dedicated to jdgatorbait (NFA ) for the idea


November 19, 2010 – Exactly one month shy of their anniversary date

Stepping inside the front door, Tim's feet stop quick, as the very same mood setting that he'd come to use on Leroy here lately, reach his senses. How Leroy beat him home tonight, he has no idea, but he does know, - now - what it feels like to come home to quiet, soulful jazz playing throughout the bottom floor of the house he's already come to call home - and that's lit only by candles and filled with the aroma of a good home-cooked meal.

As he looks around him, his eyes stop while they take in something new that wasn't on that wall when they'd left out for work this morning. Stepping closer, his hands reach out to touch the new picture frame and the 8x10 photo in it that has to have come from his own photo album. It's one of the few in there that Tim remembers telling Leroy he actually treasures that has himself in it. Like a magnet his eyes are drawn to the next new one, diagonally one row down from this one – one of Leroy with Shannon and Kelly - and likewise on the next wall, one of each now mixed inp with the two Leroy's already had there. Still drawn, Tim wanders into the living room, seeing photos from his life now displayed alongside Leroy's photos and the new ones of his lover's first loves.

The whole room looks and feels different with more family breathed into it. Hearing Leroy moving around in the kitchen, Tim wanders in that direction, pausing dramatically when the photos lining the hallway walls going up the stairs call to him with their own new pieces of Leroy's life with Tim – alongside memories of his life with Shannon now displayed and no longer hiding in the older man's photo album or worse, old recipe box somewhere.

Suddenly, it hits him, that homey feeling that washes over you when you feel genuinely at home somewhere. It's as if he can breathe a bit easier now. Strange, he never felt smothered or constrained before, but this feels so much better, he can't explain it. Suddenly, two very warm, loving hands are on his shoulders and a warm, inviting voice is in his ear along with a whispered breath.

"You're home."

Turning in the older man's arms, Tim slides his own arms up around the man's neck and tugs him closer. "You're home before me."

"Shoulda done this a long time ago. Leroy offers with obvious regret in his tone as he gestures towards the photos on the wall.

To shut him up, Tim moves his hands down to the man's shoulders and turns him so that he's now plastered to the wall just below the picture of Leroy with Shannon that's just been added to the wall. Without a word, Tim plasters his mouth to Leroy's demanding to be let in possessing it, making love to it owning it for all that he's worth. It's soon a sensual, slower dance when Leroy lets his lover in and the younger man raises one hand up to lovingly pull the older man's head closer, holding him close.

Pulling back with the need for air, Tim's eyes are still locked on his lover. In between breaths, he attempts to talk. "What's here.…..beautiful…. stop… picking up…regrets…please?"

The man's tiny trademark nod is all the response Tim gets before Leroy reaches out and snags him by the shirt, tugging him back into his personal space. Without a word, the older man begins trailblazing a path of scorched kisses from just below Tim's ear on down to his neck where it meets his shoulder, gently nipping him there and then surprising Tim with a little suckling as if to ease the nip.

"MMMmmm." Tim murmurs appreciatively as his arms go back up around the man's neck and leans towards him with complete trust and longing for the safety, strength and security he knows he'll find there.

"Wanna show you somethin'." Leroy finally speaks as he slowly pulls himself back from the attention he's giving Tim.

"Ok." Tim answers just as quietly, appreciating and respecting the mood Leroy's set for them here and now.

Taking Tim's hand, Leroy leads him to what used to be the spare bedroom. and steps aside so Tim can see what he's done to the room. Tim feels his breath catch in his throat at the sight of his own writing desk sitting prominently in the room, complete with his typewriter and a desk lamp, as well as several floor lamps in the corners and a section of his book shelf, as evidenced by the actual wood that is the signature of that bookshelf, not just braced on the wall, but set in to it with obvious work having been done to make that happen.

It's obvious his lover's been very busy during Tim's nights out with his writing friends. And if that's not enough, the shelves of the bookcase are filled, with an assortment of Tim's books, vinyl records and even his record player and shredder. The work, the effort, the thought process that went into all this is boggling Tim's mind. Turning, he looks at his lover with what he hopes is the epitome of what he's feeling right now because the words escape him.

Leroy smiles softly at him. "I'm glad you like it. Sarah and Penny chose what to put on your bookcase. They took the rest of it to Penny's so it's closer to you if you want it than going back to your apartment for it."

"Leroy, I….." In luai of the words he can't find, Tim pulls his lover to him, hugging him fiercely, his voice choked on a sob. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, luv." Leroy kisses his temple. "Wish I could do more."

Tim shakes his head. "This is so much, I don't know how…."

"Tim."

The young man looks at his lover, his appreciation and love shining like water in his eyes.

"I enjoyed every minute I spent on it. And seeing your reaction, makes it even more worth the effort."

"You took time off work." Tim realizes. "I haven't been gone that many hours with my friends for you to have gotten this much done in that time. You had to have taken vacation time to get this done without me noticing."

"Boy, nuthin' gets by you, does it?" Leroy jokes as he pulls Tim in for another kiss. "Ready for dinner?"

"I know you've been cookin' but that's not really what I'm hungry for, Leroy." Tim complains in fun.

"Brat. Tell ya what, if you go get me my reading glasses off the kitchen table and turn off the stove and the oven, I'll see what I can do to feed you what you're hungry for." Leroy seductively offers, as he nibbles Tim's neck and swats him on the ass before stepping back to let him out of the room. "Bedroom, 2 minutes." He jokingly warns.

