Gibbs ran as fast as he could, racing down the dimly lit corridor at breakneck speed. He had to find Tony. He had to find him before something bad happened. Gibbs wasn’t sure what was going to happen, it was just a nameless fear something horrible was imminent which drove him forward.
He kept running, panting hard as he struggled to get enough air. He wasn’t sure where the hell he was going, he only knew he had to keep moving. The walls passed in a blur even as the floor seemed intent on bogging him down, making it harder and harder to move.
Gibbs called out Tony’s name, frantic to have some idea of where he was. He thought he heard a response and stopped long enough to kick open one of the many doors. The room was empty, devoid of everything, even color. The flat gray walls were strangely intimidating, reminding him of a prison cell without the bars. He fled back down the hall.
Desperate, he tried another door. This time a rushing wind assaulted him, driving him back. He squinted, struggling to see what lay beyond. There was nothing but blackness. He slammed the door, blocking the gaping void from view before it could suck him in.
Undaunted, he tried another door. The room was empty, seeming oddly normal unlike the last two rooms, giving him no clues and mocking his efforts. Tony had to be somewhere. He wouldn’t have left. He wouldn’t have walked away. He wouldn’t have abandoned Gibbs.
Gibbs called Tony’s name again, his voice echoed back from the endless hallway. He could hear a clock ticking somewhere, marking the passage of time, taunting him as it made him even more aware of the urgent need to find Tony. Time was running out. Gibbs didn’t know how he knew that, he just knew.
He kept expecting to encounter some danger he could identify and deal with. But there were no bombs, no guns, no poisoned letters, no terrorist…nothing he could find and eliminate. Looking around frantically he suddenly realized there were no signs of anyone else either.
Where was Ziva? McGee? Ducky? Abby? Palmer? Surely they would help him find Tony. He’d tried doing it on his own, but he clearly couldn’t do it. This place, whatever it was, was just too damn big to search effectively on his own. He needed help. Where the hell was everyone?
He opened another door. It was full of sand. He thought he saw Ziva, but it might have been nothing more than a shadow. He called out her name but no one answered. The sand started to sink in the center of the room like it was flowing through an hourglass. It seemed to be trying to pull him in, threatening to bury him. Gibbs closed the door and took off down the hall again.
The next room was full of wires and glowing things. He called out for McGee. He would know what to do with all that stuff; surely something in there could be used to find Tony. He called again, and got no response. Gibbs slammed the door when the cables began to writhe and twist like snakes, hissing violently and sparking dangerously.
He opened another door. The walls were white, sterile and cold. He called out for Ducky and then Palmer. An icy gust of air was the only answer. It took all his strength to shut the door against the arctic blast.
He tried the next door. His was assaulted by mindless noise, the pounding vibrations driving him back. Gibbs tried to raise his hands to his ears but couldn’t seem to move. Something was holding him fast. He struggled, violently determined to break free. He wrenched himself free, striking something solid with his knee and elbow. He couldn’t see his assailant, but lashed out again hoping to drive whoever it was off. He was gratified by the grunt of pain he heard. He was free, but only for a moment before being caught again.
His struggles increased when he was sure he could hear Tony calling his name. He had to get to him. He had to save Tony. His voice sounded so weak, so soft. He couldn’t let him down. Couldn’t fail him.
He needed Tony to call again. He couldn’t tell where his voice had come from. Nothing made any sense.
“DiNozzo!”
“Hey, easy now. It’s okay.”
Gibbs shook his head. It was not okay. It couldn’t possibly be okay. Tony was missing. He was lost. And without him, so was Gibbs. He had to get to him. He had to find him.
“Tony!”
“Gibbs. I gotcha. C’mon, Boss, please, you need to wake up.”
The feel of warmth against his face made Gibbs open his eyes, startled by the contact. He found himself staring into Tony’s anxious face.
“You with me?” Tony asked.
Gibbs blinked, momentarily confused, unsure of where he was. He took a breath and let it out. The pertinent details came back to him quickly--conference in Chicago, hotel room, no danger other than inadequate heat. He was okay; Tony was okay. It was just a damn dream.
“Yeah.” Gibbs finally answered Tony’s question, surprised by how hoarse he sounded. He’d been yelling in his dream, and he must have actually been shouting. No wonder Tony had looked so worried.
He grabbed Tony’s hand when the younger man pulled it away from where he’d been cupping Gibbs’ cheek. He knew from past experience that he could get physical when having a nightmare. It was one of the reasons he worked hard on training himself not to have them. He’d never wanted to hurt Shannon…or any of his ex-wives for that matter.
He’d gotten out of the habit of telling himself not to dream about cases. It hadn’t been necessary in a long time. As bad as many of their cases were they didn’t all affect him enough to cause nightmares. He didn’t sleep much anyway so even when he did have nightmares they were infrequent. And more often than not, he slept alone so he hadn’t had to worry about hurting anyone in a long time. Even if he had told himself not to dream, he’d have never expected the nightmare he’d just had. It was definitely a new one.
