Chapter three
Blinking against the early morning sunlight, Tony stretched languidly and turned onto his back, wincing lightly as a slight twinge in his ass reminded him of last night. He turned to look at Gibbs only to find the bed empty, the grey sheets still warm to the touch. 0600. Who got up on a Saturday morning at 0600? Apart from Gibbs, that was. Anything past 0530 was probably a lie-in for the former Marine. He grabbed Gibbs’ pillow, drinking in the scent of the other man. Closing his eyes, he felt himself drift off to sleep, enveloped in a sense of well-being.
The mattress dipped slightly, stirring him from his light doze. A tantalizing smell of Gibbs’ favorite brew wafted through the air and brought a smile to his face.
“Hey,” soft lips placed a kiss on his shoulder as Gibbs handed him a steaming mug of coffee, and a fresh roll.
“You’ve been out already?” Tony asked, eying the freshly baked bun in front of him.
“Yeah, there’s a bakery nearby which has great bagels,” Gibbs smiled, handing him a fresh t-shirt and a pair of sweats. “When you’re done with that, breakfast will be ready.”
“There’s more?” Tony asked, seeming very content with what he already had.
“Oh, yeah,” Gibbs leaned in for a soft kiss, “lots and lots,” he smiled, heading back down to the kitchen.
Tony finished his roll and grabbed the clothes Gibbs had laid out for him. He had brought plenty of his own, but found he preferred to wear some of Gibbs’ old clothes, worn and incredibly soft against his skin. He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a pair of socks, before seeking out the kitchen.
Gibbs was busy by the stove, scrambling eggs and frying bacon and potatoes. He glanced over at Tony and grinned, “I know, I know, not what Ducky ordered, but I figured we’d burn off a lot of calories this weekend.”
“Man, you do know how to make a guy feel special,” Tony teased, looking at the lit candle and fresh newspaper by his plate. His plate. He had to smile at that. He had ‘his place’ at Gibbs’ table. The thought gave him what Abby would describe as the warm and fuzzies. Gibbs put plates of food on the table, before splitting the newspaper in two, handing Tony the Metro section.
“What would you like to do today?” Gibbs asked, eying Tony over the top of his newspaper.
“Gibbs, it’s 0700, I’m not even awake yet!” he protested mildly. “I’d like to read the paper while I have a cup of hot chocolate, watch the news, maybe help you out with the boat, I don’t know. Just spend time together, relax, enjoy the fact that we have two whole days off,” he smiled, taking Gibbs’ hand in his.
“You’d like to give me a hand with the boat?” Gibbs sounded somewhat surprised, but had a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“Yeah, well, as long as it’s not something I can screw up, I’d like that a lot. Maybe you can teach me to use one of those tools you have down there.”
“Just the one,” Gibbs smiled, “we’ll work our way up to the complicated stuff later. A bit of woodworking 101.”
“Woodworking, huhn,” Tony grinned, a mischievous glean in his eyes.
“You have a dirty mind, Agent DiNozzo,” Gibbs laughed.
“Yeah, well, that’s part of the famous DiNozzo charm,” Tony countered, “the one you’ve come to know and love,” he said, wincing slightly as he realised what he’d said. Probably too soon for the L-word.
Gibbs held his gaze and leaned over the table, capturing his mouth in a loving kiss, tender and warm.
“I do love you, you know,” he pulled back and looked into green eyes that had taken on a glow he’d never seen before.
“Love you, too, Jethro,” Tony smiled, faintly surprised at how easy it was to declare his love for the man sitting across from him, this early Saturday morning.
******
The day had been so different, yet so familiar so far. A lazy morning reading the paper while watching the news. Shopping for groceries at the closest Giant. A run through the park, followed by a long shower, with plenty of time to explore each other’s bodies, leaving them just as sated as they’d been last night. Tony shifted slightly on the couch, not wanting to wake Gibbs who was sleeping soundly, his head resting on Tony’s chest. He found he liked holding Gibbs in his arms, one hand sliding through his hair as he held him tight.
