Homecoming
by
elfin
Abby
wrapped around
him like bark on a tree, McGee to his right, smiling like a loon, Ziva
to his
left looking smug and self-satisfied, Gibbs in front of him looking....
He was home, back with the people who loved
him, people he loved. The Seahawk's
captain wanted his Agent Afloat back but he would get someone else. Gibbs had taken him without permission, Tony
had realised belatedly; he'd never been so happy to be abducted his
whole life.
As
Abby talked, Gibbs
reached over, offered his hand and Tony took it. But
that handshake paused, changed, became
something else, something neither of them seemed willing to let go of.
"I
think we're
due some sleep," Ziva interrupted Abby’s flow, "we should get
going."
Abby
picked up on her
tone, glanced at Gibbs and Tony, and nodded her agreement, unwrapping
herself,
patting Tony's shoulder and telling him she was so happy he was back
and that
she would definitely see him in the morning and would definitely bring
him up
to date with the bowling averages over a CafPow. Then
she grabbed the back of McGee's collar
and dragged him away with her, ignoring his surprise, his protest and
question. Tony blushed slightly, looked
away with a
smile on his face then lifted his head again and found himself staring
straight
into big, sparkling blue eyes. He pulled
his hand free slowly. He needed to pull
himself together again. On the boat he'd
been unable to tear his eyes off Gibbs, drinking him in like a seaman
on shore
leave trying to get drunk in the short time as he had; sure he would be
forced
once again to say goodbye and taking all he needed when he could get it
to
steel himself for that moment. He was
home now, he needed to get himself under control, let things get back
to normal.
"I
missed you,
Boss."
"I
know."
"I
need to check
into a hotel," Tony pushed himself off McGee's desk and stood up,
"they rented out my apartment for the full term, all my stuff's in
storage...."
"Don't
be an
idiot." Gibbs' voice was soft, low,
amused.
"What?"
"You're
staying
with me."
"I
am?" Happiness, relief flooded him
for the third time in twenty-four hours.
He needed a drink or the sweet taste was going to make him sick. "I am.
Cool. Thanks, Boss."
Gibbs
inclined his
head slightly. "You’re welcome,
DiNozzo.”
#
Tony
dumped his bag
on the floor and sat on the edge of the guest room’s double bed. He was home; all he’d wanted, all he’d
thought about for the last four months. Not
necessarily in Gibbs’ house but back working under the man, being part
of his
team, having his six. Back on dry land in
DC. And now reality was settling
in. He needed to at least get some
clothes out of storage. He needed to
remember what he used to do with his evenings.
He needed to remember what being alone was like.
“Everything
okay?”
Tony
glanced up,
smiled at Gibbs standing in the doorway, both hands on the frame
leaning
slightly inside the room. He
nodded. “Yeah. Thanks
for this, Boss, seriously.”
“Least
I can do,
dragging you back from the Seahawk ahead of time.” There
was a glint in his eyes and it dragged a
tired grin from Tony. He was starting to
feel the lack of sleep now that the adrenaline was draining from his
system.
“I’m
so upset about
that, as you can see, but when duty calls….”
He trailed off, not sure what he’d been about to say.
“Mind
if I....?”
He
shook his head and
frowning, surprised, he shifted across to make space when Gibbs came
into the
room and sat down on the bed beside him.
He sat for a minute or two, looking around the room like he’d
never seen
the inside of it before.
"I've
been
blind," he started suddenly, awkwardly, randomly as far as Tony was
concerned, "too wrapped up in the past to see what's been in front of
me."
Tony
was confused. ”Boss, you know none of this
was your fault.”
“I’m
not talking
about the reassignment.”
“Oh. So what…?”
He turned, found himself inches from Gibbs’ face and finally saw
there
what he’d been looking for and not seeing for six years.
“Oh.”
“I
had to bring you
back with me.” Gibbs said quietly, Tony already lost to him. “Once I’d got you within arms’ reach again I
couldn’t bring myself to let you out of my sight. No
way was I leaving the Seahawk and leaving
you behind.”
“Oh.” It was all he could say. He
didn’t seem to be able to find any more
appropriate words. Gibbs smiled at him.
“I
know you’ve been
chasing me a long time. And you know,
having someone around who worships the ground I walk on... that’s one
hell of a
rush, Tony.” He felt the blush creep
into his cheeks. “But... despite the
three ex-wives, I do play for keeps. If
we start something it isn’t going to be temporary.
And I don’t share.” Tony opened his
mouth but no words came out,
not even an ‘oh’. He was so used to
carrying this crush, this need, around with him, deep inside, so used
to it being
unrequited, that he couldn’t quite believe this wasn’t just some
jetlag-induced
fantasy. He was away with his own
stunned shock until Gibbs said, “I’ll let you get some sleep. I don’t need you to make a decision now, I
just wanted you to know... the offer’s there, if you want to take me up
on
it. Have a feeling... it always will
be.”
Tony
snapped back
into himself as, with a small smile on his face and his hands on his
knees,
Gibbs started to rise. The movement
broke the fugue in Tony’s head. “Whoa.” His hand shot out, grabbed Gibbs’ wrist. “Wait!
