What started out as some fluffy one shots has turned into a little multific - and yes, dear readers, there are more chapters on the way - there is definitely a lot more to this particular story! Thanks to so many of you who have favourited and alerted - and of course reviewed! - I am truly blown away by the support. So happy to know that you're enjoying! Don't be shy - press the little review button ... it really boosts the creative juices to get that review alert in the inbox!
Thanks to paxmundi, who beta'd this so quickly his eyes are still stinging! BTW: Raunch alert, youngsters. Go back if you're too young to read 'M'.
Disclaimer: The only thing I own is my soul, and I even lend that out on occasion, but only if you ask nice. Anything that even looks familiar in this story probably belongs to someone else (except the actual story - that's all mine, Mine, MINE [*maniacal laughter*]!)
I don't own iPod or TiVo either, but I think maybe I should have bought some shares.
Chapter Five: You belong right here.
The sound of Brennan's laughter echoed through the all but empty underground parking lot as she ran ahead of him. Booth couldn't help the grin that split his face in two. Her light-hearted playfulness touched him more than any words she could have used. Dr Temperance Brennan. World renowned genius. The most beautiful woman he'd ever known. Giggling like teenager. Because of him. The thought made him puff up his chest like a rooster and his blood surged like he'd just downed a double shot of Jack, like he'd just – what the?
"Bones, where are you?" His heart thumped high in his throat. He was alone in the half dark, Brennan having apparently disappeared into thin air. He looked about him wildly, peering into the shadows for her. Where the hell could she have gone? There were only a handful of cars left in the lot. He started to trot towards the SUV, anxiety beating a weird tattoo against his temples. "Bones?" he hissed, his whisper echoing in the cavernous space. He heard a noise – a moan? -then the faint scraping of a boot against concrete. He took cover behind a late model Lexus, uncaring that his new suit polished its gleaming paintwork. There it was again. Definitely human, halfway between a sob and a … snort? Oh God, Bones, what's happened?
Stealthy arms crept around his waist from behind, taking him completely by surprise. Adrenaline surged through him and then ebbed almost immediately, leaving his head pounding with excess epinephrine. He knew her touch instinctively, as if she'd been touching him intimately for years. In a way she had.
"Bones! You don't sneak up on a sniper! How did you do that?" Paradoxically relief sharpened his voice and his tone was strained.
"You haven't been a sniper for quite some time, Booth." She sniffed dismissively and that riled him even more.
He twisted around in her embrace, frowning furiously, "I'm a highly trained Special Agent in the Federal Bureau of Investigation."
"Who just got bested by a forensic anthropologist." Brennan bragged, her self-satisfied smile adding fuel to the fire of his indignation.
"You don't stop being sniper just because you stop wearing the uniform." He snapped at her, not enjoying being reminded of either fact. Brennan's expression became mutinous, and she started to pull her arms away from his body.
His hands encircled her wrists, halting their retreat, and he pulled her back to him. His eyes narrowed at the combative glint in her eye; exhilaration added colour to her cheeks. His jaw worked furiously as he bit down on the retort that sprang to his lips; his blood was up and he was ready for a tussle. He opened his mouth to argue the point with her then shut it again abruptly. Instead he turned on his heel, her wrist still held captive, and headed with determination towards the truck. "You really are the most infuriating woman I've ever known." He ground out the words, punctuating them with his footsteps. "C'mon, let's get out of here."
She let herself be pulled along behind him, enjoying the drag on her shoulders on several levels, none of them conscious. "You know, your reaction to being surprised by my attack is entirely predictable on an anthropological basis."
"You didn't attack me." He scoffed, opening the door to the SUV and bundling her none-too-gently into the cab. When he slapped her ass a little over-enthusiastically to hurry her up she glared at him, her lips forming an 'O' in surprise at the sting, but she wasn't distracted from making her point.
"No, but I overturned your perception of being in control." She didn't attempt to disguise the pleasure at her achievement; the look she gave him was blatantly smug.
Booth sighed. He felt hyped with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation, and for once her needling was hitting the mark.
She was oblivious to the nuances in his expression and steamed on in full flight, "Anthropologically the alpha male – that would be you - feels threatened when the alpha female, who he perceives as a beta female – that would be me – is able to surpass him in any arena." She didn't attempt to soften the blow. "You just don't like that I was able to get the better of you."
The look he gave her as he settled himself in the driver's seat should have warned her to tread carefully. His only response to her goading was to press his lips together more firmly. He started the SUV and headed towards the exit.
