Well, school's started. I really hate that there's been an entire week in between updates, but I've been up until 1 every night this week, and I'm only a sophomore. I'm already buried in the philosophy of Locke and Hobbes, and I have to read 100 pages in Leviathan this weekend. Fun stuff right there. But it's been a good first week of school. Class rank came out this week, and I just found out that I'm 7th, which I'm very, very happy with. Now if only I can work hard this year and make it into that top 5.
This is where the writing starts to get harder, for me at least. But I'm excited to work on it some more.
The elevator was filled with awkward silence as Temperance and Booth made their way to his SUV. Neither of them knew how to act in this situation. The old rules of their relationship were irrelevant. Now, all of a sudden, all of the innocent touches, like the hand on her back, or a brush of the arm, seemed to have very large, unexpected implications. Neither of them knew how this night was going to end. The normally self-assured and knowledgeable Dr. Brennan shuffled her feet back and forth and bit her nails, while the normally cocky and playful Booth just looked around the elevator nervously, not saying much of anything.
When they finally got to the Indian restaurant, Four Spices Indian House, both of them realized what they were doing. They were technically on a date. Surrounded by couples and candlelight, although not entirely expected from an Indian restaurant, it had never been more obvious.
As the waitress sat them down, they opened the menus, giving each other nervous little smiles. They had made awkward small talk on the walk there. There had been none of the usual banter between them. Temperance hadn't made some cynical remark about relationships like she usually did, and Booth didn't make his normal tiresome pop culture references.
Temperance sighed as she watched Booth order their food. She knew if she chickened out tonight, she wouldn't have another chance. And, worse than that, their work relationship would be ruined. He must have had a good idea of why she had asked him here tonight, and not to approach the subject of 'them' would be a disastrous mistake.
She cleared her throat, looking Booth right in the eye, something she had yet to do since they had left her apartment.
"Bo -- Seeley." She decided the moment she began to utter the name 'Booth' that tonight called for something much more personal.
Booth held her eyes, feeling the chemistry between them. It was so powerful; he was amazed that everyone else in the restaurant was oblivious that the couple was obvious having a moment.
"I just wanted to talk," Temperance paused, chewing on her lip for a moment. She was grateful for Booth's quietness, allowing her time to articulate her thoughts. "Despite the fact that I have been known to be cynical and harsh when it comes to romantic relationships…"
She stopped again, having no idea how to tell her partner that she very well may be in love with him. She could feel her face turning a little red, and began to rethink telling him her feelings at all.
Booth watched her struggle with her feelings. He was so proud of her. She had come so far in the year and a half they'd worked together. At the beginning, she was all work, refusing to admit any of her feelings. By the end of the first year, especially when regarding her parent's case, she began to open up. She let him into her life a little bit more, allowing him to come by her apartment for late night Chinese food. He was good at reading people. He knew her feelings towards him were beginning to change. His feelings for her never wavered. She was always exactly what he wanted. He also knew how much little things meant to her. He knew how much it had meant her when he had asked her to stay at the diner when Parker was there with Rebecca and Drew. Even though she turned down the offer, he knew it meant something to her.
Temperance looked up again, watching Booth's face. She could see his thoughts flickering through his mind, but she couldn't read them very well. She began to doubt her decision. What if he was just treating her the way he treated all the women in his life?
Therefore, when Booth reached across the table to grab her fingers and clutch them tightly, it meant the world to her and gave her the courage to continue.
"Well, what I'm trying to say is…" She sighed in frustration. She could give presentations on science with impossible terminology and not stumble over her words once, but when it came to her feelings, she didn't even know where to start trying to put her thoughts into words. After taking a deep breath, she continued. "Even though I know it's irrational and that one of human's major flaws is the emphasis placed on long-term relationships even though animals are just supposed to use the opposite sex for reproduction purposes…" She knew she was rambling. She just didn't know what to say at all.
He smiled at her, loving that he could make her this flustered. He bit his tongue, knowing he had to let her get this out without him interrupting. However, when she began rambling about the ethics of a work relationship, he knew that if he didn't do something now, he'd never get the chance.
In one motion, he gracefully leaned over the table and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips. "So long as I can breathe or I can see, so long lives your love which gives life to me," he whispered against her lips. He could feel her smile softly at the Shakespeare reference before he sat back down on his side of the table.
Temperance could feel her lips tingling after the kiss they shared. Although it had only been a second or two long, it had been the gentlest, yet most passionate experience of her entire life. She knew by the intensity of the kiss that he felt the exact same way. And, right at that moment, she needed nothing else. She could forget about the lab, and her parent's case, and every other thing she obsessed over daily. All she needed was to love Seeley Booth and know that he loved her in return.
I just remembered that I never explained the title. It comes from the Shakespeare quote 'love sought is good, but given unsought is better,' from Twelfth Night.
Sorry the chapter's a little bit short, but I wanted the next part to be a chapter on its own. I'll update at least once more this weekend, hopefully a couple more times.