for warnings, disclaimers etc, please see part 01
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Another few hours earlier.
"Ho ho ho," went the electronic Santa figurine at the N.C.I.S. staff party. "Merry Christmas. I hope you've all been good boys and girls this year! Ho ho ho!"
"Maybe it's just the egg nog, but don't you think that Santa's kind of hot?" asked Abby, her head tilted to one side as she watched the electronic Santa wave his arms about.
"I think you've had enough Abby," said Tim.
"No really, I mean, maybe it's the silver hair or the beard or something, but I could really dig him. I bet Mrs. Clause is one lucky lady."
Tim shook his head, "I doubt that," he said in a serious tone, "I mean, doesn't Santa only come once a year?"
A few feet away, Ziva was unwrapping her present from the Secret Santa pile.
"Knife safety and usage for beginners," she read from the book in her hand. "Oh very funny." Her eyes fell on Tony who was standing a few feet away. "Was this from you?" She waved the book threateningly at him.
"Who me?" Tony's eyes were wide with innocence. "Look at the label, Ziva. Doesn't that look like Jimmy Palmer's writing to you?"
Ziva's eyes narrowed. "I think I shall have to have a word with Mr. Palmer," she hissed, before stalking off.
Tony wiped a mock bead of sweat from his brow, "Whew, dodged that one nicely." It hadn't exactly been a lie. He had deliberately tried to copy Jimmy's writing so as to throw Ziva off the scent, but it had been worth the effort to see the look on her face when she'd opened the package. And he was sure that Ziva wouldn't hurt Jimmy...well, not until the party was over at least. Grabbing a glass of eggnog, Tony went and mingled a bit, working his way through the crowd finally joining Tim over where Ducky was now unwrapping what proved to be a bottle of Napoleon brandy.
"Whoa!" said Tony. "Nice stuff Ducky." In a lower voice he whispered in Tim's ear, "Hey, I thought there was a price limit on these gifts. Way to make the rest of us look bad, Probie!"
Tim shook his head, "That's not my gift, I got him the musical bow tie that plays "Scotland the brave" on bagpipes."
"Hmm," Tony looked back at Ducky who was reading a card that had been attached to the bottle. Tony couldn't quite see what was on it, but it looked like a phone number. So he wasn't really surprised when a few minutes later Ducky excused himself and left the group.
All in all it wasn't a bad party, Tony thought to himself a little while later. Of course as far as he and Gibbs were concerned, the *real* party wouldn't start until later and there'd be only two attendees.
Noticing Gibbs at the far side of the room, Tony set off to join him. He weaved his way past other revelers, noticing as he did that neither Ziva nor Jimmy seemed to be among them.
"Uh-oh," thought Tony, a twinge of guilt hitting him. "Can't let the kid take the flak for me." Changing course, he joined Abby who was swaying in time to the Santa figure. "Hey Abs, you seen Ziva around?"
"Um, I think she went that away." Abby pointed towards the door. "Said something about killing somebody...or something...the usual crap."
"Oh crap. Thanks Abs." Tony tweaked her ponytail and narrowly dodged a slap from her as he hurried towards the door. He was only a few feet away when it burst open and a slightly disheveled looking Ziva walked in.
Tony opened his mouth to say something, but his jaw dropped as he saw an equally disheveled Jimmy follow Ziva back into the room. Tony recognized the expression on Jimmy's face...it was the same expression he frequently had the morning after a night with Gibbs...the sort of smugly self satisfied look of a cat that's got the cream, mixed in with an air of disbelief that this cat had been lucky enough to get the cream in the first place.
"Were you looking for me, Tony?" asked Ziva.
"Um, no, just wondering whether you were enjoying yourself, this being your first N.C.I.S. party and all."
"Oh I am having an enjoyable time. A *most* enjoyable time." The blush that spread over Jimmy's face left Tony in no doubt what Ziva was referring to and he beat a hasty retreat.
