CHAPTER 11

Tony braced himself as Gibbs gunned the engine as he drove his Challenger up the ramp and onto the highway at his usual excessive speed. Once they had merged into the morning traffic and Tony had caught his breath, he asked, "Doesn't this seem sort of weird to you?"

"What seems weird?"

"Our relationship."

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

Suddenly wondering if he'd read too much into it, Tony asked, "It is a relationship, isn't it? What would you call it?"

"Relationship is fine," Gibbs said mildly.

"So, isn't it unexpected how fast this hit both of us? I mean, we've been working together for years, and admittedly we've been through a lot together, but all of a sudden..."

"I think it's been a long time coming, Tony. Maybe it was simply the right time. People mature. Needs change," Gibbs reasoned.

Tony laughed. "Me mature? Okay, okay, I do occasionally think about the white picket fence and all that goes with it, but you have to admit that this is one hell of a change of direction. I mean, look at you: a Marine, with the wives, the career. And me…well, I'm Tony DiNozzo," he said, as if no further explanation was needed.

Gibbs looked at him curiously. "Are you afraid of change?"

"Not afraid, but I need…Look, this is going to sound strange coming from me, but I need stability. Didn't exactly get any when I was a kid." As an adult, Tony always sought to maintain a steady home life, partly due to his unstable childhood but also because of the nature of his work. After a stress-filled, dangerous day on the job, there was nothing like heading home to a favorite movie and a comfortable chair. Not that he said no to going out clubbing with his friends, but Tony liked his alone time, too.

Gibbs was an important part of Tony's foundation, always had been. He was the man Tony could always turn to, the guy who Tony knew could be found working on his boat at 2 a.m. when he needed someone to talk to or to simply hang out with. Gibbs didn't even have to carry on his end of the conversation; being with him was enough. It made sense to Tony that he was attracted to him as a partner, and it didn't hurt that despite being brusque and abrasive at times, Gibbs had a good heart. Plus, he was looking pretty damned hot now that Tony was seeing him through newly awakened eyes.

Gibbs said, "It seems pretty stable to me, two people deciding they're right for each other. Even so, I'm the same guy I've always been. So are you, Tony. We're taking a different road, that's all."

"Yeah, except for us being..." Tony made a back and forth motion between Gibbs and himself with his hand. "You know, a couple." He felt heat rising to his cheeks. "Look, I've never had a girlfriend who lasted more than a couple of weeks, except for undercover girlfriends and they don't count. Do they?" From the look on his face, apparently Gibbs didn't like being reminded of Tony's history so Tony said, "Are you sure? I mean, is this a done deal?"

"If you're asking if this is long-term, well, yeah. That's my take on it, Tony. I'm not going into this half-assed. I'm committed. Are you?"

Tony had to take a moment but in the end he turned to Gibbs and took hold of his hand. "I think…Yeah, I am. I want this. I'm in." It was scary to say but he meant it, with all his heart. He wasn't sure he was ready for all that a relationship with Gibbs entailed, but he had a feeling it was going to be one hell of an interesting experience. Gibbs grinned and gave Tony's hand a squeeze before letting it go. Tony asked, "Do you think we're going to be able to keep this private? I don't want to be the butt of every joke at work. Not that I think this is funny. Just…you know people."

"We can keep it between us," said Gibbs, as if he hadn't given it much thought. "Maybe tell a few friends at some point if you're okay with that."

"You want people to know?" Tony wasn't so sure about spilling the beans. It was a huge step, and once they opened their mouths, there would be no going back. Being outed, especially when this was all so new, when he wasn't yet used to it made his stomach clench. He didn't want to let anyone into their world, not yet. Funny, because he was the guy who always boasted about his latest conquest to anyone who would listen.

"I'm not talking about shouting the news from the rooftops, Tony. Maybe tell Ducky, Abby…people we trust."

"What if I don't want to tell anyone? Other than Palmer, who pretty much figured it out before we did. The moment we tell anyone we're partners, or whatever you want to call it, things will never be the same." Tony could just see it spiraling out of control, what with gossip and talk behind their backs and speculation and… "Oh shit! Vance. He's gonna jump all over this and use it as an excuse to split us up at work. Oh God, I'm going to be reassigned to Alaska or Parris Island or…or North Dakota!"

