Scenes from a partnership... First Trimester: March
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FBI Report on terrorist group known as the Dawn Alliance
The Dawn Alliance is a group dedicated to the use of genetic manipulation to improve humanity and our environment. Their leader is believed to be Professor MacKenzie, and most members are respected scientists. The group is believed to have high level government connections. These terrorists are highly dangerous and may have extensive biological warfare capabilities.
Designating Washington DC, the seat of American democracy and government as their primary target argues that they have a hidden agenda which is as yet unknown.
******
Waking up in Gibbs' bed was still strange. Tony had stayed with Gibbs before, a couple of times in the past, when he had apartment troubles, but that was before the two of them had become lovers. Now he had moved in permanently, and they were "living together." In the past, he had stayed pretty much out of Gibbs' way, because his boss wasn't the easiest person to be around. However, a Gibbs made mellow with lots and lots of enthusiastic sex was an altogether different creature. Mostly,
Not that Jethro Gibbs was the type of man who went in for grand gestures of affection; he wasn't what Tony would have called demonstrative. You accepted what Gibbs offered and considered yourself lucky to get it. Tony was the one who seemed to work hardest at their relationship.
And yet... Something sparked in Gibbs' eyes when Tony touched him - something that made the younger man continue his efforts to show his partner how much he cared for him. And lately, his efforts seemed to be succeeding. Gibbs was relaxed in his company. Not that Tony didn't find himself stopping sometimes and wondering whether he had fallen into the Twilight Zone. Like when he saw Gibbs ironing (when he was best avoided) or washing his car (strangely sexy) Life was weird at times, but it had its rewards.
Beginning with the warm weight of his lover's arm across his body and the way his partner's warm breath tickled the hairs on the back of his neck, there were a lot of things Tony liked about being with Gibbs. It was the little things that made the difference. A hand stroking the back of his head instead of slapping it. Leaning his head on Gibbs' shoulder and just breathing in the scent of him, coffee, sawdust and all, utterly content. All those little, intimate gestures that enriched their partnership.
The well-meaning wardrobe advice that Tony had tried to give was still, however, guaranteed to make Gibbs growl at him like a wounded bear. Partnership didn't change the fact that Gibbs could be a bastard, if provoked. And yet, Tony found himself loving the challenge that living with his boss brought to him. And the fact that he was the only one that Gibbs allowed to get so close to him.
Breakfast was his favourite time of day Waking up in Jethro's arms, then taking a leisurely breakfast...
Gibbs had a state of the art coffee machine and an extremely well used waffle maker. Not that Tony knew how to use the latter. Lately though, the younger man had taken to experimenting with his breakfast, because his usual favourite, bacon rolls, had just seemed to turn his stomach. Something about the smell of them just made him heave.
Ducky had suggested that it was some sort of interaction between his virus altered metabolism and his pain meds. Making his hormone levels go haywire or something. After a crazy chef had tried to turn him into a pulp, Tony had spent weeks in recovering from his injuries. His arm and shoulder had been useless for most of that time, and the pain had been, at times, unbearable. Still, Tony knew the dangers of long term painkiller addiction and tried to limit his intake. There was some compensation to be had in the feel of Jethro's big hands, surprisingly gentle, massaging his aching shoulder, capable of sending him into boneless meltdown.
Still, sometimes the pain in his shoulder was agonising. He would fumble down his meds, praying for an end to the pain, knowing what the result could be. More than once, he had found himself helplessly heaving into the john. More than once, too, he had felt Jethro's hand stroking his back comfortingly, his eyes filled with concern as Tony huddled miserably on his knees in the bathroom. Ducky had told him not to worry about it, but it didn't make the sickness any easier to bear.
His breakfast seemed to end up in the john far too often.
Waffles were good compensation though, if he couldn't bear the smell of bacon. Waffles smothered with something sticky and wickedly sweet. It hadn't taken Tony long to find out his boss also had a secret passion for freshly made waffles doused in maple syrup.
