Fic: Two Masters - 20/22

[xanthefic]

Two Masters
By Xanthe
Part Twenty

Gibbs set his internal body clock to wake him in two hours – this was a trick he'd somehow acquired in the Corps. As a sniper, he'd often found himself holed up behind enemy lines, grabbing sleep on the run. It wasn't safe to set his watch alarm – any kind of noise could give his position away - so he'd learned to wake himself, on cue, at the appointed time.

He woke after two hours to find Tony had moved in his sleep and was now lying, in a foetal position, on his own side of the bed. Gibbs pulled back the blankets and smacked his sub's ass lightly – once on each butt cheek.

Tony made a startled noise and turned, blinking blearily. "Whaaaa?"

"What's my name?" Gibbs demanded, leaning over his sub.

"Uh…" Tony gazed at him blankly. "Your name? Your name is 'Boss', Boss," he mumbled. Gibbs rolled his eyes and slapped his ass again. "Oh…uh…Leroy Jethro Gibbs," Tony said hurriedly, snapping into wakefulness.

Gibbs fired off a couple more basic questions, which Tony answered promptly and correctly. His sub looked tired, but his eyes were focussed and alert.

"I'm fine…can we go back to sleep now?" Tony asked, his eyelids drooping. He moved towards Gibbs and snuggled against him.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Gibbs asked, holding up four.

Tony didn't open his eyes. "Three," he muttered.

Gibbs smacked his ass harder than before, four times. "How many swats was that?"

"Ow. Four." Tony nuzzled into his neck, making it impossible to remain remotely annoyed with him. Gibbs settled back down beside him. "You gonna fuck me now?" Tony muttered sleepily.

"What?" Gibbs asked incredulously. "You're thinking about sex after taking a beating like that a few hours ago?"

"Mmmm." Tony's lips found his in the darkness. "Been a week, Boss. Didn't come all week. Horny." He pressed himself against Gibbs. "Missed being in this bed. Missed you inside me. Missed you."

"You didn't come all week?" Gibbs queried, surprised.

"Nope. Wanted to stick to the rules, even though I walked out and left the collar behind, Boss. Can't come 'less you're inside me. Want you inside me, Boss."

Gibbs gave a startled hiss as Tony's hand found his cock and began to stroke. Gibbs grabbed his hand and pushed it away.

"Ya need sleep more than sex. Oh don't worry," he added, as Tony began a bleary protest, "I'll fuck you in the morning. I'll be riding your ass hard for the next few days, boy."

"Mmmm…good," Tony muttered and within seconds he was fast asleep again. Gibbs grinned and pulled his sub close, holding his sleeping body tight.

"Missed you too, Tony," he whispered, dropping a kiss on Tony's hair.

~*~

It seemed to Tony like every time he dropped off to sleep, he was woken up by Gibbs smacking his ass and shouting questions at him. This seemed to go on all night.

Then it was morning, and Gibbs was sliding his lubed fingers into him, stretching him gently. They were soon replaced by the sweet, arousing glide of his dom’s cock. God it felt good! It had been a week since Gibbs had last fucked him, and he'd missed it. He lay there, blinking drowsily, enjoying the sensation of that hard, throbbing cock sinking into his hole. Gibbs held his hips loosely and thrust into him lazily. Tony sighed happily and slid his hand down towards his own hardening cock. Gibbs pushed it away.

"You're on punishment detail, so there's no chance of you coming any time soon," Gibbs told him firmly. "Subs who are being punished don't get to come."

Tony gave a little whimper, but he moved his hand away from his cock obediently. He felt content. He was back in Gibbs's bed, and Gibbs was making it clear who was in charge. All he had to do was accept. It was actually kind of relaxing.

Gibbs fucked him slowly, taking his time, and Tony found it fascinating to just lie there, taking it, knowing there was no chance that he'd get off himself. It made him focus on other things. He was acutely aware of Gibbs's warm breath on the back of his neck, of Gibbs's thumb, pressed into his thigh, and of Gibbs's mouth, which occasionally ghosted kisses on his shoulder. Most of all, he was aware of the long, slow glide of Gibbs's large cock as it thrust into his body and then pulled back out, snagging his prostate with each lazy thrust. He could feel the heavy slap of Gibbs's balls against his butt and smell the scent of his dom's arousal.

Gibbs came with a little growl of pleasure and then lay there, panting. Tony closed his eyes, enjoying the intimacy of lying here, with Gibbs's come in his ass, and Gibbs's spent cock still lodged inside him. He didn't want the day to start. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like today very much. Gibbs pulled out and got up.

"Up and in the shower, Tony."

Tony went into the bathroom and then stopped short, gazing at himself in the mirror. He looked like a monster. His face was swollen, his left eye was puffy and badly bruised, and he had a split lip. There were cuts and bruises all over his jaw and several nasty bruises on his torso. He gazed at himself in absolute shock. Gibbs appeared in the mirror behind him.

"Now d'you see why I was so pissed off last night, DiNozzo?" Gibbs asked quietly.

"Didn't realise I looked this bad," Tony muttered in reply. "Surprised you could bear to fuck me, Boss."

"Nothing wrong with your ass," Gibbs grinned, pinching it. Tony managed a faint smile at that.

Gibbs removed his collar, but only so that they could take a shower. Afterwards, he fastened it back on again – along with wrist and ankle cuffs.

