Bubble Fic-a-thon

One Step Forward - Veronica Mars - Veronica/Logan

2008-04-07T15:25:04Z

Title: One Step Forward
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Pairing: Veronica/Logan with V/D and L/L
For: maisfeeka
Water Prompt: hot tub
Optional Prompt: snark turning into softness
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: through 1x20 to be safe
Summary: Logan has always unsettled Veronica.

A/N: Thanks to em_meredith for hosting this shindig, and yes, you can put this in the archive. Thanks also to mingsmommy for helping me get this on track.

Veronica took two deep breaths and eased back against the mirror. The chill of the glass seeped through her shirt and helped cool her burning body. Her pulse raced, her hands shook, and her legs dangled uselessly over the edge of the counter. Logan’s scent lingered in the air, darker than the classic Old Spice she associated with her father, something that whispered of safety and danger entwined. She licked her aching lips, teasing herself with hints of his taste. It was a heady flavor and a part of her wondered why she’d never known it before.

Immediately she tried to slam the door on that line of thought, but she wasn’t quite fast enough. Even half-formed thoughts of Lilly were enough to shut down the happy humming of her body with a wave of nausea. Bracing her elbows on her knees and dropping her head into her suddenly clammy palms, Veronica pushed through the memories. Lilly had died for screwing Logan’s father. There was nothing wrong in what she was doing. No reason to feel that with every stolen moment she was betraying her best friend or the promises she’d made to herself after Shelly Pomroy’s party. After all, they’d been friends for longer than they’d been enemies and before she would have trusted him with anything.

The pain of betrayal and abandonment had torn them farther apart than Lilly had ever brought them together, but things had been better recently with the tentative truce they’d reached after Lynn’s disappearance. However, their moment at the Camelot had blown the idea of renewing a simple, passing friendship out of the water. There was nothing simple about the spark of attraction that had flared to life with their kiss. It wasn’t an entirely new feeling, but once acknowledged it was that much harder to push away now that the rest of their world has fallen apart around them. Back when it had felt like the four of them would rule the world forever she’d had Duncan, and Lilly’s claim, to distract her.

Veronica sighed and tipped her head back, closing her eyes to block out the harsh fluorescent lights of the empty bathroom. Lilly would never have chosen to leave them the way she did, but given what Veronica had learned since her best friend’s death some type of departure had always been inevitable. The new, cynical part of her psyche had started to think that perhaps her best friend had been planning for such an eventuality. Had Lilly, skilled as she was at manipulating those around her, tried to make sure the void she left would be covered? Had she chosen to befriend a quiet bookworm of a girl because she’d recognized in Veronica a softer version of herself and the possibility of shaping a successor? There’d been moments even back then when Veronica had wondered what Lilly intended. Things that had puzzled her about one of her last memories from before her world had started to crumble now clicked into place.

vmVMvmVMvm

It was the middle of a heat wave. Too hot during the sunlit hours to even sit comfortably beside the pool, they’d spent the whole day, since pep squad practice early in the morning, inside. Even with a mansion full of distractions Lilly was restless. In an effort to stave off the problems that inevitably resulted from such a situation, Veronica had called Duncan and asked him to stop hiding at Logan’s. He’d brought Logan back with him and the tension that had started slithering across the back of Veronica’s neck had eased.

Then after dinner when the last of the sun’s rays had faded from the sky and the temperature had started to dip into the 70s, Lilly herded them out onto the pool deck. Veronica was slightly uncomfortable in her borrowed bikini. It seemed that every time she became accustomed to the amount of skin she was showing Lilly found something even skimpier that Veronica simply had to wear. But she settled herself on the lounge chair next to Lilly’s without complaint.

The boys headed straight for the water, splashing about for a few minutes before coming to stand directly over Veronica. It was part of their routine and normally she put up a token show of resistance before allowing Logan and Duncan to haul her up and toss her into the pool. This time, a sharp shove from behind sent Logan sprawling on top of Veronica as she squirmed. His head ended up dangerously close to Duncan’s crotch and Lilly laughed uproariously as Duncan stumbled backwards over the next lounge chair. Logan fumbled to get his hands placed so that he could push himself upright. Veronica froze. Her chest was tight, her face flushed, and the feel of Logan’s palm sliding over her upper thigh as he tried to right himself sent sparks through her body. As soon as her path to the pool was clear Veronica levered herself out of the lounge chair and jumped in. Despite having been heated by the sun all day, the water felt cool against her flaming skin. While Lilly might share many things, from her clothes to herself, Logan was not one of them and any evidence of interest Veronica might have felt would not be appreciated.

A couple hours later they moved to the hot tub. As they all laughed at Logan’s impression of his father’s newest co-star, Lilly shifted to sprawl across Logan’s lap. Veronica breathed a sigh of relief at her continued normalcy and decided that any earlier reactions seemed to have gone unnoticed. She leaned back against the tub wall and floated her legs towards Duncan. He wrapped a hand around her ankle and started rubbing small circles into the soles of her feet. Veronica relaxed, tilted her head back to look up at the stars and let her friends’ conversation wash over her.

“I hope I have Mr. Rooks this year. Neptune needs to hire more hot teachers like him.”

“Ugh, Lilly. I don’t need to think about you macking on our teachers.” Duncan’s fingers paused for a moment as he scolded his sister.

Lilly’s laugh rang through the night. “Well, then go get me another drink, Donut. If Logan doesn’t mind then why should you?”

“Just remember I’m the only one who gets to touch,” grumbled Logan.

Duncan shifted Veronica’s feet to the side, leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before lifting himself out of the hot tub. “Any other requests?” When he got no response he headed into the house.

“Aren’t they so cute and sweet?” commented Lilly.

Veronica lifted her head to glare at her best friend. Lilly giggled and turned into Logan, shifting to straddle him. She murmured something into his ear and Logan’s eyes shifted over her shoulder. Veronica felt her body tighten and a blush creep up her cheeks as Logan’s gaze darkened and focused on her while Lilly continued to whisper to him as she placed teasing kisses over his neck and shoulder. It was a rather tame show given the tales Lilly had regaled Veronica with in the past, but the searing emotion holding her attention on Logan felt shockingly intimate. When Logan’s eyes slammed shut as his hands convulsed on Lilly’s hips pulling her tighter against him, Veronica decided it was time for her to disappear. She tried to move silently, but Lilly was still firmly in control.

“Oh, come on, V. Just because Donut has the sex appeal of a concrete slab and hasn’t tried to get in your pants yet, doesn’t mean the rest of us have to live by your standards. But I’ll be good now, promise.”

