A/N: this is my first attempt at anything Tibbs related. This is probably ninety percent out of character. You've been warned. Do I see a candidate for my next round of rewrites? Definitely...
"Oh. It's bad. It's so very bad." Abby whimpered to Ducky, to which the aging Medical Examiner nodded grimly. The entire building could hear Tony and Gibbs argue. Calling each other everything under the sun, they screamed nasty profanity at each other like never before. No one even knew what had started the fight or how. All they knew was that it was bad..
"You're just a bastard! Damn you! No wonder no one ever stays on this team for long! You're a heartless bastard. I should have let you die on that dock!" Tony stormed off.
"Get outta here. Be back at 0800," Gibbs barked at his team. It was his permission, finally, to go home for the night. Both he and Tony headed to their respective homes in an angry haze. Gibbs returned to his boat and his bourbon, angrily wondering what he saw in DiNozzo anyways.
Tony, however, had calmed down and regretted what he had said. He didn't want his boss dead. Quite the opposite, as rough as admitting it was. He couldn't even think about losing the one thing he had come to depend on.
It was in that mindset that he found himself on Gibbs' front porch. He knew it was never locked and opened the door quietly and headed to the basement. Gibbs heard his familiar footfalls coming and chose to ignore him for the time being. He let Tony stand on his bottom stair. Gibbs was still a little hot under the collar.
"Strange to find you here, DiNozzo. Thought you wished me dead?" His voice was harsh and sharp as a knife, his eyes narrow.
"Gibbs..." Tony couldn't even look at him.
"Shut up and leave. You've made it plenty clear how you feel," he glared.
"I-"
"If you felt that way why didn't you let me die?" He challenged Tony.
"You have no idea how I felt! You have no idea how it felt to press my fingers your throat and not feel a pulse! You have no idea how my blood ran cold when you wouldn't breathe! You were dead on that pier! Dead Gibbs! Dead!"
At this point Gibbs silently cuts him off simply by taking his shaking hand and pressing it to his very much beating heart. No longer angry, his voice and face soften.
"I'm still here, Tony." Tony stopped his rant completely, definitely not expecting that kind of contact. He felt the steady thrum of Gibbs' heart under his palm. Neither man really moved; it was almost as if time stopped. When Gibbs let him go he just slid to the floor. Gibbs sat next to him against the wall.
"Boss..."
"You don't need to say it. I love you too, Tony" This time it was Tony moving of his own volition. He slowly,almost hesitantly, moved, laying his ear this time rather than his palm against his boss' chest. He half expected Gibbs to move or say something but he never did. Gibbs let him lay against his chest without a word. He always knew just what it was that Tony needed.
The senseless argument was long forgotten and Tony's eyes drifted shut. If it wasn't for the cold hard floor, Tony could have easily fallen asleep like that, listening to Gibbs' heart beat.
Much too quickly for Tony's taste, Gibbs moved under him to stand up. Tony moved away reluctant. Gibbs went upstairs with a gruff order for Tony to follow. Takeout was ordered without consulting Tony as Gibbs knew what he liked. They ate in silence, the younger dying to break it but afraid to anger his boss again. The man had a mean temper, and right now that'd the last thing he wanted to see.
Tony's thoughts drifted to his semi relaxed boss. Tony shuddered thinking about that day, how scared he was that Gibbs would never wake up and that he would lose him. That had been the fuel for many a reoccurring nightmare since that day.
"Boss...about earlier..." Tony looked away, embarrassed and anxious.
"What about it?"
"Well... I was mad...and..." For once the words just don't come to the cocky agent.
"And what?" Gibbs glances at him, eyebrow raised.
"I really thought you were going to die and I was so scared and I thought I was going to lose you and I never got the chance to tell you I love you." Tony rushed through his words but Gibbs was used to the yabber and understood perfectly. He pulled Tony a little closer. Tony semi froze.
Gibbs settled Tony on his chest, finding a place that was comfortable for them both. Tony quietly sighed and melted into Gibbs. It felt right somehow; felt like home. Gibbs draped his arms around his senior field agent. Neither man moved for quite some time, Gibbs enjoying the feeling of Tony close to him, though he'd never say it out loud. Tony was just happy that after everything he still had Gibbs. The yabber had faded and Tony silently lounged in Gibbs' strong arms.
Gibbs looked down at Tony drifting away to sleep on his chest. This time there was no cold floor to prevent the former Marine's steady heartbeat from becoming the one lullaby Tony couldn't resist. After a long day and an even longer case, Tony was finally asleep. Gibbs smirked to himself. Of all the people for fate to saddle him with, it had to be DiNozzo.