Jealous Minds Think Alike

Summary: Jenny/Gibbs; tag to Under Covers. After the ball, Jethro's shows up at Jenny's house demanding to know why she chose to take Ducky as a date rather than him. Jibbs oneshot.

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The bourbon he had swallowed had started a fire in him; fuelled by memories of Shannon and Kelly, and birthdays that had been far better and far less lonely than this one. Today hadn't been the most brilliant of days as it was, he hated risking his team's lives even when it was necessary. He was glad that the case was closed but he was not looking forward to spending the remaining hours of his birthday alone. Fortunately no one had remembered, or God forbid, bought him any gifts or cards. The only person who had acknowledge that this day was any different to yesterday or tomorrow was Abby, and she was not the sort of person who let events like birthdays go unnoticed. It seemed ironic that, although he hadn't wanted anyone to notice that it was his birthday, it still hurt that Jenny had made no mention of it. Surely she must remember when his birthday was, it wasn't as if they hadn't shared many passionate liaisons on that very night over the years. It made him wonder if he was expecting too much of Jenny in thinking that she loved him still and had loved him since Paris; since she was made Director of NCIS.

It hurt even more to know that she had invited Ducky to the function she was attending tonight and not him. He knew that, had she asked, he would have moaned and not enjoyed the evening but he would have gone, for her sake. The thought of spending a whole evening with her in that dress may have killed him though. Once he had returned home and gone down to his basement, Gibbs continued to work more bourbon into his system. The power of the liquid helped to ease some of the pain he felt over being another year older without those he loved the most with him. The emotion that grew strongest as the alcohol flowed was indignation. Gibbs could not put a finger on what was driving him to become so obsessed about Jenny's choice of date for the evening. She was well within her rights to invite Ducky to the event after all they had been friends back in the past too. He hated the realisation that what irked him the most was how jealous this was making him. This revelation caused him to pour another measure of bourbon, larger this time. As he swallowed the liquid it burned its way down his throat but with it he felt a sudden urge to leave his house and to visit her; for answers.

Ducky had just driven away in his ancient Morgan and she was hanging her jacket and slim silk scarf up when she heard the doorbell ring. She assumed that it was Ducky to tell her that she had left something in his car, though she was pretty sure she hadn't. Still, Ducky was far more of a gentleman than any of the other many men she came across on a daily basis. She excused Gibbs from that of course but then her generalisations never included him anyway. Now, as Gibbs came into her mind, she remembered the look on his face when he had seen her and Ducky leave NCIS together and she still couldn't decide what she was feeling in response.

"Just coming," Jenny called, arranging the scarf neatly over her jacket before opening the front door again. "Jethro," She said in surprise. Of all the people she had expected to see at her front door that evening, he had been one of the last she had expected.

"Evening Jen," He said, noticing that she was still wearing that dress and how it accentuated every beautiful curve of her perfect body. "How was your function?"

Jenny scowled but let Gibbs inside all the same. This was not a conversation she wanted to have on her front porch.

"Very pleasant thank you," She replied, her tone as icy as the blue of his eyes. "Ducky was an excellent choice of companion too,"

Gibbs just stared at her, both of them stood at the threshold of her living room.

"You could have invited me, Jen," He said softly. "I would have gone with you, I may I have even been nice to all those people you had to hobnob with."

Jenny smiled a little. "Thank you Jethro, that's sweet of you," She paused. "But I'm not that much of sadist that I'd put you through that kind of torture." She stopped again, for longer this time and met his eye before she finished. "Not on your birthday anyway," She delighted in the flicker of surprise on Gibbs' face before he caught himself. "Yes, Jethro, I remembered. How could I forget?" She said and she knew that he was reliving the few of his birthdays they had spent together and how they had ended.

"I thought you didn't want me to take you," He finally admitted. He hated showing weakness but Jenny was one of the few people who could really read him and there was no point trying to hide anything from her.

Jenny smiled crookedly as this rare show of Gibbs' more vulnerable side. It amazed her that, after all this time, she still had some power over the man before her. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft.

"I would like nothing more than to show up to every event with you on my arm Jethro, but you and I both know better than that."

Jethro reached other, taking her chin in his hand and tilting her face so she was looking straight into his ice blue eyes.

"Do we? We never used to; we never used to give a damn Jen, what happened to that?" He was even surprising himself at the range of emotions he was experiencing in one evening. Still, Jenny had always been one of the few people who could play havoc with his feelings and still leave him wanting to come back for more.

"I think me becoming Director happened to that," Jenny replied sarcastically but the words hurt her as much as they hurt Gibbs, if not more.

"Just because you're Director it doesn't mean you can't have a life, Jen," Gibbs replied.

Jenny laughed humourlessly at this, thinking back over the past couple of months and how the only thing she had shared her bed with was stacks of paperwork. She couldn't remember that last time she had spent her small amount of free time doing anything that wasn't work related. Even tonight's function, as pleasant as it was, still involved 'hobnobbing' with her colleagues.

"It seems that way most of the time," She replied but she couldn't disagree with the notion that it would be much easier to bear if she had someone to come home to at the end of a long day; someone like Jethro Gibbs. She sighed, the need for a drink suddenly overwhelming her and not just the fizzy champagne from the function, no, she needed bourbon. "Do you want some bourbon, Jethro?" She asked.

"Thanks," Jethro replied and followed Jenny into the study where he watched her pour two glasses of bourbon for them. In fact it was more the dress he watched than Jen's actions. He couldn't help but wonder how she managed to breathe in a dress so tight and he had almost forgotten how beautiful her back was. He desperately wanted to reach out and trail his fingers over the pale skin but he controlled the urge, keeping his hands busy by picking up the bourbon instead.

"Were you planning on staying long?" Jenny asked, after taking a long sip of bourbon and feeling the warmth spread throughout her body.

"Was that a hint?" Jethro replied, but there was a hint of humour in his eyes.

Jenny smiled almost apologetically. "It's just that, if you are going to stay for a while, I think I'll go and change." She made a face as she fidgeted in the dress.

Jethro was momentarily stuck for words and was aware that he was still staring at her. Damn, he thought to himself, why does she have to look so incredibly beautiful and desirable now, I'm supposed to be angry with her? All of the previous anger and indignation he had felt at her choosing Ducky over him as her date for the evening had abated and he knew most of it was down to the dress and the way it hugged her every curve.

"I'd rather you didn't," He whispered in a low voice and there was no mistaking the hint of desire there.

Jenny smiled her trademark grin, the corners of her mouth twisting upwards. "Excuse me?"

Gibbs reached out for her, his arms sliding around her waist and his lips crushing against her's in a kiss reminiscent of many they had shared in the past; in Marseille, in Paris and even right here in this house. He kissed her hungrily, feeling her mouth dance beneath his, until he felt his lungs constricting with the urge to breath. Panting, Jethro ran his hands up Jenny's arms and his fingers tangled in her hair. Jen initiated the second kiss, pressing her body against Jethro's, savouring the warmth of his body and the taste of his kiss. Gibbs reached around her back and slipped down the dress' zipper, as he kissed down her neck he whispered.

"I really do love this dress, Jen."