alterwilts

[alterwilts]

Bend the Line Don’t Break It

Chapter 2: Testing Waters

The next few days blurred together in a haze of case files, endless cups of coffee, and long hours spent with Gibbs hovering nearby. You had to admit, there was something magnetic about him, something that made your usual confidence falter just a little. But you weren’t about to let that show. Not yet.

It wasn’t that Gibbs was overtly flirtatious, far from it. But there was an arrogance to the way he carried himself, a smug confidence in every little thing he did. His chuckles were rare, his smiles even rarer—but when they did appear, they were always followed by a sharp remark, like a challenge you couldn’t quite ignore.

One afternoon, you were huddled over a set of encrypted files when Gibbs appeared in the doorway, leaning against the frame. You didn’t even look up, but you could feel his eyes on you, like a weight pressing against your shoulders.

“Need a hand with that?” His voice was rough, teasing in a way that irritated you.

You looked up at him, arching an eyebrow. “I’ve got it.”

He gave you a slow smile, the kind that seemed to say he didn’t believe you. “Don’t make me have to step in,” he said, his tone laced with challenge.

You resisted the urge to snap back. It wasn’t that you were intimidated no, it was that there was something about Gibbs’ unspoken authority, his quiet dominance, that left you off-balance.

And you hated it.

“I’m not some rookie you have to babysit,” you shot back, trying to ignore the flutter of nerves in your chest. “I can handle my own cases, thank you.”

Gibbs didn’t respond right away. Instead, he walked around the desk to stand just behind you, looking over your shoulder at the screen. His proximity made you uncomfortably aware of how close he was, how his presence seemed to fill the After looking at your code for a second he chimes in with a,

“Look, There’s a pattern. This isn’t just a hack it’s targeted. And whoever did it isn’t using the usual backdoor methods. It’s sophisticated.”

His breath was warm against the back of your neck as he leaned in slightly.

“How much did you pay McGee to mirror my computer and give you that line” you say feeling almost as if you just called check in a game of chess. “Because that is advanced code” you point to your computer, “and last week I saw you hit your computer when you couldn’t forward an email”

He slightly smiles before mummering, “clearly not what it was worth”, his voice low and almost too close for comfort.

You tried to ignore the little shiver that ran down your spine.

Gibbs chuckled softly, the sound dark and knowing.

He left you sitting there, eyes still fixed on the screen, but your thoughts well, they were on him, and whatever that just was?

[alterwilts]

This is going to be my first chapter in a multi chapter series, it’s my first ever time writing so I’m kinda nervous but here we go.

Bend the line don’t break it

Chapter 1: New Beginnings

The NCIS headquarters hummed with the usual rhythm of busy agents and techs moving through their routines. It was your first day with the team, and though you had been assigned to cybercrime cases for years, walking into the NCIS bullpen felt different. A little more… charged. There was a tension in the air that you could almost touch—part curiosity, part skepticism.

Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs sat at his desk, reviewing case files, his back to you. The man’s reputation had preceded him, and you’d heard more than your fair share of stories. From what you’d gathered, Gibbs was a man of few words, intense focus, and an unsettling ability to read people.

Great. Just what you needed. A boss who was a known ass.

“New blood, huh?” came a voice from behind you. You turned to face a young agent who was leaning against a desk, eyeing you with an intrigued look.

“Yeah, new blood,” you replied, trying to keep things light despite the swirling nerves in your stomach. “I hear the coffee here is either life-changing or deadly. So, which is it?”

The agent chuckled, clearly impressed by your confidence. “You’ll find out soon enough. Just… be ready for Gibbs. He’s… uh, a lot.”

A lot. That didn’t sound too ominous, right?

You nodded, shooting him a half-smile before you made your way to Gibbs’ desk. He hadn’t moved, not even to glance at you. You were used to the pressure of making a good impression. But this man? This man was in a different league.

“Agent Gibbs?” you asked, your voice steady, though you could feel the edge of nerves creeping in.

Gibbs finally looked up, his expression unreadable. His eyes assessed you for a long moment, almost as if he were sizing up the competition. The silence between you felt like a test, one you hadn’t studied for.

“Yeah?” His voice was low, gravelly, and he barely moved an inch. The air around him seemed thick with authority.

“I’m the new cybercrime analyst,” you said, the confidence returning. “Ready to dive in.”

He didn’t smile. Didn’t say anything encouraging either. His eyes flickered toward the case file in front of him, as if he were already deciding whether or not he wanted you on this case.

“So, you’re the expert,” Gibbs muttered, his tone mocking in that subtle way that made your teeth grit. “We’ll see about that. Plus I already have one of those what did you say your title was”

“Cybercrime Analysts” You stood there, waiting for him to say something more, but he didn’t. Instead, he just gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, and pointed to the screen of his computer.

“Take a look at this. Tell me what you see.”

You didn’t hesitate, stepping closer to the desk and sliding into the chair. It was a mess of codes, algorithms, and encrypted messages. As you skimmed through the data, you couldn’t help but admire the complexity of it.

“Isn’t it a little… sloppy?” you asked, tapping the screen with one finger. “If this was an actual hacker, they’d know better than to leave such obvious traces. Whoever did this wanted us to find it. Or is an idiot”

Gibbs didn’t say anything. But his expression shifted, just slightly. His eyes narrowed.

“You want an dumbed down explanation because I’m not a big fan of the word doodymabobber”

His lips twitch at your comment into something that could have been a smile.

“You’re confident,” he said, the words heavy with something you couldn’t quite place. “And No, but let’s see if you’re right.”

You didn’t hesitate as you began pulling up more data, piecing together the puzzle. Gibbs didn’t speak for the next few minutes, but you could feel his gaze on you. It wasn’t critical, not exactly—but there was an intensity to it. A quiet pressure that made your pulse quicken.

Finally, you cracked it.

“It’s an inside job,” you said, sitting back in your chair. “And I’d bet my last dime if I had one that it’s someone from the upper ranks. The access permissions here are too specific—way too calculated to be a random hack.”

Gibbs leaned back in his chair, arms folded, his gaze still unwavering. “You’ve got a sharp eye,” he muttered, though there was a tone of something close to approval in his voice.

You met his stare, raising an eyebrow. “What, you think I’d get this far without knowing what I’m doing?”

For the briefest moment, you thought you saw a glint of something in his eyes—amusement, maybe, or respect. But then it was gone, replaced with his usual inscrutable expression.

“You talk a good game,” Gibbs said with a smug smile that made your stomach flip. “We’ll see if you can back it up.”

(Pls let me know what you think)