Chapter Two
The streets were fairly empty and Gibbs made his way home quickly, keeping Tony in his sights the entire time. He’d never expected this and he couldn’t work out how he felt about Tony seeming to have the upper hand, about Tony taking the lead with getting things started between them.
Gibbs had thought about it and considered when to make his move a lot of times. He’d nearly done so right after Kate died, needing that physical connection with someone to affirm life. But then Tony had coughed and Gibbs’ concern for Tony had pushed his other needs aside. He’d curled around DiNozzo that night after forcing the other man to sleep in his bed, contenting himself with drawing Tony close and hanging on for dear life.
Even now, Gibbs wasn’t sure if he’d been comforting Tony or Tony had been comforting him that night. They had a strange connection that way, giving each other what they each needed without planning to. It was a synergy Gibbs hadn’t shared with anyone since Shannon.
Gibbs pulled in to his driveway and turned his car off, taking a deep breath and centering himself. He wanted hot, raw passion, but right now he needed that emotional connection even more. He hoped Tony would understand that.
And Gibbs hoped he was reading Tony right. Working beside DiNozzo for so long, Gibbs knew that he wasn’t a relationship guy, and Gibbs could never be described as someone who was interested in casual flings. He just wasn’t that guy. He hoped DiNozzo knew that about him.
Gibbs looked out the window as Tony stood patiently outside and then Gibbs pocketed his car keys and opened the door. Tony just watched as Gibbs got out and made his way to the front door. As soon as Tony was inside, Gibbs threw the bolt.
He breathed in deeply, the scent of turkey and cranberries faint in the air. It gave his house a homey feeling and he was tempted to start a fire, but that sounded too hokey. Instead, he turned, regarding DiNozzo and measuring the other man’s expression.
Tony pulled his lower lip between his teeth, working it slowly while Gibbs scrutinized him. Tony had never held up well under a penetrating gaze, always giving in to the need to fidget and fall back on those little body language quirks that Gibbs knew and could anticipate. And even right now Tony was starting to fidget. Gibbs could see the telltale signs of his discomfort emerging. He deepened and intensified his study of Tony, hoping to break through.
“I love it when you do that.” Tony’s voice was a breathy whisper that wrapped around Gibbs’ cock and squeezed it gently.
“Do what?” Gibbs asked, trying like hell to drag in oxygen. In a moment, Tony had intensified the mood, the sexual tension suddenly sparking between them.
“Look at me like I’m the most amazing thing ever. It’s…”
“Intense?” Gibbs asked in a whisper.
Tony gulped, nodding. “Nobody ever"“ He stopped himself abruptly and looked away.
“No, you’re not doing that, DiNozzo. You’re not shutting your emotions down on me. Finish.” Gibbs kept his voice soft and non-threatening, trying to convey patience and understanding.
Gibbs could see the struggle inside Tony, how he was so damned tempted to cut and run. “Settle,” Gibbs said, whispering now. There were times he felt that he was trying to soothe a wild animal or a child who had never known a caring environment. And given Tony’s background, the second option wasn’t completely off base.
Gibbs knew they were on a cliff and however he and Tony reacted in the next moments would set the tone for the night"and possibly more. And Gibbs was determined that he would find a way. He couldn’t screw this up.
Moving on instinct, Gibbs closed the short distance between him and Tony, stroking his uninjured hand through the back of the other man’s hair and cupping his neck.
“You know, that cut over your eye, it could scar and that would give you a really dangerous look, Gibbs. Make you less refined, less James Bond and more John McClane.”
As usual when Tony started rambling, Gibbs had no idea what he meant, but Gibbs would not give in to the urge to ask. Tony was deflecting in the best way he knew how, and Gibbs would not let him win, even if a part of him understood why Tony was doing this. DiNozzo just couldn’t let anyone in past his defenses.
Instead of answering with words, Gibbs squeezed Tony’s neck gently, a wordless wake up call for DiNozzo to settle down.
Tony opened his mouth and Gibbs could almost see the stream of words fighting to rush out. “Don’t do it,” Gibbs whispered, Tony’s eyes widening.
They stood there, eyes locked on one another, for what seemed like a lifetime, Gibbs trying to convey calmness and reassurance with his eyes and the hand gently manipulating Tony’s neck muscles.
Then Tony’s whole body relaxed suddenly, his eyes fluttering shut. In that moment, years dropped away and he looked as young and eager as he’d been when Gibbs had first met him, the weariness of the job dropping away.
It was as clear a signal as Gibbs would ever get. He leaned in, brushing his mouth over Tony’s in a barely there touch. The next step would be up to Tony.
