Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS.

A/N: Very sappy. Credit for Colour Me Epic goes to one of my friends over on .

Caffeinated Hearts

By: Rachel LM

Tony spared a glance over at the package sitting in his passenger's seat. He'd spent at least six hours the day before at a small pottery painting shop in the middle of DC called Colour Me Epic. All in all, it had been an interesting experience. You'd be amazed at just how many will stop and stare at a thirty-something year old man painting a coffee mug with the words World's Best Boss painted on the front.

Now he was on his way to what he knew as Gibbs' Favorite Coffee Shop to get some, well, coffee for Gibbs. They had been (what they steadily refuse to call) "dating" for almost two years. Nobody outside the two of them, Abby, and Gibbs' father knew about it. They had gotten in a habit of finding inconspicuous ways of showing their love at work. Gibbs had started leaving tiny gifts on Tony's desk a few weeks back and Tony decided it was time he returned the favor.

He pulled into the parking lot and climbed out of his Mustang, grabbing the mug as he went. Walking inside he set the mug on the counter, flashed a magnificent smile at the girl working the register, and said "Fill 'er up."

-SCENE-

Gibbs yawned, took a deep breath, put on his "I'm the man" face, and stepped purposefully out of the elevator. He strode to his desk and quickly noticed the mug sitting in front of his computer. He noticed that from this side it looked hand-painted and walked around to the other side of his desk to investigate further. That's what he does after all.

Gibbs smiled as he saw the words World's Best Boss painted on the front and he immediately realized who had put it there.

The words were painted as neat as he knew DiNozzo could manage in white paint with the rest of the mug painted black. He picked it up to realize it was filled with coffee. DiNozzo wouldn't have gone out of his way to go to Gibbs' favorite shop, would he?

Gibbs took a sip of the still steaming coffee and his smile widened. He would. He set the mug down as his phone rang.

"Gibbs." he answered and as he was speaking his agents arrived within moments of each other and he definitely caught the way DiNozzo didn't make eye contact or even look in his general direction a single time.

"Grab your gear, we've got a case."

-SCENE-

And it was one hell of a case, though they were able to knock it out in a day flat. But then again, any case that ended in a dead hostage and a foot chase not only physically drained Gibbs, but also emotionally drained him. Gibbs came back to sit at his desk, prepared to read through reports from their last case. That's when he remembered the coffee mug from Tony. Even though it was cold by now he drank the rest of the coffee because anything from the younger man warmed him on the inside no matter what.

Gibbs pulled the cup away from his mouth and noticed there was something at the bottom. Upon further inspection he found it to be a small red heart with JETHRO painted in the middle of it.

For the third time today Gibbs smiled because of DiNozzo and he whispered, "Love you too, Tony."