This chapter is pretty long, so I definitely could have separated it into two chapters, which is what I had done originally, but I decided to just lump it all together just because. Hope you like it. :)
Brennan's lying on her back, her hair fanned out over Booth's bare chest while Booth's hand continues to caress her abdomen and swollen breasts, and he catches his breath at the same time with the sheets clumped together at the foot of the bed, unwanted and unneeded, only their feet and ankles trapped in the fabric. They're home alone. Parker's at Alex's party and Christine is with Angela, Hodgins, and Michael Vincent for the night.
She murmurs something, biting her bottom lip, fighting the urge to moan for no reason other than out of habit.
His thumb skims across her nipple and then circles it.
She lets out a moan, despite her effort, and shivers at the contact. "Booth," she whines, her voice slurred. She shifts positions, allowing her head to rest on her pillow. She closes her eyes again, breathing in and out slowly.
He rolls onto his side and presses soft kisses to her bare shoulder.
She lifts her hand and rakes her fingers through his sweaty hair, drawing circles in his scalp with her nails. She slips her hand under his chin and tilts his head back and turns her face to his, looking right into his eyes, not saying a word, the corners of her lips curving upwards into a smirk.
He pushes up the mattress and inches closer to her. Their lips touch for a brief second, their eyes falling shut instantly. He pulls back, but their lips meet again in a more passion filled kiss.
She settles back into his arms, her head on his shoulder. "Huhmm," she mumbles as his hand goes back to caressing her naked body.
"I love you," he whispers.
She nods against his shoulder, scooting closer to her. "Me too. I mean, I love you too, not I love me too."
He laughs. "I know what you mean, Bones." He sighs after a few minutes of comfortable silence.
She separates from him and sits up. "Are you okay, Booth?"
He nods. "Yeah."
She slips off the mattress and looks at him, her expression unreadable. "I'll be right back." She disappears into the bathroom and shuts the door. She comes back out a couple minutes later and reaches for his discarded FBI T-shirt. She pulls it over her head and crawls back into bed beside him. "Is this about Parker?"
He blinks. "I said I was okay, Bones."
"But you're not. I can tell. You're smiling, but I suspect that has more to do with the lovemaking than the mood you're currently in." She pauses. "What's on your mind, Booth? It's completely natural to think about other things while engaging in sexual intercourse."
"I was not thinking about Parker while we were having sex, Bones. I wanna make that very, very, very clear."
"I wasn't suggesting you were, but you are thinking about him now, correct?"
He nods. "Yeah."
She frames his face in her hands and surprises him with a kiss.
It's soft and sweet and it helps him relax. He smiles when she pulls back, brushing her hair away from her face.
"I'm sure Parker's fine, Booth. He would have called if he wasn't."
"I know. I'm just worried."
"You wouldn't be you if you weren't worried." She pauses. "How do you feel about June?" She asks, changing the subject.
"Well, that was random, but um, June, it's a nice month, I guess." He laughs. "Why are you asking me about June, Bones?"
"What do you think about next June for our wedding?" She clarifies.
He rolls onto his stomach, propping himself up on his forearms. He turns his head and looks at her. "Next June for our wedding?"
She nods. "Yes."
"I like June, but that's a year away."
"Yes, it is. Is that a problem?"
He shakes his head. "No, it's not a problem. It's just a long time."
"Well, we're already married, so I don't see what difference it makes."
He nods. "I know. I like June. June sounds nice." He pauses. "So have you come up with anything else?"
"Regarding our wedding?"
He nods. "Yeah."
"Just the date. Not the specific date, only the month." She pauses. "I've been doing some research and reading a lot about weddings, though, to get some inspiration. There's a lot to consider."
He smiles.
"What?"
He shakes his head. "Something about you planning our wedding just makes me smile." He sits up and pulls her into a kiss. "It makes me happy. I never thought I'd see the day," he whispers when they break apart.
"I take no pleasure in this. I'm doing this for you."
"No pleasure at all?" He teases.
