Incentive

Holy hell, he was bored. And restless. And bored. Which would explain why he was here on a Friday night, waiting for the Elf Lord to get out of the shower so they could meet up with Abby. They hadn’t exactly planned a wild night out, just dinner. Maybe a movie.

Tony sighed deeply and looked around the room again. Nothing much, plenty of geek-stuff. A shit load of gadgets Tony didn’t even bother to examine.

His mind kept roaming. Images just wouldn’t stop popping up in his head. He banged his head against the wall, trying to rid himself of his favorite fantasy; Gibbs in the shower. Water cascading down his body as he slowly lathered up. He would look up, see Tony watching him and pull him under the hot spray...

Tony shifted around on the couch, painfully aware of the bulge in his pants. He tried to think of something else. Cold showers. Nope. Cold showers with McGee. Yeah, that did the trick.

He regretted agreeing to this night out, but anything was better than sitting at home, pining for a man he’d never have a chance in hell of hooking up with. Tony knew his feelings for Gibbs wouldn’t be ignored much longer. He’d locked them away for years, more than he’d care to think about. Tony got up from Tim’s couch and started roaming the room. Nothing much to see, really.

He popped his head around the door to the hall, making sure the shower was still running. An old typewriter was sitting on a desk. Maybe Tim had started writing another novel? Suddenly Tony got very curious. The last time around, Tim had used them all in his book.

“I wonder what that handsome and highly sophisticated Agent Tommy is up to this time?” he muttered, quickly scanning the desk for evidence of a new manuscript. Nada. Nothing to see. Glancing towards the door again, Tony decided it was still safe, and undertook a more thorough search of his surroundings. A couple of bookshelves functioned as room dividers. He eyed them sceptically, not really expecting to find anything salacious. They looked as neat as the guy himself, he smirked.

Some crumpled sheets in McGee’s wastebasket caught his attention. Reading the first few lines, he quickly bunched up a couple more sheets and replaced them with the one’s he’d stolen.

A few seconds later they were safely tucked away in his jacket and he was sitting on the couch, looking very innocent when Tim returned.

Tim took one glance at him. “What did you do? I swear, Tony, if you’ve filled my hard drive with gay porn again, I’ll have your ass for breakfast.”

“Ah, you wound me. You know I don’t put out on the first date, Timmy, I’m just not that kind of boy,” Tony grinned, stretching his legs in front of him.

McGee just snorted. Tony took a closer look at the other agent. He’d obviously dressed in a hurry. His shirt was buttoned all wrong and he wasn’t even wearing socks. Tony tried to hide a smile as he noticed McGee kept sending furtive glances around the room, probably to see if anything was missing.

“Listen, you were gone for all of 8 minutes. Even a techno wizard like myself would need more time to do serious damage. Let’s go, Abby’s waiting!”

McGee opened his mouth to reply, but disappeared into the bedroom and got ready, meeting Tony by his car in no time.

They hooked up with Abby at Murphy’s, an Irish pub in Alexandria. They all enjoyed the ambiance of the place, the live music and good food. A few minutes later they were nursing a cold beer, while waiting for their food to arrive; Murphy burgers for the boys and fried shrimp for Abby.

“You’re awfully quiet tonight, Tony,” Abby said, eying him curiously.

“Yeah, just tired, that’s all.” He shifted a bit on his seat, trying to get comfortable.

“Too many young, hot dates?” she teased, wiggling her eyebrows.

“Right, yeah,” he said unconvincingly, not quite managing to keep up the carefree smile he’d plastered on his face.

“Something wrong, Tony? You haven’t seemed yourself lately,” McGee began, but closed his mouth firmly when Tony shot him his most convincing impression of a Gibbs-glare.

“Hey!” Abby poked him hard in the arm. “Don’t you dare bite our heads off for seeing something’s hinky. You pry into our lives every time you’re bored or curious, Tony.”

He looked at his two friends, and considered telling them about his feelings for their very male and very straight boss.

“I’m sorry,” was all he came up with. “Rough week.”

Abby looked openly skeptical. “Fine,” she said. “I can wait.”

Tony sighed inwardly. He needed to get a grip, this was getting out of hand. Another couple of weeks like this, and he would be ready to share his feelings for Gibbs with, well, Palmer.

A waitress appeared by their table, plates in hand, giving Tony a much-needed break. They all ate in silence for a while, enjoying their first real meal in a couple of days. He went to remove his jacket when he suddenly remembered the papers he’d stolen from McGee. Excusing himself from the table, Tony went to the men’s restroom, seeking a bit of privacy. Safely inside a stall, he pulled the crumpled sheets out of his pocket and started reading.




Agent Tommy rubbed his tired eyes and looked across the squad room. It was 1 am, and the place was deserted. The team had finally managed to bring down Petty Officer Martin’s killer. McGregor had cracked the case open when he managed to hack into the suspect’s laptop, finding the photos he’d taken while he tortured her.

The killer, Jonathan Nelson, was in custody, and they could all get some well-deserved rest. His reports were all written up and just needed Tibbs’ sign of approval. Their boss was thumbing through his latest draft, making notes in the margin. Not a good sign, Tommy sighed, resting his head on his arms.

McGregor had left a few hours ago. A young blonde had waited for him, kissing his cheek as he pressed the button for the elevator.




Tony snorted. “Wishful thinking, Probie,” he muttered. The rest of the page was crossed out. He stuffed the first page into his pocket again and started reading the other.




A light slap to the back of his head woke him up. Tibbs was leaning over him, his hand still resting on the nape of his neck, squeezing lightly. “Time to go home, Tommy,” he said quietly. The younger agent stirred, sat up and looked into his boss’ face. A smile was slowly spreading across Tommy’s face.

“Yeah, it’s time,” Tommy replied, closing the distance between them as he pressed his lips against Tibbs’.




“Holy shit,” Tony yelped.

“Are you okay in there?” McGee tapped lightly on the door.

“What?”

“You’ve been gone a long time, Abby is getting worried,” he explained.

“Oh, yeah…no, I’m fine. Give a guy some privacy, will ya?” Tony exclaimed, annoyance and exasperation seeping into his voice.

“Uhn, sorry…Tony, I…” McGee stuttered and left the restroom.



Tibbs’ mouth tasted faintly of coffee. A strong arm pulled him up and suddenly he was pushed up against the filing cabinet close to his desk.

“Don’t start something you can’t finish, Tommy.”



Tony turned the page, desperate to find out what happened next. Nothing. What did this mean? Had McGee picked up on his attraction towards Gibbs or was this just his way of getting back at Tony for all the times he’d pulled a practical joke on him?

He had to think about this in the morning, after a good night’s sleep. Tucking the rest of the manuscript safely back in his pocket, Tony returned to the table, only to find Abby and McGee looking worried.

“Look, I’m sorry. I just need to take it easy this weekend, that’s all. I didn’t mean to snap at you, Tim, I’m just tired.”

“You sure, Tony?” Abby held his hand gently.

He gave her a quick kiss and got up. “I’m sure. Listen, I think I’ll take a rain check on that movie. I need to get home, get some sleep. Abby, you’ll give Tim a ride, yes?”

“Yeah, sure. Call me if ya want some company, ok?” Abby held onto his hand.

“Thanks, Abby, I’ll do that.”

He’d just reached his car when his phone rang. He flipped it open without looking at the called ID.

“Listen, Abby, I’ll be fine!”

“Glad to hear it, Tony, now get your ass over here.”

Gibbs. Shit. “You need me to come into the office, Boss? We have a case?”

“No case. My house. Now.”

The line went dead, leaving Tony staring at his phone for a moment. “He really, really needs to work on his phone manners,” he muttered, before getting in to his car.

Arriving outside Gibbs’ house he saw light blazing from every window in the house. As he walked up the driveway he noticed the door was ajar. Light streaming out fell on an overturned flowerpot on the front porch. Frowning, Tony walked into the hallway, wondering what the hell was going on.

“Gibbs?” he called, taking a couple more steps towards the living room. He froze, stunned by the sight in front of him. Shards of glass glittered everywhere. Someone had smashed the photos that usually hung on the wall, along with a couple of windowpanes in the French doors. Black rose petals were scattered all over the floor, trailing into the hall and even up the stairs.

Tony hand went for his gun when he heard a sound from the kitchen. A moment later Gibbs appeared, carrying a broom and a dustpan.

“What the hell happened here?” he exclaimed. “You ok?”

“Do I look fine, DiNozzo?” Gibbs snapped, brushing by him.

“Actually, Boss, you look like your grumpy old usual self.” Tony was too worn out to care right now.

Gibbs stopped and turned to look at him. “I’m sorry, Tony,” he said quietly. “Yeah, I’m fine, just need to fix this, that’s all.” His shoulders slumped slightly and he sat down on the couch.

“No, I’m not fine, Tony. I know who did this, that’s all.”

“Have you called the police, yet?” Tony asked, knowing the answer already.

“No…” he trailed off. “It’s my first ex-wife.”

“The one with the golf club?”

“Yeah…” Gibbs sent him a crooked smile. “That’s the one. She’s done things before, but…” he trailed off.

“It’s escalating?” Tony finished the sentence for him.

Gibbs just nodded. “She usually just calls or comes around on our anniversary to…”

“I thought that was ex-wife number three?” Tony interrupted.

Gibbs just glared at him.

“They both…oh…got it.”

Tony took a last look around the room and made up his mind. “I’m staying. Let me just get my overnight bag from the car, ok?”

“You don’t have to, you know.”

“I want to, Jethro,” Tony replied, wincing slightly at the use of his boss’ first name.

Gibbs glanced at him, giving him another smile. “I know, Tony, I know.”

Tony popped the trunk of his car and just stood there, looking without really seeing.

“I know, Tony, I know.” Gibbs’ words kept ringing in his ears, over and over again.

What did this all mean? Was he getting so obvious about his crush that everybody and their mother knew? He shrugged it off, eyes scanning the street for anything out of place. Not that he knew the area well enough to make that assessment. Still, it made him feel better. He’d have to ask Gibbs if she usually came by more than once. At least Gibbs wouldn’t be alone if she did. They weren’t on call this weekend and his plans didn’t involve anything else than a book and some beer. Not that he wouldn’t have changed his plans for Gibbs. Hell, he’d have done just about anything for the man.

He grabbed his bag and threw it on the porch, before heading around to the back the house, intending to check out the garden. A quick sweep of the backyard didn’t reveal anything more sinister than a forgotten basket beneath the fruit trees at the far end. The remains of another interrupted weekend, Tony thought.

He was about to walk through the door when a faint metallic sheen caught his eye. A hammer was dropped outside the French doors. Probably how she’d gotten into the house, he thought. Knowing Gibbs, she should have tried the front door, he smirked. Looking inside, he saw Gibbs sweeping the floor, clearly intent on clean up the glass scattered everywhere.

“You find anything, DiNozzo?” Gibbs had his back to him, but Tony could see his shoulders looked tense. Tony briefly wondered whether to offer a back massage, but dismissed the idea as quickly as it entered his mind. The state he was in, he would more likely than not do something stupid.

“Just a hammer,” he replied. “You got something to cover the broken door with?”

“She’s not coming back, Tony.”

“Still, I’d …”

“I’ll deal with it tomorrow.” Tony knew that tone of voice and dropped the matter.

Easing the door open, Tony was careful not to dislodge any remaining glass as he went to retrieve his bag from the front porch. Gibbs was watching him when he returned, his face unreadable.

“Where should I put this?” Tony asked.

