Today was Booth and Brennan’s first ‘couples counselling’ since ‘the incident‘, as both of them decided to call it. When they arrived, they went in cautiously, one after another. Booth still felt sorry for Sweets, and Brennan hadn’t told anyone about her feelings for Booth; she was extremely cautious around him or anyone. It had started to annoy her that Angela kept on smiling knowingly when they were together; her and Booth or just Angela and herself. Usually talking about Hodgins worked as a distraction, though she wasn‘t a big fan of girl talk, and there was only so much she could take. Apparently, Angela was really struggling emotionally with the whole Wendell-Hodgins thing. Brennan felt guilty at not paying much attention before.
Sweets was more or less his old self, now extremely proud of what he had survived through. Brennan and Booth sat down on the sofa opposite him, waiting for him to speak first. “OK” Sweets started as soon as he noticed “You can talk now, we just had a drink together last night. Stop acting weird.” It sounded like he was pleading.
Booth turned to Brennan and pretended to whisper “I dunno Bones, should we talk to the hero, the one who saved the day? The big cheese” he asked teasingly, flashing his smile at her. “Hmm…” Brennan started to think of an answer. “First, I don’t know why he is a cheese, and second: Are you sure that we won’t brake him?” she wondered allowed. Booth smiled. “What? An old hero like that?” he turned to Sweets. “Good to have you back kiddo!” he slapped him on the back. “Ow!” Sweets said. “Please stop doing that.” He winced. But now that everyone was smiling again he felt more comfortable.
“OK, OK, we’ve had our fun… now it’s time to get serious and talk about the recent events.” He hated to be a party-pooper, but then again, he didn’t. This party hurt.
“Oh, um…” Booth sat up straighter and leaned over. “I happen to think that everything’s just like it was before… Right Bones?” Brennan was quick in her response. “Yeah, sure, not counting the fact that Sweets is probably traumatized for the rest of his life” Booth glared at her as Sweets looked uncomfortable again. Oops, she didn’t like this having to lie, it made her rational and uncaring. “Um, but… yeah, everything’s fine!” she wondered if she sounded too enthusiastic. Sweets was eager to change topic. “Well, if you need me, I’m here.” he said. Booth looked at him concerned. “Sweets, you should know that I-” he turned on Brennan “-we, are always here for you.” Sweets accepted the gesture, and he felt like part of the family. He chuckled to himself as his brain figured out that if this were a family, Booth and Brennan would be the parents. They were both looking at him, worried again. “OK, now, seriously, stop it, it feels really weird when you two are staring at me.” Both of them looked surprised as they saw one mirror the other. “Ok, Bones, now you’re freaking me out.” Booth laughed.
Brennan realized that she was the only one who hadn’t said anything remotely meaningful during there chat. When they both went to leave when Booth got a phone call, Brennan realized that she had to say something, as Booth silently egged her on. Brennan could think of nothing else as she went over and hugged Sweets; she didn‘t have a way with words.
She wanted to think that it was the same as hugging Booth, seeing that they were both males, and she made herself the promise that it was and always should be. The chances of Booth feeling the same way about her as she felt for him were slim; she couldn’t help but ignore her feelings. She had lived a happy life not knowing, she supposed, though when she knew, it had been happier. She would block her feelings from now on; only in an ‘atta boy kinda way’. Part of the reason for not telling him was what had happened. Could she really risk loosing him? Booth, in silence, wondered the same thing about her.
When she finally felt ready to let go of Sweets, she quickly wiped a tear so that nobody could see. “Whoa” said Sweets as they all stood in silence, waiting for someone to speak first. “Erm… Elephant in the room” he tried to make a joke; Brennan and Booth’s response was to cringe as they left. As soon as they were outside, Brennan asked “What does that even mean?” Booth smiled his smile and asked her “So, do you want some pie, my place?” Brennan smiled back as se realized that everything was the same again.
Or so she thought. Recent events shad made Booth realize how much she meant to him. They were quiet for most of the walk, Brennan was, in a way, happy that she had decided to concentrate on work again, and Booth was, once again, summing up the courage. And this time there would be no clowns.
When they were at his house, having pie, he stopped eating, took a deep breath and waited for Brennan to notice. “Booth, aren’t you hungry?” she asked, puzzled. Booth was getting really nervous now. He had done this all before. What would happen now he was going all the way?
Brennan leant towards him, as if to examine him closer. Her proximity made his heart beat even faster. Huh, proximity, now she was contagious. “Booth, what’s wrong, does you’re chest hurt? Do you need to go home?” she asked him, a worried look on her face.
“Oh, no Bones, everything’s fine, there’s just, um, something I need to say now that my brain is completely functional.” Brennan stared. “You’re brain has been functional for months, hasn’t it?”
“Yeah…”
“So, why now?”
“Um…” this was harder than it should be. “I don’t know, just listen.” this was it, he was going to do it. “I need to tell you something, that I didn’t get to say a few months ago, but, I wanted to.” Brennan was all ears. What had happened a few months ago? Could it be…? No, of course not.
He leant in this time.
“Ok, Bones, Brennan… Temperance… I’ve been looking at this all possible ways, and I just can’t… “ he stopped and looked into her eyes. “I’m in love with you.”
He wished he hadn’t said it as soon as the words came out of his mouth. He had just completely ruined they’re partnership. Who had he been kidding? Oh god, what had he done?
Brennan looked at him, bewildered. She was speechless. “You know what? Just forget I said it, it didn’t happen Ok? Bones, I’m so sorry if that was weird for you to hear…” He stood up, and Brennan stood up too, a bit frightened. “I just… I just… Sorry.” Brennan looked at him.
“Booth, you’re my best friend.”
“I know, I know, sorry”
She stepped towards him. “Booth, I would die for you, you know that.” He was confused.
“Me too, Bones” was all he could manage. He stepped closer this time, unable to stop himself. He could feel her breath on his chest they were so close. But this had happened many times, it was nothing to get excited about. But then he saw that she was smiling at him. In his wildest dreams he had not expected this reaction. Though she had decided against it, she felt completely powerless as she leant up on his warm chest and kissed him.
The end of my first fanfic, hope you liked it!
