Title: Twenty Kisses
Author: Tearsofamiko
Rating: K
Disclaimer: see first chapter
Spoilers: Nah (minor reference to Deliverance, because I loved that nickname ^^)
Summary: A series of twenty one-shots in which a kiss – metaphorically or literally – features.
A/N: Eh, here's some belated-Valentine's Day sweetness, inspired by my recent obsession with milk chocolate. And I promise I'll update SF soon. ^^
.:::.
They were completely innocent, sitting there in a line on top of her monitor. They drew her attention immediately as she sat down at her desk, but she was running late and didn't have time to focus on them.
She flat out ignored them when they got back to the bullpen later. They had a deadline to meet and she wouldn't be able to concentrate on the case. They intrigued her, though, drove her near mad in the brief spaces of time she allowed herself to wonder about who'd left them there. She had a pretty good idea, but didn't quite know how to take it. So she ignored them.
Later that evening, when Gibbs was down with Abby and McGee and Tony were finishing their reports, she reached out and gathered them in her hand. Leaning back in her chair, she rolled them through her fingers, smiling slightly as she watched the silver wrappers flash between her fingers. Carefully, she unwrapped one and popped it in her mouth, letting the sweet chocolate caress her tongue as the candy melted. Smiling in earnest now, she moved to sweep the wrapper into the trash when a flash of color caught her eye. Curiously, she plucked the white streamer out of the silver paper and carefully spread it out between her fingers.
Sea-green ink overlaid the traditional sky-blue lettering, barely dark enough to show. Frowning slightly, she read the message that had been hidden in her candy.
"Have a sweet day, La Bonita."
A smile spread across her face as she glanced up to see that her other candies sported the same modifications. Biting her lip to keep her smile restrained, she gathered her belongings into her bag and pulled her service weapon out of its drawer. Making sure she had all of the silver-wrapped sweets tucked safely in her pocket, she bade her colleagues a good evening and headed to the elevator.
She wasn't entirely surprised at the hand that slipped between the doors at the last second, allowing her partner to slide into the space next to her. Silence filled the air between them and, while she was almost desperate to ask him about the candies, she contented herself with surreptitious glances at him out of the corner of her eye.
Finally, as the elevator drew to a stop at the garage, she broke the silence.
"Thank you, Tony," she murmured.
He turned his head to look at her, his green eyes warm. "Every girl deserves a kiss on Valentine's Day. Even ninjas," he replied before heading for his car, a happy grin on his face as he walked away.