Chapter 8: Elemental spirits
Following the Halliwells up towards the attic of the old Victorian house, Gibbs found himself once more entrusted with the care of Wyatt. When Piper settled the young boy into his arms after a questioning look at the silver-haired agent, Wyatt made no move to retreat. Instead he pleased Gibbs unmeasurably by snuggling trustingly against him, tucking his small fair head against the silver-haired man's chest in a comfortable position. Then Wyatt proceeded to watch with curious blue eyes what his family did.
Enfolding the young boy in his arms to steady and protect the little one, Gibbs followed Wyatt's example. His curiousity even exceeded Wyatt's because magic was something he had never before contemplated to be real. It would need a bit of time to come to terms with that.
But Gibbs knew he would have to accept the concept and reality of magic. Because if he wouldn't, he would loose Tony, sooner or later. And that was not acceptable. Tony was such an integral part of his life, that Gibbs wasn't sure what he would do without the younger man. Seeing Tony every day, talking and bantering with him brightened the older agent's day. Getting those warm, easy smiles, seeing the look of startled delight in Tony's green eyes when he received rare praise after a job well-done, the steady presence at his back inmidst any dangerous situation…all those things were only tidbits of what made Tony precious and irreplacable for Gibbs.
Hence if magic was another puzzle piece of Tony's complex personality, then Gibbs would take pleasure investigating how it fit into the whole of the younger man's character. What it represented in Tony's life. If his emotional tale about Lucas DiNozzo earlier was any indication, his magical abilities had given Tony much joy in his childhood days because it garnered him the attention of his beloved grandfather.
The slightly imperious voice of Penelope Halliwell interrupted Gibbs' mental musings and he focused his sharp gaze on the elderly woman. It had been quite a surprise to come to know a real ghost, who was the deceased grandmother of Tony's cousins. This lady wasn't one to mess with, Gibbs had soon realized, even if she seemed to like Tony very much. He could now emphasize that Piper, Phoebe and Tony hadn't looked forward to any lecture of Penelope in their childhood.
Penny now clapped her hands to gain the attention of her granddaughters. She had searched the Book of Shadows for the correct spells to unseal Tony's magic and now wanted to tell Phoebe, Piper and Paige the specifics of the spells she had used twenty years ago.
Whilst Penny had been looking through the book, Paige had drawn a protective circle on the floor. Piper helped her sister setting the white candles in regular intervals, taking turns with crystals. Usually they only used the crystals to capture demons or other dark creatures, but Penny had told them that they had to be used to hold back Tony's emerging powers after the seal on them had been broken. They had no chance to measure the amount of control the young man would have over his newly-freed magic – better safe than sorry.
Tony had heartily agreed that they should take every precaution they could think of. He really didn't want to hurt his family or friends. He was reasonably sure that he could control his magic, but like Penny had said twenty years were a very long time. More than half of his life he hadn't used his powers, so there was the real possibility they might run amok. The crystals would ensure that his magic wouldn't find an unsuspecting victim.
Phoebe's familiar presence next to him caused Tony to look up. The young man had tried to prepare himself for the unsealing by clearing his mind from everything not related to the following ritual. Now he tried not to fidget and ignore the nervous flutter in his gut. But Phoebe felt his slight uneasiness and calmed her cousin with an unexpected action - she simply hugged him warmly. Breathing in the soothing fragrance of Phoebe's hair, Tony felt his nervousness settle and his composure rebuild.
"Love you", he whispered into Phoebe's ear. The young woman simply smiled warmly, her eyes repeating Tony's words.
After a long last look towards the place where his teammates were clustered on a small couch and several chairs, watching quietly, Tony went over to the circle of candles and crystals. He stepped into the circle and lowered himself to the floor, watching when Piper lit the candles. She gifted him with a calm smile, then added the last crystal which closed the magical barrier.
"Are you ready, Anthony?", Penelope questioned, checking the arrangement of candles and crystals with a practised eye. Tony took a deep breath, manfully resisting the sudden urge to look at Gibbs for moral support. He didn't need to lock gazes with the silver-haired man, because he could sense the strong, steady presence of his friend like an almost physical touch.
The knowledge that Gibbs would be there through whatever would happen now – and in the next days – gave Tony the strength to calmly nod at Penny. His head held high and green eyes with a glitter of golden sparks in them centered on his three cousins, Tony was the picture of composed expectation.
