a/n clicked on the wrong file initially, sorry!

11. KATE

Kate woke safe and warm, and even before she remembered the reason, she was already smiling. Her smile got even wider as she realised exactly why she felt so good: her cheek was pressed up against Gibbs' chest, his arm was wrapped around her, and his heartbeat was a steady, reassuring rhythm against her ear.

She wriggled herself in even closer. It had been a very long time since she'd shared a bed with anyone, even longer since it had been someone she really liked. Back before her life had gotten turned inside out, she'd fantasised more than once about it being him. It was a good fantasy; it was indescribably better to wake up to the reality.

Her wriggling woke him up, but he didn't seem to mind. With a happy sound he rolled toward her and draped his free arm across her, pulling her closer.

She reached up to stroke her knuckles over his cheek. "Hey."

He opened one eye, then closed it again and grinned. "Mmmm. Not just a really good dream, then." He tightened his embrace for a moment and kissed her forehead. She could feel his smile against her skin.

"Nope, not a dream."

"Good. 'Cause if someone had woken me from this dream-" he shrugged "-well, they might not've survived."

She giggled, and felt the rumble against her body as he laughed along with her. He tousled her hair, then propped himself up on one elbow to look down at her.

"What?"

He smiled lazily. "Nothin'."

Kate decided she rather liked half asleep Gibbs. His hair was a ruffled mess, his eyes were barely open, and the look on his face warmed her all the way inside.

Finally, he leaned down to kiss her again, slow and sweet and gentle. She slipped a hand around the back of his neck, wanting to keep him close. When they surfaced for air it took him a second to open his eyes.

"Wow," he breathed.

She couldn't help herself. "Yeah. That's what they all tell me."

He rolled his eyes and grinned. Obviously the incident had been just as memorable for him as for her.

"Good times," he murmured.

"Uh-huh."

"Better now though," he rumbled. His eyes crinkled as he smiled again.

Kate gazed up at him. He was being so sweet, but she still felt guilty over how things had gone. "Gibbs, I'm-" God, this was so awkward. She tried to figure what she wanted to say, how she could say it.

Her uncertainty must've shown on her face. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry I couldn't-" She took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "Last night- I mean, I wish I... It's not that I didn't want..."

For a moment he was frowning at her, confused, then he realised what she was trying to say and was shaking his head before she managed to finish the sentence. Cradling her face in both hands, he kissed her forehead, her mouth, then tugged her in close and rocked her gently. "Katie."

For a long while he didn't say anything else, though a couple of times he took a breath that made her think he was about to. Eventually he found his voice. "Katie, I didn't come here for that, I didn't. I don't want..." He rubbed a hand across his face and grunted. "Need coffee."

It was such a Gibbs thing to say, even in this unprecedented situation, that Kate sniggered. "You're so predictable."

He drew away from her, raised an eyebrow, a wicked grin appearing as he traced one finger lightly up her arm and drew a shiver of pleasure out of her.

"Oh, am I now?"

She bit her lip and her eyes closed involuntarily. She'd always had a bit of a thing for Gibbs, if she was honest, since long before he'd gone and made her fall in love with him, but it was going to take time to get used to her visceral response to his touch. There was a difference between finding someone attractive and realising they could melt you into a puddle with no apparent effort.

"When it comes to caffeine you are," she managed.

"Is that right?" he asked before bending to her neck.

"Uh-huh." If he expected to get sensible answers out of her while his mouth was on her throat, he was going to be disappointed. She could feel his laughter and ended up giggling herself.

He finally made his way up her jaw and to her mouth, where he gave her a relatively chaste kiss before leaning his head on his hand to gaze down at her again, his eyes wide and faux-innocent.

"So. Coffee?"

She raised an eyebrow. "One track mind," she teased as she clambered to the edge of the bed, then grabbed his hand to bring him with her. "C'mon, trouble, coffeepot's in the kitchen."