Disclaimer: Nope, don't own.

A/N- My second TonyGibbs story I believe. I got struck over the head with the plot bunny (someone gave it a frying pan) and came up with this story. reviews are love!

"That was stupid."

Tony sighs and grits his teeth as the cloth is pressed more firmly against the wound.

"Yes boss."

"Really stupid." Yeah, Tony thinks bitterly, saving your ass was stupid. He doesn't say it out loud.

"Yeah boss, heard you the first three times." He receives a light swat to the back of his head but he figures it's more to keep him awake than anything else; he's feeling kind of lightheaded. It's got to be the blood loss.

"It doesn't change the fact that it was stupid, Tony. What were you thinking?" Tony knows what he was thinking. He was thinking that some thug had a gun held to Leroy Jethro Gibbs' head and was going to pull the trigger. He was thinking how helpless and mad and desperate he felt watching as Gibbs' signaled for them not to move and how the thug couldn't see Tony from where he stood but he could see McGee and Ziva.

He was thinking how there was no chance in hell this bastard was taking this man away from him, not after all the shit they'd gone through. He was thinking how if Gibbs' died he wasn't sure he would make it.

He wasn't thinking about guidelines and hostage situations and statistics and whether he was faster than this jackass with a gun. He wasn't thinking about what Gibbs' would do in his position, or Ziva or McGee and he wasn't thinking about THE RULES, capital letters and all, especially rule 12.

"I was thinking…" He begins, tipping slightly where he sits on the cold, concrete floor and finding himself suddenly surrounded by something very warm. Gibbs' arms he realizes are around him, keeping cloth pressed to the bleeding wound in his side and holding him close, keeping him steady. "I was thinking that he was going to shoot you."

There's a huff of breath against his neck but he can't tell if it's amusement or annoyance. Maybe it's both.

"He was going to try." This doesn't reassure Tony or even make him feel like what he did was the wrong decision; it just justifies his choice more. He probably shouldn't tell Gibbs this.

"Where'd Ziva and McGeek go?" He grinds out instead, leaning into the warmth that surrounds him, because he's feeling cold, seeping up through the floor, emanating from the bullet wound. He knows that's not a very good sign.

"They're getting help." Gibbs brings a hand up and runs it through his hair gently; it's comforting, and distracts him from the pain.

"Oh, okay then. Don't really want to die on a concrete floor in the middle of nowhere." This earns him a swat to the head, but it helps him concentrate.

"You're not going to die, DiNozzo." The order is barked in his ear and brings him back to a hospital bed with the plague coursing through him. He made it then, he'll make it now.

"Got it boss." He quirks a grin that turns into a grimace as a pain lances through him. He doesn't realize he's grabbed Gibbs' leg until he has to pry his fingers off as the pain fades but the older man doesn't comment on it, just reaching out and threading their fingers together.

He was thinking that this man, holding him, supporting him was his life. He had been thinking that he would protect this man with everything he had. So Tony had tackled the thug, the gun had gone off and Tony had been left lying on the floor, a hole in his side while Gibbs beat the man until he was unconscious.

There's a lot of blood in the human body, Tony knows because he sees a lot of it in his line of work. People cut their finger, lose a few drops, get stabbed and if you keep the knife in, not too much comes out, get shot and a lot comes out.

His expensive white shirt, bought to attract his boss's attention isn't all that white anymore. It certainly got the boss-mans attention though.

"Stay with me Tony." His eyes jerk open from where they had been slipping closed. He hadn't even noticed. He needs to fight harder, Gibbs said he wasn't going to die, wasn't allowed to die and this was one order he wouldn't disobey.

"Hey boss," He begins, and then stops because he isn't actually sure what it is he was going to say. "Sorry I wrecked your coat." This comes out instead. He's not completely sure what it means, other than the fact that his blood is staining Gibbs' coat. Tony doesn't think it's salvageable since it's pressed against the hole in his side.

"I can always get a new coat." He twists slightly, hissing at the pain, but is rewarded with the ability to see Gibbs eyes. Pretty blue eyes that he loved to have directed at him.

"Yeah, but it looked good on you." He's too tired, too cold to be embarrassed by what he has said. The coat had looked good on the older man, had framed his shoulders and showed off hidden muscles and strength.

Distantly he hopes that McGee and Ziva have help by now because he's feeling very heavy and doesn't want Gibbs to have to support all of his weight. Not to say that the man can't. He'd done it before and Tony wouldn't mind if he did it again, just not at the moment, not while he was staining his boss's coat.

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barks in his ear and he jerks, blinking furiously to focus on the sight before him.

"Sorry boss." He offers an apologetic grin and forces his eyes to remain open, tightening his hold on the hand in his.

