Kate scowled and licked the ice cream off her spoon.
Just because she was the first one to realize – or the first one with the guts to point out – that trying to re-build a relationship that was crappy to begin with, it didn't mean it didn't hurt.
It wasn't his fault that things weren't working out. But it wasn't her fault either, and he didn't have to give her such a hard time about it. Stupid, clingy, pathetic little –
She suddenly realized someone was knocking at her door.
"What do you want?" Kate snapped, opening the door to find Tony grinning at her.
"And nice to see you too. Can I come in?"
Kate dropped back onto her sofa, letting him walk inside and close the door.
"How much of that have you eaten?" he asked, sitting beside and her and looking at the almost empty tub of chocolate ice cream in her lap.
"None of your business," she huffed. "What do you want, anyway?"
She wasn't feeling too charitable towards men right now, especially ones that irritated the hell out of her on a daily basis. She wanted to be left alone so she could be depressed and increase the size of her thighs and hips.
"Abby told me you broke up with your boyfriend."
"So?"
"So I guessed you'd be at home eating ice cream, and I figured I'd be nice and come see how you were."
"Really?"
Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.
"Okay, so I was going clubbing and my date cancelled. You wanna come with?"
And there goes that little theory. Bastard.
"No."
"Come on, Kate, it'll be fuuuuuuun!"
"No, Tony, I'm really not in the mood to go out with you right now."
"Please? Come on, it's not a date or anything. I'll be good."
"Not a date?"
"Nope. Pleeeeeeaaaaaase."
She knew how come she had agreed – he had whined and moaned like a three year old, and promised to dance with her until she'd burnt off all the calories she'd just eaten so she didn't have to go to the gym. So she had promised him an hour.
What she wasn't sure about was why she was actually having fun.
He was a surprisingly good dancer, and after he bought her several drinks, she even started finding his jokes funny instead of childish or offensive. He made her laugh when he pointed out redheads for Gibbs, and his presence by her side was enough to ward off any hopeful guys that she really was not in the mood for tonight.
And five hours after the one she had promised him, they finally left the club.
It was cold out – it was one in the morning. Kate shivered, and Tony slipped his jacket off and draped it over her shoulders.
They walked along the river a little, looking at the city lights reflected in the dark water. A drunk tramp stumbled past, leering at Kate, and she unintentionally slipped closer to Tony. He slid his hand around her waist protectively, before realizing that it was quite an intimate gesture and pulling away again.
They were quiet, unsure of what to say now they were outside in the real world again. In just his shirt, goosebumps pricked Tony's arm.
"You're cold," Kate said, feeling bad for having his jacket round her. "Do you want your coat back?"
"You're cold too," Tony shrugged.
"It's your jacket."
"Yeah, but you're far too pretty to waste on death from exposure."
Kate stood still, her mouth open. Did he really say she was pretty?
"Keep up!" Tony yelled back over his shoulder.
She hurried back to him, not wanting to get left behind.
"Do you really think I'm pretty?" she asked after a few minutes.
"Yep," Tony replied, as if it was a simple fact and not some amazing revelation.
"Oh," Kate said, suddenly feeling very awkward. "Erm, thanks."
"You're welcome," Tony said, nodding.
A pink tinge spread across Kate's cheeks and Tony grinned.
"Why Miss Todd, I do believe you're blushing."
"No I'm not," Kate said, walking ahead so he couldn't see her face burning red.
"Then why won't you look at me?"
Feeling her cheeks cool, she looked up at him. He grinned, and she raised her eyebrow at him.
"What?" she asked.
"What?" he repeated.
"Look, I'm sorry, it's just… you know… people – guys – don't normally tell me I'm pretty. Unless we're, um, dating."
"I see."
"And it was just a bit… I can't explain. Just… what we just did, was... it was a bit date-ish. And it's you. And we… we don't, erm, date," she trailed off, her cheeks burning red again.
"So… you're embarrassed because I took you out to a club and then said you were pretty, and that's something you don't normally do unless the night's going to end with a goodnight kiss?"
Relieved that he understood, Kate felt herself relax a little and her face once again return to it's usual colour.
"Right," she nodded.
"Fair enough," Tony shrugged.
They made their way back to Kate's apartment building, and stood on the doorstep looking awkward.
"Erm... thanks, I guess. That was actually fun."
"My pleasure," Tony grinned.
"Well… goodnight."
"Goodnight."
Kate hovered in the shadows, fiddling with her bracelet.
"I guess… I guess I'll see you on Monday."
"Maybe sooner. Might get a case."
Why did that make her happy? It was weird – it was horrible, actually, because a case meant someone would be kidnapped or murdered or raped.
"Speaking of which, I wouldn't be any kind of Federal Agent if I didn't escort you to your door."
