The meet and greet was every bit as painful as Gibbs thought it would be, but not for the reason he expected. As soon as he walked in Gibbs spotted several people in attendance that he knew; people he didn’t particularly care for and who didn’t particularly care for him either. He’d been with NCIS more than a decade--he’d worked with a lot of local law enforcement and their federal counterparts. He’d pissed off a lot of people and been made pissed by an equal number. Gibbs knew it was probable he have to deal with that, and had mentally prepared himself for that eventually. Being confronted with it immediately didn’t faze him.
What surprised him was the number of people Tony knew. Most of them he greeted by name, offering a warm handshake and ready smile. Gibbs struggled hard to stifle his resentment that Tony found is easy to work the room, spending most of the time some distance away from him and seeming to enjoy himself.
Taking a deep breath, Gibbs decided his animosity wasn’t because of Tony or even directed at him. No it was simply that Gibbs was not used to socializing. He’d never been comfortable in crowds. And he hated making small talk. It was pointless and annoying, and normally he could avoid it. He damned Vance for insisting they attend this stupid thing.
Gibbs didn’t want to look like he was shadowing Tony, but he wasn’t willing to let him get to far away either. He’d spent most of his time sipping coffee, avoiding people he couldn’t stand, ignoring the hostile looks from people who hated him, tolerating interacting with the few people he did know and like, and keeping Tony in his line of sight.
He’d nearly snarled when a strikingly beautiful woman hadn’t just shaken hands with Tony but pulled him into an enthusiastic hug. Whoever the hell she was, she wasn’t shy about expressing herself. Gibbs watched as she pulled another man over and he hugged Tony as well. All three were laughing and smiling clearly enjoying themselves.
Gibbs ground his teeth, wondering why the hell he suddenly wanted to point a gun at them. She didn’t need to keep touching Tony. Wasn’t one hug enough?
And the guy definitely didn’t need to stand that close. The room as crowded, and with so many people talking it was hard to hear what was being said, but he was practically breathing the same air as Tony. Didn’t these people understand the concept of personal space?
It was only then he noticed that the man and woman were wearing matching wedding rings. He blinked. If they were married then why the hell were they flirting so aggressively with Tony? Why would Tony even play along? Tony didn’t normally go for married women. And Gibbs had never seen him go for a guy, married or not.
Gibbs frowned. Maybe it was one of those threesome things Abby had mentioned once. Gibbs didn’t like where his mind was going. Better to shut down that train of thought before it got out of hand.
Just who where those two anyway? He could always have McGee check them out if need be. Gibbs caught enough of a glimpse of their ID’s to see they were from Pennsylvania, but not enough to see what department or agency they were with. He was very tempted to walk over and force an introduction; before he could, Gibbs was waylaid by an FBI agent.
Fornell wasn’t in attendance, but he’d asked the agent being sent, Mitchell Anders, to say hello. Gibbs figured it had to be pay back of some kind when he couldn’t get away from the man. His silence didn’t seem to affect Anders at all, neither did glaring at him. He’d bet his badge Fornell knew just how annoying Gibbs would find Ander’s nasal twang, nervous laughter and flighty hand gestures that punctuated his speech. Gibbs was ready to lay the guy out when Tony walked up to them.
“Excuse me,” Tony said politely, smiling at the FBI agent before focusing his full attention on Gibbs. “Special Agent Gibbs, I hate to interrupt but Agent McGee has been trying to reach you. I know you left your phone in the room and were planning to focus on things here, but it sound urgent.”
Gibbs nearly ruined the charade by smiling broadly in relief. He managed to transform his expression into a scowl before snapping at Tony, demanding his phone. Tony handed it over with a wink Anders couldn’t see.
Gibbs made it look like he was dialing as he stepped away. He kept one ear trained on Tony, shaking his head in amazement at how easily the younger man extricated himself from Anders’ clutches. Apparently Anders hadn’t known there were hors d’oeuvres being offered.
