Two Masters: 3. Part Three

 

Gibbs glanced at his watch and then back at the report he was reading. Tony was cutting it fine; he only had another couple of minutes if he was going to… Gibbs glanced up to see that a cup of coffee had appeared mysteriously on the side of his desk. He looked around and saw that Tony was sitting at his own desk, typing assiduously, eyes fixed on the screen. Gibbs gave a little grin; he knew that his sub was a fast learner, but even so, he was impressed.

 

He took a sip of the coffee to find that it was exactly as he liked it – not that he’d expected anything less. After eight years working together, Tony knew how he liked his coffee. Gibbs glanced across the room again to find Tony looking at him. Gibbs gave him an approving nod, and Tony turned back to his work with a small, satisfied smile.

 

They were quiet all morning – the entire team was busy finishing up the paperwork from a case they had completed the previous week. Gibbs noticed Tony shift in his seat every so often, no doubt feeling the butt plug he’d put there. Gibbs wanted him to feel it. He wanted him to be in no doubt that his status had changed, and he had new responsibilities now.

 

Three hours later, Tony approached his desk holding the file containing his report. Instead of placing it on the desk, Tony crouched down beside him submissively.

 

“Here’s my report, Boss. Want me to wait here while you read it?” he asked. Gibbs liked the idea of Tony kneeling beside him while he read his report, but he decided it was too conspicuous.

 

“No – you can go back to your desk and round up all the ancillary reports I asked for.”

 

Tony nodded and got to his feet briskly. “On it, Boss!”

 

Gibbs read through Tony’s report slowly, noting that it was the best report Tony had ever presented to him. Clearly, Tony had taken onboard his message about the 24/7 nature of his submission – and he’d probably had the chalkboard in his mind’s eye while he’d been typing up the report.

 

Gibbs finished reading, got up, and walked towards the elevator. “DiNozzo – with me,” he barked, as he passed Tony’s desk. He saw Ziva and McGee exchange glances.

 

“I do not think Gibbs was very impressed with your report, Tony,” he overheard Ziva say as Tony got up from his chair.

 

“When is he ever?” McGee cracked. “Must be really bad if he’s taking you into the elevator to yell at you, Tony.”

 

“Why thank you, Probie dearest. Your concern for my welfare is duly noted,” Tony threw back at him. Then Gibbs heard him running up behind him.

 

The elevator doors opened, and they both stepped inside. No sooner had the doors shut than Gibbs turned, took hold of Tony, and pushed him back against the mirrored wall. Then he snapped his hand onto the emergency button, bringing the elevator to a creaking halt and plunging them into semi-darkness.

 

Gibbs kicked Tony’s legs apart and kept him pinned back against the elevator wall with his body, their groins pressed so close that he could feel the leather strapping around Tony’s cock through his pants.

 

“Uh…Boss – did I do something wrong?” Tony croaked. “I tried really hard on the report. Was the coffee cold?”

 

“No. The coffee and the report were both good. This is by way of a reward,” Gibbs purred in Tony’s ear.

 

He undid Tony’s tie, ripped his fingers through the top buttons of his shirt, and opened it. He put his hand in Tony’s hair, gripping it firmly, and pulled Tony’s head to one side, exposing his neck. Then he leaned in and kissed the soft skin. Tony gave a helpless moan. Gibbs held him in place and sucked down harder. Tony gasped, and his hands came up and grabbed hold of Gibbs’s hips. Gibbs nipped down gently on Tony’s neck, grazing the skin, getting Tony used to the sensation – and then, without warning, he bit down hard. Tony gave a squawk and convulsed beneath him, but Gibbs held him in place while he marked him.

 

Then he eased off. He sucked gently at the tortured piece of skin, and then licked at it tenderly, before finally releasing his grasp on Tony’s hair. He took a step back and looked at his handiwork. There was a perfect red bite mark on Tony’s neck. It marked him as Gibbs’s property, and Gibbs felt his cock swell at the thought of his sub bearing such a clear symbol of his ownership.

 

“Look.”

 

He swung Tony around so that he could look at himself in the mirror. Tony put up his hand to touch the mark, but Gibbs batted it away.

 

“Don’t touch – just look.” He traced the mark with his fingertips, watching Tony’s face in the mirror the entire time. “You’re marked now,” Gibbs purred into Tony’s ear. “That’s my mark on my sub.”

 

The look of pleasure on Tony’s face made Gibbs’s cock harden even more. He leaned in and kissed Tony’s neck, sliding his hand down the back of Tony’s pants as he did so. He found the butt plug and pushed on it, watching in the mirror as Tony’s skin flushed a deep pink colour.

 

“One day, I’ll bring you in here and fuck this tight hole,” Gibbs promised, and he thought he would come from the expression on Tony’s face alone. “But for now…this will have to do.”

 

He turned Tony around again and pushed him onto his knees in front of him. Then he pulled Tony’s undone tie away from his shirt.

 

“Close your eyes,” he commanded. Tony obeyed instantly, and Gibbs fastened the tie over his sub’s eyes. Tony looked so good on his knees, with his dom’s bite mark on the side of his neck, blindfolded with his own tie, his hair dishevelled from where Gibbs had grasped it earlier.

 

“Open your mouth,” Gibbs ordered. Tony did as he was told with a little grin, clearly anticipating what was coming next.

 

Gibbs opened his fly and pulled his hard cock out of his boxers. He slid it between Tony’s open lips and sank himself deep into that warm, welcoming heat.

 

Gibbs used him as fast and hard as he had the previous day. Now was not the time to teach Tony the finer points of giving oral sex – now was just about reminding him who he was and rewarding him for his behaviour this morning.

 

He came with a low growl of pleasure and pumped down Tony’s throat. Tony swallowed gratefully and then licked his cock clean with little darts of his tongue, just as he had the previous day, without needing to be told. Gibbs allowed him this service and then withdrew and tucked his cock away in his pants again.

 

Then he leaned down and kissed Tony on the lips he’d just so comprehensively fucked. Tony moaned and pressed against him. He was so incredibly and pleasingly submissive. It was all Gibbs could do to tear himself away, but he forced himself to do it. He undid the tie from around Tony’s eyes, and Tony blinked up at him from happy, dreamy eyes.

 

“Enjoy your reward?” Gibbs asked.

 

“Yes, Boss,” Tony replied with a wide grin.

 

“Good. Now go get lunch for the team.” Gibbs pulled some bills out of his wallet and stuffed them into Tony’s jacket pocket. He saw Tony’s eyes flash. “What was that?” he asked.

 

“What was what?”

 

“That look when I gave you the money. Oh…” Realisation hit Gibbs, and he grinned. “You got a rent boy fantasy, Tony?”

 

Tony flushed. “Well I didn’t think I did until just now, Boss!” he complained. “But yeah, now you mention it, I think I do.”

 

“Good. We’ll play with that another time.” Gibbs patted his cheek affectionately.

 

He pulled Tony to his feet and hit the elevator switch to get them moving again. Tony started to button up his shirt, but Gibbs stopped him.

 

“Leave it. I want to see my mark on you whenever I look at you.”

 

“Boss!” Tony protested. “Ziva and McGee will give me hell if I come back from lunch looking like I just got laid!”

 

Gibbs grinned and patted his cheek again. “I’m sure you can handle Ziva and McGee, Tony.” He wrapped Tony’s tie around his hand and stuffed it into Tony’s pocket. “No tie. Shirt open so I can see that mark all day. And whenever I do, I’m gonna remember just how good you looked on your knees, blindfolded, marked, and with my cock in your mouth.”

 

The elevator doors opened, and Gibbs got out. He turned to see Tony standing there, mouth open, looking almost speechless.

 

“Problem, Tony?”

 

Tony shook his head. “No, Boss. Shirt open so you can remember what we did just then. I got it. You really are a bastard,” he muttered under his breath.

 

Gibbs grinned at him and was about to reply when Tony held up his hand.

 

“Yeah, yeah, I know, one more on the board ‘cause you really hate being called names – even when they’re true,” he added, just as the elevator doors closed on him.

 

Gibbs was chuckling away to himself as he walked the few steps to Abby’s lab. He felt relaxed and sexually satisfied; having a 24/7 sub definitely had its perks.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Tony returned to the squad room half an hour later bearing a bag of deli sandwiches. The top three buttons of his shirt were undone, and he could *feel* the bite mark on his neck, bright red and so very conspicuous. It might as well have been a neon sign. He was acutely aware of it, and his fingers twitched with the desire to pull his shirt over it. At the same time he liked how it felt – he got a surge of pride every time he thought about how Gibbs had “rewarded” him in the elevator. It had been hot, rough and exciting, and he loved having Gibbs’s mark on his skin.

 

He quietly deposited Ziva’s lunch on her desk and did the same for McGee without making his usual jokes. Then he approached Gibbs’s desk. His top glanced up, and his gaze went immediately to the mark on Tony’s neck. Tony was about to glare at him when he noticed that Gibbs wasn’t amused by his discomfort. Instead, he was looking at the mark with an expression of proud ownership. Tony realised that Gibbs had meant what he said back in the elevator – he really *did* want to look at the mark on Tony’s neck and remember how he’d put it there. Tony placed Gibbs’s lunch on his desk, and then he slipped silently back to his own desk and unwrapped his sandwich.

 

Ziva glanced up, looking surprised by the uncharacteristic silence in which lunch had been delivered.

 

“Thank you, Tony,” she said politely, reaching for her sandwich. “I hope it is something edible this time.”

 

“Hey – I thought you liked the peanut butter, chicken and mango combo I bought you last time!”

 

Her eyes narrowed. “I thought I made my feelings perfectly clear when I spat it out in your waste basket.”

 

Tony took a mouthful of his sandwich and munched on it happily, grinning at her.

 

“How much do I owe you, Tony?” McGee asked, glancing up from his own work.

 

“Nothing – lunch was on Gibbs today,” Tony said cheerfully.

 

“Uh, thank you, Boss,” McGee said, his eyes wide with surprise in response to Gibbs’s rare generosity.

 

“You all did a good job on the case – and I want the paperwork wrapped up by the end of today,” Gibbs replied, barely glancing up from his work.

 

Tony clicked onto his emails and began reading, munching on his sandwich as he worked. He was so engrossed that he was oblivious to what was going on around him – until he looked up to find Ziva and McGee standing in front of his desk, arms folded across their chests, with dual raised eyebrows.

 

“What?” Tony demanded around his mouthful of sandwich.

 

“Is there something you would like to tell us, DiNozzo?” Ziva asked, her gaze fixed, none-too-subtly, on the bite mark on his neck.

 

“That’s quick work even for you, Tony,” McGee added, a smug smile on his face. “You were only gone for half an hour.”

 

“Does your new girlfriend work in the deli, Tony?” Ziva asked.

 

“What makes you think I didn’t have it when I came in this morning?” Tony asked, smiling at them pleasantly.

 

“It is possible – your shirt was buttoned then,” Ziva mused. “But I think not. It looks too fresh for that.”

 

“You know, Ziva – I think his new girlfriend is probably a vampire,” McGee said, putting his finger up to his own neck and fingering it thoughtfully.

 

“You might be right, McGee,” Ziva nodded. She leaned in close and examined the mark on Tony’s neck. “Looks painful,” she commented. “I hope she did not suck all your blood, Tony.”

 

“We wouldn’t want you fainting at your desk this afternoon,” McGee added.

 

Tony glanced across the room to where Gibbs was sitting, reading through McGee’s report. To all intents and purposes, he looked completely disinterested in the conversation currently going on around Tony’s desk, but Tony saw the little glimmer of a grin on his lips. Well two could play at that game. If Gibbs was going to have some fun with this, then Tony sure as hell was too.

 

“Aw, I think the ‘all-my-girlfriends-are-virtual’ probie and the ‘never-gets-out-much’ Mossad officer are jealous,” Tony said, sitting back in his chair and flicking open his shirt even more to completely display the mark. “I’m guessing it’s been a while since either of you got laid,” he added in his most patronising tone. He put his hands behind his head and grinned at them.

 

“You know, some of us manage to keep the details of our private lives to ourselves,” McGee retorted. “That’s why they’re called *private* lives, Tony.”

 

“Was she hungry, Tony?” Ziva asked, pointing at the bite mark. “That is a very deep bite. I think she must have been starving.”

 

“Ravenous,” McGee agreed.

 

“Well, it is lunchtime,” Tony pointed out.

 

“And it looks as if *you* were on the menu,” Ziva said archly.

 

Tony laughed. “Can I help it if I’m irresistible? Or if someone found me good enough to eat?” he purred, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.

 

“That is disgusting.” Ziva made a face.

 

“Aw – you *say* that, but really you want all the juicy details,” Tony grinned.

 

“I do not!” Ziva protested.

 

“I do,” McGee said eagerly.

 

“McGee! Do not encourage him!” Ziva said reprovingly. Then she perched on the side of Tony’s desk, her head on one side, her gaze fixed on the bite mark. “Okay,” she sighed. “Tell us everything. Now!”

 

“Don’t leave anything out.” McGee sat down on the side of the filing cabinet behind Tony’s desk. “What’s she like? How old is she? Please tell me she’s at least thirty this time, Tony.”

 

“Definitely at least thirty,” Tony replied, still grinning. “In fact, she’s older than me.”

 

“You’re having an affair with an older woman?” Ziva looked astounded. “Wonders will never decease.”