“Just leave it in the guest room…for now.” Gibbs turned his back on him and continued cleaning up the living room. Tony bounded upstairs, reluctant to leave Gibbs alone for long.

The guest bedroom was at the other end of the hall, facing the master bedroom. It was sparingly furnished, but still had a lived in feel to it. There was a colorful afghan folded at the foot of the bed, and a thick rug adorned the floor. A bookcase held a few books, antique tools and a model of a Viking long boat. Tony picked it up, ran his fingers over the polished wood and wondered whether Gibbs had made it himself. He put it back down and took a look at his bag. There was no need to unpack, not for just a couple of nights. Tony grabbed his toilet bag and left it by the sink in the bathroom.

As he walked into the hall, a faint glow from the main bedroom made him curious. The trail of petals continued from the stairs towards the door and he suddenly wondered whether Gibbs had even searched the house. He nudged the door open and practically jumped in surprise when a hand gripped his shoulder.

“Holy hell, Boss! Don’t do that, will ya!”

“Afraid to sleep in your own room?” Gibbs asked, a faintly amused expression on his face.

“I just…there was a light…have you searched the house, Gibbs?”

“Marie’s not here. I’ve told you, she never stays.”

Turning towards the bedroom again, Tony saw what the light was. There were about twenty red glass tea light holders, all with lit candles in them; together they cast a warm glow around the room. On any other night he might have found the mood very sensual, but tonight it only spoke volumes of the woman’s obsession.

“She doesn’t do things in half measures, does she,” Tony remarked as he took in the scene in front of him, wondering what kind of play she was staging.

“No,” was the brief reply. Gibbs quickly closed the door and went for the stairs.

“You don’t wanna…” Tony trailed off, looking at the closed door, and Gibbs’ retreating back. He caught up with him in the living room. The older man was sitting on a chair, looking worn out.

“Do you need to talk, or be quiet, or should I ...”

“You able to do that, Tony?” Gibbs interrupted.

“What, be quiet?” Tony just cocked an eyebrow, brushed some black petals off a woodworking magazine and made himself comfortable on the couch.

Gibbs snorted and got up and emptied the overflowing dustpan into a metal bucket he’d placed by the bookshelves. He took it with him and disappeared down into the basement, presumably to empty it. Tony threw down the magazine and decided to finish the cleanup work. When Gibbs got back, Tony was busy vacuuming, trying to get rid of the wilted petals scattered everywhere.

“Playing the little wife, DiNozzo?”

“What, you need me to?” He couldn’t resist. Flirting with your boss was always dangerous, especially on a night like this, but there was something about Gibbs tonight that made it so tempting.

Gibbs just chuckled and disappeared into the kitchen. Tony could hear the fridge open and close as Gibbs rummaged around. Tony had only managed to eat half his burger at Murphy’s and wouldn’t mind something.

“Want something to eat?” Gibbs called.

“I don’t know, Boss, you sure you can cook?”

“I can cook, DiNozzo. Better than you, anyway.”

“Reeally, Boss? Isn’t there a rule, or something? Trust, but verify?”

Gibbs snorted, “That goes both ways, Tony. You’re cooking tomorrow.”

“You make your guests cook, Boss? That’s just wrong.” Tony had that mischievous look about him Gibbs loved, and feared.

“Listen, if you’re gonna stay on this self-appointed protection detail the entire weekend, call me Jethro, ok?”

“I can do that…Jethro.” Tony leaned against the door frame, watching the other man work. He was making a couple of sandwiches, piling roast beef and lettuce on slices of rye bread.

“Would you like a beer with this?” Gibbs cast a glance at Tony over his shoulder and waved a hand towards the fridge. Gibbs brought the plates over to the table and motioned him to sit down. Savoring the food, Tony still couldn’t resist having a go at Gibbs.

“This hardly constitutes cooking, Gibbs, it’s more like building Lego. You know, just putting stuff on top of each other.”

Gibbs laughed, a rich warm laughter that sent shivers down Tony’s spine. “You’re not getting out of cooking tomorrow. But I’ll make you a deal. I’ll make a proper Sunday dinner, how’s that, Special Agent DiNozzo?”

“That’ll do,” Tony replied, before taking another big chunk out of his sandwich.

They finished their meal and took a couple of fresh bottles of beer with them to the living room. Tony toed off his shoes and slumped onto the couch with a content sigh.

“You’re settling in, I see,” Gibbs remarked, eying him intently.

“You got a problem with that, Jethro?” Tony held his gaze as a smile flickered over his face.

“I probably should, but I don’t.” Gibbs picked up the remote control, and moments later the evening news filled the room.

******
McGee closed the door behind him and sat down by his desk. His eyes fell to the wastebasket and he quickly fished out the two crumpled up sheets of paper. Blanks. Bingo. Smiling, he folded his hands behind his head and started at the wall in front of him. The storyboard was empty. He’d put all the material he used in a box for the night, keeping it out of his friend’s reach. He knew Tony would snoop around, the man was just built that way. The born detective, McGee smirked.

Thinking back at the restaurant his mood sobered. Something was off and he knew his little prank was part of it. But who would have thought Tony would react that way? He’d expected him to get a bit offended, given the God’s-gift-to-women role Tony liked to play. McGee paused. There was something there, something he didn’t quite get.

McGee sighed, got up and went to find the jacket he liked to use whenever writing. Maybe he should revisit the scene he’d started as a joke. Maybe he’d be able to connect the dots, find the missing pieces.

McGee kept staring at the blank paper in his typewriter. He had every intention of finishing the scene between Tommy and LJ Tibbs, but the words just wouldn’t come to him tonight. He’d put a whole array of photos of Gibbs and Tony up on the bulletin board in front of him, seeking inspiration. Most of them were taken by Abby at different occasions; company picnics, Christmas parties and an inter agency football match a couple of years ago. He’d hooked his laptop up to his flat screen TV to be able to zoom in on details. He preferred to use his typewriter for the actual writing, but still needed his laptop for research.

Focusing on a particular series from the football match, he opened the file and leaned forward, studying the images closely. They’d just beaten Fornell’s team with Tony scoring the winning touchdown. He could see the FBI agent fuming in the background, captured on film by Abby, as he was arguing with the official. Tony had his arm thrown over Gibbs’ shoulder as they walked off the field. The two agents looked at each other, grinning broadly. Tony looked happy and relaxed, something that had been missing the last couple of weeks.

He closed the file and opened one from the NCIS picnic last year. Flipping through the images, he saw nothing of interest at first; they were just random snapshots. A picture of Gibbs talking to a secretary from legal caught his attention. The woman was a lovely redhead, with long wavy hair and a curvy figure. And flirty. McGee smiled, she was definitely coming on to Gibbs. Although she didn’t seem to get the response she expected, given Gibbs’ reputation for favoring redheads. He found a later shot of her leaving with another agent, and remembered seeing something about an engagement in last month’s newsletter.

A figure in the background caught his attention and he zoomed in, until Tony’s face filled the screen. He tapped a few keys and the image cleared up. Tony was watching Gibbs and the redhead intently, his eyes seemed glued to Gibbs’ face. They were dark, filled with an emotion McGee couldn’t quite define. Shocked, McGee suddenly recognized it as longing. But why would he…

“Holy…no…nonononooo! Not possible,” he muttered. Or could it be? He straightened up. This was a mission worthy of 007. The problem was, how on earth should he spy on Tony without him finding out?

******

“You have anything planned this weekend, Tony? I don’t want to…”

“No plans,” Tony interrupted. “Besides, nothing’s more important than this.”

“Thanks,” Gibbs replied quietly. “I really appreciate this. It’s way beyond the call of duty.”

“Listen, Jethro. You’re my boss, but you’re also my friend. Of course I’m doing this. You’d do this for me, right?”

“What, if one of your many thousand girlfriends decide it was time to…”

“Hey, I may date a lot, but not as much as I make it out to be. I just like yanking Probie’s chain, that’s all.” Tony looked out the window. “I haven’t been on a date in ages, anyway. No chance of any lunatics at my door,” he muttered.

“Any reason for this lack of dating?” Gibbs looked curious as he leaned forward a little.

Tony got up. “Look,” he said, “I’m kinda tired. You mind if we call it a night?”

“I’m sorry, Tony. Sit down, please.” Gibbs got up and squeezed Tony’s shoulder, urging him to sit back down. After a moments thought, Tony relented and slumped back down onto the couch.

“Listen, I don’t wanna be cooped up here on our weekend off.” Gibbs ran a hand through his hair. “How about we find something to do tomorrow, something fun.”

“Alright,” Tony smiled. “Your kind of fun, or mine?” he smirked. “As long as it doesn’t involve the great outdoors.”

“Or shopping,” Gibbs interjected.

“How about sailing?” Tony looked at Gibbs. “You do know how to sail, right? Those boats in your basement aren’t just for show, I hope.”

“I’m a Marine, Tony, I can do anything.”

“Sailing it is, then.”

“You wanna watch a movie, or something?”

“On that relic?” Tony looked openly skeptical as he eyed Gibbs’ TV. “You really should think about getting a plasma TV, Boss, this is…”

“The news it is then.” Gibbs went for the remote, but wasn’t quite quick enough. Tony snatched it off the table and started flipping channels. A couple of minutes later he settled on a Bond movie.

“Dr. No, Boss. Sean Connery as Bond and Ursula Andress in a bikini. Doesn’t get much better than that,” he grinned, doing his best Connery impression.

Gibbs just chuckled and went to the kitchen, getting cold beers and a bowl of pretzels.

******

Tony had trouble sleeping. He couldn’t quite wrap his head around the events of the day. Or night. The excerpt he’d found in Tim’s trash had really thrown him. He refused to think about the implications. McGee couldn’t know. It had to be payback for the profile he’d put up on the online dating service. But who could’ve known the geek angle would be such a babe magnet?

He got up, wanted to take a quick tour around the house. No matter what Gibbs said, he needed to make sure everything was quiet.

Muffled sounds drifting through the partially open door to Gibbs’ bedroom caught his attention. He walked over, popping his head around the opening. The room was shrouded in darkness, except from a single lit candle on the dresser. Not one of the red ones, this one was a simple crystal candleholder. The faint glow made it possible for Tony to see Gibbs. He was lying on his back, one arm thrown over his face. He’d kicked off the covers and Tony could see he was only wearing a pair of boxers.

Gibbs was mumbling in his sleep and moving restlessly about. Tony hated to see him like this. Every cell in his body wanted to reach out, smooth that damp hair away from his forehead and ease away the tension. He settled for sitting down in a chair by the bed, wanting to be close if Gibbs remained in his nightmare. Curling his legs under him, he tucked a throw pillow under his head, shifting around a bit to get comfortable. Gibbs quieted down in his sleep, lying perfectly still. Tony felt a sense of calm envelop him and he drifted off.

“Why are you here, Tony?” The whispered question took him by surprise; he hadn’t noticed Gibbs was awake.

“I…I heard sounds. I needed to make sure you were ok.”

“Not that. I wanna know why you’re here tonight.”

“You called, Jethro, remember?” Tony leaned back in the chair again, wondering where Gibbs was going with this.

“But why did you stay? There was nothing for you to do.” Gibbs kicked himself free of the comforter tangled around his ankles. His skin looked pale against the dark blue sheets.

“You want me to leave?” Tony couldn’t quite keep the hurt and disappointment out of his voice.

“Did I say that?”

“No, but…”

“No ‘buts’ Tony, no glib remarks. Just answer me.”

Gibbs turned on his side, facing Tony. In the dimly lit room he could barely make him out.

“I need to be here, Jethro.” Tony closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair. “I have to have your six.”

Gibbs smiled; a smile that slowly spread across his face. It lit up his face, and Tony felt it light up the room. He winced inwardly. Badass federal agents shouldn’t be so sappy.

“I know,” he said.

“You keep saying that, Jethro. What is it that you know, exactly.”

“How you feel.” He raised himself upon one elbow, and held Tony’s gaze. “I need you close, too, Tony, when things get rough. You’re the one I trust, the one I…,” he trailed off. He seemed to make a decision.

“Will you sleep in here tonight, Tony?”

Momentarily stunned, Tony froze, not knowing how to reply. Did he mean…?

“To sleep, for now,” Gibbs added.

Pushing himself off the chair, Tony walked to the bed and waited as Gibbs scooted over, making room for him. He felt like he was watching the entire scene from afar, the thought of sharing a bed with Gibbs was so surreal, he wasn’t sure he’d believe it in the morning.

The bed was warm and the sheets were wonderfully soft against his naked skin. He was completely enveloped in Gibbs’ scent as he sank back into the pillows, every muscle relaxing as he settled in. Turning on his side to face Gibbs, he realized just how worn out the older man looked.

“She has you really rattled, this time, doesn’t she?”

“That’s not it, Tony, not really. I keep thinking, did I do this to her, did I turn her into this possessed creature? Do I push the people I care about away?”

“That’s bullshit, Jethro. How can you even say that?” Tony reached out and ran his hand across a slightly stubbled cheek.

“Three ex-wives, Tony. Not exactly the best track record.”

“True,” Tony smiled. “Look, It’s been a long day, Gibbs, a long week for that matter. It’s not the time for serious soul searching. Sleep on it. Remember, you get to boss me around all day long tomorrow, that’s gotta put you in a good mood, huhn?”

Gibbs laughed and seemed to relax again. Tony felt himself drift off again when he felt Gibbs pull him close. Throwing an arm around his waist, Tony fell asleep almost instantly.

The next morning Gibbs was already gone when Tony woke up. He grabbed a quick shower and headed downstairs. The smell of coffee wafted into the hall and he found Gibbs sitting by the kitchen table, reading the morning paper and clearly savoring the cup of coffee he was holding.

“Sleep well?” he asked, as Tony raided the fridge and poured himself a glass of juice.

“Yeah, you?” Tony shot a furtive glance at Gibbs, trying to gouge what he was thinking.

“Well, you snore, DiNozzo!”

“Do not,” he protested indignantly.

Gibbs just cocked an eyebrow and drank his coffee. Sitting down by the table, Tony helped himself to a toasted bagel, suddenly feeling very hungry.

“You ready to leave?” he asked, finishing a second bagel.

A couple of minutes later they were headed out the front door. Tony carried their bags while Gibbs grabbed the car keys off the hall table.

“Fucking hell!” Tony couldn’t believe his eyes. “My car…who the hell has done this to my car?!” Gibbs walked up to him and swore under his breath as he saw the carnage in front of him.

Someone had slashed all four tires on Tony’s pride and joy.

Chapter four

Tony circled his car a couple more times before slumping down on Gibbs’ front step.

Gibbs sat beside him and snaked a warm hand under his shirt, tracing soothing circles at the small of his back.

Tony looked around, but they were pretty secluded from his neighbors.

“You think this is Marie’s work?” He glanced at Gibbs, trying to read him.

“ I have no idea, Tony. This is above and beyond anything she’s done.” He paused. ”There have been a few cases of vandalism in the area lately; this might just be a coincidence. Listen, lift the car for prints, and see if you find anything.”

“I don’t have my kit with me, Jethro.” Tony rested his head in his hands, sighing deeply.

“There’s a bag in the hall closet.”

“You have forensic…never mind. Don’t wanna know,” Tony couldn’t keep a small smile off his face. He rubbed his hands on his thighs a couple of times and got up. Half an hour later he’d lifted a handprint off the rear bumper. Somebody had used it for support and if they were lucky, the prints would be on file.

“Let’s drop the prints off at Abby’s and get out of here,” Gibbs suggested. “We’ll have your car towed to a garage to get new tires and then be on our way. I don’t want this to ruin our weekend, Tony. You think you can let go?”

“That depends.” Tony stretched languidly, and leaned against the porch railing. “How do you plan on distracting me?”

Something flared in Gibbs’ eyes as he got up. He stood very close, as close as they could be in public. He smiled that slow, little grin that always made Tony’s knees weak and said very quietly:

“I’m sure I’ll think of…something, DiNozzo.”

Tony felt his mouth go dry. There it was again, that connection. Could this be happening, was Gibbs really flirting with him? Last night he’d wanted him close, but that could have been for comfort. Gibbs rarely showed a vulnerable side, and last night he’d opened up to him. Tony felt almost honored Gibbs trusted him enough to share his fears with him.

Needing to focus on something else, Tony got out his cell phone, frowning when he saw it was still switched off. Calling the garage he normally used, he quickly arranged for his car to be towed. It would be about half an hour before the tow truck arrived and they decided to use the time to pick up something to eat at a deli nearby. A picnic didn’t sound too bad, Tony thought. The weather was still warm, and the forecast promising.

They arrived back at the house to find the driver circling his car. He shook his head as he examined the damage. “Kids,” he muttered, clearly writing this off as a prank.

With his car safely on its way, they were ready to go. Gibbs was loading their stuff into his car when Tony turned to him.

“Listen, I don’t wanna be a baby, but can we do something else today? I just don’t feel like sailing anymore. Some other time, maybe?”

“I’d like that a lot, Tony. So, anything else you’d might like to do?”

An image of Gibbs and Tony naked on his bed flashed through the younger man’s mind, but he forced it away. Timing. Timing was everything. If he misread Gibbs and made an unwanted move, he could ruin their friendship.

“I’d like to have a quiet day with you, on dry land. I’m not in the mood for head slaps or being yelled at for mixing up the main sail and the jib, or whatever ya call’em,” he smirked.

“So, where ya wanna go? I can’t give you any guarantee on the head slaps, though,” Gibbs grinned.

“There’s a Lincoln exhibition at the American History museum?”

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow but said nothing.

Tony’s old insecurities awakened. He tried a cocky grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “It is the weekend for revelations, Jethro, and here’s one for you. DiNozzo’s got more depth than a puddle.”

A swift head slap got his attention.

“Don’t put words in my mouth, DiNozzo. I saw through your act years ago. You think you would be on my team if I thought you were a shallow frat boy?” He stepped even closer. “You think you would be in my bed last night if I didn’t see the real you?”

Tony looked at Gibbs, not knowing what to say. “I don’t really know what to make of last night, Jethro.” Gibbs turned to the car again, gripping the lid.

“Me neither, Tony, but I do know I’d like to find out.” He closed the trunk of his car and turned around to look at him. “You coming?”

“Yeah,” Tony smiled, recognizing the significance of the question. “I’m with ya.”

******
Abby was getting increasingly worried. She’d stopped by Tony’s apartment last night, but there was no light to be seen in the windows and his car was gone. She’d called his land line to make sure, to no avail. His cell phone was switched off, which made her even more concerned.

She was still wondering what to do when her cell phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, she was relieved to see it was Tony. There was no reason for her to feel this way, not really. Just a nagging feeling at the back of her mind that something was weighing on Tony’s mind.

“Tony! Where are you? I’ve been trying to call you since yesterday! Are you okay?”

“Abby…”

“I went by your place and you weren’t there, and you were so sad last night so I brought Bert to cheer you up and the latest Bond movie, ya know, I thought we could have movie night after all, so I sent Tim home in a cab and he was kinda bummed, and then I went to your place, but I couldn’t find you, Tony! Where are you?”

“Breathe, Abs, just breathe. In and out.” He fastened his seatbelt and motioned for Gibbs to get going.

“Listen, Abby, I need a favor. I have a set of prints I need you to run, the sooner the better. Can you do that?”

“You’re on a case? I thought you had the weekend off, Tony. Why are you working? Does Gibbs know about this? You so need to take some time off. I haven’t seen you this tired in a very long time, not since, well. You looked dead on your feet last night, then you just disappeared for ever to the restroom, I mean how long does a man need in there? You do your thing, you get out. But, nooo, men use that space for thinking. And the magazines, do all men do the majority of their reading with their pants down by their ankles? What’s up with that? Oh, God, I do hope you were contemplating,” she giggled. “Tim would die if he caught you…”

“Abby,” he pleaded, “will ya please, please breathe!”

“Oh…” she said. “Right. Yes, I think I can do that, but, ya know, Tony, you really shouldn’t take off like that, it’s just not like you.”

“I know, and I’m sorry for making you worried. Now, the prints, Abby? We’re dropping them off at the lab. Could you run them through AFIS today?”

“We?”

“I’m with Gibbs,” he explained.

“Did you stay at Casa Gibbs last night?” she asked.

“Yes, I stopped by on my way home and it got late, so I crashed in Gibbs’ guest room.”

“Good.” Abby sounded pleased. “What about the prints, do we have a new case?”

“I’ll explain it all later, Abby, okay? We’ll talk tonight, I promise.”

“Pinky swear?”

“Pinky swear, Abby, although it is kinda hard over the phone,” he smiled. He hung up and looked at Gibbs.

“She’s worried about me.”

“Ya think, DiNozzo? I kinda got that.” He stopped by a red light and turned towards Tony. “Anything you wanna share?

“About what?” Tony asked, not quite sure where Gibbs was going.

“What has Abby worried about you,” he clarified. “Anything I should know about?”

“I tell you about it tonight, Boss, after dinner. I’m still cooking, right?”

“You’re damn right you’re cooking, but dessert’s…on me.”

They entered Abby’s lab and were surprised to find her leaning against the counter, arms folded across her chest, looking very determined.

“Spill.”

“Someone slashed the tires on my car,” Tony began. “I found a set of prints and would like to know who’s behind this…umpf.” The rest of the sentence was cut off as Abby threw her arms around Tony’s neck, hugging him fiercely.

“Not you car, Tony, not your baby! I’m so sorry!” She shot an angry glance at Gibbs when he rolled his eyes at her. “What did the police say?”

Tony hesitated and looked at Gibbs who, after a moments thought, nodded his consent.

“It might be Gibbs first ex-wife, Abby. We’d like to keep this quiet.”

Abby opened and closed her mouth, released Tony and accepted the offered evidence without a word.

The two men stood close to each other by the table behind Abby, leaning against it as they watched Abby work her magic. The former marine seemed to study the forensic scientist work, but he was intensely aware of the man beside him. Gibbs could practically feel the heat radiating off of Tony. Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself. Gibbs pushed himself off the table, wanting to create enough room for him to think. He was moving through unknown terrain with this, without a map and only his gut to guide him. And right now his gut told him to do all kinds of things that all involved DiNozzo in a whole new way. Several ways, actually, he thought, barely able to suppress a smile.

“I will call you as soon as my machines talk to me.” Abby turned and gave them both a once over. “Now, shoo, you need the rest. Gibbs, promise me you’ll take good care of Tony this weekend. And Tony, no work on the boat for Gibbs after 10 pm. Is that clear, my boys?” With her hands firmly planted on her hips, she left no room for argument.

“Thanks, Abby, for doing this.” Gibbs handed over a giant CafPow and kissed her cheek. “Call me on my cell the minute you know, okay?” Tony blew her a kiss and followed Gibbs out of Abby’s lab.

