Work Text:
It was Friday afternoon and the MCRT had just finished wrapping up a double homicide. Gibbs had excused everyone early as the long hours from working the case were beginning to take a toll on the team. DiNozzo and David didn't think twice as they shut down their computers, collected their belongings and bolted to the elevator. After they left, Tim approached his Boss' desk and took a seat on the edge. Waiting until the older man met his gaze he smiled warmly, "Got any plans this weekend, Boss?"
Gibbs sat back in his chair, intertwined his fingers and rested them on his stomach. Searching the younger man's face, he raised his eyebrows slightly and whispered, "I don't know. You'll have to ask my partner. He keeps me awfully busy."
Tim nodded and leaned in closer, "How terrible to think you have a significant other who satisfies your every need and then some."
"I know, that's what I keep telling him, but it's been three years and I don't think he's going anywhere."
Chuckling, Tim lightly brushed his fingertips over Gibbs' thigh and went back to his desk. After putting on his coat, he shouldered his backpack and stopped by Gibbs' desk one last time. "Don't stay too late, Boss. It's been a long week and we could all use a little rest."
"I have to update Vance on the case and then I'll be on my way home." Shooting Tim a quick wink, he continued, "I'll see you on Monday, McGee."
Tim strolled out of the bullpen and waited for the elevator. Once the doors opened and he stepped in, he allowed a huge grin to appear on his face. He could hardly wait for the elevator to reach the parking garage and when it finally did he sprinted to his car. There were a few errands he needed to run and still beat his lover home. This was one day when he hoped Gibbs would take his time so that he could complete the surprise he had planned. The two men had been in a relationship for over three years and while the immediate team knew about them it wasn't something they advertised at work. Once on the road he called their favorite restaurant and ordered dinner for both of them. With the dinner order placed and an estimated time for pick up, he stopped off at a local grocery store to grab a few last minute necessities. Finishing at the store he continued on to the restaurant and was relieved to see his order, bagged and ready to go. Paying for his order he glanced at his watch and cringed when he saw how much time had passed since he'd left work. Knowing he'd have to hurry to beat his lover home, Tim channeled Gibbs' driving skills and raced home. Sighing in relief when he realized he'd beaten the older man home, he collected all the bags and headed inside. Quickly dropping them off in the kitchen he wasted no time in stacking logs and kindling in the fireplace. With the fire roaring he returned to the kitchen to finish setting up the rest of his surprise. The dinners were staying warm in the insulated thermal bags the restaurant provided so he unpacked the rest of the groceries, grabbed plates and silverware from the cupboards and opened a bottle of wine. Heading back into the family room, he turned off all the lights except for a floor lamp and then he lit various candles throughout the room. Upon hearing Gibbs' car pull into the driveway, Tim began unwrapping their food and was carrying it into the family room when the older man walked through the door.
"Something smells good, Timmy." Gibbs stated as he shed his coat and hung it in the hall closet.
"Let's hope it tastes as good as it smells, babe." Tim responded wrapping his arms around his lover's neck and pulling him in for a deep kiss. As they continued kissing, Gibbs' hands roamed over Tim's thin but muscular frame before coming to a stop on his ass. Tim moaned as Gibbs massaged the firm globes and feeling his other organ stirring, suddenly backed away from him. Although they hadn't had relations in over a week and Tim really wanted nothing more than to jump in bed with his man, they had all weekend for that. He had a special surprise waiting for after dinner and wanted to carry through with his plan. Gibbs gave a breathy laugh, cornered Tim against the wall and growled, "Someone is playing hard to get. That's a game I certainly don't mind playing along with."
"No, I'm worried about dinner getting cold." Tim smiled as he pushed through him, grabbing his hand along the way and guided him into the family room.
When he saw Tim had stopped to get his favorite meal, Gibbs pulled him in for a hug, "What did I do to deserve this?"
"You love me, Jethro. I never thought it would be possible to meet a man like you. I never feel like I have to be someone I'm not with you and..." Tim pulled away from the hug, took his hand and moved over to the couch before continuing, "And good men, especially my man, deserve a nice juicy steak once in awhile."
"Aww Timmy, thank you. You're too good to me. I love you." Gibbs responded gently stroking his cheek.
"Love you too, babe. Now let's eat."
The two men dug in with gusto, each enjoying thick filet minions with mashed potatoes and asparagus. The case they'd been assigned had left them with little alone time during the week except for sleeping and they were excited to have the entire weekend to themselves. Once they'd finished eating, taking time to feed each other bites of the meal, Tim stood up and collected their dishes. Giving Gibbs a quick peck on the lips, he ducked into the kitchen and placed the dishes in the sink to soak. His heart raced when he thought about the next surprise he had in store. Gibbs would either love it or hate it. Rifling through his bag, Tim pulled out a stack of DVDs and after taking a deep breath started back into the family room.
"What's wrong, sweetie?" Gibbs questioned as Tim slowly made his way back into the room appearing much more nervous than he did when they were eating.
