Gibbs closed the door with a tired sigh, securing the lock out of habit. He didn't always remember to lock his own door, but never failed to remember to secure Tony's. He smiled when he felt Tony's arms curl around him from behind, a soft kiss landing on the back of his neck.
"You okay?"
"Yeah." He entwined his fingers with Tony's, squeezing once. "Just been a real long day."
That really didn't need to be said. It wasn't like Tony hadn't been there with him for nearly every minute of it, but Gibbs felt better for just admitting to how tired the job made him. It was okay to be human with Tony. It was okay to let his guard down. It was okay to admit that the last hours without Tony around had been the worst.
Gibbs hated that they rarely left together on a Friday. They couldn't seem to work it out. There was always something--a last minute detail, a call from MTAC, the Director, the morgue, the lab?always something that sent them in opposite directions. It worked out well in the grand scheme of things since they'd never left together before becoming a couple and it was part of the 'normal routine', but Gibbs hated it just the same.
Tony' chin came to rest on Gibbs' shoulder as he hugged him a little tighter. "At least it's Friday."
That was enough to make Gibbs' grin. Friday. Assuming the phone didn't ring, he'd have three nights and two days with his lover. It was almost enough to make him turn off his cell phone and forget about the job. Almost. Only sixteen years of routine and dedication kept him from doing so. <
Tony unwrapped himself from around Gibbs. He stifled the desire to protest, not ready to lose that close contact yet. He turned when Tony tugged at his hand.
"C'mon." Tony smiled invitingly. "I kept dinner warm for you."
Gibbs belatedly realized that Tony must have showered when he got home. His hair was damp, left in the natural messy state that came with toweling it mostly dry. Gibbs fingers itched to play with it. And Tony wasn't wearing his wrinkled suit any more but a faded green t-shirt and worn jeans that fit snuggly in all the right places. Gibbs couldn't resist running his free hand over the nicely shaped ass, enjoying the way it fit into his hand, the way muscles flexed as Tony moved.
Tony gave him an amused look over his shoulder, eyes dropping in an over done bit of playful flirting. The refined southern accent he affected when he spoke sounded astonishingly natural. "Why, Mr. Gibbs, it is highly improper for you to be so forward before dinner."
Gibbs grinned. "What about after dinner?"
"After dinner, all bets are off." Tony waggled his eyebrows. He pointed to Gibbs' usual chair. "Sit."
He wondered how sappy it made him to be pleased that he had a ?usual chair' at Tony's table. When he saw Tony had gotten steak for him, done just the way he liked it, and had a chilled beer to go with it, he couldn't help saying, "I love you."
"Yeah," Tony grinned, "I know."
Tony's pendant shifted slightly as he sat, the gold coin sliding easily against smooth cotton. Gibbs smiled, pleased to see his gift worn openly instead of hidden.
He'd protested when Tony had gotten a braided leather chord for it to hang from instead of letting Gibbs replace the broken necklace with another gold chain. His objections vanished when Tony told him the leather would be more durable when it came to every day wear, especially given the rough and tumble days they frequently had. Knowing Tony wanted to wear his gift all the time, even if most people never saw it, had kept him from arguing any more about it.
He clenched his jaw tightly against the thought of how so much more could have been lost than just a bit of gold. He let Jen know in no uncertain terms that from now on his team didn't go to the field unless he was there to go with them. This wasn't the first time they'd found out just how dangerous a crime scene could be. But it would damn sure be the last time any of his team would be in jeopardy without Gibbs even knowing about it until after the fact.
He forced himself to take a slow, deep breath and relax before Tony noticed he was upset. His lover had brushed off the incident as no harm done, and Gibbs promised himself he wasn't going to bring it up again. To harp on it would imply that he didn't trust Tony to handle himself in the field, and he knew better than to insult the younger man's ability that way.
Gibbs would, however, be doing his utmost to ensure Tony was never anywhere without adequate back up...ever. Tony was very capable; one of the best field agents Gibbs had ever worked with, but everyone needed back up. No one on his team would ever be out of the office solo if Gibbs could help it.
Gibbs silently reminded himself Tony was okay. A bruise or two, nothing that even required seeing Ducky for. Gibbs promised to light a candle the next chance he got. He didn't know if God would appreciate the gesture or not, but he felt he owed the Almighty that much.
