Macallan 18. Three fingers. One ice cube. Tony had said it with an ease he was surprised he managed. He saw something in Gibbs‘ eyes. Something that told him he had opened his mouth once too often. That he had given him a reason to show up that night.

Tony liked it to spent time with Gibbs. Alone. At home. In a bed. But when Gibbs shows up in his apartment they wouldn't have sex. Usually it was Tony going to Gibbs. Then they would fuck like rabbits and it was good that way. Tony had noticed that the need to go over had increased in the last months but he hadn't thought about it.

They weren't exclusive, Gibbs knew that. But Tony knew that the door never was locked. It was an open invitation and both of them knew it. Tony also knew that Gibbs was exclusive for him. Gibbs wanted more from their „thing". He had told Tony after the first night.

Just Tony couldn't jump into it. He had told Gibbs that he liked the idea but he had to grow into it on his own pace. Tony was insecure, and he knew that. He couldn't tell what the older man liked about him but he never asked. He was afraid to let himself into a relationship because he was scared to open up. Once you're close to someone you can get hurt. Distance is good, it keeps you save. Tony hated that and often he just wanted to stay with Gibbs for good, but he couldn't.

Gibbs showed him that he was serious. He opened up and he didn't fuck around. Tony knew that it wasn't because he couldn't have somebody else, it was because he didn't want anybody else. And tonight Gibbs would be there.





Tony wasn't really surprised that Gibbs didn't show up. He had lost a battle and Gibbs didn't like to lose. So Tony had went out and found a girl but he didn't took her home. She was cute but she wasn't what he wanted. He let pass a few days before he went to get what he wanted.

Gibbs‘ door was open. He knew where to find him in the dark house. It wasn't that late and after the past few days it wasn't difficult to figure he'd be in the basement.

The two shots came fast after eachother but Tony wasn't worried. Gibbs wasn't the type to commit suicide and he couldn't really imagine that anybody would be stupid enough to break in Gibbs‘ basement. Anyway he looked around quickly searching any sign of an intruder but there was nothing.

He walked to the stairs leading into the basement and crouched down so he could se nearly the whole basement but a blind spot immidiatly in front of the stairs. He couldn't see anybody so he waited for sounds, getting a bit worried.

„You gonna stand there all night, DiNozzo?"

Tony nearly jumped at the words but then slowly descented the stairs. He looked at Gibbs sitting on a workbench dressed in greens, one arm in a sling. He had his gun in the other hand and looked at it, then at Tony. He nodded towards the wall behind Tony and the younger man saw the picture of the terrorist with two holes in the forehead.

„I see you got your revenge."

Tony said trying to light up the mood. He walked closer to Gibbs but didn't touch him.

„You scared me today."

Gibbs looked at him and nodded. He slowly stood up and put the gun away.

„I want that bastard, Tony. I want him down."

„Don't you mean you want him dead?"

Gibbs didn't say anything and took the bottle of bourbon. He looked at Tony just in time to see him turn away. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't remember Tony ever drinking alcohol. Always when Gibbs asked him if he wanted a beer he said he had a headache or something. More than that, everytime Gibbs drank something Tony was out of the room quickly. And now Gibbs could see Tony fight against the urge to leave.

„Macallan 18, I guess."

Tony looked at him but Gibbs couldn't tell what he was thinking. Tony walked closer again and took the mug out of Gibbs‘ hand before he kissed him gentle.

„You have meds in. They don't like alcohol."

„You, don't like alcohol."

Gibbs said bringing the conversation back to the main issue.

„You ever drink, Tony? A glass of wine with dinner? A beer after a hard day? Champagne on New Year?"

Tony slowly shook his head but didn't look at Gibbs. He turned and went up into the kitchen. Gibbs followed him and watched as the younger man took some left-overs out and put them into the microwave. Gibbs frowned a bit over Tony's unusual behaviour but sat down and waited for Tony to sit.

„Macallan 18, three fingers, one ice-cup."

Tony said but this time it seemed forced and hard to tell. Tony put the food on two plates and sat down. He stared at his when he finally talked again.

„My father drank alot of them. I didn't figured it at first, most of what he drank I didn't see. Then, I noticed that the bottle didn't emptied. I mean, I poured him that drink every day but it didn't become less. It was alwas a full bottle. It was strange so I watched for some day. The maid changed the bottle every day. But not only that. Just before coctail hour she'd put a new bottle into the cabinet. And every morning before my father was up. He drank two bottles, every day."

He absently poked his fork around the plate but didn't eat. Neither did Gibbs. He studied Tony intensively.

„You know that my mother's dead, right?"

Tony only glanced up until Gibbs nodded before he looked back down.

„I was fifteen when my father found out that Mum was fucking around. It's the only fitting term for it. There was the gardener, her tennis teacher, the pool boy, and many others. He totally freaked over it but she never noticed. I heard him talking to a friend on the phone, something about brake wires. Three days later she died in a car crash. It was set up damn good. The forensics figured the wires were old. He got away with it and I was too afraid to tell anybody until now. There's no way to proove it and actually I don't really want to deal with it. I just knew that I never wanted to become like him."

„Is that why you always leave the room when I'm drinking? Because you can't stand it?"

„Alcohol changes people. It makes you do things you wouldn't do when you're sober. It's the same with you. I came here once after you had drunken and...you went all rough on me. You didn't prepared me well, and...you hurt me that night. I don't want you to be like him. You are not like him, but when I see you drink, I see him."

Tony finally looked up and his eyes were sad. Gibbs took Tony's hand.

„I'm sorry that I hurt you. I had no idea. And I'll stop drinking if that's what you want."

„I don't ask you to don't ever drink anything. Just..."

„I know, Tony. And that's fine for me, really."

„Thank you."

Tony looked down at their hands and entwined their fingers. He looked up again, this time his eyes full of gentle passion.

„I think...I really want this, Jethro. I want this to be more. I think...I love you."

Gibbs smiled softly at him. A smile you don't see often around Gibbs and Tony really liked that smile.

„I love you, too, Tony. You're better than any alcohol!"