Gibbs waited until Anders had loaded a plate and found a new victim before handing Tony’s phone back. He wasn’t sure how Tony knew needed someone to intervene but he was glad he had. “Thanks.”
“Any time, Boss.” Tony grinned, pocketing his phone. “Could see you getting ready to go postal on him. I thought it would be a good idea to defuse things before that happened. Don’t think you killing someone would make Vance any too happy.”
Gibbs subdued a stray thought of pleasure, shoving it forcefully away, when he realized Tony had been watching him as much as he’d been watching Tony. He scowled at Tony instead of smiling. “I wasn’t going to kill him.”
“Not sure maiming would be any better. Although, anyone who’s met Anders would likely consider it justifiable homicide.” Tony shuddered. “Guy’s voice reminds me of Steve Urkel.”
Gibbs gave him a blank look not recognizing the name. “Who?”
“He was a character on a sitcom.” Tony waved a hand. “Annoying neighbor kid with thick glasses. He always wore high water pants and suspenders. He had a voice that could cut glass...” Tony trailed off and then shook his head. “Never mind, Boss, it’s not important.”
“What happened to your friends?” Gibbs asked, pleased he only sounded mildly curious rather than hostile.
“Craig and Tammy?” Tony shrugged, glancing around. “They said something about sneaking out of here first chance they got. Guess they saw an opening and made a break for it Can’t blame them.”
“Where do you know them from?”
“Tammy was my partner in Philly.” Tony’s smile was full of fond affection. “Kind of reminds me of Abby. Well, except for the whole lack of Goth attire, no tatts and instead of being a hugger Tammy is more of a toucher. She’s a great person, but I don’t think she can talk to anyone without making some kind of contact.”
Gibbs had grown used to the idea of Abby being demonstrative with her affection, but he’d always thought of that propensity to be unique, something exclusive to Abby. Most people didn’t feel the same need to actually physically connect with their coworkers.
“I met Craig in Philly too, but he’s not on the force any more. ”
Gibbs arched an eyebrow. “Was?”
“He left the force in Philly shortly after I started. Had to take disability when he ruptured his ear drums and lost nearly 50% of his hearing.”
That certainly explained why he’d been standing close to Tony. With so many people talking the guy probably couldn’t hear anything being said otherwise. Gibbs suddenly felt like an idiot for thinking badly of them.
“Why is he here then if he’s not a cop anymore?”
Tony shrugged. “He came along to keep Tammy company. There are some places in Chicago he wants to check out for ideas to improve his business so he’ll be busy doing that while she’s attending the seminars.”
Gibbs frowned. Business? “What’s does he do?”
“Craig bought the microbrewery just across the street from the station. Makes the best damn beer I’ve ever had. His pastrami sandwiches are killer too. Man, I miss those.”
Gibbs forced himself to look away from Tony’s expression of remembered bliss. He found himself wanting to be the reason Tony looked that way. Gibbs gave himself a mental head smack. Now was not the time to get sidetracked.
“He and Tammy got married before I left for Baltimore. We joked about me being her maid of honor in the wedding.” Tony chuckled, green eyes bright with amusement. “But I didn’t have the chest to pull off a strapless gown, so I settled for being one of the groomsman.”
“You stay in touch?” They seemed far too friendly to have become strangers.
“Off and on.” Tony shrugged. “I used to visit when I was still in Baltimore, but DC’s a bit more of a hike. It’s been at least…hunh…three…no, four years, since we saw each other.”
Tony expression turned rueful. “Their little boy, Tommy, has to be seven or eight by now. And the last time I saw Ella she was getting ready for kindergarten. If it weren’t for the photos they put in the Christmas card I wouldn’t even recognize the kids.”
Gibbs hid a wince. By helping him escape from Anders Tony passed up an opportunity to spend more time with people whose company he clearly enjoyed. Usually when he was a bastard, it was by design; this wasn’t something he’d done intentionally. He couldn’t apologize, but there might be something he could do to make it right.
“They here all week?”
