Archive of Our Own

"Do I have to, Jimmy?" Tony whined. He hated learning things and would much rather play outside all day even if he had to use archery or jousting as an excuse to do so.

"You know the answer to that as well as I do," his manservant replied.

Tony sighed. He really did. For some godforsaken reason his parents, well his father and stepmother, thought he should constantly be in lessons. 

He was old enough to have his own estate, though with the way his father spent money there was no way his parents could actually afford to give him a parcel of land. Tony was frankly surprised that they hadn't managed to go into debt enough to lose the mansion and staff that gave them an appearance of wealth. He honestly had no idea how they were paying for his lessons, unless his mother's family, the Paddingtons, were covering it.

Tony would love to move out. Senior was an asshole who only cared about money and his current stepmother wanted them to play happy family. He'd much rather hide in his room or with the servants than spend time with either of his so-called parents.

"Buck up, Tony. As soon as you find a wealthy wife, you can leave home and do whatever you want."

Tony shook his head. That sounded wonderful, except all of the wealthy wives Senior pushed at him were so horrid that he couldn't imagine spending one day with them let alone a lifetime. He'd been tempted a few times to go live with the Paddingtons and see if he would have better luck with the prospects they had to offer. 

Senior had refused every time he'd suggested it. Tony didn't know why, but suspected it had something to do with some deal the Paddingtons had made with Senior. Tony just wasn't sure if it was a case of Senior not wanting him to go or a case of the Paddingtons not wanting him. He suspected the former given Senior would have been more than happy to crow about how someone didn't want Tony and how useless he was. There was no doubt in Tony's mind that Senior only kept him around because it benefitted him. 

As soon as it was better for Senior to get rid of him, Tony would be gone. He just hoped to have made other arrangements before that happened. Unfortunately, so far there hadn't been any good opportunities for escape. Jimmy had stood by him the entire time and Tony was thankful that he had one friend here.

Ignoring Jimmy's suggestion about a wife, Tony huffed. "Is it at least a cool tutor this time?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Some older guy I've never seen before."

Tony frowned. That sounded like someone who was going to drone on and on about his subject matter and bore Tony to tears. Why couldn't he just go to the market and earn coins via archery or something? Why did he have to be born a nobleman?

"I'm sure it will be better than you expect," Jimmy tried to reassure.

Tony wasn't convinced. "I'm sure he'll hate me on sight and make me do math or some other boring thing."

"Why would I hate you?" a gruff voice demanded.

Tony looked up into startling blue eyes. He blushed and lowered his gaze to take in the rest of the body. This man was buff. "You're my tutor?" Tony asked, shocked. Maybe this new lesson wouldn't be as bad as he feared.

The older man grunted. "Gibbs."

"Nice to meet you, Gibbs," Tony greeted. "What are you here to teach me?" Please be something fun. Please be something fun.

"Well technically my job is to teach you tactics, but we're going to start with archery and there will be no back talk."

"Yes, sir!"

"I'm not a sir. I work for a living." Gibbs grumbled.

Tony's lips quirked up despite his attempts to keep a straight face. "Why archery?"

"A young man like yourself can't hope to understand tactics without knowledge of how the weapons work."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I'm quite proficient with the bow already."

"Well I'd hope so, given you've undoubtedly been trained since you were a wee little lad."

Tony couldn't wait to show off. Maybe he could impress his new tutor and get out of some tutelage for once. Not to mention, the guy was fine and Tony wouldn't mind taking him to bed instead of engaging in the normal lesson bullshit that was usually forced on him.

Gibbs led the way down to the archery field. "Show me what you've got," he commanded.

Tony nodded, grabbing a bow and arrow and preparing to shoot the arrow at the target.

"No. Not like that," Gibbs objected immediately.

Tony glanced over at Gibbs in confusion. He was known for getting into trouble, but he had been doing exactly what was asked of him. How was there an issue already?

"You're holding the bow wrong."