Veronica sighed and turned back towards the tub. Lilly had shifted off Logan’s lap and sported an impish smile while Logan was studiously avoiding her eyes. Duncan shouldered his way out of the house carrying a cooler and the moment was broken. Lilly bounced out of the pool and over to her brother. As the siblings teased each other, Logan finally glanced up at Veronica. His look was apologetic and a faint blush stained his cheeks. It was a look that should have eased the tension curling in Veronica’s stomach, but instead it pulled her closer. She started to speak, but Duncan cut her off.

“I’ve only got sodas. Dad was sitting by the hard stuff.”

“Whatever man, just give it here.”

Duncan handed over the can and settled back into the hot tub. Veronica hovered and debated leaving for a moment but decided to stay when Duncan reached out a hand to help her back in.

vmVMvmVMvm

The bathroom door slammed open startling Veronica from her memories. She’d never learned what Lilly had been saying to turn Logan on with such little effort. Maybe it was time to ask.

Veronica slipped off the counter and splashed some water on her face. Logan was Duncan’s opposite in so many things. Duncan had been safe, comfortable, but Lilly had been right; he really hadn’t done much for her physically. In the past it had been enough, but she was no longer that person. She was looking forward to figuring out how the new Veronica Mars best matched up with Logan Echolls.

Right after she aced her pop quiz in English.

For Better or Worse [Bones - Angela/Booth - PG]

2008-04-07T15:20:58Z

Title: For Better or Worse
Author: Jen - ladybug218
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Angela/Booth
Written for: wensurprised
Prompt: falling off a footbridge into a decorative pond
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Set early S1, so nothing really.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters, I merely enjoy playing with them.
Author's Notes: Angela/Booth is really not my ship of choice, so I hope I did okay with them :) Much love to koshkaphoenix for the insta-beta.
Distribution: bubbleficathon archive is totally fine; anywhere else, please ask first.

Bones was driving him crazy with her incessant yammering about wanting a gun. If she didn't stop soon, he was going to give her one and ask her to shoot him with it.

So when he needed to go out and question some suspects, he asked Angela to accompany him, figuring that putting some distance between himself and his partner was a good plan. Besides, Angela actually possessed people skills and therefore would be a greater asset during the questioning.

"Woah," she said as they drove up the long, winding driveway to the, well, the only word that adequately described the structure was mansion. "People really live in places like this?"

"Hard to believe, isn't it?" Booth said, shooting her a sideways glance. "Even harder to believe that they die in them."

Angela's face scrunched up and Booth wondered again what a girl like her was doing in a job like this. "So what are we doing here again?"

"I need to ask the parents some questions about their son," Booth explained. "I'm also hoping that I can ask the siblings some questions. I feel like there's some strange, underlying family dynamic that I'm not quite grasping. Maybe you can pick up on something that I'm missing."

"I can certainly try," Angela said.

Booth pulled into the circular entrance to the house and turned the car off. "Ready to go see how the other half lives?" he asked with a grin.

"Not really," she admitted. "But I don't have a choice."

"You'll be fine, Ang," he assured her, walking around the car and holding her door open. He offered her a hand, which earned him a surprised look. Her skin was so soft and smooth, it caught him off guard for a moment and he felt a flash of embarrassment at how rough his own hands were.

"Let's just get this over with. Places like this make me nervous," Angela said.

Booth gave her hand a squeeze before he rang the bell of the palatial home. Within moments, the door was opened by a uniformed butler. "Good Day," he said, in a stiff, British accent.

"Federal Agent Seeley Booth," he said, flashing his badge. "This is Angela Montenegro. She's with me. Mr. and Mrs. Hansen are expecting us."

"Right this way, Sir. Ma'am."

Booth glanced over his shoulder and flashed a reassuring grin at Angela, who was looking a little overwhelmed by everything.

*

The interview had gone about as well as Booth expected it to. The parents feigned complete innocence. The siblings exhibited proper shock and disbelief about their brother's activities. Booth knew damn well that someone, if not all of them, were lying, but he had no way of proving it.

"What did you think?" he asked Angela as they walked across the grounds. They had at least obtained permission to search the estate. Not that Booth expected to find much of anything; it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

"They're hiding something," Angela said. "I think the sister definitely knows something. Her eye was twitching when she was answering your questions."

Booth nodded. "Good catch. I'm going to have to do more digging back at the office, I guess."

"Do you think we'll actually find anything here?" Angela asked. "And that's a pretty big decorative pond."

"I'm not expecting to find anything," he admitted. "But I figured it couldn't hurt to look around. Besides, you're way better company than Bones." He grinned and then stepped onto the footbridge that spanned the decorative pond. "Big enough to warrant it's own footbridge," he said, shaking his head a little.

Angela chuckled as she watched him. "You and Brennan. Is there... you know, anything going on there?"

Booth gave her a startled look. "What? Me and Bones? No way. We're partners, that's it. She drives me crazy. And not in a good way."

"So if I offered to have really hot sex with you on that bench over there, what would you say?"

The next few seconds somehow managed to go in slow motion while at the same time occuring in a total blur. Booth's jaw dropped and he stared at Angela, wondering if she was serious. Somehow, in the process of being startled and staring, he managed to lose his footing. He tried over-correcting and ended up splashing into the pond.

"Ow," he said, standing up. The pond was shallow; the water didn't even come up to his knees, so he had hit the ground pretty hard. His suit was soaked and his hair was dripping in his face.

Angela's hand was covering her mouth and it was obvious that she was trying really hard not to laugh. "Are you okay?" she managed to ask.

He took a moment to stretch out his limbs. "Yeah, I didn't break anything. Just wounded my pride."

"I'm guessing that means you're not interested in the sex?" she asked, her lips curling into a smirk.

"I... I don't think it would be a good idea to do it right here," he said.

"Do you think it would be a good idea to do somewhere else?" she asked.

Booth sighed and squeezed some excess water out of his pants. "I don't know, Angela. I haven't really thought about it," he admitted as he stripped off his jacket and tie, stuffing the tie in his pocket.

"Well, why don't you think about it and then give me a call?" she suggested.

"Okay... I will," he promised. "But, now, we should probably get out of here. I need dry clothes and I'm not going to find anything useful here." He unbuttoned his shirt and draped his jacket over his arm.

Angela smiled at him. "Sorry I made you fall in the pond, Booth."

He managed to smile back. "Don't worry about it. Just... next time you're going to catch me off guard with something, wait until I'm on firm ground, please?

"I'll try my best," she promised.

They started walking back toward the driveway so they could get in the car. "Hey, Booth?" Angela said.

"Yeah?"

"Are you on firm ground right now?"

Booth gave her a wary look. "Yes."

She grinned. "You look really hot right now."

