Chapter eight.
If possible, McGee blushed even deeper, turning almost purple as he struggled to breathe and form sentences at the same time. He looked to Abby for help, but she was refusing to meet his gaze, studiously avoiding his silent plea for help.
Tony shrugged into a shirt, got up and put an arm around Gibbs’ shoulder.
“Easy, don’t bite his head off, Jethro. He might have saved my life, you know.”
“Fine,” McGee sighed, and pushed himself off the couch. He stood firm, looked Gibbs squarely in the eyes. Tony had to admire his guts. “I’m thoroughly screwed anyway,” McGee muttered. Pausing, he drew a deep breath and launched into his explanation. “I wanted inspiration for my latest novel, and was staging a stakeout outside your house.”
“That’s the one where Tommy and Tibbs are having an affair?” Gibbs asked, his tone lethal, although Tony could see a spark of amusement flickering inside those blue eyes. Oh, you are a bastard, he thought.
“I wouldn’t mind knowing what you were doing outside our…Gibbs’ bedroom? Hoping to catch us in the act, were ya, Probie?” Tony grinned.
“Okay, fine,” McGee hissed. “I wanted to see if you and the boss really were involved. But that’s not why I was outside your bedroom,” he added quickly, as Gibbs raised an eyebrow.
Tony heard Ducky gasp behind him. He had managed to put on a pair of sweats and was sitting in the bathroom, using a towel to staunch the bleeding when the doctor had arrived. There was no reason for him to suspect they were sleeping together. A languid shower before they’d gone to bed had removed all traces of their passion filled evening.
“Abby came by,” McGee continued. “She thought I knew about your ex-wife, she was worried, and we decided to watch the house. Protection detail,” he added feebly as Gibbs remained silent.
“I saw her go inside, followed her and took her out when she went for Tony. That’s what happened. I’m truly sorry for prying into your personal life, Gibbs, but I’m not sorry for following her into the house.”
“Hey, what about my privacy?” Tony complained.
McGee just huffed, glaring at Tony as he dared him to protest more.
“Yeah, well, fine,” Tony relented. “I may, MAY, have done a few things myself.” The entire room snorted as the team made their views on that particular subject perfectly clear.
Tony could feel Gibbs’ shoulders relax a bit.
“Jethro? Would you join me in the kitchen, please?” Ducky asked, looking at him and Tony, where they stood holding each other.
Tony sighed, a mixture of relief and apprehension surging through him. There would be no more agonizing over who to tell, or when. At least Shepard hadn’t been around to overhear his comment.
“Sorry,” Tony whispered. “I didn’t think.” The painkillers had taken effect, lulling him into a state where censoring his words weren’t his foremost worry.
“It’s fine, Tony, only a bit sooner than we had planned, that’s all.” Gibbs put his arm around Tony’s waist and tugged him closer.
“Jethro?”
“Yes, Ducky, we’re involved. It only just happened, yesterday. We were going to tell you all, properly, not like this.”
“Jethro, a word, now.” Ducky’s tone left no room for argument. Tony watched as Gibbs followed the doctor into the kitchen, before turning back to McGee, who still looked slightly queasy.
“So, McSherlock, you doing okay, there?” Tony teased, although he felt a little shaky himself.
McGee glared at him, but didn’t seem to have the energy to retort. They lapsed into silence, listening to the murmur of words filtering through from the kitchen.
“Listen,” Tony began. “I just wanna say ‘thank you’. You did good today, Tim. And I’ll take care of Gibbs.”
“Is that so, DiNozzo?”
Startled, Tony turned around to find Gibbs standing very close behind him.
“Hey,” he yelped, “injured man here, Gibbs! No sniper moves tonight. I’ve had enough people sneak up on me for one night.”
Gibbs winced, as the realization of how close a call this had been hit him. He turned towards the rest of the team.
