A/N: Lol, okay so this is getting out of hand people :D I really wasn't supposed to post yet, but then I got to writing and suddenly I had this chapter ready and... Yeah, So I hope you don't mind me posting this so early ;) But the next chapter won't be up before Tuesday or Wednesday, I mean it since I have evening shift tomorrow and morning shift on Tuesday so I won't have time to write before Tuesday evening at the earliest (nut this chappie is a tad longer than usual to make up for the wait). Thank you for all the wonderful reviews! I really love reading what you think of the fic and what you think should happen next. Hope you'll enjoy this chappie! :)
Tony groaned as he returned to consciousness. His head was aching albeit it wasn't as bad as before, but still enough to make his mere existence painful. Not to mention that his whole body felt like he'd run the marathon, even if he couldn't remember doing anything that would result in that feeling.
And then his eyes snapped open as he remembered the thought about getting sick and collapsing in the parking garage at NCIS.
He took in his surroundings and groaned again pitifully as he realized that he'd ended up in the hospital. Just his luck, only he could end up in the place for something as stupid as being love sick. Just pathetic.
He tried to move his left hand but felt the tug of the IV that was taped there so he lifter the right one instead which proved to be just as enlightening, not because he discovered new medical equipment attached to him, which he did in the for of the ox-meter squeezing his finger, but for he realized he wasn't alone.
He didn't have time to ponder that revelation for long because it seemed that the movement of the hand that was held tight by someone else, woke that same someone else and Tony couldn't contain the gasp of surprise that escaped his lips upon seeing Gibbs raise his head to lock his brilliant blue eyes with his own hazel ones.
"Tony? You feeling okay?" The question was almost lost on the younger man as he just stared at the most beautiful pair of eyes he had ever encountered and it took all of his strength to break the searing eye contact. He turned his head to look away from the man who seemed to be looking right through him.
"Yeah I'm fine." He muttered as he desperately tried to figure out what the older man was doing there. He looked out from the window and was surprised to see it was light outside and he checked the clock on the wall and his eyes widened as he noticed that it was already nine in the morning.
He looked back at Gibbs and saw the annoyed and even a bit pissed look on his face and he knew he was in big trouble.
"Gibbs what are you still doing here, you should go, you need to get to work!" He was puzzled as that only seemed to make the other man look even more annoyed.
He gasped in surprise when he felt a hand grip his chin hard to make sure he couldn't turn away from those blue eyes that were again boring into his own with an intensity he had only dreamed of being directed at him.
"Listen carefully Tony, You are not fine, you're still exhausted, and making yourself sick by not taking care of yourself, Never lie to me about your health again is that clear?" All Tony could do was nod as his eyes grew wide at the intensity of the words and look the older man was giving him.
"Second, I told Ziva We wouldn't be in today since you need to rest and I am going to make damn sure you get all the rest you need."
As Gibbs saw the confusion on Tony's face at the last statement and he sighed as he realized that the younger man must have been emotionally even worse off than he thought and had missed at least some of what had been said the previous night.
"You didn't hear that?" He wanted to clarify and he growled in frustration as the head in his grip shook in answer to his question.
He took a deep breath as he thought that he might as well get the rest over with too "What about when she told what I said on our first night together?" The way Tony flushed and wrenched his head and hand away from his grip and looked away told him everything he needed to know. The younger man had heard, but didn't believe.
And he didn't really blame him after Ziva's lies. He knew this wasn't the right time or the place for this conversation as he could see that although better, Tony was still feeling like shit. But he didn't think the conversation could wait, as the younger man had already shown how ready to bolt he was.
Taking a deep breath Gibbs got up from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed and again took the younger man's hand in his.
"Tony look at me." When the younger ma just kept staring out of the window Gibbs decided to up the ante a little.
"Please Tony." It wasn't like the younger man could deny the man anything when he pleaded with him like that and used the magic word. He turned teary eyes to look at the older man.
"Don't do this Gibbs, please. I can't handle it." Gibbs was surprised by that and he used his free hand to cup the younger man's cheek as he tried to figure out what was going through his mind.
