"You mean with only boxers on?"

"Yes, exactly. Now, lay down, Kate." I shook my head. Tony frowned and pushed me backwards. I flopped back and gasped. Tony was over me before I could stop him.

"Tony," I whined.

"Kate, you're fine. I told you, like, three times already."

I glared and pushed him to the side. "You're an ass, Dinozzo." Tony's hands slipped down to my belt. I looked at him, and he smiled.

"Sorry, but if you're going to be in my bed, you'll play by my rules. And my rules say that you cannot wear a belt in my bed."

I rolled my eyes and slipped off my belt, throwing it to the side. "There, better?" Tony nodded and put his head on my chest again. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?" He nodded again. "By now, I'd think you were going to make me put on a naughty nurse costume and serve you all day." Tony smiled wide. "You meant what you said before, didn't you?"

"Perhaps I did, perhaps I didn't. You'll never know." I was quiet until I felt Tony breathing down the front of my shirt.

"Enjoying the view?"

"Nope. I'm just enjoying my time with you, my dear," Tony said as he raised his head. We sat up together. I breathed in and out deeply.

"You did not just-" I was cut off by Tony's finger on my lips again.

"Sh, Kate. Just... accept it as it comes."

"Accept what as it comes?"

"Accept the feelings." I closed my eyes.

As I was about to speak again, I was cut off by something soft and warm on my lips. My eyelids sprang open, and I tried to push Tony away. He moved his hands to my shoulders and pulled me in closer. Though what he was doing felt wrong on a number of levels, it felt right on another.

I leaned into Tony's kiss and ran my fingers through his hair once more.

When we pulled apart, gasping for air, Tony ran his knuckles along my jaw and smiled. I smiled back and took a deep breath. "Wow," I said blankly, "Tony, that was-"

"I'm sorry, Kate."

"Sorry about what?"

"Kissing you... Like that... I shouldn't have-"

"No, Tony, you should have. A long time ago, you should have. I'm glad you did. We... I... Tony, we've been fighting since we met, since you started hitting on me. When you got sick, I realized that it's not because we hate each other. I realized that it's sexual tension, and because we've been fighting it for so long, we've started believing that we hate each other. We... Tony, thank you."

He smiled and pulled my lips to his again. I laughed and let my emotions run free through my veins. I didn't notice it until Tony did, but those emotions decided to show themselves as tears. I didn't know if they were tears of sadness or joy or anger, or a combination of the three.

"Kate, you're crying," he said softly and wiped away my tears as best he could.

I chuckled. "I know. I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm..."

"It's okay. It's... cute."

"Tony, according to you, Swedish models are cute. Me, crying? I really doubt that you consider that cute."

"But I do, Kate."

"Shut up, Tony."

"Kiss me, Kate."

"No."

"Then I guess I'll make that story you were going to tell Abbey true, then."

"What story?"

"The one about me shoving my hands down your pants."

I pushed Tony back onto his bed and knelt over him, pinning his arms to the bed. "You will not be putting your hands in my pants, Anthony Dinozzo."

"Says who?"

"Says me."

Tony smiled. "You so want me, Kate."

"Do not." I glared at him and brought my face a little closer to his.
"If you don't want me, then... Prove it."

"Prove it how?"
"I don't know. Figure it out yourself."

My eyes narrowed again, then, out of nowhere, Tony flew forward and kissed me again. I was taken by surprise, and didn't fight back when he rolled us to opposite positions. I kissed him back, and the kiss intensified quickly. I didn't notice the footsteps, and neither did Tony.