I don't own NCIS
Finally Tony's apartment was fixed and he moved back into it. The night was late but he sat with Tim. Enjoying being able to snuggle him and hold him and not worrying about having to explain to Gibbs where he'd been.
"I've missed you." He whispered.
"I see you all the time." Tim laughed snuggling closer to him.
"It's not enough it's never enough." Tony lamented.
"I know." Tim sighed and he knew it wasn't but he knew that no matter what they couldn't live together. Not without raising suspicions'
Tony woke up alone once again cursing the fact that Tim always had to get up early to race to work. He was getting ready to head into the office when his phone rang.
"Dinozzo."
"Tony head to the local recruiting office marine recruiter shot."
"On it boss." Tony flipped his phone shut and reconfigured his plans for the day he knew he'd have to forgo his coffee as he sighed and headed towards his destination.
Gibbs was more snippy then usual but Tony knew that had to do with it being a fellow marine who was down and he tried to ignore it. Tried to ignore everything even Gibb's jab about rule number nine. Humor it was his shield. One he used often.
Gibbs himself was just pissed a fellow Marine was down and he feared he'd get resistance from every turn.
Finally they found the bullet or at least where the Bullet had gone. Tony looked down at the headless naked dolls as Abby pulled the bullet from the head of one doll. As Abby turned Tony snapped a picture sending it to Tim.
"Did you just take a picture of naked dolls? Also why are these dolls naked?"
"Don't look at me boss and oh um yes I did as a joke between friends." Tony shrugged earning a look from Gibbs as his phone beeped showing an incoming text.
Tim: Why did you send me a picture of naked headless dolls?"
Tony: I thought it was funny. Abby did it looking for a bullet still not sure why the one we needed was right on top. Your dad caught me I told him it was a joke between friends. I think he's worried about me now.
Tim: Oh my god. That's hilarious and better then the picture which is creepy."
Tony: Tell me about it I had to watch the poor things be beheaded.
Tim: Oh poor Tony.
Tony: Your sarcasm is not appreciated.
Tim: Get back to work.
Tony pouted as he shut his phone and shoved it into his pocket.
"Was that your "cousin"" Kate came up behind him using air quotes.
"Wouldn't you like to know?" Tony smirked.
Kate growled. She knew Tony was up to something. She wanted to know what and she'd bet it had something to do with a girl. Whatever girl could keep Dinozzo's attention that was a girl Kate wanted to meet. Either to warn her or high five her. Kate wasn't sure which yet.
The work seemed to drag on and on until finally they knew it would be a long night. "I'm going to order Chinese." Kate said standing up and stretching. Tony barely looked at her as he was typing away at his computer. Kate just rolled her eyes and picked up her phone to place the order.
Tony pulled out his phone
Tony: Going to be a late night.
Tim had been working on his writing when his phone pinged. He let his fingers slip off the keys of the typewriter and stretched before grabbing his phone.
Tim: Aw I'm sorry. Hitting writers block over here.
Tony looked down at his phone as it pinged.
Tony: Sorry about that. Hopefully your muse will come back. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Night love you.
Tim chuckled that Tony used the word muse as he typed back a message.
Tim: Thanks, night love you too.
Tim let the phone slip from his fingers before looking at the page sighing and giving it up for the night.
Meanwhile at NCIS headquarters the Chinse food had arrived and Kate was teasing Tony about his ineptitude with Chop sticks.
"You're never going to impress a girl that way."
Tony glared at her as he tried to capture some of his food. At times like this over tired over worked and hungry he wanted to snap something like he didn't' want to impress girls or that he had somebody but he didn't he couldn't that would be too big a can of worms to open.
Things went worse when Tony desperate for some food ate Gibbs soup on accident and almost glared a whole through Kate for letting him.
"Sorry boss he mumbled well at the same time picturing Tim laughing about the whole thing.
"Whatever." Gibbs snatched some food. "Where are we on the threats?"
"Well it seems he had a way of exaggerating what you could do in the corps." Kate said pulling a file forward. As they went through some of the lies the man had told the recruits.
"Come to think of it you never told us why you enlisted boss." Tony said turning to the older man. Even with everything him and Tim had shared they'd never shared that. He wasn't even sure if Tim knew and a part of him was scared to ask because his father's time in the marine's was a super touchy subject with Tim.
"That's because it's personal." Gibbs looked at his senior field agent daring him to say more.
"You think his recruiter told him a fast one?" Kate asked leaning over to Tony
"I doubt it." Tony snorted. Thinking about what would have happened if that was the case.
"Why?" Kate quarried
Can you imagine someone lying to Gibbs and getting away with it?
"True." Kate sighed. "Though that might be something to see she giggled as Gibbs finished a phone call he'd just taken.
Tony was with Gibbs but he also couldn't stop wondering why had Gibbs enlisted. Why hadn't he thought to ask.
