"I don't want to go to karate with you tonight – it's boring." Booth sulked at Brennan as he drove them away from the Jeffersonian.

"You just don't like that I can beat you." Brennan smirked.

"There are too many rules. In a real fight, I could take you." Booth scowled.

"Yes, you could overpower me with brute strength. But only if I didn't take you out first." Brennan was now obviously teasing him – something she had just started to learn how to do.

"Hmph." Booth grunted, but he smiled at her. "C'mon, let's do something I like for once. How about basketball? I could show you how to play."

Brennan looked reluctant. "I don't understand the purpose of games like basketball; it's just an extension of adolescence – males playing out war fantasies…"

"Yeah, I know. You said." Booth said wryly. "Just give it a chance, Bones. Be open to new experiences."

"Fine, I will. I am open to new experiences." Brennan conceded. Booth grinned at her.

"This'll be fun!" he announced. He took a U-turn. "We can play on the hoop at my apartment – it's less crowded than the gym."

"Okay." Brennan agreed. "Booth, U-turns are illegal."

"Call the cops." He suggested cheekily. Brennan sighed her exasperation, but couldn't keep the laughter out of her eyes.

"Let's start easy, I'll show you the form for shooting and we can play a little one-on-one." Booth said as he easily dribbled the basketball with his right hand. They stood outside his apartments on a little half-court with a single hoop fastened to the building wall. Brennan, who had brought only her gi for karate, was outfitted in one of Booth's undershirts, tied in a knot at the waist, and a pair of his gym shorts cinched with her own slim black leather belt with its delicate gold buckle. She looked utterly ridiculous, standing on one foot stretching her quads. Booth was disturbed by how appealing he found it. When she stretched he could get a glimpse of her belly under his knotted shirt. It shouldn't have been sexy. But it was.

"Okay, show me how to shoot a hoop." She said as she finished stretching.

Booth smiled at her awkward phrasing. He moved to her side and held the ball. "Alright. You hold the ball in your right hand and steady it with your left on the side. Don't grip it with your left, you're pushing with your right and reaching into the basket." He demonstrated, shot the ball and it dropped neatly through the basket with a swish. Brennan watched carefully. "Now you try." He said, retrieving the ball and placing it into her hands. He watched as she lined up her arms. "Don't grip with your left." He reminded her, placing his hands over hers and gently correcting her stance. His action resulted in a position that was nearly an embrace. His cheek nearly touching hers, his breath stirring the sensitive hairs along her neck. He nudged her right foot forward with his toe. "Lead with your right foot, a little crouch. Now straighten your legs and push the ball up and through the hoop." He straightened away from her. Brennan steadied herself, calculated the distance to the hoop and shot. The ball hit the wall behind the hoop, bounced around the rim several times then bounced out.

"I missed." Brennan said. "I didn't account for the amount of rebound from the wall. Let me try again. It's all simple physics."

"Yeah, Bones. Physics!" Booth laughed as he retrieved the ball and handed it to her. "Keep your form, though."

Brennan adjusted her stance, gauged the distance, then shot. Swish.

"Hey! You're a natural!" Booth grinned and jogged to get the ball. "Let's play some. Here, remember, you have to dribble unless you're going to shoot, okay?"

"Okay." Brennan bounced the ball experimentally. She took a few steps while dribbling until she got the rhythm of it then held the ball.

"I'm going to guard you, and you are going to try to get a shot and make a basket. Then we'll switch." Booth said, dropping into a guard stance. "We'll go easy this time."

An hour later, Brennan had the basics of HORSE down and was pink-cheeked from exertion. "One more game before dinner, Booth." She said. "Are you still taking it easy on me?"

"Not that easy, Bones. But, I don't want to hurt you." He replied.

"This time play for real." She said.

"No way." Booth said firmly. "But I'll step it up a notch."

Brennan began dribbling, dodging toward the basket. Booth easily blocked her routes, laughing at her as she became slightly frustrated. Suddenly, she simply charged him, letting the ball fly in a shot. Her body slammed into his and bounced off, landing flat on her back. The ball bounced around the rim several times before swishing into the basket.

The impact of her fall left Brennan gasping for air. Booth was immediately on his knees beside her. "You okay? Are you hurt? Bones. Baby?" He said urgently. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I should have held back a little more." He was lifting her into his lap, patting her back until she could draw a deep breath. Then he simply gathered her up against his chest, his strong arms winding around her. He dropped two panicked kisses against her temple.

"I'm not injured." Brennan said, finally finding her voice. "Just disgraced. You really were holding back from playing at full force." She was chuckling slightly and Booth pulled back to look into her face. He smoothed her hair back with one warm hand.

"Sorry, Bones. I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me. I did. I slammed right into you – it was like hitting a brick wall." She said reasonably.

"Yeah, you can't get through me. That's why they called me 'The Wall' in college, Bones." He grinned at her. "Can you get up? We'll go upstairs and order some dinner. I'll give you some aspirin." He drew her gently to her feet, scooped up the basketball and kept a steadying arm around her waist as they went up to his apartment. Reaching his door, he got out his keys and drew her into his side, tucking her auburn head under his jaw. "You made the shot, you know." He said.

"I did?" She asked. She tilted her face up, her eyes lit with mischievous pleasure.

"Yep, guess I've met my match." He replied, smiling down into her upturned face. The words he spoke hung in the air and both partners' faces grew sober and intent. They moved toward one another simultaneously, their noses brushing, breaths mingling. Booth's elderly neighbor opened her door and dragged a bag of trash into the hallway. The partners jerked apart. Booth quickly handed Brennan his keys and the basketball. "Here, you get some aspirin and get in the shower, I'll order dinner." He turned to his neighbor as Brennan slipped into his apartment. "Hello, Mrs. Jackson, let me bring that down for you."

"Oh, you're a good boy, Seeley Booth." The old woman said, allowing him to take the heavy bag from her. "Did I interrupt something important just now?" She asked, her eyes twinkling shrewdly.

"No, no. Not at all." Booth said quickly.

"Too bad." She replied, turning back into her apartment. "Thank you for your help, dear."

Booth blew out a tense breath and started to the stairs with Mrs. Jackson's trash. He tried unsuccessfully to not think of Bones showering in his bathroom at that very moment. "Seeley Booth, you are an idiot." He told himself as he stomped down the stairs.