DiNozzo’s eyes sprang wide open and he stared into Gibbs’ for a long moment, clearly searching for something, their lips almost touching.
“Gibbs,” Tony whispered and leaned in, his eyes slowly closing. Tony was allowing Gibbs to lead this kiss, was giving him carte blanche to take the next step. It was such a wildly innocent expression from such a complicated man in his own right that Gibbs just memorized it for a spare second.
“Right here,” Gibbs whispered, pressing his mouth against Tony’s again, his own eyes closing. Tony’s mouth opened for him and Gibbs backed him against the wall, resting his injured hand out of the way as he languidly explored Tony’s mouth. Gibbs’ desire was rising, but he wouldn’t rush this. It needed to be slow and tender; he needed to show DiNozzo with actions how much he was desired.
Gibbs poured every emotion he couldn’t verbalize into that kiss, his mouth fusing with Tony’s, the pressure against their lips staying steady.
Tony choked off a little cry, his hands wrapping around Gibbs, his body starting to move against Gibbs’, and when Gibbs opened his eyes, he found Tony staring at him.
“Dating rules change?” Gibbs asked, trying to lighten the mood and the emotion brimming in Tony’s eyes.
“What?”
“You’re supposed to close you’re eyes when you’re being kissed.”
“I did,” Tony said, a slow smile blooming. “But I wanted to watch you too.” And Tony watching Gibbs kissed him had turned him on. Tony didn’t need to admit that; Gibbs understood.
“That mean ya like it?” Gibbs asked and Tony shrugged, then lightened the gesture with a wink. “Thought so,” Gibbs added with a smile.
He sniffed again, breathing the scents of the food in deeply, his stomach letting out a protesting growl.
“Ready to check that out?” Tony asked and Gibbs had to scramble to figure out what Tony meant. When Gibbs didn’t immediately answer, Tony continued. “If the way to your heart is through your stomach.”
Gibbs shrugged good-naturedly and followed Tony to the kitchen. Tony began pulling things out of the fridge and Gibbs could only stare, trying to cloak his surprise. He’d expected Tony to have made a chicken or turkey breast, but this was a complete bird and all the fixins. Covered bowl after covered bowl emerged from his fridge and Tony finally wrestled a huge roasting pan out.
“Eleven pound turkey. My first.” The pride was pouring off DiNozzo and Gibbs couldn’t help smiling.
“You made enough for the whole team, Tony.”
“Yeah, but they’re busy, so it’s all for us.” A shadow crossed Tony’s face then and Gibbs realized he’d been disappointed when the team had scheduled other plans.
“They’re not like us, Tony. They’re…” Gibbs shook his head and shrugged. How could he explain it when he didn’t always understand how the team worked? It was a hard enough job managing them some days.
“Doesn’t matter,” Tony said in a very firm voice. “This is about you and me.”
“Damned right,” Gibbs replied, surveying the spread. “What did you make?”
“Real mashed potatoes, gravy, maple glazed carrots, cranberry sauce with orange, sausage, apple and cranberry stuffing, and I bought the pumpkin and apple pies.”
“And the turkey,” Gibbs pointed out, motioning to the bird. Tony had actually made all of that? For him? Gibbs was touched and impressed. He’d weathered enough Thanksgivings to know that the meals weren’t exactly easy to prepare.
“Yeah, but I don’t think it came out so good. The skin is…” Tony sighed, plunking the
Roasting pan down and pulling off the foil. “Here. Look.”
Gibbs saw what Tony was concerned about. Instead of being a golden brown, the skin of the bird was much darker. Gibbs leaned in, pinching off some of the skin to get to the meat underneath. He chewed carefully and nodded.
“Sucks, huh?”
Gibbs started to headslap Tony and pulled back, shaking his head. “A little dry, but you have gravy.” It actually tasted damned good, a hell of a lot better than Gibbs had expected.
“Carve it up, Tony.” Gibbs couldn’t do it well with his hand and he wasn’t interested in making a mess. “We’ll microwave it with some gravy.” Gibbs handed Tony the carving utensils, glad he still had some around, and then moved to the other dishes, pulling foil off each bowl and sampling. The mashed potatoes were creamy, the garlic and herbs Tony had put in enhancing their bland flavor. The carrots were perfectly cooked and the cranberry sauce a balanced blend of tart and sweet. And the stuffing was incredible.
Gibbs turned to look at Tony, knowing his appreciation was shining in his eyes. This hadn’t been a hastily planned and executed meal; Tony had taken a lot of time and energy to make this happen. And when Gibbs hadn’t been home, his first instinct had been to worry, to find him.
