E is for Elevator
"DiNozzo, I swear, if you hit me with one more spitball…"
Kate trailed off, allowing the threat to hang in the air as she glared angrily at her partner, picking the little piece of paper out of her brown hair.
"C'mon, Katie. It's just a little piece of paper," the Italian grinned, leaning back in his chair, the straw clenched between his teeth.
"You know, I'm amazed more and more every day with just how juvenile you are. How did you even get hired here?"
"Now that's an easy one: I smiled," he responded, plucking the straw from his mouth before he offered his most charming grin.
She rolled her eyes, holding up her finger in warning. "I meant what I said, Tony. Stop with the spitballs."
"Anyone ever tell you that you completely suck all the enjoyment out of life?" He asked, smirking at the rude gesture she threw his way. "Now that wasn't very ladylike. Probie! Did you see what she just did ?"
To his left, the Junior Agent didn't respond, choosing instead to focus his attention on his computer monitor. Kate and Tony had been picking at each other all morning, and with the kind of mood Gibbs was in, the last thing McGee wanted as to get in the middle of their petty bickering.
"Probie!"
Unfortunately, Tony wasn't getting the message.
"She has a point, Tony. Spitballs are kind of juvenile."
"This coming from the guy who spends 9 hours a day playing video games on his computer," Tony snorted.
"For your information, the game I play requires a high level of intelligence. You wouldn't even make it past the first level."
"If I did, I'd be tempted to shoot myself."
"It certainly would save us the trouble," Kate sneered, dropping her gaze back to her computer.
"You wound me, Katie."
"I'd like to."
Wrinkling his nose up at his partner, Tony resisted the childish urge to stick his tongue out. He had to admit, his teammates were far too easy. Sometimes, he had a tendency to go overboard with his teasing, but it was hard not to when they had such amusing reactions.
Snickering quietly to himself, he sat upright in his chair, clicking on the Solitaire game he'd been playing when he found the straw tucked in the back of his desk drawer. He'd just made his first move when the familiar voice growled his name, sounding very much like a bear in heat.
And not in a good way.
"DiNozzo!"
"Oh, hey Boss."
"You plan on actually gettin' some work down today?" Gibbs snarled, his ever present coffee cup missing from his hand.
"I finished with the file you gave me already," he responded proudly, ignoring the angry look on his lover's face.
"Got a whole stack of 'em on my desk. You waitin' for an engraved invitation?"
"On it, Boss."
Pushing himself up from his chair, Tony made his way over to the older man's desk, feeling Kate and McGee's eyes on him as he passed. He almost felt sorry for the two younger agents. Gibbs was most definitely a bastard most of the time, especially when it came to work, but his teammates had never seen the former Marine without his coffee.
He was most definitely going to have to take one for the team.
"McGee, I thought I told you I wanted your file a half an hour ago. You operatin' on Pacific Standard Time?"
"N…N…No, Boss. I just… I was… And I…"
"Spit it out!"
"I… I…"
"Hey Jethro, uh, quick question about this weekend. You think we'll need one moving truck or two?" The Italian asked, hoping to head off the epic ass-chewing he knew his lover was about to deliver.
Almost as soon as the words left his mouth, however, Tony knew he'd picked a bad topic.
The older agent spun around on him, his icy blue eyes flashing angrily. There wasn't a look of mild annoyance which was what he was used to receiving. Gibbs looked downright murderous.
"Conference room. Now."
The Senior Agent faltered only slightly before standing up and straightening his suit. Offering his coworkers a reassuring smile, he followed their boss to the elevator and stepped on, waiting for what he knew was coming next.
As soon as the doors closed and the car began moving, Gibbs reached over and flipped the emergency switch, coloring the metal walls with the blue glow. He immediately turned to his lover, his blue eyes dark with anger. "What the hell were you thinkin', DiNozzo?"
"It just popped into my head. I wanted to ask before I forgot," he replied, shrugging one shoulder casually.
