Fic: Before and After (1/1)

[only_more_love]

Title:  Before and After
Characters:  Booth, Brennan
Timeline:  Set during The Santa in the Slush
Summary:  Sometimes a kiss is just a kiss, and sometimes...
Spoilers:  For The Santa in the Slush
Notes: This is for Kerry, for reminding me what it's like to be transported by a story.

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Insistent hands on his lapels tug him forward, hold him in place. (As if he would run. As if he could.)

Line.

Scientist’s mouth, but there is nothing cool or objective about the way it touches his.

Partner. No.

Sunshine on his tongue, crisp, clean, and flooding him with warmth (Yes) and lighting up the silent, dark parts of him that have been waiting – for her.

Breath of my breath. Bone of my bone.

And suddenly nothing is the same: the universe shatters, splintering into fragments so small only her hands could piece them back together again. They live a lifetime in each other’s arms until she pulls away, taking his breath (and more) with her. He blinks. What the…

She’s smiling.

Sound rushes back with a pop of air. His lips move, but he doesn’t know why. Someone’s talking, but he can’t understand what’s being said. All he hears is his body screaming for her.

Yes.

He hadn’t known, not really: now he does. There was before, and now there is after.

Yes.

He'll wait.

The End

---

Author's Note: I'm not sure where this came from. It's kind of... impressionistic.

Have a great wkend, everyone, and thank you very much if you've recently left me feedback.

Comments

[buffyangellvr23.livejournal.com]

mmm lovely :) You're good :)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Aww, thank you! :)

[justice79.livejournal.com]

Oh... I like this. It is impressionistic. Enjoy the line about there being a before and after.

At some point the show better mention the kiss again.

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

At some point the show better mention the kiss again.

I am unreasonably looking forward to that moment.

[mdemvizi.livejournal.com]

Who isn't waiting to see them discuss what the kiss really meant.

[made-of-toast.livejournal.com]

I await it with baited breath!!

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thank you much.

At some point the show better mention the kiss again.

Yes, definitely. It's unfortunate how the strike caused the show to jump forward several months so we didn't get more of an immediate aftermath, but hopefully they'll address it in some way.

[rollsofrice.livejournal.com]

splintering into fragments so small only her hands could piece them back together again.

One word: magnificent.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thank you! So pleased you enjoyed this; it's a bit different for me, but I liked playing like this. :)

[starlite-diner.livejournal.com]

gah, this is absolutely brilliant hun. what a lovely thing to find on my f-list first thing in the morning. :D

Sound rushes back with a pop of air. His lips move, but he doesn’t know why. Someone’s talking, but he can’t understand what’s being said. All he hears is his body screaming for her.

Yes.

He hadn’t known, not really: now he does. There was before, and now there is after
this is what perfection is ♥ :D

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

I'm happy you liked this, Shauna. *smiles* Thank you for the lovely comment. It's so great to finally have new episodes, isn't it? More stuff for us all to dissect. *g*

[kaydee23.livejournal.com]

They're meant to be. They are. They are. They are.

I love it!

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

They're meant to be. They are. They are. They are.

*sighs* I like to think so.

Thanks for commenting; I'm tickled pink that you liked this.

[dabhug.livejournal.com]

Yes. Yes. Yes. Wonderful.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks, Donna. :)

[anadxof.livejournal.com]

This is magic. Perfectly well done.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

*hugs* Thank you, Foxy.

[makd.livejournal.com]

nice one - as always.

And yes: before and after....

by the way, just read somewhere online, that the switching of gum idea was something that DB and ED came up with; it wasn't scripted. Oh, they're clever, those two. :-)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thank you, my dear.

They just light up with each other, don't they? So much energy moving between them. And yes, they are clever. :)

[cywrain.livejournal.com]

Very impressionistic. Very good. Are you planning on extending this theme at all, as in a set of impressionistic writings? (I'm assuming this would be a tricky style to write in for a full-out story, but I'd be happy to read it and be proved wrong.)

You have this nasty habit of ending your stories (and one-shots) with a killer last line that so makes me what to learn where the story will go next. Sigh.

