Gibbs stepped through the kitchen door closing it silently behind him. He watched as Tony moved around Mike's home with an easy familiarity, his movements showcasing a natural, fluid grace. Gibbs vaguely remembered something about Tony being able to dance and he found himself wondering if the younger man had ever taken lessons.
His breath caught as he watched Tony open the oven door and bend over. Lord, but the man had a nice ass. Gibbs bit his lower lip. He really, really wished he could just touch with his hands the way he could with his eyes. He settled for caressing Tony with his gaze, roving from head to toe as Tony straightened up.
Tony placed a pan on the top of the stove. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply, his expression a blend of anticipation and pleasure. Gibbs clenched his fist, unconsciously imagining another reason for that look.
Tony glanced over his shoulder, blinking in surprise as he noticed Gibbs standing near the door. He smiled. Gibbs couldn't help but smile back, unable to resist that friendly welcome, hoping like hell his lust wasn't too obvious.
"You get Abby settled?"
"For now." Gibbs breathed a silent sigh of relief that his undressing Tony with his eyes seemed to have gone unnoticed.
Tony chuckled. "Taking care of Abby is kind of a full time gig, Boss."
"She's worth it."
"That she is." Tony agreed easily. He deftly wielded some kitchen tool Gibbs had seen before but didn't know the name of. Tony cut into what Gibbs guessed from the wonderful aroma was lasagna. He made what looked like half a dozen squares, drawing neat, straight lines.
"You need help?"
"Nah, I got it." Tony waved him off. "Have a seat. I'll be there in just a second."
Gibbs smiled to himself when he noticed the place setting configuration. Tony had arranged the plates so they'd be sitting close to one another instead of at opposite ends of the table. The flickering candle that occupied the center of the table cast an added warm glow, faint shadows dancing back and forth on the table and walls. Tony brought the pan he'd pulled from the oven, setting it on a hot pad within easy reach for both of them.
Gibbs took an appreciative sniff. Breakfast was definitely not the only meal Mike knew how to make. "Mike can really cook."
"Oh yeah." Tony grinned, taking his seat. "Momma C was pretty adamant they all know how."
He held out a hand for Gibbs' plate. Gibbs offered it, watching as Tony neatly placed a generous square on it. Tony then served himself, handing Gibbs a small bread basket full of garlic toast.
"She teach you?" Gibbs took a piece and passed the basket back.
"Oh, she tried." Tony laughed. "But I think she's come to terms with the fact that I'm never going to do more than master the basics. Don't quite burn water, but damn close." Tony shook his head, a wry smile readily conveying he wasn't concerned by this lack of skill. He shrugged one shoulder. "Momma C gave up when she realized my ineptitude meant she's always got someone on hand to do the dishes."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Do the dishes?"
"You cook, you don't clean." Tony shrugged again. "Momma C's rules."
Gibbs cocked his head to one side. "That mean you expect me to do the dishes?"
Tony gave him a wide, bright smile. "Naturally."
"You didn't cook." Gibbs pointed out, struggling to contain a smile. "Mike did."
Tony's eyes twinkled. "Semantics."
"Didn't you just tell me semantics were important?"
"That's different."
"Really?" Gibbs snickered. "How exactly?"
"Because, then it didn't apply to me...obviously." Tony smiled brightly, batting his eyes.<
Unable to resist and knowing it was expected, Gibbs cuffed the back of Tony's head. He kept his touch light, making it more of a caress than a reprimand. He lightly stroked again, wanting to prolong the contact. He forced himself to pull his hand back, surprised to find Tony had looked away, a faint blush coloring his cheekbones.
Not wanting to scare Tony off by moving too fast, or scare himself for that matter, Gibbs tried to put everything back on normal footing. He thought it best to stay with their earlier topic when he spoke again. "Mike doesn't own a dishwasher?"
Tony shook his head, green eyes meeting blue easily once more. "He says they are too harsh for his good stuff."
"Shannon used to say the same thing."
"She make you do the dishes?" Tony asked after a moment's hesitation, a teasing glint in his eyes.
Gibbs smiled in spite of the bittersweet memories the question evoked. "Kelly and I used to do them together. I'd wash and she'd dry."
Something of his sense of loss must have shown on his face or been evident in his voice because Tony immediately apologized. "I'm sorry, Boss," Tony fidgeted, his right hand playing nervously with is fork. "I shouldn't have asked that. It's private and none of my business. I wasn't thinking. Didn't mean to dredge up painf--"
"It's okay." Gibbs caught Tony's wrist, his fingers circling the joint more easily than he expected. It was easy to lose sight of the fact Tony had a more refined, gracile bone structure than his height would readily indicate.
