Chapter 4
Sometimes the doctor can be a friend.
He was on the deck of the boat, sitting next to Gibbs. He leaned over and whispered something into Gibbs’ ear. Gibbs quirked an eyebrow, as if challenging him to make good on his promise. He was feeling naughty, so he leaned in again, purposefully rubbing his chest against the older man’s arm, and whispered something else into his ear. It must’ve been something down right dirty, because Gibbs actually blushed after hearing it. This time, he ended with a nip and a lick of Gibbs’ ear, and danced away quickly before a callused hand could grab hold of his ass.
He called out to Gibbs from the bow, taunting him with a wiggle of his butt, but Gibbs was faster this time. Gibbs moved with speed that was inconceivable for a man his age and quickly subdued him, pulling him down into a roll on the deck, then pinned him under.
Gibbs grabbed hold of one of his hands, and began lapping at his palm.
What the…?
He frantically tried to get out from under Gibbs, but then Gibbs began to lick his face. He tried to fight it off by rolling away and-
The sound of something falling was so loud that it woke Gibbs from his sanding trance in the basement.
It had better not be Probie knocking something over. He might like the dog, but if Probie’s going to cause trouble every time his back was turned, there was no way he could keep him.
Gibbs came up the stairs into the living room, only to find nothing disturbed. Instead, what he saw almost had him burst out laughing.
“Ow…” Tony was on the floor between the couch and the coffee table, and still tangled up in the blanket Gibbs had tucked him in with. Probie was happily licking away at one of Tony’s hands.
“What the hell happened, DiNozzo?” Gibbs shooed Probie away and moved in closer to help the younger man up and sitting on the couch, barely suppressing a chuckle. “Ya fell off of the couch?”
“Something like that,” Tony winced as he sat down, his head and backside in pain because of its earlier confrontation with the floor. “Probie was licking me, probably to wake me, and I was dreaming so I got confused and tried to get away…” and it had been such a nice dream too, Tony thought regrettably.
Gibbs didn’t know what to say except for giving Tony a lopsided smile and a pat on the shoulder. “Ya ok now? Didn’t hit anything too hard? That was a pretty loud crack back there,” Gibbs made Tony bow his head so he could thumb around the back of Tony’s head for any thing more serious than a bump. It was probably a bit heartless, but he was secretly enjoying the opportunity to touch Tony and mess with Tony’s hair.
Tony hissed as Gibbs’ fingers touched the area that made contact with the floor. “Lemme grab you something cold,” Gibbs backed off after finding nothing else of concern. He went into the kitchen and returned with a bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel. “Here.”
“Thanks,” Tony grabbed the bag and held it against the back of his head. “Uh, sorry about falling asleep on your couch last night, by the way, Bo- Jethro.”
“Nah, it’s not a problem. Not like you haven’t slept there before,” Gibbs sat down next to Tony. Probie crawled back to the sitting men slowly, as if feeling guilty, and when neither man made a move to chase him away, he settled down beside Tony and rested his big head on Tony’s lap. “It was late, and you were tired. Wouldn’t have been safe letting you drive home anyhow.”
“Thanks, I guess,” Tony looked at the older man and smiled, free hand patting Probie’s softly furred head.
“You’re welcome,” Gibbs’ smile got wider and reached all the way to his eyes, making him look warmer, more approachable. “You know you’re always welcome here, right?”
“Really?” Tony’s eyes lit up at that, and the excited expression on his face spoke of unexpected surprise. “You know, Jethro, you should smile more,” he commented as he leaned in unconsciously to study Gibbs’ smiling face.
“Oh?” Tony was close enough for Gibbs to get a whiff of his scent that was making his mind go places it shouldn’t. “Is that so?”
“Yep,” Tony nodded slightly, his eyes never leaving Gibbs’ blue. “Makes you look less like a second-b.”
“Would be bad for business,” Gibbs almost whispered the words out.
Tony let out a low chuckle. “Do it for me then?”
Do it for me. The words rang loud in Gibbs’ ear and he couldn’t help gazing into the other man’s eyes, searching for any hint of them being a joke and finding none. Tony simply looked back at him with a shy smile playing at the corner of his lips.