"Thanks, Angela," he stammered. He was grateful when his cell phone rang, interrupting the conversation. "Oh, hey, my phone apparently still works," he said, pulling it out of his pants pocket. The display was warped, but he answered it. "Booth. Hey, Bones. Yeah, we're heading back now. What do you have?"

As he listened to Bones ramble about nicks and chips and bone density levels, he saw Angela watching him with an amused expression and wondered if she really was better company than Bones after all.

Heroes Bubblefic

2008-04-01T18:23:57Z

Title: Walk a Mile
WC: 970
Characters: Matt Parkman, Mohinder Suresh, Molly
Rating: light R for very very very light pr0n.
Summary: Molly locks herself into the bathroom for a bath every night. All Mohinder asks of Matt is that he understands.
Notes: written for miladygrey for the bubbleficathon 2008 fic-a-thon.
Notes: AU after 1.23ish. Peter has died in the explosion.

( Walk a Mile )

bubbleficathon @ 2008-04-01T04:43:00

2008-04-01T08:47:07Z

Okay, I'm sure I've screwed something up in this, so tell me where I did.

em_meredith is writing for thestickywicket: [Fic will be delayed]
storydivagirl is writing for tinhutlady: [Fic will be delayed]
mcsister is writing for nicalamity: [Fic will be delayed]
nnaylime pinch-wrote for caz963: Details [Josh/Donna, The West Wing, PG-13]
vivwiley pinch-wrote for imperviousness: Bathos in all its Forms [Xander/Anya, Buffy, M]
quaggy_mire wrote for shellysmk: A Proper Present [Ten/Rose, Dr. Who, G]
miladygrey wrote for thecolourclear: To Know and Be Known [House/Wilson, House, PG-13]
phdelicious wrote for yanatya: Bubblicious [Booth/Bones, Bones, PG-13]
maisfeeka wrote for aricadavidson: New Year's Resolutions [Sydney/Weiss, Alias, PG]
caz963 wrote for bexatious: When All is Said and Done [Josh/Donna, The West Wing, NC-17]
pocketwitch wrote for daera23: Leaving the Door Open [Kara/Leoben, BSG, R]
daera23 wrote for dianora2: [Fic will be delayed]
ladysarahii wrote for edgeriffic: The Summer After [Harry/Ginny, HP, PG-13]
tinpra wrote for elvenjen4: No, Not One [Simon/Kaylee, Firefly, PG-13]
zinke wrote for ladysarahii: Weevils Wobble… But Do They Fall Down? [Jack/Martha UST, Torchwood, PG]
christinekh wrote for larah33: Sparks [Elle/Peter, Heroes, M]
nobody wrote for maisfeeka: [But I may have a pinchwriter lined up]
wensurprised wrote for melanie_anne: Puzzles [Jack/Irina, Alias, PG-13]
mcamy wrote for nnaylime: North of Here [Adama/Roslin, BSG, PG-13]
imperviousness wrote for quaggy_mire: Washing Out Old Wounds [Buffy/Spike, Buffy, PG]
runawaynun wrote for selenay_x: All God's Creatures [Roslin/Six, BSG, R]
kiss_me_cassie wrote for storydivagirl: Ellie Versus the Bad Day [Ellie/Awesome, Chuck, PG-13]
shellysmk wrote for zinke: Breadcrumbs and Bathtubs [Ten/Rose, Dr. Who, PG-13]
nnaylime wrote for zommbie1: Needed [Kara/Lee, BSG, Strong R]
tinhutlady wrote for lieueitak: In a Bath Warmly [House/Cuddy, House, PG]
lieueitak wrote for mcsister: The Art of Relaxation [Jack/Irina, Alias, PG]
elvenjen4 wrote for runawaynun: Masculine [Jed/Abbey, The West Wing, G]
yanatya wrote for sheikah: Hot Showering [House/Foreman, House, PG-13+]
larah33 wrote for kiss_me_cassie: You Sexy Thing [John Casey, Chuck, PG-13]
selenay_x wrote for pocketwitch: And This Time a Happy Ending [Roslin/Cain, BSG, PG-13]
bexatious wrote for christinekh: [Status unknown]
edgeriffic wrote for jadekitten01: [Status unknown]
aricadavidson wrote for ladybug218: [Fic will be delayed]
nicalamity wrote for louisemcgregor: [Status unknown]
zommbie1 wrote for em_meredith: Years from Now [Kara/Lee, BSG, PG-13]
nobody wrote for wensurprised: [But I am working on getting a pinchwriter lined up]
ladybug218 wrote for mcamy: Stop to Smell the Watermelon [Booth/Brennan, Bones, PG]
dianora2 wrote for chicklet25: Like Oxygen [Kara/Lee, BSG, NC-17]
thecolourclear wrote for miladygrey: [And tried to post it, but there was a posting access issue that is all my fault]
auchic wrote for subluxate: [Fic will be delayed]
thestickywicket wrote for phdelicious: [Fic will be delayed]
sheikah wrote for auchic: Out on Good Behavior [House/Chase, House, R]
subluxate wrote for tinpra: Add Some ‘roo to Your ‘do [Buffy and Oz, Buffy, 7+]

Thanks to everyone who participated!

bubbleficathon @ 2008-03-31T23:29:00

2008-04-01T03:31:32Z

Title: "Like Oxygen"
Author: Dianora
Fandom: Battlestar Galactica
Pairing: Lee/Kara
Written for: chicklet25
Prompt: Rubber duck
Optional prompt: A kiss, at least (oh, chicklet, if only you'd known who you were getting, heh)
Rating: NC17
Spoilers: Through "The Eye of Jupiter." Story takes place in between "Unfinished Business" and "The Eye of Jupiter."
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Distribution: Wherevs.
Author's Notes: This is...eh. It's done. Under the wire. *g* I'm a bit rusty, so please forgive me.

The first time it happens Lee is simply surprised it hasn't happened sooner.

It's inconceivable, in retrospect, that he's managed to keep from touching or kissing her before this, that he hasn't given in to what he worries in quieter moments is becoming obsession. The only thing stopping him was that they were never alone, never, ever alone, to the point where he started to wonder if Kara was doing it on purpose. He doesn't understand how she couldn't feel the force of his need, when he could so clearly feel hers, could practically smell it on her, imagined he could taste it if just given the opportunity.

So when it happens, when it finally happens, when they somehow end up alone together in the head -- no, he's deluding himself, he purposely scheduled the two of them on a late-night CAP, and they knew exactly what they were doing when they both decided to hit the showers afterward -- and one moment she's complaining about fruitless patrols and the next her mouth is on his, he wants to sink to his knees in relief almost as much as he wants to do exactly what he's doing, which is returning the kiss with everything he has, tongues clashing, mouths bruising, finally tasting her.

