A/N: This chapter has been bleached from the original – to avoid possible censorship problems.
I don't want this one to get pulled so…..
With the exception of the actual 'club' scenes, everything else is intact. The way I originally wrote it in order to maintain the genuine emotions in the characters.
This chapter is the first of several that required this story to have the FR-21 Rating/T - Rating
Hence the original warning still stands- purely precautionary
WARNING: Light BDSM, Voyeurism, Possible Offensive to some. And a touch of non-consensual - for about a half-minute.
Since this is the only chapter with this warning, I did not want to label the entire story as such.
hold on to your seats, it's about to get a bit bumpy
oh, and did I mention a very angry Gibbs...?
23:30 Friday, June 18, 2010
Thirty minutes later found Tim parked in front of his destination in D.C. He'd been so keyed up he couldn't remember the drive and wasn't even feeling anxious about this decision which, in itself should have warned his inner sense of self- preservation that this was a bad move, but as it was, his logical brain had been knocked out of gear and wasn't paying attention to very much at the moment as he got out of his car, locked the doors and headed inside the building.
If he'd been in right frame of mind, he certainly would have noticed the strange looks sent his way as he paid his cover charge at the door and signed in as a one-time only visitor. The fact that he'd needed to do that should have been another red flag as to exactly what he was walking into, but even this didn't wake him up to the risky situation he was traipsing headlong into as a green newbie.
Once inside, his attention was immediately drawn to the large cordoned off arena on a raised platform in the center of the room, from which there was movement busy enough it could be seen from across the room. Despite the incredible business of the noise that filled the room, Tim was still able to keep his calm, at least on the inside, even managing to smile serenely at the men who smiled at him first while he walked through the main floor gallery. A tiny piece of his stomach coiled in worry at the absolutely strange looks on these men's faces as they smiled at him, but Tim absently shrugged it off and kept going.
Glancing around him, he couldn't help but notice smaller cordoned off areas also taken up just as the main display area, by couples, who, upon closer inspection, consisted of one collared man and one obviously dominant man who carried himself as the one in control, standing tall and proud, glaring almost predatorily at the collared man before them. It was eerie how each small arena seemed to mirror the next. Taking stock of the immense room, Tim noted there were a dozen such smaller areas around the room, but it was the largest arena in the center of the room that had garnered the most attention with a large crowd that had to number at least fifty men, some collared and some not; all of them touching at least one other man next to him, if not more.
Suddenly, the room got quiet as a large, bulky Dominating man dressed in an open robe with only a tight pair of short shorts and a pair of big black boots on underneath the robe, walked calmly into the main display area and immediately approached what appeared to be a large speaker box at the back of the arena, flipped a switch and returned to his place at the center of the arena while he turned to watch as his appearance was followed closely and immediately by a shorter, smaller and obviously much more nervous collared man who looked nowhere but at the floor. They stood silently, apparently waiting for some welcoming applause which wasn't long in coming as the surrounding crowd and even the men in the smaller side arena's stood and applauded before beginning their displays of different variations on the theme of being and having a submissive.
Tim remembered that was what tonight's displays here was supposed to be about. He'd read it on their site and had instantly been drawn to it like a moth to a flame. That was the whole reason he was here; to watch first-hand and learn. With his heart thumping loudly in his chest, he stopped thinking and returned his attention to the main arena, expecting serious action soon, becoming enthralled by the sounds coming from the speakers hanging at various points of the ceiling as the master quietly spoke to the sub about making this a good show.
Sure enough, as soon as the applause died down, the witnesses outside the arena were obviously tuned out as the Dom and his collared sub began to put on their show, both of turning towards each other now and silently falling into their roles as the Dom took off his robe, tossing it over the chair a few feet away, off to the side and the submissive man, immediately dropped down to his knees, rather harshly and loudly.
Tim watched in silent fascination while his ears heard every single word and noise made thanks to the public address system the Dom had turned on. He was caught in the web of being unable to look away as the sub stared at the floor while his Dom walked around the cordoned off floor space before coming to a stop in front of the now physically trembling collared man where he remained kneeling in readiness for whatever was coming his way.