Probie’s whines broke the silence; the dog was looking up at Tony with his puppy eyes, clearly wanting something.
“What time is it?” Tony asked, clearing his throat.
“Almost 0900,” Gibbs glanced quickly at his watch. “You hungry? I’m gonna make some breakfast. You can get cleaned up while I’m at it.”
“Sounds good,” Tony got up and stretched, scratching his belly as he went. “Just gotta grab my go-bag from the car.”
“You do that, I’ll get breakfast started,” Gibbs got up as well. “C’mon, Probie.” He called out to the dog on his way to the kitchen.
Tony shivered in the cool spring morning air as he stepped outside, so he made for a quickly run to the car and back. As he stripped himself down to step into the shower, he couldn’t help thinking back to the conversation that had just taken place down stairs.
Do it for me then. What were you thinking DiNozzo?
It was all kind of stupid saying things like that, and Tony winced as he remembered the exact words that he’d said to the former marine. He blamed it on the dream he had before he fell off the couch.
The Bossman didn’t really have any negative response from that, did he?
But then that didn’t mean that he was interested, you idiot.
Tony berated himself as he quickly showered and went through his morning routine. No use thinking about that now. What’s been said had been said. If Gibbs had a problem with it, then…
He sighed, putting on fresh clothes before trotting downstairs.
Gibbs walked into the kitchen with Probie at his heel, a bag of half-thawed peas in his hand. He threw the peas back into the freezer, and went about getting food ready. He got out bacon, a carton of eggs, mushrooms, cheese and a couple of onions. Scrambler and toast sounded like a good idea; a filling, hearty breakfast before going about the day’s business. He put on another pot of coffee after finding the one he made earlier cold, and then started with the slicing and dicing.
While the pan was heating up he put out a few scoops of kibbles for Probie, and watched the pup eat as he gathered his thoughts.
He wasn’t sure what to make of what Tony’d said. Do it for me then. Was he reading him correctly? Gibbs was sure he’d saw something when they were looking into each other’s eyes.
He didn’t want to make a move and find out he’d gotten it wrong. He didn’t want to lose Tony because he’d made a mistake.
Gibbs was just about to toss the eggs into the pan when Tony reemerged. Tony slowed to a halt at the entrance to the kitchen, looking decidedly stunned.
“Hey,” he’d never seen Gibbs so… domestic. It was a good look on him, Tony decided. “What’s cooking?”
“Scramblers,” Gibbs gave Tony a small smile, and pointed to the fridge. “Wanna help me make toast? Butter’s in the fridge.”
“Sure, you got coffee?” Tony wasn’t exactly an addict like Gibbs, but a cup in the morning wouldn’t go amiss.
“Fresh pot,” Gibbs nodded. “Sugar’s in the pantry if you need it. Don’t have hazelnut creamer, unfortunately.”
“I’ll be fine with milk,” Tony poured two cups, handing one to Gibbs before finding and adding sugar and milk to his own. He sipped on the hot brew as he waited for the toast to be done.
This is nice, Gibbs smiled to himself as he stirred the eggs. He missed making breakfast for others. He avoided eating at home alone, and it had been a long while since he last made breakfast for someone. He didn’t even make it for Hollis when they were seeing each other. There just wasn’t any reason for him to do that, not since Shannon. But now, with Tony here sitting at his table, it just felt… right. Gibbs found himself wishing that this was how he’d start the day everyday.
Tony brought over the coffee and buttered toast as Gibbs sat down with two plates at the table. Gibbs gave him a quick smile before grabbing a piece of toast and dug in.
“It’s edible, ya know,” Gibbs raised a questioning eyebrow, beckoning Tony, who was sitting with a plate of food in front of him but unmoving.
“Oh, sorry. I spaced,” Tony blinked before picking up his fork and shoving in a mouthful of eggs. “Oh my God! This is amazing!” Tony spoke as he chewed.
“Don’t talk with your mouth full!” Gibbs cuffed Tony upside the head.
