AN: This is going to be a long drought. I already know it and my Kacy shipper soul is parched, so I wrote this little one-shot that made me smile a bit. I hope you enjoy!
It was in those moments, Lucy knew. The trickling and gentle tapping of rain on the bedroom window was the only other sound she could hear besides Kate's content sighs. It was a Sunday, a day off for both of them. There were no cases or paperwork to worry about. No leads to follow or trails to track. It was just the two of them. Lucy would never admit it, but those types of Sundays were her favorite and it was all because of who she got to spend them with. She and Kate had fallen into a comfortable routine, even though they didn't put a name to what they were doing or what they meant to each other. An unspoken understanding passed between them weeks ago that Saturday nights would be spent in bed together and any Sundays off were only for them. Sundays were for sleeping in, cuddling, and pretending for one day that the only thing that mattered in the world was them. Lucy smiled sleepily when Kate tenderly kissed her collarbone. Their eyes locked as the blonde stroked her hair. While the silence remained, so did another unspoken understanding. It was more than just hooking up, and for the first time in Lucy's life, she realized what it meant to be in love.
Lucy was quiet as she sat at her desk, trying not to be consumed with the memories she told herself meant nothing or the dread in the pit of her stomach as she waited for Kate to come back with her new coworker. Maybe she read all the signs wrong, the Sundays full of unspoken words, the tears in Kate's eyes when she apologized, the lingering touches and glances at one another ever since. She had needed time to heal and process her feelings after finding out about Cara, but it terrified her when she realized she never thought any of it meant they were really over. While she knew Kate was scared to apologize because it would mean in her mind they were over, that isn't what it meant to Lucy, and she thought she made that clear enough when she hugged and thanked her. Now, she wasn't so sure. She held back that night from saying more and was kicking herself for it, but she felt too much and didn't want it to feel like it was too soon. While Lucy was known for her bubbly personality and megawatt smile, words weren't her strong suit either. It was something she connected with Kate over. Neither was good with words and both used their love languages and the unspoken words between them to show how they felt. That's why she was so hurt when she found out about Cara. No, they never said the words to one another. They never said they were official or that they wanted to belong to only one another, but they showed that and it not only broke her heart but angered her when she was wrong. She thought she knew Kate. She thought Kate knew her. But, ever since Cara opened that door, Lucy had been questioning what she thought she knew.
What confused her even more is she didn't expect to feel so lost or scared at the thought of truly losing Kate. Deep down, she knew Cara was not an issue. Kate went after her, not Cara. Kate followed her to the elevator and showed up to help her when she was undercover. Kate was waiting for her at her desk and going out of her way to find ways to reconnect. Cara wasn't in the picture and Lucy knew deep down that wasn't an issue. It still took her time to process and open up again to Kate. After the apology, she thought that was what they were doing. They were on talking terms. They joked and teased one another again. It felt like before, maybe even better because there were no more secrets or worrying about who knew. Lucy found herself falling in a different way for Kate and opening up all over again. That was until Kate's new coworker showed up. Lucy had only met her once, but already knew she didn't like her. She was tall, raven-haired, and confident about being a special agent in ways Lucy was not yet. She already had experience on the job and Lucy felt a twinge in her stomach at the way the woman would look at Kate.
As if on cue, the familiar clicking of heels caught Lucy's attention, effectively snapping her out of her overthinking and thoughts, and Kate strolled into the bullpen with FBI Special Agent Zeinab Kader. She cursed under her breath as she watched the way they walked in sync and were effortlessly in tune. Kate's eyes were trained on the file in her hand as Special Agent Kader caught her up on her findings.
"NCIS Special Agent Tara, you remember FBI Special Agent Kader. Tennant asked us to compare notes on the case. I'll let you two get acquainted while I go check in with her," informed Kate and Lucy found herself quite irked at how formal Kate was with her greeting. She gave a curt nod, but frowned when Kate didn't seem to notice and was already heading toward Jane's office.
"So, Special Agent Tara, Kate tells me you are newer to the islands like us. I'm always looking for some good hidden gems, have you found any I should have on my radar," asked Zeinab and Lucy frowned even more.