"No clothes today," Gibbs told him. "Hell, not much of anything today."

"Yeah. I figured," Tony said quietly. Seeing himself in the mirror had brought him up short. His earlier elation at being back in his dom's bed faded as he realised the enormity of what he'd done, and what he'd be facing in the next few days. Injured or not, there was no way Gibbs would go easy on him.

He was right. Gibbs took him downstairs and made him kneel in the kitchen. He fastened Tony's leash to the hook in the wall, tying him securely into place. Then he added a blindfold. Tony accepted the darkness – in fact he welcomed it, settling down into himself.

He heard Gibbs making breakfast, then heard his dom sit down and the scrape of cutlery on plate as he ate. Tony suddenly felt ravenous – he hadn't eaten anything the previous evening, and the smell of the eggs and bacon Gibbs was eating made his mouth water.

Gibbs finished his meal, and then he unfastened Tony and made him kneel beside him at the table, still blindfolded.

"Open up," Gibbs instructed, and Tony felt a fork press against his lips. He opened his mouth eagerly, expecting to taste the eggs and bacon he'd smelled…and nearly choked as he found himself chewing on a piece of raw carrot instead.

"Boss?" He nearly spat the food out.

"Basic rations, Tony. Raw fruit and vegetables, and bread and cheese. That's it."

"No donuts then?" Tony asked around his mouthful of carrot.

Gibbs laughed. "Definitely no donuts, boy," he replied, pressing a piece of apple into his sub's mouth. "No takeout, no pizza and no TV either, in addition to the no coming. This is a punishment detail, DiNozzo. You don't get to do any fun stuff."

"No, Boss." Tony sighed and settled back on his heels as he crunched slowly on the apple.

"What's rule number five, Tony?" Gibbs asked unexpectedly.

"Nobody touches me but you, Boss."

"Yeah. That's right." Tony felt his dom's fingers trailing gently over his bruised face. "Don't ever let someone hurt you like this again, boy. Understand me?"

"Yes, Boss."

"This body belongs to me - and the only marks I want to see on it are mine."

"Yes, Boss," Tony agreed, as Gibbs pressed some bread into his mouth.

"And I will never, ever put these kinds of marks on you, Tony," Gibbs said softly, his fingers spidering over Tony's puffy cheekbone. "I'll never beat you with my fists, or kick you. I will never do that to you. Do you understand that?"

"I guess." Tony sat back on his heels, his shoulders hunched.

"But someone did," Gibbs said. "Someone kicked you around, and made you think that was okay. Maybe they made you think you deserved it, or maybe you already felt like you deserved it. Either way, someone put the idea into your head that you could be punched and kicked around and it didn't matter. Who was it?"

The bread tasted like cardboard. Tony swallowed it down.

"Tony?" Gibbs's tone was insistent.

"Magnum," Tony said hoarsely.

"Okay." Gibbs caressed his hair gently. "We'll try again later."

He pressed a glass of water to Tony's mouth, and Tony drank obediently.

"I miss coffee, Boss," he sighed mournfully afterwards.

"Yeah, I figured you would," Gibbs chuckled. He gave Tony a couple more painkillers, and then he led him into the living room. He made him kneel on a cushion and tied him to a hook in the wall.

"I'm gonna work. This is a modified punishment detail because of your physical condition. So it's one hour kneeling followed by one hour resting," Gibbs explained. "Blindfold stays on. Any time you wanna talk, go ahead. Any time you need to use the bathroom, or you want something to eat or drink, then ask. I'm gonna spank you every hour. I'll keep it light, but you'll feel it."

The cushion was comfortable and the room was pleasantly warm. Gibbs sat down on the couch beside him, and Tony heard him rustling around, getting out files. There was a long silence.

The painkillers took the edge off the throbbing in his face. Tony leaned against Gibbs's thigh, wondering if that was allowed. Gibbs didn't push him back or move away, so he guessed it was. It felt good. Tony closed his eyes behind the blindfold and drifted off. Gibbs's brand of tough love should have felt restrictive, demeaning and uncomfortable, but instead it just made him feel safe and content. He nestled in even closer and rested his chin on Gibbs's thigh, and his dom's hand came to rest on his head, stroking gently.

Tony supposed an hour must have passed, although it felt like just a few minutes. Then Gibbs got up and guided Tony so that he was face down on the couch.

Tony buried his face in the cushions and braced himself. Gibbs laid a couple of swats on his ass with his hand – it was barely more than a light tap, but Tony liked the way it gently warmed his butt. Mostly he just liked that Gibbs was spanking him again. He'd missed it.

As the day wore on, the tension of the past few weeks seemed to fade. Tony zoned out in the hourly spankings, the blindfold, and the basic rations. He lost himself in the bondage and in sitting beside his dom, with his chin resting on Gibbs's knee, doing nothing except dozing while Gibbs worked. He relished every single light slap on his ass and every gentle stroke of fingers through his hair. His tight muscles started to relax, and he felt better than he had since Abby's accident.

"It was all going so well up 'til then," he muttered, and then he knelt up straight, surprised by the fact that he'd said that out loud.

"Til when?" Gibbs asked.

"Abby."

"Well, yeah. It was, DiNozzo." He heard Gibbs sit back on the couch and the popping sound as his dom moved his shoulders and stretched. "But you screwed up, I screwed up, and she screwed up. Accept it and move on."

