The sound of pouring rain falling fast and powerful against the windows crept into Tony's consciousness as he tried to nestle deeper into his pillows and avoid the onerous task of waking up. He frowned in confusion, though, when his face hit something hard, and he cracked open an eye and peeked next to him, only to come face to face with Gibbs' hip. Gibbs was sitting up in bed, leaning against the headboard, thin reading glasses perched on the edge of his nose as he skimmed the paper in the grey light of an overcast Saturday morning and sipped a coffee while Tony slept, an arm slung over Gibbs' waist and his head nestled into Gibbs' side. "Morning," Gibbs said, not looking away from the paper.
"Mmm," Tony replied, pressing a kiss into the fabric of Gibbs' sweatpants.
"How you doin'?" Gibbs asked, folding up his newspaper and tossing it down towards the foot of the bed. He rested his free hand on Tony's back, and Tony smiled tiredly at the touch.
"Okay," Tony murmured. "Gotta pee."
Gibbs cracked a smile and set his coffee down on the nightstand before pulling his glasses off and tossing them aside as well.
"Gonna break 'em if you throw 'em," Tony mumbled, words splitting into a yawn at the end of his sentence. He let his eyes close again and tugged Gibbs a little closer.
"Thought you had to pee," Gibbs said.
"I do," Tony complained. "But I'm comfortable."
"How are your legs feeling?" Gibbs asked. "Think you can get there with your cane?"
Tony sighed, giving Gibbs a squeeze before letting go of him and rolling onto his back, staring up at the ceiling for a moment as he contemplated his answer. "I don't know," he said. "They're achy, but I don't know how strong they are until I try to get up."
Gibbs got out of bed and went around to Tony's side, moving the cane a little closer to the edge of the bed so Tony could easily grab onto it. Tony merely turned his head and looked at him, not moving from where he was lying in the middle of the bed.
"What if I really had to go?" he mused. "Like I was about to piss my pants?"
"Are you gonna piss your pants?" Gibbs asked impatiently.
"No," Tony said, "I'm just saying, I'm so slow, if I really had to go-"
"Well you don't," Gibbs said impatiently. "Now are you gonna get out of bed, or are you gonna lay there until you do piss your pants?"
Tony grinned at Gibbs. "I love when you sweet talk me," he said with a wink. "You always know just what to say."
Gibbs rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Tony."
Tony did his best to quell his grin and worked his way over to the edge of the bed, swinging his legs over the side and sitting still for a moment.
"Dizzy?" Gibbs asked.
"Mm," Tony replied, eyes closed. "But that always happens in the morning." He couldn't help but wonder when that happened; thoughts of dizziness seemed synonymous with thoughts of waking up (among other things), and yet he knew that only two months ago, they would've seemed foreign. He ran a hand through his hair, making its already disheveled appearance even worse as his fingers sent it twisting around into various directions.
"Okay," Tony said. "I'm gonna get up now."
"Okay," Gibbs said, stepping closer. "I'll grab on if you need my help."
Tony nodded, steadying himself on his cane and steeling himself before pushing himself up, wobbling only slightly and managing to get upright without any assistance. He couldn't help but look at Gibbs with a wide grin, even if he was clutching his cane rather tightly.
"Look!" Tony said. He paused for a moment, glancing down at his cane. "No hands!" he added, taking his hands off and holding them up for a half-second that set Gibbs' heart beating fast in alarm as Tony started to sway, but before he could reach out and grab him, Tony grabbed onto his cane tightly again and regained his footing.
Gibbs looked at him sternly and didn't even crack a smile when Tony gave him a sheepish grin.
"You try that trick again and I won't bother helping you off the floor," Gibbs warned, watching warily as Tony made his way to the bathroom, still with that damn smile on his face that Gibbs didn't know how he managed to find so early in the morning after the hellish day he'd had yesterday.
"You're no fun," Tony called out, just as he disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He took care of his needs and propped open the door again as he brushed his teeth, one hand braced heavily on the bathroom counter while he held his toothbrush with the other.