"Can't do what Tony? What is it that you think you can't handle?" Tony couldn't keep it in any longer. His breath hitched as he tried to keep his emotions at check, cursing his weakness for making hiding behind a mask impossible.
"I can't handle you telling me it was just a one more game. Please you know how I feel about you so don't make this any harder for me. I can't be here anymore and I don't want to make you choose between me and her because I know what your choice will always be. Just leave me alone Gibbs, I can't take it. I already left my gun and badge at your desk along with my resignation so just, go." With the last words Tony lost his battle with his emotions and felt tears sliding down his face.
Gibbs felt his heart break at the turmoil he could see in Tony's face but the quiet acceptance behind all the pain was the hardest thing to understand and come to terms with. As the younger man broke down Gibbs could do nothing but draw the shaking man into his arms and try to comfort him the best he could. He could feel Tony struggling against the embrace but he just held on, silently lending support to the young man who meant so much to him.
After a while the younger man calmed down and just fell into the arms that were holding him, the fight leaving his body feeling completely spent.
"Why are you doing this?" He whispered into the shoulder of the man who was still hugging him close and running a soothing hand up and down his back.
"Because I want to." Tony pulled back at the unexpected answer and looked at the man sitting beside him.
"But why?" He needed to know, needed to understand.
"Because I love you too." The words came easily and rang true in Gibbs' ears as he smiled reassuringly to Tony. His smile faltered though as he noticed how the younger man paled and shook his head frantically, struggling anew to get away from him.
"No, you can't." Tony muttered as he tried to fight the arms that wouldn't let him go.
"Tony, take it easy!" Gibbs tried to calm him down but the younger man wasn't listening.
"Didn't you hear her? She was right, just a pathetic whore who bends down for anyone who's willing to have a go. Even Tim and Abby and even Ducky know it too, know how weak and pathetic it is. You have to see it Gibbs, I'm nothing I'm not worth it! You were happy with Ziva, you can go back to her and be happy again if I'm not here ruining it!"
Gibbs glanced worriedly at the door, he was surprised no one had came in during Tony's outburst to see what was going on. He was just about ready to go and beat everyone who had ever made the young man in front of him to feel like he was worthless or any of the other things he'd said about himself. He could start with Ziva and work his way back, probably ending with DiNozzo senior.
"DiNozzo!" He barked in an effort to make the younger man stop fighting him, he was glad that the commanding tone worked, but he was less than happy to see the frantic look in the younger man's eyes or the weariness with what he was regarded.
"Tony I love you. I mean it and no, I wasn't happy with Ziva how could I have been when she isn't the one I love? She was a mistake Tony, nothing more and she was wrong about you. You are not a whore, nor are you pathetic, I don't care about just anyone but I do care about you and I love you and I will do whatever it takes to prove it to you. But Tony you need to calm down, can you do that for me?"
He waited until the younger man nodded before releasing the tight hold he'd had on the younger man as he moved to sit back in the hard chair, deciding that it might be a good idea to give Tony some space. He did however take a hold of the younger man's hand in his, hoping that Tony would allow the touch.
Tony for his part was speechless, he couldn't believe what he'd just heard. Gibbs telling him that he loved him. It was like all his fantasies coming true and maybe it was because of that that he found it too good to believe. He bit his bottom lip as he looked at Gibbs who was sitting there watching him process everything.
"You really mean that?" He asked shyly from the older man who looked at him seriously.
"With all my heart." Tony nodded at the confirmation, but there was still something making him unable to believe it.
"Show me?" He wanted it to come out demanding, but instead the words came out questioning and unsure.
Gibbs looked confused for a second before he smiled slightly and bend forward enough to press his lips gently against Tony's. It wasn't a long kiss, but the feeling behind it was loud and clear and Tony couldn't help but smile a little as he licked his lips as Gibbs pulled back.
"That prove anything?" Jethro asked with a smile as he saw the dreamy look on the Italian's face after the sweet kiss.