"What's the matter Booth? Cat got your tongue?" she taunted, using the words he'd thrown at her at the pool the other day against him.
This side of Brennan unsettled him; he wasn't used to her pushing his buttons like this and it wasn't a comfortable feeling. Seems the empirical scientist was a quick study; no surprise there. The fact that she liked to play dirty occasionally did, however, surprise him.
He felt the irritation he'd been suppressing suddenly erupt through his surface calm. He slammed on the brakes and pulled over to the kerb, ignoring the indignant blast of a car horn from just behind them. He leant into her, his hands going to her shoulders, and she squirmed under the intensity that pique had lent to his grip. "Words, it's always words with you. It's not a competition you know. Are you purposely trying to sabotage this?" He gave her a shake, his expression intense. "I should have taken you on the floor in the lab when you were panting for me." The instant the words were out of his mouth he regretted them; she looked so shocked. "Ah, Bones, I'm sorry I spoke to you like that. I would never -" His voice trailed away; he couldn't believe he'd let his anger override his innate values.
Brennan had stilled, her eyes downcast. He cursed himself for losing his temper; he'd never spoken to her like that, but then everything about this evening was breaking new ground between them. But his thoughts of self-reproach fell away when he felt her hands had curl around his waist, smoothing the fabric of his shirt across his back in rhythmic strokes.
He tilted his head to look at her, trying to gauge what was going on. She brought her eyes up to meet his and the raw hunger he saw there slammed into him. When the tip of her tongue peeped out from between her parted lips, a suspicion started to gather in his brain. When that pink tip ran across the fullness of her bottom lip, suspicion turned to disbelief.
"Oh god, you're turned on by that aren't you?" he asked raggedly.
She smiled slightly and teased her bottom lip with her teeth, "Well, if I'd known it was an option …"
He went on incredulously, "Jeez, it's like opening the floodgates with you. How could I work with you for all this time and not see this sex kitten thing going on? I mean …" He sat back, raking his fingers through his hair and sending the spikes skewing in crazy angles.
"You know I'm very good at compartmentalizing." She frowned at him, as if that explained everything. Her hand reached up and, with a few deft strokes of her fingers, she flicked his hair back into place. She grinned, catching her bottom lip between her teeth, and messed his hair up again, just for fun. "Besides, I've never made a secret of the fact that I enjoy sex."
"It's just … I never expected you to be so -" He broke off, unable to put into words the effect her ardor was having on him. From being so closed off to being so open with him now was a revelation.
"Once I make up my mind about something, Booth, I don't generally hold back." He voice dropped to a husky growl. "And I'd prefer that you didn't either. Why are you complaining?"
He shot her a rueful smile, "Considering we haven't even done the deed –"
"- had sexual intercourse." she interjected, eager to clarify his statement.
He nodded slowly, a half smile lighting face. "Whatever. I can't say I've got much to complain about." He pursed his lips, trying to contain the excitement that coursed through him. "Are you going to give me reason to complain?" he asked in mock challenge.
Brennan gave the question serious consideration, before a wicked gleam lit her eyes. "That depends." She leaned back into the corner of her seat and used the hated tie to pull him over to her side of the car, winding it around her hand until he felt the blood start to pump in his throat from the pressure. Her eyes burned into his and he pushed two fingers under his collar and loosened the band that was digging into his neck, the ends sliding through the knot until the blue silk fell away. He flipped the top button of his shirt undone. Brennan wordlessly hit the window button, the rush of night air that washed over them doing nothing to cool the heat that was building inside the cab. She held the tie up between them for a moment, her smile saccharine sweet, before she bundled it up carelessly in her hands and thew it out of the truck window. It seemed to hover in the air for a split second before fluttering gently downwards and landing in the gutter. She wound her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, raising her face for his kiss.
"Bones, you are going to drive me insane, you know that, don't you?" Their lips met and they spent several long moments exploring each other, lips and tongues eager to feel and touch and taste.
"I seriously doubt whether your grip on reality is likely to be affected by anything I may say or do." Her voice was rough with desire, and it took a while for her to get her breathing back under control.
Booth sat back reluctantly and shook his head, trying to clear his mind enough to continue the drive. He gave her a sideways glance that was filled with irony. "Wanna bet?"
~o0o~
Booth fumbled with the door to his apartment, his hands suddenly klutzy. He turned the key the wrong way in the lock three times before a small hand slid over his and turned it once, unlocking the mechanism smoothly.
