Gibbs woke and stretched, working out the kinks sleeping deeply had created. He sat up and patted the futon he’d slept on. It hadn’t looked terribly comfortable when Lundy offered it to him, but Gibbs didn’t have anywhere else to stay in Houston.
He hadn’t made any reservations, and having followed Lundy to his home Gibbs was honestly uncertain how to navigate his way back through the city in the dark. He could have called Abby or McGee for directions, but was loath to speak to them. They would ask how things had gone with Tony, and Gibbs wasn’t quite sure what to tell them. He’d made some progress but things were far from fixed, and he had no doubt that answer wouldn’t satisfy anyone. It didn’t satisfy him either.
That was why, when it came right down to it, he hadn’t wanted to leave Lundy and LaFiamma’s house. At least while he was in the same location as Tony, he stood a better chance of seeing him again. If he left, Gibbs wasn’t sure he’d get another chance. Tony could easily fly back to D.C., deal with Fornell and leave again, all without ever talking to the team. Gibbs was determined not to let that happen
Gibbs sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. .There was so much he hadn’t noticed or understood that the younger man had brought up last night. Shepard and Ducky had both pointed out some things, but hearing it from Tony was another matter. It was eye opening, and more than just a little painful. Gibbs knew that everyone else on the team, with the exception of Ducky, should hear what Tony had said. They needed to know and understand his reasons for leaving and the role they played in that decision. It wasn’t just Gibbs who needed to apologize.
There was plenty of blame to go around, but Gibbs didn’t find that thought very comforting. Had it been just him, or only Ziva, or simply McGee, Tony probably wouldn’t have left. But Gibbs was beginning to grasp just how hard it had to have been for Tony to feel like his entire team thought so little of him. It was truly amazing that he’d stayed as long as he had.
Gibbs yawned widely, forcing himself to get up. It was harder than usual to get moving because he hadn’t slept soundly in months. He refused to consider that he’d slept so well because he knew Tony was just down the hall in what had been the formal guest room until Tony had moved in.
There were plenty of reasons for his feeling so rested. The futon was more comfortable than it looked. He had been up for more than forty-eight hours. There was a real chance the case was bogus and he had enough to make Fornell squirm. It wasn’t simply because Tony was down the hall, safe and sound, and didn’t hate him---but that was definitely a damn big part of it.
Gibbs smiled ruefully has he got dressed. He hated lying to himself. It was counterproductive.
Gibbs debated trying to put the futon back into a couch position. Fully extended it definitely took up a lot of space in the room that clearly doubled as a home office. But it wasn’t hard to maneuver around, and while Lundy had made it look easy to reconfigure, much the way Abby did with the one in her lab, Gibbs knew first hand it wasn’t as simple as it looked. Gibbs had never been able to figure the damn things out without help, and refused to own one for that reason. He eyed the futon, before shaking his head at it, opting to leave it as it was.
The light was on in the kitchen so Gibbs headed there. He could smell coffee, but found the room empty. A coffee mug sat on the counter and had obviously been used, but when he touched it, all trace of warmth was gone. Gibbs glanced around, checking the clock on the wall against his watch. It was only five thirty.
So where were Lundy and Lafiamma? More importantly where was Tony? Gibbs had heard voices earlier; he knew at least two of them were up and moving. For one moment he feared they’d left without him before common sense prevailed.
He might not know Lundy all that well, but what he did know told Gibbs he wouldn’t have left without at least saying something. And he definitely wouldn’t have walked away from his home leaving the coffee pot plugged in and lights on.
Gibbs instinctively slipped into a defensive crouch, reaching for his gun when the back door slid open. He relaxed when Lundy walked in. The Texan arched an eyebrow at Gibbs, but didn’t comment on his being so jumpy.
“G’mornin’.” Lundy nodded to Gibbs.
Feeling a little sheepish, Gibbs returned the greeting. “Good morning.”
“Help yourself to the coffee,” Lundy offered. “I just need to grab a quick shower and I’ll get started on breakfast.”
The faint aroma of horse and sweat told Gibbs all he needed to know about what Lundy had been doing outside. The animals he’d seen when he arrived probably didn’t belong to the neighbor as he’d initially surmised. It fit what he knew about Lundy that the man would own a horse or two.
