~
When Tony returned to the bullpen, he was smiling and acting snarky with McGee in that way some men do when they forgive each other. Tim looked relieved and played along easily for Tony’s benefit. It wasn’t long before Gibbs sent them all home, stoically remaining at his desk, cradling his phone to his ear. Ziva and Tim exchanged suspicious glances between Gibbs and Tony and then each other as they said their goodbyes and made their way to the elevator.
“You get some rest this weekend, Tony” McGee admonished, pointing at his partner as the silver doors slid closed and Ziva heaved a long suffering sigh.
“All this tension is driving me up the hall!” Ziva hissed, catching McGee’s quizzical look, daring him to say anything.
“I know what you mean. I think I’m going to pay Tony a visit this weekend; I’m just going to ask him. He’s our partner, right? He’s obligated to tell us if he’s ill. We’ve given him enough privacy.”
“Too much,” Ziva retorted under her breath. She didn’t want to argue with Tim again, but she thought he was wrong about giving Tony space. In their job, there was no room for error. McGee had reasoned that Tony was, in fact, a very private person who deserved to deal with his issues the way he chose. Now, she was glad that McGee finally agreed with her. It had gone too far. “That is the best thing I have heard all day. I will come with you, yes?”
“No.” Ziva did not try to hide her shocked surprise.
“I most certainly will! He is my partner too and I have just as much right to know what is going on as do you, McGee!”
“I agree. But I’ve known Tony longer and you’re known for being…less than compassionate in personal matters. To be safe, I’ll go in first,” Tim explained logically, not asking, but telling Ziva what she would do. He’d realized that with her military training, he got a better response if he acted like her superior in personal matters. That she hadn’t called him on it yet led him to believe that she liked the subtle domination. She did, however, look like she wanted to explode as she searched for a verbal counter attack. I’ll call you as soon as I leave if I find anything out, Ziva” Tim promised as they walked to their cars. “Okay?” Tim asked with a smile, goading the silent probationary agent a bit more than was safe. Ziva scowled at her car door, slapping her butt offensively as she slid in and shut the door, speeding out of the garage. “Sore loser,” Tim laughed as he started his car.
Tony made it to the garage in time to see Tim pull out at his normal, sedate speed, following all the safety precautions. He smirked as he watched his youngest partner check his mirrors out of habit. Tears threatened to fall, causing Tony to hurry to his car so he wouldn’t be caught by colleagues or big brother who he knew from experience was everywhere. Hell, he thought, Gibbs probably has all the security cameras hooked up to monitor me at the push of a button, courtesy of McGee. It was then he realized that Gibbs wouldn’t have asked McGee he would’ve asked Abby because McGee would be too curious about why Tony was being watched so closely. Gibbs had been trying to get Tony to tell his partners about the pregnancy for weeks now, but he still refused. He felt like he’d have to stop working as soon as everyone knew. Gibbs already started putting him on modified duty. More and more often it seemed like Tony was staying to make phone calls and run records while McGee and David rounded up the bad guys. If Tony was honest with himself, part of him was glad to not have to run around all day and run the risk of being shot. That was the part of him that called his children “munchkin one” and “munchkin two”, the part of him that rubbed his belly in satisfied exhaustion at the end of a tiring day. But there was another part of him. It wanted to work long hours and prove that he was still capable, even though the rest of Tony’s body was shouting it was a lie. It was the rest of Tony’s mind and body that felt guilty about his glaring omission. Soon, he knew, they would have to be told.
