Author's Note: I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while, but after fighting with writer's block, tension headaches that I thought were something more serious (which just made them worse because I was worrying about it so much), and cross country practice two-a-days, I didn't really feel like writing. The next chapter might be a little while, too, as I'm leaving for cross country camp tomorrow, and won't get home until Thursday. Thanks to all those who've put this on alert, favorited, or reviewed. It really means a lot, and I appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bones, Fox and Hart Hanson do, and I probably never will.
There was so much left to say, to do. The time they'd had together like this had been too short; there'd been no time to just relax and enjoy his company. Enjoy continuing down on this journey that they had just begun several hours before.
Her eyes fell once again to the digital clock on his nightstand. It read three twenty-one in the morning, only five minutes later than when she'd last looked.
Although they'd stayed up until well past midnight, she found that she couldn't sleep. Even with not sleeping the night before, her body refused to comply with her wishes. It figured that, when she finally decided that she wanted to fall asleep, she couldn't.
He'd fallen asleep soon after she said they should get some sleep, and was still asleep now, oblivious to her struggle. His face was buried in her hair, and one arm was wrapped protectively around her waist.
Even though she would be the first one to say that she didn't enjoy 'snuggling', she knew that it simply wasn't true. There was something about being held…despite how hard she tried to deny it, she liked it. It made her feel like she meant something to the person she was with.
If only Booth could hear her now. He'd probably say something about her meaning something to every guy she'd ever been with, that they wouldn't have slept with her if she didn't mean something to them.
His explanation was naïve, and yet somewhat hopeful. She would have liked to believe that she'd meant something to every man she'd gone to bed with, but that was simply not the case. There were simply too many outliers and exceptions to that explanation, at least in her mind.
She rolled over, and he stirred. She froze for a second, not wanting to wake him. He needed his sleep, no matter what was going on with her.
However, any fears she had of him waking were soon assuaged as he fell back into his sleep. Even in the dark, she could make out the familiar contours of his face. Features that she probably knew better than her own, considering she spent more time looking at him than at her own face in the mirror.
His expression was peaceful, the corners of his mouth lifted into a barely perceptible smile. She felt her own lips curve upward into a small smile, even as tears pricked at the corners of her eyes.
It had been easy to forget that he was leaving so soon, considering that there had, at first, been two full days before he was due to step on that plane. But now that time had shrunken into mere hours, and she was finding it very difficult to push those thoughts aside. She didn't want to dwell on that fact, but nothing else she thought of could completely wipe those thoughts from her mind.
Sighing, she wriggled slowly out of his embrace, and stood. After pulling on her (new) underwear and the long-sleeved shirt he'd been wearing, she made her way into the living room.
Even though she realized that she was probably acting more like a teenage girl than a world famous forensic anthropologist and author, she still didn't take it off. It was the most logical decision, right? She didn't want to have to pull on that sundress again, and tying the knot behind her neck would be too much to bother with right now. It was late, and she was tired.
More like exhausted. The emotional roller coaster his news had sent them on had stressed her out more than she cared to admit, and that was combined with little sleep in over thirty-six hours, although it was inching closer to forty-eight with every minute that went by.
Bypassing the couch to get a glass of water, she was too engrossed in her thoughts to notice that he'd gotten up after her.
It was only after he slid his arms around her waist that she became aware of his presence. The sudden contact made her jump, and half of her water ended up staining one of the sleeves of his shirt, the rest hitting the sink in front of her.
"Little jumpy there, Bones?" He said when she'd set her glass down onto the counter, and without turning around, reached for his dishtowel. He sighed, sliding his arms from her waist. "What are you doing awake, anyway?"
"What do you think, Booth? I couldn't sleep." She retorted, wrapping the towel around her arm in an attempt to soak up some of the excess liquid. "And the last time I checked, you weren't awake."
"Ah, c'mon, don't be like that." He replied, leaning against the counter next to her.
When she looked over at him, she found that his arms were folded over his chest, his gaze trained on the wall in front of him. She could see a troubled expression beginning to form on his face, and she sighed.
"Next time, you might want to say something first." She said, the corners of her mouth lifting into a weak smile.
"I'll try to remember that." He gave her his own version of her weak smile, but she noticed that tears appeared to be forming in his eyes. She knew that if he fell apart, she'd follow soon after, and one of them needed to be strong. She willed herself not to cry; yet she could already feel her own tears forming.
"Booth?" She said quietly, questioning. "What's wrong?" He exhaled loudly at this, and looked away.
"What's wrong is that I have to leave you, Parker, everyone I know, and go back over there. Parker will be fine, you know, 'cause he has Rebecca, but you? Who's going to look after you now? You get kidnapped nearly more than I do. You-you…" His voice cracked, trailing off.
"I'll be fine." She said, watching as his gaze bounced around the room before finally landing on her.
"Promise me, Temperance. Promise me that you'll be careful." He reached out, and placing both hands on her hips, pulled her to him.
"I promise I'll be careful." She murmured into his chest, her words muffled.
"Good." His voice was choked with emotion, and when he placed two fingers under her chin to raise her head so that she would meet his gaze, she found that tears were running down his cheeks.
"Oh, Booth-" That was as far as she got, as his lips crashed down on hers before she could say another word. He kissed her more passionately than he had even last night, and she could taste the salt from his tears.
Pretty soon, she was crying as much as he was, and they broke apart, chests heaving. He leaned over, resting his forehead against hers, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing herself even closer to him than she already was.
Their breath mingled in the space between them, and for a few moments, only the sound of light sobbing broke the silence in the room.
"Make love to me again." She said, her voice loud in the encompassing silence. "I want to remember everything."
"Don't talk like that, Bones. I'll be fine."
"You never know, Booth. Anything could happen." He didn't bother replying to that, just let his lips fall to hers in a kiss that was gentle, slow, and sweet, a sharp contrast to the ones they'd shared earlier that night, and just a few moments before.
Moments later, she lay next to him, the sheets tangled up around them. She looked up at him, and he smiled softly down at her.
"Go to sleep, Bones." He whispered, tenderly brushing a lock of hair from her face. "I'll still be here when you wake up."
Even though the last thing she wanted to do was fall asleep, she closed her eyes and curled up against him. There were only a few hours left before they had to get up, and there was nothing more she wanted to do than spend every minute, awake, with him, but even she knew that she needed her sleep.
"Good night, Booth." She murmured, her voice quavering slightly.
"'Night, Bones." His breathing soon evened, and hers followed, sending them both into a calm, dark sleep.