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Title: The Gift That Keeps on Giving
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Jimmy Palmer/Tim McGee
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: This is entirely a product of my own imagination, and I make no profit from it. I do not own the lovely Jimmy Palmer or Tim McGee, unfortunately, just borrowing them for a while. Please do not sue.***
Tim could swear that he felt his stomach do somersaults as he neared the door of Jimmy's apartment; he'd decided to meet his boyfriend here before they went out to dinner tonight, instead of Jimmy coming over to his place. At the moment, he was questioning that decision.
They always seemed to be more comfortable at his place, though he didn't know why. Maybe he should have asked Jimmy to come there; he wouldn't have been so nervous in his own home, surrounded by all that was familiar. He would have felt more grounded.
There was no reason why he shouldn't feel that way at Jimmy's place, too, a voice in the back of his mind argued. He'd been there often enough; they still slept there on occasion, though they'd agreed that it was more comfortable for them both if Jimmy spent the night at his apartment.
He wanted his boyfriend to move in with him, and he intended to ask Jimmy to do that tonight. Tim didn't know just how much time Jimmy still had left on his lease, but it would make more financial sense for them to both live in the same place.
Tim had no clue how Jimmy would react to the idea of them living together; he didn't think that his boyfriend had considered the option, because he hadn't said anything about it. Usually, when Jimmy had an idea, he would simply blurt it out, or at least discuss it.
That was one of the things that he loved about Jimmy, Tim thought with a smile as he made his way up the stairs to his boyfriend's third-floor apartment. He was always ready to talk about anything, to discuss his ideas and thoughts, and to compromise when it was needed.
But there was no compromise on this, Tim thought with a sigh. It was either move in together, or not. They could continue to live in their own separate apartments, and there would be no change in their relationship. But Tim couldn't help feeling that it was time for a step forward.
He wanted to move in with Jimmy. He wanted to know that when he went home every night, he would be going home to their place, somewhere that they both belonged, somewhere that they both called home. It would just feel more .... settled.
Was this the right time to bring such a subject up with Jimmy? Tim felt that it was, but there was a little voice in his head that told him he would be making a mistake to initiate this discussion on what was supposed to be a wonderfully romantic day for lovers everywhere.
They weren't even lovers yet, Tim thought ruefully. They were heading in that direction, and he had no doubts whatsoever that they would be soon. But at the moment, the furthest they'd gone with each other was a lot of kissing and touching.
Even with all of that, they still hadn't explored each other's bodies to the extent that Tim wanted to. He'd been hoping that this Valentine's Day together would give them a chance to do just that, to make some of the barriers between them come tumbling to the ground.
He wanted tonight to be special for the two of them, a night that they would remember for the rest of their lives. That was why they had made plans to order a pizza and stay at home, rather than going out. Jimmy had readily agreed that they should spend their evening in privacy.
As he raised a hand to knock on the door, it opened, making him gasp and his eyes widen. Jimmy stood there with a smile on his face; Tim could swear that he felt his heart melting at the sight. Somehow, Jimmy could always do that to him.
What was it about this man that he found so utterly irresistible? He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about Jimmy that drew Tim like a moth to a flame, something that he had to have in his life. Something that he wanted to have by his side forever.
"Hey," Jimmy said, his dimples deepening as he stood aside to let Tim enter the apartment. "I already ordered dinner, since you said you were good with Chinese for Valentine's Day. I hope that's okay with you and you didn't change your mind."
"No, Chinese is great." Tim waited until Jimmy had closed and locked the door behind him to pull his boyfriend into his arms, their lips meeting in a heated kiss that took Tim's breath away. He wanted that kiss to last forever, to keep Jimmy in his arms for as long as possible.
After all, this was Valentine's Day, even though they hadn't planned anything special for it. As far as Tim was concerned, he loved Jimmy every day of the year, not just on one special day. It didn't make sense to only show his boyfriend how much he was loved on one day.
But they couldn't stand here embracing forever; reluctantly, Tim released Jimmy, taking his boyfriend's hand and following him over to the couch. He settled back against the soft cushions, holding out his arms to Jimmy and letting his boyfriend lean back against him.