"Yes, Boss." Suddenly, it really did seem that simple. "Christ, I've been such an idiot!"

Gibbs's hand came to rest on his hair. "Yeah, well, the accident reminded you of what happened with your mom, Tony. Nobody could have expected you to react well to that. Just wish I'd known so I could'a handled it better at the time."

Tony leaned forward and rested his chin on Gibbs's knee again.

"What happened after you went home, Tony?" Gibbs asked.

"Nothin'. I drank a lot," Tony muttered. "Oh, and I picked up my suit from the dry cleaner. You know - the shiny grey Armani…Ow!" He sat up as Gibbs slapped the back of his head.

"Not when you went back to your apartment last week. When you went home as a kid. After the accident."

Tony leaned against his dom again.

"I was in the hospital for a few days. I hated it in there. Everyone felt sorry for me, and I couldn't sleep at night. I wanted my mom. Dad visited a couple of times, but he never had much to say. We just used to stare at each other. Then they let me out. Dad came to pick me up."

The blindfold seemed to make it easier to talk. Deprived of any other visual stimulation, he could see the memory vividly in his mind's eye.

His father hadn’t said a word to him all the way home. When they got there, Tony couldn’t believe it was the same place. How could it look the same and smell the same now that his mom was dead? Hadn’t that changed everything?

"It's late. Go to your room," his father said. "I'll come up and see you before you go to bed."

He walked slowly upstairs to his room. It was dark outside, but he didn't want to turn on the light. He didn't want to see his room looking just the same as it had when he'd last been here – when she'd still been alive.

He sat down on the side of the bed and let the darkness swallow him whole. It felt restful. He didn't have to face himself in the dark. He didn't have to see himself in mirrors and windows. He didn't have to look himself in the eye and see his own guilt reflected back. He could be anonymous in the dark.

He was aware of the house all around him. It felt so big and silent. Usually she made it come alive, with her laughter and sense of fun. Now he saw that her death *had* changed everything. The house might look the same, but it no longer had a heart. He had wanted to come home so much while he’d been at boarding school, and now he wanted nothing more than to go back to the dormitory he’d shared with all those other boys. He wanted to forget this hollow house, with its empty, echoing hallways. He didn’t belong here any more.

His father didn't come up. When it got late, Tony went to bed. He missed the way his mom used to come into his room at bedtime and sit down beside him. She’d tell him all about her day, laughing as she sipped her dry martini. She used to mimic all her friends – she had an amazing ear for mimicry and would have him in fits of laughter. Then she’d lean over and kiss his cheek, and he’d smell her familiar perfume.

He had never once gone to bed in this house without her visiting him to say goodnight. It had always been his favourite part of the day, lying in bed, chatting to her, and laughing. They used to laugh so much. She would be in her element, dressed for dinner – usually there were guests, so she’d be wearing a beautiful gown that showed off her elegant figure. She’d linger with him, reluctant to go down to dinner because he was making her laugh so much. But eventually she’d tear herself away, scolding him for keeping her from her guests.

Tony spent half the night staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep any better at home than he had at the hospital. Eventually, at around two a.m., he gave up. He pulled on his bathrobe and tip-toed down the stairs to his father’s study. He stood outside for ages, hesitating. Finally, he took his life in his hands and pushed open the door.

His father was lying slumped on the stiffly upholstered brown couch by the big fireplace. There was an empty bottle of brandy at his feet. He was so drunk that he’d passed out and was snoring loudly.

Tony stood there for a long time. Then he tiptoed over to the couch and sat down beside his father. His father stank of liquor and was muttering to himself in his sleep, but he didn't wake up. Tony edged closer and closer until he was nestled up beside him. Then he took hold of his father’s arm and pulled it so that it was around his own shoulders.

Then, finally, he fell asleep. In the morning, he woke up to find that his father was still lying there – still drunk and still dead to the world.

Tony crept out of the study and went back upstairs to his room. His father never even knew he’d been there.

~*~

Gibbs was glad that Tony was blindfolded, so his sub couldn’t see the expression on his face as Tony falteringly told him his story. He thought of the nights Tony had hesitantly insinuated himself onto his lap to be held and suddenly saw that endearing little habit in a whole new light. He rubbed a hand over his stubbled chin, wishing that he’d known all this a long time ago.

He wondered whether now was the time to push for more, or whether to leave it and allow Tony to get there in his own time. Only he wasn’t sure Tony would, without prompting. Hell, Tony had spent his entire life avoiding this particular issue. He was only talking about it now because Gibbs had stripped away all his defences and taken him down. There was still more though. Gibbs was pretty sure he knew what it was, but he needed Tony to tell him.

He put aside the file that was open on his lap and then turned back to his kneeling sub. He gently touched Tony's bruised face with his fingertips. Christ, this all made total sense now.

“So tell me, Tony,” he said softly. “When did your father start using you as a punching bag?”

There was silence. He knew that if Tony hadn't been wearing the blindfold he’d have freaked out. The blindfold, and the strict disciplinary regime Gibbs had imposed, were working to make him feel safe right now. It might seem restrictive – maybe even cruel – to an outsider. However, Gibbs had no doubt that it was giving Tony the peace of mind he’d been unable to achieve ever since Abby’s accident.