"Huh?" That did not compute. He hadn't even lifted it to take a shot, yet.

"Don't hold it by the string. That's a good way to stretch it out and ruin the bow."

Tony blinked and adjusted his hold to grip the frame instead. He still felt like he was missing something. His other instructors had never complained about such things before.

"Better," Gibbs acknowledged. "But you want to watch that second hand. It should always be at least a hand's breadth away from your primary hand. The six o'clock and twelve o'clock positions if you would."

Normally Tony would be complaining that the instructor hadn't even let him get the bow into the proper position before telling him off, but he admitted that in this case he wouldn't have positioned the bow the way the older man wanted. He tried out the recommendation from Gibbs. He didn't like it at all.

His hands felt all akimbo from each other. It didn't feel natural at all. The way he'd originally been taught to hold the bow seemed a lot more comfortable. "Why is this position so important?"

"Try it and find out." Gibbs grunted.

Tony grabbed an arrow and sighted it using the new hand positions. When he thought he had the arrow centered in relation to the target, he pulled the string back and let it fly. The arrow flew directly into the middle of the target easily and Tony stared at it in shock, not having expected that to happen. It usually took a couple of tries to orient himself before he could hit the center. "Wow."

"That's what the correct hand position will do. Is it possible to fire from other positions? Absolutely, but you'll get the best velocity and aim if they're correct."

"Amazing. Do you have any other tricks?" Tony asked eagerly. His teachers never taught him cool stuff like this. He couldn't wait to learn more from this Gibbs' person.

"Perhaps. You'll have to not slack off if you want to learn them."

"Of course. I'll do my very best. I promise."

Gibbs huffed, disbelieving. "We'll see."

It wasn't long before Tony really started to look forward to his tactics lessons. Yeah, the tutor was a bit of a curmudgeon, but he was down to Earth and a lot less random in his punishments than many of Tony's tutors. Tony always knew exactly where he stood with Gibbs. There was no guessing what the man was actually looking for from a particular assignment. Not to mention the subject matter was super interesting. 

They'd actually started to get into some actual tactics like army battle strategies and stuff. Normally, this would be covered with chess matches or something from what Tony had heard from the other noblemen, but Gibbs approached it differently. He used mock battles. Sometimes they featured an actual chess board, but more often than not Gibbs encouraged the servants to be the soldiers. Half of them Gibbs would order around and the other half fell under Tony's jurisdiction. Through this method, Tony started to learn tactics and see what did and didn't work without anyone getting fatally wounded. He never came close to beating Gibbs at it, but he didn't mind. The older man was seriously hot and Tony would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy knowing that there was still more for Gibbs to teach him. 

Tony would love to talk the older man into his bed. Unfortunately, nothing Tony tried so far had gained the gruff scholar's attention in the slightest. Jimmy, his loyal servant, had tried to help Tony, but no success that way either. Tony could study until he was blue in the face and even earn a few compliments from Gibbs, which were hard to come by in and of themselves. Yet, none of it seemed to make any impact on convincing his tutor to see him in a romantic light.

If it were anyone else, he would have started purposefully throwing his lessons and making his interest even more obvious by taking a bath during the normal lesson time or finding various other excuses to be less clothed around him. With Gibbs, however, he knew that wouldn't serve him in the slightest. He'd worn the sexiest clothes he had and the older man hadn't even batted an eye. He'd tried more demure clothes, even the latest fashions. Nothing. Was the man asexual?

"He's probably straight," Jimmy offered.

Tony frowned. That would make sense, but that wasn't the gist that he got from Gibbs. He felt like this was more about propriety. Maybe his parents could offer his hand in marriage? Though, Tony wasn't sure he was ready for that level of commitment. He still had many years ahead of him.

He had no idea what Gibbs' backstory was, but everyone agreed Tony was a catch being the heir of two fortunes. Tony didn't want to be desired for his money, but Gibbs seemed different. Maybe it would be ok with him.

"I haven't seen him look at women either." Tony pointed out.

"That's because none of your friends are redheads."

"What?" Tony stared at Jimmy in confusion. "What do you know? Tell me everything."

"It's just rumors," Jimmy cautioned.

"Tell me anyway."

Jimmy leaned closer and whispered, "I've heard that he had a wife, redhead, and a daughter, but they were both killed and he's gone through a number of wives, all redheads, since then. It's very scandalous supposedly."

"So no one will marry him anymore?" Tony wondered.

"Strangely, he still seems fairly popular despite the many faux pas he's made."

"Is he a good husband?"

"Tony!" Jimmy scolded. "What are you thinking?"

"What? My parents want me to find a good wife. A good husband seems like a much better prospect to me. One that I would be less likely to regret, at least."

Jimmy gasped. "Your parents would have a fit if you even suggested it and you know it."

Tony sighed. "Yeah, more's the pity. He doesn't seem interested in a simple roll in the hay, so being his husband is my best chance."

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs growled.

Tony jumped. "Crap. How much did he hear?"

"Enough."

"It's not what you think," Tony babbled.

"So you haven't been doing well in my classes just for a chance to seduce me?" Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"No," Tony grumbled. Gibbs narrowed his eyes and Tony gulped. "Fine. Maybe a little. I'd hoped that if I did well in your lessons you'd stop seeing me as a kid and be more open to adult activities with me, but I have also truly enjoyed your classes, a lot more than any other I've ever taken."

Gibbs smirked. "You never needed to do well for me to see you that way, Tony. Anyone who thinks you aren't an adult is an idiot."

"But then..." Tony stuttered and coughed. "Why did you always turn me down?"

"You think I haven't heard of your reputation? Bedding anyone who moves? I wanted to make sure you were serious about me and that you weren't just interested in another notch on your bedpost."

"And what did you find out?" Tony tried for cocky, but he was pretty sure he missed by a mile.

"Husband? Sounds pretty long term to me."

Tony's lips twitched. He'd obviously been found out, but for once in his life, it might not be a bad thing. "So what's your plan?" After all, Jimmy was right. His parents wouldn't just let him marry a man.

"What makes you think I have one?"

Tony huffed. "You're here and not telling my parents you can't work with me anymore due to sexual harassment."

"Perceptive brat. If you really want to be my husband, I think I can convince your parents into agreeing."

"What?" Tony flicked his gaze back and forth between Gibbs and Jimmy, not at all sure that he'd heard correctly. "How would you do that?"

"Let's just say that I have a few well placed contacts."

"As do my parents," Tony countered.

"Oh. I'm aware. Who do you think hired me to teach you everything I know?"

Tony gasped. "Are you blackmailing them?" 

Jimmy snorted.

Gibbs scoffed. "Of course not. I would never resort to such lowly deeds to gain what I want."

"And what exactly do you want?" Jimmy probed.

Tony shot him a glance, but Jimmy smiled and Tony knew then that his manservant was looking out for him.

"Mostly to be left alone." Gibbs grunted.

"Then why did you accept this assignment?" Jimmy narrowed his eyes. Tony felt touched that his employee cared so much. He considered them friends and it seemed Jimmy did too.

"Couldn't resist seeing if the rumors were true."

Tony rubbed his head. "Now you're talking in circles." They'd covered his reputation already.

"You haven't exactly stated what you want either." Gibbs pointed out. "If it helps, Clive Paddington was the one who suggested I tutor you."

"Really? You know Uncle Clive?" Tony exchanged meaningful glances with Jimmy. Tony hadn't met very many of his Paddington relatives. Clive was really the only one and he always seemed to do right by Tony as best as he could, regardless of Senior. Tony wouldn't put it past his uncle to have sent tutors his way that he thought Tony would like in hopes that Tony could find his way to marrying one and escaping Senior and his current stepmom du jour.

"Indeed. Now, it's your turn." Gibbs shot him a meaningful look.

