In the still of the night: Jethro
by Stacy L.A. Stronach

Jethro Gibbs threw the sand paper on the floor in disgust and looked up at the clock. Midnight. Damn, even sanding the boat wasn't doing anything to help him tonight. Normally, the process would lull him to sleepiness at times like this. He picked up the half finished mug of coffee and took a sip.

He knew the only thing that would help him sleep would be to get the thoughts of one Anthony DiNozzo out of his head. Short of a brain transplant, he knew it was unlikely. Sitting on the steps, he gave in to his thoughts. Thoughts of a young man who, while appearing immature and even insecure at times, had a deeper core made of strong stuff indeed. Never mind he was hot to look at too.

Jethro sighed, his inner eye bringing Tony's image to his mind. The light brown hair and the multitude of styles he wore it in, the blue green eyes, so often alight with mischief or humour, the quick, sweet smile. That hot, sexy body with the luscious ass that Jethro spent entirely too much time checking out. The flirtatiousness. Jethro growled, he wanted Tony to flirt with him, not with everything that had tits.

"Ah, fuck it," he muttered. He knew that Tony was straight, that an old ex-Marine Gunny with three ex-wives stood no chance. Never mind that his wishes regarding Tony violated rule #12; Tony would tell him that rules were meant to be broken, hell he'd love to break the rules with Tony.

He sighed, again, the younger man had stolen Jethro's heart in a way no one else had. He didn't understand it, they were so different, and Jethro sure as hell didn't believe that opposites attracted. He knew they valued many similar things, although their ways of expressing those values often differed.

Jethro smiled as he thought of the enthusiasm Tony expressed so often. Like when they got to ride in the Gulf Jetstream, or when he let him go to Puerto Rico. The Gulf brought their trip to Cuba to his mind; Jethro remembered the iguana and catching a glimpse of Tony naked. It had been so very tempting to push Cait into the hallway, close the door and fuck Tony into the mattress. So close to what he wanted, but so far away. Sometimes, like now, he wished he'd done it.

"If wishes were horses, beggars would ride." Jethro groaned as one of his mother's favourite sayings drifted through his head. Horses, indeed. Looking at the clock again, he huffed. 12:02. Standing up, he figured he'd better get some sleep or he'd be grumpier than usual. Not that anyone would notice. Climbing the stairs, Jethro firmly decided to put thoughts of Tony out his head for good. No point in dwelling on what he couldn't have. He snorted, yeah, that would last until he saw Tony tomorrow morning--his resolve would fly right out the window. Damn it. He didn't stand a chance.

//**the end**\

In the still of the night : Tony
by Stacy L.A. Stronach

Groaning as he rolled over, Tony DiNozzo saw that the clock was reading 12:00 a.m. He didn't move, didn't want to. It was hell, living like this. Wanting someone he knew he could never have. That thought brought Gibbs' face into mind.

"Fuck it," he muttered, he hated it when he couldn't sleep, he found his thoughts always became depressed and negative.

He wanted Leroy Jethro Gibbs more than he'd ever wanted anyone, man or woman. He'd mostly wanted men in his life, chasing women was just cover, Tony never made much effort to capture them.

Gibbs?the man was so near yet so untouchable. Those blue eyes that could be ice cold or tropically warm; that rare, true smile, the one Tony worked so hard to make appear--when Gibbs smiled, something in Tony seemed to melt and he felt that much more in love with him; the grey hair which seemed to suit him; he was in very good shape for his age and he had a really hot ass. Tony knew because he found himself looking at said ass far too often. Tony knew he had it bad, and he knew it was not just a crush, a simple attraction. If it was that, then he could've dealt with it, found a substitute. But no, he had to go and fall in love with the older man.

Tony knew that even if Gibbs did swing his way, there was no reason for him to even consider someone like Tony. He could do his job very well, but personally, hell, he'd never had a relationship last very long. Immature and a clown was how his last long term boyfriend had described him. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He wanted Gibbs so much, knew that if something didn't happen soon, he might have to leave. Tony didn't know how much longer he could keep this up without making a fatal mistake and revealing his feelings to his Boss.

He could see it now: "Boss I want you to fuck me, now!" He doubted Gibbs' reply would be, "Then bend over the desk, DiNozzo!" More likely it would be: "You're fired, DiNozzo!"

Fuck. Tony wondered, at times, why he'd fallen in love with "second B is for bastard" Gibbs. While it was true that Gibbs could be a mean bastard, he was a loyal, honourable man, one who would lay down his life for his team, one who would stop at nothing until a case was solved or a criminal caught.

Tony looked at the clock again sighing again. 12:02. He'd be dragging his ass tomorrow if he didn't get to sleep. Closing his eyes against the tears of frustration he could feel welling up, Tony decided to put Leroy Jethro Gibbs out of his mind, and out of his heart, forever, there would be no joy there. He knew his resolve would last until he got into work and saw the object of his affection. Damn it. He didn't stand a chance.

//**the end**\