Gibbs waited, wondering whether Tony would say his safe word. He watched Tony struggle with himself as he knelt there, naked, chained, collared and blindfolded. He watched as Tony tried to deny the truth he'd been hiding for so long – and failed.

Tony swallowed hard and lowered his head. “It wasn’t like that," he whispered.

“What was it like?” Gibbs asked, keeping in constant physical contact with his sub to reassure him, his knee pressed against Tony’s chest, his hand stroking Tony’s hair.

Tony was silent for a long time, frozen into place. Gibbs could be a patient man though, when he tried. He might bark orders at work and send his team scurrying to do his bidding, but he had once been a sniper. He knew how to wait, silently, for hours on end if need be.

He needed those skills now. Time ticked by as Gibbs waited. He didn’t want to rush this. It had been a long time coming – it was never going to trip out easily.

When Tony did eventually start to talk, it came out of the blue, almost taking him by surprise.

“Dad’s business was failing. He worked all hours to save it. When he came home, he was tired and stressed out. He…you have to understand how much he loved my mom. She was beautiful, funny, and smart – she was special.”

“Just like her son,” Gibbs thought to himself.

“Dad was inconsolable. He missed her so much, and he was working so hard. I had his drink ready for him every night when he came home. I knew he blamed me for her death and…”

“How do you know that?” Gibbs asked quietly.

“Because he told me.”

“When?”

“Every night.” Tony shrugged. “He used to drink for a few hours in his study, and then he’d come up to my room in the middle of the night and tell me that he was ashamed of me. I'd been a bad son before the accident, but he disowned me completely now I'd killed my mom. He said I shouldn't ever count on him for anything – he had to feed and house me by law, but that was it. He was done with me. He wished every day that it'd been me who died in that accident and not her. They’d have had more kids if I’d died. She was irreplaceable; I was not.”

Gibbs fought down the growing sense of anger. So many things about Tony’s personality suddenly slotted effortlessly into place. Tony was silent for a moment.

"Go on," Gibbs urged softly. "What else happened, Tony?"

"If I stayed quiet, he usually just yelled at me for awhile and then went away again."

“And if you didn't stay quiet?”

“Then he hit me.” Tony shrugged. "But you know me – when have I ever managed to stay quiet?” Tony gave a strained, unconvincing version of his usual bright, shiny Tony grin. Gibbs waited. Tony’s grin faded. “It was okay. It was just a few slaps.”

“No, it wasn’t,” Gibbs said tersely. “He didn’t just slap you. He punched you and kicked you. He beat up on you, didn’t he?”

There was silence. Tony’s body was stiff. His head was angled upwards, as if he was gazing into space behind the blindfold. He held himself that way for a long time, and then, finally, he bowed his head.

“Yes.”

Gibbs looked down on his sub sadly. There – at last - was the truth. He put a gentle hand on Tony’s head and stroked his hair. Tony just knelt there, swaying a little. He looked lost. They were silent for a long time, before Tony spoke again.

“He needed it, Gibbs. He was in a bad way. He needed to let it out. I was there. I could do that for him. It was the least I could do after…after what I'd done.”

“So you felt you deserved it?”

Tony hesitated, and then he nodded. “Yes.”

“Which brings us to your recurring need to take one for the team.”

Tony looked up again. “The team’s my family, Gibbs. Can’t lose any one of you because of something I did or didn’t do. Not again.”

“And it’s always your responsibility, huh?”

Gibbs already knew the answer. Tony had been blamed for his mom’s death, every night, night after night, by his alcoholic father. It was hardly surprising he blamed himself, and on some level considered his own wellbeing less important than those around him.

“You don’t understand! My dad loved my mom so much. You don’t understand what it was like for him to lose her.”

“Bullshit!” Gibbs said forcefully. “I lost my wife too, Tony, and trust me, if Kelly had survived I’d have been *grateful* that I hadn’t lost them both. I wouldn’t have gone to her room every night to beat the shit out of her for not being her mom. I would have held her close and thanked God that she was still with me.”

Tony didn’t seem to have an answer for that. He just knelt there, still swaying, looking totally shattered. He had spent his life trying to atone for one terrible event. But what could ever be enough to atone for the loss of such a beautiful, vibrant, much-loved person? In Tony’s mind, Gibbs was pretty damn sure that nothing ever could.

“I could tell you that it wasn’t your fault, but you wouldn’t believe me, would you?” Gibbs asked quietly.

Tony shook his head.

“Then all I can do is tell you that you’re mine, and that whatever you once did, or whatever you think about yourself, I don’t blame you. Not for your mother’s death, or what happened to Jenny, or Abby’s accident. I think you've been punished enough."

Tony didn’t reply. His head was raised, as if he was staring off into space behind the blindfold. He was trembling slightly, but Gibbs didn’t think that was because he was cold.

“And you promised me, when you took that collar, that I was in charge of your punishments – and you wouldn’t punish yourself any more. Now I’m calling you on that. Can you do it, Tony?”

“Hardest thing you ever asked me, Boss,” Tony muttered.

“I know. Just give it up to me though, Tony. Like you’ve given everything else up to me since I took you as my sub. Think you can do that? Think you can let me take it on, so you can leave it behind?”

“Don’t know how that works, Boss.” Tony was trembling in earnest now.

