Sublime. Being fucked by the Boss was sublime, Tony reflected, as Gibbs' hard cock slid smoothly back and forth inside him. DiNozzo was riding a steady wave of pleasure, punctuated by bursts of sweet intensity as his lover's cockhead brushed across his prostate. He always loved to fuck or be fucked face to face, so that he could watch his lover's reactions and Gibbs' face was a picture of concentration and ecstasy. Tony had never felt more loved or desired in his life.

Gibbs' eyes opened, and he smiled, leaning down to kiss Tony's jaw line as his hips continued to rock gently. Tony's hands roamed lazily around Gibbs' powerful muscles and he smiled too, as his Boss' soft voice whispered in his ear, "Tony… Tony…"

The slap to the back of his head came as a bit of a surprise.

"You with us now, DiNozzo?"

Tony looked around at his colleagues amused faces. Even Gibbs had a half smile playing around his lips, and a wicked twinkle in his eyes that the others were unable to see. DiNozzo blushed, and then instinctively looked down at his groin. Gibbs must have seen he was hard. Shit. Not good. Still, the Boss didn't realise it was him, who made Tony feel this way. Not unless he'd suddenly become psychic.

Maybe Gibbs already was psychic. Maybe he already knew.

That actually made a lot of sense. Shit.

Tony coughed and straightened up in the chair. He was just about to say ‘sorry' when he remembered that would earn him another, probably harder, slap.

"Won't happen again, Boss."

"Hmmph. Ziva, you and DiNozzo go down to Pier 17 and check out that warehouse. And don't forget to take the warrant! I'm going to see Ducky, and I'll meet you there. McGee, see what you can find out about the Abraham Lincoln's last deployment. Contact the guy who was Special Agent Afloat and see what he can tell you. He should know how many sailors were in a position to be blackmailed and with any luck he won't be back at sea yet. Even if he is, I want to know what he knows. I want these bastards."

"On it, Boss," Tony replied as he slung the backpack over his shoulder and joined Ziva in the elevator.

"Gibbs really seems to have a bug in his ear about this case," Ziva noted.

"Up his ass, Ziva."

That brought forth an image in Tony's mind that wasn't exactly work-safe.

"What?"

"The phrase is ‘a bug up his ass'."

DiNozzo's erection had thankfully disappeared very soon after his rude awakening, but as he and Ziva walked out to the parking lot, Tony could envisage a scenario where being slapped by Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs might have the opposite effect. He shuddered, trying to shake off such thoughts before they got him into any more trouble. It really couldn't happen again. He just couldn't seem to get the idea of making love with Gibbs every which way they could think of, out of his mind.

"What's with you today? You're on schpilkes," Ziva actually looked a little concerned.

"On whatsies?"

"It's Yiddish. My grandfather used to say it all the time. It means you're a little jumpy."

"Oh, that. Nah, I'm just fine. Up and ready to be the investigative machine you know and love, Officer David."

Ziva chuckled. "Love. Yes, that would explain it."

"'Scuse me?"

"I guess you haven't told him?"

"Y'know, I really wish I knew what you were talking about, but…"

Ziva threw her hands in the air and shouted, "Mefager!"

"What?"

"You're a moron!"

She stopped him before they got to the car, and turned him to face her.

"It's obvious to me, to McGee, to Abby; I think it's definitely obvious to Ducky. I'm not sure about Gibbs, though. He seems to be clueless about that kind of thing, but then I can never read him, anyway. You have to tell him how you feel about him, DiNozzo."

Tony's façade crumbled and he laughed, humourlessly.

"And how do you suggest I do that, Ziva? He's my boss. He's an ex-Marine. Marines don't have sex with each other. Not to mention the fact that he's had three wives."

Ziva snorted. "First of all, of course they do. Why should the US Marine Corps be any different to any other group of men? I hate this stupid ‘don't ask, don't tell' rule. You know that gays have been openly serving in the Israeli Defense Forces for decades?"

"Yes, I knew that, but that's there and this is the good old US of A. We like to think the whole ‘gay in the military' thing doesn't happen here," he smiled, sardonically. "They're all good, solid American boys. Pardon the pun. It would take an act of Congress to change the Uniform Code and… basically they don't want to rock the boat. It would be political suicide for either party to do it. And it's ‘don't ask, don't tell, don't pursue'."

She snorted. "It's a joke. And America thinks it's so far ahead of everyone else. Pah! Second of all, you date every other woman you meet, and you're in love with him, so the fact that he's been married means nothing. And last, but not least, yes, he's your boss, but I tell you this, if you don't get this out into the open, either you'll be fired, or one of us will be dead. Perhaps both. You're becoming distracted and for all your joking around, that's not like you."

She stopped and turned to look him in the eye.

"Tony, if you don't tell him, I will."

DiNozzo hung his head and followed her silently the rest of the way to the car. She was right. Best case, he'd be fired. Worst case…

Maybe it would be better for everyone if he just quit and went back to Baltimore. Assuming they'd have him back.

*

They finally arrived at the warehouse to find it closed up and deserted. Something didn't feel right, and both agents drew their sidearms. Tony carefully, quietly and surreptitiously opened the door.

Sunlight streamed through the opening into the darkened building, the myriad specks of dust which hung in the air glinting in its rays. Ziva moved cautiously into the warehouse, with Tony covering her back. All they could see was wooden packing cases stacked three high in rows throughout the length of the building with a narrow passageway in between. The smell of coffee beans filled the air, which under other circumstances Tony would have found very pleasant.

He grimaced as the screeching of tyres outside heralded Gibbs' arrival, and Tony ducked out to warn him, just as rapid gunfire rang out, echoing around the warehouse.

"What the hell?" Gibbs shouted as he hit the deck and drew his SIG.

"Guess they're not in the mood for visitors," Tony quipped. "Ziva's still in there."

"On your six," Gibbs replied, and followed DiNozzo back into the building.

More shots rang out, and then a thump, as a body fell from the top of one of the packing cases and hit the floor. The agents continued to move warily through the warehouse, looking around them for any other gunmen hidden amongst the crates.

Gibbs noticed a shadow, crouching above them on top of a stack around sixty feet away and moved towards him, coming slightly into the open.

"Federal Agents! Drop your weapon!" Gibbs announced.

