Fic: Emotions & Secrets
Title: Emotions and Secrets
Fandom: NCIS
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tony/Abby, McGee/Ziva (implied)
Word Count: ~1500
Age Rating: G
Authors Notes: Story is un-beta’d but has been proofread through twice by myself, a self proclaimed grammar whore. Written for tabby_season Thing-a-Thon, for trinity_destler, using the requested prompt 'McGee's reaction to the existence of a serious Tabby relationship'.
Summary: Tony debates on how to share the secret he's been holding and it's more than just his own.
It was still significantly early in the squad room and while it was not unusual for Tony to be working when everyone else wasn't; it wasn't like him to be there, just sitting at his desk and staring into space when Ziva walked in.
"Tony? Are you alright?" she asked as she dropped her bag at her desk and made her way over to him.
"I don't know. I think I've been trying to figure that one out for myself since I woke up," he said, looking at her but not really looking.
Ziva frowned slightly as she tried to see if she could get a feel for what was going on. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
Tony opened his mouth to answer but closed it quickly. "I don't know," he said again. "I don't know how everyone would react if I told them."
"Who is them?"
He glanced away. "You, Gibbs, Ducky...McGee..."
"I am sure that whatever it is, we all would not think differently of you," she smiled again.
He nodded slowly before turning his attention to his computer, opening his email to get started on his work that he put off. "Yeah. I'll have to think about it some more," he sighed.
As the morning dragged on with the usual mundane paperwork and reviewing cold case files, McGee and Ziva continued to give their teammate and friend concerned looks as Tony appeared distracted, flipping back and forth through files like he forgot he read the pages just a few moments before.
Gibbs didn't appear as worried other than the occasional questioning look in his senior agent's direction. After a few more aggravated rustles of papers in the files, he finally had enough. "DiNozzo. Go see if Abbs needs a hand with anything," he said, looking at the man.
Tony looked at his boss and mentor for a moment, silent communication between them and the look in his face, he knew that Gibbs knew. He also knew that by he had his mentor's blessing in that look, making him smile.
As he made his way down in the elevator, he let out a deep breath and still felt lost in how to say anything to anyone formally. He hoped and prayed that Abby had an idea because he was at a loss. Still, his frustration was abated, if only temporarily, when he spotted her bouncing around her lab to her music. A quick glance around revealed the area to be empty except for the two of them before sneaking in and making his way to her side to drop a kiss to her neck causing her to jump.
"Tony! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, pulling away and looking around after his sudden move.
"I just had to. The coast was clear and had an opening. Can't blame me," he smiled.
"I know but I thought we were supposed to be careful at work, no matter what," she said more quietly as she looked at him intently.
Tony smiled as he stepped back up to her and set his hands on her shoulders. "Well, Gibbs sent me down here. He - knows. I think. But that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?" Abby asked carefully.
He sighed and glanced over his shoulder before turning back to her. "I want to tell them. I don't want to be hiding anymore. They deserve to know, especially McGee."
She turned to lean back against the counter as she thought about it before sighing. "Okay, let's tell them," she said simply.
"What? Just like that?" he questioned as he stared at her in disbelief.
"Yeah. Let's go up there now!" Abby grinned as she pushed herself away and started for the door just as Tony grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
"Maybe we should have them come down here. Less prying eyes and in case one of them freaks out and all."
"You're right. Want me to call them down now?"
"Sure. Why not?" she asked.
Tony blinked as he tried to find the words to say why not but couldn't in that moment and she was already on the phone speaking to Gibbs, asking everyone to come down. He somehow managed to find a stool to sit on while he stared into space absently in his state of shock. Shock that she was actually going forward with it.
Several minutes later the rest of the team minus Ducky and Palmer was in the lab, looking at the two curiously. Well, Ziva and McGee were. Gibbs sipped his coffee waiting for the confession much like he did up in interrogation without the need to say a word. His piercing eyes performing the interrogation of intimidation all on their own.
"What is going on?" Ziva asked innocently as she looked at her friends.
"Uh - uh," Tony stammered with a hesitant smile. "There - um, is something that you all should know..."
"Abby?" McGee asked looking from his teammate to his friend confused at the usually confident man. "You know what's his problem?"
"Maybe you should see Tim," she said carefully, her fingers playing with each other as she made her way to Tony's side. "Tony and I have a confession to tell you guys. You know we love you all, right?"
"Abby...?"
She looked at Tony who avoided looking at their friend they knew who still held strong emotions for the girl. "Tony and I … well we've been sort of dating the last couple months."
