Gibbs could hear Kate enter the kitchen behind him. He ignored the pit-pat of her bare feet on the cheap linoleum and filled the kettle with water. No wonder he needed coffee, he thought, doling out four teaspoons of instant coffee into his mug, as he peeked at her standing in the yellow light from the fridge in the still dim kitchen. As if her night attire - or lack of - was not enough, did he really need to see Kate with bedhead? It was that that did his head in, conjured up too many images….

She brought the milk from the fridge, grabbed a mug in a move that made her shirt ride up a touch further and placed it next to his. Did she have to stand so close? Gibbs scratched his hair and Kate yawned, spooning coffee into her mug. He heard DiNozzo enter and hoped he’d discovered boxers. Impatient to get on with the day (and away from a half-naked Kate), Gibbs picked up the kettle before it had finished boiling and poured first his then Kate’s coffee. He took a sip, turning to face her and spotting DiNozzo at the opposite counter, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets.

"Don’t you think you should get dressed?"

"Why?" she faced him, placing one hand on her hip.

He raised his eyebrows and gave her a pointed once-over. Kate refused to be intimidated.

She took a sip of coffee: "I’m sure you’ve seen a pair of legs before, Gibbs"

‘Not those,’ he thought. He took another sip: "It’s DiNozzo I’m worried about. He’s loosing blood to the brain as we speak."

Kate took in the expression on Tony’s face and decided her boss was right.

"First dibs on the shower then," she said, backing round Tony and heading down the hall.

Gibbs couldn’t help but watch her go and once she was out of sight, he gave Tony a slap across the head. He felt he owed himself one too. Neither of them had the right to look at Kate that way. She was a fellow agent and supposedly a friend. At least Tony had an excuse; he was immature, inappropriate, sex-starved and sex-obsessed. It was his normal state of being. And Kate was a beautiful woman in his midst. Of course he was going to look. Of course he was going to flirt. Gibbs felt he should have more self-control. The difference between him and Tony was not just age, maturity, and manners, but rank. He was Kate’s superior and that made looking at her "in that way" totally inappropriate. H e was aware that sometimes his eyes betrayed him when it came to her. Sometimes he did look at her "in that way", he could feel his eyes glowing with warmth, admiration, desire, unable to look away. And he was also aware - painfully - that she returned the look.

Gibbs took his coffee to the dining table where they’d set up operations and picked up the first file he saw. Tony was toasting English muffins and listening to the news in Spanish. Work, he told himself; work was his friend. Women, however, were his downfall.

When Kate emerged again, not an inch of bare leg to be seen, she looked polished and professional. She deposited her mug by the sink and joined Gibbs at the table.

"Better?" she asked.

Gibbs looked up, pretending not to have noticed her. She was offended now, peeved that he’d asked her to cover up. She’d get over it, he decided.

"Fine," he grunted, trying not to notice that now she smelled all fresh from the shower and her hair looked all soft and curly.

Tony brought them each an English muffin and Kate bit into hers with a sigh.

She’d get over it, he told himself again. And so would he. It was just a matter of time, he was sure of it.



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