A/N: I've read so many amazing Fan Fics that I've decided (wisely or unwisely) to try my hand in it. I welcome all constructive criticism, but please be gentle.
Oh, and in case you were wondering for whatever reason, I don't own Bones. I asked Santa for it for Christmas, but apparently I wasn't a very good girl. He must have found out about the whip cream incident. Oh well, maybe next Christmas....
The Truth About Guy Hugs
Angela Montenagro just happened to be strolling by her best friend's office on her way out when she saw a sight that both warmed her heart and dropped her jaw. Inside was super hot super special Agent Seeley Booth, his luscious lips curled in a smile, his eyes closed in contentment, and his chiselled arms protectively wrapped around his so called partner. Brennan had her arms wrapped around his waist, her head on his chest, and a similar look of serenity shone on her face.
Angela knew deep down that she really should have left the couple alone. She should have let them have their moment. Better yet she should made sure that the flash on her cell phone camera was off.
At the flash, the dynamic duo practically jumped apart appearing rather discomfited, looking anywhere but at each other. Angela felt a bit guilty at her intrusion on what was a private moment between the two, but at least she got a pic of it.
"Was I interrupting something?" she asked cheekily. Catching them having a moment was one thing, listening to some of the excuses they came up with to explain those moments were entertaining in and of themselves.
"I was just...we were only...it's no big deal." Booth uncharacteristically stammered. Usually the G-man was so smooth and devastatingly charming that he had women falling all over themselves to get at him. All except one woman that is. And that woman is the reason why all other women didn't have a chance with Booth.
"I was just having a bit of emotional distress due to the circumstances of this case and Booth was just offering me some comfort." Brennan explained rationally, though she still looked a bit flushed. "I'm fine now. No big deal."
"Yeah, I've got to get back to the Hoover and see if Sweets has the profile ready for me yet." Booth announced suddenly. Angela could tell that he couldn't wait to get out of there before she managed to wring a confession out of him.
"Of course. Thank you Booth." Brennan called out to him as he reached the door.
"Anytime." he replied aiming his charm smile at her. If only he knew that Brennan wasn't totally immune to that smile of his, Angela sighed internally.
"You sure you're ok?" he asked, now suddenly unsure if he should go.
"I'm fine Booth. I can take care of myself you know," the words she said would have sounded critical if not for the light tone and the smile that tugged at the corner of her lips. "I'll see you later, and I'll call you when we find an ID for the latest victim."
"Alright," he conceded, still holding on to the door. A couple of minutes ago he wanted to fly out of there now it was almost as if he didn't want to leave. This was too cute. "Work on what you have to do at the lab and ignore the paperwork for now. I'll help you with it later. I'll be back by nine tonight, so you had better be finished by that time or else I'm throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out of here."
"You'll do no such thing!" exclaimed Brennan, half shocked, half amused.
"Just giving you fair warning." Booth called out, already on his way to the lab's main doors. Even though he had his back to them Angela could almost see the huge grin on his face as he warned Bren. It must have been hot.
"So..." hedged Angela, trying to come up with the perfect manner in which to extract the greatest amount of information out of her best friend. "How are you doing sweetie? Are you really all right?"
"Yes," nodded Brennan. "This case has been emotionally draining for me, as I'm sure it has been for everyone involved. I had a moment in which I found myself overwhelmed by my emotions and Booth had some reassuring words for me as well as a guy hug. I'm better now, you have no need to be concerned about me."
"We should all have a tall dark and gorgeous special agent whenever we feel emotional," muttered Angela before something Brennan said caught her attention.
"Wait a minute...guy hug?"
"Yes," replied Brennan matter of factly. "We've agreed that whenever either of us needs comforting, the other is allowed to give the one in emotional distress a guy hug. It's what partners do."
"That's not a guy hug Brennan," replied Angela, trying her best not to smile let alone laugh hysterically. "This is a guy hug."
Angela proceeded to demonstrate to her what an actual "guy hug" consisted of. There were two types; one that was used in greeting with someone that was considered a close friend or relative, or used as a celebratory hug. She instructed Brennan to hold out her hand as if to shake hands with Angela. Angela grasped Brennan's hand and used it to pull her close and patted the upper part of Brennan's back with her free hand.
