Four Days

Chapter 3

Thanks for all the wonderful reviews, glad everyone is enjoying it :)

Again, thanks to Srienia for all the amazing hard work on beta reading this story for me. You are amazing, awesome, for being able to keep up with my crazy pace. Thank you so much!

I want to welcome everyone over to my Facebook page, link is on my profile. Thanks again to all that have joined. You are all amazing and I love you!

And to those that have added me to their favorite author list and story alerts, again thank you. It means so much to me.

##########

Rolling over, Tony stretched and yawned, then his eyes shot open and he sat up. The bed was empty. Flopping back down on the bed, he let out a long slow breath. There was no way he could keep doing this for another three days. Sooner or later he would crack and it would probably be in his sleep. He'd end up moaning Gibbs' name or worse, wrapping his arms around Gibbs in the middle of the night. Climbing out of bed, he pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt then headed down the steps.

He heard the voices from the kitchen when he reached the bottom step.

"I know I told you this before." Anna patted Gibbs' hand across the kitchen island. "But you don't have to worry about being affectionate with Tony, no one minds."

Gibbs nodded. "I remember."

"Okay."

Sensing she wanted to say more, Gibbs asked. "Why did you want to remind me?"

"Well it just seemed like-" She rocked side to side. "Like there were a lot of times yesterday that you wanted to touch Tony and you held back."

Gibbs rubbed his forehead. "Ah, I have to resist touching him a lot."

Anna smiled with an honest happiness. "Well, you don't have to, not for us." She picked at the side of her coffee cup staring at the dark liquid, then up at Gibbs. "I meant it when I told you how happy I was for the two of you, for Tony. He deserves to be happy."

"Yes he does." Gibbs nodded, seeing the sadness in Anna's eyes. "And I promise to try and help make him happy in any way I can."

"I know." Anna shook her head, shaking away the emotion.

Standing outside the doorway, Tony took a deep breath fighting back his own emotion as he listened to the conversation.

"But you know I see how happy Tony makes you." Anna chuckled. "Especially when you know he's not looking."

Gibbs brow furrowed. "Why do you say that?"

"Because when Tony's not looking and you can look at him unguarded." Anna smiled and sighed. "You get this look like, like you've never really truly looked at him before and you're falling in love with him all over again at that moment."

Gibbs felt the knot form in his stomach and he cleared his throat.

"It's okay." She patted his hand again. "It will be our secret."

"Thanks."

Tony leaned back against the wall. She had to be imagining things. Gibbs didn't look at him that way?

Putting it out of his head, he put on a smile and walked into the kitchen.

"Morning you two."

"Morning." She kissed Tony's cheek as he approached her.

"Is she regaling you with sordid tales of my youth?" Tony grinned.

"No." Gibbs smirked. "We hadn't gotten to that."

"Just wait, she will." Tony poured a cup of coffee and leaned back against the counter. "And anything she tells you is a gross exaggeration."

"Right." She scoffed. "Who needs to exaggerate any of your stories?"

"So, is this a free for all day or are there plans?" Knowing Anna she had already planned something hoping everyone would agree.

Anna's face lit up with excitement.

Tony laughed. "Swimming it is."

Gibbs' gaze danced back and forth between them.

"Anna demands we all at least spend a few hours at the lake."

"The lake?"

"A man-made lake on the property." Anna explained. "It's beautiful and we all grew up swimming there. A lot of us had our first kiss there." She smacked Tony's chest playfully. "Including Tony."

"Anna!" Tony glared at her, grabbing her wrist, and yanking her into his arms. "Don't."

"Joshua Glesson." Anna managed to say before Tony got his hand over her mouth. She pried it away. "Under the oak tree, in the water." Tony clamped his hand over her mouth again.

Gibbs shook his head and laughed. "Might as well let her finish."

Tony groaned and removed his hand from Anna's mouth.

"Tony was so in love."

"I was ten." Tony rolled his eyes.

"And you were in love." Anna continued. "It was so sweet, they were both all sloppy lips and groping hands." She started laughing. "They were both so scared. It was the cutest thing ever."