As if in an out-of body experience, Tim witnessed it all, becoming more and more uncomfortable with each degrading order issued and followed, every booming ridicule and subsequent whine of repentance, each cruel infliction of punishment and resulting booming gloat that almost drowned out the sub's response all filling Tim's gut with repulsion.
Tim looked around him and noticed the awed expression mirrored on more than one watching face in the crowd, dominating partners, submissives and neutral parties alike. He was suddenly aware that this crowd loved what they were seeing and most likely wouldn't move from this scene until it was all over, if at all.
Magnetically stuck, Tim couldn't move either as the Master's voice rose even higher and the sub's more desperate, the unmistakable edge of blind need for release from both of them almost tangible. Whether for show or for the actual need to dominate, the Master continued his degrading demands until his release literally washed over his sub, and oohs and aahs filled the audience as if something beautiful had just occurred.
Tim felt his throat constrict, his eyes were burning and his soul felt tarnished. He wished he hadn't seen that, couldn't erase it from his memory. Without even looking around him, he bolted for the nearest door. He had to get out. Now! Needed to go home, where he felt normal. Feeling safe would be so much better right about now, but that wasn't an option until he could breathe freely first.
Reaching the fresh air of outside, Tim wheezed as if he couldn't get enough air. He'd lasted all of ten minutes watching the seedier side of being a submissive and his stomach had nearly revolted right on the spot. Still fighting to catch his breath, Tim nearly dropped to his knees and would have, if he hadn't felt strong arms suddenly come to support him under his arms.
"Easy there, buddy. I got you."
The stranger's voice in his ear startled the hell out of Tim and reflexively he jerked back, away from someone he didn't know touching him so intimately as to be helping him up off the ground. A helping hand on his arm would have been one thing, but this, this was almost an intimate hug of sorts as much as it was that helping hand and it twisted Tim's gut in a bad way.
Still, the guy did help him regain his equilibrium and for that he needed to be polite. "Thanks."
"No problem. Say, pretty damn good show in there didn't ya think?" The burly dark haired man asked as he peered knowingly into Tim's eyes.
Not liking the leer in the man's eyes, Tim was quick to lay his cards out on the table. "I'm just visiting. Not making any commitment. To anyone!" He made sure his declaration was firm and clear as he turned and tried to walk away, feeling disorientated yet hopefully heading towards the parking lot.
"Oh, hey, I understand. I wasn't trying to lay a claim on ya even if you don't have a collar on. Have to admit it's quite a turn on knowing ya must have balls of steel to walk in here without one or a sub at ya feet. but hey, whatever floats your boat, right? Whattaya say we go check out another display, huh? Just you and me? We can talk about it, get to know one another better? You know it's always good to have friends on this circuit."
The man's piercing green eyes sparkled almost playfully but still allowed a fissure of unease to sprint down Tim's spine as he continued to prattle on and on. "You're so damn hot! I can't seem to stop staring at ya. You've got sub written all over ya, did ya know that? Of course you know that if you're in here without a collar. Hey! I know what's different about you! I get it now; why you're here alone! Bet your Dom's not far away, is he? Keepin' ya on an invisible short leash but not as short as most subs, right? Testin' ya? Tell ya what, I'll keep you safe until he shows up. C'mon! Just spend ten minutes with me and we'll just watch and talk. Whattaya say? You can't really believe you've seen enough if you only watch one display? They were just getting' warmed up! Don't you like watching from the other side of the fence for once?"
The last thing Tim wanted was to say anything more or go anywhere with this man, but he'd screwed up. He'd broken his word to Gibbs and come here alone. Hell, he'd forgotten that promise in the first place! Crap! Wait a minute! Even if I don't have a collar on? What the hell? Oh, crap! Great McGee! Just great! In such a hurry to check this place out, you got sloppy; didn't do all your homework! Look around, idiot! Remember the whole reason you came here, stupid! Hello? To find out what being a sub was all about? God! What an IDIOT! Why didn't I listen to Gibbs? Gibbs! Oh, God! He made me promise not to come to any of these places without him! Oh, shit! What the hell was I thinkin?