“Are you okay?” Gibbs asked, trying to read Tony’s face in the poor lighting.
“I’m fine.” Tony gave him an apologetic smile. “Wasn’t me having a nightmare this time.”
“Not what I meant.” Gibbs shook his head, tightening his hold on Tony’s hand. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”
“No.”
Tony had looked away when he answered. Gibbs cursed. He had hurt him.
“DiNozzo.” Gibbs made his name both a question and a warning.
“Look, it’s not a big deal. You were a sleep. I know you didn’t mean--“
“Tell me.”
“You got pointy elbows, Boss.” Tony told him, a bright grin appearing. He was obviously trying to make light of it, but Gibbs wasn’t buying it. Tony sighed, grin disappearing. “You might want to check your bad knee. You pack quite a wallop with it.”
Gibbs reached for the bedside lamp, flicking it on. He needed more light. The sudden illumination made him squint painfully as his eyes adjusted. The small space heater was running and Gibbs idly wondered if it had shut off at all.
Conscious of the cool air, Gibbs was reluctant to slide out from under the covers. He wasn’t in any pain. Other than feeling foolish and more than a little embarrassed, he was fine, but Gibbs knew it would be easier to convince Tony to let him check him over if he at least put himself through a cursory once over.
Gibbs sat up and rolled out of the bed knowing it would be easier to do it in one fell swoop. Like diving into cold water, Gibbs thought, forcing himself not to react to the change in temperature. He flexed both his knees squatting and standing easily. He raised one leg, knee bent, and then the other. His bad knee ached and resisted moving, but it always did in the cold. His t-shirt stuck uncomfortably to his back, reminding him how panicked his dream had made him.
He turned to look at Tony. The younger man was still curled up under the covers, watching Gibbs. Concerned green eyes met blue.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine.” Gibbs still felt a little shaky from the dream induced adrenaline rush but he knew that would pass soon enough.
“You want to talk about it?”
“No.” Gibbs shook his head. The only thing he could clearly remember was the need to find Tony. He couldn’t bring himself to try and explain how terrifying not knowing where Tony was had been.
He made a get up motion to Tony. “Let me check you out.”
“Boss--“
“Tony, just do it.”
“It’s not necessary, Bo--“
“Now, DiNozzo.”
Tony sighed heavily. He got up, hissing at the change in temperature when he pushed back the blankets. Gibbs assessed the younger man’s movements, not missing the way he hunched slightly with arms wrapped around his torso. Whether it was due to the cold or pain, Gibbs wasn’t sure.
“Lose the shirt.”
“It’s freezing in here,” Tony protested.
“Sooner you do this the sooner you can get back under the covers.”
Tony grimaced but slowly complied, pulling his t-shirt up over his head and setting it aside. Gibbs winced as he looked at Tony’s torso. Several bruises were already forming along his right side. Clearly, he’d gotten Tony with both his knee and elbow--more than once. Shit.
Gibbs approached Tony. He raised a hand to hesitantly touch, uncharacteristically unsure of himself, but needing to know that bruises were the only damage he’d done. He rested his hand against Tony’s ribs, surprised by how soft his skin felt under his fingertips. Tony shivered, but didn’t otherwise react to his touch.
Gibbs pressed a little harder, wanting to make sure he hadn’t cracked or broken any of Tony’s ribs. Tony grunted in response to the pressure but didn’t pull away. Gibbs breathed a bit easier when Tony’s ribs didn’t give or flex unnaturally. Gibbs nodded to himself; superficial damage then, nothing that wouldn’t fade in a few days.
Gibbs lightened his touch, his fingers ghosting over Tony’s warm skin in a gentle caress. He wished there was some way to erase the bruises, some way to make take back the pain he’d unintentionally caused. Firm muscles twitched in response to the light contact, reacting to Gibbs’ touch even as Tony held himself still. Goose bumps rose on Tony’s skin that hadn’t been present before, clearly a response to Gibbs touch and not the cold. Tony’s breathing changed, growing shallow, almost as though he were holding his breath and Gibbs was suddenly aware of the decidedly intimate aspect of what he was doing.
He made eye contact, and froze. There was so much longing in Tony’s eyes it took Gibbs’ breath away. The undisguised hunger, the blatant lust was too much to ignore. Gibbs leaned in, unable to stop himself, and kissed Tony.
The kiss stared out chaste, hesitant and unsure. Gibbs just pressed his lips to Tony’s, not sure what he was doing or how well it would be received, but not willing to let another chance slip away from him. He kept the pressure light, afraid to ask or even demand more for fear of rejection. Tony’s lips were soft and warm against his. If he never got more than this, Gibbs hoped it would be enough to see him through the rest of his life.
