By two in the afternoon, they were both ready to go and the house stood in almost complete darkness in preparation for their trip. They'd be gone for a week so no food was left in the refrigerator to spoil and all lights were off, save one.

The day had been eaten up with a shared shower after a couple more hours of sleep, badly needed after their most passionate start to the morning. With one last affectionate carding of the young man's hair, Leroy shared a lingering kiss with Tim as they stood at the door and was sorely tempted to draw it out even more.

"MMMMM! Leroy, we really do have to go" Tim insisted as he pulled back reluctantly, hating like hell that they would have to wait for another chance for them to make love to each other. He was holding on so tightly to his own self-control, he thought he would surely give in any second now.

"You're right." Leroy offered with open remorse in his tone. "Let's hit the road."

"Rain check waiting for you at six tonight." Tim whispered conspiratorially, a grin on his face as he stepped outside, no longer within reach of any retaliatory move his lover might make.

Shaking his head in silent laughter, the older man followed in his lover's wake, getting in behind the wheel – their vacation finally underway.

****NCIS****

Four hours, one non-stop flight and countless frustrating minutes later, they finally reached their first destination - Dallas, Texas. Leroy was worried that Tim had been remarkably quiet and nervous since they'd gotten out of the car at the airport in D.C. Speaking only when necessary and his now familiar soft smile in exchange for what would normally be something said, screamed that something was wrong.

Adding to the equation was the distance the younger man had been very careful to keep between them during their trip. Leroy couldn't help but wonder what his lover's motivation was, although he didn't comment on any of it or even give him a hard time about it.

Leroy didn't have much time to think about it any longer once they reached the baggage claim at the airport. Tim immediately pointed to a shuttle pick-up desk and headed that way, leaving his lover behind to pick up the bags. By the time the luggage had been claimed, Tim was back at his side with what looked like boarding passes and pointed them toward the appropriate exit door.

The quiet and quick shuttle ride to their hotel too less than fifteen minutes and before the older man knew it, he was following a still quiet Tim McGee into the hotel lobby and watching him get them checked in. With their reservation firmly in place, it was barely ten minutes later that found them alone in their room, their luggage already waiting for them.

Taking only a minute to look around the very nice but not absurdly so, room, Leroy locked the door and reached for his lover, starving for a taste of him after being so close to him all day without being able to even reach out and touch him. Less than 24 hours into this more intimate level of their relationship and the older man was astonishingly insatiable, just a hair's breadth away from throwing his lover down and burying himself inside him, taking him hard and fast.

Even as Tim willing stepped immediately into his lover's space, the worry still lingered in his expression, dousing the older man's fire enough so that he could think straight.

Brushing the hair back from the young man's eyes, his lover probed for answers. "What is it? Why the distance and what are you worried about?"

"I didn't want to … didn't want to share… us with the world yet."

Tim's explanation said more for what wasn't vocalized than for what was. He was right. The world at large was generally cruel when they didn't share your view, especially when it comes to relationships. This being the Christmas holiday, Tim hadn't wanted anything negative being said or done that could have adversely affected anyone's holiday. With that in mind, Tim had done what he could to present the front of two male relatives traveling together, no more, no less.

Leroy smiled softly as he pulled Tim in for a kiss that was long overdue. Before things could ignite out of control, he pulled back just enough to look his lover in the eye. "Thank you."

Looking back at the older man with a look of confusion, Tim waited for the explanation he knew would be coming.

"For what you did today and for this." His lover explained, arm extended out to include the room at large in his gesture. Pulling Tim even closer, he spoke roughly into his ear. "But I'll always treasure the gift you gave me at home, the most."

His eyes bright with unshed tears of happiness and relief, Tim sank into the older man's embrace, soaking up the moment that, for him, reflected back to their relationship before this new level had been traveled.

"You were right." Leroy said quietly as he too, stood still and relished the moment. "You were right to ask me to wait."

"I know." Tim replied quietly with no trace of arrogance or cockiness in his tone. "We both needed the time."

Adept at reading Tim's unspoken messages better now than ever before, Leroy felt his heart quicken. This selfless young man had patiently waited until he'd been absolutely certain they'd both been able to move past their own personal pain and heartaches of loves lost and been ready to focus only on each other; to give each other their all.

As the full weight of Tim's thoughtfulness and self-control settled into the older man's heart and mind, Leroy found himself wanting, needing to take Tim to the top and soar with him, higher than they'd flown this morning. Just the thought of it, filled him with a lust so powerful, it nearly drove him to his knees, With his voice thick with the overpowering emotions and the oncoming wave of desire, he busied his hands in Tim's hair, deliberately going so far as to massage his scalp as he reminded him of his promise. "I'll take that rain check now."

Caught in the magnetic wave of his lover's desperation, so plainly evident in his tone, Tim pressed himself into the other man's space unabashedly, their cocks colliding with an electric jolt that left both of them gasping for breath. Almost instantly, Tim's arms moved of their own, reaching up to caress his lover, as the older man had done for him so many times already. Feeling the power of need to make this man feel all the pleasure he could bring him, Tim whispered into the moment.