At that thought, a lump formed in his throat that threatened to choke him. He hated being pregnant. The weepiness, the nausea, the uncontrollable anger; it was all becoming too much to handle alone. Alone. It wasn’t until he thought about it that he realized that was how he felt. Tony had been so busy feeling thankful to Gibbs for taking him in and not making him go through this by himself, that it was difficult for Tony to understand his own anger at the man he’d worshipped for ten years. As he pulled onto the beltway, Tony grew even angrier, thinking about how Gibbs had opened his home and, if Tony was truthful, his life. Still, it wasn’t enough. Tony didn’t know what more he expected from Gibbs, but he knew he was mostly angry with himself for believing that he could have more- whatever that might mean. He felt the wet tracks run down his face when Eliot crossed his mind. He missed his friend and desperately wanted him to come back. It wasn’t just that Eliot doted on Tony. Gibbs did that too and, as much as Tony complained, he loved the attention. But Eliot’s attention was different, sweeter and more tender. Tony imagined it was the way Gibbs would’ve treated Shannon. It was then that Tony realized exactly what he wanted and that he couldn’t be Shannon anymore than Gibbs’s last three wives could have been.
“Where are you, Eliot?” Tony pined, fumbling for his phone in the dusky night. He hit the key pad absently without taking his eyes from the road and a voiced answered.
“Gibbs.”
“You should come home. I won’t bother you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Not worried,” Gibbs answered good-naturedly, wanting to say that he couldn’t wait to get home, but that would’ve been a lie. Finding Eliot had been easier than he thought it’d be with the amazing Abby Sciuto in his corner.
“Look. You’ve obviously been avoiding me, so I just want you to know that I won’t be bothering you if you want to come home. I mean, the last thing I want to do is run you away from your basement,” Tony said that last with a bitter tone that wasn’t lost on Gibbs who remained silent, wondering where this was going. His silence seemed to infuriate Tony more. “In fact, it’s been a long week. I’m gonna cook dinner and head to bed; I’m exhausted,” Tony said, hoping Gibbs would come home even if he stayed in the basement.
“Get some rest. I may be late,” Gibbs advised. He hung up the phone abruptly as usual, feeling bad about still refusing to come home. He just didn’t want to face Tony without knowing if he could crush him in his arms and kiss the worries away. Abby had located the burn phone Eliot was using through hacking into Eliot’s business files. Nathan Ford’s company had some “seriously stealthy tech” as Abby explained, but it was no match for the power of the MTAC system, which technically, Abby didn’t have clearance to use, but Gibbs did and that was all that mattered. In no time, Abby was giving him a number and Gibbs was dialing it while her fingers flew over the keyboards, pulling up data and making calculations. He was close, of that much she was certain. The phone picked up but there was silence at the other end. Gibbs didn’t hesitate, pushing speaker so Abby could hear too.
“Why are you here if you don’t want to see him?” He demanded.
“It’s not safe. I’m just here to check on him,” Eliot said after a moment of silence. Gibbs looked at Abby
who just nodded and pointed to her screen which showed the last few calls coming from hundreds of miles away earlier that day.
“If you needed help, all you had to do was ask,” Gibbs said, feeling like a smug bastard and enjoying it.
“I don’t need or want your help, Gibbs. What I want is for Tony to be safe. The only reason I came to check on him is because my associate said I should be safe for the next 24 hours.”
“Safe from what?”
“I know you’ll keep him safe. I have to disappear for a while. I guess I just wanted to see he was okay with my own eyes one last time.”
“I don’t like the sound of that,” Gibbs said, hearing the fatalistic tone. “Do me a favor, before you vanish into thin air visit Tony. He needs to talk with you.” Gibbs hung up, hoping that would be enough.
~
Tony wobbled to his car pushing the cart full of groceries. He wore a light jacket to shield him from the brisk autumnal wind and quickly unloaded the bags filled with impulse items into his trunk. From across the row of cars, an attendant in a safety vest eyed Tony. The worker grimaced, wondering how hurt that awkwardly moving man was. Let me get that for you, sir,” he said with a country twang he didn’t bother to hide. Tony turned slowly, staring into Eliot Spenser’s clear blue gaze.
“Eliot! Where the hell have you been?” Tony wandered, wanting to throw his arms around the shorter man, but refraining. He read Eliot’s body language and it screamed ‘unsafe’.
“Not in public. I’ll follow you home,” Eliot whispered, pushing the cart away.
