UPDATE
For musesfool in the catchallathon.
[Listening to Body Heat]
Bones. 1200 words. Temperance/Booth. set in the current season. No swearing, drugs or sex.
"And I’m out of here," Booth said. He started walking out quickly and Temperance decided to follow him out.
Thanks to annavtree for beta magic. Available below, on my website soon enough.
Notes and disclaimers: all characters owned by corporate entities, not me. No profit garnered ever. Thanks to Annavtree for beta magic. Title, naturellement, from Kristin Hersh.
LISTENING TO BODY HEAT
“I’m not sure how this is even an FBI case,” Temperance said.
Booth raised his hand and made a gesture like he was waving something away. “Don’t worry about that,” he said.
“I need to worry about it,” she said, “or else this work is pointless. It will just be duplicated by the state police forensics unit.”
“Do you really think anyone in Virginia can duplicate the fine work you and your geeks do?” He smiled like he’d proved a point. She was well aware he was just trying to avoid proving a point or actually saying how he had made this an FBI case. She decided to let it drop. Booth needed an occasional victory.
*
“Just when I thought it couldn’t get more gross,” Angela said.
“You said that before,” the new intern said. “And I’ve only been working here for two days.”
“Thank you for pointing that out,” Angela said. Even Temperance was sure that was sarcasm.
“It is gross,” Cam said. But she sounded a little excited, not like she was actually repulsed by the bodies. “So how are we going to separate out the brother from the sister?”
“It’s like a … puree,” Angela said.
“And I’m out of here,” Booth said. He started walking out quickly and Temperance decided to follow him out.
She said, “Were you disgusted by the bodies, too? You’re walking very fast.”
“I can’t believe you’re using the word bodies for what was left of those two when soup or goulash might be more appropriate, and yes, I’m disgusted.” He walked faster.
“This is totally unfair,” she said. “You’re taller than me, and I’m forced to wear heels on days when I have to testify in court, like this morning. I think you should walk slower.”
“I’m getting as far away as I can before Hodgins thinks of an exciting experiment to separate out those kids from the goulash that they currently are. I don’t want to know how you do it, and I don’t want to think about it, possibly ever.”
She said, “You’ll hear about it in court.”
“I’ll skip that part,” he said. He slowed down his power walking.
“Thank you for slowing down.”
“You were starting to pant. Don’t you work out?”
She said, “I was not starting to pant, and I’m not going through my work out with you.”
“Is it illegal or something?” He stopped suddenly and she nearly ran into him. She grabbed his arm to hold herself up and took off both her heels.
“You know, these were expensive,” she said. She hadn’t let go of his arm, she realized, so she pulled away. It was silly of her, anyway. Booth knew the shoes were expensive, he’d been there when Angela and Cam had hectored her into purchasing them online. She was babbling in her head. “What,” she said, “what are you asking if it’s illegal?”
“Your workout. You won’t tell me about your workout.”
“Because it’s none of your business. And you’ll just get competitive about how yours is better.”
He said, “No, I wouldn’t. Let’s not, let’s not do this right now. Let me go back to my office and you call me when you have something new on this case.”
She shrugged and said, “Is it officially an FBI case now?”
“I told you it was,” Booth said. He had started walking again but at his normal pace.
*
“So,” Booth said, pushing his macaroni and cheese around on the plate. “So, it turns out we have a jurisdiction issue.”
“I knew it,” Temperance said. She hoped she didn’t sound smug.
“Don’t sound so smug,” he said. Oh, well, she thought. She had known it. “Just answer yes or no,” he said, “and I emphasize, the only options are ‘yes we did’ or ‘no we did not’ - no details necessary: did you separate the remains of those kids?”
“I can’t answer,” she said.
“Because the answer isn’t yes or no - how is that possible?”
“Pretty possible,” she said, smiling. “We are talking about remains” - she emphasized the word he’d used since he’d gone on that rant about bodies being inaccurate - “that were”
“Stop right now. I already know. I’m eating. Can you see that I’m eating?”
“I’m eating, too,” Temperance said. She’d ordered the goulash. “So what are you doing to solve the jurisdictional problems?”
