Not ten minutes after he took the cookies out of the oven, Bones jumped up and grabbed a plate and a spatula.

"No! Bones, they're not set up quite yet!" he chided her.

Her eyes gleamed at him as she looked at him and then defied him, scooping three cookies onto her plate and carrying them back over to the table.

He watched her as she started eating one, immediately closing her eyes, clearly savoring the flavor. He couldn't help but smile.

"Booth." she said. "You have to eat one like this… they're… perfect." she took another bite.

He did so, and immediately realized she was right. They were soft, so soft they were falling apart, and warm and gooey. In no time, they'd finished eating the three she'd brought over, and she went and got more.

He wasn't sure what he enjoyed more, eating the perfect cookies or watching her eat them. She looked so happy, and he couldn't get enough. He was used to distant, cool Bones. He also knew angry Bones well, especially recently. He knew sad Bones, he knew stressed Bones, he knew contemplative Bones, he knew hurt Bones, brash, abrasive Bones. But what she was right now could only be described as blissful. He knew that this was the heady wine talking, and at the moment he was okay with that. She wasn't drunk, just much more relaxed than usual, and he loved it.

----

She couldn't get enough of these cookies. She hadn't realized how satisfying making your own food really could be, but she vowed to do it more often. She understood now why fresh chocolate chip cookies were such a comfort food, a childhood staple… she had forgotten, but they were perfect.

"Bones, you have a little chocolate-" he gestured to her cheek. She brought a napkin to her face, but he just laughed. "No, you're missing it." he said. Suddenly, he leaned over the table and used his thumb to wipe the corner of her mouth. His face was inches from hers, and she could smell his breath- a mix of the wine and the cookies, and something else. It was perfect. She couldn't take her eyes off of his, and his hand was still barely touching her face.

They stayed that way, suspended in time, it seemed, although it only lasted perhaps ten seconds. Knowing she needed to break the moment before one of them did something they would regret later, she blurted out, "They're about you."

"What?" Booth said quietly, not moving.

"The papers. In the box."

He sat back down in his chair. She was surprised at how she suddenly missed the warmth of his hand, the way their breath had mixed, the intense stare he'd been giving her.

"About me?" he seemed confused.

"Yes. Sweets told us once, awhile back, that we should write down nice things about each other." she explained. "Well, I did. And… I just never stopped."

She had no idea what his reaction would be.

He laughed. Loudly.

She couldn't hide how offended she was. She looked at him incredulously, then quickly got up out of her chair and walked away from him, heading toward her bedroom.

"Bones!" he called after her. "Wait, Bones! That's not… I wasn't laughing at you!"

She ignored him. She had shared this personal moment with him, and he had laughed.

"Bones!" he caught up with her and grabbed her arm.

"Stop it, Booth!" She said, trying to wrench her arm from his grasp. "I can't believe you just laughed at that!" The hurt in her voice was apparent, she was sure.

"I'm sorry!" he said, grabbing her other arm. They were face to face, Booth clutching her arms tightly and looking in her face, all traces of laughter gone. "I don't know why I laughed. The thing is…" he hesitated.

Brennan was completely confused.

"…I did those, too. Actually, still do." To her amazement, he pulled out his wallet. Rifling through it, he grabbed the receipt from the grocery store from earlier that evening and handed it to her. She unfolded it, biting her lip.

----

He held his breath as he watched her unfold the receipt. She read it quickly, but didn't look up. He didn't know what this meant. She stared at it for a full minute before looking up at him. Her eyes were shining.

"Nothing makes me happier than when Bones acts like a kid."

Booth just smiled.

"Really?" she asked him seriously, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I could add, 'Bones has an amazing singing voice, even when she's half sloshed.'" he joked.

She choked out a laugh, and he pulled her in for a tight hug.

"Mine was going to be 'Booth manages to make everything fun, and I appreciate him constantly showing me things to be joyous about.'" She said after a moment. "You really did this? That surprises me."

"I have over forty of them." he said, completely serious.

She gave him a smile that literally made him weak in the knees. She was so sweet, so vulnerable sometimes. It was easy to forget because of her seemingly harsh exterior, but she really was. He loved that about her.

----

:D
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