"I'm new to the island? That's all she said about me," she asked incredulously and Zeinab giggled with a shrug.
"Well, we haven't really had time to go through all the introductions for the team more than formalities. We've been swamped at work. I still don't know how she manages to focus as much on our cases as she does and still play liaison to your team. I'd heard that she was good, but I didn't realize just how good until I got to see her in action."
"Whistler's the best at your job. There's no one better," assured Lucy as she crossed her arms and Zeinab smiled over in the direction of Kate. They both saw her in Jane's office, pacing back and forth as the two women ran through their options.
"I have no doubt about that. Kate's been a big help."
"Kate," questioned Lucy with an arched eyebrow.
"Yeah, the whole last name thing is cool, but once someone saves your life, calling them by their actual name seems appropriate."
"Wait, when did that happen? What happened? Are you okay? Is she okay," questioned Lucy as the thought of Kate being in danger filled her with dread.
"I was doing recon last week and I got a bit too close, blew my cover. I was pinned down, but Kate got to me and even called in backup. I got out of there with only a few scrapes and bruises because of her and we caught our suspects." Before Lucy could ask more questions, Kate's voice interrupted them.
"She's exaggerating, as usual. You would've been fine," assured Kate as she approached with Jane. Zeinab winked at her.
"لا يمكنك أبدا أن تأخذ مجاملة,"(You can never take a compliment), said Zeinab and Kate chuckled as she shook her head in amusement
"إنه غير ضروري," (It's not necessary), assured Kate. Jane had to hide her smile at the look on Lucy's face. Each of them knew Arabic and yet for Lucy, it felt like she was invading on a private conversation she thought only belonged to her and Kate. When she first found out Kate knew the language, it became an intimate way to speak to one another in the bedroom. Watching her speak the language to someone else, even in a joking manner, flustered Lucy in ways she was not ready to fully process. Kate noticed her look and Jane decided to give her junior special agent a reprieve by stepping in before Kate could question her.
"Whistler, I think you're right and we are happy for the assist with this one. We're kind of buried in another case. If you think the FBI can handle it, I trust your judgment," assured Jane as she handed the file back over to Kate. Lucy's jaw dropped and Kate smiled proudly at Jane.
"Thanks, I'll keep you updated on what we find and good luck with the missing midshipman. Let me know if there's anything I can do," said Kate.
"We will," added Jane.
"We should head back," said Kate and Zeinab sighed in relief.
"Good, I'm starving and you promised we could stop for food first," said Zeinab and Kate playfully rolled her eyes.
"When don't you eat," she teased.
"Hey, some of us have fast metabolisms, okay? Just because you never take a lunch break doesn't mean I shouldn't."
"No one is saying you shouldn't have a lunch break. We're saying you shouldn't take three," teased Kate.
"Now you sound like McCoy," accused Zeinab and she laughed when Kate nudged her.
"I'll remember that the next time I have to save your ass."
"I thought it was nothing," teased Zeinab and Kate playfully glared at her before giving Jane a smile and nod.
"We'll apparently need to stop for food first, but then we'll be on the case," assured Kate.
"Have some for me," encouraged Jane and Zeinab smiled appreciatively at her.
"See, she gets it," said Zeinab. Kate smiled sweetly at Lucy.
"Special Agent Tara," she said with one last, lingering look before heading back out of the bullpen, teasing Zeinab all the while. Jane could sense the tension rolling off of Lucy as the younger woman sat there with a clenched jaw. Jane glanced down at her watch and gave Lucy a warm smile.
"Speaking of lunch, the boys are already out and should be back in a bit. How about we go eat? I promised Alex I would be home for lunch and you know he loves it when you come around," suggested Jane.
"I have work to do," grumbled Lucy.
"There's always work to do and we don't have any new leads. Come on, that's an order," said Jane. Lucy sighed, but nodded and followed her boss out of the bullpen. She tried to focus on the tasks at hand for the day, but she couldn't get Kate and her new coworker out of her mind. All of her old insecurities began to nag at her as she thought about the woman she could never stay away from for long.
