Thanks for the reviews, favs and alerts everyone! Although I have to say, I got 3 times as many alertys as reviews... That's a bit disappointing, but I'm just hoping for everyone to review after this chapter!
Alright, so, chapter two... This one is a bit shorter but I like it anyway.
Don't own Bones.
"Why are you here?" she asked him for the third time, seating herself in the only chair in her living room –and, he noticed, the seat furthest away from him.
"Bones, I-" he didn't know how to continue; why had he come here so unprepared? He should know that talks like this needed some preparation.
"I just wanted to make sure you're OK." It was lame, especially after the intensity of the night they'd had, but it was the truth.
"I'm fine," she said harshly, and he thought maybe he deserved the harshness. He could see she'd been startled back into the detached, cold persona she assumed whenever she was hurt, and it hurt him more than anything to know he was the reason.
There was silence for a moment, in which Brennan looked everywhere except for at him and he tried to think of something to say, anything that would suit the situation, that would explain his behaviour.
"Bones, you –" She finally looked at him and with her gorgeous eyes focused on him he found it much harder to concentrate.
"You understand why I said what I said tonight, don't you?" he asked her gently.
She nodded, but he thought he saw something shimmering in her eyes. Damn, was he making her cry again? Since when had he become a source of tears?
"You have Hannah now," she said. She was trying to sound strong, but her voice broke on 'Hannah' and he could see the change in her face, knowing she hated showing weakness. "I understand."
"I don't want to hurt you," he said, wishing he could change the facts. She nodded again, looking away from him, and brushed her cheek.
He thought about what to say to her, how to comfort her. Looking at her, he realized his feelings for her would probably never disappear completely, and he found himself wishing, irrationally, that Hannah hadn't come along, that he could've saved her, saved them, all this pain.
But it wasn't fair. Not to Bones, not to himself, and certainly not to Hannah.
He took a bold step.
"Bones…" he waited until she looked at him again, and he suddenly hated the distance between them. It didn't suit them. He stood up and kneeled before her chair, making a move to hold her hand but changing his mind at the last time.
"Bones, I-" God, this was so hard, harder than anything he'd ever done. He looked into her eyes, hoping that, for once, she could read his eyes, read what he was trying to say.
Maybe she did, because she jerked violently and swiveled the chair, moving backwards, away from him.
"Bones," he said again, his voice on the brink of desperation.
"Booth, please leave."
She sounded cold but he knew she was trying to collect herself, just as he knew that she'd turned away from him because she couldn't stand him seeing her weak, didn't want him to see her tears. His heart broke as he wondered when she'd begun to think she needed to hide her pain from him, that she needed to run to appear strong.
But this time, he wouldn't let her get away.
"Bones…" he stepped closer and touched her shoulder. She jerked away from him again, but he turned her and crushed her to his chest.
The effect was immediate. She stiffened at once and he could feel her muscles tense, but he just held on and slowly, very slowly, she started to relax.
God, he'd missed her so much – how could he not have seen that? How could he not have seen that pushing her away would resolve nothing? He'd thought it would save them hurt, save him heartbreak, but all it had done was cause pain.
He felt hot tears on his shirt and noticed with surprise that his own cheeks were wet, too, but he simply didn't want to let her go. He could finally hold her and not care about anyone seeing.
In the back of his mind, the thought registered that he shouldn't enjoy hugging her this much, that he had a girlfriend whom he loved, but he just couldn't bring himself to care. Regardless of what would happen with Hannah, with Bones, he was here now and she needed him.
She was crying into his chest, softly, trying not to let him hear – but he heard anyway, and he tried to comfort her with strokes on her back, with silly words in her ear. It felt intimate, desperate, romantic, amazing all at once. He imagined how they would look to anyone seeing them now: a man and a woman, clinging to each other, afraid to let go.
Finally, though, she pulled back and looked at him. She moved his hand towards his face and he took a step backwards instinctively, but she merely wiped the tears from his face with sadness in her eyes. She seemed more collected and for that fact he was grateful, knowing she hated to feel irrational.
"Bones…" he didn't know how to tell her how he felt, how she made him feel. He couldn't tell her what would happen. He needed to tell Hannah, they needed to talk, not necessarily about this, but she needed to know about his history with Bones. Maybe she could offer some insight, maybe she had some advice. And, he thought, it would be only fair to her.
At last he knew what to say.
"Give it time. Everything happens eventually… all those things you think will never happen, they'll happen. You just have to be ready for it."
He could see in her eyes she recognized his words and she offered him a smile. A weak smile, but a smile nonetheless. He smiled back and walked away from her, out of her apartment. There wasn't much more he could say.
Because he had no doubt they would be together. Eventually.
Right, and those final words reflect exactly how I feel... they will get together, I have no doubt.
Reviews are very, very much appreciated! I'd hand out naked Booths or something of the sort, but unfortunately I don't own him (but God I wish I did!)...