A/N Thanks for the follows, favs and reviews, especially leobutler!

Chapter 3

"I just don't get it," Dean remarked. The bones burned in the grave, and the brothers stood by, making sure the fire consumed everything. A simple haunting in eastern Colorado had been their first hunt since Tim had left.

"She was pissed because her dad drove her husband off," Sam said, speaking of the case.

"Not that. I get that. You and Tim," Dean said. He didn't want to poke the bear again, but he just couldn't leave it alone. Sam sighed.

"No one has ever known me like Tim does."

"So I don't know you?"

Sam frowned. "I'm not saying that. What I mean is, he knows me and not only does he love me, but he likes me. I guess it just feels like...sometimes, you don't like me all that much."

"You're my brother, Sammy."

"And he's my lover. It's a different relationship, dude."

"Of course it is. I just...you never showed interest in guys before."

"It's not guys," Sam groaned inwardly at saying it yet again. "I don't feel like I'm gay, Dean. It's just him."

"But you guys like...I mean, he said you're..." Dean couldn't bring himself to actually ask if Sam and Tim enjoyed gay sex.

"Yeah, yeah, we do all the things that couples do, and it's fantastic, man."

Dean's mouth twisted and he shook his head. That was not an image he wanted in his mind. Ever.

"I wish I could get you guys to spend more time together," Sam said. "Or at least that you could see that he and I are really good for each other."

"He's a cop."

"I know. But he understands what we do."

"And if one of his cop buddies finds out who he's..." Dean almost finished with a crude euphemism but stopped himself. He didn't really want to think of Sam playing 'hide the salami' with another dude.

"His boss already knows. Tim's gonna tell his co-workers... When the time is right."

"Uh-huh."

"I've met his best friend, his grandmother, and his boss. He's met you. We're getting there."

Dean sighed. "I don't get it."

~~~SPNCIS~~~

Back in DC, Tim struggled to hide how well his angelically healed wound was doing, but figured he must have overplayed it when he ended up in the elevator, stopped between floors, with Gibbs.

"Are you okay, Tim?" Gibbs asked, and Tim looked at him sharply at the use of his first name.

"Yeah, Boss, I heal fast, my shoulder-"

"Not your shoulder. We'll get Ducky to sign you back on regular duty the end of the week," Gibbs jerked his head dismissively, his infamous eyes nearly glowing in the dim emergency lights as they seared into Tim's. "You."

Tim swallowed hard. "I...it's a tough road. Sam's brother..." He shook his head. "It's complicated." Tim hadn't planned to share the memory of That Night with anyone, even Abby, but the way Gibbs was looking at him, he had a feeling suddenly that if he needed to tell someone, this was his chance.

"You deserve the best. I saw how much Sam cares about you, but you can't allow anyone to ever treat you bad. You're worth more than that," Gibbs' words were stated flatly, but Tim cocked his head, sensing an undercurrent.

"...Boss?"

"I'm here for you, Tim."

"He...got scared. We, uh, we almost split up, I mean he-" Tim shuddered. "But we...it seems okay again. I just-what if he freaks out again? I can't... Boss, he's everything to me."

"You fight for what's yours, McGee. You fight hard and don't give up," Gibbs growled. Tim latched onto that, nodding. "But he better be damn well worth it."

The flood of sweet memories, of support and comfort and passion washed over Tim, a salve to the bruises on his heart from That Night. Sam was worth it. Definitely. "He is, Boss."

Gibbs gave him one more hard, searching look, the nodded once and threw the switch and they were moving again, back to the squad room, out of the twilight zone and back to work.

~~~SPNCIS~~~

T-Whats up? Thinking of you all the time.

S-Wendigo in SD. Nasty. Miss u.

T-Careful. U r indispensible.

S-:-)

~~~SPNCIS~~~

S-Stakeout. Will be up late. S'up?

T-Running down net bug office. Can u watch & txt?

S-Yes. Been thinking of u.

T-Me too. Anything specific?

S-Counting time apart. 274 hrs.

T-;) geek

S-Like u don't

T-rather countdwn to seeing u again. Ideas?

S-maybe after this case-we're in OH

T-weekend maybe? If no cases come up... :-/

S-hope to be done by then, yeah.

T-so switch to countdown: 77 hrs, x fingers.

S-gotta go

~~~SPNCIS~~~

T-Late one...u up?

S-always for u. Finish case?

T-not yet. De-encrypt running.

S-D asleep, snoring. Am aching missing you...

T-wish I could come home & have u waiting. Cold bed uninviting.

S-my bed warm right now but arms empty

T-thought u hug a pillow?

S-rather be hugging u

T-Miss u Sam

S-whats our countdwn at? & chances?

T-43 hrs. 60/40 in favor on my end. U?

