Navy NCIS

TITLE: Cold Comfort

AUTHOR: Rainalin

CATEGORY: Drama

SUB CATEGORY: Slash

PAIRING: Ari/Tony, pre Gibbs/Tony

RATING: R

WARNING: None really.

NOTE: I got to wondering why it was that Tony and Ari never got to meet face-to-face and my evil mind came up with this. Hope you like it.

SPOILER: Bete Noir and Reveille

ARCHIVE: As long as I know where.

DISLAIMER: The characters of NCIS belong to lots of people that are so not me. CBS and the guy that owns JAG also own these characters. I am just borrowing them. I promise to return them with little to no damage, so please look kindly upon my actions.

FEEDBACK: Please do, I would appreciate any kind words you might want to gift me with. Send it all to rainalin@yahoo.com
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SUMMARY: What happened after Gibbs left Ari on the floor of the morgue.


Cold Comfort
by Rainalin

After making sure that Gibbs had indeed left the area, Ari closed his eyes against the pain from his shoulder and laid his head back onto the cold floor of the morgue. Pressing down on his injury, he took stock of the situation he found himself in and laughed softly.

The sound of the door opening caused him to tense up but he relaxed as he recognized the familiar footsteps approaching him and remained where he was. Sighing, his visitor set down a heavy box near his head and knelt beside him.

"I thought I told you that I wasn't going to patch you up if you tangled with Gibbs again, Ari."

The gentle teasing was accompanied by a tender touch to his shoulder and he relaxed into it and let the other man move his hand away and begin to tend to his wound. As his healer worked on him, Ari became aware that the skill in the other man's hands had increased and let a small smile curve his lips.

"I see you heeded my advice and took some nursing classes."

Looking up in the warm hazel eyes, Ari inclined his head as gracefully as he could still sprawled out on the cold floor.

"It's been awhile, Antonio."

Antonio, Anthony DiNozzo, just shook his head in wonder as he continued to work efficiently on his wound.

"You're a strange, strange man, Ari, you know that, right?"

Ari quirked his eyebrow at the amused tone and then shrugged.

"What did you expect from me, Antonio?"

Wrapping the bandaged injury with a minimum of fuss, Antonio furrowed his brow at him.

"Maybe not having a reunion on the floor of the morgue in the office I work after you got shot by my boss?"

"Ah."

Ari shrugged again and then carefully sat up. Finding himself eye-to-eye with the worried hazel eyes of Antonio, Ari decided to let his actions speak for him and reached out with his uninjured arm.

Curling his right hand into the short hair at the nape of Antonio's neck, Ari drew his friend closer and lightly kissed him. Staring straight into his eyes, Ari moved his lips gently over his closed lips and nipped at them. With a sigh, Antonio's eye's closed as his lips opened and Ari explored the familiar warmth of his mouth.

After a few breathless minutes, Ari separated himself with reluctance from a panting Antonio and smirked. Dazed and darkened hazel eyes stared into his own and he waited for Antonio to return to him. After another deep breath, Antonio exhaled very slowly and then laughed.

"I've missed you, Ari."

A tender smile curved his lips and Ari nodded in agreement.

"As have I. It's been much too long since I've gotten a good taste of your mouth.or your body."

A light blush tinged the high cheekbones of his companion and Ari had to laugh.

"Oh, my, Antonio. It's been awhile for you, hasn't it?"

A half-hearted shrug and a deepening of the adorable redness and Ari couldn't help himself. Pulling Antonio close to him again, Ari began to drop kisses all over the other man's face, lingering especially on his lips.

Shallow kissed merged into deep, passionate ones and then became light, almost like butterfly wings as the two men explored each other's mouths. Finally, with a decidedly disgruntled sigh, Antonio broke away and took a deep breath. Ari watched as his companion fought to steady his heartrate and had to agree that his own pulse was racing at the thought of what they could be doing together.

As if that same thought had occurred to Antonio, he began to tidy up the first-aid kit. Ari smiled indulgently at the rather fastidious nature of his long-time friend and lover and moved as if to help. A startled look from hazel eyes and then Antonio sighed.