They stood at the entrance of his apartment, neither of them quite sure where to look. Booth was almost overwhelmed by the impulse to do something corny, like sweep Brennan up in his arms and carry her over the threshold or get down on one knee and swear eternal love, but he bit down on the thought with a whimsical smile at just how that might go down.
"What?" Her surreptitious glances saw the grin come and go.
"Nothing." He ushered her inside, his hand at the small of her back. "Ah, would you like a drink or something?" 'Smooth, Seeley, very smooth.' Now that she was actually here, he was as nervous a kid at his first prom.
"Yeah, sure." Brennan let him take her light coat and wandered over to peer out of the window. He slipped his suit jacket off and hung both on the coat rack near the kitchen, watching the gentle sway of both jackets as they settled on the hook with something approaching contentment. Dusk had fallen without his being aware and shadows filled the corners of the room. He watched her watch the traffic for a beat or two, her outline chimera-like against the pink tinged sky. A lump rose in his throat at her being here, at what had passed between them in the last hour. She reached down and turned on a table lamp, the prosaic action diffusing his sense of unreality in an instant. Brennan stood there solid and real, not a figment of his imagination after all. They exchanged a smile loaded with affection.
"Make yourself at home." Booth nodded towards the sofa and she took a seat, glancing around her as if everything was strange and new, even though she knew his apartment almost as well as her own. He was glad he'd spent so much effort on Sunday getting the place tidy, but then his eyes lit in dismay on his running gear from this morning; shorts, tee shirt, underwear and a particularly potent pair of running shoes and socks. He'd forgotten that he'd dumped them all unceremoniously in an untidy heap near the kitchen before his shower. A quick glance at Brennan to see whether she'd noticed revealed that she was studying his TiVo remote like it was some futuristic artefact. He scammed the pile into the kitchen with the side of his foot, bobbing down to furtively to throw the whole lot into the trash, out of sight.
He took a couple glasses out of the cabinet, polishing them with a cleanish dish towel before pouring a generous amount of scotch into each. Street sounds pervaded the silence as they sipped their drinks, suddenly ridiculously shy of each other again.
Brennan cleared her throat. "Booth, there's something I want to make clear. I still don't believe in your 'happy ever after' scenario." She said it a little gruffly, anxious that there be no misunderstanding between them.
"I know that Bones." He tried to keep the disappointment from his voice but failed. "You're saying you want to be fuck buddies, and that's it?" He cringed at his own choice of words, but didn't try to amend them. If she wanted things straight up, he'd give it to her straight up.
"I don't know what that means, although if I break that sentence down into its components and make a logical leap, I suppose my answer to your question would be 'yes'. Unless I'm missing something that isn't accurately conveyed by the words in and of themselves?"
He let his head fall back on the sofa, finding her need to articulate everything draining right now. "You want no strings – sorry – you want to have sex but not a relationship with me?" The words stuck in his throat, but he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid this conversation. It was a subject they'd explored at length, and she'd always made her position clear. He'd accepted long ago that if he wanted her, he'd have to take the whole package. It didn't stop him knowing without a doubt that they're future was together. He bunched his hands in his pockets petulantly, ruining the line of his new jacket.
Brennan frowned, nonplussed. "I already have a relationship with you, Booth. We're partners."
Now he sat forward, his expression earnest, "No, you don't get it. I mean a live-together, argue-over-dinner, share-the-big-stuff, laugh-about-our-friends, love, hug, fuck, cry and everything-else-in-between kind of relationship." Maybe he could shock her into seeing the truth.
"Well," She regarded him calmly. "Strictly speaking I already have that relationship with you, Booth."
"What?" He was astounded at the way her thought processes worked. "Bones, you've got to be kidding me; you're giving me this, now?"
"Aside from the live together part." She went on as if he hadn't spoken, her eyes focussed on the middle distance apparently trying to accurately summon a memory. "Although Angela says there are a lot of married couples in society who spend a great deal less time together than we do, and I value her judgment on these matters." She turned back to him, clear eyed. "And the fuck part, of course." She added conversationally, "But that's about to change."
He ran his hands along the length of his thighs, benefiting from the distraction as he tried to get his breath back. "Bones, talking to you about this stuff is like trying to explain an iPod to an Egyptian."
She gave him an amused look. "I'm fairly sure you can buy iPods in Egypt, Booth. I believe you could purchase one almost anywhere."