[freevortex.livejournal.com]

Ooh! I like this.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Glad you liked this! Thanks for letting me know that. :)

[highvoltage11.livejournal.com]

Love it. The 'waiting' for her...how its been re-awoke inside him... The hope part of it at least. The wanting's always been there. Very nice.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thanks for pointing out some specific things you liked; I appreciate it. :) And yes, I think on some level he's wanted her for a while.

[tempertemper77.livejournal.com]

Still in love with you for this one... and just crashing in to say I seriously heart that icon - beautiful :)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

*g* I love that you love me for this. Say that five times fast.

and just crashing in to say I seriously heart that icon - beautiful :)

Thanks, sweetie. They're just so pretty. *pets*

[tempertemper77.livejournal.com]

*happy sigh*

They sure are :)

[a2zmom.livejournal.com]

Fantastic.

They live a lifetime in each other’s arms until she pulls away, taking his breath (and more) with her.

I love that description, so apt.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm thrilled you liked that bit of description.

[anna-sg1.livejournal.com]

Beautiful, awsome, amazing, magic and YES!!!!

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

*smiles* Thanks so much for your kind words. More than happy that you enjoyed this.

[greyskygirl.livejournal.com]

I ... am speechless. First, I can't believe I missed seeing this earlier - know that my lack of feedback was only due to my lack of time. That said.

THANK YOU. Having this dedicated to me is a huge honor, and that it's so, so lovely makes the gift even better.

I think every line - every word, even - is just right. You took an amazing moment and made it something even more beautiful.

Booth's thoughts are just ... I have no words. As always, I think you really do see into his head.

Breath of my breath. Bone of my bone.

Perfect. Really. Thank you, again, so much. <3.

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

No worries! We all have non-LJ lives. The written word sits and waits for the reader. There's no time limit. *g*

And you're welcome. I meant what I said. Your writing inspired me. It reminded me (again) that words never get old; you can always do something beautiful and meaningful with them.

As always, I think you really do see into his head.

ha ha I wish! More like I'd like to conk him in the head so he'll take back those well-meaning but terrible words about the line.

As always, thank you for your generous comments, and this time, for your story, too. *hugs*

[sarabones.livejournal.com]

I read this like it was true.. It's so awesome that I could spend my night reading this :) Again xD

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Oh, thanks so much, Sara. I had fun playing with this style, so I'm very happy you enjoyed the result.

[lizetm.livejournal.com]

Lovely. Great job! :D

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

Many thanks! :)

[alliemulder2.livejournal.com]

Impressive, exactly. Thank you :)

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

I'm happy you liked this. Thank you for reading and commenting. :)

[odakota-rose.livejournal.com]

*huge grin*
This my friend, is what we call a man having an epiphany =D

[lerdo.livejournal.com]

An epiphany, yes. That's exactly it. *grins along with you* As always, thank you for reading and commenting. Hope you had fun on your trip!

[odakota-rose.livejournal.com]

:D
I'm having fun so far, we probably won't be back to San Diego until May 4, maybe a bit later if we decide to stay longer, but it's great being back home in Illinois, I love it here

[natalie-raymond.livejournal.com]

AH MAZING!

[lazorsaurus.livejournal.com]

i love love being reminded of this kiss. so great. perfect number of steamboats.

i did find caroline's reaction strange though. in the special features version, there's much more going on and her saliva makes more sense. but in the edited version, it's long but rather...immobile. :(

regardless, this is beautiful.

marvelous: 'He hadn’t known, not really: now he does. There was before, and now there is after.

[britt-1975.livejournal.com]

There was before, and now there is after.

Yes.

He'll wait.


Wow. I got chills. I've only recently started watching Bones, and had to catch up via NetFlix. I thought that surely, a show this good much have some good fanfiction... and this is one of the first pieces I found. So I have high hopes for the quality in the fandom. This was really well written. I love the style and his thoughts... and the fact that he'll wait for her. This just makes my inner fangirl squee with delight. It's really spare, but beautifully written and I love the imagery of sunshine on his tongue. This whole piece is just really wonderful.