Gibbs moved gingerly as he repacked his bag. He was a little stiff, and more than a little sore, but he couldn't stop smiling. The dull ache and each little twinge reminded him of just how good it had been last night.
He probably wouldn't even be sore if he hadn't been so eager to try it again. Making love twice in less than an hour wasn't a big deal when he was twenty, but as his body now reminded him, he wasn't twenty any more. He winced as he crouched down to retrieve a sock from under the bed. His thighs were protesting more than his ass.
"You okay?"
Gibbs looked up over his shoulder, grinning as he stood. He tossed the orphan sock into his bag. "I'm good."
"Moving kind of slow." Tony eyed him, doubt and concern readily apparent in his eyes. "Maybe we shouldn't have gone for a second round last nig?"
"We sure as hell should have," Gibbs interrupted. He closed the distance between them, cupping Tony's face with both hands. "I'm looking forward to doing it again."
"Really?"
Gibbs rolled his eyes. "You had better not be fishing for compliments."
"I wasn't." Tony chuckled, eyes sparkling. "But now that you mention it, I wouldn't mind a few."
Gibbs snorted. "Like you didn't get enough affirmation last night." Tony was definitely one of the most considerate and talented lovers Gibbs had ever known. It was a heady feeling to have his wants and needs be the primary focus rather than the other way around.
Tony grinned. "Think you scared some of the local wildlife with noises you made."
"Wasn't just me." Gibbs lightly patted Tony's cheek. He had made the younger man the focus of his own skill as a lover, using everything he knew and had recently learned, wanting Tony to experience the same sort of satisfaction, pleasure, and connection that Gibbs had.
"No, you weren't the only one making noise." Tony snickered. "Ziva says she's a screamer, but I'm betting she's got nothing on us."
Gibbs blinked. "Ziva's a screamer?"
"So she says," Tony shrugged. "I don't know first hand."
Gibbs growled, more in jest than with intent. "You damn sure better not know first hand."
"No worries, Jethro." Tony smiled warmly. "She's not my type."
Gibbs wasn't truly worried but it was nice to hear Tony say it anyway. Tony gave him a wink. "You're my only type now."
"Same to you," Gibbs smiled, placing a quick kiss on Tony's cheek.
Tony ducked his head, uncharacteristically shy. That little boy smile was something Gibbs wouldn't mind seeing more of.
"You got everything?" Tony asked, as he glanced around the room, clearly looking for a way to move the conversation away from such an emotionally charged topic. Gibbs knew the younger man wasn't comfortable with large doses of emotional honestly. I'm not either, Gibbs thought with an internal smile. They really were a matched set in a lot of ways.
"Just need to strip the bed and remake it." He would have done it while Tony was making sure the main room was back in order, but Gibbs had no idea where Tony kept the linens, or if he even had another set.
"We can leave that." Tony shook his head. "Mike will take care of it."
"He does your laundry when you're here too?" Gibbs had asked, not quite sure why he was surprised. The man had cooked for them; laundry was a lot less work, it just seemed a lot more personal.
"I pay Mike to take care of the cabin when I'm not here. He makes sure everything is in good shape." Tony shrugged. "I think he started including laundry service about the time I helped Gabe apply for grant money for his Masters project a few years ago." He held out his hands as though balancing something between them. "More of that tit for tat stuff I mentioned yesterday."
"You got Gabe grant money?" Gibbs arched an eyebrow.
"No. I didn't get it for him. He had a sound project...good design and useful to a lot of people." Tony shook his head, looking more insulted on Gabe's behalf than his own. "I just helped him out."
Gibbs knew just having a good idea wasn't enough to guarantee funding. Like a lot of things, it wasn't what you knew but who you knew that usually got the ball rolling. He wondered just what it was Tony had done, and it must have shown in his expression.
"All I really did was track down a few organizations that had money he could apply for." Tony bit his lower lip. "I made a few phone calls. He did the rest."
Tony nervously biting his lower lip piqued Gibbs' curiosity even more. "How much did he get?"
Tony looked away. "About twenty thousand a year or so...for three years."
"Twenty thousand a year?" Gibbs repeated, staring at Tony. "For three years?"
"Not like it was my money, Boss." Tony laughed, fidgeting a little, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. "Besides, for research that's actually pretty cheap. Just look at what DOD spends in a month. Their R and D budget has to be huge. Hell, they probably spend that amount in just a day."
Gibbs gaze narrowed. It was never a good sign when Tony babbled. "Whose money was it?"
Tony rolled his eyes. "It wasn't illegal, if that's what you're thinking."
