#fatima x rountree

[multifandom-shipper]

hi, i'm new to tumblr and looking to join some fandoms!!

my shows (no specific order)

the equalizer (cbs)

la brea (2021)

911 lone star

station 19

ncis la, hawaii, tiva, possibly origins (we'll see!)

my ships

mel/harry (the equalizer)

mccante (the equalizer)

vi/trish (the equalizer)

ty/paara (la brea)

marjan/paul (911 lone star)

tarlos (911 lone star)

marina (station 19)

fountree!!(ncisla)

densi (ncisla)

kacy (ncishi)

tiva (ncis og/tiva)

i also like fletcher, renee rapp, kelsea ballerini but i talk about that less!

[thjslove]

Oh, come here. Thank you, partner.

[ncisla-source]

NCIS: LOS ANGELES (2009 - Present)   Season 13, Episode 15: Perception Medalion Rahimi as Fatima Namazi and Caleb Castille as Devin Roundtree

[ncislafan]

This is probably gonna piss a lot of people off but idc:

I am so fucking sick of fountree being the lesser ship. Densi gets screen time every god damn episode. Callanna gets reasonable time considering Anna is a recurring character. Fatima and Rountree are both regulars, like it or not, and they get a minute or so of non case related chitchatting per episode, on good days. But, Densi gets to talk about their kid (who I love), Sam gets to talk about his dad, everyone else gets to talk about their life outside of work. But not Fountree. Then, like they've BEEN getting, absolutely fucking nothing. Fatima could have died today and her soulmate barely cared because of how fucked up the writing is this season.

I am sick of the chatting with my friends and planning/writing stories being the only interaction these poor characters get. I am sick of it. I am sick of them being neglected for "more interesting" storylines that actually suck. If there's time for them to be stressing over Hetty (who can we honestly just forget already? She's gonna get them all killed) then there's time for Fountree to talk. Enough of the Russia storylines and for the love of God enough of the Hetty storylines.

I don't really care if you disagree with anything I said, tbh.

[leotanaka]

i’m really here for fatima & roundtree redesigning the entire office to make it 1)  look good and 2) be much more comfortable and suitable for them to work in.

[ncislafan]

He caught up on them with Fatima🥰🥰🥰

Hehe im right nobody will convince me otherwise

Wasn't Rountree the one that didn't know like any of the other cultural/movie references that have been thrown at him?

[chrisodonline]

The sun set reallllly quick. Kensi and Deeks rode off into it like in an 80s movie, and we just...haven’t seen them since.

Hey, maybe G has a personal investment in this. I don’t know. Just the impression I got. Hmmmmm. Rogue AI is concerning for G for two reasons: Deep Fakes and he’s also insulted that someone/thing else is going rogue. “That is MY thing.”

Sam’s usually a bit more annoyed with unethical things, but he’s probably tired from all that training. (Who are we kidding, though? Nothing tires Sam.)

Drone Drills. Add that to your Emergency Procedures Manual.

I mean...we’ve been at the AI race for...a while. So, okay. 

Deep reflections shots. 

“This cast is very pretty especially when they smoulder and look deep in thought.” Well done, Hanlon/editing. Thank you for appreciating it.

I mean, there are definitely bigger discussions to have about social informatics here. But let’s just skip to flirting. So Samantha Chase is probably my age or close to it? That’s just my guess. Fatima/Rountree are Gen Z/closer to it and Deeks is more Gen X. However, lots of Millennial stuff in this ep. (Would’ve been great for Nell, though.)

Anyway, there’s the stars payoff. I had stars like that. Where did I get them? FROM NASA. TOP THAT, DEEKS! Did those come from NASA or some game prizes at Chuck-E-Cheese? HMM?