He cups her face with his hands as her fingers dig into his sides. She pushes up into him and he pushes back, mouths fused, bodies pressed together, breathing heavy in the silence of the room. Lee feels as if his head is muzzy from drink, his thinking blunted even as his senses are heightened. Not until Kara starts tugging at the edge of his tanks does a sliver of clarity break through.

"We can't," he says. She ignores him, of course, and continues to pull his shirt upward. "What if someone comes in--"

"Live a little, Lee," she says, looking him in the eye. "No one's gonna come in here this late. Besides, that's what makes it fun, right?"

"It's not just that," he says, but finds himself lifting the tanks up over his head anyway.

"Then what?"

She's tugging at the fastenings of his pants, now, which is making it even more difficult to concentrate. "Dee," he manages. "I can't--"

Kara pulls back, fixes him with her gaze, and it's not the first time he can't decipher what's going on behind her eyes. But when she takes off her own tanks and lets them fall to the deck, her eyes still on his, her meaning is clear enough. The muzziness takes hold of his head again; his need rises to the surface. "Kara --"

She cuts him off with a kiss, her mouth hot and insistent. He leans into her again despite himself, but she breaks away from him and grabs a couple towels off a shelf, then starts backing up in the direction of the showers.

"I'm going to, ah, wash up," she says, a cocky grin splitting her face. "You gonna join me or what?"

He swallows hard, then follows her. As if he has a choice at this point.

They shed the rest of their clothing on the way, almost giggling, now, like kids breaking the rules at recess. He follows her into a shower stall, closing the door behind them, then presses her up against the tile and they're kissing again, hands everywhere and breaths harsh and gasping. She smells strongly of sweat and faintly of booze and her nipples are hard beneath his fingertips and the throbbing of his cock is so intense he thinks he could die.

"Gods, I missed you," he whispers, an aching sigh between kisses.

She pulls back and her eyelids lower and she bites her lip and for a heart-stopping moment he wonders if she's having second thoughts, but instead she just reaches out and turns on the shower spray. The water rains down inches away from them, cold at first but quickly warming up. Kara raises her chin and pins him with a challenging stare, looking impossibly alluring with her heavy-lidded hazel eyes and endless expanse of ivory skin.

And he smiles, then, he can't help it, and she smiles back, and for a moment his heart feels lighter than it has in a year and a half. He feels the words he thought he had buried forever that morning on New Caprica bubble up inside him and he opens up his mouth to say them but Kara shakes her head almost imperceptibly and he understands that it's not the right time, that things are complicated enough now, and so he remains silent.

Instead he takes her by the hands and pulls her under the shower spray with him, but as he does his foot lands on something that gives beneath his heel and emits a loud squeak that makes them both start.

"The hell?" He looks down and sees a rubber ducky, of all the ridiculous frakked-up things, and it only adds to the surreality of the moment. He bends down to pick it up and shows it to Kara, who lets out a bark of a laugh.

"Bath toys, Lee? Didn't figure you for the type."

He wrinkles his brow. "Did someone have one of their kids in here or something? Hera's not old enough for showers, is she?" And isn't that against regulations? the tight-ass in the back of his mind adds silently.

"Maybe it's Gaeta's," she says with a snort, and they both laugh, but with a nervous undercurrent this time, as if suddenly realizing they have no right to be laughing in the midst of what they're doing, what vows they're breaking. He squeezes the duck hard, eliciting another squeak. It sounds like a warning klaxon.

"Lee," Kara says. He looks up at her and is surprised to see uncertainty -- a pleading, almost -- in her eyes.

Frak it. He tosses the duck over his shoulder and pulls Kara under the spray again, watching as the water soaks her hair and runs in rivulets over her breasts. He's entranced for a moment, but then blinks rapidly, slicks back his wet hair and bends his head to take one pale nipple into his mouth, sucking strongly, drinking in hot water. He runs his left hand up to her collarbone, her neck. Over her lips, and his thumb slips inside. She bites down gently as he continues lapping at her breast, closing his eyes against the spray.

Finally she tugs at him to come back up and he does, their mouths meeting once more, her hands reaching down to clutch at his ass, her fingers digging into his flesh. His fingers close over both of her nipples and she breaks the kiss, her head falling back in pleasure, water raining down on her forehead. She looks almost vulnerable, then, and it twists at his gut, reminds him that they shouldn't be here, that they're standing on the precipice of disaster and have no one but themselves to blame.

And then she moves her hand to his cock and he tells himself to shut the hell up for once.

He spins her around and drives her back against the tile on the opposite side, and she lets out a delighted yelp, then squeezes his cock firmly, thumbing the tip, the ridge of her ring pressing into his skin. He bites his lip hard, feeling like the top of his head is going to come off. Two can play this game. He slips a finger between her folds to find her clit, and is gratified when she lets out a gasp. Their faces are inches apart, their breath short, hot water pounding them from behind as their hands and fingers move competitively, each trying to bring the other closer to the edge.

Finally Kara lets out a frustrated sigh. "Godsdammit, Lee, are you gonna frak me or what," she says, but her eyes are sparkling. He grins and she lifts her leg to brace over it his, and with her hand still on him, helps him slowly push inside of her.

He swallows hard as his world pinholes to sensation. He takes a moment to place one hand against the tile, holding himself up, getting himself together, before he starts moving slowly within her. He moves his hands to her hips, and she matches his efforts as best she can, her breasts bobbing with her exertions, her face almost a grimace as her hips rock with him.

"Frak, just like that," Kara says, and he obeys, thrusting shallowly, but then she shifts her leg slightly and he slides in deeper, and they both gasp.

"Oh, gods, like that," she whispers.

"Yeah," he agrees, and pumps up into her more roughly now, almost wincing as Kara digs her nails into his shoulders. It's not the easiest position, but he fights through it, muscles straining and knees screaming as he helps her ride him. Faster, harder, and her high-pitched yelps are echoing off the tile, and she's so hot inside, and every strain is worth it.

He's making some fairly embarrassing sounds himself, he knows, and doesn't care, doesn't care about any of it. All that matters is Kara, the feel of her, sight of her, scent of her. Their eyes meet and he knows she's feeling it too, the godsdamned confusing connection between them, and not for the first time he wonders how they've managed to go without for so long. This desire, this need -- she's more than a drug. She's oxygen. He breathes her in.

Their movements grow increasingly urgent, almost violent, and he can't shake the sensation of possessing her, claiming her, and he knows it's a lie, that no one will ever be able to possess Kara Thrace, and yet still he imagines it, savors it. Pretends that she's finally his.

All too soon he can feel he's getting close and he dips his head, hesitating.

