CHAPTER 3 - Hot and Heavy

Note: There really is amarine (boat) soap that says it 'removes grease, oil, algae and fish.' It seems perfect for Gibbs.

NCIS: Secrets, 9x15
Ducky (to Tony): Jethro coped with his pain by repeatedly marrying the wrong woman, thus ensuring that ultimately he would be alone and safe from heartbreak. You repeatedly chased the wrong woman. You're alone because you never did as you just said: put it all behind you.

~ • ~

For the first few months, things between them had been hot and heavy. In fact, there was so much sex, Tony had a hard time thinking about anything except sex. And Jethro. He thought about Jethro a lot, like all the time.

The new agent, Kate, had sharp eyes and her file claimed she was a profiler, so there was a lot of sneaking around involved. A couple of months later they got their very own probie, and even if McGee was dewy with innocence, he seemed to have a sense for when something was off, so they had to be even more sneaky. Gibbs seemed to get a kick out of it.

They never so much as touched hands while at work. No eye-fucking or private looks. No fooling around in the elevator. No lunchtime blowjobs in an empty office. Once they left the premises though, all bets were off.

They'd end up at whoever's place was closer, and no matter how tired they were or how late it was, there was always time for sex.

Sometimes, when neither of them could wait a minute longer, Gibbs would pull into any convenient motel parking lot at a hundred miles an hour, screeching to a halt in front of the first vacancy he saw. They'd be half naked and sucking face before the lock was even engaged.

The locations might vary but the pattern rarely did. The minute the door was shut behind them, Tony would push Gibbs against the nearest hard surface and they'd kiss until they were both breathing hard. At times Tony'd go straight to the meat of the matter and drop to his knees, pulling Gibbs' zipper down as he went, latching his mouth onto Jethro's cock, all in one smooth action. Tony loved it when Gibbs placed his big hand in his hair, gently but firmly guiding him. Gibbs liked to be warmed up and Tony did his best to suck Jethro's brains out through his dick, but they rarely finished up in the hallway, what with Gibbs' bad knee and Tony's preference for a firm mattress.

A soon as they were horizontal, they'd tussle a bit in what Tony thought of as the fight he'd never win, but then Gibbs' fingers would be fucking deep in his ass and Tony would lose it and start demanding (Gibbs called it begging), "Fuck me, fuck me now…oh God, fuck…I want…I need…need you…fucking pleeease…" in a litany of pleas for Jethro to just get his cock inside him, like right now.

Afterwards, Tony would sprawl atop Gibbs with heavy limbs and satisfied moans, and Gibbs would push at him a bit and complain he was too heavy. It was a game they indulged in; Tony would refuse to budge and Gibbs would not-so-gently nip at Tony's mouth or earlobe, and spank his ass a couple of times with his impossibly hard hand. After a brief tussle Tony would give in. He'd roll off Gibbs and would pretend to leave, but Gibbs would pull him back with a growl, and then they'd relax and breathe as one until they fell asleep in each other's arms.

Tony liked being in Gibbs' bed but Gibbs didn't care where they fucked so long as they didn't get interrupted. One time they had sex in an alleyway behind the Chinese take-out place near Tony's apartment, and Tony got such bad abrasions from being shoved bare-assed against the rough brick wall, that when they got back to Gibbs', Gibbs had to apply antibiotic cream in the places Tony couldn't reach. Tony later told Gibbs it was "the hottest, most fucked-up sex ever, and that's including that time I had those twin trapeze artists in Peoria…I told you about that, right?...and man, they got into these twisty pretzel-like positions and did things with their toes..."

They fucked in various automobiles – front, back and hood – and did it in Gibbs' truck so often they kept a ton of supplies in the glove compartment. For some reason that Tony couldn't recall, they had sex in the woods one ass-freezing night, with the barest minimum of flesh exposed. It was frenzied and hot, and Gibbs had Tony moaning loudly and about to come – until some night creature started yowling. In two seconds flat, Tony had disconnected and was heading for the car with his pants at half-mast. Gibbs trailed behind, laughing so hard he could barely get his zipper up.

