A/N: A little something inspired by Obsession, just getting around to finishing/posting this now. I haven't decided if I'm going to continue into a full-blown story or just leave it as a one-shot. Crit is always appreciated, as are comments!
"You, of all people should know that I sometimes have issues with the English language, Tony." Ziva spoke quietly, across the nearly empty bull-pen, save for her partner. When he did not respond, she continued: "That doesn't excuse my behaviour, but I guess what I am trying to say..." she stopped to form her words more clearly "or ask, rather, is what she could see in you?"
He looked up, acknowledging her, almost glaring.
"You've said that already. If you're trying to apologize, you're doing a pretty crappy job of it."
"Tony, you deserve a woman. Not a girl. You are entirely too down on yourself, that is the saying yes? What I am saying is, if you cannot see all that you have to offer someone, how can they see it within you?" She told him, with genuine interest.
"And how would you know what I have to offer?" He punctuated his remark with the heavy dropping of a case file on to her desk.
"Tony...my point is that you should stop investing yourself in these silly one night stands and find your '', whomever that may be." She took a moment to truly look at him. "You only have as much potential as you let yourself." She finished, placing a hand over his, which he used to lean against her desk. His resolve crumbled slightly, as he let her words sink in.
"And as for how I would know, Tony," she stood up, grabbing her bag and placing her hand back over his. "You are my friend. I have seen you when you are actually being you and not Tony DiNozzo, eternal fat boy."
Tony's resolve completely broke upon her idiomatic faux-pas. "Frat."
"Whatever. Be you and you will find her."
"Why are you so invested in my dating habits, Ziva?"
She thought for a moment, thought about deflecting, about lying. It was time to aim for the heart and she knew it. She stood up straight, leaving minimal space between them.
"It should be no secret to you by now that I have these...feelings, Tony."
"Feelings? Gotta be more specific here, Ziva. Like right now, I'm feeling confused, a little hungry and pretty damn tired and..."
"Felings, feelings for you." She cut off his rambling.
"And these are obvious? I think we really need to work on your grasp of the english language, Ziva. There's nothing obvious about you, especially what you're really thinking in that thick head of yours." He turned to walk away but was stopped by her hand on his arm, turning him back to her. She just looked at him, making sure his focus was on her, leant up and kissed him on the cheek.
"Tony, I have feelings for you that I am not quite ready to deal with yet. I am still finding who I really am right now, what I am doing and where I belong."
He smiled at her.
"And I am not asking for you to wait around for me, or whether you feel the same. I am genuinely interested in your well being, as a friend. I want you to be happy."
He took a moment to walk away, silently, gathering his stuff from behind his desk.
She had not expected any grand gestures from him in the least bit. She was stunned to find that he had not acknowledged her admission in the slightest. Without saying another word, she made her way to the elevator, only to be stopped by him before entering. He leaned in close to her, whispering in her ear: "And if I say you make me happy?"
