A/N: I'm having more fun with this than I thought - so there's a possibility that this thing here will be a little longer than originally planned :) Thanks for the reviews, alerts and favorites! :) They made my day!

Fake Thoughts

The best laid schemes of mice and man gang aft agley. Of course, the next day brought a new case and therefore no chance of another evening with DiNozzo. Ever since his latest divorce, Gibbs had always secretly wished to get case after case in order to spend less time at home. Truth be told, he had wished that during his marriages, too. Only time he had ever wanted to be at home had been when his house actually was a home, too. But that was over ten years ago. He had long accepted that it never would be like that again. So why did it feel so weird to pick up his phone and tell DiNozzo's voicemail that he couldn't make it that night?

Thankfully the case wrapped up a day after, so Gibbs picked up his phone to call DiNozzo to ask whether he was free that evening. Then, he was reminded that he would still be some sort of meeting until five o'clock. He didn't want to wait that long to find out if he should make other plans or not. Maybe there was another way…

"McGee," he said, causing the young agent to jump ever so slightly before he looked away from the computer screen in front of him.

"Yeah, Boss?"

"Can you teach me to… write these messages with my phone?"

"You want to learn how to text?" McGee checked back, unable to hide the obvious surprise. "You sure?"

Gibbs just raised an eyebrow and then gave him a glare, so that McGee stood up and walked over to him.

"Why do you want to learn how to text?" Kate who had been strikingly silent asked.

Gibbs didn't dignify that with an answer either so he just motioned to Tim to show him as he gave him his cellphone. Quarter of an hour later - after Gibbs had only snapped at McGee for about ten times - he found himself in the elevator. Kate had watched them with amusement and Gibbs was sure that she was on her way down to Abby at that exact moment, cooking up theories about it. Good thing they'd never guess whom he was going to write. He slowly typed a couple of words, still furious that you had to click that one button four times to get a 's'. He read his message over and then sent it.

Case is closed. You free tonight?

Gibbs decided to get himself another cup of coffee until DiNozzo would write back, but received a message almost right away.

Should be done here by about six. Suggestions?

Smiling slightly and wondering why that was, Gibbs typed another message, almost running into two people while doing it. He probably shouldn't text and walk all at the same time. For a second, he wondered how other people could even drive like that. Maybe he was getting old after all.

We could take a walk. Know a good place in Alexandria.

By the time Gibbs had his coffee and was back at his desk they had made their plans final. They'd meet near Gibbs' house. He was pretty sure that nobody would even cross their way along the path he was thinking of. Idly he wondered if DiNozzo could ever do anything he really wanted without the mob following him around. It'd be torture for Gibbs not to be able to be alone anywhere except his own house and as much as Gibbs loved being alone there, loved being alone in the basement, he was sure that he probably wouldn't like it as much as he did if he would be held captive in there.

#

A couple of hours later Gibbs found himself walking next to a tired-looking DiNozzo.

"… anyway, he only found out about it the next day. His face was priceless."

"How do you not realize that you were sleeping in a casket?" DiNozzo checked back incredulously after Gibbs had told the story about McGee had found out about Abby's sleeping arrangement. "I mean… what did he think it was? Dracula's estate?"

"I don't know," Gibbs was laughing now, too.

"You've got yourself some weird people, Gibbs."

"I bet you know a lot people who are weirder, DiNozzo."

"I guess," he grinned ever so slightly. "Hey," he then added in an afterthought. "Why do you keep calling me DiNozzo?"

Gibbs just shrugged as he climbed over a fallen tree that was blocking their way. "You call me Gibbs."

"That's because you told me to. Plus, you're first names are kind of Beverly Hillbillies. No offense."

"None taken. I was named after my dad's best friend. Wasn't one of his brightest ideas given the fact that they don't even talk to each other anymore."

That caused DiNozzo next to him to laugh again. "Well, contrary to you, I do have a great first name. So, why don't you call me Tony?"

"Okay," Gibbs nodded.

Just when Gibbs wanted to suggest taking the longer route a little while later, he could feel the first raindrops on his head. He looked up and realized that a thunderstorm was most likely to hit them very soon.

"Oh man," Tony sighed. "We have to cut this short – again."

"Yeah," Gibbs just said, walking a bit faster now.

He looked at the other man and was slightly startled when he saw that he was clearly disappointed. For a second Gibbs thought about inviting him to dinner at a local barbecue but then he realized that there would probably be too many people there. Well, he could still…

"My house's not far from here. I could grill some steaks if you wanted."

"You sure?" Tony checked back, a soft smile grazing his features and for a second Gibbs was sure that it had been the first real smile he had seen on his face.

"Yeah. I don't know mind you knowing where I live," he gave him a half-smile for good measure making sure that Tony understood that he didn't mean it in a bad way.

"Okay," Tony answered, furrowing a brow. "And I'm sorry about that. It's not like I don't want you to know, it's just…"

"You want to keep the crazies from your refuge, I get it."