Gibbs forced himself to ignore the way Tony flinched at the initial contact, leaving his hand where it was. "For the first time in a long time?I really don't mind talking about them."
Tony shook his head, gaze firmly on his plate. "You don't have to say that to make me feel better about being inconsiderate. I had no right to ask you--"
"When have you ever known me to say anything just to make someone feel better?" Gibbs cut him off. He tightened his grip, forcing Tony to look up at him. "When, Tony?"
"First time for everything," Tony bit his lower lip, expression uncertain. He wasn't trying to pull away, but Gibbs could almost feel Tony distancing himself.
"This. Isn't. One. Of. Them." Gibbs carefully added emphasis, wanting Tony to believe him. It was his own damn fault for never talking about his past, for making it seem taboo unless he brought it up first. It said a lot about Tony that he dared to ask the question in the first place.
Gibbs gently squeezed Tony's wrist. "Tell you what...you ask anything I feel is out of bounds, I'll let you know. Okay?"
Gibbs kept his countenance open and encouraging as wary green eyes searched his face. Tony nodded slowly. "Okay."
"Good." Gibbs smiled. He lightly stroked Tony's arm before letting go, missing the contact almost immediately. If I do this right, I'll get to do a lot more than just head slaps and a pat on the shoulder, Gibbs told himself.
He sighed softly. "It's been fifteen years. I'm sure some therapist would say it was good for me to finally open up about things."
Both Tony's eyebrows rose. "You always said therapy was a crock."
"Mostly...it is." Gibbs shrugged one shoulder, taking a bite of his dinner. He savored the flavors for a moment. Mike really could cook.
"I don't want to spill my guts to a total stranger. Or have someone I've never met tell me it's okay to be pissed at the world." He grinned; like he actually needed someone's permission for that. "I'd rather talk to someone I trust...someone I like."
Tony blinked. A slow, delighted smile appearing as he grasped the compliment being given. "Thanks, Boss."
He could have down played the thanks, dismissed it as unnecessary, but that would have made the compliment seem insincere at best or meaningless at worst. So Gibbs opted for a simple, "You're welcome."
They focused on eating for a few minutes. Gibbs was glad the silence wasn't uncomfortable but it really didn't get him any closer to finding out what he wanted to know. He didn't want to bring up work. It would be too easy to get sidetracked. And talking about people from work posed the same problem. Simple conversation shouldn't be this damn difficult.
"Did you meet all of Mike's family when you met him?" Gibbs asked since talking about Mike and his family seemed to be a safe enough topic. It had already garnered him some valuable information, and it could provide more. "You sound pretty close to all of them." He offered as a way of explaining his curiosity.
"I met Momma C not too long after Mike. She sort of adopted me right then and there." Tony smiled, eyes warming as he obviously thought about that meeting. "College kept me busy so I didn't get down here very often. Senior year was when I finally met the rest of the family. Wasn't too long after I got the cast off my leg."
"Cast?" Gibbs' fork halted half-way to his mouth.
Tony sighed. "Busted up my leg in the last game of the year. Ended any hopes I had for a pro career."
Gibbs nodded. He knew that Tony's dreams for playing professionally had ended in college as the result of an injury, although he'd lost those details briefly to his coma along with everything else. Gibbs wondered if it made him a bad person to be glad Tony had broken his leg. Not that he wished the younger man any pain, but they likely have never met if Tony had been able to pursue a career as a pro athlete.
"I came to the cabin to try and figure out which back up dream I should pick when it came to what to do with the rest of my life."
"You had more than one?" Gibbs had only ever wanted to be one thing, a Marine. It had never occurred to him to have a back up plan or that he might ever need one.
"Sure...I mean, there were always things I'd thought about doing. Usual kid stuff. And some things I took a little more seriously as time went on." Tony shrugged, not really elaborating much as he toyed with a piece of garlic toast.
"Living as a rich playboy was off the list pretty early." The statement was made with a wry, self-deprecating humor. Gibbs got the impression Tony really didn't feel bad about losing out on that option, despite what he might have said to Kate.
"One of my frat brothers was going into business for himself at the time." Tony laughed softly. "I should have taken him up on his offer."
"Why?"
"He lives in Hawaii."
