When Gibbs let himself think about it, he couldn't help but be amazed. No one he'd dated had ever fit in his life as seamlessly as Tony had for the past month. It was hard remember there was ever a time Tony wasn't such a huge part of his day to day existence. Tony had been a big part of his life for the last five years---on the job---but now he was an integral part of Gibbs' free time as well.
Quiet dinners after work had rapidly become the norm. Gibbs began to seriously resent the times they hadn't been able to share a meal. He almost preferred to simply skip eating rather than eat alone.
After the first week, the meals they shared were usually at Tony's place or Gibbs' rather than going out. Gibbs liked the easy physical intimacy dining in afforded them. Not that he was ever big on public displays but in the comfort of their own homes, Gibbs could steal a kiss or two, could sample food off Tony's plate, or play footsie under the table without worrying about offending other people.
Even when at Tony's and making dinner was more a matter of heating up leftovers or whatever Rita left in the fridge, Gibbs still enjoyed the camaraderie that was part of deciding what to eat, setting the table, and cleaning up afterwards. Gibbs hadn't gotten to do anything like that since Shannon and Kelly died. None of his ex-wives had cared to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and no one he dated had either.
After they ate, when at Tony's, they would settle in on the couch and watch movies. Gibbs couldn't honestly say he cared what they watched, as long as he got to cuddle up with Tony whatever the younger man picked was fine. He was surprised to find that he enjoyed letting Tony broaden his horizons and grasp of pop culture. He was never going to be the aficionado Tony was, but he was coming to understand Tony's passion for films.
When at Gibbs; place they usually ended up in his basement. And unlike Hollis, Tony didn't seem to mind spending time there. Gibbs had yet to convince Tony it was okay for him to help work on the boat, but he hadn't given up trying. For now, Tony was content to sit on the steps and watch Gibbs.
The first few times, Tony seemed unsure if his presence would be welcomed in Gibbs' sanctuary. He didn't say much of anything, choosing to do crossword puzzles or work in his sketchbook while Gibbs worked on his latest project. The soft sounds of his pencil, whether writing out answers or creating small works of art Tony refused to show Gibbs, were nearly lost in the scrapping of sandpaper against wood.
As he grew more comfortable and certain of his welcome, Tony started to talk more. He would fill the silence with surprisingly interesting chatter or read aloud from a book or magazine he brought with him. Gibbs was pleased that Tony's reading interest covered more than high gloss men's magazines. He didn't care to hear the ˜true confessions of a playboy bunny" or"˜my life as a nymphomaniac".
Gibbs had replaced the old TV on the work bench with a radio. He kept it tuned to an oldies station or one that played jazz, knowing Tony liked both. If Gibbs was really lucky, Tony would sing along with whatever song was playing. The one time he'd complimented Tony on his voice, the younger man had blushed and hastily apologized telling Gibbs he hadn't meant to sing and that he'd try not to do it again. Gibbs hadn't been able to convince Tony he didn't mind and he liked hearing him sing. He just tried to act as though he was totally engrossed in whatever he was doing and didn't notice when the younger man forgot himself and sang along.
Gibbs found himself reluctant to spend time in the basement alone any more, disliking how oppressive and empty the silence now seemed. Even with the radio on, he just couldn't concentrate. Gibbs had tried several times, failing miserably to accomplish anything, his focus more on what was missing than on what he was doing.
Since they'd started dating, they'd gotten lucky and managed to have two weekends free. While the weather hovered around the freezing mark, doing anything outside hadn't really appealed, but Gibbs wanted to make sure Tony wasn't bored with simply hanging out together. So he'd suggested braving the weather to see the monuments, something Gibbs was embarrassed to admit he;d never done before.
To his surprise, Tony said he'd seen all of them. He'd shrugged, smiling ruefully when he told Gibbs that A Few Good Men, An American President, Forrest Gump, Contact, Wag the Dog, and Thirteen Days were all filmed in the capital. Tony had wanted to see where those scenes were shot.
"Would you rather do something else then?" Gibbs had asked, open to anything Tony might want to do. He promised himself he'd bite is tongue, grin and bear it, if Tony wanted to go clubbing at some mosh pit or suggested something equally far outside Gibbs' comfort zone.
