TigerBlossom16: hey everyone! i just want to let you all know that there is some slash in here! so if you don't like it, then don't read!

Inner TigerBlossom16: yeah, don't like don't read!

TigerBlossom16: Inner! don't be mean to our readers! it's not nice!

Inner TigerBlossom16: whatever.

TigerBlossom16: anyways, i don't own NCIS, though i so wish i did! enjoy!!

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~*~*~*~ Hung Out To Dry ~*~*~*~

Tony winced as he limped in the bullpen, his leg sore from his rough landing. Gibbs looked up at him and smirked.

"How you feeling there DiNozzo?" Said agent gritted his teeth as he sat down at his desk.

"Just peachy boss." Gibbs chuckled to himself.

"Need to get your sea legs DiNozzo, you're way too clumsy."

"I'll try and work on that boss." Gibbs smiled to himself as Tony tried to stand once again to get something out of the filing cabinet, only to end up just falling back into his seat.

~*~*~*~ Chained ~*~*~*~

"DiNozzo!" Said male jumped at the sound of him name and looked up to meet his boss' searching eyes with his tired ones.

"Yeah boss?" Tony asked, his voice betraying anything. Gibbs stared at him for a moment before speaking.

"Go home DiNozzo, you need to get some rest." Tony sat still for a moment and watched as his boss walked away to his own desk. A second later he grinned at the older man.

"Aw boss, are you trying to tell me that I mean something to you?" he asked, to tired to care about what he was saying. Gibbs paused in looking over an old cold case file before he looked over at his senior field agent.

"No." Tony's grin faultered "Now, go home DiNozzo. You're no good to me if you're tired." Knowing that he shouldn't push his luck, Tony got up from his seat and grabbed his gear.

"Right boss. See you in the moring." Without another word said between the two Tony walked to the elevator, ready to leave and get home to a nice comfortable bed. As he stood into the elevator, he missed the pair of blue eyes watching his every move, corner and regret evident within them.

~*~*~*~ SWAK ~*~*~*~

Gibbs stared at Tony as he tried to breath in through his blue tinted lips. His gut clenched at the sight of his senior feild agent. Suddenly Tony began to stir and slowly opened his eyes, soon noticing Gibbs sitting beside him. He tried to smile

"H-Hey Boss." he stuttered as he tried to get much needed oxygen.

"Hey DiNozzo. How are you feeling?" Gibbs mentally hit himself for asked such a obvious question. Tony gave a rough laugh, coughing almost instantly after. He gave a small smile, only for it to turn out as a grimace.

"Be-better then I w-was." Gibbs gave him his own smile.

"Good." A comfortable silence fell over the two, Tony's breathing the only thing the two could hear. Suddenly Tony glanced at his boss, his eyes growing heavy with sleep.

"Bo-Boss, can I-I ask you som-something?" Gibbs leaned in closer to the other male.

"Sure DiNozzo. What is it?"

"If I-I died, wo-would you cr-cry?" The question caught Gibbs off guard and he blinked in surprise at his senior field agent. He opened his mouth, about to tell the other that he wasn't going to die, but noticing that Tony had fallen back asleep. Gibbs leant back in his chair, staring at the younger man, thoughts racing through his head.

~*~*~*~ Twilight ~*~*~*~

Tony sat quietly at his desk, going of his report. Every now and then his eyes would drift up and land on the now empty desk across from his, where Kate had been just a few weeks ago, before turning back to the papers in front of him.

He heard McGee sigh and looked up, noticing how rumpled he looked and the bags under the younger agents eyes, figuring he looked just as bad. Knowing that the other needed toget some rest he stood up and walked over to him, holding out his hand when he reached the side of the desk.

McGee looked up at him, his eyebrows drawn together as he gave Tony a confused look. Sighing softly to himself Tony looked down at him with an annoyed look in his eyes.

"Why don't you go get something to eat with Abby, McGee. I'll cover for you." Saying that McGee was stunned would be quite an understatement.

"Really Tony?" he asked cautiously, half expecting Tony to laugh at him and say 'Yeah right, not in a million years Probie'. But as he stared at the older agent he could see no signs of amusement.

"Yeah Tim, go ahead. Abby needs to be with someone right now anyways." Tony added as he waited for the younger agent to answer, surprising him when he used his given name. After a few seconds McGee smiled gratefully at Tony as he stood up and handed him his own report.

"Thanks Tony. Really." DiNozzo shurgged his shoulders, brushing off his graditude.

"Don't mention it. Ever." Nodding Tim then left the bullpen and headed to the elevators to go down to Abby. Sighing to himself once again, Tony sat down in the empty bullpen, with nothing but his thoughts to keep him company.

After a short while Gibbs came walking in the bullpen, new cup of coffee in his hand. He stood at his desk and set the coffee down, looking up and noticing the missing agent.

"Where's McGee?" he asked as he looked over to Tony. Said agent stood up, both reports in hand, and walked over to his boss' desk.

"Out with Abby, getting something to eat. I told him I would cover for him." Raising an eyebrow at his agents sudden act of kindness he took the reports and set them on his desk next to his coffee.

"Right." Opening one of the folders Gibbs looked down and started reading for a few seconds before he realized that Tony had not moved. He looked up and meet the youngers males green eyes. "Something on your mind DiNozzo?" The two stared at each other for a moment.

"If I left, would you miss me?" The question caught Gibbs off guard and he blinked in surprise at his senior field agent.

"What?" Suddenly realizing what he had asked Tony quickly shook his head.

"Nothing." He turned around and sat back down at his desk, avoiding Gibbs' eyes at all costs.

