Booth watched Angela walk away, his mind still trying to decipher the veiled look she had given him before.
'Are you still mad at me?' Brennan's voice was small and shaky, and promptly focused his attention back towards her. Sighing, Booth made his way over to the couch beside her.
'I'm still a little mad at you,' he confessed, careful to keep some distance between them. He saw her clasp her hands tightly together, her grip so tight that her knuckles were white. 'Just for the record Bones, what happened back there is never going to happen again. Okay?'
A pause. 'Okay,' he heard her concede. 'I'm…I'm sorry Booth.'
Booth blinked in surprise. His partner rarely, if ever, apologized directly. Oh she would say it, but always in a roundabout way that made it impossible to realize what she was saying unless you really knew her.
'I realize that my ability to section off my feelings isn't something that everyone is able to do. And I'm sorry I made you feel like you had betrayed me.'
Booth was horrified to see a dark blue spot appear on the thigh of her jeans. Tentatively, he reached out and lifted her chin.
'Hey, you know I hate it when you get that sad, girly look on your face,' Booth said softly, his chest constricting when he saw her eyes shimmering with tears. 'Look Bones, you're my partner. Sure, you're going to do things that I might not particularly like-'
For instance, Sully.
'But that's life. We're just going to have to get over it and move on,' he finished.
'I resent the implication that I'm the only one that does things. You have done plenty of things that I have objected to. For instance, you repeatedly deny my constitutional right to have a gun,' Brennan said, her voice watery. Booth smiled, seeing the familiar sparkle flicker back into her eyes.
'The FBI is denying you your constitutional right, not me. You were charged with a felony Bones. Besides, you're packing a gun the size of Big Foot. Why are we still having this conversation?'
Booth saw his thumb trace along her jaw.
'You didn't betray me, you know?' Brennan said. Booth felt his hand drop, leaving it to rest on his leg. Staring straight ahead, he avoided Brennan's gaze as she spoke.
'For the past three years Booth, you've been there for me-'
'Angela didn't testify Bones!' Booth finally exploded, jumping to his feet.
'You were doing your job Booth. I knew that.'
'That doesn't make it any better. What if your dad had been found guilty, huh Bones? Would you still have been able to look at me, knowing that I helped put your father on death row?'
'But he wasn't found guilty.'
'You would hate me if he was though. Don't even deny it,' Booth said, seeing her trying to interrupt. This spurred Brennan to her feet, and Booth found himself face to face with his partner.
'Don't you dare presume to know what I would think or feel Seeley Booth. You have no idea how…' Brennan trailed off, swallowing.
'What Bones?' Booth demanded.
'It's been a long day Booth. I'll see you tomorrow.'
'No,' Booth said, grabbing hold of her wrist as she tried to walk away. He felt it in his core that she had been about to say something very important. 'What?'
'Let go of me Booth.'
'No,' Booth replied, feeling defiant even though he knew the chances of him getting his ass handed to him was becoming a distinct possibility.
'This is ridiculous. Let go of me now.'
'No. Say it Bones. Why are you so afraid to say it?'
'I have nothing to say,' Brennan countered, looking him square in the eye.
'You made me….you wanted me to think that you were capable of taking a life. You wanted me to think you were like those assholes we put behind bars everyday. Tell me Temperance.'
'How you make me feel!' Her exclamation made Booth pause in shock. His mouth gaped open.
'You confuse me Booth! Every time you're around me I feel like I'm not in control, like you're the one that controls me. I find myself worrying about how you are when you're not around, about whether you've eaten, about whether…about whether you've been with another women.' The last part was said so softly Booth almost missed it. It made his heart jump into his mouth, made his head feel slightly giddy.
'And I know it's unfounded and unreasonable, but I just-'
Booth seized the moment. He placed his lips on hers, grinning wildly when he felt her respond to him eagerly.
'I've been wanting to do that since Christmas,' Booth confessed, sucking in air hungrily. He was pleased to see Brennan slightly dazed, her fingers resting on her lips.
'God knows you confuse me too Bones,' Booth said. Brennan raised her eyes to meet his. 'And now that I know I confuse you too, I want us to figure this out together.'
'You said there was a line,' Brennan told him. 'Did you mean it or were you trying to compartmentalize?'
'Epps had just poisoned Cam Bones.' Booth slid his hand to rest on the nape of her neck, thrilled that she hadn't flipped him over her shoulder. 'I could handle Cam being hurt. I couldn't handle it if you had been the one on that bed. I was trying to convince myself that if we weren't involved, I could be more objective in the field.'
'Did it work?'
'Not one bit,' Booth told her, resting his forehead on hers.
'So what do we do now Booth?'
'We do what we always do Bones. We work together and we make this work.'
'What if it doesn't? What if you leave and-'
Booth's hold on her tightened.
'I'm not promising that I'm never going to leave,' Booth said and wasn't surprised to feel her tense up. 'But I promise that I'm going to do everything in my power not to leave you unless I have to.'
'Alright,' he heard her answer, her lips moving against his neck. They were still slightly moist and he resisted the urge to shiver. 'But I'm warning you that I'm not very good at this.'
'Ah. But none of them knew you like I did,' Booth said, brow furrowing as he ran through all the men that Brennan had previously been with.
'Are you puffing out your chest?'
'No,' Booth denied quickly. 'And don't start on the alpha male thing, alright? We already know I'm going to be the best. There's no need for me to prove anything.'
'Really?' Brennan asked, raising an eyebrow.
'Who else can say that they confuse the great Temperance Brennan?' Booth asked, flashing a dimpled smile. He saw her features soften in response and his heart hammered wildly in his chest.
You wanted this Seel my man. Now you have it.
'Thank you Seeley. For everything.'
As Brennan slanted her lips against his, only one thought ran through Booth's mind.
Don't screw it up.