Title: Sharing

Author: Unknownsoldier42

Rating: T (language)

Summary: "Double Trouble in the Panhandle" She didn't know what she expected him to do exactly just that she was miserable and it annoyed her that he was sleeping, soundly, while she shivered so hard her teeth were chattering.

Disclaimer: Own not. Profit not. Sue not.

For my sister, your accidental inspiration is always appreciated. Love you.


Temperance jerked awake, mouth slipping wetly off of Booth's naked chest, and froze immediately, unsure of where she was. It all came back in a rush – trailer, circus folk, conjoined twin skeletons, undercover. With another jolt of fresh consciousness she became aware of some other very interesting things. As she attempted to shift she realized she was half buried under the very warm bulk of her partner in a very intimate invasion of his personal space. Or maybe he'd invaded her space. She blushed furiously, not because of their proximity, more because of the implications that came with that proximity. His palm was hot through her simple cammy where it cupped her breast, his breath was tickling her ear, and his other arm was wrapped around her waist, that palm on her ass.

She was fairly sure she was glowing with the heat of her blush and despite the fact that her body was quite comfortable with the arrangement she knew she needed to escape. As she stealthily removed herself from Booth a few things became apparent rather suddenly. First, the temperature had dropped drastically from where it had been when she'd first fallen asleep and second, she was not wearing appropriate sleepwear to combat said environmental change.

Throughout the entire thing Booth remained asleep, snoring softly. Bastard, Temperance glowered at him, curled as far away as possible, wide awake, and near glacial. It was so unbelievably cold in comparison to the blistering wasteland of the day when she'd been longing for something as simple as a breeze, especially in the oppressive tent under all those lights. Now she was almost painfully frozen and fairly certain Booth would find her encased in a big block of ice in the morning like some Neanderthal. She could be an exhibit in her own goddamn museum. Careful what you wish for, she thought with a suppressed sigh.

Having been in desert terrain before she knew from experience just how low the temperature could drop at night. Usually, however, she was more prepared and not undercover as a circus carnie. The FBI task force that had put together their gear had to have been comprised of either sadists or idiots. The bed only had one blanket and the heater was broken.

Figures, she curled in on herself further and shot another glare at her partner, who was still blissfully unaware of her discomfort. She didn't know what she expected him to do exactly, just that she was miserable and it annoyed her that he was sleeping, soundly, while she shivered so hard her teeth were chattering.

An evil idea snaked its way into her mind, accompanied by an equally malicious, sneaky, grin. What was it he said earlier? 'Partners share, Bones, they don't let each other suffer'? He'd been trying to get her to share her ice tea with him and ended up stealing it. Cheeky bastard, she was going to share alright.

Decision made she un-tucked herself and stretched out with one long, smooth, leg. The heat radiating from him made her toes curl as they came closer to their intended target. Temperance bit her lip to keep from laughing preemptively.

"Holy shit!" Booth suddenly yelped as her chilled foot pressed into his calf. Trying in his sleep addled haste to roll away from her he smacked his nose directly into the nearby wall and roared her name. "Bones!"

She laughed until it hurt and then laughed some more, ignoring his glare all the while.

"What the hell was that for?" He growled, "Your feet are like fucking ice cubes."

Her laughter died out slowly, and she took a few deep breaths before attempting to answer him.

"I'm cold, so yes my feet are also cold."

He was angry, she could tell by the set of his jaw, but as she lay there staring at him through still watery eyes she thought she could see a hint of mirth in his.

I wonder what he's thinking, she smiled, another chuckle slipping free and hurting her now sore stomach.

"Yeah, I noticed Bones, thanks for that, but why did you feel the need to sic your little popsicle piggies of doom on me? Hm? I mean, what, was I snoring or something? Drooling? Talking in my sleep?" He shook his finger at her, ranting and scolding at the same time. In her current impish state of mind she found it cute rather than humbling and she was fairly certain that wasn't what he had in mind.

"Booth, I'm half frozen over here and you're completely passed out, probably fantasizing about playboy rabbits on a beach somewhere. It's hardly fair for me to suffer in silence. Partners share, remember?" She poked him lightly in the shoulder, enjoying his recoil from the also chilly digit.

"It's bunny playboy bunny, and of all the things for you to remember me saying you chose that little gem? Ever heard of selective hearing Bones?" He returned her poke than flopped back down onto the tiny mattress, causing the trailer to tremble and creak. Clapping a hand over his eyes he groaned aloud and said something under his breath she couldn't pick up on. "She's cold," he said loud enough for her to catch.

"Next time we go undercover make sure you ask for extra blankets and it won't be an issue," she sniffed and slumped back down under her meager half of thin blanket.

Booth rolled to face her, so Temperance did what she would adamantly deny if asked and stuck her tongue out at him. His face scrunched up in amused surprise.

"Did you just stick your tongue out at me?" He asked the obvious question, so she rolled her eyes and gave the obvious answer.

"No, absolutely not, I do not behave like a five year old, that's your purview."

"Says the woman who just stuck her hypothermic toes on me," he shot back.

She didn't bother responding, just burrowed deeper with a huff, resigned to her fate.

"You know hypothermia is not a fast death, and it's supposedly very painful," she said from under the blanket. A very warm, heavy, palm appeared out of nowhere and slid over her hip. Her brain momentarily short circuited, as evidenced by her sputtering reply to his bold move. "B-booth! Wha – why – what are you doing?"

"Well I can't very well let you freeze to death, and you seem to be asking me to fix the heat problem before your toes fall off. Body heat is the most practical way to accomplish that," he smirked at the end of his little speech while she stammered like an idiot.

'Practical way to accomplish that'? We've been spending too much time together she thought. Temperance tried and utterly failed not to be over aware of his closeness as he bodily tugged her against the length of him. Chest to chest, hip to hip, thigh to thigh, his body heat seeped into her and the chill she had felt earlier was replaced with a flush of warmth. She knew she was blushing and that only made it worse, at least that's what she used to justify ducking her head down against his throat like she was doing. He was warm and his night clothes were soft and he smelled so good. Her body moved of its own volition, a thigh coming up to rest between his, an arm slipping under his shoulder while the other curled up on his chest. He sighed and she hoped it was with the same contentment she suddenly felt saturated with.

How are you going to sleep without this feeling again? Her mind deliriously hummed. She shook her head to shut it up, already half asleep in her Booth cocoon. His chest rumbled as he said something into her hair, the intimacy of the gesture not lost on the anthropologist. It sounded suspiciously like: "My Bones."

She smiled and curling her warm toes against his calf in thanks drifted off happily to sleep.


END