Gibbs leaned forward. “Oh it’s easy,” he growled into Tony’s ear. “You’re mine, boy, and I’m giving you an order. Give it up to me, Tony. Give it all up to me. I’ll take care of it.”

“How?” Tony’s voice was barely more than a whisper.

“You don’t need to know. You just need to accept.”

He ran his hands over Tony’s trembling body, keeping his caress firm, as if he was gentling a frightened horse.

“You want to obey me, don’t you, boy?” Gibbs asked, working his hands on Tony's skin with expert precision. This wasn’t about sex – this was about ownership. Tony’s muscles felt taut, and he soothed them firmly, insisting that they relax.

“I don’t know that I can,” Tony said hoarsely.

“You can,” Gibbs insisted. “You just have to do one thing.”

“What?” Tony shivered.

Gibbs leaned forward again. “Trust me,” he said simply.

There was silence. Gibbs knew this issue had been between them all along. Trust. It was the one thing Tony found so hard – and, after hearing his story, Gibbs wasn’t surprised.

“Want to,” Tony whispered.

“Then do it,” Gibbs said firmly. “You’re mine, Tony. I’ll never give up on you. Easier if you just surrender now, give in and trust me. You want to. You’ve wanted someone to trust ever since you lost your mom and found your dad wasn't there for you. That’s why you've hung around at NCIS so long instead of moving on. You want to believe in someone. You want to believe in me.”

Tony gave a little grin. “Reminds me of something Mulder said to me, weeks ago, when I was trying to decide whether to become your sub or not. Always comes back to that, huh?”

“Always does, Tony. Can't promise to make it easy for ya, just like this isn’t easy – but if you trust me, I’ll walk with you out of the darkness. I’ll bring you home – and you’ve been looking for a home for a long time, haven’t you, Tony?”

A visible sweat broke out on Tony’s body. He was tempted – Gibbs could see that – but could he do it?

“Yeah, I want it,” Tony said, and there was a note of intense yearning in his voice.

“Home’s right here, waiting for ya,” Gibbs told him. “You’re so close to it, Tony.”

He tipped Tony’s head back and lowered his mouth to claim his sub's lips in a sweet, loving kiss. Tony made a little sound in the back of his throat, but Gibbs ignored him. He kissed Tony persuasively, holding his face tight the entire time.

Then it happened. He felt the exact moment when Tony finally broke. He felt all the resistance leave Tony’s body, and felt his sub – his beautiful, troubled sub – surrender totally and without reserve to his will.

He had won. He had fought Tony for possession of his own soul and emerged victorious. Now he had to take care never to abuse this trust that had been so incredibly hard won.

He released his hold on his sub’s face and placed his fingers on Tony’s blindfold.

“Time to face the world again,” he said quietly. “Ready, Tony?”

Tony nodded, and Gibbs carefully untied the blindfold and removed it. Tony blinked as he came back to himself after the intensity of the day.

Gibbs wasn’t sure what his sub was going to do now that he wasn't able to hide behind the blindfold any more. He was taken by surprise when Tony moved onto the couch beside him and lay down. Then, with much greater confidence than he'd ever shown before, he nestled in close, resting his head on Gibbs’s lap like it belonged there.

Gibbs moved his hand so that it came to rest on his sub's hair.

“Welcome home, Tony."


~*~

Tony wasn’t sure if punishment detail was over, because although Gibbs still fed him by hand, he allowed him take out instead of the boring food he'd made him eat all day.

After they were done eating, Tony lay with his head on Gibbs's lap while Gibbs read out loud to him again. He was surprised to find he didn't miss the TV or his extensive DVD collection. This was much more restful, and God knows he needed the rest.

Later, they went upstairs, and Tony hesitated again.

"Did I do enough to win back the mattress, pillow and blanket?" he asked, thinking back over the day's events. He thought he'd done pretty much everything Gibbs had asked, although there were only so many raw carrots a guy could eat, so he'd baulked a little there.

"You won't ever be sleeping on the floor again," Gibbs told him firmly.

"Have you changed the rules?" Tony asked blankly.

Gibbs pulled him close and kissed him. "Yeah, DiNozzo, I changed the rules."

"Why?"

"'Cause before, I didn't know you so well. Now I do. I still own your ass, but making you sleep anywhere 'cept in the bed would make me more of a bastard than I ever wanna be."

"You're still a bastard though, right?" Tony grinned.

"Hell yeah!" Gibbs grinned back. "Also, I want you next to me, so that I can roll over and fuck you whenever I'm in the mood."

"You in the mood now?" Tony grinned lasciviously at him. "I think you are." He pressed up against Gibbs, feeling his dom's cock hardening through his sweatpants.

"Oh yeah. I'm in the mood."

Gibbs pulled him even closer, and his lips roved over Tony's face, leaving little kisses wherever they paused. He slid his hands down Tony's arms and then held them behind Tony's back while he continued to trail wet kisses over his sub's skin. Tony hung there, immobilised. He always enjoyed the feel of Gibbs's fully clothed body against his own when he was naked. He liked how it felt to be this available for his dom. Gibbs owned him, body, heart, mind and soul. Tony had never fully surrendered to him on all those levels before – but he did now.

He could feel Gibbs's warm, aroused breath on his naked skin as his dom pushed him down on the bed. He gasped as his dom's blunt fingertips roved over his body with total confidence, claiming him.

