A/N: Like usual, nothing belongs to me. Like usual, this it Tibbs.

There is still time

Tony could almost sense the impending doom as he walked after Gibbs into his boss' house. He didn't know why that was because he should have felt better, should have felt relieved because Gibbs had just told him that his father wanted to spend time with him, even move to DC for him. Tony knew that Senior meant well and he was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one. Deep down Tony realized that he would always be waiting for his father to screw it up, but he hoped that it would be different this time, that his father would prove him wrong for once.

But all of this wasn't what Tony was worried about – at least not at the moment. Something about Gibbs' words in the car made him feel on edge – and not the good kind either. Gibbs had made him see that he needed to give his father another chance, needed to in order to finally make peace with him and that was fine but it was the way Gibbs had said it – it had sounded so final. Tony was sure that Gibbs hadn't even realized it but by telling Tony to get closer to his father, Gibbs had unintentionally told him to let go of him, Gibbs. Tony knew it was stupid, Gibbs would still be there for him, but he couldn't help the feeling of loss that made itself perceivable inside of him. Maybe Gibbs was just tired of playing Tony's agony aunt, of playing Tony's father when it came to the more emotional things in his life.

Involuntarily, Tony let out a sigh when Gibbs told both him and his dad to be gone by the time he'd come up from the basement again, but he nodded nonetheless. Gibbs was right after all, it was none of his business and Senior shouldn't have dragged him in like that. Tony still wondered why he had come to Gibbs' house instead of going to a hotel. What was it about Gibbs that made both of them always come to him for comfort? It surely couldn't be Gibbs' insights because the guy rarely talked about anything – but he was a damn good listener.

Tony's thoughts were still swirling around Gibbs even as he talked to his dad about finding him a new apartment. He was glad that his dad was forgiving him that easily for his outburst the day before and he was glad that they could start over again, but still relief wouldn't settle in. As he watched his dad walk upstairs to get his stuff, he heard a sound coming from the basement and he realized that he wasn't done talking yet. He still had someone to talk to.

"You ready to go?" his dad brought him out of his thoughts.

"Hey," Tony slowly answered, turning his attention to Senior. "Here's the key to my car. Could you go on and go home… I, uh, need to talk to Gibbs first."

"Everything alright?"

"Yeah, Dad. Don't worry. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay," his father gave him a rather confused smile. "See you later, then."

Tony watched him leave the house but didn't immediately move after his father closed the door behind him. He wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to tell Gibbs. He didn't even know why he needed to talk him so desperately. Something still wasn't sitting right with him and it wasn't his dad this time, at least not really.

"Thought I told you to be gone?" Gibbs interrupted his train of thought as he walked through the door coming from the basement, a jar of bourbon in his hand.

"Yeah, sorry."

"So, why are you still here?" Gibbs checked back, cocking his head. "Everything alright with Senior?"

"Yeah," Tony nodded. "I think it'll work out. Somehow."

"Good," Gibbs answered, nodding ever so slightly before he took a sip from his drink.

Silence settled between them as Tony was still searching for something to say. It would have helped if he actually knew what was bothering him so much.

"What is it?" Gibbs finally asked, apparently having enough of Tony's quiet presence.

"I don't know," Tony said as he walked into the living room and sat down on the couch with Gibbs doing the same next to him a few moments later. "I just feel like I've just let you go."

"What do you mean?" Gibbs replied, his brows furrowing.

"It's like… Now that I've let my dad in, I'm kind of losing you in the course. I know it doesn't make sense, but that's what I'm feeling."

"Why, Tony?" Gibbs answered slowly, looking at him in confusion. "I'm still here."

"I know. Just… I've always come to you whenever I needed a sounding board. Isn't that what fathers are supposed to do? I don't know. But now that Dad is actually trying… where does that leave you… and me?"

"We're still…," Gibbs trailed off, running a hand over his face before taking a sip from his bourbon. "Friends. Or whatever you like us to be."