"Always worth seeing again, Jethro." Tony had grinned. "Can I play tour guide?"
"Sure."
The amount of information Tony knew about the monuments had astonished Gibbs. He'd been expecting movie references and little else, but the younger man knew things like dedications dates, architects and artists, the size and scope of each monument. Gibbs enjoyed himself immensely.
Tony picked their next weekend outing. Gibbs was stunned when Tony picked sailing, renting a boat for them to use. Tony readily admitted his ignorance about sailing, but said he thought it was something Gibbs would enjoy.
"Figured you could teach me enough that I would make a passable second mate."
"With only the two of us, DiNozzo, you'd be first mate."
"Aye, aye, Skipper." Tony had tossed off a sloppy salute, laughing. "Just no three hour tours, okay?"
For once, Gibbs had understood the reference and laughed right along with Tony. "Don't think Ziva would care to be Ginger."
"Abby might do okay as Mary Anne." Tony snickered. "If Mary Anne was a bit more into heavy metal music and body art. It's a toss up whether McGee or Ducky would be the professor."
"No Thurston Howell or Lovey in our group."
"Could be Palmer and Lee," Tony countered. "If Palmer was older, had more money and Lee was still with us. She;d have to be a bit less handy with a Sig. Lovey wasn't the sort you'd expect to score a bulls-eye at fifty feet."
"None of them are going with us, and we aren't going to wreck on an uncharted island, so it doesn't matter," Gibbs had pointed out with a grin, effectively ending the playful discussion.
The temperature on land was relatively warm that weekend, but the brisk air of open water made for a decidedly chilly, yet still exhilarating day. With calm seas, Tony had proven himself capable, handling the movement of the small craft and ropes with ease. To Gibbs delight, the younger man agreed to going again...when it wasn't quite so cold.
Warming up afterward with coffee and hot chocolate on Tony's couch, the younger man had nodded off, snuggled in close to Gibbs' side. A little careful maneuvering and Gibbs had been able to get them both lying prone. He'd smiled when Tony settled with a soft sigh, his head on Gibbs' chest. Gibbs enjoyed the shared warmth and implied trust.
It wasn't the first time they'd fallen asleep together. Many nights, after a shared meal and spending quality time together, it was just too late for either one to bother going home. Gibbs liked sharing a bed, even though they hadn't done anything more than some seriously heavy petting and a lot of kissing. It reminded Gibbs of when he was a teenager and wasn't entirely sure what sex was all about. The number of times he'd jacked off in the shower over the past month reminded him of being a teenager too. If the keenness of his eyesight hadn't started fade a few years ago, Gibbs might have been inclined to believe that wives tale about masturbation making a man blind.
He knew Tony wasn't being a tease. Most of the time, Gibbs was the one to initiate anything physical between them. Not that Tony wasn't a willing and eager participant; it was more like he was content to let Gibbs lead the way. Tony was usually the one to stop them from going too far, but Gibbs was aware he was moving the halt point further toward the eventual conclusion.
Gibbs was hopeful tonight might be the night they "went all the way". He rolled his eyes at himself for sounding so juvenile. He hadn't used that term since for sex since going to the prom.
Gibbs checked the pork roast and vegetables he was doing in a crock pot. He wasn't exactly an accomplished cook, but he'd mastered a few things that were nearly impossible to screw up. During his first marriage the kitchen had been the center of life for Gibbs and his family. After Shannon and Kelly were killed---Gibbs had retreated to the basement, ignoring most of the rest of the house, even after he'd gotten married three more times. The basement was a room with the fewest memories of Shannon and Kelly, the one room they didn't seem to haunt him. After almost sixteen years, it was definitely time to create new, positive memories for the rest of the house again.
Tony had already made a dent on the living room. Gibbs had gotten a flat screen TV/ DVD combo that now occupied one corner. Movies were more likely something they'd watch at Tony's place, but Gibbs didn't want the younger man to feel like his favorite pastime wasn't welcome in Gibbs' house. He considered getting cable, but Tony preferred movies, rarely watched much TV other than making a point of seeing the news. When time allowed, they shared the first cup of coffee of the day watching the news together.
