CHAPTER 6

Wear My Ring Around Your Neck

~Elvis song

Won't you wear my ring around your neck
To tell the world I'm yours, by heck
Let them see your love for me
And let them see by the ring around your neck

Tony woke up in the middle of the night, needing to take a leak. He sat up, still groggy, and found he wasn't in bed, but had been sleeping on a couch. It took a minute before he realized that he was at Gibbs' house, on his couch, and they'd just got back from Nevada, and…something had happened in Vegas. He brain was too heavy with sleep and he really needed to pee, so he gave up trying to remember whatever it was he was supposed to remember, and staggered to the bathroom. After relieving himself, and feeling a bit more aware, Tony decided he could eat, and padded into the kitchen on bare feet. He was incredibly thirsty, and there was an ache nagging him somewhere behind his eyes, but as he moved around, it lessened considerably.

Inspection of Gibbs' fridge revealed a box containing a few slices of cold pizza, and a jar of applesauce that appeared to be mold-free, so he carried his impromptu meal into the dining room, along with a large glass of water. With the light over the table dimmed, Tony sat down to eat, not really thinking of anything. After the pizza was gone, as well as most of the applesauce, he started to take an interest in a pile of Gibbs' mail, sitting on the table within arm's reach. There was a newspaper folded to a crossword puzzle, partially completed; a newsletter from the Soldiers at Home Support Network along with a thank-you note for a donation; a neat pile of bills already opened and sorted (trust Gibbs to pay all his bills by snail mail); and a bulky manila envelope with an open flap, its contents partially visible.

Tony pushed the pizza box aside and wiped his fingers on his boxer-clad thighs, then snagged the envelope and pulled it closer. He peeked in and saw what looked like a black velvet jewelry box, as well as a couple of brochures and a document with an official looking seal on one corner. There was also a plastic-encased DVD at the bottom of the envelope.

Knowing from experience that the minute he started nosing around, Gibbs would appear, like magic, Tony hesitated. His hesitation lasted all of three seconds. With a groan of "What the hell," he dumped the contents of the envelope out on the table.

First, he opened the jewelry box and discovered a pair of matching gold rings sitting side by side. The rings, similar in size and weight, were inlaid with some kind of green gemstone in a triangle pattern around their circumference. The cut stones appeared to be real, as far as he could discern, and were a beautiful emerald green. They were also both quite masculine in style.

Out of curiosity, Tony pulled one of the rings out of the box and tried it on. It took a few attempts before he found it fit the fourth finger on his left hand – as if it were made for him. He tried on the other ring, but it was large for him, so he returned it to the safety of its box. Tony leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ring on his finger, trying to figure out what this all meant, and why Gibbs would have a pair of gold rings sitting on his dining room table.

Thinking he might find more clues, Tony checked out the brochures. They were advertising various hotels around Vegas, including the Clown Motel, which was too creepy for words, as well as for area attractions such as the Neon Boneyard and the Atomic Testing Museum.

A large brochure at the bottom of the pile was for the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel, which announced in fancy gold lettering that it offered Elvis-style weddings. Apparently the "Burning Love" package included a singing Elvis, who would perform special 'Elvis vows' in his capacity as a licensed officiant.

Okay, this was getting weirder and weirder. Had Gibbs picked this stuff up when he was in Vegas with the intention of getting married yet again? Tony couldn't think of anyone Gibbs might want to marry, unless he was entirely off his gourd and was thinking about remarrying Diane? Tony choked on that thought. No, Gibbs wasn't into self-inflicted pain, and Diane might be sexy – to Gibbs – but she was hellish to be around. And as far as Tony knew, the boss hadn't been dating anyone, not for a while. Gibbs had been too busy taking him around to junkyards and ballgames whenever they were off rotation. He wouldn't have any time for a lady friend.

Tony looked over the Viva Las Vegas brochure, chuckling at the lavish services they offered. All included in the price: photos of the married couple in a pink Cadillac, a video of the ceremony, witnesses and flowers provided by the chapel. Best of all, they would have the convenience of on-the-spot filing of the marriage license, because it just so happened that the Reverend Billy Bob 'Elvis' Cooper was also a registrar of the Court. In addition, the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel boasted an in-house jewelry shop, hosted by The Tower of Jewels.

Tony couldn't help but laugh. "One-stop shopping, and I'll bet they have slot machines in the bathrooms," he said to himself.

He pushed the brochures aside so he could get a good look at a large document underneath. The first time Tony glanced over it, he had trouble taking in anything other than the large gold embossed seal and several signatures. After rubbing his eyes, Tony had another look, and this time, with a dawning horror, he read the words inscribed on the document.