"Doing better today," Gibbs commented, leaning against the bathroom doorframe and watching him brush his teeth.
Tony turned to him. "Ahgsh," he said, then took his toothbrush out of his mouth and held up one finger as he spit into the sink. "I guess so," he repeated, running his brush under the water and then giving his teeth one more brush.
"Got a headache?" Gibbs asked.
Tony shrugged his shoulders and tilted his head to the side for a moment, looking almost apologetic as he looked at Gibbs, his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth.
"That a yes?" Gibbs asked, and Tony spit again into the sink before answering.
"A little," he said, rinsing his toothbrush off and placing it next to Gibbs' in the cup next to the sink, sparing a smile for the sight of their toothbrushes together in Gibbs' master bath. He rinsed his mouth out a couple more times, and then put his hand back on his cane, making his way towards the doorframe but stopping when Gibbs didn't move.
"I was gonna go through the doorway," Tony said, "and I'm not trying to rush you, Boss, but I'd much rather be sitting than standing."
Gibbs smiled at him and leaned forward to give him a kiss, running his hands over Tony's back for a moment.
"I'll get out of your way now," Gibbs said with a smirk, stepping aside.
Tony scowled at him as he made his way out of the bathroom, heading towards the bed and dropping down on the edge again. "Don't kiss me with your coffee breath right after I brush my teeth," he complained. "I don't mind it the rest of the time. I mean, you're Gibbs. You basically have coffee in your veins. But I was all minty-"
He words were cut off when Gibbs stalked over and kissed him, hard and demanding, running his hands through Tony's hair and pushing him back on the bed until he was lying down. Gibbs was suddenly spread out on top of him, his body warm and heavy against Tony's.
"You mind now?" Gibbs asked, his face hovering just inches above Tony's.
Tony just stared, a grin forming on his face. He reached up and put his hands on Gibbs' hips, tilting his own up so that their already hardening cocks pressed together. "I think I can deal with it," Tony said, voice husky.
Gibbs looked at him with a smirk before leaning down, pressing a warm kiss underneath Tony's ear, and Tony tilted his head to give Gibbs easier access to his neck, and spread a hand over his back, tugging him closer.
"Was worried about you yesterday," Gibbs murmured, punctuating his words with kisses all along Tony's jaw and down his neck.
"Mm," Tony replied, running his hand up underneath Gibbs' t-shirt, smoothing his fingers over Gibbs' back. "Wanna show me how just how worried you were?" Tony asked suggestively, grinning when Gibbs let his teeth brush over his neck, biting down for just a second. Tony let out a rather un-manly squeak when Gibbs shifted him onto his side and gently swatted his ass as payback for mocking his worry.
"Ooh, rough," Tony said with a gasp, laughing as Gibbs grabbed him by the shoulders and tugged him up further on the bed so that he was lying on it properly rather than flopped down with his legs over the edge.
"I like it when you go all cave-man," Tony teased breathily, grinning when Gibbs looked at him with an amused half-smirk. He reached up to pull Gibbs' hips down again and grind their cocks together, and when Gibbs grunted in pleasure, Tony couldn't help but think that watching Gibbs like this, with his intense focus directed at him, was incredible; something Tony couldn't have imagined even in his wildest dreams.
Gibbs his eyes locked on Tony's as he leaned down to kiss him, and Tony gasped into the kiss and closed his eyes when Gibbs thrust his hips, and then Gibbs was pinning him down, shifting his mouth to Tony's neck, trailing kisses along his skin. Suddenly Gibbs impatiently sat up, pulling on the hem of Tony's shirt as he straddled him, scowling when it got caught at Tony's armpits.
Tony grinned and shifted forwards a bit, pulling his shirt the rest of the way off and watching hungrily as Gibbs yanked his own shirt up over his head. And then Gibbs' mouth was on his skin again, at the juncture of his collarbone, and then his tongue was swirling around Tony's nipple, teeth grazing just enough to make Tony moan, and then Gibbs' lips were trailing down his ribs, pressing a kiss into the hollow between each bone, and then they were moving towards his belly button, and Tony gasped when Gibbs' fingers hooked onto his waistband and he lifted his hips and let Gibbs slide his pants down, unashamed for him to see how hard he was because he knew that Gibbs was just as hard.
Gibbs kissed his hip, and Tony did his best not to fidget as the cool, damp air tingled pleasantly against his cock while he strained against the hand that Gibbs placed on his other hip, holding him in place. Gibbs looked up at him and Tony's breath hitched at the sight of Gibbs' face next to his dick, his blue eyes staring up mischievously, and then Gibbs was pressing a kiss to the inside of his thigh, his hair rustling against the base of Tony's cock - and it was torture seeing him there, so close to where Tony wanted and needed and ached for him to touch, wisps of his hair flickering tantalizingly over Tony's skin.
"Gibbs," Tony groaned, his heart beating fast in anticipation. "Please."
Gibbs pressed a short, chaste kiss to the tip of Tony's dick, looking up at him with a smirk, and Tony returned the gaze pleadingly. "Stop teasing," Tony said desperately.
And then, his eyes still locked on Tony's, Gibbs licked all along the underside of Tony's cock, tongue trailing from base to head and then swirling around the tip. Tony's head fell back and he closed his eyes, swallowing hard and doing his best not to cry out, one hand winding into the hair on the back of Gibbs' head, the other twisting into the sheets.
And then suddenly Gibbs' mouth was hot and warm on his dick, taking the whole length in his mouth and humming deep in the back of his throat, the vibrations pushing Tony closer and closer to the edge as one of his hands found Tony's balls. "Gibbs," Tony choked, thrusting his hips up involuntarily as Gibbs' tongue did things to his dick that he was quite sure had to be illegal. The sensations were driving him crazy, and the sounds of the heavy rain were easily drowned out by the sound of Gibbs' mouth on his cock, driving him crazy.
"Gibbs," Tony said desperately, tugging on his hair. "Gibbs, you gotta stop, I'm gonna-"
Gibbs took his mouth off of Tony's dick and Tony was embarrassed to hear a whimper of protest escape his mouth, even though he'd asked him to stop, and then Gibbs was sliding up his body again, kicking his own pants off and pushing his hips down, pressing his cock against Tony's, slippery with saliva.
Gibbs kissed him hungrily, and Tony whimpered again at the taste of himself in Gibbs' mouth, and he clutched at Gibbs' back, not caring if he left marks because he wanted Gibbs closer, and then Gibbs reached down and swirled his thumb over the tip of Tony's already leaking cock and Tony groaned and reached down himself, grabbing onto Gibbs' dick, shoving Gibbs' hand away and using his own to take care of both of them, gasping when Gibbs dropped his forehead down against Tony's neck, breathing heavy against his skin.
"Yeah, that's it, Tony," Gibbs murmured breathlessly, uncharacteristically needy words melting into the sweaty skin of Tony's neck. "Tony," Gibbs said again, this time more of a guttural groan, and then Tony pumped harder and faster, his own breath hitching, feeling like his skin was on fire, and he felt his toes curl and Gibbs was panting his name again and then Tony was coming hard at the very same time as Gibbs, eyes closed in ecstasy, head tilted back, Gibbs collapsing into a spent heap on top of him.
The sound of the rain was the first thing to filter back into his brain as he started to come back to awareness, still taking fast, open-mouthed, gasping breaths, staring up at the ceiling, hand twisting into Gibbs' hair as the bright exploding patterns behind his eyes faded into darkness. And then Gibbs turned his head just enough to press a kiss into his neck before rolling off of Tony, dislodging the hand in his hair, and glancing sideways to watch as Tony tried to catch his breath.
"Why're you so far away?" Tony managed, looking at Gibbs curiously.
"Didn't want to get glued to you," Gibbs said, gesturing to the semen on Tony's stomach and chest.
"Could be fun," Tony said with a grin, laughing when Gibbs suddenly twisted until he was straddling Tony again, holding him down by the wrists. He hovered over top of him for a moment before leaning down to kiss him, careful not to press their chests together to avoid the stickiness between them, tongue slippery and warm against Tony's.
"You're frisky today," Tony murmured, just centimeters from Gibbs' lips. "I like it."
Gibbs grinned and pressed a kiss into Tony's temple, then climbed all the way off him and stood next to the bed, holding a hand out.
"C'mon, let's take a shower," Gibbs said.
"I'm kinda tired," Tony said. "My whole body feels like rubber."
"I'll hold you up in the shower," Gibbs replied. "Don't worry."
Tony liked the way Gibbs looked after an orgasm. He still held his back straight, but his normally rigid posture was much more relaxed than usual and his shoulders weren't taut with tension. The lines on his face seemed smoother, and his eyes crinkled up at the corners as he smiled. Tony loved how unashamed Gibbs was about his body; maybe it came from being a Marine, but Tony loved looking beside him and seeing Gibbs standing there naked as the day he was born and completely unabashed, holding his worn, calloused hand out for Tony to take.
Tony hefted himself over to the edge of the bed and let Gibbs help him up, as he grabbed onto his cane. He made his way to the bathroom with Gibbs and held onto him desperately as they stepped into the shower; Tony was not a fan of showers since he had become more reliant on his cane. The slippery porcelain of the bathtub was not tempting, and while it was really fun that Gibbs usually showered with him, it made Tony feel even more helpless than usual.
As Gibbs held him against the wall of the shower, though, body hovering inches away from his own, hot water pouring down on their skin, Tony thought maybe two-person showers were the least of his worries.
--
"I wish it would stop raining," Tony complained, looking out the back door longingly at their bench. "We could sit outside."
Gibbs just grunted in response, handing Tony a cup of coffee, which Tony took eagerly. Gibbs always fixed Tony's coffee even better than Tony would fix it himself.
"Ducky's coming over," Gibbs said.
"Oh," Tony said, surprised. He took a sip of coffee, smiling and closing his eyes as he swallowed. "Perfect," he said.
"Of course it is," Gibbs said, and Tony rolled his eyes.
"Why's Ducky coming over?" Tony asked, holding his mug with both hands and letting the warmth seep into his fingers as he relaxed into the couch.
Gibbs shifted closer to Tony, sitting so that their sides pressed together pleasantly. "He's gonna help me figure out what we have to do to make the house work for you."
"Huh?" Tony asked, looking at Gibbs in shock. "What-"
"Like a bar to hold onto in the shower," Gibbs said with a shrug.
"A bar in the shower," Tony repeated faintly, setting his coffee down on the coffee table with a frown. "You're gonna-"
"You might need a shower when I'm not home," Gibbs said with a shrug.
Tony looked at him, unsure of how to react. Yeah, it was nice of Gibbs to want to do that - but he didn't want a bar to hold onto in the shower, or any other of the weird modifications that Gibbs was going to do to his house. Not to mention, Tony didn't even know how long he was welcome in Gibbs' home, and he frowned.
"You can't just make all these decisions without me," Tony said. "We're not at work. You're not my boss right now."
"I know," Gibbs said. "But you-"
"No, I don't think you do know," Tony interrupted. "I mean, you fucking outed us without asking me what I wanted to do. What if I didn't want them to know?"
"You ashamed of this?" Gibbs asked, voice low and brow furrowed.
"Jesus, Gibbs, of course not," Tony said, running a hand through his still-damp hair, and he was surprised to realize that he wasn't, not when the man he was with was Gibbs. "Don't try to change the subject," he continued. "The point is, that's a decision we should've made together."
