Work Text:
Care
by Belladonna
Tony was done crying. No more. What was done, was done. He swept the tray with his arm, hearing the various items hit the floor. Blind, even though the docs said it was temporary, was overrated.
"Mr. DiNozzo!"
"Not hungry," Tony said tightly to the nurse that he couldn't see. Oh yeah, he'd moved past tears into major pissed off, bypassing anger. He'd blown past denial a while ago.
"Let me," a voice said, a not very welcome voice. Someone Tony didn't want to see, hah, in his present condition.
"Go away, boss," Tony said, sighing as he leaned back against the pillow.
Gibbs waved the nurse off and came into the curtained room, his eyes catching the overturned tray, the melting pile of gelatin on the tile floor along with looked like mash potatoes, peas and some kind of mystery meat.
"Not hungry? You sure? 'Cause I'd hate to think I've wasted the trip to Burger King."
"Really?" Tony brightened, and sure enough, he could smell a Whopper and fries, and hear the sound of melting ice in a cardboard cup. "Gimme!"
The older man watched as Tony got more and more frustrated, unable to judge how far away his food was, and dropping fries onto his lap. "Tony," he said abruptly, "let me take care of you."
Tony turned his head towards Gibbs voice, his face closed. "Take care of me? I don't need a babysitter," he spat angrily.
Gibbs huffed out a sigh and sat on the side of Tony's bed, quickly scooping up the fries and putting them back onto the paper, then gripping Tony's hand in his.
"Not as a babysitter, DiNozzo," he began firmly, "as a partner."
They'd been lovers off and on for a year, with Tony desperately trying not to get emotionally attached, but here was Gibbs offering him his dream.
"It's not pity, right?" he asked suspiciously.
There was a gruff laugh. "Tony, this is me. I ~don't~ do pity."
Tony felt Gibbs' hand, and he turned his palm up, letting their fingers twine, the ache that had been in his heart easing with the touch. "Okay," he whispered.
end