"Two minutes." Tim answers as he moves quick to do as he's been asked. It's fun when Leroy gets like this because the man has become a master at not ordering, merely phrasing his requests in a way that Tim can't help but want to do what's he's being told to do – usually with a healthy reward of some kind waiting for him at the end.

Heading downstairs now, Tim can't help but wonder what Leroy's got up his sleeve now. The newly remodeled office space is over the top as it is. Reaching the kitchen, he frowns as he notices the basement door wide open. Leroy's usually so careful to keep it shut so the dust won't come upstairs and trigger an asthma attack for Tim. Wait, how is that much light coming from down there? The basement's always dark and off limits to Tim unless he knows Leroy hasn't been doing any sanding in a week or more. Leroys never even let him do the laundry for fear of triggering Tim's asthma.

Walking over to the open door, Tim peers down into the basement and does a double take. There are windows on the far wall – that weren't there the last time he looked! And they open! Boy, Leroy's been a busy little bee lately! Talk about shaking up his own comfort zone! Is the older man really gonna be okay with all these changes he's making or is he just doing it to make Tim feel more at home?

"Don't even think it." Leroy's quiet and reassuring voice is in his ear before he's even aware the man has joined him in the doorway.

As the older man's arms come around him and hold him snug within their cocooned warmth, Tim leans back, letting his lover feel his trust and returned love and sense of security with him. "You're spoiling me."

"No, Tim. Just wakin' up to how much more room I really do have for you." Leroy says quietly, his heart in every word.

Tim straightens up and turns around. "This is your answer to Penny's doubts."

"Not anything I shouldn't have already done, Tim." The older man tries to get Tim to see reason. "Can't blame her for bein' right."

Sighing deeply, Tim continues to look at the older man, his eyes softening as the resurfacing anger slides away in the face of the real meaning he's looking at. "You're saying I should actually thank her for taking the blinders off both our eyes?"

Leroy looks at him without wavering. "Definitely."

*********NCIS*******

Letting out a deep sigh, Leroy glances down at Tim silently lying wrapped up in his arms in the aftermath of another passionate example they've just given each other of just how much they mean to each other. He wonders if the younger man's fallen completely asleep since he didn't complain or offer resistance when he'd jostled him a minute ago. The silver-haired man's thought a lot, about what Penny said just 18 days ago and about Tim's answers to some of those very same questions. In the days since, Leroy's come to realize that Penny is right in that he'd been wasting time waiting for something he already has. And from the moment he'd realized that; he'd also realized that was high time he makes sure the man he loves with all his heart knows it. As a result of that, he's been very busy working on something for Tim since then, several things, even - and tonight, he's giving every one of them to Tim before the night is over.

Smiling with appreciation at the memory of Tim's enthusiastic and most appreciative response to the first of several surprises he'd given him when he'd first come home tonight; he brushes his lips against his young man's temple, reveling in the late night silence they've yet to break since they'd both fallen to the bed in a boneless heap of repleted goo a long while ago.

"You're thinking too loud." Tim teases as he glances up at him, finally revealing that he's awake. Sometimes, he hibernates in plain sight like this, deliberately and silently leaving the peace and quiet open for his lover to enjoy for himself and do with it what he wants.. After all, the man had boatloads of it before Tim got here so it stands to reason that he'd like some of it back every once in a while.

Meeting his upturned face half way, Leroy kisses the younger man's nose. "I have something for you." He admits quietly.

"You've already given me your heart." Tim objects. "That's all I need, Leroy."

Swallowing hard around the lump in his throat, the older man pushes this conversation on. "Close your eyes." He requests so quietly, he's almost whispering. "And hold out your hand for me."

Smiling with complete trust, Tim does as he asks, his heart nearly vibrating with anticipation as it climbs up into his throat in nervousness.. As he feels the velvet box touch his hand, he can't keep his eyes shut any longer. Even as he struggles to hold back his smile, he quickly opens the box, to find the beautiful yet inconspicuously sized engagement ring just waiting for him to remove it from its soft resting place, his lover's quiet voice reaching out to him now.

"Timothy McGee You do have my heart, all of it, completely. Will you do me the honor of putting up with me, keeping me in line and keeping my heart safe for the rest of your life? Will you marry me?"

With tears in his eyes, Tim stares in awe at the beautiful ring sitting in the box before he swallows hard around the lump that's suddenly formed in his throat. It's Silver 5.0 mm ring trimmed in gold with the Forever Knot embossed over the words "Gra Go Deo", which, Tim knows is Gaelic for "Forever" On ths inside, Love You , Tim...Leroy is etched in tiny letters

Turning to the man he loves with all his heart, he reverently watches as the ring is lifted from the box and slid onto his finger. Feeling it fit, seeing the symbolism, knowing what went into this decision, gives Leroy his answer, everything he's feeling shining in his eyes, as he reaches out to lovingly card that salt and pepper hair, letting his long fingers reach that beautiful face.

"Yes, Leroy Jethro Gibbs, I will marry you."


A/N: Tim's engagement ring - www dot myirishjeweler dot com/product/embossed-gra-go-deo-ring-celtic-knot

A/N – for the sake of our story all things herein mentioned are legal in D.C.