During a phenomenally boring banquet at the Adams House Hotel, Tony finger-fucked Gibbs in the well-appointed bathroom just off the lobby. They emerged smelling so strongly of the hotel's exclusive-scented hand lotion that when they returned to the table, Director Shepard sniffed the air suspiciously.

They humped like dogs (Gibbs' description) at 0200 in the lavatory of Gibbs' favorite diner after eating blueberry pie washed down with the best coffee in all of DC. The roar of the traffic passing on the thruway overhead made the toilet's cubicle vibrate, the noise covering Tony's shout when they both came at the same time.

They were about to begin some impromptu action in what had to be the skuzziest public toilet ever, in the basement of Underworld on K Street, when Gibbs called it quits. They didn't even get their zippers down, and even though he was wearing latex gloves at the time, Tony quickly agreed, afraid of catching something bad from the Petri dish of germs lurking on the graffiti-covered surfaces. Gibbs called the health department as soon as they got into his car, and they went back to Tony's place and indulged in a bubble bath followed by a slow, sweet fuck in the comfort of Tony's own bed.

~ • ~ ~ • ~ ~ • ~

Somewhere along the way things between them changed. Tony had never been in doubt that he loved Gibbs, whom he now called Jethro with a familiar ease, but it slowly became…more. He wasn't alone in sensing it, either. He could tell that Jethro's feelings had deepened, too, though they never actually spoke about it. But slowly, inevitably, casual sex turned into making love, and loyalty changed into devotion, and familiarity grew into a deeper understanding.

Over time Tony left a few of his things at Jethro's house: some DVDs and a spare set of toiletries, some clothing. He found he was using Jethro's toothpaste without realizing it, unwittingly wearing Jethro's socks. Tony wasn't alone in sharing his lover's things. Despite Jethro's insistence that he preferred Marine soap (the label assured the user it removed grease, oil, algae and fish) over any fancy-smelling shampoo, Jethro's hair would emit the scent of pineapple and sage. When Tony said Jethro's hair had a nice shine to it, Jethro colored up a little.

It wasn't until the past summer, not long after Kate died, that Tony officially moved into Gibbs' home. He wasn't outright invited and they had certainly never discussed living together, not in all the time they'd been together. He didn't intend to move in; it just sort of…happened.

In the aftermath of Kate's tragic death, Tony had sought solace in Jethro's arms, and what was supposed to be a weekend stay stretched into a week together, and then two, and before Tony realized it, he'd been at Gibbs' for all of June. By that time, the right side of the bed had been officially designated as his, with an extra pillow and an alarm clock on the nightstand.

Jethro liked to sleep on the side closest to the bathroom because he often had to get up in the night to take a piss. That's what he said. Tony believed it was really because that side of the bed placed Jethro closest to the bedroom door and he was subconsciously acting as protector. The one time Tony mentioned his thoughts, Jethro (literally) growled, but Tony kissed him and whispered in his ear that it turned him on, having his very own guard dog, and that brought out a small, satisfied smile on Jethro's face.

Tony had been sleeping at Jethro's for going-on-five weeks when, in the middle of a conversation about whether or not they'd get the 4th of July off, Jethro had looked at Tony over breakfast, as if he was puzzling something out. Jethro had said, far too casually to be truly casual, "No point in you wasting money on that apartment."

Unsure that he was, indeed, being invited to move in, Tony had decided to test the water. "Maybe I should look for something cheaper."

"Crappier, you mean."

"I don't know…the market's good for renters in the summer." When that warranted him a dark look, Tony had gone out on a limb. "Two can live as cheaply as one, they say," which got Tony a grunt that meant he'd hit the bullseye.

"I've got the room," Jethro had said nonchalantly.

"You mean you'll rent me out the guest room?"

Jethro had cast a sour look his way and Tony had grinned at him. His sense of amusement hadn't lasted long though as the importance of the occasion sunk in. "You will tell me if I overstay my welcome," Tony had said, all of a sudden unsure. How had he been sucked into what was looking more and more like a long-term relationship without ever having a say in the matter?

"You won't," Jethro had replied, looking so certain that Tony had been forced to believe him.

"Are you sure, like really sure sure?"

