Tony came out of the elevator going to his desk to grab the last items he'd need for the night. He looked up to see Kate still hard at work reading the same file for the hundredth time that day. Gibbs was worried about her, not taking any time to think about her brother, not taking any time to mourn; he wanted Tony to watch over her at night to make sure she didn't try anything stupid.
"You ready to go, Kate?" Tony asked, approaching her desk.
"Huh? Yea…" Kate said, closing the file. Grabbing her jacket she rose meeting Tony's gaze before heading to the elevator. They stood side by side in the elevator in silence; neither of them wanting to talk or knowing what to say. When they walked through the parking lot, Tony put a hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards his car.
"You're coming to my place tonight," Tony said, kissing her lightly on the cheek.
"Did Gibbs put you up to this?" Kate asked looking at him, the fire evident in her eyes.
"Well…he suggested it…" Tony admitted.
"Perfect…" Kate said, rolling her eyes sitting in the passenger's seat.
"No…it wasn't entirely his idea," Tony said, trying to convince her, "I would've stayed with you anyway."
Kate smiled as best she could, knowing he really meant what he'd said. Not knowing what to say, she shifted her gaze up to the stars, counting them, to relax her mind. Before she knew it, Tony had stopped the car and they were at his apartment, the drive went faster than she'd anticipated. Without a word, Tony got out of the car and opened Kate's door. He took her hand as they walked up to the door.
"Thank you for doing this, Tony," Kate said, trying to make her true appreciation heard.
"Kate…it's really not a problem, you know I love you," as soon as he said the words, his breath caught in his throat, "as a friend and co-worker."
"You know, you really aren't a bad guy," she said, feeling the first genuine smile of the day spread across her face.
"Awww…thanks…" Tony said, sarcastically.
"No, DiNozzo I mean it…really…" Kate said pulling him close to her. Taking her signal, he put his hand on her cheek tilting her chin upwards and kissed her. Pulling back he unlocked the door and pulled her inside with him. Hungry to be close to her, he kissed her again, deeper than before, slipping his hands around her waist pulling her even closer. He felt her fall against him, as if she was surrendering her grasp on reality. Soon he was fighting for control, he didn't want a kiss to get carried away; but the world around him was starting to blur. He lowered his lips to the edge of her jaw line, showering the area with light kisses trailing to her collar bone; encouraged by the low growl that escaped her lips, he bit at her collar bone gently.
Kate gasped at the feel of his teeth at her neck. She had lost herself in the moment, and now felt groggy with desire. She knew what would happen next if she didn't bring them both back to reality; she didn't want it to happen now.
"Tony…not right now," she whispered, looking into his eyes which were now dancing.
"Yea…ok…you're right," he said, kissing her cheek quickly. He took her hand in his and squeezed it lightly before walking to the kitchen.
"While we're on the subject," Kate began, walking to the kitchen, "I wanted to talk about…well just talk before we get to that point."
"Kate," Tony began, "you need to learn to let go of certain things."
"Yea, yea…I know…just I know your reputation just as well as every other girl within a thirty mile radius," Kate began, fidgeting with her jacket, "and…I don't want to be just some girl…"
"Kate…you could never be just some girl I pick-up at the bar…I don't want that to be the way it is," Tony said, cutting her off.
"Thank you…" Kate said, smiling.
"Can I offer you something to drink?" Tony asked, "after today I know I sure need one to unwind."
"What do you have?" Kate asked.
"Depends on what you want," Tony said, pulling out two glasses.
"Well…do you have any scotch?" she asked.
"I believe so…how do you like it?" Tony inquired, pulling the bottle from the cabinet.
"Neat…" Kate said, glancing out the window.
Kate looked back at Tony to find him looking back at her, his eyebrow slightly raised, "Neat huh? Yea…I don't blame you."
"It's been quite a day," Kate began, "I don't think I would've gotten through it without you guys."
"Well, you composed yourself really well earlier today, studying those files; you looked so focused, no one wanted to bug you," Tony said, smiling.
"Yea…well…it wasn't the easiest thing to do. I doubt I remember much information from the files," Kate said, swirling the contents of the glass in her hand.
"Don't sell yourself short, you just found your brother…" Tony began.
"Tony…don't. I'd like to get through the rest of the night without the haunting image of his remains resting in that dark pantry," Kate said, rubbing her temples; driving the stress away for the night.
"Kate, turn around," Tony said.
"Why?" Kate asked, eyeing him skeptically.
"Just trust me," Tony said.
With a sigh Kate turned around, "you better, not try anything funny."
Suddenly unsure of what to do next, Tony placed his hands softly on her shoulders; he felt her tense at his touch.
"I just want to help you get rid of some of the stress from today…that's all," Tony whispered in her ear.
Not knowing professional way masseuses give neck rubs, he began a kneading motion in small circles. He increased pressure as he found tension; willing it away. Feeling the area relax, he moved his hands towards the edges of her shoulders, continuing the same motion.
Kate felt her shoulders relax under his touch; allowing her head to fall forward slightly. The warmth of his hands seemed to burn through the tension of her neck and shoulders; with every touch the images of the day seemed to melt away. Every image except for that one kiss just minutes before. With every thought that raced through her mind, she felt her knees grow weak. Just as she felt like she would fall down, Tony stepped closer to her.
"Maybe we ought to get you into bed," Tony said, feeling Kate's knees weaken.
"Yea, you're probably right," Kate said, yawning, "lead me to your bed."
"I thought you'd never ask," Tony said, smiling.