Thanks to Kes and Jo for the encouragement with this tale and all of my little experiments!
This is a sequel to A Friendly Game, so you should probably read that first. Been looking forward to this one, and I hope y'all like it! I hope you all celebrate your holidays with the people you love, whether they are traditional families, or chosen families. Buon Natale!
-o-o-
Tony came through Gibbs' front door, stomping his feet to shake the snow off of him. He could hear the fire crackling before he saw it, and hung his coat on the rack by the door before stepping into the living room. The Christmas tree that Abby had insisted on putting up for them twinkled in the front window, and the couch had been turned to face the fire two months ago after their first time curling up in front of a blaze together. Presents had been placed under the tree for the rest of the team to open during their feast the next day.
He stood in the middle of the room, taking it all in, wrapping his arms around himself as he smiled. He'd really come to like his condo, but Gibbs' house was simply home. They were there more than anywhere but work lately, and the warm homey feeling it had at that moment was perfect. His eyes fell to the floor as he got lost in thought for a long moment. He hoped his gift to Gibbs would turn out. He let out a deep breath and looked up, finding the older man staring at him with a smile from the doorway of the dining room, a dishtowel over his shoulder.
They both smiled broadly at each other. Tony stepped towards Gibbs, his arms going around his shoulders as Gibbs' hands went to Tony's waist. They kissed each other hello, lingering in the moment until they both tingled.
"Guess it works," Gibbs whispered against Tony's lips as they stood there stunned from the intensity of the kiss.
"What?" Tony asked.
"Abby's mistletoe." Gibbs' head nodded towards the sprig, but neither man looked up, falling back into the kiss instead. They latched on to one another, kissing for kissing's sake, enjoying the feeling of having one another in their arms.
Tony had stayed at the condo alone the night before because he had to get some things in place for Gibbs' Christmas gift. It was the first night in weeks that they had spent apart, and both men had barely slept. They had snuck away for a quick lunch together at work, and it had helped to cure the grumps they'd both come in with. This was a completely different kind of reconnection though, and it turned their world upright again.
When they finally pulled away, Tony took a deep and happy sigh. "Come sit on the couch with me?" he asked coyly. Gibbs rolled his eyes, but smiled almost shyly. He tossed the dishtowel onto a chair at the dining room table, and let Tony take his hand, pulling him towards the couch. They plopped down against each other, and Gibbs pulled the afghan from the back of the couch, wrapping it around them. They stared into the fire for a while, just holding each other.
Gibbs finally decided to ask the question he was afraid of the answer to. "So, how was dinner with your dad?"
Tony sighed. Senior was passing through town on his way to meet his newest set of in-laws in London. They were flying out of Dulles that night, and Tony had gotten talked into dinner before they set out. Thankfully, he didn't have to meet his newest step-mother. She was getting in some last minute Christmas shopping, and Tony was glad to not have an audience while he announced to his father that he and Gibbs were now a couple.
Tony felt Gibbs' hand start moving up and down his arm, then, as had become their custom, felt the kiss on top of his head. He smiled immediately, unable to keep his sullen expression in the midst of such a sweet gesture.
"It wasn't great. Then again, it never is with him, so I didn't expect it to be. I'm not let down, or disappointed, because I stopped being either of those things long ago, but he wasn't very happy. I stopped needing his approval twenty years ago… It's just that he had this horrible, grating, condescending tone, as if though I was somehow the disappointment of the two of us; as if though marrying wife number whatever, who doesn't give a damn about meeting me, was somehow more righteous than the real thing, between you and I. It made me angry. I wanted to deck him, but I didn't. I took a deep breath, and I realized, he's the one with the sad life- that's punishment enough. I'm happy, what he says doesn't matter, so why let it affect me at all? I shrugged, got up, and left. He can pay the bill for once."
Gibbs chuckled at the bill comment. "Ya know what would be a really great Christmas present? Letting me take him out for you."
Tony burst out laughing, and the serious tone broke. "For you, or me?" he asked.
"Does it matter?" Gibbs replied.
Tony laughed again. He stared up into Gibbs' frosty blue eyes for a moment, then kissed him softly, and laid his head on the older man's chest to stare at the fire. He'd watched as Gibbs revealed his playful side more and more over the past few months, and he loved knowing he had something to do with such a beautiful transformation. Sure, it had the Leroy Jethro Gibbs twist to it, but it was fun, and they laughed more and more together every day.
Gibbs relished in nights together like this. He wanted them every single night, but he knew that wasn't feasible. Still, he wished that Tony would take him up on his offer to move in. He understood Tony's reluctance, and listened to his reasoning that he had just bought his home, and he was still adjusting to everything. Gibbs didn't hold it against him at all. He tried not to think about it, otherwise he'd start triple guessing his Christmas present, and he had been around and around about it so many times now, that he was going to go crazy if he started on the merry-go-round again. Instead, he held Tony close to him, listening to the fire crackle, and wondering if the snow would turn to rain, or if they were really going to get their White Christmas.
Tony felt his phone vibrate in his pocket, and smiled. He knew that would be the text from Abby once she had finished checking in with everyone about their contributions to Gibbs' Christmas present. He had known that she would love to be involved in this undercover mission, and had recruited her in the concept phase. She'd been fully supportive of the idea, and helped to coordinate with the rest of the team since he barely had time to these days without Gibbs around.
