A/N: It's dinner time and both Booth and Tempe are starving!

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Booth understood what the owner had meant the second they walked in the restaurant. Saying that the place was crowded would have been an understatement. The place was jam packed and Booth began to wonder if this had been such a good idea. He turned to Temperance who, looking at the crowd, had an unreadable expression plastered on her face.

"What's the matter?" Booth asked, knowing partially what was wrong.

"There's a lot of people." His partner replied, turning to look at him, anxiety in her eyes.

He knew she was a bit uncomfortable and she seemed to be clutching at his hand like a lifeline. He hadn't known her to be so anxious in public. He gave it a small squeeze.

"There's no need to be nervous, Bones. There's nobody here we know."

She looked at him for reassurance. She wasn't ready to take that step yet. If there was something she hated the most in the world, it was to be proven wrong. This would eventually happen when Angela, and the rest of the squints, would find out about the two of them. She could already hear Angela squeal and say:

"I told you he liked you!"

She wasn't quite ready to admit that she had been wrong. She had just barely begun to admit to herself the fact that she liked him as more than just a friend. This was as far as it was going to go today.

She had been able to reply to Booth when a host walked up to them.

"Hi! Welcome to Green Gates. Do you have a reservation?" The young man asked them.

He couldn't have been older than twenty, Booth thought.

"Yes, we do. It'll be under the name Seeley Booth."

The young man looked at his registry.

"Oh yes, Mr. Booth. You called this morning."

"Yes I did."

The man nodded.

"The owner has added an extra table just for you and your girlfriend. Please, follow me."

Booth fought the urge to respond that Temperance wasn't his girlfriend but decided to drop it when he didn't hear a complaint noise from his partner. He guessed that either she hadn't heard and that there was no need to rectify the information or she simply hadn't minded. He hoped for the second option.

They followed their host as he climbed a flight of stairs, their hands still linked together. Booth had a vague idea of where the owner might have placed this extra table but he said nothing.

His suspicions checked out right when the host led them out on the terrace at the back of the building. Three other couples were already enjoying their meals and Booth noticed that a table had been set up in the left corner of the balcony. Pulling a chair, he waited for Temperance to sit down before doing the same across the table.

"A waitress should be with you in a few minutes." The host said before handing them their menus.

Booth thanked the young man as he grabbed them. Handing one to Temperance, he immediately opened his. He hadn't realized how hungry he had been. He scanned the menu only once, settling for the Seafood Lasagna just like he had done at his parents' anniversary. He waited patiently as his partner went over the menu.

"I don't know what to order." She said, looking up briefly at him.

"Take the seafood lasagna like me. It's really good."

Temperance shook her head in disgust.

"No thanks. I'm not crazy about shrimps."

Booth looked shocked. She was the only woman he knew who didn't like shrimps.

"Really?" he asked, surprised.

"Really."

"What else are you not crazy about?"

A smile tugged at her lips.

"I'm not crazy about people who stare at me while I'm trying to decide what to order."

"Sorry Bones." Booth replied, sarcastically, before flashing her the brightest smile he could manage.

Temperance felt her stomach do a back-flip. She hated what he did to her.

Booth turned to look at the view they got from the balcony. He could see downtown Washington from where he was sitting and he noticed that clouds were coming their way. He silently hoped that they were full of water and only waiting to be above their heads to start pouring out on them.

He didn't know how long he had been staring into the abyss when he felt his partner kick him strongly underneath the table. He turned around, ready to tell her to grow up when he noticed the waitress standing beside him, holding the menus and looking at him impatiently. Booth mentally congratulated her professionalism.

"Oh... sorry." He said, trying his best to sound sorry. "I'll take the seafood lasagna."

The young waitress rolled her eyes.

"With salad or potatoes?" she asked, on a tone that told him she shouldn't even have been asking him this question.

Booth took a deep breath.

"Can you bring it with both?" He asked, not feeling like debating over whether salad or potatoes would be better.

"Of course."

He watched as the girl jotted down the order and left. Booth turned to Temperance and smiled at her.

"How long had she been there for?"

Temperance giggled.

"About two minutes. I told her that you tend to get spacey where you're hungry."

