A big thank you to everyone who liked, favorited, & reviewed 'One More Night'. This is a special story to me and it touches my heart that it's been well-received. Here is the wrap-up. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: *checks boxes* Nope, still not mine!
Daylight
He woke with a start, the imagery of his nightmare dissipated quickly as he opened his eyes to the darkness around him. The room was dim, a small lamp in the far opposite corner casted faint shadows around him. His squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force them to focus on his surroundings. His head spun briefly when he finally opened them again, his brain still fuzzy from the alcohol he consumed the night before. Or was it earlier tonight? Where am I and what time is it?
He rubbed his fingers across his eyes. The haze cleared slightly and his gaze fell on the dark auburn hair lying across his arm. His heart raced at the thought of whose head the hair flowed from and it nearly stopped when he pulled back a lock of strands from the face.
Her face.
Oh no! What have I done? Panic engulfed him and he squeezed his eyes closed again, begging the memories from the previous night to come forward from the liquor-riddled recesses of his brain. Pictures checkered like a slideshow: the engagement ring, the tiny splash it made as it hit the water, bourbon, whiskey, Bones.
Bones.
He scratched at the stubble on his cheek and rubbed his eyes again. The slideshow slowed and streamed evenly as the night returned to him. Everything came to him in a rush. He struggled to remember the details but discarded the idea quickly when he felt her shift against him, her bare back pressing against his chest. His arm moved around her middle and she sighed at the contact.
He glanced at her face again, her pale skin slightly aglow in the moonlight that filtered through the sheer curtains. Not for the first time his heart tightened in his chest at the sight of her, the soft smile gracing her face causing a similar one to form on his own.
She moved again as she slept and his hold on her instinctively tightened. A soft moan of satisfaction drifted into the quiet of the room. He placed a small kiss on the exposed skin of her neck. Her eyes fluttered open at his touch and she twisted to face him. The corners of her mouth turned upward faintly at the sight of him.
"Hi," she said. His grin widened.
"Hi." She turned to face him, her arms curling in front of her as she buried herself against his warm chest. She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of him. He kissed the top of her head, the soft scent of her mint shampoo still evident from the day before.
They lay together for a few minutes, his mind alternating between good thoughts and bad, wondering what this new turn of events meant for their partnership, their friendship. He could feel the soft rise and fall of her chest against his and wondered if perhaps she had fallen back to sleep.
"What's wrong, Booth?" Her voice was muffled and he could feel her lips moving against his chest. He exhaled in relief that she was awake and, as best he could tell, not upset at the position in which they found themselves.
"Nothing, Bones," he lied.
"You've never lied to me before, Booth. You shouldn't start lying to me now just because we've had sex." She lifted her head back, her eyes burning into his, challenging him.
He sighed, knowing there was no way he could hide from her. "I'm just –" he started, unsure really of what to say to her. I'm sorry for what happened? No, just another lie. It shouldn't have happened? I can't say I regret it. He let out another sigh.
"Booth?" Her voice was quiet, seeking, as if she were speaking to a scared child. He met her eyes again and the words poured forth without a barrier.
"Nothing is wrong, Bones. Really. I've dreamed of last night happening a million times. I just never thought it would happen like it did. And I don't want to change our friendship or lose you and I'm afraid because of last night that that'll happen and I don't know if I can take that. I don't know if I can take losing you like that, Bones. You're important to me. You're special to me, Bones. I just … I don't want last night to break us apart." He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.
He watched her for a moment, feeling like a small mass was pressing against his chest. There were times when he found it hard to breathe around her, but never like this. Not out of fear.
"I don't think that will happen, Booth." He released another breath as the weight lifted. "I know you were upset because of Hannah rejecting your marriage proposal." The weight returned, accompanied by a sharp pain in his heart. "And it would appear to some people that you were hurt and that is the only reason why we had sex. However, you said before that there is more between us and I believe you, Booth. I believe that what happened last night between us was … for lack of a better word … destined to happen."
She watched him a moment. "Booth?" His eyes were focused on a point across the room and, for a moment, she wasn't sure if he had been listening to her.
"You're right, Bones." He looked at her again. "You're absolutely right." She smiled at his response.
He marveled at that smile, the full smile that she rarely displayed anymore, at least with him. For the first time in a long time, it occurred to him how his relationship with Hannah had affected his relationship with Brennan. He glanced down at her still wrapped in his arms, her hair tousled and her cheeks still tinged pink from their activities the night before.
"Do you want to go back to your apartment? I'm sure by now Hannah has had enough time to pack her things and leave." He closed his eyes in frustration at the mention of his ex-girlfriend. He knew she didn't mean to be cold about the situation; it was just her nature.
He squeezed her tightly, pulling her into himself as much as physics would allow. "No, Bones. I don't want to leave. And, if it's okay with you, can we not talk about or mention Hannah right now? I don't want to think about that. I know tomorrow, or later today whatever time it is, I'll have to go home and I'll have to face the shambles my life is in. But right now, I just want to lay here with you." She nodded, winding her arms around his ribs.
He could see the sun beginning to peek through the sheer curtains in her dining room. He felt a twinge of sadness at having to leave the comfort of her apartment, her arms. But somewhere within he heard a small voice telling him it would all be okay and that soon he could return to this place of comfort. Somewhere inside he knew, whenever he was ready to come back to her embrace, whether it be a few hours, days, or weeks, she would be there to welcome him.
He made a promise to himself there, in the slowly rising sunlight, to come back to her as soon as he could. A whole man, ready to give himself fully to her as he'd always believed she deserved.
As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read and share your thoughts! I know it becomes cliche but I really do appreciate it! :)