Fic: What You Thought You Needed (#54 in All That Lies Between Us)

[only_more_love]

Title: What You Thought You Needed (Ficlet #54)
Series: All That Lies Between Us
Word Count: 300
Rating: PG
Summary:  Brennan has a question for Booth.
Characters: Booth, Brennan
Timeline: Set 7 years into Booth and Brennan's partnership.
Spoilers: Nothing explicit.
Feedback: is always appreciated. If criticizing, please be constructive.
Disclaimer: Bones and its characters belong to FOX, not me. This story is purely mean to entertain. No copyright infringement is intended.

Click here for fic index.
Click here to read the other ficlets in this series.

"Why have we never slept together?" The question sounds casual -- like she's asking how he spent his weekend. He knows her too well to be fooled.

A forkful of scrambled eggs is halfway to Booth's mouth. Upon hearing her question, he reverses direction, gently setting it down on his plate.

He's thought about it. So often that it's tough for him to remember a time when he didn't wonder what they'd be like together.

Carefully, he avoids meeting Brennan's eyes. Eyes that see too much sometimes and not enough at others. With hands that shake a little, he reaches for his coffee. The clink and clatter of the diner fills the space between them. Hands wrapped securely around the warm cup, Booth lets his gaze flicker to Brennan's face, taking in the tension curling around her mouth and sketching lines between her eyebrows.

He's watched the men stroll in and out of her life; none have stayed more than six months. Doctors, a musician, an architect... He's vetted them all, growled when necessary, and warned her to be careful -- like the older brother he'll never be to her -- no matter how she lies to herself and to him. But watching her back has become more than a habit and more like a compulsion over the years. Laughter builds in his chest as he wonders what Gordon Gordon would have said about that. He forces it back.

He's had girlfriends. They've been pretty, funny, kind. If he found one he liked as much as he likes her, he'd be set.

"Because it would have been about more than biology," he says, resting his hand on the table.

Brennan's mouth opens and closes, but then she nods, eyes soft, and slides her hand forward until their fingertips almost touch.

---

Author Note:  I can't explain it, but I loved writing this.  It surprised me and made me smile.  Part of me wants to make a longer story out of this, but in the interests of discipline, I'm telling myself I have too much else to finish already.  All that said, if you hate this, it's ok to tell me so.  Happy Friday, and thank you for reading.  :) Oh, and an Unwell update should be up on Tuesday; I've some tweaking to do. 

ETA a question:  Can anyone tell me what a Catholic church smells like?  I know that sounds weird, but I'm totally serious.

Comments

[last-archangel.livejournal.com]

Oh my God, that line was perfect. Even she would have to agree with that. Oh my God! It's such a true statement, so in character! I'd be amazed if something like that is never said on the show.

I know, I'll watch Bones! I'm sick in bed today with nothing to do. As soon as I'm finished with my delightful Disney movie, I'm watching Bones!

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thank you! So pleased you thought this was in character. It HAS to be addressed on the show at some point, or things will just start to look totally ridiculous. I'm sure you're feeling better by this point, but sorry to hear you were sick.

[mistletoe54.livejournal.com]

I can't explain it, but I loved writing this.

Well I enjoyed reading it; and yes, it was a perfect answer. Sometimes Booth's gut tells him the right thing in non-criminal situations.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Sara. Love your icon, by the way. Booth's gut is an excellent tool. *g*

[tempertemper77.livejournal.com]

Reviewed over at ff.net.. but still thinking about this and smiling a happy smile (what a dope) :)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Apologies for the delayed but still sincere reply to your comment. If this made you smile, I'm happy. *hugs*

[mdemvizi.livejournal.com]

Pure love.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Emily. :)

[greyskygirl.livejournal.com]

I think it's perfect as it stands. And getting surprised by something you're writing is just divine, so I'm glad it happened to you.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

You're a star. Thank you. :)

[justice79.livejournal.com]

You know why this one is fantastic? Because it is a question this show at some point in the future will have to answer -- I don't say that as a fangirl, I say that as someone who pays attention to narrative indicators.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for reading and commenting. I'm glad this worked for you -- for whatever reason. And I agree with you that the show will eventually have to address this question or risk looking totally ridiculous.

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

I loved this.

If he found one he liked as much as he likes her, he'd be set.

