It was a late night in the bullpen when they first kissed by accident: they were alone with only each other for company and he was sitting on her desk, watching as she typed out a report. She looked up at her computer and bumped her head against his, their lips were mere inches apart and could hear his warm breath. She didn't know what drove her to kiss him but she did and she liked it, he tasted like coffee and the sugary candy he had eaten earlier that night, but just as soon as it started, it ended. She pulled away from him and went back to looking at the screen of her computer as if nothing had happened between them. They left at different times two hours later with him telling her to text him when she got home, so he knew she got home safe, just like he told her to do every night. Once she got home, she immediately texted him and waited for her reply which was the same as usual.

Good, sweet dreams, Kate.

That night she fell asleep looking at the photo of them hugging in the office when he came back from having his vacation time, her back was to the camera and she was glad as it meant that she could stare at his dazzling smile until her eyes slipped closed and her brain sent her into a dream of the two of them dancing somewhere exotic.


She was clubbing with him and Abby and Tim the second time they kissed and they were both a little bit tipsy to really properly know why they did it again, but she as she thought about it in the days that followed, she suspected it was because of all the guys that were staring at her up and down like a piece of meat.

The club was loud, the music blaring from all corners. They sat at a table, sipping their ordered drinks, a beer for him and a Elderflower St Germain Spritz for her, as they watched their two friends on the dance floor.

She heard him growl as a man with blonde hair walked past their table and looked at her. She smiled at him: it was nice that he was protecting her but at the same time she wondered why he was protecting her as he'd never been this protective before.

She didn't know how she ended up on the dance floor with his arms around her waist, holding her close as they swayed to the music. She looked up at him and stared into his green eyes, she never noticed how beautiful they looked, until now. She felt his warm breath on her face as they stared into each other's eyes and before she could remember what happened or who was there, she kissed him again, this time deeper. Unlike the first time she'd kissed him, his lips didn't taste like coffee and donuts, this time his lips tasted like beer and elderflower, which told her that he'd been sneaking sips of her drink whenever she went to the bathroom or went to dance with Abby and Tim. They pulled away when air became a necessity for the both of them, unlike last time, he smiled and tucked a piece of her brunette hair behind her ear before letting go of her waist and walked back to their, ha sat and watched her dance with Tim and Abby with a small smile on his face.

She had no idea that she was slowly falling in love with him.


They were in the bullpen of the NCIS building standing underneath mistletoe that someone had put in the middle of the bullpen. It was Tim who pointed it out when the two of them were standing around talking about their latest case. She looked at him for permission and when he nodded, she kissed him, her arms wound around his neck as his arms circled around her waist, each of them bringing the other one closer. They were lost in their own little bubble of Christmas love and the bubble only popped when they heard clapping and cheering. She lent her forehead against his and stared into his green eyes. They broke apart from one another and went back to work as if the whole bullpen hadn't just witnessed them kiss.

She felt his eyes on following her as the day continued, she felt his eyes darkening whenever she left his line of sight for even a minute. She knew he was worried about her.

But what she didn't know was that he was slowly falling in love with her.


It was at the NCIS New Years Eve Ball when she next kissed him on the balcony as the sky was lit with fireworks to celebrate the start of the new year.

She smiled when she saw him looking at her, or more specifically looking at her dress she wore: it was a strapless champagne coloured dress that stopped just above her ankles revealing her champagne coloured sparkly heels. He left Gibbs and Jenny by the bar and walked over to her, taking her by the hands and dragged her onto the balcony. She felt his suit jacket being placed around her shoulders as the winter chill swirled around the air. She found herself leaning against him as he wrapped his arms around her as the countdown to the New Year began.

She grabbed him by his shoulders and crushed their lips together as the sky lit up with fireworks and the cheers of their coworkers as they congratulated one another on surviving another year with the NCIS.

His lips tasted of champagne as their tongues fought for dominance which he won of course. They broke apart when the sky returned black. She handed him his jacket and hugged him, wishing him a happy new year before she walked away from him, leaving him looking around like a lost puppy.

Every time she kissed him and tasted the flavour of his lips, she fell a little bit more in love with him.


She meant to kiss him when she saw him walking into the bullpen with a slight limp and covered in dirt. She fought Gibbs tooth and nail to organise a search party for him but her boss shot her down, telling her that he'd find his way back, she was livid with Gibbs and she ran up to him and kissed him like she didn't have a care in the world who was watching. His lips this time tasted like rain water. She kissed him for way longer than necessary but she didn't care, she was glad he was okay. She pulled away from him and giggled when he kissed her hair, his arm around her waist.

She knew in that moment it was him that she wanted, but the question was: did he want her too?


She kissed him as passionately as she dared to the day he proposed to get in front of the entire team in the rain on the roof of the NCIS building. He came to her place dressed in a suit, a rose in his hand and ordered her to put on the prettiest dress she could find. She looked at him in confusion before running to her closet and got her new red dress she received from him at Christmas. She paired the dress with her red stilettos and a red clutch before going back to him. After making sure her door was locked, she followed him up where a limo was waiting for them. She laughed as she watched him open the door for her before sliding in himself.

She felt her eyebrows crinkle in confusion as the limo pulled up outside the Naval Yard. He didn't say anything as he took her hand and led her through the empty building and up to the room where she gasped at the setup: a dozen pink and white balloons were covering the roof and she saw the team all wearing smiles as they came onto the roof. Her hands went to her mouth and tears filled her eyes as he got down on one knee in front of her and opened a velvet ring box to show her a gorgeous engagement ring with an emerald stone in the middle with diamond on the outer.

He choked up as he spoke about their time together, how he knows she was The One the second he'd laid his green eyes on her.

She nodded her head vigorously when he asked to spend the rest of their lives with him, kissing him whenever she felt like it.

The rain began just as he slipped the ring on her finger and she laughed and kissed him as the rain fell all around them.


Though she liked the kisses they had shared in the office late at night by accident, in the club, at Christmas, on New Years Eve and at their engagement, her favorite kiss happened when they were pronounced Husband and Wife, and he kissed her in front of their family and friends.

She looked stunning in her Stella McCartney wedding dress as Gibbs walked her down the aisle, his way of reluctantly approving of their relationship, he took her hands in his and they stared at each other, crying when the other one made a dozen promises they knew they'd keep.

Then the priest announced them Husband and Wife. He took her in his arms and kissed like there was no tomorrow. When they pulled away, they were smiling as they joined their hands.

"It is my greatest pleasure to announce to you for the very first time Mr and Mrs DiNozzo!"

He would tell her later to look at the engraving on the inside of her wedding ring.

230903-forever

"The day that I fell in love with you." He had said.

"Even though I didn't plan to fall in love with you, I'm glad that I did." She said, kissing him once more.


A/N: Another oneshot done!

Enjoy.