Ziva's eyes lit up with a combination of recognition of their behavior and understanding. "That is why we have not been hearing of your new interest. You're always going on in detail but this time you been keeping it secret."
"Yeah," Tony said softly, smiling weakly as Abby wrapped her arms around him. "It - was gradual, not like sudden or anything. Uh - to be honest, we had a couple dates before years ago and only just started again like two months ago, well more seriously."
McGee was quiet as he tried to digest the information, unsure of how he felt. It almost felt like a blow to the gut for him that his friend and teammate went behind his back like that, no matter how much he knew it wasn't the truth. He knew that they would not have intentionally hurt him but it still did.
Gibbs smiled with a nod. "Keep it out of the office and it shouldn't be a problem," he said in a soft voice as he kissed Abby's forehead.
Ziva turned in time just to see McGee quietly turn to leave without a word. Looking at Tony and Abby, she could see the sadness and disappointment in their eyes before going off after him.
"You know there are going to be new rules around here for the two of you," Gibbs started in on them before they could react about their friend, opening the conversation that was much needed for the change of dynamic in their family.
It was much later in the evening that McGee finally spoke to Tony in the bullpen after Ziva and him shared a long conversation. Catching him at his desk after Ziva left for the day and Gibbs was talking to the Director, he frowned.
"I never meant to hurt you. Its just..." Tony started to say before McGee shook his head.
"No. I understand. I do. It - hurts. I admit. But - at least I know Abby would be treated right, I guess. It'll take some getting used to. You've changed a lot the last year or two with everything and as long as Abby, and you, are happy, I can be happy for you guys as well," he said.
"Well - thanks. Um, do you want to come over to my place? Have a beer, play some cards or something?" Tony asked, pulling his coat on.
McGee took a deep breath as he considered it. "Not tonight. But thanks. Another time maybe. I uh, Ziva invited me over earlier and I promised her already," he said, blushing slightly.
DiNozzo narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding. "Sure. Just be careful. She has knives hidden in her couch. Don't want to get accidentally stabbed in the rear now would you? And - if Gibbs found out about you two, I have your back."
Tim's eyes grew large as he stumbled on his words in denial but it was useless. He knew Tony was more skilled at reading people than he was and in that, he knew that in the end he would be okay with everything. Emotions was a funny thing sometimes. To love more than one in more than one way.
Fandom: NCIS
Character(s)/Pairing(s): Tony/Abby, McGee/Ziva (implied)
Word Count: ~1500
Age Rating: G
Authors Notes: Story is un-beta’d but has been proofread through twice by myself, a self proclaimed grammar whore. Written for tabby_season Thing-a-Thon, for trinity_destler, using the requested prompt 'McGee's reaction to the existence of a serious Tabby relationship'.
Summary: Tony debates on how to share the secret he's been holding and it's more than just his own.
It was still significantly early in the squad room and while it was not unusual for Tony to be working when everyone else wasn't; it wasn't like him to be there, just sitting at his desk and staring into space when Ziva walked in.
"Tony? Are you alright?" she asked as she dropped her bag at her desk and made her way over to him.
"I don't know. I think I've been trying to figure that one out for myself since I woke up," he said, looking at her but not really looking.
Ziva frowned slightly as she tried to see if she could get a feel for what was going on. "Do you wish to talk about it?"
Tony opened his mouth to answer but closed it quickly. "I don't know," he said again. "I don't know how everyone would react if I told them."
"Who is them?"
He glanced away. "You, Gibbs, Ducky...McGee..."
"I am sure that whatever it is, we all would not think differently of you," she smiled again.
He nodded slowly before turning his attention to his computer, opening his email to get started on his work that he put off. "Yeah. I'll have to think about it some more," he sighed.
As the morning dragged on with the usual mundane paperwork and reviewing cold case files, McGee and Ziva continued to give their teammate and friend concerned looks as Tony appeared distracted, flipping back and forth through files like he forgot he read the pages just a few moments before.
Gibbs didn't appear as worried other than the occasional questioning look in his senior agent's direction. After a few more aggravated rustles of papers in the files, he finally had enough. "DiNozzo. Go see if Abbs needs a hand with anything," he said, looking at the man.
Tony looked at his boss and mentor for a moment, silent communication between them and the look in his face, he knew that Gibbs knew. He also knew that by he had his mentor's blessing in that look, making him smile.
As he made his way down in the elevator, he let out a deep breath and still felt lost in how to say anything to anyone formally. He hoped and prayed that Abby had an idea because he was at a loss. Still, his frustration was abated, if only temporarily, when he spotted her bouncing around her lab to her music. A quick glance around revealed the area to be empty except for the two of them before sneaking in and making his way to her side to drop a kiss to her neck causing her to jump.
