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Title: Indulgence
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Jimmy Palmer/Tim McGee
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: PG-13
Table: writers_choice
Prompt: 474. Indulgence
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 smiled as Jimmy stood back, tilting his head to contemplate the crystal bowl that he'd just bought on their little shopping expedition. Tim hadn't expected to buy anything, but that bowl had caught Jimmy's eyes, and he'd insisted that they must have it.
He had to admit, it made a nice addition to the polished walnut table in their kitchen; filled with flowers or candies, it would be a lovely centerpiece. Jimmy definitely had an eye for things like this; he always seemed to know just what would look good in their home.
He always indulged Jimmy when it came to little flights of fancy like this one, acknowledging that between the two of them, Jimmy was the one who had the better taste in interior decorating. Tim never really noticed what was around him -- at least not until Jimmy had come into his life.
Ever since Jimmy had moved his things into Tim's apartment, he had begun to take more notice of what was around his home -- and he loved the cozy feeling of having someone else's belongings mixed in with his. It didn't annoy him at all, as he'd been afraid that it would.
Instead of feeling intrusive, having Jimmy's belongings there with his own felt comfortable. It seemed right for Jimmy's books to be beside his on the bookshelves, for his clothes to hang alongside Tim's in the closets, and for his presence to be everywhere in the apartment.
The place felt like home for the first time since Tim had moved there. He had no more long, lonely nights; the evenings where he'd done nothing more than sit at home and play video games, or watch movies by himself, were long gone. And he didn't miss them.
It was so much more fun to watch a movie with Jimmy there by his side, when they could comment on it to each other, and laugh if it was bad. When he'd spent most of his time away from work alone, his life had felt empty and sterile. Now, it was filled to the brim.
He'd never really indulged himself before Jimmy had come into his life, either. Oh, he'd bought video games, books, and movies -- he had plenty of those. He'd gone out once in a while, had a date here and there, but he had never really been living before Jimmy.
He loved how his boyfriend could brighten up a room simply by walking into it. He loved how Jimmy had a way of making him feel that he was the most charming, most attractive man in the world, just by taking his hand and smiling at him. He loved everything about his boyfriend.
Most of all, he loved how Jimmy had made his life into a wonderland, a place that he loved being in. Every day, he woke up with a smile on his face and joy in his heart, wondering what Jimmy would do or say today that would make him look at life with a different perspective.
What was it about Jimmy that could always make him smile, always make his heart skip a few beats and make him feel as though he was lifted all the way to the clouds? No one else had ever been able to make him feel that way before -- but then, no one else had ever cared to try.
Jimmy had been the one person in his life who had ever wanted to do things for him, little things that would make him happy. Everyone else he'd ever dated had seemed more concerned about what he could do for them. They had never indulged his needs.
Jimmy was so different from anyone he'd ever met. He was not only beautiful, but he was the most generous, loving man Tim had ever met. He still found it hard to believe that someone hadn't snapped Jimmy up before now -- well, someone other than the girl his boyfriend had once been engaged to.
His mind veered away from that thought as quickly as it could. He didn't want to think about Jimmy's past relationships; that would only make him feel inadequate, even though he knew very well that it should do no such thing. After all, he was the person who Jimmy had chosen to be with.
"What are you thinking about, Tim?" Jimmy's voice broke into his thoughts; belatedly, he realized that his boyfriend was staring at him, looking a little crestfallen. "If you don't like the bowl, I'll take it back. I thought it was really pretty, but I won't keep if you don't want to."
Tim quickly shook his head, hastening to let Jimmy know that he thought nothing of the sort. "No, no, I wasn't thinking about that at all," he said, his voice slightly breathless. "I was just thinking about how much you add to my life, Jimmy. That's all."
"That's all?" Jimmy raised an eyebrow in question, looking uncertain. "You just looked so serious -- I thought you might have a problem with me buying something new for the apartment. I don't want to step on your toes here. After all, It's still more your place than mine."
Tim shook his head again, his tone more firm when he spoke again. "No, Jimmy, this is our place," he said, his voice gaining strength. "I love that you're buying things to put in it. And I think that bowl is gorgeous. Once we fill it up with something, it'll look even better."
He took a deep breath, turning to his boyfriend and taking Jimmy's hands in his own. "I was thinking that you're the only person I've ever been with who indulged me in all the little things I care about -- so who am I to say that you can't shop for little personal touches to make our home more beautiful?"
Jimmy's worried look seemed to melt away; the flash of dimples when he smiled at Tim made the other man's heart feel as though it was melting in his chest. What was it about Jimmy's smile that could make him feel weak at the knees and short of breath?
All his boyfriend had to do was smile at him to make everything in his life seem perfect. As long as he could see Jimmy's smile each and every day, especially when he woke up in the morning and before he went to sleep at night, nothing else in life really mattered.
He had never indulged in those sorts of romantic thoughts with anyone else he'd ever dated -- but that was because he'd never felt this way about anyone before. Jimmy was the most special person he'd ever known, the only one who had ever made his heart turn over.
"I like indulging you," Jimmy said softly, drawing Tim's thoughts back to the present moment. "And I like that you indulge me in all the little things I like doing. Like letting me put a crystal bowl that I picked out on the kitchen table. Most people would say that I don't have a right to do that."
Tim shook his head, his voice firm and decisive when he spoke. "I'm not most people, and neither are you." He slid his arms around Jimmy, pulling his boyfriend close against his body. "We're special, and our relationship isn't like anyone else's. We're unique. We always have been."
"When I was young, I used to think that being unique wasn't something to be proud of," Jimmy told him, his voice very soft. "I always wanted to 'fit in.' But ever since I met you, I've been proud of being unique. I've come to appreciate standing out from the crowd a lot more, now that I have someone to do it with."
Tim couldn't help smiling at those words, even as a lump formed in his throat. "I felt the same way," he admitted, his own voice barely audible. "I always wanted to be a part of the crowd, and I never was. But now, I just want to be part of you. I don't care what anyone else thinks."
"The only thing that's really important to me is that you're happy," Jimmy murmured, a faint pink blush rising in his cheeks. "And that we're happy together. If that means indulging each other, then I think that's what we should do. A little indulgence can be a good thing."
"A very good thing," Tim agreed with a smile. "And besides, it makes me happy to indulge you. When you're happy, you smile a lot -- and there's nothing I love more than seeing you smile." Even as he said the words, he realized that they weren't quite true.
Yes, he loved seeing Jimmy smile -- but more than that, he loved seeing Jimmy happy. As long as his lover was happy, then he was, too. He'd never felt so much love for anyone, never felt that his own happiness could be ensured by the happiness of another person.
"I'll indulge you in anything you want," he whispered, brushing a gentle kiss across Jimmy's cheek. "Within reason, that is," he amended, laughing at his own words. 'If you suddenly wanted to go out and buy a brand-new Lamborghini, then I'd start to worry."
"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Jimmy said, laughing along with him. "I'm perfectly happy with what I've got. And the only thing I really want is you," he added, his voice growing soft and husky. "You're all I need to make me happier than I could have ever dreamed of being."
When their lips met, the only thing that Tim could think of was how much he loved kissing Jimmy, how much he loved having his boyfriend in his arms. If this was what came of indulging Jimmy when they went on a shopping trip, he told himself, they'd have to do it a lot more often.***