The astounded look on his lover's face wasn't funny as much as it was priceless. But Tim knew now was not the time for laughter because this was serious and he needed Leroy to know he was saying what needed to be said, from the bottom of his heart.
"At work." Tim clarified. "You've been saying for years now, that you're not going to be Team Leader forever and we both know that … changes are often made so fast, you can hardly catch your breath as they're thrown at you."
Leroy remained silent, his hands still holding Tim's, his fingers flexing in spasms as the emotions began running amuck through his mind. He desperately needed Tim to get to the bottom line of where he was going – the suspense was literally killing him, twisting his heart into little pieces. Was Tim trying to say goodbye for the sake of his job? NO! He wouldn't let that happen! He hadn't fallen in love with him, just to lose him over their jobs!
Almost as if he were reading the turmoil in his lover's heart, Tim reached out and trailed a soothing hand through the older man's hair, carding it affectionately. "We can't have this and not make changes at work. We both know that. It wouldn't be fair to the team or to ourselves. I'd just rather those changes that need to be made be ones we control, rather than being controlled by the rules and regs because we pushed the envelope on it."
"Tim…"
"Leroy, I'm asking Vance for the next 'Agent Afloat' position that comes up." The young man's eyes begged his lover to understand.
The Team Leader struggled to breathe for a minute as his heart squeezed almost painfully.
"It's just for six months, right?" Tim asked hopefully. "We'll stay in touch, have clandestine late night talks over secure channels – I'll set it up, myself."
"Tim." Leroy's voice said it all. He felt so shocked he didn't know what else to say.
"I have to do this. We both know that. My career will go nowhere if I don't follow protocol. Vance said it was part of the reason he assigned Tony to those six months. He got by with four. Maybe I can, too."
"This really what you want?" Leroy asked.
"No! It's not! It's tearing my heart out, the thought of having to do this! You have to know that! But if I'm going to be the best agent I can be now that you're not going to be my Team Leader any longer, I have to do this!" Tim heatedly answered him, angry that Leroy would think he'd want to leave him.
"Why the rush to change things, Tim?" Leroy asked quietly, the uncertainty he felt at Tim's decision clear in his tone.
Squeezing his lover's hands in his own, Tim lifted them to his lips and kissed the older man's fingers before setting them back down at his sides. Lifting his eyes to the older man's bottomless oceans of blue that right now looked like his heart had been ripped out, Tim answered him straight from his own heart, as he blinked to clear the sudden moisture from his eyes.
"Because I love you and I want us to be forever."
***NCIS***
Blinking his eyes to send the traitorous tears away, Jackson Gibbs stepped away from the bedroom door a few steps, needing to get himself ready, along with the first round of coffees for them all. The only problem was he wasn't able to move very far away, almost as if he knew they both needed some help through this serious roadblock.
He was reluctant to intrude on the conversation, he hadn't been able to help but overhear when Tim's raised voice had carried beyond the bedroom door as the elder man had been coming back from the bathroom.
More concerned than curious, Jackson remained by the door and heard enough to know without a shadow of a doubt, that both men were in this relationship for keeps, even if they were both still trying to find their feet. It did his heart good to know that, but it also hurt him to hear the sacrifices they were going to be making in the name of that love. Love, he knew his son hadn't yet admitted to – to his lover; but wholeheartedly deserved nonetheless.
Putting his own emotions back under wraps, Jackson remained at their bedroom door, ready to knock on it and remind them of the time, when it was opened from the inside, his son, stepping out and going around him to the bathroom, his face unreadable even as the anger nearly rolled off of him.
It was certainly understandable, yet it was easy to see Tim's point, too. But, Jackson knew that until he was asked, he couldn't speak of any of it, no matter if he thought he could help or not. He'd have to bide his time and wait. And while he waited, he'd pray that these two men who loved each other deeply, wouldn't make the mistake of letting this tear them apart.
Still standing in the hallway, his thoughts running amuck, Jackson wasn't even aware Tim had come out to the hallway fully dressed, found him standing there and was now looking at him with concern of his own. "Jack?"
"Morning, Tim." The older man greeted quietly. "Everything alright?"
Tim smiled softly, his eyes no longer bright and happy, sadness having taken up residence in their place. "Yeah."
"Anything I can do?" Jackson asked.
"No. This is my mess. I need to fix it." Tim answered quietly. "Thank you, though. I'm going to go stretch my legs and get some air."
Watching the young man walk out the door, Jackson sighed in sadness. Surely these two would work through this. After all, they had the rest of the trip to enjoy together and Tim had gone through so much thought and trouble and money to pull this together for Leroy – because he cared so much about him - he wanted him to have the time of his life and be able to relax and enjoy himself. The young man loved him deeply. Surely, Leroy would keep his eye on that?
"Dad?" Leroy's quiet voice came from behind him as the younger man came back down the hall from the bathroom.
