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Tony liked nice things. Anyone who had seen him in a suit at any of the holiday parties knew that. Some of them were worth hundreds of dollars. He didn't go in for any of the thousand dollar ones, or if he did he would never wear them to NCIS since they might get damaged. As such, some may assume he loved shopping and he did to a certain extent.
Shopping had plenty of negative qualities as well, however. Bargain bin hunting? No, thank you. Going to a tailor and paying someone to take his measurements and make something amazing? Absolutely. Going to a store with a personal shopper who knew what you were looking for and would just bring an array of clothes for you to try on? He always felt kind of lazy just staying in the dressing room while someone else switched out clothes, but he secretly liked it.
Holiday shopping really wasn't high on his list of things to do. There were plenty of other options he'd rather do. He was fully capable of shopping if he needed to, but in general there were too many people in too small of a space and he hated it. He had found, however, that adding another person to share in it with you helped. Even if they sucked at finding outfits or being honest with their opinions or otherwise providing useful input for clothes shopping, they still improved the experience.
This year, he had a plan. It required a lot of shopping which was suboptimal, but necessary. Instead of going in with a list of people and trying to find a perfect present for them or going in with a list of specific presents he was looking for, he planned to find the gifts first and then figure out who they were meant for later. The shopping trip or trips to accomplish this would be interesting as they wouldn't really know when they were done.
He needed someone who was either indebted to him, really enjoyed shopping even around the holidays, or someone who just wanted to spend time with Tony and was willing to put up with any other shenanigans necessary to get that time. His first thought was Abby. She was a great shopping buddy. He'd shopped with her many times.
Normally, Abby would be perfect. She was great at thinking outside the box. but she didn't thrive in chaos. She needed order and was quite rigid in her beliefs about the right and wrong way to do something. So while her clothing and music might make you think she would be perfect, it was far from the truth. He'd experienced her wrath more than once for moving something in her lab and disturbing the order she had. He had no desire to find out what kind of rant she would give him for his crazy plan. So Abby was out.
He contemplated who else he normally shopped with. Next up would probably be Jimmy. The man had an amazing passion for shoes, but not much else. Not to mention he hated the holiday crowds and already spent more time amongst them than he'd like thanks to his daughter. Tony's other options were beginning to feel slim. Both Kort and Gibbs would sometimes help Tony out, but he couldn't imagine either of them willingly going into a store with him. That only left one person, his lover, Tobias. Fornell, naturally enjoyed spending time with Tony and thus was the only one who might actually go along with his planned scheme.
Of course, with Tobias you had to be very careful about how you broached things if you wanted him to agree to them. He was bribable, but he was also stubborn if he thought you were trying to pull a fast one on him. Even if you were offering a trade that would be beneficial if he thought it might backfire, he would refuse. It would probably be best not to mention Tony's non-traditional approach to gift shopping until after Tobias had already agreed or he might scare the man away no matter what bribes he tried to use.
Tony stirred the homemade spaghetti sauce that he would be using for the lasagna he was making for dinner as he contemplated his lover and his daughter. Emily could sometimes be an asset when it came to getting her dad to do things. Her puppy dog eyes were lethal. Tony had been on the receiving end a time or two.
He had enlisted Emily's help in the past to some success. Other times, it had backfired to bring Emily in. He wondered which way this would go.
As he plotted the best way to get Tobias to say, yes, Tony poured the sauce over the noodles. Then he sprinkled cheese over the top of that layer and started the next one. He'd actually taken some time off around the holidays this year, much to Gibbs and the rest of the MCRT's dismay. As such, he could afford to take the time to fix dinner and spend more time with his family.
It couldn't hurt to make Fornell's favorites, after all. He still needed to bribe him to help with the holiday shopping plans. He finished layering the lasagna and put it in the oven to turn into its yummy gooey cheesiness.
Starting on the salad, he ruminated on the best approach. He would have to be careful. Too much or too little could ruin his ability to bribe his partner as a suspicious Tobias was a cautious one.
Emily was at school and would be spending the night at her mom's, which would give Tony all night to work on his plan. Well with an allowed amount of time for distractions, of course. There was no way they wouldn't take advantage of the time alone to appreciate each other's bodies.
He heard the door open and turned with a smile. "Welcome home."
"Tony," Tobias walked up and gave him a kiss. "What are you working on?"
Tony gestured to the salad he was making. "Nutritious." Shifting to indicate the oven, Tony murmured, "Comfort food."
"Oh. My favorites. What's the occasion?"
"No occasion. Just had the time and thought you'd like it."