Although Gibbs' lips twitched in the beginnings of a smile at Tony's choice of locations, he said matter-of-factly, "Then we don't tell anyone. Look, there's no rush, Tony. Let's just concentrate on getting through the day, okay? We'll be fine."

"Bring on the cold cases," Tony said with forced enthusiasm. "Maybe I can get this sling off today." Gibbs glared at him so Tony amended, "Or not. How about I just smile a lot and make movie references and everything will seem normal?"

Gibbs asked, as he navigated his way quickly between a couple of slow-moving trucks, "You sure you can handle working together?"

"Of course I can. What d'you think I'm gonna do? Try to hold hands in the bullpen? Jump your bones in the elevator?" Tony drew in a breath as an image came to him of he and Gibbs going at it in the elevator. "The elevator! Can we do it in the elevator?"

"DiNozzo! We haven't even done it in a bed yet," Gibbs growled. "Let's just take this one step at a time. See how you feel about this whole thing. Make sure that this…this being with a man is the right fit for you."

"You think I should be sure that I can deal with being your significant other before I get in too deep?" Tony had a feeling it was too late, that he was already in over his head.

Gibbs took hold of Tony's hand and held onto it securely, driving with only one hand on the wheel. "It's one thing being together in my house, where we're comfortable, and a whole other case when we have to interact with the public. It's only been a few days, Tony."

"What, are you trying to get rid of me already?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes in exasperation. "You might see this from a different perspective after getting back to work. It might be more difficult to handle than you expect."

Tony turned in his seat to view Gibbs' profile. "Being at work isn't going to change how I feel about you."

"Just take the time to think about it," Gibbs said calmly, pulling into the Navy Yard. He released Tony's hand as they approached the security point and pulled out his ID.

As soon as they had shown their credentials and were through, Tony said, "I've done nothing but think about it. I've thought about where we're going to live, and if I can bring my big TV over to your place, and if you'll mind if I throw my laundry in with yours and if I can wear your boxers sometime."

That made Gibbs look sideways at him. "That turn you on? Wearing my underwear?"

"Well, yeah. It would be pretty hot wearing your Sears best under my suit at work."

Gibbs snorted as he parked the car, "I'll make sure to do my laundry tonight."

"Uh…you don't need to," Tony said guiltily.

"What?" Gibbs' eyes traveled to Tony's lap. "Oh hell. And there I was, thinking we could get through the day just fine."

Tony grinned. "Well, that was just plain silly, Jethro. So, about the elevator…"

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The moment Tony walked into the NCIS building, he was no longer the man who was in love with Jethro Gibbs. He dropped that part of his identity and took on the persona of Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo, Jr., and nobody was any the wiser.

Tony found it surprisingly easy to keep up the act, but it soon became apparent that his Gibbs was not so adept at hiding his feelings. So much for Gibbs keeping his act together. Although he got right to work, he kept sending glances Tony's way that barely hid his interest in him. At one point when their eyes met, Tony would swear that Gibbs flushed and, from the way he was holding himself, that he had an erection that was conveniently hidden by his desk. Although it was complimentary and as hot as hell that Jethro got turned on by him like that, it wouldn't be long before someone figured out that something was going on between the two men.

Neither Ziva nor Tim had arrived yet, but they were due any moment, and Tony was afraid they'd soon catch on that he and Gibbs had moved on to a whole new level. He had to do something about Gibbs, and time was short. "Coffee?" he suggested, jerking his head in the direction of the break room. Gibbs sighed and walked along with him. It was empty except for them, and Tony fiddled around adding creamer to his cup while he watched Gibbs pour himself a cup of black coffee. Sidling up next to Gibbs, Tony said under his breath, "Uh, Boss? Think you can tone it down a bit?"

"What're you talking about?"

"You're gonna mess up our uh…undercover operation," Tony said, staring at him meaningfully.

Gibbs said stiffly, "I am not…"

"Sorry, Boss, but you are. You keep looking at me like you're picturing me naked."

Gibbs's skin turned a darker hue. He looked around and said tersely, "Well, it's your fault, talking about doing it in the elevator."

Tony choked back a laugh. "Geez, Boss, if I'd know what a turn-on the elevator was for you, I would have taken action a long time ago."

With a big sigh, Gibbs closed his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them he was all business. "It's time we buckle down to work, Special Agent DiNozzo."

"Of course, Special Agent Gibbs," Tony replied, just as seriously. On their way out, he couldn't help but flash Gibbs a brilliant smile, which caused Gibbs to send him a warning glare as he headed for his desk.

Back in the bullpen, Tony discovered that Tim and Ziva had arrived at work and were powering up their computers. He smiled and declared, "Look at this! One big happy family, together again. Makes me want to break into song or something." Tony flung his good arm out and sang, "The bullpen is alive with the sound of probies…" while he twirled around the center of the bullpen. He came to a sudden stop and hugged his wounded side. "Ow. Ow. Mistake."

"You okay, Tony? What happened to you?" asked Tim, looking with interest at Tony's sling.

"Balboa and I ran into a crazy guy when we were out on a case," Tony said, taking a seat at his desk. "This was while you two were out gallivanting the world, McTestify."

"Make that McConviction," Tim said with a proud smile.

"Way to go, Timmy," Tony said by way of congratulations.

"Maybe Tony is taking part in one of those medical studies where they pay cash," suggested Ziva, as if Tony hadn't already explained. "A guinea hen."

"Guinea pig," Tony corrected instinctively. "And I did not. And you caught the gunrunners, Ms. Mossad?"

"Of course. I was there for the kill," Ziva replied.

"The lions circle their prey at the waterhole," Tony said in the deep voice of a documentary commentator.

"Tell me, Tony, is this sling all for show?" asked Ziva.

McGee frowned at Tony. "Didn't you and your frat brothers sell your blood in college?"

"No, Ziva, I got knifed by a perp. Want to see my stitches?" asked Tony.

"No, no, McGee," corrected Ziva. "That was sperm. It was a sperm bank, was it not? Does that mean that the tellers keep it in safety deposit boxes?"

"I can take off the sling and show you," offered Tony, reaching for the Velcro enclosure up by his neck even though his teammates were doing a good job ignoring him.

McGee pulled a face. "Eeew. That is the last time I touch one of those safety deposit boxes without latex gloves."

Gibbs swept into the bullpen, warning, "You take off that sling and I'll use it to tie you to your chair, DiNozzo." The agents quickly looked busy but they shot right back up when Gibbs announced, "Dead Marine down on C Street. Grab your gear. DiNozzo, sit and stay. Are you gonna do some work while we're gone, or are you planning on making another deposit in the bank?"

"Be right here, Boss, hard at work," Tony said as he watched enviously while his teammates hurried off after Gibbs.

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Work had been going well, better than expected. Gibbs managed to get his blatant interest in Tony under control during work hours. While the team was out in the field, Tony did some valuable, timesaving investigating from his desk and they wrapped up their current case within a couple of days. One good thing was that Vance was away at a conference. Tony knew that a confrontation with the director was inevitable but now that he had Gibbs on his side he wasn't too worried. Okay, he was worried but he managed to remain calm.

"Got a meeting," barked Gibbs as he headed up the stairs towards MTAC. "McGee, take DiNozzo home."

Tony glanced at his watch; it was seven and he was getting hungry. Gibbs had promised pizza for a change – he favored Chinese – and Tony had been whining about it. "But Boss…"

"You can't drive with a sling. And no, you can't take it off."

"C'mon, Tony. We can stop and pick up a pizza and something to drink," enticed McGee.

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"What time's the boss going to be home?" said Tim, looking uneasily around Gibbs' living room, gloomy even with all the lamps turned on.

"Don't worry, he won't be here for a couple of hours. He's stopping after work to pick up some lumber he special-ordered," Tony assured his colleague, doling out slices of pizza onto paper plates on the coffee table.

Tim went and got ice, poured them sodas and sat in one of the easy chairs. "I wanted to tell you, last night I talked to the couple who sublet your condo. They're having a baby and have already put an offer on a house. Looks like you'll be getting your home back sooner than expected, Tony."

That news did not brighten Tony's day as much as one might expect. "Thanks, Tim," he said anyway. "For helping me out with getting my things into storage and renting it on such short notice. It would have been tough to do that from five hundred miles out at sea."

"Glad to help out, Tony. You were sent away so fast I could smell the burning rubber," Tim said, shaking his head. "At least I only got transferred down to the basement."

"Timmy McBaggin, Lord of the Cyber-trolls, toiling away with all your geeky friends in the subterranean mines."

"Funny," Tim said, pulling a face. He waved a hand to indicate Gibbs' home. "I'll bet you'll be glad to get out of here."