Of course, making them was something else. Waffle making was definitely not a tradition that had been practised in the DiNozzo family home, and so far, Tony's attempts at cooking the damn things had met with limited success. Limited, in that although the waffles looked good, they seemed to be still raw on the inside, and if he left them to cook for longer, the outsides burned. He suspected his recipe was crap, or possibly the temperature was too high. Who the hell knew? Tony had spent an hour trying to make the perfect waffle yesterday morning, and he expected to spend more time today. At least it was Sunday, so he had time on his hands.
Well at least he seemed to be providing Jethro with some amusement.
His cell-phone sounded and with a muffled curse, Tony turned away from his labours and endeavoured to balance his phone between his ear and his good shoulder as he mixed the batter one-handed.
"DiNozzo," he said crisply.
"Tony!" Abby's voice sounded enthusiastic. "Any success yet?"
Tony glowered. In a careless moment, he had mentioned his difficulties to Abby yesterday.
"Don't distract me," he growled. "I think I've nearly got it!"
"Tony, you can't even boil water without burning the pan!" Abby certainly knew how to insult a guy, even if every word was 100 percent true.
"Hey, it's in all our interests to keep the boss sweet!" he snapped. "If I make sure he gets his coffee and waffles every morning, he'll be a big pussycat for the rest of the day!" Abby gave a snort.
"I'll leave you to your illusions, Tony. Actually, I think it's really sweet that you want to make him happy. You can pretend you're doing it for us if you like, but I don't believe you..." Laughter. "Hey, did Gibbs tell you the NCIS has set up a privacy room in one of the interrogation suites. A place you can go for those little moments when the partner virus takes over from your common sense!"
"I guess they got tired of the lift always being stuck between floors!" Tony said tartly.
"Tony! Was that a confession?" She laughed delightedly.
"No comment! I choose not to incriminate myself."
"See ya tomorrow, Tony."
With a sigh, Tony slipped his phone back into his pocket and put the batter down. He turned towards the waffle iron. Tomorrow was his first day back to work after an operation and weeks of recuperation. Light duties only and confined to the office. Though his arm was still encased in plaster, he had gotten rid of the sling, and was more than ready for a little paperwork; being alone while Jethro was at work was so boring that even writing reports looked good. His thoughts were interrupted by a low chuckle.
"You should let the batter rest awhile!" Gibbs leaned against the door-frame, looking smug. "And don't let the iron get too hot." He watched for the next few minutes, occasionally adding another helpful comment, until finally, Tony had turned out four perfect, golden waffles.
"You need the syrup. Waffles need to be kept sweet..." Gibbs voice took on a positively evil note. The sort of tone that made most people want to go and hide under a rock. Tony flushed. Exactly how much of his conversation with Abby had Gibbs heard? Enough, apparently.
Hesitantly, he doused one of the steaming waffles with syrup and lifted it gingerly towards Gibbs' mouth. The older man took a bite and his eyes half-closed in pleasure.
"Perfect." His voice was a purr that sent a thrill through Tony. "Now, tell me how much like a pussycat I am..."
An arm snaked round his waist and a body moulded itself to him, warm against his back., Tony decided right then that however Gibbs made him pay, it was definitely going to be worth it.
Tony could feel how hard Gibbs was. His partner's erection was even now growing harder against Tony's rear. Syrup spilled across his fingers. Instinctively he raised them to Gibbs' mouth and felt a frisson of desire as the older man sucked hungrily at their sweetness.
He moaned and tugged urgently at his clothing, trying to get his pants down as quickly as possible, and leaned over the kitchen table. Whenever he knew that he was going to be near Jethro, he went commando - for those intimate moments. For an older guy, Jethro had a strong sex drive, enough to keep his younger partner not just satisfied, but purring in contentment most of the time.
It always amazed him how much stamina Jethro Gibbs had for sex. The man was fit! Despite the fact that they had made love for half the night, he knew that he was about to be thoroughly fucked. Gibbs was surprisingly passionate at times, though he could also drive his young partner half-mad when he took his time, slow, gentle and with that spark of amusement in his eyes.
The fact that they were intimate, and the intensity of their relationship still stunned him when he stopped to think about it.
Tony didn't care what anybody thought; after all, most of DC was affected by the virus. All he wanted was Gibbs inside him, hard body strong against his back, the heat of him curiously comforting. Never mind that he was still slightly sore from last night. The long, smooth glide of Gibbs into him was sublime.
