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Tony should never have made that bet with Abby. But a long Friday movie night with too much alcohol had dulled his senses, and after yet another movie in which the hero was portrayed as being simply irresistible to both men and women, he had scoffed and said that was impossible. Abby had cooed at him that he himself had been known to say that he could seduce anyone, and Tony had smirked at her that he was different, after all, he had the DiNozzo charm. From the glint in her eye, he knew that she had him right where she wanted him. And true to his suspicions, she immediately issued her challenge.
“Really… let’s put that to the test!”
“Abbs…”
“No Tony, time to put your money where your mouth is, and find out how charming you really are! I’ll pick someone, and you seduce them.”
“Oh God… You’re not gonna make me hit on Doris in HR, are you?”
“Nah, too easy! We already know you can charm the pants off pretty much any woman, but…”
He eyed her speculatively for a moment.
“Except you, Abbs.”
“You never really tried. I’m sure I could have been persuaded…”
“Really?”
His tone was more surprised than she would have expected.
“Sure! You know I love you, Tony. And I’m sure we would have had fun. But it’s too late, you’re like my big brother now, and that would just be hinky.”
He laughed.
“So, who will it be then?”
“I have the perfect candidate in mind.”
Her grin was downright evil, and he started to worry.
“What would be the criteria for me succeeding? How far should it go in order for me to win the bet?”
“Aw, come on Tony, I wouldn’t make you do anything lewd! You’ll win if… uhm… if you get them to kiss you. A proper kiss! With tongue.”
That wasn’t too bad. He was pretty confident that he could get almost anyone to kiss him. He grinned at her.
“Okay, deal. Which lovely lady did you have in mind?”
“Like I said, that would be too easy. No lady.”
His worry returned in full force.
“Uhm… Abbs? I know I told you I kissed a few guys in my time, but that was a while ago. And while I’m fine with you knowing about that, it’s not something I want circulating in the office.”
“I know, don’t worry! You can do it in private. I won’t even demand photographic evidence! I’ll know whether it happened or not.”
“Oooookay… who?”
“Gibbs, of course!”
~~~~~
He’d laughed when she said it, and they’d joked about it for a while, and then he distracted her with more drinks and another movie. While she watched the screen, his mind was spinning, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye a couple of times. They all knew that Gibbs was off limits when it came to the little jokes and challenges they played on each other, everyone on Team Gibbs knew that, hell everyone at NCIS knew that. So why would she break that rule? She was apparently determined to win this bet. Tony tried to picture it, kissing Gibbs, seducing Gibbs, and admitted to himself that the idea wasn’t unappealing. Gibbs was a good-looking man, and the force of his personality had always drawn Tony to him; there was a reason he had stayed at NCIS all these years after all, that he had turned down promotions to stay on Gibbs’ team, and it wasn’t just because he had more still to learn. He wanted to stay with the others of their little family too, of course, but at the center of it was Gibbs, and Tony had always gravitated towards his boss.
Even so, he regretted the bet now that Abby had put Gibbs into the mix. He didn’t want to ruin things between himself and Gibbs, but he also didn’t want to call off the bet. One simply did not welch on a bet with Abby. She would find ways to make your life very unpleasant if you did. By the time the movie was finished and Abby left to go home without saying anything else about it, he hoped that she had simply forgotten about the bet, but that slim hope was crushed when she sent him a text letting him know that she had arrived home safely and wished him luck with getting Gibbs to kiss him. He groaned into his pillow, and decided not to respond.
~~~~~
Tony slept late the following morning, and the bet was the first thing that he thought of when he woke up. It played through his mind continuously while he ate his breakfast, while he went shopping, while he did his usual Saturday chores, and by the time it was late afternoon and he slumped on his couch with a beer, he was going insane. Mentally he had been trying to list ways to get out of the bet, but that list had somehow been supplanted by a very different thought: how does someone who’s not a red head and not a woman go about seducing Gibbs?
When Sunday evening rolled around, he had thought of and discarded a thousand ideas, or at least, that’s how it felt to him. His usual MO - flashing his charming smile, cracking a few jokes and then deploy the puppy dog eyes - wouldn’t work. Flowers or presents were out of the question. Asking Gibbs out on a date? Yeah, right, he could really see that going over well. So what was he going to do? And was he actually seriously thinking about doing this?
Yes. Yes, he was.
Part of it was about the challenge, wanting to see if he could do it, but part was out of curiosity what Gibbs would be like when he kissed you. He imagined that Gibbs would be as purposeful and resolute in his kisses as he was in everything else. That combined with his forceful personality and that sexy body should make for one hell of a kiss. And in all honesty, he wanted to experience that, even if it was just once. Tony had been kissed by a dominant man before – not that Tony was submissive, he was as alpha as they came – and he had liked being the one on the receiving end then, instead of always being the domineering and controlling one. And that guy had had nothing on Gibbs when it came to personality.
So he needed a plan of action, but not even an entire weekend thinking about it had enlightened him about which course to take. He needed more information. It hardly seemed possible, but he realized now that after all those years of watching and, quite frankly, studying Gibbs, there were still parts of the man that Tony hadn’t fathomed. And it was exactly those parts that he now needed, and wanted, to explore. Over the next two weeks, Tony kept his eyes and ears open at the office, his gaze locked on the man every chance he got without being caught, trying to read him, trying to find anything that would give him a hint how to proceed, but two weeks later he hadn’t made any progress. Then he perceived that of course he wouldn’t find what he was looking for studying Gibbs at work, he needed to do his research during their down time. Armed with pizza and beer, he headed to Gibbs’ place and the basement. It was several beers and almost half an inch of sawdust later before Tony finally found the courage to steer the – mostly one-sided – conversation in the direction he needed.
“How do you know you’re in love, Boss?”
Gibbs glanced up at him with sudden interest.
“You in love?”
“No, Boss. At least I don’t think so. I’m just curious.”
“Why ask me?”
“You have a lot of experience. I mean, four wives and all… And your other relationships, Colonel Mann, Doctor Ryan… You were in love with them right?”
“Sure.”
“So how did you know?”
“You just do, Tony. You wanna be with them, and miss them whenever you’re apart. Get a little flutter in your chest when you see them, kiss them.”
“Really?”
“You never had that?”
“Can’t honestly say that I did. Got excited, but never had my heart flutter as far as I recall. I thought that only happened in movies and novels.”
Gibbs smiled a soft little smile, his eyes fixed on the basement wall unseeingly.
“I felt it the first time I saw Shannon.”
Tony quietly sucked in a breath, and held it in silence, hoping Gibbs would continue. He rarely talked about Shannon, and Tony had not expected him to go there.
“Saw her in the window of a shop and it felt like I got the wind knocked out of me. When she saw me and smiled, I felt a definite flutter in my chest.”
Gibbs’ eyes focused again and he looked up at Tony.
“I knew she was the one right there and then.”
Tony nodded, keeping quiet in hopes that Gibbs would go on.
“I felt it with her the most, but with the others too.”
Gibbs returned to his woodwork and Tony decided to push a little.
“When was the last time you felt it?”
Gibbs looked up sharply at the question, but didn’t answer other than with a shrug.
“So when you feel that flutter, you start a relationship with them?”
Eyes still locked on Tony, Gibbs replied.
“Sometimes. The other person has to be open to it.”
Gibbs put down the sandpaper and picked up his beer, then walked over to Tony and stood next to him, leaning one hip against the stairs.
"What's got you so interested in this anyways?"
Tony didn't answer, instead asking another question of his own.
"So, what you felt with Shannon, did that ever happen again?"
Gibbs eyed him for a moment, then answered carefully.
"Once. With Diane and Stephanie and the others, it sort of grew. Apart from Shannon, I only felt that instant flutter as soon as I laid eyes on them once."
"Who was she?"
"Not important."
They sipped in silence for a while, before Gibbs repeated his question.
"Why the questions, Tony? You in love?"
And when he finally looked up at Gibbs standing there beside him, Tony met his boss' gaze and felt a flutter in his chest. Gasping for breath for a millisecond, Tony swallowed hard.
"Didn't think I was, but maybe…"
Gibbs looked a little sad, maybe resigned, for a moment, before shaking it off and speaking again.
"Good. You deserve it. You should be happy."
They drank in silence after that until their beers were finished. They went upstairs then, and Gibbs thought about getting them each another drink, but his responsible nature made him say something else instead.
"Call you a cab?"
Tony stood there, looking at Gibbs at the fridge, Gibbs' back a tight line of muscles as if he were bracing himself for something. And Tony knew this wasn't about the challenge, wasn't about the curiosity, wasn't about the bet.
“Gibbs?”
No response.
“Jethro?”
This time Tony saw a tiny little shudder pass through his boss’ body before he finally turned around. Gibbs leaned back against the closed fridge, eyes glued to the floor for a few moments, before raising his gaze to look Tony in the eyes. Those usually piercing blues now held uncertainty and a question, and Tony felt a definite flutter this time. He sucked in a tiny gasped breath, and fought the overwhelming urge to look away, forcing himself to keep his eyes on Gibbs. He remained still when Gibbs tentatively reached out a hand and softly and slowly brushed the backs of his fingers over Tony’s cheek. The moment was magical to Tony, as if everything in his life suddenly fell into place, finally made sense. But then Gibbs cleared his throat and whispered hoarsely.
“I’ll call you a cab.”
~~~~~
Lying in bed that night, Tony’s thoughts were racing. The long minutes waiting for the cab after Gibbs had made the call had been spent in uncomfortable silence, unanswered questions and unfinished thoughts flying silently between them, confusing the hell out of Tony. During the cab ride Tony had tried to sort through his thoughts, but it was too short and he was too unsettled to get things straightened out in his head. All he could really think of was that little flutter he had felt as he looked at Gibbs in the kitchen. Had he ever felt anything like that before? He really didn’t think so. Why now then? And why with Gibbs? Was it just the power of suggestion, because Gibbs had been talking about that feeling and Tony had been spending a lot of time lately thinking about Gibbs kissing him? Or was it something else?
And then he thought back to the conversation. Gibbs had said he had felt that strong flutter with someone other than Shannon, but hadn’t wanted to tell him with whom. And he had seemed dejected when Tony said that maybe he was in love. And then there was that look of uncertainty and of course the gentle touch to his cheek just before Gibbs called the cab. What was that about? If he didn’t know any better, Tony would have deduced that Gibbs was interested in him. But that was ridiculous, it couldn’t be, surely? But then why the sadness and the insecurity and the touch? Oh God, that touch! His cheek still burned where Gibbs’ fingers had brushed against his skin, and the look in Gibbs’ eyes had been so… soft? So… conflicted? As if he was desperately trying to stop himself, but failing miserably as his hand moved of its own accord. So unlike Gibbs. But Tony pressed his hand against his own cheek now to cover the spot where Gibbs had touched, as if trying to keep the ghost of his fingers there, reliving it over and over again.
Not getting any further analyzing Gibbs’ actions and responses, he turned to his own feelings. This had all started because of the bet. Prior to that he had never consciously entertained thoughts of kissing Gibbs or anything else of that nature. But once he started thinking about it, it kept getting him more and more excited. And he kept picturing being with Gibbs in intimate ways, the images becoming more and more appealing every time he thought of them. And then there had been that elusive flutter, never felt before, but suddenly there when Gibbs talked about it. What was that about? And now that he was thinking about it again, he felt himself getting hard, and groaned to himself. Was he in love with Gibbs? Had he ever been in love before? Did he even know what love was? It was too confusing, his mind was reeling, and it was getting him nowhere. He got up and went to the living room, pouring himself a large glass of vodka and almost chugging it down. The alcohol wouldn’t help with his spinning mind, but hopefully it would help him get to sleep at last.
Waking late in the morning, his head pounding and eyes scratchy, Tony dragged himself to the shower and stayed in there for a long time, until he almost felt human again. Forcing himself to eat something, he was thankful that it was Saturday and didn’t have to go into the office. He decided to do his chores and then go pick up his car at Gibbs’ place.
When he arrived at Gibbs’ house, it was late afternoon, and he stood outside next to his car for a while, torn between just getting into his car and driving home and going inside to see Gibbs. In the end, the decision was made when he noticed Gibbs standing in the living room, staring out the window right at Tony. He couldn’t leave. He had to talk to Gibbs. He went inside.
But once inside, standing across from Gibbs, words failed him. They just stared at each other for a long time before Gibbs went to the kitchen and grabbed two beers, handing one to Tony and leading him to the couch. Gibbs sat down, but Tony paced the living room floor, sipping his beer, nervous energy thrumming through him. Gibbs just watched him in silence for long, long minutes, then put down his beer and got up, standing in Tony’s way to stop his frantic pacing. Coming to a halt right in front of Gibbs, Tony finally looked at the man, and sucked in a breath when he felt that flutter again. He put down his beer and licked his lips nervously.
Gibbs, eyes steadily fixed on Tony’s, in a repeat of the previous evening, reached out his hand and softly brushed his fingers over Tony’s cheek, tracing the same path that Tony still felt there from last night. Then he very slowly leaned in, eyes flickering from Tony’s eyes to his lips and back. Just before their lips reached each other, Tony spoke quickly.
“Wait, Gibbs…I have to tell you something.”
Knowing that if they were going to do this, they had to go into it clean, and he knew he had to tell Gibbs about the bet. Feeling Gibbs’ questioning eyes burning into his, lips still only inches apart, Tony whispered softly.
“It was a bet…”
Gibbs pulled back as if struck, almost stumbling back a few paces in his rush to put some distance between them. He stared at Tony incredulously, then repeated softly.
“Bet?”
“It was about getting someone to kiss me. Abby challenged me. She chose you.”
“You bet with Abby that you could get me to kiss you?”
The hurt was evident in Gibbs’ voice. Tony’s cheeks burned with shame, but he tried to explain.
“Yes, but it’s not about that anymore… Gibbs… Jethro, I…”
“Get out.”
The words were soft but final, laced with pain and anger. Tony tried one more time.
“Jethro, please…”
But Gibbs turned on his heels and stalked off to the basement, quietly closing the basement door behind him, a more final gesture of dismissal hardly possible. Tony stood stock still in the living room for another few minutes, cheeks burning with shame and eyes burning with unshed tears, lungs burning from holding his breath, soul burning with pain and longing. He barely managed to drag himself outside to his car, and sat there unseeing for a long time, before he finally managed to pull himself together enough to start the car and drive home.
~~~~~
The remainder of the weekend passed in a blur for Tony, a haze of shame and longing and pain and want and regret, and on Monday morning he left for the office with feet of clay. The day was pure hell. Working on cold cases, they were stuck in the bullpen the entire day, an icy silence spreading over the room, emanating from Gibbs, and furtive glances flew from Tony to his boss, who studiously ignored him. McGee and Bishop felt the oppressive atmosphere clearly and worked as quietly as they could, throwing questioning looks from Gibbs to Tony and at each other.
On Tuesday morning, they thankfully caught a case and things were a little better then, but every word exchanged between Tony and Gibbs was strictly professional and felt strained. Returning to the office early afternoon, they started their research, and Gibbs went to see Ducky, but when in the late afternoon Abby called Gibbs to say that she had the first results in, Gibbs only glanced at the display of his phone, not answering, and sent Tony down to Abby’s lab with a scathing remark.
“Go see what Abby wants, DiNozzo, since you always have so much fun together.”
Tony nearly fled from the bullpen, blush clearly visible on his cheeks, and McGee and Bishop stared after him and then at Gibbs in confused wonder. Gibbs went for coffee.
Abby started talking as soon as she heard the door to her lab opening.
“Gibbs, Gibbs, Gibbs! I found…”
Sensing something was wrong, she fell quiet and turned around. Tony leaned with his back against the wall just inside the door, his arms crossed over his chest as if he was holding himself, eyes closed and head leaned back, strain lines clearly visible on his face. He looked tired and hurt and dejected. Abby’s hands flew up to press her fingers against her lips, eyes wide and worried. She approached him carefully.
“Tony…?”
Taking a deep breath, his voice was raw when he answered.
“I screwed up, Abbs…”
She wanted to hug him, but he kept himself closed off, and his eyes remained shut.
“What happened?”
“I told him about the bet.”
“What?? Why??”
“He was about to kiss me… and I knew I couldn’t let him do it without telling him, I couldn’t keep it from him and have him find out later and get mad, not when I want him so badly and was hoping for something more… And now he hates me…”
“You want him?”
She asked it quietly, very quietly. He finally opened his eyes and she saw the pain there, and the longing.
“Oh, Tony…”
This time she did hug him, and Tony opened his arms to embrace her too. They stood together for a while, and then curiosity got the better of her.
“So he was really going to kiss you? See, I knew it! I knew he wanted you and you were just too blind to see it! It worked!”
Tony let go of her and stepped back as if stung. He stared at her open mouthed, then his anger got the better of him and made him speak, softly but menacingly.
“That’s why you wanted that bet? This was a little scheme of yours?”
She stared at him, eyes wide at his tone, but a tiny spark of pleased glee still evident in her gaze. She remained silent.
“That’s just perfect! Thank you so much, Abby, for ruining my life! You, he’ll probably forgive in a couple of days, me, I can go looking for another job if these past couple of days are anything to go by!”
The glee disappeared, and she blinked up at him. He stared back angrily, then took a deep breath and she saw a mask of professionalism take control of his face.
“The results, Ms Sciuto?”
~~~~~
It all went downhill from there. Gibbs maintained his icy silence, only barking orders when he had to, and even kept his distance physically, not just from Tony, but from everyone, no stepping into anyone’s personal space, no leaning in to watch the computer monitors over their shoulders. He didn’t go see Abby even once, sending Tony down every time, with a menacing glare.
Tony hid behind his mask of professionalism, remaining courteous but cold with everyone, addressing each by their last name – no Abbs, no nicknames for McGee, and certainly no Boss.
Abby came up to the bullpen a few times, her eyes pleading with Gibbs and Tony, but got no response.
McGee and Bishop, Ducky and Palmer stood at the sidelines, confused and worried and wondering what was going on. None of the three would talk to them about it.
It lasted for weeks.
~~~~~
Tony was wasting away, he wasn’t sleeping, wasn’t eating and felt like he was going insane. He had dark circles under his eyes, was losing weight, and his mind was going round and round in circles with the feelings he had for Gibbs and the hurt he had caused him. He was getting worried assessing glances from his teammates, but they didn’t even try to ask what was wrong anymore, knowing they wouldn’t get an answer. Tony stared at himself in the mirror in his bathroom, and saw he was becoming a shadow of himself. He couldn’t continue like this. He finally went to see Gibbs.
~~~~~
Arriving at the house, Tony wasn’t even surprised to find the front door uncharacteristically locked. Smirking despite himself – after all, it had been Gibbs who had taught him to pick locks – he took out his ever-present tools and had the door open in seconds, then headed straight for the basement. Gibbs was there, sitting on a sawhorse, bourbon in hand, not working on anything and apparently not drinking either, because the glass still looked full, as did the bottle on the nearby workbench. Tony settled on the basement stairs, just looking at Gibbs, and waiting.
It felt like hours, both sitting there motionless, before Gibbs finally put the still full glass down on the workbench and raised his eyes to Tony. Anguish had the upper hand in the look, but there was a plea there as well. Tony got up and walked over to Gibbs, keeping their eyes locked on each other, and stood in front of the man he now knew he loved. Slowly raising his hands he cupped Gibbs’ cheeks, then leaned down, eyes still open, giving Gibbs the chance to move away if he wanted to, then at last Tony’s lips reached Gibbs’ and he pressed them together softly. When he pulled back, Gibbs rose to stand as well.
Bracing himself for whatever would happen next, Tony was prepared for anything. When Gibbs reached up and brushed the calloused tip of his index finger over Tony’s lips, then sighed, Tony breathed deeply, waiting for what Gibbs would do next. But nothing followed. Gibbs just kept staring at him. At last he understood. The bet. Gibbs wouldn’t kiss him, because that had been the bet. Tony would have to kiss Gibbs. A small twitch tugged at Tony’s upper lip in appreciation, and Gibbs’ eyes got a tiny sparkle when he saw that Tony understood.
This time, there was nothing tentative about it, and their eyes fell shut as soon as their lips met. Tony poured everything he had into the kiss, nibbling and licking Gibbs’ lips before sliding in his tongue, starting a delicate and sensuous dance in which Gibbs participated eagerly. At last feeling Gibbs’ hands start roaming over his body, Tony burned with desire everywhere the older man touched him. Pulling them closer against each other, Tony felt his erection brush against Gibbs’ answering hardness and groaned in delight. When at last they broke apart, Tony rested their foreheads together, his hands buried in Gibbs’ hair, his eyes still closed and breathing deeply. Then he started to chuckle.
“Victory laughter?”
The tone was teasing, not vindictive, but still Tony’s eyes flew open to look at Gibbs, worry clear in Tony’s gaze.
“No! No, I swear! Just happy…”
Seeing the sparkle in Gibbs’ eyes, Tony breathed a sigh of relief. This time, Gibbs initiated the kiss, and it became fiery and passionate in seconds. Panting harshly when they at last broke apart again, Tony slowly ran his hands down from Gibbs’ shoulders over his chest, feeling the muscular contours, keeping his eyes fixed on his hands as he drew them down over Gibbs’ belly to his hips. Gibbs brought up one hand and raised Tony’s chin with his fingers, bringing his face up so he could look at him.
“Tony?”
“No bet, Jethro, I swear. I just want you, need to feel you.”
“I thought you were in love with someone?”
“With you, Jethro. That flutter you mentioned? I feel that when I look at you. My heart is pounding being this close to you, kissing you. I’ve missed you so much these past few weeks, it’s been pure hell. This may have started over the bet, but I never want this to end.”
Tony stared at Gibbs hopefully.
“Please tell me you feel it too?”
Gibbs brushed a soft, loving kiss over Tony’s lips before replying.
“I do. I was talking about you, Tony. The first time I stared up at you when you pulled your gun on me in that alley in Baltimore, that flutter in my chest was like that time with Shannon.”
“Then why…?”
“Like I said, the other person has to be open to it. You never were.”
Tony acknowledged the truth of that statement, almost ashamed that he had never noticed, had caused Gibbs so much pain.
“I am now.”
Gibbs’ smile was one of the widest Tony had ever seen on the man, and Tony smiled back when Gibbs started chuckling. Between chuckles, Gibbs’ response was heartfelt.
“Thank God…”
~~~~~
They made their way upstairs to the bedroom in between extended kisses, undressing each other eagerly and leaving a trail of clothes from the basement to the foot of the bed. Crawling under the covers together, they kissed more and let their hands roam, mapping each other’s bodies and finding the sensitive spots that made the other moan. Tony kissed and nibbled down Gibbs’ neck and chest, pressed soft kisses to his belly, stroking his sides with gentle fingers, until at last he reached Gibbs’ erection. Nuzzling around it teasingly and kissing and nipping Gibbs’ inner thighs, driving the older man crazy with desire, Tony at last took the hard length into his mouth. Gibbs panted at the feeling of the wet heat enclosing him and writhed in pleasure while Tony licked and sucked him for long minutes like a veritable feast, paying attention to his balls as well and stroking his fingers over Gibbs’ perineum. Gibbs would have happily exploded down his lover’s throat, but Tony had other plans. Releasing Gibbs from his mouth, the younger man started kissing his way up again until he reached Gibbs’ lips, and devoured them with passion before speaking huskily, looking Gibbs in the eyes for emphasis.
“Will you make love to me, Jethro?”
Gibbs stroked a hand through Tony’s hair, earning a pleased shudder at the gesture, then searched his eyes.
“You sure?”
“I want you to claim me, Jethro. I want to belong to you. I want to feel you inside of me.”
Gibbs pupils dilated and darkened even further at Tony’s words, but he had to make sure.
“You ever done this before?”
Gibbs saw the insecurity flash in Tony’s look, and knew the answer before the younger man admitted it.
“No.”
The blue eyes managed to hide their disappointment and conveyed only care when Gibbs spoke.
“Then we should probably do this the other way around. Give you the time to get used to it. Or we can do other things now, there’s so much else…”
“No, Jethro. I want you to make love to me, I want to look up into your eyes when you come inside of me.”
It was said with certainty, and puppy dog eyes, and a little pout. Gibbs sighed, but smiled at the same time.
“I can make it good for you, but it would be easier if I took you from behind the first time.”
“No. I want to see you.”
“Do you know what a pushy bottom is?”
Tony grinned. He knew he’d won. He also knew that he would get to top later too. He knew he would get everything he wanted. He saw it in Gibbs’ loving smile.
Rolling them over so Gibbs was on top of him, Tony pressed another kiss to his lover’s lips.
“Yes, Jethro. Now take me.”
