FIC: Heat 10
<<-- Part 9
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Part 10 (revised)
“Do you need to void? You know the drill: Use the facilities, shower and then we'll have you cleaned up and ready for bed in no time, you'll see.”
Tony had been listlessly following every instruction, his thoughts circling uselessly around a certain silver haired male.
That was a little bit too much good cheer to be believable, even for the Duckman, but Tony was too numb and too tired to do anything else but follow this suggestion. His body felt bad enough on its own, he didn't need to add filthy to the negative column of today's accounting. A lot of soap and hot water later Tony stepped out of the big shower stall, feeling more like his pre-heat self again.
Ducky opened his mouth and Tony held up one hand, it was to the young male's disgust trembling slightly, interrupting him before he could say anything else. “If the next words I hear from you are 'How do you feel, dear boy?' like this was just another day, I will shake you until your teeth rattle.”
“Then I will refrain from doing so. There has been too much violence today already. Now, turn around please. Oh my, I will have words with Jethro; he should have taken more care. At least you are nearly opened fully.”
“Nearly opened fully?!” Tony repeated. “You're his physician as well so don't tell me you are clueless about his ...assets. You're the one who haunted me about stretching beforehand. At times it felt like if he'd reach any deeper inside me, I would feel him nudge against my heart! And I can't believe I just said that aloud. McPrudish complains about too much information sharing? He hasn't heard anything yet.”
Instead of commenting the palomino altered his touch. “Feel that?”
“Ouch!”
“That's the remains of your hymen. It hasn't been so much torn as mainly shoved aside. It will take a few more mountings to rub it away completely.” Ducky explained.
The itching and feeling of burning up had receded. Not stopped, not really, Tony could feel it waiting in the background to flare up again. His insides were mournfully cramping around nothing. “Oh, I forgot. The geisha balls are somewhere in the arena.”
“Don't worry about it, the clean-up crew will find them and deliver them to us. We won't use the balls tonight anyway; Jethro told me he does not like you wearing them. Considering your tattered condition that is not a bad idea at all.”
The doctor busied himself with applying something icy that smelled medicinal.
Tony shifted his weight. He was beginning to feel a little better. “Ducky?” he hesitantly asked.
“Yes?”
“I thought Gibbs... should have come with us back to our quarters. I got the impression that he was kind of pissed at me? Not that it would be something new per se, but.... Any idea why?”
A minute went by and Tony was beginning to think the older male would for once not share his opinion.
When Ducky began to speak he sounded cautious. “Anthony, this is not Gibbs the Agent who you're used to face in the office every day.”
“The lack of pumpkin orange color on the walls has clued me in already Ducky.”
Ducky sighed. “You don't understand. Here at the Gathering Plains he is a Guardian, among his peers, behaves like one and expects a certain behavior from you in return. Guardians are hardwired to be dominant and caring towards prospective mates. He chose you. You fought for the chance to be presented to him and won, no matter that you weren't aware of it at the time. If you really want him, on a permanent basis, you don't have to prove anything anymore apart from being able to fit his body and souls' needs. All your struggling is just riling him up and makes him question that you are fully committed to mating with him. At least that's my guess.”
“If I'd surrendered when he entered the arena he would have reacted differently? Is that what you are trying to tell me?”
Ducky hesitated and blinked at him earnestly over the rims of his glasses. “I'm not a fortune teller but I've witnessed a lot during my life and I've known Jethro for quite some time. No, you were right to make him stake his claim but after he removed the geisha balls any struggling is considered a sign that you don't accept him.”
Oh. “Do you really think if I act like a perfect mate it will please him? I mean, Shannon must have been his mate and I can't compete with that. Wrong coat color, for one thing. Not that I wish I could transform into a redhead; or a woman, I like my dick. OK, I like my new bits too, when they are not cramping, or you know, leaking. That's embarrassing. But I'm still no one’s ideal mate and-”
Thankfully Ducky interrupted him before Tony could embarrass himself further with his babbling. “No Anthony.”
No? Despite his own reservations Tony felt as if he's been punched in the gut by Ducky agreeing with him.
Ducky had seen his reaction and hastened to clarify his statement. “Shannon, Hades take care of her soul, was without a doubt Jethro's mate in the past, but you can become his mate now. Different to her but just as cherished. Be yourself, don't act, don't try to guess what he might want and fake it, Jethro will detect any falsehood and won't appreciate it. You trust him?”
That was a no-brainer. Tony nodded.
“Then my advice is to relax and let him lead. Enjoy.”
That was easier said than done. Ducky sounded very sure, Tony wished he could be just as certain. He watched the soft smile playing around the older centaur's lips and the twinkle in his eyes. “Did you call the boss to let him know that I'm in trouble?”
In hindsight it was obvious that his boss and the M.E had been in contact with each other somehow during the last week, Ducky had been distracted and less concerned the two days before Gibbs had appeared in the arena, he must have anticipated him showing up.
“Jethro asked me, before we left DC, to keep him updated on how you were doing. I guessed that he was planning something, but not the particulars.”
Knowing that would have spared Tony a lot of heartache. “And you didn't think I'd want to know about that little fact?”
“You seemed to be quite cross with Jethro and I didn't want to aggravate you further. If you remember, you were very against discussing our fearless leader in any capacity and certainly not connected to matters of the heart.”
Yes, he had been. Tony uneasily let his eyes roam around the room. Something was still eluding him. His right hand rose reflexively to rub over the back of his head and then he got it. His eyes settled on the empty box that held pride of place on the middle of a shelf.
The hormones really must have addled his brain. “I'm an idiot.” A handmade, beautiful wooden box. Clean lines, its gorgeous surface sanded to perfection. Functional. He went over to the shelf and opened it. The sides had been fitted together with some fancy carpentry work. Dovetailed, Tony thought it was called. No nails had been used at all to make this piece. It had taken a lot of dedication and skill to craft the box. And time. No way had it been finished within a few days. No power tools involved, Tony would bet his Corvette on it.
The box had been a gesture; it was Tony's turn to reciprocate.
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Part 11 -->>