Gibbs took a long sip of his coffee before setting it down next to Tony's on the table. "You're right," he said, and Tony looked at him in wary surprise. "I should've talked to you about it," Gibbs said with a shrug, "but I was worried about you, Tony. Abby made it sound like you were paralyzed. I didn't give a shit what they thought; I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Tony sighed, his shoulders slumping. "I get that," Tony said. "I do. Just-don't do things like that anymore. You might not give a shit, but I do."
"Guess you're starting to figure out why I had so many divorces," Gibbs said, and he sounded so resigned that Tony couldn't help but look at him in annoyance.
"Yeah," he said, "but I'm also finding out why everyone who divorced you is a fucking idiot."
"Can't argue with that," Gibbs said with a grin.
"But Gibbs," Tony said, turning to him with wide eyes. "You're gonna put a bar in your-"
"Our shower now, Tony," Gibbs said. "And if that's what you need, that's what we'll do."
Tony turned away with a frown. "You keep saying our," he said, fingers nervously twitching over his thigh.
"Yeah," Gibbs said. "That a problem?"
"I don't know!" Tony said, turning to him in annoyance. "I mean, I don't even know what you are. Are you my fucking boyfriend? Are you my-my partner?"
Gibbs snorted. "I don't know. Don't know why we have to call it anything," he said. "You can call me whatever you want, as long as you mean the same thing I do."
"And what's that?" Tony said, a hand on his hip.
Gibbs shrugged. "That you're - you're everything," he said simply. "That we live together, work together, eat together, sleep together, figure things out together..." he trailed off and his eyes shifted to focus somewhere on the wall past Tony. "Like we're married, only we don't have a piece of paper or a ring. Don't need one, anyway; we know what we are to each other." He paused for a moment, a thoughtful frown on his face. "Guess if you wanted to call me your partner, it would make sense," Gibbs said, eyes sliding back to Tony's. He shrugged. "Probably better we can't get married, anyway," he added. "Don't have a good track record."
Tony just stared at him, brain spinning in circles, wondering how the fuck Gibbs could talk his way out of everything so easily and earnestly when the man was practically mute. "So you…you want me to live here," Tony said, doing his best to phrase his words as a statement and not a question. "For good," he added.
Gibbs nodded. "Well, yeah, DiNozzo," he said.
Tony couldn't help but smile slightly, but then he went back to a thoughtful frown. "And you-you want to modify your house so I can live here," he added. "Permanently."
"That's the idea," Gibbs said with a shrug.
Tony just stared at him, and he was absolutely horrified when he felt his eyes start to burn. "You're such a bastard," Tony said, leaning forward and clutching Gibbs, pressing his face into his neck. He hadn't realized how much he'd worried about exactly what was going on between them, how serious his feelings for Gibbs were, and whether or not Gibbs felt the same until suddenly Gibbs dismissed all of his worries with a shrug. And for Gibbs to just sit there and explain it all like it was no big deal and Tony should've just known made him equal parts irritated and content.
"I thought I was being nice this time," Gibbs said, voice soft in Tony's ear.
"You are," Tony said, squeezing Gibbs' torso and sliding his hand up underneath his shirt.
Gibbs laughed, and Tony pulled out of the hug to kiss him.
"You still payin' rent for your apartment?" Gibbs asked once they broke their kiss.
"Yeah," Tony said. "But my lease is up in three weeks."
"Good timing," Gibbs said. "You sign anything yet?"
"No," Tony said. "I didn't know if I should."
"You should've talked to me about it," Gibbs said, sounding more gentle than irritated.
"Like you talked to me about modifying the house?" Tony asked.
"I just did," Gibbs said.
"Yeah, when Ducky's already on his way over to talk about it," Tony complained.
Gibbs shrugged. "So, you're not gonna renew your lease, right? We could go start packing your stuff up today if we have time, see if we can move some of it here tomorrow?"
Tony didn't say anything for a moment, and Gibbs frowned. "Unless you want to keep that ratty old apartment," he said.
