Title: Saved
Rating: T
Fandom: NCIS
Pairing: Gibbs/Kate
Summary: It’s been a year almost since he came back from Mexico, and well over six months since he shaved his moustache off but he still gets asked about it.
Notes: 1029 words. Part 4 of Secrets series.
No one has one singular secret.
Over the past few years, more of Gibbs’ secrets have been revealed than he would like though the consequences have ranged from okay to devastating. Most have hovered around pain in the ass on the scale.
Still, there is one secret he is desperate to keep to himself.
It’s been a year almost since he came back from Mexico, and well over six months since he shaved his moustache off but he still gets asked about it. Granted mostly by Abby, and on occasion Ducky but Tony mentions it whenever he remembers (which is whenever a suspect or witness has a moustache) and even Ziva brings it up from time to time.
The only people who do not mention are McGee and Kate.
McGee has referenced it, in passing, and stuttered out an apology under his glare and never spoke of it again.
Kate has not mentioned it to him at all.
She didn’t need to. He’d overheard her and Abby in the lab one evening, discussing facial hair, discussing their preferences. Abby didn’t have one. Kate preferred a little stubble but nothing else.
He’d shaved his moustache off the next day, much to Abby’s delight and he knows she only questions him (relentlessly) about it because she’s guessed why he shaved it off. Who he shaved it off for. Kate didn’t mention it’s disappearance the next day but there had been a delightful blush across her face every time she looked at him for a few days afterwards.
She can’t know. She knows him pretty well, but he’s pretty sure that while outwardly she acknowledges that he’s a bastard she also thinks more of him. Much more. And that probably includes the idea of him being above eavesdropping (even – mostly – accidentally). And he’s pretty sure Abby hasn’t told her, or if she has that Kate doesn’t believe it or doesn’t care. Either way, they don’t talk about it.
But every time it’s mentioned she looks at him with that hint of blush on her pale skin and bites her bottom lip and it gives him hope.
Hope feels like a dangerous thing some days, especially when it’s mixed in with all his other secrets. Secrets that involve her, secrets that could put her in danger.
Secrets that could hurt her, or kill him, or both.
Still, in the quiet of his basement or the dark of his bedroom, it’s nice to pretend. To imagine.
His team doesn’t push, Ducky doesn’t seem to care and Abby has her own ways but it’s Jenny that has him accidentally slipping up and not because of their past or the fact that she is still gorgeous (more so, he thinks), and still a flirt.
No, it’s because he’s tried, and lonely, and she’s got a damn picture of him with the moustache on the screen that Kate doggedly refuses to look at but blushes and smiles when Jen asks about it. He’s not even really looking when he speaks, looking through the case file for the 17th time in the past 24 hours and he’s not had enough sleep or coffee to filter himself as normal.
“Cause she didn’t like it,” he says, nodding to Kate.
It comes out as growl as he tries to find clues to their case and it’s connections to him in the same text and pictures he’s been reading for the past day or so and he doesn’t even realise he’s said anything until he reaches for his coffee and finds it empty.
When he stands to get a refill he finds his team and Jen staring at him and Abby grinning like a maniac. Kate is blushing bright red but steadfastly not looking at him, or anywhere, eyes on the file on her desk.
He decides to just be himself and ignores them entirely as he breezes past them and into the elevator. He’s not surprised when someone slips in with him but is surprised that it’s Kate. Though he shouldn’t be, he supposes. She’s still flushed and smiling and he feels the corners of his lips turn up slightly without his consent.
“So,” he says.
She grins but doesn’t say anything, simply reaching up and cupping his cheek and running her thumb across his top lip.
“Abby tell you?” she asks. He shakes his head minutely so as to not dislodge her warm hand on his face. He can feel the soft skin, the odd callouses from how she holds her weapon, smell the scent of her perfume on her wrist.
“Overheard you talking about it in the lab,” he murmurs and she shakes her head, still grinning at him.
“I had…hoped the sudden change had been related,” she said. He feels a little heat in his cheeks, can’t believe anyone has him flushing and kinda glad only she can see it. He goes to protest when she finally drops her hand but is interrupted by her lips on his. She reaches up to slant her lips across his for a brief moment.
She pulls away when the doors open at the ground floor, stepping back from him entirely.
“Go get your coffee,” she tells him.
“Yes, Captain,” he replies with a wink and she giggles.
When he returns later, with two cups of coffee, everyone is still milling around in the bullpen, even the Director. He ignores them though for a moment, in favour of placing her coffee in front of her and smiling, before scowling at thm. McGee and Tony scurry back to their desks, Ziva and Jen share a look and a smirk and only Abby remains, so excited she’s vibrating in front of him.
He can’t help but smile, because Abby, always has the best intentions, only ever wants good things from him and for him.
“She’ll tell you later,” he says, turning back to his case file and with that Abby bounces back to her lab. He risks a glance over his team, who are diligently working finally, and settling on Kate. She’s watching him, a curious smile on her face. Later, he mouths and she nods, before going back to her work.