A personal side of Gibbs not usually seen - and some truly tender moments for our couple.


Present Day - Dec 23, 2012

Leroy sighed heavily in tired relief as he tossed his keys down on the table just inside his front door. It had been a long week and he was more than happy to have the next week off from work. He was equally happy that the entire team would have the week off to recuperate from the long and difficult last few months. They had more than earned it and he hoped they would each spend at least part of that holiday week with their own families they sacrificed time from during the rest of the year. The fact that it was the Christmas holiday was an added bonus for them all.

But the biggest relief would be that it would give him time to spend strengthening his fairly new relationship with Tim, away from the pressures that always seemed to be looming over them.

Theirs was a complicated yet surprisingly comfortable and still fresh relationship that had come about unexpectedly. It had evolved slowly enough that each step of the way had been almost unnoticeable until suddenly it just felt right. Spending those two months working side by side on Sarah's hope chest and then later being able to focus earlier than usual on his array of Christmas toys for the hospitalized kids had given him some of the most enlightening weeks of the older man's life since meeting Tim all those years ago. Tim had surprised him when he'd asked if he could be of any help with that monumental task.

He had always respected Tim and the inner strength he'd discovered within the young man along the way, but those eight weeks in the basement had shown him just how adaptable his youngest agent really was when something was important to him. Judging by Tim's determination and from his description of the treasures inside the model for this one, the hope chest had been extremely important.

When that project had been completed, that same look was back in the young man's eyes as he'd asked to help with Leroy' own project. Without yet being able to openly admit it, he'd been secretly pleased and actually relieved since it would mean spending more time in Tim's quiet, comforting and enjoyable company.

Leroy had noticed the numerous times Tim sat in silent contemplation, while the wood was drying or the coffee was brewing, and he couldn't help but wonder what had been on the younger man's mind. He hoped his junior agent would feel comfortable enough with him now to tell him, but regardless, he would be patient and wait until Tim decided it was time to let go of whatever was on his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that at some point, that time would come.

***NCIS****

Nestled together in front of the fire, comfortably sprawled in front of the hearth they'd recently renovated together, now that their cozy dinner was over and the dishes cleared away, Tim smiled softly as he held his breath and waited for the other man's answer to his request.

"You have a Christmas present for me and you want me to open it now?" Leroy asked him with a smirk.

"Please." Tim's quiet reply was met with a grin and, the younger man reached into his suit coat jacket and withdrew the present, handing it over without another word.

Leroy chuckled as he accepted the flat package, nicely gift wrapped from the young man, but not before snagging Tim by his shirt and bringing him in close for a passionate kiss that stole both their breaths away, forcing them to break away enough to draw in their next breath.

"You make it very hard for me to think straight, Leroy." Tim admitted huskily, briefly thinking back to that magical moment when Leroy had taken his breath away for the very first time; the moment he'd changed their relationship forever.

***Flashback***

"Leroy."

Tim looked over at him in surprise, from across their impromptu dinner that actually felt, for lack of a better word, cozy. "Your first name." He reasoned out loud since he had no idea the older man felt the need to bring it up.

"Think you could get used to using it when we're at home?" Those cobalt blues nearly swallowed Tim's soul at that moment, so filled with genuine promise and trust.

Tim swallowed hard and his eyes felt suspiciously wet. 'We're at home' Hearing that from Leroy' mouth, knowing it came from his heart, brought more joy to Tim's heart than he knew how to express…...

***End Flashback**

"Hey."

Tim returned to the here and now at the sound of Leroy's strident voice calling out to him. Looking over at the man, he smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Did you say something?"

"You alright?" Leroy asked with a touch of concern. "Where'd you go just now?"

"The moment this all became real for me; for us." Tim smiled seductively.

Leroy leaned in for a kiss before he smiled back affectionately and offered a gentle correction, knowing exactly which moment Tim was referring to. "Became real for me long before that."

Tim froze at the older man's admission.

Before Tim could reply, Leroy was speaking again, his eyes shining with laughter and a grin on his face. "Couldn't rush things, now could I? Had to make sure you weren't gonna run."

To forestall any further conversation, he leaned in and captured Tim's mouth again. This time they met in a seductive kiss that soon had their tongues courting each other in a timeless dance almost in frenetic unison; their passions climbing higher at a too-fast rate of speed that neither would be able to shut down or even slow as they hung on to each other for the ride.

With another grin lighting up his eyes, Leroy pulled back just far enough to work at opening his gift as he worked to steady his breathing. "Think I'd better open this before I forget." As he laid eyes on the pieces of paper within the tri-folded travel folder, his heart swelled. Two plane tickets to Texas? Tomorrow? Wait a minute! Why Texas?

Seeing the questions working through the older man's eyes. Tim was quick to offer an answer. "Trust me?"

"With my life." Leroy replied with complete seriousness just before he angled his head and looked at him hard for a minute.

"What's wrong?" Tim worried.

"This why you sold your Porsche?"