"I've never lived with anyone before besides college roommates," Tony said. "I don't want to fuck this up."
"You won't," Gibbs said confidently.
"How do you know?" Tony asked, sounding desperately hopeful.
"Because I know you, Tony," Gibbs said. "And I also know that I'll kick your ass all the way to Mexico if you do."
Tony laughed; he couldn't help it. Moving in with Gibbs, changing his address to Gibbs' and really living with him was the craziest thing he'd ever imagined doing. But it was also maybe the best thing he'd ever imagined doing, and he grinned, leaning forward and kissing Gibbs sloppily, laughing against Gibbs' mouth. The dull ache behind his eyes and in his shoulders and his legs was nothing compared to the elation he felt bubbling up in his chest, and he felt like he was on another fucking planet when Gibbs pressed him flat against the couch and dropped laughing kisses against his face, his cheeks, his nose, his chin, his forehead, the corners of his mouth, and then they were both laughing in a heap on the couch, and Tony didn't think he had ever seen Gibbs like this before.
And then Gibbs wasn't laughing, but instead, kissing him gently, and Tony made a contented "mmm" sound, pulling Gibbs closer with a hand on his neck and one on his back. Gibbs' body was flush against his own for the second time that day, warm and familiar, and Tony sighed into the kiss, wondering why he ever thought moving in with Gibbs would be a bad idea because while it was definitely terrifying, it was terrifying in the most incredible way imaginable.
Tony's pleasure was interrupted, though, when Gibbs suddenly froze and pulled away, cocking his head to the side and listening intently, and Tony opened his eyes, annoyed, about to tell him off when Gibbs spoke.
"Hey, Duck," Gibbs said, turning his head and looking towards the doorway. He pushed himself off of Tony and offered him a hand to pull him back up to sitting, which Tony took, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment and looking anywhere but Ducky.
"Hello, my boys," Ducky said cheerfully. "It looks as if I've interrupted a rather private moment. My apologies. Perhaps you should start locking your door, Jethro, or answering when someone knocks," he added with a smile that crept all the way up to the corners of his eyes as he dropped down into the armchair in Gibbs' living room, completely unfazed by the scene he'd walked in on.
"Don't sound too sincere, Duck," Gibbs said, and he would've sounded pissed if it weren't for the lingering flush in his cheeks; as it was, he just sounded vaguely cranky.
"Well," Ducky said, "I hate to interrupt what was so obviously a prized moment for the two of you. On the other hand, it brings me great pleasure to see two of my dearest friends so happy, especially when neither of them are strangers to loneliness."
"Want some coffee or tea?" Gibbs asked, predictably ignoring Ducky's statement as he reached for his own coffee and handed Tony his.
"I wouldn't say no to a cup of Earl Grey if you have it," Ducky said, easily following Gibbs' abrupt subject change, and Gibbs nodded, getting up and heading to the kitchen. Tony resisted the urge to smack Gibbs for leaving him alone with Ducky after that, and instead, sipped his coffee.
"How are you doing, Tony? I was quite worried about you yesterday," Ducky asked, leaning forward in his chair and watching Tony earnestly.
"I'm doing much better, Ducky," Tony said, still not meeting Ducky's eyes. "I was in pretty rough shape yesterday, but today is pretty good."
"Do you still have pain in your legs?" Ducky asked.
"No," Tony replied, settling against the couch again and feeling some of his embarrassment slip away as he fell into the familiar routine of conversation with Ducky. "Well, not really," Tony amended. "They're achy, but it's not acute pain like it was yesterday."
"That's good news," Ducky said. "And I suppose it really helps to have Jethro taking care of you," he added with a grin.
Tony felt himself blushing and wondered, not for the first time, why he'd recently morphed into a teenage girl. "Yeah," he said. "Did he tell you about us?" Tony asked.
"No," Ducky said. "But when he called to ask me if I could give him advice on modifying the house for you and he mentioned altering the master bath, I could easily form a few conclusions. And I can't say that I didn't see it coming."