He resumed his journey towards Gibbs, passing Ducky along the way. Tony waved a greeting to the M.E., but Ducky was busy whispering softly into his phone, and the smile on his face said he was better left undisturbed, "Happy Christmas, Tovarish" was all Tony managed to catch as he moved on past.
Finally he managed to make his way over to Gibbs. "Great party, eh Boss?" he said, as he watched the other revelers.
Gibbs shrugged. "Getting a little bit crowded for my liking."
"See, now you're showing your age...yeouch!" Tony didn't really need to yelp, the swat had been so gentle, but he knew that Gibbs enjoyed it. "Think we should go somewhere a bit more...exclusive?"
"Oh yeah."
Tony knocked back his eggnog. "What are we waiting for then." He strolled off, but not before calling back, "Oh yeah, thanks for the Secret Santa present." He stroked his belt, which was now proudly sporting a brand new hand carved wooden buckle cover with his initials prominently displayed. Less prominently displayed was a discreet carving of a sprig of mistletoe and Tony just knew he was going to get kissed under it before the night was over.
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Back in the present, Tony was discovering that tinsel was a lot more ticklish than he had expected...especially when wound around bare skin. "Okay, of all the dumb ideas you've had, DiNozzo," he told himself, "This has got be at least the sixth." He had figured that it'd be a cute idea to wrap himself up in tinsel, maybe hang a few baubles in strategic places, and then wake up Gibbs so he could be 'unwrapped'. But the tinsel had other ideas and was starting to make him itch a bit as well.
"To hell with it," he muttered under his breath as he started pulling at the tinsel. But then he discovered yet another annoying property of tinsel...it tended to get knotted, very very easily. "Shit, shit, shit," groaned Tony as he tried to tease out the knots. But the more he pulled and the more frustrated he got, the tighter the knots seemed to become. A knife would have done the trick in a flash, but Tony's knife was with his clothing and currently decorating the floor of Gibbs's bedroom.
"Agh," groaned Tony as he pulled at the tinsel but only succeeded in tangling himself even more. "Ah well," he thought, his natural optimism resurfacing. "At least I hadn't got as far as decorating 'little Tony'."
"What the hell, DiNozzo?"
Tony looked up from his position on the floor to see Gibbs standing over him. "Ah, uh, Merry Christmas Boss, like to open a present?"
Gibbs leaned down and pulled Tony to his feet, "Well normally I'd be just too happy to unwrap you, but see in my family, we don't open the presents until after the Christmas dinner."
"Didn't your parents allow you to open a present on Christmas Eve, you know, if you were a very, very good boy." He rubbed up against Gibbs's robe.
Gibbs grinned as he held Tony at arms length. "Yeah, but I thought I'd already had one present last night?"
"Ah, but that was only part one," Tony leaned in kissed Gibbs, softly. "There's another three hundred and sixty four parts of that present to come."
Gibbs let Tony kiss him for a few seconds before saying, "Well, when you put it like that, I guess I could open just one more present. But first, I think you should open one of yours."
Tony reached for Gibbs's robe, only to have his hands slapped away.
"That's not where your present is."
"Well it's not under the tree, because I've already checked."
"The present's not under the tree...but the tree *is* under the present..."
Tony looked up at the ceiling in puzzlement and then back at Gibbs.
Gibbs just smiled and pulled open his desk drawer. The drawer that he kept his private papers in and where Tony hadn't even considered an option during his earlier search. Gibbs pulled out an envelope and handed it to Tony.
"It's a deed I had my lawyer draw up. Transfers the house into our joint names. All it needs is your signature...if you want it..." Gibbs looked at Tony, looking unsure and almost nervous than Tony had ever seen him. "I love you Tony, all that I have I want it to be yours as well...but only if you want it too."
Tony's response was to wrap his arms around Gibbs, pulling him close and kissing him more thoroughly than he'd ever been kissed before. When they finally pulled apart, both men were gasping for breath.
Gibbs was the first one to speak, "I take it that's a yes, then?"
And it was.
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The End
Ceindreadh
Author's Chapter Notes:
Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring except for Tony.