Gibbs took his time despite their urgent desires. He kissed and stroked and licked Tony anywhere and everywhere, until Tony’s entire body was on fire. There was only slight discomfort when two fingers became three, but some added lube and a couple of well-placed nudges against Tony’s prostate soon made him forget about that, instead making him fly. When Gibbs pulled Tony’s legs around his waist and started pushing in, Tony eagerly pulled him close, kissing him and panting, bearing down like Gibbs told him. When Gibbs bottomed out, Tony sighed in pleasure and bucked up his hips. Surprised but pleased, Gibbs started thrusting slowly and deeply until Tony’s moaning and begging made him speed up, searching for and finding Tony’s sweet spot again, then Gibbs’ hand started stroking Tony’s dick and Tony lost his mind. Heart pounding and pulse racing, Tony’s body convulsed in climax, spilling his seed over Gibbs’ fingers and his own stomach and chest. The sight and sound of Tony falling over the edge set Gibbs off as well, and he followed his lover to heaven.
When they came back to themselves, Tony’s legs were still wrapped around Gibbs, and the older man’s head was resting on Tony’s shoulder, both breathing heavily. When Gibbs moved to roll off his lover to stop crushing him, Tony held on and made him stay where he was a little longer, loving the secure and comforting feeling of Gibbs’ weight on him. When Gibbs at last had softened completely and slipped out of Tony, the younger man gave a disappointed little moan, which Gibbs captured and swallowed in a deep kiss. Gibbs went to the bathroom and cleaned himself, bringing a wet washcloth to clean Tony up as well, then crawled back under the covers with his lover. Tony curled up against him, draping an arm over Gibbs’ chest. Exhausted and happy, they fell asleep.
~~~~~
The following morning, Tony woke with a goofy smile on his face that he simply couldn’t suppress. Finding Gibbs still asleep, the older man’s arms encircling him tightly, Tony turned to face his lover and started pressing kisses to his face and neck, which woke Gibbs up immediately. They made love again, a repeat of the previous night but even more intense, before hitting the shower together which turned into another session of kissing and stroking in between getting clean. Breakfast was interspersed with kisses and gentle touches, and Tony saw he wasn’t the only one with a goofy smile that just wouldn’t go away. Gibbs drove them to the Yard, and they were hard at work by the time the other arrived, but threw surreptitious glances at each other every few minutes, accompanied by pleased little smiles. McGee and Bishop immediately noticed the change in atmosphere compared to the previous day and weeks, but were at a loss to explain it.
Around mid-morning, Abby showed up in the bullpen to deliver her results, subdued and quiet in expectation of the oppressive mood that had hung in the bullpen the past few weeks, and froze for an instant when she noticed the change. She glanced at Tony, who looked up at her and smiled, a genuine smile, the first one she’d seen on him in weeks. She turned to look at Gibbs, who gazed back at her, one eyebrow raised and one corner of his mouth quirked up. She glanced back and forth between them again. Then Tony and Gibbs looked at each other and back to her, seeing a smile start to form on her lips, and a thousand questions in her eyes.
“Hi Abbs!”
Tony’s voice was happy and pleased as he greeted her with long withheld affection, getting up and walking around his desk to lean against it, closer to her.
“What do you got, Abbs?”
Gibbs spoke the first words he’d said to her in weeks, walking over and standing next to Tony, a small smile gracing his face.
Abby squealed. Then bounced. Then pigtails and arms were flying through the air as she rushed at them to embrace them simultaneously, hugging them close, still bouncing, making them laugh. When she had calmed down a little and pulled back to take in the picture of her two favorites together at last, her eyes were shining with happiness.
Tony briefly hugged her close, then spoke softly.
“I’m sorry, Abbs. I know it wasn’t fair of me. I’m sorry.”
She reveled in the hug and in true Abby fashion, all was forgiven.
“That’s okay, Tony, I know. I love you!”
“Love you too, Abbs.”
Then Gibbs leaned in and pressed his usual kiss to Abby’s cheek, and dear heaven, how had she missed those!
“I’m sorry too, Abbs. And thank you.”
Releasing Tony to hug Gibbs, she held her silver fox close for a moment, then forgave him as well.
“Okay, Gibbs. I love you too.”
Bewildered but thankful that whatever had been causing the iciness and tension of the past couple of weeks had apparently been resolved, McGee and Bishop sighed a breath of relief. They cornered Abby in her lab later that day to try and found out what had happened, but the Goth scientist just smiled happily and kept her mouth shut. For a couple of trained investigators, it took them quite a while yet to discover what had been going on, even Ducky and Palmer had sussed out the truth weeks earlier.
Tony and Gibbs didn’t care either way.
They were happy, finally together.