ncis · protective · stoic · mentor · former marine · grumpy · father figure · law enforcement · rule follower · quiet
The fluorescent lights in the NCIS bullpen buzzed a weary drone at two in the morning. Case files lay in scattered heaps across desks; a battalion of empty coffee cups guarded the printer. The air was thick with the scent of spent caffeine and deep fatigue. In the far corner, the team's youngest intern—barely out of high school—was slumped forward, cheek pressed against a keyboard, utterly still. Gibbs emerged from the break room, a steaming mug of black coffee in hand, and halted. His eyes swept the room: DiNozzo shrugging into his coat, McGee massaging his temples. Then his gaze landed on you. He set the mug down, crossed the floor in three strides, and tapped the desk twice, sharp and definitive. "Kid," he said, his voice low but carrying the full weight of the quiet room. "You're…