"None at all."
He laughs and kisses her again. "C'mon, Bones. Just admit it. Now you may believe that marriage is an antiquated ritual, blah, blah, blah, but I know there was a time in your life where you dreamed about your wedding day—the dress, the flowers, even the groom."
She shakes her head. "No."
"I don't believe you."
"Okay, perhaps there was one time when I thought about my future wedding, but that was a very long time ago. I was a child. I was foolish."
He smiles.
"Don't look so smug. I was a child."
"So what did little Bones' wedding look like, huh?"
"I don't remember."
"Of course you do." He pauses. "Okay, fine, you don't have to tell me specifics. Admitting it is enough for me."
She rolls her eyes. "I'm hungry." She stands up and pulls off the T-shirt.
"Where are you going?"
"Get dressed. We're going to the diner."
He looks at the clock. "I have to pick Parker up at Alex's house at ten."
"That gives us roughly an hour and twenty five minutes to eat. That is plenty of time." She tosses him a fresh pair of boxers and the jeans he changed into after work. "Chop Chop," she adds with a smirk thrown in his direction, adopting his way of getting her to move quicker.
He groans and rolls off the bed. "Can't we just order in?"
She shakes her head. "No, I'm in the mood for the diner." She pauses. "Your son is craving pie."
"Damn it, Bones."
She smiles, knowing she won. She looks at her watch. "Now we have an hour and twenty-two minutes to eat."
"Okay, okay." He finishes getting dressed and combs his fingers through his hair.
She pulls her hair into a ponytail and grabs her wallet out of her purse. "Are you ready?"
He nods. "Yep." He comes up from behind her and grabs her hips. He lowers his head, tilting it slightly, and presses his lips against the side of her neck.
She shivers, leaning back on her heels and biting down on her bottom lip. "Booth," she mumbles, pulling away from him and pushing him back. "We have to go."
He steps back and sighs. "Fine." He follows her out of the room and shuts the bedroom door behind him. "You know, we could just spend that hour and a half taking advantage of the fact that both kids are out of the house."
She stops at the top of the stairs and turns around to face him. "Yes, but as appealing as that sounds, I'm hungry and am already quite satisfied with how our evening has played out thus far." She tweaks an eyebrow and smirks.
"I'm not going to win, am I?"
"You've already lost."
He nods. "Lead the way, Bones."
She gives him a quick peck on the lips and heads down the stairs.
He follows close behind her and holds the door open for her. He just smirks at her eye roll and ushers her outside with his hand on the small of her back.
"Do not even think about opening my car door for me or you'll lose an arm," she warns, seeing him reach for the handle.
He pulls his arm back and swallows. He walks around the car and hops into the driver's side.
She gets in and buckles her seatbelt, tugging on it to adjust it.
He starts the engine and buckles himself in. He puts the SUV in reverse, backs out of the driveway, and drives to the diner.
Parker had been quiet as they drove away from Alex's house and remained that way the entire ride home. Upon entering the house, he had asked his father to help him up the steps. He just wanted to lie down and go to sleep. He was exhausted; Booth and Brennan could see it.
Booth makes his way back downstairs and finds Brennan sitting on the couch. He walks over to her and sinks into the cushions.
Brennan scoots closer to him and leans into him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
He tilts his head and looks at her. "For what?"
"I thought this would be good for him. I really thought going to that party tonight and seeing his friends again would help."
"How do you know it didn't?"
She shrugs. "I suppose I don't have proof that it didn't help, but he's been so quiet. It just seems like something happened at that party that he doesn't want to talk about. His posture, facial expression, and his failure to engage in conversation, all suggest that he's in a worse mood than he was in before we dropped him off earlier, a worse mood even than he has been in for a while now." She pauses. "However I am not as skilled at reading people as you are, though I have improved over the years, so I could be wrong."
"I don't know if you're right, but you aren't wrong."
"That doesn't make any sense, Booth. How can I not be right and not be wrong at the same time?"
