He’d waited his whole life to hear those three little words from his father. And now that he’d heard them he didn’t know what to think. He’d been ready to arrest him, confront him over being broke. But as usual he’d skated.
He’d told his father he led a charmed life. And he hadn’t been exaggerating. He could remember many times during his childhood when everything had seemed to fall into place for his father with very little effort. He’d made making money look easy. Falling in love, well it happened all the time. He’d been married a number of times as well. Hell he’d lost track of his step mothers he had so many.
And ok so he’d never had the best of relationship with his father, but he’d thought he would have rated at least a call from his assistant to let him know that his father was getting married again.
But apparently he hadn’t even rated that much. Ok well that wasn’t all that much of a surprise, after all this was the same father who’d left him in a motel in Maui, and had off loaded him whenever he could. Hell his father hadn’t even bothered to return Gibb’s call when he’d had the plague. He was sure his father had no idea how often he’d faced death, or even been injured in his life.
And that was just sad.
Looking back he could see why he’d been so hesitant to commit to anyone in his life. He’d never had the role model to show him how good being in a committed relationship could be. Never seen how the stability could be good for you. The joy.
Until he’d run into a blue eyed Marine Federal Agent who had demanded that he hand over his crime scene.
He smiled as he listened to the noises that were coming from the kitchen.
He’d waited his whole life to hear his father say that he loved him. Forty years of waiting, hoping and working to gain his father’s approval. And now he had it. But he was finding that hearing those three little words from his father hadn’t been all that he’d hoped it would be.
At one time in his life, hearing those words would have been enough to make his day.
But now? The words just left him feeling hollow.
The time when his father could make his day by saying that he loved him had been and gone and his father had missed the boat on that one.
It had taken him thirty odd years, but now he truly understood what those three words really meant. He understood what family meant, what love meant, what belonging meant.
He’d spent his life wandering, looking for a place to belong, for a family.
But it turned out that his family had found him. Where once he’d been lacking and lonely, now he was part of something great, and he was loved. Truly loved.
He had found his home. Abby was the sister he’d always wanted, the one he could party with and a co-conspirator for the practical jokes on the rest of his family. McGee was the little brother that you just had to pick on to help them grow up strong and independent. Ziva was the sister that you fought with constantly but when it counted he knew that he could count on her. Jimmy was the one he could talk to when he needed an impartial ear. Ducky was the father figure that he’d always wished he’d had, never afraid to praise him when he’d earned it and offer advice and support when needed.
And Gibbs?
He smiled as his lover came into the lounge with a bowl of food and a bottle of beer for him.
How the hell could you label what he and Gibbs had.
Gibbs was his everything.
Gibbs had found him in Baltimore and within minutes of meeting him Tony had known that he had met someone who would change his life. It had started with a job offer before they’d even finished their first case together. It had continued as Gibbs had groomed him as an agent and wooed him as a lover. And it had grown over the years to be the best thing that had ever happened to him.
Gibbs returned to the lounge and sat down next to him and ate in comfortable silence.
They would talk, but Tony knew that it would be when he was ready and after they had eaten. And for the first time since he’d found out that his father was in DC he found himself relaxing.
His father had said he loved him.
But he’d found something better while he’d been waiting.
He’d found someone who truly loved him for who he was. Accepted him for who he was and didn’t want him to change.
He’d found where he belonged.
Story Notes:
The slashiness is so small you may blink and miss it, but it's there :oD
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony reflects on his encounter with his father and what he's learnt about himself. This is a slash Tibbs story if you blink, if you blink you may miss it! Nothing graphic not even a kiss, please read and enjoy :o)
Chapter End Notes:
The slashiness is so small you may blink and miss it, but it's there :oD