Title: Rose Goodbye

Rating: K+

Paring: Kate/Gibbs

Series: Inevitable (4/5)

Summary: "For the first time since they had started their 'it' she had been personal and tender with her actions."

Disclaimer: NCIS doesn't belong to me, and it never will.

Spoilers: None.

----------------

He shelters a bouquet of roses from the pounding rain under his coat.

It wasn't much, but he felt like he needed to get her something to sooth the wound he'd give her.

For the first time since they had started their 'it' she had been personal and tender with her actions. Without a word, she had brought him to the couch, made him sit down beside her and had snuggled right into his side. She'd taken his hand, gently placed a key on his palm and made him curl his hand over it as her fingers covered his. It was supposed to be a warm and loving gesture, but when he frowned he ruined the moment.

He tried to accept it with a smile, tried to look happy and pleased at her gift, but she could read him to well. She had slid to the other end of the couch and somberly looked at her feet as she sighed. He didn't mean to hurt her, he thought they were just having fun and finding out a little bit more of what might exist between them.

He'd left the key on her coffee table that night, and now he's leaving a dozen roses on her doorstep in the pouring rain. There's a card in the middle, and he's pretty sure it explains all the reasons why everything involving them needs to end and why he'll never come to her door looking for something more than a friendly conversation again.

He straitens one of the roses in the middle and tries unsuccessfully to wipe the water off the clear sheet around the flowers. He sets them down on the cement floor slowly, carefully adjusting them so they'll look their best when she opens her door.

He stands up and looks at his offering with approval. He looks to the door and mumbles "Bye Kate."

He turns to walk away, and he pretends not to notice the wet drops on his face that aren't rain.