Tony sighed softly, mouth opening enough to deepen the kiss. Gibbs took full advantage of that, tongue darting out to taste even as his hands moved to wrap around Tony and pull him closer. He moaned when Tony sucked Gibbs’ tongue into his mouth. Tony’s tongue met his. Rather like the man himself the action was complex and contradictory. It was playful and yet serious, seductive while at the same time shy.
This kiss was so much better than the one he’d stolen last night. This kiss made Gibbs weak in the knees and hungry for so much more. He couldn’t believe he’d lived so long without experiencing this. God. He felt light headed and suddenly the room wasn’t cold any more.
Gibbs hands slipped down Tony’s back. He enjoyed the feel of smooth skin over solid muscle. He ended up cupping Tony’s ass, squeezing the nicely rounded hemispheres, one in each hand. Gibbs used the hold to pull Tony even closer, grinding their groins together.
Tony abruptly pulled away from him. Gibbs’ eyes opened as strong arms pushed him away, breaking his hold. Gibbs could easily read shock and confusion in Tony’s expression. Tony started shaking his head.
Gibbs reached out to him, but Tony backed away. He kept moving until he was against the wall.
“This is me dreaming, right? Shit. This isn’t real.”
Gibbs could see Tony trembling. He tried to reach for Tony again only to have the younger man side step him, maintaining the distance between them.
“I mean, I’ve had some pretty real dreams before. Walked in my sleep. Acted out. That’s what this is, right? Just a dream.”
“If this is a dream we’re both having the same one.”
Gibbs had hoped that would reassure Tony, but from the way he blanched, it didn’t.
“It’s okay, Tony.” Gibbs tried again, keeping his voice low and even. “Really, it’s all right.”
“Not sure I agree with you on that, Boss,” Tony muttered.
Gibbs could almost see Tony measuring the distance to the door. No way in hell was he going to let him make a break for it. They had to talk about this now. Gibbs moved closer, determined to get within arms reach so he could grab Tony if he had to.
“Tony, listen--“
“We can just say it was a dream then,” Tony said. It sounded more like a question than a statement. “Just like last night. No harm, no foul. Forget it ever happened.”
“I don’t want to forget it happened.”
Both Tony’s eyebrows rose in surprise, green eyes meeting blue before shifting away. The younger man’s expression morphed into something unreadable. “You are going to fire me because I kissed you?”
“I’m not going to fire you,” Gibbs practically growled, frustration getting the better of him. Why the hell would Tony think he’d fire him over this? Was it left over shit from his time in Peoria? Or was it because of something Gibbs had done that would make him think the only solution was the extreme one?
“So what then?” Tony eyed him. The muscles in his jaw flexed. “I’m off the team?”
“Off all the stupid…Hell, no.” Gibbs glared at him. “First of all, you didn’t kiss me, I kissed you. It would be hypocritical of me to punish you for something that I did.”
He would have thought Tony knew Gibbs had initiated the kiss. It was understandable he didn’t remember Gibbs kissing him last night. But they were both awake and aware now. There was no reason for Tony to think Gibbs would blame him for what happened. Except that Tony had a tendency to think whenever things went wrong it was somehow his fault.
Tony thinking Gibbs leaving him out of the loop on the Domino case because he couldn’t be trusted was a good example of that. Tony was sure the fault was his. The crap with Shepard was another prime example. He was under orders. Tony did what he was told. He had no way of knowing she had a hidden agenda. Getting assigned as Agent Afloat wasn’t a punishment, but being ostracized was probably the one thing Tony dreaded the most. The team was a surrogate family for him the same way it was for Gibbs. Being sent away was nearly as bad as being fired.
“Second of all,” Gibbs let the anger bleed out of his tone, gentling his voice, “that was one of the best kisses I’ve gotten in my whole damn life. I’m not stupid enough to be mad at you for that.”
Tony blinked. “Really?”
“Really.”
Tony’s Cheshire cat grin appeared. “Seriously?”
“You fishing for more compliments?”
Tony gave him a sly look and a wink. “Well, if you’re in the mood to hand out a few, I wouldn’t say no.”
Gibbs chuckled, shaking his head. Sometimes being around Tony was like riding an emotional rollercoaster.
Tony shivered violently when the wind rattled the windows, a sharp draft of cold air finding its way under the curtains. At this rate his lips would be turning blue in no time.
“C’mon,” Gibbs held out his hand. “We need to get back under the covers.”
Tony hesitated. “We need to talk.”
“I know.” Gibbs smiled gently. He didn’t think for a second they’d covered everything. “I’m pretty sure we can do that under the covers. It’ll be easier to talk without our teeth chattering.”
Tony still seemed unsure. Gibbs grimaced and resorted to what he knew would work, a direct order.
“Get in the damn bed, DiNozzo.”
“On it, Boss.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs and Tony share a kiss. :-)