A/N: I'm sorry that this update took so long guys, but holiday travel and new classes starting kinda messed with my desire to get this written. Plus my muse suddenly decided that a vacation away from me was a good idea. Thank you all for the reviews, I do appreciate them so much. Like I said after the last chapter, angst is not my thing really so I hope you all just bear with me during this chapter.
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"Diane, Gary this is Jethro Gibbs, my boyfriend."
The startled expression on his face would have gone unnoticed by most people, but Kate had spent two years learning how to read him and she looked up at him with an unspoken question in her eyes: Is that okay? His smile reassured her and she turned back to the other couple.
Using the startled silence that had descended over Diane as the perfect opportunity to make a break for it, Kate gave a smile and spoke in a saccharine sweet voice. "It was great seeing you again, Diane. Nice meeting you, Gary. If you'll excuse us, it's getting rather crowded in here; we're going to step outside." Gibbs grinned at the other couple as he followed Kate's lead, moving toward the bar and the open balcony behind it.
He kept his hand at her back as they stepped up to the bar, reluctant to let go of the generally forbidden contact. He told himself that he was merely staying in the role, keeping up the pretense of intimacy that he had so blithely and, perhaps foolishly, stepped into. Repeating to himself that this was no different than any time he had gone undercover for the job, he struggled to maintain his focus, a task made infinitely more difficult as the denser crowd near the bar pushed Kate closer to his side.
His momentary discomfort disappeared as he noticed the woman from the check-in table standing nearby with a group of others. He watched as Diane joined them and enjoyed the startled looks as she told the rest of the group about her encounter with the pair. Anger shot through him briefly as he watched their disbelieving faces out of the corner of his eye. What the hell do they have against Kate? Lord knows I'm no where near good enough for her, but what do they have against her being in a relationship. The thought was accompanied by a mischievous idea.
Slipping his arm further around her waist until his hand rested on her hip, he gave a quick nod of thanks to the bartender who had just taken their order and leaned closer to the beautiful woman at his side. He couldn't hide his smirk as her breath hitched at his close proximity and he took a moment to truly savor the experience. Giving in to the desire he'd had all night he laid a soft kiss on her neck before whispering in her ear.
"We have an audience." Shifting slightly he saw her eyes flick to the crowd of women and then up to meet his. Giving a shrug, she turned her attention back to the drinks that had just been set in front of them. It was taking all her willpower not to simply jump him were he stood. Picking up her drink she jerked her head toward the double doors that would lead out onto the balcony and was relieved when he followed her lead out, hand placed firmly at her back the entire way.
The balcony was completely empty as they stepped out onto it. The midsummer night air was warm and pleasant despite the light breeze that blew through the trees. Walking slowly they rounded a corner which put them out of sight of the doors and Gibbs was disappointed when Kate almost instantly pulled away from him. He watched as she moved gracefully toward the stone railing, admiring every motion, every nuance of her steps. Letting out a sigh he strode after her, placing himself next to her at the railing; looking out over the hotel gardens.
Kate took in a large breath of the night air, trying desperately to calm her thoughts. She suspected that the memory of his lips on her skin would torture her for a very long time to come and again she silently questioned whether this was a good idea or not. She had admitted to herself long ago that she had fallen for him, but had so far managed to push that fact to the back of her mind in favor of the professional relationship that had formed between them. She wasn't sure that she could go back to that after an entire night of experiencing, even if it was only pretend, a real relationship with the gruff, stubborn man at her side. Despite a lack of acknowledgement on her part she was well aware of his presence beside her and was equally well aware that they needed to have a talk about the unspoken agreement they had made just minutes earlier.
A similar argument was running through Gibbs' head at the same time. He had always acknowledged the attraction that he felt for Kate, but it wasn't until this evening – the relief in her eyes when he'd shown up, the feel of her bare skin against his palm, the taste of her neck when he'd kissed her – that he truly began to appreciate how deep those feelings actually ran. Looking over at her, he began the conversation they were both slightly dreading.
"I overheard your talk with Abby in the lab. Thought you could use some back-up." As much as he normally despised having to explain his actions, he knew that she deserved an explanation of some kind. Shocked by his own nervousness, he continued on, gazing up at the stars as he felt her eyes on him. "I can leave if you want; I know you didn't expect any company…" His voice trailed off into nothingness and Kate couldn't help the grin that spread across her features. He really is adorable when he's vulnerable like this. Allowing herself to see the humor of the situation they found themselves in, she responded to his comment.
"Well, you know what they say: expect the unexpected." He chuckled at her words and for the first time that evening both finally felt relaxed and comfortable with the other's presence. Shifting slightly against the rail, she bumped her shoulder lightly into his. "I'm actually really glad that I'm not doing this by myself anymore. I hated high school so much, and I can't believe I talked myself into even coming to this thing. But, you know, the look on Diane's face when you showed up makes the whole thing worthwhile."
Smiling at her and the fact that their shoulders still touched slightly from her earlier motion, he asked the question he'd had on his mind since he had arrived. "What happened between the two of you? She really seemed like she would be perfectly willing to make your life hell."
"It was just stupid high school stuff. We moved a lot growing up so I only actually did two years at Kennedy. Diane was the most popular girl on campus and expected everyone to fully acknowledge the fact. I'd been to too many schools to care, and she resented the idea that the level of her popularity didn't affect me. I'm just happy that this time I can face her with some help on my side." She grinned at him for a moment before her features became clouded momentarily with worry. Looking down at the ground, she took a deep breath before speaking again, talking to her feet instead of him. "Are you sure you don't mind doing this? I mean…um…pretending that we're…"
Her voice faded out slowly and a sudden realization swept through Gibbs. He hadn't thought about the fact that she might be just as uncertain as he was. With a light smile to himself, he stepped in front of her, waiting silently until she looked up at him. When their eyes finally met, he gave her a reassuring grin.
"I don't mind at all. We've all done the undercover thing before, this isn't any different." The lie sat unsteadily in his mind, but he pushed it away as he continued. "Plus, rule 26 says you never leave a man behind. And that goes double for a friend." His smile widened as she nodded in response. Offering his arm they moved back into the ballroom, his hand covering hers where it lay at his elbow and his next statement reaching her ears just as they stepped back inside for dinner. "Besides, better me for back-up than Dinozzo or McGee."
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A/N: I made up Rule 26 (well at least the number) because "never leave a man behind" is a pretty solid ground rule for the entire US military and it always seemed weird to me that Gibbs, a former marine, wouldn't mention it more often.
Next chapter will be up as soon as I write it, but before I can do that I need some help from all of you guys: What is a good slow dance song from the 80's? In general I love music, but I only lived through half that decade and wasn't old enough to care about the music when it ended.