"You were hiding in the tree spying on me!" Tony started tickling her and she dissolved into another fit of laughter.

"Stop!" She tried to wiggle away from him and he finally set her free.

Conor walked into the kitchen, hair standing up, eyes half closed. "You're telling the first kiss story again." He mumbled as he made his way to the coffee pot.

"Of course." Anna said. "Jethro deserved to know the truth."

"And what truth is that?" Tony asked sarcastically.

"That underneath that cute, suave, all American man." She patted Tony's cheek. "Is a sweet, awkward, little boy, who I love like a brother." She kissed his forehead.

Tony's eyes closed as her lips touched his forehead.

"A boy that creamed his pants when Joshua Glesson kissed him."

Tony's mouth fell open. Gibbs just about spit out his mouthful of coffee. She tried to step back but Tony grabbed her arms. "You are so dead!"

"NO!" She screamed as Tony attacked her ribcage again.

Rachael walked into Anna's screams of 'uncle' and 'stop'. Rachael shook her head. "She told the Joshua Glesson story again, didn't she?"

Conor nodded.

"When will she learn?" Rachael sighed.

"She has a new audience." Conor chuckled.

"I take it this means we're going to the lake today?" Rachael asked as Tony finally started to let up on Anna.

"Yup."

"And I didn't." Tony stated as he pushed her away.

"Yeah right." Anna rolled her eyes.

Gibbs looked at Tony.

"I told you she exaggerates." Tony felt his cheeks actually flush.

"I don't see what the big deal is, Joshua did too."

"Neither of us did!" Tony barked.

"Just go get your suit." Anna waved him off. "I'll go get Ian and Michelle."

"What about Sasha?" Conor chimed.

"She said not to wake her, she'd come get us when lunch is ready."

"Great. I'll change." Conor was out of the kitchen in a flash.

As the kitchen cleared Tony stood at the kitchen island across from Gibbs.

"I didn't bring swim trunks."

"Didn't think you would." Tony sat down his coffee cup and wiggled his finger at Gibbs. "Come with me."

Gibbs followed Tony up the stairs and into their room. Reaching into his suitcase, Tony pulled out a pair of swim trunks with the tag still on them. "I bought them just for you."

"Why?"

"Because I knew Anna would want to go swimming and that you wouldn't bring trunks." Tony tossed the trunks to Gibbs.

"Thanks."

"It'll be fun and I'll protect you." Tony gave him a devilish grin.

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. "Against what?"

"Everyone is ganging up on you and dunking you." Tony grinned.

"Right." Gibbs turned and headed towards the bathroom.

By the time Gibbs and Tony made their way to the lake, several people were already in the water, Anna and Michelle sitting on the shore.

"This water is really cold just to warn you." Tony smiled. "But once you're in it's great."

"Okay." Gibbs' eyes suddenly locked on Tony's.

"No!" Tony held up his hands, seeing the glimmer in Gibbs' eyes and realizing what Gibbs was thinking. "Jethro, don't even think about it."

With unmatched skill Gibbs grabbed Tony and flung them both into the water.

Cheers rang up around them when they resurfaced.

"I can't believe you did that." Tony sputtered through his laughter.

"It's not that cold." Gibbs grinned, pushing his hair back out of his face.

Tony lunged at Gibbs, pushing down on his shoulders and shoving him under the water.

"Paybacks a-" Tony closed his mouth as he was dragged down by his hips. A few moments later they both popped back up.

"What was that about payback?" Gibbs asked.

"Evil!" Tony laughed, wrapping his arms around Gibbs' neck and his legs around Gibbs' waist as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "But you're so damn sexy all wet. I'll let it slide."

"Is that so?" Gibbs brow furrowed as his arms slipped around Tony's waist.

Tony felt his heart stop, fear clutching at his chest. He'd said it without thinking. Said it because it was exactly what he was thinking.

"Are you flirting with me?" Gibbs asked, his fingers brushing across the small of Tony's back.

Tony shook his head.

"Right, don't have to flirt because I'm already your boyfriend."

What the hell did that mean? Tony's eyes were still gazing into Gibbs'.