"Part of the reason." Tim quietly amended the answer to fit the truth. He really didn't want to give away the surprises that awaited Leroy on this trip. He'd put far too much work and planning into it, to have it blown wide open now. But, neither did he want the older man feeling like it hadn't been a choice Tim was more than okay with.

Swallowing hard around the sudden lump in his throat, Leroy dropped the issue and pulled Tim back to him, locking lips with him once more, showing him his appreciation more than words could express.

Drinking from the kiss all that he could get, Tim's heart pounded and his pulse began to race. The moment was here. They'd never gone beyond kissing and cuddling before today. Heck, they'd never even touched each other beyond the tender touches when they worked together with their hands or cuddled while they talked, read or watched a movie.

The fact that theirs was a relationship without sexual intimacy beyond that –that it had grown and deepened without it – meant more to Tim than anything else in the world. It was what showed him that this was real; that they were ready to move forward – if that was what they both wanted. The truth of the matter was, Leroy had already voiced his readiness, well over two months ago, but he'd also been quick to reassure Tim that there was no rush and he completely understood Tim's need to wait.

***Flashback***

October 1st

After a quiet dinner spent interspersed with conversations about what the weekend plans were for each of them, they sat down to watch the news broadcast together. As soon as it went off at seven, Leroy picked up the remote and used it to mute the television's sound.

Looking at him with genuine surprise, Tim remained silently waiting for whatever was coming.

Leroy looked down at Tim where he was cuddled up against his side. "Need to talk."

"Okay. Did something happen?" The young man asked with worry as he backed away from Leroy enough to turn and look at him.

"Yeah. Guess you could say that." His answer was hesitant at best, raising a red flag for Tim, as the man's eyes roamed the room restlessly for that moment.

"What? No one got hurt did they?"

Leroy huffed out a short laugh as he brought his eyes back to meet Tim's. "No, Tim."

"Oh. Okay." Reassured, the young man settled back against the couch, still facing Leroy

Caressing Tim's face at his ear, he drew the flopping hair back behind the ear as he spoke almost seductively. "Not about them. This is about us." No sooner had the words left his mouth, than that mouth was slowly descending down in the direction of Tim's mouth.

Too shocked and belatedly overjoyed to think straight, Tim welcomed him and let the older man in. Surprisingly enough, after a moment of shocked hesitation, the younger man voluntarily gave back, boldly and without inhibitions this time, the passion long held in check surfacing as the kiss became passion filled and breath taking. He had waited a long time for this and he wasn't about to let anything like being taken by surprise stop them.

Pulling back slowly, Leroy cupped Tim's face in his palm.

"Need to know if I'm readin' you right: that you're ready for more; that it's what you want; what we both want."

Tim swallowed hard. Oh, he wanted this, alright! He wanted this more than anything now that he was being made aware the option was his for the taking. God, he loved this man, cherished him, wanted nothing more than to build a relationship with him that would stand the test of time. However, he first needed Leroy to work through what place in his heart, amid the memories of Shannon, he could comfortably live with a relationship of that nature with Tim. That was why he needed them to take it slow. Would Leroy be okay with that?

"You want more as much as I do." The older man surmised as he correctly interpreted Tim's silence as well as the turmoil filtering through his eyes. "But you're not ready for all of it."

"I'm sorry." Tim offered contritely. "I…"

"Have nothing to be sorry for, Tim. I appreciate the truth. And I respect it."

"I know you do." Tim replied quietly as his eyes tried to find somewhere else to hide.

"Hey." Leroy said quietly. He caressed Tim's face again, waiting for him to look at him once more. "I'm glad you're not afraid to tell me what you need, Tim. Means we're gonna do just fine together."

Tim's eyes lit up as his head lifted and his heart swelled. The smile that climbed onto his face and matched the one in his eyes, lit the room; bringing a genuine smile to the older man's face as well.

That smile turned brighter when Tim offered something to break the moment of tension. "I'm so glad you're usually right."

Leroy grinned. "That makes two of us." He leaned back in and kissed him tenderly once more, making love to his mouth as he wrapped his arms around him, holding him tight, sending the message that this was for real and it was for keeps.

*** End Flashback***

A caressing hand traveling down his face brought Tim back to the here and now, this time his smile lighting the room.

"Where'd you go this time?" Leroy asked with a small smile as he pulled his hand back.

"The moment I realized this was forever." Tim replied honestly, his eyes bright with remembered emotions on top of the ones he was already feeling now."Our first kiss."

"Ah." Leroy replied, although his eyes said he, too remembered that moment and it remained an important one for him as well. Drawing Tim in for a seductive kiss, the older man held him tucked against him when they pulled apart.

"You said I had two presents to open tonight. Are you ready for me to open the other one now?"

Looking around the room, Tim realized he'd meant to set the mood a little cozier than what it currently was and he wanted to rectify that before they went any further. "In a minute." He replied quietly as he gently pulled back from him and quickly got up to dim as many lights as he could, turning most off except the one on the end table next to the couch. Sitting back down on the floor beside Leroy, but noticeably a little distance from him, he nodded.

"Okay. You can open it now."