It had been surprisingly comfortable sleeping on Tony's couch. Not as nice as sleeping in Tony's bed, but Gibbs wasn't going to complain, especially not since he'd been invited to stay rather than being asked to leave. That certainly made up for anything the accommodations might have otherwise lacked.
Not to mention getting to share breakfast with Tony. It didn't matter to Gibbs that the meal wasn't any more than a cup of coffee and a pop tart. Both tasted wonderful when Tony gave him a good morning kiss.
Gibbs did his best to respect the boundaries set by Tony, not trying to turn the kiss into more than the younger man might be comfortable with. The low grade hum of anticipation that sang in his veins reminded Gibbs of why waiting could be a good thing. He hadn't felt anything like that since Shannon. They'd dated for nearly a month before she' let him kiss her, and it was nearly six months before they'd had sex.
He forced himself to back off, finishing his coffee, striving for a nonchalance he really didn't feel. "You want to ride into the office with me?"
Tony shook his head. "I got another day of leave yet."
Gibbs stifled a sigh of disappointment. It was unrealistic to expect him to cut his vacation short, but the former Marine had hoped Tony would just the same.
"So what will you be doing today?" Gibbs was pleased with how casual he managed to sound. He didn't want Tony to think he was interrogating him or trying to control his every move.
"I have to return the Ferrari."
"Why?" Gibbs frowned. "She said it was a gift."
Tony grinned, a triumphant gleam in his eyes. "You did talk to Pete."
Gibbs sighed. There was no point in denying it. "Yes, I talked to her."
Something in his admission made Tony laugh softly. "She put you in your place, didn't she?"
Gibbs grimaced. "You could say that."
Tony laughed again. "Think I already did."
"She said the car was a gift," Gibbs reiterated, a clear request for an explanation without actually asking.
"I can't accept it." Tony shook his head. "It's too...much. The cost of it alone--"
"She said she didn't pay for it." Gibbs nearly bit his tongue. He didn't want Tony to have any obvious ties to Pete or Paladin, but he knew how much that car meant to Tony. Pete wasn't wrong when she said it made him happy, and Tony's happiness was now a priority for Gibbs.
"Yeah, she'd mentioned that in her note." Tony shrugged. "But that doesn't change the intrinsic value of it. And a car like that is a lot to give away." Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. Gibbs' fingers itched to caress the baby soft strands, to sooth the resigned disappointment he could easily read in Tony's voice and posture.
"As much as I love it, the Ferrari eats gas like a fiend and it sits too low to for the potholes we get around here. It really is decidedly impractical for every day use. Which is one of the reasons Pete likely wanted to get rid of it." Tony gave Gibbs a wry smile. "She favors function over form."
"You could still--"
"And it's not the most comfortable vehicle to drive for long periods when you're as tall as I am."
It sounded like Tony was trying to convince himself. Gibbs reached out to cup his cheek with one hand, his thumb caressing the prominent cheekbone. "You sure about giving it back?"
"I'm sure." Tony smiled, tilting his head to lean into Gibbs' touch. "I knew I was going to give it back before I walked in the door last night."
It was on the tip of Gibbs' tongue to ask if giving up the car also meant Tony had decided to stay before their "discussion", but he was wary of tipping the delicate balance of their new relationship. Tony had thought last night Gibbs might have only expressed an interest as a way to make him stay, and the last thing Gibbs wanted was for that thought to resurface. And he wasn't sure if he honestly wanted to know if Tony had decided to leave before they'd talked. He didn't want to know just how close he'd come to losing Tony before he even had the chance to really have him.
"Would you like to have dinner with me?" Gibbs asked, forcing any thoughts of Tony leaving to the back of his mind.
Tony nodded, turn his head to place a soft kiss in Gibbs' palm. "I'd like that."
"Do you want me to pick you up here?" Given that Tony was giving away his current means of transport, picking him up would be the natural assumption, but Gibbs didn't want to take too much for granted.
"Sure. Seven okay?"
"Seven will be fine." Gibbs clamped down on the urge to add the usual 'unless we get a case' qualifier.
Tony gave him a knowing look. "If something comes up, just call."
"You okay with coming in if we get a case?"
"If I have to, I'm okay with cutting my vacation short." Tony shrugged. "Wouldn't be the first time I've changed plans for the job."