S-got ID, gathering supplies, will go tomorrw night, so I'm closer to 80/20

T-decrypt done. Sleep well.

S-get some sleep before I see u, baby

~~~SPNCIS~~~

S-U like sunsets?

T-sure...why?

S-dislocated my shoulder. Bruise should be spectacular by time I see u. Pls say still on?

T-watching G in interrogation. Just a matter of time. Are u really ok?

S-fine, baby. You'll just have to be gentle.

T-Like a delicate flower?

S-bite me

T-I will, just not on that shoulder gotta go

~~~SPNCIS~~~

T-getting out of the city now. Should make Aurora by midnight

S-almost there now. Will be waiting in warm bed.

T-I love you!

S-room 112

~~~SPNCIS~~~

Sam left the door unlocked and went to bed. He tossed fitfully, his shoulder aching, checking the clock every half hour or so. Exhaustion overwhelmed him eventually, and when Tim came in, he found Sam sprawled, breathing deeply.

Tim locked up and stripped his clothing off. He stood and drank in the sight of Sam before sitting down, a part of him finding peace from an unrecognized ache of separation. Sam jolted awake, but relaxed when his mind registered that it was Tim.

"Oh, baby, it's so good to see you," Sam murmured sleepily. He sat up and awkwardly hugged Tim.

"How's your shoulder?" Tim asked, gingerly holding him.

"Aches. It'll be okay in a few days. Mmm, lay down. Come here," Sam lay on his back and pulled Tim close against his side. Tim sighed, resting his head on Sam's chest, drawing in the scent of him, the warmth, and relaxing as he hadn't since they'd last seen each other.

"I missed you. It's...getting harder to be away from you," Tim whispered. Sam stroked his back.

"I know. Me too."

Tim tightened his grip on Sam and closed his eyes. "What are we gonna do?"

"Talk. Tomorrow, Tim. Go to sleep," Sam answered and kissed the top of Tim's head.

"The bed's warm. Thank you."

"Good-night, baby."

"Night, Sam."

~~~SPNCIS~~~

Sam wanted to offer Tim something. He knew that there was still a dark undercurrent to their interactions; that the pure sweetness of their early time together was gone, and he needed to try to mend the hurt he still saw in Tim's expression in unguarded moments. He got up early and painfully dressed, going out and bringing breakfast back. Tim seemed pleased by his efforts, so after they'd eaten, Sam moved forward with his idea.

"Baby, you've said you don't get to touch me enough, so I want you to. I'm here, now, this whole rest of the weekend. I'm yours. Touch me anytime, in any way you like," Sam offered.

"Really? Can I... I mean, I, um, I want to-to just study you, up close. I want to memorize every inch of your skin, I want to examine every... Um, is that weird? Am I creepy?" Tim's self-consciousness invaded him.

Sam smiled and took his hand. "Tim. I don't care if it's weird or creepy-and I honestly don't think it's either. If it's what you want, it's what I want."

Tim nodded slowly, then turned and pressed Sam back onto the bed, climbing on top of him and straddling his legs. Sam grinned, but the expression faded at the intensity radiating from Tim, hot, and a bit intimidating as Tim's eyes keenly examined Sam. Sam could sense him cataloging information he gathered. Tim didn't have a photographic memory but had trained his mind through years of practice to nearly perfect recall if he studied something. Being his subject of scrutiny was exciting in a very discomfiting way.

Tim touched the angles and planes of Sam's face delicately and suddenly Sam's heart was so full he had to swallow hard to keep calm. Tim focused his entire attention on how Sam's face looked and felt: the greens and browns in his iris', the sharp point of his nose flanked by the curve of his nostrils, texture and shade of his skin, the exact placement of each freckle and mole, where his beard began, and on and on, following every detail he took notice of and filing the information into his mind.

Sensitive fingertips brushed across Sam's eyelashes, traced along his lower lids, and both hands went back across his temples and into his hair. The ecstatic look on Tim's face, lips parted, pupils dilated, his breath quickening, all made Sam stare in wonderment. The sensation of Tim's fingers stroking his scalp and running through the length of his hair gave Sam shivers and the silky strands brought Tim's investigation to another level. Identifying details had been an intellectually fueled exercise; suddenly he found his interest had shifted to the sensual exploration of his lover.

Tim leaned close and kissed Sam's cheek lightly. Sam heard him inhale and his breath hummed as he exhaled. Sam trembled.

