**December 24thâ€"2130 Hours Gibbs' House**
"I don't know if I like the tree there," Tony declared from his place on the couch, leaning over carefully to grab his hot chocolate from the coffee table. "Why can't you move it over a little more?"
"Which way?" Gibbs grunted.
"To the left, I think."
"I'm not movin' it that close to the fireplace."
"I didn't say you had to move it in to the fireplace! Just move it a little closer! You've got that big gap there and it looks stupid."
"Don't see you makin' any moves to get off that couch and help me, so just keep quiet," he responded, though there was a teasing grin on his face.
"That's because I'm resting," Tony reminded him, leaning back against the pillows before taking a long sip of his hot chocolate.
"Oh, is that what they're callin' it?" He teased, scooting the tree closer to the fireplace. "Y'know, this was your idea. I should make you do the rest of the decoratin'."
Tony's face fell slightly before he schooled it back into a grin. "You don't have to do this, Jet. I meanâ€""
"Stop."
"S… stop?"
Offering him a smile, Gibbs shrugged slightly before turning back to the task at hand. "If I didn't want to do this, Tony, trust me… I wouldn't. Now… is this a suitable spot for you?"
"I think that's good," he responded, depositing his cup back onto the table before he pushed himself up carefully.
"Where do you think you're goin'? You're supposed to be 'resting'."
"More hot chocolate," he grinned, rubbing his lower back gently to alleviate the dull ache before he grabbed his cup and made his way into the kitchen, releasing a content sigh.
It had been nearly two months since the pair found out about the baby, and while Tony had initially been concerned about how his boss would react, he was glad that he'd taken Abby's advice and told him. As far as he was concerned, things had never been better.
Grabbing another cup from the cabinet above the sink, he fixed two fresh cups of hot chocolate before carrying them back into the living room carefully, grinning when he found his lover perched on the arm of the couch, surveying his handy work.
"I think it's a little lopsided," Tony offered, holding out the cup with a smirk on his face.
"I'll show you lopsided," the older man growled, though he accepted the warm drink with a genuine grin. "You feelin' better tonight?"
"Much," the Italian assured him, sinking back down onto the couch with an appreciative groan before propping his feet up onto the coffee table. "You sure you're okay with having dinner here tomorrow? I mean… it's going to be kind of hard to hide the fact that I'm staying here."
"Don't plan on hidin' it," Gibbs responded, taking a long drink of his hot chocolate before setting the cup on the table and sliding down onto the cushion beside his younger lover. "Thought we might just go ahead and tell them."
"You're… you're serious?"
"Not gonna be able to hide it much longer, Tony. You're already startin' to show a bit."
"You sure know how to make a guy feel good about himself," Tony responded with a roll of his eyes. "I always love being told I'm gettin' fat."
"That's not what I said," Gibbs growled, leaning over to peck his cheek. "Nothin' wrong with you gainin' some weight."
"Yeah… you'll probably regret sayin' that when I start lookin' like a beached whale in a few months," he sighed.
The silver-haired man rolled his eyes, pushing himself to his feet. "I don't do regrets, Tony. You should know that by now."
"Where are you going?" Tony asked, a frown darkening his face though he cringed at the slightly needy tone to his voice. "I mean…"
"I'll be right back," he promised. "You relax and drink your hot chocolate."
Nodding despite his desire to follow after his lover, Tony took another sip of his warm drink, resting a hand against his stomach. He had, he realized with a quiet sigh, put on a little weight and while he knew that was to be expected, he couldn't help but feel a little self conscious. Especially considering that Gibbs had pointed it out.
His frown darkened slightly as he drained his cup and just as he was getting ready to get up and go find the older man, Gibbs returned, a sly smile on his face.
"Where'd you go?"
"You'll see," he smirked, making his way over to the couch before holding his hand out. "C'mon."
Cocking an eyebrow at him, Tony accepted his hand, allowing Gibbs to pull him to his feet though he began to protest when he saw what he held in his other hand.
"Jethro… no!" He complained, releasing a huff of indignation when the older man laugh and tied the bandana around his eyes, obscuring his vision. "What are you doing?"
"Wanna give you your present now."
"No! I haven't even finished wrapping yours andâ€""
"Shut up and walk," Gibbs responded and Tony could practically hear the smirk in his voice.
"How am I supposed to do that when I can't even see?"