 

“It’s cease, Ziva, and hey – I’m not that shallow!” Tony protested.

 

Ziva and McGee glanced at each other and then burst out laughing.

 

“Yeah, you really are, Tony,” McGee said. “Come on – details.”

 

“Hmmm.” Tony steepled his fingers together and glanced over at Gibbs, who had given up any pretence at working and was sitting back in his chair, watching the proceedings with an amused gleam in his eye. That was like a challenge to Tony – and one he accepted with relish. “Well, she’s hot,” he told his eager audience. “Tall – almost as tall as me. Deep blue eyes – really deep, really blue. Fantastic figure.” He shot a little smirk in Gibbs’s direction and got a raised eyebrow in return. “And she has these really, really big – and I mean enormous, huge…” He made an extravagant shape in the air. “…hands,” he finished with a sly wink. Ziva snorted, and McGee rolled his eyes. “And great legs. Long – very long, leading up to an extremely fine ass.”

 

“Forget about her ass! Does she also have a personality, Tony?” Ziva demanded.

 

“Sure. I think you’d call it…explosive,” Tony grinned, glancing at Gibbs mischievously out of the corner of his eye. “To be honest, she’s kind of moody, but I forgive her because she’s so incredibly hot.”

 

“Moody?” McGee queried.

 

“Yeah – expects me to cater to her every whim and gets kind of grouchy if I don’t jump to it every time she wants something.”

 

Ziva frowned. “She does not sound very nice.”

 

“She can be.” Tony fingered the mark on his neck again. “She’s surprising.”

 

“Does she have a name, Tony?” McGee asked.

 

“Sure,” Tony shrugged. “But I like to call her my little snugglebuns.” He thought he heard a strangled sound coming from Gibbs’s desk. “Or honeybreath. Or sweetiepie.”

 

Ziva arched an eyebrow. “I am surprised you are still alive then,” she commented. “If you were my boyfriend, you would be dead before your body hit the floor if you called me any of those things.”

 

“And that, my dear Ziva, is why you and I must never date,” Tony told her with a cheerful smile. “That and the fact that we are completely incompatible and have absolutely nothing in common.”

 

Ziva glared at him. “I would rather date McGee than you!” she snapped, and then she turned on her heel and returned to her desk.

 

“Hey!” McGee said, and then he thought about it. “Was that a compliment or an insult?”

 

“I think she said she liked you,” Tony told him. “You could be in with a chance there, Probie.”

 

“You really think so?” McGee’s eyes lit up.

 

Tony snorted. “Don’t be an idiot, Probie. Besides…” He pulled McGee’s head down so that he could speak directly into his ear. “She’s Mossad, Probie. They’re like praying mantises – they have to kill each other after sex. It’s in the Mossad rule book. Something about keeping them combat-ready at all times.”

 

“Really?” McGee looked startled.

 

Tony gave him a look of disbelief. “No, not really, Probie! C’mon! How can I ever stop treating you like you were born yesterday when you keep behaving like you were born yesterday?”

 

McGee glared at him and slunk back off to his desk. Tony finished his sandwich and then got up and went to the men’s room. He was about to use the urinals when he remembered the chastity device on his cock. He really didn’t want any nosy co-worker catching sight of it, so he went into a stall instead.

 

He finished up and was washing his hands when someone came in – and next thing he knew, he was being pulled around and then pushed into the stall he’d just vacated. The door was slammed behind him, and he found himself face to face with those very deep, very blue eyes he’d mentioned earlier.

 

“Snugglebuns?” Gibbs queried. “Honeybreath? *Sweetiepie*?”

 

“You wouldn’t like me calling you any of those things?” Tony asked innocently. “You shoulda said! You never mentioned a rule against terms of endearments, and if it isn’t a rule you can’t punish me for it.”

 

Gibbs grinned at him and pushed him back against the wall. “Newsflash, Tony; I can punish you for anything I like, any time I like. Now tell me, were you having fun back there?”

 

Tony gave a wide grin. “Oh yeah!”

 

“I thought so. So I’m gonna give you the chance to do it all over again.”

 

Gibbs grinned dangerously, and then he pushed Tony’s head over in the opposite direction to before, and next thing Tony knew Gibbs’s mouth was clamped down hard on his neck again.

 

“Oh shit,” he hissed, putting his hands on Gibbs’s hips to steady himself.

 

Gibbs sucked for a little while, and Tony braced himself for what was coming next. Sure enough, Gibbs bit down, gently at first, and then he sank his teeth in with more force, making Tony squeak. His stupid cock seemed aroused by the whole thing and made a desperate and pointless bid for freedom while Gibbs marked him for the second time in one day.

 

It was hard to stay still and in place while his top bit him, but Tony managed it somehow. There was something about surrendering to Gibbs that was totally addictive. A dozen vampire movies flashed through his mind, but none of them were as darkly sexual and possessive as what Gibbs was doing to him right now. Then Gibbs released him. He examined the new mark on Tony’s neck and then leaned in and licked it in a strangely intimate and affectionate gesture.

 

Gibbs drew back. “Twice in one day. You’re a lucky boy, Tony.”

 

“Yeah. Lucky. I knew there was a word for it,” Tony groused.

 

“Come here.”

 

Gibbs opened the stall door and pushed Tony over to the mirror. He stood behind Tony again and pulled his shirt open at the top so that both marks were fully visible. The new one was the mirror of the first – and they were on either side of his neck, the perfect matching pair. Tony liked the way his top was looking at them – as if he couldn’t wait to strip Tony naked and bestow more marks on his bare skin. Tony shivered with arousal. Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

 

“Just thinking…you could mark me someplace else,” Tony admitted.

 

“Yeah.” Gibbs’s right hand moved down and patted his ass. “I could.”

 

“Boss – please tell me I don’t have to go back out there and face Ziva and McGee again,” Tony sighed. “They’re never gonna let this drop.”

 

“You finish all the reports I asked for?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Then you don’t have to go back out there and face Ziva and McGee again.”

 

“I don’t?” Tony grinned at his top in the mirror.

 

“Hell no. You can spend the rest of the afternoon helping Abby out downstairs.”

 

“Thank you,” Tony said in a heartfelt tone.

 

“Of course it’ll cost you,” Gibbs said, a little smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. Tony glared at him.

 

“How much?” he asked warily.

 

Gibbs ran his fingertips lightly over the bite marks on Tony’s neck, with a territorial pride that made Tony shiver. “For depriving me of the sight of these all afternoon? Ten on the chalkboard.”

 

“Ten?” Tony glared at him some more. He hadn’t earned many so far today but his ass was still sore from yesterday, and he had been hoping to get by without adding to the day’s tally too much.

 

“Ten,” Gibbs repeated firmly. “Your choice, Tony.”

 

Gibbs pressed a quick kiss to the back of Tony’s neck and left the room. Tony stared at himself in the mirror. It was very irritating being Gibbs’s sub, he decided, but he had to admit he was enjoying himself enormously, despite the difficulties. He trailed his fingers along the edge of one of the bite marks. Gibbs was right – they were too damn good to cover up.

 

In the end, he decided to take the extra swats and went down to Abby’s lab for the rest of the afternoon. She took one look at his matching bite marks and gave him a massive smirk.

 

“Someone got lucky!”

 

“Yeah. Someone did.” He winked at her happily.

 

She did a double take, staring at him intently.

 

“What?” he demanded.

 

“You – you look like I haven’t seen you look in ages. You used to look this way after Gibbs head-slapped you. Hey – did Gibbs start head-slapping you again?”

 

“Kinda,” Tony shrugged.

 

“Good,” Abby said, turning back to her computer screen. “Because that whole weird not head-slapping you thing was freaking me out.”

 

“Yeah. And me,” Tony grinned.

 

Abby glanced at him with a big smile. “The bite marks suit you, Tony. It’s a good look for you. Hey – did you hook up with a vampire?”

 

Tony sighed and rolled his eyes. “Not you too, Abs. No, I didn’t hook up with a vampire.”

 

“But you’re being topped by someone, right?” she asked. “Someone who knows what they’re doing too.”

 

“What?” Tony stared at her.

 

“Hey – I’ve played, I’ve tied guys up, I’ve topped. I know the signs!” Abby laughed. “I bet if you roll back your sleeves there are cuff marks on your wrists.”

 

Tony peeked surreptitiously under his shirt sleeves. “Nope,” he said. Then again, Gibbs hadn’t actually tied him up yet.

 

“Okay – but you definitely have marks on your ass from being spanked,” she said cheerfully.

 

Tony nearly choked. “I do not!” he protested too loudly and too fast, feeling his face flush. Maybe hanging out down here hadn’t been such a good idea after all.

 

“Sure you do!” Abby laughed. “I’m so pleased for you, Tony! I knew that if you could just find the right top you’d be happy.”

 

“What makes you so sure I’m a sub?” Tony asked. Abby laughed uproariously. Tony glared at her. She stopped laughing.

 

“Oh – sorry – you meant that seriously?”

 

“I did,” he said stiffly.

 

“Uh. Okay. Well, just that you’re about the subbiest guy I ever met, Tony. Not in the sense of being weak – uh-uh – but then the best subs are strong guys, like you. No, in the sense of you always seeming like a guy who needed to find the right kind of top to balance you out and make you feel like you have someone to belong to. When Gibbs was slapping you around it really helped you, but I noticed you’ve looked kind of like a lost puppy ever since he stopped.”

 

“Well, now he’s started again, so that’s okay,” Tony said swiftly. He glanced around the lab, trying to think of a way to change the subject. “So – can I help you with anything?” he asked eventually.

 

Abby rolled her eyes. “You hiding, Tony?”

 

“Yes,” he replied bluntly. “It’s Ziva and McGee – I don’t want them to see…” He pointed his finger in the direction of his marked neck.

 

“You could just do up your shirt,” Abby commented helpfully.

 

Tony made a face. “No. I really couldn’t,” he sighed.

 

Abby stared at him some more. “Oh!” she said eventually. “Your top is totally evil! I like it! Okay – you can help me with this. But don’t touch anything unless I say so.”

 

Tony gave her a grateful smile. He’d just earned himself another ten swats with whatever devilish implement Gibbs intended to use on his poor ass this evening, but he thought it was worth it if it meant avoiding McGee and Ziva for the rest of the day.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Gibbs left work at 6 p.m. – the earliest he’d left in years. He found himself whistling as he drove home and smiling benignly at the other drivers on the road. He couldn’t remember when he’d last felt this good. He’d expected Tony’s training to be intensive and possibly difficult, but he hadn’t expected it to be this much fun. He’d forgotten how exhilarating it was to spar with Tony, and have Tony give back as good as he got. Gibbs would always be in charge, and Tony would never forget that, but Tony could be so damn funny.

 

Gibbs realised that he’d dug himself into a dour little world of his own making these past few years. He remembered a time, before Kate had been killed, when he’d joked around with his team and life had seemed less grim and serious. He’d still got the job done but with more of a human face. Back then, he’d handed out head-slaps by the dozen to Tony and laughed at his often amusing responses. For the most part, it had been a game – and one that made them both happy.

 

Now he felt as if he’d got that old relationship back – only even better. Of course, it had been an easy work day – no cases to solve, just paperwork. There was no way Gibbs would have allowed himself the indulgent pleasures of the day if they’d been working on something more important.

 

Gibbs drew up at his house, parked the car, and went inside. He had instructed Tony to follow him and sure enough, a few minutes later, he heard Tony’s car outside. He’d left the door open as usual, and Tony sauntered in, looking as bright-eyed and relaxed after their first day at work as dominant and submissive as Gibbs felt.

 

Tony grinned at him, all jaunty swagger and bright, shiny smile. Gibbs’s gaze fell on the bite marks on his sub’s neck, and his cock swelled at the sight. He crooked his finger to beckon Tony over, and, as eagerly as a bouncy puppy, Tony trotted up to him. When he got close, Gibbs reached out, grabbed the front of his shirt, and pulled him the rest of the way.

 

He wrapped one hand in Tony’s hair, drew him in with his other hand, and then plundered his mouth in a long, deep kiss. Tony moaned, bucking against Gibbs’s groin hopefully. Gibbs released him, and Tony stood there, gasping pathetically.

 

“Strip. Now,” Gibbs ordered, removing his own jacket and throwing it onto the couch. Tony obeyed him instantly, and within seconds he was standing in front of his top – naked except for the chastity device wrapped around what was clearly a straining, eager cock.

 

“Please say you’re gonna take this thing off me, Boss,” Tony begged.

 

“Sure. I want to see my sub in all his glory,” Gibbs grinned, fishing the key out of his pocket and unlocking the little padlock.

 

He removed the leather device, and Tony’s cock immediately leapt to attention, hard, needy and leaking. Gibbs grasped it firmly, and Tony gave a moan of pure frustration. He thrust against Gibbs’s hand, rutting into it, desperately seeking release.

 

“You need to get used to being handled, Tony,” Gibbs said, sliding his hand along Tony’s cock in time to his sub’s thrusts.

 

“Handled?” Tony gasped, as he moved hips frantically.

 

“Handled,” Gibbs confirmed. He slid his hand down and cupped Tony’s balls firmly. Tony gave a strangled yelp.

 

“Boss, please, I swear you’ve gotta let me come, or I’ll go insane,” he begged.

 

“You can come.” Gibbs shrugged.

 

“Oh thank God!” Tony immediately slapped his hand down on his cock and began pumping.

 

“But if you do, you go straight on punishment detail,” Gibbs reminded him.