By the time they got to Jane's house and had lunch with Alex and Julie, Lucy was downright stoic and brooding over Kate's newfound connection with Special Agent Kader. Jane glanced over at her as they finished drying the last dish. She could sense there was something on Lucy's mind and had a feeling she knew what it was, but was trying to give her the space she tended to need. She nudged her with her shoulder and gave a teasing smile.
"A penny for your thoughts," asked Jane. Lucy cleared her throat and tried to give a smile, but it barely reached her eyes.
"Just thinking about some stuff."
"Would any of this stuff have to do with Kate?" Lucy sighed.
"I don't trust Kader. She just got here and is already putting Whistler in danger."
"Are you sure that's what's really upsetting you?"
"Isn't that enough to upset me? Whistler had to save her life, which means Whistler's life was in danger and no one seems to get that but me! And of course Whistler didn't even tell me about it. I can just add that to the list of things she never tells me. Like about her new buddy Kader and how chummy they are…and…and…she spoke Arabic to her! Do you know what that means?" Jane frowned in confusion.
"We all know what it meant. We're all fluent."
"It means Whistler is sleeping with her," exclaimed Lucy.
"What, who," exclaimed Alex as he almost tripped over his own two feet entering the kitchen. Jane sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Not your business. Move along," informed Jane. Alex's eyes were wide as he quickly grabbed a granola bar and left the kitchen.
"Sorry," whispered Lucy and Jane shook her head in disbelief.
"Thanks for that. Now I have to go explain to my teenage son that he is not to repeat such rumors about his crush."
"Wait, Alex has a crush on her too? Does anyone not have a crush on Whistler," exclaimed Lucy and Jane smirked.
"Yes, me, Jesse, Ernie, Kai, the rest of the island, visitors to the island, Torres, Knight…"
"Torres and Knight didn't even meet her. I'm sure at the very least, Knight would have..."
"Lucy, I mean this with all due respect. Have you lost your mind? I know you're dealing with your feelings about Kate, but not everyone is in love with her."
"She spoke Arabic to her. I know what it means when she does that cute little smirk and says it in that sexy ass voice. They're into each other," whispered Lucy.
"You're so blind by your love for Kate that you can't see that she only has eyes for you. Yes, she has a good working relationship with Kader. Lucy, she doesn't have many friends on the island. Did you ever consider that maybe she's being friendly to Kader because they are friends," offered Jane and Lucy ran a hand through her hair.
"I just…I feel like every time we take a step forward, we take ten back, and I can't read her, you know? Every time I think I understand what's happening between us, I'm blindsided by something."
"You have to talk to her. I know you keep tabling that talk and at some point, you're going to have to at the very least be honest with yourself about why." Lucy took in a shaky breath and stuffed her hands into her pockets.
"We've been busy," she grumbled.
"You'll always have excuses to be busy. We make time for the things that are important to us though, so make the time," advised Jane and Lucy slowly nodded.
"Thanks, Tennant. I think I'm going to head back to get some work done."
"Go ahead, I'll have Alex drop me off. Isn't that right, Alex," called Jane and Lucy smiled sheepishly as they heard the teenage boy's gasp from around the corner. Lucy blushed and mouthed the word "sorry" before getting out of dodge. As soon as Lucy was gone, Alex poked his head around the corner, along with Julie. Jane rolled her eyes at her kids.
"What did I say about eavesdropping," she asked and Julie smiled sheepishly.
"Is Lucy Kate's girlfriend again? I like them together," said Julie and Alex frowned.
"And who is Kader? If Lucy doesn't trust her, then I don't trust her. She isn't good for Kate," added Alex as Julie nodded in agreement.
"None of it is your business or your concern, unless of course you would like to talk about your crush on my colleague and…"
"Nope, that's all. Bye," said Alex before hurrying out of the kitchen. She gave Julie a wink.
"Didn't think so," whispered Jane and Julie giggled.
"He has it so bad," laughed Julie and Jane smirked.
