I blame the rainy days and my newest song obsession for this one. Just a one-shot that refused to leave my head and demanded to be put on paper... well, not exactly paper, but still... So we have a rainy day, a surveillance operation, Gibbs and Kate alone and a short appearance from Tony and McGee.
The title of the story is part of the lyrics of a Greek song that also refuses to leave my head :p It's called "Ena fili apo diosmo" which means -a kiss of spearmint-. You can check it out if you want.
Anyway, I hope you will enjoy reading this! Comments and suggestions are always welcome :)
Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS...
xOxOx
A Kiss of Rain and Fire
xOxOx
It's been an uneventful night so far, as far as stake-outs go. Their suspect arrived home at exactly 10:00 and he hasn't left the house since. It's almost morning now…
He checks the camera and the listening device, both trained on their suspect's bedroom window, looking for any kind of change but he finds none. The man is still in bed.
He brings his coffee cup to his lips and he takes a generous gulp, reveling in the strong taste. After a last check outside their window and deciding that the man won't move any time soon, he turns away from the surveillance devices and his eyes land on Kate. She is sitting in one of the armchairs in the small living-room, facing the window too, a pair of binoculars on the small table close by. Her eyes are closed but he knows she is awake.
They opted to use the apartment at the building opposite the one their suspect lives in for this particular surveillance; much comfier than a car and definitely coming with less complaints. DiNozzo would surely have a lot of those if he had to spend twelve hours straight in a car and he is not in the mood for Tony's excessive chatter. That's one of the reasons he took Kate with him.
His senior field agent sometimes feels the need to talk continuously about every little thing that comes to his mind. Twelve hours of that would certainly drive him mad. McGee would feel the need to fill every awkward silence so the result would be the same; until he'd tell him to shut up, that is. Kate, on the other hand, gets him. She can spend hours in silence with him without feeling that she has to say something. He likes it this way. That's not the only thing he likes but he decides not to go there…
He hears a soft sigh and when he looks her way again he finds her eyes open, trained on him.
"You good?" he asks in a low tone and she nods in answer.
She rubs a hand over her face and she slowly stands up, heading for the window, and she pauses in front of it, checking to see what's going on outside.
"It's raining again…" she mumbles, her back to him, a hint of exhaustion in her voice.
"Mhm…" He looks away from the open file on his lap just in time to catch her stretching.
His eyes travel involuntarily to the exposed skin of her lower back as her blouse rides slightly up due to her movement and, for a moment, he finds it hard to tear his gaze away. It's only when she straightens up that he looks hastily away, his face a mask of absolute composure.
She reaches out for her coffee cup only to find it empty and she groans in distaste. Wordlessly, he takes his cup and holds it out for her. She merely raises an eyebrow, looking quizzically at him, and wondering if he is really doing what she thinks he is doing.
"Are you actually giving me your coffee?" she questions before she can stop herself and he shrugs lightly.
She tentatively takes the offered cup in her hands and she holds it between her palms, its warmth seeping through her skin. She observes the coffee cup in her hands, momentarily wondering how come he decided to share his beloved coffee with her, but she doesn't have the energy to dwell on it now.
"Gonna drink that?" his voice makes her look up and she nods in answer.
She brings the cup to her lips and she takes a cautious sip. It's still warm against her tongue and too strong for her taste but she drinks it anyway, letting it wash down her throat, wincing slightly at the strong taste. There is no way she is going to get any sleep if she keeps on drinking this thing. Maybe that was his plan…
He watches her with a small smirk, amusement evident in his eyes, and she sends a weak glare his way. She doesn't have the energy to do that properly either. Instead, she raises the cup again and takes another sip, keeping a straight face this time as she swallows the bitter liquid and she licks her lips as she puts it back down.
For a second, he wonders what his coffee would taste like from her lips and the sudden thought startles him. Where on earth did that come from? He mentally headslaps himself and he averts his gaze, trying to focus on the report he was reading before and not on his agent. Not very successfully though...
He catches her movement from the corner of his eye as she settles down in the armchair once again, his cup still cradled in her hands. Lucky cup...
There it is again. He needs to stop doing that! Normally he is good with this thing. He can control his impulses perfectly, it's just his thoughts that seem to stray at times. He blames his lack of sleep.