The perlustration of Sam had become more about experiencing him; it was suddenly a sexual investigation. Tim's long fingers went to the buttons of Sam's shirt, and he paused with his eyes flickering up for permission. Sam smiled and nodded, and with a little bite to his lip, Tim undid the shirt and sighed at the skin revealed. He stroked his fingertips lightly down Sam's throat and onto his chest. Tim leaned down closer, examining the texture of his skin, smelling the incredibly male scent. He sat up and pulled Sam upright so he could carefully remove his shirt. The shoulder Sam had injured did indeed have nearly every color of the rainbow on it. Tim stroked the discolored skin with just a whispering brush of fingertips. The flesh was noticeably hotter than the rest of Sam.

"Have you iced this? You sure it's okay?" Tim asked. Sam smiled at his concern.

"It's fine. Sore is all. It's one advantage of being kinda pumped up; the muscles support the joint better. And I heal fast."

"How fast? Is Cas back yet?" Tim was distracted. Sam shook his head, frowning.

"Dean said he's not answering."

"Have you tried? I mean, do you..."

"Pray? To Cas? Not too often, he's... He's kinda more Dean's-"

"Special friend?" Tim suggested slyly. Sam laughed.

"I guess."

"He seems rather... Flakey. I was gonna say flighty, but-"

Sam groaned and smiled. "Yeah, bad pun for an angel. He's...he's there for Dean when it counts."

"Hmm. Did you know the Supernatural books are online and continually updated?"

"What?!" Sam pushed himself to sit up. "Are they-are you, we...?"

Tim sighed. "Yeah. But the reason I brought it up-"

"Oh my god, people know we're lovers? Talk about being outed-"

"Most people think they're fiction, Sam. There's backlash among fans, but they think they're discussing made-up characters. But Dean and-"

Sam groaned. For some reason, imagining his superfan Becky, who knew they were real people, reading the newer installments and getting upset, or worse, getting excited... It bothered him.

"I'm sorry I brought it up. I just, if it's not total blasphemy, I noticed that Cas is kind of a flake and Benny is completely bulldog loyal. You might give him more credit."

Sam shifted, shaking his legs and Tim climbed off him, regretting the turn of his thoughts that had brought him mention it now. "Benny? You're championing a vampire? What the crap?"

"Now you sound like Dean. Just look at the evidence, that's all I'm saying."

"Evidence? What, that he rode Dean bareback out of purgatory?" Sam's tone was acid. Tim flinched at the crude interpretation of how Dean had used a spell to absorb Benny's spirit and reunite it with his body after Dean had returned.

"He hasn't told you anything, has he?" Tim shook his head and went to get his tablet computer. He pulled up the Supernatural stories and scrolled through to Dean in Purgatory. "I think you need to know."

So Sam read and learned what Dean had been through, the months, or maybe years with how time twisted in other planes, of running and fighting every monster imaginable, searching for Cas and finally being joined by Benny, the vampire providing backup and helping him find a way out. While guilt threatened to swamp him, he also began to understand Dean's anger that Sam hadn't tried to get him out. Sam acknowledged to himself that he really hadn't known where Dean had gone; just that Dean and Cas had vanished when they killed the leader of the leviathan. If he had known Dean and Cas were in purgatory, the plane populated by the souls of all the monsters who died in the real world, he was pretty sure he wouldn't have turned his back on hunting and dealing with all things supernatural. But he wasn't sure. He might have made the same choice, following the promise the brothers made to go on to live a normal life if one of them died. He'd never know now, but learning more about Benny, he had to grudgingly acknowledge that the vampire had been staunchly loyal thus far. And more reliable than Cas, as Tim had pointed out.

He read further, getting into the depiction of his relationship with Tim but pushed the computer away at the graphic description of their first weekend together exploring the sexuality of their new experience.

Tim looked over from his seat at the desk when he saw Sam was finished reading. Sam met his eyes and nodded. "Okay. I get it. I don't like it, but... I'll ease up on Dean about Benny, okay?" Tim smiled in relief and came back to the bed. He set the computer aside and stretched out on his side, head resting on his fist, facing Sam.

Studying Tim's face, Sam was surprised, as always, at the intensity of the feelings that rose in him. "Ah, baby. Thank you for caring about my relationship with Dean. You amaze me."

Tim gave a half-shrug. "It's more about trying to get you to see it clearly." He wasn't going to admit to his selfish motivations and the hope he held that maybe Sam might eventually be able to break free of the unhealthy attachment he and Dean shared. He felt torn between his hoping that have a future together and his fear that Sam would bail. He tried to prepare for both, but, remembering Gibbs' advice, leaned into the hope. "So... Where were we?"

