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Title: This Time
By: angstytimelord
Pairing: Jimmy Palmer/Tim McGee
Fandom: NCIS
Rating: PG-13
Table: 5, 12_stories
Prompt: 5, Home
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.***
"Hey, Tim." The voice was quiet in his ear, but it made Tim McGee's head jerk up from the newspaper he'd only been pretending to read. His eyes widened, a smile starting to form on his lips as he saw who had greeted him. Someone he hadn't expected to see.
"Hey, Jimmy. I didn't know you hung out here." Tim swept a hand in front of him to indicate the park; it was quiet for a Saturday, quieter than usual. There must have been something going on that had taken kids' -- and parents' -- attention away from the place for the afternoon.
"Yeah, I don't live too far from here," Jimmy told him as he sat down on the bench beside Tim. "I come here a lot when I need to think -- or when I just want to get out for a while." Tim could feel an electric shock go through him at the other man's softly voiced words.
If he'd known that Jimmy spent time here, then he would have started coming here much more often. He was only here today because he'd gotten tired of sitting in front of his computer, looking at nothing more than four walls and a game on a screen.
It was time he started getting out into the real world more, spending more time around other people and not just keeping himself to himself. How long had Tony been telling him that? It felt like forever -- but maybe he was right, and getting out more was a good idea.
That was definitely a good idea if it meant that he'd run into Jimmy. He had never really thought that he was interested in men until he'd met Ducky's assistant, but there was something about Jimmy Palmer that drew him like the proverbial moth to a flame.
There was something about Jimmy that was .... well, irresistible. He'd never been attracted to Tony in the slightest, nor to Gibbs. He'd always had a latent interest in men, but he'd never met a guy who had made him tingle with excitement. Not until he'd met Jimmy Palmer.
With any other man, it would have felt strange to sit here with these thoughts going through his mind. But with Jimmy, it somehow seemed .... natural. Though it would feel much more so if he had any kind of assurance that Jimmy was interested in him, too.
There was a soft, woodsy, almost mossy scent permeating the air around them -- the soft cologne that Jimmy always wore. It wasn't always apparent when they were working, but today, out here in the warm air, it seemed to wrap around Tim like a warm, comforting blanket.
"I live pretty close to this place," Jimmy remarked, his eyes somewhere on the horizon, not looking over at the man sitting next to him. "Just a couple of blocks, actually. It's nice to be so close -- it gives me a place to go to hang out when I can't stay inside another minute."
"You do?" Tim seized on Jimmy's first words, turning to look at the other man. "I live close to here, too." He raised a hand to point towards his apartment building -- literally right across the street from the park. "So close that I can see the place from my bedroom window."
Was it his imagination, or had Jimmy's eyes widened slightly when he'd mentioned his bedroom. "You're lucky," he murmured, his gaze meeting Tim's. "I'd like to live right across from here. It'd be two blocks less to walk whenever I need a place to go."
He wanted to tell Jimmy that he was welcome to spend as much time in his home, right across from the park, as he wanted to -- but somehow, it seemed too intrusive, too sudden. He didn't want to chase the other man away, not when they were so close.
"You know, you can come over any time you happen to be in the park and you want some company," he finally managed to say, feeling as though his heart was in his throat. What if Jimmy wasn't interested, and took his offer in the wrong way? What if he got angry and stalked off?
But Jimmy wasn't leaving; he was leaning back against the park bench and smiling. He looked relaxed and happy, and not in the slightest worried that Tim might say or do something that would annoy him. Tim had never seen him like this when they were working.
"I didn't know you lived so close to me," the other man was saying, the words drawing Tim back into the real world and out of his thoughts. "If I had, then I'd have come over a long time before now. If you wanted me to, that is," he added hastily, his gaze sliding away from Tim's.
"I'd love for you to see my home," Tim said softly, wondering if he should take things a step further and give Jimmy some kind of hint as to how he felt. "You can come over any time, and spend as much time there as you want. I'd like to have your company."