Rounding the corner on their way to the elevator, they bumped into McGee who nearly tripped over his own feet when he saw them.

“Slow down, Probie!” Tony sounded faintly amused as he looked at the slightly flustered agent.

“I...uhm...hi…what are you guys doing here? Not that you should have to explain yourself to me, Boss, it’s just, well. I mean, it’s your, no, our…ah…weekend off.” He finally managed to complete his sentence. Gibbs just shook his head, wondering what the hell was up with him.

“Just dropping something off for Abby,” Tony replied, as he continued for the elevator. “Ready to leave?” he asked over his shoulder, motioning for Gibbs to follow him.

******
“Way to go, double-oh-zip. Real subtle. Yeah, you’re gonna do just fine trying to watch Gibbs and Tony. That was about as discrete as an elephant in a china shop, you moron.” McGee muttered to himself.

“Do we have a case?” He looked over Abby’s shoulder trying to see what she was up to.

Tapping a few keys, the screen was suddenly filled with a picture of Bert.

“No case,” she said, not elaborating further. Sitting down in her chair, she picked up her favorite beverage, taking a long sip as she flipped through a magazine. McGee glanced at the title and did a double take.

“Good Housekeeping?” he said incredulously.

“Oh, please,” she smirked, “this coming from a male federal agent who reads Redbook? Please.”

Desperate to change the subject, McGee turned to what was foremost on his mind. “So,” he said tentatively, “how’s Tony doing? I was kinda worried last night,” he admitted, trying to explain his interest.

“Yeah, me too,” Abby swiveled her chair around and around, boots jingling every time she picked up speed.

“Did you keep him company last night?”

“No, he said he spent the night at Gibbs’ house.”

“Really! Why?”

McGee looked at her curiously, wondering if she knew something he didn’t. Abby and Tony had always been close. At first he’d envied Tony the easy report he had with everybody, but little by little he’d discovered the young Italian had his own demons to battle.

“It got late and he crashed on the couch or something. He looked better, dontcha think?” She‘d stopped spinning, but still looked a bit dizzy.

“Yeah, probably. I didn’t really get a chance to talk to him. You know where he was off to?”

“No, they didn’t say.” Abby refocused her attention to her computer. “Off ya go, Timmy. Spinning him around, she pushed him towards the door. “Call me tonight,” she offered, “we’ll talk then, Tim. Promise.”

******
“You’re in a hurry!” Gibbs leaned against the wall as the elevator made it’s way to the garage.

“Yeah, well, watching McGee have a meltdown is not my idea of fun. And we’re at the office, not how I wanna spend my first Saturday off in weeks.” Tony shifted his weight from one foot to another, fidgeting a bit. Gibbs found it all a bit amusing. Tony rarely kept still for long periods of time, unless he was deeply engrossed in something.

“But you do wanna spend it with me?” He had to ask. The last 24 hours had turned his perception of Tony upside down. And last night. To have Tony close, fell the warmth of his naked skin against his own had been surreal. Gibbs didn’t know what had compelled him to invite him into bed with him, it had just felt so right then and there. It still did.

“Yeah…” Tony fought down a blush. They continued in silence. There weren’t many people around on a Saturday, and the garage was nearly deserted. Gibbs took the wheel and turned towards Tony who was staring out the side window, apparently very intent on studying the concrete wall beside the car.

“Where to, Tony? Where do ya wanna go?”


******
Agent Tommy couldn’t move. He had his back pressed up against the filing cabinet, the metal cool against his heated body. Tibbs was close, so close. Too close. The older agent’s powerful presence made it hard to breathe, all air seemed to be sucked out of his lungs.

“You want this, Tommy? You want me?” Those cool blue eyes demanded an answer. Before he could reply, Tibbs leaned forward and whispered into his ear.

“You have me, Tommy. But not here. I’ll have enough trouble explaining away that kiss you just planted on me. My house, one hour. Your choice.”

******
Tim ripped the sheet out of his typewriter and stared at it miserably. “One lousy picture and you get all these shitty ideas into your head. So, he looked like he wanted Gibbs. Big deal. Maybe he just wanted what Gibbs was having, a flirt with an attractive girl.” Even as he mumbled the words they didn’t ring true. He’d always known Tony has a soft spot for the older man, but never this. Never…love.

He’d seen enough evidence of Tony’s luck with women to know the endless stories weren’t just all tall tales. He knew for certain the agent enjoyed female company, but maybe that wasn’t the whole truth? Could he be bi-sexual? Was it even possible that DiNozzo could be in love with Gibbs? McGee shook his head, trying to clear his mind.

He remembered something Ducky had said once, that Tony reminded him of a younger Gibbs. Maybe they did have something in common after all. They would be good for each other, he thought. He frowned. Where did that idea come from? Thinking about it some more, he realized it was true. Gibbs looked after those he cared about, and Tony, despite all his bravado needed someone to take care of him, someone who loved him unconditionally.

And Gibbs needed to lighten up, man, was that man wound tight sometimes. Tony frequently made him laugh, eased the mood when they were working a case. Annoying as it could be, he knew from experience how grumpy Gibbs would be when Tony was not around.

“Oh, God,“ he groaned. “Am I gonna have to write a sex scene? With Gibbs and Tony?” No matter what he called them, they were still Gibbs and Tony. Kissing. Naked. Having sex.

“Maybe I’ll have Tibbs bottom for Tommy. There’s just no way THAT’S gonna happen in real life,” he smirked. There would have to be handcuffs involved.

“Now there’s a thought…”

******
Tommy sat outside Tibbs’ house, still wondering what to do. This would change everything, forever. There was no going back. Tommy suddenly realized he had passed the point of no return ages ago. Why else would he kiss his boss in the middle of the night at the office, in full view of the cameras? Hopefully Tibbs would plead temporary insanity on his behalf, and convince the techs to erase the evidence.

He finally managed to walk up to the front door, only to find it open. Tibbs was retreating into the living room, carrying a mug of coffee. Tommy put down his overnight bag and was suddenly at a loss for what he should do.

******

Where to? Tony hadn’t given it much thought, really. Someplace quiet, secluded. Basically, he wanted to be alone with Gibbs, talk to him, and find out whether he was reading this whole situation completely wrong. He didn’t quite know how he would carry on if it all turned out to be a figment of his imagination. Now that he knew what it was like to lie next to Gibbs, to feel his warm body next to his own. The sense of belonging he’d felt lying there was something that had been lacking his whole life. To go back was almost unimaginable.

Tony looked at him for a long moment. “Somewhere secluded. I don’t wanna deal with a lot of people today.”

“I can do that,” Gibbs nodded. “I know just the place,” he said, not elaborating further.

They drove to a park not far from Gibbs’ house. Gibbs grabbed the food while Tony brought a blanket from the car. There weren’t many people around, and he led them to a secluded corner under an elm tree.

Gibbs emptied the contents of the bags onto the blanket and lay down beside Tony. They’d picked up a large coffee for the former Marine on the way over and he took a sip, clearly savoring the bitter liquid. Tony picked at the blanket, suddenly a bit lost for words.

Gibbs handed him a soda. “Ham or turkey?”

“Turkey, please. Thanks.” Tony accepted the offered sandwich and realized he was famished. Finishing his sandwich he rooted around for more food and was very pleased to find a bag of donuts.


“You come here often?” Tony asked as he took a big bite out of a custard-filled piece of heaven.

“Not any more. I do most of my thinking in the basement now. Sanding wood is very cathartic.”

“I haven’t quite found my cure yet.,” Tony said quietly, brushing an imaginary piece of lint off his jeans. Turning his head, he watched a lone jogger at the opposite end of the field.

“I know,” Gibbs replied.

Tony looked at him, wondering again what he was referring to. Gibbs knew him, better than anyone, even if he didn’t let on. But could he know…?

“That’s why you chase all those women, isn’t it. To fill some void in your life. What’s missing, Tony? Tell me.” Gibbs sounded intense, commanding. Nothing less than the truth would be accepted.

Tony gasped, he hadn’t expected this. To be stripped to the bone, laid bare.

******

Gibbs glanced at him and for the first time he was allowed to see. A mixture of love, apprehension and lust shone back at him. He momentarily closed his eyes and bowed his head, feeling like he’d stepped off a ledge. Strong hands gripped Gibbs’ arms and he looked up to find Tony very close.

“I need to know. Tell me I’m not wrong,” he whispered.

“Tony…”

“Tell me, Jethro.”

“You’re not.” A warm mouth closed over his as Tony kissed him lovingly, drawing him near. Gibbs let himself sink into the embrace before reality sunk in and he pulled away.

“Don’t,” Tony protested. “Don’t push me away.”

“I’m not,” Gibbs assured him, cupping Tony’s face. “I just don’t wanna be arrested for indecent exposure, that’s all,” he chuckled. “Let’s go home, Tony. Do this the right way.”

“Oh, right, yeah, that’s probably a good idea,” Tony admitted, glancing around.

The ride home took about five minutes, but felt like five hours to Gibbs. His mind was a whirlwind of emotions. They stumbled up the stairs to his front door, looking like two love struck teenagers. Once they were inside and the door was safely closed behind them, Gibbs pulled Tony close.

“I’ve missed you,” the older man mumbled, his face buried against Tony’s neck, breathing in the spicy scent enveloping him.

“I didn’t go anywhere,” Tony laughed, suddenly feeling very lighthearted.

“I’ve missed you for years, Tony, no time to lose.”

******
Later, Tony couldn’t remember how they made it to the bedroom. One minute they were kissing in the hall, the next it was all a blur of strong hands and naked skin as passion suddenly flared. They shed their clothes as they went, desire winning over tidiness.

The room was shrouded in darkness as the dark blue blinds shut the afternoon sun out. Gibbs lit a small lamp on the dresser, bathing the room in a warm glow. Tony was standing by the bed, not sure what to do next, his eyes following Gibbs around the room as he pulled down the covers.

“I need this, Jethro,” Tony whispered before Gibbs captured his mouth in a passionate kiss. Holding him close, Tony ran his hands all over Gibbs’ body, relishing in the novel feeling of firm muscles playing under smooth skin. Somehow they ended up on the bed, stretched out beside each other. Tony couldn’t get close enough, entwining his legs with Gibbs’ as he pulled him near.

“Lie down, Tony,” Gibbs voice was husky. Tony spread his legs as the older man was moving to kneel between Tony’s legs. The look on his face, made Tony’s breath catch in his throat. Gibbs’ expression mirrored his own, a mixture of lust and affection. He closed his eyes and he let his head fall back onto the soft pillows.

Gibbs lowered his head, breathing hotly against Tony's cock before swirling the tongue around the head, tasting the bittersweet fluid. A faint pop had him open his eyes. Gibbs was pouring a generous amount of lube onto his fingers. The young Italian sank even further into the mattress, eyes slamming shut as Gibbs slowly pressed one finger into him, then two, opening his body carefully, stretching him out.

“Look at me, Tony, open your eyes,” Gibbs demanded, kissing him deeply as he ran a calloused hand through dark silky strands. Green eyes met blue, and then Gibbs’ cock was sliding into him, one maddeningly slow inch at a time.

Tony wrapped his legs around Gibbs’ waist, pulling him even closer. He ran his hands over Gibbs’ chest, leaning up to suck a hard nipple into his mouth, flicking his tongue against it, smiling as he felt the older man’s response. Tony sank back down, flung an arm over his face, mouth open as he fought to breathe. Holy hell, Gibbs knew exactly how to make his whole body yearn for release. Each time Gibbs thrust into him, filling him completely, he felt himself drown. Being here, with Gibbs, was almost too much. Nothing existed but the feeling of Gibbs inside him, surrounding him with his sheer presence. Tony was so close; he felt he could come without even touching himself.

