Puckish

Tony knew better than to ask where they were going. He just held on and waited for Gibbs to get them to their destination. He should have been more surprised when they ended up at Gibbs’ house, but he really wasn’t. Gibbs had always known what he needed.

The team was still at work and he knew they’d call if something came up. He wasn’t sure what instructions Gibbs had left them with, but trusted that everything was handled if Gibbs had felt safe enough to leave. Plus, they’d apparently been handling the case without Gibbs or Tony or McGee for a while.

Gibbs nodded to the couch as he vanished to the kitchen to grab a couple of beer bottles. Handing a beer to Tony, Gibbs sat across from him on the couch. “You ok?” Gibbs softly asked, not wanting to push but worried nonetheless.

“No.” Tony shook his head, taking a big gulp of the beer.

Gibbs nodded and didn’t push. Tony would tell him when he was ready. He drank his beer and contemplated heading down to the basement.

“You mind if I transform? I just need a break from everything right now.” Tony posed softly, hoping Gibbs wouldn’t mind.

Gibbs just grunted. Tony took it for the acceptance it was and before Gibbs could think about the consequences, Tony had been replaced with a cute panther cub.

The panther cub lolled his tongue in a puckish expression as he jumped up onto the couch and settled his head in Gibbs’ lap. Gibbs rolled his eyes at Tony’s shenanigans. “Is this your true form?”

The panther looked at Gibbs and yawned in his face. Gibbs laughed and scratched behind Tony’s ear. Tony purred.

Tony wanted to tell Gibbs the truth about being Tony’s mate and what that meant, but he was too afraid to lose Gibbs' support. On top of that, confusion as to what was going on with everything prevented him from saying anything now. There would be time later, after he figured out what was wrong with Tim. At least, Gibbs didn’t mind him being in one of his cat forms.