A/N: Eight! Finally! The eighth story in this cute little mini-series! I hope you all are enjoying them as much as I am! Thanks (yet again) goes to Smackalicious, my beta reader!
Kate walked nervously up the stairs to Tony's apartment. He hadn't been at work today, but had emailed her saying he was sick so that she would tell Gibbs. Coming over to check on him had seemed like a good idea at first, but now she wasn't so sure. What if he's asleep? she wondered. Or throwing up? Her steps slowed as she neared his apartment door, but finally she was there. After hesitating for a moment, she knocked.
There was a muffled shuffling from inside, and after a minute the door opened, revealing a tired-looking Tony in plaid pajama pants and an old t-shirt.
"Hey," she said, "I brought you some soup." His eyes had lit up at the sight of her, but now he was shaking his head, and gesturing to his throat. He had clearly lost his voice.
"Oh, I see," said Kate, because she truly did. Not only did she understand he couldn't talk, but Smile Number 50 was telling her what he literally couldn't say.
"You want some company anyway?" she asked, and he opened the door all of the way, standing back to let her enter. The apartment was relatively clean and fairly modern looking, like her own. There was, as she had assumed there would be, a big screen TV in the corner, complete with surround sound, and many other gadgets that Kate wondered if even he knew how to use. Tony stood near the door, watching her look around the apartment, as though waiting for her opinion.
"Go sit down, sicko. I'll heat up the soup," she told him. He gave a half smile, one that resembled Smile Number 46, the "Hey!" Smile, and sat down on the couch. She headed for the microwave, Thermos in hand, and in seconds she was handing him a bowl of steaming chicken noodle soup. Taking it graciously, he pointed to her with his spoon, and then to the soup.
"Ew, I don't want your germs," she joked, and he smiled appreciatively. He began to gesture again, but this time she couldn't tell what he was trying to say.
"You really should've let Abby teach you sign language when she offered," she told him, getting up to find him a pen and paper. She handed them to him, and he scrawled a quick message.
Thanks for coming, Katie.
"You still can't call me Katie," she told him, and once again, he smiled his favorite smile.