AN: I was surprised by the reactions to my last post. I had been thinking that it was probably a little too weird for BONES fan fiction but you guys proved me wrong. So, thanks for all the reviews! Glad I could provide something a little different for your reading enjoyment.

But now we return to our regularly scheduled fluff. ^.^

Spoilers for the season 4 finale. But they're pretty light spoilers.

Guy Hugs

“It’s a guy hug, take it.”

She remembered the first time he had said that to her, his arms open and welcoming as he looked at her with those knowing brown eyes. He knew exactly what she needed; to just feel close to someone in a time of emotional difficulty. And his strong arms had enveloped her in a warm, comforting embrace. It was just a hug between friends, one meant for comfort and to show that he cared.

And it didn’t happen again for a while.

So when she turned to cling to him again, she couldn’t quite figure out why it felt so familiar for an action that had only occurred once. But they had become even closer since then so of course hugging him shouldn’t feel strange.

And it only happened every once in a while, when one of them really needed it.

“Bones?” he said, finally getting her attention.

She stopped preparing things, stopped running around his apartment to try to make everything perfect and comfortable, and faced him. “Yeah?”

He had only planned on thanking her for her troubles, for volunteering to take care of him after he had come home from the hospital. But as he looked into her weary eyes, studied the worry lines that seemed to have only recently appeared, he changed his mind split second. Words weren’t really necessary as he stepped forward and gently pulled her into his arms.

“Thanks, Bones. For everything,” he muttered into her hair.

She sighed softly and gently rested her head on his shoulder, carefully avoiding the bandages still on his head. Several seconds passed until they reluctantly let go of each other. His hands were still gently on her arms, not allowing her to pull too far away.

“I’m sorry if I scared you. When I first woke up,” he told her.

“It’s okay, Booth. You were . . .” she stopped herself from branching into a scientific explanation about brain surgeries and comas and why he would be confused about whom she was. That wasn’t what he was looking for from her. “Just try to wake up a little sooner next time,” she said with a slight smile.

“I’ll try,” he grinned.

Almost a month later, everyone else had given him more hugs than he would have normally allowed, especially when he finally made it back to work. Not that FBI agents hugged. But when he went to pick up his partner at the Jeffersonian, a few too many squints seemed to find the welcome necessary.

She hugged him too, in front of everyone. But it was a short, welcoming hug, mimicking everyone else. He thought perhaps Angela had put her up to it.

And while she watched everyone else, she started to understand something about hugging Booth.

“People, we have a murder solve. Come on, Bones!” he said, breaking her out of her reverie.

The next time he hugged her, it was after he had just saved her life.

She had foolishly ignored his instructions, and later she would tell him once again why she needed a gun. But right then, as the suspect slumped forward at the last possible second, all she could think of was to run to his arms in both a silent thank you and apology.

He hovered around her quite a bit over the next couple of days. It was a tendency he had whenever he had to save her life, as though to reassure him that she was safe. He also hugged her several more times: when he came over, when he left, or just when he felt like it.

They had several more cases after that. Neither of them had been in real peril, yet he still hugged her. And she had yet to figure out why she wasn’t even questioning the action. They were close friends and close friends hugged. It couldn’t possibly be that simple, could it?

But the hugs were becoming much more intimate. And they only happened when the two were alone, a circumstance that was also occurring much more often.

“Hey.” He stood in the doorway of her office, watching her for a moment before finally announcing his presence. They were the only two left in the lab that night.

“Hey,” she replied, turning from her computer and slowly getting to her feet. She was tired and her shoulders ached from leaning over bones all day then sitting at her desk for so long. It felt nice to stand.

In mere seconds he had edged quietly into the room and stood before her, slipping his arms around her waist. Her hands rested on his shoulders in return and she closed her eyes, feeling his forehead gently touch hers. He pulled her closer, their lips and cheeks barely brushing as she now rested her head on his shoulder. She gently traced the scar hidden at the back of his neck with her fingertips.

“What are you doing here so late?” he asked, obviously smiling by his tone.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she answered, raising an eyebrow and slowly disentangling herself from his arms.

“Come on, let’s get you something to eat,” he said, grinning at her and rolling his eyes playfully.

Neither mentioned how their lips had just barely touched, as though unsure if it really happened or not.

But after that, they got bolder. Sometimes a hug would be accompanied by a light peck on the cheek or forehead. It was enough to be passed off as friendly. One time, he kissed the corner of her mouth. Her lips seemed to tingle for days afterwards but she never said anything. And he didn’t do it again.

It also no longer escaped her notice that two heterosexual males would never hug each other the way they did.

With that thought, she found herself on his doorstep.

He opened it after two knocks, didn’t look at all surprised to see her there at the odd hour. And as soon as he had let her in and closed the door, their arms were around each other. After a few minutes of clinging to him, inhaling his cologne, feeling the warmth of his skin under his shirt, she finally pulled back slightly to look up at him.

“Booth, these aren’t guy hugs,” she stated.

“No, Bones, they aren’t,” he agreed.

They’d never question that distinction ever again.

AN: And there you go, up to your eyebrows in fluff. It’s almost too sweet.

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