Tony bit his lip and glanced through his immaculate apartment for the thousandth time. Tim was late. Tony jiggled his knee and tried not to worry. McGee was never late…ok the last time he was late it was because he had been shot but surely that wouldn't happen again. Would it?

No, no everything would be fine. Tim would have a good excuse and they would have a lovely dinner and they would talk like normal people about stuff and maybe watch a movie. And then….

Tony suddenly shot out of his seat as he heard a loud knock on the door. He found himself rushing to the door and then stopped. It might be McGee but this was still a date. Something he had done a thousand times before. Nothing to get too excited about.

Tony took a deep calming breath, straightened his shirt, and checked his hair in the mirror he had positioned beside the door for just such a purpose. The only thing he hadn't done was his standard pre date upper body work out. Maybe he should have done that? Was it bad luck to break his date routine? Did Tim already know that he did that? Would Tim notice that he hadn't?

"Tony? Are you going to open the door or not? I know you're in there I can see the shadows moving under the door!"

Tony cursed under his breath. Now Probie would think he was all nervous. And he wasn't. Not at all.

Tony swung open the door and was immediately assaulted with a vast bunch of red roses in full fragrant bloom.

"Whoa" Tony struggled to see over the flowers which seemed to take up his entire vision and filled the doorway.

"Um here Tony, these are for you" Tim's voice came over the flowers and the flowers seemed to shove themselves in Tony's direction.

"Uh thanks…McGee…uh Tim. There…um very big" Tony grappled with the flowers and managed to subdue them into an armful allowing Tim to step through the door.

Tony turned and stumbled with them into the kitchen and filled up the sink with water and placed the flowers inside before turning to Tim with a smile.

"You got me flowers?"

"Yeah and I also brought wine. A nice red AND a white as I didn't know what we were going to be eating. And I got you chocolates as well and I realized I didn't know if you preferred dark or milk chocolates or hard or soft centers so I got all of them."

Tim smiled embarrassed and indicated the large bag he held in his other hand.

"Wow. Ok. Geez you go all out don't you? Are you trying to spoil me or something?"

Tim smiled and shrugged. "I know, probably a bit much……but I wanted to. And I mean this is our first date so I wanted to do something nice. I'm sorry I'm late I was at the florist trying to work out what the most masculine flower I could get you was. Lilies were too girly, sunflowers too friendly, iris seemed too sad, I nearly went with the tulips but they seemed a bit too perfect, a little cold….so in the end I went with the roses. But I didn't want the small bud ones I wanted the full scented English tea rose ones because they always smell so much nicer. I was hoping for some Satchmo's but they managed to get…"

Tony looked at McGee with a curious smile on his face "You know the different sorts of roses?"

Tim blushed "Well yeah…some of them. I would come back home and visit from collage and I would spend some time in the garden with my Mom helping her out with the heavy stuff. It was nice, we would just talk about stuff and kind of hang out. I would tell her about school and she would tell me about Sarah or her roses or whatever had been happening while I was away and then afterwards we would have milk and cookies in the garden. It was nice."

Tony smiled at the thought of McGee and his Mom sharing cookies and milk and wished his Mom had done things other than drink too many Mint Juleps's and dress him in sailor suits all day.

"Well you see I'm learning new things about you already" Tony beckoned Tim to come further into his apartment and took his coat off to hang up.

Tony turned around and found himself smiling yet again.

"You're wearing the shirt I got you"

"Yeah what do you think? I really like it and you got the size just right"

Tony turned an appreciative eye on Tim wearing the French Blue pinstriped dress shirt with the mother of pearl buttons complete with silver and mother of pearl cuff links glinting at his wrists. The cut was perfect showing off just how broad his shoulders were and how trim his waist was. He had left the top button undone giving Tony a tiny peek of his chest. The tailored dress pants Tim was wearing seemed to fit his Ziva rated four out of five ass to perfection. Very nice.

Tim squirmed as Tony gave him a very thorough once over, letting his eyes linger over Tim's body before looking at him in the eyes.

"I knew that color would make your eyes look fantastic" Tony smirked and Tim blushed.

"So.. would you like a drink before dinner?" Tony returned to his host duties and pulled out the bottles of wine Tim had brought, inspecting them with approval.

"Yeah that would be nice"

Tony headed into the kitchen giving Tim a moment to collect his scattered thoughts while Tony banged around opening and closing cupboard doors with a series of crashes.

"Tony? Are you alright in there?" Tim called growing increasingly concerned at the racket.

"I'm good" Tony called out before walking out of the kitchen with Tim's roses in a dozen various containers, vases and water bottles. Tony then carefully placed them on the dining table and throughout his apartment before shooting a lascivious grin at Tim and standing at the light switch, slowly dimming the lighting until his rose filled apartment was bathed in a soft warm glow.

Tim quirked an eyebrow "Mood lighting?"

"Watch the Master of Seduction and learn Probie San" Tony picked up a remote and the soft sounds of cool jazz filled the room from the surround sound speakers hidden about the room and Tim laughed.

