Written for the prompt affection at gen prompt bingo
Tony DiNozzo had always enjoyed affection, he craved positive touch, having had so little of it in his childhood once his mother had died. Boarding school hadn't been the place of sunshine and hugs, it was a military school after all. Ohio State wasn't really the most affectionate of places either, not in a fraternity, the closest they ever really got to affection was back slaps and the occasional group hug. Perhaps that was why he enjoyed Gibbs' head slaps they reminded him fondly of his frat brothers, or maybe because he knew that there was affection in the slaps, Gibbs was trying to make him focus using his touch to ground Tony and bring his attention back to where they should be.
The only other time that was close to affection with his frat brothers was when they would all pile around each other on the floor and the couches to watch movies. It was why he enjoyed movies so much, he had felt at the time that it really was a brotherhood, at that point in his life he had felt completely at home as if he was part of a family.
Nowadays the affection came from multiple sources, he got hugs from Abby and head slaps from Gibbs, and more intimate physical contact from random woman and the occasional man, who in no way ever measured up to the man he wanted. If he had been injured he soaked up the comfort and affection from his new family. He had always had strange reactions to some medications; they always made him a lot more affectionate than some people were comfortable with.
His team had taken it in stride though, and his boss had even taken him home. That was the one consolation to being injured, staying at Gibbs' house and cuddling up with the man on the couch or on the bed. Gibbs often became his teddybear when he was ill and the man put up with it and never said anything about it, never once had he complained or used the knowledge against him.
Tony had a rather high pain threshold so sometimes he would wait as long as he could between his doses of pain medication in order to enjoy some of the affection with a clearer head. He loved when Gibbs would run his hands through his hair, or hold him close. He wanted to just curl completely into the other man, the smell of Bourbon, coffee, sawdust and Gibbs always lulled him into a comfortable state and made him feel at home, not that he would admit it. Just like he would never admit to Gibbs just how much he enjoyed the strange affection Gibbs showed him when he was at his weakest.