The silver-haired man nearly snarled as he backed his lover into the corner, missing the way the younger man's face changed to reflect his slightly uncomfortable state. There weren't any words spoken, just hard, icy blue eyes staring into Tony's hazel ones.
"Gibbs…" he tried, feeling his heart beginning to race slightly as his back hit the corner of the elevator.
Gibbs stopped his approach, leaving just enough room between them so that they weren't touching. Y"ou know how I feel about talkin' about home at work."
The brunette nodded, struggling to take a deep breath in an attempt to slow his heart rate down. "I know you… you're embarrassed to be with me."
He froze, surprised by his lover's statement. He was hardly embarrassed to be with him; it was just something he would rather keep separate from work. He growled, angry at himself for not explaining that to him, for assuming that he understood. Lashing out, he punched the wall of the elevator, frowning darkly when Tony visibly flinched.
"I am not embarrassed to be with you, Tony. Hell, I don't even care if everyone knows. I just don't want anyone to have a reason to believe you're gettin' special treatment because you're sleepin' with the boss."
He nodded again, finally managing to take a deep enough breath to slow his heart slightly. "Sorry I brought it up, Jethro."
Stepping forward, he leaned in and kissed the younger man tenderly. "Don't say you're sorry. I shouldn't have assumed you understood."
Reaching over, he flipped the emergency switch and furrowed his brow in confusion when the car didn't start moving again. Behind him, he could hear his partners breathing hitch and he glanced over his shoulder, rolling his eyes. Tony always did have a flair for the dramatics. "We're fine, DiNozzo. It'll be movin' again in a minute."
"I… I… I'm claustrophobic, Boss."
He chuckled quietly, reaching for the maintenance call button when he heard his Senior Agent slump against the wall and slide to the floor, gripping his knees to his chest as he struggled for breath. "Tony?"
"I… I…" he tried, shaking his head vehemently when he couldn't get the words out.
Gibbs crouched down beside him, running a hand over his back. "Calm down. We're okay. I'm right here with you."
Tony tugged at the collar of his shirt, pulling it away from his throat as he began to wheeze. The panic attack he was having was quickly becoming worse.
"It's all gonna be okay, Tony. Just relax," Gibbs said, offering his hand to the younger man, pleased when he took it and squeezed gently.
The younger man tried desperately to speak, but he couldn't even form a coherent thought. He felt as though the walls of the elevator were closing in on him. A strangled cry escaped him as he clawed at his shirt collar again, popping the top two buttons off.
"C… c… can't breathe…" he managed, his vision going slightly blurry.
"Dammit, Tony!" Gibbs growled, finding it difficult to remain calm while his lover was in the middle of a full blown panic attack.
Keeping one hand on his lover's shoulder, Gibbs reached over and grabbed the phone again when the elevator lurched, catching him off guard. "We're moving. Just stay calm."
The Italian didn't answer, his breaths coming in short ragged spurts. His face was pale and clammy, a light sheen of sweat already visible on his face. His entire body trembled and when the elevator jerked to a stop, a low, pathetic whimper escaped him.
The older man pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his lover under the arms, pulling him up and wrapping an arm around his waist. They stepped off the elevator together, with Tony leaning against his boss heavily as they made their way into Autopsy.
He took his first deep breath in over 20 minutes when they entered the large, open room, allowing Gibbs to lead him over to one of the empty tables.
"Sit," the older man commanded gently, helping his Italian onto one of the tables.
Tony didn't protest, though his eyes never left Gibbs as he made his way over to the Medical Examiner's office, knocking loudly. "Duck!"
Opening the door, Ducky poked his head out, offering his friend a bright smile. "Jethro! To what do I owe this pleasure? Need I even ask?"
"DiNozzo," Gibbs responded, releasing a heavy sigh. "Again."
"What happened this time?" Ducky asked, pushing himself to his feet.
"I'm… I'm right h… here. I can… can still hear you talkin'," Tony wheezed, his voice raspy.
"Panic attack. Got stuck in the elevator for a few minutes and he couldn't breathe."
