A/N: So I had an idea, about Tony and Ziva meeting some other way. Suddenly a load of inspiration came my way, so yeah.

I've got more ideas, but if this whole thing seems weird, please tell me and I'll stop. :D

Disclaimer: Idea's mine. Concept's mine. Characters, show, not mine.


Piano Store


He runs his hand over the wood, the smooth and cold material slipping underneath his palm as his digits dance up and down over the sanded-down timber, and he smiles slightly at the familiar sensation. Gliding past the black painted frame, he sits down on the cool little leather seat, making a content 'Hmm' before placing his fingertips down. Running through the piece at impossible speed, in his head, he nods before putting pressure through one finger. A single note emits itself from the instrument, and he grins at the sound as it echoes through the small store he's in.

He starts slowly, as he always does, but then gains both confidence and speed, and before long his fingers are flying around, over black and white keys. The piece slows a little, and he so wants to stop and pause and start again, because he always hates this melancholic section and ending. He supposes it needs harmonies and should be an octave higher, but he's only got two hands.

Pushing on regardless, he paces his way through each individual note. He even continues- albeit in a stunned way- as he notes the presence of another hand on the keys, tantalizingly close to his.
It's a small, slender hand, of olive color, with shaped nails that shine in the light emanating from above them both. He gulps as his right little finger brushes against her left, and tries desperately to keep his eyes focused on the ivory chessboard in front of him. However, he does see that she has no ring on her left hand, at all in fact, which distracts him far enough to look out the corner of his eye. Typically good luck for him, he's met with the sight of a mass of hair, brown and tangled.

He huffs, and focuses once more on his playing, and only then does he hear the beauty of the music. It's as if he's hearing it for the first time. And it's not melancholic, not at all. It's mesmerizing and hypnotizing and captivating and... infatuating. He's run out of words. And he's almost run out of notes. But it's incredible, the music they've been playing. Because she was playing the harmonies.

He finishes without his normal trademark flourish, and instead spins round to face his mystery musician. Fighting the gasp that threatens to push its way between his lips, he simply smiles at the woman in front of him. Her hair is indeed wild, and her skin is indeed olive, but she's the most beautiful creature he thinks he's ever seen. Her eyes are wide and brown and glint like diamonds, but he can see the years of thought packed behind her irises. Her face is framed in an idyllic way, her curly locks falling like tresses around her features, but he just knows it will do that naturally. And there's a smile- just a little, all-knowing smile, curling at the corners of her mouth right before she speaks.
"Thank You."

He returns the thanks, and asks her if she's been playing long. As she replies, he mentally kicks himself for asking such a question as that. He blinks as he realizes she's stopped talking.
"Me? My Mom played; I had a tutor as well. But I gave it up until a couple'a months ago. All came back, apparently." He internally curses again, and tries to divert the conversation from piano. "Anyway, how rude of me. What's your name?"
"Ziva."
"I'm Tony. Nice to meet you, Ziva." he says, his stomach flipping when he says her name. He extends his hand, and she shakes it. He prays to God that he's not the only who felt the sparks as they touched, but as they continue to shake hands he doesn't think he was. Because their hands hover up and down, still locked within the other, almost forgotten about as their owners look deeply at each other. And he can see a little gleam behind her eyes, giving him hope.

However, he doesn't need hope, because they're both stubborn, yes, and both impossible, yes, but they're both captivated. Because she was playing the harmonies.


A/N2: So how was that? /: