"I am not babysitting you at a gay bar."
The "babysitting" remark stung but Tony shifted in the chair, dredged up his best smile and said, "Who said anything about you, Gibbs? I was going to take Abby."
"No" was the only reply he received, and it was in Gibbs' flattest tone.
This was the kind of thing that really made the whole vision problem more than just an annoyance he could pretend to be bravely overcoming -- because he needed to see Gibbs' face. The Corp had long ago stripped most expression from Gibbs' speech leaving only "bark," "bark louder," and, on those rare occasions Tony had been privy to it, a soft, gentle concern that sent pleasant shivers up your nervous system. Or at least up his currently malfunctioning one.
The moment the words were out of his mouth, Gibbs regretted it. Tony's slight wince, before he managed to hide it behind an apparently carefree smile, was more than enough for even Gibbs to realize the damage.
"There's no way you're taking Abby."
Tony snorted, coming closer to insubordination than he'd ever dared, and suddenly finding he didn't give a damn. "Taking Abby might be ... fun? Is that the problem? God forbid any of us find this job enjoyable?"
"She's not field personnel."
"Well I've ruled out McGee and Kate," Tony stubbornly crossed his arms against his chest. "And you're not 'babysitting.' So I guess that means I have typing to do."
Gibbs' looked over this new, not-quite-backing-down version of his agent. The office had taken on a still hush as everyone within earshot had gone into a kind of covert listening mode. It might look like Todd was deep in communion with her case file, and that McGee was in the same intense unity with his database, but Gibbs knew better.
Leaning back over his agent, Gibbs nearly brushed his lips against Tony's ear. "What time does this joint start hopping?"
DiNozzo leaned back blindly, blinking rapidly at the blur that Gibbs hid in. "Around ten should do it."
"Fine. Get McGee to drive you home."
Conversation with Gibbs was often like that. A kind of Morse substituting for real dialogue in which "get McGee to drive you home" served as Gibbs' shorthand for "I've given in, but you're going to admit MS is a debilitating illness and you're not going to make it until ten if you don't get some rest; so go take a nap and I'll pick you up later."
Tony shook his head as Gibbs walked away. After nearly three years he was finally picking up Gibbs-speak.
(tbc)