Gibbs knew having to make concessions for the job was one of the reasons Tony had considered leaving. Until last night, Gibbs hadn't genuinely understood how much Tony had given up. Working full time while being undercover couldn't have been easy. Especially not when for part of the time he'd been acting as team leader and hadn't relinquished any of his old duties. Even before then, Gibbs had kept him on a short leash. In hindsight, he was astonished Tony hadn't chafed under the restrictions long before now.
"Hopefully nothing will come up."
Tony stared at him in surprised. "Don't think I've ever heard you say that."
Gibbs could feel his face warm. His personal life hadn't taken precedence over the job in years.
"I know I said it before...but it bears repeating." Tony caressed Gibbs' jaw line with one knuckle. "I"m not asking you to change who you are."
"I know." Gibbs looked away before forcing himself to make eye contact. "I agree with what you said last night."
Tony arched an eyebrow. "Which part exactly?"
"If I always do what I've always done, I'm going to get what I always got. And I want there to be more to my life than the job and a boat in the basement." The boat hadn't been much consolation when the job came damn close to breaking him. And Mexico clearly wasn't enough either or it wouldn't have been so easy to come back.
Gibbs smiled. "I want you."
Tony leaned in and kissed him. Gibbs seriously hoped he got this sort of reward every time he found the right words. It was certainly good incentive.
Tony broke the kiss and stepped back. He took a deep breath, running his fingers through his hair. "Okay...you need to leave now."
"You sure I shouldn't just stay?" Gibbs asked invitingly, reaching for Tony.
The younger man held up a finger in warning. Gibbs sighed, but backed off. Even though Tony wasn't a woman, he deserved the same chivalrous consideration Gibbs had given any of his past partners when it came to not having to worry about being forced to do something they didn't want to do. He had a reputation as a pushy bastard, but that had never extended into the bedroom and he wasn't going to start now.
"I'll see you at seven," Tony said softly.
"Seven," Gibbs confirmed. He downed his coffee in one long swallow, setting the cup on the counter.
Tony followed him to the door. Gibbs turned to say good-bye and found himself wrapped in a warm hug. Tony had hugged him once before, relieved to find that Gibbs hadn't died in an explosion. At the time, Gibbs had held himself stiffly, refusing to return the gesture. This time he hugged Tony back, holding him close, breathing the scent of him as he reveled in the feel of the younger man's solid form pressed against his own.
"Be careful, Jethro." Tony whispered in his ear. "You getting shot, poisoned, or blown up would really piss me off."
Gibbs was tempted to tell Tony he was exaggerating. But given that all those things had actually happened to him over the course of his career, he knew better than to dismiss Tony's admonishment. The younger man had good reason to tell him to be careful...and Gibbs couldn't honestly say he objected to the warmth knowing Tony cared about him generated.
"I'll be careful." He placed a soft kiss on Tony's temple. "You do the same."
"Will do."
"I"ll see you soon." Gibbs never said good-bye if he could help it.
"I'll be waiting." Tony promised with a smile.
Gibbs nodded firmly, and left. Unable to stop himself, he looked back before he'd gotten to the end of the hall. He was pleased to see Tony still in the doorway watching. He waved and got a sloppy salute in return.
Gibbs took the stairs. He had too much energy to consider taking the elevator. He grinned, unable to contain the joy he felt.
By the time he secured another cup of coffee on the way to the office and passed through security, he'd managed to put a lid on his emotions. Given the way he'd been snapping and snarling in Tony's absence, to suddenly walk in grinning and whistling would have raised eyebrows, and invited questions he didn't feel like answering. It was better to just act normal.
He looked at Tony's desk, unable to fully suppress a smile. Soon Tony would be back where he belonged. Gibbs gaze moved to take in McGee's and then Ziva's desk. He didn't think they knew Tony had considered leaving, but it might not hurt to make sure they show some level of appreciation for Tony on his return. Gibbs remembered the way Kate and McGee had acted when Tony came back after recovering from the plague. If he hadn't known differently, he'd have never realized how much they'd missed Tony. That wasn't something which should be repeated.
Gibbs wasn't quite sure how to make that happen. He couldn't order them to tell Tony they'd missed him. The younger man would recognize any insincerity. Even if he didn't, the second they thought Gibbs was out of earshot, Ziva and McGee would simply tell Tony they were ordered to say something. It would no doubt make them curious why he'd order such a thing in the first place.