Tony rolled his eyes, but offered, "To not marry one of the million idiotic brides my parents force on me would be a good start. Anything more than that would be greedy on my part."

Jimmy coughed and Tony knew he was covering up a laugh, the bastard.

"I think we can make a deal," Gibbs murmured.

"That sounds like my cue to move this to my bedroom." Tony winked.

"No. Your servants will be honor bound to bring the details of our chats back to daddy dearest. It's best if we do this at my place."

"Ok." Tony grinned brightly and took Gibbs' hand, letting the older man lead the way to his cabin.

The trip was relatively short and Tony found himself in front of a small wood cabin. "It's not much, is it?" 

"I prefer simple things. The whole ton of servants, massive upkeep thing is not for me. That going to be a problem?" Gibbs glared.

Tony smiled shyly. "I think I could get used to it just being the two of us. I make no promises that I'll be much help initially with upkeep, though. You'll probably have to teach me."

"Fortunately, we both know we like doing that." Gibbs pointed out.

Tony nodded. "So what's the plan?"

"Simple. You'll marry me and in exchange for allowing this your parents will retain most of the inheritance you would have gotten."

Tony could see how that would appeal to his parents, but he really didn't like the idea. "What's in it for me?"

"Me." Gibbs growled.

Tony smirked. "You know your growl is sexy, right? It doesn't really intimidate me anymore."

"Be serious," Gibbs ordered.

Tony huffed. "You're certainly more than I could have ever hoped for, but the relationship seems kind of imbalanced if that's all I'm getting given you'll be gaining prestige, money, and me at the very least, and probably many other things."

"Well your parents will have no say in your life anymore and while you're living with me there will be no expectations of behaving like nobility."

"Both very good points. Ok. I'm sold."

"Great." Gibbs smiled.

"Are you really sure my parents will go for this, though? As much as they're greedy, it's not like they need what they would have set aside for my inheritance."

"Oh yeah, they do. Your dad needs money again. He'll jump at the chance to keep more of it. You should think about what you want to bring with you when you move in here."

Tony sighed. Of course, Senior was broke again. He really shouldn't be surprised. It had been a pretty constant state since his mother died. Tony was pretty sure the only reason Senior kept him around was because then the Paddingtons were willing to help cover some of the bills. "You think they'll try and keep my stuff too?"

"Not exactly, but I'm pretty sure they'll be happy to sell it if you leave it behind, including your manservant."

"Jimmy? No. We have to bring Jimmy with us."

"Fine, but don't think you're getting out of helping with the chores if we do so. I don't keep servants and Jimmy will only stay with us until he's earned enough to make it on his own."

"Just don't screw me over, Gibbs. I don't think I can handle it." Tony was capable of a great many things, but he would not survive a betrayal like that even if Gibbs taught him how to do every single chore required to live on his own.

Gibbs pulled him into a kiss. "Don't worry. I would never dream of it."

Tony sighed happily and returned the kiss. The two of them discussed what exactly they wanted from Senior, arguing back and forth about each particular item and whether it was really needed. Gibbs wasn't impressed with the idea of filling up his house with a bunch of crap they didn't need and wanted to limit it to only the items that had sentimental value. Tony wanted to pay Senior back for all of the hell he'd put Tony through by in theory giving Senior what he wanted, but in actuality taking anything of worth. 

They didn't see eye to eye, but neither of them resorted to name calling. Instead, they brought up their points and had a very involved discussion about each item. Sometimes Gibbs even brought Uncle Clive in on it. By the time they were done both of them felt they'd gotten what they wanted and Uncle Clive had reviewed their proposal to make sure that Senior didn't get off too lightly. 

Tony wanted to take the proposal to his parents immediately, but Gibbs reminded him that he was still under contract with them and it would be better to wait until it was finished. The extra time would also give Jimmy a chance to make sure anything of value to him was squirreled away for easy retrieval when they finally did leave. Tony slowly transferred the items he cherished the most to Gibbs cabin as he waited to reduce the chance of Senior absconding with something he wanted. 