"So sweet," Gibbs growled, and Tony knew he didn't mean the syrup. The agent vaguely felt annoyance. But then, hadn't he just been referring to his partner in those same proprietary, slightly patronising tones.
What Gibbs was doing became too intense to ignore. The older man was hard up against him, his firm length pushing into Tony in a powerful rhythm. The angle of his thrusts was almost perfect for bringing his partner to the edge as quickly as possible, as Tony sprawled wantonly across the table.
"Too fast!" Tony hated the grovelling note in his voice. A throaty chuckle sounded in his ear.
"Your wish is my command!" Gibbs purred. But the pace of his lovemaking slowed to something entirely more sensuous and deliberate. Teasing him... A firm arm wrapped round his waist and held onto him. Lips brushed against Tony's neck.
Tony moaned in need, trying to push back against Gibbs but the older man held him still, his chuckle low and sensuous. Tony's hand fumblingly reached for the syrup again, and he lifted sticky, dripping fingers to Gibbs who began to suckle hungrily on his fingers, moaning softly. The sound of Gibbs' pleasure was too much. Tony felt the orgasm sweep unstoppably over him and he screamed his lover's name as a tide of ecstasy washed over him. Their voices joined together as Tony's orgasm pulled Gibbs over the edge and he exploded into Tony with a shudder.
*****
"So where would you release a virus next, if it was up to you?" Gibbs asked curiously. He was lying back in Tony's embrace, on the battered leather sofa. It was early afternoon, and Gibbs couldn't quite remember where the rest of the morning had gone. But then, he hadn't exactly been looking at his watch. There had been other sweet, slow distractions...
Tony considered this, then gave a wry grin.
"The banks!" he replied. "You remember that final scene in Fight Club. A classic..." Gibbs glared at him in mock anger.
"Be serious, Tony!" he said. "We're trying to catch terrorists here, not review your favourite movie."
"Yeah, well," Tony said. "Maybe I'd rather not find them. You really think I want you in danger without me to back you up?"
"And if we do nothing..?" Gibbs said. "How many cities do they have to infect with the Partner Virus..? How many people will have their lives turned upside down? How many people will get caught up in partner rage...?"
Tony sighed. He knew Gibbs had strong feelings about his loss of control. Still, Gibbs was, regrettably, right to want to protect innocent people. So why did he have doubts? Maybe it was because this job was so dangerous. Or, Tony thought guiltily, did he feel just the tiniest bit of gratitude towards them for giving him Gibbs.
He traced his fingers along the scar on Gibbs right arm.
"I remember this one," he said softly. "Colombia, right?"
"Uh huh."
"And this one on your shoulder. Ari shot you."
"We do what we have to do. You know that. We have to catch these bastards, no matter what the cost. We're the last line of defence for a lot of innocent people."
"Yeah." Tony hated the fact that Gibbs was right. But Gibbs wouldn't be the man he knew and cared for if he wasn't so dedicated to his job, so Tony would just have to watch his back. Always.
"Okay. Let's look at this logically," the younger man said. "What do these terrorists want, boss? What need does their action fulfil?"
Gibbs shook his head, not quite sure what Tony meant.
"Killing people!" he said.. "Or extorting money..."
"No!" Tony said. "Publicity. Promoting their cause is their primary goal. They could have killed millions in Washington, but they chose to make us have sex instead. The world media is still going crazy about it. Sex sells! Maximum exposure for their cause. It all fits in with their primary goal. Attack the more authoritarian public organisations so that the rest of us can have a more liberal form of government. Something more in line with their crazy ideas..."
"Only you could think of that!" Gibbs said drily. "I think your prejudices are showing."
Tony grinned wickedly.
"Maybe I'm an anarchist at heart," he said. "But seriously boss. They will try again. They'll need another big success to maintain their high profile."
"You mean they'll try the Partner Virus again!" Gibbs said slowly.
