Chapter five
The next morning Gibbs woke to the sound of rain. He got out of bed and looked out of his bedroom window. It was raining… a lot. 'Well,', he thought to himself, 'that's a reason to stay inside and work on the boat if there ever was one'.
Jethro had always liked the rain, especially when it had rained on a Sunday, and no one had anything urgent to do. He and his parents had always had a nice day, on rainy Sundays, his dad would teach him how to work with wood and how to create things from it. He had loved these quiet days with his dad. Working and learning in the little shed near the house with the sound of the raindrops dropping down on the roof. And when they were finished, they had gone inside, and he had helped his mum bake cookies. His dad would often come into the kitchen and try to steal some cookie dough or already finished cookies. Jethro had then tried to defend their baked cookies and it had always ended in a fun fight between the three of them.
Jethro would just stay inside and work on his boat all day. With that in mind he went downstairs, got his first coffee of the day and then stood looking out of the window while he drank his coffee. He looked over to DiNozzo's house and wondered if the man was home. Probably still sleeping. Gibbs would go over there later, to introduce himself like he had planned but seeing as it was just 06:00 he didn't want to disturb his new neighbor. He had promised himself he would actually try to make an effort to not scare the guy off with his grumpiness and try to make a new friend.
After breakfast he went down to his boat and started sanding the wood, to make it smooth and ready for the painting it would later receive.
When his stomach growled, Gibbs realized he had spent the whole morning working on his boat. He noticed that it was already past 13:00 and he actually was quite hungry. He had gotten so lost in his work and the feeling of the wood under his hands as he worked, he had not realized the amount of time that had passed. And though that was not unusual for him, he still hadn't had that much free time in a while, and he was surprised that he had gotten so lost in his work.
He went upstairs to get something to eat but was not really in the mood to cook something himself. He decided he could just as well go over to his diner and have lunch over there. And on his way back he could go over to DiNozzo's house. Satisfied with that plan he got into his truck to drive to the little diner.
When he got there, he noticed that there weren't many people inside. The rain was still pouring down and not many people were outside during such a weather. He knew a few of the people just because they were regulars too. He nodded politely to all of them and then went to sit in one of the free booths. Elaine came over with the coffee he always drank here and asked him if he wanted anything else.
He told her he would have a burger and some fries too for lunch. She smiled at him and went to get his order ready.
Jethro sat staring out in the rain while he waited and drank his coffee. He loved this place. It was nice, Elaine was friendly and, whenever he came in, would have a coffee ready for him, just the way he liked it. He wasn't sure if she actually made a pot just for him, because he was sure the other people would complain about how strong the coffee was. He chuckled at that thought, everyone always wondered how he could drink so much coffee. McGee had once mistakenly taken his coffee and nearly choked because of the resulting coughing fit because of the strongness. Jethro smirked, he always found some dark amusement when someone tried his coffee except when someone spilt it, that was why there was rule 23.
But the thought about McGee brought him back to the big question at hand, where to find the perfect senior field agent?!
He knew that the director wanted him to take just about anyone so that the team was finally complete and could work more efficiently. He also knew that both his junior agents worked hard to make sure they solved the cases as fast as possible, but he was aware that it would all be a bit easier if they had another agent, they would be able to divide the work more and have a lesser chance that they would miss something. But he didn't know where to get that agent from.
Jethro didn't like the choices he had at the moment. McGee and Kate weren't ready yet and all the agents the director had suggested, were not suited for the team at all. They were just applying to be on the number one team of NCIS but wouldn't last a week working under him. Jethro knew it, they would think they were able to work for him but after just a few days they would notice that everything they had heard about him was in fact not an exaggeration but the truth. There was a reason why his reputation was the one of a bastard and he didn't even try to deny it, he was, at work.