"Trust me," he said, leaning over to peck his cheek before resting a gentle hand on his back, guiding him carefully. He couldn't contain his grin as he led his younger lover through the house carefully before stopping at the den. Glancing around to make sure everything was in place, he leaned forward until his lips were just inches away from Tony's ear before he removed the bandana. "Merry Christmas, Tony."
A quiet gasp escaped him when he spotted the brand new flat screen television mounted on the wall, a giant red bow attached to one corner. "Jet… you shouldn't have done this…"
"Got tired of hearin' you complain about not being able to watch TV in color," he teased.
"You really… really shouldn't have. That TV probably cost you a fortune andâ€""
"Stop," he commanded, pulling the younger man over to the couch, offering him a grin as he handed him the remote. "Go on. Try it out."
"Jethro…"
"You don't like it." His tone was quiet and though he'd tried to keep his voice impassive, Tony could hear the tinge of hurt, the sound sending a wave of guilt crashing over him.
"I love it," he responded honestly. "I just… This model is so expensive and Iâ€""
"I don't care about the money, Tony. Just wanted to get you somethin' I thought you'd like," he mumbled, dropping the remote to the couch. "I'll box it up and take it back."
"No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you think I didn't like it or anything," he frowned, reaching for the older man's hand when he started out of the room. "Jet, please."
"Gotta go finish up the tree." Pulling his hand away, he headed out of the room without so much as a second glance back at his lover.
Sagging slightly, Tony reached up and ran a hand over his face with a groan. Truthfully, he couldn't have asked for a nicer gift, but the idea that the older man had spent so much money on him made him uncomfortable. Of course, he'd never meant to hurt his feelings either.
"Merry Christmas to me," he muttered, making his way over to the wall to pull the red ribbon off before he headed out of the room, intent on finding Gibbs and apologizing.
He found him hunched over a box of Christmas ornaments in the living room, his shoulders slumped just slightly as he dug through the box.
"Not nice to stare," he growled, feeling Tony's eyes against his back.
"Just tryin' to figure out how to apologize for seeming like an ungrateful bastard," Tony frowned, making his way over to the older man slowly. "I really didn't mean to hurt your feelings, Jet. It's a great Christmas present and I absolutely love it."
"Yeah?" He asked, cringing slightly at the hopeful tone to his voice before he turned back and glanced at Tony.
"Yeah," Tony responded, holding his hand out. "C'mon."
"Where?"
"I wanna give you your present too. I haven't had time to wrap it though," he warned, grinning when Gibbs accepted his outstretched hand, allowing him to pull him to his feet.
They were quiet as they made their way into the hallway and up the stairs. Pausing at the bedroom door, Tony glanced back at his lover and offered him a warm smile before pushing the door open and stepping inside. "You sit down," he commanded, giving the older man a slight nudge toward the bed. "I'll be right back."
Cocking an eyebrow at his agent, Gibbs merely shrugged and stepped over to the bed, sinking down against the comfortable mattress as his Italian backed out of the room. He wasn't gone long, and when he returned, he held a rectangle box in his hands.
"I'm a little embarrassed to give you this after getting that amazing TV, but I wasn't exactly sure what you needed or wanted," he started, a slight frown on his face.
"Don't be dumb," Gibbs chided, narrowing his eyes at his self-conscious lover.
Tony's frown darkened just a bit as he crossed the room. "I kept the receipt so if you can't use them or you wanted to get something else, thenâ€""
"Tony."
"Right. Shutting up. Sorry, Boss," he responded, releasing a quiet sigh as he held out his present, attempting a half-hearted smile. "Merry Christmas, Jet."
Laying the box on his lap, Gibbs glanced up at Tony once more before he opened it up, his eyes widening at the beautiful chisel set. It was the most thoughtful gift he'd received in years and the very idea that the younger man was afraid he wouldn't like it was enough to make him frown.
"Don't think I could have asked for a nicer gift," he said quietly before laying the set aside and pushing himself to his feet.
"You really like it? I just didn't know what to get. I mean, I tried researching what kinda tools you needed for that crazy boat building hobby of yours, but you have every hand tool known to man and when I saw your chisels looked a little wornâ€""
"Tony," he said quietly, leaning forward to cup his face gently in his hands. "I love it."
"You mean it?"
"Wouldn't have said it if I didn't," he smirked. "One of these days, you'll start believin' me when I tell you that."
"Not likely," the younger man retorted, though there was a hint of a smile on his face when Gibbs reached over and cuffed the back of his head affectionately. "You think you're ready for your other present?"