"Good morning, Son." Jackson turned to look his son straight on, his concern showing in every inch of his aged face.
"Something wrong?" The younger man worried.
"That young man adores you, Jethro."
"I know, Dad. You and I talked about this yesterday, remember?"
"Oh, yes, I remember."
"Okay, so why bring it up again?"
"Do you really believe for one moment that he made that decision lightly? Or without tearing his own heart out at the very thought of being away from you for that long?"
"You were listening." Leroy stated as he walked around his father and back into the bed room put on his socks and shoes.
"Didn't have to. Tim's voice carries quite well when he's upset." His father reminded him from the doorway.
"It's not that simple, Dad." His son argued as he slid his socks on, stuffed his feet in his shoes and stood back up, heading back to the doorway.
"Oh, yes it is! He wants a life with you – he just needs to firm up his career first before you're forced to retire. So what if he doesn't want to risk any problems at work by staying under you now! He's in love with you, damn it! You gonna make him choose?" Jackson demanded, the vehemence in his tone stopping his son in his tracks.
The look on his son's face reminded Jackson of that one moment he'd ever looked this vulnerable before; that moment back in Stillwater when they'd first talked about the sixteen plus year rift between them that they were finally beginning to heal.
Jackson would never forget that look. With as heart-honest an expression as he'd ever seen in his son's eyes, the younger Gibbs had asked his father. 'Whattaya see now?'
Vulnerability had been the word on the tip of Jackson's tongue then and it was there again, now as he saw that same pained look on his son's face, apparently thinking on his father's question.
"Wouldn't do that to him." Jethro's answer was firm yet without hesitation, the bone deep honesty laying it all out in the open. He wouldn't do that. He'd let Tim make his own choice. He had to. What's more, he had to respect the hell out of him for even making it.
"That why he needed to go get some air? Because you told him you support his decision and how hard it had to be for him to make? How hard it'll be for him to be apart from the person he loves for those four or six months?" Jackson pushed, hoping it would stir his son into action before any more time was wasted between these two.
"Just caught me by surprise, Dad. We'll work it out."
"Well, considering he's out there without you, I'm guessing you'd better get to working on it pretty damn quick, wouldn't you say?"
With a smirk, Gibbs disappeared out the door.
***NCIS***
Stepping outside the cabin door, Leroy's eyes needed a minute to adjust to the sun, but then immediately searched for his lover, quickly finding him standing down at the dock, staring out at the water.
A feeling of peace filled him at the sight of the younger man, even from a distance. He had faith in Tim's ability to understand how hard it was for him to open up, to admit how he felt; though he'd been getting better at it since first letting Tim in back in August.
Had it only been since then that they'd been building this relationship? It felt like forever; it was so real, tangible and getting more comfortable every day. Leroy realized he could no longer picture his life without this man. More importantly, he refused to let that happen or do anything that could make the situation come to that.
With a sigh, he walked towards him, getting only halfway before his lover turned to look at him, as if he'd sensed him coming. Turning away from the water, the younger man set the direction for the walk he obviously knew they needed to take, being extra cautious to avoid any poison ivy. Typical of how Tim operated, he remained silent, letting Leroy take the reins of this all-important conversation, their steps in tandem, inadvertently leading them to a lush, secluded wooded area of the park.
Tim stopped walking, leaning back against the trunk of a large tree, his hands in his pockets as he watched Leroy beneath the lashes of his now hooded eyes. It wasn't that he didn't have faith in his lover, but instead that he knew the older man needed the space to do this in his own time; his own way. It was enough that he was out here, obviously willing to talk through this already, instead of letting it sit unresolved between them while they traveled to their next destination.
With a twitch of his eyebrow, and a half nod, Leroy looked Tim straight on, taking the young man's hand in his own. "I understand what you're doing and why."
Tim heard the apology in his lover's tone and it warmed him; resurrected his belief that this wouldn't tear them apart. He breathed a sigh of relief even as Leroy continued to speak to him.
"I'm not used to anyone thinking so clearly about a future with me; rearranging their life like you're planning, to be able to stay with me."
Tim smiled tenderly. "I'd go to the moon and back for you if need be, Leroy. I just wish we weren't going to be apart for a whole six months like this."
"I love you, Tim and yes, to me this..." He pointed from himself to Tim and then back again for emphasis, "is forever", so this change - the months you'll be taking care of what you need to do to help us become permanent– will be okay."
Now it was Tim's turn to accidentally show the vulnerability he was feeling. The moment of doubt, the uncertainty he'd forced himself to sit on and keep buried all the time he'd been thinking about this, was finally out in the open and it was clear that he was more than a little uneasy about things.
His next question nearly broke Leroy's heart as it showed him the younger man's heart still needed extra support. "What makes you so sure that I'm the one for you; that we're forever or that these next few months will be okay?"
