A/N: I've done it! At the end of another story. I hope you had as much fun reading it as I've had writing it. I want to thank everyone who has read, favorited, followed and commented on this story! That's what makes this worthwhile. Thanks a lot! :)

I hope you like this last chapter, too... it turned out much more x-rated than I intended... hope you don't mind ;-)

Chapter Seventeen: Five

"I want the old Tony back," Jethro repeated, his voice which had been very calm before rising with every word he said. "I want the old Tony back who sat here with me just yesterday, telling me that he didn't doubt this. I want the Tony back who wanted to run away from those goddamn clocks. The one who didn't care about them because he just didn't want to obsess over them."

"I – " Tony interrupted him, but stopped short as Jethro suddenly got into his space.

"No," Jethro continued. "Listen," he said somewhat more collected. "I get that you want to know, but how is this any different to everybody else? They might have had clocks that turned to zero at the same time, but isn't everything else about it a secret, too? What's the difference?"

Tony stared at him for a long moment before he felt himself let out a breath he hadn't even known he had been holding. He suddenly felt relieved and sad at the same time. Jethro was right, though. Was it really that different?

"I want the Tony who had made up his mind before the clocks turned to zero that he wanted it to be me back. Why the doubt now?" Jethro started again but fell silent when Tony raised a hand, trying to smile at him and failing miserably.

"You're right. I'm sorry," he apologized. "I just thought… you know when I finally met the soul mate, I'd know. I know you said it didn't happen like that for you with Shannon, but I still expected more, you know?"

"Yeah," Gibbs sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before he tilted his head to motion Tony to follow him to the couch.

Tony did him the favor, knowing that he was about to screw this thing up monumentally, but he couldn't live like this, not with that much doubt fogging his every thought.

"Tony," Jethro cut through his train of thought, sitting down next to him, angling himself so that he was staring right at him. "Are you listening?"

Tony just nodded, slightly taken about by the solemn tone of voice the older man was suddenly using. Was this really the end to it all already? Was Gibbs giving up on this, on searching for answers, on him?

"Okay," he started up again seemingly feeling a little awkward and Tony couldn't blame him. "For me, a soul mate has always been someone you just have an immediate connection right at the moment you meet – a connection so strong that you are drawn to them in a way you have never experienced before. And this connection just… develops over time and you experience a love so deep, strong and complex, that you begin to doubt that you have ever truly loved anyone before. That soul mate of yours understands you and connects with you on so many levels and it brings you… I don't know… peace, calmness and happiness. And when they're not around you, you just seem to see the harshness of life. You are all that much aware of the beauty in life when you're with them because you have been given something, something big and great or whatever."

Tony stared at him, feeling his eyes glaze over and for a moment he tried to fight the tears, but realized soon that it was a lost battle.

"Can you honestly tell me that this doesn't fit us?" Jethro continued and he looked even more awkward now and Tony could see unshed tears in the other man's eyes all of a sudden. It was when Tony realized how much it must have cost him to say that.

He thought about what he had said and realized that he was right. He had been drawn to Gibbs the moment he had tackled him in Baltimore, had jumped at the chance to work with him and had subsequently abandoned Wendy and everything he had cared about before. And he had loved him for a long time. It hadn't been romantic love at first, he was sure of that, but he had fallen for him step by step and piece by piece without even noticing over the years. That's why no relationship had ever lasted – just as much as Jethro's hadn't. And he was at peace with him, even now when everything was so jumbled up inside his head.

He finally nodded once, wiping away the tears from his eyes and cheeks as he reached out his hand and was relieved when Jethro immediately took it into his.

"You're right," he finally all but whispered. "You're right. I feel that way, too. Screw the clocks. I want to be with you."

"Good," Jethro just said and Tony couldn't help but chuckle as he saw the older man's trademark half-smirk half-smile appear on his lips.

"I can't promise anything," Tony said after a while of comfortable silence. "I'm sure I'll freak out again. But I try not to because you're right. This is it."

"I'm always right," Gibbs smirked, cupping Tony's cheek and then pressed his own lips against Tony's.

The younger man felt the already well-known jitters explode somewhere deep within him as he kissed him back with abandon. He knew that there were still reservations on both of their sides and it was probably entirely to blame on him, but he would try to make it up and if kissing him like that was the first step to mend their somewhat bent – not broken – relationship, he'd do it and gladly at that. They would need to talk again, but right at this moment it was enough.

Tony grabbed hold of Jethro's shirt and pulled him closer towards him. The older man made a little squeaking sound of surprise, but recovered quickly, wrapping his hands around Tony's waist. He opened Tony's mouth with his tongue and pushed himself deep into it, causing the younger man to moan. Tony held him close as he plundered his mouth with blind efficiency in return, needing to explore him all of a sudden. He grabbed Jethro's hair and pulled his face even closer, his hand tangled in the short wisps, suddenly remembering their first kiss at the hospital and all the magic around it. Jethro kissed him back just as eagerly.

Then - Tony drew back. Jethro's eyes were suddenly darker than usual – dark with need, Tony realized and he saw in them everything he'd been through with him. Gibbs nuzzled into his neck, rasp against rasp, as his arms tightened around Tony.

"You're the one to call the shots," Tony finally said, a little out of breath and desperately wanting to continue this, but Gibbs was the one who had never been with a man before.

"I know," he gave him a rather shy smile and Tony felt himself heat up even more at the sheer awkwardness the other man was radiating at the moment. "I want it. You."