"Tony! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed, pulling away and looking around after his sudden move.
"I just had to. The coast was clear and had an opening. Can't blame me," he smiled.
"I know but I thought we were supposed to be careful at work, no matter what," she said more quietly as she looked at him intently.
Tony smiled as he stepped back up to her and set his hands on her shoulders. "Well, Gibbs sent me down here. He - knows. I think. But that's kinda what I wanted to talk to you about."
"What do you mean?" Abby asked carefully.
He sighed and glanced over his shoulder before turning back to her. "I want to tell them. I don't want to be hiding anymore. They deserve to know, especially McGee."
She turned to lean back against the counter as she thought about it before sighing. "Okay, let's tell them," she said simply.
"What? Just like that?" he questioned as he stared at her in disbelief.
"Yeah. Let's go up there now!" Abby grinned as she pushed herself away and started for the door just as Tony grabbed her hand and pulled her back.
"Maybe we should have them come down here. Less prying eyes and in case one of them freaks out and all."
"You're right. Want me to call them down now?"
"Sure. Why not?" she asked.
Tony blinked as he tried to find the words to say why not but couldn't in that moment and she was already on the phone speaking to Gibbs, asking everyone to come down. He somehow managed to find a stool to sit on while he stared into space absently in his state of shock. Shock that she was actually going forward with it.
Several minutes later the rest of the team minus Ducky and Palmer was in the lab, looking at the two curiously. Well, Ziva and McGee were. Gibbs sipped his coffee waiting for the confession much like he did up in interrogation without the need to say a word. His piercing eyes performing the interrogation of intimidation all on their own.
"What is going on?" Ziva asked innocently as she looked at her friends.
"Uh - uh," Tony stammered with a hesitant smile. "There - um, is something that you all should know..."
"Abby?" McGee asked looking from his teammate to his friend confused at the usually confident man. "You know what's his problem?"
"Maybe you should see Tim," she said carefully, her fingers playing with each other as she made her way to Tony's side. "Tony and I have a confession to tell you guys. You know we love you all, right?"
"Abby...?"
She looked at Tony who avoided looking at their friend they knew who still held strong emotions for the girl. "Tony and I … well we've been sort of dating the last couple months."
Ziva's eyes lit up with a combination of recognition of their behavior and understanding. "That is why we have not been hearing of your new interest. You're always going on in detail but this time you been keeping it secret."
"Yeah," Tony said softly, smiling weakly as Abby wrapped her arms around him. "It - was gradual, not like sudden or anything. Uh - to be honest, we had a couple dates before years ago and only just started again like two months ago, well more seriously."
McGee was quiet as he tried to digest the information, unsure of how he felt. It almost felt like a blow to the gut for him that his friend and teammate went behind his back like that, no matter how much he knew it wasn't the truth. He knew that they would not have intentionally hurt him but it still did.
Gibbs smiled with a nod. "Keep it out of the office and it shouldn't be a problem," he said in a soft voice as he kissed Abby's forehead.
Ziva turned in time just to see McGee quietly turn to leave without a word. Looking at Tony and Abby, she could see the sadness and disappointment in their eyes before going off after him.
"You know there are going to be new rules around here for the two of you," Gibbs started in on them before they could react about their friend, opening the conversation that was much needed for the change of dynamic in their family.
It was much later in the evening that McGee finally spoke to Tony in the bullpen after Ziva and him shared a long conversation. Catching him at his desk after Ziva left for the day and Gibbs was talking to the Director, he frowned.
"I never meant to hurt you. Its just..." Tony started to say before McGee shook his head.
"No. I understand. I do. It - hurts. I admit. But - at least I know Abby would be treated right, I guess. It'll take some getting used to. You've changed a lot the last year or two with everything and as long as Abby, and you, are happy, I can be happy for you guys as well," he said.
"Well - thanks. Um, do you want to come over to my place? Have a beer, play some cards or something?" Tony asked, pulling his coat on.
McGee took a deep breath as he considered it. "Not tonight. But thanks. Another time maybe. I uh, Ziva invited me over earlier and I promised her already," he said, blushing slightly.
DiNozzo narrowed his eyes slightly before nodding. "Sure. Just be careful. She has knives hidden in her couch. Don't want to get accidentally stabbed in the rear now would you? And - if Gibbs found out about you two, I have your back."
Tim's eyes grew large as he stumbled on his words in denial but it was useless. He knew Tony was more skilled at reading people than he was and in that, he knew that in the end he would be okay with everything. Emotions was a funny thing sometimes. To love more than one in more than one way.