The older man stirred restlessly in his sleep, mumbling something he couldn’t quite decipher. Tony ran his hand down Gibbs’ back, hoping it would make him settle down again. A moment later Gibbs was wide awake, sitting up in the couch.
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly, “bad dream.”
“It’s okay,” Tony reassured him, drawing him back into his arms, “have had a few of those myself, especially after Kate was killed. ”
“I know…I know. It’s just been awhile since I’ve shared that part of my life with anyone.”
“You can’t be strong all the time, Jethro. I’ve got your back, as you have mine, right? You’re about to get to know the real Tony DiNozzo, all of me. I just hope you’ll like what you find,” he smiled.
“Only one way to find out, isn’t there,” Gibbs leaned in to give him a light kiss before getting up.
Gibbs yawned, stretching as he walked over to the French doors to look into the garden. “It’s getting late,” he said, looking at the shadows gathering outside.
“I’ve booked a table at an Italian restaurant in Georgetown for eight o’clock.” Gibbs turned to look at the young man still sprawled on his couch, looking like he belonged there.
“Really! Where are we going?”
“Café Milano. They’re supposed to have great food there.”
“Says who?” Tony asked, wondering how Gibbs had found this rather pricey restaurant.
“I googled it,” Gibbs replied, looking rather proud of himself.
Tony had to laugh. Gibbs’ phobia for all things with a microchip was widely known.
“It’s a good thing I brought something nice to wear, then. I didn’t expect to get out of bed much,” he grinned.
“Don’t you worry. You’ll get to spend plenty of time there, too. I just thought it would be nice get out of the house, too. Like a proper date.”
“You wanna wine and dine me, Jethro?” Tony said, with a mischievous glean in his eyes, “I’ve gotta tell ya, I’m not cheap!”
Gibbs laughed. “C’mon, he said. Help me pick out a shirt.”
******
“You did good, Jethro,” Tony said, entwining their fingers. The meal had been amazing. But Tony wasn’t certain whether it had been the food or the fact that he had shared a meal with Gibbs that made it special. ‘Probably a bit of both,’ he decided. The restaurant hadn’t been too crowded, affording them a bit of privacy. And although they couldn’t exactly hold hands in public, the meal had an intimate feel to it. They’d steered away from talking about work, focusing on more private topics, places they’d been, books they’d read. Gibbs hadn’t been too surprised to find Tony a more avid reader than most would suspect.
It was nearing 11 when the meal was over. They were standing outside the restaurant, waiting for a taxi to take them down to the Mall. The streets were bustling with crowds out to have a good time. Still, it didn’t take too long before the cab arrived, and Gibbs was slightly surprised to hear Tony ask the driver to take them to the Mall. He glanced at Tony, who just shrugged.
“This is my surprise for the evening,” he smiled.
After a short ride, the cab dropped them off near the Washington Monument. Tony had been there a few times before, but never on a date.
It was a beautiful clear night. Tony thought he couldn’t have had a more romantic evening if he’d ordered it special. A large moon hung low over DC, and the monuments were all illuminated, looking stunning. They were walking along the Reflecting Pool towards the Lincoln Memorial. The night was dark, and nobody paid attention to them. It felt strangely liberating to be able to walk outside, holding Gibbs’ hand in his.
“It doesn’t get much better than this,” Tony said quietly, as they stopped to look back at the Washington Monument with the illuminated dome of the Capitol visible behind it. Gibbs slipped his hand inside Tony’s coat, tugging him closer. They were partly hidden under the shadows of the trees lining the park. Gibbs leaned in, and gave Tony a light kiss, holding him tight before letting him go.
“Come on, Tony, let’s go home.”
The End
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony and Gibbs' first weekend together.
Chapter End Notes:
Don't own the characters, just took them home to play for a while.
Had the flu when I wrote chapter three, it's slightly edited :)
Had the flu when I wrote chapter three, it's slightly edited :)