This Certifies that the Reverend Billy Bob Elvis Cooper

Did Unite in Marriage

Anthony D. DiNozzo Jr. & Leroy Jethro Gibbs

Witnessed and Celebrated by Bess Smith Cooper and Tyrell Cooper III

in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada

Below were signatures of the wedded couple, and although they were both almost illegible scribbles, Tony recognized one as being his own: Anthony D. DiNozzo.

"No! No way!" Tony stood so quickly his chair fell over and hit the floor with a resounding crash. He couldn't have signed this! He wouldn't have! He would have remembered if he'd signed an official document in front of witnesses, wouldn't he? He would have remembered if he'd been married! "Marriage? To Gibbs? This has to be a joke," Tony muttered, wondering which of his friends was most likely to have pulled off this practical joke.

"It's no joke," Gibbs said from behind.

Tony turned quickly to find Gibbs, clad in an old tee and striped boxers, standing in the doorway of the darkened living room. Tony strode over and waved the certificate in Gibbs' face. "Tell me this isn't real. It can't be," he insisted. The moment Tony saw the look of truth in Gibbs' eyes, he stepped away, his knees weak and threatening to buckle under him. "You…why would you do this to me?"

Gibbs motioned towards the dining table. "Let's sit down, Tony."

"I don't believe this," Tony said, having a hard time accepting the truth.

"Just sit," Gibbs said, seating himself.

Tony reluctantly took a chair across from Gibbs. "Tell me this is some big joke the guys at work concocted. I'll bet Abby printed up all this stuff, right?" Tony asked with a wild laugh, even though he could tell from Gibbs' expression that this wasn't someone's idea of a prank.

Picking up the ring that had been too large for Tony, Gibbs slipped it on his own finger, the fourth on his left hand.

It fit perfectly, Tony saw, his heart skipping a beat. He pointed accusingly at Gibbs and blurted, "Oh shit, you're Cinderfella."

Gibbs looked taken aback. "Who?"

"Cinderfella. 1960, Jerry Lewis in a reworking of the classic Cinderella tale. You know, the girl with the prince and the glass slipper, a pumpkin coach, evil step-sisters? Never mind." Even though he knew he wasn't going to like the answer, Tony asked, "Tell me why we're wearing matching rings. They're out of a Cracker Jacks box, right?"

Gibbs shook his head slowly. "No, no Cracker Jacks. They're the real thing. We chose them together. You said you wanted green stones."

Tony stared at Gibbs, his mind totally frozen, unable to process what this all meant. "We chose them?"

Gibbs held Tony's gaze, apparently waiting for him to catch up.

"But…I wouldn't have…You wouldn't want…We can't!"

Gibbs gave Tony a small smile, his eyes watchful. "We did."

"So you're saying we're…"

"Married. Yes," Gibbs said, his smile broadening.

Married, they were married, him and Gibbs, Tony & Jethro, and they had the official document to prove it, and they even had rings and… Tony swallowed hard and made a poor attempt to speak casually. His voice shook a little when he joked, "And it looks like I missed the honeymoon. I hope it was good for you."

The smile on Gibbs' face faded. "You don't remember…any of it?"

Tony slowly shook his head, not sure whether he should be horrified or amused that Gibbs had truly married him, and what was worse, that he had no memory of the ceremony. He settled for horrified, with a side of confused. "I don't. I'm not sure I want to remember it at this point." Tony picked up the wedding chapel's brochure, and gave a nervous laugh. "Don't tell me, we got the 'Burning Love' package?"

Relaxing a little, Gibbs said, "No, we bought the 'Now or Never' deal. You said you couldn't wait any longer."

"I did not! I never…," Tony spluttered. But the look in Gibbs' eyes told him all he needed to know. "I said that?"

Gibbs nodded slowly.

Tony couldn't take any more of this, not the marriage or the not-remembering part. He was even having problems with the way Gibbs kept looking at him as if he was actually okay with this.

Oh God, this could not be true. Tony stood, raking a hand through his hair, and started pacing. They were married! Him and Gibbs! Tony turned to look suspiciously at his boss, his husband. No, this wasn't possible, because Gibbs wouldn't marry a man, and certainly not him.

Tony stopped in his tracks, shook his head, and let out a big laugh. Waggling a finger at Gibbs, he said, "Hey, you had me there for a moment. This really is a prank, and a good one, too. I'll give you kudos for that. Had me fooled there, Boss." Tony forced a grin. "Okay, the game is up. Who put you up to this?" He looked around, peering into the dark living room, expecting Abby and the others to jump out, shouting, 'Surprise!'

