Title: Up Close and Personal
Author: Claudie
Rating: PG
Category: R – existing relationship of G/K
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Don't sue please
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Gibbs was sanding his boat feverishly. He was mad, frustrated, and jealous beyond imagination.
It was well past midnight, and Gibbs was alone in the basement in the companionship of the skeleton of his boat.
She had not come home yet, and he had this strange feeling. He cursed himself, for needing her, and for getting so used to having her in his life.
Still, he hoped she planned on coming back.
She had never gone out so late since they got involved and quickly moved in together. The time they got to spend together in the house would be the romantic quality time in their relationship. Going out would risk exposure, and they – especially he – wanted to keep their relationship a secret at work, at least for a while longer.
So, it was unusual for Kate to not make it home as quickly as she could after a work day. He heard her making plans with Tony to go try out the new Chinese place down the street before they left work, and he felt the jealousy burned.
He knew he was ignoring her almost completely at work, and was not as attentive as he ought to be in their personal time, but he couldn't help it. Getting the terrorist and killing him was his first priority. Jethro Gibbs always stayed true to them.
Finally, keys were jingling and in walked the cause of Gibbs' dark mood. He knew it was her without having to go up stair. She had the same routine almost every night. First taking her shoes off and placing them neatly along side the closet in the foyer then walking into the living room to put her bag and jacket down. Her keys would find their way in the decorative small wooden box on the book shelf in the dining room, and her cell phone would be put right beside his on the shelf.
Gibbs was expecting her to move down the stairs any minute. Kate had refused to go down to the basement when he wasn't there. She said she didn't want to be intruding.
When she had not appeared after a while, Gibbs put his tools down and moved upstairs to find her instead. He spotted her putting things together in an overnight bag.
"What do you think you're doing, Kate?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"I'm packing my things," she replied without even looking at him.
"Why?" he walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him, blocking her exist and forcing her to talk to him.
"This is apparently not working," Kate supplied as an explanation when she zipped up her bag. "This is for the best."
Gibbs looked at her in surprise. She had technically ended their relationship without as much as blinking. She spoke with much force and determination.
"You're running away, Kate," Gibbs said while he worked to press down the anxiety he felt inside. He wasn't going to let her know how much she was capable of affecting him.
"You've run away from it often enough," the female agent accused and stood up taller, looking unwaveringly into Gibbs' eyes. "You've totally closed off from me, not telling me what you were thinking all the time. I know you want that man, but so do I. You're letting that control your life and you're shutting me out of it."
"I've never wanted to shut you out of my life, Kate. Never," Gibbs responded, bewildered.
"You did," she continued softly. "You're so tense around me that I don't know how to approach you anymore."
"Look, Kate," Gibbs said, exasperated, but was cut off by Kate.
"No, Gibbs," she shook her head. "You gotta let me finish. You were so concentrated on getting the terrorist you won't let yourself rest. You're cranky, you're tense, and you're snapping at everyone that doesn't live up to your standard. The only time you seem to have relaxed is when you were with Abby. I'm starting to wonder ... "
"Don't you even go there, Caitlin Todd," Gibbs cut her off, anger flashed in his eyes. "Don't you dare question your place in my life."
"It's pretty hard not to, isn't it? I can't even get you to relax and talk to me and tell me about your problems. That speaks a lot about my place in your life, doesn't it?"
"Have you ever thought that maybe I didn't tell you because I didn't want to upset you with talking about that," Gibbs waved his hands in the air to make his point, "thing?"
"You're upsetting me when you're not talking to me," Kate pointed out, her voice softer now she could see Gibbs' reasons. "And it hurts to see you so much more relaxed with Abby."
Gibbs' eyes went wide as realization dawned on him, "You were jealous," he muttered, incredulous. "You're jealous of Abby."
"Wouldn't you be?" she retorted.
Gibbs remained silent for a moment, his thoughts automatically drifted back to his feeling before Kate returned home.
Yes, he definitely would.
"Kate, Abbs and I are more like really great friends. You have nothing to be jealous of."
"I want you to be happy, Gibbs," Kate murmured, "and you seem so much happier with Abby. You smile more often with her around. You're not as relaxed around me."
"Have you lost your mind?" the senior agent took a step forward and put his hand on her shoulders. "Have you gone crazy, Kate?"
She stayed silent, not sure what to say anymore. Gibbs' closeness was affecting her tremendously. Her hands automatically went around him when he pulled her closer into a hug.
"You're very silly, you know that," Gibbs said into her hair tenderly. "You're very very silly."
"Gibbs?" her voice was muffled when she spoke against his chest.
"You're important to me, Kate. Very important."
"Are you going to laugh at me now for being so petty?" she asked. She smiled when she could hear Gibbs' heartbeat grew faster.
"Maybe," he chuckled a little, his whole being relaxed as he knew Kate wasn't going to just walk away. Turning sober, he pulled slightly away from Kate and looked into her eyes, "Kate, I'm sorry if you feel I'm shutting you out of my life. I never intended to have you feel that way. Now that I know, I promise I will try my best to share things with you. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Yes," she whispered, happiness and love again filled her eyes.
"You've made me a happy man, Caitlin Todd," he said with his lips slightly grazing hers. "You've made me a very happy man."
"And you've made me a very happy woman," Kate responded before leaning in and pressing her lips against his.
Together, they smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Don't ask me why but I always have Kate going away in my story – or threatening to.... Sigh..... why is that??