“You okay with waffles?” Lundy asked.
“You don’t have to go to any trouble.” Most days all Gibbs got was coffee. That was good enough.
“Joe and Tony already asked for them. Making a few more won’t be any trouble.”
Gibbs blinked. He’d never known Tony to be a morning person. “Tony’s up?”
Lundy nodded. “He goes running every morning with Joe.”
Gibbs frowned. “But he ran last night.”
Lundy gave him a look that Gibbs recognized as the same one he gave his team whenever they stated the obvious. He successfully fought of a blush.
“Running so much isn’t really good for him,” Lundy commented, almost more to himself than to Gibbs. “But as a coping mechanism, it’s a lot better than hitting the bottle.”
Before Lundy could leave the kitchen, Gibbs grabbed his arm, stopping him. Tony had looked fine, but Lundy just implied that he wasn’t. Gibbs wanted to know why. “What do you mean running isn’t good for him?”
“I said running so much isn’t good for him,” Lundy said, correcting Gibbs. He cocked his head to one side, brown eyes cool. “Having the plague left permanent scars on his lungs.”
Gibbs knew about the scarring. It was how Ducky confirmed the body in the morgue that had been in Tony’s Mustang when it blew up hadn’t been Tony.
“So?”
Lundy gave him a dark look, jerking his arm free of Gibbs’ hold. “That damage reduced his breathing capacity. It affects his strength and stamina. He likes to pretend otherwise and can push himself too hard if someone isn’t there to watch him.”
Gibbs stared at Lundy. “He never said"“
“He shouldn’t have had to say anything,” Lundy snapped at him. “To hear Tony talk, you are supposed to the most observant fucking man on the planet and you never noticed he got winded at times when he shouldn’t, that his reaction time could be slower than it used to be, or that he was tired more often?”
“He passed his fitness exams.” Even to Gibbs that sounded like a poor excuse.
“Of course he did.” Lundy rolled his eyes. “You got agents who smoke a pack a day who can pass that test. Doesn’t mean they are capable of running a damn marathon.”
“I don’t have time to coddle my team, if he had a problem he--.”
“He didn’t need you to coddle him.” Lundy snorted. “Even with his damaged lungs, Tony can still run a mile in less than seven minutes. And he managed to get your sorry ass out of a submerged car and breathe for some teenage girl you nearly got killed along the way. So he was clearly able to do his job.”
Lundy glared at Gibbs. “It would have been nice if you’d at least taken the time out to check on him once in awhile. Make sure he really was okay. To let him know you actually gave a damn and appreciated the risk he was willing to take for you.”
Gibbs jaw clenched at the blunt reminder of the last case Tony had worked. He wanted to shout that Lundy was wrong. He did care about Tony. He always had. He just…wasn’t good at showing it. Given how lame that sounded in his own head, Gibbs wisely refrained from saying it aloud.
“Do me a favor and just stop bringing up shit that makes it hard for me to give you a fair shake.” Lundy grimaced. “I don’t want to regret giving you a chance any more than I already do.”
Gibbs swallowed hard and nodded. He stepped back, holding both hands up, palms out in a gesture of surrender. Lundy left the kitchen and went down the hall.
Gibbs sighed, running a hand through his hair. He really turned a blind eye to a lot of things. Too many things, he thought with another tired sigh, suddenly feeling older than his years.
Gibbs headed for the coffee pot, pulling a mug from the small wooden tree near by. He filled the mug to the brim, sipping the hot beverage carefully. He raised an eyebrow, pleasantly surprised to find the brew as strong as he liked it. The coffee Lundy had provided yesterday at the department had been just as strong and bitter. Gibbs thought maybe it was just a cop thing to prefer coffee that way, but Tony never had. Neither had Ducky, McGee, Ziva, or Kate for that matter.
Shrugging, Gibbs sipped his coffee again. It was their loss.
He’d finished his first cup, watching the sun rise, when Lundy returned. Lundy’s hair was damp, blond curls a bit wilder than they had been. He was wearing a neatly pressed long sleeve button down shirt and blue jeans. Even though he’d only met the man yesterday, Gibbs found himself wondering if Lundy ever wore anything else. Gibbs smiled ruefully to himself. It wasn’t hard to see where the nickname ‘cowboy’ came from.