"I get more than one?" Gibbs asked, feigning surprise.
"Uh huh. If you think you can handle it, that is," Tony challenged, his cautious smile giving way to a mischievous grin.
"Pretty sure I can handle you," the silver-haired man growled as he leaned forward, capturing his agents lips as his hands found Tony's hips, pulling him closer.
"That's what you think."
**December 25thâ€"0800 Hours**
Pushing the bedroom door open slowly, Gibbs stepped inside, taking a long drink of his coffee. He'd been up for an hour or so, putting the finishing touches on the tree that he'd abandoned the night before in favor of collecting an early present, which had kept him and Tony busy until the early hours of the morning.
A slight grin crossed his face as he set his cup on the dresser before he made his way across the room, intent on waking his younger lover. They'd made plans to have the entire team over for Christmas dinner later that afternoon, but he had something else in mind for just the two of them.
Leaning over the bed, he brushed his fingers through Tony's hair, grinning when the younger man groaned and swatted his hand away.
"C'mon, lazy."
"Go 'way," he mumbled, rolling onto his side. "'m tired."
"But it's Christmas mornin'," Gibbs reminded him. "You're really gonna sleep away our first Christmas?" He smirked.
"Never knew you to be so sappy."
"Never knew you to be so grouchy in the morning," he retorted.
"That's what happens when you keep me up until 0430. You wore me out, Jet."
"And here I thought you said it was me who couldn't handle you."
"I stand corrected," he sighed, turning onto his back once more to offer Gibbs a sleepy smile. "Merry Christmas, by the way."
"Merry Christmas to you too," he grinned, leaning over to peck the younger man's lips quickly. "Now get off your ass. I expect you downstairs in five."
"You're kidding, right?"
"Nope," he called, heading for the door. Grabbing the cup from the dresser, he glanced over his shoulder and offered Tony another smirk. "Don't make me have to come back up here to get you," he warned.
Waving the older man off, Tony flopped back down against the mattress, running a hand over his face tiredly. Barely stifling a yawn, he stretched out on the mattress, groaning as his bones cracked loudly before he pushed himself up. Leaning over carefully, he grabbed his discarded boxers and pulled them on quickly before climbing out of the bed, stifling another yawn.
"This is so not fair," he grumbled as he made his way out of the bedroom, rubbing a hand over his rounded stomach gently before making his way down the stairs.
Pausing in the doorway to the living room, he couldn't help but grin broadly at the sight of the beautifully decorated tree before he headed into the kitchen. "You finished it."
"Uh huh," Gibbs responded, and though his back was to Tony, the younger man could hear the smirk in his voice. "This mornin'. Figured it wouldn't do to have a half-assed tree. Not this year."
"So you are a sap. Deep down, anyway. I always knew that gruff exterior was just an act," Tony smirked, crossing the room to wrap his arms around the older man's waist, resting his forehead against his back.
"Only when it comes to you."
"Wow… that was borderline cheesy. You sure you're feelin' okay this mornin'?" Tony teased.
A low growl escaped Gibbs as he turned in his younger lover's arms, leaning forward to peck his lips gently. "Better than you're gonna be if you keep it up," he warned playfully. "Hungry?"
"Always," he reminded him with a snort. "I feel like all I do is eat."
"Not much has changed then."
"That was just plain wrong, Jet. You wound me, you know that?"
"Don't want ya to think I'm gettin' too soft," the older man laughed, pecking Tony's lips again before he pulled away. "Go on. Breakfast will be done in a few. Thought we'd eat in the living room this mornin'."
"Need any help?"
"Nope. I like my kitchen completely intact. Go get comfortable. I'm finishin' up now."
"Harsh. Way harsh," he sighed, though there was a hint of a smile on his face as he trudged back into the living room. Sinking down onto the couch with a content sigh, Tony dropped his head back and closed his eyes, listening as the older man moved around in the next room.
It was the first Christmas in quite a few years that he'd actually had someone to spend it with, and the very idea that this was a year he wasn't alone was almost enough to set his damn hormones off. Laughing quietly, he shook his head as if to rid himself of the thought.
"What are you in here laughin' at?" Gibbs asked as he appeared in the doorway, two plates in hand.
"Myself," Tony responded, glancing over the back of the couch with a grin. "Need some help?"
