Tim sat in the bed next to Tony's in the decontamination chamber, watching his partner try to keep breathing. The plague virus' suicide gene kicked in, but Tony was still in real danger. The pneumonia that followed ravaged his weakened lungs and body. They may have caught the woman responsible, but as Gibbs had so pointedly told her, she would be arrested for murder if Tony died. Tim shuddered at the thought.
"Probie, why the hell are you here? I'm dying."
"No, Tony, your not dying. And someone needs to keep telling you that." Tim stood up and moved closer to him. Tony started into another coughing fit and Tim reached out to hold him up. Tony fell limply agaisnt him, trying to get his breath back. Tim glanced at the monitor, relief flooding him when it reported that Tony's heart was still beating semi steadily. Tim didn't know what he'd do if Tony died. He... cared for the older agent.
Tim moved to sit on Tony's bed, instinctively cradling the ill man in his arms. Tim didn't know why, well he did, but it just felt right to do so. He chalked it up to wanting to make sure that Tony was okay. And it's not like Tony was strong enough to sit up on his own anyway.
"Probie... your holding me... I'm.. not a... baby," Tony wheezed as he tried to yell at Tim. Tim knew what Tony was trying to say: please don't get sick too. Despite everything, Tim knew that Tony did have a huge heart under the playboy facade. He wished the senior field agent's concern was more than it was. After all Tony had the plague and he was worrying about Tim.
Tim shyly rearranged Tony so that the agent was lying against him, Tony's head pillowed comfortably on his chest. Tony's arms briefly came around him in a weak hug. His way of telling him to stay. It's not like Tim was going to leave anyway. Tim hadn't actually fancied the idea before, but he had fallen for the older agent.
Tony was glad to have Tim. And despite his protest, glad that the younger agent was holding him. Tony listened to the younger's heart thumping steadily, a stronger companion to his own's weak thud. At least he wouldn't be alone if he died, but he certainly wasn't going out without a fight.
"Tim...thanks for staying." Tony couldn't quite say that he loved him. That would have to wait for later. But it was still true. Him, a playboy, falling for the probie.
"Yup. Your supposed to rest, so sleep. I'm not going anywhere." Tim promised. Tim vowed to tell Tony his feelings when he got better. And he WOULD get better. After all Gibbs had ordered him not to die.
Tony smiled weakly and drifted off to slumber.
"Tim...I...love you..." Tony was half asleep when he finally did say it. Tim hoped Tony couldn't hear his heart rate jump. Tim figured that he was just happy to not be alone.
Gibbs watched both men from the wings. He smiled and slunk off into the night. He would have a talk with them later. Because they'd both be fine.
-A Week Later-
Tony was going home finally. He was more than thrilled. But... Tim had been assigned the job of taking care of him. And, secretly, that thrilled him more. After a huge argument leaving Tony coughing and gasping, they would be staying at Tim's apartment. Tony tried to hide the fact that he was nervous about going to Tim's, so he hid it with teasing and curiousity.
"So, what's Probie got to hide? A massive Star Wars collection, Princess Leia in the bikini?"
"Shut up, Tony. I'd rather you not stop breathing. I'd rather not have to kiss you." Such a lie, lie, lie. He'd give anything to be able to kiss the senior field agent.
"I wouldn't mind..." Tony said softly, under his breath, forgetting how well his partner could hear.
"What?" Tim looked from the road to Tony.
"I didn't say anything McDriver." He hoped that he covered for himself well enough.
"Tony this would be a lot easier if we called a truce."
"Like the one in the ICU?" Both men avoided talking about the night that Tim had held Tony while he slept and stayed with him when it got rough.
"Yeah...Like that. I never did thank you for staying with me."
Thankfully about now they pulled up to Tim's apartment complex and got out of the Porsche. They walked in the building and took the elevator. Tim knew that there was no way that the normally strong Tony could handle the stairs right now. And Tim's apartment was a penthouse on the top floor.
"Nice place, Probie," Tony said appreciatively.
"The guest bedroom's down the hall on the right, just past the bathroom. Tony nodded and headed slowly to 'his' room. Tim began cooking dinner for them both, trying not to think about the other man. It was cliche really, not knowing or acknowleging you love someone untill you almost lose them. Tim finished the spaghetti and took it to Tony, who was now in the living room putting in a movie.
"Didn't take you for an Indy fan, Tim." Tim smiled. Harrison Ford was a god in the acting world, but he wasn't about to tell Tony that.
"Yeah." They finished eating without Tony coughing, but as soon as he took a drink of water, he gasped and choked on it. Tim leaned over to rub Tony's back, whispering soothing words reminisent of the night under the blue lights. Tim leaned Tony back against him again, also like that night. He was beginning to feel a little deja vued. Tony shivered and snuggled closer to the warm that the younger agent provided
The movie played on, but neither man really noticed. Tim was too busy making sure that Tony was breathing and Tony was trying to keep breathing. Both were close to sleep and knew that they should move. Tim shuffled under Tony and moved to help his partner into the guest room. He got Tony to the bed and sat down. He slipped Tony's shoes off and moved to tuck him in. He then moved to leave, but Tony grabbed his wrist.
"Can you stay with me?" Of course Tim couldn't say no to his secret love. He moved around to the other side of the bed and got in. Tony scooted over so that he was curled against Tim's side.
"Tim... I love you." Tim jolted a bit and looked down at the sick agent on his chest.
"Tony, you're on meds and out of it. YOu'll regret that in the morning."
"No I won't I mean it."
"I love you too. Now go to sleep." His emotions getting the best of him, he pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead. Tony looked up and returned the kiss, his lips pressing to Tim's with a fever higher than his body's. Tim broke the kiss when it got too deep.
"Tony... you're sick... Maybe, when you recover..."
"I'm holding you to that Probie," Tony said as he drifted off to sleep.
"Sleep my love." Tim wasn't too far behind Tony on the journey to dream world.
A/N You like? It ended differently in my head, but I discovered slash love scenes aren't my cup of tea...yet. Maybe someday...