When he thought he could take no more, Gibbs pulled himself free, flipping Tony onto his side. His thighs were spread as Gibbs sank back in, making Tony nearly howl in pleasure as he hit that sweet spot over and over again. A strong arm wrapped itself around his waist and pulled him close, leaning against Gibbs' chest. Tony’s hand clenched the sheets, his head hanging forward as he felt Gibbs grow even harder and bigger inside him. Each deliberate thrust had him gasping for air. Gibbs' mouth bit down on his neck, one arm holding tightly around Tony's waist, sliding down, reaching for Tony's cock, holding him loosely.

“Please, Jethro, God, please,” Tony whispered. Gibbs tightened his grip on Tony’s dick as he shifted his angle and hit Tony's prostate again. Tony nearly blacked out as he came, hot and hard.

Gibbs’ hands tightened around his hips as his thrusts grew erratic. He wrapped his arm around his lover, pulling him even closer. Tony’s body was warm and pliant. An arm wrapped itself around Gibbs’ neck, drawing him in for a kiss as Tony turned his head to look at him. Gibbs managed one last thrust before he came, collapsing against Tony’s back.

Tony couldn’t move. Gibbs slowly pulled out and went in search of the bathroom, returning with a warm washcloth. He carefully cleaned them both off before sliding back under the covers, holding the younger man close.

“Sleep, Tony, sleep,” he whispered, kissing Tony’s temple as he tucked the sheets around them.

Chapter six

”Tony…” Gibbs gently ruffled Tony’s hair, trying to wake him up. It was six pm, and he was getting seriously hungry.

“Mpf…what?” Tony managed to open one eye and tried to focus. He looked at Gibbs and suddenly seemed to realize where he was.

“Hi,” he smiled, pulling Gibbs back down. “What are you doing out of bed?”

Gibbs leaned in to give him a quick kiss, but before he could react, Tony had flipped him over and straddled his hips. He was still entwined in the rumpled sheets, and looked utterly debauched.

“Now, you’re not gonna do something stupid, like citing rule twelve or worrying about my career, are ya…Boss?” Tony cocked an eyebrow, a challenging expression on his face, as he looked Gibbs squarely in the eyes.

“Tony,” Gibbs said quietly, “I’m not gonna lie to you. This won’t be easy. But,” he paused, I’m not about to let ya go.” He tugged at the younger man, who finally relented and lay down beside him. “I want this, what ever ‘this’ is.”

Tony opened his mouth to reply when suddenly Gibbs’ phone went off. He glanced at the caller ID and flipped it open immediately. “What’ve you got, Abby?”

“The prints belong to a Marie Warner, maiden name Cameron. Is…uh…that your ex-wife, Boss?” she asked tentatively.

“Yeah, it is. She kept hubby number three’s name after they split up.” Gibbs ran a hand over his weary eyes. “Thanks, Abby, we’ll talk later.” He hung up and tossed the phone on the nightstand.

Tony was sitting up. “I guess we know who sliced my tires?”

“I’m so sorry, Tony, for getting you in the middle of this.”

“I’m here by choice, remember? I’m just where I wanna be, Jethro. I don’t care about my car…”

Jethro shot him an incredulous glare

“Okay, so that was a blatant lie,” Tony admitted, smiling a little, “but I’m more worried she’s gonna come after you.” He got out of bed and pulled on a pair of sweats he’d thrown over the back of a chair by Gibbs’ bed this morning. Sitting down on the bed again, he looked around the room.

“Seen my socks?”

Gibbs chuckled. “Somewhere between here and the front door, I guess. Things got a little out of hand.”

“No regrets, right?”

Gibbs leaned over and planted a soft kiss on Tony’s shoulder blade.

“Nah,” he quipped, “hot young thing like you?”

Tony glanced at him; biting his lower lip as his face fell a moment before he composed himself.

“I want more than sex, Gibbs. Much more. Think you can handle that?”

Gibbs mentally slapped himself from making that stupid remark. He didn’t want Tony to question his sincerity. “I want more, Tony. But I need to resolve this situation with Marie before it escalates out of control”. He ran his hand down Tony’s back.

“Yeah.” Tony got up. “I’ll just grab a quick shower and get dinner started. I take it I’m still cooking?”

Gibbs smiled and stretched out on the bed. “You got that right.”

Tony just snorted and walked into the master bathroom. The sound of running water made Gibbs mind wander as he imagined what it would be like to join Tony. He closed his eyes and marveled at how much his life had changed in the last 24 hours. From the shock and sorrow of finding his house invaded, to the realization that Tony wanted something more from him. Something he’d never dared hope for.

The door opened and a very wet DiNozzo came in search of clothes, water staining Gibbs’ carpet as he crossed the room.

“I have towels, ya know.”

“You must have stolen those at boot camp, Gibbs. Ever hear of fabric softener?” Tony huffed, rooting through his bag, pulling out a small towel. Tossing the bag to one side, he glanced at Gibbs. “Can I borrow some sweats?” Gibbs untangled himself from the sheets and went into the bathroom, smacking Tony’s ass as he passed him.

“Bottom drawer.”

The bath smelled like Tony, and he paused momentarily by the door, just drinking in the familiar, yet enticing scent filling the warm room. Stepping into the shower, he found himself reaching for Tony’s soap. The warm water soothed his mind and Gibbs found himself looking forward to the evening ahead. And not just for the sex, although he had to admit he did want more, much more. He liked spending time with Tony, much more than he’d have thought, given their differences.

******
Gibbs’ kitchen was considerably larger than Tony’s. It was a kitchen made for a family, Tony thought, wondering briefly whether Gibbs had regrets, not having kids in his life. Well, it’s not like I’ll be able to fulfill that wish, anyway, he thought wryly. Turning towards the fridge, he realized they hadn’t picked up anything for dinner. They would probably have to go shopping. He actually felt like cooking, rather than just ordering in. Probably because he wouldn’t do it alone, he mused, thinking about the evening ahead.

He perused the empty fridge. Barring a few condiments and the usual suspects; egg, butter and a wilted tomato, there wasn’t much to produce a meal out of. The freezer held mostly coffee, not exactly a shocking discovery, he snorted.

“Find something?”

Strong arms embraced him from behind as Gibbs held him close. He leaned into the embrace, resting his heads against Gibbs’ shoulder.

“Nope, there’s not a whole lot to eat.”

“I planned to go shopping this morning, but we got sidetracked. Twice,” Gibbs grinned. “You wanna order in?”

“Nope,” Tony replied. “Get your keys, we’re going shopping!”

******

They arrived back an hour later. The neighborhood seemed quiet, only a few kids playing ball in the park up the street could be heard. Tony looked for signs of anything out of the ordinary, but everything seemed in order. They collected the bags from the trunk and went back inside.

“I thought I’d put these on the grill. That okay with you?” A bag of pork chops sat on the counter. Rooting around the cupboards, Tony pulled out a couple of bowls. Gibbs watched him, fascinated by this side to the younger man. He worked efficiently, chopping and mixing ingredients for the marinade. Placing the chops in a shallow dish, he poured the mixture over the meat, leaving it to one side.

Glancing up, he saw Gibbs studying him.

“What?” he frowned.

“Nothing, just haven’t seen you do this before.” Gibbs was sitting by the kitchen table, reading the sports section of the evening paper.

“There are a lot of things you haven’t seen me do, Jethro,” Tony grinned as he walked over to the other man. He leaned down for a quick kiss, “That’s what makes life interesting.”

Gibbs laughed. “Life’s sure not dull with you around, DiNozzo.”

Tony turned back to the counter and hummed a Sinatra tune that popped into his head; “That’s life,” he sang, chopping vegetables for a salad. Gibbs just shook his head and went to fire up the grill.

The evening was still warm, and they went to sit in Gibbs’ backyard, having a couple of cold beers. This is nice, Gibbs thought, having someone around. A gentle breeze rustled through the cherry trees, adding to the sense of peace he felt. He turned towards his companion, looking at his profile. Tony looked deep in thought, a smile playing at the corner of his mouth. Stretching languidly, Tony hoisted himself off the bench as he looked at his surroundings.

“You spend much time here?”

“Not really,” Gibbs replied. “I tend to end up in my basement.”

“Shocking,” Tony said dryly. “It’s nice,” he declared, “private.”

“Private? You have something in mind?”

“I might,” Tony shot him a mischievous smile, before checking the grill. “I think it’s ready. You mind setting the table while I put the chops on?”

Tantalizing aromas soon filled the air, wafting into the house where Gibbs set the kitchen table. A few minutes later, light chatter filled the room as Gibbs tried to teach Tony the finer points to boat building.

******

McGee couldn’t believe he was doing this. Glancing at his watch, he decided to give it another hour. The agent thumped his head on the steering wheel a couple of times and berated himself for his stupidity. What the hell did he hope to accomplish with this? Tony and Gibbs would hardly be making out on the front porch. McGee banged his head again and suddenly blushed when he saw an old lady walking a German Shepard staring at him, openly skeptical, before crossing the street to pass his car on the other side.

“Great, now you’re scaring little old ladies shitless as well. Good one,” he muttered. “Not your weekend, McGee.” He resumed scanning the house and the street. A very familiar black car passed slowly by, disappeared around the corner and was back a few minutes later.

Picking up his phone, he hit speed dial three and waited for a reply.

A moment later she replied. “Hi, Tim. Listen, I can’t talk, I’m kinda in the middle of something here.”

“Anything I can help you with?” He could hear her fidget around in her car, probably trying to come up with an excuse.

“No, no, no. Just stuff. Female…uh…stuff.”

“You’ve passed my car twice, Abby. What the hell is going on?”

“I’m just looking for a place to park,” she answered lamely.

“The driveway not wide enough for ya?” He couldn’t quite keep the annoyance out of his voice.

“Where are you?”

“Just up the street from Gibbs’ house, by Maiden Lane,” McGee replied and hung up.

A couple of minutes later a sheepish-looking Abby got into the passenger seat of his car. She turned to look at him and all her abundant energy was back in a flash.

“Why are you here? Did Gibbs ask you to watch the house? Is he afraid she’ll come by again? He wouldn’t tell me anything, just hung up, Gibbs-style. One of these days I’ll have the nuns talk to him about manners. He might listen to them, especially Sister Agatha. She can outstare anyone. There’s a rumor she even managed to outstare the…”

“Abby,” McGee interrupted, “who are you taking about?”

“Sister Agatha! You really have to pay attention, Tim. She’s the…”

“Not her! Why would Gibbs ask me to watch the house?” McGee said very slowly, enunciating every word carefully.

“Oh.”

Abby looked very unhappy. “You didn’t know?” She looked out her side window, studying a cat perched on top of the fence surrounding a small park.

“He’ll be so mad at me,” she sighed, leaning against the glass.

“You rather I asked Gibbs myself?” Tim was not about to let her of the hook.

“No, no, no! You can’t do that!” She fell silent again, picking at the studs running down the side of her leather coat.

“Pinky swear?” She looked at him pleadingly.

McGee held out his pinky finger, curios as to what this might be. Knowing Abby, it could be just about anything.

Abby took a deep breath, before she plunged into her explanation. “Gibbs’ first ex-wife is stalking him. At least I think she is. She slashed the tires on Tony’s baby last night, when he spent the night there.”