"Exactly."

"Good thing nobody's interested in me, then," Gibbs quipped.

"I am," Tony answered and then promptly looked away as Gibbs tried to catch his eyes. "So where is this house of yours?" he then quickly continued.

Gibbs looked at him for a moment, trying to figure out why DiNozzo of all people suddenly seemed shy but let the topic drop once more.

"Just around the corner."

#

"So you do this often?" Tony asked, sitting on Gibbs' couch and nursing a beer.

Gibbs turned around from where he had been kneeling by the fireplace to have a closer look at the steaks that were sizzling there.

"Having a world famous movie star sitting on my couch?"

"Not that," Tony grinned. "I mean grilling steaks over an open fire."

"It's the best way there is."

They dwelled in silence for a while after that and once again Gibbs realized that it felt oddly comfortable. He mostly only knew people who were talking a mile a minute or people who were too afraid of him to speak freely. Tony was a welcome exception. While he tended to talk a lot when he did, he could be quiet, too. In ways he reminded Gibbs of Shannon. The way he just sat there watching him do the cooking, occasionally asking something or joking but never taking it too far held some memory of his first wife doing the very same.
That thought brought Gibbs to a standstill. What the hell was he even thinking? He mentally apologized to his late wife even if she would probably have chided him for it. He had no business comparing her to anybody because nobody simply could match up with her. Besides, DiNozzo was just someone who seemed to enjoy his company and Gibbs was far from chasing him away. He had far too few friends anyway.

"What was the weirdest case you ever had?" Tony asked into the silence which had only been disrupted by the crackling of the fire before.

"We stole Air Force One once."

"You what?" Tony spluttered, almost spitting out the sip of beer he had just taken.

"The president wasn't in there anymore. So technically it wasn't even Air Force One."

"Why on earth did you steal it?"

"We needed it to process the crime scene. A Navy Officer had died onboard. What were we supposed to do?"

"Oh, I don't know," Tony laughed. "How about not stealing it? I bet the Secret Service was very pleased about that."

"Actually," Gibbs started as he put the two steaks on two different plates and handed one to Tony. "They were on board, too. That's how I met Kate. The FBI was pissed, though."

"I'd be, too," Tony was still laughing and Gibbs could almost feel amusement radiating from him. "I mean who do you think you are? Harrison Ford?"

Before Gibbs knew what he was doing, he had slapped the other man upside the head causing him to laugh even more.

"Hey!" he shouted out. "Did you just physically assault me?"

"I might have," Gibbs gave back. "No other way to shut you up."

"Oh, is this how it's going to be from now on? I'm talking and you're head slapping me? You know we never even shook hands before but suddenly this is alright?" Tony was still laughing good-naturedly as he shook his head.

"Only if you keep talking," Gibbs just replied and then pulled out his knife to cut his steak.

Realizing that he was being a bad host, he was just about to hand it over to Tony and to get himself another one when the younger man pulled out his own.

"You got a knife with you?" Gibbs couldn't help but ask, turning ever so slightly to look at him.

"Always got one with me. Learned the hard way that it's better this way."

For a moment Tony's smile faded, only to be replaced by a fake one a second later. Gibbs furrowed his brow, wondering why he always felt the need to hide stuff like that from him.

"Yeah," Gibbs said tentatively. "That's good thinking. And one of my rules."

"You've got rules?" Tony asked incredulously around a mouthful of steak.

"Sure. Everyone's got to have a code to live by. Or at least to work by. This one's number 9. Never leave home without your knife."

"You're something else, you know that? What are the other rules?"

"Too many to tell you now. You'll find out eventually."

"I'll look forward to that then," Tony smiled again, causing Gibbs to wonder if he'd really stick around long enough to even learn one more.

#

"Well, I had a good time," Tony said, standing in front of the still closed front door of Gibbs' house as he rubbed the back of his head.

Gibbs just nodded, suddenly feeling a bit awkward and hyperaware of the fact that he had no idea what to say. The honk from a car outside saved him the trouble.

"That's Andy, my manager," Tony explained. "So, uh, I'll see you soon?"

The way it was phrased like a question surprised Gibbs a bit. It was as if Tony wasn't entirely sure he'd be welcome again.

"I'd like that," he said.

"Okay, then." He gave him another brilliant smile and then stepped forward to give him a rather awkward one-armed hug. "See you."

With that he was out the door and Gibbs stood there staring at the closed door for a few moments. He could still feel the other man's arm around him, even though it had been a very short hug. But a hug it had been. He let out a sigh and then walked down towards the basement. He needed to clear his head and only his boat could help him with that. He didn't know why he was feeling so off balance all of a sudden, didn't know what had made the actually fun evening weird. It was probably just Gibbs being himself. Maybe he just wasn't used to it anymore. Having someone to talk to who was comfortable with him. Maybe that was what bothered him.
He finally picked up a sander and let the familiar motions lull him back into a sense of security.