A/N: I know I said this was complete, but I couldn't resist writing a follow up to Chapter 7.
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It didn't take as long as I thought for her shivering to stop, replaced by a warmth that seemed to radiate from her. I pulled the covers around us tightly, tucking us in and sealing out all the cold air from the room. I buried my face in her hair and closed my eyes. Of course, my justification for this was keeping my face warm. My nose was really cold, and nobody likes breathing in all that cold air when the rest of you is so deliciously warm. It did not have anything to do with the way her hair smelled, or the texture of her hair brushing my face, or the way I could hear her steady breathing from this distance. It was definitely not any of those things.
I didn't want to let her go. If I did, all of this shared body heat would be wasted. So I held on to her, and I tried not to focus on each point of contact. I did not think about all the spots where the backs of her legs touched the front of mine. I did not think about her bare ass pressed against a certain part of my anatomy that I was currently imposing a great deal of effort to keep from repeating another potentially embarrassing display. Thinking about that would definitely not be a good idea. I did not think about the soft flesh and firm muscles that rested under my hand, which was laying across her belly, holding her close to me. I did not think about her small frame pressed up against my chest, or about her cheek resting on my shoulder. I've never wondered what any of that would feel like, and I am not thinking about it right now.
I felt her sigh deeply, not heard, felt. I felt her shoulders rise, and the vibration against my chest. She then shifted her weight against me. I assumed she was trying to find a more comfortable position, if such a thing existed. I swallowed hard and held my breath, waiting for her to settle.
I was not oblivious to the fact that this would soon end, and when it did, it would end fast, like a band-aid being ripped from a wound. As soon as she realized our circumstances, she would be out of my arms and out of the bed in seconds. So I kept holding my breath, waiting for the inevitable.
Her foot slid down the length of my leg, and wiggled its way between my calves, finding it's new resting place. She found my hand that was resting on her stomach and entwined her fingers with mine, pulling both our hands up to tuck under her chin, hugging it to her, and pressing the rest of her body even closer to mine. My forearm, which I would not usually consider one of the more sensitive parts of my body, was now sandwiched between her breasts. Alarms sounded, and lines of communications opened from my forearm to my brain, then back to the distant part of me that had been cooperating, albeit hesitantly, until now.
I slowly released my breath, thinking about how cold it was outside, how cold it would be to redress myself in the wet clothes that still lay in a frozen heap on the floor, how cold it would be to take a cold shower, and step out of it into the cold heatless cabin. It was not working. It just brought my attention back to her warm body. She carelessly slept through all of this, the rhythm of her breathing never changing.
Some time later, feeling drugged by the intoxicating assault on my senses, I must have dozed off. I didn't think I would sleep a wink. Who knew you could sleep through that kind of emotional and physical torture? I was surprised that I slept like a baby, so maybe torture was really not the right word for what I was feeling.
I didn't dare to open my eyes yet, but I could feel the change. Surprisingly what I noticed first, and frankly, what scared me the most, was her change in breathing. It was no longer even and rhythmic. I had to listen intently to detect if she was breathing at all. Second, she was no longer melted against me in all the right places. The points of contact had definitely changed. Third, we had changed positions during the night, and she had definitely taken the initiative in realigning our bodies. I know she made the move this time, because even in my sleep, there is no way in hell I would have risked hauling her on top of me and into our current position.
Her upper body was half on top of mine, our legs dangerously entwined. Her arm was draped lazily across my chest, and her hand was tangled in my hair. I could feel her breath against my chest, and her hair tickling my shoulder. Apparently, Bones was a cuddler. I probably would not be teasing her about it any time soon, but the thought made me smile.
Then I felt her tense. "Booth, I know you are awake." I thought I detected a slight huskiness to her voice, but I was probably wrong. It was more than likely repressed hostility. "Open your eyes." I would have but I was genuinely terrified. That is when I felt her hands run across my hair, actually not across it, through it. I felt her fingers lightly brush over my scalp, and I released the breath I had been holding. It came out a little more shakily than I would have liked.
I cautiously opened my eyes, finding her much closer than I expected. Her head was propped up on her hand and she was regarding me with very uncertain eyes. "Good morning." Dreading her reaction, I swallowed hard. "Are you going to kiss me or kick my ass?" My brain is usually the last thing to wake up in the morning, but she didn't have to hear me speak to make that discovery. Her stare was so intense, that I was feeling a little exposed. I think I actually squirmed under her. I didn't expect her to have to think about that question.
"Thank you, Booth" She leaned forward another two inches and kissed me on the cheek, lingering an extra few seconds before she pulled back, ripping her body away from mine and climbing over me to stand on the floor, taking our blankets with her. "I'm going to get dressed and try the phones again."
I grabbed her arm. "You don't really want to do that. It's cold out there."
"What do you suggest then? Staying in bed until the rescue party shows up?" She gathered the blankets around her, covering herself up more completely, and turned around to face me again. There was a definite twinkle in her eyes.
If I didn't know better, I would think she was enjoying my discomfort. "That would definitely be the safest thing to do." I ventured one of my famous smiles that she could never seem to resist.
"That would be the most logical course of action." She raised her eyebrows and actually smiled back. I felt a little of my tension melt away as she climbed back in bed, and slipped into my open arms.
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8. When I spend everyday with her, or thinking about her, it makes me forget that I don't know as much about her as I think I do.
