Blond, brunette, auburn or black, it didn't matter to Tony. He preferred healthy women as opposed to the super thin type his father adored. Tony admired the beauty of the female body while he took his pleasures, but ultimately, he was left feeling continually emptier. It was strange how he used the bodies of these women, of those who threw themselves at him, but he was the one who felt as if he had been used. Each climax ripped another part of his soul away and soon there would be nothing left of Tony and there was no one left that could save him. Or was there?
Tony DiNozzo glanced furtively around the bullpen. He was looking to escape down to Abby's lab without anyone seeing him. He knew Gibbs was upstairs in MTAC and Ziva hadn't come in yet. McGee was getting coffee which made the path downstairs to Abby's lab clear. Looking over at McGee's desk again, he noticed his iPod. Good, something he could possibly use. He snatched it up and darted down the stairs unseen. Tony was greeted by the thrumming bass of a song he would likely never know the name of. He loved Abby, but her music was definately not his cup of tea. Before he could even call out, his arms were full of his favorite goth and she was prattling away in his ear.
"Tony, Tony, Tony you have to help me! McGee's birthday is Sunday and I want to surprise him. " Abby was shaking her head and her hands fluttered about. "I need you to make sure he gets home on time. Gibbs won't get mad as long as you cover for him."
Tony frowned. "Abs, what are you up to? I'm not sure I want to get involved with something like this, if I don't know what is going on."
"I'm channeling you, Tony. I'm going to send him a stripper." Abby laughed at the incredulous look on Tony's face. "Tim is only human, you know. I think there's been way too much work and not enough play for him lately. He wants to show the team that he can do more that punch computer keys, that he truly is an asset."
Tony was thoughtful for a moment. "Well, do you have anyone lined up? I know a couple of top rate services that you could call. Being a DiNozzo does have its perks afterall."
"I think I've got it under control Tony, but I'll let you know if I need any help." Abby turned to her computer screen, avoiding Tony's curious eyes. "Wait a minute! What are you doing with Tim's iPod?"
Tony looked down at the device in his hand. "I was hoping to get an idea for a birthday gift from it, but I was going to ask you for help first."
A strange expression crossed over Abby's face. "Tony, I'm going to ask you to do something for me. You are going to take Tim's iPod upstairs and put it back where you found it. Then, you are going to come back down to my lab so I can help you pick out a gift for McGee. Understood?"
Tony nodded. Without another word, he turned and left the lab. He couldn't help but think something was off with this situation. Why would Abby insist he put Probie's music player back that way? It wasn't like he hadn't borrowed stuff without asking before. Most of the time McGee rolled his eyes, took whatever Tony had borrowed back and moved on. The realization hit him like a lightning bolt to the chest. There was something on that iPod that Abby didn't think he should see. He pressed the center key and swiped the screen to unlock it. So far, so good. He was far from a computer genius and without Abby's help there was no way he could crack a passcode. He scanned through some of the music, but nothing really stood out to him. Some of the music Tony was familar with and some of it he wasn't. He exhaled and looked at the screen again. Taking a deep breath he decided to check the photos file next. What he found there stunned him to the core.
He stepped into the elevator and flicked the emergency switch. It was a manuever used frequently by Gibbs' team when they needed to have a quick private meeting or just have a moment away from prying eyes. Tony tapped one of the folders and flipped through the pictures of partly dressed and fully nude men. The next folder consisted of the same sort of pictures. The third folder was something different entirely. All of them were candid snapshots McGee had managed to take of Tony. They weren't like the other pictures in any way. There were a few of Tony at his desk, goofing off. Others had been taken out in the field while Tony collected evidence and sketched crime scenes. The very last one was a Tony in the locker room after a work out. He was sweaty and shirtless at the time, gazing toward the showers. Tony was speechless. How was he supposed to go back down and face Abby now? She must have known all along.
'Crap' thought Tony. Now, he knew Tim's big secret. But it didn't make sense. McGee had dated Abby. Was she just a cover? Or did McGee swing both ways? Tony's eyes widened. There were a few ways to find out, but which one to choose?
Timothy McGee was nothing else, if not brilliant. He did have a tendancy to be socially awkward, but his book tours had freed him from his fear of public speaking. Before his last tour, Gibbs, Tony, and Ziva frequently talked over him. Tim knew that his computer speak didn't matter to them, but for him, it was all about logic. Explaining his clues, using both standard English and computer speak allowed him to fully define what he had found. The team would get frustrated and one of them would cut him off and yell at him to make his point. In the beginning, he wanted them to understand how hard he worked. Not only was he a field agent, he could hack the computer system of nearly anyone in the world and that was a skill not just anyone could boast. These days, he kept his explanation concise and free of geeky ramblings. He wondered if anyone really noticed the change in his demeanor; the part of him he was so proud of shoved into a tiny shoebox at the bottom of a closet in his mind.