“Let’s call it a night," he said, looking at McGee. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” He hesitated for a moment. “I need to ask you not to tell anyone about Tony and me. She’d transfer him off the team if she found out…”
“No need to ask, Jethro,” Ducky reassured them both. “You have our full support, my friend.” He patted Tony on the arm and walked towards the front door. “Now, do try and get some sleep. I have left some painkillers for you on the kitchen counter, Tony. Take two before bed. Stay home tomorrow and get some rest,” the doctor ordered, draping his coat over his arm.
Gibbs followed them into the hall, where he squeezed McGee’s shoulder, “Thank you,” he said quietly.
McGee just nodded, and followed Abby outside, looking relieved to be going home.
“Where are we sleeping tonight?” Tony looked up the stairs, thinking about the stripped bed and blood and…He shook his head, not wanting to go there.
Gibbs checked his watch and grimaced. “I’d rather not go to your place, he sighed. It’s late, and I…” he trailed off.
“Den?” Tony suggested. There was a day bed in there that would do for a night or two. He didn’t feel like going upstairs at all now, even shying away from the guest room.
“Yeah, the den sounds good.” Gibbs disappeared, only to return a few moments later with a couple of blankets and a bottle of oil.
He closed the curtains and spread a towel down on the bed. “C’mere,” Gibbs said quietly. “That was too close,” he whispered, holding Tony tightly. Gibbs released him and started to unbutton Tony’s shirt, brushing his lips over naked skin, kissing and tasting as he undressed the younger man.
”Lie down,” he ordered. “Let me do this.”
Tony felt himself relax as Gibbs straddled him, pouring a generous amount of oil onto Tony’s back.
“Easy,” he murmured, “let me do this.” Tony felt himself melt under the sure strokes of Gibbs’ calloused hands across his back. Muscles unclenched and his breathing evened out as he grew more and more relaxed.
Gibbs continued to run his hands over Tony’s body until they were both calm, allowing the events of the evening to be pushed to the back of their minds. Gibbs slid a bit further down. A moment later, Tony could feel warm, moist lips touching the base of his spine, kissing him gently, as Gibbs' hands explored the curve of Tony's ass. Slick fingers parted his cheeks, rubbing over his opening. Tony squirmed a bit, trying to get comfortable as his cock hardened.
One blunt finger slid inside him, opening him up, then another one. Tony lifted his hips to meet him, growling as Gibbs continued the maddeningly slow and sweet torture.
“Enough already,” he gasped. “I’m ready, Jethro…” He moaned as Gibbs twisted his fingers a bit, setting off sparks of pleasure.
“Ssh, you’re so impatient,” Gibbs chuckled, brushing his lips against the nape of Tony’s neck before biting down lightly on his shoulder. Tony could feel the mattress dip as Gibbs shifted his position. Strong hands parted his cheeks and he felt Gibbs’ cock nudge against his opening, sliding slowly inside, not stopping until his body was flush against Tony’s own.
The weight of Gibbs on top of him felt reassuring, connecting them after an evening where they could have lost it all. Gibbs’ breath felt warm against his sensitized skin and he reached out for the older man’s hands, entwining their fingers before pressing up against his lover.
Slowly, Gibbs started to move, sliding in and out, long, steady strokes that had Tony aching with need and desire. He closed his eyes and let the sensations wash over him. This was all that mattered; the world outside couldn’t reach them.
Gibbs picked up the pace, his thrusts growing faster, shorter, harder. Each time Gibbs buried himself inside Tony, he pressed him into the mattress, the friction of the slightly coarse towel against his hard cock sending him ever closer to the edge. Gibbs shifted the angle, and Tony cried out as he rubbed over his prostate. He couldn’t hold back any longer, grinding his aching cock into the mattress and roared out his orgasm. Gibbs slowed down, riding out Tony’s orgasm before resuming the long, hard thrusts again, going deeper every time.