She must sense his uncertainty, because she says "Come inside me," and he almost does just from hearing her say it.

He looks her in the eye, making sure, knowing that he's not going to have much choice in the matter in a few seconds anyway.

Her gaze is steady. "Come on, Lee," she whispers.

And he obeys, letting himself go, groaning, spilling himself inside of her as his vision goes dark. He's dimly aware of her reaching down to stroke herself, trying to hasten her own release. When his body finally quiets somewhat he covers her hand with his own, increasing the pressure there, helping her along.

It seems to work. "Oh gods," she says, and squeezes her eyes shut tight. "Frak. Lee…Lee --" and she comes, tightening around him, her leg falling down as she does so that he slips mostly out of her. He watches her finish, her eyes closed, her mouth open, a pink flush spreading across her chest. He's mesmerized, he admits to himself, seeing the flesh and blood manifestation of the fantasy he's been carrying around with him for months now. He palms her breast, the skin so moist and hot from the shower, and whispers her name as she sucks in air, trying to come back to him.

"Hey," he says when she opens her eyes. They're both still breathing hard, Kara making noises in her throat as she grips his forearms. The shower pounds down on his back.

"Hey," she murmurs back. "How uh --" she takes in a deep breath -- "how's it going?"

He grins and pushes her wet hair out of her face. "It's going pretty good," he says, leaning in to kiss her neck. "How about you?"

"Yeah," she says, a hitch in her voice, running her hands up and down his arms. "I -- I missed you," she bites out. "I missed that."

He swallows the reflex response of And whose fault is that? and kisses her again instead. "Me too," he whispers against her lips.

She gives him a grin, and this time she's the one to pull them fully back under the shower spray, and they take turns running their hands over each other's bodies, caressing, cleansing, washing away the evidence of what they've done. As if that's possible, Lee thinks grimly. He's wanted this so badly for so long, but now that it's done -- he takes Kara's face in his hands and kisses her with everything he has, knowing it might be the last time for a while -- maybe forever. They shouldn't, can't, do this again.

Except now that they've started, how are they ever going to be able to stop? He feels suffocated, suddenly. He breaks the kiss and takes a step back, gasping for air.

"What happens now?" he croaks.

She turns off the shower and reaches for the towels she draped over the shower stall. "Now we dry off and go back to our racks," she says, handing him one towel and beginning to dry her hair with the other.

"That's not what I mean and you know it," he says. He holds the towel in front of him, waiting for her answer.

"I know," she says after a beat. She wraps the towel around herself before looking back up at him. "We'll just…see what happens, okay? Can we not overthink it?"

"That's easier said than done, Kara. We're not the only people affected by this." He finally starts drying himself off, rubbing the towel vigorously over his hair, his body, before wrapping it around his waist.

"I know that, Lee," she snaps. "Gods, can't you just turn your brain off for one second --" She doesn't get a chance to finish the sentence since he's pressed her back against the wall again, kissing her hard. Not thinking.

"One day at a time, okay?" she says against his lips. He breathes in her breath. Her voice is as beseeching as he's ever heard it. "That's all I can handle right now."

"For now," he relents, kissing her again helplessly, wondering how he's going to be able to go back to his wife -- his wife -- in just a few moments and not give himself away completely.

He finally breaks away from her, and they step apart, feeling almost awkward, suddenly. Kara clears her throat. Lee nods, then opens the stall door and steps out of the shower, the air chill against his skin.

He has a life to get back to and no idea how to do it.

He hears her footsteps behind him but doesn't look back, feeling a bit like Orpheus from childhood religion. Look back and you might lose everything.

If only looking forward were any easier.

===============

He manages to stay away from her for days, somehow, engaging in little more than necessary CAG/pilot interaction. He tries not to meet her eyes when she speaks to him. Maybe he has it under control, he thinks. Maybe he can do this.

One breath at a time.

"We leave at 0600 hours," Dee tells him when he gets back one night from working out pilot transport runs for the upcoming harvesting mission. She's going over reports of her own, last minute details his father asked her to put together for operations planetside.

"I heard," he tells her. "Just think, soon we'll have all the algae we can bear to eat."

"Can't wait," Dee says dryly.

He grins and opens his locker, then stops short at what he sees sitting on a shelf at eye level.

A yellow rubber duck.

How the hell did she…?

"Hey, want to come look these over with me?" Dee asks from behind him.

He grabs the rubber duck from the shelf, looks down at it. Smiles widely. Feels his breath quicken slightly, like he's ingested a drug.

"Lee?"

"Sure," he says. He sticks the duck behind his toiletry kit and with an effort wipes the smile from his face. He's already rearranging the scheduled pilot runs to the algae planet in his head.

He swallows the sudden surge of guilt, squares his shoulders and turns back to his wife. Breathing.

End.

Bubbilicious - Bones - Booth/Brennan

2008-04-01T02:51:18Z

Title: Bubblicious
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Booth/Bones
For: yanatya
Water Prompt: Extremely hot water, like really hot, nearly burn-y
Optional Prompt: Ravishing, explosive, aggressive sex
Rating: PG – since I couldn’t quite get to the aggressive sex bit
Spoilers: 3x09 – “The Santa in the Slush”
A/N: Thanks to em_meredith for hosting this shindig, and yes, you can put this in the archive. Also thanks to jenbachand for looking this over.

Temperance Brennan sighed with happiness as she eased into the steaming bath. The water was much hotter than her normal utilitarian showers, almost painfully so, but it was just what she needed to relax. It was an unusual indulgence for her. Peru should have been the perfect trip: new ruins, ancient skeletons and endless puzzles. She should have returned refreshed and inspired. But she’d looked at the bones and wondered how they’d lived, not how they’d died. Which myths had this ancient culture truly believed and which had been propagated purely to protect the spirit and innocence of each new generation? Such musings had distracted her from her work and haunted her into the nights.

It was, Tempe had decided, all Booth’s fault. Without his insistent interference in her life, she never would have considered such questions or thought twice about the (im)morality of lying to children about the existence of Santa Claus. Now such conversations were the norm and even when he wasn’t around she could hear his voice in the back of her head. Less than scientific thoughts about cultural constructs and childhood joys had been neither the only thing keeping her out of sorts during her trip nor, if she was honest with herself, the most distracting.

She sighed and sank back below the water for a brief moment to blow out a frustrated breath. Their Christmas kiss seemed to have been playing on a loop in a not so quiet corner of her mind ever since. Damn Caroline and her Puckishness. What should have been nothing more than a somewhat awkward, definitely chaste meeting of lips below mistletoe hadn’t stayed that way. Towards the end of the kiss there had been a distinct shift, an opening, which could have led to more, much more. Enough ‘more’ to startle her into breaking the kiss and to continue to short circuit her rationality even now. If they’d left it at that she might have been able to push it down, bottle it away under the rationale of saving their partnership. But he’d followed up the experience with a surprise Christmas tree at the jail and her heart had taken the inevitable, metaphorical tumble.

