A/N: Well, here is a little bit of Tiva Valentine because I couldn't help myself! I'm not particularly fond of eating candy hearts (they're too chalky and leave a horrible aftertaste), but they do have their uses . . . . . Kit.
DISCLAIMER: I got a vase of roses for Valentines Day, not NCIS. But roses are so pretty so that's okay :^)
Instant Messaging
Ziva sits at her desk, fingers flying over the keyboard, scowl firmly in place as the computer stalls again. The palm of her hand connects with the side of the monitor, a resounding whack drowning out the undercurrent of Hebrew curses. Unfortunately, her percussive maintenance is unfruitful and she has to resort to shutting the system down, turning her efforts to tackling the pile of manila files crowding the left side of her workspace. . . .
And Tony watches her over his own paperwork, sees her eyebrows pucker in concentration, listens to her pen scratching out something in her report. He glances at McGee, the younger man deeply engrossed in his own file and completely oblivious to his teammates. He turns his attention back to his partner, counts to ten, gathers his courage, and . . . .
Ziva flinches as the projectile hits her cheek, landing on her paper with a little plink. Her chocolate eyes meet her partner's in a dark glare before sliding down to study the offending object.
It is a small candy heart, one she recognizes to be from those little boxes they were selling the drugstore. Conversation hearts, she recalls. She picks it up between two fingers, brings it closer to her face, studies it closely. Printed on the purple surface is HI.
Ziva looks up again at Tony, raising her eyebrows, appraising him briefly before returning to her work.
He launches another at her, this one green and bearing the sentiment of SMILE. Luckily it does not strike her, but lands innocently on her desk. He watches a small grin break out across her face, the ghost of a smile on her lips.
Another heart finds its way onto her desk top bearing the message of DINNER? Which is followed quickly by a yellow YES, a pink NO, and an orange SAY YES. She places the pink one on her tongue, ignoring the awful chalky taste, and lobs the yellow YES back across the bullpen.
It lands in his lap and he grins when he realizes which one it is.
YOU & ME. And she nods, biting her lower lip, trying not to laugh at the bizarreness of their conversation. She sees him flick an eighth at her and she catches the green candy in midair. The message of MISS YOU making her shake her head, smiling. She mouths "you too" back at him.
He winks and she returns to her work, her pen resuming its scratching, he resuming his inconspicuous observation of her until his phone vibrates with a text and he is dispatched to Abby's laboratory domain.
As he passes before her desk, murmuring "be right back," placing another instant message on her desk. And when she reads the little script printed on the tiny pink heart she smiles and places it in her pocket.
I LOVE YOU.