Hello all you readers and writers. Sorry... This time it took me a little longer to update. It wasn't easy for me to decide which way the story should go. So here it is.
"What? I thought that now that I live in your house for a while, at least I can cook dinner for you." Gibbs was still grinning and walked over to her, invading her personal space. It wasn't the first time he'd done that and usually it didn't make her nervous at all, but now her heart missed a beat as he leaned down a bit to whisper in her ear. "Next time Kate, call me Jethro, at least when we're at home. And… I'm not a marine anymore." Kate stared at him wide eyed and her mouth formed a perfect 'O'. Gibbs was still smiling as he left her alone in the kitchen. From outside he called "Spaghetti is fine, Kate. I'll bring in the rest of your bags." Kate stood there in shock, speechless. 'Have I just called my boss, the hard-as-bone-Gibbs what I think I have? Oh dear God!'
One hour later
Gibbs was scooping the last fork of spaghetti in his mouth and chewed satisfied. "Tell me, wasn't it fantastic what I cooked for you?" he said with a mischievous smile on his lips. "You had cooked, Gibbs?" Kate raised an eyebrow. "I only remember you sneaking around the pots like a hyena and whining 'How long till we can eat?' " Gibbs loved to challenge her, verbally of course. "You only had to distract me in a better way." Now he grinned the loop side grin of his that Kate loved so much. "Oh. Okay Gibbs. And what way should that have been? I think there is no way to distract a marine-turned-special agent on his mission for food. How do you think I should have done that? Set off the fire alarm?" Gibbs started roaring and by that Kate couldn't stay serious.
After a while, Kate became silent and the expression on her face changed. "Gibbs?" A stern look was his response. "I'm sorry… Jethro." His lines softened. "I think we should clear our sleeping arrangements." That made him smirk and Kate noticed how ambiguous that had sounded. "I mean…. It's not right that I take your bed all the time, because I don't know how long it will take me to find a new apartment and… You can't sleep on the couch all nights and… I think we shouldn't share… I mean like last night. Oh God… Can you help me out here?" One side of his mouth had lifted and the lines around his eyes showed how much her babbling amused him.
"Kate. I have a guestroom. Yesterday you were so exhausted. I thought it would be better to let you rest instead of cleaning the guestroom that definitely needs a cleaning. But… today we'll do it. Then you can make yourself and Tony at home in there. The only thing we need to share is the bathroom, okay?" Gibbs asked. Kate only nodded, touched by his thoughtfulness. "I don't know how to thank you." Her voice was low. She still felt like an intruder in his private life. "Hey, you cooked for me!" The humor in his tone made her smile. He went over to her, laid his hand on her shoulder and gave it an assuring squeeze, before he went out of the room.
Later - In the guest room
Together they had needed the whole afternoon to clean and arrange the room for Kate. As Kate had seen the room in the first place, she hadn't even thought that it was possible to make the room inhabitable again. Gibbs had used it as storage room for all the things he couldn't place in his basement, because of the boat. "Well, at least it looks a lot better than your old apartment." Gibbs had joked and after a lot of work, the room was only filled with a bed, an old chair and a dresser. Now all of it needed a little bit cleaning. A comfortable silence settled between them. Gibbs was working on the floor and then at the windows, while Kate was cleaning the room items.
When Kate was ready with her workload she watched Gibbs silently from the edge of her bed. Lost in thought she marveled over his broad back, where every move caused a flex of his well trained muscles that could be seen even under his shirt. Her gaze fell on his very sexy behind.
Gibbs heard her sigh and turned his head to look if she needs any help. He found her staring at him, no… more staring through him with a secretive little smile on her face. "Daydreaming, Agent Todd?" Startled she looked up in his eyes. "Um… No. I just think you missed a spot there." She said to hide her faux pas, but Gibbs already saw the light flush of her cheeks. 'Want to know what she was dreaming about.' He thought but let it go for the moment. Instead he asked: "Where?"
Kate got up and went to the window he had worked on. "Well… there!" She pointed on a spot Gibbs already had cleaned minutes ago. "I can't see anything, Kate." Again he looked at her. His face showed the 'I know that you hide something'- expression that he often used in his interrogations. But Kate knew him long enough that this face held also a facet of humor.
"That's why I think you should let examine your eye weakening." Now he glared at her. "You think, Kate?"
Not so sure of his sense of humor anymore, she slowly backed away from him. Her ankles hit the old chair and Kate decided it would be better to have something between her and Gibbs who looked like a tiger in hunt for an easy prey. She stepped around it and Gibbs slowly came after her, the wet sponge still in his hand. "Gibbs! Don't do what I think you will do!" she said in a warning tone while she stepped back towards the door. Gibbs played the sponge in his hand like a baseball. "So tell me, what will I do Kate?" Kate almost had reached the doorframe as Gibbs rounded the chair. "Gibbs don't!" she had risen her hand to prevent him from throwing the sponge, he was still playing with. Gibbs grin grew. "Run!" he hissed and Kate made a beeline through the door with him hard on her heels.
Kate fled to his bedroom just over the floor and tried to take cover behind his bed. But Gibbs was faster. Before she could duck he hit her on the back of her head. "Oh you…" Kate had turned and held a warning expression on her face. She grabbed one of his pillows and threw it at him. Gibbs caught it easily and stood now directly opposite to her. To defend herself she took the next pillow, but just as she did that, Gibbs face changed like he was now having enough of their little game and he dropped the pillow. She did the same and this was his chance to succeed another strike. Before Kate knew what just happened, he stood right beside her and had disarmed her.
He looked into her eyes with only a hint of a smile. "So tell me again Kate, what's wrong with my eyes?" Kate made one step back. "Um… nothing Gibbs! Blue as ever! I think." She whispered now aware of how close he really stood. She could feel the warmth radiating from him and his breath on her cheek as his low voice spoke to her. "Wrong answer, Katie!"
TBC