He tosses the file on the coffee table and he stands up, heading for the window. The rain continues falling steadily, rain drops hitting the window pane and creating small rivulets as they glide down the glass. He observes them closely, too absorbed in the way the water slides to notice that she has moved again until she is standing right behind him.
Her close proximity has a strange effect on him but he tries not to think about it, just like every other time. He moves slightly to the left so she can stand next to him, his coffee cup still in hand, both looking straight ahead into the cloudy sky.
She reaches out and traces the path of a rain drop as it glides down the window, her touch soft against the glass, leaving a trail through the moisture that has gathered against it.
"When I was little, my younger brother and I used to place bets on which drop would roll down first and which one would reach the bottom faster…" she mumbles, breaking the comfortable silence that has settled between them.
"Who won?" he questions as he shifts a little closer to her, their arms almost touching.
"It was a silly game…" she shrugs.
"Don't know 'bout that, Agent Todd, sounds pretty serious," he teases and she chuckles as she turns to look at him only to find his eyes already on her.
"I'd say it was pretty even. But then we'd start yelling because we didn't always agree on the outcome and dad would threaten to kick us out in the rain if we didn't stop," she reminisces making him laugh lightly, the sound a low rumble from deep within his chest, and she smiles at him.
"Any silly games of your own, Gibbs?" she asks, trying not to think of the things that laugh of his makes her feel, and he gives her one of his trademark lopsided smirks.
"Come on, I'm not going to laugh," she promises and she takes a sip of coffee, hiding her grin behind the cup.
"Not really a game..." he admits, surprising her.
"Oh?" she quirks an eyebrow, clearly intrigued to find out more.
She watches him as he reaches out and traces a finger over the glass, following the path of a drop as it slowly slides down, her eyes following the movement too until she hears his voice again and she turns to look at him.
"Just liked being outside in the rain. I'd sneak out and just stand there, in the downpour," he tells her with a small shrug, "Told ya, not really a game."
She didn't really know what to expect from him but that was definitely not it. Now all she has in her mind is the image of a young boy with vibrant blue eyes, standing in the rain with arms outstretched, facing the sky as the rain drops hit his face and he smiled.
She really needs to stop thinking about it because it is dangerous territory…
"Well, you did sneak out so that kind of makes it a game," she offers, while still trying to erase that image, and he shakes his head, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Guess so…" he whispers, staring off into the distance and, just when she thinks she is safe again, he turns to her and reaches for the cup she is still holding in her right hand.
His long fingers close around it, inevitably wrapping around her fingers as well, and he pauses at the contact. His eyes find hers, blue meeting hazel, and neither dares to move. She wants to say something, anything really, but the words die in her throat the moment she feels the soft caress of his fingers against the back of her hand just before he takes the coffee cup from her.
His blue eyes remain on hers as he raises it to his lips and takes a sip, trying to occupy his lips with something and not do something really stupid right now. He takes a deep breath and looks away, observing the rain outside once again, focusing on that.
It's only moments later that he notices the first rays of light, picking through the clouds, and the sun slowly rising through a clear patch of sky in the horizon.
"It's beautiful…" Kate mumbles and he turns to look at her, ready to agree, but the moment he faces her the words stick in his throat and he has no idea what is more beautiful anymore; the sunrise or the woman in front of him?
And just like that he is trouble… he doesn't know what possesses him to do what he does next.
Maybe it's the smell of rain, lingering in the air, or the way the first rays of the sun reflect in her eyes, bringing out the green and gold flecks hidden in their depths. Or maybe, just maybe, it's none of the above and he is just making excuses just to do what he feels the need to.
His hand seems to have a mind of its own as it tenderly cups her cheek and her breath catches in her throat. He moves closer to her, invading her personal space, but she stays rooted to the spot, unmoving, waiting his next move with baited breath.
He thinks he is crazy, he has to be, and she must be too because she isn't yelling at him, or slapping him or pushing him away. She just stands in front of him, waiting, and she can't really want the same thing he does, can she?
He leans even closer, eyes darting to her lips before they meet her gaze, silently asking for permission to continue, praying that she won't refuse.