"You just get yourself up off the floor and we'll get out of here."

Quirking an eyebrow, Ari did as Antonio requested and rose to his feet. Grabbing onto the steel bed beside him for a moment, Ari waited for the dizzy spell to leave him and then looked into the worried eyes before him.

"Don't worry, Antonio. I lost blood, I was on the floor, now I am at a higher elevation. It just took a moment for my body to readjust."

After looking him over to make sure, Antonio moved away and placed the first-aid kit on the empty steel bed. Returning to Ari's side, he stared down at the dead form of Marta and sighed.

"Would you have actually let her kill me?"

The low and hesitant sound of his voice broke through Ari's thoughts and he too looked down at Marta.

"I would never allow anyone to harm you, Antonio. Not if I can do anything to stop it from happening."

Carefully, he reached over with his left hand and grasped Antonio's right hand. Rubbing his thumb over the other man's hand, Ari leaned over and closed his eyes.

The moment between the two men was all the more poignant because of the lack of words and it stretched until it seemed that only eternity would be able to hold it. And then, just as suddenly, it was broken and the two men moved away from the table and towards the door.

Turning to look at his companion, Antonio smiled winningly.

"So, where are we off to now, Ari?"

Ari canted his head to the side and turned a suspicious gaze towards his companion.

"Why do I get the feeling that I am going to regret asking this?"

A puzzled look graced the youthful features of Antonio.

"Asking what, Ari?"

Coming to a stop before the elevator that had swallowed Gibbs earlier, Ari just shook his head.

"Never mind, Antonio, never mind."

Getting into the elevator, Antonio gently patted him on his uninjured shoulder.

"Don't worry so much, Ari. You'll go all grey and old if you're not careful."

Catching the sigh that wanted to escape his throat, Ari closed his eyes and called upon his inner strength. Times like this, he was reminded why they were no longer together.

Opening his eyes, he looked sideways at his companion and noticed the signs of strain that he had missed earlier and frowned thoughtfully. Noticing that the closer they got the main floor, the tenser Antonio was becoming, Ari acted.

Quickly and decisively, he pushed the emergency stop button and brought the elevator to a slow stop. Turning around, he forced his companion into the corner and then leaned in.

"What is the matter, Antonio?"

Another blush highlighted his face and he shifted uncomfortably, as if trying to escape. Ari waited patiently for Antonio to face him and then, he kissed him. Not too deep, but not too shallow, it was a kiss of ownership, of protection and when it was over, Antonio was much more calm.

A sweet smile curved his lips and he leaned his forehead against Ari's.

"When you do things like this, I can't remember why we're not together any more."

A soft mummer was all the answer that Ari allowed himself and he waited patiently for Antonio to speak.

"I thought you were dead. And then you show up here, in the very office I work in, and take Ducky, Gerald and Kate hostage and eventually shoot Gibbs. I didn't know what to think. And I couldn't tell anyone who you were because I knew you had a reason for being here. I even went to FBI and CIA for you, Ari, and I hate those bastards."

Shaking, Antonio carefully hid his head in Ari's uninjured shoulder. "Gibbs was so mad. He was obsessed with you. I was so afraid that he was going to kill you.or you were going to kill him."

As if the admission had shamed him, Antonio began to move away carefully, but Ari wouldn't let him. Reaching around with his good hand, he held him against his body until Antonio relaxed back into him before speaking.

"I know that you've developed feelings for your superior, Antonio."

Surprised, wet hazel eyes looked up at him.

"How the hell do you know that when I didn't even know that the first time you showed up?"

Incredulous, Antonio pushed himself away from his body and stared.

Ari shrugged and trailed a finger down the cheek and towards Antonio's sensitive collarbone. Running a finger up and down it, he watched in appreciation as Antonio's eyes began to darken and he shivered.

Once he was satisfied with the response from Antonio, Ari soothed him.

"I know you, remember? It was easy enough to figure out that you had feelings for him when I shot him."

A smile curved Antonio's lips and he shrugged in defeat.

"Yeah. I have a nasty habit of forgetting that you know me. It's been such a long time.I thought you'd forgotten."