 

Tony gave a yell of sheer frustration. “No! C’mon, Boss. Please! C’mon!”

 

“I’m training you, Tony. You gotta get used to being handled without expecting to get off,” Gibbs told him. “It’s a state of mind – and you’re nowhere near it right now.”

 

“But I want SEX!” Tony protested. “I want to come. I want to come now. Right now. Right this minute!”

 

“I know.” Gibbs shrugged. “But you don’t get to make that decision any more. I do. And I say no.”

 

Seeing Tony like this was testing his own limits too. He wanted nothing more than to bend Tony over the couch and fuck him into it until they were both boneless and sated, but that wasn’t the way to do this.

 

Gibbs was testing himself as a dom – it had been a while, and he had to find his own sense of sexual power and control again. This was a good way of grounding himself and doing just that.

 

After his relationship with Jenny had broken down, he’d spent some time with Walter Skinner, and his former gunny had taught him a lot about how to inhabit his top space – amongst other things. He’d learned that he had to master himself before he could master a submissive, and refusing to give in to his own desire to fuck Tony right now was a good way of achieving that mastery. It was hard – he wanted Tony so much – but he knew that by holding back now, and increasing the sense of anticipation for them both, it would be all the sweeter when he finally got to sink himself into his boy’s fine, tight ass.

 

“Your body – this body…” Gibbs ran his hand down Tony’s hip and stroked the warm, soft skin on his flank appreciatively. “Is mine. I can handle it however I like – and you have to learn to accept that. Whether I’m spanking you, kissing you, or jerking you off and telling you that you can’t come.”

 

He slid his other hand along Tony’s straining erection, and Tony let out a shaky breath.

 

“What’s the matter, DiNozzo? Can’t take the pace of being my sub?” Gibbs demanded. That worked, as he had known it would. Tony’s eyes flashed, and then he gave in with a groan. He rested his head on Gibbs’s shoulder, surrendering to him.

 

“I can take it, Gibbs. I told you that you can do anything you want to me, and I meant it. I can take it,” Tony said hoarsely.

 

“Good boy.”

 

Gibbs stroked Tony’s flank again, loving the feel of the solid muscle under his fingertips. He allowed Tony the brief seconds of comfort and then drew back.

 

“Training first – then dinner,” he said. “Stand up straight – I want to examine you.”

 

Tony stood to attention, eyes straight ahead, hands by his side, his stance Marine-perfect. Gibbs gazed at him approvingly.

 

“Forgot you went to military academy,” he commented. Tony’s eyes flickered unhappily – and his cock drooped downwards. Gibbs frowned. “Not good times, Tony?”

 

Tony gave his bright, shiny smile. “Actually they were, Boss,” he replied cheerfully. “They were very good times.”

 

Gibbs got in close, right into Tony’s space. “What’s rule number two, Tony?”

 

“Don’t lie to you, Boss,” Tony replied immediately. “But I’m not lying to you! Military academy was cool. Definitely good times.”

 

Gibbs knew that Tony was telling the truth – so why the reaction when he’d mentioned it?

 

“Anything you want to tell me, Tony?” he asked quietly.

 

“Nope.” Tony shook his head, that bright smile still on his face.

 

Gibbs gazed at him for a long time, but Tony’s expression didn’t change. His gut told him that something was wrong, but he didn’t want to push too much too soon. They’d only been in this new relationship for a couple of days – it might take a while before Tony felt comfortable enough to open up to him.

 

He understood his sub’s reticence; it wasn’t as if opening up was particularly easy for either of them. Gibbs was making a real effort to be more reachable in this relationship than he had in any other since Shannon, but it wasn’t his natural inclination. He wanted this relationship to work though, and he was fully committed to making that happen, however hard it might be.

 

“Okay…inspection.”

 

Gibbs kept one hand on Tony’s flank as he circled him. He observed every tiny thing about his sub’s body. He was a hard dom, but he was conscientious, and he wanted to be aware of even the slightest mark on Tony’s skin, or the smallest area of concern. He fingered Tony’s back, examining the almost faded marks from the whipping he’d given him the other night. Then he crouched down and ran his hands over Tony’s buttocks. He examined them intently, enjoying the sight of those very round, very white, globes of flesh.

 

“I didn’t use the paddle or the strap hard enough or for long enough to mark you yesterday,” he said.

 

“Uh, felt pretty hard, Boss.”

 

“Not hard enough to mark you. And you need to be marked, Tony.”

 

He felt the tremor pass through Tony’s body as he said that, and he stroked his sub’s bottom gently.

 

“Has to be done, Tony. Biting’s one thing…but these…” he pinched Tony’s left buttock firmly, and Tony gave a little whimper. “Need something more. Time you found out how the cane feels.”

 

“It is?” Tony swallowed hard. “You sure? ‘Cause, you know, I’m fine with not knowing how that feels.”

 

Gibbs stood up and patted his sub’s face affectionately. “I’ll mark you after you’ve taken your day’s discipline,” he said.

 

“After?” Tony protested. “You’re going to cane me as well as use the strap and paddle?”

 

“Sure. Marking isn’t punishment. Marking is…” Gibbs put his fingers on one of the bite marks on Tony’s neck. “It’s more personal. It’s about you and me. It’s about being owned. It’s not about punishment or discipline. I’ll mark you ’cause you’re mine, and I like seeing my marks on your body – and ’cause you need to know they’re there.”

 

“Really?” Tony looked unconvinced.

 

Gibbs gave him a wolfish grin. “Oh yeah. You’ll see. Position One.”

 

Tony blinked. Gibbs raised an eyebrow, and Tony scrambled immediately to get into position as he had been shown the previous day. He put his hands against the wall and thrust his ass out. Gibbs stood behind him and placed his hands on it, smoothing his thumbs over the firm flesh. He reached down, took hold of the butt plug, and removed it slowly and carefully. Tony exhaled in relief when it was gone.

 

“What’s the day’s tally, Tony?”

 

“Fifteen, Boss,” Tony replied, glancing at him over his shoulder.

 

That was what Gibbs made it too. “You’ll take them blindfolded,” Gibbs said, fastening the strip of leather over Tony’s eyes. “I want you to feel each stroke, so I’m gonna take my time.”

 

“Trust me, Boss, I really do feel each stroke!”

 

Gibbs grinned and reached for the paddle. He stood beside Tony, put one hand on Tony’s back, and swung back the paddle in readiness.

 

“What’s your safe word, Tony?” he asked. Tony’s body stiffened slightly under his fingertips, as if he wanted to throw off the hand that Gibbs was resting lightly on his back.

 

“Magnum,” he replied, after a moment’s beat.

 

Gibbs decided to let the almost imperceptible hesitation pass. “Count the strokes out loud this time,” he ordered.

 

He swung forward, making the first stroke firm, but barely more than a warm-up swat. Tony gave a little gasp.

 

“One,” he said.

 

Gibbs swung again, taking care to judge Tony’s reactions. He liked spanking his sub, but, just as importantly, he could tell that Tony liked it too. He might not always like the actual physical sensation, but he did like the act of surrender, and he liked the endorphin rush that came with a well applied spanking. Gibbs swung again, stoking the pain levels expertly with each new swat laid onto Tony’s rapidly reddening ass.

 

Halfway through, Gibbs swapped to the strap. He swung it down with a satisfying thwap, and Tony jumped. Gibbs waited. Nothing. Gibbs tapped Tony’s back with the strap.

 

“Count?”

 

“Uh…” Tony frowned.

 

Gibbs sighed. “If you forget the count, then I *will* make you start from the beginning.”

 

“Uh…eight!” Tony replied quickly.

 

Gibbs stroked his back briefly in acknowledgement and then laid down another one on Tony’s red ass. He loved the way Tony’s bottom glowed and warmed up as he worked.

 

“This looks good,” he told his sub, running a hand over Tony’s burning buttocks. “One day I’m gonna spend a few hours raising some colour on you.”

 

“A few *hours*? You’ll spend hours just spanking me?” Tony whimpered.

 

“Sure. We’ll take breaks, but yeah. Start off slow with my hand and build up to something really heavy.”

 

“Oh God,” Tony moaned, resting his head on his arms where they were pressed against the wall.

 

Gibbs grinned and swung again. His shoulders were loosening with each swing; it was so damn good to have a sub again!

 

Gibbs finished the day’s discipline tally, and Tony made to stand up. Gibbs put a hand on him to push him back down. “Not yet.”

 

He pushed Tony’s legs further apart and then knelt down behind him. He had been enticed by the changing colour of those firm globes of flesh, and even more so by his glimpses of the dark hole between them.

 

“Hold still,” he ordered, as he pried Tony’s butt cheeks apart. They were hot to the touch, and Gibbs felt his cock harden. God, he wanted to fuck this ass so much! He wanted to slide into all this slick, tight warmth and take Tony, hard and fast, without mercy. That wasn’t an option right now – but there was something else he also wanted to do. He slid his tongue between those burning buttocks, and Tony let out a hoarse, incoherent shout. Gibbs drew back.

 

“I said, hold still,” he growled. “And remember, however good this is – and trust me, it’ll be good – you can’t come.”

 

“Got it, Boss!” Tony said swiftly, but Gibbs didn’t think he had. Not yet. Right now it was all new to him, and he was still playing at it. Gibbs hoped he really had got it by the time it came to fuck him. He wanted to know, when he finally sank his hard cock into Tony’s tight, virginal hole, that Tony understood what it meant to truly surrender to his dom’s will. He wanted to look into the eyes of a sub who was giving everything up to him, without expecting anything in return.

 

That was another reason why he had to wait. Tony needed this week, not only to be sure this was what he wanted, but also to learn how it was going to be. Gibbs wouldn’t fuck him until he was sure that lesson had gone home. And once he did fuck him…Gibbs knew it’d be a lifetime commitment for him after that. Once he’d fucked Tony, he’d want to keep him – forever – and he had to be sure that Tony really *got* that. It wasn’t just fucking to Gibbs – it meant a hell of a lot more. And he wasn’t sure that Tony, with his casual approach to sex and relationships, had really got his head around that yet.

 

Gibbs held Tony’s warm butt cheeks apart and dipped his tongue into that enticing hole again. He circled it, enjoying the scent of Tony’s inner body and loving the ecstatic moaning sounds his sub was making. He rimmed Tony for a long time, making his sub take the pleasure just as he’d made him take the punishment. Tony’s cock was hard again, and his whole body was quivering with the agony of not being able to come. Gibbs kept him shivering on the brink of that precipice for a long time, before finally drawing back.

 

He stood up and surveyed his sub approvingly. Tony was resting his forehead on the back of his hands and his body was bathed in a light sheen of sweat. His ass cheeks were still red, and he was moaning pathetically. Gibbs grinned. He’d get Tony ready for his ultimate surrender by the end of this week – it might not be easy, but he’d do it. He wouldn’t accept anything less.

 

“Well done.” He pulled Tony around, and Tony came into his arms, shuddering and gasping.

 

“That was just…oh God,” he whimpered.

 

“You did good.”

 

“You really aren’t going to let me come any time soon, are you?” Tony asked mournfully.

 

Gibbs pushed him back and unfastened the blindfold from around his head. “Nope,” he said. “Do you want to know *when* I’m going to let you come, Tony?”

 

“Damn it, Gibbs, yes!” Tony growled, blinking as he opened his eyes.

 

“When I’m inside you for the first time – when I’m fucking your ass like there’s no tomorrow and popping your sweet cherry. That’s when I’ll let you come, Tony. And from then on, you’ll only ever get to come when I’m inside you, unless I give you special permission some other time. Got that?”

 

Tony gazed at him, his mouth open, looking stunned. His cock was ramrod hard, sticking out straight in front of him.

 

“But don’t worry,” Gibbs grinned. “I’m gonna be making good use of your tight asshole at least once a day, sometimes more. So that’s how often you’ll get to come.”

 

“Oh shit,” Tony whispered.

 

Gibbs grinned and patted his face affectionately. “C’mon – time to mark you. Then your day’s training will be over, and we can eat.”

 

He picked up the cane he’d bought the previous day and examined it carefully. It was good quality – he wouldn’t use anything but the best on his sub. He motioned Tony in the direction of the couch.

 

“Position two,” he ordered.

 

Tony walked over to the couch and arranged himself carefully over the back of it. He was bent from the waist, and Gibbs pushed him forward even more so that he presented a better target.

 

“This is a good position for marking,” Gibbs told him, running his hand over Tony’s still warm ass cheeks. “The angle keeps the ass firm and makes the mark clearer. Legs wider apart – I want the ass muscles held really tight, so you can’t clench.”

 

Tony did as he was told, and Gibbs adjusted him so that he was exactly in the right position. Then he took hold of the cane. It had been a long time since he’d marked a sub with a cane, but he’d always had a superb aim. He rested the cane on Tony’s buttocks.

 

“This will hurt,” he warned bluntly. “But it isn’t about the pain. It’s about taking the mark. As it’s not punishment, I won’t hold you in place, and I’ll give you time to get your breath back after each one. I’ll put three welts on you, but I won’t ask you to count.”

 

Tony shook in anticipation. Gibbs concentrated, and then he drew back his hand and delivered a hard stripe to Tony’s waiting backside.

 

There was a pause – and then a loud hollering sound. Tony stood up, his face red, his eyes startled.