"You gonna answer that?" Gibbs asked.
"Nope. I know it's Abby, and I know what it's going to say. It can wait." Tony nuzzled into Gibbs, and pulled the blanket up around them. "You wanna sleep right here?" he asked as he started to yawn.
"If you want. The team is going to be here early, remember. We'd have to set the alarm extra early, otherwise, we're just asking for Abby and McGee to walk in on us."
"Damn. Well, I'm exhausted, so we'd better head upstairs and get some sleep," Tony said, thinking of how he got to be so exhausted, and once again, hoping that Gibbs would love his present.
"Okay. Let me take care of the fire, and I'll be right up," Gibbs kissed the top of Tony's head again, and they both sat up.
Tony shivered as the blanket made its way back over the couch. He got up, stretched, and his spine and knees announced themselves. He grabbed his bag from the floor by the door where he had set it when he came in, then headed up the stairs, yawning loudly.
Gibbs sighed in relief as Tony disappeared up the stairs. He wanted to give his lover his Christmas present early, but he had promised Abby that she could be there since she had helped to pick it out. He hoped that a little bit of space for a few minutes would help curb the urge. He snuffed out the majority of the fire until it was down to embers, and then headed for the stairs.
Before he started up them, he turned around, and took in the Christmas tree one more time. Tony had changed so much for him. He couldn't remember a single Christmas tree since the last one that stood in that window twenty-something years earlier. That time, it had been decorated by the tiny hands of his daughter, and the woman he loved. This time, it was decorated by the hands of the woman he cared about like a daughter, and the man he knew he would love for the rest of his life.
He smiled to himself, and turned to head up the stairs. Tony was standing at the top, leaning against the wall, staring at him with a curious smile. Gibbs froze, and stared back.
"Fond memories, I hope?" he asked gently, the expression he wore told Gibbs that he wasn't mad.
That still dumbfounded the older man. Tony had encouraged him to think about his girls, cherish their memories, and he didn't get angry or hurt when those memories popped up in the middle of things like date nights, and team "family" get-togethers, like the movie nights they'd been having at Tony's condo. He usually just nodded to questions like this, but he knew that if he was going to expect Tony to open up to him, he was going to have to open up to Tony.
"The last Christmas tree before I was deployed." Gibbs turned back around for another glance, and smiled. He shook his head, heading up the stairs to find Tony stunned that he had shared anything. The smile that Tony wore was enough to encourage him to keep going. He let his hands slide around Tony's waist and propped his head on his shoulder. Tony's arms came around him to hold him close. "It was a blue spruce. The house smelled wonderful between the tree, the fires, and the cookies the girls would always make. That's all that Shannie could cook, and that was because they came premade. She set the oven on fire trying to make cupcakes for Kelly's sixth birthday!" Gibbs chuckled into Tony's neck, and Tony chuckled with him, still mesmerized by the fact that Gibbs was sharing his memories.
"Good thing you're not really a big eater," Tony joked.
"Yeah, you're telling me." Gibbs pulled back, and looked into Tony's green eyes, barely able to make them out in the orangey glow that the Christmas tree emitted up the staircase. His fingers brushed across Tony's ear as he pulled him in for a kiss. "Thanks, Tony."
"For what?" Tony asked, looking a bit confused.
Gibbs took a deep breath. "For letting me remember. Not shutting them down. Not getting mad…" His eyes trailed off into the darkness around them.
Tony's finger came up under Gibbs' chin, and turned his face so that he had to look back. "Jethro, they are a big part of you. Not were- are. I want all of you, and that includes them. Anytime you want to share them with me, I'm honored." Tony realized Gibbs' eyes were glazing over, and decided to change the mood back. "Let's go get warm under the covers before our crew of elves shows up on the doorstep.
Gibbs smiled and nodded, leaning in for another quick peck before pulling Tony into the bedroom with him. He took his pants off, but left his tee and boxers, and then crawled into bed. Tony set the alarm on his phone, and sat it on his nightstand. He looked down to find Gibbs watching him, waiting for him to join him. He smiled, and Gibbs held up the comforter for Tony to get under with him.
Tony flicked the nightstand lamp off, and slid into bed. The room had the faint glow of Christmas lights flashing from across the street, and Tony groaned. "Why did they have to set their lights to 'blink'?"
"I think they did it to annoy the Petersons next door to them. They've had this rivalry for years. The Petersons always win the neighborhood Christmas decorating contest."
"That's uncalled for. That's not even 'blink'. It's more like a strobe light. I'm pretty sure that accident last week was probably someone having a seizure behind the wheel."
Gibbs laughed, and watched Tony's face in the light. His playful humor had gotten them through their first argument, and their second. Getting over a fight had seemed too easy for them. They had talked things through, gotten all serious about it all, and worked through the issues. It was Tony's humor, however, that had brought them back to the comfortable place they needed to be in to really move on, returning things to normal. He'd felt himself letting go more and more with the younger man, finding that is was okay to laugh again, and find humor and joy in his day to day life. He leaned in and kissed Tony's smiling lips with his own.
