Note From The Author-- Here is my first, somewhat drabbley attempt at an NCIS fic. I'm a Tony and Ziva fan all the way so of course it had to be them. This is my take on the moments so far, and what could be. I hope you enjoy. Let me know.
Disclaimer-- I don't own the characters of NCIS. If I did something would have actually happened between Tony and Ziva during Under Covers
Ziva and Tony's relationship was evolution in and of itself. Since the day they had met it had been constantly changing; driven on by experiences and moments. It was a never ending process, but there were times when each of them felt the shift as clearly as if they had been physically moved. When they first met he'd written her off; first as a sultry manipulator, then as a cold trained assassin. He'd discovered down the road that she was much more than that. She had seen him as an attractive, albeit goofy, player. Then she'd realized how much his heart hurt for the loss of Kate Todd and she came to see how truly good he was at his job. So from the very beginning, opinions and relations were changing.
The first moment that that hit them both came when they were undercover. Though neither would have admitted it, they were good together. They kissed for the first time and felt the sparks. Ziva could have sworn the click was audible, and she wanted him. Maybe because she sensed he wanted her to, she pulled back. She kept it to their usual sharp edged banter and did the job. But she knew it had changed in some small way; she knew that she felt the change. What she didn't realize was that he felt it too.
Things shifted again when he took over in Gibbs' absence. Though Tony annoyed her to death with his campfires, she gained a great deal of respect for him seeing how he led the team. She was still learning, and he gained respect for her every day as he saw how well she did the job.
It was ironic that what opened them both up to their feelings was Ziva falling in love with a dying man. Of course, it didn't happen right away, but the events of those few days set in motion more changes for them. It was what she felt then that would open her heart and help her realize later that she was falling for Tony. It would be Ziva's feelings and Tony's worries that would make him realize how much he cared about her. So again it changed.
There came the day when she thought he was dead. By then she had already realized she was in love with him; and standing in front of that bombed out car she felt her heart crack, even as she tried to keep it together. Then he'd walked in, and she'd felt an immense relief combating with anger at his somewhat flippant attitude. But she could see how hard it was for him to choose the team over Jeanne, and she felt for him. Throughout this ordeal Tony came to realize how much Ziva cared about him, and though he grieved for the loss of a woman he loved, he knew that she cared. And that mattered.
Then came the moment that would change it all. Up until that particular moment, the shifts had been private, internal. Up until that moment neither had realized that the other had felt the changes. Up until that moment they had thought they were alone. But once again things changed.
They had been undercover again; this time, absurdly, as a hooker and her pimp. Neither felt comfortable with the assignment, but it was a means to an end. They had their guy, and at three in the morning it was finally time to go home. Weary and exhausted, they entered the elevator. The doors closed and Tony, standing behind her, took a moment to take in her silent form, still sheathed in the micro mini and barely there top she'd been wearing on the job. Every inch of her body radiated fatigue, every muscle seemed tense.
He would never be sure what had compelled him, but he reached out, his hand finding the small of her back. "Ziva."
She turned slowly and his hand slid from her back to whisper across the skin of her stomach, left bare by her top. "Tony?"
He knew he should pull back, but he couldn't seem to make his body move. When he finally managed to move, he felt himself carried forward. Ziva stood breathless, unsure of his next move. Then he pulled her into his arms, he kissed her; and everything changed.