 

“No!” he said in a strangled tone. “That was…that was…”

 

“Yeah. It hurt. I know.” Gibbs pointed back at the couch. “When you’re ready. Unless you want to say your safe word? If so, I’ll stop – and we’ll do one a night for the rest of the week – you’ll end up taking five instead of three, but it’ll be spread out.”

 

A completely indecipherable expression settled into Tony’s eyes. His entire body convulsed in a shudder, but he looked grimly determined as he bent over the back of the couch again.

 

“You sure?” Gibbs asked, resting the cane against his ass a second time. The first welt had created a fine line across the centre of Tony’s ass, and he aimed the second one a little lower.

 

“Yes, I’m sure,” Tony replied, his voice muffled by the couch cushions. His knuckles whitened as Gibbs swung again, but this time he held position, panting to himself and whimpering in the aftermath of the stroke.

 

“Last one.”

 

Gibbs decided it would go easier on Tony if he delivered it quickly, before his sub had too much time to think about it, so he brought the cane down fast, marking the skin a little bit lower again. Tony gave a strangled yelp and just lay there, panting, spread-eagled over the back of the couch.

 

“Good boy,” Gibbs said approvingly.

 

He took a moment to appreciate the beauty of seeing his marked, shaking boy just standing there, bent over, head down, submitting to him. It took his breath away. Tony looked so *good* marked, and he had taken the marking well.

 

Gibbs crouched down and licked the welts he’d just made, fascinated by how they felt and tasted under his tongue. Tony stayed in place, his body quivering, but Gibbs felt him begin to relax. Gibbs lapped at the welts soothingly for some time, until Tony’s ragged breathing had returned to normal. Then he drew him up, turned him around, pulled him close, and kissed him. Tony sagged against him, and Gibbs kissed him for a long time, knowing Tony needed the reassurance after the caning.

 

When he finally released him, Tony looked dazed. “That was intense, Boss.”

 

“I know, but you did good.” Gibbs tousled his hair affectionately. “Training is going really well.”

 

“Show me.” Tony glanced over his shoulder. “I have to see them.”

 

Gibbs led him along the hallway to the mirror at the far end. Tony took a deep intake of breath as he caught sight of the marks on his ass, and his face positively glowed.

 

“Good?” Gibbs asked, intrigued.

 

“Yeah. Good,” Tony replied, in a dreamy tone of voice.

 

Gibbs felt a surge of affection for his sub for learning such a hard lesson this evening. He’d never had a sub respond to him like this before. Jenny had always fought back, making every order a challenge, while Stan had acquiesced to everything without a murmur. Neither of them had responded like Tony, who was taking in each new aspect of his own submission with wonder and excitement. Gibbs pulled his sub close and gently spidered his fingers over the welts on his ass.

 

“My marks on my sub,” he purred into Tony’s ear. “Like it?”

 

“Yeah…like it.” Tony grinned. “Hurt like hell, but…damn it, I don’t know why, but I like knowing you put them on me.”

 

Gibbs ran a possessive hand over his sub’s body. “I know why,” he said, in that same low, throaty growl, straight into Tony’s ear.

 

“Why?” Tony asked, his face almost buried in Gibbs’s shoulder.

 

“Because you’re my sub, Tony, and you’re just getting a glimpse of what that really means. Not playing at it – but the deep stuff. It’s about being owned, Tony, about surrender, about taking whatever I hand out just because I’m your dom, and you wanna give it all up to me. It’s about finding out the kind of sub you are – the kind of sub you *really* are – deep inside.”

 

Tony nuzzled into his neck. “But I already know what kind of sub I am, Boss.”

 

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

 

“I’m yours, Boss. Being your sub – that’s not just what I am – it’s who I am.”

 

 

~*~

 

 

Tony felt out of it as he pulled on his sweatpants and then perched cautiously on the side of the couch to start eating the pizza that had just been delivered. Gibbs had warned him about how addictive sub space could be, and he was definitely aware of that right now. They ate in silence, both of them still deep into the headspace of the night’s training. Tony wasn’t sure what he’d expected when he’d first blundered into that S&M bar a few nights ago, but it wasn’t this. He’d had no idea that it would feel this *good* for a start. His entire body was humming with wellbeing, and he had a warm, relaxed sensation in the pit of his belly.

 

They finished eating, and Gibbs stuck a movie in the DVD player. Tony didn’t even care what it was. He found himself moving, dream-like, so that he was lying on his side, stretched out full-length on the couch, his head on Gibbs’s lap. He had been there a couple of minutes before he remembered that he’d told himself he wasn’t going to do this needy, cuddling shit again.

 

He was about to move when Gibbs’s hand came down and began stroking his hair. He battled with it for a moment, but in the end inertia won out. It just felt too good to keep lying here in the warm intimacy of his dom’s embrace.

 

His ass was throbbing, but he liked how that felt. It was a symbol of Gibbs’s ownership. His world was hazy and happy. He felt comfortable and at peace for the first time in years.

 

The movie ended, and, still in silence, they climbed the stairs together. Tony got undressed and cleaned his teeth, and then Gibbs bent him over the end of the bed and inserted a new plug. When he was done, Tony got up and kissed his dom’s hand absently, without even knowing he was doing it. Gibbs looked surprised, but then he gave a little grin and tousled Tony’s hair.

 

“Bed,” he said, pointing at the mattress. Tony went without a word, still feeling hazy. He was asleep before Gibbs even turned out the light.

 

Tony woke at dawn. He lay there for a few minutes, wondering why he felt so good, and then he remembered the events of the previous night and smiled. His ass was still smarting, but his body felt relaxed. He’d slept better on this mattress on the floor than he ever had in the comfort of his own bed back in his apartment.

 

He got up to use the bathroom and then walked quietly back towards his mattress. He paused on the way – Gibbs was fast asleep in the bed, sprawled out on his back, snoring softly. Tony wondered what it would be like to crawl into bed beside him. He stood there for a moment, contemplating it. Could he do it without Gibbs waking? Maybe. But supposing he fell asleep, and Gibbs woke up to find him in the bed? Tony wasn’t sure what the penalty for that would be, but, knowing Gibbs as he did, he was pretty sure it’d be severe.

 

He sighed and returned to his mattress on the floor. As he settled down, he realised that although Gibbs had plugged him the previous night, he hadn’t put that God-awful chastity device on him again. The knowledge that his cock was *here*, within reach of his hand, made it spring hopefully to attention.

 

Tony slid his hand down and grasped it eagerly. He knew how to take care of it quickly and silently – years at boarding school had taught him both skills. There was no reason why Gibbs should ever find out. Tony was good at hiding things; he’d been doing it for most of his life.

 

He rubbed down hard, and then harder, keeping his breathing as regular as he could so as not to wake or alert Gibbs.

 

His mind went back to the previous night again. That rimming had been so damn hot. His cock ached at the thought of it. His mind wandered to later, lying with his head on Gibbs’s lap, having his hair stroked – Gibbs had praised him for the way he had taken the caning… Damn it, his cock softened in his hand. He tried to focus on what had happened in the elevator and how hot it had been to have Gibbs’s cock in his mouth. He was just starting to harden again when he remembered Gibbs telling him that he could only come when he was in his ass from now on. How would it feel to have Gibbs’s big, hard cock thrusting into him? He touched the bite marks on his neck again. What would it be like to wear that soft leather collar Gibbs had bought for him? What would it feel like to be collared, and naked, and being fucked by Gibbs? How would it feel to come with Gibbs inside him, riding him hard?

 

His cock was rigid just from thinking about it…but…but…Tony removed his hand with a growl. He’d spent the past eight years obeying the man implicitly. He liked obeying Gibbs’s orders. It made him feel safe and grounded. Gibbs was the centre of his universe, and obeying him had always made Tony happy.

 

He wanted to come – God knows he wanted it so badly – but would he be able to look his dom in the eye tomorrow if he did? Gibbs was holding out the prospect of being collared, fucked and reaching orgasm as a reward for his behaviour during training this week. If Tony did this, right now, then he’d screw that up. Not that he was a stranger to screwing things up but not on purpose. Not with Gibbs. He always wanted to impress Gibbs and win his approval and praise.

 

Tony muttered a little curse, the palm of his hand hovering over the hard flesh of his cock. Gibbs had said that being a 24/7 sub wasn’t easy, and right now Tony was aware of just how difficult it was. He stared at the ceiling, weighing it up.

 

Gibbs had said that Tony’s body belonged to him now, and Tony loved that idea. If he did this, then he’d be chipping away at the power and control that he had given up so willingly to his dom. Tony *liked* the way surrendering to Gibbs made him feel. If he jerked himself off right now he’d win something but lose a whole lot more.

 

Tony growled and turned over onto his front. He put both his hands resolutely under his pillow. He wasn’t going to do it. He belonged to Gibbs now, and only Gibbs got to say when he could come. It wasn’t his choice any more.

 

Relieved by his decision, he fell asleep again.

 

Tony was surprised, the next day, when Gibbs inserted a new plug into him and then told him to get dressed.

 

“No chastity device thing?” Tony raised an eyebrow.

 

Gibbs gazed at him thoughtfully. “Don’t think you need it today, Tony.”

 

“Why?”

 

Gibbs patted the side of his cheek. “Because I trust you.”

 

“You do? Why?” Tony asked, alarmed. “I mean – I’m me! You know me! I’m not sure you should trust me.”

 

“Well I do,” Gibbs shrugged. “Training’s gone well, Tony. You’re a damn good sub – and I trust you not to come without permission.” He moved away to throw his plate and cup into the sink. “Do *you* trust yourself?” he asked, coming back to where Tony was standing. “If not, if you think you’ll give into the temptation, then you can ask me to strap you into that thing again, and I will – but it comes from you this time. Not me.”

 

Tony remembered that struggle he’d had with himself in the night. He’d fought that battle and won – he thought he could do so again.

 

“I trust myself,” he said quietly.

 

“Good.” Gibbs grinned at him. “Then go get dressed. I’ll see you at work.”

 

Tony took the stairs two at a time, feeling elated. Gibbs trusted him! He might have only been a sub for a few days, but he was good at it. He looked at himself in the full length mirror and did a little naked dance of glee.

 

“TO-NY, TO-NY,” he chanted, moving his hips back and forth. He grinned as he caught sight of the marks on his neck, and then he turned so he could look at the faint red lines on his butt. He gazed at them, fascinated, and then traced one finger along them. “See, Stan – he marked me, and he trusts me,” he told the empty room. “I’m gonna make him forget that you ever sucked his dick. I’m gonna be the best damn sub in the whole world. Just watch and learn, Stan-baby. In fact – I’m gonna get through today without one single mark going on that chalkboard, and tonight he’s going to be so damn impressed that’s he’s gonna let me sleep in his bed. Well – maybe.”

 

He winked at himself in the mirror and then got dressed, putting on his favourite navy blue suit with the deep blue shirt and navy blue tie. If there was one thing that came easy to Tony, it was knowing the right clothes to wear to flatter himself to best effect. He pulled on an expensive pair of shoes, threaded his favourite cufflinks through his shirt sleeves, and surveyed himself in the mirror again. He looked good. It wasn’t just the expensive cut of his suit and the fact that the colours suited him so well. It was something about him. He looked younger – the years seemed to have fallen away, and there was a happy glow in his eyes. He gazed at himself, surprised by just how good he looked. Yeah, today was going to be good.

 

Tony had barely arrived at work when the call came in.

 

“Saddle up, people. Dead officer downtown,” Gibbs announced. “Lieutenant Mark Adams. They found him in a park.” Tony was on his six before he even passed his desk, eager and ready, like the good little sub he was. Gibbs threw him some keys. “DiNozzo – get the van gassed and ready.”

 

Tony caught the keys and threw them straight back at him. “Did that already, Boss! Took care of it last night before I left. Figured things had been quiet for a few days so something might come up today.”

 

Gibbs caught the keys and shot Tony a swift smile of approval as they all entered the elevator.

 

“I am trying to think of the right word,” Ziva muttered to McGee as the elevator went down to the parking garage. “Is it ‘blue’ nose?”

 

“Oh, I’m pretty sure the word you’re looking for is ‘brown’,” McGee muttered back at her.

 

Tony ignored them. He was in his happy subby bubble. There was no way anyone was going to spoil that.

 

He hadn’t anticipated Detective Isla Shale. She was the tall, shapely, blue-eyed police detective from Metro homicide who met them at the crime scene. She also had red hair – lots of it, down to her waist – tied back but no less long and red for that. She shook Gibbs’s hand, giving him a predatory look that set Tony’s teeth on edge.

 

“Special Agent Gibbs?” Even her voice was sexy. A year ago, Tony would have tried to hit on her, but not now. “Wow! You’re something of a legend at Metro. I’ve heard all the stories about you. Always hoped you’d show up on one of my cases one day, so we could have a pissing contest about jurisdiction.”

 

“Really?” Gibbs grinned at her, and Tony could see his dom visibly melting under her charm offensive.

 

“Hell yeah!” She laughed out loud, a throaty, sexy kind of sound that Tony knew would go straight to most men’s cocks.

 

“Naval officer’s been murdered,” Gibbs shrugged. “Not sure we need to have a pissing contest. Seems like an open and shut case to me. We’ll handle it.”

 

“Thing is – your lieutenant isn’t the only one who’s dead.” Shale gestured with her thumb at the crime scene. “We have two corpses. The other one’s a civilian. Guy named Charles Lamb.”

 

“Connection?” Gibbs asked.

