Title: Gifts and Lovers

Author: Betsy

bassetlvr@webtv.net

Fandom: NCIS

Pairing: Gibbs/Mallard

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Mr. Bellisario owns these characters.

Summary: Gibbs is thinking about his lover.

Gifts and Lovers
by Betsy

Leroy Jethro Gibbs stood in the shower, letting the hot water pour over his weary body, soak into his tired muscles, and rinse away the horror that was sometimes his job. The last three days had been mind boggling and . . . lonely. His lover had left three days before . . . for a conference.

As Gibbs tried to relax in the normally soothing water massage, he thought back to the soul healing caresses his lover had given him - just four days ago, before he had left for his conference.

Gibbs liked to think of himself as a loner, but he knew in his heart that that wasn't true anymore. As he rubbed thick, soapy lather over his chest, stomach, and genitals, he thought about the times that the shower had been shared . . . shared with the man he had grown to love in such a short time.

Gibbs was a realist. He knew if his colleagues were told that he had a lover who was one of them, they wouldn't believe it, but Gibbs had grown so tired of being alone. Not that he allowed himself to be perceived as alone - in fact, he made sure that he was seen with women - just as the auburn beauty in the convertible had been one more example. Now what was her name?

Gibbs knew that he was living a lie . . . being a hypocrite. Hadn't he told Todd that if she had an affair with any NCIS personnel as she had had with the Marine Major, she would be out? Well, frankly Gibbs didn't care. They were discreet and certainly no one could accuse them of a teenage crush on each other.

As Gibbs felt his muscles beginning to relax, he noticed the small toy perched on the soap rack. He smiled fondly at it. It had been a gift from his lover - to keep him company while the beautiful flesh and blood of that extraordinary man was absent from his arms. The rubber toy occupied a place of honor - either in the shower or the bath tub, whichever Gibbs was using at the time.

The small figure was a promise . . . a commitment between the two men. As Gibbs pushed back the sliding glass doors to the shower, he turned to take a loving look at the small rubber ducky that had earned a place close to his heart. As he picked up the rack- warmed towel to dry himself, Leroy Jethro Gibbs smiled and told himself that this was the last night . . . . for awhile, at least, that he would have to shower alone because with the conference's end, the gorgeous man who had presented the tiny duck so lovingly to him, would be home to make everything better and deluge Gibbs in the most stimulating showers he'd ever had.

As Gibbs left the large bathroom, turning off the light, he whispered to the small toy, "Soon, Ducky, soon."


THE END