Tony watched his Boss out of the corner of his eye from his desk. He watched as Gibbs raised the cup to his lips, hesitating slightly to let the rich scent of the coffee permeate up his nostrils and awaken his senses. He watched as his nostrils flared slightly and the cup was lowered just a fraction to his lips. He watched the almost imperceptible movement of his lips as he allowed the steaming hot coffee entrance into his mouth and the slight bob of his throat as it was swallowed. He watched as never taking his eyes from the computer screen in front of him the cup was once again placed onto the desk a tiny smile evident in the older man's features. Definitely alive then. He watched as his Boss turned to face him a slightly irritated expression on his face.

"Something on your mind DiNozzo?" Yep definitely alive then he winced internally as Gibbs quirked his eyebrow narrowing his piercing blue eyes at him trying to suss him out.

"Eh no Boss. Nothing" he replied quickly flustering in an attempt to pull some case files closer to him.

"DiNozzo" the word held warning tones that only Gibbs could convey in a single word, spoken in a way that he and he alone could make Tony cringe at the sound of his own name with.

"It's nothing really Boss. I had a dream last night that's all. And... uh ... you kinda featured a starring role in it." He could feel the red tinge rise in his cheeks and he immediately regretted speaking out at all as he heard the snigger of laughter from McGee's desk.

"I don't even want to know DiNozzo" his boss said shaking his head in disbelief.

"No Boss. It wasn't that kind of dream. It was a normal dream. But..." he gave up defeated and turned around in time to see a smile of sheer undiluted delight on Ziva's face and knew he'd be ridiculed for this for hours to come.

He huffed, fully aware his face held the pouting expression of a four year old just denied candy. He took once last look over at his Boss before slumping back in his chair. He rubbed his eyes and tried hard to stifle a yawn. He blinked his eyes a few times, moved his lower jaw up and down and stretched his arms out above his head, clenching and unclenching his fingers. He spun his chair around lightly and began the tedious task of paperwork.

*

An hour later he found himself watching his bosses movements again. The way he almost growled at his computer, hitting said computer hard across the side of the monitor when it obviously did something to upset him. The way he typed two fingered slamming his index fingers down on the little keys in front of him. The way he paused every so often to take a sip of coffee and allow his eyes to do a quick sweep of his team.

Before he could be caught out again Tony redirected his gaze back to the report he was trying and failing to write up. He couldn't deny that the dream had startled him. He'd woken up, his heart racing, his breathing ragged and gasping, a thin film of sweat slicking to his body. He'd been tempted to call his Boss there and then just to ensure that the dream held no glimmer of truth, but thought better of it, realizing what Gibbs would do to him should he call him. He'd tossed and turned in bed the remainder of the night, unable to allow himself to surrender to the sleep that was calling out to him. His mind had continually trudged through the images of the dream, replaying every second in his mind, so real it unnerved him.

He'd eventually given in, getting up out of bed hours too early and had contemplated going for a run before deciding that he was obviously spending too much time with Ziva of late and that she was having a bad influence on him, electing to watch The Dark Knight for about the twentieth time instead.

Despite his early rise from bed, he had still managed to only just squeeze himself out of the elevator just minutes before he'd be officially late. He hurried across the squad room, pulling his backpack from his shoulder intent on throwing it down beside his desk and flinging himself into his chair with a minute to spare. He stopped short suddenly, coming to an abrupt halt as he saw Gibbs. A shiver ran unwillingly down his spine and he swallowed hard. He saw Ziva glance up at him and he turned around plastering his patented smile on his face in order to greet her, reaching the conclusion that it was just a coincidence, that Gibbs wearing the same clothes he had been in his dream didn't mean anything. That coincidence maybe sometimes did exist, despite what Gibbs argued otherwise.

*

He was suddenly aware of a presence towering above him and flickered his gaze upwards to be met with the glare of one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. He tried weakly to send him his 1000 watt smile, but it didn't work with Gibbs, never did.

"finished that report yet DiNozzo?"

"Not quite Boss" he lied, trying subtly to hide the report, or rather lack of.

Gibbs eyed him cautiously before the sound of the cell phone broke their staring match, jerking Gibbs back over to the desk. He picked up a pen as he answered the phone, his eyes never quite leaving his senior field agent.