Gibbs straddled him, and Tony pushed at his dom's tee shirt urgently, wanting to touch bare skin. Gibbs slapped his fingers away and removed the tee shirt himself, then threw it onto the floor. Tony gazed up at his dom hungrily. Gibbs's body was a source of endless fascination for Tony. His dom had a washboard stomach, and his chest was covered in a light smattering of salt and pepper coloured curls of hair.

Gibbs grinned down on him. He took hold of Tony's arms and pushed them above his head, pressing his sub down into the pillows, and then he kissed him again.

Tony opened up. He had never before felt his submission as deeply as he did right now. He was mesmerised by his top, entranced by him, and totally within his thrall. He belonged to this man here and always would. It was such a relief to have a place where he could finally be himself, and where he didn't have to hide. Gibbs had taken away all his hiding places but not without offering him something else in return - something much better.

The moment felt hazy and unreal. Tony was aware of Gibbs touching his body, always firm but strangely gentle too, taking care of his bruised skin. Gibbs was never hesitant or unsure where Tony's body was concerned; it belonged to him, and he knew how to make good use of it.

Gibbs slid off his sweatpants, releasing his beautiful, hard cock, and then straddled his sub again.

"Suck me," he ordered, pressing the head of his cock against Tony's lips. Tony opened up eagerly, longing to feel that hard flesh in his mouth. "Slowly," Gibbs warned. "Don't want you opening up that cut in your lip."

Tony slowed down as ordered and enjoyed the long, easy glide of Gibbs's cock between his lips. He felt so completely and lovingly dominated. He liked the feel of Gibbs's fingers pressing his wrists into the mattress, and Gibbs's cock lazily fucking his mouth. His dom withdrew, and Tony moaned his protest.

Gibbs chuckled. "Want to come in your ass, boy, not down your throat – not this time."

He moved down, kissing and sucking Tony's skin along the way. There was a pause, and then he pushed open Tony's legs and slipped his lubed fingers into his hole. It didn't take long to prep him; he was already relaxed and welcoming.

Gibbs pulled his buttocks apart gently and pressed his cock against Tony’s hole. He went in easily, gliding right in, up to the hilt, in one effortless thrust. Gibbs lowered his weight down, so that he was almost resting on Tony's chest, and looked into his sub's eyes as he moved his hips back and then forward again. Tony couldn't look away. He could only look up as he surrendered to his dom, pinned into place by the force of that blue-eyed gaze.

Gibbs didn’t touch his sub’s cock, and Tony made no move to reach for it, either. He wasn't interested in his own arousal – he just wanted to offer himself up to Gibbs, for his pleasure.

Gibbs held Tony still beneath him, as he slowly but forcefully took what he wanted from his sub. Tony could feel his prostate being stimulated with each inward stroke, and his own arousal built inside him, but still he didn't move.

Tony wasn't sure how long his dom made love to him in this way, fucking him so slowly, looking into his eyes as he moved inside him, taking his time. It felt so intimate and loving – and he was more aware of his own submission and Gibbs's dominance than at any other point in their relationship. Then, at last, Gibbs moved the pace along, thrusting more forcefully, and his body convulsed as he came with a loud growl.

He hung there for a moment, blinking, still looking down on his sub, then sank down onto Tony's body and kissed his sub tenderly. Tony wrapped his arms around Gibbs's back, holding him there, enjoying the connection.

After several minutes Gibbs withdrew – and then, without warning, he moved down and took his sub's cock into his mouth. Tony gasped, his fingers scrabbling at the sheets in surprise. Gibbs worked his lips over Tony's hard flesh, sucking expertly, and before long Tony was coming in his dom's mouth. He watched, blinking incredulously, as Gibbs swallowed every single drop. Then Gibbs wiped his hand over his mouth and returned to Tony's side. He dropped down beside Tony, grinning at his sub as he pulled him into his arms.

"You let me come!" Tony exclaimed.

Gibbs laughed out loud. "Well yeah, DiNozzo. I noticed." He licked his lips in a way that was positively obscene.

"But…why?" Tony asked, in a befuddled, post-orgasmic haze.

"'Cause you didn't ask, or try to get yourself off. And because you gave me everything today, Tony – and I know how hard that was for you. And because you gave me everything in bed tonight too – and making love to you has never been sweeter than it was just now. And also – 'cause you're mine – and I want to keep you well fucked and happy."

"That's a lot of reasons," Tony grinned, rolling onto his side and resting his chin on Gibbs's shoulder. "Mmm, well fucked and happy," he muttered, and within seconds he was fast asleep.

~*~

Gibbs woke in the middle of the night to a soft, whimpering sound. He looked around blearily, wondering what it was – it sounded like a trapped animal. Then he realised it was Tony. His sub had never had nightmares before, but maybe after what he'd been through over the past couple of days, and what Gibbs had asked him to face yesterday, it was hardly surprising.

Tony was trembling. He was mumbling something incomprehensible – his voice steadily growing higher in pitch until it ended in a helpless whine. Gibbs reached out, put a hand on his sub's shoulder, and pulled him in close. The effect was immediate. Tony curled up against him, chin coming to rest on his shoulder. Gibbs stroked him and the shaking slowly stopped.

Tony didn't wake up. Gibbs watched as his sub slumbered on, more peacefully this time. He was looking a little better. The swelling on his face had gone down, and his skin had lost its pallor. Gibbs thought he was on the road to recovery. It might take a while, but he'd get there. Gibbs would see to that.

