Gibbs kisses her.
In front of God, and oh God in front of Tony.
She kisses him back because oh God the relief at being able to save him, to keep him alive. At him being alive and herself too because her chest aches, more so as he pulls her close to him and kisses her like it's all he's wanted to do for the past two years they've worked together.
She had expected the comments from Tony, expected something else from Gibbs, like a reprimand for taking a bullet for her. She doesn't expect him to rip her jacket open to examine her vest. She doesn't expect the sigh of relief.
She doesn't expect the kiss.
She welcomes it all. Welcomes his lips on hers, the way her body presses against his and the way he turns her slightly to deepen the kiss.
She expects Tony to cough, or swear or laugh or something.
She doesn't expect the swish of a bullet, the shot of pain that slices across the back of her head. She doesn't expect Gibbs and Tony to both send her crashing to the floor.
"Sniper," Gibbs says. "Stay down."
She nods but it hurts and instead she groans and tries not to cry. The bullet has grazed her scalp, maybe deeper and she's slowly fading out. Tony shifts, pushes something under her head. His own jacket, she realises when she looks away from Gibbs and at him.
"Ari?" he asks. Gibbs nods then looks at Kate. She wants to smile, to reassure him but she can't.
"Stay with us Kate, we'll get you out of here," he tells her, squeezing her hand. "Let's head for the stairs."
Tony nods, and together they start to drag Kate over to the door of the stairwell.
"So, you and Gibbs been sleeping together for a while or this a new thing?" he asks.
"Dinozzo!"
"Tony!"
He chuckles.
"Guess you've lost too much blood to blush, hey Kate?" Tony continues, "you can owe me the head slap later boss."
"Oh don't worry about that DiNozzo," he mutters. "Still with us Kate?"
"Imma schlap him too," she slurs.
"Just hold on Kate and you can slap me wherever you want," Tony tells her.
They reach the door, knees scraped and Kate can feel her pants are ruined from the gravel. Not that she cares much, it's all sort of going numb anyway. And dark.
"Gibbsshh," she slurs. "Hurts."
"I got you Katie," he says, hauling her in through the stairwell door. He's not gentle and she groans as she's made to sit up, then bend forward. Her ribs protest, and so does she, her vision greying out at the edges. She can hear Tony making his way downstairs, feel fingers on her skull. "We'll get you out of here."
"All clear boss," Tony yells up and Gibbs pulls her back against him.
"Gibbsshh, gotta, gotta tell you shomething."
"It can wait, we got to get you to hospital."
"No, now, now, now."
In her head, she can tell she sounds drunk, the usual disconnect between her brain and her mouth even thinner than usual but she can't stop herself any more now than she could if she were drunk.
"Okay Katie, what is it?" he says.
She can't see him through the fog but turns to look at him anyway.
"Really glad you kissed me."
It's the last thing she remembers for a while as she finally loses consciousness.
Xxx
Gibbs is fast asleep stretched out in the chair by her bed. It's dark in her room, the only light coming in through her door. She wants to sit up but right now there isn't any pain. She knows that will change as soon as she tries. She takes careful shallow breaths through the oxygen mask before pulling it off and turning her head to look at Gibbs again.
He kissed her.
It makes her smile and warms her right through to her core.
She doesn't know what it means, doesn't care because he's alive. They're both alive.
"What you smilin' about?"
His voice is low and growly, grumpy but there is a hint of a tired smile on his face when he looks up at her.
"You," she says. "You kissed me."
"Instinct," he tells her, voice still low, "gut reaction."
"Uh-huh," she says, trying not to let the smile turn into the full grin. Which is easy when it turns into a groan of pain as she finally tries to sit up. He's on his feet in a moment, helping her up and readjusting the bed and pillows behind her.
She's panting, chest tight, head spinning and throbbing in counterpoint and she regrets the motion. She snaps her hand out to grab his and squeezes.
"I'll get a doctor," he says, pulling away.
"No, I just need a minute." She knows she sounds desperate but the spinning has already slowed. He stays, squeezing gently back.
"What hurts?" he asks.
"Everything," she moans and he chuckles.
"That's a good sign."
"Bullshit," she breathes out and he laughs then.
"Yeah, you're fine," he says then leans over and kisses her on the forehead.
"Another gut reaction?" she asks.
"Something like that."
"Lips are lower down."
"Uh-huh," he looks, flicks his eyes down then up again and she smiles. "Want a sitrep?" he asks.
"Kiss first," she tells him. Another chuckle and she really likes the way his eyes light up when he smiles at her. Likes the way his eyes darken as he goes into kiss her. He hesitates and she has just enough energy to tip her head up and kiss him.
He groans, softly, into her mouth and she has to taste him, press her tongue into his and deepen the kiss. She wants to wrap her arms around him but she doesn't think she can lift her arms. She wants to pull him close, pull him on top of her but the ache in her chest where the bullet definitely broke a rib is a good reminder of why she shouldn't. She can sense the tension in him as he holds himself over her, not touching her anywhere but her lips as they both sink into the kiss.
When he pulls away, she's unable to open her eyes but she smiles at him.
"Better," she mumbles.
"Go back to sleep Kate," he tells her, "I'll be here."
"What about Ari?" she asks, fighting against the sleep that her body so desperately wants.
"Already dead."
"It meant something right?" she whispers, voice a little slurred again. "The kissing."
"Yeah," he tells her, "it means something."
She nods, regrets it, but there is another kiss to her forehead before she drifts off.