"Mmhm." Tobias hummed, stepping closer to Tony, so that they were close enough to touch if they so desired. "How long until it's done?" he asked, leaning his head against Tony's shoulder.
"The lasagna has another thirty minutes at least, but we could start on the salad pretty much whenever."
"Ew. Green stuff. Pass. Lasagna first."
Tony snorted, "And what do you want to do instead then?"
"I think we should work up an appetite," he leered.
"As you wish," Tony grinned and followed Tobias to the bedroom.
By the time they'd finished working up a sweat and cleaned up, the lasagna was done. Tony quickly finished tossing the salad and they sat down to eat. Tony prompted Tobias to tell him about how his day went, hoping to lure him into a false sense of security before starting to work on the briber and holiday shopping plans.
They talked about the case Tobias was currently working on. Tony offered a few suggestions, which Tobias thanked him for before transitioning into plans for Tobias' next day off and whether they were expecting to have Emily that day or not.
They got to talking about what they wanted to do for Christmas and how Tobias wanted to do something special for Emily because she didn't get enough time to be a kid at Diane's house or something. Tony tried to get more information about what exactly his lover was thinking. As Fornell described his thoughts, Tony started adding them to his holiday shopping plans and started to see a full picture coming together. This could work.
He explained to the older man his ideas for Emily's day. He then transitioned into how it would be so much easier if they went shopping together. He didn't quite have a PowerPoint presentation, but he definitely had enough bullet points that Tobias started shooting him suspicious looks, which Tony returned with a sheepish smile.
"What are you really after, here?" Tobias probed.
"What I've already laid out. I mean it makes sense. We can get the stuff for Emily's celebration easiest together. Two heads are better than one and all that. I need to buy some other Christmas presents as well, so why not do it together?"
"I'm not buying it. You're up to something."
"Can't I just want to turn shopping which would normally be a chore into something more fun by sharing it with you?"
"Are you sure you don't mean more of a 'misery loves company' kind of thing?"
"Positive. What would be the point of making us both miserable around Christmas? Especially when we're trying to do something special for Emily? So what do you say?"
"Fine, but I still think you're up to something."
Tony rolled his eyes. "You always think I'm up to something."
"That's because you usually are."
"That's only when it comes to NCIS stuff. It's not like our first meeting was exactly normal. I'm still not sure how that turned into you wanting to date me."
"Me wanting to date you?" Fornell raised his eyebrows. "Please, you're the catch. I'm just the bastard who stole Gibbs' ex and his SFA and should probably fear for my life now."
Tony snickered. "Well he doesn't know you stole me, so you're safe for now."
Fornell shuddered. "I hope it lasts. Otherwise, I'll be a dead man."
"Nothing lasts forever, except maybe us."
"Yeah, I know." Tobias sighed. "One can hope though."
Tony murmured, "Let's hope for tomorrow and focus on today." He started dragging his older love back towards the direction of their bedroom. It had been long enough they should both be ready for another round.
Of course, just because they had agreed to go holiday shopping together, didn't mean that it would be smooth sailing. First, Fornell got called in on their originally planned day and then one of the NCIS cases went hot right before their next attempt, making it so that what would have been a day off was now a day Tony had to work. It was like the universe was conspiring to keep them from finishing their holiday shopping.
Still they finally managed to make it to the mall together with only a few days left to spare before Christmas. Tony whistled happily as they made their way into the first store. He was excited even if Tobias wasn't.
"So what are we looking for here?" Fornell asked.
"Whatever strikes your fancy?"
"Huh? Don't you have a list?"
"Nope." Tony popped the p and grinned at Tobias. He watched as confusion spread across Tobias' face.
"What?"
"Have you never gone and bought whatever struck your fancy? It's the best kind of Christmas shopping."
"I can't say that I have. One, being an FBI agent doesn't exactly pay that well even in a supervisory position, and two, that seems like it would only make sense if I were buying gifts for myself."
"Where's your sense of adventure, Tobias?" Tony grinned. "The point is to create a mystery."
Fornell frowned. "You lost me."
Tony sighed. "Don't worry about it, just come on and if you see something you like or think we have to get, just add it to the cart."
Fornell shook his head, but followed along. He obviously knew better than to argue and Tony shot him a bright smile in thanks. They spent a good six hours at least going from one end of the mall to the next. They probably could have spent another three or four hours there easily, but Tony decided to give his partner a break. He was pretty sure they had enough for his plans now.
"What exactly are you going to do with all this stuff anyway?"
Tony smirked and hummed. "You'll see."
"Don't make me arrest you again."