"Didn't think it was." Gibbs countered calmly, raising his hands palms out in a 'no harm intended' gesture. "I just wondered where it came from."
Tony mumbled something Gibbs wouldn't quite make out. He glared. "You want to try that again?"
Tony sighed, clearing his throat. "Two government organizations and one private foundation."
"And they were?" Gibbs made a 'go on' motion with one hand.
"EPA. Fish and Wildlife Service." Tony ducked his head. "And the DiNozzo Family Foundation for Higher Education."
Gibbs cocked his head to one side. "Your family has a--"
"Yeah. Pretty sizeable too." Tony glanced back at him before his eyes once more darted away. "It was set up after my grandfather died."
"You went to school on an athletic scholarship." Gibbs didn't quite ask, but the question was implied. Why hadn't he gotten a grant?
"The way my grandfather set it up no one from the family can be awarded a grant. Guess he thought that would keep the family from abusing the charity."
Gibbs pursed his lips. "Did it work?"
Tony nodded once, firmly. "The Foundation is one of the only neutral territories you'll find when it comes money and the DiNozzo family."
Tony squared his shoulders, green eyes meeting blue. "It is common for family members to propose applicants. Truth is, getting the nod from a family member is almost the only way anyone can be considered for a grant."
Tony ran a hand through his hair. "All I had to do was call the trustee...who is my third cousin by way of marriage, in case you were wondering. She's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but her job really exists just to make sure someone from the family is 'actively involved'. I'm pretty sure she didn't even know who I was when I called, just made note of my name and who I was submitting for consideration. A committee actually reviews the list and decides who to award the money to."
He grimaced. "When my father found out I was the one who had Gabe's name added to the list he was...well, not happy."
Gibbs considered that. What exactly did 'not happy' mean? Just what had Tony's father said or done? Before he could ask Tony moved on, something Gibbs was sure the younger man did on purpose, deliberately keeping him from asking questions Tony likely didn't want to answer.
"By then Gabe was already getting money from EPA and the Foundation liked the press aspect of funding a grad student working on improving the environment." Tony snorted derisively. "Way they acted you'd have thought they'd funded his whole project."
Gibbs arched an eyebrow. "How much did they actually give him?"
"Of the sixty thousand Gabe got to study how well efforts to clean up Chesapeake Bay were working," Tony frowned, "it came out to be less than ten thousand. EPA and the Fish and Wildlife paid for the bulk of it, but they wanted to use his data as a base line for more studies, so it was a good investment for them."
Gibbs nodded. "You make a few calls there too?"
"Got a frat brother who works for EPA. He knew someone at Fish and Wildlife." The corner of Tony's eyes crinkled in an almost smile. "Kate always thought it was juvenile to stay in touch with people who were little more than drinking buddies, but networking is a skill I don't think she ever fully appreciated."
"No, she didn't."
Gibbs knew Kate viewed networking as using people. And in a way it was. But in Tony's case, he wasn't the sort to stay in touch simply because people might be of use later on; he stayed in touch because he liked a person, no other reason. Ziva, on the other hand, only seemed inclined to stay in touch only with people who were of use. She had contacts, but didn't seem to have many friends.
"Kate didn't get networking and Ziva doesn't quite get the whole friendship thing." Tony laughed softly. He once again had no trouble following Gibbs' unvoiced thoughts. "Sometimes I think she's the bizzaro world version of Kate."
Both Gibbs' eyebrows rose. "Bizzaro world?"
"Alternate dimension in the Superman comics."
"Never was much into comics."
"Figured." Tony smiled. "Graphic novels aren't really your genre. Now Abby on the other hand--"
"Shaddup." Gibbs lightly cuffed the back of Tony's head.
"Keep telling you that doesn't work." Tony grinned. "C'mon, let's go see what Mike made for breakfast."
It made sense to eat before heading back. Besides, Gibbs didn't really think leaving without talking to Mike would be an option. He rubbed the side of his neck self-consciously, wishing he had a turtle neck.
"There are no marks, Gibbs."
But there should be, Gibbs thought, unsure if he was disappointed or relieved. Tony had lavished a lot of attention one that sensitive spot just below his jaw, and Gibbs had loved it. The memory of the soft touch of Tony's lips and tongue there made him shiver.
Blue eyes sought green. "I wouldn't mind if you had left one."
Tony huffed out a soft laugh. "I will when you don't have to worry about Mike teasing you."
Gibbs snorted. "Like he won't any way." The man would probably take one look at them and know exactly what they'd done last night.
"No reason to make it too easy for him." Tony winked.