[zelenaranger-blog]

Fatima x Rountree (13x17)

[finallygotaroundtochangingit]

We started with a training exercise that quickly got real when the doctor in charge of it got taken out by a silenced gunshot. I could understand Deeks not wanting to tell Callen he had to move out of the bar, but just telling him straight was the best strategy. Also, I don’t see why Deeks wanted to convert the garage when their house has three bedrooms, two of which aren’t being lived in. Callen’s doctor calling him opened up a whole world of worrying possibilities, as did the x-ray goggles on steroids and the possibility of enemies getting their hands on them, as Kilbride summed up nicely. Kilbride telling off Fatima and then turning the conversation to Rountree’s athlete sister and that apparently being the reason for his absence was unexpected. Also, Fatima supporting Rountree and his sister was so cute. Deeks going on about the man cave was funny but out of character for him, and Callen’s impostor trying to get a loan from the bank was ominous. I agreed with Kensi that they needed to focus on selling the bar if they wanted the money to adopt and raise a kid. Kensi’s denim obsession came out of nowhere, and the white-supremacist group’s name was pathetic (White Kings, seriously?). Ruby the store owner’s sister’s drug overdose was an unexpected storyline that came out of nowhere and brought a downer on the episode. The foundation for kids from immigrant families was really nice, and Castor and his unnamed partner were mentioned. Cutting between the boatshed and Ops provided a lot of great tension, and Callen and Sam convincing the professor to help them was skillful. The team was incredibly slow to realize the guy was planting a bomb, though. The ending was standard- Callen and Sam got into a shootout and shot the bad guy, Kensi and Deeks evacuated the building, and the bomb didn’t explode. Kilbride and Fatima had a debrief talk, Callen and Deeks had a bittersweet scene, and the deepfaker preparing to target Anna was scary and intriguing, and I can’t wait to see how it plays out.    

[ncislafan]

my babies had a little cuddle🥹🥹🥹🥹

[ncislafan]

[ncisla-source]

NCIS: LOS ANGELES (2009 - Present)   Season 11, Episode 19: Fortune Favors the Brave Medalion Rahimi as Fatima Namazi and Caleb Castille as Devin Roundtree

[ncislafan]

Back From the Dead

Author's note: I do not own NCIS:LA or its characters

I have no idea where this came from but I hope you enjoy

Fatima decided that after a ridiculously long week, a shopping trip at the mall would be the perfect thing to relax her. She walked into the mall and walked around for a little bit, stopping to pick out a couple new shirts. As she was walking to the Starbucks, she did a double take when she saw a woman that looked exactly like her dead best friend. The woman did a double take as well, then cautiously asked,

"Fatima?". Fatima grinned.

"Leilani?!" she squealed. She ran over and hugged her for a long time, then pulled back and stared.

"I know you have a lot of questions. And I promise I will answer all of them honestly. Just not here. Can we go someplace we can talk?" she asked softly.

"Of course. Of course. You want to get some coffee first, my treat?" Fatima offered. Leilani giggled and they ran up to the small shop together. As they were waiting in line, Leilani gently touched the fabric of Fatima's hijab.

"If you have a question you can ask," Fatima said softly.

"You're Muslim now?" Leilani asked softly.

"Yeah. I guess I always was? I just, I started being a better one after you died," Fatima said quietly

After they got their coffee, Fatima drove them to the boatshed.

"This place is secure. I promise," she said. They sat down on the couch and Fatima snuggled into her best friend.

"First of all, Fatima, I am so, so sorry. I tried to get you to stay and I was so scared I was gonna hurt you," she whispered. "I wasn't as drunk as I was pretending to be."

"Why did you fake your death?" Fatima asked.

"I worked with the FBI. They sent me to get close to you at first. Said your ties to Iran were suspicious. The first day I met you I told them that was bullshit. And hey. Hey," she murmured, gently tracing Fatima's arm. "Nothing was fake. I promise you. Our friendship is real. I wish I could have told you," she whispered. "Then the assignment changed. They suspected Marco was distributing child porn. He was. Him and Jill are in jail now," she said quietly.

"I know. Why did the assignment change so drastically?" Fatima asked.

"I guess because I was already in. They found out and I had to fake my death. I didn't want you in the car with me, darling, but you were always so stubborn. I made sure I was careful, that my side took most of the impact. It helped that you had no idea what to do, honestly. I never would have forgiven myself if you'd been hurt," she whispered. She kissed Fatima's forehead softly.