He might even light one for Palmer while he was at it. The Assistant ME was tougher than Gibbs had given him credit for. According to Tony, Palmer was shaken but had handled himself rather well. He might not have done much to help capture the knife wielding lunatic but he hadn't completely caved and ran either. That was something to be proud of given how little training Palmer had gotten when it came to dealing being physically threatened.
Palmer had been able to help Tony find the coin when it had gotten lost in a scuffle with their suspect. Knowing how important the gift was to Tony, Gibbs was pleased Palmer had been able to help insure it hadn't been lost forever. He considered thanking the man for his help but knew Palmer was too afraid of him to really accept any gratitude. And he'd be certain to wonder why Gibbs would bother to offer it. That would require an explanation Gibbs had no intention of giving.
The former Marine wasn't overly worried if Palmer did manage to add up the numbers at some point. For one thing, Palmer wasn't the sort to kiss and tell...not if his relationship with Probationary Agent Lee was anything to go by. They kept it very quiet and he respected the level of effort they'd but into being undiscovered. It was only dumb luck that Gibbs had found out about their relationship at all. Being light on his feet and having good ears had never failed to payoff.
And secondly--a blind man could see Palmer had a little case of hero worship going on when it came to Tony. Palmer wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize Tony's career as long as he respected the senior field agent.
Gibbs suspected Palmer's feelings were the product of more than Tony having saved his life, although he wasn't sure how much more. As long as the younger man kept his attention safely in the worship from afar arena Gibbs was fine with it. He got too close and all bets were off.
He wished he could make some sort of public declaration, but it was still too early for that. Gibbs rubbed self-consciously at the small mark on his neck. It was so faint now as to be almost nonexistent. Tony was usually so careful not to leave any marks. Gibbs couldn't really bring himself to feel sorry that he'd made Tony so crazy he'd completely forgotten to be careful.
"It's a good thing I like it when you're smug."
Gibbs chuckled, not surprised Tony knew what he was thinking. He wasn't going to mention that Tom might have seen the hickey. Tony was still far too gun-shy about people finding out about them---and with good reason--for him to even consider teasing his lover about it. Besides, he liked wearing Tony's mark; any hint that someone might have seen it would likely keep Tony from ever letting go so completely again. There was no way Gibbs would miss out on that. Not if he could help it.
Tom hadn't asked about Gibbs' deviation from the normal routine. Maybe Tom hadn't even noticed his failing to ask what time Tony left the building the other day. The whole team had left together after all, a rarity in itself, so his failing to ask about Tony probably hadn't been worth remarking on. Still, Gibbs made a note not to slip up again. Security was supposed to be observant; it wouldn't do to give them something to see.
"Got notice on approval for my leave request," Tony offered quietly. He raised an eyebrow. "Heard the whole team was getting time off."
The statement was more of a question. Gibbs nodded, taking a sip from his beer. He hadn't had time to tell Tony about the others asking for the same few days he and Tony had put in for. "McGee is going with Abby down to New Orleans ."
"He's meeting her parents?" Tony blinked, mouth open slightly in surprise. "Didn't think they were that serious."
"He's not." Gibbs shook his head. "And they're not." At least Gibbs didn't think so. He wasn't sure he wanted to understand exactly what sort of relationship Abby and McGee had. "This trip is part of some Habitat for Humanity project they are working on."
"Ah." Tony nodded.
Everyone knew Abby did electrical work for the charity. Gibbs was proud of her being very capable in that area. She was a fairly good plumber too. Gibbs had helped out once or twice over the years, doing a little rough carpentry, and he might have gone this time too if he didn't already have plans to spend the holiday with Tony and Mike's family.
"They doing clean up from Katrina?"
Gibbs grimaced thinking about how devastated the area still was over a year after the hurricane hit. "She wanted to help out before now, but her group was going in shifts. Clean up crew went first. Had a guy with a couple of dozers who took down a few buildings they couldn't repair. Next phase is to rebuild."
"Makes sense." Tony nodded, cutting his steak into small, neat pieces.
Gibbs watched those long fingered, graceful hands deftly wield the blade. He had yet to stop being fascinated by his lover's manual dexterity. He might not type worth a damn but Tony was definitely good with his hands in other areas. It made Gibbs' mouth water just thinking about the things Tony could do with those very talented digits.
