A full moon hung low in the sky as it illuminated the predawn through a few loitering storm clouds. The soft light came lazily through the blinds, casting shadows around the bedroom and streaking across Gibbs' sleeping face. As Kate was turning over to face him mid-slumber, a crack of thunder startled her from her dreaming. She opened her eyes and was at a loss, feeling that momentary drunken confusion of waking up in a strange place. As her eyes readjusted to the dark, her situation also came back to her. Gibbs. She looked over to him and took in every line, every arch, every inch of his face that she never had the guts or the opportunity to investigate and toil over. At least never with an awake-Gibbs, or one that didn't live in a photograph. The gentle creases of crows feet, the arch of his brow down to the bridge of his nose, the lines of worry and determination that often passed over his features— she was engrossed by every inch of him, and all she wanted to do was touch him to make absolutely certain she was really there.
He was dreaming with a slight frown that defined his worry lines. She would have gently smoothed her thumb along his forehead in the hopes of easing whatever subconsciously weighed him down… if she hadn't thought he'd flip her over onto her back for accidentally waking a sleeping marine. That might not be so bad… she thought with a little smile. Instead of pressing whatever luck it was she was living on, she eased herself underneath the sheets and comforter, tossing the extra blanket to the foot of the bed. She lay back on her side and resumed her beautiful scrutiny. How can this possibly be happening.
There comes a point in a person's composure where restraint no longer exists in its original, typical capacity. Kate found herself reaching that edge rather quickly. She inched closer until they lay chest to chest; she nuzzled into him lightly, reflexively. Gibbs responded sleepily to this new warm body and wrapped an arm around her with a small grunt, unconsciously breathing her name into her hair.
Another clap of thunder echoed through the sky and as Kate jumped a little, Gibbs softly squeezed her small frame tighter to him. She tilted her head back to look into his face and pressed a tentative kiss to his throat and several more along the side of his neck. Another faint grunt was the ushered response. Inching up his body carefully, any remnants of her restraint were gone. The pale light that radiated over them illuminated her task. She pressed her lips to his as Gibbs' mind slowly started to climb out of his hazy sleep. He smoothly brought his hand up from her back and into her hair, kissing her bottom lip slowly before deepening what she had started. The need for air became increasingly apparent as they broke away, but they parted just barely. Kate returned his warm and steady stare, and was almost startled to see the spontaneous and unconditional affection, if not pure love, that was gazing back at her. Gibbs swallowed after regrouping himself. "Thought we were gonna talk.." he whispered. Kate brought a hand up, grazing her fingertips across his lips. She shook her head musingly and replied softly under her breath, "I just want to kiss you.."
Gibbs placed a faint kiss into her palm and looked back to her, and as he paused in thought, she could see a small, unseen battle going on behind his eyes. He gave a little nod and murmured to her, "I can do that.." Kate grinned sleepily and slipped her hand to the side of his face, pressing her lips firm and flush with his. A rush of lightening lit up the room as the rain came pouring down again, but Kat didn't jump with the crackle of thunder. Gibbs ran the tip of his tongue along the edge of her lip as he rolled her onto her back and hovered over her. His hands rested on either side of her, holding himself up, straddling but refusing to lay flush against her. Kate smiled through the increasingly heated kisses, drawing his bottom lip languidly between hers; she pulled him down to lay flat on top of her. Being propped up slightly on his elbows, he brushed the hair out of her face and gently cupped her softly reddened cheeks. She leaned up and kissed him hard as she rolled them both over a second time, resting on top of him triumphantly, raking her hands down his chest. Gibbs arched an eyebrow towards her, but continued a stealthy exploration of every crevice and niche of her mouth, rubbing every inch of her back. The heat, the confusion, the absolute fervor that had been building beneath their surface had finally been realized after all these years as everything went from a simmer to a boil. He rolled over with her again, however, miscalculating what remained of the bed. They crashed to the floor with a monstrous thud, blankets, sheets and all. Gibbs, now on top of her, looked down to Kate with a gruff but equally horrified expression. Before he could even form the words to ask about her own wellbeing, Kate exploded with laughter. He opened his mouth in confusion, and closed it again as he watched her little fit of hysterics, still scanning her with worried eyes for any injuries. She began to calm down a little, and the laughter began to subside. But as she looked up to see his penetrating look of concern and confusion, Kate broke down again with a snort of amusement. He fell lightly down on top of her, laughing till they cried. She wrapped her arms around his middle softly, each of them slowly regaining their composure. He leaned up off of her in order to see her face, and she smiled, her cheeks wet with tears of laughter. "I… I think you misjudged the landing there.. Skipper." She could swear a blush made its way across his face, if he wasn't already flushed from their mild hysteria. He nodded solemnly with a small smirk that lifted the corner of his mouth ever so gently. "Are you alright?" He said hoarsely, running a hand down her arm and then up again to delicately check the back of her head. She nodded with a smile and a soft murmur, "I'm fine…"
The dying moon light flooded the bedroom, shadows moving lazily over the walls and floors as Gibbs helped Kate to her feet. They piled back into the bed, no distance between them this time. Gibbs lay on his back, watching the shadows on the ceiling cast from the branches of the oak that stood outside the bedroom window. Kate placed her head on his shoulder and took an intimate chance by lacing her leg over Gibbs'. He placed a soft, almost undetectable kiss into her hair. The moon soon died away as Saturday morning made itself known and washed over the sleeping pair.
((Thank you for all the wonderful reviews :) You like reading it, I love writing it.
And I should add that "Hit the Ground" is a contagiously mellow song by Lizz Wright
It helped me through this chapter ;) ))