Guys like him and Tony, they weren’t used to being looked after. Knowing that Tony was watching out for Gibbs was a pretty intense realization. Gibbs moved behind Tony and wrapped his arms around the other man’s torso. He gave Tony a gentle hug before pulling back, pleased when Tony relaxed into it.
“What was that about?” Tony asked, turning his head and tracking Gibbs as he walked to the sink and rinsed his hand off.
“Can’t a guy hug another guy?” Gibbs asked, sending a crooked grin Tony’s way. “When the other guy shows off his cooking talents.”
“Guess so.” Gibbs had rarely seen Tony smile brighter.
Gibbs got the plates and silverware organized and pulled out a bottle of wine he had ready for a special occasion. It was a Reisling and that would go well enough with the turkey.
Tony placed a small mountain of turkey and gravy on each of the plates and Gibbs watched as he added generous servings of mashed potatoes, carrots, and stuffing and then microwaved them both. While the plates were warming, Gibbs grabbed the corkscrew and got the wine bottle open.
Tony motioned to the table. “Sit, Gibbs. I’m serving you.”
“Wineglasses,” Gibbs shot back.
“I’ll get them,” Tony assured and Gibbs sat obediently. He wasn’t the sort of guy to take orders, but in this situation, it seemed perfectly natural to let Tony see this through.
“Dig in,” Tony said, bringing the plates to the table. The aromatic steam swirling up from the heated food was making Gibbs’ mouth water, but he waited until Tony had poured the wine and brought the cranberry sauce over before grabbing a forkful of meat. Tony’s expression was hopeful, but there was a thread of vulnerability there as well. Gibbs dug in and chewed thoughtfully, not speaking until he’d swallowed.
“Best damned bird I’ve had in years, Tony. You did good.”
“Th-Thanks, Boss!” Tony eyes glowed from the praise and something inside Gibbs sat up and took notice. He wanted more of that expression, more of that pride.
“Eat up,” Gibbs said, his voice low and full of promise. “But save room for dessert.”
“Somehow I don’t think you mean the pies.”
Tony ate quickly, Gibbs more slowly, savoring every bite. The food was good, but the care and time to prepare it was what elevated a good meal to a great one in Gibbs’ eyes. And he wanted to reward Tony the best way he knew how.
When the food had been eaten, the leftovers stowed, and the plates cleared, Gibbs angled his head toward the stairs. “You have anywhere to be tomorrow, DiNozzo?”
“Not…yet,” Tony replied, swallowing hard.
“Well, now ya do. Get upstairs. Make yourself comfortable.”
“In your room?”
“That a problem?”
Tony shook his head rapidly and Gibbs leaned in, giving him a gentle kiss on the mouth. “Relax, Tony.”
“Relaxed, Boss.”
Gibbs waited ten minutes before going upstairs, giving Tony a little thinking time. They needed to be absolutely sure about this before taking that last step and even though it was unspoken, Gibbs knew that Tony would be giving the entire situation some serious thought as well.
Gibbs walked on silent feet to the bedroom and stopped suddenly once he was barely inside. Tony had stripped down to T-shirt and boxers, was lying on his side, and was breathing deeply and evenly. He wasn’t sleeping yet, but he was well on his way there.
There was no way Gibbs was gonna force sex between them while Tony was so tired. It wouldn’t be good; it wouldn’t be worth waiting for. He should have been disappointed, but instead Gibbs found himself completely at peace. They were only delaying it, not putting the brakes on forever. What was twelve hours in the grand scheme of things anyway?
He stripped slowly down to boxers and T-shirt himself, folded the clothes Tony had left heaped on the edge of the bed, and settled in beside the other man. This felt completely natural and Gibbs was fully at ease. Tony looked right in his bed. Hell, he looked perfect.
Tony made a sleepy/happy sound as Gibbs stretched out carefully on his right side, his injured hand going under the pillow. When he’d burrowed down and settled in, Gibbs rested his left hand on Tony’s back, urging him closer. “C’mere, DiNozzo.”
“Sleepy…”
“I know, Tony. Get some rest. We’ll handle the rest later. Together.”
“Got up at four…turkey. Butterball calls…had to be perfect.”
“It was, Tony. Get some sleep.”
“Disappointed in me?”
“Hell, no, DiNozzo.” Gibbs softened his voice. “Proud. I’ll show ya in the morning.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Gibbs closed his eyes, intending to lie there for a while. It was much too early to sleep, he told himself. But he was lulled by the sound of Tony’s breathing and he could feel himself drifting off.
Gibbs came awake slowly, aware that it was much later in the night and…someone’s mouth was… “Tony!” Gibbs gasped, arching up into wet heat. Both hands clenched and Gibbs groaned when his broken finger tried to flex.