Tony popped a piece of meat into his mouth. "Heard Ducky say something about taking his mother on a trip back to England ."
Gibbs cleared his throat as he refocused his attention. "Still has some family there that she'd like to see."
Given her age, any year could be her last, and god only knew if she'd even still recognize the people they were going to see. So this trip was as much for Ducky as it was for his mother. The ME had a lot of friends and family on the other side of the pond he liked to stay in touch with. Going back would be good for him.
"Not as expensive to fly over there during the off season," Gibbs noted as he cut into his own steak. He made an appreciative noise as he ate. Definitely done to his taste.
"Yeah, Ducky said he got a good deal." Tony made a face as he nibbled on a green bean. He gave Gibbs a rueful look. "Promised Ducky I try to eat more green things. He was pretty clear that it had to be vegetables and green M & M's didn't count."
Gibbs got the same lecture, but he hadn't promised anything. He wasn't going to either. Although, he was glad Ducky could get Tony to make such a promise. His lover had a tendency to shed weight with alarming ease and not even Gibbs thought candy from the vending machine was part of a balanced diet.
"Where's Palmer going?" Gibbs asked. He only knew the younger man had asked for time off.
"He's meeting the parents." Tony grinned. "Guess he and Lee are that serious."
"You knew?" Gibbs was genuinely surprised. He'd have beet good money no one else but Ducky even suspected.
Tony shrugged one shoulder. "He wanted some advice."
Gibbs was sorely tempted to ask advice about what but was leery of the answer. If Palmer was going to meet Lee's parents, the kid probably was nervous as hell. The need for advice could cover a huge area. Better not to ask.
"Ziva mumbled something about going home too. She didn't sound all that happy about it though." Tony's brow furrowed. "Didn't think the Israelis celebrated Thanksgiving."
"Don't know if they do or not." Gibbs shrugged. It wasn't something he'd ever saw the need to know. "Thinks she said a cousin is getting married."
Tony snickered. "Should ask her if she needs a date or if there will be some nice yenta there looking to arrange a match for her."
Gibbs bit the inside of his cheek to keep from smiling. It wasn't funny but Tony's comment would definitely explain the scowl on Ziva's face when she found out her request for leave had been approved. She'd likely been hoping it would be refused.
He probably could have. But it worked out for them to have the entire team off. It would raise fewer eyebrows if they were all gone than if just he and Tony took a few days. And honestly, her father could override any refusal Gibbs might have made. All he had to do was push it with the Director. It might not seem like it to most people, but Gibbs knew how to pick his battles.
Gibbs sipped his beer. "How is it that you heard the whole team got leave?" Gibbs had submitted the requests first thing in the morning, but hadn't gotten confirmation until nearly quitting time. Even the rumor mill had some lag time.
"Cynthia."
Gibbs tried to stifle the instinctive urge to snarl. He didn't like the way she looked at his lover. Hell, she all but undressed him at times. The look Tony gave him made it plain he hadn't quite succeeded in stifling his reaction. He pursed his lips in annoyance.
"Do you really have to flirt with her?"
"Do I have to? No, I don't have to." Tony cocked his head to one side, giving the question serious consideration, green eyes measuring Gibbs. "But I like flirting with her."
Gibbs' looked way, trying hard not to snap at Tony for being honest. He knew Tony liked to play with people, that he enjoyed interacting with them, and it was an essential part of his nature. Telling him to stop doing it because it made Gibbs jealous seemed unnecessarily harsh and petty. It would be like Tony telling him he had to be nice to Fornell or stop working on his boat.
Gibbs felt a foot lightly stroke side of his calf, drawing his eyes back to Tony. "It is harmless, Jethro." Tony's smile was warm, reassuring. "I'm not interested in her. She knows it. And you definitely know that."
Tony reached across the table to cover one of Gibbs' hands with his own. "She's not interested in me either. It's what makes our flirting safe and harmless. It doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of going anywhere."
Tony sighed softly, expression apologetic. "She'd think there was something wrong if I didn't flirt. So would everyone else."
When Tony moved to withdraw his hand, Gibbs caught it, holding it gently. Tony shouldn't have to apologize for being himself. Or for trying to live up to what other people expected. And it wasn't like Tony hadn't toned down the flirting considerably, even before they'd gotten together. His flirting with Cynthia didn't really bother Gibbs...much.