Tony also had an impact on the bedroom. Contrary to what most of his team assumed about his "cheap" nature, Gibbs had invested in a high quality mattress only a few years ago. He didn't use it much, more often falling asleep in the basement, but he had paid top dollar for it. What Gibbs had learned, sleeping in Tony's bed, was that the quality of his linens definitely didn't match the investment he'd made in the mattress. His bed now sported the highest thread counts sheets he'd ever owned, and he bought a down comforter similar to the one Tony owned. He'd slept in his bed more in the past month than he had in the last year.
Tony's influence was evident in the bathroom as well. A few hair styling products Gibbs hadn't known existed, much less saw the need to use, now resided on the top of his medicine cabinet. He had been astonished to find out Tony only took a few minutes longer to get ready in the morning than he did.
A soft rap at the door pulled Gibbs from his thoughts. He glanced at the clock. That had to be Tony. He'd gone for a run after work before stopping by his place to pick up a few things. He'd agreed to spend the weekend at Gibbs' place---it would be something new for them to spend days together without having anything planned. They were on call this weekend so they wouldn't be going anywhere, but the weather forecast had called for snow and freezing rain so staying in wasn't going to be much of a hardship.
Gibbs headed for the door, opening it. "You know it's not locked."
"It would be rude to just walk in," Tony said with a grin.
"Truth is you like making me open the door for you."
"Well, there is that." Tony stepped inside. He gave Gibbs a quick kiss. It was his usual greeting "Doesn't change the fact that it would be rude to come in uninvited."
"You were invited." Gibbs lightly smacked the back of Tony's head.
Tony gave him a smile over his shoulder. "Like hearing you say that too."
Tony moved to drop his small duffle in the living room. Gibbs wanted to tell him to leave it in the bedroom, but he didn't want to presume too much. He wondered if not wanting to presume too much was the reason Tony was going to leave it in the living room in the first place.
Other than the few styling products in the bathroom which could be easily replaced, Tony had been scrupulous about not leaving anything personal behind. None of his books, magazines, clothing or sketchpad...nothing was left lying around or forgotten. Gibbs had, in contrast, made sure he left bits and pieces of himself behind every time he was at Tony's. A spare pair of reading glasses, an old t-shirt and pair of sweats he liked to sleep in, a woodworking magazine or two, his brand of shaving cream--little things that made it clear he'd been there and would be coming back.
Tony acted as though he was waiting for Gibbs to actually invite him to make himself at home. Gibbs frowned. He would have thought Tony understood he was welcome to leave anything he wanted that would make Gibbs' home more comfortable for him---but he'd never come right out and told Tony it was okay to settle in. Tony could be very sensitive to subtle nuances. He'd caught on immediately when he started working for Gibbs that the former Marine saying "you;re right" wasn't the same as his admitting "I'm wrong". Telling him the door was unlocked wasn't exactly the same thing as telling him he was free to make use of it.
"Tony?"
"Yeah?"
"Put your bag in the bedroom."
Tony looked at him for a moment and then smiled. "Okay."
Gibbs shook his head as he watched Tony bound up the stairs. He needed to remember that words were necessary at times. It was stupid to assume his actions were always understood without added clarification once in awhile.
"How as your run?" Gibbs asked when Tony joined him in the kitchen.
"Had to cut it a little short but otherwise not too bad." Tony shrugged, taking the plates Gibbs handed him, helping to set the table.
"Why did you cut it short?" Gibbs asked, concerned. The only times he knew Tony to cut his run short were when they got called in a case or he wasn't feeling well.
"There's a guy who runs the same route as me." Tony grimaced. "He's got a couple of pit bulls he jogs with."
Having little experience with them, Gibbs knew Tony wasn't terribly comfortable around animals. And pit bulls weren't exactly well known for being friendly. Gibbs frowned. "They bother you?"
"Not usually, no." Tony shook his head. "But he had them off leash tonight. Thought it better to just give them a wide berth."
"Good thinking." Gibbs smiled, leaning in to give Tony a kiss on the cheek. The last thing he wanted was for Tony to feel doing the sensible thing was somehow unmanly. Without a gun, Gibbs wouldn't be too keen on taking on a pit bull much less two. He got a bright smile when he said as much.