The gunman saw the sun catch the white flashes in Gibbs' hair, showing him exactly where Gibbs was standing, and he fired.

Two shots rang out simultaneously, as out of nowhere, DiNozzo threw himself in front of Gibbs and fired his weapon. Tony was hit, falling backwards into Gibbs, knocking them both to the floor. A sickening thud followed as the fatally wounded gunman also hit the deck, falling twenty feet from the top of the crates.

"Tony!"

Gibbs sat up and put his arm around the younger man's body, feeling warm wetness cover his hand as he touched DiNozzo's shoulder. He knew immediately that it was blood, but drew his hand back to look at it anyway.

"Jesus Christ, Tony, of all the damn fool things you've ever done!"

Tony's eyes flickered open and his face contorted in pain.

"You're welcome. Ow. That hurts. What was that thing? A fucking cannon?"

"Ziva! Call the medics!"

David was already on the phone.

"They'll be here in five minutes."

Gibbs stayed with Tony, cradling him in his arms and trying to decide whether to kick his butt or kiss him.

"C'mon, DiNozzo, stay with me."

"Chance'd be a fine thing," Tony laughed, then coughed, then grimaced and relaxed back into Gibbs' arms again, closing his eyes and revelling in the security of Gibbs' solid strength.

Gibbs held him tighter and whispered, reminiscent of the last time Tony's life had been in danger. "I didn't lose you to plague and I'm damned sure not gonna lose you to a bullet. You hear me?"

"Not going anywhere, Boss." Tony's head started to swim, and he could feel himself drifting off into a warm, dark place, safe in Gibbs' arms. Just before he lost consciousness, he murmured, "Love you, Jethro."

*

The following day Tony sat up in his hospital bed and winced. The pain in his arm was like a gremlin constantly sticking him with a red hot poker and he felt like someone had drained all his energy. He was as weak as a kitten and wondered if there was a voodoo doll somewhere with his name on it and an ex girlfriend sticking pins in it.

He was who he was, but unfortunately, some of the people he went out with were convinced they could change him, or that they were obviously ‘the one' and became pretty pissed when they realised that they weren't. Tony had been on the receiving end of a ‘woman scorned' more times than he cared to recall and it was invariably one of his ex girlfriends who reacted in that way; the relationships he'd had with guys had been way more straightforward. The herpes virus website incident had been a particularly hard lesson, which had taught him not to meddle with attached women, despite the fact that he hadn't known she was engaged at the time.

He grimaced, toying with the idea of buzzing the nurse for some pain relief, but the call button was now slightly out of reach. He cursed under his breath and decided that he couldn't be bothered to move again. He rested his head back gingerly on the pillow behind him and closed his eyes.

He couldn't stop his mind going back to the events of the previous day; Ziva saying one of them could get killed if he didn't confess his feelings, standing on the floor of the warehouse, following Gibbs, seeing the gun barrel reflect the sunlight, putting himself between Jethro and the bullet, the searing pain, being in Gibbs' arms, feeling so secure and safe, and just before he passed out…

Oh crap.

He groaned and put his good hand to his head.

"Hey, you all right?"

The soft rumble of Gibbs' voice made DiNozzo open his eyes. It was good to see the Boss, despite his feeling of embarrassment. With any luck Gibbs didn't hear him yesterday, or if he did, hopefully he wrote it off as shock induced rambling.

"Hey, Boss. Yeah, I'm fine. You up for a little sparring in the gym next week? I'll go easy on you. Promise." He tried to reach the water jug at the side of his bed and failed, miserably. Gibbs reached over for him, poured some water into the cup and passed it over.

Gibbs smiled. "Let's make it a coupla weeks, okay?"

"Yeah, maybe an extra week wouldn't do any harm," Tony replied, regretting trying to move at all.

Gibbs sat in the chair at the side of Tony's bed and linked his hands, resting his elbows on his thighs and leaning towards the bed.

"I didn't get the chance to say ‘thank you'," he began, quietly.

"For what?"

"You probably saved my life. You know I should kick your ass out of NCIS for putting yourself at risk like that? Especially without a vest! Not to mention I just want to kick your ass for putting yourself at risk like that!"

DiNozzo grinned, disarming him as usual. Gibbs' anger rarely fazed him, particularly when Tony knew it was borne out of concern. "Yeah, I know, but you would have done the same for me."

Gibbs laughed, softly. "Yeah, I guess I would have."

"Don't sweat it, Boss. I'm on your six. Always."

That came out with a little more depth of emotion than Tony had intended.

Gibbs smiled. "I know that, but I haven't finished."

"Shutting up."

"There's something else."

Ah fuck. Here we go.

"Before you passed out, you said something."

"Did I?"

DiNozzo thought that ignorance might be the best way to go. He didn't think he could stand the old ‘I'm flattered, but I don't feel the same' speech, and he knew he couldn't take the ‘you're a fag and I want you off the team' speech.

"You remember, so don't give me that. You know there's no point lying to me, and sure, you've said it before, but this was different."

The young man let out a long sigh and closed his eyes, unable to look at the expression of contempt he imagined on Gibbs' face.

"I remember. I'm sorry and I know what you're going to say, but I really couldn't give a crap right this second. I shouldn't have said what I said, Gibbs. End of story."

"Don't tell me what I'm thinking DiNozzo, you know how that pisses me off. Look at me,"

DiNozzo opened his eyes, and Gibbs was standing, looking intently at him with an expression Tony had never seen before and couldn't quite work out.

"Did you mean it?"

Gibbs was obviously in earnest, which baffled Tony even more.

"What?"

"Did you mean it? You told me you loved me and you called me ‘Jethro'. I need to know if you really meant it, or whether it was just another one of your dumb gags. If it was a gag, I'm likely to kick your ass just for using my first name. Christ, DiNozzo, you were shot in the arm, not the head. If I have to repeat everything, we're going to be here all night."

It was time to take responsibility; something Tony had spent a great deal of time running away from. As he looked over at Gibbs' face, he realised that he neither wanted nor needed to run anymore, whatever the consequences.

"Okay," DiNozzo took as deep a breath as he comfortably could, and with a gravity that took the older man completely by surprise, he looked Gibbs square in the eyes and continued.