 

Shale grinned at him. “They said you don’t talk a lot. I like that in a guy. Strong, silent type, huh?”

 

Even Ziva rolled her eyes at that.

 

“Connection?” Gibbs asked again, but with a little grin all the same. Tony felt his good mood evaporating.

 

“Lieutenant Adams and Mr. Lamb both used the same gym. Place called Ironman a few blocks away.”

 

“You figure they knew each other from there?” Gibbs asked.

 

“Apparently,” Shale shrugged. “We’ve only just started investigating. But hey…why don’t you and I share the workload on this?” She put one hand on Gibbs’s shoulder and left it there. Gibbs looked at the hand, and then at her, and then he gave another of those little grins.

 

“Okay – but you get in my way, and I promise you we’ll definitely have that pissing contest.”

 

“I’ll do my best not to get in your way then,” she purred, her hand still resting on his shoulder.

 

Gibbs shrugged off the hand and walked over to the dead bodies, his team trailing along behind. Tony looked down at the corpses of the two men lying beneath a tree – one of them had been badly beaten and the other looked like he’d been garrotted.

 

“Ziva – you and McGee handle the crime scene,” Gibbs barked. “DiNozzo!”

 

Tony turned, slowly, one step short of insolent. “Yeah?” he drawled.

 

“Get your ass over to the Ironman gym and start asking questions. Find out how well the dead men knew each other, and if anyone knows a motive for killing them.”

 

Tony stood there, glowering at his boss. Great – so Ziva and McGee got to hang around the crime scene, while Gibbs conveniently sent Tony away, leaving him free to get close to the very beautiful, very red-haired Detective Shale.

 

“Was there something in ‘get your ass over to the Ironman gym’ that you didn’t understand, DiNozzo?” Gibbs barked.

 

Tony gazed at him sullenly. “Nope. Nothing. Nothing at all,” he replied, in a hard tone of voice.

 

He turned on his heel and began walking. When he looked back, he saw that Isla Shale was leaning in close, laughing girlishly as she filled Gibbs in on her investigation to date. And Gibbs – the bastard – was just standing there, with an amused look on his face as he listened. Tony wanted to go over there, grab his dom by the hair, and put a bite mark or two on *his* neck to remind him who he damn well belonged to.

 

The Ironman gym was a nice place – shining, clean, modern, and full of state of the art equipment.

 

“I’m sorry – I’m new – I don’t really know any of our clients yet – you need to talk to Jason,” the duty manager told him.

 

“Jason?”

 

“Jason Tulley. He’s our top personal trainer – knows all the guys who use the gym.”

 

“It’s a men only gym?” Tony glanced around. “No chicks?”

 

“No – just guys,” the duty manager said, looking him in the eye and raising his eyebrow slightly.

 

“Right. Okay. Gotcha.” Tony nodded. “Popular place,” he commented, glancing around at all the fit young bodies pumping iron.

 

“Well you know what they say – no pecs, no sex,” the duty manager grinned. “And who doesn’t want to get laid?”

 

Tony glared at him. He hadn’t got laid in nearly two years, he hadn’t come in days, and his dom was refusing to fuck him because he wasn’t convinced he was ready yet. Although that same dom didn’t seem to have any such qualms about hitting on some random redhead he’d just met.

 

“Do *not* talk to me about sex,” Tony hissed.

 

“Uh…okay,” the duty manager squeaked. “Uh – Jason’s over there.” He pointed, clearly glad to hand Tony over to someone else.

 

Jason was two inches taller than Tony and built like a tank. He had short, spiky blond hair, and muscles growing out of all his other muscles. Tony felt small standing next to him, and there weren’t many people who could make him feel that way – although Gibbs managed it all the time despite technically being an inch or so shorter than him.

 

“Yeah, I knew them both,” Jason said, looking visibly shaken by the news of the two men’s deaths. “Nice guys. Why would anyone want to kill them?”

 

“That’s what we’re trying to find out. I suppose it’s possible they killed each other,” Tony mused. “We won’t know until we do the autopsies.”

 

“Why would they want to kill each other?” Jason asked blankly. Tony had the feeling that the one muscle Jason never exercised was his brain.

 

“I have no idea,” Tony replied. “Tell me about them.”

 

“Well, Charles had been coming here a long time – few years. Mark Adams was new. Only been coming here a few weeks.”

 

“Either of them seeing anyone?” Tony asked. “Anyone from the gym?”

 

“It’s a gym, not a pickup joint.”

 

Tony laughed out loud. “Seriously? Look at this place. It’s kind of both.” He gestured to the young, beautiful men with their perfect bodies, working out and none-too-subtly eyeing each other up in the process.

 

“Okay – look – Charles saw a few guys, but like I said, Adams was new, so I have no idea about him,” Jason said stiffly.

 

“Any chance they hooked up with each other?” Tony asked.

 

Jason glared at him. “I don’t fucking know.”

 

“Whoa – you’re on kind of a short fuse there, Jason. You take steroids?” Tony asked. “Just – they can make you kinda grouchy.”

 

Jason’s face turned red. “No, I don’t fucking take steroids.”

 

Tony grinned at him. “Just asking. Well, thanks for your help – if you think of anything else, here’s my card.”

 

Tony wandered around and asked a few more questions and then returned to the crime scene. Ducky had arrived and was busy examining the bodies, while Ziva and McGee were equally busy taking photos and bagging up evidence. Gibbs, on the other hand, was just standing there, listening to Isla Shale talk.

 

Tony barged straight on over to them. “Been to the Ironman gym, Boss,” he said, interrupting Shale in mid-sentence. “Asked around the neighbourhood as well. Everyone knew the gym was a gay place – could be Lieutenant Adams and Charles Lamb were victims of a hate crime. They were both working out until late last night. Maybe they came over to the park after, and were making out, and some homophobic bastard saw them and killed them. Oh, I’m sorry, Detective Shale – did I interrupt you? My apologies – I’m sure that whatever you had to say to Agent Gibbs was riveting, but some of us are actually working here.”

 

“DiNozzo!” Gibbs snapped.

 

“Boss?” Tony stared at him insolently, through narrowed eyes.

 

“You got any evidence for your hate crime theory?”

 

“Nope – just conjecture.” Tony shrugged.

 

“Then what the hell are you doing standing there? Go find me some evidence!”

 

Tony glared at him, but Gibbs turned his back on him pointedly and resumed his conversation with Shale. Tony gave up and stomped over to look at the dead bodies.

 

“It’s such a shame,” Ducky was lamenting. “Such fine young men, in the prime of their lives.”

 

“Do you actually know anything useful – like how they were killed, Ducky?” Tony demanded.

 

Ducky looked up, clearly startled by Tony’s unusually snappish tone. “My, my, someone did get out of the wrong side of bed this morning,” he said pointedly. “And yes, Anthony, I do know how they were killed. This one was beaten to death.” He pointed at Lieutenant Adams. “And he seems to have been laid out in a somewhat ritualistic manner, as if the killer wanted to display him. This one, on the other hand, was tied up, gagged, and then strangled.”

 

“Why did the killer change his MO?” Tony asked. “Think he was disturbed – didn’t have time to beat Lamb to death so strangled him instead?”

 

Ducky shrugged. “I have no idea, Anthony. I just tell you the facts. You are the investigator, my dear boy, and I’m sure you’ll reach your own conclusions. In time.”

 

He smiled benignly and then accompanied one of the gurneys back to the van.

 

Tony turned to see Gibbs still chatting to Shale. What the hell could they have to talk about for so long? His gaze went over to the small crowd that had gathered by the yellow tape they’d used to keep the crime scene clear. He saw the tall, muscular blond guy from the gym standing there, and some devil caught hold of him. Two could play at this game. He walked over there.

 

“Hey, Jason,” he said when he got close. “Sorry about earlier – just doing my job.”

 

“No problem.” Jason grinned at him. “I’m sorry too – I guess I was just shocked by what happened to Charles. Poor guy. Had to come down here to see what was going on.”

 

Tony turned and glanced in Gibbs’s direction to see that although he was still talking to Shale, his dom’s eyes were on him.

 

“Hey – how much work does it take to get a body like yours?” Tony asked, reaching out to squeeze Jason’s biceps appreciatively. Jason grinned even more.

 

“You thinking about getting in shape, Tony?”

 

“You don’t think I’m in shape?” Tony pulled his shirt up a little way to reveal his abdomen. “How about these?” He sucked his belly in.

 

“Not bad,” Jason replied. “But with a little work I could give you a real six pack.”

 

“Really?” Tony smiled coquettishly. He’d never flirted openly with a guy before. He’d had years of experience with girls though, and he didn’t see that it was much different.

 

“Sure.” Jason’s eyes were gleaming.

 

“How about my biceps?” Tony took hold of Jason’s hand and placed it on his upper arm. “How do they feel, huh?”

 

“Like they’re about to get hauled off, along with your ass,” a voice hissed in his ear, and Gibbs knocked Jason’s hand away, grasped Tony’s bicep hard, and dragged him over to the privacy of a clump of trees, away from the crowd. He shoved Tony against one of the trees and glared at him.

 

“Have you forgotten rule number five, DiNozzo?” he demanded.

 

“Rule number five? Is that, ‘Never be unreachable’? Or is it, ‘Always be specific when you lie’?” Tony replied flippantly.

 

“Neither,” Gibbs ground out. “And it’s not a work rule, DiNozzo, as you damn well know. Rule number five – nobody touches you but me.”

 

“Well, it’s interesting you should mention that, Boss, because I haven’t forgotten it, no,” Tony snapped. “I think you have though – and that rule works both ways.”

 

Gibbs gave him a look of disbelief. “That’s what this is about? Detective Shale?”

 

“No, it’s about the pretty redhead who’s all over you, who you keep talking to all the time, and who, apparently, makes you laugh – which is more than any of the rest of us can usually manage, no matter how damn hard we try,” Tony growled. “How is it okay that she can touch you…” he thumped his hand onto Gibbs’s shoulder, where Shale’s hand had been, “But a guy can’t touch me in the same way?”

 

Gibbs’s blue eyes suddenly turned dangerous. “Okay – first off, I didn’t *invite* Shale to put her hand on me, she just did – and I shook it off pretty damn quick. Secondly, she’s making me laugh because she’s blatant as all hell – not because I’m interested in her. Thirdly, I’m talking to her about the damn case because I’m gonna dump Metro as soon as I can, and I want all the info I can get out of her before I do.”

 

“Oh.” Tony stared at him.

 

“Yeah. Oh.” Gibbs’s jaw was tight, and his expression was furious. “You might trust yourself, DiNozzo, but it looks like you don’t damn well trust me.”

 

Tony winced and looked down at his own feet. Gibbs’s fingers were still pressing hard into his bicep, keeping him shoved up against the tree. Finally, he glanced up again to find Gibbs still glaring at him from those pissed off eyes.

 

“So, I was hoping to get by without anything going on the chalkboard today, but I’m guessing I fucked that up,” Tony said, still feeling angry.

 

Gibbs raised an eyebrow. “Ya think, DiNozzo?”

 

“What is the penalty for breaking rule number five anyhow?” Tony muttered. “I’m thinking it’s bad.”

 

Gibbs leaned in close. “You pulled up your shirt and let him look at you, Tony. You know how I feel about people ogling my sub’s body. And you got him to put his big paws on you – do you have any idea how that made me feel?”

 

“Same way I felt when Shale was all over you?” Tony suggested defiantly.

 

“Difference being, I didn’t ask her to do that!” Gibbs growled.

 

Tony rocked back on his heels, his anger cooling. “Yeah. I know. I’m sorry,” he sighed. “Look, I screwed up. What can I say?”

 

“Nothing.” Gibbs took a step back. “I have a case to solve. You – get back to work and don’t screw up for the rest of the day. We *will* talk about this tonight.”

 

He finally released his tight grasp on Tony’s bicep, and Tony watched him stalk away. That had been bad. Christ, he was such a screw up. His cell phone rang, and he fished it out of his pocket, still berating himself under his breath.

 

“DiNozzo,” he snapped into it.

 

“Hey – it’s Jason. I saw your boss haul you off and bawl you out. That looked heavy, man.”

 

Tony glanced over to see Jason still standing by the tape, waving at him.

 

“It was fine. I was supposed to be doing my job. I screwed up.”

 

“Looked more personal than that,” Jason said. “Want me to take care of him for you?”

 

“What?” Tony frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

 

“I work in a gym, Tony,” Jason reminded him. “He looks like the kind of guy who likes to fight. Send him over sometime, and I’ll kick his ass in the ring.”

 

Tony laughed out loud, a bitter, mirthless sound. “Trust me, Jason, you wouldn’t,” he said as he began walking back to the crime scene.

 

“Hey – I’m bigger than him and a hell of a lot younger,” Jason said, in a smug kind of voice. “I’ll pound him into the ground for you, Tony.”

 

“No – seriously, you won’t,” Tony replied. “Nobody’s ever beaten Gibbs in a fight.”

 

“Nobody?” Jason sounded incredulous. “Ever?”

 

“Nope.” Tony couldn’t help but feel a weird kind of pride as he spoke about his dom. He had no doubt that regardless of how big Jason’s built-up body was, Gibbs could take him down. “Thanks for the offer though.”

 

He closed his phone and returned to where Gibbs was talking to Shale again.

