Ryan groaned as he glanced at his watch. He had lost track of time while he was doing some work in the lab. He looked at the work he still had yet to do and sighed. If he didn't leave soon he was going to be late picking Tony up. He knew he should go and see if H will let him leave and come back to finish after he goes to the airport. He could bring Tony back here to wait or leave him at his hotel to rest.
Ryan slowly methodically and neatly gathered up the evidence he was working on replacing each item in its envelope and making the appropriate notations on them. He then returned them to the evidence locker. The last thing he needed was another screw up. His OCD making him check 3 times that he had tagged the evidence bags correctly before turning it in and that no small pieces were forgotten. He policed the work area several times before to make sure it was tidy before leaving the lab to look for is boss.He was pretty sure Horatio would let him take the hour or so it would take to go to the airport and get his cousin but he didn't want to make the assumption and be proven wrong. He had planned to make this his meal break. Worst case scenario he could call or message Tony to take a cab and they could meet later.
He was somewhat surprised that Tony had gotten vacation time remembering how difficult it was for the NCIS agent to get time off. It made him wonder yet again if his boss and lover was coming with him. He wasn't sure since He had yet to speak to his older cousin playing voicemail tag and only sending text messages back and forth to each other. Both men working active cases recently keeping them both busy and out of their homes.
Then again Tony wouldn't voluntarily let Gibbs this close to Mary on a bet. He had yet to tell most of his adoptive family about the relationship, Ryan and Ezra being the notable exceptions. He thought that Mel may know from some things she has said from observations she made to him but he was sure she was never told.
He also knew that if Tony had his way the relationship would not be so secretive. The only thing holding his cousin back from publically acknowledging them as a couple, to the rest of the family at least, was the fact that Tony was so unsure of Gibbs.
He remembered the phone call he got 10 months ago after Tony's coworker had been kidnapped by what was his name againhe couldn't remember. Just a few months before Tim died.The call that told Ryan that the terrorist had threatened the girls. The call that told him that Tony's boss had made his move.
Tony was terrified. He was mildly afraid for the girls but he refused Ryan's offer to have them stay in Miami. He knew that Ryan and his lover didn't need the added strain of an instant family in their relationship. Plus in his heart he knew the girls were safest in the rural area of Morocco that they were in. It would be difficult for any stranger to get them even if they were Arab, because the area they were in was Berber.
No what Tony was totally terrified and freaked out about was that his boss very definitely let Tony know he was interested in the other man sexually, but apparently not as a relationship.
He had gone over to Tony's place several times and they had had great sex but Gibbs didn't acknowledge it in anyway outside of the acts themselves, outside of the bedroom. He left while Tony was still too strung out on the endorphins to really know what was going on. At the office he ignored Tony, well he didn't treat him any better in fact Tony was more sure than ever he was almost on his way out of NCIS, off Gibbs team, due to the way he was being treated by his team leader. When Tony tried to get the man alone Gibbs eluded him. One time when Tony gathered up his courage and actually went to Gibbs house, finding his boss working on the boat in the basement Gibbs looked up from his work saw Tony on the stairs and asked if they had a case. When Tony answered no Gibbs then ignored him. Tony had stayed there sitting on the stairs for almost an hour before getting up to leave. As Tony was putting his jacket on he was pushed up against the wall from behind and again he didn't know what hit him. In minutes Gibbs had his pants and boxers around his ankles and he was moaning Gibbs name over and over again, Gibbs cock up his ass. Tony was coming and seeing stars gasping a few short minutes later. Gibbs told him where he could clean up and told him to make sure he shut the door on the way out of the house.
This was the point that Ryan received a frantic call in the middle of the night. Tony was scared and confused and looking for advice. Tony had loved Gibbs for years before this had happened. That was the reason that the 2 year mark came and went and Tony never even thought of leaving NCIS.
Tony didn't like Ryan's advice one bit. The younger cousin thought that Tony should try and end the relationship. He feared that the older man was only using Tony and he didn't want his cousin hurt.
Tony ended the call shortly thereafter and proceeded to call Ezra for his thoughts on the topic. Ryan had no idea what advice Ezra had given but he was aware they talked. Ryan called Tony a few days later and told his cousin while he didn't think that he should continue the relationship he still was supportive of it and would be more than willing to let Tony use him as a sounding board if only to call and bitch and complain about his older lover.
That's how he found out that the relationship was changing, of late Tony had told him how Gibbs would stay sometimes all night and he would wake up in the other man's arms, feeling safe and loved. Or how when Gibbs was unable to stay he would hold Tony and stroke him in the afterglow letting him feel loved. Surprisingly enough they even went out to dinner like a date. Tony called afterwards, shocked that Gibbs had actually taken him on a date.
Even though he was opposed to the relationship at first Ryan was thrilled that it seemed to be working out now. He had actually liked Gibbs the short amount f time that he had seen the man when he visited Tony at NCIS. Ryan was no fool he spent most of this visit in the basement with Abby, where any smart forensic scientist should be. In addition Abby was a cool person to hang with. The lab here was really straight laced in many ways, he would love to bring Abby here with her loud music. Huge Caf-Pows and goth clothes and see how the CSIs react to it.
Ryan strode through the halls of the lab with a purpose looking for Horatio, but found Delko instead.
"Hey Delko, have you seen Horatio?"
"Yeah Wolfe I think he was in ballistics with Calleigh but he said he was heading towards Alexx, he had to ask her something."
"Thanks."
"I'll come with you I need to ask him something too."
The two men found Horatio and Alexx discussing the latest case Alexx was telling H about the possible cause of death. They waited until Alexx was finished and then Ryan spoke to H.
"H I have to go and get my cousin from the airport. I planned it so that I can use my lunch break. Is this ok with you? If not I can call him and tell him to take a cab."
"That is fine Mr. Wolfe. Take one of the hummers. And take Eric with you."
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