Gibbs raised his eyebrows as Lundy started to fill another, smaller coffee pot with water. The current pot was still half full. And while he could easily drink a pot by himself, even he didn’t usually start a new pot until after the first one was empty.
“Tony and Joe don’t like their coffee the way I like mine.” Lundy told him, shrugging one shoulder. “Saves on arguments to have a second pot.”
Gibbs could see where it would. He watched as Lundy got out a coffee grinder, pulling a bag of beans from the refrigerator. He knew Tony had liked sweet flavored coffee. Lattes and Espressos were definitely more his thing than Gibbs usual preference for dark and bitter.
With the smaller pot perking, Lundy moved on to making was Gibbs assumed would ultimately become waffles. While he could grill a steak with the best of them, and made a pretty good sandwich, Gibbs wouldn’t profess to any real skill when it came to cooking. Good manners and the habit of a lifetime made it hard for him to watch someone else working while he did nothing.
“Can I help?”
“You can set the table.” Lundy pointed to one of the cabinets.
Gibbs opened it. “Was last night Tony’s turn to do the dishes?”
“No, why?” Lundy looked up from whisking ingredients in a bowl.
“You have real plates.”
“Got fine china too.” Lundy laughed and went back to working on the waffles without explaining any further.
Gibbs frowned and bit his tongue against the desire to demand an explanation. He didn’t mind not understanding technology, but he hated being left out of the joke…especially when it was obvious whatever Lundy found funny was some how at Gibbs’ expense.
He put four plates out on the table, in the same positions as last night. Lundy pointed him in the direction of the silverware and juice glasses. Gibbs found several different types of juice in the fridge. There was cranberry, apple, orange, and grapefruit.
“You don’t like the same kinds of juice either?”
“Would be easier if that was the case, then Joe would stay the hell out of mine.” Lundy chuckled.
“Then why"“
“Just like having some variety is all.”
Gibbs wondered why they didn’t just buy one bottle, finish it and then get something different, until he remembered a brief stay Tony had at his house when the boiler had died at his apartment. The younger man finished off an entire bottle of orange juice in less than two days. If LaFiamma was anything like him, they probably didn’t have any one bottle long enough to have to worry about it going to waste.
“Which one should I put on the table?”
“Pick two.” Lundy shrugged. “It doesn’t matter which ones.”
Gibbs nodded. The orange juice was about half full, the grapefruit was at a similar level, the apple and cranberry looked unopened. Gibbs picked the orange juice and grapefruit. He didn’t particularly care for grapefruit, but then he’d stick with coffee so it didn’t really matter to him.
He heard the front door open, and the sound of voices. LaFiamma and Tony were back. Gibbs forced himself to keep his expression bland. He didn’t want to look anxious or overly concerned. He couldn’t keep himself from scrutinizing Tony though, making sure he was okay after his run. In light of what Lundy had pointed out he’d overlooked or outright ignored, Gibbs felt compelled to pay more attention.
Tony’s Ohio State sweatshirt showed signs of his exertion, and his hair was equally damp with sweat, but he was breathing easily. He looked relaxed and very pleased with himself. Lundy smirked when he saw him.
“You win?”
Tony grinned. “Yep.”
“He cheated,” LaFiamma remarked, lightly punching Tony’s shoulder. He didn’t sound particularly upset.
“Well if he doesn’t, you do, so I guess it works out,” Lundy said with a smile.
LaFiamma gave Lundy a single finger salute. Lundy laughed lightly. “You love me and you know it.”
“Yeah, I do.”
Gibbs blinked in surprise when LaFiamma leaned forward and gave Lundy a kiss…on the mouth. It wasn’t a teasing little buss…no, it was the sort of kiss long time lovers shared. And suddenly Gibbs felt like a complete idiot.
They were both listed as contacts on Tony’s paperwork. They had exhibited signs of being closer than just partners or good friends, far more comfortable in each other’s space than most men would be. They owned a house together. A house that had only three bedrooms; one was Tony’s, one was the home office Gibbs had used, and the other had to be a room they shared. He hadn’t even noticed they’d gone down the hall together last night because he was still thinking about his conversation with Tony. He was more focused on trying to figure out what else he should say, and being relieved he’d been invited to stay close by, than on what Lundy and LaFiamma were doing.