"God, please give me strength." He muttered under his breath. "Okay, like explaining song lyrics to … a … a duck!"
Her mouth screwed up to one side, by now completely confused. "You're calling me a duck?"
"Just trust me on this, okay Bones?"
"You're mixing metaphors like a crazy person." She said it under her breath, exasperated, but he caught it all the same.
"You make me a crazy person. Sheesh." He drew out the last word, scrubbing his hands across his face wearily.
Brennan's tangled thoughts flickered across her face, her expression belying her intelligence quotient. "So you don't want to have sex with me any more?"
Booth groaned softly and reached for her. "Bones, for a genius you ask some really stupid questions." He shimmied closer and scooped his arm around her waist, drawing her onto his lap. Her instinctive resistance melted away when he took her hand lightly and kissed the soft flesh of her palm, letting his tongue drag along her life line and over the faint ridges that circled her wrist. She tasted of vanilla and latex, and the contradiction charmed him. Her low chuckle caught him unawares, and he looked up at her enquiringly.
"Tickles." She murmured, letting her head fall onto his shoulder in supplication.
"Want me to stop?" He didn't wait for an answer, instead kissing a trail of soft caresses up her arm that made her tremble.
Brennan leant against him, borrowing his solidness, and her other hand insinuated itself between their bodies seeking his warmth. "Want you to hurry up." was her husky reply. Her fingers curled around the length of his erection and he gasped when she applied just enough pressure to make him squirm, teasing him gently with soft swipes of her thumb. 'God Almighty, Jesus, Mary and Joseph.' Sensations were shooting out from his centre in every direction. His lips sought hers again in a deep kiss that left them both breathless.
A teasing smile curled her mouth and her voice rippled through his chest, "So you do want to have sex with me?"
In his head he made a witty comment. The wittiest, pithiest comment ever. From his mouth the only sound that came out was an inarticulate moan. He couldn't envisage ever wanting anyone else but this amazing woman, he loved her with every ounce of his being, he wanted to spend every moment he had left on this earth with her and she was sitting there, pressed against him, doing incredible things with her hand, asking him whether he wanted to have sex?
Brennan slid from his lap in one sinuous movement and stood before him. Her hands skittered nervously across her waist and down and over her thighs, smoothing non-existent creases, and that small tell melted his heart. When she held out her hands mutely to him he took hold of them eagerly, his long fingers engulfing hers. He always felt the strength of her in her hands; capable, nimble, clever, cool. He was so proud of her. She tugged gently and he accepted her tender encouragement. He rose to his feet until they stood close together with only their hands touching, each tantalised by the other's proximity.
She looked at him with sweet solemnity and his mouth went dry.
"Make love to me, Seeley." She whispered, her voice catching slightly on the words. He knew they were her gift to him, and that made him happy.
Brennan took a step backwards towards the bedroom, but he found his feet fixed to the floor. When their arms were stretched out at full length between them, she turned back enquiringly. Her eyes narrowed in an effort to read his expression. He knew he should move, but he'd been mesmerised by the unexpected look of need in her eyes. It was only when she let go of one hand and reached to unbutton her blouse that he came out of the daze, hissing "Wait." Booth felt feverish with longing for her but he wanted to take things slowly, savor each detail of her body as she revealed it to him.
Brennan tugged at his hand with more force this time, overbalancing him, and they bumped together, both giggling like teenagers. Her smile widened when she lifted his right hand between them, placing the palm flat against her breast. Her eyes were shining with excitement as she flexed her spine so that she was pushing into his grasp, restlessly seeking contact.
"I don't want to wait any more." Brennan's voice was bold, but she continued to watch him, a shadow crossing her face as doubt touched her. She didn't understand Booth's reticence, didn't realise that he was overwhelmed with the feelings that crowded his psyche. You want something so badly, you wait for something for so long, the reality of it literally takes your breath away.
His left hand found its way to her other breast and he basked in the heat of her skin that burned through the fabric of her clothes, feeling her nipples crest at the merest movement of his palms against them. Yearning flared in her eyes and lust ripped through him in response, undoing his resolve in an instant.
His fingers on the tiny buttons of her blouse were clumsy, and he felt gauche and ham-fisted. He took a deep breath, knowing she watched him intently. He forced himself to slow down, taking intense pleasure in the gleaming flesh being uncovered inch by inch. He placed a kiss at the concavity between her breasts and she shivered at the touch of his lips. His chin rubbed against the rise of each beautiful mound in turn, carefully so as not to let the rasp of his beard graze the delicate skin, but she pressed upwards into the touch to deepen the sensation. Her fingers threaded through his hair, kneading his scalp, and she moaned with pleasure as his lips left a trail of heat to her nipple. She let go of his head, pulling distractedly at his shirt with one hand and tugging her own away from her body with the other. Catching her hands in one of his own, he leant his forehead against hers, "You know, there's a perfectly good bed down the hall."