"Yeah, I said it, and yeah, I meant it. I love you, and not like a brother, or a co-worker, or a friend. I'm talking butterflies in the stomach, not sleeping, wanting you so bad it hurts. Now, I fully appreciate that this might freak you out, and I'll understand if it does, but it's the truth. It's messing me up and I'm sick of hiding it. As a matter of fact, I've been in love with you for most of the time I've been with NCIS, but it's beginning to affect my ability to do my job. I can't let that happen, so here I am, ‘fessing up and wondering if you're actually going to wait until I've recovered to beat the shit out of me, or whether you're going to do it now. I'm guessing you don't feel the same way, so rather than have a fag on your team, you can fire me for real this time, or I'll quit. It's your choice."

Gibbs let out his breath and grinned.

"You're grinning. Why are you grinning?" Tony asked, totally confused.

"What did I just say about telling me what I'm thinking?"

"Gotcha, Boss."

"Y'know, I was hoping you were going to say that."

"Say what? That I'd quit?" Tony wasn't sure if it was the pain dulling his senses, but Gibbs couldn't possibly mean…

"No, Tony," Gibbs gasped in exasperation.

Gibbs took pity on him, in his confused and pain addled state. Gibbs was a man of few words in any case, and talking while Tony was in this condition would probably be a waste of time, so without so much as a glance behind him to check if they were alone, Gibbs leaned forward and kissed DiNozzo gently on the lips, taking advantage of the younger man's slightly open mouth to run the tip of his tongue along DiNozzo's bottom lip, and then suck briefly and softly on it before breaking away.

"We'll talk when you've recovered, but just so you know? You guessed wrong."

Tony silently watched him go, following Gibbs' back out of the room and down the hall, and he suddenly realised his arm didn't hurt so much after all.

*

Tony really hated being tied to a desk, at least in these circumstances, and trying to make telephone calls and take notes with one arm in a sling wasn't much fun either. He'd never make the steno pool with two hands on a good day, now he only had one hand working, it was hardly worth the effort. Actually, ‘hand' was somewhat of an overstatement. Anthony DiNozzo was the epitome of the bad two fingered typist, and he had no excuses for his poor performance, given his years as a LEO, other than sheer lack of aptitude.

For the second time since he'd been with NCIS he had returned from sick leave way before he should have, but Tony had reached the point where he missed Gibbs so much, he couldn't stand not to be around him, even though Gibbs had called on him almost every day during his convalescence, either before or after work. He'd lost a great deal of blood after the shooting, and even after the time he'd spent at home, he was still weak. The pain was being kept at bay by regular doses of Vicodin, but the weakness and the medication made him tired, and the fatigue made him frustrated and grouchy.

It turned out that DiNozzo wasn't the only one suffering separation anxiety, however, and he had been allowed back so that Gibbs could keep an even closer eye on him. The almost daily hour or so they'd spent together up to this point wasn't cutting it anymore.

The two of them had been closer than usual since Tony had been shot, and not just in a physical sense. There had always been a link between them that none of the other agents who came in had been able to either fathom or break, but it seemed to have been turned up a notch during the past week or two. Abby and Ducky had known them the longest, and Abby in particular knew it was more than just friendship, whether Gibbs realised it or not.

She'd found out how Tony really felt about Gibbs after a drunken evening of beer, pizza and scary movies. Tony had become uncharacteristically melancholy as he had become more inebriated, and confessed after a little game of Truth or Dare, that he was, in fact, in love with their team leader. It had hardly come as a surprise to Abby, but even now she wasn't sure if the feeling was reciprocated. She thought it might be, but who knew as far as Gibbs was concerned? He was the original dark horse.

When Tony had first arrived, Abby had been a little jealous when it became obvious that the DiNozzo/Gibbs partnership was something rather special. However, over time she'd come to love the big kid almost as much as Gibbs did.

Gibbs was… well, not Gibbs, around DiNozzo lately. If he hadn't been so heavily medicated it would probably have freaked Tony out. Since the shooting, something had shifted, leading to plenty of speculation around the bullpen and beyond. McGee, Abby and Ziva had started a sweepstake of dates when the two of them might start sleeping together, with the effect that every time Gibbs visited Tony's desk – which was way more often than he needed to – two heads would pop up from behind computer screens just to check out what was going on. Gibbs would go so close to Tony while looking at his computer screen, Ziva was convinced Gibbs would kiss him by the end of the day.

After one such visit, and after Gibbs had disappeared to the head, Tony carefully rose from his chair and wandered across to McGee.

"What?" he demanded.

"What, what?" McGee replied, feigning confusion.

"C'mon Probie, I've been watching you and Miss Mossad over there. Every time Gibbs comes near me, you two are sticking your necks out like a coupla ostriches, to see and hear what's happening. What's up? You think he's going to do me over the desk in the middle of the office?"

"I don't suppose you'd complain if he did," Ziva interjected with a sweet smile. "And I certainly wouldn't mind watching, although I think it might be a little too much for McGee."

It was unfair, considering DiNozzo's weakened state, and all he could manage as a response was opening and closing his mouth like a guppy, gasping for a snappy retort. Unable to find anything suitable, he meekly and silently returned to his seat.

The colour drained from Tim's face, and Ziva continued her work, smiling.

*

Gibbs sat down heavily in one of the chairs in the morgue and sighed.

"What can I do for you?" Ducky asked, looking over his glasses. "I take it this is a personal call? Since I don't have anyone here for you to ask me about."

"How long have we known each other?"

"Over ten years, Jethro. What's on your mind?" he paused. "Or should I say, ‘who'?"

Gibbs huffed softly. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only to those in the know," Ducky smiled, reassuringly. "And talking of those in the know, does Tony know yet?"

Gibbs nodded. "Kind of, I guess. He… ah… he told me he loved me, when he got shot. At first I figured it was shock, or it was like when I brought pizza when we were after… but then he called me ‘Jethro' and…

Ducky's eyebrows rose.

"Yeah, I know. I asked him at the hospital and he admitted that he remembered and said that he meant it. I mean, I've had my suspicions, and obviously I was hoping, but…"

"And do you love him?"

"God help me I do, more than I'll probably ever tell him. Trouble is, I make a lousy partner and he's had too much hurt in his life already. I don't want to add to it. You know that better than most, after all, you went through two marriages and divorces with me."

