It's a lazy Sunday afternoon that will be anything but uneventful.
Ziva sits on the floor of their new apartment, random pictures scattered around her and two large leather-bound photo albums on either side of her. She takes a pile of photos in her hands and breezes through them quickly, stopping for a second or two longer at the ones she loves; the second they were taken, coming to the front of her memory. She smiles.
Although she would love to, she does not linger on them for very long. She is fully determined to get these two photo albums completely filled before dinner time.
The deadbolt clicks and the door opens, but Ziva does not stop what she is doing, still deeply determined in finishing the project in front of her. She smiles and shakes her head at a candid picture of Tony and Abby, the goth practically knocking Tony to the ground with a hug, when she hears a whimper.
Ziva furrows her eyebrows, calling out his name in confusion and a trace of worry. "Tony?"
"Oh, Lucy, I'm hoooome." He sings. But she ignores it as she wanders barefoot into the next room where the front door is. And where she finds Tony, holding a small furry animal in his arms.
He struggles with it, but shifts the furball in his arms until she can see the face of an adorable King Cavalier puppy.
"Tony." She…gasps? Yes, he definitely heard a small gasp in there. She wanders over towards him, gently scratching the puppy's chin, her finger making its way up and down its light brown and white face. "What is this?"
"It's a puppy." He explains teasingly, scratching the wrinkles that have formed on the puppy's head.
"I know what it is." She resists smacking him, for she knows he will defend himself with the puppy. "But…why?"
He looks at her, his smile making angel's hearts melt. She doesn't notice the smile; she is too preoccupied with the puppy. And he is almost happy she doesn't catch it, it's a moment of complete adoration that he thinks she'll find cheesy…or maybe even creepy.
He brushes his finger over one of hers lovingly. "Well I know you're still kinda bummed about not being able to have a kid," she inhales deeply, locking eyes with him for a moment. He can't even find an emotion in her glance. "So I thought before we consider anything serious, we have some practice." He pronounced proudly.
"The doctor never said we could not have children." She points out.
The puppy closes its dark eyes as Tony rubs behind his ear. "Ziva, we've been trying for almost a year." His voice is slightly serious.
She sighs as she continues petting the puppy.
"Tony…a puppy?" she laughs.
"Ever see Marley and Me?" It's a stupid question, he made her watch it a few weeks ago.
"Tony…" she searches her head for something, but before she can find something, he speaks.
"Oh, come on Ziva!" he pleads, putting the puppy in front of his face.
The innocent look on the King Cavalier's face is almost too much.
"Do not give me that face." She warns with a smile.
"What face?" he asks as innocently as the puppy's face. "It's not me, its McRuff."
"McWhat?"
"Ok, we'll work on the name." he smiles. "So can we keep him?" he sounds like a seven year old. It makes her laugh.
She huffs, he's not convincing her just yet.
"A puppy is great practice." He volleys.
"Can we train him in nine months?" she mutters to herself. But it does not fall upon deaf ears.
"What?" he says absently, still obsessed with the furry creature in his arms. "No, it won't take that long."
"Come on, just hold him." he passes him to her.
She is slightly reluctant at first, but another look into the glistening eyes and wet nose and she takes him with open arms. Ziva holds him against her chest. His fur is soft against her exposed neck. She buries her face into its neck for a moment, and then holds him with sturdy and caring hands in front of her face, nose to nose. He licks the side of her crinkling nose.
And they call it puppy love.
"So…?" he asks, giddy with anxiety.
"Fine." She let the puppy lick her nose once more, this time out of gratitude.
He wraps her arms around her, giving her a hard kiss on the cheek as he swings them back and forth.
"But what if…McRuff…does not like the baby." Her inner pessimist surfaces.
"We've got time to deal with that." He shrugs.
"A few months will be enough?" she bites her inner lip.
"A few months? Maybe a year, if the dog doesn't end up getting kidnapped by Abby before then, then I think we can consider ourselves certified parents."
"A puppy and a baby are very different Tony." By the time she has been working on the puppy's jawbone, he seems to like it.
"I-I know…but…" he tries to get some words in.
"I'm pregnant." She stops him.
He looks up at her with deer in the headlights eyes. It is a good thing he gave her the puppy to hold, because he surely would have dropped it.
"Pregnant?" he chuckles absently, still in shock.
She nods, smiling.
"Oh my god." He quickly wraps her in his tight embrace again, nuzzling his nose into her neck.
McRuff sticks his head between their shoulders; his fragile and slim body is not damaged by their love.
"How? I mean…oh my god, wow." He is clearly beyond words. He pulls back, holding her shoulders for a moment before cupping her face and pulling her in for a passionate kiss in one swift movement.
Ziva laughs. "Patience is a virtue that is rewarded greatly." She holds the puppy tighter against her chest.
"Yea…" he nods, a few light, stunned chuckles still escaping his lips.
He presses his forehead against hers, nose to nose.
Tony presses a quick kiss to her nose.
"I love you."
Oh I guess they'll never know, how a young heart really feels and why I love her so.
This was supposed to go into Guns and Roses, but it was too long and story like.
So anyway, review. I know it's cheesy, but…hey, cheesy things pop into my mind on mac and cheese night.