The sly look and the blatant lick of his lips caused Ari to laugh lightly.

"Never, ever change, my Antonio."

Bright and beautiful, the smile that Antonio gifted Ari would have put the sun to shame and caused Ari to give in to the urge to kiss him again. So he did.

After disentangling themselves, Antonio brushed a hand through his hair and sighed.

"When you walk out that door, I'm not going to see you again. Am I?"

The worry in the hazel depths called to him and Ari cursed his inability to lie to this one person. Knowing better than to touch him, he shook his head.

"I don't think that I will brave this office again, at least not while Gibbs and Agent Todd are here."

Letting Antonio have the moment he needed to get himself under control, Ari pushed the button that would allow the elevator to resume its interrupted journey. Smiling slightly as Antonio brushed against him in silent thanks, Ari watched the numbers. Suddenly, he smirked.

"Uh, oh."

Looking over at Antonio, Ari raised an eyebrow.

"I know that look, Ari. What are you planning?"

Waiting for a minute, Ari leaned over and whispered in Antonio's ear.

"What say we make your boss jealous?"

Antonio leaned away from the hot breath and half-shivered, half-shuddered.

"Do you have some desire to see me die? If Gibbs saw you do anything to me, he'd kill me because he can't touch you."

Frightened eyes looked at him but Ari just laughed.

"He'll be too angry at the thought of someone else touching his property that he won't be able to deal with it all properly."

Sputtering, Antonio tried to think of something to say but couldn't quite figure out what to say before the elevator stopped.

"I'm not property!"

The loud whisper caused the attention of all the on-duty agents to focus on the elevator and its passengers and Antonio blushed bright red and stared down at his feet. For a moment, Ari wavered but as he looked out and saw the angry and proprietary gaze of Gibbs, he hardened himself and reached over for Antonio's hand.

Because he was watching so carefully, Ari was the only one to see the strange flicker of jealousy and rage that engulfed Gibbs' eyes when he saw the causal and familiar way that he was holding Antonio's hand.

Pulling his companion along with him, Ari walked directly to the office space that was occupied by Agent Todd, the medical examiner, Ducky, and a Goth-girl as well as another male agent.

Smiling at the members politely, he nodded at the medical examiner.

"Please be sure to extend my deepest regrets to dear Gerald. I do hope that the physical therapy comes along quickly."

Startled and angered, Ducky could only gape at him before turning to look appraisingly at the still silent Antonio.

Noticing that their attention was all focused on their joined hands, Ari smiled evilly and carefully maneuvered Antonio in front of himself. Resting his chin on Antonio's shoulder, he breathed gently into the ear nearest him and felt the shiver all across his own body.

The reactions he got from Antonio's co-workers were well-worth the act. Todd's eyes opened wide and she glanced between her silent partner and Ari with disbelief. Goth-girl, suit-boy and Ducky all shuddered but the most telling reaction was from Gibbs. A low growl of rage erupted from his lips and he took a step forward until he was restrained by Agent Todd.

"Gibbs."

Her quiet voice stopped him but the rage in his eyes was unmistakable and Ari loved it. Leaning over, he lightly bit Antonio's ear and whispered into it. "I think that he wants to kill me."

Shuddering, Antonio turned in his arms and looked into his eyes. Sorrow and fear had caused them to lighten and he sighed softly. Running a gentle hand down Antonio's back, he nipped at his lips tenderly, ignoring the gasps of shock from their audience.

"My Antonio. I think I will miss you most of all."

Taking his lips in deep, passionate kiss, Ari was delighted when he heard the half-smothered whimper that emerged from the full lips after he let them go. Kissing him once more, he looked over Antonio's shoulder into the rage-filled eyes of Gibbs and smiled evilly.

"He is precious to me, Agent Gibbs. See that no harm befalls him."

Looking back into deep hazel eyes, a tender smile curved his lips and he lightly kissed Antonio again before stepping away from the warm and comfortable body before him.

"I will see you again, my Antonio. Don't forget me."

Antonio smiled softly and watched as Ari walked away



end