Was this the right time to bring up the subject of living together? Tim still felt unsure, but he knew that he had to broach the idea at some point. He didn't want to wait too long; Jimmy might feel annoyed that it had been on Tim's mind all night and he hadn't been told.
If he brought the subject up now, though, and it didn't go over well with Jimmy, their whole evening would be ruined, and he didn't want that. But maybe it was best to talk about it now, so he wouldn't feel so tense and nervous for the rest of the night.
"Tim, what is it?" Jimmy's voice broke into his thoughts; he looked up hastily to see that his boyfriend was watching him, his head tilted slightly to one side, a worried expression on his face. "You look like you're thinking about something that you need to get out."
Tim nodded, taking a deep breath. "I am," he said, the words coming out slowly when he spoke. "I've been thinking a lot about something, and I'm trying to figure out if it's the right time to talk to you about it, or if I should wait until later."
"You can always talk to me about anything. You know that," Jimmy said softly, reaching out to stroke gentle fingertips down Tim's cheek. "Whatever it is, Tim, it can't be that bad. And I don't want anything to bring you down on Valentine's Day."
How had he gotten so lucky as to have a man like this in his life? Jimmy wasn't thinking about whatever it was that he had to say; he was only thinking about how he might feel about saying it. Tim captured his boyfriend's fingers in his hand, bringing them to his lips.
"I ...." Tim couldn't speak for a moment; he had to swallow hard before he found his voice again. "Jimmy, I was thinking about us moving in together. We already spend so much time together, and we love each other. It's the next logical step."
That wasn't the way he had intended to put it, but the words were out now. Had he phrased the idea in the wrong way, or spoken about it too soon? He could almost feel his heart stop beating, his breath catching in his throat as he waited for Jimmy's reaction.
Whatever reaction he had expected, it wasn't the one he got. Jimmy's eyes widened, then his expression grew brighter, a delighted smile on his face. Tim couldn't doubt that he was happy about the suggestion, and that he agreed with it wholeheartedly.
"I've been thinking about that a lot lately, too," Jimmy told him, squeezing his hand. "And I think the same thing you do. We should move in together, Tim. It's silly to have two places that we're paying rent on when we're always at one or the other of them."
Tim could feel relief flood through him; Jimmy agreed with his idea. He thought it would be good for them to live together; there would be no need to try to convince him of that. Once again, they were on the same wavelength, as they so often seemed to be.
"Did you think I wouldn't agree with you?" Jimmy asked, his voice soft. "There's no way that I couldn't agree with that idea, Tim. I've wanted to be with you on a constant basis ever since we first got together. Before that, even. And now, I'll be able to do it."
"How soon do you want to think about doing this?" Tim asked, his heart fluttering in his chest. "I want you to move in with me as soon as possible. Not that I want to rush you, but .... I want you with me, Jimmy. I don't want to spend another night without you."
"You'll never have to," Jimmy promised, his gaze meeting and holding Tim's. "I'll spend every night with you until I can get all my stuff packed up. What won't fit, we can put in storage. I want this to happen fast, Tim. I want to be able to call your home mine, too."
"You've always been able to call my home yours," Tim whispered, taking Jimmy's face between his hands and gazing into those dark eyes. "Everything I am is yours, Jimmy. You're a part of me, a part I don't ever want to let go. Now and always."
"And you've always been able to call my heart your home," Jimmy told him, his voice barely a whisper. "I love you, Tim. And I can't wait to move in with you so we can be even closer. I feel like my whole life has been leading up to this."
"This is the perfect Valentine's Day present," Tim told him, his voice a little choked. He cleared his throat before he spoke again, his tone soft and husky. "Knowing that you want to spend forever with me is the best gift I could ever hope to get."
"And it's a gift that you'll have all year round," Jimmy answered with a laugh, snuggling into his arms. "The gift that keeps on giving." He leaned forward for a kiss, as though to seal the deal -- and as their lips met, Tim was convinced that this was a gift he would treasure for the rest of his life.***