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Peja's Wonderful World of Makebelieve Import
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Published:
2020-11-05
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Snow Drifts

Summary:

Website: No
Permission to Archive: Yes
Fandom: NCIS
Genre: Slash
Pairing: Gibbs/DiNozzo implied
Rating: FRT-13
Summary: Just a little stress relief on a snowy day.
Warnings: Language
Notes: Thought I'd try my hand at one of Peja's challenges: snowman (sort of).
Submitted through the NavyNCISslash Mailing list

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Snow Drifts
by Matt51

This certainly wouldn't be his first choice as an ideal lunch date location but, really, it sure wasn't the worst either...especially when he could leisurely observe his companion frolicking around in the pure, mounding drifts of freshly fallen snow with all the enthusiasm and unbridled energy of an unleashed, hyperactive Jack Russell Terrier. With the bottom of her long, dark, heavy coat dragging through the bright, pristine whiteness, Abby Scuito was a living, breathing contradiction of darks and lights. Her usually clear, pale complexion was now charmingly pinked and glowing from her exertion in the cold temperature and her black, tightly bound pigtails bounced and waved as she jumped and turned through the snow. The dark, leather-covered hands repeatedly disappeared into the cold, white drifts, scooping mounds and shaping them into viable softball-sized spheres with a mad intensity that bordered on scary.

"You are *so* dead now, DiNozzo!" She squealed in delight, breath frosting out from her devilishly grinning black-glossed lips, their half-finished snowman just to one side and all but forgotten now. She'd been lured away from her lab by an invitation to stroll through the new snow but, now, she knew the real reason she'd been asked to spend her lunchtime outside. She darted a quick look in DiNozzo's general direction as her hands continued forming the perfect projectile. "Don't think you can hide behind that tree forever!"

Tony DiNozzo leaned carefully to one side and chanced another glance toward her position from behind the relative protection of the solid oak tree's wide trunk, pointedly ignoring the irritated scowls and disapproving glares cast his way by several NCIS colleagues entering the building directly behind him. He fought the urge to tell them to stick their misdirected snobbery up their collective asses but knew he didn't want to take the chance of disrupting Abby's pleasure. Under the pretext of constructing a snowman, he'd inadvertently made her a focal point of their scorn and now, no doubt, the news of their 'inappropriate' behavior had probably made the rounds inside to others.

"Fuck 'em all," he snorted and grinned slyly, noticing how the handful of snow he'd lobbed her way only moments ago was just beginning to turn slushy and starting to drip unerringly toward her gaping neckline. If the snow's infiltration into her clothing was bothering her, it sure wasn't slowing her down, and DiNozzo was secretly pleased he could give the young tech a reason to smile again, even if it was only for a short while.

They'd been working for several days on a rough case, minds focused on evidence and interviews, trying to ignore the rapidly approaching holidays while their tempers and emotions began pulling tight and started to fray. It was rapidly becoming an almost intolerable work atmosphere and all the forced overtime was leading to the beginnings of snide comments and almost-hateful remarks. But when Tim McGee had finally lost his calm and snapped hurtfully at Abby over some minor mistake earlier in the day, DiNozzo had known it was way past time to take action.

So, if the other agents and bigwigs inside NCIS Headquarters didn't approve of their little lunchtime romp in the snow, they could all just kiss his cold, almost frozen, soon to be a popsicle ass...on each cheek...twice. If there was one thing DiNozzo knew how to do better than most it was how to relieve the pressures of stress and this simple, good old 'play time' was one of the best remedies he'd ever found. All a person had to do was let go and fall into a childlike frame of mind, foregoing the rigors and demands of adulthood, and suspending all concepts of maturity. And DiNozzo couldn't think of any other playmate better suited, and more in need at the moment, than Abby.

Well, maybe there was *one* other person.

"Bring it on, little girl!" He taunted good-naturedly, driving the thought of his preferred playmate away...and had to immediately duck for cover, her quick-armed release surprisingly powerful and accurate. The snowball impacted against the side of the tree at head-level with a resounding 'thud' and small bits of fine powder flew away in all directions. Crouching down with youthful ease, DiNozzo armed himself again, forming several new spheres with his cold, bare hands, and stepped away from the tree to deliver his newest assault. He grinned again as visions of peppering his friend with a short volley made him feel a tad over-confident...

...and he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a barrage of incoming frozen projectiles from a variety of directions. The unexpected impacts took him completely by surprise and he staggered back behind the oak, his big feet a bit clumsy in the deep snow piled around the trunk. He gathered his wits and plastered his back to the tree, breath vaporing away in puffs, quickly realizing he'd been out maneuvered and, definitely, out gunned. This, it seemed, was no longer a playful game between two colleagues; now, as the number of participants had obviously risen so unexpectedly, it had morphed into something more.

