Story Oracle: Thanks muchly :)
Ibuko: Glad you liked the feeding scene. I hoped it wouldn't be over the top and thank god it worked out. I love Tony/Gibbs cuteness so there will always be plenty in my stories. Lol
The Swordsman: so am I, believe me, so am I. Tony/Gibbs is one of my all time favourite pairing. There is so much potential with all the subtext in the series. I'll try to write more (maybe "the morning 'after' " lol) after this one but I gotta work on my other story (on which I'm a little stuck.lol). Have fun reading and tell me what you think.
FoxyladyhubbardsThanks a lot :-) I hope you'll like this chapter too. I did my best but I don't think it's as good as chapter 2. We'll see about chapter 4, if there is one :-)
Babs6608: I'll try to write about all that but in due time.lol. There is a thing called real life and sometimes I have to indulge ;-) I'll do my best though. Thanks for the review and have fun reading.
JaysEmm: Yeah I sometimes really like Gabby if it's written well but Tibbs is my absolute favourite. I'm glad I could convert you to the dark side of the force ;-) Maybe you'll like this chapter too. Let me know either way ;-)
lilithkv: thanks for reviewing :-) have fun reading the 3rd chapter. I tried to make it cute but not sappy. No idea if it worked but I have to say that I really like the Gibbs in my story. It's how I see him when he's involved with somebody. Cute, tender and gentle :-)
SparklingCatseye: Just so you know, the 2nd chapter was the longest chapter I've ever written.lol. I'm glad you liked it though. I tried to make Tony a bit more "real". In many stories he's very cool with being gay and being attracted all of a sudden to the same sex. From personal experience I can say that it's not that easy and I wanted to portray that. Maybe Gibbs is a little OOC but it works for my story and as long as people don't complain I'm good :-) I'll try to write more after this chapter but there's no guarantee. Just so you know :-)
Burnbabyburn123: If I owned NCIS this wouldn't be fanfiction but aired every Tuesday on CBS.lol. Well, a girl can always dream ;-) I'm glad you liked it and that Gibbs isn't too OOC for you. It's always hard with him but for this story he works being sweet and gentle.
Mary2000: well here is the "real" 3rd chapter and I'm pretty sure there will be a 4th one. I want to write about a few more things and with luck there will also be sex. That would be my first lemon scene then.lol. My my ;-) enjoy reading :-)
Cup of Coffee III
Tony hated to admit, but the explosion of the Chimera rocked him to the core. Not even 15 minutes earlier they had been on the very same ship that was burning down now. He didn't care if it looked suspicious that he stood so close to Gibbs but he needed to feel the other man's body heat. They only just had their first date yesterday, shared a wonderful evening and an amazing kiss.
And it could all have been over, had they stayed on the ship.
It was a very rude wakeup call.
Back at the office Gibbs immediately disappeared in MTAC to have a little heart to heart with Commander Skinner. Tony didn't envy the man. He knew how Gibbs felt about the team and its safety and Skinner had played with what was most important to Gibbs.
Still shaken McGee, Ziva and Tony sat down at their respective desks and started attacking the much hated paper work. Tony would have loved to be with Gibbs right now but he knew he would have to wait for either one of them to make the next move. They couldn't let anything change on the clock, he was aware of that so either they would meet up after work or they wouldn't.
Immersing himself completely in the task of recollecting his memories as accurately as possible to give his boss a detailed report he didn't see said man returning to his desk. Only when he got the peculiar sensation of being watched, did he lift his eyes and met Gibbs intense stare.
What he could read in the other man's eyes made him feel hot and cold all over. He saw tenderness, caring and possessiveness battling in the stark blue eyes and it was right then and there that Gibbs also knew how close they had come to never get any further in their slowly blossoming relationship.
Smiling a soft and reassuring smile, Tony tried to convey as much feeling as possible through his gaze and when he saw Gibbs's posture relax ever so slightly he knew he had succeeded. He even got a slightly lifted corner of Gibbs's mouth as response and he just knew that this would be as close to smiling as his boss and lover would ever come at work when the others were around. And he was fine with that knowledge.
Sure Gibbs could be a bastard but he knew that already, didn't he? His boss was rude, insulting at times, tenacious, brutally honest and ferocious in what he did. As long as he got the job done he didn't care much about following regs. Talking about "Better beg for forgiveness than ask for permission" and all.
And still he had fallen and fallen hard.
