Kate rolled over in the bed and a beam of light from the crack in the curtains fell on her face. She moaned and squinted her eyes; someone stirred beside her. He opened his eyes and saw her on the other side of the bed; too far away. He leaned over and put his arms around her, kissing the back of her neck. She hugged his arms and smiled.
"You kiss well Agent DiNozzo," she said softly
"I think you mean Special Agent DiNozzo". She laughed
"Ok then" she turned to face him "You kiss well ‘Special' Agent DiNozzo". He smiled and kissed her lightly on the lips.
"I've heard that from a lot of women" he replied cheekily. She hit him hard in the chest.
"Ooof" he grumbled painfully "I guess I deserved that"
"Yes you did" but seeing he was in pain she tilted her head and kissed him back. The kiss deepened and Kate was starting to get into it when he pulled back.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing" he said and she leant forwards but he pulled away again. "Its just…"
"What?" she said nervously. This wasn't like Tony. Usually she had to beat him off with a stick. Then it hit her. "Oh my God, you're finishing with me aren't you" and she sat up in the bed, her back to the backboard her eyes staring forwards. Her eyes began to tear up. ‘Oh God, not only is he finishing with me, but now I look needy and pathetic'.
"No, Kate. No" he said panicking, sitting up next to her. He raised both of his hands and touched her cheeks, turning her head so that she faced him. "No, never!" She sniffed
"What then?" She looked into his eyes
"Its..." he suddenly became overwhelmed and had to kiss her again. "Its… well… move in with me" Kate froze, she hadn't been expecting that one. "Look, you're here all the time anyway, and your toothbrush is in my bathroom. So…move in with me?" Kate just stared back, her mouth open like a goldfish. "Well?" She snapped out of her trance.
"No" she said all too quickly, and Tony looked like he'd been kneed in the groin. She saw his face crumble and realised the full effect of what she'd just said. "It's not that I don't love you Tony" she forced him to look her in the eye. "Because I do, I really do. But it's a big step you know. Just…a really big step" she finished off.
"Oh… ok. It doesn't matter, it was just a suggestion" he shuffled so that he too was sitting up in the bed, eyes staring to the front. ‘Damn it, I've done it know' Kate thought to her self.
"Look I'm not saying never, just… not right now ok?"
"Ok," said Tony, his eyes still facing the front. Kate gave up and returned her gaze to the front, mimicking Tony. The silence was almost deafening, but it was thankfully interrupted by Tony's cell going off. He grabbed the chance to break the awkwardness and snatched his phone of the bedside table.
"Special Agent DiNozzo…Ok boss we're on our way…yes Kate's here too…be there in 10 minutes" He turned to Kate "We have a case"
***
Author's Chapter Notes:
Kate gets asked something she thought she'd never hear