"You're outnumbered, Tony," McGee's clear, spirited voice carried easily to his location from somewhere to the right. "You may as well just come out and take it like a man now."

"A *man*?" Scoffed Ziva David from somewhere near the long row of leafless shrubs that ran beside the sidewalk closest to the Anacostia. "He needs to come crawling out like the dog he is! There's no escaping for you, Tony. You may as well accept it!"

A round of bright laughter followed her remarks and DiNozzo realized there were even more people out there than those he'd already heard from. He tried to peek out without exposing too much of his body but had to quickly jerk back, the sudden barrage of snowballs thudding dully against the tree and surrounding area alerting him to the positions of several more potential attackers. He glanced swiftly toward his rear, back toward the main building, and knew this game would be all over quickly if someone managed to sneak around and out flank him...and he'd end up being one wet, frozen loser. For DiNozzo, losing was not an option.

It had been a long time since he'd felt this kind of rush, since his time back at OSU, when he and a couple of frat brothers had started a friendly battle against a rival fraternity trio in the middle of the campus ravine. They'd had several snowman made by other students earlier in the day to hide behind when seeking cover but, once word had begun to spread about their activity, the sheer number of participants had all but demolished any available protection. It had been a wonderful afternoon, full of wild laughter and gleeful screams, and the close comaraderie had developed into an evening of righteous drinking at a local pub.

But this...this was something entirely different: this certainly wasn't college and these definitely weren't his frat brothers and he was pretty damn sure he wouldn't be sharing a beer or two afterwards. No, once this was all over, they'd be back inside, at their desks, trying their damnedest to solve this case.

Pushing those grim thoughts away, DiNozzo quickly reached to rearm himself. Finally satisfied with a half-dozen, hand-packed snowballs, he juggled the orbs until he'd managed to tuck them up against his body, curved along the top of his left arm. Rising to his feet, he readied himself to make a defensive move. If he stayed there any longer he'd be in deep shit, so it was now or never.

Before he could move, DiNozzo took a direct hit to the right side of his head, the cold snow packing slightly into the canal of his ear. He yelped in shocked surprise and shivered against the sensation but swiftly fired off two shots of his own before taking a hasty moment to dig the icy mess away with a cold, reddened finger. He glanced up and was just able to make out Jimmy Palmer's astonished expression as his first strike knocked the young man's glasses askew and the second landed with enough accuracy to partially fill the shocked, gaping mouth.

DiNozzo would have taken a moment to gloat but felt a glancing blow against one knee and turned to face a new attacker, amazed when he recognized Michelle Lee's advancing form, her elfin face filled with pure astonishment as she looked down at the fallen autopsy gremlin. When her eyes rose, they were filled with something completely different and DiNozzo blinked in surprise.

"Oh, shit," he whispered, wisely knowing not to wait around, especially when he could hear the muffled sound of other rapidly approaching footsteps bearing down on his position. This was beginning to look real bad for the home team and, suddenly, retreat seemed like a damn good plan.

"You can't hit my Jimmikins and get away with it!" Lee exclaimed hotly, the words escaping before she could call them back. Her embarrassment flared briefly but she continued to move toward DiNozzo, trudging on as quickly as her short legs would carry her through the deep snow. She spared Palmer one finally look, just to make sure he was all right, and focused again on DiNozzo, her eyes full of hot, sweet revenge.

As her arm came up and prepared to deliver the snowball she carried, DiNozzo beat her to the punch, unleashing two of his own, and turning away without even waiting to see the results. He was fairly confident of his throwing skill and the startled, angry squeal Lee released was more than enough to assure him of his success.

Armed with just a couple remaining spheres and not willing to take the time to quickly form some new ones, DiNozzo took off at a loping run, his strong, long legs plowing a path through the snow, and heading straight toward the main entrance of NCIS Headquarters. He could hear the others close behind, knew McGee, Abby, and Ziva were hot on his heels, but didn't want to think about how they'd all gloat if he couldn't get away from them.

Panting with exertion but feeling better than he had in days, DiNozzo ran a broken path, zigging and zagging as best he could, snowballs landing all around and immediately blending right back in with the surrounding ground cover. He could hear the trio giving each other instructions, openly shouting strategy, not in the least concerned their prey could hear their plans. They were all laughing and shouting and enjoying the chase and, as DiNozzo almost reached the shoveled and salted walkway, he tripped over something covered under the snow and went down, face first.