"I just mean that Parker seemed off to me too, but I don't know why." He pauses. "You don't need to be sorry, Bones."
"But I am. I convinced you to let him go to the party." She pauses. "Something happened at that party."
He smirks. "And how do you know something happened at that party?"
She lifts her head off his shoulder. "I, um, I have this feeling and like I said, his behavior suggests something happened while he was at Alex's house."
"A feeling?"
"Yes."
He laughs. "Look who's using her gut instead of her brain."
"This is hardly the time to point that out, Booth."
He nods. "You're right." He pauses. "We'll talk to him tomorrow. Let's just leave him alone for a while."
"We'll talk to him?"
He smiles. "Yeah. We're partners."
"We're not interrogating a murder suspect, Booth. This is Parker."
"We're family, Bones. I need you there. Parker needs you there. It's easier for him to talk to you about all this than it is for him to talk to me. I don't really know why and I don't think he knows either, but you're the person he's been confiding in the most since the accident."
"Are you upset about that? I didn't mean to overstep."
"Upset? Why would I be upset?"
"You're his father. I would think that you would rather want him to talk to you than to anyone else."
"Sure, yeah, I'd like him to talk to me, but I'm just glad he feels comfortable talking to someone. The fact that that someone is you is even better." He pauses and lets out a breath. "One of my biggest fears was that my son wouldn't like the woman I decided to spend the rest of my life with, that he wouldn't feel comfortable with her. I knew it wouldn't work out with Rebecca, so I always knew at some point my son would have to meet my girlfriend. He's so important to me and he's a big part of my life, so the fact that he loves you, that he can talk to you about anything and everything, that he feels comfortable doing that, is one of the best things ever. It's always been like that, Bones, even before we were together. I'm happy he has you, that he's always had you. I know a big reason why he's getting better, the reason why he's smiling and laughing, is because of you."
She blinks. "You really mean that?"
He twists his upper body towards her and lowers his head, closing the gap between their lips. He breaks the kiss and nods, skimming his thumb across her cheeks, whisking away the tears. "I really mean that. He's lucky to have you and I'm pretty damn lucky too. You're amazing. You've been amazing. Thank you."
She smiles. "You're welcome, but your thanks is not necessary, Booth."
"I love you."
"I love you too, Booth." She settles back into his arms, her head on his shoulder again.
He lets out a breath and closes his eyes. "We should go to bed. It's getting late." He's met with silence. He looks down at her and laughs to himself. He shifts on the couch, lying down.
In a state somewhere between consciousness and sleep, she repositions herself and gets as close to him as she can possibly get.
He wraps his arms around her and closes his eyes, stretching out on the couch. He's not too comfortable, but he gets as comfortable as the couch will allow, and holds her as she drifts further and further asleep. He kisses the top of her head before she nuzzles her face into the crook of his neck. He can feel her hot breath against his skin and can feel the warmth radiating off her body as she presses against him. He doesn't fall asleep right away, but the rhythmic sound of her breathing puts him to sleep eventually.
When Booth wakes up the next morning, he quickly realizes he's still on the couch and feels her absence in his arms. He shifts and lets out a soft groan. He pushes himself up to a sitting position and rubs his eyes, planting his feet firmly on the living room rug. He twists his torso from side to side and rolls out his neck, emitting an audible string of cracks and pops. He yawns freely and looks around. "Bones?"
Brennan walks into the living room with two mugs, one in each hand. She gives one to him and sits down, turning her head. Their lips meet in a quick good morning kiss and then she takes a sip of her tea.
He gives her a funny look, a look of concern, really.
"I'm drinking tea, Booth," she says, interpreting his expression. "Your morning beverage, of course, is coffee, though you have probably already discerned that."
He nods, taking a sip of his fresh black coffee. "How long have you been awake?"
"Awake? Two hours, twenty minutes, give or take a few minutes."
"How long have you been up?" He corrects.
"Seventeen minutes."
"Why were you awake so early? It's not even ten."
