Booth often wondered what it was about Temperance Brennan that made him so conflicted.

They fought- about stupid things or controversial things or things that were just plan inappropriate- but no matter their differences, he always found himself agreeing with her in the end. He could never say no, no matter her request, whether it be to let her drive or “Get federal on his ass”.

And she was so clueless about things sometimes that he found it frustrating, but after a while her constant “I don’t know what that means” made him smile rather than roll his eyes. Being around her suddenly became entertaining rather than an annoyance, and he wasn’t sure when that shift occurred, the shift from assigned partners, forced to occupy the same space and conspire together, to friends who shared Thai food on the roof and danced to “Hot Blooded” in her living room.

Now, it was shifting again. Instead of their “Guy Hugs”, where he comforted her in the promise that he didn’t expect more, he found himself breathing her in, wishing that he were allowed to hug her like this without prompt.

She infuriated him. He wanted so badly to scream at her sometimes, tell her to stop thinking so much about everything and just live, but other times that was the thing that he loved about her. He loved her? Yes, he loved her. That sounded right when he said it in his head, but it scared the hell out of him. What was he supposed to do? Finally succumb to the implications everyone made about them and confess? No. She’d push him away, close herself off, and they would pretend that nothing ever happened.

He knew her too well. He knew her favorite flower, her favorite planet, and what her reactions would be to things. He could imagine what she would say if he admitted his love for her.

“But- Booth, we’re partners.”

That’s all they were. All they’d ever be, apparently.

XXX

A week later, standing next to her in her office looking over paperwork, he was ready to explode.

“Okay, you know what? I can’t do this anymore.”

“We’ve only been working for an hour. Really, your work ethic should be a little better than that-“

“Not that! This,” he said, motioning between them, “I can’t do…us.”

“Well, if you didn’t want to work with me anymore, you could have told me. I’m sure they can find you another partner, one that doesn’t bother you so much.” She turned away, and even through the coldness in her voice, he could tell she was hurt.

“God, Bones, that isn’t what I meant.” He sighed, grabbing her arm and turning her back to face him.

“You are absolutely unbearable sometimes, because you’re so stubborn and you won’t let anyone do anything that you think you could do better, you don’t let other people talk. You make me so mad sometimes because there’s no arguing with you, you’ll always win. But Bones…you bring out things in me I didn’t know I had. Good things, and bad things too. And I know we always laugh it off when people assume we’re together and when Angela makes those stupid innuendo implications all the time, but we both know they’re not completely off.”

She went to speak but was cut off, Booth’s rant continuing on. “I love you, okay? I love you. And I’m sorry if that scares you, but you have to talk to me. You can’t cut me out or pretend this didn’t happen, because it’s real and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

He took her hand, “I know you felt it at Christmas, with the mistletoe. You can’t pretend that I’m crazy or say that you don’t know what it means because as much as you annoy the hell out of me, I realized that I’d rather have a hundred stupid arguments with you than not get to see you at all.”

He took a deep breath, his speech over, and she looked into his eyes, the startled look in her eyes dissipating.

“Booth.” She said, shaking her head and smiling. “You really didn’t have to say all of that.”

“I know, I know, because we’re just partners and this will affect our relationship-“

“Because I’ve felt the same way about you. You didn’t think I was that oblivious, did you?”

He let his jaw drop. “You let me go through that whole thing for no reason?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t want to stop your thought process.”

“You stop me all the time when we argue! I’m never allowed to talk then!”

“Because you’re always wrong.”

“I am not always wrong!”

“Most of the time you are, yes.”

“But-“

He stopped when she started to laugh.

“This is what I love about us.”

With that, she kissed him, and he forgot about all of his plans to sweep her off her feet.

“So, coffee at the diner?” she asked when they broke apart.

“What? I…um, yeah. That’s…good.”

“I’m driving.” She said, taking his keys from his pocket.

“Hey! That’s not- oh, fine. Whatever.”

He gave up, shaking his head and smirking as he followed her out the door. After all, he could never really say no to her. That was the price he paid, he figured, for falling in love with Temperance Brennan.

She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child,
But she's always a woman to me

She can lead you to love
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she'll never believe
And she'll take what you give her, as long as it's free
Yeah, she steals like a thief
But she's always a woman to me

Oh--she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh--and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

And she'll promise you more
Than the Garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you
And laugh while you're bleedin'
But she'll bring out the best
And the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself
Cause she's always a woman to me
--Mhmm--

Oh--she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh--and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

She is frequently kind
And she's suddenly cruel
She can do as she pleases
She's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted
She's earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me

A/N: Lyrics are from “She’s Always a Woman to Me” by Billy Joel. Please review! Thanks.