Fic: McGee is keeping a secret (2/2)
I want to thankslupoannaro for all the support.
Note: Not beta, english is not my first or second language. Sorry.
It had been a difficult night, it took almost four hours for Tony to fall asleep and by then the sun was starting to show up. Tim didn’t go to bed, he just made coffee and something to eat. His son would be asleep for about three hours and then will wake up wishing to take a bath and do it by himself.
But as he was finishing and going to see if Tony was still sleeping the bell rang and Tim paled.
“McGee?”
It was too early to do this. He was expecting to talk to Gibbs after lunchtime.
“McGee, open that door NOW”
He knew better than expect Gibbs to be patient. With a sigh and trembling hands he opened the door.
“Hi, boss” He saluted as if there were nothing wrong between them because technically, they were okay. Or not. If the glare that Gibbs was giving him was any indication. They were in troubles. Or Tim was in troubles to be more precise. “I wasn’t expecting you” Gibbs raised an eyebrow and Tim stuttered. “I mean…I, well you know…ummm…I knew you were coming but I didn’t know you were coming now…I mean you-“
"Shut up, Tim” Gibbs ordered before the younger man hurt himself trying to talk. He tried not to smile at the usual stuttering that always appeared when his young agent got nervous. “Coffee?”
Tim nodded and directed his boss to the kitchen. He ignored the glare his boss was sending him. He handed the coffee avoiding looking at his face and sat in the other side of the table.
Gibbs rolled his eyes. “Are we going to play this game all morning?” he said casually and hid a smile when Tim looked him with wide eyes. “You wake me up in the middle of the night and I couldn’t go back to sleep so is your fault if I’m a little quick-tempered today.”
Right, like he wasn’t quick-tempered all the time. Tim thought but knew better that said it out loud. “What do you want to know?”
Gibbs rolled his eyes, again, and Tim was starting to feel like a little kid. “I learnt a long time ago that with you I can only know what you want me to know” He smiled sadly. “I keep secrets too, but most of them you and the rest of the team already know”
McGee nodded. They found out about Shannon and Kelly some years ago. Ziva knew it before coming to the country, but Tim, Kate, and Abby only found out after a case.
Gibbs took his hand in his. “I think I know why you didn’t say anything before and I understand. But I’m your lover and you didn’t trust me. I know why you don’t trust the others, but you have sex with me, we have a relationship and that must count for something”
“I’m sorry” McGee knew his boss was right. Gibbs was his lover and he deserved to know that Tim had a child. But his fears were bigger and he decided to never let them know about Tony and now he regretted it.
Gibbs squeezed his hand and surprised him with a kiss. “I know you’re sorry and that you feel guilty for hurting him but-…”
“You talked with my parents?” McGee said surprised. “When and how? No no no…what did you talk with them?”
Gibbs laughed. “Your mother called me this morning. How she knew you called me last night? I have no idea. She tried to explain things to me but even if I know why you did it you need to explain all this to me Timmy” He wasn’t angry because after Tim’s call he was in shock and didn’t have time to think about getting mad because Mrs. McGee called early to warn him about what would be done to him if he didn’t listen to her son and let him explain why he never told him about Tony. “I’m not angry but I’ll be if you don’t start talking because I’m trying to be patient and stay calm but you know that’s not me”
“I know that, Jethro” Tim half smiled. It’s now or never.
“Tony’s seven years old, he has his mother eyes but my dad tells me he has my nose and I hope he’s wrong when he says Tony has my ears” He laughed when Gibbs touched his ears nodded his head.
“I do hope the boy doesn’t get those” Gibbs teased.
Tim pushed him lightly in his arm. “He loves color red. Actually he’s obsessed with color red. You better don’t give him a black sweater or blue socks because he’ll have a fit. He loves water a little too much for my linking so I have him in swimming lessons to keep him happy but away from any other kind of body of water…”
They talked for an hour about how Tony was and what he liked. Gibbs wasn’t mad at him, he just wanted to understand why Tim never felt secure enough to tell him about Tony; a child is something too important to hide.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Gibbs whispered.
