"Boss…?" Tony was scared out of his mind, he didn't know why he'd come to talk to Gibbs. The boss obviously wasn't keen on discussing the memory, and probably wished DiNozzo didn't remember it. But, Tony kept reminding himself, Gibbs hadn't been drunk and had been involved and clearly wanted it at the time. Tony just needed to know why, why now was Gibbs showing him a kind of respect…what he'd done to deserve that. Because surely letting someone fuck you wasn't a show of disrespect?

"DiNozzo."

"Can we…I just didn't think we'd finished the conversation earlier."

"Nothing else to say." Gibbs was as short as to be expected. His back to Tony as he poured himself a drink.

"No, no I guess not. I just want to make sure…that it was…that you aren't. I just want to know if you are regretting it at all."

Gibbs stopped mid-sip of bourbon and put the jar down. "What makes you think that?"

"It hasn't been brought up since, not really."

"That was your doing too." Bourbon abandoned, back to the boat.

"I wasn't sure what had happened at first…I was really drunk, you know, I didn't know what I was doing…"

Gibbs turned to pierce Tony with the stare that got him terrified or hard depending on the situation. This one was a little of both. "You didn't know what you were doing?"

"What? I mean, I obviously knew what I was doing, come on, boss it's me…" Tony trailed off jokingly. "I just, I didn't really process that I was doing that…with you."

And there it was, out in the open. "What do you want me to do about that now, DiNozzo?"

"Nothing! You don't have to do anything, I just wanted you to know…well, I actually wanted to know what you thought about…how do you feel about it?" DiNozzo swallowed audibly as Gibbs gave him a look that seemed to say 'are you kidding me? You want me to talk about feelings?'.

Gibbs sighed. "DiNozzo…"

"Okay, right. We don't have to talk about it; I just want to know if this is going to blow over or how weird work will be. Because I could leave, I could find another LEO job, so just say the word and—"

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't. Leave." Gibbs left out the 'me'. He stood up and moved towards the other side of the boat, complete coincidence it was only a few short feet from Tony.

"Oh…well, that's probably good, boss, because I really like this job."

"Good."

"And I'm good at it too, right??"

"You really need me to tell you that?"

"Sometimes, yeah." Tony answered honestly.

"You do fine."

"Just fine?" Tony knew he was being a little annoying, but there was a method to his madness. "Because I didn't think you'd just let a 'regular-on-par-run-of-the-mill-just-fine' employee sleep with you." And if either of them had dropped a pin, it would have echoed around the room ten times over.

"You are a good employee, DiNozzo." Gibbs finally managed, rather tersely.

"Just that?" Tony didn't know why he was pushing this, except you do, you want to push Gibbs and somehow get the courage to tell him that once wasn't enough. That regardless of all the denial, you've wanted this for a damn long time.

"From what you remember, yes."

"No, boss, I'm getting memories back. It wasn't you—I mean, it was you who I sl—slept with, but I didn't forget because of you. I was drinking, you know? I think you even were the one buying." Tony gave a forced smile. "It was…it was good."

"Oh, I'm sure you loved it, the fact I'm your boss was just icing on the cake, right?" Gibbs managed to sound both bitter and sarcastic.

"What do you mean?"

"Nothing, DiNozzo. Go home."

Tony scuffed his shoe against the floor. He took a deep, steadying breath. "Do you mean I liked it because I topped my boss?"

Gibbs didn't need to answer, which was handy since he didn't, but the tense muscles and faintly blushed cheeks spoke for him. He was upset about that aspect of the other night most of all.

"Gibbs, I, I didn't…this didn't happen 'cause you were the boss. I didn't…you know, take that position to one-up you or something. It just happened, right?"

"I let it happen, DiNozzo." And Tony could tell from Gibbs's voice that his boss wasn't saying that to prove he'd been in control despite bottoming, but because he was angry with himself—blaming himself.

"It isn't bad, I mean it wasn't bad for you? I've done it loads of times myself, being on the bott—oh shit, that was one conversation with you I didn't see coming." Tony smiled a little, wandering closer to where Gibbs' was leaning against the boat as he did minor sanding touch-ups. "But…it wasn't bad, right? I didn't…you know, hurt you or anything?"

Gibbs quirked an eyebrow in response. "As the only reliable witness, I'll testify that I'm not hurt."

"Jeez, okay good. And you know, boss, I don't want to forget. I mean, if it was up to me, this whole thing would've happened when I could remember it perfectly...I just mean that I don't like not remembering things, not because I've been pining or something."

Tony took a deep breath, where the hell had that speech come from? When was 'spilling his guts' part of the evening's plans? But Gibbs looked upset again, and the little look of happiness that was so rare disappeared when Tony clarified he wasn't pining. Time to clarify again, perhaps this time with the truth?

"It depends on how to define 'pining', I guess. I mean, I've always been a fan of your work just never thought…I don't know, boss. I have no idea what's going on with me tonight."

"Maybe you should shut up, then."

"Maybe you should start doing the talking."

"What do you want to hear, DiNozzo?" Gibbs was playing along, and Tony was so grateful he didn't care why.

"How you feel about what happened, why you left in the morning."

"Didn't want to freak you out." Gibbs grumbled and turned back to the boat. "Obviously you figured it out and panicked anyway."

"Abby ran fingerprints, from the glass of water." Tony supplied helpfully.

"So she knows."

"Yeah, I didn't mean to tell her, I wouldn't have if I knew what the results would show."

"They show that I was in your apartment when you got irresponsibly drunk, DiNozzo. That is what happened."

"…She also ran the DNA, from the condom—she ran the DNA, too."

"So she knows everything about it."

"Like the sexual positioning thing?"

"Damnit, DiNozzo!" Gibbs slammed down the sanding instrument in his hand, turning around to glare at DiNozzo.

"What? I thought that's what you were referring to, 'cause she does know that but I don't know what else she could know…"

"Why is that so important to you?"

"What?"

"Who did…what…to whom." Gibbs struggled to spit out. He clearly wasn't putting it into specific words, Tony noted.

"It isn't, I just—"

"You keep bringing it up."

Now that gave Tony pause. Because he wasn't bringing it up again, Gibbs was. Gibbs was harping on that issue and it seemed likely he wouldn't address it as his problem but only as Tony's issue. Perhaps that was a worthwhile way to get the truth out of Gibbs, play along that it was important to him. And maybe, a little bit, it was.

"It is sort of important."

"Why is that, DiNozzo?"

"You're my boss. You barely trust me to do things right at work, didn't imagine you'd trust me with anything…more."

"Do I need to slap you? You are second-in-command, it is a given that I trust you at work."

"I guess…"

"Jesus, DiNozzo, you really need that much coddling?" Ouch.

"No, look, I'm just surprised about you."

"In any particular area, DiNozzo?"

"You are interested guys."

"Not the only one, DiNozzo."

"Well, I obviously already knew I was gay, so that wasn't as—"

"Gay? 100%?"

Oh, shit. Tony and that constantly moving mouth didn't even give him a chance to come halfway out of the closet. "Um, yeah. Gay. I never told because of the "don't tell" thing. But I figured you had suspicions by now." Tony gave a laugh.

"Guess so."

"But you are…?" Gay? Straight? A little of both? Willing to repeat?

"Your boss, DiNozzo."

So, I've been busy with schoolings and getting extra crippled—until my dislocated kneecap's swelling goes down, I'm forced to use crutches instead of my cane. Ew.

Sympathies and reviews will be accepted with extra gratitude.