"Then with my blessings you may begin the ritual", Penny intoned formally.
Piper, Phoebe and Paige exchanged a look, then a determined nod. Each of them positioned herself at one point of the circle, creating a perfect triangle. Piper who had come to stand directly in front of Tony, smiled in amusement when she saw the expression in Tony's eyes when she nonverbally asked a last time for his permission. They seemed to say: ‘Get on with it already.'
Following Tony's silent demand, Piper carefully began to recite the first part of the spell her grandmother had years ago used to seal her cousin's magic. Phoebe followed with the second part, the reciting finished with Paige's part of the spell. The candles began to glow brighter, emitting a warm golden light. The crystals hummed faintly with a soft breeze setting in.
When the three sister's chanted the second spell, which would prepare Tony for the effect of the third and last one – the actual spell of unsealing –, little spheres of light began to rise from the candles, swirling around each other and slowly weaving the outlines of a foreign symbol above Tony's head. The crystals' humming grew louder, musical and soothing.
After a seconds' hesitation and watching the reaction to the first two spells, Piper gave Phoebe and Paige another determined nod. There was no more turning back now. After reciting the unsealing spell in unison, the sisters stepped back a pace and then waited.
The rising of the spheres of light had doubled in intensity, each sphere adding a sparkling point in the forming of the ancient symbol above Tony's head. When the symbol was finally completed, it resembled greatly a mixture of those foreign-looking signs Kate had seen on Tony's amulet. It was the symbol of the combined magic and life of Dendeyra, entrusted in the care of it's Guardian.
A silver light washed down from the symbol like a sparkling curtain over Tony's form, who had in the meantime closed his eyes and seemed totally entranced by the soothing music the crystals still emitted. The silvery glowing symbol slowly descended, permeating Tony's body and giving him an otherwordly appearance, when the spheres of light began to vanish one by one into the young man. When the last sphere had disappeared, the faint music of the crystals died away with a soft note. For a long moment nothing happened.
Then suddenly Tony moved and opened his eyes. At first he seemed far away, but then he blinked and his gaze focused on the faces of Piper, Phoebe and Paige. Smiling reassuredly at the three sisters, Tony couldn't help a small chuckle at Paige's sarcastic, a bit disappointed exclamation. "Well, that was fun. How anticlimatic."
Phoebe grinned with a touch of relief, that everything had gone ok. "Nice lightshow, Tony."
Piper smiled faintly, but seemed still concerned. Turning towards her grandmother, she asked her: "Gran, are you sure the spells broke your seal? I'll have to agree with Paige…that was…anticlimatic. I expected a bit...well, more."
Penny shook her head. "The spells worked fine, Piper. What I didn't take into account is Anthony's amount of mental control." Stepping nearer when her words gained her curious looks from Tony and his cousins, she explained: "You were trained exceptionally well by Lucas, Anthony."
Cocking her head and assessing the young man with a probing look, Penny finally smiled with a touch of admiration in her grey eyes. "Interesting. You internalized Lucas' teachings in such depth, that you managed to put your own mental blocks on your magic, Anthony. You may not have done it consciously, but nonetheless very effectivly. You must remove the blocks to complete the unsealing."
Tony blinked at Penny, amazed at her words. "I blocked my magic on my own?", he exclaimed. "But how…", the young man trailed off, when a thought came to his mind. He remembered how his grandfather had taught him how to block several of his powers by concentrating hard on only one. As a child tapping into more than one ability at the same time had been difficult for Tony and caused him to tire easily. More than once he had been very grateful for his grandfather's healing touch, when his efforts to master a task had gained him only frustration and a massive case of headache.
After an especially trying exercise which left Tony sad about his seeming inability in using his magic for more difficult tasks, Lucas had explained to him the need to balance his powers. First he had to know what he wanted to accomplish and which abilities he needed to reach his goal. Then he had to concentrate on those powers and block the rest. This way he preserved mental and magical energy by channeling his powers.
It had been an eye-opening experience, when Tony first managed to block some of his powers and by that enhanced another to fullfill a difficult task Lucas presented him with. Using his magic in this way had been so much easier and prevented him from the hated headaches. After that day he had practiced until he could block and unblock his magic almost in his sleep.