"Enough." Tony's smile faltered as he thought about his resignation sitting on Gibbs' desk at work and the fact that he would still have to leave NCIS and his family since he didn't think he could trust Ziva again to watch his back.
Gibbs saw the change but before he could ask the reason behind it, the younger man spoke tiredly. "I still can't stay Gibbs, I can't trust Ziva to watch my back at work and I know you can replace me more easily than her." The resignation in the younger man's words made Gibbs cringe and he almost let out a growl of annoyance, but held it back.
"Tony, There are two people I need in my team. In this day and age I need McGee and his computer skills and there's no one who can replace him in the team, but even more than him, I need my second in command. I need you Tony." As the younger man opened his mouth to protest Gibbs went on.
"You have been on my team the longest, you know what I need even before I have chance to ask for it, you aren't afraid to stand up to me and you bring your great investigative skills to the team along with your street smarts. Ziva came to the team only because of Shepard's whim. The reason she's still here is because until now, it was less of an hassle to just her on the team as there was no reason to kick her out. Now she crossed the line to being more trouble than she's worth. I wasn't going to make any permanent decisions before Monday, but I won't lose you because of her. I need you Tony, there's no one I'd rather have on my six than you."
He looked closely at Tony to make sure the younger man understood what he was saying and he relaxed slightly as he saw the tension leave Tony's shoulders.
"So what happens now?" Tony untangled his hand from Gibbs' raising it to rub his forehead to try and ease the headache still drumming in his skull.
Jethro winched in sympathy, Ducky had explained that the younger man would be having a headache for a few days until the effects of the dangerous dehydration went away.
"Now you'll get some sleep. You're exhausted and you passed out twice yesterday because of dehydration, so you'll stay here for at least most of today so the nice people here at the hospital can pump you full of fluids. You're also malnourished and the doc wants to make sure you're eating before you can get out of here and come back to my house so I can keep an eye on you. Why didn't you tell me you were feeling this bad?"
The worry in the older man's eyes made Tony feel bad for causing that look and he looked down at the sheet covering his lower body as he shrugged his shoulders.
"It didn't matter, I didn't think it'd get this bad."
"Well it did." Gibbs said in a harsh tone before softening his tone. "And It does matter Tony, because you matter to me. Never scare me like that again. Seeing you lying on the floor of the parking lot-" Gibbs trailed off as he remembered the panic he'd felt when he saw that it was his Tony lying unconscious on the cold floor. "Just don't do it again."
For the first time Tony really realized just how much Gibbs really cared about him and it made his heart beat a bit faster and he felt better than he had in months.
"Love you too Gibbs." He smiled before yawning widely, belatedly moving his hand to cover his mouth.
"Get some rest Tony, I'll be here waiting for you. " Gibbs got up and tucked the younger man in before leaning down and brushing a gentle kiss across the tempting lips of his new lover.
Tony closed his eyes contently but they popped open a second later when he felt a gentle slap being delivered to the top of his head.
"What was that for?" He demanded while theatrically rubbing the spot on his head where the tap had landed.
"For being and idiot." Gibbs answered simply, not at all apologetic for delivering the gentle version of the usual head slap.
Tony smiled sheepishly as he realized he had been a bit hasty in his assumptions. But he couldn't help but still feel a bit apprehensive about the whole thing. He couldn't help but wonder if this was all just a faze, if Gibbs just felt bad for the younger man and had decided to humor him for a while. As he felt the older man run his hand through his hair he sighed and snuggled into the pillows and leaned into the gentle touch.
He still thought he wasn't good enough for the older man, but for now he was just content to let Gibbs be there for him and see where this was going. He didn't want to worry about what might happen when the older man got tired of him, so he just let himself drift off to sleep lulled by the hand now massaging his scalp.
He didn't see the look on Gibbs' face that would have told him that Gibbs knew exactly what he was thinking about. If he had seen it, he would have also seen the look of love and determination on his face, as Jethro was determined to show Tony just how much he meant to him and to dispel all the doubts the younger man still had of his feelings.
TBC...