Finally, Gibbs declared his desire to marry Tony. Senior shot it down almost immediately, but they'd expected that. As much as his father wanted Tony married off, he would only do so if he thought it benefitted him long term. Uncle Clive had also hinted that if Senior proved too intractable that the Paddingtons could put some pressure on the dolt. 

Tony stayed out of it. He had to trust that Gibbs and Uncle Clive would negotiate in his best interest. If Tony showed too much hope in the proceedings, Senior would deny it just to make him miserable. While Senior couldn't make Tony marry someone he didn't want to, it was a lot easier to deny a proposal that Tony did want. Tony hated it, but he knew it was the only way he'd get a spouse that he could actually see himself spending the rest of his life with.

Senior's first demand was that Gibbs pay for Tony's meals and expenses. Supposedly, this was to make sure that Gibbs was actually capable of taking care of Tony like he claimed. In reality, it was just another way for Senior to get more money out of Tony. 

Senior put up roadblock after roadblock and Tony wondered if his father knew that Tony did want to marry Gibbs. He'd tried to seem indifferent to the matter, which was a change from the harsh noes he'd given before and it was possible that somebody guessed or ratted them out. After all, Tony's every move was watched now. Senior tried to use everything Tony did as an excuse to charge Gibbs under the temporary agreement they currently had while negotiations were in progress. Uncle Clive finally stepped in and forced Senior to cut to the chase and enter into negotiations seriously.

The day that he heard the news, Tony jumped for joy. He hadn't seen Gibbs much since their lessons ended as they no longer had an excuse to spend time together, but he still couldn't wait to live with the other man. There were very few places that wouldn't be worse than living under Senior's thumb and Gibb's cabin definitely wasn't one of them even if it was severely lacking in the amenities that he was used to.

He couldn't wait to find out the terms. Hopefully, they got everything they wanted and didn't have to concede anything critical. He'd wait for Gibbs or Jimmy to let him know what really happened, however. Jimmy as a servant had the ability to get gossip without it being traced back to Tony.

In a surprising turn of events, both Jimmy and Gibbs showed up at the same time. Jimmy had his bags with him and Gibbs grabbed most of Tony's. Tony grabbed the rest and followed them out. 

He wanted to ask a bunch of questions, but the way Jimmy and Gibbs were behaving kept his mouth shut for now. He wasn't sure what the urgency was. Had things not gone well even though they'd gotten the general outcome they wanted?

They piled everything into Gibbs' carriage and then Jimmy and Tony climbed in. Gibbs disappeared and Tony stared at Jimmy in confusion. Where was Gibbs going? 

"Gibbs will be driving the carriage."

"Ah," Tony muttered. "What happened? I get the feeling that we're fleeing for our lives."

"No. But your father made comments that suggested he would be sending the servants to gather everything he paid for."

"Which is basically all of my stuff. Ugh."

"Mine too." Jimmy pointed out.

"Is he going to try and claim we robbed him now?"

"No. I don't think so. Gibbs and Clive both have a lot of weight to throw around if he tries anything. For now, let's just relax for the short ride to Gibbs' cabin and remember we're free."

Tony rubbed his forehead with his hand. "I'll try. I wonder how much I owe Gibbs now."

"I don't think he sees it that way, Tony."

"Still he's done a lot for me. He deserves a reward. Maybe Uncle Clive can suggest something."

"Or maybe he'd prefer something you do yourself, like cooking or cleaning?" Jimmy suggested dryly.

"You know I'm crap at that."

"Yeah, but Gibbs strikes me as the kind of guy who would find that to mean more than anything Uncle Clive could do for him. He'll appreciate the effort you put in."

"I know you're right, but..." Tony trailed off with a grimace.

"Just think about it," Jimmy encouraged.