Time ceased to exist for Tony. All he could focus on was Gibbs inside him, making him his. Moments later Gibbs froze, his cock pulsating as he came, collapsing on top of Tony, before sliding off him. Tony remained where he was, unable to move. Gibbs covered them both with a blanket before he wrapped himself around Tony, holding him close as they drifted off.
******
Director Shepard was standing by the window when Gibbs entered her office the following morning. He could see his report sitting on her desk. He’d emailed it to her at the crack of dawn, being unable to sleep for most of the night.
She looked at Gibbs, then motioned for him to sit down. He took the chair opposite hers and waited.
“Why was I not informed your ex-wife was stalking you?” Shepard’s voice didn’t reveal much, but he knew very well how her cool exterior could hide her true feelings.
“Is this Jenny or Director Shepard speaking?”
Shepard was unfazed. “I should be kept informed of any threats directed at my agents,” she replied coolly.
“This was private, Director. No need to involve NCIS.”
“Private? Yet, you involved DiNozzo. I wasn’t aware you two were this close. You don’t let just anyone into you private sphere.”
“He’s my second in command, Jenny. I trust him implicitly.” He remained calm, not wanting to reveal his true feelings for his agent.
“Do you realize what a PR nightmare this is? If the situation was volatile enough to warrant a ‘bodyguard’, surely you should have alerted the police, or at least…”
“I had DiNozzo,” Gibbs interrupted her, growing impatient. “She broke into my house, I called Tony and he decided to stay for the weekend. We discovered yesterday morning she’d slashed the tires on Tony’s car. The prints came back to Marie, but I didn’t think the situation warranted further action. There was no reason to believe she would do anything when I had company. She probably thought he was my latest redhead.”
“Prints? I take it you used NCIS resources to uncover that little bit of information?” Shepard was not backing down. Gibbs didn’t reply.
“Go on.” Shepard indicated she wanted the rest of the story.
“There’s not that much to tell, Jenny. It’s all in my report. She locked herself into my house, threatened DiNozzo at knife point and was taken down by McGee.”
“Yes, about that. What was he doing there? Were they all hired as your personal bodyguards this weekend? They are your team, Special Agent Gibbs, not some private security force you can deploy at a whim.”
“I didn’t.” He couldn’t help smiling.
“You find this amusing, Jethro? Because trust me, I do not.”
“That’s not it, Jenny. McGee was staging a fake stakeout. Apparently he was seeking inspiration for his latest novel.” There was no need to include the rest. He’d asked them last night to keep their relationship from the Director. None of them wanted the team disbanded, and they’d all agreed to honor his wish.
Shepard looked incredulous. “Excuse me?”
“He was staging…”
“I heard you the first time, Gibbs. Have you all lost your minds? And Sciuto?”
“When the prints came back to Marie, Abby got worried. She was cruising the streets around my house when McGee spotted her. Abby told him about Marie, and they made the fake stake out a real one.”
“What was she planning to do? Clobber her over the head with one of her boots?” Shepard shook her head.
The Director’s expression softened a bit. “How are you holding up, Jethro?”
“I’m fine. So is DiNozzo,” he added, angered she hadn’t asked yet.
“And Marie?”
“Ducky’s been in contact with the hospital. She’s had surgery on her shoulder, and eventually she’ll probably have to undergo some sort of psychiatric evaluation.” Gibbs shifted in his chair as the memories from last night came flooding back.
“How long has this been going on?”
“A few years, on and off. Nothing like this, though.” He got up. “Are we done here?”
“For now,” she replied. She opened her mouth to say something else, but Gibbs was out the door before she could react. Shaking her head, she picked up his report to study it more carefully.
Gibbs planned on going home. They were not on call, and McGee was finishing up his report as Gibbs walked through the bullpen. The rest would keep until he returned a few hours later.
Half an hour later, he let himself into the house. The TV was blaring from the living room and Gibbs toed off his shoes before going in search of Tony. He found him fast asleep on the couch, his hand still lightly clutching the remote control.