 

“Talk about tail between your legs, DiNozzo,” he muttered, feeling like a whipped puppy. He wondered what would happen when he got home this evening. His ass was still sore from last night, and he really didn’t want to take another spanking, but he guessed that decision was up to Gibbs. He’d definitely *earned* one, and if his dom made him take one then he would. He’d screwed up; he deserved to be punished.

 

They returned to the office to find Vance waiting for them.

 

“Any progress?” he demanded. Tony glanced at Ziva and McGee – Vance didn’t usually involve himself in their murder investigations.

 

“We only just got back from the crime scene,” Gibbs replied. “You’ll have my report as soon as I have anything to tell you. Any reason for the interest, Leon?”

 

Vance sighed. “Lieutenant Adams’s father is an admiral – and a personal friend of SecNav’s – so there’s pressure on us to do our best work here, Gibbs.”

 

“I *always* do my best work,” Gibbs snapped. “No matter who the victim’s father is.”

 

Tony winced. This was turning out to be a very bad day – and he really didn’t need for Gibbs to be in an even worse mood than he already was.
The rest of the day passed in an agonising crawl. Eventually Ziva left, and then McGee. Ducky called up that he was on his way home, and even Abby finally left. Gibbs remained at his desk, and Tony, by default, had no choice but to remain at his. He didn’t dare leave.

 

Finally, at 9 p.m., with no solid leads on the case after a day’s digging, Gibbs sat back and glared across the room at him.

 

“Go home, DiNozzo,” he ordered.

 

“Home?” Tony bit on his lip. Did that mean his own home or Gibbs’s home? Was Gibbs telling him that he didn’t want to deal with him tonight? Did that mean no more training? Were they still on course for his big decision at the end of the week – or had he irritated Gibbs enough that the man was giving up on him? “Your place?” Tony clarified, wincing slightly.

 

Gibbs looked at him as if he’d grown another head. “You had someplace else to be?”

 

“No. Just…” Tony felt ridiculously relieved. “Wasn’t sure if you were cutting me loose, Boss.”

 

Gibbs looked utterly mystified for a second, and then his expression darkened. He got up and stalked over to Tony’s desk with terse, angry strides. Tony grimaced, wondering what the hell was going to happen next. Gibbs reached his desk, and then, without warning, slapped the back of his head with a firm, decisive flick of his hand.

 

“Don’t be more of an idiot than you already are, DiNozzo,” he snapped. “Go home. Now.”

 

“Yes, Boss! Thank you, Boss!” Tony said, rubbing the sore spot on the back of his head happily. He reached for his bag and ran towards the elevator. Okay, so Gibbs wasn’t going to throw him out. That meant the alternative, which was an evening involving some kind of painful punishment, but Tony could handle that much more easily than rejection.

 

He wasn’t sure what to do when he got back to Gibbs’s house. They’d eaten takeout at the office earlier in the evening so there was no point ordering any food. It wasn’t his place, so he didn’t feel comfortable turning on the TV and making himself at home – not least because of the deep shit he knew he was in. He had no idea how long Gibbs would be, either. A part of him wanted his dom to be a long time in coming home, while another part just wanted to get this over and done with.

 

He didn’t turn the light on. He just stood there, in the dark living room, feeling uncertain. He heard a car draw up outside and his stomach flipped. Gibbs walked into the house a few minutes later; he stood in the living room doorway, frowning.

 

“Tony?” He turned on the light and then looked startled to see Tony. “Why were you standing there in the dark?”

 

“I really have no idea,” Tony sighed.

 

Gibbs gazed at him, looking perplexed. “You really don’t, do you?”

 

“Nope.” Tony shrugged miserably.

 

“Come here.” Gibbs lifted his arm and beckoned with one, crooked index finger.

 

Tony bit on his lip. Time to face the music. He went quietly over to his dom. He wasn’t sure whether Gibbs was going to swing him over the couch, or push him against the wall, but he was pretty sure he was going to be looking at his feet sometime soon while Gibbs blistered his ass for being such an idiot. He went quickly all the same, not caring about the punishment. Gibbs was wrong – he *did* trust him. He trusted him with his body, if nothing else.

 

To his surprise, Gibbs didn’t do either of those things. Instead, he put an arm around Tony, drew him close, and kissed him on the lips. It was a gentler kiss than Tony might have expected in the circumstances, and he pressed up against his top’s hard body, feeling some of the day’s despair start to dissipate.

 

Finally, Gibbs released him, but still held him close. “I’ve wanted to do that all evening.”

 

Tony blinked. “You have? Why?”

 

“Because you were getting quieter and quieter until I thought you were some kind of zombie-Tony. It was freaking me out.”

 

“Zombie-Tony? Hah! No wonder you were freaked out to find me standing in the dark then, Boss. Wanted to be sure it was still me, and not some brain-eating impostor, huh?” Tony felt some of his usual good spirits returning.

 

“Oh, I knew it was still you. Nobody but you could have pulled that stunt you did this morning. I’ve just never seen you that quiet before, even when you’ve known you’re in bad trouble.”

 

“Which I am,” Tony said quietly.

 

Gibbs nodded. “Which you are,” he agreed.

 

“So where do you want me?” Tony asked, his hands going to his belt as he started to undress. “Against the wall? Over the couch?”

 

Gibbs looked at him thoughtfully. “You think your ass can take another whipping after the past couple of days, DiNozzo?”

 

“Well…it’s sore, and sitting down all afternoon and most of the evening didn’t help, but I screwed up, and I figure that’s gonna be more than a couple of swats added to the chalkboard, so…” Tony shrugged and continued undoing his fly. Gibbs’s hand fastened over his, stopping him. “What?” Tony frowned. “You said discipline would be daily, and I fucked up.”

 

“Yeah, you did – but I also said discipline wouldn’t always be spanking. Anyhow, breaking rule number five is serious – I don’t think a spanking really covers it.”

 

Tony felt his gut flip anxiously. “But you said you weren’t cutting me loose…” he began.

 

“And those are the only two options? Christ, and I thought *I* was bad at relationships.” Gibbs rolled his eyes.

 

Tony stared at him, confused.

 

“So, I either whale on your ass, or I throw you out? No wonder you were so damn keen to get into position,” Gibbs grunted. He gazed at Tony thoughtfully. “Who taught you that, Tony?”

 

“What?”

 

“Who taught you that you get sent away, no warning, for just one screw-up? Who taught you to offer yourself up for anything to avoid that happening?” Gibbs asked. “Who taught you that if I’m angry I’m gonna hurt you, but at least that’s better than rejection?”

 

Tony stared at him icily. “Are you going to punish me or not?”

 

Gibbs glared at him. Tony didn’t back down.

 

Gibbs sighed. “Tony…” He put his hand on Tony’s shoulder, but Tony knocked it away.

 

“No, don’t do that. I screwed up. Punish me.”

 

“Then it’s okay? If I punish you, then it’s okay?”

 

“You were angry, and you had every right to be.” Tony shrugged. “I behaved like an idiot this morning.”

 

“Yeah, you did.” Gibbs nodded thoughtfully. “But I’m not gonna spank you.”

 

“Why?” Tony demanded belligerently.

 

“Because, like I said on Sunday, if we’re not both getting off on this then we’re doing it wrong. Last couple of nights you’ve enjoyed the training, haven’t you?”

 

“Yeah. So?” Tony shrugged.

 

“Well, if I spanked your ass tonight you wouldn’t, and I sure as hell wouldn’t. I never intended to – it’s had enough, and you should be the one pointing that out, not me.”

 

Tony gazed at him helplessly. “I don’t understand.”

 

“I know,” Gibbs sighed. “And I’m just starting to realise that that’s a real problem, Tony.”

 

“So you *are* throwing me out.” Tony felt his jaw tighten.

 

Gibbs gave him a look that could kill people. “Did I say that?” he growled. “No, I’m not damn well throwing you out, boy. Okay. Let’s deal with this. You’re right, you screwed up today, and I will punish you for that. Strip.”

 

He tossed his keys onto the table, took off his jacket, and then left the room. Tony heard him running up the stairs. He took off his clothes, folded them neatly on the couch, and then he waited. He was confused. Gibbs had said he wasn’t going to spank him, but that he would punish him. What the hell did he have in mind? At least it seemed to involve some kind of interaction – and Tony had never had a problem with negative attention, if that was the only kind he was going to get.

 

Gibbs returned a few minutes later. He had changed into a pair of grey sweats and a grey tee shirt.

 

“With me. Now,” he said, gesturing with his head.

 

Tony followed him down the stairs and into the basement. Gibbs put his hands on Tony’s body and turned him around a couple of times, examining him as he went. His fingers came to rest on the thin red lines on Tony’s buttocks.

 

“You look good wearing my marks, boy,” he said throatily. Tony’s cock hardened immediately in response to his tone. “Did you forget who you belonged to earlier?” Gibbs purred into Tony’s ear. “When you let that guy put his hands on you. When you showed him this…” He ran his hand possessively over Tony’s belly.

 

“No, Boss. I was just trying to make you mad.”

 

“Why?”

 

“To stop you talking to Shale.” Tony shrugged.

 

“You seriously thought that a couple of days after entering into a serious relationship with you, I’d be out sniffing around for someone else?”

 

Tony took a deep breath as Gibbs’s hand slid over his body. “No. Maybe. I dunno. I just wanted…”

 

“My attention?” Gibbs suggested.

 

“Yeah.” Tony sagged a little.

 

“You’re mine, and I don’t share. Don’t ever let someone touch you like that again,” Gibbs hissed into his ear. “Seriously, Tony.” His voice held a sudden flare of pain. “I mean it. It drives me nuts. I’ve told you this before.”

 

“I know.” Tony felt a twinge of guilt.

 

“I wasn’t particularly possessive with my wives,” Gibbs said quietly. “But with my 24/7 sub? I’m in my top headspace around you all the time, and when I see someone else with their hands on you…it hurts, Tony.”

 

Tony looked up, startled by the honesty in Gibbs’s voice. “I’m sorry,” he said, meaning it.

 

“I know.” Gibbs continued to work his hands over Tony’s body, and Tony felt his erection swell. “Close your eyes,” Gibbs ordered. Tony complied immediately. “Who do you belong to?” Gibbs asked, as he fondled and stroked.

 

“You!” Tony gasped, his body responding eagerly.

 

“I’m glad we’re both agreed on that,” Gibbs said wryly. “So, I figure today’s screw-up deserves thirty on the chalkboard – don’t you?”

 

“Yeah.” Tony nodded. His stomach flipped all the same. Thirty was his highest tally to date, and Gibbs always made his discipline count.

 

He felt his dom’s hands slide up his chest and play with his nipples. God that felt good! Gibbs’s fingers tightened around his nipples and squeezed. Tony gave a hoarse shout.

 

“Thirty what though?” Tony panted. “If you’re not gonna spank me?”

 

“Thirty minutes,” Gibbs purred into his ear. He was standing behind Tony, and Tony could feel his cock pressing against his naked ass cheeks through the soft fabric of Gibbs’s sweatpants.

 

“Thirty minutes?” Tony frowned, confused.

 

“Yeah. Wearing these.”

 

Tony wasn’t sure how he did it, or where they came from, but next thing he knew the tight sensation around his nipples had intensified exponentially. He opened his eyes and looked down to see that Gibbs had placed clamps on his nipples.

 

Gibbs turned him around. “They’re adjustable. I’ll start them off relatively tight…” He turned the screw on the one on his left nipple, and Tony gave a yell and held onto his dom’s shoulders for support as the claws of the clamp dug into the little nub of flesh. Gibbs moved on to the other one and did the same, screwing it so that it squeezed down hard on his right nipple. “And I’ll turn the screw once to tighten them even more every ten minutes. Think you can handle that?” he asked.

 

His nipples felt like they were enclosed in a vice. Tony didn’t see how he could possibly cope with Gibbs tightening the clamps again, but he nodded.

 

“Yes,” he said, in a strangled tone.

 

“What’s your safe word?” Gibbs gazed at him intently.

 

“Magnum,” he replied, without even thinking about it.

 

“Use it if it gets too much,” Gibbs ordered. “I’ll still make you take it, but I’ll space it out – give you five minutes in them and then a five minute breather until we’re done. Okay – stand there, at ease…” Gibbs put him in the corner of the basement, but facing inwards towards the boat. “I’m gonna work on the boat – and you are going to be quiet. Use the time to think about the issue of trust, Tony, ’cause the way you behaved this morning, seemed like you sure as hell didn’t trust me.”

 

Tony opened his mouth to refute that, but Gibbs put his finger over his lips.

 

“Uh-uh. In silence.” He leaned in and kissed Tony’s mouth…and while he was doing that, his fingers came to rest on the nipple clamps, and he gave a sudden, firm twist. Tony yelled out into the kiss, but Gibbs didn’t release either his nipples or his mouth. He just kept on kissing and twisting. Finally, Tony surrendered to both, the torture of his nipples offset by the firm press of Gibbs’s lips against his own.

 

Then Gibbs released him, and Tony stood there, whimpering. God his nipples hurt! He wondered if he could possibly stand thirty minutes of this, but he knew that he had no choice. Gibbs would make him take every single second.

 

He stood there, shaking slightly, as he watched Gibbs crawl over the boat with his sander, smoothing away at the wood.