But Penny's words made Tony realize, that his subconscious still held his magic in check because his mind hadn't really given the command to free it. Shaking his head and smiling, that his grandfather's lessons were still prominent in his mind after all this time, Tony closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he delved into his subconscious and pictured the blocks on his magic.
After a couple of minutes he could see them clearly in his mind's eye and started to make them disappear. Tony didn't know it, but when he unblocked his magic bit by bit, a white glow began to surround his body. The glow separated into several rings, which gained color one after the other. The first ring changed into a deep, dark red, the second into crimson-gold. Forest-green, turquoise and ice-blue were next.
Each ring pulsated with power, filling the onlookers with surprised awe at the amount of strength demonstrated. Tony's teammates had no idea what their fellow agent was doing exactly, but Leo and the Charmed Ones realized that Penny had been right about the maturing of Tony's magic.
The air fairly crackled with magical strength, intensifying with each ring around Tony's body which gained color. But they also recognized the strain Tony's face showed after some minutes. The unblocking of his magic cost him much mental strength to reign them in. Tony's breathing had quickened and his hands clenched on the floor in his attempt to stay in control. The young man knew that he had to unblock every magical power he had right now after his cousin's unsealing spell for him to be able to use them later. But it was hard, harder than he had expected.
His magic had developed in such an extent, that Tony wasn't sure how to control it properly all at once. When only two rings still remained in the previous white glow, everyone could see his fight for control, the already colored rings having begun to fluctuate erratically and visibly straining against their bounds.
Piper and Paige exchanged worried looks with their grandmother, whilst Phoebe kneeled in front of Tony, carefully mantaining her distance from the protective circle. She wanted to sooth the lines of tension around her beloved cousin's eyes and mouth, but didn't dare interrupt him. That's why she concentrated on emanating silent support, hoping that Tony could feel her presence near him.
Mentally urging him on, Phoebe silently cheered when the next ring changed to a bright azure. Only one ring remained glowing white, but Tony's control had almost reached it's limit either. He shook with repeated trembles, his face a tense mask of determination.
Struggling against the force of the powerful magic trying to be released, Tony hesitated for a moment to unblock the last ability. He feared that he wouldn't be able to hold them all in check, their combined strength more than difficult to handle without proper training. But then Tony mobilized his last shreds of determination to strengthen his mental walls and slowly let the last block disappear. He felt the released magic flowing through his body in an exhilerating rush, entwining with the other powers and battering away against his control. Testing it to it's very limit.
Outside of Tony's mind, the last ring of white changed to a silvery-grey. Eight rings of different colors now surrounded him, each exuding magical strength. They seemed to align their pulsation, like a steady heartbeat. Then the first ring shrank in size until it was slowly sucked into Tony's trembling body. Ring after ring disappeared in this way, which the Charmed Ones realized had to be costing their cousin his last shred of will and strength. They were right in their assumption.
Painstakingly Tony reblocked every magical power, before he collapsed in breathless exhaustion. His mind felt numb and leached of conscious thought, his body weak as if he had run a marathon. The young man barely felt gentle hands carding soothingly through his hair or heard the worried voices asking for his well-being. He was too busy deciding if he wanted to sleep until his pounding headache went away or trying to find enough energy left in his body to open his eyes.
Then warmth enclosed his mind for a second time that day and Tony sighed in gratitude, slowly blinking his eyes open. Leo's healing ability came in handy in times like this and Tony welcomed the easing of his tension-induced headache with a small smile directed at his friend.
"We have to stop meeting like this", Leo murmered, intent on lightening the worried mood. "People will talk."
Leo had quickly moved to Tony's side, when the young man collapsed after successfully reblocking his magical abilities. When he arrived next to the young man after several long strides, Phoebe had already broken the magical circle by carelessly pushing one of the crystals away in her intent on reaching Tony as soon as possible, followed by both of her sisters. Phoebe had tried to ease Tony's trembles by caressing his hair and whispering sooting nonsense, but hadn't gotten a reaction until Leo used his healing energy.
Now she allowed a small smile to grace her lips, when a short laugh escaped Tony in response to Leo's innuendo. "Let them talk", Tony quipped, sighing when he felt his strength coming back to him. "Well, damn", Tony then muttered to himself. "Ow. And I repeat OW."
"Very well done, Anthony", Penny remarked with a sympathetic smile. "You have remarkable control…my congratulations."
