Adjusting (part5/6)
Title: Adjusting (part 5/?)
Rating: PG-13 (this chapter)
Pairing: Gibbs/DiNozzo (eventually)
Warning: I decided that Tony would have already been engaged and they had called it off before he met Gibbs.
A/N: Same...I decided to cut the chapters in half so instead of just 3, It'll be more like 5 or 6 :)
Characters: Sick!Tony, Concerned!Gibbs
Summary: Tony is determined to not let Gibbs know what's wrong, with the fear that he'll lose his job....and his chance with Gibbs.-crappy summary, please try it anyway :)
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"DiNozzo! What the fuck is going on?"
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Tony's eyes widened and he fidgeted around on the table.
"Oh, uh, Hi Boss" He said while looking at anything but Gibbs. He quickly fumbled with his sleeve, pulling it down, as if hiding the small bandage (from where Ducky took blood) would make this all go away. Gibbs just stared at him, pissed.
Ducky glanced between the two; tension in the air so thick you could almost see it. Ducky cleared his throat.
"I think I'll turn in for the night then." He said, grabbing his coat and bag, "See you two on Monday. Goodnight."
"Night Ducky." Tony said to the exiting ME, still avoiding Gibbs' stare.
After a few moments of tense silence, Tony rubbed the back of his neck and made to move off the table.
"You know I think I should be going too Boss-" Tony said. But then Gibbs was in front of him, pushing him back to the table.
"Sit." Gibbs said threateningly. Tony sat back down on the metal table, watching Gibbs nervously.
"Start talking."
"Well, you see Boss, this is noth-" Tony began before he was cut off by Gibbs slamming a hand down on the metal table.
"Damnit Tony! I know something is wrong! First the headaches and then the pills." Tony raised his eyebrows, not realizing Gibbs had noticed any of that. "And now your freak out back at the crime scene. I'm responsible for you out in the field and here; I always have your six. So if there's something wrong, I deserve to know about it! So don't you dare lie to me!" Gibbs said, looking at him darkly.
Tony stared at him, face unreadable. Then he said it.
"I'm HIV positive."
Gibbs blinked, stunned as the words hit him. Tony was looking at him, chewing his bottom lip, waiting for his reaction. Gibbs' mind was moving too fast and too slow at the same time.
"How?" Gibbs finally asked softly.
Tony let out what seemed to be a sigh of relief. "It's not what you think. I didn't get it from some random guy in the back of a club." Tony said.
"How?" Gibbs repeated, a little firmer.
Tony was quiet, staring at his hands, before he started talking.
"I....me and my fiancé...well, ex-fiancé....we didn't think we had to use.....you know, protection anymore. I mean, we were going to get married. We didn't have to worry about it." Tony paused, "But then I went to get tested....a month after, maybe? And that's when I found out....She got tested and she was infected too. We still don't know who gave it to who." Tony's hands were shaking. He pressed them hard against the cool metal underneath him, willing them to stop.
"The headaches and the insomnia and the weight loss are all from the meds." Tony said, finally daring to look at Gibbs' again. Gibbs still had the blank look of shock on his face.
"It won't interfere with work! I swear to god it won't! I'll do whatever I have to, to convince you! Just please, please don't fire me Boss" Tony pleaded. Gibbs didn't say anything, but his gaze softened even more.
"Please say something Boss." Tony said, looking into Gibbs' endless blue eyes and bracing himself for the worst.
Gibbs put a hand on Tony's shoulder and pulled him into something like a slight hug.
"Go home Tony." Gibbs said as he released him. Tony looked at him with wide eyes. Gibbs turned and headed toward the Autopsy doors.
"And you're not fired." He said as he passed through the doors. He needed to get away from the attractive young man with the big puppy dog eyes, who looked to Gibbs for everything or anything. He needed some time to work this all out with his boat.
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Tony was still sitting on the cold metal tables in Autopsy ten minutes after Gibbs left. He was staring at nothing in particular. He felt so stupid, but relieved at the same time. He couldn't get Gibbs' stare out of his head though. It was filled with concern and pity. It was a look he'd always hated, now, even more so.
He understood why people saw the need to pity him, HIV is a serious disease, but the doctors come out with new, better meds all the time. It's not a death sentence anymore. But people always seem to think that.
Most days, aside from some of the nasty side effects, he felt pretty normal. He acted pretty normal. He was normal. No one, that didn't know him, would ever guess he was positive. Not that he cared. He just didn't want anyone to pity him. He was comfortable with being positive. He'd been infected for almost two years now. He was used to the doctors and the pills and the having to carry band-aids in his back pocket, which he knew would've come in handy one day.
He just wasn't used to the telling people part yet. He didn't know if he ever would be. Especially, to people he cared about, like Gibbs or Abby. Which reminded him, Abby still didn't know. He felt a bit guilty about that. He considered her a friend and knew he should tell her. He would, eventually, just not today.
Tony sighed, picked up his jacket and scooted off the metal table. For the first time, he thought about how close Gibbs' body had been to him through that whole thing. And the "hug". Tony blushed faintly. Then he shook his head.
There was no way Gibbs would want him know that he knew all that.
Tony sighed and headed home.
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End Part 5
One part left!
Any thoughts?