Title: Contrast
Rating: T to be safe
Spoilers: none
Author's Note: From Chirugal's 2010 Hiatus Week 9 prompt "Contrast". I'm finally back in WiFi range! As a thank-you for still reading and reviewing (and adding to alerts) and - above all - for being patient, I'm going to add two chapters today :) Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything except what I write. NCIS and all its characters, plots, and quotes are all Mr. Bellisario's…I just play with them every now and then.
When they go out for dinner, they get looks from the people around them. They are a study in contrast – he with his solid good looks, classic dress sense, and quiet strength; she with her youthful appearance, unique (to say the least) clothing, and bubbly nature – and no one can see, on the surface at least, why they are together.
They are clearly not father and daughter; the way they interact is far too intimate. They watch each other's faces with an intensity that implies a serious relationship, although no one sees a ring on either's hand (and they certainly look).
His blue eyes sparkle at something she says; the not-so-subtle onlookers somehow know that this – together with the little half-smile he'll allow to creep onto his face – is an incredible expression of emotion. He replies, that smile twisting around his words ever so slightly, and her dark red-painted lips part as she throws her head back, a glorious laugh breaking into the stillness of their table.
But her eyes – a beautiful, rich emerald – have a certain depth to them, a depth that echoes the stillness in him. And the way he moves shows a strong sensuality, one very much like the one that she exudes effortlessly.
They contrast not just each other, but themselves – but it is only with contrast that an image is sharp and clear. And their image is visible to anyone who looks further than a passing, scornful glance. It is love.