And, to his relief, she doesn't. She just rests her hands on his chest before grabbing a fistful of his shirt and she pulls him down until his lips finally find hers.
His eyes slip shut and he gets lost in her. He has enough conscious thought to drop the cup on the table before his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her to him until there is no space between them and her arms find their way around his neck, fingers slipping through his short hair. He hears a sigh but he doesn't know who made the sound, it could easily have been either of them, but he doesn't care right now. All he cares about is this woman in his arms, her lips soft, moving languidly against his.
It starts out gentle, as if mimicking the slow speed of the rain that's still falling softly. A burning fire, growing in intensity, slowly consuming everything until there is nothing else left, just the two of them in this moment.
The moan he hears this time definitely didn't come from him and it spurs him on. His right hand settles on her back, between her shoulder blades, while his left arm remains wrapped tightly around her waist, refusing to let her go and holding her tightly against him.
She feels lightheaded, her knees barely hold her weight and she is certain that if it wasn't for his arms holding her securely se wouldn't be able to stand. She has no idea how this man manages to do this, turn her brain into mush with just a kiss. She is certain that no man has kissed her so thoroughly before...
Her senses are on overload, he manages to consume her completely until he is the only one that matters in her world. Part of her is still in shock that they are actually doing this but he even manages to quieten that part of her brain. This impossible man…
When they finally pull away, both reluctant to break this fragile connection, they just stare at each other, too lost for words, their lips still tingling from the kiss they shared, making it hard to think straight.
Her hands loosen their grip on his shirt and they just splay on his chest, over his still racing heart. She expects him to pull away any moment now, tell her that this was a mistake, that it should never have happened, but he surprises her. Instead of doing that, his hand finds its way to her cheek once again and he caresses the skin there gently, his touch almost feather light.
All she can do is look into those eyes of his and silently pray for him to never stop what he is doing right now. And as if he can read her thoughts somehow, he obeys and, instead of stopping, he leans down and brushes his lips against hers again, so gently and lovingly that she really must be imagining that they are even there.
In this moment, he is certain that the look in her hazel eyes is more beautiful than any sunrise could ever be.
Before he can say or do anything else, though, they hear noise coming from the hallway outside, along with footsteps, and his two agents bickering while trying not to be too loud and failing miserably at it.
She quickly disentangles herself from his embrace and she heads to the window, grabbing the binoculars on the way, trying to calm down her still thundering heartbeat. She can't have Tony suspecting that something is off, it would be a disaster.
Gibbs drops his head and sighs in frustration as he rubs a hand over his eyes, trying to regain some of his composure. They must have the worst timing ever… He reaches for his coffee cup, draining it in one long swig, and moments later they hear a knock on the door.
"Boss, it's us," Tony's loud whisper follows. Like they couldn't tell.
He glances at Kate, who takes a deep breath before nodding at him, and he unlocks the door and opens it so McGee and DiNozzo can walk inside.
"You tryin' to wake up the whole building, DiNozzo?" he questions, glaring lightly.
"Sorry, boss, but the probie here mixed up my coffee order! Can you believe it?" he asks incredulously but Gibbs doesn't look like he cares.
"I didn't mix it up, it was the barista's fault!" McGee defends himself.
"Oh, right! Blame the poor girl now, McGee!"
"It's too early for this…" Kate mutters, shaking her head.
"Both of you, shut up!" Gibbs demands, having enough of their quarrel already, his mind on way more important things than Tony's coffee order, and his two agents have the common sense not to utter another word, only glare at each other.
Gibbs moves to stand behind Kate, invading her personal space as he just stands there, making her breath hitch slightly and he has to bite back a smile at the reaction.
"Suspect?" he asks, because they should have thought about him damn it, before they did what they did.
"Sleeping like a baby," she reassures him and he nods, thankful that they didn't accidentally blow this.
He takes the binoculars from her, tests to see if the camera is still recording, and then he tosses them to Tony, who manages to catch them the last second.
"No arguing," he warns, pointing a finger at them and they begrudgingly nod in consent.
"You two leaving already?" Tony asks.
"Yeap, and this place better be clean when we get back, Tony," she states pointedly, looking at her partner who smirks.
