Title: The Little Things

Summary: Tag to Corporal Punishment. Sort of a companion fic to Probie is Not Stupid, but can be read as a stand-alone. Mild Slash.

Rating:

Disclaimer: I don't own. If I did…

POV: McGee

Author's note: My fanfic brain won't shut off!

The Little Things

The little things don't really matter. Not until you add them up.

1. Jeanne

He seemed happy, right? When he was working undercover, spying on Jeanne. He was happy.

When she called his second phone, he would answer half-smiling. When he heard her voice, his smile grew.

Then he would glance around the bullpen. His eyes would land on the working form of Gibbs and the smile would instantly fade.

He tried so hard to be happy. He wanted to, I could see it in his eyes.

But his kind of happy wasn't right. He wanted Gibbs.

That much was obvious.

2. Girls in General

He flirts with every girl he meets. The hot ones anyway.

And when he gets calls from girls he's dated… they're not real. Its not like I was spying, but I have noticed the call log on his phone. Mostly calls from his team. But the ones that are not aren't old girlfriends or one night stands. They are calls from doctors usually. Often Dr. Pitt calling to check up on the guy who almost died of the plague.

But not a single girl.

I don't know if its his way of trying to forget that the one person he wants, he can't have.

Or if its to make said Special Agent jealous.

3. The Medals

Tony found them in an old box at Gibbs' house, gathering dust.

Gibbs said they didn't matter. That while they meant something good, that he had saved people, that he made a difference, they only reminded him of the people he couldn't save.

Tony takes them, because he believes at least someone should see them. See what a hero Gibbs had been.

He keeps them in a drawer right next to his desk. He keeps them there to remind himself of who that man is, the man sitting across from him, the one he fell in love with.

And even if he only uses them as mirrors and paperweights, at least someone sees.

Tell me what you think.

-Ella-the-crash-test-dummy-