"Are you still with the FBI?" she asked.

"No. I resigned after the accident, but I still had to lay low for a while. I've been keeping an eye on you, though, missy, and I'm impressed. I do want to meet this boy-toy of yours," she murmured. Fatima laughed.

"Devin is my friend. Just friends," she protested.

"Sure. I still want to meet him. If you don't want him, I'll take him," she purred. Fatima sat up straight and playfully smacked her. Then she squealed and hugged her again. Leilani grinned and hugged her back, and they stayed like that for a long time.

"I missed you so much," she whispered, tears running down her cheeks.

"Me too, come here," Leilani murmured. She kissed Fatima's head and smiled. "Lying to you for so long was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do," she said softly. Fatima buried her face in Leilani's stomach and smiled softly. "How about we go get lunch?" she asked softly. Fatima grinned.

"Absolutely. How about I see if Tree is available so you can meet him?" Fatima suggested. Leilani grinned and nodded. She pulled out her phone and called him. "Hey. You want to go get lunch?" she asked.

"Sure. Where we going?" he asked. Fatima turned to Leilani and mouthed, "What do you want?"

"Pizza?" she suggested. Fatima nodded.

"Mulberry's?" she asked.

"Our spot. Meet you there in an hour?" he suggested.

"Sounds good," Fatima said. She went into the bathroom and started fixing her makeup. Leilani grinned.

"You like him," she accused.

"Fine. If I admit it, you don't say anything to him?" Fatima asked.

"Baby girl, you know I've been watching you. He's in love with you," Leilani said. Fatima laughed. "Can I borrow some concealer?" she asked, gesturing to Fatima's makeup bag.

"Take what you need," Fatima said. Leilani took a small tube and dabbed a bit under her eyes.

"So what do you use this place for?" she asked.

"Interrogations, mostly. Shoulda cuffed you and tossed you into the interrogation room," Fatima teased. Leilani grinned and smacked her butt. Fatima laughed.

"Hey." Leilani said quietly as she took a tube of eyeliner. Fatima looked over as she put a little lip gloss on. "I have a normal job now. I promise you, pinkie promise you that things will be normal now," she said softly. Fatima smiled.

"Good," she said softly. "What are you doing now?" she asked.

"I work at the Getty," she said softly. Fatima smiled.

"Fancy you," she purred. She grabbed the makeup bag and tossed it into her purse, and they walked out together.

"I see you're taking your boy-toy to our little spot," Leilani grinned as they got into Fatima's car. "Fancy rich girl," she teased. Fatima grinned.

As they pulled up to Mulberry's, Fatima saw Rountree's truck in the parking lot already.

"Shit," she muttered. She gripped the steering wheel and tried to calm herself. Leilani reached over and gently rubbed her shoulder.

"Are you not ready? Fatima, I get it," she whispered.

"I don't know what he's gonna say," she whispered.

"Well, if he's as amazing as you said, he'll be happy for you," she murmured. "Come on, I got you," she murmured. Fatima felt like it was her first time getting drunk again. Leilani had held her and comforted her the whole time then, too. She hated the feeling in her stomach. She was scared. She opened the car door and got out. Leilani was right behind her and they walked up.

"Can I go in first?" she asked quietly.

"Of course," Leilani murmured. Fatima walked in and her hands shook as she scanned the room for Rountree. She turned around and motioned for Leilani to wait. She walked in and saw Rountree in their little two-top corner seat. She walked over and smiled nervously.

"Can we, um, get a bigger table?" she asked nervously.

"Why? You got a guest?" Rountree asked teasingly.

"Something like that," she muttered. He nodded and picked up the two plates and cups, then waved politely at the waitress.

"Hey. We got a surprise third person, I'm sorry," he explained. Fatima turned bright red and tears stung at her eyes. They moved to a four-top table and Fatima turned to the door and motioned for Leilani to come in. Rountree sat down and let Fatima choose her seat. She sat across for him and forced a smile as Leilani sat next to her.

"Tree, um-"

"Leilani." Devin said quietly. Both girls nodded. "What the hell is wrong with you?! Do you know what you put her through?!" he yelled at her. The whole restaurant was quiet and staring at them.