Tony grimaced slightly, then straightened up from Phoebe's gentle hold into a sitting position and shook his head with a troubled expression. "Thank you, Grandma. But I am not sure the praise is deserved. I held control only by a hairbreadth…a second longer and I might have unwillingly redecorated the attic. I never thought my magic would someday be so strong."
"You did well, Tony, better than we did when we gained our magic", Piper told him, kneeling next to the young man. "The experiences you made as a cop and an agent strengthened your mental shields…not only your magic matured during the last twenty years. But on a happier note, I think you would like to free something else besides your magic…or should I say someone else?"
The brown-haired witch pointed at the silver amulet which had escaped from its hiding place under the emerald shirt Tony wore and now hung in plain sight. The ancient amulet shone in the dim light and seemed almost alive with a kind of foreign energy.
Looking at what Piper was pointing at, Tony's eyes lit up with obvious delight when he realized that his cousin made him aware of the fact that he was now able to call for his childhood companions without the danger of them ‘redecorating' like Leyra had unwillingly done in his apartement.
Anticipatory joy spread over his face and found an echo in Phoebe's eyes, when the young woman realized Piper's intent as well. "Oh, that would be so cool", Phoebe breathed in delighted awe. "I missed them a lot…we sure had much fun with them whenever you visited us, Tony."
"And caused lots and lots of trouble", Penny's voice made herself known again. But her grey eyes twinkled with amusement at the almost childish delight Piper, Phoebe and Tony expressed in their anticipation of meeting Tony's protectors and friends again. "Just do it already, Anthony", Penny exclaimed with a shaking of her head, when the three cousins pouted at her.
Paige, who hadn't met Rethron, Leyra and the other spirits until know, blinked in confusion. The mystified expression was mirrored by Tony's teammates and to a lesser degree by Leo. But they chose to remain silent and simply watch the proceedings.
"Are you certain that you are strong enough to use your magic?", Piper questioned her cousin. Tony smiled warmly at her concern, but replied: "I am fine, Piper. The unblocking wasn't what I would describe as fun, but now that I have a measure of the strength of my powers I can hold them in check without too much trouble. And what I want to do now is a simple calling… nothing overly strenous on my mental control. But you should step back a bit, just as a precaution."
Piper nodded and straightened with a happy gleam in her normally calm brown eyes. Penny and Paige had already made space around Tony, standing next to Leo. Phoebe was the last to leave her cousin. She almost bounced in delight, belaying her years.
Tony chuckled at her antics and gently prodded her to stand up. "Go, Phee! The earlier you give me the needed space to do this, the sooner you can play with Aethos." For a moment Phoebe pouted adorably at his laughing admonishment, then she grinned and kissed him on the cheek.
With a smile Tony watched her join his family, then took the silver amulet off and cradled it with gentle care in his hands.
#You guys ready to meet again in corporal form?#, the young man mentally questioned his childhood companions. Enthusiastic responses made Tony's smile widen. It made him happy that they were as eager as he was to finally come eye to eye again after such a long time.
Laying the amulet in front of him onto the floor, Tony took a deep breath to center his mind. He pictured a symbol in his mind's eye, then pressed his hands against the wooden floor under him, concentrating on slowly releasing his magic.
Golden light started to flow from both of Tony's hands and ran over the attic floor in fiery lines, each drawing a square. Both quadrangles met several times, creating a perfect eight-pointed star, in whose center Tony sat. The young man nodded in satisfaction, then began his calling.
Spirit of fire and bearer of light,
rise from the ashes to guide me through the starless night.
Crimson flames surround me with your promise of power,
golden rays of sunshine add to that defensive tower.
Two parts of the symbols on the amulet began glowing, different colored mist rising from the silver surface. The mist parted in midair, each drifting to hover in one of the eight parts of the star. They filled up these parts with a fiery red and dark gold respectively.
Tony watched the success of his reciting of the ancient calling of the spirits with a satisfied look in his green eyes, which were speckled with gold since the unsealing of his magic. Then he continued.
Attempts to break me will be in vain,
cool healing touch eases each pain.
While Earth spirit's strength will help me stand,
water's embodiment shields me until the danger's end.
More mist colored several parts of the star, hovering with an expectant air.
Darkness receeds when ice shatters the barrier created by fright
while stormclouds gather to aid in this time of plight.
