It had been two weeks since the lipstick incident.
She had put a particular emphasis on balancing her work and personal life, and as a result her time between the two was split to the best of her abilities. When they had been partners one of the things that inevitably led to the downfall of their relationship was that they jumped too quickly, neither having concern for the inevitable crash that was going to come. Forward thinking had never been her forte when it came to him, and she wasn't about to let herself repeat the same mistakes as before.
To say that she was surprised by that he was proving to be more than difficult would be an outright lie. It was something she knew came with the territory, and if there was one thing she was certain of, it was that Leroy Jethro Gibbs liked to push her buttons.
Her only saving grace had came in the form of distance; he and his team were working a little particularly grueling case in southern Virginia, resulting in his absence most of the day and throughout the evening for more than a week. It allowed her much needed space in order to sort out just how bad of an idea all of this was and just how much she truly didn't care.
Her morning was spent attending a series of meetings with their Las Angeles counterpart and a debriefing with SecNav on their operations abroad, subjects that ultimately took up her entire morning and part of her afternoon. By the time she was finished, there was an ache in her neck and a craving for coffee she just couldn't kick.
Cynthia has graciously penciled in a gap between her meetings, allowing her just enough time to slip out undetected and towards the coffee shop.
The elevator doors were just beginning to slide close when a hand reached in-between them, catching it just as it had been about shut completely.
He stepped into the elevator with a sly grin, hitting the door close button with his fist as he does.
"Fancy meeting you here, Director."
She snorts, "Who would have thought I would be here in my own agency."
"Usually hiding out in your office." He comments, nodding his head in its direction.
"Working, not hiding Jethro. Running an agency does take a fair bit of time, despite what you may or may not believe." She shoots back, attempting to sound stern but unable to keep the teasing tone from slipping its way into her words.
Predictably, the elevator grins to a halt when he flips the emergency switch.
"I'm going for coffee."
It was an invitation as much as it was a statement and she knew it.
"It might come off as inappropriate if someone were to see an employee sneaking away and getting coffee with their boss, Agent Gibbs."
"I'm not asking you as my boss, I'm inviting you as my-"
He abruptly cuts himself off, and it takes all her will power to hold back a laugh.
"Girlfriend?" She supplies, "Bit of a juvenile term, don't you think?"
He narrows his eyes at her, stepping close enough that she's forced to take a step backwards for the sake of propriety, effectively pinning herself against the wall in the process, "I was going to say partner."
"Ambiguous wording there."
"Ambiguous?"
The eye roll that follows his words doesn't seem to surprise him, "I'm investing in a dictionary for you, Jethro."
One of his hands is pressed against the wall behind her, his other coming up to dangerously fiddle with the hem of her blouse.
She reminds herself that despite the fact that they were alone in the elevator, the position is incredibly dangerous and puts them at insurmountable risk of ol being caught.
God, it thrills her.
"I'm wearing lipstick today." She warns.
His motions abruptly stop, lips hovering dangerously close to her exposed neck when he does. A tickle dances across her skin when he lets out a defeated sigh before dropping his forehead against her collar bone.
"You kill me, Jen."
Two of her fingers dip underneath his chin, raising his head up fully so she can look properly into his eyes, "Patience is a virtue."
Another, more frustrated sigh escapes him, "Never did like those."'
She grins wickedly, reaching behind him to flip the elevator switch back on.
"Quick coffee break," She affirms, "I have a meeting with the FBI's director in an hour."
"Wanna play hooky?" He teases, grin quickly replacing the pout he had been wearing moments before.
Her hands reach out towards his blazer, absentmindedly smoothing down its lapels against him, "My love for you does not negate my duties as director, Jethro."
It amazes her for a moment how easily the statement rolls off her tongue; as if she's been saying it for years. The feelings were old, but the vocalization of them was wonderfully new.
There's a warmth that washes over her when she sees the adoring look he gives her at the confession, and evey last bit of her rational thinking dissipates entirely.
She leans in an kisses him quickly, lipstick be damned.
"You're buying." She mutters against him, regretfully pulling away just as the doors slide open.
A hand brushes a stray piece of hair from her cheek bone, a motion that dances a bit too dangerously along the risk of exposing their relationship, but for a single moment she decides that she doesn't really care. Risk be damned.
This was her happy.