Work Text:
After Lucy left to be Agent Afloat, Kate continued to spend a lot of time in the NCIS A team bullpen. Ernie teased her relentlessly about her presence there, but it was always in good fun. Kate loved how, since she and Lucy had gotten back together, she had learned the routines of the NCIS team. She now knew every sound in the familiar chaotic bullpen by heart, the rhythms of it all comforting. She could recognize most of the team by the sound of their footsteps alone. Which is why, it seemed strange to her when, on the second day since Lucy had left, an unfamiliar set of footsteps approached while she sat at Lucy’s desk, having gotten permission from Curtis to finish off some paperwork there.
“Hey..” A nervous voice piped up from right in front of the desk. Kate looked up and met the eyes of the guy standing before her. She doesn’t recognize him.
“Hello.” Kate says tersely, instantly slipping from the relaxed posture and mannerisms of Kate to take on a more Whistler-like persona. She can’t help but bristle a bit at an unfamiliar face around here. She thought it was just her and the team.
“I’m…” The guy looks down at his hands. “I think that’s supposed to be my desk.”
Kate sighs. Who the hell is this guy and why does he think he has a right to Lucy’s desk? Then again, it’s probably unreasonable for Kate to feel so protective over a desk. “This is Special Agent Lucy Tara’s desk. I’d recommend you go speak to SAC Tennant over there.” Kate gestures towards Tennant’s office.
“No. I don’t think so. She said-“
Alan is cut off by Jane’s approach. “Alan. I see you’ve met our FBI liaison, Special Agent Whistler. Whistler, this is Alan, he’ll be filling in for Lucy over the next few months.”
Kate fights back an annoyed groan. She should’ve known someone would have to step up and help the team out while Lucy was gone. It wouldn’t be fair to anyone for the A team to down a member. But that doesn’t stop the pang in her chest. She misses Lucy so much.
“Nice to meet you.” Kate can’t help the slight harshness still in her tone.
Jane gives her a firm look. Kate offers her hand to Alan, trying not to cringe at his far too loose handshake. “Welcome to the A team.”
“The A team.” Alan murmurs. “Yeah. Thanks. It still hasn’t fully set in. I mean The A Team. I’ve dreamed of this moment. “
Kate doesn’t respond. Alan looks back at Jane. “So, should I get set up here?”
Jane looks at Kate, who glares at her and gives a subtle headshake. No way is someone touching Lucy’s desk. She won’t allow it. Kate knows it’s weird, immature, maybe a bit obsessive, but she will not let some random guy work at Lucy’s desk and practically play pretend.
Jane looks back at Alan with a sigh. “Change of plans, I’m going get you set up over here.” Jane turns and gestures for Alan to follow her to a different desk off to the side of the bullpen. Kate lets herself relax a bit, grateful that Jane is allowing her to keep her claim over Lucy’s desk.
As they walk away, she can hear Alan ask, “So why is FBI here?”, and Jane answer “You have a lot to learn.”
***
The next day, Kate spends her lunch break at Lucy’s desk, she passes her phone around, allowing the team a chance to talk with Lucy. After only a few short minutes of talking, Lucy is called away and Kate starts to eat her lunch.
Before she can take more than a few bites, Alan is approaching, smiling at her.
“Hey.” He greets, cheerily.
Kate, missing Lucy, can’t muster any enthusiasm.
“Alan.”
Alan sits on the edge of Lucy’s desk, occupying the spot that would normally be Kate’s.
“I think we got off the wrong foot the other day but I’m super curious about your work. thought I could come sit for a few minutes and you could tell me about the FBI.” Alan suggests.
Kate glances at her sandwich, and accepts that she probably won’t get to eat much more with the enthusiastic young agent bothering her. “It’s all confidential.” She mutters, hoping he’ll take a hint and leave her alone. He doesn’t.
“Right. Of course. So cool. I mean, the FBI stuff. And you. I mean…sorry, this is all really exciting.”
“Yep.” Kate responds, noncommittally.
“So, you seem to be around a lot. For someone who’s not NCIS, I mean.”