“You could help me by telling me that you have remains in separate bowls or whatever for the two siblings.”
“It is true that they are in separate containers. It’s not a bowl, though.”
Booth said, “Stop right there. I don’t want to know. So yes, we know it’s the two kids, right? Verified in your spooky ways?”
“I don’t think spooky is the right word. And it’s not the two kids. What I was trying to say is that there were three people in those remains. We needed three containers. Does that help you with the jurisdictional wrangling?”
“I wish you weren’t eating that while you talked about this,” he said. Then he smiled, “Hey, three people. Any idea who the third is?”
“Male,” she said. “I don’t want to speculate further.”
“Excellent,” Booth said. “That probably will help.” He was still grinning. “I can’t believe you ordered that.”
“You mentioned goulash, I like goulash.” She couldn’t help smiling back at him. She did that a lot, she knew. Mirroring him and other behaviors she started listing in her head. Then she shut it off because it was completely unproductive. What she needed to be focused on was making sure they kept this case. “What else can we do to help you?”
“Wipe your mouth,” he said.
“Is that slang or,” she licked her lips and tasted goulash. “Ah, actually wiping my mouth.”
“You missed a spot, though,” he said. He ran his thumb right under her lower lip quick and then drew back and licked his thumb. “Good goulash.”
She had a number of things to say about how obviously sexual that whole interaction had been and aggressive on his part and she should have, she was sure. But her lips were tingling and she wasn’t particularly offended. Offended was absolutely the wrong word. And now she had been staring with her mouth open for at least 30 seconds so she’d lost the momentum. She had a sudden urge to call Angela. Instead she said, "Do you want to know how we separated the three people?"
"If you start telling me, I’ll leave." He looked very serious as he said it.
"I’m not wearing heels, I could keep up this time."
"So you could torture me," he said. "I thought you liked me."
"I do like you," she said.
He nodded and pushed his plate away. His rhythm was off, too. Maybe he was still thinking about his thumb and her lips. She definitely was. She opened her mouth to ask because she believed in being direct and he said, "I have to go. To make sure we keep this case."
"Okay," she said. She didn’t follow him out.
THE END
[Listening to Body Heat]
Bones. 1200 words. Temperance/Booth. set in the current season. No swearing, drugs or sex.
"And I’m out of here," Booth said. He started walking out quickly and Temperance decided to follow him out.
Thanks to annavtree for beta magic. Available below, on my website soon enough.
Notes and disclaimers: all characters owned by corporate entities, not me. No profit garnered ever. Thanks to Annavtree for beta magic. Title, naturellement, from Kristin Hersh.
LISTENING TO BODY HEAT
“I’m not sure how this is even an FBI case,” Temperance said.
Booth raised his hand and made a gesture like he was waving something away. “Don’t worry about that,” he said.
“I need to worry about it,” she said, “or else this work is pointless. It will just be duplicated by the state police forensics unit.”
“Do you really think anyone in Virginia can duplicate the fine work you and your geeks do?” He smiled like he’d proved a point. She was well aware he was just trying to avoid proving a point or actually saying how he had made this an FBI case. She decided to let it drop. Booth needed an occasional victory.
*
“Just when I thought it couldn’t get more gross,” Angela said.
“You said that before,” the new intern said. “And I’ve only been working here for two days.”
“Thank you for pointing that out,” Angela said. Even Temperance was sure that was sarcasm.
“It is gross,” Cam said. But she sounded a little excited, not like she was actually repulsed by the bodies. “So how are we going to separate out the brother from the sister?”
“It’s like a … puree,” Angela said.
“And I’m out of here,” Booth said. He started walking out quickly and Temperance decided to follow him out.
She said, “Were you disgusted by the bodies, too? You’re walking very fast.”
“I can’t believe you’re using the word bodies for what was left of those two when soup or goulash might be more appropriate, and yes, I’m disgusted.” He walked faster.
“This is totally unfair,” she said. “You’re taller than me, and I’m forced to wear heels on days when I have to testify in court, like this morning. I think you should walk slower.”
“I’m getting as far away as I can before Hodgins thinks of an exciting experiment to separate out those kids from the goulash that they currently are. I don’t want to know how you do it, and I don’t want to think about it, possibly ever.”