Gibbs snorted. "Hard to live off the scenery."
"Funny you should say that. Because that's exactly what he does." Tony smiled. "He has a charter boat. Takes tourists scuba diving. Doesn't have two nickels to rub together but he seems happy."
Did that mean Tony was unhappy by comparison? Gibbs hid a wince. He wasn't going to ask.
"My major didn't exactly lend itself to much of anything worthwhile." Tony shrugged. "Phys ed isn't exactly a brain trust, but I enjoyed myself."
A quality education geared ultimately toward a mainstream career clearly hadn't been Tony's main focus. But Gibbs knew better than to assume it meant Tony was stupid. He might not be a whiz kid at math, but Tony had aced every literature, art and history class he'd taken. And he'd taken more than his curriculum required; often choosing advanced classes for his electives. He'd also had a rather interesting emphasis on criminal law and sociology.
"Couldn't see myself as a high school coach. You know as well as any one, I'm not exactly good with kids."
Gibbs remembered several cases they worked where small children were involved. Tony hadn't handled them badly; it was more like he simply didn't know how to relate. "Kids just take practice. I wasn't good with them until I had my own."
"If having your own is a pre-requisite, I'm never going to be good at it."
"You don't want kids?"
There was a flash of something in Tony's eyes Gibbs couldn't quite read. The younger man cleared his throat. "Have it on good authority I'm not father material, Boss."
"Who the hell told--"
"Remember that deal we made earlier?" Tony interrupted, eyes shuddered, giving away nothing. "How about we make it go both ways?"
Gibbs took a slow breath. He nodded. "Okay." As much as he didn't like agreeing to back off, he couldn't expect Tony to show him that consideration if he wasn't willing to do the same. "So you came here after you got the cast off your leg to consider some other career options and Mike introduced you to the rest of his family."
He knew he made the right choice in redirecting the conversation when Tony rewarded him with a bright smile. "Really didn't have to introduce me. Sammy is a huge fan of college sports."
"That's the one who makes the maple syrup?"
"That's the one."
"This would be so much easier with pictures." Gibbs wanted to be able to match faces to names.
Tony laughed. He pushed his chair back, wiping his hands on a napkin. "Pictures I can do. Sit tight for a second."
Gibbs continued eating, listening for Tony as the younger man made his way into what Gibbs assumed was the living room. There was no hesitation in his movements, so Tony clearly knew the rest of the house as well as he knew the kitchen.
Tony returned a moment later, grinning. "Mike is no better at organizing his photos than I am. If it's not case related, I don't label anything. But Sammy, now, he organizes photos. One of these days I gotta get him to put together an album for me like he did for Mike."
Tony shifted a few things on the table before setting down a non-descript photo album. He opened it and pointed to a photo before taking his seat. The photo showed Tony with four other men. The picture was labeled Memorial Day, 2001.
It was clear the men surrounding Tony were related. They all sported the same lanky build, suggesting more wiry strength than brute force. They all had similar facial features as well. Although they were all blond, the shade ranged from a dark honey color to nearly platinum. Tony was the only brunette in the shot.
Tony pointed Mike. He was standing to the far right. "Mike, you know." He smiled. "He only started going gray recently."
Tony pointed the man next to him whose ash blond hair was cut nearly as short as Gibbs' own. His arm was over Tony's shoulder, pulling him into a casual half hug. "That's Sammy."
"Looks military." <
"He is. Former SEAL. Mustered out with a medical discharge a few months after this shot was taken."<
Gibbs frowned, looking up from the photo. "What happened?"
"Don't know." Tony shrugged. "Sammy says it's still classified. He got a hell of a kick out of me signing up for NCIS about the time he quit the Navy."
Tony looked younger, more carefree, and very happy in the photo. He pointed to the man on his left who was openly laughing. "That's Zeke. And the baby is Gabe, on the end."
Gibbs stared at Zeke. He didn't look any more ?gay' than Tony or Gibbs himself. He looked normal, for lack of a better descriptor and as happy as the rest of them.
Gibbs lightly fingered the corner of the page. "May I look at the rest?"
"Sure." Tony smiled.
Gibbs flipped the page, curious to see what more he might learn about these men who clearly played such a large roll in Tony's life. It was oddly heartwarming and distressing at the same time to have visual proof that Tony had a surrogate family other than his NCIS team. Gibbs couldn't help thinking of them as competition, even as he was relieved to know Tony had other people in his life who looked out for him.