He was certain that Tony hadn't noticed. The senior field agent was too busy drowning his angst with every available woman he could charm into his bed. Oh, but he could tell you the name of nearly all the women Tony had bedded in the last year. Tim's green eyes were stormy as he stared down at his tea. It sucked being attracted to someone who most definitely wasn't gay, and even worse, someone who barely acknowledged your existance anymore. He needed to get over Tony stat, before someone like Ziva realised how into the man McGee was. Abby had kept the secret of him being gay for so long, it was a small miracle that she hadn't blown it. Had she known about Tony, McGee didn't even want to think about that. Tim shook the thoughts out of his head and went back to his desk. Gibbs came down from MTAC just as he was pulling his chair out.
Go home, McGee. It's your birthday and we don't have a case," Gibbs said, smirking just a little.
"You sure, Boss? I can finish up this file first if needed." McGee responeded.
"Nope. Go home. That's an order" Gibbs demanded as he started to shoo the team's youngest agent.
Tim shook his head, but started gathering up his stuff. Maybe he would hit the park for a run. He looked down at his iPod. 'This isn't where I left it.' Thoughts began to swirl through his mind. Ziva still isn't back. 'Oh God, where is Tony? Please tell me he didn't, please' McGee pleaded mentally. One movement of the screen to the side brought all of Tim's worst nightmares to life. He always wiped the screen off. He hated fingerprints, but there they were. A set of prints that were too large to be a woman's. Being the logical person that he was, he didn't even attempt to brush it off, hoping that Tony hadn't seen the secret he had been harboring for close to three years. He shook his head again, wondering if he should go down to Abby and seek her assistance in damage control. Instead, he headed for the parking garage. He would ask for a transfer to another department or an assignment on a ship, somewhere far away from the Yard.
DiNozzo was standing in the doorway of Abby's lab again. This time, he stared blankly at Abby when she came out of her office. The accusation on her face said it all, before she could even get a word out.
"I looked, Abby. I knew you were hiding something. You were way too freaked out. So freaked out even, that you didn't take the iPod from me and return it yourself. You knew what was on there, didn't you?" Tony said hollowly.
"For what it's worth Tony, I'm sorry. I swore to Tim I would not tell anyone, you especially. I respected his privacy and I really hope that you will do the same. If he finds out you know, something tells me we won't see him again," Abby said softly. "Don't yell at him, Tony. And please don't make fun of him. He's having a hard enough time with this. It nearly killed him to admit he was gay."
Tony took a second to process the information. "I take it you don't know."
She was puzzled. "Know what, Tony? I know he's gay. I know he's intensely private about it. He only uses his iPod for porn and such, never his computer."
"Abs, there were pictures of me. A lot of pictures of me," he replied quietly.
He was met with an astonished expression. "I didn't know Tony, I promise."
"I got Gibbs to send him home for the rest of day. And no Abby, I didn't tell Gibbs anything. However, you are going to tell me something. Where did you request the stripper from?" Tony's face was still blank, his eyes revealing nothing.
Abby fidgeted. "The Imperial Dragon. They are extremely discreet, as well as being rumored to have the best male strippers in 4 states. It costed quite a bit to get a house call, but I couldn't think of a good way to get him into a hotel room without tipping him off."
"Okay Abs. I'm going to go to the bookstore and buy him something there. I swear to you I won't say anything to him. Wait, when is the stripper due? I don't want to screw your gift up," Tony gave her the trademark DiNozzo smirk.
Abby beamed. "Seven sharp. Thanks Tony!" She threw her arms around him squealing.
Tony peeled the pretty goth off of him and kissed her cheek good-bye. He now had the perfect gift in mind for his secretive Probie. Taking the elevator up to the parking level his car was on, he couldn't help but whistle to himself.
Meanwhile, across town, Tim was pacing the floor of his apartment. His stomach twisted and he felt like he was ready to lose his lunch. Flopping into his computer chair, he pulled up the chat room for the game he was currently betaing. He put on his headset and hoped there would be someone to talk to.
xxCelticWarriorxx: Heya bud, you're home early.
