Feet crossed, her long legs rested on the edge of the bathtub. Droplets of water trickled down her skin, leaving wet trails in their wake that glistened in the candlelight. Brown eyes followed their path up her calf, his tongue darted out as he cocked his head and his inquiring gaze met hers. She knew he'd love to lick the drops of water off her legs. He'd done it before and she squirmed and giggled at the sensation of his tongue lapping at her bare skin.
Brennan didn't believe in love. Yet under layers of doubt, suspicion and disappointments he didn't even register he discovered strings attached to her heart that no one - not even herself - had noticed before. He tugged at them and made her heart melt for him, open up and let him in instantly and completely. His eyes were fixed on hers and she reveled in what she found in them: unconditional loyalty and devotion. Those were reliable.
She flicked her fingers and a tiny splash of water hit his nose, eliciting a playful growl from him. She chuckled and pointed towards the door.
"Out!", she commanded with a laugh and - as expected - he obeyed, scooting towards her bedroom and curling up on the neatly made bed, waiting for her to join him.
In the bathroom, Brennan pulled the plug. Watching the swirl of water disappearing in the drain, she thought about how much she liked that new routine she had established since he was a part of her life. Her working hours had become more scheduled. She didn't spend half the night at the lab anymore. Instead, she even caught herself enjoying to leave and head home so they could go for a run together. She smiled inwardly: her free time had become more meaningful and fulfilled with someone waiting for her at home. She stepped out of the tub and wrapped a towel around her toned body before she too went to her bedroom.
She knew he was waiting for her. Because he always was and he always would be. Grabbing a shirt and pajama pants from the dresser, she stood in front of the mirror, eying his reflection just as thoroughly as he studied her in the dim light of her bedside lamp.
They were similar in many ways. They both came from more or less broken families, endured violence and they both had killed because the cruelty of life had demanded it from them. And ironically, that's what brought them together. What gave them warmth and compassion. They were two broken souls, matching and linked in a deep and subconscious manner beyond words and anything she had ever experienced before. He was blind to her flaws. To him, she was perfection, his whole world.
She once had told him that there was nothing to forgive for everything he had done wrong hadn't been his fault in the first place. And with his head in her lap, he found comfort, he was home.
She got dressed, slipped under the cover and switched the light off. Her arm snaked around the snoring, sleeping body beside her, her fingers fidgeting with the dog tags around his neck - the reminder of who he was and where he came from. She absently traced the letters that spelled
Ripley Brennan.
A/N: Could I fool you? :D I know that some of you are still waiting for me to continue that kissing story but right now, I really can't think of anything of substance. I just moved and everything is a mess (lit. and fig.) at the moment. What lightens my day is my dog though, that's why I came up with this. And because it should have happened that way. Ripley didn't deserve to die. And Bones (IMO) deserved to experience the unconditional love of a dog. 3 Hope you enjoyed this little ficlet of mine. Leave a review please and tell me about your pet! :D
