Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or its characters.
Kate and Tony continued flipping through the many files spread across the interrogation table. They'd already been in the interrogation room working on the case for over four hours now. Although the task became tedious quickly, they worked away silently in the hope of getting home before midnight.
Suddenly the silence, as well as Kate's concentration, was shattered by a loud rumbling from Tony's stomach. Kate couldn't help but laugh and Tony gave her a guilty look.
"I'm starving."
"I didn't notice."
"Fancy some Chinese?"
"You heard Gibbs – we can't leave until we've found whatever it is we're looking for."
"Well, we can order in."
"The Chinese place doesn't deliver Tony."
His response was to simply grin at her and take out his cell phone.
"Probie, fetch Miss Todd and myself our usuals from Yang's… because we're hungry and we can't leave… because it would be so easy right now to go down to Abby's lab and… oh wouldn't I? Try me Probie." Tony hung up the phone and sat back looking pleased with himself. "Food will be here in a jiffy."
Kate just rolled her eyes at him.
About twenty minutes later the door to interrogation shot open and a pissed-off-looking McGee stood in the doorway with bags of takeaway. He set them on the table and turned to Tony.
"I'm sick of being blackmailed Tony," he stated firmly. Kate gave him an encouraging smile and he stood tall. "I'm going to tell Abby about the broken toy right now. From now on you can make your own coffee, answer your own unwanted calls and give Gibbs bad news yourself." He turned to walk out the door and then shot back "And the name's Tim not Probie!"
"Looks like Probie's growing up," Tony said when he left.
"No. He's learning. He grew up long ago and it's about time you did the same."
Tony gave a look of mock hurt and Kate just took a bag of takeaway and started munching on her food. Tony marvelled at the way Kate used the chopsticks so effortlessly. She made it look easy but Tony knew better and opted for the fork.
"So what do you think the substance found on the victim could be?" Kate mused as she finished her noodles.
"No way of knowing till Abby's finished her tests. And besides, I don't think I want to know while I'm eating."
"Good point."
"You believe in the power of the all-seeing, all-knowing fortune cookie, Katie?"
"Not as much as you obviously do. It's just a piece of paper in a cookie DiNozzo. It knows nothing."
"You're just too cynical. Every fortune cookie I've ever had has been freakishly close to the truth." He emptied the paper bag onto the table and 3 fortune cookies came tumbling out.
"It's coincidence."
"Is not."
"Is too."
As they argued childishly, Tony broke a cookie and took out the paper.
"Never engage in a battle of wits when you are unarmed," he read aloud. He pouted and glared when Kate began laughing.
"OK I believe you, it does know what it's talking about!" She laughed as she broke her own cookie. "You may easily play a joke on a man who likes to argue – agree with him," she read. "Wow."
"See I told you it's authentic! You just agreed with me then, after we were arguing. It's freakish!"
"You're the only one who's freakish, DiNozzo. And does that mean you agree with it about being unarmed in a battle of wits?"
"No I just got a broken one. This one's for real," he said as he took the remaining cookie from the table. His eyes widened as he read the paper to himself.
"What does it say?" Kate was intrigued by his reaction. Slowly the shocked look disappeared from his face and was replaced by a mischievous grin.
"You still believe in the fortune cookie?" he asked.
"I dunno," she shrugged. "Seems like they're on a role tonight. Why?" she asked carefully as he moved to the seat closer to her.
"I always listen to fortune cookies," he said softly before leaning closer and smiling at the shocked and confused look on her face. They sat there, inches from each other, just staring into the other's eyes. Kate felt her heartbeat quicken and saw Tony swallow hard. Suddenly their lips were connected and a bolt shot through each of them. The kiss was gentle and curious, but oh so wanted by both of them.
When they parted, they simply stared at each other for a moment until Kate shook her head as if to snap herself out of a daydream.
"DiNozzo, what the hell was that?" she asked breathless.
"The cookie told me to," he shrugged and looked a little embarrassed.
"What do you mean the cookie told you to? DiNozzo, you kissed me!"
"You kissed me back Katie! You can't deny it."
"Watch me."
She got up and moved to the seat in which Tony was sat earlier. The strip of paper was lying on the table. It read "Kiss her, you fool". Kate was shocked at the fact that a fortune cookie said that, but she didn't let it show. She kept her face neutral, if a little angry-looking, though she had to admit, if only to herself that that felt oh so good. Tony just stared blankly at her from across the table as she continued flipping through files.
Suddenly the door opened and McGee walked in.
"These are some files Gibbs wants done before tonight," he announced as he flopped a large stack in front of Tony. "I'm going home. I'll see you Monday."
"No way Probie, do your own paperwork," Tony folded his arms across his chest.
"Oh I'll do it myself… but on the way to handing them back to Gibbs I may also give him a tape from interrogation…"
Kate's face paled and McGee sighed as he realised Tony wasn't catching on.
"The one I recorded of the two of you 3 minutes ago," he supplied.
"You wouldn't!"
"Wouldn't I Tony? Try me."