"DINOZZO!" Tony cringed. Hastily grabbing the donut he had come for, he ran quickly back into the bullpen. Slowing as he neared Gibbs' desk, he wondered what exactly he had done this time. Unless...but it couldn't be! He had been too careful...
Flashing his mega-watt smile at Gibbs (at the same time wondering why he even bothered), he tried to look innocent. And failed. Miserably.
"Wipe that grin off your face, DiNozzo," Gibbs groaned. "Do I look like a lovesick female?"
Out of the corner or his eye, Tony thought he saw Kate duck behind a file to hide her smile. Straightening his face quickly, Tony tried to gauge Gibbs' mood. Was he really mad, or was he just acting? And just how mad was he? Apparently, really mad.
"Do you realize what you've done?" Gibbs asked quietly, dangerously.
"No, boss," Tony answered quickly. Too quickly. Gibbs' eyes narrowed, detecting deception. Tony thought he was about to launch into a furious tirade, but he suddenly changed tack.
Sighing lightly, almost regretfully, Gibbs slapped his knees and stood. "I don't know about you, DiNozzo," he said. "This is, what, the third?, time this week. I oughta talk to Morrow. I don't know if I can work with an agent who so blatantly disregards my rules."
Confusion flashed in Tony's eyes for a split second before he caught on. Grinning slightly, he responded cockily. "I get it. You think I did it. Whatever 'it' is," he added hurriedly. "But you don't have the proof. Sorry, boss, but I'm not going to 'fess up."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You think so, DiNozzo? You don't think that maybe I do have the proof, but a confession would save me so much time?"
"That's impossible!" Tony blurted. "I was too care –" he caught himself. Swallowing hard, he looked at his feet. Behind him, he heard Kate sniggering and realized he had just walked into a trap. And a pretty obvious one at that. He kicked himself mentally and decided, since he had already admitted his guilt, to explain.
"It was an accident, boss, I swear. I didn't mean anything by it! Honest! And – " he stopped, suddenly catching something Gibbs had said earlier. "Hey! Whaddaya mean, 'blatantly disregards your rules'? What rules?"
Gibbs glared. "Rule Number Thirteen, DiNozzo! Never, ever, touch my coffee."
"It was an accident, boss," Tony repeated, before launching into a very rapid explanation. "I was just coming around the corner, with this huge stack of files, and it was just there on the desk, and I slipped! And I knew you'd be mad, so I thought I'd just grab another one for you, 'cause you'll never know right? Well, obviously I was wrong –"
"Yeah, you were wrong, DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted. He sighed heavily. "Why are you my problem child? Kate never touches my coffee, and she's the newbie. You oughta know better."
"Yeah, Kate's perfect. Why can't I be more like Kate?" Tony muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, boss. Look, I'm sorry. Really. But it was an accident! I'll never do it again, boss, I swear." Tony gave Gibbs his 'puppy eyes'. Like the smile, he wondered why he even bothered. Gibbs regarded him for a moment, deliberating. Finally, he waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave.
"Fine. This time I'll let you off with a warning, DiNozzo. But you even breathe within ten feet of my coffee again and I'll have your head. Understand?"
"Yes, boss," Tony replied seriously. Trying to redeem himself, he made a peace offering. "Donut?" Gibbs just stared at him before striding off to the break room, presumably for an untainted cup of coffee.
Tony released the breath he had unconsciously been holding. Hearing a muffled chuckle behind him, he turned to see Kate burying her head in her hands to stifle her laughter. He wondered if she knew the answer to his one question.
"How did he know? I was so careful. I wiped up the spill, got rid of the cup, even cleaned the carpet stain. Where'd I miss?"
Kate got serious. Tony leaned forward expectantly, half-thinking she would reveal some obvious blunder on his part and laugh hysterically at his expense. But she just shrugged. "He's Gibbs," she answered.
Flashing his mega-watt smile at Gibbs (at the same time wondering why he even bothered), he tried to look innocent. And failed. Miserably.
"Wipe that grin off your face, DiNozzo," Gibbs groaned. "Do I look like a lovesick female?"
Out of the corner or his eye, Tony thought he saw Kate duck behind a file to hide her smile. Straightening his face quickly, Tony tried to gauge Gibbs' mood. Was he really mad, or was he just acting? And just how mad was he? Apparently, really mad.
"Do you realize what you've done?" Gibbs asked quietly, dangerously.
"No, boss," Tony answered quickly. Too quickly. Gibbs' eyes narrowed, detecting deception. Tony thought he was about to launch into a furious tirade, but he suddenly changed tack.
Sighing lightly, almost regretfully, Gibbs slapped his knees and stood. "I don't know about you, DiNozzo," he said. "This is, what, the third?, time this week. I oughta talk to Morrow. I don't know if I can work with an agent who so blatantly disregards my rules."
Confusion flashed in Tony's eyes for a split second before he caught on. Grinning slightly, he responded cockily. "I get it. You think I did it. Whatever 'it' is," he added hurriedly. "But you don't have the proof. Sorry, boss, but I'm not going to 'fess up."
Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "You think so, DiNozzo? You don't think that maybe I do have the proof, but a confession would save me so much time?"
"That's impossible!" Tony blurted. "I was too care –" he caught himself. Swallowing hard, he looked at his feet. Behind him, he heard Kate sniggering and realized he had just walked into a trap. And a pretty obvious one at that. He kicked himself mentally and decided, since he had already admitted his guilt, to explain.
"It was an accident, boss, I swear. I didn't mean anything by it! Honest! And – " he stopped, suddenly catching something Gibbs had said earlier. "Hey! Whaddaya mean, 'blatantly disregards your rules'? What rules?"
Gibbs glared. "Rule Number Thirteen, DiNozzo! Never, ever, touch my coffee."
"It was an accident, boss," Tony repeated, before launching into a very rapid explanation. "I was just coming around the corner, with this huge stack of files, and it was just there on the desk, and I slipped! And I knew you'd be mad, so I thought I'd just grab another one for you, 'cause you'll never know right? Well, obviously I was wrong –"
"Yeah, you were wrong, DiNozzo," Gibbs interrupted. He sighed heavily. "Why are you my problem child? Kate never touches my coffee, and she's the newbie. You oughta know better."
"Yeah, Kate's perfect. Why can't I be more like Kate?" Tony muttered under his breath.
"What was that?"
"Nothing, boss. Look, I'm sorry. Really. But it was an accident! I'll never do it again, boss, I swear." Tony gave Gibbs his 'puppy eyes'. Like the smile, he wondered why he even bothered. Gibbs regarded him for a moment, deliberating. Finally, he waved his hand dismissively and turned to leave.
"Fine. This time I'll let you off with a warning, DiNozzo. But you even breathe within ten feet of my coffee again and I'll have your head. Understand?"
"Yes, boss," Tony replied seriously. Trying to redeem himself, he made a peace offering. "Donut?" Gibbs just stared at him before striding off to the break room, presumably for an untainted cup of coffee.
Tony released the breath he had unconsciously been holding. Hearing a muffled chuckle behind him, he turned to see Kate burying her head in her hands to stifle her laughter. He wondered if she knew the answer to his one question.
"How did he know? I was so careful. I wiped up the spill, got rid of the cup, even cleaned the carpet stain. Where'd I miss?"
Kate got serious. Tony leaned forward expectantly, half-thinking she would reveal some obvious blunder on his part and laugh hysterically at his expense. But she just shrugged. "He's Gibbs," she answered.