped. She was rosy cheeked, her eyes dark and furious. He smirked, moving up to kiss her and to stop any repercussions. Her irritation surfaced in the way she responded, raking her nails down his back and the kiss turned desperate, both needing this as much the other. Bones had had enough. Opting not to surprise him, she pushed on his shoulder to signal she wanted him on his back. He obliged, and they rolled so Brennan was above. Barely breaking the kiss, she reached down and took him in her hand. Booth groaned, and breathed in deeply to try and slow himself down. It was near impossible to do – how could he, when it was Bones? But he had to admit, he liked being able to see her taking control. She didn't look as annoyed now, though the remnants still flickered in her gaze.

"I'm sorry," he murmured, between kisses.

She hummed and sat up, aligning him at her entrance. Her expression told him that he was in trouble.

She sank down onto him, one hand on his chest to steady herself. Booth's eyes fluttered closed at the sensation, hissing through his teeth as spikes of pleasure flooded his body. He heard a knowing chuckle, and opened his eyes to find Brennan watching him. Her lips were parted, swollen from kisses. He reached up, and she took his thumb briefly into her mouth.

"Bones..." he couldn't manage anything else.

Their foreheads pressed together, they moved; unhurried, and with no end goal in mind. Booth wound one arm around her waist, whilst Brennan clasped his free hand in hers. She cradled it between them. Booth kissed the line of her jaw, wondering if Bones knew how much a small gesture like that meant to him. She felt the love, how it sparked and swept over her. For once, she accepted being overwhelmed and leaned into him. Untangling their hands, she cupped the back of his neck and kissed him, hard. As she bit down gently on his bottom lip, and pulled slightly, she was reminded of all the times she had wanted to kiss him like this. Their first case, now Booth had brought it up, she couldn't get it out of her head. That strong feeling of attraction, of doing something good together, drinking in that grimy bar and kissing in the rain; before everything else happened and years of waiting followed. It was jarring to think that now they were here, and she could taste him on her tongue, trace the lines of his face with her fingers and watch him unravel beneath her with her name on his lips. At her breaking point, unable to hold back any longer, Brennan moved faster. It all so easily could be taken away, or never have happened at all. She was not usually one to think in such hypotheticals, but Booth was different. Brennan knew what could never be lost.

Booth sensed the change and welcomed it. He pumped his hips faster, watching as her face changed. Goosebumps erupted on his body, tightening his arms around her, wanting to be as close to her pleasure as he could get. He looked into her eyes, darker than usual, but just as beautiful.

"I love you," he breathed, "so much. I've got you."

A rush of adrenaline, and a tightness in her chest. Brennan's eyes brimmed with thankful tears, and she held onto him tighter than she had before, "I love you."

Speeding hearts, and murmurs of love between sharp, gasping breaths. Booth tilted his hips and gave in to his desires, the intention of taking it slow fulfilled. Now he wanted to see Bones cry out, and he wanted to follow her. Brennan felt the swell of pleasure rising and falling as Booth thrust, heat flaring across her chest, up into her face. She rotated her hips to meet his, and quickly reached her peak, crying out just as Booth had hoped. He revelled in every sound she made, holding her close as she continued to move. It was quickly too much for Booth, the feel of her around him eroding his control, and he groaned into her shoulder as he came. Bones' fingers wound tightly into his hair, trying to make this moment last. She looked down at Booth's face, flushed and smiling and alive. There was nothing she wanted more than this – just her and Booth, safe and unaware of the world that lay outside. A world that always bayed for blood.

She hoped the world would not bay for his again.

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