"You saying you need more time? If you don't know by now…"

And that's when Tony had realized that he did know, and he'd known all along, even if it scared the shit out of him. "I guess we'd better find somewhere to put all my shoes," he said, committing himself.

"I'll build some shelves," Jethro had replied, and he'd disappeared down the basement, and that was all there was to it.

And here they were, months later, still cohabiting. Tony joked, "No sign of bloodshed," leaving it hanging so Jethro could add, "Yet," before kissing Tony in a way that chased away the remnants of any doubts he might have had.

~ • ~ ~ • ~ ~ • ~

Now, in the bright light of day, Jethro looked a lot better than he had last night. It would take more than one night's sleep to recover fully, but they only had to get through one more day at the office and they'd have a nice long weekend off – guaranteed. Tony intended to spend every minute of their time off taking care of Jethro. He was planning it out in his mind: a nice dinner with some good wine, then upstairs where he'd give Jethro a deep massage followed by a long, sensuous make-out session and then, if Jethro was willing, Tony planned to fuck him senseless. Then they'd sleep in each other's arms to ward off the demons that came in the night under the guise of dreams.

He looked up to find Jethro watching him curiously and Tony realized he was smiling at his thoughts. Quickly wiping the smile off his face, Tony said, "I'll pick up the forensic report this morning and we can wrap up the paperwork. Abby said she'd have it by noon."

Jethro nodded, seeming a little concerned about the case.

Tony tried to ease his mind. "The case is airtight, Boss. Okay, I know there isn't really such a thing as an airtight case, any more than there's bulletproof glass. But we crossed all the Ts and dotted all the Is."

Jethro grunted, acknowledging that they had, indeed, conducted a thorough investigation, complete with solid evidence and forensics and a hard-won confession, all in a remarkably short amount of time. Still, it was not in Jethro's nature to celebrate, as Tony knew all too well. Jethro surprised him by saying, "You did good, Tony."

With a slight smile, Tony nodded. He accepted Jethro's words, enjoying the praise. He needed it and sucked it up, however sparse it might be. "Thanks, Boss."

Jethro squinted at Tony across the table. "Did you touch my alarm clock?"

Tony cringed inwardly. "Yeah, well, about that…see, I went to turn it off last night, and it sort of broke. Not a problem though, right? I mean, there's no point in getting up at 0600 when you told everyone to come in at ten."

"I like getting up at 0600," Jethro said stubbornly. "No point in wasting good daylight hours. And you're gonna fix my damn clock."

"Okay, and I'm sorry, but I like seeing you snoring into your pillow, knowing you're getting the rest you need," countered Tony. He didn't mind that Jethro was annoyed at him for letting him sleep late. It was part of his job to take care of Jethro's health and happiness, even if that meant getting told off for caring about him. "I mean, c'mon Jethro, it's not like we're farmers who have to get up before dawn to do whatever it is that farmers have to do at that time of the morning."

Jethro retorted, "No, we're federal officers who do whatever it takes to put dangerous criminals away, and if that means we have to pull some all-nighters, then that's what we're gonna do."

Tony looked Jethro straight in the eye. "Which we did. And we do, on a regular basis, Boss. The whole team. We fight that war 24/7, while eating, sleeping and taking a crap, just like you expect us to. Just as we expect ourselves to do."

Jethro nodded and fiddled with his coffee cup, lost in thought.

Tony carefully suggested, "How about we take the day off–"

"If you need a day off, you stay at home," Jethro replied abruptly.

"I wasn't thinking of me, Jethro," Tony said evenly, although he felt like shouting at his lover that the damn case was over and he could take a break without it killing him. Jethro, who was hunched over his coffee, didn't respond. Tony sighed. No point in repeating himself. Jethro might not agree with what Tony was saying, but at least he now knew where he stood. "I'm going to go get ready for work," Tony said, pushing his empty bowl away, but as he rose to his feet, Jethro reached out and took hold of his arm just above the wrist.

Tony looked down at the hand holding him in place but he didn't fight it. "I need a shower and I have to see if I have any clean clothes. We haven't done any laundry for a couple of weeks," he said, wishing Jethro would let him go. When he didn't, Tony sighed without looking at him. "I don't want to quarrel."