Rising, Gibbs caught Tony's hand in a firm grip. "Tony. This is not a prank."

Tony stared at the hand clasping his own. All he could think was how warm it was, and how the palm was slightly damp, and that they were wearing matching rings that symbolically bound them together in a way he'd never imagined would happen. Tony slowly looked up to meet Gibbs' eyes. "I thought you didn't remember what happened in Vegas. That's what you told me and Ducky," Tony challenged.

The solemn expression in Gibbs' eyes and the truth reflected in them scared Tony. He might admire Gibbs, and even lust after him a bit more than was healthy between two men in a working relationship, but this…this marriage was not what he had ever expected, and it was definitely not something he wanted. He couldn't imagine that Gibbs was enthused about it either.

With a sigh, Gibbs admitted, "After you were asleep, I unpacked my bag and found that envelope. Some of it came back to me. Going into the chapel, the reverend coming over to see if we were all right, and his wife bringing you water. Later getting a hotel room, and the trouble I had getting you to the airport when you were so out of it. And then, when I saw you sitting here, looking at the certificate…and the rings…I remembered the rest of it."

Tony searched Gibbs' eyes for some insight. "I…I don't understand. Why would we do this? Did I even have a say in it?"

Gibbs hadn't let go of Tony's hand, and now he slowly drew him closer. "You really need me to spell it out?"

Tony choked out an incredulous laugh. "Well, yeah! For starters, how about telling me why would you marry me? Why marry a man, especially in a city full of showgirls? I'm sure some of them were redheads." He wished Gibbs would release his hand; it was making it hard to think.

A faint flush rose to Gibbs' cheeks. "I didn't want a showgirl, Tony. I didn't even want a redhead. Look, I didn't plan to marry you but… We went into the chapel, to get off the street. I was working out the best way to get us to a hotel, and Reverend Cooper came over. He asked if we were there to get married, and it seemed right, somehow, and I said yes." Gibbs bowed his head a little, looking at the intertwined fingers. "You said yes, too." He looked up with a smile. "I never planned to tell you…but just the same, now it's done, I don't regret it, getting married."

Cautiously, Tony asked, "What was it you never planned on telling me?"

Gibbs' cheeks grew even pinker, and what threw Tony was that he looked almost shy. Gibbs said, "I should've told you, Tony. There were lots of times I wanted to but…I didn't know how you felt. Neither of us are into guys. No point in ruining what we had, only…lately I've been thinking…" Gibbs shifted his weight, looking uneasy.

Tony had never seen Gibbs hesitant or unsure, but witnessing those emotions convinced him that even if whatever had gone on in Vegas had been a huge mistake, Gibbs' intentions had not been bad. "What have you been thinking?" Tony asked cautiously.

Gibbs gave a shrug and looked down at their clasped hands. If anything, he gripped Tony's hand even tighter, as if he didn't want him to escape. It felt oddly reassuring so Tony didn't pull away.

In a quiet voice, Gibbs said, "That maybe it would work. Between us. Hell, we've been doing stuff together for a while, and I like you being around, and let's face it, my dad likes you better than any of my ex-wives. He likes you better than he does me."

Tony raised his free hand to cut Gibbs off. "Wait. Wait! You're telling me that you've developed feelings for me over fishing trips and baseball games, and searching junkyards for old boat parts?" Gibbs nodded. He raised his eyes and when Tony saw the truth in them he stepped back, pulling his hand out of Gibbs' grasp. "You're telling me we've been dating these past few months?"

Gibbs smiled ruefully. "Not exactly dinner-and-a-movie, but yeah."

Tony shoved at Gibbs' chest, crying out, "And you didn't even tell me?"

"I thought you'd let me know if you were interested," Gibbs retorted. "You flirt with everyone you meet."

"Why didn't you just come straight out and tell me? Or ask me out on a real date?" Tony took a breath and frowned at Gibbs. "And I do not flirt with everyone. I'm selective."

Gibbs appeared nonplussed. "I didn't want to ruin what we had," he said simply.

"What we had? We had a work relationship and…and we had friendship. And trips to the old boats graveyard! But we did not have dates!"

Gibbs looked disappointed. Apparently he didn't see things the same way.

Making exasperated sounds, Tony paced, and pulled at his hair, and swung around to face Gibbs again. "So this thing in Vegas was what? An opportunity you couldn't resist? That's what you're saying?"

