Just a bit of fluff, because this conversation killed me. I own nothing or I wouldn't be writing fanfiction.
"Do you ever think about soulmates?"
"They were on DECA, late '80's, right? Sing a few bars, I'll get it."
"You'll never get it.'"
Tony stood still as she sauntered away, but as soon as she was out of sight, he slammed his hand against the machine.
"Dammit Dinozzo!" Why, why, why? Why, had he just shut down, made a joke about something she knew nothing about instead of a conversation that he had longed for years! What the HELL was wrong with him? He knew what she was talking about, and he had just, ignored her. The little voice in his brain said. Shut up. He hated that voice. It was probably from one too many head slaps. Yeah, but you ignored her, got defensive, just because somebody has daddy issues.
"Shut up."
"Uhhh, Tony? Are you okay?" Palmer had just wanted a candy bar, but when he saw the agents talking he had waited. Lest he get killed with a paperclip. Or a credit card.
Tony started. How much had the autopsy gremlin heard?
"Yep, right as rain!" his voice was unusually chipper as he walked away
"Oh, uh, okay." forgetting about the nutter butters he ran off in the other direction to tell Abby what he had just witnessed.
Back in the squadroom, hours later after the case had been wrapped up, the only agents left working off the pale glow of desk lamps and coffee (that tasted like dirt) were Tony and Ziva. A crash broke the silence,
"What the hell is wrong with this damn thing?" The Israeli yelled at her computer as she slammed her head on the desk, "I have written it 3 times and this insane box keeps deleting it!"
"Woah there, ninja, let's see what happened." Tony replied, automatically soothing her outburst and striding over to figure out the issue. Against his better judgment he puts his arms around her to access the keyboard. A few clicks through her tabs and he's located all 3 perfectly written reports.
"There you go." he says, heart racing as he steps away.
"Thank you Tony." She clicks a few more times, as he returns to his desk, and the familiar buzzing- humming of the printer fills the bullpen. Ziva proceeds to look at him very slightly, observing her Italian partner click off his monitor and toss on his coat.
"Tony, didn't you need to print your report?"
"I finished about an hour ago Zee-vah," she cocks her head questioningly, "I was waiting for you."
His words clearly startle her, as she whips her head around, curls swinging, to stare at him. Hastily, he explains.
"It gets lonely, and I knew you'd lose the draft."
Tony, stop, just stop. You're leading me on again, and I don't think I can take another crack.
Ziva nodded stiffly, and gathered her things. They stood in silence, tense but still with that familiar closeness they had from day one, the one that made people assume they were together, married, etc. The cheerful 'ping!' of the elevator brought them both from their thoughts. Involuntarily, Tony lets his partner go first, a simple gesture that might have brought a teasing comment from her but tonight, not tonight.
The floors 'ping', 'ping', 'ping' and then all of a sudden, she doesn't even know she's doing it, flipping the switch and stopping the 'ping'. Turning towards him she whispers,
"I'm tired of pretending." Those four words are everything right now, everything they can be and they both know it. She bashed down her walls, called off the guards, opened the gates and put her heart in his hands, and he knew it.
"Ziva. Dah-veed," he says, stretching out her name in the low voice reserved just for her, and he tells her what he meant to say just hours before, "I live and breath my soul mate, and she's agonizing. She flirts all the time, threatens to kill me every day, and I love her so much," his voice drops lower, "so much more than she could ever believe."
The words he's saying, finally, finally saying, hit her like a bomb blast. She barely has time to get out the words she's too has so longed to say,
"I love you, Tony."
Then her lips are on his and nothing else matters. Just them and kissing and Ziva, his ninja, his love, his soulmate. There's a battle of dominance, a fight they know neither of them can win, so later they'll fight together and beat anything and everything else just to be together, but right now it's Tony and his hair and how perfect it was and definitely isn't now that she's latched her hands into it. And kissing and breathing and Tony.
A gasp as they break apart, all words blown away, their own form of communication, a bond only soulmates have, eyes dancing and happy, no, joyous, with one thing.
I love you.
Yes, I stole from the next episode, and no, I do not possess shame. Hope you enjoyed, and if you want more Tiva, Review!