Extricate

After Gibbs cleaned them up, they mutually agreed to move to Gibbs’ master bedroom. They’d done some additional exploration, but all of them were tired and had eventually ended up closing their eyes. Tony’s eyes weren’t closed any longer, however.

He wasn’t remotely sleepy either. He was rather surprised at how easily Jimmy and Gibbs had fallen asleep. He quietly extricated himself from both their arms and headed back downstairs.

Turning the TV on, he lowered the volume in hopes that it wouldn’t wake the others. His mind wouldn’t let him sleep. He couldn’t stop thinking about Jimmy, Gibbs, and him. Did he want a threesome?

It certainly seemed to be the easiest solution. Neither of them were hard on the eyes, after all, and they seemed to get along and be interested in exploring a relationship between the two of them as well. He’d end up hurting someone’s feelings if he chose one of them over the other.

On the other hand, it would be even worse to start a permanent threesome with them if he wasn’t going to be happy in a threesome. Everything became more complicated in a threesome. There were no two ways about that.

He wasn’t just talking how society reacted. Though, he’d seen people shunned for many different reasons including some nowhere near as bad as society would see a threesome. That was just the tip of the iceberg.

There was the balance between both partners. You needed time alone with each, but in such a way that the other didn’t feel left out. You also had the simple added complexity of more people.

Even with just two, fights happened. Adding a third could make them even worse. Sometimes the third could defuse as well, but Tony wasn’t sure how this was going to turn out at all.

He really needed to have a serious talk with both men. There was no doubt that physical attraction existed between all of them. Unfortunately, physical attraction did not guarantee a relationship would work.

If Tony were just looking for a little fun, it would be no problem. He’d enjoy the threesome as long as it lasted and when it fell apart they would go their separate ways, no issue. Tony was tired of the playboy life, though.

He wanted someone to be there through thick and thin. Maybe two someones. He wanted to work at a relationship. He didn’t want to walk away easily anymore.

Tony just couldn’t figure out if this was the right time or if he needed more. The TV droned on in the background as the newscaster talked about the latest stories or the weather or whatever. Tony paid it no attention lost in his thoughts as he was.

Gibbs woke first. Noticing Tony no longer lay in bed with them, he shook Jimmy awake. “You seen, Tony?”

Jimmy shook his head, rubbing sleep from his eyes. “Wasn’t he sleeping with us?”

“Apparently, not.” Gibbs growled. He hoped Tony hadn’t done anything stupid like going back to his apartment.

Gibbs stormed downstairs and stopped in his track at the sight of Tony on the couch. “Alright, talk.” Gibbs ordered.

Tony startled out of his thoughts, “Huh?”

“Talk. There’s clearly something on your mind preventing you from relaxing and enjoying the night with us.”

Jimmy sleepily nodded, after stumbling downstairs himself. Rumpled with eyes barely open, he was nowhere near as awake as Gibbs. He wasn’t quite used to the hours that Gibbs ran.

“None of us will sleep well until you’re at peace and in that bed with us, Tony.” Gibbs murmured in a lower, calming voice.

“What if I don’t want a relationship with either of you?”

Jimmy stared in shock. It was way too late for this conversation. Gibbs sighed. “What do you think we’re going to do, Tony, force you?”

“No.” Tony frowned slightly, not happy with that answer.

“Then what’s the matter?” Gibbs probed.

Tony couldn’t believe it was Gibbs, Mr. Uncommunicative himself that was the one prying the answers out of Tony. “What if I make you guys hate me?”

“Never happen.” Gibbs immediately denied fiercely. Jimmy nodded emphatically in agreement with Gibbs.

“What if you guys get jealous of each other?”

“Then we deal with it like the adults we are and figure out how we want to proceed. This isn’t a dictatorship, Tony. What’s your real worry?” Gibbs slowly approached Tony, settling next to him and wrapping Tony in his arms.

“What if I’m not good enough?”

“Are you kidding?” Jimmy blurted, “Not good enough? We’re the ones who aren’t good enough for you. You’re hot, sexy, talented and amazing. You have the highest solve rate of any agent at the agency. Even now, you’re more worried about hurting us than you are about yourself. Do you know how rare that is? Do you know how sexy and beautiful Gibbs and I find that?”

“I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Neither do we,” Gibbs reassured, rubbing his hand up and down Tony’s back, “ but we’ll figure it out together.”

Jimmy sat on Tony’s other side and grabbed one of Tony’s hands giving it a huge squeeze. A tear leaked out of the corner of Tony’s eye. He didn’t deserve either one of these wonderful guys.

Gibbs patted Tony’s back. “We’re in this together, Tony. You don’t have to carry everything alone anymore.”

Tony collapsed into Gibbs and Jimmy both as they moved to surround Tony with their presence, wrapping their arms firmly around him and each other. “Come on, everything will seem better in the morning.”

Gibbs murmured, slowly leading the other two to get up and head back to bed. It had been an emotional night for all of them. Even more emotional than expected, but Gibbs should have expected it. Tony always had to do things the hard way.