"I'd like that," Jimmy told him, his voice as soft as Tim's had been. Was it his imagination, or was there an undertone of huskiness in that voice? Tim had always found Jimmy's voice sexy, but now, there was an intonation in the words that made his toes curl.
No, he wasn't going to make a move. Not here, not yet, not in public. But once Jimmy came over to his place and they'd spent some time talking, then he would be able to say what he felt. That was, if he didn't lose his nerve before he got the words out.
He was way too good at that, Tim told himself wryly. He'd missed out on too many opportunities in the past because he'd held back, telling himself that it wasn't the right time or place. This time, he wasn't going to miss out. This time, he wouldn't have any second thoughts.
"Jimmy, would you --" He broke off, swallowing hard, unsure of what he should say. Would it seem too forward to invite Jimmy over to his place for dinner? After all, the man was engaged. He might not even be thinking of anything but a casual friendship.
Jimmy was looking at him expectantly, brows raised, that slight smile still curving his lips. Tim had to force himself not to lean forward and brush his mouth against the other man's; he'd never wanted to kiss anyone as badly as he wanted to kiss Jimmy Palmer at this moment.
"Would I what?" Jimmy's voice was still soft and husky, but this time, there was a slight sharpness to the words. He was obviously expecting Tim to continue what he'd been saying; there was no way to back out of getting the question out now.
"Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" Tim asked, hoping desperately that Jimmy would say yes. He knew that his question sounded as though he was asking the other man out on a date -- and truth be told, he was. He just didn't want to say it so baldly.
For a moment, he expected to see anger on Jimmy's face, for the other man to get up and walk away, after throwing a stream of invective at him that would tell him in no uncertain terms just what Jimmy thought of that offer. Tim held his breath, waiting.
"I'd love to," Jimmy said, his voice very soft. "I-I got dumped by the girl I was engaged to, you know. Ever since that happened, I've been .... well, kind of lonely. But it was better for her to know the truth about me than to marry me and then find out later."
"The truth a-about you?" Tim faltered, not sure what Jimmy was trying to tell him. He could feel his heart beating faster than usual; waiting for Jimmy's next words just might give him a heart attack if he didn't do something to calm himself down.
"That I like guys." Jimmy was looking down now, his hands clasped in his lap. "I never told her when we started dating that I .... tend to like men a lot more than women, in the romantic sense." Jimmy raised his head, looking Tim directly in the eye. "More specifically, that I like you."
"I-I like you, too," Tim managed to stammer, wanting with all of his heart to lean forward and kiss Jimmy, but knowing that it wouldn't be a good idea to do that in so public a place. He would have to wait until tonight, when they were safely behind the closed doors of his apartment.
"What time do you want me to come over?" Jimmy asked, his gaze still holding Tim's. "And you might want to tell me the apartment number, so I don't show up at the wrong door with a bottle of wine." His soft laughter rang out, making Tim smile as well.
This time, things were going to go his way. This time, he wasn't going to spend the evening wondering if he was doing the right thing by being with this person, and expecting to have something come out of the night. This time, he was with the right person.
Tonight, Jimmy would be in his home. They would have dinner, talk, and get to know each other better. And if he was lucky, he would get a goodnight kiss before Jimmy left. He wanted more than a single kiss, but it was far too soon to let his expectations soar.
"How about around six?" he said, managing to keep his voice level. "And you don't have to bring a bottle of wine," he added, hoping that Jimmy didn't think he was expecting too much. "Just bring yourself. I'll be more than happy with that."
"Okay," Jimmy told him, standing up and looking awkward, as though he wondered if he should hold out his hand. "I'll see you tonight, then?" he asked, taking a reluctant step away from the bench. "Around six. I'm looking forward to it."
"So am I," Tim said softly, hoping that Jimmy could hear the sincerity in his voice. Not only was he looking forward to tonight, he was already impatient for six o'clock to be here. And he still couldn't get the thought of kissing Jimmy out of his mind.
He watched the other man walk away, almost wanting to get up and go after him. No, he would have to wait until tonight, when Jimmy was in his home. He only hoped that things would go the way he wanted them to -- and that Jimmy's desires were taking the same path as his own.***