Umm... This is my first NCIS fic, so I'd like some feedback please!
Please enjoy fanfic responsibly.
-M
"Tony?"
"Yeah, David?" He said, deliberately mispronouncing her name, just because he could.
"You say it Dah-veed, DiNozzo," she said, glaring at him. They were working alone in the office, Gibbs lurking in the lab with Abby.
"Sure it is, Ziva," he laughed.
"I'm wanting to know about American customs again…views. I don't want to pry, but…"
"You didn't have a problem probing McGee about my private life. Wasn't only last week you were getting all the info on my girlfriends?"
"I don't," she said bluntly, "but this; I think it is better to ask you than McGee."
"Why not, Gibbs?" He asked, genuinely surprised at the look of acute embarrassment on her face. She sidestepped the question, "I just want to know what the main part of people think about…love."
"It's 'cos Gibbs intimidates you, right? Or have you just heard my reputation as the 'Love Machine?" He sat back in his chair, putting his feet up on his desk, one ankle over another.
"Tony." She said, warningly.
"Anyway, I think you mean 'majority', and what kind of love?" His curiosity was piqued, he couldn't help it.
"Not normal love."
Tony somehow found himself hoping she was talking about weirdoes and their pets, like the case a few weeks back, because he really didn't want to have this conversation go in the way he thought it was.
"Not normal?" His voice rose an octave unintentionally, but damn it, his throat was so dry. He coughed, "Not normal how?"
Ziva looked slightly awkward again, the first time he'd seen her lose her cool façade.
"Without babies."
Tony's mouth flapped open.
"How's that?" This was ridiculous. His voice hadn't been this out of control since he was fourteen.
"Like you." She said, almost perfectly innocent.
"You mean like wanting a girl, and being with her but without wanting a family? Because that's not uncommon."
Please God, I know we haven't spoken for a while, and I've done some stuff to make you mad, but please let her go for this.
"No," she said, embarrassed but smiling, "Like you."
Tony swallowed nervously, "You mean without a girl at all?"
She hesitated, "In a sense… I mean like you. You and Gibbs. I know you teased him about the 'feminine glow', but what do you think? Really?"
Tony jumped to his feet, sending his keyboard crashing to the floor as he jerked his legs back.
"What do you mean?"
She was surprised at his reaction, "Well you and Gibbs, outside of work, you are close, no? You are in work, very close. You care a lot for each other. More than McGee, even more than Abby."
"Well," Don't think about it, she's a crazy mind reading ninja, don't think about Jethro, think about Gibbs, the head slapping one, not the hand holding one, or the holding of other parts-No! Don't think about it!
"Ah, you see-"
He was saved by Abby bounding out of the elevator, followed by a slightly less sour than usual Gibbs.
"We got the guy!" Abby said, bouncing slightly, "That creep is going away for a long time. You see, the blood on the handle of the knife was his, as his hand slipped as he plunged the knife into-"
"Thank you, Abby," said Gibbs, giving her a fond look that said, Calm down sweetheart.
"You guys did good work; you can head home, all of you. Finish the paperwork tomorrow."
He nodded goodbyes as the rest of his team shut down their computers and left for the elevator. All except for Tony who sat staring blankly at his monitor.
"What's wrong DiNozzo?" He said, the friendly pat on the arm conveying his more than colleague concern with an extra squeeze imperceptible to anyone else.
Tony stood and looked around the office, making sure they were alone.
"Boss, I think Ziva knows."
"Knows what DiNozzo?" There was an edge to his voice, a very suspicious edge and maybe with a hint of anger.
Tony's head ducked down, staring at his feet.
"Tony?" Gentler this time, "It'll be OK. Ziva's not the type to kick up a fuss about something like this."
"What if she mentions it to her best friend, Madame Director, who definitely can do something about it?"
Gibbs put a hand on his shoulder, an uncharacteristic show of affection considering they were at work, and gently squeezed, reassuring.
"We'll be fine. We'll make this work, Tony."
Tony looked up and smiled. Looking into Gibbs' eyes, he couldn't help but believe him.
Well? Was it OK?
-M