Pushing such thoughts aside, Brennan rose from the now tepid water and reached for her towel. The small bottle of delicately scented lotion, a gift from one of Angela’s helpful phases, caught her eye and changed her plan. It was time to give Booth his Christmas present.

~ ~ ~ ~

Booth wasn’t expecting the knock at his door. Startled, he sloshed water from the kettle onto his hand. Cursing he dropped it back onto the stove top, turned on the cold tap and stuck his hand underneath. The knock sounded again and he hollered at the door, “Just a minute.”

It was early evening, just into the New Year. He couldn’t figure who it might be at his door. Parker was still with his mother in Vermont. Work would have called. He didn’t expect to see Bones until he made up an excuse to stop by the Jeffersonian on Monday. Except that’s exactly who he saw through his peep hole. Sticking his still burning finger in his mouth Booth opened the door and nodded her in.

“Hey Bones” he mumbled. “Thought you weren’t supposed to be back yet.” Booth shut the door behind his partner and turned to take a good look at her as she dropped her coat on his couch.

He nearly tripped over his own feet walking back into his living room because he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He’d seen Bones dressed to kill before. Her Halloween costume had knocked him for a loop and the little red number she’d worn in Vegas had nearly given him a heart attack. He was pretty sure she wasn’t doing it on purpose this time. He’d seen her dress for a date before too. Heck, he’d shown up in the middle of one date to arrest the guy. He’d stormed Sully’s boat to drag her onto a case. This was different. This was casual Bones, a look he didn’t get to see often despite the amount of time they seemed to spend together.

Her simple tank top and jeans outfit shouldn’t have had such an impact, but the low scoop of her neckline had combined with the way the jeans molded to her hips and the unexpectedness of her arrival to ratchet up his usual response. Then his eyes skated back up her body and he noticed that her mouth was moving, though he couldn’t hear anything. Was she chewing gum?

Booth’s brain froze. He’d only seen her with gum once before.

Bones took two deliberate steps towards him and stopped to swallow. The voice of Sister Mary echoed down through the years and he started talking as Bones rounded the couch to stand toe to toe with him.

“I can’t believe you just swallowed your gum. That’s gross Bones. Didn’t anyone ever tell you it takes 7 years to break down in your stomach? How could you just…”

She cut him off with a finger to the lips. “Booth, that’s a complete fallacy. Gum passes through the digestive tract at the same rate of speed as everything else. Now stop talking.”

Bones’ finger slid over his chin and down his throat to worry at his collar for a moment before she leaned across the last few inches and pressed her lips against his.

And then they done sex. ;-) The End!

bubbleficathon @ 2008-03-31T22:17:00

2008-04-01T02:19:15Z

Title: Add Some ‘roo to Your ‘do
Author: subluxate
Fandom: Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Pairing: Buffy and Oz are the requested characters. Xander and Willow also make appearances.
Written for: tinpra
Prompt: Conditioner
Rating: 7+ at the very highest
Spoilers: None
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author's Notes: I hope you like this. It’s not smut, and they’re not a couple, but I do like it.
Distribution: Bubblefic archive is fine; otherwise ask.

So there was this one time, in the rain…

Fic: Out on Good Behavior

2008-04-01T02:08:00Z

sheikah can't seem to post, so I'm doing it for her. Hope that's okay--she did write it. I was sitting beside her as she did.

Title: Out on Good Behavior
Author: sheikah
Summary: Chase is a girl. Sometimes.
Pairing: House/Chase
Rating: R
Spoilers: None.
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Fox does.
Notes: For bubbleficathon and auchic, who wanted House/Chase and bath bombs. I really hope I did okay.

The bathroom smelled like…roses. Or chocolate. Or maybe some combination of the two that House hadn't really thought out before now. It wasn't a man's bathroom, which is what House's bathroom had been before someone decided to take over. Moving in wasn't an invitation to change a man's whole bathroom experience, after all.

And lounging in his bathtub (House was very proprietary, even when he was allowing someone to move in. His stuff was his, thanks) was a pink-cheeked blond angel, a damp towel over his eyes and whatever the hell the smelly stuff was in the water making everything fizzy. No need for fizz in a bath, in House's humble opinion.

"What the hell are you doing in my bathtub?" House asked, getting quite possibly the laziest response in reply. The blond cherub/angel/girl merely shrugged, rearranging the towel over his eyes and humming a little. It was almost as if he was trying to ignore House, which was a very, very, very stupid thing to do.

In response (because House is a two year old who won't be ignored), House poked at the man's chest with the tip of his cane, causing him to startle and sit straight up in the warm bath. The towel came off his eyes and House could see that said eyes were wide and betrayed. As if he didn't expect that. Clearly he had something to learn about living in House's apartment.

"Question stands. What the hell are you doing in here? It's like I left a man and came back to a woman," House said, a smirk pulling at his lips. Chase blushed a little, though he'd chalk it up to the steam if questioned about it later, and cleared his throat before responding.

"I'm sore from running," he said, "and I had a long day yesterday. Decided to have a soak." He said all this with a nonchalant air, as if sounding like he didn't care at all would prompt House not to ask questions. Sadly, House was the type to ask questions even when it didn't seem like questions were necessary or even appropriate.

"So you decided to make the bathroom smell like Victoria gave birth to her secret in here? Where did you find all these ridiculously feminine bath products? The queen's sitting room?" Chase snorted a little; no matter how many times he tried to explain it, House was still going to insist that he was English. Next time, however, Chase had the perfect retort in mind for that—he just hadn't come up with it yet.

"It's a sitz. Helps sore muscles," Chase explained. "You could probably benefit from using one every once in a while. The rosewater helps relax you which, and I know you're not into anything remotely resembling homeopathic medicine, can also soothe seizing muscles." House smirked again, watching Chase get more and more uncomfortable as he tried to explain away his little ritual with scientific fact.

"It could just be because you're a girl," House said bluntly, gesturing with his cane. "Help me in," he said, starting to undo the buttons on his shirt. Chase got a smug look on his face and stood, rivulets of water streaming down the lines of his chest and stomach. House would have to be blind, deaf and dumb not to notice an invitation as blatant as that and he leaned in, inhaling deeply before scraping his teeth against the column of Chase's neck.

