Don't Let it Break Your Heart
Summary: Ziva tells Tony about her engagement to Ray. She asks for one good reason to make her stay. Eventual Tiva. One-shot. Set after the Season 8 finale.
I do not own NCIS nor Coldplay, and to not receive anything for this piece. Thank you.
When you're tired of aiming your arrows,
Still you never hit the mark
Even in your rains and shadows
Still we're never gonna part
Come on over baby
Don't let it brake your heart
Coldplay: Don't Let it Break Your Heart~
It had been a rather slow day at the NCIS Head quarters. The thermometer nearly push 100, and all the world seemed to be in a rather lethargic mood. The sun pulsed brightly through the windows, glaring at the grumpy people. It was simply too hot to do anything productive. Not even cold-blooded killers seemed to want to murder anyone today. It was just one of those lovely summer days.
The air conditioner was turned to it's lowest possible notch, and jackets had been shed. The ice machine in the cooler had been drained several times, and the cold drinks machine had been emptied. A couple of men were resting atop the black metal table in the conference room, until Vance found them, as he was on his way to a meeting in said room with SecNav, and they had a very interesting "talk" about conducting themselves in a more adult-like manner. A junior agent had made a run to a local grocery shop and purchased a case of freezer pops. Everyone in the office took one gratefully, and the probie looked as though he had just saved the planet.
Tony had endlessly complained about the stupidity of the person whom had created the pointless non-opening windows. He had already used his last stick of deodorant, and had sweated through his third t-shirt of the day. He cleared out the top drawer of his desk and had filled it with ice. He rested his arms inside the chilly cooler when nobody appeared to be looking.
McGee had escaped down to Abby's lab, where others had found them laying in front of Abby's open science refrigerator, smiling in perfect happiness. Bert had been used as a pillow, and even Abby had lost her beloved lab-coat in surrender to the heat.
Ducky and Palmer seemed to be completely at ease, down in their cool crypt. After lunch, Ducky had been startled to find Tony lying face down on the chilly metal of the Autopsy Table, sighing in contentment to himself. All throughout this miserable day, people had popped in to bask in the coolness that was the morgue. People had even come up with excuses to come down to the condemned room. But after the Tony visit, a head-slap was delivered and no more visitors had appeared in Autopsy.
Ziva had stripped down to her creamy white tank top. A high pony-tail had been tied in her straight brown locks, erasing the heat from the nape of her neck. Thin beads of sweat had formed on her upper lip. She had begged DiNozzo for his gym shorts, making a remark about how "hot as heaven" this room was. He had handed them over correcting her fourth botched idiom of the week. She had slipped into the ladies' room, where she put on the shorts gratefully. She wiped off her wet face, and splashed cold water on it to cool down. She came out of the room feeling refreshed, despite having to roll up the large shorts a few times. Tony appeared to enjoy the view of the ninja in his stinky gym-shorts.
The afternoon changed the heat from pesky to nearly unbearable. Agents had disappeared underneath the darkness of their desks to escape the wrath of the cursed heat. Work was left undone.
As the sun began to sink behind the puffy white clouds, the silver haired fox uttered the much needed words:
"Go home. All of you." He sipped his seventh cup of coffee of the day, dismissing the team.
McGee was out the door so fast, you couldn't even see his shadow. Tony and Ziva, however took their time gathering their belongings, coincidentally leaving at the same time. Tony held the elevator door open for the Mossad Assassin and clicked the button for ground floor. They both sighed simultaneously at the coolness of the elevator.
The metal box began to move downwards as the pair remained in silence.
Ziva at last cleared her throat and asked, "Tony. Do you want to go get a drink? There are some things I want to discuss with you." She didn't meet his eyes, instead staring at a suddenly interesting panel on the ceiling.
He glanced at her across the elevator, quizzically. "Alright, sure. What are these dire topics you want to 'discuss'? He air-quoted the word. His face was full of question and curiosity.
She shot him a sly smile. "You will find out when we arrive there. The usual bar?" She asked, arching a perfect eyebrow.
Tony nodded, giving her back a perfect mega-watt smile. "Alright David. I don't know what's up, but I'm intrigued. Plus, I want my shorts back."
In response, Ziva swiftly removed the black shorts and shot them at the surprised Tony. He barely had time to register her light blue panties before he got a mouth full of smelly fabric. While he was dazed, she refastened her kaki cargo pants around her hips and stood straight up, as if nothing had happened. Tony tore the shorts off his face, and stared at Ziva. A look of disappointment flashed over his face as he realized she had re-dressed.
He chuckled, "There's my crazy Israeli chick with impulse issues." He winked at her seductively. She stiffened.
Luckily, the elevator doors slid open, and Ziva shot out with the grace of a feline. "We will drive separately, yes?" She stated, with out looking up. She fished her keys from her bag and clicked unlock. Her ruby red mini-cooper chirped in response.
"Sure. I didn't want to die before hearing this important 411 anyways." He said, grabbing the keys from his pocket.
