He had never been one for small talk, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to breeze past her without a word in the mornings.

He had always had some vestigial instinct to protect her, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to watch her a little more on a mission, and send her around the back, where she'd hopefully be out of the line of fire-or clench his teeth as she walked beside him, because he couldn't send her around the back all the time.

He had always been a coffee addict, so it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to swipe hers off her desk with an internal smile as he sat down with his reports.

It wasn't even all that out of the ordinary for him to notice every time she shifted in her seat at the desk beside his. But if he didn't stop seeing flashes of her curled towards him in her sleep on that stakeout, or-worse, better?-sprawled out on his bed, he was going to get behind on his paperwork and someone would notice.

She seemed to make a conscious effort to treat him as she always had before, avoiding him less. But she didn't tease, or if she did, it was stilted and a little self-conscious.

It only took two days before he was fed up.

"Kate." He glanced at her, standing stiffly beside him in the elevator, and hit the emergency stop. "What would it take to make things normal again?"

She almost retreated, moving closer to the wall, edging towards the doors. "What do you mean?"

"Why are you avoiding me?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "You don't think this is the least bit awkward?"

"Why should it be?"

A sigh. "Fine, Gibbs. Maybe I'm a little embarrassed. Just give me a few days and I'll get over it."

"Why would you be embarrassed?" He would never understand women, but he kept his tone soft as he watched her, taking a few steps back herself to give her some space.

"Because wanting what you can't have is childish." She was quiet, too, self-incrimination trembling in her tone.

"You think I wouldn't consider it a compliment, that you find me attractive?"

Her cheeks took on a tinge of pink, and she stared at the floor. "I don't know what you would or wouldn't consider a compliment, Gibbs, but I know you're not looking for any kind of relationship, and the entire thing hardly reflects well on me."

"I could make arrangements for a transfer. You could easily find a place in someone else's team, or even head your own." It would kill him to see her go, but she was more than capable.

She shook her head, taking a deep breath before she raised her eyes to his. "I don't-"

Biting her lip, she let out a breathy half-laugh and tried again. "You're not easy to work for, but I like working with you."

"You're not distracted?" He took a step closer.

She shook her head. "I'm okay when we have a case, something urgent I can focus on."

"You don't think I might be distracted?" Another step, him carefully watching her.

Kate laughed. "You, letting something distract you from a case?"

"It's been known to happen."

"When?" She shifted her weight onto one foot, adjusting her coat in her arms.

"On Air Force One, for instance."

"Gibbs." She turned her head, swallowed. "Don't tease me."

"I'm not." He could reach out and touch her, but he didn't. "I should have grilled you harder, sooner, on the differences in the planes. Kept you out of the case entirely. But I didn't."

She just stared at him, then shook her head. "You know how to cooperate. FBI, DEA, local law enforcement. I agreed to let you lead. That's why you didn't get rid of me."

"You weren't an investigator, and you were too close to the case."

"Okay." She eyed him, her brow wrinkled. "What are you getting at?"

"I don't want to lose one of my best agents." He took one more step to stand in front of her, the corners of his mouth twitching up almost involuntarily, wryly. "But you don't think it might be just a little distracting, knowing there's a gorgeous woman sitting at the desk beside mine who just might let me have her?"

"Gibbs." She was suddenly breathless, her eyes searching his. "You-you actually want-? What about Rule Twelve?"

"I'm your boss, not your coworker." A technicality, but then she wasn't Jen, either.

Her eyes widened, and her tongue darted out to moisten her lower lip.

Slowly, to give her time to move away if she wanted, he closed the distance between his lips and hers.

When her fingers locked behind his neck, he smiled and threaded his fingers through her hair, unsure if he ever intended to let go.

He did stop kissing her for a moment, to ask her a question. "Is your friend still in town?"

"Jess?" Kate breathless and panting and a little dazed was something he wanted to hear more often. "She leaves the day after tomorrow. Why?"

He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm pretty sure we both ought to thank her."

Author's Note: Yes, pretty much fluff. Not what I usually write, but I hope you enjoyed it.