Tony watched the twinkling lights flash in Gibbs' baby blues, and let them daze him. He still couldn't believe that he was spending his first Christmas Eve with Gibbs, in his bed, curled up with him. He couldn't wait to do it again for the next twenty years.
"I really hope you like your present," Tony said softly.
Gibbs smiled. "I'm sure I will. I hope you like yours. Really wanted to give it to you tonight, but Abby helped me with it."
"Yeah. She'd kill you if you gave it to me without being able to see my reaction. She's helping me with yours, too. I can't give you mine until tomorrow anyway, so it works out."
That got Gibbs thinking about what it could be, and then he chuckled to himself, realizing he hadn't really been excited about what someone was giving him for Christmas in a long time. Tony looked at him confused, trying to figure out what was so funny.
"I'm trying to remember the last time Christmas Eve included being excited about presents. Been a while," Gibbs answered the unasked question.
Tony smiled, and nuzzled into his lover, letting his head fall into the crook between Gibbs' shoulder and neck. "You make me happy, Jethro."
Gibbs nuzzled him back, and held him tighter, sighing happily. "You make me happy, too, Tony."
"I can tell, and it's the best gift ever. I love you."
"Love you, too." Gibbs answered, feeling like he could stay in that blissful place forever as they fell asleep together.
-O-O-O-O-O—
A little after seven, Gibbs heard noises coming from downstairs. He listened carefully, and heard Abby's voice speaking quietly to Tim, and then the sound of bags being dropped on the dining room table. He groaned a little, and slid out of his spot under Tony's embrace, sliding his pillow in his place. He grabbed his jeans from over the top of the hamper, and slipped them on. On his way out of the bedroom door, he turned back to look at Tony, sleeping soundly. That man could sleep through a war, he thought.
The door creaked softly as he opened it, and he headed down the stairs as silently as possible to see if he could sneak up on his "intruders". He got to the dining room doorway to see Tim planting a kiss on Abby's temple as he took a couple of frozen pies from her to take to the kitchen.
"I knew you would be here early Abs, but I didn't think it would be quite this early." Gibbs rubbed his eyes, and took in the sight before him. There were bags and bags of groceries on the table for their feast. Abby was excited to cook this year for everyone. Ziva was going to be coming over soon to help, putting some of her new recipes to the test on the group.
Abby flung her arms around Gibbs in a big hug, which he returned. "Merry Christmas, Gibbs! I wasn't going to be quite this early, but then Ziva and I were talking last night, and she decided on making this potato thing that's going to take an extra hour of oven time, and I decided I needed more time to prepare before she got here. You can go back to sleep. I promise we'll be quiet."
"Nah, it's okay. I'll just get the coffee started." Gibbs tried to escape her embrace, but she clung to him a little tighter.
"You didn't give Tony his present yet, did you?" she whispered.
"No, Abs. Said I wouldn't."
She let Gibbs go, and gave him a big smile. "He's going to-"
"Hey Abby? What should I preheat the oven to first?" McGee interrupted from the kitchen.
"Duty calls!" Abby said, bounding into the kitchen, the bell on the end of her Santa hat jingling as she went.
Gibbs followed, and hit start on the coffee maker. He watched the two of them working out the schedule for the temperatures, and figure out when to put the ham in. He thought about how well they worked together, and enjoyed watching them be happy together. He remembered the talk he and Abby had about the whole thing last month before Thanksgiving, and then the talk he and McGee had right after Thanksgiving. He was glad to see them happy.
"I'm gonna go get Tony up, and get dressed. We'll be down in a bit. Don't set the house on fire." He clapped a hand on Tim's shoulder as he walked past him, smiling at the memory he had shared with Tony the night before. He felt the electric joy spurring him to life at the memory of Tony's words after he'd told him about the girls. He took the steps two at a time, and gently opened the bedroom door. He saw Tony sprawled out on his stomach on the bed as he closed the door behind him, and smirked to himself as he got an idea.
He took his clothes off, piece by piece dropping to the floor at the foot of the bed. He silently opened the nightstand drawer just enough to get the bottle of lube out. He stood at the foot of the bed again, stroking himself slowly with the liquid until he was rock hard. It didn't take much as he stared at his sleeping lover.
He crept up onto the bed, and slowly pulled the blankets down off of Tony's body so that that he barely stirred. He reached for Tony's sweats, and tried to pull them down too, but they were caught on Tony's morning wood. He smirked to himself as he fumbled with them a moment, and then managed to get them down to Tony's knees. His hands worked their way up Tony's shirt, massaging his back a little before bending over to kiss the spot above his tailbone. Tony stirred slightly, and Gibbs positioned his cock against Tony's ass, gently prodding until he was able to slip into the younger man. Tony woke up with a gasp, and Gibbs laid his body across Tony's back so that he could whisper in his ear.
"Shhh… Abby and Tim are downstairs," he said, mischief in his voice.
"They aren't- you wouldn't-" Tony started and then Gibbs pulled out, slamming back into him. He groaned into the pillow. "Fuck! You would."
