<span style="font-family: 'Book Antiqua'"><span class="fixed-color" style="color:#99ff99">"Sarah."  It was the familiar exasperated tone he always used when she was being the bratty younger sister-- and in a way, it was a way of showing that nothing between them had changed.  "I'll go home, and I'll get some sleep, and I'll eat something," he promised.  "I'll take a shower, I'll put on clean clothes--" and cry in the shower, but she didn't need to know that part-- "and I'll even spring for a real breakfast for you when I come back in, because hospital food sucks."  He sat up and made eye contact with her.  "I can promise you won't be my sole focus -- but don't expect me not to put some stuff on the back burner for awhile.  And before you give me crap over it -- I have backup.  Kate and Gibbs, Tony and Ziva, Abby and Ducky -- they'll be helping you at as much as I am.  Because you're family, Sarah-bean."  He kissed her forehead.  "This family is a little unconventional, but by God, we know how to keep each other from falling apart.  If we didn't fall apart over Kate's shooting, this sure as hell isn't going to be any worse.  I'll get you some real estate listings -- it might be Tony that helps you with that, he's got a knack.  Just don't tell him I told you."<br/>
<br/>
Tim smiled at her, a little crookedly.  "I haven't asked Abby out because of Rule 12 -- Never date a coworker.  You can ask Gibbs about it if you dare.  So no, you aren't my excuse.  I might not understand why all of the rules exist -- but following them has saved my life more than once, so I don't cherry pick from them."  He stood and leaned over the bed to give her a bear hug.  "You call me if you need me -- and if you don't want to call me, call Abby."  He found a notepad and jotted down Abby's cell number.  "She doesn't exactly keep normal hours, so you shouldn't worry about waking her if you need something, okay?  Promise me that if you need somebody, you'll call somebody."  Thinking of the rest of the support system in place, he added more names and numbers to the list.  "Kate can text, too, and she's really great to talk to.  Just... promise me that much, okay?"<br/>
<br/>
* ~ *<br/>
<br/>
Tony obeyed her order to eat the soup -- and didn't argue about it, either.  He was damned tired, and not just because of his illness.<br/>
<br/>
When he'd finished the soup, he leaned over to put the tray on his bedside table, and curled up.  It was kind of weird having her in his apartment... in his room... but a good weird.  He wasn't even paying attention to the movie she'd picked... he was too busy soaking up the novelty of having somebody nearby... taking care of him.<br/>
<br/>
He dozed off, and as soon as he was deeply asleep, his body gravitated towards her... not sexually, just seeking comfort.  Sound asleep, he nestled against her... and the dreams that had plagued his earlier nap didn't return.<br/>
<br/>
* ~ *<br/>
<br/>
Her physical desire for him was... delightfully unexpected.  (He'd been trying very hard not to put expectations on the physical side of their relationship.)  And her aggressiveness?  Pushing him onto the bed, climbing onto him?  God, it was glorious.  He kissed her, hard, before capturing her hands in his and guiding her to the hem of his shirt, leaning up just enough to allow it to be pulled up over his head -- polo and t-shirt both.<br/>
<br/>
The odd squirm he had to do to get those shirts off caused his cock - rapidly hardening - to rub against her thigh through his khakis.  That made him groan -- it had been a long damned time.  But he didn't try to move things any further, not yet.  He was too focused on kissing her, on feeling her hands on him.</span></span>