A/N: Hi all! This is just a small one shot inspired by an image I came across on Tumblr. (You can see the image here: destructive-beauty tumblr .com/post/15699452740 , take out the spaces, this site won't let me post it without spacing) It takes place just after Jimmy's wedding ends. Hope you enjoy! :) For those who've read Question and Answer, I'm working on a followup, a few little plot bunnies like this one are just running around my head as well. :D
Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to NCIS or characters mentioned in this story. Sadly, Tony and Ziva are not mine, I just borrow them temporarily.
Dim streaks of dawn were already beginning to brighten the sky as they made their way out of the reception hall and into the cool May morning air. Palmer's wedding had lasted much longer than any of them expected, with the happy couple only leaving an hour earlier to catch their flight to St. Kitts. Dancing had been the order of the night, and Ziva's feet were starting to ache from one too many conga lines that a drunk McGee had drug her into. As they began to walk toward the street, Ziva moaned slightly in pain, her feet protesting moving any further in her heels.
"My feet are murdering me," she leaned into Tony's shoulder, smiling slightly at their linked hands.
Tony chuckled lightly, "Killing, your feet are killing you." He ran his thumb across hers, sending a small shiver through her.
She rolled her eyes at his correction. "Same difference," she replied, hissing as she took another painful step. "Either way I do not think heels are meant to be worn this long."
"Yeah who knew the autopsy gremlin could throw a party?" Tony pulled her toward the concrete stepping that surrounded the hall and stopped.
She grinned at him, "Or that McGee had such a fondness for doing the Conga." A brisk breeze ran across her bare arms, causing her to shiver slightly.
Tony gave a hearty laugh, shrugging out of his suit jacket. He wrapped the charcoal gray material around her shoulders, and she smiled at the affectionate gesture.
"But overall, I'd say it was a pretty good night right?" he asked softly, raising a hand to brush a stray hair behind her ear.
Leaning her cheek into his hand, she gazed up at him. The evening had been, well, wonderful. Tony had barely left her side, pulling her onto the dance floor, laughing with her at the drunken party guests, stealing light kisses. She held his gaze, watching the uncertainty flitting across his features. Their relationship was still new, fragile, and neither one of them was secure in this transition in their lives yet.
She tilted her face upward and brush her lips across his. "Yes," she murmured reassuringly against his lips, "it was a great evening." She draped her arms loosely around his neck.
Grinning, he allowed his forehead to fall against hers, his green eyes flickering with something that made her stomach flutter.
She definitely was not used to him looking at her like that yet either.
His hands moved up to circle her waist, his fingers brushing along the exposed skin at the back of her dress, causing her to give a shudder that had absolutely nothing to do with the chilly morning air.
Lips touched hers again, and she hummed as his mouth explored hers. His hands skimmed up her sides to cup her face as he deepened the kiss, and she couldn't bite back the moaned that escaped her lips. God, she had been waiting for him to kiss her like this all evening. The little kisses and teasing touches throughout the night had not been nearly as satisfying. She fisted her hands in his dress shirt and pulled him closer, enjoying the small groan she drew from him as his body fell flush against hers.
Air became a necessity and they broke the kiss on a gasp; he rested his lips against her neck, pressing a soft kiss against the skin there, as he backed her against the step and pulled back to meet her gaze. She gulped at the emerald intensity of his stare.
He took a deep breath, and she gave into the urge to pull his lips back down to meet hers, tracing her tongue along his lips, heat flooding through her as his tongue mingled easily with hers.
Loud laughter caused them to break apart as a young couple from the bride's side drunkenly staggered down the stairs and past them toward a lone taxi on the street. A small giggle escaped her lips, and she buried her face into his chest. He rested his hands on her hips and gave a small chuckle against her hair.
"So," he said, his voice soft, "how about you sit there, rest your feet, and I'll go get us a taxi?"
She pulled back to meet his stare and sent him an appreciative smile. "My feet would be grateful," she quipped, and he grinned, sweeping his lips over hers once more before moving to stand by the edge of the street.
Sitting on the cold concrete, she watched him, arm raised at the early morning traffic, his hair askew on one side from her exuberant hands. She smiled and pulled his jacket closer, his scent filling her nostrils, causing the pang of desire in her to intensify.
Dammit, she needed him to do more than just kiss her. Granted, Tony had an exceptionally talented mouth, and kissing him was immensely enjoyable; however, lately, kissing had often left her wanting to push things toward even more...gratifying pursuits. Yet, neither one of them seemed to be willing to take the first step. When they had started this relationship, even a month later the word still seemed surreal to her mind, they had promised each other that they would take it slow. They both knew without saying that this was different, and now it seemed they were both so terrified of their relationship's fragile infancy that they refused to take that final step in their intimacy, frightened that they might irrevocably break it. So here they were, frozen, yet smoldering into flames underneath.
Following his movements with her eyes, she watched as a taxi pulled up along side the handsome man who had finally worked up enough courage to ask her to dinner and drinks last month, effectively changing their partnership forever. Drawing a deep breath, she stood up, smoothing down the black satin of her dress nervously. Wincing slightly at the protest of her blistered feet, she determinedly crossed the remaining sidewalk to him.
Maybe it was time she initiated a change in their relationship as well.
He opened the yellow cab door, and turned around, his eyes sparkling with amusement to find her already right beside him.
"So my ninja are we still on for brunch tomorrow? Same place? I can swing by whenever you're up...," he trailed off, tugging the lapels of his jacket to bring her closer into his arms.
She lazily wrapped an arm around his neck, her fingers toying idly with the hair at his nape, "Hmmm," she pondered, a small smirk forming at the edges of her lips, "I think not," his face fell slightly, confusion clouding his green eyes. She flicked her gaze across his face suggestively before continuing, "My plans for brunch with you are leaning more toward the stay at home...in bed...variety." She raised her eyebrow, watching as his eyes darkened at her words.
"Ziva," he started, his voice low, and still laced with uncertainty, "are you sure? I mean...I..."
Grabbing his tie, she pulled his face down to hers, answering his question with a greedy kiss. She pulled back after a moment, her pulse jumping erratically.
"Tony..." she drawled.
"Yes?" he rasped back, his gaze still fixed on her lips. His hand ran along her bare back again, causing her to utter a small gasp.
"Get in the car."
Her words brought his eyes back up to meet hers, and the gaze he fixed her with shot liquid desire through her veins, causing her head to spin slightly.
Yeah, she definitely was not used to him looking at her like that-he leaned forward to capture her lips again as they stumbled backward toward the open taxi door-but she had a feeling she was going to enjoy becoming acquainted with it.