Title: Because She Missed an Inch
Pairing: Tony/Ziva
Warning: Spoilers for 7x02. I however doubt there's anyone who hasn't seen it (or known it by heart for that matter), but it's my duty to say it.
Summary: "That you had my heart. That you have always had my heart." Alternate 7x02, Reunion, the bathroom scene. What should have been said.
A/N: We all know Ziva missed an inch or two back in the men's room when she kissed Tony. I decided to fix it.
"Which my father bought for two zuzim... Chad Gadya, Ch-ch-ch- How long have you been standing there?" He barely looks over the shoulder to spot the silhouette beside the door – yet he is aware who it is.
"Long enough to see that you are well hydrated after the time in the desert." He is still surprised to hear her voice. He is still surprised she is actually here.
"Yeah, and thought of surprising me?" He zips his fly quickly and walks towards the sink. She reacts immediately, in kind of dramatic way.
"I was not sure what to say..."
"But you were sure it had to be said in the men's room." She walks up to him and settles her back against the counter. She wishes he'd at least throw her a look; while he is staring stubbornly either at the mirror or into his own hands, she is observing him expectantly, almost desperately.
"I'm sure it had to be said." When she sees he does not react to that, in truth meaningless sentence – of that she is aware – she lowers her glance to the floor, but is still unable to restrain herself from not throwing a glare at him.
"When you shot Michael, I almost killed you where you stood."
"I wasn't standing." He splashes droplets of water toward her – because that is what he has been doing forever – doing the provocation.
"No, you weren't," she admits and closes her eyes, "You were lying on the ground, without adequate backup, completely violating protocol..." At the latter, she gives out a sort of a snort; it feels quite comfortable doing so, their old selves.
"Yeah, and double parked," he adds, just in case it actually mattered.
She, however, reacts as if it did and glares at him in disbelief. "Yes, I noticed!"
She takes a breath – because she is aware she is going to need it. Her gaze at him is now turned frightened – which might be an exaggeration – and Ziva works on steadying her rising and falling chest for a second. "But that does not matter," she shakes her head off almost unnoticeably, "Just like it does not matter how it worked out... for Michael."
Tony's hands are leant against the sink, and his eyes are fixed on it strictly. He does not know where to look or what to imagine when she is standing so close to him and telling him all these things he doesn't really want to hear right now. Therefore, he sighs and asks, now in a quiet whisper.
"So what does?"
She is incredible, he thinks. She puts her hand between his, but then her guard reminds her she might have taken it a little too far, and backs off for an inch or so.
"That you had my heart." Her words should be a surprise to him, but they aren't. Her words should terrify him, but they don't. Instead, he feels her soft breath melt against his ear and her gaze focused on his face as she whispers the words that are next to come, hesitantly. "That you have always had my heart." He hears as a light smile passes her face, but is gone before Tony is actually sure he heard it. "And that I was wrong..." His eyes are glassy, he knows that. It feels like a trance. "To question your feelings."
Her whisper fades away and he tests his courage and asks, "So why did you?"
She hesitates and observes him sharply. "I cared for my brother Ari," she utters smoothly, "I cared for Michael... I was not allowed to care for you." She shakes her head sadly. Her eyes are focused on him, he is aware, so he throws a small smile and rises to face her directly. Actually, he thinks the tears are going to spill from her reddish, expectant eyes – therefore he says in his usual smirking self;
"I thought you weren't sure what to feel." She lowers her gaze and is now addressing his high-fashioned jacket.
"Guess I had a long time to think about... things." Their eyes are locked with force now. In her eyes, he does see what he is feeling and he's positive there is only one suitable thing to be said, after all the confessions.
"I love you, Ziva." He does not hesitate – and neither does she, as she almost cuts him off.
"No..." she gets closer and comes almost frightened of any more waiting. "It is I... who love you."
She gives him a sincere, tiny smile and reaches up – at first, she thinks of planting a kiss on his cheek, but the wish is to persistent. She does therefore move and inch right and brushes his lips hesitantly.
He is hesitant, too – he wants to make it breathtaking, but what else could it possibly be like?
He gets his lips closer to hers, breathing in the Middle-Eastern smell of her smooth skin – he could count all the nearly invisible freckles on her nose (seriously – he never imagined Ziva had those) and rises his left hand to caress the lock of her hair behind her ear. Their lips are touching, but slowly, and carefully. She is the first one to lock the slightest gap between them and leans her upper lip firmly at his. Caresses his with her tongue, and he does just so. It is nice, more than nice for that matter, how their content sighs fill the empty bathroom.
They break away from each other. Ziva's brown orbs look deeply into Tony's emerald eyes.
Ziva smiles.
Tony does just so.
He is not even sure if she is truly there, is he imagining it?
Anyway, it would be a good thing to imagine.
And even better to experience.
A/N: Am I the only one who thinks "It is I who love you" sounds incorrect? It's got this... odd sound.
Anyway. How about leaving a review? :)