Summary: Sometimes all it takes is a little guessing game to heat things up in the NCIS building.
Author's Note: This is something I've been working on since the episode 'Singled Out' aired. Tiva, and will be maybe a 4 chapter, 3 chapter story. We'll see how it goes. )
They had kept their feelings under control for almost a year. They had forced others to believe nothing was going on between them, and they had started to believe it themselves. Until the case with the missing lieutenant that week. They held their gazes longer, bickered more, and once or twice one of them would blush at the others comment. Gibbs was noticing too, and that wasn't good, because Leroy Jethro Gibbs had a desire to play matchmaker that week.
"Believe me-not from this angle." Tony said to himself, but just loud enough for Ziva's ears to pick it up. She knew he was staring at her butt, and she smiled. She got up and found him squinting at the screen. That was last week. This week she sat at her desk, again busied with paperwork, as was Tony.
"I think we should make this interesting." Tony declared.
Ziva sighed. This couldn't be good.
"Well how should we do that? You give me a detailed version of your sex life?" she snapped.
"No, I mean whoever finishes paperwork first gets to make the other do something." She raised her eyebrows a little. "Alright, you're on"
Two hours later, Ziva finished, surprisingly, at the same time as Tony. He smiled.
"So we both win"
"Yes I suppose we do." she said. "What do you want Tony? Me to listen with enthusiasm as you brood over this new mysterious girlfriend?"
He stood up.
"No. I want you to play a guessing game with me."
"Oh really?" Her eyebrows darted up. "Alright, let's get it over with"
"I'm in love!" he exclaimed. "And you have to guess who I'm in love with." She rolled her eyes.
"Clue number one: you know her. Number two: she has brown eyes. Three: she's a bit shorter than me. And four: she knows she loves me, but won't admit it to herself"
"Why?" the words were out of Ziva's mouth before she could stop them. He came up beside her and whispered in her ear, sending a heat flash through her whole body, "Because she's scared"
"Thank the table of elements for security cameras!"
Abby exclaimed as she and Gibbs stood in her lab, watching Tony and Ziva.
"She SO just totally blushed! Bossman, you GOTTA hook them up!"
Gibbs smiled. The two were so oblivious yet aware at the same time of the sparks that flew between them. The flames between those two were enough to set off the smoke detectors in the building. He knew Abby was right.
" I GOT IT!" she shouted. "Slash one of Ziva's tires and make Tony take her out to dinner, then back to his place, and-and- well, you know what happens after that!"
Gibbs laughed.
"Abs, calm down. I'll play your little "matchmaker game," but it better not interfere with work!"
"You two! Go home!" Gibbs barked.
Ziva wearily got up from her desk and picked up her things. She walked over to the elevator, Tony right behind her. The doors closed, and neither said anything for a minute.
"You still haven't guessed the mystery." he said quietly.
"I still haven't gotten you to do what I want." she responded. The elevator doors opened, and they walked out to the parking lot. As Ziva walked over to her car, she noticed one tire was lower than the others. As she bent over to look at it, she shot Tony a glare.
"Stop staring at my butt"
"I can't help it, I'm a guy, and you're……….well, erm"
"Ziva! Tony! Why aren't you two gone?" The familiar voice of Gibbs stopped Tony mid-sentence.
"Well, it seems my tire is deflated. So I have no mode of transportation to take me home." Ziva let out a frustrated groan. "And I really don't want to be here all night"
"Well then Tony, take her home!" he barked, and turned to walk back into the building.
"So I'll drive." Tony suggested. Ziva nodded, and got into Tony's car on the passenger side. She took out her cell phone and started to dial a number.
"Who are you calling?" Tony asked her.
"The Chinese place, I'm ordering carry-out so I can eat at home tonight." He took her cell phone out of her hands and closed it.
"Tony…." she said in a warning tone. He put a finger to her lips.
"Ziva look. I'll take you out for dinner. According to you, you've had Chinese take-out for the past week. You need to get out more." She gave him a glare and he took his finger off her lips.
"Fine. But can I please go home and change into something more suitable?" Tony's face had a look of confusion on it. "You know, so I won't look like crap for wherever we're going"
"You don't look like crap." Tony said. "You look fine."
And in his mind, he tried not to focus on her appearance too much, for it would give away his feelings. She was dressed in light blue striped button down shirt and black khakis, with her hair hanging beneath her shoulders.
"Tony, come on just-" He put his finger back to her lips.
"Alright, I'll let you go home and change." he said, starting the car and turning out of the NCIS parking lot. The two sat in silence for a while. Neither could think of what to say, or even comprehend what had just passed between them. Ziva couldn't quite understand the fact that she was going to dinner with Tony DiNozzo. He didn't want her discovering any secrets that she might have kept about him in her mind, and yet at the same she was trying to protect her feelings. Who knew what Tony would say? Tony, on the other hand, wasn't sure what had possessed him to ask her out. Well, not really ask, more like state the fact. He had kept his feelings in check for almost a year now until that moment.
"Well?" Ziva broke the silence.
"Well what?"
"Where are we going?"
"To an Italian place."
"Oh really?" she avoided eye contact, and so did he, for the fact that the two were struggling with something neither of them could understand. Tony pulled up to Ziva's apartment and let her get out of the car.
"Hey, try not to be too long okay?" He called after her, receiving a smirk from Ziva.
He sat in the silence of his own car, thinking. At least he was alone to process his thoughts. This past week had been torture. First Ziva being in danger, then Gibbs coming back, and finally himself denying that once in a lifetime job offer. He knew he couldn't leave. For one reason that stood out in his mind. He couldn't leave her. It was scary enough that he had to admit to himself he was in love with her, but to think of life without her smile, without her little English phrases that she got mixed up, without her laugh, would be impossible. Because he really, truly, loved her, not just the lust he had felt when they were undercover, when just having sex would satisfy him. The door opened and she got back in. His mouth dropped. She wore a dark green silk halter top and black dress pants. She had also put on a little mascara and had kept her hair hanging down, making her brown eyes stand out more.
"Wow. Um, you look……."he was suddenly lost for words. A worried look crossed her face.
"What? Did I up dress?" he laughed.
"I think you mean, 'overdress' but no, you didn't. You look fabulous."
She visibly relaxed, and he started the car again and drove towards the restaurant. Again, a nervous silence passed through the two of them, neither not knowing what to say. Ziva was the first to speak. "Are you okay?"
"What do you mean?" He asked in confusion.
"Are you okay? You know, Gibbs being back." She played with her Star of David necklace, something she always did when she was nervous.
"I guess. It was just kind of….sudden." This surprised Tony. Since when had he talked about something like this with Ziva, of all people?
"I know it was sudden. But you seem, oh, what's the word, like you don't belong here. And you do." She reassured him.
"Thanks. Why…." He struggled for words.
"Why what?"
"Why do you care so much?"
"Tony! I'm your partner! I'm supposed to care! I'm not just, cold and heartless, though I'm sure that's what everyone thinks." She tried not to sound too angry, but Tony could see it in her eyes that she was hurt by his comment.
"Look. No one thinks of you that way. We all love you. It's just, the reason I said what I said was just because no one ever seems to care if I'm okay or not."
Her face softened when he said 'love' but she quickly regained her expression.
"But I do care whether you're okay or not." She said softly.
Tony pulled up to the parking lot of the restaurant.
"Then I thank you, Miss Ziva David, for telling me that. Now let's have dinner, shall we?"
So what did you think? A review would be very much appreciated if you don't mind. More to come in the next chapter, when things really heat up! What will occur during their 'dinner'?