He also wasn't sure how much Tony wanted them to know about why he'd left. And Gibbs had no idea how comfortable Tony would be with the idea of McGee and Ziva knowing they'd started a personal relationship. It was better not to do anything that might bring it up until after he talked to Tony.
Gibbs sighed softly. At least he knew Abby and Ducky would have no problem expressing their delight with Tony's return. Abby would hug Tony hard enough to leave him winded. And Ducky would simply smile and offer a quiet 'welcome home, dear boy' and a request for Tony to tell him all about his travels.
He fired up his computer and got to work reviewing the e-mailed copies of Ziva and McGee's reports on their last case. He forwarded them to Tony. The younger man might want to know what had been done while he was away. Even if he didn't want the particulars, seeing the reports...and how few cases they'd worked while he was away, would reassure Tony that they didn't get more done without him.
Ziva arrived and wished him a 'good morning'. Gibbs greeted her as usual; a nod of his head and her first name. "Ziva."
McGee arrived a few minutes later. Gibbs saw him trade a look with Ziva. They'd taken to doing that over the past few days. They used to look at Tony that way, relying on him to be able to gauge Gibbs mood. He guessed Ziva had passed some sort of 'all clear' signal to McGee when he saw the computer geek's shoulders relax.
He stifled a smirk. Ziva was definitely better at reading his mood than Kate had ever been. Gibbs was in a good mood, and less likely to snap at either of them. Of course, if they didn't get busy doing something productive that could change.
"If you two don't have anything to do, I can find something." He kept his tone mild, making it clear he wasn't reprimanding them. He was tired of seeing McGee flinch, and Ziva getting that tightness around her mouth.
"On it, Boss." McGee headed for his desk. Ziva nodded and turned back to her computer.
Gibbs started to work his way through the departmental memos the way he usually did--by deleting them en masse, before he stopped himself. He hadn't been paying attention to them because Tony was more diligent about reading them. Tony would take time to weed through what was important enough to bring to Gibbs attention and what could simply be ignored outright. Admittedly, there were a few, like the Director's missive regarding references to her as "Madame Director" that Tony overlooked, but more often than not, he caught the things that really mattered.
He wasn't sure when he'd just assumed Tony would take care of those things and keep him informed. But it stopped now, Gibbs decided. That he didn't excel with technology and hated all the bureaucratic bullshit was not good enough reason to shirk his responsibility. With a grimace, Gibbs began going through the memos more diligently.
After two hours, he was beginning to rethink the need to read any of the crap in his inbox. Gibbs rubbed a hand tiredly over his face. What sane person would want to read through this crap, he asked himself. Some of it was important...like updates to the security system around the evidence locker and new gas card protocols for the fleet of vehicles they were assigned, but he really didn't give a damn about dress code updates or reasons for why forms had to be signed in blue ink.
He reached for his coffee cup, biting back a curse when he found it was empty. It was definitely time for more. He caught McGee's eye as he grabbed his coat. Gibbs held up his empty cup.
"Coffee."
McGee signaled his understanding. It was nice not to see him looking relieved that Gibbs was leaving. Ziva looked up from her computer screen, nodding to him in passing. Unlike McGee, she looked faintly pleased to see him go. It piqued his curiosity.
Gibbs hesitated, out of sight, waiting. He smiled when he heard Ziva ask, "McGee...Tony is coming back tomorrow, yes?"
"Yes." McGee's confident answer made it clear to Gibbs he didn't know about the job offer. He wouldn't have been so sure of himself if he did.
"Good." Ziva sounded relieved. "Things will be chunky dory then."
"Hunky dory, Ziva." McGee's voice had gotten louder and Gibbs knew he'd left his desk and approached Ziva's. "You think everything will be back to normal then?"
"You mean will Gibbs stop constantly snapping at us? I do not know." Ziva sighed. "If nothing else he will have someone else to vent his temper on."
"Never realized how hard Gibbs could hit." Gibbs didn't need to see him to know McGee was rubbing the back of his head. The former Marine had been rather free with head slaps in Tony's absence. He'd tried to tone it down as the week progressed, but the first few days had been a bit...extreme, even by his standards.
"Oh, I knew he could hit that hard," Ziva laughed, "I was just more used to seeing him hit Tony than being on the receiving end."
"Think we should get Tony a helmet?"
"It would make for a nice welcome back gift."
"I already got him something."
"You did?" Ziva sounded surprised. Gibbs shared her astonishment.