"Oh you are really going all out tonight Tony. I better watch myself"

Tony looked at Tim innocently "Now where was I? Oh yes I was going to get you a drink"

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((99

Tony leaned across the table and swirled his wine around in his glass. So far his first date with Tim had gone spectacularly well. The meal had been fantastic, his entire apartment now smelled of the glorious roses, conversation with Tim had come easily and Tony felt his earlier anxiety slipping away. He could do this. In fact he could do this a lot.

Tony reached into the large tray of expensive chocolates that now served as dessert, popped one into his mouth and savored it as the rich flavors melted into his mouth. He watched, privately delighted as Tim made a note of which ones he selected.

"Dark chocolate..the richer the better..but I prefer soft centers" Tony decided to put Tim out of his misery and Tim smiled.

Tim watched as Tony relaxed and sipped his wine, the clownish persona he wore at the office gradually falling away to reveal the soft centered Tony underneath.

"So how come you never told me that story about spending time like that with your Mom?" Tony enquired curiously.

Tim shrugged and smiled as he looked across the table at Tony "Well I figured you would tease me about it. It's not exactly the same as your wild spring break adventures is it?"

Tony smiled "No not really. But still I think it's nice that you could share that time alone with your Mom. And I promise not to tease you about it"

Tim caught Tony's brief flash of sadness and knew that he would never trade his cookies and milk moments with his family for Tony's beer filled hazy nights with his frat buddies. Tim felt an overwhelming tenderness for the man sitting across from him and all his strengths and many flaws.

"Hey…come here you" Tim walked around the table and leaned over and wrapped his arms around Tony's shoulders and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you for cooking such a great meal. Talk about keeping secrets. I never knew you were such a good cook"

Tony reveled in the comfort of Tim's arms and smiled as he inhaled Tim's rich masculine scent. Tim's date cologne. Not his everyday scent which Tony knew inside out and backwards but the special, expensive I'm going out on a date to impress someone cologne. Tony inhaled deeply and considered teasing Tim about it until he realized that he was wearing his date cologne too.

Tony turned in his chair and looked up at Tim with a sad smile.

"Do you think I could have survived all this time without ever learning to cook something? Although that is it. I can cook one impressive meal for a date and then that's it…..although normally it's never mattered because my dates have never lasted long enough to come over and have me cook a second time."

Tim smiled and nuzzled at Tony's neck which made him shiver.

"Well perhaps one of the first things we should do is get you a cook book. Because I intend to be around for a very long time"

Tim whispered it gently into Tony's ear and it was all Tony could do not to let out a whimper at hearing Tim's bedroom voice for the very first time. Deeper, rougher and yet somehow softer then his everyday office voice.

"Uh yeah" Tony's voice broke into a squeak which he then tried to cover with a rough throat clearing.

Tim stood up and trailed his hands over Tony's shoulders before returning to his seat. Tony tried not to close his eyes at the sensation. And failed.

"So how do you think this is going? I mean the date? Would you….like to do it again" Tim tried to act nonchalant as if this question didn't mean the world to him. And failed.

Tony felt his heart race as Tim looked across into his eyes, desperate for the answer to be yes.

"Yes. Yes I would definitely like to do it again."

Tim smiled and sighed out his fear as he sagged back into his chair. "Good. Me too"

"So now what?" Tony found himself idly stroking Tim's hand, gently running his fingertips across the back of Tim's hand and down each of his long fingers. Damn the man had beautiful hands.

"Well I suppose …I should go home. It is getting late."

Tony watched surprised as Tim stood and started gathering his things together.

"You're leaving? Already?" Tony felt regret at being left alone as if Tim was somehow abandoning him to his lonely fate.

"Already? It's 1.30 in the morning Tony" Tim smiled down at Tony.

"It is? Really?" Tony glanced up to check the clock on the wall. Damn.

Where the hell had all the hours gone? Surely he hadn't just whiled away long delicious hours of idle chatting and flirting with McGee? They had had dinner, gone through two bottles of wine, talked, done the dishes (Tony had washed and Tim had dried) talked some more, drank some more, flirted some more.

Tim smiled at Tony's surprise and stood patiently by the door.

"So are you going to give me a kiss goodbye then?" Tim flushed at his daring and couldn't hide his eagerness.

"Are you always this cheeky with your dates?" Tony quirked an eyebrow as he made his way across the table.

Tim shrugged "I suppose you're just going to have to wait and see aren't you?"

Tony met Tim's eyes and held them.

"Yes. Yes I am" Tony's voice was husky and sweet

Tim found himself holding his breath as Tony slid his hand up behind his neck and leaned in for a kiss. Tim tilted his head and deepened the kiss and felt desire surge through him as his senses were overwhelmed with the touch of Tony's body against his.

They pulled apart and rested their foreheads together gently breathing in the others scent, the others touch, the others love.

"Stay with me" Tony whispered, not wanting to let Tim disappear off into the cold dark night and leave him to face his rose scented apartment alone.

Tim smiled softly and pulled Tony closer to him before returning the kiss.

"Always"

Finis

(For those that are interested I will be writing a seperate story, Pistaschio about the rest of the evening between Tony and Tim which will be rated FR 21)