Author note
Whew, what a wild ride us Tony/Ziva shippers have gone through these past few weeks. It's made me all sappy and fluffy and so unlike myself.
With Palmers impending wedding and Tony and Ziva's simultaneous need for something more, this fic was born.
... Listening to Ingrid Michaelson's "I can't help falling in love with you' wouldn't hurt, either. :)
Looking back on her life, Ziva David didn't think she'd ever truly felt nervous. Growing up in Israel and joining MOSSAD at such a young age had taught her to swallow fear before it could jeopardize a mission and that, in turn, had reflected on all aspects of her life. So when she felt the unfamiliar fluttering in her belly and the insuppressible quivering of her body she almost gave in to the equally unfamiliar urge to run.
Reaching out with her left hand, she ran a dainty fingertip along the brass doorknob, hoping that would help ground her. When it didn't, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, pressing her palm flat against her belly, the satin beneath her fingertips cool to the touch. She internally chastised herself for feeling this way, it was ridiculous, this was supposed to be the happiest day of her life. It was what she'd been wanting for years; what she'd thought had slipped through her fingers the one previous. Now it was here and she was questioning everything that had brought her to this point.
"You ready, Ziver?" a low voice from behind her questioned, making her stiffen. She turned quickly, nearly tripping on the bottom of her dress in the process as she plastered a smile on her face.
She nodded curtly as the most stable patriarchal figure in her life handed her a white bouquet of dahlias and eucharis lilies tied off with a bow of peach colored satin. "I believe so, yes."
"It's okay to be scared," his cool blue eyes watched her earnestly as he tucked a loose brunette curl behind her ear.
She could do nothing more than nod again as he leant in and pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Leaning back, he cupped her face in his hand and gave a slight smile.
"Let's go," he murmured, feeling her skin flush beneath his fingertips. Pulling her veil over her face, he linked arms with her and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze with his as she took a deep shuddering breath.
They stepped out through the door and rounded the corner, seeing a crowd of happy, awestruck faces staring at her. Ziva lifted her gaze to the man standing at the end of the aisle, bracketed on either side by McGee and a very excitable Abby, who looked as though she could barely contain herself.
Meeting Tony's gaze, she let out the breath she'd been holding and felt a huge grin spread across her face, perfectly matching his. The fluttering in her belly morphed into a warm tingling sensation and she suddenly felt her leg twitch with the urgent need to be up there beside him, ready to face the world together. Any doubts she'd had moments prior were washed away by his smile, his eyes, and his love.
From beside her, Gibbs saw her face light up and he couldn't suppress his own soft smile at her happiness. He took a step forward and had to tighten his arm around hers to slow her down.
The slow walk up the aisle felt like years to Ziva as her eyes remained locked on the only person in the world who meant anything at that moment.
Upon reaching the altar, Gibbs turned her to face him and pressed a kiss to her forehead through her tulle veil. "Rule 12," he murmured quietly, so only she could hear him, "When it's meant to be, it's meant to be."
She looked up at him, her eyes gleaming and her lips quivering, "Thank you, Gibbs."
He gave her one final nod before letting her go and stepping off to the side, leaving her to hand her bouquet to Abby and step up beside the man she was getting ready to spend the rest of her life with.
The grin hadn't left his face since she'd stepped into the room, and it made her weak at the knees.
"Hey beautiful," he tilted his head and gave her that tight-lipped smile that killed her every time. "Are you ready for the adventure of a lifetime?"
Mirroring him, she tilted her head and looked up at him through her lashes, "You bet."
He chuckled softly and ran the fingertips of his left hand gently down her arm, "Nervous?"
She shook her head as his welcomed touch made goose bumps erupt across her skin. "No, excited," she grinned, her eyes gleaming happily in the sunlight streaming through the windows.
His fingers loosely entwined themselves with hers and he squeezed her hand reassuringly. Tugging gently on her ring finger, he reminded her of the promise and the weight of their love which would rest there for eternity.
Turning to face the minister, the smile never left either of their faces as they officially became a part of each other's lives forever.