At his words Brennan swung away from him and headed purposefully down the hall, tripping slightly in her impatience. A grin split his face as he watched her try to toe off her boots on the way, hopping on one foot as she struggled with the zipper at her ankle. She let out a little growl and discarded them arbitrarily somewhere in the hall. Their bodies collided in the doorway of his bedroom as they tried to squeeze through at the same time and they glared comically at each other, falling back into the easy habits of yesterday's past.
Brennan's gaze caught on his mouth and her expression shifted. All at once her hands were on his chest, his arms, his thighs; she couldn't seem to touch enough of him at once. Her teeth nipped painfully his throat and he knew there'd be a mark there in the morning and he was pleased about it. He wanted them to leave their mark on each other.
Her weight pinned him in place against the door frame as they explored each other's mouths rapaciously. He gave in to a whim and scooped her up, taking the few short steps to the bed, their lips still locked together. Unsurprisingly she tried to wriggle out of his arms and they fell in a tangle of limbs onto the comforter. A giggle erupted from her as she lay there on her back and he smiled back at her, propping his head on his arm to better see her face.
"What?" She asked. He just kept staring at her, smiling at this strange creature who giggled and teased and provoked him beyond the edge of reason and still looked exactly like his partner.
"You're amazing." He licked the tip of his finger and ran it down the centreline of her chest and stomach, flicking the open edges of her blouse away while he feasted his eyes on her.
"Objectively I'd have to agree with you." She responded on a shiver as the air cooled the moist trail his finger left. Her voice was tinged with that adorable Hepburnesque drawl she liked to think made her sound funnier. She twisted her legs around until she was kneeling over him and her fingers were nimble and quick when she unbuttoned his shirt, pushing the white cotton roughly aside to pepper his bare chest with hot kisses. He felt the familiar tension start to build, and the sound of her quick breathing escalated his own.
He ran his hands down her arms, gripping her wrists lightly to hold still her enthusiastic exploration. She sought out his eyes, looking faintly annoyed at the interruption while she waited impatiently for him to speak.
He gathered his nerve. "I love you, you know that, right?" Suddenly it was crucial that she hear the words, right now, before they went any further, but he felt sick to his stomach at what she might say next. It didn't matter what she said next. Everything hinged on what she said next. Oh God, what had he done? She'd run for cover for sure. His head felt like it would explode while he waited for her to respond.
She shielded her eyes behind her lashes. "I know, Booth." The moment strung out; she obviously had more on her mind. Her hands were poised above his body and her mouth worked as she struggled to express her thoughts. He braced himself for whatever was coming.
With an almost imperceptible nod to herself as if she'd come to a decision, Brennan continued. "I think, applying the precepts and theoretical analysis that you have presented to me over the course of our association, and if I rationally examine my emotional and physical responses to you together with my observations of societal norms, as well as taking into account my co-workers' external observations of my behaviour I believe I can objectively say that, in my own way, I love you too."
"Huh?" Booth was gobsmacked. As much as he wanted to hear her say it, he couldn't quite believe the words had actually come out of her mouth. But his brain happily focused on the three words he'd been wanting to hear for what seemed like his entire life and ignored her squinty smokescreen. His heart showed on his face.
Brennan cradled her hand on his cheek. "Booth, do you think I don't value who you are? You are the best person I have ever known. You are the most important person in my life, I acknowledge that without reservation. Angela says -.
"Angela has too much to say on just about on everything." He tried not to sound peevish.
Brennan smiled wryly. "Perhaps, but she says there are lots of different types of love, all of them valid." She looked at him properly, appeal in her eyes as she searched for the words to try and explain her feelings. "While I have no experiential evidence to refute your belief in 'eternal love' I continue to have a great deal of difficulty with the concept. But since I've known you, Booth …" Her voice trailed off as she frowned.
"What?" He wasn't sure whether he was going to like what was coming.
"You've opened my mind to concepts that I had previously discounted as ridiculous and without any credible bases."
Her answer simultaneously bewildered and delighted him, but she was smiling so that was a plus. "And that's a good thing?"