"You're dead meat now, DiNozzo!" Abby yelled from several yards away, never stopping her persistent advancement or checking to see if he was unharmed.

DiNozzo swiftly pushed up and took off again, hitting the concrete walkway, and sliding awkwardly on the slightly slick surface before regaining his balance. A snowball landed hard against his left shoulder, another in the middle of his back, and then he was running full speed once more, sure-footed and focused on the door ahead. He grinned wolfishly and chanced a glance over one shoulder, confident they'd never be able to reach him in time now. He could see his colleagues reaching the pavement, Palmer and Lee close behind the others, and couldn't resist one, final verbal jab at their expense.

"See, *this* is why I'm Gibbs' senior field agent!" He crowed with delighted glee, his green eyes dancing with mischief as a hand finally landing on the front door of the entrance. All he needed to do now was grab the handle, jerk it open, and step inside...and he'd be home free. "You guys are all nothing but a bunch of probies and geeks and wannabes and..."

DiNozzo choked off his final jeer as the handle under his fingers refused to budge. Wide eyes snapping around and mouth opening in silent disbelief, DiNozzo looked through the door's clear glass...and straight onto the smirking face of Jethro Gibbs.

Just to the inside, the former Marine gazed calmly back into the shocked stare of the younger man, his blue eyes filling with knowing amusement, and his strong, capable hands keeping the doors from opening. He arched a single eyebrow and lifted his chin, indicating for DiNozzo to turn around and face the music.

DiNozzo silently shook his head in desperation, refusing to do as directed. "No, no, no, Gibbs! You...you can't do this to me!"

The words frosted the outer part of the glass and Gibbs just offered the man a knowing smile. "Just take your medicine, DiNozzo...that's what you lured them all out there for anyway."

DiNozzo's expression altered as they eyed each other through the clear glass and he suddenly realized his boss was well aware of the ploy to get the team back on track. By starting with Abby and doing something as childish as building a snowman, the news would have rapidly worked its way back to the others and they, of course, would have been compelled to join in...just as they had. Gibbs had known exactly what DiNozzo was up to and had, momentarily, felt uneasy for not thinking of something to relieve the stress sooner himself but, honestly, this way was better...for all of them. This was DiNozzo's area of expertise and he'd, obviously, done a real good job. Now, the knucklehead was caught in his own trap.

"Go on, Tony," Gibbs allowed a quick, meaningful smile before flashing the younger agent a hot glance, "I'll warm you up later. I promise."

DiNozzo's eyes darkened and then he grinned in understanding, nodding once before taking a deep breath. He glanced swiftly over a shoulder, whipped around, and pressed his back against the closed doorway, watching as the small army of his colleagues advanced and slowly took their time to draw out their final assault.

Ziva had removed her knitted hat and, now, it contained several large, round snowballs. McGee was also well-stocked, one arm cradling a neat row of white spheres from elbow to wrist, and DiNozzo idly wondered if this was how the younger man looked in his Elf Lord mode. Abby'd constructed two well-formed orbs and held them easily in her gloved-covered palms, tormenting DiNozzo by shaking them directly toward his face, letting him know wordlessly his ass was hers. Palmer and Lee weren't far behind and he watched as the duo continued to bend and scoop more snow as they approached, the small woman's smile suddenly looking fairly wicked. DiNozzo swallowed a huge lump...this was not going to be pretty.

"Guys!" he whined, holding his empty, open hands up in surrender. "I'm unarmed. You...you wouldn't take advantage of me like this, would you?"

He could only duck and cover his head as they released their combined assault, the snowballs flying with remarkable precision and aim, covering him in cold gobs of icy, frozen bits. They squealed and shouted and laughed as they attacked, the stress and strain of the last few days all but forgotten now. Soon enough, they'd have to return to the real world but, for now, they had this...and they were extremely happy.

As the snow began to work its way under his collar and down his sleeves, DiNozzo turned one more pitiful gaze back toward the man still standing just to the inside of the closed doorway. As cold as he was now, with the snow working its way down the middle of his back and across his shoulders, the heat he could still see reflected in Gibbs' eyes was just enough to make him flush with sudden warmth. He offered a crooked grin and sighed.

'Let them all take their best shot,' he mused contentedly, thinking about the night ahead with Gibbs. 'Life just can't get much better than this.'

FIN

Notes:

This orphaned work was originally on Pejas WWOMB posted by author Matt51.
If this work is yours and you would like to reclaim ownership, you can click on the Technical Support and Feedback link at the bottom fo the page.