"Want you to give me your word that you won't go to any of the places you find in your research without me."
"What? Why?"
"Always a flip side of every coin, Tim. Do whatever research you need to on both sides of this before you step foot in any of them and when you feel you're ready to go look into this, call me. I'll go with you, no questions asked….You need a wingman on this, Tim. One will keep you safe without judging or criticizing you"
Feeling like a caged animal of his own making, it was all Tim could do to continue to breathe. Taking a minute to size up the situation, Tim realized this guy was twice his size but up to this moment had no obvious signs of ill-intent. Still, it wasn't safe or smart to assume this was purely a congenial offer. The safest bet would be for Tim to just do as he was being cajoled into doing but keep his wits about him, hoping to be able to still come out of this in once piece.
Silently accompanying this guy back inside, almost stuck to him like Velcro thanks to the firm grip secured onto Tim's wrist, Tim's mind wouldn't quit yelling at him. How could he have been so stupid? God, Gibbs was gonna kill him; if someone in this place didn't do it first!
Heh, they won't kill ya right away, ya know. Oh, shit! Oh, God, what had he done?
****NCIS****
As Tim and Mitch, as the burly man introduced himself to be, came back inside the building, the same Dom and Sub who had been showing off for the crowds before were still in the exhibition chamber, almost as if time had stopped while Tim had stepped outside. The Dom's voice once again boomed loudly throughout the exhibition arena and surrounding watcher's areas."Obviously you want me to punish you, slave! Take off your jacket and unzip your trousers!"
Tim shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He really didn't want to watch anymore, but with 'Mitch' standing over him, practically slobbering all over him, he didn't see that he had much choice.
The sub looked at his Dom with eyes of terror—his face trembling. "Sir Master, I'm really trying ..."
The impatient Dom grabbed him, and boxed his right ear, causing tears to come quickly to his sub's eyes. Turning to show off for the crowd that had gathered, the Dom practically cackled with pride at his obviously swollen cock still enclosed in his shorts.
"Didn't I tell you to remove your jacket and strip? Get outta those clothes right now!" The Dom yelled as he got in his sub's face. The sub took off his jacket, and after seeing the rage in his Master's eyes, he began trembling visibly even while he struggled to undo the buttons on his trousers.
"STRIP! Get outta those pants. NOW!"
From out of nowhere, the Master uncurled a horsewhip and unleashed it on the sub's legs as the man hastily tried to undress. From the look on the sub's face, it was clear that he wished he hadn't messed up in this way
From that moment, the degradation became more and more abusive with the whip, the subs cries of pain that could almost be described as edged with ecstasy, filling the air with an almost constant assault on the ears. The crowd was soon cheering the Master on as he cackled and grinned with his own brand of ecstasy on steroids.
Tim couldn't watch anymore. He turned to leave, Mitch blocked his path, speaking quietly in his ear. "Sssh. It gets better. Just stay and watch for a minute."
Up on the stage, the saga continued on. "I'm sorry, Master!" The sub cried out pitifully.
"Tell me you didn't want this and I'll stop right now." The Master yelled out, daring the sub to find a way out of this situation.
Judging by the quick lift of the sub's head, he obviously, hadn't expected this opportunity to change what was coming for him. That didn't stop him from taking advantage of it. "Please, Master. I didn't mean to disobey you. I don't want this punishment!" The sobbing voice quivered pitifully as it reached those in the immediate circle of watchers.
The sub's Dom beamed. "Look at you! All turned on by being punished! Why are you lying? It's obvious you like being whipped, slave"
The Dom pulled out a pair of handcuffs out of his pocket. He locked his sub's wrists together with the cuffs, and looked around at him. The sub's eyes were pools of misery as he waited to see what would happen to him next.
Tim shifted uncomfortably on his feet, not happy to watching this. But with the big brawny man at his shoulder, determined to keep him here as a witness, there was little he could do without causing a scene or creating a bigger problem for himself. He did what he could to stop watching; he closed his eyes.