Gibbs couldn't get back to sleep. Having his sub show this degree of trust in him was humbling – but it was also a responsibility, and Gibbs didn't take his responsibilities lightly. He lay there, thinking about what he had to do next. When he’d told Tony to give up his guilt to him so he could take care of it, he'd meant it. He had a pretty good idea where to start.

He spent the rest of the night stroking his sub's warm skin and occasionally pressing a kiss to Tony's cheek or his hair. When morning came, he fucked Tony gently awake, and then they spent the day much like the previous one. Gibbs kept Tony in bondage, fed him healthy food and forced him to rest. The one thing he couldn't bring himself to do was spank him. After what he'd heard about Tony's childhood, he didn't feel comfortable with it. Tony’s punishment issues were complex, and Gibbs needed some time to get his head around them.

As the day wore on, Tony started to look more and more like his old self, and by the evening, Gibbs thought they were done. "Punishment detail's over," he told his sub.

"Really? Wasn't that bad." Tony grinned at him. "Okay, the carrots were bad – don't ever do that to me again, Boss!"

"I will if you need it, Tony. But now, we need to talk about tomorrow."

"Okay, but I'm well enough to go back to work. Eye's doing fine. I can see again!" Tony pointed to his eye. The swelling around it was greatly reduced, and the eye, although bloodshot, was unharmed. His face was covered in an array of bruises in a variety of different colours, but he was making good progress.

"You're not going back to work tomorrow, DiNozzo," Gibbs told him firmly.

"Why not? I don't want to sit around here on my own all day. I told you, Gibbs, I'll be fine…"

"Neither of us is going to work tomorrow," Gibbs interrupted him. "Or the rest of the week."
He leaned forward and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Tony," he said. They were hard words to get out, and he wasn't used to saying them.

Tony gazed at him in disbelief. "Uh…did you just say you're sorry?" He looked around as if waiting for a drum roll. "Did Leroy Jethro Gibbs actually say the 's' word?" He laughed out loud. "Oh man, this is good! Damn it, I wish I had it taped; McGee will never believe me."

Gibbs glared at him.

"Uh…and I won't tell him! I promise!" Tony grinned. "Hang on – why are you sorry, Boss? I mean, what are you sorry for? What did you do? You didn't go and get yourself beaten up by some Neanderthal, did you, 'cause I have to tell you – not a good idea. Hurts like hell."

"You gonna shut up, or do I have to gag you?" Gibbs asked impassively.

"Uh…shutting up, Boss," Tony said cheerfully. Gibbs couldn't help grinning all the same. God, it was good to have the old Tony back.

"I'm sorry because I screwed up when I first took you as my sub. I just picked you up one Saturday night, brought ya home with me, and then we went back to work on Monday like nothin' happened. Should’a taken the week off then and got to know my sub properly. If I had - well, maybe things would have turned out differently."

He gazed at Tony's bruised face meaningfully.

“Not necessarily,” Tony sighed. “I’m a stubborn shit, Gibbs. I was holding out on you all this time. Took that chain of events to bring me to where we are now. I don’t think it would have happened any sooner even if we’d given it more time that first week.”

“Well, we’ll never know. Should have done it anyway.” Gibbs shrugged.

"So we have the week off?"

"Yeah. I figure we need the time to get really comfortable with who and what we are to each other before we go back to work."

"And have lots of sex?" Tony suggested.

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Yeah. That too."

"A sex vacation! I like it!"

"Idiot." Gibbs slapped his sub's thigh. "I can see I'm gonna have to find ways of keeping you under control during the next week, DiNozzo. I'll happily deploy that gag if necessary."

Tony grinned at him cheerfully. "You can gag me if you want, Boss, I don't mind. Hell, I kinda like it - although I like it more when you…

Gibbs rolled his eyes as his sub rambled on, but he was delighted by the sense of ease that now existed between them. They needed this – they needed time to be sub and dom, time to just be lovers, without any of the pressures of work and the outside world. They had some challenges to face in the coming week, but Gibbs wasn't about to tell Tony that.

For now, he just rolled on top of his sub and kissed him until Tony – finally! – shut up.

~*~

Tony was surprised when Gibbs threw some clothes at him the following morning.

"You're allowing me to get dressed?" He held up the black jeans and green shirt. "And in nice clothes too?" He raised an eyebrow. "Usually you don't like me wearing this kinda stuff in case other guys ogle my ass."

Gibbs slapped the back of his head.

"Yes, Boss. Thank you, Boss. So – why the clothes?" Tony asked, as he got dressed.

"'Cause you have a visitor, DiNozzo."

"A visitor?" Tony frowned. "Who?"

"Someone you need to see."

"Can't be Ziva or McGee then," Tony mused. "'Cause, you know, much as I love them, I really don't need to see 'em during my week's sex vacation." Gibbs slapped his head again and then gently tousled his hair, and Tony grinned happily. "Is it Ducky? Is he coming around to check the eye is okay?" He pointed at his left eye, which was now fine – if you discounted all the bruising around it. He started buttoning up his shirt.

"It isn't Ducky," Gibbs told him.

Tony looked up, his fingers suddenly faltering. "It's Abby, isn't it?" he asked softly.