There were a lot of pictures of them with and without Tony. Each one was neatly labeled with names, dates and locations. Gibbs stopped on a photo of Sammy grinning at the camera, hugging a stunningly lovely woman. She reminded Gibbs of a model?the one with a beauty mark on her upper lip that used to do diet coke commercials, Cindy something. The label for the picture indicated it was Sammy and Dan, July 2002.
"Dan?" Gibbs looked up.
"Short for Danielle." Tony chuckled. "She says no one ever uses her full name...not even Momma C."
Tony pointed to another photo. This one was of Gabe with a redhead who was more striking than truly beautiful. "That's Carol."
"The one you said he's been dating for five years?"
"Yeah." Tony rolled his eyes. "Hell, they've already been together longer than most couples stay married." He pulled his plate closer and resumed eating.
Gibbs flipped several more pages, stopping when a picture surprised him. It was Tony with another man, but not one of the brothers. They were focused on each other rather than grinning at the photographer, profiles presented to the camera, foreheads rested against each other. Gibbs doubted they were even aware the photo was being taken.
The label named Tony and the other man as Caleb, dating it 1996. For being ten years younger, Tony didn't look much different to Gibbs. He was still devastatingly handsome, all the more so now to Gibbs for the character and experience the last few years had given him.
Character and experience were evident in Caleb's face. He was definitely older than Tony. He was beginning to gray at the temples, and crow's feet around his eyes were proof he had a few years on Tony. Probably not more than five by Gibbs estimation, which would make him in his late twenties or early thirties at the time the photo was taken.
"Who is this?"
Tony looked up from his plate, eyed the photo and froze. He paled so rapidly, Gibbs immediately reached out to him, concerned. "Tony, you okay?"
"Forgot that was in there." Tony whispered. His hand shook as he reached out to touch the photo, tips of his fingers barely brushing against Caleb's cheek.
"Who is he?" Gibbs asked softly.
"Please--"
"Who. Is. He." Gibbs insisted, jealousy rising up, determined to find out why this photo caused such an extreme reaction. He wanted to know who this Caleb was to Tony. Who was he that he could make Tony look at him the way he did in the photo?like no one else in the world mattered?
Tony's jaw tightened. He took a deep breath and looked away, his set expression letting Gibbs know he wasn't going to answer willingly.
"Tony, I want an answer." His tone made it clear he wouldn't let this go. Gibbs needed to know. Was this Caleb still around? Was he competition? Had he hurt Tony in some way to warrant this sort of reaction?
"You are such a bastard." Tony hissed, green eyes like ice as they met blue.
The look alone was enough to make Gibbs rethink his stance. Before he could take it back or apologize, Tony was spoke again.
"The right question would be who WAS Caleb." Tony closed his eyes, swallowing hard, his voice flat and monotonic. "He's dead. Was attacked by three men and killed in Peoria. Victim of a hate crime."
Tony opened his eyes, pinning Gibbs with another icy look. "We dated for four months."
For someone who seemed to date a new woman every week, four months was a lifetime. Gibbs realized he'd made a huge mistake by pushing this. He wouldn't have tolerated demands from Tony about Shannon; he shouldn't have expect Tony quietly accept his insistence for him to talk about someone who clearly meant as much to him as Shannon and Kelly had to Gibbs.
"Four months is barely long enough to even get to know someone, but I felt like I knew him forever. It was long enough to be careless and stupid. Long enough to think maybe we were being paranoid. Maybe no one noticed or even gave a damn that we were dating." His was expression a mixture of guilt, anger and pain. "Nothing like finding out how wrong we were the hard way."
Tony sneered at Gibbs. "The way the force in Peoria handled his murder convinced me that I was damn lucky they never knew I swing both ways or about me and him. It also made me damn glad the miserable fuckers who killed him were stupid to leave more than enough evidence even the homophobic pricks on the force couldn't fuck up finding them. Didn't exactly bother me much when I found out one of them got killed in prison before he even made it to trial."
Tony shuddered, eyes overly bright. "Couldn't prove it, but I know his father was involved. Caleb had come out to him the week before. And he was not exactly warm and fuzzy about it. Doubt he expected them to kill Caleb?.Probably just wanted them to beat some sense into him, but then having met the son of a bitch, he might have paid for Caleb's murder rather than have a gay son." Tony's fists clenched, knuckles bleaching white. "Guess I should consider myself lucky my old man hasn't given a shit about me since I was twelve years old."