"N no th ing..." Tim stuttered, as his mouth became bone dry and his hands started to shake. Thinking about what was on the movies was overwhelming to him and he couldn't imagine how Gibbs was going to react to them.
Gibbs held out his hand and tugged Tim into his lap, "It's not nothing, babe. Your palms are sweaty, you're shaking and your face is as white as a ghost. What changed from the time you went into the kitchen and reappeared?"
Tim took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. When he felt he could speak without stammering he responded, "I was wondering if you'd like to watch a DVD with me?"
In his mind Gibbs was already running through a list of possible explanations for Tim's sudden mood change. He knew the more he pushed him the more likely he was to clam up and not reveal what was bothering him. Given time the younger man would divulge what was on his mind and he was okay with waiting. Nodding slightly, he replied, "Would love to watch a movie with you sweetie. Have one in mind?"
"Yeah, it's actually one we've never seen before."
Taking the DVDs out of Tim's hand, Gibbs flipped through the cases and was surprised to see none of them had titles. Stroking the younger man's thigh, he leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Are these dirty movies, Timmy?"
Swallowing hard as his lover's warm breath tickled his ear, Tim worked hard to control his desires. There would be plenty of time for lovemaking over the next few days. Raising his eyebrows slightly, he grinned, "Hate to burst your bubble, but it's not porn. I'm hoping that you enjoy them anyway."
Standing, he took the stack of DVDs from Gibbs and walked over to the entertainment center. While he was setting up, Gibbs refilled their wine glasses and nestled against the arm of the couch. Finishing, Tim grabbed the remote and turned to see Gibbs huddled in a blanket, waiting with open arms for him to join. Smiling, he returned to the couch and nestled in the warm, strong arms of his man.
"Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be, Timmy. I love these nights when the fire's roaring and we're cuddled together on the couch." Laying a kiss to the younger man's temple, he added, "There's no place I'd rather be."
Tim swallowed past the lump in his throat and snuggled closer to Gibbs. Taking a deep breath, he choked out, "Me too."
Pressing the play button on the remote, Tim's heart raced as he thought about Gibbs' reaction to what they were about to see. The video started in black and a tracking line bounced up and down on the screen until a young redheaded girl came into focus. Waving and bouncing up and down in excitement she squealed, "Hi Daddy! We miss you so much!"
Tim felt the grip on his arm increase and he gently squeezed Gibbs' neck while he tried to watch both the home movie and his lover's reaction. As the movie continued, Shannon appeared in front of the camera, "Hey baby! We miss you. Kelly and I are trying out the new camera my mom bought us to capture all the special occasions when you're gone."
Kelly popped back in frame and danced around, "Yeah daddy! When you get home we can watch em together."
Gibbs swallowed past the lump in his throat and tried to breathe. He was overwhelmed with emotion. It had been so long since he'd heard Shannon or Kelly's voice, it was a joy to hear it again. He'd kept a picture of them on his dresser and looked at it every morning, but the video reminded him who they were as people. Tiny bits he'd forgotten about their mannerisms and the endless amount of energy Kelly had came flooding back to his mind.
"Look daddy, I've lost two teeth since you left." Kelly stated proudly, opening her mouth to show the gaps.
Shannon could be heard off camera asking, "Did the tooth fairy come?"
"Uh huh." Kelly nodded enthusiastically and held up two fingers, "She brought me a dollar for each tooth. Oh, oh she also left a trail of fairy dust into my room. Mommy said she was a messy tooth fairy."
"You want to show daddy some of the ballet positions you've learned at class?"
"Good idea, mommy!" The young girl squealed and ran out of the frame. The camera shakily followed her over to the closet as she dug through her bag and emerged with a pair of pink ballet slippers. Holding them up to the camera she shook them, "Have to put on my special shoes so I can show daddy what I've learned."
Once the slippers were on, Kelly bounced up and down in front of the camera, making silly faces and acting like any seven year old would.
"Sweetie, you plan on showing daddy your new moves or are you just going to make silly faces all night?"
Kelly batted her long eyelashes and smiled, "I'm gonna show daddy what I learned. Make sure you get my feet Mommy, cause Ms. Laura says they're most important."
Shannon could be heard laughing as she zoomed out to a wide shot as Kelly got into first position. Turning her feet outward so that her heels were touching she wobbled briefly until she raised her arms to balance. Once she stopped quavering she looked into the camera and shouted, "TA-DA!"
"Yay! Very good, sweetie! You remember what that position is called?"
"Umm hmm it's called first position!" Kelly announced proudly before wildly shaking her legs and moving onto the next position.
"This one's a lot like first position, daddy." She stated, spreading her legs and turning the balls of both feet out completely. Giggling with excitement she swayed before finally stabilizing herself, "This one is easy, daddy. I can teach you when you get home if you want."