Gibbs took another long slow thrust into him, still leaning against Tony's body. He whispered into Tony's ear, "You like the quiet game, like that time in the bathroom when Vance came in to use the head. You came so hard we had to clean the wall, and the floor." Tony whimpered at the memory. "You feel so good, Tony. So tight, so warm." He thrust slowly in and out of his lover, feeling Tony clenching down on him to intensify things. Gibbs let his mouth fall to Tony's shoulder, suckling on it and scraping his teeth along it. Tony groaned in pleasure.
"Fuck, Gibbs! How am I supposed to stay quiet when you do that?" Tony whispered, his voice coming out shaky.
"You might not be able to," Gibbs whispered, thrusting harder, changing his angle slightly to start hitting Tony's prostate.
Tony yelped with the contact, immediately trying to bury his face in the pillows to stifle the noise. Gibbs moved to his knees, pulling Tony's hips up towards him. Tony propped himself up on his hands as well so that he was on all fours to take the pounding Gibbs was about to give him. He knew that the grip that Gibbs fingers had on his hips meant it was going to be powerful.
Gibbs buried himself in Tony, and kept himself there while he let his lover get settled. He was about to really let go, and he wondered if he actually cared about whether or not Tony was quiet. As soon as he was sure Tony was in the most comfortable position to handle the passion he needed to convey, he heard the front door open again, and Ziva's voice greeted Abby and Tim. A sudden possessive streak ran through him, and he began to fuck Tony earnestly.
Tony had heard Ziva's arrival as well, and felt the change in his lover. Gibbs' grip on him had changed, and the sudden vigor with which he started fucking him was mind-blowing. He felt like the world was going to collapse around him. He wanted to be closer to the man behind him. He forced himself up on his knees, kneeling upright, and Gibbs arms came around him, pulling him against his own body, as he drove into Tony again and again.
Gibbs' forehead rested on Tony's shoulder as he gasped for air, lunging in and out of his lover. "I love you, Tony. I need you. I'm never letting you go."
Tony gasped, trying to form words and failing, only able to feel himself be filled again and again with Gibbs' thick cock. He nodded, and pushed back against Gibbs with every pulse of the older man's hips, taking it as hard as he could get it.
Gibbs' hand made its way to Tony's cock, and began stroking it hard and fast, and his mouth started on Tony's neck, kissing and licking it sloppily between pants. Gibbs felt Tony's dick swell in his hand, and bit down hard on Tony's neck as he came, filling his lover. Tony came so hard that he saw stars, and let out a high keening sound as a little piece of him remembered that their team was congregating downstairs.
They leaned against one another for support, collapsing down onto their knees so that they were sitting on their ankles. Tony swallowed a couple of times as he tried to catch his breath. "You never cease to amaze me, Jethro."
"I have really great material to work with," Gibbs said, kissing Tony's neck and shoulder gently.
"I love you," Tony said, turning his head to kiss Gibbs slowly. They both froze when they heard the front door open again, and Ducky's voice was heard joining the throng of people below them.
"We should probably get showered, and join the festivities," Gibbs said reluctantly, looking down into Tony's eyes.
"They can wait a minute. I'm not done kissing you yet," Tony said, looking at Gibbs' lips over his shoulder from where he was half turned into him.
"Yeah?" Gibbs asked quietly, looking at Tony's lips as well.
"Yeah," Tony said, leaning forward, and capturing Gibbs' mouth again. He slid his tongue along Gibbs' lips, and they opened for him. The kiss was sweet and deep, conveying the love and connection that they both needed to feel. Gibbs' hand found Tony's, and they grasped onto one another, letting their fingers entwine. They stayed like that for another five minutes, and when Tony started getting hard again, he backed off.
"Okay. Time for a shower. Probably a somewhat chilly shower." He pecked another kiss onto Gibbs' lips and sat up, letting Gibbs' cock finally slip out of him. That made them both start to harden again, and Gibbs groaned.
"Cold shower. Right behind you." He got to his feet, and followed Tony into the adjoining bathroom. The water was turned to lukewarm, and they got in quickly. Gibbs sudsed up and rinsed off as fast as possible, unable to handle Tony's naked wet body next to him. He leaned in, and whispered in Tony's ear, "If we didn't have a house full of people wondering where we are, I'd take you all over again, right here, right now."
Gibbs went to step out, and Tony pulled him back into the tub, pressing him against the wall, kissing him fiercely. His soapy hands grabbed his hard cock and Gibbs', and began stroking them quickly. Gibbs groaned, and reached to turn the water to a warmer temperature. The water warmed, and Tony's deft hands stroked them perfectly from base to tip, while his tongue explored Gibbs' mouth.
Gibbs' arms went around Tony's waist, resting on his ass, pulling him against him over and over in short thrusts that complimented Tony's strokes. It didn't take long for them to climax again, sending cum running down Tony's hands and Gibbs' stomach.
"Fuck!" Gibbs gasped, his head falling back against the cold tile.
"We don't have time to fuck," Tony retorted with a smirk, letting his head fall against Gibbs' shoulder, nuzzling his neck.
They slowly came back around, washed off again, and then got out of the shower, wrapped up in towels. Gibbs brushed his teeth while Tony shaved, and then they switched.
Tony pulled on his favorite jeans, and a dark green turtleneck sweater. Gibbs slipped into some khakis and a frosty blue long sleeve tee, layering a heavy navy blue button down over it, but keeping it unbuttoned. He caught himself in the mirror, and realized that was another one of Tony's influences on him. He was still comfortable, so he didn't care, and when he saw Tony drooling over him in the mirror's reflection, he was convinced that it was a good look on him. Tony's arms came around Gibbs' waist from behind, and they stared at each other in the mirror.
"Come on, sexy; they're waiting for us."
Gibbs turned and kissed Tony quickly, then nodded and led him towards the bedroom door. He took his hand as they came down the steps together, and Tony smiled. "Merry Christmas, by the way," Tony said quietly.
"Merry Christmas, Tony." Gibbs leaned in for a quick peck on the cheek, and they emerged from the staircase to find their team gathered around the dining room table. Abby was the first to look up, and notice them.
"Tony! Merry Christmas!" A chorus of Merry Christmases and hellos rang up from the group, as Abby shuffled over to Tony to give him a hug. He returned it one armed, seeing as Gibbs wasn't willing to relinquish his hand. It made Tony smile, and Abby squealed a little as she looked down. She gave Gibbs a second hug for the morning, and whispered in his ear, "I can't wait for you to give him his present!"
Gibbs smiled and rolled his eyes, but whispered back in her ear, "I'm terrified."
Abby stepped back, and stared him in the eyes. "Don't be. Trust me."
Tony watched all of this unfold with curiosity, trying hard to figure out what they were talking about.
"Thanks, Abs," Gibbs said, and Tony watched as Gibbs took a deep breath before turning to him. He leaned into Tony, kissing him on the cheek. "Gonna get some coffee. You want some?" he asked. Tony beamed at him, surprised with how affectionate he was being in front of everyone, and loving every moment of it.
"Sure, thanks."
Gibbs squeezed his hand, and then finally let go. Tony watched him move past everyone in the room, and into the kitchen. He gave Ziva a kiss on top of the head as she stood at the counter chopping potatoes. Tony turned bright red at the thought of how that contrasted with the possessive nature Gibbs took on when he heard Ziva enter the house during their morning love-making. He knew that Gibbs saw the team as his kids, though, even Jimmy working his way into the pack.
Tony himself had become very over-protective of each one of them over the years, but he wouldn't consider himself a father figure to any of them. He smiled at little at the thought that maybe he was the mother figure, as odd as that sounded. His own mother was much more affectionate than his father, and he liked the idea that a part of her could live on through him in that way.
His eyes met Tim's, and he jerked his head towards the living room. Tim nodded and got up, following him in by the tree. Tony stared out the window at the snow, glad to see that it had stayed cold enough to have a white Christmas. It had been a bitch to drive through the past couple of days, but this made it worth it. Tim joined him, staring out at the snow as well.
"You get the keys to Jimmy?" Tony asked quietly.
Tim nodded. "Yeah. When he and Breena get here, he'll bring it around."
"Everyone remember their parts?"
Tim nodded again. "You that nervous, Tony?"
Tony laughed quietly. "Tim, nervous doesn't begin to define how I'm feeling. Anxious, edgy…"
"Terrified." Tim clarified.
"Yeah, in a nutshell, McGemCity." Tony stared out at the few flakes of snow that were falling to join the others. "And happy. So happy," he added quietly, lost in his daze.
Tim smiled at him, watching as his friend got that dreamy look in his eyes that he'd seen so much the past couple of months. It was a beautiful thing on Tony. Tim knew what being with Gibbs was overcoming for him, and he knew what being with Tony was overcoming for Gibbs. He'd watched their story unfolding all summer, and when he saw them that first night that they had gotten together for pool at Tony's condo, all the pieces fell into place. If two men like Tony and Gibbs could find such happiness, then there really was good in the world. He had needed to see that after Dearing had tried to destroy their faith in humanity.
He reached up, and placed his hand on Tony's shoulder, squeezing just a little until Tony turned to look at him. He nodded his head towards the group, and Tony nodded back in response. They rejoined the folks at the table, where Gibbs was now sitting with a cup of coffee for him, and one at the empty place on his right.
Tony sat next to him, taking a drink from the sweetened cup of joe, and joined the conversation. Gibbs took his hand again, letting them rest on Tony's thigh. Tony smiled at him, and felt his cheeks warming. Gibbs smiled back, and returned to his conversation with Ducky. Ziva and Abby were at the table, the oven currently stuffed with creations. One of them had put some cinnamon rolls in the oven earlier, and they were picking them apart as they talked.
The conversation flowed well around the table for a couple of hours, stories being told between different dishes being taken in and out of the oven, and the smells around them grew more and more enticing.
Gibbs' voice reached everyone's ears as he asked, "Are we doing presents before or after dinner?"
Everyone froze, and looked at Tony. "We have to wait for Jimmy and Breena. We can't do the presents without them. Jimmy would get his feelings hurt, so yanno…" Tony rambled quickly.
"That is true. He has his heart set on it this year for some reason," Ducky said, playing it off rather well, without even making eye contact with Tony.