Author: Claudie
Rating: PG
Category: R – existing relationship of G/K
Disclaimer: Don't own them. Don't sue please
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Gibbs was sanding his boat feverishly. He was mad, frustrated, and jealous beyond imagination.
It was well past midnight, and Gibbs was alone in the basement in the companionship of the skeleton of his boat.
She had not come home yet, and he had this strange feeling. He cursed himself, for needing her, and for getting so used to having her in his life.
Still, he hoped she planned on coming back.
She had never gone out so late since they got involved and quickly moved in together. The time they got to spend together in the house would be the romantic quality time in their relationship. Going out would risk exposure, and they – especially he – wanted to keep their relationship a secret at work, at least for a while longer.
So, it was unusual for Kate to not make it home as quickly as she could after a work day. He heard her making plans with Tony to go try out the new Chinese place down the street before they left work, and he felt the jealousy burned.
He knew he was ignoring her almost completely at work, and was not as attentive as he ought to be in their personal time, but he couldn't help it. Getting the terrorist and killing him was his first priority. Jethro Gibbs always stayed true to them.
Finally, keys were jingling and in walked the cause of Gibbs' dark mood. He knew it was her without having to go up stair. She had the same routine almost every night. First taking her shoes off and placing them neatly along side the closet in the foyer then walking into the living room to put her bag and jacket down. Her keys would find their way in the decorative small wooden box on the book shelf in the dining room, and her cell phone would be put right beside his on the shelf.
Gibbs was expecting her to move down the stairs any minute. Kate had refused to go down to the basement when he wasn't there. She said she didn't want to be intruding.
When she had not appeared after a while, Gibbs put his tools down and moved upstairs to find her instead. He spotted her putting things together in an overnight bag.
"What do you think you're doing, Kate?" he asked in a hoarse voice.
"I'm packing my things," she replied without even looking at him.
"Why?" he walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind him, blocking her exist and forcing her to talk to him.
"This is apparently not working," Kate supplied as an explanation when she zipped up her bag. "This is for the best."
Gibbs looked at her in surprise. She had technically ended their relationship without as much as blinking. She spoke with much force and determination.
"You're running away, Kate," Gibbs said while he worked to press down the anxiety he felt inside. He wasn't going to let her know how much she was capable of affecting him.
"You've run away from it often enough," the female agent accused and stood up taller, looking unwaveringly into Gibbs' eyes. "You've totally closed off from me, not telling me what you were thinking all the time. I know you want that man, but so do I. You're letting that control your life and you're shutting me out of it."
"I've never wanted to shut you out of my life, Kate. Never," Gibbs responded, bewildered.
"You did," she continued softly. "You're so tense around me that I don't know how to approach you anymore."
"Look, Kate," Gibbs said, exasperated, but was cut off by Kate.
"No, Gibbs," she shook her head. "You gotta let me finish. You were so concentrated on getting the terrorist you won't let yourself rest. You're cranky, you're tense, and you're snapping at everyone that doesn't live up to your standard. The only time you seem to have relaxed is when you were with Abby. I'm starting to wonder ... "
"Don't you even go there, Caitlin Todd," Gibbs cut her off, anger flashed in his eyes. "Don't you dare question your place in my life."
"It's pretty hard not to, isn't it? I can't even get you to relax and talk to me and tell me about your problems. That speaks a lot about my place in your life, doesn't it?"
"Have you ever thought that maybe I didn't tell you because I didn't want to upset you with talking about that," Gibbs waved his hands in the air to make his point, "thing?"
"You're upsetting me when you're not talking to me," Kate pointed out, her voice softer now she could see Gibbs' reasons. "And it hurts to see you so much more relaxed with Abby."
Gibbs' eyes went wide as realization dawned on him, "You were jealous," he muttered, incredulous. "You're jealous of Abby."
"Wouldn't you be?" she retorted.
Gibbs remained silent for a moment, his thoughts automatically drifted back to his feeling before Kate returned home.
Yes, he definitely would.
"Kate, Abbs and I are more like really great friends. You have nothing to be jealous of."
"I want you to be happy, Gibbs," Kate murmured, "and you seem so much happier with Abby. You smile more often with her around. You're not as relaxed around me."
"Have you lost your mind?" the senior agent took a step forward and put his hand on her shoulders. "Have you gone crazy, Kate?"
She stayed silent, not sure what to say anymore. Gibbs' closeness was affecting her tremendously. Her hands automatically went around him when he pulled her closer into a hug.
"You're very silly, you know that," Gibbs said into her hair tenderly. "You're very very silly."
"Gibbs?" her voice was muffled when she spoke against his chest.
"You're important to me, Kate. Very important."
"Are you going to laugh at me now for being so petty?" she asked. She smiled when she could hear Gibbs' heartbeat grew faster.
"Maybe," he chuckled a little, his whole being relaxed as he knew Kate wasn't going to just walk away. Turning sober, he pulled slightly away from Kate and looked into her eyes, "Kate, I'm sorry if you feel I'm shutting you out of my life. I never intended to have you feel that way. Now that I know, I promise I will try my best to share things with you. Is that acceptable to you?"
"Yes," she whispered, happiness and love again filled her eyes.
"You've made me a happy man, Caitlin Todd," he said with his lips slightly grazing hers. "You've made me a very happy man."
"And you've made me a very happy woman," Kate responded before leaning in and pressing her lips against his.
Together, they smiled.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N: Don't ask me why but I always have Kate going away in my story – or threatening to.... Sigh..... why is that??