x...x
When he left that afternoon, it was with a different uncertainty than what it was when he had left the day before- where yesterday's departure was full of 'what is this?', today's leaving was all about 'what do we do now?'. The kiss had happened, forever altering the road ahead of them, but the question of where it was taking them now was left unasked. Not that either seemed to mind. They spent the afternoon on the couch, talking about work, joking about the chair, watching TV, while subconsciously inching closer and closer together, both shifting slightly to face each other, both with hands that surreptitiously wandered towards each other until they lightly clasped together. It was only when Gibbs' cell rang that they pulled apart.
"Tony?" she asked when Gibbs' closed the connection.
'Yep."
"Checking to make sure he hadn't screwed anything up on the report."
Admiring her ability to read the situation, he nodded. "I should go. I really do hafta bring that file in tomorrow."
She pulled at his shirt. "So you're not going to wear this." It was a statement and a pout that made him chuckle.
He kissed her temple, his warm lips pressing against her skin longer than necessary. She bunched up her now favourite shirt in her fist and held him close. With a boldness that shouldn't have surprised him, she trailed her mouth up his jaw to his ear.
"That's a shame." She let him contemplate all that might imply before letting go of the fabric and smoothing it down. "I'll see you in the morning."
He covered his swirling emotions with a gruff, "Oh-eight-hundred." He stood and tried to look stern.
As he suspected but would never admit, she could see right through him. "Sir, yes, sir." His eyes narrowed at the address, which only encouraged her mischief. "Gunny."
If his eyes narrowed any more, they would have closed. But he wasn't above a bit of mischief of his own. Offering a casual salute he'd never show outside of the two of them, he smirked, "See you then. Captain." The way the sly title made her eyes darkened and her mouth drop into a perfect 'Oh' was his just reward.
x...x
As she expected, the knock came at precisely 8 am. Already anticipating his punctuality and having practiced her routine the previous day, she opened the door before the clock hit 8:01. His mild surprise was met with a satisfied grin and a playful question disguised as an honest query.
"You were there 5 minutes early and just waited until 8, didn't you?"
"Nope," he replied, entering the apartment. "Six minutes."
"I knew it."
He touched her injured arm and took in her appearance. "Everything okay this morning?"
"Haven't quite mastered the buttons, but pulling a shirt over my head isn't happening any time soon."
His eyes scanned over her outfit, unabashedly lingering in some places. "They're crooked."
Her eyes followed his to her breasts and she cocked an eyebrow. She would have bet money she caught a glimpse of pink touching the tips of his ears.
"The buttons, smart-ass." He must have felt the heat in his ears because he reached up to scratch one.
Her amusement turned to dismay. "Dammit!" she said. "It took me 20 minutes to get them all done!"
Without a word, and perhaps without conscious thought, he began undoing the buttons. She would've asked him what he was doing, if she hadn't been fully aware of the answer, and if she hadn't fully lost the ability to speak. Big hands nimbly took care of the small clasps with a dexterity that she found both surprising and unexpectedly arousing. The small lick of her lips briefly caught his attention before it returned to the task that seemed to be taking an eternity to complete. Not that she was complaining. The last button undone, he began doing them up again, this time matching them with their respective counterparts. He began from the bottom, an odd quirk she assumed was a Gibbsian trait. Though he didn't touch her, she could feel the heat radiate off his hands, and when he paused at the button that would cover the valley between her breasts, she couldn't help but minutely lean forward. His stifled moan was almost her undoing. She bit the inside of her cheek to silence her own response. The air charged electric between them until he found a reserve of strength she didn't have to step back. The only lingering sign that anything had happened was the slight flaring of his nostrils as he tried to take in the oxygen his racing heart required. She looked down at his handiwork, if only to give her eyes an excuse to not get caught in his simmering blues.
"You forgot one."
The diversion brought both of them back to solid ground. His eyes flicked down to her observation. The button between her breasts remained undone, offering the fleeting promise of white lace. He shook his head.
"Nope."
The confidence made her burst out laughing. "Fine. But if I have to put up with Tony leering at me all day, I can't be held responsible for what happens."
"I always thought you could kick his ass with one hand tied behind your back. Don't think the shoulder will be much of a problem."
"Was that a compliment?" Her voice was full of wonder.
"Ya wanna keep goin', or do ya wanna get the stuff you claim is coffee?"
She pretended to consider the options. "Coffee. I can do the rest at work."
Ignoring his eye roll, she grabbed her coat by the door, but it was immediately taken out of her hand. Wordlessly, he held it open for her to slide her good arm into. He went to reach for her purse but she stopped him.
"Just grab my badge and wallet," she told him. "I don't want to drag everything around."
Hesitantly, he opened the purse like he was expecting to find evidence in a murder investigation.
"You're not telling me you've never looked in a woman's purse before," she grinned, realizing his discomfort.
"Oh, I've looked through plenty," he replied. "It's why I'm tryin' to make this quick." To his surprise, the purse was remarkably organized and free of clutter. The investigator side of him took inventory: slim wallet, notebook, pen, gum, badge. He assumed the feminine products were in the discrete zip pocket. His eyebrows told her of his surprise.
"That's my work purse," she explained. "You won't have that look when you have to go through my personal one." He grimaced and she put the wallet and badge in her coat pocket. "C'mon, Marine. Every minute we're here is one minute more you're away from your coffee."
"Then double-time, Agent Todd," he commanded, opening the door and extending his hand towards the hall. "Marine's gettin' grumpy."
She made sure he saw her blatantly open her mouth to speak, then purposely close it, as if reconsidering her words. She didn't stick around long enough to see his expression. She didn't have to.
x...x
Heads turned when the elevator door opened and Kate and Gibbs stepped out. She wasn't surprised that Tony was the first to stand and meet them halfway. He went to hug her until realizing the problem, so he stepped to her good side and gave her a squeeze.
With gentle pressure against her temple, he whispered, "Good to have you back, Kate." Then, in typical Tony way, he looked over to McGee. "Better get in on this while you can, Probie. She'll never be more defenseless."
"Still got one good arm, Tony," she warned, sharing a look with Gibbs that was a warm reminder of their earlier conversation.
"Pffft," Tony scoffed, not entirely convincingly. He waved over McGee.
The younger man stood and walked over to the trio, his awkwardness apparent to all. Uncertain of what to do and what was appropriate- particularly in front of his boss- he held out a hand.
"Jesus, McAwkward," Tony grumbled.
Taking pity on the young agent, she avoided his handshake and slipped an arm around his shoulder. "Good to see you, Tim."
Tension lifted, he returned the hug then stepped back. "Good to see you, too, Kate."
Gibbs' first words were, "Eyes up, McGee," which got Kate a wink from Tony and McGee an elbow to the gut.
"Perv," Tony accused.
"You busy, DiNozzo?"
"No, Boss. Just killing ti-" Realizing his misstep, he backtracked. "I mean, yeah, super busy. Really busy. Unbeliev-"
Gibbs planted a file into the bumbling agent's chest. "The Bosman case. JAG's all over the Director's ass to have it in today. Think you can get it from here to there before lunch, considerin' you're so busy?"
"On it, Boss."
"Wait. Some ground rules regarding Agent Todd. First, desk duty only. We get called out to the field, she stays. Doesn't mean she's not gonna do anything." He said it as much for her as the other agents. "It means we'll have another set of experienced eyes to track down leads and follow up on the evidence. Second, she's on a flexible schedule. If it gets too painful, or she gets tired, or she's just sick of seein' your face, she goes home, no questions asked. Got it?"
Both men nodded.
"Anything you need, just ask," Tim promised.
"I can give you a lift home whenever you want, Kate," DiNozzo offered.
"Won't be necessary," was all Gibbs said before starting towards his desk.
Tony tried to catch Kate's eye, but she was looking everywhere but at him. With a grin as wide as his face, he put his hand over his heart and said, "We'll always have the garage, Kate."
Gibbs turned, and his inquisitive scowl was enough to light a fire under Tony who darted up the stairs.
x...x