"And the emotional and physical injuries which came with them," Ducky replied.

"I've been running away from this for so goddamned long, and now it's here in my face and I can't run anymore… You know I'm not a man who's prone to fear, but this scares me to death. It's my last chance, and besides, I'm his boss, Duck. Jesus, if Jeni ever found out... " Gibbs continued.

Ducky tutted at him. "You're being too hard on yourself, as usual. Tony knows better than anyone what and whom he's getting for his money. You can be a complete bastard. He knows that. He's been on the receiving end enough times. Although having said that, you're not as big a bastard as you'd like us all to think you are. You're as tenacious and stubborn as a Staffordshire bull terrier, and you don't suffer incompetence, weakness or lack of effort from anyone; particularly you. He knows that, too. You're developing a habit of building oversized boats in your basement, you have a fetish for sandpaper and a fear of technology, you listen to the Farming Report at a ridiculous hour of the morning, because you invariably fall asleep while you're working, since you don't like to sleep alone, you've been married three times, you're mistrustful, occasionally downright rude, brusque and often more than a little contemptuous of anything outside your frame of reference. All of the above are things our Anthony is acutely aware of. You are also intensely loyal and have somewhat of a thing for redheads, and although Tony's hair is mostly brown, the red highlights are rather numerous and, may I say, rather attractive. Shall I go on?"

"Ah, no, no, I think that's enough for now. That psyche degree really has given you a talent for profiling."

"What I'm trying to say, in my usual admittedly verbose fashion, is that he knows you as well as anyone ever has, warts and all, and he loves you. You can't say fairer than that. Frankly, at your age, and with your track record, I really don't think that you should be looking a gift horse in the mouth."

"Don't hold back, Doctor Mallard, tell me what you're really thinking!"

The doctor chuckled. "I always do, my friend, I always do, whether you want to hear it or not. He's going into this with his eyes wide open and I suggest you do the same. Let him in, Jethro. Trust him. For once in your life, let someone love you who doesn't want anything from you but you. Perhaps it's time to allow yourself to be happy again. As for Madam Director, I can understand why you might be nervous. She does seem to still carry a torch for you, but, you can both be discreet, and you can be sure the team will be. They all care about you, you know, as hard as you drive them. We all do. You just have high standards and want to get the job done. There's nothing wrong with it."

Gibbs took a long pull from his coffee cup and closed his eyes, wiping his face with his free hand.

"Ah God," he sighed.

"You do have plenty of good points, too," Ducky smiled. "I'm just going to leave it to Tony to enlighten you on most of them."

Gibbs laughed, and rose from his seat.

"Thanks Duck, I owe you one."

"You owe me several and don't think I won't collect one of these days!"

Gibbs strode quickly and resolutely back into the office, whipping Tony's jacket off the back of his chair and barely missing a beat.

"You're with me, DiNozzo."

Tony had to smile to himself. Always.

"Where're we going, Boss?"

"You'll see. We have a few things to clear up, wouldn't you say?"

They entered the elevator, and as the doors slid silently shut, Gibbs leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Besides, it'll fuel the speculation even more. I kinda like that idea," he grinned.

Neither of them spoke again as the elevator slid slowly down to the parking garage, but Tony couldn't help wondering what was going on in the Boss' steel trap mind. They hadn't talked about what had happened in the hospital, although Tony had done little but roll it around in his head.

It was a great kiss, and had fuelled some pretty hot fantasies despite the pain, but not only was this complicated from a work point of view, Tony had no idea how Gibbs really felt. He hoped that Gibbs was feeling the same way, and that was definitely the impression he'd given but what he proposed to do about it – if anything – was anyone's guess. Tony thought he saw little signs and hints, but he wanted it so much he didn't dare rely on his judgement. He hoped that he'd find out in the next couple of hours, because the Doctor had told Gibbs that Tony wasn't allowed in the field until the sling came off, and that was the best part of a week away, so where the hell were they going?

*

Home.

Gibbs had been a regular visitor to the apartment during Tony's convalescence. They all had, taking turns at looking after him; or in Tim and Gibbs' case, bringing pizza and beer, which he'd sampled from time to time regardless of the meds. It had taken a little getting used to, not having a slice of pizza in one hand and a beer in the other, but he'd managed. It had been nice seeing Gibbs out of work, especially when it had been almost every morning and every evening, even if it was only a passing coffee stop when Gibbs was out for a run. Tony had come to look forward to those times. As had Gibbs.

The cleaner had been in, keeping her usual three times weekly schedule, but doing extra work while he'd been incapacitated. He didn't know why, but women seemed to like taking care of him. Actually, he did know why. When it suited him, he could put out an air of vulnerability that always brought out the mother-hen in women. When he picked up a guy, the mask he wore was very different. Men were out for a different thing altogether. There was no game-playing or pretence there. You go to a bar; you strike up a conversation, maybe a dance or two, then down to business; after which you go your separate ways. It was nice and simple.

With women, it was convoluted; almost like a ballet. Both parties still knew what was expected, but the steps and the timing were vastly different. Dinner, dancing, maybe several dates before actual sex and sometimes… well, sometimes they'd fall for him, and that would be a problem. It was the same problem that now threatened to blow his entire world to smithereens; except this time, he was the one who had fallen in love.

During his life, he had played many roles. He'd been the dutiful son and heir, then the rebellious son, the solid cop, the federal agent, the womaniser, the frat boy, and they'd all been useful in their time, particularly for keeping his friends and co-workers off balance. None of them knew the real Tony DiNozzo; he wouldn't allow it – until he'd met Gibbs, and he hadn't had much of a choice then. He didn't know how, but Gibbs cut straight through his bullshit. The Boss tolerated it, but they both knew he didn't buy it and never had.

Sometimes he wondered if Gibbs knowledge of him should have made him feel nervous. In reality, the opposite was the case. Gibbs had no doubts. He went with his gut, which was hardly ever wrong; he was as solid as granite and was as dependable as the day is long. He made Tony feel safe. He was secure for the first time in his life and able to trust – completely – in another human being. It was something he'd always yearned for, but hitherto had never found.

He certainly didn't have it at home growing up, nor at college. He'd tried to trust his partners after becoming a cop, in all three of the P.D.'s he'd served in, but never quite managed it. He often wondered if his P.D. partners trusted him. He hoped they did, he would never have let them down, but going the other way? That kind of trust was beyond him, and as a result he'd always hidden behind his masks.