He pushed away from the table, his chair scraping angrily across the hardwood floor. "I got the hell out of dodge as soon as possible and learned to be real damn careful." He slammed the photo album shut hard enough to rattle the dishes. "Or at least I thought I'd learned my lesson."
He leaned in, his face only inches from Gibbs. "You happy now?"
"Tony--"
Tony stood up stiffly, nearly at attention, not giving Gibbs a chance to say any more than his name. "If you're finished, I can rent you a car and get you back to D.C. in a few hours." Green eyes focused on the far wall. "I'll e-mail my resignation to you."
"I don't want to go back to D.C. And I sure as hell don't want your resignation." Gibbs declared firmly. He had to salvage this, make it right, explain himself.
"Sit down, please," Gibbs softened his tone, making it clear he was requesting compliance, not ordering it. Tony looked at him, wary and uncertain. His eyes no longer flashed with anger, but the pain remained.
"Please," Gibbs repeated, nodding to the chair Tony had recently vacated. He took it as a good sign that Tony sat, even though he didn't pull the chair back up to the table.
"I. Am. Not. A. Bigot." Gibbs annunciated slowly and carefully, making eye contact and holding it. "We've already covered that. And NCIS definitely isn't Peoria. You are a damn good agent---"
"But you don't want me on your team any more, I get it."
"Shut up, DiNozzo." Gibbs snapped out, glaring at the younger man. "Do not put words in my mouth."
He sat forward, narrowing the gap between them. "I have trusted you with my life. I've trusted you to lead my team. Who you sleep with doesn't change that. Nor will it. Do you understand?"
When Tony didn't immediately answer, Gibbs repeated the question. "Do you understand, DiNozzo?"
"Got it, Boss."
"Good." Gibbs sat back. "You are not going to send me a resignation. I wouldn't accept it if you did. Are we clear?"
Tony smiled hesitantly. "Crystal."
"Good."
They were both breathing a little easier. Letting Tony know he wouldn't be fired for being bisexual and was always welcome on the team was a hell of a lot easier than apologizing for an emotional trespass. But it needed to be done just the same.
Gibbs took a deep breath. "I should not have pushed. We agreed to respect each other's boundaries, and I broke that agreement."
"Yeah, you did."
Gibbs couldn't help but give Tony points for keeping is tone even, not accusatory or hostile. It was clear though that Tony was not backing down or willing to dismiss Gibbs' inappropriate interrogation just yet. Nor should he, Gibbs thought. If Tony had overstepped a line Gibbs drew, he wouldn't have let it go easily either. A simple apology wouldn't cut it.
"You want to explain that to me?" Tony's question was not a request. "You weren't that pushy about things when I was being framed for murder."
He struggled with how to explain himself. He cursed silently wishing he was better with words. Tony waited, displaying more patience than Gibbs expected.
Finally Gibbs said, "You looked happy in that photo."
Tony arched an eyebrow. "I was."
"Your reaction to it...was at odds with the way you looked in it." Gibbs cleared his throat. "I wanted to know who he was. Needed to know why he caused such an extreme response."
Tony's eyes narrowed. "Why did you need to know?"
Gibbs should have known Tony wouldn't let him get away with a half truth. He was too good an investigator not to keep asking questions until he got the right answers. Tony wasn't as angry as he had been, but he was definitely still pissed.
Gibbs took a breath. Suck it up, Marine, he told himself. Stop wasting time and do it.
"I was jealous."
"Jealous?" Tony frowned. "I don't--"
"You were looking at him like no one else on the planet mattered. And he was looking at you the same way." Gibbs squared his shoulders. "No one has looked at me like that...or shared my feelings that way since Shannon died."
Tony blinked. The empathetic look he gave Gibbs spoke volumes. "Caleb and I never really got the chance to have the sort of relationship you had with Shannon. Weren't even close to making that level of commitment." Tony didn't say so but it was clear they probably would have if they'd had the chance.
"And for that I'm sorry."
Gibbs was genuinely sorry. Losing Shannon and Kelly had hurt like hell, but he was very grateful for the years of his life he'd had them. He would never have wanted to miss that. And he hurt for Tony to have lost someone clearly as important to him after having only a few months. That they could have been to one another what Gibbs and Shannon were to each other but weren't afforded the opportunity was a tragedy in its own right.
His sincerity must have come through loud and clear because Tony offered a quiet, "Thank you."