They each went to the respected vehicles, and took off to their favourite cantina, each lost deep in their thoughts.
-Don't Let it Break Your Heart-
She opened the door to her small car and shut it quickly, locking it behind her. She slipped the keys into her pocket, and walked towards the door. She was glad to have the few minutes to clear her mind and focus at what she must talk to Tony about. The move in the elevator had been a flash of the old Ziva, a foolish and wild move. One that she shouldn't have made, for she hadn't wanted to give Tony the wrong idea about the night ahead. She was about to rock his world, and not in the way that he was wishing for.
She entered the dimly lit bar and sauntered over to the long mahogany counter. She asked for a pair of Samuel Adams and grabbed a few napkins. She told the bartender to begin a tab, fearing that they might need it later.
She selected a table in the corner, placing a bottle in a spot across from her. She took a large swig from her own, feeling electrified as the cool drink burned in a pleasant way on the way down. The coldness was delightful.
Her partner entered through the door, eyes scanning for her. When he turned in her direction, she raised a single slim hand. He caught her move, and hurried over. He slid into his spot and picked up the bottle. As he took a long pull, he never removed his eyes from her. By this point, he had drained most of the bottle.
He set it down. "Alright Zee-vah. Lay it on me." He said, joining his hands and resting them atop the table.
She sighed, unsure how to approach this. She pulled from her bag a small black box. She placed it on the table in front of him.
He gave her a shocked stare. He gingerly picked up the box, and opened it. "It's empty." He said, his voice part relieved, and part annoyed. She nodded back.
"Ray?" He asked, his face looking as though he had been slapped. His eyes were angry. He turned the box over in his hands. She nodded once again, taking a drink from her beer.
"How long?" He asked hoarsely.
"About three weeks." She said, refusing to meet his glare. Instead she drew Hebrew characters in the condensation of her bottle.
"Three damn weeks." He said. "And you are waiting just now to tell me?" He asked, his tone taking on an edge of fury.
She flushed a bit, her eyes remaining on the table. She kept her voice low and even, as if to to not draw attention to herself. "I am sorry, I wanted to tell you but…"
"But what?" He cut her off, slamming the box down on the table, receiving looks from tables behind them. "I'm your partner for Christ's sake. Aren't we supposed to tell one another everything?"
Her eyes flashed up. Her face was a mask of irritation. "Exactly how long did it take you to tell me about Jeanne?" She snapped, crossing her arms over her chest.
Now it was his turn to be hurt. "That was different…" He began, but she didn't let him finish.
"No it was not!" She nearly shouted, her voice rising. She slammed a fist down on the table, shaking her bottle and his. "I waited for weeks! Months even for you to tell me! I sat thinking that the plague returned, Tony! I was worried for you, for your life. Just to find out that it was some silly undercover assignment. So do not begin to lecture me about being unfair." Her words stung, but had hit their mark none the less.
He glared at her incredulously. She returned the stare. He drained the remainder of the beer, and motioned for the bartender to bring him to another. An uneasy silence settled over them. The barkeep came and went, and the silence still remained.
"I don't know what to say, Ziva." He said finally. He looked at his hands in his lap.
"It does not matter what you say, Tony. There is nothing you can do to change how I feel about Ray." She hissed. She ground her teeth and mentally kicked herself for ever deciding to tell Tony.
He looked up at her with saddened eyes. Her posture softened a bit.
"Alright Tony, have it your way. Tell me one good reason that I should end my engagement for a man I truly love." She asked, tapping her toe under the table.
He gazed at her. "Do you really love him, Zi? Do you want to spend the rest of forever with him?"
Her eyes widened. "Yes, Tony."
He changed his tactics, "Well consider this, Miss Got-it-all-Planned. What if there is someone out there that loves you more than he does? Someone who you don't have to wonder if they are going to take off all the sudden without an explanation. Someone who's always had your back, and always will." He said, eyes blazing.
"Tony..." She began.
"What I guess I'm getting at is, I don't want you to marry him, Zi. I want you to choose him over me, because I love you too. I want to be with you Zee-vah." He said, his charming green emeralds locked with hers. She couldn't tear herself away.
"Tony, I cannot just give up on Ray due to how you feel about me." Ziva said.
"At least think about it, alright?" He asked, throwing a twenty on the table. He got up out of the booth. "I want to know if you feel the same way too. Can you just give me that much?" He asked.
She gave him a pained smile. "Of course."
He hesitated before leaving. Making a quick decision, he closed the distance between them. He cupped her chin, and pulled her close, placing his lips gently on hers. She almost pulled away at forced, but was surprised at how much she actually enjoyed it. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and he placed his hands on her hips. The kiss lasted a few glorious seconds, but was broken shortly after.
She looked at him. "Tony...I" She started.
"I'm sorry Zi, I shouldn't have done that." He said, turning to leave.
"No Tony, what I was going to say was... I...love you too." She said, looking away.
His face cracked into a huge goofy grin. "Good, I'm glad."
-Don't Let it Break Your Heart-
Fluffy at the end, I know. Review anyways?