"Well, yeah."

"Are you kidding me? You…what…saw an opening? Dragged me to the altar when I was totally out of it?" Tony frowned at Gibbs and asked, "Did you know what was in that Buzzy beer? Did you go to the men's room to give me time to drink more of it? So I'd get good and wasted so you'd feel okay about making your move?"

"Hey! I did not roofie you, DiNozzo!"

"How do I know that?" Tony demanded, even though he didn't really believe that Gibbs would have done such a thing.

"I drank the stuff, too," Gibbs said, as if that were evidence enough.

Tony countered, "So you're saying you got roofied, too? And we just happened to stumble into a wedding chapel, and just happened to get legally bound by an Elvis impersonator? It was legal, wasn't it?" Suddenly, a thought hit him. They had made it to a hotel room, and then what? Had they slept or… "Wait a minute! You didn't say…about the wedding night. Did we?" He raised his hands, frustrated and angry that he couldn't remember anything about last night.

He had walked onto the plane the next morning under his own steam; that's what Gibbs had said. Only, no matter how hard Tony tried to remember, he was drawing a blank. It was not only exasperating to have absolutely no recall of the night's events, but it was also scary to think that anything, literally anything, could have happened, and he wouldn't remember doing it.

"You really think I'd jump your bones when you were half out of your gourd?" Gibbs retorted.

"Well, you married me when I was half out of my gourd!" Tony retorted.

Gibbs' mouth opened and then shut. It wasn't as if he could deny it. "I wasn't exactly running on all cylinders," he said defensively.

Tony leaned against the table, suddenly feeling drained. "Look, I don't really think you would. . ." He sighed heavily. "I've had a rough couple of days, what with chasing all over Arizona on horseback, and I was sure you were gonna get killed by that guy in the helicopter, and then I got drugged and married – to my boss, no less. Oh, and did I mention I don't remember any of it?"

"It'll come back," Gibbs said calmly, as if he knew that for sure.

"You know, all I wanted was a nice steak dinner and a few beers. It would've been fun to take in a show. And having a memory of what went on would be icing on the goddam cake," Tony declared, his voice rising as he spoke. "With my luck, I was probably popping out of the cake!"

"Nothing happened to be ashamed of," Gibbs assured him.

"How can you say that?"

"Because I'm not ashamed of marrying you," Gibbs pointed out.

That floored Tony for a moment, but it confused him, too. "Why aren't you embarrassed? Isn't this all…weird to you?"

Gibbs shrugged. "Don't know. Guess it's because it feels right to me."

"I don't…I don't know…because I can't remember, even if you can. Look, I…I…I'm sorry, Boss, but I don't want to be married." Tony felt overwhelmed and dizzy, and now he was so worked up, he was afraid his dinner was going to reappear any minute.

"C'mere," Gibbs said, drawing Tony into his arms.

"No, no," Tony moaned. He resisted for all of five seconds and then pretty much let Gibbs hold him up. "Right now, I just want to sleep, and tomorrow I'm going to finally get the chance to hear what Uncle Clive's solicitor has to say. Who knows, I might even be rich. God, I'm so tired," he mumbled into Gibbs' warm neck.

"I know you are. I am, too. It's been a hell of a few days."

"I don't know…what to do, Jethro." It must have been the drugs talking because he rarely called Gibbs by his first name. It had just slipped out. "Jethro," he whispered against the man's skin.

Gibbs tightened his hold, saying softly, "Just let me take care of you. First, we get some sleep. It'll be time to get up before we know it, and I've got the feeling we're going to need all the strength we can muster to get through tomorrow."

Tony raised his face to ask blearily, "Tomorrow?"

"Back to work, and your uncle's lawyer is calling, right?"

"Oh yeah." Tony nodded, and once again buried his face in Gibbs' shoulder. Tony swayed a little but Gibbs' strong arms steadied him, and he wondered if it would be all right if he went to sleep like this. It was really nice to let someone else do the thinking for a change.

It took a while before it came to Tony that he was standing in Gibbs' dining room, in the middle of the night, with Gibbs hugging him like he really cared for him. Tony didn't have the energy or the brain cells to figure it out, what it all meant, or if it was even real. Tomorrow…oh crap, work, the team, Ziva's sharp eyes and McGee's inquisitive nature, and Abby and her enthusiasm and… Tony started breathing harder as anxiety overcame him. He feared he was about to lose it, and he struggled to get out of Gibbs' arms, but he didn't get far.

"Hey, what's going on?" Gibbs asked, looking at Tony with undisguised concern.