“No, really. This is really good!” Tony forced himself to swallow the big bite he’d taken so he could speak. “I haven’t had scrambler this good since I left Baltimore! There was this little diner near the precinct I used to go to all the time…”
Gibbs sat, listening to Tony regale them with the story from his Baltimore days as they ate. Gibbs would occasionally offer some comments, but mostly he listened. Tony had this energy about him when he got excited, and it was exhilarating to watch. Ducky often commented about how alike Tony was to Gibbs’ younger self �" which he was right, although Gibbs would never admit in public �" and it was oddly endearing to watch that energy vibrate out from the younger man.
After the meal, Tony insisted on doing the dishes. “Because you cooked. It’s a rule, those who cook, don’t clean. Go sit down, work on your boat, or something. Anything. I’ll be fine. I won’t break anything, promise!”
“You better not,” Gibbs replied jokingly. Tony rolled his eyes at that.
“When is the vet appointment?” Gibbs turned to ask as he got to the doorway.
“Receptionist said 1100,” Tony took a quick peek on his watch as he dried one of the plates. “Which is in about an hour. We should get going soon if we want to be on time.”
“Let me get changed, then we can leave after you’re done here,” Gibbs turned and went upstairs instead.
Twenty minutes later found Gibbs and Tony putting on their jackets in the front hall.
“Probie, c’mere,” Gibbs called out, the leash in one hand. “Time to go visit the vet.”
Probie was lurking in the doorway to the living room, whining his protest.
“C’mere, boy,” Gibbs demanded with what Tony could only describe as Gunny-Gibbs voice, and Probie slowly walked over, whining the entire time. “Good boy,” Gibbs commented as he secure the leash to Probie’s collar.
“It looks like someone doesn’t like visiting the doctor for his physical either,” Tony glanced mischievously in Gibbs’ direction, a smirk playing at the corner of his mouth.
“Shouldn’t have mention the word ‘vet’,” Gibbs shook his head. “I swear dogs actually do understand human languages; they just choose to ignore it most of the time.”
Tony just chuckled as he stepped outside with Probie’s leash, letting Gibbs shut the door. He was surprised to hear the door lock.
“You never lock your door,” Tony pointed out.
“Well, gotta start getting used to it. Don’t want Probie to get out too easily.”
“Good point.”
They took Tony’s car once again, and arrived at the vet with time to spare. Gibbs nodded towards the coffee shop at the end of the row. “I’ll just be a minute.”
“Sure, take your time,” Tony shook his head and muttered an ‘addict’ under his breath.
“I heard that!”
“C’mon Probie,” Tony directed the dog into the vet’s office.
“Hi there, how may I help you?” the chipper receptionist greeted the pair.
“We have an appointment, under the names Gibbs and DiNozzo,” Tony peered over the counter at the appointment book. “Right… there, eleven o’clock.”
“Alright, if you can wait over there for just one minute, I’ll go get the doctor. My name is Melanie, by the way,” Melanie smiled shyly as she directed Tony towards the row of benches against the wall. “Here are some forms for you to fill out, just let me know if you have any questions.”
“Thank you, Melanie,” Tony gave her his trademark DiNozzo smile.
“Oh, and before I forget, what’s your dog’s name?” Melanie asked as she headed towards the treatment room.
“Probie.”
“Probie?” Melanie asked questioningly. “Seriously?”
“The only name he answered to when we found him yesterday,” Tony shrugged.
“I guess it could be worse,” Melanie chuckled. “I’ll be right back.”
Gibbs walked in the door, a large cup of coffee in hand, as Melanie walked away. “Something funny?”
“Nothing. Melanie here,” Tony pointed in the direction she left in with his thumb, “is having a hard time believing that his name is Probie.”
“Well, it is unusual,” Gibbs chuckled, sitting down next to Tony to scratch Probie’s chin with his free hand.
Tony was about to say something else, but a baritone voice interrupted them.