"Apparently, he isn't the only one," she grumbled and shook her head as she thought about the predicament her friend and junior special agent were in.
Kate followed Zeinab back into FBI Headquarters that evening as she worked a knot out of her neck. She was relieved the case was over and she had good news to report to Jane. They were able to pull their resources and make a case against the drug dealers who were targeting teenagers on the island. Even better, it led to a bigger lead on a known gang. She was more than happy to turn over the information and evidence and call it a day as she and Zeinab finished up.
"How about a congratulatory drink on me," suggested Zeinab and Kate sighed.
"Rain check, I need a hot shower and my bed. I haven't been sleeping very well," admitted Kate. She stopped in her tracks when she saw the brown bag on her desk and small red envelope. She quickly opened the card and smiled, knowing exactly who it was from. Zeinab looked over her shoulder at the card with beautiful handwriting scrolled onto it in Arabic.
"Stay safe. Someone has an admirer," teased Zeinab and Kate blushed as she cleared her throat. She stuffed the card in her pocket and peeked into the brown bag to see one of her favorite meals.
"Yeah, you could say that," she admitted as she grabbed the bag and collected her things.
"You could've told me, you know?" Kate frowned in confusion and Zeinab gave her a knowing smile.
"About Lucy, why didn't you," asked Zeinab and Kate sighed as she shrugged.
"I'm not sure what there's to say anymore. I don't even know what to call what we were before, let alone now."
"Well, take it from someone who was on the other end of a very jealous glare earlier, she still loves you and based on the way you look whenever you talk about her, you love her too."
"She said we were over…that I wasn't a bet she was willing to take anymore," confessed Kate as the twinge and ache in her heart returned. Zeinab let out a low whistle.
"That's intense and I would believe it if she wasn't writing you love letters and glaring at anyone who smiles in your direction. That's not someone who thinks it's over. Trust me on that."
"I just don't know what to do anymore. I made my intentions clear, I apologized, I gave her space, I've been trying to be a good colleague, I just don't know what she wants from me," said Kate as she leaned against her desk and shook her head in defeat. Zeinab sat down beside her.
"You know, I've seen you in action, when you're interrogating someone or have your eyes set on a suspect, you can read them like no one I've ever seen. But, she's your blindspot, so maybe take the advice you gave me on my first day. When in doubt, let the evidence do the talking," suggested Zeinab. Kate glanced down at the brown bag in her hand and Zeinab gave her a wink.
"Enjoy the rest of your weekend and maybe at least write something back to that love letter your girl just sent you," added Zeinab with a knowing smile before heading to her desk to collect her things. Kate pulled the card back out of her pocket and stared at it, trying to figure out what it meant.
Lucy was sitting on her couch, eating ice cream and glancing down at her phone for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour. She wanted to just call her, but her pride got the better of her. It was the same reason she didn't wait around to deliver the meal to Kate in person. She was afraid of what she would find. The last time she showed up unannounced, Cara was there. She knew her heart couldn't take it if something like that happened again. So instead, she went to Kate's favorite sushi place on the island, bought her favorites, wrote a quick note, and dropped it off at the FBI Headquarters. It took her longer than she wanted to admit to decide what to write, but it's what felt right. She did want Kate to be safe and she hoped she knew everything she needed her to know in the message.
The doorbell echoing through the house made her jump and she took in a deep breath as she ran a hand through her hair. She bit her lip nervously when she made her way over to the front door and saw Kate through the peephole. Her heart began thundering in her chest, but she steadied herself enough to open the door. There she stood, the woman every part of her ached for, and in that moment, she knew. Their eyes locked and she knew both felt everything neither ever had the courage to say, the unspoken words she'd felt between them so many times before. Kate stepped into the house and closed the door behind them. Lucy gazed up at her with unshed tears and her hands immediately went to Kate's hips, hooking a finger in her belt loop and pulling her close. Their lips crashed together in a hungry kiss full of all the need and desire they had for one another, but also something both had ignored in the past. Lucy tried to find the words, but they were caught in her throat as Kate tenderly kissed her. She pulled her flush against her body, hearts racing and eyes searching one another's for any hesitation. When neither found any, Kate leaned her forehead against Lucy's and sighed in relief.