His eyes sprang open and he glanced down at Tony, lit by the silvery moonlight pouring into the room. The other man was stretched out, his head between Gibbs’s legs. Gibbs’ incredibly hard cock was firmly lodged in Tony’s mouth and he was exploring in a way only men who love cock can.
Gibbs reached down, running a hand through Tony’s hair, urging him to do more, to suck harder, but Tony was on his own timeframe and schedule, and Gibbs would go with that for now. “Didn’t know where the lube was,” Tony whispered, rubbing his stubbled cheek over the sensitive flesh of Gibbs’ cock head. “So I wanted to get you lubed up any way I could.”
“Lube’s in the drawer,” Gibbs said, reaching over for it.
“This is much more fun,” Tony said, licking Gibbs’ cock head. Gibbs was already burning with the need to be inside Tony; there would be time for fun later.
“C’mere. Let me get you ready.” The sound of the lube cap opening was so loud in the room.
“All stretched out and ready to go,” Tony replied, flashing a bright grin. “Been a busy hour.”
“Then what’re you waiting for?” There was a tremor in Gibbs’ voice that he hadn’t expected. He was so damned primed already. He started to sit up and Tony put a hand on his chest.
“You were hurt a couple days ago, Gibbs. Lie back and let me do the work.” Before Gibbs could answer, Tony had scrambled up his body, kissing him deeply. Gibbs relaxed into the kiss, his mouth moving over Tony’s. They were both holding back for the moment, but as Tony wrapped a hand around Gibbs and guided him in, Gibbs surged up, kissing Tony with everything he had.
“Gibbs!” Tony managed to cry out as Gibbs slid home in one long thrust, bottoming out with a gasp of his own. It shouldn’t have been that easy; he shouldn’t have fit inside Tony so damned perfectly. Gibbs tore his mouth away from the other man’s, his chest heaving, their bodies straining.
“Ya okay?” Gibbs asked, propping himself up as best he could on the one hand and arm.
“Yeah,” Tony said, laughing. “Lie back. I need this.”
“We need it.”
Gibbs relaxed back into the bedding, hand wandering over Tony’s chest as the other man began moving over Gibbs’ cock. Tony’s own hard cock was bobbing with every movement and Gibbs grasped it in a lubed fist, moving his hand over it quickly. Tony was good"damned good"clenching down on instinct right when Gibbs needed that added stimulation, driving Gibbs toward an edge he would never have come near this quickly with anyone else.
“Tony…” Gibbs whispered as his climax rushed closer. “Come over with me!”
As if Tony had been waiting for permission, he clenched around Gibbs and leaned in, nipping and kissing as best he could, Gibbs’ hand lodged between them. Gibbs moved fast, his fist tighetning, the lube giving way to added friction that was clearly driving DiNozzo wild.
“Come for me….Tony. Now!” Lightning was arcing up and down Gibbs’ spine, his balls draw up tight, and just as Tony yelled out his climax, Gibbs’ exploded in a rush of sound, colors, and energy. He poured everything into Tony, gave the man everything he had the power to.
When Gibbs could finally breathe again, Tony was sliding off him. “Don’t go too far,” Gibbs said, smirking when Tony had to right himself on wobbly legs. “DiNozzo, use a T-shirt to wipe up.”
“Not messing up your bed,” Tony managed, staggering unsteadily to the bathroom. Gibbs swirled his finger in the small puddle of semen on his chest and tasted Tony for the first time. The flavor burst over his tongue and he scooped up a little more.
“That’s so sexy, Gibbs. Want me to…” Tony gestured to the creamy streaks on Gibbs’ chest.
“Yeah, next time I’ll sample from the source.” Gibbs milked the last few drops from Tony as the other man cleaned his chest and cock off, then tossed the towel toward the bathroom.
“C’mere, Tony. And thanks.” Thanks wasn’t something Gibbs said easily, but he meant it in a deep way he hoped Tony would understand. “Nobody ever…all of this…”
“I know, and you’re welcome. I wanted to.”
“Bet you didn’t expect to end up here.”
“Maybe the way to your heart is through your stomach.”
“It matter, DiNozzo?”
“Guess not, Gibbs.” Tony climbed back into bed and Gibbs pulled him close, hand drawing circles on Tony’s back. Gibbs was relaxed in a way he hadn’t been in years.
“Get some more sleep, DiNozzo. You’re gonna get another workout in the morning.”
“Can’t wait,” Tony said, snuggling in close.
“Me either,” Gibbs whispered into Tony’s hair.
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.