-ONE YEAR LATER-
DiNozzo was having a bad day, it had started when he got to work and spilled his coffee, then when he'd gotten his lunch break, and planning to meet up with Tim, he was put on a case and didn't get to eat, so when he got off work he went straight home, not the usual stop to see Tim. As soon as he unlocked the door, he went and changed into his normal running gear, shorts and running shoes, ever since he and Tim had started running after they both got off work, they'd both gained abs and some muscle tone in their arms and legs, Tony grabbed his iPod off the charger and looked down the stairs when the door opened again and he heard Tim call his name. "I'm right here." He said, coming down the stairs. "Hurry up; we've got a run to go on." Tony said arms crossed. Tim nodded and went to change, coming back down in his running gear. Tony opened the door and stepped outside, watching Tim close it. "Let's race this time." Tony said. "We start here, up two blocks, turn, down two blocks, turn, and then we end back here. Loser makes dinner." He added. Tim nodded. "It's a deal." He said then he took off running. Tony took off running, passing McGee about 10 minutes later, laughing. "Eat my dust, Timothy!"
After returning home from their run, Tony looked up at McGee, panting. "I win." He said, grinning. McGee rolled his eyes. "Only because you cheated and took a short cut." Tim said. "I did no such thing." Tony said, mocking being hurt. "Now, get your sweet ass in the kitchen and cook." He said, opening the door, going to shower. McGee rolled his eyes, sighing. "I will after I shower, Tony!" He yelled. Tony laughed loudly from upstairs, resulting in another sigh from McGee. After both had showered, they were eating in silence. "Something on your mind?" Tony asked, setting his fork down. Tim sighed. "I was just thinking." He said, and his tone made Tony sit up some. "You're not having second thoughts are you?" He asked, Tony may have looked like he was tough, but now that he'd found someone who made him feel safe, he was a little insecure about his relationship. "What? No!" Tim said. "You are! I can see it!" Tony said. "Okay maybe I was a little bit, but Tony we have been in the same place for a year, we do the same thing we have done for a year. We get up, eat breakfast, we go to our respective jobs, we come home, we run, we eat, we relax, we say good night and it's the same thing, and it always will be!" Tim said, and he instantly regretted it, because when he stood in the living room sometime later, arms crossed, watching Tony leave, he knew he'd messed up, because he let Tony go.
-A FEW WEEKS LATER-
Tim sat on his couch, watching some of the movies that Tony had left behind, some days he made it all the way through the movies, some days he only got half way. This time, he wasn't even paying attention, he kept looking at the door, hoping, wishing that Tony would come back. When the door opened and Tony stepped through it, Tim stood up. "DiNozzo?" He asked, having reverted to using Tony's last name. "Hey, can we sit down and-" He was cut off by McGee pulling him forward and kissing him. Tony pulled back and gasped. "Dear god, I've missed that." He panted out. "I'm sorry, Tony. I just…I was scared, I've never had someone love me so much, and the fact that you do it scares the shit out of me, because I always ending up thinking about what could have happened had you fallen.." He said, not realizing that he'd laced his fingers with Tony's. "Timothy, shut up." Tony said, pulling him forward and kissing him. McGee pulled back sometime later and took a breath. "And this time Tony, I'm never letting you go." He whispered. After Tony had settled back in, both of the men were sitting on the couch, Tony draping his legs over McGee's. They'd gotten caught up in a movie during a conversation and no one had said anything in over an hour. When the movie went off, Tony stood up and stretched out, considering it was almost midnight, and Tony had to be at work in the morning he went up to bed. McGee watched after him and smiled some, he knew, then and there that he never wanted to let Tony go.
-SIX MONTHS LATER-
It had been six months since Tony had left and come back, and they were happier than ever, with a marriage announcement in the paper, and everything being planned, they were both up past midnight every night trying to get everything together. Tony glanced at the clock and almost head desked. It was almost midnight and he needed to get some sleep, so setting everything aside and standing up, he went up to bed and curled up. Timothy who'd been sitting in the bedroom looked over when Tony laid down, laughing softly; he reached over and turned over to turn off the light, dragging Tony over to him, curling up.
The next morning, Tony blinked awake, rolling over and looking at the clock, he sat up and rubbed his eyes, going to get a shower. Before too long, the house was alive and both men were getting ready for work, Tony had since quit the police department and moved back to the Agency, he hadn't been fired; it was just easier for both of the men to go back to their original job. Grabbing his stuff to plan the wedding, he walked out of the door, coat in hand. Once they were at their old desks, Tony spread everything out and began to write everything down, putting it all in his drawer when Gibbs came around he stood up. "Boss, we had a case come in this morning." He said, handing it to Gibbs, stepping back.
After a full investigation of two days, Tony and McGee were both dead on their feet, when they got home, both collapsed on the couch and fell asleep. And almost like that, McGee found himself in what he thought to be a nightmare.