Greetings all. TheCumStain seems to be back in business. Exams are over and the iPod is broke, so I am all yours for the next few days at least, until I am given even more homework and a brand new iPod (fingers crossed for the second one, not the first). Anyhooser, before I get too off topic I'd like to ask you guys something(s).

For other writers: Do you ever get fed up writing loads of chapters and/or have difficulty making them long enough?

For anyone: Do you have any Tiva ideas that I could steal? Most have already been used and I occasionally need inspiration.

Thanking you for your time, you may now move onto the story (if you haven't already that is :p)

CHICKEN

SUMMARY: Tony and Ziva decide to have a game of chicken in the workplace. Only it isn't your average game of chicken and the consequences aren't your everyday forfeit either…

Ziva smiled inwardly to herself as Tony entered the bullpen almost thirty minutes late. She couldn't hold her amusement back for long though, as his panicked look towards Gibbs' desk, and then around the bullpen, was just too funny to ignore. After determining that Gibbs was in fact not in the bullpen Tony visibly relaxed and began settling himself down for the day. His rucksack was dropped in its usual place, his suit jacket was placed on the back on his chair and his firearm was taken out of his holster before he turned to address his co-worker.

"Where are Gibbs and McGee?" he asked, totally bypassing any form of greeting.

"Good morning to you too." Ziva replied sarcastically, "They went to investigate the crime scene about twenty minutes ago."

"What crime scene? We don't have a crime scene?" Tony asked, the confused look on his face causing Ziva to smirk in amusement. For a very special agent, Anthony DiNozzo could be rather dense at times.

"The crime scene that was assigned to us twenty minutes ago." She explained, her smile widening as understanding dawned on his face.

"We have a new case." He stated confidently, before a confused look appeared on his face again. "So why are you here?"

"Because Tony," she stated, making her way around her desk and sauntering towards Tony's desk, "I was waiting for you."

Once again the look on Tony's face was priceless. A look of utter shock crossed his face a split second before it was replaced by a badly veiled look of desire. She watched as he looked her over, taking in the form fitting shirt and trousers she had decided to wear today. He hadn't looked at her like that (in an obvious way) for quite a while, and the fact that he was doing it now caused a pang of…something in her stomach. She refused to even acknowledge the possibility that it was lust because she had gotten over Tony a long time ago. Yeah right.

"Oh." Was Tony's simple reply. He winced slightly at his extremely witty reply, and decided to blame his lack of brain functioning on his partner's outfit and the way it left little to the imagination as she made her way over to him. The few brain cells that had been functioning as his partner made her way over to him completely broke down when, rather than leaning over his desk like usual, Ziva made her way around it and, when he spun his chair around to face her, stepped directly between his legs and leaned forward so that her mouth was millimetres away from his ear.

"Are you going to keep me waiting, Tony?" she asked seductively, innuendo laced into her tone.

"Waiting for what exactly?" he replied, regaining his composure. He was not easily intimidated by women and he refused to be beaten by a woman using the tactics that he applied on a daily basis. Not even if it was an extremely sexy woman who was standing between his legs and whispering in his ear.

"What do you think?" she asked, placing one hand on his chest and the other on the top of his thigh. She hadn't intended on teasing him when she had been making her way over to his desk, but now that she was practically sitting on his lap she wasn't willing to let any opportunity to touch and tease pass her by.

"Well I don't know Ziva." Tony replied, pulling back slightly so that he could see his partner's face. Now over the initial shock, he was quite comfortable with the way things were going. After all, they had been flirting with each other for years, it was just that they didn't usually get this intimate…in public. "What are you waiting for?"

"I'm not sure exactly." Ziva answered, trailing her fingers slowly up his thigh. "But I know that if you aren't willing to help me figure it out I will have to find somebody who is."

"Well then. If you tell me what you need, then I can tell you if I am willing to help."

The hand that was trailing closer and closer to Tony's most valuable body part was distracting Tony, and it took all of his effort not to show how much hid partner was affecting him. But if she didn't stop soon something terrible was going to happen. Either his willpower would diminish and his most valuable body part would react, or he would have to find some other way to divert her hand from its current route.

"Hmm. I may need something to stimulate my brain." Ziva leaned her face even further towards her partner, so that their lips were now less than an inch apart. Tony dared a quick glance to his partner's lips but quickly raised them again, knowing full well that his body needed no stimulation and that he may well look cross eyed staring at her lips from such close proximity.

"What kind of stimulus?" he asked, the hot rush of breath that left his mouth making its way into hers. If the situation had been different ie. If they were not at work, in an open working space where anybody and everybody merely had to glance into their workspace or walk past them to see, Ziva would consider leaning forward and showing him the stimulus that her brain, and her body needed. But just as she started to consider acting on her theory, a different kind of stimulus gave Ziva the epiphany she needed.

"DiNozzo here," Tony greeted his phone, which seemed to have materialised from the middle of nowhere. He shot her a look that was a mixture of apology, relief and guilt as Gibbs said something on the other end of the phone. "Oh, hi boss. Yes, I am at work. Yes I was late. Yes I do have a reason. Huh? The reason? Erm…car broke down? No, that wasn't the real reason. No, it will definitely not happen again…again. Yes, I will get Ziva and then we will come meet you. Bye boss."

"That is the stimulus I was looking for. Thank you for helping to fry my brain Tony." Ziva stated as Tony hung up. She quickly left the confines of Tony's legs and made her way back to her desk, where she began to gather her things she would need in the field.

"It's zap. It's zap your brain. If you're brain was fried you'd be…well actually you'd still be you. So I guess frying it even more might help too."

"Oh, very mature Tony."

"What has gotten into you, Miss I can kill you eighteen ways with a paperclip. Twenty seconds ago you were practically and sitting on my lap and now you look like you can't get far enough away from me."

"Nonsense." Ziva argued angrily. She refused to admit that she had lost her nerve because of a phone call from Gibbs. "Twenty seconds ago I was standing close to you, and now I, we, are going to meet the rest of the team at the crime scene."

"Whatever. You're just unwilling to admit that you're a chicken."

"I am not a chicken."

"You chickened out. Hence the reason that you are a chicken."

"I am no chicken Tony, believe me. There is no way you can call me that, or make me admit that I am one."

"Ooohhh," Tony practically squealed, "Did you just challenge me? Did you just challenge the king of the chicken detectors to prove that you are a chicken?"

"Of course not. You are just being juvenile because you got nothing off me back there." Ziva denied as she and Tony made their way to the elevator.

"You so did. And for the record, it's on."

And so it began. One of the strangest games of chicken played both in and outside of the workplace. For the next few weeks, the two partners would taunt, tease, challenge, and push each other to the limit in order to get the other back down.

So guys, what do you think? Should I carry it on or leave it? Please review because if you do rainbows will really rain skittles (in my mind) and the rain will shower stars (not really).

Have a good one guys,

TheCumStain.