"Maybe. But whatever they do, it'll be soon!" Tony said. "Somewhere public. Maybe a big family day like the Superbowl or the Fourth of July... But that's too long a time to wait. They seem well-organised, so I'd look for something else. They wanted to kick America in the head so they targeted DC. Now they'll aim for another soft target. Civilians. I think that if they want to aim an arrow at America's heart, they'll go straight for New York."
"Interesting. You think they want a target with lots of people? Then the target has to be some big public event..." Gibbs guessed.
Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by the loud tones of Gibbs' phone. Tony sighed and contemplated shooting it, but the effort of finding his gun was too much. Gibbs shrugged, wriggled his way reluctantly out of the tangle of limbs that Tony seemed to have bonelessly wrapped around him, and picked it up. He listened for a while then sighed.
"Twenty minutes," he said abruptly.
"Trouble?" Tony said softly.
"Yeah. News about the terrorists. All the department heads involved in the task force have to go to a meeting."
*****
The meeting went on for hours. A full briefing on the Dawn Alliance and its leader, the terrorist MacKenzie. There were representatives present from at least twenty federal organisations, enough to fill a small auditorium, in fact. Gibbs found a seat near the back, and was joined moments after he entered, by Fornell of the FBI.
"All these resources, and we still can't catch the bastards!" Gibbs muttered to his companion.
"You and I both know why," Fornell said softly. "Someone is feeding them information!"
"One of my team thinks that they're out for publicity," Gibbs said. "And that they're planning another big stunt pretty soon. Maybe New York?"
Fornell chuckled.
"One of your team, Jethro? What a coincidence. From what I hear, you're seriously involved with one of them.The handsome young Special Agent DiNozzo..." He chuckled. "I thought you had rules about that, Jethro."
Gibbs glared at him, which only made him grin widely.
"You're acting as if I had a choice! Waking up in bed with DiNozzo has to be one of the craziest moments of my life. I never expected to find myself in bed with another man - especially not my subordinate!"
"I also hear that you've had at least one major shouting match with him in public. Sounds like the last two marriages you were involved in, Jethro!" Fornell smirked, then his expression changed. "Seriously Jethro, you look well. Happy. I guess being with DiNozzo is agreeing with you."
"Yeah. He has his faults. His occasional idiocy. The obsession with old movies. The bad taste in shirts..." Fornell's smirk returned. "But on the whole, things have worked out well. Still, you really think I'd have chosen to sleep with Tony, given the choice? I'd never once thought of him like that. As a lover! It's taking us a little time to adjust..." Gibbs said ruefully.
"Tell me about it! I was walking through the lobby of the FBI building when the virus hit. I woke up and realised I'd slept with a total stranger - a probationary agent called Martin Fitzgerald, who's twenty years younger than me. The moment he realised what had happened, he went into total meltdown. Then three days later, he turns up on my doorstep in the pouring rain, half-naked, soaked to the skin, beautiful as sin, declaring his undying love for me... Believe me Jethro, I know all about feeling crazy."
"Partnership has its dark side." Gibbs said softly. He repressed a shiver.
"I'd heard," Fornell said quietly. "I wasn't going to mention it. You defended your partner. Any one of us would have done exactly the same thing." He sighed. "Despite it all, I can't regret what's happened. It has its compensations. I love my partner, damn it, and I would defend him to the death. Tell me Jethro, in all honesty, would you rather have Tony on a slab?"
"No!" Gibbs snarled the word fiercely, too loud, startling a number of their fellow agents. Those that knew him by reputation watched him warily until he glared at them. Those who knew him well surreptitiously checked their weapons.
"That's pretty much what I thought," said Fornell. "Fate tossed you a curve ball, so enjoy what you've got. A young and enthusiastic lover. Someone to watch your back. Fairly low maintenance. Hell, you could have ended up with someone a lot worse..."
He paused, then both men grinned, remembering their shared ex-wife.
"Oh yeah!" Gibbs said. "Definitely."
******
End of Partnership 1/4
Story Notes:
AU. A sequel to Partners, in which the developing relationship between Jethro Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo is explored.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Tony finds himself trying to cope with the challenge of Gibbs and the strange things happening to his body.
Chapter End Notes:
AU. A sequel to Partners, in which the developing relationship between Jethro Gibbs and Tony DiNozzo is explored.