He was the comedian; the life and soul of the party, always with a girl on each arm and a snappy come-back. He'd also been desperately lonely, yet consistently keeping himself at a distance from those who could perhaps have alleviated it; unable to let anyone in.

Despite his long and deeply held fear of emotional intimacy, it had actually been a relief when he'd met Gibbs. Just as he had a talent for seeing to the heart of a case and dealing with it, Gibbs saw the walls Tony had built around his heart. He'd seen them, breached them with frightening ease and Tony had been unable to stop him. Being honest with himself, Tony had been unwilling to stop him either. Gibbs was inside him emotionally and had been for a long time. Tony had also longed for the day Gibbs would be inside him physically, and it looked like today might be the day. He was hopeful that this was the start of a real relationship between them, and could see no obstacles to it, except for Gibbs' own rules. They were civilians, even though NCIS was attached to the Department of the Navy, so ‘don't ask, don't tell' wasn't an issue and God knew very well how long Tony had wanted it.

He sat quietly on the couch as Gibbs fussed around the kitchen making coffee. Ziva had brought back some Israeli Mud for them all to try after one of her infrequent trips home. It was very, very strong and Gibbs had quietly taken Tim's and Abby's packs off their hands. McGee couldn't handle it, and for Abby, nothing beat the hit of Caff Pow. Tony, on the other hand, had kept his in the hope that Gibbs would continue to come around. Besides, he'd come to quite like it. He smiled as Gibbs took a good long sniff of the air above the coffee machine and grinned with satisfaction.

"Sometimes I wonder why we have Ziva. She can drive me nuts. Other times I know exactly why."

Tony laughed, softly. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Gibbs sat down opposite him, in the armchair, leaning on his knees just as he had in the hospital.

"So, are they right?"

"Boss?"

"The guys back in the bullpen. Are they right? We gonna do something about this?"

It wasn't quite how he'd expected this conversation to go. When it had happened in his fantasies it wasn't as pragmatic, but then this was Gibbs in real life.

"In what way?" he asked, feigning innocence, but knowing it would be futile.

Gibbs just gave him the look.

Tony laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'm hoping so. I'm in love with you; deeper than I thought I was capable of, to be brutally honest. I want you so much some days, it's like a physical ache and I don't think I can wait any longer. Something's gotta give. I just don't want to mess up. Still, it's your call, Boss, just like always."

Gibbs smiled and shook his head. "Not always. Not this time, anyway. This is a big deal for me. I've… I want…" he stumbled. "You're not the only one who doesn't want to screw this up. This is my last chance to be happy with somebody, Tony. *You're* my last chance. I love you. The last thing I want is to hurt you."

Tony smiled. Gibbs was clearly off balance for the first time in Tony's experience of him. This was definitely one for the diary, and it was time for DiNozzo to take control.

"Why don't you stop worrying about me for a change and just let this happen?" Tony asked, leaning forward. "I think it's time we tossed Rule 12, don't you?"

"I guess it is," Gibbs smiled. "Couldn't imagine doing it for anyone but you, DiNozzo."

"I'm flattered."

"You should be."

"Come over here, there's a little something I owe you," Tony replied, softly.

Gibbs moved over and joined him on the couch, carefully avoiding his bad arm. Tony put his good arm around Gibbs' shoulders, and stroked the hair at his neck.

"Y'know, I want to do that every single morning when I walk into the office and see you sitting there, head down, working on something," DiNozzo smiled.

Gibbs chuckled, relaxing into his hand. "Yeah?"

"Oh yeah." Tony's smile had turned into a full blown grin and his dick had begun to stir just from Gibbs' proximity. The unexpected softness of Gibbs' hair and skin, and the smell of him – a heady mixture of cedar and sandalwood – was beguiling.

"I like hair," he continued. "I like running my fingers through it; I like playing with it and holding onto it when I make love to someone and not being able to touch yours has been driving me nuts. I walk into the office in the morning and I just look at you sometimes. I love the salt and pepper, and even though it did make you look kinda like Wilfred Brimley Junior, and no matter what I said at the time, I actually liked the porn ‘stache y'know."

Gibbs smiled. "You were in kind of a minority there."

"I know, and if this ever comes up, you do know I'll deny it under threat of any Mossad torture Ziva can come up with, don't you?"

"Oh yeah, I know."

"God, you have no idea how long I've wanted to do this, especially when you're being a grouchy old bastard."

Tony pulled Gibbs towards him, and finally his fingers entwined in the older man's hair and their lips met properly for the first time. Tony set the pace, easing Gibbs' lips apart with his tongue. He met no resistance as Gibbs wholeheartedly kissed him back with a throaty growl.

After a short while, DiNozzo pulled away, and smiled.

"Wow."

"You know me, DiNozzo, I never do a thing by halves," Gibbs smiled back, sliding his hand down Tony's chest, pausing for a millisecond to pass his thumb over a tight nipple and then continuing to his groin.

" ‘Old bastard', huh?"

Gibbs' grin widened as he wrapped his hand around Tony's erection, rubbing it through the tight denim of his jeans.

"You want the old bastard to do something about this?" he whispered as he continued to massage.

Gibbs' warm breath caressing his ear sent shivers down Tony's spine, through his asshole and up into his balls.

"Do ya think, Gibbs?" DiNozzo smiled, sending one of Gibbs' catchphrases right back at him.

Gibbs chuckled and got to his knees between Tony's legs, beginning to unfasten his fly. He continued undoing the buttons, allowing Tony's cock to spring free, and then wrapped his callused hand around it, squeezing. He'd always suspected DiNozzo went commando, and let go for just long enough so that he could pull the jeans down to the floor and off. He licked his lips at what he saw as Tony allowed his legs to part. The cool air ghosted over Tony's hot flesh and the sight of Gibbs and the thought of what was about to happen after so long just fantasising about it made him gasp.

His good hand grabbed the material of the couch as Gibbs hot mouth surrounded him. He moaned as Gibbs tongue bathed the length of him and laved his heavy balls. He figured he'd last thirty seconds, tops, which wouldn't really do his reputation as a stud much good, but this was *Gibbs* and Gibbs was between his knees blowing him and his reputation really wasn't worth a damn compared to that. Tony's world consisted of a hot, wet and amazingly agile tongue, soft, full lips and a strong hand stroking him steadily, gripping him tight.