“Same as us,” Tony confirmed with a nod. “I’m sure I’ll have a chance to get together with them for dinner or something. Which, honestly,” Tony glanced around the crowded room, “is preferable to trying to have any sort of meaningful of conversation in this room. It’ll be nice to talk to Craig and not have to worry if he can hear me. Or have Tammy eyeing her watch wondering how soon she can escape.”
Gibbs cocked his head, looking askance at Tony.
“Tammy doesn’t like crowds any more than you do, Boss. It’s one of the reason they snuck out early.” He grimaced, looking around the room again. “Not that I blame her. I wouldn’t mind getting out of here and spending a few uninterrupted hours with a pillow.”
“Thought you were enjoying yourself.” Gibbs commented, belatedly noticing how tired Tony looked. Vance had insisted everything be cleared off their desks before they left. That meant putting in some long hours making sure their most recent case was wrapped up and any and all outstanding paperwork was taken care of. Gibbs was sure most of it could have been done by McGee and Ziva while they were gone; Vance was just being an ass by insisting he and Tony do it.
Tony snorted. “I mastered how to make nice at things like this by the time I was five. Practice may make perfect but it doesn’t automatically confer any sort of genuine enjoyment.”
Gibbs should have known better than to buy into the act. Tony was good at undercover for a reason. Being able to remember names and make nice weren’t much different. It was all about fitting in, regardless of the situation.
Gibbs sighed silently. He really needed to get his head on straight. All these wayward thoughts and feelings were messing him up. It was a shame he couldn’t find a heavy bag. Going a few rounds would really help. He doubted the hotel had one. They weren’t exactly standard equipment in most hotel gyms.
Gibbs sighed again. “You think we could skip out?”
Tony blinked and then smiled slyly. “You advocating playing hooky, Boss?”
“Hell yes.”
“What about Vance?”
“You going to tell him?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “Of course not.”
“Well there you go.” Gibbs nodded. He wove through the crowd, determined to make an escape.
He could hear Tony behind him, making polite greetings as he passed people, working the room in Gibbs’ wake with ease. He realized it would serve a dual purpose--not only did it ensure no one would be offended Gibbs abrupt demeanor as he forged his way toward the door, it would also make sure a lot of people remembered them being present. If Vance called someone to check up on whether or not they followed orders, a number of people could confirm they’d attended the meet and greet.
Exiting the room, Gibbs heard Tony sigh. He glanced at the younger man, noticing the relaxed set of his shoulders. He hadn’t been aware how tense Tony had been.
“You aren’t the only one who’s made a few enemies among our fellow agents and cops, ” Tony said, clearly reading something in Gibbs expression or body language that had him answering the unasked question. Tony’s smile was self-deprecating as he continued speaking. “I know it’s hard to believe, but not everyone likes me. Meeting up with Craig and Tammy was nice, but it could just as easily have been Sacks or Devons from Baltimore or Carlson from Peoria.”
Sacks was the FBI agent who’d tried to arrest Tony for murder twice. There was understandably still a lot of animosity between them. Gibbs knew Devons was the name of the Chief of Police in Baltimore who’d fired Tony for having the audacity to work with NCIS to solve a murder. He couldn’t place the name Carlson, but he or she was obviously someone Tony had encountered and didn’t care for.
Gibbs was pleased they had the elevator to themselves. He could have done without the piped in music, preferring silence, although he wasn’t entirely unhappy when Tony started to hum along. He found himself hoping Tony might actually sing. He liked it when Tony sang. He didn’t do it often enough in Gibbs’ opinion. Not that he ever planned to say so directly.
He knew the moment Tony realized what he was doing. The younger man immediately stopped. He blushed. “Sorry, Boss.”
Gibbs made a dismissive gesture. The apology wasn’t necessary, and not because it was a sign of weakness. Tony hadn’t done anything wrong, and Gibbs wasn’t annoyed. He’d liked Tony’s unconscious enjoyment of the music, and was oddly gratified that the younger man felt comfortable enough with him to forget himself if only for a moment. Gibbs was tempted to tell Tony that when the elevator chimed announcing they’d arrived on their floor. With people waiting to get on, Gibbs wasn’t going to say anything and he knew the moment to be honest was lost.
