He wasn’t the youngest anymore. He, more than anyone else, was aware of that. After one lost wife and three divorces and some screwed relationships, even he had been pretty sure that he was through with love. He felt like one of these old people sitting in the park where he ran every morning. Those people who have lived their lives with the person they loved, and when that person had died they stayed alone. Just that he didn’t have that life with the person he loved. But still he considered himself too old to really fall in love, and he was satisfied with a fling now and then to get the rocks off, and to see that he still could if he wanted.
But that was before. There wasn’t a definite date; no memo went out so people would know that a new era had begun and now was now and everything before before. Most of the time when the few people who actually knew about the difference talked about it, it was just before. No explanation, since they didn’t need one and because there was a lot that happened between now and before.
His old attitude was before he had watched Tony nearly die. It was before he had forgotten fifteen years of his life and ran to Mexico. It was before he had nearly lost Tony to a woman, only to find out that there never really was any future for them anyway. It was before he thought Tony was dead. It was before he had realized that he couldn’t live in denial anymore and he finally had to open his eyes and see what’s really there. Love.
People would say that it’s a huge step for a man of Gibbs‘ age to admit not only to himself but to his friends that he was indeed in love with a man. And it was, probably more than anybody except Tony would acknowledge. Tony knew; he saw all the insecurities in Gibbs‘ eyes.
People would say that someone like Tony, with so much energy, wasn’t right for a man of Gibbs‘ age. But Gibbs, and everybody who had the chance to see him in private, knew Tony better.
He remembered the time when he tried to figure out what that was that he felt for the younger man. The way he was anxious when Tony was chained to a murderer. The way he was anxious when Tony lay in isolation. It was something he had never felt before. Now he knew that for the first time he was confronted with the possibility of losing a loved one. Then, when Tony was sitting a cell, it was different. Sure, once more he was afraid of losing Tony, not to death but to prison, but he was also afraid that he could have been wrong about him. He had been wrong before, three ex-wives to proof.
He hadn’t been wrong, and it made the feelings even stronger. When Tony’s car exploded and they thought he was in it, he finally knew what those feelings were. He had been feeling exactly the same before. Fifteen years ago when he was in Kuwait and his CO told him that his beloved wife and daughter had died. That was the moment he finally realized that he loved Tony.
But the time between realizing his feelings and admitting his feelings to Tony were weeks. Most of that time he had told himself that there was no way Tony could be interested in him. Abby destroyed that thought though. And pretty simple at that.
„He is interested. He told me,“ she had said and vanished.
But that didn’t mean that he jumped him. No, there was too much he didn’t know to take the risk. Was Tony really in love with Jeanne, or was he in love with the idea of being in love? Was he over it? Would he take the risk? Is he interested in sex or more? What would he do with an old man like Gibbs?
Gibbs entered the office as pissed as usual. His caffeine level was still pretty low and the morning traffic was aweful. He was, as usual, really early. No one on the team was there yet and the security guard shook his head as usual when he arrived at that time in the morning. Maybe he was wondering if Gibbs had no life, but Gibbs frankly didn’t care.
As one can see, Gibbs had a routine. And since he had that routine he immediatly noticed that something wasn’t as usual. On top of his desk lay a note. He picked it up, noticing that it was written using a computer, and read, „Age does not protect you...“. He looked around and saw that the mail boy was just doing his rounds and hadn’t reached their desks yet. Therefore it had to have been put there by the writer. A threat from someone inside NCIS? Unlikely. He wasn’t necessarily the most popular agent, but he was rather feared than hated. He hadn’t pissed off half the agency like Tony.
And it didn’t really sound like a threat. Age does not protect you...it sounded more like a advice... Age does not protect you...from what? Annoyed he crumbled the paper between his hands and threw it into the bin. He had better things to do than to wonder about a stupid note someone had left on his desk and he was determined to not further think about it...but as the day crawled on, he found himself glancing at the waste bin more and more often, still wondering about the note.
The next day when he arrived at the same time he found yet another note. Age does not protect you. He snorted annoyed but then noticed that the note had been on top of a box of chocolate. It wasn’t a expensive kind, but child chocolate, with some kind of surprise toy in it. Frowning he pick it up and looked at it from all sides, deciding to not eat it before Abby had a look at it.
Not surprising, the chocolate was clean, or as Abby had phrased it, as healthy as sugar wrapped up in colorful paper usually is, and the next few days Gibbs found the same note and some kind of present on his desk. Every day it was something different, but it always was something no usual adult would buy and as time grew on they were accompanied by a comic that always had something refering to love.
Days became weeks and weeks became months â€" and Gibbs had a new morning ritual. When he was on his way to work he usually had some candy to lift his mood with in the car from the days before and he was looking forward to find a new gift on his desk. He actually was quite cheery when he found once more the note and the comics always brought a small smile to his face. He knew that he was behaving like a teenager who had a secret admirer, but he actually liked that.
It was about three months later when they were on a crime scene at a park that he overheard a conversation between Ziva and Tony. Ziva had noticed an older couple, both around sixty, and they were sitting on a bench, laughing and kissing. He had noticed them, too, and had been secretly enjoying their happiness.
„I don’t get how old people can act like that. They look like teenagers...,“ Ziva said shaking her head and turning back to take pictures. Tony looked up from his task, and then glanced at Gibbs, who didn’t seem to pay any attention.
„Age does not protect you from love, Ziva.“, Gibbs did pay attention, as always, and glancing at Tony he found Tony smiling at him, „but love, to some extent, protects you from age.“
They had solved the case pretty quickly, and Gibbs had finally solved his personal case. He was standing in front of Tony’s apartment, wondering if he really was ready for that. But he knew that Tony had gone 7/8 of the way and the last 1/8 was his. He took a deep breath, gained all strengh of will in him and knocked. Even before he had taken the hand down Tony had opened and smiled at him.
„I already wondered what took you that long.“ Before he could reply he was drawn into a soft kiss.
„You don’t need to say anything,“ he assured Gibbs as they broke apart. The insecurities were written on his face and he was happy that Tony took the lead in this. But still he opened his mouth a couple of times, trying to articulate what he was feeling.
„I know, Jethro. Believe me, I know.“ This time Tony didn’t kiss him, but simply pulled him into his arms burrowing his face against the other man’s neck. Gibbs inhaled Tony’s scent and felt, for the first time in the last fifteen years, home and alive.
A year later...
The team had met at Gibbs‘ house for barbeque and Tony had managed to get Gibbs, McGee and Jimmy to play football with him. Abby, Ziva, Jenny, Michelle and Ducky were sitting at the table watching the macho showdown between Tony and Gibbs. Gibbs tackled Tony, but as they lay on the ground they were laughing and Gibbs kissed Tony affectionately before helping him up and sending him on his way with a slap on the ass.
„They’re acting like teenagers,“ Michelle said shaking her head.
„Well,“ Ziva grinned, „a wise man has once told me, ‚Age does not protect you from love, but love, to some extent, protects you from age.’“
Story Notes:
For Gibbs/Tony-athon on livejournal.
Thanks to 80sgirlie for beta.
I'm working on a alternative ending, therefore "the cute one", cause the other won't be.
Author's Chapter Notes:
He's not the youngest anymore, he knows that. And he thought he was through with love...
Chapter End Notes:
For Gibbs/Tony-athon on livejournal.
Thanks to 80sgirlie for beta.
I'm working on a alternative ending, therefore "the cute one", cause the other won't be.
Thanks to 80sgirlie for beta.
I'm working on a alternative ending, therefore "the cute one", cause the other won't be.