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“Happy Valentine’s Day,” Tony sing-songed, banging the front door open. Gibbs rolled his eyes at the sound. Neither he nor Tony celebrated this day. In Gibbs’ history there were unexpected late nights at work, badly chosen jewelry, and the Diane years, he’d barely dodged a putter to the groin. And when it was good…he didn’t want to revisit that. The bad memories held a hell of a lot less pain. Valentine’s Day wasn’t a shining moment for Jethro Gibbs and that wasn’t gonna change with DiNozzo here.
When Tony didn’t come into the den, Gibbs drifted out to find his lover laden with flowers, candy, a pink envelope, and a wrapped gift, struggling out of his expensive wool overcoat. “The hell?” Gibbs asked, stepping closer.
“No, Tony,” he continued. “We’re not doing this. We agreed. Not happening.” Even as he said the words, Gibbs stepped closer, relieving Tony of his burdens and placing them on the hall table.
Tony hung up his overcoat slowly, obviously dragging this out, and Gibbs barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
“You’re right, we’re not doing this,” Tony agreed, opening the box and snagging a piece of candy. “Want one? Godiva. Not very inventive, but I was in a hurry.”
Gibbs rummaged in the box, pulling out a shell-shaped piece marbled in white and milk chocolate. He bit into it, letting the flavor burst over his tongue. “You have your purposes,” Gibbs allowed, gesturing to the table. “But what is all this?”
Tony rolled his eyes. “McGee, Jeth. He needed shopping advice and how could I tell him that my date has killer blue eyes and silver hair instead of the thirty-eight triple Ds that they expect.”
“Date, huh?” Gibbs asked with a smirk. He didn’t even want to know why Tony had carried the packages inside rather than leaving them in the car.
“Date, lover. Whatever. All I know is that you’re mine.” He leaned against Gibbs’ shoulder for a second. “Even if we can’t tell anybody. So trash the flowers, we’ll eat the candy during the game, throw the card out, and I’ll return the lingerie tomorrow.”
“Lingerie?” Gibbs smirked, tearing open the wrapping and looking at the box “Victoria’s Secret? What, I don’t rate that pearly crap?” He pulled out the frothy lace and satin creation and turned it from side to side.
“La Perla?” Tony asked, smirking back at Gibbs. “You think you’re worth that?”
Gibbs snorted, shaking his head, knowing he was frowning. What? He wasn’t worth expensive stuff? He watched as DiNozzo chewed his lip thoughtfully, knowing the other man had no idea why he was annoyed. “So…uh. What’re we doing tonight, Jeth?”
Gibbs shrugged, tossing the box on the table. “Pizza, beer, a game.” He turned toward the den as Tony nodded and Gibbs heard him walking slowly upstairs. When he was out of view or sightlines, Gibbs sighed, glancing toward the kitchen before he settled back in the den.
“Hey, Jeth,” Tony said tentatively as he walked into the den. His lover had been upset about the La Perla crack, and Tony had been trying to figure out a way to make it up since it had come out of his mouth. He did respect Gibbs and Gibbs was worth it all. He was worth more than fabric and lace. He couldn’t put a price on how much Gibbs meant to him and his comment had been a stupid dickhead one.
“DiNozzo.” Gibbs nodded, handing him the remote. “ESPN, Ohio State at Wisconsin. Pizza is on the way and beer is in the fridge. Want to get me one?”
“A basketball team worth rooting for?” Tony shot back, hoping to coax a smile out of the older man.
“A beer,” Gibbs emphasized, shooing Tony away. He was really pissed off, Tony realized, wincing. Maybe he needed to pull out his present now. Yeah…that was a good idea. Tony detoured to the bedroom first, collecting a box.
“Today, DiNozzo!” Gibbs growled and Tony knew he had a lot of making up to do. He hoped that his present would do the trick. It was something he’d thought long and hard about.
He reached into the fridge and found a beer with some papers rubber banded around it. “Score!” Tony said quietly, trotting into the den with that beer and one other.
“Ya found it?” Gibbs asked, a slight smirk on his face.
“Yeah,” Tony said, unable to hide his glee. He tried to hand over the beer but Gibbs shook his head. “Nope. Its yours. The beer, everything else. Open it.”
