Baby, It's Cold Outside

A/N: Okay, so I couldn't resist; I guess I'm in the Christmas spirit. This is just a short and completely pointless one-shot. No plot, just a nice and fluffy Booth/Brennan moment. I hope you like it! Please leave me a review, finals are next week.

All of the lights were off in her office, but he knew she was still there. He pushed open the door without knocking and saw her sitting behind the desk. She looked up and offered him a slight smile… small, but genuinely there.

"You should really go home," he encouraged, not daring to chastise her for staying late on a holiday. "It's Christmas Eve, Bones," her shoulders slumped and he followed her gaze to the small tree in the corner of the office. They had decorated it together earlier in the week, after she had given in to him and bought it, and the white lights woven through its branches created an almost ethereal glow. He let his gaze slip back to her face and he was startled to find her looking at him.

"I know that," she replied wearily. "What exactly do I have to go home to? An empty apartment, a bottle of wine, a sappy Christmas movie on television?" her voice was drained and tired. "I don't even own a television, Booth…" she shrugged and stood from her chair, moving to the couch and dropping down onto the cushions.

His eyes softened in understanding and he watched her for a minute before he sat down next to her. She raised her eyes to meet his and they sat in a companionable silence, thighs touching lightly. He was startled when she spoke again.

"Every year before…" she trailed off but he knew what she meant by before. "My parents would pop a bag of popcorn and pack Russ and me into the car. We would drive around our neighborhood and look at all the Christmas lights," he noticed that her expression changed when she talked about her childhood. "We would turn up the Christmas carols as loud as possible. I remember that Russ and I always used to fight over the radio station…" she sighed and he dared to lay a hand on the thigh that was still touching his.

"That's a nice tradition, Bones," he encouraged her to continue with a squeeze of his hand. She smiled wistfully and covered his hand with her own, sliding her thumb over the back of his knuckles.

"Why aren't you with Parker now?" she asked.

"He's with Rebecca," he forced out the name of his ex. "She took him to her parents' house in New York," his sigh sounded loud in the stillness of the office.

"I'm sorry," she wished that his son was able to be with him on Christmas.

"Me too," he echoed, the corners of his mouth turning up as he poorly attempted to smile. After a moment of quiet contemplation, he linked his fingers with hers and pulled her suddenly to her feet. At her questioning glance, he released her hand and crossed the room to grab her coat from where it lay over the back of her chair. He held it out and gestured for her to stick her arms through the sleeves. "Come on… baby, it's cold outside," he quoted the beloved Christmas song.

"Baby?" she was puzzled but she accepted his help. She didn't fail to notice that way that his hands lingered on her arms longer than necessary after he settled the coat over her shoulders.

"You know, the song… I really can't stay, baby, it's cold outside… I've got to go away, baby, it's cold outside…" he gave up trying to explain when the lines of puzzlement appeared on her forehead. "Wait here," he instructed before he exited her office and disappeared down the hallway. For once in her life, she complied, and in two minutes he was back.

"Where did you go?" she was curious. From behind his back, he produced a bag of vending machine pretzels and held them out to her.

"Sorry, but the lab doesn't have any popcorn…" he said as he deposited the bag into her waiting hands. "This will have to do," he gave her a ridiculously boyish grin, but his eyes were serious.

"It's perfect. Thank you," she swallowed past the lump in her throat and returned his smile.

He leaned forward and for a second, a fleeting moment in which her heart threatened to skip a beat, she thought he was going to kiss her. He did kiss her, a gentle and lingering peck on the cheek, before he pulled back and squeezed her shoulder affectionately.

"You're welcome," he replied. "Now let's go look at some Christmas lights."

A/N: I love fanfiction. That's all I have to say.