December 11th
When Gibbs entered the office his eyes were red and swollen. The whole night he had read Nick's letter over and over again trying to figure out how to fix this. The bullpen was already quite busy and Tony sat behind his desk obviously working concentrated.
„DiNozzo..."
„The report is nearly done, boss. You'll have it by nine am."
„Actually I wanted to talk..."
„Sorry, but I'll have to concentrate or the report won't be on your standard."
Wow. A slap in the face would have been more subtil, Gibbs thought. He nodded and went to his desk. Of course it had to get back into his face when he freaked saturday. It always happened when he lost control.
Tony watched under his eyelashes how Gibbs went to his desk. He had noticed the red eyes and the stiff movements, but he thought the older man had probably drunken and had fallen asleep under the boat once more. Sometimes he wondered how Gibbs managed to be on time anyway but as always he did it away as one of those mysteries he'd never reveal...and as one of those mysteries he really wanted to reveal.
But then Ducky entered the bullpen and walked straight to Gibbs. They hadn't had any case yet and as far as he knew there was no body in Ducky's morgue. The two men talked too low to get anything but the elderly ME shifted just in time for Tony to see how Gibbs took a pack of letters and put them into one of his drawers. Tony frowned about it but dismissed it just as quickly.
„Tony, I really have to talk to you."
Gibbs said as they were just on their way up from the evidence garage. Tony stood deliberately between Gibbs and the buttons.
„And I, Gibbs, really don't want to talk about anything that is not job related."
„And if it was?"
„Then you'd already said it and you wouldn't start the conversation like a dear-John speech."
For a second Gibbs didn't knew what to answer and when he did it was very low.
„I didn't want to do a dear-John speech...It's about Nick..."
„I don't want to talk about Nick, either. As you said my personal problems should stay out of the office and this elevator is in the NCIS building and therefore evidently belongs to the office."
The door opened and Tony was out just as quickly. Annoyed both men sat at their desks. McGee and Ziva kept changing nervous glances, the math was easy to do. Pissed of Gibbs. Not really unusual, still no good. Pissed of Tony. Very unusual and not really good. Pissed of Gibbs and Tony. VERY BAD! Tony was the only one to get to Gibbs when he was in one of his moods but if Tony was in an equal mood, help us Lord!
Both kept hitting the keys of their keyboards way too hard and McGee silently wondered when the computers would turn off just out of protest. They were watching eachother intensely, of course only when the other wasn't looking. It was in one of those moments that Tony noticed that Gibbs once more got post. This time delivered by Abby. The pack of letters was big, at least thirty or fourty letters, and this time Tony saw in which drawer Gibbs disposed them. This time he didn't dismiss it that easily although he found a way to spend his time better.
In his lunchbreak Tony went home and spent a lunch in surprisingly comfortable silence with his daughter. For once Tony didn't mind that she didn't want to talk since he didn't seem to have any strengh to say more than hello when he came and a see you later when he went back to work.
Around five Tony had finished every paperwork he could think of and put some of the files on Gibbs‘ desk. His boss nodded and opened the drawer to take out the paperclips.
„Wait...where did all the letters go?"
Tony asked and stared at the drawer.
„What letters?"
Gibbs asked innocently and closed it again.
„The letters Abby and Ducky brought you today. You've put them in that drawer!"
Gibbs frowned at him.
„I've disposed them in my lunch break."
Tony considered asking what letters they were but then, he didn't want to talk to Gibbs, or rather he kept telling himself that he didn't want to talk to Gibbs.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Icy times at NCIS and weird things.
Chapter End Notes:
Did I mention that this is not betaed? If I didn't I do it now. This is not betaed. So all mistakes are mine, unfortunately the characters aren't...would like to have those cute guys in my bed...ahem, back to the story...