“I’m staying-“
“With Gibbs, I know,” Eliot said with his back turned. Tony got into his car with his heart beating like a big bass drum. The short drive home was filled with a dozen different scenarios of his impending visit. Would he have to tell Eliot or would Eliot already know? Tony knew his jacket covered much of his protruding belly, but at home, his condition would be all too obvious. Tony pulled up to the house and carried all the bags in at once. He wasn’t surprised to see Eliot meet him at the door, taking the bag from his hands as he swung off his backpack, leaving it in the closet by the door. Eliot unloaded the groceries, studiously refusing to stare at Tony. The dark circles and thin, gaunt face was a stark contrast compared to the last time Eliot had seen the love of his life. Eliot’s heart hurt. There was literally a pain in his chest when he glimpsed the pale, exhausted expression on Tony’s face.
“You’re not getting enough sleep,” he said with his back turned to Tony. “Have you started another cycle?”
“No. I wanted to talk to you about that…”
Eliot froze for a second, but began to move again so the pause was almost imperceptible. He’d missed it and now Tony was going to tell him that Gibbs was all he needed. He was going to tell Eliot that they should be friends minus the benefits. It’s probably best, Eliot knew, thinking about how Moreau would do anything to hurt him, including kill the ones he loved. “You don’t have to say it,” Eliot murmured, slowly turning away from the groceries to face Tony.
“Say what?”
“That you’re okay. That you’ve moved on. That Gibbs is enough for you. I mean, he didn’t waste any time moving you in and he doesn’t seem like the type to share,” Eliot reasoned aloud. “I can see Gibbs is taking good care of you. He even got you to move out of that dump.”
“It’s historic,” Tony defended his favorite home, not knowing how to respond to the rest of what Eliot said.
“It’s an asbestos ridden slum.”
“They cleaned all that before I moved in,” he muttered.
“I have a house in Georgetown that I’m in only two weeks a year, Tony. Why do you live in that roach motel?” Eliot asked for the hundredth time.”
“Just ‘cause roaches are on the sidewalk doesn’t mean they’re in the building,” Tony protested.
“Gibbs is a genius. I don’t know how he got you out of that apartment, but I’m glad he did.”
“He’s not. And he doesn’t want me. You have no competition there if that’s what you’re worried about,” Tony explained dejectedly.
“But you wish I did,” Eliot smiled despite himself, coming face to face with Tony. It was then that he really looked closely at Tony’s face. “What the hell is going on, Tony. You’ve lost weight and your face looks horrible, like that time you had the plague and didn’t eat for three weeks afterward.”
“Thanks charmer,” Tony said. Deciding a visual was worth more than his stunted words., Tony pulled off the jacket, knowing his baby bulge was as plain as the emotional look on his face.
“Tony?” Eliot calmly asked, stepping forward until he was right in front of the federal agent.
“Eliot.”
“Are you…” pregnant, Eliot wanted to ask, but the words wouldn’t come. Instead, he settled for leaning against Tony’s side and rubbing his belly. “Is this why you haven’t had another cycle?”
“Yes. It’s the twins.”
“Twins? I’m so sorry, Anthony.”
“Twins. And you should be since they’re yours,” Tony turned his face to look Eliot in the eyes.
“Are you sure?”
“What the hell kind of question is that? You think I let everyone bareback and come in my ass?” Tony bit out angrily, hoping this wasn’t Eliot’s attempt to dodge his responsibility.
“I just thought that maybe you and Gibbs…” Eliot trailed off, but had a silly grin on his face that totally ignored Tony’s flare of anger. Tony calmed down abruptly in a wash of remorse.
“Not a chance. We don’t even do it enough to have a slip up. No. You’re the only one who didn’t use a condom.”
“I’m sorry, man, but you wouldn’t let me.”
“I don’t remember exactly, but Morgan kind of filled me in, so I guess I understand,” Tony said easily, letting Eliot know he didn’t blame him at all.
“You’re keeping them,” Eliot meant to ask, but it came out as a demand.