Gibbs smiled and nodded, even though he knew Mike's teasing wasn't the real reason. The rest of the team knew Gibbs and Tony had spent the last few days together. It would be too hard to explain away proof of Gibbs having sex without telling the truth. Better not to have to explain anything at all.
He was relieved that the same limitations didn't apply to his marking Tony. No one would even think to question how or why Tony had a hickey or two. Nor would they question his showing up in a turtle neck when it was really too warm to wear one. The younger man's many stories of sexual conquest and flirtatious habits would certainly work in their favor.
Gibbs noticed the marks he'd made yesterday, their first time together, had faded. They were barely noticeable. But Gibbs had no doubt that Mike would spot them immediately. He wondered if he'd be getting a repeat of yesterday.
Tony chuckled. "Relax, Boss, Mike only threatens once."
That's sort of what I'm afraid of, Gibbs thought, resisting the urge to grimace. He didn't want Mike to make good on his earlier threat. Not that he couldn't handle himself; he was as good as he ever was when it came to that, but he really didn't want to be forced into situation he couldn't win. If he hurt Mike, Tony would be pissed, if he didn't defend himself, Mike would probably kill him.
Tony waved a hand in front of Gibbs' face pulling him from his thoughts. "Mike knows the difference between a love bite and a bruise."
"I sure as hell hope so," Gibbs muttered.
"C'mon ya big, badass Marine," Tony laughed, "I'll make sure he doesn't bite you."
"You'd better," Gibbs pointed a finger at Tony, stifling an urge to laugh.
"Scout's honor."
Gibbs snorted. "You were never a scout."
"I was." Tony grinned. "For almost a week."
"A week?" Gibbs slung his bag over his shoulder.
"Den mother didn't like my trying to score brownie points." Tony shrugged, grabbing his own bag. Gibbs was sure there was more to the story, but he let it go. He was learning to pick his battles when it came to Tony's past.
Tony glanced around the cabin once more. Gibbs did the same, making sure everything was as neat and tidy as it had been when they arrived. Everything was in order except for the bedroom. It grated on his organized nature to leave a mess behind, but he forced himself not to look back at the bedroom as they headed out the door.
Tony made sure the door was secured. He didn't lock it, but then there wasn't anything to steal. Someone determined to gain access wouldn't be deterred by a locked door. The only key Gibbs had seen was for the gate. It would keep anyone from driving to the cabin, making anyone interested in the cabin have to work a little harder to get to it.
They walked together down the path, stopping only to relock the gate. Tony looked back up the trail, sighing softly. He smiled, patting the gate post.
"Lot of good memories here," he murmured.
Gibbs wasn't quite sure what to make of Tony's tone. It was a strange blend of wistful and contemplative. He raised a hand to lightly cup the back of Tony's neck, massaging gently with is fingers. "I'm glad you shared it with me."
"Yeah, me too." Tony leaned over to give him a quick kiss. "Got more good memories now."
"Got some of my own too." Gibbs grinned, feeling a suddenly lighthearted and warm. He'd done more than recover the last fifteen years of his life.
Tony laughed, rolling his eyes. "Shameless romantic."
"Takes one to know one."
Tony snickered. "Now I know what you were like as a kid."
Gibbs laughed. He reached out to lightly slap the back of Tony's head, but the younger man dodged. He stuck his tongue out. Gibbs had no trouble picturing his senior agent as a five year old. He liked the picture his imagination presented, and found himself wishing he had the same sort of time in with Tony that the younger man had with Mike. It would have been nice to see Tony grow into the man he was now.
Being envious was stupid. He might not have known Tony when he was younger, but he knew him now. And he had a relationship with Tony that Mike would never experience. It was a fair trade off.
They walked to Mike's driveway together. Tony popped the truck of the Mustang, lightly tossing his bag into it. Gibbs followed suit. He made a note to be sure to repack his bag with clean clothes when they got back.
The screen door opening announced Mike's presence on the porch. He leaned against one of the support posts, the same way he had the morning they first arrived. Warm brown eyes regarded them both.
Mike cocked his head to one side as Tony climbed the steps. "You been wrestling with a vacuum cleaner?"
Tony gave his friend a narrowed eyed look before grinning. "Think we've got a pot and kettle moment here." He reached out to lightly touch a mark on the side of Mike's neck. "Looks like date number two went a lot better than date number one."
Mike slapped Tony's hand away, color rising to his cheeks. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Tony laughed. "Yeah...like the sun might rise in the east. Like the Pope may be Catholic. Like--"
"I don't care how long you keep that up, I'm not telling you about my date."
"Spoil sport."
Mike slung an arm over Tony's shoulders, pulling him into a loose hug before he rubbed his knuckles against the top of Tony's head. "If I give you details, you have to do the same."