Kate shrugs. “I’m close to the team.”
“I wish I could get an in with them. They seem to love you.”
Because I’m dating one of their agents. Because they are my family. Kate thinks. But instead of saying any of that, she settles on, “I’ve been here for a while.”
“How long have you been in Hawaii?” Alan asks.
“About two years.”
“Where’d you live before that?”
“DC.”
“Awesome.”
“Sure.” Kate feels a familiar bit of anxiety bubbling inside of her as Alan’s questions begin to feel too personal.
“Why’d you move to Hawaii?”
“Work.” In her head, Kate fills in the real answer. Because there was a chance to transfer. Because there was the enchanting girl I’d met months before and I couldn’t forget about. Because three days and two nights felt like my entire existence. Because I somehow felt pulled back here under the, at the time, delusional hope that I’d just happen to run into Lucy again.
“Cool, cool.” Alan is saying. “So, I hear you’re the resident ice queen around here.”
Kate fights the urge to roll her eyes. She knows she’s not exactly a soft and open person around people she doesn’t know, but she’s gotten better at all that. Anyone who actually works with her now knows that she’s actually a fun person.
“Where’d you hear that?”
“People talk.”
“What people?”
Alan looks a bit embarrassed for the first time. “My friends and I.” He cringes, likely at himself. “I mean, and other people at work. We’ve just seen you around. And…I’m just going to stop talking now.”
“Seems like a good idea.” Kate only realizes after the words come out how harsh they are. But she’s not going to take them back now. Alan watches her for a few moments before whispering an apology and tucking tail to run back to his desk.
***
After that awkward encounter, Kate tries to avoid Alan. The guy is far too excitable for her. Which she knows is a bit hypocritical seeing as her girlfriend has all the excitement and enthusiasm of a golden retriever puppy. But still. Alan is just annoying.
It’s another two weeks before Kate runs into Alan again. This time, she’s stopping by to deliver some FBI intel on a case the NCIS team is working. She tries to go straight to Jane’s office but Alan catches her outside. He rests a hand on her arm, clearly wanting Kate to stop and talk to him.
“Haven’t seen you around much lately.” Alan says.
“I’ve been busy.”
“It must be crazy, the work you do. I bet you’re a badass in the field.”
“Alan, I really need to give this to Jane.”
“Jane.” Alan repeats, giving her a confused look.
“SAC Tennant.” Kate fills in for him.
“Oh. Ohhhh. You get to call her by her first name? Woah. Impressive.”
Kate doesn’t bother to reply, instead, she pushes past the young agent and walks into Jane’s office.
“He likes you.” Jane says, as soon as the door is closed.
“What?” Kate asks, her mind focused on the files she’s brought.
“Alan likes you.”
“I think he’s just jealous that I spend time with you all.”
“No.” Jane laughs. “Well, that too. But he clearly has a thing for you.”
“I don’t think so. Plus, everyone knows I’m with Lucy.”
“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but the guy is a bit oblivious.” Jane gestures toward where Alan is watching them talk. “But seriously. You should probably tell him to back off.”
“Yeah.” Kate agrees, still not convinced that Alan ‘has a thing’ for her.
***
As Kate leaves the bullpen, she stops by Ernie’s office to say hi.
“Kate! Hi.” Ernie greets her with his trademark affection. “You should stop by more.”
“I’ve been trying to avoid Alan.” Kate admits. “He’s driving me insane.”
“Ohhhh. Yeah, fair enough. He’s clearly obsessed with you. Have you tried telling him that you’re a lesbian?”
“He’s not-” Kate starts. “You actually think he likes me like that?”
“How out of touch are you?”
Kate thinks back over her interactions with Alan. Maybe he really doesn’t know about her and Lucy. Kate sighs. She thought she was done with the whole coming out to people at work thing.
***
That evening, Kate has the bad luck of running into Alan in the parking lot. She’s on the phone with Lucy, who’s on her lunch break and rambling on about that morning’s magnificent sunrise.