Tony felt a lot calmer with Ducky's input. He wasn't sure when Jimmy was going to be able to get away from breakfast with his monster-in-laws, but he was set to get the best part of the present there when he arrived. Tony's excitement started to bubble up in him again.
"I'm going to grab some more coffee. You need a refill?" he asked Gibbs. He got a smile and nod, and as Tony got to his feet and took their mugs, he leaned down for a quick kiss. Ducky smiled into his own mug, and Abby and Ziva exchanged glances. Tim followed Tony into the kitchen, taking his mug with him. Tony dumped what was left of the pot into his cup, and started a fresh pot to brew for Gibbs.
Tim leaned in, and whispered to Tony, "I text Palmer, and he's going to be here a little after noon. They have finished opening presents, and are doing the obligatory family chatting, and then they are taking off. We're looking at a little under an hour. You ready?"
Tony moved a step forward to peek in at Gibbs, who looked back, catching his eye. They were both smiling like they didn't have a care in the world, and that stare made Tony feel like no one else was in the room. He finally broke away, and leaned back against the counter out of view. "Yeah. I'm ready." He took a drink from his mug, and Tim leaned next to him on the counter with his almost empty mug.
"Who woulda thought…"
Tony looked at the not-so-probie, and tried to pick apart his expression. "Thought what?"
"That we'd all be so happy right now." Tim looked up to meet Tony's eyes before looking out the window by the sink, taking in the still falling snow.
"Or that this house would be filled with laughter again like this," Gibbs said from behind him, startling both of them. "Full of family." He stared into Tony's eyes, not bothering to hide the touch of sadness that came with the joy.
Tony sat his coffee cup down on the counter, and took the step forward to enfold Gibbs in a tight hug. Tim turned back to his coffee, grinning broadly, and wondering if he just might be witnessing a genuine Christmas miracle.
A sudden flash alerted them to someone taking advantage of the photo op. Abby stood in the doorway with her camera, and as Tony and Gibbs pulled slightly apart to look at her, she snapped another shot.
Ziva looked over her shoulder. "Those are pretty good, Abby. You have a way with the candid shots."
Abby turned and squinted at her for a moment, but her smile didn't fade. "Thanks. I might frame them," she said, and the bit of an inside joke made Ziva force back a snicker.
"How much longer until the feast begins?" Tony asked, changing the subject.
Abby looked at her watch. "We got about another two hours for the ham to be done. It was pretty big. And then we'll put the rolls in. And let the pies cook while we eat. Are you hungry? I've got snack stuff in the fridge. There's some cheeseball, and spinach dip, and a veggie tray."
Tony didn't let go of Gibbs, who stared at him through the whole discussion. Tim decided he was going to attack the veggie tray though, and brought it, and everything else, to the table, leaving Tony and Gibbs alone in the kitchen. Tony leaned in for a short kiss. They let their foreheads rest against one another, and soaked up the closeness.
"You look happy, Gibbs."
"I am."
"Me, too."
"Good. We deserve this."
"Yeah, we do." Tony's eyes danced as he looked back into Gibbs'. They really were happy, and he was no longer afraid at all of his Christmas gift. Neither was Gibbs as he looked back into Tony's eyes. All of their nerves were suddenly calmed.
"I love you, Tony."
"You, too." Tony sighed, and his eyes closed for a moment. When he opened them, he stood straighter. "Wanna get a fire started? We probably have time to do presents before dinner is ready. Jimmy's monster-in-laws were supposed to be finished by 11:30, and I'm hoping he's going to be here soon."
"Sounds good," Gibbs said, stealing one more kiss before letting Tony go, and filling his coffee mug. He winked at his partner before he headed for the living room.
Tony went to stand in the doorway of the dining room and kitchen, watching his family talk and joke. Tim had his arm around Abby, and Abby was trying to teach Ducky and Ziva the sign language for "Merry Christmas". Ducky was failing miserably, doing it backwards, and Tony couldn't help but chuckle at the idea that Ducky wasn't able to get the concept down.
"Try 'Happy Holidays', Abs. He might get that one better," Gibbs shouted from the other room.
"Good idea, Gibbs!" she shouted back. "Okay, try this." She went about showing him the motions, and Tony sat back watched everything unfolding before him. He smelled the smoke of the fire Gibbs was starting, and headed for the living room to sit on the couch, propping his feet up on the coffee table. Gibbs sat next to him on the couch, feet joining Tony's, and wrapped his arm around Tony's shoulder.
"This is what it felt like with the girls. Warm, comfortable, joyful… it's what holidays are supposed to be like. It's what family is supposed to be like." Gibbs' voice was quiet as he spoke. Tony leaned his head on his lover's shoulder, and watched the fire crackling, listening to the joyful sounds around him.
"It's perfect, Gibbs. I can't get over how perfect it is. And, you know, for once, I don't expect something to ruin in. No big family fight, no drunken tirades, no cloud of gloom waiting to rain on my parade. It's real, it's perfect, and it's ours." Tony closed his eyes, and Gibbs' hand rubbed Tony's arm, and a kiss was planted on top of Tony's head. Tony's phone chimed in his pocket, and he sat up to check the message. It was from Jimmy, and they were fifteen minutes out. Tony smiled, getting excited about giving Gibbs his present. He leaned in, and gave him a happy kiss, taking him off guard, then jumped up off the couch.
