SquidgeWorld Archive

Was it possible for Tony's day to get any worse than it was?

Not possible. Even Cait was exhibiting concern and worry over him to his face, instead of to another team member when he was in dire straits.

Tony gingerly sunk into his seat, wincing as he knocked his knee against the side of his desk drawers. McGee handed him an ice pack that Tony had a hard time trying work out where to put it first: on his knee that he had wrenched as he went to tackle their fleeing suspect; on the bruised and bleeding knuckles that had been the result of that same suspect smashing his gun hand into the cement pavement after he had got him to the ground pulling his gun in preparation for reading the little cretin his rights and waiting for the rest of the team to arrive and secure the scene.

Then again, he could put it on his forehead in an ultimately worthless gesture to see if he could alleviate the migraine that had taken up residence at the back of his left eye. Tony was fairly sure it was the result of some diabolical creature taking an apple corer to his orbital region and seeing if they could extract his brain whilst he had been sleeping. Then there was the sore neck and shoulder muscles. Probably a result of muscle tension from the migraine and what he felt must be a case of whiplash garnered from Gibbs' somewhat dubious driving skills when taking shortcuts. Cait still looked green and McGee hadn't spoken the whole time for fear that he might yet throw-up.

The migraine giving him Dutch courage, Tony had been almost ready to let rip this time. Especially when they went over the train tracks and his head had hit the cars interior roof -- four times. It was only his lust for the man - and a strong sense of self-preservation - that had kept him in check.

Tony groaned as he lowered his head to his desk and closed his eyes to limit as much unnecessary sensory input as possible. He didn't particularly care that his forehead had landed on the metal clip of the file on top of the desk, causing even more discomfort and a sizeable imprint. He finally decided that his knee was the best bet for the ice pack. The rest could be fixed by drugs, rest and a good massage from a very naked L.J. Gibbs. 'Yeah, right, nice fantasy, DiNozzo. Keep dreaming,' he thought. He'd need to get the swelling down on the knee quickly or he could be out of action longer than he wanted to be. At the moment, he just wanted the day to end so he could go home for a nice hot shower. Maybe even a bath, then straight to bed.

He groaned even louder. The whole day started off bad even before all the physical injuries he'd accumulated on the job, but after the migraine. It began when he woke up to find the hot water system had not only decided to stop working but to have burst in a dramatic fashion and flooded part of his apartment. The killing agony in his head had made him sleep later than he normally would -- or at least tried to sleep -- and he therefore didn't have time to clean up or arrange for it to be fixed. So he definitely would not be having a hot anything tonight. Then when he got down to his car he found that both passenger side tyres had been slashed. It was then that he took his life in his hands and called Gibbs to let him know he would be delayed getting in to work. Expecting to be blasted he was very surprised to hear Gibbs tell him to stay where he was and he would swing past to pick him up. It was double-edged news. Glad he wasn't pissing Gibbs off by being late and worried that he was pissing Gibbs off by making him come out of his way to pick him up.

When Gibbs got to his place, he didn't say a thing. Just waited for Tony to get in the car and drove off for the nearest coffee shop that served his favourite beverage than straight into work. Then the call came in that resulted in all of today's injuries. He'd have to wait for Gibbs to finish up for the day before he could get a lift back home and he still needed to sort out the hot water and flooding problem. McGee was in the opposite direction and probably used public transport. Cait had a very hot date and as narky as Tony could be with her on occasion, there was no way he would interfere -- teasing was so much more fun. 'Maybe a cab would be a good idea.'

Another shot of agony spiked through his eye and into his brain causing Tony to catch his breath. It was then that he felt a presence in front of him. He knew it was Gibbs. He was so attuned to the man that he could tell where he was blind, or at least with head down and eyes closed. He heard something being put down on his desk top just in front of his head and heard:

"Here you are, Tony. I think you need this."

"With luck it's a gun so I can put myself out of my misery," Tony said as he brought his head up slightly and squinted at the present Gibbs had placed on his desk. His sight came into focus and his jaw dropped. He was pretty sure that his heart had stopped too. He could hear his blood rushing through his head.

Tony wasn't the only one stunned. The whole room was focused on the object on Tony desk. There seemed to be a quantum effect in process. In a concentric pattern radiating out from Tony, silence took effect. And as the wave spread further out, more people turned to stare and go into catatonic shock.

After what was in reality a moment in time, but surreally felt as if time had been attenuated, the butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon was not causing storms in Beijing, the Earth ground to a stop, the sun stopped shining, the universe stopped expanding and/or shrinking, time no longer existed and reality TV shows suddenly became extinct.

Tony didn't know whether to suddenly break down and blubber like a baby or leap up -- damn the injuries -- and hug Gibbs whilst planting a kiss on any available part of him. Because he knew without a doubt, totally, unquestionably, indubitably that Gibbs -- Jethro -- loved him more than life itself.

For there, sitting on his desk, for all the world to see, was the proof.

Gibbs' coffee.

end