Hope soars on wings of endless might,
and arctic power reflects each ray of light.
Shadows hide me from the enemy at the end of the day,
lightning strikes to further lead them astray.
Twilight fades away in the light of morning sun,
rumbling thunder chases last shreds of darkness for fun.
When Tony stopped in his calling after the fourth verse, each part of the eight-pointed star was filled up by different-colored mist. Glittering sparkles in red, gold, green, blue and other hues of color swirled lazily around each other, slowly coming together to form small globes of light.
Tony waited until eight perfectly-shaped spheres hung in midair, then finished the calling.
Innocence was once cruelly swept away,
yet it still supports me each step of my way.
Awareness of pain and danger now darkens my step,
but I don't fail to remember love is another emotion in destiny's web.
Elemental spirits, you embodiments of nature's might:
come and help me do what's right.
Fire and air,
water and ice,
lightning and earth,
shadow and light
I call you to guide me in Dendeyra's fight.
Tony's words had a certain commanding air at the end of his reciting, but his eyes held a plea. He hoped that he remembered the ancient calling correctly and helped free his childhood companions.
He didn't need to worry. When he listed the different elements, the globes began emitting a bright light one after the other. The sheer brilliance of the multi-colored lights caused Tony's family and friends to shield their eyes. Hence they missed the moment, when the globes shifted into different shapes.
Gibbs had closed his eyes to mere slits and also shaded Wyatt's face against the stark emittance of light. Nonetheless he suffered bright spots dancing merrily on his retinas, causing him to blink repeatedly in faint annoyance. The silver-haired agent heard Kate curse under her breath next to him and smirked when he realized he wasn't the only one with a momentarily impaired eyesight.
But every other thought was forgotten the second Gibbs heard Tony's joyous exclamation of "Rethron!" Other names he hadn't heard before followed, but the silver-haired man didn't listen anymore. Instead he had to suppress the urge to pinch himself in amazement, when he focused his gaze once more on his second-in-command.
Tony was still sitting in the center of the eight-pointed star, the golden lines of the magical symbol slowly fading away. Only now the young man was surrounded by creatures made right out of fairytales and legends.
Right in front of Tony stood a lion of quite extraordinary proportions. Gibbs idly noted, that the predator would have reached up to his waist if he had been standing right now. But what made the creature different wasn't his height, it was his flaming mane. The mighty skull was surrounded by a crown of fiery light waving gently in a nonexistant breeze. The rest of the beast of prey's fur coat held the color of the last glowing embers of a fire. This lion was literally a creature made of fire.
Gibbs was entraced in such an extent by the fiery lion, that he didn't really took notice of the other creatures. The startled gasps from the rest of his teammates mirrored his own surprise at the happenings. It seemed as if the day still held many a shock for them.
And the next one wasn't long in the waiting. Gibbs felt his heart stop, when he saw Tony suddenly move forwards, throwing his arms without any hesitation around the mighty lion's neck. Fearing for his fellow agent's life by being burned by the fiery beast, Gibbs didn't realize he was up and moving until his way was intercepted by another beautiful creature.
His sense of self-protection warring with his deep need to protect Tony, Gibbs nonetheless stood his ground when the beast came nearer. It was an Arctic Wolf, his fur a blindingly iceblue-white. Where the lion's mane was aflame, the wolf's fur represented the opposite element by seemingly made out of ice crystals. The beast was almost as big as the lion, emitting a cool calmness.
Gibbs unwillingly stepped back a pace, when the wise blue eyes of the Arctic Wolf bored into his and he suddenly heard the creature's voice in his mind. #Rethron will do him no harm. None of us will ever do the young one harm. We love him. Look#, the wolf advised.
Warily looking down at the wolf, who had just spoken to him in his mind, Gibbs finally followed the advice and focused on Tony. At first he felt once more the need to snatch Tony away from the lion and shield the younger man with his own body, but when the wolf repeated calmly #Look at them, protective one# Gibbs slowly understood, that there hadn't been any danger for Tony.
On the contrary. Tony had burrowed his face into the fiery fur, petting the big lion lovingly like it was a small kitten. And the pleased rumble the beast emitted was a clear indicator that the young man's action was enjoyed. With a quiet sigh Gibbs relaxed somewhat and felt a bit ashamed of his reaction. Of course, Tony wouldn't call for anybody intent on doing him or his family harm.