Favorite line ever. So true in all relationships. You can have hot sex, you can have passionate romance and infatuation, but at the end of the day, you have to like that person, warts and all.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled that line resonated for you as it did for me, D.

You can have hot sex, you can have passionate romance and infatuation, but at the end of the day, you have to like that person, warts and all.

Yes. Absolutely.

As always, thanks for taking the time to read and comment. Happy Friday!

[trilliane.livejournal.com]

Aw! That last line is perfection.

More importantly, I'm so glad you enjoyed writing this one! ;)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you, Sam. I enjoy writing everything, but some pieces just feel more difficult. This didn't. :)

[(Anonymous)]

"Because it would have been about more than biology," Wow!!! I love this line!!

I don't in the States, but here in Spain Churchs smells like incense, old wood, humidity, candles...It's a mix... It's hard to explain... churchs smells like church...

Julia. (I don't hava an open id nor a livejournal)

[makd.livejournal.com]

Last time I was in a Catholic church it smells the same as our local Episcopal church: pretty much the same as your Catholic church in Spain: incense, old wood, beeswax candles...and furniture polish and lemons. [What? I probably walked in just after early a.m. dusting...]

[http://users.livejournal.com/alderaan_/]

Brennan's mouth opens and closes, but then she nods, eyes soft, and slides her hand forward until their fingertips almost touch.
I love this line. It’s perfect.

But if they have never slept together in seven years they are Mulder and Scully xD

Can anyone tell me what a Catholic church smells like?
Depend of the church. Modern one… nothing special. Old one… candle wax, incense only sometimes, flowers and a bit of dampness. Usually it's cold inside.

Unwell!!! Yay!!! *dance*

Besos

[pinktealeaves.livejournal.com]

But if they have never slept together in seven years they are Mulder and Scully xD

I came here to comment the exact same thing.

7 years? I mean, why? XD

[geezbones.livejournal.com]

Brennan and her doubts, this is just amazing. I can totally picture it but...I'd rather prefer if we don't get to that instance in which we are on the 7th season and nothing has yet happened. hehehe, which is why I love ff's. I loved it, I love it too!

Can anyone tell me what a Catholic church smells like?

mhm...let me think. Candles, but just the wax, I mean, not the smelly ones, just the normal candles, like when their flame extinguish and that smells stays in the air. And maybe this can sound weird but I swear that that holly water has some kind of smell that intoxicates the air. and it's always pretty cold inside, that helps the smells to remain like a pattern.

I don't know if that helps you, I'm not very good with description...

:)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Sofi, I'll be sad, too, if we're in the 7th season and nothing more has happened. But it's certainly a possible, and that's how I thought of it as I wrote this.

Your description was just fine; thank you for sharing. :)

Thank you for commenting, as you so often do. *hugs*

[buffyangellvr23.livejournal.com]

You did well, and I can't wait for more Unwell :)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thank you. So glad you liked this. :)

[makd.livejournal.com]

excellent response on Booth's part - and so very, very, true.

[sighs.]

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

*hugs you* Thank you.

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

I love this too. It's perfect to me.

As far as Catholic churches, the Jew girl recalls polished wood and incense.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info and the comments. :) Enjoy having A. back home.

[odakota-rose.livejournal.com]

*sigh* that's it exactly. Maybe way back in the beginning it could've been just biological imperatives and whatnot, but now? not a chance..

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks! Yeah, they're way past it being just about biology, thankfully. :)

[pinktealeaves.livejournal.com]

I loved it, truly, all except the timeline thing. ;) Seven years is the time that took Mulder and Scully to get to sleep together. OMG, yes. I prefer not to think Booth and Brennan will do the same. lol

...slides her hand forward until their fingertips almost touch. ---> Awwwww...

Have a nice weekend, dear.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Seven years is the time that took Mulder and Scully to get to sleep together.

That's what people keep telling me. *g* And I might have to hurt someone if that's what happens on Bones, but it's always a possibility that that is how things will play out.

*hugs* And sorry to hear about your computer troubles; Pinci dropped me a note. Hope things get fixed soon. It's surprising how dependent we are on computers now.

Thanks for commenting.

[fangirlgonewild.livejournal.com]

It would be about more than biology.

And a Catholic Church smells like incense. A little smoky, from all the candles and everything. My grandparents' church smells a bit like furniture polish, because it's huge and has about five million perfectly polished pews. But they all smell like the incense, whatever kind they happen to use. My favorite church (and churches creep me out a little, so the fact that I like this one says a lot) always smells like oranges and lavender.

