step by step
An NCIS fic collection
by mew-tsubaki
- ^-^3
imagine: miscellany 13—acclimation (this post on the sideblog: 702128709752193024/ parknight-imagines-miscellany-13-acclimation)
tags: pre?Parknight
- ^-^3
"You all right there?"
Parker's laser-focused gaze on nothing outside the windshield breaks when Knight's words interrupt their quiet. He blinks and glances at her. "Hm? Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
Knight furrows her brow, but she offers him a small smile at the same time as she takes the upcoming turn on the road slowly, given the terrain. "Well, you huffed the moment we learned our suspect's got an old address in this part of Virginia. And you readily took the passenger's seat, too." She pauses before adding in that blunt-but-still-polite, Knight manner of hers, "Plus you look a little green."
He pulls a face at her summation and cups his chin in his palm once more, his elbow bouncing uncomfortably inside the door.
Knight nods and taps her fingers along the wheel. "…gotcha. So boats and long drives—both 'nos' on Alden Parker's list."
Parker opens his mouth to correct her, but the words are caught in his throat. Knight's…not entirely wrong, per se. He doesn't exactly mind long drives, and he recalls many a fond road trip with Billy and with Viv back in the day.
But it's where he and Knight are driving today. His dislike for boats is much the same as his dislike for this kind of ride. Boats remind him of his family, but there's the height, too, and the wobbliness as the waves rock the vessel back and forth however strongly they choose. And this ride, in the higher elevations of Virginia? It summons all the same feelings.
The up-and-down of the mountain roads.
The extra height.
The mountains, just like home…
…because that's the thing. Parker grew up in Philadelphia, but he's got family spread out over Pennsylvania, and Philly's an outlier for its low elevation. Everywhere else is mountains, mountains, mountains, and those swoops and curves give a person new perspective…and not necessarily a positive one.
But at least working and living in D.C. means he's back to a flat coastline, which is comfortable, familiar territory. Friendly, he thinks with a chuckle.
"Wanna share with the class?" Knight prompts, her glance quick but welcoming.
Parker licks his lips and changes the topic, just a bit. "Your family moved around a lot while you were growing up, right?"
Her right eyebrow sinks low as she tries to follow his line of thought. "Well…yeah. Navy brat, same as you and McGee." She shrugs and grins at him. "I didn't mind the change in scenery, though. We got to live in some places like this, actually. But I'm resilient. I adapt quick." They slow down as they come across the one other car on this road, and Knight seizes the opportunity to poke him in the arm. "Spend more time with me, Parker, and maybe you'll learn to adapt, too."
He can't help it. Sure, his stomach won't settle so long as they've got another dozen curves and loop-de-loops ahead of them, but Parker manages to share in Knight's grin, wondering if, yet again, this is another instance he can lean on her, where she can loan him her strength.
- ^-^3
Had some thoughts about Parker's…naviphobia? thalassophobia? (Is it just boats or the ocean rly he hates? Would he even tell us the truth?) and landed myself here, esp when thinking about his home state and his weak stomach. Also, ngl, I hate mountainous road trips. XP But if I had a Jess Knight…
-mew! c: