---

Tony waltzed into the bar, and as soon as he got to the bar, he greeted the bartender. “Hey Pedro!� he shouted, exchanged handshakes, and asked for a Scotch from the bottle Pedro kept for him. He scanned the crowd, and was surprised to find the new girl Trisha sitting at the other end of the bar.

Vance had brought in a handful of new agents to start a second MCRT in an attempt to off-load some of the cases from their team. Recent increases in violent crimes involving Naval and Marine personnel had been a growing concern to the director.

Tony took off the leather jacket he was wearing, showing the dark grey shirt underneath, opened at the neck, above a pair of skintight dark blue jeans. He was making his way over to the other end of the bar, moving towards Trisha when he noticed another man sitting down next to her. Tony grinned. “Hey Pedro,� Tony waved the bartender over again, and held up two fingers. “Make that two.�

Getting his drinks, Tony made his way over to the other man, and plopped one of the Scotches in front of him before sitting down in the chair next to the man. “Fancy seeing you here, Agent Gibbs,� Tony grinned. “And Probette,� Tony held his drink up to salute Trisha. “How're we doing tonight?� Tony asked with a predatory glint in his eyes that he'd directed towards Alexander Gibbs, Alex to his friends and family.

For the life of him, Tony would never believe that Gibbs had a brother, let alone a brother that looked just like him. But facts were facts â€" Gibbs had a brother, go figure. Tony was nonetheless slightly surprised that Alex had been a naval aviator and also worked for NCIS. Vance must’ve had a death wish bringing in him in to lead MCRT2 because Gibbs’ reaction was… interesting. And Tony’s encounter with the man thus far had been very… well, he’d describe it as a memorable experience.

Tony flirted with everyone â€" that much was a known fact, particularly at NCIS. What he didn’t expect was to have someone flirt back, especially when that someone was his boss’ brother, the supervisory agent of MCRT2. And boy, he had done well, giving it to Tony as good as he got the entire week. The innuendos, the double entendres, the innocent touches… if Tony hadn’t noticed the heated glances from the other man he would’ve thought Alex was just having fun.

Alex Gibbs eyed the Scotch, swirling it. “Night's getting better, Agent DiNozzo,â€� he admitted, watching the other man. He sipped the excellent Macallan Scotch â€" an eighteen year-old bottle if he was correct â€" and rested his hand on the back of the chair Tony had just sat down on. The expensive Scotch was so damn smooth and he closed his eyes as he swallowed. “Yours?â€�

“Didn't I say to call me Tony?� Tony wiggled his eyebrows at Trisha, leaning closer to the both of them and letting his arm 'accidentally' brush upon Alex's. “Yes, it's mine. The barkeep is a great guy, keeps a bottle for me,� Tony said animatedly. He called out to the bartender again. “Pedro, come over here for a sec?�

“Pedro, I'd like you to meet my new co-workers,� when the bartender walked over to the trio, Tony began to introduce the other two. “This is Special Agent Alex Gibbs, and this is Agent Trisha McMillan. Alex, Trisha, meet Pedro the bartender.�

“Any friends of Tony's are friends of mine too. Let me know if you guys need anything else, k?� Pedro greeted Alex and Trisha with a heavy Jamaican accent.

“Thanks, Pedro,� Tony waved as the bartender went back to the other end of the bar to take care of customers. “So. Night's getting better huh?� Tony grinned.

Alex nodded at the bartender, more of his attention on Tony than on him. "Night's getting better, Tony," he added, giving the other man a wicked grin. He was attracted, and he thought Tony was too, but he wanted to be sure. What if Tony was just interested in the dance and would back off now that they were after hours. “What're you here for tonight?� Alex asked, pitching his voice lower.

“Oh, the usual, you know, Alex. I thought I'd come and hang out, talk to people, make some new friends,� Tony smirked and worked hard at saying it nonchalantly. “And maybe at the end of the night, go home with a special someone,� Tony winked at Alex as he emphasized the last word, hoping desperately that he didn't misread Alex and that he got the message across.

Tony could feel his heart begin to race. He could blame it on the heavy flirting they’d done all he wanted, but the truth was that he felt enthralled by the man. Alex wasn’t like his usual flings. Tony knew he was in trouble Monday morning when he first met Alex, but he didn't realize until this very minute how much trouble he was in. The man was hot â€" like, runway supermodel hot. Tony had thought the elder Gibbs brother was attractive for a while now, and to have the younger, just as good looking and definitely interested version standing in front of him now, clad in that casual leather-jacket-and-black-jeans combo… There was something about that man that drew Tony to him, made Tony want to explore him, to get lost in him.

Shit. Tony could feel his own jeans getting tighter and he couldn't help inching closer to Alex until he could literally feel the body heat emanating from the older man.

Alex watched Tony carefully, studying the body language he felt he was only beginning to learn now. The man was complex and shuttered, and Alex knew he’d barely scratched the surface. And as a result, he had to move carefully, had to figure out just what Tony’s endgame was. If he miscalculated, it could be a disaster.

Alex had worked long and hard to establish himself at an agency where his brother was a legend, and a sexual flingâ€"with anyoneâ€"wasn’t going to ruin that. After working lone wolf for so long, he’d finally been brought on to establish and run a team. And nothing was going to get in that way.

He rested his elbows on the table, allowing himself to meet Tony’s eyes, rising desire warring with common sense. At this moment, Alex had no idea which might win.

“Don't tease me,� Alex said urgently, leaning in as well so that their thighs were touching now, his leg brushing against Tony's, his nostrils flaring as he tried to scent the other man over the stale beer and well-worn leather of the bar. “I've been in a warzone too fucking long, DiNozzo. No one. Nothing.� No privacy. He hadn't been able to take care of more than his own basic needs while being stationed in a warzone and the sexual ones had been out of the question. Now, he was in a new environment, sitting all too close to a man, whose cologne and, hell, even his shampoo, was effecting Alex.

Oh God. “’m not teasing,� Tony murmured in a voice a whole octave below his normal.

That this dance was happening in front of his new team member wasn’t lost on Alex, but he didn’t dare pull back or stop himself. He had to see this through.

“Don't ask, don't tell is done,� Alex said, moving in close enough that their chests brushed. “NCIS doesn't care about sexual orientation. Tell me what you want, DiNozzo.� It was as big an opening as Alex ever gave, and the ball was in Tony's court now.

Don't the Gibbs brothers know how incredibly hot they are when they get all alpha-male on people? Tony had a fleeting thought before his higher brain function was sent into overdrive. Next thing he knew, he had one hand on Alex's jacket, pulling him close so he could whisper into the other man's ear.

“I. Want. You.� Tony near huffed out the words. “I’ll wait for you in my car.�

He barely managed to release his hold on Alex, gulped down the remainder of his drink, slapped a twenty on the bar and turned to leave via the back door.

Alex gave Trisha an apologetic look; he'd have to make it up to her later. “I have to go,� he told her, squeezing her shoulder. "Friday night, drinks are on me."

“Just go,� Trisha simply snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes at him, shooing her new boss off. She wasn’t blind; she saw what those two were doing.

He felt like an ass for leaving her alone at the bar, but it had been a long time since he'd had anything â€" anyone â€" and even longer since he'd been attracted to a man like this. He stumbled out of the pub, his hand shaking, and made his way to what he remembered to be Tony's car, opening up the door, pulling the man out, and grinding against him. "Do you have any idea what you're in for?" he asked, nipping the Tony’s earlobe. He even tasted and smelled good there, Alex thought distractedly, barely able to bite back a groan of need.

Tony gasped in surprise when Alex yanked him out of the car, but he was not about to protest because the other man had pinned him to the car and began grinding their hips together. Tony had to swallow hard to muffle a whimper that threatened to escape his lips.

"Not really," Tony huffed and moaned with Alex's teasing, his eyes closed to a slit. "But I'm interested in finding out." He put one hand on Alex's hip, urging him closer, and the other to the back of Alex's neck, his thumb brushing against Alex's cheek, pulling him into a hot, wet kiss. Alex's lips were thin but soft â€" softer than someone who'd spend the past nine months in a desert should have â€" and Tony couldn't help nibbling on them before snaking his tongue between them. When he felt Alex responding to his kiss, he let out a sound of pure sexual need.

Alex let Tony dominate the kiss, swallowing the sound that promised hot, sweaty nights. Starting tonight. His hand dug into Tony's hair and he began massaging the other man's neck and shoulders as his hard cock rubbed against the other man's, their jeans serving to give him enough friction, but not too much,

"Tony!" he managed, gasping out the word. "Been too long for finesseâ€"" And this might be the only warning Tony would get. They were spiraling out of control right there in the parking lot. "Your place or my hotel?" he asked, stroking his hands through Tony's hair in slow sweeps.

"My place," Tony spoke in short bursts while trying to even out his breathing. "It's only ten minutes away."

With that, Tony shoved Alex off him and towards the passenger seat, and climb back into the car. He took a deep breath, holding it and then letting it out, repeating it until he gained back some semblance of control of his body. Turning the ignition and backing the car out of the lot, he was barely able to keep the car at the speed limit as he drove the both of them back to his place. He didn't dare touch Alex as he drove, for he was afraid he would lose control of the car because he'd be too turned on to focus.

---

Alex stumbled into the car along with Tony, closing his eyes and trying to breathe through his need. The problem was that he was surrounded by Tony's scent, Tony's arousal. All the little scents and feels of Tony’s car. The man’s presence was all over this domain and Alex couldn’t get away from it. He groaned low, fists resting on his upper thighs as Tony drove.

As soon as they got to Tony's place, the arousal took over and he pressed Tony against some hard surfaceâ€"a door, he realized vaguelyâ€"kissing him, running hands over the parts of Tony’s body he could get to.

Tony found himself pinned against the back of his front door by Alex's solid body, those sinfully sweet lips back on his, sucking and nipping. Tony groaned and whined into the kiss at his need to get closer to the other man.

Alex finally pulled back enough to cup and knead Tony's buttocks, settling the other man against him. Pulling back, he stared into the barely-open green eyes of the man before him. He had so many questions â€" Was Tony safe? Did he top or bottom? Though in this very moment, all he could do was look at him.

Tony could feel Alex pulling away, and he whined at the lost of contact. He opened his eyes fully and pouted at the man in front of him, all the while rolling his hips to perpetuate the delicious friction on his cock.

"Don't you stop," Tony's hands snaked under Alex's jacket, and began wandering all over Alex's back, feeling and kneading the taut, firm muscles that shifted beneath his shirt as he flexed. "Don't you dare stop," Tony threatened, kissing Alex heavily on the lips then nibbling and sucking his way up his jaw, down his neck, before coming to a stop, panting, breath moist and uneven, over Alex's collarbone.

Alex groaned low at Tony's touches. As Tony's words and his pleas not to stop echoed through his head, Alex slowed his exploration, even as their hips rocked together hard, the friction almost painful but so damn good. He hadn't really expected this, and the fact it was being offered blew his mind. He anchored his hands in Tony's belt for a moment, driving them together even harder, chests colliding with the intensity of their moments. It was aggressive and showed the strength he and Tony had, and Alex didn’t want it any other way.

"I want you to fuck me," Tony whispered against the hollow between Alex's neck and shoulder, and that was all he could say before he lost his ability to form rational thought as the other man began to kiss him and grind their hips together with such ferocity he felt like a ship lost at sea.

Alex wandered down Tony's throat, biting, licking, growling. He knew he was probably giving the other man bruises, but he couldn't stop. It had been so long â€" too damn long â€" since he'd felt like this. There was no way he'd stop.

Tony gasped as he felt Alex's mouth biting hard on his neck, but he really couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

Their jackets came off â€" Alex didn't know how or who had removed them, his hand working down towards Tony's jeans. Tony moaned when he felt a hand made its way to the small of his back, creeping slowly down and into his jeans. The pressure had to hurt, the way Tony’s cock was tightly bound by clothes, so Alex shifted, rubbing his thigh over Tony's crotch, pressing in slightly against his balls. "You want me inside you?" Alex managed to ask, his fingertip skimming the top of the cleft. It was rarely this easy to figure out who bottomed and topped, but he wasn’t going to complain. He preferred topping anyway.

When Tony didn't immediately answer, Alex dropped to his knees, looking up at Tony. He leaned in, locking eyes on the other man, and deliberately traced his tongue over the swollen bulge there. Then, in an unexpected move, he leaned in, lightly nipping the cock head clearly outlined by Tony's jeans.

You want me inside you, he asks? Tony moaned with frustration and need, his head dropping backwards, hitting the door with a soft thud. What does the man need? An engraved invitation!? Suddenly, he felt a sharp stab of pleasure-pain on his trapped hardness, and he looked down to find Alex nipping his dick through his jeans. It was so surreal, and at the same time incredibly erotic that had Tony nearly coming right then and there.

It would be too easy to get lost in this man's flavor, in his scent, the need pouring off him. Alex groaned his approval, keeping his eyes locked on his lover's, his hand cupping and rubbing and stroking. He shifted slightly so that his own hard cock was resting against the expensive leather of Tony's foot, hoping the other man would take the hint.

"Oh God," Tony groaned, his eyes trained on Alex's bright blue, whose pupils were completely blown, as he felt his lover's hand massaging his leaking cock. Alex shifted slightly, and Tony could feel him grinding his crotch on Tony's foot. Getting the message loud and clear, Tony toed off his shoes, and leaned back slightly for support before inching a socked foot up Alex's thigh to his hips, coming to a stop just above Alex's equally swollen bulge. Tony let his toes curl and flex, applying gentle pressure on the head and dragging out a loud muffled moan as Alex continued to work on Tony through his jeans.

"Alex, I... I can't..." Tony's hands grabbed at the door for purchase, his words incoherent. With the scent of aroused males now very noticeable, Tony tossed his head back again, gasping for air and drinking in the scents as he babbled. "I need... Oh God... Bedroom...Alex!" Tony screamed as Alex nipped his cockhead again.

Even though Alex was barely hanging on himself, he had to laugh at the way Tony was losing control. It was sexy, having this much of a reaction in a lover. It was a good power exchange when you considered Tony’d been driving him crazy all night. And this was such a different DiNozzo. Gone were all the wide smiles and masks. This was an authentic view of the man, and God, Alex wanted more. With this Tony, he'd never wonder what the other man was thinking or feeling. Tony's emotions and need were clear.

"Bedroom," Alex said, moving to his feet and jamming a knee between Tony's legs. He kept the pressure just this side of painful as he kissed Tony deeply, fucking his mouth just as powerfully as he would his ass--soon.

"Don't know where the bedroom is," he panted out against Tony's mouth. "Take me."

Tony gasped at the sudden contact between his readied cock and Alex's thigh. And then Alex was kissing him, deep, as if fucking his mouth with his tongue. It was a heady combination, the raw power the man exuded overlaying the pure need in his actions.

"Bedroom... Left... end of... hallway..." Tony spitted out the words in between gasping and moaning. He felt himself being spun around and pushed so he was walking backwards down the hall.

Alex grabbed Tony's shirt, kissing him as he walked him towards the bedroom. The door was open and he stumbled in with Tony, stopping only briefly to flick on the light. Using a burst of power and speed, Alex pushed Tony down on the bed and stretched out on top of him. It was just a few milliseconds before he devoured Tony's mouth again, this time grinding and moving over the other man.

"Too many clothes," Alex remarked, beginning to unbutton Tony's shirt, his hands trembling. The other man had a heavily muscled chest, covered in golden brown hair, thick enough for Alex to tug on lightly. And he did, stroking over Tony's chest, pinching his nipples, trailling fingers over his ribs.

Tony arched into Alex's touch as he trailed his fingers down Tony's chest. Those fingers were like fire, scorching a path down his body, marking him and making him burn with desire and lust. Tony never thought anyone would have this kind of effect on him, but apparently he was wrong. So very, very wrong.

"Hmm," Tony whined, as he grabbed at Alex's shirt buttons, his hands clumsy and shaky with need. "Off," he demanded simply, because of his inability to form complete sentences. Tony wanted â€" no, needed â€" more skin-on-skin contact, and he was going to get it. He ground his hips against Alex's, urging the other man to pick up the pace.

There was a certain attractiveness to the way Tony was letting him take the lead and establish control. He could get used to this! Alex grabbed Tony's hands, settling them on is hips as he struggled with his shirt, finally yanking it off. His hands were shaking too much to manipulate the buttons. He rolled onto his side, unzipping, kicking, skinning until he was completely naked, hard and needy. Tony was laying there, his eyes wide. His luscious lips were extra reddened and kiss-swollen, his chest flushed, nipples hard, his pupils completely blown. He looked like he’d already been fucked. It was a damn good look on him,

Alex should have felt at a disadvantage because of his nakedness, counterpoint to Tony being still mostly dressed, but he didn't. There was a rightness to this he couldn’t put into words. He crouched over the other man, digging both hands into Tony's hair. Alex’s cock was close enough to taste, the way he was straddling Tony, but Alex wanted Tony to make whatever move he wanted.

"Touch," he managed to say, his voice little more than a growl.

Tony swallowed, eyes wide, at the commanding tone of voice that washed over him and made him obey instinctively. He held out one shaky hand and placed it on Alex's chest, tanned, muscular and lightly furred, and began to massage lightly, fingers instinctively flicking a nipple as they came across it. His other hand went for Alex's hard cock, thick and long and gleaming with pre-cum. Tony grabbed the shaft with a firm hold, and began to tug and twist, all the while watching for Alex's responses. He allowed his thumb to brush over the slit as his hand came up to the head, satisfied at the hiss of pleasure that was rolling out of the other man's lips.

"That's my boy," Alex whispered, hips thrusting into Tony's touch. He managed enough higher brain functions to move, popping the fly on Tony's jeans and barely managing to unzip them.

"Off. Lube." He couldn't find more sophisticated ways to say what he needed. He was too damn far gone.

Moving automatically, Tony shimmied off his jeans and socks - good thing he went commando - and extracted the lube from a drawer in the bedside table. As soon as he grabbed the lube, Tony found himself pulled back to the bed, lying on his back with Alex straddling him. He had all but lost his ability to articulate, and his attempt at speaking came out as a series of moans and whimpers and groans and whines. He looked at Alex, his eyes filled with pure need and lust. Tony's cock was painfully hard and full, his hands kneading at Alex's thighs, and when Alex finally pressed in with a lubed finger, Tony's eyes fluttered to a close and he let out a strained cry of fulfillment.

Alex was glad Tony got his clothes off himself, and could only watch as Tony grabbed the lube before the urge to do things to this irresistible man got too strong and he was yanking him back to bed. Alex pounced back on top of Tony, listening to the other man making needful sounds. Alex couldn't speak either, couldn't even try. All that mattered was this man, his tight ass and hard cock.

Alex eased a finger in gently. He had no way of knowing how long it had been for Tony, or even what the other man wanted. But when Tony's body opened around him and his finger was clasped with wet heat, Alex just went with it, working that finger in and out slowly before adding a second. He couldn't wait to get inside Tony and alternated playing with his dick and then Tony's, keeping them both on the edge.

"Ready?" Alex asked after what seemed like an eternity.

He had to ask!? Tony thought incredulously as his fists clenched tight around the bed sheet below them.

"Yes!... Just...Ahh!" Tony gasped as Alex's talented fingers brushed past his prostate and he began thrusting his hips forward into Alex's other hand. "Just... In! Now!"

Tony worked to relax his body when he felt Alex nudge his cock head at Tony's welcoming hole, easing it in slowly, and Tony felt like crying in joy. He looked at the man looming above him, and the same need and lust he felt burning in those eyes where the blue was obscured by the black of blown pupils. Tony circled his arms around Alex's back, fingers gripping tight enough to leave marks, and brought his head up slightly to suck Alex's lips into a bruising kiss, moaning into the kiss as the other man bottomed out.

"Comin’… in… now…" Alex replied, strained body and voice. He eased gently inside, much slower than he wanted to, thrusting a little deeper as Tony pulled him close. Alex stilled, returning Tony's kiss, the lust, the need that was running through them overwhelming him. He had to slow down or it would be over way too soon.

He reared his torso back, staying deeply inside Tony and just watching the other man, the need in his expression. "Slow and easy, or hard and fast?" he asked. He could barely recognize his own voice through the need distorting it. "Tell me... babe. Tell me."

He wasn't a huge endearments guy, but in this situation, he had the feeling they both needed it. "Tell me, babe," he repeated, brushing his mouth tenderly over Tony's.

Tony spread his legs out further, raising his hip slightly higher in the process, and both men groaned at the sparks that the change in angle caused. "Hard and fast," Tony replied in between Alex's hungry nipping of his lips. There was no way either of them could hold off for anything slower. They'd been nursing a slow burn all week, and it was quickly turning into a wildfire that threatened to sweep through and leave nothing but ashes in its path.

"Just give it to me, babe," Tony whispered as Alex threw one of Tony's legs onto his shoulder, his voice dripping with desire. "Give me all you've got."

Alex grinned then, canting Tony's hips further upward and digging his knees in. The fact that Tony was calling him babe like that just served to build the fire. Alex looked down at the other man, pushing a little higher and knowing he had to be dragging over Tony's prostate. "Hard and fast, babe. Hang on."

When Tony was settled and had nodded, Alex started moving in hard, fast, long strokes, hitting Tony's prostate on every thrust. "Tight," he managed, wanting more. "Tighter, Tony. Give me…" As Tony clenched around him, Alex trailed off in a groan, his eyes slamming shut.

Bolts of lightning coursed through Tony's spine, numbing his brain until all he could feel was the other man all around him - sight, taste, smell, touch and sound. Alex nailed that tiny bundle of nerves with every thrust, frying Tony's brain at the same time. He instinctively clenched around the intruding hardness when Alex gave his command, and he cried out when Alex increased his speed, his balls slapping loudly on Tony's ass.

"Oh God!" Tony gasped when Alex pushed forward to lick and bite at Tony's jaw and neck, his cock buried in deep and nudging hard on Tony's prostate. It was a good thing both of them were quite limber. "Alex…!" he let out a strained cry, which only served to add to the fire that was burning in Alex.

"Touch," Alex said, moving harder and faster. It was a stupid romantic notion, but he didn't want to come alone. He wanted Tony along with him. "Soon, soon…" He could only warn Tony as the other man clenched down hard on him. "Soon…"

He nipped down hard on Tony's neck and then bit down on his lover's shoulder, tasting the salty tang of his sweat. He groaned low, his thrusts starting to stutter, moving faster, then slower as he got closer and closer to the edge.

Tony held on to Alex's back with one hand, and brought the other one to fist hard on his own erection, pre-cum flowing profusely over the head, and began to pump it in the same rhythm as Alex's hard, fast thrusts. He could feel the tingle began to build at the base of his spine, sending off sparks and telling him he was close. So close. "Fuck!"

As Alex bit down hard on his shoulder again, the pleasure-pain connected with the sparks of lightning up his spine and then he was coming, fast. Faster than he'd ever imagined possible. "Alex!!!!" Tony screamed out his release before his climax sent him drifting on sensation alone as he fell right over the edge. His ass clamped down hard on Alex, drawing out the other man's orgasm at the same time.

"Tony!" Alex echoed, tearing his mouth away from Tony's shoulder. He stilled for a second, staring down at the other man. Then the roar of sensation overtook him and Alex was bucking against Tony, who was gripping him hard, pouring himself into the other man with needy, animal sounds.

Alex used his very last burst of energy to withdraw from Tony and roll onto his back. He tugged Tony close. "C'mere," he said softly, his voice still ragged, afterglow suffusing him.

"Oh, wow," was all Tony could say, his voice raw. Neither his brain nor his body was willing to cooperate at the moment, so he rolled over and plastered himself against Alex's side when Alex tugged at him. Tony rubbed his face against the other man's chest and sighed contently, throwing a heavy, limp arm across Alex's torso while pecking butterfly kisses where his lips could touch.

"Good?" Alex asked, needing to know. Very few guys he'd been with had wanted to lie close like this, wanted to be a part of after-sex affection. It was always withdraw, shower, nod, leave. This was… nice.

He stroked a hand through Tony's sweaty hair, knowing he needed to get the both of them into the shower. But not yet...

"Hmm," Tony grinned like an idiot, snuggling closer, every single muscle in his body relaxed and pliant. "Very good."

Tony knew they'd have to move sooner or later, but he really didn't want to. It's been a very long time since he'd met someone that he felt he could lose himself in. He breathed in deep, taking in the smells of sex and of the other man, and sighed happily.

"Nice," Alex allowed, snuggling Tony closer. The man was as big as he was, and yet they fit together perfectly, with an ease that just shouldn't be there for a one-night stand. Alex stiffened, shock running through him. Was that all this was? He didn't do casual, and Tony needed to know that. But how could he broach the subject? Unable and unwilling to do so, Alex allowed himself to relax again, his eyes closing.

Tony could feel the muscles tense under him, and he couldn't help but wonder if this was all a mistake. This thing with Alex… Tony couldn't help feeling that this would be a very bad idea, what with Alex being his boss' brother, and Rule Twelve, and the fact that Alex was a man. He hadn't felt so connected with another person since… well, since Jeanne. Tony hadn't done casual in a very long time. He'd grown tired of it. A different body and a different bed every night? No, he wanted â€" needed â€" stability in his life. Tony sighed again, not so happily this time, and held on a bit tighter when he felt Alex relax his body again. They'd have to talk about this in the morning, and Tony was dreading it. He tried to push those thoughts out of his mind as he drifted off, knowing that worried, aberrant thoughts like these would only lead to nightmares for him.

Alex felt Tony surrender, just as he felt that the other man wanted to say something to him. "Sleep," Alex whispered into Tony's hair. "I'm not leaving." The emotion in his voice scared him, and he pulled Tony closer, brushing kissing over his temple. "I'm not leaving, babe. Sleep with me." If Tony had wanted him to leave, he'd say so. Otherwise, Alex just had to hope Tony wanted him to stay.

I'm not leaving. It was the last thing Tony heard as his world went black.

---

TBC

---

It was dark where he stood, at the crossroads of God knows where. He'd been here before; he knew this place. He could feel the coldness but he barely registered it. There was this ball of absolute fear and terror churning and twisting in the pit of his stomach that made him sick. He wanted to run. Just run, away from this place to anywhere. Anywhere but here. But his legs refused to cooperate. The darkness was a thick and heavy thing and it was pressing down on him. The pressure made it hard to breath, and he flashed back to when he had the plague. He tried yelling for help but there was no soundâ€"the darkness was like a vacuum, sucking away his voice.

Suddenly the ground underneath him gave away and he found himself grabbing at the collapsing debris for purchase and finding none. He screamed and screamed…

And then Tony woke gasping for air to someone shaking him hard.

Alex woke when Tony began trembling. They were plastered together and Alex could feel him twitching. At first, he released Tony, but then the other man grabbed for him, and Alex sat up, manhandling Tony into his lapâ€"barelyâ€"and shook him gently at first, then harder when Tony continued to struggle.

"Come on, Tony. It's okay! It's okay, Tony!" Alex said, repeating the words again and again. When Tony's eyes blinked open. Alex wrapped him in a tight hug, settling against the headboard. "You're okay, Tony."

Tony could feel the strong arms surrounding him securely, steadying him in the flurry of lingering confusion and panic from his nightmare. He sucked in a large gulp of air and closed his eyes, trying to slow down both his breathing and heart rate.

And then the memories from mere hours ago came flooding back. Tony's eyes snapped open and he bolted out of Alex's arms.

"Oh shit!" Tony scrambled away from Alex in a panic. "I'm so sorry. Oh god… Alex. I'm… nightmare… fuck!" Tony felt like an idiot, for both his nightmare and his inability to get his words out.

Tony moved off of the bed, and began pacing his bedroom, completely unaware of his own nakedness. He dug his fingers into his hair, gripping tight, and buried his face into the crook of his arm. "Shit!"

Alex watched for only a second before jumping up, putting himself in Tony's way. "Settle down," he said, his voice barely more than a whisper. When that didn't stop Tony, his panic seeming to rise, Alex locked his arms around Tony in a bear hug. "Settle down!" he said, injecting every bit of Gibbsian authority in his voice. He could feel the tension pouring off Tony, and made his embrace even tighter, completely immobilizing the struggling man.

"It's okay, Tony."

Any man who did the job they did was bound to have nightmares. Alex understood that more than anyone. The protectiveness rose up inside him, and Alex realized he was already invested in this man.

Strong arms were back, wrapping around Tony tightly just before the full-on panic could set in. Settle down, Alex's words cut through the fog of anxiety like knife on butter, calming him. He clung on to Alex, feeling the tension bleed out of him gradually, slowing his breathing.

"I'm sorry," Tony said quietly, burying his face to Alex's neck. He hated being so damn needy. He liked Alex; they had a connection, and if Alex wanted to take things further he wouldn’t have minded. Tony wanted a relationship with Alex, and he didn't want to scare Alex away. "I… it… it's just this stupid nightmare I kept having. It's nothing. I don't know why Iâ€""

"Ah hell, Tony," Alex said, stroking his hands through the other man's hair. "Wanna tell me about it? Mine is when I crashâ€"again. I'd be trapped, there'd be fire, the cockpit…" Alex's voice shook. "It's a bad one, babe. Tell me about yours." He rubbed his stubbled cheek over Tony's. "You don't need to apologize for being human."

Tony swallowed, hard, and leaned into Alex's hand as the other man gently stroked his hair. He was now fully aware of the fact they were both naked, standing in the middle of his bedroom, but he didn't want Alex to let go of him.

"I…" Tony began, but stopped again after hearing how shaky his voice was. Seeming to sense his discomfort, Alex maneuvered Tony back to the bed, getting them both settled so Tony was sitting between his legs, leaning backwards against him, and completely wrapped up in his arms. The warmth of the other man's chest and arms felt safeâ€"safe enough for Tony to finally relax enough to speak.

"It's nothing, really. I'd be standing there in the middle of a crossroad, it'd be dark and cold, and I'd be absolutely terrified of… I don't even know what I was terrified of," Tony stared down at his own hands, still trembling slightly until Alex wrapped them in his own. "I wanted to run but I couldn’t move, and the darkness would start to press in, until I couldn't breath. I would try to scream, but there would be no sound. I usually wake up on my own then but some timesâ€"" Tony gulped down the lump in his throat. "Sometimes, it got so bad, I'd end up crying and breaking out in cold sweat until my brain decided to wake up. I hate this. I hate being so… so damn needy."

"Next time you're there," Alex started, swallowing hard, his heartbeat picking up. He knew what he had to say would be a game changer. "Next time you're there, you call out for me. If you don't have the breath, you reach out for me, with these hands. And I…" Alex broke off, his voice with tremor now. "I'll be there for you."

It was stupid, making this kind of stand so soon, but he couldn't stop it, couldn't help it. He'd looked death in the eyes more than once, and he didn't believe in hiding his emotions from people. It had driven so many lovers away before and it still could, right now, but he wasn't going to stop. "You're not alone, Tony. Not now. Not…"

No, he couldn't go there, couldn't be that vulnerable. Yet. It was just too damn soon, even if they had been growing steadily closer. They still had a new relationship, and Alex needed to keep on reminding himself of that.

I'll be there for you. Alex's words rang loud in Tony's ears, tugging at the knot in his heart, unraveling the tightness that took residence there since forever. No one had ever promised him that, not even his own parents. Tony shuffled slightly so he could turn his head to look Alex in the eyes. He looked, searching for any signs of deceit or pity but found none.

Tony wanted to trust him, wanted to believe that Alex meant what he said, but he'd been hurt far too many times and it took all his strength just to not pull away. He couldn't risk letting anyone in.

How did they get to this point in the first place, Tony had to wonder. How did Alex find a way in so deeply without raising his alarms?

And then he saw something else in Alex's eyes, flashing by all too quickly. Tony extracted a hand from Alex's and ran it down the side of Alex's face.

"Show me," Tony whispered, "I don't want to be alone."

When Tony locked eyes on his, Alex began shaking. Tony searched his eyes and Alex wondered if Tony could see the emotion, the moisture there, and the fact that he was starting to feel deeply about the other man. Tony was clearly feeling a lot as well, and Alex relaxed his hold. He wouldn't force Tony to stay here. This was too important to screw up.

When Tony stroked his face, a gesture tender and yet not girly at all, Alex felt his emotion soar. It couldn'tâ€"wouldn'tâ€"be this easy, but he wanted this.

"Not alone," Alex told Tony again, his voice fully shaking. Taking this step took a hell of a lot of courage and he was shit scared exposing this part of him to anyone. He leaned in, kissing Tony gently, releasing him only to hold him now as a lover, embrace gentle.

"You okay now?" They were anything but, yet Alex needed to ask anyway.

Tony gave a shallow nod, his eyes stayed locked with Alex's. Tony had always been well aware that Gibbs men spoke with their eyes, but he'd never had them focused completely on him like this before. He looked into the blue of Alex's, and he felt like he could drown in them; he was completely entranced.

"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful your eyes are?" Tony asked, his voice barely audible. They're so close he could feel Alex's breath began to shake. "Show me," he urged. Show me…

"No," Alex said, very seriously, very quietly, to Tony, telling him it was special. "Show you. But shower first." He was determined to do this the right way, not with the residues of Tony's nightmare clinging to his flesh.

He found his way to the bathroom, tugging Tony along by the hand gently, and adjusted the water in the shower. He turned Tony around, motioning him to look in the mirror. "You're not alone. See? See me with you?" He hooked his chin on Tony's shoulder, taking the other man's hand and entwining theirs over Tony's chest. "You are not alone. I am here with you. I will shower with you. I will show you how much I want you. I will go to bed with you, and I will be here when you wake up. I will stay.�

Alex could identify something in Tony, something akin to loneliness and vulnerability that called to him.

"You're mine if you want me," he finished in a whisper.

Wrapped up in Alex's warm embrace, Tony's eyes grew wide hearing the words coming from Alex. He never thought he'd actually find what he'd been looking for all these years when he flirted with him earlier in the week and then at the bar. He never thought someoneâ€"anyoneâ€"would want him like Alex wanted him, warts and all.

"Promise?" Tony asked hesitantly, the edge of his vulnerability wide open for anyone to see.

"Yeah, promise," Alex replied, watching their reflections. "That what you want, Tony? I think we want the same things. Think we’ve been looking a hell of a long time for this."

They'd both been searching for this, he suspected, for a long time. A place to belong. Someone to belong to.

"I'm intense. I'm not always fun. I'm more…" What was he doing? Why was he sabotaging this? Alex forced himself to stop his negative thoughts, biting down hard on his lip.

"If you want me, I'm here."

"Yours," Tony whispered, leaning his head back against Alex's shoulder, baring his neck in the process. His eyes fluttered close. He had been searching for this, had wanted this for so long, now that he had it within his grasp he didn't know what to do with it. He began to shake.

He was baring it all for Alex to see now. All of his confidence and insecurities, his strengths and vulnerabilities, his hopes and fears, his joy and sorrow. All of it, and holding nothing back.

"Show me," Tony pleaded. "Show me."

Alex placed his lips against Tony's throat, holding Tony close and kissing his neck gently. They were both trembling, and Alex wanted to get him back to bed. Get them back to bed. He tugged Tony into the shower, letting the water and soap wash away both their vulnerabilities. He scrubbed them off quickly, rinsing Tony's hair gently, and turned the water off before toweling them both off efficiently.

"Going to take you to bed," he said, not hiding the way his voice was affected by his emotion. "This is the beginning, Tony. You and me. If you want."

His insecurity kept rising up, and he was having a hard time pushing it away and slapping it down.

Brushing that off and batting it back, Alex leaned in close, mouth roaming over Tony's damp throat. "How do you need to be shown?"

Feeling his emotions rising at Alex's tender words, Tony turned around to face him. He grabbed at Alex's hands, entwining their fingers once again, and leaned in to rub their stubbled cheeks together.

"You and me, together," Tony whispered in Alex's ear. "Make love to me."

Alex nodded. That he could do. Face to face, gently, tenderly. "Come to bed, babe," he whispered, leading Tony back to the bedroom. He eased Tony back on the bed and stretched out on top of him, weight just off Tony. Alex leaned in, kissing Tony's mouth gently, fingertips gliding over shoulder blades, then flanks and outer thighs.

Tony hungrily returned Alex's kisses, but the other man would have none of it. Alex kept the kisses light and gentle, slowly calming Tony back down. The fingers trailing over his body brought about waves of shivers and Tony slowly came undone.

"Prep me. Guide me home," Alex said, hands finding the bottle of lube they had used earlier that night and handing it to Tony.

Instinctively grabbing the lube that was shoved into his hands, Tony squeezed a generous amount onto his palm, wrapping his wet fingers around Alex's hardening cock, and began to stroke slowly. His other hand wandered over his body before traveling south to his own swelling hardness. Tony wanted to touch himself but Alex stopped him.

"Let me," Alex told him. "This is all about me taking care of you. Showing you." He gently pushed Tony's hand away, encircling the other man's erection and bringing them together and stroking them both in his hands, shaft to shaft and balls to balls.

It was something Tony had never experienced beforeâ€"this tender, almost achingly sweet tempo between lovers in a dance of desires, and the sheer carefulness of the other man made him want to weep. To be the center of someone's world, the focus of that someone’s beingâ€"all he could do was stare into Alex's eyes and let the emotions wash over him. Just surrender it all.

When they both started to pant, Alex pulled back and gently entered Tony, easing past the ring of muscle with a happy sigh. Barely inside, he leaned in, cupping Tony's face with his clean hand and stroking his jaw, his cheekbones. Tony felt something coming loose inside. He cupped his own hands on Alex's.

"There we go, babe. Joined," Alex knew there was a sense of wonder in his voice.

"Joined," Tony echoed.

Alex kissed Tony tenderly. It had never been like this, not for a long time, and never with a guy. He nipped Tony's mouth, then his chin, staring into the other man's eyes. He slowly pushed in deeper, until he'd bottomed out. "Tell me if this is good for you. You have to show me what you want, Tony."

Alex took his first cue from the way Tony arched up toward him, his hard cock between them. "Want this to be good for us both."

“’S good. So good," Tony said, arching towards Alex, and moaned loudly when the action brought them closer together. He reached out for Alex's nape, bringing his head down for a deep kiss as he hooked one leg over Alex's waist. "I want to feel you. I want you to mark me yours," Tony said with a growl. "Touch me. Take me!"

"Am," Alex insisted as he began to rock inside Tony, driving himself deep and brushing the other man's prostate on every thrust. He kissed Tony deeply, then nuzzled his throat, biting down, marking, scoring Tony's flesh with his mouth. He wanted the world to know that this man was his.

"Hmm!" Tony was humming and moaning to Alex's every move, becoming lost in the sensation of Alex taking over his world, ramming into him now at a frantic pace. He gasped as Alex began to nuzzle and bite his throat, reveling in the knowledge that he belonged to him now.

Alex grasped one of Tony's hands and brought it to the other man's cock. "Do it, Tony. Come for us."

At some point, they'd become a unit and something in Alex was screaming in happiness about that.

Tony gripped his own hardness when he was guided there, his hand wrapped in Alex's, and began to stroke himself at a pace set by the other man.

"Close, so close," Tony keened. "Alex…fuck! Oh God…"

And then he was coming, and coming, his release gushing between their joined hands. His mind went blank and all he could feel was the man, surrounding him completely.

As Tony clamped down on him, Alex groaned low, his climax right there, right within grasp. "Now…" he warned, trailing off in a harsh gasp. As Tony's wet heat poured between them, Alex exploded inside Tony, sparks shooting through his body.

He must have collapsed on the other man, Alex realized as he came to his senses with his nose buried in Tony's damp hair. He was still lodged inside Tony, their bodies shaking, sweat cooling on them.

"Want to roll over?" Alex asked. He was boneless now, though he knew he had to withdraw.

"Hmm?" Tony's awareness slowly came back to him and he had to blink a few times to focus on what Alex was saying. "What? Oh."

Finally comprehending what the other man was asking, Tony nodded slowly. His entire body was humming with pleasure and he really didn't want to move, but Alex was a big man, and he was getting heavy. Tony began to shift and wiggle despite having no desire or strength to do so, until he was on his side, with Alex behind him, wrapping him up in arms and legs. Rubbing his cheek against Alex's strong arm, Tony cracked a smile at how well they kind of just fit together.

"Get some sleep, Tony," Alex whispered, mouth resting against the soft skin at the back of Tony's neck, just below his hairline. This felt so damn right in a way Alex didn't dare explore right now. Tony rubbed his face against Alex's arm, and Alex burrowed down, snagging some of the rumpled bedding and covering them both.

"Thank you," he added quietly. He'd never thanked anyone for sex before, but this was special.

“Mmhmm,� Tony moaned sleepily, drifting off to sleep, peacefully this time.

---

Something tickled at Tony's ear, he wasn't sure what. He woke from a nice deep sleep and for the first time in a long time he felt content. His body was heavy and tired, but sated. Taking in a deep breath he tried to flex his arms to scratch the itch at his ear but found himself trapped within a pair of arms. His eyes fluttered open and everything from the night before came flurrying back.

Tony groaned. Oh God. He… and Alex…

He tried to pull away, but the arms around him tightened, refusing to let go.

Alex had never needed a lot of sleep, and was lying there watching Tony when he awoke. He'd expected that the other man was going to pull away, and tightened his arms around Tony. "Morning," he said, his voice raspy, lips running over the dark bruise he'd left on Tony’s throat.

“Don't start crap, DiNozzo. It happened, I'm happy about it and we're fine."

"I like it better when you call me Tony, you know," Tony whined, turning in Alex's arms to face the other man only to bury his head into Alex's shoulder. The spot on his neck Alex had been nipping was tingling. "And I knowâ€"I'm happy too. Actually, I'm elated. I do want this, but we… I… there are rules, and Gibbs… We can't just…"

Damn Gibbs and his rules. Tony understood where the man was coming fromâ€"
they'd both been there before. Mixing work with personal life was a disaster waiting to happen.

Tony growled in frustration. This had been his most promising relationship by far, however short it’d been. He didn't want to give it up, not when he'd finally found someone who was his equal and could love him in the way he needed to be loved.

And there it was. The L-word. How the hell did it get so fucking complicated?

Alex could feel the tension running through Tony. "Rules," Alex said quietly. "He has that damn code, but that isn't my life. I'm a team leader on another team and you're not in my chain of command." Alex brushed Tony's hair back, watching him. "You won't disappoint him. I will talk to him. It won't impact our work."

He paused, letting the words filter through his mind before grabbing the ones he needed. "This is your life, and mine, not Jethro's."

"Alex! Are you sure? I wouldn't want to come between you and Gibbs…you guys are family…" Tony raised his head to look at Alex, eyes wide. "I want this. I really do. You have no idea how long I've been searching for something this…right," Tony swallowed, gulping down his anxiety and uncertainty before continuing. "I know this is our lives, and not his, but I also know how important family is to Gibbs. You should've seen him after that case in Stillwaterâ€""

"Damn right I'm sure." It won't been the first time Alex had stood toe to toe with his brother and it sure as hell wouldn't be the last, if it even came to that. "I'm my own man, Tony. We're family, but this isn't a family issue. It's professional."

When Tony talked about the case in Stillwater, Alex watched him. He clearly saw a different side to Jeth than the team did, or at least different than Tony did. "He and Dad hadn’t talked for years. Family is complicated for him. Especially our father…"

Jack was the only other family the Gibbs boys had for many years. And Jeth and Dad had been estranged for a long, long time during those years. Alex had tried to broker peace between them more times than he could remember, but Jeth had stayed stubborn and Dad had never pushed, feeling Jeth needed to come to him rather than him going to his older son. It had been a long, frustrating, maddening time, and he was so damn glad that they’d reunited.

Alex yanked his thoughts away from family and concentrated on his lover’s words absorbing what Tony said, that this was right for him too. That he might be feeling exactly the same things. A shaft of hope lodged in his chest and he regarded Tony, watching him.

Tony began to pull away again with a pained chuckle, his chin dipped down to his chest so Alex wouldn't see the look on his face. "Heh. Just my luck, falling for my boss' brother," Tony said in a hushed tone that he thought Alex wouldn't pick up.

Alex had heard Tony's last words, barely. He couldn't respond yet, but the emotion caught him right in the chest and he brushed a gentle kiss over Tony's temple.

Tony sighed at Alex's gentle kiss, returning it but then pulled away completely, off the bed and headed towards the bathroom. He didn't want to argue with Alex about something that was essentially a moot pointâ€"the relationship he had with Gibbs, as complicated as it was, just wasn't something he could easily explain to Alex and have him understand. And if this was going to be the first and last time they… Well, Tony was determined to milk it for all it was worth.

He looked back over his shoulder at Alex, still lying in bed like he belonged there. "You gonna lie there all day or are you gonna come join me in the shower?" Tony winked and asked playfully, but it didn't do anything to mask the sad look in his eyes.

Alex could feel that the mood had changed, but he didn't know how to reach Tony. He didn't know Tony all that well yet, and it seemed that Jeth and Tony had a complicated relationship.

Instead of asking Tony if he was sure, or making a sarcastic comment, Alex just nodded and followed the other man, wondering how the hell to get back that ease. A small part of him hated his brother for inserting himself in whatever this was. But Jeth would always be between them. Tony responded to Alex through a filterâ€"everyone did. They all expected him to be Jeth, and were both relieved and felt he didn’t measure up when he didn’t. This was something Alex had dealt with all his life.

Tony got the hot water going in the shower and grabbed a couple of towels while waiting for the water to warm.

"So, what've you got planned for today?" Tony asked carefully, trying his best to be casual instead of sounding like he was hoping Alex would be free to spend the whole day together doing whatever. He hissed when his movement pulled on the muscles of his ass, still sore from the night before. "If you're not in a big hurry to go somewhere, we, uh, we could grab breakfast?"

He was about to step into the shower when a pair of hands wrapped themselves around his hips, massaging his sore back and ass. Tony tensed up in surprise but then instinctively relaxed and began to arch back, knowing it was Alex.

"Shower first, then breakfast… and then…" Alex shrugged, looking down at Tony's body as his hands worked. He wanted to relax the other man and he knew that a backrub was the best start he could offer. "Maybe we could rent some motorcycles. Take a ride?" Alex deliberately kept his tone casual, though he really wanted to spend some more time with Tony. He began to rethink his plan. Motorcycles wouldn't allow for much talking time, even though he was itching to get out on the open road.

Tony moaned as Alex's expert hands began to work the rest of his back. God, the man had talented hands. Tony ducked his head, baring his nape, and closed his eyes so he could enjoy the backrub Alex decided that he needed. Maybe he did. His heart gave a jump and began to speed up when Alex agreed on the breakfast and began to suggest doing something together.

So many things were running through his mind at a mile a minute. Does this mean he's still interested? He actually wants to spend time with me? Tony's stomach began to do the butterflies and he had to mentally head slap himself for behaving like a teenage girl who'd just been asked out on a date. Dammit, Tony! Get a hold of yourself!

"Or we could rent a sailboat and cruise along the Potomac,� Alex suggested finally.

"Sailing?" he perked up when Alex mentioned sailing. Tony put his hands on Alex's, who was now running them up and down Tony's side, and dragged him into the spray of warm water. Tony turned in Alex's arms as the water rained down on them, his eyes gleaming with interest. "You know how? I've never been! Okay, I've been on a boat before, but I was like seven, and Dad was really meeting a business partnerâ€"" Tony's babbling was stopped mid-sentence when Alex decided to shut him up with his lips.

There was something about Tony that was endearing and cute without being annoying as he spoke, making his interest clear. Alex barely had time to slick back his hair as Tony started talking with enthusiasm. Message delivered, Alex sealed his mouth on to Tony's, kissing gentle, opening that mouth up against his.

Tony's eyes fluttered close at the gentle exploration of Alex's mouth on his. The desire was still there in the kisses but there was no real heat. Tony found himself really enjoying this special kind of closeness without it being a prelude to frenzied sex. Not that he didn't like the frenzied sex, but he never really experienced something like this with another person. Tony sighed at the loss when Alex ended the kiss.

"Sailing," Alex finally said over the roar of the water. "Loan me some jeans and stuff, take me to your favorite breakfast place, then we sail."

When Tony asked if Alex knew how to sail, he hesitated for a moment, remembering how guarded Jeth was. But he knew he and Tony wouldn't work if he kept up all his brother's secrets. "Sister-in-law's father taught me when I was a teenager. He owned a couple."

The knowledge that it was Shannon's father who taught Alex how to sail was a bit of a shock to the system for Tony. Gibbs had never been big on talking about his past, especially when it came to Shannon. Tony felt like he was intruding on something sacred, something not to be disturbed.

"You know, you don't have to tell me everything if you don't feel comfortable telling me," Tony said quietly as they worked the shampoo into lather in each other's hair, unconsciously leaning into the touches from Alex's fingers. He kept his eyes half closed, looking like he was preventing the bubbles from getting into his eyes, but he knew he was really just avoiding looking at Alex in the eyes. The man could read him like an open book, and he didn't want Alex to think him weak or needy because of his deep-seated insecurity about himself.

Alex knew that damned well, but he wasn't going to live his life the way his brother had. What had that gotten Jeth since Shannon and Kelly's deaths? Three ex-wives and an unhealthy appetite for redheads. He wasn't going down that road; he wasn't going to hide an important and vital part of his life. Shannon had been a sister to him, and Kelly had been the most amazing little girl.

"I'm not him, Tony," Alex said after they rinsed their hair. "I don't wall off complete parts of history because it hurts too damn much." Make no mistake about it; it hurt like hell, missing them. And what Jeth was doing was no way to honor their memories. Alex wasn’t going to hide. That was no way to respect Tony.

"I'm not him, Tony. I don't cope like that. Always thought it was a stupid and miserable way to be alone, anyway."

Alex rubbed a hand over Tony's stubble, tilting his head up and looking him in the eyes. "I respect what you're doing, but I'm okay."

Tony nodded. He didn't know how he knew; he just knew Alex meant everything he had said. He grabbed the shower gel and squeezed a good size glob onto his hand, lathering it up, and began to stroke Alex from the neck, shoulders, down to his chest, touching each inch of skin, massaging lightly like he was blind man learning the shape of things. He tilted his head and began to nibble at the corner of Alex's mouth and his stubbled chin, feeling the other man kissing him back.

"Mmm…" It was a pure sound of relaxation and pleasure. Alex was enjoying the hell out of being washed. "Hard to imagine that a few days ago, I was in the desert, with sand everywhere. Much better. Much, much better this way."

He nuzzled Tony's throat. "Gonna shave us both?"

"Only if you do my back," Tony chuckled and began to drop light kisses onto Alex's toned and tanned skin after the water had rinsed away the bubbles. "Hmm… now you smell like me," Tony mumbled and smiled against Alex's shoulder, his fingers carding through the hair on Alex's chest. "I like it."

“We smell like each other," Alex affirmed, running the suds over Tony's back and cupping his ass. "Yeah, we both smell pretty damn good. Like this stuff." He breathed in deeply, nipping Tony's shoulder.

"I said do my back, not my ass," Tony laughed and swatted at Alex's naughty hands. He tugged at the man so their heads were out of the water's range.

"Chin up," Tony grabbed the shaving cream he kept in the shower, and squeezed out a generous lump to smother all over Alex's face. He carefully ran the razor, starting on the cheeks, down the jaw, moving lower to above the lips and the chin. Tony tipped Alex's head further back, giving him a kiss on the lips before running the razor up the underside of his jaw. Running his hands and lips down the now clean-shaven skin, Tony gave Alex's jaw a long lick before stepping back with a grin. "Smooth as a baby's bottom."

"Nice," Alex said softly. Shaving was a strangely intimate thing, and he enjoyed the feel of Tony's hand manipulating his head, the confidence in which Tony shaved him.

Alex ran a hand over his jaw slowly. "Feels good. You're good at what you do." He nodded to Tony. "Want me to or you want to do it yourself?"

"Don't you think I look sexier with the gruff?" Tony stepped up once again, plastering himself against Alex and rubbing his face against Alex's, and nibbled at the jaw as he asked. He let out a nasally chuckle, and handed the razor to Alex. "Here, you do the honors."

"I think you feel better smooth," Alex shot back. He took Tony's jaw in his hands, working from neck, up over jaw and finally cheeks, chin and mouth area. He lost himself in the sweep of blades over skin, his concentration growing as he moved. When he was done, he rinsed Tony's face off, nodding and smiling. "Looks pretty damn good. Great jaw there, DiNozzo."

