“What do you mean you don’t know?” Tony DiNozzo waved his hand at all the machines whirring and beeping around them.
“Your machines not talking to you, Abby? That brilliant mind of yours not high enough on CafPow to do its magic?” Tony snarled, not able to contain his rage.
Abby looked at him wide eyed for a moment, before punching him hard in the arm.
“Conference room,” she hissed, dragging him into her office. She waited until the door was safely closed behind her, twirled around, and got into his personal space. He could practically feel the anger emanating off her in waves, and he took an involuntary step back. A furious Abby was a force to be reckoned with, and he was suddenly afraid he’d gone a step too far.
“Don’t you EVER talk to me like that again,” she said, a slight quaver in her voice revealing the emotions she barely contained behind the calm exterior.
Tony opened his mouth to retort, then slid down to the floor, suddenly deflated. He rested his head on the side of her desk and closed his eyes for a moment.
“I’m sorry, he said quietly, It’s just…well…it’s Gibbs, Abby!”
“I know, she replied, crouching down in front of him. “We will find out, Tony, we just have to run a few more tests. Ducky’s monitoring him, but he seems to be having a ball,” she giggled, pigtails bouncing as she tried to suppress the laughter bubbling up inside her.
“This is such a cluster fuck,” Tony sighed, smiling tiredly.
******
Gibbs looked around the bullpen not quite remembering why he was there, or why they were all looking at him so seriously.
“Hi, Ducky!” Gibbs put his feet up on the desk, smiling from ear to ear as he tried to get the doctor’s attention. He leaned closer to the ME. “Why’s the Elf Lord looking so worried? I’m not gonna slap him, ya know,” he said. McGee just shook his head and picked up the phone.
“Who ya calling, McGee? Hot date?” Before McGee had a chance to reply, Gibbs went on, his mouth seemingly overflowing with whatever popped into his mind. “Who wants to go to Six Flags? McGee? You up for a ride?” Not waiting for an answer, he leaned back in his chair and smiled at the world in general.
A few moments later, Gibbs plopped his feet back down and spun around again, grinning widely as he gained speed. After a few rounds he stopped abruptly, frowning in confusion while he looked around at his immediate surroundings.
“Hey,” he exclaimed, “this is not my desk! Where’s Ziva?”
“Ziva’s in Israel, remember? Visiting friends and family,” Dr Mallard repeated for the third time in about as many minutes. “Jethro, you should try and take it easy. I would not advise you to strain yourself in this condition.” He talked slowly and clearly, as if he was trying to reason with a child.
“I never strain myself, well, unless DiNozzo’s around, but he makes it all...” He was interrupted by a tall man swooping in and pressing a large glass of water into his hand.
“Here, Boss. Gotta keep ya hydrated.”
“Wanna go for a ride, Tony?” Gibbs giggled manically. “What am I saying? You’re always up for a ride, aren’t you.” His smile changed, and suddenly the atmosphere in the room was very charged. Gibbs slid one hand up Tony’s thigh, honing in on his ass like a missile. Tony glanced down, oh yeah, Gibbs was getting hard.
He quickly restrained him and shoved Gibbs in the direction of the elevator.
“Abby needs to run a few more tests, Ducky. Could you help me get him downstairs?” Tony pleaded, his concern for Gibbs bleeding into his voice. Gibbs went willingly, seeming to square his shoulders as they walked.
“We got a case, DiNozzo? Saddle up! No…gear up! Or…” Gibbs trailed off. He leaned towards Tony, whispering into his ear, “Which is it?” Tony just shook his head and looked imploringly at Ducky.
“My dear boy, there’s nothing we can do right now. He’s basically just feeling very uninhibited, and not making much sense, I’m afraid.” Ducky leaned against the wall of the car and studied the younger agent as he staved off another attack.
“Thanks, Ducky, I’ve kinda figured that one out for myself,” Tony hissed, as he slapped Gibbs’ hands off his ass once again.
“Leave my ass alone, Boss!” Tony ordered, sighing deeply as they waited for the elevator to arrive.
“I don’t wanna,” Gibbs pouted, looking so disappointed Ducky started laughing.
“I want to take him somewhere quiet, like your lab,” Tony offered, as he met the doctor’s questioning look. Ducky nodded, and they observed their companion in silence for a few moments. Gibbs had stopped pouting, and gazed at him with an expression Tony could only describe as want. His heart lurched in his chest, but he quickly squashed the feeling.
“I’ve always suspected, Anthony, that Jethro had a soft spot for you,” Ducky said quietly.
Tony snorted. “Yeah, right. The thing is, Ducky, he’s also high as a kite. It’s not exactly the best indicator of someone’s personal feelings.” They got on the elevator, and Tony pushed the button for Ducky’s lab. He shot a glance at Gibbs, who was busy studying his badge, his forehead creased in a frown as he was spelling out the lettering.
“It’s gold,” he smiled, waving his badge at Tony. “And it has an eagle on it!”
Tony couldn’t help himself, he had to laugh.
“Yes, Boss, pure gold,” he answered, smiling broadly.
“I like your smile,” Gibbs said, his attention once again focused on Tony. Ducky turned around, but not before Tony caught him smiling to himself.
“I like your smile, too, Boss,” he replied, suddenly very aware of the fact that Gibbs was under the influence of a substance they had not been able to determine yet. He was finally getting the attention he’d been wanting, and it wasn’t real. He sighed, rubbing his hands across his face, trying to stay focused.
“You can’t seriously suggest that this is the real Gibbs.”
“Indeed I can, my dear boy. For someone as in control of his emotions as Jethro, I suspect we’re getting a glimpse into the man beneath the cool exterior. Of course, the childlike behavior is obviously the drugs talking, but the rest?” The older man trailed off. “He’s always been very fond of you, Anthony. I just wasn’t aware that his emotions ran this deep.”
“Yeah, well, I’m just seeing a man zonked out on something, trying to grope my ass! Not exactly my idea of romance,” Tony hissed as the severity of the situation hit him again.
Dr Mallard’s reply was interrupted by their arrival at the lab. The room was empty and shrouded in semidarkness. Palmer was called out on a case, leaving the place eerily quiet.
Ducky steered Gibbs towards his desk and had him sitting down before he turned back to Tony.
“Take him home, Anthony. There’s nothing more we can do other than keep him under observation, and we’ve already determined he’s not in any danger. The way he’s acting now, I think he would prefer to be in the privacy of his own home and away from curious eyes. I will drop by later this evening to check up on him.”
“You’re leaving me alone with him?” Tony groaned loudly. “He’s stronger than me, Ducky. What if he tries to….you know...” He felt a blush creep up his neck, warming his ears.
Ducky laughed. “I’m certain you will be ok,” he assured the flustered agent. “Just don’t let him wander off, or get his hands on any power tools.
“Yeah, well,” Tony muttered under his breath, “he’s not getting his hands on my power tool.” Rolling his eyes at his own bad pun, he walked over to his boss. Gibbs had quieted down, and was looking intently at a model of a scull Ducky had sitting on his desk. The doctor was pursuing an interest in forensic anthropology, moving on from his forensic psychology classes from last spring.
“Hey, Gibbs,” he said, crouching down in front of the older man. “Come on, I’m taking you home.”
“You are? Why? Can I have this?” Gibbs held up the scull in his hands.
“No, that’s Ducky’s, remember? He needs it for class.”
“Homework? I don’t like homework,” Gibbs went on.
“You don’t have homework, I promise,” Tony assured him, standing up to leave. He held out his hand, and Gibbs took it, entwining their fingers before getting up.
“Maybe this is more your idea of romance, Anthony,” Ducky commented, looking like he was trying very hard to keep a straight face.
“Don’t go there, Ducky, just don’t!” Tony pulled Gibbs along, refusing to contemplate how right it felt to have Gibbs’ hand in his.
*******************************
The ride home had been uneventful. A running commentary from Gibbs the entire time had Tony long for the days when his boss was behaving more like a functioning mute.
He gave a sigh of relief when they parked the car in Gibbs’ driveway. Gibbs had gone very quiet, and was looking at him intently. He held the younger man’s gaze, then raised his hand and ran a finger down Tony’s cheek and over his bottom lip before he withdrew. Tony was mesmerized. He’d held his breath as Gibbs touched him, not daring to speak or move. He shivered lightly and exhaled shakily.
“Don’t,” he whispered. “Not like this. Not now.”
Gibbs’ eyes grew darker as the words registered. He opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Tony sighed. This was a nightmare, pure and simple. More than anything he wanted to lean over and capture Gibbs’ mouth in a kiss, never letting go. An nearly overpowering urge to finally run his hands through Gibbs’ hair, find out how it felt beneath his fingers washed over him.
A knock on the driver’s side window startled both men.
“Mr. Gibbs! Is everything ok?”
Tony turned his head to find an old wizened lady staring at them both, eyes darting back and forth between the two.
Tony opened the door and got out quickly.