"Gee thanks". Booth replied, sarcastically. "Anyway, she just cut her tip in half."

Temperance laughed softly.

"What were you even thinking about?"

Booth felt his face grow warm at the question. He didn't really feel like admitting that he had gone from thinking about the beautiful scenery to another woman, who was equally beautiful and sitting in front of him. He didn't feel like telling her that his thoughts had gone from a scenery to something that they would definitely not be doing that night but could be doing in a near future. Instead, he simply shrugged and took a sip from his water.

"So... how was your week?"

Temperance seemed startled by his question. Was he really asking her about her week?

"I was with you all week. How can you not know how it went?"

Booth tried his best not to roll his eyes. This woman could be so clueless at times.

"I wasn't with you all week, every day, twenty-four/seven."

Temperance nodded. He had a point. She examined his face closely as she told him everything she had done that week. She watched as his expression never switched from interested to boredom and she began to feel nervous at the amount of attention he was paying to her. Never in her life had someone spent so much attention on her and none of the previous men she had dated listened as intently as Booth did. She was beginning to wonder if he hadn't drift into space when he stopped to question something he hadn't quite understood.

Oh my, he's really listening to me. She thought as she clarified what she had been saying.

She didn't realise how much she had been talking but she was surprised when the waitress placed her plate in front of her. She looked at Booth who eyed his lasagna with appetite.

"You hungry?" she asked him, teasingly.

Booth looked up at her and grinned.

"Starving."

Temperance nodded and dropped her gaze to her own plate. The salmon fillet looked delicious but she wasn't sure about the slices of lemon it was resting on. Rice and a bit of salad completed the dish, along with a bit of parsley. She grabbed her fork and her knife and began cutting up her fish.

They were silent for a while as they satisfied their appetite but after five minutes of silence, Booth spoke again.

"That's quite a sunburn you have there, Bones."

Temperance followed his eyes down to her chest. She was in fact pretty red.

"I look like a lobster." She said, blushing slightly.

"Well that's great because we're eating seafood."

Temperance cocked her head.

"Salmon isn't seafood."

"I know. But it lives in water."

"But it's not seafood."

Booth sighed.

"Just drop it, Bones."

They ate silently in awkwardness and Temperance immediately felt guilty. Why did she always have to ruin what could have been sweet moments between her and Booth? She had to learn to relax and not take everything so literally.

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The rest of the meal turned out great and no major incidents occurred. Instead, just like the afternoon had gone, dinner had been filled with laughter and memories recollection. People turned to look at them but the two friends were oblivious to all the stares. They were in their own little world and nothing could disturb them.

The owner, who come to the balcony to check on his special guests, had instead stopped at the door and watched the couple from a distance. He had known Seeley since he had been a little boy. His father and him had been really close back then, the two of them having worked in the army for a while, and he had seen little Seeley grow up to be a man. He had meant some of his dates on special occasions, including his parents' last anniversary, but none of the other women compared to the one who sat across from the man he'd come to call his nephew. He could see immediately that this one was going to stick. She made him happy like he had never seen Seeley happy. He smiled one more time before going back downstairs. He'd come back when dessert, if they chose to take some, would arrive. He'd even bring it to them personally.

Temperance settled her fork beside her empty plate and Booth immediately grabbed his opportunity and reached over the table, laying his hand on top of hers. He felt her stiffen under him but she soon relaxed. Booth smiled.

"Got anymore room?" he asked her, rubbing his thumb over her soft hand.

Temperance could hardly nod. The contact of his skin made her brain shut down. She was positive she looked like an idiot as she started into his deep brown eyes. Her stomach made another back-flip.

"Why?" she replied, her voice stuck in her throat.

"I thought we could order some dessert and then coffee."

Temperance agreed and Booth used his free hand to wave the waitress down. The young girl arrived at their side, her smile having returned from watching the couple from afar.

"Yes, Sir?" she asked.

Booth turned to his partner.

"What do you want for dessert? They have killer cheesecake here."

"I'm not fond of cheesecake." She replied.

"Are you just doing this for fun or are you serious again?" Booth asked, not sure if she was really being serious this time.

"I'm serious. I don't like cheesecake."

