A/N: This is just a shot little fic that I actually started to write as a part to my fic Que Sera Sera, but which didn't really fit there so I gave it a life of it's own. There is Tony/OMC in this fic (kinda...) but it's really Tony/Gibbs slash. Thank you to my wonderful friend and beta Finlaure for her work on this one, any and all mistakes remaining are mine and I take full responsibility for them :)
"Are you out of your mind?" Nine-year-old Tony DiNozzo asked his friend who was standing with him behind the shed on the far corner of the DiNozzo estate. He had been confident about the thing before, but now he was having second thoughts.
"C'mon Tony it's not like your parents are going to come out here and the gardener has left for the day." Parker tried to reason with his friend who was looking at him like he had grown two heads.
"That's so not the point, I just-" Tony stammered as he tried to think of why he didn't want to do it there, but couldn't come up with any good explanation for his hesitation. It wasn't like he could say that he hadn't ever really kissed anyone either, since there had only been that one time with the cute girl from the same class who had announced that the 'kiss' had been gross even before their lips had time to meet and that Tony's mouth tasted funny. And that hadn't really been the reaction the young boy had been aiming for.
"Tony," Parker whined as he tried to make his friend see reason, "We both need the practice."
Tony had to concede the point and after another minute of contemplation he decided to just go for it.
Both boys were nervous as they stepped closer to each other and wondered who would make the first move and how. The awkward moment stretched until Tony decided to just put an end to the crazy training session, but as soon as he had reached the conclusion that it would be best to call this quits he saw Parker leaning closer and closing the gap between them.
The kiss was just a small peck really without any real finesse to it and as soon as it was over both boys were watching each other with wide eyes as if not quite believing what they had just done. The moment however was fleeting as Parker grinned widely and broke the silence.
"So?" It took Tony a while to figure out what the one word question meant but as he did his face adopted a thoughtful look.
"Well I think you really shouldn't have eaten cabbage for dinner." DiNozzo grinned when the other boy punched him lightly on the arm and stuck his tongue out.
"That so wasn't what I meant!"
"Hey I'm just saying, you go kissing Jessica with that mouth and she will run screaming," Parker pouted for a minute before grinning and moving to try again.
"What are you doing?" Tony asked as he stepped back a bit
"We need to try it again." Parker stated at his friend like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"No way, not until you go and wash your mouth." Tony said crossing his arms.
"Tony, we're running out of time, just one more kiss." Both boys were grinning at the game of cat and mouse they had just started with the battle of reasoning.
"Uh-huh not gonna happen with that stinky breath of yours," Tony said to the other boy and as Parker moved forward to bring their mouths together Tony stepped back, but didn't see the root sticking from the ground so as he took a step back his shoe caught on the offending root and he fell down on his back. Parker who had been advancing on him fell on top of the Italian who gasped as the breath was knocked out from him.
Tony had just managed to suck in some air when Parker saw his chance and dove in for a kiss. This time the encounter lasted longer and he brought his hands to cup the Italian's face to keep it in place as he ran a tentative tongue over his lips and in a daring move, stuck his tongue in the other boy's mouth a bit.
Soon the boys broke apart and Parker grinned from ear to ear as Tony glared up at him from his position under the other boy before pushing him off of himself and standing up and wiping his sleeve across his mouth and spitting to the side.
"Ew, I still think you need to wash your mouth."
Parker just stuck his tongue out at him briefly before getting back to business.
"So? How was it? I think we did great!" The enthusiastic grin on the boy's face made Tony roll his eyes as he swiped dirt from the back of his jeans.
"Yeah yeah, it was better, but..." He trailed off as if deep in thought, prompting the other boy to let out an expectant, "What?"
"I'm really buying you breath mints for your birthday and till then you shouldn't even try kissing anyone."
He laughed as Parker lunged at him in order to get back for the little dig. Soon they were running around the yard and messing with each other, the encounter behind the shed forgotten for the moment.
Tony sat on the bed in his and Gibbs' bedroom and looked at the picture of him and his childhood friend who he had just learned had passed away after being hit by a drunk driver on his way home to his partner. It had been John, Parker's partner who had made the call to Tony informing him of the tragic event.
"Hey, you okay?" Gibbs asked as he sat down next to his lover and draped an arm around his shoulders. Tony gratefully leaned into the support and showed the picture to his partner.
"That's Parker. His life partner just called me and told me he'd passed away in an accident. We haven't seen each other for a long time now, but we were still close in a way..." Tony trailed off as his voice broke at the end of the sentence and he took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry Tony." Jethro whispered in his ear before pressing a small kiss to his hair.
"I know, I am too."
Shaking his head slightly the younger man held the picture a little closer and in a way that allowed them both to see it.
"You know he was my first kiss."
Jethro's eyebrow rose at the confession, "Oh really?"
"Yeah." Tony laughed a bit as he remembered the day, the picture had been taken the same day as they'd come inside from the yard, covered in mud but with huge grins on their faces.
"He wanted to impress this girl who was in our class and thought we should practice, God his breath smelled like garbage that day!" He laughed a bit, the memory bittersweet in his mind.
"Ended up impressing a guy in our class more than the girl." There was a grin on his face as he remembered his friend and he had to wipe his eyes more than once to keep any hint of tears at bay. He turned watery eyes to look at his lover.
"I'm gonna miss him Jeth."
"I know." Gibbs said as he brought both arms to circle his lover and held him tighter. "It's okay." he whispered in the younger man's hair.
They stayed like that for a long time, just sitting there together as Tony talked in hushed tone about the man who had been a good friend to him. Jethro just sat there and listened to him speak and gave him comfort when it became too much for the younger man or when his voice broke with emotion.
After a while both men crawled to bed and Gibbs gathered Tony into his arms again and after a while started snoring softly. The Italian lay awake and thought of the friend he'd lost and he buried his face into the sleeping man's shirt, letting a few tears slide from his closed eyes.
After a while he let out a shaky breath that turned into a yawn. He settled comfortably on the bed and snuggled closer to his lover's warmth. A though came to his mind that finally allowed him to relax enough to fall asleep. He had been worried about the memory of his dear friend fading with time, but he realized he needn't have worried.
After all, who could forget their first kiss?
The End