“Wow, I think I heard that penny drop,” Tony said, looking at Gibbs. He looked decidedly amused. In contrast, Lundy and LaFiamma’s expressions were an odd combination of sheepish, defiant and wary.
Gibbs got the impression they’d forgotten he was there or they wouldn’t have kissed each other. It was undoubtedly an action of habit, something they likely did every morning and had forgotten to censure. He glared at Tony, angry at him for being amused by Gibbs being out of the loop and overlooking the obvious.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
“Like what?” LaFiamma asked before Tony could respond, turquoise eyes cool, chin rising. “Hey Gibbs, we’ve never met, but we’re as queer as three dollar bills?”
“We aren’t friends, but we want you to know we’re more bent than straight?” Lundy threw out, his tone bitingly sarcastic. “Or maybe you’d prefer it if we had rainbow stickers in the window, or lisped when we talked.”
“Does it really matter, Gibbs?” Tony asked, his head cocked to one side, eyes narrowed as he stared at Gibbs. “Did you suddenly develop homophobia in the last three months?”
“No.” Gibbs snarled. “And that’s not the point.”
“So what is?” Tony asked, openly curious. “If you wouldn’t have treated them any differently knowing they are sleeping together, why does it matter when you found out or how?”
Gibbs almost snapped back that he didn’t like being lied to, but caught himself before he did. They hadn’t actually lied to him. And they were right…they didn’t know him, and they certainly weren’t friends. It wasn’t any of his business if Lundy and LaFiamma were a couple. He was just pissed for not being observant enough to figure it out without something as blatant as the kiss they’d just shared.
“You’re right.” Gibbs took a breath and let it out slowly. He unconsciously straightened his spine, looking at LaFiamma and Lundy. “Your relationship isn’t any of my business. I had no right to act as though you had done something wrong.”
It was as close to an apology as he could bring himself to make. Lundy dipped his head, accepting his words. If he thought Gibbs statement was lacking, it didn’t show. LaFiamma rolled his eyes, but didn’t actually voice any skepticism. It was clear though that Gibbs had lost whatever ground he might have gained with LaFiamma last night.
Ordinarily, Gibbs wouldn’t care that he’d offended someone, or that he wasn’t liked or was even hated, but this was definitely not an ordinary situation. He wasn’t in charge here. He was far from his home turf, off his game, and these sort of verbal missteps were painful reminders he could do without. And these two men were important to Tony, so they were rapidly becoming important to Gibbs by default. If they continued to think he was an ass, bad for Tony, it wouldn’t take much for them to sway Tony to not listen to him or give him another chance to set things to right. Hell without Lundy, he wouldn’t have gotten a chance to talk to Tony at all.
“You really should have paid more attention during those public relations seminars.” Tony said with a wry smile. His next comment immediately lightened the mood in the room. “I think they covered how not to put your foot into you mouth up to your knee.”
Gibbs’ lips curled upward. “Least you aren’t making that point with a golf club.”
“Why ruin a perfectly good club?” Tony laughed softly.
Gibbs shook his head contritely. He’d forgotten just how much Tony knew about him. And he missed having someone other than Ducky know him so well. There were things he never had to explain to Tony, things the younger man just understood and could relate to that McGee and Ziva never would. And Tony didn’t lecture him the way Ducky did, but he wasn’t afraid to point out when Gibbs was being unreasonable or an outright ass.
“So how long have you two been together?”
“Four years.” Lundy smiled warmly at LaFiamma. “Would have gotten together sooner, but he was stubborn about things.”
“Me?” LaFiamma raised an eyebrow. “Thinking that was you, Cowboy.”
“More like both of you.”
“Shaddup, Slick.” Lundy poked Tony in the side, eliciting of all things a giggle. Tony slapped his hand away, and stepped out of reach.
“Make me,” Tony challenged, green eyes sparkling with mischief.
Lundy smirked. “You want waffles or not?”
“Shutting up now.”
“Go get cleaned up.” Lundy laughed. “It’ll be ready when you get back.”
“Perfect.” Tony was already moving, heading toward his room.