"Me neither," Jethro said softly. Still hanging onto Tony's arm, he pled, "Look at me, Tony?"

Unable to refuse such a plea, Tony glanced at Jethro's face, and immediately saw he was sorry for being such an ass. "Look, Jethro, it's just that you push yourself really hard. And Ziva, and McGee especially, follow you, no matter where you lead them. But people, especially probies, make mistakes when they get tired and–"

"And you're watching out for them," Jethro concluded. "And me."

Tony nodded and reached out to stroke the side of Jethro's face. "Trying to. You don't make it easy."

Rising to his feet, Jethro released Tony's arm, but before Tony could move, Jethro slipped an arm around his waist and drew him close. Tony only resisted for a moment – as if he could ever refuse anything his man desired. Jethro leaned in, solid and warm and smelling like sleep and coffee, and he brushed his rough cheek against Tony's. Tony couldn't suppress a shudder of desire that blossomed within him. "Jethro, please," he whispered, wanting Jethro quite badly at that moment. It didn't matter that Jethro was wearing sleepwear that looked like it belonged in the rag bucket, and had morning breath, and had been as grumpy as hell as well as being pretty unfair to him. None of that could change the fact that everything about his lover, his friend, his boss, turned him on.

Jethro kissed Tony under his ear and said in a low voice, "I know what you do for me, Tony. I know I push hard sometimes, but I…I don't know any other way."

"I know…and I love that about you, but you need to learn how to…how to bend. Just a little?"

"I'm sorry," Jethro said softly, punctuation his apology with a kiss and a sigh against Tony's skin.

"What did you say?" Tony tried to get a look at Jethro's face, but the older man held him tightly and buried his face in the crook of Tony's neck.

"I said…I'm sorry, babe," said Jethro, his words muffled.

Tony let out a huff of laughter, but he had to apologize, too. "I was just teasing. I know you don't like being called babe."

Jethro leaned back, keeping a firm hold on Tony's hips. Arching his back, his groin pressed hard against Tony's and it was Jethro's turn to chuckle when it was obvious that they were both becoming aroused by the close contact. "I was just giving you a hard time."

"Sometimes I get all mushy and want to call you a pet name. I mean, we've been together for a while…"

"Two years," Jethro said without hesitation.

"What took us so long?"

"Hmmm. Old dogs?"

"That mean I'm your new trick?"

"It means slow and easy is the way to go. I jumped into my previous marriages, Tony, and had to fight my way out of the last three," Jethro said, shaking his head as if disappointed in himself.

"It took us two years before we hooked up, and another two for us to realize this just wasn't going away."

"It isn't?" Jethro's expression was one of extreme disappointment.

Tony punched Jethro lightly in the arm. "No, it is not. Better get used to it."

Jethro broke out in a smile. "Does this mean I'm stuck with you now?"

"Actually, I think you were stuck with me ever since the day Morrow sent us on that case down in Big Stone Gap, Virginia. Remember that assignment? Handcuffed and being chased by badass deputies?"

"Oh yeah, hard to forget," Jethro said, delivering a soft kiss to Tony's lips. "The anniversary's coming up on Sunday. And since you broke my alarm clock, guess that means we'll have to stay in bed all day and fuck."

Tony smiled, amazed that Jethro remembered the date. "Wow. You are a romantic after all."

"Yeah, well, don't tell any of my exes. I never could remember any of our anniversaries."

"But you remember ours, so it must be important," Tony persisted, his whole body warming up at the thought of exactly what that meant.

"You're important," Jethro confirmed, kissing Tony to punctuate his words. He angled his head, his mouth hungry and intent, and when Tony responded by making a hungry sound he deepened the kiss. Tony grasped Jethro's short hair, dragging a moan out of him.

When their lips parted, Tony was breathing a little fast. "We have time, don't we?"

Jethro, who was busy kissing his way down Tony's neck and across his unshaven jaw, mumbled, "Time?"

"Upstairs…for a quickie, honey," Tony said, pulling Jethro towards the stairs.

"Honey?" Jethro had a dangerous look in his eye that both scared and thrilled Tony.