Grabbing the remote, Gibbs killed the TV and sat down beside the younger man, waiting for him to wake up.
A few minutes later, Tony stirred, stretching like a cat before opening his eyes.
“Hey, you’re home,” he smiled, reaching out for Gibbs. “Shepard happy?” he asked, sitting up carefully.
“Yeah, well,” Gibbs replied, “still pissed at me for using NCIS resources and causing a PR disaster, but other than that, we’re good.”
“Good.” Tony snagged the remote off the table. “Now, have you ever watched the episode where Magnum saves the pretty girl?”
Gibbs groaned, but settled into the couch, drawing Tony close.
EPILOGUE �" SIX MONTHS LATER
Gibbs’ second in command walked into the bullpen at 7 am. He’d planned on sleeping in a bit on his birthday, but his lover had had other plans. Tony smiled as the memory of being awoken by a warm mouth resurfaced.
He flung his backpack on the floor and went in search of coffee. Living with Gibbs had its perks, and a few minor drawbacks. Getting hooked on morning coffee was one. When he returned to the squad room, Tony noticed a creamy white gift box sitting in the middle of his desk. He cocked his head and looked at it, wondering whether this was part two of Gibbs’ birthday present. A morning of slow lovemaking had been part one.
The box had no card on it, only a rainbow striped ribbon tied around it. He tugged at the bow, removing the colorful band before taking off the lid.
“Oh, no, you didn’t,” he laughed, as he viewed the contents. Carefully lifting the present out of the box, Tony examined the item. It was a story, about 60 pages long. McGee had even made a cover. An image of him and Gibbs adorned the dust jacket. He recognized the shot. Abby had invited them on a picnic by the river. She’d made all her specialties, and Tony had fallen asleep afterwards, leaning against Gibbs under a shady tree. He looked at the picture. Gibbs had his arms wrapped around him, holding him close. They both looked peaceful and happy, and there was a small smile playing around Gibbs’ lips as he gazed across the water.
Tony opened the book, quickly scanning a few pages here and there.
“Oh, God…you didn’t....” he groaned, feeling a blush creep up his neck.
The faint ping of the elevator reached him and he scrambled to hide the present. Gibbs rounded the corner, finding him behind his desk, trying to shove the book into an already overflowing drawer.
“Whatcha got, there, Tony? Another present?” Before Tony could react, Gibbs had removed the story from the box, his eyes lingering at the cover for a few moments before reading the first few pages. Tony could see the minute he reached the more salacious parts of the story.
“McGee…” He sounded amused, and Tony released a sigh of relief. “Didn’t know you had it in ya! Where is he anyway?” Gibbs looked around the office, which was mostly empty this early in the morning
“He had some kind of meeting in Norfolk, would be gone all day,” Abby volunteered, suddenly appearing by Gibbs’ side.
“Sneaky,” Tony muttered, before putting the book back in the gift box.
“You like your gift, Tony?” She had a look in her eyes Tony recognized.
“You’ve read it?” he stated, looking at the box in front of him.
“Read it? I helped write it. You know, the good parts,” she grinned. “Oh, and Gibbs, you can borrow the restraints used on page 13 if you like. You know, if Tony’s misbehaving.” She smiled innocently and was gone.
The two men were left momentarily speechless. Gibbs cocked an eyebrow, looking at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes that Tony found slightly unnerving.
“No…” he said.
“What?” Gibbs was all innocence.
“No way.” Tony was adamant.
“Really…” Gibbs growled, not backing down.
“Not gonna happen…”
People started drifting in, and Gibbs returned to his desk. Throughout the day, Tony would look up to meet Gibbs’ eyes, and there it was, every time: The promise that this particular discussion was far from over.
The end
Author's Chapter Notes:
The aftermath of Marie's attack.
Chapter End Notes:
Chapter eight, and an epilogue.
Thank you so much for all your wonderful feedback :)
Hilde
Thank you so much for all your wonderful feedback :)
Hilde