Chapter 14: The beast with two backs

Othello, Act I, scene i

BRABANTIO: What profane wretch art thou?

IAGO: I am one, sir, that comes to tell you your daughter
and the Moor are now making the beast with two backs.

In humans, attraction is merely a biological byproduct of pheromones.

Veni, Vidi, Vici.

I came, I saw, I conquered.

But affection, ah… that's usually the part that breaks our legs. It's remarkably easy to conquer, but to keep what has been conquered in your possession, that's the real gift. And that's exactly where everyone, whether they are princes or paupers, usually fail in the long run.

So, once presented with the chance of a conquest, neither Grace nor Timothy were willing to let it go without a fight. Both jumped under the shower and vigorously scrubbed the scent and the fluids of dog from their skins, grinning here and there at the other aware that whatever happened afterwards would be extraordinary.

Once they were finished McGee, always a gentleman, offered an extra large fluffy towel to Grace, who once wrapped in it seemed to disappear beneath its folds. He grabbed a towel and rubbed vigorously his skin, before wrapping it around his lean hips and standing self-consciously before her, expecting some joke due to his paleness but finding an equally fair skin on Grace.

She grinned as she approached him and, after throwing a glance to his eyes to check if it was okay, laid an open hand over his chest, feeling the rhythmic beating of his heart thudding under his ribs.

"Ah… what now?"

"Whatever you feel like it, Timothy. Want to just rest, I'm okay with it. It's really late and we're both tired. We shouldn't … you know… when we're so dead tired."

"Yeah…" He sighed, engulfing her small hand in his, gently intertwining his fingers with hers. "Why me?"

"Uhm?" She was distracted by his finger doing light patterns on her skin, so she had to ask him to repeat the question.

"Why me?" He looked so eager for the answer that she took her time to answer it.

"Tim, I've never met a gentler soul than you." He gasped and held his breath, his eyes fixed on hers as she continued, taking a step closer until he could feel the faint heat coming from her skin and the scent that was her. Just her and a bit of his soap that they had just used to scrub themselves.

"Dogs are great judges of character. They simply know when they can trust or not on a person. I've seen you take into your home a pregnant dam and give her shelter in the time of her greatest need. I've seen how you totally dedicate yourself to your job and still you have time to be kind to your dog. I've never seen you raise your voice or show malice to anyone and … when you held those puppies…" her voice shook a little as she raised a hand to gently touch his cheek. "That was the first time I saw you genuinely happy. There were no shadows lurking in your eyes."

He was momentarily speechless, frozen as she leaned forward standing on her tiptoes and gently touched his lips with her softer ones. The kiss finally heated up as his arms left their passive position and wrapped around her, bringing her flush against his chest with only the flimsy towels between them.

McGee moaned as Grace lifted one arm and ran her hands through his almost dry hair, bringing him down and deepening the kiss.

Finally they separated, both gasping for breath. Both had that dazed look only freshly kissed people have, when the buzz is not over yet and they are still standing just because they are supporting each other.

Finally Grace grinned at McGee and grabbed his hand, gently dragging him behind her towards his bedroom.

"I wanna show you something."

"Really? In my bedroom?"

"Yep."

"What is that?"

"It's something called 'the beast of two backs'". Grace answered in a deadpan voice.

McGee laughed, mirth at the situation finally hitting him. "Vet's humor, hmm?"

NCIS NCIS NCIS NCIS

Sighs, moans and groans were the sounds that filled the rest of the night till dawn, broken here and there by moments of pure exhaustion and sleep. So, while the new canine family got to know each other, memorizing the scents of each newborn member to their folds, the humans sealed their fate in their own way during a dance as old as time, making unspoken promises of devotion with their bodies, following instinct and joining two lifelines into one.