"I love you, Lucy. I'm in love with you," she finally confessed. A tear slid down Lucy's cheek as relief and happiness washed over her. Kate caressed her cheek with her thumb and wiped her tears away as she gazed lovingly into the deep, hazel eyes she adored.
"أنت كل شيء بالنسبة لي، يا حبي," (You are everything to me, my love), she whispered and Lucy allowed herself to let go. She let go of the hurt and pain, the insecurity and doubt. She allowed herself to only see Kate and feel everything she was giving her. Their kisses were slow and tender at first, but soon turned passionate as they made their way into the bedroom, leaving a trail of their discarded clothes along the way. It was different this time. Both had felt it before, the pleasure of making love, but it was different knowing that was exactly what they were doing. Each lingering kiss, caress, and touch in every place both knew so well felt deeper, more intense, and like their bodies were alight with desire. Nothing else mattered but them and they became lost in one another.
By the time they were finally sated, hours had passed and they were curled into each other's arms. Kate giggled when Lucy rolled on top of her and peppered kisses on her collarbone. She teasingly kissed along her jawline and nipped at her ear before pulling back just enough to gaze lovingly into Kate's eyes.
"Just in case I wasn't clear, I love you too. أنت كل شيء بالنسبة لي ودائما ما كنت." (You are everything to me and always have been). Kate smiled through her happy tears and Lucy caressed her cheek.
"I love you so much, Luce," whispered Kate as they held one another close. They lay like that in silence for a moment, reveling in the closeness. Kate traced invisible circles on Lucy's hip and shook with mirth. Lucy smiled up at her.
"What," asked Lucy.
"I'm just realizing Zeinab may be right. I definitely have a blindspot for you."
"Oh really, Zeinab said that? What else did Special Agent Kader say?"
"That you love me, which she was right about, which makes me wonder if she was right about something else. You weren't jealous of her, were you?" Lucy scoffed, but didn't protest as Kate pulled her closer.
"Lucy, you have to know you are the only person I want. I'm in love with you."
"You spoke Arabic to her, the same way you confessed your love to me."
"No, it's not the same. Zeinab is new to the island and I know what that feels like, to be isolated and alone, to yearn for anything familiar. Arabic reminds her of home and her family. We grew close very fast because we both know what it's like to miss home and feel like outsiders. When I speak Arabic to her, it's my way of reminding her that she can find something familiar with me, that we're friends and I'm here for her. But when I speak it to you, I do it out of love and needing you to know how much I need you in my life. إنه ليس نفس الشيء، يا حبيبي." (It's not the same thing, baby). Lucy captured her lips in a passionate kiss before smiling.
"I love you," whispered Lucy and Kate nuzzled her neck.
"I love you too," assured Kate.
"And I guess I owe Zeinab an apology. I was a bit cold to her, but if she puts your life in danger again, we will have problems." Kate giggled.
"I'll be more careful. I promise."
"Good, because I need you. If anything ever happened to you…."
"That goes both ways, so I guess we'll just have to watch each other's back," suggested Kate and Lucy beamed with happiness.
"I can do that."
"Me too, my love. أستطيع فعل ذلك للأبد." (I can do that forever). Lucy sighed in relief as she melted into her girlfriend's arms. For the first time in a long time, she felt like they were back in sync and all their unspoken words were finally said.
AN: JealousLucy is pretty funny. She just rambles and pouts and is oddly adorable to write that way. Arabic-speaking Kate is one of my favorite Kates as well and it was nice to be able to show her as a FBI Special Agent and not just there whenever the team needs something. I hope Season 2 shows Kate as her own person. Of course I need...not want...NEED...her with Lucy because Kacy is the only endgame that matters, but I also want her to be happy and a full human being, not just an extension of Lucy's angst and life. I hope you enjoyed and are celebrating the news of the renewal. Cheers to more Kacy soon!