"Lotta questions, Tim." Leroy jibed with a small smirk as he stepped up closer to him, trailing their joined fingers down the younger man's jawline tenderly. "First of all, because usually by now they're running for the hills or their lawyer while picturing how big their alimony check's gonna be"
Tim smiled a little, but his eyes remained filled with that stubborn uncertainty.
"You taking the time and putting a lot of effort into tackling your seasickness so that you can go Afloat and come back to D.C., all so that neither of our careers will be impacted - think about that, Tim! It doesn't get any more real than that!"
Leroy's earnest declaration went straight to Tim's heart.
"It's HUGE, That's trust, commitment and love. You've already shown me that, what it is to feel whole again, Tim. I haven't felt this way since Shannon."
Tim's eyes misted over as he reached for his lover's hands, too touched to speak. He could not ever have imagined the older man being so vocal about how he felt or reaching down so deep to expose himself to the younger man like this. It swelled Tim's heart and confirmed in his soul that no one and nothing would ever come between them – he would safe guard this man's heart no matter what it took.
Leaning his forehead against Tim's, Leroy pushed his emotional limit to make him understand. "I won't let anything tear us apart, not even our jobs, so if going 'afloating' is what it takes, then we'll handle it, together, because we love each other."
The younger man nodded, his head barely moving where Leroy's forehead was connecting to him and too speechless to utter a sound, their hands now wrapped around each other's arms as if to anchor the other more deeply.
For countless silent moments, they stood, touching each other in every way possible without the intimacy of sex, as they relished that depth while drawing inner strength from it.
Almost as if they'd spoken to each other, they pulled away from each other just enough to smile softly and begin to walk further into the woods, enjoying the time together as their steps became synchronized. They had a vacation to enjoy – a life to live, together, beginning with right now, their first Christmas Day together.
***NCIS***
Christmas Day was spent with lots of quiet moments where conversation wasn't intruding, enjoying each other's company and plenty of unspoken emotion shining through their eyes for the other to see and grasp, The hours slipped away as Jackson joined them for the fishing, though this time at the State park's lake and on the shore with great result.
Together, the three men shared the chore of cleaning and cooking their catch for lunch and later on, dinner, though the elderly man was adamant about leaving them alone for the most part, knowing they needed the time together. At the end of the evening, still relaxed yet keyed up for the trip ahead, Leroy and Tim were alone in their room when they realized they still had the rest of the evening to themselves. Jackson had taken himself off to his own room over an hour ago, claiming the need for an earlier night than they would need. Neither Tim nor Leroy had missed the twinkle in the elderly man's eyes.
Still too keyed up to even consider going to bed Tim took himself over to the window, staring out at the moonlit night. His thoughts were all over the place, from the blissful memories of the heaven he and Leroy had created together in the last few days – to the upcoming conversation he'd have to have with Vance and how the team would take the news, not just of Tim's leaving the team, but of his ultimate reason for that change.
"Okay?" Leroy's tender voice in his ear, brought Tim back to the present and he let himself lean back against the man he loved with all his heart and soul, as his lover's arms wrapped around him, holding him. Laying his head back against the older man's neck, Tim snuggled closer to him, whispering his affirmative answer, but nothing more.
These quiet moments wrapped in each other's arms were what Tim loved most and he held on to each of these moments with all that he had within him. They kept things grounded – kept their relationship from ever coming close to becoming just about sex- though Tim wasn't exactly worried about that after Leroy had been patient and loving without anything overtly sexual from Tim until this past Friday night.
Leroy held Tim as tightly as he knew his lover enjoyed being held, as he basked in the younger man's absolute trust in him and love for him. He thoroughly enjoyed these quiet times of just holding each other; relished the times Tim would snuggle against him like this, completely at ease and obviously safe and content with him. This is what made this real for him; reaffirmed for him that Tim was beginning to feel completely secure in their relationship; his rare moments of admitted uncertainty becoming even fewer by the day.
He knew Tim had a lot on his mind, but he was confident that more of it was pleasant memories of their last few days together than anything worrisome and for that reason, Leroy left the peaceful, intimate silence in place, choosing instead to nuzzle Tim's ear and tenderly kiss it as he did nothing else to disturb this moment.
***NCIS***
By 6:30 the next morning, with Leroy doing the driving for the nearly twenty-five miles, the three of them were back at Austin's airport and boarding their plane for an hour-long flight bound for Houston. Taking their seats, they wasted no time in laying their heads back and using the time to rest.
Landing in Houston, they took their time walking to their next gate, with nearly an hour layover awaiting their next flight. Leisurely, they strolled, the quietness still wrapped around them, as if their heart-wrenching moments from yesterday morning were still on their shoulders. Even Jackson seemed content to let the mood remain undisturbed; merely casting his eyes on both of them periodically to make sure they were doing alright.