 

Gibbs had told him to think about why he’d ended up here, but he was more interested in trying to figure out the shape of Gibbs’s butt through the thin fabric of his sweatpants. He wished he could strip those pants off him and run his hands over his dom’s naked ass, but the way things were going right now he thought he’d have a long wait for that. Damn it – when was he ever going to see his dom naked? It didn’t seem fair that Gibbs had seen him naked so often, and Tony had never even got a glimpse of his ass – or that monster cock he’d rammed into Tony’s mouth a couple of times.

 

He was so lost in this train of thought that he was surprised to see Gibbs suddenly appear in front of him.

 

“Ten minutes, Tony,” he said, and he reached out and turned the screw on the side of the left clamp. The pain in his chest had receded to a dull, throbbing ache, but now it flared up into a full blown blast of agony again. Gibbs did the same to the right nipple, and Tony hung his head, his body shaking from the effort of not putting his hands up there and pulling the damn things off.

 

“Think you can take it?” Gibbs asked. “Or do you want to say your word?”

 

Tony’s resolve didn’t falter. “I can take it,” he said firmly, looking up.

 

“Good.”

 

Gibbs kissed him again, and this time Tony knew what to expect. Sure enough, Gibbs evilly twisted his fingertips on the clamps, drawing an agonised yell out of him again. He couldn’t have resisted crying out, even if he’d tried. The sensation of being kissed while having the clamps twisted was so intense. He was almost sure that he couldn’t bear it – and that was when Gibbs released him. His dom returned to his boat and resumed working as if nothing had happened.

 

Tony stood there, reeling, his nipples throbbing. Ten minutes – which meant he had another twenty to go. Christ, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to take it. But Gibbs was asking him to take it, and there was something intensely satisfying about giving it all up to a dom as powerful as Gibbs.

 

He thought about what Gibbs had said, about how much Tony’s behaviour had hurt him. He’d meant it too – Tony had been startled by just how *much* he’d meant it. Gibbs was such an overpowering presence in his life, and yet always so emotionally distant, that Tony was surprised to find that something as stupid as the morning’s flirtation had affected him.

 

He heard Gibbs coming towards him, and he looked up.

 

“Want to say your safe word?” Gibbs asked.

 

“No.” Tony shook his head. “I want to say that I get it now. I didn’t before. I’m sorry, Boss.”

 

“No more talk of me throwing you out then?” Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

 

“No.” Tony shook his head.

 

Gibbs nodded thoughtfully. “Good.” Then he gave a feral grin and reached for the clamps again. Tony actually howled when he turned the screw on each of the nipple clamps for the final time. They were digging in so hard that he hopped from foot to foot for a moment, trying to find a place in his head where he could bear it. Eventually, the worst of the pain receded – but Tony knew what was coming next.

 

“Ready?” Gibbs asked.

 

“No,” Tony replied, making a face.

 

Gibbs grinned and closed in. He kissed Tony hard and twisted the clamps at the same time. Tony convulsed in his arms. Gibbs’s body was hard and unyielding against his own, and he was completely ruthless as he made the punishment really count. Tony was dimly aware that he wouldn’t want it any other way, but that didn’t make it any easier to take.

 

Then, finally, Gibbs was done. He pulled back, grinned at Tony again, patted his cheek affectionately, and then returned to the boat. Tony stood there, swaying, moaning softly to himself. He had to hold his hands behind his back to stop himself from swiping the clamps away from his chest. His nipples felt like they were being held between a pair of sharp teeth, and the last ten minutes of his punishment felt more like ten hours. He moaned, and sweated, and whimpered under his breath the entire time, trying to pace himself. He hopped from foot to foot again, trying to find a way to deal with it.

 

Just when he was honestly wasn’t sure he could bear it any more, Gibbs threw down the sander and came back over.

 

“Okay – thirty minutes, we’re done. Brace yourself.”

 

“Just get them off me!” Tony begged.

 

“Hold onto my shoulders.”

 

“Why?” Tony blinked at him, barely able to think straight. He just wanted the damn things gone.

 

“Trust me – hold onto my shoulders, and brace yourself,” Gibbs warned.

 

Tony did as he was told, and a second later he felt Gibbs’s fingers on his chest. This time those fingers were gentle, and they removed the clamps swiftly. Tony’s respite was short lived though – he was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when a wave of the most intense pain flooded through the tortured nipples as the blood returned to the little nubs of flesh.

 

“Fuck!” he screamed, clinging onto Gibbs’s shoulders.

 

Yet again, Gibbs was there to hold him up and kiss away the scream. He devoured Tony’s mouth with his own while Tony hollered his agony. He was grateful for Gibbs’s strength, because he was pretty sure his legs wouldn’t have held him up. Gibbs kissed him the entire time, keeping him upright, bracing Tony against his hard, muscular body.

 

Finally the pain receded, leaving only a dull, nagging ache. Gibbs held him close, running a soothing hand up and down his back.

 

“It’s okay…ssh, ssh,” he murmured, until finally Tony stopped shaking. Then Gibbs drew back and grinned at him. “What the hell am I gonna do with you, DiNozzo?” he sighed, shaking his head ruefully. “You are just so damn addictive. And even when it’s bad…you’re turned on. Incredible.” He shook his head, his hand resting on Tony’s semi-erect cock where it was jutting out from his body. “C’mon – let’s get you to bed.”

 

“Your bed?” Tony asked hopefully.

 

Gibbs gave a little chuckle. “Nope – *your* bed, DiNozzo.”

 

“Worth a try,” Tony grinned, resting his head on Gibbs’s shoulder as Gibbs walked them both slowly up the stairs, one arm still wrapped firmly around his sub’s body.

 

“Good to have the real you back, Tony.” Gibbs kissed him again as they reached the top of the stairs. “Didn’t like the zombie version.”

 

“No more zombie-Tony – scout’s honour,” Tony promised solemnly, the stress of the day and the endorphin rush from the nipple torture combining to make him feel both high as a kite and completely exhausted.

 

“Idiot. Bed.”

 

Gibbs helped him onto the mattress and drew the blanket over him. Tony closed his eyes, but he was aware of Gibbs standing there, unmoving, looking down on him. Then, finally, Gibbs sighed.

 

“I hope you trust me with it one, day, Tony, whatever the hell it is. Surely it can’t be that bad?”

 

Tony rolled onto his side, opened his eyes, and stared blankly at the wall.

 

 

~*~

 

 

Tony really wasn’t a morning person, but Gibbs was becoming used to his sub’s shortness of temper and general moodiness first thing. Tony could easily earn himself full spankings in the first ten minutes of wakefulness alone if Gibbs wasn’t careful in how he handled him. He had learned to back off, and having woken Tony on Wednesday morning he retreated downstairs. Tony put in an appearance fifteen minutes later, by which time, after a shower and shave, he was more amiable.

 

Gibbs examined his sub’s body, as he did every morning before breakfast. He thought Tony was getting used to these little routines. Today, he ran his fingers lightly over Tony’s still red nipples, noting the way Tony winced even at that feather light touch.

 

“Hurt?” he asked.

 

“Only when you touch them,” Tony shrugged. “Otherwise they’re fine.”

 

That brought out some toppy instinct in Gibbs, and he couldn’t resist lowering his head and taking Tony’s left nipple in his mouth, rolling it between his tongue and lips, making Tony gasp and whimper. He did the same to the right one, noticing that however much discomfort he was in, Tony was clearly also enjoying this judging by his semi-erect cock.

 

Gibbs grinned. “I got you something for that.” He reached into his pocket and drew out a leather cock ring. Tony eyed it suspiciously. Gibbs threaded Tony’s cock and balls into the ring and fastened it in place, testing the fit with his fingers, while Tony watched him the entire time through narrowed eyes.

 

“Wear it all day,” Gibbs ordered. “It you get erect at any point – which knowing you is a given – then this will help keep you that way for longer.”

 

Tony pouted. “Isn’t it bad enough that I’m not allowed to come? Do you have to make it worse by fixing it so that when I get hard I stay that way?” he asked incredulously. “Isn’t that just plain torture?”

 

“Nope. Although I can think of things that *are* plain torture if you’d like me to try them out on you?” Gibbs raised a challenging eyebrow.

 

“Kind of you, Boss, but no, thank you,” Tony said swiftly.

 

“You should be happy I’ve given you a training aid,” Gibbs told him smoothly. “’Cause I want you to learn to become hard on order – and hold it for as long as I say.”

 

Tony looked aghast. “Seriously? People can actually do that?”

 

“With training – yeah.” Gibbs patted his face. “And training is exactly what you’re getting.”

 

“Who are these people? Sexual gymnasts? Are they in training for the sexual Olympics or something?” Tony mused plaintively.

 

Gibbs bit back a grin. “You feel any pain, you have my permission to remove the cock ring – otherwise, it stays on.” He pointed at the table. “Bend over.”

 

Tony did as ordered, and Gibbs removed his butt plug. He put some lube on his finger and slid it inside Tony’s hole. Tony was more open now, after days of being plugged. But, more to the point, he was becoming used to Gibbs touching his body and slipping his fingers or plugs into it whenever he wanted. In short, he was starting to get his head around the concept that his body now belonged to his dom and not to him any more.

 

Gibbs wriggled his finger around – Tony was still tight, but Gibbs didn’t want to open him up any more. He wanted to save that moment for when he finally pushed his hard cock into this puckered hole. He wanted to be the one who stretched Tony out to his full capacity. Gibbs removed his finger. “No need to wear a plug today.”

 

Tony looked at him over his shoulder. “Really? Why?” he asked, standing up.

 

“Because you’re ready for me to fuck you now,” Gibbs told him bluntly.

 

Tony’s cock became fully erect and then stayed that way, trapped within its leather ring.

 

“Right now?” he asked hoarsely.

 

“No – I told you I wouldn’t fuck you ‘til I collared you. You still have a couple of days to decide if that’s what you want. If it is, then I’ll fuck you on Friday. But it’s your choice, Tony. It has to be what you want.”

 

“Do I look like I don’t want it?” Tony pointed to his hard, straining cock.

 

Gibbs grinned and ghosted his fingers over it, loving the way Tony rutted into his hand, desperate for his touch. “Nope. You look like you’d be happy if I threw you down and took you over the table. But I said I’d give you a week to be sure, and I will. You’re new at this – you need to decide if you like it, if you want more of it, or if it’s not for you. That’s what this week’s all about.”

 

“I don’t need any more damn time…” Tony began, but Gibbs interrupted him.

 

“Take the final couple of days to decide, and be really clear about it, Tony. I won’t change. This is who I am, so if this is what you want then good, but if not, don’t pretend. That would be unfair – on both of us. You need to be really sure – because once I’ve fucked you, I won’t give you up easily after that. You’ll be mine then, and I’ll fight for you if I have to.”

 

Tony’s eyes flickered. “Am I what *you* want?” he asked. “I mean, I know you said you’d made your decision, and this was all about me making mine, but you’ve had a chance to put me through my paces now. Sure you haven’t changed your mind?”

 

“I told you – I already made my decision. This is about you. You’ve woken up every day this week with a sore back, or butt, or chest. You’ve spent days and nights with something stuffed up your ass, and I’ve asked you to submit to all kinds of painful or intrusive things. If you say yes, there won’t be less of that, there’ll be more, ‘cause then I’ll *really* put you through your paces. I’m *demanding*, Tony.”

 

“Ya think, Gibbs?” Tony’s mouth quirked into a smile.

 

Gibbs didn’t smile back . “Decide, Tony,” he said seriously. “Decide if you can handle a 24/7 dom/sub relationship with me. Don’t jerk me around. Take it seriously. Really think about it. And if you need more time – ask.”

 

Tony looked surprised by his tone. “I will take it seriously. I do. I am.”

 

“Good.” Gibbs picked up his keys and jacket. “Then I’ll see you at work in half an hour. And Tony?” Tony turned towards him. “Wear something casual today.”

 

Tony raised an eyebrow. “You’re telling me what to wear?”

 

“Yes, Tony, I’m telling you what to wear. Wear those blue jeans that hug your ass but not too tight – and the navy blue shirt and brown suede jacket.”

 

“I’m amazed you’ve even noticed the contents of my closet,” Tony grinned. “Okay, Boss!” He gave a mock-salute. “Your wish is my command.”

 

Gibbs rolled his eyes, but he couldn’t resist pulling his naked sub in close for a kiss anyway. Then he released him, pushed him in the direction of the stairs, and slapped his ass to send him on his way. He grinned at Tony’s exaggerated yelp but stayed to watch his bare ass as he ran up the stairs to get dressed.

 

 

~*~

 

 

By the time Tony got into the office, Gibbs was striding around like a bear with a sore head. Tony flattened himself against the wall in alarm as his dom stormed past him on his way up to the director’s office.

 

“Yikes – the boss got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning,” he said to Ziva – which wasn’t true, because he knew damn well that Gibbs had left for work with a smile on his face.

 

Ziva glanced up from her work. “Admiral Adams has been demanding to know what progress we have made on finding the man who killed his son. He is extremely upset – which is understandable – but he is pulling rank and demanding that Gibbs update him every hour on the hour.”

 

“That explains why the boss isn’t his usual sunny self then.” Tony put his bag down on his desk.

 

Ziva nodded. “Admiral Adams expects a full briefing on all new developments.”

 

“Clearly the admiral doesn’t know Gibbs very well,” Tony grinned, because he could imagine Gibbs’s response to that kind of interference in *his* case.

 

Ziva sighed. “Unfortunately, because he is an admiral – and also a close personal friend – SecNav is insisting that Gibbs comply.”

 

Tony winced. “Ouch. Gibbs has gotta be loving that.”