"Well given you'd be the one bailing me out, I don't recommend it. That sounds super awkward to explain to your superiors."
Fornell huffed. "Don't remind me."
"Ok this bag is for when Emily is over for Christmas. We don't want it to get mixed in with the rest."
They were almost home free, loading the last of their purchases into the car when a voice called, "DiNozzo? Fornell? What are you two doing here?"
Tony exchanged a glance with his lover. He'd recognize that voice anywhere. He'd heard it enough times in his nightmares when he dreamed of not being good enough and being unable to figure out a case as Gibbs barked at him to find him a clue. Guess they'd be finding out if Gibbs really would kill Tobias for stealing his SFA today.
"Hey Gibbs," Tony greeted. "Just a bit of Christmas shopping."
"A bit? It looks like you bought the whole store and why is Fornell with you? He bothering you?" Gibbs demanded.
"Nah. He's my pack mule." Tony grinned brightly.
"Hey!" Fornell protested, shooting a look at Tony.
"You prefer another name?"
"Yeah. How about your significant other?"
Tony quickly glanced at Gibbs to see how he took the news.
"That true, DiNozzo?" Gibbs' stare bored into Tony like a jackhammer.
Tony gulped. "Yes, it is, boss."
"Good for you." Gibbs clapped Tony on the shoulder and grinned.
Tony flicked his eyes between Gibbs and Fornell in confusion. "You don't have a problem with this?"
"I don't care what gender you're into, DiNozzo. Never have, never will, and at least you're a damn sight better than Diane."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Thanks, I think?"
Fornell snorted. "Not hard to be better than Diane. She wiped us both clean."
"Well it was good seeing you, boss." Tony closed up the trunk and moved to get into the driver's seat.
Gibbs grunted and continued on his way to the mall. Tony turned the key in the ignition and started for home as soon as Tobias had himself buckled in. "That wasn't as bad as you were expecting, was it?"
"No, but I think that has more to do with him trying to lull me into a false sense of security before he hits me over the head with a shovel and buries me six feet under."
Tony chuckled. "Nah. He wouldn't do that. Too much evidence. He'd find an easier and cleaner method with which to dispose of your body. Ducky would probably help."
"Thanks for your vote of confidence and that inspiring image, Tony."
"What? It's the truth."
"Let's just get home. I still want to know what you're going to do with everything we bought."
"Ah, ah, ah, no peeking." Tony shook his finger at Fornell.
"What? But I helped buy it. Don't I get to find out what my purchases are going to be used for?"
"Not until the big reveal?"
"But that's not until Christmas," Tobias whined.
"I'm sure you'll survive." Tony's tone held zero sympathy and Fornell just groaned.
They were both tired even if Tony was still rather more excited about his plan. So after they arrived home they unloaded the car and went to bed. Tomorrow would come fast enough and then the day after they had to be ready for Emily's Christmas celebration.
Tony had taken the day off again. Fornell would be picking Emily up and it was Tony's job to make sure that everything was ready. He started with the tea. Well he didn't actually start making the tea, but he pulled out everything they would need to make it and made sure that it was ready to go. He would need to start the water heating eventually, but first the table needed to be set properly. He pulled out some of his fine china.
He didn't think Emily had ever seen it before. Much like his piano it needed special care, but unlike the piano it was more easily hidden and very few people knew of its existence at all. One of his frat brothers had told a story of running out of time to get gifts and shopping literally last minute on Christmas Eve. Practically everything was sold out and picked through and he had no idea how he was going to find even halfway decent Christmas presents. He went from one store to the next frantically looking for anything he could find that might work.
Instead, he found store after store with startlingly empty shelves. That was until he made it to the Disney store, where they were having a huge sale on adult clothing featuring cartoon characters. Apparently, it had been part of a set where you were supposed to match your kid, but while the kids had loved the outfits, the adults had felt it was too juvenile and so they hadn't sold well at all. Now, his niece loved this particular character, so he decided to buy everyone else clothing with that character so that she would love them as well.
Tony's contributions to Emily day had been very loosely based on that story as he was hoping that having a tea party with Emily would result in her telling Diane about it and that Diane would like them better because of it. It was a suitably girly thing that he knew Emily would enjoy as she had sometimes talked about doing them with Diane. Though, Diane rarely had the time to do them.
Fornell had set up his contribution before he left to pick up Emily. For his part, he'd arranged a wide variety of dolls and placed them in a semi circle like they were the audience to a play or something. Everything they'd picked and set aside for tonight was the epitome of what girls were supposed to want. Which wasn't to say that Emily wasn't allowed to want things that were more boyish, but that they knew she liked this kind of stuff and wanted to spoil her.
