Title: Slow hands
Author: wanderingsmith
Disclaimer: I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Who's playing that music? And who's going to tango...
Warning: BB

my chapter 4 is NC-17. you can skip it and just read this (chapter 5) without losing anything of the story!

to read Chapter 4, you can go to wanderingsmith dot livejournal dot com

Chapter Five

"So, how serious were you about liking the scruff?"

Temperance looked in the mirror at the yawning, shirtless, overgrown boy asking the lazy question. "Why?"

Seeley rolled his eyes at the typically serious response to a completely casual question. He walked up behind Bones, standing at the mirror combing out her hair, wearing his shirt, mostly undone, with her slacks. He slipped his hands around her waist and rested his whiskered chin on her shoulder. "Because it's Sunday. I can look any way I please. And it happens to please me to stack the odds of seducing you," he dropped a kiss on the exposed skin of her shoulder, "in my favour."

The confident smirk he threw at her made Temperance wish he wasn't quite so skilled at the seducing. She could resist the come-hither eyes, she'd been practising that religion since she'd met him. But the words, and their simple implication; that she was important to him, that he wanted her.. were less resistible. She needed to counter-attack.

She knew there was a wicked grin on her face as she turned slowly, slid her hands along his jaw, watching his nose flare and his eyes narrow, and leaned to whisper into his ear, "Keep the scruff, and you might just get seduced."

Before he could react, she'd swayed out of the bathroom, leaving Booth hazy with lust.

He caught sight of his dazed expression in the mirror. He shook his head, his lips twitching as he got undressed. The last day and a half seemed both a fantastic dream, and the most normal of life. He'd dreamt this kind of companionship with Bones almost since he'd met her. But on the other hand, Bones was still Bones. She didn't expect him to be any different than he'd been since he'd met her, and he knew she was the same woman who'd stood by him through the tense, the unfair and the really ugly; all the while driving him crazy in every way. He'd go from wanting to strangle her, to wanting to wrap his arms around her shoulders and never let go.

Coming out of the shower, he automatically reached for his razor, and felt the scratches he knew were scoring his shoulder. He grinned, 'Wonder if she'd react to Wildcat better than Bones.' He absently scratched his itchy jaw as he got his sweats back on and walked out without going through his usual FBI-proper-appearance routine. It occured to him to wonder that he was so willing to change his habits for his lady doctor.

It'd certainly been a boost to his ego to hear her actually compliment him; repeatedly. But he knew damned well that comments aside, it would never even have occurred to her to ask him to change. At least not physically; she'd never been shy about trying to get him to change his attitudes.

As he got to the living room, she met him holding two cups of coffee. And he had the undeniable pleasure of seeing her eyes light up, at him instead of a skeleton! Definitely worth itchy cheeks. After passing him his cup, her free hand came to rest on his bare chest, over his heart, and she balanced on it to reach up and kiss his scruffy cheek. Without a word she walked to his couch and dropped against it's arm, eyes coming to rest on him again.

Temperance watched him take a few sips while staring back at her with what she judged to be amusement and affection. She decided that he was at least as interesting to examine as Iron-age warriors. She smiled, too bad she couldn't get paid for it.

It'd been a long time since she'd taken two days off in a row. And those were usually spent writing; whether articles, reports or her book. When she'd told Booth that she took vacations, she'd known she was pushing the definition. Going on a dig was arguably a change of pace, but she was sure he wouldn't call it a vacation.

As he turned away and ambled his way to the kitchen, it occurred to her that if they really were together now, he'd expect her to join him on those 'laying on the beach' trips. 'Were they together?'

- He'd flirted with her on and off from the day they met.
- For someone who wouldn't give her a gun and had tried to keep her in the lab, he was oddly trusting of her abilities to take care of herself in a fight.
- He could be thoughtful and caring, took her lack of those qualities in stride far better than she had a right to expect.
- And she'd learned to trust him. To expect him to be there for her, even to understand her when she spoke.

And now they were lovers. Spending Saturday together and then going to sleep together again made it more than a one-night stand; and in any case, he wouldn't do that to her.

That thought brought her up short. There was no one reason to think he wouldn't, but when she added together all the time she'd spent with him, she knew this would not be any more casual for him than it was for her. She ignored the noises from the kitchen as she tried to decide what she wanted. Was she ready to accept the responsibility of a relationship with Seeley Booth?

She didn't realize she was frowning into her cup until she heard his voice right in front of her. "You want to go in to work?" She jerked her eyes up to his in surprise. Thinking about her answer, she watched the mostly neutral expression and slightly self-deprecating smile on his face. She hadn't really been thinking about going to work. On the other hand, she was glad to see that he seemed OK with the idea; but did that mean he didn't care whether they spent the day together? Had he had enough of her company?

"Are we a couple?"