One thing that House loved about Chase was how fucking responsive he was and especially to pain. A kiss on the neck was all well and good, but kangaroos apparently weren't happy until someone gnawed on them. House was more than happy to oblige, licking and sucking and yes, biting at Chase's neck while Chase's hands pushed away his clothes.

While House was perfectly all right with getting in the bath with Chase, he apparently had other ideas and pushed House back toward the bedroom.

"I'm not a chew toy," Chase said petulantly, protesting when House took over and pushed him down toward the bed with his cane. House ignored him and kept going, hand working Chase's cock. "Come when I tell you to come and don't talk," he said, eliciting a low groan from Chase.

"But I…House, I…" House silenced that with a rough kiss, slowing his hand on Chase's cock. He went for a few more seconds that way, getting Chase so worked up that he was panting and writhing.

"Get on top of me," he said gruffly, a command that Chase was all too willing to oblige. House reached back for lube and slicked Chase carefully, slapping sharply at his thigh when he saw his eyes roll back in his head and a moan escape. "I told you not to come, Chase."

Chase rocked against him, silent. His hands found House's, clutching them and squeezing tightly as he tried to stave off the inevitable. House himself was having a good day, which meant he'd come quick and hard and his muscles wouldn't seize up afterwards. He decided to be lenient.

"Go ahead," he grunted, nearly laughing when Chase's face fell into utter relief and he came, wet and hot against House's stomach. House came close afterwards, long fingers making bruises along Chase's narrow hips. He drew blood on Chase's left, eliciting a noise halfway between a whimper and a whine. House pressed a kiss to his own hand and then to Chase's hip—the closest thing he was getting to soothing it.

"Still have bath bombs," Chase said sleepily, propped on one elbow and giving House a look that was too dreamy to be coming from an actual man. House rolled his eyes and hauled Chase close, spooning against his back.

"Stop mooning like a princess and go to bed." And Chase, being the good boy he was, did exactly that.

Stop to Smell the Watermelon [Bones - Booth/Brennan]

2008-04-01T02:05:52Z

Title: Stop to Smell the Watermelon
Author: Jen - ladybug218
Fandom: Bones
Pairing: Seeley Booth/Temperance Brennan
Written for: mcamy
Prompt: Bathtub
Optional Prompt: Fun and light-hearted, please.
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Immediately follows 2x12 "The Man in the Cell"
Disclaimer: These characters belong to way smarter and richer people than me. I'm just playing with them.
Author's Notes: Thanks to my last minute beta readers, koshkaphoenix and kajivar. Any remaining mistakes are my own. Sorry for cutting it so close to the deadline!
Distribution: bubbleficathon archive is okay, anywhere else, please ask first.

Had.

It was one little word and she didn't even know why she was so fixated on it. She knew that what Booth said was accurate; people who work in intense situations shouldn't get involved. It made things way too difficult.

"Daddy! Can we get ice cream now? Hi, Dr. Brennan!"

Temperance blinked, pulled out of her thoughts back into the present, and smiled at Parker. "Hi, Parker."

Booth stood up and scooped his son into his arms. "You wanna join us for some ice cream, Bones?" he asked, flashing her a grin.

"If you don't mind me tagging along," she said. She would never admit it, but she loved seeing this side of Booth. He was so different with his son than he was when they were working.

"I'm getting chocolate! With marshmallows." Parker said. "It's my favorite! What kind do you like?"

She supposed that was Parker's way of saying he didn't mind. "I like vanilla," she admitted.

"Aw, Bones, that's boring," Booth teased. "You at least need to get sprinkles on it."

"Yeah, Bones, sprinkles are fun!" Parker said.

Temperance laughed at the fact that the boy had picked up on his father's nickname for her. "Okay, Parker, I'll get sprinkles on my ice cream," she said, grinning at Booth over his son's head.

Twenty minutes later, Parker seemed to be wearing more of his ice cream than he had managed to eat. Booth groaned. "Come on, buddy. I need to get you cleaned up before I take you back to your mom."

"But, Daddy, I don't wanna go home yet," Parker protested.

"Sorry, pal," Booth said. "I need to get you bathed and fed dinner." Temperance could tell that he was reluctant to take his son home too.

"Bones, you wanna come too?" Parker asked unexpectedly. "We can play games while we wait for Sid to bring dinner."

Of course Booth didn't cook, she realized. "How about I cook dinner for you and your dad instead?" she offered. "I'll stop at the store while your dad takes you home and gives you your bath."

Booth gave her a surprised look and she quickly added, "As long as your dad doesn't mind."

"I don't mind at all, Bones. How about that, Parker? A bath and then a home-cooked meal before you go back to your mom's?"

Parker grinned, looking like a miniature version of his father. "Long as there's no broccoli."

Both adults laughed. "I think I can live without broccoli for one night," Temperance said. "I'll meet you two at your place, Booth."

*

Temperance had spent longer than was necessary at the grocery store, trying to determine what she should make for dinner for the Booth men. She still kept hearing Booth saying that he and Camille had a relationship, meaning that they no longer did, and it was frustrating her that she couldn't stop thinking about it.

She finally decided on homemade macaroni and cheese with a side salad and as she wandered the store, picking up everything she might possibly need since she had no idea what Booth might have in his kitchen, she thought back to Vegas, when they pretended to be a couple and to the look on his face when he pulled her out of the ground during the Gravedigger case.

Despite the fact that she was realizing she had feeling for Seeley, she knew that he was right when he said that people who work in stressful situations together can't have relationships. So she was determined to put those thoughts out of her mind for the evening when she rang the bell at his apartment, arms full of groceries.

"Geez, Bones, did you buy out the whole store?" he asked when he opened the door. "There's only you, me and Parker. And he's only five so he doesn't eat much."

She shrugged and started unloading her bags on his counter. "I wasn't sure what you would or wouldn't have so I bought everything I might need."

Booth shook his head as she pulled out a disposable aluminum baking dish. "I have pots and pans and stuff, you know."

"I don't know how much you cook, Booth," Temperance said. "Besides, this is disposable, which means less clean up."

Parker ran in then, his hair still damp and his face scrubbed clean. "Hey, Bones, what's for dinner?"

"How do you like macaroni and cheese?" she asked.

"It's my favorite!" he said.

"Mine too," Booth said. "Good choice."

Temperance smiled. "Now you guys go find something to do while I cook."

"Come on, Daddy. Let's play MarioKart!"

"Okay, but only if I get to be Mario," Booth said.

"Awwww, I wanna be Mario! You can be Toad."

"Are you sure you don't wanna be the princess?"

"Daaaaaaddy!"

The good-natured teasing made Temperance smile even more and she was unconsciously humming to herself as she prepared the meal. Once she got the main dish in the oven and prepared the salad, Booth made her sit down and watch them play some kind of racing video game. Parker encouraged her to play with them, but she declined, citing that she had to listen for the oven timer, but she really didn't want to look like a fool in front of either of them.

