Title: Don't Even Know My Name
Author: Emono
Fandom: NCIS
Series: Assistant Coroner Holiday Series
Part: One
Rating: NWS (not "work safe")
Disclaimer: NCIS is heavily guarded by a Great Wall with armed sentry-lawyers posted every fifty feet...and I'm stuck without a key, loophole in the contract, or a border-jumper. Until I require one of the three, it is not mine.
Summary: Palmer's feeling lonely.
Beta: gil_follower
Warnings: Mentions of child-abuse, emo-musing, and is slash even a warning anymore?

Author's Note:
I decided I was tired of Jimmy being overlooked, so I have taken him under my wing and turned him from a regular cup-o-vanilla to a sugary-sweet cone of nummy Rocky Road. Can you tell I'm binging on ice cream? Well I am. Anyway, I don't know why I overlooked this pairing. I luv NCIS, and it all started with a fantasy of Tony confessing his love for Gibbs to Palmer. Then it evolved, like all good daydreams do, and now I have this. I luv Tony/Jimmy, and I ended up writing two stand-alone fics for Valentine's Day and Tony's birthday...then I had an epiphany. Why not write a holiday series? Yes! Genius, ne? So it starts out kind of slow, building up the relationship, a few kisses and touches and dating...then it starts to heat up, gets smuttier, until we finally have a huge lemon scene. Courtesy of me, of course ;) Enjoy!!!

"When the moon fell in love with the sun,
All was golden in the sky
All was golden when the day met the night."

Part I:

New Year's Eve

Abby's party was in full swing, everyone crowded on the bullpen floor. She had come up with the idea of having a New Year's party at NCIS HQ. Tables of snacks and drinks had been set up, courtesy of Jen and the spare cadets (the Director supplied the food while ordering the cadets around "No, that table goes over there!", "That's not how you set up a table!") There was music flowing out of the speakers Abby had supplied, inspiring random dancing on the upper floors.

Laughter intermingled with conversations, but some eyes were focused on Abby showing McGee a new dance move that had him flushing. The point of the party was projected on the large screen between McGee and Tony's desk. It usually held info on suspects, but now it displayed a countdown to midnight.

Ten minutes.

The countdown had caught one individual's attention completely, dark eyes locked on the flashing numbers. The young man pushed up his glasses, sighing a bit. He leant against Tony's desk, trying to be invisible. It wasn't that hard, actually, considering everyone ignored him. On the outside looking in, a fly on the wall, nothing more than a plastic plant and paid as much attention to as such.

It wasn't anything new, Palmer was used to such blatant refusal of his presence. He was the new guy, just Ducky's assistant. Palmer was sure he would fall dead of a heart attack if more than ten people knew his name...stone-cold dead if someone actually knew his first name.

//Hm// Palmer wondered idly, cocking his head to the side //How long has it been since someone's called me by my first name? Three months? Maybe longer...//

It wasn't as if he was shut out...he jut wasn't allowed to join in. There was difference, a fine line somewhere between new-guy hazing and actual hate. A thin, thin line...teeny-tiny...thread-width...

Palmer gave a soft snort, he would take hazing over being completely ignored anytime. Maybe his eyes were too new, maybe he just couldn't see the line yet.

"Hey Jimmy!"

Palmer must have jumped four feet in the air, head whipping around to see Tony standing there. The Italian sat on his desk, smiling and holding a cup of spiked black punch (Abby's specialty.) Palmer's stomach fluttered without his consent, he seemed to relax at the agent's presence...yet tense all over.

"Special Agent DiNozzo" Palmer smiled warmly "Enjoying yourself?"

"Always. And call me Tony" Tony scooted closet "But you, Jimmy...you don't look like you're having much fun."

"I am" Palmer lied outright, receiving a glare of sorts from the taller man "Really, Tony...I'm just not in my element."

Tony gave a snort, "Who is?"

Palmer looked around with a knowing eye, "...everyone is, it seems."

Tony took a drink from his cup, expression thoughtful.

"Jimmy, I don't know much about you" Tony came to the decision pretty quickly "Where did you spring from? I mean, I know your professional background...how was your kid-hood?"

Palmer hesitated, no one had ever asked him that before.

"Well..." he chewed his tongue thoughtfully, unsure how to proceed "I'm from a small town near Chicago, more churches than church goes, real brick streets...that sort of thing. It was really boring, nothing too exciting ever happened there. Mom was a housewife, Dad was..."

A painful lump caught in Palmer's throat, he dropped his eyes.

"Ah, fathers" the Italian sounded as if he knew, swirling his punch "Not the easiest topic, is it?"

The slighter man only shook his head, eyes still downcast. A warm, solid hand curled along the back of his neck...a physical comfort, an anchor in his sea of memories. Palmer couldn't help but lean into the touch, savoring the contact.

When Tony finally spoke, his voice was quiet, "He never laid a hand on you, did he?"

Dark eyes sought green, finding the familiar pain in them, "He didn't have to."

Tony sighed ruefully, "They never do...sometimes, Jimmy, words are enough."

An uncomfortable silence settled over them, the taller man's hand fell from his neck.

Palmer visibly perked up as an idea hit him, "What's your New Year's resolution?"

"Uh..." Tony made a face, staring up at the ceiling and rubbing his jaw "Maybe not to be such a whore? Boss suggested that one."

"You're not a whore" Palmer hushed his voice "You're an affectionate person, you've got a lot to give...and only one body to give it in."

"Wow, Jimmy" Tony's jade eyes widened, looking awed "I've never heard someone put a positive spin on man-whore-ism."

The assistant coroner dropped his eyes again, but sturdy fingers cupped his chin and forced the connection of their eyes a bit longer.

"No, it's a good thing" ivory teeth flashed in a smile "Trust me, it's a rare gift."

Palmer cleared his throat, "I've got a resolution....I'm going to try new things."

Bottle-green eyes sparkled curiously, "You know what? Me too."

The people around them got louder, and their eyes went to the clock at the same moment. Twenty seconds left and counting, Abby was jumping up and down squealing about the holiday spirit and kissing. At ten seconds, everyone started counting.

"This is it" Palmer smiled a bit "Better go find Ziva, or you'll have to wait another year...or at least until another undercover mission."

"...seven...six...five!"

"Nah, she'd probably beat the crap out of me" Tony shuddered "Maybe even cut off something."

"...four...three!"

Palmer didn't even notice the Italian moving closer, nor the hand on his lower back, until it was too late.

"Two!"

Palmer was turned to face the agent, fingers lacing in his hair, "Tony, what-?"

"One! Happy New Year!"

Between everyone roaring and drinking and toasting and kissing, no one saw the pair by Tony's desk. Everyone who would notice were too busy laughing as a drunken Jen tried to kiss Gibbs.

They missed the way Tony pulled Palmer to his body, the way their lips met as if in slow motion. They didn't see how Jimmy didn't bother to struggle, or the way the Italian's talented tongue ravished him until his knees went weak. They definitely didn't see how tenderly Tony held him, or how greedy the slighter man's hands were as they clenched into the lapel of the other. And everyone missed the smiles they had when they pulled away, flushed and sated.

"I..." Palmer cleared the husk from his voice "I didn't think you knew my name."

Tony let the other go regretfully, "I know a lot more than that, Jimmy."

TBC

Love it or Leave It?

-Emono