"Everybody says that when things surprise them," Gibbs said, striding back into the living room and giving Ducky a hot cup of tea. Tony couldn't help but wonder how the hell Gibbs had made steaming hot tea so fast; either he had put the water on earlier unbeknownst to Tony, or Gibbs really did have magical powers (it wouldn't really come as a surprise).
"Ah, well, I am not only a forensic psychologist, but also a quite observant and dedicated friend, which sets me apart from 'everybody,' doesn't it? I have been watching the two of you grow closer and closer over the past eight years, and I won't pretend to say that I always knew you were in love, because I certainly did not, but I did always know that the two of you are quite important to one another, perhaps more important than anyone else," Ducky said.
Tony did his best not to react when Ducky used the "L-word" again, and instead calmly sipped his coffee. Gibbs was sitting next to him on the couch once more, side flush against his as usual, and he pressed his knee against Tony's when Ducky mentioned love. Tony decided to call it coincidence, even if he knew very well what Gibbs thought of coincidences, because there was only so much he could handle in one day.
"And I think at this point that you two know that I'm a rather open-minded man," Ducky added. "But I must ask, and I hope I'm not overstepping my bounds...isn't it strange-"
"So, Duck, you think we'll need a seat for the shower?"
Tony nearly choked on his coffee at both the prospect of a fucking seat in Gibbs' shower and Gibbs' blatant disregard for whatever it was Ducky had been about to ask - though, he couldn't help but be grateful for the interruption because he wasn't sure he wanted to know what Ducky was about to ask.
"Ah, I suppose at this point I should know better than to push my luck," Ducky lamented. "Back on topic, I suppose. A seat for the shower would probably be most beneficial. When mother first began to have trouble supporting herself, it was really quite useful."
Tony bristled at being compared to Ducky's mother, because, well, really - and when Gibbs laid a hand on his knee, it annoyed him more than it comforted him.
"I was also thinking that you should either somehow move your master bedroom to the first floor or get a stair-lift," Ducky continued.
Tony's heart was pounding, and he looked at Ducky with wide eyes. "A stair-lift?" he asked incredulously. "What the hell is that?"
Ducky was unperturbed by Tony's outburst, probably because interacting with Gibbs for years left him accustomed to much worse. "It's actually quite useful," Ducky said. "It's a seat with electronic or battery operated controls that moves along a metal track installed over the railing to bring you up or down the stairs," Ducky said.
"You can't be serious," Tony said, edging away from Gibbs and dislodging his hand.
"It makes sense, Tony," Gibbs said gently, and Tony looked at him with something akin to betrayal.
"Why does it make sense to ruin your fucking house with a fucking-"
"Hey," Gibbs said sharply. "You're more important than the railing, Tony," he said. His voice was harsh and while the words themselves seemed kind, Gibbs spoke them like a reprimand, and Tony glared at him.
"If I may," Ducky said hesitantly, and Tony couldn't bring himself to glare at Ducky like he did at Gibbs, so he crossed his arms and stared straight ahead, his jaw clenched in stony silence as Gibbs turned to Ducky with a flash of helplessness on his face.
"Tony, I know that this seems like a major inconvenience for Jethro," Ducky said, and Tony's jaw clenched further in annoyance. "Forgive me if this is harsh, but don't you think it's actually more inconvenient for him to drag you up and down the stairs every time you need to change floors than it is to install a means to give you the empowerment to move around yourself? Not to mention that with the stair-lift, Jethro will not have to worry if you're having a bad day and he can't be at home."
Tony didn't say anything, but it was obvious from the way his breathing sped up that he knew Ducky had a point. Neither Gibbs nor Ducky broke the silence, and just when the tension seemed unbearable, Tony spoke. "Fine," he said, voice clipped. He didn't have to turn his head to know that Gibbs and Ducky were looking at each other.