“Hi, my name is Craig Simmons. You can call me Craig. How’re we doing today?” Craig extended his large hand, greeting the two men as they rose from their seats. The man was about the same height as Tony and Gibbs, but looked much more solidly built. He looked like he belonged on a beach in Miami or LA, with long wavy bleach blonde hair tied up into a ponytail and a dark tan, but Tony would bet good money that he was no more than thirty-five.
Gibbs exchanged a glance with Tony, both noting the vet’s appearance with a knowing smirk. Abby’s friends were never dull or boring. Gibbs had expected more weirdness, so he’s more than ok with a man who looked more like a surfer than a vet.
“Pretty good. Tony DiNozzo,” Tony shook the vet’s hand.
“Gibbs,” Gibbs said with a small smile. “Probie here needs to get checked out,” Gibbs nudged Probie forward, who had been trying to hide his big furry body behind Tony the whole time.
“Well, hello there, Probie,” Craig knelt down to greet the dog, letting Probie sniff him before approaching with his hand. “You’re a good dog, aren’t you? Good dog.”
In no time at all Craig had Probie licking his hand like he was an old friend. The other two men took it as a good sign.
“So, what can I do for you today?” Craig asked as he led the two agents into the back room. “All I heard from Abby was that you guys needed a vet.”
“Well, we found Probie around where we work yesterday. He had no tags on, and Abby couldn’t find a chip either, so there was no way to know whose dog he was. Abby managed to convince Gibbs here to ‘adopt’ Probie,” Tony made a quoting motion. “We just want to have him checked out, make sure there aren’t any serious issues that need to be taken care of.”
“Sounds like a good start. Congratulations,” Craig rubbed his hands in enthusiasm. “Lets get started.”
“Looks like a Bearded Collie to me,” the vet casually commented as he looked over Probie. “About three years old based on his teeth. These dogs mature late, so he’s probably gonna be still pretty puppy-like for the next little while.”
Probie had been surprisingly calm and quiet, despite his earlier protests about coming to see a vet. Craig drew some blood and gave him the necessary shots before finally putting down his clipboard.
“Okay, I don’t see any obvious problems, except for a bit of malnutrition, likely due to his time on the streets, but everything else looks good. I drew some blood to send to the lab; I’ll give you guys a call if there is anything wrong from the blood test. He’s now up-to-date with shots, and Melanie can help you set up a schedule for him to come in for his boosters,” Craig said lightheartedly as he played with Probie, who seemed completely smitten with the vet now. “Bearded Collies can get really bad tangles in their fur. If you guys want, you can trim it back to puppy length so it’s easier to maintain.”
“Sounds good,” Gibbs leashed Probie again when Craig hauled the dog down from the table. “Thanks for everything.”
“The pleasure is all mine,” Craig shook Tony and Gibbs’ out-stretched hands as they walked out. “Tell Abby I said ‘Hi’.”
“Will do,” Tony gave the vet a bright smile before following after the older man.
After settling the schedules and payment, the trio was back on the road. The visit to the vet, while pleasant, had been longer than expected. Gibbs suggested grabbing a quick bite and stopping at the hardware store to pick up some supplies.
“Gonna go get some stuff for Probie’s kennel,” Gibbs grinned at Tony when the younger man asked why. “Been drawing up the plans all morning.”
“Man of action, huh?” Tony quipped.
“Yep,” Gibbs nodded with a smug smile. “Oh, and you’re helping.”
“Uh, you sure you want my help, Jethro?” Tony commented questioningly. “Putting Ikea pieces together is about as much experience as I have with building something.”
“You’ll be okay. I’ll teach ya, don’t you worry,” Gibbs wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.
“Fine. Probie, if your kennel falls down in the middle of the night, it’s not my fault, alright?” Tony looked to the rear-view mirror towards Probie, who was lying on the back seat. “You heard the man. Gibbs made me do it, so it’d be his fault.”
The head slap that followed was entirely expected.
---
TBC
Author's Chapter Notes:
Breakfast and vet visit - what a great way to start a day :)
Chapter End Notes:
This is written in response to rose_malmaison’s ‘If a dog was the teacher’ fic challenge :)
Thanks to silvertales for the speedy beta!
Thanks to silvertales for the speedy beta!