"Shut. Up," Fatima hissed. "Let her talk."

"Fine," Devin said. He leaned back and stared at Leilani expectantly.

"I was, um, sent to investigate some stuff on the set of Sunset Canyon. Producers and shit," she said quietly.

"By who?" he asked flatly.

"The FBI," she said quietly.

"Liar." he yelled.

"Tree, shut up and let her explain!" Fatima yelled.

"She's lying to you!" he yelled back.

"I left before you got there. After the car accident. I went into hiding and I kept an eye on this one for a long time. I was scared she'd hate me," she said quietly.

"I'm starting to think the accident wasn't an accident," Devin said softly.

"You're right. I tried to get her to stay at the party, to not get in the car with me. She wouldn't listen and when I saw the producers we were investigating were following us, I had to. I tried to make sure I took as much of the impact as I could, I never would have forgiven myself if I'd hurt her," she whispered. He nodded a little. "I'm so, so sorry for everything I put you through. I truly am. And I know I don't deserve it, but if you gave me a second chance I promise I wouldn't screw up."

"I love you," Fatima whispered, burying herself in Leilani's arms. She laughed and cut up Fatima's pizza and fed it to her. Rountree couldn't stay mad when he saw how happy Fatima truly was.

"Hey," he said softly. "I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry to both of you. I just, it's been my job to protect her for a long time and I-" he began.

"It's okay. If the roles were reversed I'd be the same way," she said quietly. She gently traced Fatima's cheek and smiled. "I missed you."

"I have one more question," Fatima said quietly.

"What's that?" Leilani asked, tracing a pattern on her arm.

"Why'd you wait so long to come back?" she asked quietly.

"A lot of reasons. Mostly I was scared you wouldn't forgive me," she said quietly after a pause. Fatima felt her heart shatter.

"Hey," she murmured. She kissed Leilani's cheek softly and rested her head on her chest. Rountree reached across the table and gently squeezed Fatima's hand. Fatima grinned.

"I love you," he murmured to her. Fatima blushed.

"I love you too," she said shyly.

"I call maid of honor," Leilani teased. Fatima laughed and gently headbutted her.

[ncislafan]

Do You See a Future With Me?

Author's note: I do not own NCIS:LA or its characters

"You want to have a movie night?" Rountree asked, grabbing his bag as they packed up for the day. Fatima looked up and paused.

"Um, sure," she said softly.

"We don't have to. It was a suggestion," he said softly.

"It's not that. My place?" she replied, tossing her bag over her shoulder.

"Sure. Pizza or burgers?" Rountree could tell she wasn't very excited, and although she insisted she wanted to, he could tell something was on her mind. He pulled into her parking lot and noticed Ali walking out. He frowned, wondering if that had something to do with it. Once he could no longer see him, he got out and walked to her door. Fatima opened it just as he was about to knock. "I didn't know you had plans with Ali. I told you we-"

"I didn't, okay?! Believe it or not, I'm capable of deciding who I want to hang out with," she snapped.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. The snapping felt familiar. Too familiar. "Start over?" he asked nervously.

"Fine," she said, and closed the door. Rountree took a deep breath and knocked. She opened it immediately.

"I brought pizza," he said sheepishly. Fatima smiled and opened the door.

"Come on in," she said softly. He walked in and helped her set up.

A few hours later, Fatima was snuggled in comfortably on the couch. But not on Rountree like she usually did. Rountree felt very lonely without her head on his chest. He could tell something was very wrong.

"Look," he began softly. "I don't know what's bothering you, and you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm here if you do. Okay?" He hoped she would crawl into his arms and tell him what was wrong, but he knew it wouldn't be so easy.

"You wouldn't understand," she whispered.

"Then explain it to me so I do. It hurts when I see you so upset," he whispered. She looked up and crawled into his arms.

"I'm just confused," she admitted.

"About what?" he asked, pulling her close.

"Akhil. You. Everything," she finally said after a long pause.

"Want to elaborate on that?" he asked.