"I don't know. It's all right," Tony said nonchalantly. "It could do with some freshening up. Maybe some Martha Stewart camp décor but otherwise…I think it has a charm of its own."

"You cannot like staying here," Tim said, looking horrified. "I mean, this is Gibbs' house, where you have to sleep on an army cot, and eat spam and beans for dinner with a hunting knife for a utensil, and watch the fireplace instead of the TV. It's stuck in early sixties motel décor in avocado green and mustard. His only mode of entertainment is the transistor radio in the basement and it only gets AM."

Tony laughed. "It's not that bad. There's a real TV over there behind the ironing board and Gibbs favors Chinese and uses chopsticks like a pro, and he has been…well, he's been good to me."

After his first day back at work, Tony had returned home with Gibbs, so exhausted that he barely made it through dinner. Tony had collapsed in bed at eight, only to be joined by Gibbs a few minutes later. It wasn't anything like the life that he was used to, but Tony was fast becoming used to falling asleep with Gibbs' arms wrapped securely around him.

Tim stared at Tony and asked, "You get hit in the head again, Tony?"

"Yeah, but it was only a bump." Tony touched his forehead where he'd smacked it on the floor in Autopsy. He felt a need to defend Gibbs, to make Tim understand that Gibbs was a good guy, even if it put his cover in jeopardy. "He brought me back here when I was hurting and really out of it, and he took care of me when I was sick and…and he was there when I needed someone. Okay, he's a grouch at times, but he…he cares," Tony said, his voice trailing off as he thought back to the way Gibbs had literally tucked him into bed, and had brushed his hair back and pressed his warm lips to his forehead.

"You sure we're talking about the same man? Somehow I can't see Gibbs as the nurturing type," Tim said with a derisive laugh.

"Never assume," Tony said, under his breath. Knowing it was time to backpedal before Tim caught onto the fact that he was soft on Gibbs, Tony said, with a lighthearted laugh, "You know what? You're right, Probie. So, when are these people moving out? I need to pull my stuff out of storage and back where it belongs and so I can get back to normal."

Tim let out a breath of relief. "You really had me going for a minute there." He said he'd call the renters the next day and confirm their move-out date. "Then we'll all pitch in and get your belongings back, okay, Tony?"

"Thanks, Tim."

Tim was long gone by the time Gibbs returned home. "I made you supper, if you're hungry. Found a frozen beef pie and added some extra macaroni and gravy. It's sort of a casserole kind of thing. Hope it's edible. You'll be happy to know there are no frozen peas in it," said Tony, putting the hot meal on the table.

Gibbs seemed surprised but he chowed down and finished up his meal with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. "Good," he said, with a satisfied sigh.

Tony was happy to get Gibbs' seal of approval. "Didn't have a lot to work with."

Gibbs grunted and after a minute he suggested, "We'll have to stock up on foods you like. Easy stuff we can heat quick when we come in late."

That simple statement just about floored Tony. "Um…are you saying I should move in here, Jethro?"

"Didn't we settle that already?"

"No, no we didn't," Tony said, a bit bemused.

"I want you here," Gibbs said plainly.

Tony bowed his head to hide the emotion that threatened to overwhelm him, because he'd never felt quite so wanted before and he didn't know how to handle it.

"I want you, Tony. All of you." Gibbs pulled Tony to his feet and into a hug.

"Jethro," he said, his voice unsteady. Gibbs shushed him and ran his hands up and down his back like he was gentling a horse. Tony relaxed into it, feeling Gibbs' breath hot against his ear, and all too soon Tony was breathing harder and his dick was reacting to being pressed against Gibbs' hard thigh. A little embarrassed, Tony tried to pull away, but Gibbs ordered, "No, stay with me," and Tony yielded.

Somewhere along the line, arousal took a back seat to the warmth and comfort that fully enveloped him, and by the time Gibbs released him with a smile, and patted his cheek, Tony was feeling relaxed and content.

They stayed close to each other, bumping shoulders as they put the dishes in the sink and stuck the remains of the food in the fridge. Tony yawned, ready for bed, wondering if he was going to get a repeat of the past few nights, with going to sleep secure in Gibbs' arms. He shouldn't have wondered because Gibbs climbed into bed, kissed him good night and settled behind him as if it were the most natural thing in the world before promptly falling asleep.

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