“Why would she do that? Did she think Tony was another redhead?”

Abby shot him a glance, looking at him intently before turning away again. “Dunno, Tim. All I know is that Tony found all his tires ruined when they were leaving this morning. He lifted a print that came back to her. That’s all I know. You’ve met Gibbs, right; he’s not exactly a fountain of information. And for once, neither was Tony. He couldn’t get out of my lab quick enough.”

Abby sounded hurt. McGee knew she hated being kept out of the loop, especially when her friends were in trouble.

“Why was she even on file? Has she been arrested for something like this before?” McGee suddenly realized he was scanning the street in front of them, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

“She was charged with DUI a few years back, around this time of year, actually.” Abby fell silent for a moment. “Maybe this is some kind of ritual she goes through every year. Maybe it’s their anniversary, or when they broke up. I didn’t have a chance to ask him. You know what the Boss is like.”

Yeah, McGee knew. “You seriously think she’ll come by?” Subconsciously, he checked for his gun as he started to peruse the street more closely.

“I don’t know. I just won’t be able to sleep knowing she might go after them.”

“And what were you planning to do if you saw her? Take her down?” He looked at her incredulously. “They’re big boys, ya know. They can take care of themselves.”

“Wait a minute,” she said, turning towards him again, “what ARE you doing here, Agent McGee? And don’t try to lie, I always know when you lie.”

McGee tried desperately to fight down the deep blush he felt creep up his face, to no avail.

“Oh, this is gonna be good,” Abby smiled, pulling a bag of candy out of her jacket, popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth. “I’m ready for you now, Maestro,” she grinned.

“I…ah…” he began. “Please, Abby, don’t make me say this!”

She just cocked an eyebrow and waited patiently, eating another piece of candy.

“Fine, what the hell,” he muttered, “I’m so fucked, anyway.”

“I think Tony and Gibbs are involved…in love…”

Abby's laughter filled the car. “What, you’re hoping to catch them in flagrante delicto, are you? Necking on the front porch? Oh, Tim, Timmy, Timmy. Sometimes you’re so blind to what’s right under your nose.”

“Are you telling me they are…uh…seeing each other?”

“I don’t know if they are, Tim, but they have such a crush on each other it’s bound to happen. Are you seriously gonna tell me you didn’t see this?” She shook her head. “There was something different about Tony today, maybe he’s decided to use this opportunity.”

“Listen,” McGee said, “I know you’re worried. Why don’t you go get us something to eat, and we’ll stay here for a while, ease your mind, okay?”

“Oooh, a stakeout!” Abby practically bounced across the street as she left.

******
The lights had gone out a couple of hours ago, and everything had been quiet since. It was 2 am and they were fighting over the last of the jelly filled donuts when a light blue car caught McGee’s attention. It had passed through the neighborhood half an hour ago, but hadn’t slowed down. Now it was back and came to a halt a bit further down from Gibbs’ house.

“Abby,” he said quietly, pointing at the car in question.

“Should I call Gibbs?” she asked, concern bleeding into her voice.

“No,” McGee decided. “If she’s just sitting there, we’ll tell him in the morning, he can deal with her then.”

The words were barely out of his mouth before a woman exited the car, ran across the street and paused momentarily in front of Gibbs’ front door. Before McGee could react, she was inside.

“Call Gibbs,” he ordered, setting down the street, his weapon drawn.

Chapter seven

Dinner had turned out to be a lively affair. Tony entertained Gibbs with stories from his college years. His laughter had filled the kitchen, bringing much needed life into the house. Gibbs smiled inwardly, enjoying every minute of it.

He let Tony’s words wash over him as his mind wandered to how they were going to solve the hurdles their relationship inevitably would face. His face darkened as he thought about the fact that they had to hide. Rubbing his hand over the back of his head, Gibbs wondered whether to tell Ducky. And Abby. McGee? He didn’t question his loyalty, but secrets could be a burden, a liability. It wasn’t like he usually blabbered about his private life at the office, anyway, but having to keep this quiet annoyed him. Tony was worth talking about, worth sharing with his friends. Their friends. Gibbs paused at that. At least Tony understood all too well the demands the job put on him, on them both.

Sighing, he played with his fork, pushing the remains of his pork chops around on his plate.

Gibbs realized Tony had stopped talking and was looking at him curiously.

“Am I doing a Ducky?”

“A Ducky, what..?” He smiled as he realized what Tony meant. “No, you’re not. My mind just wandered, that’s all.”

“Where to?” Tony’s tone was light, but weary eyes revealed his true feelings.

“I want to tell Ducky and Abby about us,” Gibbs explained. “Was just wondering about McGee. As much as I want to share this with our friends, I don’t want to askew the dynamics of the team.” He paused, thinking a bit. “Or place an unwanted burden on him. We’re violating all kinds of rules here, Tony. I don’t know if I can ask that of McGee.”

Tony looked at him in amazement.

“You want to come out? Tell them, about…us?”

“I do.”

Tony hesitated. “Now? Hell, already? I was kinda hoping for some time to work this out on our own, Jethro.”

“I’ll wait till you’re ready, Tony, but I’m not gonna keep this a secret.” He took a swig of his beer. “We will have to keep it out of the office, but there’s no way I’m hiding at home. I don’t want to look over my shoulder, or keep you at arm’s length, just cause someone’s here.”

“Probie might suspect something,” Tony began, as he got up from the table. He walked into the hall, only to return a few moments later, carrying a couple of crumpled sheets of paper. “I found this is his waste basket,” he laughed. “I don’t know if it’s payback for posting his profile at an online dating service, or if he’s really caught on to how I feel.”

Gibbs snatched the pages out of Tony’s hands and began reading.

Finishing the short paragraphs, he threw the pages down on the table. “How bad was this profile you made?”

“Hey, he got three dates out of it, not to mention a…” Tony protested.

“Don’t wanna know,” Gibbs interjected, spearing a piece of carrot with his fork.

“He doesn’t sound too shocked,” he admitted. “Maybe we’ll tell him eventually, a bit down the line.”

“So, we’re doing this?” Tony smiled, as the full impact of the conversation hit him.

“This being?” Gibbs had a mischievous glean in his eyes.

“You and me.” Tony took a swig of his beer, licking his bottom lip slowly as he looked Gibbs in the eyes. He could see the older man’s attention was glued to his mouth as he nodded in reply.

“Hungry for dessert?”

“I can…eat,” Gibbs said slowly.

Tony pushed his chair back and got up. “You coming?”

Gibbs followed him into the living room. “We’re having dessert in here?” He looked at the couch, wondering if there was enough room for them both.

“Sit down.” Tony was dimming the lights, shedding his clothes as he went.

Gibbs moved to get undressed, but Tony shook his head. “Leave that for me, Jethro.”

Sitting down, Gibbs watched as Tony walked towards him, muscles playing under smooth skin as he moved. He felt himself grow hard, and shifted around on the couch to get comfortable. Tony pulled a pillow off a nearby chair, placing it on the floor in front of Gibbs. He had to spread his legs a bit to give him some room, as Tony ran his hands up his legs. Nimble fingers unbuttoned his jeans and yanked them off, along with his boxers. The older man watched as Tony eased his fingers under Gibbs’ shirt, enjoying the feel of strong hands against his bare skin.

Gibbs leaned back, resting his head against the back of the couch. He closed his eyes; unable to keep them open any longer. The last thing he saw was Tony’s mouth closing over the head of his cock, enveloping him in a moist heat that had him moaning with pleasure. He could feel himself grow impossibly hard as Tony slowly twisted his hand around Gibbs’ shaft, firm strokes that sent waves of pleasure through his body.

”More,” Gibbs groaned, “I need more…”

Gibbs spread his legs even more, thrusting into that moist heat, hips moving faster as he neared his orgasm.

Green eyes sparkled as they met his. “Not yet,” Tony warned, before releasing him.

He sat up and cupped Tony’s face in his hands, kissing him hungrily. He pushed Tony down onto the rug, and sat back, just drinking in the sight of him. Straddling the young Italian, Gibbs bent down and sucked one nipple at a time into his mouth, each sigh and groan bringing him nearer the edge.

“Tony…I want you to fuck me…I want…”

Tony opened eyes burning with pent-up desire, reaching down and curled long fingers around Gibbs’ leaking cock, jacking him slowly.

“You want me inside you? Sliding my cock deep into your ass, feeling me fill you completely….?” Tony sat up, held Gibbs close as he slowly moved his hips, rubbing his cock against the other man’s.

Momentarily giving in to the sensations flooding his body and mind, Gibbs remained frozen in place, unable to move away from the firm, muscular body plastered against his own.

Gibbs pulled back enough to look Tony in the eyes, knowing the lust and mirth he saw there was reflected in his own. Being with Tony was deeply erotic, but also a whole lot of fun. Gibbs found himself happier than he’d been in years. Another sensuous twist of Tony’s hips brought him out of his reveries. His mouth closed down on Tony’s; he needed to taste, not only feel.

“We need something slick…” he gasped, breaking away from those delectable lips. “Ya got anything?”

“I’ve learned from the best, Jethro,” Tony chuckled, “I come prepared.” Tony reached past Gibbs, grabbing a small packet of lube he’d placed on the side table. His body was sliding against the other man’s, making Gibbs smile as he watched Tony’s hungry expression.

“Lie down,” Tony said, his dropping an octave as he pushed gently at his lover.

“I’ll do it…” Tony opened the packet and squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers. He circled his fingers around Gibbs’ tight opening before he slowly pushed one digit inside. The finger set off sparks of pleasure in Gibbs as he let the other man take control. Closing his eyes, he was totally focused on Tony and what he was doing. Another finger entered him, as Tony slowly stretched him. He shuddered at the thought of having Tony’s cock deep inside him.

Quiet moans escaped Tony as Gibbs slowly rocked back and forth. He leaned down and licked the underside of Gibbs leaking cock, tasting the slightly bitter fluid. A sudden cry escaped Gibbs as Tony sucked hard, nearly swallowing him down.

“Tony…”

“You ready?”

“Ya can’t tell?” Gibbs grinned, “C’mere.” He pulled Tony down, kissing him fiercely, “I need you…”

Gibbs squeezed the remainder of the lube into his hand and slicked Tony up, lightly pinching his dick, to bring him back from the brink a bit.

“Aaah…” Tony gasped, as slightly calloused hands caressed him. He kissed Gibbs before moving down between his legs. Tony slid in slowly, allowing Gibbs time to adjust. He forced his body to relax, riding out that initial burn. It was a long time since he’d let anyone in like this, physically as well as mentally.

Tony slid in slowly until he was bottomed out, buried deep inside Gibbs. Tony’s hands were strong and warm as they ran up and down his thighs, soothing and arousing at the same time. Pulling back and sliding back in, each thrust Tony made eliciting a drawn out moan from Gibbs. Waves of pleasure rippled through the older man’s body each time Tony buried his cock inside him.

“Close, Tony, getting close,” he hissed. Gibbs reached for his rock hard cock, fingers curling around the leaking shaft.

Gibbs gasped, his hips meeting Tony’s again and again, their movements growing more erratic as they picked up the pace. Suddenly Tony’s body grew rigid, his head tipped back as he cried out, his cock pulsating inside Gibbs as he came. Pulling out quickly, Tony closed his mouth over Gibbs’ cock, sucking hard as long fingers stroked his shaft. It was all it took. Gibbs had barely time to grunt a warning before he erupted into Tony’s mouth. The feeling was so intense he nearly blacked out, needing a few moments to let the erotic fog lift. Realizing the floor wasn’t the most comfortable place, now when their bodies were sated, the two men moved to lie down on the couch, snuggling close as they drifted off.