A rather painful pinch to his arm, caused Tim to hiss and open his eyes, to find Mitch watching him as he hissed in his ear. "You're missing it, man. Watch. It's just getting good!"
Looking anywhere but directly back to the scene in front of him, Tim could still hear all too well, the evidence of what he refused to watch.
"So, it's a big turn on for you when your Master punishes you?"The Master bellowed loud enough that all the spectators would hear it and verbalize their interest even more. "That why you're so disobedient? Now show your Master how much you love him!"
As the mistakable sounds of someone giving oral pleasure to another filled the speakers amidst the murmurs of the satisfied crowd, Tim closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Mentally, he couldn't stop berating himself
How could he ever have thought for a minute that this was what he wanted to subject himself to? God, sometimes he could be so stupid! He needed to go home and think about this. Gibbs had offered him a genuine relationship and Tim had practically thrown it back in his face because he'd been too afraid he wasn't good enough for the older man and it would only be a matter of time before Gibbs realized it and kicked him to the curb, God, Tim could be such a jackass sometimes! It would serve him right if the man he'd long wanted but was deathly afraid of reaching out for, now left him without a second look! Tim deserved to be alone and lonely for the rest of his life after this! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Still hemmed in by the crowd and the burly man who obviously had no intention of letting Tim go, the roar of the crowd filled Tim's ears and as it died down, he found his eyes drawn once more to the display where amidst the sub's cries of both pleasure and pain, the Master was deliberately forcing his sub to stand back up and then backing him up to the weight bench set up for use by the exhibitioners. The Sub tried to back up under his own steam, but was thrown off balance with his cuffed wrists still behind his back, practically throwing himself down on the bench to keep from falling over it in a painful way.
With no wasted time or effort, the Dom pulled his sub's arms up over his head and hooked the metal bracelets over the pin holding the weights in place.
"DON'T MOVE THEM!" The Dom demanded sternly as he roughly undressed himself the rest of the way and was quickly standing naked over his sub. Roughly, the Dom shoved his sub's legs up and hooked his feet over the bar, in between his bound wrists,
Tim tried to block it all out at that point. He'd heard more than enough and he'd definitely seen more than he needed to.
"AAAHH!" The scream of ecstasy mixed with pain, sent Tim over the top of revulsion.
He was going to be sick. Shuddering, Tim turned away. He couldn't listen for another second, regardless what Mitch at his shoulder would think to do to stop him from leaving. While his heart had been sickened by the spectacle he'd seen; his libido, to his own horror, had found it exciting and pleasurable enough that he was no longer looking disinterested and was now seriously worried about being able to make a clean getaway. What the hell was wrong with him?
God, he'd promised Gibbs he wouldn't come anywhere near one of these places without him, and yet here he was without the wingman Gibbs told him he'd need. How the hell did he manage to forget that promise?
He hadn't taken two steps when his shoulders were grabbed roughly, Mitch's pudgy face a mere foot from his own, and his eyes staring at Tim's tightening crotch.
"Wow! Look at how turned on you are, sweet cheeks! You look so luscious with that lust filled starry-eyed glaze. I saw that thrill of ecstasy just run through you as you watched that incredible scene, just like it did me. God, I can't wait to taste you, you deliciously un-collard sub, you. Lemme kiss you." The burly man couldn't stop touching Tim or speaking the words that spoke of his heightened lust for Tim.
Without any further warning, a large, bruising wet mouth crushed Tim's own, demandingly, suffocatingly, trying desperately to get Tim to let him in as one big burly hand wrapped itself around Tim's bicep and the other one began manhandling Tim's already sensitized groin to the point of causing Tim pain.
"You'll love being my sub. I'll make you so happy, you'll never wanna leave me." Mitch was nearly babbling with wanton hope and lust through his messy idea of a kiss. "It's obvious you don't have a Dom anymore or he'd a been all over your luscious ass already after that show! Lemme take care of ya. I'll treat ya right, I promise.