Gibbs dipped his head. He took a breath, forcing himself continue. Full disclosure was necessary and he didn't think he'd get a better opportunity to take the plunge.
"I wasn't just jealous because it reminded me of something I lost." Gibbs raised his chin, meeting Tony's gaze resolutely. "I was jealous because it's also something I've never had."
"I don't--"
"You aren't the only one who swings both ways."
"You?" Tony stared at him. "But you've been married four?"
"Yeah." Gibbs nodded. "Shannon was the love of my life. The other three were just substitutes. Pale imitations at best." He shrugged, finding it easier to admit that than he expected. "But they weren't the only people I've ever been interested in."
"Wow," Tony breathed out in a stunned whisper, all trace of anger and pain lost to amazement. "If I'd known coming here would result in these kinds of revelations, I'd have invited you here a lot sooner."
"Don't know if I'd have been ready to come here any sooner." Gibbs smiled wryly. Hell, he still wasn't sure he was ready. But he was making progress.
"Damn near dying has that effect."
"Ya think?" Gibbs couldn't resist offering his usual bit of sarcasm.
Tony rolled his eyes, smiling. He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Starting to feel a bit like I stepped through the looking glass, Boss."
"Tell me about it." Gibbs chuckled. "Kind of how I felt when I woke up in the hospital. Everything is the same and nothing is."
"Amen." Tony gave him a speculative look. "You said you were interested in men...you ever act on it?"
Gibbs clamped down on the hope that simple question engendered. Just because Tony was curious about his sex life didn't necessarily mean he wanted to sleep with Gibbs. It was certainly nice to know he wasn't turned off by the idea of asking.
"Few times before Shannon. Little bit after she was gone, but not a lot." Gibbs candidly admitted. "Was never quite brave enough to risk more than a one night stand." He hadn't exactly picked men he intended to form any sort of lasting bond with. So far Tony was the only one he'd ever met who made staying silent seem like a bigger risk. Before he could move on admitting that, Tony was giving him another empathetic look and asking another question.
"Guessing you didn't have anyone like Mike and his family to make things easier, yeah?"
"I think most of the modern derogatory names for gays and lesbians originated during my childhood, if that tells you anything. And I grew up in the South." Not that the bible belt was necessarily any less tolerant than anywhere else in the US, but it certainly wasn't well known for being open minded with regard to sexual orientation.
"Impressed you didn't end up homophobic."
"Never cared for hypocrisy." Gibbs stated baldly. "My own especially."
"Nicely explains why you don't care so much about who I sleep with."
Oh I care, Tony, Gibbs thought. He cared a lot. He wanted to be the one Tony slept with. No one else. Gibbs opened his mouth to say just that but Tony held up a hand, halting him.
"I think?I think we've exchanged all the secrets I can handle for one night."
Gibbs fought down the urge to growl and insist on pushing forward. He wasn't in this alone and he'd already pushed his luck pretty damn hard tonight, leaping over the line they'd agreed on. He needed to make sure Tony hadn't lost all trust in Gibbs' willingness to honor their accord. Only way to do that was to respect his wishes?.for now.
Gibbs took a breath, releasing it slowly. "Lot to take in, isn't it?"
"Ya think?" Tony laughed faintly. "I've found out more about you in the last 24 hours than I think I knew in the last four years."
"You know me, Tony," Gibbs stated calmly, letting his conviction carry easily, "better than anyone else."
"Even if I don't know all your secrets?"
"You know more than most," Gibbs noted. "And I don't know all yours either."
"Point." Tony smile wryly. "We really are on our way to being friends."
He sound almost dumbfounded by the realization. It was a much more honest and open reaction than what Tony had given Gibbs earlier when he'd declared them friends. "Yes, we are, DiNozzo."
"My friends," Tony added emphasis to the word, "call me Tony, Gibbs."
"My friends call me, Jethro."
Tony grinned, eyes shining with delight. "Jethro."
Gibbs tried not to shiver at hearing Tony use his first name. He tried to imprint the sound of the first time the younger man said it indelibly on his memory. He never, ever wanted to forget this. Hopefully it wouldn't be the last Tony used his name.
"Let's finish up with dinner, grab a shower and call it a day." Tony's grin faded, leaving him looking tired and worn. "Don't know about you but it's been a long one."
"But a good one."
"Yeah." Tony smiled warmly, nodding. "A very good one."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs finds out more about Tony. Tony learns a bit about Gibbs too.
Chapter End Notes:
Spoilers...lots and lots.