"I didn't mean..."
"I know." Tony smiled, stopping him before he could even come close to apologizing. "If it's any consolation I think I'll be able to cut out more of that sort of thing soon."
"Oh?" Gibbs raised both eyebrows, yielding to Tony's mute request to release his hand. Tony had a tendency to punctuate his speech with hand gestures. Gibbs knew freeing his hands made it easier for him to talk.
"I get asked indirectly at least once a day about the special someone in my life." Tony laughed ruefully, eyes alit with wry amusement. "Even the mail boy thinks I'm seeing someone." He shook his head. "I really have got to work on my undercover skills."
"What do you tell them when they ask?"
Gibbs was honestly curious. The only people he'd heard asking Tony if he was seeing someone were McGee and Ziva. But those were the people Tony was around most at the office and their conversations were the ones he was most likely to over hear. And they didn't really ask outright. It was more like comments made in passing to goad Tony into talking. Things like how Tony must have spent the night alone since he hadn't mentioned a hot date or how his new romance must be very boring since he had nothing to say.
"If they ever asked me directly who I was seeing, I don't know what I'd tell them." Tony shrugged one shoulder, holding his hands palm up in a classing gesture of confusion. Tony was good at undercover work, at becoming someone else, but he was a lousy liar. He could dissemble and equivocate with the best of them, could get away with half truths and omissions, but he rarely outright lied.
"Fortunately, everyone has danced around the issue." He grinned brightly. "For all their interest, I think most people are afraid I might actually tell them." He chuckled. "Might just ruin the image they have built up in their heads about my mystery love."
"You don't think I'd measure up?" Gibbs wasn't exactly sure how he felt about that.
Tony rolled his eyes. "First of all, they're probably expecting you to be female."
"Point."
"Thank you." Tony dipped his head, accepting Gibbs acknowledgement of his logic before he continued. "McGee and Ziva are no doubt expecting her", Tony made quotation marks in the air around the gender specific pronoun, "to be like every other woman I've mentioned dating: large chest, in her early twenties, who would have trouble mastering basic math."
Gibbs smirked. "I'm good at math."
"Yes, yes you are." Tony grinned. "Since my mystery lover has lasted a bit longer than anyone else and the lack of detail I've provided, you'd think they'd be smart enough to catch on this one has to be different from the others."
"Most people only see what they want to."
"Makes working undercover a lot easier, that's for sure." Tony cocked his head to one side. "Kind of funny now that I think about it."
"What is?"
"Neither McGee nor Ziva have ever actually met anyone I've dated." He laughed softly. "They only think they know my type. And that's based on the stories I've told and who I flirt with."
Tony's eyes glowed with amusement. "I flirt with damn near everyone so it's funny they would assume only a certain type of woman would appeal. And the stories are meant to entertain or just bragging. Not likely to discuss anyone meaningful for that any more than they would."
McGee tended to be closed mouth about his girlfriends which implied all were serious. Gibbs knew that wasn't true since the younger man had started to follow the example Tony had set and 'play the field'. Or try to at any rate. At his age, it was only natural?according to Abby.
And Ziva had never mentioned anyone that Gibbs could remember. She'd made remarks that were clearly intended to titillate but weren't overly specific. While Gibbs didn't doubt she was sexually active, he could see her being more inclined to engage in one night stands rather than form any sort of lingering attachments. Working as spy and an assassin had no doubt made her feel she couldn't afford those until recently.
"So to answer your question--Do I think you'd measure up?" Tony hesitated for a moment, green eyes holding blue easily. "All I can really tell you is that you exceed my expectations. And that's all that really matters."
Gibbs could feel his face warm. Some day he was going to figure out just how Tony could say such stereotypical mushy stuff and not have it sound like a cliche.
"Now finish your dinner. You'll need to keep your strength up."
"Oh?" Gibbs arched an eyebrow, hearing the playful tone in Tony's voice.
Tony smiled, eyes giving Gibbs a slow once over. He slipped into that refined southern drawl once more, voice dropping an octave as he did so. "If I remember correctly, we have something highly improper planned for after we've eaten."
Gibbs shivered in anticipation. "Oh yeah, that we do."
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs and Tony having dinner. They talk about other peoples' expectations.