A/N: Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS or its characters. I'm just playing with them.

So, this is going to be another Tony/Gibbs Slash Story. If you don't like that stuff, don't read ;)

This is loosely set in the year of 2011, though I guess there are no real spoilers...

Okay, enough with the words... I hope you enjoy this first chapter and review! :)

The Night He Saved My Life

Chapter One: I wanted to...

Gibbs sighed and paused his actions for a moment. A brief glance at his watch and he couldn't help but wonder when exactly the evening had turned into night without him noticing. It was that time of the year again, when he always, almost desperately, tried to catch a case, tried to be as busy as possible. It had worked fairly well those last couple of years but this time it was the weekend and they weren't even on call. Granted, he had tried to get them there but then he had realized that the team didn't deserve yet another weekend with no time for themselves.

He walked over to the old workbench and poured himself another glass of bourbon. Originally, he had planned to drink himself into a stupor tonight, trying to forget, trying to just keep on living like nothing had ever happened. But somehow he hadn't been able to. Sure, he was slightly drunk by now but his mind was still working overtime and his thoughts were seemingly chewing at his bones and working through the flesh that remained. Once again he sighed before he picked up the sanding paper again, hoping to find at least a little bit of peace tonight.

-x-

It wasn't until he had already watched Bullitt and was halfway through Gran Torino that he finally remembered. As soon as Tony had gotten up that morning, he knew that he had missed something but even though he had racked his brains, he hadn't been able to put the finger on it. It was only when Clint Eastwood had started talking about his late wife that the scales fell from his eyes.

Of course. How could he have been so stupid to forget? Ever since Tony had found out about it, he had always tried to keep his boss company on that specific day. He had never mentioned it once, had never told Gibbs that he actually didn't really enjoy the can of beans that he had offered him last year. And even though, Gibbs had been moody, Tony could still tell that he had wanted him there, talking only for the sake of talking, only for the sake of distracting him.

Subtly, he shook his head now as he looked at the half empty bottle of Vodka in front of him. Why exactly had he decided to drink by himself tonight? He scrunched up his nose for a moment, actually trying to remember but couldn't come up with anything.

Stupido, DiNozzo.

He reached for his phone, pondering to simply call him but thought better of it as Gibbs would sure not pick up tonight. He dialed the number of his favorite cab company instead, hoping that they'd be here soon enough.

-x-

The bourbon had done its trick after all by now as the things before his eyes had becme slightly blurry. He sank down on the floor, leaning against the wooden frame of his boat-to-be, running his fingers over his face, only now realizing that it was wet from tears. It was when he was suddenly able to hear faint footsteps, slightly stumbling down the stairs and Gibbs hurried to wipe away the tears, removing the evidence that they had been there in the first place. He didn't need to look up to know that it was Tony who was coming down the stairs and finally came to sit down next to him. He had kept him company on this goddamn day for the last couple of years, though Gibbs had never asked him to, had never once mentioned it, had never once acknowledged that his Senior Field Agent cared a lot about him.

"I hope you weren't driving, DiNozzo," he finally said huskily, smelling his vodka flavored breath.

"Nope, cab."

"Don't you have to do anything else on a Saturday night?"

Gibbs turned to look at Tony whose expression wasn't offering anything for interpretation. His cheeks were slightly flushed, his eyes a bit glazed over, surely from drinking too much earlier.

"Didn't feel like it. Watched a movie and stuff and then I thought… well, you know…," Tony trailed off, stumbling over his own words.

Gibbs just nodded and got up to pour himself and Tony another glass of bourbon. Tony took it gratefully and downed it in one swig.

-x-

The alcohol burned down his throat and Tony found it oddly soothing. He sized up his boss for a moment. He seemed to be in much worse shape than the years previously. His hands were slightly shaking, causing the bourbon to slosh ever so a little in the glass, his cheeks were a tad red, so were his eyes and Tony was almost sure that Gibbs of all people had cried sometime tonight.

If only he had remembered earlier, maybe he would have been able to persuade him to get dinner at least or whatever. He sighed and awkwardly got up to pour himself another glass but he felt Gibb's eyes on him now and stopped dead in his tracks just as he was about to reach for the almost empty bottle.

"Don't you think you've had enough?"

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Tony retorted slyly.

"Touché," Gibbs replied, pouring both of them another glass.

They clinked glasses and drank silently, each of them not quite looking the other one in the eye. Finally, Gibbs sat down again and Tony mirrored his action, their shoulders touching. They remained quiet for a while until the younger man couldn't take it anymore…

"Sorry, I didn't come over sooner. I… I..."

"You don't have to come here every year, DiNozzo, you know that, right?"

Tony only nodded, looking down into his glass, losing himself in the swirling movement for a moment.

"I know," he finally all but whispered, "but I want to."

"I appreciate it," Gibbs replied and looked at him at last.

Tony found himself staring into those piercing blue eyes and realized that they were shimmering ever so slightly. But as soon as he had noticed that Gibbs was apparently on the verge of crying, the older man had averted his gaze and was staring into his glass again as if nothing had happened.

Tony felt his heart grow heavier as he watched his boss looking nothing but utterly lost and he pondered for a moment how in the world he was supposed to make him feel better this time. He had seen Gibbs in bad shape but had rarely witnessed him being so seemingly helpless. Tony sighed and then, without really thinking what he was doing, pulled one arm around Gibbs shoulders. He felt Gibbs tense up for the fraction of a second before he relaxed again and actually leaned into Tony's touch a bit.

"Has it really been twenty years already?"

A/N: Let me know what you think... reviews would be pure awesomeness! ;)