Tony carded his fingers through Gibbs' grey hair, and whispered, "I'm close, Jethro, really close. You're too good at this for your own good. D'you want it?"

He was answered by Gibbs taking him deep, and working his cock with the muscles of his throat, while tugging gently on his balls and pressing his index finger just behind them. That last touch was enough to tip him over. Tony's hips jerked upwards and he gasped, coming harder than he had in a long while. He pulsed inside Gibbs' mouth and the older man took it all, grabbing Tony's hand in his and linking their fingers as Tony abandoned himself completely.

Once DiNozzo's breathing had returned to almost normal he relaxed back into the couch and Gibbs finally let him go, smiling smugly.

"Oh yeah!" Tony laughed, quietly. "Smug is a good look on you. God! Where did you…? No, never mind. I don't want to know. Ever. I'm serious. Don't ever tell me. Damn!"

Gibbs laughed.

"I love you. I mentioned that, right?" Tony asked, still a little breathless.

"You did."

"And you know I loved you before…"

"Well, yeah."

"Would you just come here and kiss me, for chrissake?"

Gibbs laughed again and did as requested, happy for once for his senior agent to give him orders, and even happier to see him so satisfied and flummoxed. The kiss was deep, long, slow, and Tony could taste himself on his lover's tongue; something he found unbelievably erotic. When he finally broke for air, Gibbs looked at him and smiled.

"I love you a whole lot, Tony."

"Yeah, I kinda got that part," Tony smiled.

"But next time, lose the socks."

"Thanks for the fashion tip, Boss, and there was I thinking they'd just been blown clean off," he grinned.

"Y'know, we're going to have to work on that."

"What? My fashion sense? That's rich coming from ‘Man at Old Navy'."

"Hmmph. I mean, you can't call me ‘Boss' while we're having sex."

"No?" Tony grinned. "I mean, we could get a sub/dom thing goin' on. God knows that's what work feels like sometimes."

"Not today, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied with an enigmatic look that sent a shiver down Tony's spine.

"Anyhow, it's too… weird," Gibbs continued. "Too much like a bad gay porn movie. I can even hear the ‘bow chika wow' music in the background."

Tony laughed out loud.

"Mmm classy! Nice visual, Jethro. Thanks a bunch. ‘Daddy Polar Bear and his Cub do Washington'."

Gibbs laughed with him; a real belly laugh and Tony was a little taken aback. He didn't think he'd ever seen Gibbs quite this relaxed before; not to mention talkative and God forbid, actually playful. He'd never seen Gibbs sucking his cock before either, except in his dreams. That was perhaps the most difficult thing of all to come to terms with.

"Officially not going there," Gibbs retorted. "Still, do ya think you could take a little time and try to get out of the habit? Y'know, before we actually do it, maybe?"

"You mean in the time it takes us to get from here to the bedroom and get naked? That's not long, Gibbs. Especially not given the mood I'm in."

Gibbs smiled and shook his head. "Ya know what? As long as you take off those socks, I don't care!"

Tony laughed, got up from the couch and held out his hand.

"C'mon."

He led Gibbs to the bedroom and closed the door behind them, shutting the world out.

"You sure you're okay?" Gibbs asked, gripped by uncertainty.

"Physically? Yeah, I'll be fine."

"And?"

"No ‘and'. I'll be fine. I've thought about this. Believe me, it's kept me up nights, and… Look, this isn't a one night stand for me, which I know is unlike me, but if that's what you're after… which after what you said, I'm presuming you're not …"

"You're babbling, DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted with a smile. "Shut up." He cupped Tony's face in his hands and then silenced him with a kiss.

He began to strip, his eyes never leaving Tony's, and he murmured, "You have no idea how many times I've just wanted to drag you into an empty office back at work and fuck you stupid. Trouble is, I know that you know exactly how goddamned hot you are, y'cocky bastard, and I figured an old coot like me wouldn't fit the frame."

Tony sat down on the bed to remove the offending socks, and smiled, shaking his head, dumbstruck by Gibbs' confession and a little amused by the irony.

"That's what you think? Seriously? That I wouldn't want you? Jesus, how wrong can a guy be? It's taken all my resolve to not turn my head and kiss you whenever you come look over my shoulder at the computer screen."

Gibbs laughed. "Have you never wondered why I come so close?"

"Y'know, for all our professional pride that we never miss a trick in a crime scene, we've both been pretty damned clueless. As for me being hot… I thought you could see through my bullshit, Jethro."

"I can, but you are, DiNozzo. There's no getting away from it."

"Oh come on, Boss. You know I'm nothing like as confident as I make myself out to be. You want to speculate as to why the hell didn't we do something about this before?"

"Oh, only about a million reasons. Rule 12 for one."

Tony snorted, and carefully climbed under the cover.

"Rule 12, my ass. If two people are attracted to each other, the dynamic of the team changes whether they do anything about it or not. I'm not saying I'd necessarily watch your back before Ziva, or McGee, but…"

Gibbs got into bed beside him and propped himself up on one elbow.

"You took a bullet for me, Tony. Are you telling me you'd do that for them, too?"

"Honestly? I don't know. For Ziva, yeah, I think I would, but mostly because she's a woman. I know that's fucked up a) in this day and age, b) if she had any idea she'd probably shoot me and c) because she's Mossad, for Chrissakes. It'd be more likely she'd be taking a bullet for me, while taking out three bad guys simultaneously, but even so."

Gibbs began to stroke his hair, and smiled. "You're my 2IC, DiNozzo. You wouldn't be on my team at all if you didn't deserve to be there. I poached you from Baltimore P.D. for a reason, and it wasn't just your smile, your eyes and your ass."

Tony grinned and turned to face him. "Now that I can believe, because I know I'm good. Not as good as you, and I probably never will be, but I'm good enough. You being in my bed and being interested in my ass? That's a little harder to get my head around."

"Oh, I'm here all right, and you have no idea just how interested in your ass I've been."

"I like the sound of that."