"Jimmy and Breena will be here in fifteen minutes, guys!" Everyone got up from their chairs, and headed into the living room with their mugs to find places to sit. They were all excited about Tony's gift for Gibbs, and had done their part over the past couple of weeks to make it come together. Abby and Ducky were equally excited for Gibbs' gift to Tony, having helped with it as well. The two of them shared a look of anticipation as they waited for the big event.
Tony and Tim headed over to the tree, and began passing out presents to people with instructions not to shake. Everyone had little piles next to them of colorful paper and bows, and they all chattered anxiously, trying to make sure enough noise was being made so as not to give away Tony's surprise.
Once all of the gifts were passed out, an obvious trend of gift bags with tissue paper sticking out of them sat on the coffee table in the middle of the group. Everyone smiled at each other, knowing what was in the bags except for Gibbs, who noticed the looks, and grew curious.
Fifteen minutes later on the dot, Jimmy and Breena walked in. Cheers went up at their arrival, and polite hugs were exchanged with them. Jimmy handed bags out to people, and then placed two more on the table in the middle.
Once everyone was seated again, Abby looked at Tony. "How do you wanna do this, Tony?"
"I can't take it anymore. We have to give Gibbs his present first." Tony looked at the man sitting next to him, and Gibbs cocked an eyebrow in question. Everyone got to their feet again, smiling and laughing as they jostled for the gift bag they had brought from the coffee table.
Gibbs watched as they all reached into their own bags, and pulled out flat objects of wood and metal, and moved to find places around the room to set their picture frames. Gibbs got to his feet, watching the flurry of houseguests as they placed pictures of the team around him on the mantel, on his bookshelf, and on the end table by the lamp. There were pictures from movie nights, and from Thanksgiving dinner. Tony put his frame dead center on the mantel, propping it against the stone wall. It was larger, and meant to be hung. There were various pictures in it of the team, and in the middle, there was a group photo of them with the word "Family" inscribed under it.
Gibbs moved to stand next to Tony, looking at the pictures in the frame. Everyone stopped where they were, and watched them as Gibbs took Tony's hand. "They're great, Tony."
"That's not all."
Gibbs cocked his head to the side, and Tony grinned. He pulled Gibbs by the hand towards the front door. Everyone bustled to get out of the door before them, and when Gibbs came outside onto the front walk, they watched for his reaction to the moving truck in the driveway. Tony's hands went around Gibbs' waist. "I want pictures up in my home. Pictures of our family, our friends, our loved ones. I want our memories on our mantel, and I want our home to always be filled with warmth and laughter."
Gibbs turned around in Tony's arms. "Are you…?"
"Yeah, I am."
Gibbs wrapped his arms around Tony, pulling him tightly against him in a hug that would rival Abby's. Cheers rang out around them, and Gibbs finally let Tony go to turn around and stare at the group. He looked at Abby, who walked over and handed Gibbs a small box she'd had burning a hole in her pocket all day. Gibbs turned to Tony, and looked him in the eyes.
Tony saw the box, and it dawned on him what was about to happen. His mouth hung slightly open, and he stared back at Gibbs in awe.
"Three months ago, I promised that I would never let you go. That promise grows stronger and deeper every moment I'm with you. I want to make that promise in front of everyone we know, everyone we love, and ask them to watch over us. Will you make the promise official, and marry me?"
Tony jumped onto Gibbs, knocking him back into the snow, completely ignoring the ring and the cold. He kissed him hard, and everyone laughed and cheered. When they finally came up for air, Gibbs looked up at Tony's shining eyes. "That's a 'yes', right?"
"YES!" Tony laughed.
"Good. Just making sure." Gibbs reached up to kiss Tony again, and Abby started taking pictures. Everyone sent up cheers and hurrahs, Tim even throwing in a two fingered whistle.
The kiss finally ended, and Gibbs ran his hand down the side of Tony's face, staring into his shining eyes. "I love you, Tony," he whispered.
"I love you, too, Gibbs."
"I'm frozen," Gibbs answered, suddenly serious. Tony burst out laughing, and Abby joined in, the only one close enough to hear him. She reached a hand down to help them up, and they both made their way to their feet. Abby handed Gibbs the ring box that had hit the ground in Tony's exuberance.
He opened the box, and took one of the rings out. He took Tony's hand, and slid it on his ring finger. Abby was snapping photos again, and caught the shy expression on Tony's face, and the tender look on Gibbs'. She was excited to frame that one for their mantel.
Tony took the box from Gibbs' hand, and saw the second ring. He took it out, and reached for Gibbs' hand, which was offered up tentatively. He pulled Gibbs close, and whispered in his ear, "I'm not like them, Jethro. Once I put this on, you'll never go a day without it again, for as long as we live."
Gibbs swallowed hard, closed his eyes and nodded. He pulled back, and smiled at Tony, trying to will his eyes to stop burning. Tony slipped the ring on Gibbs' left hand, and kissed him softly. They turned to look at the group around them, noticing that both Breena and Abby had teared up, and even Palmer was turning a little red. Tim and Ducky both stood by, watching them with proud smiles, knowing what it had taken to bring them to this place. Ziva smiled at them, playing with her necklace, looking strangely at peace.
