Work Text:
Malapropos
Tony rubbed his eyes. The strain of completing paperwork had left him in a mind numbingly boring state. It didn’t help that his mind kept going over his confrontation with Fornell.
Fornell was such a busy body. The conversation was completely malapropos. Tony didn’t know where he got off trying to interfere in Tony’s personal life.
Tony wasn’t about to let him stir the pot more. Gibbs request to take care of a child for the night had already done so. Tony’s apartment really wasn’t the best place for kids, but he guessed he’d just have to make do.
At least the kid was old enough to know better than to touch breakables. Tony hoped the kid liked movies as he wasn’t sure he had any other kid appropriate activities. Then there was Gibbs and his offer to come over later.
If Gibbs thought Tony would be more amenable to sex with a kid in the apartment, he had another thing coming to him. Getting grouchier by the minute, Tony finished signing off on all his paperwork and submitted it to the appropriate places. Locking his office, Tony growled when he saw Fornell lurking nearby.
“What the hell, Fornell? Get lost already, would you? Wasn’t the one conversation enough for you?”
Fornell looked sheepish. “I actually wanted to apologize for that. You caught me by surprise. I never expected that your baby’s father would be someone I knew and I handled it badly.”
Tony stared at Fornell, wondering what was coming next.
“I’m sorry, DiNoetzo.”
“The name’s DiNozzo. Get it right, asshole.” Tony stomped past Fornell and out to his car.
Fornell put a hand over his face. He hadn’t handled that any better than the original conversation. Tony was one of the best the FBI had. Fornell couldn’t afford to alienate him, especially not with Gibbs in Tony’s life.
It would ruin Fornell’s career if Tony left for NCIS and anyone in the upper levels could trace it to him. Maybe he could make it up to Tony tomorrow. Fornell locked his own office and headed home trying to figure out how to make nice with Tony and get back to their normal more friends, but professional than rivalry interactions.
Emily was already home when he arrived, she was a bit precocious for her age and immediately asked based on Fornell’s expression, “What happened, Daddy?”
“Daddy messed up, sweetheart. He hurt someone’s feelings.”
“Did you say you were sorry, Daddy?”
“I did, but I messed that up too.” Fornell gathered Emily into a hug. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart, I’ll figure it out.”
Emily gave him as big a hug as her little arms would allow. “You’ll fix it, Daddy. Just remember what you always tell me. Show you’re sorry, instead of just saying it.”
Fornell hit his hand against his forehead. Why didn’t he think of that? “Thanks Em. I know exactly what to do, now.”
He knew Tony had gotten a lot of extra paperwork recently. He couldn’t complete all of it for him, but there was a number he could complete. Between that and a cup of his hot chocolate, hopefully Tony would forgive him.