"Nope. You stay put," Gibbs responded, crossing the room to deposit his lover's breakfast into his hands. "Milk or tea?"
"I can get my own drink, Jet. You don't have to wait on me, you know."
Cocking an eyebrow at the younger man, Gibbs dropped his own plate onto the coffee table and waited. A second later, Tony sighed.
"Coffee."
"Not an option unless you want that caffeine free garbage."
"One cup of coffee is not gonna kill me. Besides, it's Christmas!"
"Milk or tea? Gibbs asked again, fighting the smirk that threatened.
"Milk, I guess," Tony responded, a slight whine in his voice. "You really suck, you know that?"
"Didn't hear you complaining last night," Gibbs called out over his shoulder as he headed back into the kitchen, laughing quietly the whole way.
**1645 Hoursâ€"Gibbs' House**
Tony grinned from the recliner where Abby had curled up on his lap as he watched Gibbs in the kitchen. The older man had recruited Ducky a little earlier that afternoon to help him cook the turkey while he finished up with the stuffing.
Everyone had brought their own small side dish to the meal, a small gesture since Gibbs offered to host their team Christmas dinner but outlawed gifts. Abby brought her aunt's famous cranberry sauce, McGee had candied yams that his sister made for fear of him burning his apartment down, and Ziva had cooked up some concoction that she called macaroni and cheese casserole.
"Casserole. That is an American holiday tradition, no?"
"Well, technically," Abby offered, smiling at her friend as she rested her head on Tony's shoulder. "But I've never heard of one with macaroni and cheese."
The Israeli woman frowned slightly and Tony offered her an encouraging smile. "I'm sure it's great, Zee. Besides, I know for a fact that it's gotta be better than anything I would have ever been able to make."
"That's why he didn't bring any food," McGee teased.
"He didn't bring a side because he helped with the tree," Gibbs amended, stepping into the living room. "Dinner's ready."
Glancing up at his lover with a grin, Tony helped steady Abby as she climbed off his lap carefully before she extended a hand to help pull him to his feet.
"Not a minute too soon, Boss. I was starvin'."
"Yeah, looks like it," McGee smirked, barely dodging Abby's fist. "I'm kidding!"
"Yeah, yeah. We can't all be a McAnorexic, now can we?" Tony responded, dropping an arm around Abby's shoulder as they followed after Gibbs into the dining room.
He helped the Goth into her chair before taking the seat on her left, next to the head of the table where he knew Gibbs would sit. Everyone else took their seats quickly, their mouths watering as they looked over the spread of food that was sitting on the table.
"Alright, dig in," Gibbs announced, watching with a small smile on his face as Tony immediately reached for the macaroni and cheese casserole that Ziva had thrown together.
"Gibbs!" Abby cried, sending the older man a chastising look. "You didn't say grace!"
He looked over at her seriously, cocking his eyebrow slightly. "Haven't said grace in years, Abs, wasn't plannin' on startin' today."
"But today you're gonnaâ€""
Tony stopped her from talking by shoving a warm crescent roll in her mouth. "We're gonna wait until later," he hissed, trying to keep his voice down.
"Wait for what?" Ziva asked, watching her Italian friend pile the casserole onto his plate.
"Uh…"
"Good rolls, Ducky," Abby called, across the table, holding the basket out for Ziva. "Try them. Very good."
Lifting an eyebrow at the pair, she shrugged, missing the relieved look that Tony threw Abby's way. The conversation quickly died away as the group began to eat and it wasn't long before the table was nearly empty.
"I don' know exactly what you put in here, Ziva," Tony began, his mouth full of her macaroni dish, "but it's good. You gotta make it for me again sometime."
"Only if you promise to never talk with your mouth full again," the woman retorted with a snort, though it was that clear she was pleased.
"Abby, perhaps you and Ziva would like to give me a hand? We'll clear the table and then I think we'll get into that lovely red velvet cake that Mr. Palmer sent over," Ducky decided, pushing himself to his feet.
"Actually, Duck," Gibbs said, glancing over at Tony out of the corner of his eye. "There's somethin' that we need to tell everyone before we move on to dessert."
"Very well then."
"Probably should have done this before we ate," Tony sighed, his stomach twisting uncomfortably. "You uh… you sure you wanna do this now, Boss?"
"Uh huh."
"Is… is everything okay?" McGee asked, taking a sip of his water as he eyed his boss and partner carefully. "You're not… kicking Tony off the team or anything, are you?"