"I wish I could tell you how many times I've thought about this," Gibbs murmured, "One of the reasons I build boats is for the distraction. It stops me from thinking too much, about all kinds of stuff. It helps, but even then, I can't stop fantasising about being with you. Those nights, in my mind, I'm all over you like a bad rash. I can't stop touching you, and kissing you. I can't wait to get inside you; feel how hot and tight you are and fuck you ‘til you scream. Now I'm here…" he leaned over and kissed DiNozzo softly. "I just want to take my time; get to know your body, find out what makes you crazy. Look, we have plenty of time to make love. If you just want to sleep for tonight, or just lay here for a while, that's fine with me. I… For once I don't want to wake up inside that damned boat wanting to be next to you, I want to actually be there. You have no clue how much I miss you when you're not around, Tony."

There was such sadness and desperation in Gibbs' quiet confession; a sense of loss and need and love kept locked in a room deep inside him and for a long, long time. Tony was so moved, he honestly didn't know how to respond.

"Jesus, Jethro," he finally whispered.

"Yeah. Shocker, huh?"

"A little."

"Think you can handle it?" Gibbs stroked Tony's face with the pads of his fingers, his eyes following around its contours in wonder, almost as if he'd never seen it before.

Tony smiled and turned to kiss his palm. "Well, if anybody can, I can."

Gibbs huffed, softly. "Ain't that the truth? Tbye ochen spetzialnye k mnye, Tony. Tbye znaietye menya bolay poochzhye chem loboi."

"Y'know, when you speak Russian, it's unbelievably hot, but you need to tell me what you're saying. At least, right now. You whisper that in my ear when we're having sex? I'm not gonna care. It's just gonna make me come like a train, I'll warn you now."

"I just said that you're very special to me and that you know me better than anyone. Believe it or not, you do."

"Yeah. Back atcha."

"I know. You put up a good front, DiNozzo, but I've never really bought it. Not from the beginning. It's one of the reasons I took you on."

"Hmm. ‘zat so?" Tony asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It really turns you on when I speak Russian?" Gibbs asked, a little incredulous.

"Your voice turns me on, Gibbs. The Russian is a bonus."

"You want me to try French?" Gibbs asked, now slightly amused.

"Nope. French doesn't suit the growl. Talk to me, baby," Tony grinned.

Gibbs laughed, softly, a feral spark appearing in his intense blue eyes and he moved even closer, his body touching Tony's all the way from shoulder to feet. Tony could feel Gibbs' hard cock pulsating against his own as the older man's voice dropped to a whisper and he started to speak.

"Tbye boodetye samoi privlekatelnoi vantoi, kotor ya vsegda klal dlaza dalzhe, i ya idoo k vstavlyat piston tbye poztomoo krepko tbye ooviditye zvezdye."

As he spoke, his free hand wrapped around both of them, stroking in rhythm with his voice.

"Jeeeesus…" DiNozzo gasped.

"You like that?"

Tony bit on his lip as Gibbs thumb slipped over the crown of his dick. "Well, just how hard do I feel, Gibbs?" he gasped. "The fact that I'm leaking all over your hand should give you a clue. C'mon, tell me what you said."

"I said, you are the most attractive guy I ever laid eyes on, and I'm going to fuck you so hard you'll see stars," he growled.

"Reeeaally…"

"Oh yeah. And remember what I said about just wanting to fuck you ‘til you screamed?"

"Uh huh."

"I'm going to do that right now."

Gibbs gently rolled Tony onto his back, and covered him, kissing his neck and biting at the pulse point.

"It's about damned time, Leroy Jethro," Tony said softly, smiling.

Gibbs raised himself to look at him.

"So impatient, Anthony Darius. Y'got any lube?"

"It's in the nightstand and please don't ever tell anyone about my middle name, Gibbs. I'll do anything."

Gibbs' eyebrows rose, and Tony began to panic slightly.

"Okay, I'll do almost anything. You're the only one who knows. It's not even on my personnel file. Can you imagine what Ziva and McGeek would do with it?"

"Ah, don't worry, your secrets are safe with me… mostly," Jethro teased, as he knelt up and leaned over to retrieve the small tube. "You a Boy Scout? Or do you just do this a lot?"

"I was, don't remind me, but no, I just jack off a lot thinking about this."

Gibbs chuckled. He obviously wasn't on his own.

"We'll have to talk about exactly what you'd be prepared to do, DiNozzo. My interest is piqued."

A warm shudder went through Tony's body. By nature he was somewhat adventurous in bed, but he was never with his lovers for long enough to build the trust required to do some of the things he wanted to try. He hoped this was going to be different and if it was, it appeared that all kinds of possibilities could emerge.

Tony drew a long breath, trying to calm his excitement, and pulled up his knees, allowing Gibbs better access to his ass. He waited, patiently, knowing that a little time taken now would be worth it soon enough. His eyes never left Gibbs' as the older man popped off the cap and squeezed some lubricant onto his fingers.

"Y'know, your eyes are incredible," Gibbs said. "I look at them every day, and every day they seem to be a different colour. Some days they're hazel, other days they're green. I can never work it out."

He had lain down beside Tony and begun to kiss his good shoulder and neck, while sliding his hand down between the younger man's legs, searching for the tight pucker. Tony gasped as a slick finger passed over the sensitive skin, rubbing around and gently slipping inside a little.

"Ed i tui occhi possono vedere a destra nella mia anima. Ti amo più di tui sapranno mai," Tony murmured, trying to relax.

"I guess I'm not the only one with linguistic skills," Gibbs smiled.

"Sorry, sometimes the Italian comes out when I'm worked up, y'know? Girls think it's sexy."

"The hell with them, I think it's sexy. You want to tell me what you said?"

"Maybe later," Tony replied, kissing him and moaning into Gibbs' mouth as the older man's fingers slowly worked the lube inside him.

"You're pretty tight there, been a while?"

Tony closed his eyes and used his good hand to stroke the hair on Gibbs' arm as he endeavoured not to tense.

"Yeah, quite a while. I haven't had a guy in over a year. Imagining they were you all the time got real old, real fast."

Gibbs smiled and kissed him, their tongues wrestling more and more urgently and Gibbs moaned as he felt Tony's body open up and let him in. After a few seconds of enjoying Gibbs fingers inside him, Tony decided he wanted more and pushed him back, panting.

"Dammit Gibbs, would you fuck me already?"