Rebecca arrived to pick up Parker just as they were finishing dinner and she raised her eyebrows when she saw Temperance there. "Well, Dr. Brennan, I'm assuming you're the one responsible for a home-cooked meal instead of another one of Sid's deliveries," she said.

"Bones came to the playground with us and we had ice cream and she watched me and Daddy play video games," Parker shared.

The look that Rebecca gave her made Temperance flush. She knew that the woman was jumping to the wrong conclusions but she didn't know how to correct her assumption without making things more awkward.

"We had a rough week," Booth explained. "So we all needed to decompress a little."

Rebecca nodded. "Okay, Parker, it's time to go home."

Parker gave his dad a big hug and kiss. "I love you, Daddy," he said.

"Love you, too, sport," Booth replied.

It surprised Temperance when Parker wrapped his arms around her though. "Thanks for dinner, Bones. You should come hang out with me and Daddy again next weekend."

She hugged him back, more than a little startled by his suggestion. "We'll see," she said.

"Have a good night," Rebecca said, giving them both a knowing look as she took Parker's hand and they headed out.

Booth closed the door and turned to face Temperance. "What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Uh... it's... nothing."

"Don't lie to me, Temperance," he said, causing a shiver to run down her spine as it always did when he used her given name.

"It's just... Rebecca thinks that we... you know... and Parker hugged me and..." she was flustered and at a loss for words, something that didn't happen often.

Booth smirked and put his hand on her shoulder to guide her to the sofa. "You want some ice cream?" he offered.

She nodded, glad to have some kind of distraction.

A few minutes later, he handed her a dish with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and whipped cream. "Thanks, Booth," she said.

"Hey, no need to thank me, Bones. You're the one that cooked the awesome dinner. All I did was scoop stuff out of a carton."

"It was fun," Temperance said. "Thank you for letting me spend time with you and Parker. I know that your time with him is important to you."

Booth shrugged. "He liked having you around. He's right; you should hang out with us more often."

"I... I don't know if that's a good idea, Booth. We work together and we don't want people to get the wrong idea," she said.

"What would the wrong idea be, Bones?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes. "You know. That we're... more than just partners and friends."

He got quiet for a long minute and then looked up at her. "Aren't we though?" he asked in a low voice.

Their eyes were locked and Temperance had to swallow a few times before she could speak. "I guess we are. But... you said earlier that people who work in stressful situations shouldn't have relationships. That the reason Cam got hurt was because of the relationship you two had."

"It could have just as easily been you or Zack that opened that skull," he said. "Eppes didn't care who he got as long as he got someone."

"But then why did you and Cam... split up?" she asked.

"Do you really need to ask that, Temperance?" he retorted. "After everything we've been through... " He stood up and moved to sit next to her. Having him in such close proximity made her nervous and she fumbled the ice cream she was holding, spilling it all over herself.

"Oh, Booth, I'm sorry!" she said, jumping up and heading for the kitchen to grab paper towels. He was right on her heels and he grabbed her arm.

"Temperance, stop."

She put the paper towels down and looked up at him, unconsciously licking her lips. He bent his head and kissed her. Slowly, tentatively, at first, but once she reciprocated, the kiss deepened. They pulled away from each other, breathless.

"Do you have any idea how long I've been wanting to do that?" he asked, his voice husky.

"No, I don't," she replied. "But I'm glad you finally did."

He smiled. "Come on, let's get this sticky mess cleaned up."

She raised an eyebrow.

His grin widened. "Don't you trust me to give you a bubblebath?"

"Booth... I..."

"Can you do me a favor?" he interrupted. "If we're going to do this more than friends thing, maybe you should call me Seeley."

Temperance smiled. "Are you still going to call me Bones?"

"In the office, yes," he said. "In the privacy of my own home? Probably not."

She laughed. "Okay, let's get me cleaned up then, Seeley."

He grinned and scooped her up into his arms.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Sweeping you off your feet, Bones," he replied as he carried her into the bathroom and set her down on the closed toilet. "Stay right there," he instructed, leaning down to turn the water on. The room soon filled with billowing steam clouds and Temperance watched as he carefully prepared the bath, dumping in just the right amount of watermelon scented bubbles and checking the water temperature with his elbow. He stripped off his shirt, leaving only a white tank top and his jeans.

Temperance was unabashedly enjoying the view of his muscles when he turned and grinned at her. "You're totally checking me out," he accused lightly.

She laughed and nodded. "Guilty as charged, Agent Booth."

"Why don't you get out of those sticky clothes and into the tub," he suggested. "I'll go find you something clean to wear when you're done." He left the bathroom without waiting for an answer and she smiled to herself as she removed her clothes and folded them neatly in a pile on the edge of the sink. She sank into the water and sighed as the bubbles settled around her.

Seeley knocked once and then opened the bathroom door, carrying a pair of blue and red plaid boxer shorts and a white cotton tee-shirt. "You look relaxed, Temperance," he said, his voice a little thicker than usual.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "This is the perfect ending to a really great day," she admitted. "I had a lot of fun with you and Parker today and now... well, I don't generally allow myself the luxury of a bubblebath."

"You don't allow yourself many luxuries, do you?" he asked, putting her clean clothes on the closed toilet and sitting down on the floor next to the tub.

"No, I guess I don't," she said. "It doesn't seem like there's enough time in the day."

He nodded. "I know what you mean. But having Parker really changed my perspective on that."

"I would imagine it would," Temperance said.

"So I guess now my mission is to get you to stop and smell the roses," he said.

She smirked. "Well, we're off to a good start with smelling the watermelons."

Seeley laughed. "It's Parker's favorite. I can get some rose scented bubbles for next time."

"What makes you think there's going to be a next time?" Temperance asked, arching an eyebrow at him playfully.

He leaned his arms on the side of the tub and grinned. "Because you enjoyed that kiss just as much as I did and you wouldn't be naked in my bathroom if there wasn't going to be a next time."

"You think you know me so well," she said.

"Yes, I do."

"Then I guess it's my mission to prove you wrong," she said, splashing him a little.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be getting me wet," he protested, but he was still grinning.

Temperance's eyes sparkled and she reached for Seeley's arm. "Oh, but that's just what I'm planning to do," she said, tugging him hard enough that he his arm landed in the water. "I think this tub is big enough for two."

"You really are full of surprises, Bones."

"Don't call me Bones tonight."

"You got it," Seeley promised, standing up and removing his clothes so he could join her. As he slid into the tub behind her, Temperance decided that going to the playground today had been one of the smartest things she had ever done.