By nine in the morning, the three of them were ten minutes into their hour and eleven minute flight to New Orleans, Louisiana and the next stop in Tim's amazing vacation organized just for them. Almost as if in silent agreement, they each simply laid their heads back and dozed a little more for the short trip
When their plane landed in Louisiana at ten in the morning, the three of them were ready to go, now feeling rested. As soon as they collected their luggage, Tim led them to the nearest exit, his eyes searching for something. Lighting upon a commercial looking van with signs on it for a Bobby Lynn's Marina, Tim smiled and seemed to relax a little. "Here's our ride, guys."
"More fishing, Tim?" Jackson joked with a smirk.
"Yeah, but this time they'll be doing all the heavy work." Tim gave back as he exchanged a long, meaningful look with Leroy. Tearing his eyes away, he introduced himself to the driver before getting into the back. "We just first have to relax for the hour long drive to get there. Oh, and wait until tomorrow for the Charter to take us out before first light."
"Tomorrow, Tim?" Jackson asked, a bit surprised.
"I'm sorry. I know I should have planned it better , but…"
"Don't worry, about it, Tim, we'll get there and it'll be nice to have the day to relax." Leroy reassured him. "Fishing's better at first light, anyway, right, Dad?"
"Well, you got me there, Son." Jackson admitted. "Fishing is definitely better at first light."
"Thanks. Got the things we'll need already added from a local delivery service so we'll have plenty to cook with and groceries." Tim told them. "I had almost forgotten about that."
"Alright, gentlemen, And we're off!" Their perky driver shouted as he started the van and pulled away from the curb.
***NCIS***
"Wake up each morning to the sites of migrating birds & the serenity of water flowing along Bayou Lafourche as fishing boats ready to leave for a day of excitement.
Enjoy the view of spectacular sunrises as you wake to life on the Gulf of Mexico and the wonderful wetlands of South Louisiana. Savor the setting sun as it explodes into a kaleidoscope of a thousand shades of reds & oranges as it melts into the marsh grasses of the Barataria Estuary.
As it disappears, you recall special moments created that day while the anticipation of what lies ahead for tomorrow hardly lets you get to sleep.
Captain Bobby Lynn Gros invites you to come and experience the finest inshore and coastal fishing in South Louisiana. Bobby is a member of the Louisiana Charter Boat Association and holds a Masters Captain license. A past Admiral of the Golden Meadow International Tarpon Rodeo, Bobby's been fishing these waters his entire life.
Bobby also serves as an advisor to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries on the Saltwater Task Force. His knowledge of the coastal marsh area is something that enables him to target fish on a year round basis.
Bobby has been operating the Marina with his wife, Lynn, and son Jory since 1987. They started with a small convenience store & quickly realized the importance of catering to recreational fisherman and their needs for information, supplies and first class facilities to accommodate them. This desire led to the creation of 2 marinas in Leeville to serve both inshore & offshore fisherman.
The son of an extremely successful football coach, he's learned the importance of scouting and being prepared for the unexpected. If you love to fish, you know the importance of having a great game plan. Bobby is a member of Community Bible Church and was a drummer on the worship team for 10 years"
As the van driver turned tour guide finished his spiel about the day's planned activities, Tim had to laugh. When both Gibbs men looked at him in confusion, he laughed even harder. "He's memorized the brochure and the website!"'
Chuckling, Leroy and Jackson cast looks at the driver who was looking sheepish. "Yup, I guess I have. Makes for good business, though."
"I'll bet." Tim laughed.
"Wait, there's more!" The funny man encouraged.
"Let's hear it." Jackson voted.
"Nestled on the banks of Bayou Lafourche, just south of New Orleans, in the center of the famous Barataria National Estuary: the breeding grounds for most of the Gulf Of Mexico. Waters in this area are teeming with abundant inshore species such as Speckled Trout, Redfish, Flounder, Drum, Shrimp and so many more.
Our close proximity to the Gulf of Mexico can have you fishing offshore for Tuna, Snapper, Grouper, Amberjack and much more in only minutes. It's not uncommon to catch several different types of fish in the same day. We specialize in inshore fishing but can help you with booking an offshore trip also.
Our fish limits are very liberal. Each fisherman is allowed to catch 25 trout, 5 redfish and more of other species. We are not claiming to be able to do that on a consistent basis, but it does happen We fish in a variety of ways. Casting and retrieving artificial lures with or without a cork. We also fish with Carolina rigs & corks with live and fresh bait In the open bays, we will anchor on submerged reefs and old oil field platforms or troll around them till we find the fish."
"Sounds like a great fishing trip." Leroy offered his opinion, even as he smiled at the public relations rhetoric they were being given about the Charter Company.
"It's gonna have to be – to make up for the bunk beds we'll be sleeping in for the next two nights." Tim admitted sheepishly.
