The sound of the key scraping against the lock was what woke him up. But it was the lack of gun under his pillow that caused Booth to sit up straight in alarm. He blinked and then realized he was on his couch.

"It's just me," he heard from the darkened doorway, and he blinked again to see his partner standing near the door. Her body was tense, and in the gentle light emanating from his muted TV, he saw that her facial features were guarded. But he was still feeling a bit raw from their earlier argument, and he wasn't in the mood to make it easy on her. Not that it had all been her fault, but he wasn't in the mood to admit that yet either.

"Why were you sleeping on the couch," she asked, and slowly walked toward him. He saw her fingers brush up against the back of the couch and recognized it as a small peace offering. When he shrugged a shoulder, she tilted her head in his direction in the way she did when she knew he knew the right answer to her question.

"It's not good for your back," she gently chided, but he took comfort in her concern.

Booth inhaled slowly and then placed his hands on his knees. "I guess, maybe, I was waiting for you to come home. I mean…come back," he rushed to cover his possible mistake.

Her eyes gave a slow blink as she processed his words, even as her fingers continued to gently rub against the coarser fabric of his sofa. "How did you know I was going to come back…home," she offered, meeting his eyes with her wide blue ones.

Booth's mouth felt dry, and he slipped his hand toward hers, barely twining their fingertips together with a light touch. "I didn't," he admitted. "I guess I just hoped you would…"

A soft smile curved up one side of her pretty mouth. "But why were you waiting on the couch? You could have waited just as easily in bed, Booth."

"Oh, Bones," he smiled and leaned forward, tugging on her hand until she met him halfway for a soft kiss. As they pulled apart, he sighed. "That's the problem…I can't sleep there, if you're not there. Especially not if you're mad at me." When she opened her mouth to point out that he was likely also mad at her, he stopped her with two fingers in the air. "It's true, Bones. I'm too far gone on you. I can't even sleep in my own damn bed. Which sucks, because this couch does hurt my back," he finished with a soft and pouty whine that brought a full smile to Brennan's face. She shook her head, clearly trying to resist the charm he was pouring her way in the form of sad brown eyes and parted lips. Without verbally acknowledging his victory, she merely stepped away and began walking toward his bedroom, slipping her jacket off as she went. Booth shoved off from his couch and followed her, catching up to her right outside his bedroom door. He wrapped an arm around her waist and then pressed a soft kiss to her nape. "Hey," his voice was low and serious now. "I am sorry, Bones."

Her hand came to rest on his bare forearm at her waist. "I know," she breathed. "Me too." They stood there for a second, and just breathed. "Thanks for waiting up, Booth."

"Mmmm," he smiled against her skin. "I don't want to fight anymore," he told her, placing another kiss against her neck.

She chuckled a bit, and he felt it against his arm. She turned in his arms and ran her hands from his shoulders to his waist where she tugged at the hem of his t-shirt. "I don't foresee that happening."

Booth smiled and lifted his arms so she could peel his shirt from his body. Once they were free, he wrapped both of his arms around her waist and picked her up and carried her to the bed. "Probably true," he conceded and pressed a soft kiss to her lips before unfastening the straight line of buttons on her blouse. "But promise me this," he murmured as he kissed his way across her bare chest. "Promise me that no matter what, we always come back."

Brennan skimmed her hands down Booth's bare back and then slipped her fingers beneath the elastic band of his boxers. "And we don't give up," she added. "We always wait up for the other one to get home."

"Mmmm," Booth murmured his agreement around the skin of her breasts. Brennan arched beneath his mouth and then both of their hands were flying in a flurried rush to dispose of all clothing between them.

Only when Booth sank deep into her did they pause. His neck fell back in pure pleasure, and she arched up to press a sucking kiss beneath his jaw. He rocked his hips back and then forward again, and soon their rhythm was nearly as frantic as their first time. It didn't take long for them both to shatter, clutching onto one another and panting out harsh moans.

Brennan opened heavy-lidded eyes to see Booth staring at her with sleepy but fierce determination.

"I wanna end every day in bed with you, Bones," he said as he cupped her thigh before pulling her entire body close to his. "And I wanna start every morning that way too," he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, and Brennan nodded and murmured her acquiescence as she snuggled into his body, absorbing their shared warmth—both physical…and personal.

-b&b-