step by step

An NCIS fic collection

by mew-tsubaki

- ^-^3

imagine: miscellany 5—repeating history (this post on the sideblog: 693881259111415808/ parknight-imagines-miscellany-5-repeating)

tags: post-s19e21, pre?Parknight (mutual pining, more like)

- ^-^3

It's been a whirlwind year for him, and sometimes Parker still can't imagine that he's made it back home to D.C. To NCIS. To his team. Ha, even to his apartment, complete with the greenhouse that surprised and makes everyone envious.

And it's in Parker's greenhouse that he finds himself spending the most time after the Raven debacle. All that treachery and deceit and all the sleight-of-hand—it's exhausting, but it also lingers in his mind, so the only place he finds much comfort at home is in the coziness of the greenhouse, surrounded by his dusty, old books and the worn but familiar furniture and the wide array of greenery. (He's already thanked Knight, Kasie, and Ducky several hundred times over for keeping his plants alive while he was on the run, but they always downplay it as if it weren't such a big deal.)

A knock on the doorjamb alerts him that he's got company, so Parker glances over his shoulder, spying Knight in the doorway.

Her smile is soft, cautious, the way it's been in these months since they got Parker back and solved the Raven case. "We finished up Risk. Finally hauling out Worst-Case Scenario, but that means teams of two. You joining us for this round on Game Night?"

Parker snorts. "Whose idea was it to bring that?"

"Nick's. But we've also chosen teams, and he's got Roman, so this should be entertaining. Kasie teamed up with Jimmy, and McGee's got Ducky." She hesitates before adding, "I could really use some of that Alden Parker-brand out-of-the-box thinking for this one, partner."

"McGee and Ducky?" he says as he stands from his armchair. "We're gonna be flattened by that much IQ…"

"Don't say it like that." Knight stands a little straighter when Parker joins her in the doorway. "We're gonna be flattened by that much IQ!"

Parker can't help it: He laughs. He genuinely laughs in he doesn't recall how long, and Knight's the only one who has this effect on him. He leans against one side of the doorway, Knight against the other, little space between them, and he locks eyes with her.

While it's become a common occurrence to have the lot of them over at Parker's every other week or so, he can't help but think of the first time they all gathered in his home ages ago, when he was framed for murder. His smile slips a little.

"Jessica? Alden?" Ducky's brogue rings out clearly, reaching even back here.

Parker smiles a bit more at the reminder of how closer they all are now, since Ducky's adopted the occasional use of Parker's first name. "Guess we shouldn't keep them waiting," Parker says to Knight, holding out a gentlemanly arm for her to go first.

"Or…we can," she says, not budging.

Another thought from the first time they learned of his home comes floating to the forefront of Parker's mind, of one of Ducky's remarks, how he retrieved information from his FBI historian counterpart, wining and dining her…

"It's not so bad, dating within one's work circle."

But Parker wonders about that. He's done that before, with disastrous results—Vivian. And look where that landed him, them.

Knight reaches out, touching his arm, craning her neck so she's back in his line of sight. "Parker?"

…but…he'd be remiss to assume things would end the same way (or at all) if he didn't try with Knight. So he touches her hand and briefly shakes his head. "No, you're right. Let's let them play a round without us. Join me in the greenhouse?"

And the way her eyes glitter before she grins tells him that maybe Parker's made the right choice, after all.

- ^-^3

:D Another imagine brought to you by my notes on the episodes! When e21 first aired, I also was drooling over the greenhouse same as everyone else, but NO WAY did I miss Ducky's remark about dating, and I'm glad, that way I had smthg to return to and inspire this one! -w- I like the idea of the team taking care of Parker's home as well as his dad while he's on the run, *lol*. Ahhhh, soft things…! (Also the Worst-Case Scenario is a real game and that was inspired by my own experience—how you play that game changes GREATLY depending on your partner. XD)

-mew! ;D