Chapter Two

After seeing Tony to the spare room, Gibbs turned into his own and sank down onto his bed. Running his hands through his hair he thought back on the night's conversation.

Deep down he knew that Tony hadn't been anything but honest with him and although his being gay hadn't come anywhere close to surprising him, his affection for Tobias Fornell of all people had knocked his preconceived notions of his second in command flat on his ass.

In a lot of ways, Tobias was a lot like he was himself so part of him was flattered but the larger part of him was wary. Was Tony suffering a little from transference? It was already established that the younger man looked upon him as a father figure, so was that what Tony was trying to do?

He shook his head. No. If he was to believe what Tony had told him, his feelings for Tobias had been running deep for years and in that time, he'd been rebuilding his relationship with Senior.

The only thing left to believe was that Tony WAS in fact in love with his best friend and the only thing for him to do now was figure out what to do about it.

Well, he was Leroy Jethro Gibbs. There was only one way he could approach this. Reaching out, he picked up the phone from his bedside table and dialled an all too familiar number. He wasn't surprised when an angry voice answered on the other end.

"It's 3am! This better be good!"

"Tobias? It's me. I need to talk to you. Can I come over?"

Fornell grunted.

"This must be good. You've never asked my permission before."

Running a hand over his face, Gibbs sighed softly.

"Yeah, well... Look, I've been drinking so I need you to come get me too. Or I'll take a cab if you've got Emily tonight?"

Instantly Fornell was awake and alert. Whatever was going on, it certainly had to be important for Jethro to be blatantly asking him for favours.

"I'll be over in fifteen." Fornell hung up abruptly.

Diving into a quick shower to rid himself of the sawdust liberally covering every inch of him and checking that his young charge was asleep, Gibbs was standing on the sidewalk just as Fornell pulled up.

Sitting himself in the passenger seat, Gibbs answered Fornell's questioning look with an answering glare. Getting the not so subtle hint, the FBI agent remained quiet through the quick drive and into the house until they were seated on the couch and a glass of bourbon was pressed into his guests hand.

"Okay, Jethro. It's the middle of the night, I'm tired and I'm impatient. Now spill. What mess have you gotten yourself into now?"

Swallowing half the bourbon straight down, Gibbs dove straight in the deep end.

"You ever been into guys, Tobias?"

Fornell choked on his own drink, his face turning red.

"I... You... Wha'?... Something you need to tell me, Jethro?"

Gibbs grunted in frustration.

"Just answer the damn question, Tobias!"

Slowly sipping some more of his drink, Fornell sank heavily onto an armchair.

"What've you heard? Why are you asking me now?"

Gibbs took in his friends pinking complexion and the realisation hit him suddenly. This definately wasn't a question as far from left field as he had expected it to be.

"Toby?" he whispered. "Anything YOU wanna tell ME?"

Standing up quickly and pacing the floor in front of the couch, Fornell began to talk, refusing to look at Gibbs.

"I've always liked women, Jethro. You have to understand that. But I'm not exactly 100% straight either. So yeah, okay. When he started paying me attention, I was flattered. I mean, you know, he was younger and so damn handsome. But like they say: There's no fool like an old fool. I shoulda known he was using me. Trying to push his own career. I just don't understand how you found out? Why'd he come to you? When it ended, he knew I'd figured out that he was using me and he was mad. I guess I'd understand if he'd gone to the assistant director, but why you?"

Gibbs stared at his best friend, his jaw slack.

"Tobias? I have no idea what you're talking about. Who?"

Fornell stopped his pacing and refilled their glasses.

"You really didn't know?" he sighed. "Last year, for six months, I was sleeping with Ron. Ron Sacks."

Attempting and failing badly to cover his outburst of laughter, Gibbs let out a loud guffaw.

"Agent Slacks, Tobias? Really? Even I can see you could do so much better than that weasely asshole!"

Fornell's embarrassment abated somewhat at Gibbs' mocking tone.

"Yeah, well, Jethro. What can I tell you? He was young, fit and amazing in the sack."

The amusement left his voice as soon as it appeared.

"But if Ron didn't come to you, why are you suddenly, out of the blue asking me about my interest in guys?"

Matching Fornell's serious tone, Gibbs leaned back into the couch and took his time to formulate an answer. Eventually he spoke up.

"Someone who means more to me than you can imagine, confessed to me tonight that he's in love with you. He's given up hope of you ever even noticing him, but what kind of man would I be if I didn't at least try and make my son happy?"

Fornell's hand stopped with his own glass half way to his mouth.

"Your 'son', Jethro? Your... Oh!"

Throwing his drink down his throat, he shook his head slowly.

"Is this some kind of elaborate joke? I mean, it's the kind of thing I'd expect from DiNutso. But I expected more from you! This isn't funny!"

Gibbs laughed lightly.

"It's not a joke, Toby. And I'll admit, I had the same reaction at first. But the kid came out to his father tonight and came away with a bruised up face and some severely bruised ribs. You have to understand. His life hasn't exactly been easy so far and for him to open up to me like he did, it meant a lot. I mean it when I said I see him as a son. I do. If you knew him like I do, you'd know he's so much more than first impressions let you think. He's a good man, Tobias and I really want you to consider giving him a chance. But if you do, I'm telling you now, he's been hurt so badly and if you hurt him more, I'll kill you and nobody will ever find the pieces."

Slowly, Fornell took in the momentous speech from his usually stoic best friend.

"I know he's more than the masks he puts up, Jethro. And I'd be stupid to deny he's an amazingly good looking guy... I'll think about it. Okay? Can you at least give me that?"

Nodding once, Gibbs felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

"Just don't wait too long. Now he's started coming out, it's not going to be long before he lets his other masks slip and people are gonna start seeing him for all he truly is. When he does, he's gonna get snapped up quick."

Placing his glass down on the coffee table, he stood up and stretched.

"Okay. I'm gonna walk home and try and get rid of some of this bourbon before I end up with a hangover tomorrow."