"Hey it looks like your place Tony except for that minty fresh urine smell.
"I have a maid."
"You can afford a maid." Gibbs looked at him.
"Its amazing what you can do when you don't have to pay three alimony's." Tony quipped. Smirking to himself and getting a tiny dig in on Tim's behalf.
Gibbs growled and pulled the beam of the flash light and pointed it at Tony.
"Ow Boss I'm sorry I won't bring up the three marriages again. Today at least." He amended to himself.
After Tony and Gibbs figured out where the snipper had shot from they both headed home.
Tony worked until he fell asleep on the piles of his papers and Gibbs sat in his basement working on his boat and thinking about the how's and why's of how he came to be in the position he was in today. The paths he took or didn't.
Getting in the next morning he looked at Kate. "Where's Dinozzo?"
"No ideal sir haven't seen him since he left here with you last night."
"Right I'm going to talk to Abby." Gibbs left for the basement.
Tony woke up the next morning papers stuck to his face. He peeled them away and groaned. He didn't feel well and it took everything in him not to barf. He almost considered calling in sick but with the way Gibbs was about this case he didn't think it was a wise idea.
He hurried through a shower and then raced to work. He didn't see anyone around when he got in. he sighed in relief and sat down.
"You're in trouble." Kate said just as Gibbs came around the corner. "You're late." He said Tony groaned thumping his head against the desk.
The case was going fast and they barely had time to breath when a second person was killed. Tony still wasn't feeling well and maybe he did drive to fast but seriously Kate could complain about anything so he tried to tune her out.
"It brings back memories." Gibbs said shaking his head at them.
"Memories of what?" Kate asked and Gibbs froze. He was thinking of Tim and Kelly road trips as a family the fighting and bickering between the two siblings.
"Marriage" He quickly covered up.
Tony was watching him though and he could tell by that flash in his eye what he'd really been thinking. Of course nothing could be easy and they had to fight the FBI for the case and then Tony had to cover up his knowledge about Hathcock he couldn't say that Tim gave him the book to read. Well he could but once again it would raise to many questions. Questions he wouldn't couldn't answer.
Things sped up after that finding another feather connecting the dots and somehow Tony ended up dressed as a telephone repair operator well Kate was Gibb's CO.
"So Unfair he muttered.
He found himself climbing the pole talking to Abby as she set everything up and hoping nothing went wrong as Gibbs and Kate went undercover because he really didn't' want to have to explain to Tim if something happened to his father.
"You know Abbs if this works you're a genius"
"Tell me something I don't know."
Really what's his name"
Tony: Ha-ha cute "Tony swallowed because What Abby didn't know was it was a male his Name was Mr. Xavier. "
The light heartedness left the op when Tony noticed something that disturbed him.
"Tell me he's still wearing his vest" Tony growled to Kate
"He said it was still visible under his shirt" Kate shrugged.
"I knew it if that sniper doesn't kill him I will of all the stupid idiotic things." Tony clutched his fist. What the hell was Gibbs doing putting his life at risk more than it had to be. He took a deep breath he had to get through this and he couldn't yell at him because then he'd have to explain why he cared so much and god damn it his hiding his relationship with Tim was harder than it ever had been.
And then it happened a shot rang out and hit the window. Thankfully it was stopped but still for that moment Tony felt his heart stop and he thought of all he'd have to tell Tim. Then it just all went to hell as Tony shot and killed a guy and he just wanted to go home to go to Tim's to be with Tim he wanted to curl around his boyfriend sleep forever and just stay there for days.
"Tony you okay." Gibbs watched him.
"Yes I'm fine boss can I go home though."
"Yeah both of you good job go home get some rest you have tomorrow off."
Tony sighed in relief he was shaking he still didn't feel well and he didn't want to think at all.
Somehow through shire force of will he made his was to Tim's apartment. He let himself in and crawled into Tim's bed. That's where Tim found him when he got home later that night." Tim stripped down to his boxers and crawled into bed with his lover.
"Tony." He ran his hands though his hair.
"Hmm." Tony mumbled burying his head in the pillows.
"Tony babe are you okay?"
Tony's eyes flittered open. "Tim." He breathed bringing his hand up and cupping his face. He pulled him down into a kiss. "I missed you."
"I missed you too Tim said." Pulling back from the kiss. "You okay though?"
"Yeah just tired think I ate some bad shrimp had to dress as a telephone repair man. Kate got to play your father's CO oh and cockroaches. Then your father almost got shot by a sniper."
"He what." Tim shouted.
"He didn't though it's okay the fancy glass stopped it."
"Okay." Tim breathed. "You're exhausted I'm confused so I'm just going to pull these blankets over us and we're going to go to sleep."
"Sounds like a good plan." Tony mumbled. Tim smiled gently and pulled Tony into his arms. They snuggled together both drifting off into an undisturbed sleep.