******

McGee ran quickly towards the darkened house, drawing his weapon as he approached the front door. Everything was quiet inside, he could hear some faint rustling, but couldn’t place the origin of the sound.

A thought flashed through his head and he felt a hysterical laughter threatening to bubble up. What if Gibbs and Tony were at it like bunnies? He quickly suppressed the idea, there were more pressing matters at hand. Stopping right outside the partly open entrance, he tried to assess the situation. There was still no sound to be heard. The room inside was dimly lit, a small lamp on a hall table cast a warm glow across the hall towards the living room. McGee tried to think, to picture the layout of Gibbs’ house in his mind. He hadn’t really been over that many times, mostly to drop something off, and invariably finding Gibbs ensconced in his basement, diligently laboring away on his boat.

McGee pushed the door open, relieved to find it didn’t make a sound. Trust Gibbs to keep his house in perfect order, he thought. Entering the house, he quickly established that the first floor was empty. Looking at the stairs leading to the second floor, he drew a deep breath and walked upstairs as quietly as he could. The hall was lit by a single lamp at the far end. Crouching slightly, McGee kept to one side, trying to stay out of view from the bedroom.

At the end of the hall he paused, trying to listen for any sounds emanating from the darkened room. He could hear someone moving around in there. Bracing himself, he slowly pushed the door open. A sudden burst of activity erupted, just as McGee was able to look into his boss’ bedroom. The scene before him made his blood run cold.

******
Abby fumbled with her phone as she got out of McGee’s car. Her hands were shaking so badly she dropped it on the road, watching in horror as it skidded under the car.

“Nononononono,” she wailed, dropping to her knees, frantically searching for the missing phone. Her hands clutched around a cool metal object and she pulled it out, only to find her battery was missing. Tears were slowly trickling down her cheeks as she kneeled by the car.

It was too late. They were all inside now. There was nothing she could do. She couldn’t even go inside to make sure they were okay, not yet. She knew enough about situations like these to stay away. Another person in the mix could inflame the situation further, making it even more dangerous.

She wiped the tears off her face and looked towards the house, wondering what was unfolding inside. Getting up, she noticed the light blue car parked further down the road. A sudden anger bubbled up inside her. Determined, she rooted through the glove compartment in McGee’s car until she found what she needed.

Running as quickly as her platform boots would take her, she made her way over to the car. The growing fury inside her finally spilled over.

Removing a long bladed knife from her pocket, she plunged it into the nearest tire.

“This is for coming after Bossman, you sick bitch!” she cried, kicking the tire for good measure.

The forensic scientist walked around to the other side of the car; “This is for hurting Tony’s baby!” She slashed the tire one more time, for good measure. “And this is for making me do this,” she hissed.

She noticed the car doors were open, and she reached inside and popped the hood. Yanking out any wires she could get her hands on, she slumped down on the road, suddenly drained.

“Try getting anywhere now, you stupid cow.” Slowly thumping her head against the car, her eyes never left the house, as she prayed her friends would be okay.

******
Later, Gibbs couldn’t say for sure what had awoken him. It might have been a noise, or the added light from the hall. Maybe it was his Marine instincts, telling him there was an imminent danger. He opened his eyes carefully, trying not to give away the fact that he was awake, somehow wanting to assess the situation first.

Marie was leaning over their bed, on the opposite side, her breathing shallow and rapid. A quick flash of metal in her hand had his full attention. Tony was wide awake, lying perfectly still as Marie pressed a knife against his throat. His eyes sought Gibbs’. He seemed calm, but Gibbs could see a faint sheen of sweat on his forehead.

“I thought you loved me, Jethro,” she whispered, her voice barely audible over his own harsh breathing. He slipped out from under the covers, and stood by the bed, facing her as he tried to figure out how to handle this.

“I’m sorry, Marie,” he began.

“Don’t say you’re fucking sorry,” she screamed, her hands shaking as she yelled at him. Gibbs could see a trail of blood slowly making its way down Tony’s neck, crimson drops coloring the pillow underneath his head.

“Don’t,” he said, trying to remain calm. “Tony’s got nothing to do with what I did, Marie.”

“He’s got fucking EVERYTHING to do with what you did,” she shrieked. “I loved you,” she wailed, “and you just used me.”

“I didn’t know, Marie. I thought I loved you…I tried to love you…” he trailed off, struggling hard to find the right words. “I was consumed by grief, and did the only thing I thought could help. I tried to make a fresh start, tried to find love again.” Gibbs had no idea where he found the ability to form coherent sentences. He couldn’t lose another one, just couldn’t.

“I trusted you, for god’s sake. I gave you all I had, Jethro. My love, my life. And you just betrayed my trust, made me doubt my self worth.” Her voice rose again. She was using her free hand to underline her points, and Gibbs could see the knife digging into Tony.

“I haven’t been able to trust someone since, did you know that? Another two failed marriages. How could I ever believe they loved me when you didn’t? When we met you made me feel like I was all that mattered. And then you were gone. Gone! Always working, never home. And if you did come home, you were here, but not in your mind. You left me, long before I left you, Jethro.” She was crying now, tears streaming down her face as she spoke.

“Why should you have love when you’ve ruined my chances of ever finding love again?” she sobbed.

Out of the corner of his eye he registered something moving in the hall. Marie focused her attention on Tony again and Gibbs risked turning his head enough to get a better look. He had to work hard to keep his face impassive when he saw McGee crouched down outside his bedroom door. McGee? What the hell was McGee doing in his house? Jethro wondered briefly if this was just one screwed up nightmare, but a quiet moan of pain brought the harsh realities of the situation back into focus.

“You’re in love with a man?” she sounded incredulous. “You’re gay?”

“No, Marie, I’m bi. It doesn’t matter. Please, let him go. This is between you and me.” His calm voice belied the turmoil churning inside him.

“I wanna see you suffer, Jethro, just like you’ve made me suffer all these years.”

Suddenly everything seemed to move in slow motion as Marie lifted the knife, only to plunge it back towards Tony. Gibbs threw himself at her, desperate to stop her. Two shots flared through the room as McGee fired, then silence ensued.

Gibbs scrambled off the bed, trying to get to Tony as fast as he could. The younger man was pale, clutching his shoulder as he tried to get up. Blood was trickling down his arm, evidence of how close he’d come to… Gibbs refused to finish that thought. Satisfied Tony would be okay, he turned his attention to Marie.

McGee was kneeling on the floor beside her, pressing down on a wound on her shoulder. She was conscious, but seemed dazed. Gibbs grabbed his phone and called for an ambulance. After giving them his address, he cut the connection and called Ducky. He wanted him to look Tony over, didn’t trust anyone else right now.

Taking a deep breath, he dialed another number.

“Jenny, it’s Gibbs.” He quickly briefed the Director about what had happened, keeping the details to a minimum. The long silence that followed, told him he’d have a lot of explaining to do in the morning.

“My office, 9am,” she ordered, before hanging up on him. Not too many people got to do that, he smirked.

******
An hour later the house was starting to quiet down. Marie was taken away to the hospital, where she would probably undergo a psychiatric evaluation at some point. He shook his head, an effort to rid himself of the images from earlier. Turning around, Gibbs took a long look at Tony. He still looked a bit pale, sitting on his coffee table in the living room. His arm had gotten a few stitches where Marie’s knife had graced him, but he would be fine. Ducky was swabbing the wound before applying the dressing. Gibbs reminded himself of that, again and again. Tony would be fine.

He turned around, and watched McGee comfort Abby, holding her close as he murmured soothing words into her ear.

McGee met his eyes and the federal agent paled rapidly as Gibbs approached him. Looming above him on the couch, Gibbs just held his gaze.

“Oh, this better be good, McGee. What the HELL were you doing in my house?”

“Oh…ahm…Boss, I…there was this…” McGee stuttered, blushing deeply as he tried to talk.

Chapter eight.

If possible, McGee blushed even deeper, turning almost purple as he struggled to breathe and form sentences at the same time. He looked to Abby for help, but she was refusing to meet his gaze, studiously avoiding his silent plea for help.

Tony shrugged into a shirt, got up and put an arm around Gibbs’ shoulder.

“Easy, don’t bite his head off, Jethro. He might have saved my life, you know.”

“Fine,” McGee sighed, and pushed himself off the couch. He stood firm, looked Gibbs squarely in the eyes. Tony had to admire his guts. “I’m thoroughly screwed anyway,” McGee muttered. Pausing, he drew a deep breath and launched into his explanation. “I wanted inspiration for my latest novel, and was staging a stakeout outside your house.”

“That’s the one where Tommy and Tibbs are having an affair?” Gibbs asked, his tone lethal, although Tony could see a spark of amusement flickering inside those blue eyes. Oh, you are a bastard, he thought.

“I wouldn’t mind knowing what you were doing outside our…Gibbs’ bedroom? Hoping to catch us in the act, were ya, Probie?” Tony grinned.

“Okay, fine,” McGee hissed. “I wanted to see if you and the boss really were involved. But that’s not why I was outside your bedroom,” he added quickly, as Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

Tony heard Ducky gasp behind him. He had managed to put on a pair of sweats and was sitting in the bathroom, using a towel to staunch the bleeding when the doctor had arrived. There was no reason for him to suspect they were sleeping together. A languid shower before they’d gone to bed had removed all traces of their passion filled evening.

“Abby came by,” McGee continued. “She thought I knew about your ex-wife, she was worried, and we decided to watch the house. Protection detail,” he added feebly as Gibbs remained silent.

“I saw her go inside, followed her and took her out when she went for Tony. That’s what happened. I’m truly sorry for prying into your personal life, Gibbs, but I’m not sorry for following her into the house.”

“Hey, what about my privacy?” Tony complained.

McGee just huffed, glaring at Tony as he dared him to protest more.

“Yeah, well, fine,” Tony relented. “I may, MAY, have done a few things myself.” The entire room snorted as the team made their views on that particular subject perfectly clear.

Tony could feel Gibbs’ shoulders relax a bit.

“Jethro? Would you join me in the kitchen, please?” Ducky asked, looking at him and Tony, where they stood holding each other.

Tony sighed, a mixture of relief and apprehension surging through him. There would be no more agonizing over who to tell, or when. At least Shepard hadn’t been around to overhear his comment.

“Sorry,” Tony whispered. “I didn’t think.” The painkillers had taken effect, lulling him into a state where censoring his words weren’t his foremost worry.

“It’s fine, Tony, only a bit sooner than we had planned, that’s all.” Gibbs put his arm around Tony’s waist and tugged him closer.

“Jethro?”

“Yes, Ducky, we’re involved. It only just happened, yesterday. We were going to tell you all, properly, not like this.”

“Jethro, a word, now.” Ducky’s tone left no room for argument. Tony watched as Gibbs followed the doctor into the kitchen, before turning back to McGee, who still looked slightly queasy.

“So, McSherlock, you doing okay, there?” Tony teased, although he felt a little shaky himself.

McGee glared at him, but didn’t seem to have the energy to retort. They lapsed into silence, listening to the murmur of words filtering through from the kitchen.

“Listen,” Tony began. “I just wanna say ‘thank you’. You did good today, Tim. And I’ll take care of Gibbs.”

“Is that so, DiNozzo?”

Startled, Tony turned around to find Gibbs standing very close behind him.