“Of course.” Tony smiled down at Eliot who was on his knees, lifting up Tony’s shirt and caressing the round belly. When he circled Tony’s belly button which was one it0000s way from an innie to an outie, Tony’s breath hitched.
“Don’t do that,” Tony warned.
“Why? Does it hurt?”
“It’s just…too much.”
“Mmmhmm,” Eliot murmured against Tony’s side, not even considering stopping. It only took seconds for Eliot to notice the growing tent in Tony’s khakis. He ran his hand down Tony’s length and looked up to see the reaction he inspired. Tony’s head was thrown back and he fought to look down at Eliot who was smiling as he pulled Tony’s zipper down. Tony wondered when his belt and pants were undone, but was soon worried about not coming the next time the tip of his cock hit the back of Eliot’s throat.
“Whoa! W-w-w-wait! Wait, Eliot,” Tony pleaded, pushing then forcefully yanking Eliot’s head back by the thick, sun-bleached hair. Eliot wantonly licked his lips and batted his eyes at Tony who towered above him, desperately trying not to stagger away. He needed to get clarity; there was something wrong with this picture. When he sat on the couch and the exposed half of his ass felt the worn, 20 year old fabric instead of his Italian leather couch at the apartment, Tony shot up in embarrassment. “Shit! We can’t do this here!” Tony whispered, as if just realizing where he was.
“I was just going with the flow,” Eliot said, betraying his own guilt at what he’d almost done. He wanted Gibbs to walk in on them fucking on his living room couch. He was certain Tony was wrong about Gibbs’s interest, but figured it couldn’t be serious if Tony thought Gibbs didn’t want him. He already knew what Tony would say. He’d say, “Gibbs is just helping me out until this thing goes away,” or “he’s a good friend, Eliot; he takes care of his people,” but that didn’t mean anything. After all, Eliot knew that Tony gave him the same introduction. It would do Gibbs good to see me with Tony, especially now, Eliot thought, reaching out to touch Tony’s belly again.
“Hey. Hey!” Tony slapped Eliot’s hand away and stood up to move down the hall. He knew there were two guest rooms downstairs but one only had a couch. The other had Kelly’s things in it mostly. There was a bed, a dresser, and a desk but there were also some of Shannon’s clothes, a sewing machine, a few karate trophies and several other boxes that Tony hadn’t gotten around to snooping in yet. It almost looked like it could’ve been Kelly’s room except that Tony knew there were two other rooms upstairs. “This one,” he said, settling on the even older, more threadbare couch and pushing the door closed.
“You pass up a bed for a couch with broken springs?” Eliot laughed, standing at the door where he plastered himself behind Tony. Tony, for his part, agreed that it was kind of crazy, but couldn’t shake the feeling that those things were sacred and not to be fucked with- or around. So he pulled Eliot to the couch and plopped down, scooting back against the side as his ass scratched across something viciously sharp.
“Shit!” Tony wailed, jumping up and looking down. “Sonofab-“ it actually did have a broken spring sticking out near the back of the couch.
“You can tell him I made you do it in there,” Eliot smirked, pulling Tony into the room next door and pulling down the covers. He pushed Tony back, snapping off Tony’s shoes then pants in a few seconds. He crawled up the full sized bed like a hungry jungle cat eyeing his prey. Tony reached for Eliot, wanting his lips, his touch, anything. Eliot just swayed above him, caressing Tony’s face and torso and belly. Next he played at Tony’s lips, making Tony kiss then suck his fingers like a sex starved maniac, all while ignoring the growing hardness standing at attention between them. When Tony began to lift his hips and hook his legs around Eliot’s waist, Eliot pushed him back against the bed.
“El! I need you,” Tony whined, humping the air in frustration.
“I know, baby. When’s the last time you had it good and rough?” Eliot demanded, ripping his fly open and unceremoniously pulling out his thick dick.
