step by step
An NCIS fic collection
by mew-tsubaki
- ^-^3
imagine: miscellany 24—backbones (this post on the sideblog: 715440147692437504/ parknight-imagines-miscellany-24-backbones)
tags: pre-Parknight, s20e16
- ^-^3
"It's true, what I said earlier."
Knight blinks, snapping out of her fading train of thought in the drive to the hospital. Had Parker said something about the victims they're about to interview and she zoned out? "Sorry?" she says, turning his way, trying to focus on this hazmat case.
He does that scoff-chuckle of his—a very Alden Parker sound, to the point now where it's endearing and familiar and she's rather glad to hear it on a day like today—and cracks half a smile. That half a smile, though, is because he knows she hasn't heard a word he's said since they left NCIS. "About bamboo, being lucky. I think your dad will pull through fine. You'll see."
Knight's own smile feels tight. Not quite thankful (is it half a smile, too?), but she does appreciate the thought and the well wishes. "Yeah, I just…" She pushes her right hand through her hair and releases a low, slow breath. "I'm not a fan of Robin blowing up my phone with all these texts, even if I'm equally worried about a simple bicycle accident."
Parker nods. Sirens wail faintly behind them, drawing nearer, so he pulls to the side of the road along with other motorists for the ambulance to pass; they aren't far from the hospital now. "I commiserate," Parker states.
She blinks when a stray detail comes to mind. "That's right. You said something about Roman earlier, too." Knight eyes his profile.
He nods a second time. "My father's that type, too. Quick to text over any little thing that seems like an emergency to him. Although." Parker shrugs. "To be fair, he texts over the non-emergencies, too. But the emergencies just come rapid-fire."
Knight slouches in the passenger seat. "Tell me about it! Robin and I have always had poor communication, but now that she and I are working on that?" She heaves a sigh. "That's why today's especially trying. And the moment her first text wasn't read because we were at the crime scene—" Knight looks to Parker and makes a one-handed "ta-dah!" gesture.
"Ah, yeah, yeah. I was there for that, Knight." He glances her way amidst slow traffic. This time, when he smiles, there's something…soft about it, about him.
She wonders about that softness.
With reluctance, he tears his eyes away, fixing them back on the road as traffic picks up. "It's rough, the burden you and I bear."
"Which burden is that?"
Parker sneaks one more glance at her during a short light, right before the turn for the hospital. "I'd be willing to bet it's not only Robin who comes to you for everything major. If so…then, like me, you're the backbone of your family. We're always on-call. We keep the others together, from falling apart."
Now it's Knight's turn to stare because…Parker's right. She hasn't thought about it this deeply before, so she's never put a name to it, but identifying her responsibility in her family, to her family—well, it's a strange feeling. Like a lifted weight off her shoulders and yet the added weight of knowledge at the same time. "Huh" is all she manages in response.
He finds a space surprisingly close to the building and cuts the engine. But then Parker does a double-take at Knight before reaching for his door handle. "…I hope I didn't overstep," he murmurs.
But she grins and almost wants to laugh, witnessing an oddly meek Parker. Instead, Knight heartily slaps his shoulder and gives it a squeeze. "Nah, you didn't. Honestly, you just had me thinking. You know what we backbones need?"
One curious eyebrow rises while the other sinks, skeptic.
"Some peace and quiet after the hubbub dies down."
Parker's smile is somewhat akin to a smirk, and it's the second time in as many minutes that he catches her off-guard. "Then I'll have to find some time for us," he promises before they head inside.
- ^-^3
S20e16 gave me Thoughts™, but there were some good Parknight moments in there for me, for sure. And, early on in the ep when things with Knight's dad seemed like a mere whoopsie, I imagine Parknight rly might've had such a chat. But these two bellyaching a bit about being the ones their fams rely on…you gotta feel for them! Altho true, they're both dependable. But. *lowkey Parker planning a date for them bc i say so*
-mew! B3