"We…we don't have to let anyone know, do we? I don't want them to know," Tony said, pleading with Gibbs for understanding. "I can't face them." Not before he and Gibbs sorted out whether this marriage was a three-day wonder, or if it might possibly be the real thing. But no, it wasn't real, Tony told himself. It was an impulsive act, done when both participants were under the influence of some illicit drug. The marriage probably wasn't even legal, he thought, although at that moment, he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"I don't care about anyone else. We keep this between us," Gibbs readily agreed. "Let's go upstairs now."

"I'm on the couch," Tony said, pointing vaguely in the direction of the living room.

"You'll feel better if you sleep in a bed, Tony."

"Okay. At least it's probably just as easy to get divorced as it is to get married in Nevada," Tony thought aloud. They'd deal with it, get the marriage annulled, and nobody but them would ever know. Gibbs didn't respond, but Tony could feel the tension in his body as he assisted him up the stairs. The whole thing was as awkward as hell, and he didn't blame Gibbs for being uptight about being married, and to a federal agent who worked for him. And yet, Gibbs had taken his hand, and hugged him, and held him up while he'd told him everything would be all right.

"We'll work it out, tomorrow," said Gibbs, as if reading Tony's thoughts.

Tony nodded as he was steered into a bedroom. It wasn't until Gibbs had tucked him into the large bed and was slipping in beside him that Tony realized they were in Gibbs' room – in Gibbs' bed. He should get out from under the covers and go across the hall to the guest room, he really should, but the bed was so comfortable and he couldn't get up, anyway. Besides, now they were married, technically it was their bed. Tony sighed, thinking that maybe tomorrow he'd wake up and find it was all a dream. Blinking sleepily, Tony held up his hand to look at his wedding ring, and admired the glint from the green stones. "I really like the ring, Jethro."

"Me, too," Gibbs said, holding up his hand to display the matching ring. Their palms met and their fingers laced together as if they were made for each other. After a pause, Gibbs said, "Now all I have to do is figure out how to get the transaction off the NCIS expense credit card before the director sees it."

Tony pulled his hand away, raising himself up on one elbow. "You charged it on the expense account?" Tony then saw Gibbs' wicked smile and flopped back onto the bed. "You scared me, you bastard."

"I prefer Jethro," he said, smiling. He leaned over Tony and laid a soft, dry kiss on his mouth.

It was nice. No alarms went off. Nobody was pointing fingers at them, two gay federal officers who just got married. By mistake. After not-dating. Before Jethro could move too far away, Tony slid his hand behind his neck and encouraged him to kiss him again. This time Jethro angled his head and Tony opened his mouth a little, and he gave him some tongue. Tony groaned and returned the favor.

It was a while before they parted, and even then they found ways to keep in close contact, a stroke down an arm, a foot rubbing down the back of a calf, a nudge of a chin, soft scrape of an unshaven jaw against a cheek. Jethro was sweet, and warm, and caring, all of which combined to move Tony in a way he'd never expected.

His hands cupping Tony's cheeks, foreheads meeting, Jethro spoke so quietly that Tony almost didn't hear him. "I don't want you to go."

"Go where?" Tony asked, licking his lips and wondering if Jethro would let him kiss again.

"If you get this inheritance," Jethro said, his voice low with emotion. "I don't want you to go."

"You don't?" But Tony already knew that. Gibbs didn't like change. "Not so easy to replace me," he agreed with his boss.

"You're definitely not replaceable. You're not going anywhere. I don't think…" Jethro gave a deep sigh. "It wouldn't be the same without you."

"I'm not going anywhere," Tony said. "I promise." He laid his hand on Jethro's chest, the heartbeat beneath his palm steady but fast. Their mouths met again, Jethro's kiss deeper and more possessive, and Tony responded in kind. His thumb inadvertently stroked Jethro's nipple, causing him to moan into his mouth.

From then on, things changed. Their clothing was stripped away by eager hands, boxers and Jethro's tee. They adjusted their positions, awkwardly at first, elbows and knees getting in the way, until Tony was on the bottom, and Jethro's heavy, hard body was insistently pressing against Tony's. Their kisses deepened, all lips and tongues, wet and hot, and clever, insistent hands everywhere, their lovemaking accompanied by groans and gasps and breathless cries of, "I need…" and, "God, I've waited…" and, "I want…I want you," circling and building until Tony's heart was beating out of his chest and he was arching and crying out Jethro's name.

It could have easily felt wrong, but it didn't. It didn't.

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