"Okay, how about sweetie? Or lovey? Or does that sound too Thurston Howell III? 'These savages are civilized, Lovey!' No?" From the look on Jethro's face, Tony surmised that he could draw a heavy black line through all of those pet names. "Dearie?" he asked tentatively.

"What are we, old folks who've been married for fifty years?" Jethro pushed Tony against the banisters halfway up the stairs and rubbed his hips against Tony's groin while groping at his ass.

Tony groaned. "God, that feels…oh God!" He swallowed hard when Jethro bit his shoulder, and hoped he didn't come in his pants. "One day we will be. Be old. It's one of my…goals. Front porch and rocking chairs, side by side."

"I'd be over a hundred in fifty years," Jethro pointed out as he dragged Tony up a few stairs to the landing.

They grappled for a bit in the hallway but Tony managed to maneuver them into the bedroom, saying, "And I'm looking forward to spending every one of those years by your side, stud muffin. Or should it be sweet cheeks?"

Jethro threatened with a snarl, "You ever call me either of those names and it'll be grounds for divorce."

But Tony wasn't about to stop, not yet. Teasing Jethro was way too much fun. "Hmmm. Big guy, foxy, hot stuff? Besides, we can't get divorced if we're not married."

Jethro kissed Tony while fondling his balls through his flannel pajamas, and then said, "No, no, no and no way," before he went back to kissing him. When Jethro had finished kissing Tony stupid, and they were both breathing heavily and grinning at each other, he asked, "How long we got?"

"We have plenty of time, old man," Tony gasped, not caring what the hell time it was.

Jethro grabbed Tony around the waist and tossed him on the bed, growling, "I'll show you 'old man,' Spanky."

In a last ditch effort, Tony asked, "How about amore mio?" He never got an answer because Jethro had already stripped out of his pajamas and was making quick work of Tony's, and their two naked bodies were thrusting against each other. Then Jethro demanded, "On your knees now," and Tony scrambled to obey while groaning, "Just fuck me and…oh Jesus!"

When they were finished and laying side by side on the rumpled bed, chests heaving, Jethro rolled his head so he could look straight into Tony's eyes. "Not yet," he said, his voice breathless and rough, as though it had all, somehow, been too much for him.

Tony blinked and asked, "Not yet what?" He smiled because there was nothing so sweet as seeing Jethro relaxed and beautiful, with that I've fucked Tony grin plastered on his face. He still had a hungry look in his eyes, as if he could never get enough.

"Not married yet," Jethro replied, reaching out to hold Tony's lax hand in his own. His smile grew even larger and he said, "Remember that hotel…?"

This time Tony knew exactly what Jethro was talking about. "Oh yeah. By the freight yard. We told the desk clerk, that little old lady…Millie?...we were on our honeymoon. She didn't believe us until I called you 'babe' and you slapped my ass." He laughed softly at the memory and curled up against Jethro's side, one arm draped across his middle.

"It wasn't exactly the kind of honeymoon I'd want, not in Backwater, USA."

"After what we'd just been through, I was just glad to have somewhere to rest for a few hours," said Tony, thinking about how they barely made it back alive from that assignment. "You were hurt and I…I was so fucking scared of losing you when we'd just…just found each other." It sounded sappy but it was true.

Jethro wrapped his arms around Tony and drew him close. "Got a bit dicey there for a while," he agreed.

Tony hugged Jethro, both needing Jethro's arms around him and, at the same time feeling protective. "We took care of each other. We always work well together as a team but that was the first time we really had to rely on each other like that."

Jethro kissed Tony lovingly, taking his time. "I'm glad it was you."

Tony smiled, feeling warm all over. "Imagine if it had been McGee in Stone Gap with you. And you were cuffed together? He'd have freaked out."

Jethro chuckled. "If it had been Ziva, she'd have chopped off my arm to get herself free."

Turning serious, Tony said, "I'm glad it was me chained to you, too. Better than…anyone else." He couldn't bring himself to mention Jeffrey, not by name, and from the look in Jethro's eyes, he felt the same. "Better than anyone else."

They kissed for a few minutes, their gentle caresses a reminder of how much they treasured each other and their relationship. With a groan, Jethro took Tony's hand and hauled him to his feet. "C'mon, lover boy, gotta get ready for work."

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