 

“I believe you saw just how much he is ‘loving’ it.” Ziva glanced up in the direction of Vance’s office.

 

“Uh…does the admiral know that his son was hanging out in a gay gym?” Tony asked.

 

“I believe that Gibbs has informed him, but the admiral is insistent that his son was not gay.”

 

“Ah. Yeah. Denial.” Tony was all too familiar with that.

 

He sat down at his desk and clicked on his emails. There was one there from Mulder, with the subject header: “Sitting comfortably?” He opened it.

 

“Tony, I trust you’re *not* sitting comfortably. I don’t think I sat comfortably for a year after Walter enslaved me. Anyway – how’s it going? Want to come alien-hunting with me one day if Gibbs will let you out? And yes, Walter is making me write this. He thinks you need mentoring or some kind of shit like that. So say yes, or he’ll bug me until you do. Mulder.”

 

Tony chuckled and typed a quick reply. He and Fox didn’t exactly have much in common, but somehow he liked the guy, even if he was completely crazy.

 

He checked the rest of his emails – and his fingers froze on the keyboard as he saw a name flash up in the headers.

 

D.Grasso
And the subject line: “Fridays”

 

He sat there for a moment, looking at it with a sense of dread, and then he glanced up in the direction of Vance’s office. “Is Gibbs still up there?” he asked Ziva.

 

“Yes he is. Why? Are you going to do something naughty?” she asked, with a hint of mischief in her eyes.

 

“No, Ziva, I’m not going to do something ‘naughty’ because I’m a trained federal agent and not, you know, ten,” he told her. Although he sure as hell *felt* naughty as he clicked on the email.

 

“You left without saying goodbye. Friday nights aren’t the same without you. Seahawk docks end of next month. Be seeing you…”

 

“Not if I see you first,” Tony growled under his breath. He clicked on the delete key and watched the email disappear.

 

“Problem?” Ziva asked.

 

“No, Ziva – hey look – what’s that?”

 

He pointed somewhere over her left shoulder, and she turned. He took the opportunity to run for the safety of the men’s room. Knowing Ziva’s proclivity for following him even in here, he went into a stall and locked the door behind him. Then he stood with his back against the door, breathing heavily.

 

D. Grasso.

 

Chief Petty Officer Dale Grasso.

 

He could smell the stench of whisky on his breath as he moved and could hear the harsh rasp of his own breathing. The liquor was slowing him down, and he tripped and stumbled, then sank down onto the floor, laughing to himself. Grasso loomed over him; his breath smelled of stale tobacco and the shit they served in the ship’s cafeteria.

 

“Christ, you’re a fucking loser. A fucking motherfucking piece of shit, DiNozzo!”

 

Tony laughed some more, and waited for what would, inevitably, happen next…

 

Tony pushed the memory away and tried to think of Gibbs instead. He thought of the sensitivity in his nipples from Gibbs’s clamps and the binding of the leather ring on his cock. He tried to think of being owned, of belonging to someone. It helped. He got himself back under control, straightened up, and pasted his shiny Tony face back on again. Then he returned to the squad room.

 

The day didn’t bring any breakthroughs on the case, and Tony watched Gibbs become more and more irritable as both SecNav and Admiral Adams rode him hard to find the man who had murdered the admiral’s son.

 

Tony wished he could help his dom in some way – not that Gibbs needed his help, but he was working his ass off to get some answers, and Tony could see that he was precariously close to the edge.

 

Gibbs’s mood only deteriorated as the day wore on, until Tony sent Ziva and McGee to take refuge in Abby’s lab. Only Tony hung around in the squad room to bear the brunt of his dom’s bad temper. He figured that he could handle the pressure better than they could. He had always seen team morale as his responsibility as Gibbs’s second in command. Sometimes that called for him to goof around to lighten the tension – and sometimes, like now, it called for him to step in and take one for the team when Gibbs was stressed out.

 

“Go through the timeline,” Gibbs ordered as the evening wore on. Everyone else was long gone, but Tony knew he couldn’t leave while Gibbs was still here. He didn’t want to in any case.

 

“Again, Boss?” Tony asked. They’d been through it a dozen times already. Gibbs turned to glare at him, so Tony quickly brought up the details on the plasma. “Okay.” He stretched, and his back made a popping sound. “Charles Lamb and Mark Adams arrived within ten minutes of each other.” He pointed to the security camera footage showing them arriving at the Ironman gym. “They worked out for a couple of hours until ten p.m.”

 

“Working out that late was usual for them?” Gibbs demanded.

 

Tony glanced at his notes. “Yeah,” he nodded. “Lamb finished first – by a couple of minutes. They both spent about twenty minutes getting showered and changed, and then Lamb left the gym at 22:23 pm.” He showed grainy footage of Charles Lamb leaving the gym wearing a baseball cap pulled down over his eyes. “That’s the last shot we have of him alive. Adams left five minutes later.” He clicked the next image. “And that’s it. Ducky puts time of death at about fifteen minutes after they both left the gym.”

 

“Who died first?”

 

“Adams,” Tony confirmed. They’d gone through this several times already, but if Gibbs wanted to go through it again then that’s what they’d do. He stifled a yawn, and his back made another popping sound. Gibbs glanced at him.

 

“Go home,” he ordered. Tony felt a wave of relief. He was damn tired, and so was Gibbs by the look of him. Tony didn’t think that either of them would be up for much by way of training this evening.

 

“You coming too?” Tony asked.

 

Gibbs shook his head, still gazing at the plasma. “Not yet. I’m missing something. If Lamb left first, why was Adams killed first? Why were they even together at that point? Lamb should have been halfway home.”

 

“I have no idea,” Tony shrugged. “Maybe they went to the park to have sex?”

 

“They both lived alone – no room-mates – why the hell would they need to go to the park to have sex?” Gibbs demanded.

 

“I really have no idea.” Tony stared at the plasma helplessly. “Maybe it’s a gay thing?”

 

Gibbs glared at him. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

Tony winced, remembering all the very gay things they’d been doing together all week.

 

“Nothing,” he sighed. He cricked his neck from side to side, and it cracked, relieving some of the tension in his shoulders.

 

“I thought I told you to go home.”

 

“I’ll go home when you go home,” Tony replied defiantly.

 

“No – you’ll go home when I order you to go home,” Gibbs retorted. “Which is right now.”

 

Tony nodded. “Okay – but don’t be long, or I’ll come back here and drag your ass home, whether you like it or not.”

 

Gibbs gave a grin – his first grin in about ten hours. “I’d like to see you try.”

 

“You think I couldn’t?” Tony raised an eyebrow.

 

Gibbs gazed at him thoughtfully for a moment and then nodded. “I think you could, Tony. And thanks. Now go home.”

 

Tony picked up his bag and shouldered himself into his brown suede jacket. Gibbs beckoned him over, and then, without warning, brushed his hands over Tony’s sensitive nipples. Tony gave a little howl, but his cock immediately sprang to attention – and, thanks to the cock ring, he knew it’d stay that way for awhile.

 

“Thank you, Boss,” he muttered, glancing down at his tented pants. “Just what I need.” At least there was nobody around to see, but even so, just walking around with such an obvious erection was so damn embarrassing.

 

“You’re welcome, Tony,” Gibbs grinned, glancing down at his groin. Tony rolled his eyes and placed his bag strategically in front of him as he walked to the elevator. All the same, he felt more relaxed than he had all day. Whether he liked it or not, Gibbs knew exactly how to play him.

 

Tony drove home wearily. He wished he could crack this case, not just because it was his job and he took pride in it, but also because he wanted to be useful to his dom for more than sexual favours. He wanted to share the load with him, to be at his side and help out.

 

He pulled up at the house and went inside, his cock still ramrod hard.

 

“Damn cock ring,” he muttered, but he felt a glow of pride all the same to be wearing it. It had felt like their little secret all day, knowing he was wearing it at his dom’s command. If it had been a less stressful day, he was sure that Gibbs would have played with the situation more.

 

Tony took off his jacket and made himself a coffee, then sat at the kitchen table to drink it. He remembered the conversation he’d had with Gibbs this morning in this room. He’d barely had a chance to think about it all day. Now he wasn’t sure he wanted to think about it. What Gibbs was demanding was actually a commitment to a relationship, and Tony had never found that an easy concept. On the other hand, he’d never felt about any of his many girlfriends the way he felt about Gibbs. He actually wanted to commit to Gibbs.

 

His only nagging doubt was how long it could possibly last before he screwed up so badly that Gibbs threw his worthless ass out. He had no doubt it would happen – but how much worse would it feel if he got really close to Gibbs first? He was already getting too close to the man –Gibbs kept finding ways past his defences. Tony thought of those nights he’d spent lying with his head on Gibbs’s lap, zoning out to the feel of Gibbs stroking his hair with those dextrous and surprisingly artistic fingers of his. Damn it, he had to stop letting Gibbs *do* that.

 

He wondered whether Gibbs was freaked out by the cuddling too. Maybe he wasn’t. Gibbs was a tough bastard, but Tony had caught a glimpse of someone else beneath the gruff exterior recently. He had never thought of Gibbs as a real life, flesh and blood person before. He had always been – well Gibbs. He’d never thought of Gibbs as even human before – superhuman maybe, but not human. Now Tony’s perceptions were changing. Gibbs had a heart – a heart that could be broken – and Tony didn’t want to be the one doing the breaking.

 

But he *wanted* this. He wanted this more than he’d ever wanted anything – and he didn’t think he was strong enough to say no. He remembered what Mulder had said about him wanting to belong to Gibbs, and he knew that was true. But then Mulder had also sounded a note of warning about just how hard it would be for him to hide in such a relationship. Was he ready for anyone to look into his soul?

 

He heard the door slam and looked up in surprise. Half an hour had passed while he’d been pondering, and his coffee was now cold. Gibbs walked in, and Tony was struck by how exhausted he looked.

 

“Hey,” he said. “Why don’t you go sit down on the couch? I could do something for you.”

 

Gibbs raised an eyebrow, but Tony just grinned.

 

“Trust me?” he asked. There it was. That word again. The ‘T’ word. More dangerous even than the ‘L’ word. Much more dangerous. Love was simple and uncomplicated in comparison to trust.

 

“I do,” Gibbs replied, turning to go into the living room. Tony grabbed a clean, dry, towel from a pile of laundry on the table and then followed him. Gibbs sat down on the couch, and Tony knelt down in front of him. He pushed Gibbs’s legs open and settled down between them. Gibbs raised a questioning eyebrow again.

 

“Let me do this?” Tony asked. “Stress relief? It’s been a long day.”

 

Gibbs nodded. Tony tied the towel over his own eyes and then leaned forward. His fumbling fingers found Gibbs’s fly, and he opened it. Gibbs’s cock sprang out, already pulsing and half hard. “Hey – looks like I’m not the only one who gets turned on around here, big boy,” he commented. A second later he felt the half-hearted slap on the back of his head, and he grinned widely.

 

Then he leaned down and licked tentatively on the crown of Gibbs’s cock. The flesh was warm and solid under his tongue, and he liked how it tasted. He felt Gibbs become fully erect in seconds. He wished he could see his dom’s cock – it felt so big and powerful. He wondered what something this big would feel like pounding away in his ass, but that just made his own cock stiffen inside his pants, and, thanks to the cock ring, he knew it would stay that way for awhile.

 

He covered his teeth with his lips and then moved his mouth down over Gibbs’s cock, enjoying the little gasp of pleasure that his dom gave. This wasn’t like the previous times he’d had Gibbs’s cock in his mouth. On those occasions he’d just knelt there, and Gibbs had fucked his mouth like there was no tomorrow.

 

This time, Tony was doing his best to please his dom, trying to be a good sub to him after a hard day at work. He wasn’t experienced in giving oral sex to a guy, but he knew what he liked when receiving it, so he drew on that.

 

Tony’s jaw was stretched to the limit as he worked his mouth down over all that firm flesh. He wanted to go further and deeper, but his gag reflex got in the way. He really needed to figure out a way around that if he was going to get really good at this.

 

He did his best anyway, alternating his moves, licking and sucking enthusiastically with as much finesse as he could muster. He loved the way Gibbs gently stroked his hair as he worked, and his little grunts of pleasure. Being blindfolded helped Tony focus on his dom’s response, and he found that he could tell what Gibbs particularly liked by the way his body reacted against his lips and face.

 

He placed his hands on Gibbs’s open thighs and worked harder, throwing himself into it. Gibbs tasted like Gibbs should. He exuded some powerful pheromones that turned Tony on. He loved the warm, dark, earthy scent of the man, and the way his cock felt against his lips and on his tongue.

 

He could feel Gibbs getting close, and a few seconds later Gibbs grabbed his hair and pumped his come into Tony’s mouth. Tony savoured the taste. It was pure, distilled Gibbs, and it didn’t get any better than that. He drank it all down and then licked Gibbs’s cock clean. Then he sat back and untied the towel from around his face – to find Gibbs gazing down at him with a look of such unguarded affection that it took Tony by surprise.

 

“Come here,” Gibbs said tiredly. He pulled Tony up onto the couch, and wrapped an arm around him, guiding his head onto his lap. Tony went, berating himself for not being strong enough to refuse. But after the day they’d had, it felt so good to just lie here and be fondled, and petted, and stroked and…loved.

 

Tony closed his eyes, feeling a rising tide of panic. He was getting in way too deep.

~*~