He led the way down the hall. Their room might not have been exactly what Gibbs wanted, but he wasn’t upset that it was at the end of the hall. At least they wouldn’t hear people coming and going.
Gibbs keyed the door, turning on a light as he went in. Tony closed the door behind him, flipping the deadbolt in place.
Gibbs stepped over to the window, scanning the darkness outside. Snow was swirling wildly as the wind whipped around the corner of the building. He couldn’t tell if it was snowing or just blowing around snow that had fallen days ago.
“You mind if I grab a quick shower, Boss?”
Gibbs looked over his shoulder, making eye contact with Tony. “Just don’t be all night about it.”
“Be out in fifteen.” Tony grabbed his toiletry bag and a pair of sweat pants before disappearing into the bathroom.
Feeling cold air seeping through the windows, Gibbs shut the curtains. They didn’t add much in the way of insulation but they would at least cut down on the draft. He could hear the wind whistle and shivered instinctively in response. He was growing to hate winter. Mexico might have been boring as hell but it at least it was warm.
Gibbs turned on the TV. He didn’t watch much TV, finding fictional dramas far-fetched and reality shows were inane, but he regularly watched the news. He flipped through the channels until he located CNN, sitting on the bed to take in what had gone on in the world in the last few hours. Seeing nothing he hadn’t already gotten from the broadcast in the airport while they were waiting to board, Gibbs turned if off.
He pulled his own toiletry bag out, deciding he’d take a shower after Tony was finished. It would save time in the morning.
Tony emerged from the bathroom, toweling his wet hair. “It’s all yours, Boss.”
Gibbs suddenly found it hard to breathe. He’d seen Tony in various states of undress before. Hell, he’d even seen him completely naked once thanks to an overly curious reptile that had invaded Tony’s room, but he’d never reacted this way before. He swallowed hard, trying not to stare at Tony’s bare chest but unable to look away.
Gibbs vaguely remembered overhearing Tony saying he didn’t have anything to do on the ship during his down time but workout and that he’d maintained most of his routine since his return. It was obviously time well spent. He didn’t have the overdeveloped physique of a body builder, but was nicely toned. Gibbs’ fingers itched to touch the smooth tanned skin, and he found himself wondering what Tony’s chest hair felt like.
“Boss? You okay?” Tony draped the towel he’d been using to dry his hair around his neck, the white expanse blocking enough of Gibbs’ view to break the spell.
Gibbs nodded sharply once. He grabbed his things and headed into the bathroom. He didn’t know what the hell that was but it damn sure didn’t need to happen ever again. He opted for a cold shower.
Ten minutes later, Gibbs finished up, drying off and dressing quickly staving off the chill incurred from his shower. He brushed his teeth, refusing to even look at his reflection. He wasn’t sure what was going on with him, but he needed to get a handle on it. These thoughts and feelings were distracting. They wouldn’t help him gauge the right time to talk to Tony and deal with the real reason he’d agreed to come to Chicago.
Gibbs took a deep breath and exited the bathroom. He expected to hear the TV and was momentarily surprised when he encountered silence. Gibbs eyed the bed, and was surprised to see Tony already under the covers apparently asleep.
He smiled fondly. Guess he was every bit as tired as he looked, Gibbs thought to himself. Gibbs yawed. Tony wasn’t the only one who could do with a good night’s sleep.
Gibbs turned off the light and slid into his side of the bed. Closing his eyes, he could hear Tony’s deep and regular breathing. Even though they weren’t in immediate contact, Gibbs could feel warmth emanating from him. It was decidedly relaxing to know where Tony was and that he was safe and sound.
Hopefully tomorrow he’d get an opportunity to really talk to Tony. Maybe by then he’d even know what the hell he should say. And he’d have himself and his mind back under control because he couldn’t take much more of this. He was too damn old to lose his mind and way too young for dementia.
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