Tony made a small moue of distaste and sulked the rest of the way to Gibbs' cabin. Once they arrived, they all pitched in to unload and unpack everything until it was all done. Tony would be sharing Gibbs' room and Jimmy had been offered the closest guest room for now. 

Tony stared at his new home for the rest of his life and couldn't help feeling like everything was different. It was scary. He didn't know Gibbs that well and they would be married and live together. He couldn't help wondering if he'd made the wrong decision.

"Stop worrying," Gibbs grunted.

Tony blinked. "Did you just read my mind?"

"No. It was painted all over your face."

"I just," Tony paused indecisively before continuing, "we barely know each other."

"That didn't seem to bother you before."

"Well I did want out of my father's house quite a lot. I don't know if you've noticed but he kind of ruins everything he touches. It was only a matter of time before it happened to me."

Gibbs grunted. "And now you're having second thoughts."

"Yes. No." Tony threw up his hands in exasperation. "I don't know."

Gibbs chuckled. "I think you just need sleep."

"Maybe. It would also help if I knew what you expect of me and what exactly was agreed upon. Isn't it problematic for us to live together before marriage?"

"Let's worry about that in the morning. Sleep now."

"Ok." Tony yawned. "How does this work exactly?" He glanced between Gibbs and the bed.

"You undress and get under the covers."

"Naked?" Tony worried his bottom lip.

"If you want. Clothed is fine too. I'm not going to jump you either way."

"You don't want me?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "I didn't say that."

Tony huffed. Taking off his clothes, but leaving his underwear on, he crawled into bed. He lay stiffly waiting for Gibbs to join him, not sure what to expect.

"Sleep, DiNozzo," Gibbs ordered.

Tony closed his eyes, but his brain kept whirring on everything that had happened and what that meant for him. He couldn't get it to stop. Eventually, he fell into an uneasy sleep as he tossed and turned. His nightmares portrayed every worst case scenario on repeat.

When he woke up the next morning, he was alone in bed. Was that a good thing or a bad thing? He had no idea. Maybe he should have looked longer before he jumped, but that had never been his style.

He availed himself of the shower and dressed before heading downstairs. It was time to face the first day of his new life. Who knows what it would hold.

"Good morning, Tony," Jimmy greeted.

"Jimmy. Hey."

"Your coffee is on the counter there. Make sure you grab the right one. Gibbs likes his black and dark as night."

Gibbs grunted. "I think you mean, tar."

"Hey, Gibbs." Tony hesitantly picked one of the mugs and hoped it was the right one. He took a sip and sighed in satisfaction. "You're a lifesaver, Jimmy."

"Don't get too comfortable. You're making breakfast."

Tony blanched. "What? I thought you understood that I don't know how to cook or do anything."

"That's why I'll be teaching you. Now, come on," Gibbs commanded.

"Uh... I have no idea what I'm doing Gibbs."

"That's ok. You'll figure it out quickly."

Tony narrowed his eyes with suspicion. He highly doubted that it would come easily to him, but he'd do his best. He just hoped it was good enough.

Fortunately, eggs, bacon, and toast turned out to be relatively easy to prepare. Once breakfast was ready, the three of them sat at the kitchen table. Tony prompted Gibbs and Jimmy to explain what happened and what the next steps were expected to be while they ate.

Gibbs and Jimmy took turns explaining what agreement had been reached with Senior. Jimmy covered the part about the upcoming nuptials which would be held tomorrow and Gibbs listed all the things Senior had promised in exchange for Tony's hand. By the time they finished eating, Tony had a strong grasp on everything related to Senior. He was still a bit sketchy on how his new life would function, but well that would come with time hopefully.

He knew one thing for sure. As much as he'd jumped headfirst into this arrangement without looking, he couldn't have asked for a better partner. Gibbs was patient and kind for all that he could take someone's head off with his words alone if they did something wrong. Tony knew he'd gotten lucky and he looked forward to spending the rest of his life finding out just how much.