Part 07 of But Now I See
Disclaimers: Please see Introduction
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With trepidation, Kate opened the door that led to Gibbs' room. Unlike the first time, Gibbs was assigned a private room to allow for betting monitoring.
Visiting hours were almost over, and the nurses at the station informed her the others, including Angie, had already left for the night.
The room was dark and quiet. Kate felt her own heart begin to race as she stepped closer to the bed. True to Angie's words, the bandage on Gibbs' eyes was taken off, but with his eyes closed, she couldn't tell if the surgery was successful. Tears filled her eyes when the conversation they had rushed back to her.
She sat beside him and hesitantly took his hand in her. "I'm really glad you've decided to go through with the surgery," she murmured.
"Kate?"
The whisper of her name made her jump. "You're awake."
"That's a very good observation, Agent Todd," Gibbs chuckled weakly.
"Did I wake you?" she asked nervously.
"Nope," he answered. His hand reached up slowly to brush away a tear that escaped.
Kate's hand went up shakily to touch his and looked at him.
"You..." she stuttered.
"Don't cry, Kate," he said softly. "I don't like to see you cry."
"Your eyes," she whispered. She hand hovered above his eyes. "You mean the surgery was -"
"Yes, it was successful," he finished her sentence and chuckled. "Though I need to wear sunglasses and act cool for several days."
"Well, congratulations, Gibbs," she said with a smile then started to stand up. "It's getting late. I guess I should let you rest."
"No." He reached out and quickly held onto her wrist. "Don't leave."
"Gibbs..." She turned around to look at him and realized it was a bad move. She saw the blue depths staring at her, and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in them.
"I want to take back what I said that day you were at my place." He gently pulled her back closer to him.
"What did you say?"
Gibbs looked at her for a long moment, as if to determine if she was genuinely confused or was only playing games with him. "When I said I couldn't love you back."
A lump formed in her throat, trapping her words inside. She stood in front of him, her eyes asking him, pleading him, to have mercy on her and not break her heart again.
"I know you're not likely to believe me when I say this," Gibbs continued. "But I need to tell you how much you really mean to me."
"So tell me... how much?"
Instead of answering verbally, Gibbs brought her hand to his lips and grazed each knuckle gently. No words were needed; all were understood.
"I was blind, you know. I couldn't see with my eyes," Gibbs took a deep breath before continuing, "and I refused to see what my heart."
"And now?" Her vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes. She wiped them away.
"Now I see," he answered.
Never taking her eyes off his, Kate leaned down and touched her lips with his softly. He didn't let her pull away and, instead, used his free hand to trap her lips against his.
"I'm never good with words, Kate," he said softly against her lips. "And I don't do romance well. I won't buy you flowers, and there won't be many romantic dinners in fancy restaurants. Heck, I'll probably forget your birthday and the anniversary. Can you live with that?"
"I'll talk to Director Morrow tomorrow and get a transfer," Kate declared. "I'll still be at NCIS, but we won't be on the same team. You think you can make a concession with your Rule #12?"
"As long as it makes you happy, Katie." He kissed her again.
Kate pulled back slightly and saw that the patient was getting tired. "I'll let you get your rest now, okay?" she whispered, brushing his hair off his forehead and placing a soft kiss there. "I'll be back in the morning."
"Don't leave," he muttered. His arms went around her and held on tightly.
She let out a soft chuckled. Who knew Gibbs to be clingy? That probably was the result of the medicine, but still.
Kate knew he had fallen asleep when his breathing had even out. There was no way for her to get up without waking him, and she didn't want to interrupt his rest, so she resigned herself to a night in his arms, using Gibbs' broad chest as her pillow.
By the time Kate opened her eyes again, sunlight was already shining brightly into the room. Someone had placed a blanket on her.
Sleepily, she looked up to see blue eyes looking down at her. She grinned. "Good morning, Agent Gibbs."
"Good morning, Katie," he grinned back at her.
"You sounded like my grandfather." Kate laughed when Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "He was the only one in the family who called me Katie. My dad prefers Kate and my mother also calls me Caitlin."
"Well, then every time when someone else calls you Katie, you'll remember what I feel for you."
Kate couldn't resist. She gave him a big smile and teased, "Be careful, Gibbs. You're becoming a romantic."
"Don't you dare tell anyone that," he ordered, his eyes dancing.