Tony grinned broadly. "Deal."
Gibbs felt like protesting, until he realized the arrangement worked in their favor. Mike couldn't get any information unless he was willing to give up some as well. It should keep the mutual embarrassment to a minimum. <
"Breakfast is ready." Mike smiled at Gibbs before leading the way into the kitchen.
The seating arrangements at the table were the same as before. Gibbs winced when he carefully took his seat. It earned him a raised eyebrow and a knowing look from Mike when Tony sat with no hesitation. Gibbs glared, chin rising a bit as he silently dared the other man to comment. Mike just smiled and offered him a coffee mug.
"You want cream or sugar?"
"No, thank you." Gibbs breathed in the rich aroma of his coffee before taking a sip.
"How was the movie?" Tony asked, passing the bowl of fried potatoes to Mike minus a large portion that now took up residence on Tony's plate.
"I should have made more of those," Mike commented as eyed the half empty bowl before taking it and spooning some on to his own plate. "Movie was pretty good. Special effects were even better than last time, and the storyline stayed fairly true to the comics."
Mike passed offered the bowl to Gibbs. "Looks like you guys had a good day...and night."
"We did." Gibbs and Tony answered together, sharing a quick smile across the table.<
Mike snickered. "You can't give me shit about moving too slow any more." He pointed a finger at Tony. "Took you five freaking years, man."
Tony shrugged. "Momma C says good things are worth waiting for."
Gibbs could feel his face warm, undeniably pleased at being classified as a good thing. Another knowing look from Mike made him want to kick the man under the table. Mike's eyes warmed and he winked at Gibbs.
"You make another date with Heather?" Tony asked, passing the plate of ham as he reached for the scrambled eggs.
"Next week." Mike sighed, taking the plate and offering it to Gibbs. "She's got tickets to see the ballet."
Tony blinked. "Ballet?"
Given Mike's tone and Tony's expression it was a safe bet ballet was not really the other man's thing. Gibbs could relate. His second wife had dragged him to all sorts of things with the intent of making the Marine more cultured. He had actually enjoyed the plays they'd gone to see and the orchestral performances. But opera was nothing more than caterwauling in his opinion and ballet was just silly.
Gibbs gave Mike a sympathetic smile. "Might not be too bad."
"Like a root canal." Mike shook his head. "If it were the Bolshoy or something like that, I could probably enjoy it. But this is some local group her cousin is involved in."
"Could make you the hero of the hour, Mike." Tony grinned waggling his eyebrows. "Betting she doesn't want to go to this thing either. This way she doesn't have to suffer alone."
"Misery loves company." Mike snorted. "Now there is a great foundation for a relationship."
"You are such a pessimist." Tony laughed. "Could see it as overcoming adversity together."
"I'll let you know if we plant a flag," Mike said dryly.
"I'd be more interested in song and story," Tony responded with another chuckle.
"A ballad?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tony, unable to stifle his amusement.
"Well, we can't all have dragons to slay." Green eyes sparkled. "But I'm sure there is a castle Mike could storm if need be."
"Might need to polish the armor first." Gibbs couldn't resist noting.
"Definitely." Tony grinned. "No one sings about a knight in dull armor after all."
"Never really made sense to me, to be honest." Gibbs shook his head. "Shiny armor just makes you more of a target."
"You and Sammy should get along just fine." Mike rolled his eyes. "He says the same thing."
"Don't let him fool you, Mike." Tony smiled. "Jethro is a romantic at heart."<
Mike raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Really."
Gibbs kicked Tony lightly under the table, but his lover didn't look the least bit repentant.
"Nice to know we aren't the only ones." Mike smiled. "Welcome to the family, Gibbs"
It was lighthearted, but Gibbs could tell Mike genuinely meant it. "Thanks."
Mike sipped his coffee. "Tony tells me you're building a boat in your basement."
"Yeah, I am."
Easily setting aside discussion on their respective love lives, Mike asked Gibbs about his construction technique and the type of wood he was using. It was rare that Gibbs had such a knowledgeable audience or someone who shared his passion for wood. He caught Tony smiling at him and realized his lover didn't mind that the conversation left him behind.
Knowing his best friend and his lover shared a common interest was probably reassuring to him. God knows, it's reassuring to me, Gibbs thought, smiling back at Tony. He had a feeling he'd need an ally or two when it came to meeting the rest of Mike's family.
Author's Chapter Notes:
More conversation between Gibbs adn Tony as they get ready to leave the cabin.
Chapter End Notes:
One more part to go to finish this story.