McGee: It's my birthday, so they kicked me out.
xxCelticWarriorxx: Come on, I know you. How many games have we played together since MIT? What's wrong?
McGee: My team's senior agent... He used my iPod today. I'm pretty sure he knows I'm gay. If that's true, he also knows that I like him.
xxCelticWarriorxx: Uh-oh. He's a real ladies man, right? What's the plan?
McGee: I'm requesting a transfer tomorrow. I can't face him. He's going to laugh in my face. xxCelticWarriorxx: Dude, he won't. Did he laugh at the guy who hit on him that time? He won't laugh at you, but you need to talk to him. Either tell him you actually like him or tell him that he was safe because he's into women. Make a move before this turns into a workplace diasaster. McGee: You are the best, man. I was going all loco over here, but I think I'm okay now. I'll talk to him in the morning. Thanks Kyle. Seriously. xxCelticWarriorxx: Anything for my old friend.
McGee signed off the game and sighed. It seemed so simple the way Kyle explained it, but there was no way it would be that simple when he was face to face with Tony. He decided a shower would be a good course of action. Grabbing a towel, he cranked the hot water up. He prayed the steam and hot spray from the shower head would bring him at least a small degree of solace.
~*~*~*~*~*~ DiNozzo walked out of the bookstore with 2 books, each wrapped in a shiny silver paper. The first book was a first generation Dickens that set his credit card back far more that he wanted to admit. The second was book of sexual positions for men. Hey, what would it hurt? It was knowledge that would do McGee some good, if he could get past his phobia of relationships.
He could hear Abby in the back of his mind. "Timmy avoids relationships for a reason. I nearly got killed by one of his crazy fans, Tony. I don't think he could deal with something like that happening to the person he really loves."
If there was only one thing Tony knew at that moment, it was that for months now, he had been miserable and losing his edge as an agent. Seeing McGee's photo reel had smacked him back to reality, hard. How could he have ever been so blind that he missed Tim crushing on him? Now, he could be a good friend to the Probie and apologize for snooping and act everything was good. Or he could turn everyone's world upside down. Never one to back down from a challenge, he quickly pulled out his phone and searched for the number to a certain escort agency.
"Hello and thank you for calling The Imperial Dragon, how may I assist you today," purred a male voice.
"Yes, I need to cancel an appointment for tonight. Something has come up and the client will be unavailable," Tony replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that, sir. Can you confirm the meeting place so that I may cancel this appoinment?" the voice inquired.
Tony rattled off McGee's address, hoping that Abby wouldn't kill him for doing this.
"Since this is such short notice, the refund will only be 75 percent. Do you still wish to proceed with the cancelation?
"Yes, thank you. " Tony's voice was kind enough, but to the point. He still had other things to do before he dropped off McGee's gift. Or gifts...
"You are all set, sir. The appointment is cancelled and the refund will be in your account in 3-5 business days." The voice stopped and there was a click.
Now it was time to put his plan into action. Tony broke every speed limit on the way to his home. He raced through the house grabbing things he might need and shoved them into a duffel. Tossing the duffel onto his bed, he took a short shower and dried off in record time. He ran a light amount of gel through his hair, keeping it soft but giving it a little definition. He dressed far more carefully. Black silk boxers were the first item to slide over Tony's legs. Soft black trousers followed. The ribbed tank he would wear was gray and the button up shirt was the same shade of midnight black as his pants. He didn't bother with socks, sliding on a pair of Italian loafers that completed the look.
The drive to McGee's apartment nearly made Tony sick. Either this would work, or it could fail epicly. Still, Tony knew something had to change. Something had to give. The team had been operating at half capacity for too long now. He parked his car and began his climb to Tim's abode, the duffel slug casually over his shoulder. Gathering the courage, he knocked at the door. A thud came from inside. Tony then decided to go with Plan B.
Disguising his voice he chirped out "Special delivery from Miss Scuito."
The groan he heard forced him to stifle a laugh. 'Jesus what has Abby done now?'McGee groused.
The door opened and Tony stood, leaning lightly against the wall. "Oh hey Tony. What did Abby send with you and why are you disguising your... You thought I wouldn't open the door if I knew it was you?"
Tony nodded. "You're McGeek, wonder of the computer world. Something tells me you already know that I went through your iPod today."
"You're usually so careful not to let me catch you snooping Tony. I knew you saw the pictures when it looked someone had just tossed it back onto my desk," McGee agreed.
"Before anything crazy happens, I want you to take your gift. It took me forever to decide what you could possibly want. I really hope you like it." Tony handed over the larger silver package.
