~~~~T~~~~
When my cell rings as I’m getting ready to head to Abby’s for our weekly movie night I think nothing of it. She often calls me at the last minute to have me stop for supplies, Caff-Pow or popcorn usually. I just shimmy into a sweatshirt and offer her a bright, “Hey Abbs, what’s up?”
“Change of plans.”
“You’re dumping me for some bimbo!” I hope the dramatic cry doesn’t carry so far as the basement, that is one misunderstanding we just don’t need.
“Not this time, no. My next door neighbor had a gas leak and the landlord asked us all to evacuate for the night. So I thought maybe we could move movie night to your new place and I could crash with you.”
“Can I call you right back Abbs? Let me check on something real quick.”
“Sure Tony.”
I allow myself two full minutes to freak out before descending into the basement and freaking out for a few more heartbeats.
“Waiting on a goodbye kiss or did I do something unspeakable to your laundry again?”
That surprises a laugh out of me, “You better not have ironed my boxers again. You’ll be sleeping down here until they’re fit to wear again. And while I won’t say no to a kiss I’m not leaving either. Abby just called. Gas leak at her neighbor’s. She asked if she could crash with me-”
I’m cut off by the doorbell ringing. Between my tendency to wander about nearly naked and the somewhat ridiculous amount of electronics I’d moved in with we’ve taken to locking the front door.
Jethro shakes his head and kisses me before making his way upstairs, pocketing his ring as he crosses into the kitchen. His voice carries fairly well, betraying his surprise easily, “What’s wrong Abbs?”
“Just a little hiccup at my apartment.”
“Guest room’s always yours, you know that.”
“Thank you,” She kisses his cheek and takes her bag upstairs.
He returns to the basement to find me sitting on the top step. “You were saying?”
“I was going to ask if maybe it was time we tell her but I have a feeling this is her way of telling us she knows.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“Depends on how she found out doesn’t it? SecNav wanted it under wraps until the big meeting with Vance didn’t he?”
“We only need to keep it from Vance. And she’s good with secrets.”
“Fair enough. Wanna join us?”
“I’ll be up in a bit to steal some popcorn. Put your ring back on.”
“You do know you married me, not bought me, right?”
“You were mine long before I put that ring on your finger Tony.”
“I know it Jethro, and possessive suits you. I just think sometimes I should remind you that you aren’t exactly the boss here.”
Jethro laughs, “Just don’t go thinking you need to give orders in counter balance. I hate sleeping under the boat.”
After a soft slow kiss I head back to the kitchen with a call of, “You really should join us.”
The tone of the “Soon” that follows me almost makes me beam.
Finding Abby dumping the microwave popcorn into a bowl I kiss her cheek, “Our secret’s out then?”
“Not much of a secret.”
“And yet it took you more than a year to barge in here looking for me.”
“I did only figure it out last week,” She admits softly.
“And I want to hear all about how but there’s something I need to do first. Go get comfortable in the den and we’ll talk before we start the movie.”
“You’re feeling bossy tonight.”
“So I’ve been told.”
She snickers. It takes me less than a minute and she demands simply, “Let me see it.”
I give her my left hand and she’s visibly a little surprised at what she finds. It’s not the standard gold band one might expect my somewhat traditional husband to choose, but a white gold band with a flat face and a single, small square diamond set in its surface.
Her close inspection makes me tense, forcing me to joke, “Truth be told I think the diamonds were to appease his urge to buy an engagement ring.”
“I certainly had enough practice at it,” Jethro murmurs as he joins us putting two beers beside Abby‘s soda.
Abby unceremoniously grabs Jethro’s hand and inspects his ring, grinning to find that it’s identical. “Or maybe you’ve secretly always wanted to wear a little bit of ice,” She teases him.
He graciously concedes a bit, “It was nice to get to pick my own ring this time.”
“Should I be wounded? I thought presenting me with the pair of them, as a set, was about it being a reciprocal commitment but no, all this time it was that you don’t trust my taste in jewelry.”
“Yes Tony. I trust you with my life, my heart, my boat, and lately my wardrobe but trusting you to pick my jewelry is a step too far.”
“You two make sarcasm cute.”
“Enough Abbs,” Jethro grumbles at being called cute. “I put a lot of thought into the decision, I figured the rings were due just as much thought.”
Sensing Jethro’s unease at revealing that much, even to Abby, I redirect her. “You were going to tell us how you figured it out?”
“First I want to point out that I knew something was up when you wouldn’t show me your new place.” We both give her an impatient look. “I didn’t have any clue that this was it until last week, and I’m sorry to say I didn’t figure it out.”
“Abby,” Jethro growls.
“Tim figured it out. It was after you walked into that hostage situation Bossman.”
I groan and drop my head back onto Jethro’s shoulder, “Guess this one’s my fault Jethro.”
“How so?” Abby demands evenly.
“We got into a shouting match in the elevator over it. When we came out of the elevator I was furious. Went to sit in the stairwell. We had the calmer part of the disagreement there. And considering one topic of discussion was the fact that I want a proper honeymoon once we come out of the closet it’s no wonder someone overheard us. We‘re probably lucky it was Probie.”
“I didn’t even think about where we were,” He admits. “You scared me.”
It takes me a moment to find my voice after that little tidbit, “I scared you?!”
He actually blushes, “You said you should leave. Three days shy of our six month anniversary would have been a record, even for me.”
“I said I should leave the team. It’s not the same thing,” My annoyance bleeds into exasperation, “I am not leaving you. Get used to it. And if I was going to tell you I was leaving you I sure as hell wouldn’t do it at work. I’m not stupid like your redheads.”
“Didn’t say it was a rational fear.”
I shake my head and settle back again. “So Probie just walked himself down to your lab and spilled his guts?”
“Nope. He still thinks I don’t know. The first thing he did was check public records for marriage licenses in the last month. Don’t know what made him rethink his timeline but he tried again with the list from April and May, as I’m sure you know it was there, plain as day. I‘m not sure how he took it, but he came down fishing for clues and tipped me off that he‘d found something. I pulled his search history and the rest, as they say, is history.”
“Why do I have a sinking feeling about Vance not finding out?” I can hear that I’m whining.
“It’s too late for him to block your promotion at this point anyway. It’s in the system.”
“Yes cause I wanna start off this official partners thing with both Vance and SecNav pissed at me.”
“He’d have to be looking,” Abby assures me. “Vance doesn’t listen to gossip and even if he did no one is gossiping.”
We turn on the movie and I shift to face the TV, claiming the popcorn without a word.
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