Category: Slash. And angst. Lots and lots of angst.

Rating: This part - kids welcome - G or less

Characters: Gibbs/DiNozzo

Series: No

Spoilers: None intended but anything might get a mention

Summary: Sometimes you just need to sleep.

Archive: Just tell me where it's going

Additional `stuff': My first fic based around NCIS. Apparently, that could be a Medic Alert bracelet around Gibbs' wrist.

Title: Tough love Part Three

`Kate, Tony and I are going to…uh…out.' Gibbs said, walking and talking quickly, not wanting any questions as he steered Tony past his desk just long enough to pick up his overnight bag.

Deep in thought, Kate nodded distractedly. `Okay.'

McGee looked up, caught Gibbs' gaze for a split second and hurriedly lowered his eyes.

Tony sat with his bag on his lap, lay back in the seat and closed his eyes. Gibbs looked across once or twice but he couldn't work out whether Tony was sleeping or faking. He didn't disturb him. It wasn't far to the house and he didn't mind not having the background noise of Tony's incessant chatter.

`We're here.' Gibbs said unnecessarily as the car pulled to a stop outside his garage.

Tony sighed deeply, stretched and opened his eyes. `Uh…boss…this is your house.'

Gibbs nodded and got out of the car, lifting Tony's bag off his lap. `Yeah. Hurry up.'

Yawning and moving stiffly, Tony climbed out of the car. His tiredness dissipated rapidly as he wondered why they had stopped off at Gibbs place. It wasn't exactly on the way to his apartment. However, with Gibbs already inside, there wasn't time to question him. Following him inside, Tony rubbed the back of his aching neck as he waited in the hallway.

`Get up here!'

Tony flinched at Gibbs' sharp instruction and climbed the stairs slowly, the effort of putting one foot in front of the other almost too much, tired as he was. Arriving in the doorway through which he could hear movement he staggered and Gibbs caught his arm. `Easy…come on.'

Tony sighed and dropped onto the newly-made bed in what appeared to be a room Gibbs used to store his exercise equipment and other boxed stuff Tony couldn't guess at. Gibbs pushed his shoulder and was concerned at how easily Tony simply lay down, curling up on top of the bedclothes. Pushing and shoving him, pulling at the sheets, Gibbs managed to get him under the sheet and blanket, contenting himself with pulling off Tony's shoes before leaving him to sleep.

Turning to leave, Gibbs heard Tony's voice, soft and sleepy as he snuggled into the pillow. `Soft sheets.'

He smiled and pulled the blanket further up Tony's shoulder. `Shut up and sleep Tony.'

Voice barely a whisper, Tony nodded against the pillow. `Yes boss.'

Gibbs read the paper, watched a videotaped football game from a few days earlier, drank several cups of coffee, called Ducky and had a sandwich before he heard sounds from the room above. He got up, climbed the stairs and looked into the bedroom. `Hey.'

Tony smiled sleepily. `Is it still the same day?'

Gibbs nodded. `Yeah. Just. Hungry?'

Tony shook his head. `Nah.'

Gibbs voice dropped. `Don't care. Get up. Get downstairs. Dinner's almost ready.'

`What're we having?'

`Stew.'

Tony wrinkled his nose. `You cooked stew?'

Gibbs stared directly at the younger man. `You have five minutes or its going in the trash.'

Tony sat up quickly. `I'm coming!'

*

Tony sat back, rubbing his belly. `Mmmm…that was…uh…where d'ya learn to cook like that?' He tore into the last chunk of bread Gibbs had cut to go with the rich stew, chewing slowly.

Gibbs nodded at the kitchen door. Visible through the half-open door was a shelf of cookbooks. `One of those.'

Swallowing a mouthful of iced water with the bread, Tony yawned. `Sorry.'

Gibbs smiled. `I won't take it personally. Walk around for a bit then you can get an early night.'

Tony frowned. `I just got up!'

Gibbs nodded. `Yeah…and until you can sit for five minutes without yawning, you're gonna go back to bed. Up!'

Reluctantly Tony pulled himself to his feet and walked around the couch and coffee table before yawning again. Silently Gibbs handed him a bottle of water and nodded at the stairs. `Go.'

Tony yawned again. `You wanna hand with the dishes?'

Gibbs got up. `Upstairs. Now.'

Tony decided it wasn't something he was going to argue about. The sheets really were soft. And they smelled like he thought fabric would smell if you used fabric softener. Which he didn't.

As he lay down, Tony put it on the shopping list in his mind. He fell asleep wondering which one the boss used. And why.

Continued in Part Four… Tough Love Part Four...click here

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