Make the first move: NCIS: Donald Mallard: 14 Green
“I know you’re the pen and paper type, as am I most often, Jethro, but why the envelope?”
Ducky went to open it. Gibbs smiled as he laid on hand over Ducky’s.
“Not ‘til later, Duck.”
Ducky watched as his friend swung out of Autopsy. He turned the envelope over in his hand and ran his thumb over it. There wasn’t just paper inside. He felt it carefully, but couldn’t quite make it out.
“Hmm. How intriguing.”
The envelope sat propped against Ducky’s monitor for most of the morning. As he sat to finish up his paperwork he looked at it, temptation beckoning.
“Well, he didn’t say how much later...” He reasoned aloud. He slid a finger under the flap and tore it open in a few quick movements. There was paper inside, folded in two. Ducky pulled it out. A sprig of something green with white berries fell onto his file. He looked at it for a moment, then turned over the note that he had almost forgotten he was still holding. It was blank.
Ducky sat back. He wasn’t sure he dared believe what he thought this meant. No, it must have something to do with the case... but he knew damn well it didn’t. He listened to the sound of his own heart beating in his ears and a familiar sense of butterflies in his stomach. He slid the contents back into the envelope and tapped it on the desk. As he heard the doors swish open he quickly tried to slide it under a file.
“Aah. Caught ya!”
Ducky stood and turned slowly. He wasn’t sure what expression he should be using, but natural wasn’t coming easy.
“Well, you haven’t run away from me yet. That’s gotta be a good sign.” Jethro hovered, his smile uncertain.
“You know, mistletoe has a chequered past. It can be used for healing, but is also related with death.” Ducky grinned. “Are you sure you want to associate with it?”
Jethro’s smile softened. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
“Oh good.” Ducky’s voice had dropped a tone. The two friends moved further into each other’s personal space. “And, generally, the American species has more berries than the European...” Jethro laughed.
“Take it that means you’re not gonna make the first move?”
Ducky actually looked shy for a moment.
Jethro pulled Ducky into an embrace. First moves, he could do.