Gibbs grunted and positioned himself between Tony's legs.

"Jeeze DiNozzo, you are impatient! You'll get it all right, but I'll be careful."

DiNozzo rocked his legs back still further and reached around to grab Gibbs' ass.

"You don't know how long I've wanted this. Your dick, my ass, it's a killer combination. Don't be too careful. Ti desidero così tanto…"

"I think I understood that," Gibbs panted. "And you're not the only one."

Tony's urging, along with thrusting his hips up to meet Gibbs' first stroke meant that Gibbs' idea of going slow and easy went straight out of the window. He was balls deep in a second and he gasped, overwhelmed by the intensity of heat, tightness and emotion. He fell forwards into Tony's embrace, shaking and taking shuddery breaths.

DiNozzo held him with one arm, stroking his back. He kissed Gibbs' ear softly and whispered, "It's okay Jethro, relax and let it go. I've got you."

"Jesus Christ, Tony. I…"

"I know."

They lay there for a few seconds, taking great pleasure in the intimacy. It wasn't often that either of them had moments like these. The short lived relationships and one night stands on both sides were ultimately empty. This, on the other hand, was deeper; so deep that Tony could hardly stand it. He was loath to let Gibbs move, since the sooner he began to fuck, the sooner it would be over and Tony didn't think he could bear the thought of Gibbs not being inside him any more.

He had never felt so needed, and Gibbs had never felt so connected. Perhaps with his first wife, Shannon, but that had been a lifetime ago. As he became accustomed to Tony's body clutched tightly around him both internally and externally, and he actually registered that he was making love to Tony DiNozzo, Gibbs suddenly wondered if he and Tony were doing the right thing. A nanosecond later such thoughts were replaced by wondering if he'd ever be the same again, and could he stay right here for the rest of his life? In that one intense moment, it was almost as if all the crap he'd been through, and that Tony had been through was just to get to this. It was as near to perfect as anything ever got in this life.

Eventually Gibbs recovered his senses enough to move, and began to rock his hips slowly, sliding easily in and out of his lover's body as Tony relaxed and opened up to him even more. The younger man moaned appreciatively and slid his hand down to stroke himself.

Gibbs' mind went into overdrive and he carefully noted how Tony touched himself. Which spots were obviously sensitive, how hard he liked to be stroked, where he went softly, and Gibbs logged away every detail for future reference. It was an amazingly erotic sight, but served to just take the edge off and allow him to last longer than he realistically would have without the distraction. He didn't want to disappoint DiNozzo and kept changing his stroke until he found Tony's sweet spot.

Tony arched up into him and cried out.

"That's it, that's it, give it all up," Gibbs murmured softly into his ear. "Let me have all of you. I want everything. I'm not like everybody else, Tony. I'm not gonna leave you, I promise. I love you, and I'm always going to be there for you. Tbye dolchneye doverit mnye. Spravedliva doveritye mnye. Trust me."

Gibbs pounded into Tony's body faster and deeper as Tony pumped his cock, racing towards his orgasm, eyes closed tight. Suddenly he opened his eyes and stilled. A half second later he yelled out and a long stream of pearly come spurted out and up onto his chest.

His ass clenched tight, which sent Gibbs spiralling into his own completion, arching back with a groan and emptying himself inside Tony's body. They held each other close as they rode out the aftershocks together, each burying his head into the other's shoulder.

It took a couple of minutes before either of them was compos mentis, then Gibbs gently withdrew, reluctantly rolling away. They looked at each other, just smiling.

"I'll go get us a washcloth," Gibbs said, finally, and got out of bed.

Tony stretched languorously, winced a little, and then grinned, resting his good arm above his head.

Gibbs returned with the damp washcloth and smiled, looking him up and down.

"So this is what ‘just fucked' DiNozzo looks like. Not bad. Not bad at all."

Tony laughed. " ‘Just fucked' Gibbs isn't too shabby either, but as damned fine a fuck as that was, don't think this will last more than about thirty seconds after you get back into this bed and I'm all cleaned up. After that I'll be away in the arms of Morpheus and probably snoring like a buzz saw."

"Hell, I know that. In fact, after the load you just blew, I'm surprised you're still awake! Twice in a half hour, and that much? I'm impressed."

"Thank you, Boss, but credit me with a little class too, would you? I've never fallen asleep before my date. However, that said, if I had been asleep, you could always take it as a compliment. I can honestly say I've never been fucked like that before, In. My. Life."

"That's because you've never been fucked by me before," and there was the well deserved smug smile again. "And don't forget, I'm not one of your cheerleader girlfriends. I don't expect to snuggle after sex."

"I don't think I need reminding that you're not a girl after having your dick up my ass," DiNozzo retorted with a cheeky grin. "That was amazing, and I did tell you about the Russian thing. Oh, and just for the record, I like to snuggle after sex."

Gibbs huffed. "I might have known. That's your sordid li'l secret, huh?"

"You mean apart from wanting to fuck you through the carpet for the last two years? Yeah, ya got me. My name is Anthony DiNozzo and I'm a snuggler. Hey, you‘re a switch, right?"

"It all depends on who I'm with. For you? Oh yeah," Gibbs grinned. "It's been a very long time and I'm looking forward to it." Gibbs smiled and shook his head. "God, DiNozzo, what the hell am I going to do with you?"

"Give me a minute, I'll make a list."

Tony looked down as Gibbs cleaned him up.

"Y'know, you're wrong about something," Gibbs said softly, as he gently wiped the sweat and come from Tony's skin, then patted it dry.

"What's that?" Tony replied, smiling to himself at the way Gibbs was taking such tender care of him.

Gibbs put the washcloth and towel on the nightstand and lay down beside him, lifting his arm so that Tony could cuddle up close and then pulling the comforter over both of them.

He turned off the light, placed a soft kiss on his lover's head, closed his eyes and whispered, "Morpheus can go fuck himself. The only arms you'll be in for the rest of the night, and if I have anything to do with it, the rest of your life, are mine."

Tony snuggled into him feeling warm, safe, and happy, and smiled. That suited him just fine.

"Oh yeah, you remember that honey dust? I don't think the post office screwed up at all."

Tony's eyes snapped open.

"I still have it, too. I've been waiting for a special occasion. Now if I can just find a feather…"