"I woke up to use the bathroom and I couldn't fall back asleep." She pauses. "However I did find a comfortable position, which is why I've been awake longer than I've been up."
"Thanks for the coffee."
"You're welcome." She pauses. "Parker is still asleep. I checked on him about five minutes ago."
"Are you hungry?"
She shakes her head. "I already ate."
He gives her another look.
"I had a piece of fruit and a bagel."
"Good." He takes another sip of his coffee. "Did you sleep okay?"
She nods. "As well as one can on a couch while also being twenty weeks pregnant."
"Yeah, I know what you mean."
She raises an eyebrow.
He laughs. "Well, besides the 'being twenty weeks pregnant' thing."
She sets her mug down on the coffee table and scoots closer to him. She rests one hand on his shoulder and her other hand on the small of his back, pressing her fingers into his flesh.
"Ah." He gasps as her knuckles knead his back muscles. "Ooh. Keep going, Bones." He twists his body so she has better access and lets out a contented sigh. "That feels—oh." He straightens his shoulders and swallows.
She massages him for another five minutes and then pulls back. "Do you feel better?"
He nods. "Uh, hmm," he mumbles. He smiles at her and can't help but give her another sweet, loving kiss.
"I'm going to call Angela after I take a shower to discuss when I should pick Christine up today. I don't want to call her too early on a Saturday morning." She pauses. "Do you still want me to talk to Parker with you later?"
He nods. "Yeah."
She sips her tea, looking at him over the rim. She lowers her mug and smiles. "Last night was, um, it was nice."
He laughs. "It was more than nice, Bones."
"I agree. It was very satisfying. We need to do that more often." She finishes her tea and stands up. "I'm going to go take a shower now."
He looks up at her, one eyebrow raised, the corners of his mouth curved upwards into a shy smirk.
She knows that look quite well. "You're picturing me naked, dripping with water, and surrounded by steam and it's arousing you," she states, matching his smirk almost exactly, except there's absolutely no hint of bashfulness in her expression. "Sharing a shower would conserve water and it would be a very satisfying way to start our day."
"Are you inviting me to join you in the shower?"
She nods. "Yes."
He stands up, almost too eagerly. He looks away from her for a brief second and then focuses on her again. He plucks her mug from her grasp and walks towards the kitchen. "I'll meet you upstairs."
"Alright." She pauses. "Would you like to eat breakfast first?"
"Oh, uh, breakfast can wait. I'm hungry for something else right now," he says, his voice dipping lower in his throat. He turns back towards the kitchen and walks away from her.
She nods and disappears upstairs. She walks quietly past Parker's room and through her open door. She heads into the bathroom and shuts the door, leaving it open just a crack.
He sets the mugs in the kitchen sink, not bothering to dump the remaining contents, rinse them out, or put them in the dishwasher. He makes a swift exit and heads upstairs. He walks down the hallway and into his room. He pushes open the bathroom door and walks inside, shutting it behind him and locking it.
Later that afternoon, Brennan and Booth are sitting in the will-be nursery, which is now void of all furnishings, only a rug remains, but soon that will be removed as well. "What about this color?" He asks, holding up the fan deck and pointing with his finger to a light shade of blue.
She scrunches up her face. "Eh."
"Eh?"
She shrugs, taking the fan deck from his grasp. She takes a closer to look at the paint chip and shakes her head. "Too blue."
"Well, that's good 'cause it is, you know, blue."
"I would prefer to paint the nursery a gender neutral color."
He shakes his head and snatches back the fan. "You won't be painting anything. I will be doing the painting."
"I wasn't referring to who is doing the physical painting, Booth. I was referring to the color I want the walls painted." She pauses. "I wasn't done with that." She takes the fan deck back and sifts through it, shaking her head and shrugging her shoulders at the colors.
"Any colors jumping out at ya, Bones?"
She shakes her head. "No. I like green; however there are so many varying shades to choose from. It's going to be difficult to narrow it down."