Kate shook her head, smiling.
"It would be mean," she agreed.
"What if Steve the Sleaze is waiting for you with a knife? Insane with depression now you've left him – which you should have done weeks ago, by the way – and hiding out under your bed to kill you in your sleep."
Kate shivered. She had a gun under her pillow, of course, and logically she knew she could take most men in a fight. But there was a small part of her, sometimes, that insisted on thinking about the security that came when she was sleeping in a man's arms, and how very vulnerable she really was when she was totally alone.
Tony followed her up to her apartment, and she unlocked the door. He made a great show of going round each room, checking in cupboards and under furniture.
"You know," Kate said, sitting on her sofa. "I don't think you're worried about my safety at all. I think you just want to go through my stuff."
"Not true!" Tony protested, coming out of the kitchen and hovering at the door. "I can't believe you think so little of me."
Kate grinned, and he fluttered his fingers.
"I'm heading home," he said. "Goodnight."
"Goodnight. And erm… thanks, Tony. I mean it. Sitting around gorging on calories wasn't exactly helping."
"Any time," Tony said, smiling at her.
He was surprised to find he meant it – he would be more than willing to drop anything and everything to drag Kate out to a club again.
"Oh," Kate said, picking his jacket up from where she'd put it over the sofa. "Your jacket."
"Thanks," he said, slipping it on. "You know…"
"What?" Kate asked, stepping back slightly as she realized she was now standing almost toe-to-toe with Tony.
"If this was a date, now would be a good time to invite me to stay over."
"It would."
"But it wasn't."
"No," Kate agreed, shaking her head. "It wasn't."
"But, as an almost-date, now would be the time when you might suggest I sleep over anyway. On the sofa, of course, because it isn't a date."
"Of course." Kate took a deep breath. "Would you like to sleep on my couch?"
"I think I would like that very much," Tony nodded.
He stepped back across the threshold, and sat on the sofa. Kate closed the door and ran her hands through her hair.
"I, uh, I'm going to go to bed," she said, shifting uncomfortably.
"Goodnight," Tony grinned.
Kate went into her bedroom, and was just getting into bed when Tony appeared in the doorway.
"I was just thinking," he said. "If this was a date – which it wasn't – I would feel bad not giving you a goodnight kiss."
Kate watched him as he approached her bed and kissed her cheek, then her nose, then her mouth.
He broke away after a few seconds, and she stared at him, her eyes wide.
"And," he said, stroking her shoulder with his thumb. "This isn't a date. So I wouldn't dream of asking to stay in here with you."
Kate didn't reply.
"But," he grinned. "On account of it not being a date, I don't need to treat you nicely. I can be my normal, obnoxious self."
"Feel free," Kate said, finally finding her voice.
"So, I do believe I am going to invite myself to sleep in your bed."
He plopped himself down on the pillows and pulled the duvet over him.
"Tony!" Kate gasped, her mouth open in shock.
"What?" he asked.
"I can't… sleep with you!"
"Go sleep on the sofa then," Tony grinned. "I'm staying put. It's not a date, you're under no obligation to stay."
Kate rolled her eyes, and fell back down onto the pillows.
"I should have just told you to get lost when you turned up," she sighed, staring at the ceiling.
"Maybe," Tony said, his hands folded behind his head.
"Tony?" Kate said, after a long pause.
"Katie?"
"Why'd you kiss me?"
Tony blinked at the ceiling.
"I like your lampshade," he commented.
"Thanks. My sister gave it to me. Why'd you kiss me?"
"Do you get on with your sister?"
"Depends if she's being a bitch or not. Tony, why did you kiss me?"
"Why didn't you kick me out of your bed?"
"I asked first."
"What is this, twenty questions?"
"Tony, seriously. Why did you kiss me?"
"Because I felt like it."
"Oh."
"Did you like it?"
Kate stared at the ceiling, frowning. She didn't answer.
"Kate, did you like it?"
"You taste like cherries," she said, finally.
"What does Steve taste like?"
"Sweat," Kate said, wrinkling her nose up. "And mints."
Tony nodded, even though Kate couldn't see.
"Night," she whispered.
"Night."
Neither of them went to sleep. Kate didn't move, just lay tense and still.
"Tony," she said, after what seemed to both of them like an age but was most likely a few minutes.
"Yes?"
"I prefer cherries to mint."
"You taste like vanilla."
"Oh."
"Vanilla is my favourite."
"Oh. Erm, good."
"Yes."
Kate shifted under the covers and yawned. A few minutes later, as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt Tony's arms wrap around her.
"Would you like to go on a date with me?" he whispered.
"A real one?" Kate murmured.
"Yes please."
"Okay," Kate smiled, snuggling into his chest and closing her eyes.