Summary: Part 3 of my "Truth" series. In the weeks following Tim's confession, Both Tim and Tony try to make sense of the situation between them.
Pairings: McNozzo
Additional Notes: Extended Song-Fic. Song is "Gone" by NSYNC. See the version of this fic on AO3 to read it with the lyrics embedded.
It had been over a week since he'd shown up drunk at Tony's apartment and spilled his guts about what he'd done. Tony hadn't spoken to him since. Things at work had fallen back into how they'd been for the past two months. Tim hid down in Cyber Crimes, and Tony kept himself occupied with arresting criminals, with Gibbs.
He was a damn fool to think that he could fix things in one night, by telling Tony the truth. To make things worse on himself, he'd run off like a coward the next morning, rather than face Tony sober.
What the hell is wrong with me? When did I get to be so fucking stupid?
"McGee!"
Tim looked up to see Agent Roper standing outside his office door, crooking a finger at him. Tim sighed and heaved himself up from his desk, and went into Roper's office.
"Shut the door."
He did so, and sat down.
"What's going on?" Roper asked.
"Nothing, sir. I'm fine."
"If you were fine, Tim, you'd still be upstairs on Gibbs' team. Not that I don't like having you down here, but what's going on? Every report you've turned in has been riddled with errors, and last week it took you all day to decipher some code that would have taken you 30 seconds in the past."
Tim ran a hand over his unshaven face.
"I'm sorry, it's just-personal issues."
"With DiNozzo?"
"How-how did you- I mean-"
"You two weren't as secretive as you thought," Roper said with a wink.
"Crap."
"Don't worry," Roper said with a smile. "Your personal life is none of my business. Your job performance, on the other hand, is a priority."
"I understand, Sir."
"Do you want to be down here, Agent McGee?"
Tim didn't answer right away, and Roper got the answer to his question.
"You should be working where you're happy, Tim. I'd be glad to let you stay down here as long as you like, but I know you really want to be upstairs."
"Do I have to decide right now?"
"Of course not. Take your time. In the meantime, I need these three reports done, the right way." He handed Tim three files.
"I'll get on these right away," he said, standing and taking the files. "Thanks."
"Anytime, Tim."
Gibbs had been keeping a watchful eye on Tony for a couple of weeks. Tony had tried to keep his personal life away from his work, but it was tough when the personal problem worked right downstairs. They'd picked up a case or two, and they were thankfully open-and-shut. It wasn't until he'd screwed up today, that he noticed Gibbs watching him more than usual.
They'd gone out to pick up a suspect in their latest case, and Tony had practically had him in cuffs. The suspect elbowed Tony in the gut, and made a run for it. Tony had gone after him, but was unable to keep up with him, and the suspect got away. Now, he was siting at his desk, trying to use his computer to track down the suspect he'd lost.
Get yourself together, DiNozzo, he told himself as he watched the searches run. The truth was, he was nowhere near as together as he wanted to be. He was still trying to process what Tim had told him. He'd been ready to talk civilly the next morning, but Tim was gone when he came out into the living room.
The fucking coward - all he knows how to do is run away.
A shadow over his desk brought his eyes up, to meet Gibbs' icy stare.
"You okay, DiNozzo?"
"I'm good, Boss. Just some personal issues."
"Deal with them after you finish your report. It was supposed to be on my desk an hour ago."
Shit... I need to write that, don't I?
"On it, Boss."
Tony pulled up the empty report he'd meant to fill in, and started typing. Gibbs was right. There was work to be done.
Tim hovered in Gibbs' open basement doorway. He hadn't spoken to the man in almost three months. He wasn't entirely sure coming here was a good idea, to begin with, but somehow, he found himself here.
"Come down here or leave, McGee," Gibbs called from the basement.
Shit. Well, here goes nothing.
Tim made his way downstairs. Gibbs was working on one of his smaller projects. He stood awkwardly at the bottom of the stairs, hands shoved in his pockets.
"How are you?" Tim managed to get out. It was the only thing he could think to start with.
"Nothing's changed - except my team."
"About that... I uh-"
"You want back on the team."
"Yeah."
Gibbs set down his tools and turned to face Tim.
"Why?"
"I hate Cyber Crimes."
"I'm sure Vance can reassign you somewhere else. Maybe MTAC."
"That's not what I want."
"Then stop looking at my floor, and look at me and tell me what you do want, McGee."
Tim raised his eyes to meet Gibbs' icy glare.
"I want to be a field agent. It's the reason I joined NCIS. I can't go back to sitting behind a computer again. Please, Gibbs."
Gibbs sat silently for a long time.
"If your transfer request is on my desk tomorrow morning, I'll submit it to Vance. I can't guarantee anything 100 percent, McGee. You know that."
"I understand." Tim turned to leave.
"McGee," Gibbs called.
Tim stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned around.
"Whatever happened between you and DiNozzo will stay out of the office. I don't want any disruptions while we're working a case. Is that understood?"
"Understood, Boss."
"Good. Go home."
Tim turned and left.
The empty desk was filled when Tony came back from lunch the next day.
Tim was typing up a report. All of his things were back in their place.
He walked over to Tim's desk before he could stop himself.
"Why are you here?" he asked coldly.
"I talked to Gibbs. He let me transfer back."
Tony stood there for a second, formulating his next statement.
"We should talk."
Tim stopped typing and looked up at him.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
There was another awkward silence.
"Maybe we should talk later," Tim suggested. "Dinner at Norton's?"
"Okay."
Tony went back to his desk and got back to work, and Tim did the same, unaware that Gibbs had been watching them from his desk.
Trying was better than nothing.
TBC in Part 4...