Their first night in Berlin, both agents are so exhausted from the travelling and the emotions of their European Odyssey that they pass out. Ziva doesn't make it to the bed and ends up crashing, fully clothed, onto the rather large couch. Tony, slightly more awake than his Israeli companion, takes note of the irony and crawls up onto the king bed, taking a minute to unknot his tie.
Tony wakesup in the middle of the night, probably something to do with the time change. Instead of fighting it, he gets up, kicking his loafers to the floor. Tony knows that Ziva's been a light sleeper lately, sharing hotel rooms all across Europe will enlighten a man to this fact. He pulls off his suit jacket, now so full of wrinkles only a deep steam will get out, and tosses it onto the table. Ziva's still sleeping, snoring slightly. Tony smiles at the noise. It seems like a lifetime ago since he first heard that ungodly noise. It was a lifetime ago, Tony realizes. That undercover op was before Jeanne, before Michael, before EJ, before Ray, before so many things that had changed them.
He sighs heavily, despite the terrible things they'd seen and done, Tony was glad that it had all happened. Ultimately, this had brought them closer together. He yawns widely, his jaw cracking. Ziva would be up soon and then the hunt for Bodnar would start again.
The next morning they started early, following up a series of leads that all turned out to be dead ends. She wouldn't say it, but Tony could see Ziva becoming more and more discouraged with every dead end.
Still unused to the time in Berlin, they only made it to 11 o'clock before returning to the hotel room to sleep.
"Take the bed, Ziva." Tony said as he watched Ziva fluff up her pillow on the couch. She looked at him.
"I am fine, Tony. I slept here last night." She turned away, but Tony could hear her say 'Thank you though' under her breath.
"I know you slept there last night, that's why I'm telling you to take the bed tonight. It's only fair that we alternate." He pulled on the undershirt and boxers he had purposely brought along, knowing that he and Ziva would be sharing hotel rooms.
"I said that I was fine, Tony." Ziva was being stubborn.
"I don't care. Sleep in the damn bed, if you don't, no one will." He strode across the room to stand next to her, arms crossed over his chest. Ziva looked up at him, her eyes narrowing.
"Then where will you sleep?"
"I'll sleep on the floor. I'd rather you had the bed, okay? You need sleep."
"As do you, Tony. But, since you are so insistent, I will take the bed. But only for tonight. Tomorrow we will switch back." Ziva's tone involuntarily softened.
"Deal. Good night, Ziva." Tony said, flopping down onto the couch.
"Good night, Tony." Ziva's reply was muffled by the covers she had pulled over her head.
Tony went to sleep quickly that night, but Ziva stayed awake. She thought about the man she was hunting, the man whose death she was avenging, but she alsothought about the man snoring only feet away the most.
Another day of promising leads led to nothing. Another day ofwatching the light in Ziva's eyes die down. Countless calls were made to McGee, hoping he would have something new. Lead after lead showed up, leads that became dead ends or red herrings set up by Bodnar and whomever he was working with.
"I am sick of these red trout!" Ziva growled over a room service dinner. Tony opened his mouth to correct her, but thought better of it.
"One of them is going to turn out real, Ziva." Tony reached out his hand to rest it on her forearm, but she pulled away. Upon seeing Tony's hurt look, she sighed.
"I am sorry, Tony."
Tony shook his head, "No, it's fine."
But things remained tense for the next few hours until Ziva declared herself tired and ready for bed. Tony simply nodded, handing her the pillow and blanket form the bed. She accepted them with a nod of thanks, before setting them up. As Ziva rolled over to face the back of the couch, Tony wadded his pillow up underneath his head, punching it a few more times than was necessary.
Tonight, the sound of Ziva's snores agitatesTony. He scowls in her direction, wanting desperately to hit her and kiss her at the same time. But eventually he falls asleep, his own snores subconsciously matching Ziva's. He is out for the night, but Ziva isn't.
She startles herself awake, a nightmare that feels all tooreal disrupting her. She refuses to cry out, but finds that sleep won't come again. Tony's snores have softened, Ziva can tell he is in a very deep sleep at this point. She thinks that maybe he won't mind if she joins him, just for a few minutes. She'll be back on the couch long before he wakes up anyway.
So Ziva gathers her pillow and creeps over to the bed. Climbing up, she finds the sheets warm from Tony's body heat and she realizes that she likes it. Tucking the pillow under her head, she props her head up on her elbow, looking at Tony's sleeping face.
He is drooling a little bit, and this makes Ziva laugh. But aside from that, Tony looks peaceful, younger than he does when he is awake and for some reason, this observation makes Ziva want to cry. They have done so much to hurt each other in the past, but it's just that, in the past. She barely recognizes the man sleeping in front of her as the same man she shared a slice of pizza with seven years ago.
"Well, it makes sense," Ziva muttered to herself, "I am not the same person I was seven years ago."
Tony twitches in his sleep, and right now Ziva feels a little too much like a voyeur. Instead of continuing to look at him, even though she could sit like this all night, a revelation that shocks, but doesn't surprise her. She rests her head on the pillow and closes her eyes, the combination of warm sheets and Tony's snores lulling her to sleep almost instantly.
Tony wakes up an hour or so later, only mildly surprised to find Ziva sleeping next to him. He smiles softly, thinking that she looks innocent, before closing his eyes again.
"At lo levad, Ziva David. At lo levad." In a way this has become their motto, and it feels right for Tony to say it now. He doesn't remember saying it in the morning, but the feeling is still there.
Ziva is the one to wake up for real the next morning. Something about today feels different. Maybe it is the fact that it is sunny, as opposed to the clouds and rain they've had the last two days. Or maybe it is the fact that she is waking up next to an actual person, a person she has feelings for.
Ziva takes up her voyeuristic habits from last night and watches Tony sleep again, the sun brightening his face. She smiles as his eyelids twitch, and then open completely.
"Good morning, Ziva." Tony says lazily, thinking that the look on Ziva's face could make a man fall in love, if he wasn't head over heels already.
"Good morning Tony." Ziva says softly, a smile playing across her lips because she knows that today will be different.
"We'll get him today, Ziva. Together." Tony says.
Ziva nods, "Yes. Together."
A/N: Okay, so pretty straightforward here. It's based on the amazing promo for Berlin (pauses for squealing to die down) A big thank you to quisiniart4 for reading this over and making edits. :D
I hope you guys enjoy this and please leave me feedback.