"Akhil proposed." she blurted out.

"Like for marriage?" Rountree asked.

"Yes, dumbass," she said.

"But… I thought… Was it…" Rountree stumbled over his words. He was jealous. He wanted Fatima to be with him, not Akhil. But he wanted her to be happy more than anything.

"I told him I didn't know, that I need to think about it," she whispered.

"When did he-" Rountree was stunned.

"Last night." Fatima put her head on his chest. She couldn't help the butterflies she got when Rountree ran his hands up and down her back.

"Here's the question. Close your eyes and think about it. Do you see a future with him?" Rountree asked softly, although he dreaded the answer. Fatima was quiet and snuggled into him.

"No," she whispered.

"Then honestly, Fatima, I'd say no. It's up to you, but that's my opinion," he said softly.

"He said that we should only date for marriage, and if I didn't want to be with him forever I shouldn't have said yes to our first date," she said quietly.

"Fatima, that's fucked up on so many levels," Devin said softly.

"I know." Fatima closed her eyes.

"You said you were confused about me. What can I clear up for you?" he asked softly. Fatima was quiet for a minute, then decided to risk it all. She turned over and grabbed his face, then kissed him passionately. Rountree pulled her against him and kissed her, then slid his tongue along her lips. She opened her mouth a little for him, and welcomed it as he swirled his tongue around her mouth.

"Nothing anymore," she whispered once they pulled apart. Rountree cupped her face and smiled softly.

"So is this gonna be a, um, a permanent thing?" he asked shyly.

"I hope so," she whispered, settling down on his lap. She didn't straddle him, but she leaned against the arm of the couch and let her legs tangle with his. They continued to share kisses throughout the movie and smiled. Once it was over, Fatima got up.

"Hey, hey, hey, where you going?" Rountree whined. Fatima smiled.

"I think I have to make a phone call," she replied softly. Rountree smiled and squeezed her hand as she got up. A few minutes later, she came back and wiped a stray tear.

"How'd it go?" Rountree asked. Fatima giggled. She sat next to him and smiled.

"It was kinda pathetic," she said truthfully. Rountree put his arms around her and pulled her close.

"Tell me everything," he whispered. Fatima rested her forehead against the crook of his neck and grinned.

"He was so excited when I answered, and he was like 'Have you made a decision yet?'. I said yes, and that he was a good guy but I didn't want to marry him. He cried and begged, literally begged me to reconsider," she began. Rountree laughed and pulled her against him.

"But you said no, right?" Rountree was teasing her now, he knew she'd said no.

"Of course I did," she reassured him. She kissed his cheek and smiled.

"Here's the question," he murmured. Fatima looked up at him.

"Hm?" she asked softly.

"Do you see a future with me?" he asked. Fatima blushed and snuggled into him

"Yes," she whispered.

[ncislafan]

Wait For Me

Author's note: I do not own NCIS:LA or its characters

This is a speculation fic for 14x03, The Body Stitchers.

As Fatima walked into the building, she could feel her heart pounding. She knew she should have waited for Rountree, but she saw a man walking in and had to follow him. She ducked into a corner when she heard footsteps, and she prayed that he hadn't seen her. She watched as a bald man passed and breathed a sigh of relief into her shirt to muffle the sound.

"Rountree, where are you?" she whispered. She heard only static in return. She had texted him, letting him know she was going in, but she hasn't stuck around for an answer. She felt so stupid. She knew she should have just waited for him. There was no way she'd make it all the way back to the safety of her car. Just then, she looked around the corner and decided to slip out. As she turned a corner, she felt something sharp go into her neck. She whimpered from pain as she hit the ground.

•••••

Fatima woke up standing upright. She opened her eyes and saw herself on the screen, naked and shivering. It was so cold. She didn't remember the building being that cold.

"Glad to see you're awake. Now tell me, pretty princess, which limb do you like the least?" A deep voice said from somewhere in the room.

"Let me go," she mumbled, trying to get free.

"Uh uh uh," he said, walking closer to her. She struggled against her restraints and cried out. "You have a decision to make. And you get to watch it all live in 3D."