Some of the agents were too afraid of him, too young and inexperienced, that they too would quit within the first week or just too ambitious. He had bad experiences with these kinds of agents. He thought about Jenny… she had been good but wanted to climb the ladder and left him after just a few years. Gibbs wasn't naïve, he knew that everyone could eventually move on from his team, not everyone liked to be in one position for years, but he hoped he would find someone who would stay with him a few years, someone he could teach and who could eventually take over the team, someone who was able to have his six without any second thoughts.
He knew Kate and McGee had his six, like he had theirs, but he also was aware that McGee would like to be in a better position, that he would someday go further than just the alpha team of NCIS. And Gibbs honestly didn't have the patience to teach McGee everything he still needed to know to be the senior field agent because the kid was smart, no question there, but he didn't understand Gibbs, they were too different, two agents from different generations. Kate was another matter. She was more suited to be the senior field agent, she had taken over McGee's training after all, because he couldn't deal with all the techno babble and the stuttering Tim had going on in the beginning. But still Kate too was not the perfect candidate for the position. While she was good at her job, she didn't understand Gibbs as well, as she thought. She was not so good with following silent cues and that was something Gibbs desperately needed. He needed someone who he wouldn't need to talk to, to get them to work and do the things he wanted them to do.
Jethro was brought out of his thoughts about his team when the door suddenly opened, and a completely soaked through man stepped inside.
He was wearing running clothes and Jethro wondered what kind of crazy a person had to be to think that the weather outside was the perfect weather to go for a run. As he looked the other man up and down, he realized with a start that he quite liked what he saw. The shirt was plastered to the other man's upper body, and one could clearly see that the guy was in a good physical shape. The clothes weren't see-through though, they just left enough to the imagination and Jethro had to stop himself there. These weren't the kind of thought one should have in public.
Gibbs hadn't thought about men like this in years. He wasn't a stranger when it came to male/male sex. He never had had a relationship with a man, but he had enough experience during his time in the marine corps with 'helping another guy out'. Sometimes you just got horny and when there was no one around, his buddies and he hadn't hesitated to get the other's off with their hands or mouths. Anything was better than your own hand.
When he had gotten together with Shannon, he had of course stopped and from then on had just used his own hands. It had been difficult, of course, when he had been all keyed up from the stress of the job or the adrenaline cursing through your body, he had wanted to have that physical connection. But he would never cheat, not on anyone and especially not on Shannon.
When he had told Shannon, that he liked guys too, she had just looked at him and asked him if she should be worried. He had immediately denied that and had told her, that she was the only one he loved, and their relationship gave him everything he needed, on both the physical but also on the emotional level. She had just smirked at him and then told him, that she didn't have a problem at all with him liking guys. She had assured him, that it was normal for some people to like both genders and that there shouldn't be a problem with that. Because love was love, no matter what. All that mattered was that you treat the person you love with respect and care and to not hurt them.
Jethro remembered thinking that he was the luckiest guy in the world because he had this amazing, beautiful, open-minded and smart woman at his side. He had told her in that moment that he wanted to marry her, to spend the rest of their lives together. It had been a spur of the moment thing because he had been so grateful to her, and he wanted to make it official that this woman w belonged to him. He was a bit possessive in that way. Shannon had laughed and told him, that yes, she would love to marry him, but he would need to propose again, with actual planning this time. He had of course immediately agreed to that and thought about how and where to do the perfect proposal.
Jethro smiled at that memory and then looked over the new man again.
He had taken a seat and it looked like he had tried to at least get his hair dry. It was sticking up in all directions now but still looked as wet as before. Luckily, it was still very warm outside, so that the man probably wouldn't need to worry about getting sick from the rain. 'Would serve him right, though', Gibbs thought, 'what kind of idiot went for a run with such weather conditions, really?'
Elaine came over with his food and noticed the looks he gave the newcomer. She grinned at him, and he immediately looked away.
"See something you like, heh, Gibbs? I can totally see why, he sure is good looking, a very pretty boy.", she chuckled. Jethro didn't know what was happening but as soon as the words left her mouth, he felt a shot of possessiveness jolt through him. He had never ever felt that kind of feeling towards a complete stranger, but he definitely had to agree with her, the boy was pretty and good looking. Gibbs could totally see him on his knees…. 'Stop this Jethro', he chastised himself, 'still not the place for these kinda thoughts'
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Elaine", was all he said.