"That's a good thing, Booth." She dropped her chin to her chest; her next words were so softly spoken he wasn't sure he'd heard her correctly. "I'd do anything for you."
Maybe Brennan didn't understand exactly what she was saying, what he saw written unmistakably on her face. Maybe he was reading too much into her words, but he didn't think so. Suddenly everything was okay. Spectacularly okay. He knuckled her under the chin, forcing her to look at him. Happiness shone from his smile. "Do you think maybe you could shut up and let me make love to you?"
"Anything, Booth." She gave him Hepburn on a grin again, relieved to see him smile.
A tiny mole just visible on her side fascinated him, and he pushed the fabric of her blouse back to better see, planting a kiss on the minute blemish. "I love that mole."
"See, Angela was right. Different types of love." Her lips brushed his ear and she breathed, "I have more."
"Let's leave Angela out of this." He kissed the mole again. "More, hey? Where?"
She chuckled provocatively and jutted her pelvis towards him lasciviously. His hands slid down to caress her ass, and he drew their hips together. She made a moue of impatience when she felt the hardness of his arousal and her hands scrabbled at his Cocky belt buckle.
"Just be patient, Temperance." He tried to still the frenetic movement at his waist, but she shucked his hands away brusquely.
"I want to touch you. Please." He almost came at her soft entreaty, groaning as he let her slide the leather belt out of its loops. She yanked the neck of his shirt apart, the herringbone weave straining at the buttons.
"Hey, watch the shirt. It's Brooks Brothers." He joked, beaming at her urgency.
"I'll buy you another one." She made quick work of the rest of the buttons and pushed the material over his shoulders with one efficient movement. The sleeves jagged on his wrists and he pulled away, frantically trying to flick his arms free of the double layer of fabric that restrained him as effectively as handcuffs. Brennan sat back on her heels and watched the show, her knees sinking into the mattress. He really had an incredible body; well developed muscles that rippled as he twisted in his task, the jerky motion of his arms sending reactive movement through his abdominals. And broad shoulders. Her lips parted a little as she continued taking stock. Excellently defined pectorals. And those damned perfect acromia. All of which were on display at the moment in fluid motion as he struggled with his designer bonds. His quadriceps femoris fought for dominance, flexing visibly beneath the midnight blue wool of his trousers as Booth tried to keep his balance. The rectus femoris eventually dominated the vastus medialis as he twisted his hips in an effort to untangle himself, and she watched the interplay of those muscles along his thighs with delight. Brennan was reminded that as much as bones fascinated her, the fleshy bits could be a lot of fun as well.
Booth's contortions ceased abruptly when he realised Brennan was just watching him thrash about. "Bones? Earth to Bones. A little help here would be good?" She shook herself mentally. Booth used the tips of his fingers to try and to slip one cufflink from his left sleeve so she concentrated on getting the other one out. She sat back with a smile at her success, staring at the small gold crossed bones in her hand. Booth dropped the other link into her palm with a soft 'ta da'.
She let the metal links fall from one hand to the other thoughtfully. "I gave these to you."
"I know." He slipped his arms from the sleeves of his shirt and tossed it on the floor.
Brennan smiled up at him, closing her fist over her gift. "I like it when you wear them."
He leaned in and kissed her soundly. "I know."
"Swear to me that our partnership won't change." Trepidation and anticipation swept across her face in equal parts.
He gripped her arms just below the elbow, giving her a little shake to emphasise his point. "I swear on my life."
Her fingers were instantly on his lips, cutting him off. "No, Booth. Not that." Her vehemence was a revelation. He pulled her hand away from his chin, soothing the palm with his thumb.
"I swear to God, Temperance." He informed her solemnly. She relaxed, finding comfort in the strength of his beliefs. "We're partners; we'll always be partners, no matter what."
They came together then, energized by the knowledge that there were no more barriers. Booth felt her hands go to his waist and he doubted whether he'd be able to control himself for very long. They'd been circling each other for far too long. Their gentle dance picked up speed, and the kiss they shared hinted at a desperate need.
Brennan's blouse landed on top of the white shirt, and he slipped the straps of her bra from her shoulders with shaky hands. When her breasts were freed from constraint, swaying heavy and perfect, Booth had to stop for a moment to get his breath back.
"You're so beautiful." He chided himself for his lack of finesse; he wanted shower her with compliments but the reality of her took his words away. His heart lifted when her eyes crinkled with pleasure at his sincerity.
