This chapter probably needs a slightly higher rating, but it's more referenced than described, so I'm not going to change it. More fluffy goodness for you after the last chapter!
Chapter 7—Want
"Seeellleeyy," she moaned softly in her sleep, rolling on to her back. Waking up suddenly, she was panting, trying desperately to catch her breath. Still breathing heavily, she rubbed her fingers across her eyes, trying to clear her mind from the intensely graphic dream she had just experienced. Temperance Brennan had had sex dreams before, but none as vivid or breathtaking as the one she had just woken up from.
She looked over at Sully's sleeping body, blushing deeply as she thought about her dream, in which her partner had the starring role. She knew she was attracted to her partner, but he had drawn a line that they couldn't cross, so she had started seeing Sully. Over time, she had grown to like Sully, but she couldn't love him.
Dragging herself out of bed, she made her way to the bathroom to take a warm shower before Sully woke up. The details of the dream were still vivid in her mind as she guiltily indulged herself under the stream of hot water.
Thirty minutes later she exited the bathroom feeling relatively sated, dressed quickly and left for the lab, leaving Sully still sleeping soundly in the bedroom.
She was relieved to find she was the first one in the lab, and settled herself in her office to respond to emails and catch up on paperwork. Losing herself in her work, she was surprised when Angela came in, not having realized how much time had passed.
"Bren, sweetie. Don't tell me you were here all night, especially since you have a guy to keep you out of the lab now," Angela teased, looking her friend over for evidence she had indeed worked all night. Noticing she was wearing different clothes, she knew Brennan had at least gone home, but obviously hadn't stayed long.
"I went home last night, Ange, I just came in early because I couldn't sleep," Brennan replied, keeping her eyes focused on the computer monitor. She knew that if Angela looked at her she'd be able to tell something was up, but Brennan just didn't want to talk about the dream she'd had.
The only person she wanted to avoid more than Angela that morning was the man who walked through the door a moment later.
"Hiya, Bones!" he said in greeting, flashing her a smile. "We've got a case."
"Okay," she said, keeping her head down as she felt the blood rush to her face. Letting her hair fall in front of her face, she grabbed her kit, leaving her office without having once looked at him.
Looking at Angela, who was still sitting in her office, Booth wondered what was going on. "Is she alright?" he asked, beginning to worry about why she was avoiding him.
"I don't know. She said she came in early this morning because she couldn't sleep, but she hasn't made eye contact with anyone this morning and seems to be avoiding something," Angela was a little worried about her friend, but she figured Booth would be able to pry it out of her.
Booth had just realized how close to the lab doors she was, and he ran out of her office to catch up to her. Placing his hand in its usual place on the small of her back, he was surprised when she jumped. He was sure she had known he was right next to her, but maybe she just wasn't paying attention. Filing it away for later, he handed her the case file as they climbed into the SUV and headed off to the crime scene.
Hours later, as they were on their way back to the lab, Booth was more than a little worried about her. She still hadn't made eye contact with him or even looked at him throughout the entire time they were in the field, and it was making him anxious. In addition, every time he stood near her or touched her, however naturally, she jumped.
Pulling into the Wong Foo's parking lot, Booth swore he would find out what the problem was before he took her back to the lab.
"So Bones, is something up?" he asked as they sat down in their usual places at the bar.
"No, nothing's up, Booth. Everything is fine," she said, sounding more like she was trying to convince herself rather than convince him. I've got to get over the dream. I can't keep avoiding him, and I'm tired of looking at his feet when I talk to him. I want to see his face, his eyes. I don't want to jump every time he touches me, but every touch, not matter how innocent, reminds me of the dream. Resigning herself to move passed the dream and make everything go back to normal, she looked at him for the first time that day, blushing deeply as they made eye contact.
He was startled when she suddenly looked up at him, catching his gaze, but what stunned him was the fact that she was blushing. He could count on one hand the number of times he had seen her blush, usually when she was ashamed for breaking down around him. Now, though, he had no idea what was making her blush.
As they waited for Sid to bring their food out, she slowly became herself again, laughing at him, making him explain references, and just being comfortable around him. Pushing the worry out of his mind, he still wondered what had caused the awkwardness.
Just before leaving the restaurant, he asked her again what had caused her embarrassment earlier. Blushing again, she looked down and mumbled a reply.
"What was that, Bones?" he asked her teasingly, a huge grin on his face because he had heard her say something about a sex dream.
"Nothing, Booth. Now let's get back to the lab. We have a case to work on," she said, trying to will-away the blush on her cheeks as she walked to the SUV. At least he knows, now, and I don't feel so awkward, she thought, hoping he would just forget about it.
"So, was I any good?" he asked as they climbed into the car, the grin still on his face.
He's never going to let me live this down.