"Let me make love to you, Leroy."

Leroy swallowed hard, eyes ablaze with lust and love looking back at him, asking only to be allowed to give back. He could barely think, but somehow he managed to formulate a response, roughened by emotions as it was. "I'd like that."

Now it was Tim's turn to give; to do the heavy lifting, to do all he could do for his lover; to give him the best experience he could – it was a challenge he set for himself and one for which he knew he was ready. But they were still dressed.

With a smile, Tim began undressing himself, knowing his lover would follow suit. Sure enough, with eyes locked together in an unbreakable bond of heightening lust, need and anticipation, they were both finally free of their clothes in less than a minute. Without words, their mouths meshed together once more, their tongues passionately dancing as their hands frenetically caressed each other, the flame already set too high.

Pulling back from the kiss, his breath already ragged and harsh, Tim embarked on a sensual journey of his own, his lips and hands, his fingertips, all blazing trails everywhere they possibly could on his lover's body, starting at the man's chest and working all as one, toward the goal of eliciting cries of pleasure from his lover, along the way. Stopping along the way to nibble and nip, here and there and even a suckle or two on some very sensitive nipples.

With every tiny moment of connection, Tim's heart soared a little higher until he felt it would burst out of his chest – a feeling that intensified when the pleasure he was bestowing on Leroy, brought forth that first moan of pleasure from the older man.

As he wrapped his hand around his lover's warm, hardened cock, his own pulsed and throbbed. Swallowing back his own moan of pure pleasure, Tim smiled as Leroy let loose an erotic low moan as his hips rose, pushing his throbbing muscle further into Tim's hand. "Feels good, don't stop, Tim!"

Tim smiled as he sensually caressed the hardened length and felt his lover settle into the pleasurable wave it obviously sent through him, contentedly closing his eyes and thrusting again and again into Tim's hand, the rhythm setting them both ablaze. Tim's breathing grew harsher and his own cock, now hard, heavy, ached for release.

Even as he bit down on his moan and fought not to devour the man's mouth in the soul-searing kiss he was hungry for, Tim stuck to his plan; pleasuring this man as much as he could. Needing to see his lover's eyes, he reached out and caressed his cheek.

Opening his eyes in surprise, even with the molten lava of desire flowing thought him, Leroy's breath nearly stalled at the sight of his lover watching him expectantly with eyes overflowing with want and need of his own. When Tim reached for his hand, it surprised him but he he was even more surprised when his lover swooped down on him and swallowed him whole, bringing him up off the bed in an electric jolt of pure, unadulterated ecstasy. "Oh! God! Tim!"

Tim suckled his lover's swollen, throbbing rod like a starving man, yet didn't let go of his hand or unlock his eyes from those beautiful blue orbs looking back at him with open passion and trust. Locked together in three places; they rode to the top of that cliff together, with the younger man teasing, licking and milking his lover every step of the way.

Leroy fought to lay still and simply enjoy the most pleasurable ride of his life, but couldn't hold back his moans or keep his free hand from reaching out and gripping Tim's hair convulsively, "So good!. God, Tim!"

Relentlessly, Tim took him further, drove him harder and milked him until he felt the older man tighten up and tense; still Tim kept going until his lover cried out his release as he was hurled over the top, with one last hoarse cry. "Ngh!"

His lover arched himself into Tim's cavern and filled it, the look of absolute ecstasy played out on his face, these precious moments forever stamping itself in Tim's most precious memories.

***NCIS***

As the shower, so hot it felt like a sauna, massaged his sore and aching body, Tim couldn't help but smile. He had never before found so much joy and pleasure in making love but now, standing here under the shower, he reflected back on the unforgettable look of pure ecstasy on his lover's face as he'd watched the older man succumb to the after effects of his strong release. It was a moment he'd always cherish. He wished he could have frozen it forever.

Tim had not only pleasured his lover just the way he'd wanted to; but he'd worn him out and now the man was sleeping peacefully; having fallen under even before Tim had begun cleaning him with a warm towel. When finished, Tim had caressed his cheek, kissed the corner of his mouth and slipped into the shower.

Now he continued to relax under the water, enjoying the time to close his eyes and replayed the moments he and Leroy had shared at this new level of intimacy over the last 24 hours. Lulled into bliss by the heat of the water and his sensual memories, Tim never heard the bathroom door open or even the shower door as the object of his thoughts stepped inside.

But when his lover's strong warm hands suddenly encased his semi-hard and already swelling cock from behind, Tim's knees went weak and he grabbed for the towel bar as he gasped for breath and practically fell back into the man's strong chest.

"Oh. God! Leroy!" he breathed out on short breaths.

"Feel good?" His lover asked him seductively in his ear.

"God, Yes!" Tim whimpered in pleasure.

Leroy's next words nearly sent Tim over the edge. "Good. My turn."