Breathing heavily, Tim tried desperately to pull away, only to be pulled in tighter by unrelenting tree trunks disguised as arms, with meaty hands now roughing him up even more harshly, as one hand nearly crushed his now hurting member, nearly bringing tears to his eyes. "Where ya going? You'll be fine with me! I won't hurt you."
"Get your hands off my boy!" The quiet, yet deadly snarl came from out of the blue, startling both Tim and his assuming Dom-wannabe, both of them finding an extremely pissed Leroy Jethro Gibbs now standing right next to both of them, his eyes cold and full of angry steel.
Mitch was quick to jerk his hands away from Tim's hips, but not so quick to lose the cocky stance or expression. ''He said he was a free agent!"
"No he didn't." Gibbs glared the other man into submission, his absolute trust in what he was saying, obvious in his tone and his eyes. He knew Tim wasn't that stupid. He'd never say that in a place like this; in any place.
"Alright, Those words didn't come out of his mouth. He said he was just visiting. No commitments. But, he's got no collar! Nobody's stupid enough to come in here like that! How the hell was I supposed to know he was yours? How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Mitch argued heatedly.
"Ask him!" Gibbs growled menacingly. "Look him straight in the eye and ask him!"
"You his?" The pissed off burly man demanded, now angry at having been played.
Tim looked Mitch straight on and swore from the bottom of his heart. "I've been his for 8 years. I'd give my life for him."
"Oh, Ain't' that sweet!" The now angry man mocked angrily. "Why the hell are you here playing like you're available then, slave?"
"Hey! You watch your mouth!" Gibbs demanded as he approached Mitch's personal space once more, hoping to intimidate him into calming down. "He is a human being and you damn well better treat him like one!"
"Yeah? You two obviously don't belong in here! "A sub's a sub and if you know what's good for him, and for you; you'll get the hell outta here and don't come back until you remind him how to act like the sub he is! He doesn't belong in here if he can't abide by the rules! Mitch demanded angrily. "You've got five minutes to clear out before you get thrown in as the next exhibition! And if you even think you're walkin' outta here with him without someone rippin' his gorgeous ass away from you, you better collar him, real quick-like!"
Tim froze. Tears filled his eyes as he blinked them away furiously; Gibbs compassionate vow of just a few weeks ago coming back to him now.
"I won't let you get caught up in believing you need to be someone's sub."
Gibbs schooled his features, quickly sliding on his unreadable expression as he dug his hands into his jacket pocket and pulled out a submissive's collar, complete with short leash. Deliberately glaring at Tim as his temporary role called for, he wordlessly placed the collar around his agent's neck and attached it, making sure it was almost too tight. He wasn't taking any chances of anyone here trying to literally snag the young man out from underneath him as they made their getaway.
For a long silent minute, the two stood like statues, the spirit-crushing effect of the situation encasing both of them almost entirely. Gibbs knew he needed to be barking at Tim and treating him like the sub he was supposed to be in here; but he couldn't bring himself to treat Tim that way, no matter how pissed he was that Tim had put himself in this position.
"Clock's tickin!" Mitch's angry warning sounded, "And you sure as hell ain't actin' like you're his Dom! PLEASE, don't tell me you're one of those pairs who've actually gone and done the stupid thing – that fallin' in love crap!"
"Yeah." Gibbs replied quietly without taking his eyes off Tim.
"I hate guys like you! You guys should be banned from our clubs! Go on, git the hell outta here!" Mitch growled angrily.
Tim's eyes remained glued to the floor as he, too remained silent even when Gibbs gently flicked the leash in silent direction. The young 'sub' followed the unspoken command, walking off-sides from 'his Dom', his head still down and his eyes still glued to the floor all the way out of the club. Ignoring the cat-calls and wolf whistles, Gibbs steadily kept walking, his attention glued to the path to the door, with his peripheral vision glued to Tim.