What other people hated about Gibbs, he took in stride and accepted it as one of the multiple layers of the personality that was one Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Granted, the older man could be unnerving at good times and a hard-assed bastard at bad times but still Tony had learned to deal with this Gibbs and it didn't bother him much since he knew that it wasn't all there was to Gibbs.
Last evening at Gibbs's house had shown him that the other man had an infinitely gentle, caring and tender side. He had felt loved and cherished by the way his now-lover had treated his insecurities without embarrassing him or making him feel out of place. They had talked openly about Tony's history with men… or the lack thereof to be more accurate and had he felt uncomfortable sharing so much information about him in the first place, that feeling had eased as quickly as it had appeared. He had let go of his embarrassment and laid his feelings bare. And he didn't regret it one bit.
Resolute he opened the internal Instant Messaging program and quickly typed a message for Gibbs.
"Dinner at the Quadro Delizioso tonight? T."
Thanks to his very sensitive hearing he could hear the soft beep when Gibbs got the IM and looked up ever so slightly to catch any possible reaction. There was none though and really, Tony thought, he should have known better. After all this was Gibbs, marine-sniper-second-b-is-for-bastard, so the poker face was pretty much a given. However Tony wasn't disappointed by the lack of response. He knew that they had to be discrete and even if there was no way for either Ziva or McGee to know the IM Gibbs had gotten was from Tony, it was better not to push their luck at all. Gibbs quickly typed his reply and seconds after he had pressed the enter-button, Tony saw a window popping up at his screen.
All it said was "I'd love to. G." but it was enough to make him flush with excitement and pure joy. Yesterday Gibbs had asked him out, today it was his turn. At least he felt like it was. Not that there was any obligation but he had appreciated Gibbs's efforts form the day before and did want to see him again tonight but on his own terms and without the other man having to cook again for both of them. Jethro was likely just as tired as he was, so Tony thought of dinner out as the perfect solution.
The day passed a lot quicker than he had anticipated. He visited Abby in her lab since, even though the evidence she had gotten could in no way be processed so shortly after having received it he had the urge to see their favourite goth. It was weird investigating a murder on a ship with no means to get assistance form their lab technician. Gibbs didn't reprimand him, which was odd in itself but he also noticed Gibbs cutting Ziva and McGee some slack.
"No favouring indeed," he thought wryly but didn't really mind. He knew about his place in Gibbs private life and his unwavering status as Senior Field Agent. Granted, one of these days, weeks or months, his very private insecurities about that particular aspect would be discussed with Jethro, there was no doubt about that, but today he was at ease with himself.
He was actually surprised when Gibbs called it a day and told them to stay home until Wednesday. Today being Friday that made it a fantastically long weekend. Director Sheppard sure as hell had had her say in this decision. She didn't take lightly to her people being put at risk without being briefed accordingly beforehand. The whole ordeal with La Grenouille had shown Tony a very different side of their Director. She was just as tenacious as Gibbs when it counted and didn't back off even if it meant facing people one would rather keep at their good side.
Trailing behind on purpose, Tony was alone with Gibbs when Ziva and McGee finally left the bullpen for their extended weekend.
"Hey," Tony smiled softly
"Hey," was Gibbs reply as he returned the smile with one of his own.
They shared a brief moment of just looking each other over and then moved to the elevator. The open bullpen wasn't exactly favourable for having private moments and the elevator could at least provide privacy. As soon as the doors closed Tony moved to take Gibbs's hand in his and entwined their fingers. The gesture was small but conveyed all there needed to be said.
Sighing softly, Tony let go of Gibbs again when the elevator came close to stopping on ground level. They were still in a federal building and the parking garage was equipped with security cameras. The younger agent knew better than to keep holding on to Gibbs when it would be taped by half a dozen cams and seen by at least 3 security guards.
Gibbs walked Tony too his car and even though the young man tried hard to keep the flush at bay, his effort was fruitless. He ducked his head shyly and as he turned to face Gibbs the older man looked at him like he was the most special person on earth. It took him all he had to not warp his arms around Gibbs's neck and kiss him for all it was worth.
Sensing the younger man's turmoil, Gibbs took a step forward and successfully invaded Tony's personal space. It wasn't for intimidation though, no, it was about reassurance. They couldn't always do as they pleased when in public but they could help each other deal with the situation and if Tony needed to feel Jethro's body heat radiating off of him, just like he had on the boat ride, who was he to deny the young man what he needed.
