What I Wish I Could've Said
Rated: T
Disclaimer: I own nothing... Obviously. Just playing in someone else's sandbox for a bit.
Summary: Hindsight is always 20/20. Everyone has a single moment that they wish they could have said something better than what they actually did. A completely random series of what-if vignettes.
Ch 5: That Time Booth Tried to Set the Rules
Brennan saw that Booth was clearly agitated with so many people of the Jeffersonian suddenly invading his domain. It amused her, to see the tightly controlled FBI agent flustered enough that he had begun to scramble for what control he could in the midst of so much rapid change.
"Okay fine, new rules. This counter is mine. That booth is yours. Everything else around here, alright, mine. Alright, mine…M-I-N-E, mine," Booth reiterated, more to reassure himself, it seemed to Brennan, than because his claims were actual statements of fact.
Trying to hope that a compliment might appease him and assuage some of his obviously aggressive behavior, Brennan said, "I've been thinking about your whole 'something stinks' aptitude. I think you have a subconscious knack for reading body language, stress in the voice, and other subtle, but discernable, indicators. It's not mysterious, but it is impressive, and in the future, I will try to record it in an appropriate degree of objective worth."
Booth nodded at her, tilting his head in a slightly less hostile manner. "Thank you, Temperance. Appreciate that." They looked at each other for a minute, during which, Brennan had hope that maybe her pacifying words had had the ameliorating effects on Booth for which she had wished. Unfortunately, an reflection of a positive response disappeared as soon as Booth nodded at her a second time, this time with a question. "So, uh, what part of 'this is mine' did you not understand? Do I have to say it in Latin?"
Forcing herself not to flush, Brennan decided to respond in kind. Fine. If Booth wants to act like a muscle-dragging Neanderthal, then I'm going to treat him like one. "I would very much like to see that," Brennan said with a tilt of her head. Moving to sit next to Booth at the bar, Brennan threw herself down into the seat to make it clear she had no intention of leaving it any time soon. "I doubt that you know enough Latin to be able to pull it off, actually."
"Why are you sitting down?" Booth glared at her. "I just told you. Squints over there, non-squints, i.e., me, over here."
"Just because you say it to be so does not make it thus, Booth," Brennan said. Booth opened his mouth to say something, but Brennan interrupted him with a look and a sly tone creeping into her voice as she said, "But, I'm willing to make you a deal."
"Huh," Booth laughed. "A deal? You, make a deal, with me? About what?"
"Yes," Brennan nodded. "I believe that's what I just said. Shall I propose the terms and see if we can reach an accommodation, or what, Booth?"
Chuckling, Booth reached for his drink and sipped it for a minute before he said, "Okay, Bones. What'd ya have in mind?"
"Despite the fact that I find your tendency to make imperious proclamations, such as the one you did about what part of this public establishment is your own personal fiefdom, quite, quite tedious, Booth, I offer this compromise. You tell me that 'this is mine' in Latin, and I'll make certain everyone from the lab stays away from your precious bar," Brennan said.
Booth narrowed his eyes at her and said, "And, if you win?"
"If I win," Brennan said, leaning in just a bit closer to Booth, lowering her voice as she held his stare with her own intense gaze.
"Yeah, Bones?" Booth asked.
"If I win," Brennan said in a lower, and, if Booth didn't know any better, more sultry voice. "You're picking up the tab for the entire squint squad's meals tonight. Deal?"
At this, Booth suddenly frowned. "All of them?"
"Yes," Brennan grinned, pulling back, happy to see she had distracted Booth. "Are we agreed?"
Pursing his lips, Booth shook his head as he said, "Nope. I'm not making that deal."
"Ha!" Brennan suddenly shouted in excited glee. She pointed a finger at him in mocking. "I knew it! I knew you couldn't do it. 'Say it in Latin'. Right, Booth, right."
"I know Latin," Booth said, becoming a bit more annoyed as he looked at Brennan's triumphant smile.
"Then say it," Brennan challenged him. "Say 'this is mine'. In Latin, Booth. Go ahead. Say it."
"No," Booth said, shaking his head again. "I don't do on-command performances of Cicero."
"Because you don't know how," Brennan scoffed.
"Yes, I do," Booth insisted.
"No, you don't," Brennan countered, shaking her head again, the winning smile still on her face.
Setting his empty beer bottle on the counter, Booth pulled out his wallet and tossed a few bills on the bar. He nodded his goodbyes to Sid, who stood watching the pair with mild interest from several feet away. Standing, Booth leaned in towards Brennan, obviously invading her personal space as he said, "You know, Bones, one of these days, you're gonna see why it's not a good idea to keep challenging me all the time."
"You don't scare me, Booth," Brennan laughed.
Leaning in further so that his head was only a few inches away from hers, Booth narrowed his eyes as he lowered his voice and said quietly to Brennan, "Well, I should, Bones. And, if you're very lucky and want to know why… unus dies ego mos vos ostendo."
Brennan, mouth open in dumbstruck disbelief, watched as Booth pulled back, smirked at her in an aggrivatingly charming way, and then turned away from the bar and walked at the front door.
-TBC-