"Nothing big." Gibbs knew McGee was fidgeting. "I saw it, and I knew he'd like it. So I just---"
"What did you get him?"
"They updated his favorite movie trivia game. He's already the office champion on the old one. I thought he might appreciate a new challenge."
That was a great gift for Tony. Gibbs wished he'd thought of it. But he'd given Tony a lot of grief for goofing off on office time and his giving something like that would seem out of character. Better to have it come from McGee, especially as a welcome back gift.
"And you thought giving him this would also work as a bribe, yes?" Ziva sounded amused. "A way to get him to help you master that paperwork Gibbs is making you do."
"Yeah, that too." McGee's admission was rueful. "I never knew how much red tape there is. It takes forever, Ziva. How the hell Tony managed to get it done...on time no less---I mean...he can't even type. And that file clerk! She hates me."
"You are exaggerating."
"No, I'm not."
Gibbs chuckled silently, turning to leave. He'd heard enough. At least McGee had come to appreciate Tony's input to the team. It was nice to know he wouldn't have to find away to get him to show it.
Gibbs walked to his favorite coffee shop. Nodding to himself, he got a cup for Ziva and one for McGee as well. He'd already dropped off Abby's first Caf-pow of the day, but she was likely ready for a second, so he picked up one of those as well.
His cell phone rang on his way back to the office. He answered with his usual curt, "Gibbs".
"I don't think that's quite the telephone etiquette the agency would like you to use."
He recognized the rough, husky voice immediately. "Hello, Ms. Petrastorsky."
She chuckled, a low, raspy sound. "You remember me."
Gibbs smiled wryly. "You made yourself hard to forget."
"Good."
"What can I do for you, Ms---"
"Pete is fine, Gibbs." He could hear her smiling.
"Pete," Gibbs acknowledged, unsure why he was pleased to be granted that familiarity with her.
"I wanted to let you know Tony turned down the job."
"I knew that." Gibbs was proud of how neutral he managed to keep his tone.
"And given how seriously he was actually considering it, I'm guessing you figured out just what to offer him to keep him at NCIS."
She had good reason to sound smug, but Gibbs didn't detect any in her voice. He resented comment just the same. "That's none of your business," he said stiffly.
"That would be an 'affirmative' then."
Gibbs wondered if it was a good thing for him to be so easily read by a near stranger. He didn't think so.
"I also wanted to let you know that I'll be leaving the job offer on the table."
Gibbs' jaw tightened. Damn but this woman was persistent. "He already turned you down."
"Many times, actually." She agreed, her tone mild, unperturbed. "But, like I told you, he's also a friend, not just a prospective employee. I'm not entirely certain yet that he's made the right choice in deciding to stay. And since I am not certain, the job offer will stand...just in case he needs it."
"He did not make a mistake. And he won't need it."
"The threat he might leave was the crowbar that got your head out of your ass, Gibbs." She stated dryly, not giving an inch.
Gibbs felt his face warm. There was no denying her assertion. If Tony hadn't forced it, nothing would have changed.
"If you want him to stay, then don't give him to reason to leave," she said quietly.
"I won't."
"Good." She sighed softly. "For what it's worth--it should be reassuring to know he chooses to stay because he wants to. He's not staying simply because he has no other options. He picked you. Try to be worthy of the gift he's giving you."
"Yes, Ma'am." Gibbs actually meant the respect the title implied.
"Oh, I could get used to that." She laughed warmly.
Gibbs smiled, wild and feral. "You shouldn't."
"I know." She sounded amused rather than threatened. And Gibbs had a new appreciation for why it was she and Tony got along so well. They were part of only a handful of people who reacted to that tone of voice by not cowering.
"If you'll excuse me, I have to figure out what do with that stupid car." She sighed. "Was too much to hope for that he'd agree to just keep the damn thing."
Gibbs grinned as they cut the connection at the same time. He found it hard to resent having someone like Pete wanting to make sure he towed the line. In no small part, it was because she was looking out for Tony's best interest...something Gibbs could appreciate. And it certainly didn't hurt that she knew how to make her point without belaboring it. The Director could learn a thing or two from her, Gibbs thought with a snicker.
Gibbs sobered as he made a promise to himself that echoed the promise he'd just made to Pete. He would not give Tony a reason to leave. He would not make him regret choosing to stay.
He knew he wouldn't get another chance. The odds were not in his favor for getting more than one opportunity with Tony. Gibbs was determined to make it work out.
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