Title: New Normal
Fandom: NCIS
Author: alidiabin
Genre: het pre-relationship
Words: 337
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Warnings/Spoilers/Rating: nightmares | 9x24 | PG
Summary: After the explosion at the Navy Yard, Tony and Ziva work on a new normal. Happy birthday whiteink.
New Normal
It was the pain that woke him up. Pounding, thumping, and nausea-inducing pain. He also registered a weight on his chest. His plague-scarred lungs desperately tried to force oxygen inside. The smell of burning attacked his nose. He finally opened his eyes. It was dark. He tried to move but the weight stopped him. He reached his arms up to move to weight. It was human. Cold human. He got his fingers caught in hair. It was then he realized it was Ziva.
The scream that came from his mouth was not a manly one, and a warm hand running over his back met it. He woke up to find himself in his apartment. The green lights on clock declared the time to be 0234; the moonlight peaked through the half-open curtain. He turned around to see who his comforter was, careful not to hurt his already sprained wrist.
"It was just a dream," Ziva soothed as he turned to face her. Her hair was covering her face, hiding the stitches on her head. Her eyes were half closed.
The past few days came rushing back to him. He remembered the explosion. He remembered seeing McGee being taken away on a stretcher. He remembered Abby's sobs as the Doctor said that McGee might not wake up. He remembered Ziva's coming home with him, because she needed someone to stay with her because of her concussion. He remembered that four days later she still had not left. Every night when Gibbs let them leave their temporary office, she would follow him to his car, and get in the passenger seat.
It was there new normal, new reality. Neither of them could handle being alone. They needed each other.
"Just a dream," Ziva repeated softly, as she noticed he had not yet gone back to sleep. She told herself that it would all be okay. It had to be. She just had to be the strong one. She wrapped her hand in his and he fell back to sleep.