"Funny," Tony growled, narrowing his eyes at his friend. "You aren't getting the Senior Field Agent position that easily, McSuckUp."
"Be quiet Timmy. Let them talk," Abby warned, elbowing him gently in the side. "Go ahead, guys."
"Right… thank you Abby. Anyway… uh… I'm gonna let you handle this one, Boss."
"You two are sleeping together," Ziva announced. Her tone was very matter of fact as she eyed the pair carefully, the slightest hint of a smile on her face.
"That obvious, huh?" Gibbs asked, smirking over at the younger woman.
"Only if you know what to look for," she countered, taking a small sip of her drink.
"And you're… you're okay with that? All of you are okay with it?"
"Oh please, Anthony. We've all known for years that you've pining over our Jethro here. I say good for you. I, personally, couldn't be happier," Ducky responded, offering the young man a bright smile.
"Am I… Am I the only one who didn't know?" McGee asked, his eyes wide as he glanced at his partner and boss.
"You always were a bit slow on the uptake," Abby teased.
"Wow… I just… Gibbs and Tony? Never saw that one coming," he said, shaking his head slightly. "But yeah… I'm okay with it," he decided, offering his friend a tentative grin.
"Good, because that's not all we have to tell you."
"There's more?"
"Uh huh. You can take this one, Tony," Gibbs smirked.
"That's so not fair! You didn't even have to say anything!"
Shrugging slightly, the older man took a long drink of his coffee, the smallest hint of a mischievous grin on his face.
"We… well, I…"
"You were right the first time," Gibbs corrected. "We."
Tony nodded, his cheeks burning as he began blushing furiously. "Right. Sorry, Boss. We… well... we're pregnant."
"You are… you are pregnant?" Ziva asked, her brown eyes widening at the sudden admission. "How far along?"
"About fourteen weeks," he responded, resting his hand gently against his slightly rounded stomach. "We didn't… we wanted to tell you guys sooner, but we weren't quite sure how."
"What he means is we wanted to tell everyone sooner, but he was chicken shit," Gibbs smirked, though he immediately frowned at the loud chirping of his cell phone. "Don't they know it's Christmas?" Pushing himself up from the chair, he stepped out of the room to take the phone call, leaving the small group alone with one another.
"So Anthony, I trust all has been well thus far?"
"Oh yeah. I never thought the puking was going to end, but I haven't been sick at all this past week."
"That's wonderful. I'm pleased to hear it."
"We uh… have some pictures from my first appointment that I can show you guys. I can't really tell what's supposed to be what, but Jet swears there's a baby in there somewhere," he said with a shrug. "I'll go grab them."
"No time," Gibbs interrupted as he stepped back into the room, snapping the phone shut between his fingers. "Hate to cut this party short, but we've got a body."
"You've gotta be kidding me," Abby groaned, dropping her head back against the back of the chair.
"Afraid not. McGee, Ziva, can you two be ready to roll in twenty?"
"Absolutely," McGee said, with Ziva nodding in agreement. "I'll head on over and gas the truck."
"Abby, we probably won't need you until we're back from the scene, soâ€""
"I'll hang out here and get cleaned up," she offered. "Can't leave all this sitting out," she said with a smile. "You guys just be careful. Especially you," she said, eyeing Tony meaningfully before she leaned over, pecking his cheek gently.
"Please, Abs. When am I ever not careful?"
"It might be bad luck to answer that," the Goth snorted, pushing herself up from her chair. "Go on. You guys get outta here. I'll take care of all of this."
"You're the best, Abs," Gibbs said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before he headed up the stairs to change, Tony right behind him.
"That's what they all tell me," she muttered to the now empty room, releasing a quiet sigh when she heard McGee, Ziva and Ducky head out the front door. "Merry Christmas to us."
Chapter End Notes:
A/N: Hello, hello! First of all, I'm so sorry for the wait on this one, you guys. I am so incredibly unhappy with this chapter and because of that, it took me forever to finish it! The only reason I didn't completely scrap it and start it from the beginning is because Kelley threatened to beat me up if I did! Anyway, a huge huge huge thank you to everyone who sent me a review after the last chapter. You guys are so amazing and I love love love reading each and every one of your reviews! Please make sure to keep them coming! A huge thank you to Kelley for all her help with this chapter as well! You're the best girly! Please don't forget to review! Tony wants me to remind everyone that he loves them more than Ziva's macaroni casserole!