******NCIS******
Once they'd made it out to the parking lot, Gibbs lost no time in walking them to his car, not letting go of the leash until he had Tim safely tucked away in the passenger seat; dropping the leash in Tim's lap as he locked the door and closed it shut with a slam. As quickly as he could, the Team Leader got around the driver's side and dropped into the driver's seat, closing and locking his own door. Without any more time wasted, he cranked the engine and slid the car into gear without raising a ruckus, driving away from the club as inconspicuously as he possibly could, being quick to get lost in the flow of D.C. nightlife traffic.
Once he was sure they weren't being tailed, Gibbs pulled over and cut the engine. Looking over at his youngest agent, he couldn't help be feel the guilt and self-recrimination literally rolling off of him in waves even before he noticed in the reflection on the window glass. The single tear sliding down Tim's face, turned away from him and the shoulders slouched in complete misery and self-appointed shame nearly broke Gibbs' heart.
Drawing in a deep breath and slowly letting it back out, Gibbs forced himself to calm down. Reaching over without saying a word, Gibbs unbuckled the collar and along with the leash, threw it on the back floorboard of his car, quickly returning his hand to Tim's neck, applying what he hoped was comforting pressure, still not saying a word.
Tim's breath caught on a choked sob as he turned his head even further away, his shame literally taking him over.
Gibbs let him work to pull himself together for a few minutes, waiting until he felt Tim calm down beneath his still present hand before he spoke quietly into the pain-filled silence; no anger or repulsion tainting his quiet, soothing tone. "No one is ever gonna treat you like what you saw in there tonight. You're safe now. "
Again, Tim's breath hitched, but this time it was in shocked disbelief.
As if he read Tim's mind, Gibbs dared to do what he usually hated to do. He initiated further conversation; knowing it was what Tim needed right now. "Hard lesson learned tonight. But, it's done. Time to move on. Think you can do that?"
Immediately, Tim's emotions got shoved back under the rock they usually got shoved under when he hid them from the world and he wiped his face of all traces of his tears. Tim finally dared to look at the older man. "No." he answered sorrowfully.
"Why not?" Gibbs asked almost conversationally.
"I'm sor…" Tim began to offer.
"Don't." Gibbs warned as he let his temper slip loose of his control just enough that Tim knew it was still sitting between them even as his own eyes remained glued to those of the struggling young man's. Watching the look of hurt that filled Tim's eyes at his barked warning just now; a look that screamed of being stabbed in the heart, almost broke Gibbs' heart. Still, he had to be the tough Marine here or Tim wouldn't come out of this with anything learned.
Tim remained silent as the words in that hated anger driven tone hit him hard.
Into the thick silence, the older man switched gears and turned up the anger a notch now that door had been cracked open."You'd better have a damn good reason for breaking your promise ."
"Didn't wanna bother you." Tim muttered regretfully.
Gibbs slammed his hand down on the steering wheel, "Damn it, Tim! You really believe your safety is an acceptable casualty in this war you insist on having with yourself?"
With a ragged sigh of resigned guilt, Tim shook his head in denial without speaking, his eyes once more gluing themselves to the floor in front of his feet.
"LOOK AT ME!" Gibbs demanded, his anger now seriously poked with the foolish stick of Tim's hay wired manners getting in the way.
Tim did as he was told, this time without hesitation.
"If you didn't want to see where this could go between us; all you had to do is say so! Putting yourself in danger to make the point is unacceptable, do you hear me?" Gibbs raged as his temper soared to the rooftop.
Realizing that his insecurities and acute fear of being inferior had led him to royally screw things up with Gibbs; just as he'd feared it had, Tim couldn't help but feel the pain of having lost his last chance at something real, so sharply it took his breath away. As the tears came more aggressively, Tim looked away and wiped at them as he nodded silently in answer to Gibbs' anger driven question. The last thing he'd ever wanted to do was hurt this man who'd opened his heart up to him; and his private lifestyle; a gift that in reality, Tim held most precious. God, how could he fix this now? Was there any hope?
Gibbs forced himself to calm down again as he turned the car back on and drove to the younger man's apartment. Tim was safe and untouched, for the most part. That was what was important here. No! What's just as important is that he never do anything so stupid again! What the hell's wrong with this kid, anyway?