You can’t say something like that then just leave.”
He
chuckled. “I’m only going into the next
room. You’re exhausted.”
“Not
that
exhausted!” Gibbs sat back down,
patience all over his face, and Tony tried to order the chaos in his
mind. “Are you saying... you and I....” He swept a hand back through his hair and
started again, more serious than he could remember being in a long time
– more
himself. “You might think I’m one big
joke....”
Gibbs
shook his
head. “I don’t think that.”
“People
do.”
Hands
folded in his
lap, Gibbs looked at him. “Not me. If I couldn’t see past that I’d have kicked
your ass back to Baltimore years ago.”
Tony
hesitated. “I have... wanted you, one way
or another,
for a long time. If we do this... if I
lose you,” he shook his head, “I’m gone.
I couldn’t cope knowing I’d blown the only chance I’ll ever
have.”
Gibbs
lifted one hand
from his lap and touched the back of his fingers to Tony’s cheek. “You won’t lose me. Can’t.
I won’t let it happen again. I
know it won’t be easy, Tony; two alpha males coming together never is. But you mean too much for me to just let you
walk away.”
“You
really mean
this?”
“I
really mean it.”
Gathering
his
confidence, Tony smirked. “Prove it.”
Gibbs
surged forward,
wrapped big hands around Tony’s face, pushed long fingers into his
hair, tongue
delving past Tony’s lips to explore his mouth.
He used his strength to take Tony back to the bed, lying over
him, and
Tony finally plucked up the courage to do some exploring of his own;
one hand
running up Gibbs’ tensed arm while he let the short, soft spikes of his
greying
hair run through his fingers like sand. He
let Gibbs kiss him, moaning slightly as he lifted his head away but
using the
opportunity to search for some explanation of ‘why now’ in eyes he
would
willingly, happily drown in.
Instead
of
explaining, Gibbs just asked quietly, “Sure this is okay?”
And
he nodded. “Sure.
Definitely sure, Gibbs.”’
“Jethro.”
He
tried it. “Jethro.”
It tasted good. Gibbs - Jethro -
felt
good, lying along the length of him, hard and solid, head to toe as he
leaned
in again and kissed him. Good just didn’t
come close. Perfect. Gibbs
was perfect. Everything Tony had imagined
he’d be and
more. He could only hope they both knew
what they were getting into.
#
“…someone
to go undercover.”
Tony
was on his feet
in a heartbeat, knowing that was his thing, his skill, and more than
ready to do
it. He wanted to continue to be useful
here, wanted to make sure this was where he was needed, professionally
as well
as personally, which he apparently really was.
“No.” It was bold and clear.
His
head snapped
around to look at Gibbs. “Boss?”
“Not
you. Not this time. McGee.”
Probie
looked up,
eyes wide with surprise. “Boss?”
“Go
work up a
background with Abby.”
Gibbs
moved almost as
quickly as McGee, trotting up the stairs towards MTAC, and at the risk
of
looking as if he was following the Boss around like a puppy, Tony was
only a
second behind him as he stepped into the large, empty room. He closed the gap quickly and put his mouth
to Gibbs’ ear, voice a barely audible murmur.
“Don’t
do this. Don’t sideline me just
because....”
Gibbs
spun one-eighty,
hand landing hard on Tony’s shoulder, fingers gripping, and when he
spoke into
Tony’s ear, his voice was just as desperate.
“I’ve only just found you, don’t ask me to let you go so soon.”
It
wasn’t the
response he’d been expecting. “Huh...?”
“We
both know what
this assignment might be,” Gibbs hissed.
“Don’t ask me to watch you seduce some fucking stranger when I
haven’t
even had the chance to fuck you myself.”
Stunned,
Tony looked
at him, eyes wide. “Okay.”
“Please.”
Gibbs
needed more, he
suddenly realised, shocked to the core.
This is how it was going to be – all that intensity focused
completely
on him. It was going to be the best kind
of drug, the worst kind of addiction. He
was going to drown and he wouldn’t even fight to stop it from happening. “I’m yours,” he murmured, soft,
meaningful. “I would die for you. Whatever you want, whatever you need, you
just have to take it.”
The
way Gibbs was
looking at him, Tony thought he must already know that and was trying
to reign
himself in when all he really wanted to do was lose control. “I need McGee to do this.
I need to keep you with me, just for now,
just until I’m used to this.”
Tony
nodded. “I am absolutely fine with that.”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, yeah.”
Gibbs’
face broke
into a smile Tony thought might blind him.
He couldn’t help but grin in return.
He wanted to kiss the man right there and then, at the very
least he
wanted to touch, to lay claim to him, to just grab him and yell ‘mine’
at the
top of his voice. But he didn’t. He didn’t dare. Instead
he put everything into his eyes, hoped
Gibbs could see it.
The
door opened and
they broke apart smoothly, Tony could still feel the heat of Gibbs’
hand on his
shoulder, the imprint of fingers in his flesh.
He briefly wondered if the man was more than he could handle. Then pushed the thought out of mind.
When
they headed out
half an hour later to set up surveillance on McGee, Gibbs’ typical,
‘DiNozzo,
you’re with me’ took on a whole new meaning.