Sam grinned and followed the change of topic readily. "I know you weren't all the way over there, that's for sure," he replied. Tim wriggled closer, pressing against Sam's side. Sam put his arm around him, savoring the closeness of the whole length of Tim's body pressed to him from feet to lips. They kissed slowly, sensuously, and Tim's lithe fingers went back to stroking and examining Sam's skin. The differing textures of nearly hairless biceps from softly follicled forearms fascinated Tim, and he explored each with fingertips, palms, lips, and tongue. He paid the same attention to Sam's chest, avoiding his nipples to allow his investigation to continue instead of being curtailed by where that would lead. Stripping Sam's jeans, Tim spent time inspecting Sam's lean legs. On every part of Sam he scrutinized, there were scars. He paid homage to each; grateful few injuries had been serious enough to take Sam from the world before they found love together. The thick scar on Sam's back by his spine received special attention. It was the first death-blow he'd experienced, and Tim had to acknowledge his gratitude that Dean had traded his soul to hell to bring Sam back to life all those years ago. The relationship the brothers shared was unhealthy, but as allies in the continuous life and death struggle against evil, it was understandable. Tim's mind always shied away from what he might be capable of if Sam were in danger. His experience with the fantastic was limited, but he understood enough to recognize the dark path that was available.

Rolling Sam back over, his contemplation of the fragility of their bodies filled Tim with a need to experience the ultimate life-affirming act. Sam had enjoyed seeing and feeling Tim touch and kiss and taste his skin, but he saw the different look in his lover's eyes when his agenda changed and his body responded immediately.

Tim started again, this time giving all his attention to the spots he'd avoided before for their titillating effect. Ears, neck, nipples, Tim spent time on each until Sam was groaning and bucking his hips up against Tim, trying to get Tim to go faster. Tim kept his pace slow, however, enjoying his total control over Sam's sexual response.

"Oh, shit, Tim, you're making me crazy!" Sam complained. Tim grinned as he withdrew completely to stand beside the bed. Sam whined lowly, nearly growling, but grew eager when Tim unbuttoned his pants and stripped naked. He returned to his place beside Sam and ran his fingertips over the underside of Sam's leaking hard-on.

"What do you want, Sam?" Tim asked softly. Sam gasped unevenly and turned his head to look into Tim's eyes.

"You, baby," he whispered. "Inside me."

Tim's cheeks burned at the rush he felt at the words and he reached quickly for the lube. In moments he was ready and pushing Sam's legs up. Tim entered him in a long, smooth thrust. Sam cried out, their eyes locked. Sam then lay gasping, and Tim took a long pause, relishing the heat and pressure of being buried fully within his lover. Sam clenched his muscles and Tim's breath exploded in a loud groan, followed by whimpering pants. Intense was too mild a word. Overwhelming was closer to how it felt when Sam clamped down like that, and Tim's entire body shook in reaction.

Sam nodded, and Tim slowly withdrew, every millimeter of movement sending both their arousal higher. Sweat broke out on Sam's face, and when Tim pressed forward again, Sam's eyes rolled back and his mouth fell open. Tim kept tight control, his actions as precise as he could make them for the next few thrusts. When he lost control and sped up, Sam's moans only encouraged him.

Sam raised his hips to meet Tim's every driving plunge. The movements inside him were sending waves of intense pleasure throughout his body. It was an agonizing level of rapture, unbearable, but unstoppable. Every part of him tingled; his fingers, his scalp: he was transported.

"Yes! Yes, Tim, oh god, yes!" He cried, nearly mindless. His deep voice resonated through the room, inspiring Tim further.

Tim wondered at Sam's reaction. He was enjoying himself, but something had Sam more wildly ecstatic than ever before. He tried to keep doing exactly what he had been; wanting to continue to give Sam what was obviously a fantastic experience. Watching Sam's face, red and tightly clenched in a glorious agonized expression filled Tim with tenderness. It was beautiful: his sounds, crying out to Tim, panting, grunting. Tim's whole world centered on Sam, every sensation, smell, sound, and sight of him. When Tim felt and saw Sam tense further, indicating he was building to his climax, he sped up slightly. Sam was inarticulate, shouting in short bursts with each penetration. His hands suddenly came up to Tim's arms and clutched them in a powerful grip that had Tim concerned about Sam's injured shoulder. But as Tim watched tears leak from the corners of Sam's closed eyes, he sensed the hold on him was to ground him somehow amidst the maelstrom of his overwhelmed senses.

"I've got you, Sam. Let go, love, just let go. Fly with me, Sam. I've got you. Come on, love, my love, oh, Sam, I've got you," Tim panted, reassuring, comforting. Sam's eyes opened, meeting Tim's loving gaze and he came explosively, howling and sobbing. His orgasm went on and on, and Tim was swept up in it, climaxing forcefully. The feeling of Tim coming inside him in hot pulses was too much for Sam, and Tim felt the hands go slack on his arms and watched in astonishment as Sam lost consciousness, his body still quivering with the final moments of his orgasm. Tim dropped onto Sam's chest, utterly spent, gasping and sweating and crying, his emotions jumbled by the experience.

~~~SPNCIS~~~