"Well I'll take some." Booth told the waitress.

The girl wrote it down.

"And you?"

"I'll just have a cup of coffee."

The girl nodded before walking back inside the restaurant. Booth looked at his watch. It was almost seven. He knew that after this, he would have to bring her home. He had nothing else planned for them and she was probably tired. Her sunburns had gotten redder and he was pretty sure that she would want to take care of them. He could feel his own damage on the back of his shoulders. It burned like crazy.

They talked more about what was to come at work when something caught his attention at the door. Coming his way was his dad's best friend, holding what seemed to be like two plates. Their young waitress followed him, holding two cups of coffee.

He smiled as the man approached their table.

"Seeley!" The man said, cheerfully.

Temperance turned to the sound of the voice to see a man in his late fifties coming their way. She guessed that it must have been the owner, the one Booth's father knew and, by the looks of it, that Booth had already knew.

"Hey! Uncle Larry!"

Larry picked up his pace and finally reached their table. He set the plates down on the table as Booth got up. The two men hug.

"Seeley, long time no see. How have you been?" Larry asked after pulling away.

"I've been great! How about you?"

"Oh, never been better."

Then, turning to Temperance, he said:

"You have to introduce me to your new girlfriend."

Larry flashed the woman a smile before turning to Booth.

"Temperance, this is Larry, a friend's of my dad. Larry, this is Temperance Brennan. She's a forensic anthropologist, probably the best in the country, and she's my partner."

Larry extended his hand and Temperance shyly grabbed it.

"I'm very glad to meet you, Temperance. I know you didn't order any dessert but I took the liberty of bringing you our best plain cake. It's just white cake, with vanilla frosting and coconuts on top."

"Thank you." Temperance replied.

Booth sat back down and immediately grabbed his fork. He had been waiting for this cheesecake ever since they had arrived.

"It was nice to see you again, Seeley. You two should stop by for dinner some time."

Booth nodded vaguely.

"We'll think about it."

"I'll leave you two alone."

On that, Larry turned around and walked away, leaving a very shocked Temperance behind him.

"We'll think about it, Booth?"

Planting his fork in his cake, Booth grinned.

"It's a figure of speech, Bones. Just a figure of speech."

Temperance nodded, unsure. Picking up her own fork, she began eating slowly her piece of cake. She wasn't really hungry anymore and they could leave this place and go someplace more quiet.

"God, Temperance, you have no clue what you're missing on." Booth said, taking a second bit of his cake.

Temperance watched him, a look of disgust and amusement in her face.

"My god Booth, get a room."

Booth chuckled lightly before swallowing his mouthful.

"Come on, you gotta try some."

Temperance shook her head.

"Booth, I already told you I didn't like cheesecake."

"This one's different. Here..."

Shifting his chair closer to hers, he slid his plate along the table. Sitting side-by-side, Temperance could now feel the heat emanating from his body. She watched as he picked a piece of cake with his fork and brought it to her mouth.

"Come on, Bones. Open wide."

"Booth..." She warned, even though she knew it was useless.

"Just try it, Temperance. You'll never know what you're missing out on."

Temperance sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Opening her mouth, she watched as the fork disappeared into it and she closed her lips shut around the fork. Booth pulled it out seconds later.

"So?" He asked, looking expectantly at her.

She chewed on the cake, deciding whether to lie or not. Booth had been right, as usual. This cake was amazing. She finally swallowed.

"And?"

She nodded in response.

"You were right. It's really good."

Booth looked at her, a smug look on his face.

"I was right." He announced proudly.

Temperance hit him playfully on the arm.

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Dinner was paid for and the couple left the restaurant. Neither of them felt like calling it a night but neither of them said anything. Sitting down on the curb, they watched the cars on the boulevard speed by them. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, Booth pulled her to him. She went in willingly, resting her head on his shoulder. He rested his own on hers.

"Want to catch a movie?" he asked her.

"Sure. I don't really feel like going home anyway."

She felt at peace in his arms, something she hadn't felt in the longest time. She just couldn't bring herself to go home, alone, just yet. She would never tell him directly.

"Good. Me neither." Booth replied, strengthening his hold around her.

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Coming next: a movie!