"Rountree!" she screamed. She thrashed around and made as much noise as she could. She was scared. "Help me!" she sobbed.

She felt a sharp blade digging into her arm. She wouldn't give up. She had to keep making noise. That was the only way Rountree would find her.

•••••

Rountree ran into the building without a second thought. The rest of the team was twenty minutes behind him. He knew that if Fatima was even still alive, she didn't have twenty minutes. She had seconds at best. He heard muffled screams coming from down the hallway. He sprinted towards the noise and poked his head into the room. He saw her on the projector and almost cried.

"Put it down!" He yelled, pointing his gun at the man. The man smiled at him, then went back to slowly cutting Fatima's arm. Rountree pulled the trigger three times without a second thought. He ran over to her and gently touched her hand. "Other than that cut, are you okay?" he asked softly.

"Give me my clothes and get me down from here," Fatima hissed. Rountree glanced around the room.

"Which one first?" he asked. He couldn't find her clothes, but he saw a couple blankets and figured he could toss them over her while he looked.

"Rountree," she whispered. He could hear the fear in her voice. He remembered then how much she hated heights. He grabbed a blanket and climbed up the ladder, covered her as best he could, then switched off the projector.

"It's okay. I'm not gonna let you get hurt. I just have to figure out the controls for this thing," he reassured her.

"Tree, please," she said desperately.

"Fatima, it's okay. Just breathe. You're safe now that you're with me," he reassured her. She nodded as he lowered the platform. Once she was on the ground, he gently cut the restraints. He grabbed a cloth and put it on her shoulder. "Keep that there. I'm gonna look for your clothes," he whispered. She sniffled and nodded.

"Wait," she said softly. Rountree turned around.

"What's up?" he asked. Fatima went over and wrapped her arms around him. She buried her face deep in his chest and sniffled.

"Thank you for saving me," she whispered. Rountree nodded and gently rubbed her back. He knew it would be cruel to say "I told you to wait", so he didn't. He ran his hand through her hair and kissed her forehead gently.

"Of course," he whispered. "You okay now?" he asked. She nodded and pulled back. Rountree gently rubbed her good arm and went to dig through some bags that seemingly had clothes. He felt sick to his stomach at the sight. He found her shirt first, and on top were some undies that appeared to be her size. They were wet and had several white stains. He could tell they were very fresh. "I don't, um, I don't think you want these back," he said nervously. Fatima walked over and gagged. "Fatima, hey, hey. Don't panic, okay? I have your bag in the truck, you can change there," he reassured her.

"Not the point," she whispered, her voice shaky.

"I know. I know, hey," he murmured. "Hey," he said again, a bit firmer. She sniffled and looked up at him.

"I don't want to go out there in just a blanket," she whispered. Rountree softened.

"I'm sorry, I should have thought of that. Do you want to wait here while I go get it?" he asked. She thought about it.

"Yeah," she finally whispered. "Come right back, 'kay?" she asked softly.

"Of course," he reassured her. He pulled out his gun. "You keep this. You need to have it more than me," he whispered. She nodded and held it in her lap as she slid to the ground against the wall. Rountree ran out to the food truck and grabbed her bag, then hurried back into the building. He turned around to give her privacy as she got dressed, and called to notify the team that she was safe and alive. "Okay. Let's get you to the hospital, you're probably going to need stitches but I don't think it's bad enough for surgery," he reassured her. Fatima nodded." How bad does it hurt?" he asked gently.

"Not too bad," she whispered.

"That's the adrenaline. Hopefully it doesn't wear off until we get you some painkillers," he said, helping her up. They walked out together and he got her settled in her car, and drove her to the hospital. Callen had agreed to drive the food truck back to the mission, so he didn't worry about leaving it there.

•••••

Once they were in the hospital, they were taken pretty quickly to a room.

"Okay, honey. I'm gonna walk you through this as I do it, I know it's scary. You're gonna sit on the bed right there, and you can fill this out for me while I prep. It's really quick and easy. Once I'm ready for you, you're gonna have to take your shirt off, " she said, passing Fatima a clipboard. Fatima took it and started to fill it out.