"You want a beer with dinner?" Tony asked, nodding toward the fridge.
"Sure." Gibbs had taken to stocking what he knew was Tony's favorite brand, knowing the younger man liked to have one or two in the evenings. It was rapidly becoming a favorite for Gibbs as well.
It was something of a novel experience for Gibbs to find conversation flow easily throughout their shared meal. There was no floundering for something to say, no struggle to pick a safe, mutually interesting topic. Work would have a logical point of discussion, but was oddly the one thing they no longer spent much time on. Unless there was an active case, Gibbs found it increasingly more attractive to simply leave work at the office.
Although he didn't know much about them, Gibbs found he liked hearing Tony talk about movies and cars. Tony, for his part, didn't seem to mind hearing Gibbs talk about different types of wood, or why he preferred hand tools to powered ones. Sports were always a safe topic for them in spite of baseball being more of interest to Gibbs while football was more Tony's passion. They talked about things they liked to do for their next free weekend. Gibbs was still trying to talk Tony into camping, while the younger man was still pushing to get Gibbs to go to see a performance at the Kennedy Center.
"I hate wearing a tux."
"You know, it's not any different than wearing a dress uniform."
Gibbs snorted. "That"s supposed to be persuasive?"
Tony smiled, reaching across the table to take Gibbs' hand. He lightly massaged Gibbs' palm with his thumb. "If you'll wear a tux to one show...I'll go camping---when it's not freezing out, and I promise not to bitch about the dirt, bugs and lack of adequate plumbing."
Gibbs grinned. He pulled their joined hands up to place a kiss on Tony's knuckles. "Done."
Tony chuckled. "Well, that was easy."
Gibbs shrugged. "You give a little, you get a little."
"I've heard that," Tony gave him a sly look, innuendo rife in his town. "You looking to get a little, Marine?"
Gibbs could feel his face warm, his gut fluttering in anticipation. He glanced up from under his lashes, giving Tony an honest answer. "More than a little."
Tony squeezed his hand. "You think we're ready for that next step?"
"I think so." Gibbs kissed Tony's knuckles again. "If you"re ready."
Tony's smile was warm and open. It reminded Gibbs of stepping into a sunbeam. He couldn't help but smile back. Gibbs got up from the table. He tugged Tony up, pulling him into a hug.
Gibbs whispered into Tony's ear. "What do you say we go to the bedroom and make some noise?"
"I'd like that."
Gibbs shivered, feeling Tony's breath ghost over his skin. His knees felt wobbly with relief. He hadn't been entirely certain Tony would say yes.
Gibbs took a deep breath. He kissed Tony's temple before pulling away. He tugged on their still joined hands, pulling Tony after him up the stairs to his bedroom.
Gibbs growled in anger and frustration when before he could do more than pull up Tony's shirt his cell phone rang. "No, God damn it. Not now."
Tony hung his head, grumbling under his breath what sounded vaguely like Spanish curses. Gibbs jerked his phone free of his belt, squinting to read the caller ID. He grimaced. Naturally it was work. It couldn't be anything else.
He barked "Gibbs" gruffly into the receiver, his curt, unwelcoming tone making it clear he wasn't happy. He listened intently, memorizing the pertinent details with the ease of long practice. "I'll be there in thirty." Gibbs snapped the phone shut.
"We got a body?" Tony asked, sounding resigned.
"Yeah."
Tony sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Timing stinks."
"I'll make it up to you." Gibbs said in a rush, not sure if he should apologize but feeling like maybe he ought to just to be on the safe side.
"Not your fault." Tony chuckled, then gave Gibbs a breath stealing, passionate kiss. "I appreciate the thought though, so I'm holding you to it."
"No problem." Gibbs grinned. "I'll make good on it."
"Damn right you will." Tony grinned back. He shook himself like a wet dog. "Okay. Let's go bust the bad guys. Someone is in need of a serious ass kicking for ruining our night."
"That they are." Gibbs was definitely going to hurt whatever prick had picked tonight of all nights to commit murder. They were going to regret it.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.