The other guy hug was used as a form of silent consolation. She pulled Brennan close and with both arms reached around Brennan's shoulders, patting her quickly and heartily with both hands, then pushing her about half an arms length away. She grabbed Brennan's upper arms just below the shoulder and gave it a quick grip before releasing her.
"As you can see from my demonstration, what you and Booth did was not in any way a guy hug," Angela informed her, unable to conceal the grin that crept across her face at her best friend's confusion. "Guy's don't put their hands anywhere near another guy's waist, do not rest their heads on the other's chest, nor do guys let a hug last more than 10 seconds. Unless they're gay. And Booth is most certainly not gay. Being the Alpha Male that he is, I'm betting that he isn't into guy hugs at all. Unless of course they involve you."
"Are you telling me that Booth lied to me?" asked Brennan, her eyes flickering with hurt before narrowing in annoyance.
"No, not exactly lied, just masked the truth a little bit." Angela hedged, now regretting that she had enlightened Brennan on the subject.
"He either lied to me or you're lying to me now," Brennan argued, her hands on her hips and fire in her eyes. She was irritated, verging on anger and Angela was getting nervous. "Which is it?"
"The truth is..." Angela hedged, wondering why in the world she had to open up her big mouth and bring up the truth of the guy hug when it wasn't hurting anyone. If anything, the way that Brennan had been acting lately, she needed a hug. Not that she would ever ask for one, or even admit that she needed one. The two of them had been doing fine, Booth probably fed her that line at a time when she clearly needed to be held even though she most likely fought against the impulse, and Booth was too much of a gentleman to take advantage of it. Knowing her as well as he did, he knew that was the only way that she would accept comfort from him – make it sound like it was a no big deal, just a partner thing. And it worked, or at least...it had until Ange screwed it up. Ange had to fix it or else she would have a rather large, intimidating FBI special agent very upset with her. More than that, she would be directly responsible for another delay in their path to romance. They had too many excuses along with too many near death experiences that they really needed to get their stuff together and just take the plunge. If Ange screwed up this explanation, they'd use it as yet another excuse why they shouldn't be together.
"Think Ange, and take it slow." she ordered herself.
"Bren, the truth is, that we all need comforting when things get to be too much for us," she began, finding the words as she went along. "It doesn't make us weak, or pathetic. It makes us human."
"I know that." Brennan bristled. "I am human. I'm not cold or unfeeling."
"I know sweetie," Ange smiled, aware that she was one of the few people that Brennan didn't have to explain that fact to. "The problem is that you sometimes try too hard to prove how strong and independent you are. How you don't need anybody for anything, but you do, we all do. Sometimes, when life and our own emotions threaten to overwhelm us we need someone to remind us how strong we are. To provide us with physical comfort, show us empathy without judging us. That's what Booth does for you Bren. He's there for you when you need him, without judging you, without making you feel weak and needy. He does this by giving you permission to accept his comfort. By telling you that it isn't a big deal, that it's just a guy hug."
"But you told me that guys don't hug in the manner that Booth and I hug," Brennan reasoned. "By manipulating the truth, isn't he in fact lying to me?"
"Ok, he was kind of lying about the guy hugs," Ange quickly admitted so that she could then go about diffusing the situation. "But it wasn't a mean lie. It wasn't a manipulative lie to get something that he wants for himself or to take advantage of you in any way. Its a kind lie, a lie so that he could give you the comfort you need without making you feel as though you're obligated to him for it. Do you know what I mean?"
"I think that I do," she replied thoughtfully. "He calls them guy hugs so that I won't be embarrassed by accepting his gesture of support."
"That's exactly it!" beamed Angela, inwardly sighing in relief.
"Ange, would it be wrong then to initiate a guy hug even when I'm not in emotional distress?" asked Brennan shyly.
"Not at all Bren," Angela grinned slyly. "Hugs are a way to show you care, especially when you hold that person really close to you."
"Thanks Ange." Brennan smiled, heading to her desk to resume working.
"Now that I've gotten her to accept his hugs, what excuse can I use to get them to kiss?" Angela wondered to herself as she made her way towards her own office to hatch a plan.