"They wouldn't believe me anyway," she declared before dipping down and grazing his lips with her own. "Now shut up and give me my good-morning kiss."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Finis
~*~*~*~*~*~*
With trepidation, Kate opened the door that led to Gibbs' room. Unlike the first time, Gibbs was assigned a private room to allow for betting monitoring.
Visiting hours were almost over, and the nurses at the station informed her the others, including Angie, had already left for the night.
The room was dark and quiet. Kate felt her own heart begin to race as she stepped closer to the bed. True to Angie's words, the bandage on Gibbs' eyes was taken off, but with his eyes closed, she couldn't tell if the surgery was successful. Tears filled her eyes when the conversation they had rushed back to her.
She sat beside him and hesitantly took his hand in her. "I'm really glad you've decided to go through with the surgery," she murmured.
"Kate?"
The whisper of her name made her jump. "You're awake."
"That's a very good observation, Agent Todd," Gibbs chuckled weakly.
"Did I wake you?" she asked nervously.
"Nope," he answered. His hand reached up slowly to brush away a tear that escaped.
Kate's hand went up shakily to touch his and looked at him.
"You..." she stuttered.
"Don't cry, Kate," he said softly. "I don't like to see you cry."
"Your eyes," she whispered. She hand hovered above his eyes. "You mean the surgery was -"
"Yes, it was successful," he finished her sentence and chuckled. "Though I need to wear sunglasses and act cool for several days."
"Well, congratulations, Gibbs," she said with a smile then started to stand up. "It's getting late. I guess I should let you rest."
"No." He reached out and quickly held onto her wrist. "Don't leave."
"Gibbs..." She turned around to look at him and realized it was a bad move. She saw the blue depths staring at her, and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in them.
"I want to take back what I said that day you were at my place." He gently pulled her back closer to him.
"What did you say?"
Gibbs looked at her for a long moment, as if to determine if she was genuinely confused or was only playing games with him. "When I said I couldn't love you back."
A lump formed in her throat, trapping her words inside. She stood in front of him, her eyes asking him, pleading him, to have mercy on her and not break her heart again.
"I know you're not likely to believe me when I say this," Gibbs continued. "But I need to tell you how much you really mean to me."
"So tell me... how much?"
Instead of answering verbally, Gibbs brought her hand to his lips and grazed each knuckle gently. No words were needed; all were understood.
"I was blind, you know. I couldn't see with my eyes," Gibbs took a deep breath before continuing, "and I refused to see what my heart."
"And now?" Her vision blurred as tears formed in her eyes. She wiped them away.
"Now I see," he answered.
Never taking her eyes off his, Kate leaned down and touched her lips with his softly. He didn't let her pull away and, instead, used his free hand to trap her lips against his.
"I'm never good with words, Kate," he said softly against her lips. "And I don't do romance well. I won't buy you flowers, and there won't be many romantic dinners in fancy restaurants. Heck, I'll probably forget your birthday and the anniversary. Can you live with that?"
"I'll talk to Director Morrow tomorrow and get a transfer," Kate declared. "I'll still be at NCIS, but we won't be on the same team. You think you can make a concession with your Rule #12?"
"As long as it makes you happy, Katie." He kissed her again.
Kate pulled back slightly and saw that the patient was getting tired. "I'll let you get your rest now, okay?" she whispered, brushing his hair off his forehead and placing a soft kiss there. "I'll be back in the morning."
"Don't leave," he muttered. His arms went around her and held on tightly.
She let out a soft chuckled. Who knew Gibbs to be clingy? That probably was the result of the medicine, but still.
Kate knew he had fallen asleep when his breathing had even out. There was no way for her to get up without waking him, and she didn't want to interrupt his rest, so she resigned herself to a night in his arms, using Gibbs' broad chest as her pillow.
By the time Kate opened her eyes again, sunlight was already shining brightly into the room. Someone had placed a blanket on her.
Sleepily, she looked up to see blue eyes looking down at her. She grinned. "Good morning, Agent Gibbs."
"Good morning, Katie," he grinned back at her.
"You sounded like my grandfather." Kate laughed when Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "He was the only one in the family who called me Katie. My dad prefers Kate and my mother also calls me Caitlin."
"Well, then every time when someone else calls you Katie, you'll remember what I feel for you."
Kate couldn't resist. She gave him a big smile and teased, "Be careful, Gibbs. You're becoming a romantic."
"Don't you dare tell anyone that," he ordered, his eyes dancing.
"They wouldn't believe me anyway," she declared before dipping down and grazing his lips with her own. "Now shut up and give me my good-morning kiss."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Finis