I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I never thought that I would get so many on the first chapter, and that was only the prologue.

I was actually just thinking about making this to a rather short fic, but now I realize that there's no can do. I don't know how long yet, though.

Well, here's what you've been waiting for. I hope you like it

Gibbs new the exact moment when Tony walked into the bullpen. He could always detect they boy's presence without even looking ever looking up. Yes, boy. He knew fully well that Tony indeed was a full grown man, but he would always be a boy to him, and that would never change. It was that side of Tony he loved. The side that could make the most serious moment into a joke. The side that could face death and still be able to laugh.

The side that could help him light his mood whenever he needed it. The side he had fallen for.

He kept his eyes on the computer screen and pretended to drink some coffee. In the corner of his eye he saw Tony greet his co-workers with his usual banter before sitting down behind his own desk. He clenched his jaws and made his eyes turn into steel. He wasn't supposed to feel like this. He was about to brake one of his own rules, God damn it! So why was this so hard to stop? Why couldn't he ignore his feelings for Tony?

Tony knew that something was bothering his boss. He glanced up at him and frowned at the closed look on the silver-haired man's face. He could almost feel the distress roll off the older man in waves. God how he longed to walked over to him and hug him close, tell him that everything was going to be all right, but he knew that if he did that, Gibbs would smack him back to Kingdom Come.

"Tony, have you been listening?"

Tony snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at Ziva, who was now leaning against his desk, frowning at him.

"What?"

"We just discussed what's the matter with Gibbs", Tim said in a low voice.

"I don't know", Tony said with a shrug. "Maybe he's angry because of our last case?"

"Nah, I think it's something else", Ziva said and looked suspiciously at Gibbs. "He's probably just had one of his talks with Director Sheppard. That always makes him a bit grumpy."

"Maybe", Tim said thoughtfully. "But I'm not so sure about that, either. No, this is different. I can feel it."

"Are you three done talking about me, or should I book a conference room for you?"

All three agents jumped at the suddenly growled comment from their boss. Ziva and Tim swiftly returned to their desks, immediately burying themselves in paperwork and pretending that nothing had been going on. Only Tony didn't move a muscle. He met Gibbs gaze for a second and felt a jolt in his stomach when he saw the strange look in the ice-blue eyes. He turned his attention to his computer and tried to shrug it off, but he found it very hard. He couldn't tell how he knew it, but he just knew that Gibbs' weird mood had something to do with him.

Tony sighed heavily and typed lazily on his report. Since he was almost done, he let his mind drift away, writing the last sentences almost on autopilot. A whiff of coffee made him think of warm, blue eyes that roamed his body. Of tender hands than ran through his hair. Of soft lips that were pressed against his. Of silver-hair that glistened in the light of...

"DiNozzo!"

Tony cringed so hard that his chair almost toppled over. He looked up in confusion and found himself be staring into Gibbs angry face.

"Get your ass moving, we've got a case!"

"Yes, Boss."

Tony took a deep breath and stood up on slightly shaky legs, grabbed his gears and ran to the others, who were already waiting for him by the elevators. He got a strange look from Ziva and replied with a scowl. He really didn't want any questions on what just had happened.

"What have we got", he asked quickly when Ziva still tried to open her mouth to ask.

"A dishonorably discharged Gunnery Sergeant has taken his ex-wife and her children hostage", Tim summoned up for him.

"Good, then this whole thing should be over pretty quick", Tony said with a smile.

The smile disappeared when Gibbs gave him one of his patented head slaps.

"Shutting up, Boss."

"Good."

It was already dark by the time the team returned to HQ. They were all tired to death and everyone just wanted to head home and go to sleep. The Gunny had taken the woman and children hostage in their home and threatened to kill them all if he wasn't let back to the Marine. They had been negotiating with the Gunny for hours, trying to talk him into at least let the two children go, but for some reason he had snapped in the end and killed the youngest of the children, just to prove that he was serious. That had been the final straw for the mother, who put her own life at risk by reaching for a frying pan and giving her ex-husband a good whack on the head, just to save her other child. That had allowed the team to storm the house and take the Gunnery into custody.

It was one of the rare cases that Tony hoped that he would be able to forget one day. He almost blamed himself for the child's death and a lot of 'what ifs' circled in his head. He swiftly put the thoughts away before they got a chance to overwhelm him, not wanting to go there. God, he really needed a drink right now!

He turned off his computer, got his stuff and went over to the elevator. The doors were just about to close when Gibbs suddenly stepped in, giving Tony a grave nod before turning around to face the doors. Tony bit his lover lip and stared at the floor, unconsciously clenching his fists. He could feel a faint smell of sawdust from the older man, blended with the smell of coffee. Why did those smells that aroused him so? He wasn't in to guys. He was a ladies man. So why couldn't he stop thinking of Gibbs?

A surprisingly light head slap brought him out of his brooding. He looked up just to find that Gibbs was frowning at him. When he realized that Gibbs even had been talking to him and looked away. That was no way good.

"What is the matter with you today, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked.

Tony shrugged. "I guess I'm just tired", he said.

"No. I don't buy that. You've been acting weird for days now, and I wanna know why."

Tony felt panic well up inside him and he clenched his jaws, not knowing what to say. He didn't want to know what would happen if Gibbs found out his feelings for him. He would be fired, that's for sure, but he might also just as well be killed.

He was just about to open his mouth to lie when the elevator stopped and the doors opened to the garage. He mumbled something inaudible and more or less ran out to his car. He heard Gibbs call his name, but he pretended that he didn't hear and got behind the wheel. He closed the door with a slam and just sat there for a moment, trying to calm down, before igniting the engine and driving out of the garage. Gibbs was going to kill him in the morning, but he didn't care. He needed time to gather his thoughts and get his emotions under control. Or else he would lose control.

tbc?