iii. Contract Law
"Boss," Tony said seriously in a voice a few octaves deeper than his own.
"Tony."
"I, heretofore referred to as Party B, have come to negotiate-"
"Tony."
"-to negotiate the terms of my new relationship contract with you, heretofore referred to as Party A."
"DiNozzo!"
"Party A, that tone has taken on a certain hostility that I believe will only hinder the proceedings," Tony said firmly. He pointed an accusing finger at Gibbs and looked around to address an imaginary judge. "Motion to strike!"
Gibbs, newly-awakened, sitting up in his bed in a t-shirt and boxers, in the dark, at three-thirty in the morning, could only stare in stunned irritation at his...well, his Tony. His Tony, who was currently very awake, in the three-piece suit he'd been wearing at work hours before, looking sharp and acting like a moron. Business as usual, he supposed.
"It has come to the attention of this court," Tony continued in the deep voice, "that a certain change has taken place among-"
"DiNozzo!" Gibbs shouted.
Tony cleared his throat and straightened his tie, cheeks reddening just slightly as he glanced at Gibbs out of the corner of his eye. "Ah, um. Yeah, boss?"
Gibbs didn't bother to hide the note of stunned disbelief from his voice. "What the hell are you doing?"
Tony took a breath, and then rubbed ruefully at the back of his neck as he shifted his weight from foot to foot. "I couldn't sleep."
"Well yeah, DiNozzo, I got that," Gibbs said. "Why?"
Tony sighed deeply and put his hands in his pockets, staring at the floor. After a few seconds, he walked over to the foot of the bed and sat down. "You should really lock your door. Someone could break in."
"Like you did?"
"Yep."
"I don't need a lock. I have a gun."
Tony looked at him over his shoulder, a little grin on his face. "You could'a shot me."
"I didn't."
"Nah," Tony agreed. "I guess you didn't."
He was quiet after that, and Gibbs watched him for a long stretch of silence before he sighed and rolled his eyes, feeling soft for the small shot of worry that edged into him. "Hey, DiNozzo."
Tony looked at him again. "Uh huh?"
Gibbs gestured to the empty space next to him with a nod of his head, and Tony kicked off his shoes before scooting back on the bed and sitting there, legs stretched out in front of him, ankles crossed. He wrung his hands in his lap and chewed on his bottom lip. Gibbs hadn't seen him so agitated in a long time.
"Somethin' botherin' you?"
Tony glanced at him, cleared his throat, and then sighed. He leaned his head back on the pillow propped against the headboard and looked up at Gibbs sideways. "We had sex."
Gibbs stared at him.
"The day before yesterday," Tony continued. "Right here." He pointed at the bed.
"Yeah," Gibbs said, an eyebrow lifting. "I remember."
"Yeah," Tony agreed. He looked at his hands. "So, the thing is, I know you want me. I mean, god, look at me, right? You want me." He didn't sound so sure.
Gibbs rolled his eyes, but his mouth tugged into a reluctant grin. "I want you," he assured.
"And I want you," Tony returned, grinning a little.
He didn't say anything else, and Gibbs sighed as the seconds ticked by. "Hey, it's three in the morning. Were you goin' somewhere with this?"
"Terms."
"Terms?"
"Yes. Terms of our...y'know...thing. Relationship. Is it a relationship? Or is it just sex. I'd be good with either, really."
Gibbs called him on that bold-faced lie. "You would?"
Tony frowned and looked shifty. "Well, no. But."
Gibbs smiled wryly. "DiNozzo, get undressed and come to bed."
"I can stay here?" Tony looked hopeful.
"Yeah, you can stay here. If you promise to shut up and go to sleep."
Tony grinned widely, his big dazzling smile that threatened the integrity of the sun, and Gibbs couldn't help but bask in it, just a little, as Tony stood up and stripped out of his designer suit and down to his boxers. Then he held the covers back and let Tony crawl in next to him. Tony settled on one side, facing away from Gibbs, and the older man slid down to lie down behind him, close enough for his t-shirt to graze Tony's bare back. When Tony reached up to scratch nervously at his own chest, Gibbs caught the hand with one of his own.
"You belong to me now," Gibbs said, interlacing their fingers and settling their joined hands to rest low on the younger man's stomach, just above the waistband.
Tony seemed to relax a little. "We still have the terms of the contract to negotiate."
Gibbs huffed a breath. "What terms?"
"Names."
"Names?"
"Names. What do I call you, boss? Boss? Jethro? Gibbs?"
"Any of those is fine."
"L.J.? Baby McHoneyBuns? Sweetie?"
"No petnames."
"Leroy? Hot stuff? Inigo Montoya? 'You killed my father, prepare to die!'"
"Anthony."
"That's my name, Gay Lover," Tony grinned and wiggled his eyebrows. He opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could Gibbs's hand gripped his chin and his head was turned and his mouth was covered one that was both demanding and full of tongue, tongue which forced its way possessively into his mouth and stole his breath and his heart and all the clichés running circles through his mind.
The kiss left him momentarily stunned and silent, and when it broke all he could do was stare up at Gibbs like a lovestruck idiot.
"Go. To sleep." Gibbs ordered.
Tony closed his eyes, still smiling. "G'night, boss."
"Night, DiNozzo."
Against all odds, Tony was asleep first, and Gibbs followed not too far behind, for the first time in fifteen years falling asleep with a smile on his face.
Chapter End Notes:
This third part takes place between the first and second ones. I'd really, really love any constructive criticism to help me get the characterization better, and I'd love to hear what you think!! I hope you enjoy! Inigo Montoya is a character from the movie The Princess Bride. I do not own him or the "You killed my father, prepare to die!" line.