Fic: Loophole
It lifted Tim's heart to see Tony out of hospital and functioning again. It was far from over, though, and it did nothing to ease the pain of not having him at NCIS. His heart longed over that empty seat, breaking his heart all over again.
On another level, it was just like the space left by Kate. Only this time, it was sickness and not death that split the team.
"You know, there is an upside to this whole situation," Tony told him in his apartment one night. Tony had recently turned to visiting Tim there every night after his temporary boot out.
"Oh yeah, and what's that?" said Tim.
"Gibbs' rule number 12: Never date a co-worker," said Tony. There was no need to explain any further.
"But... we will be co-workers again, you know. This is just for the next few months while you go through the program."
"But we're not now," smiled Tony cheekily. "Technically, it's a loophole."
Tim blinked. "A loophole? But -- won't boss -- he won't be happy about this..."
"Screw him. There's no rule against this. We could go out tonight. It's getting boring staying in every night anyway."
"Gibbs wrote those rules for a reason," said Tim. "If it was a good idea, then he wouldn't of written that rule. Things are gonna get weird if..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, join the choir, McWorryWart."
"Are you really sure you wanna do this?" asked Tim, cocking his eyebrows at Tony, head lilted to the side.
Tony's grin spread from ear to ear. "What do you think, Probie?"
Tim's expression caved. "Alright. One date."
Tony practically jumped on the spot. "Alright, you're not gonna regret this. I'm gonna woo you!"
Tim gave him a cringe. "Why don't you leave the wooing to me?" he suggested to Tony, who swooned. "You should probably relax. I could use this as an excuse to show you how I really feel."
Through that Joker grin, he managed to open his mouth in glee. "How you gonna woo me, Timmy? You gonna romance me?"
"You'll see."
--
Of course it hadn't ended at one. At first, Tim kept dating Tony because it was helping him. But then he began to enjoying. He was falling even more in love with Tony.
Damn.
The end of those months whipped around a lot faster than Tim expected. And suddenly, there Tony was, in his empty seat, a presence filling once again into Tim's heart. They exchanged glances, and Tim knew immediately from the fall on Tony's face that they were in trouble.
It was weird.
On another level, it was just like the space left by Kate. Only this time, it was sickness and not death that split the team.
"You know, there is an upside to this whole situation," Tony told him in his apartment one night. Tony had recently turned to visiting Tim there every night after his temporary boot out.
"Oh yeah, and what's that?" said Tim.
"Gibbs' rule number 12: Never date a co-worker," said Tony. There was no need to explain any further.
"But... we will be co-workers again, you know. This is just for the next few months while you go through the program."
"But we're not now," smiled Tony cheekily. "Technically, it's a loophole."
Tim blinked. "A loophole? But -- won't boss -- he won't be happy about this..."
"Screw him. There's no rule against this. We could go out tonight. It's getting boring staying in every night anyway."
"Gibbs wrote those rules for a reason," said Tim. "If it was a good idea, then he wouldn't of written that rule. Things are gonna get weird if..."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, join the choir, McWorryWart."
"Are you really sure you wanna do this?" asked Tim, cocking his eyebrows at Tony, head lilted to the side.
Tony's grin spread from ear to ear. "What do you think, Probie?"
Tim's expression caved. "Alright. One date."
Tony practically jumped on the spot. "Alright, you're not gonna regret this. I'm gonna woo you!"
Tim gave him a cringe. "Why don't you leave the wooing to me?" he suggested to Tony, who swooned. "You should probably relax. I could use this as an excuse to show you how I really feel."
Through that Joker grin, he managed to open his mouth in glee. "How you gonna woo me, Timmy? You gonna romance me?"
"You'll see."
--
Of course it hadn't ended at one. At first, Tim kept dating Tony because it was helping him. But then he began to enjoying. He was falling even more in love with Tony.
Damn.
The end of those months whipped around a lot faster than Tim expected. And suddenly, there Tony was, in his empty seat, a presence filling once again into Tim's heart. They exchanged glances, and Tim knew immediately from the fall on Tony's face that they were in trouble.
It was weird.