Bones Preferences

05. He Catches Feelings

Seeley Booth

You were angry? Frustrated that he'd charged in, a knight in shining armor, to haul you and your rescue squad out of that hangar? "Come on, [Y/N]. I had a bulletproof vest on. Give me some credit." Yet, he'd been hit and the tables had turned; it was now Seeley in the hospital bed while you refused to sit in the uncomfortably rigid seat at his bedside. You hadn't needed him to risk his life. You'd been trained for the situation and would have found a way. Or the HRT would have sent backup as fast as they could. "But not fast enough." He watched as you plopped into that seat, nearly smiling cheekily at the creases on your face as you scanned every bruised and patched part about him.

Seeley was a connector, a feeler, and he wasn't dreadful when it came to getting in touch with the inner workings of his heart. He'd felt it for some time but, being far apart and you getting sent to even further places, it was no way to offer stability. He yearned for it; stability and love, something familial and comforting and safe. But seeing you there with eyes not daring to cry for him, squeezing his hand and hitting his forearm for getting into unnecessary danger, only made it concrete. Your safety wasn't an option in the line of work and so he'd wade through bullets and fire and smoke, just to follow the haze of your silhouette through the perils of the world. For you, he'd trudge headlong into the face of war and stand in the line of fire if it meant giving you the two seconds you needed to go home again.

「☠」

Jack Hodgins

You couldn't abandon your students for long, not even if a colleague from the school had stayed behind, and not if the Institute was a secure building with its personal FBI Special Agent. By the end of the trip, you'd returned in time to herd your kids back into the bus but it wasn't before Jack could flag you. He'd asked how it went, if everything was okay, and mentioned how you'd missed him doing something exceptionally cool. When you'd asked what it was, he'd put his hands into his lab coat's pockets and managed a mischievous grin. "How about I invite you back so I can show you the stuff the Jeffersonian can't show high school students, Ms. [L/N]?"

Forget about it surprising him when you'd called to ask for the best times to visit. It surprised you, too, but the schoolgirl-ish flame inside you couldn't resist an offer to be around the man who had your attention. Two weeks had passed and Jack almost couldn't believe he was showing you around the 'ookie room'. Everything in your eyes carried nothing short of awe, wonder, and bright curiosity, but it wasn't like you were ignorant of what you looked at. You knew what he got excited about and had understood most of his profession-related jokes, as bad and crude as they often were. It had made it difficult for him to not glance at you with the same look in his eyes, teetering on the edge of adoration as giddiness shoved him between the shoulder blades. Sooner or later, he'd fall right in.

「☠」

Lance Sweets

Jesus fucking Christ, you were an adult. An adult with a rational, but questionable crush on her psychologist. You were also an adult who'd recently bought a membership at the gym this said psychologist went to, but Lance didn't have to know about the crush part. All he knew was that one day, out of the blue, you'd hesitantly entered the gym in your body-tight yoga pants and he'd waved at you with just as much uncertainty. You did ignore the wave, too embarrassed to glance in his direction. Though it surprised him how willing you were to immerse yourself in the company of strangers, but he'd supposed it was a milestone; it was good, but the development was shocking.

He'd noted how you zoned far from crowds, even declined an innocent trainer's help. Lance hadn't felt bothered until some boys came to leer at you. The flirty gestures made you uncomfortable but you'd sent them off as he was approaching. Had he underestimated you? "Hi... [Y/N]." Lance met your eyes and watched a pink color rush your face, one that he reciprocated before you broke away. Yet, his eyes hadn't left after you'd gone. Suddenly, he was aware of how attractive you were. Despite what you'd been through, you'd rejoined society; a strong-willed woman who wouldn't let her fears devour her. It made you a better person. And Lance couldn't even muster the courage to follow you for a jog together. The mere thought now made his heart jackhammer violently in his rib cage.