Brennan ran her eyes over his upper body, following the path they'd travelled with the pads of her thumbs. "As are you." Her delivery was demure, but her next words were not. "But I want to see all of you. Naked. Right here and right now."
Their hands blurred as they stripped each other of the rest of their clothes, an exercise in frantic hunger. Fabric ripped, but neither of them cared or was even truly aware of it happening. Finally, there were no barriers between them and they moved without consciousness to each other, skin pressed frantically against skin, so hot they were almost seared together.
When Brennan wet her palm with her tongue and reached for him, stroking him confidently with one hand, he was swamped with contradictory feelings; excited and frightened and hopeful and doubtful, all at the same time. Sensations tumbled through him, and he sighed at the sense of rightness her touch alone brought him. God only knew if he'd survive anything more. Her quick fingers continued their exploration and he longed to return the favour. She shushed his inarticulate appeals with a deep kiss and continued her journey, discovering places he'd almost forgotten existed. He took it all, everything she had until he couldn't stand it another second.
He circled her wrists with his fingers, pushing her back and away, ignoring her whimper. "How 'bout you let me have my turn?" he suggested softly. His eyes coursed down the generous curves of her body, and she responded to the fire in them with a guttural moan, struggling blindly to reach for him again.
He hushed her with gentle kisses along the side of her neck. "Be patient, Temperance, we've both waited a hell of a long time for this and I want to make sure I'm not missing anything." Holding her still he moved down her body, kissing and sucking and nibbling at her sensitized flesh. He paused, a long sigh escaping his lips.
"What's wrong?" Impatience sharpened her tone.
"Huh? Nothing. Just found 'em." She could hear the satisfaction in his voice, but his unscheduled break only made her more edgy. She dug her heels into the bed restlessly while her hands clung to him.
"Patience is a virtue, Temperance." His smug homily made her fingers curl with frustration, her nerve endings screeching at the withdrawal of contact. His mouth reconnected with her flesh with a wet smack and a quiver shot through her stomach. He let his tongue circled her navel, taking his time, his eyes never leaving her face. When he followed the line of tiny moles he'd found to their natural conclusion, the jerk of her hips was incendiary.
"Booth, I can't … please … " Her words cut off abruptly and she writhed with pleasure, arching per back as his tongue continued its merciless path.
Their mutual need became prime; he wanted to be inside her as much as she wanted him there. He reached out an arm to find the packet of condoms in the bedside drawer, but his blind groping only succeeded in spilling the contents of the drawer onto the floor.
"Shit, shit, shit." He scrabbled around on the floor with one hand, stretching crazily while trying not to break contact with her.
Brennan chuckled softly, letting go of him reluctantly when he reached both hands to try and find the elusive packet. A muffled snarl of impatience rose as his head disappeared below the level of the bed and his soft curses mingled with the assorted sounds that accompanied his panicked search. She had no complaints however as his ass rose up off the bed as a result of his exertions, affording her a view of him she had yet to experience. She decided it was an aspect that required further investigation. A devilish smile crossed her face and she reached out, her hands cupping him gently. She was rewarded with a strangled yelp and his head shot up, the expression on his face priceless.
"You've got to be kidding me." He fixed her with a baleful glare. "You don't just do that without giving a guy some warning."
Brennan's grin erupted into giggles, which doubled when she saw the fistful of condoms he managed to retrieve. She dissolved into helpless laughter, her arms crossed over her chest in an effort to contain her mirth. "Are you planning on using all those? I think your confidence in your sexual prowess is -" she paused to catch her breath and started to chortle again, "- impressive."
"Oh God, Temperance, I'm so sorry." At the distress in his voice her laughter drained away uncertainly.
"What? Why?" She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him over to her unceremoniously. Little plastic packets scattered haphazardly over the sheets as he spread his hands to keep his balance.
"I wanted this – us - to be all romantic and I ruined it." His voice held that little boy lost quality that she always found endearing.
"I don't feel ruined." She stretched her arms around his shoulders and pressed a kiss onto the top of his head, leaning back as she gathered him to her chest. Neither of them felt any irony at the reversal of roles. She kissed his forehead tenderly, one kiss leading to two leading to more until he raised his face to hers, wholeheartedly accepting the comfort she offered. "In fact," her tongue explored his mouth, revisiting the contours she'd tried to memorise earlier, "I feel -" the pressure of his response drove her head back into the pillow, "- very -" he moved to hover over her, transferring his weight to his arms and taking back control. "- aroused." She turned the last word into a growl and he found he was impossibly hard. He nudged her hips, just once, and she opened up to him immediately.