With each passing minute, Tim felt smaller and smaller, waiting for whatever else was coming down on him from the man he wanted so badly he couldn't think straight.
Fuming with anger at what Tim had put himself through and not just tonight at that dangerous club, but over the last few weeks, what with losing sleep and pulling away from Gibbs every attempt to reach out to him personally, silence soon filled the air between them with only the sounds of Tim's attempts to put his emotions away to break it up. Before he realized it, Gibbs had reached Tim's apartment and watching the young man try to escape as quickly as he could.
Tim was already half way across the parking lot of his apartment before the Team Leader's harsh voice reached him.
"HEY!" Gibbs barked across the parking lot.
Tim immediately froze in his steps and turned around to see what the boss wanted, his eyes wary and guarded against whatever happened to be coming his way.
Without anything else said, Gibbs locked his car up and walked to meet up with the unmoving agent who now wore the look of impending doom. As he reached him, Gibbs roughly cuffed him on the back of the head and glared at him. "Don't ever do anything like this again!"
"I won't." Tim promised quietly, his abject apology and self-dosed humiliation still radiating from him.
"I know." Gibbs relayed in his soothing calm tone, providing Tim with verbal proof that he was still trusted and cared about, despite the recklessness he'd exhibited tonight.
Tim stopped moving as he took in what the older man's words meant underneath the surface. It couldn't be what he thought he was hearing. There was no way Gibbs would forgive him that easy; not on this personal level.
"C'mon, you need to eat something and hit the hay. I know you didn't eat any dinner and that was hardly a decent lunch you ingested earlier today."
With nothing further said between them, the walk to the elevator was a silent one, as was the ride up to Tim's floor. Even the short walk to Tim's door was completed without breaking the silence between them.
Once inside Tim's apartment, the young man motioned towards his hallway. "I'm gonna go take a shower and go to bed. You don't have to stay, Boss." Tim offered meekly.
"Not goin' anywhere until I know you've eaten a decent meal, Tim." Gibbs replied without missing a beat. "Go on, go do whatever you need to. I'm gonna make some coffee."
"Okay." Tim replied as he practically stumbled down the hall in his haste to retreat from the one person he'd messed things up with so royally, it almost made him sick to his stomach just thinking about it.
Gibbs watched Tim stumble and catch himself as he hurried away from him. Shaking his head in disbelief at the night this had turned into, the Team Leader quickly turned his attention to making a fresh pot of coffee and throwing together a sandwich from the supplies in Tim's refrigerator to feed him when he was done in the shower. He still couldn't believe their good luck that Gibbs had thought to follow Tim tonight.
It wasn't but a mere ten minutes later that Tim returned to the kitchen, freshly showered and smelling of coconut shower gel and coconut shampoo, enough that Gibbs was almost ready to throw caution to the wind and take him right then and there.
Forcing his inner urges back down under control, the Team Leader slid the plate with the sandwich over in front of his agent and planted a bottled water from the frig down in front of him.
"Thanks, Boss." Tim offered quietly as, almost on autopilot, he made his way through the dinner made for him and rose to clean up the mess as soon as he was done eating.
"Nope. Go on to bed. I got this." Gibbs informed him in his 'don't argue with me' tone.
"Thanks." Tim offered again as he trudged wearily off to bed, his mind so full of everything he'd seen, heard and gone through tonight, almost overloading his brain.
Not wanting Tim to experience bad dreams from what he witnessed tonight, Gibbs made a point to call out to him before he completely disappeared into his rom.
"Tim!"
"Boss?" The younger man asked as he stopped walking and turned back.
Gibbs walked up to him and gently cupped his cheek in his palm. "Remember what I said tonight. You're safe now."
Tim swallowed hard around the lump in his throat as he instinctively leaned into the older man's rare demonstration of affection, still very hungry for it.
Sliding his hand back around Tim's head and down to his neck just under his hair, Gibbs kept his tone gentle as he told him one more thing. "Everything'll work out. Go on to bed."
Silently, Tim nodded and took himself off to bed, hoping against hope, he'd wake up in the morning and all of what had happened tonight will have just been a really bad dream
