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 16: That Time Booth & Brennan Bickered

She hated moments like these—moments when Booth clearly toed the line between professional & public and personal & private. He infuriated her when he acted like this, so smug and self-righteous. It was also she could do not to just walk up to him and slap that supercilious and condescending smirk of his face once and for all.

Just let it go, Brennan, a calm and rational voice rang inside her head. Booth is just being—well, he's just being Booth. Don't encourage his alpha male tendencies by giving his blatant show of bravado any more credit than it's due. Don't respond to him. Just… let it go.

Unfortunately, as Brennan continued her cursory examination of the remains, another more instinctual part of her was unable to resist the situation, particularly as she thought back to how she had felt Booth's eyes on her during the entire telephone conversation she'd had with David. He'd been watching her—her every move, her every reaction. Why do you care so much, Booth? a part of Brennan's mind asked. You go home to Tessa every night, so what does it matter how I spend my evenings? What does it matter?

Looking over at him, she stared, noting his defensive posture. "What?" she finally asked.

Quickly shaking his head, Booth quickly dismissed her question. "Nothing."

Rolling her eyes, Brennan sighed. "You disapprove?"

Taking a step or two away from her, Booth shook his head again. "I said great."

Her mouth narrowing in annoyance, Brennan quantified Booth's statement. "With attitude."

At this, Booth's head suddenly shot up as he looked over at his partner. "Don't go overboard with psychology. It's not your thing."

Hating that Booth might put her in a position potentially to defend a soft pseudo-science that she despised, Brennan decided to change the subject and address the issue they both knew they were really talking about, even though neither one of them had really brought it up yet. Enough, Brennan thought to herself. Enough of this prevaricating.

Sticking her hip out as she assumed a slightly defensive pose, Brennan narrowed her eyes at her partner as she said, "Look, I am an adult Booth. I see men. I go out with them on occasion." She met his eyes as she continued her somewhat inappropriate tirade. As she spoke, the look Brennan saw in the dark brown irises suddenly both enthralled and excited her. She was intrigued not only interest, but—Jealousy, Brennan thought with a mental gasp. He's jealous! But… why? And, then, quickly, before she could second guess herself, instead of stopping to diffuse the situation, Brennan added with a sly smile, "I sleep with them."

She saw the effect her words had on him in an instant. His tense jaw hardened as his eyes narrowed, and his brown irises grew even darker. Brennan could tell he was at war with himself by how to respond to her taunt, for that was what it was—there was no mistaking her intent with that last statement.

Enough of this, Brennan thought to herself again, feeling a flush of empowerment flow through her. Reaching over, she snapped off her nitrile gloves, and Brennan put them away before she walked over to where her partner stood, deliberate and clear in her movements.

"I need to speak to you in private," Brennan said in a tone that was in no way anything less than professional, should anyone have overheard them. "Outside, please?"

She threw the last two words at him as if they were a formal challenge. Brennan knew there would be no way Booth would be able to resist them. Quickly spinning on her heels, Brennan walked in the direction of the warehouse's exit and towards where Booth had parked his SUV. She marched towards her destination with a deliberate purpose, and although she didn't bother to look back once, she knew Booth was following her when she heard his heavy footfall matching hers step for step.

When the pair where finally outside, and afforded a sliver of privacy by standing on the opposite side of the SUV—as if they were getting more equipment out of the vehicle—Brennan slowly turned around and faced Booth. He was standing a bit too casually, leaning against the SUV's door, trying just a bit too hard to appear suave, debonair, and nonchalant—the perfect picture of disinterest. But, Brennan knew better as she continued to feel his intense gaze bore into her very being.

"So, what'dya want, Bones?" Booth said in feigned casualness, finally breaking the silence between them, a silence that was heavy with… well, something, although he wasn't quite sure what.

What I want is for you to stop this, Brennan thought to herself. If you want me, then say something. Stop this posturing and be deliberate. Do something.

But, in that minute, it was actually Brennan who was finally goaded into action. As soon looked at him, for some reason, rational thought went out the window. Taking two steps towards him, Brennan grabbed him by the lapels of his suit jacket and pulled him closer to her, fisting the material in each hand for better control of the situation—and him.

"Who in the hell do you think you are?" she said through gritted teeth. "My personal life is none of your business."

"It is when you're making stupid mistakes, Bones," Booth growled at her. "You're my partner—"

"Oh, screw that 'partner' bullshit, Booth," Brennan muttered. "We both know this has nothing to do with our professional affiliation."

"Really?" Booth said, his voice low and sinister. He could've easily removed himself from Brennan's grasp if he'd wanted to, but instead, he allowed himself to remain in her hold, enjoying the feeling of being so close to her. "Then, what's this really about, Bones?"

"You're jealous," Brennan answered instantly. "You're so jealous you can't stand it."

"Oh, yeah?" Booth said, daring to lick his bottom lip as he never broke his gaze from hers. "And, why do you think that?"

"Because," Brennan said, a throaty laugh escaping from her mouth. "You want me. You want me so badly you can barely stand it. But, you hide behind that partners bullshit instead of doing what you should've done more than a year ago."

"And, what's that exactly, Bones?" Booth dared to ask, his voice so husky that it came out as barely more than a hoarse whisper. "Tell me. What should I have done differently that I didn't do?"

Yanking him towards her, and then using the momentum to throw him against the side of the SUV, Brennan leaned into him, pressing her long body against his in a dangerous caress. Pushing her body up against his, she marveled at the rightness of the sensation for a few seconds before she finally gave Booth a most important answer. "You should've followed me. You should've followed me that night instead of letting me go. You should've followed me, and you should've kissed me—and kept kissing me—until I couldn't think anymore."

"You want to be kissed, Bones?" Booth half-groaned. "Is that what you're saying here? You want to be kissed by me?"

As her eyes darted up and down his body, as if to indicate their current position, Brennan said, "What do you think, Booth?"

Slowly, he opened his mouth and said, "I think…if you keep doing what you're doing, you aren't going to make that dumbass dinner date with Mr. Dick431 tonight, Bones."

She smiled at that, a smile of promise and encouragement that made Booth's blood race. "You promise, Booth?"

And, finally, his head snapping up to meet hers in a searing kiss, Booth gave Brennan her answer.

-TBC-