Her nails raked his back, goading him into action and he surged forward into her. She took him in eagerly, rising to meet him as he sank into her, both of them grunting softly, the feeling simultaneously strange and familiar. Brennan whimpered at the moment of their joining, overwhelmed by the tenderness she felt for this man. A moan escaped his lips as she shifted a little, taking more of him in. Her legs wound themselves around his hips, keeping him pinned still for a long moment while her eyes searched his. He understood; he felt the same way. It had taken them so long to get to this point, neither of them wanted to let the moment go, no matter how much they wanted more. They kissed tenderly and she shifted subtly, taking his breath away.
He began to move inside her, slowly and steadily, her eyes locked onto his. Booth increased the tempo in response to the urging of her hands. The sensation of her silkiness sliding up and down his length was almost too much to bear. He closed his eyes, the picture of her hair spread wantonly over his pillow permanently etched on his brain.
He knew he didn't have the strength of will to last too much longer, but the same moment as dismay billowed across his brain he heard the staccato of her breaths begin to accelerate, and a low moan escaped from her lips. Seconds later he felt her convulsions gripping him as she came apart, and he felt himself start to let go. "Mine, mine, mine" was all he could think through the mist of sensation, silently repeating the words in time with his thrusts. He grasped her to him, never wanting to let go, as their movements slowed and calmed. They bodies relaxed but they didn't move apart.
"I think we did it right." Brennan's head was pressed into the crook of his neck, her arms twined around his chest. She was breathless and her lips rested lightly against the hollow just above his collar bone, the sweat of their exertions turning each word into a moist kiss.
Booth was already drifting in and out of wakefulness and her words didn't register properly, "What are you talking about?" he queried sleepily, pulling her closer into his embrace.
"I think we did it right. You told me that when two people have a connection, when they become one it's because they do it right."
His eyes snapped open, but her face was hidden from view. "What are you telling me, Bones?" Surprise made his voice squeak a little.
"That I … I feel a connection with you."
He was speechless, staying quiet while he absorbed her simple admission.
"You're quoting something I said years ago?"
"You still believe it, don't you?"
"Of course I do." Vague embarrassment at her cross-examination muffled his answer slightly.
They listened to the sound of their breathing settling back to normal as the darkness completed its occupation of the room. He hugged her to him again, contentedly happy, and curiosity eventually got the better of him. "How come you remembered that?"
"I remember everything you tell me." Her answer was matter-of-fact and its simple honesty warmed him.
Silence stretched comfortably between them again. Traffic from the street below offered a syncopated background hum, strangely comforting in its familiarity.
Something she'd said earlier at the lab popped back into his mind. "What did you mean about 'belonging' being an issue?"
This time it was her turn to be slightly self-conscious, but she didn't try to avoid his probing. "I don't really know."
"I don't get it." He found her answer confusing.
She burrowed her face further into his neck. "I want to belong, but I don't know what it means. I suppose if I knew what it meant I'd be able to belong somewhere."
"I know somewhere you belong. You've belonged there for a long time now."
"You mean the lab? I'm certainly in my element there. In fact, being at the top of my field -"
Booth twined his arms further around her and squeezed just hard enough to stop the flow of words. "Lab shmab." He said dismissively. "That's just a place. Nuh-uh, belonging involves people." Brennan looked up at him enquiringly, her head tilted to one side. "The place you belong is right here, next to my heart."
She didn't answer directly but snuggled happily into him as if she'd been spending their nights like this for years instead of it being the first time. He couldn't help touching her every few minutes; a shoulder, a hip, her stomach. Every time he did, she burrowed deeper into him with a little grunt.
"Go to sleep, Booth." She rolled over, pressing her back into his chest. He tried to sleep, he really did, but his mind still buzzed with the touch, the feel, the smell of her, of them. His swore to himself that he'd prove to her that this was exactly where she belonged. She'd never be in any doubt again. He listened to her drowsy snuffling for a while, revelling in the feel of her body cupped along the full length of his.
"Hey Bones," he hissed in her ear, "You really asleep?"
"Wha-? Not any more." She responded grumpily through a hazy doze.
"Don't suppose you wanna try and get it right again?" he asked hopefully.
She yawned and stretched luxuriantly, the indolent movement of her ass against him making him hard again. She twisted to look at him over her shoulder, one brow raised. "Wanna bet?"
~o0o~