"Ah. Claustrophobia is one of the more common phobias, Anthony. Hardly anything to be ashamed of," he reassured him, noting the way the younger man blushed when Gibbs mentioned his attack. "How often do you have them?"
"Hardly ever."
The Medical Examiner nodded, placing his stethoscope against the Italian's back and instructing him to take a deep breath.
"Your heart is back down to its normal rate and your lungs are clear, so you should be just fine," he smiled, patting the Senior Agent on the arm. "I do suggest, however, that you go home and rest."
Tony glanced at Gibbs, frowning slightly when the older man nodded, giving him his silent approval. "Boss, I'm fine. I don't have to go home."
"Not a discussion, Tony. Go home. I'll see you this evening."
The Italian remained still for a moment before he gave his boss a slight nod and slid off the metal table slowly, his head still spinning slightly.
He made his way over to the doorway slowly, stopping only when Gibbs called out to him, his voice soft.
"Tony."
"Yeah?" Was the curt response.
"We'll talk later. Get some rest."
Swallowing hard, Tony nodded and stepped through the door, heading for the stairs.
Gibbs waited until he heard the heavy metal door slam shut behind the Italian before he sagged against the autopsy table, running a hand over his face. "Christ, all those times in an elevator… What the hell happened this time?"
"I believed him when he said this wasn't something that came on frequently, Jethro. If I had to make a guess, I would say something else set off the panic attack. The claustrophobia was a symptom, not a cause."
"He's never mentioned havin' panic attacks before."
"Yes well, I need to have a long talk with that young man regarding him holding out on important information," Ducky said, shaking his head. "I wouldn't worry about it. It was a very minor attack, andâ€""
"He couldn't breathe, Duck! I wouldn't exactly call that minor!"
"You've clearly never seen a full blown panic attack," the doctor scoffed. "I meant it when I said that he would be just fine. He seemed a little shaky, but there was nothing to be concerned about. In fact, the only reason I bothered to send him home was so that he would not have to answer any uncomfortable questions from Caitlin and Timothy."
Gibbs said nothing as he pushed away from the table, releasing a frustrated sigh. "You're sure it's nothing to be concerned about?"
"Positive, though if it will make you feel more at ease, I'd be happy to come check him over again this evening."
"We'll see. I'll call ya if I need to."
"Very well," Ducky said with a slight nod, resting a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know it wasn't easy watching him go through that today, Jethro, but he will be just fine."
"Thanks, Duck," Gibbs muttered, already on his way out of autopsy. Pausing at the elevator, the older man hit the button with more force than necessary and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as he tried to forget the panicked look on Tony's face when he realized the elevator had stopped moving.
::::::
Gibbs sighed as he shifted the hot pizza, pausing outside his lover's apartment door.
It had been nearly seven hours since Tony had been sent home, and when he finally left, he was surprised to find that the younger man wasn't at his house. He figured that his lover had ended up going to his own apartment, so he headed in that direction, stopping to pick up a pizza on the way.
Reaching up, he rapped on the door quickly, waiting patiently as he heard the younger man padding toward the door.
The silver-haired man smiled when the door opened, holding out the pizza box as an offering. "Brought dinner."
"Not hungry," the Italian bit out, turning away from the door. He didn't bother closing it, knowing that his lover would sooner kick it down then take the hint and leave. "Didn't have to come over."
"Went by the house. You weren't there."
"Ever think that's by design?"
"If you want me to go, just say the words Tony."
He was met by silence and it was all he could do to keep the smug smile from his face. He knew his younger lover might be angry and upset over what had happened earlier in the day, but he also knew him well enough to know he didn't really want to be alone.
He watched as Tony made his way into the living room, slumping down on the couch with an irritated sigh as he headed into the kitchen, grabbing a couple paper plates for their meal. Pausing at the refrigerator, he grabbed two bottles of beer before padding into the living room quietly, dropping down onto the couch beside his partner.
They were both quiet as Gibbs grabbed a couple slices out of the box, dropping them onto a plate before he handed it to Tony.