McGee waved him inside, taking the proffered gift. Tony shut the door, but never moved beyond that point as he watched Tim meticulously open the paper. It was such a McGee thing to do, open a present with such care. The look on his face was well worth every penny on interest that DiNozzo would have to pay.
"Are you insane Tony. This is worth a fortune. I can't believe you're giving me this." Amazed and puzzled, he looked back at Tony again. "Wait, this isn't actually from Abyby is it?"
Tony grinned. "I might have tried that a long time ago, but nope. That was all me."
"So, the line about Abby really was just to get me to open the door?"
Shaking his head, Tony laughed quietly. "No. She really did send you something. Where can I dock this?" He held up his phone to McGee.
"A song?"
"I'm not telling Probie. Now show me where to put this."
McGee pointed and Tony plugged up his phone. He pointed at the couch. "Tim, you need to sit down for this."
"Oh no. No no no. Tell me she did not. Tony, tell me she didn't hire a stripper, hooker, escort or whatever you call them."
"Tim, sit."
McGee made no effort to move, so Tony placed his hands on the man's arms and guided him back to the seat. He was too busy studing Tony's hands to realize what was happening until he hit the couch.
"Tony..."
"Shush Probie. Don't you trust me? Do you think I'd let Abby order you a dirty hooker off the street?"
McGee was silent.
Tony pulled up the song and pressed play.
The beat started and Tony looked over his shoulder at McGee.
iYeah...
Uh huh So seductive/
It was almost comical to watch Tim's green eyes widen.
iI'll take you to the candy shop I'll let you lick the lollipop Go 'head girl, don't you stop Keep going 'til you hit the spot (woah)/i
Tony swiveled his body around and run his hands down the front of his shirt down towards his hips and back up to the buttons on his shirt. He kept his eyes on McGee while he unbuttoned the shirt, letting it drape off his arms. It fell to the floor and Tony eased closer to Tim, who was stunned speechless. Tony pulled the tank up over his head and tossed it behind him. Tim's eyes were glued to Tony's pecs and then his abs. There was plenty of definition beneath the senior agent's tanned skin. Tony danced closer to the couch, but not quite close enough for Tim to touch him.
iYou can have it your way, how do you want it You gon' back that thing up or should i push up on it Temperature rising, okay lets go to the next level Dance floor jam packed, hot as a teakettle I'll break it down for you now, baby it's simple If you be a nympho, I'll be a nympho In the hotel or in the back of the rental/i
Tony slid his fingers to the waistband of his pants and made quick work of them. They were gone as he kicked off his shoes. McGee swallowed as Tony came closer, close enough for him to touch. He was frozen in place. Tony kept dancing until he placed his hands on top of of Tim's.
iIt's like it's a race who can get undressed quicker Isn't it ironic how erotic it is to watch em in thongs Had me thinking 'bout that ass after I'm gone I touch the right spot at the right time /i
Tony guided Tim's hands up to his silk shorts. He then let go. He wanted this to be Tim's choice. There were storms brewing in those green eyes, as they met Tony's. Tim tugged lightly at the waistband of Tony's shorts and they started to fall. Tony kicked them away and pushed up from the couch.
iGirl what we do (what we do)
And where we do (and where we do)
The things we do (things we do)
Are just between me and you (oh yeah) /i
Tim licked his dry lips. His pupils were blown with lust as the object of his desire danced nude in front of him. Tony smiled as he watch McGee pinch himself. Leaning back down he rubbed his body on Tim's.
"You aren't dreaming" Tony whispered in his ear.
When the song ended, the room was quiet. Tony trailed his fingers across Tim's neck down the front of his chest enjoying the shiver of Tim's body.
"Tony, what's going on? Why? I'm so lost right now."
Tony straddled McGee. "Here's what I know Probie. You are into me. I'm bi, though I don't make it a known fact. I haven't been with a guy since college, but frankly, the more women I sleep with, the more I feel like I'm losing my mind. I feel like I'm drowning, Tim and finding out you are attracted to me was like being thrown a lifeline. I think we could have something together."
"Are you sure, Tony? You're immune to Gibbs, but I don't want him to kill me."
"I think Gibbs will kill us both if we don't get our shit together."
McGee reached over and lightly touched Tony's face. Tony leaned into Tim's touch before kissing him full on the lips. When Tim gasped in appreciation, it was all the encouragement Tony needed. He slipped his tongue across Tim's lips, pressing forward to tangle tongues with his Probie.