Tony stayed quiet for a moment, feeling something weird settling in the pit of his stomach. He really shouldn't have said anything because Gibbs suddenly looked actually hurt. But Tony hadn't meant it like that. He wouldn't willingly let go of him, even if it felt like that right now. He thought Gibbs knew that, but that wasn't what made him feel strange now. Did he really want to be friends with the older man? He knew that they were – had been for a long time, but Gibbs had never actually said it. Now that he had, though, it still didn't sit right with him. Something that he had long forgotten about, something that he had pushed away for years suddenly reared its ugly head and Tony suddenly tensed. He didn't understand. Why the hell were the well-hidden feelings for Gibbs suddenly resurfacing? They didn't have anything to do with it. How was letting his dad in and losing Gibbs as a father figure evoking these feelings suddenly?

Tony felt his heart pick up pace as he suddenly realized what it was about. He didn't see Gibbs as a father figure, as the mentor in his life anymore. He knew it was nonsense, knew that Gibbs wouldn't give up on him, hell, he had just told him that he wouldn't, but now that Tony's dad was back in the picture he really could see his boss as his friend – even if that wasn't exactly what he was feeling right now.

"Tony?" Gibbs interrupted his panic once again. "You still with me?"

"Yeah," Tony let out a pathetic attempt of a laugh. "I'm sorry, I'm just…"

"What?"

"Stupid," Tony answered, rubbing his hand through his hair, probably messing it up big time. "Of course, you're my friend."

"Okay," Gibbs answered seemingly automatically, once again furrowing his brow. "Then, what's wrong?"

"I shouldn't have said that I was seeing something like a father figure in you before."

"How come?"

"Because I never did. You just were… when things got tough, you were there. When things were great, you were my go-to guy, too. You're just … a constant in my life – the only one actually. I don't want to lose that."

"You won't," Gibbs reassured him. "You should know that."

"I know," Tony said, trying to come up with a better way to say what he wanted to say. "I just… wanted to thank you. For everything you did for me. Even when you really didn't need to. Like last night, you didn't need to take Senior in like that. I don't know why he thought he could come to you and bother you."

"He's never a bother. Neither are you."

"Thanks… I just… sometimes I really feel like it. Because I never give anything back to you, you know?"

Tony watched Gibbs openly stare at him and flinched ever so slightly when Gibbs suddenly gave him a slap to his head.

"What the hell are you talking about? You've saved my life countless of times, you were trying to be there when Franks died and my dad. You've kept me company so many times when I needed someone to be there without even realizing and you're telling me that you can't give me anything?"

"I…" Tony started, slightly baffled as he hadn't expected that kind of announcement coming from Gibbs of all people. "I… uh… never realized I did all these things."

"That's because you're you," Gibbs replied, suddenly turning a bit pink in the face, something that Tony had never seen on him before. "You don't need to try. You just know when people need something. You just don't seem to realize when you need somebody."

"I know," Tony answered, bowing his head.

"Hey," Gibbs said, his voice suddenly gone soft as he tapped the knuckles of his fingers against Tony's thigh, causing the younger man to look at him again. "You've always been important. Always will be, too. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah," Tony sighed. "Thanks."

Gibbs nodded once and then emptied his jar in one big gulp. He then looked at Tony again, his blue eyes almost piercing him and that was when Tony just gave up. Gave up pretending, gave up hiding what he really wanted to say to the older man. He had just heard what he needed to hear – that Gibbs wouldn't let go of him. No matter what. So he wouldn't desert him now, either, when he would tell him the monumental thing.

Unconsciously, Tony moved a bit closer to him, searching for eye contact and finally finding it. Gibbs' cheeks were still a bit red and Tony realized that it would be now or never… because if he didn't tell him now, he never would.

But still, words failed him.