Her abruptly asked question floored Seeley for a second, but then he put the coffee pot he'd brought down on the side table and got down to his haunches so they were eye level. His hands rested on her knees as he looked at her seriously; she looked her usual calm, thinking self, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness in her eyes, in the tension he felt in her body.

"I'd be happy to spend every second of my life with you Temperance." He watched her blink in surprise and he continued, smiling wryly, "but my work is important to me, and it's going to take me away at annoying times," he put a finger on her lips when she went to protest, "I know you understand that. But the point is, I know your work is just as important to you. How can I expect you to put up with me if I don't return the favour?"

Temperance looked at him for a moment. As much as he could drive her crazy when he pulled the boyish charm, these moments, serious, focused on her, caring and looking every inch a man; these were the times she'd always had to fight not to melt. She felt a small smile escape when she realized she could let herself melt this time. She leaned forward, slipped her hands into his hair, and very deliberately decided to drive him crazy. He'd said 'is going to take me away', he was thinking about a future too.

Seeley had a last thought that being the reason Bones took time off could get addictive in a hurry.

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"I'm starving. You have to let me eat if you want me to last!"

Temperance lifted her head from it's favourite pillow at the husky complaint reverberating on her ear. "Why is it my fault you're starving?"

Booth raised an eyebrow and started grinning, anticipating teasing her, "Who was it pounced on me in the living room? When I was already weak from hunger and had only started to search for food?"

She snorted, "Weak? You carried me in here; you can't have been that weak."

"Yeah, then you went and depleted the last of my reserves!"

Temperance rolled her eyes at him and got up off of his supposedly exhausted body. She sat cross-legged on the bed, watching him move around the room getting dressed. Though she was still feeling the glow from the pleasure that body gave her, she was nonetheless slightly tempted to see just how exhausted he really was; that beautiful body was still moving energetically... She frowned and got up suddenly as he turned his back and she saw the marks there for the first time.

"Booth! I'm so sorry. Why didn't you say something?" She hurried up to him, then hesitated to touch the harsh red streaks, some with the skin broken.

"Hey, it's OK, it's OK.", Seeley turned and brought her eyes to look into his, smiling reassuringly at her embarrassed horror, "I didn't notice when it happened, they don't feel half as bad as they probably look," he leaned in to give her a brief but thorough kiss. He then raised his lips just enough to whisper "and the very idea that I drive you that wild," he kissed her again, vaguely wondering if he really needed food after all, "puts a smile on my face every time I move my shoulders."

"I.." Temperance frowned uncertainly, then rested a hand on his jaw, feeling hers tensing and jerking, "I don't like the idea of hurting you."

Seeley felt his heart turn to mush at her soft tone, glad he'd already accepted that he was lost in her; otherwise he'd probably be looking pole axed right now. He kissed her forehead and returned just as softly, "Too bad. I do like driving you wild, Wildcat." He grinned at her, "For which I need food!" With a last, fast, smooch he turned and swaggered out of the bedroom, leaving Temperance frowning and reminding herself to cut her nails short.

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When Bones walked up to the counter next to him, Seeley leaned over to kiss her ear, and when she turned with a raised brow, he asked, "Can I tempt you into bacon and eggs, or do you want cereal?"

Before she could request her usual bowl, Temperance's stomach growled audibly and Booth started laughing, saying she definitely needed real food. He looked so happy, standing at the stove humming Black Velvet. She gave up and went to find their coffee cups. Maybe she could get used to Sunday mornings like this.

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"Mornin' Sweety, how was.. well well well," Angela started smirking when she saw the red marks on her friend's cheeks, "I know what you were doing this weekend, but with whom?"

Temperance rolled her eyes, knowing she was blushing on top of the whisker-burns, "None of your business Angela." She did not want to get into this. She'd woken up early to Booth's alarm clock, once again sleeping more on him than not. They'd cuddled and talked idly about work through two snoozes before dragging themselves to a shower. Then he'd driven to her apartment so she could change before dropping her off at the Jeffersonian.

She'd lived with men before, and had a few serious relationships besides. But she couldn't remember ever feeling like she had walking away from Booth's SUV this morning. For the space of a few steps, it had felt like the most natural thing in the world. A husband dropping his wife off to work when her car is broken. Partners talking about their work in the pre-dawn light.

After their talk on Sunday, awkwardness seemed banished from their relationship for a spell. But she didn't want to talk about it, worried that she would end up dismissing the fragile peace.

Angela saw the worry in her friend's frown and gave her a quick hug, "Sorry Sweety, I saw your car here this morning and noticed you weren't in. I'm just glad you finally took some time off and had fun." She started to walk out of the room, then turned at the door, "Talk to me when you're ready, uh?"

Temperance smiled gratefully at her friend, "Thanks Ange."

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TBC in chapter 6