When he felt a gentle prod on his leg, the silver-haired agent looked down. Into blue eyes the color of frozen ice – eyes mirroring his own. The wolf prodded him once more with a little more intensity and Gibbs reflexively kneeled down. He wasn't sure why but he felt comfortable in the presence of this beautiful animal.
Reaching out a hand, Gibbs hesitated before his fingers came into contact with the white fur. The wolf cocked his head at him and the silver-haired man got the impression, that the beast rolled his eyes in gentle exasperation at his hesitancy. With a slow, careful move Gibbs once more reached out and sank his fingers into the furry mass, expecting it to be cold because of the ice-crystals it seemed to be made of.
But the fur was silky soft and warm, caressing his fingers in return when Gibbs gently stroked through the mass of white. Gazing at the animal, which answered to his gentle motion with an appreciative growl, Gibbs smiled at the Arctic Wolf without hiding his admiration. The wolf's tongue suddenly lolled out in a canine smile and his mental voice sounded amused. #Thank you, protective one. I am Istyan, one of the Guardian's companions and protectors.#
"My name is Gibbs", the silver-haired man answered quietly, not sure the creature would understand him without him replying mentally.
#Do not fear, I understand the human language. And I know your name, young one.#
"Young one?", Gibbs questioned with a certain amount of amusement at the title. "And how did you know me?", he added curiously.
Once more Istyan showed him the canine version of a smile. #Compared to my friends and me you are quite young, Leroy Jethro Gibbs. In your way of measuring time I am several thousand years old, so your mere decades make you young. But don't confuse age with experience. You are young in years, but not in experience. And to answer your second question: I knew your name because of your relation to our Guardian. We always watch over him, even if the last time we communicated in such a direct way was many years ago. This day brings us much pleasure. We missed it dearly to talk with him, to be able to help and guide him if he needed advice.#
Gibbs needed a minute to assimilate everything Istyan had just told him. Then he sighed. "I would have liked to help Tony as well if he had a problem. But I'm not sure he knows that. I am not good with words", the silver-haired man finished honestly.
#Don't sell yourself short. You have done well by him. The young one holds you and your other friends very dear to his heart. He knows he can always rely on you in times of need…you showed that again by trying to accept his magic. That was a cause of much concern for him. How all of you would react to this part of him.#
Absentmindedly continuing to caress the white fur, Gibbs told Istyan with calm intensity: "I'll never abandon Tony. He is my friend and if he needs me I'll be there. He would do the same for me."
#I know. You are a honorable man and a good friend, Leroy Jethro Gibbs.#
"I try." Gibbs tried to sound unruffled by the unexpected praise, but he couldn't hide his reaction as well as he would have wanted to. Istyan lolled his tongue out at him, gently mocking his unusual attempt at modesty. "Oh, be quiet", Gibbs scolded the Arctic Wolf with fake sternness, his blue eyes sparkling with laughter.
"I can see that you are having fun", Tony's deep voice suddenly sounded not far away from Gibbs and Istyan. The young man had remained at a distance as to not intrude on the new-found friendship, but when Gibbs turned his head towards him with an expression of slight startlement, Tony couldn't help but smile warmly. It wasn't often that he could surprise the older man.
#Taking pleasure in the small things again, young one?#, Istyan's voice sounded in Tony's mind.
Smiling at the wolf, Tony answered in the same nonverbal way. #Always, my friend. That's something I learned from Grandpapà. And it's not often that Gibbs is taken unawares…by anybody. It's something to be proud of when you manage it. And I love the emotion in his eyes…they are even more beautiful and expressive this way.#
#You have it bad for this one, young friend#, Rethron butted in with his deep voice. #Very bad.#
Tony rolled his eyes at the firelion and blushed slightly. #Well, yeah. I can't help it. And I don't really want to.#
Rethron chuckled mentally. #Be at ease, young one. There's no need to defend your choice in a mate…he fits you well. You should show him your heart's emotions.#
Blushing an even deeper shade of red, because he could feel Gibbs' curious gaze on him due to his unusual reaction, Tony glared half-heartily at his fiery friend. #Would you stop this before I die of embarassment? I didn't know you planned on a career as matchmaker!#
#Well, his advice has the benefit of being justified.# Istyan once more joined their mental dialog. #The protective one cares for you. You hold him dear. So the next step has to be taken... tell him.#
Tony groaned and hid his burning face in Rethron's crimson fur to avoid Gibbs' still curious, but now also distinctly amused gaze. The older man didn't know what Tony and his two friends were talking about, but it seemed to make Tony uncharacteristically shy. It was endearing.