He didn't know how he was supposed to tell him. He didn't know how to even start. And in a moment of pure desperation and insanity, Tony closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then just closed the gap between Gibbs' and his own lips. He could feel his boss stiffen up, could feel his lips against his own, could hear his own erratic breathing, could hear his pulse rushing loudly through his veins. And just when he was about to realize what he had just done, just when he was about to realize how stupid he had been, Gibbs moved.

Towards him.

He was actually kissing him back, his right arm coming around Tony's neck, drawing him closer. And before Tony even knew what was happening, he felt Gibbs' tongue begging for entrance, so he just let him, still feeling like he couldn't do anything at the moment but kiss the other man. He had no idea how long this had already been going on because he was too focused, too lost in Gibbs' kiss that he was surprised when Gibbs finally broke their connection drawing in a deep breath. It was when Tony realized that he needed to breathe, too – he hadn't done so since Gibbs had moved into his kiss.

So he took a deep breath and then finally opened his eyes again, only to be faced with Gibbs' blue ones. His lips felt like they were on fire and he didn't dare to even talk because he feared that he would forget what Gibbs' lips had felt like. So he just stared at him, breathing heavily and waiting for the other man to say something – anything.

"Wow," Gibbs did him the favor, sounding as confused as Tony felt, and the younger man couldn't help but let out a bark of a laugh at that because this was so surreal and so big and yet all what Gibbs had managed to say was that.

Gibbs let out a laugh, too, and suddenly Tony couldn't hold it anymore. He started to laugh for real and soon Gibbs followed behind. When they finally managed to get it under control, with Gibbs still having his arm around Tony, Tony looked at Gibbs again, seeing the laugh soften to a real smile. A smile that Tony had only seen once in his life before. And he was sure that he could die happy now, having had that smile directed at him.

"What does this mean?" Gibbs finally asked into the silence and Tony hadn't even realized that he still hadn't said anything.

Tony shrugged, leaning into Gibbs' touch ever so slightly. "I don't know."

"Okay," Gibbs replied, furrowing a brow again and looking disappointed all of a sudden.

"No," Tony hurried to reply, leaning into the other man's touch again as he moved to pull his arm back, effectively holding it in place. "That's not what I meant. I… I'm sure about this. About you… and me… if there is such a thing."

Gibbs remained silent as he bowed his head, slightly shaking his head before he looked back up again.

"I want there to be a thing... I think."

"Yes?" Tony answered, feeling his heart pick up pace again as he processed what Gibbs had just said.

Was there really a chance? A chance of having Gibbs? A chance of Gibbs liking him the way he did? Or was this all a strange dream and none of it had really happened? Would he just wake up in his apartment, still smelling the burnt remains of Senior's dinner and lying next to Zoe?

Zoe.

The thought of her brought him to a standstill. He couldn't start anything with Gibbs if there was still Zoe. Not like this. He wouldn't do it if there was still her between them.

"Yeah, I want it," Gibbs calmly answered, once more raising him from his thoughts.

"Hold that thought," Tony replied as he slowly got up.

Seeing the questioning look on the older man's face, he stopped for a moment as he tried to come up with the right thing to say.

"I'm right there with you. I just… I need to do something before we can talk… before we can do… this. Whatever it is exactly."

"What?" Gibbs replied as he got up, too, standing far too close to Tony for him to think straight.

"Need to talk to Zoe first."

"Right," Gibbs nodded and then subtly shook his head. "I didn't even think of her."

"Neither did I. But I need to talk to her before we can do… this again."

"You're right," Gibbs answered, giving him an unexpected smile. "When?"

"Right now," Tony replied, knowing that she would understand because she had always understood. "I'll do it right now."

"Okay," Gibbs said and took Tony's hand, squeezing it. "I'll be here."

"Like you always were."

Gibbs just nodded and then Tony walked away from him, knowing that for once, he knew what he was doing, that for once, he actually understood what it meant to love someone, even if he probably wouldn't tell Gibbs that just yet.

There would time. There was still time.