"Yeah, sure you don't, Gibbs. I can see the want clearly in your face, I've known you for too long, remember.", she smirked at him. Gibbs just shook his head and wondered when he had become so easy to read.
"Well, yeah, Elaine, I give you this, he is a pretty boy. He come here often? I've never seen him before!", he asked, might as well try to get to know everything about him and he knew that Elaine was in the habit of getting to know all her costumers and making small talk with everyone. How she was able to do that and remember everything about that person, from the name to the food preference, he had no idea. But when a person ever came back here, Elaine would know their name and what they had liked to eat the last time they were here.
"Oh no, he was here yesterday too, told me he just moved here and was starting at the police academy on Monday, Hey, aren't you still searching for a fourth team member, maybe you could recruit him, when he is finished?!", Elaine suggested, only half joking.
"The police academy? Interesting! He sure is fit enough to become a police officer, he tell you his name too?"
"Of course, you know I make a habit of always knowing everybody's name. His name is Tony and he promised to come here more often, so if you would prefer to look more, you'll probably be able to do so here.", she smirked at him again when he just rolled his eyes and thanked her for the food.
Elaine left him after that, but he could see her looking between himself and Tony on more than one occasion.
He rolled his eyes again. But then he found himself looking at this Tony again and he had to agree with Elaine's assessment of him, he really was a pretty boy.
'But seriously what was it with everyone new suddenly being named Tony or Anthony…'
After finishing his lunch, he got up and went to his truck to drive home again but not without looking the other man up and down one last time.
He drove home and then went over and rang the bell on his neighbor's door. He waited for a minute, but no one opened and there was no sound behind the door, so DiNozzo was probably out. He was a tiny bit disappointed because he had been looking forward to meeting DiNozzo, the man intrigued him and that slightly annoyed Gibbs, seeing as he didn't actually know the man yet and had only seen him once… through his kitchen window. Still, he wondered who the man was, and his brain wouldn't give up on the mystery till it was solved, the downside of being an investigator, you had to know everything.
He went downstairs again to his boat and thought about what he would need to do next, just to stop the thoughts about his neighbor and found himself thinking about that new guy, Tony, who was going to the police academy. And he actually caught himself, entertaining Elaine's idea to recruit the guy to be his senior field agent. Only if he had the necessary skill and fulfilled all requirements set by Gibbs of course, he would never hire someone just because they looked pretty and had a nice ass. 'Oh, come on…., you only saw that guy once, Jethro, stop thinking about him and his ass.', he had to actively stop his mind to go to that place again.
Jethro was brought out of his thoughts, by the sound of a piano.
He cocked his head to one side and listened more closely if maybe he knew that piece as well… but he didn't, it was beautiful though. A bit happier than yesterday and Jethro went upstairs to hear the sound even better. He found himself sitting in his kitchen again… just sitting there and listening. He got lost in the music, lost in his thoughts again. Thoughts about Shannon and Kelly and he realized with a start that this time the thoughts weren't as painful as they had been yesterday. It was not a big difference, they still hurt so much, he would like to rip his heart out but still not as bad as usually. He had gotten so accustomed to the pain that he noticed the tiny difference. Another difference was that the memories were much happier, and he guessed it was because the music he was listening to was lighter and much more carefree than yesterday.
Maybe he should get his piano out too and start playing again. Maybe it was time, and he could help his heart heal that way. Maybe… he would have to think about that… but not today… today he would just listen to his neighbor play and enjoy it.
When the music stopped after nearly an hour, Jethro felt a kind of happiness inside himself that he hadn't felt in years, and he wondered about the power of music. With this pleasant feeling he went upstairs and to bed and he actually fell asleep without his usual thoughts about how lonely his bed and his life was without a partner in it.