"Shoot me right now, please", Gibbs heard the young man mutter and decided to take pity on him. Laying a gentle hand on Tony's shoulder to gain his attention, the silver-haired man bit his lip in growing amusement, when his second-in-command burrowed his face deeper into the flaming red mane intead of lifting his head. "Tony?", Gibbs called softly.
For a moment Tony debated the possibility of using his magic to simply vanish. But firstly he wasn't sure if his control would be good enough to avoid rematerializing inside a wall or some part of the furniture. And secondly such an abrupt, unconventional departure would worry Gibbs. The older man had shown much adaptability during the last days, but Tony didn't want to shock him further without any real need.
Which only left the option of lifting his still burning head out of the safety of Rethron's mane and facing his friend. Spirits, hopefully Gibbs wouldn't ask for details, why his face resembled the color of a fire-extinguisher.
Lifting his head, but avoiding the intense blue-eyed gaze on him, Tony instead glowered at Istyan. The wolf's tongue lolled out, certainly resembling Rethron's expression of silent amusement. "Funny, guys", Tony growled. "Har, har, har."
"Tony?" Gibbs' voice again. Calm and steady like always, but Tony could literally feel the grin hidden in the timbre of the older man's voice. Another comedian. And all of it at his expense. Halleluja.
"Would you look at me?", a tiny thread of concern had entered the smooth baritone, still mainly superimposed by quiet amusement. But Tony didn't want Gibbs to worry about him. And he didn't want to look at the silver-haired man right now with the ‘advice' of his two friends so fresh in his mind. The young man was sure, that besides the obvious embarassment in his face Gibbs would have no problem seeing the deep longing and need in his eyes Rethron's and Istyan's suggestion of telling Gibbs about his feelings had conjured up in Tony. He wasn't certain he could handle the older man's reaction to that right now. Not in this situation, surrounded by their friends and his family. If he ever confessed his love to the older man, he wanted to do it in private.
Some deity seemed to take mercy on Tony and his warring emotions, because suddenly someone bounded towards them and stopped in front of Tony. "That is soooooo cool!", Abby's voice could be heard, breathless with excitement. "Tony, your friends are real cool. And beautiful. This one named Leyra even talked to me in my mind! But I'd like to get to know the others and Ducky said, it would be best if you introduced us to them. So come on."
Saved by Abby and Ducky. 'May the Spirits bless your existance', Tony thought with fervour.
Standing up and gladly focusing on Abby's excited face, Tony dredged up a smile. He hoped the young goth wouldn't remark on his blush. And for once his wish was granted. Abby cocked her head at him with dark curious eyes, but refrained from asking.
Instead she shot Gibbs, who was still kneeling next to Istyan, a contemplative look. The silver-haired agent gazed back with a calm expression and quirked an eyebrow. When Abby rolled her eyes, Gibbs had to hide a smirk. He realized that the young woman had picked up on the unusual tension crackling between Tony, his two friends and him. But she wouldn't ask. Yet.
When Abby started to drag Tony over towards the rest of the NCIS team, the young man hesitating only shortly to leave Gibbs alone without another word, the older agent stayed back for a minute. He was as curious as Abby about the rest of Tony's companions, but he wanted some time to think about what had just happened.
Tony's obvious embarassment about whatever Rethron and Istyan had said to him had at first been cute and amusing. But seeing the normally confident, composed young man suddenly reacting shy and uncertain around him had also tugged at Gibbs' heart. And he was sure, that the vulnerability Tony had expressed had been related to his presence. Which could mean different things.
But since Tony had never been afraid of him or backed down without a very good reason, that left only one other reason for the younger man's avoidance of looking him into the eyes and his overall shyness. Feeling his heartrate accelerating in rising hopes of getting what his heart and soul longed for, Gibbs smiled warmly at Tony's retreating back. Perhaps it was time to start letting Tony know that Gibbs' emotions for him ran deeper than friendship.
Story Notes:
please see chapter 1.
Author's Chapter Notes:
please see chapter 1.
Chapter End Notes:
please see chapter 1.