The two men watched as Kelly finished three more basic steps she'd learned in class. After each step she'd announce what it was called and promised to show Gibbs upon his return. When the DVD cut to black the room became eerily quiet with the exception of the crackling embers from the fire. Gibbs was in a trance and sat for several minutes without even moving. Tim knew the older man was in shock and he gently squeezed his hand to let him know he was there. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Gibbs turned his head to meet Tim's gaze. Blinking back tears he completely fell apart when Tim pulled him into his arms and lovingly stroked his back. Burying his face against Tim's chest, Gibbs trembled and sobbed, as this was the first time he felt like he was truly mourning the deaths of his girls. He'd never felt comfortable enough with any of his exes to explore such a traumatic wound. It was easier to keep it bottled up inside or take his sorrow out with woodworking or alcohol.
Tim wiped the tears from his own eyes and held Gibbs tight as tremor after tremor racked his body. He knew the home movies would elicit a reaction, but he didn't expect one like this. Soothingly rubbing his lover's back he whispered words of encouragement, letting him know everything was going to be okay and to fully expel all the pain and sadness from the past twenty plus years. They held each other until Gibbs' tears ran dry and he slowly lifted his head from Tim's chest. Using his shirtsleeve, Tim wiped his lover's tear stained cheeks and gave him a tender kiss on the lips.
Sniffling, Gibbs grasped Tim's hand and held it in his lap, needing physical contact with the man he loved deeply. Taking a deep breath and composing himself, he spoke softly, "Where did you find those tapes, Timmy?"
"Do you remember when we cleaned out the attic a few months ago? You'd made a run to the dump and I was busy going through boxes and stumbled upon one full of VHS tapes. They weren't labeled and I didn't even know if there was anything on them. I have a friend who works in television and stopped by his workplace one day. When I saw what they were I figured they would be something you'd like to have so I had them transferred to DVD."
Gibbs nodded, "I didn't even know these tapes existed or that Shannon received a camera. She never mentioned it." He paused and took another deep breath, "It sounds like the tapes were meant to be a surprise, but they never got to give them to me."
Tim swallowed past the lump in his throat, "So you're not angry with me?"
Gently stroking Tim's cheek in reassurance, Gibbs shook his head, "How could I be mad at you, sweetie? You've given me two gifts today and I don't think I could ever repay you."
Chewing on his bottom lip Tim tried to understand what he meant by two gifts. As far as he was concerned the only gift he'd given him was the home movies. Gibbs watched with amusement as he saw the wheels in Tim's mind start to turn. His statement wasn't meant to be a trick question and he didn't want him to start overanalyzing what he meant. Shaking Tim's arm to get his attention he smiled when a compassionate set of green eyes met his.
"I know you're trying to figure out what I meant by two gifts, Timmy. Please let me explain what I referring to. Obviously the home movies are a hell of a surprise and I will cherish them in my heart forever. I can't tell you how good it felt to see and hear Kelly and Shannon again. However, the greatest gift I received tonight was because of your thoughtfulness. Tonight is the first time I've felt like I've truly mourned the deaths of Kelly and Shannon." Squeezing Tim's hand tighter he took a deep breath as his bottom lip quivered.
"Take your time, Jethro. There's no rush."
Gibbs nodded and swiped away the stray tear that trickled down his face. Rubbing his thumb along the top of Tim's knuckles, he continued, "You know when you mentioned earlier tonight that you feel like you don't have to be someone you are not when you're with me?"
"Of course and I meant it."
"I know you did, sweetie. The thing is, you allow me to be the real Leroy Jethro Gibbs. Don't take this the wrong way, Tim, but besides the obvious differences you remind me so much of Shannon. You're smart, compassionate, levelheaded, loving; I could go on all day about the great qualities you possess. Believe it or not I didn't always used to be the asshole people consider me to be today. After I married Shannon she brought out characteristics in me I didn't even know I had. I was more open about my feelings, hell I even remember a few times when I shed more than a tear." He smiled, "By the way if you ever tell DiNozzo, David or Abby that..."
Tim burst out laughing and pulled his fingers across his lips as if he was zipping them.
"My point is that once my girls died I became the man I am today. Many times I'm withdrawn, not easily accessible, emotionless, all the qualities that would have pissed Shannon off. But then you came into my life and all that changed. You never saw me as an emotionless, withdrawn asshole. You ignored the bad qualities and somehow found the good and for that I will be forever thankful to you."
Tears welled up in Tim's eyes and he once again pulled Gibbs into his arms. "I'm so glad I was able to help you, Jethro. Nobody should carry the burden of such heartache and I'm finally glad you were able to let it all out. I love you very much and hope we can spend the rest of our lives together. There's nobody I want to grow old with except for you."
"I love you too, Tim. I hate to tell you, but I'm already old, kid."
The two men laughed as they held each other tight. Neither expected Shannon and Kelly to connect them on such a deep level. They were positive the two of them were watching from above, happy that Gibbs had returned to the man he used to be.