The arms around him are warm and reassuring. He wishes that there would be another opportunity to be held by Gibbs, one that didn't involve him being shot or one of them being close to death and/or nearly dying. He's hoped for that for over four years now, there's no reason to get his hopes up, especially now.

"Want to know why I named my boat Kelly?" Gibbs asks softly. Tony knows this is supposed to entice him to remain awake, because no one knows why Gibbs would name his boat Kelly. Ziva thought it could have been a relatives name and McGee suggested it could have been one of Gibbs' redheads, but Tony knows who Kelly is.

"Your daughter." Tony says softly because now his boss knows that Tony went digging into his past, years ago. His job is to watch Gibbs, Kate had always been the one to organize security but Tony had watched Gibbs, had his back and to help the secretive man, he had dug.

Knowing flashes through blue eyes but the older man doesn't look angry or upset with him; Tony figures this means he's worse off than he thought.

"Yeah." Gibbs nods his head.

"I'm sorry I dug into your past, boss." Tony gasps slightly as another bolt of pain sparks through him. Gibbs' tightens his hold on his hand and pulls him closer. He opens his eyes, surprised to see pain on Gibbs' face and automatically assumes that it's from the death grip on his hand but when he goes to pull away, the older man won't let him.

"It's okay Tony. I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Tony understands, he has his own secrets, his own demons in his closet. Ziva doesn't know about his father, even Probie doesn't know the whole story. He figures Gibbs is the closest to knowing all there is to know about the bastard he grew up with. He's okay with that.

"What was she like?" Tony asks, his breath coming out in faster, smaller pants. It's not as easy to breathe. All he knows about Gibbs' daughter is what a computer file told him (that he had to have unsealed); paper doesn't tell you who a person was.

"She was beautiful, like her mother." Gibbs tells him, his eyes damp and locked on his own. Tony can tell that it's hard for the older man to even think about the family he lost, but if this is it, Tony has to help Gibbs anyway he can. He needs to help him move forwards.

"She had a lot of energy, curious about everything, like you." Gibbs' chuckles lightly and Tony joins him, but it hurts so he ends up gasping for air. When the world comes back into focus, his head is pillowed against Gibbs' chest and he can hear the older mans heart beat. It's reassuring, peaceful.

"I love your eyes." Tony says suddenly because he can't stand the silence that has descended on them.

"Tony…" Something passes between the two of them. He can feel Gibbs fighting for something to say, something that will reassure him, give him hope that help is on the way; words that aren't hollow reassurances.

"I love you." Tony blurts out instead, because even if he doesn't make it out of this, he wants the older man to know. "Your eyes, your smile, your obsession with bad coffee." He breaks off, dragging in air to clear the light headedness that has taken over. "I love you."

"I know." Gibbs replies and of course he knows, it's Leroy Jethro Gibbs after all, all knowing, all seeing. How could he not have seen Tony has been in love with him for years.

"You knew." Tony nods, agreeing. "You didn't say anything." He wants to know why Gibbs didn't say anything, didn't tell him to get over it, or something.

"I should have." Something presses against his forehead and it takes him a moment to realize that it's Gibbs' lips. Tony's other hand, the one not gripping Gibbs' free hand, comes up and tilts the older mans jaw slightly until he's close enough and then presses his lips to Gibbs'.

The kiss is brief, a slide of lips; Tony's too tired to make it anything more but the meaning behind it is clear.

"Knew it." Tony says smugly, as smugly as he can muster with the way he's gasping for air.

"Knew what?" Gibbs' asks voice hoarse and eyes suspiciously wet.

"That you loved me too." Tony announces with no trace of uncertainty. There's an odd wailing noise in the background and it's pounding through his head and making it harder to think.

"Tony, I think everyone but us knew that." Gibbs squeezes his hand quickly, and then looks up suddenly, shouting to someone he can't see. "We're over here!"

"The Calvary show up, boss?" Tony mutters eye lids very heavy, but he keeps them open, fighting against the drowsiness that threatens to engulf him if he lets it.

"Yeah, just hold on. You're not aloud to die- got it?" Tony feels the swat to the back of his head as Gibbs' hand leaves his.

"Got it boss." He'll just rest his eyes a moment.

"I just got you Tony; I'm not going to let you go so easily." The words are whispered against his ear and then he's being pulled away from Gibbs' and the warmth and love he provided. There are people yelling all around him and something pricks his arm, and then he's feeling warmer, the feeling spreading through him.

He can hear McGee in the background with Ziva shouting instructions to someone, but he chooses to pay more attention to the hand that laces with his as he's loaded into what he assumes is an ambulance.

"It's okay Tony." Gibbs' tells him softly. "You can rest now. I'll be there when you wake up." So he does.