"Green, huh?"
She nods. "Yes. It's a gender neutral and it is also a color that will transition well as our son gets older." She doesn't look up at him. She continues to look at the paint chips, focusing on the green pallet.
"I'll just sit here and wait for you to make a decision," he says under his breath, but his voice is louder than he intended it to be.
She lifts her head then, glaring at him. "You had the paint fan for the last ten minutes, Booth. You suggested blue and asked my opinion on the specific shade you gravitated towards. Now I am suggesting green. I will ask your opinion once I pick an exact shade. Unlike you, I am taking my time and trying to visualize the color on the wall before I ask for your input."
He nods. "By all means, Bones, take your time."
"I intend to. Picking a paint color for the nursery is not like picking out a breakfast cereal at the supermarket. It takes careful consideration. It's an important decision. The color you paint the nursery can either be detrimental to or help stimulate development and learning in a child."
"How about grey? Or tan?"
"You'll have a chance to pick another color, Booth. It's my turn now to add my choice to the option list." She studies the greens in the fan deck, glancing up at the walls and back down again. She finally stands up and walks over to the closest wall. She holds up the paint chip to the light colored wall and shakes her head.
He sighs, getting impatient. "Why don't we just paint the nursery two colors?"
She lowers her arms and looks at him. "Hmmm. That is an option, but that comes with the added responsibility of choosing colors that complement each other well."
"I'm hungry. Let's take a break."
"We just got started."
"We've got time." He pushes himself up to his feet. "C'mon. Put down the fan deck and let's go eat lunch."
"I could go for some food." She sets the fan deck down on the stepladder and smiles. "What are your thoughts on wallpaper?"
"It's a pain in the ass." He gives her a kiss on the lips. "What do you feel like for lunch? I could run over to the diner and pick something up."
"You don't mean you'll literally run there, correct?"
"Don't be ridiculous, Bones. I'm going to walk there." He smiles at her.
She laughs. "You're joking." She follows him out of the room and shuts the door behind her. "I can go to the diner if you'd rather stay here with Parker."
He shakes his head. "I can go."
"Are you sure? You've been reluctant to leave Parker in the past."
"He's in capable hands. I trust you. I'll be back in fifteen minutes, twenty minutes tops."
"Okay. Would you like me to write down my order so you remember it?"
He taps his temple. "I've got it right up here."
"I haven't told you what I want."
"I know what you want."
"How could you possibly know what I want when I haven't told you?"
"I know you, Bones, even your crazy pregnancy cravings self. Worse comes to worse, I'll just think about what I want. You're carrying my kid." He turns his head to smile at her and then he continues down the steps. He walks into the living room and over to the couch. "Hey, bub. I'm going to the diner to pick up lunch for Bones and me. You want something?"
Parker rolls onto his back and looks up at his father. "I'm not hungry, dad."
"You'll be hungry later."
"Um, fine. Cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate milkshake, please."
"Alright. I'll be back soon. Bones is here if you need anything."
"Yep." Parker turns back to the TV, changing the channel.
Booth walks over to the front door and grabs his wallet and keys. "Bones, see if he'll talk to you about what's going on in that head of his."
"If he wouldn't speak to us an hour ago, what makes you think he'll talk to me now?"
"Just try, okay? He's in one of his 'I hate the world' moods. Please."
She nods. "I'll try."
"Thanks."
She smiles and leans in for a kiss.
He pulls back after their lips meet and matches her smile. "I'll be back."
She looks at her watch. "Oh, would you mind stopping by Angela and Hodgins' place and picking up Christine? I told them I'd pick her up around two."
He nods. "Yeah. I'll swing by on my way home." He gives her another quick kiss and leaves.
She shuts the door, locks it, and then heads into the living room. She told Booth she'd try and get something out of Parker and that's exactly what she's going to do. She just has no idea what to say or even where to start.
Next up: Brennan has a chat with Parker. Will he open up to her? Will she get him out of the little funk he's in? Stay tuned.