"Tony," Ducky began, "I know-"
"I'm not an invalid," Tony interrupted, finally turning to look at Ducky, anger evident in the tense carriage of his shoulders and the angry set of his brows. "I don't want a stair-lift, and I don't want a fucking seat in the-"
"DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted, voice a growl. "Don't take it out on Ducky."
"I'm not taking anything out on Ducky!" Tony protested vehemently, alarmed to hear his voice crack. "I just don't want-I don't want this," he said, words trailing off as an all too familiar surge of emotion swelled up in his gut. He felt dangerously helpless and out of control, and he edged away from Gibbs when he reached out to touch him.
"Hey," Gibbs said gently, and Tony just stared at him with wide-eyes, trying to pretend that his lower lip was not clenching convulsively because he couldn't handle this right now. He was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of this disease and its occasional physical limitations, but a stair-lift was not occasional. That was a permanent addition to Gibbs' house, and if he was honest with himself, deep down he knew that it was necessary - and that terrified him.
"You don't have to use it all the time, Tony," Ducky said quietly. "It will just be there for you when you need it."
Tony closed his eyes and covered his face with his hand for a moment, breathing deeply and trying to get a grip on himself. Gibbs reached out and squeezed his shoulder, rubbing his thumb back and forth, and when Tony didn't pull away, he shifted closer and let his arm slide around Tony's shoulders.
"Sorry," Tony finally said weakly, letting his hand fall away from his face and keeping his eyes averted. "I just-"
"It's perfectly understandable," Ducky said. "Actually, Tony, I've been meaning to tell you that I think you're handling this admirably. Your considerable personal strength is evident at a time like this."
Tony looked up at Ducky in disbelief. "Ducky," he said, "You don't have to-"
"It's true," Gibbs said, and Tony swiveled his head abruptly to look at Gibbs, searching his eyes for signs of a lie.
"Are you serious?" Tony said, looking back and forth between Gibbs and Ducky, his brow furrowed in confusion. "I can't even-"
"You woke up today smiling," Gibbs pointed out. "And you had a hell of a day yesterday."
"And you are adjusting to the changes in your work routine remarkably well," Ducky added.
Tony looked at Ducky incredulously, thinking of the disquiet he felt every single time his team left without him. "Ducky...we work in the same place, right? NCIS? In the Navy Yard? Big building, lots of orange inside?"
Tony wasn't surprised when Gibbs lightly cuffed the back of his head, and he scowled at him, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring. Ducky laughed and attempted to cover his mouth with his hand to hide it, but failed miserably, and Tony couldn't help but smile when Gibbs glared at Ducky. He could feel some of his anxiety begin to slip away at the familiarity of the situation.
"Tony, you really should give yourself some credit," Ducky admonished.
"Listen to Ducky," Gibbs said. "He's smart."
Tony rolled his eyes at Gibbs, leaning against him more and settling both of them against the back of the couch. "Hey Gibbs, how come you don't already have one of these stair-lift things? I mean, your knees are getting pretty creaky in your old age; it could save you a lot of trouble," he said, because, well, joking was better than crying in his book.
Gibbs looked at him with utter annoyance on his face and raised an eyebrow, and suddenly vivid images of Gibbs pinning him down and kissing him and thrusting his hips flooded Tony's mind, and he felt a blush creeping up his cheeks again, because really, Ducky was there, and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck uncomfortably. "Ah, well, you know, I mean, I was just-you know, they're only creaky because you're so physically active-not that it's because you've been active for too many years or anything-I mean, you're really not-"
Tony stopped talking abruptly when Gibbs laughed, and he scowled, especially when he saw that Ducky, too, was chuckling; he just couldn't win. But then, when Gibbs looked at him with a wide smile, the last traces of laughter still clinging to his eyes and his cheeks, his arm heavy around his shoulders, and he caught Ducky looking at them with warmth and support, he couldn't help but think that maybe despite all of the pretty terrible events going on in his life, he already had his prize.
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