"Yes, Tony. It's Abby." Gibbs finished buttoning up his shirt for him while Tony stood there, feeling winded. "Have to see her some time," Gibbs said sensibly. "And she really wants to see you. I've been holding her at arm's length for the past few days."

"Uh…I dunno," Tony muttered, looking at the floor.

Gibbs put a finger under his chin and lifted his face. "Mine now, DiNozzo. You gave it up to me, remember?”

"Okay." Tony swallowed hard, recognising that this would be a test of the promise he'd made to his dom.

There was a knock on the door at 11 a.m. Tony got to his feet nervously as Gibbs went to answer it. He rubbed the palms of his hands together, feeling them prickling with sweat. Christ, this was Abby! He shouldn't feel anxious about seeing her again, but he couldn't get their last meeting out of his mind. Seeing her sitting in that hospital bed with that big white bandage around her head…

A second later, a blur of excited motion burst into the room. Abby ran over to him, took one look at him, uttered a disapproving, "Oh, Tony!" at the sight of his bruises, and then enveloped him in a big bear hug.

His arms went around her, and it felt so good to hug her again. He hadn't realised how much he'd missed his Abby-hugs.

It was only when she finally released him that he got a good look at her. He was dreading it – but she actually looked really good. Her hair was growing back in, soft and…blonde?

"Hey, goldilocks!" he teased, running his fingers through the short golden strands. She laughed – and blushed.

"You like it?"

"Yeah. Wow…who'da thought our Goth girl was secretly a blonde, huh?"

He examined the hair in more detail. There wasn't much of it yet, and her scar was still visible underneath, but somehow the extremely short hair lent her a sophisticated quality that was very appealing. It brought out the colour of her eyes, making them seem particularly luminous. She’d always been pretty, but without the Goth make-up and ultra-dark hair, the natural beauty of her face shone through even more.

"Well, don't tell anyone, but I've been dying my hair black since I was thirteen." She grinned.

"And I thought that particular shade of raven was natural." He grinned back at her. He wasn't sure where Gibbs was – the man seemed to have disappeared.

"Nah – it's always been blonde, but who wants to be a blonde, huh?" she said, sitting down on the couch and pulling on his hand to make him sit down beside her. "I mean…just the blonde jokes alone…" she shuddered.

"So – you gonna dye it again?"

"No." She shook her head. "Um, don't tell anyone this, Tony, but I'm 32. Kinda old to still be doing that teen rebellion stuff. So…I'm gonna own up to being a blonde and to hell with the consequences! I figure it's time. These past couple of weeks have given me time to think a few things through…"

"You're not leaving NCIS are you?" Tony asked in alarm. "Don't do that. Gibbs would be torture to live with."

"Aw, I think you kinda like it when Gibbs is in a torturing mood.” She winked at him.

He laughed out loud. "You could be right. But that guy they sent to replace you is useless – Gibbs can't even be in the same room as him without exploding. I’ve spent the past two weeks running up and down between your lab and the squad room with messages just to avoid a bloodbath. I'm exhausted." He clutched his chest, panting dramatically. "So, please, please tell me you aren't leaving."

"Idiot." She punched his arm. "No way, Mister! We're family – you don't get rid of me that easily. I just meant that there’s more to me than the clothes and hair and all that stuff."

"You're not gonna start wearing your court suit to work every day are you?" Tony shuddered.

She grinned. "Hell no! But…it might be time to explore some other parts of Abby – y'know?"

"Yeah. I do. I came to the same conclusion a few months ago and…well, it wasn’t easy at first, but it's pretty damn good now."

She looked at him searchingly, her gaze lingering on his bruised face. "Gibbs wouldn't tell me what happened, but you've been kind of an idiot, haven't you?" she asked quietly.

"Kinda. Yeah." He shrugged.

"Bet Gibbs gave you a hard time about those bruises."

"You have no idea!” Tony grimaced. “Yeah, he's been tough on me, Abs.”

“And that makes you feel loved,” Abby grinned. “I guess because someone cares enough to bother?”

He looked down and then up again, straight at her. “Yeah. I guess.”

She leaned over and gently kissed his cheek. "He's not the only one who cares, Tony." Then she drew back. "Okay, tell me what’s been happening at NCIS," she demanded. "I want all the gossip! Are my babies all okay? Major Mass Spec, and Bert and all the gang? Is this new guy treating them properly? Oh – and is Ziva still seeing her mystery boyfriend? I want to hear it all!" She settled in beside him.

He put his arm around her and pulled her in close. She was fine. She was better than fine – she was good. Maybe she was telling him what he wanted to hear about her hair, but, knowing Abby, he suspected she was genuinely able to be that positive about it.

He grinned down on her. "Okay…well, Vance is missing you like crazy, obviously…”

~*~

Gibbs pulled the living room door shut with a smile. At least that was one situation resolved, although it had been relatively easy compared to his next task.

He went down into the basement and called the NCIS HR department to get the number he wanted. He'd almost called this number once before, several years ago, when Tony had been infected with the plague. Things hadn't looked good for awhile back then…but something in his gut had stopped him making the call. He was glad about that now, knowing what he did.

This time it was different. This time he *did* have to make the call. He dialled the number and waited.

A young, female voice answered: "DiNozzo Holdings, good morning, how may I help?"

~*~

End of Part Twenty
Friendly feedback adored :-)
Two Masters - Part Twenty-One