“Mrs. Lipsit!” Gibbs called behind him, finally recognizing the woman peering into the car.
“Agent Tony DiNozzo,” he introduced himself, shaking the proffered hand carefully. Her hand felt tiny and cool against his heated skin. “Everything’s fine,” he reassured her. “Agent Gibbs has come down with the flu and needs to take it easy for a couple of days, that’s all.” He bent down and scooped up her shopping bags, “Here, let me help you with these, Ma’am. Are you a neighbor of Agent Gibbs? I’m sure he appreciates you concern, Ma’am. I’ll make sure to let him know.”
“He didn’t quite look like himself,” Mrs. Lipsit said, trying to turn back to the car.
“Gibbs is fine. Nothing a little rest can’t fix,” he assured her, flashing his patented DiNozzo smile. He steered her firmly away from the car, walking in the direction she indicated.
“Maybe I should bring over some of my chicken soup later? My Levi always said I made the best chicken soup in the world, even better than his mother. Now, she never was much of a cook. You should have tasted her matzah balls. They were so dense you could…”
Tony let her voice wash over him, not really paying attention to what she said. Luckily, she lived right next door, and he was on his way back a few minutes later, clutching a container of frozen chicken soup and a bag of freshly made rolls. The elderly lady had clearly not trusted him to provide a meal for Gibbs, and had given him detailed instructions on how to heat the soup.
Turning into the driveway, he noticed the door on the passenger side was open, and Gibbs was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, come on!” he exclaimed. The front door was locked and he rang the door bell, in case Gibbs had walked inside. A couple of minutes later, he gave up and walked around the house to search the back garden. “Gibbs, you here?” No reply. The backyard stretched the entire length of the house, with fruit trees and shrubs scattered around.
“Give me a break, Boss! I swear, if you’re playing hide and seek I’ll whip your ass till kingdom come.” The thought of Gibbs’ ass brightened his mood for a second, but the severity of the situation once again caught up with him. Gibbs could have wandered off. In his altered state of mind, he could get into all kinds of trouble.
Tony walked up on the back porch and peered through the French doors leading inside. A small sound of relief escaped his lips when he spotted Gibbs inside, whittling away on a toy boat, strong fingers caressing the wood as he searched for uneven spots.
Tony remained where he was, watching the intent look on Gibbs’ face as he worked. His focus shifted to Gibbs’ hands, wondering what it would be like to feel those hands caressing his body, to be the center of all that focused concentration
Shaking it off, he knocked on the door trying to get Gibbs’ attention. A couple of moments later the door was thrown open, and Gibbs pulled him inside.
“Tony!” Gibbs looked genuinely delighted to see him. “What’ve you got there?” He pointed at the container now sitting on the coffee table.
“Mrs. Lipsit sent you some of her delicious chicken soup. You want some, Boss?” Gibbs nodded and together they ventured into the kitchen, Gibbs telling Tony about the toys he was making for a local kindergarten. Placing the container in the microwave, Tony pulled out a couple of bowls and set the table. Gibbs’ fridge didn’t contain much, but he did find an unopened carton of orange juice. A few minutes later they were sitting down by the kitchen table, enjoying the soup Mrs. L had provided. The meal was spent in silence, as the stresses of the day slowly melted away.
After finishing up two helpings, Gibbs yawned and declared he’d like to take a nap. Tony followed him upstairs; wanting to make sure he really fell asleep.
Gibbs walked down the hall to the master bedroom, kicking off his shoes as he went. Once inside, he quickly stripped down to his boxers and climbed onto the bed. He settled down for a moment and closed his eyes, exhaling deeply as he relaxed and shifted around to get comfortable.
Gibbs mumbled something and Tony moved closer, trying to hear what he said. “Lie down with me, Tony?” he asked, reaching out and taking hold of the younger man’s hand.
Not able to resist, Tony slipped off his shoes and climbed under the covers, allowing the other man to hold him close.
“Just for a few minutes,” he told himself. “Just a few minutes.”
Story Notes:
This story is inspired by a picture of MH, posted by TG on the yahoo list. Probably taken during a break in filming, it showed a very relaxed MH, smiling broadly as he looked around the room. A warm hug and thanks to tutncleo for the sanity reads, the inspirational chats and the beta.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs is drugged by an unknown substance and unexpected events unfold.
Chapter End Notes:
This story is inspired by a picture of MH, posted by TG on the yahoo list. Probably taken during a break in filming, it showed a very relaxed MH, smiling broadly as he looked around the room. A warm hug and thanks to tutncleo for the sanity reads, the inspirational chats and the beta.