While Jethro's voice had been confident enough, Tony couldn't help but chuckle as he looked at the guy as he sat there, looking as if he didn't know what to do next. So Tony did it for him. He pulled him up to his feet and then all but dragged him up the stairs and into his bedroom, pushing him over to the bed.

"Get undressed, Jethro," he whispered throatily into his ear, feeling smug as Jethro shivered and complied immediately.

Tony did the same, watching Gibbs the whole time. He took a moment to enjoy seeing Jethro's naked body and suddenly couldn't remember why he had been freaking out before. This was where he belonged. Tony let his glance wander over Jethro's body until he reached his cock which was pulsing, standing erect and Tony felt his own dick harden in return.

Tony moved closer and then guided Jethro onto his back and lowered himself down on top of him, covering his upper body with soft kisses. As he looked up for a moment he saw Gibbs gazing at him with trusting eyes. He could still feel the slight tension in Jethro's body, so he stopped his kissing for the moment, propping himself up on his arms so that they were face to face.

"How do you want this?" he asked, his voice suddenly rough. "You want to be on top?"

It was only a rhetorical question, he knew Gibbs was all alpha-male, but Tony was yet again surprised when Gibbs shook his head.

"I thought you wanted it?" Tony replied, about to roll off of him, disappointment settling within him when a strong arm held him in place.

"I do," Jethro replied calmly, his eyes searching for something in Tony's. "I just don't want to be on top."

"You don't?" Tony asked, feeling the jittery feeling in his stomach again. "You serious?"

"Yeah, come on."

Tony stared at him, wondering when the surprises would stop. He hoped they never would. So he just smiled at him and gave him a long kiss, a gentle, slow one this time and Jethro seemed to unwind beneath him, the last of the tension leaving his body, muscle by muscle. Tony kissed him emphatically but tenderly until Jethro was boneless under him.
It was when Gibbs grunted something about lube in the nightstand in between kisses and Tony reached for it, retrieving it without a problem.

"We can still stop," he tried again, but Jethro just shook his head, smiling up at him so broadly that Tony felt it warming his heart.

He kissed him again and then pushed Jethro's legs apart, sliding a finger inside him, never once taking his eyes off Gibbs' face as he worked his finger and out of his body. Another wave of surprise hit Tony when the older man's body opened up easily and full of trust for him and it was in a moment of sheer clarity that Tony just understood.

Understood what it was all about, what Gibbs had been talking about before when talking about soul mates. The walls had come down between them, this was Jethro he was looking at, the one who had gradually opened up to him over the last couple of months, the one who had finally shown him his true colors, his feelings, the one who had let him in when his father had died, the one who had realized that he wanted Tony to be his soul mate just as much as Tony had wanted him. This was why the clocks hadn't matched up before. He had just never seen the real Jethro before – sure, a glimpse here and there, but never like this. The older man had opened up to him and was finally ready for Tony, too. Letting Tony top him was just his final attempt to make him see that.

Tony felt a tear roll down his cheek even as he was still finger fucking the other man.

"Hey," Gibbs said, his eyes full of compassion. "You okay?"

"Never been better," Tony replied, bending down to kiss him again. "Never been better."

After that nothing was said anymore. It was like Jethro just understood, too.

Tony continued his ministrations and it didn't take long to make Jethro ready. Tony rolled a condom onto his achingly hard cock and settled between the older man's legs. He nudged himself against Jethro's entrance, and then moved forward, sliding his cock easily into his welcoming heat. It felt so goddamn good that it took his breath away for a moment or two and he just stayed still for what felt like an eternity, just looking down on Gibbs as a wave of pleasure hit his dick and his whole body. He adjusted his position and thrust into him, causing Jethro to gasp beneath him. Just when Tony wanted to pause to make sure that the other man wasn't uncomfortable, Jethro wrapped his legs around Tony's body as if he wanted to force him in even deeper and Tony did him the favor, thrusting harder. Jethro never took his eyes off him, the blue staring right back at him and Tony kept his gaze locked as good as he could as he fucked him thoroughly.

It was like an eternity and only seconds – it was like time stood still as he just moved his hips, feeling Jethro's body clenching hard around his dick, feeling the sensation of just being in Jethro – in so many ways. Jethro had started to make little sounds, gasping and moaning with every thrust of Tony's hips. He leaned forward and kissed him again, as Jethro arched up into him. Tony knew that he was coming close, but he didn't want the connection to end just yet, so he held on for a little time longer, his thrusts getting more desperate by the second. When he couldn't stand it any longer, he took Gibbs' hard cock into his hand and began rubbing it firmly with each thrust of his hips. Their gasps had turned to deep moans now as they gazed into each other's eyes. And then finally, Tony felt Gibbs convulse underneath him as he spurted out over Tony's hand when he came. Tony just smiled at him, as he continued to thrust into him with slow movements, feeling his own climax rush over him and he groaned loudly when he came. He hung there for a moment, trying to catch his breath before he leaned forward again, kissing the other man deeply.

"That any good?" he whispered as he pulled out and settled next to the other man.

"More than," Jethro grinned, pulling an arm around him. "This was more than good."

Tony looked at him for a long moment, trying to come up with words that would do his moment of clarity any justice, but just when he thought he had found them, Jethro put a finger on his lips, shaking his head.

"I know," he just said. "I felt them, too."

"Feel what?" Tony checked back, feeling the warm something from before settling around his heart again.

"The fireworks."

The End

A/N2: If you got any requests or prompts for me, just hit me up with them... would love to work on someone else's ideas, too :)