Gibbs watched his agent carefully for a few minutes before turning back to his work, glancing at the other every once in a while.

~*~*~*~ Faking It ~*~*~*~

"Geez DiNozzo, do you just go asking for trouble?" Gibbs asked once him and his team entered the bullpen. The younger agent walked to his desk, holding an ice-pack to the back of his head.

"Hey, it's not my fault Gibbs! He came up behind me! How was I supposed to know he would go AWOL?" Tony asked defensively as he looked up at his boss, his head pounding like a drum. Gibbs sighed to himself, not bothering to answer.

"Boss, I'm going to go and see if Abby needs any help." McGee said as he stood next to his desk.

"Well then go McGee, you don't need my permission." Gibbs stated, slightly annoyed.

"Uh, right boss." With that said McGee made his way quickly out of the bullpen and into the elevator. Tony chuckled at the him. "Get on that report DiNozzo! I want it done before it's tomorrow." Shaking his head Tony then started to get to work on his report for the day. leaving nothing out.

When he was done it was just the two in the bullpen, McGee still down with Abby and Ziva off doing who-knows-what. Standing up Tony walked over and handed Gibbs his report.

"Here you go boss." Gibbs looked up and took the folder handed to him, setting aside. He then met his agents eyes, his own narrowing.

"How are you holding up Tony?" Said male blinked at the use of his name before answering.

"Fine boss, just a bump on the head." Gibbs nodded his head and looked down the papers sitting in front of him.

"Should start focusing more, you're starting to get weak." With his eyes set on the papers Gibbs didn't catch the hurt look that appeared on Tony's face before it was quickly composed before anyone noticed.

"Sure boss."

~*~*~*~ Requiem ~*~*~*~

Tony gasped for breath and he sat down next to Gibbs, the hard wood underneath him making him slightly uncomfortable. Feeling something on his arm Tony looked over and saw that Gibbs had sat up and was now staring at him with an unreadable look in his eyes. Brushing it off Tony gave Gibbs his best grin.

"Bet you like me anymore now, huh boss?" He watched with slight confusion as Gibbs' eyes narrowed at him, suddenly turning hard and cold, just like the pier and water around them.

"No DiNozzo, I don't. Especially when you do a stupid stunt like this." Tony stared at Gibbs with surprise. "If you ever do something like this again, I'll make sure there won't be a next time. Understand?" Tony weakly nodded, beyond confused about Gibbs' sudden attitude.

~*~*~*~ Agent Afloat ~*~*~*~

Tony grinned as he watched McGee and Abby walk out of the bullpen. It was great to be back! He looked over at his boss as Gibbs checked something on his computer. With his grin still set in place, Tony walked over and stood in front of the desk.

"Come on Gibbs, you've got to be a little happy to see me!" Without looking up Gibbs smirked.

"Of course I'm happy Tony." Said agent's grin widened at the words. "It's great having my annoying senior feild agent back." Gibbs glanced at Tony who seemed to be confused and chuckled. He stood up and shut off his desk lamp and walked around, patting DiNozzo on the shoulder.

"See you in the morning Tony." he said in a softer tone before walking off, leaving his agent alone in the empty bullpen.

~*~*~*~ Years Later ~*~*~*~

Tony stared up at the ceiling as he lounge across the couch, running each though over and over in his mind. The sound of footsteps nearing him brought him out of his daze. He looked up and smiled softly as Gibbs walked in the room and over to him, beers in hand.

"Hey." Gibbs greeted as he handed a beer to Tony, who sat up to let the older man sit down. When Gibbs was comfortable Tony laid back down, his head resting in the others lap.

"Hey."

"What were you thinking about ealier?" Tony stared up at him.

"Do you remember when I fell out of that plane, and later you told me that I should find my sea legs because I was clumsy?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow at the other.

"Yeah."

"What about when you said that I weak and annoying. Or that I didn't mean anything to you or, that, I was annoying?" Gibbs' gawped at the younger male.

"Yeah, I do. What does all of this have to do anything?" Tony thought over what he was about to ask before throwing caution through the opened window.

"Why did you say those things?" Tony waited for Gibbs to say something but was slightly surprised when the older man smiled down at him.

"You want to know why?" Tony's nodded his head. "Alright, I'll tell you." As Gibbs shifted a little Tony sat up and faced him, waiting for him to speak.

"I said you're clumsy . . . so I can catch you when you fall." Tony's breath shortened at his words.

"I said you were weak . . . so I can always be there to protect you." Gibbs smiled a little as Tony's eyes widened.

"I said you didn't mean anything to me . . . because you mean everything to me." Tony's heart began to beat just a bit faster as Gibbs continued.

"I said you were annoying . . . because I could never get you off my mind."

"And If I remeber correctly, there was a few that I hadn't anwsered." At Tony's confused look Gibbs continued.

"If you left, I wouldn't miss you . . . I would be nothing without you." Tears began to well Tony's eyes.

"If you died, I wouldn't cry . . . I would die with you." Gibbs reached up and brushed away a tear, holding his hand lovingly against the others cheek.

"I said I didn't like you . . . because I love you." Tony smiled brightly as Gibbs finished and pulled the older man closer to him, letting their lips meet in between them. When they pulled back Tony's smile was set back in place.

"I love you too Jethro." Said male chuckled and pulled Tony closer, pushing their lips together once again.

"I know Tony. I know." The two smiled at each other before settling back down in the couch, happy to spend the rest of their life just as it was, with each other.

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TigerBlossom16: i hope you all enjoyed it!!! thanks for reading!