"Why would you say that, Kate? You know me!"
"I'm only saying it because I know you, Tony," she replies.
"Call us if something happens, our phones will be on," Gibbs instructs as he wears his coat and Kate gathers her things before slipping on her own coat.
"Will do, boss," McGee assures, already checking their equipment to check if everything is working well.
With a nod Gibbs opens the door again, motioning for Kate go out first, and he follows her moments later without another word.
When they step outside they notice that it's still raining softly yet steadily. Kate wraps the scarf more snuggly around her neck and he raises his lapels for a little more warmth as they start walking towards their car. They parked a few blocks away, not wanting it to be close to the house, and now they are both kind of regretting that decision.
The streets are relatively empty this early in the morning, only a few cars passing by and even fewer people, heading to work or returning home.
Neither one says a word as they walk, both lost in their own thoughts about what happened between them only minutes ago. Can they just ignore it and move on like it didn't happen? Ignore all those feelings that a simple kiss ignited in them, feelings kept hidden all this time? It wasn't supposed to have happened but it did. The question is, what now?
"Gibbs?" her voice reaches his ears and suddenly he realizes that she is no longer walking beside him and she has stopped a few steps behind.
He walks back to her and stops in front of her, a worried expression on his face when he notices her face.
"You ok?" he asks in concern and she shakes her head.
"I don't know…"
"Kate -"
"What did we do? Back at the house?" she cuts him off before he can say anything and all he does for a few seconds is stare at her.
"You wanna do this now?" he asks incredulously "We're out in the rain!"
"I know! I just have no idea what happened in there! Well, I do know what happened, I just don't know why it happened and it's really messing with my head because I have no idea what's going to happen now or if anything is going to happen now, or if we just made a huge mistake and -"
She doesn't get to say another word because he does the only thing that comes to his mind in order to shut her up. He kisses her again.
This time, though, it isn't slow or soft, it's desperate and full of desire, leaving them both breathless and wanting more in mere seconds. His lips move hungrily against hers and she replies with the same amount of passion, grasping at his coat to pull him closer to her as his arms wrap around her waist tightly.
He is the one to pull away first and he drops his forehead against hers, panting heavily, eyes closed.
"No mistake, Katie…" he whispers, his hot breath hitting her lips.
"I thought there was a rule about this…" she mumbles uncertainly and his blue eyes open to find her hazel ones, looking anxiously at him.
"Well… there are always exceptions…"
"Really now?" she asks, trying to fight the smile that threatens to take over and he brushes his lips against hers tenderly.
"Yeah…" he breathes out, eyes always locked with hers.
This time she does smile, revealing that dimple on her left cheek he adores so much, and he smiles back with ease as he leans down to kiss it, just because he can.
"Uhm, Gibbs… not that I'm not enjoying this immensely, but we are still in the rain," she points out making him chuckle.
"I kind of like the rain…" he replies with a small shrug.
"Yeah, I remember that, but we are going to catch a cold," she reasons and he sighs.
He looks up, eyes closed, a small smile on his lips, and for a moment she can see that little boy that used to sneak out just to be in the rain.
When he looks at her again there is a soft expression in his eyes that makes her heart skip a beat and she can't help but smile at him.
"Come on, Agent Todd, we have a case to solve," he states seriously and reaches for her hand, slipping his fingers through hers, as he starts walking back towards the car with her by his side.
"Gonna have to get dry first," she tells him with a small smirk.
"Got a fireplace at my place, we'll dry up in no time," he says, his tone both uncertain and hopeful as he looks at her, waiting for her answer.
How can she say no to him when he looks at her like that? He wants her with him and she can't deny him anything in this moment because she wants to be with him too.
"Sounds like a good plan," she answers with a smile and he grins, he actually grins.
"Got good coffee too."
She raises an eyebrow, because she knows what he means by good coffee, and he chuckles.
"I may have some milk and sugar too," he adds with a small tilt of his head.
"Ok then."
"I might even show you my boat…" he says, casting a glance her way, and she laughs, because he really means boat.
"I'd love that…" she replies with a nod and she feels him squeezing her hand.
The rain picks up slightly but they don't care as they make their way to the car. Maybe they'll get to see the rainbow later...