It had started with him walking her from his car to her apartment building. Nothing unusual about that, he always liked to make sure she got home safe, even though he knew she could look after herself. She had a gun and could break any number of bones, hell, she'd break his nose if she realised he wasn't just being socially polite in walking her to her door. His phone had been buzzing in his pocket, Cam, and then Bones had told him that would never trust anyone as much as she trusted him.

He wasn't even sure the conversation had even been going that way, but he found himself there, with Temperance Brennan's trust solely on his shoulders. He supposed it was because the slow trust she had been building in Cam had been shattered with a file of fake evidence.

One little comment and he was grinning like an idiot at her while they stood outside her apartment building, suddenly inches apart to fit in the doorway.

"You're blushing," she said, smiling at him.

"I am not blushing."

"You are."

His phone was still buzzing in his pocket, and he reached for it but stopped when she spoke again.

"Do you trust me?" she said, looking down at what little floor there was between them.

"You shouldn't have to ask," he told her.

"I wonder sometimes," she said.

"Really?"

She nodded and he thought it over, while she watched him thinking, glancing up at him before inspecting their feet again. He had to smile at that, Bones, the woman that could look him in the eye while talking about sexual positions and other uncomfortable topics, found it hard to even keep her head up while talking about something so certain to him like whether or not he trusted her.

"Well?" she said and then he laughed, because she had no patience and he did like that about her sometimes. Things got done quicker. He took a deep breath before he spoke.

"I trust you Bones, with my life and with Parker's," he said, his tone emphatic, his eyes hard, staring at her. "Never, ever, doubt that."

"Okay." She swallowed, a little intimidated by him for the first time, but drawn to him even more.

She leaned into him, looking from the millimetre of space between their feet, the centimetres between their bodies and their faces. Their lips. She looked to his eyes, before looking back to his lips. Booth did the same, inching forward a touch but hesitating in kissing her, glad when Bones didn't hesitate, leaning into him that last inch, body pressed against his, kissing him. He responded immediately, wrapping his arms around her and resisting when she tried to push him back against the wall, or into the wall as his back was already flat against it.

She tasted like coffee and the sugar from the stale donuts at the lab, and he kinda wished she did like pie because that would be incredible to taste on her lips. Not that kissing her right then wasn't amazing anyway.

He was stronger than her but he let her push against him. Press her body against him, and run her hands up his neck and into his hair like she had wanted to do for a long time. Ever since she had found out how soft it was, the times they had touched each other were rare and accidental mostly, but she tried not to think about those and concentrate on this moment, this time, kissing him and feeling every muscle pressed back into her.

Every muscle? She grinned at her own joke, arching her hips into his, hoping to stimulate him further, smiling when he moaned into her mouth.

He didn't want to stop kissing her, though, there were better places to make out than the doorway to her apartment building, but moving meant loosing Bones, and even if it was only temporary, he wasn't sure it was worth it.

He moaned again, as his phone started to buzz again in his pocket and he pushed Bones back a little, both breathing hard.

"What?" she asked her voice husky as she tried to breathe. She was flushed, lips red and pouting and he almost kissed her again, almost forgot what he was going to say.

"I can't do this," he said.

"Why not?" she said.

"Because," he said, "I shouldn't do this."

He had no formal relationship with Cam, as far as Bones would see it, they were just sleeping together, letting off steam, but he couldn't just sleep with Bones. Whatever his status, he wasn't that guy.

"Why not?" she repeated. "Because we work together?"

He hadn't even considered that, but didn't give the thought anymore time.

"No."

"Tell me the truth," she said, taking a step out of the doorway, down onto the pavement, moving further away from him, the cold hitting him hard. "Please Booth, what's wrong?"

He didn't want to say anything. Didn't want to tell her exactly why he couldn't take her upstairs and make love to her. Despite her personal views on relationships, she knew him, knew his views. Knew he would never be involved in any kinds of relationship with two women at once.

He wasn't that guy and she knew it.

She was waiting for him to say something, a step away but she close enough for him to lean down and kiss her again. Her mouth was twitching slightly with impatience and he smiled. She was always beautiful. Even when she was annoyed with him she was beautiful.

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," he mumbled with a sad smile, the look of confusion on her face making her look cute.

"That is all, ye know on earth, and all ye need to know," she said, the words coming quickly and he smiled, "Keats."

"Yeah."

"It's supposed to be a secret, but I'm seeing Cam, sort of."

"Dr Saroyan?" she said, needing clarification, because, because it was hard to hear he was sleeping with another woman but kissed her like that, like he needed her.

It felt a little like she needed him, but she could rationalise it, she needed to realise now she was aroused.

"Yeah."

"Oh."

She stepped further back and he sighed. He wanted to keep kissing her, Cam would probably give up on him for the night, if she hadn't already, she wasn't the kind of woman to wait around for anyone, let alone a guy, but that didn't mean he could just sleep with Bones.

"I didn't realise you two, you still had feelings for her."

"It's a casual thing really..."

"Ah, a mutual arrangement to satisfy biological needs."

"Don't say it like that."

"Why not? That's what you're implying, and there's nothing wrong with that."

He didn't believe that, not when he wanted Bones, had this chance with Bones but had to walk away. He knew Bones didn't believe that, for the first time, whatever her views on relationships, monogamy, she wanted him but had to let him walk away.

"I know, but your words, the way you say it, just makes it sounds bad," he said.

"Sorry."

The apology, broke him. She would never apologise for her terminology or opinions usually, and he rarely wanted apologies from her. He liked their discussions, their heated debates. He stepped down onto the sidewalk so they were level again, and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'll be back," he told her.

"What?"

"I need to, I need to sort..." He paused, kissing her on the lips this time, trying not to let his desire take over but failing. They were soon breathless again, hot, her body curled into his, arms under his coat around his waist to hold him to her, his hands in her hair this time. When he pulled away, she let go, letting him go immediately without a fight.

"I'll be back," he repeated. "Wait up for me."

"Okay," she said, smiling, though cautiously. He could understand that though.

He walked away muttering more Keats to himself, one of the few poems he knew by heart, though this one he'd learned just recently, just because of her.

"Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss, though winning near the goal, yet, do not grieve," he recited, pulling him cell phone from his pocket.