Gibbs couldn't speak, he didn't know what he would do if he lost Abby or the baby.
Evie's calm voice asked, "Tony? How's it going in there?"
Evie walked over to him and he gave her a little halfhearted smile, "She hasn't started swearing at me yet."
Evie chuckled, "I thought you were looking forward to that part?"
Gibbs tried to breath, but this was Abby in there. Abby. His. And he absolutely no control over the situation. Tony's eyes met his, and Gibbs realized that he wasn't the only one feeling that way. And Abby was Tony's in ways that she had never been His. Tony had her heart.
---------------
Their
girls had abandoned them, leaving them alone to sort things out. The
two men known for not talking about their feelings. Their relationship
had changed dramatically before Jethro followed Evie to Hawaii, and
they had not been together since. Neither knew how to start
the conversation, but the first night the girls were gone they got
together for dinner. And as they worked side by side in the kitchen,
sharing a bottle of wine and light conversation they found themselves
touching casually. And there was a moment over a refilled glass of wine
when their fingers touched that made them really look at each other. A
moment later the wineglass was shoved on the counter haphazardly and
the two men embraced, squeezing each other for dear life. Hoarsely
whispered words of missing Him, were echoed by words of needing him.
When they loosened their grip on each a little they found themselves
doing something they had never done before, they shared a kiss. It
wasn't gentle, it wasn't chaste, but it sealed everything for them. Neither
of them could say the words, couldn't admit to loving another man. They
could admit to wanting and needing, but love was something else
entirely. But yet it was love that was poured into that first kiss.
Enough that it drowned out all the doubts and fears. And as they
stumbled their way to the bedroom, it gave them the strength to be
there as equals. They explored all of the aspects of their
relationship that week, and in the quiet darkness of the bedroom after
their sweat had cooled and their minds and bodies were relaxed they
would talk, one holding the other. They talked about themselves, they
talked about Evie, and mostly they talked about Abby. Abby had
brought the two of them together initially. And if Tony had been half
in love with her before, the year the two of them spent together as His
had pushed him over the edge. He loved her as much as Gibbs loved Evie. And he lay there in a panic one night trying to find the words
to tell Gibbs that. He didn't expect Gibbs to laugh when he finally
told him, but laugh he did. And then he told Tony that he had known for
a long time and was just waiting for Tony to admit it. It was
with Gibbs' blessing etched in his mind that Tony stupefied Abby when
they picked the girls up at the airport by taking her face in his hands
and kissing her deeply in front of Him. Over time the four of
them ironed out a life that worked for them all. Love, laughter,
teasing, and most importantly, respect filled their homes. And when
Tony and Abby married two years ago, it was Evie and Gibbs standing up
for them at the altar.
---------------
tbc...