"Just kiss him already and get it over with!" Anna shouted at them from the shore.

"Anna seems to think I'm holding back, not being as affectionate with you as I want." Slowly, Gibbs let them drift back a little further in the water.

"We're just the newest entertainment." Tony shrugged. "It'll wear off."

"Was this the spot?"

"What?"

"The spot where you kissed Joshua Glesson." Gibbs asked.

Looking towards the shore, Tony saw the oak tree. He looked up and saw the rope swing hanging from the branch above them. Then he looked back at Gibbs. "Yes."

"Was it really as awkward as Anna said?"

"Sorta." Tony sighed. "We were both trying to figure out our sexuality, scared we'd get caught, but we wanted to know what it was like."

"To kiss another boy-"

Tony nodded.

"And you liked it?"

"It was okay." Tony shrugged. "It was a first kiss, quick and sloppy, and it never happened again."

Gibbs' hand gently cupped Tony's cheek, his thumb brushing across Tony's lips. His gaze searched Tony's eyes, questioningly, looking for any sign of apprehension. Finding none, Gibbs' lips captured Tony's, his arm around the man's waist pulling them closer together.

Tony's eyes closed the moment Gibbs' lips touched his. It was soft, so soft and tender. Starting as a whisper and building to a gentle breeze. Time stopped and there was nothing but the feel of Gibbs' lips against his. Slowly, Gibbs let their lips part, going back for one more taste before drawing back completely. Eyes still closed, Tony licked his lips savoring Gibbs' still on his lips.

Whistles filled the air with several cat-calls as well.

Tony's eyes shot open suddenly remembering where they were and the people around them.

"Hopefully that was a better first kiss to remember."

Tony nodded. He wanted to say something, God he wanted to say countless things, but just couldn't. Letting his body drift away from Gibbs, he cleared his throat. "We should probably join the others."

Taken aback by Tony's reaction, Gibbs merely agreed. "Okay."

Tony was already halfway to the group before Gibbs even moved.

"You two kiss like it's still the first time." Rachael sighed. "I remember those days."

"Yeah." Tony forced a smile.

A few seconds later Gibbs joined the group.

"So Tony says you build boats?"

"I do."

"And you do everything by hand?" Conor looked shocked.

"Yeah, best way."

"I'm all for hands-on and detail, but that's a lot of work." Conor shook his head.

"It is, but there's nothing like it."

"It relaxes him, calms him." Tony interjected, the nervous energy again taking over.

"Yeah." Gibbs smirked. "The Bourbon helps too."

Everyone laughed.

"And is Tony helpful?" Anna asked.

"Yeah."

"You're lying." Tony rolled his eyes. "I can't even sand right."

Reaching out, Gibbs took Tony's hand and pulled him closer. "You help in other ways." Gibbs smiled.

"Seriously, get a room." Anna rolled her eyes. "You're so sickening sweet I'm getting a cavity."

"Why can't you be like that?" Rachael, Conor's wife, smacked his arm.

"If I was like that I wouldn't have married you." Conor smirked then kissed her cheek. "Okay you two need to stop making us all look bad."

"Agreed." Ian seconded, he glanced towards the shore. "And I'm betting lunch is ready."

Sasha was walking towards the lake. "Food for the savages is ready."

"Good I'm starving." Pulling away from Gibbs, Tony headed towards the shore.

Arriving back at the house, Gibbs headed to the room to change. He had just slipped on a pair of slacks, when the door opened.

"Hey." Tony said, walking into the room. "I'm gonna change."

Gibbs nodded.

Grabbing some clothes from his bag, Tony started towards the bathroom, then paused turning back to Gibbs. "Why'd you kiss me?"

"It seemed right."

"Seemed right?" Tony shook his head.

"I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Gibbs sat down on the edge of the bed, transfixed on Tony. "It won't happen again."

"It's just I-" Tony stopped. "I didn't mean you can't-I-I know they need to believe we're together but-"

"I get it." Gibbs nodded. "I'll keep my hands to myself, unless absolutely necessary."

"Right." Tony started back towards the bathroom, mentally head slapping himself for saying anything.