Tony finally cleared his throat. "You want me to pick you up?"
"Yeah, if it's not too inconvenient?" for Gibbs it was a slightly new concept to be at the receiving end of courtship but he liked it nonetheless.
"7h30 ok with you?"
"Yeah, definitely." Gibbs agreed and smiled at the adorable young man.
He was pretty sure the smile on his face made him look all goofy but he couldn't have cared less. He had been flying solo long enough now and it was time to take a chance at happiness again. He was positive Tony and he could make it work. They both loved the job, were dedicated to it knew to put it first more than only occasionally.
He was too lost in his thoughts to hear what Tony said, he only saw the lip movement and knew it was time to come back to this moment.
"Sorry, spaced out for a moment. Come again?" he asked sheepishly
"I just said that I would be at your place at 7h30 and that I needed to get home now to take care of some stuff. That's all." that Tony didn't mind him slightly loosing himself in his thoughts was obvious when he saw the soft smile on the younger man's face.
"Ok. I'll see you then."
"Yeah, Bye."
Reluctantly, Tony unlocked his car and got in. Berating himself that he would see Jethro later anyways he shook his head ever so slightly. This was new for him, yeah, but he definitely knew that also his behaviour was out of the norm. He was never the clingy one… he also tried not to be now, but somehow he got the distinct feeling that he was failing. Miserably.
Still Gibbs didn't exactly seem to mind. Maybe the older man hadn't even noticed but with his luck and Jethro's observation skills that was quite unlikely. Or maybe his now-lover really didn't mind. Liking that explanation best he settled on it.
His ride home was fairly uneventful. Not that he really cared. He was looking forward to later and couldn't be bothered with mundane things like traffic jams or the like. He had more pressing matter to think about such as his wardrobe and what he would wear tonight.
Blushing furiously he shook his head. If this was, what Jethro did to him now, he didn't want to know about when they had progressed further in their relationship.
Finally arriving at home, he let himself in. Dropping on the couch in his living room he sighed deeply. The investigation on the Chimera had taken more out of him than he wanted to admit. He really had thought he was dying. It wouldn't have surprised him in the least if he had. Sure, he did always land on his two feet but with his track record it wouldn't be odd if he had used all his nine lives already. At least he felt like he had. Thinking back it was a wonder he still worked for NCIS. He had escaped death more than once by the skin of his teeth. However he never even considered to stop working at NCIS. He took it in stride just as he did with his boss's bastard moods.
And he never regretted staying.
Shaking the darker thoughts away he moved to the kitchen and poured himself some water. He wasn't in the mood for coffee now and didn't really want to start with alcohol at half past five. He was likely to have some wine with Jethro over dinner and some beer now would do virtually nothing for his fatigue.
He gulped down two glasses of water, surprised at his own thirstiness. Putting the glass away into the dishwasher he made his way to the bedroom where he undressed and went into the en suite bathroom. His entire body begged for the hot stream of water and who was he to deny it? Letting the water run until it had reached his usual temperature he took the time to study himself in the mirror. He was a bit pale, which was likely the result of their last case and a fair amount of exhaustion. His eyes were as expressive as ever but the paleness of his normally tan face made them stand out even more.
Stepping under the spray of water he moaned in pleasure when the hot liquid hit his back and massaged it gently. This was the best part of coming home, second only to actually falling into bed and sleeping. Bracing his hands against the shower wall he let himself savour the sensations and only started his daily hygiene after 5 minutes of just standing there. The hot water pounding onto his back felt divine and he only got out of the shower when it began to run cooler. All he wanted to do was fall into bed and sleep for 48 hours but he was also looking forward to seeing Gibbs.
Walking to his bed while drying off, he sat down and let himself fall back wards. God, did that feel good. The thought of curling up under the sheets and forgetting the world were as tempting as they could be. If he didn't have a date with Jethro later there was no doubt as to what he'd be doing right now. But as it was he got up again and slipped into some sweats and pulled on his OSU t-shirt. It was old but it always provided the comfort he needed after cases like the last one. Deciding to not dwell on the last day too much he went clean up the kitchen a little. The last time was not that long ago but he was still looking for a cleaning lady. Until he found one he would have to make the effort himself. Time actually passed quite quickly considering the mind numbing and boring house work.
Still after having sat down in the living room he had only waited a few minutes until he resolutely picked himself up again and moved to his bedroom to check the contents of his wardrobe.
Opening the doors he sighed deeply. This would take time. He liked his clothes, he really did, meaning he had lots and lots of things to chose from. Normally a good thing, though tonight he highly doubted it would be favourable to finish in time to pick Jethro up.
Shaking his head again at his foolish antics he blushed ever so slightly. He was an ex-cop, federal agent with commendations going back years. On top of that he could hold his own when it came to face-to-face combat. Still, he stood defeated in front of his wardrobe without a clue as to what to wear.
He wanted to look good, obviously, but not overdressed. It should be casual but not too much. Underlining his "assets" for the lack of a better word but not in a cheap way. Good god, this was worse than getting ready for his first date ever.
Finally deciding to go as "man in black" for the night he settled on black denims that clung to his shapely legs I all the right places. They were a little tight and showed of his ass but not overly so. They only hinted at what was hidden underneath. The black button down shirt was not as clingy as he would have liked it to be, but that was fine with him. It was more comfortable that way and still looked good. The black suit jacket was the finishing touch and looking himself over in the mirror, Tony was satisfied with what he saw.
A silver bracelet and ring were put on as accessories and with one last look at his watch; he left the apartment and made his way to Gibbs's house. The drive didn't take as long as usual. Rush hour was already over and if need be, Tony knew enough back roads to reach Jethro's place quickly. 5 years as Special Agent and 4 as Senior Field Agent had taught him to "always anticipate!" and "be prepared!".
Logically he knew that Gibbs's door was as open for him as for anybody else but he still he knocked out of courtesy. Not getting an answer though he carefully opened the door and stepped inside. The house was quiet and almost completely dark.
"Gibbs?" he called out
With no response forthcoming he called again. "Jethro?"
Becoming a bit worried he made his way through the house. Starting in the basement he was almost disappointed to not see his now-lover work at the boat. He always loved the concentrated look on Jethro's face when he was completely immersed in the work of sanding his lady. She would be a beauty one day, Tony was sure of it.
Clearing room after room the young man decided to try upstairs. He knew that those were Gibbs's more private rooms, he himself had slept quite a few times in the spare bedroom when his building was renovated again and again and again. Still Gibbs was nowhere to be found.
Until Tony stepped into his bedroom.
One look at the sight that greeted him was enough and his face split into a silly grin.
Jethro was lying in his bed, under the blankets, cuddling one of the cushions. The soft grumblings were not articulate enough to be understood but Tony still found the sight utterly adorable. He sat down, mindful to not jostle the mattress too much. Gibbs still was a man with reflexes of a fighter and warrior. There was virtually no telling what the reaction would be when he found somebody else in his bedroom, mind still muddled with sleep.
Tony didn't want to find out either.
Instead he settled for running his fingers through Jethro's hair and slightly massaged his scalp. The expression on the older man's face became blissful and Tony couldn't help but smile.
God was he happy to have taken Gibbs up on his invitation for their initial date.
In only a few days he had seen so many different aspects of Gibbs's personality that left him reeling. But in the good way. He knew that the hard-assed marine in Gibbs was only part of the multi-layered personality and he had been looking forward to learn about the others in due time but he was positively surprised at Gibbs's openness. He realized with startling clarity that it was not only he who trusted Gibbs with his inexperience but also Gibbs who trusted him, Tony, with the part of him that he kept hidden at work and around everybody else.
The mumbling started to grow more articulate as Tony continued his impromptu massage until Jethro opened his eyes, surprise to see the younger man here with him. Slowly getting his bearings, he realized that he must have dozed off completely when he only intended to take a short nap.
Embarrassed he excused himself. "I'm sorry Tony. Just wait a second, I'll be ready in no time."
"No worries, it's your call. We can always cancel tonight's dinner," Tony was quick to assure his boss and lover.
He could easily relate to the bone deep tiredness his Jethro was likely to be feeling, he himself not being exactly rested after their last case. If Gibbs wanted to stay home and get some sleep he understood. It didn't mean he was happy because he had been looking forward to their dinner but still, he understood.
Looking Jethro over, he noticed the thoughtful look on his face. "I'm not going to hold it against you. I'm exhausted myself. I'm totally cool if you want to stay home tonight. There will be more chances to get dinner together." Tony continued.
He knew exactly what Jethro was thinking. That he should suck it up and get up, even though he was likely to not enjoy himself being worn out and all. He didn't want to disappoint Tony and that knowledge alone warmed said man to the core.
"I'd really like to stay here tonight if you don't mind. You're welcome to stay too, if that's what you want?" The last sentence should, by all rights, have been more of a statement than a question but it wasn't. Gibbs knew his insecurities and was adamant about always leaving Tony a way out, even if he didn't need or want it.
"Ok, uhm, I'll get a glass of water and settle in the guest room for the night then." Getting up, he was surprised when he felt Jethro holding onto him. He looked at the hand wrapped around his wrist, the up into the older man's face with a questioning look.
"It's up to you, but if you want, we can share my bed."
Tony's heart seemed to stop beating right then and there, before he felt it thundering against his ribs. This was new. This was taking their relationship to a whole new level. He didn't know whether he was ready to get to 3rd base and further with Gibbs tonight. He wanted to, God did he want to. Wanting and being ready were to very different things though.
"Hey, hey. Tony," Jethro called out softly. He saw the distant look in Tony's eyes and knew immediately that the younger man was reading the wrong things into his proposition. "I'm sorry, Tony. I didn't mean it like that. Sit down, please?"
A small nod and Tony complied.
Jethro moved to lean against the headboard and looked the other man over. He was a bit tense but mostly skittish and nervous. Exasperated with himself he resolutely told himself to think things over before springing his ideas on Tony without any further warning whatsoever.
"Look, what I meant was if you wanted to spend the night with me, yeah, but not in that way. I would like to lay here, with you, and just be together. No pressure to do anything more. I know you're not ready yet, and I want to wait too and make this right. We'll see about taking this further when we're both ok and ready to do so. Until then, we do what comes naturally and try to get familiar with each other." Seeing Tony relax he knew that he had chosen the right words. Strange that he always found the right words with the younger man, but only seldom with others.
Taking a deep breath and slowly letting it out, Tony smiled at Jethro. "Ok. I'm good. Sorry for overreacting." Feeling sheepish he ducked his head but Gibbs would have none of that. He lifted the face gently with a finger under his chin. "No apologies, Tony. Remember what I said a few days ago?"
Thinking back it soon dawned upon Tony what Jethro was hinting at. "You feel what you feel, and not what you're supposed to feel."
"Exactly. And I meant it."
"Yeah I know. It's just. I won't say I'm sorry but I'm fed up with myself. This is what I want. Why can't it be easier?" surprised at his own openness he waited patiently for the other man to respond.
"Who says it's hard, Tony? Relationships are always a bit rocky and uncomfortable in the beginning. I being your boss and male at that doesn't really help. We'll be learning about each other's quirks as we go. Patience really is a virtue, you know?" he finished smirking to lighten the mood.
The smile he got in return was reward enough.
"So how do we do this Jethro?"
"Well I'd say you do what you usually do when you go to bed. Take of your clothes, take care of business and get under the sheets. Familiar concept?" a cheeky wink was thrown Tony's way for good measure.
"You bet. Pj's?" the younger man laughed.
"Wardrobe. Help yourself."
Tony got up, picked a shirt and shorts and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth, take care of business and change. He knew Jethro always had a spare toothbrush somewhere. Anticipation and all that, was the obvious explanation.
Ten minutes later he emerged of the bathroom and made his way back to Jethro's bedroom. This was officially unnerving him. What side of the bed did Jethro prefer? Did he want to, god forbid, cuddle? What if he couldn't keep his body from reacting to the other man?
Shaking his head he stepped into the room and lost all of his nervousness when he saw Jethro lying in bed waiting for him. He leaned against the doorframe to study the picture. His lover had moved a bit to the left to make room for him. He was fast asleep again and it seemed like he couldn't be bothered by anything.
One thing we have in common. We can sleep anywhere, anytime.Tony thought. He liked the similarities between them. At first he'd never had thought that there would be any between them but now he knew better. They both lived for the job, put it first when need be. And most importantly, they were passionate about the things they cared for and about.
Slipping into bed behind Jethro he sighed deeply and content. This was the real thing. He could get used to this easily. Smiling softly he snuggled closer to the body next to him and took a moment to savour the feeling. He always liked sleeping next to somebody else. This was so much better than everything he had experienced before. This was with the person that was in his heart. This was Jethro.
TBC? (your choice :smile: )
Well, the end was a bit sappy but I got frustrated with it coz it just didn't want to flow. If you guys want more you'll have to tell me :-)