She loved hosting tea parties with her dolls, but she loved it even more when the adults would join in. Tony had also downloaded a few recipes for tea cakes and other fancy treats that Emily had probably never had a chance to try before. He remembered some of them as things that his mother used to like while she was alive and others he had simply picked up over his years of going to various plays, operas, and other high art events like that.
Emily gasped when she saw the beautiful tea set and the dolls and everything else. Tony would never have brought this out if she was still a young kid, but he knew that she was capable of being careful now and thought she deserved a reward and a special Christmas event. It wasn't something that Tony and Tobias normally enjoyed, but they did enjoy spending time with Emily and it was a surprising amount of fun.
Everything they'd thought of, Emily had loved. She'd even added her own ideas into the play they enacted for the dolls. It wasn't anything like any of the Christmases he'd had as a kid, but it was theirs and that was all that mattered.
The next day was the actual Christmas party where they would exchange gifts with everyone. It wasn't going to be just them, though. They'd invited a few of Tobias' friends from work and Tony had invited the MCRT and some of his frat brothers. They would have a whole house full for once and Tony couldn't wait to see how everyone reacted to their gifts.
Everyone was getting their own gift basket of sorts. He had divided everything up into groups of gifts that he thought went together and that seemed appropriate for each person. He'd never done anything like this before, so he really hoped they liked it and that it wasn't a big flop.
They hadn't told anyone to bring gifts, but Tony wouldn't be surprised if people had anyway. It was Christmas, after all. He had a nice big meal planned for them to share and then he'd pass out the surprises. He was sure that even Tobias would be surprised and he'd seen Tony buy everything. Tony couldn't wait. He wanted everyone here yesterday.
Tobias chuckled as Tony paced back and forth. "Calm down, they'll be here soon enough."
"What if they hate us as a couple?"
Fornell rolled his eyes. "They won't."
"How do you know?"
"Because everyone thinks you're adorable and charming when they aren't fawning over your intellect due to some key piece of information you noticed that ended up solving the case."
"They don't fawn over me."
"Oh trust me, they do," Tobias retorted. "Sometimes I have to kick their asses to snap them out of their daydreams about you."
"No."
"Yes." Fornell nodded.
Before Tony could continue that line of conversation more, the doorbell rang and the first person arrived. After that, they came in groups and soon they had an entire living room full of people talking and laughing and chatting. Tony finished up the final touches on the Christmas dinner and then called Fornell in to help carry it out. That got cat calls and hoots from the FBI contingent, as well as a smattering of "whipped" comments.
Tony ignored them. Tobias just glared at them until they calmed down and stated, "Anyone who keeps that up won't get dessert." Everyone knew how good Tony's Christmas cannolis were. They behaved after that. No one wanted to miss out.
Tony snorted, but didn't say anything, content to listen and watch the people around them. They did good even if he did say so himself. Eventually, everyone was full and Tony gestured for them to grab a seat on the couches while Tobias and him cleaned up a little bit. It wouldn't be a full blown cleaning, but they wanted to get the food put away and the first load of dishes started, not to mention getting the table wiped down, so that there was more room for future fun activities.
Finally, everything was ready and Tony gently pushed Fornell to take a seat in one of the recliners before he moved to the Christmas tree and started pulling packages out from underneath of it. He handed them out and then moved to sit on the arm rest of the chair Fornell was in. Gesturing for everyone to go ahead and open their gifts, he sat back and watched the chaos.
Soon wrapping paper was flying everywhere and people were exclaiming over their gifts. Some of them even wanted to know where Tony had found the things as apparently they'd been looking for one of the items all over the place and hadn't found any. Tony just shrugged and smiled mysteriously.
Tobias kept glancing between the gifts and Tony's face with an amused expression. "Maybe we should do our holiday shopping like this every year," he whispered.
Tony smiled softly and leaned over to close his lips over Fornell's, sharing a gentle and loving kiss that meant more to them than either of them would ever admit out loud.
"As you wish," Tony murmured as he pulled back. He'd be happy if every Christmas they had together was as happy as this one was. Somehow it had ended up so perfect, he was almost afraid they'd jinxed themselves, but at the end of the night after everyone left and it was just Tobias, Emily, and him, Tony knew. He knew that this happiness was just something that happened when it was the three of them.
It wasn't due to any of the special things they did this year. They could do all or none of them next year and their hearts would still be filled to overflowing with happiness. He'd gotten so lucky somehow that he really couldn't believe it, but he wouldn't have it any other way.