“But I have—“
“Open it first, DiNozzo.”
“Thought we didn’t do this?” Tony couldn’t resist asking and ducked the headslap. Gibbs grasped him by the neck and pulled him close, mussing his hair instead.
“Open the damned envelope!”
Tony did and looked at the documents inside in shock. “A week at an all-inclusive resort. Sun, fun…and you? How’d I get so lucky?” This was so unlike Gibbs. A vacation? Together? How were they gonna work it out. “But Jeth…two members of a team can’t be off at the same time…”
Gibbs’ smile got wider. “Good thing I worked something out with Vance then. A week and a half off for the four of us. You and me, and I’m sure McGee and Ziva will do something together.” He gave Tony a very smug smirk.
Tony felt a sick feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. “McGee…and…Ziva? What do you mean?”
Gibbs’ smile grew wider. “McGee…he’s been quietly seeing Ziva, They think I don’t have any idea…but I do.”
Oh shit! Oh shit! Oh shit! “Boss, I—“
“What ya got there, DiNozzo?” Gibbs asked and his thought process turned to the man beside him. He’d have to call McGee…soon. But for now…”
Tony shyly handed Gibbs a box. “Just something I thought you could use. I know yours got damaged in the bombing and…” He trailed off, watching and waiting.
Gibbs was a terrible gift recipient. He played with the wrapping before removing it so slowly, folding it with care and then cracked the box open. And with that a beaming smile transformed his face. It was a smile Tony rarely saw, he didn’t figure much of anyone saw it since Shannon.
“You got me this?” Gibbs asked, pulling the item out and studying it. The platinum ID bracelet gleamed even in the unnatural light of the den.
“Yup.”
Gibbs traced a finger over the writing. “L.J. Gibbs,” he read before flipping it over. “Semper Fi. Ah, Tony…” Tony knew Gibbs wasn’t a sap but the glimmering sheen in those eyes could have been mistaken for tears or at least heightened emotion.
“You like it?” Tony asked hopefully.
“Love it,” Gibbs emphasized, pulling Tony into a hug. “Love it,” Gibbs whispered again into Tony’s ear. “And I gonna really love going away with you….”
Just as Tony was preparing to lean in for a long snuggle, the doorbell rang. “Pizza time! I’ll get it, Jeth!” Tony bounded to the door, a goofy smile on his face and his mind alternating between pizza, beer, and sex here in DC and sunkissed Gibbs on a tropical beach.
Tony scooped a twenty off the table and threw the door open. “Thanks for the Pi—Oh crap.” McGee stood in the doorway, sheepish, as shocked to see Tony there as Tony was to see him.
“McGee. What’d the crazy ninja do to you?” McGee was soaking wet even though it hadn’t rained in days and had such a hangdog look on his face that it might have been funny if it wasn’t McGee.
“McGee?” Gibbs’ comforting voice came behind him. “Ah, hell. Bring him in here, Tony. Lemme guess, you bought all that crap DiNozzo told ya to, didn’t ya?”
McGee nodded, looking absolutely miserable.
“Well, get in here,” Gibbs said impatiently. “And tell us all about it.”
McGee shuffled in, looking between Tony and Gibbs for a moment. “Okay, um...But Tony why are you here. Didn’t you have a date with Anna? Anaconda, wasn’t it?” He turned to Gibbs. “That’s her stripper name. Anaconda.”
“MCGEE!” Tony turned to look at Gibbs, mortified, but Gibbs lips were twitching. It was only a moment before he burst out in huge roars of laugher and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. He’d dodged a huge bullet there.
“Get in here, McGee and we’ll tell you all about it.” After McGee had passed them, Gibbs eyed Tony, mouthing “Anaconda” and shaking his head.
“We telling him?” Tony asked in a shocked undertone.
“After four years, don’t ya think it’s the time?”
Hours later, Tony settled against a drowsy Gibbs. Ziva had come looking for McGee and they had made up spectacularly. They were curled up intimately in the recliner, the game in its last moments and Tony realized something. He didn’t need much more than this. Life was about the little moments shared with friends and lovers.