Title: Smartass
Rating: K
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Pairing: Established Tiva.
Summary: They thought they were smart when they changed their daily routines in order to hide the new reality of their ever-changing relationship. They thought they were smart, but he was smarter. Established Tiva. Tony, Ziva and Gibbs fic. One-shot.
A/N: Just to prove that I'm not dead!^^
Smartass
By: TheBluePiglet
They thought they were smart when they changed their routines in order to hide the new reality of their ever-changing relationship. It was necessary, the scenario of their colleagues finding out that their daily route to work now, as of recently, originated from the same place was simply unthinkable. At least for the time being, while they themselves were still getting used to things and settling in.
The concept of hiding this new step towards what they would dare call happiness by never showing up to work at the same time felt like the natural solution. One of them would just have to stall a few minutes while the other took the first elevator up. She was mostly the one to be granted the satisfaction of making her presence known in the bullpen with the first elevator trip. Not that he minded it all that much anyway. She had always had a tendency to arrive at work around the same time his alarm clock finally succeeded in forcing him out of bed, still at home in his underwear. Bringing this to mind the current arrangement probably made more sense than if it would have been the other way around, even if the occasional strikes to the back of his head tended to hurt. And he could swear he was starting to grow a bald spot.
These head slaps however, were only delivered whenever they were running a late morning, which due to the elevator plan (as he had proudly named it), always made him even later as he waited for that stupid 'ding' while watching her wink playfully at him behind the closing doors. Never the less, it was still a small price to pay considering the thought of what he would no doubt have to endure if the truth was to be reviled. Suddenly one and another light concussion and a little hair loss didn't seem all that bad after all.
They thought they were smart when they decided that the same thing would go for leaving the office, too. Whenever, however but preferably alone were made their new unwritten rules for making an exit. The small detail that one of the two would always wait for the other in the car on the garage floor wasn't something anyone needed to know. It had even proved not to be that bothersome. Personally he had actually come to enjoy the moment of peace and quiet way more than expected. And it didn't make things any harder that the woman to reward him for his patience had a thing for showing her appreciation in quite the physical way, with his lips as the intended target of her gratitude.
They thought they were smart when they decided to keep any conversation concerning their private life out of the office. Though, considering the recent change in their relationship, there wasn't very much that qualified as appropriate "work-talk". Particularly since they with this decision had automatically banned any sort of arguments from the headquarters. Still, this rule had proven to be just as necessary as the others either way, if not even more so. After officially, or unofficially (depending on how you chose to see it), becoming a couple the two agents had for the first time begun to understand certain aspects of "Rule #12" and why their boss had introduced it. Not that this meant that they were by any means going to keep obeying it, far from it obviously. They simply became aware of how difficult it could be to be romantically involved with your co-worker, especially when tackling dangerous situations while at the same time having to keep it a secret.
It wasn't until a particular scenario which involved explosions and a burning building that she realised just how hard it could be not to act unprofessional, or down right foolish, due to the worry that came with watching your lover in the face of danger. This had all ended up with her disobeying direct orders to follow her instincts and rush in to help, an act that probably saved him and the suspect from serious injuries but left her with some very angry team members and a class two burn up her right arm. He had thanked her later and her boss forgiven her, but all in all it had not been a pleasant experience. Especially not with the uncomfortable quiet that was the aftermath due to the no-personal-business-in-the-office rule.
They really did think they were smart, but what they failed to notice was that their ever observant boss was well aware.
The grey-haired leader had suspected that something like this would happen from day one. He had witnessed first hand how the playful banter had evolved into a partnership with bonds strong enough to finally make them completely dependant on one another. Their minds worked in what seemed like the perfect symbiosis with a complexity like nothing he had ever seen. This was something that was invaluable when it came to working as a team, but it was also a very risky road to walk. He of all people knew how dangerous it could be to grow to close to a co-worker, to get to emotionally attached. He could still remember his Senior Field Agent's face when he informed him about the fate of the Damocles. He knew right then and there that he hadn't lost only one precious member of his team, but two.
Now even though things had, amazingly, turned out okay, and everything eventually went back to normal, he couldn't deny the new way his Agents looked at each other. Something had changed since the ordeal in Africa and he had a pretty strong feeling he knew what was going on. Still he decided to deny it, pretending like it wasn't there. He figured that by not acknowledging it he wouldn't have to take a stand on the issue. But as the months went by and the cases opened and closed the fact that something was happening between them became even more undeniable. Guess it really was inevitable, as the former director of NCIS and old friend had once mentioned when discussing the matter over a glass of Bourbon years prior.
It was rather amusing really, how they actually thought he didn't know. How they seriously believed he would go for their cheap tricks. Never showing up at the same time, never leaving at the same time, never arguing or minding each other's personal business, did they really think he was that blind? It hadn't gone past anyone that those two had created a habit of taking lifts with each other to work and share occasional drinks after hours. Not to mention the nonstop bantering and digging into the others personal life. Really, they had to give him more credit than that.
However, he did understand why they were so keen on trying to hide things from him. He had repeatedly reminded them of his rules and what was acceptable and what was not. But recently he had starting feeling like he was trying to fight nature. And even how hard it might be to admit, he couldn't find it in him to keep standing in the way of something that was bound to happen. Just because he had screwed things up didn't mean he had to punish them for it, even if he had always had their own best interest at heart.
Maybe it was time for a change. To let nature have its course and allow them to make their own mistakes. After all he had written down "Rule #51" for a reason, it was probably about time to start practising what you preech. Maybe it was time to admit that sometimes, you are actually wrong.
Anthony DiNozzo was standing by the elevator on the ground floor, waiting for the silver doors to open once more so he could make his entrance when he felt someone standing behind him. Turning around he was met with a set of familiar eyes staring at him with a knowing look.
"Oh, hi Boss!" He chirped in greeting, hoping to God that Gibbs hadn't been there long enough to have gotten a glimpse of Ziva who just disappeared behind the sliding doors.
Instead of answering right away Gibbs eyed Tony, who looked more then a little unnerved. "You'd think I'd prefer you two playing smartass over grab-ass, but I'm not so sure."
The younger man could have sworn his chin collided with the ground right then. "Uh, Boss–?" He stuttered, completely at a loss of words.
"Just keep your tongues in place at work," Gibbs said, pausing only to take a sip from his coffee. "If you wanna keep 'em that is."
And with that he left.
They thought they were smart, but he was smarter. And maybe that wasn't an entirely bad thing.
FIN
Well, there you have it. Like it? Don't like it? Please tell me in the reviews! :)