“Kate! I was hoping I’d see you again today.” Alan reaches out and rests his hand on her arm. Kate clocks the movement and yup, Jane and Ernie were right, she can see it now.
“Hi, Alan.”
“So, I haven’t gotten to talk to you much lately so I was thinking, how about I go buy you a beer? Because it’s Friday and all that.”
Kate gapes at him. Is he seriously asking her out?
Alan seems to pick up on Kate’s demeanor. “Or wine. Or hard cider. Or whatever you like.”
Kate has to stop herself from laughing at this. How can he actually think that it’s the specific drink that’s stopping her from agreeing.
Kate takes a deep breath. Despite her hard exterior, she hates these types of conversations. She hates having to let someone down. And coming out never seems to get easier.
“Alan, I’m sure you’re a great guy.” Kate starts. Then, she gives up on trying to hype the young agent up and just spits out what she needs to say. “I’m not into you. I’m gay.”
“You’re…?” Alan still seems confused.
“I’m gay.” Kate repeats, and then, just to be even more clear, “A lesbian.”
Alan considers for a moment, his cheeks flushing bright red. “Oh. Ohhh. Sorry, I didn’t know. I…I’m going to get going.”
With that, Alan walks away. Kate is grateful to be alone with just Lucy’s laughter in her ear. “Did he seriously just ask you out?”
Kate looks incredulously after where Alan has disappeared into the darkness. “Yeah. I think he did.”
Lucy laughs harder. “He’s so…I mean, he’s a sweet guy but my god, how dense do you have to be to somehow miss the fact that you’re a raging lesbian?”
Kate shrugs, wishing that Lucy was here to see the gesture. Here, where she could reach out and touch her. Suddenly, Kate feels like she’s on the verge of tears.
“I don’t know.” She murmurs.
“Kate?” Lucy, ever perceptive, has clearly picked up on her change in tone. “You okay?”
Kate sighs, trying to picture Lucy’s face. “Yeah. I just really miss you.”
“I miss you too. But we’ve made it through almost a month. I’ll be home before you know it.”
“It feels like it’s been forever without you.”
“I know, my love.”
Kate stands in the parking lot, listening to Lucy’s breathing for a few minutes. There’s some comfort in just hearing Lucy on the other end, just knowing that she’s out there. All too soon, Lucy has to get back to work. As they hang up, Kate’s phone buzzes with a text. It’s from Jane.
“The team is all going out for drinks. You should join us.”
Kate smiles at the invitation, but she’s not up for it. “I’m pretty tired. Another time?” She texts back.
Dots appear on the screen, followed by a message. “That wasn’t actually a question. Come have some fun. Lucy will never forgive me if I don’t get you out for the night.”
Kate feels warmth spread through her chest. Of course Lucy would do something to ensure she wasn’t too lonely.
***
Kate meets the team at the bar. She sits down between Ernie and Jane and listens to the comfort of her found family’s lively chatter. After half an hour, Alan shows up.
He comes up to Kate and Kate sighs. Not again. How much clearer can she be?
“Special Agent Whistler. I just wanted to apologize for assuming that you were straight. That was my own heteronormative biases and--”
Kate doesn’t allow him to finish his clearly AI enhanced speech. “It’s fine.” She says.
“Wait…” Jesse stands up and walks closer to them. “Alan, did you ask her out?”
“Bro, she’s clearly gay.” Kai adds.
“I…” Alan seems at a loss for words.
“Lucy wouldn’t be happy to know someone was hitting on Kate.” Ernie chimes in
“Lucy?” Alan asks.
“Dude.” Jesse gives Alan a confused and amused look. “Did you seriously not put the pieces together? Kate and Lucy have been a thing for months. You never had the slightest chance. They’re obsessed with each other.”
“Ohhhh” Alan flushes even redder. “So that’s why you’re always hanging out at Special Agent Tara’s desk. That makes so much more sense now.”
Kate nods. “Yup.”
“Wait so that means Special Agent Tara is gay too?”
The whole team gapes at him. The guy is insanely oblivious.
“Yes. So don’t you dare try to hit on my girlfriend when she comes back.”