Tim closed his eyes and with a heavy heart answered. “I never told you about him because I was afraid. Not just afraid of him getting hurt because of my job but getting hurt for who he is”
“What you mean?”
“He has autism” Tim said with severity. He put watched his lover to see his reaction and when the older man processed what he was told the young father took a defensive attitude. “There’s nothing wrong with him, he’s a normal child who needs more attention and patience. I don’t need your pity Gibbs so if you’re going to give me that look-…”
He was interrupted when he felt soft lips on his own.
Gibbs looked at his eyes and smiled with love. “Don’t worry, Timmy. I know there’s nothing wrong with Tony”
“You knew?” Tim frowned. “How did you…”
“I figured out that your son must have some kind of sickness. Not that he’s sick or anything” He hurried to say when he saw Tim was getting red faced. “Your mom told me that Tony needed attention and that your job was dangerous but required to pay for his needs. And she also told me that if I was going to yell and to act like a mad man then it was better for me to stay away because you could handle me but I would probably send Tony to a panic attack. So I figured something like this was the reason for you not to tell me” He kissed the younger man again. “And like I said, I know that there’s nothing wrong with Tony”
For the first time that morning Timmy smiled brightly and kissed Gibbs hard and fervently. But they parted apart where small feet were heard.
“I better get him before he decides to take a bath by himself” McGee hurried to Tonys room but Gibbs followed him with a small smile.
“I could help” He shrugged.
Gibbs didn’t go into direct contact with the kid but helped to prepare the bath and arrange his clothes and clear the table for when the kid was eating. While he did all that he paid attention at how loving was his lover with his child. His heart hurt when images of Kelly came to him but he refused to enter into sad memories when a beautiful child was in front of him. He could understand why Tim had lied about his life, the desire to protect your child makes you do anything and not matter how much trouble you get your child’s happiness and safety was the most important goal.
Here, sitting in a small table, watching a seven years old autistic child and his father eat breakfast he felt content. It was silly, but Gibbs felt happiness at that moment. So he said the words that had been trying to escape of his mouth for some time now.
“I love you”
Tim looked at him startled. “What?”
“Love you” Tony said softly but never took his eyes away from his food.
Gibbs laughed and Tony did it too. “Well, it seems like Tony and I have something in common”
Tim was shocked. Tony was interacting with Gibbs and this was the first time they saw eachother. And Gibbs loved him. Loved him. Him.
“I love you too” The young agent bit his lip.
Gibbs kissed him. “I know”
“I know” Tony repeated this time his eyes directed at the older man.
Tim kissed his son’s head and hugged him. “Daddy loves you, Tony” He said looking directly at his son. “I love you, Tony”
Gibbs and Tim shared a smiled over Tony’s head. “He’s acknowledging that you’re here. He knows you’re here”
Maybe thing would be okay after all.
And things went okay. After he told the team about Tony they didn’t speak to him for three weeks but they got in love with Tony the minute they saw him. Abby took the title of favorite aunt, even if Tony didn’t know what that was, the Goth girl was delighted that the young boy loved red so she bought him every red thing she was able to. Tony appeared to enjoy staying with Ducky and Abby when Tim had to travel but he obviously loved Gibbs presence.
When their relationship was out in the light nobody seemed surprised and Tim felt embarrassed because he sure didn’t want Tony to hear about how his father liked to have sex in the staff bathroom like everyone seemed to think and comment.
Vance decided to turn a blind eye and didn’t waste his energy trying to fight with Gibbs; he already knew it was a lost battle. And apparently Tony had captivated Vance’s cold heart because the director always asked about the young boy whenever he saw Tim.
Gibbs and Tim were officially living together. Gibbs moved to Tim’s place because of Tony’s necessity of stability. Every night when Tony went to bed and Gibbs was waiting for him Tim couldn’t believe that this was what he was afraid of. He knew his job was dangerous and what happened to Kelly still haunted Gibbs but together and with his family’s help they could keep Tony safe.
The end.