Hope that helps. Tales from a beyond-lapsed Catholic, helping fanfic writers everywhere.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Hope that helps. Tales from a beyond-lapsed Catholic, helping fanfic writers everywhere.

LOL Thanks. Yes, that was helpful.

[seoirse-1013.livejournal.com]

Because it would have been about more than biology

Love that line! And I love reading this series, by the way. I've been following it diligently and enjoying it thoroughly.

How a Catholic church smells like? Remember when Bones asked Booth what the stange smell was at the end of one ep (was it 'Aliens in A Spaceship'?) -- that's what a Catholic church smells like. Though I wouldn't call it strange per se. Definitely smells of incense. And wood, old wood that's like it's been wet and dried several times. Also burning candle. Sometimes flowers too if the church is all decked out for a celebration.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Hi there! Your name doesn't sound familiar, so welcome, and thank you for de-lurking. I'm relatively even-tempered and (generally) not prone to biting, so please don't feel shy. ;)

Yes, I do remember the church scene from the end of Aliens. Thanks for sharing your impressions of what a Catholic church smells like. Thank you, too, for reading and commenting on this; I'm very happy you enjoyed it. :)

[highshelf.livejournal.com]

wonderful as usual. I've decided to un-lurk myself. So, I'm Lele and as Unwell is my favorite fic of yours I can't wait until Tuesday.

Depending what day, on Easter, it smells like smoke because they do that smoke thingy. Also, on normal days it just smells like a birthday cake, cause of the candels, atleast to me that's what it sounds like.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Hi, Lele. So glad you decided to de-lurk. :) I'm glad you liked this, and I'm thrilled to hear you like Unwell, too. Thank you for letting me know that.

Thanks for the info on what Catholic churches smell like.

[alliemulder2.livejournal.com]

I really liked this too. Very fitting and natural.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks very much. I'm happy this seemed natural for them.

[pipergirl07.livejournal.com]

Well, if you loved writing it half as much as I loved reading it, then you're set :)

"Because it would have been about more than biology" is such a Booth answer. He's trying to put it into words that she'll understand, yet it's a very non-squint answer. (thanks for not having him repeat the 'biological imperatives' line--too many folks have Booth repeating that word-for-word, when there's no way in hell that stuck in his brain ;)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Well, if you loved writing it half as much as I loved reading it, then you're set :)

*hugs* Thank you. :)

Yeah, Booth's an intelligent man, but he doesn't think in that particular language. You're absolutely right that he's trying to explain it in a way she'll get.

[kinseyjo.livejournal.com]

i loved this as well, sweetie -- as always. i just had to jump in on the Catholic church smell thing. :) I have been in several Catholic churches, but the only ones that have ever smelled like incense have been the cathedrals. I think in bigger places you'll find a few more dioceses, but out here in MT land, we've just got a couple. :) Most run-of-the-mill churches don't use incense unless it's a special occasion. I have to say our church (to me) sorta just smells like home. If you're trying to describe it from Bren's pov, it might be better to ask a non-Catholic what it smells like to them. :)

smoochies as always!

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

*smooches you back* Thanks, K. :) I'm doing a happy dance because you liked this.

Thanks for the info on the smell(s) of a Catholic church.

And yes, damn it, I (still) want some. *waits* :P

[freevortex.livejournal.com]

Ooh, ooh, can I? I'll do it anyway. *squee!* wonderful!

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

:D Thank you for the squee.

[mdemvizi.livejournal.com]

I have spent many years in an old Catholic church. From 4th-8th grade I went to mass everyday and the church smelled... old. It depended on if there were flowers on the altar or if someone is wearing lots of perfume. It usually smells like a normal place or candles.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing your memories with me, Emily.

[lceb.livejournal.com]

Delurking just to say - beautiful.
And a little sad, won't ever Brennan, move her hand a little more to grab happiness?

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Hi there! Thanks for de-lurking -- and for letting me know you enjoyed this. :)

And a little sad, won't ever Brennan, move her hand a little more to grab happiness?

I agree that it's a little sad. As for your question, I suspect she will at some point. She's already moved quite a bit... I am tempted to pick this up and spin something longer out of it. We'll see.