"Thanks for helping with everything," Tony said, looking around the group. "You guys are the best."
"Are you kidding me?" Abby exclaimed. "This has been, like, the best thing ever! We're so happy for you guys!" She flung her arms around the two of them, squeezing hard. Everyone echoed the sentiment.
"Are we unloading this today?" Gibbs asked as Abby let go, and Tony wrapped his arms around him to stay warm.
A chorus of "NO!" came from the entire group.
Tony smiled sheepishly at Gibbs. "We've spent the past two nights loading the damn thing. The TV has to come in, but other than that, we're going to wait until tomorrow to tackle it."
"That explains some things." Gibbs winked at Tony, and turned to lead everyone into the house. They filed in, and Gibbs headed for the stairs. Tony followed.
"Be right back. I'm soaked," Tony called as everyone found their places again around the fire. Tony stared at the icy cold backside of Gibbs all the way up the stairs. His shirt and pants were wet from melted snow, and Tony's weren't much better.
They entered their bedroom, and closed the door. Gibbs began peeling his clothes off, heading for the bathroom for a towel. Tony slipped his shirt over his head, and watched Gibbs, unable to avert his gaze. He slipped out of his slacks, and stood there in his boxers, watching as his fiancé came back through the doorway, running a towel over his back and shoulders. He looked up to find Tony staring, and stared back. They smiled at each other, standing a few feet away from one another for a minute. Gibbs lunged at Tony, spinning him so that they fell onto the bed together laughing.
They held each other for a long few minutes, just being happy together. It was all either of them had ever wanted or needed, and it seemed impossible, but it was real.
"I guess we should probably get dressed, and go back downstairs. They're all waiting for us," Tony said somewhat resigned.
"Ah, it's okay. We'll pick this up later. We still have the rest of a great Christmas to get through." Gibbs ran his fingers through Tony's hair.
"Can it get any better?" Tony asked.
"We're engaged, having our first Christmas together in our home, with people that obviously support us, and love us. We should go enjoy it," Gibbs replied.
"That sounds like a fairy tale," Tony said with a happy sigh. "Is all of this really happening?"
Gibbs slapped the top of Tony's head, eliciting an, "Umph!" from him. "Did that hurt?"
"Yeah! Kinda! Yeesh!"
"Then you're not dreaming." Gibbs laughed a little into Tony's shoulder, and Tony chuckled with him, pulling him close. Gibbs' eyes met Tony's again.
"Are you ready for this?" he asked, watching Tony's eyes dance with joy.
"At this point, I'm ready for anything. Bring on the happily ever after."
xxx-xxx-xxx
An hour and a half later, the team sat around the dining room table, eating an incredible feast, and sipping on wine, beer and an exceptional bottle of brandy that Ducky had brought. Ziva watched the group around her in quiet amazement. She wondered when all of this had happened, and smiled as much on the inside as she did on the outside. She wasn't sure what compelled her, but she knew that there was something she had to do.
She took her glass in her hand, and raised it a little, staring around the table. Everyone stopped and watched her, as she cleared her throat.
"I would like to offer a toast. Over the past few years, I have been privileged to be part of a fantastic team, but in the process, something happened to me that I never would have expected- I have found a family worth having. You all have become closer, and mean more to me, than anyone else in my life, teaching me what it means to be loyal, compassionate, tender, honest, brave, caring and loving." Her voice started to crack, and she cleared her throat.
"I know that everyone in this room lives with integrity, and for the first time in my life, I know that I have people around me that I can trust, not only with my life, but my heart. You make me believe in good. For the first time, I believe in good, because I find it in each one of you. You demonstrate it in your relationships with me, and with one another, and it is an overwhelming gift. I cherish each and every one of you, and am very glad to be walking the same path as you. In Mossad, these feelings would have been considered weakness, but you all have taught me that it takes true strength to open yourself up to let other people in, and I feel stronger than have ever felt before. For that, I thank you."
Tony was leaning against Gibbs at the end of the table, and their hands had found one another in their laps as they watched Ziva's disclosure. He knew the look on Ziva's face; recognized it in the way a kindred spirit would, and he knew that everyone around the table felt the same way. They'd each come from their broken backgrounds, and this is where they landed, fitting perfectly into each other's lives like puzzle pieces.
"We love you, Zee," he said.
Abby took Ziva's free hand from the table, and squeezed it.
"I love you all as well," Ziva said. "Happy Christmas." With that, Abby lifted her glass to chime against Ziva's, and everyone's glasses joined in.
The tinkling of the glasses together made Gibbs think of the chimes of the Christmas music boxes Shannon used to have. He smiled at the thought that maybe that was her way of telling him that she was happy that he had finally let someone in again, let himself be part of a family once more. He squeezed Tony's hand as he watched his loved ones start normal conversations again. A few minutes later he caught Tony's gaze out of the corner of his eye, and turned to stare back.
"Whatcha thinking?" Tony asked quietly.
Gibbs grinned. "That I believe in fairy tales."
Tony laughed, leaned in, and kissed him softly. "So do I, Jethro. So do I."