She said, “You’ll hear about it in court.”
“I’ll skip that part,” he said. He slowed down his power walking.
“Thank you for slowing down.”
“You were starting to pant. Don’t you work out?”
She said, “I was not starting to pant, and I’m not going through my work out with you.”
“Is it illegal or something?” He stopped suddenly and she nearly ran into him. She grabbed his arm to hold herself up and took off both her heels.
“You know, these were expensive,” she said. She hadn’t let go of his arm, she realized, so she pulled away. It was silly of her, anyway. Booth knew the shoes were expensive, he’d been there when Angela and Cam had hectored her into purchasing them online. She was babbling in her head. “What,” she said, “what are you asking if it’s illegal?”
“Your workout. You won’t tell me about your workout.”
“Because it’s none of your business. And you’ll just get competitive about how yours is better.”
He said, “No, I wouldn’t. Let’s not, let’s not do this right now. Let me go back to my office and you call me when you have something new on this case.”
She shrugged and said, “Is it officially an FBI case now?”
“I told you it was,” Booth said. He had started walking again but at his normal pace.
*
“So,” Booth said, pushing his macaroni and cheese around on the plate. “So, it turns out we have a jurisdiction issue.”
“I knew it,” Temperance said. She hoped she didn’t sound smug.
“Don’t sound so smug,” he said. Oh, well, she thought. She had known it. “Just answer yes or no,” he said, “and I emphasize, the only options are ‘yes we did’ or ‘no we did not’ - no details necessary: did you separate the remains of those kids?”
“I can’t answer,” she said.
“Because the answer isn’t yes or no - how is that possible?”
“Pretty possible,” she said, smiling. “We are talking about remains” - she emphasized the word he’d used since he’d gone on that rant about bodies being inaccurate - “that were”
“Stop right now. I already know. I’m eating. Can you see that I’m eating?”
“I’m eating, too,” Temperance said. She’d ordered the goulash. “So what are you doing to solve the jurisdictional problems?”
“You could help me by telling me that you have remains in separate bowls or whatever for the two siblings.”
“It is true that they are in separate containers. It’s not a bowl, though.”
Booth said, “Stop right there. I don’t want to know. So yes, we know it’s the two kids, right? Verified in your spooky ways?”
“I don’t think spooky is the right word. And it’s not the two kids. What I was trying to say is that there were three people in those remains. We needed three containers. Does that help you with the jurisdictional wrangling?”
“I wish you weren’t eating that while you talked about this,” he said. Then he smiled, “Hey, three people. Any idea who the third is?”
“Male,” she said. “I don’t want to speculate further.”
“Excellent,” Booth said. “That probably will help.” He was still grinning. “I can’t believe you ordered that.”
“You mentioned goulash, I like goulash.” She couldn’t help smiling back at him. She did that a lot, she knew. Mirroring him and other behaviors she started listing in her head. Then she shut it off because it was completely unproductive. What she needed to be focused on was making sure they kept this case. “What else can we do to help you?”
“Wipe your mouth,” he said.
“Is that slang or,” she licked her lips and tasted goulash. “Ah, actually wiping my mouth.”
“You missed a spot, though,” he said. He ran his thumb right under her lower lip quick and then drew back and licked his thumb. “Good goulash.”
She had a number of things to say about how obviously sexual that whole interaction had been and aggressive on his part and she should have, she was sure. But her lips were tingling and she wasn’t particularly offended. Offended was absolutely the wrong word. And now she had been staring with her mouth open for at least 30 seconds so she’d lost the momentum. She had a sudden urge to call Angela. Instead she said, "Do you want to know how we separated the three people?"
"If you start telling me, I’ll leave." He looked very serious as he said it.
"I’m not wearing heels, I could keep up this time."
"So you could torture me," he said. "I thought you liked me."
"I do like you," she said.
He nodded and pushed his plate away. His rhythm was off, too. Maybe he was still thinking about his thumb and her lips. She definitely was. She opened her mouth to ask because she believed in being direct and he said, "I have to go. To make sure we keep this case."
"Okay," she said. She didn’t follow him out.
THE END