LaFiamma gave Gibbs a challenging look before kissing Lundy’s cheek and then whispered something that made Lundy smile and then blush. Gibbs sipped his coffee and looked away. He wasn’t going to let LaFiamma needle him that easily. Their being a couple really didn’t bother him. Although, he was decidedly curious as to how they managed to make it work. His own short lived romance with Shepard was a prime example of just how ugly things between colleagues could get.
In a moment of honest reflection, Gibbs had to admit he and Jenny were not really be a good example. Their relationship had been a byproduct more of the needs of the situation than genuine attraction and interest. Oh she was his type, as far as being a beautiful, strong-willed redhead capable of holding her own. But when came right down to it, she was just as determined to have her own way as Gibbs was, and no relationship could survive when neither one would bend. Not to mention she was ambitious. Shepard would never have settled for being Mrs. Gibbs when her career could potentially make her so much more than that.
Gibbs stifled a sigh. Shannon was the only one who’d seen him as the prize and not something she’d settled for. She hadn’t tried to change him into something he wasn’t. She’d loved the life they had together, and their daughter. It was enough for her.
Gibbs looked away from Lundy and LaFiamma, stifling the envy which spiked at thinking they had the sort of relationship he’d lost. Three failed marriages were testimony to the likelihood of his having it again. He suddenly wished he had something stronger to put in his coffee or maybe he should have given into the urge to stay in bed longer and avoided all this entirely.
“You okay?”
The question brought Gibbs back to himself. He glanced around and realized it was once more just him and Lundy in the kitchen.
“I’m fine.”
“You might want to inform your face then, because you don’t look it.”
Gibbs clenched his jaw against snarling at Lundy to just leave him the hell alone. It wasn’t his fault that the loss of his wife and daughter still hurt. And he was a guest in the man’s home. He did have some manners, although his recent behavior might have called that statement into question.
“I’m fine,” he repeated.
“Okay. If you say so.” Lundy started making waffles without further comment.
Gibbs couldn’t decide which bother him more…that Lundy would accept his statement or that he clearly didn’t believe him but opted not to challenge him on it. Gibbs rubbed a hand over his face. He hadn’t been up for an hour and he was already tired.
“You want to fly with back with us?” Lundy asked, surprising Gibbs again. He hadn’t expected an invitation. Hoped for one, thought about how to demand a seat on the Gulfstream, but hadn’t actually planned on being asked.
“You don’t mind?”
Lundy shrugged. “There’s room.”
Gibbs grimaced. “That’s doesn’t exactly answer my question.”
Brown eyes met blue. “Tony and Joe talked about it when they went running last night. Joe and I talked about it before we went to bed. Tony wanted to ask you, but wanted to make sure we were okay with it before he did. I told him I’d ask you, if you were up before they got back.”
“Tony wants me to go with you?”
“Yep.”
“Why didn’t he ask me?” Gibbs couldn’t help being a bit suspicious.
“Because if you were going to be an ass about it, I figured it would be better if you were an ass to me or Joe.” Lundy’s tone was very matter-of-fact. “And Joe is too apt to belt you one, so it was definitely best for it to be me that did the asking. Less chance of blood shed that way.”
“Why would I"“
“Hell, I don’t know, Gibbs.” Lundy gave him a sardonic look. “It’s not like you’ve been all that predictable since you got here, and I haven’t known you long enough to say if that’s normal for you or not. So you’ll have to forgive me for not being sure exactly which way you’re going to jump.”
Gibbs had to admit the man had a point. He smiled. “Better safe than sorry, that it?”
“Yep.”
“If I am still welcome, I’d like to fly to D.C. with you.”
“If you weren’t still welcome, I wouldn’t have asked.”
“Even though I was an ass about"“
“Even though you were an ass about finding out about me and Joe.” Lundy snickered. “And as being an ass goes, that was minor.”
Gibbs shook his head. And Lundy thought he was hard to get a handle on. He still couldn’t figure the blond out.
“While you’re on the plane, you should talk to Tony. Clear the air a little more.”
Gibbs nearly gaped at Lundy. He really didn’t get the man at all, but he was pretty sure he owed the man one, maybe even more than that. “I’m going to owe you big, aren’t I?”
Lundy smiled innocently at him. “Don’t worry, you’ll be in good company.”
Author's Chapter Notes:
Gibbs gains a little more insight.