34. Unexpected Partners (Tom Morrow)
Kate and Vivian were fanning themselves and talking, well, gossiping about something. Gibbs hated when they went into girly mode because it was enough to make him want to shoot something. Although, having been married as many times as he had, Gibbs was smart enough not to voice that opinion.
“Did you see that guy?” Kate said, her voice a little breathy, which was plain odd to hear. Todd was more the plain-talking straight-laced type at work.
Viv smirked at her workmate. “You mean GQ who breezed through the office like there was no one who could compete with him?”Ah, now Gibbs understood who they meant and he shared a smirk with Stan, who just sighed catching on to who the girls were gossiping about at the same time. Poor Stan, he would never get the same looks as young Anthony would.
“Agent Blackadder, Agent Todd, am I paying you to gossip?” Gibbs said sharply, his voice promising he would happily unleash his inner bastard.They both flushed but Kate recovered first. “I have the financials you asked for.”
Viv was always the boldest of his agents. “Do you know who walked up to the Director’s office?”Gibbs smirked because if his agents hadn’t learnt to ask the right questions then he refused to give them pointers. “Yes I do, now get back to work.”&*&*&*&*&*&
Gibbs smirked the whole way up the Director’s office and tapped on it. “So you just had to cause a stir at the office, didn’t you Tony?”Tony looked up from his takeaway. “I have no idea what you are talking about Jethro. Pull up a chair and listen to how good your team is at investigating.”“Your recording them?” Gibbs asked, vexed that none of the Agents had picked up the bug he must have dropped.
Tony smirked at his friend and was only all too happy to explain what he did. “They were so busy staring at my ass in these jeans, Burley included, they missed the rubbish I dropped in the waste bin.”Gibbs shook his head in exasperation as he took the coffee offered. He looked at Tom and just had to say. “Of all the Agents you could have started dating, it had to be Tony. You knew I wanted him for my team.”Tony snickered at Gibbs' expression. “Hey you know it was my fault, I wore Tom down and we’re happy. Accept it and move on Mr. Grumpy.”
Gibbs sighed. “Accepted it as I have no choice and at least you bring good food and coffee as penance.”Tony smirked. “And besides Homeland turned out to be a better fit for my skills.”
Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Yeah, and you live to give the SecNav a fit every time you accompany Tom to an award evening.”Tony smirked because the current SecNav was both the reason why he and Tom were together and also the reason why he never joined NCIS in the end. It was all SecNav’s fault, and he was bitter each time the Homeland Director gleefully reminded him.
The radio was recording the conversations. “Come on Burley, you know something. I saw the look you shared with Gibbs.”“Rule Four,” Stan said with glee in his voice to Blackadder.
Tony and Gibbs both snickered and Tony had to add. “And you said he had no backbone!”Gibbs rolled his eyes. “It took you telling him to speak up.”Tony shrugged. “Some people just need a push in the right direction.”
Tom knew that comment was directed at him. He’d liked Tony from the very start but thought at twenty years his senior, he had no business chasing the younger man. It had been Tony who had dissuaded him of that opinion with a very vocal, and then very physical demonstration of why his notion was stupid.
Tony smirked unrepentant at his lover and added, “And aren’t you glad I gave you that push?”
It was as close as they would come to discussing their relationship at one of their places of work. “Every damn day.”
Tony grinned, incandescent for a brief second before getting up. “Well, lunchtime is over. I better get back to the grindstone.”
Morrow uncaring of Gibbs being in the room pecked his lover on the lips. “See you tonight.”“Bye darlin’.”And with that comment - Agent DiNozzo waltzed out of NCIS as bright as when he came into it. Gibbs looked at Tom once more. “I still hate you for losing me DiNozzo.”“I know Jethro but I can’t find it in myself to be sorry. You really should have a word with your agents about situational awareness.” Tom added because he had a mischievous side.
“Let me guess, you don’t want the bug removed?” Gibbs said as he got up to leave. Morrow smirked. “I have an afternoon of boring paperwork, allow an old man his indulgences.”
Gibbs rolled his eyes. “You’re just waiting until the next political mixer to rub it in Jarvis’ face that he get it wrong.”Morrow snorted. “No, I will leave it to Tony, he can get away with more than we can as Jarvis is not his boss.”Gibbs smirked all the way back down to the bullpen. He waited until he sat back in his chair to face the stares. “Can I help you?”
“Do you know GQ?”Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Yes, I do and GQ has a name and likes to be called by it.”Viv’s eyes glinted with the scent of a chance. “And what is his name?”Gibbs smirked before answering. “Feel free to ask the Director.”Burley spat his coffee out at that comment, knowing how well that would go. “I forget how much of a bastard you can be sometimes Gibbs.”“And proud of it ... now back to work.”&*&*&*&*&*&*
The Awards evening had only one highlight to it. He could enjoy Jarvis' blood pressure rising to a point where he was hoping his head might explode. “Evening Sir.”Morrow turned around. “Agent Gibbs, you are here. Well, thanks to that I have secured a decent pot of money that I will share with you in the morning.”
Gibbs smirked, he wasn’t much for a dog and pony show, but he did love to fuck with people’s expectations. He considered it a hobby.
The announcer spoke the next person’s name. “Agent Anthony DiNozzo.”And oh boy, Tony was not shy and never saw a reason to be but tonight the man had made an effort. Gibbs snickered at how dumbstruck Tom looked for a second. Gibbs being a bastard said. “You better go greet your boy before other people get ideas.”Morrow gave him a glare but was already moving to greet Tony. They kept it low key not out of shame but they were not demonstrative people in public, their relationship was theirs and nobody’s business but their own.
Kate stepped up behind Gibbs. “Morrow and GQ?”
Gibbs could almost hear the disappointment in her voice. “Yep and they are sickening. You would have no chance. Although, you might make a friend if you call him, Tony. He hates being objectified by how he looks.”
She flushed at rebuke but it was a fair one. She watched as Morrow pulled Tony onto the dance floor, and their chemistry was electric. It didn’t bother them that people were staring, they were just focussed on each other.“How on Earth did all this happen?”Gibbs smirked. “Well, now that is a story for another time. Come on, let’s show them how it’s done.”