Chapter Text
The Naval Base is sprawling.
There are so many rooms, so many offices, so many corridors that seem to stretch on for miles. Doors that lead to even more doors. The point is, it’s complex and it’s big and it’s extensive and there’s so many rooms and Lucy’s been here for over a year yet she still gets lost from time to time.
The Naval Base, that they both work at, is sprawling and beyond complicated to navigate.
Lucy guesses that’s why she bumps into Whistler — neither of them really expecting it — in some random ass hallway located on the opposite side of the base to the NCIS bullpen.
She’s carrying several files, trying to organize them so that they finally make sense to her, when she rounds the corner and hears a voice she’d be able to place anywhere.
“These reports are crucial, Woodrow, you know what kind of pressure we’re under right now.” Lucy can already tell Whistler’s in full work mode — and if Lucy finds that particularly sexy, well then that’s nobody’s business but her own.
“Whistler,” Lucy greets her, careful to ensure her voice remains steady, unsuspecting to any prying ears. Calm. Professional. Even if her heart is beating so hard that she’s almost sure Tennant can hear it all the way from the war room.
Kate spins on the spot, just about managing to tear her eyes away from her colleague simultaneously, whatever it is they were talking about, quickly forgotten and dismissed at the sound of Lucy’s voice. It seems as if they’d finished their conversation anyway, the other DIA officer slowly retreating back to the depths of the building.
“Special Agent Tara,” she replies, the hint of a grin just beginning to pull at the corners of her lips, only noticeable to those skilled in knowing Whistler’s tells (and those who have fantastic poker skills, luckily Lucy has both.)
“Not that I’m not pleased to see you, but what are you doing here?” She vaguely gestures to the corridor, arm pointing in the general direction of her own office.
Lucy can see Whistler’s brain whirring at 100 miles an hour, trying to figure out just why Lucy is standing in front of her.
It takes her a few seconds to formulate an answer and she’s sure her staring has been noticed by the DIA officer.
“I’d lie and say that I was looking for you but in the spirit of being honest, I, uh, I got lost.”
Her eyes dart straight to Kate’s face, trying to read it, starting to gauge her reaction. Lucy's not sure if it’s something she’d be disappointed about (maybe part of Kate is hoping that she’s purposefully seeking her out), not really sure how to judge her just yet. Kate just laughs, the sound immediately calming Lucy’s fears, easing any sense of insecurity that had managed to sprout and sink roots in the 10 milliseconds of silence that had elapsed between them.
“You got lost?” she asks, incredulously, as she starts to walk them to the other side of the corridor, Lucy immediately following her in step, to a more secluded part, somewhere Kate feels more comfortable talking.
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“You’ve been here a year Lucy, you should know your way around by now,” she takes a breath, almost as if to steady herself, “Or is this one of your ploys where you pretend to come over to my side of the building, just so you can happen to run into me?”
Lucy scoffs.
Lucy just straight up scoffs at Kate, who quickly adopts a smirk, almost a hundred percent sure where this is going.
“No…” She says entirely too quickly, entirely too high pitched and Kate just laughs again.
It’s so easy, Lucy thinks. So easy for them to just fall into casual conversation, both laughing at the other. So easy for her to just lean in just a little bit too close. So easy for her to place a hand on Kate’s arm, content to let it rest where it falls into place, just above the crook of her elbow. And yeah, she knows that Kate doesn’t want the people that they work with to know about them, she hasn’t quite had a chance to tell her that she’s pretty sure her entire team already knows. And sure, Lucy is fine with that. As long as they get moments like this, moments that are random, spontaneous. Because it’s so easy, and god does it feel good – and fuck, she hopes that Kate feels the same way.
“If, perhaps, I had gone out of my way to come and see you–
“You did but please, proceed.” Kate interrupts her, but it’s not quite enough to get under Lucy’s skin.
“ If I did , which I did not,” Lucy's smile gets impossibly wider, “I’d ask you if you were doing anything tonight?”
“If you did, I’d answer you by saying no, I’m free this evening.”
They both smirk, content in the fact that Lucy will definitely be turning up to apartment 1204 later that night.
The conversation gradually comes to a stopping point. Lucy figures she’s spent just enough time here, talking to Whistler, for someone from the team to be concerned about where she was.
She tells the blonde where she was actually trying to get to – Personnel.
Kate scans the files in her arms, trying to see if she’s telling the truth, her eyes find what they were looking for, seemingly happy with that answer.
“It’s this way, come on, I’ll circle back with you.”
They walk back the way Lucy came, still adamant that she got lost completely by accident, very quickly falling into stride alongside each other.
They’re finally back at a part of base that she recognises enough to feel comfortable navigating her own way, she tells Kate this, prompting her to go back to her own business, sure that she’d taken up quite enough of her time.
“See you around, DIA Officer Whistler.” And if she’s thinking about the upcoming evening, well, then it doesn’t show on her face, but Kate knows. She always knows exactly what Lucy’s thinking – mostly because she’s thinking the exact goddamn thing.
Kate’s eyes dart around, scanning quickly to see if anyone else is in their periphery, seemingly satisfied with their aloneness, she allows herself to lean in just a little bit closer and whisper 4 words.
“I’ll see you tonight.” She turns on the spot, mirroring the way they started their conversation but with a lighter step as she makes her way back to her office.
Lucy just shakes her head and makes her way into Personnel, greeting the person at the front desk with a smile and a wave, simultaneously counting down the hours until they’re both free from the constraints of work.