“Hey,” he yelped, “injured man here, Gibbs! No sniper moves tonight. I’ve had enough people sneak up on me for one night.”

Gibbs winced, as the realization of how close a call this had been hit him. He turned towards the rest of the team.

“Let’s call it a night," he said, looking at McGee. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” He hesitated for a moment. “I need to ask you not to tell anyone about Tony and me. She’d transfer him off the team if she found out…”

“No need to ask, Jethro,” Ducky reassured them both. “You have our full support, my friend.” He patted Tony on the arm and walked towards the front door. “Now, do try and get some sleep. I have left some painkillers for you on the kitchen counter, Tony. Take two before bed. Stay home tomorrow and get some rest,” the doctor ordered, draping his coat over his arm.

Gibbs followed them into the hall, where he squeezed McGee’s shoulder, “Thank you,” he said quietly.

McGee just nodded, and followed Abby outside, looking relieved to be going home.

“Where are we sleeping tonight?” Tony looked up the stairs, thinking about the stripped bed and blood and…He shook his head, not wanting to go there.

Gibbs checked his watch and grimaced. “I’d rather not go to your place, he sighed. It’s late, and I…” he trailed off.

“Den?” Tony suggested. There was a day bed in there that would do for a night or two. He didn’t feel like going upstairs at all now, even shying away from the guest room.

“Yeah, the den sounds good.” Gibbs disappeared, only to return a few moments later with a couple of blankets and a bottle of oil.

He closed the curtains and spread a towel down on the bed. “C’mere,” Gibbs said quietly. “That was too close,” he whispered, holding Tony tightly. Gibbs released him and started to unbutton Tony’s shirt, brushing his lips over naked skin, kissing and tasting as he undressed the younger man.

”Lie down,” he ordered. “Let me do this.”

Tony felt himself relax as Gibbs straddled him, pouring a generous amount of oil onto Tony’s back.

“Easy,” he murmured, “let me do this.” Tony felt himself melt under the sure strokes of Gibbs’ calloused hands across his back. Muscles unclenched and his breathing evened out as he grew more and more relaxed.

Gibbs continued to run his hands over Tony’s body until they were both calm, allowing the events of the evening to be pushed to the back of their minds. Gibbs slid a bit further down. A moment later, Tony could feel warm, moist lips touching the base of his spine, kissing him gently, as Gibbs' hands explored the curve of Tony's ass. Slick fingers parted his cheeks, rubbing over his opening. Tony squirmed a bit, trying to get comfortable as his cock hardened.

One blunt finger slid inside him, opening him up, then another one. Tony lifted his hips to meet him, growling as Gibbs continued the maddeningly slow and sweet torture.

“Enough already,” he gasped. “I’m ready, Jethro…” He moaned as Gibbs twisted his fingers a bit, setting off sparks of pleasure.

“Ssh, you’re so impatient,” Gibbs chuckled, brushing his lips against the nape of Tony’s neck before biting down lightly on his shoulder. Tony could feel the mattress dip as Gibbs shifted his position. Strong hands parted his cheeks and he felt Gibbs’ cock nudge against his opening, sliding slowly inside, not stopping until his body was flush against Tony’s own.

The weight of Gibbs on top of him felt reassuring, connecting them after an evening where they could have lost it all. Gibbs’ breath felt warm against his sensitized skin and he reached out for the older man’s hands, entwining their fingers before pressing up against his lover.


Slowly, Gibbs started to move, sliding in and out, long, steady strokes that had Tony aching with need and desire. He closed his eyes and let the sensations wash over him. This was all that mattered; the world outside couldn’t reach them.

Gibbs picked up the pace, his thrusts growing faster, shorter, harder. Each time Gibbs buried himself inside Tony, he pressed him into the mattress, the friction of the slightly coarse towel against his hard cock sending him ever closer to the edge. Gibbs shifted the angle, and Tony cried out as he rubbed over his prostate. He couldn’t hold back any longer, grinding his aching cock into the mattress and roared out his orgasm. Gibbs slowed down, riding out Tony’s orgasm before resuming the long, hard thrusts again, going deeper every time.

Time ceased to exist for Tony. All he could focus on was Gibbs inside him, making him his. Moments later Gibbs froze, his cock pulsating as he came, collapsing on top of Tony, before sliding off him. Tony remained where he was, unable to move. Gibbs covered them both with a blanket before he wrapped himself around Tony, holding him close as they drifted off.


******
Director Shepard was standing by the window when Gibbs entered her office the following morning. He could see his report sitting on her desk. He’d emailed it to her at the crack of dawn, being unable to sleep for most of the night.

She looked at Gibbs, then motioned for him to sit down. He took the chair opposite hers and waited.

“Why was I not informed your ex-wife was stalking you?” Shepard’s voice didn’t reveal much, but he knew very well how her cool exterior could hide her true feelings.

“Is this Jenny or Director Shepard speaking?”

Shepard was unfazed. “I should be kept informed of any threats directed at my agents,” she replied coolly.

“This was private, Director. No need to involve NCIS.”

“Private? Yet, you involved DiNozzo. I wasn’t aware you two were this close. You don’t let just anyone into you private sphere.”

“He’s my second in command, Jenny. I trust him implicitly.” He remained calm, not wanting to reveal his true feelings for his agent.

“Do you realize what a PR nightmare this is? If the situation was volatile enough to warrant a ‘bodyguard’, surely you should have alerted the police, or at least…”

“I had DiNozzo,” Gibbs interrupted her, growing impatient. “She broke into my house, I called Tony and he decided to stay for the weekend. We discovered yesterday morning she’d slashed the tires on Tony’s car. The prints came back to Marie, but I didn’t think the situation warranted further action. There was no reason to believe she would do anything when I had company. She probably thought he was my latest redhead.”

“Prints? I take it you used NCIS resources to uncover that little bit of information?” Shepard was not backing down. Gibbs didn’t reply.

“Go on.” Shepard indicated she wanted the rest of the story.

“There’s not that much to tell, Jenny. It’s all in my report. She locked herself into my house, threatened DiNozzo at knife point and was taken down by McGee.”

“Yes, about that. What was he doing there? Were they all hired as your personal bodyguards this weekend? They are your team, Special Agent Gibbs, not some private security force you can deploy at a whim.”

“I didn’t.” He couldn’t help smiling.

“You find this amusing, Jethro? Because trust me, I do not.”

“That’s not it, Jenny. McGee was staging a fake stakeout. Apparently he was seeking inspiration for his latest novel.” There was no need to include the rest. He’d asked them last night to keep their relationship from the Director. None of them wanted the team disbanded, and they’d all agreed to honor his wish.

Shepard looked incredulous. “Excuse me?”

“He was staging…”

“I heard you the first time, Gibbs. Have you all lost your minds? And Sciuto?”

“When the prints came back to Marie, Abby got worried. She was cruising the streets around my house when McGee spotted her. Abby told him about Marie, and they made the fake stake out a real one.”

“What was she planning to do? Clobber her over the head with one of her boots?” Shepard shook her head.

The Director’s expression softened a bit. “How are you holding up, Jethro?”

“I’m fine. So is DiNozzo,” he added, angered she hadn’t asked yet.

“And Marie?”

“Ducky’s been in contact with the hospital. She’s had surgery on her shoulder, and eventually she’ll probably have to undergo some sort of psychiatric evaluation.” Gibbs shifted in his chair as the memories from last night came flooding back.

“How long has this been going on?”

“A few years, on and off. Nothing like this, though.” He got up. “Are we done here?”

“For now,” she replied. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Gibbs was out the door before she could react. Shaking her head, she picked up his report to study it more carefully.

Gibbs planned on going home. They were not on call, and McGee was finishing up his report as Gibbs walked through the bullpen. The rest would keep until he returned a few hours later.

Half an hour later, he let himself into the house. The TV was blaring from the living room and Gibbs toed off his shoes before going in search of Tony. He found him fast asleep on the couch, his hand still lightly clutching the remote control.

Grabbing the remote, Gibbs killed the TV and sat down beside the younger man, waiting for him to wake up.

A few minutes later, Tony stirred, stretching like a cat before opening his eyes.

“Hey, you’re home,” he smiled, reaching out for Gibbs. “Shepard happy?” he asked, sitting up carefully.

“Yeah, well,” Gibbs replied, “still pissed at me for using NCIS resources and causing a PR disaster, but other than that, we’re good.”

“Good.” Tony snagged the remote off the table. “Now, have you ever watched the episode where Magnum saves the pretty girl?”

Gibbs groaned, but settled into the couch, drawing Tony close.



EPILOGUE �" SIX MONTHS LATER

Gibbs’ second in command walked into the bullpen at 7 am. He’d planned on sleeping in a bit on his birthday, but his lover had had other plans. Tony smiled as the memory of being awoken by a warm mouth resurfaced.

He flung his backpack on the floor and went in search of coffee. Living with Gibbs had its perks, and a few minor drawbacks. Getting hooked on morning coffee was one. When he returned to the squad room, Tony noticed a creamy white gift box sitting in the middle of his desk. He cocked his head and looked at it, wondering whether this was part two of Gibbs’ birthday present. A morning of slow lovemaking had been part one.

The box had no card on it, only a rainbow striped ribbon tied around it. He tugged at the bow, removing the colorful band before taking off the lid.

“Oh, no, you didn’t,” he laughed, as he viewed the contents. Carefully lifting the present out of the box, Tony examined the item. It was a story, about 60 pages long. McGee had even made a cover. An image of him and Gibbs adorned the dust jacket. He recognized the shot. Abby had invited them on a picnic by the river. She’d made all her specialties, and Tony had fallen asleep afterwards, leaning against Gibbs under a shady tree. He looked at the picture. Gibbs had his arms wrapped around him, holding him close. They both looked peaceful and happy, and there was a small smile playing around Gibbs’ lips as he gazed across the water.

Tony opened the book, quickly scanning a few pages here and there.

“Oh, God…you didn’t....” he groaned, feeling a blush creep up his neck.

The faint ping of the elevator reached him and he scrambled to hide the present. Gibbs rounded the corner, finding him behind his desk, trying to shove the book into an already overflowing drawer.

“Whatcha got, there, Tony? Another present?” Before Tony could react, Gibbs had removed the story from the box, his eyes lingering at the cover for a few moments before reading the first few pages. Tony could see the minute he reached the more salacious parts of the story.

“McGee…” He sounded amused, and Tony released a sigh of relief. “Didn’t know you had it in ya! Where is he anyway?” Gibbs looked around the office, which was mostly empty this early in the morning

“He had some kind of meeting in Norfolk, would be gone all day,” Abby volunteered, suddenly appearing by Gibbs’ side.

“Sneaky,” Tony muttered, before putting the book back in the gift box.

“You like your gift, Tony?” She had a look in her eyes Tony recognized.

“You’ve read it?” he stated, looking at the box in front of him.

“Read it? I helped write it. You know, the good parts,” she grinned. “Oh, and Gibbs, you can borrow the restraints used on page 13 if you like. You know, if Tony’s misbehaving.” She smiled innocently and was gone.

The two men were left momentarily speechless. Gibbs cocked an eyebrow, looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes that Tony found slightly unnerving.

“No…” he said.

“What?” Gibbs was all innocence.

“No way.” Tony was adamant.

“Really…” Gibbs growled, not backing down.

“Not gonna happen…”

People started drifting in, and Gibbs returned to his desk. Throughout the day, Tony would look up to meet Gibbs’ eyes, and there it was, every time: The promise that this particular discussion was far from over.

The end