"Said I'm not hungry," he muttered, though his traitorous stomach gave a particularly loud groan of protest.
"That says otherwise," Gibbs snorted, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "Eat. You missed breakfast this mornin'."
Eyeing Gibbs wearily, Tony snatched the plate from his hand, scooting over as much as possible, though it didn't deter his stubborn lover. After grabbing a slice of pizza for himself, Gibbs closed the gap between them, dropping an arm around the younger man's shoulder. He tensed up at first, it wasn't long before he began to relax, melting into the embrace.
"Much better," Gibbs smirked.
"Can't you ever just take a hint?" Tony asked with a sigh of defeat as he bit into his dinner ravenously.
"Nope."
"Good."
They ate quietly, though it wasn't an uncomfortable silence and neither man found that they minded too much. However, as soon as Tony swallowed the last bite of his dinner, Gibbs spoke, his voice nearly startling the younger man.
"Wanna tell me what happened today?"
"What did it look like?" Tony grunted, already on the defensive. Before his incident in the elevator, there wasn't a single person at NCIS who knew about his occasional panic attacks or his claustrophobia. It was something he guarded very carefully, and knowing that his lover had found out in the most embarrassing way possible made him extremely uncomfortable.
"Why didn't you ever tell me, Tony?"
"Because it's not exactly something I like to broadcast, Jethro. After all the shit I've put Kate and McGee through, do you honestly think they wouldn't use that to their full advantage if they knew? I can control it most of it the time because I don't have to worry about anyone lockin' me in a damn janitor's closet to get back at me for throwin' a spitball or super gluing office supplies!"
"You can't honestly believe thatâ€""
The Italian snorted, pushing himself to his feet. "People are cruel, J. If you think for one second that they wouldn't completely exploit something like that, you're blind."
"Then you let me deal with them. You can't keep shit like this from me, Tony. If I'd had any idea about these issues, I never would have had you in that elevator to begin with, and certainly not under those circumstances."
"I couldn't tell you," he said, dropping his eyes to the worn carpet as he ran a hand through his hair. "Especially not you."
"And why not?"
"Because it's a weakness and you're the last person I ever wanted to find out."
"Tony…"
"I'm not some tough-as-nails former Marine or an expert profiler. I don't know the first thing about DNA profiles or hacking computers and I couldn't even dissect a frog in biology. I ended up cutting off its leg instead. I'm nothin', Gibbs, but for some reason, you've kept me around and I didn't wanna give you a reason not to."
He closed his eyes, bracing himself for whatever it was he was about to receive, though he did not expect what came next.
Pushing himself to his feet, Gibbs reached out and cuffed him on the back of his head gently before he grabbed his chin lightly. "Tony, look at me."
Forcing his hazel eyes open, he swallowed hard in anticipation.
"There is absolutely nothin' in this world that would ever make me wanna get rid of you. You got that? I know you think it's just some corny line outta one of your movies, butâ€""
Leaning forward, younger man captured his lips in a kiss, crushing himself against the silver-haired agent. The force of the kiss sent Gibbs stumbling backwards onto the couch, though Tony never broke contact.
His hands found his partner's thin hips as he pulled him closer, moaning quietly into the kiss when the Italian pressed against him. After another torturous second, Tony pulled away, panting ever so slightly. "God I love it when you're corny."
Leaning up, Gibbs pecked his lips against before he pulled away, studying the younger man carefully. "Are we okay now?" He asked, though he already knew the answer.
"We're better than okay," Tony promised.
"No more secrets?"
"No more secrets," he agreed, leaning in for another kiss before he smirked against his lover's lips. "Wanna take this to the bedroom?"
"Thought you'd never ask."
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Sorry about the delay on this one, you guys! We wanted to thank everyone so much for their reviews and hopefully, you'll find this one was worth the wait! We'll try to get the next installment out a little quicker, but remember: reviews always help us write faster! Xoxo, Shadowkitten701 & LizzieDiNozzo