Tony took the razor from Alex, putting it back on the caddy, and hauled the man close by the neck. "Thank you," was all he said before he brought their lips together into a slow, nibbling kiss, their tongues dancing between them.

"Come on, we better get going," Tony chuckled, his lips resting softly on Alex's, their foreheads touching. "Water's starting to get cold, my fingers are beginning to prune, and we're burning daylight."

"Loaning me some clothes then?" Alex asked, stepping out of the shower. He took one of the towels off the rack, dragging it over himself and drying off the worst before handing the other one to Tony. "Unless you want to go by my hotel."

One of the things on the list this weekend had been looking for a place, but he could do just fine at the hotel for now. Getting to know Tony meant much more.

Tony leered at Alex's nude form from head to toe with a smirk. "Check the right side of the closet, all of my more casual stuff is in there. Underwear is in the top drawer. We look about the same size so they should fit fine," Tony said as he dried himself off, combing through his hair in an attempt to tame down the wet spikes.

"I’m much bigger," Alex teased, nipping the back of Tony's neck. He finished getting ready in front of the mirror and then wandered, fully nude, into the bedroom. He filtered through the clothes, pulling out a pair of blue bikinis, and slipping them on. His jeans were fresh enough to be used, even if they were a little wrinkled, and he found a button-down shirt he thought would suit him. His shoes were fine and would be great on a boat. Done, he ran a hand through his hair, smoothing it down.

Since he was done first, he booted up his phone and searched for a place to rent a sailboat. While he could ask Jeth, he wanted to keep this between him and Tony.

"Get your mind out of the gutter," Tony rolled his eyes as he continued to tame his hair into some resemblance of order. He watched out of the corner of his eyes as Alex picked out the bikini and he couldn't help running his tongue over his lips as Alex put the garment on, slightly erect dick barely fitting inside.

He's doing it on purpose, Tony was sure of it. Tony bit back a groan as he felt himself harden, feeling slightly embarrassed at his horniness. Because, really, if it wasn't for their planned “dateâ€�â€"at least in Tony's mind it wasâ€"Tony'd go down on that fine specimen right now like he would a popsicle stick on a hot summer day.

As if to challenge Alex, Tony strolled out of the bathroom in his glorious nakedness and sauntered past Alex, brushing his ass “accidentally� over the other man's hip, to get to the closet for his own clothes. Picking out a pair of cargo pants, a t-shirt and a light grey windbreaker, Tony quickly dressed as Alex played with his phone. Commando trumps blue bikini any day, Tony smirked.

Alex watched, his eyes hooded as Tony got dressed, and only after he was completely dressed did Alex sneak up behind him, grinding against his ass. "Commando just makes it easier to skin your pants down and fuck you, wet or dry," he said, his voice low and raspy, needy.

Tony gasped at Alex's sudden advanceâ€"could the ninja thing be genetic?â€"and let out an uncontrollable moan at Alex's words. "I wish I could hate you," Tony whined, turning around and kissing Alex hard on the lips, his breath uneven. "’Cause that was just evil, you know that?"

"Yep," Alex added, unable to stop smiling. And yours, he added silently. If Tony wanted him, that was.

"Ever made out on a boat?"

Tony knew he had that ridiculous, excited, eyes-wide look on his face like he'd just won the lottery, because he couldn't stop grinning.

"No, but I would love to get some demonstrations," Tony began to walk backward towards the bedroom door, dragging Alex with him. "C'mon, Lover boy. Show me what you've got."

"You're gonna get a full-on demo, boy," Alex kept the teasing light. Just because Tony had wanted to have him top once didn't mean that there was anything but the sexual need to have a cock inside him just that once. Alex wasn't sure how things would shake out, but he wanted to start testing Tony, to figure out their roles.

"Tell me what you want, boy," he whispered as they left the room.

Tony sucked in a breath at Alex's words. He knew full well what Alex was asking, and though he could pull out his mask and let the clown do all the teasing and bantering, he didn't want to. He'd been waiting and looking for too long, and he wasn't about to let the one chance at happiness slip by just because he was afraid of getting hurt and having his heart torn to shreds. Tony stopped at the threshold to his room, looking down at their joined hands, and slipped his fingers in between Alex's before he looked back at the other man.

"I… want you," Tony's voice was shaking, ever so slightly, and he hoped the other man didn't notice. "I want there… to be… an us."

And when Alex didn't respond immediately, Tony instinctively looked down again, trying not to fidget, not wanting Alex to see how scared and unsure he was.

Alex could feel the unease rolling off Tony and took a second to figure out his response. He wanted to be honest and not to disappoint the other man. His fingers curled around Tony's and he dropped his head, staring at their hands.

"I'm glad," he started, his own voice a bit shaky. "If you want that, it’s yours," Alex finally finished. He was working on raw instinct now, his free hand cupping Tony's cheek.

They had a hell of a lot more to figure out, and Alex wasn’t going to delude himself that it would be easy. Two guys like them? It was a fucking miracle they ended up where they were, but at least they'd had the courage to take that next step. Together.

"Look at me," he said, keeping his voice and tone gentle.

Tony looked up when Alex's warm hand palmed his cheek, unsure what exactly the other man wanted. He was startled by the heated look in Alex's eyes. "Alex?"

"Want you," Alex said, fighting every instinct to look away or duck his head or protect himself.

Want you. Plain and simple. There was no dressing up of words, no romantic gesture, just the plain, simple truth, and yet Tony felt his heart thumping hard and fast, the words ringing loud in his ears.

"Want us?" he could feel a smile rising up, a smile that was lighting up his entire face.

"Hell, I do," Alex said. It felt awkward, but also right at the same time. "Want us," he said, a teasing growl in his voice. "Want this," he lifted their linked hands. "Us."

The curl playing at Tony's lips blossomed in to a full-on smile at Alex's words. He moved, leaning in towards Alex for a tender kiss, their still-linked hands by their side. He could feel the tension and unease flow right out of him, and he felt light, airy, like he could take flight with a simple flap of his arms. With their mouth barely touching, Tony whispered, still smiling, "then I'm yours."

Alex couldn't have explained how it happened, but it felt right. Even better, it felt perfect in this moment. He kissed Tony gently, trying to shut up the voices screaming at him that it was too soon. It was right and Alex knew it.

"Glad we agree," Alex said against Tony's mouth before pulling back and staring into the other man's eyes. They still had a lot to figure out, but Alex was sure they could do that together.

Tony stood there, green eyes locked with Alex's brilliant blues, and he wished they could stay right there forever. The moment was so right, so perfect.

That was, until his stomach began to complain loudly at being neglected. Tony groaned. Of all the things…

"Breakfast?" he asked sheepishly, his face beet red.

"Breakfast," Alex affirmed, squeezing Tony's crotch gently. "But know that you going commando is gonna do things to me all day. And I will take advantage."

"Ooh," Tony gasped at the pressure from Alex's hand, and wiggled his eyebrows when he heard Alex's words. "I'll be holding you to that promise, Commander."

Tony half dragged Alex out of the bedroom, and towards the door. "Come on, there's this greasy spoon close by. Best breakfast around here," Tony said as he looked around for a pair of suitable shoes.

Alex growled happily when Tony referred to him by military rank and stood at the door, eyebrow arched, waiting for Tony. "Get some shoes on, boy," he replied, knowing his voice was full of warmth and affection.

"Alright! Geez, talk about impatience! You Gibbs men are all the same, you know that?" Tony rolled his eyes with a chuckle as he found and put on a pair of boat shoes, and grabbed his keys before planting a big wet one on Alex's lips. "Let's go."

---

TBC