Disclaimer: As always, although I'd love to, anything recognisably from NCIS is not owned by me.

McGee and Bishop have been at their desks for half an hour, and Gibbs probably longer, when Tony emerges from the lift. He's technically on time - it's 0859 - but McGee knows that Tony is normally much earlier.

"Late night, Tony?" Bishop asks. "Surely you're too old to go clubbing on a Tuesday night."

Tony scowls as he rounds his desk. "None of your business what I was doing, Probette."

McGee looks Tony over. It's true that there are bags under his eyes, and his clothes are creased. But he's wearing one of his nicer suits, and one of the things McGee has picked up over the years is that Tony wears his suits as his own particular kind of armour to keep watching eyes away from his mood. And he doesn't seem that sort of tired you get from a night of fun, but rather a night of tossing and turning and worrying. McGee gives Tony a shy smile and he looks at McGee for a moment before nodding in acknowledgement and turning to his computer.

McGee glances over at Gibbs, who's watching Tony with an odd expression. Could that be concern? Surely Gibbs would never worry about one of his subordinates just because they look tired. With a shake of his head, McGee dislodges the thought and turns back to his report. They'd wrapped up a long and painful case yesterday, and even Gibbs had been too tired to start his report when they finally got a confession. Maybe that's why Tony's looking so under the weather today.

About an hour later, Gibbs has gone to get coffee when Tony's phone rings. Curious, McGee listens in. "Very Special Agent DiNozzo speaking . . . No, I'm not expecting any visitors . . . Steve? Sure, let him up."

Tony hangs up, and laughs drily upon catching McGee looking. "Frat brother. We did talk last night but I wasn't expecting him to turn up."

McGee shrugs and turns back to his work. Tony seems just as bone-weary as before, but he's brightened up slightly at the thought of a distraction.

They both look up when the elevator dings, but McGee doesn't recognise the man who steps out. He's tall, with silver hair and a military build, probably a few years older than Tony. McGee's seen his frat brothers on several occasions, and none of them were that old. "That's not Steve," he says, puzzled.

"Fuck," Tony says, going pale. "Bishop, call Security. Now!"

Bishop is startled, but picks up her phone immediately.

Tony stands stiffly as the man saunters over. "Tony. What a pleasant surprise to find you here."

"Get the hell out of here, Adrian," Tony says clearly. "I thought I made it clear I never want to see you again."

"Well, you know, that was a few days ago," Adrian drawls. "I hoped you'd changed your mind."

"After blocking your number and changing my locks, you thought I might have changed my mind?" Tony asks incredulously. "Well, let me make it clear then. I want nothing to do with you. You're not welcome here. Fuck. Off."

McGee is startled. He's never seen Tony like this - quiet, angry, and barely in control. He's also never heard him swear in the office before.

Adrian looks around as if for the first time. McGee knows his own body language is hostile and protective, and Bishop is the same. They haven't got a clue what's going on, but they'll support Tony through it.

"Look at your little attack dogs," Adrian says contemptuously. "Just waiting for you to give the signal so they can pounce. Do you train them to target all of your exes?"

"None of my other exes have entered a federal building under false pretences and a fake name merely for some petty idea of revenge," Tony says, but Adrian's not listening - he's watching McGee, and he sees the brief flash of shock on his face.

"You're not out at work, are you, Tony boy?" Adrian says gleefully. "No wonder you never met me here or introduced me to your co-workers. Well here's a nice surprise for you - your pretty boy Tony here likes it up the ass. And only last week he was on his knees, begging to suck my cock."

McGee stands up and draws his gun, pointing it straight at Adrian. He has no intention whatsoever of firing it in such a crowded place unless the man actually attacks, but he hopes it will scare him away. "I don't care," he says, and is glad to hear his voice is firm. "Tony's sexuality doesn't bother me at all. What bothers me is how you're acting. Go away, Adrian."

Bishop copies him, and Adrian starts to look uncertain. McGee's really wishing that Security would hurry up, because he's not completely sure that the man won't snap, when he sees Adrian's eyes widen.

"What's going on?" a familiar voice says from behind McGee. Gibbs steps around him so that he can put his coffee down on his desk, and upon seeing the looks on their faces, moves his hand to rest on the butt of his gun.

Adrian looks at Gibbs, then looks back at Tony. "Really?" Tony just slumps down onto his chair and runs his hands over his face, and Adrian looks back at Gibbs. "So you're Gibbs," he says, his voice full of menace. "Of course. Not only is he always dreaming about you, but he only picked me in the first place as a goddamn lookalike."

Gibbs' face is perfectly blank, so Adrian needles him further. "Don't you want to hear about how Tony called out your name?"

"That happened once," Tony protests, despite himself. McGee worries about how small his six-foot-two frame appears in this moment, slouched behind his desk.

"Only once while I was fucking you, maybe," Adrian continues, "but I never told you about all the times we'd be curled up in bed and you'd say his name in your sleep, did I? Here I was thinking you were just being kinky when you called me Boss, but he's actually your boss, isn't he? How does your ex-military boss feel about his secretly bisexual employee having the hots for him?"

"Get out of here," Gibbs growls. He takes a threatening step towards Adrian and McGee lifts his gun higher. Then, finally, the elevator dings and two burly men from Security jog over to Adrian, grabbing him by the arms. He goes without a fight, smirking at Gibbs over his shoulder.

When he's finally gone, McGee takes a deep breath and holsters his weapon. He turns around to see Tony sweeping up all the stuff on his desk.

"What are you doing?" he exclaims.

Tony looks up slowly. "What does it look like I'm doing, McProbie? I'm packing up my stuff. I'll send my two weeks notice to the Director when I get home, and take a couple weeks of leave."

"Tony, you can't do that!" McGee says. "What he said doesn't matter." He's surprised to realise that that's true. Although he'd never guessed that Tony wasn't straight, it makes a kind of sense, and McGee is in no way homophobic.

Tony laughs mirthlessly. "Doesn't matter to you, maybe."

"DiNozzo," Gibbs says softly.

Tony freezes. "I don't need pity. I'll just get my stuff and get out of your hair."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs growls. "My office, now."

His voice leaves no room for disagreement, and although Tony looks like he's dragging himself into hell, he follows Gibbs towards the elevator.

McGee and Bishop exchange looks, but neither of them interfere. McGee heads back to his desk and calls Security, confirming that Adrian has been taken out of the building and put on the blacklist, and calls Legal to confirm that they'll press charges. He also calls the manager of Tony's building and asks him to inform the police if the man appears, but he's not expecting him to. As far as Adrian's concerned, he's gotten his revenge.

After fifteen minutes, Bishop gets up to check the elevator's sign, only to find that it's still stationary. She looks around, then quickly presses her ear to the door, but she can't hear any clues as to what's going on. She meets McGee's eye and shrugs. "At least they're not shouting?" she says tentatively.

When the elevator dings, McGee can't help but look up, and he gapes. The Tony that emerges has a spring in his step that wasn't there before, and his hair is ruffled. He falls into his usual half-step behind Gibbs, who is - McGee frowns - smiling? Both of them look very comfortable, and as Tony swings away to sit behind his desk, their hands brush and McGee's not entirely sure that it's accidental.

"Back to work," Gibbs orders brusquely. "Sooner you get those reports done, sooner we can go home."

Bishop gives McGee a wide-eyed look, and as Gibbs reaches over to grab his cold coffee, his collar shifts and McGee sees a very clear hickey on his neck.

McGee closes his eyes, trying to ignore the mental images that that just evoked. When he gathers up the courage to glance over at Tony, he just leans back on his chair and gives McGee the biggest, brightest, happiest smile he's ever seen.