"Painkillers?" Fatima asked. The doctor nodded.

"Of course. No allergies, right?" she asked.

"Just avocado," Rountree offered helpfully.

"Well, you don't have to worry, sugar. That's not in our painkillers," the doctor said. "I'm gonna order some for you," she told Fatima. Fatima finished filling out the paper and set it on the table. She bit her lip and winced as she removed her shirt. Rountree helped her get it off, then helped her get into a comfortable position.

There was a soft knock at the door and it opened. Fatima cried out when she saw that it was a man coming in. Rountree instinctively jumped in front of her to shield her from the male nurse's gaze.

"You're fine, you're fine," he reassured her. She nodded a little. She nodded and tried to keep her breathing steady. Once the nurse was gone, Rountree sat next to her and gently rubbed her back. He held her as she swallowed the painkillers, then pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I'm gonna move this piece of your scarf, baby," the nurse murmured, gently moving Fatima's hijab. Fatima nodded and leaned into Rountree as the doctor started the first layer of stitches. She whimpered and cried out. Rountree held her hand tight as she whimpered.

"It hurts," she sobbed.

"I know. I know, I know sweetheart. You're doing amazing," he whispered.

"Great job honey, we're almost done with the first layer," the nurse reassured her.

"How many layers am I gonna need?" Fatima asked softly.

"It's looking like three," the nurse said.

"Okay, okay. You're doing so good," Devin reassured her. She nodded a little and leaned into him more.

•••••

Once they were done with each set of stitches, Fatima was moved to a different room. Rountree set her up with pillows, blankets, and a cooking show on his laptop. Kensi came by with some small activities for her to play with.

"Am I gonna have to stay the night?" Fatima asked. Rountree sighed.

"Probably," he admitted. Fatima closed her eyes. "Hey. If you have to, I will too," he whispered. Fatima's eyes widened.

"You don't have to," she whispered.

"I know. But you know what's been on my mind?" he asked, gently tracing patterns on her hand.

"Hm?" she asked softly.

"Knowing that if I'd taken even a minute longer to get to you, we wouldn't be here right now. We'd be in the morgue. I would be holding your hand and crying in the morgue. But I get to hold onto you here, and know that you're alive and safe," he whispered. Fatima sniffled. Fatima wiped a tear and looked up at Rountree.

"Come cuddle with me up here," she said quietly. Rountree smiled.

"Tell you what. Let me go to the bathroom real quick, then I will," he said softly.

"Hug first?" Fatima asked shyly. Rountree smiled and hugged her gently, then slipped out of the room. He closed the door and walked down the hall. He leaned against the wall and wiped a stray tear. He came back once he pulled himself together, and crawled into the bed next to Fatima.

"Let me know if you need anything, okay? Anything at all," he murmured. Fatima nodded and closed her eyes.

"I kinda just want to go to sleep." Fatima buried her face in his jacket and smiled softly.

"Go for it. I'll be here all night," he reassured her. Fatima smiled and kissed his neck shyly.

"I think I'm gonna end things with Akhil officially," she said quietly.

"I've been waiting for you to say that for so long, you know," he whispered.

"You have?" she asked softly.

"Yes," he said softly. He ran his hand up and down her arm and smiled softly.

"How come?" she asked.

"Because I love you," he whispered. "I've loved you for a long time, Fatima."

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, sitting up a little.

"Careful with your arm," he whispered, gently adjusting her. "Because I didn't want to be the guy coming after the girl that was already taken. I figured if you liked me, you wouldn't be with him," he whispered.

"Tree," she whispered. She sat up and kissed his cheek. "Because I didn't think you felt the same way. We both played chicken, huh?" she whispered. Rountree nodded.

"Come here," he whispered. He kissed her cheek and smiled softly. They snuggled into each other and grinned as they shared a kiss.

"Get some sleep. I'll stay here, okay? I'm gonna protect you," he whispered.

[leotanaka]

"vegans can't pounce, they're too anaemic." "maybe in texas, la vegans take supplements."

fatima/roundtree scenes are really becoming my favourites :))