Gibbs' head shot up and there awake, but a little groggy DiNozzo.
'I…..'
Before he could say anything else, a nurse walked in and saw that her patient was finally awake.
'Gibbs, you need to leave.' She smiled at him and gently pushed him out of the door. He had become a regular visitor so they all knew him. 'We need to check him over and make sure that he is okay. You'll only be in the way. We'll let you know as soon as you can see him.'
'Later boss.' Tony gave him a small smile. He understood why he needed to be checked out, but she interrupted a very personal moment. It could have moved them into a more romantic relationship. He only hoped that Gibbs would be willing to go back to that subject.
'I'll see you later DiNozzo.' As much as he hated leaving he was glad to see that he was awake. Gibbs would also prefer to actually know that he was okay.
XXXXX
His tests had come up all clear. He was just badly bruised in a lot of areas. Tony had finally been allowed to go back to his quarters as long as someone could keep an eye on him. Lorne was about to offer, he still felt guilty about not remembering what had happened. Gibbs had glared at him as soon as he arrived and beat him to the punch. No one was going to look after Tony but him.
Tony tried to hide the smile at the Gibbs glare that continued to be aimed at Lorne even as he was walking away from them. 'He's only trying to help. He feels guilty about not being able to protect me. Which is ridiculous as no one actually remembers what happened, for all we know he could have done an excellent job of covering my ass.'
'DiNozzo your ass was definitely not protected, and it definitely should be.' Gibbs winced as he realised what he said. He couldn't look at the other man, not yet. 'You were unconscious, and you were the only one who had the crap beaten out of you. No one else has a single mark. It seems to me that everyone else was knocked unconscious. You being you managed to stay awake. I think you did everything to protect your team-mates while they were vulnerable. Atta boy Tony, you will always have people's backs.'
'How do you know that's what I did?'
'Because I know you Tony.' Gibbs answered simply.
'Thanks, Gibbs.' Tony's blushed at the praise.
'Jethro.' Gibbs replied quickly.
Tony looked at him with confusion. His green eyes still shone with the compliments he'd received. 'What?'
'If we're going to do this you should call me Jethro.'
'Doing what exactly.' Tony's voice lowered becoming more seductive.
'This.' Gibbs pulled Tony into his arms and kissed him.
Tony melted into the kiss. He'd started to believe that this would never going to happen especially when nothing else was said after those moments he had with Gibbs. He did need to know what was going on and what the older man had in mind for them. Tony chuckled for a moment thinking the man he loved; even in his mind he never called him by his Christian names.
Gibbs just stared as Tony laughed at seemingly nothing. He wasn't actually sure he wanted to know what was actually going through the younger man's mid.
Tony noticed the odd look on the handsome older face. 'I was just thinking about you, and even in my head I don't call you Jethro.'
'Well, hopefully, you'll get used to it.' Intense blue eyes watched every little move the younger man made. 'There's something else isn't there?'
'Yeah, there is. I want this thing between us to work. I'd thought we started something back on Earth, but then you took a step back. I just wondered why?'
'You need to have all the answers don't you Tony?' Gibbs smiled.
'Of course, I do, I'm an investigator. You hired me remember?'
'Yes I did.' Gibbs took a deep breath. He hated to talk about his feelings; it wasn't something he was very good at. He knew that he had to say something or there could be a possibility that he could lose Tony. It had been bad enough losing him the first time around without knowing how the other man felt. Abby had been right when she said that it would be his fault if it happened. 'When we made those first steps towards each other I was excited. I hadn't felt like that for years. I was ready for us to be together. Being on that ship and reading up on everything that happened on Atlantis it hit me how different things were going to be. Seeing you here was nothing like I imagined. You truly are happy here; you're in your element. You shine. I suddenly felt as if I would hold you back that I wouldn't be able to fit in. So I did what I normally do, I started to pull back.'
'Oh Jethro, no matter where I am I'll always want you to be by my side. Yes, I'm very happy here, but I would give it all up in a heartbeat if it meant we could be together. I love you, and I have for years.' Tony needed to make sure that Gibbs understood how much he actually did care for him.
'I love you too. Abby warned me that if I kept pushing you away I would lose you and it would've been all my fault. She was right of course. Don't let me pull away. I know I'm a bastard and not the easiest man to love, but please don't give up on me?'
'You can't get rid of me that easily.' Tony now felt truly happy. He reached out and pulled Gibbs into a kiss. They slowly explored each other's mouths knowing that it wasn't going to go anywhere. Due to Tony's health this was as far as things were going to go. It was like being a teenager with just making out with no end in sight.
XXXXX
Lorne hated not knowing what happened to knock them unconscious. He was also desperate to know what happened to Tony. How did the civilian on the team end up being the only one that was physically hurt. It was his job to protect him. He wouldn't be happy until he found out.
XXXXX
It wasn't time yet. Their plans were almost ready they just had to wait a little longer and everything they dreamed off would come to fruition.
XXXXX
Rodney glared at the computer. There had been odd little glitches all over Atlantis. It wasn't anything major and he couldn't figure out where they were coming from. When things like this happened, everything always seemed to go to hell. His mind still wandered back to Tony, at least his best friend was awake. He still wanted to know what happened on that planet. He wasn't the only one that was concerned.
Things with John were going well, apart from the fact that they hadn't had sex yet. He knew that it was his decision. It was getting to the stage of just jumping him no matter where they were. When he went to visit Tony he found out that he and Gibbs had got together. He had always wanted Tony to be happy, there had always been something missing, but not now. Rodney shuddered at the thought of the double dates, and triple dates in his future with Tony, Gibbs, Abby and Ronon. He'd have to make sure that it only happened on rare occasions.
John looked up from the report he had just finished reading. He and Rodney were in his quarters. They were supposed to be relaxing but with all these glitches going on the scientist, was buried in his work. The military officer could understand that, they had problems with systems before that had become dangerous. He smiled as Rodney scrunched up his face as he tried to solve the problem. What the genius needed now was to relax. He knew the perfect thing. John had been waiting for Rodney to make the first move, but it hadn't happened. When they looked at each other the hunger to become intimate was so clearly written on their features. If Rodney said no, he would stop straight away. The last team a heated glance had been thrown his way by the other man it had taken everything he had not to push Rodney against the wall and have him. It didn't matter who fucked who, John would have been happy either way. They had to deal with this desperate need or he was going to end up doing something really inappropriate in a very public place. He quietly stripped making sure that he didn't attract Rodney's attention just yet. Once he was naked John walked over to the man he loved.
Rodney looked up to glare and lecture at being interrupted. His mouth dropped open as he took in the stunning image in front of him. It was obvious that John was really happy to see him.
TBC