“Oh,” Tony moaned as he watched what he wanted bob heavily in the air. “Too long,” he sighed, jerking his knees back so he was splayed open to Eliot. He fiddled impatiently with the sheets as he watched Eliot roll out a condom and pop open the lube. “You don’t need-“
“Either one, I know. It’s too late for the condom and you want to scream. Sorry babe; I’m not gon’ risk tearing that pretty ass of yours because you’re a bitch in heat.” Eliot smiled endearingly with laughter in his eyes and Tony marveled at his southern gentleman. Ironically, Eliot was the only person Tony knew who could call him a bitch in heat and get away with it. Besides Gibbs, Tony automatically thought and then felt immediately guilty. He looked at Eliot who refused to hurt him for the first time in a long time and made a conscious effort to treasure Eliot like he deserved.
“Well you’re a sonofabitch!” Tony snapped with a campy voice then added, “And why not?” Hurry up,” Tony demanded, dismissing the whole matter in favor of a more interesting one, then shoving a pillow under his ass and closing his eyes. Seconds later he felt a fat knob stretching at his hole insistently. Tony took a deep breath and pushed down as hard as he could. “Yaaaah!” Tony shouted, feeling the thick sheathed monster impale him completely. Eliot stayed still, crouched over Tony protectively, kissing his eyelids which fluttered in ecstatic pain. Tony trembled when cruel fingers twisted his sensitive nipples mercilessly. When he tried to move, Eliot pulled back so just the head was left inside his stretched hole then he slammed it home, making Tony squeal in pleasure. Several long, strong strokes later, Tony absent mindedly reached for his cock but Eliot captured his wrists, securing them over Tony’s head, and beginning to fuck him in earnest. Tony’s legs move to lock around Eliot’s waist and Eliot kissed him passionately.
“Look at me,” he says and Tony does after a few heart beats. “Don’t move ‘em,” he says, pushing Tony’s wrists into the bed near the headboard. Eliot forced Tony’s knees apart once more and forced them back to Tony’s chest then began fucking Tony to orgasm. “You’re gonna STAY. OPEN. And TAKE it,” Eliot growled, punctuating each word with a thrust. Tony almost swooned with the effort to not come all over himself after five minutes of fucking, but he couldn’t help it.
“Wait. I-I’m not ready yet,” he begged, blathering on about ‘too soon’ and ‘taking a break’ when his words were suddenly cut short by his own surprised gurgle and a violent snap of his head. Later he would say it felt like lightening shooting out of his dick and the sensitive tip seemed to reverberate then throb. Distantly, he realized Eliot’s movements had become jerky and Tony was glad; he’d be no good to Eliot for a while. Tony could tell by the way his skin tingled, too sensitive to touch, that he’d need some time to recuperate. Eliot fell to Tony’s side, getting tangled in his long legs and lovingly caressing Tony everywhere. Tony squirmed.
“Nononononnono! He resisted when Eliot gently stroked him. “Please don’t, El,” Tony begged, protecting himself and sighing in relief when he cupped his half hard dick and Eliot didn’t protest.
“You alright, Anthony?”
“Mmmhmm. Just…tender, ‘kay?” Tony murmured with a smile. “My whole body is tingling. Mmmm,” Tony moaned his assent when Eliot’s fingertips ghosted over his skin, catching his nipples with playful little scratches. “Oh, God, Eliot!” Tony shouted, coming again. Eliot looked down at Tony shuddering and panting, moaning when Eliot tried to touch him. Tony was so sensitive that Eliot wondered fi he could make him come again. He was ready to try after a few minutes but Tony’s breathing had evened out and when Eliot heard the soft snore, he laughed and straitened Tony’s long legs before getting up and heading into the kitchen.
‘I’m a daddy!’ Eliot thought to himself, marveling at the happiness he could hear even in his head. He looked at the bags of groceries they’d unceremoniously left in the kitchen and started to rifle through them. He smiled when he got a look at all the food, knowing he couldn’t have chosen a better day to check in on Tony. ‘Well,’ Eliot sighed, ‘a man’s got to feed his family.’ So he got to work cooking up what Tony was obviously in the mood for.
Old Friends by joblo
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs resolves to find Eliot and settle things, but will his plan backfire?